[{"body":"On June 14, 2026, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB carried out investigative actions at five addresses in the villages of Leninskoye and Babstovo, located near the border with China.\nLaw enforcement officers came to see 61-year-old Galina Medvedeva around 6:00 a.m. She was taken for questioning 100 kilometers away, to Birobidzhan, and she returned home only at 9:00 p.m. A criminal case against Galina was initiated on June 10, 2026.\nThe believers had their personal notes, computer equipment, and means of communication seized.\nSince 2018, in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 28 criminal cases have been initiated against 17 women and 15 men who practice the faith of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Against one of them, Oleg Postnikov, the Federal Security Service Directorate has already initiated a second case on charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-06-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/161345.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against a Female Believer","tags":["search","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"Series of Searches in the Jewish Autonomous Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/firsov.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Firsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kovalenko.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Kovalenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuchin.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Kuchin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 9, 2026, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness Yevgeniy Zhukov, convicted for his faith, completed his sentence. His wife and friends traveled about 2,200 kilometers — from Sevastopol to Yaroslavl — to share with him the first minutes of his freedom.\n\u0026quot;Freedom was always with me,\u0026quot; Yevgeniy shared his first feelings after leaving the penal colony. \u0026quot;It was only temporary restrictions that prevented me from being with my loved ones and friends and embracing them.\u0026quot;\nAlthough Yevgeniy managed to build friendly relations with both other prisoners and the administration, his imprisonment was not without difficulties. \u0026quot;I was placed under strict detention conditions. There, you have to spend the whole day sitting, almost without moving. Before that, I worked in construction, then I trained as a baker and worked in a bakery for almost a year... My attitude toward work showed that I am a believer. Also, work helped me not to focus on negative feelings,\u0026quot; the believer said about his daily life behind bars.\nThe highlight of his time in custody was Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s wedding: in July 2024 he registered his marriage to Tatyana. Guests who had traveled thousands of kilometers attended the ceremony.\nYevgeniy walks out through the gates of the penal colony checkpoint. June 2026 Guard tower on the grounds of the penal colony. June 2026. Yevgeniy and Tatyana Zhukov. June 2026 A patch on Yevgeniy’s prison uniform with his details. June 2026 A touching reunion with friends. June 2026 The criminal case against Yevgeniy was initiated back in October 2020; that was when he was first arrested. The case materials listed such \u0026quot;crimes\u0026quot; as: \u0026quot;acts of mercy... distributing information in society on scientific, social, and historical topics.\u0026quot; All of this was interpreted as \u0026quot;organizing extremist activity.\u0026quot; In October 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years\u0026#39; imprisonment. In fact, the believer spent almost 4.5 years behind bars.\nAccording to Yevgeniy, the numerous letters he received were what kept him from losing heart. \u0026quot;Thanks to the letters, I woke up every day with a smile; I looked forward to them. Especially letters from elderly people...\u0026quot; said Yevgeniy, struggling to hold back tears. \u0026quot;Those are the most touching letters. When they tell about their life, how they made their way, what they do — it is of great value. I have three boxes of such letters, there are thousands of them. In three large notebooks, I have written out interesting thoughts from those letters. I want to keep them in my heart.\u0026quot;\nSpeaking about what he thinks about what he went through, Yevgeniy said: \u0026quot;For me, it was not so much a trial as a test. Prison is like litmus paper; it showed me who I am inside and what I need to work on. The Bible principle says, \u0026#39;There is no fear in love.\u0026#39; In word, prison is scary. Many prisoners of conscience are probably in far harsher conditions than I was. But I sincerely say: there is no need to be afraid. God will always hold your hand.\u0026quot;\nTogether with Yevgeniy in the same case, two other believers from Sevastopol — Vladimir Sakada and Vladimir Maladyka — were convicted. Their release is expected in July 2026.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/111346/image_hu_20fab74e0ac94700.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/111346/image_hu_6d58fa89fe57cdda.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/111346/image_hu_e99423fd4ac83615.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/111346/image_hu_f0dd87651bfdf25b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/111346.html","regions":["crimea","volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","disability"],"title":"\"Freedom Was Always With Me\" — Crimea Resident Yevgeniy Zhukov Has Served His Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"\u0026quot;When the door opened and I saw my friends, joy came immediately. I realized I was free.\u0026quot; This is how Denis Peresunko, a 48-year-old one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, described his first feelings after release. He was convicted under an extremist article for reading the Bible together with others. On June 9, 2026, his prison term came to an end.\nThe persecution began back in the summer of 2019. Denis Peresunko, a man with a disability, was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center for 5 months, where several of his fellow believers were already being held. The court proceedings coincided with the height of the COVID pandemic — it claimed the life of Denis\u0026#39;s wife, Olga. In September 2021, Denis Peresunko was again behind bars, this time for years.\n\u0026quot;There are people there too — calm, good people you can talk to. The most important thing is to always rely on God, on his principles and advice,\u0026quot; Denis concluded. He served his sentence 1,200 kilometers from home in a penal colony in Udmurtia. The believer worked in the sewing workshop, making inflatable sleds. Denis often exceeded the set quota and was commended with a bonus twice.\nDenis Peresunko is one of 84 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who have served actual prison terms for their beliefs. Another 115 believers remain in penal colonies.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/160925/image_hu_8218bae411e92b0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/160925/image_hu_88c6fe9041c2c68e.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/160925/image_hu_2535897deabf6b37.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/160925/image_hu_41674f70e6642979.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/160925.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","release"],"title":"Denis Peresunko from Volgograd Released from Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 8, 2026, Maksim Zinchenko, 34, was released a day early from a correctional center in Crimea for good behavior. For almost a year, Maksim served compulsory labor; prior to that, he spent 11 months under house arrest.\n\u0026quot;Detention is not as frightening as it might seem at first,\u0026quot; Maksim shared his feelings. \u0026quot;Sometimes I allowed myself to feel sad, but I understood that immersing myself too deeply in such a state was dangerous. Prayer helped me a lot... One could say I took advanced training courses in my Christian qualities.\u0026quot;\nIn addition to his wife, Maksim was met by his parents outside the correctional center. June 8, 2026. Maksim worked as a mechanic at a poultry farm located near the correctional center, where convicts worked alongside local residents. \u0026quot;At 6:00 a.m. wake-up, morning routines, assembly, and by about 6:45 you are already on your way to work,\u0026quot; Maksim described his daily routine at the correctional center. \u0026quot;A bus picks you up and takes you to the factory, and after the workday, around 6:20 p.m., you are again at the correctional center. In the evening, you can clean, cook your meals — there you provide everything for yourself, both food and all other essentials. There is even some free time. At 9:20 p.m., evening assembly and roll call, and from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., sleep.\u0026quot;\nSometimes on weekends the believer, with permission from the administration, could leave the correctional center for a few hours to see his wife. \u0026quot;We would walk around the village, talk. My husband always listened to all my worries and comforted me,\u0026quot; Karina said.\nMaksim Zinchenko proved himself to be a diligent worker, so he was twice appointed shift leader to train new employees, not only convicts. Maksim\u0026#39;s hard work was not to everyone\u0026#39;s liking. According to him, some regularly tried to start conflicts and even provoke fights, but the believer never responded to aggression with aggression. Because of Maksim\u0026#39;s reputation, both the administration and his colleagues supported him. As Maksim\u0026#39;s wife recounted, one of the convicts once told him: \u0026quot;You are like the sun for us — always cheerful and you encourage others.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Take care of Maksim, we are here because of our own stupidity, but he is here for nothing... People like this give us a chance to see what it means to live an honest life,\u0026quot; advised another convict, who was released before Zinchenko, to the facility staff.\n\u0026quot;For anyone who faces [unjust criminal prosecution], it is important to understand that the problem is not within you. You need to be confident that we will overcome everything. God will never leave us without strength,\u0026quot; Maksim concluded.\nIn similar criminal cases, 14 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been sentenced to compulsory labor, 6 of whom are still serving their sentences.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/100929/image_hu_ea5898e107e74270.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/100929/image_hu_c20d8e522fed7274.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/100929/image_hu_3637d0af4ba8171d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/100929/image_hu_c5fbf58838dea6f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/100929.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Crimean Maksim Zinchenko Completes Compulsory Labor Sentence","tags":["labor","release"],"title":"\"It Is Not as Frightening as It Might Seem.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 8, 2026, Judge Valeriy Kolobaev of the Yugorskiy District Court found Ivan Sorokin, 47, and Andrey Zhukov, 53, guilty of extremism. They were fined 700,000 and 650,000 rubles, respectively. The prosecutor had asked for 9 years in a general regime penal colony for each man.\nTheir alleged crime was holding religious meetings and discussions of Bible topics. In August 2023, the trial court fully acquitted Andrey and Ivan. However, the court of appeal overturned that decision and sent the case for a new hearing.\nDuring years of persecution, both believers spent time in a temporary detention facility, were placed under a recognizance agreement, and had their bank accounts blocked. The Zhukov family was expecting their second child during that period, while the Sorokin family was raising two children, the younger of whom was a minor.\nThe believers still do not admit any guilt. Andrey Zhukov emphasized: \u0026quot;Because of my religious beliefs, it is unacceptable for me to promote any extremist ideas or incite enmity and hatred... I simply want to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who conducted his ministry together with his disciples and shared the good news with others.\u0026quot;\nIn two similar cases involving the retrial of acquittals — the Barmakin case and the Khabarov case — the believers received terms in a penal colony: 8 years and 2 years 4 months, respectively. However, in the case of Kabardino-Balkaria residents Yuriy Zalipaev and Kirill Gushchin, the acquittals — after a series of retrials and appeals — remained in force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/101109/image_hu_83ffe804df430b60.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/101109/image_hu_624290baadcc8582.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/101109/image_hu_e45c67b0b4cb8f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/101109/image_hu_7651ab5ef4b0a049.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/101109.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"They Were Previously Fully Acquitted","tags":["retrial","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","sentence"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Yugorsk Fined.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 5, 2026, Aleksey Dyadkin was released. He spent nearly six years behind bars. \u0026quot;God never left me all this time,\u0026quot; the 37-year-old believer said after his release. \u0026quot;Everything is all right. I don\u0026#39;t regret my choice.\u0026quot;\nFor the first two and a half years, Aleksey was held in a pretrial detention center; during that period, he and his wife, Vitalina, were not allowed to have visits. The situation changed only after Aleksey was transferred to a penal colony. \u0026quot;When we hugged, we stood there for a long time, unable to believe that we were actually holding each other,\u0026quot; he recalled of their first meeting after several years of separation.\nEven behind bars, Aleksey found ways to support his wife. Vitalina described one of them: \u0026quot;We had a thick notebook. First, he would write in it, and then, until the next hearing, I would write in it... When I had no contact with him for a while, I would take that notebook, and it felt as if he were talking to me.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Aleksey, letters helped him keep the right view of what was happening over the long years and focus on positive things. \u0026quot;It really is something special... Once I received an empty letter, just the envelope. When I saw my name on it, I realized that people had thought of me,\u0026quot; he said through tears. \u0026quot;Maybe the letter itself didn\u0026#39;t reach me for some reason, but I still felt that care and love.\u0026quot;\nIn the colony, Aleksey gained a reputation as a hardworking man—he repaired many things at the facility with his own hands. He also took part in sports events and won prizes. One of the employees who works with inmates described Aleksey as one of the most positive people in the entire colony.\nAleksey Dyadkin was convicted as part of a criminal case against five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Gukovo, Rostov Region. He was the last of them to be released. Several other believers from this region remain behind bars.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-06-05T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:38","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/081453/image_hu_f31edfa13cfb7ca4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/081453/image_hu_40f5a09692e82115.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/081453/image_hu_201a5449afa66321.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/081453/image_hu_fcc833bd47d2191b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/081453.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Aleksey Dyadkin Leaves Penal Colony in Lipetsk After Serving His Full Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 4, 2026, Judge Yelena Zarubina of the Rudnichniy District Court handed down a guilty verdict against Vasiliy Shishkin, 54. The prosecutor requested 8.5 years in a penal colony. The believer was taken into custody.\n\u0026quot;I do not admit my guilt in extremism out of stubbornness, pride, or unwillingness to repent, but because serving God cannot be a crime,\u0026quot; Vasiliy explained in his final statement.\nAccording to Vasiliy, the only thing established in court was that he is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, while no evidence was provided of any actual crime committed. Vasiliy\u0026#39;s younger brother, who does not share his religious beliefs, testified in court in his support — he described his brother as a peaceful person.\nFor 2 years, Vasiliy and Irina Shishkin\u0026#39;s apartment was secretly bugged — in addition to routine daily life, law enforcement officers listened as the believers discussed the Holy Scriptures. In the case file, these discussions were described as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Later, criminal cases were initiated against both spouses. Irina is also being tried in the same court for participating in \u0026quot;extremist activity.\u0026quot;\nVasiliy has a number of medical conditions that make living alone extremely difficult; he regularly takes prescribed medication — this information was available to the court and investigators. Nevertheless, for about 1.5 years prior to the verdict, Vasiliy was held under house arrest. During this entire period, the Shishkins were forbidden to live together, since Irina is also a witness in her husband\u0026#39;s case. To distract himself from his condition, Vasiliy tried to stay busy: he repaired the apartment, read books, wrote poetry, and exercised as much as he could.\n\u0026quot;I try not to be afraid of prison. Many of the fears are only in our heads and never actually happen,\u0026quot; Vasiliy Shishkin said earlier.\nThe verdict will be appealed. Until it enters into force, the believer will be held in a pretrial detention center.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 20 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — men and women ranging from 34 to 76 years old — have already become defendants in criminal cases on charges of extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-06-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/041340/image_hu_dbc6c47d4ddb5db.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/041340/image_hu_946595242c18830d.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/041340/image_hu_cab8d0dd65290fab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/041340/image_hu_e5167de14a94f142.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/041340.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness from Prokopyevsk Sentenced to 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2026, 41-year-old Artem Gerasimov was released after fully serving his sentence. Friends met him outside penal colony No. 12 in the Rostov Region.\n\u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s hard even to imagine that millions of people around the world were praying for me. Just realizing that was a huge support to me,\u0026quot; said Artem, reflecting on his six years in prison.\nIn the penal colony, Artem first worked in a sewing shop, making medical gowns, rubberized suits, and masks. Later, he worked in a shop producing metal scouring pads. For his diligence, the believer received commendations in the form of certificates and extra care packages.\nArtem tried to get along with prison staff and fellow inmates alike, regardless of their position or status. \u0026quot;At one point, one inmate tried to take out his resentment on me,\u0026quot; the believer recalled. \u0026quot;But that lasted only a few days. Then things settled down. Later, he even said goodbye to me with a smile.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;Throughout my sentence, I always tried to keep up with the stories of fellow believers who were being persecuted. And the hardest thing for me was watching them go through that very first stage — the beginning of their troubles. Because I know what it was like for me, and I know what it became later. Once you\u0026#39;ve gone through persecution yourself, you start taking things much more calmly,\u0026quot; Artem said.\nAltogether, 18 residents of Crimea have been convicted for their faith in Jehovah God. Fifteen of them received real prison terms, and 14 remain behind bars.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/06/040855/image_hu_9ce63cef63176f5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/06/040855/image_hu_22e5f1bf089ed406.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/06/040855/image_hu_a5b15ba242698446.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/06/040855/image_hu_8ca7fb159296d40b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/06/040855.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"He Spent 6 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["release"],"title":"Another Resident of Crimea — Artem Gerasimov — Has Been Released.","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript: Your Honor! At the outset of my remarks, I would like to say a few words of gratitude. Your Honor, it is very pleasant that the entire process has taken place in a respectful atmosphere. You allowed all defendants, experts, witnesses, and defense attorneys to speak. You permitted many of my fellow believers to be present, even when there were not enough seats in the courtroom. You listened to all the arguments of both the prosecution and the defense. Thank you for not scheduling hearings when I was receiving medical treatment in the hospital — in Buzinovskaya, in Vyselki, and in Krasnodar — during these 3 years.\nI would like to address the state prosecutors, Tatyana Pavlovna and Marina Sergeyevna, as well as those who replaced them: you are standing guard over the law and, as a rule, you do indeed prosecute those who break it.\nMy sincere thanks to my lawyer, Anton Nikolayevich Bogdanov, for his professional assistance and active defense at all the courts. If you were absent from a hearing, the defendants would wonder: “What surprises are in store for us today?” — and we felt our need for your help. You set an example of how to defend those who are accused and about whom so many false things are said. Thank you, dear Anton Nikolayevich!\nThe other lawyers also acted in a coordinated manner, and your great experience benefited all of us at the hearings. And the lay defender, Eduard Leonidovich, studied the comprehensive psycholinguistic, religious, and authorship expert study so thoroughly that he understood it better than the experts themselves.\nI am very grateful to my wife, Anya, for being completely on my side, even though she herself faces persecution for her faith. These trials bring us closer together and strengthen our feelings for each other.\nI am also very grateful to the support group — those who traveled from afar and those who walked from their homes to the court to support us and to receive support from other attendees. Often we had not known each other before and met either on the street or in the courthouse. We have made new friends. I also thank the other members of our group of five. Dear friends, you show true courage and fortitude and are an example to many.\nI personally am not surprised that such a peaceful and calm person as I consider myself is being prosecuted as a very dangerous criminal. After all, Christ said to his followers in the Bible, at John 15:20: “If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” And also, in the Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, chapter 3, verse 12, it is written: “In fact, all those desiring to live with godly devotion in Christ Jesus will also be persecuted.” We are now seeing these words fulfilled. The criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses today is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy! “You will be persecuted,” that is, “they will persecute you.”\nThis means that all other prophecies will also be fulfilled, including the prophecy that the world in which we live will be replaced by God with a new world where there will be no evil, no violence, no extremism, and many other problems from which all humanity suffers. In the Bible, in the Second Letter of the Apostle Peter, chapter 3, verse 13, it says: “But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” “New heavens” refers to Christ and his corulers in heaven, and “new earth” refers to people who submit to their rule and whom God will bless.\nI am very grateful to Jehovah God for allowing me to participate in this criminal process. He let me observe the statements made by both the prosecution and the defense, witnesses on both sides, as well as listen to wonderful speeches by presenters on video recordings. I also had the opportunity to be present at the court hearings of other Jehovah's Witnesses in the Vyselkovskiy District Court, which were held simultaneously with our trial. This really does resemble conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are held all over the earth...\nDo I consider myself guilty of breaking the law? No. Worshipping God cannot be a crime. The fact that our freedoms were restricted, that we spent a lot of time in court, and that I spent 21 days behind bars in the expert unit of a psychiatric hospital — all this is the result of an incorrect interpretation of the law on extremism.\nI am confident that, in due time, God will establish justice for all. No one will sit in prisons or psychiatric hospitals; no one will violate the rights of others, and all rights that were previously violated will be restored, and no one will remember injustice any longer, because life will bring only joy to everyone living on earth. That is difficult to believe now, but all Jehovah's Witnesses are absolutely convinced that this is how it will be!\nCourt hearings will end, but in the memory of many they will remain as a special time full of vivid impressions and memories during this difficult period, when there are constant warnings of aerial, drone, and missile threats, as well as cancellations of such warnings. When... communication is shut off, the Internet... But we are delighted that it will not always be this way, and that soon it will all come to an end!\nDo I wish the court to acquit me? Yes. I also want all the defendants in our case to be acquitted. I ask that these words be added to the case materials.\n","date":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/648.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Yevgeniy Bochko in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"Operation \u0026quot;Judgment Day\u0026quot; against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan in 2018 affected the family of Pavel Shishenko. Several years later, a criminal case was opened against him, and he was placed on the federal wanted list.\nwas born in August 1972 in the village of Leninskoye (the Jewish Autonomous Region). He has an older brother and sister. Pavel\u0026#39;s father worked as a cooper for most of his life and was a Veteran of Labor; his mother worked as a painter and plasterer. Both of his parents have passed away.\nPavel was an active child: he played basketball and volleyball, enjoyed cycling, practiced wushu, and took up woodcarving. He graduated from a vocational school with a specialty as a general-purpose machine operator, and later, already as an adult, earned a university degree in management. Over the years, Pavel tried many lines of work: he was an auto mechanic, a boiler operator, a carpenter, made and restored furniture, worked as a furniture sales manager, and served as an inspector of electric metering devices. Most recently, he has been doing turnkey apartment renovations.\nIn 1990, Pavel came to Birobidzhan to train as a driver. There he met Yelena, who became his wife two and a half years later. Yelena is a medical worker. Like her husband, she comes from a large family. Together, the couple raised two children. They also cared for Yelena\u0026#39;s mother until her death in 2019.\nThe family loves spending time outdoors: every year they would go into the mountains and join friends on river rafting trips. More recently, Pavel has taken up photography. \u0026quot;I love watching sunrises and seeing off sunsets through a camera lens,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m inspired by scenic places, mountains, and the beauty of nature.\u0026quot;\nPavel recalls: \u0026quot;My father loved watching the night sky with me, thinking about stars and meteorites. It shaped the way I think. I started asking questions: Where did we come from on Earth? What\u0026#39;s out there in the boundless cosmos?\u0026quot; In the fall of 1994, Pavel and Yelena began studying the Bible. \u0026quot;This book brought peace to our family and gave us the right direction,\u0026quot; Pavel said. \u0026quot;It helped me view world events through the lens of Bible prophecy and understand more deeply what is happening.\u0026quot; In 1995, the couple were baptized together as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;It was one of the most important decisions of our lives,\u0026quot; he shared.\nWhen their home was searched in 2018, the couple experienced severe stress. \u0026quot;Our children worry about us and support us wholeheartedly,\u0026quot; Pavel says. \u0026quot;Our relatives don\u0026#39;t understand why we are being persecuted.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-05-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shishenko/photo_hu_8cf6c1306cb0c634.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shishenko/photo_hu_583bf2104945424f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shishenko/photo_hu_a805659f8216e88b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shishenko/photo_hu_8eac8d907ce99e42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shishenko.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Shishenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 25, 2026, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast overturned the verdict against Oleg Postnikov—six years and two months in a penal colony—and sent the criminal case back for a new trial. The man was released from custody in the courtroom. He was placed under a travel restriction order.\n\u0026quot;Extremism has nothing to do with me—and nothing to do with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses at all,\u0026quot; Postnikov said in his final statement. Speaking about the video recordings on which the prosecution built its case, he added: \u0026quot;You can\u0026#39;t hear any criticism or political arguments there... No calls for extremist actions. There were calls to love one\u0026#39;s neighbor, to care for them; calls for open‑mindedness and for taking others\u0026#39; feelings into account. That\u0026#39;s my way of life. There\u0026#39;s nothing else on those videos.\u0026quot;\nFor nearly five years, Oleg Postnikov has consistently challenged the charges brought against him, going through repeated court proceedings and seeking review of the decisions. He does not plead guilty to continuing the activities of a banned legal entity.\nIn court, the believer explained the reason for his persecution this way: \u0026quot;My only \u0026#39;crime\u0026#39; is that I believe in God differently than others do. I believe that people will live forever on Earth in peace with one another. And for that, the prosecutor proposes to deprive me of my freedom, to separate me from my beloved wife and my friends.\u0026quot;\n","category":"victory","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/261346/image_hu_e75afecd378f6356.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/261346/image_hu_c24e574491b05422.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/261346/image_hu_82b3c64ff0794834.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/261346/image_hu_4579987a2c0ca97a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/261346.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"But He Will Have to Defend Himself in Court Again, for the Fourth Time","tags":["appeal","retrial","release-sizo"],"title":"Appeals Court Releases Oleg Postnikov from Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2026, Vladimir Popov, a 59-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, was released from Penal Colony No. 3 in Dimitrovgrad. At the facility\u0026#39;s gates, he was finally reunited with his wife and friends.\nVladimir\u0026#39;s wife, Irina, said: \u0026quot;We lived together for 35 years and weren\u0026#39;t just spouses—we were close friends, too. We talked all the time, discussed everything together, shared our feelings and worries. When he was arrested, all of that stopped in an instant. For about three years, while Vova (a shortened name of Vladimir -- ed.) was in a pretrial detention center, we saw each other only in court.\u0026quot; Later, Irina was able to visit her husband in the penal colony.\n\u0026quot;The hardest part in prison was the waiting... but prayer and hope helped,\u0026quot; Vladimir Popov said after his release. Physically, it wasn\u0026#39;t easy either: at times there was constant noise in the cell, so it was impossible to get proper sleep. His body began to falter—blood pressure spikes, dizziness, pain in his back and joints. In addition, the believer waited nearly two years for dental treatment; he received help only shortly before his release.\nWhile in the colony, Vladimir Popov worked in the sewing shop—first as a packer, and later as a sewing-machine mechanic. Several times the administration recognized his work with commendations and a certificate of merit.\n\u0026quot;My husband is a very sociable person with a sense of humor, so it wasn\u0026#39;t hard for him to find common ground with people even in prison,\u0026quot; Irina said. \u0026quot;The guards spoke well of him, and so did his cellmates. Some guys who\u0026#39;d already been released once told me that even though Uncle Vova is much older—about the same age as their father—he was a friend to them: always ready to support them, help out, and give advice.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s important not to lose heart and to keep doing good,\u0026quot; Vladimir Popov concluded.\nThe criminal prosecution of Vladimir Popov for his faith as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses began with searches in August 2020. Since then, he had been behind bars. Vladimir Popov and five fellow believers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. One of them, Aleksey Dyadkin, remains in a penal colony and is due to be released in June.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-05-22T16:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/221617/image_hu_a51389ccb7a4d83a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/221617/image_hu_1692a4722e693342.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/221617/image_hu_5155c8341430720e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/221617/image_hu_e5a0dc2e09160697.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/221617.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Vladimir Popov from Gukovo Released After Nearly Six Years Behind Bars","tags":["release"],"title":"“Don’t Lose Heart and Keep Doing Good.”","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baturov/photo_hu_8a780c04253c88b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baturov/photo_hu_207094f063cb05f9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baturov/photo_hu_477b6e80d8e1dd7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baturov/photo_hu_95756a1e9e9b722f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baturov.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Baturov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malchugova.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Amaliya Malchugova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On 22 May 2026, Judge Marina Sinitsyna of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court sentenced Viktor Chernov to three years suspended for practicing his faith among friends. \u0026quot;All I want is to be allowed to live peacefully with my family in my beloved Primorye Territory, to work and to bring joy and benefit to others,\u0026quot; he told the court.\nViktor, 63, has spent the past quarter of a century working in landscape design and has taken part in various programs to green the city of Vladivostok. He suffers from serious health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.\nDuring the court hearings, Viktor suffered a heart attack and subsequently underwent heart surgeries. The proceedings resumed in April 2026—Viktor was notified by phone just 20 minutes before the hearing. A month later, the prosecutor requested a sentence of four years in a penal colony.\nViktor\u0026#39;s home was searched twice—in 2020 (as part of a case against another believer) and again in 2022. During that period, Viktor lost his wife, with whom he had been married for 28 years and raised a son. After the second search, the believer was detained and placed under house arrest. \u0026quot;For five months I couldn\u0026#39;t leave my home,\u0026quot; Viktor recalled. \u0026quot;I lost my job, and all my property was seized. The persecution has been going on for a long time; my body is under constant stress, and that affects both my physical and emotional health. I have to fight discouragement.\u0026quot;\nDespite years of persecution, Viktor has not given up—just like another 63 prisoners of conscience in Primorye Territory. Ten of them are already serving prison terms; 32 have received suspended sentences, and criminal investigations against the rest are still ongoing.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_3ba0599932122aa1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_f43f6deb38fab747.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_9b424c3fabd04feb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/251636/image_hu_6fd7601b67d9803f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/251636.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye, One of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 63, Receives Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Your Honor, having faith for me is the same as breathing. If I am not allowed to freely practice my faith, I feel as if I have been deprived of oxygen.\" Viktor Chernov delivered his final statement in court.\n","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/647.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Viktor Chernov in Tavrichanka","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 20, 2026, searches and interrogations took place in Kemerovo, affecting 17 believers. Kirill Tarasov, 27, was detained and sent to a pretrial detention center. Law enforcement officers entered his apartment by smashing a window with a hammer.\nA criminal case against Tarasov was opened on May 14. Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Central District of Kemerovo, E. V. Yakovtseva, suspects him of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt about 6:15 a.m., Kirill\u0026#39;s wife, Anastasiya, woke up to the sound of breaking glass. At that moment Kirill was in the bathroom. When he came out, the officers ordered him to lie on the floor. The believer cut himself on the shards; they immediately helped him up and bandaged the wound. Otherwise, the search proceeded calmly, and the officers behaved politely.\nThat same day, officers also came to Kirill\u0026#39;s mother, Galina Tarasova. The stress caused her blood pressure to spike. Galina and Anastasiya were interrogated at the Investigative Committee. The latter is listed as a witness in the case against her husband, so she was not allowed to attend the hearing on his pretrial restraint.\nWomen aged 79, 78, and 74 were also searched. One of them had her blood pressure rise to 200/107 due to stress, yet she was still taken for questioning—like the others—though she was allowed to measure her blood pressure and take her medication.\nAmong those affected were families with minor children. In one case, law enforcement officers took the phone and computer of a girl who is homeschooled. In another, the officers\u0026#39; actions frightened a child. According to the parents, throughout the search the boy was afraid to get out of bed and hid under a blanket. The child has a heart condition and frequent headaches.\nThe Bondarchuk couple were also searched and interrogated. Aleksandr has previously been convicted for his faith.\nDuring the searches, officers seized electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal notes, greeting cards, and photographs.\nEarlier, 20 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Kemerovo Region faced criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/271336.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"One Believer Placed in a Pretrial Detention Center","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","elderly","minors"],"title":"Mass Searches in Kemerovo;","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2026, a long period of imprisonment and the associated hardships came to an end for Nikita Moiseyev and Yevgeniy Razumov. The believers were released from penal colony No. 3 in Dimitrovgrad. Their relatives traveled 1,200 kilometers from home to meet them. Meanwhile, immediately upon his release from the penal colony, law enforcement officers took Nikita Moiseyev to the Ulyanovsk railway station.\nNikita and Yevgeniy spent almost 3.5 years of the 7-year sentence handed down by the court in the penal colony; before that they had spent 2.5 years in a detention center. During the 6 years of their imprisonment, they endured many hardships: overcrowded and smoke-filled cells in the detention center, long hours of labor in the penal colony, punishment cell, inadequate living conditions and health problems. In addition, letters from relatives and friends were given to them only occasionally. Yevgeniy was mainly concerned for his wife throughout these years: Natalya is disabled.\nDespite all the difficulties, they tried not to lose heart and adapted to the new circumstances. In the penal colony, they worked conscientiously, for which the administration repeatedly commended them. At first, the believers worked in the sewing workshop; later Nikita worked in the shop of the penal colony, while Yevgeniy was assigned to electroplating. In their free time, they studied English. They developed friendly relations with other inmates.\nFour more of their fellow believers were convicted with Yevgeniy Razumov and Nikita Moiseyev. Oleg Shidlovskiy and Aleksey Goreliy were released half a year ago, while Vladimir Popov and Aleksey Dyadkin will be freed very soon — in May and June 2026, respectively.\nBy now, 81 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already served various terms in penal colonies and correctional centers, while about 120 remain behind bars.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/191459/image_hu_bb23bd4ac41eafb1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/191459/image_hu_7a96740387765582.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/191459/image_hu_2852355e3a8b48d2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/191459/image_hu_e060093da7514b8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/191459.html","regions":["rostov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Nikita Moiseyev and Yevgeniy Razumov Released from Penal Colony in Ulyanovsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2026, the Slavgorod City Court of the Altai Territory announced its verdict against two local believers. Judge Olga Filippova sentenced Alik Yeliseyev and Sergey Barsukov to 6 years each in a penal colony. They were taken into custody in the courtroom and intend to appeal the verdict.\nSergey Barsukov, 54, has been married for about 30 years and has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for nearly as long. He works as a repairman at a sports complex and is respected by both management and coworkers. \u0026quot;I have not harmed anyone — neither people nor the state,\u0026quot; he said in his final statement. Barsukov had moved closer to his mother to care for her. His relatives worry about how this situation will affect her already fragile health.\nAlik Yeliseyev, 35, is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. From his teenage years he dreamed of starting his own business; today he runs a small key-cutting shop. Together with his wife, Alik is raising their 10-year-old son. After the search, the boy told his mother: \u0026quot;Mom, don\u0026#39;t worry. They can take our devices and laptops, but they can\u0026#39;t take away our faith.\u0026quot; The prosecution has robbed the family of feeling safe: \u0026quot;We sleep badly... any knock or noise — and we already can\u0026#39;t sleep.\u0026quot;\nA search of the Yeliseyevs\u0026#39; home took place in February 2025. As law enforcement officers entered the house, they knocked Alik to the floor. Threats were made during the search. Barsukov and Yeliseyev were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization 10 months later.\nAs in many other trials, the prosecution relied on a secret witness — in this instance a man called Panchenko. However, the secret witness said nothing that would indicate any real crimes by Yeliseyev or Barsukov: meetings for worship were held via videoconference, and participants read and discussed the Bible. According to those who attended the hearings, religious studies expert Mirra Kashchaeva tried to persuade the court that religious meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are banned and that even words such as \u0026quot;thank you\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;please\u0026quot; spoken by the defendants could \u0026quot;indicate leadership of the congregation\u0026#39;s activity.\u0026quot;\nIn the Altai Territory, 12 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith and 3 of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/181625/image_hu_ad9263c9369cf2b7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/181625/image_hu_c3f9fc2eab56cd3.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/181625/image_hu_b466c5d835411db4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/181625/image_hu_5f9ded676d0f7889.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/181625.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Two Jehovah’s Witnesses in Altai Sentenced to Long Prison Terms","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 15, 2026, Vitaliy Manuylov, 53, was released from a correctional center in Barnaul after completing his term of forced labor. His elderly mother, wife, daughter and two grandchildren were \u0026quot;counting the hours\u0026quot; until his return. Vitaliy says he is happy that he managed to \u0026quot;serve his entire sentence with dignity.\u0026quot;\nThe believer carried out his forced labor at the \u0026quot;Melanzhist Altai\u0026quot; textile manufacturer, in the weaving preparatory department. Vitaliy worked there as a general assistant, unloading and transporting bobbins of yarn. \u0026quot;I did the best I could, worked double shifts, sometimes throwing as much as 13 tons of yarn per shift,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;At first I had a lot of energy, but then the fatigue built up... My body didn\u0026#39;t have time to recover — my arms and legs started to hurt.\u0026quot; In addition to his factory work, Vitaliy helped with maintenance and improvement of the buildings and grounds of the correctional center.\nHe was highly valued at the company. A forewoman with more than 40 years of experience said that in all that time she had never seen anyone work as diligently or be as reliable as Vitaliy. One of the company\u0026#39;s directors noted that Manuylov would be remembered as a good worker and added that they would be happy to give him a job if he wanted.\nVitaliy and his wife, Marina. Vitaliy\u0026#39;s criminal prosecution began in the summer of 2023: his home was searched and he was interrogated in connection with the case of Valeriy Klokov. Later, Vitaliy was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In November 2024, the court sentenced him to 2 years of forced labor. He was held in the correctional center from March 2025.\nIn the Altai Territory, at least 12 believers have become defendants in cases for extremism because of their beliefs; 3 of them are already serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-05-15T15:23:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/151523/image_hu_3113d0be1efc4e84.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/151523/image_hu_3eb775dd73c39fa5.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/151523/image_hu_96348d97075704da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/151523/image_hu_9e4a2f6fd1c39c28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/151523.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","labor"],"title":"Forced Labour Completed: Vitaliy Manuylov Released","type":"news"},{"body":"Anatoliy Chepkasov is a fourth-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. In March 2026, after mass raids in Nizhniy Novgorod, he was taken into custody for reading the Bible with a group of friends.\nAnatoliy was born in September 1984 in Dzhambul (now Taraz, Kazakhstan) into a large family. His father worked for many years as a welder, and after the family moved to the Volgograd Region, he worked in construction. His mother kept the household and devoted most of her life to raising the children. Anatoliy has two older sisters and two younger brothers. \u0026quot;I grew up in a big, close-knit family. Mom and Dad taught us to be hardworking, conscientious, and honest—so that we\u0026#39;d be useful members of society and welcoming people. They taught us to love God and love people,\u0026quot; Anatoliy recalls.\nBecause the family lived in a rural area, the children helped their parents grow crops and take care of the household. The Chepkasov family also loved spending time outdoors together. The death of Anatoliy\u0026#39;s father in 2009, due to complications from cancer, was a major shock for the whole family.\nAfter finishing school, Anatoliy worked as a taxi driver. Over time he learned construction skills and worked as a finishing-work specialist.\nFrom childhood, Anatoliy loved music and singing, and he was interested in automotive mechanics. He also enjoys sports today: every week he plays volleyball and basketball with friends.\nHis great-grandfather was the first in the family to become acquainted with Bible teachings. All of Anatoliy\u0026#39;s relatives—on both his father\u0026#39;s and his mother\u0026#39;s side—were believers. \u0026quot;My parents were an example for me,\u0026quot; he says. \u0026quot;I saw how Bible principles helped them in life, and I became convinced that the advice in the Bible really works and helps people become better.\u0026quot; In 1998, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAnatoliy completed alternative civilian service. For a time he lived in Volgograd, and later he moved to Nizhniy Novgorod, where he met his future wife, Venera. They married in 2021. When Venera got acquainted with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, she was drawn to the fact that believers not only talk about high moral standards, but also live by them.\nBecause of the persecution of Anatoliy, the landlord asked Venera to vacate the apartment, and she had to urgently look for other housing. All these events caused her significant stress, and her eyesight began to worsen.\n","date":"2026-05-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chepkasov/photo_hu_d9c02e4b6b0b0a80.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chepkasov/photo_hu_dfa96b99c2925c8d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chepkasov/photo_hu_411ce6f05f81e71.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chepkasov/photo_hu_6b2f56d3d69064f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chepkasov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Chepkasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Maksim was born in 1979 in Sergach, Nizhny Novgorod Region. He is his parents\u0026#39; only child. His father, a candidate for Master of Sport in freestyle wrestling, led a SAMBO, a type of martial arts, class and worked as a forestry protection and management engineer. His mother worked as an assembly technician at the Sergach Electromechanical Plant and later spent several years as a head nurse at the local clinic. Both parents are now retired.\nMaksim grew up in a loving atmosphere; his hospitable and generous parents often invited friends over. From childhood, he was instilled with good qualities — decency, honesty, respect for elders, and love for all living things. The family often spent time outdoors: they would go to the forest, go fishing, sometimes staying overnight. This influenced Maksim\u0026#39;s choice of profession.\nMaksim graduated from the Vyatka State Agricultural Academy. Later, he worked as a sales consultant in a pet store, and before his arrest, he taught biology and chemistry at school. Maksim put his heart and soul into his work: he spent a lot of time with the children, and the students appreciated him — they would sign cards for him and give handmade gifts. In his free time, Maksim was passionate about music: he played the balalaika and guitar, picked melodies by ear, and improvised. As a teenager, he graduated from music school with a focus on the bayan (button accordion).\nMaksim\u0026#39;s grandmother instilled in him a love for God. He shared: \u0026quot;The love for all living things I absorbed in childhood helped me draw closer to God.\u0026quot; Later, he began to wonder why people suffer. He heard the Bible\u0026#39;s answer from a classmate. In 2001, Maksim became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nMaksim met his future wife Zhanna while visiting friends. Zhanna is a nurse by profession. They were brought together by similar outlooks on life. They married in 2008. The couple enjoy spending time together: going outdoors, meeting with friends, visiting their parents, and spending quiet family evenings reading and drawing.\nA search of the Kalinin family\u0026#39;s home in March 2026 disrupted their usual way of life. Maksim was placed in a pretrial detention center, and his wife had to care for their elderly parents alone. Zhanna shared: \u0026quot;It is very hard to be separated from the person closest to you and not be able to wish him good night every evening or good morning every day.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;Every day I worry about how he is holding up.\u0026quot;\nAlthough Maksim\u0026#39;s parents do not share his religious beliefs, they are perplexed by his criminal prosecution. The help of friends has been an important source of support for the family during this period.\n","date":"2026-06-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kalinin/photo_hu_72d35cdc52f73938.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kalinin/photo_hu_72d35cdc52f73938.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kalinin/photo_hu_5e2bcee11888b171.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kalinin/photo_hu_5e2bcee11888b171.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kalinin.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Kalinin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/konkov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Konkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ursua/photo_hu_a73d83300fcf64c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ursua/photo_hu_9ce6dba5e7b3ac9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ursua/photo_hu_432478a07e45da23.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ursua/photo_hu_12cd28c155edb9bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ursua.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Ursu","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 4, 2026, the Polyarnyy District Court of Murmansk handed down a 6-year and 3-months sentence in a penal colony in the case of Anatoliy Odintsov from Snezhnogorsk. This decision by Judge Artur Shapotin came as a surprise, since the prosecution had only requested a fine. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom and transferred to a pretrial detention center.\nAnatoliy spent most of his life in the Murmansk Region. For many years he worked for various organizations as a medical equipment engineer and, before the criminal prosecution began, he was employed by the regional pathology services. Odintsov became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the 1990s. \u0026quot;I worked with people of different faiths — Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Muslims. If I had extremist views, then over more than 30 years of practicing my religion they would have shown themselves at least to some extent,\u0026quot; Anatoliy said in his final statement.\nAddressing the court, the believer also commented on his participation in meetings for worship that the authorities charged him with: \u0026quot;From the recordings made during the operational-investigative measures, it\u0026#39;s clear that religious texts and the Bible are being discussed, prayers are being said, songs are being sung, which have nothing to do with extremism. Quite the opposite: it's about morality, high moral conduct, family values, and taking care of one\u0026#39;s health.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case against Anatoliy was initiated in the spring of 2023. The Investigative Committee deemed it illegal to discuss the Bible among friends and charged Odintsov with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In total, he spent nearly 4 months in a pretrial detention center, and then more than 8 months under house arrest.\nIn the Murmansk Region, this is the first verdict for faith that involves an actual term of imprisonment. With the court\u0026#39;s decision against Odintsov, the number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses over 60 who are now behind bars has reached 35.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/051603/image_hu_196ac51a2d1b3f7a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/051603/image_hu_9e37d56d80243b1f.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/051603/image_hu_b9cf4ffc6696ee12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/051603/image_hu_5e51d517939dd87b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/051603.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Penal Colony Instead of Fine: 68-Year-Old Jehovah’s Witness From Polar Region Convicted for “Extremism”","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ursu, a resident of Dzhankoy, Crimea, has faced religious repression for almost his entire life: childhood spent in exile, a series of searches in recent years, and the arrest of his son Viktor. On April 28, 2026, law enforcement officers once again searched Aleksandr\u0026#39;s home. This time, a criminal case was initiated against him.\nThe operation was conducted by Investigator Anna Romanova, accompanied by attesting witnesses and an FSB officer. Family members report that the latter behaved rudely; it later emerged that he had previously taken part in investigative actions in Viktor\u0026#39;s case. Officers seized personal notes, mobile phones, an internet router, and flash drives. In addition, they took the elderly couple\u0026#39;s personal savings — about 100,000 rubles.\nAleksandr has encountered similar actions by law enforcement officers on several occasions. During a search in 2018, officers used force against him: they knocked him to the ground and twisted his arms behind his back, leaving him with abrasions and bruises. At the time, Aleksandr was 78 years old. Officers came again 5 years later — this time arresting Aleksandr\u0026#39;s son. Viktor Ursu is currently serving a 6‑year prison sentence imposed by the court.\nIn early April 2026, the 75th anniversary of Operation North was marked; the international community remembered the repression under Stalin and the deportation of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to Siberia. Today, Russian law enforcement agencies have subjected nearly 1,000 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to criminal prosecution, at least 37 of them in Crimea.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-05-01T10:41:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/011041/image_hu_387efc86f385a4d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/011041/image_hu_3d4aee97c58508b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/011041/image_hu_f875ec4e139af90e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/011041/image_hu_5a5f2dcc93078ac5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/011041.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","families","new-case"],"title":"Lifetime of Repression: 86‑Year‑Old Aleksandr Ursu Faces Criminal Prosecution for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 30, 2026, Judge Emma Kharkovskaya of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan announced the verdict against Robert Ishberdin, 47, and Sergey Starikov, 50. Each was given a 6‑year suspended sentence.\n\u0026quot;After the search, initially there was a constant feeling of anxiety and depression; even everyday tasks became very difficult,\u0026quot; Robert described the changes his family faced after the prosecution began. \u0026quot;Trips and dreams are put on hold for the foreseeable future.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case was handled by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Tatarstan; investigator Ayrat Giniyatullin initiated the proceedings in June 2024. The following spring, Robert and Sergey were placed under a recognizance agreement. According to Robert, even routine family matters were dependent on decisions by the investigators and the court — for example, he had to ask permission to travel to see his elderly parents in Bashkortostan.\nSergey Starikov is a skilled tradesman: a lathe operator, carpenter‑joiner, and electrician. He is self‑employed and renovates apartments. Sergey has lived in Naberezhnye Chelny since childhood; he is married, and the couple has an adult daughter. Robert Ishberdin graduated in economics, worked as an economist and as a consultant on accounting software and in recent years has earned his living caring for lawns. Together with his wife, he is studying sign language.\nThe case went to court in the summer of 2025. During the trial, testimonies were heard from a religious‑studies expert, a secret witness, and an FSB officer, which did not contain any facts confirming the believers\u0026#39; guilt in extremism. Moreover, the FSB officer stated that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses should \u0026quot;stay at home, study [the Bible], that\u0026#39;s it.\u0026quot;\nIn Tatarstan, 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their religious beliefs. Four of them have been sentenced to terms in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_690a0e22eaec2cf8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_fceb7e84e93880a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_560047898f3a36eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/05/011540/image_hu_f4830a083c937bd9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/05/011540.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Naberezhnye Chelny Gives Two Jehovah’s Witnesses Suspended Sentences","type":"news"},{"body":"Engineer Anatoliy Odintsov explained the groundlessness of the charges of extremism: \"They are artificially trying to make me out an extremist undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security. This is an attempt to put such a label on my religion.\"\n","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/634.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Anatoliy Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 29, 2026 the Kirovskiy District Court of Omsk sentenced Sergey Rygaev and Leonid Pyzhov to 3 years and 3.5 years forced labor, respectively. Judge Aleksandr Borodin deemed their meetings with friends to read the Bible and their faith in Jehovah God extremist activity.\nBoth believers have vocational training in construction. Sergey is a tinsmith — a rare trade — and a recipient of the \u0026quot;Honorary Worker of the Oil and Gas Equipment Industry\u0026quot; award. Leonid is a mechanic; before his arrest, he worked as a driver for a social-service taxi and managed a goods pick-up point. Both men have families; Sergey and his wife raised a son.\nThe criminal prosecution of Rygaev and Pyzhov began in March 2024, when searches and interrogations were carried out which, according to the believers, were accompanied by the use of force. Leonid remembers the morning of the search to the smallest detail: \u0026quot;When I heard knocking, I opened the door. The investigator pulled out a gun and shoved it in my face.\u0026quot; He was then thrown to the ground, struck in the face, pressuring to reveal his phone password. Leonid\u0026#39;s wife, Tatyana, recalls: \u0026quot;I came back from work and saw things scattered around. Toothbrush gone, towel gone, slippers too... That\u0026#39;s when I realized they\u0026#39;d taken Leonid away. And I was left alone — and for a long time.\u0026quot;\nAfter their arrest, Leonid and Sergey spent almost half a year in a pretrial detention center. \u0026quot;When the door of the solitary cell in the basement slammed shut, my first thought was, \u0026#39;Are these few square meters really going to be my place of residence for an indefinite period?\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Sergey described his first day behind bars. Leonid was also held in a similar cell. He recalls: \u0026quot;By the 6th month, it became really hard.\u0026quot; Leonid added that what comforted him at the time was a remark from another detainee in the basement of the detention center: \u0026quot;He said, \u0026#39;I\u0026#39;ll write to my mom that there are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses here — really good people — so she shouldn\u0026#39;t worry.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nDuring 4.5 months of court hearings, as the believers emphasized, no evidence was found to prove them guilty of extremism. The defense pointed to procedural violations: the judge restricted the lawyers\u0026#39;s opportunity to present evidence. This caused additional pressure. During interrogation, Leonid Pyzhov\u0026#39;s blood pressure rose as high as 210 mmHg, after which on one occasion he was hospitalized.\nThe court was presented with numerous positive character references for the defendants. Oksana Rygaeva, Sergey\u0026#39;s wife, said: \u0026quot;When people signed the references, they added how Sergey had helped them. Everyone noted how peaceable he is. Many found it unthinkable to see such a person in custody.\u0026quot;\nThis is already the second conviction of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Omsk Region. On similar charges, three women were given suspended sentences, and one man was sent to a penal colony for 3 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/290924/image_hu_af857dcd6da4f0e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/290924/image_hu_787626a517ba0c57.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/290924/image_hu_3869935b8e73ec52.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/290924/image_hu_5bd1a13e6b3827c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/290924.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-1"],"title":"Second Guilty Verdict Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Omsk Region: Two Men Sentenced to Forced Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"On 29 April 2026, the Kalininskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk handed down a guilty verdict against Oleg Artemov; he was taken into custody in the courtroom. According to the investigation, the believer took part in religious meetings and paid for video conferencing used for meetings for worship. The court deemed this lawful activity extremism.\n\u0026quot;When the case was initiated, I understood that it would most likely end in a prison term,\u0026quot; Artemov said. The defense intends to appeal the verdict.\nOleg has spent most of his life in Chelyabinsk. After finishing school, he worked as a mechanic at a bowling center and later renovated apartments. He enjoys sports, outings to lakes, and filming funny videos. On September 8, 2022, a 3-hour search was carried out at Artemov\u0026#39;s flat. He recalls: \u0026quot;They seized my phone, where for more than 2 years I had been saving work notes and video content for my professional development. All those efforts went down the drain.\u0026quot; A year and a half later, Colonel Aleksandr Chepenko, known for his serial prosecution of believers, initiated criminal cases against Artemov — two at once. According to law enforcement, the believer \u0026quot;on at least five occasions... took part... in religious meetings\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;made at least 20 payments... paying for \u0026#39;Zoom\u0026#39;... to ensure that meetings were held... by videoconference.\u0026quot;\nThe Kalininskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk heard the case for just over a year. During that time, Artemov experienced both joyful events and tragic losses. Oleg met Yuliya, who came to court to support him; later she became his wife. \u0026quot;It was nerve‑racking to go to her parents and say: \u0026#39;Hello, I want to make your daughter the wife of a \u0026#39;criminal\u0026#39;,\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Oleg joked. Just a month after the wedding, the believer\u0026#39;s father died of a stroke. Now Artemov has been deprived of his freedom.\nAt the very start of the proceedings, Oleg stated: \u0026quot;I believe that I am being discriminated against on the grounds of belonging to a religious minority.\u0026quot; Later, while testifying, he specifically emphasized: \u0026quot;The prosecutor\u0026#39;s assertion that all believers in the city of Chelyabinsk... automatically became members of a legal entity... is fundamentally incorrect,\u0026quot; and he recalled the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court of 28 October 2021, which state that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses \u0026quot;are not prohibited from holding meetings for worship.\u0026quot;\nSentences against believers in Chelyabinsk have already separated three families for many years — lengthy prison terms were handed down last year to Maksim Khamatshin and Andrey Shurygin.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/290921/image_hu_329ff1e22276a077.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/290921/image_hu_eee594cdd5dec2f5.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/290921/image_hu_50668101cff67995.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/290921/image_hu_281aecccdbaa8121.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/290921.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Yet Another Family of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Chelyabinsk Condemned to Years of Separation: Oleg Artemov Sentenced to 6.5 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Faith is someone's personal determination. It does not appear due to the registration of an organization and does not disappear due to its liquidation. That is why I carried out all my actions, indicated in the criminal case, as a believer, and not as a member of any legal organization,\" Leonid Pyzhov said in court.\n","date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/624.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Leonid Pyzhov in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey noted that faith in God has made him a peace-loving person: \"No one was harmed by my religious activity. I, my neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances and my family see a lot of benefit in the fact that I practice my religion, which is not prohibited by law.\"\n","date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/623.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Sergey Rygaev in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anna and Yevgeniy Bochko are known as sincere, kind-hearted people. Anna was born in July 1985 in Korenovsk (Krasnodar Territory); she was a beloved and wanted child. She was named after her paternal grandmother. Anna says about her family: \u0026quot;Dad was a professional photographer; he photographed weddings and other events. He loved mum very much — this was evident from the huge number of photographs. My mother learned to be a dressmaker and sewed the most beautiful dresses for me and my younger sisters.\u0026quot;\nLater, the parents divorced; Anna remembers being very close to her stepfather: \u0026quot;He was an excellent father, he loved my mother and us very much, helped with our homework and taught us various skills in his free time. This has been useful for me and my husband.\u0026quot; In total, there were six children in the family — a boy and five girls.\nWhen Anna was 10, her father died. \u0026quot;My dream of seeing my dad again collapsed,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot;The only thing that comforted me at that time was a good thought from the Bible about the resurrection of the dead, which I learned about from Bible-based broadcasts on the radio. It was a breath of fresh air and gave me hope for future joy!\u0026quot; Anna\u0026#39;s attitude to the Bible was greatly influenced by her great-grandfather, who instilled in her respect for the Holy Scriptures — in his youth he studied at a church school.\nSince childhood, Anna loved outdoor games and crosswords; during her school years she played volleyball. Animals played a special role in Anna\u0026#39;s life: she treated those who needed help and dreamed of becoming a vet.\nAfter finishing school, she trained to be a pastry chef, but could not work in her profession due to her health. Then Anna became a landscape gardener and worked in a shopping entertainment center in Krasnodar.\nAt 18, Anna's mother invited her to a meeting for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. At that time, she was thinking about the meaning of life: is it really only to get married, have children, work, grow old and die? \u0026quot;I decided: I\u0026#39;ll go, see, listen — maybe this is what I\u0026#39;m looking for?\u0026quot; Anna recalls. \u0026quot;I said that I would agree if the Bible really teaches the resurrection of the dead.\u0026quot; At the age of 21, she was baptized, and a few years later so was her mother.\nIn 2009, Anna married Yevgeniy Bochko. For a while, the couple lived in Marks, Saratov Region, but later returned home due to the deterioration of her husband\u0026#39;s health. Yevgeniy is an electromechanic. In their free time, the couple likes going for walks. Although Anna did not become a vet, she still loves animals, especially dogs, and trains them. She also likes sports, as well as growing unusual plants and enjoys cooking new dishes.\nIn 2022, the Bochko's house was searched. After that, some of the neighbors cooled toward them: \u0026quot;People with whom we were on very good terms suddenly began to provoke us, trying to start quarrels and record what was happening on video. But we decided not to fall for it but keep the peace as much as possible.\u0026quot; Others, on the contrary, express support and consider the prosecution for our faith in God unacceptable.\nIn the same year, the home of Anna\u0026#39;s mother was searched. Due to being under a recognizance agreement, Anna cannot visit her mother-in-law, who is often sick. The elderly woman considers this situation \u0026quot;madness and a violation of human rights.\u0026quot; Anna\u0026#39;s sisters wonder: \u0026quot;How can you prosecute a person for their faith?\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-05-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bochkoan/photo_hu_6a3403bc5c50e176.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bochkoan/photo_hu_a8e2382088d938b2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bochkoan/photo_hu_c304e19c11ae5dfe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bochkoan/photo_hu_382e3ddb9b8c1d2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bochkoan.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anna Bochko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valentina Krivulya was born in August 1968 in Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory). In her youth, she liked biology, reading and sports. After graduating from medical college, Valentina worked as a nurse. She still has an interest in medicine and an active lifestyle. In her free time, she enjoys caring for the roses in her garden.\nIn the 1990s, Valentina was deeply affected by the Bible teachings she got to know and in 1994 she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Studying the Bible made me happy, satisfied with life and successful in all areas of my life,\u0026quot; says the believer.\nValentina has three adult sons who are supporting her during this difficult time.\n","date":"2026-05-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krivulya/photo_hu_a52f2faa9297d710.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krivulya/photo_hu_ba0abb8c07ad2439.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krivulya/photo_hu_c194fc3899ed7766.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krivulya/photo_hu_3ad499451b0920aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krivulya.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Valentina Krivulya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;Over the years, faith in God has only made me a better person: it has taught me how to get along with those around me and to do good to people who need help,\u0026quot; says Galina Novikova, who has faced criminal prosecution for her faith.\nGalina was born in March 1966 in Berezanskaya in the Krasnodar Territory. When she was 3 years old, her father left the family, and her mother raised her on her own. Before retiring, she worked as a plasterer-painter. As a girl, Galina enjoyed handicrafts — knitting, embroidery, and sewing; she also played volleyball and loved ice skating in winter.\nAfter graduating from medical college, Galina worked for 30 years as a nurse. For her conscientious work, she received several awards. She is now retired, runs the household, and cares for her disabled mother.\nIn November 1994, Galina learned about Bible teachings through a coworker. \u0026quot;I listened to what she was saying, and it touched my heart,\u0026quot; Galina recalls. She was especially impressed by discussions of the Bible's moral principles. This prompted her to formalize her relationship with her partner and in December 1994 they registered their marriage. At the time, the couple were living in Khabarovsk. In September 1995, Galina was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nTwo children — a son and a daughter — were born in the marriage. Later, the family moved to the Krasnodar Territory to be closer to Galina\u0026#39;s mother. While there, her husband encountered difficulties with work and returned to Khabarovsk. Galina tried raising the children in an atmosphere of kindness and mutual respect. Now they have families of their own.\nIn 2022, law enforcement officers carried out a search at the home where Galina was living with her mother. The stress of what happened had a particularly severe impact on her mother\u0026#39;s health: for a long time she was afraid to go into the house and tried to spend as much time outdoors as possible. In April 2026, Galina was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and her bank accounts were blocked. Her relatives reacted with bewilderment to the charges brought against her.\n","date":"2026-05-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/novikovag/photo_hu_d8970dcf42d62e32.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/novikovag/photo_hu_db82f23e7be8466d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/novikovag/photo_hu_3b5bb0d479fb5130.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/novikovag/photo_hu_ec31dfa06c3d421f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/novikovag.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Novikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The believer described the absurdity of the situation: \"All these charges of extremism against me and other Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia look like an attempt to put a wolf's skin on a sheep — from the outside it seems terribly scary, but really looks funny and ridiculous.\"\n","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/622.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Robert Ishberdin in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The only thing that the investigation could prove was that I was present at peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, permitted by our Russian law. And in no way are such meetings for worship connected with the activity of an extremist organization,\" the believer said in his final statement.\n","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/621.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Sergey Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said: \"Extremism is alien to me... All I want to do is take care of my family, develop professional skills... teach people of different ages, nations and religions to make an honest living.\"\n","date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/620.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 17, 2026, Aleksandr Dolganov was released from the penal colony, where he had been serving a sentence because of religious persecution. Upon his release the 37‑year‑old was met by his close family — his wife, Mariya, and his father.\nAleksandr is from Tolyatti. From an early age he was interested in radio electronics and later trained as an electrician. These skills proved useful in the penal colony, where Aleksandr was assigned work as an electrician. In addition, he helped with various maintenance tasks to keep the prison facilities in working order. The believer earned a good reputation: he was respected both by fellow inmates and by the administration.\nAleksandr was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for taking part in meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He actually spent a little over 1.5 years in the penal colony; before that, he had been held for about 5 months in a pretrial detention center and nearly 3 months under house arrest. After being transferred to penal colony No. 10 in Volzhskiy (Samara Region), Aleksandr was not given his letters for some time.\nBack in court, Aleksandr Dolganov clearly stated his position, which he maintained throughout the entire prosecution: \u0026quot;Whatever verdict is announced, I will not renounce my faith. My faith is an inseparable part of my life; without it, life would lose its meaning.\u0026quot;\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/201443/image_hu_22e64877b9170e75.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/201443/image_hu_d2d60718e4c25c26.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/201443/image_hu_b59fc1af00ca5c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/201443/image_hu_7355e61b524ddcf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/201443.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"After Nearly 3 Years Behind Bars Aleksandr Dolganov Free Again","type":"news"},{"body":"\u0026quot;Do you consider faith in God, studying the Bible, or conversations with fellow believers to be extremism?\u0026quot; Igor Suslov, 46, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, asked rhetorically as he commented on the charge brought against him. On April 16, 2026, the Shadrinskiy District Court fined Igor for his faith.\nA raid against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kurgan and Shadrinsk in July 2021 led to the prosecution of at least seven believers. Igor Suslov is one of them; a criminal case against him was initiated 4 years later. By that time, he and his wife Irina had been living in the Altai Region for several years: they had settled into a new life and had a daughter. The prosecution forced the Suslov family to move with their one‑year‑old child to Shadrinsk — 1,700 kilometers away from their home — and start from scratch.\n\u0026quot;We had to leave a lot behind,\u0026quot; Igor recalled. \u0026quot;A comfortable place to live, our familiar home, friends, and regular clients. The move was hard for our child — the change of time zone and climate.\u0026quot;\nThe investigation into Igor\u0026#39;s case lasted just over a month. The court hearings began in October 2025. He was charged with taking part in \u0026quot;a religious meeting with followers of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; One of the witnesses testified under the pseudonym Zakhar. \u0026quot;I don\u0026#39;t consider his arguments convincing,\u0026quot; Igor said. \u0026quot;The entire case is built on the claim that he was supposedly visiting relatives in Shadrinsk and, somewhere on Zoom, saw me conducting some kind of meetings.\u0026quot; In his final statement to the court, Igor emphasized that the testimonies of other witnesses also failed to show any guilt on his part in extremism.\nIn early February 2026, Igor was getting ready for the verdict, but due to a change of judge, the consideration of the case started anew.\n\u0026quot;We are human beings — we have emotions too,\u0026quot; Igor said, describing his mindset toward the end of the process. \u0026quot;But I wouldn\u0026#39;t say I lack joy or feel discouraged, no. Everything is fine. The court hearings are encouraging, and we have everything we need.\u0026quot;\nIn the Kurgan Region, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Five of them were fined large sums, including Aleksandr Lubin, who died one month after his conviction.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/171314/image_hu_f258d4ca540cbbce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/171314/image_hu_44b155ed3b54f5c9.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/171314/image_hu_4e3902648efdfc8b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/171314/image_hu_f182b6fe8bd65ea5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/171314.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Court in Kurgan Region Deemed Peaceful Religious Activity Extremism","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Fined 350,000 Rubles for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Regardless of whatever happens to me, I strive to respect and love all people,\" the believer said in court. \"It is unthinkable for me to hate or treat others badly, even if I am treated unfairly.\"\n","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/618.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Igor Suslov in Shadrinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina, a 49-year-old prisoner of conscience from Pavlovskaya, spent 3 years and 11 months behind bars. On April 15, 2026, she was released from penal colony No. 28 in the Volgograd Region; on her release she was met by her siblings, nephew and friends.\nLyudmila had to defend her right to read the Bible not only in court but also while in the penal colony. For some time, she was forbidden to use her personal copy of the Holy Scriptures. A Bible she had from the prison library was also confiscated, because it lacked an official stamp from the church. For the same reason, a book containing parts of the Bible, obtained from a local parish, was taken from her. However, shortly before her release her persistence was rewarded and she was finally given a Bible.\nAt the time of her arrest, Lyudmila suffered from serious health problems, including with her internal organs, arthritis, and severe spinal pain. Her conviction disrupted a scheduled surgery: she was sentenced to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony and taken into custody immediately. It took more than a year before she finally received the medical care she needed. Until then, despite her condition, she was required to work in the sewing workshop and perform other duties.\nHer treatment took place under guard: two separate hospital rooms were allocated for Lyudmila and her five escorts. Shchekoldina spoke positively about the hospital staff, especially the head physician, who postponed her vacation to perform the surgery. The recovery period was marked by further emotional trauma: her brother lost his wife, and Lyudmila\u0026#39;s nephew, Aleksandr Davydenko, was placed in pretrial detention because of his faith.\n\u0026quot;I felt that people around the world were praying for me. I had the strength to keep going, I didn\u0026#39;t lose heart, and I maintained my joy,\u0026quot; Lyudmila said, explaining what helped her endure.\nMore than 240 women in Russia have faced repression for being Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. As of today, 15 of them remain in pretrial detention centers, penal colonies, or correctional facilities across the country.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-15T14:22:27+03:00","duration":"0:40","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/151422/image_hu_5e4bfdaaef7ea267.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/151422/image_hu_bc625bce4d6a8e0b.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/151422/image_hu_2b591aafcef522fa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/151422/image_hu_ba5e5146e08c8649.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/151422.html","regions":["krasnodar","volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families"],"title":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina, Jehovah’s Witness from Kuban, Released from Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region continues to prosecute families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. On April 15, 2026, a search was conducted at the home of Marina Shulyarenko. Her husband, Sergey, a prisoner of conscience, has been behind bars since December 2022.\nEarly in the morning, as usual, Marina Shulyarenko left home for work. She was unexpectedly stopped by an FSB officer who introduced himself as Denis Sergeyevich Krupetskiy. He showed her a court order authorizing operational‑investigative measures at her home address. After that, a search was carried out, during which law enforcement officers seized mobile phones, personal notes, a Bible, and electronic storage devices.\nMarina remembered: \u0026quot;I was introduced to the testifying witnesses as a member of the extremist organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, whose husband has already been convicted for organizing its activity.\u0026quot; Marina and Sergey Shulyarenko have been married since September 2023. Their wedding took place at penal colony No. 8 in the Amur Region, where Sergey remains.\nAccording to Marina, FSB officer Krupetskiy made offensive remarks toward her and stated that she \u0026quot;could say goodbye to her job\u0026quot; and that she would \u0026quot;soon end up in prison.\u0026quot; A search was also conducted at Marina\u0026#39;s workplace, but without testifying witnesses present.\nIn Birobidzhan, a town with a population of fewer than 70,000 people, more than 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Among them are at least six married couples.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/200948.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Search in Birobidzhan Сonducted at Home of Wife of Convicted Jehovah’s Witness","tags":["search","families"],"title":"“I was Introduced to Testifying Witnesses as Member of an Extremist Organization.”","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2026, the Taldomskiy District Court of the Moscow Region gave Galina Inkina, 72, and Dmitriy Mladov, 44, suspended sentences for 2 and 6 years respectively.\nGalina was born in the Urals into a large family. For more than 20 years she worked as a laboratory technician at a glass factory, and later as a social worker and a cafeteria attendant. She was forced to leave her job after undergoing cancer treatment. Dmitriy grew up in Kandalaksha on the coast of the White Sea. As a child, he was deeply impressed by the nature in the north of the Kolsky District, in which he saw evidence of God\u0026#39;s existence. This sparked his desire to read the Bible.\nIn December 2024, criminal cases were initiated against both believers on suspicion of extremism. On the same day, Galina\u0026#39;s home was searched. She later recalled: \u0026quot;I was terribly frightened, I was shaking with fear and couldn\u0026#39;t speak. They made me face the wall and threatened me — this went on for 2 hours. Then they took me to Dmitrov for interrogation. I was placed alone in an office, nothing was explained to me, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I stayed there without food or water.\u0026quot; As a preventive measure, she was made to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. \u0026quot;My veins were bulging, my legs turn blue and swell up by evening, and the tracking bracelet is digging into my leg,\u0026quot; Galina said, describing what she had to endure.\nDmitriy was detained in Novorossiysk while traveling by car with his wife and was sent to a pretrial detention center in the Moscow Region. He described the conditions in one of the detention facilities as follows: \u0026quot;The cell was in a semi‑basement, with a small window near the ceiling, from which sometimes only someone\u0026#39;s legs could be seen, as well as dogs and rats running by. The cell, designed for eight people, measured 14 square meters.\u0026quot; He was granted his first visit from his wife only after 6 months of separation.\nIn their final statements, the believers expressed their views on what was happening. \u0026quot;I did not insult or rob anyone, steal anything, or kill anyone. The case file contains positive character references about me from local police inspectors,\u0026quot; Dmitriy noted. He added that during the year he spent in pretrial detention centers he had no conflicts with other inmates, as he tried to conduct himself in a Christian manner. Galina said: \u0026quot;My entire life is the complete opposite of extremism. I lead a peaceful way of life and respect the laws and the authorities because I am a believer.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_be50c15e0b614fb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_1ce99dd7632d1ccb.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_1099d3b134327eb0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/171332/image_hu_8f01354b3d366dec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/171332.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"New Verdict Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Moscow Region: Suspended Terms Ranging from 2 to 6 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I wanted to change my life in such a way as to make my Heavenly Father's heart rejoice, so I stopped leading a life, which I would be ashamed of before God,\" said Dmitriy Mladov in his final statement.\n","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/619.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Dmitriy Mladov in Dubna","type":"docs"},{"body":"For more than 30 years, Igor Balashov worked as a massage therapist — he helped people forget about pain, restored their freedom of movement and their joy of living. In February 2026, he was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization for his faith in Jehovah God. The search and interrogation, during which the believer was not allowed to drink and take his necessary medication for several hours, affected his health. Later, a medical examination revealed that he had a ministroke and signs of a heart attack.\nIgor was born on December 5, 1966, in Tavolzhanka, Ulyanovsk Region. He has two younger sisters. Their father worked as a turner and their mother managed a food factory. When Igor was 26 years old, his father passed away.\nAs a child, Igor was active and curious: he went skiing and cycling, played ice hockey, went to the forest and fishing, read a lot, including the Bible that his mother had bought. He had many friends.\nAfter school, he graduated from a medical college, took courses in microbiology and qualified as a massage therapist. He worked as a microbiologist in a laboratory, then as a nurse in a hospital, and later as a medical massage therapist in the local clinic. Patients valued him as a specialist.\nBalashov met his future wife at college — Lyubov was his fellow student. They got married in 1986 after graduating. Since their student days, the couple have kept the tradition of daily walks together. They are united by faith in God, love for nature and books. Igor is interested in everything related to airplanes, loves outdoor activities, hiking and camping, and cycling in the countryside. In his profession, he is constantly adopting modern methods and keeping up with current trends in medicine. The couple raised four children — a daughter and three sons. Lyubov worked as a nurse and is now retired.\nIn the fall of 1991, a colleague introduced Igor to Bible teachings. He was convinced of the relevance of the Holy Scriptures by how its ancient sanitary standards align with modern scientific data, as well as by the precise fulfillment of its prophecies. Igor started applying Bible principles in his life, for example he quit smoking. Lyubov noticed the changes taking place in him and also became interested in the Bible. The couple were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in July 1992.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the life and health of the family. After the search, interrogations and being in the temporary detention facility, Igor needed prolonged medical treatment. He also could no longer provide for his family nor take care of his mother, who is already over 80. She lives 200 kilometers from her son and suffers from hypertension and diabetes.\nIgor says that neighbors and colleagues are concerned about his health and believe that there has been a mistake, because \u0026quot;it cannot be that such a kind and gentle person is accused of extremism.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-05-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/balashov/photo_hu_6b8695cead8cbfb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/balashov/photo_hu_4999de72740975eb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/balashov/photo_hu_468440eb9887e057.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/balashov/photo_hu_140ab5df6ba8adaf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/balashov.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Balashov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Popov is a jack‑of‑all‑trades, a highly qualified professional with many years of work experience, and a devoted family man. In February 2026, law enforcement officers came to his home with a search warrant and accused him of extremism. During the investigative actions, both the believer and his wife sustained injuries. The man was hospitalized.\nIgor and his brother were born on June 23, 1965, in the city of Kyzyl in the Tuvan ASSR, where their father had been assigned to work after graduating from the Izhevsk Agricultural Institute. By the time the twins were born, the family already had a daughter.\nThe climate of Central Asia is harsh—long, freezing winters, short, hot summers, and sharp day‑to‑night temperature fluctuations—so the Popov parents decided to move to the Ulyanovsk Region. Igor lived in the village of Sabakeyevo until the age of 18. He recalls: \u0026quot;My father was the chief engineer and later the chairman of the Lenin Collective Farm. My mother worked at an auto‑component plant, at a poultry farm, and as a communications dispatcher at the collective farm. Our parents set an example of honest and responsible work and instilled in us a love for different kinds of people. In our family, my brother, sister, and I were taught to always support one another.\u0026quot;\nThe house was filled with technical literature. Igor\u0026#39;s father subscribed to magazines such as Modelist‑Constructor, Young Technician, and Radio for him—full of interesting ideas that the boy brought to life. As a teenager, Igor built three dune buggies—small, lightweight vehicles with high off‑road capability. He also enjoyed soldering and assembling electronic circuits.\nAfter finishing school, Igor went straight to work, and later moved to Dimitrovgrad, where he trained as a television and radio repair technician and got a job at a TV repair shop. He later worked at various enterprises in the city—starting as an apprentice and gradually acquiring different qualifications. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;ve worked as a multi‑skilled machine operator, TV repairman, milling machine operator, lathe operator, welding equipment technician, electrician, and gas equipment maintenance mechanic,\u0026quot; Igor recalls. \u0026quot;For three years I was a self‑employed entrepreneur, and most recently I worked as an on‑call electrician with the emergency dispatch service of a property management company. I received commendations and certificates of merit for conscientious work. I\u0026#39;m still on good terms with all my employers.\u0026quot;\nIgor has been married since September 1987. He met Zhanna when she was studying to become a process engineer in the knitwear industry at a polytechnic institute. \u0026quot;Zhanna was sociable and proactive. Despite having to study and raise a child, she graduated with honors. She worked as an instructor in sewing. And when our son entered first grade, our daughter was born,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nWhile on maternity leave, Zhanna became acquainted with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She decided to study Bible teachings more deeply and shared everything she learned with her husband. At first, Igor did not attach much importance to it, but later he became interested. He was impressed by the reliability of Bible history and prophecy. The couple began studying the Scriptures together and applying the principles they found there in their lives. In 2002, Igor and Zhanna became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Seven years later, another son was born to them. Igor said: \u0026quot;We raised our children and strengthened our family with the help of Bible counsel. Jehovah God became our Friend and Father.\u0026quot;\nThe Popovs are a close‑knit family. They love to travel—at first they went camping with tents, and later began traveling together to other cities and countries.\nWith the start of Igor\u0026#39;s criminal prosecution, many restrictions appeared: the believer lost his job, his bank accounts were frozen, and Zhanna\u0026#39;s pension is not enough to live on. According to Igor, his health has also suffered. He is especially distressed that he can no longer help his mother, whose dementia is progressing, and his mother‑in‑law, who has difficulty walking. Both women are elderly. Previously, he drove them to doctors\u0026#39; appointments and delivered groceries from stores.\nZhanna is struggling both physically and emotionally: during the search, a law enforcement officer knocked her to the ground—she had to seek medical help to restore the mobility of her arm and leg. Popov\u0026#39;s son was at home during the investigative actions—he was 17 at the time—and, like his father, he was handcuffed.\nPopov says: \u0026quot;Everyone who knows me is bewildered that persecution for faith in God is possible in our society and cannot understand what I\u0026#39;m guilty of.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-05-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popovis/photo_hu_753fc747bb95ba1f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popovis/photo_hu_894b86960b5e7568.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popovis/photo_hu_30d5916ed927e22.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popovis/photo_hu_f4694fd12d4ed814.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popovis.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 10, 2026, Olga Panyuta, 66, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Primorye Territory, was released from prison, having been convicted for her faith under an article for extremism. Olga spent more than 3 years in a penal colony in a trial that began with raids in the town of Spassk‑Dalny in the autumn of 2018 and ended with prison terms for three believers.\nOlga was born in 1959 in Nizhny Novgorod. She graduated from a technical college and worked as a kindergarten teacher and later as a social worker. She had already retired by the time of her arrest. Her husband, Vladimir, worked for many years on the railway. Together they raised two daughters and a son. Olga has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses since April 1996 — 30 years. It was for this religion that she and her fellow believers were deprived of their freedom.\nAfter searches and detention, Olga spent almost a year under house arrest, followed by more than 3 years under a recognizance agreement. In February 2023, the court found her guilty of \u0026quot;involving others in the activity of an extremist organization\u0026quot; and sentenced her to 4.5 years in a penal colony. She was taken into custody directly from the courtroom and transferred to a pretrial detention center. Following an appeal, which reduced her sentence by 2 months, Olga was sent to a penal colony.\nOlga and her husband Vladimir, April 2026 Prison conditions proved especially harsh given Olga\u0026#39;s age. She recalled that the most difficult experience was when she was first placed in a punishment cell for 14 days. \u0026quot;It was cold. I was wearing only a dress. The window was open. To keep warm, I would sit on a narrow metal bench, tuck my legs under myself, and pull the hem of my dress over my knees. Sitting for a long time was very hard,\u0026quot; she said. Later, Panyuta was transferred to strict detention conditions.\nHer relations with the prison administration were peaceful and her relationships with other inmates were warm. \u0026quot;They called me \u0026#39;Auntie Olya,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;Olga Aleksandrovna,\u0026#39; (patronymic used to show respect — editor\u0026#39;s note) and one young woman called me \u0026#39;my dear granny,\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Olga recalled. According to her, even prison staff were surprised by how others treated her. One officer once asked her, \u0026quot;How come everyone loves you?\u0026quot;\nPrayer, memories of life in freedom, and letters from around the world helped Olga cope with imprisonment. \u0026quot;They were the greatest support, flowing in like little streams. They were full of care, concern, humor, and stories — I felt as if I was traveling all over the world,\u0026quot; she said, adding that the letters supported not only her but other prisoners as well.\nThe criminal case against Olga Panyuta is part of a broader campaign of prosecution against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Primorye Territory. Other defendants in the same case, Aleksey Trofimov and Dmitriy Malevaniy, remain behind bars until October 2028 and April 2029, respectively.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-10T14:01:44+03:00","duration":"00:25","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/101401/image_hu_681308414eb97ddb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/101401/image_hu_7843924385e89ef5.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/101401/image_hu_470eaa30e051f224.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/101401/image_hu_f8de987975166503.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/101401.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly"],"title":"“How Come Everyone Loves You?” — Olga Panyuta Completed Sentence for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondur/photo_hu_3738df978cbda3bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondur/photo_hu_77c7eb6c2e7d9b0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondur/photo_hu_e7e18afa62267208.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondur/photo_hu_c5a19f3b3dfcecf9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondur.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Bondur","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondurve/photo_hu_8e3bd50dc3ac0b71.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondurve/photo_hu_f59495fdb3666135.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondurve/photo_hu_716d3ba7bc71d2f2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondurve/photo_hu_5385f4ff479545e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondurve.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vera Bondur","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popov2/photo_hu_cc95d8acab92930b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popov2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popov2/photo_hu_4a85d18ff3eec277.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popov2/photo_hu_aae6b6b3e49e20fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popov2.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/protasovs/photo_hu_789bd815e02dac09.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/protasovs/photo_hu_3248431c6cfcd469.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/protasovs/photo_hu_531e49955c777e13.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/protasovs/photo_hu_1a9a936565ad7997.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/protasovs.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Protasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 7, 2026, 30-year-old Danil Suvorov was released from a penal colony in Mordovia. He spent more than 4.5 years behind bars. The believer served his sentence 1,500 kilometers from home, far from family and friends. Many people traveled from afar to meet him on that day.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, Danil worked as a sales assistant in a tool store. In August 2021, his home was searched, and he was charged with extremism for conversations on Bible topics. In the summer of 2023, the court sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment. For almost 3 of those years, Danil was kept in a special block of a pretrial detention center — without visits. He was then transferred to a penal colony, where he remained until his release. There he worked in the sewing workshop and had a reputation as a conscientious worker. According to Danil, one of the prisoners said about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: \u0026quot;You are the kind of people who definitely shouldn\u0026#39;t be here.\u0026quot;\nEvery 3 months, Danil\u0026#39;s mother visited him in the penal colony. Friends wrote to him regularly: \u0026quot;Through letters they encouraged me, and I encouraged others,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;It helped me to live, not lose heart, and stay occupied. [...] I sent tons of letters home.\u0026quot;\nDanil warmly thanked everyone who helped him, including those he does not know personally. \u0026quot;Free outside, it\u0026#39;s a small thing, but in prison even a little candy means a lot,\u0026quot; he said, adding: \u0026quot;Without my friends\u0026#39; help, I basically wouldn\u0026#39;t have had anything to eat.\u0026quot;\nAfter returning to Sochi, Suvorov\u0026#39;s freedom will remain restricted for another 1.5 years.\nAt present, seven Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses under the age of 30 remain in custody.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-07T16:07:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/071607/image_hu_e2f5cf1fb528837b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/071607/image_hu_c4b0df85c3018330.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/071607/image_hu_effa52568596d060.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/071607/image_hu_1cff91b56da97765.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/071607.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families"],"title":"“You Shouldn’t Be Here” — Danil Suvorov Released","type":"news"},{"body":"Valeriy Rogozin, the third of the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Volgograd, was released from a penal colony in Udmurtia on April 7, 2026. The long years of separation from his wife Marina are now behind them — they have been married for more than 40 years.\n\u0026quot;I feel wonderful! At last, I\u0026#39;m among my friends. Even though I always felt at home through letters,\u0026quot; Valeriy said after his release.\nRogozin is a former military pilot; before his arrest, he worked as a design engineer. In May 2019, Valeriy was detained at his workplace and sent to a pretrial detention center for 7 months in a criminal case on extremism charges. After the verdict was announced, the believer was again put behind bars. \u0026quot;It was hard to be in a cell where three out of four inmates smoked. It\u0026#39;s impossible to get used to conditions in a detention center — you can only adapt to them,\u0026quot; Valeriy recalled. Letters were a great source of support for him: \u0026quot;Each one was like a breath of fresh air in a smoke‑filled cell... When you feel the support of God and friends, you can endure any conditions,\u0026quot; he noted.\nAfter the sentence entered into force, Valeriy was transferred to Udmurtia, some 1,200 kilometers from home. In prison, Rogozin worked in the sewing workshop, and he was awarded several times for his work. Shortly before his release, Valeriy reached retirement age, so he was no longer required to work. This allowed him to devote more time to reading the Bible and writing letters.\nThe last defendant in the Volgograd case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Denis Peresunko, is expected to be released in June 2026.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/081426/image_hu_49c087979b6616f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/081426/image_hu_7855fba6c309bcc3.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/081426/image_hu_da87cd348570d4f1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/081426/image_hu_aed911566b35e177.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/081426.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":"Valeriy Rogozin, 64, Fully Served His Sentence for His Faith","tags":["release","elderly"],"title":"Over — 5 Years Confinement.","type":"news"},{"body":"Ten months in a Kazan penal colony and almost 4 years in Moscow pretrial detention centers — Eduard Sviridov, a 61‑year‑old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, had been behind bars since August 2021. His sentence for his faith came to an end, and on April 2, 2026, he was released.\n\u0026quot;When there were brief moments of anxiety in the penal colony, they soon passed,\u0026quot; Eduard recalls. Letters from people who cared helped distract him from everyday hardships and reassured him of support, while parcels with \u0026quot;all kinds of treats\u0026quot; brought joyful moments. The believer noted the good attitude of staff and other inmates. One of his younger cellmates once said that Eduard had become almost like a father to him.\nWhile in the penal colony, he worked for a while packing meat products. The schedule was not easy: on one occasion, Eduard was given only one day off after twenty 10‑hour workdays. \u0026quot;I exercised all the time and tried to keep in good shape. Recently there was a lot of work with snow — there was a huge amount of it, and that\u0026#39;s also good exercise,\u0026quot; the believer added.\nPrisoners are deprived of many ordinary comforts that people at liberty may not even notice. \u0026quot;I love trains. I want to take a ride in a carriage, look out the window and dream; watch houses, fields, and trees flicker by; enjoy the scenery,\u0026quot; Eduard replied when asked what he would like to do soon after his release. He did not have to wait long: soon after, the Kazan-Moscow train took him home to the capital.\nIn December 2023, at the same time as Eduard Sviridov, the court also sentenced Sean Pike and Aleksandr Rumyantsev to imprisonment. They are expected to be released in October 2026 and April 2027, respectively.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/031554/image_hu_a38a3be065b33bf7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/031554/image_hu_8018dd5403d12a40.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/031554/image_hu_2a67f18e86e2773b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/031554/image_hu_14d62369daaf230.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/031554.html","regions":["moscow","tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Eduard Sviridov from Moscow Released From Penal Colony in Tatarstan","type":"news"},{"body":"“To be expelled forever... 2 hours to pack.” This is how Operation North, the largest deportation based on religion in the history of the USSR, began 75 years ago, on April 1, 1951. The fatal words, signed by Stalin, echoed in the homes of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Today in Russia, their children and grandchildren are being persecuted for their faith. Growing up they heard reports about night raids, inhumane conditions in freight cars, and the uninhabited Siberian wilderness. For today’s prisoners of conscience, those stories are not merely family heritage — it is their reality.\nJehovah’s Witnesses — to the North Documents, lists and testimonies of those who survived deportation, and information on the reasons for and the course of Operation North are available at 1951deport.org. In the early 1940s, Soviet authorities accused Jehovah’s Witnesses of “anti-Soviet activity,” the trigger being their refusal to compromise Christian principles and to give unconditional support to party ideology.\nBelievers, deported from the Ukrainian SSR, gathered near their new home, barracks. Up to six families could live in a single room. They slept on bunks and took turns cooking on a stove in the middle. Dunayka settlement, Irkutsk Region. 1951. Persecution came in waves. Between 1947 and 1950, at least 1,000 Witnesses were sentenced to lengthy terms in labor camps, and hundreds were deported beyond the Urals. The peak came in 1951. On April 1, the deportation of Jehovah’s Witnesses from the Belorussian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Moldavian, and Estonian SSRs began. A week later, on April 8, they came for believers in the Ukrainian SSR. In just a few days, 9,793 Jehovah’s Witnesses were deported from these regions. Young and old, families with children — all were deported to the Tomsk and Irkutsk Regions and Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nTo date, Russian authorities have groundlessly charged more than 940 Jehovah’s Witnesses with extremism, for “undermining the constitutional order and posing a threat to public security.” About a dozen and a half of them are descendants of these same deportees.\n“So many in authority refuse to acknowledge the obvious” In June 2022, Yevgeniy Zinich, 59, from Krasnoyarsk was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment for his faith. He is serving his sentence in the Siberian city of Surgut. As children, the believer’s parents — also Jehovah’s Witnesses — were deported from the Lviv Region to Khakassia under Operation North.\nDeported women and girls performed heavy labor in logging camps. Bikhtuil settlement, Tomsk Region. 1956. “Neither my mother nor her parents harbored any anger toward their oppressors... Within the family they spoke about the cruel treatment they endured, but without hatred or a desire for revenge,” Yevgeniy told the court shortly before sentencing. “It deeply saddens my mother... that so many in authority refuse to acknowledge the obvious — that my faith excludes extremism. She [who will turn 87 in April] very much hopes to live to see the day I am acquitted.”\nYevgeniy’s wife, Mariya, will not see it. “According to doctors, the stress caused by my criminal prosecution was one of the reasons for her premature death,” Yevgeniy says. Mariya’s parents also survived deportation.\n“It’s like we’ve taken up the baton” The exiles were deported in freight cars that were not adapted for transporting people. Cases have been documented when there were more than 50 people in one car. The journey to the destination took 2 to 3 weeks, sometimes more. Aleksandr and Mikhail Shevchuk — brothers from Saransk — are fourth generation Jehovah’s Witnesses. Criminal cases were initiated against both a few years apart, resulting in prison terms: Aleksandr served 2 years, while Mikhail, sentenced to 6.5 years, is being held in a pretrial detention center, awaiting appeal. Repression in their family dates back to the 1940s.\n“First, our great grandfathers — back when they lived in Western Ukraine — were sentenced to 10 years in a colony merely for practicing the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” Aleksandr Shevchuk recalls. “Then in 1951 their wives and children were deported to Siberia. In the 1970s, both grandfathers were sent to a colony simply for being Jehovah’s Witnesses. Later, our father was sentenced for refusing military service.”\nAccording to Mikhail, their family’s history of steadfastness helped him face the persecution directed at him personally with dignity. “Grandfather even called me and joked: ‘Well, it’s your turn now,’” Mikhail recalls. “It’s like we’ve taken up the baton.”\n“I want to keep walking in my parents’ footsteps” Aleksandr Ursu in exile with his family. Aleksandr Ursu is already 86. As a child, he was deported from Moldova together with his parents and other relatives. He recalls: “It was July 6, 1949. I was nine and a half. It was still dark when the soldiers woke us up. They came in and read out that we were being sent into permanent exile. Two soldiers began to tear things from the walls and packing them: take them, they will be useful to you... They took us to the border of the Kurgan and Tyumen Regions. To the middle of nowhere.”\nAleksandr now lives in Crimea. On November 18, 2018, a special forces unit burst into the home where he lived with his wife and his son’s family. Force was used against elderly Aleksandr.\nViktor Ursu, Aleksandr’s 60 year old son, is currently imprisoned. He was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony for his religious beliefs. His address to the court before sentencing drew numerous historical parallels: “Lacking the ability — or the desire — to convict the believers for their beliefs, they pinned labels on them: Bolshevists, imperialists, spies... Now they are trying to pin the label of extremism on me.”\n“I want to keep walking in the footsteps of my parents, grandmothers and grandfathers, and many dear to me,” Viktor concluded. “They were willing to hold on to what they knew to be true, no matter the cost.”\n“Renounce your faith in exchange for an end to criminal prosecution” As in Soviet times, modern day believers can avoid prosecution if they sign a document stating that they are no longer Jehovah’s Witnesses. Yaroslav Kalin, born in exile and a fourth generation Jehovah’s Witness, described the circumstances of his arrest in the fall of 2021 while addressing the court: “When I was taken to the police station, I was given the opportunity to renounce my faith in exchange for ending the criminal prosecution. The investigator confirmed that my ‘guilt’ wasn’t about having committed any actual crime.” Children of deported Jehovah’s Witnesses. Bottom row, second from the left — Yaroslav’s father, Vasiliy Kalin. Iskra settlement, Irkutsk Region, 1954 In March 2024, Yaroslav and eight of his fellow believers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Kalin received 7 years. Before sentencing, he spent more than 2 years in solitary confinement. “I spent 840 days in ‘solitary’ — in the worst, inhumane conditions. I thank Jehovah that he allowed me not to lose my mind, that I stand before you alive and healthy,” he said during the court hearings.\nIn court, Yaroslav thanked not only God. He expressed gratitude to court staff and to the prosecutor for their respectful treatment.\n“Suffering repression, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not become embittered and do not stop being Christians. There are no handcuffs or bars that can shackle genuine faith,” commented Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Those who have faced repression — then and now — are often among the first to hurry to help new prisoners of conscience.”\n“I received letters of support from children and grandchildren of victims of repression,” said Yekaterina Pegasheva of Yoshkar Ola in court. “They were among the very first to support me when I was held in a pretrial detention center because they know and understand what it’s like.”\nFive years ago, shortly after the 70th anniversary of Operation North, the court gave Yekaterina a suspended sentence of 6.5 years.\n“Guided by a sense of repentance” A partial list of descendants of repressed believers who are being persecuted in contemporary Russia and Crimea: Yevgenіy Zinich, Aleksandr Shevchuk, Mikhail Shevchuk, Roman Ostapenko, Yaroslav Kalin, Ivan Shulyuk, Aleksandr and Anastasiya Gaytur, Viktor Ursu, Adam Svarichevskіy, Roman Gumenyuk. On March 14, 1996, the President of the Russian Federation signed Decree No. 378, “On Measures to Rehabilitate Clergy and Believers Who Have Become Victims of Unjustified Repression.” “In order to restore justice and the lawful rights of citizens of Russia to freedom of conscience and religion, guided by a sense of repentance,” the Russian state recognized that the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses had been unjustified. Many families still keep certificates identifying them as victims of repression and receive benefits on that basis.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2026-04-01T15:59:06+03:00","duration":"9:26","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/011559/image_hu_569f3512f4a7b128.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/011559/image_hu_e12b0da5f9a75a53.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/011559/image_hu_ad14f4b16215c112.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/011559/image_hu_f0f52e29919fc4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/011559.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ussr","deportation","families","search","siloviks-violence","1951deport"],"title":"75 Years Since Operation North — Descendants of Deported Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Persecuted Just Like Their Predecessors","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 29, 2026, a wave of searches of homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place in Kamchatka. A criminal case has been initiated against Yevgeniya Vasilyeva, 50, and Pavel Baturov, 33, under an article for extremism. In a second criminal case against the believers, there are four more suspects.\nA few days earlier, Major of Justice Vladislav Bogdanov, head of the Investigative Department for the closed city of Vilyuchinsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory, initiated a case against local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They are suspected of \u0026quot;participating in religious events and teaching the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; to the residents of Vilyuchinsk. The homes of Vasilyeva, Baturov and other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were invaded by officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. According to available information, 10 searches took place and Bibles and electronic devices were seized. One of the believers reported that law enforcement officers behaved rudely, used obscene expressions, did not allow her to have a drink, take medication or use the toilet.\nIn Kamchatka, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/031550.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched","tags":["search","new-case","interrogation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"New Criminal Cases in Vilyuchinsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 27, 2026, Dmitriy Zagulin, Jehovah's Witness, was released from custody. He and three fellow believers had been convicted for participating in meetings for worship — actions that investigators equated with \"organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\" In total, Dmitriy spent 1,191 days behind bars.\nDmitriy had worked many years for Russian Railways. The management valued him and repeatedly awarded him for his conscientious work. In May 2018, \"judgement day\" came for Zagulin and his fellow believers — this was the name of the special operation of large‑scale searches in homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. A criminal case was initiated against Dmitriy 10 months later.\nDmitriy Zagulin with his daughter (left) and mother (right) The investigation brought additional hardships: he was placed on the Rosfinmonitoring list, his bank accounts were frozen, and in November 2021 he was dismissed from his job. In December 2022, Zagulin was sentenced to 3.5 years in a penal colony and taken into custody directly in the courtroom. \"We faced all these events with a smile on our faces, understanding that we were not being judged as thieves or murderers, but that we were suffering for God's name,\" he said, describing that period of his life.\nDmitriy served his sentence in Blagoveshchensk, in penal colony No. 8. Although communication with the outside world was limited to visits and occasional letters, his optimistic outlook helped him endure imprisonment. \"If you start feeling sorry for yourself, it becomes unbearable,\" he noted. Instead, he adapted to the new circumstances: \"If you're just 'doing time,' you suffer; but if you 'live,' then everything is fine.\" For example, Dmitriy maintained a strict daily routine: he tried to wake up according to Birobidzhan time (4 a.m. local time), exercised regularly, and spent weekends in the library.\nProsecution for his faith did not end with his release. By the court decision, Dmitriy was placed under administrative supervision. For the next 8 years, he will have to report to the police 4 times a month; he is prohibited from leaving Birobidzhan, from being outside his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and from visiting cafés and restaurants.\nDmitriy says he feels \"wonderful\" now and is happy to be reunited with his family and friends. \"I'm overwhelmed with emotion,\" he said. \"I have so many plans. For example, I'd like to treat myself — I haven't had ice cream in a long time. I'd like to meet with friends, sit down, talk, encourage one another. There are truly so many plans — I don't even know where to start.\"\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-03-27T16:30:25+02:00","duration":"0:40","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/03/271630/image_hu_830df236e00c8453.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/03/271630/image_hu_c3e8c894a27e6735.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/03/271630/image_hu_cfd10a819f4a86ad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/03/271630/image_hu_978d4f741c6bc0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/271630.html","regions":["jewish","amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"“We Faced All These Events with a Smile on Our Faces” — Dmitriy Zagulin Released from Penal Colony in Blagoveshchensk","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Pislyakov was born in October 1992 in Petropavlovka, Krasnoyarsk Territory. About a year later, his father died. When he was 5, he was taken into care and trasferred at the age of 9 to a children's home. He stayed there until he was 16 years old. Apart from Aleksey, there were four more children in the family — three sons and a daughter. He kept in touch with his mother until her death in 2024.\nAs a teenager, Aleksey played a lot of sports — tennis, athletics, ice hockey and volleyball; he took an active part in the life of the class and school. In 2009, he entered a vocational college, where he qualified as gas electric welder. He worked as a welder, then in building maintenance and as a janitor in a kindergarten.\nFrom 2013 to 2015, Aleksey did alternative civilian service in Krasnoyarsk at the post office. His Bible-based beliefs prompted him to make such a choice. He says: \u0026quot;I have had faith in God since childhood, but when I found out that his name was Jehovah, I was very impressed and I wanted to know more.\u0026quot; As a result of Aleksey\u0026#39;s spiritual search he was baptized in 2013.\nA year later, he met his future wife, Svetlana. In 2015, they got married. Svetlana likes taking pictures, embroidering and reading fiction; Aleksey likes cycling, playing football, as well as chess and board games. Together, the couple travel by car, camp outdoors, go mushroom picking and relax with friends.\nColleagues are worried about Aleksey and do not understand why a criminal case was initiated against him.\n","date":"2026-05-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pislyakov/photo_hu_c7e03185cd9a3388.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pislyakov/photo_hu_8f6ef38f87fbf708.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pislyakov/photo_hu_21ce6f71372391dc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pislyakov/photo_hu_71bfc70e6627639c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pislyakov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Pislyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 26, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights published judgments on complaints filed by 30 individual believers and 4 legal entities. The court determined that Russia's actions violate the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to freedom of religion, the inviolability of the home and freedom from ill-treatment.\nThese are the last applications against the Russian Federation filed by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses with the European Court before September 16, 2022, the moment of Russia\u0026#39;s withdrawal from the jurisdiction of the ECHR. They were combined into five cases. In its consideration of Kutsenko v. Russia, the ECHR concluded that in February 2020, Vadim Kutsenko, a resident of Chita, was subjected to cruel treatment by law enforcement officers. The State failed to protect the physical well-being of a person in detention who is, therefore, in a vulnerable position. The authorities refused to conduct a comprehensive criminal investigation into the use of violence against the believer. It is noteworthy that in 2021, the charges of \u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization\u0026quot; against him were dropped, but 3.5 years later the criminal prosecution resumed.\nIn the case of Suvorov and Others v. Russia, the European Court found that the authorities prosecuted people for their religious beliefs, subjected them to illegal detention, and conducted groundless searches. In this case, the Russian court saw \u0026quot;extremism\u0026quot; in the fact that believers gathered for a friendly evening in a café, where they held competitions, played jokes, sang songs and danced.\nSimilar violations by the Russian law enforcement agencies are described in the judgment in the case of Chaykovskiy and Others v. Russia. It concerned mass raids in Moscow in November 2020 and the subsequent criminal prosecution of local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. One of the applicants, Yuriy Chernyshev, sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony, recalls: \u0026quot;About 12 people broke into our home for a search. It was early in the morning. They began breaking down the front door and at the same time several people, smashing the double-glazed window, entered the apartment through the broken window. We live on the fourth floor. They used a cherry picker.\u0026quot; Law enforcement officers consistently treat Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in a similar way in different regions of Russia.\nAs the ECHR found, the authorities did not prove the applicants\u0026#39; participation in any socially dangerous extremist activity, and the interference in their religious life \u0026quot;was based on an excessively broad interpretation of the legislation on extremism.\u0026quot; According to the court\u0026#39;s judgment, Russia is obliged to pay 183,750 euros in compensation to the applicants. One of the applicants granted monetary compensation by this decision was Aleksandr Lubin. He passed away shortly after his conviction, without seeing justice restored.\n","category":"victory","date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/statement.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/010828.html","regions":["moscow","kurgan","zabaykalsky","orenburg"],"subtitle":"Consideration of Complaints Filed Before Russia's Withdrawal From Court Jurisdiction Concluded","tags":["echr"],"title":"ECHR Rules Again in Favor of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"\u0026quot;For a couple of days after the search, every knock at the door made me panic. I couldn\u0026#39;t stay home alone, and I had to take sedatives to fall asleep,\u0026quot; Svetlana Arefeva recalls the events of spring 2026. At that time, a criminal case was initiated against her for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nSvetlana was born in 2004 in Darasun, about 100 kilometers from Chita. Her mother, a preschool educator, worked for many years as a kindergarten teacher. Until his retirement, her father served as a guard at a penal colony for the Federal Penitentiary Service; he now works at a fire station. Svetlana has an older sister, Anastasiya, who, together with her husband Vitaliy, has also faced criminal prosecution for her religious beliefs.\nFrom an early age, Svetlana was an energetic and outgoing child. She particularly enjoyed playing ball games. \u0026quot;I remember that when I was little, if young people gathered to play volleyball, I was always right there,\u0026quot; she says.\nAfter finishing school, Svetlana moved to Chita, where she trained as a hairdresser and now works in her profession. In her free time, she continues to prefer active leisure: outdoor games and travel. \u0026quot;A change of scenery and new experiences bring me a lot of joy,\u0026quot; Svetlana says.\nSvetlana\u0026#39;s mother was the first in the Arefev family to begin studying the Bible, when Svetlana was still very young. Both she and her older sister Anastasiya have been familiar with Bible teachings since childhood. Later, both made a conscious personal decision to pursue a Christian way of life.\nSvetlana\u0026#39;s father does not share the religious beliefs of his wife and daughters, but he respects their choice. News of the searches and the criminal prosecution of both daughters and his son‑in‑law deeply shook him.\n","date":"2026-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/arefeva/photo_hu_8535043dcd588ff1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/arefeva/photo_hu_f7b0d37bcd673f61.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/arefeva/photo_hu_561dfa57b8c6a5ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/arefeva/photo_hu_51175540df376c86.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/arefeva.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Svetlana Arefeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;I have always been searching for God,\u0026quot; said Vitaliy Astakhov, a resident of Chita. Spiritual things played an important role in his life from childhood. In March 2026, he and his wife Anastasiya became defendants in a criminal case for their religious beliefs.\nVitaliy was born in Chita. He was an only child. He was raised by his mother and grandmother.\nVitaliy was creative from a young age. He wrote and continues to write poems, songs, and stories. Sports play a significant role in his daily life: he regularly goes to the gym, which, according to him, helps him to \u0026quot;keep in good shape and stay healthy.\u0026quot;\nAfter finishing school, he immediately started working. He trained as a hairdresser and later became a barber. He opened a salon with his wife where they work together.\nSince childhood, Vitaliy has been interested in Bible teachings. He discussed the questions that arose with his grandmother\u0026#39;s sister. In time, he began to study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to Vitaliy, this book had a noticeable impact on his life and personality: \u0026quot;I stopped fighting, swearing, being lazy; it has become easier to deal with stuttering, which I've had since childhood. Studying the Bible helped me develop only positive qualities, but did not push me to extremism at all.\u0026quot; In September 2014, Vitaliy Astakhov was baptized.\nIn 2021, he married Anastasiya. His wife shares the same values.\nIn March 2026, a criminal case was initiated against the Astakhovs. \u0026quot;During the search, they forced me to tell the password, pressed their knees on my face, slammed me against the wall four times,\u0026quot; said Vitaliy. The experience affected the whole family: due to the stress, his grandmother had a stroke; her left arm was paralyzed.\n","date":"2026-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/astakhov/photo_hu_28fff3c528a69337.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/astakhov/photo_hu_74143da05335bffa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/astakhov/photo_hu_a032fcb64715d67a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/astakhov/photo_hu_6c88286b1a661170.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/astakhov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["families","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Vitaliy Astakhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Criminal prosecution for faith affected three members of the same family at once. Anastasiya Astakhova, a hairdresser from Chita, her husband and sister became defendants in the same case.\nAnastasiya was born in Dayakon (Trans-Baikal Territory). When she was about 2, the family moved to Tyrgetui, located about 100 kilometers from Chita. She remembers how much effort her mother put into her ubringing: she taught her to read before school, did a lot of creative things together, made time for games and conversations. Anastasiya\u0026#39;s father died when she was very little. Later, her mother remarried and had another daughter, Svetlana.\nAnastasiya grew up as a cheerful and creative child. She attended a theater club, as well as a knitting and embroidery club. Anastasiya recalls: \u0026quot;Every evening I knitted to make gifts for my family and friends and, not being able to buy something, I gave everyone knitted napkins, potholders and toys.\u0026quot;\nAfter school, she moved to Chita to be trained in a profession. She studied at a hairdressing school during the day, attended web design courses in the evening, and worked at the same time to support herself. Anastasiya became a hairdresser. She loves her job very much: she likes talking to customers and seeing that they are happy with the result of her work.\nQuestions about God have interested Anastasiya since childhood. \u0026quot;I asked everyone to talk to me about God, angels and what happens after death. I asked my grandmother to teach me how to pray,\u0026quot; she said. In 2005, Anastasiya\u0026#39;s mother began to read the Bible and her daughter joined her. Anastasiya was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2008.\nToday, Anastasiya still lives in Chita; she got married in 2021. The couple have their own hairdressing salon, where they both work. They like to do everything together: work, visit the theater, go for walks in the countryside. As Anastasiya says, \u0026quot;we are best friends.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution became a serious test for Anastasiya and her loved ones. Relatives have taken what has happened hard. Even those who do not share their beliefs are perplexed by the charges and consider it unfair.\n","date":"2026-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/astakhova/photo_hu_5291f501ea38c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/astakhova/photo_hu_65366f8ca2ea86e3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/astakhova/photo_hu_17caccce2996c03f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/astakhova/photo_hu_f19b746e43936d03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/astakhova.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Astakhova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Olga Beznosenko was born in Bolshaya Tura, Zabaykalsky Territory. Later, she moved to Atamanovka to be closer to her relatives. She has a younger sister. Their mother is retired; their father died of lung cancer. Olga is divorced and has an adult daughter, who is already married.\nAfter finishing school, Olga graduated from a vocational college, where she trained as a pastry chef. She worked in various fields: caring for elderly people, serving as a postal worker, and later as a cleaner. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and making crafts and greeting cards.\nIn the early 2000s, Olga became pregnant. Because of family difficulties, she considered having an abortion. During that period, she met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Reflecting on Bible teachings moved Olga to keep the baby. Seeing that the Bible\u0026#39;s counsel had a positive effect on different areas of her life, she was baptized in 2005.\nOlga was among the believers whose homes were searched in March 2026. She recalls: \u0026quot;I was with my mother and my aunt, who is seriously ill. It was stressful for all of us.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/beznosenko/photo_hu_9af48e6a83344697.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/beznosenko/photo_hu_94908de09fa0b9b8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/beznosenko/photo_hu_35966a381a605091.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/beznosenko/photo_hu_ae10e3bb93e94848.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/beznosenko.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Beznosenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Gonkhi Venans Dzhakhi, a citizen of Côte d\u0026#39;Ivoire, West Africa, was placed in a pretrial detention center in May 2025 because of his peaceful religious beliefs and his participation in meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nVenans was born in November 1998 in the town of Toulépleu (Côte d\u0026#39;Ivoire) into a large family — he has eight brothers and sisters.\nIn 2013, the teenager was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and in 2022 he came to Russia to pursue a master\u0026#39;s degree at Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics. While living in Tomsk, Venans worked at a burger restaurant and in delivery services. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer.\nAt the pretrial detention center, the believer spent some time in a solitary cell with poor sanitary and living conditions. During the winter, the window in the cell would not close, and it was extremely cold. Despite the recent loss of his father and after having been seriously ill, Venans remains determined to stay faithful to God.\n","date":"2026-03-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dzhakhi/photo_hu_3720afc7bb66423a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dzhakhi/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dzhakhi/photo_hu_86617309d542dcee.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dzhakhi/photo_hu_dbe34e036899e563.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dzhakhi.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Gonkhi Venans Dzhakhi","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;When people found out what our family was like, they would say, \u0026#39;Oh, four sons and one lovely daughter — just like in a fairy tale!\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Anna Gyseva recalls with a smile as she speaks about her childhood. She was born in Kvitok, Irkutsk Region. Her father worked on the railroad and her mother was a housewife. Both are now pensioners. The family enjoys farming and keeps animals.\nAnna, her older brothers, and parents loved doing things together. \u0026quot;We often got together to play musical instruments, watch TV shows, or play board games,\u0026quot; she remembers. \u0026quot;I understood that this atmosphere existed because we lived according to the Bible.\u0026quot;\nFour generations of the Gysev family value and love the Bible. They were prosecuted both in the Soviet Union and in modern-day Russia because they are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In the 1940s, Anna\u0026#39;s great-grandmother was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment; later, her grandfather and uncle were also convicted. In 2024, Anna\u0026#39;s cousin Ivan Puyda received a suspended sentence. In March 2026, Anna herself faced prosecution for her faith.\nAnna studied well at school. She received many certificates and awards for taking part in academic competitions. But she describes her main achievements this way: \u0026quot;The Bible taught me and my family many good principles — that money is not the most important thing, that life has a purpose, and that we should enjoy life and love other people.\u0026quot;\nIn her senior school years, Anna began working in her free time and during holidays. She enjoyed helping with cleaning the school, assisting in the library, and restoring books. After finishing school, she moved to Chita. She has experience working as a senior barista and as a café manager. Currently, she works as a barista and regularly takes professional development courses.\nAnna enjoys learning new things. She reads a lot and dreams of visiting different countries. She has learned sign language and is now working to improve her skills as an interpreter. She loves singing and accompanies herself on the guitar; she plays volleyball.\nIn the spring of 2026, in the middle of a workday, law enforcement officers took Anna directly from the café. She experienced great stress: they threatened to cut her finger off if she did not reveal the password to her smartphone. Anna\u0026#39;s wedding in Irkutsk had been scheduled for June 14. \u0026quot;The saddest and most tragic consequence for me is that the prosecution and the travel restrictions have jeopardized my plans to marry the person I love,\u0026quot; the believer says.\nAnna explains: \u0026quot;We wanted to go on our honeymoon to another country. Unfortunately, with the current situation, that will be impossible. We spent a whole year planning everything and saving money. We had already invited friends; some of them were planning to come from abroad. This has had a very strong emotional impact on me and on my future partner.\u0026quot;\nThe believer\u0026#39;s parents, her older brothers and their wives, as well as her friends, are concerned for her. Anna\u0026#39;s employer was even moved to tears upon learning what her family is going through.\n","date":"2026-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gyseva/photo_hu_2985c37bb757f2bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gyseva/photo_hu_f71de5fd8ce1f84d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gyseva/photo_hu_23c76253bbcc9887.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gyseva/photo_hu_e3518126f0d6ee32.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gyseva.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anna Gyseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksey Karpov from Chita, became the subject of a criminal case for his faith in March 2026. Armed and masked law enforcement officers broke into his home, forcing the locks and damaging the front door. This was already the second search Aleksey faced: the first took place in 2020. During that earlier search, law enforcement officers used physical force against his 17‑year‑old son.\nAleksey was born in 1972 in Ulan‑Ude. He has an older sister. His father worked in construction and as a stove maker. He often took young Aleksey with him to work, which sparked the boy\u0026#39;s interest in construction and equipment repair. Aleksey was an active child: he enjoyed riding bicycles and motorcycles and was interested in drawing. During the summer, he learned gardening from his mother while helping her at their dacha.\nLater, Aleksey trained as a tractor and bulldozer operator. He did not only work in this field: following in his father\u0026#39;s footsteps, he worked in construction and, up until his arrest, earned a living as a stove maker. He still likes drawing and also studies foreign languages.\nAleksey became acquainted with the Bible in the early 1990s. He found answers to questions that were important to him and was baptized in 1994. According to him, studying the Bible and applying its counsel had a positive effect on his family life and health and helped him overcome harmful habits.\nAleksey married Yuliya in 2004. His wife shares his interest in drawing and enjoys sewing. They like to spend their free time together traveling, working in the garden, caring for plants, and meeting with friends.\nAleksey is deeply distressed that he is unable to provide for his family financially: due to his arrest, he lost his clients and income. He is also worried about his elderly mother, who has a disability and requires care — something he is unable to provide while being held in pretrial detention.\n","date":"2026-04-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/karpov/photo_hu_49488b47b1036e38.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/karpov/photo_hu_49488b47b1036e38.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/karpov/photo_hu_fcb7fa85f817b0bd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/karpov/photo_hu_fcb7fa85f817b0bd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/karpov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Karpov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Irina Parkhomenko lived an ordinary, peaceful life—she worked for many years as an engineer, took care of her family, and helped those close to her. Already in retirement, she faced criminal prosecution for her faith.\nIrina was born in the town of Sretensk in the Zabaykalskiy Territory. She has a sister. At different times, her father worked as the head of a surveying team, a construction foreman, and chief engineer of a forestry enterprise; he also taught at a construction technical college and, before retiring, worked in the passenger transportation directorate. Her mother began her working life as a cook and later spent many years at a garment factory. Both of Irina\u0026#39;s parents have passed away.\nIrina\u0026#39;s mother often read books aloud to her daughters, and this is how Irina developed a love of reading that stayed with her throughout her life. She was especially impressed by Daniel Defoe\u0026#39;s novel Robinson Crusoe. After reading it, she became fascinated with pottery: she molded clay dishes and fired them in a homemade kiln. Irina also fondly recalls other childhood interests—she loved singing, and when her grandmothers came to visit, they taught her how to knit and spin wool. Her mother, in turn, taught her to sew and trusted her to work on a sewing machine.\nIrina clearly remembers her mother\u0026#39;s words: \u0026quot;God exists, and He sees everything.\u0026quot; Although her mother did not identify with any religion, she taught her daughter to treat the Creator with respect.\nAfter finishing school, Irina enrolled in the Institute of Railway Transport Engineers. During her studies, she spent long hours in the library, studying philosophical and political works that were part of the curriculum at the time—the writings of Lenin, Marx, and Engels.\nWhile still a student, Irina got married. Soon after graduating, the family was assigned to work on the Baikal--Amur Mainline. The couple had a daughter. Before long, Irina was left alone with the child. She had to combine work with caring for her daughter, who was seriously ill at the time. Irina began to pray, asking God for help, learning to thank Him and to remain faithful to her promises. \u0026quot;Seeing God\u0026#39;s support made life easier for me, and not so frightening,\u0026quot; she recalls.\nOver time, Irina increasingly reflected on the meaning of life and asked God to help her find answers to the questions that concerned her. In Khabarovsk, she struck up a conversation with a woman who spoke about God using the Bible. That conversation deeply touched Irina. When she was later offered a Bible study, she agreed without hesitation. In 1995, Irina was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThis period coincided with major changes in the country and the restructuring of the railways. Irina was transferred to a position as an occupational safety engineer in Komsomolsk‑on‑Amur. Several years later, she and her daughter had to move to Chita because her parents needed assistance. After retiring, Irina took a job as a cleaner to support herself financially.\nIn 2020, law enforcement officers broke into Irina\u0026#39;s apartment, where she lived together with her daughter and son‑in‑law, who has suffered from epilepsy since childhood. \u0026quot;They were very frightened,\u0026quot; Irina says. \u0026quot;During the search, the officers inspected and confiscated not only my belongings, but also theirs. Those items were later returned to us in a damaged condition.\u0026quot; Six years later, another search was conducted in Irina\u0026#39;s apartment. It was then that the believer learned she had become a defendant in a criminal case on extremism charges.\n","date":"2026-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parkhomenko/photo_hu_80a9be03dc7a72d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parkhomenko/photo_hu_f633c1b7e01ea6bc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parkhomenko/photo_hu_865f44cfdf5b8ade.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parkhomenko/photo_hu_7bf2a612bc107bb7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parkhomenko.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Irina Parkhomenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;Everything happened unexpectedly,\u0026quot; recalls Albert Pilshchikov, a resident of Naberezhnye Chelny. \u0026quot;The law enforcement officers threw me to the ground, handcuffed me, dragged me into a minibus and threatened me with further violence.\u0026quot; In November 2020, the family home was searched, and in March 2026, the believer was detained by law enforcement officers.\nAlbert was born in Starye Savrushi (Tatarstan) in a family of builders. He is the oldest of three sons. Their father worked as a bricklayer and their mother worked as a plasterer and painter. The father taught his sons to work from an early age: he taught them construction, housekeeping, and gardening. He instilled in them a love of cleanliness and order. The family often spent time outdoors — they went fishing, sometimes with overnight stays.\nAs a child, Albert liked sports: he went skiing, attended a tourist club, went hiking, played football. He also joined a fine arts club. Albert spent his holidays in the village, helping his grandparents with farming. After finishing school, he studied at an agricultural college and later trained as a lawyer.\nWhile the children were growing up, the family moved several times. For 5 years they lived in Pervouralsk (Sverdlovsk Region), then returned to Tatarstan. For 13 years, the family lived in Kamskiye Polyany, and then for about 10 years in Chistopol.\nHis father died at the age of 42, when Albert was 20. As the oldest son, he became responsible for the family. Before that, he worked with his parents in the family construction business, but then he found a job selling auto parts.\nIn the late 1990s, Albert met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He said: \u0026quot;Studying the Bible helped me get rid of bad habits — foul language and alcohol abuse. This book taught me high moral standards, not to return evil for evil, to be sympathetic and ready to help others.\u0026quot; According to him, faith also changed his attitude towards his family: \u0026quot;I learned to sincerely love and respect my parents and to be a loyal and reliable friend.\u0026quot; In 2003, Albert was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2011, he married Olesya. She is a nurse and enjoys drawing and reading books in her free time. Together with friends, the couple loves traveling around the country, especially going to the mountains and skiing. Albert also likes baking bread and cooking dishes from different nations: khinkali, pizza, pilaf, kimchi. He completed a course in digital drawing and paints portraits.\nAlbert\u0026#39;s disabled mother and other relatives are worried about the couple regarding the criminal prosecution of the believer.\n","date":"2026-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pilshchikov/photo_hu_cd4a07c5f21d3e7c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pilshchikov/photo_hu_2ea6e9171da9ff50.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pilshchikov/photo_hu_a6ae9465f59329ec.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pilshchikov/photo_hu_8b2f53dbf8697b50.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pilshchikov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"Albert Pilshchikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Pozdnyakov was born in Darasun in the Trans-Baikal Territory and resides now permanently in Chita. He has an older sister; his younger brother died at a young age. His father worked as a driver at a local transport company and was repeatedly on the company\u0026#39;s board of honor. His mother raised the children and later worked at a bakery until her retirement.\nThe Pozdnyakov family kept livestock, so Anatoliy was taught to work from an early age. After his mother\u0026#39;s death, he took care of his father, who had lost his eyesight.\nFrom childhood, Anatoliy liked gymnastics and later boxing. After graduating with honors from the Irkutsk Regional College of Physical Culture, he worked for a year as a physical education teacher at his school. He later graduated from the Chita State Medical Institute. His career included work at a sports medicine clinic and a boxing sports school; for about 20 years, Pozdnyakov served as a doctor on an ambulance team in Chita. From 2017, for 4 years, he worked as a physiotherapist in the sports medicine department of the main regional hospital. Anatoliy is now retired.\n\u0026quot;Medicine is a field where you can rely only on scientific facts,\u0026quot; the believer said. \u0026quot;I was deeply impressed by its reliable facts when I was introduced to Bible truth... I\u0026#39;m also encouraged by our Creator\u0026#39;s promises for the future, which give hope.\u0026quot;\nAnatoly met his wife Lyudmila through mutual friends. She is an accountant and economist. The couple have been married for more than 40 years and raised two sons, both of whom now have families of their own. In 2014, Anatoliy and Lyudmila were baptized together as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;We became part of a large, multimillion, close-knit family in which everyone strives to live by Bible standards and principles,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;Over more than a decade of studying the Bible, qualities such as love, peace, patience, kindness, mildness, and self-control have grown even stronger in me.\u0026quot;\nIn 2019, Pozdnyakov was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He is under observation at the regional oncology clinic. In addition, he is receiving treatment from a neurologist specializing in Parkinson\u0026#39;s disease. Anatoliy tries to lead a healthy lifestyle, but, according to him, his serious illnesses are taking their toll.\n","date":"2026-04-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pozdnyakov/photo_hu_5888baa1c7d6fc01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pozdnyakov/photo_hu_b57aa016b72c401c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pozdnyakov/photo_hu_2376e744d80506.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pozdnyakov/photo_hu_361b847491e54c75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pozdnyakov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Anatoliy Pozdnyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Bakhtier Raupov was born on April 15, 1988, in Angren, Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan. He was the first of five sons in the family. The large family moved to Chita in search of work. Bakhtier\u0026#39;s father installed plastic windows, while his mother was a housewife. Both are now retired.\nAfter finishing school, Bakhtier began working right away. Like his father, he installed windows and did renovation work. Later, he worked as a driver. The believer enjoys playing football, cycling, and mountaineering.\nFrom an early age, his parents instilled in him faith in God. In January 2007, Bakhtier was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In March 2026, 19 years later, he became a defendant in a criminal case because of his faith and was imprisoned. Bakhtier\u0026#39;s family is deeply concerned about what is happening in his life and continues to support him.\n","date":"2026-04-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/raupov/photo_hu_d4c963380b929f2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/raupov/photo_hu_447a65c2911eeb3b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/raupov/photo_hu_1ed633136e0ffa70.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/raupov/photo_hu_70c1cbfcfef5df1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/raupov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Bakhtier Raupov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Vasilenko was concerned about why people lack respect for each other and what is the cause of suffering. Over time, he found convincing answers.\nRoman is a resident of Chita. Roman\u0026#39;s mother is now retired; he has a younger sister. He repaired TVs and at different times worked as a firefighter and a driver. Roman is divorced and has an adult daughter.\nAt a particular time, Roman began looking in different confessions for answers to the following questions: What is the reason for problems and difficulties? Why are people so thoughtless towards each other, especially in families? He found logical answers when he began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In 2009, Roman Vasilenko was baptized.\nIn 2026, prosecution for his faith began. During the interrogation after the search, he faced pressure; the law enforcement officers used force against him. It took Roman some time to cope with the shock.\n","date":"2026-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilenko/photo_hu_17253e6f308250a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilenko/photo_hu_82ffab8f1ed8baed.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilenko/photo_hu_cb057f1ca1a0e9ad.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilenko/photo_hu_d1a255584f0a2a7c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilenko.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["siloviks-violence"],"title":"Roman Vasilenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Malyutin was born in the village of Zuevka near Chelyabinsk in a large family — his parents also had four daughters. His father worked as a shepherd and herder, his mother worked in livestock farming for more than 40 years. Sergey\u0026#39;s parents and two sisters are no longer alive.\nSergey\u0026#39;s childhood was spent outdoors — together with other children he played gorodki and lapta, organized bicycle and horse races, picked mushrooms and berries. From a young age, he helped his parents with chores: he prepared firewood and grazed calves.\nWhile still at school, Sergey qualified as a tractor driver, so after leaving he immediately got a job as a combine operator. Later, he switched to a bulldozer, and eventually became a foreman in livestock farming. Sergey also gained other professions: installing external pipelines and plumbing. Being granted indefinite disability status in 2019, he retired, but retained his hardworking attitude.\nFrom his youth, Sergey thought about how quickly life passes. \u0026quot;The time will come and I will be gone but others will go on living. I couldn\u0026#39;t wrap my head around it,\u0026quot; he recalls. The Bible hope of the resurrection helped him to look to the future without fear. In 1990, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses together with his wife Svetlana and mother-in-law.\nThe couple have been married since 1986. Svetlana worked as a coil winder at a factory and later as a milkmaid. Sergey likes gardening in his free time and enjoys picking mushrooms and berries in the forest with his wife. He also repairs household appliances in his spare time.\nSergey and Svetlana raised three sons and two daughters. Like the parents, their sons like to work with their hands and relax outdoors. Their daughters have loved animals since childhood and also like reading and embroidering. The family moved to Chelyabinsk so that the children could continue their education after school.\nAfter the search in 2022, Sergey\u0026#39;s health began to deteriorate, and his family is worried about him.\n","date":"2026-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malyutin/photo_hu_ff9031e4bafffdce.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malyutin/photo_hu_534b9c4f2a5b5dd2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malyutin/photo_hu_6823339fa615de96.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malyutin/photo_hu_51259eb31692066b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malyutin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Sergey Malyutin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Soroka was born in August 1963 in Krasnoyarsk. He has an older sister. The children grew up in a family where they respected traditions and celebrated religious holidays. Their parents are no longer alive.\nDuring his school years, Sergey liked football and ice hockey, and was a member of the Young Motorist club, where he studied the structure of cars and the basics of driving. After receiving secondary specialized education, Sergey got a job as a driver. In 2003, he began working as a train wagon inspector and remained so until his retirement. Living in his own house encouraged him to learn various household and construction skills.\nIn August 1990, Sergey married Tatyana. She has two professions: cost accountant and embroiderer on a sewing machine. Tatyana writes poems. The couple help their children look after their grandchildren and great-grandson.\nWhen Sergey was 12, he thought during the celebration of Easter: \u0026quot;If Jesus gave his life for us, what has changed for people? And if he hadn\u0026#39;t, where would we be now?\u0026quot; These questions stayed with him until the 1990s, when he was shown the answers in the Bible. Studying this book encouraged him to quit smoking, taught him how to settle differences with colleagues and neighbors, and strengthened family relationships. In 1994, Sergey was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2003, due to Tatyana\u0026#39;s health the couple moved from Krasnoyarsk to Uyar, where the believer later faced criminal prosecution. Law enforcement officers detained him in February 2026 and placed him in custody. After being released from the pretrial detention center, Sergey said: \u0026quot;Now I am under house arrest, and this has affected my usual way of life. I can't even go out into the yard, to do the necessary work where male strength is needed.\u0026quot; Relatives are concerned about what is happening.\n","date":"2026-03-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/soroka/photo_hu_3ec1e4ae2e6727a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/soroka/photo_hu_c14d33ff7070c625.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/soroka/photo_hu_a80b91a059eebf79.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/soroka/photo_hu_e2a67ac844fe131d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/soroka.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Soroka","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A raid targeting Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Chita and several other locations in the Trans‑Baikal Territory took place on March 19, 2026. At least 10 people were made defendants in a new criminal case.\nThe investigation is being conducted by senior investigator S. Urbazayev of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate of the Russian Federation for the Trans‑Baikal Territory. Five people are suspected of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC), and another five are suspected of participating in it (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nAccording to available information, one believer — Anatoliy Pozdnyakov, 67, — has been placed under house arrest, while three others — Vitaliy Astakhov, Svetlana Arefyeva, and Olga Beznosenko — under a recognizance agreement.\nUpdate. On March 21, the court placed two more believers, Aleksey Karpov and Bakhtier Raupov, in pretrial detention. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Chita have been subjected to criminal prosecution for 6 years already. The first raid took place in February 2020 and resulted in prison terms for three people.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/201611.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"Large‑Scale Raid in Trans‑Baikal Territory — At Least 30 People Affected","type":"news"},{"body":"Galina Tokareva was born in 1957 in the city of Voroshilovsk (now Alchevsk). Her mother raised Galina and her brother on her own. As Galina noted, growing up in a single-parent family helped her develop independence and a strong sense of responsibility. During her school years, she took up running and participated in city competitions. From childhood, she was interested in the Russian and English languages.\nGalina trained as an electrician and later also qualified as a kindergarten teacher. She worked in this profession for 25 years until retiring. In 2014, she was widowed, and 2 years later she moved closer to her daughter — to Nizhny Novgorod.\nAs she studied the Bible, Galina gradually changed her way of life: she began to follow Bible moral standards and saw that this had a positive effect on her. In time, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2026, Galina faced criminal prosecution for her beliefs. According to her, the search and pressure from the investigator had a negative impact on her health.\n","date":"2026-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tokareva.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Galina Tokareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 17, 2026, searches were conducted in Nizhny Novgorod and the surrounding area at 10 homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In total 16 people from 5 families were affected. Among them were Sergey and Viktoriya Verkhoturov, who had served sentences for their faith several years earlier.\nOn the day of the searches, the court ordered four men — Sergey Verkhoturov, Maksim Kalinin, Anatoliy Chepkasov, and Yevgeniy Konkov — to be placed in a pretrial detention center.\nThe raid was carried out as part of a new criminal case for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, which the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated on March 5, 2026, against unidentified persons. The searches were initiated by Investigator A. E. Stifeyev.\nThe Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region has initiated 12 out of 13 criminal cases against 26 believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/191523.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","families","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nizhny Novgorod: Four Believers in Pretrial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 13, 2026, Judge Irina Tarelicheva of the Kaluzhskiy District Court sentenced 50‑year‑old Roman Makhnev and 61‑year‑old Dmitriy Kuzin to 6.5 years imprisonment. They were declared as extremists for meeting with fellow believers, singing songs together, praying, and reading the Bible.\nMakhnev and Kuzin are graduates of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Dmitriy is a mechanical engineer specializing in turbines, and Roman is a design and process engineer for radio‑electronic equipment. They have been friends for almost 30 years.\nThe criminal prosecution began back in 2018. According to Roman, the law enforcement agencies had them under surveillance and tapped their phones. \u0026quot;We were practically expecting them to come for us every day,\u0026quot; Makhnev says. In June 2019, searches were carried out in their apartments; they were arrested and spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, and later placed under house arrest.\n\u0026quot;While in custody, Roman learned that his father had died,\u0026quot; Dmitriy Kuzin recounted. \u0026quot;The investigator did not let him attend the funeral. Later, his parental home in the village burned down. After he was released from pretrial detention, his mother died. He cared for his grandmother, who is about 100 years old... Despite these tragic events, Roman remains positive. I admire his courage. He is a true friend, a caring shepherd, and an exemplary family head.\u0026quot;\nSvetlana, Dmitriy\u0026#39;s wife, told the court: \u0026quot;I have a wonderful husband — very loving, caring. And that is not only to me but to all our relatives, to his parents, and, really, to everyone.\u0026quot; A neighbor who has known Dmitriy and his parents for a long time described the believer as well-mannered and an excellent family man.\nThe investigation and trial of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga lasted more than 6 years — one of the longest in the context of the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. From the very beginning, numerous violations were evident: planting of banned literature, degrading treatment of the believers and members of their family, and being denied necessary medical care. Dmitriy Kuzin also faced discrimination from the court: at a hearing on the preventive measure, the judge did not allow the believer to defend himself and, in effect, mocked him — this was later acknowledged by the court of appeal. As the trial progressed, other violations came to light. For example, expert studies were carried out by experts who, at the time they issued their conclusions, did not hold diplomas.\nIn July 2024, the European Court of Human Rights recognized the prosecution of Roman Makhnev as well as other believers as unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/03/171706/image_hu_933e3446c525a75e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/03/171706/image_hu_966c52947fb6d2f5.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/03/171706/image_hu_5b2290708caa9352.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/03/171706/image_hu_2e01ddd95d6bf5c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/171706.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court in Kaluga Sent Believers to Penal Colony for 6.5 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"The UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) has ruled that Russia violated the rights of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Ufa who were subjected to searches, interrogations and — in one case — detention. In its Views adopted on March 13, 2026, the Committee for the first time applied articles 26 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in a case of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, noting that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are a \u0026quot;vulnerable religious minority\u0026quot; facing discrimination by the state.\nCaption: In this video, produced in June 2018, the applicants describe what they had to go through during and after the searches.\nThe believers filed their complaint 8 years ago — on April 30, 2018. A few weeks earlier, the authorities had authorized searches of their homes, seized Bibles, religious publications and personal belongings, and then interrogated them at the Investigative Committee. In their submission to the CCPR the believers said that \u0026quot;the authorities tried to intimidate them and force them to renounce their faith aiming to suppress the religious practice of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; and noted that \u0026quot;without any reasonable or objective grounds, they were subjected to criminal prosecution that no other religious organization in Russia had faced.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;At the time of my detention, only one Witness, Dennis Christensen, had been arrested,\u0026quot; recalled Anatoliy Vilitkevich, one of the applicants. \u0026quot;My wife and I were following the news and were really worried about how things would unfold. We thought that if the police did come, it would be during a meeting for worship; they would question everyone and let them go — because then, as now, we were sure we hadn\u0026#39;t done anything illegal.\u0026quot; After the raid, Anatoliy spent 2 months behind bars. He was charged with organizing the activity of a banned organization for friendly gatherings and conversations on spiritual topics. In September 2021, Anatoliy was given a 2-year suspended sentence.\nThe Committee called the restrictions imposed on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses by the state under the banner of \u0026quot;counteracting extremism\u0026quot; unfounded. \u0026quot;Rather than pointing out any extremist activities perpetrated by the authors [of the complaint], the authorities effectively banned their religious practice in its entirety by subjecting any manifestation thereof to criminal prosecution,\u0026quot; the Views state (para. 9.9). The Committee finds that such excessive interpretation and application of the Supreme Court decision resulted in denial of the authors' \u0026quot;right to profess and practice their own religion in community with the other members of their religious minority group\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;threatened the continued existence of their religious community.\u0026quot;\nIn the case Vilitkevich and Others v. Russia (No. 3192/2018), there were 12 applicants (in addition to Anatoliy, they were Alyona Vilitkevich, Venera Mikhaylova, Viner Ganiev, Alfiya Ilyasova, Syuzanna Ilyasova, Yelena Kozhevnikova, Oksana Lapina, Gulfiya Khafizova, Lilianna Khafizova, Nadezhda Yakimova and Olesya Yakimova). The oldest was born in 1960, the youngest in 2001. The Committee ordered the state to pay the believers adequate compensation for court costs and legal expenses, and to compensate Anatoliy Vilitkevich additionally for his time in detention.\nIn the concluding part of its Views, the Committee effectively takes the case beyond a single Ufa story. It obliges the state to provide an effective remedy, \u0026quot;to make full reparation,\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;to take all steps necessary to prevent similar violations from occurring in the future\u0026quot; — a demand for justice for all Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses prosecuted in Russia, who now number around 1,000.\n","category":"victory","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/04/241429/image_hu_73546cb5427c4351.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/04/241429/image_hu_4b07cb1f6205a42.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/04/241429/image_hu_5b2a5c091088a2a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/04/241429/image_hu_b630357744e78a82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/04/241429.html","regions":["moscow","bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["unhrc","international-community","compensation","video"],"title":"For the First Time CCPR Recognizes Discrimination Against Jehovah’s Witnesses as Religious Minority: Based on the Experience of 12 Believers From Ufa","type":"news"},{"body":"Kuzin explains that his faith is based on the Bible, a book that teaches goodness, respect for authority, strengthening family and love for people. He says: \"I believe that I am being tried precisely for my religious beliefs ... and not for some illegal actions that do not exist and cannot be.\"\n","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/617.html","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Dmitry Kuzin's last word in Kaluga","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 7, 2026, the Moskovskiy District Court of Cheboksary sent Albert Pilshchikov, 45, to a pretrial detention center. A day earlier, he was detained in Naberezhnye Chelny on the grounds of a criminal case.\nIn 2020, Albert, who lived in Cheboksary at the time, was among the believers whose homes were searched by law enforcement officers.\nOver the past 9 years, criminal cases have been initiated against 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Chuvashia. These believers are mostly elderly people. One of the defendants received a 5-year suspended sentence — he will be 90 by the time he has served it.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/101532.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"His Home Was Searched 6 Years Ago","tags":["new-case","search","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Arrested in Chuvashia.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 3, 2026, the Shadrinskiy District Court fined Vladimir Gaydyshev, 53, with severely impaired sight, 300,000 rubles for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, but in fact for peacefully practicing his faith.\nVladimir cannot see in the dark and in dimly lit rooms; he cannot read normal font size even with his glasses. He said that after the start of the prosecution, his eyesight got even worse: \u0026quot;I can hardly do even ordinary household chores.\u0026quot; Moreover, he has several other health issues, including neurological. The believer needs regular treatment, but due to being under a recognizance agreement he could not receive sufficient medical care. Speaking in court before the verdict, he said: \u0026quot;The unjust prosecution... became a great stress for me and my elderly mother... For almost 5 years I haven\u0026#39;t had any peace.\u0026quot;\nIn 2021, Vladimir Gaydyshev\u0026#39;s home was searched. Another search took place at his mother\u0026#39;s home, who was 80 at the time. In April 2025, the investigation charged Vladimir with extremism, which, according to law enforcement officers, consisted of participating in religious meetings. Later in court, the believer stated that it was impossible to find calls to hatred in his words and explained it this way: \u0026quot;My beliefs are based on the Bible, and it teaches me to love all people, even those who are hostile.\u0026quot;\nVladimir's many friends have not abandonded him: they help with household chores, caring for his mother, who also has a disability, and support him emotionally too. The believer also tries to stay positive. He says: \u0026quot;I've been actively working on my emotional and physical health to withstand this test with dignity. Thanks to this, I feel better.\u0026quot;\nIn the Kurgan Region, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Five of them received heavy fines, among them Aleksandr Lubin, a severely disabled person, who died shortly after the verdict was passed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/03/041408/image_hu_b4497839bcbffe85.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/03/041408/image_hu_9a6d3656e9bd6950.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/03/041408/image_hu_da0305467f52f857.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/03/041408/image_hu_7a25c9d55bc69074.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/03/041408.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Court Imposed Fine","tags":["first-instance","282.2-2","disability","fine"],"title":"Almost Blind Man in Shadrinsk Convicted \"for Extremism\".","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer emphasizes: \"I have always tried to live peacefully with other people, I have not killed anyone, I have not stolen anything, I have not deceived anyone, because I love people. I have never had views characteristic of extremism, and what I discovered for myself [in the Bible] had nothing to do with violence or hostility.\"\n","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/616.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Vladimir Gaydyshev's last word in Shadrinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolotova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Kolotova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Lidiya Starostina was born in the village of Ilkino (Vladimir Region). Her parents worked on a state farm and, in their free time, were passionate about music: her father played the garmon (a Russian button accordion), and her mother sang. They passed their love of the arts on to their daughter—when she was young, she took part in amateur performing arts, and to this day she loves to sing. Lidiya had a younger brother; both he and her parents have since passed away.\nAfter finishing school, Lidiya moved to Nizhny Novgorod and enrolled at the Gorky Automotive Mechanical Technical School. In 1976, she graduated as a technologist specializing in paint and coatings. After working for a year on assignment in Cheboksary, she returned to Nizhny Novgorod and took a job at the Gorky Automobile Plant, where she worked for 31 years. Later, she worked as a janitor, a doorman, a security guard, a material handler, and—before retiring—as a cleaner.\nLidiya met her future husband, Pavel, in 1983. They had a daughter. Pavel worked at a factory and loved spending time in nature—picking mushrooms and fishing. In 1995, Lidiya was widowed and had to raise their daughter on her own.\nLidiya\u0026#39;s interest in spiritual matters began in childhood. She recalls: \u0026quot;My mother taught me prayers—I still remember them. I really wanted to understand their meaning, and I also wanted to know what was written in the thick books that were read at funerals.\u0026quot; According to Lidiya, her husband\u0026#39;s death deepened her desire to learn about God. The Bible\u0026#39;s teaching about the resurrection brought her comfort, and the Bible\u0026#39;s historical accuracy and the logic of its moral principles strengthened her trust in it. In 1999, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn February 2026, security officers forced their way into the retiree\u0026#39;s home. The stress of the search and interrogation, along with the exacerbation of her chronic conditions, is only part of the hardship caused by the criminal prosecution. Lidiya\u0026#39;s daughter and son‑in‑law are worried about her and are doing their best to support her.\n","date":"2026-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/starostina/photo_hu_24efd2e3d680f040.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/starostina/photo_hu_61d5aae36795c237.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/starostina/photo_hu_df827f7c9f65fa39.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/starostina/photo_hu_860ce731463c8f25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/starostina.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lidiya Starostina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anna Moroz is a primary school teacher. In February 2026, her home was searched, and the believer learned that a criminal case had been initiated against her on suspicion of extremism.\nAnna was born in July 1998 in Simferopol. She has an older sister and a younger brother. Their father works as a builder; their mother is a cashier for air and railway tickets. They have been married for about 40 years. For them, the main thing is trust, respect, and the ability to discuss difficulties together. Anna told how the example of her parents influenced her: \u0026quot;I resolved that in my marriage love for each other and open communication with my partner would be important.\u0026quot;\nWhen she was 4, the family moved to Molodezhnoye in the Simferopol District. Anna was an active child and loved cycling. At school, she gained a good reputation. \u0026quot;Mom and dad were told that they didn't need to come to parent-teacher meetings, since there were no complaints about me,\u0026quot; Anna recalls. She received higher education via distance learning and qualified as a teacher. She began her professional career as a teaching assistant and since 2019 she has worked as a primary school teacher.\nThe first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Anna\u0026#39;s family were her great-grandparents back in the early 1990s. \u0026quot;Over time, I began to dive deeper into the teachings, get to know God better, and develop a personal friendship with him,\u0026quot; says Anna. \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s principles still help me to have good friends and make wise choices in matters of recreation and entertainment.\u0026quot; In her free time, she plays volleyball, collects pictures from diamond mosaics, weaves bags from pearls, and sometimes does embroidery.\nIn September 2025, Anna married Ruslan. They met at a friendly gathering. Ruslan repairs refrigerators and freezers. He likes volleyball, football, billiards, loves hiking and collects watches. He is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. His grandparents were exiled to Siberia for their faith and there Ruslan\u0026#39;s parents were born.\nDue to the criminal prosecution Anna faced pressure from law enforcement officers: during the search, she was threatened with arrest and work restrictions; it was said that their house \u0026quot;will be taken apart and they will find what they are looking for.\u0026quot; Meanwhile, Anna and her family remained calm and restrained, which, according to their observations, softened the tone of the officers: they began to talk more politely.\n","date":"2026-05-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moroz/photo_hu_6393cd7caf37337f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moroz/photo_hu_9c7c9abc17599521.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moroz/photo_hu_4849668b26829be8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moroz/photo_hu_bb6e6313884fa8ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moroz.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Anna Moroz","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/privalova.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Galina Privalova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vakarev/photo_hu_f48322a47abac9fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vakarev/photo_hu_fa8c6f2e50eb8d6a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vakarev/photo_hu_15ec375686c46459.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vakarev/photo_hu_5734a831d05db198.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vakarev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vakarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vakarevz/photo_hu_2272b597830a66d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vakarevz/photo_hu_b1e53b24b71b09fc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vakarevz/photo_hu_b0453e1e6d5d9e7a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vakarevz/photo_hu_433e2d524819c50b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vakarevz.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Zakhar Vakarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Burik, 54, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Kerch and father of a disabled daughter, heard the guilty verdict on February 19, 2026. The decision was issued by Aleksandr Kovalev, judge of the Kerch City Court. A few days earlier, similar harsh sentences were handed down to believers in Dmitrov, Tver and Birobidzhan.\nThe day before, the court went through the stages of interrogation of the defendant, closing arguments and final statement in one session. The swift completion of the trial prevented the defense from presenting its evidence. The judge gave Vitaliy only 15 minutes to prepare for his final statement. After the verdict was announced, he was taken into custody.\nIn the fall of 2024, a criminal case was initiated against Vitaliy. It was followed by a search, detention and house arrest. Vitaliy recalls: \u0026quot;House arrest for me is also an arrest for the whole family. The restrictions especially affected our \u0026#39;sunny\u0026#39; girl. Our cycling tours on a special bicycle made with her needs in mind, doing sports in the fresh air, by the sea, supported her physically and emotionally.\u0026quot; Vitaliy had to travel 200 kilometers for interrogations, and later to court hearings.\nVitaliy Burik with his family \u0026quot;My family is a great comfort and support for me,\u0026quot; he continued, \u0026quot;especially my youngest daughter. She always finds words of encouragement for everyone.\u0026quot; Vitaliy is also grateful to his friends for their care for his family: while he was under house arrest, they brought his wife and daughter food, gave flowers and cards, and he himself was given an exercise bike.\nThe charge was based on the written testimony of two secret witnesses, in which they stated that Burik continued the activity of the liquidated legal entity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, at the trial, both admitted that they had stopped attending meetings for worship of the Kerch community back in 2017 and had not met with the defendant since then. When the prosecutor read out their affidavits, it became evident that some parts of the text matched even down to identical mistakes.\nIn Crimea, 35 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their religious views. Of these, 14 received long terms in penal colonies, and 1 was recently released, having served his sentence in full. \u0026quot;I am strengthened and encouraged by the examples of brothers and sisters from Crimea,\u0026quot; Vitaliy said. \u0026quot;In fact we are on this journey together — they are a few steps ahead of me.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/200820/image_hu_a5e5beb3e78c69da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/200820/image_hu_fa8a17f02114f37.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/200820/image_hu_f91a640256f1c1f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/200820/image_hu_bb8185d2c1464d26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/200820.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Jehovah’s Witness in Crimea Given 6 Years in Penal Colony for His Faith","tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Sixth Prison Term in a Week.","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bastaev.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Bastaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dzhavadova.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Alfiya Dzhavadova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mariya Gareeva was born in the city of Tuymazy (Bashkortostan). She has a twin sister. Their father worked as a mechanical engineer for over 35 years, and their mother worked as a lawyer all her life. Both are already retired.\nMariya loves learning and learning something new. As a child, she did drawing and dancing and in high school she joined the volleyball team. In addition to sports and creativity, she loved geometry and technical drawing. Later, she graduated from a college specializing in Economics and Accounting, and then received two higher educations — economics and legal, each with honors. After graduation, she worked as a corporate lawyer and also provided private legal services.\nHer thirst for knowledge prompted Mariya to study the Bible. She began paying special attention to this book during her student years, although she had heard about it as a child from her grandmother. \u0026quot;I understood,\u0026quot; Mariya recalls, \u0026quot;that a secular education would give me knowledge, but it would not teach me how to live. But the Bible revealed practical wisdom, for example, how to choose good friends and get along with others.\u0026quot; In 2012, Mariya was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Since then, Bible knowledge has often helped me to make wise choices in my life and in difficult moments it has been a source of comfort,\u0026quot; she says.\nMariya still enjoys playing volleyball with friends. Her other hobbies include billiards and making and editing videos.\nThe prosecution turned Mariya\u0026#39;s life upside down. The absence of communicating with her sister and other relatives was especially difficult for her. \u0026quot;My father is worried. He once said that it was the first time he saw me with such sad eyes,\u0026quot; the believer said. She added: \u0026quot;The experience shook me emotionally and it took a while for me to regain my balance. The worries are not completely gone, but thanks to help from God and the support of friends, my mind settles, and slowly you begin to adapt to the new circumstances.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-03-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gareeva/photo_hu_7c4b510b7d0bab42.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gareeva/photo_hu_54796ea1ef0f5665.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gareeva/photo_hu_3b69ec918275260a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gareeva/photo_hu_d5fdf8532b41592f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gareeva.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Mariya Gareeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Gubeev was born in Ufa. He has a younger brother. Their father, a retiree who continues to work, is employed as a maintenance mechanic at a factory. Their mother is retired; trained as an educator, she worked as a kindergarten teacher and, in the 1990s, was an entrepreneur.\nAs a child, Andrey did dance, attended an art school, and was passionate about sports. He pursued, but did not complete, a university degree in civil engineering. In the early 2000s, he worked at a plant as a process engineer and design engineer. Later, he changed fields and worked as a brewer for 19 years. Since 2023, he has been employed as a process operator at a lubricants production facility.\nAndrey initially did not believe in God and regarded religions as purely commercial structures. \u0026quot;Thanks to getting to know Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I began to hope that God exists,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. Studying the Bible and becoming familiar with Bible prophecies helped him develop a firm faith in God. In 2003, Andrey was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;I learned how to get along with people and to respect the laws of the country,\u0026quot; is how he describes the changes in himself.\nSince 2010, Andrey has been married to Laysan, who shares his beliefs. She works in the beauty industry. \u0026quot;When colleagues learn that we\u0026#39;ve been together for more than 15 years, they\u0026#39;re amazed,\u0026quot; Andrey says. \u0026quot;Many people around us have managed to divorce and remarry in that time.\u0026quot; The couple share common interests: they regularly go to the gym and enjoy walks in the countryside. Andrey also spends his free time reading classic literature and books on self‑development.\nThe criminal prosecution has brought uncertainty to the family\u0026#39;s life and has been a source of stress. Andrey is forced to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet (ankle monitor). Regular summons for interrogations have led to lost wages. Even so, his colleagues continue to treat Gubeev with respect, considering him a valued employee. Because her phone was seized during a search, Laysan is also experiencing difficulties at work.\nHis relatives are outraged by Andrey\u0026#39;s prosecution. They consider the charges brought against him to be baseless.\n","date":"2026-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gubeev/photo_hu_d5c8a17f9b92b61.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gubeev/photo_hu_41fd431d535f6f7a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gubeev/photo_hu_661e9a91c44d98e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gubeev/photo_hu_cf27e854d48db187.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gubeev.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Gubeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Petrov has been married for more than 40 years, and he worked at the same place for 33 years. Then one day everything changed abruptly — he ended up in pretrial detention because of his faith.\nSergey was born in the city of Syzran in the Kuybyshev (now Samara) Region, but he spent his youth in Kazakhstan, in the small town of Taldy-Kurgan. He is the oldest of five children: he has one brother and three sisters. Their mother worked as a decorator, and their father was a mechanic at the airport.\nSergey\u0026#39;s parents tried to instill in their children a love for hard work. From childhood, Sergey was fascinated by technology and radio electronics. He built many things and learned how to repair bicycles and motorcycles. As a young man, he graduated from vocational and later from a technical college with honors. He continued studying electrical engineering and electronics. For a while, he worked as a teacher of physics, technical drawing and crafts. For the last 30 years — right up until his arrest — he worked as a Field Service Technician for a network of gas stations, calibrating fuel dispensers.\nIn December 1983, Sergey married Raisa. In the early 1990s, the young family — Sergey, Raisa, and their two children, a son and a daughter — moved to Talmenka, where they have lived ever since. The Petrovs\u0026#39; son trained as a technical vocational teacher, while their daughter became both an bookkeeper and a hairdresser. Both now have families of their own.\nSergey enjoys growing grapes and making homemade wine. He loves fishing and making shashlik. With his family, he enjoys spending time outdoors, tending the garden, cycling, Nordic walking, and spending time with friends.\nThe first person in the family to learn about the Bible was Sergey\u0026#39;s mother — that happened in 1970. While raising her children, she tried to instill in them a love for Bible principles. Sergey meditated on his mother\u0026#39;s words and reflected on the remarkable way the world around him is designed. This convinced him that there must be a Creator. In time, Sergey decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nDue to Sergey\u0026#39;s arrest, Raisa lost the support of her loving husband and the sole breadwinner: her pension is small, and her husband provided most of the household\u0026#39;s income. Sergey also suffers from chronic health conditions and needs daily medication, including prescription drugs — something difficult to manage in a pretrial detention center.\nFor those who have known Sergey for many years — his relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances — it is hard to understand why he is being criminally prosecuted. They describe him as a kind, approachable and law-abiding person.\n","date":"2026-03-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrovs/photo_hu_682986107e90ef6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrovs/photo_hu_3582c855a22d7dac.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrovs/photo_hu_e658e3e3da1785d9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrovs/photo_hu_a2e5371fd2e50815.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrovs.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Petrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;I was separated from my husband, we have not been able to see each other for more than a year,\u0026quot; said Irina Shishkina, who was placed under a recognizance agreement, while her husband is under house arrest due to criminal prosecution for their faith.\nIrina was born in the small village of Karalda, Kemerovo Region. In the family were five children — Irina and her 4 brothers. Their father worked as a chief accountant in a factory for 45 years, and then served in the tax inspectorate; their mother worked as a nanny in a kindergarten and in a store, but she devoted most of her time to her family. Her parents and one of her brothers are no longer alive.\nFrom childhood, Irina loved outdoor games and hiking; she helped her parents with the housework, learned to knit, sew and embroider. During her school years, she became interested in sports — volleyball, basketball, running, skiing — and participated in competitions.\nAfter finishing school, she entered the Novokuznetsk Agricultural College, where she trained as an accountant. She worked in a branch of a bank as the head, and later in retail. In 2024, she qualified as a pharmacist and got a job in a pharmacy.\nIrina\u0026#39;s father was the first in the family to meet Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and in the 1990s he was baptized. A few years later, Irina became interested in the Bible. She recalls: \u0026quot;In the Bible, I found answers to many questions and my life gained purpose. I became a better person.\u0026quot; In 2010, Irina became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAfter the death of her mother, the believer began to take care of her father, after he had suffered a stroke, until his death. In 2013, Irina married Vasiliy Shishkin. They are united by a love of nature, walking, cycling,hiking and camping.\nDespite the criminal prosecution, those around them have not turned their backs on the Shishkins: colleagues and neighbors respect and try to support Irina, relatives and friends remain a reliable support.\n","date":"2026-03-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shishkina/photo_hu_a48720cfa07b8c5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shishkina/photo_hu_d8424b1ad1a62f50.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shishkina/photo_hu_901154aedfb68d8c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shishkina/photo_hu_cbfc7089fbc6c73b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shishkina.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Irina Shishkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Ivan Starikov was born in January 1975 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He lived in Krasnoyarsk and Uyar. His parents worked in a factory; now they are retired. As a child, Ivan studied piano at a music school and was good at singing.\nIvan qualified as an electrician and gas welder and worked in this field at various enterprises and later as a mechanic. Before his arrest, he was self-employed and repaired shoes. He did not complete military service due to a spinal injury.\nIn the early 1990s, Ivan was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In 2010, he married Yelena. Ivan has an adult daughter; his son died at the age of 9 from leukemia. The couple have no children together.\n","date":"2026-03-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/starikovi/photo_hu_e6b1589963541faf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/starikovi/photo_hu_d13144515839491f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/starikovi/photo_hu_64673f7bf30206b0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/starikovi/photo_hu_e48d4bef58115672.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/starikovi.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Ivan Starikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2026, Ruslan and Roza Tazýrov were placed in pretrial detention because of their faith in Jehovah God. What happened shocked not only their relatives: colleagues and acquaintances also openly express their bewilderment. \u0026quot;They are religious people, but you can\u0026#39;t take away someone\u0026#39;s freedom for that,\u0026quot; one colleague said.\nRuslan was born in December 1974 in the village of Usmanovo, Kunashaksky District, Chelyabinsk Region. There were three sons in the family: one brother is 9 years younger than Ruslan and his older brother has passed away. His mother worked her entire life as a construction worker at a Sovkhoz — a state-owned agricultural enterprise during the Soviet era. She is known for her hospitality. Now she has retired. Ruslan\u0026#39;s father was highly regarded at the same farm, where he worked as a combine operator and driver. Thanks to his parents\u0026#39; upbringing, Ruslan grew up to be a kind, cheerful, and hospitable person; he developed a liking for working with machinery and wood.\nAs a child, Ruslan took care of animals and often went fishing with his dog. He was also interested in martial arts and ice hockey. During his teenage years, he gained a reputation as a troublemaker — he got drunk, smoked, and got into fights.\nWhile studying in secondary school, Ruslan trained as a tractor driver and machine operator. Immediately after graduation, he began working as a combine operator at the state farm, fulfilling his dream, since combine harvesters were his favorite type of machinery. Later, he worked as a tinsmith and a janitor.\nIn 1996, Ruslan married Roza. The couple have two adult children and a grandson. Roza works in the cleaning sector. She enjoys cooking homemade food, especially pancakes, dumplings, and pies. In the summer, the couple goes mushroom picking, camping and fishing. During these trips, Ruslan lights a charcoal-fired samovar.\nOver the years the family lived in various places: the city of Miass, the village of Uyskoye in the Chelyabinsk Region, Kamensk-Uralsky in the Sverdlovsk Region and Ufa.\nRoza was the first to begin studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, Ruslan joined her, aiming to strengthen their family. In 2003, they were baptized together.\nRelatives and friends are concerned not only about the unjust criminal prosecution of Ruslan and Roza, but also for their health. During these events, Ruslan\u0026#39;s hypertension has worsened, and he frequently suffers from severe headaches. Roza\u0026#39;s sister and her family have also been subjected to searches and interrogations.\n","date":"2026-04-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tazyrov/photo_hu_cf15fb4354712bdb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tazyrov/photo_hu_b9377333a756454d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tazyrov/photo_hu_4276951dd5a0d006.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tazyrov/photo_hu_2c91e81eed67a6d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tazyrov.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Ruslan Tazyrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Bashkir families are often described as close-knit and hospitable. Their values include respect for the elderly, care for the younger ones, and a high regard for marriage. Roza Tazyrova was raised in such a family — and later had such a family of her own. For many years, she and her husband have been living by Christian principles and passed them on to their children. But in 2026, the Tazyrovs were placed in a pretrial detention center and charged with extremism because of their beliefs.\nRoza was born in 1978 in the town of Uchaly (Bashkortostan). She has an older sister and a younger brother. Guests were often welcomed in their home. Until retirement, her father worked as a truck driver and mechanic, while her mother did various jobs and worked as a forklift driver at a factory. In their youth, they took part in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline.\nAs a child, Roza trained in a skiing club, competed, and won prizes, but a heart condition forced her to give up sports. In her teenage years, she became interested in street dancing.\nAfter finishing school, Roza trained as a programmer. She worked as a social worker, an overnight childcare worker, and a cleaner. She married at 18. When Roza began learning Bible teachings, Ruslan joined her. It helped him give up bad habits, change his lifestyle, and strengthen their marriage. In 2003, the Tazyrovs were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe couple raised a son and a daughter; in time, they also welcomed a grandson. In summer, the family enjoys spending time outdoors — picking berries and mushrooms, fishing, and camping. Roza likes cooking, especially blini, pelmeni, manty, and pies, and Ruslan shares this passion. A warm family tradition of the Tazyrovs is treating guests to tea brewed in a charcoal-heated samovar.\nThe criminal prosecution has radically changed the Tazyrovs\u0026#39; lives. The search and arrest have had a negative impact on their health.\n","date":"2026-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tazyrova/photo_hu_992231cec29b57f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tazyrova/photo_hu_90d08892b6d106a3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tazyrova/photo_hu_8d7829e16369878.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tazyrova/photo_hu_99dbec70dffb8d69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tazyrova.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Roza Tazyrova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A huge prison term for his faith, deprivation of his citizenship, and a cancer diagnosis are only part of the hardships Rustam Diarov faced during more than 5 years of prosecution. On 17 February 2026, the Privolzhskiy District Court of Kazan granted early release to the 52‑year‑old believer on health grounds, but that same evening he was deported to his country of birth. During the night of 18 February, Rustam and his wife, Yelena, arrived in Uzbekistan.\n\u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m very tired — the court hearings, the release, the flight to another country,\u0026quot; said the believer arriving at the Tashkent airport. \u0026quot;But I am deeply grateful to Jehovah and to everyone who supported me — my wife, my friends, including those who wrote letters and visited me.\u0026quot;\nRustam Diarov had been behind bars since June 2020. The court sentenced him to 8 years in prison for peaceful meetings and discussions of the Bible.\n\u0026quot;For 5 years and 8 months my wife and I couldn\u0026#39;t communicate normally,\u0026quot; Rustam said. \u0026quot;Before all this, every day we had deep, meaningful conversations, and we really missed that kind of open communication. We hope to make up for it in the near future.\u0026quot;\nIn February of last year, the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Orenburg Region launched the process of revoking Rustam Diarov\u0026#39;s Russian citizenship. When he applied for citizenship in 2007, he openly stated on the form that he was one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — at the time, the religion was officially registered in Russia. Now, 18 years later, the Ministry claimed that Rustam had \u0026quot;knowingly provided false information\u0026quot; when he affirmed his willingness to comply with the Constitution and the law. \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s as if he was expected to foresee that years later the legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses would be liquidated in Russia and that he would be convicted for simple religious activity,\u0026quot; the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer commented on the reasoning of the police. Rustam tried to challenge the decision to annul his citizenship, but without success. The Leninskiy District Court of Orenburg upheld the Ministry\u0026#39;s position.\nAmid all this, another struggle was unfolding in Diarov\u0026#39;s life: during imprisonment his chronic illnesses sharply worsened, and in September 2025 he was hospitalized. And 3 months later, Rustam was diagnosed with a malignant tumor with complications. A medical commission concluded that the penal colony could no longer provide adequate medical care; doctors assess his condition as serious. His treatment will continue in Uzbekistan.\nRustam\u0026#39;s mother and his wife are both Russian citizens. Yelena has a disability. Rustam\u0026#39;s mother also suffers from a serious illness and needs support.\nAt least 12 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been stripped of Russian citizenship in the context of religious persecution. Among those expelled from Russia are Felix Makhamadiev, Konstantin Bazhenov, and Rustam Seidkuliev.\n","category":"prison","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/181456/image_hu_13c68abcd5cf1143.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/181456/image_hu_d2ff8e58e7e0db71.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/181456/image_hu_9340c8ab401b34ba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/181456/image_hu_64f93fbf28953bfb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/181456.html","regions":["tatarstan","astrakhan","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["deportation","parole","health-risk"],"title":"Rustam Diarov Convicted for His Faith — Released Early and Expelled From Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2026, Valeriy Popov, judge of the Moskovskiy District Court of Tver, announced the verdict against three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: Valeriy Tolmazov, Aleksandr Kostyuk, and Maksim Barbazyuk. All three received 6 years in a penal colony and were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe men insist that they only peacefully practiced their faith within the law. \u0026quot;I am being judged for what — not stealing; living with my wife for 49 years in peace and harmony, though she does not share my religious views; helping my 96-year-old mother; not swearing; living peacefully with everyone,\u0026quot; Valeriy Tolmazov, a 71-year-old pensioner, addressed the court.\nAleksandr Kostyuk, a 53-year-old father of three, echoed his fellow believer's words: \u0026quot;I was charged with extremism, but in fact they are only prosecuting me because I read the Bible and try to live accordingly.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of the Tver residents has been ongoing since June 2023. This was preceded by operational-investigative measures, including covert recordings of meetings for worship, which were later viewed in court. \u0026quot;The recordings themselves show that the charges are groundless,\u0026quot; commented Maksim Barbazyuk, a 43-year-old electrician. \u0026quot;At them, we read the Bible, discuss how to become better husbands, wives, neighbors and citizens... we actively discuss what God requires of us — that we treat others with respect and obey the laws of the country we live in.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution requested 7 years in a penal colony for all three defendants.\nTo date, eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Tver Region have been prosecuted for their faith; some of them are already serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_c7b57783d0b3a9eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_ed1cba4e894c2cd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_f383176dc43b3f40.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/161402/image_hu_634aa8a4b63588c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/161402.html","regions":["tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Tver Given 6 Years for Their Faith — Court Claimed Peaceful Meetings for Worship Were Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2026, in Nizhny Novgorod, law enforcement officers conducted searches at the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and interrogated four women. One of them is unable to walk on her own, and her daughter had to take her to the Investigative Committee in a wheelchair. During the interrogation, the elderly woman learned that she had been under surveillance since 2023.\nThe investigative actions were carried out as part of a criminal case initiated on February 9, 2026, against Lidiya Starostina, a 70‑year‑old believer. During the searches, electronic devices were seized, and in one instance even a Wi‑Fi router. The women were interrogated at the Investigative Committee office and then released.\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 25 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution, including 4 married couples.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/231423.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","disability","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Searches and Interrogations of Female Believers in Nizhny Novgorod.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer told the court that learning about Jesus Christ and imitating him had become the purpose of his life: \"Despite having made many changes in my life, I am standing here as a criminal... People who knew me from my previous life are still very surprised by the changes that have taken place in me.\"\n","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/626.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Aleksandr Kostyuk in Tver","type":"docs"},{"body":"Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh of the Birobidzhan District Court announced the verdict against Oleg Postnikov on February 12, 2026 — 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony. Earlier, the same court had given Oleg and his wife, Agnessa, suspended sentences on similar charges.\nThe Postnikovs have lived in Birobidzhan since the late 1980s. Oleg has several trades and has worked as a plumber for more than 15 years. In his youth — before becoming one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — he became involved with a gang and ended up in a penal colony. According to Oleg, it was studying the Bible that helped him abandon his destructive lifestyle for good.\nExactly 6 years ago, on February 12, 2020, criminal charges were brought against Oleg and his wife for their faith. Years of investigation and multiple rounds of court proceedings ended in a guilty verdict. Just a few months after the sentence entered into force, their home was searched. The following year it happened again, another criminal case against Oleg was initiated and he was placed in a detention center.\n\u0026quot;Since I remain one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I understand that the court may well refuse to protect me,\u0026quot; Oleg said in his final statement. Anticipating a harsh sentence, he also shared his personal concerns: \u0026quot;It pains me that simply because I believe in God differently than others, my dear wife — my companion for 36 years — may be separated from me for many years.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution\u0026#39;s main evidence consisted of video recordings of meetings for worship. \u0026quot;After almost a full year of covert filming, the FSB managed to select only a handful of meetings they considered the most \u0026#39;extremist,\u0026#39; which rather show that we are ordinary people who respect everyone without exception,\u0026quot; Oleg said. He paid special attention to one recording included in the case file: \u0026quot;A telling example is the closing prayer in which those present ask for strength to endure the hardships caused by persecution. There is no request for punishment or harm to our persecutors. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses would never wish such a thing on anyone.\u0026quot;\nBoth criminal cases against Postnikov were initiated by investigator Dmitriy Yankin, known for his conveyor‑belt approach to prosecuting believers. He has already brought more than 20 cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Recalling the recent wave of repression in Birobidzhan, Oleg noted in court: \u0026quot;The case files contain orders to initiate criminal proceedings against six citizens. Who are they? Ordinary people: raising children, kept their families together, conscientious workers, they have no enemies, well‑regarded by everyone around them. Exactly the same, identical, as it was with me.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 32 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_7f8512125bcbcf6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_e6eabd4c5b412fcf.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_42bcb0f3a84452a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/121440/image_hu_54077bd73004a618.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/121440.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"“Ordinary People”: Oleg Postnikov — One of Jehovah’s Witnesses — Sent to Penal Colony in Second Case for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 12, 2026, in Dmitrov, Andrey Lukin, 42, was sentenced to prison for his faith, although in the case there are no victims, no witnesses, no specified time or place of the alleged \u0026quot;crime\u0026quot; — something the defense drew attention to.\nLukin was taken into custody in April 2025. For the first time in their 15 years of marriage, he was separated from his wife, Yelena, for an extended period. The couple stayed in touch mostly through letters, and occasionally they were able to speak at court hearings. Over time, they were granted phone calls and short visits. Andrey supported his wife emotionally in every way he could — with the help of friends, he even arranged a small celebration of their wedding anniversary right in the courtroom.\nFrom the detention center, Andrey wrote to his wife: \u0026quot;So long as a tree bends, the wind cannot break it. So you need to be able to adapt to changing circumstances in life.\u0026quot; Yelena did just so. Wanting to be closer to her husband, she decided to move. The everyday responsibilities Andrey used to handle now fell entirely on her shoulders. She is grateful to friends for their help during that time: they attended hearings, wrote letters, invited her over, supported her financially, and helped with the move and car maintenance.\nWhile in detention, Andrey\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened but he was unable to undergo the necessary medical examinations. He was worried that all the care for his elderly mother and mother‑in‑law now rested on his wife alone. He asked the court to change his preventive measure to a non-custodial one, so he could look after his family and receive medical treatment, but the request was denied.\nThe first search of the Lukin family home took place in 2023 — marking the beginning of Andrey\u0026#39;s prosecution. Law enforcement officers came again 1.5 years later: he was detained and placed in a detention center. He emphasized that he had never called on anyone to commit unlawful actions. During the hearings, witnesses described Andrey as kind, compassionate, always ready to help, and a devoted family man.\nJudge Olga Pershina of the Dmitrov City Court of the Moscow Region found the believer guilty of financing and participating in extremist activity.\nThe proceedings against Andrey Lukin became a continuation of the criminal prosecution based on the case files of Aleksandr Serebryakov. In August 2024, separate proceedings were started against Viktor Velikov, and in June 2025, against Lukin. On similar charges, Serebryakov received a 5‑year sentence in a penal colony, and Velikov 5.5 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/130919/image_hu_dd459cb58f173f96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/130919/image_hu_f2b084b18e9b58ff.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/130919/image_hu_d087328a8d3a68ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/130919/image_hu_94f26ccc1383d8fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/130919.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Сourt Finds Believer Guilty of Extremism","tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Jehovah’s Witness in Moscow Region Sentenced to 4 Years in Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 11, 2026, at least eight searches were conducted at the homes of local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in several areas of the Altai Territory — the city of Novoaltaysk, the villages of Talmenka and Sannikovo. Sergey Petrov, 63, was taken into custody.\nThe investigative actions were carried out by officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. They seized copies of the Bible, other books — such as The People Who Are Never Without Their Bibles by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko — as well as electronic storage devices. After the searches, the believers were interrogated.\nProsecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the southern regions of Siberia has been intensifying — in just the last 6 months, at least 15 people have become defendants in criminal cases, the overwhelming majority of whom are under arrest.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/160903.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","search","elderly"],"title":"Raids Against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Southern Siberia: Elderly Believer Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 11, 2026, searches were carried out at nine addresses in Ufa. Law enforcement officers detained and interrogated 17 people, 2 of whom remain in custody.\nImmediately after the raid, five individuals were taken to a temporary detention facility. Two days later, the court imposed a ban on certain actions on Andrey Gubeev, Sergey Bastaev and Mariya Gareeva, while sending the couple Ruslan and Roza Tazyrov to a pretrial detention center.\nThe searches were initiated by Major of Justice V. Kharrasov, investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Bashkortostan. Earlier, on February 3, 2026, he had initiated a criminal case under Article 282.2(1) and (2) of the RF CrC.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/171410.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","prohibition-of-actions","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Series of Raids on Jehovah's Witnesses in Ufa: Married Couple Sent to Pretrial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"\"As one of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" he said, \"I am compelled to see the magnitude of the cost of fighting against law-abiding citizens whose only guilt is that they practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In this battle, the state loses not only money, but also conscientious workers.\"\n","date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/615.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Oleg Postnikov in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 5, 2026, searches were carried out at the homes of two residents of Simferopol, 59-year-old Galina Privalova and 27-year-old Anna Moroz; both were interrogated and then placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThe searches began early in the morning. At Galina\u0026#39;s home, the investigative actions lasted 1.5 hours, and at Anna\u0026#39;s — about 6 hours. The law enforcement officers seized — including from Moroz\u0026#39;s parents, who live with her — mobile phones, photographs, personal notes, cards, bank cards, storage devices, and an e-book reader. About 10 people took part in the operation, including Major Latyshev, a senior officer of the FSB Directorate, known for being involved in cases against other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea.\nAfter the searches, Galina, Anna, her husband, and her parents were taken to the Investigative Committee. After some time, all were released, but Moroz and Privalova were placed under a recognizance agreement.\nOn January 26, 2026, Captain of Justice Rudoy, an investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Sevastopol, initiated criminal cases against Galina and Anna, charging them with extremism.\nIn Crimea, 35 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution, 14 of whom have been sent to penal colonies. The only \u0026quot;guilt\u0026quot; of these men and women of various ages and social status is their peaceful worship.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/100909.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Criminal Cases Initiated Against Two Women","tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New Searches in Crimea.","type":"news"},{"body":"A series of violent home searches took place on February 3, 2026, in Dimitrovgrad. Law enforcement officers used brutal force against members of at least three families; Igor Popov, 60, was hospitalized. He and Igor Balashov, 59, were placed under house arrest, while one couple, Aleksandr and Irina Yelizarov, under pretrial detention.\nOfficers broke into the house of the Popov family early in the morning. When Igor\u0026#39;s wife, Zhanna, opened the door, she was knocked to the ground by a masked officer. As a result, the 57-year-old believer injured her knee. \u0026quot;That day it was minus 25 degrees outside, so the porch was very cold. I was wearing only a nightgown. They pinned me to the floor. I was shaking from shock and the cold. I didn\u0026#39;t understand who these people were or what they wanted,\u0026quot; she said.\nDuring the search, one masked officer, demanding the password for the computer, took Igor Popov into the freezing porch, threw him to the floor, and struck his back while forcefully twisting his neck. After the search the believer was taken to the FSB office in Dimitrovgrad. There, according to Igor, with hands cuffed behind his back, he was beaten again, then stripped and repeatedly subjected to electric shocks. All of this was done to try to force him to sign a self-incriminating testimony they had prepared earlier and to agree \u0026quot;to cooperate\u0026quot; with the investigation.\nDuring an examination, extensive bruising, swelling, and other injuries were documented on Popov\u0026#39;s body. On February 5, the court placed him under house arrest, but the next day he was hospitalized in the surgical ward because of his injuries. A criminal complaint has been filed with law enforcement agencies regarding the torture of the believer.\nDuring interrogation they also tried to pressure Igor Balashov to sign a pre-written \u0026quot;testimony.\u0026quot; The search of his home began at 6:00 a.m. Around noon, he was taken to the FSB office in Ulyanovsk for interrogation, which commenced around midnight. During all this time — about 20 hours — he was not allowed to drink, eat, or take prescribed medication for his chronic illnesses. As a result, when the interrogation began, his blood pressure had risen sharply, half his face was numb, and he was shaking.\nAnother search took place at one young couple\u0026#39;s home. Both of them were thrown to the floor and handcuffed. Only after 2 hours, they placed the wife on the bed, still handcuffed. Her seriously ill husband was taken to another room, where, according to his wife, force was used against him trying to make him unlock his phone. He was not allowed to get dressed for 1.5 hours although the balcony door was opened frequently during the search and it was freezing cold outside.\nPreviously six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Ulyanovsk Region have received suspended sentences for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_3d9c05ee6e3b7417.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_b47e6ca45a9c90b.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_73ef8c8d66ea1909.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/181458/image_hu_9d92d0553601d894.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/181458.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"title":"Searches and Torture in Dimitrovgrad — Elderly Believer Hospitalized","type":"news"},{"body":"On Monday, February 3, 2026, law enforcement officers detained Uyar residents Sergey Soroka, Ivan Starikov, and Aleksandr Murlin. They were placed in a pretrial detention center 2 days later. On Thursday, two more believers — Aleksandr and Zakhar Vakarev, father and son — were detained at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The FSB had declared them wanted the day before.\nCases involving Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Uyar are being handled by Aleksandra Tkachenko, an investigator with the local branch of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. A few months earlier, she had authorized the arrests of two other Uyar residents — Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/121442.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families"],"title":"Five More Jehovah’s Witnesses from Uyar Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey was born in February 1978 in the village of Mayna (Khakassia), where he lived his entire life except during his compulsory military service. His mother raised Aleksey and his older sister on her own. She had to work a lot — as a cook in a kindergarten and as a ward assistant in a hospital — so their grandmother helped a lot in raising the children. In her final years, Aleksey\u0026#39;s mother suffered from dementia, and he cared for her until her death in 2023.\nFrom childhood, Aleksey was active in sports and loved boxing. Up until his arrest, he did weightlifting and regularly went to the gym. He also enjoys riding an enduro motorcycle off-road.\nAfter 9th grade, Aleksey immediately started working to help his mother financially. He trained as an auto mechanic, a metalworker, and a bodyguard. He worked in security, and for the last 17 years he was a potline operator at an aluminum plant.\nAleksey began studying the Bible after seeing how it had changed his childhood friend for the better. He wanted to have the same kind of faith. He was impressed by how Bible prophecies are fulfilled in our time. He was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2000. \u0026quot;The truth made me more patient and calmer; I became closer to my sister and mother,\u0026quot; he said. Seeing these changes in her son, his mother also became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2001, Aleksey married Natalya, who shares his religious beliefs. She has two daughters, whom Aleksey raised as his own. Both are now adults with their own families. The family loved spending time outdoors and sitting by the campfire, enjoying God\u0026#39;s creation.\nAleksey was 2 years away from retirement when, because of the criminal prosecution, he was forced to resign \u0026quot;voluntarily\u0026quot; — he was told the order came from the FSB. After his arrest, all financial responsibilities fell on his wife.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s children and other relatives are outraged by his prosecution. The actions of law enforcement officers took a toll on the health of Natalya and Aleksey: their chronic illnesses worsened. Natalya, who suffered a stroke in 2017 and has a disability, noted, \u0026quot;The separation has deeply affected us emotionally. In 25 years, we had never been apart for so long.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gorokhov/photo_hu_b230e186ef5ee618.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gorokhov/photo_hu_bfc7385b05e9edf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gorokhov/photo_hu_2c354b22a6816ad6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gorokhov/photo_hu_d6157e6ada8fb37e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gorokhov.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Aleksey Gorokhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/koval.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Daniil Koval","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On an early January morning in 2026, Vyacheslav Sharov was detained at the gates of the factory where he had worked for 19 years. The believer was put behind bars, charged with extremism.\nVyacheslav was born in 1985 in the village of Mayna, part of the town of Sayanogorsk (Republic of Khakassia). He has an older brother. Their father was from Bashkiria, and their mother from Altai. They met in Sayanogorsk, where both had been assigned for work. Vyacheslav\u0026#39;s mother is a seamstress by profession and worked in a tailor\u0026#39;s shop for many years. Nowadays she enjoys gardening — growing vegetables and fruit. Their father has passed away. He was a caring, practical, and active man who helped his sons choose their future professions.\nEven before finishing vocational college, where he was studying to become an electrician, Vyacheslav joined his father at the factory for practical training. He proved himself to be a responsible and skilled worker, so after graduating, he was hired full‑time. He worked there until the day he was detained.\nVyacheslav first began studying the Bible with his mother back in the 1990s. His interest in the book resumed in 2006 when he returned from compulsory military service; around the same time, he began attending meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was baptized 2 years later. \u0026quot;I began to value my life more,\u0026quot; Vyacheslav said about how Bible truth influenced him. \u0026quot;For example, I sold my motorcycle and stopped speeding.\u0026quot;\nIn 2009, Vyacheslav married Marina, whom he had known for many years. Marina has worked in real estate for more than 20 years. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious beliefs. In 2018, their son was born.\nVyacheslav enjoys long‑distance running, playing chess, and would like to learn to play the guitar. He loves traveling with his wife and son.\nThe criminal prosecution has taken a toll on the physical and emotional well‑being of the entire family. While held in solitary confinement in the detention center, Vyacheslav was unable to see or call his loved ones. His health deteriorated — his blood sugar level rose, and his blood pressure would spike. Vyacheslav\u0026#39;s wife also suffered flare‑ups of her chronic illnesses.\nVyacheslav\u0026#39;s family and friends deeply empathize with him and provide whatever support they can. His relatives and colleagues hope that law‑enforcement authorities will carefully examine the situation and are confident that a fair decision will be made, since they believe that he is innocent.\n","date":"2026-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sharov/photo_hu_5c2408a2124fabbb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sharov/photo_hu_5c2408a2124fabbb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sharov/photo_hu_371721b25aa32be7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sharov/photo_hu_371721b25aa32be7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sharov.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Vyacheslav Sharov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Zhukov was born on January 13, 1972, in the village of Tselinnoe, Shirinskiy District, Republic of Khakassia. He has two older sisters and a younger brother. His father passed away when Oleg was 5 years old. For 2 years the boy lived with his sister in Saratov, and later he and his mother moved to Sayanogorsk, where she remarried and later gave birth to his younger brother.\nFrom childhood, Oleg enjoyed hiking, hunting, and fishing. After finishing school, he enrolled in a vocational college but left before graduating and began working. He was first hired as an auto mechanic at a motor depot. Later he spent some time herding sheep, worked as a baker, and then got a job as an potline operator at the aluminum plant in Sayanogorsk. Oleg worked there for 26 years and continued even after receiving his early retirement pension in 2022.\nOleg met his future wife, Lyudmila, when they were still in school. They married in 2005 and have two sons and a daughter. Lyudmila works as a cleaner.\nWhen Oleg was about 30, he came across a Bible. Its advice seemed practical to him, and by applying it he was able to strengthen his family. Later, Lyudmila also began reading the Bible. After a while, the couple became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nWhen FSB officers came to their home with a search at the end of January 2026, Oleg was arranging the funeral of his son‑in‑law. Zhukov was taken away for questioning and the next day placed in a detention center. \u0026quot;We were left without the head of our family, our breadwinner and support,\u0026quot; Lyudmila said. \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s hard to cope with the household tasks that only Oleg handled... Our daughter needed physical and emotional support after the sudden death of her husband. Now two homes have lost their men.\u0026quot;\nColleagues and neighbors consider the prosecution unjust and hope that Oleg will be released.\n","date":"2026-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhukovo/photo_hu_421ad334a130bc13.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhukovo/photo_hu_67aecb2b5e481e3c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhukovo/photo_hu_1e8b53d34f74b42a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhukovo/photo_hu_af34f162ea62c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhukovo.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Zhukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 30, 2026, at the Shakhunya Interdistrict Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Nina Smirnova, Larisa Serdtseva, and Zhanna Zhavoronkova heard the verdict in their case. Judge Artemiy Lunegov handed the believers a 2.5-year suspended sentence \u0026quot;for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot;\nNina Smirnova, 75, is a retired accountant. Her husband does not share her religious beliefs. \u0026quot;He is severly disabled; he also has atherosclerosis in his legs, and it is very difficult for him to walk. Nevertheless, he attended every court hearing to support me,\u0026quot; the believer said about her family circumstances. Larisa Serdtseva, 50, is a seamstress who worked for a cleaning company before the prosecution began. She and her husband have three daughters, two of whom are still at school. Zhanna Zhavoronkova, 43, worked most of her life for the railway.\nThe local branch of the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated the case against these residents of Shakhunya in February 2024. \u0026quot;We endured a search and, since then, have repeatedly faced emotional pressure from some law enforcement officers,\u0026quot; Zhanna recalled. \u0026quot;It affected my health — in November I suffered a stroke.\u0026quot; They read out her charges right in the hospital. Zhanna also lost her job due to media harassment during the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;Although I was physically weak after the stroke, I was forced to take a new job. This drastically complicated life for me and my loved ones, since I could not care for my bedridden father properly.\u0026quot;\nThe case materials included testimony from two women, Yamorozova and Nepomnyashchikh. The investigation deemed conversations with them to be evidence of a crime. One of them died before the trial. The defense asked that her testimony be excluded, pointing to contradictions that could not be resolved without questioning the person, but the court refused. The believers emphasized that only the Bible was discussed in conversations with these women. \u0026quot;Is it my fault that [Yamorozova] urged me to talk with her on subjects that interested her? ... And feeling compassion for her difficult life I sometimes visited her. What's the crime? Kindness?\u0026quot; Larisa asked rhetorically in her final statement.\n\u0026quot;Who after all was recruited, and into what?\u0026quot; Serdtseva asked in disbelief at the charge. \u0026quot;The witnesses who testified against me had their own faith before meeting me, and they kept it afterward.\u0026quot;\nSince 2017, in Russia, 226 women — Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — have faced criminal prosecution for their faith; 89 of them are over 60.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_d0430cc40ce91c77.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_723296cc1f79ae89.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_33841a9c4bdee970.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/02/021442/image_hu_a6d00db73eb7b020.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/02/021442.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Verdict Against Three Women — Jehovah’s Witnesses from Shakhunya","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly","work-restrictions"],"title":"“What's the Crime? Kindness?”","type":"news"},{"body":"Larisa Serdtseva addresses the court with a question: \"I have always obeyed the laws of our country, so I sincerely do not understand what I am being judged for — for the fact that I read the Bible, believe in God and discuss spiritual topics with people who are interested?\"\n","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/612.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Larisa Serdtseva in Shakhunya","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court that conversations on Bible topics are not in violation of the law. \"I have never been an extremist,\" she said. \"Rather the opposite, I tried to bring as much good as possible into my life and into the lives of others.\"\n","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/613.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Nina Smirnova in Shakhunya","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, Zhanna Zhavoronkova emphasizes that in 31 years of attending meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, she would \"simply be saturated with extremism... if it were there.\" But, on the contrary, even a witness for the prosecution does not consider her dangerous and left her grandson with her, when she needed an operation.\n","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/614.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Zhanna Zhavoronkova in Shakhunya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 26, 2026, searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the village of Mayna. Less than 6 months ago, raids and detentions had already taken place there.\nFSB officers went to the workplace of a 40-year-old local resident at the end of his night shift. He was taken to his home, where a search was conducted. The believer became ill, and an ambulance had to be called. The FSB officers conducted themselves harshly. They did not provide a copy of the documents.\nAnother believer, a 47-year-old man, left home early in the morning to take his mother-in-law to the hospital. On the way to the garage, he was detained and taken back home for a search. His mobile phone was seized.\nFSB officers went to the home of a third believer, a 53-year-old local resident, when he and his family were arranging the funeral of his son-in-law, who had died suddenly. In a rough manner, the law enforcement officers demanded that they unlock their phones.\nAll three men were later taken for interrogation and placed in a temporary detention facility in Abakan. On January 27, the court imposed pretrial detention on them.\nAltogether, 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Khakassia have already faced criminal prosecution. One of them, Irina Sidorova, died during the prosecution, without having managed to clear her name. Another believer, Roman Baranovskiy, is serving a 6-year term in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/271615.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":"Three Sent to Pretrial Detention Center","tags":["search","health-risk"],"title":"New Searches and Detentions in Khakassia.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 26, 2026, Judge Natalya Zvereva of the Shadrinskiy District Court fined 39-year-old Ilya Yershov, 400,000 rubles. The believer denies any guilt in extremism: \u0026quot;I was merely saying that we should respect other people, their circumstances, opinions, and personal space.\u0026quot;\nIlya's prosecution for his religious beliefs first started in the summer of 2021, together with Aleksandr Lubin. Both believers were suspected of organizing the activity of a banned organization. Ilya described how these events affected his family\u0026#39;s financial situation: \u0026quot;After the search and my detention in July 2021, I was forced to resign from work. My bank accounts were frozen, and I was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list as an extremist. These restrictions made it virtually impossible to find employment and, therefore, I couldn't provide financially for my family.\u0026quot;\nIn March 2023, the case against Yershov was dropped, but 6 months later a new one was initiated — this time for participating in extremist activity. \u0026quot;I had no idea what awaited me,\u0026quot; Ilya recalls. \u0026quot;My wife and I were constantly expecting another search; we couldn\u0026#39;t plan anything or leave home for long because we didn\u0026#39;t know what might happen. It's probably only now that the feeling has gone that they could show up at our place at any moment.\u0026quot;\nIlya also spoke about something in his case that he considers absurd. Over the course of 6 months, he was put on the wanted list three times; investigators claimed that he had stopped responding, was not living at his registered address, and was ignoring summonses. According to Yershov, however, he lived at his registered address the entire time, and his phone number never changed.\nThe court began hearing the case in June 2025. Throughout the proceedings, relatives and friends never stopped supporting Ilya and his wife, Yelizaveta. \u0026quot;To me, they are heroes, they inspire me,\u0026quot; comments Ilya.\nAs of today, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Kurgan Region have faced prosecution for their faith in God. Five of them have been sentenced to fines ranging from 300,000 to 650,000 rubles.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/261428/image_hu_56023ea61585af6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/261428/image_hu_93121bcf2be41749.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/261428/image_hu_18307893a6247af9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/261428/image_hu_6f6c1fd322cf4db3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/261428.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Investigation Deemed Conversations About Respecting People Extremist","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Сourt in Shadrinsk Sentences Ilya Yershov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 23, 2026, Valeriy Minsafin, 54, a resident of Kurgan, was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and fined 400,000 rubles. The verdict was handed down by Judge Sergey Lushnikov of the Kurgan City Court.\nValeriy is a construction worker who recently has worked \u0026quot;between interrogations and court hearings.\u0026quot; The Minsafin family is close-knit: Valeriy and his wife Galina have been married for 29 years; they have two adult children and a grandson. The prosecution has taken a toll on the health of the couple and their loved ones. In the midst of all this, Minsafin\u0026#39;s elderly mother suffered a heart attack.\nIn July 2021, Valeriy\u0026#39;s home was searched. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. However, those charges were dropped in March 2023. A new criminal case was initiated against Minsafin 2 years later — this time for participating in the activity of an extremist organization — and he was once again added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n\u0026quot;It so happened that I had already demolished an extension to our house and started building a new one when the investigator called to summon me for interrogation and told me the case had been reopened. Such news... I had to work frantically because I didn\u0026#39;t know how it would all end — and you can\u0026#39;t leave your family without a roof over their head,\u0026quot; Valeriy recalled. \u0026quot;And that's when friends came to the rescue! It felt like a weight off my shoulders.\u0026quot; Friends do not leave the believer without support: \u0026quot;Some regularly bake bread for us; others travel 200 kilometers to help around the house and to attend court hearings with us.\u0026quot;\nMinsafin is convinced that he was convicted solely for his religious beliefs. \u0026quot;I realized that it\u0026#39;s not me who is being judged, but my faith in Jehovah — and I want to defend it,\u0026quot; he said. The case was based on covert audio recordings of meetings for worship. The judge refused to listen to them in court, thereby depriving the defense of the opportunity to challenge the prosecution\u0026#39;s arguments. At the same time, a psycho-linguistic expert study of the recordings found no statements inciting hatred or violence.\nAs of the time of publication, a total of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution in the Kurgan Region. One of them, Aleksandr Lubin, a man with a serious disability, died shortly after receiving a guilty verdict.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-23T15:11:27+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/231511/image_hu_e3c7f45680923d47.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/231511/image_hu_8e860c2bbc172879.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/231511/image_hu_46e6b1431a54e7b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/231511/image_hu_1f705b805e6b28fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/231511.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Jehovah’s Witness Fined for His Beliefs","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine"],"title":"\"They’re not Judging Me, but My Faith.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa, 35, has been defending her right to freedom of religion for 2 years, the last 7 months — at the retrial in the Birobidzhan District Court. Judge Olga Klyuchikova made the final decision on January 22, 2026.\nThe first verdict (6 years suspended) was overturned by the court of appeal. Vladlena was charged with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. The case of the believer, like dozens of similar ones throughout the country, was based on the testimony of an informant. Vladlena says that there were no expressions of extremism in her conversations with Zhukova-Suvorova, who turned out to be a secret agent. The conversations were friendly and focused on discussing Bible teachings, God\u0026#39;s qualities, and prayer. The videos that were viewed in court showed how Vladlena encouraged the woman to show love to others, forgive and not hold a grudge.\nAfter the liquidation of religious organizations and the beginning of actual persecution against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, Vladlena became anxious. \u0026quot;At first, it was difficult. I heard the news: in one place after another, law enforcement officers break into houses, conduct searches and arrest people,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;Sadly, some ended up behind bars. But I saw how they overcame it all. This strengthened me.\u0026quot;\nStill, the stress in connection with the criminal prosecution left its mark. \u0026quot;I needed to seek medical help repeatedly because the criminal prosecution affected my health. Now I am constantly taking medication,\u0026quot; she said at one of the court hearings.\nVladlena expressed special gratitude to her mother for her support: \u0026quot;She is always by my side. She herself has had to go through searches and interrogation; she always accompanied me when I went to the investigator and waited on the street next to the FSB building while I was there.\u0026quot; In October 2025, a criminal case was also initiated against Kukavitsa\u0026#39;s mother, Yelena Shestopalova.\nThe family of Vladlena Kukavitsa is not the first to be in the focus of law enforcement officers. In Birobidzhan, alreadyeight families are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. This trend has been going on for years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2026-01-22T14:34:53+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_cf774470a0673708.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_7bb46e70ddda3c92.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_230523dafd3ae34a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/221434/image_hu_5d9954150d9e33b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/221434.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"This Time — 4.5 Years Suspended","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"Vladlena Kukavitsa From Birobidzhan Again Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov, a 53-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Crimea, was released from penal colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don on January 21, 2026. The father of four fully served his sentence — he had been in custody since March 2020.\nDuring his years of imprisonment, Sergey was held in a pretrial detention center as well as in two penal colonies and was able to adapt to the difficult conditions. \u0026quot;The hardest part was that so many inmates smoke. On one ocassion I walked into the cell and there was a thick, bluish cloud of smoke. I breathed fresh air through a little opening in the window,\u0026quot; said Sergey Filatov. \u0026quot;I had to explain my position and be firm about it. But I tried to apply what the Bible teaches — to treat people the way I would want to be treated. In the end, I got along very well with veryone.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;He\u0026#39;s very communicative, sociable, approachable, and down-to-earth,\u0026quot; explained Natalya, Sergey\u0026#39;s wife. \u0026quot;These qualities helped him while in prison to find common ground with both the administration and inmates. An inmate told Sergey: \u0026#39;Where you are, things are always good.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nHis supervisors valued the believer for his responsible attitude and his strong work ethic. In the penal colony, Sergey qualified as a carpenter and then trained as a welder. He worked in the decorative wood-processing, sewing, and metal workshop; he did cold forging, made garden benches and trash cans, as well as structures for skate parks. In his second year of imprisonment, he was offered the position of head of the colony\u0026#39;s entire production operation, which includes the sewing and steel-casting workshops, the vehicle service station, and the wallpaper and aerated-concrete manufacturing units. \u0026quot;We don\u0026#39;t have a better candidate than you,\u0026quot; they told him. \u0026quot;You\u0026#39;re not driven by vanity or greed; we can rely on you.\u0026quot; In his final year, Sergey was the foreman of metal production. During his time there, he received 13 awards.\nIn 2023, after having served more than a third of his term, Filatov filed a motion to have his imprisonment replaced with corrective labor. The court denied his request, despite a positive character reference provided by the administration of the penal colony. He also filed a motion for parole but was again denied, with the decision stating that he \u0026quot;did not admit guilt to committing a crime.\u0026quot; During the last part of his imprisonment the believer was held under less strict detention conditions.\nAccording to those close to him, Sergey worried about his family, especially his children, because he could not take full part in their upbringing for several years. The first years of his imprisonment coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to restrictions caused by it, the believer was unable to see his loved ones for almost 2 years. While Filatov was imprisoned, his father passed away.\nSergey used any opportunity to give attention to his family, despite his constrained circumstances. \u0026quot;Sergey really encouraged and supported me with his heartfelt letters and the poems he dedicated to me... And he would always give me fresh or dried roses or other flowers at extended visits. It was so sweet and touching,\u0026quot; the believer\u0026#39;s wife said.\n\u0026quot;Prison is not the worst place. Jehovah gives strength and support everywhere. Even more so,here in the colony,\u0026quot; Sergey said.\nAltogether, 35 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea have already faced criminal prosecution. The overwhelming majority of those convicted — 14 people (82%) — received 6 years or more in penal colonies.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:40","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/211406/image_hu_74b355f3493ed85c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/211406/image_hu_ec81430e4f4e61e4.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/211406/image_hu_aa69eedf0ed02a93.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/211406/image_hu_8fe6732d30058ca9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/211406.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Prisoner of Conscience from Crimea Released after Nearly 6 Years in Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"In his defense, the defendant says: \"There is actually nothing extremist in the teachings of this religion, not a single teaching that would make people hate someone, fight with someone or call on someone to overthrow the government. On the contrary, the Bible promotes respect for authority.\"\n","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/611.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Ilya Yershov in Shadrinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I am sure that it is not me who is being judged, but my faith,\" Valeriy Minsafin addressed the court. He emphasized: \"It was this faith that made me a law-abiding citizen, a kind person, a loving husband.\"\n","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/646.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Valeriy Minsafin in Kurgan","type":"docs"},{"body":"When prisoner of conscience Aleksey Khabarov appeared at the gates of the penal colony, he was greeted with applause by family and friends — more than 40 people. The 50-year-old believer from Pskov completed his sentence on January 16, 2026. He spent most of his term in penal colony No. 4 in the city of Valday, and the last 6 months in penal colony No. 9 in the village of Parfino.\nAleksey described life in the colony as monotonous, like \u0026quot;Groundhog Day.\u0026quot; What brightened his days was corresponding with people who cared — by the time of his release, he had received more than 2,600 letters. In his free time, Aleksey participated in sports competitions, including chess. His parents could not visit him because of the long distances, so he is grateful to friends who came instead; some traveling hundreds of kilometers.\nWhile in prison, Aleksey, like dozens of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses convicted across the country, faced additional pressure. He was placed in a punishment cell several times and given reprimands; once — for swapping jackets with another inmate because the one issued to him was not his size. Aleksey said what helped him: \u0026quot;Whenever they sent me to the punishment cell and the administration rebuked me, I reminded myself who I am and why I am here, and I saw it all as attacks on my faith.\u0026quot;\nThe court considered Khabarov\u0026#39;s case three times. At the first trial, he was given a suspended sentence; the second time, Judge Aleksey Nikitin acquitted him; however, in October 2023, his colleague Natalya Kapustina sent the believer to a penal colony.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2026-01-16T17:41:26+02:00","duration":"0:26","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/161741/image_hu_f7211338970408cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/161741/image_hu_1bcb9019450cf032.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/161741/image_hu_14ce020deedfd2c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/161741/image_hu_8a1ad70f013d1a39.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/161741.html","regions":["pskov","novgorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Aleksey Khabarov Released After Serving More Than 2 Years in Penal Colony for “Wrong” Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"\u0026quot;They imprison less, but more severely\u0026quot; — that was the headline of a similar review a year ago, when statistics gave hope that the repression against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia if not subsiding, was at least losing intensity. A year later, it is clear that this is not the case. In 2025, the number of raids, new criminal defendants, and incidents of unprovoked violence against believers has increased. In more than 8 years of persecution, the total prison terms handed down have exceeded 1,000 years. This article looks at the human stories which are masked by the dry reports of \u0026quot;crusaders against extremism\u0026quot; — extremism that has never been proven — and at what Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia have faced during the past year.\nMillennium of Incarceration Aleksey Lelikov has devoted nearly his entire life to music. For many years, he taught piano and, in 1994, even reached the finals of the \u0026quot;Teacher of the Year\u0026quot; competition in Krasnodar. Around the same time, Aleksey became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He had never had any trouble with the law. Yet in February 2025, on indiscriminate charges of extremism, a court sentenced the disabled 64-year-old believer to 6.5 years imprisonment.\nAleksey is just one among 906 individuals whose lives have been irrevocably changed by prosecution for their faith. During 8.5 years of persecution, more than 500 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — men and women — have served time behind bars, and 179 remain imprisoned to this day. Verdicts have been issued against 665 believers. Of these, 215 people (32%) received prison sentences — 146 of them (68%) were sentenced to 5 years or more. The combined length of prison terms totals 1,128 years.\nIn 2025, 107 searches (5 more than the previous year) were conducted, bringing the total to 2,268 — on average 1 search every 30 hours. The number of new defendants also rose compared to 2024: 61 as opposed to 53. During the past year, 125 believers were convicted. Of these 38 were sentenced to prison, with the overwhelming majority — 30 (nearly 80%) — receiving more than 5 years. The harshest sentence that year — 7 years in a penal colony — was handed down to four believers: Yevgeniy Sokolov from Voronezh, Samvel Babayan from Samara, Ivan Neverov from Saransk, and Igor Lonchakov from Vladivostok. Yevgeniy and Samvel suffer from serious illnesses and Igor is disabled.\nSuspended sentences were given to 49 people (39%), and 37 were fined amounts ranging from 250,000 to 650,000 rubles.\nLast year 16 believers completed their prison terms and were released. Among them was Aleksandr Seredkin, 71. He was freed only after it was discovered he has advanced cancer. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m still young,\u0026quot; he joked, adding: \u0026quot;I want to recover and finish the Christian race to the end.\u0026quot;\nTorture, Violence, and Real Victims Search and arrest. Illustrative photo. In 2025, there were at least eight cases of unprovoked violence and cruel treatment against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — including incidents that meet the definition of torture under the UN Convention.\nDuring more than 8 years of persecution, already over 70 believers have suffered such abuse. None of these crimes have been properly investigated, and none of the perpetrators have faced the punishment prescribed by law.\nDuring the year, three elderly believers who were criminally prosecuted passed away: Liliya Dolinina, Lyudmila Shut, and Valeriy Baylo. Valeriy died in the actual detention center, never having received the medical care he needed. In total, the number of deaths in connection wtih the criminal prosecution has reached 16.\n\u0026quot;I Wish You Many Happy Years in Your Loving Family Home...\u0026quot; Disabled Anatoliy Yevtushenko says goodbye to his family after being sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony. Krasnodar, December 2025. At least 81 prosecuted individuals have documented serious health conditions, 34 are officially disabled. Today, 36 seriously ill believers are held in penal colonies and pretrial detention centers, where access to proper medical care is often impossible.\nThe disability of Boris Andreyev, 74, was recognized when he was already in the penal colony. The court sentenced him to 6 years, fully aware of his serious illness — already during the preliminary investigation a precancerous condition requiring regular medical monitoring was identified. Boris was unable to obtain a full medical examination for more than a year in detention and his condition worsened. Only in 2025 did a medical commission confirm the diagnosis — cancer. Boris underwent a course of treatment.\nCongratulatory Certificate from the Mayor of Moscow to the Marunov family on their anniversary Anatoliy Marunov, 72, is serving a 6.5-year sentence in a penal colony. Even before his imprisonment, he had suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with heart failure, hypertension, and a prostate tumor. When his wife visited him in the penal colony in the Tambov Region and saw his condition, she was alarmed. \u0026quot;I was terrified,\u0026quot; Alfia said. \u0026quot;He was covered in tubes, catheters, bags... It\u0026#39;s no longer a person, but a living corpse...\u0026quot; In January 2025, Anatoliy needed surgery, but it could not be performed in that region. The court refused to reduce his sentence despite doctors\u0026#39; conclusions that his life was at risk. In October, he was hospitalized, and in December, a medical commission confirmed his disability. Meanwhile, the court of cassation upheld the verdict, refusing to attach documents about his condition to the case. Today, Anatoliy receives only limited medical care. In bitter irony, Moscow City Hall recently sent the separated Marunov family a congratulatory letter on their 50th wedding anniversary. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin praised the elderly couple as an example for young people and wished them \u0026quot;many happy years in their loving family home.\u0026quot;\nAlmost one-third of those prosecuted for their faith (266 people) are over 60. The same proportion applies to new defendants in 2025 (19 out of 60). Currently, 37 elderly believers remain behind bars. Samvel Babayan, 53, from Samara was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. At the time of his arrest, he was preparing for major surgery, but treatment was canceled. Soon after, his chronical illnesses of his internal organs, including a tumor, worsened. He suffers constant spinal pain, has lost 15 kilograms and hearing in one ear. For more than a year, Samvel remained in pretrial detention without proper medical care. He now awaits transfer to a penal colony, where adequate treatment is impossible. Severe pain plagued him even during court hearings. The defense requested fewer sessions, but the court refused. At one hearing, Samvel lost consciousness and an ambulance was called — yet the trial was not postponed.\nSecret \u0026quot;Pastor\u0026quot; Across the country, law enforcement agencies spy on believers, including using agents who feign an interest in the Bible. For months — sometimes years — they secretly record conversations and later testify in court as anonymous witnesses.\nAt least 30 criminal cases have been built on false testimony from such informants. One agent, Yekaterina Petrova, spied on a group of 17 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including elderly people. Her testimony led to prison sentences of up to 8 years. Another example: nearly all criminal cases in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, were fabricated through the efforts of an agent known in court under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Pastor\u0026quot;.\nThe cases of Viktor Spirichev (left) and Sergey Dvurechenskiy (right) are based on testimony from \u0026quot;Pastor.\u0026quot; Both were sentenced on the same day: 2 years suspended. Vyselki, December 2025. All that the testimony of these spies managed to prove was that the believers discussed the Bible and prayed to Jehovah. During hearings, often the agents end up giving testimony in favor of the defense during hearings. \u0026quot;I, for example, never heard the defendant say that other religions are bad,\u0026quot; Pastor admitted at Spirichev\u0026#39;s trial, where Viktor was later given a suspended sentence. Sergey Dvurechenskiy said about this witness: \u0026quot;He\u0026#39;s doing this for some reason — resentment or something else. That\u0026#39;s his business. It's not for me to judge... There\u0026#39;s still some hope that he\u0026#39;ll come to his senses.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;The KGB used exactly the same tactics during the Soviet-era ban on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. It\u0026#39;s all in the archives and repeatedly documented by historians,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;What did these spies uncover? The same as now: Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are not enemies of society or the state. In 1991, a law was passed to rehabilitate victims of repression, and in 1996, a presidential decree explicitly instructed the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office, FSB, and Interior Ministry to ensure rehabilitation of citizens harmed by terror. Today\u0026#39;s authorities cannot claim ignorance of this.\u0026quot;\nGold Mine Yevgeniy and Tatyana Dodolin. They have been in pretrial detention since spring 2025. \u0026quot;It seems that for law enforcement agnecies, the tactic of targeting entire families has become a gold mine: why go after real criminals? That\u0026#39;s dangerous. It\u0026#39;s much easier to go after the relatives of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who are already under investigation. Most believers have strong family ties, so chances are — husband, wife, son, daughter — they also read and discuss the Bible. It really looks like that\u0026#39;s exactly what investigators are doing,\u0026quot; commented one lawyer who has helped defend the rights of believers in numerous criminal cases.\nIn 2025, criminal cases were initiated against four married couples: Nikolay and Larisa Kosov from Cherkessk (under travel restrictions), as well as Tomsk residents Yevgeniy and Tatyana Dodolin, Yevgeniy and Yana Abramov, Aysulu Tastaybekova and Vladimir Pushkov (all currently in pretrial detention). The numbers of believers prosecuted after their family members grew to include Yelena Shestopalova (mother of Vladlena Kukavitsa) and Mariya Pankova (wife of Sergey Tolokonnikov).\nAt least 172 Jehovah's Witnesses who have been prosecuted have one or more relatives who faced similar circumstances. Moscow resident Sergey Tolokonnikov hugs his wife after his release. The court found her guilty for her faith 5 months later. June 2025. \u0026quot;I was getting ready to attend the trial of my daughter Vladlena,\u0026quot; Yelena Shestopalova recalled the events in October. \u0026quot;An early ring at the door surprised me: \u0026#39;Could it really be a search on the very day of the trial?\u0026#39; I had already gone through one search. I understood they could come again and initiate a case — it was only a matter of time.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;My life has changed a lot, but I never lost my joy and always believed that Jehovah would not abandon me during my troubles.\u0026quot;\nCases in an Endless Cycle Trials against many Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have become an endless cycle: cases are sent back to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, then the trial starts over; appeals overturn decisions, judges recuse themselves, the wait for a verdict drags on for years. This has happened in at least 33 criminal cases.\nAnother extreme: after securing a conviction, law enforcement agencies initiate yet another criminal case against the same believer. Some become defendants again while serving suspended sentences (such as Aleksandr Serebryakov or Oleg Postnikov). Others face new charges while already in a penal colony.\nDmitriy Terebilov at one of the hearings. January 2022. A telling example is Dmitriy Terebilov: he was prosecuted for answering a cellmate\u0026#39;s questions about faith. In addition to the 3 years he had already served in a penal colony, the prosecutor requested another 10. \u0026quot;What\u0026#39;s criminal about sharing your thoughts about God, discussing a passage from the Bible, or some scientific or historical fact?\u0026quot; he expressed his bewilderment during one of the hearings.\nCurrently, the maximum prison term handed down to one of Jehovah's Witnesses is 8 years — there are six such prisoners of conscience today. In reality, unjust punishment doesn\u0026#39;t end even after release from a penal colony — believers continue to face additional restrictions. As a result, the actual duration of repression can exceed 20 years. For example, the prosecution of Dmitriy Barmakin began in July 2018. After lengthy investigations and numerous court hearings, he was sent to a penal colony, from which he should be released in November 2029. After that, he will be under restriction of freedom for another year, followed by 10 years of administrative oversight. In total, if nothing changes, the persecution of Dmitriy and his family will stretch to 22 years.\nLife on Hold Losing their freedom is not the only hardship faced by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who are being persecuted. The state employs numerous methods to infringe upon their rights. For example, before a verdict is reached, defendants are almost always subjected to some form of preventive measure: they are often forbidden to leave their homes (even briefly) without official permission, to use communication devices, and sometimes even to speak with family members.\nRead more about repressive measures in criminal prosecution in the article: What Restrictions Are Faced by Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? Suspended sentences are the most common form of punishment for Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — since 2017, 331 believers have been given such sentences. This type of verdict always includes a probation period ranging from 6 months to 5 years, during which the individual must \u0026quot;prove his correction\u0026quot; by exemplary behavior. If law enforcement agencies deem that the believer has committed any serious violations, the court can easily replace the suspended sentence with actual imprisonment.\nAleksey and Yuliya Pasynkov Such restrictions inevitably affect the families of those being prosecuted. Aleksey and Yuliya Pasynkov were both given suspended sentences in 2025. They are raising a son with a severe disability. \u0026quot;Even before the prosecution began, we had planned trips to doctors in Moscow and St. Petersburg — all of this has now been delayed for several years. Now we are limited as to how we can move forward with his treatment,\u0026quot; Aleksey said before his wife\u0026#39;s verdict was announced.\nBoth parents have been added to the so-called list of terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring. At various times, this list has included the names of 741 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and 570 remain on it today. For those on the list, even simple everyday tasks become significantly harder. People in poor health and the elderly are especially vulnerable — they may face difficulties paying for medical services or receiving social assistance.\n\u0026quot;To collect my salary, I have to go to the bank twice a month. Sometimes I have to endure humiliation, explaining to the staff that I\u0026#39;m not an extremist,\u0026quot; explained Maksim Beltikov, a father of three. He served 2 years in a penal colony but still feels the consequences of the unjust prosecution.\n\u0026quot;They Will Deport Him — What About His Family?\u0026quot; A new trend that has been gaining momentum over the past year is revoking the citizenship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses under prosecution. The procedure is simple: if a convicted believer\u0026#39;s citizenship had been acquired, it is simply annulled shortly after the verdict takes effect. At least 12 people have faced this situation.\nWhat does this mean in practice for believers and their families? Some again risk religious discrimination now in their country of birth; others face indefinite separation from loved ones; some may even become stateless due to bureaucratic hurdles.\nRustam Diarov is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses whose citizenship was revoked. Upon his release he faces deportation, to where — still unknown. Rustam\u0026#39;s wife and elderly mother are Russian citizens. His wife is disabled and depends on state-provided medication.\nMikhail Moysh with his wife and oldest son. A similar decision was made regarding Mikhail Moysh\u0026#39;s citizenship. He has been in custody since October 2021. Mikhail has two children; the younger was only a few months old when he was arrested. Since then, he has barely seen his sons. A deportation order could prolong this separation even further. Here\u0026#39;s how Moysh\u0026#39;s lawyer described the social dilemma:\n\u0026quot;One of his children was born here in Russia. And now, they will deport Moysh... What about his family? Do they have to leave too? And to where, if one child has almost finished school here and the other is still very young and an RF citizen by birth...\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;These are just a few examples of the human drama hidden behind dry numbers,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \u0026quot;History and today\u0026#39;s persecution prove only one thing: Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being targeted without cause. But repression has not crushed their faith. So, we can be sure that, as the Bible says, \u0026#39;it will turn out well for those who fear the true God.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nNikolay Saparov, who was tortured during his arrest in spring 2022, has been behind bars for nearly 4 years. March 2025. Anatoliy Yevtushenko watches his friends and family as bailiffs lead him away in handcuffs from the courtroom. December 2025. Oksana Chausova, with tears of joy, shared her first moments of freedom with friends. September 2025. Dance of a free man. Artur Putintsev. April 2025. ","category":"analytics","date":"2026-01-08T08:21:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_4bf0f98c2051e909.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_99493c21d2de81cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_fd04654bdfaa2c3d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/071621/image_hu_21372a74e581e94e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/071621.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","search","torture","elderly","disability","prison-treatment","life-in-prison","minors","families","secret-witness","strict-conditions","health-risk","died"],"title":"A Thousand Years for Their Faith: Repression Against Jehovah’s Witnesses — 2025 Review","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Paysov was born in 1962 in Tuapse (Krasnodar Territory). As a child, he moved with his parents to Zvenigorod (Moscow Region), where he finished school in 1980. His mother worked in the electricity supply sector. Aleksandr received additional education in a similar field — he graduated from the institute as an electromechanic.\nFrom a young age, Aleksandr was concerned about justice and kindness. He noticed that reading the Bible helps people become softer, more approachable, and he began to study it himself.\nBefore his criminal prosecution, Aleksandr worked at the post office in the pension department. Friends appreciate him for his willingness to help, courage and kindness. In his free time, he likes going to the sauna and walking in fresh air.\nAfter Aleksandr\u0026#39;s arrest in December 2025, his 86-year-old disabled mother lost his support. She suffers from several serious illnesses and is unable to move, cook, or take care of herself on her own. \u0026quot;There are no other relatives who could take care of me,\u0026quot; said Aleksandr\u0026#39;s mother. \u0026quot;My son dealt with all issues related to my home, health, food, and medications. Without his help, I can\u0026#39;t cope at all.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-01-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_52826a9bee01d0d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_ff90c2ce34fd8e73.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_8eeda876b89c98d2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/paysov/photo_hu_d957f1c085be8997.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/paysov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Paysov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\"The fact that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and study the Bible helps me to love people, certainly not to develop hatred towards them and, moreover, not to incite them to hatred, which I am charged with,\" said the believer, addressing the court.\n","date":"2025-12-31T14:52:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/607.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Dmitriy Ignatov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 28, was released on December 30, 2025. By court decision, he was released 11 months ahead of schedule.\nDmitriy was convicted in July 2024 for participating in peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and sentenced to 2 years of compulsory labor followed by a 6-month restriction of freedom. He arrived at the correctional center in November 2024 and worked as a welder at a retail and refrigeration equipment plant.\n\u0026quot;During the year I spent in compulsory labor, the center\u0026#39;s administration realized that I\u0026#39;m an ordinary person and pose no threat to society,\u0026quot; Dmitriy stated in his motion for early release. In granting his request, the Glazunovskiy District Court of the Oryol Region took into account his contribution to improving the grounds of the correctional center and his conscientious attitude toward work, which earned him an award at the plant.\nIn court, Dmitriy reiterated that he still does not consider himself guilty and emphasized: \u0026quot;I do not approve of extremism and believe it has no place in human society.\u0026quot;\nDescribing conditions at the center, Dmitriy said: \u0026quot;The room looks very like a hospital ward. It had everything necessary: a cooker, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave, but food and drinking water we bought ourselves.\u0026quot; The daily routine was strict: wake-up at 5:30 a.m., exercise, inspections, cleaning. The walk to the plant took about 25 minutes, and along the way we were allowed to stop at stores, the pharmacy, or the post office.\nOver the 8.5 years of prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, 12 people have been sentenced to compulsory labor; 8 are still serving this type of punishment.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-30T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:29","image":{"jpg":"/news/2026/01/010929/image_hu_5fb977c8b99329af.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2026/01/010929/image_hu_68cf44b7199be78e.jpg","webp":"/news/2026/01/010929/image_hu_d661bfaace45fd4b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2026/01/010929/image_hu_50ebe441c959642c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2026/01/010929.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole","labor"],"title":"“Administration Convinced: I’m Not a Threat to Society” —  One of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Oryol Released Early From Compulsory Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 30, 2025, Georgiy Nikulin, 62, left penal colony No. 3 for the Republic of Mari El, having served his sentence in full. The believer was met by his friends. His wife, Elena, could not be with him to share his joy of being released — she is still imprisoned.\nIn August 2022 the Nikulins, and four of their fellow believers, were convicted for their faith. Georgiy and Elena were sent to a pretrial detention center, and after the decision of the court of appeal, they were transferred to penal colonies in different regions. For a long time, they could not communicate: visits were impossible, and only after 1.5 years of being separated, the couple obtained permission to correspond.\nIn prison, Georgiy first worked in the sewing workshop, but due to problems with his sight, he was transferred to assembling electrical sockets. According to Georgiy, thanks to his faith, he endured difficult prison conditions, perhaps even easier than other prisoners. \u0026quot;I had high blood pressure. It reached 230, which shocked the medical team,\u0026quot; said the believer and added: \u0026quot;I constantly felt God\u0026#39;s support. Without his help, everything would have been completely different...\u0026quot;\nElena Nikulina is due to be released in August 2026. Three other defendants have already been released, and the sentence of Vladimir Atryakhin, father of two young children, ends in March 2028.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_a265198b85f3ff18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_14a07bafb54814fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_fa233d900499df0b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/310831/image_hu_a42dd51e26a50106.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/310831.html","regions":["mordovia","mari-el"],"subtitle":"His Wife Still Serving Term for Her Faith","tags":["release","elderly","families"],"title":"Another Jehovah's Witness From Saransk Released.","type":"news"},{"body":"\u0026quot;I am guilty not of committing a socially dangerous act but of remaining a believer,\u0026quot; said Mariya Ogoreva, 64. On December 29, 2025, Melek Bayramkulova, judge of the Karachayevskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic gave her a 2-year suspended sentence.\nMariya is a widow. She and her husband were married for 38 years and raised three children. For many years she worked as a nanny in a kindergarten. In 2023-2024, 6 months apart, criminal cases were initiated against Mariya and her daughter Svetlana, based on the suspicion of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Before that, several searches took place in their home — first as witnesses in the Pasynkov case, and then as suspects. During one of them, Mariya needed medical help.\nThe hearings for the believer\u0026#39;s case were held 80 kilometers from her home, as two judges from the local district court recused themselves. Friends supported Mariya: they came to the hearings, helped around the house, and called to encourage her. Mariya noted: \u0026quot;In this ordeal, we are not alone; they surrounded us with love.\u0026quot;\nOn October 1, 2025, the court gave Svetlana a 3-year suspended sentence. The basis for the criminal prosecution of the Ogorevs was their religious beliefs and participation in peaceful meetings for worship. In court, Mariya emphasized that in her case there is \u0026quot;not a single statement of an extremist nature, not a single call to hatred or enmity, not a single quote from literature that was declared extremist.\u0026quot;\nThe Ogorevs and Pasynkovs are prosecuted according to a similar pattern: first, one family member is made a suspect, and then his relatives.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_1f6f1b65bd23f577.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_3c6e6c59e4068c54.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_ea4eaf7da7b8330e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/301627/image_hu_7c4804510c5bcb69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/301627.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Earlier, Her Daughter, Also One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Was Convicted","tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended","families","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"Pensioner From Mednogorskiy Given Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"In September 2025, law enforcement officers entered Aleksandr Akelin\u0026#39;s apartment pretending to be neighbors, whose home had allegedly been flooded. The couple and their son, who was visiting them, were interrogated, and then the head of the family was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nAleksandr was born in Saratov in 1966. As a child, he did Greco-Roman wrestling. After finishing high school, he worked as a bus driver.\nIn 1988, Aleksandr married Irina, with whom he had gone to school. She is an economist. Irina likes music and writes poems. The Akelins\u0026#39; son already has his own family; he is raising two children.\nIrina was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible. Aleksandr soon joined her. \u0026quot;When associating with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I was amazed at their sincerity, kindness, and striving to live according to God\u0026#39;s standards,\u0026quot; he recalls, \u0026quot;I understood: these are real Christians!\u0026quot; Studying the Bible, Aleksandr changed his life. \u0026quot;I stopped abusing alcohol, quit smoking and using foul language,\u0026quot; the believer said, \u0026quot;I saved my family and found the purpose of life.\u0026quot; The Akelins were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1998.\nAleksandr suffers from hypertension and bronchial asthma. The prosecution made the situation worse. Due to restrictions, he is not allowed to see a doctor regularly — only emergency services are available to him. All that happened has also affected Irina\u0026#39;s well-being. She suffers from diabetes mellitus; during the search she felt ill several times due to high blood pressure. She had to quit her job due to her health.\n","date":"2026-01-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akelin/photo_hu_62a1f217583c9f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akelin/photo_hu_54040585b27a8697.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akelin/photo_hu_e7463cea7c4bb064.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akelin/photo_hu_c9aadbb123a5f918.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akelin.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Akelin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Chikichev was born in Nerchinsk (Zabaykal Territory). He has an older brother and two younger sisters. His parents were working class, but now they are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Sergey liked sports. After school, he graduated from a vocational college and served in the army. During his mandatory service he was based in Vladivostok, where he decided to stay after completion. He worked as a driver for most of his life and then 10 years before retirement as a carpenter. Now, due to his age and state of health, he does not work.\nSergey met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1994. He found answers to his many questions in the Bible. He was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses 3 years later.\nSergey married Olga in 2013. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s views. She is also retired.\nSergey recalls the beginning of the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;At 6.45 a.m. the doorbell rang. Nothing could be seen through the peephole — it was dark. When we opened the door, a masked man burst in, followed by six others. I was lying on the couch; I was dragged roughly and my face was pressed to the floor. My wife fainted from the stress.\u0026quot; Subsequently, Sergey\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened, and Olga also developed health problems.\nThe support of friends helps the couple cope with the difficult situation.\n","date":"2026-01-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_82c25bb656d4fab.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_fd7d7599a66788e4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_c0f1452f04d38d5f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chikichev/photo_hu_7ef08f4a58f3ef46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chikichev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Chikichev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;My story isn\u0026#39;t exciting. I am a person with a great desire to do everything right, to learn, to understand the will of the Creator, and to serve him,\u0026quot; Sergey Isupov said about himself.\nSergey grew up in a large family and was the youngest of four children. Their parents were working class. They never talked about religion with their children.\nPrimorye is Sergey\u0026#39;s native home. He spent his childhood in the village of Trudovoye. Our house was near the forest and lakes — this closeness to nature determined the boy\u0026#39;s hobbies. The whole family went to the forest for mushrooms, cedar cones and wild garlic, and in summer they always went to the sea.\nAfter school, Sergey trained as a driver. However, he did not manage to work in this field for long: due to an accident he had to abandon this career. Later, he became a porcelain painter and worked for a long time at a porcelain factory. Later, he worked as a plumber in the housing and maintenance department (HMD) in Vladivostok and then as a welder for many years. Since early retirement being a welder, Sergey has been working as a janitor for the last 10 years.\nHe has retained his childhood love of nature. At any opportunity, he gets out into the forest for wild plants and tries to spend his vacation with his family by the sea. Sergey is married and the couple has adult children. Sergey\u0026#39;s parents are no longer alive.\n\u0026quot;I became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses after I was fifty. Even as a teenager, I thought the Bible was a special book, full of mysteries and knowledge. I didn't lose sleep searching for God and didn't change religions. I lived like all people who are not well off — using the gifts of the Creator, not thanking him for them. During my work at the HMD, I spoke with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and then met them in other places. I had a lot of questions, and I got answers. I checked it out for 8 years. The time came, and I asked for a Bible study,\u0026quot; this is how Sergey described what led to his Christian baptism in 2013.\n","date":"2026-01-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_addc7e9494251d4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_7b6c15d5f8664ddf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_424603b4e4e643e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/isupov/photo_hu_34644b3f4831331e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/isupov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Isupov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2025-12-26T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vikulyev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Vikulyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;The search, interrogations, job loss and uncertainty have put enormous pressure on me and my family,\u0026quot; said Andrey Yavniy of Vladivostok who has been charged with extremism for his faith.\nAndrey was born in Vladivostok into a working-class family: his mother worked in a railway depot; his father was a welder. Andrey has an older sister. As a child, he liked weightlifting and collecting stamps.\nAfter finishing school, he trained as a technician for installing and operating power lines, but he could not work at height. From 1986-1989, he served in the army on a submarine, after which Andrey decided to study at a maritime college and trained as a nautical-mechanic. However, he worked mostly as a driver.\nFrom his youth, Andrey was troubled by the inevitability of death: watching funeral processions, he wondered why people accepted death as something normal. Losing his parents was a heavy blow for him — his mother died when he was 27, and later his father. \u0026quot;When I learned that death is not the end, I was overjoyed,\u0026quot; he recalls. In 1992, Andrey was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn October 2017, he married Irina. She is a qualified lawyer and is creative — she makes handcrafted soaps. The couple enjoys the sea and spending time outdoors, which helps them relax.\nAfter the search in September 2025, both Andrey's and his wife's health worsened due to emotional exhaustion. The restrictions imposed by the court caused difficulties with work: without a phone and the Internet, Andrey cannot accept orders or post ads. Relatives support the family.\n","date":"2026-02-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yavniy/photo_hu_250ebedb4ab8f2fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yavniy/photo_hu_b8ff28185dba6b8a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yavniy/photo_hu_301f14fdafc00d5b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yavniy/photo_hu_73622da84785b7b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yavniy.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Yavniy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;The eight law enforcement officers barely fitted in our small one-room apartment, \u0026quot; said Vyacheslav Yudin. The life of the family of a peaceful resident of Vladivostok changed dramatically when their home was raided in September 2025.\nVyacheslav was born in Vladivostok. His father worked as a road safety engineer for the traffic police; his mother worked in the Department of Soil Science at the university. Both are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Vyacheslav liked sports: he went canoeing with his younger brother. He completed part of a university degree and served in the army.\nVyacheslav asked himself two questions: what is the purpose of life and what is truth? In 1991, he met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and, with their help, found the answers in the Bible. \u0026quot;I was overjoyed! I fondly remember these happy moments,\u0026quot; said Vyacheslav, expressing his feelings. His parents were very happy with the positive changes in the life of their son, who got rid of bad habits and made many friends. Inspired by his example, his father also started reading the Bible.\nIn 1992, Vyacheslav married Nina, who shares his religious views. They have children from their first marriages. One of Yudin\u0026#39;s daughters was widowed during Covid and left with two children. Vyacheslav helps them and loves to spend time with his grandchildren.\nVyacheslav\u0026#39;s family met the prosecution with courage. \u0026quot;Nina doesn't lose her joy or the hope that soon the prosecution will end and justice prevail,\u0026quot; the believer said.\n","date":"2026-02-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_77f32acd1e39f181.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_b63eb1714ede17e3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_aa42a1cbb04d0615.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yudin/photo_hu_a7ff076225499c05.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yudin.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vyacheslav Yudin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 25, 2025, the Rubtsovskiy District Court ruled to release Aleksandr Seredkin from the penal colony early but did not remove his additional punishment. He was released on the same day. He spent more than 3 years behind bars for his faith, including 2 years under strict conditions of detention.\nOver the past few months, the health of the 71-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Novosibirsk deteriorated: he was tormented by pain, hypotension, and he practically could not digest food. In the fall, the believer was sent for several examinations, which revealed that he had stage II cancer, and he could not receive appropriate treatment behind bars. Further examination showed that his condition was even more serious — stage IV cancer. The medical team recommended he should undergo surgery promptly.\n\u0026quot;Aleksandr has lost a lot of weight. Being 1,70m tall, he only weighs 59 kilograms. But he is calm, says that he is not afraid and fully relies on God,\u0026quot; said the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;He understands that quick action is needed and treatment can\u0026#39;t be delayed.\u0026quot;\nIn November 2022, the court sentenced Aleksandr to 6 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activity in public or religious associations or organizations for a period of 5 years and 1 year restriction of freedom.\n\u0026quot;It is commendable that the court has now shown mercy and released Aleksandr. But if he hadn\u0026#39;t been unfairly convicted, could he perhaps have received help much earlier? The circumstances are very difficult for dozens of believers with disabilities in penal colonies and pretrial detention centers. Their life and health are under serious threat,\u0026quot; Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, commented on the situation.\nFor example, Andrey Vlasov cannot take care of himself in places of detention; he needs constant help and medical care. Boris Andreyev and Yevgeniy Stefanidin suffer from cancer. In total, about 80 people with dangerously poor health have already been prosecuted, 34 of them have disabilities. Several people in this category died during the prosecution or shortly after the verdict was announced.\n","category":"prison","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_8eb51eb8aa584a52.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_27ab3a087d73a146.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_eb075ef28784734f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/260920/image_hu_1d9bab99f37309df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/260920.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Severely Ill Jehovah's Witness Aleksandr Seredkin Released From Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking in his defense, the believer asks the court the question: \"Does loving the Bible, reading it, loving the name of God and pronouncing it make someone a criminal? Peter I, for example? Of course not. And why does the same make me a criminal? \"I don't understand.\"\n","date":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/610.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Anatoly Yevtushenko's last word in Krasnodar","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 23, 2025, the Sovetskiy District Court of Krasnodar convicted Anatoliy Yevtushenko, 54. Although disabled and having recently undergone hip replacement surgery, he will serve his sentence in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAnatoliy was prosecuted following his friend Aleksey Lelikov. In January 2022, their homes were searched. In July 2024, the FSB charged Yevtushenko with extremism. Due to the recognizance agreement, the believer could not go to St. Petersburg for the surgery, which he really needed, because he experienced constant pain due to bilateral coxarthrosis. He was able to receive the necessary treatment only in February 2025, when court hearings had already began. Anatoliy is grateful for the material support of his friends and fellow believers, as he has not been able to work lately. \u0026quot;If it were not for the help of my brothers and sisters, there would have been no operation,\u0026quot; he recalls. \u0026quot;Thanks to them for such love and care. It\u0026#39;s so touching that I can\u0026#39;t hold back my tears.\u0026quot;\nAnatoliy Yevtushenko speaks before the court. December 2025 Those attending, including Anatoliy\u0026#39;s relatives, anxiously listen to the words of the judge. December 2025 After the verdict was announced, Anatoliy says goodbye to his wife and daughter. December 2025 Anatoliy is handcuffed right in the courtroom. December 2025 The guard leads the believer away, but he does not feel broken by injustice. December 2025 In addition to court hearings and their own health problems, Anatoliy and his wife cared for his elderly mother until her death in November 2025. The 85-year-old needed constant care — she could not get out of bed, could not see and suffered from dementia. Shortly before Anatoliy\u0026#39;s surgery, his wife broke her leg. The believer was allowed to travel daily from Krasnodar to the village 100 kilometers away to take care of the women.\nDespite his own difficulties, Anatoliy sought to support his fellow believers, who also ended up in the dock for their faith. He attended court hearings in criminal cases in Krasnodar and Goryachy Klyuch, drove the defendants and their relatives there, and later went to the village of Vyselki to help believers there too. \u0026quot;If you invest love, you receive double the love. You reinvest that love again, you quadruple it. And on to infinity, because love has no limits,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nThe criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia does not exclude even seriously ill people: at least 30 believers with disabilities have gone through and are still going through the exhausting stages of investigative measures and trials.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/240944/image_hu_6960f9ff8431d42b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/240944/image_hu_3689444b79040a3c.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/240944/image_hu_15352f4e48e7499.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/240944/image_hu_61e04568fdc00ea7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/240944.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","disability"],"title":"Krasnodar Court Sentenced Disabled Jehovah's Witness to 2 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2025, Aslanbech Trakhov, chairman of the Teuchezhskiy District Court, announced the verdict in a case against two peaceful believers charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization — Aleksey Dmitriyev 4 years in a penal colony, and elderly Yuriy Sergeechev, who has a disability, a 4-year suspended sentence.\nThe case against Sergeechev and Dmitriyev was initiated at the end of April 2025. The men were immediately arrested and spent about 8 months in pretrial detention. Yuriy Sergeechev, 74, has a disability, has diabetes mellitus, has had two heart attacks and has frequent severe hypertensive crises. He walks with a cane. On the eve of one of the court hearings, Yuriy had another hypertensive crisis, and yet he was taken to court. A week later, the same thing happened. His lawyer said: \u0026quot;We informed the court that the defendant had high blood pressure at night — more than 200/115 — but the court did not care.\u0026quot;\nDespite his serious condition and advanced age, during the hearings Sergeechev was kept in a cage. Human rights activists consider this treatment as degrading and highlight, that he could have been under a more lenient preventive measure. Only the day before the verdict, Yuriy was released from the detention center under a recognizance agreement.\nShortly before the announcement of the verdict, Yuriy was released under a recognizance agreement. With his wife Antonina, they were photographed outside the courthouse. December 2025 The charge was based on audio recordings of conversations made by a man who feigned an interest in the Bible. According to the believers, he himself asked for advice on how to help his relatives and repeatedly asked them to discuss the Holy Scriptures with him. The defense noted that the case materials did not contain calls for violence or hostility, nevertheless the prosecutor requested 5 years in a penal colony for Yuriy Sergeechev, and 6 years for Aleksey Dmitriyev.\nIn his statement, Yuriy Sergeechev said, that the prosecution did not provide any real evidence of the crime and that none of the witnesses said anything negative about him. He asked the court: what exactly does the state consider illegal — prayer, discussion of the Scriptures or peaceful conversation?\nIn his final statement, Aleksey Dmitriyev asked the court to take into account that his 90-year-old mother needs care. He stressed that extremism is incompatible with his beliefs, since Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not participate in political struggle, do not take up arms and maintain peace.\nIn its decision of October 16, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights states that court decisions against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, including the elderly, lack due humanity and are illegal. \u0026quot;Since the authorities failed to demonstrate that the applicants were involved in any socially dangerous activities of an extremist nature, their prosecution and conviction for peacefully practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in community with others... did not pursue any legitimate aim or \u0026#39;pressing social need\u0026#39;,\u0026quot; the judgment reads (paragraph 11). Already 89 men and women over the age of 70 are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God; 6 of them are behind bars.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_c1d7521e40fddb48.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_8e7faaed99ada15a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_ebc64627239f7967.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/230915/image_hu_21bc210e33c12f58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/230915.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Aleksey Dmitriyev Sent to Penal Colony and Yuriy Sergeechev, 74, Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","elderly","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Court in Adygea Convicted Two Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The Syktyvkar City Court found the believers guilty of extremism and fined Lidiya Nekrasova — 300,000 rubles, Aleksandr Kruglyakov — 470,000 rubles, Aleksandr Ketov and Andrey Kharlamov — 500,000 rubles each. About 50 attended the announcement of the verdict on December 22, 2025.\n\u0026quot;I am proud that I suffered not as a villain, but as a Christian,\u0026quot; Aleksandr Kruglyakov, 46, expressed his opinion on what was happening. \u0026quot;In the 1990s, I was a villain, I was even tried. Many of my former friends are already dead.\u0026quot; He believes that studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped him to change drastically: \u0026quot;I stopped abusing alcohol, taking drugs, quit smoking, stopped stealing and getting into fights... Such changes helped me stay alive.\u0026quot;\nAleksandr spent almost 2 months in the pretrial detention center. His bank account, like the accounts of the other defendants in the case, was blocked. Aleksandr lost his job and could not find a new one. His wife, who needed expensive medical treatment, was forced to provide for the family alone. Property was seized from the other believers.\nPensioner Aleksandr Ketov, 57, who spent 2 months under house arrest, described how he felt: \u0026quot;It's an unpleasant feeling — though you didn't violate anything, you're forced to sit at home waiting for a verdict that won't be fair.\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Andrey Kharlamov, 54, said: \u0026quot;I felt like a person without rights. They called me a criminal and an extremist, placed me under house arrest, threatened me, saying: \u0026quot;You will go to jail\u0026quot;, blocked my accounts, and seized my apartment. All motions that were filed were rejected by the investigator. I had always lived quietly, peacefully, didn't have any conflicts or quarrels with anyone, so it was the first time I had encountered such treatment just because I'm a believer.\u0026quot;\nIn January 2026, Lidiya Nekrasova will turn 73. During the prosecution, she experienced not only the hardships of the investigation and trial, but also a personal tragedy — her husband died last year. She said that caring people helped her cope with the difficulties. \u0026quot;Fellow believers, whom I didn't even know, called from different places. They brought me flowers, invited me over to their place, we ate treats and sang songs together,\u0026quot; she said.\n\u0026quot;In total, I received about 1500 letters from 42 countries,\u0026quot; says Aleksandr Kruglyakov in appreciation of the support. \u0026quot;It was a breath of fresh air, filled with love. Sometimes I received up to 125 letters a day.\u0026quot;\nSergey Ushakhin did not live to see the end of the trial. He had a disability due to a heart condition. The commission of the Ministry of Health recognized that the believer needed special treatment. Sergey died in August 2023 — a month after receiving the commission\u0026#39;s conclusion. Shortly before his death, the believer shared: \u0026quot;I received a very warm message from my friends. They write that they always remember me, how my voice comforted them in difficult times, and it encourages and warms them even now.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of the five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses began with searches in 2021. A year later, the criminal case against them went to court, and the trial dragged on for almost 4 years. The believers do not agree with the decision of Judge Yevgeniy Sazhin. In total, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Komi Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_b20b1e8dd3cfa8c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_e23fff00e422cfbf.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_b13e2ed2a5c7845f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/240905/image_hu_91002bfcac77945c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/240905.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":"Woman, 72, and Three Men Must Pay from 300,000 to 500,000 Rubles","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","fine","elderly","disability"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses From Komi Fined for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Yelena Ivashina was born in Ob, Novosibirsk Region, in a hardworking family where they respected God, but did not delve into spiritual topics. However, Yelena from childhood, asked questions about God and the purpose of life, which her parents could not answer.\nShe read a lot, loved nature and was an active child: she kept pigeons, did karate and athletics, swam, went hiking, cycled, wrote poems and stories. She also has a younger sister.\nAfter school, Yelena worked and studied at the same time. She liked to acquire different skills: she took driving lessons, courses in psychology, computer literacy, accounting, and a course as a stylist-image-maker. Yelena was a private entrepreneur and at various times worked in sales and for the railway. Recently, she was self-employed and worked online. Her hobbies include psychology, fitness, swimming, walking, and reading.\nIn 1999, she first learned from the Bible that God has a personal name. Yelena recalls: \u0026quot;This is the God I was looking for, who created everything and governs everything.\u0026quot; Then she reviewed her lifestyle, rebuilt relations with her husband and mother-in-law. In 2003, Yelena decided to live by Bible standards and became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSince the age of three, Yelena has been living in the Crimea — first in Saky, then in Simferopol. After the death of her mother, she and her husband Sergey, moved back to Saky to take care of her elderly father.\nShe had met her future husband at a friend\u0026#39;s wedding. They got married in 1995. Sergey grew up in a family of railway workers and also chose this profession. The couple travels, cooks, watches movies, and spends time outdoors together.\nThe criminal prosecution has seriously affected the way of life and the health of all family members. The believer can no longer work online due to a ban on using the Internet. There were difficulties with the payment of taxes and utilities. Yelena cannot even go for walks. Due to stress, she developed problems with blood pressure.\nYelena\u0026#39;s relatives and numerous friends, even those who do not share her religious views, are worried about her and consider the criminal prosecution groundless.\n","date":"2026-01-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivashina/photo_hu_696932d763684205.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivashina/photo_hu_3b826d1ade4f7cf4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivashina/photo_hu_8d98651f6d7c67e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivashina/photo_hu_72c2f8873b7b95be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivashina.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Ivashina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"«So many years we've been living together — and now all of a sudden she\u0026#39;s a criminal. But to me she\u0026#39;s no criminal,» said the husband of Olga Podlesnaya, a resident of Simferopol, commenting on her being prosecuted for her faith.\nOlga was born in May 1971. She has a sister. As a child, Olga practiced judo and sang in a choir. At a technical college she trained in railroad track construction. She worked as a technical documentation operator at a railway station, and up until the criminal case was initiated against her she worked as a sales assistant in a shopping center. In her free time she enjoys doing crossword puzzles.\nOlga met her future husband at Simferopol\u0026#39;s Central Market. Faig was keen on football and played for Azerbaijan\u0026#39;s youth national team.\nAt one point Olga faced a tragedy: she survived an accident, after which she was in a coma. She said, that is when she started thinking that a person does not go on living somewhere else after death. Later, when she learned that the Bible compares death to an unconscious state, she concluded that this book could be trusted. In time, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn December 2025, Olga was charged with \u0026quot;extremism\u0026quot; because of her religious beliefs. Due to the house arrest she lost her job. \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s very hard psychologically,\u0026quot; she says, adding that the constant stress and lack of movement her health has deteriorated.\nRelatives and neighbors who have known Olga for many years consider the charges unfounded.\n","date":"2026-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/podlesnaya/photo_hu_eb47bb019a61c216.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/podlesnaya/photo_hu_98132bc27362c3d8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/podlesnaya/photo_hu_292774b9eb3c2c69.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/podlesnaya/photo_hu_e788b14d2f10f22c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/podlesnaya.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Podlesnaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;It was a shock for all of us,\u0026quot; is how Alik Yeliseyev described the search in his house. Since February 2025, his family has been getting used to the new reality — life under the weight of an extremism charge.\nAlik was born in Slavgorod, Altai Territory. He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother was a housewife, and their father worked as a builder.\nAs a child, he wanted to learn to play the guitar. \u0026quot;Grandma paid for the courses,\u0026quot; Alik recalls, \u0026quot;and I was so enthusiastic about it that I could play from morning to evening.\u0026quot; He also enjoyed running. And on winter evenings, Alik liked to go outside and clear the snow. \u0026quot;I really liked it because I could pause and look at the bright, beautiful winter sky,\u0026quot; he says. \u0026quot;Since there wasn't much lighting in our neighbourhood, the stars looked incredibly bright.\u0026quot;\nAlik\u0026#39;s parents always spoke well about God and read the Bible. Subsequently he was baptized in 2012 and became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, third generation.\n\u0026quot;Since I was 14, I dreamed of having my own small business, family, and house,\u0026quot; Alik said. He gradually achieved his goals. On leaving school, he trained to be an electric welder and locksmith, graduating from a technical college with a high grade. Alik worked in his profession and acquired construction skills. After a while, he began to work for himself.\nYeliseyev met his wife Galina while they were students; she was studying to be a primary school teacher. They had much in common, including faith in God. In August 2010, the young people got married, and in 2016 they had a son.\nGalina received a higher education and worked in retail. After the birth of her son, she left her job, and providing for the family fell entirely on Alik. The Yeliseyevs love to spend time together: traveling, fishing. \u0026quot;Although our son was small, we tried to take him everywhere with us,\u0026quot; Alik recalls. \u0026quot;A family outdoors with a tent... This brings you together.\u0026quot;\nAt 7 a. m. in the winter of 2025, the Yeliseyevs were woken by knocking on our windows, flashing police lights and a fire truck siren. \u0026quot;We just managed to open the door and I was immediately thrown to the floor,\u0026quot; Alik recalls. After the search, he was taken away for interrogation. \u0026quot;When I returned, my wife was hugging our son, crying and saying: \u0026quot;Now he is supporting me.\u0026quot; My son told her: \u0026#39;Mom, don\u0026#39;t worry, they can take away our devices and laptops, but they cannot take away our faith.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nDespite the difficulties associated with criminal prosecution, the family has grown even closer. The Yeliseyevs maintain a positive outlook on what is happening and appreciate the time spent together.\n","date":"2026-01-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yeliseyeva/photo_hu_bc499059c310cd8b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yeliseyeva/photo_hu_d34a702b6cc52187.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yeliseyeva/photo_hu_72ce420eb9f73390.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yeliseyeva/photo_hu_c2e5ed16df8fccfc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yeliseyeva.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Alik Yeliseyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Melnik, 53, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Volgograd, spent more than 4 years and 9 months in prison. His term for his faith ended on December 18, 2025. Sergey left the penal colony in Kirovo-Chepetsk, from where he will take a train home the next day.\nMelnik was first put behind bars in May 2019 — he was placed in a pretrial detention center following a search; later, after the verdict was announced, he was sent back to the detention center. \u0026quot;The hardest part was enduring isolation and worrying about my family. I didn\u0026#39;t know what was happening with them,\u0026quot; Sergey recalls. \u0026quot;No letters, no visits, no phone calls.\u0026quot; Later, Sergey was allowed to correspond. \u0026quot;In the letters, we could chat about everyday things and feel as if we were together,\u0026quot; Melnik added. \u0026quot;Through friends, I even managed to send my wife bouquets with cards.\u0026quot;\nSergey was in the penal colony from March 2022. There, he could keep in touch with relatives through short phone calls. Family and friends continued writing to him, and a few months before his release, the number of letters reached 5,000. Melnik tried to reply to each one, devoting his free time to this. Sergey is passionate about football, so friends wrote to him about what was happening in the league .\nWhile in prison, Sergey trained as a cook and worked in the cafeteria 2 days on, 2 days off. \u0026quot;At first, it was hard even to do chopping, memorize recipes and their sequence, but then I got the hang of it and started doing everything quickly,\u0026quot; he says. The work was physically demanding: he had to get up earlier than others and spend the whole day on his feet, serving more than a thousand inmates three times a day. This workload didn\u0026#39;t stop Sergey from loving cooking: he prepared meals together with other inmates in his unit and shared unusual recipes with them.\nThe attitude of staff in the penal colony and inmates toward Sergey was friendly; many were surprised by his optimism and cheerful nature. \u0026quot;The guys there called me \u0026#39;the man with the smile.\u0026#39; They used to say: \u0026#39;Seeing Sergey standing there smiling when we walk into the cafteria, makes our day,\u0026#39;\u0026quot; recalls Melnik. The believer received no awards.\nAt time of publication, in 2025 15 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been released from Russian penal colonies. Another 126 believers are still serving time in prison.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/191109/image_hu_e2d614bd26492efe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/191109/image_hu_9fa193986a959524.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/191109/image_hu_1670a87eabc39c3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/191109/image_hu_2138cc1e10476721.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/191109.html","regions":["volgograd","kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Another Believer from Volga Region, Sergey Melnik, Leaves Penal Colony — 6-Year Term Served","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, Aleksey stated that his activities had always been peaceful and did not contain signs of extremism: \"I am glad that I suffered not as a criminal who committed an offense, but for my faith in the God of the Bible — Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/608.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksey Dmitriev's last word in Adygeisk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In court, the believer stated: \"Almost all the materials collected by the prosecution turned out to be evidence in my favor. There were no witnesses who would say a bad word about me. On the contrary, it was said here that I am a peaceful and deeply religious person who supports others in their grief.\"\n","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/609.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Yuriy Sergeechev's last word in Adygeisk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 18, 2025, Dmitriy Neudakhin, judge of the Savelovskiy District Court, sentenced Viktor Velikov to 5.5 years imprisonment. This is not Neudakhin\u0026#39;s first decision against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: over 4 years he has imposed preventive measures against believers from Moscow, as a rule, imposing strict measures.\nThe Velikov case is linked to the trial of Aleksandr Serebryakov. Velikovs\u0026#39; house was first searched in the fall of 2023 as part of his case. The charges are identical: the men are being prosecuted for providing lunches to believers at a peaceful 6-day religious event.\nViktor\u0026#39;s home was searched for a second time in April 2025. After it, he ended up behind bars — he was separated from his wife and son. \u0026quot;They didn\u0026#39;t grant us visits for 2 months,\u0026quot; recalls Olga, the believer\u0026#39;s wife. \u0026quot;The investigator constantly refused. He said that it was not his style to give permission.\u0026quot; She adds that even behind bars her husband did not lose his positive qualities: he treats those around him with compassion and tries to take care of them.\nViktor Velikov is 50. He is from the working class — a lining operator in the production of industrial furnaces. He has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for over 20 years.\nThe Savelovskiy District Court has been considering the case since July 2025. The prosecutor demanded that Viktor be sent to a penal colony for 7 years.\nThis is the sixteenth guilty verdict in Moscow, where 23 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution for their beliefs, 13 of them are serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/231529/image_hu_a78f44fa0f800581.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/231529/image_hu_90b4ec578e76885b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/231529/image_hu_782c9d942327a07e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/231529/image_hu_8d4378b3a2ee66d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/231529.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Moscow Convicted for Financing Extremism","tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.3-1","282.2-2"],"title":"For Six Lunches — 5.5 Years in a Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict announced by Yelena Marina on December 17, 2025, brought an end to the trial against Anton Bashabaev, Aleksey Vasiliyev, and Aleksey Yefremov. Each of them was fined 600,000 rubles for talking about the Bible.\nThe criminal case was initiated 2 years earlier, followed shortly by a raid. \u0026quot;While the search was underway, paramedics were giving me IV drips and injections,\u0026quot; Yefremov recalls. \u0026quot;Then interrogation, detention center, and trial. I have many health issues: heart attacks, blood pressure problems, diabetes... The investigators were told about this. But I was given neither food nor medication. Only thanks to God was my wife able to bring insulin to the detention center.\u0026quot; Just like Vasiliyev and Bashabaev, he spent a day in a temporary detention facility before being placed under house arrest for nearly a year.\nThe convicted believers are middle-aged family men (41 to 61), each married for many years. After their arrests, the burden of solving numerous problems fell on their wives. \u0026quot;The hardest thing for me back then was watching my daughter and wife leave for school and errands, then seeing them from the window carrying heavy bags of groceries, and feeling helpless because I couldn\u0026#39;t help them,\u0026quot; said Aleksey Vasiliyev. Anton Bashabaev said: \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m grateful to my wife for her resilience and for always supporting me. When you have strong backing, it gives you confidence.\u0026quot;\nFor Vasiliyev, the criminal prosecution also meant losing his job — he was a commercial director in the oil industry: \u0026quot;I held an excellent position, had a good salary, and was valued and respected at work. In an instant, it all disappeared, and all my accounts were frozen.\u0026quot; Being labelled an extremist brought other consequences for Aleksey as well. \u0026quot;Under threat of dismissal, my colleagues were forbidden to talk to me. Those who supposedly respected me vanished,\u0026quot; he added.\n\u0026quot;Despite all the pressure and problems, we serve God, we are alive, happy, and have a wonderful future ahead of us,\u0026quot; concluded Aleksey Yefremov.\nHearings at the Frunzenskiy District Court of Saratov were held behind closed doors and lasted just over 2 months. \u0026quot;When you interact with authorities and participate in court proceedings, you realize they\u0026#39;re all ordinary people, most of whom have nothing against you personally,\u0026quot; commented Anton Bashabaev on his impressions of the process.\nIn the Saratov Region, 20 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution on religious grounds. Already 10 of them have served their main sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_ab59aaeb1eba8bfc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_7b1edeef96c2c5c7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_bb7f9b304295eea6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/181119/image_hu_6cdae3a367de30a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/181119.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Court Fined Three of Jehovah's Witnesses from Saratov","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"\"Despite All Problems, We Serve God, We Are Alive and Happy.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer explained that Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding citizens because they follow the laws of God. He noted: \"We are labeled extremists, although this goes against not only our way of life, but also our deep convictions.\"\n","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/605.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Anton Bashabayev's last word in Saratov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer stated that worship of God is not a judicial action, and added: \"Such worship is impossible without meetings with fellow believers, common prayers, singing spiritual songs glorifying God, and joint meetings for worship. Such actions are the fulfillment of direct commandments from the Bible.\"\n","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/604.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksey Efremov's last word in Saratov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\u0026quot;December is now my favorite month,\u0026quot; said Andrey Stupnikov, anticipating his release. The long-awaited day came on December 15, 2025. He shared his first moments of freedom with his wife Olga and their friends, who last saw him outside prison about 4.5 years ago.\nAndrey served his sentence in penal colony No. 5 in Kirovo-Chepetsk. During his imprisonment, Stupnikov was hospitalized twice. The believer described that period as one of the hardest. \u0026quot;Everything came at the same time,\u0026quot; he said, \u0026quot;the most serious health problems and immense pressure from the prison staff. For two months they recorded all sorts of [concocted] violations, issued reprimands, and conducted additional searches in the cell.\u0026quot; Andrey and those around him even found some of the fabricated penalties amusing: \u0026quot;Later, many joked that I was probably the only person who had never smoked but was reprimanded for \u0026#39;smoking in a prohibited area.\u0026#39; We understood it was completely unfair, but we had to learn to react calmly.\u0026quot;\nStupnikov worked in the sewing workshop 6 days a week. Andrey would get up between 4 and 5 a. m. to read the Bible, pray in peace and recover emotionally. Also, because he was sentenced under an article for a serious crime, the administration placed him under preventive monitoring as \u0026quot;liable to escape.\u0026quot; This meant that he was checked every 2 hours, including at night.\nBible training and a sense of humor helped Andrey endure the hardships of imprisonment. He noted that it was important for him to behave confidently, \u0026quot;like a victor, not a victim.\u0026quot; Over time, his conduct earned him respect from the administration and other inmates, who addressed him by his name and patronymic. One of them described Stupnikov as \u0026quot;a man with a capital M.\u0026quot; The head of the colony often said to Andrey: \u0026quot;If Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are working, there's no need to worry about the quality.\u0026quot;\nAndrey\u0026#39;s prosecution also affected his wife. \u0026quot;We\u0026#39;ve been married for 32 years. During that time, we became like one and were never apart for long. Due to the separation, half of me seemed to stop existing. I was afraid I would give up. During the day, I tried to keep busy with various tasks, but evenings and nights I was tortured by loneliness,\u0026quot; Olga Stupnikova said about that period of her life. The pain of separation was worsened by the thought that all correspondence with her imprisoned husband was censored. \u0026quot;Extended visits every 3 months were a great support for us,\u0026quot; Olga recalls. \u0026quot;Only there could we talk about what was dear and important to us.\u0026quot;\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a total of 36 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are facing criminal prosecution; at present, 6 men remain behind bars, including elderly ones.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:28","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/151604/image_hu_78a73b432a89ac7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/151604/image_hu_b51d5804f5c57dec.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/151604/image_hu_f76765ba96ee0f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/151604/image_hu_2b013fc7c02e10af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/151604.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk","kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","penalty"],"title":"Andrey Stupnikov Released From Penal Colony — Legal Action for His Faith Has Already Gone on for 7.5 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"A fine of 500,000 rubles — that was the sentence announced to Nadezhda Lebed by the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow on December 12, 2025, just a few weeks after a similar ruling against Mariya Pankova. The trial of Nadezhda lasted about 6 months.\n\u0026quot;I have been worshipping Jehovah for almost 30 years. He is the main support for me and my family,\u0026quot; the believer told the court at the final hearing. \u0026quot;From the very beginning, since 1995, and to this day, nothing has changed in my service to God. I still read His Word, the Bible, pray to God, and sing songs of praise.\u0026quot; Nadezhda is convinced that her prosecution is groundless and considers her views to be the exact opposite of extremism. \u0026quot;I am an honest person; I had no criminal intent. I am a Christian and fear God and I do not want to spoil my good relationship with him,\u0026quot; she added.\nThe criminal prosecution began with a search in April 2025 — the second for Nadezhda\u0026#39;s family (law enforcement officers had searched her home in 2021 as part of the Mareyev case). On the same day, officers also raided the home of Pankova. Both women were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of their faith.\n\u0026quot;The hearings robbed me of a lot of my energy, health, and resources,\u0026quot; Nadezhda recalls. \u0026quot;During this period, I was taken to hospital, to the cardiology department. And I am still undergoing treatment.\u0026quot; The criminal prosecution also brought financial difficulties into her life. \u0026quot;I had been saving part of my pension for a \u0026#39;rainy day\u0026#39;,\u0026quot; she said. \u0026quot;The \u0026#39;rainy day\u0026#39; came, but I cannot use the funds.\u0026quot;\nIn October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights considered complaints from several Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who faced prosecution because of their faith. The court ruled that searches, arrests, restrictions on freedom, confiscation of property, and charges of extremism for peaceful religious activity were unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-12T17:53:50+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_cf9d9a13d1749929.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/121753/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_3703816ff7b4e093.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/121753/image_hu_6defb1d6cc5c4c18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/121753.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","rosfinmonitoring","echr","282.2-2"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Moscow — This Time Court Fines 75-Year-Old Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am an honest person; I had no criminal intent. I am a Christian and fear God, with whom I do not want to spoil my good relationship,\" said the believer, addressing the court.\n","date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/603.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Nadezhda Lebed in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey Nazarov was born in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, where he has spent most of his life. His mother worked as a nurse in a hospital for more than 25 years and is now retired and lives alone. His father left the family when Sergey was still little and therefore, he barely knows him. Sergey was the second child in a large family, having two brothers and two sisters. His older brother died in adulthood.\nAs a child, Sergey liked playing football, table tennis, and chess. He also loved going fishing.\nIn 2008, Sergey completed courses for a boiler room operator. He worked in this profession, also as a locksmith and a construction laborer. In recent years, he has worked on a self-employed basis as a specialist at construction sites. He still loves fishing and he enjoys the outdoors.\nWhen Sergey was 37, he began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was impressed by the conduct of the believers and how they treated each other. What he learned from the Holy Scriptures changed his life: he stopped abusing alcohol, swearing, and became an honest and responsible person. In 2025, Sergey became a Christian, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSergey met his wife Inessa when they were young, and after a while they got married. The couple has four children. Inessa is a housewife and carer for their oldest son, who is severely disabled. Their oldest daughter is married and is already raising her own children. Their youngest son worked at a construction site before serving in the army. Their youngest daughter works in retail.\nIn 2022 and 2024, searches were carried out in the home of the Nazarov family. These searches were a serious test: tension and anxiety affected all members of the family emotionally and physically. His disabled son suffered the most: after the first search, his health deteriorated drastically and he spent 3 months in hospital. Sergey said: \u0026quot;It seemed that we were being watched everywhere. Our hearts stopped at every knock on the neighbors gate and every time a dog barked. But gradually we recovered. Prayers, Bible reading and the support of our friends helped us.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-01-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nazarov/photo_hu_7e366d6ff21ec146.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nazarov/photo_hu_871c1fb4362970e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nazarov/photo_hu_1af92ac6a2b20e18.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nazarov/photo_hu_9f46ad66c5cb82fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nazarov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Nazarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 11, 2025, two women practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were detained in Saky, Crimea. Their homes were searched; a criminal case was initiated. Yelena Ivashina, 50, and Olga Podlesnaya, 54, were placed under house arrest by the Kievskiy District Court of the city of Simferopol.\nTheir case has been separated from Voronchikhin\u0026#39;s case, which is currently being heard in the Simferopolskiy District Court. According to available information, Ivashina has already been charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization.\nNow, 33 more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Crimea have been prosecuted. Twelve of them are serving sentences in penal colonies, one in prison, and another in forced labor.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/170824.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Case Initiated Against Them and Both Under House Arrest","tags":["ivs","house-arrest","new-case","282.3-1"],"title":"Two Women from Crimea Charged for Extremism for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 10, 2025, in Zvenigorod, Moscow Region, raids were carried out at at least four addresses. Several people were interogated. A criminal case was initiated against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness Aleksandr Paysov, who is now in pretrial detention.\nAt around 6 a.m., Investigative Committee officers, led by Sergey Zagibalov, broke into the home of Aleksandr Paysov and his mother. They seized personal notes and electronic devices. Aleksandr was detained, leaving his 86-year-old mother alone without any means of communication.\nThe next day, the court sent Aleksandr Paysov to detention center No. 2 in Volokolamsk. He works as a postal worker and is known as a responsible and peaceful person.\nAt another address, a search was conducted without the owners\u0026#39; knowledge: the lock was broken, evidence that people had been were visible, and a crowbar was left behind in the yard.\nIn the Moscow Region, law enforcement agencies have initiated criminal cases against at least nine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, four of whom have received suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/121836.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":"Zvenigorod — Law Enforcement Officers Carry Out Raid Against Jehovah’s Witnesses","tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","sizo"],"title":"Searches in Moscow Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy, 50, has been given a 2-year suspended sentence. This decision was announced on December 9, 2025, by Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova of the Vyselkovskiy District Court. This is already the fifth verdict she has issued in a case involving Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSergey, who was born in Vyselki, has worked in construction for more than 20 years. At one of the court hearings, character references written by his employer and a neighbor were read aloud. According to Sergey\u0026#39;s recollection, after the hearing the prosecutor called them \u0026quot;the description of an ideal person.\u0026quot; Regarding the participants in the process the believer said: \u0026quot;It is one thing that they carry out their duties, but as people I see their wonderful traits\u0026quot;.\nIn Vyselki, similar cases have been initiated against 14 more believers. Most of the charges are based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Pastyr,\u0026quot; [Shepherd] who secretly recorded meetings for worship on video. \u0026quot;He never ever showed up at the hearing,\u0026quot; Sergey said. \u0026quot;He\u0026#39;s doing what he does for some reason — it\u0026#39;s not for me to judge. But you know, I don't feel any anger or resentment toward him.\u0026quot;\nThe court spent more than a year reviewing the recordings of meetings for worship. \u0026quot;I think it was good for both the judge and the prosecutor to listen to them,\u0026quot; Dvurechenskiy thinks. \u0026quot;There were great points about family life and relationships. There\u0026#39;s definitely nothing extremist in them.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vyselki has been ongoing since February 2022, when mass searches took place, which also affected Dvurechenskiy. Most cases against local believers have already resulted in guilty verdicts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_c6c2cec82593f396.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_7b0a03cb4e5e73d.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_fb6be59651178272.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/101349/image_hu_38b2b524bbdd8814.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/101349.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Another One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Vyselki Given Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Ruslan Teplukhin, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, announced his decision in the case of Sergey Spirichev on December 9, 2025. On the same day, a sentence was also handed down to his fellow believer, Sergey Dvurechenskiy. Both were given identical suspended sentences for reading the Bible and discussing it with friends.\n\u0026quot;For me, extremism is unacceptable. I believe that violence breeds even more injustice. The Bible teaches not to repay evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good,\u0026quot; Viktor said at the final hearing of the trial, which had lasted 2 years. \u0026quot;I feel grateful for the prayers of my brothers and sisters in faith, but most of all I am thankful to Jehovah God for helping me remain steadfast and not become embittered,\u0026quot; Spirichev said.\nThe criminal case against Viktor was initiated by the Investigative Committee in May 2023 — a year after his home was searched. Due to the prosecution, he faced financial restrictions imposed by Rosfinmonitoring and was under a recognizance agreement until the verdict. \u0026quot;There are those I must care for: my wife Larisa (who has a disability), my father-in-law (Vladimir Kolesnikov, a widower, who is also being tried for his faith), and my parents. I am their only child left; my older brother died in 2018. These responsibilities are the cause of my concerns,\u0026quot; Viktor explained.\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses aged 28 to 79 are facing criminal prosecution for holding joint meetings for worship, which, according to the ruling by the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, is not a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/101356/image_hu_62e9f516882395d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/101356/image_hu_827b9fc6ae48cfea.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/101356/image_hu_dec45aeb15a2670c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/101356/image_hu_d53474bcd952138.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/101356.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-2"],"title":"Believer in Kuban Given 2-Year Suspended Sentence. Court Convicts Viktor Spirichev","type":"news"},{"body":"Defending his innocence in court, the believer stated: \"For me, extremism is unacceptable. I believe that violence breeds even more injustice. The Bible teaches not to repay evil with evil, but to overcome evil with good.\"\n","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/994.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Final Statement of the Defendant Viktor Spirichev in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant notes: \"It is alien to me to show hatred or enmity. My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two main commandments: love for God and love for people. I live by Bible principles that teach, \"All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them.\"\n","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/589.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Final Statement of the Defendant Sergei Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey Barsukov was born in Barnaul, Altai Territory. His mother raised him alone from birth. She worked in finishing — she was a foreman at a construction site and is now retired.\nAs a child, Sergey loved cycling, played football for the city team, and spent the summer in a pioneer camp. He particularly loved observing insects, and it is still his hobby.\nAfter school, he qualified as an electronics technician at a technical college, after which he served in the army. He had many different jobs: a laborer at construction sites, a shoemaker, a janitor in a kindergarten and a taxi driver. Recently, Sergey has been working as a repairman in a sports complex.\nApart from Altai, he lived in the Novosibirsk Region and the Krasnodar Territory. Later, he moved closer to his mother to take care of her.\nIn 1996, Sergey met Nina, and in 1998 they got married. Nina worked as a teacher: first in a kindergarten, and then in a school dormitory. The couple loves spending time together — going to the countryside and cycling. Sometimes Nina writes poems; Sergey plays football and volleyball.\nSergey became acquainted with the Bible when he was still young and in 1997 became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. His wife shares his beliefs and views on life.\nThose who know Sergey are baffled as to why he is facing criminal prosecution. When the investigator repeatedly questioned Sergey\u0026#39;s neighbors, no one spoke negatively about him. His colleagues also have a good relationship with him and respect him; his managers gave him a positive character reference.\nSergey\u0026#39;s mother does not understand why her son has been charged with extremism. He is worried how his prosecution will affect her already poor health.\nSergey and Nina support each other, maintain a positive attitude and are glad that their friends are near.\n","date":"2026-01-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/barsukov/photo_hu_cb6b027580d3abe6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/barsukov/photo_hu_97dbcf9340fd788f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/barsukov/photo_hu_a534f8435294f74d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/barsukov/photo_hu_c6400b94593a8b3e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/barsukov.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Barsukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Being prosecuted for her faith became a serious test for the family of Yelena Grosheva. She said: \u0026quot;The search had a big impact on my emotional health.\u0026quot;\nYelena was born in November 1976 in Zheleznogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). Her mother worked at the Mining and Chemical Combine and is retired now. Her father died in 2005.\nAs a child, Yelena loved to draw and ski. She completed secondary education. During her school years, she learned about Bible prophecies from her teacher, which made a strong impression on her. In May 1994, Yelena became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAfter moving to Kansk, she met Vasiliy, and in March 2012 they got married. A year later, their daughter was born. Vasiliy works as a driver, enjoys chess, table tennis and fishing. The family loves to relax outdoors.\nBefore the start of the criminal prosecution, Yelena was a hotel administrator, but due to the restrictions imposed, she had to look for another job — she got a job as a cleaner.\n","date":"2025-12-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/grosheva/photo_hu_a38c2642a594034c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/grosheva/photo_hu_26745a00e930f93f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/grosheva/photo_hu_48dafffa872d8d4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/grosheva/photo_hu_e39b3c143101c661.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/grosheva.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Grosheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Kamenskaya was born in Biryusinsk, Irkutsk Region, in a working family. She has a younger sister. After school, Yelena studied at a colleage for microbiology. For 15 years she renovated apartments, and since 2016 she has been working as a controller-cashier for a water company.\nYelena has two sons and is divorced. The family lived in Volgograd for 7 years. There, Yelena met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and began to study the Bible. \u0026quot;I saw how practical it was and how it helps raise children,\u0026quot; the believer said. In July 1996, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nWhen the sons started college in Kansk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Yelena moved there to support them. In her spare time, she likes to do handicrafts and make home preserves.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative effect on Yelena\u0026#39;s emotional and physical well-being. She said: \u0026quot;After everything I have been through, I am under constant stress, which is why I cannot work at full strength... The accounts where I received my salary were blocked, and my health also deteriorated.\u0026quot; Relatives, including Yelena\u0026#39;s mother, are worried about her.\n","date":"2025-12-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kamenskaya/photo_hu_b579bf0fee0577c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kamenskaya/photo_hu_aebbac35e6437f03.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kamenskaya/photo_hu_f73d6320e4fc594d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kamenskaya/photo_hu_44b79e17f03895f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kamenskaya.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Kamenskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Sorokin has lived all his life in Kansk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). Here he was born and raised, worked, married, raised children and, already in retirement, faced criminal prosecution for his faith.\nAndrey has an older sister. As a child, he loved playing football and hockey, and also checkers. After school, he immediately went to work: for 19 years he was a milling machine operator, then for 9 years — a blacksmith, and from 2011 — a janitor.\nAt the factory, he met Oksana, who worked there as a cook. They got married in the summer of 1990. They have a son and a daughter. The couple loves spending time together and playing board games. Andrey also enjoys reading.\nIn 1995, Andrey began to study the Bible and a year later decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;I had many questions, especially on scientific topics,\u0026quot; Andrey recalls. \u0026quot;And the Bible proved that it can be trusted.\u0026quot;\nAfter the search the believer\u0026#39;s bank account was blocked and he could no longer receive his pension and provide for his family. \u0026quot;Our life has changed completely, \u0026quot; said Andrey. \u0026quot;My wife and son are outraged that I'm being prosecuted for reading the Bible and trying to live according to God\u0026#39;s laws.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-01-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sorokinan/photo_hu_aeb52e5cecdb9256.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sorokinan/photo_hu_a1bee8915c346d75.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sorokinan/photo_hu_8e7e26048f754cb4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sorokinan/photo_hu_85eb6755e738f361.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sorokinan.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Sorokin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 5, 2025, Igor Egozaryan was released from the penal colony. He had been sentenced to 6 years. He actually spent more than 3.5 years in the correctional facility. Taking previous restrictions into account, his term was recalculated, and he was released earlier than originally planned.\nThe believer served his sentence in two penal colonies in Udmurtia — in Liuga and Sarapul. After his transfer, Igor had to adapt to many things, since the facility had previously been a high-security penal colony, and for some time, old, stricter rules were still in effect. This was evident both in the regulations and in the administration\u0026#39;s attitude toward inmates. Igor had many personal belongings taken away, even all his socks except the black ones. Once a week, inmates underwent a full personal search, whereas in the previous penal colony, such procedures were carried out only a couple of times. All this was discouraging, but there were also positive changes. For example, Igor was pleased with the new, more nourishing rations, which included milk and omelets.\nDuring his years in the penal colony, Igor worked in various workshops. At first, he was in the sewing unit. At that time, the supervisor made an exception and allowed him to sew warm trousers for himself. Later, he moved to the metalworking shop due to health problems: working with synthetic padding had affected him negatively. Igor also completed training as a stoker.\nWhile imprisoned, Igor received numerous letters from around the world. However, some letters were heavily censored: they were delivered with extensive redactions, trimmed pages, or without a reply envelope. Twice, Igor\u0026#39;s Bible was confiscated — in Liuga, this was explained by the absence of a special stamp from the Orthodox Church, and in Sarapul, the believer was deprived of his Bible even though it bore stamps from the local eparchy and the correctional colony.\nThree fellow believers of Igor Egozaryan, who were convicted along with him, are expected to be released next year.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/12/100826/image_hu_87351006e0c9637c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/12/100826/image_hu_688b6e22fad433b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/12/100826/image_hu_7b28225bdb237080.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/12/100826/image_hu_11285fcacd47da16.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/12/100826.html","regions":["volgograd","udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"First of Jehovah’s Witnesses Convicted in Volgograd Released","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr turned to the prosecutor: \"... It is also evident from you that you do not consider us guilty. […] We do not hold a grudge against you, as well as against everyone who tried to tarnish our reputation with false accusations and fictitious testimony.\"\n","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/606.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Repeated speech with the final statement of the defendant Aleksandr Kruglyakov in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"In court, the believer stated: \"I have deep respect for the words from the Bible and I am afraid of displeasing God, who sees everything.\" He continued: \"I obey the laws of the country, pay taxes and do not undermine the foundations of the constitutional order or the security of the state.\"\n","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/590.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Second Final Statement of Defendant Andrey Kharlamov in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"Five months ago, Mariya Pankova, 51, from Moscow, met her husband, Sergey Tolokonnikov, at the gates of the penal colony where he had served a sentence for his faith. Now she has been penalized — a fine of 500,000 rubles. This decision was announced by the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow on November 26, 2025.\n\u0026quot;When my trial started and I said, that I didn't understand the charges against me at all, [the prosecutor] replied that, if anything was unclear my lawyer could explain it to me. But the lawyer asked the same thing... No answer was given; we never received one,\u0026quot; Mariya said in her final statement. The prosecutor requested that the believer be sent to a penal colony for 2.5 years for attending Christian meetings for worship.\nMariya and Sergey\u0026#39;s family has been living under prosecution for more than 4 years. Sergey spent most of that time in custody. The believer described what she felt: \u0026quot;We lived together for 27 years, and then I was alone... I felt like a little railroad car that had been moving smoothly and happily along the track of life behind an engine for many years — it was suddenly taken away. And now the car must move the entire load along a difficult track by itself — sometimes pushing, sometimes dragging, and sometimes helplessly crying by the wheels.\u0026quot; During that period, Mariya had to care on her own for her 78-year-old disabled mother and her mother-in-law.\nThe investigation against Pankova began 2 months before her husband\u0026#39;s release. \u0026quot;I have serious health problems,\u0026quot; the believer said, \u0026quot; which worsened once the criminal case was initiated.\u0026quot; The situation became even more difficult on the eve of the verdict: Mariya developed severe spinal pain and for several days could neither stand nor sit. During the same period, her mother-in-law passed away.\n\u0026quot;When I was separated from my husband, my trust in God, like an anchor, kept me from falling into despair and panic,\u0026quot; Mariya recalls. \u0026quot;When the criminal prosecution affected me personally, I realized I needed to develop even greater trust.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of couples and multiple members of one family has already become a \u0026quot;hallmark\u0026quot; of Russian law enforcement agencies. Mariya\u0026#39;s words reflect the feelings of many believers in similar circumstances: \u0026quot;Criminal prosecution for faith and acts of mercy in today\u0026#39;s world makes no sense to me.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-26T14:52:12+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/261452/image_hu_34d0785023a9be90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/261452/image_hu_84af692287aa951e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/261452/image_hu_faf77373efa3f87a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/261452/image_hu_15a941f921a0b7ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/261452.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Wife of Convicted Jehovah's Witness Fined in Moscow","tags":["sentence","fine","families","282.2-2"],"title":"\"Criminal Prosecution for Acts of Mercy Makes No Sense to Me\".","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer stated that she considers the criminal prosecution groundless, and explained why she is far removed from any illegal activity.\n","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/586.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Maria Pankova in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 21, 2025, the Levoberezhnyy District Court of Voronezh issued the region\u0026#39;s first verdict against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses on charges of extremism — one of the harshest sentences this year. Yevgeniy Sokolov was given 7 years in a penal colony; Sergey Baev and Igor Popov were given a 6-year suspended sentence and the others — 6 years in a penal colony.\nJudge Yevgeniya Laskavaya\u0026#39;s decision concluded an almost 4-year trial. The convicted men are aged 29 to 61. Many have higher or vocational education: engineers, electromechanics, philologists, welders, and blacksmiths.\nThe investigation against the believers lasted more than 5 years. Its first landmark event was a raid by law enforcement officers on July 13, 2020. That day, more than 110 searches took place in the region — a record number in the recent history of the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The believers ended up in pretrial detention for nearly 5 months. Several were subjected to cruel treatment — including Anatoliy Yagupov and Yuriy Galka. The latter had his arms twisted behind his back and a bag placed over his head until he suffocated; he was also beaten, resulting in a broken rib.\n\u0026quot;It feels like no one hears us when we say we are simply practicing our religion as we always have,\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Sokolov commented shortly before the verdict. \u0026quot;We are just believers and are living according to the Bible. The persecutors clearly have their own agenda and keep pushing it.\u0026quot; Valeriy Gurskiy expressed a similar thought in his final statement: \u0026quot;The case contains a huge amount of material, dozens of volumes. The volumes could have been doubled... but the result would be the same: there is nothing we should be charged with.\u0026quot; Yuriy Galka spoke about the investigation period: \u0026quot;I was fully aware of the surveillance. Then and now, I am confident I was not breaking any laws of the Russian Federation, so I never ran away. I prefer to be with my fellow believers in difficult times.\u0026quot;\nDespite the criminal prosecution, the defendants noticed empathy and goodwill from those around them. Anatoliy Yagupov thanked the judge for paying attention to the defendants\u0026#39; health: \u0026quot;You were understanding when one of us couldn\u0026#39;t attend court due to illness and even arranged a chair in the courtroom for my fellow believer so he could be more comfortable after leaving the hospital.\u0026quot; Mikhail Veselov spoke about the support from his neighbors: \u0026quot;They sincerely worried about me when I was in pretrial detention. And when I returned home, they greeted me joyfully and said, \u0026#39;Don\u0026#39;t leave us again.\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Sokolov noted the investigator\u0026#39;s respectful attitude: \u0026quot;He emphasized that we have a good reputation... said he had spoken with other investigators, and all of them noted that we are people from whom one would never expect any malice. And he admitted quite openly: \u0026#39;I see that it is true.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nLarge-scale trials against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are not isolated incidents. In various regions of Russia, law enforcement agencies have initiated cases against entire groups of believers — from 8 to 18 people at a time.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-21T16:57:03+02:00","duration":"0:46","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_4f3aa530958d5a8b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_5598682b49bca6f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_4ad1c3933cf7520f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/211657/image_hu_bffaad7d435cb76c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/211657.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","siloviks-violence","elderly","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Up to 7 Years in Penal Colony — 10 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Voronezh Convicted for Their Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2025, at 7 a.m., law enforcement officers carried out searches at four addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the city of Kansk. Afterward five believers were taken for interrogation. One man and one woman were placed under house arrest with tracking bracelets on their legs, while another woman was ordered not to leave her home at night.\nActive religious prosecution in the Krasnoyarsk Territory began in 2018, shortly after the organizations of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia had been liquidated. Since then, at least 125 searches have taken place there. The last one — in September this year. Criminal cases against a total of 33 people from this region have been initiated; 5 are serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/261058.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Two Under House Arrest","tags":["search","interrogation","house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"title":"Again Searches in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"Study, work as a pharmacist, and caring for her family — such was the life of Olga Chebrak. In the autumn of 2025, law enforcement officers turned up to search her home and she learned that she had become a defendant in a criminal case: she was charged with extremism.\nOlga was born in April 1971 in Litovko (Khabarovsk Territory). She has an older brother. Since she was three, the family lived in the small, quiet town of Obluchye in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Her father worked as a gas welder, and her mother was an electrical equipment repair technician. Both parents have since passed away.\nOlga had many different interests when she was a child. She sang in a choir and enjoyed sewing. Sports held a special place in her life: during her school years, she did gymnastics and took part in skiing competitions. Later, sports moved into the background, but she still enjoys skiing and cycling.\nAfter finishing school, Olga enrolled in the Khabarovsk Medical College, where she qualified as a pharmacist. She was then assigned to work in Birobidzhan, where she has lived ever since. She has been working in pharmacy since 1990 and loves her profession. Olga is married and has two adult children — a son and a daughter.\nAs a child, Olga sometimes read the Bible aloud to her grandmother. Over time, her interest in spiritual matters grew, and she began studying the Bible. She particularly liked the teaching about a future without wars, sickness, or death. In April 1997, Olga was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to her, applying Bible principles noticeably changed her character: she became more self-controlled and stopped using foul language.\nThe criminal prosecution became a trial for the family. During the search, Olga\u0026#39;s husband and daughter were at home and were shaken by the sudden intrusion of law enforcement officers. Olga\u0026#39;s determination not to abandon her beliefs, has earned her family's understanding and respect.\n","date":"2026-04-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chebrak/photo_hu_1661ebb0ec901e5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chebrak/photo_hu_e13f549b172964e8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chebrak/photo_hu_c427a5296388d35d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chebrak/photo_hu_a92269ad7757bd91.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chebrak.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Chebrak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Natalya Kocheva was born in December 1961 in the village of Boguchan, Amur Region. Her mother raised her and her younger sister on her own.\nNatalya spent her childhood in Birobidzhan, where her mother worked in a sewing factory. She was an active and creative child: she sang in the school choir, loved knitting, sewing, and cross-country skiing and started every day with exercises.\nWhen Natalya was about 15, the family moved to Blagoveshchensk. After school, she got a job at the Central Telegraph. \u0026quot;I gave all the money I earned to my mother, and together we bought food and clothes for the family,\u0026quot; she recalls.\nIn 1981, Natalya got married and settled in the village of Khingansk (Jewish Autonomous Region). She had a son and a daughter. She worked as a telegraph operator, then as a delivery person for a local newspaper, and later as security at a factory. Before the start of criminal prosecution, Natalya worked as security at a polytechnical college, where she was considered a friendly and reliable employee.\nAfter the death of her husband, Natalya was looking for answers to questions important to her and visited different churches. A friend invited her to meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;There I received Bible-based answers and became more and more convinced that this was exactly what I was looking for — genuine faith,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;Gradually, I freed myself from foul language and a hot temper; I became wiser and calmer.\u0026quot; In 2009, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Natalya says: \u0026quot;Thanks to the truth, I have found a real Father, hope for eternal life and many friends. And what else does a person need to be happy?\nKocheva moved to Birobidzhan in 2013 with her second husband. The couple love to spend time outdoors, especially fishing. Natalya is a grandmother of five. \u0026quot;They know me as the one gathering them outdoors at the campfire,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;I like to take pictures with them and have fun and pick mushrooms.\u0026quot; The grandchildren appreciate their grandmother for her help and support in any situation.\nShe developed heart problems because of the criminal prosecution. \u0026quot;Unfortunately, my mother and sister are no longer alive,\u0026quot; Natalya said. \u0026quot;My husband, children and grandchildren, who do not share my beliefs, do not understand how I can be charged with extremism.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-12-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_2e16186fe885410f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_d3446324d98a9cd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_d56f24956160fab7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kocheva/photo_hu_b3508d24bd2262e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kocheva.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Kocheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Kononov, a pensioner from Uyar, ended up in a pretrial detention center in October 2025 because of his faith in God. This greatly affected his life: his health deteriorated, and because his accounts have been blocked, he cannot receive his pension.\nViktor was born in February 1965 in the village of Karlyk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. There were five children in the family: three boys and two girls. His parents have long passed away. In his youth, Viktor loved football and hockey. After finishing school, he received vocational training.\nIn 1989, Viktor married Tatyana. She was the first in the family to become interested in spiritual matters. Later, Viktor also began a deep study of the Bible. Thinking about proof of the existence of a creator moved him to do so. In 2002, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Faith brought our family together,\u0026quot; the believer recalls, \u0026quot;helped us raise our two daughters and taught us to value marriage ties. The Bible helped me understand the importance of being a compassionate and friendly person; taught me to be an honest and respectable citizen.\u0026quot;\nViktor\u0026#39;s working life was varied: he served under a contract in the army, later worked as a compressor equipment and ammonia refrigeration technician, an ironworker, as well as a boiler room operator, a position he held until his arrest. Viktor\u0026#39;s wife is a medical worker.\nViktor and his family love to spend time together: relaxing outdoors, walking the dogs in the forest, picking berries and mushrooms, ice skating and skiing. They moved to the Krasnoyarsk Territory to be closer to Tatyana\u0026#39;s relatives.\nHis wife and children are worried about Viktor\u0026#39;s prosecution, which they consider unfair.\n","date":"2025-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_a2270493252f0f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_a2270493252f0f07.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_2c85ffc2fc976785.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kononov/photo_hu_2c85ffc2fc976785.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kononov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Kononov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Kopatskaya was born in November 1982 in Birobidzhan. She was the first child in a large family — she has three younger sisters and a brother. Until the age of 9, Yelena lived with her mother and stepfather, then she was taken in by her aunt, with whom she lived until the age of 17. Her aunt worked as a postwoman, and the girl really liked to deliver mail with her.\nAfter school, the girl entered a vocational college in Amurzet (about 200 km from Birobidzhan) and studied to be a costume and wig designer but did not work in her profession. By the end of her studies, Yelena got a job as a cleaner at the Children\u0026#39;s Art Center, where she worked for 24 years. Later, she worked for a cleaning company.\nWhen Yelena was 13, her aunt began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. After a while, Yelena also took to heart the teachings from the Bible. \u0026quot;I liked that fellow believers apply what is written in the Bible and how it affects their lives. Everyone tries to show love to each other,\u0026quot; Yelena said. \u0026quot;I saw how applying the principles affected our family.\u0026quot; Later it happened that Yelena\u0026#39;s mother also began studying the Bible. In 2000, Yelena and her mother became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, following the example of her aunt.\nIn December 2002, Yelena married Aleksey. He worked as a welder, fireman, handyman, and in recent years in building maintenance. The couple have three children: two sons and a daughter.\nLater the Kopatskys moved to Birobidzhan. The move helped the children — they had more opportunities to mix with their peers. Furthermore, it was easier to find work in the city. Their children have already grown up; all three are working.\nIn February 2024, the home of the Kopatskys was searched. In March, Yelena, her husband and oldest son were interrogated by the Investigative Committee. In October 2025, all of Yelena\u0026#39;s bank accounts were blocked, which made it difficult for her to find a job.\n","date":"2026-02-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kopatskaya/photo_hu_995f21157dfb1b68.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kopatskaya/photo_hu_3ef7d3dcc904092d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kopatskaya/photo_hu_27430852dd0aead5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kopatskaya/photo_hu_39ef75cba8e8d614.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kopatskaya.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Kopatskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 1994, following Bible teachings, Aflatun Safarov was able to overcome his addiction to gambling and smoking. He ended up behind bars 31 years later because of the same beliefs: he was charged with extremism as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAflatun was born in February 1963 in the village of Ortagishlag (Azerbaijan) in a large family — he has four brothers and two sisters. The young man served his military service in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and remained there. He qualified as gas-electric welder and worked in his profession until his retirement.\nIn 1988, Aflatun married Lyubov, and 3 years later the couple began to study the Bible. He was especially moved by the hope of living forever, as he could not accept that death is the end.\nIn 2001, the family moved from Krasnoyarsk to live in Uyar, where more than 20 years later they faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Lyubov\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened after her husband was arrested. Relatives are worried about the Safarovs and wonder why these honest and kind people are called extremists.\n","date":"2025-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_471e61690ca42948.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_6afa64f3543e93b5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_9c376c598fc7e704.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/safarov/photo_hu_50aaf2131fb9e231.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/safarov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aflatun Safarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Irina Savkina, who is raising her underage daughter on her own, has become another prisoner of conscience from Birobidzhan, where dozens of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced persecution for their faith.\nIrina is originally from Huliaipole, Ukraine. She has three sisters and one brother. As part of a resettlement program, her parents moved to the Russian Far East and settled in the village of Polevoye in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Her mother worked as a milkmaid, while her father worked as a farmhand.\nAs a child, Irina enjoyed taking part in drama clubs, where children staged fairy tales and performed short plays. After finishing school, she completed vocational training as a pastry chef and worked for a time as a chef, and later as a painter.\nIn the early 2000s, Irina began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;I found answers to my questions. What especially amazed me was that the Bible is scientifically accurate,\u0026quot; she recalls. Applying Bible principles brought significant changes to Irina\u0026#39;s life. \u0026quot;I used to be very cruel,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;I smoked, abused alcohol, and lived an immoral life. But thankfully, Jehovah helped me overcome all of that. My life became joyful and happy.\u0026quot; She was baptized in the summer of 2002.\nIrina has two daughters, one of whom is already an adult. After a while, the family moved to the village of Amurzet. After Irina suffered a leg injury, she often traveled 210 kilometers to Birobidzhan, where she underwent surgery several times. During that period, friends in Birobidzhan supported her, and she decided to move closer to them. Irina enjoys spending time with close friends and loves being out in nature.\nThe criminal prosecution has brought serious hardships into the lives of Irina and her daughters. She faced threats and pressure from the investigator and later found out that her bank accounts had been frozen. As a result, Irina was unable to receive 8 years\u0026#39; worth of child support arrears for her younger daughter or to work. Stress has also triggered health problems for Irina.\n","date":"2026-02-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/savkina/photo_hu_c80153d837e2f656.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/savkina/photo_hu_bc5d6ca02a2da41d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/savkina/photo_hu_7470f261a276f1ce.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/savkina/photo_hu_91501570b5e25cbb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/savkina.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Irina Savkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 19, 2025, in the Krasnodar Territory, the trial of Yelena Gadrshina concluded. The court found her guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Judge Ruslan Teplukhin gave the elderly woman a 2-year suspended sentence for peacefully practicing her faith.\nYelena Gadrshina has been married for 45 years and they have an adult daughter. She worked as an accountant for many years. She was among the believers whose homes were searched in February 2022 because of her beliefs. A criminal case was initiated against her, and her bank accounts were frozen. For nearly 2 years, she had to defend her good name in court.\nDuring the hearings, lawyers repeatedly pointed out serious violations committed by the investigation. For example, the interrogation protocol of a secret witness, prepared by the investigator, turned out to be identical (down to the mistakes) to a document from another case. The investigator somehow managed to review 63 hours of video footage and produce 300 pages of transcripts in just three hours. One expert, a psychologist, admitted she was unsure whether her signature on the conclusion was genuine; the defense found 155 citation errors in that conclusion. Another expert, a linguist, referred to non-existent transcripts. The contracts with these experts for their work were lost.\nYelena is grateful for the support of friends and others who care: \u0026quot;Fellow believers come from different cities to support me during the hearings. Those who cannot attend send messages with words of encouragement and assurances that they are fervently praying for me.\u0026quot;\nYelena Gadrshina became one of seven women sentenced as a result of the mass prosecution of believers in Vyselki.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_ed40beb0383d4a5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_922cf63767c000d6.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_c533cea67df4fd9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/211023/image_hu_6ac11c96e5a1548a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/211023.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"She Was Given a 2-year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Vyselki, Woman, 67, Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 17, 2025, searches and interrogations were carried out in the homes of at least four believers from Bataysk. One was placed in a temporary detention facility and he was released 48 hours later. Update. According to clarified information, searches in the homes of believers began early in the morning on November 18. At least two families had elderly relatives at home, and in one case, there was also a minor child. After the searches, four men (two of them aged 60 and 64) were taken to the police station for questioning. Copies of documents were not given to the believers. The searches were authorized by the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don on November 13, 2025. \"Although the officers behaved correctly, my family and I are still anxious, have no appetite, and suffer from disturbed sleep,\" one of the believers said. \"After the search, my granddaughter cried for two more days — she was very frightened.\" Bataysk became the fifth city in the Rostov Region (along with Rostov, Taganrog, Novocherkassk and Gukovo) where Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for practicing their religion. This began in the region in 2011 in Taganrog, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against 16 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for reading the Bible, singing and praying together.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/241328.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly","minors"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses in Yet Another City in the Rostov Region Are Facing Prosecution","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of November 19, 2025, a raid was carried out against local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Armavir and the village of Konokovo. At least five people were interrogated and their homes were searched.\nThe criminal case was initiated by Vera Moskovaya, an investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Two believers — Daniil Koval, 47, and Viktor Vikulyev, 35, — are suspected of organizing the activity of a liquidated organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC).\nThe number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses prosecuted in Kuban has reached 40. One of them, a retired police officer, Valeriy Baylo, died in prison due to his not being provided with medical care.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/251128.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New Searches in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses — This Time in and Around Armavir","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer quotes lines from Tolstoy's novel \"Resurrection\", where the villagers were sentenced to exile for reading the Gospel. \"Since then 126 years have passed, but the problem with freedom of religion in Russia is just as severe. You, Your Honor, have the unique opportunity to change everything,\" says Yelena.\n","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/585.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Yelena Gadrshina in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 14, 2025, two of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Oleg Shidlovskiy, 56, and Aleksey Goreliy, 45, were released in the Ulyanovsk Region. They served their sentences in full, having spent almost 2.5 years in a pretrial detention center and about 3 years in a penal colony.\nBefore his arrest, Oleg Shidlovskiy worked for about 30 years as a physical education teacher in one of the schools in Gukovo (Rostov Region). His wife Natalya, who had previously suffered three strokes, was left alone with her teenage daughter. \u0026quot;At the very beginning, it was difficult... to accept being separated from my husband. Then a feeling of loneliness set in,\u0026quot; she recalls. They had their share of difficulties around the home: \u0026quot;The roof was damaged, it began to rain, and the heating did not work. Problems came one after another... What would I have done without friends!\u0026quot;\nOleg also felt that he was not forgotten. \u0026quot;I want to mention the special support of those who wrote letters,\u0026quot; Oleg said after his release. \u0026quot;During the 5 years, I received about 7600 letters. This was really strong encouragement. I felt that I was not alone, but part of a large loving family.\u0026quot;\nIn the penal colony, Oleg worked in the sewing workshop. He complained of fluctuating blood pressure, and the medications he was given did not always help. He lost his sight in one eye. According to the ophthalmologist, he needed surgery, which could not be carried out in the penal colony. The administration treated the believer with respect because of his good conduct.\nAleksey Goreliy also was the sole breadwinner in his family; he worked as a chief accountant for a manufacturer. His arrest came as a shock to his wife, Inna. She relates: \u0026quot;It seemed as if the ground was collapsing beneath me.\u0026quot; Raising their son, who joined first grade in 2020, fell entirely on her shoulders: \u0026quot;Our son often asked: \u0026#39;When will they release dad?\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Aleksey also found it hard being separated from his family: \u0026quot;The most difficult thing is not seeing my only child growing up.\u0026quot;\nThe men were convicted under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Their case became part of a large-scale prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in today's Russia. The rest of the defendants in the case: Nikita Moiseyev, Yevgeniy Razumov, Vladimir Popov and Aleksey Dyadkin — are due to be released in May and June 2026.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/171611/image_hu_145b654117ec654.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/171611/image_hu_18032b803f5595ed.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/171611/image_hu_569b8de80a388a1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/171611/image_hu_82bddf7a32f38e0c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/171611.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Oleg Shidlovskiy and Aleksey Goreliy Released After More Than 5 Years of Having Been Separated from Their Families","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2025, the court gave Igor Prityko, 55, a suspended sentence, recognizing him as a participant in the activity of an extremist organization. The believer pleaded not guilty and called the prosecution an expression of \u0026quot;intolerance toward religious beliefs.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;The nature of my work requires that I communicate a lot with people, and I try to focus on the positive traits of a person. This helped me... gain a reputation as a reliable partner and a person easy to talk to,\u0026quot; testified Prityko, who has changed professions in the field of construction several times throughout his life. \u0026quot;Helping people find hope in the wonderful future promised by God, I became the happiest person. All this, Your Honor, is my contribution to maintaining peace in society,\u0026quot; he added, highlighting that his way of life is incompatible with extremism.\nBirobidzhan is one of the Russian cities with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: at the time of publication of this article, there were 24 cases (initiated against 28 people). Four believers were sent to a penal colony, and 21 people given suspended sentences. When court hearings against Jehovah's Witnesses first started in his city, Igor attended them. \u0026quot;After the decision [to liquidate the legal entities] I made it my goal to attend court hearings to encourage my brothers and sisters in the faith and to see the joy on their faces when the verdicts were announced,\u0026quot; he recalls. In time his family also faced prosecution: in the winter of 2024 law enforcement officers conducted the first search at Prityko's home, and the year after, following another raid, D. Emelyanenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case against the believer. Soon the trial began in the Birobidzhan District Court, led by Judge Svetlana Zemtsova.\nIgor grew up in a large family and, being the eldest, was used to taking care of his loved ones from childhood, but with the beginning of the investigation it became more difficult for him to do so. \u0026quot;I only work a little, and the entire financial burden fell on the shoulders of my wife,\u0026quot; the believer explained the situation and added: \u0026quot;Although our active life was slowed down by various restrictions and it became difficult to provide for the family, we lacked nothing. Hardship has brought us closer. There is less fuss and more time for the family.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_c96ba926bb2e6f25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_42ab5a12b170500d.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_efc092504145c29a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/200937/image_hu_6690176884c6cc17.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/200937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"The 27th Conviction of One of Jehovah's Witnesses by Local Court","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Resident of Birobidzhan Given a 2.5-year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"Relating his own example, the believer told the court what role the Bible plays in people's lives. \"If you truly, without hypocrisy, love God and your neighbors,\" he said, \"no power will force you to show hatred and commit violence.\"\n","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/584.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Igor Prityko in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov became the oldest of those imprisoned for their faith in Jehovah God — on November 12, 2025, Judge Rustam Tagirov found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced them to 3 years in a penal colony. The pensioners were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nValeriy Knyazev is a veteran of labor with 29 years experience in the fire brigade. In the late 1990s, he served as deputy chief, and was awarded three medals, including \u0026quot;For Impeccable Service\u0026quot;. The criminal prosecution — surveillance, three searches, 24 hours in a temporary detention facility, summons to the Investigative Committee and participating in court hearings — affected Valeriy Knyazev\u0026#39;s health. He was admitted to the hospital for 1 week in the cardiology department. Recalling his pretrial detention, Valeriy noted: \u0026quot;I was grateful to my fellow believers for their help, as I felt depressed at the time and had high blood pressure.\u0026quot;\nThe Knyazevs have been married for 52 years. Valeriy\u0026#39;s wife Galina, who is disabled, said in court: \u0026quot;My husband has necrosis of the knee, but he helps me, supports me constantly, goes to the store, does all the physical work.\u0026quot;\nIndus Talipov worked as a blacksmith for almost 20 years. The court interrogated his ex-wife as a witness. She described him as a caring and sympathetic person: \u0026quot;The neighbors really love Indus. And when I was [recently] in hospital, he was always there, brought food, and took care of me.\u0026quot; Before the verdict was passed, the believer was waiting for an operation to replace his knee joint but missed out due to detention. He would be able to walk without pain only with the aid of an expensive orthopedic brace, but it is not yet clear how he could get it while being in prison.\nA criminal case against the believers was initiated in June 2024. The trial in the Pervomayskiy District Court of Izhevsk lasted 11 months. The charge was based the testimony of a secret witness. The materials against Aleksandr Stefanidin, the third defendant in the case, has been suspended.\nIn Udmurtia, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted. Law enforcement officers initiate criminal cases against believers despite their advanced age, serious illnesses and contributions to society. Among them Yevgeniy Stefanidin, a disabled person with cancer, and Aleksandr Kutin, a highly qualified gas and arc welder, who serviced oxygen systems in hospitals during the pandemic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_f213c09a681527c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_25b8f5db48965b29.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_3fbb6289a66bc27d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/11/140952/image_hu_fe0b15a31a486a40.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/140952.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses, Both 74, to Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"\"All my life I have lived and continue to live as a law-abiding person,\" the believer said in court. \"In 2009, I became a Christian, and since then I have tried to live not only by the laws of the state, but also by the high moral standards of Jehovah God.\"\n","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/583.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Indus Talipov's last word in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I can't get my head around how, having worked in the fire brigade for many years, having received well-deserved awards and gratitude for impeccable service, becoming a veteran of labor, I could become a 'criminal' in the closing stages of my life just because I began to study the most widespread book in the world,\" said the believer.\n","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/582.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Valery Knyazev's last word in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer cited Bible examples of the persecution of God's servants, drawing parallels to our days. \"They are trying to hold us accountable for peacefully and lawfully practicing our faith, for heeding the words of Christ and his apostles and not ceasing our meetings,\" he highlighted.\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/576.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Aleksey Antyukhin in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, Anatoliy Yagupov said: \"I did not do what I am charged with. I did not harm anyone. I have good relations with everyone. I have a clean conscience before my God and people.\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/577.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Anatoliy Yagupov in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I am sure that you have never seen such 'extremists' before — calm, neat, polite, positive,\" the believer noted in his statement. \"We didn't need escorts — it was quiet and peaceful. Sometimes it was not even clear: is this a court session or just a business meeting?\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/575.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Igor Popov in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"My actions did not cause harm or damage to anyone,\" the believer said in court and added: \"For the charges I am facing 7 years in a correctional penal colony... But do I need to be corrected?\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/579.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Mikhail Veselov in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer emphasized that the charge is absurd and evidence of his guilt is lacking. \"I am convinced that my family and I have to overcome all this solely because of my beliefs,\" he said.\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/581.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Stepan Pankratov in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told how the Bible influenced his life and noted that the charge was unfounded: \"We could double the volumes, add material, but the result would be the same: there is nothing we should be charged with. Least of all extremism.\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/573.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Valeriy Gurskiy in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Vitaliy drew a parallel to the trial of Jesus Christ, emphasizing the unfairness of the prosecution. He stated: \"In fact, I am charged with practicing a faith that is not prohibited.\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/574.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Vitaliy Nerush in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"Reflecting on the prosecution he faced, the believer expresses confidence: \"God has a unique ability to turn the negative things that concern his servants into positive ones.\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/578.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Yevgeniy Sokolov in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Yuriy emphasized the peaceful nature of his activity, noting: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted in our country today, and this is not because we are criminals... Reading and studying the Bible cannot be a crime.\"\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/580.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Yuriy Galka in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Sergey emphasized that the main theme of the Bible is the sanctification of the name of God Jehovah. \"[He] is the personification of love, and his dominion rests on this. A person is also endowed with these qualities - love, justice, wisdom and power,\" the believer said. The transcript is published in an abridged form.\n","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/588.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Baev in Voronezh","type":"docs"},{"body":"A search, custody, house arrest, and a ban on communicating with and living with his family—all of this has become a new chapter in the biography of Yevgeniy Bagin, a resident of a small settlement on the banks of the Yenisei River.\nYevgeniy was born in the city of Nurek (Tajik SSR). His father took part in the construction of two hydroelectric power plants in the region, and his mother worked in retail. Yevgeniy has a younger brother. His parents have passed away; during the last year of her life, his mother suffered from dementia, and Yevgeniy cared for her.\nThe family moved to Khakassia in 1981 due to political unrest in the Tajik Republic, which later escalated into an armed conflict. They settled in Sayanogorsk. At that time, work was underway on the Sayano‑Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant, and Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s father continued his work on its construction.\nAs a teenager, Yevgeniy studied the bayan (button accordion) and was keen on football and volleyball. After school, he earned a qualification as an auto mechanic at an agricultural college, though he did not work in that field. At first, he worked as a loader, then as a firefighter. Later he was injured but remained on the service as a radio operator. He has been retired since 2018.\nYevgeniy married in 1997. About a year later, the young family moved to the settlement of Maina, where the mother of his wife, Zoya, lived. In 1998, the couple\u0026#39;s first daughter was born, and six years later, another daughter. Both young women work in the beauty industry—as a hairdresser and a manicurist (nail technician). Zoya is a mathematics teacher with many years of experience and enjoys playing the piano. She loves working in the garden. Before the criminal prosecution began, Yevgeniy, his wife, and their daughters traveled together, went on picnics in nature and spent time with friends, and also went to the cinema and the swimming pool.\nZoya believed in God and saw how her prayers were answered. Therefore, when her mother began to study the Bible, she—and Yevgeniy with her—decided to join. As Yevgeniy recalls, the logic and simplicity of Bible teachings, as well as the pleasant fellowship with believers, influenced his outlook on life. According to the couple, applying the Bible\u0026#39;s counsel helped them preserve their family. In 2003, Yevgeniy, Zoya, and her mother were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The couple instilled Christian values in their daughters as well.\nThe criminal prosecution separated the family in September 2025. By court order, Yevgeniy was first placed in a pretrial detention center (SIZO), and then under house arrest in accommodation separate from his family. Shortly before the searches, Zoya had undergone major brain surgery and needed her husband\u0026#39;s care. \u0026quot;I cannot support my wife during this difficult period in her life or look after her health,\u0026quot; the believer shared. \u0026quot;Our family has never been apart for so long. By court order, my loved ones are not even allowed to communicate with me.\u0026quot;\nYevgeniy is also concerned about his own health problems: he has lung and heart conditions and worries that the prosecution will prevent him from receiving the necessary medical care.\n","date":"2026-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bagin/photo_hu_ead49f107d8a372d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bagin/photo_hu_2f803dd213669e1d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bagin/photo_hu_f0d82ae67c90ca3e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bagin/photo_hu_a88ebe0988d89bae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bagin.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Bagin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Górev was born in 1962 in the settlement of Mayna (Khakassia). He grew up in a large family: he has an older brother and sister, and another older sister died in infancy. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s parents lived through the war and the difficult post‑war years. They worked hard and taught their children to respect hard work.\nThroughout his life, Aleksandr moved frequently, but Mayna remained the place he always returned to. This is where he spent his school years. At the age of seven, he developed love for sports—hockey and football—which has stayed with him throughout his life. After finishing school, Aleksandr completed training as an electric welder, and in 1979 he went to work at the Sayano‑Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant. He was later drafted into the army, and after his service he was assigned to the Berezovskaya State District Power Plant in Krasnoyarsk Territory. There he worked as a welder and also coached children\u0026#39;s hockey teams.\nIn the late 1980s, he returned to Mayna once again, first working at an aluminum plant and later becoming a ranger in a national park. Aleksandr has been retired since 2017.\nThe year 1994 was especially difficult for Aleksandr: within just a few months, he lost several close relatives, including both of his parents. These events made him reflect on the meaning of life and what happens after death. During that time, he prayed to God for the first time. Soon afterward, an acquaintance gave him a Bible and showed him answers to his questions within its pages. Aleksandr recalls: \u0026quot;For the first month, I read the Bible voraciously, and when anyone asked how I was doing, I would say: \u0026#39;I have come to believe in God! His name is Jehovah!\u0026#39;\u0026quot; He was baptized in April 1996.\nAleksandr married in 1998. Speaking about his wife Marina, he says: \u0026quot;She is hardworking and caring. She always wanted to create a warm home. The yard and garden were always neat and beautiful.\u0026quot; The couple raised two daughters and a son and now have four grandchildren. The family enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, and taking trips to the mountains.\nAleksandr remains energetic and actively involved in community life. In 2025, the Mayna administration supported his initiative to build a sports area near his home—hockey and ice skating in winter, football, volleyball, and basketball in summer. Aleksandr himself still plays hockey and, together with his older brother, is a member of the veterans\u0026#39; club \u0026quot;Generation 60+.\u0026quot;\nRelatives, including those who do not share Aleksandr\u0026#39;s religious beliefs, are deeply troubled by the criminal charges against him. Neighbors who know him well consider the accusations of extremism absurd, saying he is the kind of person who \u0026quot;wouldn\u0026#39;t hurt a fly.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-03-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gorev/photo_hu_77de99435c864093.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gorev/photo_hu_2408d2cf0e33979c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gorev/photo_hu_57f41b05dc852998.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gorev/photo_hu_49638ad46fe5bb9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gorev.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Gorev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Timoshchenko, a retiree from Mayna, endured a search, pressure from security officers, a nervous breakdown, and was placed in a pretrial detention center for three months for his faith in the fall of 2025. While he was behind bars, his mother passed away.\nViktor was born in Krasnoyarsk into a working-class family. He has a younger sister. His father was a tool-and-die maker, and his mother a seamstress.\nFrom his school years, he was involved in hiking and rock climbing: together with friends, he went on trips through the protected areas of Krasnoyarsk Territory. During this period, he also became passionate about photography—this hobby taught him to notice and appreciate the beauty of nature.\nAfter army service, Viktor moved to his grandmother\u0026#39;s home in the settlement of Mayna, where he worked as a carpenter/concrete worker on the construction of the Sayano‑Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant. He then worked as a driver for 18 years, half of that time with an ambulance service. Later, due to health issues, he had to change professions. He trained as a massage therapist and worked in that field for more than 20 years.\nFrom a young age, Viktor reflected on the origin of life. Over time, questions began to trouble him: Why am I living? How can I understand what is evil and what is good? Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped him find answers to these questions in the Bible. He was baptized in 1993.\nTen years later, Viktor married Marina, who shares his values. The couple have many common interests: they love to travel, go river‑rafting with friends or just the two of them almost every year, cherish the chance to sit by a campfire under the starry sky, hike in the mountains, and cook together. They have four children and six grandchildren. Viktor loves organizing family outings to strengthen the warm bonds among his loved ones.\nThe believer was arrested at his mother\u0026#39;s home; she required constant care due to a hip fracture and Alzheimer\u0026#39;s disease. She died a month and a half later, while Viktor was in the pretrial detention center.\nUnder stress, he developed hypertension. \u0026quot;To support me,\u0026quot; Viktor recalls, \u0026quot;my sons wrote these words: \u0026#39;Dad, you are not a criminal. We grew up on your example of kindness and calm, and we are raising our children by your principles.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\n","date":"2026-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/timoshchenko/photo_hu_926d8320da8adc16.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/timoshchenko/photo_hu_ab5cfb7ce2764010.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/timoshchenko/photo_hu_363190eae4b9a056.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/timoshchenko/photo_hu_3e7b08a2d323ba64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/timoshchenko.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Timoshchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sabina Albegova was born in January 1999 in Vladikavkaz. Her mother has worked as a pharmacist for many years. Her parents divorced when Sabina was a teenager. She has two older sisters.\nSince childhood, Sabina did folk dancing and sang in the choir. She had these hobbies for years. Sabina graduated from the medical academy and finished her training in cardiology. After working as a physiotherapist for a year, she got a job as a cardiologist in a clinic, where she was working until her arrest.\nFor a long time and without success, Sabina searched in different religions for answers to life\u0026#39;s questions. \u0026quot;When I was studying medicine, I came to the conclusion that there must be an intelligent Creator behind the amazing structure of the body,\u0026quot; Sabina recalls. \u0026quot;I started studying the Bible and quickly realized that I had found the truth.\u0026quot; Soon she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSabina met her future husband Magamed through mutual friends. In October 2022, they got married. Magamed is a welder by profession; he likes football. The couple often watch music shows and sing together.\nSabina described the reaction of her relatives to the unexpected criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;At first, my family was shocked. But when they saw the care and love that my friends surrounded me with, they became calm. My relatives see God's hand in my life.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-11-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/albegova/photo_hu_d9f84ebf1d2b2156.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/albegova/photo_hu_ff47aa660331bb90.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/albegova/photo_hu_1058934feb5faa89.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/albegova/photo_hu_5cbebed316bd26f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/albegova.html","regions":["osetia"],"tags":[],"title":"Sabina Albegova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Six months ago, the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court gave Larisa Potapova and Olga Kalinnikova a 2.5-year suspended sentence for discussing the Bible. On October 29, 2025, Judge Galina Masterkova changed the suspended sentences to: 4 years and 11 months for Potapova, and 5 years for Kalinnikova.\nThe retrial required the women to fly again to Sakhalin to defend their right to freedom of religion. Olga admits: \u0026quot;There\u0026#39;s little we can control while under criminal prosecution. The only thing we can and must do is be a Christian.\u0026quot;\nFor both women, the long-running criminal prosecution has brought additional hardships. Larisa Potapova, 61, lives with and cares for her elderly mother. \u0026quot;The first search was in 2019. I found it hard — my blood pressure spiked and my head ached. During the second search, my mother became ill,\u0026quot; she recalls. In court, Larisa pleaded not guilty to extremism and stated: \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m a believer. I love God and I love people, and there\u0026#39;s not a single victim in this case.\u0026quot; Olga Kalinnikova, 48, has worked at a seismic station in Kurilsk for over 25 years. She is raising a minor daughter alone and also cares for her elderly parents.\nKurilsk has a population of about 2,000, and everyone knows each other. \u0026quot;When our criminal case was published in the local newspaper, some people stopped greeting us, while on the other hand, others started to,\u0026quot; Olga noticed. She admits the worst part isn\u0026#39;t the court hearings: \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s painful to see how my parents worry and age because of it. Not being allowed to travel is also tough. You have to ask permission for everything. And there\u0026#39;s the stress about work.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Potapova and Kalinnikova, their loved ones and friends helped them endure the second trial with resilience. \u0026quot;I felt like I was being carried in someone\u0026#39;s arms,\u0026quot; said Olga. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m grateful that every day has also reasons for joy, and there\u0026#39;s so much good. I\u0026#39;m not afraid of the future and I feel at peace.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_d962b2cc0501ac84.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_9142847468ff81e8.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_6b98d69cbcd72b67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/300902/image_hu_fecd480ee91d6e9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/300902.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Sentences Doubled After Retrial","tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Believers from Iturup Island Found Guilty Again.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 24, 2025, Yelizaveta Proskuryakova, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, gave Vladimir Lepskiy, 59, a 2-year suspended sentence. The believer was charged for \u0026quot;reading religious books aloud,\u0026quot; as stated in the decision to initiate the case.\nVladimir worked in the railway industry for more than 20 years: he was a rail yard coordinator. He has been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for almost 30 years. In February 2022, the homes of believers in Kuban were searched en masse, which marked the beginning of the prosecution of 15 local residents. Among them was Lepskiy. The search in the house of Vladimir and his wife, Olga, lasted 7 hours. The believer recalls: \u0026quot;People in camouflage entered the courtyard and knocked on our door. My Olga was scared, she was talking on the phone with her grandchildren at the time.\u0026quot; Law enforcement officers turned everything upside down, including the bed and looked through all our documents.\nA criminal case against Lepskiy was initiated 2 years later — then he was no longer living in Vyselki, but had to return. \u0026quot;In the village we don't have an apartment or a house. Friends helped us to find an affordable apartment and supported us financially. We would not have coped on our own,\u0026quot; Vladimir remembered. In his final statement, alluding to his involuntary relocation he said: \u0026quot;I could have not turned up, I could have hidden, and no one would have found me. But I came because I do not consider myself guilty. I believe in Jehovah God and I am his Witness.\u0026quot;\nThe court considered the believer's case for a year. \u0026quot;I look at what I am going through as a new assignment from God: to witness about Him in the courts,\u0026quot; said Vladimir about his frame of mind during this difficult period of his life and added: \u0026quot;My wife Olga noticed that I have become calmer and more controlled. The examples of my fellow believers who have gone through all this mean a lot.\u0026quot;\nThe population of the village of Vyselki is less than 20,000. However, 11 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already passed through the local district court. Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova issued guilty verdicts in four of them. ","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-24T17:36:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_3576bf1b6236885f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_378042839dbdfa52.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_48495bb9a86f532.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/241736/image_hu_7b7fee97f0c546f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/241736.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Vladimir Lepskiy Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Fourth Verdict Within a Month in Vyselki.","type":"news"},{"body":"Yelena Shestopalova is a loving grandmother, mother and wife. Throughout her life she has tried to help others. In the fall of 2025, following her daughter Vladlena, she was prosecuted for her faith in Jehovah God. \u0026quot;I have to learn to trust people again,\u0026quot; she said.\nYelena was born in the summer of 1965 in the city of Aleksandrovsk-Sakhalinskiy, located on the west coast of Sakhalin Island. She is the second of three sisters. Even though their parents adhered to different beliefs, the family was close-knit. Her father worked as a driver all his life, and her mother worked at a local fish factory. According to Yelena\u0026#39;s recollections, her father was respected for his willingness to help, and when he died, his obituary was published in the local newspaper.\nHer parents taught the girls to help people. \u0026quot;Mom sent me with gifts to elderly neighbors,\u0026quot; Yelena recalls. \u0026quot;We treated them to homebred meat and bacon. We washed dishes and floors, when they needed help. My mother would always say never take money for help. We could only accept a candy or cookie.\u0026quot;\nYelena was a sporty child. In summer, she loved swimming and cycling, and in winter skiing, regularly taking part in competitions. She also liked knitting. After school, she enrolled as an external student at the agronomy faculty of the Ussuri Agricultural Institute (now the Perm State Agricultural Academy). She was actively involved in student life: she supported classmates who struggled academically and served as the group leader.\nAt the institute, Yelena met her future husband Nikolay, who was studying at the zoological faculty. They got married in 1987 and moved to Nikolay\u0026#39;s hometown — Birobidzhan. The couple raised two daughters who already have their own families. Yelena and Nikolay love hiking and boating. She enjoys admiring the beauty of nature, bird watching, taking pictures and videos. She still likes to visit her hometown on Sakhalin and walk along the seashore.\nYelena has retired. During her life, she worked as an assistant in a biology laboratory, a social worker, as well as an agronomist in the Birobidzhan Youth Detention Center. Yelena helped her husband in his business, and for the last few years before retirement she worked as a cleaner for the Jewish Autonomous Region Authority.\nShe remembers when she first thought about God: \u0026quot;Around 1985, during a class on the basics of scientific atheism, the teacher gave us advice: \u0026#39;If believers come up to you and talk about God, don\u0026#39;t listen to them because they will definitely convince you that God exists.\u0026#39; From that time on, I wanted to find out: Does God really exist?\u0026quot; Thanks to a former colleague, she met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, began to study the Bible, and was baptized in the summer of 1995.\n\u0026quot;Studying the Bible has become like a second higher education for me,\u0026quot; Yelena said. \u0026quot;The knowledge from this book helped me overcome negative character traits. I remember my husband saying to his sister: \u0026#39;Study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Yelena has become wiser and calmer.\u0026#39; Applying Bible knowledge has helped me preserve and strengthen our marriage. I was also able to raise wise and kind children.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution has changed the usual way of life of Yelena and her loved ones. \u0026quot;My husband, who does not share my religious views, experienced severe stress... and so did my children, as well as relatives and friends. They are very worried about me,\u0026quot; she said. Yelena developed problems with blood pressure; she had to seek medical help due to anxiety and insomnia.\n","date":"2025-10-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_27b887083c87cba6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_9c7644fb36a31385.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_e79aa8f888b18f16.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shestopalova/photo_hu_e079779d1ef7c4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shestopalova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Yelena Shestopalova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court supported the motion of Dmitriy Dolzhikov\u0026#39;s defense for parole — he was released on the same day, October 24, 2025. The believer is very glad that now he will be able to take care of his elderly mother, his disabled father and his brother, who needs constant help because of his health.\nOn June 30, 2023, the court of first instance found Dmitriy guilty of extremism for participating in Bible discussions and sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom, replacing the imprisonment with forced labor. More than 2 years later, Dmitriy applied for parole. The court refused, but Dmitriy did not give up and appealed this decision.\nDmitriy used to have his own small shoe repair business and he knows this job well. He was glad when the administration of the correctional facility assigned him as a senior shoemaker at one of the manufacturers in Novosibirsk. And later, the believer worked in building maintenance.\nDmitriy received 10 awards \u0026quot;for good conduct, his conscientious attitude to work and active participation in educational activities\u0026quot;. The administration described him: \u0026quot;He has established himself as a responsible, willing, reliable employee who successfully manages his duties. He executes all instructions without complaints, and complies with work regulations.\u0026quot;\nDmitriy Dolzhikov is one of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sentenced to forced labor for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-10-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/311036/image_hu_99a13792060d3b49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/311036/image_hu_b664d7672bf12ce1.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/311036/image_hu_36b4cdab27dc7581.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/311036/image_hu_5673990d154e468a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/311036.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Novosibirsk was Released on Parole From Forced Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 23, 2025, a search was conducted at the home of a couple in the town of Abaza (Republic of Khakassia). Since their house had been damaged by fire earlier, they were temporarily staying with relatives. The search was carried out at their place as well.\nAccording to preliminary information, the investigative actions were conducted by the same agency that previously organized the searches in the villages of Mayna and Sizaya. Electronic devices, several copies of the Bible, and personal notes were seized from the family.\nUpdate. The investigative measures have affected five believers. Three of them are currently in pretrial detention, including Aflatun Safarov, 62, and Viktor Kononov, 60. In addition, two women aged 77 and 69 — Amaliya Malchugova and Tatyana Barakhtenko — have also been subjected to prosecution. They have been placed under a recognizance agreement.\nA criminal case against the believers has been initiated under three parts of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. The case is being handled by A. A. Tkachenko, an investigator of the Uyar Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/281458.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":"Recent Raid in Khakassia Affected Elderly Jehovah’s Witnesses","tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Five Suspects — Three in Pretrial Detention.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I love God and I love people. […] Love is completely contrary to extremism,\" Larisa Potapova said in her final statement, stressing that there were no victims in her case.\n","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/570.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Larisa Potapova at the Retrial in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court in her statement, the believer said: \"We are being prosecuted just because someone strongly dislikes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, although they cover it up with other words.\"\n","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/571.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Olga Kalinnikova at the Retrial in Kurilsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I am against everything related to extremism, hatred and violence,\" Vladimir Lepskiy said in court, explaining his position. Published with abridgements.\n","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/572.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Vladimir Lepskiy in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"A 2-year suspended sentence was given to Irina Zinina, 37, on October 21, 2025 by the Vyselkovskiy District Court. She was found guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. In June, the court made a similar decision in the case of her mother, Lyudmila, a pensioner with serious illnesses.\n\u0026quot;Due to the application of this law [on extremism — ed.] many people are getting the wrong impression of me,\u0026quot; Irina addressed the court on the eve of the announcement of the verdict. \u0026quot;Still, there are a lot of sympathetic people who are outraged by the fact that they unfairly initiate criminal cases against law-abiding, decent people. It is sad that this law is applied to peaceful residents of different ages... among them are disabled, seriously ill, and some have even died under investigation.\u0026quot;\nBack in February 2022, the homes of Irina and Lyudmila Zinina were searched. Police officers searched them for the addresses of other believers, as well as books and notes with the name of God. More than a year later, criminal proceedings were initiated against both women.\n\u0026quot;Practical advice from the Bible has helped me for as long as I remember, for example: to always be a kind and decent person, to conscientiously do my job and carry out duties assigned to me,\u0026quot; said Irina, expressing her disagreement with the charge of extremism. She added: \u0026quot;In my role as a caregiver, I look after people from different backgrounds, statuses and religions, and they are all happy... People turn to me for mending and sewing clothes, for help with cleaning and for construction repairs. I carry out these tasks with willingness and diligence.\u0026quot;\nIrina and Lyudmila try not to lose optimism, despite the difficulties. Friends have supported them during this time: \u0026quot;They send drawings, videos, and encouraging thoughts; come to court hearings and try to support us there,\u0026quot; says Irina. \u0026quot;At first, it was hard to accept help, because usually you help yourself, but here...\u0026quot;\nIn total, 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith in the village of Vyselki. In three instances, law enforcement officers initiated cases against several family members.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_713f11ae1a3bcd6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_25e97da1110f2370.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_16560cac9657fd4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/221336/image_hu_c620b9834f316497.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/221336.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Two People Already Convicted for Their Faith in This Family","tags":["suspended","families","282.2-2"],"title":"Court Considered Irina Zinina from Vyselki to Be An Extremist.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 21, 2025, Konstantin Khlybov, 34, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola, was detained. His home was searched. After several days in custody, the believer was placed under house arrest. The investigation charges him with organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn the morning that day, Konstantin took the child to kindergarten. Law enforcement officers approached him on the street and took him to search his home. They kept him in handcuffs along the way. The law enforcement officers, led by A. S. Kasharin, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Mari El, seized all electronic devices from the Khlybov family.\nAfter the interrogation, Konstantin was detained, and the following day the court sent him to a pretrial detention center. On October 31, the court of appeal mitigated the preventive measure for the believer to house arrest.\nIn the Republic of Mari El, 11 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith: 10 men were given heavy fines and 1 woman a suspended sentence.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/11/031405.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":"Father of Young Child Facing Criminal Prosecution","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Search in Yoshkar-Ola.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2025, Sabina Albegova, 26, a resident of Vladikavkaz, was arrested. The Investigative Committee charged her with extremism for participating in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Two days later, the court sent the believer to a pretrial detention center.\nA few hours before Sabina\u0026#39;s arrest, at 6 a.m., the house of her husband\u0026#39;s parents was searched. Electronic devices were seized from the owners and their guests. The task force was led by Mikhail Tuayev, investigator of the Investigative Committee.\nAfter her arrest, Sabina Albegova was informed that she was suspected of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) and sent to a temporary detention facility in Vladikavkaz. By court decision she was placed in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania on October 22.\nAccording to available information, the criminal case against Sabina Albegova is related to another case that was initiated against one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vladikavkaz back in January 2025.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/280840.html","regions":["osetia"],"subtitle":"Court Detained Local Woman For Her Faith","tags":["sizo","search","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Search and Arrest in Vladikavkaz.","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final statement, Irina Zinina explained why she considers the criminal prosecution for her faith to be groundless: \"Singing songs, reading the Bible, praying, talking with fellow believers — how can this undermine the foundations of our state?\"\n","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/569.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Irina Zinina in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov ordered to pay 450,000 rubles — this was the verdict heard on October 17, 2025, by one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Uray. It is the third time that the Uray City Court has found him guilty in the same case of extremism.\nFrom the early 2000s, Andrey Sazonov worked at a local heat supply company and at the time of his arrest was the first deputy general director. He lost his job due to the prosecution. \u0026quot;When the criminal case began,\u0026quot; says Andrey, \u0026quot;the director and colleagues immediately began signing a petition so that I would not be taken into custody. Within just half an hour, about 80 people had signed. The second time, during the appeal hearing and when I was in pretrial detention, already a 121 had signed — and that does not include all who wanted to!\u0026quot; Referring to this account in one of his final statements, the believer commented: \u0026quot;These people do not share my religious beliefs, but they want to continue working with me... Isn\u0026#39;t this convincing proof of the absence of extremism?\u0026quot;\nEven witnesses for the prosecution stood up for Andrey. Artem Demidov, who conducted covert video filming of religious meetings, describing him, said in court: \u0026quot;You are a super-person, you should be looked up to!\u0026quot;\nThe first search took place in the home of the Sazonov family in 2019. \u0026quot;When the law enforcement officers raided our home, they broke my knee, and an ambulance had to be called,\u0026quot; Andrey said. The court later declared that search illegal. About a month later, the officers arrived a second time with a fire truck. The couple said that they saw an unknown person pour something flammable over the fence of their house and set it on fire. Under the pretext of extinguishing the fire, law enforcement officers entered the grounds, demanded they open the door, while threatening to cut it open. They read out the search warrant only after repeated demands from the owners.\n\u0026quot;At the time of the searches, the children, son Slava and daughter Irina, were still going to school. Our son was 11 years old then,\u0026quot; recalls Andrey\u0026#39;s wife, Viktoriya. \u0026quot;Our city is small and information spreads quickly. The teachers, having learned what had happened, sympathized with us. The children were mature for their age, not whiny... When Andrey was detained, our son held up at first, but then, when we were sorting out the things scattered by the law enforcement officers, he burst into tears. The next day, our friends arrived — some from over 250 kilometers, some over 750, and others over 1000. One of them comforted our son. And the next day Slava suddenly said: \u0026quot;Mom, I won\u0026#39;t cry anymore.\u0026quot; I asked: \u0026quot;Why?\u0026quot; He answered: \u0026quot;I understand what dad is suffering for — for Jehovah.\u0026quot;\nThe case of Andrey Sazonov was considered in court three times over 6.5 years and each time ended in a guilty verdict and a fine. All this time, the believer defended himself, without the services of a lawyer. \u0026quot;The hardest thing was that the hardship dragged on for so long...\u0026quot;, said Viktoriya, reflecting on their experience. He added: \u0026quot;Of course, I felt tired. Each time it became more and more difficult to force myself to sit down again and prepare for the trial. Everything would already seem clear, but I wanted to make sure it's perfect each time. This took a lot of time and effort.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the prosecution, Andrey\u0026#39;s family and friends did not leave him without support. In his final statement, the believer also addressed them: \u0026quot;Thank you for your support, attention and love. Such friendship is priceless.\u0026quot;\nThe story of Andrey Sazonov is not unique: like him, the Pryanikovs, Dulovs, Bazhenovs and other believers from different regions of the country also had to defend themselves several times in different court instances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-17T18:19:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/171819/image_hu_40196d5be0052335.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/171819/image_hu_630937f1c4b0a615.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/171819/image_hu_3015a0fdf6f3a0e8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/171819/image_hu_1c4289d00bbdd8e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/171819.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"Fined Again","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Court in Uray Convicted Andrey Sazonov for the Third Time.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 17, 2025, Samvel Babayan, 53, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Samara, was given a harsh sentence — 7 years of imprisonment. The believer has already been in custody for his faith for over a year, despite his serious health problems.\n\u0026quot;All this year I have received virtually no help [in detention],\u0026quot; Samvel mentioned in his final statement. \u0026quot;I sit in the cell all the time. There are no walks, there is nothing... In this state, if it were not for my faith, if it were not for support from outside, I would have died long ago.\u0026quot; The believer has been diagnosed with multiple illnesses of his internal organs, including a tumor. He is in constant pain, especially due to problems with his spine. He described his condition at the time of his arrest as follows: \u0026quot;I could only go to the clinic, the oncology center, and the store — I could not do anything else. I didn\u0026#39;t even go out to talk to people, as I used to.\u0026quot;\nFor a long time, Samvel could only communicate with his wife in court and through letters; visits were forbidden. \u0026quot;He used to spend a lot of time with his son and now misses him very much. He really needs the support of his family, but he has been deprived of it,\u0026quot; said the believer\u0026#39;s wife, Bella. She also talked about what helps Samvel fight the feeling of hopelessness in the conditions of the pretrial detention center: \u0026quot;He eagerly reads the Bible; he read it from cover to cover in 3 months. And letters with words of encouragement and assurances of love help him to see that he is not alone.\u0026quot; Samvel was also touched by the care of his friends, who were prepared to stand in line all day long to deliver parcels to him at the detention center, and also helped his family in practical ways.\nThe criminal case against Babayan was initiated in September 2024, and in May 2025, the Kirovskiy District Court of Samara began considering it. Despite his request to limit the number of sessions due to severe back pain, the court refused to take into account Samvel Babayan\u0026#39;s state of health. The prosecutor called this delaying the process, and the court supported his position. Furthermore, during one of the hearings, the believer fell ill — an ambulance was called for him, but the hearing continued immediately after the doctors had examined him. \u0026quot;When I encountered this system from the inside, I was very disappointed. Nevertheless, I will not stop respecting the authorities. I will always respect and obey, because there is someone over everyone who will judge all,\u0026quot; Samvel described his attitude to the prosecution.\nSince 2017, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses with serious illnesses have repeatedly received prison sentences for their faith, many of them are still in custody. Addressing the court, Babayan mentioned one of them, Valeriy Baylo: \u0026quot;In Krasnodar, my fellow believer, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, died. The investigation into why this happened is still ongoing. I don\u0026#39;t understand why it had to come to this?\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-17T17:15:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/171712/image_hu_d551fcaa9f4e431f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/171712/image_hu_7e7efaab3dcc1798.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/171712/image_hu_1506cb2bc0b64465.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/171712/image_hu_a05abfaff76308d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/171712.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","health-risk","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Samara Sentenced Seriously Ill Believer to Long Term in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 17, 2025, the Rozdolnenskiy Court announced its decision: Judge Mariya Bedritskaya gave Tamara Brattseva a suspended sentence of 6 years and 3 months. The investigation claimed that the believer was an organizer of the activity of an extremist organization.\nA few months earlier, the prosecutor had requested that Brattseva be sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 4 months. Tamara\u0026#39;s lawyer commented on this during her closing arguments: \u0026quot;The fact that the prosecution is asking for such a cruel punishment — imprisonment for a person whose only \u0026#39;guilt\u0026#39; is that she prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to her conscience — is not just a legal error. This is a moral failure.\u0026quot; After the closing arguments, the court continued its consideration, however, the prosecutor did not change his position — he requested the same punishment for a second time.\nTamara Brattseva has been living in Rozdolne, a village with a population of about 7,000 people, for more than 40 years, almost 35 of which she worked as an health and safety officer in a local cooperative. \u0026quot;If I were engaged in extremism, I could not remain one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, since I would no longer meet the requirements of the Bible,\u0026quot; Tamara said in court. She stressed that she was a believer long before the legal entity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses appeared in the village, and continues to practice her faith regardless of its existence.\nDuring one of the court hearings, Tamara\u0026#39;s husband of 50 years, had an accident while going to get some medication. In the hospital, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and a hematoma. The news shocked the defendant; her blood pressure rose significantly during the hearings and she had to take medication right in the court room. Eyewitnesses thought, that she was about to lose consciousness.\nTamara considers herself innocent. \u0026quot;Real freedom is not where you are, but the truth you have within,\u0026quot; Tamara Brattseva said at one of the hearings, commenting on the threat of imprisonment.\nThe prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea continues. In this territory, criminal cases have been initiated against 33 believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_e51c065708e38ecf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_5409fc7520b94980.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_a997b9b9ea6a3107.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/200935/image_hu_d3c2961fc22e19e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/200935.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Court in Crimea Imposed Suspended Sentence on 70-Year-Old Believer","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"\"Freedom is not Where You Are, But Truth Within.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights considered the applications of 5 women and 23 men who faced prosecution because of their faith. The court declared searches, arrests, restriction of freedom, confiscation of property and charges of extremism for peaceful religious activity illegal.\nHaving considered the case of Markin and Others v. Russia, the ECHR stressed that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is \u0026quot;based on the impermissibly broad formulation and application of the extremism legislation.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Since the authorities failed to demonstrate that the applicants were involved in any socially dangerous activities of an extremist nature, their prosecution and conviction for peacefully practising the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in community with others... did not pursue any legitimate aim or \u0026quot;pressing social need\u0026quot;,\u0026quot; the judgment reads (paragraph 11).\nGroundless persecution brought severe hardships to the lives of the applicants: some were imprisoned for years, despite their old age or disability, some were separated from their families, and the health of many with serious illnesses worsened. For example, the court sent Valentina Baranovskaya, 70, to a penal colony shortly after a stroke; Yuriy Savelyev, at the age of 66, ended up behind bars and spent almost 5 years there (9 months of which were in strict conditions); Sergey Britvin, who is disabled, was imprisoned for 4 years; Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov were convicted twice. At the time of the ECHR decision, some applicants were still in penal colonies: father of 4 Sergey Filatov, Aleksandr Ivshin, 68, Artem Gerasimov and Roman Baranovsky.\nThe case of Markin and Others v. Russia included 14 applications, initially filed separately between 2018 and 2022, but due to the similarity of circumstances, were combined into one. The applicants were: Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov from Polyarny (Murmansk Region); Ivan Puyda, Konstantin Petrov, Sergey Yerkin and Yevgeniy Zyablov from Magadan; Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk from Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region); Nataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina from Sychevka (Smolensk Region); Andrzej Oniszczuk, Maksim Khalturin, Vladimir Korobeynikov, Andrey and Yevgeniy Suvorkov from Kirov; Sergey Skrynnikov from Oryol; Igor Ivashin from Lensk(Yakutia); Sergey Filatov, Artem Gerasimov from Crimea; Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim from Khabarovsk; the Alushkin couple and Galiya Olkhova from Penza; Yuriy Savelyev from Novosibirsk; Aleksandr Ivshin from Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory); mother and son Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovskiy from Abakan.\nThe decision issued in October echoes other ECHR judgments defending Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; practicing their faith. This time, the believers were awarded compensation totaling EUR 430,000. Taking into account the previous judgments, Russia is obliged to pay more than EUR 4,000,000 to the prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as compensation for non-pecuniary damage.\n","category":"victory","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_95b089cb438c545f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_7528f5b05d9b6b65.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_5304f7c3a18e0ba7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/221539/image_hu_b500f32d9a08b1a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/221539.html","regions":["eu","sakha","crimea","khakassia","murmansk","magadan","smolensk","kemerovo","kirov","oryol","khabarovsk","penza","novosibirsk","krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","compensation","families","elderly"],"title":"\"Unlawfully Prosecuted\". ECHR Found Violation of Rights of 28 More Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court that his deeds are the most convincing proof of his innocence: \"121 colleagues vouched for me. These people do not share my religious beliefs, but they want to continue working with me... Isn't this convincing evidence of the absence of extremism?\"\n","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/993.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Andrey Sazonov in Uray","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 15, 2025, Aslanbek Tuarshev, judge of the Khabezskiy District Court, gave 60-year-old Tatyana Pasynkova a 4-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Following her son Aleksey and his wife Yuliya, Tatyana was convicted for her religious beliefs.\nTatyana is a retired plant breeder. She raised three sons on her own. \u0026quot;Have fundamental [Bible] principles really become outdated or suddenly radical and extremist? Life depends on them! They are the moral benchmark, they have withstood the test of time... I never abandoned my children; I also never abandoned my parents, but I cared for them and loved them until they died. And is that what I\u0026#39;m being judged for?.. For raising my sons as worthy members of society despite having lived a difficult life?\u0026quot; said Tatyana Pasynkova in her final statement.\nShe has been under the close attention of law enforcement officers since 2021 — her home was searched five times. One of the searches she remembers especially well: \u0026quot;I opened the door wearing my nightdress and slippers. There were eight masked people in the courtyard. They had machine guns, pistols, a grenade hung on one side, handcuffs on the other. I was confused: \u0026quot;Oh, so many of you!\u0026quot; I asked them to put their weapons away.\u0026quot; She felt unwell — was having difficulty breathing and started shaking. She had to call an ambulance. Tatyana has serious problems with her heart and other internal organs. The stress caused by the prosecution affected her health \u0026quot;not in the best way\u0026quot; she said.\nTatyana often noticed that she and her family were under surveillance by her informant neighbors. \u0026quot;They looked through the fence into the windows, brazenly took photos and videos, for example, me walking with my grandson... It was both appalling and ridiculous when an informant drove a car around his garden and filmed us planting potatoes,\u0026quot; she recalls.\nAt the same time, Tatyana is not afraid to tell others about her prosecution: \u0026quot;I say directly: a criminal case has been initiated against me, a trial is underway, I am being tried for reading the Bible, for being one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; People\u0026#39;s reaction, she said, was often surprise: \u0026quot;How can you prosecute someone for his faith?\u0026quot;\nDuring these difficult times, Tatyana felt the love and support of people who care. When a hailstorm damaged the roof and windows of the Pasynkovs\u0026#39; house, friends came to the rescue: a couple from Krasnodar helped to repair the roof, another, from St. Petersburg, to replace the windows.\nTatyana considers any trials temporary: \u0026quot;I taught my sons that you don\u0026#39;t need to run away from difficulties, you need to overcome them. Hope is my lifeline. I look forward to the time when my grandson Timofey, who has a disability, will start talking, and we will have a heartfelt conversation with him.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of Tatyana Pasynkova and her family is not the only case in today's Russia when Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses of different generations find themselves in the dock.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_5dff5976bb216fb1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_dbd68025360b3259.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_a6e725d07a04dee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/161318/image_hu_25e2336b6dc4f28c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/161318.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Pensioner From Karachayevo-Circassia Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"\"Have Bible Principles Really Become Extremist?\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 15, 2025, Yelizaveta Proskuryakova, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court, gave Yelena Rumyantseva, 53, a 2-year suspended sentence with 6 months restriction of freedom based on charges of extremism. Shortly before that, her daughter, Vasilina Penskaya, was given a suspended sentence. Both women are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn recent years, Yelena has gone through a lot — the sudden death of her husband in 2019, the illness and death of her father in 2021; her mother had a stroke and still needs constant care. In 2022, Yelena\u0026#39;s house was searched, her daughter Vasilina was prosecuted, and after a while the Investigative Committee also initiated a case against Yelena. A month later, Rosfinmonitoring blocked her accounts, which caused difficulties with her work.\n\u0026quot;I tried to stay strong after the search,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;It seemed as if I was tough enough to handle it. But that only lasted for so long. Then I had an emotional breakdown. After all we\u0026#39;re not made of steel.\u0026quot; The support of friends and other people who cared, helped Yelena cope with what was happening. She said: \u0026quot;People you don\u0026#39;t know make many sacrifices, traveling from many kilometers to the courthouse just to be there with you. This is amazing and touching. They also help financially... I have everything I need and even more.\u0026quot;\nYelena\u0026#39;s case went to court at the same time as her daughter\u0026#39;s case, at the end of December 2023. Later, the judge in the case changed, and the trial began anew. During the hearings, the defense drew attention to numerous violations. The secret witness could not say anything specific about Rumyantseva except that she was present at the meetings for worship, and one of the expert studies had nothing to do with her. The investigator admitted that material evidence did not contain anything relevant to the case. The court also attached to the case file two certificates and a letter of thanks — from the management of the Berezanskaya Art School for many years of cooperation and support, from the administration of the Vyselkovskiy Municipality and from the Department of Consumer Affairs of the Krasnodar Territory for conscientious work.\n\u0026quot;Unfortunately, sincere faith is not always met with understanding,\u0026quot; the believer noted in her final statement. — \u0026quot;Fear, misunderstandings, or rumors can turn good deeds and simple religious meetings into something suspicious. But I want to be clear: my faith is based on love. It teaches me to be honest, kind and respectful to everyone. It has nothing to do with extremism.\u0026quot;\nThe case of Yelena Rumyantseva is one of 11 initiated by investigators against believers from Vyselki. In total, 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Krasnodar Territory; one of them died in custody without having received the necessary medical care.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_10c4822dfad76c2b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_67ecb937d669ec4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_6533193918e77402.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/160820/image_hu_b150e2122e7bb6ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/160820.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Earlier, Her Daughter Received Same Punishment","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court In Kuban Gave Yelena Rumyantseva Suspended Sentence for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 15, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted a search in the town of Polyarniy at the home of a woman who is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She was taken to the Snezhnogorsk police department after midnight and interrogated until 6 a.m.\nThe search began at 4:00 p.m., while she was not at home. Her husband was thrown to the floor and handcuffed by the officers. According to the woman, when she arrived, law enforcement officers spoke to her rudely, used profanity, and told her that \u0026quot;invoking Article 51 of the Russian Constitution won\u0026#39;t help\u0026quot;. Electronic devices were seized from the family. The believer was not given a copy of the search protocol.\nThat same night, at least one other woman from a nearby village was also interrogated by law enforcement officers.\nThe last time searches were conducted in the Murmansk Region was in 2021.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/290835.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Search and Nighttime Interrogations in Murmansk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"In her statement, Tatyana describes her moral position: \"I determined to counter betrayal with loyalty.\" She said that Bible principles helped her maintain inner strength and raise her three sons as worthy members of society.\n","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/565.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yelena Rumyantseva told the court \"about her best Friend, Jehovah God.\" \"It happens that fear, misunderstandings or rumors turn good deeds and simple meetings for worship into a matter of suspicion,\" she added.\n","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/564.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Elena Rumyantseva's concluding remarks in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer noted that her outlook is formed on the basis of Bible principles that teach to imitate God's love. She emphasized: \"This is an amazing book that contains truthful answers to all life's questions.\"\n","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/568.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Second Final Statement of Defendant Tamara Brattseva in Razdolnoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer considers the charge brought against him absurd. He is perplexed: \"It is still not clear: what have I done wrong? Maybe they confused me with someone else?... \"Babayan gave instructions\", \"Babayan organized\", but there is no concrete evidence. It's like a balloon — all blown up, but empty inside.\"\n","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/566.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Samvel Babayan's last word in Samara","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 13, 2025, Vardan Zakaryan's imprisonment came to an end. After leaving the penal colony, he met his friends who had come to support him. The long-awaited meeting lasted only about 5 minutes — the believer was taken to a deportation center, where he is awaiting removal to his homeland.\nIn total, Zakaryan spent almost 5 years in various forms of detention. It all started with a violent search of his home in Moscow, after which the believer was hospitalized with concussion. He has not been free since: from the hospital he was taken to a temporary detention facility, then he was placed under house arrest for 2.5 years, after that about a year in a Moscow pretrial detention center and the rest of the term in penal colony No. 4 in Torzhok.\nFriends are waiting for Vardan Zakaryan near the penal colony Vardan Zakaryan The believer walks free Zakaryan is driven to a deportation center Penal colony in Torzhok, where the believer served his sentence Conditions in the penal colony were not easy: constant interruptions with the hot water; food was scarce. Food parcels from friends and the penal colony store helped to brighten up everyday life. Vardan also had health problems: a trophic ulcer opened on his leg — so serious that doctors spoke of the risk of amputation. Surgery was avoided, thanks to the help of friends who provided the necessary medicines. During his detention Vardan never stopped worrying about his relatives: caring for his family and his bedridden mother fell on the shoulders of his wife.\nZakaryan is a highly skilled tailor with more than 30 years experience. He earned the respect of both the penal colony administration and other prisoners due to his skills and hard work. Over time, Vardan was assigned to train others in sewing.\nFour more of Zakaryan's fellow believers, convicted in the same criminal case, continue serving their sentences in penal colonies.\nUpdate. Vardan Zakaryan was deported to Armenia three days after his release from penal colony. ","category":"sentence","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/131414/image_hu_e93ad6c7b7c69b9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/131414/image_hu_4548e7d3f438ef85.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/131414/image_hu_636b485eaab68b4e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/131414/image_hu_e4e1a7230f3cdce6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/131414.html","regions":["moscow","tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","deportation","282.2-1"],"title":"Freedom for 5 Minutes — Vardan Zakaryan Has Served His Sentence for His Faith and Awaits Deportation to Armenia","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2025, law enforcement officers raided the homes of three female believers in Birobidzhan. One of them, Yelena Shestopalova, 60, is the mother of Vladlena Kukavitsa, who has been on trial for her faith for over a year.\nYelena was getting ready to go to her daughter\u0026#39;s trial when her house was searched. It happened at 7 a.m. Her husband, who was ill with SARS, was also in the apartment. Around the same time, searches took place at the homes of two other women and lasted from 1.5 to 3 hours. One of them was detained at her workplace. Electronic devices, Bibles, and personal notes were seized from the believers.\nIt turned out that a few days earlier, criminal cases had been initiated against Yelena Shestopalova, Olga Chebrak, 54, and Nataliya Kocheva, 63, on suspicion of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The initiator was FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin, who over the past 5 years has already initiated cases against at least 20 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan. The search warrant was issued by Olga Klyuchikova, the same judge who is handling the case of Yelena\u0026#39;s daughter.\nCurrently, the number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses being prosecuted in Birobidzhan has reached 30.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/151414.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Raid Affected Three Local Residents","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","families"],"title":"New Searches at Homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"A gardener from Alushta, who raised four children, is being prosecuted for his faith in Jehovah God and for reading the Bible.\nVladimir Chertov was born in October 1972 in Donetsk (Ukrainian SSR). He has a younger sister. As a child, Vladimir liked throwing the javelin, chess and ballroom dancing. During his school years, he mastered the craft of cabinetmaking and later took courses in architecture and arboriculture.\nHis first job was at the mine where his father worked. After his 2-year military service, Vladimir got a job as a carpenter at a construction site, and then as an inspector-repairman of railway cars. Over time, he qualified further and became the shift supervisor of the railway station.\nIn the early 1990s, Vladimir became acquainted with Bible teachings through a classmate. He was particularly touched by the prophecy that righteous people would live forever on earth. In 1994, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. His mother and sister also studied the Bible.\nIn 1996, Vladimir married Nelly, who was raising two sons from her first marriage. She shares his religious views. Soon the couple had a son together. Later, they became the guardians of a 1-year-old girl and raised her until she was 17. In her youth, Nelly liked parachuting; now she likes knitting, embroidery and Irish lace.\nThe whole family often went hiking in Crimea. They noticed that Nelly and the children felt better there, so they moved to Alushta. In his new place, Vladimir got a job as a gardener in a large landscape park and later took care of private gardens and plants until he was forced to resign due to criminal prosecution.\nThe search in the couple's home took place in the summer of 2025. Nelly experienced severe stress, which caused an asthma attack. Among other things, law enforcement officers seized her medical documents, which made it difficult to obtain the necessary medication and treatment.\n","date":"2025-10-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chertov/photo_hu_b8f75d4853e9aed4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chertov/photo_hu_c2a7677a8a92d5be.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chertov/photo_hu_2a557754419aeff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chertov/photo_hu_94d21c6bb13cb5a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chertov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Vladimir Chertov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 1, 2025, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Khabarovsk Territory were convicted at the same time. \u0026quot;The charge for extremism is based on the testimony of interested persons and the assumptions put forward by them, which are not confirmed by evidence,\u0026quot; said one of the defendants expressing the collective position.\nJudge Aleksandr Sokolov gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Mikhail Dorofeev, Nikolay Kovadnev and Radion Shitov and 2 years to Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Svetlana Zharkova, Marina Voytko and Ivan Nikitin. The prosecutor requested up to 7 years in a penal colony for everyone.\nMost of the defendants in this case are elderly people and people with poor health. The criminal prosecution left its mark on their condition. Mikhail Dorofeev, 60, needs heart surgery and sometimes it was difficult for him to attend hearings. Ulita Sachneva, 71, suffered a stroke, and her husband Sergey, 74, is suffering from heart failure. Irina Bondareva, 64, a widow, described her condition as follows: \u0026quot;I don\u0026#39;t even leave the house on my own — I\u0026#39;m afraid of falling due to problems with my vestibular system.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the believer remains positive: \u0026quot;All difficulties are temporary. It would be outrageous to waste precious time getting depressed and complaining!\u0026quot;\nAs a result of the trial, some believers lost their jobs. Radion Shitov, 53, worked for 25 years as an educational psychologist in a kindergarten for children with disabilities. When he informed his colleagues about his dismissal, they exclaimed: \u0026quot;Really, Radion? What? We know what you're like!\u0026quot; They provided the court with positive character references, pointing to numerous awards, diplomas and Radion winning a teaching competition.\nVasiliy Bondarev, 28, the youngest defendant in the case, was fired from the clinic, where he worked as a paramedic. But he does not despair: \u0026quot;When you focus too much on the prosecution, you get anxious. Therefore, I try to help others in any way I can. This distracts me from my problems and gives me joy.\u0026quot;\nBesides the prosecution, Nikolay Kovadnev, 65, experienced yet another personal tragedy. After the search the health of his wife, who was suffering from cancer, deteriorated rapidly and she died two months later. \u0026quot;The very next day, my friends brought me food and offered to help with the funeral arrangements,\u0026quot; Nikolay recalls. \u0026quot;I really needed their calls and attention at that time.\u0026quot;\nPeople who do not share their religious views stand up for the believers. Radion Shitov\u0026#39;s childhood friend supported him emotionally and even promised to pay the fine (should he be fined), and a neighbor regularly assured him whenever they met, that she was ready to speak in court in his defense.\nThe defendants do not agree with the verdict of the Komsomolskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. In response to the charge for organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization, they stated: \u0026quot;We sang religious songs, prayed and discussed the Bible.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_e91acecee2659c9c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_80e503eca7470bba.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_709bcb97f0892610.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/031122/image_hu_3fd4e7b4a3b2ad8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/031122.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"In Komsomolsk-on-Amur 10 Believers Were Given Suspended Sentences from 2 - 6 Years","tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","work-restrictions","health-risk"],"title":"\"We Prayed and Discussed the Bible.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"A 3-year suspended sentence — this punishment was imposed on Svetlana Ogoreva, 41, from Mednogorskiy by the Zelenchukskiy District Court on October 1, 2025. Attending peaceful meetings for worship and talking about her faith was enough to find her guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn her final statement before Judge Fatima Borlakova, Svetlana said: \u0026quot;Although my health has suffered greatly from this unfair and unlawful criminal prosecution, I feel the support of my God and friends and I am sure that whatever the outcome of this case, I will continue to feel this support. [...] And I\u0026#39;m sure if my dad were alive, he would be proud of me. After all, I am not standing before the court for a bad deed, but for my faith in God.\u0026quot;\nAfter the death of her father, Svetlana moved to live with her widowed mother. In November 2021, the family\u0026#39;s home was searched, followed by a second search 2 years later. At first, Svetlana was a witness in the case of Aleksey Pasynkov, but then the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her.\nDue to the stress experienced, Svetlana started having heart problems. Another cause of anxiety was the criminal case against her elderly mother, Mariya, who is also on trial for her faith. She has to attend hearings at a court which is located 80 kilometers from their home. Svetlana said that friends help them cope with difficulties. For example, one of the friends calls regularly, and others, who live in St. Petersburg, have sent a parcel with treats.\nSvetlana categorically disagrees with the charges for extremism. \u0026quot;As to associating with fellow believers, from the standpoint of the Bible, religion cannot be chaotic; believers cannot be apart from each other or act separately. Otherwise, divisions will develop, and the religion itself, that is, a particular denomination, will cease to exist,\u0026quot; she said.\nNeighbors spoke in support of Svetlana, providing the court with positive character references. According to them, she is kind to others and leads a healthy lifestyle. One of the neighbors said that Svetlana worked for her as a nanny. \u0026quot;I have known her since childhood as a very friendly girl, not looking for trouble, kind and without bad habits. She is approachable, polite, sociable,\u0026quot; the woman said. Another neighbor wrote: \u0026quot;My children love her very much. She organizes contests and games for the children.\u0026quot;\nMednogorskiy is a small village in the Urupskiy District of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic with a population of less than 5500 people. In addition to Svetlana and Mariya Ogoreva, four other believers have been prosecuted there.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_f0e2a0bcd8c712f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_9a922a760b6b64af.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_3d89f0ace3b988e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/071612/image_hu_aebd685b6ecfde2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/071612.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Svetlana Ogoreva Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Court Found One More Peaceful Believer From Karachayevo-Circassia Extremist.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Although my condition has suffered greatly from this unfair and illegal criminal prosecution, I feel the support of my God and my friends,\" Svetlana said in court. \"After all, it is the study of the Bible, my fellow believers and communication with them that help me change for the better. How can I give it up?\"\n","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/562.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Svetlana Ogoreva's concluding remarks in Mednogorsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 30, 2025, the court gave Natalya Novoseletskaya a 2-year suspended sentence. Judge Yelizaveta Proskuryakova found the pensioner guilty of participating in extremist activity.\nNatalya does not admit guilt. \u0026quot;I hold my head up when walking along the streets, because I know I will never meet anyone whom I have deceived, robbed or slandered,\u0026quot; she said, adding: \u0026quot;I am sure that Bible principles will never harm anyone, because they are always based on love.\u0026quot;\nThe appointed lawyer is also convinced of her innocence. Natalya noted: \u0026quot;We have different beliefs, but she stood up for the Bible and for God's name. She explained that I have nothing to do with extremism. During the closing arguments, she smashed each point of the charge to pieces.\u0026quot;\nVasilina Penskaya and Irina Ushakova were among those who came to support Natalya on the day of the verdict. September 30, 2025 Those around her did not turn her backs on Natalya and supported her in every possible way throughout the 1.5 years of the criminal prosecution. For example, a neighbor who was a testifying witness during the search gave her phone to Natalya after her one was confiscated; this way Natalya could stay in touch with her loved ones. Friends also showed they cared. \u0026quot;On the day when the first hearing was held, I had a table filled with all kinds of chocolate — they brought me as a gift,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot;That\u0026#39;s how my \u0026#39;sweet life\u0026#39; began.\u0026quot;\nThe Vyselkovskiy District Court is hearing the cases of 14 other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 11 of them are awaiting the verdict. Natalya and her fellow believers try to attend every court hearing to support each other. The woman emphasized: \u0026quot;In my opinion, these trials did more than just bring us closer — we became a family.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_6089cf8ee7c29db6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_c85c8d8fae10488a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_ad75913e1672c83b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/10/011530/image_hu_ee3d8addea668a91.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/011530.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Believer, 62, Given Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict in Vyselki.","type":"news"},{"body":"In her speech, the believer stated: \"The prosecution concludes that I am guilty only because I used the very name of God, prayed to him, sang songs of praise. In fact, I am accused of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I never hid it.\"\n","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/563.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Natalia Novoseletskaya's concluding remarks in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Dorofeyev emphasized that God's laws are his guide to life and his beliefs are peaceful. He says: \"I have a clear conscience, both before God and before the state. I know that I have not committed any crime.\"\n","date":"2025-09-24T14:39:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/561.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Mikhail Dorofeev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her statement in court, the believer said: \"Extremism is alien to me, therefore, my conscience is clear and calm, because I did not commit any crime and did not harm anyone.\"\n","date":"2025-09-24T14:38:38+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/560.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Marina Voitko in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Svetlana said, \"I cannot pose a threat to the state or society, since extremism is completely incompatible with my religious beliefs. All my thoughts were aimed at living honestly, being able to get along with others, as well as helping to raise my young grandchildren.\"\n","date":"2025-09-24T14:36:57+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/559.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Svetlana Zharkova in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Apart from being raised by my parents to avoid conflict with others, later the Bible helped me understand that I should strive to be peaceable with all people,\" the believer emphasized in his statement.\n","date":"2025-09-24T14:35:04+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/558.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Radion Shitov in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"The homes of about 25 families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the villages of Mayna and Cheremushki (Khakassia) were searched, and at least 45 people were interrogated. Three believers — Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev and Yevgeniy Bagin — were taken into custody. Investigative measures initiated by the FSB of Russia have been carried out since September 23, 2025.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches were carried out simultaneously in the village of Maina (Khakassia) and the village of Sizaya (Krasnoyarsk Territory), settlements located on the border of two regions on opposite sides of the Yenisei. Mayna and Cheremushki are urban settlements with a total population of about 12,000 people, located on the banks of the Yenisei, not far from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. During the searches, which began at 6 a.m., phones and electronic devices were confiscated from believers. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were interrogated in Sayanogorsk — those from Mayna during the day, and those from Cheremushki close to midnight. Timoshchenko, Gorev and Bagin were taken 100 kilometers from home to Abakan, the capital of Khakassia. According to their relatives, they were charged with organizing religious meetings and sent to a pretrial detention center by a court ruling.\nThe total number of searches that have taken place since the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2017 has far exceeded 2000, but mass searches of such a scale are not carried out that often. Earlier large-scale raids (some of them were called \u0026quot;Armageddon\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;Judgment Day\u0026quot;) took place in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Crimea, Voronezh and Bryansk Regions and in the Altai Territory.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/291103.html","regions":["khakassia","krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Three Believers Sent to Pretrial Detention Center","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches in Khakassia and Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2025, the court announced the decision in the case of Ivan Neverov and Mikhail Shevchuk, whose family of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were repressed in Soviet times. The court sentenced Ivan Neverov to 7 years in a penal colony and Mikhail Shevchuk to 6.5 years. They were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nBack in 2016, before the liquidation of the organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, Neverov and Shevchuk were eyewitnesses to searches in a building for worship. \u0026quot;Riot police and officers of the Center for Counteracting Extremism came and again planted literature,\u0026quot; Ivan recalls.\nYears later, Shevchuk\u0026#39;s younger brother, Aleksandr, and Neverov\u0026#39;s half-brother, Vladimir Atryakhin, were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their beliefs. Soon also the homes of the believers were searched. Ivan and Mikhail were charged with \u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot;\nNot all relatives coped with the shock. Shevchuk\u0026#39;s wife, Yaroslavna, said: \u0026quot;My grandmother lived with us, she was nearly 91 years old. During the search she was very stressed. This knocked her off her feet. She could not calm down and eventually after 6 months she died... Her heart could not take it.\u0026quot;\nDuring the preliminary investigation, the believers spent 2.5 months in pretrial detention and more than 3 months under house arrest. At that point, it became evident that law enforcement officers had been bugging Neverov\u0026#39;s house. \u0026quot;The recordings spanned about two years,\u0026quot; Ivan said. \u0026quot;Someone had been listening into all our private life. That's so unpleasant.\u0026quot;\nThe Proletarskiy District Court has been considering the case for the last 6 months; the trial was fast-paced, with four sessions per week, despite repeated requests from the defense to change the schedule. Inevitably the pace adversely affected the life of the believers and their families. \u0026quot;I lost clients,\u0026quot; said Ivan Neverov, a highly skilled decorator. \u0026quot;I still have my reputation though, and friends put jobs my way. But the hearings, the preparation for them... it was good if I managed to work for 2-3 hours a week.\u0026quot;\nMikhail Shevchuk, a furniture maker and highly skilled handyman, added: \u0026quot;If, for example, there are 4 days of trial in a week, how much time is left? And when you go work, what state is your mind in...\u0026quot; As both men mentioned, thanks to the efforts of their wives and the support of friends, they lacked nothing.\nIvan and Mikhail believe that their innocence has been proven. At one of the hearings, Shevchuk and Neverov provided the court with a list of 39 inconsistencies that they had found in the witness testimonies. \u0026quot;Every time we asked the prosecution the question \u0026quot;where is extremism, where is at least one piece of evidence, at least one word or statement\u0026quot;, the officers who conducted the operational-investigative measures said that they had not heard any such thing. Obviously, the whole charge is false.\u0026quot; Despite this, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office requested 8 years imprisonment for Mikhail and 9 for Ivan.\nMikhail Shevchuk is a fourth-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. Back in the 1940s, two of his great-grandfathers were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment with confiscation of property and subsequent exile to Siberia. The repressions of believers in Soviet times ended with their rehabilitation. In modern-day Russia, the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses has resumed, despite condemnation from the world community.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/221327/image_hu_39267ee0c3e0d198.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/221327/image_hu_5dd7836297401826.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/221327/image_hu_265abe54fb2b1012.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/221327/image_hu_66095ac2d3b9aa8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/221327.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Court in Saransk Sent Two More Jehovah's Witnesses to Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The investigation charged four Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vladivostok, including three elderly, with extremism. This happened on September 17, 2025, immediately after searches in the homes of peaceful believers.\nVyacheslav Yudin, 68, Sergey Isupov, 66, Sergey Chikichev, 64, and Andrey Yavniy, 58, do not agree with the charges. The latter appealed the charge in court. \u0026quot;Simply participating in a meeting for worship or reading the Bible is not a crime,\u0026quot; he said.\nSearches began at 7 a.m. and lasted about 3 hours. The law enforcement officers seized their electronics, Bibles, personal notes and cards. The officers confiscated family savings from Yavniy, as well as part of his wife\u0026#39;s work documents, without recording them in the protocol. After the searches, the four men were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nThe criminal case against the believers was initiated on September 11, 2025, by Denis Sushchenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee, who had previously initiated cases against other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Vladivostok. He charged Chikichev, Yudin, Yavniy and Isupov with participating in the activity of a liquidated organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nAs of September 2025, more than 60 people from the Primorye Territory have already faced criminal prosecution, half of them are residents of Vladivostok.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/10/011534.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Already More Than 30 Local Believers Are Being Prosecuted for Their Beliefs","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"New Searches in Vladivostok.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 16, 2025, the court gave Yuliya Pasynkova, 34, a 5-year suspended sentence. Her husband, Aleksey, is already serving a suspended sentence for his faith, and her mother-in-law, Tatyana, is also being tried. \u0026quot;Being prosecuted for your faith in God is unnatural,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nThe Pasynkovs are raising a son with a disability. His illness is incurable. \u0026quot;Timofey is deprived of a normal life. He cannot say what he thinks, what he feels or what he wants,\u0026quot; the believer told the court, \u0026quot;he cannot be left alone even for 5 minutes.\u0026quot; Yuliya had to travel 150 kilometers from home to the hearings, which made the trial even more exhausting for the whole family. She recalls: \u0026quot;Sometimes I only slept for 3 hours to get there by 10 in the morning. When I returned home, my son would hug me for hours. He could cry for hours in the morning, because he did not see me.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution concluded that Yuliya had no mitigating circumstances and requested a long suspended sentence with additional restrictions. Nariman Abdokov, a judge of the Khabez District Court, fully supported this position when sentencing her.\nThe Pasynkovs have been living under prosecution for nearly 4 years. During this period, their home was searched three times. At the same time, a tragedy occurred — Yuliya\u0026#39;s parents were hit by a car. \u0026quot;Caring for my mother, my father\u0026#39;s funeral, taking care of my son and other difficulties — I could not have gone through all this alone, without my husband,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nAleksey and Yuliya stated that the difficulties brought their family together. \u0026quot;We had a warm, close relationship before,\u0026quot; Aleksey said, \u0026quot;but the prosecution brought us even closer. We spend a lot of time together, trying to console each other, strengthen each other... Especially when we are physically and emotionally drained.\u0026quot;\nThe authorities often subject several family members to repression for their faith: at least 170 of prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have at least one relative in similar circumstances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_e9b23ebcaae27986.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_aed7f59ff8d8c4e5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_682614714035b44c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/171124/image_hu_ab171f9669aa6cc2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/171124.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Court Sentences Mother of Disabled Child for Talking on Bible Topics","tags":["families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Following Husband’s Footsteps.","type":"news"},{"body":"Ivan Neverov reminded the court that it was not forbidden to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses and added: \"For a believer it is natural to pray to God, read and discuss holy books, and meet with fellow believers. These freedoms are guaranteed by the RF Constitution.\"\n","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/557.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Ivan Neverov in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yuliya dedicated her statement to how her Christian hope helps her cope with difficulties. She said: \"I can't help but talk about the hope that the Almighty has given to all people — that their children will one day not only be able to walk, but will be completely healthy.\"\n","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/556.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 15, 2025, Judge Andrey Petrov found Anastasiya Gaytur, 29, guilty of extremism and fined her 300,000 rubles. \u0026quot;Faced with criminal prosecution for my faith, I feel that they artificially want to make me a criminal\u0026quot;, she said in the Kurgan City Court.\nAnastasiya argued her position as follows: \u0026quot;There is not a single negative aspect in the case, there are no people whose lives I would have ruined. Even the witnesses for the prosecution didn\u0026#39;t say anything bad about me.\u0026quot; According to the defense, during seven court sessions which took place over 3 months, only the religious affiliation of the believer was proved.\nAs a fourth-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, Anastasiya knows firsthand what repression for faith is: her relatives were deported from the Moldavian SSR to Siberia in the summer of 1949 as part of Operation South. The prosecution of Anastasiya began in 2024, a year after a criminal case was initiated against her father Aleksandr. Since then, she has faced a number of restrictions: a recognizance agreement, blocked accounts, loss of her job (she was a cleaner in the same court that considered her case).\nAnastasiya says: \u0026quot;It was difficult for my body to adapt to the new realities, it began to malfunction, so I had to go to the hospital.\u0026quot; Anastasiya was able to cope with all the difficulties thanks to the help of loved ones. \u0026quot;They know better than anyone else how my nerves and health were affected due to this unfair prosecution,\u0026quot; she said. She also spoke warmly of her friends who comforted her, showed love and care, and gave her gifts.\nThe criminal prosecution had an impact on Anastasiya\u0026#39;s view on life. \u0026quot;Although I have never been well-off and have always appreciated simple things, but with the prosecution,\u0026quot; she admitted,\u0026quot; I began to thank God more that, for example, I spend the night at home in my cozy room, and not in a pretrial detention center; I sleep on my comfortable sofa with clean bed linen without cockroaches; I can eat and sleep as much as necessary; breathe fresh air; see my family in person.\u0026quot; At the same time, Anastasiya remains true to her beliefs: \u0026quot;I will not give up the path I have chosen nor stop being who I am — a Christian.\u0026quot;\nIn present-day Russia, at least five families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including Aleksandr Gaytur, Ivan Shulyuk, Viktor Ursu, Yevgeniy Zinich, Aleksandr, and Mikhail Shevchuk, have been prosecuted on the same grounds on which their relatives were exiled to Siberia during the Soviet era.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/160938/image_hu_e71ef4e0acd000ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/160938/image_hu_8a6015aa3467b41e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/160938/image_hu_fe44b9e1491d95bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/160938/image_hu_e25a027e1a4c6b4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/160938.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine","families","ussr"],"title":"\"I Will Not Stop Being A Christian\" — Anastasiya Gaytur, Descendant of Victims of Repression, Convicted for Her Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer said: \"Sometimes I have feelings of indignation because I am human, and then I ask God for strength to cope with such feelings. […] I will not take revenge on those responsible for the stress which has caused my health and my family's health to deteriorate, and those responsible for the loss of my reputation and job.\"\n","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/706.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Anastasia Gaytur's concluding remarks in Kurgan","type":"docs"},{"body":"After being separated for 5 years, Konstantin Sannikov, 55, father of four, was reunited with his family at the gates of the penal colony in Almetyevsk. On September 10, 2025, he completed the sentence imposed by a court for his religious beliefs as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n\u0026quot;In our letters, my wife, Ira, and I compared being in prison to a long opaque glass,\u0026quot; Konstantin recalls. \u0026quot;It was as if we saw only a silhouette of each other and walked along the glass: she on one side, me on the other. We told each other, \u0026quot;It will end someday.\u0026quot; And finally, we met and hugged.\u0026quot;\nKonstantin was isolated from his familiy the first 2 years behind bars: the investigator did not allow him any visits or phone calls. Konstantin\u0026#39;s daughter, Margarita, recalls: \u0026quot;Dad was missing at dinner; we missed his advice and hugs.\u0026quot; The only way to communicate was letters, which became a \u0026quot;breath of fresh air\u0026quot; for the Sannikovs. It was not only Konstantin\u0026#39;s family who wrote to him, but so did hundreds of other caring people from different countries and territories. The staff of the pretrial detention center tried to deprive him of this joy — once they ordered the believer to put in writing to reject receiving any correspondence, except from his relatives. Konstantin refused. After that, he was placed in a special cell, where loud music was played continuously for 3 days and nights. \u0026quot;I didn\u0026#39;t know how long I would last before going crazy,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nHundreds of caring individuals wrote to the believer while he was in the penal colony. Upon his release, he carried with him an entire bag filled with their messages. September 10, 2025. Family members embrace Konstantin at the checkpoint. September 10, 2025. Konstantin Sannikov reunited with his family upon release from the penal colony. September 10, 2025. Konstantin and Irina Sannikov. September 10, 2025. Konstantin’s loved ones gave him a warm welcome. Text on the poster: \u0026#34;Konstantin, welcome home! We missed you so much.\u0026#34; September 10, 2025. Konstantin and his family remember that the first year of imprisonment was the hardest. The believer was kept in overcrowded cells at the detention center; they had to sleep in turns — there were not enough beds. For 6 months Sannikov suffered from hypertensive crises. \u0026quot;I couldn\u0026#39;t even tilt my head to look at a letter,\u0026quot; he recalls. Thanks only to the efforts of relatives, it was possible to get the necessary medicines.\nThe believer\u0026#39;s wife said that during these years their friends were their support. They were interested in how things were going, helped financially, provided food, wrote cards, sent flowers to Irina. \u0026quot;It was genuine care. We are very grateful,\u0026quot; says Irina.\nLooking back, Sannikov stated that his faith, that had put him behind bars, helped him survive. \u0026quot;I can say for sure, never have I had such a strong relationship with Jehovah God.\u0026quot;\nIn February 2023 Konstantin Sannikov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony on charges for extremism. Taking into account his time in the pretrial detention center, his term of imprisonment is considered to have been fully served, but the additional punishment in the form of restriction of freedom for 1 year remains in force. Two more believers from Tatarstan remain in prison for their beliefs.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-09-10T14:46:29+03:00","duration":"0:41","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/101446/image_hu_a6983efd9301f3c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/101446/image_hu_57fbd2e4d3b2b0b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/101446/image_hu_db33d3643ff2ff14.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/101446/image_hu_c4e820d06732cd64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/101446.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"\"And Finally We Meet\" — Konstantin Sannikov Fully Served His Sentence for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Kazakov was born in Saratov, where he has lived all his life. He was the only child in the family; he grew up without a father. His mother worked at an aircraft factory as a blueprint assembler. She is no longer alive.\nAs a child, Aleksey attended various clubs, especially technical ones: \u0026quot;Skillful Hands\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;Young Technician\u0026quot;, ship modeling, radio and photography. He also made paper models of cars according to drawings from a magazine. These hobbies influenced the choice of his future profession — he trained as a radio equipment technician and completed courses for a television technician.\nFor some time, he worked in a television repair shop, then at a chemical plant as a mechanic. In 2002, he was injured at work and lost the sight in his left eye. Over the years, he became experienced as a plumber, electrician, tiler and painter. \u0026quot;I love my job very much. It is like a hobby for me,\u0026quot; he said and added: \u0026quot;I like watching how an apartment is gradually transformed through renovation. I like coming up with and implementing different ideas.\u0026quot;\nFrom childhood, God played an important role in Aleksey\u0026#39;s life. He recalls: \u0026quot;I asked him for help — first like a child, later like an adult — to [wisely] choose a profession, to find a suitable wife... Despite me not knowing anything about God, He helped me a lot.\u0026quot;\nAleksey met his future wife Tatyana when he was repairing her TV. In 1995, they got married and met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Aleksey was impressed with how the meetings for worship were held, with the cleanliness and friendly atmosphere. In the Bible he found answers to his questions. Tatyana was baptized first and then Aleksey in 1997.\nThe couple has a daughter, Nadezhda. She is creative, loves to draw and write poems; she graduated from the College of Culinary Arts. The family loves hiking, as well as visiting different cities in Russia. They especially like going to the mineral springs in Essentuki. Sometimes they take their holidays at the Black Sea.\nAleksey's relatives and friends are concerned about his criminal prosecution. They try to support him and his family in every possible way.\n","date":"2026-01-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kazakoval/photo_hu_67b8b2d67d4dfb52.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kazakoval/photo_hu_f92d5ea2099d8e3c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kazakoval/photo_hu_a5823ac32ca919ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kazakoval/photo_hu_6e537fee5034b02e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kazakoval.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Kazakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;Why is a resurrection necessary, if after death a person is already living in paradise?\u0026quot; — this question haunted Filipp Ombysh for a long time. The answer he found in the Bible changed his life.\nFilipp Ombysh was born in Saratov in 1985. When he was 7, his father died, and his mother raised Filipp alone. She is now retired.\nAfter school, Filipp received the profession of a pastry chef. From 2009 to 2011, he did alternative civilian service in the Chelyabinsk Regional Hospital as an auxiliary worker and as an assistant in the pharmacy. Then he qualified as a pastry chef. For a time, he worked as a security guard.\nIn 2008, Filipp became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He liked the logic and consistency of the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings. Another important event in his life took place 15 years later — he married Olga, who shares his views on life. They met at a friendly football match. Both love sports: Filipp — arm wrestling, and Olga — volleyball. She is a hairdresser.\nWhen Filipp was arrested, his wife\u0026#39;s parents were summoned for interrogation. Later, pressure was put on Olga\u0026#39;s younger sister, who was in the 11th grade. It was so severe and exhausting that the girl\u0026#39;s parents were forced to take her out of school.\n","date":"2026-01-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ombysh/photo_hu_b48deffdb2ffb685.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ombysh/photo_hu_32711aab5117b48.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ombysh/photo_hu_7bd40c925ce19715.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ombysh/photo_hu_bf51da0bca3d5dc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ombysh.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Filipp Ombysh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"FSB officers used violence against Mikhail Proshenkov in front of his minor son. \u0026quot;During the arrest, my glasses were broken and the investigator demanded the password for my phone,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;They used a stun gun six times, then they twisted my hands and threw me on the floor.\u0026quot; In the fall of 2025, Mikhail was charged with extremism because of his faith.\nMikhail was born in April 1967 in Saratov. His mother is retired and lives in another city with her youngest son. Mikhail received a secondary technical education, worked at a factory, and later as a manager of a technical center. Before his arrest, as an individual entrepreneur, Proshenkov worked with insurance companies as an expert technician.\nAs a child, Mikhail practiced \"SAMBO\", a type of martial arts. He also loved to sing and play the guitar — which he still enjoys doing. He played volleyball for several years, but because of pain in his legs, he had to give it up. For a year before his arrest, he coached beginners in volleyball.\nSince 1987, Mikhail has been married to Irina. His wife works as a boiler room operator and enjoys drawing. They have three children — a daughter and two sons; the youngest is still studying at a technical school. The family loves traveling and hiking outdoors.\nMikhail was interested in the Bible from a young age and had many questions on spiritual topics. Later in his life he decided to leave his wife and family. During this period, he lived with his mother. Having once attended a meeting for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses at her invitation, he thought about his life and realized that he needed to change and strengthen his marriage.\n\u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses invited me once to a picnic,\u0026quot; Mikhail recalls. \u0026quot;I was pleasantly surprised: ordinary people who sang with the guitar, played sports and talked about various things. The day flew by, I didn\u0026#39;t even think about cigarettes, although I was a heavy smoker.\u0026quot; Proshenkov became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1999. He said: \u0026quot;The Bible saved my family, I began to lead an honest lifestyle.\u0026quot;\nAfter Mikhail\u0026#39;s arrest, his wife had to take on heavy responsibilities: appealing to the authorities regarding torture, communicating with lawyers, packing and delivering parcels to the pretrial detention center. Later, Mikhail was placed under house arrest. He lost his well-paid job, and the financial support of the family fell on the shoulders of Irina. According to Mikhail, his wife\u0026#39;s health has suffered.\nDuring the arrest the law enforcement officers injured Mikhail\u0026#39;s shoulder and it hurt for a long time. Also, his arthritis got worse, he developed heart problems and a skin condition.\n","date":"2025-12-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/proshenkov/photo_hu_8f99936901c4c46f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/proshenkov/photo_hu_3e9378d5a51d59f6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/proshenkov/photo_hu_bb936ff1550f16aa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/proshenkov/photo_hu_565f40db855a33af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/proshenkov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["torture"],"title":"Mikhail Proshenkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefremovs.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Yefremov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For decades Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s great-grandfather, grandfather and father were persecuted for their faith. Now Viktor has been sent to a penal colony for 6 years. Yelena Nikolayeva, judge of the Dzhankoyskiy District Court, announced the verdict on September 8, 2025. The 60-year-old believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n\u0026quot;I am not a criminal and not an extremist,\u0026quot; Viktor Ursu said. \u0026quot;I have been living in Dzhankoy for more than 50 years, I have been working as a milling machine operator at the same company for 40 years. I look after my parents.\u0026quot; Ursu\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;I would describe him as a very kind person from the upper working class. He has excellent references from his employer, who was not afraid to provide the court with documents that he was needed as a specialist in the company.\u0026quot;\nIn July 2023, law enforcement officers searched Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s house. He was placed in a temporary detention facility for 12 days, and then under house arrest for 1 year. To avoid accidentally violating the restrictions imposed by the court, Viktor fenced off the permitted area near his private house with orange tape. Viktor\u0026#39;s obedience and goodwill earned him the respect of the staff of the Federal Penitentiary Service. One of the guards said: \u0026quot;If all arrested persons did this, we would have no problems in our work.\u0026quot; Throughout most of the time under house arrest, Viktor was forbidden to communicate with his wife of 30 years, Marina. She recalls: \u0026quot;We understood each other just by a look.\u0026quot;\nThe trial lasted a little less than a year. During this time, the court listened to audio recordings of two religious meetings, where the topics of kindness and support were discussed, and also watched 12 hours of videos on Bible themes. A secret witness under the pseudonym Gromov confirmed that Ursu did not call for violence, did not show aggression and did not encourage violation of the law.\nAt each court hearing, dozens of people supported Viktor. His elderly parents traveled 90 kilometers to all hearings, although they were not always allowed to be present in the courtroom. On such occassions, they sat at the entrance on folding chairs, which Viktor\u0026#39;s father, Aleksandr, brought in his car. These trips were not easy for his parents — his mother uses crutches, and the steps to the courthouse are high and slippery. The presence of his parents meant a lot to Viktor: \u0026quot;Although they couldn\u0026#39;t change anything, I knew they were on my side. Moral support is very important.\u0026quot;\nIn Crimea, 32 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been subjected to religious repression; 13 of them are serving prison sentences of 6 years or more.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_c61c38b75451f7ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_4a57b8f46db4148a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_d3041786c2c87992.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/091442/image_hu_f079cf6be469146.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/091442.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Crimea Sent a Fourth-Generation Jehovah's Witness to Penal Colony for 6 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2025, the Kurgan City Court imposed a fine of 300,000 rubles on Irina Kamshilova. It took Judge Denis Cherkasov 3 months to find the believer guilty of extremism for her religious beliefs.\nIrina first faced prosecution in 2021, when her home was searched. During the prosecution, her already poor health deteriorated: she was diagnosed with leukemia and developed a heart disease. In May 2024, Irina\u0026#39;s house was searched again, and a criminal case was initiated against her. \u0026quot;My pension card was blocked, the house where I live was seized, technical devices were seized... But the most difficult thing for me was the isolation,\u0026quot; said Kamshilova, who was under a recognizance agreement until the verdict was passed.\nIrina does not agree with the court\u0026#39;s decision. \u0026quot;I am accused of extremism, intolerance, incitement to hatred, disrespect for the right to choose, imposing my point of view,\u0026quot; the believer said in her final statement. — You know, I was like that when I lived without God\u0026#39;s laws. But God... for about 30 years has been teaching me through the Bible to actually show love... I cannot agree with the charge!\u0026quot;\nIrina is grateful to her friends for their support and practical help: one baked bread for her, another helped repairing the roof, and so on. She likes to use her initiative. \u0026quot;I try to help others,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;During the prosecution, I made new friends, and my relationships with old ones strengthened. The realization that difficulties are not forever helps me to endure everything. I treat them like an illness: yes, they are restrictive, but they are temporary.\u0026quot;\nIn the Kurgan Region, five more of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are awaiting sentences on similar charges.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-09-05T14:29:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/051429/image_hu_e2c7edf59fb10796.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/051429/image_hu_3c0d23576cedcca8.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/051429/image_hu_bcb2f7b5d1e8cc7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/051429/image_hu_f13729ca24d3c78e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/051429.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","disability","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"In Kurgan Court Fines Woman, 57, with Disability, for Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2025, 63-year-old Vladimir Skachidub left the penal colony where he served time for peacefully practicing his faith. His wife and friends met him when he arrived at the railway station in Tikhoretsk, which is near his native village of Pavlovskaya.\nVladimir has been behind bars since October 2021. He served his sentence in a penal colony in the village of Stenkino, Ryazan Region, which is 1200 kilometers from his home. Skachidub applied for parole, but the court refused him, despite awards he received for conscientious work.\nEven before the prosecution, Vladimir\u0026#39;s health was poor — he has been registered disabled due to a neurological disease; he suffered a heart attack, after which he had to undergo surgery to have a stent inserted. Being imprisoned had a negative impact: Skachidub fell from the top bed several times while having epileptic seizures; an inflammation developed on his skin and ear, which needed medical treatment. The believer did not have any serious problems with receiving medical care.\nPenal colony No. 6 in the Ryazan Region, where the believer served his sentence Friends meet Vladimir at the penal colony exit The believer goes home after his release Vladimir Skachidub after his return from the penal colony Vladimir worked in the sewing workshop — this work brought him joy. A source of support, according to him, were letters from caring people and prayers from friends. Furthermore, even in prison, Vladimir found an opportunity to continue with his hobby — chess: he played with a man from the UK, sending and receiving moves by correspondence.\nThe administration staff and other prisoners treated the believer with respect; many addressed him by his first name and patronymic. One of the inmates, who at first felt hostility toward Skachidub, changed his attitude when he saw the kindness of the believer and said: \u0026quot;You, Vladimir, are a true Christian.\u0026quot;\nFour more believers from the Krasnodar Territory serving prison terms for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_77b50302720f0a4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_95b9fb2b3a05e85d.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_1972b071d0d1d2c6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/081524/image_hu_d148fbe8015af3ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/081524.html","regions":["krasnodar","ryazan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","disability","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Skachidub Released After Almost 4 Years Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"Rejecting charges for extremism, the defendant said that her faith had helped her overcome loneliness, despair and a tendency toward aggression. \"God has been teaching me through the Bible every day, for about 30 years, to show love in deeds. Therefore, I cannot agree with the charge!\"\n","date":"2025-09-04T14:07:01+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/554.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Irina Kamshilova in Kurgan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 3 and 4, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted searches at at least five addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Saratov and the village of Anastasino. As part of a new criminal case, five believers aged 29 to 59 were detained.\nThe raid began at about 6 p.m. Law enforcement officers broke into the home of one believer's family at 1:30 a.m. The Criminal Procedural Code allows a search at night only under urgent circumstances, but in this case the court had given permission at the end of August to carry out the search. FSB officers seized electronic devices and storage media, as well as personal notes.\nAfter the searches, law enforcement officers took Mikhail Proshenkov, Aleksey Kazakov, Aleksandr Akelin, Filipp Ombysh and Sergey Yefremov to the station. The wives and children of the believers were also interrogated. On Friday, September 5, the Frunzenskiy District Court placed Yefremov under house arrest, and sent the rest of the detainees to a pretrial detention center.\nIn the Saratov Region, 20 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith: seven of them received prison sentences, and three — Feliks Makhammadiyev, Konstantin Bazhenov, and Rustam Seidkuliev — were stripped of their citizenship and expelled from the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/110833.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Five Believers Arrested After Raid Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"As reported by Mikhail Proshenkov, 58, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, he was subjected to brutal treatment during searches on September 3, 2025. His wife approached numerous authorities, demanding they urgently investigate the incident.\nAccording to members of the victim\u0026#39;s family, armed law enforcement officers broke into the apartment and knocked Mikhail face down to the floor, breaking his glasses. Without informing him of his rights and not allowing him to read the documents for the search, the investigator demanded access to the computer. Mikhail did not provide the password. For this, the believer was threatened with the use of force against him and his son. After he refused again, the law enforcement officers inflicted six shocks on Mikhail with a stun gun to the thigh, lower leg and abdomen. Following the search and interrogation, he was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in pretrial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov Region.\nOn September 10, Irina Proshenkova, Mikhail\u0026#39;s wife, sent an application for an urgent medical examination to the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Saratov Region, as well as a report on the brutal treatment to the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region, to the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office of the Russian Federation, to the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office of the Saratov Region, to Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation and to Nadezhda Sukhova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Saratov Region.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/241447.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Victim's Family Demands Crime Be Investigated","tags":["siloviks-violence","torture"],"title":"Stun Gun Used During Search in Saratov.","type":"news"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu spoke about his childhood and the legacy of his family, many of whose members suffered for their faith: \"Unable or unwilling to condemn believers for their beliefs, they were labeled Bolsheviks, imperialists and spies. Now they are trying to label me as an extremist.\"\n","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/555.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"The Final Statement of Defendant Viktor Ursu in Dzhankoy","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 29, 2025, Oksana Chausova was released after 751 days spent under various forms of restriction of freedom — house arrest, prohibition of certain actions, imprisonment in a pretrial detention center and in a penal colony. Her husband, Dmitriy, also convicted for his faith, could not meet her, as he is still under restrictions.\nLooking back, Oksana recalls that the living conditions in the pretrial detention center were far from easy. She had to scrub the cell clean for several days. On top of that, it was so cold that she had to wear warm clothes and even sleep in her jacket.\nThe Chausovs stated that being separated was the most difficult test that the prosecution brought. \u0026quot;For a long time, I could neither write to nor see my husband,\u0026quot; Oksana recalls. \u0026quot;The first time we met was nearly 5 months after the arrest, at a joint court hearing. Oh, and what a meeting... And then again 2 months of complete silence. I cannot describe this pain.\u0026quot; Dmitriy added: \u0026quot;When we went to court, we had a brief moment to find out how each of us was doing. When I saw Oksana, I was so happy — it was a support for me.\u0026quot;\nOksana Chausova in front of the penal colony where she served her sentence, August 29, 2025 Oksana Chausova with her mother on the day of her release, August 29, 2025 Oksana Chausova, August 29, 2025 Prison scarf with Oksana Chausova\u0026#39;s name, August 29, 2025 Prayer, comforting words from the Bible, as well as the support of her husband and fellow believers helped Oksana to withstand the difficulties. \u0026quot;Providing food and other necessary things is a huge task. We really appreciate those who spent their time and energy taking care of us,\u0026quot; the couple said.\nPersecution because of their faith is part of the history of Oksana Chausova\u0026#39;s family: in Soviet times, her grandfather spent 6 years in a high-security correctional labor colony. Despite the hardships, he remained true to his beliefs. Oksana cherishes this legacy and often imagines how proud her grandfather would be of her resilience and loyalty if he could learn about her trials.\nThe Leninskiy District Court of Kursk sentenced the Chavusovs in December 2024 — they were given 2.5 years imprisonment. A few months later, the court of appeal commuted the sentence, reducing the term of imprisonment by 8 months. Dmitriy was released in the courtroom, as he had fully served his sentence in the pretrial detention center.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:37","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/09/011614/image_hu_e80777b84912f57f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/09/011614/image_hu_981bcb58cc5ce53e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/09/011614/image_hu_eb0fa20cab076325.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/09/011614/image_hu_7a5ad40cefb5cb25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/09/011614.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Oksana Chausova, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kursk, Released","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 27, 2025, Crimean law enforcement officers conducted searches at the homes of local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated against one of them, Vladimir Chertov, 52. He is charged with \u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot; He was detained.\nA total of 11 searches took place. The raid affected at least 19 believers from Alushta, the villages of Partenit and Lazurne. Some of them were led by Andrey Kirov, who initiated the criminal prosecution, and Adel Abzalilov, officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. During the searches, electronic devices, communication equipment, books, notebooks and personal notes were seized.\nUpdate. During the search, personal documents were confiscated from the believers, including those confirming the ownership of cars and property, internal and passports for travel abroad, driver\u0026rsquo;s licenses, as well as all cash. In one case, the officers of the Investigative Committee left a family of four only 300 rubles. According to the victims, without personal documents and means of subsistence, their lives are on hold. Electronic devices, communication equipment, books, notebooks and personal notes were also seized from them. Some searches were accompanied by harsh actions of law enforcement officers — one of the families was forced to lie on the floor for about 20 minutes.\nOn August 29, a preventive measure was imposed on Vladimir Chertov — a ban on certain actions.\nThis is not the first case of pressure on believers in Alushta — searches were already carried out here a year ago. In total, 32 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have become victims of prosecution in Crimea over the past 7 years.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/08/291558.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Largest Raid of the Year Against Believers","tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","interrogation","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"New Searches and Criminal Case in Crimea.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a great honor for me. Jehovah God has entrusted me — a speck of dust in the vast universe — to testify in his defense, and I cannot but justify his trust,\" said the believer addressing the court.\n","date":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/553.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Mikhail Shevchuk's last word in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Vasilina Penskaya spoke about her faith and how it changed her life. \"I believe in God and try to live according to his commandments. It makes me a better person. Can we really be judged for this?\" said Vasilina.\n","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/629.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Vasilina Penskaya's last word in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 31, 2025, Roman Teplukhin, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, issued a ruling in the case of 27-year-old Vasilina Penskaya. She was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and given a suspended sentence.\nVasilina faced prosecution on religious grounds in February 2022, when searches were carried out in her home, as well as in the home of her mother, Yelena Rumyantseva. After 1 year and 4 months, Vasilina became a defendant in a criminal case and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n\u0026quot;There were many tears because it\u0026#39;s scary when you\u0026#39;re accused of extremism, of something you didn\u0026#39;t do,\u0026quot; she recalls. Before the verdict, Vasilina\u0026#39;s husband, Dmitriy, added: \u0026quot;You can\u0026#39;t prepare for prosecution in any way, and it\u0026#39;s something you don\u0026#39;t get used to. The state of suspense, when you have no idea what will happen next, is very depressing. We have been living like this for 2 years already.\u0026quot;\nVasilina Penskaya, her husband, Dmitriy, and her mother, Yelena Rumyantseva, July 31, 2025 The case of Vasilina Penskaya was considered in court for more than 1.5 years. The guilty verdict was based on the testimony of a secret witness, which has been used in the cases against several other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vyselki. This man collaborated with the FSB and since June 2022 has been conducting covert audio and video recordings of meetings for worship. At the hearings, it turned out that he did not know Penskaya personally, neither could he confirm her participation in the meetings for worship, nor even her presence at them.\nSpeaking in court during her final statement, Vasilina emphasized: \u0026quot;Freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right. My faith is my personal choice, and it does not pose a threat to society.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;I believe in God and try to live according to his commandments. This makes me a better person.\u0026quot;\nIn different districts of the Krasnodar Territory, criminal cases are initiated, searches are carried out, believers are imprisoned. A total of 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution in the region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_edfa758112064aa9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_78895db905c0e38f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_6e81348ec2e0ffe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/08/040906/image_hu_a7657b51ca92c4e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/08/040906.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Vasilina Penskaya Given 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Woman Convicted in Krasnodar Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 29, 2025, Judge Natalia Shibanova gave Aleksandr Krushevskiy, 47, and Anatoliy Artamonov, 73, a 5-year suspended sentence with 1.5 years restriction of freedom. She found the believers guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\nThe first search at Krushevskiy\u0026#39;s home — there were three in total — took place back in 2018. Members of Artamonov\u0026#39;s family faced prosecution in 2019: then his daughter, Larisa, and grandson, Yevgeniy Yegorov, were charged. In early 2024, the investigation brought charges against Krushevskiy and Artamonov, citing hidden videorecordings of their conversations on Bible topics with friends.\nThe criminal case made the already difficult life of Aleksandr Krushevskiy, who has been hearing impaired since childhood, more complicated. \u0026quot;The old hearing aid has stopped working a long time ago, and I could not get a new one because of the prosecution. This is just one of the difficulties I had to shoulder,\u0026quot; he said in his final statement. During the interrogation, the believer was not provided with a sign language interpreter, and at the hearings he could not always make out the words of the judge.\nKrushevskiy\u0026#39;s wife is struggling with what is happening and hardly leaves the home. It is also emotionally hard for his mother. \u0026quot;Imagine, my dear mother sees her son, disabled since childhood, under investigation, running around the courts. Of course, it's heartbreaking for her,\u0026quot; Aleksandr revealed.\nAnatoliy Artamonov, a working pensioner, could not receive his salary in full because his bank card was blocked. The trial in the Birobidzhan District Court took a lot of time and energy, but the believer said that he \u0026quot;tried to spend every free minute with his wife, son and great-grandchildren.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Artamonov, he draws strength from the examples of his elderly and infirm fellow believers: \u0026quot;If they endure everything, then I can too. I particularly remember the example of Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.\u0026quot; Krushevskiy said about his attitude during the trial: \u0026quot;I tried not to think about the negative attitude of others — there are so many negative things. Instead, I helped everyone stay positive.\u0026quot;\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 27 people have been prosecuted, of whom 13 were women. Four men are serving terms ranging from 3 years and 6 months to 6 years and 9 months in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_57ff73bc94a48165.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_a1cb6f8425bfd4a8.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_8c069aa6dae17428.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/301335/image_hu_606256a52d4a4342.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/301335.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"A Man with Impaired Hearing and a Pensioner Convicted in Birobidzhan","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"title":"For Discussing the Bible — 5-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I share hope based on God's love with people, and I am sure that this has nothing to do with extremism. No one suffers from my actions. But I suffer because of the criminal prosecution,\" the believer said and asked to be acquitted.\n","date":"2025-07-28T15:46:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/552.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Krushevskiy's last word in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anatoliy Artamonov said how in the course of his life he lost faith in the ideals of communism and how he found faith again — in love, family and God. \"In this, Your Honor, I believe! This is my life! And it is because of this, I think, I stand here in the courtroom before you,\" he said in court.\n","date":"2025-07-28T15:45:28+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/551.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Anatoly Artamonov's last word in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 28, 2025, the Rasskazovskiy District Court of the Tambov Region refused to reduce the sentence of Anatoliy Marunov, 71, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;His illnesses make a further stay in the penal colony unbearable as he is in constant pain,\u0026quot; said Marunov\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;It is highly unlikely that he will survive the rest of his term.\u0026quot;\nThe official reason for the refusal was an oral reprimand (the smallest possible disciplinary sanction in the penal colony), which the believer was issued 2 weeks after the lawyer filed a motion with the court to change the punishment. According to the administration of the penal colony, Marunov made an incorrect inventory of the contents of his duffel bag; however, he was not told what exactly the discrepancy was. In court, the representative of the penal colony also could not answer what exactly Anatoliy had indicated incorrectly.\nMarunov has been diagnosed with severe chronic illnesses: he had an ischemic stroke, suffers from hypertension and heart failure, and has a prostate tumor. The believer is serving his sentence in penal colony No. 3 in the Tambov Region, where, according to the defense, he does not receive the necessary medical care. \u0026quot;Once his temperature rose to 40, but no one reacted,\u0026quot; recalls Anatoliy\u0026#39;s wife, Alfiya. \u0026quot;The cellmates themselves put him on a stretcher, carried him to the medical unit and demanded that an ambulance be called for him.\u0026quot;\nThe prisoner\u0026#39;s family notes that since entering the penal colony, about six months ago, he has lost more than 20 kilograms. \u0026quot;When I saw him, I was shocked,\u0026quot; Alfiya said after visiting her husband a few days before the hearing about changing his punishment. \u0026quot;Tubes everywhere, catheters, bags... This is no longer a person, but a living corpse. He left a handsome man, and now...\u0026quot; In January, he underwent a cystostomy to fit a drainage tube; this device requires regular replacement due to the risk of atrophy of internal organs, but it has long passed its expiry date.\nMarunov needs surgery, but it is technically impossible to carry it out in the Tambov Region. His family found a suitable hospital for the believer in Moscow, but the conditions of the standard transfer of prisoners are not suitable for someone in his condition. According to Anatoliy\u0026#39;s wife, he may not be able to withstand the journey. \u0026quot;I am not asking for leniency,\u0026quot; Alfiya wrote in a letter to the administration of the court deciding the fate of the believer, \u0026quot;I am asking for compassion.\u0026quot;\nInternational human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The European Court of Human Rights has found the ban on their activity a violation of religious freedom, but criminal cases continue to be initiated. Already 14 believers have died while under investigation. The last of them was Valeriy Baylo, who died in a pretrial detention center in the spring of 2025.\n","category":"prison","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_a9347d4076e98161.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_ba3638bd5f6588a1.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_b28363c0430a3526.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/300931/image_hu_1f2d5ca2d70ca407.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/300931.html","regions":["moscow","tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Court Refused to Release Seriously Ill Anatoliy Marunov From Penal Colony; His Family Fears for His Life","type":"news"},{"body":"The Gryazi City Court fined eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including two elderly women aged 68 and 72, for talking about religion and participating in meetings for worship. The fines vary from 250,000 to 550,000 rubles. The trial lasted almost 2 years and ended on July 28, 2025.\nValeriy Khmil, a father of three minors, recalls how 4.5 years ago officers of the Investigative Committee and riot police broke into his house: \u0026quot;It was early in the morning. The children were scared, although the law enforcement officers tried to behave appropriately.\u0026quot; His wife, Kira, was put under pressure during the search. \u0026quot;One of the masked law enforcement officers said that if I don\u0026#39;t testify, my husband will be imprisoned for 10 years. I answered: my father, brother, uncle and grandfather were imprisoned for their faith. And so will my husband,\u0026quot; she recalls. Valeriy was not detained immediately, but a few months later — on International Day for the Protection of Children.\nAfter the raid, seven believers, including elderly women, were placed in a temporary detention facility. Later, Reshetnikov and Kretov spent almost 8 months in a pretrial detention center, then another 4 months under house arrest. All defendants in the case were added to the list of extremists.\n\u0026quot;I lost my job. And I couldn\u0026#39;t get another one while the trial was going on,\u0026quot; says Khmil. \u0026quot;But the most difficult thing during house arrest was social isolation, being unable to share my feelings. Over time, I learned to control my emotions. My wife and I tried to help others. This allowed me not to focus just on myself.\u0026quot; Sergey Kretov, an automation engineer, recalls that he was also left without a job because of the arrest, but his good reputation helped to resolve the situation: \u0026quot;After my release from detention, my former boss came to me and said: \u0026#39;Such people should not sit at home!\u0026#39; and took me on at a new place.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution also led to other problems. Sergey said that after his detention he developed an emotional disorder and had to consult a specialist. \u0026quot;It was real depression — I could not make even the simplest of decisions. It took me 2 years to recover.\u0026quot; The arrest of the believer was a blow to his entire family. Kretov\u0026#39;s daughter, Yelizaveta, recalls: \u0026quot;In one day, everything turned upside down. Lawyers, papers, documents — we were constantly stewing in this mess. I was 15. I had to grow up very quickly. Learn to make my own decisions, accept help...\u0026quot;\nThe believers claim that the charges of extremism are related solely to their religious affiliation. The case was based on audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, as well as wiretapping. As the defense notes, these materials, on the contrary, demonstrate the peaceful nature of the meetings and confirm their innocence. Even at the investigation stage, it was obvious that at least some law enforcement officers did not consider them dangerous extremists. According to Khmil, in their case, one of the investigators sincerely apologized for his actions and justified them with an \u0026quot;order from above\u0026quot;.\nIn 2024, Mariana Katsarova, the UN Human Rights Council\u0026#39;s special rapporteur, expressed concern about the application of Russian legislation on extremism. In her report, she noted that \u0026quot;the definitions of extremism are too vague and allow for arbitrary application,\u0026quot; especially in relation to religious minorities such as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_b9845fc7a91369af.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_5604cfe1461d1395.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_274ffb93b67950e3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/301347/image_hu_a9bfbd8965c73429.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/301347.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Large Fines Imposed on Eight of Jehovah's Witnesses from Gryazi","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladimir Gaydyshev is a peaceful believer with a severe visual impairment. However, this did not prevent law enforcement officers from initiating a criminal case against him and prosecuting him.\nVladimir was born in March 1972 in Yurakhly, located in the Vargashinskiy District of the Kurgan Region. His mother worked for the railway as a station attendant and deputy head, and was also a commercial auditor and insurance inspector. She is now retired. From an early age, she instilled in her son love for people and helped him become an open and determined person. Vladimir had an older brother who is no longer alive.\nHe was interested in the arts from childhood — he attended a dance club and liked music. Later he developed an interest in poetry and now even writes poems, that inspire others to compose music.\nVladimir is a teacher of history, social studies and the German language. He studied at the Kurgan Pedagogical Institute. He was exempted from military service for health reasons.\nIn 1993, Vladimir first became interested in the Bible. He thought about the meaning of life; wondered why there is so much pain and injustice in the world. The young man found the answers in the Holy Scriptures — he learned that God has a name, Jehovah, that there will be a paradise on earth, and people will live in it forever. This prompted him to make the decision to follow Bible principles, and in 1994 he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nNow Vladimir lives in Kurgan, where he moved to take care of his elderly mother. Like Vladimir, she has a disability.\nAfter the search, detention and interrogations, Vladimir suffered severe stress. His health problems worsened: his eyesight deteriorated even more, his blood pressure rose, and he started having panic attacks. He required treatment. All this also affected his emotional state.\nGaydyshev\u0026#39;s neighbors are perplexed why a criminal case under an article for extremism has been initiated against a peaceful person. Vladimir\u0026#39;s mother is outraged by the unjustified prosecution.\n","date":"2025-08-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gaydyshev/photo_hu_e76454c49c343d87.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gaydyshev/photo_hu_ebf962b487430dc4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gaydyshev/photo_hu_13a091a1a87e7c2f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gaydyshev/photo_hu_2bf49e87884b63ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gaydyshev.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Vladimir Gaydyshev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2025, the Suslov family including their one-year-old child were forced to return to Kurgan, which is 1700 kilometers from their home — Igor was summoned for interrogation by the Investigative Committee because of his faith. The family had to leave their usual way of life: home, garden, work.\nIgor Suslov was born in October 1979 in Kurgan. He has an older sister. His father worked as a foreman at an automobile repair plant, and his mother worked as an engineer in the planning department of the same enterprise. Now she is retired. His father died during the pandemic.\nSince childhood, Igor loved hiking outdoors, especially skiing in the forest in winter with his father. He gained a sense of beauty from his mother\u0026#39;s hobby of growing flowers. During his school years, he liked photography and attended a military-sports training club.\nAs a teenager, Igor got involved with bad company, which led to alcohol and drug abuse. As a result, he was sent to an evening school.\nIn 1994, Igor\u0026#39;s mother began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and later the whole family joined her. Igor said: \u0026quot;The changes in my life began when I read a book about the creation of life. After that, I took the Bible from my parents, began to study it and realized that I was wrong in many ways. I gave up bad habits and bad association; found real friends and real joy in life.\u0026quot; Igor found answers to questions that had troubled him since childhood. In 1998, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIgor trained as an electrician and worked in this capacity in various organizations. At the same time, he was working as a portrait photographer. From 2005, he completed 3.5 years of alternative civilian service in a neuropsychiatric clinic.\nIgor met his wife, Irina, in 2012 in Gorno-Altaysk. They got married in August 2015. Irina is a tailor and pet groomer. In April 2024, the couple had a daughter. The family loves spending time outdoors, traveling, skiing and cycling.\nThe prosecution of Igor for his faith in God had a heavy impact on the elderly parents of the Suslovs. Igor required medication to help him cope with the stress.\n","date":"2025-08-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suslov/photo_hu_61100b22b23c41e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suslov/photo_hu_5554be3c84c7acc5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suslov/photo_hu_d0dca285625df267.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suslov/photo_hu_fd64b7201ccd8ab2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suslov.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Suslov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Addressing the court with a request to acquit her and return her good name, the believer emphasized: \"Personally, the Bible helps me to love my neighbors, and this is completely contrary to what I am accused of here - extremism.\"\n","date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/567.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"Tamara Brattseva's last word in Razdolnoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer emphasized why being charged with extremism is contrary to his outlook on life: \"I began to love people more. I am not indifferent to the fact that there is so much grief and suffering in the world now. And I try to help people with what has helped me.\"\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/644.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Aleksandr Podolin in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stressed that he had not done anything that could be considered extremism: \"I did not violate the Criminal Code or the law of God; my actions did not cause any harm to anyone.\"\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/645.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Aleksandr Popras in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her brief address to the court, she expressed gratitude to the participants in the trial and reiterated that she considers her criminal prosecution unjust.\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/632.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Natalia Perekatiy in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I cannot plead guilty to organizing extremist activity, because praying, reading the Bible, singing and talking with fellow believers is not a crime,\" the believer emphasized in his final statement. \"It's part of my life, my conscience and my faith.\"\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/631.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Sergey Kretov in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his statement before the court, the believer spoke about how Bible knowledge affects his life and explained why he considers the criminal prosecution unfounded. \"I am sure that it is a mistake. But will people or God correct it, I don't know,\" he said.\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/643.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Valeriy Khmil in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his statement before the court, the believer said: \"We have not stopped respecting the authorities and try to obey the laws of the state in all aspects of life. But when it comes to faith, we want to stay true to our beliefs. Therefore, I have no reason to look down, as if ashamed of something.\"\n","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/633.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Final Statement of Defendant Yevgeniy Reshetnikov in Gryazi","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sona Olopova, 38, was released on parole and on July 7, 2025, left the correctional facility. She became the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in Russia to have finished serving a sentence of forced labor.\nThe believer has been imprisoned since May 2024. During this time, she was placed in two correctional centers. She was assigned to various jobs: at first, Sona worked in the production of automotive parts, then she was transferred to ice cream production, and at the end of her term she was working in the correctional center itself.\nAccording to Sona, she is is not used to factory work — before the criminal trial, she was working both in retail and beauty (make-up, hairstyling, etc.). \u0026quot;It was scary: I came to the workshop, and there were these huge rattling machines,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot; \u0026quot;But after a while, I even liked it there.\u0026quot;\nSona\u0026#39;s hardworking attitude did not go unnoticed: she was awarded certificates for professionalism, initiative, enthusiasm, and integrity. In addition to the assigned work, the believer participated in volunteer workdays at the local center for patients with cerebral palsy. \u0026quot;Thank you for your open, kind and compassionate heart,\u0026quot; the administration wrote in a letter of appreciation.\nSona and her husband outside the correctional center Left to right: Sona\u0026#39;s father, sister, husband and Sona after her release. July 2025 Although forced labor is a more lenient punishment than imprisonment, it is fraught with various difficulties. Sona says: \u0026quot;Different living conditions, knowing video cameras were everywhere, the lack of personal space, stress... I was worried about violating any of the regulations. And the most difficult thing was being separated from my husband.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Sona, the staff and inmates of the correctional center, colleagues at the workplace, and even some experts who worked with her as a convicted person were sincerely indignant when they learned that she had been sentenced for her faith as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Many people know the Witnesses personally. Most of those I met understood that faith is an inherent human right and you should not be tried for it,\u0026quot; Sona said. \u0026quot;The other inmates saw my good attitude towards people and my conscientious work; they also understood that I was behind bars for nothing, and treated me very well.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the criminal prosecution, Olopova\u0026#39;s family and friends supported her: \u0026quot;Many friends took care of me but especially the attention of one family moved me to tears. They are almost the same age as my parents. This couple has done so much that they have become like second parents to me.\u0026quot; She also warmly recalls how her father regularly brought fresh food, which she shared with other convicted women. \u0026quot;Whenever they learned about his next visit, they would say: \u0026quot;Oh, tomorrow our dad is coming,\u0026quot; Sona said.\nOlopova is one of the few believers who was granted parole. Her husband, Anatoliy, spoke about his impressions after the court decision: \u0026quot;Sona and I were in a stupor at first, we did not expect it. After the searches, our world changed, there were many court hearings, I was very nervous. And then this positive decision! I saw how Jehovah's hand is not short.\u0026quot;\nIn Tolyatti, three more female Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted for their beliefs. They are serving suspended sentences.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/100919/image_hu_f8c427df361ccf15.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/100919/image_hu_b28a0db29169f2a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/100919/image_hu_eae43e37e9887201.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/100919/image_hu_3144ab059c094bc0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/100919.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole","labor","282.2-2"],"title":"In Tolyatti Sona Olopova One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Released Early","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 4, 2025, Irina Ushakova, 50, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, was given a 2-year suspended sentence. Irina has faced repression previously — at the age of 16 she was forced to leave Tajikistan due to ethnic discrimination. Now she has been convicted for her religious beliefs.\nThe proceedings against Irina have been ongoing since February 2024. The criminal prosecution, however, has defined the life of her family for more than 3 years: during this time, the home of the Ushakovs was searched twice, and Vitaliy, the head of the family, ended up in a pretrial detention center for 7 months. \u0026quot;I missed his support,\u0026quot; Irina recalls. \u0026quot;I had to fight to get permission to visit my husband, and it took courage to approach the authorities.\u0026quot; Shortly before those events, she underwent a serious operation and a course of radiotherapy.\nIrina Ushakova in the courtroom on the day of the verdict Irina with her husband Vitaliy. July 4, 2025 Friends hug Irina at the courthouse The Vyselkovskiy District Court has been considering Irina\u0026#39;s case since October 2024. She was accused of \u0026quot;taking part in religious discussions.\u0026quot; She explained her position in court as follows: \u0026quot;I do this because it is the command of Jesus Christ, written in the Bible in the Gospels... Jesus wants all his followers to preach, which is what I do.\u0026quot;\nIrina and her husband Vitaliy are really thankful to all the kind-hearted people who have helped them. Vitaliy said: \u0026quot;We felt their support even in the smallest things: some attended the hearing, some came to the courthouse simply to say kind words. They brought flowers and small gifts to each hearing — all of this strengthened us.\u0026quot;\nIn Vyselki, 15 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, both men and women, are being prosecuted on religious grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/07/080914/image_hu_a4dbb9bae21a29d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/07/080914/image_hu_c705dbfccb33c841.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/07/080914/image_hu_b9cfa591de9fa535.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/07/080914/image_hu_19bccc31b33e2e69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/07/080914.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","disability","families"],"title":"Court in Vyselki Gives Yet Another Woman Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Irina Ushakova expressed disbelief at her charges: \"What was established during the investigation? Only that I am a believer. I prayed, sang spiritual songs, discussed the Bible with my loved ones. Do they really imprison people for this?\"\n","date":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/2013.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Irina Ushakova's last word in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 27, 2025, the prison term of Sergey Tolokonnikov, 52, ended — 3 years in a pretrial detention center and 9 months in a penal colony. To the delight of the believer he was met by his wife and many friends on the day of his release.\n\u0026quot;I have mixed feelings... Although I knew that I was about to be released there was also the feeling of excitement. I knew that God would help me,\u0026quot; said Sergey. His wife, Mariya Pankova, added: \u0026quot;Although Sergey and I have not fully grasped what is happening, I am overjoyed!\u0026quot;\nSergey and his wife Mariya on the day of his release, June 27, 2025 Being separated was difficult for the couple. At first, the investigator banned visits for 8 months; later only brief meetings through glass and bars. \u0026quot;Life was on hold... I became like a bird missing one wing, unable to fly,\u0026quot; Mariya said. The couple were allowed an extended visit only a month before his release. \u0026quot;He looked like a youthful old man,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot;He lost more than 20 kilograms, had problems with his skin and indigestion.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;There were difficult moments,\u0026quot; Sergey agreed, \u0026quot;but it wasn't as bad as I had imagined.\u0026quot; According to the believer, a good attitude is half the battle; therefore, once behind bars, he tried to find at least five positive things in each day.\nA few months before his release, Tolokonnikov learned that a criminal case had also been initiated against Mariya. \u0026quot;I was very upset; I immediately started praying to God for help. Okay, it's one thing for me, but for Mariya — or anyone else — I don\u0026#39;t want that. It's a very serious test, since I know what she might be facing.\u0026quot;\nIn October 2024, another defendant in Sergey\u0026#39;s criminal case, Roman Mareyev, was released. Anatoliy Marunov, 71, continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony in the Tambov Region.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:34","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/271836/image_hu_534795df4c8b501a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/271836/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/271836/image_hu_2332165a3df9972c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/271836/image_hu_fff67d144af76fe0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/271836.html","regions":["moscow","vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families"],"title":"Sergey Tolokonnikov from Moscow, Released from Penal Colony — But Now His Wife is Under Investigation for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 23, 2025, the Cherkessk City Court sent Vladimir Fomin, 45, to a penal colony for 4.5 years. Judge Sapar Baychorov found the believer guilty of extremism for talking about the Bible with a local resident. Prior to the verdict, Fomin spent 1 year and 3 months in a pretrial detention center.\nAt the age of 20, Vladimir became a victim of hatred on religious grounds. Aggressive young people beat the believer right on the territory of the building for worship. The sustained injuries ultimately left him disabled. In February 2024, the home of the Fomin family was searched. Vladimir was placed in a pretrial detention center. He experienced a lack of prescribed medication in detention; his chronic illnesses worsened. During one of the court hearings, he even lost consciousness, so an ambulance had to be called.\nVladimir Fomin after his final statement in the courtroom The reason for the criminal prosecution of Fomin was conversations about the Bible with a local resident Y. Oncheva in the home of Yelena Menchikova, another believer from Cherkessk, previously given a suspended sentence of 4.5 years on similar charges. Later it became known that Oncheva, on the instructions of the FSB, covertly recorded these conversations.\nAt one of the court hearings, Vladimir Fomin stated: \u0026quot;Despite the fact that it is not forbidden in the Russian Federation to believe in Jehovah God, the prosecution identifies my religious affiliation and calls it not religious affiliation... but belonging to an organization declared extremist.\u0026quot;\nIn Karachayevo-Circassia, a republic with a population of less than 500,000 people, 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith in recent years. In February 2025, the court sentenced one of them to a long prison term.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/241326/image_hu_3e42bf3c90795c93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/241326/image_hu_9f9ad518341cf787.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/241326/image_hu_3c830808df7c38d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/241326/image_hu_725fce8927c3878b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/241326.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","disability"],"title":"Disabled Person in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic Sentenced to Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendant tells how faith in Jehovah God changed his life, helped him get rid of bad habits and find peace of mind. He emphasizes that the love taught in the Bible excludes extremism.\n","date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/550.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Vladimir Fomin's last word in Cherkessk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 11, 2025, Lidiya Koba, judge of the Vyselkovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, ruled in the case of Lyudmila Zinina: 2-year suspended sentence with 6 months restriction of freedom for reading the Bible with friends.\nLyudmila worked as a nurse in an operating room for many years. She has been married since 1973 — more than 50 years. They raised three children. In 2012, a tragedy happened in the family — their son died. \u0026quot;It was very difficult to get over his death,\u0026quot; Zinina recalls. \u0026quot;On top of that I started having problems with my health: heart and vascular diseases, osteoporosis and diabetes.\u0026quot; In addition, the believer\u0026#39;s daughter, Irina, is also being prosecuted.\nDue to problems with her legs and spine, Lyudmila can hardly move. \u0026quot;The hearings were held in a neighboring town. Public transport runs, but only twice a day. If it were not for the help of friends, I would not have been able to get there. They regularly took me to hearings, sacrificing their time and energy,\u0026quot; she said.\nFront: Lyudmila accompanied by her friend on a day of a hearing. Background: Lyudmila\u0026rsquo;s daughter, Irina, with a friend Shortly before the verdict, Zinina was diagnosed with cancer, but treatment has not yet been prescribed. According to her, during medical procedures, she encountered the bias of the medical staff — some medical workers spoke contemptuously about her because she was on trial for her faith. However, after a while, the attitude of some softened thanks to Lyudmila\u0026#39;s conduct.\nThe criminal prosecution of Lyudmila Zinina has been dragging on since February 2022. At that time, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Kuban. Recalling those events, Lyudmila said: \u0026quot;When the law enforcement officers arrived, the neighbors were so outraged that they were ready to stand up for me, I even had to dissuade them.\u0026quot; Prior to the verdict, Lyudmila was under a recognizance agreement.\nIn Vyselki, trials are underway against 15 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Lyudmila Zinina is the first of them to be sentenced for her faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_5ee73cae4daaa5d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_96f37bce36c14a58.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_84acfcb748a6f21f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/120836/image_hu_88184cdff5603930.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/120836.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly","families"],"title":"Court in Vyselki Gave Pensioner Lyudmila Zinina, 74, Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final statement, Lyudmila Zinina said that faith in Jehovah God helps her maintain peace and hope. She stressed that her beliefs are based on the Bible and have nothing to do with extremism. \"My conscience is clear before God and people,\" the believer said.\n","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/549.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Lyudmila Zinina's final statement in Vyselki","type":"docs"},{"body":"The liquidation of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Elista and the confiscation of its property violated the applicant's rights to freedom of religion and association. Russia is obliged to reconsider this decision and compensate the applicant for losses.\n","date":"2025-06-09T16:09:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/548.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["unhrc","international-community","international","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Views of the UN Human Rights Committee on the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Elista","type":"docs"},{"body":"The liquidation of the Abinsk religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses violated the applicant's rights to freedom of religion; the wording in the Russian law on extremism is too vague. Russia is obliged to reconsider the decision to liquidate and take measures to prevent similar violations in the future.\n","date":"2025-06-09T15:54:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/547.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["unhrc","international-community","international","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Views of the UN Human Rights Committee on the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anton Novopashin balances his creative approach to life with his thirst for knowledge and deep spiritual beliefs. However, he was arrested and detained because of peacefully practicing his religion.\nAnton was born in February 1991 in Shchuchinsk (Kazakhstan). His mother is a trained seamstress; she works as a salesperson. His father is no longer alive. From childhood, Anton was creative and showed a keen interest in science: he enjoyed dancing with friends, and drawing, and at school he excelled in mathematics, chemistry and English, winning prices in competitions.\nAnton graduated from the Faculty of Organic Chemistry of Tomsk State University. In his youth, he was interested in computers, programming, and composing electronic music. While studying at university, he also worked part-time as a postman and as a janitor. After graduating, he worked in home renovations and in an advertising agency and then qualified as a hairdresser.\nAnton grew up in a family with spiritual questions. His mother tried to develop her son\u0026#39;s interest in different religions. However, the turning point was when his father started studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was seriously ill and understood that he might not have time to raise his son with high moral standards. Then his father offered Anton a deal: he would give up bad habits if his son started studying the Bible. This greatly impressed the teenager.\nAnton was amazed that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses showed him the name of God in his own copy of the Holy Scriptures. In 2009, on reaching adulthood, Anton became a Christian. His conduct and concern for loved ones convinced his mother that his faith was sincere and sparked her interest in the Bible.\nAnton has been living in Tomsk since 2008. Here he not only found his career, but also a family — in 2023 he married Anastasia. \u0026quot;He is very caring. He also has strong faith in God and a great love for him. With this, he won my heart,\u0026quot; she says. The couple work together in a beauty salon, specializing in hair care. Also they love cooking, especially Georgian cuisine, having guests round, skiing and climbing mountains.\nAnton is an active person and has a kind heart. The prosecution for his faith came as a shock to his loved ones. His mother is taking what is happening very hard, which has affected her health. It hurts his wife, Anastasia, to see her loved one, who did not harm anyone, being tried.\n","date":"2025-07-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/novopashin/photo_hu_dd0f7f66f58ba934.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/novopashin/photo_hu_4fb856346d18a01f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/novopashin/photo_hu_7f9e7b5a901b17cf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/novopashin/photo_hu_3237e30736d7a7cb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/novopashin.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Novopashin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2025, Yuriy Pichugin, who had suffered a stroke not long before, ended up in a pretrial detention center. He was charged with extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nYuriy was born in July 1959 in Uzbekistan but has lived in Tomsk almost all his life. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked as midwife, nurse, and head of a kindergarten until her retirement. Their father was an engineer at a state farm, then he was a fleet manager.\nYuriy has always loved nature and as a child joined a naturalists youth club. After school, he studied at the Tomsk Civil Transport College, served in the army, and then graduated from the Civil Engineering Institute. Over the years, he worked in road construction, home decoration, and as an entrepreneur. Now he is retired.\nIn May 2004, Yuriy was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He recalls that when he first read the Bible, he was particularly interested in prophecy. Their accuracy convinced him of the credibility of this book. He also saw the practical value of the Bible — in difficult situations it helped him to do the honest thing. Moreover Yuriy was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nYuriy studied at the same school as his future wife, Tatyana. They got married in 1982 and have an adult daughter. His wife worked in construction, but is now retired. Tatyana loves working in the garden and growing flowers, and Yuriy loves spending time outdoors and fishing. Together, the couple likes picking mushrooms and riding bicycles. However, they are not only united by this, but also by their values. Tatyana was the first in the family to become interested in Bible teachings. Most of all, she was attracted to the qualities of God described in the Bible.\nAfter Yuriy ended up in the pretrial detention center, all the household worries fell on Tatyana\u0026#39;s shoulders.\n","date":"2025-07-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_7357bce970930a65.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_7357bce970930a65.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_9b750d531ffe5fdc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pichugin/photo_hu_9b750d531ffe5fdc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pichugin.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Yuriy Pichugin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Plekhanov led a normal life: he worked, exercised, and with his wife loved spending time outdoors and meeting friends. However, in May 2025, his home was searched: Andrey was thrown to the floor, and his hands were tied with a cable tie. In the temporary detention facility, where he spent 24 hours, he was given neither food nor water, and in the pretrial detention center, he covered himself with his jacket for the first four nights, as he was not given a blanket.\nAndrey was born in December 2000 in Zarafshan, Navoiy Region, Uzbekistan. His mother, a qualified engineering technologist, raised him alone. Later, she changed her profession and began working in the service industry. The family moved to Tomsk when Andrey was about 12 years old. His mother tried to instill in her son respect for the Bible and spiritual values, despite the fact that she herself did not know much about God at the time.\nAs a child, Andrey danced professionally. After moving to Tomsk, he wanted to continue with a well-known dance group. Later, he decided to change his hobby and took up basketball. At school, he especially liked physics and physical education. He also liked drawing and photography.\nAfter school, the young man entered the College of Arts in Tomsk and received a diploma in photography. Later, he did alternative civilian service, working in the post office. For some time, he worked as a barista, and for the last two years he has been a food technician.\nAndrey\u0026#39;s mother started studying the Bible when he was 13 years old. Soon her brother and her son joined her. Andrey\u0026#39;s grandmother also showed interest in the Bible. In 2016, the young man wanted to dedicate his life to serving God. He made this decision as he was convinced by the stories his mother told him about about how God answers prayers, as well as the examples of believers he met. He was especially moved by their warm and respectful relationships.\nAndrey met his future wife, Victoriya, when they were still teenagers, as their families were friends. In 2023, they started courting, and in 2024 they got married. Victoriya shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious beliefs. She worked in manicure, in a photo shop, and then as a packer in a store.\nAndrey still loves sports and enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends. He enjoys traveling, discovering new places, and meeting new people. The couple loves hiking outdoors, and especially watching sunsets. They also organize board game nights with friends.\nAndrey\u0026#39;s relatives, including his grandfather, who does not share his beliefs, consider what is happening unfair.\n","date":"2025-07-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/plekhanov/photo_hu_b62ade41ff22b8cc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/plekhanov/photo_hu_8e4bf52d046f6767.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/plekhanov/photo_hu_5d7a8c3a5d021b6f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/plekhanov/photo_hu_3683fcd0d71abe7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/plekhanov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Plekhanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Prityko grew up in a large family, mastered several professions, and traveled a lot. In 2024, his life changed dramatically when he faced criminal prosecution.\nIgor was born in May 1970 in Birobidzhan. He is the oldest of four children: he has two brothers and one sister. His mother worked as a seamstress, but devoted most of her time to her children. His father was a driver and worked hard to provide for the family. His parents tried to instill in their children honesty, kindness and respect for others. The death of their mother in 2017 was a great loss for the whole family.\nIn his childhood and youth, Igor liked sports, especially hockey and football. After school, he graduated from the Birobidzhan Technical School of Heavy Industry with a degree in electrical engineering but worked in the construction industry — as a bricklayer, plasterer-painter and later repaired refrigerators.\nBack in 1999, Igor\u0026#39;s mother was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He always believed in God but did not read the Bible. Following his mother\u0026#39;s advice, he began examining this book thoroughly. This way he learned more about God and later became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIgor is married to Natalya. Although she does not share his religious beliefs, applying Bible principles has helped them strengthen their marriage — according to him, they have truly become as one.\nIgor likes nature, he has traveled a lot around Russia — he has visited the Caucasus, the Volga Region, Lake Baikal and the Far East. He is in awe of majestic mountains, fast flowing rivers, endless forests, and clean air.\nBeing prosecuted for his faith negatively affected the life of Igor and his wife. He is forced to cancel planned work when unexpectedly summoned by the investigator. Relatives and friends know Igor as a peace loving, friendly person and consider the charges against him groundless.\n","date":"2025-07-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prityko/photo_hu_80b0608041aea910.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prityko/photo_hu_58ef8b03530d1da0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prityko/photo_hu_73338f5af3861f8b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prityko/photo_hu_4d15e3c0b5354d66.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prityko.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Prityko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Before the criminal prosecution, Tatyana Levitskaya led a busy life: she traveled a lot, was into sports and art. Everything changed overnight.\nTatyana was born in August 1983 in Moscow and grew up in a close-knit family. She is the eldest of four daughters. Their parents were fond of traveling and sports from their youth. They passed this passion on to their children. Together, they often went hiking and kayaking. Their parents are retired now.\nTatyana has been active from childhood: she liked dancing, swimming, skiing, table tennis, drawing and studied at a music school. However, most of all, she liked to organize events and arrange surprises for friends. Later, she worked a few times as a wedding host.\nAfter high school, she graduated with honors from college with a degree in advertising. Then she studied advertising and copywriting at Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. Tatyana has worked as a promoter, advertising manager, loan officer and personal assistant; for the last 16 years she has been a travel agent.\nTatyana still has many hobbies: volleyball, Caucasian dancing, running, snowboarding, skating, and surfing. She also makes jewelry, soap, candles, and balloon arrangements.\nHer mother was the first in the family to start studying the Bible in 1993. \u0026quot;She instilled in us, her daughters, a love for God and his principles,\u0026quot; Tatyana recalls. \u0026quot;We are very grateful to her for this. Thanks to this, we have been able to avoid many of the problems that young people face today. We are a strong close-knit family.\u0026quot; She was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2002.\nThe criminal prosecution affected not only Tatyana\u0026#39;s life, but also the health of her elderly parents. Anxiety has seeped into their family: loved ones constantly live with the thought that at any moment their home could be searched. Tatyana\u0026#39;s father, who does not share her convictions, is outraged that his daughter can be imprisoned only for her faith in God. Neighbors, who know this family as respectable people, are shocked by the injustice.\n","date":"2025-06-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/levitskaya/photo_hu_ebf9ae7be96a918e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/levitskaya/photo_hu_6255a46cc588b0b3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/levitskaya/photo_hu_a7350258c62a1d6c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/levitskaya/photo_hu_8fff6a38303037f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/levitskaya.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Levitskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 30, 2025, the court announced its verdict against Aleksandr Protasov — a 6-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible, discussing it with other people and praying to God. \u0026quot;My life is based on love, not hatred,\u0026quot; he said at one of the hearings, and denied being guilty of extremism.\nProtasov is a pensioner from Novocheboksarsk, and was awarded the Order of Honor. In May 2023, his family\u0026#39;s home was searched. \u0026quot;I remember after everyone had left, we sat on the sofa, and didn\u0026#39;t know what to do next,\u0026quot; Aleksandr recalls. In the fall of the next year, a criminal case was initiated against him.\nThe prosecution brought new difficulties to the life of the Protasovs. \u0026quot;Recognizance agreement, bank accounts being blocked... And I have relatives who live outside the Republic, and now I could not visit them,\u0026quot; Aleksandr said. \u0026quot;It was difficult to come to terms with such a situation.\u0026quot; But, according to Protasov, his biggest worries were for his wife and son (both have disabilities): \u0026quot;They suffer from clinical depression, and this situation only aggravates their condition. I tried to be with them when it was very hard for them. We talked about our wonderful future and prayed a lot.\u0026quot;\nThe trial of Protasov lasted 2 months, and the court hearings were closed. Although Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses did not have a registered legal entity in Novocheboksarsk, judge Dmitriy Yefimov found Protasov guilty of resuming the activity of the liquidated organization.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Protasov in Novocheboksarsk was preceded by the case of 86-year-old Yuriy Yuskov. Up until now, nine of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted in Chuvash Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_77929b6b239594e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_9eead780f699715.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_48766f971b0d5313.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/06/031111/image_hu_ba4bf3125635a505.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/031111.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Protasov, 68, Received Suspended Sentence for His Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Another Elderly Prisoner of Conscience Convicted in Novocheboksarsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2025, the Leninskiy District Court sentenced 60-year-old Oleg Sirotkin to a long prison term; he was taken into custody in the courtroom. This was based on the investigation deeming praying together and singing religious songs extremism. Oleg categorically disagrees with the charge, as he stated in his final statement.\nOleg Sirotkin, a chemical engineer by trade, moved to Tambov in 1997 for work and worked as a sales manager at a chemical plant until his arrest. He became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2007. He was prompted to do this, among other things, by the desire to help his wife, Natalya, raise her two daughters in an environment rooted in moral values. The prosecution of Sirotkin began in September 2021, when his family\u0026#39;s home was searched. Then Oleg\u0026#39;s movements were restricted, and later his car was arrested. Natalya, who has a disability after a major operation, found what was happening particularly hard. \u0026quot;Despite all the difficulties, she supports me and does not complain,\u0026quot; the believer said about Natalya.\n\u0026quot;After the search, my life turned upside down. But I refused to see myself as stripped of my rights,\u0026quot; said Oleg Sirotkin. \u0026quot;So, I tried to live a normal life — to rejoice, to laugh.\u0026quot; The support of family and friends, as well as caring for others, helped him maintain a positive attitude.\nThe trial lasted for 3 years. During this time, according to the defense, not a single piece of evidence of his guilt was presented. The only thing that the prosecution managed to establish was that Oleg belonged to the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n\u0026quot;If a person is afraid, then he is practically already in prison. He has no joy, he has anxiety,\u0026quot; Oleg said shortly before the verdict was announced. \u0026quot;The main thing is to be ready for any adversity and remember that we are innocent. It is an honor to take part in this. You should come to court not to justify yourself, but to defend the name of God.\u0026quot;\nFour other believers are under criminal prosecution in the Tambov Region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/301636/image_hu_22e48ba3ee10afce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/301636/image_hu_31fa7e3cad136b76.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/301636/image_hu_f41a0e074090fb8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/301636/image_hu_839777d7a2274eeb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/301636.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Tambov Sentenced Oleg Sirotkin to 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2025, a series of searches and detentions took place in Tomsk: law enforcement officers went to at least four addresses. Anton Novopashin, a citizen of Kazakhstan, Djachi Gonhi, a student from Côte d\u0026#39;Ivoire, Andrey Plekhanov, as well as Yuriy Pichugin, who recently suffered a stroke, ended up in a pretrial detention center.\nThe searches began around 6 am. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal notes, bank cards, cash and Bibles. Then the believers were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Among them were three women who were later released. The next day, Mariya Tynyanaya, judge of the Kirovskiy District Court of the city of Tomsk, sent the four men into custody to detention center No.1 in the Tomsk Region.\nOn May 29, Captain of Justice Vyacheslav Lebedev, investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region, initiated criminal cases under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. On the same day, he combined them with the case of Pushkov and others. The believers are charged with holding conversations and participating in events with the aim of \u0026quot;involving citizens in the religious movement\u0026quot; of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The case contains the testimony of a secret witness who was present at some meetings for worship.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/06/051044.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":"Two Foreign Citizens Among Those Detained","tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"New Wave of Searches in Tomsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer explained that being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime. He addressed the court: \"If the Bible teaches only useful things, how can this bother anyone? Who suffered from me living by Bible principles? Who have I harmed? What do they want to punish me for?\"\n","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/642.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Aleksandr Protasov's concluding remarks in Novocheboksarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 27, 2025, the Kirsanovskiy District Court found Anton Kuzhelkov guilty of extremism for holding meetings for worship and preaching. \u0026quot;Who is being judged — me or the God in whom I believe?\u0026quot; he asked at one of the hearings, pointing out that on the 31st page of the charge, his name is mentioned only once, and the name of God — 168 times.\nIn December 2020, Kuzhelkov\u0026#39;s house was searched. \u0026quot;They came to our home with weapons... To us, peaceful, calm, quiet people who pose no harm to anyone,\u0026quot; recalls Anton during his final statement. \u0026quot;Why?Apparently, they thought that we would put up some resistance... But that didn't happen. Why? Jesus\u0026#39; disciples don't act like this.\u0026quot;\nFor 4.5 years of preliminary and judicial investigation, Kuzhelkov spent about 15 months in a pretrial detention center. The arrest of the believer occurred during Covid. \u0026quot;To get a visit,\u0026quot; says Alena, Anton\u0026#39;s wife, \u0026quot;I had to have an expensive test confirming that I did not have Covid, stand in line, and after the documents were accepted, wait 5 hours.\u0026quot; Later, Anton was transferred to a more remote detention center, and a long distance was added to the already difficult procedure.\nAnton does not agree with the guilty verdict; he insists that peaceful religious activity cannot be considered a crime. The defense drew attention to violations during the expert studies, which formed the basis of the verdict. Witness testimonies in court indicated that Kuzhelkov had no extremist motives. One of them said of the believer: \u0026quot;I was touched by his determination not to take up arms and his desire to serve in another legal way — in a nursing home, where he cared for the elderly. Not every young person is capable of this.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Tambov Region is not easing. In February 2025, another criminal case was initiated in Tambov against Andrey Mikhailov, 41. At the same time, court proceedings against Nikolai Prokhorov (he was the second defendant in the Kuzhelkov case) were suspended in February 2025 due to his cancer.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_3e2cd59c16dcd52a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_bfda14f59ae3d1bb.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_7df5bb7e7b485991.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/301414/image_hu_250b551e8d42eac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/301414.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"title":"Court in Kirsanov Gave 32-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness 6.5- Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 27, 2025, the Neftekumskiy District Court of the Stavropol Territory fined 53-year-old Aleksey Shcherbich 300,000 rubles for holding peaceful meetings for worship.\nAleksey has been prosecuted for his faith for almost 7 years, since 2018. He was arrested not immediately, but 5.5 years after the start of the criminal prosecution. Up until the verdict was announced, he had spent almost 1 year behind bars in several pretrial detention centers. In one of them, Aleksey was put in a basement cell. \u0026quot;The conditions there are very oppressive. It was hard,\u0026quot; the believer said, and added what cheered him up: \u0026quot;Before going to bed, I prayed fervently and a few minutes later I heard the whisper of one of my cellmates. He called me by name, said that he knew Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses well and had previously been in close contact with us.\u0026quot; Aleksey\u0026#39;s Christian behavior impressed the other prisoners of this detention center so much that they saw him off with tears, wishing him a speedy release.\nAs Natalya, Aleksey\u0026#39;s wife, said, being separated was the most difficult for them. \u0026quot;We are very close. Having lived together for more than 30 years, we have never been apart for so long,\u0026quot; Natalya said.\nAleksey Shcherbich\u0026rsquo;s friends near the police van, which is taking the believer to the hearing, May 21, 2025 Aleksey\u0026#39;s wife expressed gratitude for the active support shown to her family by friends, acquaintances and other caring people. \u0026quot;I live in a village several hundred kilometers from the pretrial detention center. Public transport is often canceled. But thanks to the responsiveness of those who have a car, it was possible to go to the detention center to pass on food or other things to Lyosha (editor\u0026#39;s note: Lyosha is a diminutive form of Aleksey). Sometimes friends made up parcels themselves: they looked for quality products, stood in line at the pretrial detention center, filled out the forms necessary for the transfer, and, of course, fervently prayed for Lyosha, and also wrote him letters of support,\u0026quot; Natalya said.\nDuring the criminal prosecution of her husband, Natalya\u0026#39;s health noticeably weakened. But caring for others helped to fight despondency; she said: \u0026quot;I don\u0026#39;t allow myself to focus on my problems, so I often call others, send voice messages, pray for them and with them. And when I have time and energy, I try to visit someone in person.\u0026quot;\nAleksey and Natalya have been Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses since the early 2000s. For about 20 years, the state had no complaints about their beliefs, which have not changed since then. However, the prosecution demanded that the court send Aleksey to a penal colony for 8 years.\nJehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Neftekumsk were first prosecuted back in 2017, just a month after the decision to liquidate the legal entities of this denomination came into force. Then the law enforcement officers raided the believers during a picnic. Soon the FSB initiated a criminal case, as a result of which three believers were sentenced to large fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/301116/image_hu_73c536e3f881d507.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/301116/image_hu_49e403de364bf5d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/301116/image_hu_32c7c043a5777f5e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/301116/image_hu_e0c2f791b59d4c23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/301116.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"He Was Released","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","fine"],"title":"Court in Neftekumsk Fined One of Jehovah's Witnesses 300,000 Rubles.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am a believer, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses! I don't hide this. Is this really a crime?\" said Anton Kuzhelkov in his final statement. He noted that practicing a peaceful religion should not become grounds for criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/545.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Anton Kuzhelkov's last word in Kirsanov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"In my case there is not a single victim, no public insults, no material damage, no undermining of the integrity of the state,\" the believer emphasized, \"there is no malicious intent, no motive, no corpus delicti, nor me claiming to be superior to anyone or anything.\"\n","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/546.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Aleksey Shcherbich's concluding remarks in Neftekumsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 26, 2025, the Kursk Regional Court reduced the sentences imposed on three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: for Nikolay Kupriyanskiy to 4.5 years and the Chausovs to 1 year and 10 months. The verdict has entered into force. Dmitriy Chausov was released the same day, as he had already served his entire term in a pretrial detention center.\nThe prosecutor filed an appeal against the verdict of court of first instance, in which he requested the punishment to be toughened against the believers: Kupriyanskiy — 7 years in a penal colony, the Chausov couple — 3 years. The state prosecutor requested the same terms in the court of first instance.\nDmitriy Chausov after being released from the pretrial detention center. May 26, 2025 The defendants also appealed the court\u0026#39;s decision. They asked to be acquitted due to the absence of a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. One of the believers\u0026#39; lawyers stated that criminal prosecution for religious beliefs degrades human dignity: \u0026quot;The actions of the investigation and the court are aimed at intimidating the convicted person and his fellow believers and forcing them to renounce their faith. Such treatment is also considered inhumane and caused them deep physical and moral suffering.\u0026quot;\nThe trend of prosecuting entire families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses has continued for several years, and the case of the Chausovs is just one of many examples. All this is happening despite the ECHR\u0026#39;s demand to completely stop the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/271325/image_hu_a7b25d3fa7391863.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/271325/image_hu_f40dfaac08880949.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/271325/image_hu_44cfced20ade8928.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/271325/image_hu_798fb195f0ca6dde.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/271325.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":"Dmitriy Chausov Released","tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kursk Mitigated Punishment for Their Faith Against Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and the Chausovs.","type":"news"},{"body":"Robert Ishberdin was born in 1979 in Sibay, Bashkiria. He has two younger sisters. Their father worked most of his life as an excavator operator in a quarry, and their mother worked as the head of a kindergarten. Now their parents are retired.\nAs a child, Robert was interested in natural sciences — he participated in school competitions in chemistry and biology, winning prizes, and receiving awards. He raised rabbits and also liked photography. He loved skiing, and from a young age was active in school events.\nAfter school, he graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Bashkiria State University in Sibay. Robert worked as a workforce planning specialist and accounting software consultant. Recently, he has been working as a landscape gardener.\nRobert became interested in the Bible in 1996, when he was in the 11th grade. He was deeply affected by the Bible\u0026#39;s statement that \u0026quot;the whole world is in the power of the wicked one [Satan],\u0026quot; which helped him to understand the reasons for what was happening in the world. The young man was especially impressed by God\u0026#39;s promise to restore the ecological balance on earth. In 1999, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2002, the military registration and enlistment office decided to call Robert up for military service. However, guided by his beliefs, he refused to undergo military training. After lengthy legal proceedings, he was granted the right to alternative civilian service when it was introduced in Russia. He completed it in a nursing home for the elderly and disabled in the Moscow Region.\nOver the years, Robert lived in Bashkortostan; in the Moscow, Tver, and Orenburg Regions. And in 2015, he moved to Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan Republic, to be closer to his parents and other relatives in Bashkiria.\nIn 2019, Robert married Olga, who shares his values. She works as a nanny and housekeeper. The couple is creative. In her free time, Olga likes rattan weaving, creating jewelry, macramé, and knitting. She is also interested in psychology. Robert likes writing poetry. Together, they like being outdoors — walking in the pine forest near their house, traveling and rafting on the rivers of Bashkiria. They often visit their parents and help them with work around the house. Furthermore, Robert and Olga are learning sign language to communicate with Deaf people.\nRobert said that after the search, their life changed: \u0026quot;Traveling and other dreams will have to wait for now. For a period after the search, we felt anxious and depressed, and ordinary things became very difficult.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the couple have not lost a positive outlook and maintain peace of mind.\n","date":"2025-06-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ishberdin/photo_hu_350347309ec842d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ishberdin/photo_hu_871347826c51a8a8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ishberdin/photo_hu_3b9bb0a8c5a7c64f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ishberdin/photo_hu_f39476cea371cc76.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ishberdin.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Robert Ishberdin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Starikov was born in February 1976 in Kachanovo, Poltava Region, Ukraine. In 1986, together with his parents, older brother and younger sister, he moved to Naberezhnye Chelny, where he still lives.\nAs a child, Sergey liked judo, cycling and stamp collecting. After finishing school, he trained in various professions — as a turner, a carpenter and an electrician. For a while, he worked as a turner; later he started his own decorating business.\nSergey has always been religious, and he wanted to understand Bible teachings better. When he met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, he found answers to his questions.\nIn February 2006, Sergey married Lyudmila. A few months later, they were baptized together as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They have an adult daughter.\nThe couple likes swimming and spending time in the summerhouse. During summer, Sergey does jobs around the house; in winter he prefers playing table tennis and going to the sauna.\n","date":"2025-06-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/starikovs/photo_hu_ddebefa2287ab57c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/starikovs/photo_hu_ddebefa2287ab57c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/starikovs/photo_hu_94abc939140164ea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/starikovs/photo_hu_94abc939140164ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/starikovs.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Starikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 22, 2025, the verdict in the second case against 48-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov entered into force. A panel of judges of the Moscow City Court, chaired by Galina Lebedeva, agreed to his prison term but lifted the additional restriction of freedom that the believer was to serve after his release.\nThe prosecutor requested the court of appeal send the criminal case for a new trial, and the believer asked to be acquitted. Aleksandr mentioned that the second verdict, sentencing him to 5 years in a penal colony, \u0026quot;is actually repeating the verdict that has already entered into force and imposing a sentence for the same crime.\u0026quot;\nThe second criminal case against Serebryakov was based on materials from his first case, which were literally copied from there. The lawyer called this \u0026quot;an obvious attempt to prosecute A.G. Serebryakov twice for the same crime with an increase and severity of the punishment imposed... which is unacceptable.\u0026quot; Moreover, the verdict is based on several conclusions of experts, who did not appear in court for questioning. At the same time, there are no documents confirming their identity or specialist knowledge in the case materials.\nBy the time of the appeal hearing, Serebryakov had spent about 1.5 years in a pretrial detention center. Currently, 17 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Moscow and the Moscow Region are in custody.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_da4c15fd36f3f8bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_c1af97b59884bea0.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_b6316ce5bf2825da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/260910/image_hu_c997d8032bd1fbb3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/260910.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Convicted Twice for the Same Thing","tags":["appeal","282.3-1","sizo"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Moscow Upheld 5 Years in Penal Colony for Aleksandr Serebryakov.","type":"news"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin stressed that over the three years of the investigation, the court had the opportunity to see that there was no corpus delicti. \"Almost all the materials collected by the prosecution turned out to be evidence in my favor,\" he added.\n","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/542.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Oleg Sirotkin's last word in Tambov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 12, 2025, Judge Yuliya Zhivodinskaya sentenced 49-year-old Andrey Shurygin, an overhead linesman from Chelyabinsk, to 5.5 years imprisonment. Reading and discussing the Bible with fellow believers is deemed as \u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot;\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe criminal prosecution of Andrey Shurygin began with surveillance, searches and interrogations in June 2023. Due to the severe shock, the believer suffered a cardiac arrest. Andrey recalls: \u0026quot;During the search, the front door and balcony were damaged, there were many different thoughts and mixed emotions spinning round my mind. The investigator and officers wanted to obtain the passwords to our phones through intimidation, threats and persuasion. And the investigators said: \u0026#39;Renounce God and live peacefully.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nOver the past 8 months, the case has been considered in the Sovetskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, where another believer, 28-year-old Maksim Khamatshin, is on trial.\nShurygin\u0026#39;s charge is based on covert video and audio recordings of meetings for worship. The defense pointed out, that neither the witnesses nor the expert confirmed the presence of extremism in the actions of the believer. Shurygin also reminded the court of the ruling of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, according to which meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are not a crime in themselves. \u0026quot;The fact that the state prosecutor completely avoids mentioning these explanations, only confirms that he has no real arguments against meetings for worship being held,\u0026quot; Andrey concluded.\nThe defense presented to the court documents confirming Shurygin\u0026#39;s reputation as a respectable person: references from his work place, management company, neighbors, as well as certificates from the school where the defendant\u0026#39;s two children study. However, the state prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nIn total, 11 criminal cases were initiated in the city of Chelyabinsk, including against the Suvorov couple. All cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were initiated by Chepenko, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The European Court of Human Rights found the charges for extremism against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia groundless.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-05-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/131406/image_hu_123fa80a47dd9ce7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/131406/image_hu_bc497cd9b1385754.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/131406/image_hu_8a3526a04852f23f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/131406/image_hu_a711791225130f81.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/131406.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Chelyabinsk Sentenced to 5.5 Years in Prison for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Dmitriyev, a former participant in hostilities in Afghanistan, who has state awards, was convinced from his own experience of the value of human life. Now, instead of a weapon, he has the Bible in his hands—in 1995 he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, 30 years later, because of his peaceful beliefs, the believer faced criminal prosecution—he was imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center, and a few months later the court sent him to a penal colony for 4 years.\nAleksey was born in the Khabarovsk Territory. In his youth, he was fond of music and played the electric guitar in a rock band. In the late 1980s, he served in the army, then settled in Adygea. The young man received the profession of an electric and gas welder and worked in his specialty. Over time, he was awarded the highest qualification category and was repeatedly awarded various awards for many years of conscientious work. Before his arrest, Aleksey was engaged in entrepreneurial activities—he owned a small clothing store.\nAleksey met his future wife Svetlana in 2004, and about a year later they got married and have been living in Adygeysk ever since. Svetlana shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious views. Aleksey loves to do household chores, cook, and have picnics with barbecue. The couple enjoys chatting with friends and traveling. People around note Aleksey\u0026#39;s sense of humor.\nAccording to relatives, the criminal prosecution became a sad stage of life for the Dmitriyevs, but they accepted it with courage. For Aleksey\u0026#39;s 90-year-old mother, whom he took care of before her arrest, what was happening was also a shock: during the search, the woman suffered a hypertensive crisis, and later her chronic illnesses worsened.\nIn court, the believer emphasized: \u0026quot;My indictment states that there are no victims. But this is not true. My dear wife, my elderly mother, our loved ones and I suffered. Due to the stress and other consequences caused by my detention, detention, and criminal prosecution, my family and I suffered moral and physical harm.\u0026quot;\nNeighbors and colleagues speak of Dmitriyev as a friendly person who is always ready to help.\n","date":"2025-05-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dmitriyev/photo_hu_340b5ae4abb0293a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dmitriyev/photo_hu_ae9668d342d42d43.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dmitriyev/photo_hu_f91cd44ed1f1fd82.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dmitriyev/photo_hu_fe2acc2b985ee5c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dmitriyev.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Dmitriyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s hard to get used to the lack of normal living conditions when you\u0026#39;re over 70,\u0026quot; said Yuriy Sergeechev while in the detention center. He ended up there after his home was searched; he is disabled and has suffered two heart attacks.\nYuriy was born in March 1951 into a large family in the village of Sokolaevka, Oryol Region. His parents worked on a collective farm. They had five children. His father died early, but his mother lived for 84 years.\nIn his youth, Yuriy liked playing the guitar, wrote poems and took part in amateur performances. He qualified as an electrician at a technical college, and later graduated from Rostov State University as a psychologist. Yuriy worked as the director of the local Community Youth Centre, then as a mechanic in the Kuban Basin Water Administration.\nYuriy believed in God from his childhood, but, as he says, he only felt spiritual refreshment when he started reading the Bible. \u0026quot;I finally began to receive answers to my questions,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nIn 1991, Yuriy married Antonina and in 1993 he was baptized. Then he was living in Adygeysk and became the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in this town. His wife supported his interest in spiritual things and in 1994 she was also baptized. Antonina is an economist by education and a creative person. In her youth, she taught herself to play the accordion and entered music competitions.\nBefore his arrest, the couple led a busy life. They organized entertaining evenings for family and friends with quizzes and mini-performances; they enjoyed the outdoors, fishing and making gifts from natural materials. Yuriy built a fountain and a decorative fireplace with his own hands. The couple were often visited by their granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.\nIn April 2025, FSB officers searched the house of the Sergeechevs and took Yuriy away. He was placed in a pretrial detention center, despite his serious health condition: he has diabetes mellitus, poor eyesight and uses a cane to walk with because of problems with his legs.\nTheir relatives sympathize with the Sergeechevs and are impressed by their steadfastness and courage. Their neighbors are bewildered: \u0026quot;Why are they arresting such a law-abiding person?\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-10-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_9bd746e1f054f5c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_fecc3067ede3a204.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_196280ddd6207ba5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sergeechev/photo_hu_3e252a10bb94724c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sergeechev.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Yuriy Sergeechev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his speech in court, the believer stated: \"I can say with a clear conscience that I have not done anything illegal. I have never been engaged in extremist activities and have never organized anything, as this contradicts the very essence of my faith.\"\n","date":"2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/541.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Andrey Shurygin's last word in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Nadezhda Lebed, a pensioner from Moscow, faced criminal prosecution for her faith—in 2021 and 2025, she was searched. Later, the court fined her 500,000 rubles for her beliefs.\nNadezhda was born in 1950 in the village of Dubkino, Ryazan Region. She was the only child in the family. Having moved to Moscow in 1952, his parents got a job at a machine-building plant. After school, the girl received a secondary electrical education and worked as a technician in a machine-building design bureau.\nIn 1983, Nadezhda married Sergey. Together with her husband, they raised her two daughters from her first marriage. Relatives do not share Nadezhda\u0026#39;s religious views, but they treat them with respect. The woman\u0026#39;s passion for sewing and knitting became not only a hobby, but also an expression of love and care for her family.\nNadezhda became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1998. Bible study helped her find answers to her questions about the meaning of life. What she learned from this book changed her life and had a beneficial effect on family relationships.\nThe criminal case against Nadezhda caused bewilderment among her relatives. She said: \u0026quot;My daughters cannot understand why I am being persecuted. They are very grateful for my upbringing with my husband. They are very kind and compassionate.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-05-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_b8df437374dbce0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_cc64e89b5c37e792.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_9b2111623fc90c5f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lebed/photo_hu_beec379fe49cd68f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lebed.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Lebed","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Shortly before Sergey Tolokonnikov\u0026#39;s release from the penal colony where he was serving a sentence for his faith, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against his wife, Mariya Pankova. The reason was her practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nMariya was born in May 1974 in Moscow. She and her older sister grew up in an ordinary Soviet family, their parents were atheists. Her father died in 2009. As a child, Mariya liked swimming and music — she taught herself to play the guitar.\nAfter finishing school, Mariya qualified as an accountant and worked in this field for a long time. Later she worked as a cleaner. She is also a certified instructor in Nordic walking.\nIn 1995, Mariya met Sergey. At the time she was raising her son from her first marriage alone. In 2003, Mariya began studying the Bible because she wanted to learn more about Christian teachings. Later, Sergey joined her. The Bible prompted them to change their lifestyle: they registered their marriage; Mariya was able to quit smoking, although for 16 years she could not overcome this bad habit. She also made the difficult decision to leave a highly paid position, where she was required to act dishonestly. In 2005, the couple became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They like traveling together. Mariya loves animals.\nIn October 2021, the family\u0026#39;s life changed suddenly. Their home was searched, after which Sergey was taken into custody. Later he was sentenced to 5 years and 2 months imprisonment. All the hardships associated with Sergey\u0026#39;s imprisonment fell on the shoulders of Mariya. In April 2025, the couple\u0026#39;s apartment was searched again, and now she too was facing criminal prosecution. These events caused additional stress for the believer. Her elderly mother, who lives with Mariya, is especially worried about her daughter.\n","date":"2025-06-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pankova/photo_hu_e191244427496a99.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pankova/photo_hu_2bb26e71e1cdc256.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pankova/photo_hu_b7b5b08c64e6c65.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pankova/photo_hu_bdfdde1c2cbcba2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pankova.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Mariya Pankova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 30, 2025, Inver Siyukhov, 51, who had been convicted for his faith, was released. He spent 4 years in the pretrial detention center, where the length of punishment is calculated on the principle of 1 year for 1.5 years. This is a record length of time that any Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness was held in a pretrial detention center. At the checkpoint, the believer was met by his relatives.\nInver Siyukhov was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment, but he was never sent to a penal colony. From the moment of his arrest until his release, he was in a pretrial detention center (Facility used for pretrial detention) at strict regime penal colony No. 1 in the village of Tlyustenkhabl, which is about 110 km from Maykop. Conditions of detention in such a facility are much harsher than in a penal colony. For a long time, Inver almost did not go out for walks due to the fact that about 40 prisoners were taken out into the small prison yard at the same time - most of them smokers. In such conditions, there was no opportunity to breathe fresh air or take any exercise. Even when indoors, Inver had to wear a hat due to the cold and constant drafts.\nAt the exit from the pretrial detention center, Inver Siyukhov was met by his sister and his appointed lawyer Zarieta. April 2025 Inver Siyukhov (center) and his sister with her husband. April 2025 Inver Siyukhov against the background of the pretrial detention center. April 2025 \u0026quot;In winter, there was sometimes no heating for weeks. If the temperature dropped below minus five degrees, frost formed on the walls, and it was very cold in the cell; we slept in our clothes. Also, there was often no hot water,\u0026quot; the believer said about his time in detention. \u0026quot;Food was scarce, but relatives and friends regularly sent parcels. This helped not only me, but also other prisoners who saw the generosity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and their bias disappeared.\u0026quot;\nFor 2 months after his arrest, Siyukhov did not have a Bible, and the first letters were handed over to him only 5 months later, after appeals to various authorities, including the Commissioner for Human Rights. Subsequently, he received over 1000 letters. Inver, expressing gratitude to everyone who supported him, said: \u0026quot;One of the \u0026#39;experienced\u0026#39; prisoners even admitted that he had never seen so many letters here before. And when the colony staff said that all these letters were for one person, he was completely shocked.\u0026quot;\nA letter of gratitude that Inver Siyukhov received from another prisoner. It says: \u0026lsquo;Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for being you! You make this world a better place! To the best of your ability, you try to make this world a better place day by day. Reminding and showing by example what we should be, what we can become. As we may have been, but at some point we lost ourselves. Your eyes always shine with warmth.\u0026rsquo; Wherever Inver was, he tried to provide practical help to those around him. After just 2 months in the detention center, 1 prisoner admitted that he had stopped lying, and 2 more quit smoking. One of his former cellmates sent a letter of gratitude to Inver and his fellow believer Nikolay Saparov. \u0026quot;Even here, you help people feel happy at least for a moment,\u0026quot; he wrote. \u0026quot;You managed to restore my faith in people... This world needs you, we all need you!\u0026quot;\nIn the Republic of Adygea, after the release of Inver Siyukhov and Nikolay Voishchev, Nikolay Saparov remains in prison; he is due to leave prison in September 2026.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/301437/image_hu_3ee5f030574ac306.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/301437/image_hu_7bf7e43e791aa523.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/301437/image_hu_3f7fab4e0d68aa48.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/301437/image_hu_2d4c2ff2929db57f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/301437.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Inver Siyukhov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Maykop, Served His Sentence and Was Released","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranova/photo_hu_993e45aa51f61a8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranova/photo_hu_a3c9d0a0e7f05af.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranova/photo_hu_13be6f26990dccd4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranova/photo_hu_bb6abd9a3a3eba87.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Baranov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krymskiy.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Kirill Krymskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maz.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Maz","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 29, 2025, Yevgeniy Zadvornyy, judge of the Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, issued a decision in the case of Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva: 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony and a fine of 400,000 rubles, respectively. Andrey was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAndrey and Anna first faced criminal prosecution in November 2021. Then the law enforcement officers raided and searched their homes as part of the criminal case against another believer from Lesosibirsk, Valeriy Shitz. Later, in January 2023, Artem Kunko, a senior investigator of the Lesosibirsk Investigation Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, initiated criminal cases against Shiyan and Matveeva. After some time, Shiyan\u0026#39;s house was searched again, during which he fell ill and an ambulance was called twice for him; after the interrogation on the next day, he was taken to the hospital.\nAndrey and Anna were placed under recognizance agreements. The preliminary investigation of their cases was conducted separately, but in December 2023, the court decided to combine them into one proceeding. Shiyan was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Matveeva was charged with participating in it. She was charged with discussing the Bible with friends in her own apartment, and he was charged with reading and commenting on religious texts. The trial lasted for a year. The charges were based on hidden video recordings of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible, made by a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nAndrey Shiyan, 55, commented on the charges against him: \u0026quot;I am wrongfully charged because I did not renounce my religion, but continued to practice it with other believers... It is not clear to me on the basis of what authority the state prosecutor extrajudicially banned the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nAnna Matveeva, 48, is a teacher with many years of experience and respected by her colleagues. Speaking at one of the hearings, she noted: \u0026quot;They say that I tried to convince the secret witness of the superiority of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses over other people, but my words, contained in the case materials, make such accusations groundless: \u0026#39;We are not better than other people, but are just like them... Our goal is to live up to high Bible standards\u0026quot;... I am charged because of influencing a secret witness with expressions of love and commendation.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 31 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were prosecuted in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, including 3 women. So far 12 believers have already been convicted; 5 men received prison sentences of 6 years or more.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/300828/image_hu_e2fadd769b96ae9d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/300828/image_hu_3bb1b59bc88c92c7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/300828/image_hu_c5e1e3be024bfb19.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/300828/image_hu_2e39a83ba6bee603.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/300828.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Court Sent Man to Penal Colony for 6 Years, and Fined Woman","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","fine"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 29, 2025, in Adygeysk, a small town on the border with the Krasnodar Territory, searches were carried out in the family homes of two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: Aleksey Dmitriyev, 57, and Yuriy Sergeechev, 74. They were interrogated, detained, and on the next day sent to a pretrial detention center (in Tlyustenkhabl).\nThe search warrant was issued by Zalim Ashinov, investigator of the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Adygea. According to eyewitnesses, the investigative actions were carried out by two FSB teams from Maykop. The law enforcement officers behaved appropriately, however they did not allow the believers to observe the search. Mobile devices, a computer, electronic storage media and notebooks were seized.\nThe search caused stress to both families. Sergeechev\u0026#39;s wife and Dmitriyev\u0026#39;s 90-year-old mother suffered a hypertensive crisis. Sergeechev suffers from heart problems: he has had two heart attacks and a few days prior to his arrest had been discharged from a day hospital, where he had been treated for angina pectoris and hypertension.\nAt the end of April, two believers from Adygea — Inver Siyukhov and Nikolay Voishchev — were released after serving sentences for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/081039.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Two More of Jehovah's Witnesses Prosecuted in Adygea","tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In Exchange for Two Released:","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 29, 2025, the court of appeal upheld the guilty verdict against Yevgeniy Semenov. \u0026quot;The court equated a believer of a peaceful religion with a terrifying follower of an agrressive movement,\u0026quot; said Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;Therefore,... he is a victim of discrimination.\u0026quot;\nIn his appeal, Semenov referred to the position of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council: \u0026quot;Since the right to freedom of conscience and religion applies to everyone, it undoubtedly applies to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, to their religious practices and manifestations, and also includes the right to gather for meetings for worship. [...] Practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses cannot be interpreted as extremist activity.\u0026quot;\nThe defense drew attention to a number of violations and contradictions in the evidence in the case. Thus, the witnesses for the prosecution were either not acquainted with the convicted person, or their testimony did not contain information of any illegal actions on the part of the believer. Commenting on the religious expert study that formed the basis of the guilty verdict, the lawyer noted that the religious scholar went beyond his competence: \u0026quot;Conducting a religious study, expert D. V. Pikalov, has no right to go into legal analysis.\u0026quot;\nThe decision of the court of first instance was announced in February 2025: the believer was sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 3 months. Yevgeniy has been in custody for over 1.5 years. He is the first of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses convicted in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic to receive a prison sentence for his faith; the other five were given suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/05/060957/image_hu_136370621df9c3fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/05/060957/image_hu_bfa225bdc03ac2d4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/05/060957/image_hu_ff421f29ea224e26.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/05/060957/image_hu_7d0c314ec8eaa431.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/060957.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Supreme Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic Upheld Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Davydenko, 33, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the village of Pavlovskaya, will be sent to a penal colony. On April 28, 2025, the Krasnodar Territory Court upheld the verdict against the believer. He attended the hearing via videoconference from the pretrial detention center.\nThe punishment imposed on Davydenko remained unchanged - 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony. Since the believer was in detention for a long time during the preliminary and judicial investigation, he will only have to spend about two years in the correctional institution.\nAleksandr denies being guilty of extremism. The believer emphasized that he was being prosecuted on far-fetched grounds, already before the court of first instance. \u0026quot;How could I cause danger to the state by reading the Bible?\u0026quot; Aleksandr expressed his bewilderment at one of the hearings and continued: \u0026quot;What evidence confirms that I was inciting religious hatred and enmity? We have listened to the audio recordings [of conversations about the Bible], and there is nothing like that on any of them.\u0026quot;\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 17 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses received prison sentences for their faith, more than in any other region of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/291651/image_hu_f3d088a222a65b66.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/291651/image_hu_ed62a0769d66f81b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/291651/image_hu_a9a44d209c7b3e9a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/291651/image_hu_58704b81ce26780c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/291651.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court in Kuban Upheld  Prison Sentence Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 28, 2025, Nikolay Voishchev was released. For his faith in Jehovah God, he spent more than 900 days (about 30 months) in prison: a little less than a year in a pretrial detention center, and the rest of the time in a penal colony. Voishchev served his sentence in Almetyevsk, which is almost 2000 kilometers from his home.\nNikolay, being a man of kind disposition, maintained good relations with other prisoners throughout his term. Being of pension age, the believer did not work in the penal colony but trained as a boiler room operator.\nNikolay Voishchev in front of the correctional facility Friends shared Nikolay\u0026#39;s joy of being released Voishchev\u0026#39;s prisoner tag Nikolay Voishchev surrounded by his friends View of Penal Colony No. 8 of the Republic of Tatarstan Three days after his release, Nikolay returned home. At the railway station, he was met by his relatives. April 2025 Pretrial detention and being in the penal colony worsened Nikolay\u0026#39;s already poor health. Prior to his arrest, he was diagnosed with a tumor that required treatment. At first, he did not receive the necessary medication in the detention center, but later he started receiving them. He was also sent to the regional hospital for examination. The believer suffered from severe headaches, caused amongst other things by the stress he encountered. Due to being often near smokers, his hypertension worsened.\nDespite all his difficulties, Nikolay did not despair. Throughout his imprisonment, he was supported by relatives and friends. He emphasizes that these trials did not weaken him. \u0026quot;I have been a Christian for over 50 years. What happened to me certainly did not alter my faith,\u0026quot; Nikolay Voishchev said after his release.\nIn May 2025, another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Adygea, Inver Siyukhov, is to be released. He was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony because of his faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_93c4f48533fe6d45.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_e7b07e82dea8bbad.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_3f8ef233ec476a9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/291328/image_hu_182f2165ecce1f01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/291328.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","prison-treatment"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev, 69, Released from Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 25, 2025, the panel of judges of the Altai Regional Court upheld the verdict against Valeriy Klokov: 3 years in a penal colony. This Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, was charged with organizing extremist activity, deeming it a crime to hold religious meetings that are not prohibited by law.\nThe prosecutor requested that Valeriy\u0026#39;s term be increased to 8 years imprisonment with additional punishments. The believer does not agree with the charge. Speaking in the court of first instance, he said: \u0026quot;My faith does not make me an enemy of the state, it makes me a good citizen. I am aware that as a believer I am now facing injustice, but I believe that even in such circumstances, love and good deeds will continue to transform the world for the better.\u0026quot;\nBack in 2019, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Russian authorities to \u0026quot;drop charges against and to release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, the freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/291051/image_hu_ecc4863ece300258.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/291051/image_hu_33496ce82a624be2.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/291051/image_hu_9d06beeb4e451e98.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/291051/image_hu_b26b07eed8e1b9e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/291051.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Barnaul Upheld the Prison Sentence Against Valeriy Klokov","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer noted: \"Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for the fact that I want to live as Jesus Christ taught ... I am not ashamed to stand before the court for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It would be shameful if I was tried for a real crime.\"\n","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/602.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Popov's last word in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer stressed that he is being persecuted for believing in God, reading the Bible and meeting with fellow believers. \"It is for this reason that I stand before the esteemed court, and not because I am a dangerous criminal who harmed someone or something,\" he added.\n","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/539.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Andrey Shiyan's last word in Lesosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anna Matveeva addressed the court: \"I do not feel like a victim of arbitrariness or injustice. On the contrary, I consider these circumstances as an honor and an opportunity to tell you about God's good news.\"\n","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/540.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Anna Matveeva's concluding remarks in Lesosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 24, 2025, the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region sentenced Aleksandr Popov, 37, - 250,000 rubles. Judge Mariya Maslova equated peacefully practicing his religion with participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe court considered ordinary religious activities such as joint prayers and songs, as well as discussing the Bible with friends to be extremism. The believer declared his innocence: \u0026quot;I stand before you not for crimes. I did not commit any. Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for the fact that I want to live the way Jesus Christ taught.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Popov began in August 2023. Then his home and the home of his elderly parents were searched, and law enforcement officers also questioned his relatives. Aleksandr was interrogated and sent to a temporary detention facility, and later placed under house arrest. After four months, the believer was placed under a ban on certain actions. In July 2024, the case went to court. During the closing arguments, state prosecutor Maksim Vavilov requested a fine of 450,000 rubles for Popov.\nIt is worth mentioning that shortly before Popov\u0026#39;s sentence, the Kovrov City Court fined two other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for their faith. Three other men were sentenced to imprisonment but have already served their sentences. Russian courts have again and again groundlessly declared peaceful religious activity as extremism. In his final statement, Aleksandr Popov said: \u0026quot;I would like to point out that in this criminal case there is only one victim — me. I have suffered physically, emotionally and materially.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/281649/image_hu_c3fa14aa62a7055d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/281649/image_hu_c1ba47018d36e3b2.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/281649/image_hu_3f1cdf91f1c057e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/281649/image_hu_f4df75ac0f0b41b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/281649.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine"],"title":"In Kovrov, Another Jehovah's Witness Received Fine for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 24, 2025, the homes of Mariya Pankova, 50, wife of Sergey Tolokonnikov, and Nadezhda Lebed, 74, were searched. They were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of their faith in Jehovah God.\nThe criminal case against Pankova was initiated on April 22, 2025 by Natalya Vikhareva, a senior investigator of the Koptevsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of Moscow. According to the investigation, she is guilty because she participated in meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses organized by Sergey Tolokonnikov, Anatoliy Marunov and Roman Mareyev, who were convicted for their beliefs.\nOn the morning of April 24, police officers knocked on Mariya Pankova\u0026#39;s door. They explained that new circumstances had opened up in her husband\u0026#39;s case, and therefore, she needed to be interrogated. Her mother fell ill at this news. Mariya was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. The investigator placed her under a recognizance agreement. After the interrogation, Mariya\u0026#39;s house was searched, and her laptop was seized.\nOn the same day, a search under the direction of police officer D. A. Nesterov took place at the home of Nadezhda Lebed and her husband. Electronic devices were seized from them. The couple was interrogated at the investigative committee and Nadezhda was placed under a recognizance agreement. Earlier, in 2021, the home of the Lebed family had already been searched.\nIn Moscow a total of 20 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith, 7 of them are serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/05/021428.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Criminal Cases Initiated Against Two Women","tags":[],"title":"New Searches in Moscow.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, 2025, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the verdict against Aleksey Ovchar. The believer will serve a 6-year suspended sentence. He does not consider himself guilty.\nThe verdict handed down in February 2025 was appealed. As the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer emphasized, there is no corpus delicti in Ovchar\u0026#39;s actions. In addition, a significant part of the materials presented as evidence of Aleksey\u0026#39;s guilt does not relate to him at all.\nOvchar stated in his appeal: \u0026quot;The action, for which I was sentenced and punished, was a conversation on everyday and religious topics. During the conversation, my fellow believer and I sought to emotionally and spiritually support a woman who shares my religious beliefs. In our conversation, there were no calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order, disrespect for the authority of the state or other actions of an extremist nature.\u0026quot; He added that \u0026quot; declaring a legal entity extremist is not tantamount to banning a religion and does not prohibit believers from providing emotional and spiritual assistance to each other.\u0026quot;\nWilly Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Frontiers, previously noted: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia... Statistics about the magnitude of the repression are disturbing. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-22T14:25:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_d5e3090da83a785b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_26b7524262f17209.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_d35c57ca8b521b28.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/221425/image_hu_8f4171e934b9f33d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/221425.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kamchatka Upheld Verdict Against Aleksey Ovchar — Long Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, the Krasnodar Regional Court announced its decision to terminate the criminal case against Valeriy Baylo due to his death, despite the objections of his son. He died in the pretrial detention center a month earlier. According to the position of the RF Constitutional Court, the termination of a case on such grounds without the consent of close relatives is unlawful.\nThe crime report, filed with the Investigative Committee by Valeriy Baylo\u0026#39;s lawyer, states: \"\u0026quot;The death of my client occurred as a result of criminal negligence and inaction on the part of the administration of detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk\u0026quot;\". The lawyer stressed that the believer suffered from exhaustion and severe stomach pains, but the staff of the detention center systematically ignored his requests for help. Valeriy, his friends and his lawyer sought treatment for almost a year.\nThe believer managed to appeal the verdict. He maintained his complete innocence and requested the decision of the court of first instance, which had sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony, be overturned. The verdict does not mention a single illegal action by Baylo. As his lawyer noted, although the believer was convicted of extremism, \u0026quot;the prosecution did not claim that he incited violence or religious hatred or enmity.\u0026quot;\nThe story of Valeriy Baylo once again confirms the position of the international human rights community: the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia is unjust and repressive in nature.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_76201895d13e3d73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_cf7686757610b3c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_f4550e9b06270822.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/281310/image_hu_aa9a217501559baf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/281310.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","died","282.2-2","elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"title":"Court of Appeal Rejects Posthumous Rehabilitation of Valeriy Baylo","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2025, a resident of Blagoveshchensk, Dmitriy Golik, left Penal Colony No. 2 in the Amur Region ahead of schedule. Of the 6 years and 2 months imposed on him, the believer served about 4 years in prison, considering the time he spent in pretrial detention. Upon release, Dmitriy was met by his wife, family and friends.\nA criminal case against Dmitry Golik was initiated back in July 2018. After 3 years, the court found Dmitriy and his fellow believer, Aleksey Berchuk, guilty of extremism and sentenced them to long terms of imprisonment. Soon the believer was sent to a penal colony, and in the spring of 2023, he was transferred to another colony, located about 150 kilometers from Blagoveshchensk.\nDmitriy Golik leaving the colony Dmitriy embracing his wife Kristina Inmate ID tag The believer with his wife and parents after his release The Goliks surrounded by friends and family \u0026quot;My wife Kristina came to me every week for several years, despite such a distance,\u0026quot; the believer said after his release, expressing gratitude to his wife and everyone who supported him, including through letters. Kristina Golik herself was prosecuted for her faith: about a month before Dmitriy\u0026#39;s release, the court of appeal upheld the 2.5 years of forced labor imposed on her.\nAs a prisoner, Dmitriy worked six days a week at a foundry in Belogorsk, a 30-minute drive from the penal colony. His duties included manufacturing molds for pouring metal. Golik has a law degree, but before the verdict he worked in other fields, including as a translator from Chinese. During his imprisonment, his skills became useful unexpectedly: he was an interpreter for a delegation of business partners of a foundry from China.\nDmitriy has earned the reputation not only as a reliable worker, but also as a good person. For some time, the administration was prejudiced against him, but later some employees said: \u0026quot;Dima is the one they loved.\u0026quot;\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:21","image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/171038/image_hu_95f32011244bab3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/171038/image_hu_7ecf8021c79d40ee.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/171038/image_hu_5e750b03b8cb40ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/171038/image_hu_80ebae7207fca9c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/171038.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole","families"],"title":"Dmitriy Golik, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Blagoveshchensk, Released","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin was 10 when his father, a police officer, died in the line of duty. His mother took up the upbringing of the children. In this difficult time, the Bible became a help for the family—thanks to it, Andrey avoided the bad influence of his peers and grew up to be a law-abiding citizen. However, the law enforcement system in which his father worked now prosecutes the man as an extremist.\nAndrey was born in 1983 in Moscow. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked in a shoe factory, but after the death of her husband, she got a job as a cleaner in an cleaner of the subway—here the schedule allowed her to devote more time to taking care of the children.\nAndrey was an active child. He was fond of football, hockey, skiing. He also liked creativity—he loved to draw. After the 11th grade, Andrey entered a technical school and acquired the specialty of a radio electronics engineer. He connected his career with this profession and subsequently applied his knowledge on construction projects.\nLove for God and the Bible was instilled in her son by his mother. Andrey took the death of his father hard, so the biblical teaching on the resurrection became a support for him in life. In 2000, Andrey was baptized as a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness.\nAndrey met his future wife Yelena in his youth in the company of mutual friends. In 2009, they decided to start a family. Yelena works in the service sector. She is fond of knitting, growing indoor plants, and has recently mastered rattan weaving. Yelena began studying the Bible in 2002. She was impressed by the teaching that God is a real person, and he is not indifferent to what happens to people.\nThe couple love cycling, fishing, camping and picnics with friends in nature. They are known as kind and sympathetic people, they have many friends throughout the country. This was noticed even by the members of the task force, who seized postcards from the Lukins during the search.\nAndrey suffers from a number of chronic illnesses. Due to his arrest, he was unable to undergo a series of necessary medical examinations.\nFor 15 years of family life, the couple have never parted for a long time. Andrey solved many household issues that became difficult for Yelena to cope with without her husband. The couple always tried to live close to their parents in order to visit them regularly. The health of both mothers deteriorates with age, but Andrey cannot help them because of the persecution.\n","date":"2025-04-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_c3c4e74d28bc58c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_c90218377fea688a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_8397a479275451b0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lukina/photo_hu_3c65a84ef49e7a15.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lukina.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Andrey Lukin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"An experienced specialist who has worked in production for 23 years, a responsible employee, a decent person, a caring, loving father and husband—this is how those around Viktor Velikov characterize him. But because of his faith in Jehovah God, law enforcement officers came to him twice with a search, and in the spring of 2025, he was imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center. A few months later, the court sentenced the man to 5.5 years in a penal colony for providing meals to believers at a six-day peaceful worship event.\nViktor was born in 1970 in the city of Navoi (Uzbekistan). He has a younger sister and an elderly mother. During his school years, Viktor was fond of swimming and collecting stamps, and his family also loved to go hiking and being in nature.\nAfter school, Viktor went to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), where he graduated from a construction school. Then he served in the army for two years, after which he returned home to Uzbekistan. Soon he met Olga, who in 1995 became his wife.\nImmediately after the wedding, the couple moved to Russia, where in 1996 their son was born. It was a difficult period in the life of the Velikovs: a small child, rented apartments, frequent moves, the absence of relatives nearby, a difficult financial situation. All these difficulties the couple steadfastly overcame together, and this only strengthened their marriage. Before his arrest, Viktor worked as a lining operator at a plant for the manufacture of industrial furnaces.\nFrom a young age, Viktor was interested in spiritual matters and different religions, as was his wife. Olga was the first to study the Bible. She immediately shared with Viktor what she learned from this book. Her husband returned home late from work, but, despite his fatigue, he continued to look for answers to his questions in the Bible. After a while, his own sister became interested in the Bible. In 2001, the Velikovs were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and a year later Viktor\u0026#39;s sister joined them.\n","date":"2025-05-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/velikov/photo_hu_1a807c6517892562.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/velikov/photo_hu_b6982f8acd2e5bc8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/velikov/photo_hu_65c12488d1e14d9f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/velikov/photo_hu_9a9c58335e65d505.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/velikov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Velikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\"I would be ashamed if I stood before the court for a real crime. But I did not do what I am accused of, so let those who put me here be ashamed. And my conscience is clear before God and before people,\" the believer said in court.\n","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/538.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Vladlena Kukavica's concluding remarks in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 10, 2025, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court gave Vladlena Kukavitsa a 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Aleksandr Kulikov deemed discussing questions about Christianity to be involving others in \u0026quot;the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot; Vladlena considers the verdict unjust.\nOperational-investigative measures against Kukavitsa began back in July 2022. In February 2024, A. A. Karavaev, FSB investigator for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiated a criminal case against her for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. At the same time, her home was searched. A month later, another investigator, Dmitriy Yankin, who had repeatedly initiated criminal cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiated a second case against her, this time for participating in extremist activity. Then both cases were combined into one. Six months later, Vladlena was placed under a recognizance agreement. The prosecutor requested a 7-year suspended sentence for her.\nThe charge in this case was based on the testimony of a woman named Valeria Suvorova, with whom Vladlena discussed Bible topics. In court, the believer noted that this was instigated by the law enforcement agencies and said: \u0026quot;Valeria Suvorova asked me to continue discussing religious topics with her, pretending that she was interested, that she needed God\u0026#39;s comfort and hope for the wonderful future God promises. When I learned that this girl had difficult life circumstances, I sincerely wanted to help her.\u0026quot;\nVladlena Kukavitsa works at an ambulance station and has the reputation of being a conscientious worker and a peace-loving person. Her reference from her place of work says that she is polite, non-confrontational, maintains friendly relations with colleagues and has never spoken offensively about other people.\nIn court, the believer defended herself, and since the hearings were held behind closed doors, none of her relatives could attend the court hearings. Nevertheless, many came to support her at the courthouse. She said what helped her: \u0026quot;While I was in the courtroom, I was very supported and strengthened by the thought that my friends were now waiting for me and soon I would see them and be able to hug them.\u0026quot;\nAt the time of the sentencing of Vladlena Kukavitsa, 26 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses had already been prosecuted in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Half of them are women, all of whom have been given suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 4.5 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_a2ed8fa69cc4d168.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_f5d4a9e585bed2d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_2e6d40ff37d77432.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/151441/image_hu_f85d1b7a8e26d775.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/151441.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Vladlena Kukavitsa Given 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About God","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"One More Guilty Verdict in the Jewish Autonomous Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 9, 2025, Artur Putintsev, Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev were released from colonies in the Oryol, Kirov and Kaluga regions, respectively. They served their sentences in full, having spent more than 3 years in pre-trial detention centers and more than a year in colonies. The believers were met by their relatives, as well as many friends.\nThree men ended up behind bars in December 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. For this reason, as well as due to the fact that the wives were witnesses in the case, there were problems with visits. Irina Melnik recalls: \"At first, they didn't give me a visit. They were gone for about 3 months. Then 2 times a month we saw each other on short dates... But it was at a distance of 1 meter through the glass and bars, by telephone. We were able to see each other and hug only in July 2024 on a long date.\" Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev also experienced health problems during their imprisonment. In the pre-trial detention center, Vladimir Piskaryov's blood pressure problems worsened, he suffered a stroke and repeated hypertensive crises, as well as an acute attack of gastrointestinal disease, which caused him to be hospitalized.\nArtur Putintsev leaving the penal colony. April 9, 2025 Artur Putintsev embracing his wife, Lyudmila. April 9, 2025 Artur Putintsev\u0026#39;s inmate ID tag Artur and Lyudmila Putintsev. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Piskarev surrounded by Friends. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Piskarev meeting his wife, Tatyana, after his release. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik at the penal colony\u0026#39;s checkpoint. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik, his wife and two of their daughters. April 9, 2025 Vladimir Melnik with his wife Irina, April 9. 2025 Thanks to their exemplary behavior in the penal colony, the men earned a good reputation with the administration, as well as other prisoners. Out of respect for the believers, some of them stopped using abusive language and tried not to smoke in their presence. Artur Putintsev was nicknamed \"the hand of God\" in the penal colony for his generosity toward other prisoners.\nFriends and relatives supported the believers by sending them letters, and also provided material and practical assistance to their families. For example, Artur Putintsev's friends repaired the roof and fence of his house. Also, fellow believers drove the wives of the prisoners to courts and visits and helped making parcels.\nThe Oryol Region is the region where the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses began shortly after the ban on their legal entities in 2017. A total of 8 believers from this area became defendants in criminal cases for their faith. Four of them have already been released from the penal colony, and two continue to serve their sentences of forced labor.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_79858b7fdc0292a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_9fbc64a22dd54b75.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_5ccc6225770975f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/091111/image_hu_41ef2b732b00786.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/091111.html","regions":["oryol","kaluga","kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","families"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Oryol Were Released","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2025, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the decision of the court of first instance against Yelena and Sergey Chechulin — a 6-year suspended sentence for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the court classified discussing the Bible with friends.\nThe court issued the first guilty verdict under the article on participating in the activity of a liquidated legal entity. The believers were given a 2-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor\u0026#39;s office sought to apply a more serious article, but the court of appeal did not toughen the sentence. However, the court of cassation returned the case for reconsideration to the court of first instance, which tripled the sentence, and the second court of appeal upheld this decision.\nThe Chechulins still consider themselves innocent of extremism. Sergey voiced his position in court as follows: \u0026quot;Neither I nor my wife want to harm the state or people.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_870cdede9e9904cf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_692f199c4ea1cf05.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_bb9aa7349270c700.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/081347/image_hu_f3b7046e3a9621e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/081347.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"They Were Given Long Suspended Sentences","tags":["2-appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kamchatka Again Upheld Verdict Against Jehovah's Witness Couple.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2025, the home of Viktor Velikov, 54, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Solnechnogorsk, was searched, after which he was placed in a temporary detention facility for 2 days, and then in a pretrial detention center. He is a defendant in a case for financing the activity of an extremist organization.\nAt 6 a.m., Viktor and his wife heard a loud knock on the door. Opening it, they saw a local police officer, two law enforcement officers and testifying witnesses. The police officers behaved properly. According to them, they were looking for personal notes, Bibles and the Koran. Electronic devices and bank cards were confiscated from the believer. The search lasted about 2 hours, after which he was taken to the Savelovskiy Investigative Committee, where he was interrogated, charged under Article 282.3(1) of the RF CrC and detained.\nEarlier, in 2023, the home of Viktor Velikov had already been searched — back then police officers went to his place of work and took him home. They searched for any documents or electronic media that could mention Jehovah\u0026#39;s name or Bible terms. He was also interrogated in the Moscow Directorate of the Investigative Committee. According to available information, the new criminal case is related to the case against Aleksandr Serebryakov, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the court in December 2024 on similar charges.\nUpdate. On April 10, in Tver, as part of the criminal case against Viktor Velikov, a search was carried out at the home of Andrey Lukin and his wife. Law enforcement officers waited for them for 3 hours near their home. The actual search lasted about 2 hours, it was carried out by four officials who reported to Oleg Postnyy, senior detective for the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Tver Region. Electronic devices were seized from the believers. Andrey was taken to Moscow to the Savelovskiy Interdistrict Investigative Committee. After interrogation, he was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then, by decision of the Savelovskiy Court of Moscow, in pretrial detention center No. 7 \u0026ldquo;Kapotnya\u0026rdquo; until April 25, 2025. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/140859.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Two Men Detained in Solnechnogorsk and Tver","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","282.3-1","sizo"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Again in the Moscow and Tver Regions.","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Mikhaylov, a security systems installation technician, unexpectedly faced persecution for his faith in March 2025 when FSB officers came to him with a search.\nAndrey was born in November 1983 in Stavropol. As a child, he had many hobbies. He practiced acrobatics and ballroom dancing, sang in the choir and learned to play the accordion. The boy studied radio electronics, attended various children\u0026#39;s clubs: soft toys, flower making, photography, cutting and sewing.\nAndrey has two sisters: the elder and the younger. When he was a teenager, their father left the family. Mother worked as an insurance agent and tried to give the children everything they needed.\nAfter graduating from the 9th grade of school, Andrey entered college with a degree in tailoring. At first, he worked in a photo studio, then in a workshop for sewing men\u0026#39;s suits and leather goods. Later he worked as a postman, warehouse manager in a shoe store. Currently, Andrey works as an installation technician for fire and burglar alarm systems, access control systems and video surveillance.\nAs a child, Andrey had a special fear of death. When he was 11, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses came to his family. The boy was interested in what they were saying about paradise and eternal life on earth. In 1998, Andrey was baptized as a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. Upon reaching the draft age, he applied for alternative civilian service (ACS), but he was sent to a military plant. Because of his peace-loving Christian convictions, Andrey refused the distribution and appealed against it in court. The court refused to change the place of service and found Andrey guilty of evading the ACS, imposing a large fine.\nIn 2010, Andrey married Nataliya and moved to Tambov. Nataliya grew up in a large family—she has five brothers and a sister. From childhood, their parents instilled in them an interest in the spiritual. The couple love to spend time with friends in nature and play sports games.\nThe criminal prosecution became a test for Andrey and his family. A week after the search, all his cards and accounts were blocked, making it difficult to receive his salary. Andrey\u0026#39;s colleagues are surprised by what is happening.\n","date":"2025-05-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mikhaylov/photo_hu_637b7d3d3f0afff3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mikhaylov/photo_hu_ddaed01995b906e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mikhaylov/photo_hu_2c3db8818bfd4cfe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mikhaylov/photo_hu_f9f37482942146d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mikhaylov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Mikhaylov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 3, 2025, Yulianna Vysokikh, judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, issued a guilty verdict in the case of one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 28-year-old Maksim Khamatshin — 6 years in a penal colony. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. He maintains his innocence and intends to appeal this decision.\nIn his final statement, Khamatshin said that \u0026quot;knowledge from the Bible helped [him] find the purpose of life and gave him hope for the future.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Is it a crime to give people hope, raise their spirits and comfort them? Is it against the law to help people give up bad habits and become happy?\u0026quot; the believer asked rhetorically.\nIn September 2022, Maksim\u0026#39;s house was searched as part of the case of his fellow believer, Yevgeniy Bushev, and in June 2023, he himself was charged. The Investigative Committee of the Chelyabinsk Region initiated a criminal case against him for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer told how friends supported his family during that difficult time: \u0026quot;They helped us so much! For example, after the search, since everything was scattered on the floor, and the investigator and the officers had trampled over it in their shoes, they helped us restore the broken window, wash all the things, and also clean the apartment.\u0026quot;\nThe Khamatshins with friends on the day of one of the hearings The court hearings in the Khamatshin case lasted about a year. The charge was based on video and audio recordings of a witness for the prosecution, who since 2018 had been providing information to the FSB. At the hearing, he could not prove that the defendant had committed anything illegal. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for Khamatshin.\nThe authorities of the Chelyabinsk Region continue to prosecute Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and put them behind bars. Due to the actions of investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, at least 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have suffered: 4 women and 11 men.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/041001/image_hu_676240a7cb392938.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/041001/image_hu_249d0cc8fcc8adad.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/041001/image_hu_861914b347edcad5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/041001/image_hu_33fcd1b75cc1e07e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/041001.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Chelyabinsk Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses to 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2025, by decision of the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness Sergey Skudaev, 46, was found guilty of extremism. Judge Yevgeniy Kolesov fined him 650,000 rubles for holding meetings for worship via videoconferencing.\nSergey first encountered prosecution on religious grounds in the summer of 2021. Back then he noticed that he was being followed. On July 13 of the same year, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan Region initiated a criminal case against him under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC. The very next day, law enforcement officers searched his apartment, garage and summer house, and then he was detained. By court decision, he was sent to a pretrial detention center for 4 months. Later, he was placed under a ban on certain actions instead.\nSergey says: \u0026quot;When the court decided to send me to a pretrial detention center, I was confused, felt afraid and insecure about the unknown and this sudden change in my circumstances. Life behind bars is a rather serious test of strength, but the most difficult is being separated from your loved ones. In prison, over time, you can adapt to many things, but not having your beloved family and friends next to you — this is really very painful — it is impossible to accept.\u0026quot; The believer is grateful for the support from his wife Irina and friends at that difficult time.\nThe investigation against Sergey Skudaev lasted almost 2 years. On June 13, 2023, his case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of secret witnesses. Skudaev said after their statement at one of the hearings: \u0026quot;These witnesses are fictional characters, and all of these testimonies were concocted, and those we heard on the conference call were people playacting.\u0026quot; Also, at the sessions the judge repeatedly interrupted the defendant during the examination of written evidence, and the prosecution only read out superficially the 23 volumes of the case materials.\nTo date, in this region eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution for their faith in God, two of whom have been given large fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/04/041741/image_hu_48fcc802e459a7a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/04/041741/image_hu_dbb45fbf675e0a22.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/04/041741/image_hu_a931951cee90bcdd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/04/041741/image_hu_e9a2cd051b140b6c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/041741.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","fine"],"title":"Court in Kurgan Imposed Large Fine on Sergey Skudaev for Talking About God With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2025, in Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region) a new wave of searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place. Four families of believers were affected, including Oleg Postnikov, Aleksandr Krushevskiy and Anatoliy Artamonov, who had previously been subjected to criminal prosecution. Oleg Postnikov was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nThe search warrants were issued on April 2, 2025 by the Birobidzhan District Court as part of a new criminal case against Oleg Postnikov. It was initiated on March 21, 2025 by investigator Dmitriy Yankin, whose career has been built on the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: since 2018, he has handled 18 cases of believers in Birobidzhan, and during this time he was promoted from lieutenant to captain.\nThe search at Aleksandr Krushevskiy\u0026#39;s home, who has a hearing disability, began at 9 am and lasted for 3 hours. In the morning of the same day, 60-year-old Oleg Postnikov was summoned to the Investigative Committee, allegedly to fit him with a tracking bracelet. At that time, his house was being searched. A similar situation happened with 73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov — he was told that he urgently needed to come to the Investigative Committee and pick up the phones seized during the previous search. From there, he was taken home by car and it was searched in his presence.\nOleg Postnikov and his wife have already received suspended sentences when they were convicted for their faith in a previous case. Earlier, the daughter of Anatoliy Artamonov and his grandson Yevgeniy were also prosecuted. The case against Larisa Artamonova in 2019 was initiated by the same Dmitriy Yankin. Now her elderly father has also come to Yankin's attention; he is defending his innocence in court together with Aleksandr Krushevskiy.\nBirobidzhan is not the first place in which an investigator climbs the career ladder by initiating cases against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A similar trend is observed in other regions, when entire families or believers previously convicted under articles for extremism are brought to criminal responsibility.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/04/081349.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Oleg Postnikov, Who Is Still Serving Suspended Sentence for his Faith","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","new-case","elderly"],"title":"New Wave of Searches in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer explained that Jehovah's Witnesses talk to people about a good future, give them hope, cheer them up, and comfort them. He asked the court: \"Is it illegal to help people? And he added: \"All my actions... are motivated by love for people and God.\"\n","date":"2025-04-01T16:50:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/536.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Maksim Khamatshin's Last Word in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anna Safronova, 59, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, convicted for her faith, is subjected to inhumane treatment in penal colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory), and she also does not receive proper medical care. The reason she was treated this way was her refusing to wear the Saint George's ribbon (a patriotic symbol in Russia) because of her religious beliefs.\nSafronova has been in the colony for 2 years and 9 months. During 2024, her blood pressure began to rise noticeably; one day she lost consciousness during the lineup. She also has severely swollen and painful legs.\nParticular pressure on the believer began after she refused to wear the Saint George's ribbon at the request of the penal colony staff. After that, Safronova was placed in a punishment cell on a fabricated violation — food was planted in her personal belongings.\n\u0026quot;Anna tried to explain to the administration staff that she is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness and remains politically neutral,\u0026quot; Safronova\u0026#39;s lawyer said. Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, explained: \u0026quot;Believers respect the state. They do not encroach on the right of other people to have political convictions, to honor state, patriotic or any other symbols as they see fit. At the same time, the Witnesses are convinced that Jehovah God is the supreme ruler, and his laws are superior to those of the secular authorities. They adhere to this Christian position regardless of the country of residence and the current political system. That is why they do not riot, do not participate in wars and patriotic ceremonies. Ignorance or misunderstanding of this historically proven truth leads to unmotivated cruelty, which is what happens to Anna Safronova.\u0026quot;\nFrom April 29 to May 14, 2024, Anna was kept in a punishment cell, where she was placed with a severe cough. Safronova was not given medication — this triggered a more severe bronchitis. Soon she was again sent to the punishment cell for refusing to wear the Saint George's ribbon. According to the lawyer, in December 2024, Anna was forbidden to occupy the available lower bunk: \u0026quot;Anna was forced to climb onto the upper bunk through pain every time.\u0026quot;\nOn March 22, 2025, after the morning lineup, Anna was taken to a stuffy, windowless room and forced to stand continuously for 10 hours. \u0026quot;Before that, all the furniture was taken out of the room so that Anna could not sit down. And it is forbidden to sit on the floor by the internal regulations, for violation of which a penalty is imposed. After receiving a penalty, the prisoner loses the right to early release, and the conditions of detention are also toughened for him,\u0026quot; the lawyer said. By evening, the believer\u0026#39;s legs were very swollen and severely bruised. The next day, Anna was again taken indoors, and this time she stood for 13 hours without being able to sit down. During all this time, she was allowed to go to the toilet only once. As a result of such treatment, she became ill, but she was not allowed to see a doctor. Now it is difficult for her to walk. \u0026quot;When she asked why she was being tortured like this, she was told: \u0026#39;You haven\u0026#39;t been tortured yet,\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Anna\u0026#39;s lawyer quoted her words. The next day, the lawyer had to call an ambulance for her, which turned out to be the only way to \u0026quot;rescue Anna from the premises with such unbearable conditions.\u0026quot;\nOn March 26, 2025, the defender sent a complaint to the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Sovetsky City District of Zelenokumsk with a request to appoint a forensic medical examination, initiate a criminal case and bring officials to justice. But on March 27, Anna was again sent to the punishment cell on trumped-up charges — for 20 days.\nAnna Safronova became the first female, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, in Russia to be sentenced to a record long prison term of 6 years in prison for her faith in God. Supposedly, she should leave the penal colony in August 2027.\nThe situation with Anna Safronova is not the first case of cruel treatment of Russian Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in prison. On March 20, 2025, 67-year-old Valeriy Baylo died in pretrial detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk — his requests for medical care and hospitalization went unanswered.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-04-01T10:33:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271520/image_hu_c9828ea66229be93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271520/image_hu_d3df32e3408e3b47.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271520/image_hu_18518b931a32c37c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271520/image_hu_132542f70b80aacc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271520.html","regions":["astrakhan","stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture-conditions","health-risk"],"title":"Cruel Treatment of Anna Safronova in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer spoke about the biblical view of persecution for faith and concluded: \"I did not harm anyone, I did not violate the law of the state. Therefore, I do not feel guilty, my conscience is calm.\"\n","date":"2025-03-27T14:12:41+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/534.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Starikov's last word in Konakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Faith in the God of love does not give me room to just think about something that even remotely resembles extremism!\" the believer emphasized, addressing the court.\n","date":"2025-03-27T14:06:52+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/533.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Oleg Katamov's last word in Konakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer noted: \"I do not hold a grudge against the unfair accusations against me and do not hate any person who differs from me in religion, origin and views on life. … This is the main proof of my innocence.\"\n","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/537.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Shchetinin's last word in Konakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"At least seven searches took place on March 27, 2025, in Tambov at the homes of those whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated against one believer. He is suspected of \u0026quot;organizing the activity of a religious association... by organizing religious presentations and meetings for worship.\u0026quot;\nThe search warrants were issued by the Leninskiy District Court of Tambov at the request of the local Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Cell phones, laptops, tablets, external storage devices, notebooks, and personal notes were confiscated from the believers. In one case, law enforcement officers took away a book by religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, and in another, according to the owners, law enforcement officers said that \u0026quot;you can\u0026#39;t have a Bible at home, but you need to buy it in church, if needed.\u0026quot;\nJehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Tambov Region faced prosecution because of their faith back in 2010, when the first searches were carried out and an investigation under an extremist article began. Later, the ECHR declared the incident a violation of religious freedom and awarded compensation to the believers. Despite condemnation from the international community, the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia continues.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/310942.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":"Prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in This Region Has Been Ongoing for 15 Years Already","tags":["search","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"New Searches in Tambov Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses Aleksandr Starikov, Aleksey Kuznetsov, Oleg Katamov and Aleksandr Shchetinin given 6 years in a penal colony for their faith. The different Bible translations taken from them will be destroyed. This decision was made on March 27, 2025, by Yekaterina Vershinina, judge of the Konakovo City Court of the Tver Region.\nBefore the verdict was announced, the court made the case of Sergey Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspended it.\nIn the summer of 2021, the FSB of Russia in the Tver Region initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Starikov and Sergey Naumenko. Their homes and those of other believers were searched. After the interrogation, the investigator placed them under a recognizance agreement. Two years later, Oleg Katamov, Aleksey Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Shchetinin became defendants. The prosecutor considered discussing the Bible with fellow believers via videoconferencing and talking about Bible teachings with residents of the Konakovo District to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe believers were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and their bank accounts were blocked. The criminal prosecution made it difficult for Aleksandr Starikov to take care of his seriously ill elderly father. He had to travel to Tver, 450 kilometers from home, to participate in investigative actions and court hearings. During the prosecution, the believer\u0026#39;s father died. The trial also made life difficult for Oleg Katamov. He is caring for his wife, who is fighting cancer.\nUpdate. On March 27, a few hours after the verdict was announced, Larisa Katamova suddenly became ill, she was urgently hospitalized and connected to a life-support machine. However, intensive care did not help, and she passed away at the age of 61. The trial has been going on since October 2023. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was FSB officer Aleksandr Blinov, who had participated in the search. During interrogation, he admitted that he had not heard any extremist statements from the defendants. He also confirmed that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia and that they can freely read the Bible, hold meetings and preach.\nThe defendants, who are aged from 35 to 64, plead not guilty of extremism. Aleksandr Starikov noted: \u0026quot;No people would suffer because I read the Bible on my own or with fellow believers.\u0026quot; In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;My elderly father was very worried about me. Now he is gone. But despite the difficulties, none of us have negative feelings, as we learn to show understanding and love. My conscience is clear. There is no feeling of indignation in response to an unjust accusation. I am sure that the fair and loving judge, Jehovah God, sees and knows everything.\u0026quot;\nEric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, said, \u0026quot;Russia\u0026#39;s continuing persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39; who threaten the country\u0026#39;s national security is unfair and unwise. It contributes to an atmosphere of fear and social stagnation.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_bf29c55547b66ace.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_90b1cdb787718aca.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_367c34e1f4dd5db1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271527/image_hu_a897027bf47ac537.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271527.html","regions":["tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","rosfinmonitoring","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The First Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tver Region — Four Men Given 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Tomsk law enforcement officers accused three married couples of extremism at once. Among them are Yevgeniy Dodolin and his wife Tatyana.\nYevgeniy was born in February 1984 in the small town of Kurtamysh (Kurgan region) in a large family—he has two brothers and a sister. Their father worked as a civil engineer, their mother as an accountant in the village administration. Parents worked hard all their lives, had their own household and instilled honesty and hard work in their children. Now they are retired. When Yevgeniy was 3, the family moved to the Kemerovo region.\nAs a child, Yevgeniy loved to assemble construction sets, in high school he became interested in electronics, radio engineering and programming. He also enjoyed playing volleyball and athletics. Yevgeniy graduated from the Tomsk State University of Management and Radio Engineering and completed postgraduate studies as a programmer. After graduation, he stayed in Tomsk and worked for a large oil company as an engineer in the technical information department.\nYevgeniy was looking for the meaning of life, was interested in various religious and philosophical teachings. Then he met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The Bible, he says, was what he was looking for. Imbued with her teachings, Yevgeniy began to lead a healthy lifestyle, became more restrained, patient and less touchy. He began to notice more good things in people, and this helped him to show them more attention and love. He became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in July 2015. His son was followed by his mother.\nIn 2019, Yevgeniy married Tatyana, who shares his religious views. Before her arrest, she worked in a dining room. In her free time, she enjoys reading and dancing. The couple loves to travel together.\nRelatives and friends consider the arrest of the Dodolins illegal.\n","date":"2025-04-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dodolin/photo_hu_bfcca6bb529c272c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dodolin/photo_hu_19869179c5e35d13.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dodolin/photo_hu_815f4227c4b3aeb7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dodolin/photo_hu_147d0c4c5c84cf39.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dodolin.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Dodolin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Dodolina was the only child in the family. She was born in 1995 in Yugra (Kemerovo region). Her mother, a plasterer-painter, is now retired.\nAfter school, Tatyana learned to be a manicure master. Before her arrest, she worked for some time in a dining room. Tatyana is fond of reading and dancing and also loves to travel and spend time with friends.\nTatyana became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2008. \u0026quot;By learning more and more about Bible truth and applying its advice in my life, I was able to get through adolescence more easily and avoid many of the problems and mistakes that my peers made,\u0026quot; she said.\nIn 2019, Tatyana married Yevgeniy, who is also under investigation because of his faith. Relatives of the Dodolins worry about them and consider their arrest groundless.\n","date":"2025-04-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dodolina/photo_hu_1cf29c8663a5d8be.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dodolina/photo_hu_417731face3040ce.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dodolina/photo_hu_3d0ecb7c68a687d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dodolina/photo_hu_f2267379ea8b20af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dodolina.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Tatyana Dodolina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer called his criminal prosecution absurd: \"It is surprising that this is happening not in Iran, not in Afghanistan, not in North Korea, but in a country that calls itself Christian. It turns out that Christians persecute Christians.\"\n","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/532.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Mikhail Sveshnikov's last word in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 26, 2025, Natalya Novikova, judge of the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region, found Mikhail Sveshnikov, 54, father of four, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. He was fined 250,000 rubles with installments over 25 months.\nThe prosecution of Sveshnikov began at the end of August 2023, when two law enforcement officers detained him near his home. This is how the believer learned that the Kovrov Directorate of the Investigative Committee had initiated a criminal case against him. His house was searched, and he was sent for interrogation, after which he was escorted to a temporary detention facility. Mikhail spent almost 4 months under house arrest, and later his preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. In July 2024, after 11 months of investigation, the case went to court.\nIn his final statement before the court, the believer said: \u0026quot;I am sure that my beliefs cannot harm anyone. If the \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39; that is attributed to me is real, then it would be logical to expect that in 14 years of my service to God there should be real victims. And if this is not the case, then this \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39; is simply fabricated.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;The prosecution, with the aim of discrediting my reputation, used a certain stereotype against me, which is often heard in the media,\u0026quot; he added.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believer can appeal this decision to higher instance courts.\nLaw enforcement agencies of the Vladimir Region continue to prosecute Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271525/image_hu_d0fab63150e761b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271525/image_hu_d6265f8f11b64a99.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271525/image_hu_957a8107c138ba26.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271525/image_hu_272052adc84ac9a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271525.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine"],"title":"Kovrov Court Fines Mikhail Sveshnikov Quarter of a Million Rubles for Christian Activity","type":"news"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Abramov was born in 1976 in Osinniki, a small town in the south of the Kemerovo region. He has two sisters, an elder and a younger. Their father, a miner, and their mother, an obstetrician, are already retired.\nYevgeniy is a biology teacher by education. He developed a love for this science in childhood: his family lived in the countryside, so the boy spent a lot of time growing plants and taking care of livestock. After school, he entered the Siberian State Medical University and then moved to the Tomsk State Pedagogical University. During his student years, the young man began to study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and was baptized in 1996.\nAfter graduation, Yevgeniy got a job at a secondary school as a teacher of biology and life safety. Later, the man changed his occupation—he worked at a construction site until his arrest—but he did not lose his love for nature: he was still engaged in gardening and raised bees for some time. \u0026quot;To a greater extent, I was fascinated not by the final product, but by the process of growing fruits and observing plants,\u0026quot; he said.\nThis is not the first time Yevgeniy has defended his peaceful beliefs: having reached military age, he faced repeated pressure from the employees of the military registration and enlistment office, who forced him to military service. \u0026quot;There were even cases of forced delivery to the recruiting station at gunpoint,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;But I always referred to the Constitution and demanded alternative service. The military commissar was so irritated by this fact that he issued several illegal fines at once, which together amounted to a huge amount.\u0026quot; Yevgeniy appealed to the court, which eventually found these fines illegal.\nSince 1999, the believer has been married. His wife, Yana, also faced persecution for her faith and, like her husband, ended up in a pre-trial detention center after the search. Relatives consider what happened to the Abramov family illegal.\n","date":"2025-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abramov/photo_hu_524d9354548e3a56.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abramov/photo_hu_96cc7608ffc2762a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abramov/photo_hu_89695c19c4219478.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abramov/photo_hu_4642e3669ae1e338.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abramov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Abramov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the 1940s, Yana Abramova\u0026#39;s grandfather was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonent and lifelong exile to Siberia because of his religious beliefs. 80 years later, his granddaughter was persecuted on the same grounds.\nYana is a native of Osinniki (Kemerovo region). The eldest of six children, she was born in 1981. His father worked in the mine and construction sites, now he is retired. The believer\u0026#39;s mother died in 2022 after a difficult battle with cancer.\nAccording to Yana, the example of her mother, as well as the atmosphere of love in the family, prompted her to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. \u0026quot;Mom\u0026#39;s love for Jehovah and people was infecting,\u0026quot; she recalls. \u0026quot;We lived modestly, but we always had something to eat and share with others. We had many opportunities to see the happiness on Mom\u0026#39;s face as she spoke to others about God.\u0026quot;\nThe believer worked as a hairdresser. In addition, she was engaged in painting clothes. Her hobbies include reading, drawing, cooking and gardening.\nYana\u0026#39;s husband, Yevgeniy, shares her views on life and also ended up behind bars because of his faith after the search. Their relatives consider the persecution illegal.\n","date":"2025-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abramova/photo_hu_b564ce0ab3996f51.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abramova/photo_hu_5af84e3d463a99b7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abramova/photo_hu_f301d78c2dd53006.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abramova/photo_hu_6d75c7998fea3890.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abramova.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yana Abramova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Kosov and his wife Larisa first faced criminal prosecution back in 2019—then their house was searched, and the head of the family was summoned for interrogation. In 2025, law enforcement officers came to their house again as usual, and this time the couple became defendants in a criminal case.\nNikolay was born in July 1963 in the city of Kolomyia (Ukrainian SSR). He has an elder brother. His father left the family when Nikolay was five, and did not maintain relations with the children. His mother was a nurse in a kindergarten and raised her sons alone. She died in 1993 after a long battle with cancer.\nOver the years, Nikolay lived in Gorlovka, in the Stavropol Territory (in Nevinnomyssk), and since 2012 he has been living in Cherkessk, the capital of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.\nAs a child, Nikolay loved to read, he especially liked the genres of science fiction and adventure. He also drew and made toys from improvised and natural materials for himself and his friends. After school, the young man made his dream of the sea come true - he entered the department of operation of marine power plants in the city of Nevelsk (Sakhalin Region) and worked for some time as a ship engineer. Later, he returned to Ukraine to take care of his mother.\nNikolay was interested in the Bible from his youth. One day he bought the New Testament and the Psalter. He was so impressed by what he learned about Jesus Christ that he decided not to go to the polls anymore. He explained his position as follows: \u0026quot;I realized that no person who becomes the head of state can be like Jesus was—kind, caring, selfless, able to heal and resurrect.\u0026quot;\nThe man met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses through his friends who were already studying the Bible. The first meeting for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses that Nikolay attended was the Memorial of the death of Jesus Christ. There he saw that all the negative things he had heard about these people were just rumors. About how the Bible influenced his life, the believer said: \u0026quot;The truth helped to get rid of prejudices and prejudices.\u0026quot; Nikolay became a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in 1996.\nNikolay met Larisa, his wife, in Cherkessk. The couple got married in September 2018. Nikolay has two adult daughters from his first marriage, Larisa also has a daughter. The spouses like to relax in nature, pick mushrooms, receive guests. Nikolay said: \u0026quot;We work together, we study the Bible together. And even a criminal case was opened for two.\u0026quot;\nNikolay\u0026#39;s relatives and friends are outraged that a kind and calm person with a good reputation is being persecuted for extremism.\n","date":"2025-04-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_ac1839759c48b86b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_31892007370602a6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_c2fd026b4eb706a9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosov/photo_hu_64265008c70ad80d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosov.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kosov,","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Back in the spring of 2019, law enforcement officers detained Larisa Kosova\u0026#39;s husband, Nikolay. Six months later, the first search took place in their apartment, after which any knock on the door or voices behind the door caused her anxiety. In February 2025, a criminal case was initiated against Larisa and her husband. The stress associated with the second search and interrogation led to an exacerbation of her chronic illnesses.\nLarisa was born in May 1969 in the village of Bekeshevskaya, Stavropol Territory. She has two brothers: the elder and the younger. Their father worked all his life as a driver, and their mother worked as a plasterer-painter at a construction site.\nAs a child, Larisa loved to read and listen to music. At school, she participated in a drama club and loved to go hiking. The girl actively participated in the social life of the class and school, and over time she had a desire to become a teacher. She entered the Pedagogical Institute, and after 3 years she transferred to correspondence education and moved to Sevastopol, where she worked as a kindergarten teacher for several years. In 1993, Larisa received a diploma of a primary school teacher.\nSubsequently, Larisa worked as a salesperson, waitress, nanny, janitor, and for many years as a housekeeper. She had to work hard to raise her daughter from her first marriage. In 2008, Larisa had to move to Cherkessk to take care of her elderly parents, especially her mother, who suffered a stroke.\nLarisa first heard about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from her friend, with whom she argued a lot about the Bible. However, after seeing how positively the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings affected the woman, Larisa changed her attitude. \u0026quot;I wanted to figure out for myself what kind of faith is it that changes a person so much,\u0026quot; she recalled. \u0026quot;From arrogant, my friend became calm, restrained and soft.\u0026quot; Therefore, Larisa began to study the Bible more deeply and in 2008 she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, her daughter Mariya was also baptized.\nIn 2018, Larisa married Nikolay. Together they love to take long walks, trips to the sea and mountains, as well as pick mushrooms. Larisa loves to cook and invite guests.\nLarisa\u0026#39;s father and elder brother, although they do not share her religious beliefs, worry about her and try to support her. Friends, relatives, neighbors and colleagues do not see any reasonable grounds in the persecution.\n","date":"2025-05-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosova/photo_hu_b1d19b39d5d03f79.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosova/photo_hu_58c4878218fe2237.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosova/photo_hu_abe0aefe545de97d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosova/photo_hu_2a049b794d544446.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosova.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Larisa Kosova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Mironova experienced several tragic losses of loved ones but found support in her faith in God. With the beginning of criminal prosecution for religious beliefs, new challenges began in her life.\nYelena was born in June 1968 in Chelyabinsk. She and her two younger sisters were raised by their mother and grandmother. Mom worked as a crane operator for more than 20 years. At the age of 50, she died of cancer. In 2017, Yelena\u0026#39;s middle sister passed away.\nAs a child, Yelena often visited her grandmother in the countryside. She liked to be in nature and watch animals. In addition, she went to the choir studio and danced.\nAfter school, Yelena graduated from college and received the specialty of a computer operator. For some time, she worked by profession at a factory and at the same time continued to study. After she received additional education at the Chelyabinsk College of Economics, she was transferred to the position of an accountant. Later, at different times, Yelena worked as a storekeeper, watchman, pastry chef, maid and salesperson.\nIn 1985, Yelena married Vyacheslav, who worked at the factory as a burner. They raised their daughter Tatyana. The couple lived together for 20 years. In 2005, Vyacheslav died of progressive cancer.\nSince childhood, Yelena wondered why people die. In 1996, Vyacheslav invited his colleague and his wife, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, to visit. They told the couple about the biblical hope for the dead. In addition, Yelena was touched by the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In 1998, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, her daughter joined her on the Christian path.\nAs a hobby, the woman is fond of growing vegetables and flowers. In her free time, Yelena likes to invite friends over and treat them to homemade pastries.\nDuring the search, Yelena and Tatyana, who was lying with a fever, experienced a strong shock. The security forces knocked down the front door and broke into the apartment. Yelena said: \u0026quot;All the neighbors were scared, even after a while, one neighbor said that her child was afraid to go out into the entrance . . . We no longer felt safe in our own apartment. Some diseases worsened.\u0026quot; Yelena\u0026#39;s relatives and neighbors consider the criminal prosecution a mistake.\n","date":"2025-04-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mironova/photo_hu_e10102a30125e59b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mironova/photo_hu_d502dc1f8db9e396.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mironova/photo_hu_2c3723ee9a2fa51e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mironova/photo_hu_c77b78df2c1e11af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mironova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Mironova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2025, a group of law enforcement officers broke into the house of peaceful believers from Tomsk, Vladimir Pushkov and his wife Aysulu. The security forces treated the man as a dangerous criminal: they laid him face down on the floor, handcuffed him, and searched his house. The couple was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The reason was their faith in Jehovah God.\nVladimir was born in the city of Shymkent (Kazakhstan) in October 1975. He has two younger sisters. Their father has been an electrical engineer all his life and is now retired. Mother worked as an inspector in the sanitary and epidemiological station, was a social worker for some time, then retired. In 2014, she died from the consequences of cancer, which was a great shock for the whole family. For Vladimir and his sisters, my mother was an example of an honest and conscientious person who valued family ties.\nVladimir was a talented child: he learned to read early, quickly memorized information. Since childhood, the boy loved mathematics and poetry. He participated in school competitions in mathematics and physics, spoke at literary events. Vladimir graduated from the Polytechnic University in his hometown. Then he worked at the post office, later at a construction site.\nVladimir was in high school when his mother bought a Bible and began to study it thoroughly. The young man was also interested in this ancient book. He was struck by the logic and precision with which the Bible explains the events taking place in the world. According to him, he was convinced that the advice from it works and helps people become better. This prompted Vladimir to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Over time, about 50 of his relatives adopted these beliefs.\nIn 2005, Vladimir married Aysulu, with whom they had known for more than 10 years. \u0026quot;Aysulu loves to take care of her family, cook and create comfort in our house. Her hobby is to think about others and give gifts to make them happy,\u0026quot; the believer describes his wife. The couple loves to travel, spend time with friends, and try new dishes. Vladimir still enjoys solving mathematical problems, he also enjoys playing football and follows sports news.\nAccording to Vladimir, the criminal prosecution turned his life upside down: he was separated from his beloved wife, he cannot do what he loves, see his loved ones. Relatives are worried about Vladimir and his wife.\n","date":"2025-04-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pushkov/photo_hu_2d8a00edac913312.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pushkov/photo_hu_2d8a00edac913312.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pushkov/photo_hu_a0ad8c0ecd13585b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pushkov/photo_hu_a0ad8c0ecd13585b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pushkov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vladimir Pushkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aysulu Tastaybekova was born in 1972 in Shardara (Kazakhstan). She is the youngest of 4 children. Their father, a hydraulic engineer, died of a heart attack when the girl was only 4. His mother was a teacher of Russian language and literature. She passed away in 2015.\nAysulu grew up in the village, so she spent a lot of time caring for pets. \u0026quot;I read a lot,\u0026quot; she shared, recalling that time. \u0026quot;I liked to help my mother check notebooks with works on the Russian language and identify mistakes.\u0026quot;\nAysulu has a secondary technical education with a degree in electronic computer operator. But she worked in other areas: she was a secretary and an au pair. Aysulu loves to read, as well as cook a variety of dishes, including confectionery.\n\u0026quot;The first time I came to a convention of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses was in 1992,\u0026quot; Aisulu said. \u0026quot;I was impressed by the friendly atmosphere among people of different nationalities, cultures and social backgrounds. I saw the sincere love that Christ taught and made reliable friends.\u0026quot; At this event, Aysulu met Vladimir Pushkov for the first time, who helped her in her Bible study. A year later, she was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2005, Vladimir and Aysulu got married. \u0026quot;He is a loving and caring husband,\u0026quot; the believer said. \u0026quot;It was difficult for my family to come to terms with the idea that my chosen one was of a different nationality. But with each passing year, they saw how, on the basis of faith in God, our marriage became stronger. Seeing me happy, my relatives, especially my mother, began to trust the Bible.\u0026quot; The common hobbies of the couple are traveling and hiking.\nThe criminal prosecution completely changed the way Aysulu and her husband lived: they were separated and taken into custody. Relatives consider what is happening to be a blatant injustice and are sure that the conscience of believers is clear before God and the state.\n","date":"2025-04-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tastaybekova/photo_hu_cfade7f078be3354.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tastaybekova/photo_hu_bc05507a0a2a708b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tastaybekova/photo_hu_9bde65a50c3d8160.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tastaybekova/photo_hu_ee2179ecbadaef6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tastaybekova.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aysulu Tastaybekova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 25, 2025, Artem Ozhev, judge of the Kovrov City Court, sentenced Oleg Sakun — the pensioner was fined 250,000 rubles for participating in peaceful meetings for worship.\nThe believer said: \u0026quot;Since February 2021, our family has faced searches and interrogations. My wife Valentina and I were already elderly at that time, and these events had a very strong impact on our health. Due to emotional distress, my wife developed diabetes. At the end of 2021, we fell ill with coronavirus, my wife died of complications: as the doctor said, her health was weakened due to the stress suffered and her body could not cope with the disease. In August 2023, a criminal case was initiated against me.\u0026quot;\nIn May 2024, the case went to court. According to the prosecutor, Oleg Sakun continued the activity of a legal entity liquidated by the court, simply by practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He requested a fine of 350,000 rubles for him. Objecting to the prosecuter's arguments, the believer used an illustration of a sewing factory outer garments, which was a legal entity, but went bankrupt and ceased operations. He asked the court: \u0026quot;Can it be concluded that former factory workers cannot sew clothes for personal needs or the needs of other people?\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Oleg Sakun said: \u0026quot;I am 72, never would I have thought that just because I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, I would be put on par with terrorists and extremists.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_fa74179f606241dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_8a6abd9481c442e9.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_e181792b8bbff213.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/271522/image_hu_3191815898cab511.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/271522.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fine","elderly"],"title":"Court Ordered Pensioner, 72, From Kovrov, to Pay Fine for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Love for God cannot be turned on or off by some kind of switch: when everything is good, you can love, and when everything is bad, you can dislike, renouncing your faith,\" the 72-year-old believer said in his final statement.\n","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/531.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Oleg Sakun's closing statement in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer stressed that he was not involved in extremism. He drew attention to the fact that in the case materials the investigator had everywhere marked the name of God with a marker, and added: \"I have such a picture that for the investigation the use of the name Jehovah is some kind of weapon of crime.\"\n","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/535.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Sergey Skudaev's last word in Kurgan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 24, 2025, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court upheld the sentence of Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin: 6 years suspended with a 4-year probation period.\nIn the appeal, the defense pointed out that the guilt of Kozhushko, Bannykh and Loshchinin had not been proven, and the verdict of the court of first instance had been passed with numerous violations. \u0026quot;The case materials contain only evidence of the activity of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses which is not prohibited in the Russian Federation,\u0026quot; the document states.\nSpeaking about the witnesses for the prosecution, whose testimony formed the basis of the criminal case, one of the lawyers said: \u0026quot;These are just random people who were found by the officers and interrogated by the investigators. There is no evidentiary value in the words of these persons to support the classification made by the prosecution.\u0026quot; The defense pointed out that the witness for the prosectution, Isaev, participated in operational-investigative measures and was interested in the outcome of the case, therefore his testimony was aimed \u0026quot;not at establishing the truth, but at an attempt to... make religious activity look extremist.\u0026quot;\nIn his final statement, Andrey Bannykh said: \u0026quot;My God Jehovah teaches me through the Bible not to be an extremist. Proof of this is [the feedback of] people around me at work, neighbors, family, friends, and even the investigator. Your Honor, there has never been, is not and will never be any extremism on my part.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Bannykh was one of the applicants in a collective application that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Russia filed with the ECHR shortly after their legal entities were banned in 2017. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is unlawful. \u0026quot;The respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the court said in its decision (§ 290).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_3901784ab0e55c7c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_ec2631b28ae7e261.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_dc26f0c87c6700c8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/250916/image_hu_bd479b4b5a11caad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/250916.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"One of the Convicted Persons Has a Disability","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Sverdlovsk Region Upheld Suspended Sentences for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 24, 2025, Mariya Manaeva, judge of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court, gave Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova, residents of Iturup Island, a 2.5-year suspended sentence. To participate in the court hearings, they had to fly to Sakhalin, each time covering a distance of 450 kilometers.\nIn her final statement, Olga Kalinnikova said: \u0026quot;Laws are created to protect society from criminal actions. The law on extremism stipulates punishment for specific actions of an extremist nature. The list of these actions does not include peaceful conversations with people about God. On the contrary, such conversations are protected by the State and the Constitution.\u0026quot;\nLarisa Potapova also pleaded not guilty to extremism, stating: \u0026quot;The most harmless people were labeled extremists. This is very strange, because Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not take up arms, they are opposed to any form of cruelty.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal case was initiated in October 2023, a month later the homes of the women were searched. As it turned out, they had come to the attention of the law enforcement officers a few years earlier. Olga said that since 2017, six rulings have been issued to not initiate a criminal case against her. Initially, investigator Kirill Deshko initiated a case against Kalinnikova and Potapova \"for participating in the activity of an extremist organization,\" and six months later extended the charge to include the article against involving others in this activity.\nAccording to the lawyer of the believers, the main witness in the case was an elderly woman, with whom Kalinnikova and Potapova talked about the Bible and whom they selflessly helped in everyday matters. With the woman\u0026#39;s permission, the officers conducted hidden video filming in her house. Potapova commented on these actions as follows: \u0026quot;I have no grudge against [the witness — Ed.]. It is so strange for someone to say that she was afraid of me and didn't want me to visit her, when a photo in the case materials shows us hugging and smiling. And it is all the more surprising that she repeatedly came to my house herself.\u0026quot;\nThe case went to the Kurilsk District Court in May 2024, but two judges recused themselves one after the other. As a result, the case was sent to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court for consideration. Due to the long distance, the believers motioned to participate in the hearings via videoconferencing but were refused. The state prosecutor requested a 5.5-year suspended sentence for them.\nA total of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution in the Sakhalin Region. One of them has been sentenced by the court to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_702f97deb18f9d0b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_5cd7128832871395.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_c8ef2f7e34f26677.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/251349/image_hu_5c0a40bd3d5a86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/251349.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Court Deemed Conversations About the Bible to Be Extremism","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Two Residents of the Kuril Islands Were Given Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer drew attention to the absurdity of the accusations against her: \"The most harmless people were labeled extremists. It is very strange, because Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms, any form of cruelty is alien to us.\"\n","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/529.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Larisa Potapova's concluding remarks in Kurilsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking with the final statement, the believer said: \"I have never been a source of extremism. Rather, on the contrary, I try to bring as much good as possible into my life and into the lives of the people around me.\"\n","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/530.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Olga Kalinnikova's concluding remarks in Kurilsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 20, 2025, searches were carried out in Tomsk at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, at least at four addresses. Six people — three married couples — were placed in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Tomsk Region.\nAfter the raid, the believers were initially sent to a temporary detention facility. There, one of the men was not allowed to eat or drink for 24 hours.\nThe day after the searches, on March 21, the Kirovskiy District Court of Tomsk imposed a preventive measure of pretrial detention for 2 months on all of them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/handcuffs.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/251353.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","families"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Searched in Tomsk, 6 Believers Sent to Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 20, 2025, 67-year-old retired police officer, Valeriy Baylo, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, died in the hospital of Novorossiysk shortly after being rushed there from the pretrial detention center. Valeriy waited almost a year in the detention center for his sentence to enter into force, and during all this time he tried to get medical help.\nIn July 2024, the court sentenced Valeriy to 2.5 years in a penal colony, deeming peaceful conversations about the Bible via video link to be extremism.\nThe believer suffered from a gastrointestinal tract illness and stage 2-3 osteoarthritis of the knee. He also needed urgent dental care: in the detention center, the only tooth with which he could chew food became inflamed. Prison food caused digestive problems, so he ate very little, mostly only drinking water. Valeriy also walked with difficulty and needed surgery: in 2018, he was attacked by dogs, after which his completely torn knee ligaments were sewn back together; but over time, his kneecap needed replacing.\nValeriy appealed to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office of the Krasnodar Territory, the regional Commissioner for Human Rights, the head of the medical unit No. 23 of Krasnodar and the head of the pretrial detention center. As a result, the member of staff of the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office supervising correctional institutions, together with the detention center officer, expressed annoyance with the complaints of the believer and threatened him with physical violence and harsher conditions while serving his sentence.\nOn March 21, Valeriy Baylo's lawyer filed a claim against the head of the investigative department of Novorossiysk about the crime committed. \u0026quot;The death of my client occurred as a result of criminal negligence and inaction on the part of the administration of detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk regarding failure to provide him with medical care,\u0026quot; said the lawyer. The claim lists numerous facts of ignoring Valeriy Baylo\u0026#39;s complaints about his health. On March 7, the lawyer appealed to the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office of the Russian Federation with a complaint about the failure to provide medical care to his client and the misuse of funds when trying to provide it. There is still no response to this complaint.\nThe death of Valeriy Baylo is the 13th case of death in the context of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses since the start of present day persecution. Three women and ten men aged 51 to 90 died before their good name was restored. Some believers are at risk in prison due to poor health. For example, Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person, urgently needs surgical intervention by a neurosurgeon, otherwise he is at risk of ischemic stroke of the spinal cord and complete paralysis of the limbs. Adam Svarichevskiy, another disabled person, has difficulty obtaining medical care and medication, while they periodcally make his conditions of detention in the penal colony worse. Boris Andreyev, 72, and Anatoliy Marunov, 71, who were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, remain behind bars. The first needs to be examined due to suspected cancer, the second is scheduled for surgery at the end of March 2025.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_9169d81e41380a76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_2b365ccae6d8b618.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_83fc3f07cfc7706f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/240907/image_hu_de4341af6ce798b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/240907.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["died","medical-rights","elderly"],"title":"In Kuban Elderly Jehovah's Witness Dies in Detention Center — He Was Denied Medical Care for Almost a Year","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 19, 2025, the judicial panel of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Adygea upheld the harsh sentence imposed on Nikolay Saparov by the court of first instance — 6 years in a penal colony. Although the verdict has only now entered into force, the believer has already been behind bars for almost 3 years.\nThe defense considers any guilty verdict a violation of Saparov\u0026#39;s right to freedom of religion. \u0026quot;The key evidence, a video recording of a meeting for worship, made during operational-investigative measures and examined in court, shows that N.V. Saparov and other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses comply with the requirements of the law,\u0026quot; said the lawyer. \u0026quot;During the viewing of the video of the meeting for worship, the prosecution was unable to show the court at what minute of the meeting the believers read \u0026#39;prohibited\u0026#39; publications. The reason is simple: such publications were not at the meetings, nor did the believers discuss them.\u0026quot;\nThe lawyer commented on the psycholinguistic expert study of Ruslan Levinskiy, which was used by the prosecution, but was found to be unreliable by another group of experts: \u0026quot;To say that the conclusions of R.V. Levinskiy are unfounded and groundless is the least you can say. This is an outrageous mixture of pure incompetence and, to all appearances, bias against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as a whole.\u0026quot;\nDuring Nikolay\u0026#39;s detention in 2022 torture was used by law enforcement officers, including the use of electric shockers and planting compromising evidence to make him plead guilty. Even the European Union commented on the situation with the mistreatment of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia: \u0026quot;Torture and other forms of ill-treatment are among the most heinous violations of human rights, the inviolability of the person and the humiliation of human dignity.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/241428/image_hu_c0dba7bd9391fa0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/241428/image_hu_cbd76e1163478c6a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/241428/image_hu_52f6153e54262b9c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/241428/image_hu_a9ea902a5277c2f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/241428.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Peaceful Citizen of Maykop Sentenced to 6 Years in Penal Colony for Practicing his Religion and Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 13, 2025, a panel of judges of the Altai Territory Court replaced the 4.5-year suspended sentence against Sergey Lukin, an entrepreneur from Biysk, with forced labor of the same duration, which the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office had sought.\nThe court of first instance found Sergey Lukin guilty of participating in and involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the authorities interpreted holding peaceful meetings for worship and conversations on Bible topics.\nThe believer considers the charge of extremism groundless. He stated in his appeal: \u0026quot;The court mistakenly regarded the completely legitimate expression of my faith — characteristic of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — as illegal actions.\u0026quot;\nIn the Altai Territory, 9 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosectuted and have been sent to a penal colony, given a suspended sentence or forced labor for their faith in God.\nIn September 2024, the UN Human Rights Council\u0026#39;s special rapporteur, Mariana Katsarova, stated that in Russian law, \u0026quot;the definitions of \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39;... are too vague... allowing arbitrary interpretation and application\u0026quot;. She notes that \u0026quot; \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39; charges are used to target religious minorities, especially Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; (§§ 66, 70).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/200930/image_hu_68731d53f85884f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/200930/image_hu_771e8ebed2eba61a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/200930/image_hu_718b68975cfae779.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/200930/image_hu_6ae2cd1da7f4a7ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/200930.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"Instead of a Suspended Sentence Sergey Lukin Was Given Forced Labor","tags":["appeal","labor","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court Toughens Sentence for One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Biysk.","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict against Inver Siyukhov entered into force — this decision was made by the Supreme Court of Adygea on March 10, 2025. The believer attended the hearing via videoconferencing from the pretrial detention center. By that time, he had spent almost 4 years there. Inver is expected to be released in 1 month.\nSiyukhov sought to overturn the verdict due to numerous violations committed by the court of first instance. The believer had to wait for a whole year for his appeal to be considered. It was noted: \u0026quot;The liturgical and other religious activity of I. R. Siyukhov do not constitute a crime. He did not use any literature on the federal list of extremist materials, nor was any studied at the meetings for worship held with his participation, and the procecution did not prove otherwise.\u0026quot; As for the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution, the appeal states: \u0026quot;They have nothing to do with reality and are fictitious from beginning to end, which was vividly confirmed in the court hearing... [but] has not received proper legal assessment.\u0026quot;\nThe court of appeal slightly changed the sentence only regarding additional punishment — the ban on engaging in educational activity was reduced from 4 years to 1 year.\nMany Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia spend many years trying to prove their innocence in court, but in most cases to no avail. At the same time, human rights activists in Russia and abroad note that these people are prosecuted solely because of their faith. \u0026quot;The fact that I. R. Siyukhov was convicted precisely for his religious beliefs follows very clearly from the circumstances on which the court\u0026#39;s verdict is based,\u0026quot; said the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_9df36c76fcf02201.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_709fa1ff76904dce.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_ad9edfc0a66a6653.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/111619/image_hu_9b9ba9b4ab8a047c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/111619.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Almost Served His Entire Sentence in Pretrial Detention","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sizo"],"title":"In Adygea, Court of Appeal Upholds Verdict Against Inver Siyukhov from Maykop — 6 Years in Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 10, 2025, the Amur Regional Court upheld the sentence against Yekaterina Olshevskaya, Mariya Myasnikova, Kristina Golik and Valentina Yermilova: forced labor for up to 2.5 years.\nThe court of first instance issued the verdict in December 2024. The believers pleaded not guilty, appealed and requested they be acquitted. In their appeals, they drew attention to the groundlessness of the charges and the absence of any socially dangerous consequences of their actions. The same was confirmed by witnesses questioned in the court of first instance. They said that believers gathered to associate and read the Bible, but there were never any calls to undermine the state system, or for hatred or violence. The prosecutor insisted on the legality of the verdict and requested it be upheld.\nDawid Bunikowski, visiting scholar at University of Eastern Finland\u0026#39;s School of Theology, academic associate at Cardiff School of Law and Politics\u0026#39; Centre for Law and Religion, said: \u0026quot;This is ridiculous that people are punished for worshipping in private.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/111049/image_hu_b791fe220deb95cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/111049/image_hu_27fee08454da582e.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/111049/image_hu_97638fec9a67d91.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/111049/image_hu_1db22e3a831c95a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/111049.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Did Not Grant Their Appeals","tags":["appeal","labor","families","282.2-2"],"title":"In Blagoveshchensk Verdict Against Four Women — Jehovah's Witnesses — Entered Into Force.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 6, 2025, Aleksey Semerikov, judge of the Kaltanskiy District Court of the Kemerovo Region sentenced Aleksandr Tsikunov to 6 years in a penal colony. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAccording to the investigation, \u0026quot;using videoconferencing, Tsikunov held weekly meetings,\u0026quot; which the court equated to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. He pleaded not guilty and began his final statement in court with these words: \u0026quot;I was born in the city of Kaltan, I studied in the city of Kaltan, I worked in the city of Kaltan, and my whole life for almost 60 years has been in the sight of our entire small cozy town... during all this time, I have never been seen in strikes, riots, pickets, insulting or humiliating anyone or someone\u0026#39;s opinions and views, nor have I ever been brought before the police.\u0026quot; During the 4 years of the proceedings, the believer had a heart attack and heart surgery. Immediately after his arrest, Tsikunov, a highly qualified engineer, lost his job and his family lost their livelihood.\nAleksandr learned of the criminal case when his house was searched in May 2021. He was detained, then placed under house arrest for almost 2 months. For the rest of the investigation and court proceedings he was placed under a recognizance agreement. During the preliminary investigation, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office returned the case for further investigation regarding violation of the believer's rights while an expert study was being conducted. A second expert study found no signs of extremism. In June 2023, the case went to court.\nThe charge was based on audio recordings of conversations between believers on everyday and spiritual topics. In court, Aleksandr said: \u0026quot;The investigation has done a great job in collecting material: audio, video, and testimonies of third parties. Such a lot of work, so much effort, time and money spent. I could and can say now: \u0026quot;Yes, I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. I\u0026#39;m not denying it, I\u0026#39;m proud of it. But I\u0026#39;m not an extremist!\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nAleksandr Tsikunov became the 17th Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in the Kemerovo Region to be convicted for his faith. Among them is Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person, sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-03-06T15:02:48+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/061502/image_hu_5ed9eb815ca1e954.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/061502/image_hu_b3bd11bc508ab4c2.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/061502/image_hu_f09c08c1cfbc0401.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/061502/image_hu_bc31e91832a30d0e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/061502.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Court Sentences 57-Year old Engineer From Kaltan","tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Six Years in Penal Colony for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer gave a number of arguments in favor of his innocence, and also explained why he considers the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a whole to be unjust.\n","date":"2025-03-06T13:26:31+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/527.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Aleksandr Tsikunov's concluding remarks in Kaltan","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I still don't understand why I'm accused of extremism,\" Daler told the judges. \"I'm sure it's a terrible mistake.\"\n","date":"2025-02-28T19:31:48+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/641.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Daler Tokhtayev's closing statement in Poronaysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Poronaysk City Court sentenced Daler Tokhtaev to 6 years imprisonment. Judge Yuliya Sheveleva considered the conversations about the Bible as participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The decision was announced on February 28, 2025.\nA year earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Tokhtaev. Two months later, he was detained and taken to a pretrial detention center in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 300 km from home. He was forbidden to see his wife or even talk with her on the phone. Daler was held in custody until the verdict was passed, despite health problems: when he was placed in the pretrial detention center, he was recovering from surgery.\nThe case went to court in October 2024. The charge was based on covert video recordings of Daler\u0026#39;s conversations with Sergey Rozenblit, who feigned interest in the Bible. During his interrogation, it was revealed that he had turned to Tokhtaev for answers to his personal questions; their conversations were like those between friends. Recordings presented in court showed them discussing the Bible, as well as work and family issues. \u0026quot;The law in Russia does not prohibited this... Me being in the dock now is a huge mistake,\u0026quot; Tokhtaev said.\nIn the Sakhalin Region, 10 people have faced criminal prosecution for their faith; 6 of them have already been given suspended sentences by the courts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/03/031629/image_hu_ee386fd522286edd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/03/031629/image_hu_dd3bf860d8f1cf29.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/03/031629/image_hu_eec84d8906ec31a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/03/031629/image_hu_cba8f87b815545f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/031629.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Sakhalin Sends Believer, 34, to Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said that he has been living according to the Bible for 36 years, and this helps him to lead a happy family life, be a responsible worker, maintain good relations with others and respect authority. He says: \"I imitate God, who shows love, and I am accused of extremism.\"\n","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/744.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Andrey Kharlamov's last word in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 26, 2025, Aleksandr Kotkov, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, declared Aleksey Ovchar\u0026#39;s peaceful religious activity \u0026quot;a crime against the constitutional order of the state\u0026quot; and gave him a long suspended sentence.\nAleksey Ovchar faced criminal prosecution in 2022 at the same time as his fellow believers, Sergey and Yelena Chechulin. The believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked. Later, Aleksey\u0026#39;s case was made into a separate proceeding. In October 2024, the Investigative Committee began investigating, and a month later the case went to court.\nA significant part of the evidence obtained during the investigation did not concern Ovchar directly. The charge was based on 12 recordings of conversations between believers, during most of which Aleksey was not present. Also, as the believer noted, the expert conclusion in the case was conducted with numerous violations. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for Aleksey.\nAt one of the court hearings, Ovchar said: \u0026quot;I believe that the investigation is misled and mistakenly claims that peacefully practicing my religion is continuing the activity of an extremist organization. [...] I had every right to discuss the Bible and socialise with my fellow believers.\u0026quot;\nIn total, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted in the Kamchatka Territory. Eight of them have been convicted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-26T16:08:19+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_5171b8fb6922e54e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_a67eba1e11e651b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_a27213156889749d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/261608/image_hu_26ca56c911288257.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/261608.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"Believer, 45, Given 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kamchatka.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I have never called for the overthrow of the constitutional order, nor have I ever said words that incite hatred or enmity,\" Aleksandr Ketov said in his closing statement. \"Moreover, any actions related to enmity and hatred contradict my religious views based on the Bible.\"\n","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/526.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Aleksandr Ketov's concluding remarks in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Martin Nemöller claimed that the silence, indifference and inaction of the Germans made them complicit in the arrests, persecution and murder of millions of people by the Nazis. I want to encourage you not to be silent, not to be inactive and not to show indifference. Protect the believers, we have done nothing illegal!\"\n","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/525.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Alexander Kruglyakov's concluding remarks in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the 72-year-old pensioner pointed out that \"the entire logic of the accusation is based on a fictitious thesis.\" She stressed: \"I had no criminal intent, on the contrary, I have good goals to show people God's intentions for the future.\"\n","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/528.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Lidiya Nekrasova's concluding remarks in Syktyvkar","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 25, 2025, Judge Lev Bogdanov ruled in the case of Aleksandr Davydenko, 32, resident of the village of Pavlovskaya — 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony for talking about the Bible.\nAleksandr faced prosecution for his faith in 2020 after the same happened to his aunt, Lyudmila Shchekoldina. In April 2023, the local FSB Directorate charged Davydenko with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. After several months the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nDavydenko\u0026#39;s case has been under consideration in the Pavlovskiy District Court since June 2024. The believer was charged with discussing the Bible with a resident of the village, Valeriy Ilchenko, who recorded those conversations and handed them over to the FSB. Davydenko commented on these conversations as follows: \u0026quot;Ilchenko had questions, which [we] answered reasoning on the Holy Scriptures. When we met, Valeriy felt calm, and we had pleasant conversations.\u0026quot; In court, the informant admitted that he had never heard any aggressive statements from Davydenko, and also did not feel any pressure to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIlchenko\u0026#39;s recordings of conversations on spiritual topics became the basis for the conviction of three more believers — Lyudmila Shchekoldina, Vladimir Skachidub and Maksim Beltikov, all of whom also received terms in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/261605/image_hu_b54a88311b3aaa6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/261605/image_hu_a5f9fea045cef3bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/261605/image_hu_704f8335eaa3da05.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/261605/image_hu_9cf311ed2ecd7afe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/261605.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Kuban Sentences One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Sending Him to a Penal Colony for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer drew attention to the peaceful nature of the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. He said, \"Through my faith, I have become a good person and citizen, a loving husband, a grateful son, a caring brother and uncle, and a reliable friend.\"\n","date":"2025-02-24T14:12:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/524.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksey Ovchar's closing statement in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 22, 2025, the homes of two families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were searched in the cities of Slavgorod and Yarovoye (Altai Territory). The believers were interrogated and then released.\nThe investigative measures were carried out as part of a criminal case initiated on December 25, 2024 under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization). The searches were led by Margarita Chupina, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory. FSB and police officers searched for digital media, mobile devices, computers and religious literature.\nThe first search began early in the morning in the house of Alik Yeliseyev, 33, and his wife and lasted about 5 hours. Entering the house, the law enforcement officers knocked the man down. Not finding what they were looking for, the law enforcement officers began threatening the believers that they would tear up the floors and smash the wall. Eventually, they seized computers, phones, flash cards, a hard drive and Bibles from the couple.\nThe house of Sergey Barsukov, 52, and his wife was searched in the afternoon. At the demand of law enforcement officers, the couple handed over electronic devices and two Bibles. They also confiscated their personal notes and letters.\nThis is already the eighth criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Altai Territory. Three men were sentenced to prison terms from 3 to 6 years.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-02-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/03/040924.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"Case Initiated on Suspicion of Extremism","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","interrogation"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Searched at Border with Kazakhstan.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 21, 2025, the Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area upheld the verdict against a group of believers from Surgut. The panel of judges considered the case for more than 4 months. The suspended sentences imposed on the believers — from 3 years and 3 months to 7 years — entered into force.\nThe case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Surgut is one of the biggest and longest of its kind: the criminal prosecution affected 18 people and has been going on for more than 6 years.\nThe verdict of the court of first instance, handed down at the end of 2023, was appealed by both sides: state prosecutor Larysa Oniskevich considered the punishment \u0026quot;excessively lenient\u0026quot;, and the defense sought to overturn the conviction. According to the lawyer, the decision of the court of first instance is unconstitutional. \u0026quot;The materials of the criminal case do not contain a single fact, not one single statement, not one single episode that would fit the criteria of extremist activity,\u0026quot; one of the convicted persons, Vyacheslav Boronos, echoed the lawyer's words during the closing arguments.\nAnother 9 believers in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area—Yugra faced criminal prosecution on similar grounds. Eric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of Regent University\u0026#39;s Robertson School of Government, said, \u0026quot;Russia\u0026#39;s continuing persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39; who threaten Russia\u0026#39;s national security is unfair and unwise. It contributes to an atmosphere of fear and social stagnation.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_8837bffa5e66bebd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_9114f0455e7da91c.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_8e40446b24ebf024.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/251517/image_hu_45310bcaa4b39f9e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/251517.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"In Khanty-Mansiysk, Appeal Hearings in the Case of Eighteen Jehovah's Witnesses From Surgut Have Ended","tags":["appeal","complaints","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"Terms to be Upheld.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 20, 2025, the Cherkessk City Court sentenced Yevgeniy Semenov to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony. Judge Azamat Kubov deemed peaceful conversations with people about God to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization, participating in and involving others in it.\nAddressing the court, Yevgeniy said that Bible principles actually helped him in his youth to change his life style and, after serving a term, become an honest and decent person. But in August 2023, he found himself behind bars again, this time for his faith. Then the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Semenov under an article for extremism. In May 2024, the trial began. Soon all the believer's accounts were blocked.\nThe case was based on covert recordings of conversations between Semenov and two women who pretended to be interested in the Bible. In court the lawyer pointed out that, in the case \u0026quot;there is not a single fact or evidence of illegal activity but instead a mass of evidence of my client practicing his personal religious activity.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Thus, the prosecution equates religious actions with extremist actions, which the law of the Russian Federation does not allow,\u0026quot; the lawyer believes. At the same time, none of the witnesses, interrogated in the case, said that they heard any calls for extremism from Semenov.\nThis is already the sixth guilty verdict in the region. The cases of five more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic are awaiting court decisions.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/211436/image_hu_8ce9f016199ddd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/211436/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/211436/image_hu_a131f142d99e1faa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/211436/image_hu_804b16dbb0315620.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/211436.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Cherkessk Sentenced 37-year-old Jehovah's Witness to a Long Term in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 19, 2025, 10 months after the first verdict, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court issued a new decision in the case of Sergey and Yelena Chechulin. They were found guilty of organizing extremist activity and their suspended sentence was tripled: instead of 2 years, they were given 6 years each.\nIn court, Sergey stressed that the prosecutor considered simple friendly conversations with fellow believers and meetings for worship, at which they talked about Jesus Christ and love for people, to be extremist activity. \u0026quot;Here there is no extremism,\u0026quot; Chechulin commented on the charge. \u0026quot;We cannot help but love people, because we love God. Neither I nor my wife have ever allowed and will never allow ourselves to make any extremist statements.\u0026quot; Yelena Chechulina also rejected the accusations of extremism: \u0026quot;All my actions were absolutely peaceful. I did not incite religious hatred or enmity, which is confirmed by the conclusions of all seven linguistic expert studies.\u0026quot;\nIt was the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office who sought a retrial of the Chechulins\u0026#39; case: the state prosecution considered the initial verdict inappropriate and initiated its reconsideration through the court of cassation. As a result, Judge Olga Obraztsova began a new trial in the court of first instance in December 2024.\nRussian law enforcement agencies often initiate criminal cases against multiple members of families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. As of 2024, the number of families where more than one person has been prosecuted for their faith has exceeded 80.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_3ebb71af7711d9dd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_636ff4628e08ab3a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_d7680d236c8a3494.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/201322/image_hu_d69e39f31377e1be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/201322.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","retrial","282.2-1","suspended","families"],"title":"Court in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy Again Found Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses Guilty of Extremism and Toughened Their Punishment","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, Aleksandr Davydenko expressed hope that the court would make a fair decision: \"The state prosecutor wants to isolate me from society for five years... just because I'm a believer... What do I have to correct in my life, in my thinking, in my behavior?\"\n","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/523.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Davydenko's last word in Pavlovskaya","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer stated: \"Our documented conversations have shown that the ideas of hatred and enmity towards anyone are alien to us. This was confirmed by experts who carefully examined our every word and found nothing extremist.\"\n","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/521.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word at the Retrial of the Case of the Defendant Sergey Chechulin in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court the meaning of some of the liturgical meetings, the recordings of which formed the basis of the accusation. \"Our goal is to tell people the truth about God and expose lies about him, not to involve them in the activities of legal entities,\" she stressed.\n","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/522.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word at the Retrial of the Case of the Defendant Yelena Chechulina in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 18, 2025, the Zelenogorsk City Court found Aleksandr Kabanov, 64, guilty of extremism and gave him a 2-year suspended sentence. \u0026quot;Actually, there is no evidence that I am a danger to society,\u0026quot; the believer said a week earlier, addressing the court in his final statement for the second time.\nThe criminal prosecution has shaped Kabanov\u0026#39;s life for the past 5 years. The search and detention were followed by 2.5 years of preliminary forensic investigation. As a result, he was convicted the first time — given a 2-year suspended sentence. However, at the court of appeal the trial took an unexpected turn: the panel of judges returned the case to the prosecutor, not finding corpus delicti in the actions of the believer.\nAccording to Kabanov, the further investigation has not changed his position: he still considers himself innocent. \u0026quot;When they interrogated witnesses, including a secret one, nothing bad was said about me,\u0026quot; he said at a recent hearing. \u0026quot;They talked about what I really do, and that is study the Bible and share what I\u0026#39;ve learned.\u0026quot; Despite this, Judge Stanislav Doronin found the believer guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nAt the moment, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 31 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. The world community condemns the persecution of peaceful believers in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_6a006061cbbf592e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_4957626383f5412a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_a7ee233fc383f6e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/201117/image_hu_ac5d3277abc3340b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/201117.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","retrial","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kabanov from Zelenogorsk Again Given a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2025, the Altai Territory Court partially granted Vitaliy Manuylov\u0026#39;s appeal against the guilty verdict. The remaining term of punishment has been recalculated — of the 2 years of forced labor imposed by the court, about 10 months are considered to have already been served.\nIn his appeal against the verdict, Vitaliy Manuylov stated that the court\u0026#39;s conclusions did not correspond to the factual circumstances of the criminal case, and the presence of corpus delicti was not proven. He further noted that the decision of the first instance contained procedural violations — the court did not take into account the time he was under a ban on certain actions when calculating the unserved sentence.\nIn the Altai Territory, eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already received various convictions because of their beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/171317/image_hu_81112aebc6209d5f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/171317/image_hu_dfb7cfcf56b68cdc.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/171317/image_hu_e982dc43c616d0bc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/171317/image_hu_d66e0229bc523adc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/171317.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Barnaul Upholds Verdict Against Jehovah's Witness Vitaliy Manuylov","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2025, Judge Andrey Nebogatikov of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court sentenced local believers to fines of 600,000 rubles for meetings for worship. One of them, Yevgeniy Plotnikov, 42, had his fine reduced to 500,000 rubles, considering the time he had spent in detention.\nIt took the court 4 months to find veteran of labor Eduard Kapitonov and his son Ilya, Sergey Kulikov and his son Aleksey, Igor Alekseyev, Vladimir Usenko, Denis Petrov, Ilya Buryi, Sergey Naymushin and Yevgeniy Plotnikov extremists. According to the prosecutor, the element of the crime consists of being organised in meetings for worship and participating in them. Based on this, the prosecution concluded that the men had recreated a legal entity liquidated by the court. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed at the appellate instance. The believers pleaded not guilty.\nIn his final statement, Yevgeniy Plotnikov emphasized: \u0026quot;The state prosecution demands harsh terms for us — 9 years in a penal colony. To tell the truth, such terms are not even requested for or given to real criminals, murderers and repeat offenders... The main mistake of the prosecution is not looking for extremism in my actions, otherwise all the charges would have been dropped long ago at the investigation stage, as there is no extremism. The prosecution only proves that I am a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, simply a believer, which I have never denied.\u0026quot;\nThe local FSB Directorate conducted the investigation for 2.5 years, during which time the number of defendants increased from one to ten. The youngest of them, Ilya Kapitonov, is 23; the oldest, Sergey Kulikov, is 71. Sergey\u0026#39;s wife developed a malignant tumor due to the stress, and as a result one of her kidneys had to be removed. His son Alexey, father of five, developed hypertension. The property of Eduard Kapitonov, 59, was seized.\nYevgeniy Plotnikov\u0026#39;s lawyer said in his closing arguments: \u0026quot;The position of the prosecution, which actually requires believers to practice their religion [chaotically] under the threat [of punishment], is nothing other than the authorities attempting to force Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to renounce their faith.\u0026quot;\nThe right of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to worship in an organized manner was mentioned back in 2021 in the response of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Irina Yakku, wife of one of the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Arkhangelsk: \u0026quot;Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration, on the understanding that this is not related to carrying out extremist activity.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-13T14:43:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_e7619c014b44fc42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_8908e402416bc45b.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_51448f33efcc6c82.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/131443/image_hu_1da2bbcce8bc54ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/131443.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","disability","elderly","families"],"title":"Court Fined 10 Jehovah's Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola for \"Convening and Participating in Meetings\"","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer told how Jehovah's Witnesses and biblical knowledge helped him in the most difficult periods of his life and taught him love and goodness. He said: \"My faith does not make me an enemy of the state, it makes me a good citizen of it.\"\n","date":"2025-02-07T11:10:25+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/518.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Valery Klokov's closing statement in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 7, 2025, Dmitriy Malikov, judge of the Industrialnyy District Court of Barnaul, sentenced Valeriy Klokov to 3 years imprisonment. The court considered statements about the need to live according to God\u0026#39;s commandments as \u0026quot;propaganda of exclusivity and superiority... of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nKlokov faced criminal prosecution in July 2023. Then the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory initiated a criminal case against him. The believer\u0026#39;s home was searched, he was sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days, and then placed under house arrest for 1 year. During that time, investigator Yevgeniy Kozuchenko charged Klokov with organizing the activity of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). The case went to court in July 2024, at the same time the preventive measure imposed on him was changed to a ban on certain actions.\nThe believer does not agree with the verdict. \u0026quot;It pains me to hear that actions motivated solely by love for God and neighbor are being interpreted as a threat to society,\u0026quot; he said in court. \u0026quot;In my opinion the charges against me are not only unfair, but they also cast a shadow on who I am as a person.\u0026quot;\nAccording to Valeriy, it was his faith in God that helped him avoid taking a dangerous path when he lost his parents in his teenage years. Then, he had to take care of his sick grandmother and a large farm, whilst graduating from secondary and music schools with honors. Valeriy is still caring for his grandmother.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Valeriy Klokov lost his job and therefore, could no longer provide for his family; the house arrest has had a detrimental effect on his health. But he tries to find something positive even in such difficult circumstances.\nIn the Altai Territory, already nine people have been prosecuted, two of them are in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/130822/image_hu_991f54074eed0184.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/130822/image_hu_4b0482dd3e77bffb.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/130822/image_hu_27ab8e58c6dc9066.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/130822/image_hu_6ec6077d9aa804f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/130822.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court Ruled in the Case of Valeriy Klokov, Jehovah's Witness from Altai Territory: 3 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The appeal hearing in the case of Aleksandr Votyakov and Yevgeniy Stefanidin ended with a tougher sentence. On February 4, 2025, the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic sided with the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office and sent the believers to a penal colony: Aleksandr for 6.5 years, and Yevgeniy for 6 years.\nDuring the trial, the defense filed a motion to recuse A. R. Kudryavtsev, one of the judges of the panel. Previously, he was involved in cases against believers from Izhevsk and Votkinsk. According to the defense, he \u0026quot;had already formed his opinion about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and cannot be impartial and objective in the consideration of this criminal case.\u0026quot; The court, however, rejected the motion.\nBoth believers consider any conviction against them to be unjust. In their appeals, they stressed that they were acting solely within the framework of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. Votyakov and Stefanidin also drew attention to arguments refuting the conclusions of the court of first instance that they \u0026quot;undermined the foundations of the constitutional order and state security and acted from extremist motives.\u0026quot; According to Votyakov, \u0026quot;none of the 11 witnesses for the prosecution or 6 witnesses for the defense indicated this.\u0026quot; Stefanidin added: \u0026quot;[All] witnesses for the prosecution described me entirely in positive terms, referring to the beneficial influence of my religion on my life.\u0026quot;\nDespite the absence of signs of extremism in the actions of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, the courts continue to impose severe punishments on them for their faith. In January 2025 alone, there were 6 guilty verdicts against believers from different parts of the country.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/061115/image_hu_1bc552ce0be13630.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/061115/image_hu_5bd34ed15ffa8930.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/061115/image_hu_70cd8ae2c84a079b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/061115/image_hu_934eaa18d67432f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/061115.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Udmurtia Replaces Suspended Sentences of Two Jehovah's Witnesses From Izhevsk with Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 4, 2025, the Sovetskiy District Court of Krasnodar sentenced Aleksey Lelikov, 64, to 6.5 years in a penal colony. Judge Irina Klyuyeva considered holding meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n\u0026quot;I cannot agree to admit my guilt and call myself an extremist, even if it would benefit me,\u0026quot; Lelikov said in his final statement, \u0026quot;because then it would mean that worshipping God is a crime. For me, this is tantamount to denying God and his son Jesus, who have nothing to do with any form of extremism.\u0026quot;\nThree years ago the FSB initiated a criminal case against Lelikov, a musician like his father and finalist in the Teacher of the Year competition. His house was searched, and the believer and members of his family were interrogated. Soon Lelikov\u0026#39;s name was on the Rosfinmonitoring list, and his house and land were seized. In April 2022, due to impaired motor functions, Lelikov was categorized as having a disability.\nAleksey Lelikov with his wife and daughter on the day of the verdict Judge Irina Klyuyeva announcing the verdict Lelikov with his family in the courtroom The defendant, his wife and daughter going to the announcement of the verdict Aleksey Lelikov with his wife Irina The defendant in the courtroom Lelikov handcuffed after sentencing The defendant is taken away to be placed in a pretrial detention center after guilty verdict The charges of extremism brought against the believer come down to organizing religious presentations, meetings for worship and studying religious literature. \u0026quot;It was difficult to read the charge containing so many lies,\u0026quot; commented Lelikov. \u0026quot;I didn\u0026#39;t expect these degrading words to be like poison.\u0026quot; The charge was based on recordings of meetings for worship. The hearings in the case, which began in February 2023, revealed that the expert studies of these recordings contained contradictions and inconsistencies, which were highlighted by the defense.\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 38 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been subjected to religious discrimination. At the moment, another 17 believers, including 7 women, are defending their beliefs in court.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the repression of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR declared the criminal prosecution of believers unlawful and called on the Russian authorities to release the prisoners.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_202dbe4d84073db5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_7594cf69bb7ae14f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_a9346bea831bd17a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/061002/image_hu_cd8125e352a68996.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/061002.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","elderly"],"title":"Krasnodar Court Sends Music Teacher With Disability to Penal Colony for Practicing His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The court found Liliya Dolinina, a pensioner from the village of Dormidontovka, guilty of extremism because she wrote letters to a woman on spiritual topics. On February 3, 2025, Judge Kseniya Matviyevskaya gave the elderly believer a 4.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe charge was based on Liliya\u0026#39;s letters, which she wrote to her son's friend, I. Lavrenova. According to the believer, her motive was wanting to support this woman. \u0026quot;My goal was to help her come to know God and the advice he gives to people through the Bible,\u0026quot; Liliya said in court. \u0026quot;I just wanted her to enjoy a happy family life with my son.\u0026quot; However, the prosecution regarded this correspondence as an attempt to involve Lavrenova in an extremist organization.\nIn February 2023, Liliya learned that a criminal case had been initiated against her, when her house was searched, and she was interrogated for 5 hours at the local department of the Investigative Committee. At the same time, the FSB visited Lavrenova and seized the letters from Dolinina.\nIn March 2024, Dolinina\u0026#39;s case was submitted to the Vyazemskiy District Court. The hearings were adjourned for 4 months due to the deterioration of the elderly believer\u0026#39;s health. Chronic illnesses, as well as an injury, confined her to bed. During this period, the pensioner was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Due to problems with her heart, vision and hearing, it was difficult for Liliya to participate in court hearings. In her testimony, she stated: \u0026quot;I could not have imagined that I would be tried at the age of 78 in my country in the 21st century for personal correspondence.\u0026quot;\nDuring the interrogation in court, Lavrenova and Dolinina\u0026#39;s son claimed that a significant part of their testimony, recorded by the investigator in the interrogation protocol, was fabricated. Lavrenova stated that Liliya Dolinina did not try to involve her in any extremist communities. The conclusions of the expert study also acknowledged that \u0026quot;in the letters and messages there are no calls to join or participate in the activity of any organization.\u0026quot;\nLiliya said that during this difficult period, she is not lacking support: fellow believers take her to the hospital, buy food and medicines. \u0026quot;I am grateful to our brothers and sisters for their support and love,\u0026quot; she stresses. \u0026quot;My faith and gratitude to God grow stronger every time.\u0026quot;\nAlready 41 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Khabarovsk Territory have been prosecuted for their faith; of these 7 are over 70 years old, 1 died while under investigation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_46765e7a82810dae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_a0a5f814fbe739a5.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_7bdd5417f7566014.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/051113/image_hu_7b7b3ac1e83d5c63.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/051113.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court in Khabarovsk Territory Gave 78-Year-Old Woman a Suspended Sentence for Letters About God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 3, 2025, the Pervorechenskiy District Court sentenced Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Vladivostok to various terms, even up to 7 years imprisonment. Judge Galina Vasilkevich deemed peaceful religious activity to be extremism. Previously the husband of one of the defendants, Dmitriy Barmakin, was sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony on similar charges.\nIgor Lonchakov was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment, Yuriy Redozubov — to 6.5 years. The women were given suspended sentences: Yekaterina Treguba and Lyudviga Katanaeva — 3 years and 4 months each with a 3-year probation period; Yelena Barmakina, Yelena Tsorn and 65-year-old Nina Astvatsaturova — 3 years each with a 3-year probation period.\nThis case is one of the longest in the history of prosecuting Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in modern Russia. Back in the fall of 2017, undercover FSB agent, Yekaterina Petrova, began secretly recording meetings for worship. Yelena Barmakina was the first to be prosecuted. Later, her case was combined with cases against nine of her fellow believers.\nThe Investigative Committee charged Yuriy Redozubov and Igor Lonchakov with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Yelena Barmakina, Yelena Tsorn, Nina Astvatsaturova, Lyudviga Katanaeva, Yekaterina Treguba, Alibek Kartayganov and the couple Roman and Violetta Verigin with participating in its activity. In 2023, the consideration of the case against Kartayganov and the Verigins was paused.\nYelena Barmakina twice defended her right to freedom of religion in court. In 2020, the court returned her case to the prosecutor, and in 2022 she was brought to trial again along with the other believers. Speaking during the closing arguments, she said: \u0026quot;A new charge has been brought against me, but in fact its plot and description of the criminal act imputed to me have not changed. I am charged with all the same actions as before: reading and discussing texts from the Bible... participating in singing religious songs, praying and watching videos of talks.\u0026quot; Nina Astvatsaturova commented on the charges: \u0026quot;During these meetings, there were no extremist calls for illegal actions against anyone.\u0026quot;\nSimultaneously with the case of Yelena and her fellow believers, the Pervorechenskiy District Court considered the case of her husband, Dmitriy Barmakin, who was initially acquitted, but later sent to a penal colony. He is serving his sentence in the Samara Region, 7,500 kilometers from Vladivostok.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_c87337877e1a7d93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_2b5c12fa1c6fef1a.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_41e56ff3dcba768b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/02/051048/image_hu_3ab868d891173c13.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/02/051048.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Two Men Received Prison Terms","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","suspended","families"],"title":"Court in Vladivostok Passed Verdict in Case of Seven of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer drew parallels between the persecution for faith in modern Russia and the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR and Nazi Germany, and also explained why he considers the accusations against him absurd.\n","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/517.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Alexei Lelikov's closing statement in Krasnodar","type":"docs"},{"body":"Ekaterina emphasized: \"Attending religious meetings, where I study the Holy Scriptures more deeply, study biblical principles and try to live by them, simply cannot be considered illegal.\"\n","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/516.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Ekaterina Treguba's concluding remarks in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yelena told why she chose to live the way God teaches through the Bible: \"I have been following this path for 25 years. All the while, I'm learning to love people, be honest about everything, and respect authority. In this I find joy and the only meaning of life!\"\n","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/515.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Yelena Barmakina's concluding remarks in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yuriy said that as a professional artist, it is important for him to know the Bible well and understand its subjects. \"The Bible not only reveals the secrets of world painting, but also... explains the meaning of what is happening,\" he added.\n","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/519.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Yuriy Redozubov's closing statement in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 28, 2025, Maksim Ivanishko,judge of the Fokino City Court of the Primorye Territory, issued a decision in the case of Aleksander Sazhin. He gave him a 3-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible with fellow believers, deeming it participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nDuring the closing arguments, Sazhin emphasized: \u0026quot;I am a Christian. My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love God and love people. Therefore, my views are the complete opposite to what is called extremism.\u0026quot;\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution from April 2023. Then investigator A.S. Belashko initiated a case against him under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC, and 2 days later Aleksandr\u0026#39;s house was searched. He was detained, interrogated in the FSB department, and then released under a recognizance agreement. The investigation lasted a year, after which the trial began in April 2024.\nBecause of the prosecution, Sazhin had to quit his job; his cards and accounts were blocked. The searches also affected the health of his wife.\nThe charge against the believer was based mainly on the testimony of a witness, who feigned an interest in the Bible and was in close contact with Sazhin. Since fall 2022, he was secretly recording meetings for worship. According to the defendant, the man\u0026#39;s testimony only shows that Sazhin discussed the Bible with him and invited him to several meetings. The indictment states: \u0026quot;There is no information about any victims or the nature and extent of the harm caused... by the crime.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested 3 years imprisonment for the believer.\nIn the Primorye Territory, 58 people have already been prosecuted for their faith, 8 of them have been sentenced to a penal colony for terms ranging from 2 to 8 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-28T16:29:34+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_21d4bad93fbf572d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_7559fe0b7cc552b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_ce1b11389c3a7506.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/281629/image_hu_a8f3ba5c1b4580f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/281629.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Sazhin Given a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Guilty Verdict in Primorye Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"In the winter of 2025, Yevgeniy Cherepanov arrived in his hometown, Ozersk, from Chelyabinsk, where he was doing alternative civilian service (ACS), to take his mother to a doctor\u0026#39;s appointment. Suddenly, law enforcement officers raided their home. During the 2.5-hour interrogation, Yevgeniy was pressured to plead guilty. They arrested him without achieving their goal.\nYevgeniy was born in July 2004 in Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region. His mother raised him on her own. She worked as a saleswoman, and later as a cleaner of industrial premises. He has a brother who is much older than him.\nYevgeniy has loved sports since childhood. He inherited this passion from his mother, who in her youth liked athletics and played basketball. It was basketball that became his favourite sport: he played on the school team, and then in college.\nBeing a deeply religious person, Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s mother instilled in her son a love for the Bible. Seeing how the Bible\u0026#39;s advice had a positive effect on some of his peers, he decided to follow it himself. In 2019, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nYevgeniy qualified at the Ozersk Technical College, where he trained to be a power supply specialist. However, he has not yet had a chance to work in this field — from November 2024 he has been doing ACS in the regional hospital. He cleaned premises of the surgical suite. The criminal prosecution interrupted his service.\n","date":"2025-09-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/cherepanov/photo_hu_ca53f7310d02e56.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/cherepanov/photo_hu_358b5f4eb91ca9a9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/cherepanov/photo_hu_633020b8a03cbd00.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/cherepanov/photo_hu_1ed06ca9152c4dac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/cherepanov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Cherepanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Due to criminal prosecution, Oleg Preobrazhenskiy from Ozersk was arrested and therefore, can no longer care for his elderly parents: his father needs constant support following a stroke.\nOleg was born in February 1968. His older brother died in 2022. In his youth, Oleg practiced weightlifting and achieved the highest level in this sport. After school, he graduated from a vocational technical college where he qualified as a turner-miller, and then, like his father, worked for a long time at the \u0026quot;Mayak\u0026quot; plant.\nOleg is retired. He earned some extra money by renovating apartments but lost this opportunity after his arrest. Neighbors and clients appreciate him for his conscientiousness and reliability, and friends appreciate him for his willingness to help; they fondly call him a jack of all trades.\nOleg has a strong marriage — he and his wife Svetlana have been married since 1989. During this time, they raised a daughter, who is now married and raising two children. Oleg devoted a lot of time to his grandchildren.\nOleg was introduced to the Bible by his mother-in-law. He became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2002, and his wife followed suit a year later.\nDue to charges of extremism, Oleg ended up in pretrial detention, and then under house arrest. His wife and daughter have gone through a lot of stress.\n","date":"2025-09-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/preobrazhenskiy/photo_hu_acd9cd22328809c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/preobrazhenskiy/photo_hu_d7f29ec40d359089.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/preobrazhenskiy/photo_hu_20ef7e6079825afa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/preobrazhenskiy/photo_hu_87f1751b16eae31e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/preobrazhenskiy.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Preobrazhenskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Artem Repin faced violence from law enforcement officers during a search in January 2025. Because of his religious beliefs, the believer was placed in a pre-trial detention center. The man has a heart defect, and his health has deteriorated from stress.\nArtem Repin was born in October 1993 in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region. He has a younger sister. Their mother, a history and music teacher, works as a clerk. His father, a bricklayer by profession, worked for many years at a construction site. He considers himself a deeply religious man and currently lives in a monastery.\nAs a child, Artem was a versatile child: he was fond of football, volleyball, table tennis, chess, judo and boxing. He also played in the youth football team for the Yekaterinburg club „Ural\u0026quot;.\nArtem graduated from the Kyshtym Radiomechanical College, where he received the specialty of PC technician. In his student years, he played in the team of humor. After graduation, the young man worked as a cash register repair technician. During the coronavirus pandemic, he and his wife worked together cleaning riser blocks of flats.\nIn the first grade of school, Artem read a textbook on the history of the ancient world for the fifth grade. His interest in the subject arose thanks to his mother. Later, this hobby prompted him to read the Bible. According to Artem, from the age of 5 he had a fear of death. When his mother began to study the Scriptures, she told him that, according to the Bible, God does not want people to die, and they have hope for a wonderful future. In the summer of 2009, Artem was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn February 2019, Artem married Yelena, a preschool teacher. Yelena is a believer. At one time, she liked that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sincerely care about people, especially the disabled, the deaf, the blind, and the seriously ill. Yelena is fond of needlework, sometimes organizes children\u0026#39;s parties. The couple loves to visit and watch movies with their relatives. They also like to follow the World Chess Championships.\nRelatives and friends are worried about what is happening. They cannot believe that such a peace-loving and sympathetic person was considered dangerous to society. When the believer ended up in the pre-trial detention center, Artem and Yelena again began to write poems to each other, as they did during the courtship period.\n","date":"2025-02-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/repin/photo_hu_4670a7a99893f157.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/repin/photo_hu_3f2494db7d945b91.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/repin/photo_hu_b165116b4ffb16c4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/repin/photo_hu_19f852c9e44b7a79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/repin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Artem Repin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vasiliy Shishkin faced criminal prosecution in January 2025. He lost not only his freedom of movement, but also the opportunity to communicate with his own wife, Irina: the man was placed under house arrest, which is why the couple had to live separately. A year later, the believer\u0026#39;s wife was also accused of extremism.\nVasiliy was born in April 1972 in Prokopievsk (Kemerovo region). He has a younger brother. Their mother worked as a nurse and is no longer alive. His father is a miner, traveler and poet, professes Orthodoxy and lives in a secluded monastery.\nVasiliy\u0026#39;s parents divorced when he was 8, he was raised by his grandmother, and his younger brother grew up with his father and stepmother. Sometimes they tried to live together. As a child, Vasiliy was actively involved in sports: he went swimming, played hockey and football. His father took him rafting on mountain rivers and thus instilled in him a love for nature. He still enjoys cycling, hiking, fishing, and mushroom picking.\nAfter graduating from a mining technical school, Vasiliy worked in a mine for six months. Later he took courses as a carpenter and massage therapist. Throughout his life he worked in various fields: baker, locksmith, salesman, loader, meat cutter and janitor.\nIn his youth, Vasiliy, according to him, \u0026quot;often felt emptiness, meaninglessness, fear.\u0026quot; The reason for this was, among other things, the harsh upbringing of his father and family quarrels. Thanks to the Bible, the man learned the meaning of life and found hope. In 1998, he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2013, Vasiliy married Irina. She was educated as accounter and pharmacist. She works in a pharmacy. Spouses are united by common values and views on life. They love to spend time in nature. Vasiliy also loves to draw, sometimes writes poetry.\nThe search, interrogation and arrest had a negative impact on Vasiliy\u0026#39;s emotional state. His loved ones support him and take care of his needs.\n","date":"2025-02-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shishkin/photo_hu_9ca0a40c37b3268c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shishkin/photo_hu_7003d48d5e444b9b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shishkin/photo_hu_c3d89d20cb0eac11.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shishkin/photo_hu_191becc776b9a1e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shishkin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vasiliy Shishkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Do to his arrest Igor Smolnikov can no longer take care of his family and particularly his older sister, who is disabled and completely dependent on his help.\nIgor was born in May 1970 in Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region. When he was a child, his father left the family, so his mother raised two children on her own. They lived modestly, but amicably. In 1957, there was a radiation accident at the \u0026quot;Mayak\u0026quot; plant, and Igor\u0026#39;s mother took part in the cleanup efforts. She passed away in 2014.\nSince childhood, Igor loved nature, fishing, picking mushrooms and berries, and liked photography. He also liked assembling and repairing radio equipment, which influenced his choice of profession. After school, he qualified as an instrumentation technician at a vocational technical college. Igor was interested in exact sciences, participated in contests for mathematics and physics.\nSmolnikov completed his military service in Moscow. Returning to his homeland after 2 years, he got a job at the Mayak plant, where he worked for 17 years in his profession. For his professionalism, he was awarded category 8 — the highest. Three times he won \u0026quot;The Best Instrumentation Technician\u0026quot; competition. Colleagues respected and appreciated Igor and even after he left the plant, they often asked him for advice.\nAfter retirement, Igor took up a new business he found interesting — renovating apartments. For his honesty and reliability, clients often recommend him to their loved ones, and Igor often helps lonely and elderly people for free. He also has an interest in car repairs.\nIgor is married to Svetlana — they have been married for over 30 years. In 1997, the couple were baptized as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Together they raised their daughter Mariya, instilling in her a love for God. The family loves to travel by car to picturesque places.\n","date":"2025-09-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/smolnikov/photo_hu_79b672b79fc73afe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/smolnikov/photo_hu_202aaaebf092e542.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/smolnikov/photo_hu_8e7608100679f180.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/smolnikov/photo_hu_4bb4a04aa5d10fe6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/smolnikov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Smolnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer expressed bewilderment: \"I am accused of believing my religion to be the truth, but are there any believers who think otherwise? For me, the standard of my faith is the Word of God—the Bible—and I constantly confirm all my beliefs by reading and meditating on it.\"\n","date":"2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/513.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Alexander Sazhin's last word in Fokino","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 24, 2025, a panel of judges of the Sakhalin Regional Court considered the case of Roman Gumenyuk and did not change the decision of the court of first instance. Earlier, the court gave the believer a 5-year suspended sentence. He maintains his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in cassation proceedings.\nIn his appeal, Gumenyuk noted that participating in meetings for worship and conversations on Bible topics with other people is not a crime, but a form of expressing faith that is not prohibited by law. In his final statement, the defendant said: \u0026quot;I have not committed any crime, and especially the one I am charged with. I lead an honest life. My friends and acquaintances know me as a peace-loving person who is incapable of illegal actions that would harm anyone.\u0026quot;\nRoman Gumenyuk became the sixth Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in the Sakhalin Region convicted for his religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_935e8acc631c9794.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_31d0e20319e437cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_e95ddbc8ce00edd8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/290933/image_hu_640d1e94255404e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/290933.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Sakhalin Upheld Guilty Verdict Against Roman Gumenyuk","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 23, 2024 the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma issued a second guilty verdict against Dmitriy Terebilov - 5 years and 5 days in a penal colony with a strict regime. Judge Dmitriy Gorokhov deemed conversations about the Bible as involving other convicted persons in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn the fall of 2021, the believer was sentenced to 3 years in a strict regime penal colony for practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Terebilov served his sentence in full, but was not released — another criminal case was initiated against him under an article for extremism in the spring of 2023. The charge was based on the testimony of a cellmate who feigned an interest in the Bible, to the effect that the believer only answered the man\u0026#39;s questions about his religious beliefs.\nAs evidence of his guilt the investigation also used letters that Terebilov received while in the colony, and entries from his personal diary. At one of the hearings, the colony\u0026#39;s censor noted that in these letters \u0026quot;there were no calls to incite hatred or enmity; there were no insults.\u0026quot; Remarkably, even before Dmitriy became a believer and while he was serving a fourth sentence for criminal offenses, he received a letter from Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and, according to him, that is what completely changed his life. \u0026quot;From an unworthy criminal, I turned into a God-fearing person and a useful member of society,\u0026quot; Dmitriy said.\nIn his final statement, Terebilov asked: \u0026quot;I cannot understand what evil I have committed and against whom? How would I know what I can and cannot do? The authorities say that my religion is not banned, I can practice it if there is no extremism in my actions, and there never has been. But the law enforcement agencies believe that whatever I do as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is already a crime.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/251141/image_hu_d6771f9a95195678.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/251141/image_hu_238a046e02d0207f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/251141/image_hu_44968414cf62ab98.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/251141/image_hu_ffb959f6771d4bf9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/251141.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court Sends Dmitriy Terebilov Back to Penal Colony for Practicing His Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of January 23, 2025, in Vladikavkaz and the village of Nogir (Republic of North Ossetia—Alania), representatives of the intelligence services inspected the homes of three families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated.\nAt about 6 a.m., 15 people arrived at the apartment of one of the believers. The senior investigator leading the inspection of the home explained that the reason was that the family belonged to the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Electronic equipment and a Bible were confiscated from the family. After interrogations, the believers were released.\nAs part of the criminal case, the home of another family from Vladikavkaz was inspected. The investigative actions lasted about 10 hours and were carried out by 10 people, 4 of whom were armed. The law enforcement officers behaved appropriately, allowed the family to have breakfast, and carefully returned things to their place.\nAt the home of a family of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the village of Nogir, law enforcement officers inspected not only the house, but also the car, vegetable garden and place of work. The law enforcement officers acted respectfully. The believer\u0026#39;s blood pressure rose due to the stress.\nIn 2022, some believers from Vladikavkaz already faced detention and interrogation on similar charges.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/291048.html","regions":["osetia"],"subtitle":"Law Enforcement Officers Inspected the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses","tags":["inspection","new-case","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"Criminal Case for Faith Has Been Initiated in Vladikavkaz.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his testimony in court, the believer said that he was shocked by the punishment in the form of 9 years in prison, which the prosecution requested for him and his friends only because they peacefully worshipped God. He noted: \"I am innocent before Jehovah God ... nor before the state in which I live.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/507.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksey Kulikov's Last Word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"I am very glad that I am being judged not as a thief, a murderer or a drug addict, but as a Christian who believes in God. This joy is not fanatical. It's a rational feeling.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/509.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Denis Petrov's last word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The most important support for me is that I don't feel like a criminal. Not only do I not feel, but I am 100 percent sure that I have never committed any crime,\" the believer said during his speech.\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/510.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Eduard Kapitonov's last word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer explained why he joined Jehovah's Witnesses and explained that his beliefs have nothing to do with extremism.\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/506.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Igor Alekseev's Last Word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer denied the accusations against him. He said: \"In fact, it was not the people around us who suffered, but ourselves and our family members.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/504.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Ilya Bury's Last Word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stated: \"I am in the dock not for my actions, deeds or words, but for the fact that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" He added: \"The punishment that the prosecutor requested - 9 years in a penal colony - is terrifying. Nine years is half of my adult life.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/512.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Ilya Kapitonov's Last Word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer justified his innocence against the accusations against him: \"I am not an extremist and have not committed any crime either before God or before the state. Not a single person has suffered from my so-called extremist actions, so I stand before you now with a calm soul and a clear conscience.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/508.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Vladimir Usenko's concluding remarks in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer noted: \"The main mistake of the prosecution is that it does not look for extremism in my actions... The prosecution only proves that I am a Jehovah's Witness, a simple believer, and I have never denied it.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/505.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Yevgeny Plotnikov's Last Word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining to the court why he and his friends are being persecuted, Sergey Kulikov said: \"Nowadays there is a lot of information that does not reflect reality.\" Then he added: \"We love with all our hearts the righteous standards of our Creator Jehovah, and we want to continue to faithfully defend his holy name.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/511.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Sergey Kulikov's last word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"Telling the court about how the criminal prosecution affected his life, Sergey Naymushin noted: \"We and our loved ones are in an ongoing difficult psycho-traumatic situation.\" He added: \"Will my mother live to see the day of my release? Now she is 71 years old, and she is a very sick person.\"\n","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/514.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Sergey Naimushin's last word in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 20, 2025, Galina Yevsegneyeva, judge of the Urupskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic, issued a verdict in the case of Aleksey Pasynkov: 6-year suspended sentence. The court considered reading the Bible with fellow believers to be extremist activity.\nAleksey does not agree with the decision and thinks that the court has not cited a single fact proving his guilt. He noted that the panel of experts did not find any signs of extremism in the material presented for their study. Witnesses for the prosecution are either not acquainted with the defendant or testify based on hearsay.\nThe Investigative Committee for the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic initiated a criminal case against Aleksey Pasynkov in December 2022, but the prosecution of the believer\u0026#39;s family began a year earlier, after the first search. Aleksey was placed under a recognizance agreement, and almost a year later his case went to court.\nInvestigator A. A. Ionov charged him with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;In the charges, religious lectures, discussing religious topics, meetings for worship, discussing the Holy Scriptures, maintaining contact with fellow believers are listed as illegal actions imputed to me.\u0026quot; He noted that all these actions are not prohibited by law.\nThe life of the Pasynkovs was not easy anyway. \u0026quot;Our son has a disability, and he needs constant care, as he does not have the ability to care for himself,\u0026quot; said Aleksey at the trial. \u0026quot;And this takes a lot of energy from us.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution for his faith affected not only Aleksey, but also all his close relatives: law enforcement officers also initiated criminal cases against his wife and mother, and the homes of his brothers were searched.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_2fa3fdf302a3c8e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_c215e3b7ee15446f.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_5dead93c8ab0e06d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/210912/image_hu_53b87a4b7fe6bc03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/210912.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Father of Child with Disability Given Suspended Sentence for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2025, the verdict against Rimma Popova, a resident of Cherkessk, was announced — 4.5-year suspended sentence. Judge Din-Islam Chotchaev equated talking about God and reading the Bible to extremism. \u0026quot;I suffered a heart attack because of the stress,\u0026quot; the defendant said.\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution in June 2023, when her house was searched. Three months later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her. Rimma was interrogated and detained, and then the court placed her under house arrest for 2 months. Due to severe stress, she was hospitalized, and after being discharged, an electronic bracelet was put on her leg to track her whereabouts.\nIn April 2024, Popova\u0026#39;s case was sent to the Cherkessk City Court. The charge was based on the testimony of a woman with whom Rimma discussed the Bible. The believer commented on this as follows: \u0026quot;Was there anything extremist in our conversation with Miroshnik about marriage, during which we talked about how to strengthen it, how to treat each other: it is important for a wife to be assured of love, and for a husband to be respected? That\u0026#39;s what's written in the Bible.\u0026quot;\nChallenging the charge that she \u0026quot;continued to promote the superiority of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Popova noted: \u0026quot;It is strange that the prosecution did not cite a single quote from the notepads, notebooks and notes seized from me, which allegedly contained such propaganda.\u0026quot; The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a penal colony as punishment for her.\nBack in 2022, Emily Baran, PhD, an expert on Russia and church-state relations, noted: \u0026quot;Russia continues to treat this religious community [of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses] as dangerous extremists, despite the complete lack of evidence to support this claim.\u0026quot; By 2024, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including 7 women, had already suffered for their faith in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_e7ea28ba748a0393.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_43c58af407037b28.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_cb13224de6744608.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/211537/image_hu_ed35a31e96914ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/211537.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Woman, 56, Given Suspended Sentence for her Faith","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic, the Fifth Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Announced.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Khabarovskiy District Court completed the retrial of the criminal case of two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses on January 20, 2025. Judge Kira Kirina gave pensioners Lyubov Kocherova, 66, and Lyubov Ovchinnikova, 66, a 5.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe first verdict in this case — a 6-year suspended sentence — was handed down in August 2023. State prosecutor Yekaterina Trofimenko, who insisted on a prison term, appealed this decision. The court of appeal sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024 in the same Khabarovskiy District Court.\nLyubov Kosherova nad Lyubov Ovchinnikova with their friends outside of the courthouse, January, 2025 Preliminary and judicial investigations against Kocherova and Ovchinnikova have already been going on for 2.5 years. The prosecution based the criminal case on audio recordings of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible, made by undercover FSB agent Stanislav Martyn. Speaking in court, the believers disagreed with the charges and mentioned that the constitutional right to freedom of religion cannot be a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_93882afcf145268e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_f8a63499bc468d41.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_6f0124ce655d8e4f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/210938/image_hu_cf1056a6c1de5f3f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/210938.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Court Deemed Talking About the Bible to Be Extremism","tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Two Elderly Women From Khabarovsk Given Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2025, in the city of Ozersk, Chelyabinsk Region, five apartments of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were searched. The raid was launched by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, which initiated a criminal case against Anton Parfenov under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC. Four men were detained.\nThe searches began at about 5:30 a.m. and lasted between 2.5 and 4 hours. Demanding passwords for electronic devices, law enforcement officers beat two men. The security forces, some of them wearing masks and carrying automatic weapons, seized Bibles, phones and laptops, personal notes, and photographs. In some cases, they tried to persuade the believers not to use Article 51 of the RF Constitution, which gives the right not to testify against yourself or your relatives.\nAfter the searches, four men were placed in a temporary detention facility: Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhenskiy, Artem Repin, and Yevgeniy Cherepanov, who traveled to Ozersk from another city to help his mother get to the hospital for an examination. In the coming days, a decision will be made on the preventive measure.\nUpdate. On January 18, the court imposed detention as a preventive measure on Smolnikov, Preobrazhenskiy, Repin and Cherepanov. All four believers were sent to pretrial detention center No. 4 in Zlatoust,Chelyabinsk Region.\nIn Ozersk searches were carried out for the first time. In addition to those detained here, 16 more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted in the Chelyabinsk Region.\n","category":"crime","date":"2025-01-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/211608.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Searches, Interrogations With Use of Force, and Detentions — Raid Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Ozersk","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer spoke about the repressions his family faced. He wonders why in the 21st century in a civilized society a law-abiding person can find himself behind bars for his faith: \"Is this really possible in a state where law and law are at the head, and not the medieval Inquisition?\"\n","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/503.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksey Pasynkov's last word in Mednogorsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"It's not so scary to get into a trial as it's scary to give up during a trial, or to go through it, but you never learn anything,\" the believer said in his last speech, saying that he holds no grudge against anyone. \"It's not so scary to get into a trial as it's scary to give up during a trial, or to go through it, but you never learn anything,\" the believer said in his last speech, saying that he holds no grudge against anyone.\n","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/502.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Dmitriy Terebilov's Last Word in Kostroma in the Second Criminal Case","type":"docs"},{"body":"When Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses knocked on Anatoliy Artamonov\u0026#39;s door in the early 1990s and told him about the biblical hope for a better future, he wanted to know more about it. 30 years later, the man was prosecuted for his love of the Bible.\nAnatoliy was born in 1952 in the resort village of Kuldur (Jewish Autonomous Region), famous for its hot springs. His father worked as a carpenter, and his mother was the commandant of a dormitory. The couple raised six children—four boys and two girls. Anatoliy was the third child in the family. When he was one, his parents moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then settled in Birobidzhan. Now they are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Anatoliy entered a vocational school, where he received the specialty of a fitter. He served 2 years in the Soviet Army in the village of Ust-Kamchatsk. After demobilization, he returned to Birobidzhan, where he worked at various enterprises as a turbine driver, assembler, and welder. Recently he has been working as an electrician in a city hospital. From childhood to this day, the man is fond of fishing.\nAnatoliy is married to Lyudmila, with whom they raised two children. In 1994, they officially registered their marriage, and in 1995, together with their daughter Larisa, they became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, they were joined by Anatoliy\u0026#39;s elder sister, his mother and grandson. The son of the believer does not share their beliefs, but they have a good relationship, the men work together.\nThe criminal prosecution affected not only Anatoliy, but also his daughter Larisa and grandson Yevgeniy. They have already served sentences on similar charges —2.5 years suspended. Relatives and friends are worried about Anatoliy and support his family during this difficult period of his life.\n","date":"2025-02-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_688f0421ae920acf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_318ac2581e007049.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_a7e0f7679d72c600.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/artamonov/photo_hu_64bff6cdee63203d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/artamonov.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Anatoliy Artamonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Krushevskiy, a hearing-impaired person from Birobidzhan, became a defendant in a criminal case because of his faith. In February 2024, the homes of him and his elderly mother were searched. A year later, the man was summoned to an investigator and accused of extremism.\nAleksandr was born in March 1978 in the village of Slavyanka, Primorye Territory. He has an elder brother. The father is no longer alive. While at school, Aleksandr helped his parents with household chores on the farm. Later, he mastered confectionery and also studied to be a radio mechanic. After graduating, the young man began to work in his specialty—as a pastry chef, as well as a master for the maintenance and repair of household appliances. Later he worked as a tinsmith of drainage and ventilation systems and as a \u0026quot;foreman for an hour\u0026quot;.\nIn search of work, Aleksandr moved to Birobidzhan, where his brother lived at that time. There he began to study the Bible. Aleksandr recalls that he was especially impressed by the biblical promise that in the future his hearing would be restored. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m hard of hearing, I wear a hearing aid and I\u0026#39;m waiting for it. As soon as I feel that I hear, I will immediately throw away my \u0026#39;prosthesis\u0026#39;,\u0026quot; he shared. At the age of 30, Aleksandr was baptized as a Christian.\nIn July 2008, Aleksandr married Victoriya. She enjoys helping others learn sign language.\nThe searches affected Aleksandr\u0026#39;s emotional and physical state. Relatives and friends consider the persecution unfair and worry about the believer, especially given his disabilities.\n","date":"2025-02-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krushevskiy/photo_hu_c64d3f64770b7d31.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krushevskiy/photo_hu_92a8d9c9f6784d9a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krushevskiy/photo_hu_7329f9a3b56df378.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krushevskiy/photo_hu_fe5517223d8783a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krushevskiy.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Krushevskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 14, 2025, a panel of judges of the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the conviction of two believers: 6 years in a penal colony for Valeriy Maletskov for organizing the activity of an extremist organization and 4 years in a penal colony for Marina Chaplykina for participating in and financing it.\nFor more than 1 year — since the verdict was passed — the believers have been in a pretrial detention center. The first appeal hearing took place back in June 2024, however, as it turned out, the believers were not given the opportunity to fully familiarize themselves with the case materials. Due to this, the panel of judges postponed the trial for 6 months.\nAddressing the court, Marina Chaplykina, 53, said: \u0026quot;I respect the state and judicial authorities, trying to do what Jesus Christ taught —\u0026#39;to pay back Caesar's things to Caesar\u0026#39;s\u0026#39;, that is, to obey the laws of my country: to pay taxes correctly, to respect representatives of the authorities... I believe that one day... people will live, enjoying good health, peaceful conditions and warm relationships... This is not extremism! This is hope for a happy future.\u0026quot;\nThe minor child of Valeriy Maletskov, 50, will be left without his father\u0026#39;s care for 6 long years. Marina Chaplykina is one of 16 women practising the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, who have been sentenced to a term in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/160924/image_hu_127b1a9e8c674bab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/160924/image_hu_d352ba2bee4492dc.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/160924/image_hu_6dfdb51b9920de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/160924/image_hu_b82528bd49c9f796.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/160924.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":"A Man and a Woman Will be Sent to a Penal Colony for Their Faith","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld the Verdict Against Two Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Gagarinskiy District Court sentenced Viktor Kudinov and Sergey Zhigalov to 6 years in a penal colony. This verdict was announced on January 14, 2025, by Judge Sergey Korotun. He deemed holding meetings for worship, permitted by law, extremism. More than 100 people came to the courthouse to support the believers.\nAccording to the defense, Kudinov and Zhigalov were groundlessly regarded as criminals. The indictment states that the defendants participated \u0026quot;in organizing and conducting [meetings for worship], by scheduling tasks for other participants, calling on them to comment, as well as subsequently expressing gratitude for these comments.\u0026quot; Sergey Zhigalov, 53, refuted the charges in his final statement: \u0026quot;The video from the services is proof that I love my brothers and sisters in faith, worship God peacefully and fulfill his commandment \u0026#39;let us not forsake our meeting together..., but let us encourage one another\u0026quot; as written in the Bible.\u0026quot;\nIn August 2022, searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Sevastopol. Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov were detained, placed under house arrest, and later under a ban on certain actions. Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee M.E. Ukrainskiy initiated criminal cases against them, which were merged 5 months later. The charge is based on the testimony of secret witness Nadezhda Dykman under the pseudonym Ivanova. Another witness for the prosecution is S. B. Korkushko. According to Zhigalov, this man has been testifying for 5 years in various cases against Crimean Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, but they are not personally acquainted.\nDuring the closed court hearings, the defense drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the religious expert study was conducted with violations. For example, the sources used by the expert are not scientific. Also, according to the defense, the conclusion contains negative assessments of the doctrine of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which go beyond the competence of the expert.\nViktor Kudinov, 55, is a well-known citizen of Sevastopol. At one of the hearings, the defense filed a motion to attach to the case the signatures of more than 100 colleagues in support of him. Viktor said, \u0026quot;I was a little worried that I would be fired. But when I returned to work after house arrest, I was greeted with great excitement. They hugged and supported me, and asked many questions. Many employees from other faiths said they prayed for my well-being.\u0026quot;\nSergey Zhigalov also has a good reputation. During the hearings, the court was provided with a character reference for the believer from a deputy of the local legislative assembly: \u0026quot;When interacting with others, he is kind, not aggressive; he is very neat; has no bad habits. He participated in the improvement of the district. I know [him] as a decent, honest, non-confrontational person.\u0026quot;\nAlready 6 years ago, the Presidential Council for Human Rights asked the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office to protect the constitutional right of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to freedom of religion and to stop prosecuting them for reading the Bible together and holding meetings for worship. However, the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is gaining momentum. In Crimea, in the last 2 years alone, the number of defendants has doubled, from 16 to 32. Eleven believers have been sent to penal colonies for long terms.\nimage_caption: Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov with their wives at the courthouse. January 2025.","category":"verdict","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2025/01/150821/image_hu_a5e283b133e3958.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2025/01/150821/image_hu_5524e5c6c3f71c88.jpg","webp":"/news/2025/01/150821/image_hu_c068de8b6f73745.webp","webp2x":"/news/2025/01/150821/image_hu_c3f3095342c800b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2025/01/150821.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Court Convicts Two of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Each Given 6 Years in a Penal Colony for \"Expressing Gratitude\" at Religious Meetings.","type":"news"},{"body":"Lyubov Kocherova expressed sincere bewilderment at the fact that she is being tried for reading unbanned books, including the Synodal translation of the Bible. \"I am on trial for my faith, helping my neighbor, reading and discussing the Bible,\" she stressed.\n","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/500.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word at the Retrial of the Case of the Defendant Lyubov Kocherova in Knyaz-Volkonsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her last speech, Lyubov Ovchinnikova spoke about her life and how the Bible has always helped her cope with difficulties. \"I am just a believer and live as the Bible teaches,\" the defendant said.\n","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/501.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word in the Retrial of the Case of the Defendant Lyubov Ovchinnikova in Knyaz-Volkonsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer drew a parallel between the behavior of Jehovah's Witnesses during persecution in the past and today. \"Sergey and I are not extremists by law, or by way of life, or by conscience,\" he stressed.\n","date":"2025-01-13T16:27:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/499.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Viktor Kudinov's concluding remarks in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking about the charges brought against him, the believer compared them to a distorted mirror, which is not funny to look into. \"It's bitter and hurtful because of the injustice, the absurdity, the falsifications and the lack of evidence,\" he said.\n","date":"2025-01-13T16:25:16+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/498.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Sergey Zhigalov's closing statement in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"Galina Inkina was born in October 1953 in the village of Iliinka, Kurgan Region. She has an older and a younger brother. Her parents are no longer alive. Galina\u0026#39;s childhood was truly eventful and creative: she participated in school amateur performances, traveled during the holidays with performances from village to village, wrote poems and played in the puppet theater.\nAfter school, she entered a cultural college in the city of Perm but left her studies after the second course — she got married and moved to Zaprudnya in the Moscow Region. There, Galina got a job as a laboratory assistant at the electric vacuum appliances plant, where she worked for 20 years. Then she was a social worker, and after retiring, she worked in a psychiatric hospital for a further 13 years. In her free time, she likes to crochet mittens and socks for her friends; she also takes care of homeless animals.\nIn the 1990s, Galina became seriously interested in the Bible. She was particularly moved by God\u0026#39;s promise to recreate wonderful conditions on earth and bring dead loved ones back to life. She was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1997.\nGalina has an adult son with whom she has a close relationship. \u0026quot;For 23 years we talk on the phone each day at 9 p.m. — my son calls to ask about my health,\u0026quot; she said and added: \u0026quot;Now this is prohibited.\u0026quot;\nIn December 2024, criminal prosecution of the believer began — armed law enforcement officers broke into her home to search it. She recalls: \u0026quot;I was put in the corridor facing the wall and told at gunpoint to stand like that. I was shaking all over from stress — my arms, my legs and everything inside.\u0026quot;\nGalina has several severe chronic illnesses; she has had eight operations. According to the believer, the prosecution has greatly affected her: \u0026quot; My veins swelled up, my legs get blue and swell up in the evening; the tracking bracelet digs into my leg.\u0026quot;\nFor a while, the elderly woman was without means of communication and was deprived of the phone numbers of the doctors treating her. Nevertheless, Galina does not despair and is grateful for the prayers of her friends, the power of which she feels.\n","date":"2025-10-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_335ed97d2cbf5bb2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_cbeefde8abd39d71.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_2997e6e6207786e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/inkina/photo_hu_e6cc622587e918e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/inkina.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","ankle-tag"],"title":"Galina Inkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\nPreface\nThis monograph by Artur Artemyev, professor and religious scholar from Kazakhstan with a PhD in philosophy, focuses on a historical and theological investigation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ life and worship in Kazakhstan.\nThere are two previous editions of the monograph Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Historical and Theological Analysis. The first edition was published in 2002 and the second edition in 2010. In the last few years, this religious organization has undergone many changes. Therefore, the author considered it necessary to prepare a new edition of the monograph focusing on Kazakhstan only.\nThis work is mainly addressed to lecturers of religious studies, master’s degree students, teachers, and government officials who implement policies in relation to neo-Protestant denominations and new religious organizations.\nThe easy-to-comprehend presentation of the material also makes this monograph appealing to non-specialist readers interested in modern religion.\nContents\nTo the readers, or Instead of a preface Chapter 1. History of the World Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Chapter 2. Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan. Historical digression Chapter 3. What Jehovah's Witnesses Believe, or the Basics of Doctrine Chapter 4. The structure and structure of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Chapter 5. The system of theocratic education. Attitudes towards secular education Chapter 6. Features of the Religious Consciousness and Lifestyle of Jehovah's Witnesses Chapter 7. From tolerance to persecution, from religious tolerance to anti-cultism. And also to the question of terminological correctness Conclusion About the author ","date":"2025-01-03T14:31:27+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/120.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Artemyev A. Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan: Socio-Historical and Religious Analysis","type":"docs"},{"body":"\nPreface\nThis monograph is by Artur Artemyev, professor and religious scholar from Kazakhstan. He holds a PhD in philosophy and in this work focuses on a historical and theological investigation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ life and worship in Uzbekistan. Prior to that, the author published two editions (2002 and 2010) \"Jehovah's Witnesses of Kazakhstan and Central Asia: A Historical and Religious Analysis\", but the author considered it necessary to prepare a new version, limiting it to local realities. This work is mainly addressed to lecturers of religious studies, master’s degree students, teachers, and government officials who implement policies in relation to neo-Protestant denominations and new religious organizations. The easy-to-comprehend presentation of the material also makes this monograph appealing to nonspecialist readers interested in modern religion.\nContents\nTo the Reader Chapter 1. The History of the Worldwide Religious Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses Chapter 2. Jehovah’s Witnesses in Uzbekistan—Historical Overview Chapter 3. Foundation of the Teachings—What Do Jehovah’s WitnessesBelieve? Chapter 4. Structure of the Organization Chapter 5. Jehovah’s Witnesses’ View of Education in Congregation and in Family Chapter 6. A Glimpse of the History of the Thorny Way to Tolerance Chapter 7. On the Question of Terminological Correctness Conclusion Brief Chronology of the History of the Organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses About The Author ","date":"2025-01-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/640.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Artemyev A. Socio-historical and Theological Analysis of Communities of  Jehovah's Witnesses in Uzbekistan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Dmitriy Mladov was searched, interrogated and thrown into jail in December 2024. This deprived him of the opportunity to take care of his elderly mother, whose younger son died in April 2024. In addition, Dmitriy can no longer help his widowed father-in-law, who has a disability.\nDmitriy was born in September 1979 in the city of Kandalaksha, Murmansk Region, into a family of workers. He had a younger brother. Their father worked as a milling machine operator. He died of a serious illness at the age of 51. Since his mother was in a difficult emotional state, Dmitriy, as an elder brother, took care of the younger one.\nDmitriy has an incomplete higher education with a degree in thermal power plants. He worked as an antenna tuner, an electrician at the Kandalaksha seaport, and a radio fitter.\nDmitry served in the Navy for ten months, but because of a sudden stomach ulcer, he was discharged. At various times, the believer lived in Kandalaksha, Plesetsk (Arkhangelsk region), Dubna (Moscow region), Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory), where he moved to take care of the test.\nIn the early 2000s, Dmitriy met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He liked the consistency of the Bible and the fact that he was able to get answers to his questions: how to find God? what is the condition of the dead? The believer broke all ties with bad company and in 2002 became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2012, Dmitry married Yuliya, who shares his views on life. Yuliya is an English language teacher. She and Dmitry have many common interests: music, traveling, hiking in nature, baking bread.\nThe arrest prevented Dmitriy from recovering from the operation. In addition, hearing problems created difficulties in perceiving the words of the judge during court hearings. Yuliya experienced an emotional shock because of the search and interrogation. Due to stress their elderly parents had exacerbated chronic illnesses.\n","date":"2025-04-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mladov/photo_hu_758ef3ad36392239.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mladov/photo_hu_8e9b3e3b60422cfd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mladov/photo_hu_4c6dd1ce29a16a25.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mladov/photo_hu_8f5ca92cf258cccb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mladov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Mladov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 26, 2024, Irina Ivanova, judge of the Nazarovo City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, found 60-year-old Pavel Chemrov guilty of extremism for saying prayers and reading religious literature. He was given a 3-year suspended sentence.\nThe believer maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict in higher instance courts. In his final statement, he explained to the court that his \"intent is for people to treat each other with love, kindness, respect and mercy, to always remain calm and to rely on God.\"\nThe Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia has been monitoring Pavel Chemrov since 2018. Later, in December 2023, a criminal case was initiated against him for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. His house was searched. The believer was interrogated and released under a recognizance agreement. In June 2024, the case went to court. Witnesses for the prosecution did not corroborate any of the prosecutor's allegations. During interrogation one woman said that she had heard \"only good\" from Chemrov. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 3.5 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nDuring the hearings, Chemrov drew the court's attention to the fact that the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from continuing to practice their religion individually or jointly. He added: \"It is insulting to expect that after the liquidation of a legal entity... believers... can conduct meetings for worship exclusively within the framework of other religious denominations, which in fact would mean renouncing their faith and would nullify the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court.\"\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, another 30 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Five of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_eeba8df35a7a2418.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_2b83dfac0ae1fb8d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_6bdf0d48fcbb5035.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/271510/image_hu_5b455062defa0053.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/271510.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Believer from Krasnoyarsk Territory Received a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for Praying to Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The investigation, having neither facts nor evidence, claims that I had criminal intent, but this is just speculation,\" the defendant said in court. \"My intention is to help people treat each other with love, kindness and respect, to show mercy.\"\n","date":"2024-12-24T13:50:14+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/497.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Pavel Chemrov's last word in Nazarov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Courts continue to send Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to prison, and the sentence of three of them has set a new record for severity. There have been cases of violence and torture, the proportion of the elderly among the \u0026quot;prisoners of conscience\u0026quot; has increased, there are people with severe disabilities, one of whom died shortly after the verdict; the trend of prosecuting entire families continues. Read about these and other findings for 2024 in this article.\nYear in numbers Judges announce the decision in the case of five believers in Moscow As of December 16, 2024, since the beginning of the year, Russian security forces have conducted at least 96 searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — 17 in Crimea being the highest number. The total number of raids since the ban reached 2157.\nDuring 2024, 41 persons were made defendants in new criminal cases, of which 19 went through various types of detention, 15 of them are still behind bars. Last year, criminal cases were initiated against 100 believers.\nSentences were handed down to 116 believers. 43 of them (37%) were sentenced to imprisonment (It is noteworthy that this year nine people were sent to forced labor as a punishment). Terms of more than five years were given to 24 people (or almost 56% of those sentenced to imprisonment).\nSince 2017, 842 people have already been prosecuted; 450 of them have spent at least 1 day in custody. Currently, 147 prisoners of conscience are behind bars, either already convicted or awaiting sentencing. Of the 27 prisoners released from colonies, 8 were released this year. Although they have served their main sentence, most continue to experience numerous difficulties due to additional restrictions imposed by the court, which can last up to eight years or sometimes even more. \u0026quot;The cumulative numbers and severity of custodial sentences are increasing. To put it simply, during this year they imprisoned less, but more severely,\u0026quot; Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, commented on the statistics.\nIn 2024, the court handed down record-breaking sentences against three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Khabarovsk residents Nikolay Polevodov, Vitaliy Zhuk and Stanislav Kim received eight years and six months, eight years and four months, eight years and two months in a penal colony, respectively. After about three months the court of appeal changed the punishment from imprisonment to a suspended sentence for shorter terms. Therefore, the longest term in 2024 was given to Alexander Chagan from Tolyatti — eight years in a penal colony. All in all, six believers have received such a harsh sentence since 2017.\nThe administration of the pretrial detention center forwarded 93 letters to Nikolay Polevodov, which arrived after his release from detention Over the seven years of mass persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, the number of people sentenced has reached 543, and 186 believers have been imprisoned. Almost 61% of them (113 people) received terms of more than five years.\nIn 13 regions of Russia, the average term of imprisonment is 6 years or more. This is especially true with the southern territories — the Astrakhan, Rostov, Volgograd Regions, Crimea, and Sevastopol. For comparison: according to the official statistics of the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court of Russia for 2023, of the 1297 people convicted for intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm, only 0.85% (11 people) were sentenced to terms of five to eight years. Most were sentenced to terms of two to three years. It seems that from the point of view of the Russian judicial system, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are more dangerous than those who beat people to the point of disability. At the same time, hundreds of trials against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses accused of extremism have not confirmed a single fact of extremist activity on the part of the believers.\nHunting the Elderly Of the new defendants who appeared in 2024, eight are over 60 years old, the oldest is 74 (Nina Smirnova). In total, among those charged with extremism, 235 people (156 men and 79 women) belong to this age category — this is almost 28% of all those prosecuted. \u0026quot;Up until last December, this share was 26%, and it increased by 2% in 2024. It may not seem much, but there are real people behind the numbers, whose freedom, health and even life are under threat,\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \u0026quot;Unfortunately, during criminal proceedings, 9 elderly men and women have already died. One of them — Aleksandr Lubin who was seriously ill. He died a month after his verdict was announced.\u0026quot;\nDuring the court hearings, Lubin had to lie down on a bench to recover his breath \u0026quot;He was very anxious on the days of the court hearings. Afterwards he and his wife needed a couple of days to recover, he had to lie down almost all the time on these days,\u0026quot; Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyer said. \u0026quot;Over the course of the year, his illness progressed and in December he was hospitalized, where he stayed longer than usual. After discharge, his condition remained serious.\u0026quot;\nShortly before his death, Lubin said in court: \u0026quot;It was very painful for me to see how elderly witnesses were interrogated during court hearings in my case. The investigation seemed to deliberately select those who were over 80. They no longer see and hear well; they do not understand many words. Therefore, it gave the impression that the investigators drew up the interrogation protocols at their own discretion.\u0026quot;\nSince the beginning of the persecution, 13 believers have already died: 3 women and 10 men. As of the end of 2024, 27 believers over the age of 60 are being held in colonies, pretrial detention centers, and special detention centers for persons sentenced to forced labor. For example, Boris Andreyev, 73, who was sentenced to six years in a penal colony (he is suspected of having cancer), and Anatoliy Marunov, 71, who received six and a half years in a penal colony, remain behind bars. \u0026quot;The oldest of all the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is Yuriy Yuskov. When the suspended sentence imposed on him ends, he will be 90 years old. The oldest defendant is Elena Zayshchuk, 90\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Sivulskiy.\nOne of the examples when the courts did not even try to create the appearance of legality of the process is the case of Tatyana Piskareva. She is 68 years old, and for the past few months she has been held in the correctional center at colony-settlement No 3 for the Oryol Region. In the spring of 2024, the court sentenced her to two and a half years of forced labor, a type of punishment that, as expressly stated in Article 53.1 of the Criminal Code, is not imposed on old-age pensioners. Tatyana mentioned this in her appeal. However, as said in the decision of the appeal court, \u0026quot;the requirements of Article 53.1 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation were observed by the court.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Vlasov participates in the court hearing via video conferencing from the penal colony Andrey Vlasov, 56, who has a severe disability, has already been in prison for more than two and a half years. He was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony, and the courts deny him early release, despite his rapidly deteriorating health. He is practically unable to move his joints. He experiences constant pain, which is why even everyday tasks — for example, putting on underwear — are very difficult. Some tasks that are simple for a healthy person are completely beyond Vlasov\u0026#39;s strength. He has already fallen several times and could not get up on his own. According to the surgeon, Andrey needs an operation. Failure to do so will lead to an ischemic stroke of the spinal cord and paralysis of the limbs.\nMoreover, the Russian law enforcement system is not lenient to those who are younger, but whose health also requires a special approach. Vladimir Fomin, 44, who is disabled, has been in a pretrial detention center since the end of March 2024. According to his lawyer, Fomin\u0026#39;s condition is getting worse — his chronic illnesses have been exacerbated, and there is no proper treatment. During one of the hearings, he lost consciousness, an ambulance had to be called.\nTorture and Violence In 2024, four cases of violence by law enforcement officers became known. Also, one case of torture in a place of detention was recorded against convicted Rinat Kiramov of Akhtubinsk. The prisoners demanded that Rinat give the names of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses living in Akhtubinsk.\nRinat Kiramov speaks in court Rinat\u0026rsquo;s wife Galina is waiting in the corridor for the decision of the court of cassation Did the pressure achieve its goal? \u0026quot;After beatings and torture, Rinat does not feel that he is a victim. On the contrary, he feels great joy, because he endured everything with dignity, \u0026quot;said Kiramov\u0026#39;s wife Galina shortly after the events described.\nDuring raids in Omsk in March 2024, security forces beat Sergey Rygaev and Leonid Pyzhov.\nIn the same month, during a search in Tolyatti, Sergey Fedorov was beaten and detained. He is still behind bars.\nOn September 16, during raids in Samara, law enforcement officers had been using force against one of the believers for several hours. At some point, the man lost consciousness.\nOn December 5, during searches in Moscow, the security forces hit one believer on the head and abdomen, and broke his nose.\nProsecution of Families Vladimir and Anastasiya Anufriyev, as well as two other families involved in the case, can now only see each other during trials, in a special box for defendants The number of families where more than one person was prosecuted for their faith has exceeded 80. At least nine of them were added in 2024. In one of the cases, three married couples were made defendants at once — Vladimir and Anastasiya Anufriyev, Viktor and Alena Chernobaev, as well as Andrey Mikholap and his wife Oksana. All of them are in pretrial detention at the time of writing.\nIn December 2024 , Kristina Golik, Valentina Yermilova and Yekaterina Olshevskaya were sentenced to forced labor. Earlier, their husbands received long prison terms and are serving their sentences in a penal colony. Before the verdict was announced Yekaterina stated in court: \u0026quot;My husband and my father are imprisoned under the same article. I can see my husband only a few times a year. My son, who is four years old, misses his dad very much and is constantly worried that I will also be sent to prison. Every time he accompanies me to court, my young son asks: \u0026#39;Mom, will you return home today?\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nIn January 2024, the court separated Aram Danielyan from his wife and young son. The believer was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony Similar concerns were expressed by Kristina Golik: \u0026quot;My husband will be released in 2027, after which his freedom will be restricted for another year, and he will have a further eight years of administrative supervision. If I am given a prison sentence, then I will have to serve it... The question is: after how many years will we be reunited? I\u0026#39;m scared to even think about it.\u0026quot;\nHowever, the issue of destroying the families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses turned out to be insignificant for the court — if the sentence enters into force, the believers will have to serve their sentences in a special institution for carrying out forced labor.\nRepressions Against Convicted Persons With the passage of time, law enforcement officers find new ways to put pressure on those who are imprisoned for their faith. For the first time since 2017, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses Viktor Stashevsky ended up in regular prison (not to confuse with a penal colony). Prior to that, he was held under strict detention conditions on the basis of penalties, most of which he was unaware of.\nDetention in strict conditions of imprisonment — placement in a punishment cell, CTF and SCTF — is a frequent practice in the cases of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to the rules, a prisoner should not be kept in such a room for more than 15 days, but in practice the punishment is extended, so that believers are kept in strict conditions for months. For example, Alam Aliyev, sentenced to six and a half years in a penal colony, has already been held for almost six months under strict detention conditions in IK-8 for the Amur Region. This is not compatible with the state of his health — he has diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, cardiac and neurological disorders.\nOften, the conditions for imprisoned Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are hardened on the basis of fabricated or far-fetched violations. The reason may be an unfastened button or the absence of a tag with the prisoner\u0026#39;s name on the cabinet. Sometimes the prisoner does not even know what violations he is charged with. Such penalties are used as grounds for denying believers visits from relatives and make it almost impossible for them to be released on parole. It happens that in a particular colony there is no room corresponding to the punishment. In this case, prisoners are transported to another (sometimes remote) region, to a colony where such a room exists. This limits the possibility to see relatives and receive parcels.\nConcerned people support those who are unjustly convicted with letters. However, censorship does not allow everything to pass through, cutting out or crossing out part of the text There are also specific methods of pressure — when believers are deprived of the opportunity to read the Bible. Often this is done under the pretext that the book does not have a stamp of approval from the Russian Orthodox Church. In the case of Andrey Danielyan and the abovementioned Rinat Kiramov, the FSIN officers went even further — personal copies of the Bible were seized not only from them, but also from all other prisoners. Kiramov\u0026#39;s relatives said that before that, other convicts lent Rinat their copies, but the colony staff forbade them to do so. Not only the Bible was confiscated from Danielyan, but also a personal notebook with quotes from this book.\nPracticing their religion can even result in a new term for a prisoner, as in the case of Dmitriy Terebilov from Kostroma. He became acquainted with the Bible many years ago in the penal colony. Thanks to his new knowledge, Dmitriy changed so much that the administration of the institution itself petitioned for his early release. After his release he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, Dmitriy was convicted again, this time for his faith. On September 5, his term of imprisonment expired but he was not freed. A new criminal case was initiated against him for answering questions from a cellmate about the beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Now Dmitry is in a pretrial detention center and awaiting another trial. He faces an extension of his term from three to 10 years.\nNew Acquittal In 2024, Ruslan Atakuyev, judge of the Mayskiy District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, found Kirill Gushchin not guilty of extremism. This decision withstood the courts of appeal and cassation, and the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office made an official apology. Since 2017, various courts have issued a total of 10 acquittals, but until that moment, only two of them were not overturned. In May 2021, the same Mayskiy District Court acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev.\nKabardino-Balkaria is the only region in Russia where Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have effectively been acquitted.\nKirill Gushchin leaves the courthouse after the announcement of his acquittal, he was greeted by a large support group International Support In the summer 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of 16 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who were subjected to illegal searches, arrests, and convictions for their religion in Russia. Although Russia withdrew from the European Convention on Human Rights back in 2022, the Russian Federation is still obliged to pay compensation assigned to believers.\nOn October 24, 2023, the UN Human Rights Committee issued two opinions in favor of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses regarding the rulings to liquidate the local religious organizations (LROs) in Abinsk and Elista. In Russia, these rulings became precedent for the beginning of religious persecution, and a former member of the Abinsk LRO, the elderly Aleksandr Ivshin, is serving time for his faith in a penal colony.\nThe UN Human Rights Committee emphasizes that there are no calls for violence or other information inciting hatred in the literature of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In both cases, Russia violated the right of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to \u0026quot;freedom of thought, conscience and religion\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;the right to freedom of assembly\u0026quot; (Articles 18.1 and 22.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights).\nThe Committee ordered Russia to reconsider the decisions on the ban and ordered it to \u0026quot;take all necessary steps to avoid similar violations in the future.\u0026quot; During 2024, hearings were held in Russia on this issue, but the Committee\u0026#39;s orders were never carried out. Moreover, after the publication of the Opinion of the Human Rights Committee on the liquidation of a religious organization in Abinsk, local security forces initiated a criminal case against Valeriy Baylo, 66 at that time, — for participating in the activity of the Abinsk LRO. The court sentenced the believer to two and a half years in a penal colony. Now he is in custody and is awaiting the decision of the court of appeal.\nAnd in June 2024, the Elista City Court found three women guilty of participating in the activity of the Elista LRO and gave Kishta Tutinova a three-year suspended sentence, and Yekaterina Menkova and Tsagan Khalgaeva two years suspended. The court of appeal toughened the sentence.\nNadezhda Korobochko Back in 2019, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Russian authorities to \u0026quot;drop the charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association.\u0026quot; It is obvious that the demands of the international community have not been met. However, this pressure — imprisonment, risk to health and sometimes even life — does not deprive Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses of their courage. Nadezhda Korobochko, 80, speaking in court before the verdict was announced, expressed the attitude of the majority of those prosecuted for their faith: \u0026quot;As long as I am alive, I will study the Bible. As long as I am alive, I will share the knowledge of God with other people, and nothing can make me give up my faith in God.\u0026quot;\n","category":"analytics","date":"2024-12-23T08:27:03+02:00","duration":"2:13","image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_f03b9c8adeb026a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_990bd52f1e0b72a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_2b62cd40b10aba1b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/230900/cover_hu_588887d1ec686d5c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/230900.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","statistics","torture","search","siloviks-violence","torture-conditions","families","prison-treatment","shizo","strict-conditions","letters","acquittal","international","unhrc","echr","died","elderly","disability"],"title":"\"They imprison less, but more severely.\" Repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses: 2024 Overview","type":"video"},{"body":"At the beginning of the year, Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov received large fines for their faith, however, on December 19, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic imposed a harsher punishment on them - imprisonment. Potapov was arrested in absentia, and Gobozev was detained in the courtroom.\nThe case was heard in various courts over a period of 3 years and 3 months. The convicted persons believe that the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office was not able to prove their guilt in organizing the activity of an extremist organization. During the court hearings, witnesses spoke about psychological pressure from investigators, among them Sergey Gobozev\u0026#39;s wife, Olga. At the trial, she called part of her testimony fabricated by the investigation.\nSearches in the homes of believers took place in January 2021. After that, Potapov was sent to a pretrial detention center for 4 months, and Gobozev was placed under house arrest; later the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions for both of them. The Votkinskiy District Court issued a guilty verdict in their case in March 2024. Even at the first stage of the proceedings, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office sought a prison term for the believers, however, Judge Tamara Makarova imposed fines on them. The first court of appeal agreed with this decision, but the court of cassation sent the case back for reconsideration.\nSergey Gobozev became the 34th Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness over the age of 60 to be sentenced to imprisonment. In his appeal, he noted: \u0026quot;The court found that in my actions there were \u0026#39;no calls for extremist or terrorist activity.\u0026#39; Therefore, bringing me to justice under the incriminated article is groundless and contradicts the facts established during the preliminary and judicial investigation.\u0026quot; Eight more believers in Udmurtia were prosecuted on similar grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-19T15:13:15+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_8d9e6f983544d3a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_6064999530a9004a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_7a334df29f245daa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/191513/image_hu_fc8e90bfede97fd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/191513.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Toughens Sentence Against Two Jehovah's Witnesses from Votkinsk — Believers Sentenced to 6 Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"A series of searches and interrogations of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place from 19- 23 December 2024, in Dubna and the village of Zaprudnya near Moscow, as well as in the Krasnodar Territory. At least two people were detained on charges for extremism. One of them still remains behind bars.\nIn the Moscow Region, searches began on Thursday, December 19, at 5:30 a.m., and affected four families. At least five people were taken for interrogation to the Directorate of the Investigative Committee in Dmitrov. According to the believers, the investigators pressured them, insisting that they sign a waiver to participate in the court proceedings for the recognition of the searches as lawful. Everyone except Galina Inkina was released shortly after. The next day, the court imposed on her a preventive measure that was not related to detention. The believer was fitted with a tracking bracelet.\nDmitriy Mladov, 45, a resident of Novorossiysk, was detained by law enforcement officers four days later in the Krasnodar Territory. Traffic police officers stopped the car in which Dmitriy was traveling with his wife. After checking their documents, they took them for interrogation to the department for counteracting extremism. He was searched, after which he was taken to the Moscow Region and placed in a temporary detention facility in the town of Taldom.\nTwo weeks earlier, five believers had been arrested as a result of searches in Moscow and the Moscow Region. Thus, the total number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses facing criminal prosecution for their faith in Moscow and the Moscow Region has exceeded 25.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/260909.html","regions":["moscow_obl","krasnodar"],"subtitle":"Elderly Woman from Moscow Region and Resident of Novorossiysk are Prosecuted for Their Faith","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","282.2-2"],"title":"Further Raids Against Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 17, 2024, Aleksandr Korovenko, judge of the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic fined a group of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, having found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, participating in, and financing it.\nTaking into account the time spent in detention, Gennadiy Polyakevich must pay 200,000 rubles, and Gennadiy Skutelets — 250,000 rubles. The court imposed fines of 600,000 rubles on Nikolay Anufriyev, Eduard Merinkov and Aleksandr Vorontsov. The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.\nAleksandr Prilepskiy, who died during the proceedings at the age of 58 from the consequences of COVID-19, was also found guilty by the court, but it ruled to terminate the criminal prosecution due to his death. Thus, this is already the third case where one ofJehovah\u0026#39;s Witness has been posthumously found guilty of extremism. During the closing arguments, Prilepskiy\u0026#39;s lawyer, said: \u0026quot;Although my client is no longer with us, there are people who are ready to continue the fight, as my client did not admit his guilt.\u0026quot; Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife and daughter maintain his innocence.\nThe Investigative Committee for the Komi Republic initiated a criminal case against the believers in January 2020. At that time, searches were conducted by law enforcement officers in the homes of 12 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Polyakevich was sent to a pretrial detention center, where he spent about 10 months. Skutelets spent 1 year under house arrest. The other believers were placed under recognizance agreements. After about 1.5 years of investigation, the case went to court, however, after 8 months it was sent back for further investigation. In April 2023, the court hearings resumed — essentially starting the proceedings with different judges. The prosecutor requested 5 to 7 years imprisonment for the believers.\nThe support of friends and fellow believers helped the defendants cope with the hardships of criminal prosecution — they provided material assistance, attended hearings in any weather, gave cards, food, and wrote encouraging letters. Gennadiy Polyakevich, said in his final statement, that he received more than 5,500 letters while in the pretrial detention center.\nAnother case against five believers is being considered by a court in the Komi Republic. One of them, Sergey Ushakhin, a disabled person, died during the court hearings due to a sudden deterioration of his health.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_50e0216aedb73aa1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_7a71232502f1b03e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_605b253ade6d9d6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/191313/image_hu_cfda4d44e2c71cf7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/191313.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":"One Of Those Convicted Died 2 Years Prior to This Decision","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly","died"],"title":"Court Imposes Fines Ranging from 200,000 to 600,000 Rubles on 7 Believers from Pechora.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2024, Olga Karamysheva, judge of the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow, found Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty of financing the activity of an extremist organization. This is the second sentence given to the believer for his religious activity.\nSince August 2022, Serebryakov has been serving a 6-year suspended term — the Golovinskiy District Court of Moscow found him guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for holding meetings for worship. Prior to this verdict, the believer had been kept in a pretrial detention center for more than 1.5 years. He found himself behind bars again in September 2023 after a new series of searches in several districts of Moscow and in the Moscow Region. In total, Serebryakov spent 3 years in the detention center.\nThe second case has been under the court\u0026#39;s consideration since September 2024. Aleksandr was charged with violating Article 282.3 (1) of the RF CrC for providing food to believers participating in a lengthy worship event. To this, Aleksandr replied: \u0026quot;[It was] specific help specific for people who... are not members of liquidated legal entities. Moreover, if you divide the amount imputed to me by the number of fellow believers, you will get 250 rubles per person. You can't even buy a business lunch for this amount in Moscow, what kind of financing are we talking about? This is absurd.\u0026quot; The defendant continued: \u0026quot;The investigation has not established any facts indicating that I financed any legal entities.\u0026quot;\nIn the family of Aleksandr Serebryakov, two more people faced prosecution for their faith: his mother-in-law and father-in-law, the Krutyakovs, Zinaida and Yuriy. They were given a 2-year and 3-month and 6-year suspended sentence respectively. \u0026quot;All of this resulted in stress, pain, tears and illness,\u0026quot; Aleksandr said. During his first imprisonment in a pretrial detention center, he suffered from covid which led to a critical stage of lung damage and a difficult period of rehabilitation. In his final statement, the believer addressed his elderly mother: \u0026quot;I have done nothing wrong or illegal. I am not guilty before the law, or before the state, or before God... You\u0026#39;ve raised me well. I am being judged for my friendship with God and my desire to please him.\u0026quot;\nIn Moscow, out of 18 accused Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 10 received long prison sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/161311/image_hu_16726e97c1771ad8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/161311/image_hu_5e1dbe1e011deffb.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/161311/image_hu_3bd7810982f63f59.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/161311/image_hu_661ccf2c959a2e63.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/161311.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.3-1"],"title":"Aleksandr Serebryakov Has Not Yet Served Suspended Term for His Faith, But Received Second Sentence - 5 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer stressed that he was accused of the same thing as Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR: \"History repeats itself. Only the term \"anti-Soviet activity\" was replaced by extremist. The activity itself has not changed. It's still Bible study and peaceful worship together.\"\n","date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/639.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Serebryakov's closing statement in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 12, 2024, the Irkutsk Regional Court upheld the sentence against nine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Earlier, the court of first instance had sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment in a penal colony. The believers maintain their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation proceedings.\nAs noted by the defense, the meetings of worships in which the convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses participated had nothing to do with the liquidated legal entities. Nevertheless, Sergey Vasiliyev was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC), the rest were found guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC); six of them were also found guilty of financing it (Article 282.3(1) of the RF CrC). Aleksey Solnechny, commented during the closing arguments: \u0026quot;I am charged with allegedly collecting funds... However, there is no concrete proof that I collected and transferred funds specifically for the needs of extremist organizations and specifically for extremist purposes. The verdict does not mention such evidence.\u0026quot;\nMikhail Moysh has two minor children. The believer\u0026#39;s wife, Yelena, said: \u0026quot;Nikita [the eldest son — Ed.] misses his father; they only talk on the phone and during visits. The youngest son, David, was 6 months old when Misha was arrested. When I manage to take him on visits, he doesn\u0026#39;t recognize his daddy.\u0026quot; At the appeal hearing, Mikhail\u0026#39;s lawyer asked the judicial panel: \u0026quot;Why then did the court recognize M.F. Moysh having young children of as a mitigating circumstance? In order to impose an even harsher punishment than the prosecutor requested?\u0026quot; The court\u0026#39;s position regarding Andrey Tolmachev, who spent about 2.5 years in solitary confinement, has not changed either. He is the only son of elderly parents: his father has a disability, and due to health reasons his mother is unable to provide her husband with proper care.\nIn his final statement, Sergey Vasiliyev, who had fully served his sentence in a pretrial detention center and under house arrest before the appeal hearing, explained that his faith in God changed his life for the better: \u0026quot;I stopped swearing, quit smoking and began learning to love people. In total, it took me 9 years to overcome all the negative things within me with the help of Jehovah God. After that, for almost 20 years, the state had nothing on me. And suddenly, in 2021, there were searches and I was arrested. For what? Because I studied the Bible and tried, like Jesus Christ, to do good to people.\u0026quot;\nIt is noteworthy that neither the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Irkutsk nor the Irkutsk Regional Court questioned the expert Elbakyan, although in the first instance she was waiting in the courthouse to be questioned, having flown from Moscow to the hearing to testify. Yekaterina Sergeyevna is a well-known Russian religious scholar. At the appeal hearing, one of the lawyers noted: \u0026quot;This is the only specialist who has examined all the meetings for worship mentioned in the charges against our clients.\u0026quot; Another lawyer emphasized that the refusal to interrogate is a serious violation of the RF Criminal Procedural Code: \u0026quot;If this motion is not satisfied, then I believe that the appellate ruling will be unlawful.\u0026quot; In the end, the panel of judges rejected all motions filed by the defense.\nThe criminal case against the Irkutsk believers received wide publicity, since the mass searches were accompanied by torture and violence by law enforcement officers, for which they have not yet been held responsibile.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-12T09:36:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_9e9e8c7f750bc1bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_2c18f594d5837e91.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_a65f37f1ab956a02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/120936/image_hu_4df5ffbbf6b6c808.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/120936.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","siloviks-violence","torture","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Irkutsk Upheld Verdict Against Nine Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer drew the court's attention to the fact that he peacefully professed his religion and told people about the hope for a better life. He stated: \"I profess religious views that are not prohibited by law. I have never had anything to do with extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/520.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Kabanov's Last Word in Zelenogorsk at the Retrial of the Case","type":"docs"},{"body":"Oksana Ivanova, a pediatrician who raised three children and always tried to help people, became a defendant in a criminal case in December 2024 because of her religious views.\nOksana was born in February 1970 in the city of Dnepropetrovsk (now Dnipro, Ukraine). His mother worked as a doctor, and his stepfather worked at a factory. They are no longer alive. Oksana has a younger brother with whom she has a warm relationship.\nThe girl studied well and graduated from school with a silver medal. She was fond of sports, painting and music. Even as a child, Oksana wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunt and become a doctor. She dreamed of going to Africa to treat children there. In 1994, the girl graduated from the 2nd Moscow State Medical Institute, and later—residency and for some time she entered postgraduate studies. She acquired the profession of a paediatrician and worked in Moscow as a district doctor, and also worked in the emergency department of children.\nOksana got married in 1988, when she was 18. She and her husband raised three children.\nOksana had many questions, the answers to which she sought in the church, as well as in her Bible. At work, she interacted with a co-worker who was one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Thanks to such conversations during her night shifts, Oksana saw that the Bible is internally consistent and does not contradict itself. A thoughtful study of this book prompted the woman to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which she did in 2001.\nOksana loves to help people overcome difficult life situations, so a few years ago she received a second higher education with a degree in practical psychology.\nIn her free time, Oksana likes to visit historical places and go to the mountains. She loves to dance, read books and spend time with friends.\nRelatives respect Oksana\u0026#39;s beliefs, although they do not share them. Therefore, it has become a great stress for the family that she is prosecuted for her faith.\n","date":"2025-01-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivanovao/photo_hu_c9ce4d0fa74ed1b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivanovao/photo_hu_76a304173c7c2ec6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivanovao/photo_hu_af3ece2386fb0041.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivanovao/photo_hu_8cf423372dba0c69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivanovao.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Oksana Ivanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Larisa Kislaya was born in 1975 in Moscow into a family of workers. She grew up as an active and versatile child, she was engaged in choreography for more than ten years, she wanted to learn something new. After school, Larisa graduated with honors from medical school, then received a higher economic education.\nIn 1995, the girl married an entrepreneur, they had two daughters. When the youngest was 2, a tragedy occurred in the family—Larisa\u0026#39;s husband was killed. She had to continue her husband\u0026#39;s work and raise the girls alone.\nDespite the difficult circumstances, Larisa remains cheerful. She likes to take care of her home mini-garden, play sports, she is also interested in photography and the history of winemaking.\nLarisa got acquainted with Bible teachings thanks to neighbors who were Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She was greatly impressed by the name of God, which she saw in the Synodal translation of the Bible. She began to seriously study this book and joined the Witnesses in 2008.\nIn December 2024, security forces came to Larisa\u0026#39;s apartment with a search. The believer spent two days in the temporary detention center, and later she was placed under house arrest. Larisa\u0026#39;s daughters and elderly parents are outraged that their loved one, who has always had a good reputation, faces criminal prosecution for his faith.\n","date":"2024-12-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kislaya/photo_hu_6207904b0c8e1696.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kislaya/photo_hu_862feb60cf862869.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kislaya/photo_hu_2d98b8a06c138bb9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kislaya/photo_hu_8c21013897de6a41.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kislaya.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Larisa Kislaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Liliana Korol loves to learn new things, including biblical history, geography and archaeology. In December 2024, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against her for her belief in Jehovah God. The woman was searched and interrogated. Despite the presence of serious chronic diseases, the woman was imprisoned in a temporary detention facility, and later in a pre-trial detention center.\nLiliana was born in January 1978 in the multinational city of Zhambyl (now Taraz, Kazakhstan). The girl grew up inquisitive, she had a keen sense of justice.\nAs a teenager, Liliana fell in love with reading and began to collect her own library. It was then that she was first introduced to the Bible. The girl was impressed by the scientific credibility of this book, in particular the facts about the shape and location of the Earth. She also learned from the Bible that God\u0026#39;s name is Jehovah.\nAt the age of 20, Liliana moved to Moscow and entered the Faculty of Law. Then she worked for some time in the Bar Association. In 2003, she got married and had a daughter. A year later, Liliana became interested in winemaking, studied at a sommelier school and began working in the restaurant business.\nIn 2012, Liliana Korol got married for the second time. Having become interested in cosmetology, she underwent professional retraining. Because of his love for learning, her husband called Liliana \u0026quot;an eternal student.\u0026quot; Soon she began teaching cosmetology. Her colleagues recognized her talent for explaining complex things in simple words, and clients appreciated her individual approach.\nDespite her successful professional career, Liliana did not leave the feeling of emptiness, questions arose about the meaning of life. One day, she found a Bible on her bookshelf and several magazines on Bible topics. After reading them overnight, she decided to resume her Bible study with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In 2015, Liliana Korol was baptized. According to her relatives, great changes took place in her—she became calm and peaceful, got rid of anxiety about the future. The Bible also helped her to establish good relationships with others.\nLiliana\u0026#39;s arrest came as a surprise to her family and friends. They can\u0026#39;t believe that such a compassionate, caring person could be considered a danger to society.\n","date":"2024-12-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/koroll/photo_hu_b88a9822f267c50b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/koroll/photo_hu_b83e28dc6db81185.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/koroll/photo_hu_1dbce183d0998a7d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/koroll/photo_hu_31e2b81a80069ae6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/koroll.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Liliana Korol","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2024, security forces conducted searches in eight homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Moscow and the Moscow Region including Zaur Murtuzov. After the search, he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nZaur was born in 1977 in Baku (Azerbaijan). His father worked as a builder and his mother as an engineer. As a child, Zaur was fond of photography, played chess, boxed in the \u0026quot;Dynamo\u0026quot; sports society.\nLater, Zaur became interested in physics and mathematics, and after the 9th grade he went to study at the Physics and Mathematics Lyceum. Then he entered the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. While studying at the university, Zaur graduated from a music school as an external student, majoring in guitar. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked in the field of warehouse logistics, as well as remotely.\nZaur likes to devote his free time to his nephews, organize their leisure time while his parents are at work. He also loves to play the guitar and sing.\n","date":"2024-12-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/murtuzov/photo_hu_a4e5a1fd13647090.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/murtuzov/photo_hu_85e05d107553e486.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/murtuzov/photo_hu_81f6ae75e1b4e751.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/murtuzov/photo_hu_fc4b48363d8c5a51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/murtuzov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Zaur Murtuzov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Darya Petrochenko, chief specialist of the representative office of Ingushetia under the President of the Russian Federation in Moscow, faced criminal prosecution for her faith in Jehovah God. In December 2024, she and her mother were searched. The believer ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nDarya was born in March 1992 in the Moscow region. Her father is an engineer by profession, and her mother is a merchandiser. Darya has an elder brother on her father\u0026#39;s side.\nThe girl graduated with honors from college with a degree in secretary-assistant with knowledge of English. Then she received two higher educations in the specialties of \u0026quot;lawyer\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;translator\u0026quot;.\nBack in the early 1990s, shortly before Darya was born, her mother met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In Darya\u0026#39;s heart, biblical truths resonated, the love for which her mother instilled in her from childhood. In 2010, the girl was baptized.\nAs a child, Darya loved to play outdoor games, ride a bike and roller skate, and travel. Now she also leads an active lifestyle—she goes in for sports, loves to swim, as well as travels, improves her German and Spanish.\nRelatives, friends and colleagues are perplexed why this peaceful and responsible girl was arrested. They support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2024-12-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrochenko/photo_hu_9b06c8996abc323e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrochenko/photo_hu_883fadf3ab5b285.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrochenko/photo_hu_e5fafc78745a4dba.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrochenko/photo_hu_8131735ff4177a56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrochenko.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Darya Petrochenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 11, 2024, the Biysk City Court gave Sergey Lukin a 4.5-year suspended sentence. The believer does not admit guilt and, as a Christian, considers it his inherent right to talk to friends and other people about the Bible. \u0026quot;What\u0026#39;s extremist about wanting to follow Jesus\u0026#39; example?\u0026quot; he asked in court.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Lukin in December 2022. The following month, the homes of four families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Biysk were searched, including Sergey\u0026#39;s apartment and place of work. The law enforcement officers who took part in the investigative actions were armed. After his interrogation, Lukin was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThe criminal case involved a man who pretended to be interested in the Bible: he secretly recorded conversations with Lukin on Bible topics and later handed over the recordings to the law enforcement agencies. The investigation considered these conversations to be involving others in the activity of an extremist organization, and participating in peaceful meetings for worship as continuing its activity.\nIn his final statement, Lukin drew an analogy between his situation and the repressions during World War II. He quoted a report on a group of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Nazi Germany: \u0026quot;... the accused, who for several years have called themselves \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; held meetings in their apartments, read and distributed printed materials of the banned [organization] ... gathered together to listen to the Bible Students\u0026#39; radio broadcasts from abroad.\u0026quot; The believer noted that the accusations are identical to modern ones. \u0026quot;Hasn\u0026#39;t history shown that such persecution is a path to terrible consequences?\u0026quot; he said.\nNine Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been charged with extremism in the Altai Territory, two of them are serving sentences in penal colonies for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_c5c5644028b5a8c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_1523efd1b10680ec.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_efdbbe2b186c6e4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/120929/image_hu_8df50b28135b57e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/120929.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Biysk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Given Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2024, at least eight homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were searched in Moscow and Lyubertsy near Moscow. In one of the cases, the law enforcement officers used force. Five believers — Zaur Murtuzov, Daria Petrochenko, Liliana Korol, Larisa Kislaya, and Oksana Ivanova — were sent to a temporary detention facility. A criminal case has been initiated.\nUpdate. By a court decision, Zaur Murtuzov, Liliana Korol and Darya Petrochenko were placed in a pretrial detention center, Larisa Kislaya and Oksana Ivanova under house arrest. In the early morning, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB, accompanied by the National Guard and SOBR, broke into the houses of believers, after waking them up with loud knocks on the door. In some apartments, law enforcement officers (numbering from five to eight people, some of them wearing masks and with weapons) broke down the doors using crowbars and sledgehammers. According to one of the believers, in her case the testifying witnesses turned out to be police.\nAccording to eyewitnesses, the officers demanded they unlock phones and laptops, provide access to correspondence, threatening them with criminal prosecution and detention. The officers beat one believer on the head and stomach and broke his nose. During the searches, passports for travel abroad,electronic devices, flash drives, hard drives, notebooks, cards, photographs, Bibles, religious books and a Bible atlas were seized. The searches lasted from 2 to 5 hours.\nFive believers were taken to the Investigative Department for the Southern Administrative District of Moscow, interrogated, and later placed in a temporary detention facility. On the same day, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Y. S. Shumilova,investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, charged Zaur Murtuzov with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. This is how the investigation interprets conversations on Bible topics with a woman (Olga Grigoryeva), who for two years pretended to be interested in the Holy Scriptures.\nTo date, 19 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted for their faith in Moscow and the Moscow Region, 7 of them are serving time in penal colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-12-06T17:16:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/061716.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"New Wave of Searches of Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and the Moscow Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2024, the Blagoveshchensk City Court announced the verdict against four women - Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Judge Stanislav Stanishevskiy sentenced them to different terms of punishment for their faith: Kristina Golik and Valentina Yermilova — 2.5 years, and Mariya Myasnikova and Yekaterina Olshevskaya — 2 years and 2 months forced labor with 10% of the salary being paid to the state.\nSearches, interrogations, arrest of relatives and separation from them — according to the recollections of the believers, they went through a lot during the 6 years their families were being prosecuted. The husbands of Golik, Yermilova and Olshevskaya were sentenced to long terms for their faith. As well as her husband, Yekaterina\u0026#39;s father also faced such a punishment. \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s incredibly hard for me to see my little son, who has just begun to speak, asking me where his dad is,\u0026quot; said Yekaterina Olshevskaya. \u0026quot;I was emotionally exhausted by the constant participation in court hearings related to the criminal cases of my father, my husband, and now my own.\u0026quot; The execution of Olshevskaya\u0026#39;s sentence has been deferred for about 10 years, until her son reaches the age of 14.\nThe FSB accused the women of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation considered holding meetings for worship, discussing the Bible with friends and meetings with friends in a café to be illegal actions. Valentina Yermilova commented on the charges as follows: \u0026quot;I do not have to justify myself. I didn\u0026#39;t hurt anyone in any way. There were no victims. I did not take part in extremist actions. In our country, everyone has the right to freedom of religion.\u0026quot; Mariya Myasnikova echoed her comments: \u0026quot;My faith is the complete opposite of extremism. It teaches you to love people, respect authority and be a peacemaker.\u0026quot;\nHearings in the case began in May 2023. During the entire period of the preliminary and judicial investigation, the believers were under recognizance agreements. Even while in the colony, the husbands of the defendants assured their wives of their love and support through letters. Friends also helped the believers. \u0026quot;Despite heat, rain or frost, they came to the courthouse, always with smiles and words of encouragement,\u0026quot; Yermilova said.\nIn the Amur Region, 24 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution. In at least 5 families of believers, several people were under investigation - couples, brother and sister, father and daughter. The trend of prosecuting relatives who are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses has also been gaining momentum in other regions in recent years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-06T09:14:18+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/060914/image_hu_5c0efde937c113a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/060914/image_hu_46af2366093660e4.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/060914/image_hu_8c36d4e703065945.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/060914/image_hu_69a8cc6cf2945abf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/060914.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","labor","families"],"title":"Wives of Prisoners of Conscience from Blagoveshchensk Sentenced to Forced Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech in court, Sergey stressed that it is important for him as a Christian to be law-abiding and respect the authorities. \"Isn't it in the state's interest that its citizens are law-abiding? Jehovah's Witnesses have a good reputation all over the world,\" the believer is perplexed.\n","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/496.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Sergey Lukin's closing statement in Biysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained that calling God by the name Jehovah is not extremism: \"Jehovah's Witnesses did not come up with this name, but God himself called himself that.\" So she added, \"If I were really doing extremism, I would be dishonoring the name of God, and for me that's impossible.\"\n","date":"2024-12-03T16:27:44+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/493.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Kristina Golik's concluding remarks in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I did not harm anyone, there are no victims. She did not take part in extremism, did not violate the constitutional order,\" the believer said, \"In our country, everyone has the right to freedom of religion.\"\n","date":"2024-12-03T13:23:55+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/492.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Valentina Yermilova's concluding remarks in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her last word, the believer stated: \"Peaceful worship of God, as well as conversations with people about biblical teachings, should not be recognized as extremism in a civilized society.\" She added: \"No one will ever force me to betray my God or to fall out of love with him, to betray my principles, my conscience.\"\n","date":"2024-12-03T13:22:34+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/491.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Ekaterina Olshevskaya's concluding remarks in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Telling the court that the criminal proceedings had become persecution for her faith, Maria Myasnikova emphasized: \"The first three years of family life turned into three years of unfair persecution and, unfortunately, all these difficulties are not compensated for in any way.\"\n","date":"2024-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/494.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Maria Myasnikova's concluding remarks in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 2, 2024, Margarita Dyadyusheva, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Kursk, sentenced three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: Nikolay Kupriyanskiy received 6 years in a penal colony, Dmitriy and Oksana Chausov — 2.5 years. The believers were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe criminal prosecution of Kupriyanskiy and the Chausovs began with searches in the summer of 2023. They were led by Maksim Zaitsev, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Kursk Region, who had previously led a case against five other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Kursk. Dmitriy Chausov was sent to a pretrial detention center, which interrupted the treatment he was having for a serious illness. At the same time, the couple lost their jobs. Six months later, the court placed Dmitriy under house arrest, but due to the ban on communicating with the defendants in the case, he was separated from his wife for more than a year. All three believers spent between 6 and 15 months under house arrest.\nIn June 2024, the case went to court. The guilty verdict was based, among other things, on the statement of a witness who testified in court in a similar case against five believers. For discussing the Bible among friends, the prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for Kupriyanskiy and 3 years in a penal colony for the Chausovs. The defendants pleaded not guilty and can appeal the verdict.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/12/030813/image_hu_3cacf90d5ee54b17.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/12/030813/image_hu_158aedda656b7617.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/12/030813/image_hu_b3ad3a90dd561111.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/12/030813/image_hu_fadeeafdf870dd7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/12/030813.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Another Sentence for Faith in Kursk: A Couple and Another Jehovah's Witness Sent to Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"In court, the believer stated: \"When the law on countering extremism and terrorism was being created in Russia, my wife and I could not even think that it would have anything to do with us... I still don't understand what crime I committed and what I have to do with this law.\"\n","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/487.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Vorontsov's last word in Pechora","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"What have I personally done against the state? Have you read the Bible? Did you praise God in chants with your friends? Did you talk about God? Can this be called a crime against the security of the state?\" the believer asked, addressing the court.\n","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/488.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Dmitry Chausov's Last Word in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court that Jehovah's Witnesses have a good reputation all over the world and are considered peace-loving and law-abiding citizens. \"Therefore,\" Kupriyansky concluded, \"I, of course, was very disappointed that the investigation drew up its accusation solely on lies, and the prosecutor's office supported it.\"\n","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/490.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Nikolay Kupriyansky's Last Statement in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court why her worship of God has nothing to do with extremism. She also noted: \"There are so-called double standards: it is possible to believe in God, but not for everyone and not everywhere; If you belong to a minority religion, then your constitutional right does not apply.\"\n","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/489.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Oksana Chausova's concluding remarks in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Lesnoy City Court found three local believers guilty. On November 25, 2024, Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin were given suspended sentences. Meetings for worship, during which Bible teachings were discussed, were deemed by the court as organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe investigation lasted about a year. The Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region initiated the case in March 2023, and in May of the following year it was submitted to the court for consideration by Lyudmila Yerzikova. The prosecutor requested 7 years imprisonment for the three defendants, including Andrey Kozhushko, 49, who is disabled. The believers do not agree with the verdict.\n\u0026quot;I saved dozens of lives, for which I received a government award,\u0026quot; said Pavel Loshchinin, 37, in his final statement. \u0026quot;And now it is as if my life is completely crossed out and will be like a struggle for survival, because I am branded an extremist. I will never accept this stigma.\u0026quot; Andrey Bannykh, 60, said that a person who lives according to God\u0026#39;s laws cannot be an extremist: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses invariably respect and obey the authorities in the country where they live.\u0026quot; Andrey Kozhushko expressed bewilderment: \u0026quot;What is being done against me and other [Jehovah\u0026#39;s] Witnesses — false accusations of extremism, interrogations, detentions, searches, torture, confiscations, blocking of bank cards and accounts — is clear persecution for our faith, in one word, repression. All this is happening to peaceful and respectable citizens of this country... I just can\u0026#39;t get my head around it.\u0026quot;\nThis is not the first conviction of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Sverdlovsk Region. Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulova received suspended sentences from 1 to 2.5 years after 4 appeals.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_d56207c93f88a158.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_cd4b5fcf0ecfbd67.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_8c7160ce02ab9e22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/260901/image_hu_50d28c37b909f983.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/260901.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses Received 6-Year Suspended Sentences","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court in Sverdlovsk Region Passes Guilty Verdict for Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Eduard Merinkov explains that he has nothing to do with extremism because he learned from his God \"to show love for people regardless of their nationality, race, social origin and religious views.\"\n","date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/480.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Eduard Merinkov's last word in the town of Pechora","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"I do not see any guilt behind me for which I can be condemned. Even the Supreme Court, which liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not confirm in its final decisions that they were extremist.\"\n","date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/483.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Gennady Polyakevich's Last Word in Pechora","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining his position in court, the believer stated: \"If the law allows, on the basis of Article 28 of the Constitution, to profess the chosen religion, and the president guarantees this, and the investigators obstruct the implementation of the law and ignore it, then they themselves are the violators of the law, not me.\"\n","date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/481.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Nikolay Anufriyev's closing statement in Pechora","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told how he got acquainted with the Bible, how it changed his life for the better and helped to raise children as useful members of society. \"The prosecution believes that I am a danger to society, but did not indicate a single victim whom I caused any harm,\" Vitaliy said with bewilderment.\n","date":"2024-11-19T10:27:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/479.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Vitaliy Manuilov's closing statement in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final speech, the believer read several commandments from the Bible and explained why those who follow them will never become extremists. \"There has never been, is not and will never be any extremism on my part,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/485.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Andrey Bannykh's last word in Lesnoy","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The entire emphasis of the investigation and the prosecution is on the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses read and study the Bible, sing songs, pray to God and talk about their faith with others. A great deal of effort and resources have been spent on persecuting those who do not really pose any threat,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/484.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Andrey Kozhushko's last word in Lesnoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stated: \"I have always lived for the good of the state and society. I saved dozens of lives, for which I received a government award... And now my life can be completely crossed out... I'm not an extremist.\"\n","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/486.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Pavel Loshchinin's last word in Lesnoy","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Industrialnyy District Court of Barnaul sentenced Vitaliy Manuylov to 2 years of forced labor for his faith in God. Judge Yevgeniy Saprykin made this decision on November 19, 2024. On that day, the closing arguments of the parties and the defendant\u0026#39;s final statement were presented. The court announced the verdict 10 minutes after.\nMore than 20 years ago, studying the Bible changed the believer\u0026#39;s life for the better. In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;My lifestyle was not entirely healthy — I drank a lot, fought a lot and got into different situations. As I got to know God better, I loved him with all my heart. And now I try to live according to Bible principles and not violate them.\u0026quot; However, investigator Yevgeniy Kozuchenko saw extremism in Manuylov\u0026#39;s peaceful meetings with friends.\nIn early August 2023, the law enforcement officers searched the believer\u0026#39;s home. Then he was interrogated as a witness in the case of Valeriy Klokov, after which he was released. Eight months later, Vitaliy was again summoned for interrogation, where he was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because he \u0026quot;actively quoted the Holy Scriptures\u0026quot; at the meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The believer was placed in a temporary detention facility, and the next day the court placed him under house arrest.\nManuylov told what helped him cope with stress when he could not leave the house for more than 3 months: \u0026quot;Of course, first of all, exercise in the morning. Running from corner to corner is uncomfortable, of course, but then you get used to it. I took care of all the household chores in order to somehow help my wife.\u0026quot; Fellow believers also supported Vitaliy — they brought food and helped financially.\nThe case went to court in June 2024. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 3 years imprisonment for 51-year-old Vitaliy Manuylov.\nIn total, in the Altai Territory 9 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith. Two of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/200907/image_hu_d5072dbe244139e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/200907/image_hu_4e11830962f249ef.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/200907/image_hu_8e06010b4871e1bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/200907/image_hu_e1a6295f19186ec8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/200907.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"The Court Deemed Peaceful Meetings for Worship to Be Extremism","tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-2"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Barnaul Will Serve Forced Labor for His Love of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 19, 2024, Marina Zelenina, judge of the Korsakov City Court, gave Roman Gumenyuk, 42, a 5-year suspended sentence. The court considered participating in peaceful worship and conversations about God with other people to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\nAs additional punishment, the court sentenced the believer to restriction of freedom for 2 years with a 3-year probation period. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nRoman Gumenyuk is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. In Soviet times, his father was sentenced to 3 years in prison for his religious beliefs but was later rehabilitated as a victim of political repression.\nNow Roman is also facing criminal prosecution. It all started in July 2023, when Major of Justice E. V. Maksimov initiated a criminal case against him under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. Later, law enforcement officers searched his house and his car. The investigation lasted a year, and in June 2024, the case went to court. In his closing arguments the prosecutor requested 5 years in a penal colony for the defendant. During the court hearing, Roman tried to express his view of the charges, but the judge interrupted his statement. The court found the believer guilty of extremism in seven sessions.\nThe believer maintains his innocence. In his final statement, he expressed his feelings as follows: \u0026quot;For me, believing in and worshiping Jehovah God is like breathing. Law enforcement agencies, represented by investigators, FSB officers, the prosecutor and others, are trying, figuratively speaking, to cut off my oxygen... by making me renounce my best friend, God whose name is Jehovah.\u0026quot;\nIn the Sakhalin Region, already 10 people are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. Back in June 2018, the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights commented on the situation surrounding Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia: \u0026quot;The charges brought against believers in all cases are based on the allegation that a group of believers held a meeting for worship. [...] This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic. The situation is reminiscent of the Soviet period, when \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; were subjected to groundless repression on the basis of religion, as a result of which the RF law dated October 18, 1991, No. 1761-1, on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression, was extended to them.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_36d1b0ea6fb6e585.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_841638213077094.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_9e328065f299a207.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/200830/image_hu_b6b772f80e2ce67e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/200830.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"He Maintains His Innocence","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended","presidential-council"],"title":"Roman Gumenyuk, Son of One of Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted in Soviet Times and Later Rehabilitated, Received a 5-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2024, the Kurgan Regional Court decided not to toughen the sentence against Anatoliy Isakov, 60, as Dmitriy Kulikov, Deputy Prosecutor of Kurgan, had sought. In his appeal he requested 8 years in a penal colony for the believer with a disability.\nAnatoliy\u0026#39;s peaceful meetings with friends, where Bible topics were discussed, were portrayed by the prosecution as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Among the evidence presented against the believer were testimonies from witnesses who either did not know Anatoliy or had retracted their previous statements. A secret witness admitted during interrogation that Isakov\u0026#39;s actions did not violate anyone\u0026#39;s rights.\nFrom the very beginning of the criminal prosecution, Isakov faced threats to his health — he was placed in custody despite serious illnesses that precluded such a measure. Only after the intervention of human rights organizations was Anatoliy released from the pretrial detention center.\n\u0026quot;The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the believer emphasized in his final statement. \u0026quot;I still have the right to freely practice the religion I have chosen, including reading the Bible and discussing it with others, praying to God, singing songs praising God, and talking to others about my faith. [...] What is happening to me is political repression. Actually, I was found guilty for practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. By their actions, the state authorities have portrayed me in an unfavorable light before society, contributing to the spread of prejudice.\u0026quot;\nMany believers with disabilities face similar treatment from law enforcement officers. Among them are Andrey Vlasov, Vladimir Fomin, Adam Svarichevskiy, Vladimir Skachidub, Denis Peresunko, and Aleksandr Lubin. The latter died a month after his guilty verdict was handed down.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/181552/image_hu_1d42332331852c7c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/181552/image_hu_4251c9116bc2fec0.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/181552/image_hu_6f6dfafe05cad3ec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/181552/image_hu_6c05a5ab7b5d2583.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/181552.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"He Will Pay a Fine of 400,000 Rubles","tags":["appeal","health-risk","disability","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upholds Sentence for Against Anatoliy Isakov, Cancer Patient, for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Law enforcement ... they are trying, figuratively speaking, to cut off my oxygen and suffocate me, forcing me to renounce my best friend – God,\" the believer said at the trial.\n","date":"2024-11-11T14:52:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/478.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Roman Gumenyuk's closing statement in Korsakov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 11, 2024, Aleksandr Lubin, convicted for extremism, died at the age of 68. He, a disabled person, was kept in a pretrial detention center for over a month and released only after the intervention of the ECHR; every court hearing was a struggle for him, and after the verdict his condition became critical.\nIn July 2021, Aleksandr Lubin was arrested and taken into custody. According to medical certificates, keeping him in a pretrial detention center already then posed a real danger to his life. He had a serious vascular disease, hypertension and an autoimmune disease that affected various organs. He needed to receive humidified oxygen every day for 16 hours, which was not provided in the pretrial detention center. Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyers filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights, which was satisfied: 20 days later, he was released from the pretrial detention center.\n\u0026quot;I can say for sure that after the detention of Aleksandr and his stay in the pretrial detention center, his health deteriorated significantly. Before his arrest, he went to the store for groceries on his own, after his release he could no longer walk further than the courtyard of the house,\u0026quot; says Lubin\u0026#39;s lawyer. \u0026quot;He was very anxious on the days when the court hearings were taking place.\u0026quot;\nIn October, the court sentenced Aleksandr to a fine of 500,000 rubles, although the prosecutor had requested a 7-year suspended sentence. Lubin managed to appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision, considering it unjust and unlawful. Shortly after that, Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife, Tatyana, reported that her husband was in intensive care on a ventilator — he could not breathe on his own.\n\u0026quot;The investigation and prosecutors believe that they are only doing their job. And the judges that they pass comparatively lenient — \u0026#39;merciful\u0026#39; — sentences. But all this injustice literally takes the lives of ordinary peaceful people,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAleksandr Lubin became the 12th Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in Russia to die while under investigation.\n","category":"bio","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_12f0707e49bdd815.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_b15c051137d4f3d9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_a2a62393d77fcd7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/130920/image_hu_7d07eec551a7841b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/130920.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":"Within 3 Years Elderly Man With Disability Went Through Pretrial Detention, Investigation and Court","tags":["died","elderly","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Lubin Has Died","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 1, 2024, the Samara Regional Court upheld the verdict against 63-year-old Galina Komissarova: a 2-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor insisted on a prison term for the pensioner from Tolyatti.\nSpeaking before the panel of judges at the court of appeal, Galina Komissarova expressed her disagreement with the charges: \u0026quot;I only participated in meetings for worship that do not contain signs of extremism and, therefore, are not a crime... All I feel is pain and regret because of the injustice of the serious charges brought against me.\u0026quot; Galina considers what is happening to her to be political repression.\nReligious persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Samara Region continues despite the clarifications of the RF Constitutional Court on freedom of conscience and religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_e967fb210217f3d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_58fc69baa644cede.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_4f8428545df8494b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/11/040950/image_hu_9be6a83c4902b95e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/11/040950.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","complaints","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentence for Teacher from Tolyatti for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Zhanna Zhavoronkova was born in February 1982 in the village of Ukrainka, Khabarovsk Territory. She is the youngest of three children. Their mother is no longer alive, and their father is bedridden due to illness.\nAs a child, Zhanna was fond of dancing, loved to walk on the hills, enjoying the beauty of nature, collecting cedar cones and oak leaves for crafts. After school, she graduated from the railway school, and then, after advanced training courses, she worked as a flaw detector for 12 years: she identified problems in the undercarriage equipment. Before the criminal prosecution, Zhanna worked as a contractor for locomotive crews.\nAs a child, Zhanna wondered: is there really no place on earth where people would not harm the environment? In 1995, when the family was living in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses came to their home. Zhanna recalls: \u0026quot;I was deeply touched by God\u0026#39;s promises regarding the land. It was my lifeline, a breath of fresh air. It turned out that everything I dreamed of had a solid foundation, which gives me strength to this day.\u0026quot;\nIn 1996, Zhanna and her parents moved to the city of Shakhunya (Nizhny Novgorod region), where the girl and her mother continued to study the Bible. Subsequently, her mother decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, and in 2005, Zhanna herself embarked on the Christian path.\nZhanna is married and has an adult son, Aleksandr, who shares her religious beliefs. She still enjoys hiking, especially in the park.\nAfter the search in February 2024, Zhanna and her husband had to change jobs. Valeriy, who does not share his wife\u0026#39;s convictions, is outraged by the unfair accusations against her and worries about her. Their relatives and colleagues are perplexed because of the criminal prosecution of Zhanna for her faith.\n","date":"2024-11-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhavoronkova/photo_hu_3f6ac4ccd8db0e03.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhavoronkova/photo_hu_51eb92357eddf00.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhavoronkova/photo_hu_1801bd6e1e3dea05.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhavoronkova/photo_hu_5b3a36a35736bf5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhavoronkova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Zhanna Zhavoronkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Burik was born in October 1971 in the city of Svatovo (Ukraine). He has two younger sisters and a brother. Their parents divorced when Vitaliy was little. His mother is now retired, having previously worked as a photographer, sign language interpreter and truck driver. When the young man was in high school, his family moved to Kerch.\nAs a child, Vitaliy was fond of hockey, and loved skiing and skating. His mother taught the boy to work: he helped in the garden and with the housework. In high school, the young man played bass guitar in an ensemble. Vitaliy graduated from a technical school with a degree in mining technician. After graduation, he joined the army and served there as a musician in a military band. Upon returning home, he worked as an electrician, was engaged in apartment repairs and other construction work, and since 2008 he has been working at a thermal power plant as a pump operator.\nVitaliy\u0026#39;s grandmother was the first in the family to start studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Thanks to Bible knowledge, her life improved, and this change impressed the young man. He, too, began to study the Bible. He was struck by the fact that this book provides answers to his questions. God became a real person for him, and the Lord\u0026#39;s Prayer made sense: he now understood to whom and for what he was praying. He also concluded that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are kind and sincere people who love God and each other. In 1994, Vitaliy joined them.\nAt one of the religious meetings, Vitaliy met his future wife, Galina. They got married in 1997. Galina grew up in a family of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The good example of her parents and her own developed faith in God prompted her to be baptized in 1988. Since childhood, she was fond of swimming, loved to read a lot. She loved sewing and became a professional seamstress after school.\nThe couple have two daughters. The elder is already an adult, and she has her own family, and the youngest has been on disability since birth. Before the birth, doctors offered to terminate the pregnancy, but the spouses, due to their convictions, refused this step. The Bible taught them to value the life of even an unborn child. The parents love their daughter very much and are happy to take care of her.\nThe family enjoys cycling together. For his youngest daughter, Vitaliy made a bicycle taking into account her needs. The believer is still fond of music, especially playing the guitar and synthesizer. Recently, Vitaliy has fallen in love with sea fishing. Galina enjoys cooking, inviting friends, traveling and spending time with her family.\nRelatives, friends, as well as acquaintances who do not share Vitaliy\u0026#39;s religious views, are shocked by the harsh sentence to a man who has always had a good reputation. While behind bars, a believer cannot take care of his loved ones. The stress of what was happening affected the whole family.\n","date":"2024-11-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/burik/photo_hu_a34e0fe384e1d133.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/burik/photo_hu_1d96ff91674f4c8b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/burik/photo_hu_dad9a96d9b9446a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/burik/photo_hu_3bd8a8799e36d44c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/burik.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Burik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"When Aleksey Ovchar learned that a criminal case had been opened against him in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy for his belief in God, he had to come there for questioning from another region. The man was put under recognizance agreement, which deprived him of the opportunity to visit his elderly parents, who are separated by almost 7,000 kilometers.\nAleksey was born in August 1979 in the city of Troitsk (Moscow region). He has a younger sister. As a child, Aleksey did martial arts and was fond of fishing.\nFrom his teenage years, Aleksey loved natural sciences and wondered about the existence of the Creator. After high school, he graduated from medical college. He was impressed by the structure and logic of the world around him, as well as the consistency of the Bible and the accuracy of the fulfillment of its prophecies. In 1997, he made the decision to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAleksey graduated from the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics. He received two diplomas with honors in the specialties \u0026quot;Engineering and Technologies in the field of \u0026quot;Telecommunications\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;Means of communication with mobile objects\u0026quot;. Later, in Moscow and Beijing, he learned Chinese and began to teach it.\nAleksey also lived in St. Petersburg, Kaluga, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at various times. He worked as a manager in a trading company and as a translator.\nAleksey met his future wife at the Chinese language courses he conducted. They got married in 2015. Mariya is a biologist by education. She is fond of fitness and reading books. The couple enjoys traveling together, chatting with friends, and playing board games.\nThe fact that Aleksey faced persecution for his faith in God worries his family and friends. They try to support their spouses in every possible way. Aleksey and Mariya do not lose heart. They said, \u0026quot;We realized that hardship is a factory for the production of resilience.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-01-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ovchar/photo_hu_375ede4af173255c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ovchar/photo_hu_934b06cf9a5b36f6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ovchar/photo_hu_fed682ca9befd541.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ovchar/photo_hu_6f46e3db26134c0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ovchar.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Ovchar","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 30, 2024, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction took the side of the prosecutor regarding the verdict against Sergey and Yelena Chechulin and sent the case to the court of first instance for a new trial.\nYevgeniy Paul, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kamchatka Territory, considered that the court inappropriately mitigated the charge, reclassifying it from organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC) to participating in it (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nThe Chechulins do not agree with the guilty verdict and maintain their innocence. Sergey, referring to the article of the RF Constitution on freedom of conscience, stated: \u0026quot;In fact, my wife and I were found guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\n","category":"trial","date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/311103/image_hu_9f53eb68d9330b51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/311103/image_hu_1ab2cc5aee9c97b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/311103/image_hu_aded6b412322121.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/311103/image_hu_37e8412cef6f2ec2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/311103.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","families","retrial"],"title":"Reconsideration — Court of Cassation Overturns Verdict Against Chechulin Couple from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2024, Oksana Nazarova, judge of the Pervomayskiy District Court of Izhevsk, gave Yevgeniy Stefanidin and Aleksandr Votyakov to 6 and 6.5 years suspended sentences, respectively. The court equated reading the Bible with fellow believers to organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe prosecutor requested imprisonment in a penal colony for Votyakov, 50, and Stefanidin, 35, followed by 1.5 years restriction of freedom for each. The believers maintain their innocence and can appeal.\nThe criminal case was initiated against them in December 2022, by Artem Kholmogorov, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee. At that time, searches were conducted in the homes of the families of the believers (it was the second time for the Stefanidins). The investigation lasted about 8 months. The case went to court in August 2023. During the hearings, many witnesses were questioned, including a secret one. They either spoke positively about the defendants or said they hardly knew them. Some witnesses stated that they were pressured and threatened during the preliminary interrogation, so they retracted their statements during the trial and gave new ones in court.\nDue to the stress he experienced, Stefanidin\u0026#39;s health deteriorated, and in the fall of 2022, he was diagnosed with a disability. In his final statement, Votyakov asked the judge to take into consideration his friend\u0026#39;s condition and added, \u0026quot;He is raising a young daughter who loves her father very much and needs his tender care. Do not separate the family because of a ridiculous and baseless accusation.\u0026quot; Regarding the accusation against him, he noted, \u0026quot;The \u0026#39;evidence\u0026#39; gathered against me is that I was and am a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness... met with fellow believers, discussed the Bible and sang songs of praise to Almighty God Jehovah.\u0026quot; Yevgeniy Stefanidin said in his final statement, \u0026quot;The recordings and transcripts show that these were peaceful meetings for worship among friends and close people in a loving friendly atmosphere. There were no extremist statements, not even close.\u0026quot;\nThree weeks earlier, by the decision of the Supreme Court of Udmurtia, the sentence of three other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Izhevsk entered into force. The international community regularly condemns the restriction of freedom of religion in Russia. According to the ECHR, \u0026quot;That broad definition of \u0026#39;extremism\u0026#39;... prevented individuals or organizations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorised as \u0026#39;extremist\u0026#39; and censured with restrictive measures.\u0026quot; (§ 158)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_63a408e03ec9ee29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_e446027c2cd1f301.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_e07ccbb993c23d1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/280833/image_hu_7591605630ff3bf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/280833.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court in Izhevsk Gave Two Men Long Suspended Sentences for Practicing The Religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2024, Roman Mareyev, 46, was released, having completely served his sentence for his faith. After the guilty verdict, he was never transferred to the penal colony. In total, he spent 1,100 days in three different pretrial detention centers in Moscow.\nA criminal case against Mareyev was initiated in October 2021 and then his home was searched. He was placed in a temporary detention facility and then in a pretrial detention center. When Roman was placed in the pretrial detention center, he did not have a bed and slept on the floor. The believer\u0026#39;s sister said that it was not easy for him to be in a smoky cell, hear obscene language from his cellmates and try to sleep with the TV turned on day and night. Reading the Bible, regular physical exercise, and weekly letters from family, friends and even people he did not know, helped Roman to stay positive. \u0026quot;During my years in detention, I received letters from 68 countries, not counting Russia,\u0026quot; Roman said.\nRoman\u0026#39;s elderly parents, who are disabled, were very much looking forward to their son returning home. He is glad to be able to take care of them again.\nMareyev liked showing kindness to others while he was in detention. According to Roman, some inmates admitted that they had never before experienced such a positive atmosphere among cellmates. \u0026quot;This was possible because millions of people were praying,\u0026quot; he said.\nRoman and those close to him are grateful to everyone who went to the court hearings. \u0026quot;We had to stand outside all day in bad weather, but the friends were ready to make these sacrifices just to meet and see off the prison van with applause,\u0026quot; his sister said. \u0026quot;Once the guys were taken out of the courthouse at 1:30 a.m., and despite such a late hour, they were greeted with applause.\u0026quot;\nTwo other defendants in the criminal case, Anatoliy Marunov and Sergey Tolokonnikov, are still in custody.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-10-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/280915/image_hu_a2c7c50b313bd391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/280915/image_hu_4cdefe47a30477ce.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/280915/image_hu_860fe4a97c97f853.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/280915/image_hu_6677a4c587658fc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/280915.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Roman Mareyev Released After 3 Years in Pretrial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer stressed that he had not done anything that could relate to extremism and reminded those present: \"No court in Russia has ever recognized the religion or beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses as criminal.\"\n","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/476.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Aleksandr Votyakov's closing statement in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant stated that thanks to his faith in Jehovah God he was able to change for the better and that the accusations of extremism were groundless. \"I want to continue to be a servant of God, faithful to biblical principles in showing love to my neighbors, whoever they turn out to be,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/477.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Yevgeny Stefanidin's closing statement in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person of group II, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his Christian beliefs. Neither his state of health, nor lengthy litigation in various instances helped him to achieve mitigation of his sentence. He is still serving his sentence in conditions that make his life almost unbearable.\nIn May 2022, Andrey was taken into custody and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he seriously suffered from pneumonia. In October of the same year, he was sent to a penal colony. There, in just 7 months, his condition deteriorated markedly: arthrosis of the shoulder and knee joints of the second degree progressed to the third degree. He was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. In the spring of 2023, Vlasov was diagnosed with coronary heart disease. A medical examination conducted in April 2024 confirmed another serious disease of the musculoskeletal system: ankylosis of the hip joint.\nThe defense had a pack of medical documents confirming his condition, including the conclusion of a neurosurgeon, according to which Vlasov suffers from another extremely serious disease — absolute spinal stenosis, which requires surgery according to the specialist. The surgeon states that if an operation is not performed, it can lead to complete paralysis of the limbs and a spinal cord stroke.\nVlasov spoke in detail about his daily difficulties and how his condition deteriorated during his imprisonment, at the hearing for his appeal against the Pervomayskiy District Court of Novosibirsk ruling of August 3, 2023, which denied his motion to be released due to illness. He cannot raise his arms or wash his hair and can hardly put on underwear, due to the stiffness of his joints and constant pain.\nAndrey cannot walk without a cane or crutch, as he has already fallen several times, and he cannot get up on his own. Also, he cannot carry objects from one place to another, for example, groceries from the store or a tray with food in the dining room. Ordinary everyday activities cause severe pain, which sometimes prevents him from sleeping.\nThe court of appeal did not take into account the evidence showing that the believer cannot take care of himself and needs constant help and medical care. Also, the court did not pay attention to serious errors in the results of two medical commissions, which even concluded that the convicted person did not have any diseases specified in the List of Diseases.\nAndrey Vlasov is not the only Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness with a disability who is being prosecuted in today's Russia for their faith in God. This and other similar cases demonstrate the indifference of the judicial system to the suffering of convicted persons and a gross violation of human rights.\n","category":"prison","date":"2024-10-15T13:12:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/151312/image_hu_16bab60b6f37efc9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/151312/image_hu_3b370e2a2bf335fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/151312/image_hu_afbde4d034dceb25.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/151312/image_hu_af93a2ae4551f8b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/151312.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mitigation","prison-treatment","parole","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Andrey Vlasov Remains in Penal Colony Despite his Progressive Serious Illness. Why?","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict in the large-scale case of believers from Magadan — seven men and six women aged 32 to 73 — entered into force on October 15, 2024, by decision of the Magadan Regional Court. The prosecutor sought to change suspended sentences to prison terms for some of them, but the panel of judges supported the decision of the court of first instance.\nAll of the believers disagree with the guilty verdict and the appeal decision, according to which they will serve suspended sentences from 3 to 7 years. In their appeals, they drew attention to the absence of corpus delicti in their actions and stated that, according to the RF Constitution, they had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and to associate.\nIn her appeal, prosecutor Marina Shvyreva requested tougher sentences for some of the believers. For example, she requested 6.5 and 7 years in a penal colony for Ivan Puyda and Konstantin Petrov, respectively.\nMost of the convicted persons noted that reading holy texts, participating in joint meetings for worship and in community life, as well as striving to tell others about their beliefs are generally accepted ways of expressing any Christian faith. The believers came to the conclusion that the court mistakenly regarded lawful behavior of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as unlawful actions of an extremist nature. They also noted that the court did not establish the motives of religious hatred or enmity in their actions and did not determine against which specific social group they acted.\nGalina Dergacheva expressed her position on the verdict as follows: \u0026quot;By their actions, the state authorities present me and my fellow believers in a bad light before society, contribute to the spread of prejudice and form the impression that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are a dangerous and dubious sect.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;The state and all officials are obliged to maintain neutrality and impartiality. Therefore, they do not have the right to assess the legitimacy of religious beliefs or determine what can be believed and what not.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_b62de93596e6970.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_a75355bcac9d9be9.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_c318ac947cd10e94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/160849/image_hu_70c3d7d9939d5038.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/160849.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Decision of the Magadan Court","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Thirteen Believers, Men and Women, Will Serve Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"Mariya Ogoreva faced criminal prosecution following her daughter Svetlana. The pensioner was also accused of extremism because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nMariya was born in November 1961 in the village of Kardonikskaya (Karachay-Cherkessia). Her father and mother worked on a collective farm. Father died when the girl was 7. Mother, as well as his two elder brothers, are also no longer alive. As a child, Mariya helped her mother with the housework, loved to draw.\nAfter school, Mariya graduated from a school in Karachayevsk, where she received the specialty of a plasterer-painter. For many years she worked as a nanny in a kindergarten. Now retired, she is engaged in a garden.\nIn 1981, Mariya married Vasiliy. He was a hardworking and caring spouse, but in 2019 he passed away. The couple raised three children—two daughters and a son.\nFor many years, Mariya wanted to know if there would be a resurrection of those close to her heart. After learning the name of God from the Bible and receiving answers to her questions, she decided to embark on the Christian path in 1998.\nThe stress of the searches and criminal prosecution took its toll on the health of Mariya and her daughter. Svetlana supports her mother.\n","date":"2024-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_abb426a9f960ae75.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_aa93816b14a40b9d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_bcf91083d8fa4e37.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ogorevam/photo_hu_9ce73a2e21f7496c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ogorevam.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Mariya Ogoreva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 11, 2024, the home of a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness family in Kazan was searched, after which the parents were interrogated for 2.5 hours. The law enforcement officers exerted psychological pressure on the adults and their three minor children.\nEarly in the morning, the family was awakened by a loud knock. People unknown to them claimed that a fire was about to break out due to sparks coming from the wiring in the corridor. When the head of the family opened the door, three plainclothes officers, accompanied by two masked and armed law enforcement officers and two female attesting witnesses, burst into the apartment. They threw him to the floor, handcuffed him and did not allow him to get dressed for a long time. According to the believers, they were briefly shown a search warrant, which they could not read thoroughly. The search lasted about 3 hours. The law enforcement officers behaved rudely and often used profanity. They demanded that the family unlocked their electronic devices and gave access to contacts. The smartphones of all family members were confiscated.\nIn Kazan, six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution, with four of them sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3 to 6.5 years.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/220837.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"Home of a Large Family of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kazan Was Searched","tags":["search","interrogation","minors","families"],"title":"Handcuffs, Insults, and Intimidation.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2024, the Khabarovsk Territory Court reduced the terms imposed by the court of first instance on Vitaliy Zhuk, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim by 1 year and changed them to suspended sentences with a 5-year probation period. The believers were released from the pretrial detention center.\nTatyana Zhuk, Maya Karpushkina and Svetlana Sedova surrounded by friends on the day of the appeal hearing Vitaliy Zhuk with his wife Tatyana after being released from the pretrial detention center. October 10, 2024 Nikolay Polevodov with his wife Tatyana and son Ilya after being released from the pretrial detention center. October 10, 2024 Stanislav Kim with his wife Olesya after being released from the pretrial detention center. October 10, 2024 The prosecution had sought a tougher punishment: in his statement, Assistant Prosecutor A.M. Snytko requested that 9 years in a penal colony for the men and from 4 to 5 years suspended sentences for women be imposed. The believers maintain that they are completely innocent of extremism. In her appeal, Tatyana Zhuk stated: \u0026quot;The sentence passed against me should be overturned, since it was made with significant violations of the norms of the RF Constitution, international legal acts, criminal and criminal procedural legislation, and the conclusions set out in it contradict the factual circumstances of the case.\u0026quot; Nikolay Polevodov emphasized: \u0026quot;I was convicted solely for my religious beliefs. Even though I expressed these beliefs in an absolutely lawful way.\u0026quot;\nIn response to the appeals from the believers and the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, the court of appeal ruled to commute the sentences of the court of first instance for: Polyevodov — to 7.5 years, Kim – to 7 years and 2 months, Zhuk — to 7 years, his wife Tatyana and Svetlana Sedova — to 4 years, and Maya Karpushkina — to 3 years all suspended.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/101350/image_hu_5b65ff84cec93b63.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/101350/image_hu_8180c2f1c1b60c94.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/101350/image_hu_154d120ead4cc843.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/101350/image_hu_68c214890a8a078d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/101350.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Three Men Have Been Released and Will Serve Suspended Sentences","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Khabarovsk Commuted the Most Severe Verdict to Date Against Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2024, the Oryol Regional Court denied the appeal of one Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses against the verdict of the court of first instance. Dmitriy Ignatov, 27, will serve a sentence for reading the Bible at a meeting for worship – 2 years of forced labor.\nThe believer considers the charge of participating in the activity of an extremist organization to be groundless. Addressing the panel of judges, he said: \u0026quot;Unfortunately, it seems that law enforcement officers deliberately distort the laws and, as a result, attribute to me something that I did not actually do.\u0026quot; He added: \u0026quot;If you consider the charge that has been brought against me, it is basically like a Christmas ornament: shiny on the outside, but empty on the inside. There are a lot of scary words in it, but there is no concrete evidence.\u0026quot;\nIn his appeal, Ignatov pointed out that the verdict did not provide evidence of an unlawful motive and intent: \u0026quot;The court did not answer the question: what public danger should I have been aware of, in praying to God with others, reading the Bible, discussing various topics beneficial for society, for example, gratitude?\u0026quot;\nThe sentence against Ignatov that has entered into force is already the fifth in the Oryol Region since 2017. During this time, eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were prosecuted, four of them were sentenced to long terms in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/151344/image_hu_be52684e7988db87.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/151344/image_hu_4f552b15e7fe3fc3.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/151344/image_hu_1d135573b151c9d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/151344/image_hu_91d00904f935ef0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/151344.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal in Oryol Upheld the Verdict Against Dmitriy Ignatov","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","complaints","labor"],"title":"Forced Labor for Faith in Jehovah God.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2024, Arsen Avanesov, 41, was released from Penal Colony No. 3 for the Ulyanovsk Region. He was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Subsequently, the believer spent 2.5 years in a pretrial detention center and about 3 years in a penal colony.\nArsen was released as the last of three defendants in a criminal case, which was initiated by the Rostov-on-Don Investigative Committee in 2019. In February 2024, Arsen\u0026#39;s elderly father, Vilen Avanesov, was released from the colony having spent almost 5 years behind bars, and in August 2024, Aleksandr Parkov completed his term.\nIn the penal colony, Arsen worked in a sewing workshop and established himself as a reliable and hardworking person. For his hard work and participation in the colony\u0026#39;s sports events, he received several awards.\nLetters of support and parcels that he received from different countries helped the believer greatly to remain optimistic. One day, Arsen received a parcel from England — an elderly couple sent him, among other things, eyeglasses, which were useful to other believers imprisoned in the same colony.\nShortly before his release, Arsen said that in his \u0026quot;thoughts he is already at home,\u0026quot; but he is worried that he \u0026quot;will have to learn how to do some things again\u0026quot; after 5.5 years behind bars.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/091530/image_hu_d132dab7285b550e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/091530/image_hu_4e3c79516dd60dfa.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/091530/image_hu_e97f5e0a7fe2db74.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/091530/image_hu_e144ed8a7302fe26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/091530.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Arsen Avanesov From Rostov Was Released From the Penal Colony, Having Completely Served the Term for His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of October 9, 2024, law enforcement officers searched at least ten addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kerch (Crimea). A criminal case was initiated against Vitaliy Burik, 53, for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After 2 days in a temporary detention facility, he was placed under house arrest.\nBurik was detained at his workplace in the boiler house. The law enforcement officers broke into the premises, cutting the thick chain on the gate, and took the believer home for the search. In addition, they searched the apartment and two garages belonging to Burik\u0026#39;s relatives.\nThe law enforcement officers also searched the home of Artem Shabliy, who had previously been convicted under an article for extremism because he is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Other families raided by law enforcement officers this morning, have also been searched in the past because of their religion.\nThe raid on the houses of believers was carried out by investigators of the local department of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by armed special forces from Simferopol. In some cases, the law enforcement officers behaved rudely and demanded passwords for electronic devices. Digital equipment was seized from the believers, then they were taken for interrogation. After 4 p.m., everyone except Vitaliy Burik was released.\nThe criminal case against the believer under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC is being conducted by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Crimea. The search warrant was issued by the Kievskiy District Court of Simferopol.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/case.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/150821.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"A New Criminal Case for Faith Was Initiated","tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Kerch Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 8, 2024, a cassation hearing was held in St. Petersburg in the case of 49-year-old Aleksey Khabarov, who practices the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The panel of judges did not overturn the verdict and the appeal ruling, so the believer will remain in the penal colony at least until January 2026.\nAleksey participated in the hearing via video conferencing. The defense stated in its cassation appeal: \"Law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of unlawful activity by the believers. Even during surveillance, nothing was recorded to claim that Jehovah's Witnesses were committing or calling for unlawful acts. Also, not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activity of the believers.\"\nThe reason for the criminal prosecution of Aleksey was his religion, which he practised with his friends by \"peacefully gathering at their home, reading and discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs.\" The defense has repeatedly emphasized that the believer was the victim of arbitrary criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/151333/image_hu_4f6cab46456b71e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/151333/image_hu_68aceb3bb637b241.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/151333/image_hu_ca18ae5b6cfb79fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/151333/image_hu_b555e5dd63d06ce6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/151333.html","regions":["pskov","novgorod","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":"Court of Cassation Did Not Defend Religious Freedom","tags":["cassation","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Aleksey Khabarov from Porkhov will Remain Behind Bars.","type":"news"},{"body":"In the fall of 2024, a civilian resident of Samara, Samvel Babayan, was preparing for a serious operation. He was unable to receive treatment because of the criminal prosecution he was subjected to for his religious beliefs. The believer was taken into custody, creating an additional threat to his health.\nSamvel was born in 1972 in the city of Kapan (Armenia). There were five children in the family: four sons and one daughter. Samvel is the youngest child. His father died when the boy was eight. Neither his mother, nor his sister, nor his two brothers are alive now.\nAs a child, Samvel loved to play football and was a good goalkeeper. He was also fond of music. In his youth, Samvel and his brothers founded their own music group, where he played drums. Young people performed in restaurants and at weddings. Now Samvel still loves music. He also enjoys singing and editing music videos.\nSamvel and his wife, Bella, met when they were both 16. They got married in 2000. The couple enjoys spending time with friends. They have a son and a daughter.\nBella was the first to become interested in Bible teachings. She heard about them from relatives. She was especially impressed by the Bible prophecies that have already come true. In 2001, Bella was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and two years later Samvel joined her. He was touched by the love and unity among believers, as well as the biblical promise of God to bring dead loved ones back to life in the future.\nSamvel worked as a builder, as well as a carpenter—he made stairs from wood. Together with his family, he lived in such cities as Yerevan, Azov, Shakhty (Rostov region), Orenburg. They moved to Samara because Bella\u0026#39;s mother was ill and needed care and care.\nThe persecution had a negative impact on all family members. Due to severe stress, Samvel\u0026#39;s already poor health deteriorated significantly. Bella is forced to take care of the needs of the family alone and solve issues related to her husband\u0026#39;s stay in the pre-trial detention center. She and her son also developed health problems.\nThe relatives of the spouses are surprised and outraged by such an attitude towards a person who has not committed anything illegal and is in dire need of treatment.\n","date":"2024-10-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/babayan/photo_hu_65a6c428449b517b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/babayan/photo_hu_4a372c2d0f0f9678.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/babayan/photo_hu_706a58ab88e89552.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/babayan/photo_hu_b274febe8fbe4930.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/babayan.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Samvel Babayan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner Aleksandr Protasov was involved as a witness in the case of Yuriy Yuskov, and later he himself was accused of extremism.\nAleksandr was born in August 1956 in Zelenodolsk (Tatarstan). He was the third of four children in the family. His elder brother and sister, as well as his parents, are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Zelenodolsk Mechanical College, where he received the specialty of a technician-technologist. He worked as a turbine equipment repairman at Chuvashenergoremont OJSC in the city of Cheboksary (Chuvashia). Later he moved to Novocheboksarsk. The man is already retired. From childhood to this day, he loves to play hockey, and in the summer, in his free time, he rides a bicycle and goes to the forest to pick mushrooms and berries.\nWhen Aleksandr first read a book about the origin of life in the 2000s, he was surprised at how birds, especially warblers, navigate and know where and when to fly. Thinking about this led him to the conclusion that God created everything around him. The man was also impressed by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Love for God and the Bible prompted him to embark on the Christian path in 2005.\nAleksandr married Svetlana in January 1987. She is a believer, like her husband. She likes to grow houseplants. Svetlana is a disabled person of group II. The couple raised two sons who share their religious views. The eldest son already has his own family, and the youngest has been disabled since childhood.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the spouses. Relatives worry about the Protasov family and do not understand why Aleksandr is being persecuted.\n","date":"2024-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_3a1c760098e2f2fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_e604ba58b74b8412.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_55ca758893e91733.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/protasov/photo_hu_967adaa2fa17c9ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/protasov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Protasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 7, 2024, Natalya Korotneva, judge of the Shadrinskiy District Court of the Kurgan Region, sentenced 68-year-old Aleksandr Lubin, a disabled person, to a fine of 500,000 rubles. The criminal trial in this case took three years.\nThe prosecutor requested a suspended sentence of 7 years for the believer with a 4-year probation period. Aleksandr does not admit guilt – in his opinion, the investigation wrongfully deemed jointly worshipping God to be continuing the activity of a banned legal entity. The believer may appeal the verdict in the higher courts.\nIn July 2021, Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for especially important cases of the First Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin. Then, armed law enforcement officers broke into the home of the elderly disabled couple. Distressed by the search, Tatyana, Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife, suffered a fourth stroke — she lost the use of her legs and ability to speak. The believer was charged with organizing extremist activity and taken for interrogation to the investigative committee, and then placed in a pretrial detention center for 2 months.\nWhen deciding to detain the believer, Yevgeniy Kolesov, judge of the Kurgan City Court, did not take into account his disability and the danger to his health and life presented by the detention conditions, although the defense had provided all the necessary medical documents. Aleksandr Lubin has a serious vascular disease, hypertension, as well as polyarthritis – a severe autoimmune disease. Due to constant pain in the hip joints, he can hardly move; as prescribed by his doctors, he must use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which is not possible in custody.\nThe defense filed a complaint with the ECHR about the detention of the believer. The European Court sent an inquiry to the RF Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office. The lawyers also appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, Boris Shalyutin, and he initiated an urgent inspection. After that, Aleksandr Lubin was sent to the hospital for a medical examination, which established that his state of health did not allow him to be kept in custody. Eventually, after 1.5 months of detention, the court decided to release the elderly believer from the pretrial detention center under a ban on certain actions.\nAddressing the court, Aleksandr expressed his view of the case as follows: \u0026quot;The charges brought against me are purely based on a preconceived idea about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. This approach toward my fellow believers was also prevalent during Nazi Germany, when thousands of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were thrown into prisons and concentration camps, hundreds were executed, and thousands died from inhumane treatment. Anyone who was identified as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, regardless of age, was immediately taken into custody. I do not want Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be treated with the same prejudice in the Kurgan Region.\u0026quot;\nAlmost all Russian law enforcement agencies are engaged in the persecution of elderly believers: the FSB, the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office, the Investigative Committee, the National Guard, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the OMON and the SOBR.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_a12cdf840d37356a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_fb63f92bb7fa33be.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_68b8afe929695fab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/080902/image_hu_73a702ff7c884912.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/080902.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","disability","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk","torture-conditions","echr"],"title":"Another Victim of Persecution of Disabled Believers: Court Declared Seriously Ill Pensioner Aleksandr Lubin as Extremist","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 7, 2024, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara issued a decision according to which Sergey Gromov will continue to serve his sentence of 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony.\nAccording to the defense, the verdict against the believer is an expression of religious discrimination, since it was issued in violation of the RF Constitution, which prohibits any restriction of the rights of citizens based on religious affiliation. The fact of religious discrimination against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia for so-called extremist activity was also established by the authorized bodies of the UN.\nTaking into account his stay in a pretrial detention center, where 1 day counts as 1.5, Sergey will still be imprisoned for more than 2 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/151059/image_hu_c27230a353133a7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/151059/image_hu_671e57ed654f6bdd.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/151059/image_hu_96a8c6037b9dbc03.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/151059/image_hu_b95ef25e9514e184.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/151059.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Sergey Gromov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 4, 2024, FSB officers visited a resident of the city of Novocherkassk to inspect his apartment in order to discover signs of extremist activity. At the same time, another group of law enforcement officers went to his workplace.\nFSB and police officers, accompanied by an IT specialist and two attesting witnesses, searched for prohibited items and extremist literature. At the request of the security forces, the couple unlocked their phones. Nothing forbidden was found in the computer or mobile devices. Then, during a personal conversation, FSB officer Roman Sukhanov tried to persuade the believer to cooperate with the investigation.\nPermission to inspect the premises was issued by Nataliya Remizova, judge of the Novocherkassk City Court. The court\u0026#39;s ruling states that the actions of the believer \u0026quot;may contain corpus delicti as specified in Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC.\u0026quot;\nLaw enforcers interpret citizens practicing religion as participating in the activity of extremist organizations. Three months earlier, a court in Novocherkassk sentenced three of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to actual imprisonment.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/111426.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1"],"title":"After Jehovah's Witnesses in Novocherkassk Were Sentenced, Security Forces Inspected the Home of Yet Another Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2024, the verdict against Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev entered into force. Meanwhile, the Moscow City Court added 2 months to Tolokonnikov\u0026#39;s term. The three believers received from 4.5 to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\n\u0026quot;The court criminalized the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; the believers\u0026#39; lawyer said in the appeal. \u0026quot;As a result, the court declared the peaceful and socially harmless practice of religion a crime.\u0026quot;\nRoman Mareyev stressed that the decision of the court of first instance violates Article 28 of the RF Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion. He also noted: \u0026quot;The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions, and did not establish against which specific social group I acted... The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity... I consider all the conclusions of the verdict to be not based on facts and are aimed at depriving peaceful believers, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, of their liberty.\u0026quot;\nDue to his imprisonment, Roman Mareyev cannot take care of his parents - his mother and father have disabilities; his father uses crutches after two heart attacks. Sergey Tolokonnikov lost his job, where he had a reputation as a respected employee.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling stating: \u0026quot;The Russian Federation, as a respondent state, must take all necessary measures to ensure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_17131b4a48401c01.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_545f88d37c4a30aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_8084dd8587b64dff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/041535/image_hu_11141f7d80e6fd8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/041535.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"The Terms for Two Other Believers Remain Unchanged","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Moscow Toughens the Punishment for One of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"As a result of the appeal hearing on October 3, 2024, in the Crimea Supreme Court, Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich, father of many children, were given prison terms and arrested in the court room. The panel of judges, chaired by Natalya Grebennikova, supported the position of the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, which considered the punishment imposed on the believers as insufficient.\nThe believers do not consider themselves guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization; in their appeals, they asked to be acquitted. Commenting on the decision of the district court, Yuriy Gerashchenko\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;From... the evidence in the case nothing can be concluded other than Gerashchenko belongs to the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which is not prohibited in the Russian Federation, as well as that he was periodically present at meetings of a religious group of followers of this religion, among many others of its followers.\u0026quot; Parfenovich\u0026#39;s lawyer stated that his client also acted inline with the law on freedom of religion.\nAnother nine of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Crimea have been sentenced to 6 or more years in a penal colony for their beliefs. The European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly called for an end to the prosecution of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_4f93f65742815f99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_9a44a29e7b68097f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_45ba8d2a632377ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/070940/image_hu_98b75603b06a80a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/070940.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Instead of a Suspended Sentence – 6 Years in a Penal Colony: Court of Appeal in Crimea Toughened 'Too Lenient' Sentence for Two Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2024, the Primorye Territory Regional Court upheld the guilty verdict against Boris Andreyev, Anatoliy Li and Nataliya Sharapova. The panel of judges reduced the sentences of Li and Sharapova by 1 month. Nataliya served her term in full during her time in the pretrial detention center and is expected to be released soon.\nUpdate. Natalia Sharapova was released the day after the appeal hearing. Andreyev and Li will have to spend about 2 years in the penal colony. Speaking before the Court of Appeal, Anatoliy Li said: \u0026quot;I didn\u0026#39;t kill, I didn\u0026#39;t rob, I didn\u0026#39;t go to rallies, did I, but my family is suffering. I just don't believe in God the same as everyone. Is that really a crime?\u0026quot; Boris Andreyev noted: \u0026quot;In the court materials, there is not a single piece of evidence of the cruel charges. And even if someone wanted to look for something like this in my life of 70 plus years, they wouldn\u0026#39;t find anything... I simply lived, worshipped God the way it is written in the Bible, wanted to be happy and wished the same for others.\u0026quot;\nDue to suspected cancer, Andreyev needs regular medical examinations, which are difficult to organize in the detention center. This is how his wife, Aleksandra, commented on the situation: \u0026quot;Transferring him to the place where he will serve his sentence can again delay further tests indefinitely; and the stress that my husband will have to endure with the transfer and the new place, as well as his age and the approaching cold season, can trigger the development of cancer.\u0026quot;\nHaving expressed in their appeals their disagreement with the charges of extremism, Andreyev and Li also pointed out that they were kept in metal cages during the hearings in the court of first instance. Such actions are in violation of article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is noteworthy that in July 2024, the ECHR ruled in the case of several Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Russia and found such treatment of the defendants \u0026quot;amounted to degrading treatment and a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights\u0026quot; (Article 3).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/071647.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"One of Them is a 72-year-old Believer with a Serious Illness","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"title":"Term in a Penal Colony for Their Faith: Court of Appeal in the Primorye Territory Upheld the Verdict Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 1, 2024, the Supreme Court of Udmurtia upheld the guilty verdict against Maksim Derendyaev, Aleksandr Kutin and Sergey Ashikhmin. All of them were sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony on charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The hearing was attended by 18 people, including the believers\u0026#39; relatives.\nThe three men filed appeals against the verdict of the court of first instance while in the detention center; they were taken into custody in the courtroom immediately after the verdict was announced in May 2024. They consider thmeselves not guilty. Sergey Ashikhmin noted in his appeal: \u0026quot;The verdict is unlawful, since I am being prosecuted and punished only for being a Christian – one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, practicing my religion in a way that is not prohibited.\u0026quot; Andrey Kutin stated: \u0026quot;The verdict does not cite any extremist statement on my part. The court has not established against which specific social group I acted, when, in what way, for what purpose and what consequences this led to.\u0026quot; And Maksim Derendyaev noted: \u0026quot;All my actions were completely peaceful. The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity.\u0026quot; The believers also stressed that the court of first instance did not prove the existence of a motive of religious hatred or enmity in their actions.\nThus, already the second sentence in Udmurtia entered into force: earlier, the regional supreme court upheld large fines against Mikhail Potapov and Sergey Gobozev from Votkinsk.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/021457/image_hu_90384b3e854df291.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/021457/image_hu_bf063f86309ccf80.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/021457/image_hu_85e0898122bf8f29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/021457/image_hu_eecc4a1396f86361.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/021457.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Udmurtia, The Verdict Against of Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk Has Entered Into Force: Believers Will Be Sent to Penal Colony Following Court of Appeal's Decision","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 27, 2024, the panel of judges of the Samara Regional Court agreed with the decision of the first instance in the case of Aleksandr Dolganov. Although the term of punishment for the believer, 35, remained the same, the court of appeal counted the time under house arrest toward the punishment at the rate of 1 day of house arrest for 1 day in a penal colony. According to this decision, Dolganov should complete his sentence a month and a half earlier.\nEarlier, the Avtozavodskiy District Court of the city of Tolyatti considered it a crime that Dolganov had held meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to the believer, this contradicts the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, so he appealed the verdict. Addressing the panel of judges, Dolganov said: \u0026quot;Bible principles taught me to be a kind, caring and patient person. I have a strong marriage; I took care of my beloved wife. I was officially working for the benefit of society, helped neighbors regardless of their faith... I was sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony for correction. What do I need to correct?\u0026quot;\nThe believer\u0026#39;s lawyer emphasized: \u0026quot;During the consideration of the case by the court of first instance, it was reliably established that there was no extremism in the actions of the convicted person. This was confirmed by both expert conclusions and the testimonies of witnesses, and can be clearly seen from the video recordings of the meetings for worship examined by the court of first instance.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, Anna Tokareva, judge of the court of first instance, drew the following conclusion: \u0026quot;The absence of statements calling for or justifying unlawful actions in the expert conclusions... does not question the presence of actions stated in Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC by the defendant.\u0026quot;\nIn the Samara Region, five other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were sentenced to long prison terms on similar charges for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/010815/image_hu_8223494b9118cbb7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/010815/image_hu_60176e6c43a9b729.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/010815/image_hu_8bc8cb29c459ae57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/010815/image_hu_dff5a2224b77bd34.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/010815.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Samara Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Aleksandr Dolganov — 3 Years in a Penal Colony for his Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 26, 2024, the Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Judge Sergey Shumeyev, upheld the decision of the court of first instance: Gevorg Yeritsyan and Garegin Khachaturyan will continue to serve their sentences of 6 years and 2 months and 6.5 years respectively, in a penal colony. Lyubov Galitsyna\u0026#39;s term of 2 years and 3 months in a penal colony is considered served due to her time spent in pretrial detention.\nThe trial of the believers started in September 2023. Video recordings, which were secretely made in the house of Lyubov Galitsyna, were reviewed at the hearings. The defense drew attention to the fact that the defendants are not in these videos and nothing extremist is happening in them. They also looked at the notes in the believer\u0026#39;s notebooks, where she wrote her thoughts on passages from the Bible to \u0026quot;better understand how to apply qualities that are pleasing to God, such as compassion and mercy.\u0026quot; All three believers maintain their innocence.\nThe Rostov Regional Court has repeatedly upheld verdicts against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. So far, 14 people have received up to 7 years imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/271311.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Two Men Will Remain Behind Bars","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Court of Appeal Did Not Change the Verdict Against Three Believers from Novocherkassk, Including a 68-year-old Woman.","type":"news"},{"body":"The acquittal in the case of Kirill Gushchin remains in force. This decision was made by the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk on September 26, 2024.\nA month earlier, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria made an official apology to Gushchin for unjustified criminal prosecution. However, in the cassation proceedings, the prosecution sought a complete review of the case. This is how Gushchin commented on the position of the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office: \u0026quot;The arguments in the cassation submission do not refute the conclusions of the court of first instance, but is simply the public prosecutor\u0026#39;s disagreement with the assessment of the evidence and the established circumstances.\u0026quot;\nTo date, only two acquittals of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in Russia remain in force – Kirill Gushchin\u0026#39;s and Yuriy Zalipayev\u0026#39;s.\n","category":"victory","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/10/011026/image_hu_5ec56ac7fddca8f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/10/011026/image_hu_d4347645c2ec1206.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/10/011026/image_hu_6219ffadf174a342.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/10/011026/image_hu_d823f23ec8b40cc5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/10/011026.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","cassation","prosecutor-apology"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Aquittal of Kirill Gushchin — Prosecutor's Office Has Already Made an Official Apology to the Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 23, 2024, Marina Chipilenko, judge of the Dzerzhinskiy District Court of Yaroslavl, convicted Anton Kokovin, 34, and fined him for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The decision has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAbout 2.5 years ago, Aleksandr Grigoriyev, investigator of the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in an online conference where religious matters were discussed. A day later, Anton was detained on the street; the apartment of his friends, where he was staying, was searched, and after interrogation he was released under a recognizance agreement. Rosfinmonitoring added him to the list of terrorists and extremists, and his bank accounts were blocked.\nIn May 2023, Anton Kokovin\u0026#39;s case went to court. During the hearings, the defense noted that there were serious errors in the case materials, especially in the forensic audio expert study. Despite this, the prosecution requested 3 years imprisonment for the believer.\nIn total, 11 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been subjected to prosecution for their religion in the Yaroslavl Region. Four of them have already served their sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/241336/image_hu_4dc692146fa316c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/241336/image_hu_c2252729a9c57c35.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/241336/image_hu_810a3fa56e1d1ef5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/241336/image_hu_2bfe0506b3b99522.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/241336.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Yaroslavl Fined a Believer 75,000 Rubles for Practicing the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"At one time, studying the Bible helped Yevgeniy Semenov to change his life for the better. But in 2023, he was prosecuted for his peaceful beliefs and faith in God.\nYevgeniy was born in December 1987 in the village of Ishlei (Chuvash Republic). He has an elder brother and sister. Their parents are retired. The mother takes care of Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s father, who has a group I disability.\nAs a child, Yevgeniy was fond of football and playing checkers, loved to help his mother around the house and in the country. After school, he wanted to become a woodworker and went to college. In recent years, he has been engaged in disinfection of premises.\nThe young man\u0026#39;s youth was not smooth—he served time for hooliganism. But Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s life changed completely when he began to study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. After reading this book, he realized that he had found the truth and was baptized in 2014. Later, his mother and sister also decided to live according to Bible principles.\nYevgeniy still likes to play football. He loves to travel, especially to go to the mountains, and to take pictures. He reads a lot and also appreciates the time spent with friends. Over the years, he lived in Cheboksary (Chuvashia), Kovylkino (Mordovia), as well as in Sochi and Stavropol.\nRelatives worry about Yevgeniy and consider the criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2024-10-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/semenove/photo_hu_9cc3ebfb78996281.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/semenove/photo_hu_8a364503404d5f66.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/semenove/photo_hu_e8b19a0cd3d55d3b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/semenove/photo_hu_878e9091578a0bb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/semenove.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Semenov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On September 17, 2024, the Supreme Court of Kalmykia reclassified Kishta Tutinova\u0026#39;s actions from participating in to organizing the activity of an extremist organization, giving her a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for one year. The court added 6 months to the additional restriction of freedom for Yekaterina Menkova and Tsagan Khalgayeva.\nIn June 2024, the Elista City Court of the Republic of Kalmykia gave three believers suspended sentences: Khalgayeva and Menkova 2 years, and Tutinova 3 years. The court deemed the womens' peaceful conversations about God and the Bible unlawful. Assistant prosecutor Marina Bugdayeva appealed the verdict considering it to be \u0026quot;excessively lenient\u0026quot;.\nThe decision of the court of appeal has entered into force, but the believers still do not admit their guilt. Speaking in the court of first instance, Tutinova emphasized: \u0026quot;I have never carried out any extremist activity nor had any intention. I have never been motivated by enmity or hatred, no one suffered, I didn't hurt anyone. I am a believer and a law-abiding citizen.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_901e5241a8049285.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_7bc0fed43d30799a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_ff64e0b57c260b53.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/191323/image_hu_6c9e72cd790f7bc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/191323.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Found Women Guilty of Extremism Over Online Bible Discussions","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court in Elista has Toughened the Punishment for Three Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2024, the Khabarovsk Territory Court commuted the sentence of Valeriy Rabota, 62, giving him a 5-year suspended sentence for participating in peaceful meetings for worship. Prosecutor Taisiya Kovtunova sought tougher punishment: she requested to replace the 6-year suspended sentence with actual imprisonment.\nValeriy Rabota completely denies being guilty of extremism. In his appeal, he noted: \u0026quot;My actions were completely peaceful. The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity. On the basis of Article 28 of the RF Constitution, my fellow believers and I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and associate, which in no way depends on the existence of any religious organization.\u0026quot; As noted by the defense, a guilty verdict, in fact, means that if the convicted person does not renounce his religious beliefs, he will again be subjected to criminal prosecution.\nTwo years of investigation and litigation did not pass without consequences for Valeriy: his chronic illnesses worsened and he suffered a stroke. Other prosecuted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses face similar difficulties. Elderly believers are particularly at risk. In Russia, more than 200 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses over the age of 60 have already become defendants in criminal cases because of their religious beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_3f1a751e7090dc87.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_401627bd85603cd1.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_4b550ff69c719f50.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/190844/image_hu_9c8d0702a413ecd1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/190844.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Territory Court Reduced the Suspended Term of an Elderly Believer from Knyaze-Volkonskoye by 1 Year","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 16, 2024, in Samara, law enforcement officers detained Samvel Babayan, who practices the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Despite the poor health of the believer, the court sent him to a pretrial detention center. A criminal case for extremism has been initiated against him.\nThese events were preceded by a search and interrogations, which took place on the same day. The law enforcement officers took Samvel, his wife and 17-year-old son to the local office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The young man was taken separately from his parents; on the way a police officer threatened him with a long term of imprisonment in a penal colony if he did not incriminate his relatives.\nInvestigator Yuriy Prokopov charged Samvel Babayan with organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). The decision to arrest him was made by Irina Velmina, judge of the Zheleznodorozhniy District Court of Samara; the hearing was held on September 18, and by then the believer had spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility.\nSamvel Babayan is not the only one whose home was invaded by law enforcement officers on September 16. At least five other searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Samara are known to have taken place.\nUpdate. Police and special forces officers broke into the houses of believers early in the morning. The security forces demanded passwords for phones, tablets and computers. In some cases, they confiscated Bibles, notebooks with notes, pictures of Bible scenes, bank cards, as well as electronic devices.\nAccording to one believer, the law enforcement officers used force against him: they twisted his arms, handcuffed him and put him on the floor in the corridor, where he lay until the end of the search. At some point, he fainted. Later, he was taken to the police station for interrogation. For several hours, he was subjected to rough treatment: the security forces hit him on the head, insulted him and pressured him.\nSince 2021, ten of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted in the Samara Region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-09-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/300909.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation"],"title":"Details of Raid Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Samara: Law Enforcement Officers Used Force Against One Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic upheld Sergey Petrenko\u0026#39;s 4-year suspended sentence for peacefully practicing his faith, which was classified as participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nDuring the trial in the Petrenko case, it turned out that five out of seven volumes were completely copied from the Kalistratov case materials. The trial lasted 1.5 years and ended in a guilty verdict. Sergey Petrenko still pleads not guilty: \u0026quot;As a result of a miscarriage of justice, I was convicted only for practiving my faith based on the Bible.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/160846/image_hu_39e39fd58934514e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/160846/image_hu_89bcff55134c718e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/160846/image_hu_b057756d2329285.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/160846/image_hu_37fa14e1377f1276.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/160846.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Altai Upholds the Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses — 4 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech in court, the believer asked the following questions: \"Why am I called an extremist? What actions have I taken that have caused pain, suffering, or harm to those around me? Is it a crime to read the Bible, discuss Bible teachings, and praise God in chants with your friends?\"\n","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/475.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","disability","elderly"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Aleksandr Lubin in Shadrinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yuliya Pasynkova faced persecution in the summer of 2024, when criminal cases were opened against her and her mother-in-law, Tatyana. Yuliya\u0026#39;s husband, Aleksey, was under investigation because of his beliefs back in December 2022. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the couple are raising a son with a disability, who needs round-the-clock help.\nYuliya was born in December 1990 in the city of Abdulino, Orenburg Region. Her mother was educated as a seamstress, but worked in various fields. Her father worked as an electric locomotive driver for 35 years. He tragically died in 2021, when shortly after the first search of the Pasynkov family, Yuliya\u0026#39;s parents were hit by a car. The mother was seriously injured at the time. Yuliya has an elder sister who also has a child with a disability.\nIn her youth, Yuliya studied at a music school and went in for cross-country skiing. She still loves music. After school, she worked as a nail technician.\nYuliya began to be interested in the Bible at a young age. According to the believer, she was touched by the wisdom of biblical principles, which reflect God\u0026#39;s love for people. In 2009, she decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2013, Yuliya married Aleksey, and 3 years later they had a son. In 2020, the couple moved to Stavropol so that their child could receive the necessary medical care there.\nYuliya worries about how the criminal prosecution of their family will affect her son. She says: \u0026quot;Subsequently, when it comes to my trial, Aleksey will be with my son instead of me. I am worried about what the court decision will be in my husband\u0026#39;s case—whether he will stay with us.\u0026quot; Yuliya is also upset that she cannot attend her husband\u0026#39;s trial to support him.\nAgainst the backdrop of what is happening, Yuliya\u0026#39;s health has deteriorated, and this worries her family. Despite the difficulties, the couple have everything they need— friends have surrounded them with care.\n","date":"2024-10-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pasynkova/photo_hu_9a56f694cf0b722e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pasynkova/photo_hu_11500a820ebf20f0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pasynkova/photo_hu_274c46b5001ad22c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pasynkova/photo_hu_31106f28bea3f8a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pasynkova.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yuliya Pasynkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Left alone with three children in the difficult 1990s, Tatyana Pasynkova found solace in her Bible study. Thanks to this, she was able to maintain a positive outlook on life despite all the troubles. The pensioner\u0026#39;s usual way of life was violated by a search in her house and subsequent criminal prosecution because of her faith.\nTatyana was born in January 1965 in the village of Kardonikskaya (Karachay-Cherkessia). She has an elder brother and a sister. Their parents worked all their lives on the local collective farm. As a child, Tatyana attended various clubs: embroidery, knitting, wood burning, and also danced and played in the school basketball team.\nTatyana graduated from the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after Timiryazev with a degree in agronomist-breeder. She worked at Tashkent State University in Uzbekistan. Then, with her husband and eldest son, they moved to Kazakhstan. After the birth of her youngest son, she worked at a cheese factory, kept livestock, sold dairy products and crops from the farmstead. She recalls that it was very difficult for her financially at that time.\nFor many years Tatyana had been looking for God, and once in Kazakhstan she was offered to study the Bible. The study was interrupted due to the fact that her husband left Tatyana, who was pregnant with her third child, and she had to return from Kazakhstan with the children to Russia to her parents. Three years later, she began to study the Bible again. In 2000, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path. The three sons share their mother\u0026#39;s religious views.\nIn her free time, Tatyana is engaged in a garden and runs a household. She also loves to pick mushrooms and is fond of patchwork.\nLaw enforcement officers have come to Tatyana\u0026#39;s house with searches five times since 2017, as a result, a criminal case was opened against her. The eldest son, Aleksey, and his wife, Yuliya, also became victims of religious persecution. Because of all this, Tatyana\u0026#39;s health deteriorated. The children try to comfort and support her.\n","date":"2024-10-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pasynkovat/photo_hu_4db8241079dda364.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pasynkovat/photo_hu_ec53b376371d0c4e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pasynkovat/photo_hu_819ecd59a6f38c9d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pasynkovat/photo_hu_94be6fd271a7a573.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pasynkovat.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Pasynkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov, who complete his prison term for his faith on September 5, remains behind bars. Already on August 26, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma ruled to place Terebilov in a pretrial detention center in the second case – for conversations about the Bible with another prisoner.\nThe investigation interprets such conversations as \u0026quot;the involvement of convicted persons... in the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot; The man Terebilov had been talking to, was working with the investigation, pretending to be interested in the Bible.\nThe administration of Penal Colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region, where the believer was previously held, refused to give Dmitriy any letters of support containing God's name. Terebilov also faced other restrictions. \u0026quot;Whatever he did: read the Bible, prayed to God, told others about his faith, it can be equated to violating the law,\u0026quot; said Dmitriy\u0026#39;s lawyer; yet, none of the above is forbidden to prisoners professing other religious views.\nThe believer considers such treatment a violation of his rights, therefore he appealed against the actions of the colony administration in the district and regional courts, but they did not rule in favor of Terebilov.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_65fa359c7f00a5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_c0e1f92884b6bfcf.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_4054f40088a3bc3b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/09/091450/image_hu_aa230fb402d46285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/09/091450.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","sizo","letters"],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov Served His Sentence for His Faith, but Was Not Released — the Court in the Second Case Placed the Believer in a Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Magnitogorsk issued a guilty verdict in the case of Aleksandr Salnikov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. On August 22, 2024, Judge Olga Prokopenko equated holding peaceful meetings for worship with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nSalnikov is a man with 40 years of work experience, he has repeatedly received awards for high professionalism, including a certificate of honor from the head of Magnitogorsk. Now Aleksandr and his wife are non-working pensioners, so adding the believer to the Rosfinmonitoring list, the blocking of his bank and social benefit cards seriously affected the financial situation of the family.\nFriends supported Salnikov over the course of the trial. Photo made on August 21, 2024 The Salnikovs faced criminal prosecution in April 2023, when law enforcement officers broke into their home with a search warrant. Aleksandr was interrogated and placed in a temporary holding facility for two days, and then released under a recognizance agreement. Due to the stress, his chronic illness worsened.\nIn April 2024, the case went to court. During the hearings, it turned out that the witnesses could not indicate how the incitement of religious hatred was expressed by Salnikov. One of them said that during the interrogation the FSB officer used obscene language, forcing him to sign a protocol with testimony.\n\u0026quot;I have the impression,\u0026quot; the believer commented on his situation, \u0026quot;that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing other than discrimination.\u0026quot; Another 15 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Chelyabinsk Region have found themselves in a similar situation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_cad0c2fff9931403.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_4f7a468c0bdf9e59.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_546978d5205ea43c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/231120/image_hu_fb0771994ab4fcad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/231120.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court Gave Pensioner, 63, from Magnitogorsk a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Defending his innocence, the believer said: \"Judging a man who gathered with friends to study the Bible and learned to love and live peacefully while meeting his spiritual needs is like judging a paralyzed man who does not get out of bed for crossing the street in the wrong place.\"\n","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/601.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Alexander Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok did not satisfy Valeriy Vyaznikov\u0026#39;s cassation appeal against the verdict. On August 20, 2024, the panel of judges decided to leave the sentence unchanged – 2.5 years suspended for conversations about God.\nSpeaking before the court, Valeriy expressed his disagreement with the court's decisions. He said: \u0026quot;I was actually sentenced for being one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, not for doing anything unlawful. The basis of the criminal case was the fact that the only time I was present at a Bible discussion with a person who was interested in this book... I just wanted the person I was having a conversation with via video to get accurate knowledge from the Bible... and find peace of mind.\u0026quot;\nAlready 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Primorye Territory, including Valeriy Vyaznikov, have faced criminal prosecution for their faith – this is more than in any other region of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_e7f3c3fc9ccd16c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_5910d6b8a22925e2.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_34db0058c5d0557d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/271443/image_hu_6d6a50dc2d73a666.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/271443.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Miner Valeriy Vyaznikov for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 20, 2024, an appeal in the Amur Regional Court left the verdict unchanged in the case against Yevgeniy Sokolov in Zeya. The believer could not attend the court hearing in person, so he took part in it via video conferencing.\nAddressing the panel in the court of appeal, Yevgeniy stated that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are citizens who respect the authorities, observe the laws of their country, pay taxes and do not participate in protests. He noted: \u0026quot;We don\u0026#39;t just pretend to be law-abiding people... We truly serve God, and our words are not at variance with our deeds.\u0026quot;\nThe believer was criminally charged for \u0026quot;preparing and conducting religious meetings.\u0026quot; In this regard, he reminded the court that the right to practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Yevgeniy said: \u0026quot;If I stopped preaching and meetings with others, then I would be breaking God\u0026#39;s own law. And in this instance there really will be no excuse for me.\u0026quot;\nYevgeniy Sokolov is being prosecuted simultaneously in two criminal cases. A second case on similar charges is being heard in a court in Voronezh.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_817c9181b92de5fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_b94b4b11350ac3e0.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_589f69f48b524142.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/241233/image_hu_1ae49af26e903d6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/241233.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"The Sentence Remained Unchanged - Three Years Suspended","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Verdict in One of the Two Cases Against Yevgeniy Sokolov Has Entered into Force.","type":"news"},{"body":"Tamara Bratseva, a pensioner from Razdolnoye, found herself under the criminal prosecution for her faith in God. In August 2024, her house was searched, and the recognizance agreement was taken from the woman .\nTamara was born in September 1955 in Melitopol in a family of ordinary workers. She has a younger sister.\n\u0026quot;I loved to read,\u0026quot; Tamara said, recalling her childhood. \u0026quot;I was just reading different stories. The library was where I spent a lot of time.\u0026quot; After school, the girl tried to enroll in the Zaporozhye Pedagogical Institute\u0026#39;s Faculty of Philology, but did not score the required points.\nReturning to her hometown, Tamara got a job as a cleaner in the lathe shop of a compressor plant. At the same time, she took preparatory courses at the Melitopol Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture, where she later studied.\nAt the institute, Tamara met her future husband Aleksandr. They got married in October 1975. Upon graduation, they were assigned to the Razdolnensky district, where the spouses have been living ever since. For about 35 years, Tamara worked as an occupational safety engineer. The couple raised a daughter.\n\u0026quot;I never doubted that the Bible is the word of God. I\u0026#39;ve known this since I was a child,\u0026quot; Tamara said. \u0026quot;But I wanted to understand it, so I immersed myself in deep study.\u0026quot; It happened in 1991. Four years later, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nDespite the criminal prosecution, Tamara tries not to lose heart and keeps peace in her heart. Friends support the believer.\n","date":"2024-08-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_db34852414adba97.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_3ed70064507b7b09.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/brattseva/photo_hu_9dc5fb8a281b1e1c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/brattseva.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tamara Brattseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2024, Anatoliy Yevtushenko, a driver from Krasnodar, was summoned to the investigator and placed under a recognizance agreement. This is how he learned that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith. A year and a half later, the court sent him to a penal colony for 2 years.\nAnatoliy was born in May 1971 in Ipatovo (Stavropol Territory). He has a brother on his mother\u0026#39;s side and two sisters on his father\u0026#39;s side. When the boy was 3, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother to Batumi (Georgia). He spent his childhood there. He was fond of swimming, athletics, and rowing.\nIn 1988, Anatoliy, after studying at school, went to Crimea, where he graduated with honors from the school, having received the specialty of a culinary cook. Immediately after that, he was drafted into the army. Anatoliy served in Germany and then moved to Krasnodar and got a job as a cook in a river shipping company. Later, he mastered the profession of a carpenter in furniture production and then decided to try himself in the construction industry and acquired many different skills in this area. Over time, due to an injury, the man took up private transportation. His favorite route is the Sochi serpentines.\nIn 1997, Anatoliy married Irina. Their firstborn died a month and a half after birth. A year later, the couple had a daughter. She is already married and lives separately. In the care of the couple Yevtushenko was Anatoly\u0026#39;s mother, a disabled person of group I. She did not get out of bed for several years and needed constant care, which her son provided her, despite his own health problems and the lawsuit.\nIt was thanks to his mother that Anatoliy got acquainted with the Bible. She instilled in her son respect for this book, which she herself read more than once. Anatoliy and his mother attended meetings for worship in different denominations in search of answers to their spiritual questions. In 1998, they met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and began studying the Bible. The next year, Anatoliy took the Christian path. He recalls: \u0026quot;It amazed me that God has a name, as well as a logical explanation for the cause of our suffering, and, of course, the hope for the resurrection of people dear to our hearts.\u0026quot;\nIn 2006, Anatoliy had an accident, seriously injured his leg, and over time he developed osteoarthritis and coxarthrosis. In August 2024, the believer received group II disability and already during the trial underwent hip replacement surgery. He still loves to cook and watch cooking shows.\nYevtushenko\u0026#39;s house was searched for the first time in 2022. The first few months were emotionally difficult. To support himself, the believer visited fellow believers who found themselves in similar circumstances. \u0026quot;Therefore, when I was handed in a decision to initiate a criminal case and a recognizance agreement, I took it calmly,\u0026quot; he recalls.\n","date":"2024-09-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yevtushenko/photo_hu_bed602363017ae2c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yevtushenko/photo_hu_ec3ea6f6c3382bb7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yevtushenko/photo_hu_c9517366f7b05cbe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yevtushenko/photo_hu_74737182be5a7ada.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yevtushenko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Yevtushenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Overview The unjust criminal prosecution creates many difficulties for believers, which go \u0026quot;unnoticed\u0026quot; by the majority of people. Often, difficulties begin even before sentencing and continue after the sentence has been served. This article explains what the various restrictions most frequently imposed on the believers mean.\nWhat is detention? It is the deprivation of liberty of a suspect or accused for up to 48 hours. It does not require a court ruling and is implemented by the decision of the investigator.\nDetainees are held in a temporary detention facility (TDF), a special secure cell at the police station. As these facilities are not designed for long-term stay, the conditions in them are harsh. As a rule, out of the mandatory items they have only a table and places to sleep, which could be benches or bunkbeds.\nIf a court sentences a person to imprisonment in the future, the time of detention is counted toward his term time; it is calculated as follows: 1 day in a temporary detention facility is equal to 1.5 days in a penal colony.\nPreventive Measures What are preventive measures? According to the Criminal Procedural Code of the Russian Federation (RF CrPC), these are coercive measures taken by an investigator or court to deprive the accused (and sometimes suspects) of the opportunity to hide from the investigation, obstruct it or continue the alleged criminal activity.\nPreventive measures are not the same as punishment. Punishment is imposed only on the basis of a court verdict and begins to be executed only after the decision has entered into force. If a preventive measure has been imposed, it continues to be in place until then.\nThe Criminal Procedural Code of the Russian Federation stipulates eight types of preventive measures. In the cases of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, the most common are:\nrecognizance agreement, ban on certain actions, house arrest, pretrial detention. When choosing a preventive measure, the investigator and the court must consider the character of the accused: is he dangerous, does he want to and can he abscond, threaten witnesses, or destroy evidence? How is he described at his place of work and residence? Does he have a family, a place to live, a job? What is the condition of his health?\nWhat is a recognizance agreement? A recognizance agreement is a written undertaking from the accused not to leave a certain locality without the permission of the investigator or the court and to appear promptly when summoned by them. Such a measure can be chosen by the investigator or the court, depending on the stage of the case.\nWhat is a ban on certain actions? When this measure is imposed, the court bans the accused from performing a number of actions, for example, using the Internet or telephone, communicating with certain people, leaving the place of residence at a certain time, etc. (a full list of possible prohibitions is listed in Article 105.1(6) RF CrPC). As under a recognizance agreement, he must appear promptly when summoned by the investigator or the court. The Penitentiary Inspectorate may use various means of monitoring the accused.\nIf there is a ban on leaving the home for a certain period, the court is obligated to set a time limit for applying such a ban, which may then be extended.\nWhat is house arrest? When house arrest is imposed, the court completely isolates the accused from society in a dwelling in which he has the right to reside legally. In the vast majority of cases, a person is forbidden to leave the house without the permission of the investigator or the court, even for a short time, to do shopping, visit a doctor and so on. This creates additional difficulties. For example, in the case of Andrey Vlasov, the judge unlawfully denied him visiting a doctor several times.\nWith house arrest, additional restrictions are always imposed, such as a ban on using means of communication and a ban on communicating with witnesses in the criminal case.\nHouse arrest is imposed for up to 2 months, after which the court, as a rule, extends it several times. In some instances, believers were under house arrest for more than 1 year. Should the court subsequently impose a prison sentence, the time under house arrest is counted toward the term time under the rule 2 days of house arrest as 1 day in the penal colony. For example, if the accused was under house arrest for 1 year before the verdict, then his subsequent stay in the penal colony would be reduced by 6 months.\nWhat is pretrial detention? The strictest preventive measure is that the accused is deprived of liberty by a court decision and sent to a pretrial detention center. You can read about the terms of remand in custody in Article 109 of the RF CrPC.\nShould the court subsequently impose a prison sentence, the time spent in pretrial detention is counted toward the term time under the rule 1 day of detention as 1.5 days in a penal colony.\nWhat is a pretrial detention center? In pretrial detention centers, the accused are kept in cells and live according to a certain arrangement; they are fed according to a schedule and they are taken out for a walk. People can spend many months there awaiting trial and during the trial itself. Those against whom a verdict has already been passed, but it has been appealed and has not yet entered into force, as well as those awaiting transfer to the place where they will serve their sentence, continue to be held in pretrial detention centers.\nWhat is an undertaking to appear? Sometimes the investigator does not impose a preventive measure on the accused but takes an undertaking from him to appear. By signing this document, a person promises the investigator or judge to appear promptly when summoned and to inform them immediately, if he changes his place of residence.\nPunishment Measures What is the primary and the additional punishment? In most cases, believers are sentenced to two types of punishment: primary and additional. The primary punishment may be imprisonment (actual or suspended), forced or corrective labor, fine; additional punishment may be restriction of freedom or prohibition to engage in certain activity. The primary and additional punishments are served consecutively. Only in instances of a suspended sentence are both types of punishment served simultaneously.\nTo clarify, Alevtina Bagratyan was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment, which is the primary punishment. As additional punishment, the court sentenced her to a 3-year deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to posting materials on the Internet and a 6-month restriction of freedom.\nThe additional punishment is significant when deciding the early revocation of a suspended sentence and when counting the period of expungement of a record.\nWhat is a fine? The most lenient possible punishment in the cases of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. At the time of writing, the highest fine imposed on believers is 1,100,000 rubles, such fines were received by Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo.\nThe fine must be paid within 60 days of the sentence entering into force. However, if the convicted person is not able to make a payment in full, the court, on his motion, may spread the payment by installments, up to 5 years .\nWhat is a suspended sentence and a probationary period? Convicted persons are also given prison sentences according to protocol but at the same time the court does not consider it necessary to isolate them from society. When a suspended sentence is given, a probationary period of 6 months to 5 years is always imposed. During this period, the convicted person must \u0026quot;prove his correction\u0026quot; by exemplary behavior.\nIf, during the probationary period, law enforcement agencies consider that the believer has committed any significant violations or if a new criminal case has been initiated against him, the court may revoke the suspended sentence and decide on the execution of the previously imposed punishment.\nWhat is forced labor? The court sentences the believer to imprisonment, but immediately replaces it with forced labor, since it recognizes that the person can change without being placed in a penal colony. The convicted person is placed in a dormitory-like correctional center (often on the penal colony\u0026#39;s territory) and forbidden to leave during non-working hours. However, permission to leave can be given as an incentive for \u0026quot;good behavior\u0026quot;. In their free time, convicted persons can use a shared kitchen, watch TV, etc. They work wherever the penitentiary system determines. From their salaries 5-20% are withheld. The exact amount of the deduction is determined in the judgment.\nForced labor is rarely imposed on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nWhat is imprisonment? This is the most severe punishment that the court can impose. It is served in penal colonies.\nAs of August 2024, of the 524 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who have been sentenced, more than 32% (172 people) have been sentenced to imprisonment. Most of them — more than 65% — received from 5 to 8.5 years. For comparison, according to the official statistics of the Judicial Department of the Supreme Court of Russia for 2023:\nOut of 1,297 people convicted of intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm (Article 111(1) of the RFCrC), only 0.85% (11 people) were sentenced to terms ranging from 5 to 8 years. Most were sentenced to terms ranging from 2 to 3 years.\nOut of 1,267 people convicted of illegal production and sale of drugs (Article 228.1(1) of the RFCrC), only 1.74% (22 people) were sentenced to terms ranging from 5 to 8 years. Most were sentenced to terms ranging from 3 to 5 years.\nIt appears, from the point of view of the Russian judicial system, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are more dangerous than drug dealers or those who beat up people to the point of disability. At the same time, hundreds of trials against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses accused of extremism have not confirmed a single fact of criminal activity on the part of the believers.\nWhat is deprivation of the right to engage in certain activity? An additional type of punishment imposed along with imprisonment (including suspended) or forced labor. Each time, the court itself formulates what kind of activity the believers are forbidden to engage in.\nMost often, courts prohibit believers from engaging in activity related to directing or participating in the work of religious public organizations, as well as from posting materials on information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet.\nWhen the sentence is suspended, this type of punishment and the primary punishment are carried out simultaneously. In other instances, this punishment begins only after the primary sentence has been served.\nWhat is restriction of freedom? An additional type of punishment imposed along with imprisonment (including suspended) or forced labor. Restriction of freedom always includes a ban on leaving the locality and changing the place of residence without the consent of the supervisory authorities. At the same time, the convicted person must regularly report to the penitentiary inspectorate -- up to four times a month. In addition, the court may prohibit leaving the dwelling at certain times of the day or visiting certain places and public events.\nWhen the sentence is suspended, restriction of freedom and the primary punishment are carried out simultaneously. In other instances, restriction of freedom begins only after the primary sentence has been served.\nConditions of detention of convicted persons What is a penal colony? Penal colonies are designed to isolate convicted persons from society. There are four types: open, general, strict and special regime.\nA penal colony is like a guarded town surrounded by a barbed wire fence: it has a residential and industrial area (where prisoners go to work), a canteen, a library, a bathhouse, a club, sometimes a temple or prayer room, and so forth. Prisoners can move about relatively freely. They live in dormitories-barracks, in which several dozen people can be held at the same time. There are separate penal colonies for male and female.\nWithin the same correctional colony, persons sentenced to imprisonment may be held in general, lenient or strict conditions for serving their sentences. A disciplinary commission can change the conditions of detention – simply put, to make life easier or more difficult for a prisoner.\nThe amount of money that can be spent on food and other items in the penal colony\u0026#39;s shop, the number of short and long visits and parcels depend on the conditions of detention.\nMost convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses serve their sentences under general conditions. This means that they have access to 11,800 rubles monthly (as of August 2024) for the purchase of food and basic necessities, six short and four long visits per year, as well as six parcels or packages and six packages with printed material per year. When confinement conditions change, these allowances change accordingly.\nIs a penal colony the same as a prison? No. A prison is a different type of correctional facility, where convicted persons have much less freedom of movement. Conditions in prisons resemble those in pretrial detention centers. There prisoners are kept in cells, sometimes in solitary confinement. There are not many prisons in Russia compared to penal colonies. At the time of publication of this article, only one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses has been sent to prison — Viktor Stashevskiy.\nWhat is a punishment cell? This is a separate cell-type room within the penal colony, intended for the detention of violators of the internal regulations of the colony.\nIt is not uncommon for people convicted for their faith to be placed in a punishment cell simply for \u0026quot;disciplinary purposes\u0026quot; or for violations they did not commit. For example, Dennis Christensen was sent to a punishment cell for talking to other prisoners and for not wearing a jacket.\nA prisoner in a punishment cell is severely restricted in his rights: there is no table and benches, during the day he is forbidden to sit on the bunk (sometimes he is not allowed to sit at all), visits, phone calls, receiving parcels and packages are prohibited. A daily one-hour walk is allowed.\nAccording to the law, a person can be placed in a punishment cell for a maximum of 15 days. But the law does not specify how many times in a row it is permissible to apply this measure. It is not uncommon for believers to be held in such cells for months. After two terms a year in a punishment cell, the convicted person can be classed as a persistent offender. In such an instance, the prisoner\u0026#39;s conditions of detention may be further tightened. Moreover, it becomes almost impossible to obtain parole as stipulated by law.\nWhat are CTF and SCTF? A cell-type facility (CTF) is a kind of \u0026quot;prison within a prison\u0026quot;. Convicted persons who are classed as persistent violators of the internal regulations are placed there. They can stay in the CTF for up to 6 months and are assigned to work separately from other prisoners.\nThe SCTF, a single cell-type facility, is a separate institution for a whole region for the execution of this particular punishment. Unlike a CTF there is a whole complex of similar premises which operates according to its own rules.\nOther Restrictions What is the Rosfinmonitoring list? A list of suspects or accused of extremism and terrorism, on whom a number of economic restrictions are imposed. This list is published by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service. The bank accounts of citizens included in this list are frozen.\nThose who are on the RFA list have the right to receive and spend an amount not exceeding the minimum wage every month, the remaining amount becomes \"frozen\". At the same time, the law does not limit the amount of receipt or expenditure of pensions, allowances, scholarships, state social payments. In some cases, a citizen can receive and spend another monthly minimum wage for each of his family members who do not have an independent source of income and live together with it. If a larger amount is needed, a person has to go through tedious security checks.\nDue to restrictions, it is difficult, and sometimes even impossible, to sell or buy real estate and other property, since such a transfer of ownership requires state registration. People with poor health and pensioners are especially vulnerable - they may face difficulties in paying for medical services and receiving social assistance.\nInclusion in the list occurs at the initiative of the investigator or the court. Exclusion from the list occurs only after the cancellation or early removal of the conviction, which takes years.\nWhat is an electronic tracking bracelet? When and how is it used? Electronic bracelets are designed to track the location of those who are serving a punishment in the form of restriction of freedom, are under house arrest or (in some instances) under a ban on certain actions.\nThis bracelet is worn on the ankle. It sends a signal to a control device (similar to a landline telephone) that is installed in the accused person\u0026#39;s home. If a person moves too far away from this device, the system sends a signal about the violation to the monitoring authority.\nLiving with a bracelet all the time causes significant discomfort. The accused person must constantly make sure not only that the bracelet is working, but also whether the control device is sufficiently charged, and that there is an active signal between them. There are frequent technical failures in the operation of this system. Each such incident entails an investigation by the monitoring authorities, which tend to assume that it is not a technical failure, but a violation committed by the person, and therefore a punishment should be inflicted.\nWhat is a criminal record? Simply put, it is the official status of a citizen as a person convicted of a certain crime, like a \u0026quot;label\u0026quot;. For many believers, this means financial restrictions due to being included on the Rosfinmonitoring list, the inability to find a job in some professions, and the risk of being declared repeat offenders if they are prosecuted again for practicing their faith.\nThe expiration of a criminal record (i.e. the removal of all restrictions and consequences associated with a criminal record) depends on the sentence imposed. If it is a fine, it is 1 year from the date of its full payment; if it is a suspended sentence, it is the end of the probation period. For those who have served a sentence in a penal colony, the removal of the criminal record occurs 8 years after serving the main and additional sentences.\nThe convicted person may apply to the court for early expungement of the criminal record.\nWhat is administrative supervision? After release from the penal colony, believers are placed under administrative supervision. From the point of view of the law, this measure is not considered a punishment, but it almost completely coincides with the restriction of freedom. For example, the court may prohibit leaving the house at certain hours, visiting certain places, changing the place of residence, and so forth.\nThe implementation of the imposed restrictions is monitored by the internal affairs body (police) at the place of residence. The court may impose administrative supervision for up to 8 years after release from the penal colony.\n","category":"faq","date":"2024-08-13T11:19:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/8.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"What restrictions are faced by Jehovah's Witnesses prosecuted in Russia?","type":"news"},{"body":"A year and a half of hearings in the case of Andrey Okhapkin in the Kineshma City Court ended with a guilty verdict. On August 13, 2024, the believer was heavily fined for organizing extremist activitiy — by this the investigation meant talking about the Bible, singing religious songs and praying.\nOkhapkin does not admit his guilt. In his final statement, he stated: \u0026quot;I don\u0026#39;t need to resort to illegal actions to practice my religion. Neither it nor the ways in which it is practiced are prohibited by Russian law or the courts.\u0026quot; Andrey continued: \u0026quot;My God... demands that his worshipers show love, mercy, peacefulness, kindness, respect to all people regardless of their nationality, religion and social status. What extremism can we talk about?!\u0026quot;\nIn November 2021, FSB senior investigator R.A. Drozdov initiated a criminal case against Andrey Okhapkin. A few days later, officers from Drozdov\u0026#39;s department, under his leadership, searched the believer\u0026#39;s home. Okhapkin was sent to a pretrial detention center for 3 months, then he was placed under house arrest for 5 months.\nAs a result of this, Andrey, a physics teacher at a college, lost his job — his family lost their main source of income. Prior to his arrest, he suffered a severe bout of COVID-19 and did not manage to fully recover. Andrey spent the first three weeks in the pretrial detention center in a punishment cell. In the cell where he was later transferred, the lights were on day and night. At first, he was not allowed to see his wife and daughter, but he could write them letters. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received more than 400 letters of support from friends and family.\nOkhapkin\u0026#39;s case went to court in December 2022, it was considered by Judge Yevgeniy Krotov. The charge was based on the testimony of expert Belova, who earlier in a video interview expressed her dislike for the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In her conclusion, she attributed phrases to the believer that he did not say. Furthermore, at the trial it turned out that the protocol of the interrogation of one of the witnesses contained testimony that he had not given.\nIn total, 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their beliefs in the Ivanovo Region. Most of them have already been convicted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/161032/image_hu_9dea3d04400bf89d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/161032/image_hu_3ebb7ceff30d2afe.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/161032/image_hu_a749fe30ef64a5e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/161032/image_hu_8a19b433c12754c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/161032.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":"Andrey Okhapkin Fined 540,000 Rubles for Peacefully Practicing His Faith","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 13, 2024, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara upheld the verdict against the Bochkarevs and Tatyana Obizhestvit: for the two women suspended sentences — from 2 to 2.5 years, for Andrey Bochkarev — 3 years and 1 month in a penal colony. His term is considered to be served, taking into account his stay in a pretrial detention center.\nIn the cassation appeal, the believers pointed to the fact that the guilty verdict was not based on evidence, that the defendants committed any extremist actions or made statements inciting hatred but was based on assumptions. They emphasized that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses treat people of other religions with kindness, love and tolerance.\nThe court once again recognized it as a crime to study the Bible together with friends and other people. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and The European Court of Human Rights have ruled that meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and their joint performance of rites do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_99fbf166417762a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_581fede669e8d412.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_3bd841536310eb5b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/151418/image_hu_bea6d717d1fdccb0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/151418.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","families","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Verdict Against Believers From Kazan","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer reminded the court of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and asked: \"How can I exercise my constitutional right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses so that the prosecution has no claims against me?\"\n","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/474.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Andrey Okhapkin in Kineshma","type":"docs"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev, a labor veteran who was awarded three medals for impeccable service and was awarded a prize by the Izhevsk administration for 50 years of marriage with his wife, faced persecution for his faith.\nValeriy was born in 1951 in the village of Tum, Yarsky District, Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. He has a sister. After school, Valeriy entered the Ivanovo Fire Technical School, from which he graduated in 1972. In parallel with his studies, he did military service.\nAfter school, Valeriy was assigned to the city of Izhevsk, where he now lives. In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of History of the Udmurt State University. The man worked in the fire department for 29 years, before retiring he was an assistant to the head of the detachment.\nIn 1973, Valeriy married Galina, with whom they raised a daughter and a son. The Knyazevs\u0026#39; family hobby is gardening. In winter, Valeriy enjoys skiing and skating.\nStudying the Bible, Valeriy learned about God and his love for people. He became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2007. A year earlier, his wife had made the same decision.\nThe criminal prosecution of Valeriy affected the health of the spouses. Galina is a pensioner, she has a group III disability. They survived three searches. Valeriy was detained and spent a day in a temporary detention center.\nRelatives were sympathetic to the difficulties caused by the criminal prosecution of Valeriy and provide support to the spouses.\n","date":"2024-09-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_f4632bec649d7131.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_424b9dcdcfba50c9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/knyazev/photo_hu_478606b23e150d79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/knyazev.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Knyazev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Lepskiy was first prosecuted for his beliefs in February 2022, when Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kuban were subjected to mass searches.\nVladimyr was born in 1966 in the village of Platonovka, 80 kilometers from Lugansk. As a child, he was fond of football. He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother is retired, their father is no longer alive.\nHaving received a secondary specialized education, Vladimir began working on the railway as a train compiler, later he worked as a mechanic for the repair of gas equipment.\nVladimir met his future wife at work, and in 2005 they got married. In her free time, Olga loves to sew. Her husband\u0026#39;s hobby is fishing.\nVladimir was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible. He enjoyed the description of God\u0026#39;s creation of the earth and the explanation of Bible teachings. In 1997, he decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Ten years later, he was joined by his wife.\nIn 2014, the family moved to the village of Vyselki, and eight years later returned to Platonovka. In the spring of 2024, the couple learned about the criminal case and decided to move to the Krasnodar Territory again.\nThe stress of the criminal prosecution affected the health of believers. Vladimir also ended up on the list of terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring, his accounts were blocked, and he lost his job. Adding to his worries is the fact that his elderly mother had suffered a stroke shortly before the incident, and he tries to protect her from bad news.\n","date":"2024-08-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lepskiy/photo_hu_fe0d7db95659cd08.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lepskiy/photo_hu_aa739ee038e079a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lepskiy/photo_hu_968fd5575c07dd5c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lepskiy/photo_hu_3d9b1170d67609bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lepskiy.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Lepskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2024, a criminal case was opened against Aleksandr Stefanidin from Izhevsk, searches were carried out in his house, after which the man was sent to a pre-trial detention center. Earlier, in 2021, his older brother Yevgeniy became a defendant in a similar case for his faith.\nAleksandr was born in September 1991 in Izhevsk (Udmurtia). His father is a security guard in a supermarket, and his mother worked as a tram driver and cleaner until her retirement. Aleksandr grew up in a large family: in addition to his elder brother, he has two sisters.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was engaged in drawing and crafts, in his youth he loved fishing, and went hiking. After school, he studied as an electrician, and then worked for almost 10 years as an administrator of a holding company that rents out commercial real estate.\nHis mother told Aleksandr about God when he was still in kindergarten. Later, he himself became interested in the Bible and the prophecies recorded in it. In 2007, the young man made the decision to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Because of his peaceful views, instead of military service, he did alternative civilian service in a hospital.\nIn 2015, Aleksandr married Anastasiya, a lawyer by education who shares his religious views. He moved to his wife in Votkinsk, and 4 years later returned to Izhevsk with her.\nAnastasiya is engaged in hair reconstruction, is fond of make-up. Aleksandr still enjoys fishing, and he is also fond of cars. Together, the couple love to walk, travel by car, and watch programs about the animal world and space.\nThose close to Aleksandr are worried about what is happening and consider the accusation of extremism groundless. At work, he is appreciated and is waiting for his return. Against the background of emotional stress and separation, Anastasiya\u0026#39;s health deteriorated. Despite everything, the couple tries not to lose heart.\n","date":"2024-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stefanidin2/photo_hu_6bb156dd7b2c08af.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stefanidin2/photo_hu_14fc1106696a73d3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stefanidin2/photo_hu_29a4482001e4c36.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stefanidin2/photo_hu_badca0783d5560a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stefanidin2.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["families","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Stefanidin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Indus Talipov was born in April 1951 in Izhevsk. His parents, who came from a village in Tatarstan, moved there in 1949. They raised four children. His father participated in the Second World War; after the end of the war he worked as a steelworker and was a respected man. His mother devoted herself to her family and raising four children.\nFrom his childhood, Indus liked sports — skiing, volleyball, and later became interested in kayaking trips. After school, he worked as a locksmith in a factory, where he became so inspired by the skill of blacksmiths that he decided to qualify in this profession. Indus underwent the necessary training and worked at the anvil for almost 20 years until his retirement.\nTalipov studied the Bible on his own, but he had more and more questions and could not find the answers. One of the publications by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped Indus to find strong evidence of God's existence. In 2009, he joined this religion.\nTalipov spent his entire life in Izhevsk. He is divorced. His adult son works as a truck driver. Indus dearly loves his grandson.\nRelatives and friends share the statement of his ex-wife, who described the criminal prosecution of a man on religious grounds as \u0026quot;absurd and unjust.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2025-10-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_ef3fc99770caf072.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_9ff7483eeac1e466.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_cd1e5c4542fbc9b6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/talipov/photo_hu_ccff61ae0ebca2ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/talipov.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Indus Talipov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On August 9, 2024, Aleksandr Parkov, 56, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, was released from Penal Colony No.10 for the Rostov Region. The believer spent a total of 5 years and 2 months in a detention center and the penal colony for talking about the Bible.\nParkov\u0026#39;s wife, Galina, also faced prosecution for her faith. She was given a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence. While her husband was imprisoned, Galina lost her job due to criminal prosecution. She is very grateful to her family and friends for their emotional and material support.\nAleksandr Parkov met his friends when leaving the penal colony, August 9, 2024 Galina said that her husband lives by the principle \u0026quot;if you want it to be good, create that \u0026#39;good\u0026#39; around you.\u0026quot; Administration employees and his cellmates treated Parkov with respect. He worked in a blacksmith\u0026#39;s shop and received awards. According to Galina, good habits, hard work and letters of support helped Aleksandr to survive these difficult times.\nTwo more defendants in the Parkov case are Arsen and Vilen Avanesov. Vilen has already been released after almost 5 years in the penal colony, Arsen remains in the penal colony.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-08-09T09:58:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/090958/image_hu_a592aec73fe7e378.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/090958/image_hu_af9060dd2b1d3b05.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/090958/image_hu_ff2c761a65a8ac95.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/090958/image_hu_6e5ffdb2f6746bad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/090958.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families","282.2-1"],"title":"In Rostov-on-Don, Aleksandr Parkov Was Released After 5 Years Imprisonment for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2024, searches were carried out in three homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol. It is already the third invasion of the homes of believers by the security forces. Three criminal cases were initiated under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC.\nIn the village of Kardonikskaya, searches were carried out at the homes of Maria Ogoreva, 62, and her daughter Svetlana, as well as at Tatyana Pasynkova, 59, the mother of Aleksey Pasynkov. On the same day in Stavropol, FSB officers searched the house of Aleksey, this time in the case against his wife Yulia. The couple are raising a disabled child who is completely dependent on the help of his parents.\nThe criminal cases against Maria, Tatyana and Yulia were initiated on July 23, 2024. They are being investigated by Senior Lieutenant of Justice A.A. Khasanov, who works for the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic.\nThe Pasynkovs and the Ogorevs have been under prosecution since 2019. Their cases develop according to a similar pattern: first, the believer himself is suspected, and then his family members are prosecuted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-08-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/260952.html","regions":["karachaevo","stavropol"],"subtitle":"Three women Became Suspects in Cases for Extremism","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"New Raids Against Believers in Karachay-Cherkessia and Stavropol.","type":"news"},{"body":"One of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Anatoliy Isakov, 59, was found guilty of extremism for holding peaceful meetings for worship. On August 8, 2024, Sergey Lytkin, judge of the Kurgan City Court, imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles on him, reducing it to 400,000, taking into account the believer\u0026#39;s stay in custody.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The court also ordered Isakov to pay legal costs of 6,900 rubles. The prosecutor had requested a 6.5-year suspended sentence for Isakov.\nThe hearings lasted about a year. The charge of organizing the activity of an extremist organization was based on the testimony of witnesses. However, some of them were not acquainted with the defendant, others did not confirm their testimony given during the preliminary investigation, and a secret witness said that Isakov's actions did not violate anyone's rights. \u0026quot;The charge against me is extremely unreasonable,\u0026quot; Anatoliy Isakov said in court. \u0026quot;Expressing hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I treat people of other religions and nationalities with respect. Everyone who knows me can confirm that.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution began in July 2021, when FSB officers searched Isakov\u0026#39;s apartment. The believer was placed in a pretrial detention center, despite the fact that he needed to undergo chemotherapy on a monthly basis. In addition, he was deprived of painkillers, which he needed due to spinal surgery. The believer had difficulty walking. For 1.5 months, he sought to mitigate the preventive measure, but only after a request from the ECHR to the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office of the Russian Federation and an inspection by the Human Rights Ombudsman, the court released Isakov from the detention center, admitting that he had an illness that prevented him from being kept in detention.\nAfter his release, an electronic bracelet was placed on the believer\u0026#39;s leg, and every week he had to report to the Penitentiary Inspectorate. As Isakov was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, his bank account was blocked, and it was difficult for him to receive his disability pension.\nIsakov said what helped him not to lose heart: \u0026quot;I tried to be positive, observed hygiene and routine in the detention center. When he received parcels from relatives and friends, he shared what he could with his cellmates. That also brought me joy. After all, there's more happiness in giving than receiving.\u0026quot; During 1.5 months in pretrial detention, Anatoliy received about 500 letters of support from all over the world. Isakov coped with emotional and material difficulties, thanks to the support of friends and fellow believers. \u0026quot;I personally felt the true brotherly love that Jesus spoke about,\u0026quot; Anatoliy shared his feelings.\nAnother six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the Kurgan Region are being prosecuted on similar charges, three of them are defending their beliefs in court.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-08T11:50:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/081150/image_hu_e39dc33c5db8d603.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/081150/image_hu_a39513849d520bee.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/081150/image_hu_ce346f339737bdd7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/081150/image_hu_23dc5dd6643bfd2b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/081150.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Court in Kurgan Fined a Disabled Man Suffering from Cancer 400,000 Rubles for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 7, 2024, the homes of at least five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Crimea were searched and they were interrogated. A criminal case has been initiated against Tamara Brattseva, 68, from the village of Razdolnoye. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nIn the early morning, several armed groups of masked law enforcement officers invaded the homes of believers in the villages of Razdolnoye and Senokosnoye and the town of Alushta. Law enforcement officers rudely demanded passwords for electronic devices, quizzed them about their fellow believers, and in one case threatened to harm a pet. Electronic devices, personal notes, media storage and money were seized. The searches were carried out under the leadership of Y.A. Merkulov, the senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea.\nIn the village of Razdolnoye, they went to the workplace of one believer. He was laid face down on the floor and his hands were bound with a nylon zip, which injured him. Later, he had his injuries recorded in the emergency room, but the medical certificate was taken away from him at the police station.\nOver the past 7 years, more than 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea have already been prosecuted for their faith. Eight of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies, one was transferred to prison by a court decision, another was sentenced to forced labor and three were given suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/police.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/130810.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","recognizance-agreement","health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Four Searches, Interrogations, and New Criminal Case: Prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea Continues","type":"news"},{"body":"Explaining his position to the court, the believer said: \"If your decision is accusatory, it means that you have assessed your faith and beliefs. I do not intend to hide from the authorities, but I also cannot renounce my beliefs, which are not prohibited by law or conscience.\"\n","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/473.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Anatoly Isakov in Kurgan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 1, 2024, the judicial chamber of the Primorye Territorial Court upheld the guilty verdict against Anton Virich for organizing the activity of an extremist organization but reduced the term by 2 months. According to the defense, the decisions of the courts erroneously equate the peaceful practice of faith to unlawful activity.\nDuring the proceedings in the court of first instance, it was found that four expert conclusions were drawn up in violation of the law. They do not contain documents on the education of the experts and do not indicate the religious research methods they used. Because of this, it is impossible to check to what extent their conclusions are reasonable and reliable. In addition, as the believer\u0026#39;s lawyer noted in his appeal, the court was unable to prove the motives of religious hatred and enmity that Virich was allegedly guided by.\nIn July 2023, Anton Virich was detained by traffic police, from whom he learned that he had been on the wanted list and under a recognizance agreement for some time. After that, Virich was taken to the village of Luchegorsk, where he was formally charged. From that time until the sentencing, he was in pretrial detention.\nAt the time of publication of this news, 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Primorye Territory, more than in any other region of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/08/061450/image_hu_5d9f95d416a34f97.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/08/061450/image_hu_979a6d89a6e39d1d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/08/061450/image_hu_dd40cf6f1b0bf04b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/08/061450/image_hu_d715fb8defb1503b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/08/061450.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"The Court of Appeal Reduced the Sentence to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["appeal"],"title":"In Primorye, the Verdict Against Anton Virich for Faith Entered into Force.","type":"news"},{"body":"The elderly believer noted that the accusation is not supported by any evidence: there are no victims, no harm or damage caused. \"So, there is no crime,\" concluded 81-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko. \"I'm not on trial for my actions, but for my religious beliefs.\"\n","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/600.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Nadezhda Korobochko's last word in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 30, 2024, the Nikolayevsk-on-Amur City Court found Igor Kletkin, Nikolay Kononenko, Vladislav Markov, and Nadezhda Korobochko guilty of extremism for reading the Bible together. Judge Roman Zhukov gave the believers suspended sentences. The decision has not entered into force.\nIgor Kletkin and Nikolay Kononenko received a 6-year suspended sentence with a period of probation of 4 years, Nadezhda Korobochko — 5 years and 3 years of probation. The court made the case of Vladislav Markov into a separate proceeding.\n\u0026quot;The charge against me is based on an erroneous interpretation and application of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated April 20, 2017 and on erroneous expert study conclusions,\u0026quot; Nikolay Kononenko said at one of the court hearings.\nThe case of 81-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko is based on an audio recording of just one meeting for worship, at which she spoke briefly on spiritual topics. The elderly believer noted: \u0026quot;The prosecution was interested only in the formal aspect — that the believers gathered to discuss teachings. However, neither the investigator nor the prosecutor even tried to get to the bottom of what these meetings were about. If they had, they would have understood that I had not committed any unlawful actions.\u0026quot;\nShe related what she had to go through during the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;The search was the most difficult for me, because at that time I was sick, I had high blood pressure — a hypertensive crisis.\u0026quot; The recognizance agreement also created additional difficulties for Nadezhda, since she could not go to the regional hospital in Khabarovsk to have a pacemaker fitted.\nThe four believers noted that relatives, friends and fellow believers help them maintain a positive attitude by sending them cards and loving messages. Despite the verdict, the believers do not lose heart. \u0026quot;I am greatly strengthened by the example of our brothers and sisters. Everyone has a positive impact on me,\u0026quot; said Igor Kletkin.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_6c327c70ed7f6b96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_9f19acba94423283.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_80d104321ba8f2f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/311437/image_hu_dd3fe067ad9e42ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/311437.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, an 81-Year-Old Woman and Fellow Believers Sentenced to Suspended Terms for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement in court, Igor Kletkin said: \"If my actions were in fact criminal and socially dangerous, then where are the victims of my criminal behavior? There aren't any.\"\n","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/599.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Igor Kletkin in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Nikolay noted that his relatives, friends and colleagues are sure that he has not committed anything extremist. \"It's an axiom for them,\" the believer said.\n","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/598.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Nikolay Kononenko in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"Early in the morning of July 24, 2024, searches were carried out in the homes of six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Naberezhnye Chelny. Law enforcement officers detained Pavel Kupreyev, 36. Later, the investigator released him under a personal bond.\nUpdate. Homes of five of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were searched. After his detention, Pavel Kupreyev spent two days in the temporary detention facility. For one family, the search began at 6 a.m. and lasted 1.5 hours. It was conducted under the supervision of the senior officer of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan, Captain B.I. Tazetdinov, in the presence of two police officers. The law enforcement officers behaved politely and did not exert pressure. Communication equipment, a flash drive, a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko and personal notes were seized.\nSix years ago, 10 families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Naberezhnye Chelny were already subjected to searches. As a result, four men were given suspended sentences. Another nine people from Tatarstan received various sentences for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-07-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/301356.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated","tags":[],"title":"In Naberezhnye Chelny, New Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitriy Ignatov, 27, a believer from Oryol, was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. That is how Andrey Tretyakov, judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Oryol, classified \u0026quot;the active study of religious literature\u0026quot; with fellow believers. The verdict was announced on July 24, 2024.\n\u0026quot;The charge that was brought against me is like a Christmas ornament: shiny on the outside, but empty on the inside,\u0026quot; the believer noted in his final statement. \u0026quot;There are a lot of scary words in it, but there is no concrete evidence.\u0026quot; According to Ignatov, the case materials only confirm that he practices the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe believer considers himself innocent and intends to appeal the verdict. \u0026quot;The state prosecutor did not voice even one extremist statement or action on my part at any of the court hearings that would show that I am a criminal and dangerous to others,\u0026quot; Dmitriy said. \u0026quot;Because I\u0026#39;ve never done anything like that. If there had been something, during one year of gathering information about me something would have come to light.\u0026quot; The charge was based on the testimony of at least nine witnesses who did not know Ignatov and had not seen him before. The testimony of three witnesses for the prosecution, who did not appear in court, had nothing to do with the case.\nBack in December 2020, the Ignatovs\u0026#39; home was searched, their electronic devices were seized, and subsequently their bank accounts were frozen. At that time, Dmitry was a witness in the case of another local believer, Vladimir Piskarev. In October of the following year, the investigator initiated a case against Ignatov under Article 282.2(2) of the RFCrC. For some time, the believer was under surveillance by officers of the Center for Combating Extremism. Dmitriy Ignatov said: \u0026quot;Of course, because of this, we experienced a lot of stress. My wife started having severe migraines. Sometimes she had them every day. Also, we started to suffer from other illnesses which we are still struggling with.\u0026quot;\nIn Oryol, eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution because of their faith, three of them are in a penal colony. Dennis Christensen has already been released and deported.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/251041/image_hu_6ca435372cca0270.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/251041/image_hu_eba10b5aeeba86a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/251041/image_hu_cd66eb48671829ba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/251041/image_hu_6768022a4f7af79d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/251041.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"Dmitriy Ignatov Sentenced to 2 Years of Forced Labor","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","labor"],"title":"Yet Another Guilty Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer compared the unsubstantiated accusation against him to a Christmas tree toy – \"shiny on the outside, but empty on the inside.\" He stressed: \"At no court hearing did the state prosecutor voice a single extremist statement or action on my part.\"\n","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/597.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Dmitriy Ignatov in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"The verdict against Mikhail Reshetnikov, 75, veteran of labor, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, 69, disabled and Anatoliy Sarychev, 74, entered into force with minor changes \u0026ndash; the corresponding decision was issued by the Altai Territorial Court on July 19, 2024. Each of the believers received a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nKolotinskiy, Reshetnikov and Sarychev received suspended sentences for charges of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because they participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The court of appeal amended the part of the verdict regarding the restriction of freedom: the believers are forbidden to visit places of mass events and participate in them without the consent of supervisory bodies, while the ban on participating in other events was excluded from the verdict. The territorial court also ruled that some personal belongings of the believers, which the law enforcement officers seized as material evidence, should not be destroyed.\nYuriy Kolotinskiy on the day of the appeal hearing In the appeal, the Barnaul residents pointed out: \u0026quot;All the charges [of extremism] do not correspond to reality, as evidenced by the facts from the criminal case, from the expert studies, as well as from the words of witnesses interrogated in court; [...] wholly legitimate conduct aimed solely at expressing one\u0026#39;s faith in ways characteristic of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses around the world was wrongly regarded by the court as illegal actions.\u0026quot;\nAccording to the believers, the criminal prosecution exacerbated the difficulties already caused by old age and failing health. However, all three are grateful for the support from family and friends. \"They pray for us, come to court, stand and wait for us in the cold on the street and meet and see us off with applause. This touches my heart,\" said Anatoliy Sarychev earlier.\nIn total, 9 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in the Altai Territory, two of them are serving sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-19T16:53:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_be12bbe706363288.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_7dc732362bd826a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_91d4e12ace84f191.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/191653/image_hu_52d16a0f7e3f61c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/191653.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","elderly","disability"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Three Elderly Residents of Barnaul for Talking About Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"Nataliya Novoseletskaya was born in 1963 in the village of Dombarovsky (Orenburg Region). She has an elder and a younger sister. Their father was in the military. When he retired to the reserve, the family moved to Vyselki. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Nataliya loved to draw, sculpt, read, solve puzzles and participate in quizzes. She graduated from the Krasnodar Architectural and Construction College and after that worked for some time as a graphic designer. At different times, she worked as a nurse, fire inspector and salesman. She retired in 2018.\nNataliya became convinced of the authenticity of the Bible when she thoroughly checked and compared the facts recorded in it. She met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and saw that they lived according to Bible principles. This prompted her to become a Christian in 2008.\nNataliya is divorced. She has a daughter and a son, as well as a granddaughter. In her free time, she studies English. She enjoys learning new things.\nDue to the persecution, the believer lost the opportunity to receive financial assistance from her son, who lives in another city, and for some time could not receive a modest pension due to the blocking of accounts. During this period, her friends helped her financially. Relatives are worried about Nataliya, as her health is deteriorating, and what is happening can aggravate this.\n","date":"2024-09-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_5b0fd0358d9eade0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_de4c15e49d38d4e6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_14f400456b15ab9c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/novoseletskaya/photo_hu_77a146d29c223659.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/novoseletskaya.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Novoseletskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"At the age of 16, Irina Ushakova was forced to flee Tajikistan after facing persecution on ethnic grounds. Thirty-two years later, she was persecuted again, this time in Russia, for her faith in Jehovah God.\nIrina was born in 1974 in Dushanbe. She has a younger sister. Their mother is retired, their father died in 2020.\nAs a child, Irina was engaged in acrobatics and athletics. After school, she studied to be a hairdresser, then worked at a meat processing plant as a sausage molder. Since 2021, she has not been working, as she is on disability. Irina likes to grow flowers; she is also fond of confectionery.\nFrom her youth, Irina was looking for answers to questions about God. At the age of 16, she bought herself a Bible with the money she gave her on her birthday. Irina recalls that she fell in love with Bible teachings when she began to apply the advice from this book and saw a positive result. In 2004, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2006, Irina married Vitaliy, who shares her views on faith. Together they raised two sons.\nIn 2022, two searches were carried out in the Ushakovs\u0026#39; house within a week. Later, criminal cases were initiated against the spouses. Vitaliy was in a pre-trial detention center for 7 months, then he was transferred to house arrest. The believer said: \u0026quot;In the family, we have always supported each other, and persecution has only brought us closer.\u0026quot;\nThe persecution has a negative impact on the health of Irina, who is registered with the cancer center. Relatives and friends are worried about Irina and Vitaliy.\n","date":"2024-09-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ushakova/photo_hu_f92d59f60a51664.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ushakova/photo_hu_eab5ccd5c514e50e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ushakova/photo_hu_154237d0393ec1a1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ushakova/photo_hu_c3c121e45f53e232.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ushakova.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families","disability"],"title":"Irina Ushakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 18, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights granted nine applications by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Russia at the same time, who were subjected to unlawful searches, arrests, and convictions for practising their religion. The Russian Federation is obliged to pay the believers 156,000 euros in compensation and 4,000 euros in legal costs.\nThe court ruling concerns 14 men and 2 women. Most of them have already served terms or suspended sentences: Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Gennadiy German, Aleksey Miretskiy, Roman Gridasov, Mariya Karpova, Marat Abdulgalimov, Arsen Abdullaev and Anton Dergalev. Valeriy Moskalenko paid a fine. Irina Buglak continues to serve a suspended sentence. Dmitriy Barmakin, sentenced to 8 years imprisonment, is awaiting transfer to a penal colony. And the case of Roman Makhnev is expected to go to court soon.\nAccording to the ECHR decision, the Russian Federation violated three provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms regarding the applicants. The court classed the detention of believers in metal cages during the hearings degrading treatment (Article 3), and considered their detention, searches and seizure of property groundless and unlawful (Article 5). The ECHR also found that the applicants had been subjected to arbitrary criminal prosecution merely for practicing their faith, which was in violation of the Article on freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 9).\nRussia ceased being party to the European Convention on Human Rights on September 16, 2022, but the consideration of these applications was within the jurisdiction of the ECHR — they cover events that took place in 2018-2020. The Russian Federation remains obliged to pay the compensation awarded to the believers, including those awarded under other decisions of the European Court. The total amount already exceeds 3,600,000 euros.\n","category":"victory","date":"2024-07-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/231543/image_hu_ca427f4fd896d1e6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/231543/image_hu_5c3c6972ebc6f5f3.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/231543/image_hu_17a2553ad2ee50ed.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/231543/image_hu_4f7940f2be301a62.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/231543.html","regions":["eu","primorye","omsk","saratov","khabarovsk","kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","compensation","families"],"title":"ECHR Recognized Violation of Rights of Another 16 Jehovah's Witnesses from Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 12, 2024, Vasiliy Meleshko, 63, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, was released from penal colony No.11 in the Krasnodar Territory. The believer served his sentence in full.\nThe criminal prosecution of Vasiliy Meleshko began in the spring of 2021, and in the fall of the same year, the Abinskiy District Court convicted Vasiliy in just two sessions - 3 years imprisonment. In fact, the believer spent a little more than 2 years and 9 months in the penal colony, but taking into account his time in pretrial detention, the sentence in terms of imprisonment is considered to be served. According to the verdict, Vasiliy\u0026#39;s freedom will be restricted to some extent for one more year after his release from the penal colony.\nMeleshko spent part of his term in the penal colony under strict conditions of detention, where the rights of prisoners are infringed more than usual. Several times he was transferred to a \u0026quot;prison within the colony\u0026quot; -- a cell-type room or a punishment cell. The believer\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses were exacerbated, and he was treated in the prison hospital.\nIt was especially difficult for Vasiliy to endure the long separation from his wife, with whom he has lived for 42 years; never being apart for more than a week. Zoya Meleshko said: \u0026quot;It wasn\u0026#39;t until nine months [after Vasiliy\u0026#39;s detention] that we saw each other on a long visit and were finally able to hug. We couldn\u0026#39;t hold back the tears and couldn\u0026#39;t stop talking.\u0026quot;\nDue to the fact that Vasiliy was kept in strict conditions, the couple saw each other only once every four months, so the main method of communication was letters. \u0026quot;Vasiliy wrote very affectionate, tender letters, assuring me of his love,\u0026quot; Zoya revealed.\nThe Abinskiy District Court has already sentenced eight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from the village of Kholmskaya to imprisonment. Four have been released after serving their sentences.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-07-12T16:25:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_e18440252225d488.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_d6abc35466d4a51c.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_cf9f420050a22997.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/121625/image_hu_6acf6433bf9d876f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/121625.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","282.2-2","shizo","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","elderly"],"title":"Vasiliy Meleshko Released After Serving His Term in a Penal Colony for His Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"A criminal case was opened against Viktor Chernobaev and his wife Alena for their faith in July 2024. Their house was searched, after which the spouses were placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nViktor was born in April 1995 in the village of Novonikolaevskiy, Volgograd region. He grew up in a large family with three brothers. Their father is an electrician, and their mother runs a warehouse.\nAfter school, Viktor immediately went to work—for some time he was repairing washing machines, and until his arrest he worked as a courier. In his free time, he enjoys spearfishing.\nIn 2013, Viktor decided to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother. Because of his peace-loving views, the young man asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one, and completed it in Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod region), where he subsequently remained to live.\nIn 2017, Viktor married Alena, who shares his views on life. Spouses love to spend time together in nature. Their family hobbies are fishing and camping.\nRelatives worry about Viktor and Alena and support them in every possible way.\n","date":"2024-07-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernobaev/photo_hu_48928cd012d8b652.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernobaev/photo_hu_69caafbb2391f9a6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernobaev/photo_hu_a98d8ee310c8a3f4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernobaev/photo_hu_5e63f22b6acbe647.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernobaev.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Viktor Chernobaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alena Chernobaeva faced criminal prosecution together with her husband Viktor. In July 2024, their house was searched, after which the spouses were placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAlena was born in May 1997 in Kazan. She has a younger sister. As a child, Alena loved dancing and volleyball.\nAfter school, the girl graduated with honors from college with a degree in hotel service, after which she worked as an administrator, waitress and maid in a hotel. Later, she took on various jobs: she hung wallpaper, cleaned offices and houses.\nSince childhood, Alena has been concerned with spiritual issues. Her school friend was studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and she wanted to join her. In 2014, she consciously decided to become a Christian.\nIn 2017, Alena married Viktor, whom she met in Nizhny Novgorod. They love to spend time together in nature. Their family hobbies are fishing and camping.\nRelatives support the Chernobaevs and, as they can, help to overcome the difficulties associated with criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2024-07-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernobaeva/photo_hu_53811a2f712bb98d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernobaeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernobaeva/photo_hu_5dd26fe1b581fb58.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernobaeva/photo_hu_37b3e6b6df3daa7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernobaeva.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Alena Chernobaeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2024, armed law enforcement officers broke into the house of Andrey Mikholap and his wife Oksana with a search. The man was knocked down, his arm was twisted behind his back and his knee was pinned to the floor, although he did not resist. This is how the couple learned that a criminal case had been opened against them for their faith. After the search, both were placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAndrey was born in November 1968 in the village of Kraskino, Primorye Territory. Until the age of 12, he lived in the village of Holgaso (Khabarovsk Territory). He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother worked most of her life in trade, and his father was a driver. He is no longer alive.\nAs a child, Andrey loved to read books and play football. He dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon, so after school he entered the Tyumen Medical Institute. However, after the 2nd year, he was drafted into the army, he left his studies and served at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.\nAfter the army, Andrey worked as a truck driver—he transported dangerous goods along the northern highways in the Tyumen region, and later delivered dairy products to stores.\nIn the city of Beloyarsky, Tyumen region, Andrey met Oksana, a teacher by education. They got married in 1993 and have maintained a close and warm relationship in marriage for more than 30 years. Together, the couple love to travel and spend time with friends, who note that Andrey is an expert in cooking fish and barbecue.\nIn 1997, Andrey and Oksana began to study the Bible, and after 2 years, having received answers to their questions, they decided to take the Christian path.\nDue to the imprisonment of the Mikholap spouses in a pre-trial detention center, Oksana\u0026#39;s parents were left without the care and support of relatives. They suffer from serious chronic diseases, live in the village, and find it difficult for them to get to shops and clinics.\nRelatives are shocked that Andrey, whom everyone knows as a gentle and conflict-free person, was accused of extremism. They consider the persecution of spouses unfair.\n","date":"2024-07-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mikholap/photo_hu_b8a631a63711e9dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mikholap/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mikholap/photo_hu_1ead3d1c229eaf46.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mikholap/photo_hu_99cb6eae2b332f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mikholap.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Andrey Mikholap","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After searches in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, Oksana Mikholap and her husband Andrey ended up in a pre-trial detention center. The couple were prosecuted for their belief in Jehovah God.\nOksana was born in July 1974 in Berdichev (Ukraine). She has two younger brothers, one of whom died at the age of 30. When Oksana was still a child, their parents divorced. His mother works in trade.\nAfter graduating from the pedagogical college, Oksana worked in a correctional class. She was actively involved in the lives of her students, visiting them at home. This contributed to the fact that all of them successfully graduated from school. Later, Oksana graduated from the Pedagogical Institute and worked by profession for some time. Then she worked in an employment center, as well as an administrator in a private clinic. Before her arrest, she worked as a clerk in a construction company. Oksana has earned a reputation as a responsible and conscientious employee and has always been in good standing with employers.\nIn 1993, Oksana married Andrey, who worked as a driver. They have been happily married for more than 30 years.\nOksana was a religious person, looking for answers to life\u0026#39;s questions. Together with her husband, they began to study the Bible. Having received answers to their questions, in 1999 they embarked on the Christian path.\nIn her free time, Oksana loves to knit, grow flowers, take care of animals, including homeless ones. Together with her husband, they love to take care of the garden and invite guests to their homes.\nDue to criminal prosecution and imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center, Oksana lost the opportunity to help her elderly parents. Neighbors do not understand why the couple Mikholap are being unfairly persecuted. Many people know them as people who are always ready to help and do not conflict with anyone.\n","date":"2024-07-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/omikholap/photo_hu_7770a2587ac0665c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/omikholap/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/omikholap/photo_hu_aa6672f55e7b8f53.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/omikholap/photo_hu_dabd66999e556591.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/omikholap.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Oksana Mikholap","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Natalia Sharapova, 51, Boris Andreyev, 72, veteran of labor, and Anatoliy Li, 39, received 3, 6 and 6.5 years respectively, in a penal colony. On June 10, 2024, Tatyana Pogorelaya, judge of the Khorolsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found them guilty of extremism for their faith in Jehovah God.\nIn October 2022, searches took place in the village of Yaroslavskiy, where the believers live. Andreyev and Li were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Natalia Sharapova was accused of participating in this activity. This is how law enforcement officers deemed conducting peaceful meetings for worship and \u0026quot;organizing religious talks\u0026quot; at them. The case was based on video recordings of peaceful meetings for worship, secretly made by a woman who appears in the case under the pseudonym \u0026quot;Elka\u0026quot;.\nAnatoliy Li drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the psycho-linguistic expert study stated that there were no signs of extremism in his actions or the actions of the other defendants. \u0026quot;This was also confirmed by all the interrogated witnesses, who clearly stated that I had never incited anyone to hatred or enmity, had not called for illegal actions against any religious or other group of people,\u0026quot; Anatoliy added. The believers do not agree with the court\u0026#39;s decision and can appeal it.\nAll three believers were sent to a pretrial detention center, where they remained until the verdict was passed. Natalia Sharapova suffers from a neurological disease and has severe headaches, which made her detention especially difficult. During the first months of their imprisonment, the investigator did not allow Sharapova and Li to be visited by their relatives, but letters helped them a lot.\nBoris Andreyev is one of the oldest Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness behind bars in Russia. A total of 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory, five of them have already been sent to a penal colony, and 27 have been given suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-10T15:53:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_ce537d2e2d2d9c49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_25428c647893110a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_6032430ba00ca853.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/101553/image_hu_6ac1c52baee75dcb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/101553.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Primorye, Three Jehovah's Witnesses Received From 3 to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"After a year and three months of legal proceedings, Valeriy Rabota, 62, received a suspended sentence. On June 10, 2024, Maria Luzhbina, judge of the Khabarovsk District Court, equated participating in peaceful meetings for worship to extremism.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer in the spring of 2022. During this time, he spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, 116 days in a pretrial detention center and 100 days under house arrest. During the months spent in detention, Valeriy\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened. Later, while under house arrest, he suffered a stroke. The case went to court in March 2023. Eight months later, at the final stage of the trial, Judge Angelina Sviderskaya recused herself and the hearings started over.\nValeriy Rabota was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. However, the linguistic expert study indicates that the believer did not encourage extremist actions, but only \u0026quot;the reading and studying the material under discussion.\u0026quot; This point was emphasized by the lawyer: \u0026quot;My client is being tried solely for the ways he expresses his faith... Actions related to participation in religious meetings for worship with fellow believers and the dissemination of one\u0026#39;s beliefs are based not only on the RF Constitution, but also on the Bible \u0026ndash; the source of moral norms and natural law.\u0026quot;\nFSB officer Stanislav Martyn, who feigned an interest in the Bible to collect information about believers, during interrogation denied that Rabota had persuaded him to join the activity of any organization. The witnesses for the prosecution spoke positively about Valeriy. One of the interrogated, an FSB officer associated with the believer\u0026#39;s case, stated that he \u0026quot;did not witness any crime on Valeriy\u0026#39;s part.\u0026quot; Some of the interrogated persons spoke of falsifications in their written testimonies and pressure from the investigation. The defense pointed out violations of the law by experts, for example, religious scholar M.B. Serdyuk assessed the actions of the believer from a legal point of view, going beyond the limits of her authority.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, authorities initiated 19 criminal cases against 41 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. One of the believers died under investigation, and courts have already passed sentences on 20 people.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_3a38943526bd1733.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_807a53dce7aec5f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_1ebcb8e3501af3ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/101453/image_hu_f9a0ea2796d6ccdc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/101453.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"After a Retrial of the Case, the Court in Knyaze-Volkonskoye Sentences One of Jehovah's Witnesses Valeriy Rabota to 6 Years Suspended for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In her speech in court, the believer noted: \"Prison does not reform people. Love and obedience to Jehovah God changes people's lives, and radically and for the better... At the heart of all my actions and deeds was and remains love.\"\n","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/472.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Natalia Sharapova's concluding remarks in Yaroslavsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer said: \"The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or the worship of Jehovah God is not prohibited. This is my right, guaranteed by the Constitution, and this right belongs to me from birth. I had it both before and after 2017.\"\n","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/471.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Anatoly Lee in Yaroslavsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court, in her final statement, the believer told how from a young age he sought to read and understand the Bible and how it subsequently changed his life. He noted, \"If I tell a person that God is proposing to give up the things that destroy him and become happier, there is nothing extremist about it.\"\n","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/470.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Boris Andreev in Yaroslavsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Anastasiya Anufriyeva and her husband Vladimir were involved in the same criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. They were detained in the Astrakhan region and brought to Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, where they were placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAnastasiya was born in the city of Ramenskoye (Moscow region) in February 1983. She has a younger brother and sister. Parents are retired. Her mother worked as an engineer, and her father continues to work at the plant as a deputy shop manager.\nIn her youth, Anastasiya loved sports—she went skiing and skating. She graduated from a music school in the piano class. With friends, the girl often visited museums, exhibitions, and went hiking.\nAnastasiya graduated from the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, worked as a storekeeper for some time. In her free time, she still goes in for sports—running. She has mastered playing the guitar, loves to knit and cook for guests.\nFrom childhood, her mother instilled Christian values in Anastasiya. Closely communicating with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, the girl saw that they live by high moral standards and show love for each other. In 2000, she decided to become a Christian.\nAnastasiya married Vladimir in 2004. Together, the couple love to relax in nature, go fishing and spend time with friends.\nAnastasiya\u0026#39;s father considers the persecution of his daughter and her husband unfair. The mother and sister worry that they have lost the opportunity to communicate with a loved one. Relatives try to support Anastasiya in every possible way.\n","date":"2024-07-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/anufriyeva/photo_hu_7f6ec72591d95cef.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/anufriyeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/anufriyeva/photo_hu_9a5da1262c74d66f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/anufriyeva/photo_hu_f1860b081672822d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/anufriyeva.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Anufriyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2024, Vladimir Anufriyev and his wife Anastasiya ended up in a pre-trial detention center more than 1000 km from their home—law enforcement officers detained them in Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan Region) and took them to Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Region, where they were placed in a pre-trial detention center. The couple learned that a criminal case had been opened against them on charges of extremism.\nVladimir was born in September 1978 in the city of Zhukovsky, Moscow Region. He has a younger brother. Their mother is retired. His father left the family when Vladimir was 15, and the young man had to start working to help his mother.\nAs a child, Vladimir loved sports, went skiing and skating, went in for swimming, graduated from a music school in the saxophone class. After school, he studied accounting, English and programming, worked as a courier and salesman. Before his arrest, he worked as a 1C programmer.\nVladimir was impressed by the logic, reliability and scientific accuracy of the Bible. Studying this book helped him find meaning in life, and in 1998 he embarked on the Christian path.\nIn September 2004, Vladimir married Anastasiya, who shares his views on life. The spouses love to relax with friends in nature, go fishing, receive guests and play board games.\nVladimir\u0026#39;s family and friends worry about him and try to provide comprehensive support.\n","date":"2024-07-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vanufriyev/photo_hu_7aeb0aedb960943b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vanufriyev/photo_hu_28d5c3d98127476c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vanufriyev/photo_hu_3f7ed4a131b7f0a1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vanufriyev/photo_hu_b2b90309dfddb1a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vanufriyev.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vladimir Anufriyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 8, 2024, Yelena Laskina, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti, completed considering the case of Galina Komissarova, 63, finding her guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. The believer does not agree with the verdict and can appeal it.\nThe criminal case was initiated in September 2023. The believer was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Due to the stress, Galina ended up in hospital with a hypertensive crisis. She said: \u0026quot;My blood pressure increased every time I came home after the interrogation or started examining the materials of my criminal case... The accusations caused me pain because all the listed \u0026#39;actions\u0026#39; are against my nature.\u0026quot; Investigator Sysoyeva forced the believer to appear for interrogation, ignoring complaints of poor health and never called an ambulance for her.\nThe investigation lasted 7 weeks, after which the case went to court. Witnesses for prosecution, including a secret one, spoke positively of Komissarova and reported that they had not heard anything from her that can be viewed as extremism. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nAs \u0026quot;evidence\u0026quot; of extremist statements, the prosecution presented to the court a religious expert study of video recordings of meetings for worship in which Galina participated, according to the investigation. As the defense emphasized, the expert study was carried out by specialist Lenar Galiyev, who does not have the specialized education and therefore, the necessary qualifications. \u0026quot;The expert draws conclusions based only on his assumptions, without consulting the works of scholars who have devoted decades to the study of the teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Galina Komissarova emphasized. She continued: \u0026quot;The questions posed to the experts contained clues as to who to blame and for what... Doesn\u0026#39;t this prompt us to question the objectivity of their conclusions?\u0026quot;\nGalina Komissarova was widowed when her children were 10 and 12, and she had to raise them alone. She worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years. The children's parents, her neighbors and former colleagues described her positively in court.\nDespite all the difficulties, Galina does not lose heart: \u0026quot;Fellow believers write me a lot of warm words, send me encouraging verses and assure me of their love. They say they are worried, they pray for me, and they are even proud of me.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_61266ab4caf78809.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_89b777f35dc5e711.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_8f608a2632ac8217.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/090943/image_hu_cd0f3d6fbcd095fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/090943.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":"She Received a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible Via Video Link","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Court Issued a Guilty Verdict Against a Pensioner From Tolyatti.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer emphasized: \"All my actions, which the prosecution presents as participation in the activities of an extremist organization, are the realization of my right to freedom of religion, do not contain signs of extremism and are not a crime.\"\n","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/469.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Galina Komissarova's concluding remarks in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"Aleksey Shcherbich was born in April 1972 in the Belarusian city of Bobruisk. When he was 7, his parents divorced. Now the father is no longer alive, and the mother is retired.\nAs a child, Aleksey attended a circle of radio amateurs, was professionally engaged in swimming, loved to fish and go for mushrooms and berries. He also liked to gather medicinal herbs with his grandfather.\nAfter school, Aleksey entered the Leningrad Higher Artillery Command School, but did not graduate from it. Until 1995, he served in the army, and then mastered the profession of a finisher. He lived in different places: in the city of Oschatz (Germany), the village of Luostari in the Murmansk region, St. Petersburg and the city of Neftekumsk in the Stavropol Territory.\nAleksey met his future wife Nataliya in 1992, when both were still students. They got married in 1994. Nataliya worked as a manicure master for several years. She loves to cook; She enjoys receiving guests. Nataliya supports her husband in everything, including his hobbies: they go hiking together, fishing, relax with friends in nature. In addition, Nataliya draws from time to time, and Aleksey is engaged in winemaking.\nThe Shcherbich family began to get acquainted with the Bible in 2000, studying this book with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The couple were baptized in 2003. Aleksey was prompted to do this by the biblical promise that God would establish real justice on earth. Nataliya was touched by the Bible\u0026#39;s promise of a wonderful future without wars, suffering and violence.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksey affected the health of both spouses. Nataliya is not yet able to work. Relatives worry about Shcherbych and try to provide all possible assistance.\n","date":"2024-10-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shcherbich/photo_hu_cec50996b7cf3524.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shcherbich/photo_hu_394143fbd905ce6a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shcherbich/photo_hu_3ede695ca3dd65f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shcherbich/photo_hu_aaa9dcd82d011e64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shcherbich.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Shcherbich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2024, FSB officers detained Sergey Fedorov in Tolyatti. To give explanations, he was taken 2,000 kilometers away, to Petrozavodsk. After 2 months, a criminal case was opened against the man for believing in God, accused of extremism, placed in a pre-trial detention center and included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\nSergey was born in 1974 in Suzdal (Vladimir region) in a simple family: his father worked on a farm, and his mother worked as a nanny in a kindergarten. He has a younger brother. Their parents are now retired.\nAs a child, Sergey was engaged in wushu and sambo, in his student years he was fond of dancing. He graduated from the Agricultural Academy in Ivanovo, where he received the profession of a mechanical engineer. Then, at Suzdal college, Sergey taught descriptive geometry, engineering graphics and drawing for several months. Later, he quit his job and began to earn extra money as a watchman, waiter, and auxiliary worker.\nWhen Sergey was studying at the institute, he became interested in the Bible and in 1995 decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In the late 1990s, instead of serving in the army, he applied for alternative civilian service.\nIn 2011, Sergey married Yevgenia, a pharmacist by profession. She grew up in a Christian family. The spouses love to travel, go to the forest, bathhouse, swimming pool, and fishing.\nSergey\u0026#39;s parents are worried about the situation and worry that, perhaps, due to their age, they will not see their son again.\n","date":"2024-07-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sfedorov/photo_hu_101f25c742a365ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sfedorov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sfedorov/photo_hu_1fdb1e1aa906fac8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sfedorov/photo_hu_8c6b6a58eb08d5d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sfedorov.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Fedorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 4, 2024, the Primorye Regional Court considered the prosecutor\u0026#39;s appeal for mitigation of the sentences of four of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Luchegorsk. The judicial board amended the verdict, reducing the suspended sentences by a month for each of the convicts. The decision came into force.\nIn the court of first instance, the prosecutor requested real terms: six years for Yuriy Ponomarenko and Oleg Sergeyev, two years and six months for Andrey Lyakhov, two years for Nikolay Dikhtyar, but the judge sentenced the believers to suspended terms: Yuriy Ponomarenko received six years and six months, Oleg Sergeyev — six years and four months, Andrey Lyakhov — two years and eight months, Nikolay Dikhtyar — two years and six months.\nProsecutor S.E. Mekesheva pointed out that the court of first instance had incorrectly applied the aggravating circumstance of \u0026quot;committing a crime as part of an organized group.\u0026quot; Since this circumstance is already provided for in the article of conviction and cannot be considered again when imposing punishment, the prosecutor requested to mitigate the sentence of the first instance.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_232065f1971ca888.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_c60567085afa1c3d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_3edb90aedcc107c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/311346/image_hu_cb429dd3ed46730b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/311346.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"The Term for Each of Them Reduced by a Month","tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"At the Request of the Prosecutor, the Primorye Regional Court Commuted the Sentences of Four Believers from Luchegorsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 3, 2024, Sergey Mikhin, judge of the Abinsk District Court, declared the peaceful believer Valeriy Baylo an extremist for discussing the Bible via video conferencing. He pleads not guilty and can appeal the verdict.\nThree months earlier, on April 2, the believer was summoned to the police department in the village of Akhtyrsky. From there he was taken to the Investigative Committee in Abinsk, where he was interrogated and then sent to a temporary detention facility. The next day, Baylo\u0026#39;s home was searched. They seized his electronic devices as well as literature, which he had found on the street and brought home to light the stove. Then the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center.\nOn June 13, the believer's case went to by the Abinsk District Court. The first hearing came as a surprise to Valeriy. He was given a few minutes to get ready, was put in a car and taken to court, therefore, he could not prepare for the trial. And already at the third session, the judge passed a guilty verdict under Article 282.2(2) of the RFCrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization).\nIn the pretrial detention center, Baylo\u0026#39;s health has deteriorated: his chronic illnesses have worsened, he needs urgent dental care and knee surgery. The believer and his lawyer repeatedly sent requests for medical assistance to the administration of the pretrial detention center, but it has never been provided.\nBefore his arrest, Valeriy Baylo was living alone. After he ended up in the pretrial detention center, his relatives discovered that a large amount of money had disappeared from the house, which had not been seized during the search. He had already faced loss of property in the past. Due to a default, he lost all his savings and, with his children, whom he raised alone after the death of his wife, was forced to live on the territory of a factory for 7 years without electricity and water.\nValeriy Baylo is not the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness whose case was considered by the Abinsk District Court in the shortest possible time, making it impossible to grasp the essence of the charge and to exercise the right to a comprehensive defense. Vasiliy Meleshko was sentenced to a term in the penal colony in just 2 sessions, Aleksandr Ivshin — in 4. All 8 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, whose criminal cases were heard in the Abinsk District Court, received terms of imprisonment for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_1b0e618303ed7781.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_1881fcad232caa7d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_c439dff5d809b2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/081716/image_hu_d23f7c0f5e532f54.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/081716.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Three Hearings, the Court Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Kholmskaya, 66, to 2.5 Years in a Penal Colony for His Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2024, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria dismissed the prosecutor\u0026#39;s appeal against the acquittal of Kirill Gushchin, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The acquittal entered into force. The right to rehabilitation is recognized for the believer.\nTwo months earlier, in May 2024, the court of first instance acquitted Kirill Gushchin, finding him not guilty of extremism. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a general regime colony for the believer.\nIn the appeal, the prosecutor expressed disagreement with the conclusions made by the judge of first instance. According to the state prosecutor, the testimony of witnesses and experts was assessed incorrectly and required a retrial. The lawyer and the believer himself disagree and believe that the state prosecutor did not take into account the evidence obtained in court, as well as the explanations from the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that individual or joint confession of religion, the performance of divine services or other religious rites and ceremonies do not constitute crimes (paragraph 20). The defense also insisted that the court had already carefully considered all the evidence and found that Gushchin\u0026#39;s actions did not contain signs of extremism.\nKirill Gushchin, for his part, drew attention to the fact that the court of first instance did not commit violations when considering the evidence of both the prosecution and the defense. He added: \u0026quot;The arguments presented by the public prosecutor do not contain facts that would indicate the existence of grounds for overturning the sentence.\u0026quot;\nThe court sided with the defendant, stating: \u0026quot;Thus, the evidence presented by the prosecution in its entirety did not refute the defendant\u0026#39;s assertion that he did not organize and did not continue the activities of the local religious organization Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses of Maiskiy, which was liquidated by a court decision, but, being an adherent and follower of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, participated in the conduct of religious ceremonies of this religion in residential premises ... reading and discussing religious literature, viewing religious materials, disseminating religious beliefs, which is considered the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and religion and is not related to the organization, continuation or renewal of the prohibited activities of an organization recognized as extremist.\u0026quot;\nKirill Gushchin has been defending his right to religion for more than 4 years. A criminal case for participation in activities of an extremist organization was also initiated against the believer\u0026#39;s wife, Svetlana.\nIn 2021, another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Kabardino-Balkaria, Yuriy Zalipaev, was acquitted. The court decision has already been approved by higher courts. The prosecution officially apologized for the unjustified criminal prosecution, and the court ruled to pay compensation for moral damage.\n","category":"victory","date":"2024-07-02T16:07:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/021607/image_hu_ca18227d3b1fd4aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/021607/image_hu_1c8365fc219bb762.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/021607/image_hu_ac8718acb8d2f92e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/021607/image_hu_a43be786d5ffca26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021607.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","acquittal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"An Appeal in Kabardino-Balkaria Upheld Kirill Gushchin's Right to Profess the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Following two trials and two appeals, the case of the Postnikov couple reached the court of cassation. On July 2, 2024, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld the verdict of 5.5 and 4.5 years suspended sentences.\nIn their cassation appeal, the Postnikov couple stated: \u0026quot;The courts have replaced the concept of the doctrine of the Christian denomination of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, with the \u0026#39;doctrine\u0026#39; of the liquidated organizations, the practice of which, the courts regarded as a continuation of the activity of these legal entities.\u0026quot;\nOleg Postnikov, speaking before the court of cassation, said: \u0026quot;There was no extremism in our actions.Christian love motivated me and my wife to visit L.P. Kabak and talk to her about spiritual topics. This woman asked us for help to better understand the Bible. After all, the Bible foretells that a wonderful future awaits mankind... Love and the desire to do good to others are our true motives.\u0026quot;\nIn 1985, faith in Jehovah God helped the convicted Postnikov to change and became a Christian. Agnessa decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses back in 1979. The couple\u0026#39;s lawyer noted: \u0026quot;They practiced and spread their faith, guided by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation both before 1991 and after 2017, that is, long before the creation and liquidation of legal entities which they are accused of participating in.\u0026quot;\nThe Postnikovs do not concentrate on their difficulties, while serving their suspended term. Oleg said: \u0026quot;Reflecting on those who have shown faith and courage, helps me to develop faith and courage. I try to imagine in detail the circumstances of the people mentioned in the Bible and the brothers and sisters who, in our time, have endured and continue to endure persecution.\u0026quot; Agnessa said: \u0026quot;I always pray for my brothers and sisters, as well as their families. I like to read the biographies of fellow believers, it helps me to feel love for them and write letters of support.\u0026quot;\nIn February 2024, the FSB again raided the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan and the village of Amurzet. The number of victims again included the Postnikov couple. Oleg was threatened with tougher punishment.\nIn the court hearing, the lawyer emphasized: \u0026quot;The Russian Federation officially, publicly and consistently declares that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 did not impose a ban on either the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses or the ways in which this religion is practiced.\u0026quot; However, persecution of peaceful believers continues.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_d0e6c538def3ec35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_8bfac39c79f9d84.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_791c8cda9543df41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/021538/image_hu_fe140701a0979320.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021538.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"They Received Suspended Sentences for Peaceful Conversations About God","tags":["cassation","complaints","suspended","families","elderly"],"title":"After 3 Years of Legal Proceedings, Court of Cassation Finally Upheld the Verdict Against the Postnikov Couple.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2024, at least 9 addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were searched in the city of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Region, and another search was conducted by Nizhny Novgorod law enforcement officers in Akhtubinsk, about 1100 km from Kstovo. In total, the investigative measures affected more than 20 people.\nThe law enforcement officers went to a home of a believer, 57, at about 6 a.m. During the search, her mobile devices, laptop and hard drive were confiscated. She was threatened with arrest and asked questions about other believers whose homes had been searched that morning. After that, she was taken for interrogation.\nWhile searching the house of a married couple, law enforcement officers behaved aggressively. Armed SOBR fighters knocked down the 55-year-old owner of the house, twisted his arm behind his back and pressed him to the floor with their knee, although he did not resist. The security forces confiscated electronic devices from believers and demanded that they provide passwords.\nIn some cases, searches took place in the presence of minor children. Also, electronic and storage devices were seized from their parents. During the search of another family\u0026#39;s home, investigators confiscated two cars.\nAfter the searches, four residents of Kstovo were detained. Another married couple, a 45-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, were detained by Nizhny Novgorod law enforcement officers in Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan Region) as part of the same case.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-07-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/search.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/051457.html","regions":["astrakhan","nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Six Believers Detained","tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","minors","families"],"title":"In the Nizhny Novgorod and Astrakhan Regions, Searches at homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Carried Out.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 1, 2024, Judge Valentin Shchukalskiy of the Krasnogvardeysky District Court of the Republic of Crimea convicted two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich. The court gave them a 6-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years.\nThe story of the prosecution of Gerashchenko and Parfenovich began back in 2022. In September, V.A. Novikov, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea, initiated a criminal case against Sergey Parfenovich under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A few days later, a 6-hour search took place in Sergey\u0026#39;s house. At the time, his minor daughter and his elderly disabled father, were in the house. Parfenovich was detained, placed in a pretrial detention center for 1.5 months, and then under house arrest. Six months later, in the same case, Yuriy Gerashchenko was charged under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC. He spent 269 days under house arrest and later was released under a ban on certain activities.\nIn July 2023, the case went to court. It took the judge a year to consider it. In his final statement, Sergey Parfenovich said: \u0026quot;The prosecution believes that worshiping Jehovah is extremism. I am in the dock for participating in meetings for worship. That is, in order for me to \u0026#39;repent,\u0026#39; I need to give up worshiping Jehovah. I can\u0026#39;t, and I don\u0026#39;t want to do this!\u0026quot; He asked to be cleared of all charges and the label of an extremist. Yuriy Gerashchenko also disagrees with the decision. They can appeal the verdict to a higher court.\nIn Crimea, 11 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_851cb09b106e0ce6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_167e768d2470a21c.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_62158c8e6054ae12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/031102/image_hu_f8289b210cf310.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/031102.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, One of the Convicted Persons Is a Father of Six","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2024, the court gave Sergey Petrenko, 45, a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year. Yelena Usoltseva, judge of the Mayminsky District Court, considered attending peaceful meetings for worship to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal prosecution of Petrenko began in January 2022, when his house was searched. In July of the same year, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against the believer, separating the materials from the case of Aleksandr Kalistratov. Sergey Petrenko was accused of participating in the activity of a banned organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) and was placed under a recognizance agreement. In December 2022, his management asked him to quit his job because he was being prosecuted, after which it became more difficult for him to provide for his family.\nPetrenko\u0026#39;s case was considered in court for 1.5 years. During this time, the judge was changed three times. At the hearings, witnesses for the prosecution stated that their testimonies in the interrogation protocols were distorted. Petrenko himself said in his final statement that, in his opinion, he was in the dock solely because he practises the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He added: \u0026quot;People who are not Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — my relatives, neighbors and colleagues — are perplexed that a decent and law-abiding citizen became a victim of a criminal prosecution.\u0026quot;\nThe believer can appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-27T13:10:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_ad8b60b3412201da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_673dfa827e61d71e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_e8d4070fcb3e842f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271310/image_hu_c57a6ac3abe131f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271310.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"A Local Jehovah's Witness Sentenced in Gorno-Altaysk","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Faith in God.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"Your Honor, after I got to know Jehovah what kind of God he is, that all the suffering that people endure is not from him, I wanted to tell everyone about it. Is it possible to punish for this?\"\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/465.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Galitsyna's concluding remarks in Novocherkassk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I want to be useful to people, society and the country in which I live. I am by no means a criminal or a villain,\" the believer said in his last word and asked for acquittal.\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/464.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Garegin Khachaturian in Novocherkassk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the defendant stated that he was being tried only for what he believed in and expressed hope for a fair verdict: \"I am not a criminal and did not violate the laws of the Russian Federation.\"\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/463.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Gevorg Yeritsyan in Novocherkassk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer explained that the worship of God for which he is being tried was peaceful and not a crime. He stressed that even the prosecution witnesses \"could not answer anything, thereby proving the inconsistency of their testimony.\"\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/466.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Sergey Parfenovich in Krasnogvardeyskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said: \"As a servant of God, I understand perfectly well why I am here. The Bible prophecy recorded in the Gospel is being fulfilled on me.\"\n","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/467.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Yuriy Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 26, 2024, Nikolay Yegorov, judge of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region, sentenced Lubov Galitsina to 2 years and 3 months, Gevorg Yeritsyan to 6 years and 2 months, and Garegin Khachaturyan to 6.5 years in a penal colony. The court considered the term given to Galitsina to have already been served: she will remain at large.\nIn August 2022, V.V. Bardakov, the investigator for the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against three believers. The men were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the woman was accused of participating in it. On the same day, their homes were searched. All three were interrogated and detained. The law enforcement officers considered the meetings for worship, which were held using the Zoom program, to be a continuation of the activity of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the city of Novocherkassk banned by the RF Supreme Court in 2017. Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan spent almost 2 years in a pretrial detention center, and Galitsina was in detention for more than a year, after which she was released under house arrest.\nIn the pretrial detention center, her diabetes and hypertension worsened and her vision and hearing also deteriorated. The believer repeatedly requested the administration of the institution to have a medical examination, but for a long time she was refused. And then, when the doctor arrived, the staff of the institution did not let them see her. In the end, Lubov was visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health, who carried out an examination in the detention center conditions.\nThe believers are grateful to friends and relatives for their support. They were especially encouraged when they came and even traveled from other cities to court hearings. They were also strengthened by letters from fellow believers from all over the world.\nSpeaking at one of the court hearings, Lubov Galitsyna, 68, noted: \u0026quot;Disobedience to the laws of the state is a protest against God himself, which is completely unacceptable for me as a believer.\u0026quot; Gevorg Yeritsyan, 37, said: \u0026quot;The basis of my faith is love.\u0026quot; Garegin Khachaturyan, 56, cited the words of Jesus Christ: \u0026quot;Love even your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.\u0026quot; Then he said, \u0026quot;For me, these are not just words, but a guide to action — in the family, in society, with neighbors.\u0026quot;\nIn the Rostov Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been convicted for their faith, 10 of them are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_8fd13f627334475.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_9d725187609a11e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271742/image_hu_9df8e98346da258a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271742.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","prison-treatment","sizo"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Novocherkassk Sentenced to Up to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 25, 2024, the Kamchatka Regional Court upheld the verdict of the court of first instance against Yelena and Sergey Chechulin: 2-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an \u0026quot;extremist\u0026quot; organization.\nThe believers do not agree with the decisions of the courts. Yelena Chechulina noted in her appeal: \u0026quot;The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions, and it did not establish against which specific social group I acted. All my actions were completely peaceful.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;The law does not consider practicing the religion to which the liquidated religious associations belonged, including together with others, a sign of extremism. Therefore, declaring a legal entity extremist is not tantamount to imposing a ban on a religious denomination with its inherent teachings, spiritual terminology, and the procedure for holding meetings for worship.\u0026quot;\nThe state prosecutor Khramova requested that the court of appeal toughen the punishment and increase it to a 6-year suspended sentence \u0026quot;in connection with the aggravating circumstance that the crime was committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy\u0026quot; — this is how Khramova regarded reading the Bible together with other believers.\nDue to the guilty verdict, the Chechulins are deprived of the opportunity to travel outside the Kamchatka Territory. Their car has been seized, their accounts have been blocked and they cannot make their monthly mortgage payment themselves.\nThe authorities of the Kamchatka Territory continue the religious persecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: to date, 10 believers have suffered from the judicial system because of their peaceful beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/261048/image_hu_5047d41405e76f2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/261048/image_hu_4c41f9dbf375e364.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/261048/image_hu_4b3e9238481418ec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/261048/image_hu_ffccc39bdf328f5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/261048.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upholds the Guilty Verdict Against a Jehovah's Witness Couple from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court that love prompts her to tell people about God. She asked the court: \"Do you think words from the Bible can harm the constitutional order, a group of people, or an individual citizen of the Russian Federation? On the contrary, they bring comfort and hope!\"\n","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/468.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Defendant Yulia Globa's concluding remarks in Unecha","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the last word, the defendant commented on the persecution he faced: \"It turns out, as in Krylov's fable \"The Wolf and the Lamb\": \"You are to blame only for the fact that I want to eat.\" My only fault is that someone doesn't like my religion. But is it possible to condemn a person for this?\"\n","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/462.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Petrenko in Gorno-Altaisk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 25, 2024, Tatyana Postavneva, judge of the Unecha District Court of the Bryansk Region, found Yuliya Globa guilty of extremism. English teacher, 42, got a 2,5-year suspended sentence for practicing her religion.\nIn May 2023, the Investigative Committee of the Bryansk Region initiated a criminal case against the believer. The investigation considered the conversations with people about the Bible to be participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Prior to that, the home of Yuliya and her husband, Ernest, had been searched three times. After 4.5 months of investigative actions the case went to court.\nWitnesses for the prosecution gave a positive description of Yuliya\u0026#39;s character. An Orthodox priest, who also appeared in court as a witness, said he was not familiar with the accused and her activity. The expert, professor of the Department of World History and International Relations, noted that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not banned in Russia.\nIn her final statement, Globa said: \u0026quot;Your Honor, what do you think, can words from the Bible harm the constitutional order, a group of people, or an individual RF citizen? On the contrary, they give comfort and hope! Therefore, I do not consider myself guilty of the crime I am accused of.\u0026quot;\nEarlier in the Bryansk Region, four other fellow believers of Yuliya, including two women, were convicted on similar charges. A total of 116 women have already been convicted in Russia for belonging to that religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_6c21a7af5011e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_7662c655f16e8dba.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_425da77e284a66c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/271729/image_hu_859d64fe9822a7ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/271729.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":"Yuliya Globa From Unecha Got a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Yet Another Resident of the Bryansk Region Was Convicted for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 24, 2024, Yevgeniy Rafalskiy, judge of the Lesosibirsk City Court, found Valeriy Schitz guilty of extremism. The believer, 58, whose family was repressed on ethnic grounds in the USSR, was sentenced to a large fine.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Schitz in November 2021. He was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The evidence was based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship, in which Valeriy discusses Bible thoughts and says a prayer.\nThe homes of Schitz and several of his fellow believers were searched. They placed the believer under a recognizance agreement. In March 2023, after almost 1.5 years of investigation, the case went to court. At the hearing, two secret witnesses testified personally to the judge in a separate room. One of them stated that he did not know Valeriy Schitz and had never attended a meeting of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Lesosibirsk. The defense noted that their testimonies were identical to those of secret witnesses in similar cases in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nAt the request of the state prosecutor, the court read out a copy of the verdict against Andrey Stupnikov, whose case has nothing to do with the case of Valeriy Schitz.\nA total of 31 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have faced criminal prosecution for their faith, and sentences in 13 cases have already entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-24T15:33:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/241533/image_hu_1779e4eaa0b73ec3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/241533/image_hu_bb15c12e51eb5ff4.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/241533/image_hu_77cc0abe6ed2f8d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/241533/image_hu_3cbe30eeeaadbbf8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/241533.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"This Is Already the 14th Sentence in the Region for Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Court Fined Valeriy Schitz From Lesosibirsk 600,000 Rubles.","type":"news"},{"body":"The longest terms of imprisonment since the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were given to believers by Roman Chiskovskiy, judge of the Industrialniy District Court of Khabarovsk. The decision was handed down on June 20, 2024, after five years of litigation. For Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim, this is the second sentence for their faith.\nNikolay Polevodov was sentenced to 8.5 years in a penal colony, Vitaliy Zhuk — to 8 years and 4 months, and Stanislav Kim — to 8 years and 2 months. They were taken into custody in the courtroom. The court gave the women suspended sentences: 5 years for Tatyana Zhuk and Svetlana Sedova and 4 years for Maya Karpushkina.\n\u0026quot;During the entire trial,\u0026quot; said Vitaliy Zhuk, \u0026quot;I never heard what exactly in my words and actions constituted a crime of an extremist nature and what I should stop doing in order to not be considered a criminal.\u0026quot; Nikolay Polevodov expressed a similar thought: \u0026quot;All the facts considered during this trial clearly prove that I am being prosecuted not for actual crimes, but for my religious views. The prosecution is trying to promote the idea that I committed a crime, without even providing evidence.\u0026quot;\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against six Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in November 2018. On the same day, riot police arranged a raid on believers who had gathered in a cafe for a friendly party. As a result, Kim, Polevodov and Zhuk ended up in a pretrial detention center, where they spent 2 months. They were then under house arrest for between 6 and 12 months.\nThe case went to court in July 2019. For a year Judge Vera Pismennaya examined the case materials and interrogated witnesses, but the basis of the charges was never clarified. The case was returned to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, and 4 months later it again went to court.\nThe defense recused Judge Chiskovskiy, pointing to an obvious \u0026quot;bias against the defendants and the desire for a guilty verdict\u0026quot; at the stage of the judicial investigation. In their motion, the lawyers noted that, among other things, the judge limited the right of the accused to familiarize themselves with the evidence in the case, and also allowed himself to reprimand them in a raised voice, \u0026quot;perceiving\u0026quot; some motions \u0026quot;as personal insults.\u0026quot; Roman Chiskovskiy refused his recusal.\nMeanwhile, Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov were defendants in another criminal case for their faith. The Zheleznodorozhniy District Court of Khabarovsk gave them a 2-year suspended sentence \u0026quot;for participating in extremist activity,\u0026quot; namely: for discussing the Bible and Christian teachings. This sentence is already considered to have been served.\nAt the time of publication of this text, out of 811 defendants in criminal cases for their faith, 170 were sentenced to imprisonment. 108 of them (over 63%) received sentences of 5 years or more; 9 people were sentenced to 8 years or more.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-24T11:47:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_b5140fb9c01dd2db.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_66a285af63493f0f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_cf8c3a0c95b29b68.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/241147/image_hu_cf6c697310fee25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/241147.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","elderly","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Khabarovsk Handed Down Record Harsh Sentences to a Group of Jehovah's Witnesses—Up to 8.5 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 24, 2024, the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the decision to transfer Viktor Stashevskiy from the penal colony to a prison. He became the first convicted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness to serve his sentence under such conditions.\nViktor Stashevskiy is a former sailor of the Northern Fleet of Russia. In 2019, he faced prosecution because of his religion and was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. He was sent to penal colony No.9 in the Krasnodar Territory.\nThe administration of the penal colony, for far-fetched reasons, regularly imposed penalties on him, some of which he did not even know about. These penalties became the formality for keeping Viktor in strict conditions, where he spent a large portion of his term.\nNow the believer will go to prison for 3 years to serve the rest of his sentence. Prison conditions are more stringent and allow less freedom of movement.\n\u0026quot;A highly moral, law-abiding person is not only imprisoned for crimes he did not commit, but also suffers from toughened conditions of detention simply because he ended up in a penal colony, where the administration is biased against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as a group,\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"prison","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/07/021507/image_hu_9bc54feb14dbcab4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/07/021507/image_hu_f94b49e2c2df2b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/07/021507/image_hu_83597bcc57a183f3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/07/021507/image_hu_76f1e44b821e5d08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021507.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","transfer","strict-conditions"],"title":"From Penal Colony to Prison: Court of Appeal Upheld the Decision to Toughen the Punishment for Jehovah's Witness Viktor Stashevskiy","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 24, 2024, Aleksey Polevshchikov, judge of the Elista City Court of the Republic of Kalmykia gave three believers suspended sentences: Tsagan Khalgayeva and Yekaterina Menkova 2 years, and Kishta Tutinova 3 years. The court considered the women\u0026#39;s peaceful conversations about God and the Bible via video conferencing a crime.\nIn February 2023, the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Kalmykia initiated a criminal case against pensioner Tutinova on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A week later, her hime and the homes of Khalgayeva and Menkova were searched. After that Tutinova was sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days. In December 2023, Yekaterina and Tsagan were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. A year later, the case went to court, where it was under consideration for 3 months.\nThe prosecutor requested suspended sentences of 6, 3 and 2.5 for Tutinova, Khalgayeva and Menkova, respectively. In passing the sentence, the court reclassified Tutinova\u0026#39;s charge from organizing to participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe lawyer commented on the videos from the case materials, which were presented as evidence of illegal activity: \u0026quot;We observed everyday conversations about the weather, health, doctors, and culinary recipes. But most importantly, we observed the usual religious life of a believer: the video recorded how Kishta says prayers to Jehovah God, reads and discusses passages from the Bible with others, and talks about religious topics. Neither the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kalmykia nor the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has prohibited any of this.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the criminal prosecution, the women experienced various difficulties. During the search, Yekaterina Menkova fell ill, and the security forces had to call an ambulance for her. Tsagan Khalgayeva was dismissed from her job the day after the search and interrogation as a witness in the case. Pensioner Kishta Tutinova, who spent about 5 months under house arrest and more than 6 months under the ban on certain actions, said: \u0026quot;I was in a small one-bedroom apartment with my son\u0026#39;s family. There were seven of us. I also was not able to move around and go for walks, and this affected my well-being.\u0026quot;\nAccording to the believers, they managed not to lose heart thanks to the support of friends. \u0026quot;It is especially touching when those who have recently faced persecution themselves come, as well as those who are currently going through the same thing directly, but find the strength, time and have the desire to strengthen others,\u0026quot; said Yekaterina Menkova. Kishta Tutinova noted that the example of Andrey Vlasov and Dennis Christensen, who managed to maintain a positive attitude in prison, helped her in many ways.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_4ef0259f65ca4e10.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_7d5f08cb2f228505.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_f3fd1113f6aae0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/270954/image_hu_d2ab455a3430265.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/270954.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Sentenced in Kalmykia for the First Time Since 2017: Three Women Received Suspended Sentences for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2024, Natalya Zalevskaya, judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court, sent Sergey Fedorov, 50, to a pretrial detention center. The day before, the home of the believer was searched.\nBack in March 2024, law enforcement officers first went to the home of the Fedorov couple in the city of Tolyatti, where they then lived, with a search warrant. The apartment of the believers was invaded by 9 people who did not identify themselves. The couple was taken to different rooms, Fedorov was handcuffed and hit on the head. Then 8 people spread out around the apartment, one stayed with Sergey, holding him on the floor on his knees with his hands clasped behind his back and raised high.\nThe Fedorovs were not read their rights, nor were they allowed to make a phone call to their relatives. During the 4-hour \u0026quot;inspection\u0026quot;, according to believers, the law enforcement officers planted several books, flash drives and other items. Laptops, mobile phones, smartwatches, and personal notes were seized.\nThen Sergey Fedorov was taken to Petrozavodsk for interrogation, which was conducted by M.V. Golubenko, Lieutenant Colonel of the FSB. After interrogation, the believer was released. On June 6, 2024, Golubenko initiated a criminal case against Sergey Fedorov under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC (organizing the activity of an extremist organization).\nOn June 20, in Petrozavodsk, the Fedorovs\u0026#39; house was searched again with the participation of the same representatives of the local FSB. The couple was taken to the local office where Sergey was detained. The next day, the court imposed pretrial detention as a preventive measure on him. The believer is in a detention center at penal colony No.9 in the Republic of Karelia.\nThis is the fourth criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in this region. Five believers had previously been sentenced to heavy fines.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/07/021634.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","interrogation","search","plant","inspection"],"title":"In Petrozavodsk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Arrested After a Search","type":"news"},{"body":"\"As a mother of three children, I am credited with actions similar to terrorist ones,\" the believer said in her speech. \"Since childhood, I have been taught to adhere to high moral biblical standards. The Bible teaches us to overcome evil with good. It is a blatant injustice to accuse me of extremism!\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:38:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/461.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Sedova in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Nikolai Polevodov expressed bewilderment at the process: \"The prosecution is trying to instill the idea that I committed a crime, without even providing evidence confirming it. Therefore, I still do not understand which of my actions or words were illegal.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:35:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/460.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolai Polevodov in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the believer told the court that her actions were exclusively peaceful: \"By sharing what is written in it [the Bible], I wanted to help the people around me become a little better and happier.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:32:43+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/459.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maya Karpushkina in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement in court, the believer spoke about the public benefit of Jehovah's Witnesses and stated: \"The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses helps law enforcement agencies through preventive and moral methods, but instead of gratitude, believers are tried and imprisoned.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:31:01+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/458.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Stanislav Kim in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining his position to the court, the believer noted: \"I never heard what exactly in my words and actions constituted a crime of an extremist nature.\" He asked the court to take into account that \"the peaceful worship of God cannot be recognized as a crime in a modern civilized state.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:27:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/457.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Zhuk in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Tatyana Zhuk shared her bitter feelings about false accusations of extremism and added: \"Forbidding me to meet with fellow believers and talking about our Creator is like forbidding me to breathe.\"\n","date":"2024-06-20T15:07:20+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/456.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Zhuk in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In 1949, Anastasia Gaytur grandparents and their families were exiled to Siberia because of their faith in Jehovah God. In the spring of 2024, a few months after her father, Aleksandr, the girl herself was persecuted for her beliefs.\nAnastasia was born in February 1996 in the city of Petukhovo (Kurgan region). She has an elder brother and sister. Her father worked as a builder all his life, and her mother was a housewife. During her school years, Anastasia attended a handicraft group. She loved animals, so she spent a lot of time caring for them and playing.\nAnastasia received her profession at the Kurgan Technical School of Service and Technology, where she studied to be a hairdresser. The girl also graduated from manicure master courses. She worked as a hairdresser, administrator in a grooming studio and cleaning specialist.\nIn her free time, Anastasia likes to read books of different genres and play volleyball. She enjoys hiking and cycling. Anastasia continues to acquire new skills: she draws from video lessons, learns to play the guitar, bakes homemade sourdough bread.\n\u0026quot;Since childhood, I knew biblical truths and could not imagine life without God. He was always real to me,\u0026quot; the girl said. \u0026quot;As a teenager, I tried to read and understand the Bible on my own.\u0026quot;\nThe stress caused by the criminal prosecution negatively affected Anastasiya\u0026#39;s health, which is why she needed medical attention. The believer was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list, her bank cards were blocked, so every month she must write an application to the bank to receive her salary.\nIt is painful for family members, especially parents, to see the injustice their loved one faces.\n","date":"2024-08-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/agaytur/photo_hu_ef0b7cd0731b3a94.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/agaytur/photo_hu_61cc2d658380f2a9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/agaytur/photo_hu_4ba36d1019569123.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/agaytur/photo_hu_79dd9afef3219b70.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/agaytur.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Gaytur","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2024, Irina Kamshilova, a peaceful resident of Kurgan, was prosecuted because of her belief in Jehovah God. This seriously affected the health of a woman who has a disability.\nIrina was born in March 1968 in Kurgan. She is the only child in the family. Her mother is no longer alive. Irina has an adult daughter.\nAs a child, Irina loved history and read a lot. After school, she entered a vocational technical school, where she received the specialties of a master tiler and plasterer-painter. She practically did not work by profession, and in 1996 she became disabled.\nIn her free time, Irina loves to knit. She also sets aside time for exercise, takes care of the garden and loves to chat with friends, including those from different cities.\nIrina believed in God from childhood. When her grandfather died, she was very worried. What she later read in the Bible about the condition of the dead supported and comforted her. Irina wanted to take the Christian path, which she did in 2001. Speaking in court with the final plea, she shared: \u0026quot;If you felt such love, peace and happiness inside, in your heart, you would not give anyone the opportunity to take this treasure away from you. As a child, I read a lot about how people look for the bird of happiness, and to be honest, I myself always thought about how to find it, how to become happy. It was only when I met Jehovah, a loving spiritual family, that I found this happiness.\u0026quot;\nIrina has already survived two searches. After the first one, in 2021, the believer developed heart disease due to stress, and she was also diagnosed with leukemia. Irina\u0026#39;s condition worsened against the background of the fact that she was repeatedly summoned for interrogations, where she was subjected to pressure and provocations from investigators.\n","date":"2024-07-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kamshilova/photo_hu_f338209093470e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kamshilova/photo_hu_b10854641312db5d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kamshilova/photo_hu_a63dca026af3a5b6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kamshilova/photo_hu_f45755d5b9f73e47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kamshilova.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability","health-risk"],"title":"Irina Kamshilova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 18, 2024, the panel of judges of the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic upheld the verdict against Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov. They will have to pay 450,000 and 400,000 rubles, respectively. The court ignored the arguments that the defendants gave in their appeals.\nGobozev and Potapov consider the verdict of the court of first instance unlawful. They are convinced that they are being prosecuted only because they are Christians \u0026ndash; Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, practicing their religion in ways not prohibited by law without any extremism. \u0026quot;Finding me guilty,\u0026quot; said Sergey Gobozev, \u0026quot;the court did not establish any consequences of my actions ... and did not mention them in the verdict.\u0026quot;\nSergey Gobozev drew the attention of the court of appeal to numerous violations of procedural law, including those related to the expert study and the material evidence. None of the questioned witnesses had ever heard extremist statements from him.\nMikhail Potapov stressed that he was accused of participating in peaceful meetings for worship, which he did not even attend. He also noted in his appeal that the state and all officials, are obliged to maintain neutrality and impartiality; they do not have the right to assess the legitimacy of religious beliefs and determine what he can and cannot believe.\nIn making its decision, the court of appeal did not apply the provisions of Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to which everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/191410/image_hu_dd74cd391e99bce2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/191410/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/191410/image_hu_37f2b039257a26fc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/191410/image_hu_d64087f0d99ef173.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/191410.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":"They Will Pay a Fine for Practicing a Religion That is Not Banned","tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Verdict Against the Believers Potapov and Gobozev.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 14, 2024, two Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Aleksandr Korolev, 45, and Denis Antonov, 47, were released from penal colony No.12 in Mordovia. They were happily met by relatives and friends.\nThe court sentenced the men to 2.5 years imprisonment in August 2022. They spent about 5 months in a pretrial detention center and 1 year and 5 months in a penal colony. Taking into account their pretrial detention, they fully served their sentence for their faith. In the penal colony, Korolev was sent to a punishment cell three times.\nReleased believers with friends and family, June 14, 2024 Olga and Denis Antonov when he was released, June 14, 2024 Denis and Olga Antonov on the day of his release, June 14, 2024 Natalia Koroleva meets Aleksandr as he leaves the penal colony, June 14, 2024 Aleksandr and Natalia Korolev on the day of his release, June 14, 2024 A criminal case against Korolev and Antonov was initiated in March 2019. Due to the criminal prosecution and his imprisonment, Denis Antonov lost his business. He was also providing for the elderly mother of Olga, his wife. All this time, Denis and his family were supported by fellow believers. \u0026quot;My wife and I have everything we need and even more,\u0026quot; Denis Antonov said during the trial.\nIn this criminal case, three more believers remain in custody: Georgiy Nikulin and his wife Yelena, as well as Vladimir Atryakhin. Yelena has to serve another 2 years and 2 months of her sentence, Georgiy — 1 year and 7 months, and Vladimir — 3 years and 9 months.\nIn total, 9 people have already been subjected to religious persecution in Mordovia.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/170845/image_hu_d044177b79e986c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/170845/image_hu_426b024529455622.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/170845/image_hu_f2c934ec577e3260.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/170845/image_hu_63cce5d67df2f955.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/170845.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Aleksandr Korolev and Denis Antonov Released From Penal Colony in Mordovia After Fully Serving Their Sentences for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 11, 2024, the sentence for Yelena Chernykh, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, entered into the legal force. The panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court agreed with the 3-year suspended sentence imposed on her but removed from the additional punishment the deprivation of the right to participate in public and religious associations.\n\u0026quot;The court has not established that I have any motives of religious hatred or enmity. All my actions were completely peaceful,\u0026quot; said the believer, 47, as she appealed. \u0026quot;I believe in God, talk to others about the Bible, share my beliefs with them, pray to Jehovah God and sing songs of praise to him.\u0026quot; Yelena concluded that she was convicted for practicing her faith in the way common to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and not for any extremist actions.\nThroughout the investigation, Yelena and her husband, Yuriy, were not left without help from their fellow believers. She said: \u0026quot;From the very first day I have felt the prayerful support of my dear friends. It is also very nice to see how they come to the court hearings even from other cities.\u0026quot;\nIn Russia, 190 women have already been prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah; the oldest of them was 89 (Rimma Vashchenko) when the criminal case was initiated, the youngest was 18 (Darya Dulova).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-11T08:22:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_44d22c2c32a7843d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_3cff87b56f841e15.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_9f546a34d4ab1115.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/110822/image_hu_59c53f5e9701dda5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/110822.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","complaints","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upholds the Verdict Against Yelena Chernykh from Prokopyevsk for her Faith - a 3-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"After spending a little more than 2 years and 3 months in a penal colony, Olga Ivanova, a 41-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was released on June 11, 2024. She has served her sentence in full.\nIn correctional colony No. 7 in the Stavropol Territory, Ivanova had to work hard in cloth cutting workshop. Her mother said: “She was so tired that in the morning she wanted to cry, because a night's rest wasn't enough, but she had to go back to work for 12 hours. She worked even on Saturdays, with only one day off.” For health reasons, Olga was exempt from working in the workshop for the last few months.\nCorrectional Colony No.7 in the Stavropol Territory, where Olga served her punishement Olga Ivanova\u0026#39;s mother meets her after her release Olga Ivanova\u0026#39;s friends welcome her after her release Olga Ivanova\u0026#39;s friends welcome her after her release Olga had a good relationship with her cellmates. She maintained her joy and a positive attitude thanks to her faith. According to Olga, praying helped her greatly along with letters from friends, which she received even in the pretrial detention center during her transfer.\nOlga Ivanova's husband, Yevgeniy, continues to serve a long term of imprisonment in Tatarstan. In a penal colony in the Stavropol Territory, another believer from Astrakhan, Anna Safronova, continues to serve time for her religious beliefs. Across the country, 96 more Jehovah's Witnesses are imprisoned for their beliefs.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-06-11T08:20:58+03:00","duration":"0:38","image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/110820/image_hu_6266b2d8441a771a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/110820/image_hu_afc4ea968ff63e4c.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/110820/image_hu_ff20ea95920516a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/110820/image_hu_c016edc86db916a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/110820.html","regions":["astrakhan","stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families"],"title":"Olga Ivanova, Convicted for her Faith in God in 2021, Released from the Penal Colony in Zelenokumsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev from Barnaul will remain in a penal colony to serve his sentence — on June 6, 2024, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the verdict and appeal decision in the case against the believer.\nIn August 2023, Kazadaev\u0026#39;s case took an unexpected turn: instead of the 3-year suspended sentence imposed by the court, the court of appeal, satisfying the prosecutor\u0026#39;s request, sent the believer to a penal colony for the same period.\nKazadaev himself completely denies being guilty of extremism. \u0026quot;The actions I'm charged with were peaceful, and caused no harmful consequences to anyone,\u0026quot; the believer said in his cassation appeal.\nAt the time of the cassation hearing, he was kept in a strict regime penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-06-06T15:44:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/061544/image_hu_cd3cdcbc3a69e4d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/061544/image_hu_873c75993c22b688.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/061544/image_hu_105ecdd706461ecd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/061544/image_hu_fc5a1c5be8547329.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/061544.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","complaints","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Kemerovo Left Pavel Kazadaev Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"\"My views and life principles have nothing to do with extremism, hatred, or enmity,\" the believer said at the trial and asked: \"Is it worth condemning for wanting to help people and glorify God?\"\n","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/454.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ekaterina Menkova in Elista","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Kishta stressed that she had never carried out extremist activities: \"I am a believer and a law-abiding citizen. My motive was love for God and my neighbor.\"\n","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/453.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Kishta Tutinova in Elista","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the believer in her defense said: \"I am unfamiliar with extremism in all its disgusting forms [...] I am very sad and sad that the prosecution has equated me, Khalgaeva Tsagan Borisovna, with extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/455.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tsagan Khalgaeva in Elista","type":"docs"},{"body":"A resident of the Astrakhan Region, Rinat Kiramov, sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony for his beliefs, was tortured in correctional medical facility No. 3 of the Tula Region, to force him to incriminate his fellow believers. Kiramov\u0026#39;s lawyer mentions this in his complaint to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office. An inspection documented injuries on the body of the believer.\nIn April last year, Rinat Kiramov and two other believers were convicted because they discussed Bible topics with friends. Rinat Kiramov was sent to penal colony No. 6 of the Tula Region to serve his sentence. However, on April 18, 2024, Kiramov was transferred to correctional medical facility No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Tula Region on suspicion of tuberculosis.\nA few days later during a brief visit, Rinat\u0026#39;s wife, Galina Kiramova, immediately noticed bruises on her husband\u0026#39;s face. Eventually, the lawyer Denis Zubanov found out, that on April 20, several prisoners insisted that Rinat disclose the names of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses living in Akhtubinsk. After refusing to do so, the believer was beaten for several days, as well as tortured with waterboarding and with a stun gun. From April 20 to April 24, he was deprived of sleep, and was only allowed to eat once a day. The protocol of Kiramov\u0026#39;s interview states: \u0026quot;During the entire time spent in the medical correctional institution... he was not allowed to brush his teeth, shave, wash or even sit down.\u0026quot;\nThe lawyer appealed to the Tula Prosecutor for Supervision of Compliance with Laws in Correctional Institutions with a request for an urgent medical examination of Kiramov and verification of the legality of his transfer to the correctional medical facility.\nThe internal service of the correctional medical facility carried out an investigation into the reported torture. As a result, as stated in the relevant document, injuries were found on the body of Kiramov, which is \u0026quot;a sign of corpus delicti.\u0026quot;\nAccording to the response of the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office of the Tula Region, on May 3, 2024, the materials were transferred for further investigation to the Skuratovskiy police department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Tula.\nThe believer was found not to have tuberculosis, so on May 17 he was sent from the correctional medical facility back to the Tula penal colony.\n","category":"crime","date":"2024-06-04T10:43:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/06/041043/image_hu_dc025094412d724a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/06/041043/image_hu_5e91f49c8a67abad.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/06/041043/image_hu_f168672662bc362f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/06/041043/image_hu_9be2091692b0369b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/041043.html","regions":["tula","astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","torture","torture-conditions","forced-hospitalization","complaints","siloviks-violence"],"title":"A Convicted Jehovah's Witnesses from Akhtubinsk Was Tortured","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of June 4, 2024, security forces invaded the homes of at least three families of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Izhevsk. One man was sent to pretrial detention, two were banned from certain actions.\nA criminal case against the believers \u0026ndash; the fourth in the region \u0026ndash; was initiated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic a day earlier. The case proceedings are being conducted by investigator Artur Selin.\nThe search at the home of Aleksandr Stefanidin, 32, and his wife began at about 7 a.m. and lasted 2 hours. Electronic devices and flash drives were seized from the family. After that, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation. On June 5, the judge of the Industrialniy District Court of Izhevsk, Aleksandr Shishkin, sent Stefanidin to the detention center.\nAnother of those against whom the case was initiated, is pensioner Indus Talipov, 73.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/06/070956.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","prohibition-of-actions","families","elderly"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk Placed in Pretrial Detention Center After Searches","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2024, Arina Fedorova, judge of the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region, gave Yevgeniy Sokolov, 48, a 3-year suspended sentence. He attended the last hearings via video conferencing, as he is simultaneously being tried in another criminal case in Voronezh — 7400 kilometers from Zeya.\nThe court found him guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was also given a probation period of 3 years with deprivation of the right to engage in leading and participating in any activity of public organizations for 3 years and additional restriction of freedom for 10 months. The prosecutor requested a 3-year sentence in a penal colony. The verdict has not entered into force.\nThe Zeya case was initiated in December 2022. The charge was based on hidden audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, which, at the direction of the FSB, were made by a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nSpeaking before the court, Sokolov said: \u0026quot;I am not acting against the constitutional foundations of the state, but on the contrary, I am defending my constitutional right, which I am guaranteed — to practice my Christian religion together with others.\u0026quot;\nThe Amur Region today holds the record for the number of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses imprisoned in penal colonies — 13 believers are already serving time for their peaceful beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_2f24d738d16a270b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_2d54942e16169211.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_1a6f6e160ecb8bf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/281534/image_hu_11803ca64211b6f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/281534.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"He Defends his Beliefs in Two Courts","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court in Zeya Gave Yevgeniy Sokolov a 3-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2024, a panel judges of the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo upheld the verdict against Aleksandr Seredkin. The believer continues to serve his sentence in the penal colony.\nAleksandr attended the hearing via video conferencing. In the cassation appeal, the defendant\u0026#39;s lawyer pointed out that in the case there was no evidence of the believer\u0026#39;s guilt: \u0026quot; The appealed judicial acts do not indicate any signs of extremism in the actions of Aleksandr Seredkin: not in deeds, not in words. How exactly a peaceful conversation about God with fellow believers jeopardized the constitutional order and security of the state is not specified in the appealed judicial acts\u0026quot;.\n\u0026quot;On the contrary, all the actions and statements of my client,\u0026quot; the lawyer continued, \u0026quot;were exclusively peaceful in nature and did not indicate the presence of hatred or enmity. He was driven not by extremist motives, but his intention to exercise the right to practice his faith in the ways common to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nSeredkin has been in the penal colony for almost a year. Apart from him, three other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Novosibirsk Region received prison sentences for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_d90d929a248442a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_9b45d5338fbae116.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_2dce3d6e79d76958.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/281528/image_hu_96516663dba49463.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/281528.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Sentence of a 69-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness From Novosibirsk – 6 Years in a Penal Colony for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer noted: \"The only reason that a criminal case was opened against me is my religion. If I were Orthodox or Catholic, I would not be in the role of the defendant.\"\n","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/452.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Sokolov in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the spring of 2024, the police detained Sergey Bagiyan in Moscow. The believer learned that he was wanted on charges of extremism. He spent three days in a temporary detention facility, after which he was taken to Saratov and placed under house arrest.\nSergey was born in Baku (Azerbaijan) in 1974. He has an elder sister. Their father is no longer alive. In childhood and adolescence, Sergey was fond of chess, played football and table tennis. He read a lot, especially adventure literature. After school, Sergey immediately went to work: he worked as a loader, plumber, repairman, performed road works, and was also an insurance agent.\nIn the late 1980s, Sergey\u0026#39;s family left for Russia, to the Novosibirsk region, because of the armed conflict in their homeland. In the early 1990s, they lived in Yerevan for some time, and then Sergey returned to the Novosibirsk region. He often moved and at different times lived in the Altai Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Barnaul, Kaluga.\nIn 2012, Sergey married Marina, whom he met in Astrakhan. She shares his life values. Marina at various times worked in a restaurant, as a manicurist, driver, housekeeper. In her free time, she enjoys watching animals, walking in the woods, and also enjoys baking bread.\nSergey began to study the Bible in 1994. He was surprised by the consistency of the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings, as well as the authenticity of this ancient book.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of Marina, who was recovering after serious treatment. Relatives and friends are worried about Sergey and his wife.\n","date":"2024-06-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bagiyan/photo_hu_3fd6be2552b4a49b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bagiyan/photo_hu_dfaa68aa37f56ea8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bagiyan/photo_hu_8a6378abbcb95349.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bagiyan/photo_hu_616b47f083032fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bagiyan.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Bagiyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_169206ff457cea7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_dcc26b2d9755ede5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_8db3a959f4449442.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sakun/photo_hu_1d69aaf643d78645.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sakun.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Sakun","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev, a 57-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Sosnovoborsk, will go to a penal colony for holding peaceful meetings for worship and reading the Bible — following the appeal hearings in the Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court on May 21, 2024, the verdict entered into force.\nIn March 2023, Yakovlev was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony. He has been behind bars for over 2 years. Addressing the court of appeal, the believer said: \"During the case, it was not identified what harm I caused and who suffered. The Bible says, \"Love your neighbor.\" That's what I followed. I am ready to endure and suffer for my faith.\"\n\"The court of first instance relied only on evidence that I am a believer who practices the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Yuriy said in his appeal. As pointed out by the defense, during the trial, no extremist goals or motives were proven in the actions of the believer, and the verdict does not cite any extremist statements by Yakovlev.\nTo date, 31 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have faced criminal prosecution for their religious beliefs; 14 of them have already received sentences ranging from fines to lengthy suspended sentences and prison terms.\nAt the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on October 28, 2021, where explanations were given regarding crimes of an extremist nature, it was stated that believers can continue to jointly practice religion, perform worship services or other religious rites and ceremonies, if they do not contain signs of extremism (p. 20).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/011119/image_hu_a7fba6c18367d935.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/011119/image_hu_a65fb8b75a0edd82.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/011119/image_hu_c88020b31f6b15da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/011119/image_hu_87fa6f409dccff8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/011119.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He was Given 6 Years and 2 Months in a Penal Colony for His Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Verdict Against Yuriy Yakovlev.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2024, the Samara Regional Court upheld the harsh sentence of Aram Danielyan, Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasilyev, who will have to spend 7 years in a penal colony for peaceful religious activity.\nIn the appeal, the defense drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the believers were charged with organizing the activity of a Samara legal entity liquidated by a separate court decision in 2014. Therefore, the verdict could not be based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, only issued a few years later, in 2017. Peacefully singing religious songs, praying, and pronouncing the name of God, Jehovah, cannot be considered as evidence of extremist actions. Despite the arguments of the defense, the court denied the appeal of the defendants, who attended the hearing via video link from the pre-trial detention center.\nThe court\u0026#39;s decision has deprived the believers of the opportunity to take care of their families and fully participate in the upbringing of their children. Aram Danielyan\u0026#39;s son is not even three years old, and Denis Kuzyanin has a daughter of primary school age. Despite the difficulties, the believers and their wives try not to lose their positive attitude.\nRussian courts continue to send Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to penal colonies — as of April 2024, 158 believers had received prison sentences. 30 of them must spend 7 years or more behind bars.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/220811/image_hu_c263be2045c100e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/220811/image_hu_50b4f28111d31bf8.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/220811/image_hu_350fd8ad519582b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/220811/image_hu_85a0a6f86cc32ad2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/220811.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Samara Upheld the Verdict of Four Believers: 7 Years Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict against Tatyana Piskareva, sentenced to 2.5 years of forced labor entered into force \u0026ndash; on May 16, 2024, the Oryol Regional Court did not satisfy her appeal. The believer has already been separated for 3.5 years from her husband, who was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony on similar charges of extremism.\nIn March, the Sovetskiy District Court of the city of Oryol found Piskareva guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization for attending peaceful meetings for worship. According to the investigation, the believer acted out of religious \u0026quot;hatred and enmity.\u0026quot; However, this was not proven in court. The verdict was appealed. \u0026quot;I worshipped my God Jehovah peacefully ... I did not prevent anyone from living their personal lives, no one was hurt ... I obeyed the laws of the country in which I live. And suddenly I was falsely accused of something I had never participated in,\u0026quot; Piskareva said, addressing the court of appeal in her final statement.\n\u0026quot;My completely legitimate conduct, aimed only at expressing my faith in ways typical of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses around the world, was wrongly regarded by the court as illegal actions ... At the same time, the law does not consider practicing the religion, which the liquidated religious associations belonged to, including together with others, as a sign of extremism. Therefore, declaring a legal entity as extremist is not tantamount to imposing a ban on a religion,\u0026quot; Tatyana explained.\nIn the Oryol Region, 8 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, 3 of them have been sentenced to imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_11568e91bbcaf048.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_bcd8f36337033f42.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_1fdabdf7b0075bb6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/200812/image_hu_7e851eb343a507e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/200812.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor","elderly","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Oryol Upheld the Sentence of 68-year-old Tatyana Piskareva - 2.5 Years of Forced Labor for Her Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2024, the verdict against Aleksandr Chagan, 53, entered into force based on the decision of a panel of judges of the Samara Regional Court. He became the sixth on the list of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who were sent to a penal colony for such a long time by Russian courts.\n\u0026quot;In my case, Christian values and qualities were rated worthy of 8 years in a penal colony,\u0026quot; the believer commented regarding this. In his final statement, Chagan told the court of appeal that he has been living according to Bible standards for more than 20 years, and this has changed his life only for the better: \u0026quot;There is no reason whatsoever to accuse someone of inciting hatred and enmity, who learns to show love for people and respect for their opinions and view on life.\u0026quot;\nThe believer intends to appeal the verdict and the decision of the court of appeal in the court of cassation. Currently, he is being held in Detention Center No. 4 in the Samara Region and will soon be transferred to the place where he will serve his sentence.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/210831/image_hu_4fb1d84c1fefa5ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/210831/image_hu_4c6b21d73100815.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/210831/image_hu_d89a55ffad1f2a37.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/210831/image_hu_389ee65e653ca214.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/210831.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Samara Upheld the Harsh Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses — 8 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 14, 2024, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok confirmed the sentence of four Jehovah's Witnesses. Vladimir Bukin and Valeriy Slashchev will continue to serve their prison sentences of 6 years and 4 months, Sergey Yuferov — 6 years and 3 months, Mikhail Burkov — 6 years and 1 month.\nThe case of the believers from Tynda was considered twice — the first verdict was overturned by the court of appeal, but later the Tyndinskiy District Court of the Amur Region nevertheless found them guilty and sentenced them to imprisonment. This decision was upheld by the court of appeal. In their cassation appeal, the believers drew attention to them being named as guilty in the verdict only for participating in meetings for worship, preaching the religious teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, engouraging others to continue following the beliefs and studying the religious literature of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAccording to the believers, the court of first instance was unable to determine what exactly they were guilty of: \u0026quot;Not a single piece of evidence was presented to the court showing that the actions [of the convicted persons] were of a socially dangerous nature and caused harm to legal relations protected by law, or that [the convicted persons] had a motive for inciting hatred and enmity.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;Peaceful conversations about God in the circle of fellow believers or with other people without calls for violence, discrimination and degrading treatment of any social group cannot have such a degree of public danger,\u0026quot; they stressed.\nThe authorities of the Amur Region continue to prosecute Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses: already 24 people aged 30 to 82 have become defendants in criminal cases for their religious views.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-14T16:10:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/141610/image_hu_addfe701cdb9fa46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/141610/image_hu_bcf76b6e8fd2296e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/141610/image_hu_5054fe8f37d8b637.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/141610/image_hu_6a31fcb104566e06.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/141610.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-1","cassation"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Vladivostok Upheld the Sentence of Four Believers from Tynda","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 14, 2024, the consideration of the case of Igor Kasabov was completed in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tambov. Judge Vladimir Chernov sentenced the believer to 2 years suspended with a 2-year probationary period. The investigation considered conversations with friends on biblical topics to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal prosecution exacerbated the already poor health of Kasabov and his wife. A few months before the search, which took place in April 2023, Igor suffered a heart attack, and his wife suffered a stroke. \u0026quot;During the interrogation, I faced serious pressure: the investigator, in order to obtain my confession, mentioned that my wife, a disabled person of group II, who cannot normally express her thoughts after a stroke, can also be brought to justice,\u0026quot; the believer said.\nThe case was initiated by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region, it was led by Pavel Salnikov. Commenting on the charges, Igor Kasabov noted that the actions imputed to him are the usual peaceful practice of a Christian. He declared his innocence in his last plea: \u0026quot;I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and the teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are dear to my heart. Yes, I attend meetings and love to discuss biblical thoughts and topics. I have nothing else to \u0026#39;confess\u0026#39; to.\u0026quot; Kasabov can appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision.\nThis is the first conviction of a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness for religious beliefs in the Tambov Region. The courts of this region are considering similar criminal cases against three other believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_20559402883109d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_d2ec3a7c793b2270.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_e54a1984e7fcf316.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/161346/image_hu_2166cf939c529644.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/161346.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Tambov Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses, 68, to a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I have been reading the Bible for more than 30 years, and during this time no one has suffered from my actions in any way,\" the believer noted in his last word. \"I'm not a criminal and I'm not an extremist.\"\n","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/495.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Igor Kasabov's last word in Tambov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 13, 2024, the Leninskiy District Court of Barnaul found Mikhail Reshetnikov, 74, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, 69, and Anatoliy Sarychev, 74, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Judge Lyubov Kurushina gave each of them a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nThe believers received such punishment for participating in peaceful meetings for worship that are not prohibited by law. They do not agree with the verdict and have the right to appeal it.\nIn May 2021, a special operation codenamed \u0026quot;Armageddon\u0026quot; took place in Barnaul and surrounding cities. One of the searches took place at the home of Mikhail Reshetnikov, a veteran of labor, and a criminal case was initiated against him. In the fall of 2022, new defendants appeared in the case: Yuriy Kolotinskiy, a veteran of labor who has a disability, and Anatoliy Sarychev. Both were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThroughout the trial, which lasted about a year and a half, the prosecution tried to prove that peaceful believers are dangerous criminals. Anatoliy Sarychev objected to this in his final statement saying that they only made use of \u0026quot;the legal right to freedom of religion provided for in Article 28 of the RF Constitution.\u0026quot; Mikhail Reshetnikov noted: \u0026quot;Your honor, we share the principles from the Word of God with people. Can this really be extremism?\u0026quot; Yuriy Kolotinskiy emphasized: \u0026quot;During the hearings, we listened to the recordings of meetings for worship, which are held peacefully and with dignity. And what is discussed at them can be called extremism prevention.\u0026quot;\nAll the defendants said that during the trial they were supported by friends who came to the courthouse in any weather, greeted and accompanied them with applause at each hearing and encouraged them with warm words.\nAt the moment, 9 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in the Altai Territory. Of the 807 believers repressed by Russian law enforcement officers, 215 are over 60.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-13T16:31:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_4cc8f8d96b5ada79.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_2e1b0f1512d044fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_cfb17f7c6b9a95e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/131631/image_hu_6abc29d8d1b9de82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/131631.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","282.2-2","elderly","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court Considered Three Pensioners From Barnaul Extremists and Gave Them Suspended Sentences for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 13, 2024, Marina Khokhryakova, judge of the Pervomayskiy District Court of Izhevsk, found Maksim Derendyaev, Aleksandr Kutin and Sergey Ashikhmin guilty of extremism and sentenced each to 3 years imprisonment in a penal colony (the prosecutor had requested 7 years each). The believers were taken into custody in the courtroom. They intend to appeal the verdict.\nAs an additional punishment, the court banned each of them from carrying out any activity in public and religious associations for 4 years, and further restricted their freedom for 1 year.\nThe investigation considered the conversations about God and the Bible to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and in the spring of 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Derendyaev, Kutin and Ashikhmin. Mass searches took place in Izhevsk. As a result, Maksim Derendyaev and Aleksandr Kutin ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where one stayed for 3 months, and the other for 15 days. Sergey Ashikhmin was released under a ban on certain actions, taking into account the serious surgery he had undergone.\nAfter 2 years of trial, Maksim Derendyaev, 38, said: \u0026quot;I have not been able to understand which of my actions the prosecution considers a crime. For 4 years, I was secretly taped. This is about 1,000 hours of conversations in a relaxed atmosphere with family members and fellow believers, including everyday topics, and not a single extremist statement!\u0026quot;\nFriends help the families of the believers cope with the hardships caused by the unjust criminal prosecution: they support them financially and give them cards and letters with words of love and encouragement. Aleksandr Kutin, 41, said: \u0026quot;When letters from different countries and regions began to arrive, it made a strong impression on one of my neighbors — this is a real brotherhood, and when you get into trouble, they will not abandon you, but they will support and help you.\u0026quot; In court, Kutin stated: \u0026quot;The criminal case was initiated and brought to trial with the sole purpose of prohibiting me from practicing my religion, which is not prohibited by law, and from living as is written in the Bible. The investigation is trying to make us out as criminals who broke the law. But we didn\u0026#39;t break the law of the land.\u0026quot;\nSergey Ashikhmin, 50, emphasized in his final statement: \u0026quot;There have never been any extremist motives in my actions, because love and extremism are incompatible!\u0026quot;\nIn Udmurtia, criminal cases were initiated against 7 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-13T14:36:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/131436/image_hu_45f97e5adf86f336.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/131436/image_hu_dc8e7d264f0a77b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/131436/image_hu_3e8e082b27037e0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/131436/image_hu_a3d3f2f017954a2e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/131436.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","secret-witness","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Izhevsk Each Received Three Years in a Penal Colony for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer said that 1,000 hours of hidden audio recording were collected against him, in which there is not a single extremist statement: \"For almost 3 years of preliminary investigation and trials, I have not been able to understand what my actions the prosecution considers a crime.\"\n","date":"2024-05-13T14:17:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/451.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Derendyaev in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony for his faith, spent 28 days in the punishment cell of Penal Colony No.8 in the Amur Region. The conditions of detention there are not suitable for Aliyev\u0026#39;s health \u0026ndash; he has diabetes, kidney disease, heart problems and neurological disorders.\nSimply put, a punishment cell (SHIZO) is a \u0026quot;prison within a prison\u0026quot;. The prisoner\u0026#39;s rights are significantly restricted, for example, he is forbidden to lie down during the day, visits and telephone conversations are prohibited and there are restrictions on receiving parcels.\n\u0026quot;Not only are Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses unjustly thrown into penal colonies, but life there is made even more difficult for them by fabricating violations. \u0026quot;Violations worthy of isolation\u0026quot; can be, for example, an unfastened button, the absence of a tag with the prisoner\u0026#39;s name on the cabinet. Sometimes imprisoned Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not even know what violations are imputed to them. They are simply sent to a punishment cell,\u0026quot; explained Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAlam Aliyev suffers from severe headaches, but during his detention in the punishment cell he was not provided with proper medical care and was not even given painkillers. On the contrary, the staff of the institution drew up a report on Aliyev and reprimanded him for putting his head on the table during a pain attack.\nAccording to the believer\u0026#39;s relatives, Alam did not have drinkable water in the punishment cell: \u0026quot;One glass of sweet tea three times a day was all that was available to him, despite the fact that he suffers from diabetes.\u0026quot;\nSo far, during his imprisonment, the administration of the colony has already placed Aliyev in the punishment cell 4 times for a total of 45 days. The last time was from April 11 to May 8, 2024.\n","category":"prison","date":"2024-05-13T13:51:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/131351/image_hu_bb75949c44f6764f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/131351/image_hu_d1379495d5bcfe31.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/131351/image_hu_196411f27a313b73.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/131351/image_hu_a538307ae3eb1404.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/131351.html","regions":["amur","jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","shizo"],"title":"Convicted 61-year-old Jehovah's Witness is Regularly Sent to the Punishment Cell Despite Serious Health Problems","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuriy Yuskov is the oldest Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness convicted in Russia. On Monday, May 13, the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic approved the five-year suspended sentence assigned to him, but with a slight change - the ban on leaving the house at night was removed from additional restrictions.\n\u0026quot;I studied the Bible, met people who were also interested, and told them about my hope,\u0026quot; said the believer, 86, addressing the appeals panel with his last plea. \u0026quot;This is what I did until April 2017 [before the liquidation of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; legal entities]. I continued to do the same thing later. What has changed? What is my crime?\u0026quot; Yuskov believes that the court baselessly equated his peaceful religious activities with participation in extremist activities and involvement in them (parts 1.1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nDespite appeals by human rights organizations and ECHR rulings, criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including the elderly, continues in Russia. When published, 13 believers aged 80 and over were prosecuted for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_f9cd51ae661068e6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_fd4d04ed7b51e655.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_578dc3914a5528ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/151458/image_hu_cdc982206fc33530.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/151458.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"The Believer Will Turn 90 After Serving the Sentence","tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Chuvashia, the Appeal Approved the Verdict for Yuriy Yuskov.","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-10T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo.jpeg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo.jpeg","webp":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo_hu_46378cc9318ea623.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/muravyov/photo_hu_46378cc9318ea623.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/muravyov.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Muravyov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2024-05-10T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/smirnova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nina Smirnova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 7, 2024, the Court of Appeal considered the appeal of Danil Suvorov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, against the verdict for his faith. The panel of judges also found that the 28-year-old believer is guilty of extremism and that he should serve his sentence of 6 years in a penal colony.\nIn June 2023, Yekaterina Ostapenko, judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, found Danil Suvorov guilty of committing crimes specified in Article 282.2(1.1) (2) of the RF Criminal Code. By that time, the believer had spent almost two years in pretiral detention. Then for about another year he was in prison awaiting the decision on his appeal.\nThe verdict of the court of first instance was based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 on the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. However, as emphasized in his appeal, this decision did not require individuals, including the defendant, to renounce their faith and stop worshiping God. Actions such as \u0026quot;participating in religious teaching and preaching\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;lectures based on the religious literature of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot;, and \u0026quot;conversations and religious discussions\u0026quot; are not prohibited by the RF Criminal Code, but, on the contrary, are guaranteed by the RF Constitution as fundamental human rights and freedoms belonging to him from birth. In fact, Danil Suvorov was convicted only because he remained a believer after the liquidation of the legal entities.\nThe defense also noted that the testimony of the Sochi expert, Natalya Yedneralova, and the expert study conducted by her should not have been accepted as evidence of the defendant\u0026#39;s guilt, since for a number of reasons she did not have the legal right to conduct a comprehensive psycho\u0026ndash;linguistic and religious expert study: the expert does not work for a state agency, but for a private firm; does not have the necessary qualifications; does not have the right to perform a comprehensive assessment on her own, in this case the participation of an expert commission is required.\nMoreover, in the appeal the defense referred to Article 14 of the RF Constitution: \u0026quot;Taking into account the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, the law does not establish norms as to which forms of practising religion are correct and which are not. Therefore, in each religion they are different: for some religions it is visiting their temples and using certain attributes of faith, and for the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses it is discussing the Bible together with others, whether at home or in the street.\u0026quot;\nProsecutions in the Krasnodar Territory have already affected 34 peaceful believers, including Danil\u0026#39;s older brother, Denis Suvorov. Four of them, including a woman, are serving sentences in penal colonies just because they did not stop believing in God at the demand of the court.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/080849/image_hu_7f25d6a9e4e730c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/080849/image_hu_fe098da534352fc2.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/080849/image_hu_6cf10fd4407e604.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/080849/image_hu_c581c9b9932af7b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/080849.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","appeal","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"Krasnodar Territorial Court Upheld the Sentence Against Danil Suvorov from Sochi for his Beliefs: 6 Years in A Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Larisa Serdtseva, a mother of many children, became a defendant in a criminal case because of her beliefs in February 2024.\nLarisa was born in July 1975 in the city of Neftekamsk (Bashkiria). She grew up with her older brother. Their father worked in the oil and gas industries, and their mother worked as a salesman.\nAfter school, Larisa received the profession of a seamstress. Later she worked in various fields, and at the time of the initiation of the criminal case she worked in a cleaning company.\nDuring her life, Larisa had to live in different cities of the Urals: Agidel, Urengoy and Muravlenko. In 1998, she married Vladimir, and after a while they moved to Shakhunya, Nizhny Novgorod region, her husband's homeland. The couple had three daughters. The eldest is already an adult, works as a salesman, the younger ones are still in school.\nLarisa loves to grow flowers. The family is happy to travel. The head of the family likes carpentry and carpentry, the eldest daughter is fond of photography, the middle one likes to draw, knit and weave beads, and the youngest loves animals.\nFor many years, Larisa was worried about why there is so much injustice in the world. She found the answer to this question in the Bible. She decided to take the Christian path in 2001. Seeing that the application of Bible advice has a positive effect on his wife and children, Vladimir also decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses 10 years later.\nLarisa shared: \"The criminal prosecution has strengthened my faith. My husband and I became very close - he is such a support for me! And in general, the whole family rallied. Everyone around her—friends and relatives—cannot understand why the believer is being persecuted.\n","date":"2024-05-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/serdtseva/photo_hu_fcf57c4103f0cf8e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/serdtseva/photo_hu_e419ef5c7b4f23ed.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/serdtseva/photo_hu_cfd371d1e24c86f5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/serdtseva/photo_hu_602164bbaa740c91.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/serdtseva.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Larisa Serdtseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Sarychev tells the court about his difficult life, the loss of his children and what faith in God gave him. He says, \"Knowing about God and his purposes gave me back the desire to live.\"\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/448.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Sarychev in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer stated that he was being judged only because he peacefully worshipped God together with others. \"According to the investigation, if we studied the Bible and prayed at home, instead of getting together, it would not be extremism,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/449.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Reshetnikov in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer asked the question: \"Why did respectable, hardworking, caring for their marriage and their children, who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for decades, suddenly turn into dangerous criminals?\"\n","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/450.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Kolotinsky in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 2, 2024, Ruslan Atakuyev, judge of the Mayskiy District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, acquitted Kirill Gushchin, 42, finding him not guilty of extremism. The prosecutor had requested 7 years in a penal colony for the believer.\n\u0026quot;I am not guilty,\u0026quot; Gushchin said in his final statement. \u0026quot;I'm just making use of the freedom that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives . . . Imagine that in Russia the football federations FIFA and UEFA [which are legal entities—Ed.] were declared extremist and banned. Will people stop playing football in Russia? Or will a group of people gathered to play football – adults, children, men, women – also be extremists?\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of Kirill Gushchin began in May 2020, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Masked security forces with machine guns detained the believer as he was about to go to work. Among them was FSB officer Sergey Svetikov, who has repeatedly been caught falsifying operational materials. During the search, planted publications, which are on the list of extremist literature, were also found in Gushchin\u0026#39;s home.\nIn April 2021, Kirill was also charged with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. A new criminal case against Kirill\u0026#39;s wife, Svetlana Gushchina, was separated from this case. The charges against both are based on the testimony of secret witness \u0026quot;Filatova\u0026quot;, who covertly made audio recordings of peaceful meetings for worship, at which nothing extremist happened.\nThis is not the first acquittal of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses accused of extremism from Kabardino-Balkaria. Earlier, the court of cassation acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev from Mayskiy, and the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturned the conviction of Arkadya Akopyan from Prokhladniy, terminating the proceedings in his case.\nRussian courts also acquitted the Bazhenovs, Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov, Dmitriy Barmakin, Aleksey Khabarov and three believers from the Sverdlovsk Region, but these decisions were subsequently overturned.\n","category":"victory","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/011115/image_hu_f7d017e341c14348.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/011115/image_hu_b5f2c6efa555162f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/011115/image_hu_2f3799d016392dd1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/011115/image_hu_2e9ae87d0d12e5ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/011115.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","plant","families","secret-witness","acquittal"],"title":"Court in Kabardino-Balkaria Acquitted One of Jehovah's Witnesses Accused of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"Luchegorsk residents Nikolay Dikhtyar, Andrey Lyakhov, Yuriy Ponomarenko, and Oleg Sergeyev were found guilty of organizing and participating in an extremist organization because they continued to gather for peaceful religious meetings with other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The verdict was handed down on May 2, 2024 by the judge of the Pozharskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory, Mikhail Atroshko.\nYuriy Ponomarenko was given a suspended sentence of 6 years and 6 months, Oleg Sergeyev — 6 years and 4 months, Andrey Lyakhov — 2 years and 8 months and Nikolay Dikhtyar — 2 years and 6 months. The period of probation is from 2.5 to 5 years. The believers also received terms of restriction of freedom ranging from 1 to 1.5 years.\nOleg Sergeev has three young children. \u0026quot;The most difficult thing for me was to stay calm,\u0026quot; said the believer. \u0026quot;I was worried about what would happen to my wife and children if I was deprived of my liberty.\u0026quot; Nikolay Dikhtyar is a 69-year-old pensioner. He and his wife raised four children (three of their own and another boy who was orphaned). Now he takes care of his wife, who suffered a stroke a few years ago. Yuriy Ponomarenko is also retired.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believers in July 2021. Ponomarenko was the first to fall under suspicion – he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and his accounts were blocked. A few months later, the others were charged.\nThe court considered the case for almost two years. One of the witnesses for the prosecution was FSB officer Prokhor Vasin, Ponomarenko\u0026#39;s neighbor. Pretending to be interested in the Bible, he secretly videotaped conversations with the defendant. During the interrogation, Vasin admitted that no one had encouraged him to do anything against the law.\nThe believers insist on their innocence. In his final statement, before the verdict was announced, Yuriy Ponomarenko, 65, said: \u0026quot;During four searches of my house, they searched for any notes where the name Jehovah was mentioned. It turns out that they want to charge me just because I practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which is not banned in Russia ... There is no evidence in the case materials of incitement to hatred of others, i.e. extremism. There aren't any because I am following the Bible commandment, \u0026#39;Be peaceable with all men.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nAs Nikolay Dikhtyar stated, his conscience is clear before God, people and the law: \u0026quot;One thing I regret is that I only became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses at the age of 40, having learned the truth that saved me from many rash actions.\u0026quot;\nAndrey Lyakhov, in turn, said: \u0026quot;I do not deny that I am a believer, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, that I read the Bible, sing songs and pray to God. But no legal entity has ever told me how to do this. My faith has never depended and does not depend on the presence or absence of a local religious organization in my city.\u0026quot;\nOleg Sergeyev emphasized: \u0026quot;Studying the Bible, I came to the conclusion that those who want to please God must love not only their neighbors, but all people.\u0026quot;\nEarlier, Oleg Sergeyev\u0026#39;s father, Sergey Sergeyev, was convicted for his faith on the basis of similar charges. As a result, 8 residents of Luchegorsk, a town with a population of just over 17 thousand people, have already been prosecuted for peaceful religious activity. A total of 58 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Primorye Territory.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_f8e856c6ba7d30f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_fd652d6c410f36b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_dd56a086a399affc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/011110/image_hu_490ee4c3c343192.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/011110.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Two of Them Are Pensioners, and One is a Father of Three Minors","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"The Court in Luchegorsk Found Four Jehovah's Witnesses Guilty of Extremism.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 2, 2024, the judge of the Apsheronskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory ruled to satisfy the colony\u0026#39;s submission and transfer Viktor Stashevskiy from the colony to prison for 3 years.\nAccording to the law, those who are convicted of especially dangerous crimes, such as terrorism, hostage-taking, massacres, etc. should be sent prisons. Conditions in prisons are much more difficult than in colonies: prisoners are in cramped, locked cells, often solitary confinement. If convicts in colonies live in barracks and move freely around the territory, then possibility to walk in prison is strictly limited - for example, walks take place under escort in a small courtyard, over which a grate or barbed wire is fixed. Also, in prison, convicts cannot work and study any specialty.\nStashevskiy has already been serving his sentence for his faith for the third year. He is being held in correctional colony No. 9 in the Krasnodar Territory, located in the city of Khadyzhensk. According to fabricated penalties, the believer was found to be a malicious violator of the order of serving his sentence, and he was also charged with numerous other violations. However, he did not even know about most of them. In the colony, he was kept in strict conditions and repeatedly imprisoned in a cell-type room, a kind of \u0026quot;internal prison\u0026quot;.\nThe court\u0026#39;s decision to transfer Stashevskiy to another correctional institution has not yet entered into force. He continues to be in the colony and intends to appeal against the illegal transfer.\n","category":"prison","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/05/031046/image_hu_b0145b8dfdf03262.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/05/031046/image_hu_3cd42485068cbd87.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/05/031046/image_hu_7d5a6a64194d402c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/05/031046/image_hu_56547fcf9e3f48f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/05/031046.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["penalty","strict-conditions","life-in-prison"],"title":"Viktor Stashevskiy Can Become the First Jehovah's Witness to Be Sent from Penal Colony to Prison for Fictitious Violations","type":"news"},{"body":"Kirill Gushchin tells the court about his faith in God, as well as how biblical principles help believers to be good citizens: \"Jehovah's Witnesses all over the world have a good reputation. Not a single state has yet suffered from their activities.\"\n","date":"2024-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/447.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Kirill Gushchin in Mayskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 25, 2024, in Luchegorsk, the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorye Territory convicted yet another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. Judge Vera Novogradskaya sentenced Anton Virich, 44, to 6 years and 2 months of imprisonment for discussing the Bible with fellow believers.\nIn July 2023, Anton Virich was detained by law enforcement officers. He was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he remained until the verdict was passed.\nThe court has been considering the case of organizing the activity of an extremist organization since October 2023. The materials only contain information that Virich practices the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, but there is no information that he committed any specific crimes. Speaking in defense of the accused, the lawyer said: \u0026quot;The actions common for every believer become a crime, in the opinion of the state prosecution. This results in \u0026#39;double standards\u0026#39;: you can believe in God but not everyone and not everywhere; if you belong to the religion of a minority, your constitutional right under Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation does not apply.\u0026quot;\nThe analysis of four expert opinions showed that they were drawn up in violation of the law, for example, documents proving the education of the experts were lacking and the religious study research methods that allow the validity and reliability of the conclusions to be verified were not indicated.\nThe lawyer also referred to the conclusion of the expert council under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, which states that in doctrinal documents of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses none of the following were found: calls for violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order or violation of the integrity of the Russian Federation, calls for violence, incitement of social, racial, national and religious hatred, refusal to fulfill civil duties established by law, nor other illegal actions.\nAddressing the court in his final statement, Anton Virich emphasized: \u0026quot;Having heard all the materials of the prosecution, which were contained in 15 volumes, and having heard the testimony of witnesses, all the persons present here were convinced that there was not a single piece of evidence confirming what I am accused of. [. . .] The case materials contain only speculations and assumptions.\u0026quot; In conclusion, he asked the court to take into account the advanced age of his parents: \u0026quot;If I am really given a prison term, as the prosecution requested, 6 years and 6 months, then, I most likely will never see my parents again and, I would not be able to provide them with the help they might need.\u0026quot;\nIn the Primorye Territory, 58 civilians practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been subjected to unjustified criminal prosecution. Four of them are over 80 years old. The European Court of Human Rights, having analyzed the charges against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, concluded that the rights of the believers were violated: \u0026quot;It is undeniable that all religious meetings were peaceful in nature and could hardly pose a threat or cause a violation of public order (paragraph 11).\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-25T13:36:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/251336/image_hu_37731e2ea0308744.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/251336/image_hu_7bc1f8f9937afd3b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/251336/image_hu_556dd5500701097e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/251336/image_hu_7c178a8abfbb5213.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/251336.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"A Court in Primorye Territory Sent Anton Virich, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, to a Penal Colony for Six Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 25, 2024, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court considered the appeal against the verdict of one of - Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Yevgeny Bushev, 50, and reduced his prison sentence from 7 to 6 years. The court deemed discussing the Bible to be \u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026quot;\nIn the appeal, the defense drew attention to the fact that the conclusions of the court of first instance did not correspond to the actual circumstances of the case. The prosecution did not mention specific extremist actions allegedly committed by the defendant. Also, the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses was not taken into account, and the right to be a believer does not depend on the existence of a legal entity. In addition, no evidence was presented in court hearings that Bushev\u0026#39;s actions or intentions were aimed at inciting hatred and enmity. Consequently, \u0026quot;as a result of a miscarriage of justice, the believer was convicted only for professing beliefs based on the Bible and peacefully practicing his Christian faith as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nYevgeniy manages to see friends via video. April 25, 2024 The court allowed 13 listeners to be present at the courtroom, who came to support the believer. April 25, 2024 Before the verdict was announced in the Kalininskiy District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk, Yevgeny Bushev said in his final statement: \u0026quot;I find it very sad that the prosecutor, requesting punishment... has equated me with those who have committed premeditated murder, because such a term is appointed for a crime like that.\u0026quot;\nHuman rights activists and scholars note that such an attitude towards citizens violates their basic right to freedom of conscience and religion. From 2017 to the present, Russian law enforcement officers have already prosecuted 804 people who are practicing the faith of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/261133/image_hu_57e8b913ed35704.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/261133/image_hu_3dd2554258fc70be.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/261133/image_hu_2be64b06134def4e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/261133/image_hu_910a6f046095bd41.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/261133.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court Reduced Yevgeniy Bushev's Term of Imprisonment in a Penal Colony From 7 to 6 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, 2024, Ivan Pantyashin, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, gave the Chechulins each a 2-year suspended sentence, a 3-year probation period and additional restrictions of 6 months for talking about the Bible. The believers do not agree with this decision and can appeal the verdict.\nSergey, 55, who grew up in an orphanage, works as a repairman in a heat supply organization, and 45-year-old Yelena works as a nurse. The Chechulins found out about the criminal prosecution in October 2022 during interrogation at the Investigative Committee, where they were taken after a search in their home. The spouses were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and later the court reclassified the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation lasted 1 year and 3 months. It took the court 3 months to find the believers guilty.\nExpert studies on conversations of the believers in the case materials stated: \u0026quot;There are no statements inciting hostile (violent) actions of one person or group of persons against another person or group of persons.\u0026quot; This did not prevent the prosecutor from requesting 6 years in a penal colony for the couple.\nIn her final statement to the court, Yelena spoke about the basic beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and explained why the charges of continuing the activity of a banned legal entity are untenable: \u0026quot; For centuries, Christians have gathered to study the Holy Scriptures and discuss spiritual matters. What kind of meeting did the apostle Paul mean when he said \u0026quot;do not forsake your meetings\u0026quot;? Definitely not legal entities that are set up in accordance with the laws of different countries. The words of the apostle Paul are 2000 years old, whereas the legal entities that we are accused of organizing—appeared, existed for a short time and disappeared. But the worship of God does not.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;We are being prosecuted for our right to religious beliefs, guaranteed to us by the most important document of the country, the Constitution of the Russian Federation . . . We are unfairly and without proof accused of enmity and hatred toward persons not identified by the prosecution. Not a single person has been named, whom we would have insulted, humiliated or inappropriately compared his views, beliefs, race or gender with our views and beliefs,\u0026quot; Sergey Chechulin said in court. \u0026quot;We could get angry, but we do not. We understand that the faith of every Christian is tested differently.\u0026quot;\nSergey expressed gratitude to those who are supporting his family, especially to fellow believers: \u0026quot;They often share encouraging thoughts, pray for us and send parcels. Letters are especially joyful. They come from different parts of the world. We are also strengthened by those who come to court hearings.\u0026quot;\nRussian law enforcement officers often initiate criminal cases against several family members at once. By November 2023, under this scheme, at least 71 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation became easy prey for the security forces.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_e77a214e2c6dde2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_96218185b3685a71.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_b8fa629057e03f8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/231526/image_hu_656e42f6c98c126b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/231526.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, a Court Gave a Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, Aleksandr Kutin explained that religious meetings with fellow believers and the use of various translations of the Bible are part of his religion. He stressed that these actions are not prohibited in the Russian Federation.\n","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/445.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kutin in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court why he tells others about his beliefs: \"Faith in God gives real meaning to my life. I am sure that no person can be truly happy without knowing about God, his deeds and his intention for a wonderful future.\"\n","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/444.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Ashikhmin in Izhevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 21, 2024, Moscow security forces detained one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Sergey Bagiyan, 50. He was informed that he was a suspect in a criminal case for extremism.\nAccording to Bagiyan\u0026#39;s relatives, law enforcement officers with machine guns came to Sergey\u0026#39;s home in the afternoon. They behaved politely, nevertheless they handcuffed the believer and took him to the police station. Later, Sergey was transported to Saratov and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nOn April 24, the Volzhskiy District Court imposed house arrest for two months on him as a preventive measure.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/250910.html","regions":["moscow","saratov"],"subtitle":"Three Days Later, He Was Placed Under House Arrest","tags":["new-case","282","ivs","house-arrest"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Detained in Moscow and Taken to Saratov.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer told the court that he grew up in a boarding school for orphans. For his happy, serene childhood and arranged life, he is grateful to the state. \"Therefore, for me, accusations of extremism became like a bolt from the blue,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/446.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Sergey Chechulin in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"We are accused of continuing the activities of liquidated legal entities, when in fact we continue to worship God.\"\n","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/443.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Yelena Chechulina's last word in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo, a pensioner from the Krasnodar Territory, became accused in the spring of 2024 because of his faith in Jehovah God. His home was searched, after which the man was taken into custody. On March 20, 2025, he died in the hospital, without obtaining medical care and without restoring his good name.\nValeriy was born in November 1957 in the village of Roylyanka, Odessa region of Ukraine. He has a younger brother. Their father worked on a state farm as a combine operator, and their mother was a high school mathematics teacher. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Valeriy loved to play chess and read books, was engaged in freestyle wrestling. After school, he graduated from the Nikolaev Shipbuilding Institute and got a job at a locomotive depot, where he met Yekaterina. In 1979 they got married. Two sons and a daughter were born in the marriage.\nIn the early 1980s, Valeriy, his wife and son moved to Yakutsk. In 1992, a family with two children returned to Ukraine, and 2 years later they moved to Gelendzhik (Krasnodar Territory).\nIn 1999, Valeriy retired and started breeding goats, rabbits and chickens. Yekaterina taught history and German at college and school. She was fond of local history and tourism—she organized hikes for students, conducted excursions to historical sites in the vicinity of Gelendzhik. Yekaterina also loved to read books, especially poetry, as well as play chess.\nIn the early 2000s, Valeriy became interested in the Bible, and soon his wife joined him in researching this book. In 2001, the couple became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They were impressed by the Bible prophecies fulfilled in detail, as well as the scientific facts mentioned in the Bible.\nIn 2002, Yekaterina fell ill and later died of cancer. Due to the default, the family lost all the money earned in the North, and Valeriy and his three children were forced to live at the plant for seven years without electricity and water.\nThe believer suffered from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and arthrosis of the knee joint of the 2nd and 3rd stages. He needed urgent dental care: in the pre-trial detention center, his only tooth with which he could chew food became inflamed. Prison food caused digestive problems, so the man ate very little, mostly drinking water. Also, Valeriy could hardly move and needed surgery: in 2018, he was seriously injured as a result of a dog attack, he had completely torn knee ligaments sewn together, but over time he needed to replace the kneecap.\nValeriy said that faith in God helped him cope with all the difficulties. Despite all the difficulties, the believer tried to remain calm. \u0026quot;Now we are defending Jehovah, but soon he will stand up for us!\u0026quot; he said.\n","date":"2024-04-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_dc50f6bc3aeff0c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_9876d0f06f3f4f9a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_e7834fbc7a4b54c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baylo/photo_hu_cf206baeca488080.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baylo.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","died","health-risk"],"title":"Valeriy Baylo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;My relatives do not understand why I am being persecuted,\u0026quot; said Vitaliy Manuylov. In the summer of 2023, a criminal case was opened against him, accusing him of extremism.\nVitaliy was born in Barnaul in December 1972. When he was still a child, the family moved to Kazakhstan. Vitaliy spent his childhood there, then served in the army. In 1993, he returned to Barnaul, and later moved his parents there. Vitaliy has a younger brother. Their father is no longer alive.\nIn his youth, Vitaliy was fond of cross-country skiing—he trained at the School of Higher Sportsmanship, participated in republican competitions. In 1996, he graduated from the Construction College with a degree in Installation and Operation of Internal Plumbing and Ventilation Devices. Since then, he has been working by profession.\n\u0026quot;All my life I have asked myself: what is the future of our children and grandchildren? If life is getting harder every year, what are we living for? Why do people die? No one could answer me,\u0026quot; Vitaliy recalls. \u0026quot;In 1997, I met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and they answered these and other questions with the help of the Bible.\u0026quot; Reading the Holy Scriptures, he came to the conclusion that this book was the Word of God, and in 2000 he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nVitaliy met his wife Marina back in Kazakhstan after serving in the army. In September 1994, they got married. The couple have a daughter who is already married. In his free time, Vitaliy still goes in for sports and teaches his grandson to do it.\n","date":"2024-07-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/manuylov/photo_hu_a81a9c742b086159.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/manuylov/photo_hu_ad968af95b0da183.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/manuylov/photo_hu_f4c1c8a14786c99f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/manuylov/photo_hu_42dd430f70e7d267.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/manuylov.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Manuylov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"According to the decision of the Nakhimovsky District Court of Sevastopol, Maksim Zinchenko was sentenced to two years of forced labor for participating in peaceful meetings for worship. Judge Valeriy Kuznetsov announced this decision on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.\nA year earlier, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against Zinchenko. The law enforcement officers searched Maksim\u0026#39;s house in Feodosia, then took him to Sevastopol, and after interrogation, he was held in a temporary detention facility for two days. The court later placed him under house arrest for 8 months.\nThe charge brought against Zinchenko of participating in the activity of an extremist organization was based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship, during which, according to the investigation, the believer \u0026quot;preached\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;actively participated in the study of religious literature.\u0026quot; At one of the court hearings, Maksim commented on this as follows: \u0026quot;I see from the facts of the charges, that only the name of my religion and the fact that I am not ashamed to be one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses constitute a crime and not the presence of extremism [according to the investigation] in my words and actions.\u0026quot; He believes that his right to worship God freely has been unlawfully restricted. He has the right to appeal the court\u0026#39;s decision.\nAccording to Zinchenko, he and his wife felt supported throughout the proceedings: \u0026quot;Karina and I feel so much love and care of friends from all over the world — video messages and assurances of love from different countries, strong support at the courtroom . . .\u0026quot;. He also noted that he appreciates the practical help provided by friends.\nIn Crimea, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been sentenced: nine men are serving sentences in penal colonies and another received a suspended sentence.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/181425/image_hu_3e7e9c5a271ef455.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/181425/image_hu_3d95014a4bb8d11.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/181425/image_hu_3faf904523a5fe6e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/181425/image_hu_9087e52bc13aa96d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/181425.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","labor"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Maksim Zinchenko Sentenced to 2 Years of Forced Labor in Crimea for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking about the persecution of Christians in the past, the believer noted: \"Unfortunately ... History does not teach anything, but repeats itself. Today, a story is being written about how Jehovah's Witnesses are labeled extremists for peacefully practicing their unforbidden faith.\"\n","date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/441.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Zinchenko in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yelena Chernykh, a 47-year-old Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Prokopyevsk, was found guilty of extremism for continuing to practice her faith. The verdict was passed on April 12, 2024 by Yelena Karamova, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Prokopyevsk, who gave the believer a 3-year suspended sentence.\nIn 2020, the home of Yelena and her husband Yuriy, parents of three, one of whom is a minor, was searched. Then they were interrogated as witnesses in the case of Andrey Vlasov (who is serving time in a penal colony for his faith). The Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region initiated a criminal case against Yelena under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. The investigation and the court considered the practice common for all Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the world of jointly discussing the Bible and Christian teachings as \u0026quot;participating in the activity of a banned religious organization.\u0026quot; According to the investigation, Yelena\u0026#39;s actions posed a threat to the state and society, incited interreligious discord, although during the trial not a single fact of a real crime or evidence of intention to commit it was presented.\nSpeaking in court, in her final statement, Yelena Chernykh said: \u0026quot;I have been a believer for 30 years. For all these years, I have never had any malicious intent, let alone any actions aimed at undermining the constitutional order or security of the Russian Federation.\u0026quot;\nIn September 2023, based on similar charges, the court sentenced Yelena\u0026#39;s husband to 3 years of forced labor.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Two of them are serving sentences in a penal colony for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-12T16:23:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_2db876af4b4a4e18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_b7e29315f4a3bc41.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_dc9464cbcf6e66d1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/121623/image_hu_912a45426eb8fecb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/121623.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Earlier, the Same Court Had Convicted Her Husband","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"In Prokopyevsk, Yelena Chernykh, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Was Given a 3-year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Timofeyev believes that a Christian should not use weapons and even learn to do so. Upon reaching military age, he completed non-military alternative service, working as a postman. In April 2024, he was accused of extremism and imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center, considering it a crime to talk to others about God.\nAleksey was born in January 1994 in Petrozavodsk (Karelia). He has two elder brothers and a younger brother. Their parents are retired.\nSince childhood, Aleksey loved to play football. During his teenage years, he participated in school volleyball tournaments, was fond of chess, collected car models, and also bred cacti.\nAfter school, Aleksey graduated from a technical school and received the qualification of an electrical technician. For some time he worked in private construction companies. Sometimes the young man was engaged in tutoring—he taught mathematics. He also worked in the field of cleanliness.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s mother was the first in the Timofeyev family to become interested in biblical teachings, so from early childhood she instilled high moral standards in her son. At the age of 12, he read the Bible. He was touched by the prophecies and historical accuracy of the Holy Scriptures, and he developed a desire to help people learn about God. At the age of 19, Aleksey decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2020, Aleksey met Marina, and 2 years later they got married. Marina is a civil engineer by profession, she worked as a surveyor in her hometown of Cherepovets (Vologda region) at a large metallurgical plant. Since her marriage, she has been working in the field of ecology. Aleksey loves to play volleyball with friends and ski with his wife. Marina is a creative person; she paints oil paintings and makes gifts in the style of scrapbooking.\nDue to imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center, Aleksey lost his job. Spouses have a hard time tolerating separation from each other. Aleksey\u0026#39;s parents and brothers consider his persecution unfair and unreasonable, as they know Aleksey as a kind, sympathetic and honest person.\n","date":"2024-04-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/timofeyev/photo_hu_7822ca0ca0555f99.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/timofeyev/photo_hu_1d197a41d69ef2e0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/timofeyev/photo_hu_108a95721d92ff93.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/timofeyev/photo_hu_d7adef74435e6d59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/timofeyev.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Aleksey Timofeyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtayev was born in November 1990. He has three older brothers and one younger brother. Their father is no longer alive. As a child, Daler was engaged in weightlifting, at one of the competitions he took first place. He was also fond of football, which he still loves.\nPoronaysk is his mother\u0026#39;s hometown; the family settled there in the early 2000s. Daler has a vocational education and is qualified as an electric and gas welder. The young man worked in his specialty on the railway, where he additionally trained as an assistant driver and electrician, whom he worked until his arrest.\nDaler\u0026#39;s mother became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1999. During his teenage years, Daler also decided to study the Bible thoroughly. As a result, in 2008 he embarked on the Christian path.\nDaler is married to Zhanna; they have been together since 2012. The couple enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with friends.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the family. The question arose about the dismissal of both of them from work. Zhanna was forbidden to meet with her husband and call him. The family is grieving the separation and is concerned that their good reputation has been undermined.\nRelatives are perplexed because of how it was possible to deprive a decent and peace-loving person of freedom.\n","date":"2024-04-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tokhtaev/photo_hu_e9eb26119e349048.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tokhtaev/photo_hu_6cd5cdfaa9a269fa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tokhtaev/photo_hu_a7d9831e17892407.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tokhtaev/photo_hu_528e7fdf96a9bf71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tokhtaev.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Daler Tokhtaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer noted: \"I am not being tried for committing a crime ... but for my religious beliefs, for reading the Bible and living in harmony with the will of God.\"\n","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/442.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anton Virich in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 10, 2024, the sentence entered into force for Ivan Chaikovskiy, Yuriy Chernyshev, Vitaliy Komarov, Sergey Shatalov and Vardan Zakaryan with minor changes made by the Moscow City Court. More than 150 people came to support the believers at the courthouse, but only about 20 were allowed into the courtroom.\nThe criminal prosecution has been going on for about three and a half years. In November 2020, law enforcement officers staged a high-profile mass raid on the believers living in Moscow. One of them, Vardan Zakaryan, was beaten during the raid and ended up in hospital. The men were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it because of conversations about the Bible with an undercover agent who feigned interest in this book.\nAll five have been in custody since the announcement of the verdict on March 31, 2023. Chaikovskiy, Chernyshev, Komarov and Shatalov received six years and three months, and Zakaryan — four years and three months in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to lead or participate in the work of public organizations for three years, prohibited from participating in mass events; to report to the state agency supervising the serving a sentence twice a month, and restriction of freedom for a year. During the period of restriction of freedom, the court also banned believers from traveling outside Moscow and the Moscow Region.\nFamily members came to support the believers \u0026quot;The verdict is actually a way to prohibit . . . practicing their religion, which is not banned, in a manner not prohibited by law,\u0026quot; Ivan Chaikovskiy\u0026#39;s lawyer said in his appeal against the verdict. The defense also emphasizes that in the case materials there is no mention of any actions containing signs of extremism.\nThe court of appeal panel ruled to slightly change the verdict: it allowed the convicts to choose where to live after serving the main sentence, but ordered them not to leave the boundaries of the chosen municipality for one year. In addition, the court counted Zakaryan's period of hospitalization toward his period of detention as one and a half days for one day. The periods of restriction of freedom were left unchanged.\nThe European Union and the United Nations have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to stop persecuting citizens for practicing their religion, and the European Court of Human Rights has fully acquitted Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_98f8637cfef01e12.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_5ecdc50def3828bd.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_4eb30bd44ba2bcf4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/110906/image_hu_8f92fd558d9f6e21.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/110906.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Believers Were Sent to a Penal Colony for Terms of Four to Six Years","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","elderly","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"A Court of Appeal in Moscow Upheld the Verdict of Five Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2024, in the Avtozavodsky District Court of Tolyatti, the hearings in the case of 35-year-old Aleksandr Dolganov ended. In one session, Judge Anna Tokareva heard the closing arguments of the parties and the final statement of the defendant and immediately passed a sentence – 3 years of imprisonment.\nThe prosecution of the believer began in May 2023. Anatoliy Grekov, investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Samara Region, separated the case against Aleksandr from the criminal case against his fellow believer Aleksandr Chagan. For reading and discussing the Bible and Christian teachings, Dolganov was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His home and those of other believers were searched. Dolganov was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then under house arrest. Aleksandr said: \u0026quot;Due to the ban on leaving the apartment, using a mobile phone, the Internet and mail, I lost the opportunity to provide for my family, therefore this responsobility became a burden for my wife.\u0026quot;\nAfter two months of investigation, Dolganov\u0026#39;s case went to court. At the hearing, the prosecution presented a standard set of evidence: hidden video recordings of peaceful worship services made by an undercover agent, the testimony of a secret witness and a psycho-religious expert study. The defense stated that the latter is inadmissible evidence, since it was obtained in violation of the law; the specialists who performed it — Lenar Galiev and Kirill Kirushin from Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University — did not have the required education, and therefore, did not have the right to conduct the expert study.\nGaliev and Kirushin had previously conducted expert studies in the cases of other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Tolyatti, who also unsuccessfully asked the court to exclude these materials from their cases. The undercover agent, a woman, had also previously participated in lawsuits against other believers from Tolyatti. Testifying in the Dolganov case, she did not hide her negative attitude towards Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses on religious grounds, and also admitted that she did not personally know the defendant and could not accuse him of anything specific.\nIn his final statement, Aleksandr said: \u0026quot;I have never hidden and will never hide my faith in the living God. I enjoy learning about the Creator, acquiring knowledge from the Scriptures, and sharing what I\u0026#39;ve learned with others. The videos provided by the prosecution do not contain calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order, disrespect toward government officials, or the breakup of families, because all this is alien to me and my friends.\u0026quot;\nIn the Samara Region, 10 believers have faced criminal prosecution, most of them have already been sentenced to various forms of punishment for their religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/091339/image_hu_bf67d8f8e2f91a85.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/091339/image_hu_f268448ffc836e1a.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/091339/image_hu_6866c5877353365a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/091339/image_hu_eb37ec67536a14a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/091339.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Tolyatti, Court Found Aleksandr Dolganov Guilty of Extremism.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2024, a panel of judges of the Oryol Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yuliya Orlovskaya, approved six years in prison for the faith of Piskarev, Melnik and Putintsev. Taking into account the 3 years and 4 months spent in pre-trial detention before the verdict came into force, they may be released in April 2025.\nThe accusation of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it was based on audio recordings of a biblical speech that Piskarev rehearsed aloud in his apartment. As a result, on October 13, 2023, the judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of the city of Oryol, Natalya Tishkova, found the three believers guilty.\nPensioner Vladimir Piskarev is experiencing particular difficulties in prison—he had a stroke in the pre-trial detention center and hypertensive crises were recorded twice. In his last plea, he emphasized: \u0026quot;All the accusations that are in the indictment do not correspond to reality, as evidenced by the facts from the criminal case, from the examinations, as well as from the words of prosecution witnesses.\u0026quot; Among other things, it was established that his religion was not prohibited by law, he did not incite religious hatred and never promoted the superiority of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nEight Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Oryol Region, including Dennis Christensen, the first Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness in modern Russia who ended up behind bars only because of his faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/101552.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"They Will Remain Behind Bars","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","rosfinmonitoring","elderly","hidden-surveillance","health-risk"],"title":"The Verdict Against Three Believers in Oryol Came Into Force After an Appeal.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2024, in the city of Poronaysk, Sakhalin Region, a search was carried out at the home of Daler Tokhtayev, 33, and his wife. The believer was detained and taken to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. He is accused of extremism.\nAt about 8 a.m., law enforcement officers, including two FSB officers, arrived at the workplace of Daler Tokhtayev. From there, they took the believer to his home, where his wife was, and conducted a search there until 11:30 a.m. Electronic devices, personal notes and a Bible were seized from the couple. The search warrant was issued by the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court on February 22, 2024.\nA criminal case under Parts 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code was initiated against Tokhtayev on February 6, 2024. The investigation suspects him of \u0026quot;conducting conversations with RF citizens\u0026quot; on Bible topics, which is interpreted as a continuation of the activity of a banned religious organization and an attempt to involve others in it.\nThe search was conducted by the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Sakhalin Region, Yuliya Che, who also took part in the investigation of the criminal case of another local believer, Roman Gumenyuk. Tokhtayev became the tenth Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness to be prosecuted for his faith on Sakhalin.\nUpdate. The court imposed pretrial detention for 2 months as a preventive measure on the believer. He is in detention center No. 1 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/081511.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Daler Tokhtayev Detained in Poronaysk","tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","search","sizo"],"title":"A New Search on Sakhalin.","type":"news"},{"body":"Pavel Sidorenko, 66, a resident of a suburb of Krasnodar, received a suspended sentence of 3 years for talking to local residents about the Bible. On April 3, 2024, the decision in his case was made by Zhanna Velichko, judge of the Goryachy Klyuch City Court.\nIn 2019, the believer took an Orthodox encyclopedia to work to show his colleagues the name \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026quot; in it. An acquaintance of Pavel Sidorenko gave copies of the pages of this publication to the law enforcement officers. After that, the FSB began wiretapping telephone conversations and found out that he had been talking about the Bible with several local residents. This was enough to initiate a criminal case against Sidorenko on extremism in January 2022. His home was searched, and the believer was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nIn his final statement, Pavel Sidorenko emphasized: \u0026quot;My life in general, as well as the actions that I am charged with, are entirely peaceful. My views as a believing Christian with 33 years of experience are based on love for God and love for people, and have nothing to do with extremism.\u0026quot;\nSidorenko lived in Kuban all his life. He and his wife are now retired; due to the criminal prosecution, the believer was fired from his job. \u0026quot;We both have a small pension. In addition, our adult daughter lives with us, who, due to illness, cannot work. I also can\u0026#39;t get a job to have additional income,\u0026quot; he said. \u0026quot;Our fellow believers help us financially; if necessary, they provide us with transport, and bring food and medicine.\u0026quot;\nAccording to an OSCE statement dated July 28, 2020, \u0026quot;all people, including Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, the number of believers who are prosecuted by the law enforcement officers continues to grow.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_e4aec22b9157f1ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_e0ba52a6a099c010.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_2bf5e8673e21c7db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/041721/image_hu_ee8637fef04a384a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/041721.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"This is Already the 18th Jehovah's Witness Convicted for his Faith in the Krasnodar Territory","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Goryachy Klyuch, the Court Gave Pavel Sidorenko a 3-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs and share those beliefs with others.\"\n","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/440.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Sidorenko in Krasnodar","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 3, 2024, the Samara Regional Court upheld the verdict of Sona Olopova — 2 years of forced labor. The court deemed her participation in joint Bible discussions via video link to be extremism.\nIn her appeal, Sona noted that the court of first instance did not consider ordinary religious practice as exercising the right to freedom of practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, which the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit. Instead, in the opinion of the believer, only the fact of professing the religion was enough for the court to pass a sentence. The court did not clarify or establish any other circumstances. In her final statement before the judicial panel, she said: \u0026quot;The materials of my criminal case do not contain a single criminal act, not a single statement against the state, against people of other religions or against people of other nationalities.\u0026quot;\nThe \u0026quot;evidence\u0026quot; included an expert study from another criminal case, in which Olopova is not even mentioned, as well as the testimony of a secret witness who claimed that Sona was distributing banned literature but had not seen it himself.\nIn the Samara Region, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, five of whom have been sentenced to imprisonment for terms from 7 to 8 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/051403/image_hu_2496c7ce11997d4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/051403/image_hu_9202fff57af9c7a4.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/051403/image_hu_462d5534496f5ff5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/051403/image_hu_72b67071c2a26a0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/051403.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","labor","282.2-2","secret-witness","fabrications","studies-violations"],"title":"The Sentence of Sona Olopova from Tolyatti Entered Into Force After an Appeal — Two Years of Forced Labor for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 2, 2024, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, 66-year-old Valeriy Baylo, was detained in the village of Kholmskaya, Krasnodar Territory. According to preliminary information, his apartment was searched.\nTwo days later, the Abinsk District Court imposed detention as a preventive measure on the believer. Currently, he is in detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk.\nEarlier, Valeriy Baylo was a witness in the criminal case of Aleksandr Ivshin, who is already serving a sentence in a penal colony for his faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/prison.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/091547.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":"He is in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"A 66-year-old Jehovah's Witness, Valeriy Baylo, was Detained in the Krasnodar Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 2, 2024, searches were carried out in Petrozavodsk at seven addresses, including that of Aleksey Timofeyev, 30, and his wife. The believer was detained and placed in custody. A criminal case was initiated against him under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code (organizing the activity of an extremist organization).\nThe search in the home of a second family of believers was conducted from 7:25 a.m. until 10 a.m. It took place in the presence of testifying witnesses and two FSB officers. The head of the family was forcibly laid on the floor and handcuffed. Electronic devices, flash drives, paper notes, bank cards, as well as books by religious scholars about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were seized from the couple. After that, the husband was taken for interrogation, first to the FSB Directorate, and then to the Investigative Committee.\nOn March 26, 2024, the criminal case against Aleksey Timofeyev was initiated by Viktor Petrov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Petrozavodsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Karelia. He also filed a motion with the court to detain Timofeyev. On April 3, Judge Yekaterina Kanayeva imposed pre-trial detention as a preventive measure on Aleksey for a period of one month and 24 days until May 25.\nEarlier, five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Petrozavodsk received heavy fines for their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/090812.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":"One Believer Was Sent to a Detention Center","tags":["search","new-case","interrogation","282.2-1"],"title":"Law Enforcement Officers Conducted Searches in the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Petrozavodsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer believes that knowledge about God should be available to all people. He told how the Bible influenced him: \"Thanks to this knowledge, I am a kind, happy person, an honest and responsible worker. I have a strong family, good friends, and a strong hope for the future.\"\n","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/439.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Dolganov in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 28, 2024, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar finally confirmed the verdict for believers from Taganrog: Aleksandr Skvortsov and Vladimir Moiseyenko — 7 and 6 years in a penal colony, respectively, and Valeriy Tibiy — 6 years suspended.\nSkvortsov and Moiseyenko attended the hearing via videoconference from the penal colony where they are serving their sentences. Tibiy and his wife were in the courtroom, as well as listeners who came to support the believers. Only Moiseyenko and Tibiy were able to speak before the panel of judges, Skvortsov was not given a chance to speak. The judges stayed in the deliberation room for 5 minutes. They dismissed the cassation appeals.\nThe verdict for peaceful religious practice, as well as for conversations with an undercover FSB agent who pretended to be interested in the Bible, was passed in June 2023 — the Taganrog City Court of the Rostov Region considered the guilt of the believers in organizing the activity of an extremist organization to be proven. Two months later, the court of appeal upheld this decision.\nJehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted in Taganrog for 15 years. In 2009, the local religious organization was liquidated, and later Aleksandr Skvortsov was convicted in the \u0026quot;Case of 16\u0026quot; — he was given a suspended sentence of more than five years. In December 2021, the homes of believers in Taganrog were searched again, after which Aleksandr was taken into custody. Five months later, despite a recent heart attack, Valeriy Tibiy was placed in a pre-trial detention center, and in July 2022, Vladimir Moiseyenko was also.\nThe believers from Taganrog were among those who appealed against the actions of law enforcement officers and the decisions of Russian courts to the European Court of Human Rights. In February 2022, the ECHR ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for their religious beliefs is unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/04/020843/image_hu_d4ebd0115a5ed749.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/04/020843/image_hu_c191e6d0e7e1a4ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/04/020843/image_hu_959f7d008ecee1dd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/04/020843/image_hu_58c8e1cebca37b0e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/04/020843.html","regions":["rostov","krasnodar"],"subtitle":"One of Them Has Already Been Prosecuted for His Faith for 15 Years","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict of Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 27, 2024, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok did not satisfy the cassation appeal against the verdict of Alam Aliyev, Sergey Shulyarenko, Valeriy Kriger and Dmitriy Zagulin. They will continue to serve time in Blagoveshchensk for their faith in God.\nEarlier, in December 2022, the court of first instance sentenced Aliyev to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Shulyarenko and Kriger to 7 years each, and Zagulin to 3.5 years for allegedly organizing and financing extremist activity. In June 2023, the court of appeal reduced the prison sentences of Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger by only three months.\nThe believers were charged with holding 7 meetings for worship, as well as collecting voluntary donations for the general needs of the believers. However, the court did not cite a single excerpt from recordings of the meetings that promotes incitement to hatred or enmity. The cassation appeal states: \u0026quot;As a result of a miscarriage of justice, Aliyev, Zagulin, Kriger and Shulyarenko were convicted only because they professed beliefs based on the Bible and peacefully practiced their Christian faith as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; The defense also stressed that the verdict is based only on assumptions that the money was spent on extremist activity. However, neither the time, place, methods of collection, receipt, storage nor their expenditure were indicated. The court did not establish the motives for committing the crime, but declared the believers to be extremists.\nThe court completely ignored that Alam Aliyev has serious illnesses: hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus and problems with his spine.\nThe European Court of Human Rights responded to the complaint of Alam Aliyev and other applicants from Russia and ruled that charging Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses with extremist activity violates their rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The Court called on the Russian Federation to take all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and release them from prison.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 24 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted for their religious beliefs. Half of them are married couples.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-27T15:34:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/271534/image_hu_1eab4c5cb7a13f3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/271534/image_hu_3a945de119359056.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/271534/image_hu_31bd24185047770a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/271534/image_hu_a569f1675dd5b46c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/271534.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Harsh Sentence for Faith","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","282.3-1","health-risk","families","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Aliyev, Shulyarenko, Kriger and Zagulin Will Remain in the Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"A believer with a group II disability survived the search and ended up in a pre-trial detention center. During the court hearing on the election of a measure of restraint, Vladimir Fomin lost consciousness. The ambulance staff was able to stabilize his condition, and the court decided to send him to a pre-trial detention center.\nVladimir was born on April 23, 1979 in the village of Kamenka, Arkhangelsk Region. He has two younger brothers. Their father was a military officer in the Northern Navy, and their mother served on the same ship as a flight attendant, where they met.\nFrom a young age, Vladimir was fond of science and wrote a science fiction novel when he was in first grade. After school, he graduated from courses in the repair and maintenance of elevators and worked for a long time in his specialty.\nVladimir reflected on physical laws and came to the conclusion that people only discovered them, but someone created them. He wanted to know more about it. Vladimir read the biblical book of Revelation, and he was especially interested in the prophecies written there. In 2000, he embarked on the Christian path.\nAt the age of twenty, Vladimir was seriously injured: he was beaten because of his religious beliefs. Doctors assigned the believer group II disability. He was forbidden to work in his profession, and before the search he worked as a cleaner.\nVladimir moved a lot. With his parents, he lived in the south of Russia, and then in the Leningrad, Tula and Sverdlovsk regions, as well as in Kalmykia. Recently, he has been living in Karachay-Cherkessia, where the climate is best for his health.\nVladimir met his future wife Anna in 2013, at the same time they got married. Anna\u0026#39;s interest in the spiritual arose in childhood. She was worried about the question: why does no one keep the commandments from the Bible? From a friend, Anna learned about the name of God, began to study the Bible and in 2005 decided to take the Christian path.\nAnna works in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order. In his spare time, she likes to do needlework, listen to music, write poetry and cook. Vladimir likes to learn about space. He is also interested in new developments in the field of electronic technology. Together, the couple love hiking.\nVladimir\u0026#39;s relatives, who are not Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, are outraged by the unfair criminal prosecution and the fact that a decent and law-abiding person with serious health problems was sent to jail.\n","date":"2024-04-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fomin/photo_hu_36a1704795e0353d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fomin/photo_hu_341e600142449fea.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fomin/photo_hu_1f7e59245a7623a5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fomin/photo_hu_5d9c9839cedb8376.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fomin.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["disability","hatred-attacks"],"title":"Vladimir Fomin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 25, 2024, Tamara Makarova, judge of the Votkinsk District Court of the Udmurt Republic, found Mikhail Potapov and Sergey Gobozev guilty of extremist activity and sentenced them to fines.\nSergey Gobozev will have to pay 450,000 rubles for peacefully practicing his faith and Mikhail Potapov — 400,000 rubles. The prosecutor requested imprisonment for 6 years and 6 months for both believers. They do not agree with the verdict and can appeal to higher courts.\nThe case has been considered in court for 2.5 years – since September 2021.\n\u0026quot;Extremism is nothing else than a vivid expression of evil and moral baseness,\u0026quot; Mikhail Potapov told the court in his final statement. \u0026quot;So when I read my indictment, which uses the expressions \u0026#39;violent change of foundations,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;violation of integrity,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;undermining security,\u0026#39; \u0026#39;incitement to hatred,\u0026#39; I got shivers down my spine from these terrible words. It would never have entered my mind ... to commit such acts.\u0026quot;\nA similar thought was expressed by Sergey Gobozev in his statement: \u0026quot;Throughout my entire life I have never broken any laws. I am a simple pensioner who honestly earned the title \u0026#39;Veteran of Labor\u0026#39; for my conscientious work for the benefit of the state. And today I am being held responsible for a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\u0026quot; He adds: \u0026quot;Without evidence the prosecution is trying to tarnish my hard earned, good reputation. There are no victims in the case, and I did not cause any harm to the state. As a believer, extremism in all its manifestations is alien to me.\u0026quot;\nThe case was launched in January 2021, when the homes of Gobozev and Potapov were searched. Sergey was detained in the hospital, where he took his wife for an appointment. The believers were interrogated, after which Potapov was placed in detention, where he spent almost 4 months, and Gobozev was placed under house arrest for the same period. Later, the preventive measure for the believers was replaced with a ban on certain actions.\nThis is not the only criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Udmurt Republic. Five more believers are awaiting court decisions.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_6f86641f324822c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/261307/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_be216131fd7d2c6a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/261307/image_hu_c253e5a9b68ba22a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/261307.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court in Votkinsk Gave Local Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov Large Fines","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2024, Anastasiya Fedorova, judge of the Central District Court of Tolyatti, gave Yelena Yurenkova, 53, a 2-year suspended sentence. For reading and discussing the Bible, she was found guilty of the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn her final statement before the court, Yelena stated: \u0026quot;Today, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not lose their joy when they are persecuted for Jesus\u0026#39; name. For me, as for the ministers of old, suffering in itself is not a cause for joy. But if I remain faithful to God during trials, he will help me endure and gain his approval. This is my hope, the foundation of my faith, for which I am being judged today.\u0026quot;\nThe believer and her husband surrounded by friends near the court building The prosecution of Yelena Yurenkova began in May 2023, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her. The basis for this were hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 1.5 years. After the search and interrogation, the believer was made to sign a recognizance agreement. In August of the same year, court hearings began, in which a secret witness participated.\nThe prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in a penal colony and 1 year restriction of freedom for Yurenkova. Yelena does not agree with the court\u0026#39;s decision and can appeal to higher courts. There are no victims, no damage caused and no proven facts of extremist activity in the case.\nIn Tolyatti, 6 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, including 4 women, have already been prosecuted.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_b0e49e1033f0c2d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_e45c97f646026524.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_d8d1611cb5b28b06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/251357/image_hu_6a4126f85e17d743.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/251357.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","suspended"],"title":"Court in Tolyatti Gave Yelena Yurenkova a 2-Year Suspended Sentenced for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov, 43, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses convicted for his faith, will be sent to a penal colony anyway. The decision to uphold the verdict against the believer was made on March 22, 2024 by a panel of judges of the Supreme Court of Tatarstan, chaired by Marsel Fakhriyev.\nAleksey Gerasimov attended the hearing via video conference from the detention center. He has been in custody since December 2023, when the Kirovskiy District Court of Kazan sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment, finding him guilty of extremism for continuing to practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses – he participated in peaceful religious meetings and public discussions of the Bible.\nThe verdict was appealed. As stated in the appeal of Gerasimov\u0026#39;s lawyer, among other things, \u0026quot;the court of first instance did not apply the principle of the adversarial system and equality of the parties, since the presiding judge deprived the defense of the right to defend against false testimonies given by secret witnesses.\u0026quot;\nThe point is that the investigation and the prosecutor built the line of accusation based on the false testimony of Aleksandr Komzolov, who attended meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the past. These testimonies are repeated verbatim in the materials of several other similar cases against believers in Kazan. Even grammatical errors are the same. According to Aleksey\u0026#39;s wife Natalia Gerasimova, she and her husband were not familiar with Komzolov and, contrary to his testimony, never communicated with him. In connection with the falsifications, Natalia filed a complaint with the Investigative Committee of Russia and the Prosecutor General\u0026#39;s Office of the Russian Federation against the actions of Ilnar Izmailov, an employee of the Center for Counteracting Extremism, and A. Geniyatullin, an investigator of the Investigative Committee, who were involved in her husband\u0026#39;s case.\nEarlier, in his final statement to the court of first instance, the believer drew attention to the absence of any evidence of his guilt: \u0026quot;There is not a single victim in my case, which is confirmed by the case materials and the witness testimonies. During the entire trial, the prosecution did not indicate where, when, or in the presence of whom I said or did anything that incriminated me according to any article for extremism.\u0026quot; Aleksey Gerasimov still insists on his innocence.\nAs of March 2024, 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Tatarstan have faced criminal prosecution for their faith, two of them are serving sentences in a penal colony, and nine more have received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/261511/image_hu_7ba5ddb4c4f84f81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/261511/image_hu_114c01be806881ad.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/261511/image_hu_5d765d3e5a5b68e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/261511/image_hu_65b66a0aff9d95d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/261511.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","fabrications"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Tatarstan Upheld the Sentence of Aleksey Gerasimov From Kazan - 6 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, Yelena noted: \"When faced with unfair treatment, [Jehovah's Witnesses] act in accordance with the biblical admonition: 'Do not repay evil for evil to anyone.' By their deeds they prove the falsity of the accusations against them.\"\n","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/438.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Yurenkova in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 22, 2024, the Supreme Court of Crimea overturned the verdict against Taras Kuzo, Petr Zhiltsov, Sergey Lyulin and Darya Kuzo, the wife of Taras. The men were released from the detention center, their preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions; the preventive measure for Darya remained the same \u0026ndash; a recoginizance agreement. The case was sent for a new trial by different judges.\nEarlier, the Yalta City Court sentenced Taras Kuzo to 6 years and 6 months, Petr Zhiltsov to 6 years and 1 month, and Sergey Lyulin to 6 years in a penal colony. Darya Kuzo received a 3-year suspended sentence. The verdict was appealed. In the appeal, the defense emphasized that there was no evidence that the beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were extremist in nature. Practicing this religion is not prohibited in the Russian Federation.\nAddressing the court before the appeal decision, Darya Kuzo told what her family had to endure during the persecution: \u0026quot;My young children survived three terrible searches carried out by armed men; on November 14, 2023 my husband\u0026#39;s mother suffered cardiac arrest due to [stress], we were added to the list of Rosfinmonitoring as extremists, and all our bank accounts were blocked...\u0026quot;\nTaras and Darya Kuzo with their children. March 2024 \u0026quot;The case, contains only vague terminology about extremism \u0026ndash; something that is absolutely alien to us. We have never shown hatred or enmity towards people. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are known throughout the world as peaceful people. We are tried only because we live and believe as taught by the Greatest Teacher, Jesus Christ. I have been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for 23 years now, I have been living by God\u0026#39;s highest moral standards as set forth in the Bible, and I have seen how the application of these principles has made our family strong and happy for 15 years already. It\u0026#39;s been almost a year since my children and I were separated [from Taras], this is very painful for us. I really want our children to grow up in a complete family as mentally and emotionally stable people,\u0026quot; Darya summed up, asking the court to make a fair decision.\nTo date, 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea are being prosecuted solely for their religious beliefs; 9 of them are already serving sentences \u0026ndash; from 6 to 6.5 years \u0026ndash; in penal colonies.\n","category":"trial","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/221638/image_hu_72a1f3f4341cc664.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/221638/image_hu_85526a1b55a15b03.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/221638/image_hu_d7dd5f0bced29832.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/221638/image_hu_874bda11bdf3c42c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/221638.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"The Men Were Released From the Pre-trial Detention Center, but the Trial Will Start Again","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.3-1","families","minors"],"title":"The Supreme Court in Crimea Overturned the Verdict of Four Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 21, 2024, Vladimir Fomin, 44, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses with a disability, was sent to a temporary detention facility in Cherkessk. A criminal case has been initiated against him under two articles for extremism. During the hearing regarding preventive measure, he lost consciousness and an ambulance had to be called.\nA month earlier, on February 21, the home of Vladimir Fomin and his wife was searched. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized from them.\nThe believer is charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. The case was initiated by Aslan Shabanov, senior investigator of the Cherkessk Investigative Committee. On March 23, the Cherkessk City Court imposed pre-trial detention on Fomin.\nThe reason for initiating the criminal case against Fomin was an incident related to the case of Menchikova, a resident of Cherkessk who earlier had been convicted for her faith. The charges against Vladimir were based on conversations about the Bible with a woman, which the investigation deemed to be involving others in the activity of a banned organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-03-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/280841.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"He Was Placed in a Detention Center","tags":["new-case","sizo","search","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","disability","interrogation"],"title":"A Criminal Case Initiated in Cherkessk Against Vladimir Fomin who Has a Disability.","type":"news"},{"body":"Before Oleg Artyomov from Chelyabinsk faced criminal prosecution for discussing the Bible with friends over video calls, he had plenty of plans. He wanted to build a strong family. Oleg recalls: \u0026quot;When the case was opened, it became clear to me that it would most likely end with a real prison term... And that means this goal gets pushed back...\u0026quot;\nOleg was born in July 1995 in the village of Kanashevo in the Chelyabinsk Region and has lived in Chelyabinsk for his entire life. He has an older brother. His mother is retired, and his father died of a stroke in December 2025. As a child, Oleg loved playing football with friends, and he also enjoyed inventing, filming, and editing short comedy sketches.\nAfter school, Oleg worked as a mechanic at a bowling center, and five years later he moved into apartment renovation. From time to time, he attended various events in the construction field—seminars, master classes, and festivals in different cities across Russia. In his spare time, Oleg plays volleyball and football and goes ice skating. In summer, he loves relaxing by the lakes of the Urals. He also enjoys organizing big celebrations and parties for friends from different cities, as well as filming humorous videos. \u0026quot;I can\u0026#39;t live without humor and puns,\u0026quot; the believer says.\nFrom early childhood, Oleg\u0026#39;s mother instilled in him a love for the Bible. As he grew older, the young man decided to explore the book in depth on his own. He was struck by its internal consistency, its archaeological and historical accuracy, and its practical wisdom. In 2012, Oleg decided to set out on the Christian path. At the time, he had no idea that this would later lead to criminal prosecution.\nWhen the court hearings began, Oleg met his future wife Yuliya, who came to support him. He remembers: \u0026quot;It was really nerve‑racking to come to her parents and say, \u0026#39;Hello, I want to make your daughter the wife of a \u0026#39;criminal defendant .\u0026#39;\u0026#39;\u0026quot; Yuliya\u0026#39;s parents are not Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, yet they supported the young couple. Oleg and Yuliya got married in November 2025. They are determined to face all difficulties together.\n","date":"2024-04-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/artemov/photo_hu_310bc00095c6296a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/artemov/photo_hu_e3675688b8a65f03.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/artemov/photo_hu_30a069276d5d97f3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/artemov/photo_hu_81004d560468e789.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/artemov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Artemov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2023, Aleksey Kuznetsov was charged with extremism for discussing biblical thoughts with friends via video link. This came as a surprise to him, as he always respected the state and its laws.\nAleksey was born in September 1974 in the city of Bezhetsk, Tver Region. His father died in 2022. He was a soldier, so the family moved frequently. His mother worked in the accounting department and is now retired.\nAs a child, Aleksey loved to play the guitar, as well as solder and assemble electronic devices according to schemes. After graduating from a technical university, he worked as an engineer and teacher.\nIn the late 1990s, Aleksey became interested in the historical events mentioned in the Bible. He was struck by the fact that many of the prophecies in this book had already been fulfilled. In 2002, he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn September 2023, Aleksey married Nataliya. She shares his views on life. Nataliya works in a hospital, where she performs the duties of junior medical staff. In her free time, she enjoys reading classical literature and traveling. Aleksey likes to do something useful with his own hands. Together, the couple enjoy listening to live music and watching historical films.\nDue to the stress caused by the criminal prosecution, Aleksey and his mother\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened. Relatives and friends who do not share the religious views of the believer are surprised that a decent man was thrown behind bars, found guilty of extremism.\n","date":"2024-04-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsovav/photo_hu_fb22139ab99b23d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovav/photo_hu_796047263ff0aca9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsovav/photo_hu_ca71bc9bb612617d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovav/photo_hu_baaee0f2b817a57e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsovav.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Kuznetsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 19, 2024, the judicial panel of the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok rejected the appeal of Leonid Druzhinin and Yevgeniy Bitusov and confirmed the sentence of the court of first instance: 6.5 and 6 years in a penal colony, respectively.\nIn their cassation appeals, the believers reminded the court that law enforcement agencies had not established a single fact that they had committed unlawful actions. Also, not a single victim was identified. The defendants\u0026#39; lawyer stressed that \u0026quot;their motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise the right to practice and spread their faith.\u0026quot; The convicted persons are described exclusively in a positive light. Bitusov has a young daughter.\nIn the Amur Region, 23 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution on religious grounds. 13 of them are already serving sentences in the penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/201051/image_hu_d1718d70f8c7bff6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/201051/image_hu_57c8fd8dddfbe14b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/201051/image_hu_5de751bee76c9e10.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/201051/image_hu_daece49f13a09901.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/201051.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"Leonid Druzhinin and Yevgeniy Bitusov Will Continue to Serve Their Sentences in the Penal Colony","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Cassation Confirmed the Prison Terms for Believers from Zeya: 6.5 and 6 Years.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 19, 2024, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar rejected the appeal of Sergey Korolev, Sergey Kosyanenko and Rinat Kiramov against the verdict of the court of first instance. The believers will remain in the penal colony.\nKorolev, Kosyanenko and Kiramov have already been imprisoned for more than two years for ordinary religious practices not related to extremist activity. Their lawyer emphasized this in the cassation appeal: \u0026quot;The court did not substantiate in its decisions why it regarded the peaceful way of expressing faith in God as a way of committing a crime.\u0026quot;\nThe defense also pointed out in the cassation appeal that the verdict and the appellate ruling \u0026quot;were issued with significant violations of the law,\u0026quot; namely: the court did not take into account that the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is not banned; did not indicate specific extremist actions of the defendants; did not provide evidence of unlawfulness; and did not establish motives for committing the crimes. In addition, the court did not assess the violations during the expert studies, in particular, the fact that the linguist N. V. Gromova encroached on the competence of a religious scholar and tried to \u0026quot;conduct her own religious study.\u0026quot;\nIrina and Galina, Rinat Kiramov\u0026rsquo;s mother and wife, in front of the court of cassation, March 2024 Professor Anatoliy Pchelintsev, an honorable Russian lawyer, said: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as part of global Christianity are recognized and operate unhindered in most countries of the world and are only banned in some countries with a totalitarian regime ... Without guaranteed freedom of conscience, no state can be stable and prosperous.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_def9de240052f19b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_2b2a630f1af69e07.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_8e8fb631219ab9d3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/200944/image_hu_f11984214449ca61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/200944.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":"They Will Continue to Serve Their Sentences in the Penal Colony","tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did not Change the Harsh Sentence of Three of Jehovah's Witnesses from Akhtubinsk for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer explained that in Russia it is allowed to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"I don't understand why the investigation took so much time from itself, from me and from the court to unreasonably label me an 'extremist' and prohibit me from practicing my religion,\" he said.\n","date":"2024-03-18T09:16:46+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/437.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Potapov in Votkinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"An ordinary resident of Omsk, Leonid Pyzhov, worked in a social taxi, a service that deals with free or preferential transportation of the poor and those who cannot move independently. As one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, he also talked to others about the Bible, for which he was prosecuted.\nLeonid was born in 1973 in the city of Kurgan. He has a younger brother and sister. Their mother is now retired and lives alone.\nIn his youth, Leonid was fond of various types of martial arts. After school, he studied at a construction college as a mechanic. Before his arrest, already in Omsk, where he moved with his wife, he worked as a social taxi driver and manager of a pick-up point.\nLeonid likes to do things with his own hands, such as carpentry, growing plants. He had a plan to build a house.\nEven in his youth, Leonid was interested in questions about God and Jesus Christ. After reading the Gospels on his own, he concluded that in order to be a disciple of Jesus, you need to share with others what you have learned. One day, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses knocked on Leonid\u0026#39;s door and invited him to study the Bible. In it, he found answers to his questions. In 1995, Leonid became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nLeonid met his future wife Tatyana among his fellow believers. They got married in 1996.\nIn March 2024, their home was searched. Leonid was detained and placed first in a temporary detention center, and then in a pre-trial detention center According to Tatyana, parting with her husband is a great grief for her.\nRelatives worry about Leonid and are waiting for him to return home. They speak of him as a loving person, far from violence and extremism. According to them, Leonid is being persecuted only because he believes in God and reads the Bible.\n","date":"2024-04-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pyzhov/photo_hu_f23d4d6e327316ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pyzhov/photo_hu_deeaf69c1e3d03f5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pyzhov/photo_hu_79883217f0b0dd04.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pyzhov/photo_hu_67bafaec4a39b5bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pyzhov.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Leonid Pyzhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The believer told about his life, that he is a simple pensioner who honestly deserved the title of veteran of labor. He asked the court: \"Is this the kind of life extremists lead? Extremism and my religious beliefs are incompatible.\"\n","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/436.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Gobozev in Votkinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 15, 2024, the trial one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Yuriy Yuskov, who will be 86 in less than a month, was completed in the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic. Judge Aleksandr Zubov gave him a 5-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year and 4 months of restriction of freedom.\nAccording to the investigation, Yuriy Yuskov is guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it, as he \u0026quot;carried out the preaching activity, conducting conversations and teaching religious beliefs.\u0026quot; Without evidence he was accused of promoting the breakup of families. In response, the widower talked about his marriage to Lyudmila, who did not share his religious views: \u0026quot;My wife and I lived together for 59 years and 43 days. Your Honor, are many families today able to maintain their marriage for more than 1 year? I know for a fact that the Bible only strengthens family ties, not destroy them, even if family members practice different religions.\u0026quot;\nOn April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses but did not ban practicing this religion. This thought was emphasized by Yuriy Yuskov at one of the hearings: \u0026quot;The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated publicly that the ban applies only to legal entities and does not prevent believers from practicing their religion. And I understood that I had not lost the right to peacefully practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecution of pensioner Yuriy Yuskov began in November 2020, when they searched his home in the case of three believers from Cheboksary. The security forces returned for a second search in May 2023, when A. Mukhin, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, initiated a criminal case against him. The charge was based on the testimony of two secret witnesses; part of the court hearings was held behind closed doors, but the court allowed five listeners to attend the announcement of the verdict. About 30 more people who came to support the believer were waiting for the decision outside the courthouse.\nYuriy Yuskov intends to appeal the verdict.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-15T14:19:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_1eda5153206f0b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_969044aca1143e89.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_5941c3c636082295.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/151419/image_hu_80beda85fc7187fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/151419.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Yuriy Yuskov was given a 5-year suspended sentence","tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","secret-witness","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Court in Chuvashia Announced the Verdict Against One of the Oldest Prisoners of Conscience for his Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"The 85-year-old believer said in his last statement: \"I am not being judged because I committed some malicious crime. No. I am being judged for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I'm proud of it and I will never deny it, no matter what I am threatened.\"\n","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/435.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, will serve a 2-year suspended sentence for his faith based on the March 12, 2024 decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court. Two months earlier, a lower court had sentenced him to 2 years and 10 months of forced labor, despite his disability and retirement age.\nAddressing the appeal panel, Brilkov said that he considers the case fabricated, and himself innocent. \u0026quot;My conscience is calm because I have not violated either the Criminal Code or the law of God \u0026ndash; my actions have not caused any harm to anyone,\u0026quot; he said in his final statement.\nThe criminal prosecution of Brilkov began in March 2023. Until the verdict was passed, he was under a recognizance agreement.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted, including three women.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_412fa964d25f15fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_2256679fd8c3944.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_69ec8793bf48fff4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/131340/image_hu_6ab63637bbf884c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/131340.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"In Kemerovo, The Court of Appeal Changed the Sentence of a Pensioner","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor","suspended","elderly","disability","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Two Years Suspended Instead of Three Years of Forced Labor for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa was born in February 1990 in Birobidzhan. She has an elder sister. As a child, Vladlena studied piano at a music school, sang in a choir and loved to draw. Music is still her hobby to this day, along with learning Spanish and taking walks in nature.\nAfter school, Vladlena graduated with honors from the Birobidzhan Medical College with a degree in nursing. Then she entered the Khabarovsk University of Economics and Law with a degree in management. In 2015 she got married.\nReturning to Birobidzhan, Vladlena got a job in the statistics department of the ambulance station, where she worked for more than 3 years. Then, for a while, she worked as self-employed remotely. Due to criminal prosecution, Vladlena\u0026#39;s bank card was blocked, and remote work became inaccessible to her. When she went to the Ambulance Station to get a reference for the court, she was rehired. Vladlena is also interested in healthy eating and writes articles on this topic.\nVladlena was touched by the sincere care and warmth she felt among believers, and in 2004 she decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution became stressful for Vladlena. Her family is worried about what is happening.\n","date":"2024-03-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kukavitsa/photo_hu_d7e9dcf143167cc9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kukavitsa/photo_hu_905b748001d8cdd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kukavitsa/photo_hu_53660da3b0613dc0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kukavitsa/photo_hu_ff0040765c61e128.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kukavitsa.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vladlena Kukavitsa","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Rygaev, a respectable family man from Omsk, ended up in a pre-trial detention center in the spring of 2024. He was searched and accused of extremism only because of his faith.\nSergey was born in 1971 in the village of Nizhnekundryuchenskaya, Rostov Region. He has an elder sister. In 1972, the family moved to Kurgan.\nIn his youth, Sergey was engaged in classical wrestling and motocross. After school, in Kurgan, he graduated from a construction college and later mastered the skills of a roofer and other construction professions. But for most of his life until his arrest, he worked as a tinsmith.\nSergey began to reflect on the meaning of life and justice in society when he returned from the army. Soon he met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, began to study the Bible, and believed in God. In 1993, the man decided to take the Christian path.\nIn 1995, Sergey married Oksana. She shares his religious views. The couple has an adult son. He graduated from school with honors and, like his father, works as a tinsmith. In his spare time, he studies English and Tatar languages, masters programming. In 2006, the family moved to live in Omsk.\nSergey loves fishing, and he is also an avid mushroom picker. He likes to run, ride a bike, go to the bathhouse. Oksana loves to read, plays musical instruments, and is also fond of volleyball. Together, the couple arrange evenings with friends — sing, dance, participate in competitions. The family also loves to be in nature.\nThe stress of the search and arrest of her husband had a negative impact on Oksana\u0026#39;s health. She also lost the opportunity to teach mathematics online, as electronic devices were confiscated. During the years of marriage, the couple were almost never separated for more than a couple of weeks, and after their arrest they were forbidden to see and call each other.\nSergey\u0026#39;s relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbors do not understand why he is being persecuted. They know him as a conflict-free, compliant person, an exemplary worker.\n","date":"2024-03-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rygaev/photo_hu_1511556088b22351.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rygaev/photo_hu_46389c3d7a2d6cad.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rygaev/photo_hu_af15165cf0e8a868.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rygaev/photo_hu_73262694f3cc609f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rygaev.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Rygaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 7, 2024, Bella Stash, judge of the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea, sentenced one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — Inver Siyukhov, 49, — to 6 years in a penal colony. The court equated exercising the right to practice one\u0026#39;s religion with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn addition, the court deprived the believer of the right to engage in educational activity and any activity related to leading and participating in religious public associations and organizations for a period of four years, and also imposed restriction of liberty for a period of one year after serving the main sentence.\nInver Siyukhov became a defendant in a criminal case in April 2021, when the local department of the Investigative Committee suspected him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for discussing the Bible and Christian teachings with others, including via messaging apps. At the same time, a series of searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place in Adygea; Inver ended up behind bars.\nAt one of the court hearings, Inver Siyukhov commented on his detention: \u0026quot;For the almost three-year period of my stay [behind bars] (by the day he was sentenced on, he had spent 2 years and 10 months in a pretrial detention center — ed.) I have never been reprimanded or warned. On the contrary, I was held up as an example to other cellmates.\u0026quot; According to Siyukhov, letters became a special support for him; his cellmates were surprised that encouraging words came even from complete strangers.\nThe trial of Inver Siyukhov has been going on since October 2021. \u0026quot;It is evident from the indictment that I am facing imprisonment only because I simply exercised my right to practice a religion,\u0026quot; Inver said in court before the verdict was announced.\nThe prosecutor asked the court to send the believer to a penal colony for 9 years. The prosecution relied on the opinion of the expert R. V. Levinsky, who, as it turned out, did not have the necessary qualification to conduct a psycholinguistic expert study. At one of the hearings, Inver Siyukhov stated: \u0026quot;I believe that the preliminary investigation agencies incorrectly and arbitrarily interpret the decision of the Supreme Court liquidating legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. And their misinterpretation, and not the crime I allegedly committed, is the reason why I am in the dock today.\u0026quot; This opinion regarding the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for religious activities is shared by human rights activists and the worldwide community.\nIn the Reoublic of Adygea, this is the third guilty verdict against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/111331/image_hu_2ac9117e901d2449.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/111331/image_hu_2189dac222692d14.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/111331/image_hu_52f3651efb3a7dac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/111331/image_hu_8bdc253440b766e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/111331.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Maykop Sentenced Inver Siyukhov to 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Talking About Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer noted that Jehovah's Witnesses imitate God in all things, who \"is the personification of love,\" and asked the court: \"Is it extremism to introduce people to such a loving heavenly Father, to talk about the beautiful hope and to help them learn to live up to Jehovah's high standards right now?\"\n","date":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/434.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Inver Siyukhov in Maykop","type":"docs"},{"body":"One of the largest cases for faith of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia, in which the investigation and trial lasted almost 6 years, ended in a guilty verdict. On March 6, 2024, Tatyana Belayeva, judge of the Magadan City Court, gave suspended sentences to believers aged 31 to 73.\nSergey Yerkin, Konstantin Petrov and Ivan Puyda received 7 years, Yevgeniy Zyablov received 5 years, Sergey Agadzhanov, Viktor Revyakin, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Irina Khvostova, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Inna Kardakova and Galina Pechko received 3 years — all suspended with a probation period of 2 to 5 years. As an additional punishment, believers were given a restriction of freedom from 10 months to 1 year.\nA criminal case was initiated in May 2018, followed by searches. Ivan Puyda was detained by the law enforcement officers in Khabarovsk, 1600 km from Magadan. He, as well as Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin were behind bars between 2 and 4 months. As a result of the second wave of searches in March 2019, Lyubov Asatryan, Irina Khvostova, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Inna Kardakova, Galina Dergacheva, Viktor Revyakin and Sergey Agadzhanov became defendants in the case. Galina Pechko was added to the list 2 years later.\nThe charges of organizing, financing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization was based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship, during which the believers discussed compassion and love for people and forgiveness and hope. The testimonies of witnesses, including the FSB officer who conducted operational work within the case, did not reveal any expression of extremism at these religious meetings. At court hearings, the defense has repeatedly noted that all 13 believers have a reputation of being decent, intelligent and hardworking people.\nThe support of relatives and friends helped the believers to cope with the difficulties caused by the criminal prosecution. Galina Pechko said: \u0026quot;I can reach out to them at any time. I hear so many words of encouragement that warm my heart and help me endure everyday difficulties.\u0026quot; According to Ivan Puyda, during his imprisonment his grandfather\u0026#39; example of resilience, who was also persecuted for his faith in Soviet times, strengthened him: \u0026quot;If he were alive, he would be proud of me ... His example inspired me to remain faithful and courageous.\u0026quot;\nThe convicted persons deny their guilt of extremism, as they said in their final statements.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-06T15:40:55+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_d4268defdd51729f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_5dbaaa40b1106758.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_f2b5dc69280b052a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/061540/image_hu_f86f427d433e7116.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/061540.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","elderly","families"],"title":"Court In Magadan Gave 13 Jehovah's Witnesses Suspended Sentences From 3 to 7 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 5, 2024, Andrey Slavinskiy, judge of the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Irkutsk, issued a verdict in the case of 9 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He found them guilty of extremism and sentenced them to various terms of imprisonment in a penal colony.\nThe maximum term — 7 years — were received by Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteyev, Nikolay Martynov, Mikhail Moysh, Aleksey Solnechny and Andrey Tolmachev. Igor Popov and Denis Sarazhakov received 6 years and 4 months, and Sergey Vasilyev received 3 years. The verdict has not entered into force; the believers do not admit their guilt and plan to appeal.\nA criminal case was initiated in October 2021, when searches were carried out in the homes of the believers. Law enforcement officers behaved rudely: they broke windows and entered through windows and balcony doors. Some of the raids were carried out with beatings.\nAfter the searches, six men — Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteyev, Nikolay Martynov, Mikhail Moysh, Aleksey Solnechny, and Andrey Tolmachev — were taken into custody, where they spent more than 2 years. The oldest of the detainees is Sergey Vasilyev, who is now 72 years old, stayed for 2 days in the temporary detention facility, after which he was placed under house arrest (and now again taken into custody in the court). In the pretrial detention center some of the men were often ill. \u0026quot;My friends and I suffered a lot of hardships and deprivation during the criminal prosecution,\u0026quot; said Yaroslav Kalin. \u0026quot;We were in the worst cells and conditions possible. We have experienced the misery of imprisonment firsthand.\u0026quot;\nAs part of this case, in November 2021, searches were also carried out at the homes of Denis Sarazhakov in Khakassia and Igor Popov in the Kemerovo Region, after which the men were placed in a pretrial detention center; they also spent more than 2 years in prison.\nAfter a year of investigative actions, in December 2022, the case was submitted to the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Irkutsk. The prosecutor requested 3 to 7 years in a penal colony for the believers.\nSpeaking in court, Aleksey Solnechny said in his final statement: \u0026quot;I have been detained for more than two years on charges of a crime I did not commit. When you read the indictment, you can see that the investigator included in it all the fiction that he found on the Internet regarding Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; He added: \u0026quot;Either I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses or I am an extremist. It is impossible to be both at the same time. And I declare: I am one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, but I am not an extremist!\u0026quot;\nYaroslav Kalin emphasized in his final statement: \u0026quot;I truly wonder for what act such a term was requested for me. I did not sit just doing nothing during this trial. I looked deeply into the accusation and the arguments of the investigation and was convinced of the complete incompetence of the accusation and its illegality. I have not received an answer to the question: where and what is extremism? Neither my conscience nor my reasoning accepts the unfounded accusations that were made in court. And the requested punishment simply defies logic.\u0026quot;\nAt one of the court hearings, he also spoke about how his relatives were exiled to Siberia for their faith during the Soviet era: \u0026quot;I was sure that history could not repeat itself. Russia cannot make the same mistakes. It cannot first imprison believers, then apologize to their children, and then again imprison their children and grandchildren for their faith in God.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-05T11:41:36+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/051141/image_hu_55afbcc49d5ec30e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/051141/image_hu_9a000d0223c49810.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/051141/image_hu_24c4bdbd6deff63a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/051141/image_hu_57e66eb58d070625.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/051141.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Nine of Jehovah's Witnesses from Irkutsk Received 3 to 7 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 4, 2024, Irina Onuchina, judge of the Central District Court of the city of Tolyatti, found Yelena Kozhevnikova guilty of extremism and gave her a 2-year suspended sentence for \u0026quot;actively participating in the activity of the religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses through video conferencing.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecutor had requested 4 years of imprisonment for the believer.\nRegarding the charges, Kozhevnikova stated that she does not pose any public danger, as she respects people of any nationality and religion as well as the laws of the state. \u0026quot;This what the Bible teaches, which for me is the most important law,\u0026quot; the believer highlighted. \u0026quot;I do not think that talking about God and Bible principles in any way violates the constitutional order or threatens state security.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution of Yelena began in May 2023, following searches that took place simultaneously at several addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Tolyatti. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer, and she was placed under a recognizance agreement. Already within 2 months, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness and hidden video recordings of meetings for worship.\nIn the Samara Region, 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been prosecuted, one of whom was sentenced to 8 years in prison for their faith, and four more to 7 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_e9e60e4296e97e36.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_18f0188bbd25678f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_3a84e8e12ea4a8a8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/050830/image_hu_40b484186116e4a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/050830.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":"The Court Gave a Suspended Sentence to 62-year-old Yelena Kozhevnikova","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","hidden-surveillance","suspended"],"title":"Another Sentence for Faith in Tolyatti.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 4, 2024, searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Omsk. At least 10 people, most of them women, were taken to the investigative committee for interrogations. Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygayev were placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pretrial detention center. A criminal case was initiated against them under Article 282.2(1) of the RF Criminal Code (\u0026quot;organizing the activity of an extremist organization\u0026quot;).\nThe search at the home of the Rygaevs began around 7:00 a.m. and lasted approximately 5 hours. The security forces met the head of the family on the street. According to Sergey\u0026#39;s friends, during the arrest he was knocked to the ground, hit several times, forcing him to unlock his phone. All electronic devices and 3 copies of the Bible were seized from the couple.\nA 64-year-old woman also suffered from the searches. During the interrogation, she was asked what religion she belonged to and how the meetings were conducted.\nThe criminal case against Pyzhov and Rygaev was initiated on February 29, 2024 by investigator Mariya Volkova, who filed for searches in the homes of believers. The search warrant was issued by Yulia Gerstner, judge of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of the city of Omsk.\nOn March 5, the court ruled to place Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev in a pretrial detention center.\nEarlier in the Omsk Region, 5 Jehovah's Witnesses became defendants in criminal cases, 4 of them received various terms and have already served their sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/061606/image_hu_99dc544cbd75a2d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/061606/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/061606/image_hu_ab1029e1ee3e46bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/061606/image_hu_eaa0dc106b024473.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/061606.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":"A Criminal Case Initiated for Faith, 2 People Detained","tags":[],"title":"Mass searches and interrogations in Omsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"Using historical facts, the believer showed the court that Jehovah's Witnesses are not guilty of what they are accused of. \"Being subjected to illegal persecution and accusation of extremism,\" Yelena said, \"I have absolutely no resentment, no anger, no thirst for revenge towards my accusers.\"\n","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/432.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Kozhevnikova in Togliatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer has repeatedly stressed that there is no evidence of his guilt in any of the 36 volumes of the case: \"On what basis did they decide that I am an extremist, that I call for religious hatred, that I tower over someone? Not a single remark, there is not a single witness who would confirm this.\n","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/433.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kosteev in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 1, 2024, Oleg Danilov, convicted for his faith in Jehovah God, was released from the penal colony in the town of Dvubratskiy. He was met by relatives and friends.\nOleg Danilov is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. Back in 1958, his grandparents got to know believers exiled to Siberia. Soon the repressions also affected Oleg\u0026#39;s family: his uncle was sentenced to 3 years for refusing to serve in the army on religious grounds. Oleg became a victim of persecution for his faith, 60 years later.\nIn March 2021, the Abinsk District Court found Danilov, who lived in Kholmskaya town, guilty of extremism. During his imprisonment, the believer had to serve his term in 3 colonies; he spent most of his time in strict conditions of detention \u0026ndash; due to unjustified penalties from the colonies\u0026#39; administration, Oleg was placed in a punishment cell.\n\u0026quot;Oleg and I have always been very close,\u0026quot; said Danilov\u0026#39;s wife, Natalia. \u0026quot;When he was taken away, it was as if a part of me had been torn out and a bleeding wound was left.\u0026quot; She also noted: \u0026quot;The carefree youth of our sons abruptly turned into adulthood with responsibilities and solving many problems. But they handled it very well. Oleg \u0026#39;s example, which they had seen when he was around, helped them a lot.\u0026quot;\nOleg Danilov meets his wife. March 1, 2024 Friends greatly supported the Danilov family. \u0026quot;Words cannot express how much love I felt from the brothers and sisters during this difficult time. They were always there, calling, writing, giving flowers, postcards, gifts, letters and much more,\u0026quot; Natalia said.\n\u0026quot;Looking at my father, I understand that his faith is not built on a shaky foundation,\u0026quot; Oleg\u0026#39;s son, Nikita said before his father\u0026#39;s release. \u0026quot;It\u0026#39;s not easy to accept all the challenges. It\u0026#39;s not easy to say goodbye to your family, it\u0026#39;s not easy to love your enemies, it\u0026#39;s not easy to encourage others when it\u0026#39;s hard for yourself. He gave his life into the caring hands of Jehovah, and as these events have shown, God will never abandon us.\u0026quot;\nIn the town of Kholmskaya, with a population of less than 19,000 people, 7 believers have faced criminal prosecution. In addition to Danilov, two of his fellow believers have already served their sentences in a penal colony: Aleksandr Shcherbina was released in February, and Aleksandr Nikolayev in September 2023.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-03-01T16:32:22+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/011632/image_hu_acdb5f2f6f85970b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/011632/image_hu_a1e9607e2f9a4647.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/011632/image_hu_d46f0537c3567e78.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/011632/image_hu_b77734757afb463b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/011632.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","ussr"],"title":"Oleg Danilov, One of Jehovah's Witness from Kholmskaya, Was Released After Serving 3 Years in Prison for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Tatyana Piskareva, a pensioner from Oryol, was found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because of her faith. On March 1, 2024, Dmitriy Sukhov, judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Oryol, sentenced her to 2 years and 6 months of forced labor.\nThe believer\u0026#39;s case continues the trend of prosecuting several family members at once: Tatyana\u0026#39;s husband, Vladimir, received 6 years in a penal colony under an article for extremism and is now awaiting an appeal. He was arrested after searches in December 2020 and has been behind bars ever since. There he suffered several hypertensive crises and a stroke; he was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Tatyana said: \u0026quot;I wanted to help my husband when he had a crisis, but I could not help in any way. It was painful to watch the inactivity of the pretrial detention center.\u0026quot;\nThe RF Investigative Committee initiated a case against Piskareva in October 2021. She was accused of participating in meetings for worship via video conferencing. A year and a half later, the trial began. At the hearing, it turned out that 11 of the 13 prosecution witnesses did not know the believer.\n\u0026quot;I love all people regardless of their nationality, race, skin color and language, religion and other beliefs. I hate extremism in any form,\u0026quot; Tatyana said during the trial. \u0026quot;I am a believer, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and this is not a crime.\u0026quot; The decision of the court may be appealed in higher instances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_884711d79ce518d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_b0b283b5b9f75276.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_ca945b746266c03f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/041031/image_hu_40ae29615f64db1b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/041031.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":"Earlier, her Husband Had Received 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Similar Charges","tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"A Court in Oryol Sentenced Tatyana Piskareva, 67, to 2.5 Years of Forced Labor for Participating in Peaceful Worship.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his testimony in court, the believer said that it was important for him to address God by name and tell others about this name, and that it was because of this that he ended up in the dock.\n","date":"2024-02-29T09:58:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/431.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Chagan in Tolyatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 29, 2024, Viktoriya Gorbasheva, judge of the Tsentralniy District Court of Tolyatti, found Aleksandr Chagan guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 8 years imprisonment. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe closing arguments were presented and Chagan gave his final statement in one session; the verdict was passed on the same day. As an additional punishment, the court banned the believer from participating in activities related to religious organizations for 3 years and restricted his freedom for 1 year. Aleksandr pleads not guilty.\nChagan faced persecution for his faith in March 2022, when his home was searched for the first time. In September of the same year, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer on charges of extremism, and the home of Chagan family was searched for second time. In July 2023, the case went to court.\nA total of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in the Samara Region. Four men were sentenced to 7 years in prison for their faith in Jehovah God, and a woman was sentenced to 2 years of forced labor.\n\u0026quot;Extremism is an intense expression of hatred,\u0026quot; Aleksandr said in his final statement. \u0026quot;Today, computer games with war themes are common, but for some reason such games are not considered as extremism. But the peaceful activity of believers, who above all teach others how to solve problems and conflicts peacefully, is considered as extremism, and an attempt is made to make it appear sinister\u0026quot;.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-29T09:44:53+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/010944/image_hu_7e8acd297e63a7f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/010944/image_hu_916f0665a85a7184.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/010944/image_hu_d144b97f799eb796.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/010944/image_hu_9c8246966a7c993d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/010944.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Tolyatti Sent Aleksandr Chagan to a Penal Colony for 8 Years for his Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 29, 2024, Sergey Kochetkov, judge of the Teykovo District Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Vladimir Spivak, Aleksandr Vasichkin, Sergey Galyamin and Anatoliy Lyamo to large fines for practicing their faith.\nNone of the convicted persons pleaded guilty. They can appeal the verdict. The state prosecutor requested fines between 700,000 and 1,200,000 rubles be imposed on the men. The court fined the believers slightly less: Vladimir Spivak 600,000, Sergey Galyamin 650,000, Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo 1,100,000 rubles each.\nFriends came to the courthouse to support the believers, February 29, 2024. Vasichkin and Spivak first encountered searches back in 2015; Vladimir and his wife were under surveillance by security forces. Later, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, the homes of the believers were again searched, and a criminal case was initiated. It went to court in January 2023 and was examined for just over a year. Throughout this time, the men were under recognizance agreements.\nTwo secret witnesses who had attended meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026#39; several times in the past, testified in court. They explained that they had not heard any calls for violence, religious hatred or overthrow of the government; they also could not confirm the accusations against the believers and admitted they had not been threatened by them. Other witnesses for the prosecution described the defendants positively.\nThe charges were based, among other things, on the expert study of Tatyana Belova, PhD in Philosophy. She allegedly identified the voice of Sergey Galyamin on one of the recordings and made her conclusions based on this. However, a phonetic expert study conducted by another expert proved that it was not Galyamin\u0026#39;s voice.\nDespite their own difficulties, the four believers try to support their fellow believers who find themselves in similar circumstances. Aleksandr Vasichkin said: \u0026quot;I try to attend court hearings of other believers. I went to help one of my friends rebuild their house after a fire.\u0026quot;\nIn the Ivanovo Region, 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are currently being prosecuted for their faith in 5 criminal cases.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-29T09:29:54+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_56414810654010ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_fa8b8527c6a06c45.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_12de3bfd55c7faca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/03/010929/image_hu_868e743892d250b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/03/010929.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":"Four Believers Were Ordered to Pay Between 600,000 and 1,100,000 Rubles for Their Beliefs","tags":["elderly","sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","fine","282.3-1"],"title":"Court in Teykovo Considered the Common Religious Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses to Be Extremism.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2024, Valentina Samus, 74, appeared before the court of appeal for her faith. The chamber of the Kostroma Regional Court upheld the sentence of the court of first instance \u0026ndash; 6 years suspended. The believer can appeal this decision to the court of cassation.\nAccording to Samus, her actions were peaceful, and the charge does not contain any indication of any calls for violence or religious hatred and enmity. \u0026quot;The court found me guilty not for committing a crime, but for my religious beliefs, for my peaceful and law-abiding way of life, for a sincere desire to selflessly help other people, talking about what I myself learned from the Bible,\u0026quot; Valentina said in her final statement. \u0026quot;In fact, the court forbade me to practice the unforbidden religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and to worship God according to the canons of the Bible.\u0026quot;\nIn the Kostroma Region, 4 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been convicted for their religious views. One of them, Dmitriy Terebilov, is serving his sentence in a strict regime penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_37482d99c69b849c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_8e76be7d98244b08.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_2b9018f659b98d33.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/280912/image_hu_c4e262c756db5d30.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/280912.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Regional Court Upheld Suspended Sentence Against Elderly Believer from Kostroma for Bible Conversations","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer explained his feelings to the court: \"It is terrible that in our democratic country in the XXI century there are medieval judgments against people whose guilt lies only in the fact that they believe in God and live according to biblical laws.\"\n","date":"2024-02-22T13:41:11+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/430.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Spivak in Teikov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer quoted the words of Jesus Christ that his followers would be persecuted. Anatoliy continued: \"Even criminal prosecution can be called an element of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, and creeds cannot be the subject of trial.\"\n","date":"2024-02-22T13:38:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/429.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Lyamo's last word in Teikovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer compared his trial to the trial of Jesus: \"Reading the Gospels, I understand more that what was happening then is directly related to us today.\" He asked: \"What threat can come from people who, on the basis of the Bible, learn to love others, to be peaceful, kind, and patient?\"\n","date":"2024-02-22T13:35:59+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/428.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Vasichkin in Teikov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 21, 2024, Vladimir Baykalov\u0026#39;s sentence — 6 years suspended for talking about the Bible — entered into force by the decision of Natalya Vorobyeva, judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court. The believer still insists he is innocent of extremism.\nDuring the trial, Vladimir Baykalov stated: \u0026quot;It became obvious that I was convicted not for any extremist actions or statements, but for my peaceful religious beliefs, for faith not prohibited by law, which I express by praying to God, reading, studying and applying the Holy Scriptures in my life for the benefit of people and society.\u0026quot; In his appeal, Baykalov pointed out that reading sacred texts, participating in joint meetings for worship and the life of the community are ways of expressing faith and cannot be considered a crime in themselves.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 18 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_7589a69680cff2b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_364573529af43b70.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_5016b9bd8065ab1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/221146/image_hu_a4dd5cf2e1507b52.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/221146.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld Suspended Sentence Against 60-year-old Vladimir Baykalov for his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer told the court how he came to the Christian faith and why his views are completely opposite to extremism. He summed up: \"I am not a murderer, not a thief. I didn't do anyone any harm. But I'm here as a Christian. I have nothing to be ashamed of.\"\n","date":"2024-02-20T13:29:13+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/427.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Galyamin in the city of Teikov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich, 64, and Valentina Vladimirova, 67, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Smolensk, were each given a 2-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for a year for their faith. This decision was made by the Promyshlennyy District Court of Smolensk on February 14, 2024. The believers deny being guilty of extremism and consider the verdict groundless.\n\u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, as law-abiding citizens, have stopped using their buildings for worship, but they cannot stop worshiping God and keep silent about the beautiful Bible truths,\u0026quot; Vladimirova said. Galkevich commented on the trial as follows: \u0026quot;The example of Jesus Christ himself helps me ... not to be embittered under these circumstances, when I am prosecuted without grounds and given the dreadful label of an extremist.\u0026quot;\nAfter searches in May 2019, both believers ended up behind bars. They spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, then they were placed under house arrest: Tatyana for 9 months, and Valentina for 2 years and 4 months. The believers were accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Smolensk Region.\nThe Promyshlennyy District Court returned the case to the Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office twice because of violations. The final hearing began in April 2023 and the trial was led by Judge Lyudmila Kovaleva. During the proceedings, Galkevich and Vladimirova repeatedly stressed that the case materials only indicate their religious affiliation with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, they do not mention any extremist actions or statements. The believers were also baffled by a religious expert study carried out by a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Academy, PhD in Theology, specializing in the \u0026quot;elders of Valaam ascetics.\u0026quot;\nValentina Vladimirova and Tatiana Galkevich can appeal the verdict in the court of appeal.\nIn the Smolensk Region, six more of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have faced prosecution by the authorities. Five of them were given suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 6.5 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-14T14:20:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_e435ca0ec3f4995f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_902fc27cb0b90ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/161420/image_hu_38f2acaee5f077b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/161420.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","elderly","suspended"],"title":"Court in Smolensk Gave Two Elderly Women a 2-year Suspended Sentence — They \"Participated in Joint Prayers to Jehovah and Discussion of Bible Interpretations\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2024, from 6 a. m., homes of believers were searched in Vladivostok. Their electronic devices, photographs and personal notes were seized, after which they were interrogated in the local department of the Investigative Committee.\nDuring one of the searches, a search warrant of the Frunzensky Court of Vladivostok dated February 12, 2024 was presented.\nSince 2017, 27 residents of Vladivostok have faced criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/191539.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New Searches of Homes Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"In the last word, the believer told how the Bible affects her life: she pays taxes, obeys the laws and works conscientiously. She said, \"Giving up my faith is not an option for me... I can say with a clear conscience that I am not guilty of extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/426.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Galkevich in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stated that she had never been a member of any banned organization, had nothing to do with extremism and her conscience before God was clear.\n","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/425.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Valentina Vladimirova in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Aleksandr Gaitur is a third-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. He was born and raised in Siberia, where his parents were exiled in 1949 along with their families from the Moldavian SSR for being Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In 1989, the Gaitur family was rehabilitated, having received the status of victims of political repression. But 34 years later, Aleksandr faced criminal prosecution for his faith. Sometime later, the believer became seriously ill. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and classified as having a disability.\nHe was born in 1962 in the village of Voroshilovo (Kurgan region). By this time, the family already had a son and a daughter. Later, Aleksandr had another brother and sister.\nAs a child, the boy was fond of sports and fishing. In 1969, the family was allowed to return to Moldova. There, Aleksandr graduated from a construction school with a degree in carpentry. At the same time, he studied at the Kishinev football school and for some time played in the youth national football team of the MSSR. He also played for district teams in hockey, basketball and volleyball.\nAleksandr has worked as a builder all his life. In the early 1980s, he moved to Kurgan for work, and later settled in the village of Novoberyozovo, Petukhov district. In 1989, Aleksandr met his future wife Svetlana, and in 1992 they got married. The following year, they embarked on the Christian path. \u0026quot;I have always considered myself one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; recalls Aleksandr. \u0026quot;I was attracted to the truth by the example of my parents: serving God was the main goal of their lives, and they tried to instill in us, children, love for God and neighbors. I have also always been amazed at the accuracy of Bible prophecy fulfillment.\u0026quot;\nThe couple raised three children, they already have three grandchildren. Recently, Aleksandr has been fond of fishing and beekeeping. Svetlana is a housewife, she likes to garden, run a farm in which there are chickens and a goat.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr had a negative impact on the life of his family. \u0026quot;I started having problems with my work, several clients refused my services,\u0026quot; the believer said. The search and interrogation were stressful for his wife and 86-year-old mother. What was happening to Aleksandr made her remember the severity of the repression that she herself had to endure many years ago. She wonders: \u0026quot;Why, after the rehabilitation of our family, do my children and grandchildren have to face persecution again?\u0026quot;\nNumerous relatives of Aleksandr and Svetlana worry about them and consider the criminal case against the believer unfair.\n","date":"2024-03-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_52aaccc764f3e6ef.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_c69626639d6d8a02.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_ce98a598b0ecd8c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gaytur/photo_hu_29697ea3c84bf694.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gaytur.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["ussr","elderly","families","disability"],"title":"Aleksandr Gaytur","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Svetlana Ogoreva from Karachay-Cherkessia was a witness in a case against another local believer, and later she herself was searched, and the woman learned that local authorities had opened a criminal case against her for believing in Jehovah God.\nSvetlana was born in August 1984 in the village of Kardonikskaya, Stavropol Territory. She has a brother and sister. Their father is no longer alive. As a child, Svetlana was fond of drawing and now prefers creative hobbies—music and knitting.\nSvetlana graduated from seamstress courses and learned to be a hairdresser. She worked in this specialty, and later as a babysitter and animator. She is also studying to be an English teacher.\nIn the 1990s, Svetlana\u0026#39;s mother began to study the Bible and decided to become a Christian. The high moral standards set forth in this book, the love that reigns among believers, and their desire to please God in everyday affairs impressed Svetlana so much that she also wanted to take the Christian path in 2005.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Svetlana lost her job as a babysitter. Her health also suffered: due to stress, she began to have heart problems. The health of Svetlana\u0026#39;s mother, with whom she lives, has also deteriorated due to what is happening.\n","date":"2024-03-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ogoreva/photo_hu_8d98de44d30bdb07.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ogoreva/photo_hu_b4bdd387af7b63fd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ogoreva/photo_hu_6808b06c9d85095b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ogoreva/photo_hu_bfe4ca181fe08ef8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ogoreva.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Svetlana Ogoreva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"To explain that belief in Jehovah God is not a crime, Oksana Solntseva quoted Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Byron and famous physicists in her last word. \"Many people's interest in the natural sciences, history and art lead to a conscious belief in the living God the Creator,\" she said.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/419.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Oksana Solntseva's last word in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer spoke about her spiritual quest and how studying the Bible has changed her life for the better: \"I am accused of hatred and extremism. This is a mistake! My God, Jehovah, loves people and teaches me that.\" She added that the accusations against her only strengthened her faith and confirmed the correctness of the choice made.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/423.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Dergacheva in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The 70-year-old believer said that she lives a peaceful life and is innocent of anything. \"I have not heard any reasoned evidence of my \"serious\" crime. Tell me, please, what article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation says that being a Witness of God is a crime?\" she asked.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/418.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Pechko in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Inna Kardakova explained what the concept of faith means to her. \"My actions are an expression of my constitutional rights to freedom of religion and an expression of my beliefs, my faith in God, so I consider myself innocent,\" she stressed.\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/421.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Inna Kardakova in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"I am very sorry that the investigators and state prosecutors saw 'black' in 'white' - they saw criminals in law-abiding citizens.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/420.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Irina Khvostova in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining her position to the court, the believer noted: \"Millions of people in our country go to churches, mosques, practice their religion, talk about God among themselves and with others. I also worshipped the living God Jehovah at meetings. And I'm being judged for it.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/424.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Asatryan in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained how and why he became Jehovah's Witness: \"A person needs faith in a happy future, hope for the best, because we are so created by our Creator.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/422.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Solntsev in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant explains why there is no evidence of his extremist motives in the case: \"I have the same motive: I wish good to all people, to everyone without exception and to those who acted as witnesses for the prosecution too.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/416.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Agadzhanov in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer said: \"The term 'extremism' and this concept itself are not only not to my heart, but even disgusting in its essence. It does not lead to peace and harmony not only between people, but also with God... It is God who makes me a peacemaker and a good citizen, not a criminal.\"\n","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/417.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Revyakin in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"We are glad that we can act in accordance with the truth, with the truth, that then we will not be \"excruciatingly painful,\" Konstantin Petrov said, addressing the court. \"It is better to sit in prison with a clear conscience than to remain free with the understanding that you have done wrong.\"\n","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/415.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of Konstantin Petrov in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Ivan Puida, whose relatives were repressed in the Soviet Union and later rehabilitated, said: \"I am sure that, as in the case of my grandfather, time will put everything in its place. I won't be ashamed of what I'm doing.\"\n","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/412.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivan Puida in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, 70-year-old Sergey Yerkin said: \"How can I not worship Jehovah God? Not only the Bible, but also the environment, nature teaches me that it would not be reasonable.\"\n","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/413.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Yerkin in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer expressed confidence in his innocence and said: \"Nothing that would connect me with extremism has been proven, and has not been proven. By and large, only [my] Bible-based creeds, which are not prohibited in Russia, were considered.\"\n","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/414.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Zyablov in Magadan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 9, 2024, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan denied the appeal of Sergey Gromov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, against the verdict and upheld it—6 years and 1 month of imprisonment in a penal colony. The believer can appeal this decision to the court of cassation.\nIn the appeal, the defendant's lawyer emphasized that such a verdict was against the constitution: \"The court of first instance did not protect Gromov from religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThree other Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Tatarstan were sentenced to various terms in penal colonies, a total of 13 residents of this region are being prosecuted for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/311448/image_hu_dba7453f2780aca7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/311448/image_hu_71722678b5080aa0.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/311448/image_hu_70ebc31ffd29bc0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/311448/image_hu_ee3fbddec2e9c540.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/311448.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"A Peaceful Believer Going to a Penal Colony for 6 Years for His Religious Views","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"The Supreme Court of Tatarstan Upheld the Verdict of Sergey Gromov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 9, 2024, Vilen Avanesov was released from Penal colony No.3 in Dimitrovgrad, having served his sentence imposed by the court. For talking about God with friends at home, the elderly believer spent 2.5 years in a detention center and more than 2 years in a penal colony.\nVilen served his sentence in the penal colony together with his son Arsen, who will have to spend another year in prison. Both worked in the sewing department. They received several rewards for their hard work. Largely due to Vilen\u0026#39;s love for people, he developed friendly relations with his cellmates and the administration. \u0026quot;He was respected in the detention center and respected in the colony,\u0026quot; said Vilen\u0026#39;s wife, Stella.\nThe most difficult thing for Vilen was the being separated from his loved ones. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the believer could not see his wife for 1.5 years. \u0026quot;He always tried to maintain a positive attitude, to look cheerful, and this comforted me a lot,\u0026quot; said Stella.\nDuring imprisonment, Vilen received many letters, photographs and postcards from all over the world. His wife received also practical assistance. \u0026quot;Our friends proved to be a real protection during times of distress. Nothing stopped them from showing care, love and kindness,\u0026quot; she says. \u0026quot;Fellow believers from the city where the penal colony is located became a great support. They took me into their home when I came to visit; every month they took food and medicine to the penal colony, their help is priceless\u0026quot;.\nIn August 2024, the sentence of another defendant in this criminal case, Aleksandr Parkov, who is in penal colony No.10 in the Rostov Region, ends.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_d1c27ac9eb6070a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_4a535712e8671363.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_1b507f975e725385.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/121547/image_hu_f31da682c7c665a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/121547.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","families","letters"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov, Convicted for his Faith in Jehovah God, Was Released After Almost 5 Years Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 8, 2024, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court considered the case of Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera and Daria Dulova for the fourth time. Now the court of appeal has upheld the suspended sentences for Aleksandr and Venera (2.5 and 2 years, respectively) and released Darya from criminal liability.\nThe court explained its decision by the fact that during the period of allegeed guilt, Darya Dulova was 17 years old, and in this case the statute of limitations is 5 years (Article 78 of the RfCrC). It expired in June 2023. The appeals of the defendants and the ruling of the prosecutor were denied by the panel of judges. The believers do not agree with the verdict and deny being guilty of extremism.\nIn 4.5 years, three verdicts were passed in the case of the believers from Karpinsk: two guilty and one acquittal. The court of first instance considered the case twice, the court of appeal four times, and the court of cassation twice. The trial even went before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Since 2021, another case against the Dulovs and Pryanikov is being considered in court, also on charges of extremism.\nThe European Court of Human Rights recognized that the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia is unlawful and ruled in their favor in June 2022.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-08T14:06:28+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_2f02ae2e5c930b93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_946ed035aace4567.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_541570dc579115f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/091406/image_hu_98eeabd08466b0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/091406.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"The Verdict Against the Remaining Defendants in the Case Entered into Force","tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","suspended","disability"],"title":"Darya Dulova Was Released from Criminal Liability due to the Expiration of the Statute of Limitations After the Fourth Appeal Hearing.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2024, another appeal hearing upheld the verdict against Dmitriy Barmakin: 8 years in a penal colony for his faith in God. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe peaceful believer\u0026#39;s legal battle has been going on for more than 4.5 years — since June 2019. During this time, they managed to acquit him and then convict him again; he spent 550 days in detention, separated from his wife, who is also on trial for her faith. This was the first incident when law enforcement officers started to criminally prosecute members of the same family.\nAlthough the 2017 Supreme Court decision to liquidate legal entities does not prohibit Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from practicing their religion, almost 800 believers have already been prosecuted, and the number of searches has exceeded 2,000.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-02-06T15:50:06+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/061550/image_hu_e3be217aa6336bec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/061550/image_hu_7be3dd887562d5ed.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/061550/image_hu_7f93c8a487cf468b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/061550/image_hu_d424a6213cb16bcd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/061550.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Third Appeal Hearing in the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin Approved 8 Years in a Penal Colony for Peaceful Religious Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"Not less than ten people were affected by raids of the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Birobidzhan and the village of Amurzet on February 6, 2024. At least two criminal cases have been initiated; one is being investigated by the Investigative Committee, the other by the FSB.\nOne of the believers, Anatoliy Artamonov, is suspected of involving a local resident in the activity of a liquidated legal entity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses (Article 282.2(1.1) of the RFCrC). From the search warrant it is evident that the resident in question is a young man from the village of Amurzet, located 200 km from Birobidzhan.\nThe home of his family was also searched by law enforcement officers. He had earlier applied for alternative civilian service. Although the young man explained this through his Bible-based personal beliefs, the military commander indicated in his response that \u0026quot;the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared the organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses extremist and banned its activity in Russia in 2017.\u0026quot;\nSome of those affected by the search in Birobidzhan talked about the Bible with a local woman and her adult daughter. Turns out, they worked for the security forces and secretly recorded the conversations with the believers.\nThe searches as part of the case being investigated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region were authorized by the Birobidzhan District Court. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, data storages, personal notes and different translations of the Bible.\nThe search at the home of the Postnikov family in Birobidzhan took about five hours, and during this time a 72-year-old acquaintance visited them. The security forces seized her phone. Oleg, who is serving a suspended sentence for his faith, was threatened with tougher punishment, he was told to \u0026quot;prepare his bag.\u0026quot; On February 9, an FSB investigator summoned the couple for interrogation.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 23 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been sentenced to various terms for their Christian beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-02-06T14:18:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/091417/image_hu_959c6ab5779be125.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/091417/image_hu_ccc47cc44f06a66c.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/091417/image_hu_5c8dfa5541422a16.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/091417/image_hu_8ceed1fd73689d28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/091417.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Among Them Are the Postnikovs, Who Are Serving a Suspended Sentence for Their Faith","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1.1"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2024, at least 7 addresses of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and their relatives were searched in the cities of Shakhunya and Gorodets, and the village of Vakhtan (Nizhny Novgorod Region). Those affected included elderly and families with children. Some were interrogated and later released.\nThe searches began around 6 a.m. and lasted between 2 and 5 hours. They were conducted by law enforcement officers — local and from Nizhny Novgorod. They seized electronic devices, personal notes, data storage and Bibles. In most cases, the law enforcement officers behaved properly. One of the believers, an elderly man, repeatedly lost consciousness during the search; an ambulance was called for him twice and eventually he was taken to the hospital, from where he was discharged later.\nThe interrogations of the believers were led by T.A. Smirnova, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Shakhunya.\nThis is not the first wave of prosecutions of believers in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Already 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the region have been sentenced for practicing their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2024-02-06T08:50:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_7581793484aa384d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/02/090850/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_ef03c5c9bccced98.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/02/090850/image_hu_63cd156833263421.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/02/090850.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"One of Them Ended up in Hospital","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin from the Kemerovo Region is preparing to serve a 6-year term for his faith. On January 30, 2024, the panel of judges of the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo denied his cassation appeal against the verdict.\nSergey Ananin was taken into custody on March 31, 2023, immediately after the Belovo City Court handed down a harsh sentence. That was when judge Galina Proshchenko sent the believer to a penal colony for 6 years. In June of the same year, a court of appeal upheld the decision of the court of first instance .\nActually, the believer was found guilty of extremism only for communicating with fellow believers via video conferencing. In the cassation appeal, the lawyer noted: \u0026quot;In the course of the trial, it was reliably established that the actions of the convicted S.V. Ananin were in fact nothing more than expressing his attitude to religion, for which there is no criminal liability, as the RF Supreme Court emphasized.\u0026quot; Sergey Ananin highlighted: \u0026quot;In fact, the courts simply refused to apply the directly applicable norm of Article 28 of the RF Constitution, which guarantees everyone freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.\u0026quot;\nThe lawyer also called the verdict unjust, since the courts did not take into account the state of health of the defendant, who suffered a heart attack on the eve of the searches. He said that under the conditions of imprisonment, Ananin\u0026#39;s health could be irreparably harmed.\nContrary to the decision of the ECHR and the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, judges continue to pass guilty verdicts on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses throughout the country. In the Kemerovo Region, 15 believers have already been sentenced to various punishments for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/291144/image_hu_a813feca85086abe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/291144/image_hu_9b13e278a710da30.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/291144/image_hu_fe3e9f186119828c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/291144/image_hu_ded66c0b19e1e347.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/291144.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","health-risk"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Kemerovo Upheld Sergey Ananin's 6-Year Prison Term","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 29, 2024, Anton Mokin, judge of the Shuya City Court of the Ivanovo Region, sentenced Aleksey Arkhipov, Svetlana Ryzhkova, Svetlana Shishina, and the couple Dmitriy and Yelena Mikhaylov to large fines for their faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksey Arkhipov was fined 380,000, Svetlana Shishina 400,000, Svetlana Ryzhkova 480,000, Yelena Mikhaylova 560,000, and her husband Dmitriy Mikhaylov 950,000 rubles. The prosecution requested a fine of 1,200,000 rubles for Mikhaylov, taking into account the time of detention; for Mikhaylova and Ryzhkova — 600,000 rubles; for Shishina and Arkhipov — 400,000 rubles. The believers insist on their innocence and have the right to appeal.\n\u0026quot;Actually, I am accused of believing in God,\u0026quot; commented Dmitriy Mikhaylov on the accusation. \u0026quot;I am charged with discussing religious topics with my friends.\u0026quot; He also emphasized that the linguistic forensic expert study did not reveal signs of extremism in the materials examined. His wife Yelena said: \u0026quot;The charges against me are serious, but there is no concrete evidence.\u0026quot;\nSvetlana Shishina, a mother of two, said: \u0026quot;I have always respected people of different religious denominations, and I teach my children to do the same.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;The charges against me are far-fetched, unfounded and not lawful,\u0026quot; said Svetlana Ryzhkova. Aleksey Arkhipov, in turn, emphasized: \u0026quot;I have never plotted or intended to commit any illegal actions against the authorities, nevermind undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, as this contradicts my beliefs as a Christian and a God-fearing person.\u0026quot;\nCriminal prosecution of the believers began in 2018; their homes were searched. Later it turned out, that prior to that, a hidden video camera had been installed at least at one of the addresses, and one person, on the instructions of the special forces, feigned interest in the Bible. After his arrest, Dmitriy Mikhaylov spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center. His wife, together with other women whose husbands were imprisoned for their faith in God, sent an open letter to the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights. In response to this letter, a request was sent to the General Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of citizens professing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. However, the criminal prosecution did not stop. The case was returned twice to the investigator for revision and after 4 years it was re-submitted to the court, which considered the case for 1.5 years.\nOn April 26, 2019, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued an opinion on Dmitriy Mikhaylov\u0026#39;s complaint, calling on the Russian authorities to stop his criminal prosecution and grant him the right to compensation and reparation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-29T16:05:39+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_994e19bb312b86b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_56be0241ab7ca51e.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_6984153ca51a1a68.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/291605/image_hu_4baf6ff7f4f7804d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/291605.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":"They Must Pay the State From 380 to 950 Thousand Rubles","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","sentence","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","fine","minors","elderly","families"],"title":"Court in Shuya Fined 5 Jehovah's Witnesses for Reading the Bible Together.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 25, 2024, Tatyana Begunova, judge of the Central District Court of Tolyatti, found Sona Olopova guilty of extremism because of her religion and sentenced her to 2 years of forced labor. She will serve her sentence in a correctional facility. The believer considers the verdict unfair.\n\u0026quot;The evidence presented by the prosecution does not confirm my guilt in committing a crime. All arguments boil down to the fact that . . . in the city of Tolyatti, a small group of people practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses held meetings for worship, which began with song and prayer and were aimed at discussing the Bible,\u0026quot; Sona said in court.\nThe state prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony and 8 months of restriction of freedom for the believer. However, according to the believer, the prosecutor could not explain what specific crimes were committed and where and how Olopova committed them.\nSona faced criminal prosecution in May 2023, when an investigator of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The security forces searched her home, interrogated her and released her under a recognizance agreement.\nThe believer spoke about the support she received from friends: \u0026quot;When I left the building of the Investigative Committee, I saw how my friends came to meet me and hug me. Many were very worried about me and were crying. So much love, attention and gifts, cards, various messages assuring me of their love and our Father\u0026#39;s.\u0026quot;\nDuring the trial, it became clear that the prosecution had no evidence of the believer\u0026#39;s guilt. According to Olopova\u0026#39;s lawyer, one of the expert studies presented by the prosecution was prepared as part of another criminal case, and conclusions were made in relation to third parties, so this material should not have been attached to her case. Witnesses for the prosecution questioned at the hearing, including one secret witness, confirmed that there were no calls for violence or religious hatred at the meetings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and that the meetings were always peaceful.\nCurrently, in the Samara Region, in addition to Sona Olopova, 9 more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are defending their constitutional right to freedom of religion in the courts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-25T16:02:42+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/251602/image_hu_5626a5ea3ee45ae5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/251602/image_hu_f86c79c076ace14.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/251602/image_hu_2c3c6981d4e9f8c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/251602/image_hu_a0922cd99b1d8e3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/251602.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":"Sona Olopova, 36, From Tolyatti Was Sentenced to 2 Years of Forced Labor","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","secret-witness","studies-violations","labor"],"title":"The First Sentence for Faith in the Samara Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aram Danielyan, Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasiliyev were sentenced to 7 years in prison for practicing their faith. This decision was made by Dmitriy Derunov, judge of the Samara District Court, on Thursday, January 25. The believers were taken into custody. Their friends and relatives accompanied the police van with applause and shouted \u0026quot;We love you!\u0026quot;\nThe six-month trial against the Samara residents came to an abrupt conclusion: the last hearing including breaks lasted more than 10 hours. Within this time, the closing arguments, the final statements and the verdict were presented.\nThe charges of organizing extremist activity are based on hidden recordings of meetings for worship and personal conversations about the Bible, as well as some documents from the computer of one of the defendants, which, as it turned out in court, were uploaded there by an FSB technical specialist during the search. It was not indicated in the case materials exactly which extremist actions or statements were made by the believers.\nDefendants in the courtroom during a break The prosecutor requested 9 years imprisonment for all defendants. The defense requested an adjournment of the closing arguments so that everyone would have the opportunity to prepare, but the judge refused and granted only a 10-minute break. \u0026quot;I ask you to pass an acquittal on the results of this unprecedented case,\u0026quot; said one of the lawyers in the ensuing speech, \u0026quot;and I ask [to pass] a private ruling on the violation of the current legislation not only for the sake of Danielyan and other defendants, who have already received their share of unjustified prosecution in full, but also for the sake of other citizens who may face attacks from the investigator and the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office.\u0026quot;\nThe defendants prepared their final statements during a break announced after the closing arguments. At this point, their wives and other relatives, realizing that the case was moving towards imprisonment, brought things, and relatives and friends continued gathering near the courthouse in the cold. The hearing was also attended, obviously to exert pressure on the court, by three FSB officers, including Nikolay Kulik, known to local believers for his negative attitude towards Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. One of those who came, as previously stated by the believers, was present when one of the brothers was beaten when detained.\nAram, Nikolay, Denis and Sergey previously expressed deep gratitude to family and friends for their support. \u0026quot;I can confidently say that if it were not for the help of my brothers and sisters, I would not have endured this ordeal with dignity,\u0026quot; Aram said. Denis related: \u0026quot;One of the most memorable events was the first batch of letters I received about a month after I ended up in the pretrial detention center. They brought about 80 letters, and a few days later the same amount.\nThe case of the believers developed according to the pattern that had already become the \u0026quot;standard\u0026quot;: searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Samara in December 2021, followed by interrogations. All four defendants in the case spent a year behind bars even during the investigation. The believers consider the verdict unfair and intend to appeal it.\nIn the Samara Region, this is already the second conviction for peacefully practicing their religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/290936/image_hu_fe4b9fe908c0a86c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/290936/image_hu_d740c6e44ae7b225.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/290936/image_hu_159bfa81fa4b05d6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/290936/image_hu_c71a547c4ebfda0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/290936.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"title":"Court in Samara Sent Four Jehovah's Witnesses to Prison for 7 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"I spent a whole year in a pre-trial detention center, for a whole year I saw my wife once every three months, and my son only in photographs. But what am I guilty of? Is it that I want to profess a religion that is close to me in spirit?\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/594.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Aram Danielyan in Samara","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer emphasized: \"The way of life of Christians, described in the Bible, has never included even a small amount of resistance to the existing authorities. That is why accusations of undermining the constitutional order or conducting extremist activities sound paradoxical.\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/596.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Denis Kuzyanin in Samara","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer said: \"I am certainly not a perfect person. I have flaws and I struggle with them. What is certain, however, is that I am not exactly an extremist. I'm sure of that.\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/593.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Nikolay Vasiliev in Samara","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"The federal law of November 23, 2015 states that the texts of the Bible, Koran, Tanakh and Ganjur cannot be classified as extremist materials... And since I adhere to biblical texts, it cannot be extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/595.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The final statement of the defendant Sergey Polosenko in Samara","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Denis Sarazhakov stressed that the crime imputed to him contradicts his life principles: \"I will prefer to endure suffering, I will prefer to endure deprivation, inconvenience and injustice, but I will never begin to commit evil.\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/406.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Denis Sarazhakov in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the last word, the believer expressed bewilderment at the severity of the requested punishment for believing in God. He said: \"The essence of my accusation can be summed up in a few words that are in the indictment: 'For singing spiritual songs, for praying to Jehovah God, and for discussing the texts of the Bible.'\"\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/409.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Igor Popov in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant drew the court's attention to the fact that the prosecution did not provide any concrete evidence of his guilt. This is especially strange because it happens in a democratic and Christian country. \"The conclusion that can be drawn, Your Honor, is that Christians are persecuting Christians!\" said Moish.\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/410.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Moish in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"The investigation and the prosecutor's office, not finding corpus delicti, without bothering themselves, took some excerpts from the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and attached them to the case file, including them in the charge. True, this accusation sounds ridiculous.\n","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/405.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Nikolay Martynov in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"According to the decision of the Orenburg Regional Court, on January 24, 2024, the verdict entered into force for five Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses — Vladislav Kolbanov, Vladimir Kochnev, Pavel Lekontsev, Nikolay Zhugin, and Sergey Logunov received suspended sentences from 2.5 to 3.5 years for friendly meetings with fellow believers.\nThe state prosecutor requested that the court of appeal uphold the verdict. The believers\u0026#39; lawyer called the prosecution\u0026#39;s demands groundless, stressing that in the verdict the court specifically noted: \u0026quot;Actions aimed at inciting hatred and enmity, calls for violence... the defendants are not charged.\u0026quot;\nThe believers themselves once again stated that they consider any guilty decision unjust and infringing on their right to freedom of religion. \u0026quot;It is impossible to establish from the appealed verdict on what basis the court refused to consider the actions imputed to me as exercising my right to freedom of religion within the framework of the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; Nikolay Zhugin noted in his appeal. Vladimir Kochnev emphasized: \u0026quot;The court did not establish the presence of motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions. All my actions were completely peaceful.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-24T17:10:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_93a3f4a9d25a06b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_629aad76f92b144d.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_dfb50f5a251f60d8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/241710/image_hu_c40fa49f0c453651.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/241710.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","282.3-1","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Orenburg Upholds the Suspended Sentence of Five Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Having found no crime in my actions, they accuse me of being against the state,\" the believer told the court, \"while they did not provide any evidence of my guilt.\" She explained: \"The prosecution did not take into account the fact that it is impossible to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses and at the same time be an extremist.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T15:32:25+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/403.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sona Olopova in Tolyatti","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer reminded the court that his parents had been rehabilitated as victims of political repression. \"Now their son, that is, me, is being tried on the same far-fetched charges. You have the opportunity to prevent a sad repetition of history,\" said Yaroslav Kalin.\n","date":"2024-01-24T09:18:14+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/411.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yaroslav Kalin in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer asked: \"What about my constitutional right to profess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited in our state? How can we believe in God so as not to be criminally prosecuted?\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/398.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Arkhipov in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained that being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and being an extremist is incompatible, like moving up and down in an elevator at the same time. \"The investigator included in the indictment all the fables that he found on the Internet regarding Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Aleksey said.\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/408.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Solnechny in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer said that the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are far from extremism and, on the contrary, contribute to peace and help change lives for the better. \"All my life I have been a decent person and have not committed a single crime,\" he told the court.\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/407.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Tolmachev in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer said: \"I have no resentment or anger against those who are involved in my criminal prosecution for believing in God ... No matter how events unfold in this criminal case, I intend to remain loyal to God no matter what.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/404.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Mikhailov in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Everything that is written in the indictment is speculation and rumors on which the court's verdict cannot be based,\" the believer said. \"I would assess the accusation of extremism against me as an attempt by the prosecution, contrary to facts and common sense, to wishful thinking.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/399.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Mikhailova in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey Vasilyev, addressing the court, said: \"With the help of the Bible, I try to show love for all people and respect state authorities ... I'm sure there's nothing wrong with people getting better by studying the Bible. The Bible has helped me, and I want it to help many more people.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/402.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Sergey Vasiliev in Irkutsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The 70-year-old believer said: \"The accusations against me are unsubstantiated, unfounded and groundless.\" She said that she worked in health care for 52 years, showing kindness to people, but now that she herself suffers from serious illnesses, she has been deprived of many social benefits.\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/401.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Ryzhkova in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer pointed out to the court the absurdity of the criminal case: \"In the dock there are people who try to comply with the laws of their country and show respect for the authorities, work honestly and pay taxes ... worship God as it is written in the Bible... And for this they are accused of extremism.\"\n","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/400.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Shishina in Shuya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Yelena Menchikova, 59, was again found guilty - on January 23, 2024, Nauruz Shukurov, judge of the Cherkessk City Court, gave the woman with a disability a 4.5-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 2.5 years because of her religion.\nAs Yelena said in court, the charges boil down to the fact that she invited friends \u0026quot;to study the Holy Scriptures (Bible), ingluding singing songs together, praying, and studying religious articles.\u0026quot; \u0026quot;I never imagined that in the Caucasus hospitality would turn out to be such a grave crime and that if would lead to punishment,\u0026quot; the believer said. However, the indictment does not contain a specific description of how, when and under what circumstances Menchikova expressed extremism.\nYelena Menchikova in the courtroom. January 24, 2024 The prosecution of Yelena on religious grounds has been going on since December 2019. The first verdict — a 5-year suspended sentence and legal costs — was handed down to her in December 2021. Two months later, the court of appeal released her from paying court costs, and later the court of cassation sent the case for a new trial.\nIn Karachay-Cherkessia, four more of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been prosecuted, and two of them have already received sentences for their faith. The world community calls on the Russian authorities \u0026quot;to drop charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, as well as the right to peaceful assembly and association.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-23T16:27:11+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_340309037787cd11.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_744319c376fdc108.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_956b8687dda7f8f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/241627/image_hu_bc2ba5efb675ec84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/241627.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","retrial","suspended"],"title":"Court in Cherkessk Reviewed Yelena Menchikova's Case and Again Found Her Guilty of Extremism for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2024, Zaurbiy Birzhev, judge of the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea, found Nikolay Saparov guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe believer does not agree with the verdict and is ready to appeal to higher instance courts. The prosecutor requested 7.5 years in a penal colony for him.\nIn March 2022, Nikolay Saparov was detained at the airport in Mineralnye Vody, where he was waiting for departure with his wife and minor daughter. He was taken about 300 km away to the law enforcement office in Adygea for interrogation. As Nikolay stated during one of the court hearings, the security forces beat him along the way, and, using a stun gun, tried to force him to plead guilty of extremism. According to investigation, Saparov committed \u0026quot;actions of an organizational nature ... by conducting meetings using the Internet ... coordinating talks and worship at these meetings.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;[He] was told to plead guilty, because then he would be given a lighter punishment,\u0026quot; lawyer Ruslan Dedukhov told reporters earlier.\nAfter the interrogations, Nikolay Saparov was taken to his home for a search, which, according to the defendant and his lawyer, was carried out with violations, including without witnesses. As a result, investigators \u0026quot;found\u0026quot; documents and items in Saparov\u0026#39;s house that did not belong to him. After that, Nikolay was placed in detention, where he has been for almost 2 years.\nThe trial revealed the inconsistency of the charges. One of the secret witnesses admitted that Saparov did not urge him to violence or force him to become a member of any banned organization.\nThe prosecution presented to the court a comprehensive psycholinguistic expert study, which, according to the conclusion of the commission of specialists of the Adygea State Public Association of Linguistic Experts, was carried out with violations. For example, the expert who performed it does not have a higher linguistic education. But the court did not exclude the document from the case file.\nSaparov\u0026#39;s lawyer, in turn, presented to the court the opinion of religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan: she analyzed a video in the case materials showing Saparov gives a talk. According to the expert\u0026#39;s conclusions, \u0026quot;there are no signs of propaganda of exclusivity, there is no call for religious discord, enmity and hatred against those who do not belong to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses,\u0026quot; in the believer\u0026#39;s statements.\n\u0026quot;The religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, unlike their legal entities on the territory of Russia, is not prohibited, and, therefore, believers may, on the basis of Article 28 of the RF Constitution, meet during meetings for worship and at any other time, discuss religious and other topics, talk about their religion as private persons, not legal representatives and invite other persons to their meetings to familiarize themselves with their religious activities and doctrines,\u0026quot; - the document says.\nThe prosecution of the believer became a test for his family as well. In his final statement before the court, Nikolay said: \u0026quot;In my indictment it is written that there are no victims, but this is not so. There are victims: me, my wife, my daughter and people close to us. The stress caused by my arrest, detention and further criminal prosecution has caused physical, psychological and emotional harm.\u0026quot;\nNikolay\u0026#39;s wife, Natalya, said: \u0026quot;I admit that it is very difficult for me to be separated from my husband. Every morning I wake up in tears, realizing that I need to live another day without my beloved. Firstly, I pray until it gets easier. Then I read the Bible.\u0026quot;\nIn Adygea, 4 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already faced criminal prosecution; 3 of them, including Nikolay Saparov, are in pretrial detention.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-19T18:45:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/191845/image_hu_36554db43c74b59c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/191845/image_hu_1ea263763cf8a71b.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/191845/image_hu_ddf1aec0892a4d08.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/191845/image_hu_519f8a95ac9912fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/191845.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Court Sentenced Nikolay Saparov, One of Jehovah's Witness From Adygea, to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer stated: \"I am being judged only because I... I cordially welcomed at home all those who share my interests, my views and beliefs, in other words, my friends. I never imagined that hospitality in the Caucasus would turn out to be such a serious crime.\"\n","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/396.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","retrial"],"title":"The Last Word at the Retrial of the Case of Defendant Elena Menchikova in Cherkessk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 16, 2024, a panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the sentence of 64-year-old Tatyana Sushilnikova from Novokuznetsk — a 4-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the believer, the verdict of the court of first instance was reached with gross violations of the law and should be canceled. In her appeal, Sushilnikova noted that the court\u0026#39;s decision does not contain a description of the illegal actions of which she was accused or specific dates and places when they were committed. Witnesses interrogated by the court admitted that they did not know Tatyana, did not talk to her on religious topics, and did not receive Bible literature from her. A sample of the believer\u0026#39;s voice for forensic audio analysis was taken in violation of procedural norms.\n\u0026quot;More than 200 pieces of evidence are listed in the verdict... [however] the court does not provide information on how they confirm my guilt. In particular, there are numerous references to personal notebooks, notepads, documents, etc., seized from third parties, in which I am not mentioned and which I have nothing to do with,\u0026quot; Sushilnikova stated. Thus, the court considered telephone conversations with her husband to be part of the \u0026quot;evidence\u0026quot; of guilt, while audio recordings were not provided and, accordingly, the content of the conversations was not established.\nTatyana Sushilnikova said that the decision of the court of first instance in reality means the introduction of a ban on religion. She noted: \u0026quot;All my numerous references to the Bible, which requires Christians to worship God together, and was the real motive for my behavior, were not evaluated.\u0026quot; By passing the verdict, the court ignored the explanation of the RF Supreme Court that the Russian legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses had been liquidated, and not the actual teachings. At the same time, the expressions mentioned in the verdict \u0026quot;Religious Organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot;, \u0026quot;International Religious Organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; and \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; are not legal entities and have not been liquidated by the Supreme Court.\nThe court of appeal refused to take Tatyana\u0026#39;s arguments into account. A similar decision was made by the same court in March 2023 against the the believer\u0026#39;s hudband, 67-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, upholding his 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Zinovyev earlier also declared the detention of the Sushilnikovs\u0026#39; fellow believers, Maksim Morozov and Yuriy Usanov from the town of Taiga, as lawful.\nSince the ban on the activity of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2017, more than 2,000 homes of believers have been searched, about 400 people have been imprisoned, and more than 730 believers have been charged with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-17T14:14:07+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_c91ef834839be1de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_77aebddd873c6c4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_4cf14a5a0714c0a5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/171414/image_hu_2940d45a405f7b17.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/171414.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in the Kemerovo Region Upheld the Verdict Against Pensioner Tatyana Sushilnikova — a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer said: \"One thing I regret is that only at the age of 40 did I become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and learn the truth that saved me from many rash actions. Now I can say with confidence: my conscience is clear both before God and people, and before the law.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/394.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Dikhtyar in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer mentioned that the case did not indicate the victims and compared his trial with the trial of Christ. He stated that the only victims in this case were he and his family: \"We suffered not as criminals ... but as those who believe and worship the only living God, Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/395.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Saparov in Maykop","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant emphasized: \"I did not commit any actions of an extremist nature. I was only acting in accordance with my faith in God.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/393.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Oleg Sergeev in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer drew the court's attention to the fact that he was being tried only for talking about God. He said: \"I cannot help but talk about what a loving God Jehovah is. I was only exercising my constitutional right to tell others about my beliefs.\"\n","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/391.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Ponomarenko in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 15, 2024, Alena Novoselova, judge of the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, found Pavel Brilkov, 65, who has a disability, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2 years and 10 months of forced labor only because of his faith.\nIn November 2021, the home of Pavel Brilkov and his wife was searched as part of the case of Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person who is serving a sentence in a penal colony for his faith. In March 2023, Brilkov himself became a defendant in a criminal case. Testimony against the believer was given by two men recruited by the FSB, one of whom once talked with Pavel about the Bible, and a second, who said that he saw the believer at a meeting for worship.\nPavel Brilkov with his wife and friends on the day of the verdict The case went to court at the end of April 2023. Brilkov pleaded not guilty. In his final statement, he said: \u0026quot;My faith in God is based on love, not hatred or extremism. What danger do I pose to the public? Who have I harmed? Where are the people or families who have suffered through my fault? What irreparable damage have I done to our country? Are conversations on topics such as family happiness, consolation for those who mourn, or the future earthly paradise so dangerous that a person is tried under a serious article and can be thrown into prison? \u0026quot; Despite, the age and disability of the defendant, the prosecutor requested the court to impose 3 years of forced labor. The convicted person intends to appeal the verdict.\nEarlier, Judge Novoselova convicted another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Prokopyevsk, Yuriy Chernykh. He, like Brilkov, was a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov. The Tsentralnyi District Court of Prokopyevsk is also hearing the case of Yuriy Chernykh\u0026#39;s wife, Yelena. A total of 18 believers are facing criminal prosecution for their faith in the Kemerovo Region.\nThe August 2022 ECHR ruling in favor of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia notes that believers have the right to practice their religion \u0026quot;individually or in community with others\u0026quot; and this right \u0026quot;has always been considered an integral part of freedom of religion\u0026quot; (§ 268).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_20bd36da55c8bb5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_8d42d695bd28a0b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_ce999ab838ef5e31.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120859/image_hu_4580668e9f02bc72.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/120859.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Pavel Brilkov Received 2 Years and 10 Months of Forced Labor for Talking About the Bible","tags":["sentence","disability","282.2-2","elderly","labor"],"title":"Court in the Kemerovo Region Sentenced Yet Another Jehovah's Witness.","type":"news"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov described his feelings about the criminal prosecution: \"Believing for me is the same as breathing. If I am not allowed to exercise my faith in peace... I feel like I've been cut off from oxygen.\"\n","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/390.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 11, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court upheld the verdict of Valeriy Vyaznikov, a 60-year-old resident of Luchegorsk, \u0026ndash; a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participating in the \u0026quot;activity of a banned organization.\u0026quot; The believer considers this decision unjust.\nThe court considered the fact that Vyaznikov is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to be evidence of extremism. The defendant noted: \u0026quot;I was convicted only for peacefully practicing my religion, which was demonstrated by the fact that I once talked about my beliefs and the teachings of the Bible with a young man who turned out to be a law enforcement officer.\u0026quot;\nThe book \u0026quot;The People Who Are Steadfast Under Persecution,\u0026quot; published in 2023 by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, PhD in Philosophy, and Elena Volkova, PhD in Cultural Studies, notes: \u0026quot;Russia is the only country where they [Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses] are accused of extremism.\u0026quot;\nIt is noteworthy that about 26% of the nearly 800 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses prosecuted in Russia for their faith are over 60 years old.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_e62f95ad568c1154.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_40c704624c0b2b80.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_fcf80bb57249179e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120854/image_hu_ddf14abddbeaf6bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/120854.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Suspended Sentence for Valeriy Vyaznikov","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","elderly"],"title":"\"I Was Found Guilty Only for Being One of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 11, 2024, the panel of judges of the Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area \u0026ndash; Yugra, chaired by Judge Lyudmila Blashkova, overturned the verdict against Andrey Sazonov and sent the case to the Uray City Court for a new trial with a new panel of judges.\nIn the winter of 2021, the Uray City Court found Andrey Sazonov guilty of organizing and financing the activity of an extremist organization and sentenced him to a fine of 450,000 rubles. The court deemed Sazonov\u0026#39;s peaceful religious activity, as well as colleting funds to help his fellow believers, to be a crime. The verdict was appealed. The court of appeal overturned the verdict, sending the case for a new trial.\nIn a new appeal, the believer noted: \u0026quot;Religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses \u0026ndash; this is the name of an international religion, which the RF Supreme Court did not ban.\u0026quot;\nHe added that there was no corpus delicti in his religious actions: \u0026quot;All witnesses unanimously testified [in court] that they had never heard from me statements inciting religious hatred or enmity, and did not see any other signs of extremism. The forensic expert studies conducted in the case also did not establish the presence of signs of extremism in meetings for worship.\u0026quot;\nIn addition to preliminary hearings and court hearings concerning his preventive measures, Andrey Sazonov has been going to court for more than 3.5 years. In the Uray City Court, his case has already been heard by two of the three judges working there with criminal cases. When announcing the appeal decision, the court did not explain why the believer\u0026#39;s case was again sent for retrial.\n","category":"other","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2024/01/120901/image_hu_2d6b21d55de65586.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2024/01/120901/image_hu_dd7a8d7572af2362.jpg","webp":"/news/2024/01/120901/image_hu_c3e6c6276b4714bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2024/01/120901/image_hu_72cdf2c74eea0b30.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2024/01/120901.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-1","282.3-1","fine"],"title":"For a Second Time Court of Appeal Overturned the Sentence of Andrey Sazonov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Uray And Sent The Case for a Third Trial","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 29, 2023, Sergey Kurunin, judge of the Norilskiy City Court gave two local Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev a 6-year suspended sentence. According to the prosecution, they entered into a \u0026quot;criminal conspiracy\u0026quot; for studying the Bible.\nTheir criminal prosecution began back in October 2019, when special police surrounded the camp site, where the believers were relaxing with friends. A criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr Polozov under of Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC (organizing the activity of an extremist organization), and in May 2021, Stepan Shevelev became the second defendant.\nAleksandr Polozov spent 3 months in a pretrial detention center, and in March 2020 he was included on the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists. Aleksandr is very grateful to his fellow believers for financial assistance after his bank cards were blocked. He was also encouraged by numerous letters: \u0026quot;Some wrote where they had been and what they had seen... Stories of interesting places seemed to push the walls of the prison apart, and I \u0026quot;traveled\u0026quot;. Stepan Shevelev said: \u0026quot;Our friends understand that sometimes we need emotional support, and they do everything to encourage us.\u0026quot;\nIn June 2021, the case went to court. In 2022, it was returned to the prosecutor for the absence of corpus delicti. A new trial of the criminal case began in July 2023. Again, the prosecutor was unable to provide evidence of the defendants\u0026#39; guilt. Also, Polozov was credited with words he never said. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the believers.\nStepan and Ksenia Shevelev. Norilsk, December 2023 Aleksandr Polozov and his wife, Svetlana. Norilsk, December 2023 In his final statement, Polozov noted: \u0026quot;I am a Level 5 rescuer for gas emergencies. More than once I risked my life to save the lives of other people and was rewarded for it... My profession does not give me the right to choose whether or not to save a person, based on whether he is a believer or not, whether he is my friend or my enemy. Every life is valuable in the eyes of God, and therefore in mine too. With this in mind, any accusation of extremism against me looks absurd.\u0026quot;\nShevelev said: \u0026quot;I have had the opportunity to talk with many religious people, including Muslims and Orthodox priests. But I did not consider any of them to be beneath me. The fact that we have different religious views does not give me the right to judge them. Besides, that would be contrary to my views.\u0026quot;\nThe believers have the right to appeal the verdict in the court of appeal.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, five of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already been sentenced to prison terms, and in total, more than 30 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been subjected to religious persecution in this region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-29T15:53:48+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_cff70411c4718a07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_23e4b3a6ff558af4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_8e6222b34365ba6a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/281056/image_hu_2d9bb8f737128a42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/281056.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","secret-witness","suspended","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev Received a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Peaceful Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"In 2023, the number of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses criminally prosecuted for their faith reached almost 800, and the number of searches exceeded 2,000. Cases are fabricated against the elderly, women and the disabled. More than a quarter of all prosecuted are persons over 60 years of age. By the end of the year, there were already six Jehovah’s Witness women in penal colonies. The tendency to prosecute entire families has increased. The length of imprisonment requested by prosecutors has reached 10 years. Statistics and details are included in this article. The Year in Numbers As of December 25, 2023, the total number of homes of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses searched is 2,058. In 2023, law enforcement officers raided 183 addresses, 43 people were detained, 15 of whom have been or are still in pretrial detention. During the year, Russian courts issued rulings regarding 147 Jehovah’s Witnesses, 47 of whom were sentenced to imprisonment for a cumulative term of more than 257 years (the previous year 44 people were sentenced to a cumulative term of 244 years in penal colonies). Thirty-three people received sentences in penal colonies of 6 years or more. Of these, the longest term of 8 years in a penal colony was given to Dmitriy Barmakin, whose story will be discussed below. On December 22, 2023, the court sentenced Aleksandr Rumyantsev from Moscow to 7.5 years in penal colony (Sean Pike, a citizen of Guyana, and Eduard Sviridov from Moscow, are in the same case and were sentenced to 7 and 6.5 years in a penal colony, respectively). Astrakhan residents Rinat Kiramov, Sergey Korolev and Sergey Kosyanenko, as well as Aleksandr Skvortsov from Taganrog and Evgeniy Bushev from Chelyabinsk received 7 years of imprisonment. In the Bushev case, it took the court just five sessions to conclude that talking about a Bible topic is such a serious crime. Later, it turned out that an officer of the National Guard had participated in the conversation, pretending to be interested in the Bible. On December 19, 2023, a court in Novosibirsk sentenced Marina Chaplykina to 4 years in a penal colony. She became the sixth woman from among Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses to receive a prison sentence for their faith.\nEight of Jehovah’s Witnesses were released from prison this past year. Seventy-nine people remain in penal colonies.\n\"The believers trials do not end with being released from the penal colony,\" explains Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses. \"The believers continue to serve additional punishments. For example, during a period appointed by the court, they cannot leave their place of residence. An electronic tracking bracelet is put on the ankle of some for many months, by which the authorities track the location of the person. This device must not be removed. After serving their sentences many are forbidden from working in certain areas, such as education.\"\nThe total number of criminal cases initiated against believers since 2017 has reached 376. The defendants amount to 789 people; 444 believers were convicted, 141 of whom received imprisonment. In all cases, there are no victims, actual crimes or evidence of illegal actions. The cases are initiated for ordinary religious activities: praying, reading the Bible, singing religious songs, etc. Most of the Jehovah’s Witnesses who are prosecuted for their faith are included in the list of extremists and terrorists maintained by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring). The state imposes a number of serious economic restrictions on those who are listed on it; for example, their bank accounts are blocked, which makes it difficult to receive salaries, pensions and complete other transactions. At the time of publication of this article, there are 521 believers on the list, 72 of whom were added to the list in 2023.\nTerms are Breaking Records In Magadan, the case of 13 believers, including Ivan Puyda, the son and grandson of Jehovah’s Witnesses who had been repressed under Soviet rule, reached its conclusion. Now he too could receive a lengthy sentence – 10 years. That is how much the prosecutor requested in the closing arguments on November 24, 2023.\nIf Puyda gets 10 years in prison, it will be a unprecedented record in the cases of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses. Currently, the maximum term in a penal colony is 8 years, and five believers are serving this: Aleksey Berchuk, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov.\nOn December 4, 2023, in Irkutsk, the prosecutor requested terms ranging from 3 to 7 years for a group of nine Jehovah’s Witnesses, the longest for Yaroslav Kalin, Nikolay Martynov, Aleksey Solnechny and Sergey Kosteyev. Yaroslav Kalin also comes from a family of those repressed for their faith. Kalin’s lawyer said: \"My client is being tried for the same thing for which his parents were exiled to Siberia, more than 70 years ago.\" Ironically, Kalin’s parents have been officially exonerated, but their son is now being tried for the same \"crime\".\nNew Regions In 2023, the territory affected by prosecutions has expanded. In February, the first searches in the Leningrad Region took place in the cities of Kingisepp and Slantsy, five people were detained and a criminal case was initiated. On April 4, 2023, searches were carried out for the first time in St. Petersburg.\nAt the end of February, searches in at least three addresses took place in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia. Kishta Tutinova, 62, was detained, and after 2 days behind bars she was placed under house arrest.\nIn total, Jehovah’s Witnesses are already being prosecuted in 74 regions of the Russian Federation.\nVladimir Piskarev, Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev were kept in a cage during their trial in Oryol Aleksandr Skortsov and Valeriy Tibiy did not lose heart despite unjust prosecution Konstantin Sannikov in the so-called \u0026#34;aquarium\u0026#34; — an enclosure where usually especially dangerous criminals are held during the trial During the announcement of the verdict, the bailiff handcuffs the seriously ill Vladimir Balabkin Sergey Klimov with his wife immediately after his release from the penal colony Defendants in the case of Tchaikovsky and others in Moscow are taken into custody after the verdict is announced Aleksandr Nikolayev with his wife and daughters after his release from the penal colony Convicted residents of Gukovo communicate via video call from the pretrial detention center with the group of supporters that came to the cassation hearing On the day of Yuriy Savelyev’s release from the penal colony, he was met by a large group of supporters Rustam Seidkuliev’s wife and friends are taking pictures with him after his release from the penal colony in Saratov From left to right: Sergey Kosyanenko, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Korolev behind bars in the courtroom Muscovites Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareyev were sentenced to long terms for their faith In Surgut, friends came to the courthouse to support their convicted fellow believers, on the day of the verdict. Outdoor temperature was -29°C Marina married Sergey Shulyarenko, convicted for his faith, right in the penal colony Prosecution of the Elderly and Disabled Almost 26% of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been prosecuted for their faith since 2017 (205 people) are over 60 years old. Criminal cases were initiated against 17 believers in this category in 2023. The oldest of them is 85 years old (the youngest is 19 years old).\nLaw enforcement officers and judges are not troubled by the age, serious illnesses or disabilities of those they accuse. So, on September 13 of this year, a court in the Amur Region sentenced Vladimir Balabkin, 71, suffering from cancer, to 4 years in a penal colony (the prosecutor had requested 2.5 times longer). Immediately after the verdict, he was taken into custody. About three months later, on December 19, 2023, the court of appeal replaced the sentence with a a 1-year suspended sentence, and the believer was released.\nOn September 14, 2023, the Maykop City Court sent 68-year-old Nikolay Voishchev to a penal colony. Even before his arrest, he was diagnosed with a tumor that required immediate treatment. While in prison he is not receiving the adequate medical care he still needs.\nIn the Novosibirsk Region, Andrey Vlasov, a 54-year-old disabled person, continues to serve his sentence for his faith. He suffers from serious illnesses, including deforming arthrosis of both hip joints, which makes it impossible for him to take care of himself. But both the court of appeal and the court of cassation upheld the guilty verdict.\nRepression of Entire Families By the end of the year, more than 70 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation had become easy prey for law enforcement officers, for whom this is often an easy way to improve their performance and move up the career ladder. In some cases, the husband and wife were sent to prison at the same time, for example, Yelena and Georgiy Nikulin from Saransk. Both received more than 4 years in a penal colony.\n\"Other family members who are not under investigation are also subjected to direct or indirect pressure. After the searches, the security forces interrogate them, threaten to imprison them or a relative if they do not begin to give the investigation the testimony requested against their relative and fellow believers. Simply put, they are invited to become secret agents, to conduct covert audio and video recordings of how believers discuss Bible teachings, pray and sing religious songs together, in order to later call it \"the activity of a banned religious organization,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy. \"Another form of indirect pressure on relatives is denying visits to imprisoned family members.\"\nReversal of Acquittals One of the significant trends of 2023 was canceling the acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This happened on July 6, 2023, with the case of Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera and Darya Dulova; the case reached the Supreme Court, which overturned the acquittal, although before that the Sverdlovsk Regional Court had twice overturned the guilty verdicts.\nIn the case of Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov in Yugorsk, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region, the acquittal was overturned on November 20, 2023.\nDmitriy Barmakin from Vladivostok became the first Russian Jehovah’s Witness to be acquitted in a criminal case for his faith on November 22, 2021. This decision lasted only until April 27, 2023, when the same court, the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, sentenced the believer to 8 years in a penal colony. However, later, on August 8, 2023, the Primorsky Regional Court overturned this decision and sent the case for review.\nAleksey Khabarov from Porkhov, Pskov Region, who was initially acquitted, was sentenced at the third trial on October 25, 2023, to 2 years and 6 months in a penal colony. The court of appeal reduced the term by only 2 months.\nThe Supreme Court Does Not Comply With Its Own Judgement It seems paradoxical that acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses are consistently overturned by the Supreme Court, whose position is that meeting for worship in itself cannot be considered a crime (in the cases of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is the only corpus delicti). On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court published a ruling stating: \"If a court adopts a decision, which enters into force, to liquidate or ban the activity of a public or religious association or other organization regarding extremist activity, subsequent actions of persons that are not related to the continuation or resumption of the activity of the relevant extremist organization and consist solely in exercising their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint practice of religion, meetings for worship or other religious rites and ceremonies, in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime\" (emphasis added).\nHowever, in practice, some judges of the Supreme Court do not consider it necessary to follow this position. They simply repeat the prosecution’s narrative that any collective practice of worship by Jehovah’s Witnesses is \"extremist.\"\nIn total, the Supreme Court has already overturned two acquittals of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In addition to the above-mentioned case of Pryanikov and the Dulovs, a similar decision was made on December 15, 2022 in the case of the Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova.\nJudgments of the European Court of Human Rights On January 31, 2023, the European Court of Human Rights considered seven applications by Jehovah’s Witnesses from Russia relating to events from 2010 to 2014. In all of them, the court sided with the applicants and ordered Russia to pay compensation in the amount of 345,773 euros and another 5,000 euros as legal costs.\nThis is the second judgement of the ECHR in the case of Russian Jehovah’s Witnesses in the last 2 years. In the summer of 2022, the ECHR also exonerated believers in a larger lawsuit related to the illegal liquidation of all legal entities of the Witnesses and the seizure of their property. The total amount of compensation under this decision exceeds 63 million euros.\nAlas, so far the decisions of the ECHR have no visible impact on the practice of the Russian law enforcement system. The Russian authorities are in no hurry to pay compensation to exonerated believers, and continue to sentence them to long prison terms.\nExactly on the day of the decision of the ECHR, June 7, 2022, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted laws under an accelerated procedure, according to which ECHR judgments issued after March 15, 2022 are not enforceable in Russia.\n\u0026quot;The Case of the Eighteen\u0026quot; in Surgut: Faith is a Crime, Torture is Heroism In 2023, a high-profile case in Surgut approached its conclusion, which received wide publicity because the believers were tortured. The case against 18 men and one woman from Surgut, including a man whom the investigation mistakenly mistook for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, has been dragging on since February 2019. Seven defendants went through severe torture during interrogation, and one of them, Timofey Zhukov, was forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital and later obtained compensation for this. The torture in Surgut was widely covered in the Russian media; the believers met with the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region and employees of the offices of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation and conferences were held with the participation of human rights defenders.\nIn November 2023, the prosecutor requested harsh terms for the believers \u0026ndash; up to 9.5 years in a penal colony (for Sergey Loginov). On December 5, 2023, all the defendants in the Surgut case were given suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years. Sergey Loginov and Timofey Zhukov were given the longest sentences of 7 years.\nAt the same time, not a single criminal case has been initiated for the torture of the believers. Moreover, later the head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, where Jehovah’s Witnesses were tortured, Vladimir Yermolaev and his subordinate Sergey Bogoderov received awards, and the soldiers of the National Guard of Russia who participated in the operation were rewarded.\n\"Have They Succeeded in Intimidating Jehovah’s Witnesses?\" Sergei Ivanenko, Ph.D. in Philosophy, a religious scholar who attended as an expert at 14 judicial trials against Jehovah’s Witnesses in different regions of Russia, writes his impressions in his book \"The People Who Are Steadfast in Persecution\" published in 2023: \"Jehovah’s Witnesses... consider it their religious responsibility to preach Christianity to law enforcement officials, judges, and also to prisoners... Have they succeeded in intimidating Jehovah’s Witnesses? No, they have not. They continue to preach, to help each other, and to support prisoners of conscience. According to the believers, persecution strengthens their faith in Jehovah, and strong faith brings inner peace... Those who know the history of Jehovah's Witnesses understand that they have endured the most severe persecution and have not forsaken their faith. Nor does persecution in today's Russia frighten them.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2023-12-27T13:08:20+02:00","duration":"1:56","image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_8ce5188d4fbb9f2c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_7d61162a90e88d55.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_c30bde6a69fa6960.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/271308/image2_hu_7cb627d2f70ce16.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/271308.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","disability","video","rosfinmonitoring","medical-rights","siloviks-violence","torture","international","supreme-court","echr","international-community","expert-conclusions","fabrications","statistics","analytics","review"],"title":"Jehovah’s Witnesses Under the Yoke of Repression — 2023 Overview","type":"video"},{"body":"Pavel Chemrov from Nazarovo was involved in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God. Two years earlier, the man underwent heart surgery.\nPavel was born in October 1964 in the village of Progress, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has two sisters. Later, his family moved to Nazarovo, where Pavel still lives. Since childhood, he was fond of technology.\nPavel studied at vocational school as a tractor driver. Upon graduation, he served in the army. Then he worked for 10 years on a bulldozer, in recent years as a driver in a technical school. For a high degree of responsibility and professionalism in 2023, he was awarded a letter of thanks. In his spare time, Pavel enjoys fishing and gardening.\nThe man decided to take the Christian path in 2015. He was motivated to do so by what he learned from the Bible about God\u0026#39;s attributes—justice, love, and mercy. Pavel was also impressed by the love and warm atmosphere among Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nPavel\u0026#39;s wife and daughter do not share his religious views, but his wife endures new difficulties with him. The adult daughter also worries about her father and is constantly in touch with him. Paul remains calm and does not lose heart, no matter what.\n","date":"2024-02-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_b37550d7c3ac08f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_fcb9ca6ee4e55d60.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_cf8df88b421038a2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chemrov/photo_hu_af3deb252697b5ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chemrov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Pavel Chemrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the winter of 2023, Tsagan Khalgaeva from Kalmykia faced criminal prosecution for her faith, which caused her to subsequently lose her job.\nTsagan was born in March 1978 in the Kalmyk city of Lagan. She has three brothers and a younger sister. The father is no longer alive, the mother is a pensioner. As a child, Tsagan liked active games, she also loved to read and knit.\nAfter school, the girl was educated in the clothing industry, having mastered the profession of a cutter and tailor of outerwear. For some time, she worked in her specialty and later in cleaning. Tsagan still loves to sew and repair clothes.\nAs a child, Tsagan asked questions about the meaning of life, the causes of evil and injustice. She recalls: \u0026quot;The death of relatives brought me suffering, and I did not understand why God could not save them, because I asked him about it in prayer.\u0026quot; In search of answers to her questions, the girl was interested in various religions. When she came to Elista, she began to study the Bible. Tsagan was surprised to learn that this ancient book is consistent with science, medicine and history and contains practical advice for every day. In 2004, she decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn February 2023, the homes of Tsagan and several other believers in Elista were searched. In December of the same year, she was charged with committing a crime under an extremist article. Tsagan said: \u0026quot;Relatives, of course, worry about me, but I try to calm them down.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-04-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khalgaeva/photo_hu_3c464868d00d06fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khalgaeva/photo_hu_814bc8c1d14e0e62.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khalgaeva/photo_hu_83bedb91313877d7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khalgaeva/photo_hu_ececc84e560c5b9a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khalgaeva.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":[],"title":"Tsagan Khalgaeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"An ambulance was called to the end of the search, which was carried out by FSB officers at Yekaterina Menkova\u0026#39;s house. A criminal case was opened against the woman only because of her faith.\nYekaterina was born in October 1982 in the village of Tavn-Gashun in the Republic of Kalmykia. She has two older brothers and a sister. Their mother is a pensioner, and their father has already died.\nAs a child, Yekaterina was fond of basketball, also loved to knit and run the household. After school, she graduated from Kalmykia State University with a degree in Technologist for the Production and Processing of Agricultural Products. Then she worked at a factory as a laboratory assistant and technologist, and later became an individual entrepreneur. Recently he has been working in the field of cleaning.\nFriends told Yekaterina about the Bible. She was impressed by the consistency and consistency of this book. In 2017, she decided to take the Christian path.\nIn her free time, Yekaterina enjoys cooking desserts and pastries, listening to audiobooks and walking her dog in the fresh air.\nYekaterina has a husband and a son who goes to school. The family lives in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia.\nRelatives consider the criminal prosecution of the believer unreasonable.\n","date":"2024-04-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/menkova/photo_hu_f7786d4012f6812f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/menkova/photo_hu_3c4ad0b75bddfddb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/menkova/photo_hu_9d509488c37aab82.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/menkova/photo_hu_8f444c0151ef417f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/menkova.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":[],"title":"Yekaterina Menkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 22, 2023, the trial of three Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Moscow was completed. For singing religious songs and praying, Sergey Khomyakov, judge of the Cheremushkinsky District Court, sentenced the believers to a penal colony: Aleksandr Rumyantsev to 7.5, Sean Pike to 7, and Eduard Sviridov to 6.5 years.\nAt the end of the summer of 2021, a series of searches took place in the homes of believers in Moscow, as a result of which three ended up in a pretrial detention center. The investigation of the criminal case was carried out over 15 months by an investigator of the Directorate for the Yugo-Zapadny District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Then the case was considered in court for 13 months. As a result, by the time of the verdict, the believers had spent 2 years and 4 months in pretrial detention.\nEduard Sviridov, 59, in whose house meetings for worship were secretly recorded, denied the accusation of extremism and mentioned that the investigation did not provide full transcripts of these meetings. In court, he said: \u0026quot;It was not clear what was said at these meetings. Phrases taken out of context, distortions, loose paraphrase \u0026ndash; that\u0026#39;s what is presented in place of transcripts.\u0026quot; He related what they learned at meetings for worship: \u0026quot;To show love to others, to maintain good relationships, to settle differences, to treat everyone without prejudice, to show hospitality.\u0026quot;\nSean Pike, 52, father of two minor daughters, said: \u0026quot;And there can be no talk of hatred toward people or a feeling superior to anyone. This is contrary to kindness and goodness. This would not be an expression of love for God and people.This is not the Christian way. It\u0026#39;s unthinkable for me!\u0026quot;\nAleksandr Rumyantsev, 46, who takes care of his mother, who is disabled, also emphasized: \u0026quot;I am sure that my religious beliefs benefit society and the state, because I live in harmony with the words: \u0026#39;Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.\u0026#39;\u0026quot;\nThe prosecutor deemed peaceful religious practice to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization and requested that each of the defendants be sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony. They have the right to appeal the verdict.\nIn Moscow, 9 more Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses aged 45 to 70 have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their faith.\nA report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concern that \u0026quot;anti-extremist legislation [of the Russian Federation] is being used against certain religious minorities, in particular against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot;\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/250907/image_hu_b6591c909e806b53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/250907/image_hu_526aebef43b6bbc6.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/250907/image_hu_d68fa2469e26227.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/250907/image_hu_1d3c6054c8638601.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/250907.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","minors","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Court in Moscow Handed Down a Harsh Sentence to Three of Jehovah's Witnesses — From 6.5 to 7.5 Years in Penal Colonies for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer said that he was proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The Bible teaches me not how to harm others, but how to make life better both for myself and for those around me.\" He added: \"You can take away my freedom or even my life, but you can not take away my love for God and my neighbor.\"\n","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/387.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Rumyantsev in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer said that faith in God motivates him to obey the laws and help people. He said: \"My activities coincide with the interests of the state, which means that it should support and encourage me in every possible way. And what instead? I was declared an extremist for my good deeds.\"\n","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/385.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Eduard Sviridov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sean Pike explained in detail to the court the difference between the activities of a legal entity and religious services: \"A local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow cannot have the right to trademark the actions of religious people. These actions are not trademarked. I personally do these things because I love God.\"\n","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/386.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sean Pike in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In December 2023, Kirill Chekolayev, 19, from Vladivostok became a defendant in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God and ended up in a pre-trial detention center. His college studies were interrupted and he lost his job.\nKirill was born in June 2004 in Vladivostok. He is the only child in the family. Kirill\u0026#39;s mother is a housekeeper. The father left the family, but tries to support his son by providing the necessary assistance.\nAfter school, Kirill entered college with a degree in construction and operation of buildings and structures. At the time of his arrest, he was writing his thesis and working part-time as a hotel administrator, supporting the family financially.\nKirill\u0026#39;s mother was the first in the family to study the Bible and live by its standards. Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped her find answers to her questions in this book. The woman recalls: \u0026quot;The truth immediately touched my heart and prompted me to change my lifestyle. I learned hard work and honesty.\u0026quot; From childhood she tried to instill in her son the love of God. Having received convincing evidence of the existence of the Creator, young Kirill consciously decided to take the Christian path. Due to his peaceful religious beliefs, the young man secured the opportunity to do alternative civilian service, which was supposed to begin in the fall of 2024.\nAs a child, Kirill was fond of drawing and computers. With age, his hobbies have changed—in his free time he likes to play volleyball, basketball and work out in the gym.\nThe criminal prosecution of Kirill affected the health of all members of his family. Before his arrest, he lived with his mother and grandmother, who is disabled after four strokes. During the search, Kirill\u0026#39;s mother had an attack of hypertension and had to call an ambulance. The grandmother also could not recover for a long time and she repeatedly needed the help of doctors.\nKirill\u0026#39;s relatives and friends do not understand why this peace-loving young man is being persecuted and why he was arrested. They worry about his future.\n","date":"2024-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chekolaev/photo_hu_ef01cbcbaa4c94b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chekolaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chekolaev/photo_hu_59dbaa92badd943d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chekolaev/photo_hu_2c9f5c1736214980.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chekolaev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Kirill Chekolaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 20, 2023, a panel of judges of the Pskov Regional Court, chaired by Dmitriy Kazantsev, slightly changed the sentence of Aleksey Khabarov: the fact that the believer handed a Bible to a woman was excluded from the verdict. Khabarov will serve his sentence of 2 years and 4 months in a penal colony.\nIn his appeal, Aleksey Khabarov stated: \u0026quot;I did not engage in extremist or other illegal activity. I lead a peaceful life, respect authority, and obey the law because I am a believer. The display of hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I respect members of other religions and nationalities. I was convicted only for my faith in God.\u0026quot;\nThe reputation of peaceful believers suffers due to the criminal prosecution. Aleksey Khabarov put it this way: \u0026quot;By their actions, the state authorities present me and my fellow believers in a bad light before society, contribute to the spread of prejudice and form the idea that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are a \u0026#39;dangerous and dubious sect.\u0026#39; Such abusive, unlawful and grossly disproportionate actions cannot be justified in a democratic society.\u0026quot;\nAt the moment, the believer is in pretrial detention center No.2 in the Pskov Region in the city of Velikiye Luki and later he will be transferred to a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/220909/image_hu_78d551aa41ff17d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/220909/image_hu_334fc4928490ffea.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/220909/image_hu_703e5f2ca83094d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/220909/image_hu_aef34bad78523650.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/220909.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"In Pskov, the Third Appeal Decision Reduced the Term of Imprisonment for Aleksey Khabarov in the Penal Colony by 2 Months","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 19, 2023, the Amur Regional Court released 71-year-old Vladimir Balabkin from custody. The court reclassified his actions from Part 1 (organizing extremist activity) to Part 2 (participating in such) of Article 282.2 of the RFCrC and imposed a 1-year suspended sentence. Before that he had spent 96 days in a pretrial detention center.\nA panel of three judges chaired by Natalya Trofimova considered an appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance, which found Vladimir Balabkin guilty under Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC. The more lenient second part of the same article allowed for the actions of the believer to be reclassified and for him to be released from custody in the courtroom. His sentence is suspended.\nThree months earlier, Natalya Kramar, judge of the Belogorsk City Court of first instance, sentenced the elderly believer who has a hearing impairment and a serious stomach issue to 4 years in a penal colony. Immediately after the verdict was announced, Vladimir was arrested in the courtroom, and before the appeal he was in pretrial detention center No.1 in the Amur Region.\nThe believer disagreed with the guilty verdict, found many violations in it and appealed. He drew attention to the fact that it was impossible to establish from the verdict on what basis the court considered the usual worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses as a continuation of the activity of an extremist organization. According to the explanation of the Supreme Court practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is allowed in Russia.\nBalabkin also stressed that the verdict was passed in violation of international law: \u0026quot;For example, the court did not apply the provisions of Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, according to which everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right includes ... freedom to practice one\u0026#39;s religion and belief, either individually or jointly with others and in public or private.\u0026quot;\nIn the Amur Region, 13 of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have already received from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony for participating in meetings for worship.\n","category":"other","date":"2023-12-19T10:48:27+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_ac93c6b585167c32.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_6a5861ff4da712b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_7b873cf695a45bec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/191048/image_hu_18af86dbdb58e5a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/191048.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended","mitigation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Blagoveshchensk Mitigated the Punishment for Pensioner Vladimir Balabkin and Released Him from Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 19, 2023, the court in Kostroma gave Valentina Samus a 6-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. Judge Maria Zaikina classified the pensioner as a criminal for \u0026quot;helping people to learn about Bible teachings, principles and norms.\u0026quot; The believer considers the verdict unjust.\nThe criminal case against Valentina Samus was initiated in February 2022 by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region, and in December a recognizance agreement was imposed on her as a preventive measure. Valentina said what supported her all that time: \u0026quot;I received many warm wishes, and some fellow believers even dare to come to the hearing. Face-to-face conversations are very encouraging for us. The videos and postcards with Bible verses are very moving.\u0026quot;\nThe prosecutor requested that the elderly woman be sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony, without presenting a single fact proving that the defendant had harmed anyone. Witnesses for the prosecution described Samus as a pleasant person to talk to. According to them, Valentina did not express calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order or disrespect toward the state authorities.\nIn her final statement, Valentina said: \u0026quot;I am an elderly person, a health worker and far removed from jurisprudence. But in the course of this trial, I realized that I was being prosecuted not for committing a crime, but for my religious beliefs, for my peaceful and law-abiding way of life, for my sincere desire to selflessly help other people by telling them about what I myself learned from the Bible.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;All my life I have respected members of different religions, nationalities, age groups and professions. Whenever, I attended calls, my main goal was to provide the person with emergency medical care to save his life, and for him to recover as quickly as possible. Therefore, I have never shown hatred, enmity or violence to anyone. And the Bible taught me even more -- to respect a person\u0026#39;s right to choose and his dignity,\u0026quot; Valentina said in court.\nThe text of the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention drew attention to the fact that \u0026quot;the actions of the state [of the Russian Federation] were motivated by a discriminatory goal: to stop the religious practice of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. [...] [Such treatment] violates \u0026quot;the State\u0026#39;s duty of neutrality and impartiality\u0026quot; regarding religious beliefs and practices\u0026quot; (para. 47).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_afabb2c0f37d701d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_6720cbe8fc39ed65.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_f116f6a26a5a65fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/201343/image_hu_2c010a78f081fd81.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/201343.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":"The Pensioner Received a 6-year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith","tags":["sentence","elderly","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Kostroma Found Valentina Samus, 74, Guilty of “Organizing the Activity of an Extremist Organization”.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok overturned the ruling of the Primorye Territorial Court, which declared the earlier sentence imposed on Dmitriy Barmakin — 8 years in penal colony — unlawful. The case was sent for a new appeal hearing before a different composition of judges.\nDmitriy Barmakin, 49, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and a programmer by profession, has been prosecuted for his faith for more than 5 years. He has already received two verdicts by the court of first instance (acquittal and conviction), as well as two decisions of the courts of appeal (cancellation of acquittal and cancellation of conviction).\nIn September 2023, Andrey Tregubov, Deputy Prosecutor of the Primorye Territory, striving for the imprisonment of a peaceful believer, filed a cassation appeal against the decision of the court of appeal, which decided to send Barmakin\u0026#39;s case for a third review. Tregubov also requested the court of cassation to place the believer in custody, but this was denied; Dmitriy Barmakin remained under a recognizance agreement.\n","category":"trial","date":"2023-12-18T16:43:07+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/181643/image_hu_f564a41be82b7fa5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/181643/image_hu_b8bb2585d142aaeb.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/181643/image_hu_99f1033be252c2b8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/181643/image_hu_cd654c9aac6fa4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/181643.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1"],"title":"On the Appeal of the Prosecutor, the Court of Cassation Returned the Case of Dmitriy Barmakin to the Court of Appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2023, Oleg Karpets, judge of the Novosibirsk District Court, sentenced Marina Chaplykina to 4 years in a penal colony, and Valeriy Maletskov to 6 years in a penla colony just because of practicing their religion. They were taken into custody in the courtroom. The believers do not admit their guilt and can appeal the verdict.\nIn April 2019, FSB investigator Selyunin initiated a criminal case against the believers, charging them with extremism. On the same day, searches were carried out at a total of 12 addresses. In one case, the planting of banned literature was noticed. The home of Valeriy Maletskov, who lives with his wife and young child, was invaded by armed security forces, breaking down the front door. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Marina Chaplykina was charged with participating in and financing it. He was placed under house arrest, and she was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nAfter three years of investigation, the case was submitted to the Novosibirsk District Court. The charges were based on recordings of conversations with believers made by a secret witness \u0026quot;Ivan\u0026quot;, who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe support of friends helped the believers cope with what was happening. Marina recalls: \u0026quot;When they found out that I had lost my job, [fellow believers] immediately put together a food parcel and gave me the money. They sent messages with words of encouragement. I felt part of a big family. When it was especially difficult emotionally, I unexpectedly received letters from Belarus and later from Japan. They were beautiful words of assurance of love. These letters came always at the right time!\u0026quot;\nValeriy said: \u0026quot;Under house arrest, I could not work, so I lost the source of income for my family. But, most interestingly, our family received help from fellow believers in the first 2 months; when we ciunted how much we received in total, it turned out that this isit was exactly the amount that I would have earned if I had been working at my job for 2 months\u0026quot;.\nThe believers were among 8 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses prosecuted for their faith in the Novosibirsk Region. Aleksandr Seredkin, whose case was separated the case proceedings of Maletskov and Chaplykina, is serving 6 years in a penal colony for his believes.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/190827/image_hu_f5d26688cf65dc0b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/190827/image_hu_1fe48d20999cc2c9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/190827/image_hu_4e802231ed5ee50c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/190827/image_hu_7d47ff52db2f37e5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/190827.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-3","secret-witness","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Novosibirsk Sent Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina to a Penal Colony for Their Faith in Jehovah God for 6 Years and 4 Years, Respectively","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer noted: \"All my life I have respected representatives of different religions, nationalities, ages and professions.\" And about her religion, she said: \"It's a part of my life that has a positive effect on my character, my family and those around me, makes me happy.\"\n","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/383.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Samus in Kostroma","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking to the court about how biblical truths affect her life, the believer noted: \"I decided to obey the authorities. And for this reason, she did not use publications, video and audio materials if they were included in the list of the Ministry of Justice as extremist. During the process, this became obvious.\n","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/382.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Marina Chaplykina's last word in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer discusses the groundless trial of Jesus Christ, the executions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany, exile in the Soviet Union, and persecution in modern Russia. He concludes: \"But, as you can see, history teaches no one anything.\"\n","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/384.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Maletsky in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 8, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the verdict against Stanislav Klyuchnikov, Dmitriy Yarchak and Denis Filatov. The decision has entered into force; the convicted persons have the right to appeal in the court of cassation.\nThe believers drew attention to the fact that they were found guilty of extremism on the basis of the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, but this decision was not a ban on a religious denomination with its inherent teachings, spiritual terminology, the arrangements for meetings for worship and the dissemination of religious beliefs.\nIn his final statement before the court of appeal, Dmitry Yarchak emphasized: \u0026quot;I am in the dock not for murder, not for theft, not for some evil deeds, but for being a disciple of Jesus.\u0026quot; Yarchak has been disabled since childhood; participating in investigative actions and the trial is not easy for him. However, he does not lose courage. \u0026quot;Of course, my physical and emotional health has been shaken, but my faith has become stronger,\u0026quot; he said in court.\nStanislav Klyuchnikov noted: \u0026quot;How can people who adhere to the rules or principles written in the Bible be dangerous to the state and society and be called \u0026#39;extremists\u0026#39;?\u0026quot; He also drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that his faith in Jehovah God helped him break with an antisocial group and become a useful member of society: \u0026quot;In fact, I was a danger to society before I became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1998.\u0026quot;\nThe defendants are among 13 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from Tatarstan who have been prosecuted for their beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-11T16:25:45+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_687b0a24306c97d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_77dae4f8df8f812d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_18ebca82eddec01.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/111625/image_hu_9b8391970acbf48f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/111625.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","disability","282.2-1"],"title":"Supreme Court of Tatarstan Upholds the Sentence Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Nizhnekamsk — 6 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 8, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, during the retrial of the case of Konstantin Sannikov, upheld the initial sentence for the believer — 6.5 years imprisonment. He will remain in the penal colony.\nIn June 2023, the Court of Appeal lifted the additional restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year, imposed on Sannikov by the district court. The prosecutor appealed this decision in October 2023, and the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara returned Sannikov\u0026#39;s case for a second appeal hearing comprising different judges. In court, the believer said, \u0026quot;My imprisonment is religious persecution.\u0026quot;\nFor the period between the cassation appeal and the second appeal, the believer was transferred from the penal colony to the pre-trial detention center.\nKonstantin Sannikov has been imprisoned since August 2020. He has already spent 2 years and 9 months in a pretrial detention center and 6 months in a penal colony. His detention had a negative impact on his health, and in the penal colony he lost a lot of weight due to malnutrition. Despite this, the believer maintains a positive attitude and good relationship with those around him.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony2_hu_bce02cc6b2982695.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_4065c86442783316.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony2_hu_2c67bb3b320c327c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_58a310f8beb82f71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/141336.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","2-appeal","sizo","life-in-prison","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Konstantin Sannikov Remains in a Penal Colony After Second Appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer expressed a lack of understanding of why he was being punished and what he needed to improve. In addition, he noted that the views of Jehovah's Witnesses in matters of family and subordination to authority are in the interests of the state.\n","date":"2023-12-07T16:52:11+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/381.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Gerasimov in Kazan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 7, 2023, the Kirovsky District Court of Kazan finished considering the criminal case against Aleksey Gerasimov, one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Judge Anna Kryuchenkova sentenced the believer to 6 years of imprisonment for reading the Bible with friends. He is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nIn September 2022, law enforcement officers accused the believer of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RFCrC). The decision to initiate a criminal case stated that unidentified persons \u0026quot;involved individual residents of Kazan\u0026quot; in religious activity, \u0026quot;gave lectures and showed videos promoting the ideas of the religious organization of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\u0026quot; The investigation was conducted by A.A. Giniyatullin, investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tatarstan; in January 2023 the case was submitted to the court, where it was considered for almost another year.\nAfter hearing the opinion of the state prosecution, Gerasimov concluded: according to the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office, in order to be innocent, he should have changed his religion in 2017. The defendant called such expectations insulting and considers it unacceptable to renounce his faith. He pleaded not guilty to extremism and has the right to appeal the verdict.\nGerasimov emphasized that he simply practiced the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. According to the appellate ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of June 17, 2017, in case No. APL17-216, when considering the case of liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, \u0026quot;the court of first instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and the ways of expressing them.\u0026quot; Accordingly, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the practice of this religion in Russia.\n\u0026quot;It is important to learn to accept prosecution as a \u0026#39;normal\u0026#39; component of the life of modern Christians, since Christ warned about it,\u0026quot; Aleksey commented on the criminal case for his faith.\nAccording to Mariana Katzarova, the UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, \u0026quot;Laws on anti-terrorism and anti-extremism... are used to limit freedom of expression... The law\u0026#39;s definition of extremism consists of a long list of \u0026#39;extremist activities\u0026#39;, that has been progressively expanded. The broadness and vagueness of this definition has been criticized by the Human Rights Committee and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe\u0026quot; (§§ 64, 65).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-07T16:02:59+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/081602/image_hu_4ed358cad3c92529.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/081602/image_hu_f624e30e813afb0b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/081602/image_hu_c3daa85561fb22ed.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/081602/image_hu_c9d7ee8e985d877c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/081602.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court Sentenced Aleksey Gerasimov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazan, to 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In the fall of 2023, Anton Bashabayev was detained, after which he and his wife were searched. The stress caused by these events had a negative impact on his health and the condition of all members of his family.\nAnton was born in December 1984 in the city of Volzhskiy, Volgograd Region. He is the only child in the family, he grew up without a father. In his youth, Anton played football. After school, he studied to be an electrician and a specialist in instrumentation. He worked in the field of finishing works.\nAnton\u0026#39;s aunt was the first in the family to start studying the Bible. Later, she was joined by his mother and himself. Anton liked this book for its logic and internal consistency. In 1998, together with his mother, he consciously decided to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2008, Anton married Antonina, a girl with the same view on life. She was once touched by the convincing evidence in favor of the biblical teaching on the creation of the earth.\nThe couple love music: Anton learns to play the guitar, and Antonina learns to play the synthesizer. They like to spend time with friends, especially in nature, picking mushrooms. Antonina mastered the art of decoupage, and also studied to be a hairdresser.\nThe search and house arrest of Anton disrupted the usual way of life of the family. Relatives and friends empathize with them and support them as best they can.\n","date":"2024-01-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bashabaev/photo_hu_110ba205ac2b60b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bashabaev/photo_hu_11dd593abd8ab8f8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bashabaev/photo_hu_2f6fffb2b77adb16.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bashabaev/photo_hu_a6cb15a3b4a8cd0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bashabaev.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Bashabaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lebedev.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Lebedev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2023, Sergey Lukin, a businessman from Biysk, after a search in his house, found himself involved in a criminal case on extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in October 1971 in Biysk (Altai Territory). He has two paternal sisters and one maternal sister. The parents have been divorced for over 40 years. At the age of 8, the boy moved with his mother to the Far East, and later to Dneprodzerzhinsk (now Kamenskoye, Ukraine). In 1989, after graduating from school, the young man returned to Biysk to his father.\nAs a child, Sergey was fond of sports—he was engaged in basketball, athletics and freestyle wrestling. He received a higher technical and economic education, and also has the status of an arbitration manager. Sergey was engaged in business, managed manufacturing, trade and construction enterprises. Now he owns a fish nursery, where he grows valuable species of fish.\nIn 1991, Sergey married his classmate Yelena. The couple raised a son and a daughter, they already have a granddaughter.\nSergey began to study the Bible in order to find contradictions in it, but in the end, 5 years later, he was finally convinced that this book was consistent and trustworthy. In 2010, he embarked on the Christian path. His wife and children do not share his beliefs, but they love and respect Sergey.\nThe search and criminal prosecution came as a shock to the Lukin family, but knowing their husband and father, they are convinced that the accusations of extremism are unreasonable. Relatives fully support Sergey.\n","date":"2024-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lukin/photo_hu_7de8e2984c2d77c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lukin/photo_hu_f3a2e03e9178f43b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lukin/photo_hu_e12e8eb411e2be66.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lukin/photo_hu_b9b93d9dd4bcc8c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lukin.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Lukin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Because of his faith in Jehovah God, an exemplary family man Aleksey Vasiliyev turned out to be a defendant in a criminal case on extremism. In the fall of 2023, his house was searched, after which the believer was placed under house arrest.\nAleksey was born in June 1976 in Volgograd, and later moved with his family to Balashov (Saratov region). He has a brother and sister and retired parents.\nAs a child, Aleksey loved to collect stamps, was engaged in boxing and other martial arts, and was fond of fishing. He also enjoyed reading books. After school, he moved to Saratov, where he received the qualification of a mechanical engineer with a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology at the university. Then Aleksey received a second higher education and the profession of an economist-manager. In 2002, Aleksey was trained under the Presidential Management Training Program \u0026quot;Crisis Management and Financial Recovery of the Enterprise\u0026quot;.\nAleksey worked at the Research Institute of Technology as a manager of the commercial department, then as a deputy director in several companies, and most recently worked as a commercial director of the sales department for industrial equipment for the oil industry.\nAleksey met his wife Yelena during his studies. They got married in 2000. Before the birth of her daughter, Yelena worked in an advertising firm. The daughter of the Vasilyevs studies at a medical college, graduated with honors from a music school in piano, was engaged in aerial gymnastics, equestrian sports. In her free time, she is fond of drawing and loves to cook. The Vasilyevs like to go to the Volga River with the whole family and spend time in nature.\nAleksey began studying the Bible with his future wife Yelena in the late 1990s with the aim of \u0026quot;exposing\u0026quot; believers. Six years later, however, he came to the conclusion that what Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were saying was completely consistent with the Bible. He was personally convinced that biblical principles are practical, and this book is logical and consistent. In 2005, the couple decided to become Christians together.\nIn his free time, Aleksey is engaged in spearfishing, goes fishing, likes to go out into nature with an overnight stay, and also gardening and growing grapes. Elena likes to grow flowers.\nThe usual way of life of the Vasiliyev family was violated after the search. What was happening affected Aleksey\u0026#39;s health. He said: \u0026quot;At work, they stopped all contact with me, the management forbade employees to communicate with me. During the search, bank cards and a phone were seized, in fact, I was left without a livelihood.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s friends and relatives wonder why a decent and peace-loving person is persecuted because of his faith.\n","date":"2024-01-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilyeval/photo_hu_ff3f264917de6a39.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilyeval/photo_hu_448b5cf1108ae3f9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilyeval/photo_hu_53f662f4a53c692f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilyeval/photo_hu_edd0fcf30a24a393.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilyeval.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution changed the life of Aleksey Yefremov from Saratov, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness with diabetes mellitus of the II degree. At one time, he suffered three heart attacks. His wife Anetta has cancer, had two operations and a course of radiation therapy. Due to her husband\u0026#39;s house arrest, all the worries about the house and family fell on her shoulders.\nAleksey was born in February 1964 in the city of Saratov. He has an elder sister, Svetlana. The parents are no longer alive.\nSince childhood, Aleksey was fond of collecting stamps. He studied in a biathlon sports class. In 1983 he graduated from the Aviation College with a degree in aircraft engineering. After graduation, he was drafted into the army, where he served in a special unit. He took advanced training courses for officers. He served in the GDR in the cities of Lerz and Verneuchen, then in Saratov, where he worked as a special forces instructor.\nAleksey met his future wife Anetta in his second year of college. They married in 1984. Anette is a math teacher. The couple have an adult daughter and a schoolgirl granddaughter who lives with her grandparents. The Yefremovs love to travel when they can.\nAnetta was the first to get acquainted with the Bible. Then Aleksey\u0026#39;s mother and sister began to research this book. He himself was attracted by the biblical teachings because of their clarity and logic. He later left military service because of his peaceful religious views. After that, in 1994, he and his wife embarked on the Christian path together.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Aleksey lost his job and proper treatment. While under house arrest, he can only use emergency medical care. Also, he cannot accompany his granddaughter to school and take him to other classes. Aleksey\u0026#39;s sister also suffered from the searches.\nRelatives and friends are perplexed because of the persecution of a peaceful believer and worry about him.\n","date":"2024-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_22d8f7220bfb5b7d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_330a1e32c23075d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_7dc87583d5264c5e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yefremov/photo_hu_30c5f68c1af349bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefremov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Yefremov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 7, 2023, searches were carried out in Vladivostok at addresses of believers, at least five, including the home of an elderly man. A believer, 19, was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center for 2 months, while another man was beaten by security forces.\nDemanding he gives the password from his phone, the man was hit several times with a rubber truncheon. Later, he went to ER, where he was diagnosed with bruising on his internal organs. He reqires treatment.\nDuring interrogation by the Investigative Committee, the believers were asked questions about their religious beliefs, as well as about their participation in meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Also demands were made to incriminate fellow believers.\nThe searches and interrogations took place as part of the criminal case of Yuriy Byche and others in Vladivostok.\nApart from the victims of the December 7 search, another 26 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are being prosecuted in Vladivostok for their faith; six of whom have already been convicted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_38ba70586d341394.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_d2a159ad0a45eae1.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_c26555d750fa7d66.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/150942/image_hu_466d1383668125ff.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/150942.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"One Beaten, Another Arrested","tags":["siloviks-violence","search","elderly"],"title":"Homes of Believers Searched in Vladivostok.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2023, a panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Territorial Court overturned the verdict against Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova from the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye — 6-year suspended sentence for their faith in Jehovah God — and sent the case back for a new trial. The court thus granted the prosecutor's appeal.\nThe case will be heard in the same court that passed the original verdict (Khabarovsk District Court), but comprising a different panel of judges.\nLyubov Kocherova emphasized in her appeal: \"The court did not substantiate in the verdict why the peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by the court as committing a crime.\" She also noted: \"The Constitution of the Russian Federation allows me to be a religious person.\" Lyubov Ovchinnikova pointed out: \"The court verdict is an act of direct and indirect gross religious discrimination.\"\nIn an additional appeal, the defense drew attention to the fact that, when considering a criminal case, the court did not establish what specific actions directly aimed at continuing the activity of any banned organization were committed by the women. In other words, the court did not identify the crime.\nProsecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in the Khabarovsk Territory. The verdicts against 17 believers have already entered into force in the region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-05T15:14:34+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_9697f024df6298da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_1e9732ff64a11125.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_50aef759abe02ed8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051514/image_hu_982e24aae3a3ed9a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/051514.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"The Case Will Be Considered by the Same Court of a Different Composition","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Khabarovsk Overturned the Guilty Verdict Against Two Pensioners.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2023, the high-profile trial against Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut concluded. Dmitriy Lupin, a judge of the Surgut City Court, found 18 believers guilty of extremism and gave all suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years.\nSergey Loginov and Timofey Zhukov received the longest suspended sentence — 7 years. Yevgeniy Kayryak received 6 years and 10 months; Leonid Rysikov — 6 years and 9 months; Pavel Romashov — 6 years and 7 months; Vyacheslav Boronos, Saveliy Gargalyk, Artem Kim, Igor Trifonov, Yevgeniy Fedin — 6 years and 6 months; Igor Petrov — 6 years and 5 months; Vasiliy Burenesku, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Kobotov and Viktor Fefilov — 6 years and 4 months; Aleksey Plekhov and Artur Severinchik — 6 years and 3 months.\nThe only woman in the case, Viola Shepel, received a 3-year and 3-month suspended sentence.\nAll defendants were given probation periods from 2 to 4 years.\nThe Surgut trial became one of the most widely discussed after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses: the believers faced unprecedented cruel treatment by the security forces. A criminal case against 17 men and 1 woman between 31 and 71 years was initiated by the Investigative Department for the city of Surgut of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. In February 2019, after a series of searches in the homes of believers, at least 40 people were detained for interrogation, 7 of them were tortured. The security officials applied beatings, electric shocks and suffocation until they lost consciousness.\nThe victims appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and the ECHR with calls to bring law enforcement officers to justice for criminal actions. Human rights defenderd actively spoke out. Despite this, no criminal case for torture was ever initiated, and two months after the incident, Vladimir Yermolayev, head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, where Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured, and his subordinate Sergey Bogoderov received awards, and the soldiers of the National Guard of Russia who participated in the operation received commendation.\nBelievers from Surgut who peacefully practiced their religion were accused of organizing, participating in and financing the activity of an extremist organization. A man mistaken for one of Jehovah's Witnesses was also prosecuted. During the investigation, the homes of several defendants were searched again; three men spent from 1 to 2 months in a pretrial detention center, and Timofey Zhukov underwent a compulsory psychiatric examination, which the court later declared illegal.\nFriends who came to support believers in minus 30-degree frost The case materials received by the court amounted to 222 volumes. However, as the defense emphasized, they do not list specific unlawful actions, and the gathered evidence only shows that the defendants continued to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after the liquidation of legal entities, which is not against the law. The court considered the believers' case for 2 years. For the last months, meetings were held behind closed doors every working day. It is known that one of the witnesses for the prosecution was an undercover agent for the special forces, who feigned interest in the Bible and secretly recorded conversations with the believers.\nOne of the convicted persons, Timofey Zhukov, a lawyer with many years of experience, called what was happening \"legal absurdity and physical lawlessness.\" He added: \"At first, to be honest, I didn't believe that in a secular state governed by the rule of law, in which the constitution guarantees freedom of religion, there could be repression for faith, and moreover, that believers would actually be imprisoned... From a legal point of view, the ban on legal entities should in no way affect regular believers.\"\nMost believers faced financial difficulties due to criminal prosecution – many lost their jobs and some had their accounts blocked; despite seven of the convicted persons having minor children. Aleksey Plekhov, who was unemployed for about a year, recalls: \"The judge scheduled court hearings 2-3 times a week. For many of us, such a schedule meant possibly losing our job.\" Leonid Rysikov, a 73-year-old pensioner who ended up on the Rosfinmonitoring list, said: \"Every month I had to apply and wait for how much funds they would allow me to withdraw. Usually, it's 10 000, but once they allowed me to withdraw only 670 rubles.\"\nYevgeniy Fedin, who spent almost 2 months in a pretrial detention center, faced another difficulty: \"When the investigation was going on, my father was very ill and I needed to be near him. I wrote a motion detailing the reason for the trip, but the investigator did not allow me go. A few days later, my father died. About six months later, my sister died, and the investigator again did not let me go to her funeral. My mom had to bury her daughter alone. For her it was the greatest stress.\"\nAll the while, the Surgutians felt the support of their fellow believers from different cities and countries. Igor Kobotov said: \"After suffering stress [due to the raid], my wife did not want to return home and we stayed overnight with friends. Literally the next day, brothers and sisters started coming to us, to support and strengthen us. They brought money and food, assured us of their love and support.\" Yevgeniy Fedin related: \"In the pretrial detention center, I received about 800 letters in 2 months. It was a great encouragement and support.\"\nShortly before Judge Lupin began his consideration of the case of Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. \"Not a day passes on which there is no report of state repression against Jehovah’s Witnesses,\" the letter says. \"The homes of members of the religious denomination are searched and ravaged by the Russian secret service, FSB, and the police. Violent assaults and mistreatment occur. Women and men are condemned to long-term prison sentences. Requests to ease detention conditions or for parole are regularly refused.\" The letter concludes: “We urge you to grant every resident of the Russian Federation the constitutional right to free exercise of religion. Please end this injustice!”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-12-05T14:13:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_f403bb5262627e07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c98f1de4b1a135a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c25377ee6e3a28fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/051413/image_hu_c22c42f966e9d3a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/051413.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","torture","siloviks-violence","families","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Surgut Ruled in a High-Profile Case of 18 Jehovah's Witnesses, Some of Whom Had Been Tortured Earlier","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 30, 2023, the panel of judges of the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo, having considered Andrey Danielyan's appeal, confirmed the sentence of the court of first instance — 6 years in a penal colony.\nNineteen people who came to support Danielyan were admitted to the hearing. While the panel of judges was in the deliberation room, the audience was able to greet the believer who participated in the hearing via video conferencing.\nOne year earlier, Aleksey Bezrukov, judge of the Rubtsovsk City Court of the Altai Territory had found Danielyan guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible with fellow believers. And in January 2023, the Altai Territorial Court upheld this verdict.\nThe defendant's lawyer drew attention to the fact that the courts declared the believer an extremist without indicating specific extremist actions and motives, which is required by law. \"The actions of the convicted person were normal within the bounds of freedom of religion and with the intention of exercising his constitutional rights directly and explicitly, with his fellow believers,\" the defense emphasized.\nAndrey Danielyan, 54, is one of seven believers being prosecuted in the Altai Territory. Apart from him, Pavel Kazadayev was sentenced to a penal colony in this region.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-30T16:07:07+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/301607/image_hu_e48d4ffab404bc25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/301607/image_hu_e1d536d5ded50d38.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/301607/image_hu_125024f93e488794.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/301607/image_hu_6e0cb18b042639e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/301607.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation"],"title":"Court of Cassation Left Andrey Danielyan From Rubtsovsk in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"Olga Kalinnikova, a mother of two, was prosecuted in November 2023 for her belief in Jehovah God.\nOlga was born in December 1976 on Iturup Island, in the city of Kurilsk (Sakhalin Region). She has an elder sister. Their father worked as a driver and their mother worked as a paramedic. The parents are already retired.\nAs a child, Olga loved to read and draw, for some time she attended an art school and a sambo section. She liked to spend time in the forest and at the sea, ride a bicycle and a moped. In her youth, she enjoyed hiking.\nAfter school, Olga graduated from accounting courses, but did not work in her specialty. At the age of 18, she got a job as a janitor and cleaner at a children\u0026#39;s art school. She studied remotely at the Moscow Technological Institute at the Faculty of Civil Engineering; studied Japanese and English language courses, completed an internship in Japan; She took an art course, studied photography.\nIn the summer of 1994, Olga moved to Khabarovsk, where she met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. They showed in the Bible the answers to questions that had worried her since childhood: what is the meaning of life? Why do people die? Olga recalls: \u0026quot;Simple, logical and understandable explanations from the Bible, plus love, which does not exist anywhere in the world, but God\u0026#39;s people do, convinced me that I had found the truth.\u0026quot; In 1995, she embarked on the Christian path.\nSince 1998, Olga has been working as a technician at a seismic station. She has not given up learning foreign languages, loves to read and draw, as well as to be in nature with friends.\nOlga is divorced. She has an adult son and a school-age daughter. In connection with the criminal case, the believer worries that she may be separated from her daughter and parents. Relatives are worried about Olga and say: \u0026quot;We understand that Olga and extremism are incompatible concepts.\u0026quot; They are outraged that the authorities are persecuting peaceful believers.\n","date":"2023-12-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kalinnikova/photo_hu_3d5fdcab2500d3eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kalinnikova/photo_hu_287f7e71a5eb260f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kalinnikova/photo_hu_396c845526deb3a8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kalinnikova/photo_hu_ba73849c4b4878a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kalinnikova.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["minors"],"title":"Olga Kalinnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Iturup is the largest island in the southern part of the Kuril Islands with a population of less than 7,000 people. Larisa Potapova, a civilian resident of the island, faced criminal prosecution for her faith in the fall of 2023.\nLarisa was born in March 1964 in Potsdam (Germany). She has a younger brother. The father is no longer alive.\nAs a child, Larisa loved to skate. After school, she received the specialty of a seamstress, worked for some time in a garment factory. Later she mastered the profession of cooking, and worked in her specialty in a restaurant, kindergarten, as well as on a ship. Recently he has been working as a watchman, in his free time he likes to take care of home flowers.\nAt various times, Larisa lived in Ukraine, as well as Volgograd and Vladivostok. In 1996, she and her son moved to her parents in the Kuril Islands. Now the son already has his own family.\nLarisa was interested in the Bible as a child, and at the first opportunity in 1996 she began to study it. The woman was struck by the authenticity of this book, especially the fulfilled prophecies. In 2012, Larisa embarked on the Christian path.\nLarisa\u0026#39;s elderly mother, son and daughter-in-law worry about her and consider her criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2023-12-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_f964329c719be8cb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_3381393694bee467.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_55cfaf332c4d4877.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/potapova/photo_hu_6bf4fbeea32cea7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/potapova.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Larisa Potapova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 28, 2023, a panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court, chaired by Yelena Fedusova, upheld the verdict against Yuriy Chernykh from the city of Prokopyevsk. The believer will have to serve a sentence of 3 years of forced labor.\nThis punishment was imposed on the father of a minor child in September 2023 by the judge of the court of first instance, Alyona Novoselova. The believer did not agree with the verdict and appealed to a higher court. In his appeal, he stated: \"All my actions were completely peaceful. The prosecution did not state that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity. I did not do anything that would indicate the continuation of the activity of any extremist organization. According to Article 28 of the RF Constitution, my fellow believers and I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and associate, which in no way depends on the existence of any religious organization.\"\nThe believer has the right to appeal the court's decision in the cassation process.\nChernykh has been defending the right to practice his religion for more than 2 years. Prior to that, Yuriy was a witness in the case of his fellow believer Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person, who is serving his sentence in a penal colony. Yuriy's wife Yelena was also prosecuted; her case is now being considered by the court of first instance.\nAccording to the statement of the Government of the Russian Federation dated March 23, 2018, \"the decision of the Supreme Court... and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board... do not assess the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain any restriction or prohibition to individually practice the above teachings.\" Despite this, more and more believers are being prosecuted for individual religious practice. Often, as in the case of Yuriy and Yelena Chernykh, when one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, is accused of extremism, other family members are then under threat.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-28T16:06:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/12/011606/image_hu_5711bbe183e9ebbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/12/011606/image_hu_c17ce89969d678b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/12/011606/image_hu_7945c8489876634a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/12/011606/image_hu_6c29ee7b2726a9fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/12/011606.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"As One of Jehovah's Witnesses He Was Sentenced to Forced Labor","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Left the Verdict Against Yuriy Chernykh Unchanged.","type":"news"},{"body":"Since 2018, Russian law enforcement officers have increasingly initiated criminal cases, firstly against one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and then against a member of his family. By the end of November 2023, at least 71 families in 35 regions of the Russian Federation became easy prey for security forces under this scheme.\nThe first such case occurred in Vladivostok, when Dmitriy Barmakin was arrested. His wife Yelena was first released, with the threat that she \"will be next\" and \"will be arrested just like her husband.\" And so it happened: 11 months later, Yelena became a defendant in a separate criminal case for her faith in God. With time, the successive prosecution of relatives has developed into a trend.\nCriminal \"Conveyer\" In most instances, investigators take as a basis the wording from the RF CrC, as well as the federal laws on \"Counteracting Extremist Activity\" and on \"Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\". The investigation equates religious actions (singing, praying, reading the Bible) that are not prohibited by law with extremism, calling it \"continuing\" or \"organizing the activity of a liquidated legal entity\" — the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses or a local religious organization. However, the cases lack facts of criminal actions and motives of hate required to qualify as extremism. There are also no victims in the case materials, nor are there any negative consequences for citizens or the state. Law enforcement officers focus on \"evidence\" of the accused's religion, which he does not hide anyway, as a result of which there is an easy opportunity to initiate cases in large numbers, especially when there are several Jehovah's Witnesses in the family.\nSo in the summer of 2021, the court sent Rostov resident Aleksandr Parkov to a penal colony for 6.5 years, and gave his wife Galina a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months. I.A. Kalnitskiy, Major of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated separate criminal cases against the married couple in the space of 2 weeks. Galina was accused of \"praying together with her husband in order to promote the activity of an extremist organization.\" She commented: \"There is a substitution of concepts: the religious life of an individual is exhibited as the activity of a banned legal entity.\"\nIn 2022, a court ruling in Saransk, sent a couple, Yelena and Georgiy Nikulin, to penal colonies for the same period of 4 years and 2 months. The investigation was conducted by Ye.V. Makeyev, an FSB investigator who, back in 2003—2004, was \"interested\" in the Bible and, together with his wife, attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The only \"guilt\" of the believers is talking about God.\nOne Investigator for All Cases. Amur Region For some law enforcement officers, the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses becomes a real \"gold mine\". For example, in 2019-2020, FSB investigator V.S. Obukhov initiated criminal cases against 5 men — Anton Olshevskiy, Sergey Yermilov, Konstantin Moiseyenko, Dmitriy Golik and Yevgeniy Bitusov. In 2021, the investigator switched to their wives — Yekaterina Olshevskaya, Valentina Yermilova, Margarita Moiseyenko, Kristina Golik—and Bitusov's older sister, Yelena Yatsyk.\nInvestigator Obukhov conducts all 9 criminal cases against 23 believers from Blagoveshchensk, Belogorsk, Zeya and Tynda.\nCareer Lift. Chelyabinsk Region The prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is sometimes accompanied by the career advancement of investigators. For example, from 2019 to 2021, Aleksandr Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, took 6 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses to court. During this period, his rank changed from lieutenant colonel to colonel.\nIn total, 11 residents aged 45 to 76 living in Chelyabinsk, Asha and Snezhinsk have suffered from groundless prosecution in the region. Among them is a married couple Suvorov, who were already over 70 when the criminal case was initiated. Chepenko charged Valentina with extremism for participating in a Bible reading with a group of friends. A year later, the prosecution of her husband Vladimir began. He was accused of organizing meetings at which he and his wife \"prayed to Jehovah God and sang religious songs.\"\nCriminal Cases in Jewish Autonomous Region A surge in criminal cases in Birobidzhan occurred in 2018, when security forces conducted a special operation called \"Judgment Day\". Mass searches were carried out in the homes of families of Jehovah's Witnesses. For two years, FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin conducted investigations against 11 men. But on February 6, 2020, in one day, he initiated 6 criminal cases against their wives at the same time — Natalya Kriger, Tatyana Zagulina, Anastasiya Guzeva, Agnessa Postnikova, Anna Lokhvitskaya, and Artur Lokhvitsky's mother, Irina Lokhvitskaya.\nOn the day of Yevgeniy Yegorov's wedding, in September 2019, investigator Yankin charged the young man with extremism, and initiated a criminal case against his mother, Larisa Artamonova. A day later, Yankin also initiated a case against Svetlana Monis, the wife of Alam Aliyev. The total number of cases in the region reached 19, but even surveillance of the believers did not record a single fact of illegal activity.\nProvided Husband with \"Apartment for Meetings\". Penza Region On July 15, 2018, the Alushkins had guests. Suddenly, 11 armed police officers burst into their home. Vladimir was arrested and spent more than 1 year in custody. The investigation explained the meeting with friends as follows: Alushkin \"organized a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses at the place he was living with T.S. Alushkina,\" and his wife Tatyana \"provided the apartment she legally owned the said meeting.\" Therefore, in February 2019, she also came under investigation. These arguments were enough for Judge Roman Tanchenko to separate the family by imposing severe punishment on the couple: 6 years in a penal colony for Vladimir and a 2-year suspended sentence for Tatyana. However, the court of appeal changed the imprisonment to a suspended sentence.\nAccording to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, \"all activity in which Alushkin and other Jehovah's Witnesses participated are absolutely peaceful religious discussions.\"\nFrom Parents to Children In the Primorskiy Territory, the Investigative Committee of Russia was actively involved in the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses. Following the above-mentioned Barmakins, Olga Opaleva, 66, from Spassk-Dalniy was charged for her faith. On the eve of the search, she had a heart attack, and later, on the way to court, a stroke. The left side of her body was paralyzed, and an electronic tag was put on her right leg. After 11 months, investigator Ye.S. Marvanyuk initiated a case against her son Vitaly Ilinykh for his faith. The essence of the accusation boils down to one thing: mother and son believe in Jehovah God.\nOleg Sergeyev from Luchegorsk was prosecuted for his faith 2 years after the prosecution of his 64-year-old father, Sergey Sergeyev, began. The case materials stated that Oleg and Sergey remained \"spiritual leaders\" who continued to communicate with other believers on religious topics.\nIn April 2019, A. Pachuyev, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case against Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman, accusing them of participating in and organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The search, investigation, and subsequent trial caused the elderly believer a lot of stress. Valentina suffered a stroke. Because of this, the trial was interrupted, but resumed about six months later. Judge Yelena Shcherbakova found the believers guilty and sentenced Roman to 6 years in a penal colony and Valentina to 2 years. At 70, she became the first female Jehovah's Witness in Russia to be imprisoned. On May 4, 2022, Valentina was released. Roman continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony.\n\"Family Case\" on Sakhalin In this region, three members of the Kulakov family were prosecuted in succession for their Christian beliefs. First, FSB investigator D.S. Melnikov initiated a case against the father of the family, Sergey, then, 8 months later, the oldest son Dmitriy became one of the suspects, and after another 7 months, Sergey's wife Tatyana also fell under investigation.\nProsecution of Relatives who are not Jehovah's Witnesses This region is notorious for having a student, Darya Dulova, 18, as a prisoner of conscience, against whom Vladimir Sudin, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a case a year after her mother Venera. After the court acquitted the defendants in the case, the Dulovs and Aleksandr Pryanikov, the same investigator initiated another criminal case, adding to the defendants Pryanikov's wife Anastasiya and the Zalyayev couple. In the case of the latter, charges were also brought against Svetlana Zalyayeva's husband, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFamily ties as risk factor. Krasnodar Territory In April 2020, officers from two agencies—the FSB and the Investigative Committee — raided the homes of believers in two villages, Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya. Among the law enforcement officers involved were Captain of Justice O. Komissarov, FSB investigator and Lev Galustyants, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation .\nKomissarov instigated a criminal case against Aleksandr Ivshin, 62, which led to a harsh sentence of 7.5 years in a penal colony for discussing the Bible with fellow believers via the Internet. Only a month later, Galustyants initiated a criminal case against Ivshin's son-in-law, Aleksandr Nikolayev. As a result, the father of five was separated from his family, when sentenced to actual imprisonment for participating in Christian meetings for worship.\nDanil Suvorov, 25, from Sochi, also ended up behind bars for talking about the Bible. Six months later, his older brother Denis became a suspect in a criminal case on the same grounds. Andrianov, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, deemed conversations with others about the Holy Scriptures to be \"extremism\", although the expert study did not reveal anything extremist.\nThe Deshko family faced a similar situation. At first, in April 2019, Yevgeniy, 30, from Smolensk ended up behind bars. Just a month before the verdict was passed, Yevgeniy's father, Vladimir, was also thrown into a pretrial detention center in Sochi. Both father and son received suspended sentences for talking about the Bible.\nChildren and Grandchildren of Exhonorated Persons The parents and grandparents of some of Jehovah's Witnesses who are facing prosecution in modern Russia, went through repression during the days of the Soviet Union. In the 1950s, as part of Operation \"North\", many Jehovah's Witnesses were exiled to Siberia.\nBrothers Aleksandr and Mikhail Shevchuk are fourth generation Jehovah's Witnesses. Today they are being persecuted for their beliefs just like their grandparents, who were exiled to Siberia for their faith in God. While Aleksandr was filing an appeal, V.A. Makeyeva, investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against his older brother, Mikhail. She deemed the friendly meetings of believers to be a crime.\nViktor Ursu's father, grandfather and great-grandfather from Dzhankoi (Crimea) went through Soviet repression for their faith, and now it's Victor's turn. In July 2023, after mass searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, he became a defendant in a criminal case for extremism.\nThe Propaganda and Rates The following families have faced restriction of freedom: Bagratyan, Avanesov (father and son), Ivanov will be in penal colonies until 2024 (Olga) and 2027 (Yevgeniy), Sushilnikov, Martynov, the Verkhoturov, Gushchin, the Piskarev, Kuzo and many others. All cases are based on their faith in Jehovah God. Sometimes the reason for a criminal case is the recording of a conversation between relatives not only about God, but even just about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\"The only \"guilt\" of the believers is that the name of their religion is the phrase \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", which propaganda methodically surrounds with myths and conjectures about a threat to society. Although the Russian authorities have repeatedly asserted that this religion is not banned, the number of criminal cases is growing, the rates of disclosure of \"crimes\" are increasing, but with them the lives of loved ones are collapsing,\" Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses commented on the situation in Russia.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2023-11-24T13:54:45+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/241354/image_hu_ba3d2b5a78ceacd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/241354/image_hu_93439930eddd6712.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/241354/image_hu_b3c0a8cd8f3611a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/241354/image_hu_c63c60dd431c34ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/241354.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"From Husband to Wife, From Father to Son: Security Forces Initiate Cases Against Entire Families of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 23, 2023, on Iturup Island security forces searched the homes of two women who practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Olga Kalinnikova, 47, and Larisa Potapova, 59, were placed under a recognizance agreement.\nA three-hour search took place in the apartment of Olga Kalinnikova, who lives with her minor daughter in the town of Kurilsk. The operation was led by K.P. Deshko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region. Electronic devices, various data storage devices, notebooks and personal notes were seized from Kalinnikova. According to her, law enforcement officers spoke rudely about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn the same day, at about 9 a.m., representatives of the border guards of the FSB of Russia with two attesting witnesses went to Larisa Potapova, who lives in the village of Reidovo. The security forces seized the Bible and other books, as well as video discs. The believer's elderly mother who is 87, felt ill as her blood pressure rose sharply due to great stress. After the search, Larisa was interrogated in the investigator's office.\nThe Korsakov Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation had already initiated a criminal case against Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova on October 12, 2023. Investigators suspect the women of \"extremist activity,\" by which they mean conversations with local residents about God.\nOn Sakhalin, this is the fourth criminal case for believing in God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-11-23T15:51:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_2e490b5dd4dd9bea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_aa070b536aecc5b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_c51742191b7fb50b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/291551/image_hu_366ce223752e9a65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/291551.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Two Women for Their Faith","tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","new-case","minors","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Searches on Kuril Islands.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 23, 2023, Natalya Nikitinskaya, judge of the Balakovo District Court of the Saratov Region gave Jehovah's Witnesses Aleksey Bogatov and Vladimir Mavrin a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period. Their fellow believers Andrey Murych, Sergey Tyurin and Yevgeniy Fomashin, were fined 300,000 rubles.\nAccording to law enforcement officers, the believers committed extremist actions, \"resuming and organizing the activity of the local religious unit [Jehovah's Witnesses] on the territory of the city of Balakovo, by holding meetings and carrying out preaching activity.\" The criminal case was initiated in February 2022. A month later, security forces invaded the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses with searches that lasted for several hours and took place in the presence of the elderly, the disabled and a child. After interrogations, which ended after midnight, Bogatov, Mavrin, Fomashin, Murych and Tyurin were placed behind bars, where they spent 304 days each, after which a preventive measure not related to detention was imposed. The state prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for Mavrin and Bogatov, and 3 years for the rest.\nBefore the verdict was announced, about 200 people gathered outside the courthouse: friends and simply caring people who wanted to provide emotional support to the believers. Approximately 20 of them were allowed into the courtroom. The defendants came to the hearing with bags of their belongings – in case they were deprived of their liberty. Although the judge decided to give suspended sentences and fines, the believers consider themselves innocent of extremism and can appeal the verdict.\nRecalling the experience, Alexey Bogatov said that during his custody in the pretrial detention center, the support of his wife, friends and other caring people helped him. He said, \"[The letters] gave me strength and joy... Fellow believers constantly call my wife and assure her that they love us very much and always pray for us. They help practically - share products from their gardens.\"\nYevgeniy Fomashin: \"In the pretrial detention center, I was convinced many times how the principles written in the Bible protected me from bad association, from getting involved in unworthy prison life.\"\nBefore the start of the criminal prosecution, Andrey Murych was the only breadwinner in the family. After he was taken into custody, his wife spent a long time looking for work. The believer was only able to see her on a short visit after 4 months, before that he communicated with his family through letters. During the 10 months in the pretrial detention center, the believer received 1802 letters from all over the world. He says, \"It made a huge impression not only on me, but also on my cellmates.\"\nVladimir Mavrin said that the most difficult thing for him was separation from his wife, son, granddaughter and elderly mother: \"I was worried about them... since I couldn't take care of them.\" Unfortunately, 5 months after the arrest of the believer, his mother was hospitalized due to great anxiety and a week later she died. The support and care that his friends and relatives provided to Mavrin by correspondence (once he received 70 letters in one day) gave him strength.\nDuring the trial for their faith, the defendants listen to Sergey Tyurin\u0026#39;s final statement. November, 2023 Vladimir Mavrin and Sergey Tyurin in the courtroom. November, 2023 Sergey and Yelizaveta Tyurin in the court building. 23 November 2023 Yevgeniy Fomashin, on the day of the verdict. 23 November 2023 Sergey Tyurin said: \"In the pretrial detention center, I saw how people lose the support of friends over time. It's safe to say that we have the opposite: we made even more friends.\"\nDue to the actions of law enforcement agencies in the Saratov Region, 12 people have already suffered from groundless criminal prosecution. Among them are 7 believers who have already served their sentences in a penal colony, three of them were deported and deprived of citizenship of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-23T14:30:37+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/241430/image_hu_b16798429ce6e4b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/241430/image_hu_27bf679d210e7107.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/241430/image_hu_bcae97c3e9fc393c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/241430/image_hu_276f347854ece91f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/241430.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Five Believers From Balakovo Were Sentenced for Discussing the Bible: Two Received Suspended Sentences, Three – Fines","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2023, the panel of judges of the Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict of the court of first instance against Margarita Moiseyenko, Yelena Yatsyk and Galina Yatsik, excluding from it additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to participation in the work of public organizations.\nIn September 2023, the Zeyskiy District Court of the Amur Region gave Margarita Moiseyenko a 3-year suspended sentence, Yelena Yatsyk 2.5 years, and Galina Yatsik 2 years, finding them guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nMargarita Moiseyenko is one of three female residents of Zeya convicted for their faith. Her husband, Konstantin, had also previously been convicted as one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. November 2023 The believers still insist on their complete innocence and can appeal this decision in the cassation procedure. \"The verdict is based only on the fact that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I was convicted because I believe in God and use the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the RF Constitution,\" Margarita Moiseyenko said at the appeal hearing.\nMargarita's lawyer called the verdict unlawful and said that it should be cancelled: \"I believe that a miscarriage of justice occured due to the incorrect assessment of my client's day to day practice of her religious beliefs as criminal acts, which led to her conviction and unjustly severe punishment... The RF Supreme Court notes that a guilty verdict must be decided on reliable evidence.”\nMargarita added: \"The court did not establish in my actions such motives for behavior as political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-21T13:17:23+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/221317/image_hu_7c6779ea6d932df3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/221317/image_hu_92ad5e9e27f17ab9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/221317/image_hu_17183d7a2f5a038f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/221317/image_hu_34a00beb1bad63d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/221317.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Three Women from the Amur Region, Removing Some of the Additional Restrictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2023, Nina Panarina, judge of the Proletarsky District Court of Tula, convicted four Jehovah's Witnesses: Yevgeniy Godunov and Gurami Labadze received a 6.5-year suspended sentence, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe believers faced criminal prosecution for their religious beliefs in April 2021, when law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireyevsk. Then they learned that the FSB Directorate for the Tula Region had initiated a criminal case against them for organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). After searches and interrogations, Gurami Labadze was placed under house arrest. Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova, who have a number of chronic illnesses, as well as Yevgeniy Godunov ended up in pretrial detention. About a month later, they were also placed under house arrest, and 2 months later they were all placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the charges against Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova were reclassified under Article 282(2) of the RF CrC.\nThe investigation lasted 2 years, and the case went to court in April 2023. During the interrogation, prosecution witnesses gave evasive answers, their testimonies did not correspond to those recorded in the case materials. When asked by the defense whether the defendants showed hatred and discrimination against others and distributed banned literature, the FSB officer replied: \"We were simply guided by the fact that they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Although the prosecution was unable to show what specific extremist actions the defendants committed, the prosecutor requested a 6-year suspended sentence for the men and a 2.5-year suspended sentence for the women.\nThe believers told how they coped with difficulties during imprisonment. Labadze spent 100 days under house arrest, not allowed to leave his apartment even to go on the landing, receive guests or use the telephone or the Internet. \"When you find yourself in such difficult, unusual conditions, it particularly draws you closer to God, because this time you are not reading someone else's story, but you are personally experiencing his support,\" he says. \"You are overwhelmed with gratitude that all your needs are taken care of by your fellow believers ... Where else in this world can you find such friends? And they were taught all this by Jehovah.\"\nYevgeniy Godunov, who spent 1 month in the detention center and 2 months under house arrest, recalls: \"When it is difficult, one of the best ways to refocus is to reflect on Jehovah's creations. The only thing from nature in the detention center was a sprouting onion, they even gave him a name. Fortunately, I received many beautiful postcards and photos of nature. Such postcards were read and carefully examined not only by me, but also by everyone in the cell. In his final statement, he stated: \"The prosecution requested that I be convicted for being an honest man who respects the laws of the land; for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, observing and using Article 28 of the RF Constitution; for never having committed criminal acts. It would be to give up good beliefs... Today I am in the dock for my faith in God and for wanting to live the way Jesus Christ taught.\"\nIn her final statement, Anzhela Putivskaya described how her apartment was invaded by a group of law enforcement officers, two of whom were armed with machine guns, the search lasted for many hours and was very exhausting. \"Despite my poor health,\" the believer said, \"the officers opened the windows, creating a draft, and thereby aggravated my condition. They also exerted psychological pressure on me, speaking obscenely about my religion, and forbade me to take my belongings and medical documents about my cancer with me.\"\nThroughout this difficult time, the believers tried not to lose heart. Numerous letters of support written by fellow believers from all over the world helped them to maintain good spirits in the detention center.\nGurami Labadze, Yevgeniy Godunov, Yuliya Popkova and Anzhela Putivskaya still maintain their innocence and can appeal this verdict in appeal and cassation procedure.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-20T18:07:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_986b2b2a1a4fb496.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_95435e88fa91ae62.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_89157d3b2bedd1ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/211807/image_hu_5627b0bab889a026.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/211807.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":"Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Received Suspended Sentences","tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"First Sentence for Faith Given in Tula.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2023, the court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra granted the prosecutor's appeal and overturned the acquittal in the case of Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov.\nIn August 2023, Yuriy Klyupa, judge of the Yugorsk District Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra, concluded that by practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the believers did not violate the law, and acquitted them.\nAccording to Andrey Zhukov, the first trial, which lasted 1 year and 9 months, \"helped many people understand that he and his fellow believers are peaceful citizens.\" Then, both believers accused of extremism, were acquitted. However, the prosecutor did not agree with this decision and appealed against it.\nThe case of the two believers is sent for reconsideration to the court of first instance.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-20T13:50:33+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/221350/image_hu_d3abf46ed420836c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/221350/image_hu_bc6c86bc28843dc5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/221350/image_hu_efd1acf64785d35f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/221350/image_hu_4f880134bffe9349.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/221350.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov Will be Re-Examined","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","retrial"],"title":"Court of Appeal Overturned the Acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses from Yugorsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 16, 2023, searches were carried out at no less than at 6 addresses in Saratov. They affected at least 13 believers. Aleksey Vasilyev, 47, and Aleksey Yefremov, 59, were placed in a temporary detention facility, and a day later they were placed under house arrest.\nThe investigative actions were sanctioned by the Volzhsky District Court of Saratov on November 9, 2023, at the request of investigator Bulat Urazov. The raids began around 6 a. m. and lasted on average until noon. The security forces seized electronic devices, storage media, personal notes and greeting cards. The RF internal passport was also seized from one of the believers.\nAfter the searches, all of the believers were interrogated at the local office of the Investigative Committee. Among them are a woman with a disability and a man, 64, suffering from heart disease, who felt ill during the interrogation. Despite this, he was kept at the investigative office for the longest time.\nThe criminal case on the basis of which the searches were carried out was initiated on October 31, 2023, under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization).\nIn the Saratov Region, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith in God: seven of them have served time in penal colonies, the other five men are defending their right in court to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRussian human rights activists and the world community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR found these prosecutions groundless and unlawful.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-11-16T14:55:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_99dc544cbd75a2d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/221455/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_ab1029e1ee3e46bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/221455/image_hu_eaa0dc106b024473.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/221455.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Two believers under house arrest","tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","house-arrest","elderly","disability","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"In Saratov, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 16, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Perm Territory Court upheld the main part of the verdict against Vladimir Poltoradnev, Vladimir Timoshkin and Aleksandr Sobyanin. The believers will have to pay fines ranging from 494,000 rubles to 638,000 rubles. At the same time, the court overturned the decision to collect lawyer's fees from them and released Sobyanin's car.\nIn August 2023, the court found the believers guilty of organizing the activiy of an extremist organization for participating in religious meetings and \"discussing questions and topics of a religious nature with followers [of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nIn appeals against the verdict, those convicted for their faith drew attention to the fact that all their actions were completely peaceful and that they did not do anything related to extremism. \"The court considered the ordinary religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, not prohibited by law (gathering for meetings for worship, singing religious songs, praying to God, reading the Holy Scriptures and unprohibited religious publications, carrying out the preaching activity, etc.), prohibited activity, which contradicts the provisions of Article 28 of the RF Constitution,\" Vladimir Poltoradnev said in his appeal.\nThe believers drew the court's attention to the fact that according to the appellate ruling of the RF Supreme Court of June 17, 2017, adopted in the case of the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"the court of first instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways in which they were expressed,\" but only assessed the actions of specific legal entities. \"Recognition of a legal entity as extremist is not tantamount to imposing a ban on a religious denomination with its inherent beliefs, spiritual terminology, the way meetings are conducted,\" is stated in one of the believers' appeals.\nVladimir Poltoradnev, Vladimir Timoshkin and Aleksandr Sobyanin still maintain their innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation procedure.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-16T15:24:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/171524/image_hu_227aaed868417b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/171524/image_hu_1672480a1592a2bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/171524/image_hu_d165bba11c9d165d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/171524/image_hu_a7101f810653212f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/171524.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal Confirms Fines for Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Solikamsk","type":"news"},{"body":"In her last speech, the believer explained to the court that extremism is alien to her peaceful way of life. She said: \"There are no victims or victims in the present case. It turns out that I am being judged only for professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:13:04+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/370.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court that Jehovah's Witnesses are known for living by biblical principles: \"It is for this reason that they reject all forms of violence ... The very thought of manifesting such low deeds as extremism is alien to me ... I have always treated and still have deep respect for people.\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:10:01+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/378.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Fomashin in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the defendant spoke about the respectful attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses towards people and state authorities and asked the court: \"If the decision of the Supreme Court does not restrict the rights of believers, then why are we persecuted for exercising these rights?\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:08:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/377.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Tyurin in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Comparing the trial of Jesus Christ with the trials of his modern followers, the defendant noted: \"Many powerful rulers wanted Jehovah's Witnesses to be silenced, but the work of God cannot be stopped.\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:07:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/376.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"Andrey Murych's last word in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the defendant asked the court: \"Millions of people in our country go to churches, mosques, practice their religion and talk about religious topics with each other. But I can't do that because I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Why is my religion worse than others?\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:04:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/375.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Mavrin in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Explaining to the court why his beliefs were contrary to the charges against him, the believer asked: \"I have always tried to lead a peaceful and calm life, to adhere to the principle of 'love your neighbor as yourself' - is this the life of extremists?\"\n","date":"2023-11-15T16:02:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/374.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Bogatov in Balakovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 15, 2023, the Kuznetskiy District Court finalized its hearing of the case of Tatyana Sushilnikova, 64, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Novokuznetsk. Judge Valeriya Shipitsyna found her guilty of extremism for peaceful religious practice and gave her a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period, as well as 10 months restriction of freedom after serving the main sentence.\nSushilnikova faced prosecution for her faith in June 2021. The armed law enforcement officers raided the home of her and her husband Sergey in the early morning. \"My husband was put on the floor like some kind of criminal, and I was pushed against the wall,\" Tatyana recalls. A year later, a case was initiated against her. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass charged her with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. As one of the FSB officers later stated during interrogation in court, Tatyana became a defendant in the criminal case, \"because she is Sergey's wife, actively participated in meetings, engaged in visits and conversations with the local residents.\"\nThe believer pleads not guilty to any crimes against the state or persons: \"I have not violated any law of the state, no one has suffered in any way from my actions.\" According to Tatyana, during the trial, the prosecution did not present any evidence of her guilt. Neither the testimonies of witnesses nor the expert studies (religious, linguistic and phonographic) showed any extremist actions on the part of the believer. It is worth noting that the expert studies were dated at a time when the criminal case had not even been initiated.\nAs Tatyana says, the unjust prosecution caused a lot of emotional stress and difficulties. She receives support from her husband, who himself is serving a 6-year suspended sentence for his faith, and from friends: \"During the prosecution, we try to encourage each other even more, to support each other in word and deed... When we go to court, we naturally feel anxious. And then we see our dear fellow believers, their smiles, their eyes - the anxiety disappears, and it is as if we grow wings.\"\nAt the courthouse, a group of friends came to support Tatyana. November, 2023. Tatyana and Sergey Sushilnikov near the courthouse. November, 2023. In the Kemerovo Region, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been subjected to religious repression. Six men were imprisoned for terms ranging from 3 to 7 years for their faith. Another six residents of Kuzbass were given a suspended sentence. The ECHR judgment in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia stated that \"the Russian authorities have not presented any evidence which, in accordance with the Court's jurisprudence, could justify an interference with the applicants' rights to freedom of religion, expression or association\" (§ 158).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-15T15:46:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_379d4e7b05f2898c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_c18f48fa1af306fe.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_fc9e9968736aa72a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/171546/image_hu_bb2bd691c8cbb3a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/171546.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"I'm on Trial for Ordinary Worship of God","tags":["elderly","sentence","282.2-2","suspended","studies-violations"],"title":"Court Gave Pensioner Tatyana Sushilnikova a 4-Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 7, 2023, Nina Kalashnik, judge of the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found Valeriy Vyaznikov guilty of participating in extremist activities—this is how the confession of faith in Jehovah is interpreted. A peaceful 59-year-old believer from the village of Chegdomyn was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence.\n\"My conscience is clear before God, people and the court. It is for the fact that I am trying to convey life-saving truths from the Word of God that I am now being judged,\" the believer said in his last word. Although there are no victims and facts of extremist actions in the case, the prosecutor asked to sentence Vyaznikov to 3 years conditionally with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe Investigation Department for Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory opened a criminal case against Valery Vyaznikov in July 2021, almost 1.5 years later it went to court in Luchegorsk, located more than 1000 kilometers from the believer's place of residence. The accusation was based on recordings of conversations on biblical topics between informants-operatives and believers. Vyaznikov was allowed to participate in most of the hearings via videoconferencing from the local courthouse in the village of Chegdomyn.\nSince December 2022, Vyaznikov, the father of four children (two of them minors), has been under recognizance agreement. Talking about the difficulties associated with the persecution, Valeriy says: \"The most difficult thing was to find out that I was put on the wanted list in absentia, and then to receive a summons. The message and the expectation of something unpleasant always weigh on the heart. My wife and children were very worried.\" The believer has health problems, during the criminal prosecution he underwent surgery.\nIn total, 58 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted on similar charges in Primorye Territory. Convictions for 25 of them have already entered into force, three are serving terms in penal colonies.\nSuch a number of criminal cases for faith in the region is bewildering for both Russian and foreign human rights activists. Willy Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Borders, said: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia since their ban in 2017, thus they are deprived of freedom of communication, assembly, worship and preaching. Statistics on the magnitude of the repression are alarming. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_b995a1e467f9b948.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_f05a5618fff002d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_fa5b523885d0b820.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/030949/image_hu_d5844e4d5ed9b158.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/030949.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In Primorye, Valery Vyaznikov, a retired miner, received a suspended term for his faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In August 2023, Ekaterina Demidova became accused in a criminal case only because of her faith.\nEkaterina was born in December 1956 in the city of Ichnya (Ukraine) in a hardworking family. Her parents worked on a collective farm.\nIn her youth, Ekaterina was fond of skiing, took pride of place in competitions and received certificates. After school, she entered a technical school of public catering in the Crimea, and after graduation she stayed there to work on distribution.\nIn the late 1990s, Catherine became acquainted with Bible teachings. From the Holy Scriptures, she learned about the qualities of God. It touched her heart, and in 2005 she decided to become a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of Ekaterina and her husband. Her husband does not share her religious beliefs, but treats them with respect. He worries about his wife and does not understand why she is being persecuted.\n","date":"2023-12-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_68c465123cad218.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/demidova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_df45c6429e1b97cb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/demidova/photo_hu_3fd3636818084153.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/demidova.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yekaterina Demidova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer stressed that the prosecution did not reveal extremism in his actions, but only proved that he was a Jehovah's Witness. \"Peaceful people who show love not only to their relatives, but also to others, find themselves in the dock,\" the defendant expressed regret.\n","date":"2023-11-13T16:27:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/373.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Romashov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court about the peacefulness of Jehovah's Witnesses and recalled how history has repeatedly proved that they are not guilty of what they are accused of. He expressed hope for an acquittal, as he wants to \"return ... to a calm, quiet Christian life.\"\n","date":"2023-11-13T16:26:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/372.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeniy Kayryak in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"Drawing the court's attention to Article 125 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (on leaving in danger), Volosnikov said: \"By preaching, I become guilty before the state, which prohibits me from using constitutional law, but without preaching, I become guilty before God. The choice is mine, and I made it.\"\n","date":"2023-11-13T16:25:40+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/371.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Volosnikov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, Timofey Zhukov spoke about the courage shown by God's servants in the past. He said: \"I myself want to show courage and faith, no matter what. And no matter what the verdict is, I will remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses wherever I am.\"\n","date":"2023-11-13T16:16:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/379.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Timofey Zhukov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the defendant said that he feels calm, regardless of what the verdict of the court turns out to be, and also thanked his fellow believers for their support.\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:57:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/369.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Leonid Rysikov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer tried to debunk the myth of his religion: \"The statement that 'Jehovah's Witnesses are a threat to society' actually shows how little is known about those who are hated, and hatred is often a direct consequence of a lack of knowledge.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:54:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/368.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Fefilov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the defendant told how his life changed thanks to the Bible: \"I became much happier, became an exemplary family man, a good husband and father.\" He stressed: \"There is no way I can be an extremist and think like an extremist.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T18:50:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/367.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Savely Gargalyk in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer stated that he did not consider himself guilty. He also noted the benefits of applying biblical principles: \"The Bible has brought my family together. It was the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses that helped me save my marriage.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/364.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artur Severinchik in Surgut.","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the defendant drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses are not criminals, but harmless believers. He said: \"For all the time that the investigation was going on, then the trial, I could not put in my head what exactly my friends and I were guilty of, and I could not find an answer to this question.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/363.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Kobotov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the defendant stated: \"I am not an extremist and never have been and never will be.\" Drawing attention to the words of the prosecution \"they are incorrigible\", he asked the court: \"What should I correct? I have never violated the laws of the Russian Federation, I continue to lead a Christian lifestyle and follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.\"\n","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/366.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vasily Burenescu in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer said in her last word that she had always wanted to help people - so she became both a health worker and a preacher. \"If I have to be punished for my faith, then I am ready. After all, there is no other corpus delicti in my actions,\" she added.\n","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/365.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viola Shepel in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer stressed that he had never had a desire to harm anyone: \"I love my country, my city. I love people.\"\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/359.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Plekhov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the defendant said that he did not hold a grudge against those who tortured him during interrogation. He added: \"I want to believe that if anyone has a good impression of us as Jehovah's Witnesses ... then for sure this whole trial was not in vain.\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/357.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artem Kim in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, Igor Petrov stressed that a person has the right to choose, freedom of conscience and religion: \"I do not consider myself guilty. I didn't do anything wrong to anyone. I'm just a believer. And that's the only reason I'm being judged here.\"\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/358.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Petrov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer explained to the court that his constitutional right to believe in God is not a crime: \"The usual profession of one's faith together with others, which, in fact, is imputed to me, is not prohibited by anyone by law.\"\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/360.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Trifonov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"We, as Christians, have nothing to hide from the authorities of our state. And there is nothing to accuse us of,\" said Sergey Loginov in his speech before the court.\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/362.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Loginov in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer declared his innocence. \"Do I have a conviction in the triumph of justice? Undoubtedly. And even if the court does not pass an acquittal, I am convinced of my inevitable rehabilitation. Sooner or later, it will happen,\" he said.\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/356.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vyacheslav Boronos in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court about how studying the Bible gave him hope and made him a peace-loving person. He stressed that the desire to talk about God to others is not extremism, but \"a way to express love for God and people.\"\n","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/361.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Fedin in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lyakh.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Mark Lyakh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 7, 2023, Judge Anton Yerofeyev of the Kalininskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk found Yevgeniy Bushev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, guilty of extremism. The court considered peaceful gatherings and conversations on Bible topics to be a crime. There were only five hearings.\nThe case against Bushev was initiated by Aleksandr Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee, who has at least 12 similar cases in the region. In September 2022, Yevgeniy's house was searched. A year after that, the case went to court, and 2 months later it reached its final stage. The prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for Bushev.\nAccording to the investigation, the believer \"took deliberate, purposeful actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activity of a banned religious organization.\" However, Yevgeniy was not a member of any extremist organization, but only practiced his religion, as Jehovah's Witnesses do all over the world. This religion is also not banned in Russia.\nThe defense emphasizes that there is no single evidence of an extremist statement or action on the part of Bushev in the case materials. There is a linguistic expert study in the case, according to which Yevgeniy \"persuaded\" an agent of the special services, an employee of the National Guard, who was pretending to be interested in the Bible, to \"accept the faith\" of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to Bushev, the authors of the expert study took his phrases out of context and distorted their meaning. In fact, the believer only discussed with the man Bible questions that interested him.\nYevgeniy Bushev has been under house arrest since September 2022. Due to the criminal prosecution, he lost his job and his accounts were blocked.\nAlready 15 of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Chelyabinsk Region have been prosecuted on religious grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-07T13:31:13+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/030954/image_hu_4f2f76a205cb8e8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/030954/image_hu_bdf9b22396d04ed8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/030954/image_hu_36319733b061f2bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/030954/image_hu_cb81539b74c4f575.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/030954.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","studies-violations","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Chelyabinsk Sentenced Yevgeniy Bushev to 7 Years in Prison After Just Five Hearings","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer explained what prompted him to tell the residents of Chelyabinsk about the Bible: \"Convictions do not allow me to harm anyone. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I strive to keep the commandment to 'love your neighbor.'\"\n","date":"2023-11-03T10:57:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/350.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Bushev in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 3, 2023, Aleksandr Shevchuk was released from Penal Colony No. 12 for the Republic of Mordovia. For \"disseminating belief\" in Jehovah God, he spent almost 2 years behind bars – 9 months in a pretrial detention and 8.5 months in the penal colony.\nAleksandr Shevchuk is a descendant of Jehovah's Witnesses, who were exiled to Siberia and later exonerated as victims of Stalinist repressions. He was detained after searches in February 2019. At the time of the trial, he was released under a recognizance agreement. Aleksandr served the sentence imposed by the court in correctional colony No. 12 for the Republic of Mordovia.\nWhile serving his sentence, Aleksandr Shevchuk worked in the sewing workshop. The administration and the prisoners treated him with respect.\nAccording to Aleksandr, he had the opportunity more than once to defend his Bible-based beliefs behind bars. \"At first, my cellmates were hostile to my position. But over time, they understood, and we had good conversations,\" Shevchuk said about one of the periods of being under arrest. \"Such conversations helped me to maintain my joy. Of course, not just them. Letters from friends brought special joy. There was something in every letter that was especially for me.\"\nAccording to the lawyer, one of the employees once even said that \"this place is not for him.\"\nThe rest of the defendants in the case - Georgiy and Yelena Nikulin, Vladimir Atryakhin, Aleksandr Korolev and Denis Antonov - are still serving sentences in correctional colonies for their faith in God.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-11-03T09:47:55+02:00","duration":"0:34","image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/030947/image_hu_53dfc755e5fcc638.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/030947/image_hu_e75fb8651168acf8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/030947/image_hu_66df6ba09e0df889.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/030947/image_hu_76b8f493e7446a4b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/030947.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Saransk Resident Aleksandr Shevchuk, one of Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted for his Faith, was Released From the Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"\"This criminal case seems to me absolutely illogical, given that I did not kill anyone, did not steal anything and did not commit other crimes,\" the believer said in court. She added: \"I was just exercising my right, which was given to me by the Russian Constitution - to believe in God.\"\n","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/353.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Angela Putivskaya in Tula","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer spoke about his beliefs and explained why he considers it his duty to tell others about the Bible: \"Today, more than ever, the line between good and evil is almost erased, so people especially need knowledge about God and his norms.\"\n","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/351.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gurami Labadze in Tula","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I am not ashamed to stand before the court for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" the believer said in his last word. \"We understand that if we don't warn others, someone could get hurt or even die. I cannot remain silent about what I have learned from the Bible.\"\n","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/352.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Godunov in Tula","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told how the Bible changed her life despite a difficult childhood. She concluded: \"My faith in God and the actions that the investigation led to prove my guilt are not related to the charter of any organization. This is my life and daily work to remain a worthy person.\"\n","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/354.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yulia Popkova in Tula","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 1, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the sentence of the court of first instance — 2 years suspended for Tatyana Obizhestvit, 2.5 years suspended for Leysan Bochkareva and 3 years and 1 month in a penal colony for Andrey Bochkarev, who has already served this term in full while in pretrial detention.\nThe prosecutor considered the decision of the court of first instance too lenient and in March 2023 filed an appeal in which he asked the court to \"toughen\" the sentence for the believers, as well as to exclude mitigating circumstances from the verdict.\nIn Tatarstan, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are prosecuted for their faith. One of them, Konstantin Sannikov, is serving his sentence in a penal colony. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found prosecutions on such grounds unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/281501.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Tatarstan Upholds the Verdict Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 31, 2023, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the verdict against 47-year-old Aleksandr Kalistratov — a 6.5-year suspended sentence — for his faith.\nEarlier, in 2010, the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic fully acquitted Kalistratov under Article 282 of the RF CrC. In April 2023, the same court upheld the guilty verdict for peaceful conversations about God. The believer maintained his innocence. In his cassation appeal, he stated: \"My motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise the right to practice and spread the faith in the ways common to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defense believes that these judicial acts were issued in violation of the law and international treaties of the Russian Federation. The defendant emphasized: \"When the case against me was initiated, the investigation had no information of any action that could be considered a crime. Therefore, the investigation lacked the grounds for initiating a criminal case.\"\nKalistratov also pointed out that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit either the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or the methods of practicing it. \"Accordingly,\" continued Aleksandr, \"the followers of this religion were not required to renounce their faith, or to stop expressing it ... (by holding joint meetings for worship, spreading teachings or meeting with fellow believers).\"\nThe European Court of Human Rights has emphasized that \"legal formalities should not be used to impede the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress\" (§ 243).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-31T16:45:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_4aa750e446064014.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_416df5d6cafffe17.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_aa4a498b1ea5934.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/311645/image_hu_4cd51cc9bcf58e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/311645.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"He Will Continue to Serve a 6.5-Year Suspended Sentence for his Faith in Jehovah God","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation Did Not Change the Verdict Against Aleksandr Kalistratov.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Valery Vyaznikov spoke about his faith in God and hope for the future: \"It is precisely for the fact that I try to convey life-saving truths from the Word of God that I am now being judged.\"\n","date":"2023-10-30T12:21:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/992.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 30, 2023, a panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Territory Court upheld the verdict against Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov. The believers will pay fines to the state. Olga — 300,000 rubles, as ruled by the court of first instance, and Sergey — 200,000 rubles, which is 2.5 times less than the amount originally imposed by the court.\nBoth believers still maintain their innocence and believe that the decisions of the courts violate the laws of the Russian Federation. According to Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya, they were convicted not for real extremism, but \"only for practicing beliefs based on the Bible and peacefully practicing their Christian faith as Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defense stated that what was happening \"is reminiscent of the totalitarian regime in Soviet times, when Jehovah's Witnesses were exiled to the eastern part of the USSR in special Gulag camps ... The actual purpose of the verdict is to violate the rights of the convicted persons and force them to change their religion or renounce their faith under pain of criminal prosecution.\"\nGuilty verdicts against another 13 residents of the Khabarovsk Territory for their beliefs have already entered into force. Twelve believers were given suspended sentences, and one received a fine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-30T11:20:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/021120/image_hu_e956d37ae752a9ea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/021120/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/021120/image_hu_bf9d9348ab35f585.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/021120/image_hu_55b12ec5c55697ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/021120.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine"],"title":"Khabarovsk Territory Court Reduced the Fine of One of Two Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Friends speak of Vladimir Moiseyenko as of a kind, attentive, deeply religious person, always ready to help. Nevertheless, he had to face persecution for his beliefs twice: in 2011 (later the conviction was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights) and in 2021. Does Vladimir's life story confirm his \"extremist\" inclinations revealed by the court?\nVladimir Moiseyenko was born in October 1970 in Taganrog, Rostov region. He was the only child in the family. His parents are no longer alive. In his youth, Vladimir was seriously involved in football, participated in competitions. As he grew older, he fell in love with playing billiards.\nAfter school, Vladimir studied at a vocational school as an adjuster of automatic lines. In subsequent years, he worked as a machine operator, welder, site foreman, and also worked in the construction industry. Colleagues describe him as a responsible, hardworking, restrained and reliable person.\nVladimir became a Jehovah's Witness in 2009. Prior to this, he had been in search of the truth for a long time, and when he began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, he was impressed by the power and wisdom of God with which he exercised his authority. Vladimir was also attracted by the love that Jehovah's Witnesses showed him, as well as their worthy behavior.\nVladimir has a daughter and a granddaughter. Friends and family are shocked that this peaceful, kind and decent man was sent to jail only because of his faith in God.\n","date":"2023-11-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moiseyenkov/photo_hu_3d586286bdea0ba7.jpeg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenkov/photo.jpeg","webp":"/prisoners/moiseyenkov/photo_hu_1176e93b0567bd67.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenkov/photo_hu_eff07c896f6331d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moiseyenkov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Moiseyenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 30, 2023, the judicial chamber of the Yaroslavl Regional Court commuted the sentences of Petr Filiznov and Andrey Vyushin, giving them a suspended sentence of 2.5 years instead of 6.5 years. For the Kuznetsov couple, the suspended sentence of 2.5 years remained the same.\nThe reason for commuting the sentence of Filiznov and Vyushin was the fact that the court reclassified the charge from Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC to Аrticle 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. Now th believers are found guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and not of organizing such activity. The court considered Bible discussions and prayers, including by videoconference, a crime. The verdict has entered into force, but believers can appeal it in cassation procedure.\nThe defendants' appeal stated: \"In this criminal case, during the trial, the court could see that the actions and statements of the convicted persons ... are exclusively peaceful and do not indicate the presence of hatred or enmity. [...] None of the actions listed in this article (of the Criminal Code) was committed by any of the convicted persons in this criminal case. All witnesses for the prosecution questioned during the trial confirmed this.\"\nSpeaking about the expert study, which formed the basis of the charges, the defense stated that \"the expert's conclusions only allowed for the identification of the peculiarities of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and, based on this, to establish the religious affiliation of the convicted persons.\" The defense also drew attention to the fact that \"the court in effect imposes a ban on practicing faith or religion, which violates basic constitutional and international human rights\" and that \"the law does not recognize the dissemination and practice, including together with fellow believers, of the religion to which the liquidated religious associations belonged, as a sign of extremism.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/030827/image_hu_45f7e09f90fb1f89.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/030827/image_hu_d5a1bd0bb42cf044.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/030827/image_hu_f257d31b5eb03256.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/030827/image_hu_4e66a127ed4d5939.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/030827.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","mitigation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Yaroslavl Reduced the Suspended Sentence of Petr Filiznov and Andrey Vyushin by 4 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-10-26T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefanov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Ivan Yefanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 24, 2023, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region considered for the second time the appeal of Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov against the guilty verdict for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict was upheld: Oleg received a 5.5-year suspended sentence, Agnessa — a 4.5-year suspended sentence with a 5-year probation period.\nIn their appeal against the guilty verdict, the believers drew attention to the fact that instead of establishing specific criminal actions and extremist motives, the court of first instance only revealed their religious affiliation, which they did not hide. Oleg Postnikov noted: \"The verdict contradicts the RF Constitution, Criminal Code and explanations of the Plenum, according to which, after a court decision to liquidate a religious organization, subsequent actions of citizens that are exclusively religious in nature do not constitute a crime.\" The believers maintain their innocence and can appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure.\nThis is already the second appeal in the case of the Postnikovs. In 2022, the court of first instance gave them suspended sentences of 5.5 and 5 years; the court of appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case for a new trial. The believers were given suspended sentences of 5.5 and 4.5 years by a different panel of judges.\nThe criminal prosecution of the Postnikovs began in May 2018. Their house was raided as part of the special operation, \"Judgment Day\". The charges against the couple were based on the testimony of a police officer and another woman feigning interest in studying the Bible, in whose house a hidden video camera was installed to record conversations.\nAccording to the ruling of the RF Supreme Court, \"the joint performance of rites and ceremonies [of Jehovah's Witnesses] does not in itself constitute a crime under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-24T14:28:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/241428/image_hu_579dfcef713f663.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/241428/image_hu_244141b216b1337b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/241428/image_hu_87600b7acb452a8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/241428/image_hu_5857e91084f9e207.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/241428.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Verdict Against the Postnikovs Was Upheld in a Second Hearing at Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan: Suspended Sentences of 4.5 and 5.5 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"A court gave Vladimir Baikalov, 60, a 6-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible with friends. This decision was made on October 23, 2023, by Marina Romanina, judge of the Zavodsky District Court of the city of Kemerovo. The state prosecutor requested the believer be sent to a penal colony for 7 years.\n\"I used to teach people how to fight, and now I teach them to love,\" said former boxing coach Vladimir Baykalov, emphasizing the absurdity of the charge. \"[Before becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses], I devoted many years to boxing, even though it was not only my dream job, but it was my life... The Bible taught me, instead of aggression, to show love to people and instead of causing pain, it [nurtured] a desire and willingness to help. This is the complete opposite of extremism, hatred or enmity.\"\nAleksandra Isayeva, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case in February 2022. A day later, Baykalov's home was searched. The law enforcement officers equated peaceful conversations about God to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. However, there is no evidence in the case of calls or statements on the part of Vladimir promoting extremism. The witnesses who spoke in court, also did not hear anything like this from Baykalov. At least one of them stated that the protocol of his interrogation was falsified. The believer drew the court's attention to the comments of the officers to the transcripts of the audio recordings of the meetings for worship: \"Conversations of any relevance to the operation have not been recorded.\" The audio recordings show believers discussing the importance of following Bible standards and displaying qualities such as modesty and humility.\nEven before the court proceedings, Vladimir Baykalov was twice subjected to a psychiatric examination. According to the believer, during one of them, the doctor who cooperated with the investigation, exerted strong psychological pressure on him and threatened him with forced hospitalization, trying to force Baykalov to incriminate himself.\nVladimir said that friends helped him and his wife to cope with all the difficulties. \"You just can't do without their help in these difficult times. They shared encouraging thoughts and provided tremendous support at court hearings. Once the prosecutor said: \"There are so many listeners – who are they to you?\" I replied: \"They are relatives and friends.\" He was surprised. Also, immediately after the search, fellow believers helped us financially.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nIn Kuzbass, 15 cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. The sentences of 11 believers have already entered into force. Two of them, Sergey Ananin and Andrey Vlasov, are serving long sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-23T15:53:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_67746f0027cca803.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_ef713093b5ea55f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_f8ce20aa04a30987.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/231553/image_hu_542158d7cae5084c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/231553.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Court in Kemerovo Found Vladimir Baykalov Guilty of Extremism","tags":["282.2-1","suspended","fabrications","studies-violations","elderly"],"title":"Suspended Sentence of 6 Years for Faith in Jehovah God.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer drew attention to the evidence of his own innocence. \"There is not a single fact, witness or record that would confirm my guilt,\" he said. \"On the contrary, all the evidence testifies to my integrity and respect for the authorities and their representatives.\"\n","date":"2023-10-23T15:51:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/348.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Baikalov in Kemerovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 23, 2023, Igor Pospelov, judge of the Uray City Court, found Andrey Sazonov, 43, guilty of extremism for discussing the Bible. The believer was fined 450,000 rubles.\nTwo years earlier, the court imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles on Sazonov. The court of appeal overturned the verdict and returned the case for a new trial. The retrial lasted almost 1.5 years. The witnesses for the prosecution described Sazonov positively. It became clear that there are no victims in the case, and religious and linguistic expert studies did not reveal any extremist statements in the examined materials. The prosecutor requested a fine of 1,300,000 rubles for the believer.\nIn his final statement, the believer said: \"I have not said or done anything that could be related to extremism. Moreover, my respect and faith in God do not even allow me to think about anything like that.\"\nAndrey Sazonov has already been defending the right to freely practice his faith for almost 4 years. A criminal case against him was initiated in January 2019. Shortly afterwards, a series of searches and interrogations took place in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, during which several believers were tortured.\nA total of 27 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region are being prosecuted solely for exercising their right to freedom of religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-23T13:24:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/231324/image_hu_b9fdf3d14a5fecbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/231324/image_hu_c003a8a39051370a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/231324/image_hu_bade4efb7f34d99a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/231324/image_hu_55f8a966dbdf70ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/231324.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","282.2-1","sentence","282.3-1"],"title":"In Uray, Andrey Sazonov Was Again Fined for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The first months of the married life of Dmitriy Ignatov and his wife Darya were overshadowed by a sudden invasion of their home by the security forces. The head of the family was suspected of extremism because of his faith.\nDmitriy was born in January 1997 in Oryol. Of the three children, he is the eldest—he has a brother and sister. Their mother and father worked at the construction site for many years.\nSince childhood, Dmitriy loved sports: he roller skated, skated, rode a bicycle, skied, played football, which he did professionally for some time. He was also fond of fishing.\nAfter school, the young man immediately went to work at a construction site, and then as a loader. Because of his peace-loving views, Dmitriy exercised his right to perform alternative civilian service instead of military service.\nDmitriy became interested in Bible teachings in his youth. He also liked people who lived by biblical standards because they were peaceful and led meaningful lives. In 2017, the young man decided to take the Christian path.\nIn 2020, Dmitriy married Darya, whom they met in the company of friends. She supports her husband in everything and shares his views on life. Together, the couple love to travel, relax in nature and go fishing. Dmitriy is also fond of making leather goods, and he still enjoys playing football.\nThe persecution had a negative impact on the life of the couple and added to the difficulties. Dmitriy recalls: \"The first year was not easy emotionally. Immediately after the search, we were asked to move out of our rented housing, we had to live in the village for two months.\" In the new conditions, they had a difficult time. In addition, the experiences affected Darya's health.\nRelatives and friends are worried about Dmitriy. His mother does not share her son's religious views, but does not understand why this peace-loving man is being persecuted.\n","date":"2023-11-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ignatov/photo_hu_89fc50e8a76a7771.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ignatov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ignatov/photo_hu_733a65a7dd9077e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ignatov/photo_hu_10d20371d775faa7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ignatov.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Ignatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 20, 2023, the Porkhovskiy District Court of the Pskov Region issued a verdict already for the third time in the case of Aleksey Khabarov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses. This time, judge Natalya Kapustina found him guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nKhabarov's charges for extremism were based on ordinary religious activities. The believer explained: \"Practicing religion is not just silently believing that there is a God. Jehovah's Witnesses ... study the Bible, discuss it with others, and try to live in harmony with what is written in the Bible.\" In his final statement, he added: \"My real motive — love — is directly opposite to enmity and hatred, which means that there is no criminal intent. Consequently, there is no corpus delicti.\" Once again, the believer has the right to appeal the court's decision.\nThe criminal prosecution of Khabarov began in 2019. The case did not go to court the first time — the prosecutor's identified shortcomings in it and returned it to the investigator. Since October 2020, court proceedings have been ongoing at various levels. At first, the court gave Khabarov a 3-year suspended sentence, although the prosecutor requested 3.5 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal overturned this decision, and the court, comprised of different judges, acquitted Khabarov. But at the second appeal the court disagreed with such a verdict and sent the case for the third consideration in the court of first instance.\nThis is not the first time that cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have been reviewed several times. This was the case with the Bazhenov couple and Vera Zolotova, Dmitriy Barmakin and Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulova. Russian and international law scholars are calling for an end to the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/250843/image_hu_b5babf3b8022f9ea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/250843/image_hu_dec2b56943e38622.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/250843/image_hu_efc94890374f3463.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/250843/image_hu_17f0600d50085313.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/250843.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["retrial","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court Sentenced the Previously Acquitted Aleksey Khabarov to 2.5 Years in a Penal Colony for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 18, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of Vladivostok upheld the verdict and decision of the court of appeal against Svetlana Monis, 46, — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThis is already the second hearing in the Ninth Court of Cassation in Vladivostok. In 2019, Monis was accused of extremism for reading the Bible, singing religious songs, and praying with friends. The court of first instance imposed a fine. The court of appeal toughened the sentence, but the court of cassation overturned this decision.\nThen the court of cassation directed that the court of appeal reconsider the case and take into account explanation No.11 of the RF Supreme Court Plenum, freedom of religion as guaranteed within the RF Constitution (Article 28), as well as Comment 2 to Article 282.1 of the RF CrC, according to which extremism means, in particular, a crime \"committed on the grounds of... religious hatred or enmity.\" No evidence of such actions on the part of Svetlana Monis was presented during the investigation or trial. Also, her activity does not correspond to the description of extremism stated in Article 1 of the Federal Law \"On Counteracting Extremist Activity\".\nDespite this, the court of appeal returned the case to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, which gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. At the third appeal hearing this decision was upheld.\nAlready 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted simply for their faith. Four of them, including Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev, are serving their sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-18T09:53:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_5e69afa63597ae19.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_a449a7ba8e49aa6c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_bdffb98124da43b4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/200953/image_hu_c1ed9885242780ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/200953.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"She Will Continue to Serve Her Suspended Sentence","tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation Again Rejected the Appeal Against the Verdict of Svetlana Monis From Birobidzhan.","type":"news"},{"body":"In the last word, the defendant, describing his criminal prosecution, recalled the well-known aphorism: \"A lie can go around half the world while the truth wakes up.\" He expressed the hope that his good name would be restored.\n","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/347.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Andrey Sazonov's last word in Urai","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 17, 2023, the First General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Saratov upheld the verdict against six believers from Mordovia. By court decision, they were sent to penal colonies for terms ranging from 2 to 6 years.\nVladimir Atryakhin, Georgiy Nikulin and Elena Nikulina, Aleksandr Shevchuk, Aleksandr Korolev and Denis Antonov have been charged with extremism and imprisoned for peaceful religious activity. Aleksandr Shevchuk is due to be released from prison in November this year having fully served his sentence. A criminal case has also been initiated against his brother Mikhail on similar charges.\nThe world's public opinion is against the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Back in 2019, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights appealed to the Russian authorities: \"We call on the Russian government to revise the Law on Counteracting Extremist Activity [...]. We also call on the authorities to drop charges and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/181526/image_hu_49bd44b10856475b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/181526/image_hu_396080588993ddb0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/181526/image_hu_b80f3f43449dd229.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/181526/image_hu_67c4d59178b87c78.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/181526.html","regions":["mordovia","saratov"],"subtitle":"One Of Them Will Be Released in November","tags":["families","cassation","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Six Believers from Saransk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2023, the Ninth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation upheld the verdict against believers from Spassk-Dalniy. Dmitriy Malevaniy, Aleksey Trofimov, and Olga Panyuta will continue to serve their sentences in the penal colony, and Olga Opaleva will continue to serve a suspended sentence.\nAll four believe that they were convicted simply because they are Jehovah's Witnesses. The court sentenced Malevaniy, Trofimov and Panyuta from 4.5 to 7 years in a penal colony. Opaleva, who suffered a stroke during the trial, received a 5-year suspended sentence. Later, the court of appeal reduced the sentence insignificantly.\nBack in 2018, the RF Government, in response to the demands of the UN Human Rights Council, expressed its official position regarding Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The ban on the activity of the organization 'Jehovah’s Witnesses' does not in itself restrict the right to freedom of religion of its supporters, who still have the right to practice their religious rites, provided that the form of such practice does not contradict the norms of Russian legislation.\" Despite this, believers across the country continue to be found guilty of extremism for peaceful religious practices.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_7f156bbc5841a3ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_3b24dc51ebd7d2b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_60e8a8fe2ca6c450.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/170943/image_hu_95ff6c77bafc846b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/170943.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","disability","elderly"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Sentence Against Four Jehovah's Witnesses from Primorye Territory for Their Faith, Including a Disabled Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2023, Stanislav Bobrovsky, judge of the Zheleznovodsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory, found Zinaida Minenko guilty of extremism and sentenced her to a fine of 330,000 rubles. According to the judge, the elderly believer broke the law when she talked to people about the Bible.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer began in November 2021 on the initiative of Pavel Gogolin, investigator of the Investigative Committee. Her home and the homes of several other Jehovah's Witnesses were searched. The pensioner was also taken to a search of her garage without being given the opportunity to eat or drink water, and then interrogated for 4 hours. As a result, she required emergency medical attention.\nLater it became clear that the investigation deemed Zinaida's conversations with people about God to be involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. These conversations were secretly recorded. After 4 months of investigation, the case was sent to court. The charges were based on hidden audio recordings, as well as the testimony of two secret witnesses. One of them admitted that she herself had come to the defendant to discuss the Bible. According to her, Zinaida never encouraged her to hate, but, on the contrary, taught her to treat people with love. Other witnesses for the prosecution admitted in court that they had testified on the basis of rumors and assumptions, and could only confirm that Minenko was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecution also presented to the court an expert study of audio recordings of meetings for worship and her personal conversations on Bible topics. However, the defense drew the court's attention to the substitution of legal with religious concepts in the study.\nZinaida Minenko has severe visual impairment and loss of hearing. She has lived alone ever since she was widowed in January 2020. The believer expressed that due to the prosecution by the authorities her emotional and physical health deteriorated. Despite her age and state of health, as well as the lack of evidence of guilt, the prosecutor requested a 5-year suspended sentence for her.\nIn her final statement, Zinaida said: \"I never thought that I would sit in the dock at the age of 83, nevermind, charged for extremism. [...] Once again, I want to emphasize that the purpose of my conversations with people was a sincere desire to share Bible hope with them; I spoke only with those people who themselves wanted to talk to me, I did not force anyone, and how could I force someone at my age. I genuinely don't understand how Bible advice could be extremist.\"\nApart from Zinaida Minenko, 12 other Jehovah's Witnesses 80 years of age or older, have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Six of them have received suspended sentences.\nThe RF Supreme Court did not ban the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination and did not deprive believers of the right to practice their religion. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation admitted that the Supreme Court \"did not assess either the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses or the ways in which they are expressed.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_f60a6107682a9d0a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_d8e3e248aca3f0d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_b95be4e88ef1931a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/180822/image_hu_d4d8ddae7941b182.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/180822.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"Court in Stavropol Territory Convicted 83-Year-Old Widow with a Disability","tags":["sentence","elderly","disability","282.2-1.1","fine"],"title":"Fine for Talking About the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer noted that in his case the history of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union was repeated. \"There is not a single victim in the case except myself,\" he said.\n","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/346.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Aleksey Khabarov in Porkhov at the retrial of the case","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 13, 2023, Natalya Tishkova, judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of the city of Oryol, sentenced Vladimir Piskarev, Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev to 6 years in a penal colony and 1.5 years restriction of freedom after their release from prison.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believers began back in December 2020, when the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Oryol Region initiated a case under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. On the following day, their homes were searched. After that, all three ended up behind bars. The believers spent more than 2 years and 9 months No.1 Detention Center Oryol Region. The investigation lasted just over 1 year. During this time, the number of the original charges was reduced to one – organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Since January 2022, the court has been considering the case.\n\"Neither I, nor Piskarev, nor Putintsev have ever carried out extremist activity,\" said Vladimir Melnik, in his final statement: \"We practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including meeting and discussing our beliefs with fellow believers.\" The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed in the courts of appeal and cassation.\nVladimir Piskarev has already suffered two hypertensive crises and a stroke in the pretrial detention center, was in the regional hospital for more than a week under guard due to an acute attack of cholecystitis. Doctors also diagnosed him with coronary artery disease. Despite this, the court repeatedly extended his detention. As Vladimir's wife, Tatyana, said, prayer, the help of friends, as well as \"the example of fellow believers when they were exiled to Siberia\" for their faith, help them to survive adversity with dignity.\nArtur Putintsev, while in detention, faced a serious shock – his 32-year-old younger brother died. In addition, Artur was not given the necessary medications, and also was not provided with dental treatment. Artur's wife, Lyudmila, says: \"Artur tries to talk about positive things in his letters and sees the care of our [heavenly] Father. He becomes more and more courageous and maintains his joy. Reading the Bible also gives him a lot of support.\"\nSince 2009, in the Oryol Region there have been cases of pressure, threats, and provocations by the FSB against local Jehovah's Witnesses. Over the past 6 years, five criminal cases have been initiated in the region, including against Danish citizen Dennis Christensen.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-13T17:21:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/131721/image_hu_dd538c29240de9be.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/131721/image_hu_1f2f646d91679111.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/131721/image_hu_40033ed3ac82209a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/131721/image_hu_f1573b383f79f362.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/131721.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","282.2-1","sentence","health-risk"],"title":"In Oryol, Three Believers Were Sentenced to 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Davydenko was first prosecuted for his faith in the spring of 2020, when a criminal case was opened against his aunt Lyudmila Shchekoldina, and Aleksandr was searched. Later, the believer himself ended up behind bars because of his beliefs.\nAleksandr was born in March 1992 in the village of Aleksandrovka (Krasnodar Territory). He has an elder brother and sister. Their parents are already retired. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s childhood and youth were spent near Yeysk (Rostov region).\nSince childhood, Aleksandr has been fond of fishing and playing football. He is also fond of volleyball and wants to learn how to play the guitar.\nAfter school, Aleksandr took professional courses and worked as a mechanic for the repair and maintenance of gas equipment. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as a courier driver and packer at a fish enterprise. He lived in Belarus for some time.\nFrom childhood, his mother and grandmother instilled in Aleksandr a love for God. He felt gratitude to the Creator for the gift of life and in his youth decided to take the Christian path. In 2010, guided by peaceful religious views, he completed alternative civilian service instead of military service.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Aleksandr lost his job. In January 2025, the court found him guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony.\nThe believer is grateful to everyone who supports his family. In his final plea in court, he said: \u0026quot;If I were a criminal, would there be such a huge support group here in court right now, or would they send me so many letters from so many cities and countries? Those who know me well know that I have lived, live, and will live according to God\u0026#39;s righteous standards and principles. I have not committed any crime, my conscience before God is absolutely clear. For me, this is the most important thing. I want to remain faithful to God.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-09-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/davydenko/photo_hu_3c951c56da3950a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/davydenko/photo_hu_2288373ebadb573.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/davydenko/photo_hu_e6f3136a28042132.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/davydenko/photo_hu_1f0adc7039512557.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/davydenko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Davydenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Galina Komissarova, a pensioner from Tolyatti, was accused of extremism because of her love for the Bible, a book whose advice helped her save her marriage.\nGalina was born in March 1961 in Moscow. Four daughters and a son were born in a large family. His father worked as an adjuster at the Likhachev plant in Moscow, and his mother worked as an accountant. Galina's parents and brother are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Galina loved to read, play dolls and board games, and also learned to play the piano. After the 8th grade, she graduated from the pedagogical school, receiving the specialty of a kindergarten teacher, and then the evening department of the Moscow State Pedagogical University named after V. I. Lenin with a degree in preschool pedagogy and psychology. In 1993, she received a second higher education, graduating from the Moscow State Regional Pedagogical Institute with a degree in defectology.\nWhen Galina was 40, Jehovah's Witnesses came to her home and offered to help her study the Bible. She refused, believing that it was better for her to adhere to the traditional religion professed by her ancestors. Later, she began to wonder what was more important, the traditions or the truth about God from the Holy Scriptures. A year later, she decided to research this book, and in 2003, the practicality of the biblical advice prompted her to embark on the Christian path. Studying pedagogy and working in kindergarten for many years, she saw how approaches to raising children change, while the advice and principles of God, written down several thousand years ago, do not become obsolete.\nIn 1990, Galina married Dmitriy from Tolyatti. A son and a daughter were born in the family. Both studied well, attended a music school. Her daughter graduated from grade 11 with a gold medal for outstanding academic achievement. Now the son works as a programmer, and the daughter works in the medical field. She shares her mother's views. Her husband did not interfere with Galina's desire to live according to Christian principles, although he did not agree with her on this. Sadly, he passed away suddenly from heart disease in 2003.\nGalina has worked all her life by profession—as an educator, methodologist, speech therapist. Now she is on a well-deserved rest and enjoys walking in nature, chatting with friends, loves to sing and play board games.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the believer. She feels the effects of the stress she has endured and is forced to constantly take medication after the search.\nSon and daughter worry about Galina and support her in every possible way. The sisters are perplexed as to what and to whom people who study the Bible can interfere. Neighbors, former employees and parents of pupils do not understand how respectable people can be persecuted. They call Galina, are interested in her affairs and support her. They also wrote her positive testimonials for the court.\n","date":"2023-12-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo_hu_ce8b63dfd31c47d2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/komissarova/photo_hu_ce8b63dfd31c47d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/komissarova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Komissarova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Criminal prosecution for faith changed the usual way of life of Salekh Mamedov and his wife. Because of his faith, in June 2023, a criminal case was initiated against the man under an extremist article.\nSalekh was born in June 1994 in Simferopol. He has two brothers and a sister. His father works as a civil engineer, and his mother teaches English and French.\nAs a child, Salekh was fond of cars—he drew them and read magazines about them. He was also involved in athletics, loved to ride a bicycle with friends, listen to music. After school he learned to be a car mechanic.\nSalekh worked mainly in the field of trade, for the last 4 years he was engaged in repairing watches, making keys and laser engraving.\nSalekh's mother instilled in him a love of God from childhood. When he grew up, he became convinced that everything written in the Bible is relevant for a modern person, and the advice from this book is practical. \"They helped me avoid a lot of mistakes,\" Salekh recalls. In 2010, he made the decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSalekh had known his future wife since his youth. They got married in 2020. Diana works as a hairdresser. She shares her husband's views on life. As a teenager, she was impressed by the fact that the Bible could answer any question.\nThe couple enjoys learning new recipes, spending time with friends and cooking over a campfire. They love to take walks, listen to music, go to the sea with an overnight stay.\nSalekh's relatives, including those who do not share his religious views, as well as neighbors, his employer and acquaintances, wonder why a peaceful and decent person is persecuted for believing in God.\n","date":"2023-11-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mamedovs/photo_hu_f2648593eb8dee3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mamedovs/photo_hu_b04135e5f08d35ae.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mamedovs/photo_hu_5fb38d4b26af97dc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mamedovs/photo_hu_fede7bdbb6d1406.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamedovs.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Salekh Mamedov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Rimma Popova, a resident of Cherkessk with a good reputation among colleagues, friends, and neighbors, was prosecuted in a criminal case in October 2023 for her belief in Jehovah God.\nRimma was born in August 1968 in the village of Psyzh (Karachay-Cherkessia). Her father and mother worked as cooks. Rimma was the only child in the family. The parents have passed away.\nAs a child, Rimma went to a music school, and also did gymnastics. After school, she completed accounting courses. She worked as a cashier and later as a cook. Until house arrest, Rimma worked as a housewife in a private medical clinic.\nHer parents were religious people and instilled religious values in their daughter from childhood. Once, as an adult, Rimma watched a movie about Jesus Christ, which touched her to the depths of her soul. After some time, the woman met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, they introduced her to the Bible. The knowledge she acquired, as well as her love for God and appreciation for him, prompted her to embark on the Christian path in 2012.\nRimma is divorced and has two adult children, a daughter and a son who lives with her. In her leisure time, the woman likes to walk in nature, she is also still fond of music.\nThe criminal prosecution caused stress and affected the health of the believer, which causes anxiety for her children. They do not understand how their mother, whom everyone respects and appreciates, could be accused of extremism.\n","date":"2023-11-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popovar/photo_hu_b6d7540d5d4e0eb6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popovar/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popovar/photo_hu_2a4cdafe1978dc35.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popovar/photo_hu_203ab655da1358b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popovar.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Rimma Popova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin, a father of two children from Chelyabinsk, became a victim of criminal prosecution for his belief in Jehovah God. In May 2025, the court sentenced him to 5,5 years in a penal colony.\nAndrey was born in February 1976 in the village of Ust-Karabolka, Chelyabinsk Region. He grew up in a single-parent family: his parents divorced when he went to school, and his mother raised him and his older sister alone. Andrey\u0026#39;s childhood was not easy—he faced poverty and hard work at an early age. \u0026quot;Sometimes the only food for the day was what grows in the garden. For example, he picked carrots from the garden, washed them, ate them—and that\u0026#39;s good,\u0026quot; he recalls.\nFrom a young age, Andrey was fond of sports—running and skiing, participated in competitions, loved nature and reflected on the meaning of life. After graduating from the technical school, he received the specialty of an electrician and worked in this area and also worked as an equipment adjuster and senior foreman for the operation of buildings.\nSpiritual search led Andrey to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was struck by the consistency and practicality of the Bible, as well as the fulfillment of its prophecies. At the age of 22, he made a conscious decision to follow Christian principles.\nIn 2003, Andrey met his future wife Yevgeniya, and in 2006 they got married. Yevgeniya works in an office. Together they are raising two school-age daughters, trying to instill Christian values in them. The family loves to spend time in nature, play board games, and meet friends.\nThe persecution of Andrey began in June 2023. Then law enforcement officers broke into his house, broke the front door and balcony. During the search, accompanied by threats and psychological pressure, Andrey suffered a short-term cardiac arrest.\n","date":"2023-11-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shurygin/photo_hu_9c72d3a909a1bbe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shurygin/photo_hu_b1ff6bcc2c3b0dbf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shurygin/photo_hu_649c84b908875104.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shurygin/photo_hu_22fe17931b61e0e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shurygin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Andrey Shurygin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 11, 2023, the judicial panel of the Sevastopol City Court upheld the verdict against Vladimir Maladyka, 60, Yevgeniy Zhukov, 53, and Vladimir Sakada, 52, – 6 years in a penal colony. The verdict has entered into force, but can be appealed in the cassation procedure.\nIn his appeal, the lawyer pointed out that Maladyka, Sakada and Zhukov \"were convicted only because their beliefs are based on the Bible and they peacefully practiced their Christian faith.\" At court hearings, they did not deny that they were Jehovah's Witnesses and that together with family and friends, they sang songs praising God, approached him in prayer and discussed the Bible. At the same time, the believers explained that their goal was to practice their religion, help people and show kindness and love for others.\nAccording to the defense, the conviction of Maladyka, Zhukov and Sakada \"clearly demonstrated that, if they do not renounce their religious views, they will continue to be prosecuted.\" At the same time, the April 20, 2017 decision of the RF Supreme Court did not oblige citizens to change their faith and their usual forms of its practice.\nIn Crimea 27 believers have already been prosecuted for their faith. Because of their convictions, 12 people have been sentenced to 6 or more years in a penal colony and two others have received suspended sentences. The international community and human rights officials consider the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unjust and call on the Russian Federation to stop criminal cases and release prisoners of conscience.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/10/121415/image_hu_2b2b49eba5896.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/10/121415/image_hu_7e762a548d47cc6a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/10/121415/image_hu_c7c65cdf5b5a8745.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/10/121415/image_hu_ad53936a97cf30d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/10/121415.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"For Their Faith in God, They Will Serve Long Terms in a Penal Colony","tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Sevastopol Upheld the Verdict Against Three Local Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I don't understand why and why the prosecutor asked for such a term for me and what kind of person I need to become after the colony,\" the believer said in his last speech. \"I have always tried to help people, respected the authorities, have never been an extremist and never will. As I was a believer, so I will remain.\"\n","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/344.json","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artur Putintsev in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer expresses confidence in his innocence: \"The large-scale persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is based on the fact that the usual religious practice of believers is mistakenly interpreted as a continuation of the activities of a banned organization. Our criminal case is based on this misunderstanding.\"\n","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/343.json","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Melnik in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer told the court how, thanks to the Bible, he was able to change his life for the better, and also gave a number of proofs of his innocence. \"All the accusations are far-fetched and untrue,\" he said.\n","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/345.json","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Piskarev in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 28, 2023, the Tsentralniy District Court of the City of Prokopyevsk found Yuriy Chernykh guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Judge Alena Novoselova sentenced him to 3 years of forced labor with 15% of his salary going to the government.\nThe case was initiated on November 5, 2021. Previously, Yuriy was a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov. In July 2020, the Chernykhs' home was searched, after which he and his wife were interrogated by the FSB. When the Chernykhs' home was searched again in November 2021,their electronic media drivers, a TV, as well as cards and personal notes, were seized. The believer was under an obligation to report and after five months he was placed under a recognizance agreement. In June 2022, the case went to court. Chernykh expressed his opinion about the charge as follows: \"I want to state that I maintain my innocence and I believe that the charge against me is unlawful. I am not a criminal!” The prosecutor requested 2.5 years of forced labor for the believer with 15% of his salary going to the government.\nYuriy, a former miner with 20 years of experience, now works as a track fitter in the transport industry. He and his wife are happily married and have three sons, the youngest is still at school. Yuriy and Yelena love their grandchildren very much.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 19 people have already been prosecuted for their faith. Five of them have received terms of punishment in a penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-28T14:56:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/281456/image_hu_1f50a8c1fda950f2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/281456/image_hu_4460a76a929b82df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/281456/image_hu_76eb5bad8374f4d2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/281456/image_hu_64a18bdf18bdb03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/281456.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Yuriy Chernykh, Father of a Minor, Was Found Guilty of Extremism","tags":["sentence","282.2-2"],"title":"Three Years of Forced Labor for Reading the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer focused on the peace-loving views of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is because of them, in his opinion, that there is not a single fact in the case proving his criminal intent. \"It's kind of strange, non-extremist extremism!\" said Yuriy.\n","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/342.json","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 27, 2023, near Penal Colony No.8 in the Amur Region, there was a festive atmosphere unusual for a place like this – about 20 people with flowers and gifts gathered for the wedding of prisoner of conscience Sergey Shulyarenko and his bride Marina.\nBy that day, Shulyarenko had spent almost four months in the penal colony out of the six years and nine months imposed by the court for his faith. He is living in a barrack for 100 people, is training as a machine operator for joinery and is attending English classes.\n\"On our wedding day, fellow believers provided invaluable support and assistance,\" Marina said. \"When we arrived at the penal colony, we were surprised to see a large group of supporters. Everyone was joyful and happy.\" According to her, visitors to the penal colony watched in amazement at qhat was happening.\nThe parents of the newlyweds attended the registration of the marriage, which took a little more than 5 minutes. Shulyarenko was allowed to dress smartly for the event. Staff of the penal colony took wedding photographs for Sergey and Marina. Afterward, the couple and their parents celebrated the wedding in the visiting room.\nSpeaking on how the newlyweds build their family life in spite of the prison chains, Marina said: \"Sergey calls whenever he gets the opportunity. We tell each other what interesting things happened to us, mention our problems, and news. Every time we ask what we need to pray about. Letters are also a huge support. We try our best to encourage each other, help each other to stay positive and assure each other of our love.\nSince the liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities in Russia, criminal prosecution for their faith has already turned the lives of almost 800 people, upside down 139 of whom have been sentenced to penal colonies for terms ranging from 2 to 8 years. The international community, including the European Court of Human Rights, considers what is happening unlawful and calls on Russia to stop the repression of believers.\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/11/090846/image_hu_2a4f82b0aadf2d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/11/090846/image_hu_dd6297e27dcc1720.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/11/090846/image_hu_f9f9903ba7ada03a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/11/090846/image_hu_e560edd18927bb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/11/090846.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"Wedding of Jehovah's Witness Sergey Shulyarenko Took Place in The Penal Colony in Blagoveshchensk","tags":["life-in-prison"],"title":"Stronger Than Prison Chains.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 26, a panel of judges of the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld the verdict against Sergey Afanasiyev, Anton Olshevskiy, Sergey Kardakov, Adam Svarichevskiy and Sergey Yermilov. Each of them received more than 6 years in a penal colony for their faith.\nIt was noted in one of the court of cassation's appeals, that \"Even in Soviet times, during the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, believers were not always sentenced to imprisonment, especially for such a long period as in the present case\".\nAll five of the believers from Blagoveshchensk have pleaded not guilty and believe that they are not being persecuted for a crime, but for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In support of this, the believers point out that law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact pointing to their engagement in any unlawful activity.\nAll of this runs contarary to the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, which states that \"actions consisting exclusively in the exercise of their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion... if such do not contain elements of extremism, do not on their own constitute the corpus delicti.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony4_hu_fbb0f6cf1b601cc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_51441f02ed3083fc.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony4_hu_d4437787afa78821.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_ceca8910487919d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/280836.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","cassation"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Five Believers from Blagoveshchensk","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 22, 2023, the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Dmitriy Dolzhikov. Earlier, the court of first instance sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony, but replaced the term with forced labor. Taking into account the time spent under arrest, he will only have to serve 2 years of forced labor.\nThe court of appeal ignored the arguments of Dolzhikov, who stated: \"The law does not consider practicing, including together with others, the religion to which the liquidated religious associations belonged as a sign of extremism.\" In his appeal, Dmitriy stated: \"The court did not establish any motives of religious hatred or enmity in my actions; it has not been established which specific social group I acted against. All of my actions were completely peaceful. I did not do anything that would indicate continuing the activity any extremist organization.\"\nIn total, 8 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in the Novosibirsk Region, one of whom is in a penal colony, and another was recently released.\nBack in 2018, human rights defenders, commenting on the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, said: \"What is happening to them, in fact, is happening to us: this is a test of the immune forces of society. The prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the failure of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if their rights are not restored, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/251331/image_hu_c7d99b7ba0303d8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/251331/image_hu_e157d682c1e96f2e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/251331/image_hu_88b05b040e2cbd00.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/251331/image_hu_892b6197027f1e79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/251331.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","labor"],"title":"Dmitriy Dolzhikov's Sentence of Three Years of Forced Labor for Believing in Jehovah God Was Upheld by an Appeal in Novosibirsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 21, 2023, Ivan Moiseyenko, Judge of the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region, found Margarita Moiseyenko, 44, Yelena Yatsyk, 51, and Galina Yatsik, 72, guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and gave them supsended sentences.\nThe prosecutor requested to send the believers to a penal colony for terms of 2.5 and 3 years, but the court gave Margarita Moiseyenko, a 3-year suspended sentence with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to directing and participating in the work of public organizations for 3 years and restriction of freedom for 10 months with a 3-year probation period. Galina Yatsik received a 2-year suspended sentence with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to directing and participating in the work of public organizations for 3 years, restriction of freedom for 6 months with a 2-year probation period. The judge gave Yelena Yatsyk to 2.5-years suspended sentence with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to directing and participating in the work of public organizations for 3 years, restriction of freedom for 8 months with a 2-year probation period. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe believers do not agree with the court's decision. Yelena Yatsyk emphasized this position when she stated in her final statement: \"I do not consider myself guilty and do not intend to give up my religious beliefs. I am convinced that I have the right to continue to practice the religion I have chosen. This right is guaranteed to me by Article 28 of the RF Constitution. Galina Yatsik told the court: \"There is no corpus delicti in my actions, as my motive is love for God and love for people... My conscience is clear, both before God and before the state.\"\nIn March 2019, the first search took place at the Moiseyenko family home after which a criminal case was initiated against Konstantin, Margarita's husband. A year and a half later, searches were also carried out at the homes of Yelena Yatsyk and Galina Yatsik. In November 2021, investigator V. S. Obukhov, known for other cases against believers from the Amur Region, initiated a criminal case against the three women. In March 2023, the case went to court.\n\"The reality today is that peaceful citizens are groundlessly labeled extremists,\" Margarita Moiseyenko said before the verdict. \"Of course, the prosecutor did not establish any signs of extremist activity, but the way I expressed my faith.\" She added: \"Believing in God for me is the same as breathing. If I am not allowed to peacefully practice my faith because it is deemed as extremism, although there is not even a hint of such, it makes me feel as if I can't breathe.\nIn the Amur Region, 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 5 women, have already been made defendants in criminal cases for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-21T15:14:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/211514/image_hu_b33d0b1611f54c6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/211514/image_hu_7541ae8400e0fece.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/211514/image_hu_3cb8e9f113de1a45.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/211514/image_hu_4070cdafd9f31ee1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/211514.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in the Amur Region Handed Down Suspended Sentences of 2 to 3 Years to Three Women for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final statement, Elena Yatsyk said that Bible principles helped her save her marriage. So she decided to tell others about them. She stated, \"There was never any intent in my thoughts and actions to harm anyone.\"\n","date":"2023-09-21T15:01:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/341.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Yatsyk in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final remarks, the believer talked about how Bible knowledge has influenced her life and noted that she has always wanted to share it with others. \"There is no corpus delicti in my actions, as their motive is love for God and love for people.\"\n","date":"2023-09-21T15:00:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/340.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Yatsyk in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Defending her faith in court, the defendant stated: \"Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose a danger to the state, because they are far from violence and strive for peace.\"\n","date":"2023-09-21T14:59:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/339.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Margarita Moiseenko's last word in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 19, 2023, Aleksandr Nikolayev, a father of five, was released from the penal colony in Khadyzhensk, where he spent almost a year for his faith in Jehovah God. The believer was met by his wife and children, and mother-in-law. At the exit of the penal colony FSB and OMON officers were on duty, and there were several police vans.\nThe verdict - 2.5 years imprisonment - was handed down to Nikolayev in December 2021. Aleksandr was the first believer to be given a prison sentence after the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, explaining that participating in meetings for worship is not a reason for conviction under Article 282.2 of RF CrC. Despite this, he was found guilty of extremism for reading a Bible passage via videoconferencing.\nAleksandr was detained in September 2021. In total, he spent 13 months in a pretrial detention center and 11 months in a penal colony. For some of the time, he was held in strict detention conditions. The believer was also denied parole. All this time, Aleksandr was strengthened by letters of support coming from around the world.\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 32 of Jehovah's Witnesses are already being prosecuted for their faith, 6 of them are in penal colonies. On September 15, Maksim Beltikov from the village of Pavlovskaya was released from prison.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/200858/image_hu_a4ac8588904be0c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/200858/image_hu_fd61aaf035baefd9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/200858/image_hu_90b3328fa6a406ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/200858/image_hu_b4daee7d4b999411.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/200858.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","strict-conditions","282.2-2","letters"],"title":"Aleksandr Nikolayev, Father of Five, Convicted for His Faith, Was Released from the Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2023, by the decision of a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Territorial Court chaired by Diana Davydenko, the sentence against Ivan Shulyuk, 47, a Jehovah's Witness from Siberia, entered into force.\nIn May 2023, the court imposed a 7-year suspended sentence on Shulyuk with a 4-year probation period. They viewed discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs with friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer does not agree with the verdict that entered into force. In his final statement to the court of appeal, he said that the investigation is confusing concepts, as it \"deliberately interprets legitimate religious activity as being the activity of a banned legal entity.\"\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith and 10 of them have been convicted. Human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international expert on human rights and European Union law, said: \"Jehovah’s Witnesses... have been facing increasing persecution of its members in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia’s commitments to international law and its own constitution.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_3696972bd38397f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_633fa34d0e26cc45.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_e633b72a5b68649b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/211338/image_hu_2212cd8ccccc2c0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/211338.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld Ivan Shulyuk's Verdict: 7-Year Suspended Sentence for His Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2023, the homes of at least nine families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in several districts of Moscow and in the Moscow Region (Solnechnogorsk, Fryazino, Dmitrov, and Chekhov). Aleksandr Serebryakov, who is serving a suspended sentence, was sent to a detention center based on a new charge.\nSix days earlier, Captain of Justice Roman Ivanov, Senior Investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, initiated a criminal case against Serebryakov and unidentified persons under an article for financing the activity of an extremist organization. Aleksandr is being charged for actions that took place in the period from 2018 to 2019, when he was already charged under another article.\nThe search of the home of the Serebryakov family began early in the morning and continued for about 3 hours. It was supervised by police major A. V. Tretyakov, senior officer of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow. Seven people were with him and some of them were armed. After the search, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. On September 20, 2023, Dmitriy Neudakhin, judge of the Savelovskiy District Court, imposed pretrial detention on the believer until November 13, 2023.\nIn Fryazino searches were conducted at the place of residence and at the address of registration of one family of Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling for investigative actions was issued by the Timiryazevsky District Court. The searches were supervised by police lieutenant A.V. Bigishnin. A 60-year-old couple were offered money to give information about fellow believers; they refused. One of the testifying witnesses was drunk and threatened the couple. Due to the stress, the husband's blood pressure spiked. After the search, he was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee as a witness.\nOn September 19, in Dmitrov and the nearby village of Zverkovo, homes of two Jehovah's Witness families were searched. Armed police officers arrived at the home of a couple with two minor children (7 and 11 years old) at 6:30 in the morning. They threatened to kick down the front door. Then the apartment was searched for 3 hours, after which the family head was taken to Moscow for interrogation and later released. Law enforcement officers arrived to search the house of a believer in Zverkovo at 7:00 in the morning. Because of the anxiety, his blood pressure spiked, but despite this, he was taken to Moscow, where he was interrogated and later released.\nIn Moscow, armed and masked law enforcement officers broke into another home of believers at 7 a.m. filming everything with the phone. The family head was put face down on the floor and handcuffed. Later the handcuffs were removed because he did not resist and they found out that his 15-year-old daughter cannot cope with any stress due to a serious illness. The search lasted 3.5 hours. It was supervised by FSB Lieutenant Colonel Denis Kozlov. Then the family head was taken in a minibus with armed guards for interrogation to the Investigative Committee to Investigator Pavel Pavlov.\nUpdate. On September 26, another search took place in Solnechnogorsk. FSB officers detained a man right at his workplace and then took him home. He was taken for interrogation, and then released. During the searches, money, Bibles, bank cards, personal notes, electronic devices and other data storage were seized from the believers.\nIn Moscow and the Moscow Region, 19 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become defendants in criminal cases because of their religious views. Of these, nine people were sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony, and five, including an elderly woman, were given suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/211445.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Serebryakov Who Was Earlier Convicted for His Faith Was Detained","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","new-case","interrogation","282.3-1"],"title":"New Searches and a Criminal Case in Moscow and Moscow Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2023, officers of the Federal Migration Service, contrary to a court decision, deported Rustam Seidkuliev to Turkmenistan. Earlier, at the initiative of the FSB, his Russian citizenship was revoked due to criminal prosecution for his faith.\nSeidkuliev was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in a penal colony for participating in meetings for worship and talking about Bible topics. In total, Rustam spent a little more than 1 year and 10 months behind bars. After Seidkuliev's release from the penal colony, additional punishment entered into force. It was not related to imprisonment and allowed him to live with his wife, move freely around Saratov, see friends and work.\nTwo months later, a decision was issued to deport him, and on June 19, he was detained and placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens. The believer's defense appealed this decision. The Kirov District Court of Saratov had ruled that Rustam Seidkuliev be deported only after serving his additional punishment. This gave him the opportunity to stay in Russia with his family for more than 6 months after his release from the penal colony. Contrary to the court's decision, the believer was deported ahead of time.\nAccording to Seidkuliev, officers from the Federal Migration Service tried to expel him from the country twice. The first attempt was on September 15, but the flight was delayed, and he was returned to the detention center. \"The next day, the staff came and said, 'You have 15 minutes to get ready,'\" he recalls. \"After that, he was taken to Moscow by car, and it was explained that they needed to rush because of the bosses' order.\"\nSeidkuliev arrived in Ashgabat at 3 a.m. There he was kept at border control for about 12 hours and released after the paperwork was completed.\nMore than 20 years ago, Rustam's stepfather was deported from Turkmenistan because he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is how the Seidkuliev family ended up in Saratov.\nRustam Seidkuliev became the fourth Jehovah's Witness since 2017 to be deported from the country by the Russian authorities because of his religion. Before him, this had happened to Dennis Christensen, Feliks Makhammadiev and Konstantin Bazhenov.\n","category":"other","date":"2023-09-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/201437/image_hu_7f3045cef6357325.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/201437/image_hu_b33572f31a733801.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/201437/image_hu_1bf99785f0c7f235.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/201437/image_hu_272917a7f648c009.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/201437.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Rustam Seidkuliev, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, was Deported to Turkmenistan, Although the Court Allowed Him to Stay in Russia for Further 6 Months","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 12, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upheld the verdict against Konstantin Bazhenov and his wife Snezhana, as well as Vera Zolotova — a 2-year suspended sentence for their beliefs.\nThe court proceedings in the case against the believers from Yelizovo have been going on for 4 years already. In September 2020, Yuliya Piskun, judge of the Yelizovskiy District Court, handed down a guilty verdict to all three, which was upheld by the court of appeal, but in November 2021, the court of cassation overturned this decision and returned the case to the appeal stage. In January 2022, the believers were acquitted after a second appeal. However, the prosecutor's office, succeeded in having this decision overturned through the Supreme Court. As a result, the case was sent for a new appeal consideration, the believers were found guilty of extremism and given suspended sentences. The believers filed a cassation appeal.\nIn the Kamchatka Territory, another 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are being repressed for their religious beliefs. Six of them were given suspended sentences of various lengths, and two were ordered to pay fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-15T09:10:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_25f323dfc8021144.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_cf9e09aba622527e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_ea9770318f8141a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/150910/image_hu_f4a152bafb7df8e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/150910.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-cassation","suspended"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Vladivostok Upheld the Verdict Against Believers From Yelizovo","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2023, the Kovrov City Court sentenced local resident Aleksey Kupriyanov to 1 imprisonment and 6 months restriction of freedom. Judge Vyacheslav Kuznetsov considered quoting from the Bible as proof of the believer's guilt of extremism. The term was served during the investigation. Kupriyanov maintains his innocence.\nBack in February 2021, during mass searches and interrogations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kovrov, Aleksey came across prosecution on religious grounds. A criminal case against him was initiated in June 2021. D. A. Tyumenev, investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Vladimir Region, deemed that Kupriyanov was continuing the activity of the liquidated legal entity (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC) as he \"took part in religious meetings... actively participated in collecting information on the amount of work done... on introducing... the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses... to the masses.\" Shortly after, Kupriyanov's home was searched again, then the believer was detained and later placed in a pretrial detention center.\nHis detention lasted about 4.5 months. During this time, the believer was prohibited from reading the Bible and pronouncing the name of God Jehovah; for a time his letters were withheld and he was threatened with his wife and son being prosecuted. From 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. he was forced to sit on the cold floor. Also, Kupriyanov's cellmate, a former officer, convicted for organizing torture, was instructed by the detention center officers to put pressure on the believer to make him incriminate himself. Aleksey began to have health problems because of this, but despite a high fever, he was not transferred to the medical unit. Consequently, Kupriyanov had to undergo surgery.\nLater, the believer was transferred to house arrest for 7 months and was allowed walks for 2 hours a day. In September 2022, Kupriyanov's case went to court. At the court hearings, witnesses for the prosecution stated that they had not heard calls for extremism from the defendant. FSB officer Bordunov, who conducted operational-investigative measures, said that Kupriyanov participated in the activity of the liquidated legal entity, but did not provide evidence of this and avoided answering most of the questions from the defense.\nAccording to Kupriyanov, he was greatly encouraged by the care of his wife care and fellow believers, who sent him encouraging thoughts in their letters. Aleksey recalls: \"The letters and the Bible, as well as supplicating in prayer day and night helped me to fight the feeling of worthlessness that they tried to instill in me. That's how it was for a few months.\" According to Aleksey, he was strengthened by the opportunity to \"comfort other brothers and sisters\" with poems that he composed in response to their letters.\nIn his final statement, Aleksey Kupriyanov said: \"The charge is based only on the fact that I am a believer and that I believe in Jehovah. Your Honor, faith is on trial here!\" Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested the court sentence the believer to 4 years in a penal colony. Considering the clarifications of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, Kupriyanov can appeal the verdict to a higher court.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/201444/image_hu_89bbe0bafa5ab688.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/201444/image_hu_2305060233336f40.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/201444/image_hu_1009345cdcc772cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/201444/image_hu_3daf2874afb7ea6f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/201444.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":"He Was Sentenced to a Penal Colony, But the Term Is Considered as Having Been Served","tags":["first-instance","liberty-deprivation","torture-conditions","letters","282.2-2"],"title":"In Kovrov, A Court Found Aleksey Kupriyanov Guilty of Extremism for His Faith in God.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2023, Maksim Beltikov was released from penal colony No. 9 in the Krasnodar Territory, having fully served his 2-year sentence for his faith in Jehovah God. He was met by his family and many friends.\nThe criminal case against Beltikov was initiated in June 2020 after the FSB raided the homes of believers in several villages in the Krasnodar Territory. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom immediately after the verdict was announced in January 2022. He spent 8 months in a pretrial detention center and 1 year in a correctional facility.\nMariya Beltikova and her three sons waiting for Maksim\u0026#39;s release Maksim Beltikov leaving the penal colony The believer hugging his youngest son Joyous meetting with his wife and older sons Maksim Beltikov wiping tears from his youngest son\u0026#39;s face Family and friends of the Beltikovs meeting Maksim The believer served part of the sentence under strict detention conditions. According to his lawyer, despite the difficulties, including gradually weakening eyesight, he never complained. Hundreds of letters of support, along with other things, helped him cope.\nSix more Jehovah's Witnesses from the Krasnodar Territory continue to serve sentences for their faith in penal colonies. Among them is Lyudmila Shchekoldina, whose sentence ends in April 2026.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","duration":"0:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/180854/image_hu_671e753cd2107e2f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/180854/image_hu_c323b22f7ae95c40.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/180854/image_hu_fd4729d9aa5eb742.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/180854/image_hu_557b653349cc9a9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/180854.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","letters","strict-conditions"],"title":"Maksim Beltikov, Prisoner of Conscience and Father of Three, Was Released From Penal Colony in Khadyzhensk","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer stated in court: \"The state prosecutor was not interested in any specific socially dangerous actions, but in whether I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusation is based only on the fact that I am a believer and that I believe in Jehovah. Your Honor, this is the judgment of faith!\" He concluded his last word with a poem.\n","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/338.json","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Kupriyanov in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 14, 2023, Zaurbiy Birzhev, judge of the Maykop City Court, found Nikolay Voishchev guilty of extremism solely for his faith. Although the elderly believer has already served 329 days in pretrial detention, he will have to spend yet another 1.5 years behind bars, despite his serious illness.\nDuring the closing arguments, the prosecutor requested for Voishchev, 7 years imprisonment in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to directing and participating in the work of public organizations for 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. The judge decided to sentence Nikolay to imprisonment for 3 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in educational activity, as well as activity related to directing and participating in religious, public associations and organizations for 4 years and with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nIn his final statement before the court, the believer stated: \"The prosecution requests to sentence me to 7 years... for being an honest person who respects the laws of the country... who loves his neighbor as himself. Seven years for being a good member of the community... one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for applying Article 28 of the Russian Constitution. Seven years for never having committed any criminal acts.\"\nNikolay Voishchev ended up behind bars back in October 2022. Investigator Zaurbiy Blyagoz initiated a criminal case against him under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC, claiming that he \"organized and conducted secret meetings together with other [Jehovah's Witnesses].\" His arrest was preceded by a series of searches in Maykop.\nThe charges against the believer were based on the testimony of two secret witnesses. During interrogation in court, they could only confirm that Voishchev was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, which he did not hide anyway. The witnesses did not hear any calls for extremism from him. Another piece of evidence for the prosecution was the psycholinguistic expert study of hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, in which believers peacefully discuss the Bible. Ruslan Levinsky, who conducted the expert study, does not have the appropriate education in linguistics. The lawyer provided the opinion of the religious scholar Yekaterina Elbakyan; according to her findings \"the conclusion of the expert [Levinsky] is not based on the provisions of generally accepted scientific data in the field of religious studies, the findings in the expert's conclusion appear to be unfounded.\"\nAlready before his arrest, Voishchev had been diagnosed with a tumor that required immediate treatment. Nikolay also suffers from severe headaches due to an injury sustained in his youth. The conditions of detention and the lack of proper treatment led to a deterioration of his health. He still needs medical attention.\nAlready four Jehovah's Witnesses from Maykop have faced prosecution for their faith. The world community and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation stated that \"the joint performance of rites and ceremonies [of Jehovah's Witnesses] does not in itself constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_4b775ddf3f252be1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_7c99d3e353e94abf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_1b0dd96505b01abf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/201447/image_hu_b59d240fac5f40c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/201447.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","studies-violations","secret-witness"],"title":"Court in Adygea Sent Nikolay Voishchev, 68, to a Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"Declaring the unfairness of the charges, the defendant said: \"I sincerely hope that today the court will protect my right to freedom of religion and make sure that here in Russia, Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation will continue to apply to people of all faiths.\"\n","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/337.json","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev's last word in Maykop","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 14, 2023, the examination of the case of Jehovah's Witness, Sergey Gromov, was completed in the Moskovskiy District Court of the city of Kazan. Judge Alsu Gumirova found him guilty of extremism and sentenced him to six years and one month of imprisonment for peacefully practicing his faith.\nGromov's guilt, according to the investigation, is that he \"conducted religious meetings\" at home. Although, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that worship services in themselves are not a crime, the investigator, followed by the judge, equated holding such meetings with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The prosecutor asked to sentence Sergey to eight years in prison. The believer considers himself innocent and can appeal the verdict.\nGromov was detained along with his wife in March of 2022 at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. It also turned out that the day before an FSB investigator had initiated a criminal case against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Then the Gromovs' apartment in the city of Kazan was searched. Since March 17, 2022, Sergey has been in a pre-trial detention center. Over time, he was also accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the believer, the testimonies of secret witnesses which this case is based upon are false. The defense is sure that hiding behind pseudonyms are FSB officer Mikhail Vasilyev and Aleksandr Komzolov, who show a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Gromov explained at one of the court hearings that he had not been in contact with Komzolov since 2014, which meant that he could not know anything about his religious life since that time. The judge overuled the lawyer's questions aimed at identifying contradictions. The second witness, according to the defendant, reported \"non-existent facts\" about their acquaintance. The court did not try to establish whether there was a slander on the part of prosecution witnesses.\nIn total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted in the Republic of Tatarstan. Eleven of them were convicted for their faith, Konstantin Sannikov received six and a half years in prison. Human rights activists oppose this position of law enforcement officers and call on Russia to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/150906/image_hu_b87d459b69ddfe75.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/150906/image_hu_aa5ad00e96ee735.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/150906/image_hu_778989aab5ee030b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/150906/image_hu_1685c0921a116cf9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/150906.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court of the City of Kazan Sent Sergey Gromov to a Penal Colony for Six Years for Conducting Religious Meetings","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner who has cancer, received 4 years in a penal colony for his faith in Jehovah God. This decision was made by the Belogorsk District Court on September 13, 2023. He was arrested in the courtroom. He maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict of Judge Natalya Kramar.\nIn the spring of 2021, law enforcement officers raided homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belogorsk, including that of Vladimir Balabkin. The criminal case against him was initiated by FSB investigator V. Obukhov, who is behind most of the similar cases against believers in the region. The elderly Balabkins had to travel 140 km from their home to Blagoveshchensk for interrogation; this was not easy for them due to the exacerbation of Vladimir's serious illness and the consequences of his wife Tatiana’s heart surgery.\nVladimir Balabkin in the courtroom. September, 2023. During the announcement of the verdict, Vladimir Balabkin is handcuffed. September, 2023 Convicted Vladimir Balabkin is escorted out of the courthouse before being sent to a pretrial detention center. September, 2023 The law enforcement agencies considered it a crime to hold religious meetings, equating it to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In court, one of the witnesses, an FSB officer, stated that he considered the believer guilty because he \"provided devices to connect to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" \"connected others to meetings\" and \"showed how to use programs.\" At the same time, the expert study concludes that there are no signs of extremism in Balabkin's actions. Despite this, the prosecutor insisted on a guilty verdict and requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer.\n\"You can disagree with the faith and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but as the Russian President said, it is wrong to put them on a par with extremists\" emphasized Balabkin in his final statement. \"After all, my faith and my beliefs are based on the Word of God, the Bible. It teaches the exact opposite: love people and be kind to everyone.\"\nIn October 2021, the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court ruled that it is necessary \"to avoid cases of groundless criminal prosecution of persons solely on the visible expression of their attitude to religion.\" Nevertheless, in the Amur Region, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses received from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony for their faith and 2 received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_762f95802305ccda.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_40f7597a24757343.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_839b9c71cbacf5ca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/140841/image_hu_20c787e3e08d94a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/140841.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Believer, 71, Sentenced to 4 Years in a Penal Colony. Court in Belogorsk Found Vladimir Balabkin Guilty of Extremism for Conducting Meetings for Worship","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, Vladimir stressed that \"there is no evidence\" of involvement in extremism against him by the prosecution: \"At our meetings we read about the beauty of nature, the infinite Universe ... happy family relationships... and gave thanks to Jehovah God.\"\n","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/334.json","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Balabkin in Belogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer told why extremism is alien to him. He also drew attention to the fact that the laws of Russia and the Constitution do not prohibit him from remaining one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2023-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/336.json","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Yarchak in Nizhnekamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 5, 2023, the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the verdict against Lubov Serebryakova, 72, who was given a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 10 months for talking about God. The verdict may be appealed in cassation proceedings.\nIn her appeal, Lubov Serebryakova pointed out the mistakes that, in her opinion, were made by the court of first instance. For example, the verdict does not describe the specific extremist actions that the prosecution claimed she had participated in. Dates, times and places of any alleged extremist actions committed and their role in continuing the activity of the banned organization are not indicated. In addition, the believer notes that \"the verdict cannot be based on the assumptions\" of the witnesses for the prosecution. Testifying, they explained that they did not know the defendant and had not met her before. One of them is a clergyman of another denomination, who also could not confirm anything of what the pensioner is accused of.\nBefore the start of the unfair criminal prosecution, Lubov had two heart attacks, and shortly before the completion of the pretrial investigation, she again needed emergency cardiac care.\nRussian courts have already convicted 85 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60. Of these, 21 believers received terms of imprisonment, 12 are in penal colonies at the moment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-05T13:49:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_d44559edec9186f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_e0da47d217a835df.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/081349/image_hu_d7a6effbd61e8f2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/081349.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"She Was Given a 4-Year Suspended Sentence.","tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld the Sentence Against Lubov Serebryakova, 72.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2023, Sergey Kamenov, judge of the Nizhnekamsk City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan gave a 6-year suspended sentence to Denis Filatov, Stanislav Klyuchnikov and Dmitriy Yarchak, who has had a disability since childhood. The court deemed praying and singing religious songs to be extremism.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers maintain their complete innocence.\nIn November 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tatarstan initiated a criminal case and conducted a series of searches in Nizhnekamsk. An investigation was launched against the three men, which lasted 14 months. In January 2022, the case went to court, where it was considered for a further 19 months. All this time, the believers were under a recognizance agreement. Several witnesses summoned to court for questioning stated that they gave testimony to the investigator under pressure and threats from law enforcement officers, and one woman reported that the investigator arbitrarily added words to the protocol that she did not say. The main part of the charges is based on the testimony of a secret witness.\nSpeaking in court, the believers explained that the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Klyuchnikov said: \"I think that the preliminary investigation agencies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. And the reason I am on trial today, is their misinterpretation, and not the crime I allegedly I committed.\" Denis Filatov added: \"The episodes of participating in meetings for worship imputed to me can only indicate exercising the right to practice my religion and use methods of expressing faith that were not prohibited.\" Dmitriy Yarchak also said: \"While being peaceful and observing the law, I use the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nIn Tatarstan, 13 more people have faced prosecution for their faith in Jehovah God. One of them, Konstantin Sannikov, has been sentenced to 6.5 years imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_79fd63216177be1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_5dbafb43e3ab5e03.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_c831c324eae6e89c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/061348/image_hu_ff618fc682ee1aea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/061348.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"The Court Found Them Guilty of Extremism for Their Faith in God ","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","fabrications","disability","secret-witness","suspended"],"title":"In Tatarstan, Three of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Given Long Suspended Sentences.","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2023, the Amur Regional Court upheld the sentence against four Jehovah's Witnesses. Vladimir Bukin, Valeriy Slashchev and Sergey Yuferov will have to serve a sentence of 6 years and 4 months in prison, and Mikhail Burkov - 6 years and 2 months for meetings with fellow believers. The verdict has entered into force.\nBack in October 2022, the Tyndinskiy District Court sentenced believers to various terms of imprisonment ranging from 6 years and 2 months to 6.5 years. However, the court of appeal overturned this decision, and the men were released from the pretrial detention center, where they had each spent 2 months. The retrial of the case was completed in June 2023. Judge Valentina Brikova issued a verdict that differed slightly from the first one – ranging now from 6 years and two months to 6 years and 4 months in a penal colony.\nIn their appeals, the believers noted that \"the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not assess the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways in which they were expressed.\" According to the convicted persons, it follows that \"despite the liquidation of legal entities, [they] still have the right to freely practice the religion of [their] choice, including reading the Bible and discussing it with others, praying to God, singing songs praising God, and talking to other people about their faith.\" The believers maintain their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation proceedings.\nIn the Amur Region, nine other of Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted for their faith and sentenced to 6 years or more imprisonment.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/061406/image_hu_76764672621b2d5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/061406/image_hu_b29b54db852fa90e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/061406/image_hu_d2092786861812e6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/061406/image_hu_a50d977996609b0c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/061406.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"Four Believers Received More Than 6 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["2-appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","rosfinmonitoring","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses From Tynda Found Guilty of Extremism After Second Appeal.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer drew the attention of the court and those present to the fact that he did not violate Russian laws: \"Freedom of religion is part of a democratic society.\"\n","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/335.json","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Stanislav Klyuchnikov in Nizhnekamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 31, 2023, the Astrakhan Regional Court upheld the verdict against Sergey Korolev, 50, Rinat Kiramov, 36, and Sergey Kosyanenko, 62, sentencing them 7-years imprisonment. They were charged with singing religious songs and praying together to Jehovah God, which the courts deemed as organizing the activity of a banned extremist organization.\nIn the appeal, the defense stated that the court of first instance committed numerous violations against Kosyanenko, Korolev and Kiramov. The court did not indicate what specific extremist actions they committed, nor did it prove their criminal motives and intent. The evidence presented by the investigation – recordings of telephone conversations, the results of covert surveillance, the witness testimonies – did not confirm that the believers \"conspired\" for extremist actions.\nAccording to the defense, the believers from Akhtubinsk were convicted as a result of a miscarriage of justice, and \"the actual purpose of the court verdict is to violate the rights of the convicted persons and force them to change their religion or renounce their faith under pain of criminal prosecution.\" Speaking in court via video conferencing, Sergey Korolev stated: \"For what and on what grounds was I sentenced to 7 years? I was tried in the absence of corpus delicti only for my faith.\" Kiramov and Kosyanenko also denied their guilt in extremism. The convicted persons have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation procedure.\nBy its decision, the Astrakhan Regional Court ignored the fact that the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and the right of individuals to practice it. Other Russian courts operate in a similar way, as a result, more than 700 believers have already been subjected to repressions simply for their religious beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-31T12:37:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/09/011237/image_hu_9b053ba820cc6226.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/09/011237/image_hu_5866c30753337a7b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/09/011237/image_hu_6c813b043c3badb8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/09/011237/image_hu_5adefed6d4c2e06d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/09/011237.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Regional Court in Astrakhan Upheld Harsh Sentence Against Three Believers From Akhtubinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alekseyeva.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Alekseyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy is one of the residents of the Krasnodar Territory who faced persecution for their faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in November 1975 in the village of Vyselki, where he has lived all his life. He has an elder sister, his parents are no longer alive. In his youth, Sergey was fond of playing the trombone, as well as volleyball and chess. After school, the young man got a job as an excavator driver, and later worked at a construction site for more than 20 years.\nIn the early 2000s, Sergey began studying the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. A logical explanation of the biblical teachings convinced him that this book was from God, and in 2001 Sergey became a Christian. Eight years later, Sergey got married. His wife Yelena shares his outlook on life. In her free time, Yelena loves to sew and knit. Now she is a housewife.\nSpeaking about what helps to cope with the anxieties caused by criminal prosecution, Sergey noted: \u0026quot;This situation helped me to get closer to Jehovah and trust him more.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-03-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dvurechenskiy/photo_hu_78cbc002d40dde1d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dvurechenskiy/photo_hu_496ff8562533153b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dvurechenskiy/photo_hu_92eaf5143454f4e3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dvurechenskiy/photo_hu_11f675a2f0a7699b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dvurechenskiy.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the Soviet years, Yelena Gadrshina led an active social life, dreaming of a happy society. Later, she learned the Bible\u0026#39;s teaching that a better life is possible for people. In 1999, the woman followed her daughter on the Christian path, but 24 years later she faced criminal prosecution for her faith.\nYelena was born in May 1958 in the village of Bazarny Syzgan, Ulyanovsk Region. She has a younger sister. Their father worked as a locksmith in a factory, and their mother worked in a cinema.\nIn childhood and adolescence, Yelena was fond of skiing. After school, she graduated from the Zhiguli Radio Engineering College with a degree in Radio Equipment Technology, as well as accounting courses. All her life, until her retirement, she worked as an accountant.\nIn 1980, Yelena got married. She lived in Togliatti, Izhevsk, Pokrovsk (Yakutia), and later moved to the village of Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory). In warm climate, she especially enjoys gardening and growing flowers. Yelena\u0026#39;s husband works as a driver, enjoys fishing and helps his wife in the garden. He does not share his wife\u0026#39;s religious views, but the couple have a good relationship.\nYelena\u0026#39;s relatives are surprised that she is being persecuted for her beliefs, and consider it absurd. They support the believer and hope that the criminal prosecution will stop.\n","date":"2024-03-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_8150b6017561f71d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_ce0042893895ba3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_7d321f1f95b0a577.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gadrshina/photo_hu_d759c73b8292c25f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gadrshina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Gadrshina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2023, Roman Gumenyuk faced persecution for his faith. In Soviet times, his father, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, spent three years in prison for his peace-loving views, and was later rehabilitated as a victim of political repression.\nRoman was born in January 1982 in the village of Zalari, Irkutsk region. He grew up in a large family—he has a sister and three brothers. When the boy was 6, the family moved to Kyrgyzstan, the village of Belovodskoye, four years later—to the village of Verkhchulymka (Krasnoyarsk Territory), and then—to Nazarovo. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Roman loved to play football, volleyball, basketball, table tennis and billiards. He also learned to play the guitar. After school, he graduated from the Power Engineering College, where he received the specialty of mechanical technician. For a year he worked as a fitter for the repair of industrial machines at a factory, later as a watchman, then as a truck and bus driver. Recently, he has been engaged in the repair of household appliances.\nRoman was familiar with biblical teachings since childhood. As he grew older, he began to study the Bible more deeply and became convinced of the consistency of this book. He loved to associate with Jehovah's Witnesses, he liked their openness, ability to enjoy small things, and love of life. At the age of 21, he also decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRoman and his wife Olesya have known each other since childhood. They got married in 2005. Olesya is a fourth-generation Jehovah's Witness: her great-grandparents were exiled to Siberia in 1951 for their religious views. In Soviet times, Olesya's father as well as Roman’s fatrher served 3 years in prison for refusing to join the army. Roman's wife is an economist and accountant by profession, worked as an operator at a gas station and in a café, loves to grow vegetables and make preparations.\nRoman and Olesya like to spend time in nature and travel on a motorcycle to picturesque places. They also enjoy chatting with friends and playing sports.\nIn 2007, the couple moved to the Republic of Khakassia. There Roman served alternative civilian service. Since the believer adheres to peace-loving views, he defended his right to this service, which is not related to military structures, in court for several years. The couple lived in Khakassia for 9 years, and in 2016 they left for Sakhalin, where they still live.\n\"Life was divided into before and after,\" says Roman, \"as we had to completely rebuild to new realities.\" Relatives experienced stress. They cannot understand how, in the twenty-first century, a person can be persecuted for good deeds.\n","date":"2023-10-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gumenyuk/photo_hu_dc42af5cce64f1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gumenyuk/photo_hu_12c0211afca1e09b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gumenyuk/photo_hu_4eb4026b5b86e08a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gumenyuk/photo_hu_9863aef01602ceee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gumenyuk.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Gumenyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov from Konakovo peacefully professed his religion for many years, not suspecting that one day he would become a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. The events provoked the development of cancer in his wife. In March 2025, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in prison. A few hours later, Larisa Katamova suddenly became ill, she was urgently hospitalized and connected to a life support device. However, this did not help, and she passed away at the age of 61.\nOleg was born in January 1962 in the city of Konakovo (Tver region). His parents are no longer alive. As a child, Oleg loved to fish, pick mushrooms and berries. After school, he studied as a construction technician. For many years he worked as a stamper at a factory. Recently, he has been cleaning the courtyard area.\nIn 1985, Oleg married Larisa, a music teacher. After 5 years, they became interested in Bible teachings together. They were impressed by the fulfillment of the prophecies described in this ancient book and touched that Christians have the opportunity to turn to God in prayer and learn about him from the Holy Scriptures. In 1991, they decided to take the Christian path.\nIn his free time, Oleg likes to write poetry on spiritual topics and, as in childhood, go picking mushrooms and berries, and Larisa loved to sing and make flowers from foamiran. Oleg has a daughter, Aleksandr, who shares his views on life. She works as a manicure master, knows several languages, loves to cook.\nSpeaking in court, Oleg Katamov said: \u0026quot;I have always been supported by my dear wife Larisa . . . I have never had any enmity or even just hostility towards anyone . . . Faith in a God of love doesn\u0026#39;t give me room to just think about something that even remotely resembles extremism!\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-09-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_15b4c73e7e732d0a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_1e42ced950935242.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_ccad1926d9cecf3f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/katamov/photo_hu_82dee27a45eb034f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/katamov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Katamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2023, Aleksandr Kopylets from Armyansk was prosecuted for believing in Jehovah God. Shortly before that, his mother died after a long battle with an illness. His father who was a disability remained in the care of the believer.\nAleksandr was born in July 1977 in Crimea, in the village of Perekop. He has two older sisters. Their father worked as a tractor driver at a factory, and their mother worked in a field brigade.\nAs a child, Aleksandr loved to ride a bicycle and listen to music. After school, he graduated from Kherson State Technical University with a degree in Equipment for Chemical Industries and Building Materials Enterprises. Up until 2006, he worked as a site foreman at a chemical plant. Then he began to engage in construction work and moved to the urban-type settlement of Pervomaiskoye (Crimea).\nAs a child, Aleksandr began to read the New Testament. Therefore, when he later met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, he checked their beliefs and way of life with what is recorded in the Bible. In 1996, he made a conscious decision to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2012, Aleksandr married Yelena. A dressmaker by trade, she sews outerwear. Also, she has hairdressing skills. shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious views. Seeing how Bible prophecies were being fulfilled, Yelena decided to take the Christian path as well.\nThe couple lived in the village Razdolnoye, Kryvyi Rih, Feodosia, Simferopol, Stary Krym, Novooleksiyivka. In 2022, they moved to Armyansk to take care of their sick parents.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Aleksandr ended up under house arrest, lost the opportunity to provide for his family and be next to his wife, who is caring for her paralyzed mother. Although Alexander\u0026#39;s relatives do not share his beliefs, they are shocked by the criminal prosecution of a peaceful believer.\n","date":"2023-10-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kopylets/photo_hu_838528ededdb82a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kopylets/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kopylets/photo_hu_e638332a61fae13d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kopylets/photo_hu_3250e02bb2236bdb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kopylets.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kopylets","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Popov faced criminal prosecution for his beliefs in August 2023. His home was searched, the believer was sent to a temporary detention facility, and later under house arrest.\nAleksandr was born in August 1987 in the city of Kovrov, Vladimir region. He was the only child in the family. His parents worked as engineers.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was engaged in the karting section. After school, he went to work at the enterprise, where he mastered the specialty of a plumber, and then worked on it until his arrest. In his free time, the man is fond of tourism, loves to travel by kayak, bicycle and car.\nAleksandr’s mother was the first in the family to start studying the Bible. Later, her son joined her. He was attracted by the biblical teachings that God would bring order to the earth, save people from disease, and end injustice and harm to the planet. Subsequently, Alexander embarked on the Christian path.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Aleksandr lost the opportunity to work and support himself. His retired parents had exacerbated chronic diseases from their worries. Aleksandr’s mother supports him in everything. The father does not understand why his son is being persecuted, and calls these accusations \"a violation of the rights of believers.\"\n","date":"2023-09-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popoval/photo_hu_d72303cb429965a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popoval/photo_hu_c4ee202156bb26cf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popoval/photo_hu_c368d08a252b2532.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popoval/photo_hu_a3873556ca943e70.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popoval.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Rumyantseva had not yet had time to recover from the tragic events in her family, when in February 2022, a criminal case was opened against her, as well as against her daughter Vasilina, for her faith, accusing them of extremism.\nYelena was born in May 1972 in the village of Otradnaya, Krasnodar Territory. The father of the family was a sailor, the mother was a merchant. Later, the family moved to Sakhalin. Yelena is the eldest child; Her brother died at a young age, her sister has a disability.\nAs a child, Yelena was fond of dancing and photography. She also loved to sew, and this determined the choice of profession: the girl studied at the training and production plant as a master of sewing outerwear and began working as a seamstress.\nIn 2000, Yelena married Mikhail, after which the family moved to Norilsk, and in 2007 to the Krasnodar Territory to be closer to Yelena\u0026#39;s parents. Mikhail and Yelena with a daughter loved to go out into nature with tents.\nIn 2006, after a thorough study of the Bible, Yelena decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She was impressed by the opportunity to develop a close relationship with God and unity among fellow believers from different countries. Later, Yelena\u0026#39;s daughter, Vasilina, joined her.\nUnfortunately, in 2019, Mikhail died, and two years later, due to oncology, Yelena\u0026#39;s father, whom she cared for for 2 years until her death, passed away. Despite the grief experienced, the woman remains active and hospitable; she enjoys cooking and listening to music, as well as spending time with friends.\n\u0026quot;Criminal prosecution has divided our lives into before and after,\u0026quot; Yelena said. \u0026quot;I cannot work at full strength, move freely, and the health of my mother, whom I take to the city for examinations, depends on it. My relatives are at a loss why I am accused of separating families if I have been caring for a disabled mother for seven years.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-03-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rumyantseva/photo_hu_783dfef4416f4d9a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rumyantseva/photo_hu_63b8d336ff520cc9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rumyantseva/photo_hu_cd8e2f7a4d9cf845.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rumyantseva/photo_hu_8ad1fedbfe48d1bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rumyantseva.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Rumyantseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2012, the eldest daughter of Mikhail Sveshnikov died in a car accident. Faith in the biblical doctrine of the resurrection gave the family strength to survive this. However, it was precisely because of his love for the Bible that the man found himself involved in a criminal case in August 2023.\nMikhail was born in 1969 in the city of Kovrov (Vladimir region). When he was 4, his parents divorced. Mother worked at the plant as a quality control inspector. Later, she married her colleague, and 12-year-old Mikhail had a younger brother.\nIn primary school, Mikhail was engaged in artistic gymnastics, in the older grades he was fond of wood carving, made gifts to friends and relatives with his own hands. After school, he entered a technical school and in 1989 received the profession of mechanical technician.\nAfter returning from the army in 1991, Mikhail went to work at the factory where his mother and stepfather worked. He was a turner, a milling machine. Before the criminal prosecution, he was a janitor in a sports complex, but due to house arrest he lost this job, which affected the financial situation of his family.\nAfter returning from the army, Mikhail met Yelena, a medical student and later a nurse at the Kovrov City Hospital. In 1992 they got married and soon moved to the village of Melekhovo (Vladimir region). The couple raised two sons and two daughters. The eldest son is married and lives separately. Mikhail and his wife and children spend their free time together: they go to the river or lake, walk in the forest, ride bicycles.\nWhen Mikhail was 8, his grandfather, whom he loved very much, died. \"Why do people die and what happens after death? For many years, these questions haunted me, \"the man recalls. When his eldest daughter and wife began to study the Bible, he heard from them the answers to his questions. The eldest son of the Sveshnikovs was the first in the family in 2009 to take the Christian path, his parents followed his example in 2011, followed by the eldest daughter. Mikhail believes that Christian values have had a beneficial effect on all his children: on their attitude towards their parents, on the formation of life values.\n","date":"2023-09-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sveshnikov/photo_hu_eb8aba9c4514140e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sveshnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sveshnikov/photo_hu_e69b794c034206de.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sveshnikov/photo_hu_8148f37e3ced9ac1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sveshnikov.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Sveshnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful resident of Simferopol, Dmitriy Zakharevich, who since childhood has been accustomed to living according to high standards of morality, was subjected to religious repression after his father-in-law Aleksandr Voronchikhin.\nSince 2014, Dmitriy has been married to Irina, who shares his life position and moral foundations. The couple have been living according to biblical principles for many years and try to always treat other people with respect and kindness.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Dmitriy spent more than 8 months under house arrest and was obliged to live at the place of registration with his relatives. He said: \u0026quot;My wife took care of my family. We couldn\u0026#39;t spend as much time together as we used to.\u0026quot;\nDmitriy is supported by friends who come even from other cities. He recalls: \u0026quot;After the court hearings, they greeted me with applause, hugged me, gave me gifts, cards, and flowers and sweets for my wife and mother. It\u0026#39;s nice that such a large family is worried about you.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-10-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zakharevich/photo_hu_193bf26b11ae12ef.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zakharevich/photo_hu_58aa130050c02bf5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zakharevich/photo_hu_16323b83fffedaf1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zakharevich/photo_hu_486205c0cdc2b1be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zakharevich.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Zakharevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"*Text updated August 30, 2023\nOn August 28, 2023, the Urupskiy District Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic found 58-year-old Irina Perefileva guilty of extremism because of her faith. Judge Ida Uzdenova gave her a 5.5-year suspended sentence with a 2.5-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 8 months.\n\"My religious beliefs have nothing in common with extremism,\" Irina Perefileva said in court. \"My conscience is clear before the law, society and the state, because I did not commit the crime I am charged with.\"\nIn January 2021, in the village of Mednogorskiy, FSB officers raided the apartments of some believers, among them was Irina. After 10 months, her home was searched again. The Zelenchukskiy Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic charged Irina with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. This is how the investigators regarded the fact that Irina talked to others about the Bible and participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nPerefileva was placed under a recognizance agreement in October 2022. Also, she was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list; all her accounts and savings were blocked. She states: \"This delays the issuance of my pensions and creates inconvenience in paying utility bills and other services.\" Irina's disabled son and her elderly mother, who is 85, are dependent on her.\nThe investigation lasted a year and in November 2022 the case went to court. As the defense emphasizes, no evidence of the believer's guilt was provided. A key witness for the prosecution, a local resident, stated that she herself turned to Irina with Bible questions. She also stressed that she had never heard calls for any illegal activity from Irina. During the hearings, the judge attached to the case a letter received from Germany from Irina's fellow believers with a request not to punish Irina Perefileva for her faith.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nActive prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic has been observed since 2010. Four people have been made defendants in criminal cases. Two of them have already received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_fe9a79057d5e2c95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_23322cbbc921613f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_85a24e2f9e7bd981.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/281535/image_hu_e804f630c184034.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/281535.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court Gave Irina Perefileva from Mednogorskiy a 5.5-year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 28, 2023, Diana Sudorgina, judge of the Promyshlenniy District Court of Orenburg, found five Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and gave them suspended sentences from 2.5 to 3.5 years. The prosecutor had requested for them the same lenghts of terms, but in a penal colony. The believers deny being guilty of extremism.\nSergey Logunov, 60, was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 8 months and a 2-year probation period. The court gave 30-year-old Vladislav Kolbanov a 3.5-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 10 months and a 3-year probation period. Vladimir Kochnev, 42, was given a suspended sentence of 2 years and 8 months with restriction of freedom for 10 months and a 2-year and 2-month probation period. The judge gave 42-year-old Pavel Lekontsev a 3-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 10 months and a 2.5-year probation period. Nikolay Zhugin, 47, was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 8 months and a 2-year probation period. The judge placed all of the believers under a recognizance agreement.\nOn May 14, 2018, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case, interpreting friendly meetings of believers in a café as continuing the activity of a banned religious organization. After mass searches in the Orenburg Region, law enforcement officers sent Kolbanov and Kochnev to a temporary detention facility; the others were placed under recognizance agreements. Soon Kochnev ended up in a pretrial detention center, and Kolbanov was placed under house arrest. Kochnev spent about 3 months behind bars. After 1.5 years of investigation, the charges against the believers were reclassified to less serious ones.\nIn December 2019, the case was submitted to the Promyshlenniy District Court, but Judge Tatyana Gorbacheva did not find in the case any specific accusations against the believers, nor motives or objectives of the \"crime\". Therefore, the case was returned to the prosecutor's office and only more than a year later it was again submitted to the same court for consideration by Judge Igor Izmailov. The defense filed a motion to recuse him, and a new judge, Diana Sudorgina, entered the case. During the court hearings, forgery in the texts of transcripts and errors in expert studies were exposed.\nThe prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg on the basis of religion is in its sixth year. International organizations, human rights activists, as well as the Russian Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights have repeatedly expressed concern about repression for faith in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/281533/image_hu_703254d6d844257e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/281533/image_hu_c07640ac035853c0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/281533/image_hu_161b771da939a374.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/281533/image_hu_f014fd1a4ea189.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/281533.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"In Orenburg, Five of Jehovah's Witnesses Received Suspended Sentences of 2.5 to 3.5 Years for Meetings With Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 23, 2023, searches were carried out at two addresses in the city of Kovrov, as well as at one address in the village of Melekhovo. Law enforcement officers detained Aleksandr Popov, 36, and Mikhail Sveshnikov, 53; later they were placed under house arrest.\nA criminal case against Sveshnikov had been initiated a day earlier by Yu. Nikulin from the Investigative Department for Kovrov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vladimir Region. In his opinion, Mikhail \"took part in religious meetings\" and \"spoke at them\", which law enforcement officers groundlessly equate to participating in the activity of a liquidated legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nIt is still unknown in connection with which case investigative measures against Popov were carried out.\nIn the Vladimir Region, three more believers are facing criminal prosecution. Two of them have already been sentenced to prison terms, which the court considered being served during the investigation. The case of another believer is in the final stages of judicial investigation.\nRussian and foreign state, political and public organizations condemn the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_41c36af83b19be9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_6ab498ec224abc20.jpg","webp":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_32d3a14237150a0d.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_c41318f60a005889.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/300833.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":"A Criminal Case has Been Initiated","tags":["search","new-case","house-arrest"],"title":"In the Kovrov District of the Vladimir Region, Raids of Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Resumed.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 22, 2023, Marina Borzitskaya, judge of the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Novosibirsk, gave pensioner Tatyana Oleynik a 4-year suspended sentence for meetings with fellow believers, considering them \"participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\"\nTatyana Oleynik first experienced prosecution for her faith back in April 2019. Then, Tatyana's home was searched as part of a criminal case against several Jehovah's Witnesses from Novosibirsk. In November 2021, the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region initiated a case against Oleynik under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. At the end of 2022, the case went to court. The hearings continued for 8 months.\nAddressing the court at one of the hearings, Tatyana explained that she \"never carried out extremist activity and never committed actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity\". According to the believer, all her \"actions were peaceful and were determined solely by the motive of fulfilling the commands recorded in the Bible and exercising the right to practice and share her faith in the ways characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses\". The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAleksandr Seredkin, from whose case the case against Tatyana Oleynik was separated, was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment and is currently serving this term in a penal colony. The cases against two other fellow believers of Tatyana, Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina, were also made into separate proceedings and are still under consideration in another court in Novosibirsk.\nIn Novosibirsk, eight Jehovah's Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. One of them, Yuriy Savelyev, was recently released after serving his sentence in full.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_d9f24b0f77e7cd49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_ae0659a2186e5653.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_6d78955fb0af6489.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/230915/image_hu_7fcd68b35af24bc4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/230915.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-2","sentence"],"title":"Court in Novosibirsk Gave 71-year-old Tatyana Oleynik a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"According to the decision of the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court, on August 22, 2023, the verdict against Aleksandr Skvortsov, Vladimir Moiseyenko and Valeriy Tibiy entered into force: 7 and 6 years in a penal colony, and a 6-year suspended sentence, respectively. They maintain their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation proceedings.\nThe believers were convicted, for practicing their Bible-based beliefs. In the appeal it was noted that \"singing songs praising God, turning to God in prayer, discussing the Bible together\" — actions for which believers were charged of continuing the activity of an extremist organization — are \"a way of practicing religion, guaranteed by both national and international law\" and \"does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity.\" The lawyer stressed that the court did not provide any evidence that the defendants had a motive of religious enmity or hatred.\nThe defense pointed to a miscarriage of justice: \"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not a crime... The RF Constitution allows the convicted person to be a believer. Also, the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The RF Government publicly declares that the believers in Russia after April 20, 2017 have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nIn the Rostov Region, prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds has been going on for many years. Back in 2009, in Taganrog the local religious organization was banned. In 2011, a wave of searches in the homes of believers swept through the city. One of those who then became one of the defendants in the \"Case of 16\" was Aleksandr Skvortsov. Subsequently, the believers were given suspended sentences and fines. In 2020, Skvortsov served his sentence in full, but he has now been imprisoned based on similar charges. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights considered an application of a group of applicants, including those convicted in the \"Case of 16\". The ECHR concluded that the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses were groundless, and Russia should take \"all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and release imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nTo this date, 13 believers have been imprisoned in the Rostov Region, including 1 woman.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_2455600141d7181f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_dbeeb8332ce739e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_e21cb3418104ad5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/230917/image_hu_3d5b1592b6b47e1a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/230917.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Skvortsov Became a Prisoner of Conscience for a Second Time for His Religious Beliefs","tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 22, 2023, searches were carried out in at least two addresses in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and in the port city of Korsakov. Four people were detained for interrogation, after which law enforcement officers released them.\nEarly in the morning, law enforcement officers knocked on the door of Roman Gumenyuk, 39, and his wife. The believers opened the door, after which Sergey Nevidimov, senior investigator of the Korsakov Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Sakhalin Region, showed them the warrant for a search as part of a criminal case initiated under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization). The search took place in the presence of an armed law enforcement officer, a technical specialist and two attesting witnesses. Flash drives, laptops, tablets, as well as personal notes were seized from the believers. A search was also conducted in the car from which a phone was seized.\nThat same morning, law enforcement officers attended the home of the couple Yegor and Vera Bayevskiy. All electronic devices and storage media, a webcam, and a digital photo frame were seized. The search was led by senior investigator Marina Bykova. Law enforcement officers behaved respectfully, but they did not respond when Bayevskiy's wife complained of feeling ill and requested an ambulance be called.\nIn both cases, the searches lasted approximately 2 hours. Then the believers were taken to the Korsakov Investigative Department and interrogated.\nFive believers from the Sakhalin Region have already received suspended sentences for their beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/281526.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":"Believers Suspected for Discussing the Bible","tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"New Criminal Case and Searches on Sakhalin.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking about the criminal prosecution for faith, Tatyana Oliynyk noted: \"It was a great shock for me, deprived me of peace and a sense of security. But I am comforted and supported by the realization that my conscience is clear before God and people.\n","date":"2023-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/333.json","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Oleinik in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 23, 2023, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region completed the retrial of the case of Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov, who were charged with extremism for discussing Bible teachings. As a result, they were given suspended sentences of 5.5 and 4.5 years with a 5-year probation period.\n\"Judge Olga Klyuchnikova actually duplicated the previous sentence — earlier her colleague Mariya Tsimarno gave them suspended sentences: Oleg 5.5 years, and Agnessa Postnikova 5 years. In October 2022, a panel of judges of the Birobidzhan Regional Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. Despite the lack of evidence of the defendants' guilt, the prosecutor again requested the previous punishment for the Postnikovs.\"\nAgnessa stressed that not a single piece of evidence was presented at the trial of her or her husband, verbally or otherwise, humiliating someone or calling for any illegal actions. \"The covert video footage provided by the prosecutor's office, most clearly demonstrates the absence of a hateful motive,\" said Agnessa and continued: \"[One of the witnesses] assured the court that neither my husband nor I used offensive or degrading words, nor did we call for genocide or repression. And the main witness — I appeared before court because of having conversations with her — repeatedly confirmed that I did not try to involve her in the organization. Nevertheless, the prosecution continues to insist that this is what we did.\" Oleg Postnikov noted in his final statement: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are not criminals. We are simply following Jesus Christ's clear commandment to 'love one another.'\"\nThe charges against the Postnikovs were based on the testimony of police officer Zvereva and another resident of Birobidzhan, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, as well as on hidden video recordings of their conversations. Zvereva testified in almost all criminal cases of Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region is one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, where 21 believers have already received various sentences. Four of them are serving sentences in penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-18T09:08:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_673466c12f195768.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_6ec2d4e71ec5c6ec.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_812cbaebe38aeb17.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/180908/image_hu_54b394c9ab19fd25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/180908.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","retrial","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"Court in Birobidzhan Again Gave the Postnikovs Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 18, 2023, Yevgeniy Sergeyev, judge of the Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory, fined 50-year-old Aleksandr Sobyanin 494,000 rubles, 61-year-old Vladimir Poltoradnev - 638,000 rubles and 54-year-old Vladimir Timoshkin - 512,000 rubles, finding them guilty of extremism for participating in peaceful meetings for worship.\nThe believers did not admit their guilt; they repeatedly drew the court's attention to the fact that their activity was legal. “All my actions were exclusively peaceful and did not harm anyone,” said Vladimir Poltoradnev. A similar thought was expressed by Vladimir Timoshkin: \"In line with the beliefs I practice, for me it is unacceptable to promote any extremist ideas or incite enmity and hatred.\"\nThe criminal case was initiated by the Solikamsk Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Perm Territory in July 2020. Investigator Sergey Kanafyev charged the believers with organizing an extremist organization, pointing out that they \"participated in religious meetings... discussed issues and topics of a religious nature with followers.\" In Solikamsk, searches were carried out in several homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses. Aleksandr Sobyanin, Vladimir Timoshkin and Vladimir Poltoradnev were sent to a temporary detention facility by law enforcement officers. Later, Sobyanin's preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. Poltoradnev and Timoshkin spent two and three months under house arrest, respectively. Subsequently, they were also banned from certain actions.\nThe investigation lasted more than 2.5 years, and in April 2023 the case went to court. During the hearings, violations on the part of the investigation came to light. For example, as Sobyanin and Timoshkin stated, the prosecution presented as evidence of the believers' guilt audio recordings of wiretapping, in which not theirs but other voices are heard. Vladimir Poltoradnev said that he did not own the literature allegedly seized from him.\nWitnesses interrogated in court described the defendants positively. The former boss of Poltoradnev said this of him: “An excellent worker! There are no complaints about him!\" The believers were also positively described by their colleagues and neighbors.\nThe prosecutor requested 6 years imprisonment for Vladimir Timoshkin and Vladimir Poltoradnev, and requested that for Aleksandr Sobyanin Part 1 (organizing extremist activity) be replaced with Part 2 (participating) of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC and that he be sentenced to 3 years imprisonment. The verdict has not yet entered into force.\nIn the Perm Territory , 11 believers have already been prosecuted, 5 of them received suspended sentences, and 5 others received fines.\nThe UN Human Rights Council expresses concern about the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and draws attention to the fact that \"the actions of the state [to liquidate legal entities of believers] were motivated by a discriminatory goal: to stop the religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/171054/image_hu_bc00aa2a856c3e99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/171054/image_hu_8fc7a0a46ce5472.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/171054/image_hu_b6d3e1e74ce33f75.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/171054/image_hu_4048defa539695a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/171054.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court in Solikamsk Heavily Fines Three Jehovah's Witnesses for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 18, 2023, the Altai Territory Court granted the prosecutor's appeal against the verdict against Pavel Kazadaev, replacing the 3-year suspended sentence with 3 years in a penal colony for talking about the Bible. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. He has pleaded not guilty and can appeal the verdict.\nBefore the appeal ruling was issued, Pavel said: “I did not continue the activity of a banned organization. I wanted and still want to peacefully practice my faith together with friends, worship God, praise him, and learn his commandments and principles. If I stop doing this, then, in fact, I stop believing. I did not have extremist motives; I do not feel hatred or enmity towards other people, including people of other religions, therefore, my actions could not harm them. There are no victims in my case, and all my friends and relatives described me favorably.”\nPavel Kazadaev, 26, is the youngest Jehovah's Witness prosecuted in the Altai Territory. The European Court of Human Rights clearly stated in its decision: “The forced liquidation of all religious organisations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia... indicates a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses designed to cause them to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_429a864773d30391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_188d9fa4aae1c682.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_ebf934972d74d24d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/171051/image_hu_7f2451fb31e228f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/171051.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Barnaul Sentenced Pavel Kazadaev to Penal Colony for 3 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer expressed her firm belief that her beliefs were the only reason why she was in the dock: \"I am not guilty, and my religious beliefs have nothing to do with extremism. My conscience is clear before the law, society and the state.\"\n","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/331.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Irina Perefilieva in Urup","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer stated: \"I did not kill anyone, I did not steal anything from anyone, I did not commit financial fraud, I did not create some potentially dangerous situation for someone's life and health ... I was prosecuted solely because of my religion.\"\n","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/332.json","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Oleg Postnikov in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 6, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, chaired by Sergey Ivanov, upheld the sentence against Irina Mikhaylenko — she will have to pay a fine of 120,000 rubles. She was found guilty of extremism for reading the Bible and praying with friends.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer maintains her innocence and has the right to appeal in cassation proceedings. When addressing the court Mikhaylenko said: \" I haven't done anything illegal against the state, or against people, or against God.\" She added: \"I try to show respect toward other people, regardless of their religion, race, nationality or social status, so extremism is alien to me.\"\nPublic figures and some statesmen in Russia, as well as in other countries, have consistently expressed bewilderment at the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In their opinion, law enforcement agencies and courts should stop the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-16T09:28:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/171309/image_hu_e347e85d6abcb005.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/171309/image_hu_4017efbeb9775a49.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/171309/image_hu_58d6dab3fa28f780.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/171309/image_hu_d606d0df2565bf7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/171309.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld a Fine Given to Irina Mikhaylenko, 54 \u003cbr\u003e","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 15, 2023, Tatyana Kovaleva, judge of the Tayga City Court of the Kemerovo Region, sentenced Yuriy Usanov and Maksim Morozov to 3 years in a penal colony for their faith. But since the term is considered to have already been served while they were in pretrial detention, the believers were released. More than 60 listeners, who were admitted to the courtroom reacted to the decision with applause.\nThe believers faced prosecution on religious grounds in early April 2021, when the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass initiated a criminal case against Yuriy Usanov, charging him with holding meetings of believers via video conferencing. After the searches that took place the next day, Usanov was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center. After 4 months, Maksim Morozov was also put behind bars. According to him, the investigation presented them with video recordings of meetings at which the Bible was discussed and prayers to God were said, as proof of their \"involvement in extremism\".\nUsanov spent more than 2 years behind bars and Morozov - 2 years and 9 days. Yuriy Usanov was in solitary confinement for the last 9 months before the verdict. His wedding was scheduled for July 2021, and had to be held in the pretrail detention center. Officers of the Anzhero-Sudzhensk detention center said that such a thing “has never been seen here before.” The administration of the pretrial detention center allowed the newlyweds to talk for 5 minutes after the marriage was registered; following this Yuriy's wife, Irina, was not permitted to visit him for about a year.\nAfter almost a year of preliminary investigation, the case went to court. At the hearings falsifications were revealed: the testimony of two witnesses for the prosecution was identical, including even spelling errors; another woman stated that words she had not said appeared in her interrogation protocol. In court, she described the believers as kind, humble, and patient people. Despite this, the prosecutor requested 5 years and 2 months in a penal colony and 7 months of additional restrictions for Usanov, 31, and Morozov, 40. The verdict passed by the court has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nMaksim Morozov addresses the court with his final statement. August 2023 Yuriy Usanov and Maksim Morozov behind bars in the courtroom. August 2023 Irina and Yuriy Usanov outside the court. August 2023 Maksim Morozov and the Usanovs after the verdict announcement. August 2023 Friends who came to support Morozov and Usanov on the day of the verdict. August 2023 A few days before the verdict was passed, the state prosecutor reclassified the charge as participating in the activity of an extremist organization, having found no confirmation of actions of an \"organizational nature.\" This facilitated the punishment being mitigated and the speedy release of the believers.\nThe court found Morozov and Usanov guilty of committing the crime specified in Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC and sentenced them to imprisonment for 3 years with additional restriction of freedom for 6 months (not to change the place of residence or stay without the consent of a specialized state body exercising supervision, and also not to travel outside the territory of the city district without its consent — Tayga for Usanov, and Tolyatti for Morozov). The believers' period of detention was taken into consideration at the rate of 1 day for 1.5 days.\nTo date, 19 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 3 women, have been subjected to religious repression in the Kemerovo Region. Recently, a harsh sentence was passed against a believer with a disability, Andrey Vlasov. His illness worsens rapidly due to prison conditions. According to the law, he should not be detained.\nThe world community and the RF Supreme Court stated that \"the joint performance of rites and ceremonies [of Jehovah's Witnesses] does not in itself constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-15T14:53:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/151453/image_hu_d82d4d9ef96e6fd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/151453/image_hu_4655f03454d79874.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/151453/image_hu_53fd52627be6271.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/151453/image_hu_e769f8d1bf0f4dc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/151453.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Yuriy Usanov and Maksim Morozov Are Free","tags":["sentence","282.2-2","fabrications"],"title":"Court in Tayga Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses to 3 Years in a Penal Colony, but Considered the Term Already Served.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer noted that persecution for faith is not new, and drew attention to the persecution of Christ and his disciples. \"In our case, of course, we are not talking about the death penalty. But still, why should believers serve time in prison just because they worship God?\"\n","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/330.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Morozov in the Taiga","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer stressed that he is far from extremism and even extremist thoughts are unacceptable for him. He stated, \"I stand on trial because I learned in my life to love my neighbor as myself.\"\n","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/329.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Usanov in the Taiga","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last statement, the defendant said that all his life he had been looking for answers to his questions and how his life changed when he found them in the Bible, after which he concluded: \"And I sincerely cannot understand what is wrong with this and why I am being judged for it.\"\n","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/328.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"Defendant Alexander Sobyanin's last word in Solikamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 14 and 16, 2023, at least nine searches in homes of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in four cities of Crimea — Armyansk, Simferopol, Saki and Dzhankoy.\nIn Simferopol, a search took place at the home of Yekaterina Melniychuk. She became unwell and her husband's blood pressure rose. Yekaterina was informed that a criminal case had been initiated against her. She was interrogated and released under a recognizance agreement.\nDmitriy Zakharevich, son-in-law of Aleksandr Voronchikhin, a defendant in one of the cases for their faith in Simferopol, was also searched. On the same day, he received a ruling charging him as a defendant in a criminal case. Based on the motion of investigator V. A. Novikov, the court placed him and another believer under house arrest.\nIn Armyansk, law enforcement officers searched both homes of a believer. After that, he was taken for interrogation. In Saki, seven law enforcement officers in balaclavas, four of whom were armed, conducted a 2-hour search of the house of a 62-year-old believer. Electronic devices were seized from him.\nThe details of the searches in Dzhankoy are yet unknown.\nAt this moment, 25 residents of Crimea have been prosecuted for their faith. Six of them are serving their sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/180848.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"A Criminal Case has Been Initiated","tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","house-arrest","new-case","families"],"title":"In Four Cities of Crimea, Homes of Believers were Searched.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer stressed: \"I cherish a clear conscience before God and people. Therefore, I have never had a motive to commit what God hates, it is unthinkable for me to commit crimes either before God or before the state.\n","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/327.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Vladimir Poltoradnev in Solikamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer expresses his firm conviction that he is being prosecuted solely because of his religion: \"I am sure that I did not commit any crime, because I acted exactly as it is written in the Bible, without violating the laws of the state.\"\n","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/326.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Vladimir Timoshkin in Solikamsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Dmitriy Chausov was born in 1988 in Kursk. His grandmother was engaged in his upbringing. In his youth, he was fond of running; after school he graduated from a railway technical school. In 2012, he served in the army, then worked as a railway fitter, and later as a welder in the housing and utilities sector. In his free time, Dmitriy is engaged in viticulture—he has his own small vineyard.\nDmitriy met Oksana in 2012, and six months later they got married. Oksana is a master of manicure and pedicure. Since childhood, she was familiar with the Bible: her grandparents were believers.\nWhen Dmitriy began to read the Bible, he was especially touched by the teaching on the resurrection of the dead—he took the death of his grandmother hard. The desire to learn more about God prompted him in 2014 to devote his life to serving him. On the same day, his wife was baptized.\nIn December 2024, the court sentenced Dmitriy and Oksana to 2.5 years in a penal colony for discussing the Bible with fellow believers. Being in a pre-trial detention center. He could not take care of his wife and was also forced to interrupt treatment for a serious illness. Speaking with the final statement in court, the believer said: \u0026quot;It is very bitter and sad that we, who peacefully profess the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, were put on a par with real extremists who really encroach on the security of the Russian Federation and ruthlessly take the lives of many people.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chausov/photo_hu_76cfa9c41761a95b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chausov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chausov/photo_hu_85f4d0a696e81711.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chausov/photo_hu_1d08c6d60468b18c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chausov.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["families","health-risk"],"title":"Dmitriy Chausov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2024, the court sentenced Oksana Chausova and her husband Dmitriy to 2.5 years in a penal colony because of their faith in Jehovah God.\nOksana was born in June 1986 in the city of Shu (Kazakhstan). When the girl was 13, her father died. She was raised by her mother and stepfather.\nOksana\u0026#39;s youth was spent in the Kursk region. There she graduated from medical school with a degree in nursing. Before the criminal prosecution, she worked as a manicure and pedicure master.\nOksana got married in 2012, at the same time she moved to Kursk. Her husband Dmitry is a welder by profession, in his spare time he is engaged in viticulture.\nThanks to her believing grandparents, Oksana was familiar with the Bible from childhood, and when she grew up, she began to seriously think about what the meaning of life is, whether justice will be restored around the world. She found the answers to her questions in the pages of the Bible, and her trust in this book and in God grew. In 2014, Oksana and her husband embarked on the Christian path.\nAfter her arrest, Oksana lost her job, was separated from her husband, and began to have serious health problems. Her relatives do not understand how in modern society a person can find himself behind bars just because of his religious views.\n","date":"2023-09-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chausova/photo_hu_553174d6232e0e92.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chausova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chausova/photo_hu_8012977c2014aea0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chausova/photo_hu_84851f2b3eeaed7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chausova.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Oksana Chausova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Khorikov, a civilian resident of Surgut, together with his father, Yuriy, was involved in a criminal case for his faith. Law enforcement officers considered the man's beliefs to be extremism and in 2023 charged him under a criminal article.\nRoman was born in June 1988 in Surgut. As a child, Roman was fond of aviation, modeling from cardboard, plastic and other materials, and also loved to play football. He has a younger sister.\nAfter school, Roman graduated from the Surgut Oil Technical School, where he received a degree in auto mechanics. He worked as a sales manager for spare parts for special equipment, a mechanic, and more recently as a mechanic.\nFrom childhood, his parents instilled in Roman a love for God and biblical moral standards. Using the example of Jehovah's Witnesses, he saw what true love, friendship, and sincere fellowship are. In 2009, Roman embarked on the Christian path. Peace-loving convictions did not allow him to take up arms and learn to fight, so he did alternative civilian service in the Republic of Khakassia.\nIn 2020, Roman married Filiya. She shares his views on life. Filiya works as a graphic designer and makes jewelry. The couple love to play table tennis together, travel, go out into nature. Roman is still passionate about aviation: he collects scale models of aircraft, periodically flies on an airplane in an aviation club, and has an ultralight pilot's license. He also collects coins and plays the guitar.\nRoman said: \"For about 3 years before the indictment, I lived in stress and nervous tension, because I knew that my name appeared in the criminal case. Living in anticipation of a search, I didn't feel safe in my own home.\" Against the background of stress, the believer developed serious diseases related to immunity, and insomnia appeared.\nRelatives of the Khorikovs cannot fully believe that civilians can be accused of extremism.\n","date":"2023-10-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khorikov/photo_hu_d1fe9e6ae3e16071.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khorikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khorikov/photo_hu_ea7cfcc1a92d0b4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khorikov/photo_hu_7b73f341c1b4d36a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khorikov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Roman Khorikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Khurikov, a pensioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and a former employee of the economic security service, was prosecuted for believing in Jehovah God along with his son Roman.\nYuriy was born in 1967 in the village of Dolinskoye (Ukraine). He has a younger sister. Their father worked at the factory as a welder, their mother as a boiler room operator.\nIn his youth, Yuriy was fond of sports—he was engaged in boxing. After school, he entered the Novosibirsk Higher Military-Political Combined Arms School and graduated in 1988.\nYuriy has a rich track record: for two years he served as secretary of the Komsomol committee of the training ground in the city of Berdyansk; from 1990 to 1992 he served as assistant to the head of the political department of the Simferopol Military United School in Crimea; then worked for some time in the criminal investigation department; from 2006 to 2021, he worked in the economic security service of a bank in Surgut, from where Yuriy had to resign due to charges of extremism brought against him.\nYuriy met his future wife, Irada, when he was a student in Novosibirsk. He was a military cadet, and she was a student at the Pedagogical Institute. In 1987, the young people got married. Irada worked as a kindergarten teacher, then as a boiler room operator. The Khorikovs have two children. The eldest son is married, and the daughter is still in school. Both spouses are already retired. They love to walk, chat with friends in nature and solve Japanese crosswords.\nYuriy often thought about the meaning of life. His views changed after his acquaintance with the Bible. According to him, it was then that he felt peace and tranquility in his heart. In 2004, he followed his wife on the Christian path.\nThe coronavirus affected Yuriy's health, and the criminal prosecution and dismissal in connection with it added to the worries. The family tries not to lose optimism and support each other during this difficult time.\n","date":"2023-09-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khorikovy/photo_hu_d21581a2b04de39c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khorikovy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khorikovy/photo_hu_6ac92d0938bfbeb0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khorikovy/photo_hu_5bed9f945b494bd7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khorikovy.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yuriy Khorikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Kozhevnikova from Tolyatti suffered serious losses—her only son died at the age of 18, her marriage broke up shortly thereafter, and she later buried her parents. The criminal prosecution for her faith, which she faced in May 2023, was another test in her life.\nYelena was born in October 1961 in the city of Ivanovo. Later, her family moved to Tolyatti, where Yelena\u0026#39;s parents worked at the Volga Automobile Plant. As a child, she loved board and outdoor games, read with pleasure. After school, Yelena entered a sewing school, after which she worked for some time in an atelier, and then got a job in a department store. While working there, she graduated from the College of Soviet Trade in absentia.\nNow Yelena is retired, moonlighting as a maid and cleaner. She enjoys traveling, sewing and cooking. She takes special pleasure in communicating with friends.\nIn the late 1990s, Yelena got acquainted with the Bible. She recalls: \u0026quot;At first I didn\u0026#39;t believe that eternal life was possible. I argued a lot. But I still wanted to read the Bible to figure it all out. I was attracted by how Jehovah was going to solve the issue of injustice. He\u0026#39;s going to put an end to it.\u0026quot; In 1998, Yelena became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, her mother joined her in her Bible study.\nThe search and criminal prosecution for her faith dramatically changed Yelena\u0026#39;s life. She said: \u0026quot;Now I have to adapt to the new circumstances. I can no longer plan anything freely, because I don\u0026#39;t know what lies ahead. In addition, diseases have worsened. Yelena\u0026#39;s relatives consider the persecution against her to be groundless.\n","date":"2023-09-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_8e4e4c3cbc1a0df2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_f17ba5a6793445c7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_44abbeb35ecb142a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kozhevnikova/photo_hu_7b2e814e858b1909.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kozhevnikova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Kozhevnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For his faith in Jehovah God, a resident of Kursk, Nikolay Kupriyansky, was sent to a penal colony for 6 years. In July 2023, his house was searched, the man was placed in a temporary detention facility, and later under house arrest. Addressing the court with his last plea, he said: \u0026quot;I am charged under a serious article with falsified evidence, or without providing any evidence at all.\u0026quot;\nNikolay was born in November 1967 in Kursk. His parents and younger brother are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Nikolay loved sports—he was engaged in wrestling, shooting, skiing. After school, he graduated from the Oryol Commercial Institute, was engaged in entrepreneurial activities.\nIn 1985, Nikolay met Tatyana in the theater studio. A year later, they got married. The couple have an adult son and daughter who live separately. Tatyana is a teacher. She is fond of needlework, loves sewing, baking bread, making cheese, as well as cultivating a garden, especially growing strawberries. Nikolay has been fond of playing the guitar since his youth.\nIn 1997, the Kupriyanskys got acquainted with the Bible, and after 2 years of studying this book, Nikolay and Tatyana decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the spouses. Nikolay\u0026#39;s father died during the court hearings. The believer expressed his gratitude to the judge: \u0026quot;You always let me go when I needed to accompany my father to the hospital. Thank you very much for allowing me to bury him in a dignified manner.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-09-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kupriyanskiy/photo_hu_ef7e09ac8d6b293f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kupriyanskiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kupriyanskiy/photo_hu_692d5eb1ee575f32.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kupriyanskiy/photo_hu_69eefea0819d91ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kupriyanskiy.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Kupriyanskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Kirill Severinchik from Surgut was persecuted for his faith after his father, Artur. In 2019, during mass raids by security forces on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, they were severely beaten. More than four years later, the young man became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith.\nKirill was born in Surgut in March 1997. He has three sisters. His father worked as a crane operator and driver, his mother as a hairdresser.\nLike many boys, as a child, Kirill loved to ride a bicycle, solder, repair something. He was interested in the principles of operation of various equipment. This hobby influenced the choice of his future profession. He studied to be a locksmith for instrumentation and automation, as well as an electrician of the third category.\nSince 2018, Kirill has been working as an elevator electrician. In his spare time, he studies software, including 3D modeling, repairs electronic equipment and invents various devices. He generously shares his knowledge and helps his friends in maintaining and setting up equipment. Kirill also loves to spend time with his family and helps his parents around the house and in the country.\nParents from childhood instilled biblical values in Kirill, and when he grew up, he personally saw that the application of the advice from this book is beneficial and brings happiness. And the more he meditated on the skill of the Creator, the more grateful he was to God for the opportunity to create something himself.\nFaced with criminal prosecution, Kirill does not lose heart. He is supported by the example of his father and other Jehovah's Witnesses, who are also persecuted for their faith.\n","date":"2023-09-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/severinchikk/photo_hu_cad67c3427903cf7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/severinchikk/photo_hu_c82a61327543178c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/severinchikk/photo_hu_8312cebba32f5525.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/severinchikk/photo_hu_baf01eb1cb3d3c9c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/severinchikk.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Kirill Severinchik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shchetinin, an engineer by education, has been interested in natural sciences since childhood. Over time, he came to believe that all living things were created and decided to live by Christian standards. In June 2021, a criminal case was opened against the man, accusing him of extremism because of his religious views.\nAleksandr was born in August 1989 in Podolsk, Moscow Region. He has an elder sister. Their father is an economist, his mother is an electronic engineer. As a child, Aleksandr was fond of drawing, studied English, and was interested in exploring the world around him.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s mother had been studying the Bible since the early 1990s. Later, studying it on his own, the young man was impressed by how positive the impact of high moral standards is on people\u0026#39;s lives. He liked that those who study the Scriptures become better—kinder, more sympathetic. This prompted Aleksandr in 2007 to embark on the Christian path.\nAfter studying at the Moscow Agricultural Academy with a degree in garden and park construction, Aleksandr was drafted into the army. Guided by peaceful views, he completed alternative civilian service. The believer worked as an orderly in a psychiatric hospital in the city of Dubna (Moscow region). Later, he worked as a driver, then as a freight forwarder and dispatcher in a small private company.\nAleksandr has many friends, he often spends time with them, loves active games, sports, as well as hiking in nature.\nRelatives who do not share Aleksandr\u0026#39;s religious views are outraged by the persecution of this peace-loving man.\n","date":"2023-09-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shchetinin/photo_hu_d08cc1eae004a3d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shchetinin/photo_hu_eb2942ca825977c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shchetinin/photo_hu_3061a5dd764a5275.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shchetinin/photo_hu_516d0c36aa8ed738.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shchetinin.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Shchetinin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Yurenkova, a peaceful believer, was unexpectedly accused of extremism in May 2023. The reason was her beliefs—the woman has been studying the Bible for more than 20 years.\nYelena was born in 1970 in Tolyatti. She grew up surrounded by the warmth and care of her family. His father worked in a factory, his mother was a paramedic. As a family, they often rested outside the city in nature. Grandfather and grandmothers, despite their modest wealth, were always happy to welcome guests. They instilled hospitality and generosity in Yelena.\nEven in her teenage years, Yelena thought about the inevitability of death. A special blow was the tragic death of her cousin, whom everyone loved very much. The girl tried to find answers to her questions about God, reading Russian classical literature and later, studying at the institute—the works of philosophers. But, she said, she only got more confused.\nIn the late 1990s, Yelena decided to get acquainted with the Bible. She was impressed by God's purpose for the earth and people, and touched by the Bible's counsel to treat one another with kindness, understanding, and love. In 1999, Yelena made Christian norms her main life principles.\nYelena's husband, Yuriy, shares her views. The couple have been married since 2000. \"He takes care of me, we have many common interests: we like to be in nature, take pictures of beautiful places and animals, ride bicycles, listen to classical music,\" says the believer. The couple have a good relationship with their adult daughters.\nThe criminal prosecution causes bewilderment among Yelena's relatives and friends.\n","date":"2023-09-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yurenkova/photo_hu_a9645a52ecb257fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yurenkova/photo_hu_b619839b427ae84.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yurenkova/photo_hu_813a58cfca516ac7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yurenkova/photo_hu_3ce9daf47788f749.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yurenkova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Yurenkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On August 8, 2023, at least 6 addresses were searched in Kursk. Three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained. On August 10, the Leninskiy District Court of Kursk placed Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and Oksana Chausova, who needs surgical treatment, under house arrest, and her husband, Dmitriy, was sent to a detention center.\nThe search in the house of 55-year-old Nikolay Kupriyanskiy began at 6 a.m. and lasted about 9 hours. Apparently, a criminal case had been initiated against the believer on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC).\nThe law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal photographs and cards, various translations of the Bible, as well as a large amount of money set aside for the purchase of a plot of land. After the search, Dmitriy was sent to a temporary detention facility, and his wife, was taken to the FSB office for interrogation as a witness, which was conducted by assistant investigator Aleksandr Gorlov.\nSearches also took place at the homes of the married couple Dmitriy and Oksana Chausov, and Oksana's mother. The couple is suspected of participating in the activity of a banned religious organization (Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC).\nThe investigative actions were led by Maksim Zaitsev, FSB investigator for the Kursk Region. The search warrant presented to one of the believers indicated that the search was being carried out “in order to find and seize interactive devices with the help of which... persons who are among the target audience of the LRO of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Kursk)... participate in meetings with followers of the organization. Law enforcement officers also searched for religious literature in paper and electronic formats and certain “reports from members of the organization on the work done to improve themselves and disseminate the ideology of the religious teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the masses.”\nZaitsev had previously investigated a criminal case against Andrey Andreyev and four other believers from Kursk (the case was initiated in 2019 and the defendants have already served their sentences).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-08-08T18:10:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_6177356838740173.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_c857556a198bd47a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_7034c7ce6c79c2c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/111810/image_hu_b5318d3fd347f024.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/111810.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":"One Believer Sent to a Detention Center, Two Others Under House Arrest","tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","families","health-risk"],"title":"Series of Searches in Kursk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 8, 2023, the court of appeal overturned the verdict of 8 years imprisonment for 49-year-old Dmitriy Barmakin. The believer was released from the detention center under a recognizance agreement, and his case was sent for a new, already third, trial to the court of first instance.\nWhen Dmitriy was arrested in 2018, he spent more than a year in a detention center, and then another 2 years under a ban on certain actions. As a result of the trial, the Pervorechenskiy District Court of Vladivostok acquitted the believer. Judge Stanislav Salnikov noted: “Rights related to freedom of religion must be ensured regardless of whether a person is a member of any religious organization or not, in connection with which the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses must be ensured even after the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia dated April 20, 2017\".\nHowever, the prosecutor appealed this decision, and the court overturned the acquittal, sending the case back for a new trial. In April 2023, the court, comprising new members, sentenced Dmitriy Barmakin to 8 years in a penal colony. He was immediately taken into custody, and he again ended up in a detention center.\nDmitriy's wife, Yelena, is also being prosecuted under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC for her beliefs. The Pervorechenskiy Court of Vladivostok continues to consider the case against her and 9 other local believers.\nIn the first acquittal in the Barmakin case, the court noted that the believer “is subject to acquittal due to the absence of corpus delicti in the actions of the defendant” and “realized his right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Russian Constitution.” This decision was in line with the position of the European Court of Human Rights and the human rights community both in Russia and abroad.\n","category":"other","date":"2023-08-08T16:07:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/081607/image_hu_4e525e1beaeb3414.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/081607/image_hu_686d3a32ba53bdad.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/081607/image_hu_4cd1e3d50a1d8e9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/081607/image_hu_528eafb23b58e790.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/081607.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Primorye Territory Court in Vladivostok Overturned the Harsh Sentence Against Dmitriy Barmakin, Sending the Case for Review","type":"news"},{"body":"Criminal prosecution for his faith made life difficult for Maksim Barbazyuk from Tver—his accounts were blocked due to charges of extremism, the man had difficulties with work. The result of the trial against the believer was a harsh sentence—6 years in a penal colony.\nMaksim was born in October 1982 in Moscow. He has an elder brother. Their parents are retired.\nIn his youth, Maksim was interested in computers, loved to travel, kayak, and snowboard. After school, he graduated with honors from the Moscow Automobile College with a degree in Maintenance and Repair of Cars and Engines, after which he worked in the financial sector—at first he had his own business in the field of public procurement and sublease, then he ran a firm for financial consulting and assistance in lending to legal entities, and later worked as an electrician, fulfilling private orders, as well as cooperating with a large energy company.\nMaksim got acquainted with the Bible in 1993. He was impressed by the scientific and historical accuracy of this book, as well as the qualities displayed by believers, especially their love for one another. In 1996 he made the decision to become a Christian.\nFrom Moscow, Maksim moved for a while to Vyshny Volochyok (Tver region), then to the Dominican Republic, and then returned to Russia and settled in Tver.\nMaksim met his future wife Aleksandra while snowboarding with friends. They got married in 2022. Aleksandra works as an au pair. She decided to become a Christian in 2003 because she was attracted by the logic of the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings as well as the qualities displayed by Christians. Together, the couple love to snowboard, walk in the woods, travel and chat with friends.\nDue to the persecution for his faith, Maksim\u0026#39;s health problems worsened. His family and friends are very worried about what is happening.\n","date":"2024-09-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/barbazyuk/photo_hu_571e185579ba8e53.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/barbazyuk/photo_hu_525f59494f533d2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/barbazyuk/photo_hu_4edec1c5b1ad7dc8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/barbazyuk/photo_hu_491476c4392c5530.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/barbazyuk.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Barbazyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina became defendants in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God in May 2023.\nVasiliy was born in October 1996 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He has an elder brother and sister. Mother worked as a designer, graphic designer, was engaged in the manufacture of clothes, now retired. His father died in January 2020.\nVasiliy graduated from the medical college with a degree in General Medicine. He worked for four years in an ambulance, currently works as a district paramedic in a clinic.\nThe young man loves music since childhood, plays the piano in his free time and relaxes with friends in nature.\nFrom birth, his mother instilled Christian values in Vasiliy. Studying the Bible on his own, the young man became convinced that it was consistent with science and history. As a result, in 2014 he embarked on the Christian path.\nRelatives and friends of the Bondarevs wonder how these peaceful people can be accused of extremism.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondarev/photo_hu_e19e5fa9ede7c90c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondarev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondarev/photo_hu_54db447f65892114.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondarev/photo_hu_e3655a2326dd2fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondarev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vasiliy Bondarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A series of difficulties in Irina Bondareva's life began with the death of her husband, then she became seriously ill with covid, and soon the police invaded her—in May 2023, the woman's house was searched. Irina and her son Vasily became defendants in a criminal case because of their peaceful religious beliefs.\nIrina was born in 1961 in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She has an elder sister and a younger brother. His father was a cabinetmaker, his mother an insulator. Both parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Irina was fond of drawing and sewing clothes. Starting from the 6th grade, she sewed her own school uniform. She also loved to read, was enrolled in three libraries. In winter, she skated and sledded.\nAfter school, her father, who worked in a furniture shop, arranged for Irina to work as a veneer compositor. Later she moved to the city of Snezhny (Ukraine) and got a job at a factory as a graphic designer. Then, returning to her hometown, she continued to work as an artist in heating networks.\nIn the 1990s, Irina got married and gave birth to a son and a daughter. At work, she was laid off, so she decided to work at home, graduating from courses in machine knitting and embroidery. She also learned how to sew hats. At the end of the design courses, a personal exhibition was organized at the local art museum. Irina has been sewing hats as works of art for 10 years. Now, in her free time, Irina works at her summer cottage and still loves to read.\nIrina was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible. She recalls: \"I was always looking for God. I will never forget how one day I prayed fervently in the evening, and the next morning Jehovah's Witnesses came to me and left a book to help me learn about God. I read it in a day, checking it against my Bible. In my head, everything turned out like a picture from a puzzle. I realized that I had found the truth.\" In 1993, Irina decided to embark on the Christian path. Later, she was joined by her elder sister and mother.\nIn 1996, the Bondarevs had a son, Vasiliy. From childhood he was instilled with biblical moral standards, and at the age of 18 he also decided to become a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Irina's health. \"But most of all I worry about my son Vasiliy, because he may lose his job because of a criminal record,\" the believer complains.\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_3786f2d70deecf59.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_37bdec89f98093e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondareva/photo_hu_9676ef3867562cae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondareva.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Irina Bondareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, a criminal case was opened against Yuliya Globa, an English tutor, on charges of extremism.\nYuliya was born in March 1982 in the city of Svetlovodsk (Ukraine) in a family with mani kids—she has 4 sisters. His mother died in 2020, his father is retired.\nAs a child, Yuliya was active: she loved morning jogging, played football with friends, danced and music, learned a foreign language, rode a bicycle, loved to ride with her dad to the country.\nYuliya graduated from the pedagogical college with honors. Later, at the Pedagogical University, she received the specialty \"teacher of Russian, Ukrainian, English\" and worked at school as an English teacher for 6 years.\nIn 2003, Yuliya decided to live in harmony with Christian norms. The practicality of her Bible counsel, as well as her fulfilled Bible prophecies, inspired her to continue to study the Bible seriously.\nIn 2007, together with her two sisters, Yuliya moved to Russia, to the city of Unecha (Bryansk region). Here she began working as a private English teacher. Here, in Unecha, she met her future husband, Ernst, and in 2018 they got married.\nThe husband shares Yuliya’s views on life. He is engaged in construction work. In his free time he likes to play chess, football, listen to music. Yuliya herself is fond of planting flowers, and also takes care of a small vegetable garden. She, like in childhood, continues to run and rides a bicycle in the morning. The doors of the couple's house are always open to friends, they often have guests.\nThe criminal prosecution keeps Yuliya in suspense. The believer said: \"For 5 years of family life, we had 3 searches. Every search is a terrible stress... Still, my husband and I are not discouraged, but try to maintain a positive outlook on our current circumstances. She added: \"My family, friends, acquaintances are very worried. They are also outraged by what is happening and wonder why civilians are being unjustly persecuted.\"\n","date":"2023-09-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/globa/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/globa/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/globa/photo_hu_f03431046cfe0ae1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/globa/photo_hu_f03431046cfe0ae1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/globa.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuliya Globa","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2023, a peaceful believer Valeriy Klokov was prosecuted for his beliefs. He was sent to a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 2.5 months. Then he was under house arrest for almost a year. In 2025, the man was sentenced to three years in a penal colony.\nValeriy was born in August 1985 in the city of Ekibastuz (Kazakhstan). He has two brothers and a sister. In 1996, the family moved from Kazakhstan to Russia. The father is no longer alive, he has not communicated with his son since he was 7. Valeriy\u0026#39;s mother died of cancer when he was 14, and a month and a half later his stepfather left him.\nAs a child, Valeriy was fond of music and reading fiction, loved to compose and perform songs on the guitar. He graduated with honors from a secondary school and with honors from a music school in the accordion class.\nValeriy studied at the Altai Construction College and the Altai College of Architecture and Civil Engineering with a degree in plumber and welder. For several years after graduation, he worked as a shoe repairman, and until he was placed under house arrest, as a plumber.\nStudying the Bible, Valeriy became convinced of its historical and scientific accuracy, as well as the practicality of its advice. All this prompted him at a young age to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2004, Valeriy married Nataliya, whom he had known since adolescence. She has worked as a cook, salesman, and more recently in the field of keeping clean and order. Nataliya is fond of scrapbooking and soap making, and Valeriy still loves to read, write music and study vocals.\nThe criminal prosecution disrupted the usual way of life of the Klokov family. Valeriy lost his job and cannot provide for his family, as well as take care of his grandmother, who is already under 90 and needs constant care. She needs expensive medicines, and her pension is not enough even for the bare necessities. Nataliya\u0026#39;s health problems also worsened due to the persecution of her husband.\nIn his final plea, the believer said: \u0026quot;My faith does not make me an enemy of the state, it makes me a good citizen of it.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-10-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/klokov/photo_hu_7df205d10af81190.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/klokov/photo_hu_83b0c6552c514486.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/klokov/photo_hu_f7ec3ba26c086ad6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/klokov/photo_hu_27fcf4b09ee6a911.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/klokov.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Valeriy Klokov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful believer Aleksandr Kostyuk unexpectedly found himself involved in a criminal case for his faith—in July 2023, law enforcement officers came to him with a search.\nAleksandr was born in October 1972 in Potsdam (Germany). He has a younger sister. When the boy was 5, his family moved to Tver. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s parents are pensioners. His father took part in the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and is a disabled person of the II group.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of wrestling and athletics, and also loved fishing. After school, he graduated from a technical school, where he received the specialty of a mechanic for the maintenance and repair of cars. For some time after graduation, he served under contract in the Navy in the Black Sea. Later, Aleksandr worked in the field of interior decoration, and for the last five years before the criminal prosecution he worked as a disinfector.\nAleksandr met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses while serving in the army and continued to study the Bible when he returned home. He was impressed by the fact that believers live according to biblical principles and show love for others. In April 1994, he became a Christian, and later his sister joined him.\nAleksandr met his wife Alevtina in the same year, and three years later they got married. Alevtina has been familiar with biblical teachings since childhood, and she, like Aleksandr, decided to become a Christian in 1994. She especially liked God\u0026#39;s purpose for the earth. Alevtina works as a freelance employee in a construction company. She loves to knit, grow flowers and garden. Spouses like to go out into nature together with an overnight stay and sit by the fire.\nAleksander and Alevtina have three adult children. The elder sons work as masters of finishing works, and the younger daughter is a groomer. The sons already have their own families.\nThe criminal prosecution has created additional difficulties for believers. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s bank accounts and cards were blocked. His parents, who do not share their son\u0026#39;s religious views, are outraged by the unfair sentence. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s relatives and friends worry about him and support him in every possible way.\n","date":"2024-08-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kostyuk/photo_hu_89d0b1ce8fb5a61c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kostyuk/photo_hu_80121ebb18051725.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kostyuk/photo_hu_755df7b3cfc34712.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kostyuk/photo_hu_57605b48ea1a1fe4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kostyuk.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kostyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"When the house of Sergey Sachnev and his wife Ulita was searched in May 2023, the elderly couple experienced stress. Because of their beliefs, they became defendants in a criminal case on extremism.\nSergey was born in September 1951 in the village of Kavalerovo (Primorye Territory). He has two brothers and a sister. After graduating from school, Sergey worked as a driver until his retirement. He lived in Spassk-Dalniy and Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\nIn 1977, Sergey married Ulita, whom he met at work. They had two sons. The couple love to take care of the garden together. After retirement, they moved to the village of Khurba (Khabarovsk Territory).\nIn 2008, Sergey embarked on the Christian path after following his wife he became convinced of the authenticity of the prophecies from the Holy Scriptures.\nThe Sachnevs\u0026#39; children empathize with their parents who have been prosecuted for their faith.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_3ce238b7486c7e33.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_553c6b2cdb8e6a2b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_4543d3be2a4050b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sachnev/photo_hu_8b34a96a9f0b90ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sachnev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Sachnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, the house of Ulita Sachneva and her husband Sergey was searched, which caused the elderly couple to experience stress. Because of their beliefs, they became defendants in a criminal case on extremism.\nUlita was born in August 1954 in the village of Kirga, Birobidzhan district, Jewish Autonomous Region. She has two younger brothers. She got a secondary technical education, then worked as an elevator operator and painter at a construction site, then retired. In her free time, she loved to read books, and now her main hobby is taking care of the garden.\nIn 1977, at work, Ulita met her future husband Sergey. He worked as a driver and loved fishing. Together they raised two sons.\nAt different periods of her life, Ulita lived in Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur and the village of Khurba (Khabarovsk Territory), where the couple moved to take care of her mother.\nIn 1999, convinced that Bible prophecies were being fulfilled, Ulita embarked on the Christian path.\nThe Sachnevs\u0026#39; children empathize with their parents who have been prosecuted for their faith.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_ea7005051ce2c5a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_b0abee538eea9433.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_991d3cf170650a93.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sachneva/photo_hu_de92d0ee89b580d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sachneva.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Ulita Sachneva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2023, a pensioner from Tver region was prosecuted on religious grounds—a criminal case was opened against Valeriy Tolmazov. The result of the proceedings was a harsh sentence—6 years in a penal colony for the elderly believer.\nValeriy was born in December 1954 in the urban-type settlement of Novozavidovsky, Konakovo District, Kalinin (now Tver) Region. He has a younger brother and sister. When they were little, and Valeriy was not even 18, their father died. The elderly mother is currently in need of constant help.\nAs a child, Valeriy was fond of athletics: he was engaged in running and high jumping. After school, he graduated from the Kalinin Industrial Technical School, where he acquired the specialty \u0026quot;repair and maintenance of electrical equipment at the enterprise\u0026quot;. The man worked in this profession almost all his life.\nIn July 1977, Valeriy married Olga, whom he had known since childhood. Olga is a master of industrial training by profession. The couple raised a daughter who already has her own family. The Tolmazovs have a grandson.\nIn 2000, Valeriy began to study the Bible. He was convinced that this book was true by the fulfilled prophecies in it. The knowledge he had acquired prompted him to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses a year later.\nOver the years, the family lived in Novozavidovsky, in Dzerzhinsk in the Gorky region and in Odintsovo in the Moscow region. Later, the couple decided to return to their native village to take care of their elderly parents.\nThe Tolmazovs are retired. Radio electronics has been Valeriy\u0026#39;s hobby for a long time, and he continues to be fond of it. At the same time, he loves to learn something new and is mastering programming little by little. Olga likes to grow vegetables. Although Valeriy and Olga have different religious views, they live amicably. The criminal prosecution of her husband is a source of concern for the woman.\n","date":"2024-09-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_467a3181f8a7d257.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_374ef92c3dcdf1ff.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_195ed2aada3cb18c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolmazov/photo_hu_7e38833bb8c81737.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolmazov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Tolmazov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu\u0026#39;s father, grandfather and great-grandfather went through religious persecution during the Soviet Union, and now Viktor himself has faced persecution for his faith. In July 2023, after mass searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea, he became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism, and two years later, the court decided to send him to a penal colony for 6 years.\nViktor was born in June 1965 in the village of Semiskul (Kurgan region). He has an older sister. When the children were still small, the family moved from Siberia, where they were in exile, to Dzhankoy.\nIn his youth, Viktor was fond of photography, radio electronics, design, astronomy, and learned to play the accordion and guitar. He liked to read popular science literature and science fiction.\nAfter school, Viktor got a job as a handyman at a cannery, where he studied to be a turner, and later worked on the railway in an experimental workshop. He also worked as a milling machine, recently mastered the profession of scraper.\nIn his free time, Viktor likes to sing, draw, listen to music, watch movies with good acting and read about art.\nThe Ursu family has always valued biblical knowledge—his great-great-grandfather was the first to become interested in this book. Since childhood, Viktor believed in God and loved to watch his creations, he was amazed by their complexity, wisdom and beauty. In 1983, he was determined to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nViktor met his future wife, Marina, who also grew up in a family of believers, at a friend\u0026#39;s wedding. They got married in 1988. Marina worked as a seamstress in a garment factory, recently she has been repairing clothes, is fond of knitting and needlework, and she also likes to garden. The couple loves to travel together. They have a daughter, Lyubov, who also shares the religious views of her parents.\nThe criminal prosecution radically changed Viktor\u0026#39;s life. Due to stress and anxiety, he developed health problems. According to relatives, he worries that he has lost the opportunity to provide for his family but does not lose optimism. Numerous relatives and friends support Victor and his family.\n","date":"2023-09-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_42c9c5a0f721a139.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_ec9584bcc0da68ee.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_ff1998ec7fa29efc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ursu/photo_hu_adcdccf32ffbff8b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ursu.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Viktor Ursu","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of the village of Khurba, located near Komsomolsk-on-Amur, was accused of extremism—a criminal case was opened against pensioner Svetlana Zharkova for believing in God.\nSvetlana was born in 1964 in the village of Khurba, Khabarovsk Territory. She grew up in a single-parent family: her mother raised two daughters alone. As a child, Svetlana loved skiing and cycling, being in nature, going hiking with classmates or walking in the forest. After school, Svetlana graduated from medical school, and worked in this field until her retirement.\nSvetlana is married and has two adult sons who live separately. There are already grandchildren whom the woman helps to take care of.\nSvetlana\u0026#39;s interest in the Bible arose in 2001. Then she, along with her mother, who is no longer alive, began to read this book. At the time of initiation of the criminal case, Svetlana was not one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. She likes to communicate with believers, she appreciates their respectful, sincere and kind attitude towards each other and others.\nThe criminal prosecution and the possibility that Svetlana could end up behind bars because of her beliefs caused anxiety in her family.\n","date":"2023-08-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_449ae8ebbfef3dd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_72c54d2ef846b424.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zharkova/photo_hu_898293db384c9c01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zharkova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Zharkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On August 7, 2023, Yuriy Klyupa, judge of the Yugorskiy District Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area—Yugra completed the consideration of the case of Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov and acquitted them. The believers were found not guilty of extremism. The prosecutor requested the court sentence Sorokin to 9 years, and Zhukov — 8.5 years in a penal colony.\nIn August 2020, a series of searches took place in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. A total of 16 people were interrogated; Sorokin and Zhukov were sent to a temporary detention facility, and a day later they were released under a recognizance agreement. A criminal case was initiated against them under Article 282.2(1 and 1.1) of the RF CrC (organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it). For 15 months, this criminal case was investigated by the Investigative Committee for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area—Yugra. In November 2021, it went to court, which considered the case for 1 year and 9 months.\nAfter the criminal prosecution began, Sorokin and Zhukov were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, practically depriving them of the opportunity to provide for their families — Ivan Sorokin, 45, has two children, one of whom is a minor, and Andrey Zhukov, 50, has two minor children, the youngest child is not yet 3 years.\nThis is the third acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses by Russian courts in cases under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. In November 2021, the Pervorechenskiy District Court of Vladivostok found Dmitriy Barmakin not guilty, and in June 2022, the Porkhovskiy District Court of the Pskov Region fully acquitted Aleksey Khabarov. Unfortunately, both of these acquittals were overturned, and each case was sent for a new trial; as a result Dmitriy Barmakin was sent to a penal colony for 8 years in April 2023.\nAnother acquittal was issued in October 2020 in the case against Yuriy Zalipayev under Article 280(1) of the RF CrC (public calls for extremist activity), who was later awarded compensation for unlawful criminal prosecution. In criminal cases against another 21 believers, the charges were dropped.\n","category":"victory","date":"2023-08-07T14:23:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/071423/image_hu_b4f48c53fcfa5b22.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/071423/image_hu_8fa4b6e444abda7a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/071423/image_hu_20445ed2d79e440d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/071423/image_hu_8c005f3a8178e551.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/071423.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors","282.2-1","sentence","acquittal"],"title":"Court in Yugorsk Acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 3, 2023, Irina Vlasova, judge of the Dzerzhinskiy District Court of Yaroslavl, found 4 Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism: 47-year-old Andrey Vyushin and 57-year-old Petr Filiznov were given a 6.5-year suspended sentence; 40-year-old Aleksandr and 35-year-old Mariya Kuznetsova were given a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe court imposed as additional punishment a 6-month restriction of freedom on the Kuznetsovs. Filiznov and Vyushin were given restriction of freedom for 1 year with deprivation of the right to hold leading positions in public and religious organizations for 4.5 years.\nIn the spring of 2021, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yaroslavl. Andrey Vyushin, the father of a young child, as well as Petr Filiznov and the Kuznetsovs were detained. For discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs, Vyushin and Filiznov were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the Kuznetsovs — of participating in its activity. All four believers spent 3 months in a detention center, and then another 2 years under a ban on certain actions.\nThe criminal case against the residents of Yaroslavl was investigated by the Investigative Committee for more than a year; it went to court in August 2022. Judge Irina Vlasova heard the case for over 10 months with short breaks due to the illness of Aleksandr Kuznetsov, who was fighting cancer. The prosecution used the testimony of secret witnesses, but the defendants pointed out that their statements did not correspond with the facts. Other witnesses said that they had not heard from the defendants calls for the overthrow of the state system, the breakup of families or other extremist statements.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed, as the believers maintain their innocence. They emphasize that thanks to the Bible they have become useful members of society. Thus, Mariya Kuznetsova said: “Only love for God and people moves Jehovah’s Witnesses to meet together, read his Word, the Bible, meditate, discuss Bible questions, pray, sing spiritual songs and change for the better.” According to her husband Aleksandr Kuznetsov, the charge is completely contrary to the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which states that a religious event in itself is not an illegal activity. “The RF Supreme Court did not forbid me to be a believer, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses… Faith in the living God Jehovah and worshiping him are not evil acts or extremism,” he stressed.\nAccording to the ruling of the ECHR, “only religious expressions and actions that contain or call for violence, hate or discrimination may serve as grounds for suppressing them as ‘extremist’.” Despite the absence of signs of extremism in the actions of believers, the authorities continue the mass prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-03T13:44:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_8fe144edb1493178.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_7ef69b504cbf58df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_bca20e7ea412598b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/041344/image_hu_3b098ce0b963610d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/041344.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","families","minors","disability","secret-witness"],"title":"Court in Yaroslavl Punished Three Men and a Woman With Suspended Sentences of 2.5 and 6.5 Years For Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 3, 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court upheld the conviction of Sergey Malyanov, his daughter Svetlana, as well as Roman Zhivolupov and Oleg Konshin for attending a get-together with fellow believers. The court additionally prohibited the believers from holding any positions in religious and public organizations for 2 years and 11 months.\nAs the primary punishment, Sergey was fined 700,000 rubles, Svetlana – 545,000 rubles, Roman – 500,000 rubles, and Oleg – 450,000 rubles.\nSpeaking before the court of appeal, Roman Zhivolupov noted: \"For the entire time that the case was being considered, the prosecution did not give a clear answer as to what I did wrong, nor did they provide any evidence.\" Sergey Malyanov drew attention to the fact that, at the gathering held, they danced, sang children's songs and played games. The believer was perplexed: “Is buying sausage, cheese, fruit and water for the entertaining evening, financing an extremist activity? [...] The question arises: what if we again want to rent a room for a party? What then, from the point of view of the prosecution, should I do in order not to fall under criminal prosecution? Obtain a certificate that this event has nothing to do with the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia or the liquidated local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses? If yes, where can I get it? Or did the decision of the RF Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from spending time with friends? Neither from the prosecution, nor from the court of first instance, have I heard an answer”.\nDespite the fact that the European Court of Human Rights has exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, local law enforcement agencies and courts continue to repress believers solely for their religious views.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/041315/image_hu_16bdf65008512d8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/041315/image_hu_f0b3307426edb1ef.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/041315/image_hu_f4e3f3152bceb5b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/041315/image_hu_75321e53a3b31d1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/041315.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"They Were Fined a Total of More Than 2,000,000 Rubles for Their Faith","tags":["fine","appeal","families","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Upheld the Primary Punishment Against Four Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 3, 2023, Denis Dneprovskiy, judge of the Bikin City Court, found Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov guilty of extremism. They were fined for their faith: Olga – 300,000 rubles and Sergey – 500,000 rubles.\nIn November 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region initiated criminal cases against Sergey Kazakov and Olga Mirgorodskaya. He was charged with organizing and participating in extremist activity, while she was only charged with participating. About a month later, in December, a wave of searches swept through the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk Territory. According to the believers, during the raid, the law enforcement officers searched everything, including trash cans and cat litter trays.\nAt the time of the searches, Sergey Kazakov was in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – he went there to care for his mother following her stroke. Immediately after the searches, he was transferred from Kamchatka to the Khabarovsk Territory and placed in a detention center. Sergey spent 165 days in custody and over 2 months under house arrest.\nThe investigation lasted 1 year and 3 months, after which the case was referred to the court. The prosecution did not provide evidence of the believers' guilt, and all that was clear from the case materials is that Mirgorodskaya and Kazakov believe in Jehovah God. Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested that Sergey be sentenced to 6 years and 2 months imprisonment, and Olga be given a 4-year suspended sentence.\nDuring the court hearings, Olga stated: “In my case, the prosecution, by threatening criminal punishment, is unlawfully trying to force me to go against my faith and conscience. I did not commit a crime, but only used my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live according to my religious beliefs.”\nSergey said: “Having established that I am a believer, the public prosecutor groundlessly substituted the understanding of exercising the citizens' right to freedom of religion [...] with the understanding of criminal activity, regarding which I consider this criminal case to be politically motivated repression.”\nA group of friends came to the courthouse to support the believers. August 2023 In total, 18 criminal cases have been initiated in the Khabarovsk Territory against 35 Jehovah's Witnesses. The sentences for 10 believers have already entered into force.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists clearly condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international human rights and European Union law expert, states: “Jehovah's Witnesses... have been facing increasing persecution... in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia's commitments to international law and its own constitution.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/041529/image_hu_34a58907c81e864d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/041529/image_hu_4671e440c4b6f3c0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/041529/image_hu_dd2670312be2ed9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/041529/image_hu_1a2bf989803369d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/041529.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov Sentenced to Heavy Fines","tags":["fine","minors","sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Two More Residents of the Khabarovsk Territory Convicted for Their Faith in God.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 1, 2023, Angelina Sviderskaya, judge of the Khabarovskiy District Court, found Lyubov Ovchinnikova, 64, and Lyubov Kocherova, 65, guilty of extremism. They were given a 6-year suspended sentence and 1.5 years restriction of freedom with a 3-year probation period.\nBefore the announcement of the verdict, the prosecutor had requested that the court send the believers to a penal colony for 6 years. During the closing arguments and in their final statements, the defendants resolutely denied being guilty of extremism. Lyubov Ovchinnikova said: “I have nothing to do with violence or extremism. This is completely alien to me... I adhere to the principle of loving my neighbor”.\nThe case against the pensioners from the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye, Khabarovsk Territory, was initiated by the Investigative Committee in May 2022. Prior to this, FSB officer Stanislav Martyn, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, associated with the women for 2 years. According to the investigation, these conversations should be regarded as involving others in the activity of a banned organization and participating in it.\nDuring the hearings, the defendants stated that Martyn's actions were inducement prohibited by Article 5 of the Law on Operational-Investigative Activities. According to Kocherova, she was taking driving lessons, during which the instructor constantly asked her about the Bible. The believer explained: “There was definitely no coercion [to any religious activity]. During the conversations, my only goal was to answer Martyn's questions.\" Lyubov Ovchinnikova also stated: “Kocherova and I did not persuade Martyn to do anything, and did not recruit him... We were simply discussing the Bible with him at his own request.”\nThe believers also stressed that peaceful conversations about the Bible cannot be considered a crime. “The ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses does not mean that after 2017 I was obliged to change my religion, stop studying the Bible or telling people what I myself learn from the Bible. Following the logic of the charges, it means that if, for example, a sewing factory was liquidated in a certain city, then all women in Russia are now prohibited from sewing, and any attempts to sew clothes for themselves or their friends will be regarded as illegal activities,” Lyubov Kocherova explained.\nThe case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova is linked to the case of Valeriy Rabota who lives in the same village. It is being considered by the same judge, and the charges are based on the testimony of the same FSB agent Martyn.\nTo date, 172 women practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Five of them are serving sentences in penal colonies and two are in pretrial detention centers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_8f28f0da119c2ab5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_fa911acb381c219.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_fc0085e3d069cf18.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/020828/image_hu_e0093879bf4d5dc2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/020828.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court in the Khabarovsk Territory Gave Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer said: \"Although I was put on a par with extremists and terrorists, I consider myself innocent, since I have never committed any violent or dangerous acts either against people or against the state.\"\n","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/325.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Kocherova in Knyaz-Volkonsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Lyubov told the court about her peaceful Christian lifestyle and shares how faith helped to cope with adversity: \"Hope from [the Bible] gave me the strength to survive the unexpected death of my husband, then the death of my 21-year-old son.\" She adds, \"I'm not ashamed of my faith, even though that's why I'm being judged.\"\n","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/324.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Ovchinnikova in Knyaz-Volokonsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In May 2023, Mikhail Dorofeev learned that a criminal case had been opened against him under an extremist article. His house was searched. The reason for this persecution was the peaceful religious beliefs of the man.\nMikhail was born in July 1965 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he lived all his life. He has an elder sister. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Mikhail loved to ride a bicycle and a moped. After school, he received a secondary specialized education. He worked in the police, as a mechanic at a metallurgical plant, as well as in the housing and communal services sector. He is now retired. In his free time, he likes to master the computer.\nIn 1986, Mikhail married Tatyana, who is also retired. Together, the couple raised a daughter, she lives separately from her parents.\nMikhail received from the Bible the answer to the question of why people die, and also learned the Bible's teaching about the possibility of living forever in paradise on earth. This prompted him to embark on the Christian path in 1997. After 10 years, Tatyana joined him. She was attracted by the wisdom of biblical counsel.\nMikhail said: \"The criminal prosecution divided my life into before and after. I am not left with a feeling of anxiety. Also, against this background, chronic diseases have worsened”. The daughter, who does not share the religious beliefs of her parents, is outraged by what is happening and tries to help them.\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_833312e321fd9216.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_f827075d14118318.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_1b99de7d8f3a73a2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dorofeev/photo_hu_9e579b07997ac747.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dorofeev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Dorofeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 25, 2023, the homes of the believing spouses Nikolay and Marina Kovadnev were searched with the participation of riot police, after which Marina, who suffers from cancer, deteriorated sharply. She passed away 2 months later.\nNikolay was born in 1960 in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory) in a family of workers. He has a younger brother. In childhood and adolescence, Nikolay loved to fish and ride a motorcycle.\nAfter graduating from the institute, in 1983, Nikolay moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur. For some time he lived in Vladivostok. Nikolay worked as an accountant in various software maintenance firms. Now he is retired, he likes to take care of the cottage: grow vegetables and berries, make preparations for the winter.\nAt the age of 35, Nikolay became interested in the Bible. From it he learned a great deal about God. He was particularly impressed by the fact that most of the world's inhabitants can read this book in their native language. In 1995, the man embarked on the Christian path.\nIn 2012, Nikolay married Marina. By that time, they had known each other for several years. The spouses have no joint children. Marina shared her husband's views on life. She was fond of drawing and making crafts, she gave her works to friends.\nNikolay's relatives do not understand why he was prosecuted.\n","date":"2023-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_31c9a669cf650cef.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_822f9b7a1c2cd519.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_49670fa6f2df1fcc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kovadnev/photo_hu_94df58b9206256cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kovadnev.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kovadnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, after a series of searches, Ivan Nikitin learned that he had become a defendant in a criminal case for his faith. Law enforcement officers accused him of extremism because of peaceful talk about the Bible.\nIvan was born in January 1976 in Amursk (Khabarovsk Territory). He has an elder brother and a younger brother and sister. The parents have been dead for a long time. From the 5th grade of school until graduation, Ivan was fond of rifle shooting.\nAt the school, Ivan received the profession of a welder, after which he worked as a plumber. Two years later, he got a job in his profession, and in 2000 he moved to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he continued to work as a welder. In his free time, Ivan likes to fish on mountain rivers, embroider, grow grapes in the country.\nIvan met his future wife at work. They got married in November 2008. The Nikitins have an adult son. Galiya is a plasterer-painter by profession. In her spare time, she loves to grow flowers.\nIn 2007, Galiya began to study the Bible. After some time, Ivan heard a familiar name—Jehovah. He once recognized it from a movie. So Ivan became interested in what is written in the Bible. Having received answers to questions that had long worried him from this book, in the spring of 2009 he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRelatives were worried about the fact that due to criminal prosecution, the believer could be left without work and lose the opportunity to provide for his family financially, but the management at work treated Ivan with understanding.\n","date":"2023-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nikitin/photo_hu_d27ff196cab96375.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nikitin/photo_hu_d09299ce4029ce27.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nikitin/photo_hu_e7554a113c811876.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nikitin/photo_hu_45a50de0ccf5f121.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nikitin.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Ivan Nikitin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, Radion Shitov, an educational psychologist who has been working with children with disabilities for many years, was accused of extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nRadion was born in 1972 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The parents are no longer alive. In his youth, Radion loved to play football, was fond of playing chess.\nAfter school, Radion graduated from the Pedagogical Institute, where he received the profession of an educational psychologist and a biology teacher. For some time he worked in his specialty at school, but most of his life—in kindergarten.\nIn the 1990s, Radion began to study the Bible and, as a biologist, became convinced that the diversity of the living world and the complexity of human and animal organisms testify to the existence of a Creator. In 1998, he firmly decided to embark on the Christian path.\nAfter 3 months, Radion married Yana. She shares his views on life. Yana works as an administrator in a hairdresser. In her spare time, she likes to make cards, crafts and skate. The couple has an adult daughter, whom they raised in the spirit of Christian values. She reads a lot and is interested in history, writes stories and is fond of photography. The family loves to spend time together: play board and other games, relax in nature.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the whole family. Radion said: \"After the search, the usual rhythm of life was lost. I've been stressed for a while and I'm still on my toes.\" Relatives and friends of the Shitovs are worried about Radion.\n","date":"2023-09-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shitov/photo_hu_2e300a9febcaf9d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shitov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shitov/photo_hu_81b4931d9e5b7a44.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shitov/photo_hu_c36a12f54ed264f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shitov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Radion Shitov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, Marina Voytko, a resident of the village of Molodezhniy, faced criminal prosecution because of her belief in Jehovah God—armed security forces came to her with a search.\nMarina was born in 1965 in the village of Stariy Olov (Chita Region). Together with her parents, she moved to the village of Molodezhniy, Khabarovsk Territory, where she still lives. His parents were agricultural workers.\nAs a child, Marina loved to draw, play with peers, ride a bicycle. After the 8th grade, she entered the school, where she received the profession of a builder. She worked in a kindergarten, and before retirement she worked for some time in the housing and communal services sector. In her free time, Marina still enjoys cycling and spending time in nature. She has three adult sons and two grandchildren. They all live separately.\nIn her youth, Marina experienced a tragedy—her one-year-old son died. The young woman had a question: why did God allow this? Years later, she found the answer in the Bible. Marina found hope for the resurrection of the dead and the meaning of life. In 2005, she firmly embarked on the Christian path.\nDue to criminal prosecution, changes took place in Marina's quiet life. Because of the search, the woman experienced stress. Children worry about her and try to support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2023-09-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_4e027b2a6419d162.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_bf3c5c6f1eadf3ef.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_cf6c894794365b37.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voytko/photo_hu_403ce8f45c98fe56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voytko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Marina Voytko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 29, 2023, the family home of 37-year-old Valeriy Klokov was searched in Barnaul. Law enforcement officers detained the believer for 48 hours, after which the Oktyabrskiy District Court placed him under house arrest. On August 2, raids took place at two more addresses.\nLaw enforcement officers arrived at the Klokovs at lunchtime. Communication equipment, a laptop, flash drives, passports for travel abroad, personal notes and cards were seized. The search lasted approximately 2 hours. Then Valeriy was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory.\nYevgeniy Kozyuchenko, senior investigator for investigating especially important cases, who had previously initiated the criminal prosecution of Pavel Kazadaev, charged Valeriy Klokov with a crime under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization). The investigation believes that since 2021, Klokov and other unidentified persons “carried out actions to support the existence of the local religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses Barnaul, including by holding conversations in order to promote the activity of this organization and participating in events held by representatives of the organization\". This is how law enforcement agencies interpret conversations on Bible topics between fellow believers.\nSo far,six Jehovah's Witnesses in the Altai Territory have been repressed by the authorities for their peaceful beliefs. Two of them - Andrey Danielyan and Pavel Kazadaev - have been sentenced.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_947dc7e0f5f68c90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_73c0f0de456d043.jpg","webp":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_8aa4f932f69f3d33.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_f0775ec321e7e27e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/091530.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"One Believer Placed Under House Arrest","tags":["search","new-case","house-arrest"],"title":"New Searches Carried Out at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Barnaul.","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Sobyanin from the city of Solikamsk faced criminal prosecution for his faith on the eve of his wedding. The beginning of the believer's married life was marked by a search and interrogation.\nAleksandr was born in June 1973 in the city of Krasnovishersk, Perm Territory. His father worked as a driver of heavy road equipment, and his mother worked as a kindergarten teacher. Aleksandr was the eldest child—he has a younger brother and sister.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of aircraft modeling and wood carving, loved to ride a bicycle and a motorcycle. After school, he worked in a model shop at a paper mill. Recently he worked as a blacksmith on hammers and presses.\nAt the age of five, Aleksandr was worried about the question: why would every person have to die in the end? Later, he found the answer in the Bible. He was impressed by what he learned and decided to embark on the Christian path in 1992. His parents and younger brother share Aleksandr’s views.\nWith his first wife, Aleksandr lived in Solikamsk. They had a daughter together. Her mother died when the girl was only ten years old. In 2020, Aleksandr remarried. His second wife, Mariya, is a nurse, massage therapist and fitness instructor. She loves to sing, dance and train. Mariya shares Aleksandr’s views on life.\nIn his free time, Aleksandr goes skiing, going to the pool and traveling. Together with his wife, he loves to cook food from different countries, sing karaoke and skate.\nFaced with criminal prosecution, the couple experienced stress. They recall: \"Our life is no longer stable. For several weeks we could not relax and sleep peacefully. We no longer felt safe in our apartment.\"\nRelatives and work colleagues could not believe that Aleksandr had been charged with extremism. Some offered to speak in his defense. \"Reading the Bible is not a crime,\" said one of the relatives, who does not share the beliefs of Aleksandr and Mariya.\n","date":"2023-08-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sobyanin/photo_hu_975009cd66c32460.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sobyanin/photo_hu_dd8643b5d781673f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sobyanin/photo_hu_de439bab5662e809.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sobyanin/photo_hu_b3865158f1f6d03c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sobyanin.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Sobyanin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, a year after the mass searches in the Kuban that affected at least 51 people, law enforcement officers initiated a criminal case against Viktor Spirichev simply because of his faith.\nViktor was born in 1980 in the village of Samoded (Arkhangelsk Region) in a family of railway workers. He has a younger half-sister. His elder brother died.\nAfter school, Viktor graduated from the courses of railway foremen, worked as a fitter on the railway, as a sales assistant, and then became an individual entrepreneur. Recently, he has been self-employed in the field of construction and repair. As a hobby, he grows vegetables.\nFrom 1998 to 2000, Viktor served in the military. After the army, he began to study the Bible, as he wanted to do the right thing and avoid mistakes in life. Viktor concluded that this is possible through obedience to God, so in 2002 he decided to dedicate his life to him and become a Christian.\nIn 2009, Viktor married Larisa. She is a nurse but has not worked lately because she is a disabled person of the disability group two. Her stepfather, Vladimir Kolesnikov, has also faced persecution for his faith. The couple shares common values that unite their family. Together, they love traveling and discovering new places.\nHaving been prosecuted, Viktor experienced stress, and his family does not understand why their loved one had to face this.\n","date":"2023-08-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spirichev/photo_hu_7f7980b9cf653716.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spirichev/photo_hu_c41787b3d02236de.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spirichev/photo_hu_b32107a3fa9ea917.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spirichev/photo_hu_c6c26acf138db065.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spirichev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Viktor Spirichev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 28, 2023, law enforcement officers invaded the home of a family of believers in the town of Dzhankoy. Viktor Ursu, 58, was detained. On August 9, after 2 weeks in a detention center, the Dzhankoy District Court decided to place him under house arrest.\nViktor's elderly parents live with him. Aleksandr Ursu, 83, who had been exonerated as a victim of Soviet repression, was mistreated during a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in 2018.\nThe \"inspection of the premises\" (in fact, a search), which was carried out by 11 law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons, began at 6 a.m. Viktor and his wife were not allowed to get dressed for some time. The law enforcement officers refused to show their identity cards and seized all electronic devices and storage media.\nViktor Ursu was detained and taken to a temporary detention facility in Dzhankoy. His wife was not allowed to see him or provide him with necessary things like food and medicines.\nImmediately after the completion of the operational actions, friends and acquaintances came to support the family. They helped tidy the house after the search, brought food, and provided emotional support to their fellow believers.\nOn August 7, Viktor Ursu was released from the temporary detention facility, but then was immediately detained again. He was taken to the local Department of the Investigative Committee, and then back to the temporary detention facility. On the same day, the investigator issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Viktor Ursu under Article 282.2(1) of RF CrC.\nIn the 1940s, Aleksandr Ursu's father, uncle, and grandfather were exiled to labor camps because they were Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1947 only his father returned from exile, and with a serious injury. In July 1949, the Ursu family, including 9-year-old Aleksandr, were loaded into cattle cars and along with thousands of other believers sent to permanent exile in Siberia.\nLater, Aleksandr Ursu was repeatedly subjected to various forms of pressure from the state security agencies, including searches. On May 21, 1991, the believer was rehabilitated in accordance with the decree \"On additional measures to restore justice for the victims of repressions that took place in the 1930's and 1940's, and into the early 1950's\".\nRehabilitation certificate No. 23 was issued to Aleksandr Ursu on June 17, 1991. Then in November 2018, when the believer was already 78, law enforcement officers again broke into his house, pressed him against the wall, and handcuffed him. At the time searches in the homes of other local believers were carried out as part of the criminal case against Sergey Filatov, who was later sentenced to 6 years and is now serving time for his faith in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_a40cecf496601106.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_59b3c42f7ba1668c.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_3fcbebbe31916c7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_ec97b38ee75f388c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/101538.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Viktor Ursu, 58, Was Placed Under House Arrest After 2 Weeks Behind Bars","tags":["search","ivs","elderly","families"],"title":"A Family of Believers From Crimea Has Been Subjected to Religious Repression for the Third Time.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2023, Dmitriy Kirillov, judge of the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region, sentenced Boris Simonenko to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment; the period of his pretrial detention and other preventive measures are counted toward this term. The believer remains at liberty, but will be subject to a number of restrictions for 1 year.\nThe criminal prosecution of Simonenko — the first of three Jehovah's Witnesses in Kovrov whom the FSB suspected of extremism — began in February 2021. Boris's house was searched. He was charged with organizing the activity of a liquidated religious association. This is how the investigation interpreted him giving Bible talks.\nThe elderly man was sent to a detention center, where he spent almost 5 months, of which 4 were in the \"press cell\" (a room where other people are placed specifically to put pressure on the arrested person) with two former police majors. One of them is Vasiliy Voskoboynikov, convicted of organizing torture in a detention center. Boris recalls: “They forbade me to lie down, sit, including at the table during meals, doused me with cold water at night, preventing me from sleeping, scattered my things and food, defaced my dishes and screamed constantly.” According to the believer, during this period he was greatly supported by letters from relatives and fellow believers from all over the world. In July 2021, Simonenko was placed under house arrest, and 6 months later, the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions.\nThe prosecutor requested the court to imprison Boris Simonenko in a penal colony for 6 years. The charge against the believer was based on secret recordings of telephone conversations between him and his wife, as well as screenshots from a computer screen showing believers communicating with each other via video link. During the hearings Aleksey Kupriyanov and Roman Adestov — two fellow believers of Boris Simonenko — were interrogated. Kupriyanov's case is being heard in the same court. In June 2023, Vasiliy Safronov, judge of that court, sentenced Adestov to 1 year in a penal colony.\nIn his final statement, Boris said: “[During the unfair criminal prosecution] my wife and I came to appreciate the support of loyal friends and of God even more; we realized how blessed we are. We don't feel like victims. On the contrary, my faith and the faith of my family became stronger.” He added: “The amazing endurance of our brothers and sisters greatly strengthens me. Especially the example of Valentina Baranovskaya, an elderly [woman] who withstood all [persecution] and emerged victorious. I realized that I'm also bound to endure.”\nIt is noteworthy that in June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the ban on their activity unlawful, and ruled that the criminal prosecution of believers be stopped and that those in prison be released.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_ef77c85366742b4d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_ab1a5ea803221953.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_667c8a58d9ede321.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/010818/image_hu_1e28fbddb4c951e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/010818.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":"Court Considered His Term Already Served","tags":["elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Boris Simonenko, 68, Was Given 2 Years and 7 Months Imprisonment for His Faith in Jehovah.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2023, Stepan Sergeev, judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia, fined Maksim Amosov, Nikolay Leshchenko and Dmitriy Ravnushkin 500,000 rubles each, and Mikhail Gordeev 450,000 rubles. They were found guilty of extremism for participating in religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe believers disagree with the verdict. In court, they emphasized that the meetings for worship were exclusively peaceful in nature and were \"driven by the motive to fulfill the commands recorded in the Bible.\"\nThe criminal case was initiated by the FSB division for Karelia in July 2019. In the same month, a raid took place in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Petrozavodsk. Several believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC). A recognizance agreement was taken from Maksim Amosov, and later also from Nikolay Leshchenko. Within three months, new defendants appeared in the case: Mikhail Gordeev and Dmitriy Ravnushkin. FSB officers searched their places of work. They were placed under a recognizance agreement.\nThe first court hearing took place in October 2021. However, six months later, the judge was replaced and the proceedings began anew. As emphasized by the defense, the position of the prosecution was untenable. Thus, contrary to the allegations of the prosecution, a linguistic expert study proved that in the conversations of the believers \"there are no statements regarding the superiority or negative evaluation of one person or group of persons over other people on religious grounds.\"\nTestimonies from witnesses for the prosecution were favorable toward the defendants — they were characterized positively, praised for their professionalism, peacefulness, responsiveness and willingness to help. The director of the institution in which Amosov worked, said about him: “You can rely on him one hundred percent. I have never seen a better employee.”\nAccording to the convicted persons, despite the difficulties that the criminal prosecution has created — bank cards being blocked, some being fired from work — they try to maintain a positive attitude. Nikolay Leshchenko said, fellow believers provided particular support to his family: “Some traveled more than a thousand kilometers to encourage us and bring food.” Mikhail Gordeev said: “Although my family and I are distressed due to the unfair treatment, we realize that we are being prosecuted only because of our faith. As a result, it only gets stronger.”\nThis is already the second conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in Karelia. Human rights activists condemn religious repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The European Court of Human Rights found these prosecutions groundless and unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/310905/image_hu_1e62af714f27d72f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/310905/image_hu_f5d667a53662f824.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/310905/image_hu_cca952456a46f0f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/310905/image_hu_61dd54eced0d1bc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/310905.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine"],"title":"Court in Petrozavodsk Fined Four Jehovah's Witnesses for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer relies on the common sense of the judicial system and its impartiality: \"During this trial, I constantly have to prove that I am not a criminal ... a man who does not deserve to be punished... My religious views directly contradict hatred and enmity.\"\n","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/318.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Boris Symonenko in Kovrov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 27, 2023, the panel of judges of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Vadim Fedorov — a 6-year suspended sentence for reading and discussing the Bible, which law enforcement agencies and the court deemed \"organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\"\nBefore the appellate ruling was issued, the believer highlighted the absurdity of the charges: “Extremist motives in my actions have not been proven. All of my actions were solely exercising my right to practise my faith with others, as guaranteed by Article 28 of the RF Constitution.”\nIn the spring of 2023, the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region found Vadim guilty of extremism. According to the prosecution, during meetings for worship, believers should not read even the non-prohibited literature of Jehovah's Witnesses; they should not use the vocabulary generally accepted in this religion or discuss beliefs. Fedorov appealed the verdict, calling it contrary to the law, but the regional court did not satisfy this appeal. The verdict has entered into force but the believer has the right to appeal it in cassation procedure.\nVadim preparing for the hearings. July 2023 Vadim Fedorov with his wife Lyubov on the day of the hearing. July 2023 The verdict and the appeal ruling run counter to the decision of the RF Supreme Court Plenum, according to which meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC.\nTo date, 14 Jehovah's Witnesses have become defendants in criminal cases in the Chelyabinsk Region; 11 of them, including elderly women, have already been given suspended sentences and fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-27T15:37:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/281537/image_hu_c6a1504209160863.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/281537/image_hu_20e5459c94308f01.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/281537/image_hu_cf7ea05a6185f908.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/281537/image_hu_f7792eb98cea2712.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/281537.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Suspended Sentence for Vadim Fedorov, Father of Five From Asha","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 27, 2023, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upheld the verdict and the appeal ruling against Aleksandr Nikolayev, a resident of Kholmskaya – 2.5 years in a penal colony. However, the court canceled the additional restriction of freedom following the main term imposed on the convicted person.\nOn December 23, 2021, the Abinskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory found the believer guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization for peacefully practicing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses and sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal upheld this decision.\nIn the cassation appeal, the defense drew attention to significant violations of the norms of the Criminal and Criminal Procedural Codes which influenced the outcome of the case. Thus, no evidence was presented in court that the convicted person had committed any unlawful acts or that his behavior was of a socially dangerous nature. In addition, there is no evidence whatsoever that Aleksandr Nikolayev had the intent to commit a crime or a motive to incite hatred or enmity, while exercising his right to freedom of religion.\nDue to religious persecution, Aleksandr has been separated from his family and behind bars since September 2021. His release from the penal colony is planned for the end of September 2023.\nAleksandr Nikolayev participated in the cassation court hearing via videoconference from the penal colony. July 2023 Yevgeniya, Aleksandr Nikolayev\u0026#39;s wife, travelled to Krasnodar to hear the court\u0026#39;s decision in her husband\u0026#39;s case. July 2023 According to Aleksandr, friends and other caring people help him to stay positive: “Because of our difficulties, fellow believers began to write to us from all over the world and sent parcels. One woman from America sent vitamins.”\nRussian human rights activists and the global community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and criminal prosecution for their faith has been declared as unlawful by the ECHR.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-27T09:17:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/040917/image_hu_4deaede350013373.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/040917/image_hu_6e791317ce039db.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/040917/image_hu_7530fbb57601fa21.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/040917/image_hu_37b72823b47440b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/040917.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","mitigation"],"title":"Court of Cassation in the Krasnodar Territory Left One of Jehovah's Witnesses Aleksandr Nikolayev Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2023, Sergey Klimov was released from the penal colony where he served a sentence for his faith in Jehovah God. Sergey's relatives and many friends met him with flowers and posters. During the prosecution the believer spent a total of 5 years behind bars.\nSergey was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center back in June 2018 after searches in the city of Tomsk. In April 2020, when the court of appeal upheld the verdict — 6 years in a penal colony — Klimov was transferred to Astrakhan Penal Colony No. 8. Since 1 day in pretrial detention counts as 1.5 days in a penal colony, Sergey spent 3.5 years in the penal colony after the verdict was announced.\nDuring his imprisonment, Sergey's eyesight deteriorated. In October 2020, doctors discovered that he had a serious lung condition, and the believer spent 1.5 months in a medical correctional facility.\nYulia Klimova meets Sergey at the checkpoint Sergey Klimov with his wife Yulia, daughter and son-in-law Sergey Klimov\u0026#39;s friends celebrate his release Gifts for Sergey Klimov Sergey Klimov with his friends after his release Friends and relatives meet Sergey Klimov outside the penal colony Sergey was not allowed to see his wife during his first 9 months behind bars. Until then, they could only talk over the phone. Sergey received hundreds of letters from fellow believers from different cities and countries.\nAt present, 127 of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (including 7 women) are imprisoned for their faith. The ECHR and human rights activists from different countries call on the Russian Federation to stop mass repressions against believers.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-07-26T16:41:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/261419/image_hu_235ac941e50975a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/261419/image_hu_654bd8b84f95902a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/261419/image_hu_8d9455a70696a9fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/261419/image_hu_b6012ef78462797a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/261419.html","regions":["tomsk","astrakhan","volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","282.2-1"],"title":"Sergey Klimov Released From Penal Colony in Astrakhan; He Has Served His Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the believer appealed for justice, prompting the court not to determine guilt only by his religious beliefs. He stated: \"Everyone who really knows me as a person understands that my way of life is far from extremism and that I am being judged solely for my faith.\"\n","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/319.html","regions":[],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolai Zhugin in Orenburg","type":"docs"},{"body":"Comparing the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with the persecution of the first Christians, the believer noted: \"I think it is obvious to everyone present where and in whose capacity Jesus Christ would now be here in court ... Whatever the court's decision, I am determined to continue to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ!\"\n","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/316.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Lekontsev in Orenburg","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last statement, the believer drew attention to the fact that he was being tried not for some extremist actions, but for his faith in God, and that the prosecution throughout the trial proved not that a crime had been committed, but that he professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/317.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Logunov in Orenburg","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court about the laws of love of the Creator, by which Jehovah's Witnesses try to live, so he concluded: \"Everything related to extremist motives is unacceptable, absurd and ridiculous to me. What the prosecution attributes to me is completely contrary to my Christian principles.\"\n","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/315.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Kochnev in Orenburg","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 25, 2023 the panel of Judges of the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, chaired by Igor Konyaev, upheld the verdict and its appeal decision against six believers from Gukovo. All of them are already serving their terms in penal colonies.\nAleksey Goreliy, Oleg Shidlovskiy, Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Dyadkin, Vladimir Popov and Yevgeniy Razumov were sentenced to 6.5 to 7 years imprisonment. This harsh sentence against Jehovah's Witnesses was handed down by Judge Natalya Batura of the Gukovo City Court in September 2022. The believers ended up behind bars in August 2020, immediately after investigators initiated a criminal case against them and searched their homes.\nThe court of appeal upheld the verdict of the court of first instance and the believers filed an appeal with the court of cassation. It says: “Law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of illegal activity committed by the believers. Even... [during surveillance] nothing was recorded to assert that... Jehovah's Witnesses commit or call for illegal acts. Also, not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activity of the believers.”\nThe defense reminded the court of thedecision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, in which it confirmed that the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses consisting solely in the exercise of their right to freedom of religion, do not constitute a crime. The court ignored the arguments of the believers and their lawyers.\nThe estimated date of release from the penal colony of Oleg Shidlovskiy and Aleksey Goreliy is November 2025. The rest of the believers should be released in May-June of 2026.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-25T14:53:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/281453/image_hu_d09c99ec345cb783.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/281453/image_hu_e66634eeccf906c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/281453/image_hu_8e02599539b1618.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/281453/image_hu_bab2e2f3c28f2fa6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/281453.html","regions":["rostov","krasnodar","lipetsk","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Krasnodar Confirmed Verdict Against Six Jehovah's Witnesses From Gukovo: from 6.5 to 7 years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 24, 2023, searches were carried out in Tver in three houses of local residents who practise the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case under an article for extremism was initiated against 40-year-old Maksim Barbazyuk, 50-year-old Aleksandr Kostyuk and 68-year-old Valeriy Tolmazov.\nThe law enforcement officers began the raid at 6 a.m. Electronic devices were seized during the searches. According to the believers, the law enforcement officers behaved appropriately.\nBy 3 p.m., the three men were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Tver Region, where they were told that on June 29, 2023, a criminal case had been initiated against them. Investigator Maksim Prusakov questioned the believers about their religious views. The interrogations continued until 11 p.m.\nThe ruling to initiate a criminal case states: “Kostyuk, Barbazyuk and Tolmazov continue to carry out extremist activity by holding in-person and online meetings (videoconferences).” This is how the investigation interpreted the peaceful actions of the believers who discussed what they read in the Bible with their families and friends.\nThis is not the first case of prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tver Region. In July 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr Starikov and Sergey Naumenko.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/270815.html","regions":["tver"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tver Searched and Criminal Case Initiated Because of Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer expressed his conviction that this trial helped many to understand that he and his fellow believers are peaceful citizens.\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/355.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Zhukov in Yugorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court about how the Bible changed his life for the better, but because of his faith, he ended up in the dock. He concluded: \"This criminal prosecution has ruined my reputation ... But I still believe that justice will be restored and my name will be cleansed of shame.\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/323.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Ravnushkin in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told how the Bible changed the lives of his acquaintances for the better, and said: \"If the decision is made to imprison me, I will not stop preaching ... Because Jesus Christ said, 'Go and make disciples of the people.'\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/349.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivan Sorokin in Yugorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer revealed to the court the essence of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The Bible does not teach extremism, on the contrary, it teaches the opposite - it encourages moral purity and shows how to change for the better, gives strength to do the right thing and reveals the best aspects of a person's personality.\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/320.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maksim Amosov in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word in court, the believer told the story of his life and summed it up: \"What do they want to punish for? For becoming a good person? What do I need to correct then? Is it better to return to the way of life that I led before, before acquiring my faith? Isn't that absurd?\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/321.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Gordeev in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Mykola Leshchenko drew attention to the biblical commandment: \"Let every soul be obedient to the highest authorities\" and noted that this \"commandment obliges [him] to be an obedient citizen.\" He concluded: \"I am not being persecuted for a crime, but for my faith.\"\n","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/322.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Leshchenko in Petrozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution of Maksim Khamatshin, an electrical fitter, began in the summer of 2023. In 2025, he was sentenced to six years in a penal colony.\nMaksim was born in June 1996 in Siberia, in the city of Biryusinsk (Irkutsk region), in the family of a doctor and a railway worker. As a child, he loved to play football. For a long time he went skiing, was fond of collecting postage stamps.\nAfter school, Maksim graduated from the Kansk Polytechnic College, having received the specialty of an adjuster of control and measuring devices and automation. He worked in a brick factory, and before his imprisonment he worked as an electrician as a self-employed.\nThe biblical norms instilled by his mother touched Maksim\u0026#39;s heart, and in his teenage years he began to deeply study the Bible on his own. \u0026quot;It was bitter for me to see when people suffer,\u0026quot; Maksim recalls. \u0026quot;But I learned from the Bible how God will make people\u0026#39;s lives easier.\u0026quot;\nPeaceful views prompted Maksim to undergo alternative civilian service (ACS) instead of military service—he worked as a nuese in the surgery unit of the Chelyabinsk Regional Hospital from 2017 to 2019.\nIn Chelyabinsk, Maksim met his future wife Adelina, and in August 2019 they got married. His wife shares his views on life and has been familiar with Bible teachings since childhood. Adelina works as a pharmacist. The couple has many common hobbies: they love to spend time with friends, play board games, have picnics in nature and sing songs. Maksim still goes in for sports, loves football, volleyball, skiing and is fond of studying construction technologies.\nThe criminal prosecution had a strong impact on both the couple—they no longer felt safe in their own apartment. Parents and other relatives consider the sentence unfair. Maksim\u0026#39;s mother had an aggravated chronic illness due to her worries.\nMaksim and Adelina do not lose heart and, according to them, felt the great support and love of their friends. In his final plea in court, Maksim added: \u0026quot;It is a great honor for me to be one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. And no persecution can force me to renounce my convictions.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-08-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khamatshin/photo_hu_dcab789102f297d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khamatshin/photo_hu_cbfc1a123d81d14f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khamatshin/photo_hu_3fc4a6bcb4661f10.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khamatshin/photo_hu_f6d1f8e0c063adde.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khamatshin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Khamatshin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"As a child, Anton Virich realized that hatred and cruelty were unacceptable for him, so he quit the aggressive sport. However, in July 2023, Russian law enforcement officers accused him of extremism. Because of his peace-loving convictions—faith in Jehovah God—the man ended up in a pre-trial detention center, and in the spring of 2024, the court sentenced him to 6 years in prison.\nAnton was born in 1980 in Pervouralsk (Sverdlovsk region). He has an elder sister. When Anton was 6, his father sent him to judo classes. Five years later, the boy decided to leave this sport, as it contradicted his kind and sensitive nature. Often, the coach forced him to fight not only with boys, but also with women, in order to \u0026quot;see everyone as an enemy.\u0026quot; Such views were unacceptable to Anton.\nHe also attended art school, liked skiing, dousing himself with cold water, and once took part in a city running marathon. In addition, Anton liked to do carpentry. At the construction school, which he graduated with honors, the young man learned to be a welder and went to work at the factory. Then he worked as a sales manager, and later was engaged in the decoration of apartments.\nAnton, having met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, saw how the Bible changes people for the better, and delved into the study of this book. Loving God, he and his mother decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, their father joined them.\nIn June 2007, Anton married Liliya, who shares his views on life. What attracted her to the Bible was common sense, logic, and practicality. The couple love to walk together in nature, read books and paint oil paintings. Anton still loves sports—running and strength training.\nThe criminal prosecution and imprisonment of Anton affected the emotional state of the whole family. The believer\u0026#39;s mother shared: \u0026quot;We are outraged by the attitude of the authorities towards our son. We brought him up according to high moral standards. He always showed love and kindness to us and others, was sensitive and attentive, responsive to other people\u0026#39;s pain and problems, law-abiding, honest person. And we don\u0026#39;t understand why our son is being prosecuted.\u0026quot; Anton\u0026#39;s mother-in-law emphasized: \u0026quot;This is unfair! He is a wonderful, kind, gentle and sympathetic person! I know that Anton suffers not for a crime, but for his faithfulness to God. No matter what happens in the future, I am confident that my son-in-law will withstand any test with dignity.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-08-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/virich/photo_hu_c3c000ea31e4d7d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/virich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/virich/photo_hu_7a8859c57993a260.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/virich/photo_hu_e3af1a2774bf9e9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/virich.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"title":"Anton Virich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The investigation accused Lyudmila Zinina of extremism for participating in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her daughter Irina is being prosecuted on similar charges.\nLyudmila was born in 1951 in the village of Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory). She has a younger sister. Their mother worked as a primary school, labor and physical education teacher, and their father worked in the construction industry.\nAs a child, Lyudmila was fond of basketball and wrestling. She was no stranger to quieter leisure activities - she loved drawing. After school, she learned weaving, and also mastered the specialty of a general nurse. She worked by profession in a medical institution, now she is retired. In her spare time, she likes to grow flowers.\nLyudmila became interested in the Bible by her grandfather, who was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 1999, she also decided to become a Christian. To this she was prompted by reflections on the personality of the Creator and the wonders of nature.\nLyudmila lived in different cities: Krasnodar, Nebit-Dag (now Balkanabat, Turkmenistan), Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan), Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Maikop (Krasnodar Territory). Later, Lyudmila moved to the village of Zarya (Crimea) to take care of her mother.\nIn 1973, the believer married Pyotr, with whom she had three children — a son and two daughters. The son died as an adult.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Lyudmila's health. Her husband tries to support her as best he can.\n","date":"2023-08-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_82f8eee77970534a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_adeeb50beddc4708.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_8c11edae2cbb02c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zinina/photo_hu_1c03fed854a40e5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zinina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Lyudmila Zinina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Irina Zinina is a peaceful believer from the Krasnodar Territory who was persecuted for her peaceful religious beliefs. In February 2022, her house was searched, and later the woman became a defendant in a criminal case under an extremist article.\nIrina was born in November 1987 in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). She has an elder sister. Their elder brother died. His father is a civil engineer, and his mother, Lyudmila Zinina, has worked as a nurse all her life. She also became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith. Irina is attached to her parents; she likes to help them and take care of them.\nDuring her life, she managed to master several specialties: she learned to be a dressmaker-cutter, saleswoman, boiler room operator, builder and programmer. Irina worked in all these areas for some time. In addition, she gained little experience as a junior nurse. Since childhood, Irina has been fond of dancing. She also enjoys reading, growing flowers and growing vegetables.\nIrina began to study the Bible at a young age, following her mother, who developed a love for God and the Bible in the 1990s. Over time, Irina herself decided to embark on the Christian path.\nAccording to the believer, her health deteriorated because of the persecution. She also temporarily lost her part-time job. \u0026quot;Dad tries not to show it, but he is worried,\u0026quot; the believer shared.\n","date":"2023-08-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zininai/photo_hu_1081d86f847a96a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zininai/photo_hu_d9d43e899941e38.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zininai/photo_hu_757c8403ee18b76f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zininai/photo_hu_e1f69cf25303f2fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zininai.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Irina Zinina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 20, 2023, a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court, chaired by Tatyana Lukyanova, upheld the verdict against 38-year-old Aleksandr Filatov. The father of two young children has already been transferred to the penal colony No. 31 in the village Industrialniy (Krasnoyarsk).\nFilatov was convicted on charges of \"organizing the activity of a banned extremist organization\", but in fact for discussing the Bible with his fellow believers. He still maintains being not guilty of extremism and has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation procedure. In his appeal, the believer stated that the court violated his rights guaranteed by Article 28 of the RF Constitution: \"I committed the actions underlying the conviction within the framework of freedom of religion.\"\nThe defense pointed out that the court did not apply the explanations of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, according to which believers have the right to hold meetings for worship if they do not contain signs of extremism. Aleksandr Filatov stated: \"The presence of extremist goals and motives in my actions has not been proven. The verdict does not quote any extremist statements.\"\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has been going on for more than six years and is gaining momentum, despite condemnation from the world community. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory alone, 30 believers are facing criminal prosecution for their faith. Almost half of them were already sentenced: five have been sent to a penal colony, four have been given suspended sentences, and three have been fined.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/08/310921/image_hu_212d617ab31de321.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/08/310921/image_hu_4f24bdadc9502098.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/08/310921/image_hu_c06032d2b92e0db7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/08/310921/image_hu_4b9d2d503976b3c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/08/310921.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","minors","282.2-1"],"title":"The Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Confirmed the Sentence of Aleksandr Filatov - 6 Years in Prison for Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2023, Yuriy Savelyev was released from Penal Colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory; he has fully served his sentence. Dozens of friends came to meet the believer.\nSixty-nine-year-old Yuriy Savelyev is one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia whose criminal prosecution for his faith has been dragging on since 2017. The elderly believer was under covert video surveillance. In November 2018, a criminal case was initiated against Yuriy, and in the same month, he ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for more than two years until the verdict was announced. In December 2020, the court sentenced Savelyev to six years in a penal colony. Since one day of pre-trial detention counts as one and a half days in a general regime colony, Yuriy actually spent 760 days in a correctional facility after the verdict.\nHe served this term in Rubtsovsk. The administration of the colony, on far-fetched grounds, repeatedly subjected the believer to harsh conditions—a punishment cell and a cell-type room. Yuriy spent a total of nine months in such conditions. In addition, the believer was sent for compulsory \"medical treatment,\" which he did not need. In the fall of 2021, Yuriy's son died. In the spring of 2023, Savelyev had a severe case of pneumonia.\nSavelev was supposed to leave the colony on March 25, 2023. However, on the basis of a court order, his detention was extended until July 19 of the same year. The defense does not agree with this decision and continues to appeal against it.\nDespite these difficulties, Yuriy did not become discouraged while waiting for his release. He says that prayer and reading the Bible were of great help. He was also encouraged by letters of support from all over the world: Savelyev received about 20,000 letters during his imprisonment.\nSo far, 126 of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have been sentenced to actual prison terms for their faith, 69 of whom have been in prison. In total, more than 2,000 searches have already been conducted in the homes of believers in Russia, and more than 730 people have faced criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-07-19T09:43:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_e99f0ffe1e28bf61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_3b986d5c5491b56b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_33ea65e8c10e070.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/190943/image_hu_c4d3847f0f0602c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/190943.html","regions":["novosibirsk","altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","elderly","strict-conditions","forced-hospitalization"],"title":"Sixty-Nine-Year-Old Yuriy Savelyev Was Released From a Penal Colony in the City of Rubtsovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 18, 2023, the Khabarovsk Regional Court commuted the sentence of Aleksey Ukhov in the case for his faith, replacing the actual imprisonment with a suspended one. Although the believer has been found guilty, he will not have to go to prison. However, the term of the sentence was retained: 6 years and 6 months.\nThe 43-year-old believer was charged with \"studying and quoting texts of the Holy Scriptures\". In his appeal against the verdict, he stated: “Without grounds the court considered it a crime that I peacefully practiced the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses together with others… I lead a peaceful life, respect authority and observe the law, because I am a believer… I was convicted only for my faith in God.”\nReferring to the position of the RF Supreme Court which did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not assess the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and how they express them, Ukhov noted: “Despite the liquidation of the legal entities, I still have the right to freely practice the religion of my choice, including reading the Bible and discussing it with others, praying to God, singing songs in praise of God and talking to others about my faith.”\nThe Khabarovsk Territory has the second highest number of Jehovah's Witnesses considered as criminals by the authorities only because of their faith in Jehovah God. To date, 30 people have become victims of religious repression, 12 of whom were given various suspended sentences and fines; 4 have already served their sentences.\nIn April 2023, the human rights organization, Amnesty International, speaking about the significant expansion of the scope of Russia's application of legislation on countering \"extremism\" and \"terrorism\", noted: \"Representatives of some peaceful religious denominations, including Jehovah's Witnesses, are more often groundlessly subjected to criminal liability\".\n","category":"victory","date":"2023-07-18T11:17:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/181117/image_hu_5b170b1cb7a1ff33.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/181117/image_hu_da035ee70887e5b3.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/181117/image_hu_ea0b93ef5544a57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/181117/image_hu_aed49e8cd11c27d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/181117.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Khabarovsk Replaced the Term of Imprisonment for Aleksey Ukhov with a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict against Denis Merkulov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Apatity, entered into force on July 18, 2023 by the appeal decision of the Murmansk Regional Court. However, the court reduced the fine – the believer will pay 400,000 rubles instead of 500,000 rubles for the peacefully practicing his faith.\nIn the appeal proceedings, prosecutor Pavel Zhilinkov had sought a tougher sentence, but the judicial panel agreed with the position of the lower court, which had imposed a fine on the believer. Merkulov was found guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization because he peacefully discussed the Bible amongst friends and conducted meetings for worship. The believer considers the court decision a violation of his right to freedom of religion.\nIn the Murmansk Region, six of Jehovah's Witnesses have already received heavy fines simply for not giving up their beliefs and continuing to practice their religion peacefully. Law enforcement officers in this region, as well as throughout Russia, continue the campaign of prosecuting peaceful citizens for their faith, despite condemnation from the global community.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/190941/image_hu_b8fc9816f36f5783.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/190941/image_hu_f633c6e0d1a734b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/190941/image_hu_ad5172f97c34e6bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/190941/image_hu_b5e51d8cb8f85f28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/190941.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282","282.2-1","appeal","fine","mitigation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Murmansk Upheld the Guilty Verdict but Reduced the Fine for Denis Merkulov","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 12, 2023, the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow found three Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism for \"commenting on portions of [Bible] texts.\" Anatoliy Marunov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Sergey Tolokonnikov — to 5 years, and Roman Mareyev — to 4.5 years.\nMore than 100 people went to the courthouse to support the believers. Anatoliy Marunov, 69, who was under house arrest during the investigation and trial was taken into custody after the verdict was announced. All three maintain their innocence and can appeal the verdict.\nThe lawyer for the defendants expressed his view on the charge, which, in his opinion, \"is based on the principle of criminalization of a person's actions depending on the religion he practices\". He stated: “According to the state prosecution, actions normal for every believer — spreading one's religious beliefs and participating in worship — are a crime solely because such actions are committed by Jehovah's Witnesses. In this regard, I believe that the charges violate the rights of the believers, since it does not describe an actual crime, but is based on discrimination on religious grounds.”\nThe criminal prosecution of some believers in Moscow began one early October morning of 2021, when searches were carried out at eight addresses. Mareyev, Marunov and Tolokonnikov became defendants. After many hours of interrogation, the believers were placed in a temporary detention facility. By the time the verdict was passed, Roman and Sergey had spent more than 20 months in a detention center, while Anatoliy was under house arrest.\nEach of them encountered hardships. At first, Roman Mareyev did not have a bed in the detention center and he had to sleep on the floor. Sergey Tolokonnikov was taken out in the morning for court sessions in the evening and was not allowed to take any food or water with him. Anatoliy Marunov, who was under house arrest, was forbidden even short walks necessary for his health.\nIn June 2022, the believers' case was taken to court. The charge was based on an audio recording of conversations with an FSB agent who pretended to be interested in the Bible. During the hearings, the defense pointed out that the use of the name Jehovah in a conversation cannot indicate any extremist activity.\nAnatoliy Marunov taken away handcuffed after the verdict Anatoliy Marunov with his wife Alevtina near the court The defendants described how they were supported by fellow believers: “Letters came from every continent! And once, when we were taken out of the courthouse at 1:30 in the morning, we heard applause, and when we got into the prison van, a group of supporters sang a song we knew.”\nTo date, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith in Moscow; six of them have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 4 to 6 years. A report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance expressed concern that \"the anti-extremist legislation [of the Russian Federation] is used against certain religious minorities, in particular against Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The ECRI noted that the 2017 decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation “effectively prohibits Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the country from practicing their faith” (par. 101).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-12T11:26:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/131126/image_hu_587bf1600ea5ef49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/131126/image_hu_70835f8b420f5290.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/131126/image_hu_8e37ee04bb22c1c8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/131126/image_hu_8dc2ad6685307391.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/131126.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence"],"title":"Court in Moscow Passed Another Harsh Verdict Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses — From 4.5 to 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Yelena Chernykh, a mother of many children from Prokopyevsk, became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism after her husband Yuriy.\nYelena was born in November 1976 in the city of Prokopyevsk, Kemerovo Region. She has a younger brother. Their mother is already retired.\nIn her youth, Yelena was fond of dancing. After graduating from college, she worked as a pastry chef.\nIn 1995, Yelena met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and began to study the Bible. The woman was impressed that, according to the Bible, God is a person, and he has such qualities as patience and justice. She also liked to find kindness and love among believers. In 1998, she embarked on the Christian path.\nYelena married Yuriy in 2006. They have three children. In her free time, Yelena enjoys swimming, skiing and skating, and walking in the woods.\nSearches and criminal prosecutions had a negative impact on the health of all family members. However, Yelena is supported by fellow believers - emotionally and financially. The believer tries to continue to adhere to an active life position.\n\u0026quot;Jesus said that Christians would be unjustly persecuted, and that\u0026#39;s exactly what we are facing,\u0026quot; she says, adding that by helping other people cope with their problems, she distracts herself from her own.\n","date":"2024-04-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/echernykh/photo_hu_fadea7910e5b53f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/echernykh/photo_hu_82268a4b43026292.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/echernykh/photo_hu_7288170c9765c5a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/echernykh/photo_hu_5657f1232b6aa2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/echernykh.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Chernykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 11, 2023, Olga Chayka, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk, found Lubov Serebryakova guilty of extremism because of her religion. The elderly Jehovah's Witness was given a 4-year suspended sentence — a year more than the prosecutor requested for her.\nShe pleads not guilty, stating to the court: “I performed all my religious actions exclusively within the framework of freedom of religion.” Serebryakova was charged simply for attending peaceful meetings for worship and making several comments based on the Bible.\nIn June 2021, law enforcement officers raided the homes of several elderly Jehovah's Witnesses in Novokuznetsk. They were being followed from November 2019. The home of Serebryakova was not searched. Vladislav Minayev, an investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, initiated a criminal case against her in the summer of 2022. The believer was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and was made to sign a recognizance agreement. The investigation lasted two months, and in August 2022 the case went to court.\nWhat is happening has made the already poor health of the believer worse. Even before the start of the prosecution, Lubov suffered two heart attacks, and when the pretrial investigation was over, she was again admitted to hospital for cardiac emergency.\nDespite the condemnation of the global community, Russian law enforcement agencies continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their peaceful religious practice not prohibited by law. Among those who have faced repression are more than 50 men and women over the age of 70.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-11T16:26:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_ef8853b846e7f059.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_c80dff60ef5b9333.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_1dc62603001b138a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/131626/image_hu_4c0c45732d2742a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/131626.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Peaceful Believer and Grandmother of Three, Given 4-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court Found Lubov Serebryakova, 72, Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible.","type":"news"},{"body":"Using the example of the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the defendant showed the court what persecution peaceful believers had faced before—they were exiled only for believing in Jehovah God. He also stated: \"My worship of Jehovah God was completely within the framework of the right granted to me by the law of our country.\"\n","date":"2023-07-11T09:50:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/984.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Marunov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 11, 2023, believer Anton Virich, 43, was detained in Uzhur (Krasnoyarsk Territory). For 9 days, his whereabouts remained unknown. Friends found him in the Spassk-Dalniy detention center. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe car, in which Anton and his wife were traveling, was stopped by the traffic police. He was taken to the police station. There, Virich was told that since February 11, 2022, he had been under a recognizance agreement, about which he knew nothing and had not received any notifications at his address. Moreover, the copy of the document shown to him did not indicate which particular location he could not leave. In the evening of the same day, Anton was taken to the Sharypovo police department, where he was searched and fingerprinted. Then the believer was placed in a special unit for detainees for 48 hours.\nLater, the FSB officers informed Anton that he was charged with a crime under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC; they forced him into a car and drove him away in an unknown direction. As it turned out later, he was taken to Krasnoyarsk, then by plane to Khabarovsk, and after that — to Luchegorsk. Here, on July 14, the investigator drew up a protocol on detention and charged Virich, and the Pozharsky District Court of Primorye Territory ruled to detain him for 30 days. On July 24, he was transferred to detention centre No. 4 in Spassk-Dalniy.\nAnton Virich is one of the defendants in the case against Yuriy Ponomarenko and other believers from Luchegorsk. In total, 22 criminal cases have been initiated in Primorye Territory against 58 believers, 10 of which are in penal colonies and detention centers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-07-11T09:15:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_4714a63614c12d82.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_56560fb2a8169db8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_278447f93dd851d5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/280915/image_hu_7a8ab9291f708df8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/280915.html","regions":["primorye","krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He Was Taken to a Detention Center 5,000 Kilometers From Where He Was Arrested","tags":["recognizance-agreement","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness Anton Virich Arrested in Krasnoyarsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the defendant stated: \"In fact, the state prosecutor intends to force me to renounce my faith - to stop meeting with fellow believers at worship services, singing spiritual songs together, telling anyone about my religious beliefs.\"\n","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/314.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I can't help but talk about what I read in the Bible,\" the believer said at the trial. According to him, extremism is alien to him because his beliefs are based on the Bible and in his life he tries to follow the example of the first Christians.\n","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/986.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Roman Mareev in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court about the persecution of first-century Christians, who considered it their duty to talk to others about God. Sergey drew a parallel: \"Because of the desire to teach, to help people know God, to share the spiritual treasures that I learned from the Bible, I am now in custody and I am accused of extremism.\"\n","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/985.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Tolokonnikov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer spoke about the repression that her ancestors were subjected to and why extremism is alien to her: \"My whole gut is opposed to what is a manifestation of extremism because of how much irreparable grief it has brought to my family and millions of other people.\"\n","date":"2023-07-10T16:28:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/982.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Agnessa Postnikova in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I do not consider living according to the principles of God a crime,\" Andrei Vyushin told the court, speaking with his last word. He also told how he came to faith in God and how he became a good family man and a happy person.\n","date":"2023-07-07T16:22:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/991.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Andrey Vyushin's last word in Yaroslavl","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"My views are directly opposite to what is called extremism,\" the defendant said, speaking with her last word. \"I am not being tried for any crime, but only because I believe in God, whose name is Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2023-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/990.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Maria Kuznetsova's last word in Yaroslavl","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the last word, the defendant said: \"My faith in Jehovah God has nothing to do with the extremism of which they are trying to accuse me.\"\n","date":"2023-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/989.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kuznetsov in Yaroslavl","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Both then and now, absurd accusations are being made against Christians that contradict their life principles,\" the defendant said in his last word, adding: \"These accusations look terrible only on paper. In fact, this is persecution for faith.\"\n","date":"2023-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/988.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pyotr Filiznov in Yaroslavl","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 6, 2023, four months after the RF Supreme Court overturned the acquittal of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Karpinsk, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court ruled that the case against Aleksandr Prianikov, Venera and Darya Dulova, be returned to the prosecutor.\nThe believers unswervingly maintain their innocence. At the appeal hearing, Venera Dulova said: “I believe this criminal case was fabricated; I consider it religious repression, because my religion is the only reason for the charge.” Her daughter, Darya, added: “I can say with a clean conscience that I am not guilty of either extremism or participating in the activity of banned religious organizations.”\nAll accusations brought against the three believers by the investigation boil down to conversations about the Bible. Aleksandr Prianikov asked the court of appeal: “What is the danger to the public? Whom have I harmed? It never even crossed my mind that a conversation with someone on topics like family happiness, comfort for those who mourn, and a future earthly paradise is so dangerous that it warrants prosecution under serious charges and the threat of being thrown into prison.\"\nThe Dulovas and Prianikov have been defending their innocence in court since September 2019. The Sverdlovsk Regional Court twice overturned guilty verdicts against the believers. The court of cassation also took their side. However, the prosecutor's office appealed these decisions to the RF Supreme Court, which, contrary to its own explanations at the Plenum in 2021, overturned the acquittal.\nThe European Commission for Democracy Through Law warned the Russian Federation back in 2012 that the anti-extremism law “on account of its broad and imprecise wording... gives too wide discretion... thus leading to arbitrariness” and that it carries “potential dangers to individuals.” 10 years later, the ECHR condemned the actions of the Russian authorities in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses, pointing out that a large-scale repressive campaign was launched against the followers of this religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/071025/image_hu_f071f7194365a6a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/071025/image_hu_2d043a3348635c36.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/071025/image_hu_61e49f56aded803.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/071025/image_hu_524c6709aca9eb57.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/071025.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"Case Returned to Prosecutor","tags":[],"title":"Court of Appeal in Yekaterinburg Again Overturned the Guilty Verdict of Believers from Karpinsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 4, 2023, a panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Territory Court partially granted the prosecutor's appeal against the verdict against Tatyana Svoboda, Elena Nesterova and Tatyana Bondarenko. In addition to the suspended sentence, the court of appeal imposed 1 year and 8 months of restriction of freedom.\nThe believers maintain their innocence and have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation procedure.\nThe women stated in the appeal that they were convicted as a result of a miscarriage of justice \"for professing Bible-based beliefs and peacefully practicing their Christian faith as Jehovah's Witnesses.\" They also noted: “The court of first instance did not take into account that the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and therefore erroneously ruled that any activity of individuals in connection with practicing this religion is criminal and should be regarded as continuing the activity of the banned organization.”\nThroughout the trial, the believers never denied being Jehovah's Witnesses or discussing Bible teachings with others. In their final statement, they explained that their goal was the peaceful expression of their faith in God. Tatyana Svoboda said: \"Just the name of my religion, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses was the reason for the criminal prosecution.\" Elena Nesterova added: “I don’t understand how a person who tries to live according to God’s standards can be considered a criminal? After all, that is what helps a person become better and kinder.”\nThe ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation states: “The norm contained in it [in Article 282 of the RF CrC] is aimed at protecting public relations that guarantee recognition and respect for the dignity of the individual, regardless of any physical or social characteristics, and establishes criminal liability not for all actions, but only for those that are committed with direct intent aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, degrading treatment of a person or a group of persons”. In the case of Tatyana Svoboda and others, the court did not specify what kind of extremist actions the defendants had committed and did not provide evidence that they had the intent to commit a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-07-04T16:21:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/041621/image_hu_f11ff6230f9d859b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/041621/image_hu_8f1b0117d8b4d9d3.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/041621/image_hu_87c3b09a0a41bd2d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/041621/image_hu_5b0463480f7da63c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/041621.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal in Khabarovsk Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Three Women","tags":["appeal"],"title":"On Trial for Their Faith and Hope for the Future.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer told how, thanks to the Bible, he changed, becoming an honest, peace-loving person, and found a strong happy family. \"As the phone's battery is charged from the mains, so I am charged in a meeting with the desire to be better, to do good. I did it voluntarily and with pleasure,\" he stressed.\n","date":"2023-06-30T15:33:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/981.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 30, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Olga Zhelavskaya, 61 — a 2-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible and it has entered into force. The believer has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure.\nIn her final statement before the court of appeal, Zhelavskaya drew attention to the lack of grounds for this court decision: “In the court of first instance, the prosecution never mentioned any actions of extremist nature on my part... No quotes, no facts, no records, no casualties\".\nVyacheslav Lebedev,chairman of the RF Supreme Court, said at a meeting of judges of general jurisdiction and arbitration courts: “The increased standards for protecting the constitutional rights of citizens are provided by the explanations of the Supreme Court that actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-30T10:28:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_20e54432bf2221e2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_5a2336133e44cc08.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_9e3636249fcd5c3d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/031028/image_hu_9e546cbf4689c504.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/031028.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upheld the Verdict Against Olga Zhelavskaya from Chelyabinsk — 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 30, 2023, Olga Kovalenko, a judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk, found 45-year-old Dmitriy Dolzhikov guilty of extremism, sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony and a year of restriction of freedom, but his imprisonment was replaced with forced labor. Taking into account the period of detention of Dmitriy, he will be required to serve about 2 years of forced labor.\nDmitriy Dolzhikov does not plead guilty: “I carefully read the decision of the RF Supreme Court dated April 20, 2017 [on the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia], but I have not seen anywhere that the court imposed a ban on practicing the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses and that believers would be banned from worshiping God, performing religious services, praying and singing religious songs. There has never been such a ban and there is still no ban.\" The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer signed a recognizance agreement.\nThe criminal case against Dmitriy Dolzhikov was initiated in May 2020. According to law enforcement officers, the believer “intentionally, out of extremist motives, took part in the activity of a religious association... by participating in religious meetings and assemblies of an extremist organization, holding conversations with residents of Chelyabinsk, showing and watching educational videos.” This is how the law enforcement officers regarded the peaceful meetings for worship, at which believers read and discussed the Bible. Two years after the case was initiated, a search was carried out in Dolzhikov's home; the FSB officers took Dmitriy from Chelyabinsk to Novosibirsk, where he was held in a detention center for 2.5 months. The law enforcement officers tried to persuade him to cooperate, threatening to \"ruin his life\". Furthermore the believer spent more than 6 months under house arrest.\nIn November 2022, the case went to court. The defense had repeatedly drawn attention to the fact that the documents from the case materials are dated mainly from 2007-2016, which does not correspond to the period imputed to Dolzhikov. The entire charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness and two Orthodox activists who openly expressed hostility towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and, according to Dmitriy, told lies, misleading the court.\nThe believer emphasized that he was being prosecuted solely for his faith, although this is what helps him to be a decent member of society. “The Bible corrected my quick temper and taught me how to solve problems peacefully,” says Dmitriy. “The Bible has helped me to have a happy and strong family, and in 15 years of marriage, my wife and I have not had such quarrels that would prompt us to regret our marriage or consider divorce”.\nThe criminal prosecution has aggravated the serious illness of Dmitriy's wife and due to restrictions, they cannot fully take care of their elderly parents. According to the believer, he coped with difficulties thanks to letters from fellow believers, prayer and support from relatives and friends in court.\nFriends of the Dolzhikovs on the day of the verdict In Novosibirsk, eight Jehovah's Witnesses are prosecuted for their faith, two of them, pensioners Yuriy Savelyev and Aleksandr Seredkin, were sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Emily Baran, an expert on Russia and church-state relations, says: “Russia continues to view this religious community as dangerous extremists, despite a complete lack of evidence to support this claim. Jehovah's Witnesses continue to face criminal prosecution and lengthy prison terms for actions that amount to simply talking about their faith with each other and with local residents.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-30T10:06:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/07/031006/image_hu_89c0514a3270ecf2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/07/031006/image_hu_2b4d8c42f67a14b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/07/031006/image_hu_f59353549e11fe63.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/07/031006/image_hu_e1be328d801a7c70.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/07/031006.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence"],"title":"Court in Novosibirsk Sentenced Dmitriy Dolzhikov to a Penal Colony For Reading the Bible, But Changed the Punishment to Forced Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2023, a search was conducted at the home of Yuliya Globa, 41, in the village of Vorobevka. This is already the third time her home has been invaded by law enforcement officers in the last four years. A month earlier, a criminal case was initiated against her under an article for participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\nUpdate. Yuliya and her husband were interrogated at the Investigative Committee. The case was initiated by V. I. Golovina, a senior investigator of the Unecha Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Bryansk Region. According to the ruling, the criminal prosecution was based solely on her practicing her religion as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThis is already the sixth instance in the Bryansk Region of law enforcement officers taking action against Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the decision of the Supreme Court Plenum could not stop the practice of repressive application of the law on extremism toward the believers.\n","category":"trial","date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/291410.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against Woman","tags":["search","new-case"],"title":"In the Bryansk Region, Law Enforcement Officers Conducted Another Search at the Home of a Family of Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2023, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, having considered the appeal against the verdict of Liya Maltseva, a 53-year-old disabled woman from Partizansk, decided to uphold the sentence.\nIn September 2022, the Partizansk City Court of Primorye Territory gave the believer a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for 7 months and a probation period of 2 years and 3 months. A month and a half later, the Primorye Regional Court upheld the verdict.\nIn her appeal, Liya Maltseva stated: “The verdict constitutes an act of direct and indirect religious discrimination as a result of the campaign of religious persecution against Jehovah's Witnesses as a group in Russia. By its verdict, the court demonstrated an attitude that is different from its attitude toward representatives of ‘traditional’ religions, without having an objective and reasonable basis for this. So, I was found guilty only because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nSpeaking before the judicial panel of the court of cassation, Maltseva said: “In every religion there is singing, praying and reading the Holy Scriptures. I exercised my constitutional right to freedom of religion.”\nEarlier, the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court determined that meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves, are not extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/280853/image_hu_9a65bf9306e6997.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/280853/image_hu_178f128ebc5f9f23.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/280853/image_hu_9360c2f6ecb6d342.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/280853/image_hu_c15146684b47abdb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/280853.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"She Was Given a 2-Year and 3-Month Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in Jehovah God","tags":[],"title":"The Court of Cassation in Vladivostok Upheld the Sentence Against Liya Maltseva.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 23, 2023, the Tyndinskiy District Court of the Amur Region again sentenced four of Jehovah's Witnesses to long prison terms: Vladimir Bukin, Valeriy Slashchev, and Sergey Yuferov were given 6 years and 4 months, and Mikhail Burkov was given 6 years and 2 months. They were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nSix months earlier, the court of appeal overturned the decision of the court of first instance due to significant violations of the RF Criminal Procedural Code. The believers were then released from the pretrial detention center, where they had each spent 64 days. As a result of the second consideration of the case, Judge Valentina Brykova merely reduced by two months the terms imposed on Bukin, Slashchev and Yuferov. The verdict has not yet entered into force, and the believers have the right to appeal it.\nOn November 11, 2019, FSB Investigator V. S. Obukhov initiated a criminal case against four residents of Tynda because of their faith. A week later, a wave of searches and interrogations swept through Tynda. The believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC) because of holding meetings for worship and “at-home Bible studies.” The investigation also charged them with of involving others in extremist activity (Article 282.2(1.1) of the RF CrC) because of Bukin, Yuferov and Slashchev's conversations about the Bible with informant D. Nurakov, who in 2018 began collecting information about local believers.\nIn the Amur Region, 23 of Jehovah's Witnesses have faced prosecution for their faith. Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik are serving long terms in a penal colony; Konstantin Moiseyenko and Vasiliy Reznichenko were given suspended sentences. Another seven men are on trial, defending their right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Most of the cases against the believers in this region were initiated by FSB Investigator Obukhov.\nThe June 2022 judgment of the ECHR points out that believers have the right to practice their religion \"individually\" or \"in community with others\" and that this right “has always been regarded as an essential part of the freedom of religion.” (§ 268)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-23T16:59:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/231659/image_hu_f1632e04fae327f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/231659/image_hu_eee6b19ee40d213c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/231659/image_hu_f2014de9a89c4efb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/231659/image_hu_55c1fd9f8d9318d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/231659.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"In Tynda, Retrial Case Against Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Ended With Another Harsh Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","secret-witness"],"title":"Once Again, More Than 6 Years in Prison for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2023, a panel of judges of the Stavropol Territory Court, chaired by Khalim Terkulov, upheld the verdict against 64-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov from Nevinnomyssk. The court of first instance had given him a 6-year suspended sentence; now this decision has entered into force.\nIn the appeal, the defense drew attention to the fact that neither the place nor the time of the illegal actions allegedly committed by Kuznetsov had been established. The transcripts of the conversations presented as evidence of guilt, do not contain any signs of extremism, but, on the contrary, refute the motives of a criminal nature attributed to the believer. “I still can’t understand how white suddenly became black, how efforts to live according to God’s standards suddenly became extremism,” said Sergey Kuznetsov during his final statement. “Article 28 of the RF Constitution proclaims my right to freedom of religion. But in reality I am denied this right.” The believer can appeal the verdict through the cassation procedure.\nSergey has been severely disabled for a long time; he has almost lost his sight and has hearing problems. The prosecution of Kuznetsov for his faith has been going on for more than 3 years — in December 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases against eight believers, who at that time were from 54 to 89 years old. Later, charges against everyone except Kuznetsov were dropped. In total, 15 Jehovah's Witnesses faced criminal prosecution in the Stavropol Territory.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Elizabeth Clark, an international expert on human rights and European Union law, said: “Jehovah's Witnesses... face increasing persecution of its members in Russia for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief. This violates Russia's commitments to international law and its own constitution.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-21T09:38:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_748e5279dc8a0794.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_b2c43fadbb5d7a01.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_79b017913aacb945.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/220938/image_hu_8f0fa710ff4ba65a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/220938.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","disability","appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"In Stavropol Territory, Court of Appeal Upheld Verdict Against Sergey Kuznetsov, a Believer With a Disability — 6 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 20, 2023, Georgiy Serebryanikov, judge of the Taganrog City Court, sentenced Aleksandr Skvortsov, formerly one of the defendants in the \"Case of 16\", to 7 years in a penal colony for his faith. Another Jehovah's Witness, Valeriy Tibiy, received a 6-year suspended sentence and was released in the courtroom. The court also sentenced Vladimir Moiseyenko to 6 years in a penal colony.\nThis is the second time Aleksandr Skvortsov has become a prisoner of conscience because of his religious beliefs. Back in August 2011, the believer faced criminal prosecution on charges of extremism and his house was searched. As a result, in November 2015, Skvortsov was given a 5.5-year suspended sentence. At that time, 15 other believers received suspended sentences and fines; they were convicted because they did not stop meeting for worship after the local legal entity had been banned.\nThe law enforcement officers again ransacked the house of Aleksandr and his wife, Larisa, in March 2021, just 3 months after his suspended sentence had expired. On the eve of the invasion, the believer found tapping equipment in his home. In December of the same year, the homes of Skvortsov, Tibiy and about 30 other people were searched. Aleksandr was sent to a detention center, where he remained until the verdict was passed. His wife was only allowed to visit him after 1 year, and that was only for 10 minutes. By then, the believer had been transferred from cell to cell more than 13 times.\nValeriy Tibiy became a defendant in the criminal case in March 2022. Two months later, he was placed in the same pretrial detention center where Skvortsov was kept. The court ruled to arrest Valeriy without taking into account his condition: the believer needed daily medication, because shortly before the search he had undergone heart surgery and had completed documents confirming his disability. He was held in custody until the verdict was passed. The prosecutor requested a long term for the believer — 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nIn November 2022, the case went to court. During the criminal prosecution of the believers, they along with their wives, were supported by fellow believers. Larisa Skvortsova said: \"[Friends] come to court in any weather, take me in the car to deliver parcels\". According to her, Aleksandr, despite his difficult circumstances, finds a way to support her emotionally. Also, all four are strengthened by letters from Jehovah's Witnesses from different countries.\nAleksandr Skvortsov has already been convicted in the case of the local religious organization \"Taganrog\", regarding which the ECHR overturned the conviction and ruled that compensation be paid to the affected believers. The Russian authorities not only do not comply with this decision, but subject the believers to prosecution again.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-20T14:54:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_62f0af8be1605452.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_548345ca0f48acff.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_ac46650084d2026a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/201454/image_hu_9b6129744c7045b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/201454.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog Given Prison and Suspended Terms, One of Them — A Second Time","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 20, 2023, Yekaterina Ostapenko, judge of the Tsentralnyy District Court of Sochi, found 27-year-old Danil Suvorov guilty for discussing Bible topics and sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the court's decision.\nIn August 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Suvorov for extremism. This is how law enforcement officers categorized ordinary conversations of believers about the Bible. After searches in Sochi, Danil was thrown into jail. By the time the verdict was passed, he had already spent 1 year and 9 months in a detention center. Because of this, the believer could not be at his mother's side when his grandmother died.\nThe case was based on the testimony of undercover informant Filatov under the pseudonym Udav, who in 2020 himself called Danil and asked for a “Bible study”. The believer told the court that it was free friendly communication: “You could see for yourself by watching the videos that I never invited him to become a member of any organization — the Administrative Center or other legal entities. I still don’t understand what is extremist in this and at what point our conversations [with Filatov] turned into an organization that was liquidated by a court decision.”\nimage_caption: Danil Suvorov taken to detention center after verdict announced, June 20, 2023, Sochi Describing his life principles, Danil refuted the charge of extremism brought against him: “I do not take up arms and oppose any kind of violence, therefore, in the past I made use of the right provided for by the law to opt for alternative civilian service... And for nearly two years I have been trying to find out why I’m facing up to 8 years imprisonment.”\nDanil and his family are grateful for the help of their fellow believers, who \"supported them with words and materially\" and attended court hearings. “Our fellow believers even sent me a package from Finland,” Danil’s mother said. “It was so nice that they showed me attention.”\nTo date, 26 of Jehovah's Witnesses have suffered in the Krasnodar Territory because of their faith. Of the 14 believers who were sentenced to various terms in a penal colony, 4 are from Sochi.\nMichelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, calls the sentences for Jehovah's Witnesses harsh and says it \"criminalises the right to freedom of religion or belief, for Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/210825/image_hu_e6f1f1745e980f90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/210825/image_hu_f22f50b7e913d53.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/210825/image_hu_69d9a6d9917bc8a0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/210825/image_hu_f82f238a122f0c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/210825.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Danil Suvorov from Sochi Received 6 Years in a Penal Colony for Talking about God","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer drew the court's attention to the motives for his actions: \"I only pursued the goal of worshiping God. Worship as it is written in the Holy Scriptures - in the Bible. How could this undermine the constitutional order or make me a disseminator of extremist ideas? I genuinely don't understand.\"\n","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/380.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Danil Suvorov in Sochi","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with his last word, the believer drew attention to the fact that the beliefs and lifestyle of Jehovah's Witnesses are incompatible with extremist activities. He said: \"It is clear from the Bible that the very concept of 'extremism' is alien and condemnable to a follower of Christ.\"\n","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/309.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Yuferov in Tynda at the retrial of the case","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer explained why the liturgical meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses can be called \"prevention against extremism\" and their activities \"only benefit the state.\"\n","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/308.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Bukin in Tynda at the retrial of the case","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 16, 2023, the Novosibirsk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Aleksandra Bogdanova, upheld the sentence against 68-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin. The decision of the lower court entered into force.\nThe believer is still in the detention center; he attended the hearing in the court of appeal via videoconferencing. At the hearing, the prosecutor motioned for the disclosure of documents that were not examined in the court of first instance, but formed the basis of the verdict. According to the defense, this is a gross violation of the law. However, the panel of judges did not satisfy this objection.\nIn the closing arguments, the lawyer noted that the lower court allowed the substitution of the concepts \"organization and participation in the activity of a religious association in connection with the liquidation of extremist activity\" and \"implementation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion\". The defense paid special attention to the fact that Aleksandr's actions belong to the second concept and that they do not constitute a crime, since singing songs and praying are not prohibited by RF law. There are no victims in the criminal case, and nothing prohibited was found in the literature confiscated from Aleksandr.\nAddressing the court, the believer stated that he never coordinated a group of his friends, never controlled them, and never gave any instructions. He added that he has always been and remains a law-abiding citizen, obeys the laws of the Bible, which teach love, honesty and kindness, and for his peaceful activities is doomed to a \"life\" sentence, because when the sentence expires, Aleksandr will be 74 years old.\nDozens of Russian human rights activists consider such an attitude toward the believers \" senseless and heartless \".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_11134473a535fac5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_58503aab1d6cadb8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_b8ce9004b69ab5ba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/211359/image_hu_3764f6ae58be9b2b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/211359.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld The Harsh Sentence Against Pensioner Aleksandr Seredkin - 6 Years in a Penal Colony for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 15, 2023, the Kovrov City Court deemed 46-year-old Roman Adestov's participating in discussions on Bible topics extremism and sentenced him to 1 year in a penal colony with 11 months restriction of freedom. The term of punishment takes into account the time of the believer's pretrial detention and house arrest.\nIn June 2021, the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Vladimir Region initiated a criminal case against Roman Adestov under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC (participating in the activity of an extremist organization). Some time later, law enforcement officers searched his house in the village of Ivanovo. After interrogation at the FSB branch in the city of Vladimir, the believer was sent to a detention center, where he spent 139 days. Roman spent almost that entire time in a cramped and extremely damp cell. After that he was transferred to house arrest. For the next 7 months, he was isolated from the outside world; a bracelet was put on his leg to track his location. Then this preventive measure was changed to prohibition of certain actions. The case was being heard in court from September 2022. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for Adestov.\nThe believer resolutely denied being guilty of extremism, emphasizing that he was being tried solely for his peaceful religious views. “If, according to the investigation, I was engaged in extremist activity, then why is nothing said about this in the materials of the criminal case or in the indictment? I am not charged with what the RF Supreme Court considers extremist activity, because I did not do it, am not doing it and do not intend to do it. The investigation did not prove otherwise. Effectively I am charged with acting in accordance with Article 28 of the RF Constitution (the right to practice any religion), without stepping outside of the law,” Adestov said at one of the court hearings.\nAfter the verdict was announced, Adestov was not taken into custody, since he had already served the appointed term of imprisonment. Restrictions on freedom imposed by the court will be applied to the believer, but the verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.\nFrom the moment of his arrest, Roman could not work or provide for his family. Moreover, during this period, his mother-in-law died. Organizing the funeral fell entirely on the shoulders of his wife, Alina, since he was not allowed to leave the house.\nRoman expressed his deep gratitude to friends and acquaintances for the support they have provided to his family all this time. “They support us with kind words, deeds, and materially. And when I was in prison, they helped Alina in everyday matters,” said Roman.\nThe global community unanimously condemns the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, the judgment of the European Court of June 7, 2022 notes: “That broad definition of ‘extremism’ not only could – and did – lead to arbitrary prosecutions, but also prevented individuals or organizations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorised as 'extremist' and censured with restrictive measures.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/161344/image_hu_47e500e17785d94d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/161344/image_hu_76fc1ccbc84350b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/161344/image_hu_bb6a359055e30c8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/161344/image_hu_93ca4565913c66ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/161344.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":"His Term is Considered Served due to Time Spent Under Investigation and Trial","tags":["282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","sentence"],"title":"Court in Kovrov Sentenced Jehovah's Witness, Roman Adestov, to a Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer, who has been defending his beliefs for many years, referred in his last word to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation: \"If my faith is not forbidden and I can profess it, pray together with others, then why am I being judged for it? I haven't found an answer so far.\"\n","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/310.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement","elderly"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Skvortsov in Taganrog","type":"docs"},{"body":"In an appeal to the court, the believer, explaining his peaceful position, said: \"I oppose cruelty and violence. The best way to respond to hatred and cruelty is to show love, compassion and empathy.\"\n","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/311.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Tibiy in Taganrog","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 14, 2023, a panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the sentence against Sergey Ananin — 6 years in a penal colony. The court determined that the 2 days spent by the believer in the temporary detention facility after his arrest will be credited as time served of his punishment.\nOn March 31, 2023, the Belovo City Court of the Kemerovo Region found Sergey Ananin guilty of “organizing the activity of an extremist organization” for praying, singing songs, and discussing the Bible over the Internet.\nThe believer has appealed the verdict. “Expressing hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I treat people of other religions and nationalities with respect. I was convicted only for my faith in God. [...] The state authorities, by their actions, present me and my fellow believers in a bad light before society and contribute to the spread of prejudice against... Jehovah's Witnesses,” the believer says in his appeal.\nThe courts did not take into account the fact that the RF Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not assess the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the way they express them. Both courts also did not take into account the defendant's health and his need for rehabilitation after his heart surgery (at the end of 2020 he suffered a massive heart attack). The believer can appeal the verdict and the appellate ruling to the court of cassation.\nCurrently, Sergey Ananin is being held in Detention Center No. 4 for the Kemerovo Region. He was placed there after the verdict was announced and will soon be transferred to a penal colony.\nSince 2017 Russian law enforcement officers have already conducted more than 2,000 searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, and criminal cases have been initiated against more than 730 people. Almost 400 believers spent time in temporary detention facilities, pretrial detention centers, and penal colonies, and another 124 people are still behind bars.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-14T14:36:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/141436/image_hu_47fbcb07166a44d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/141436/image_hu_d884d6e3a10cf079.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/141436/image_hu_556e7a8d16f13a7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/141436/image_hu_869fe65743e4f164.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/141436.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"The Believer, Who Suffered a Heart Attack, Sent to Penal Colony for 6 Years","tags":["282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld Term of Punishment Against Sergey Ananin.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 14, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court, chaired by Judge Svetlana Ustimenko, upheld the guilty verdict against Evgeny Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Yefremova for their faith — a 6-year suspended sentence for the men and a 3-year suspended sentence for the elderly woman.\nIn February 2022, the Lesozavodskiy District Court found three local residents guilty of extremism for talking about the Bible and attending peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The convicted persons have appealed the verdict. According to the defense, the believers did not commit any real crime, therefore, the court only proved that they belong to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by any law.\n“I did not deny that I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor that I met with friends, discussed the Bible and sang religious songs,” Evgeny Grinenko emphasized in the appeal. “At the same time, the court of first instance did not substantiate in the verdict why the peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by the court as committing a crime.”\nSvetlana Yefremova expressed her position as follows: “In sentencing me for carrying out, allegedly, extremist activity... the court actually punished me for practicing religion in the way common for Jehovah’s Witnesses.”\nSergey Kobelev stated: “Under such circumstances, my criminal prosecution and the guilty verdict cannot pursue any legitimate aim.”\nThe head of the Center for the studies of problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Political Sciences Roman Lunkin, assessed the long-term campaign of repressions against believers in the following way: \"As sad as it is, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on a rather primitive, even mundane logic: they are simply disliked by a section of society that often knows nothing about [their] doctrine and practice, and for law enforcement agencies, searches, arrests and liquidation of organizations is an opportunity... to pretend they are fighting for the security of the state.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-14T14:34:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_7485d284189f8bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_63c2f6a4314c1f8a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_35d14e2b609d84eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/141434/image_hu_aabc87f318767b87.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/141434.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Primorye Territory Upheld Verdict Against Three Believers From Lesozavodsk","type":"news"},{"body":"In April 2022, the father of his minor daughter, Ilia Buryi, a resident of Yoshkar-Ola, became a defendant in a criminal case for his belief in Jehovah God. Worries about this shattered the health of both parents, and in September 2023, Ilia's mother died.\nIlia was born in March 1992 in Nizhny Novgorod. As a child, he loved skating, playing football and volleyball. At various times, in addition to his hometown, he lived in St. Petersburg and Yoshkar-Ola.\nAfter school, Ilia studied to be an electrician for the repair and maintenance of equipment. At first, he worked by profession, then he was engaged in cleaning, worked at a car wash, worked at a factory as an operator of machine tools with program control, and then again engaged in electrical installation.\nParents from childhood instilled in Ilia a love for the Bible and God. Spending time in nature, they drew his attention to how beautiful and amazingly everything is created. In 2004, the young man decided to take the Christian path on his own.\nIn 2018, Ilia married Anna, the sister of his close friend. Anna is a hairdresser and is fond of dancing. Ilia still loves sports games, and is also engaged in farming. In 2022, the couple had a daughter.\nRelatives and friends worry about the spouses and are shocked by the unfair accusation.\n","date":"2023-11-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/buryi/photo_hu_a4344cc1bcacbfe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/buryi/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/buryi/photo_hu_9b0eb476427ec84b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/buryi/photo_hu_95f17813b2a8a32b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/buryi.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Ilia Buryi","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, Vasilina Penskaya, a confectioner from the Krasnodar Territory, faced criminal prosecution for her religious beliefs.\nVasilina was born in October 1997 in the village of Vyselki. After a while, the family moved to Norilsk, and later returned to the south of the country to be closer to relatives. Vasilina\u0026#39;s mother works as a seamstress. Her father passed away in 2019.\nAs a child, Vasilina studied music, and also loved to cook pastries. After school, the girl immediately went to work. Now he works as a pastry chef.\nMother was the first in the family to get acquainted with the Bible, and later Vasilina became interested in this book. She was impressed by the wisdom of the advice that helped her choose the right friends as a teenager. As she grew older, she decided to take the Christian path.\nIn 2018, Vasilina got married. Her husband, Dmitry, works at a service station. He shares his wife's beliefs.\nRelatives and friends are outraged by the criminal prosecution of Vasilina. Vasilina herself considers the accusations of extremism unfair, but maintains a positive attitude.\n","date":"2023-08-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/penskaya/photo_hu_eb20ac5597b54258.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/penskaya/photo_hu_80fd9d6be10e7694.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/penskaya/photo_hu_19705ac2d1859b0a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/penskaya/photo_hu_77bfb854cbbc947.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/penskaya.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vasilina Penskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, during a raid on peaceful believers in Novocheboksarsk, one of Jehovah's Witnesses Yuriy Yuskov, 85, learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him for his religious views.\nYuriy was born in 1938 in the village of Selivanovskaya, Rostov Region. His father died at the frontline in 1942, and his mother died in 2012. Yuriy's sister died as a child.\nAs a child, Yuriy loved to fish and build dams in the streams. He graduated from a six-year boarding school. After returning from the army in 1960, he studied for another two years at a school for working youth in the city of Norilsk.\nYuriy worked in Norilsk at a mechanical plant as a bender-roller of cold and hot rolled products, then in a quarry as an assistant driver of an electric locomotive, then as a welder and driver of vehicles for various purposes. In his past time, Yuriy loves hiking in nature.\nWhen he was talking about how he got to know the Bible, Yuriy recalled: “I was convinced that this wise book had truth in it, and I decided to live according to Christian norms and principles.” This happened in 1999. The wife, Lyudmila, did not share her husband's religious beliefs, but was not against them either. In 1963, the couple had a son, Yuriy, who was the first in the family to begin studying the Bible. Lyudmila passed away in 2019.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the emotional state of the elderly believer, but he is firm in his convictions. Relatives and friends worry about Yuriy, since they don't understand how they can persecute such an honest and kind person.\n","date":"2023-06-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_774556054a67dc93.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_320854ef6af07737.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yuskov/photo_hu_c8dbd8613cde8be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yuskov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Yuskov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 9, 2023, the Lazo District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory found Aleksandr Shutov, 70, guilty of extremism. Judge Yevgeniya Stetsa sentenced him to 2 years and 5 months of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months for participation in the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict has not entered into force.\n“I view this criminal case as repression,” Aleksandr said in court. “The investigative agency groundlessly and unreasonably replaced the concept of exercising the right of citizens to freedom of religion, which includes a person's right to read the Bible and discuss it with friends, with the concept of carrying out extremist activities. ... My only intention was to worship God; doing so is typical for the religion I profess. And the motive of my actions was love for God and neighbor.” The believer has the right to appeal the verdict.\nThe search of the Shutov family's home took place at the end of July 2021. The criminal case was conducted by FSB Investigator S. V. Nemtsev and by the head of the Vyazemsky Department of the FSB, Aleksey Svetachev. They also initiated the prosecution of other persons who are Jehovah's Witnesses in Vyazemskoye: Yen Sen Lee, Yegor Baranov, and Sergey Kuznetsov. Yegor and Sergey received suspended sentences of four and a half years and two and a half years respectively, and Yen Sen died while under investigation. The FSB officers used against them and Shutov the testimony of a woman who slandered the believers under pressure from the security forces—according to her, she was threatened with deprivation of parental rights.\nEric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Liberty Institute, called Russia's ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unfair and ridiculous, saying, \"It contributes to a climate of fear and social stagnation.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-09T16:38:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_5f6c0d13ad3bf4e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_3fd5e5bf9c4f4e93.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_c024ea5f01a68422.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/091638/image_hu_9d0acd07573a7319.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/091638.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In the Khabarovsk Territory, a Court Found 70-Year-Old Aleksandr Shutov Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":" Нажмите на метку для просмотра подробных сведений. Картографические данные предоставлены OpenStreetMap. Since the 2017 ban on Jehovah's Witnesses, more than 2,000 The homes of believers were searched for many hours, dividing the lives of entire families on before and after. Almost 400 people were thrown behind bars, The charges were brought against 730 believers. On the interactive map you can find information about where and when the searches took place, as well as their Quantity. A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to privacy, personal and family secrets, honor and Good name. Although believers do not resist, many during searches are insulted, intimidated with weapons or special means, some beaten and even tortured. Which regions are leading in terms of the number of searches? The map shows that the searches took place almost all over Russia - in 77 regions. The largest of them the number took place in the Krasnoyarsk Territory (119), in the Primorsky Territory (97), in Krasnodar Territory (92), Voronezh Region (79), Stavropol Region region (65), in the Rostov region (56), in the Chelyabinsk region (55), in Moscow (54), Trans-Baikal Territory (53), Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region district (50), in the Kemerovo region (47), in Tatarstan (46), in Khabarovsk Territory (44), in the Astrakhan Region (43), in the Kirov Region (41). On the Crimean peninsula, including Sevastopol, the Russian authorities conducted a total of 98 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. Surgut, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, 2018 Tolyatti, September 2022 Astrakhan region, 2020 Chelyabinsk, September 2022 Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, 2019 Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, 2016 Saransk, 2019 Moscow, November 2020 Photo source: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Moscow, February 2021 Photo source: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation The photo shows real searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in different cities What were the most ambitious special operations against believers? Most Mass operations against believers, carried out in one day, were 64 searches in Voronezh (July 2020), 35 searches in Sochi (October 2019), 27 searches in Astrakhan (June 2020), 27 searches in Nizhny Novgorod (July 2019), 23 searches in Chita (February 2020), 23 searches in Krasnoyarsk (November 2018), 22 searches in Unecha and Novozybkov Bryansk region (June 2019), 22 searches in Birobidzhan (May 2018), 22 searches in Moscow (November 2020), 22 searches in Surgut (February 2019), 20 searches in Kirsanov Tambov region (December 2020). The largest one-day special operations of the last 12 months were 17 searches in Vladivostok (March 2023), 16 searches in Simferopol on the Crimean peninsula (December 2022), 13 searches in Chelyabinsk (September 2022), 16 searches in Rybinsk Yaroslavl region (July 2022). Graph: Special Forces Against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses Proceeded Without Noticeable Outbursts and Lulls What searches were accompanied by beatings, ill-treatment and torture? An incomplete list of special operations, in which law enforcement officers used brute force against believers,includes searches in Omsk (July 2018), Razdolnoye, Primorsky Krai (July 2018), Surgut (February 2019), Chita (February 2020), Voronezh (July 2020), Moscow (February 2021), Irkutsk (October 2021), Samara (December 2021).\nA special operation in Voronezh, which took place in July 2020, turned out to be the largest raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in modern history. The Investigative Committee reported, that more than 110 searches were conducted. From the capital of the region alone 64 searches were reported. Five believers reported bullying and torture on the part of the law enforcement officers. Ten people were sent to a pretrial detention center. Yuriy Galka and Anatoliy Yagupov managed to relay from the pretrial detention center that on the day of their detention confessions were demanded by means of torture, such as beatings and putting plastic bags over their heads. Beatings were also reported by Aleksandr Bokov and Dmitriy Katyrov and Aleksandr Korol. Andrey Tolmachev A special operation in Irkutsk, which took place in October 2020, included smashing windows and doors in the homes of believers; some of the believers were beaten and tortured, for example, Anatoliy Razdobarov and Nikolay Merinov, as well as their wives. During a medical examination, multiple injuries on these and other believers were recorded. Andrey Tolmachev, the only son of his retired parents, was beaten unconscious right before their eyes during the search. He was placed in a pretrial detention center, where he has been already been for more than 600 days, as well as Seven other Jehovah's Witnesses from Irkutsk.\nVardan Zakaryan a week after the search and beatings A special operation in Moscow, which took place in November 2020, was widely covered on Russian Television. Law enforcement officers in helmets and bulletproof vests, with machine guns broke down doors, threw believers on the floor, tied their hands behind their backs with handcuffs or cable ties. During one search, the law enforcement officers at first twisted the arms of a neighbor of the believers, but when they realized that they had made a mistake, they began breaking down the door to the apartment of the believers. The head of the family had his arms forced up to their limits behind him; they threw him to the floor and hit him on the back, while pushing him down with the butt of a machine gun. In another instance 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan had his head smashed by law enforcement officers with the butt of a machine. The believer was hospitalized and was in the hospital under increased guard. Yelena Zayshchuk How many people in total have been prosecuted for their faith? In total, according to the data of June 8, 2023, over the past 6 years, 730 people, including 166 women, were prosecuted. Almost 25 % of all victims of criminal prosecution for their faith are people over 60 — 173 people. The oldest is 89-year-old Yelena Zayshchuk from Vladivostok. In May 2023, during a raid on believers in Novocheboksarsk (Chuvash Republic), local believer, Yuriy Yuskov, 85,learned of his criminal prosecution.\nA review of the most large-scale and dramatic events of the first three years (2017-2020) related to searches can be found in the article \"Beware, Doors are coming down! Number of searches in the homes of peaceful believers reaches 1,000 in 3 years.\" ","category":"analytics","date":"2023-06-09T08:46:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/251346/image_hu_4ccea9ad3f1ae1f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/251346/image_hu_490909e630fa1cc9.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/251346/image_hu_f32adcee6aac4214.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/251346/image_hu_9ec6451702c0203f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/251346.html","regions":[],"subtitle":"See interactive map","tags":["statistics","review","analytics"],"title":"More than 2,000 Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Searched in the Last Six Years.","type":"news"},{"body":"How to survive a search when your wife has a disability group II, the right side of her body is paralyzed and speech is impaired, and you are registered with a cardiologist? Igor Kasabov, a believer who was subjected to criminal prosecution, needed emergency medical assistance.\nIgor was born in August 1955 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He has a younger sister who lives in Armenia. Their parents are no longer alive.\nIn his youth, Igor was fond of football and volleyball, was a radio amateur. After the army, he graduated from the Riga Civil Aviation Flight Technical School. He worked at the Baku airport as a specialist in radio engineering support of aircraft navigation and landing, then at a design institute—first as an electrician, and later as the head of the finished product production department.\nIgor married Irina, a music teacher, in April 1981. In 1989, due to the tense situation in Azerbaijan, they moved to Russia, to the village of Ilskaya, Krasnodar Territory. The couple raised a son and a daughter, now they have four grandchildren. They like to travel. They lived in different cities: Armavir, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Izhevsk, Krasnoyarsk. Now they live in Tambov.\nIn the Krasnodar region, the Kasabovs met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, who showed Igor in the Bible the answers to his questions about why there is no peace and justice on earth now, as well as why people are dying. In 1993, Igor and Irina embarked on the Christian path.\nSome time before the search, Igor suffered a heart attack, and Irina suffered a stroke. Both of them also had covid, after which Igor was diagnosed with coxarthrosis of both hip joints, hypertensive crises became more frequent. The spouses\u0026#39; eyesight is falling. The criminal prosecution aggravated the condition of the Kasabovs. They are medically registered with specialized specialists, live on a minimum pension.\n","date":"2023-12-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_39bef081f818a1a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_12bbdd92804918ae.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_3c212d6d6c4e6a5c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kasabov/photo_hu_331cf549f098707f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kasabov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Igor Kasabov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loshkarev.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Loshkarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/manya.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Manya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Naymushin, a Jehovah's Witness from the Republic of Mari El, found out about the criminal case initiated against him when security forces searched his home.\nSergey was born in April 1984 in the city of Yoshkar-Ola. As a child, he was fond of various sports, most of all he loved to play football. After school, he trained as a car mechanic and worked in various car services, then as a driver for intercity buses. Later, Sergey got a higher education in economics. He still likes to play sports, especially he likes going to the swimming pool.\nFrom childhood his mother instilled high moral values in Sergey. When they were invited to a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1995, they gladly accepted and eagerly began studying the Bible. Soon they both became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRelatives and friends are worried about Sergey and do not understand why he is being prosecuted.\n","date":"2023-06-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/naymushin/photo_hu_e00c9e1bee714e5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/naymushin/photo_hu_4e61f1b9708050a3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/naymushin/photo_hu_4c1bef5863c8343f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/naymushin/photo_hu_1c9031c0d4df1a26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/naymushin.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Naymushin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov has become another Jehovah's Witness from the Murmansk Region, who is persecuted for his faith in God by the authorities. In the spring of 2023, a case was initiated against him under the article on extremism.\nAnatoliy was born in February, 1958 in the city of Severomorsk, Murmansk Region. He has a younger sister. Their parents worked at the railway station. His father was a train master, and his mother was a freight forwarder. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Anatoliy loved cross country skiing, photographing winter northern landscapes, skating and collecting stamps about flora, fauna and outstanding people. Now Anatoliy is interested in cars and likes to take pictures and travel.\nAt the end of the eighth grade, Anatoliy entered the Leningrad Electrotechnical Medical College and graduated with a degree in repair and installation of electromedical and X-ray equipment. In 1980, he got a job at a repair and installation company in the city of Murmansk. In the same year he entered the correspondence department of the Polytechnic Institute in Leningrad at the Faculty of Electronic Computers. In 1983, Anatoliy moved to the city of Snezhnogorsk and worked there as a foreman of the maintenance point at the medical unit.\nSince 1993, Anatoliy worked at a heat and power plant (boiler house) servicing power electrical networks. After fourteen years, he returned to Murmansk to a repair shop. Prior to the persecution, he worked as a medical equipment engineer at the Clinical Pathology Bureau.\nIn the 1990s, Anatoliy became interested in the Holy Scriptures and began to study this book in depth. He was impressed by the simplicity and clarity of Bible principles, as well as the immutability of moral standards. The study of the Bible convinced him that everything in nature was created, and did not appear by evolution. In 1994, Anatoliy decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn the same year he married Svetlana. She works at a gas station in a motor transport company, loves jazz music, plays the guitar. Svetlana shares the religious beliefs of her husband and supports him in everything.\nDue to religious repression, the Odintsovs had to leave their usual way of life and faced economic difficulties. Relatives and friends are outraged by the persecution, which, in their opinion, \"has no basis.\"\n","date":"2023-07-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_3e7aae4d894c2169.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_3a8c77500fbf7bc9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_53d26dfe9f5409e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/odintsov/photo_hu_6786b301d87a0363.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/odintsov.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Odintsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Romanov found out that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith when law enforcement officers raided his home. He was detained and later taken 6,500 kilometers away, from the Volgograd Region to Anadyr (Chukotka Autonomous Region), where he was first placed in a pre-trial detention center, and then under recognizance agreement.\nSergey was born in October 1975 in the village of Bukachacha (Trans-Baikal Territory). He has an elder sister. Their parents divorced when Sergey was 11. His mother is retired, she is a disabled person of the III group.\nAs a child, Sergey loved to read, play chess, and ride a bicycle. After school, he received a degree in radio engineering at a vocational lyceum. He worked as an electrician in a boiler room, a home appliance repairman, a watchman, and an administrator in a hotel. Sergey still loves books and chess, and he also likes to learn something new about animal life and natural phenomena.\nIn the early 1990s, Sergey got acquainted with the Bible. He was impressed by the fulfillment of the prophecies in this book, the explanation of the origin of life, and the factual accuracy of the Holy Scriptures, so in 1993 he decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAt different times, Sergey lived in Chukotka, in the Irkutsk and Kemerovo regions, in Moscow, and at the time of the searches he lived in the Volgograd region.\nThe criminal case and the recognizance agreement separated Sergey from his family and deprived him of the opportunity to help them in everyday matters. Family and friends are worried about the believer. They do not understand how such a calm, kind person can be considered a criminal.\n","date":"2024-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/romanov/photo_hu_a7b5fa5e5aafe84a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/romanov/photo_hu_1c6634962d8700ac.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/romanov/photo_hu_4396b8bdd723e5ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/romanov/photo_hu_3ab9a88076e32802.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/romanov.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Romanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/volkov.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Volkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yumashev.html","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Yumashev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, early in the morning, more than 10 people, 5 of whom were armed, broke into Maksim and Karina Zinchenko's home with a search. Crimean law enforcement officers initiated a criminal case against the head of the family for his religious beliefs.\nMaksim was born in 1992 in the town of Stakhanov (Ukraine). He has a younger brother. Their father works at a construction site and their mother as a waitress in a sanatorium.\nMaksim was into football as a child. After school, he graduated from college with a red diploma as a gas and electric welder with an admission to high-risk work. Maksim worked at a construction site. He lived in Yevpatoria, Feodosia, and after his criminal case was initiated, he was forced to move to Sevastopol.\nSince childhood, Maksim liked to read the Bible — the love for this book was instilled by his parents. Over time, the gained knowledge motivated him to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2011, because of his peaceful beliefs, Maksim served alternative civilian service instead of military service, working as a janitor in a tram depot,.\nMaksim met his future wife, Karina, through friends. His wife shares his views on life. The two got married in May 2015. Karina loves to read books, admires nature, especially sunrises and sunsets and does not miss the opportunity to take beautiful photos. Maksim still loves sports, especially football. Together with his wife and friends, he enjoys spending time in nature in mountains, taking pictures and editing videos.\nThe criminal case disrupted the family's plans for the near future. They spent their eighth wedding anniversary under house arrest of the head of the family. His wife supports Maksim in all his difficulties and hardships.\nZinchenko's relatives, including those who do not share their beliefs, and also their friends are outraged by the persecution of the peaceful believers.\n","date":"2023-07-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zinchenko/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zinchenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zinchenko/photo_hu_ad700cc83a8bb3b4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zinchenko/photo_hu_ad700cc83a8bb3b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zinchenko.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Zinchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 8, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tuva upheld the basic punishment for Anatoliy Senin, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, a 6-year suspended sentence, but removed restrictions on his attending mass events from the verdict.\nOn January 12, 2023, the Kyzylsky City Court found the believer guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Senin's \"guilt\" comes down to the fact that he \"broadcasted video recordings of a religious content, encouraged the audience to pray, sing religious songs and study the Bible\".\nThe verdict has been appealed. According to the defense, the trial at the first instance court was conducted with violations. For example, the court indicated “propaganda of superiority” as the motive for committing the “crime”, but the Criminal Code does not actually provide for such a motive. A religious scholar questioned in court confirmed that Jehovah's Witnesses are tolerant towards members of other religions.\nIn turn, prosecutor V.V. Khovalyg considered the suspended sentence too lenient and filed an appeal.\nHearings in the Supreme Court of Tuva were held in the presence of 8 listeners. The prosecutor asked the court to cancel Anatoliy Senin's suspended sentence and send him to a penal colony for 7 years. Then the convicted person and the defense presented their closing arguments. The believer could not complete his final statement because the court interrupted him. After a break, the court announced the appeal ruling, finding the believer guilty of extremism but upheld the suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force, but Anatoly maintains his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anatoliy Senin has been ongoing since January 2021, despite the fact that the believer’s mere participation in meetings for worship should not become grounds for accusations of extremism. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-08T16:12:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_daade0a0c5b517a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_9be4782b9a86ded0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_98ea21fe6e845c4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/091612/image_hu_dc731d4a68ca9c93.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/091612.html","regions":["tyva"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Tuva Upheld the Verdict Against Anatoliy Senin, One of Jehovah's Witnesses — a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2023, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upheld the verdict and appeal ruling against Ilya Olenin, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who was fined 500,000 rubles for his faith.\nIn July 2022, the Snezhinsk City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region considered the participation of Ilya Olenin in the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses as organizing the activity of a banned religious organization. The court of appeal did not reverse this decision.\nIn his appeal, Olenin stated that he had not committed any crime: “During the trial, it was firmly established that my actions were in fact nothing more than an expression of my attitude towards religion, which does not lead to criminal liability, as emphasized by the RF Supreme Court.”\nThe believer drew the court's attention to the fact that meetings for worship, songs and prayers do not pose any danger to society. To find Olenin guilty, the prosecution would have had to prove that he had criminal intent. However, as the believer highlighted, there is no such evidence in the case materials.\nIn 2019, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaking about the criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, noted that this “creates a dangerous precedent and actually criminalizes the right of Jehovah’s Witnesses to freedom of religion or belief in Russia, which is contrary to the obligations of the state, arising from the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-07T09:43:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/090943/image_hu_f9ad778daf071c31.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/090943/image_hu_d2705b63d2a2aeb5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/090943/image_hu_bd4632017ce61ad7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/090943/image_hu_992993f196f59465.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/090943.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"He Was Given a Heavy Fine","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Court of Сassation in Chelyabinsk Did Not Overturn the Verdict Against Ilya Olenin.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 6, 2023, Darya Didur, judge of the Partizansk City Court of the Primorye Territory, found Irina Buglak guilty of participating in the activity of a banned association and gave her a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nThe prosecutor requested the court impose a 6-year and 5-month suspended sentence on the believer, with a 6-year deprivation of the right to engage in any activity related to leading and participating in the work of religious and public organizations and a 4-year probabtion period. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer maintains her innocence.\nThe case was initiated on April 19, 2019. On the same day, the apartment of an 80-year-old woman, whom Buglak visited, was searched. Due to the stress, Irina’s left arm became numb. Nevertheless, the believer was arrested and she spent a day in the local temporary detention facility. During the interrogation, she learned that the law enforcement agencies had been collecting information about her since 2018: they were spying on her social media and listening to telephone conversations. The next day, the court imposed a preventive measure of detention on Irina. She spent 6 months in a detention center and 3.5 months under house arrest.\nIn January 2020, the case went to court, but a year later it was returned to the prosecutor. The retrial of the case began in October 2021. Two months prior to this, judge Mariya Sundyukova was recused — she was the one who ruled to arrest Irina Buglak in 2019. Gross violations committed during the investigation were revealed at the trial. For example, entire paragraphs of witness testimonies corresponded word for word and contained the same errors. It was also revealed that during the interrogation, which lasted until the morning, the investigator had put pressure on the believer, demanding she sign the protocol which included wording he had added.\nIn her final statement, Irina stated: “The prosecutor is not finding any signs of extremist activity, but only how I express my faith. Tell me specifically what extremist actions did I commit? What was my intent? Once again I emphasize: I am not on trial for extremist actions, but for my faith in God.” She added: “Extremism is when people believe that members of other religions should be killed, beaten or otherwise persecuted. But such views contradict my beliefs. I live by the principle ‘you must love your neighbor as yourself’ and the well-known golden rule ‘all things, that you want people to do to you, you also must do to them’”.\nThe verdict against Irina Buglak is not the first against Jehovah's Witnesses from Partizansk. In September 2022, Liya Maltseva was convicted on similar charges — she was given a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence. In total, 48 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorye Territory are being prosecuted for their faith.\nThe European Court of Human Rights, in its recent judgment concerning Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasized that legal formalities should not be used to hinder the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress (§ 243).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-06T16:39:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_8ddac3f9859b3d7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_cf19c2f3f49d6883.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_2774484efbe3e5ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/061639/image_hu_9ae5570fc9126d49.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/061639.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Jehovah's Witness Irina Buglak Given 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Another Guilty Verdict for Faith in Primorye Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 6, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan upheld the verdict against Konstantin Sannikov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazan. For practicing his religion, he received 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nOn February 15, 2023, the Sovetskiy District Court of Kazan considered Sannikov's participation in peaceful religious meetings, where believers discussed the Bible, as extremism. The defense appealed this decision. In its opinion, during the hearings in the court of first instance, it became obvious that the testimony of witnesses for the prosecution differed from the facts, and that there were no signs of extremism in the actions of the believer. Sannikov still maintains his innocence and can appeal the court's decision through the cassation proceedings.\nKonstantin has been behind bars for almost 3 years. His wife and four children were not allowed visits for a long time. Furthermore, anything to do with work, housing and caring for elderly relatives fell entirely on their shoulders, so Sannikov tries to support his family through friends and encourage them through letters.\nFreedom of religion is protected by Russian law and is one of the foundations of a democratic state. Despite this, more than 700 Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have already been prosecuted for exercising their rights; 13 of them are residents of Tatarstan.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/201040/image_hu_937203c03ad781e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/201040/image_hu_49028020d9fd982c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/201040/image_hu_bd72479355512574.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/201040/image_hu_1e4ebc2164fb3e35.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/201040.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Verdict Against Konstantin Sannikov Entered Into Force After Appeal Hearing in the Supreme Court of Tatarstan — 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2023, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by judge Vitaliy Staretskiy, upheld the verdict against Dmitriy Zagulin, Alam Aliyev, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger, but reduced the sentences for two of them by 3 months. The verdict has entered into force.\nAlam Aliyev will spend 6.5 years in a penal colony, and Dmitriy Zagulin — 3.5 years, as ruled by the court of first instance. The court of appeal reduced the prison terms for Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger by 3 months, and now they have to spend 6 years and 9 months behind bars instead of 7 years. The convicted persons have the right to file cassation appeals.\nFriends and relatives of the believers awaiting the decision of the court of appeal The believers maintain their innocence. In their appeal, they pointed out that extremism was imputed to them only for their faith in God, namely for lawful conduct, expressed in the exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, which are fundamental and inherent human rights. In particular, Alam Aliyev drew the court's attention to the duty of the state to protect his right to believe in Jehovah God, given to him at birth.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the RF CrC, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-06-01T08:46:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/020846/image_hu_4fb14a803d0ce087.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/020846/image_hu_4c1b495e359ba360.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/020846/image_hu_f1e5e95ff4424daf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/020846/image_hu_c106d2e7dc94bc5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/020846.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"They Will All Spend Several Years in Penal Colonies for Their Faith.","tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Court of Appeal in the Jewish Autonomous Region Slightly Reduced the Sentences of Two Out of Four Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 31, 2023, the Judicial Chamber of the Penza Regional Court upheld the verdict against Viktor Shayapov — a 2-year suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force and the believer has the right to appeal in cassation procedure.\nThe Nikolskiy District Court of the Penza Region ruled in November 2022 that the believer was guilty of the activity of an extremist organization. Shayapov disagrees: “I did not engage in extremist or other unlawful activity. I lead a peaceful life, respect the authorities and obey the law because I believe in God”. The defense also argues that the court had no convincing reasons for the guilty verdict: no evidence of criminal actions by Viktor, no eyewitness testimonies, no victims.\nIn his final statement, Viktor Shayapov stated: \"Jehovah's Witnesses have not committed any crime. However, there are those who try to label the actions of ordinary believers - reading the Bible, preaching, joint meetings, praying and singing spiritual songs — as a crime that undermines the order and security of the state.\" The judges did not allow Viktor to complete his statement and decided to uphold the verdict.\nDespite the fact that the European Court of Human Rights has exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, local law enforcement officers and courts continue to repress believers solely for their religious views.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_e66d8845da03be27.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_52bffda761ffe2b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_24dfed60123e9f48.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/051533/image_hu_5c20c0b85733022a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/051533.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Penza Upheld Suspended Sentence Against Viktor Shayapov","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 31, 2023, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk upheld the verdict against Pavel Popov, a Jehovah's Witness from Yemanzhelinsk. The believer will continue to serve his 6-year suspended sentence.\nIn May 2022, the court found Pavel guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for participating in a meeting for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court of appeal excluded several pieces of evidence from the case, but the verdict essentially remained the same, so the believer filed a cassation appeal.\nSpeaking before the judicial chamber of the court of cassation, Popov stated: “I was found guilty... for just one short talk to my friends based on the Bible. That talk did not contain any statements for which one could accuse me of extremism.”\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, a total of 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. For eight of them, the verdict has already entered into force: the believers received suspended sentences or fines.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_a04e598567646e99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_6c509630e81f540.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_15febbba956e96cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/311430/image_hu_da07c045f2741740.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/311430.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The Believer Was Declared an Extremist for Giving a Bible Talk","tags":["282.2-1","cassation","suspended"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, the Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Pavel Popov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2023, at least two married couples professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the Tambov Region.\nAt about 11 a.m., the believer received a phone call, allegedly from a district police officer who said that he could not get into his dwelling for a \"door-to-door tour.\" Finding out that the man was at work, the officer asked him to call back when he was at home. About an hour later, the same person called the believer again and introduced himself as an officer of the Investigative Committee, saying that he had a search warrant.\nAround noon, Investigator P. V. Salnikov, accompanied by an officer of the FSB and two witnesses, began a search of the home of this married couple in the village of Krasnenkaya. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, storage media, notes, drawings, and postcards. Only the wife was at home. After the search, she was taken away for interrogation and then released. On May 30, the interrogation of her husband was scheduled in the investigative department of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Tambov region.\nEarlier, on April 11, 2023, another search took place in Tambov—at 6:30 a.m., believers were awakened by a loud knock on the door. FSB officers Nikolay Aparshev and Dmitriy Dutskiy, accompanied by two girls, presented the order and searched the residence. They seized electronic devices, storage media, and postcards.\nThe European Court called on Russian authorities to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-05-29T10:13:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/021013/image_hu_152097f9a85f546c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/021013/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/021013/image_hu_c2cc19a692c92a7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/021013/image_hu_e30c04d8c003bdba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/021013.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tambov Region","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer is perplexed: \"Your honor, if you consider me guilty and condemn me, then this will be followed by a punishment aimed at my correction. But what am I going to have to fix in that case?\"\n","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/307.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Shutov in Vyazemsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 26, 2023, Dmitriy Malikov, judge of the Industrial District Court of Barnaul, gave Pavel Kazadaev, 26, a 3-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 6 months and a 2-year probation period for participating in the peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer in May 2021. Two weeks later, law enforcement officers conducted mass searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Altai Territory, calling the special operation \"Armageddon\". Law enforcement officers also searched the house of Kazadaev's parents in the village of Lugovoye and the apartment in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region), where he lived with his wife. The believer was taken to Barnaul and placed in a temporary detention facility, and later under a recognizance agreement.\nAbout a year later, the case of Pavel Kazadaev went to court. The prosecutor requested 3 years in a penal colony and 1 year restriction of freedom for him. Commenting on the charges against him, Pavel stated: “The prosecution does not indicate the date, time, place, specific persons in whose presence I made any statements promoting the superiority of Jehovah’s Witnesses over other persons, and does not cite such statements”. The investigation considered Kazadaev guilty for participating in meetings for worship. Regarding these meetings he explained: “We discussed why it is important to be attentive and show empathy to people and how to practice this”.\nThe criminal prosecution caused many difficulties in the life of the Kazadaev family. Their fellow believers have become a great support for them. Pavel said: “Our friends are constantly interested in how we are doing. For example, after the searches they helped us materially. We also really appreciate their emotional support: they send us cards and messages, small gifts and simply invite us over. Friends come to court to support me; some travel more than 100 kilometers”.\nAs a result of operation “Armageddon”, a total of 4 criminal cases were initiated against 6 believers in the Altai Territory. One of them, Andrey Danielyan, was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the liquidation of their legal entities, can exercise the right to freedom of conscience and religion, including through individual or joint practice of religion, worship or other religious rites and ceremonies, if they do not contain signs of extremism (p. 20).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-26T13:15:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_736dbd9ff46a95ec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_e31bc1d4f6d5aeb8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_3a7e97260a439637.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/261315/image_hu_6e6fab3aac99d727.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/261315.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"Court in Barnaul Gave Pavel Kazadaev a 3-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-2"],"title":"Another Jehovah's Witness Convicted for His Faith in the Altai Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The state prosecutor wants to send me to a penal colony for 3 years,\" the believer said in his last speech. \"Do they want to correct me by placing me in a society with drug addicts, fraudsters, rapists and murderers?\"\n","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/292.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pavel Kazadaev in Barnaul","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the evening of 25 May, 2023, searches were conducted at six addresses of residents who are Jehovah's Witnesses in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Presumably, a criminal case was initiated for their faith.\nThe searches started around 8 p.m. and lasted almost until midnight. The believers were communicating with each other via video conferencing at the time.\nIn Radion Shitov's apartment investigative actions were headed by Lieutenant of Justice A. Tereshchuk, investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region. FSB officer Aleksey Krupnov and testifying witnesses also participated in the search. Shitov's personal notes \"indicating membership in the Jehovah's Witnesses religion\", according to law enforcement officers, electronic devices, media storage, and medical books from Russian publishers on alternatives to blood transfusions were seized. The next day he was summoned for interrogation as a suspect to the local branch of the Investigative Committee. The summons was issued by investigator Leonid Kuznetsov.\nThirty Jehovah's Witnesses are already being prosecuted for their peaceful religious beliefs in the Khabarovsk Territory, four of them in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-05-25T17:14:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/021714/image_hu_ad585a5b234c5166.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/021714/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/021714/image_hu_9d933fc2dc47c94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/021714/image_hu_76449ab99dcb6285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/021714.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Searches Affected Several Families","tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Six More Searches Conducted at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 25, 2023, the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court upheld the verdict against Natalya Voropaeva. She will pay a fine of 360,000 rubles for her faith in God, but has the right to appeal this decision in the cassation procedure.\nNatalya Voropaeva explained why she considers the verdict of the Zheleznodorozhnyy District Court of Krasnoyarsk dated March 24, 2023 to be unfounded: “The charges are contradictory, vague and based on assumptions. The verdict does not contain any statements of an extremist nature made by me, and the materials of the case confirm this.” The believer also pointed out that for the court of first instance, evidence of her guilt was mere participation in meetings for worship. In particular, the court considered her short comments about trust in the Bible, belief in the resurrection of the dead, and the need to remain faithful in marriage as extremism.\nThe defense emphasized that the court did not heed the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, according to which, in the event of the liquidation of a religious association, believers can continue to practice their religion and their meetings for worship should not constitute a crime.\nNatalya Voropaeva faced religious repression in 2018, when her home was searched as part of a criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov. In the fall of 2022, she herself became a defendant. After only 4 months of investigations and 2 months of trial, she was convicted.\nDiscrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is a matter of serious concern for human rights activists. On June 7, 2022, the ECHR called on the Russian authorities to stop criminal prosecution of the believers and to release those in prison.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/260838/image_hu_67fa49f345a753ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/260838/image_hu_49c13afa27520812.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/260838/image_hu_bb37112f94e4c97a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/260838/image_hu_fa65471cb4cca44e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/260838.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Court of Appeal Upheld Verdict","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","fine"],"title":"Natalya Voropaeva from Krasnoyarsk Pays Fine of 360,000 Rubles for Her Faith in Jehovah God.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 3, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court reduced the terms of punishment by 2 months for residents of Spassk-Dalniy convicted for their faith. Three believers will go to a penal colony: Dmitriy Malevaniy for 6 years and 10 months, Aleksey Trofimov for 6 years and 4 months and Olga Panyuta for 4 years and 4 months. The suspended sentence for Olga Opaleva will be 4 years and 10 months.\nThree months earlier, Pavel Bobrovich, judge of the Spassky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found these believers guilty of extremism for meeting together to discuss the Bible. In their appeal against the verdict, they pointed to significant violations of the RF Constitution and an erroneous approach to the consideration of the case. For example, the court of first instance came to the conclusion that believers did not have the right to worship together, but only individually. This position contradicts the statement of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court.\nTo find a person guilty of extremism, the prosecution must establish and prove a motive of hatred or enmity. Neither this nor any other specific extremist actions by the defendants are found in the case materials.\nThe defendants emphasize that their activity have nothing to do with crime. “Showing hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I respect people of other religions and nationalities. They convicted me just for my faith in God, which is a violation of the norms of Russian and international law,” 71-year-old Olga Opaleva said in court.\nThe convicted persons have the right to appeal the appeal decision in cassation procedure. Dmitriy Malevaniy, 33, Aleksey Trofimov, 64, and Olga Panyuta, 63, remain in custody and are awaiting transfer to a penal colony.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believers from Spassk-Dalniy began in November 2018. As in many other cases — with searches. Afterwards, the believers were sent to a temporary detention facility, and then placed under house arrest for almost a year. The day before the search, Olga Opaleva suffered a heart attack, and a year later, a stroke.\nIn total, 51 Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced prosecution for their faith in the Primorye Territory and are defendants in 21 criminal cases. Suspended sentences have already been given to 21 believers, including Vitaliy Ilinykh, the son of Olga Opaleva.\nAccording to the decision of the RF Supreme Court, the letter of the RF Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, the participation of believers in peaceful worship should not be considered a crime, after the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_12ffa3c369c85b39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_8e327720b0409140.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_8485c9fb84e9965a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/250915/image_hu_6340f459ff22e72c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/250915.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","mitigation","elderly"],"title":"Primorye Territory Court Insignificantly Reduced Harsh Terms of Imprisonment of Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Dolganov was born in November 1988 in Togliatti. He has a sister. His parents are retired, but my father is still working.\nAfter school, Aleksandr studied at two technical schools as an electrician. Then he got a job in his specialty and later worked as a locksmith. Since April 2023, he has worked as a call center operator.\nIn 2017, Aleksandr moved to Samara, where he met his future wife, Mariya. About a year later, the young family returned to Togliatti. Mariya works as a support operator in a grocery delivery service. She has been familiar with the Bible since childhood—her mother instilled in her a love for God. Over time, she became convinced that the Bible\u0026#39;s advice was good for her.\nAleksandr also believed in God from a young age and loved to read Bible literature. \u0026quot;Although I didn\u0026#39;t understand much at the time, I hoped that God would be pleased with my attitude towards him,\u0026quot; he recalls. In 1998, his mother met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and began studying the Bible. When Aleksandr read Bible stories for children, he was so impressed that he wanted to attend religious meetings with his mother. Aleksandr\u0026#39;s mother was the first to take the Christian path, then he himself and then his sister.\nAleksandr to this day, as in childhood, is fond of chess and radio electronics. Mariya loves pets. She also enjoys playing board games.\n\u0026quot;House arrest has made its own adjustments to our lives. Due to the ban on leaving the apartment, using a mobile phone, the Internet, and mail, I lost the opportunity to provide for my family, so it became a burden on my wife. Also, to control my movement, they put on a tracking bracelet, which had a short range and deprived me of the opportunity to use the entire apartment,\u0026quot; Aleksandr shared.\nRelatives, neighbors and former colleagues are outraged that Aleksandr was unreasonably labeled as an extremist and sent to a penal colony.\n","date":"2024-04-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dolganov/photo_hu_de7cee6b68c1dc5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dolganov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dolganov/photo_hu_31c84e5b40663b5a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dolganov/photo_hu_7de1953c64cc14dc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dolganov.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Aleksandr Dolganov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a wave of searches in Yoshkar-Ola in the spring of 2022, Eduard Kapitonov, his son Ilya and 7 other men were accused of extremism because of their religion.\nEduard was born in 1965 in the village of Vasilenki (Mari El). As a child, he loved to play sports: football and volleyball.\nAfter secondary education, Eduard learned to be a driver, and during the holidays he worked as an assistant combine operator. Following the army, he worked for 1.5 years at a state farm as an electrician, and then he left for the Far North in the city of Noyabrsk, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area. There he worked for 13 years as a driver, after which he moved with his family to Yoshkar-Ola, where he continued to work as a driver and qualified as a woodworking technician. Eduard has more than 40 years work experience and since 2016 he has been a veteran of labor.\nEduard met his future wife Alevtina in Yoshkar-Ola when he was there on vacation from Noyabrsk. She works as a storekeeper in a factory. The couple has two children: the first, daughter Ksenia and son Ilya. Ksenia teaches IT at a children's center, and Ilya is studying law at university. They share the religious beliefs of their parents.\nEduard and Alevtina became interested in Bible teachings in 1996. Love for this book and for God motivated the couple to become Jehovah's Witnesses; first, Alevtina, and later, in 2014, Eduard.\nIn his spare time, Eduard enjoys gardening, horticulture, spending time outdoors with his family, having picnics and fishing. Also, the family often invites their friends over.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, it became more difficult for Eduard to take care of his family. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, his bank accounts were blocked and his property was seized. Due to the stress he experienced, his sleep suffered and he would often have high blood pressure.\n","date":"2023-06-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kapitonove/photo_hu_76e493974101ad05.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kapitonove/photo_hu_6ef9e4ace6da3dab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kapitonove/photo_hu_57bc2a16f8a7e84a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kapitonove/photo_hu_d1489ae174bda381.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kapitonove.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Eduard Kapitonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2023, law enforcement officers invaded Sona Olopova\u0026#39;s house. She became a defendant in a criminal case for her belief in Jehovah God and was later forced to defend her beliefs in court.\nSona was born in April 1987 in the city of Charentsavan (Armenia). She has two elder sisters. Their mother worked as a nurse all her life, their father worked as a master of dairy production at a factory and also as a finisher. Now parents are retired.\nAs a child, Sona loved to sing, dance and spend time with friends. When she was 10 years old, the family moved to Russia, to the city of Chapaevsk (Samara region).\nAfter school, Sona worked in trade. Later, she mastered several professions in the field of beauty and combined the work of a merchandiser with the services of a hairstylist, makeup artist, as well as a master of eyebrow and eyelash design. In addition, she worked as a manicure master.\nSona first heard about Bible teachings from her mother when she was a child. After learning about God\u0026#39;s promises and how Bible prophecies came true, she became imbued with confidence in the Bible. She became convinced of the practicality of the advice from this ancient book and decided to take the Christian path.\nSona had known her future husband, Anatoliy, since her teens. In 2008, they started dating and got married in 2009. Sona moved to live with Anatoliy in Togliatti. Her husband shares her views on life. Sona and Anatoliy cherish their relationship and strengthen family ties by spending a lot of time together: in their free time, they walk, read, watch movies and like to go hiking with friends.\nIn January 2024, the believer was sentenced to 2 years of forced labor. Speaking in court with the final statement, she noted: \u0026quot;My conscience is clear . . . before God, before the state and before other people. I stand before the court not as a criminal, but as a Christian, a believer.\u0026quot;\nA year and a half later, Sona was released early. According to the couple, the support of friends and family helped them during this difficult time.\n","date":"2023-09-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/olopova/photo_hu_e0a7df907c6cf2e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/olopova/photo_hu_92a76a01d28dd0b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/olopova/photo_hu_dd78d0200b18fd09.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/olopova/photo_hu_74187bdcb660bbe2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/olopova.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Sona Olopova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a wave of searches in Yoshkar-Ola in the spring of 2022, Denis Petrov turned out to be one of 9 men against whom the FSB initiated a criminal case for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDenis was born in 2001 in Yoshkar-Ola. As a child, he went in for swimming and studied at a music school, playing the violin and piano. After school, he entered the Volga State Technological University to study software engineering. During the first year, Denis began working as a programmer, which he continues to do to this day. He plans to set up his own IT company. In his free time he likes to play sports.\nFrom a young age, Denis was fascinated by the way the Bible describes the world. He fell in love with this book and found answers to many life questions in it. Still being young, Denis made the decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nHis parents and grandmother worry about Denis; they support him and assure him of their love.\n","date":"2023-06-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrovd/photo_hu_b2a143076d7b919f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrovd/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrovd/photo_hu_a004bc6f162a0c5c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrovd/photo_hu_44d0a0a2df803c5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrovd.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Petrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 22, 2023, early in the morning a search was carried out at the home of a married couple in Feodosia. Maksim Zinchenko, 31, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, was detained and taken to Sevastopol.\nThe search, which took place from 06:30 to 10:00 am, was led by investigator Nikolay Pogorelov. The task force consisted of more than 10 people, five of whom were armed. The law enforcement officers ordered the Zinchenkos and a couple who were visiting them, to lie down on the floor. The investigator suggested that Zinchenko's wife cooperate with the investigation, intimidating her with a long prison term for her husband and a ban on visiting him. Electronic devices were confiscated from the believers. The detention of Maksim Zinchenko was preceded by a long period of surveillance.\nDespite condemnation from the global community, the Russian authorities continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses. In Crimea, 13 criminal cases for faith were initiated; 12 believers were sentenced to penal colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-05-22T11:00:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/231100/image_hu_2e490b5dd4dd9bea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/231100/image_hu_aa070b536aecc5b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/231100/image_hu_c51742191b7fb50b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/231100/image_hu_366ce223752e9a65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/231100.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Home of Jehovah's Witnesses Searched in Feodosia","tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"New Criminal Case for Faith in Crimea.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2023, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region held the third hearing in the case of Nataliya Kriger on an appeal — this time against a new guilty verdict for her faith issued after previous decisions had been overturned. The 2.5-year suspended sentence entered into force.\nNataliya does not consider herself guilty and has been defending her constitutional right to freedom of religion in courts for 2 years and 8 months already. In her appeal, she stated that the court of first instance had not taken into account her right to remain a believer after the liquidation of the legal entity of the religious organization. In addition, she stated that she was convicted under an article for extremism without citing specific extremist actions. According to Nataliya, the court ignored her arguments and explanations regarding her peaceful religious beliefs. She said: “The expression of hatred or enmity, or the division of people along class or social lines is alien to me. My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love God and love people”.\nThe believer faced criminal prosecution in May 2018 when her home was raided as part of the \"Judgement Day” operation. In February 2020, a criminal case was initiated against her. After 6 months of investigation and 11 months of litigation, in July 2021, Nataliya was given her first guilty verdict. Later, the court of appeal upheld it, and then the court of cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which, in turn, sent it for a new trial to the court of first instance.\nIn March 2023, the Birobidzhanskiy District Court again found Nataliya Kriger guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, imposing a 2.5-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nIn December 2022, the same Birobidzhanskiy District Court sent Nataliya's husband Valeriy to a penal colony for 7 years on similar charges. He is awaiting an appeal hearing in his criminal case.\nRussian human rights activists and the global community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR recognized these actions as illegal and called on the Russian Federation to the believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-22T10:11:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_92ea803f884e36a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_62d038b859892612.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_c2d1c4810ae02d60.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/231011/image_hu_ef55e046df06cd64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/231011.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"After Court Reconsidered her Case, She was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence for Her Faith in God","tags":["suspended","2-appeal","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Reaffirmed Verdict Against Nataliya Kriger.","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2023, the Primorye Territory Court refused to grant the appeal of Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitriy Tishchenko against the guilty verdict that imposed a 6-year suspended sentence. The decision has entered into force, but the believers have the right to appeal it in cassation procedure.\nThe court considered the following to be evidence of extremist activity: the defendants continued to “follow the teachings” of Jehovah’s Witnesses by participating in meetings for worship, “listening to talks,\" and “singing religious songs.” As noted in the appeal, these actions are not prohibited by the RF CrC as socially dangerous acts, but are guaranteed by the RF Constitution as fundamental human rights and freedoms.\nA friendly meeting of fellow believers in a cafe was construed by law enforcement officers as “actions to organize the recruitment of new members, intended to continue the illegal activity of a banned religious organization.” In 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Korolchuk, Chermnykh and Tishchenko, and searches were conducted. Later, all three defendants signed a recognizance agreement, which was in place for almost 3 years. Rosfinmonitoring blocked their bank accounts.\nOn November 30, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of the Primorye Territory, gave Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh, and Dmitriy Tishchenko a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period and 1 year restriction of freedom.\nIn their appeal the believers stated that as a result of a miscarriage of justice, they were convicted merely for peacefully practicing beliefs based on the Bible. They confirmed their intention to defend their innocence. Dmitriy Tishchenko observed: “Neither the investigator nor the public prosecutor said what harm or damage I caused to the State or which of my words or deeds incited hatred between people. Not a single person has ever come to court to claim that they have been harmed by my actions.” Sergey Korolchuk explained: “The only motive for all my actions was love for God and neighbor. This has nothing to do with extremism, which I am being charged with.” Anton Chermnykh emphasized: “In Russia you don't need permission to believe in God!”\nIn Primorye, 57 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith, of which 25 have already been sentenced to various punishments, and 16 are defending their right to worship in court. Fourteen believers are serving suspended sentences.\nThe court in the city of Ussuriysk ignored the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which emphasized that the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses does not impose a ban on their worship.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-18T17:11:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_4f957bdd92ebe7a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_2a3c7af5070b93df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_a0db2dd3a52d8d2e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/181711/image_hu_7a420b92dd02ae24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/181711.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"Verdict Entered Into Force — 6-year Suspended Sentence","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Primorye Refused to Acquit Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Ussuriysk.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said that her accusation of extremism was unfounded: \"I am not being tried for extremist actions, but for my faith in God. And faith comes from the heart, not from having an organization.\" The document is published with some abbreviations.\n","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/2012.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Irina Buglak in Partizansk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Ilya Kapitonov, being a third-year student at the Faculty of Law, unexpectedly became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith along with his father Eduard.\nIlya was born in February 2002 in the city of Yoshkar-Ola (Mari El). He has an older sister Ksenia. Their mother is a storekeeper at a factory, their father is a driver with 40 years of experience, a veteran of labor.\nFrom childhood, Ilya liked chess, as well as volleyball and basketball; he played football for 8 years. The young man still loves sports. On warm evenings he runs along the forest. “Running is a hobby for me, thanks to which I can recover after a busy day,” said Ilya. After school, the young man enrolled in university. From the first year he has been working as a tutor in social theory.\nThe Kapitonov family was introduced to Bible teachings in 1996. The mother tried to instill in her children love for the Creator. From childhood, Ilya loved watching scientific and educational films and admired the beauty of the world around him. He was convinced that this amazing variety could not have appeared by chance. Over time, all family members became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution unsettled the believer and caused anxiety. His mother and sister, as well as relatives who do not share the religious views of the Kapitonovs, are worried about Eduard and Ilya.\n","date":"2023-06-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kapitonov/photo_hu_6d6b21a7db6ca25.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kapitonov/photo_hu_4a431dd8d29dad73.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kapitonov/photo_hu_bca127954fff06d9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kapitonov/photo_hu_3513e56a7c1a04f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kapitonov.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Ilya Kapitonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The home of Sergey Kulikov, a peaceful pensioner from Yoshkar-Ola, was unexpectedly searched. In April 2022, he learned that, together with his оldest son Aleksey, he had become a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in December 1953 at the Gigant state-run farm in the Salsky District of the Rostov Region. He has an older brother and a younger sister. Their parents worked in a brick factory. The boy first heard about God from his grandmother who lived with the family.\nFrom early childhood, Sergey loved singing and performing street \u0026quot;concerts\u0026quot; in front of his peers. At the age of 8, he went to music school, and after graduating from it, he enrolled in the Rostov School of Arts. Not having completed his first year, Sergey took his papers and returned home to finish high school there.\nAfter school, the young man served in the army. There he mastered the bass guitar, organized a musical group with which he toured the military units in Germany, participated in social evenings with German musicians. After the army, Sergey worked as a driver, photographer, singing teacher, lathe operator, combine operator, electrician and mechanic.\nIn 1978, Sergey married Nadezhda, and the following year they had a son and soon after a daughter. In 1984, the family moved to Sverdlovsk, Lugansk Region, where they had another son. At the local market, the couple met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and Nadezhda decided to study the Bible. Sergey was skeptical at first.\nBecause of the smoldering spoil tips, the children began to have health problems, and the Kulikov family moved to Mari El, to the village of Silikatny, where Nadezhda continued to study the Holy Scriptures. Sergey also gradually became convinced that what Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses say does not contradict what he read in the Bible. In 1993 he attended the international convention of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Moscow. This event prompted him to give up bad habits and become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1994--two years after Nadezhda. The Kulikovs tried raising their children in accordance with Bible principles.\nThe search and criminal prosecution greatly affected the life of Sergey and his family. He says: \u0026quot;\u0026#39;My home is my castle\u0026#39;, I thought. And then uninvited guests burst into my home . . . For the first three or four months, I lost control of everything. A malignant tumor developed on my wife\u0026#39;s kidney. Her kidney with the tumor was removed in an emergency surgery.\u0026quot; Nevertheless, Sergey tries to maintain a positive attitude and is grateful for the support of fellow believers.\n","date":"2023-06-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_951b45069f97768e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_e7a3429106955ed.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_f6adf2bf7c9533b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kulikovs/photo_hu_55f69d647a8a3d56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kulikovs.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Kulikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 16, 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of at least three families of believers. Two new criminal cases are known to have been initiated. Aleksandr Dolganov, 34, was placed under house arrest, and Sona Olopova, 36, placed under a recognizance agreement.\nSearches of the homes of the Dolganovs and of another believer started at about 6:30 a.m. and lasted more than 2 hours. At about the same time, a search took place at the home of Anatoliy and Sona Olopov. Armed law enforcement officers confiscated electronic devices and personal notes from the believers; passports for travel abroad were also taken from Dolganov and Olopova. Sona Olopova was taken for interrogation to the investigative department, where she was kept until about 7.00 p.m., after which she was released under a recognizance agreement.\nAfter the searches, Aleksandr Dolganov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. The next day, May 17, Elena Laskina, judge of the Tsentralnyy District Court of Tolyatti, placed him under house arrest.\nThe criminal prosecution was initiated by the Tsentralnyy Interdistrict Investigative Department for the City of Tolyatti of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The investigative actions were led by senior investigators A. S. Kharitonov, R. N. Mgoyan and A. O. Grekov. The day before the searches, the latter initiated at least two criminal cases: against Aleksandr Dolganov and Sona Olopova. Both are charged with Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC. According to Grekov, from 2017 to the present time the believers have been participating in the activity of a banned religious association.\nUpdate. It is now known that a criminal case was initiated under the same article against another believer, 61-year-old Yelena Kozhevnikova. On May 18, 2023, investigator R. N. Mgoyan placed her under a recognizance agreement. Earlier, in the Samara Region, two criminal cases had already been initiated against five Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/191138/image_hu_77e392703148a1bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/191138/image_hu_8df27af681b5c36b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/191138/image_hu_b4cb2c896361295d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/191138/image_hu_167e97fac38c13fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/191138.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","search","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement","ivs","282.2-2"],"title":"After Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses In Tolyatti — Two Criminal Cases Initiated For Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 15, 2023, Roza Bolotskaya, judge of the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region, sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses Yunona Ilyasova and Aleksey Yeliseyev to heavy fines of 400,000 and 450,000 rubles, respectively. The court found them guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nYunona Ilyasova, a mother of three and a special education teacher, was suspected of extremism in July 2021. Another peaceful citizen from Snezhnogorsk, Aleksey Yeliseyev, a welder, also became a suspect. Homes of the believers were searched during the night, after which they ended up in a temporary detention center. The investigation considered Ilyasova and Yeliseyev guilty of extremism due to the fact that they “organized individual preaching and the discussion of religious literature and its texts” via videoconferencing.\n“On the recordings, we saw a discussion of religious texts that were not included in the list of extremist materials, including the Bible; praying and singing songs, which in themselves are not extremism,” Aleksey Yeliseyev said in court. “The videos show that moral standards, good conduct, family values, health topics, the future, etc. are being discussed”.\nAddressing the court, Yunona Ilyasova noted: “During the trial, it was repeatedly said that there is not a single forbidden religion in Russia, but at the same time, the investigation and the prosecution considered that my actions in worshiping God were illegal. It turns out that you can use only the first half of the 28th article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which says that I have the right to choose and have faith, but you can’t use the second half of the same article — to act in accordance with my convictions, both individually and together with others. It's like giving a car to a person who does not have a driver's license. That is, there is a car, but there is no right to use it”.\nThe case was investigated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, and in August 2022 it went to court. Prior to the sentencing, the believers were under a recognizance agreement for a year and eight months. What is happening has become a great stress for the families of both defendants. Aleksey and his wife even decided not to inform his parents, who are already in poor health, about the criminal case.\nIn the Murmansk region, already seven Jehovah's Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution because of their religion. Four of them have already been sentenced to large fines. Willy Fautré, founder and director of the Brussels organization Human Rights Without Frontiers, expressed his concern about the growing repression campaign: \"Jehovah’s Witnesses are the religious group that has been the most persecuted in Russia... hereby deprived of their freedoms of association, assembly, worship and expression\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-15T11:19:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/161119/image_hu_3c15a6a1f396c61f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/161119/image_hu_76c10d60b28d7cf0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/161119/image_hu_6a438ee77ec2ec8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/161119/image_hu_67855a4b8d2f7ea7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/161119.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":"Speech Therapist and Electric Welder Found Guilty of Extremism for Reading the Bible","tags":["fine","282.2-1","sentence"],"title":"In Snezhnogorsk, Yunona Ilyasova and Aleksey Yeliseyev Were Fined for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"Telling the court about the difficulties her family faced because of persecution for religious reasons, the believer remarked: \"During this trial, the words 'Constitution', 'law', 'danger', 'extremism' were often heard, but I never heard the phrase 'presumption of innocence'.\n","date":"2023-05-15T10:11:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/980.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yunona Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer brought evidence to the court that his faith is \"not an impulse of emotions, not blind fanaticism, and even more so not extremism.\" He explained: \"The most important thing is that it does not pose a threat to the state, does not undermine the foundations of the constitutional order, but encourages peace, mutual respect and love for one's neighbor.\"\n","date":"2023-05-15T09:50:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/979.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Eliseev in Snezhnogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 11, 2023, the panel of judges of the Amur Regional Court did not grant the appeal of Sergey Afanasiyev, Sergey Kardakov, Sergey Yermilov, Anton Olshevskiy and Adam Svarichevskiy against the decision of the court of first instance, which equated peaceful religious activity with extremism. The verdict has entered into force.\nEarlier, Daria Varkalevich, judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, sentenced Sergey Afanasiyev to 6.5 years, Sergey Kardakov to 6 years and 4 months, Sergey Yermilov, Anton Olshevskiy and Adam Svarichevskiy to 6 years and 3 months in prison.\nThe courts considered it a crime to believe in Jehovah God and meet with like-minded people to pray and discuss the Bible. The believers insist that they did not commit any crimes. They have the right to file a cassation appeal.\nSergey Afanasiyev, considering the prosecution unjust, said: “Just as literal iron, having passed through fire, is tempered, so thanks to these trials, my faith has become even stronger”.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Blagoveshchensk began back in 2017. Several of them were under covert surveillance. Later, their homes were searched. In October 2019, FSB investigator Obukhov initiated a criminal case against Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov and charged the others within a year. All five were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Afanasiyev was also accused of financing it.\nThe prosecution for their faith also affected the wives of two believers — Valentina Yermilova and Yekaterina Olshevskaya. Since July 2021, they have been defendants in another criminal case, which is also being investigated by investigator Obukhov. In the Amur Region, more than 20 believers have been prosecuted for extremism, four of whom are already serving sentences in penal colonies.\nAccording to the decision of the RF Supreme Court, the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court and the letter of of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RF, participation in peaceful religious services after the liquidation of the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-11T15:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/111527/image_hu_31d22c86ea6030eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/111527/image_hu_f24a7415c90c59da.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/111527/image_hu_7227e33f63411173.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/111527/image_hu_9ddcad65134585a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/111527.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"The Appeal Court in Blagoveshchensk Upheld the Sentencing of Five Jehovah's Witnesses to a Penal Colony for More Than 6 Years for Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 10, 2023, Lev Afanasyev, judge of the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, gave Ivan Shulyuk a 7-year suspended sentence with 4-year probation. The court deemed discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious songs among friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nThe prosecution of Ivan Shulyuk for his faith began on June 18, 2020, when law enforcement officers raided the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazarovo. He said: “I was subjected to a degrading procedure of search, arrest and confinement in a detention center. I was repeatedly transported in a tiny metal chamber within the prison van in the heat, kept and moved about in handcuffs, although I do not pose any threat to society. My personal data was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, and I was put among those involved in terrorism and extremism, which is an outrageous injustice”. According to Ivan, the month he spent in the detention center was not an easy one, but faith in God, prayer, letters, parcels with food and flowers from friends and fellow believers, as well as the support of his wife Yuliya, helped him cope with the difficulties.\nThe investigation lasted a year and two months; it was conducted by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Nazarovsky District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. The case went to court in August 2021. In his final statement, Shulyuk said: “In the indictment against me, it is written in bold letters: ‘no information on victims, nature or extent of harm.’ It is logical that if there is no such information, if there is no evidence, then there is no guilt. This is not a search for my non-existent crime, but a deliberate discrimination and prosecution of me on religious grounds.” Witnesses in their testimonies confirmed that they had not heard calls for extremism from Shulyuk.\nIvan is not the first of his family to face repression for his faith. In 1942, his grandfather was shot down for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses and buried in a mass grave. In 1997 he was rehabilitated posthumously. Ivan mentioned this story at one of the hearings. “Having rehabilitated my relatives, the authorities confirmed that they were wrong at the time. So why repeat history?” the believer asked. Shulyuk has the right to defend his innocence in the court of appeal.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, three peaceful believers are already serving terms in a penal colony for reading the Bible: Anatoliy Gorbunov, Yevgeniy Zinich and Andrey Stupnikov. In total, law enforcement officers have initiated criminal cases against 30 Jehovah's Witnesses from this region. The persecution continues despite the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, as well as the decision of the European Court of Human Rights of June 7, 2022, which fully exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-05-10T09:22:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_5d242655ee1334d9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_1e74dbaa26cfab5d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_2844412724c6329e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/100922/image_hu_aa1814c813eef3e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/100922.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Court Sentences Ivan Shulyuk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Nazarovo","tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Seven-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible with Friends.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the believer emphasizes: \"I think it is obvious to all participants in the process from the very beginning that this is not a search for my non-existent crime, but a deliberate discrimination and persecution of me on religious grounds.\"\n","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/291.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivan Shulyuk in Nazarov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In April 2022, Igor Alekseyev, a peaceful resident of Yoshkar-Ola, became a defendant in a criminal case only because of his religious views. Law enforcement officers regarded discussing the Bible among friends as organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nIgor was born in 1977 in the village of Arzebelyak (Mari El). He has a younger sister. Their father is no longer alive and their mother is retired. In his youth, Igor liked skiing. For his vocational education he trained in 3 professions: driver, electrician and bricklayer. He works as a bricklayer. In his free time, Igor likes handcrafting things.\nAt the age of 32, Igor began studying the Bible. He was impressed by the teaching that people are not tormented in hell after death. Igor realized that he wanted to live according to the teachings of Christ and serve God, which he did from 2009.\nIgor met his future wife Nataliya at a relative's wedding. They got married in 2006. Nataliya cleans private apartments, enjoys singing, playing the piano and knitting. The couple have a son and a daughter. The Alekseyevs used to live in Samara, and then moved to Yoshkar-Ola to help their parents.\nNataliya has shared her husband's religious views since 2011. In the Bible, she found answers to her questions: why people die and why there is so much injustice in life?\nFamily and friends are trying to support the Alekseyevs during this difficult time.\n","date":"2023-05-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/alekseyev/photo_hu_29b5a0d1b15641e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/alekseyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/alekseyev/photo_hu_dac83b8d50411e7d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/alekseyev/photo_hu_72fb2f03fd352105.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alekseyev.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Alekseyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anastasiya was born in 1999 in Moscow in the family of a military man and a doctor. At that time, her father studied in the capital. A year later, the family returned to their hometown Vladivostok. In 2018, her parents divorced.\nAs a child, Anastasiya was versatile: she did gymnastics, liked drawing and playing chess, and graduated from a music school. On graduating from secondary school, she received a gold medal and then entered medical university to study medical biochemistry. When the criminal case was initiated against her, she was in her 6th year and was preparing to defend her diploma and moonlighting as an English teacher in a children\u0026#39;s center.\nIn her spare time, Anastasiya loves to sing and play the ukulele—small Hawaiian guitar. She also likes photography and loves traveling with her friends.\nAnastasiya believed in God from childhood and developed a love for him. Her grandmother told her about God\u0026#39;s wonderful qualities, and also read Bible stories to her, bringing to life fascinating and instructive stories in her imagination. She taught her to develop good qualities that would be useful to her in adulthood, especially in difficult circumstances. Anastasiya grew up and her confidence in the existence of the Creator was reinforced by what she learned about how complex living organisms are. In 2018, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Her mother, like her grandmother, shares her views on life.\nAnastasiya has always lived in Vladivostok, but she planned to move after graduation. The criminal prosecution disrupted these plans. Relatives, especially her father, are worried about her and consider this prosecution unreasonable.\nIn August 2025, Anastasia married Daniil. According to her, a caring and loving life partner became her support and shared difficulties with her.\n","date":"2023-05-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dyldina/photo_hu_2a8216e3ffe4c608.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dyldina/photo_hu_1642352cad0b32ca.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dyldina/photo_hu_f6bd6184391542a2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dyldina/photo_hu_d791b075fd8b8868.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dyldina.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Anastasiya Dyldina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Detained at the border, transported in handcuffs in the view of the passengers of a plane and humiliated by security forces — Izolda Guseva faced such treatment in the spring of 2023 only because of her religion. A criminal case had been initiated against her in the summer of 2022.\nIzolda was born in May 1969 on the Black Sea coast in the city of Batumi (Georgia) in a military family. She spent her childhood in a big noisy house: her parents, older brother, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins — all lived together. There was a large garden — the whole family used to gather the huge harvest of tangerines, figs, pears and grapes.\nIzolda's happy childhood was overshadowed by the death of her uncle. The news of this caused her grandmother to fall into a coma. “I was strongly affected by everything that happened in our house, although I was very small,” Izolda recalled. “I often crawled under the blanket and imagined what God is like. I asked him: if you are so strong, why don't you help my grandmother come out of her coma?”\nWhen Izolda was 13, her father took her to study in Russia. After school, she graduated from a medical college in Rybinsk. She worked as a nurse in a hospital. She said: “I saw a lot of human suffering. And although health workers must have composure, I could not be indifferent and sobbed, seeing the pain of others.” Later, she retrained as a rehabilitation-massage therapist.\nIn September 1988, Izolda married a doctor and joined him in Yaroslavl. They raised two sons. The younger one is a creative boy, loves to draw and sing. The older works as a builder, loves nature and recreation with his family. Both completed alternative civilian service instead of military service. Izolda considers cooking different dishes her hobby.\nAll her youth Izolda wondered what is the purpose of life, why so many people get sick and die and who is God. She tried to find answers by talking with people in different religions. After some time, having become acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses, she began studying the Bible more scrupulously. What she learned from this book was similar to what her beloved grandparents had once taught her.\nIn the Bible, Izolda found answers to all her questions, moreover, she found inner satisfaction and peace and friends among peace-loving fellow believers. In November 1995, she decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later, her sons joined her.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Izolda's health. Her husband, who does not share her convictions, changed his attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses for the better after the beginning of the investigation. Izolda's relatives do not understand why they are prosecuting this peace-loving woman.\n","date":"2023-05-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/guseva/photo_hu_f3d615ff7bb7ac8f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/guseva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/guseva/photo_hu_cea34e1f4b69e640.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/guseva/photo_hu_9efeb1776d20480d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/guseva.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Izolda Guseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/romanova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Romanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2023, Marina Roslova, from the Far Eastern port city of Vladivostok, faced persecution for her peaceful religious views.\nMarina was born in December 1967 in Khabarovsk, located on the banks of the Amur River on the border with China. Later, the family moved to Partizansk, which is 800 km from her hometown. Marina's mother worked in trade, her father was employed in the car industry, and later in a mine. The parents are no longer alive.\nMarina was an only child. Since childhood, she loved books, played the piano and guitar. After school, she moved to Vladivostok, where she graduated from a music school with a concertmaster degree. In recent years, she has been working in a cleaning service. She still loves to read books, especially classics in the detective genre.\nMarina met her husband in Vladivostok. In 1988 they got married, and a year later they had a son. In 1992, her husband died tragically, and she had to raise her son on her own. He is a professional chef.\nIn the 1990s, Marina started examining the Bible. She was impressed that this book is accurate, harmonious and consistent, like a piece of music, as well as logical and self-explanatory. In 1998, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFaced with criminal prosecution, Marina tries to stay positive. Relatives and friends are at a loss as to what is happening.\n","date":"2023-05-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/roslova/photo_hu_d581df586293c6ba.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/roslova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/roslova/photo_hu_47f5e53fbf98394a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/roslova/photo_hu_f31a17c859a9c360.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/roslova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Marina Roslova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2023, Aleksandr Salnikov and his family were among Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses subjected to searches. A criminal case was opened against the believer, accusing him of extremism.\nAleksandr was born in April 1961 in Magnitogorsk. He has two elder sisters. Their parents are no longer alive. As a child, Aleksandr was fond of wood burning, collecting badges and stamps. During his school years, he went to the boxing section, and later was engaged in classical wrestling. From the 4th grade until he served in the army, he kept pigeons. He also always loved to read.\nAfter graduating from school, Aleksandr received the profession of an electric welder. After the army, he got a job at the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, where he worked for 13 years as a cold metal cutter on a slitting unit. For the last 27 years, he worked at the municipal enterprise, where he was a foreman of locksmiths for 19 years.\nAlexander has 40 years of professional work experience, now he is retired. For high professional skills, many years of conscientious work, significant contribution to the development of the industry, he has been repeatedly awarded for distinction in his work, and also has a certificate of honor from the head of the city of Magnitogorsk.\nWhile working at the plant, Aleksandr met Nelly, who was a quality controller in the same workshop. They got married in 1985. The couple raised two children, the son already has his own family.\nIn 1999, the Salnikovs began to study the Bible. Aleksandr was particularly impressed by the accuracy of this book in scientific matters. A year later, the couple embarked on the Christian path of life. Their adult children share their life values.\nPersecution for their faith had a negative impact on the health of the Salnikovs. Aleksandr and his daughter had exacerbated chronic diseases, which required treatment.\n","date":"2024-06-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_af0697263500c864.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_98f2d2acea158eb1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/salnikov/photo_hu_37c39e98129e0e01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/salnikov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Salnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Sazhin from the town of Fokino which is a small, picturesque town in Primorye, was subjected to criminal prosecution for his belief in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in August 1971 in the village of Tikhookeanskoye (now Fokino). He has a sister. Their parents were members of the Communist Party, their mother worked in the party accounting of the rear of the Pacific Fleet, and father served as a captain on hydrographic ships for more than forty five years.\nAs a child, Aleksandr loved to explore the coastline of Peter the Great Bay with his friends and, like his father, dreamed of working at sea. After serving in the army, he graduated from the Far East Naval School with a degree in navigation and worked on fishing vessels for fourteen years. Over time, he became the captain of the ship and realized his dream.\nAleksandr has been married for over thirty years. Together with his wife, they raised a daughter, who now lives in St. Petersburg.\nOn one of his voyages, Aleksandr read a book that explored the arguments for creation. He recalls: “Reading and observing the beauty of the creations that surround me on all sides in the open spaces of the sea, I became convinced of the existence of a loving Creator.” The fact that the Bible provides an explanation for the events taking place in the world, and the advice from this book is beneficial, prompted Aleksandr in 2008 to become a Christian.\nThanks to his newfound faith, he decided to spend more time with his family and began working as a boatswain on a hydrographic raid boat, later he worked as a taxi driver and a technician in communication salons. Aleksandr loves outdoor activities: he goes hiking on the islands and conquers the seaside hills. Lately he has been writing prose and poetry.\nThe stress caused by the search affected the health of Aleksandr’s wife. Relatives and colleagues are perplexed why such a law-abiding and gentle person was considered an extremist.\n","date":"2023-05-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sazhin/photo_hu_8ea672be81479b9a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sazhin/photo_hu_34853fa272f9fd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sazhin/photo_hu_c855a16066f10bc2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sazhin/photo_hu_4c8fe583d4a8dd5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sazhin.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Sazhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alina Tkachenko was one of six women prosecuted for her beliefs in the spring of 2023 in Vladivostok. Her house was searched, and a criminal case was initiated against her.\nAlina was born in September 1972. She grew up as a very active child — she engaged in fencing, sambo and dancing. After school, she trained in several professions — a cook, a sales manager and an expert in food products. For some time she worked in her profession, and then began to provide cleaning services.\nAlina has an adult son who she relies on for support. He adopted her love for an active lifestyle — they travel together and like hiking. He also plays the guitar and piano. Alina's mother is already retired, she shares her daughter's values.\nIn 2007, Alina decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses after she received answers to her questions from the Bible and learned that the prophecies written in this book are being fulfilled today.\nAlina worries about her health because of the criminal prosecution. She has lost one of her three jobs. Alina's relatives are concerned and do not understand why this is happening.\n","date":"2023-05-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tkachenko/photo_hu_b72305b67aa69d8f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tkachenko/photo_hu_8787e919e392afc8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tkachenko/photo_hu_64317abe60d14510.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tkachenko/photo_hu_82d63ae85540deaa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tkachenko.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Alina Tkachenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 28, 2023, the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region gave one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vadim Fedorov, a 6-year suspended sentence for holding meetings for worship not prohibited by law. Judge Aleksey Rustamshin deemed discussing the Bible to be \"organizing the activity of an extremist organization\".\nVadim Fedorov, the father of five children, insists on his innocence. In his final statement, he said: “My conscience is clear both before God and before the state. I did nothing wrong for which I could be punished or called an extremist. The prosecution did not prove what they accuse me of ... I try to live according to the norms and commandments that are set out in the Bible, and for me this is sacred”.\nIn June 2021, while Vadim Fedorov was not there, his home was searched as part of the case against Andrey Perminov. A year later, criminal proceedings also started against Vadim. His home was searched one more time, again in his absence. It turned out that in April 2022, Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiated a criminal case against a 52-year-old believer on suspicion of extremism. The investigation lasted for about six months. From June 2022, Vadim Fedorov was under a recognizance agreement. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked.\nThe case went to court in October 2022. At the request of the prosecutor, after 2 months it was transferred to another judge, and the proceedings started over. The prosecutor had requested 6.5 years in a penal colony for the believer. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nDefending his good name, Vadim Fedorov reminded the court of the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, according to which the investigation should not initiate criminal cases, searches and arrests only on the basis that a person adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-28T11:36:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_b5954b6995753f8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_3f70cbc09b4a8a5d.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_b1845f38bdc81630.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/281136/image_hu_8d468212ecc0d08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/281136.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"In the City of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, a Court Gave Vadim Fedorov, the Father of Many Children, a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The retrial of Dmitry Barmakin's case in the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok resulted in a guilty verdict and an eight-year prison term—a decision rendered by Judge Larisa Smolenkova on April 27, 2023. A year and a half prior, her colleague from the same court ruled that the believer be acquitted with the right to rehabilitation.\nBarmakin became the first one of Jehovah's Witnesses since 2017 to be acquitted of the charges under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In November 2021, the court concluded that “Barmakin never carried out extremist activities; he practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which included meeting with fellow believers and discussing his beliefs.\" This decision was a logical consequence of the ruling of the Supreme Court Plenum of the Russian Federation, issued a month earlier. However, six months later, the appellate court overturned the acquittal and returned the case to the first instance for consideration by a new composition of the court. This time the trial was held behind closed doors. The prosecutor again requested that the believer serve nine years in a penal colony.\nAfter the verdict, Barmakin, age 48, was taken into custody in the courtroom. As an additional punishment, the judge decided to restrict the believer's freedom for one year after serving the prison sentence.\nFriends support Dmitriy Barmakin, who was arrested in the courtroom, with applause. April 27, 2023 Dmitriy Barmakin has been defending his innocence for almost five years. “The prosecution made typical actions of believers look like some kind of spy games,” he said in his final statement. “So, according to the prosecution, a typical peaceful religious meeting and a discussion with friends on Bible topics constitutes continuation of the activities of a banned organization. Simple phrases like 'turn down the volume on your mobile device' indicate a conspiracy. Discussions in an apartment indicate a desire to hide from law enforcement agencies.”\nDmitriy's wife, Yelena, is also being prosecuted under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for her beliefs. The same court—the Pervorechensky Court of the city of Vladivostok—is currently considering a case against her and several local believers.\nBarmakin is the fifth believer in Russia to receive such a severe sentence for his convictions. Aleksey Berchuk from Blagoveshchensk and Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy Ivanov, and Sergey Klikunov from Astrakhan had been sentenced to eight years in prison.\nAleksandr Verkhovskiy, director of the information and analytical center Sova, drew attention to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, saying: “The growing campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses is terrifying, but it also gives a chance that this time someone will finally come to their senses and think. Still, the ‘Witnesses’ too obviously do not pose a threat to security, and at the same time they are just as clearly impossible to ‘eradicate,’ since more than hundred thousand people cannot be imprisoned or forced out of the country, and Jehovah’s Witnesses did not deviate from their faith even in the worst times.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-27T13:55:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/271355/image_hu_933c45dfba0c4d24.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/271355/image_hu_8f8b41e870f8714e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/271355/image_hu_bb69bb96d22f0a21.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/271355/image_hu_885873b7422a00df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/271355.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["retrial","sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","families"],"title":"A Court in the City of Vladivostok Sentenced Dmitriy Barmakin to Eight Years in a Penal Colony—His Acquittal Had Been Overturned","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 27, 2023, the Apsheronsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory denied Aleksandr Nikolayev early release from the penal colony. His release is planned for the end of September 2023.\nIn December 2021, the Abinsky District Court sentenced Aleksandr Nikolayev, a father of many children, to 2.5 years in prison for participating in an online meeting for worship in which he read a passage from the Bible aloud. The believer spent 13 months in pre-trial detention and since February 2023 he has been in a penal colony.\nIn the Khadyzhensk penal colony, Nikolayev was provoked when one of the officers tried to rip off the badge from his uniform, the absence of which is usually viewed as breaking the rules.\nAleksandr does not lose heart and is grateful for letters of support from different countries: Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, already 14 Jehovah's Witnesses have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment; five of them have served their main sentences.\nAt the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev explained in October 2021: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime”.\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/011414/image_hu_b22d11e78960bf7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/011414/image_hu_da2fe20d08a41f27.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/011414/image_hu_ccf5e968f9f91b1b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/011414/image_hu_ddf46911267ba875.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/011414.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court Denied Aleksandr Nikolayev Early Release From the Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer told the court how the unjust persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses breeds religious intolerance: \"[It] makes people think that we ... not Christians, but criminals... I try to live according to the standards and commandments that are set forth in the Bible, and for me this is sacred.\"\n","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/306.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vadim Fedorov in Asha","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer said that he did not understand what he would have to change if the court punished him for his faith: \"Thanks to my religion, I do not take drugs, I do not smoke, I do not swear ... I do not participate in protest rallies, I do not insult the authorities. Do I really need to fix all this?\"\n","date":"2023-04-26T10:27:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/305.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Barmakin in Vladivostok at the retrial of the case","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 26, 2023, Sergey Glushkov, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, fined Sergey and Svetlana Malyanovs, father and daughter, as well as Roman Zhivolupov and Oleg Konshin, the total amount of 2 million 195 thousand rubles. The court considered a friendly meeting with songs, dances and games as a continuation of the activity of the liquidated religious organization.\nThe accusation was based on a video recording of a concert program in a rented property. Giving testimony to the court, the believers explained why they strongly disagree with the charges of extremism. “I just came to spend time with my friends”, said Roman Zhivolupov. And Oleg Konshin, in turn, noted: “As you saw in the video, in a warm, friendly atmosphere, people chatted and happily demonstrated their creative abilities, staged skits, sang songs and played musical instruments. There were no calls for extremism either on my part or on the part of those present. No literature was studied nor were video recordings conducted”.\nAlthough the prosecutor requested that the believers be sent to a penal colony for up to 6 years, the court sentenced them to non-custodial sentences. Sergey Malyanov was fined 700,000 rubles, Svetlana 545,000 rubles, Roman Zhivolupov 500,000 rubles, and Oleg Konshin 450,000 rubles. Believers have the right to appeal the verdict.\nThe criminal prosecution of four believers has been going on for almost four years. The Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region initiated a case in June 2019. A month later, law enforcement officers conducted a massive raid on Jehovah's Witnesses. Oleg Konshin, Sergey and Svetlana Malyanovs spent a day in the detention center. Roman Zhivolupov became a defendant in this case a year later. The criminal case was preceded by surveillance and wiretapping, which had been conducted from 2018.\nBefore the verdict was passed, all four were under a recognizance agreement. Svetlana Malyanova said: “My dad and I are close friends and we always shared a lot with each other and stayed in touch. The most difficult thing for me was not having contact with him for a long time due to a measure of restraint ... Due to the pressure exerted by the officer, who informed my employer that I was under investigation, I was asked to write a letter of resignation on my own free will.\" In addition, the bank accounts of all the defendants in the case were blocked.\nDespite what is happening, as Sergey Malyanov said, the believers “successfully battle despair, negative thoughts and self-pity.” Roman Zhivolupov recalls: “On the day of the search, we came home in the evening, and we were greeted by 15-20 of our close friends. They waited for several hours, and as soon as we arrived, they tried their best to encourage us.” The rest also noted that fellow believers provide invaluable emotional and material support.\nContrary to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, according to which the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in itself does not have a criminal component, the courts interpret peaceful religious and friendly meetings of believers as illegal activity. In the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 16 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been accused of extremism. Nine believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 3 to 6 years.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/271308/image_hu_c4b6f10f460326c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/271308/image_hu_609ee60b1906cfce.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/271308/image_hu_b2085e9cb8410f9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/271308/image_hu_6d7ba97269e8add6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/271308.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Nizhny Novgorod Fined Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Between 450,000 And 700,000 Rubles for a Friendly Musical Evening","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 25, 2023, Irina Mikhaylenko, 54, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Chelyabinsk, was fined 120,000 rubles. The judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court, Lyudmila Blagodyr, considered that the believer should be held accountable simply for peacefully practicing her religion.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Mikhailenko insists on her complete innocence. In her final statement, she said: “I did not commit any crimes. On the contrary, in this case my rights are violated — I am deprived of the guaranteed right to profess and spread my faith.”\nIn March 2019, Irina Mikhaylenko came under a wave of searches conducted as part of a criminal case against Valentina Suvorova. Two years later, she herself was suspected of participating in extremist activity: a second search was carried out in Mikhaylenko’s house. During 11 months the investigation was carried out by the third department for the Investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region. The investigation found that Irina Mikhaylenko was guilty of \"directly participating and personally speaking at... religious meetings\", singing songs and saying prayers. On July 29, 2022, the case went to court.\n“Is there evidence of my extremism, that is, hatred, enmity, violence?”, asked the believer at one of the hearings. “There is neither any action nor a single phrase or word in the 20 volumes of the criminal case. Moreover, most of the documents in the case have nothing to do with me”. An examination requested by the investigator confirmed that there were no signs of inciting hostility or hatred in the materials received from the meetings of the believers. There are no victims or facts of illegal activity in the case.\nThe ruling of the ECHR regarding the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia states that “the right to manifest one’s religion “in community with others” has always been regarded as an essential part of the freedom of religion” (§ 268). Despite this, the persecution of believers continues. In the Chelyabinsk region, the sentences against 7 Jehovah's Witnesses have already entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-25T15:32:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/251532/image_hu_ab4930dbc770c22f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/251532/image_hu_72735fc894a9c2ca.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/251532/image_hu_e50d47858bb27b0a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/251532/image_hu_511ee71da5d7de61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/251532.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"\"I'm On Trial Only Because I'm One of Jehovah's Witnesses\"","tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Irina Mikhaylenko from Chelyabinsk Will Pay a Fine for Her Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the defendant firmly stated: \"I want to continue to share the good news of an earthly paradise wherever I find myself. I wish you to continue to comfort those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. I want to continue to love God with all my heart and my neighbor as myself.\"\n","date":"2023-04-21T17:22:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/977.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Malyanov in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her last speech, the believer expressed hope for a fair court decision and quoted the words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: \"To see injustice and to be silent is to participate in it yourself.\" She added: \"I hope you will not be left out of this misunderstanding that we have witnessed.\"\n","date":"2023-04-21T17:17:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/976.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Malyanova in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer expressed gratitude to the participants in the trial and stated: \"I consider myself completely innocent! I do not regret dedicating my life to Jehovah and trying to live the life he expects of me.\"\n","date":"2023-04-21T17:14:33+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/975.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Roman Zhivolupov in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking to the court about how the persecution changed his life, the believer stated:\n\"I want justice to be restored and for those behind this lawlessness to understand that the Witnesses are people who do not deserve such treatment.\"\n","date":"2023-04-21T16:59:59+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/974.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Oleg Konshin in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Is there any evidence of my extremism - hatred, enmity, violence? - said Irina Mikhailenko, addressing the court with the last word. \"There are no actions, but not a single phrase, not a single word in the 20 volumes of the criminal case.\"\n","date":"2023-04-21T11:35:59+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/978.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Irina Mikhailenko in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the morning of April 20, 2023, in Magnitogorsk, searches were conducted in at least seven homes of local believers. Fourteen people were interrogated. Among them were two women, ages 70 and 75, and two elderly disabled spouses. Aleksandr Salnikov, age 61, was detained. On April 22 he was released.\nThe searches began at about 6 a.m. and continued until noon. One of the believers offered the law enforcement officers some coffee, and they admitted to her that this was the first time in 12 years that they were treated so kindly by suspects.\nDuring the searches, electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal notes, and, in one case, quotes from Russian authors were seized. According to eyewitnesses, the security forces were looking for anything containing the name \"Jehovah.\"\nAfter the searches, the believers were taken to the local department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for interrogation. There they were asked questions about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the believers, the security forces were trying to persuade some of them to slander fellow believers.\nMagnitogorsk has been added to the list of cities in the Chelyabinsk region where government agents search the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses because of their religious views. Currently, 7 believers in this region have been given suspended sentences, and one, Ilya Olenin, has been ordered to pay a large fine.\nSix years ago, on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a decision to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although this decision did not restrict the right of believers to practice their religion, the authorities continue to unlawfully persecute civilians throughout the country. In the summer of 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-20T15:56:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/241556/image_hu_4716e0a1b5087ae2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/241556/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/241556/image_hu_e19b9dcc184e7488.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/241556/image_hu_c80702a9cb339389.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/241556.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Magnitogorsk, Security Forces Raided Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic, chaired by Judge Irina Barsukova, upheld the sentence against Aleksandr Kalistratov, who two months earlier had been given a 6.5-year suspended sentence for his faith. The believer still does not admit his guilt for extremism.\nIn 2010, Aleksandr already appeared twice before the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic, defending his convictions. He became one of the first Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to face charges under an article for extremism. Then the court fully acquitted the believer, recognizing his criminal prosecution as unlawful. He was given the right to rehabilitation. But in 2021, a criminal case was initiated against him again.\nAleksandr Kalistratov was one of the applicants in the case of Taganrog LRO and Others v. Russia (application No. 32401/10) before the European Court of Human Rights. On June 7, 2022, the court concluded that in relation to the religious activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Russia had shown “indications of a policy of intolerance... towards the religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it” (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-20T08:22:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_eb82fdc1f3a5ee6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_e73ecefaf2cee8fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_ae9b63799e7c4646.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/210822/image_hu_85e663eeec3ec329.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/210822.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"12 Years ago He Had Been Under Trial at the Same Court","tags":["appeal","suspended","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Gorno-Altaisk Upheld 6.5-Year Suspended Sentence for Aleksandr Kalistratov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2023, Dmitriy Terebilov, who has already served 1.5 years of his term for his faith in a penal colony, became a defendant in a new criminal case. It was initiated simply because he answered questions from a cellmate about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nTerebilov now faces an increase of more than twice his prison term — from 3 to 8 years.\nSince the end of May 2023, he has been in Detention Center No.1 in Kostroma.\nInterestingly, Dmitriy himself learned about the Bible when previously serving a prison term. Immediately he changed for the better and the administration of the penal colony was so impressed that they themselves petitioned for his parole. However, for the same Christian beliefs, in September 2021, Dmitriy was sent to a strict regime colony.\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/06/211354/image_hu_54305d6832b84460.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/06/211354/image_hu_e6caf94e44e47e84.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/06/211354/image_hu_b2d7ea7b90bd6d4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/06/211354/image_hu_cf3d55e595e913d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/06/211354.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":"New Case Initiated","tags":["new-case","strict-conditions"],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov Imprisoned for His Faith Faces Extension of His Sentence for Talking About God with a Cellmate.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 18, 2023, Yuriy Vaskin, judge of the Nevinnomyssk city court, found Sergey Kuznetsov guilty of organizing an extremist organization for discussing the Bible with friends, praying together and singing songs, imposing on him a 6-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor requested an even longer suspended sentence - 8 years.\nSergey has been severely disabled for more than 30 years, he has practically lost his sight, has hearing problems and can hardly move - the criminal prosecution has aggravated his condition. In November 2018, he was among those whose homes were searched. A year later, the Investigative Department for Nevinnomyssk of the Investigative Committee of the Stavropol Territory opened a criminal case against Kuznetsov. The believer signed a recognizance agreement. He was also added to the Rosfinmonitoring “list of extremists”, imposing restrictions on his accounts.\nOn August 5, 2022, the case went to court. The accusation against Sergey was based on the testimony of a secret witness - an FSB agent under the pseudonym Sidorov. “I could not even imagine that… I would be judged not for a crime, but for my faith in the Creator,” Sergey Kuznetsov noted in his final statement. There are no facts of extremism presented in the case; there are no victims of the religious actions of the defendant. Here is how Kuznetsov himself commented on that: \"It is impossible to combine the teachings of Christ and extremism, just as it is impossible to combine east and west\".\nSince 2018, there have been 6 convictions in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Stavropol Territory, and another case against a believer is being considered by the court.\nThe European Court of Human Rights in its decision drew attention to the fact that \"the Supreme Court did not... acknowledge... the effect of its dissolution, banning and confiscation decision on the rights of 175,000 individual Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia who were put before a stark and impossible choice: to reduce their religious activities to praying in isolation, without the company and support of fellow believers and without a place for worship, or to face criminal prosecution on charges of “continuing the activities of an extremist organisation” (§ 253).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_e171fc9058ba923b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_1559946fd14b32ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_a24f5106d356e97d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/200832/image_hu_178aeb1e118ec017.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/200832.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"For His faith, Sergey Kuznetsov Was Given a 6-Year Suspended Sentence ","tags":["disability","elderly","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","health-risk"],"title":"A Court in Nevinnomyssk Declared a Pensioner With a Severe Disability an Extremist.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 18, 2023, the panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Regional Court approved the sentence for Sergey Kuznetsov for his faith - 2 years and 5 months suspended with a 2-year probationary period. The believer still insists on his innocence.\nThree months earlier, the Vyazemsky District Court found Kuznetsov guilty of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Sergey did not deny that he is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that he prayed and discussed the Bible with his friends. But, as the believer emphasized at the hearings in the court of first instance, he only worshipped God peacefully, and did not continue the activity of a liquidated legal entity.\nIn his appeal, Sergey Kuznetsov commented on the verdict as follows: “The court did not take into account that the right to be a believer does not depend on the existence of a legal entity or its liquidation, and also did not substantiate in the verdict why a peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded by it as a way of committing a crime\".\nIn total, 30 Jehovah's Witnesses have faced criminal prosecution for their faith in the Khabarovsk Territory. Three of them have already been given suspended sentences of various lengths.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The court's decision states that \"the imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion\" (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_405bcc0150d7ff83.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_1fbd5a1d594d304a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_cc2c969f4ef03bae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/200829/image_hu_16003ebe4db95963.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/200829.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Upheld the Sentence Against Sergey Kuznetsov From Vyazemsky – 2 Years and 5 Months Suspended for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer explained why extremism is alien to him and stated that he considers the accusations against him to be groundless. \"I could not even imagine that at that age I would be judged. Not for a crime, but for faith in the Creator,\" said Sergey Kuznetsov.\n","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/290.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kuznetsov in Nevinnomyssk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 17, 2023, the Akhtubinsk District Court announced the verdict against Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko. For discussing Bible topics with friends via videoconferencing, Judge Anatoly Proskurin found them guilty of extremism and sentenced each to seven years in a penal colony.\nIn addition to the main punishment, the court deprived the believers of the right to engage in activities related to directing or participating in the work of public organizations for a term of three years with restriction of freedom for a term of one year. Korolev, Kiramov and Kosyanenko insist that they are innocent, and they can appeal this verdict. Earlier, the prosecutor had requested that each be sentenced to eight years in a general regime penal colony.\nThe persecution of these believers began on November 9, 2021, when the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region initiated a criminal case against them for organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After searches in the city of Akhtubinsk and Znamensk, security forces detained Korolev, Kiramov and Kosyanenko and placed them in a temporary detention center. Two days later, the court imposed the preventive measure of pre-trial detention. Later, the investigation brought additional charges against the believers—financing the activities of an extremist organization. All three have been behind bars for almost a year and a half.\nAt the end of October 2022, the case went to court. Twenty-two witnesses were interrogated. Not one of them provided evidence that the believers were involved in the crimes.\n“Throughout the entire process, no evidence of what we are accused of has been provided,” emphasized Rinat Kiramov. \"The case file states that I had a real opportunity to stop the unlawful activities of the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses; really, it should be stated differently: 'Kiramov could have stopped worshiping Jehovah but did not do so; thus he committed a grave crime.'\"\nIn his final statement, Sergey Korolev said that he was getting together with his friends simply to read the Bible, sing songs, and pray. “The law on combating extremist activity cannot be used to restrict the freedom of religion of peaceful people who are not extremists,” he told the court.\nSince their detention began, the believers have already faced many difficulties, including deteriorating health. Sergey Kosyanenko, for example, was kept in a cell with a broken window for three weeks during winter. The whole time he had to wear a jacket, a hat, and gloves. The support of family and friends helps him to overcome these trials. Kosyanenko's wife, Olga, said: “We gave Sergey photographs of each member of our family—there are seven of us—and when he is sad, he looks at the photo, recalls the moment when it was taken, and imagines being with us. He has a very positive attitude.\" Those persecuted for their faith reported: “We received a lot of letters not only from Russia but also from different countries. Also, our fellow believers sent us packages and postcards with words of support.”\n“The courts in the Astrakhan region showed particular bias and even hatred toward Jehovah's Witnesses. At the moment, guilty verdicts have already been rendered against eight believers in the region. And all of them, including two women, were sentenced to long terms in a penal colony,” said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses.\nRoman Lunkin, Head of the Center for the Studies of Problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, commented on the guilty verdicts against believers in Russia: \"Sadly, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on a rather primitive, even domestic, logic: they simply are not liked by those in society who often know nothing about the doctrine and practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/181447/image_hu_aa5f08f12489fdd3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/181447/image_hu_8aed11c6236a419c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/181447/image_hu_8d638b321aa03cd2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/181447/image_hu_2fc623f4a8bfb72b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/181447.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Seven Years in a Penal Colony for Discussing the Bible—A Court in the City of Akhtubinsk Rendered Its Decision Against Three of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bannykh.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Andrey Bannykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Kozhushko, who is group II disabled person, faced criminal prosecution for his faith in April 2023, when the house where he lives with his mother was searched.\nAndrey was born in November 1975 in the village of Georgiyevka (Kazakhstan). In 1985, he moved with his mother to the Russian village of Taezhnyi (urban district of the closed city of Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk Region).\nAs a child, Andrey liked skiing, played chess; in the summer he liked to go fishing and picking mushrooms in the forest. After school, he trained as a car mechanic. The young man was not called for military service due to his disability.\nReading the Bible, Andrey found that it explains in a simple and understandable language the origin of the world and the purpose of human life, and he also liked the Bible teaching that God will put an end to injustice and evil. In 1994, he and his mother became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He still enjoys reading Bible stories about the faithful servants of God from the past.\nAndrey is into computer technology and cars. He also enjoys watching informative videos about animals. Due to his disability, he cannot work in his profession.\nThe criminal prosecution changed the lives of Andrey Kozhushko and his retired mother. The stress they suffered has particularly affected her health.\n","date":"2023-05-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kozhushko/photo_hu_51d05a4f522638ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kozhushko/photo_hu_e6c5d379d590a26d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kozhushko/photo_hu_5d73d0666395f150.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kozhushko/photo_hu_3abf9a57fd1a7aa3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kozhushko.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Andrey Kozhushko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loshchinin.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Loshchinin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2021, law enforcement officers conducted the first search in the house of Andrey Shiyan, a customs clearance specialist, in search of biblical literature. In 2025, the believer was sentenced to 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony because of his beliefs.\nAndrey was born in September 1969 in the city of Lesosibirsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) in a family of engineers. He has a sister who is 4 years younger than him and shares his religious views.\nAs a child, Andrey was involved in athletics, and also studied at an art school. In the late 1980s, he served in the army, In 1993 he graduated from the Lesosibirsk branch of the Siberian Technological Institute. There, the young man was the captain of the team of humor.\nAndrey worked in trade, was an operator at a rosin plant and an engineer in the sales department of a timber processing plant. For 27 years, he was engaged in customs clearance. In his free time, Andrey traveled and wrote poetry.\nAt the institute, Andrey met Inna, who was a junior student. In 1992 they got married. After graduating from the university, she worked as a salesperson, and when her daughter was born, she was engaged in her upbringing. Now the girl is already married. The daughter is a creative person—she is fond of needlework, knitting and drawing.\nInna\u0026#39;s mother was the first in the family to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. In 2001, her daughter joined her. In the same year, Andrey attended a meeting for worship of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses for the first time. He developed confidence in the Bible. He was especially touched by the doctrine of the creation of the world. In 2002, he embarked on the Christian path, and 4 years later his and Inna\u0026#39;s daughter decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness.\nIn his final plea in court, Andrey said: \u0026quot;I do not understand why the government of the Russian Federation, represented by the state prosecutor, set the goal of destroying my family and my fellow believers.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-04-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shiyan/photo_hu_272e2c573a95b0e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shiyan/photo_hu_7c688a8d49090420.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shiyan/photo_hu_3c8db3ad286b2140.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shiyan/photo_hu_c8ec9921a7386d98.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shiyan.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Andrey Shiyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 14, 2023, the judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Shatsky, gave Olga Zhelavskaya a 2-year suspended sentence for participating in “joint meetings for worship... singing and praying.” The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nOlga Zhelavskaya faced persecution for her faith in March 2019, when her apartment was searched as part of a case against Vladimir Suvorov. In August 2021, Alexander Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, who had initiated 10 cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the region, also initiated a criminal case against Zhelavskaya. The accusation was based on the testimony of an infiltrated agent, Ruzaeva, who, on the instructions of the Center for Combating Extremism, pretended to be interested in the Bible and made audio and video recordings of religious meetings.\nThe investigation lasted a little over a year. It negatively affected Olga’s health and her life in general—during the criminal prosecution, the believer suffered a stroke, she was fired from her job and her bank cards were blocked. According to Zhelavskaya, she was greatly supported by fellow believers: “They immediately came to my aid, brought food and money, and strengthened me.”\nIn August 2022, the case went to court. In her final statement, the believer pointed out that the accusation against her was unproven and unjustified: “The interrogation of both witnesses showed that neither during a friendly meeting with fellow believers, nor at any other time, did I make calls to overthrow the political system, break up families or any other extremist statements. No quotes, no facts, no records, no victims”.\nTo date, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted in the Chelyabinsk Region, 8 of them have been given suspended sentences and fined for their faith in God.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that regarding the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses, Russia has shown “indications of a policy of intolerance... designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and prevent others from joining it” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_f1a8df100ba4db6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_c78b417f8e70d7b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_efbc90206eacb42e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/171401/image_hu_62b7c9de465888d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/171401.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Court in Chelyabinsk Gave Olga Zhelavskaya, 61, a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of April 14, 2023, in the settlements of Lesnoy, Kachkanar and Tayozhny (Sverdlovsk Region), searches were carried out at 5 addresses of believers, including 58-year-old Andrey Bannykh. Earlier, a criminal case was initiated against him as well as Pavel Loshchinin and Andrey Kozhushko, for their faith.\nPavel Loshchinin in his appeal against the decision to initiate a criminal case stated: “The descriptive and motivating part of the resolution contains absolutely no specific argumentation, and there are clearly contradictory arguments... Following religious teaching and studying religious literature is not a crime in itself”.\nAnother suspect in the case, Andrey Bannykh, is one of the applicants whose appeal was granted by the ECHR, declaring the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia illegal. The Court held that “respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses” (§ 290).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_41c36af83b19be9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_6ab498ec224abc20.jpg","webp":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_32d3a14237150a0d.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_c41318f60a005889.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/191044.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":"Criminal Proceedings Initiated Against Three Believer","tags":["search","new-case","echr","282.2-1"],"title":"New Searches in the Sverdlovsk Region.","type":"news"},{"body":"Turning to the court, the believer asks for her acquittal, wondering: \"So what am I being judged for? For meeting peacefully to discuss the Bible? Did they sing, pray to their God Jehovah? So this right is guaranteed to us by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/289.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Olga Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In 2019, several articles in the information and analytical journal \"Religion and Law\" were devoted to Jehovah's Witnesses. What do you need to know about Jehovah's Witnesses, who have been subjected to large-scale persecution in Russia since 2017? Religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation of the 1st class Sergey Ivanenko in the article sets out the quintessence of his more than 30-year study of this religion.\n","date":"2023-04-13T11:01:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/287.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Ivanenko S. Some Features of the Doctrine and Social Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 13, 2023, from 6 a.m., officers from the Internal Affairs Directorate and the FSB searched 10 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Almetyevsk and interrogated 16 people. A criminal case has been initiated on charges of extremism.\nDuring the searches, electronic devices were confiscated from believers, as well as Bibles in various translations and postcards with Bible quotations. In one case, bank cards were also taken from the family. The searches lasted for 6 hours and were conducted under the supervision of FSB officers from Kazan. In most cases, the law enforcement officers behaved correctly.\nIn the building of the Internal Affairs Directorate, some believers were kept until 10 p.m. Law enforcement officers tried to persuade the men and women to incriminate themselves and others. They used the Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves and their close ones. After the interrogations, they were all released.\nSo far, it is not known against whom exactly the criminal case has been initiated under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Copies of the protocols of the search and interrogation were given only to some of the believers. One of them was interrogated in the FSB building.\nAnother 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are prosecuted in Tatarstan for their faith. One of them, Konstantin Sannikov, was sent to a penal colony in February 2023 for 6.5 years.\nThe head of the Center for Religion and Society Studies, Roman Lunkin, speaks about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation: \"The case of the Jehovah's Witnesses has for long years been the occasion for accusations against Russia of violation of freedom of conscience and of simple common sense\".\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/191041.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"A Criminal Case for Faith Initiated, 16 People Interrogated","tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in Tatarstan.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer firmly said: \"I ... I have not done anything wrong, criminal, I have not harmed anyone either by deeds, or words, or convictions. I will continue to worship Jehovah and do his will. [...] Of course, I don't want to go to jail, but I won't betray my beliefs.\"\n","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/972.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Rinat Kiramov in Akhtubinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the defendant refuted four common prejudices against Jehovah's Witnesses. After explaining that there was no extremism in his faith, Korolev asked the court to acquit him and added: \"Whatever [the verdict] is, my love for God, for people and the Bible will not cool down.\"\n","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/973.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Korolev in Akhtubinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer remarked: \"Our trial reminded me not only of the trial of Christ, but also of the courts of the Soviet Union, which sent Jehovah's Witnesses to correctional labor institutions for reading the Bible, praying and singing religious songs.\"\n","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/286.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kosyanenko in Akhtubinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 11, 2023, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the guilty verdict and the suspended sentence against Yevgeniy Yegorov for his faith.\nEarlier, in February 2023, the Birobidzhan District Court resentenced the believer to two and a half years of suspended imprisonment. At the first trial, which ended in June 2021, the court rendered an identical decision. The appellate court upheld it, but the believer did not agree with the verdict and filed a cassation appeal. The cassation court called the decision of the appellate court \"essentially unmotivated\" and pointed out a number of procedural violations. As a result, the case was returned to the court of first instance. The criminal prosecution of Yegorov has been going on for almost four years.\nYevgeniy's mother, Larisa Artamonova, also received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on similar charges. In total, 23 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the region have been prosecuted for their faith. Four of them were sentenced to actual imprisonment.\nThe world human rights community and the European Court of Human Rights consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. However, Russian courts continue to ignore the position of the ECHR, which stated: “It [Article 9 of the European Convention] protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion.” (§ 267)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_37068a1043575ab4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_60bb81f94a3c4f6f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_572980c46e88886a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/120937/image_hu_86454de8200fdfcd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/120937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"The Appellate Court in Birobidzhan Upheld the Verdict Against the Believer","tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"A Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence—The Outcome of Yevgeniy Yegorov's Long Trial.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2023, the house of one of Jehovah's Witnesses Andrey Shiyan, 53, was searched again in Lesosibirsk. Because of the stress, the believer ended up in the hospital. He is suspected of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for reading the Bible with friends.\nEarly in the morning, an investigator accompanied by an FSB officer and two attesting witnesses came to Shiyan's home to conduct a search that lasted 4 hours. An ambulance was called twice for the believer. He could not sign any documents, as he was physically not able to do so. The search was carried out on the basis of the ruling of the Lesosibirsk City Court dated February 13, 2023.\nThe next day, Andrey Shiyan was summoned for interrogation, during which he again became ill, so the ambulance took him to the hospital. There, the investigator handed him several more subpoenas.\nEarlier, on November 25, 2021, as part of the criminal case against Valeriy Schitz, Andrey Shiyan had already been searched, during which electronic storage equipment were seized.\nAndrey Shiyan became the 30th Jehovah's Witness in the Krasnoyarsk Territory against whom the authorities opened a criminal case for his faith. The persecution of believers in Russia continues despite its condemnation by international and national human rights organizations.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/181114.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"A Criminal Case Was Initiated Against Him for His Faith","tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"In Lesosibirsk, a Repeated Search Took Place at the Home of One of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2023, Rustam Seidkuliev was released from a penal colony in the Saratov Region. As he walked out, he was met by his wife and dozens of friends who came to support the believer.\nIn January 2020, a criminal case was initiated against Rustam Seidkuliev under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization. On May 20, 2021, the Leninskiy District Court found him guilty and sentenced him to two and a half years in a general regime penal colony. Later, the Saratov Regional Court reduced this term by two months.\nDuring his criminal prosecution, Rustam spent two and a half months in a pre-trial detention center, more than seven months under house arrest and one year and eight months in a penal colony. Just before the release, the believer said that he was in good physical shape and in good spirits. “Since the start of my term, I have received more than 3,000 letters,” Rustam said. “Unfortunately, due to the busy work schedule, it was not possible to answer all of them, but I am very grateful for each of them and for every prayer.”\nIn the colony, the believer worked in a carpentry shop, and in his free time he read books from the library and exercised. According to Rustam, in general, the administration of the colony treated him with respect.\nThe ruling of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, which fully exonerated Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, states that “the imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion...” (§ 264)\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/101437/image_hu_49fe219aa3ccc61d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/101437/image_hu_8289d5a36711bd08.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/101437/image_hu_b8eee357cdc4d694.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/101437/image_hu_ba785eb658587a1d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/101437.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","282.2-2"],"title":"Rustam Seidkuliev Served His Sentence for His Faith and Was Released From the Penal Colony in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"In 2019, several articles in the information and analytical journal \"Religion and Law\" were devoted to Jehovah's Witnesses. Roman Lunkin, Doctor of Political Sciences, Head of the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Editor-in-Chief of the journal Modern Europe, in his article analyzed in detail how the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has unfolded over the past 25 years.\n","date":"2023-04-06T11:32:10+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/285.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Lunkin R. Campaign Against a Religious Minority: A Dangerous Game on the Feelings of Believers","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the evening of April 4, 2023, nine Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg were subjected to searches, six of them, men and women aged 40 to 68, were interrogated by the Investigative Committee throughout the night.\nAround 8 p.m., groups of OMON officers broke into the apartments of believers at several addresses in the south of the city. At that time, the hosts had guests. In one of the apartments, armed law enforcement officers in balaclavas broke down the door and shouted “everyone on the floor”.\nAccording to eyewitnesses, some searches were accompanied by caustic comments and obscene language from law enforcement officers. They were interested in items with the words \"God\", \"Jesus\", \"faith\" and \"Holy Scriptures\". Books, notebooks and notepads with personal notes, hard drives, electronic devices, and in one case, Bibles of various editions and a video cassette with a wedding recording were confiscated from believers. At about 1 a.m., the hosts and guests were taken for interrogation. They returned home only at 4 a.m.\nIn another apartment, where an elderly couple lives (the husband is a blind man, 82), law enforcement officers tried to behave respectfully. The security forces took one of the guests to his home to conduct a search there as well.\nIn February 2023, law enforcement agencies of the Leningrad Region initiated a case against believers from Kingisepp and Slantsy. During the interrogations, the investigators were interested in whether believers from St. Petersburg knew their fellow believers from Kingisepp.\nSt. Petersburg has become the 74th region in which Russian law enforcement officers persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their peaceful religious practice.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/110844.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":"The Security Forces Searched for Everything With the Words \"God\", \"Jesus\" and \"Faith\"","tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","disability"],"title":"Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 31, 2023, Galina Proshchenko, judge of the Belovo City Court of the Kemerovo Region, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey Ananin to 6 years in a penal colony. The court considered praying, singing songs and discussing the Bible via the Internet as \"organizing the activity of an extremist organization\". The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe believer did not admit his guilt and said in court: “I had neither criminal intent nor an extremist attitude. I believe in God and my Bible-trained conscience does not allow me to have evil thoughts against others in order to harm people and society in general. I respect the existing authorities\".\nSergey Ananin has shown himself to be responsible and hardworking, as evidenced by the reference from his place of work, certificates of honor and feedback from colleagues. Relatives, friends and neighbors know Sergey as a loving family man. According to them, he respects people regardless of their religious views. Although none of the witnesses questioned in court could confirm that the defendant committed any illegal acts, the prosecutor asked the court to send him to prison for 8 years.\nIn December 2020, Sergey Ananin suffered a massive heart attack, had heart surgery and spent several days in intensive care. Half a month later, security officers broke into his house to conduct a search, and Sergey ended up in a temporary detention center, even though he needed special medical treatment. Subsequently, he spent more than two years under house arrest and all this time he was deprived of the opportunity to receive quality treatment.\nFrom February 2021 to January 2022, M.A. Nikitin, the investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, investigated the case against Sergey Ananin, then the case was heard in court for 14 months.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 17 people have already been prosecuted. In the city of Prokopyevsk, Andrey Vlasov was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony despite his disability. Three more Jehovah's Witnesses from the Kemerovo Region have already served their sentences.\nExperts note that in hundreds of cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia there are no facts of them committing real crimes. Religious scholar Vadim Schiller, speaking for the prosecution at one of the trials, admitted: \"All the Jehovah's Witnesses that I have come across make a very good impression.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-31T16:55:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/311655/image_hu_b7fe7233af436c24.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/311655/image_hu_c48cb940da3ea64b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/311655/image_hu_c2066b0489f1d80.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/311655/image_hu_abb6eb2e36652219.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/311655.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":"Faith in God and Reading the Bible Is Regarded as a Crime","tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence"],"title":"In the City of Belovo, Kemerovo Region, the Court Sentenced Sergey Ananin to 6 Years in a Penal Colony.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 31, 2023, Judge Yevgeniya Babinova of Moscow's Babushkinsky District Court pronounced a cruel verdict: peace-loving, law-abiding Muscovites are sent to a penal colony for a long time only for their faith. The court gave Ivan Chaykovskiy, 67, Vitaliy Komarov, 47, Yuriy Chernyshev, 59, and Sergey Shatalov, 53, 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, and Vardan Zakaryan, 51, 4 years and 3 months in a penal colony.\nAll five convicts were taken into custody in the courtroom. They spent the last 2.5 years under house arrest, and during the first six months they were not allowed to communicate with their wives. Three of the five have minor children. Chaykovskiy, Komarov, Chernyshev and Shatalov are convicted under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — organizing the activity of a banned organization. Vardan Zakaryan was found guilty of involving others in such an organization. The believers themselves claim that they were exercising their right to freedom of religion; have nothing to do with extremism or a banned organization. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThere are no victims, no damage to property and no facts of illegal actions or statements in the case. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believers from 6 to 8 years in a penal colony.\nThe case was initiated on November 24, 2020, and on the same day searches were conducted at 22 addresses in Moscow. Video footage by the law enforcement officers was broadcast on state TV channels and was presented as the arrest of extremely dangerous criminals. During the search Vardan Zakaryan was hit in the head with a buttstock and was hospitalized on the same day with a bruised head and hypertensive crisis. Armed law enforcement officers were guarding his hospital room; relatives were not allowed to visit nor give him any food. In that state he was subjected to interrogation during the night, three days after the beating. Then he was placed in a temporary detention facility. The five men spent two to four days in the temporary detention facility.\nIn his appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Vardan Zakaryan's lawyer noted: \"The use of violence, damage to property and other cruel and inhuman treatment cannot be justified against these people, who have strong convictions about the unacceptability of violence, do not resist the authorities and do not take up arms\". Vardan himself, speaking before the court, said: \"My views have nothing to do with extremism and I have not committed any crimes. All my actions were peaceful and determined by my faith in God and love for other people\".\nThe surveillance of the believers was conducted for at least three years. Under the guise of \"operative infiltration\" provocateurs were sent to them, who recorded religious discussions and tried to provoke them to make negative statements about the police. Thus, in 2018, agent \"Makarov\" was introduced. From the very first meeting, he recorded conversations with Zakaryan on Bible topics. These records later formed the basis of the criminal case, which went to court in February 2022.\nIvan Chaykovskiy, a retired veteran of labor and a father of four, who became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1977 (long before the formation of legal entities), said: \"We are all being accused of something we didn't do. And today I am being judged merely for my faith and my right to believe in God... You don't need legal entities to worship God, and there is no need to create or reestablish them.\" It is noteworthy that in 2010 Ivan Chaykovskiy was one of the applicants in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia, which led to the ECHR compelling Russia to fully rehabilitate the community by paying the believers a large financial compensation.\nIn his final statement, Yuriy Chernyshev expressed bewilderment at the criminal prosecution for his beliefs: \"Throughout my life I have had no criminal record, not a single record with the police. I tried to lead a peaceful and quiet life. Is this the life that extremists lead?\" He came to the conclusion, \"I am not being tried for breaking the law, not for a committed proven crime, but simply because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Yuriy Chernyshev was given an award by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.\nVitaliy Komarov added: \"We're just like everyone else. We do not think we are special because we, just like everyone else, face ordinary problems\". Vitaliy has several state awards, including a silver medal of the Order \"For Merit to the Fatherland\", authorized by President V. V. Putin on October 25, 2018.\nSergey Shatalov, hoping for a fair trial, said: \"My conscience is clear both before God and before people. Do I want justice in this court hearing? Yes. However, if the esteemed court decides otherwise, I will wait for God's justice\".\nIn its judgment on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the European Court held that \"the respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses\" (§ 285).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-31T16:17:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_da2f0c6f6d2cb9ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_b8f19bfe4ceda1b0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_f8eea0063880ba5e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/311616/image_hu_a478c587d5eace4f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/311616.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"Moscow Court Sentences Five Jehovah's Witnesses to 4 to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 31, 2023, a panel of judges of the Amur Regional Court, chaired by Natalya Trofimova, approved the conviction of Leonid Druzhinin and Yevgeniy Bitusov — 6.5 and 6 years in prison, respectively. The verdict has entered into force, but the believers strongly disagree with it and can appeal against it in the cassation procedure.\nThe two Jehovah's Witnesses were sentenced in December 2022 - the believers were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization while conducting peaceful worship. Yevgeniy Bitusov, in his appeal against the verdict, wrote: “The state and all officials are obliged to maintain neutrality and impartiality [in matters of religion]. Therefore, they do not have the right to determine what can be believed and what not.”\nBefore the appeal decision, Leonid Druzhinin said: “Jehovah's Witnesses are known in 240 countries and territories. But nowhere are they tried for extremism or for some radical views.” And Yevgeniy Bitusov drew the attention of the court to the controversial situation with the rights of believers in Russia: “Millions of people in our country go to churches, mosques, practice their religion ... and talk about religious topics with each other. But I am not allowed to do that because I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Why? Is my religion worse than others?”\nBoth believers said that they receive great help from fellow believers. “It is very encouraging when brothers and sisters come to court and even come from other localities”, Yevgeniy shared his feelings.\nLeonid Druzhinin and Yevgeniy Bitusov are just two of more than 700 Russian Jehovah's Witnesses facing criminal prosecution solely for their religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-31T09:11:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/310911/image_hu_c4d78c183fb99fc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/310911/image_hu_95b24639729b60a5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/310911/image_hu_f6137860a6ef8be.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/310911/image_hu_acbd6ac09b68d07e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/310911.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"They Will Spend From 6 to 6.5 Years in the Penal Colony ","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Upheld the Harsh Sentence for Two Jehovah's Witnesses From Zeya.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer stated: \"All the evidence examined indicates that I exercised my right to freedom of religion according to the canons of my religion, which is not prohibited by law.\"\n","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/971.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Ananin in the city of Belovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Already more than 700 Russian Jehovah's Witnesses have become victims of law enforcement following the 2017 Supreme Court decision. That is how many believers are being prosecuted for their religious beliefs and in the absence of an actual crime.\nAs of March 30, 2023, a total of 333 criminal cases have been filed against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith. There were 702 persons involved in these cases (one case may involve one or more accused persons). A total of 311 believers have already been sentenced, including 105 who received actual imprisonment, 32 who were fined, and 173 who received suspended sentences. At the moment 122 people are in penal colonies and pre-trial detention centers, and 16 are under house arrest.\nLast year and this year were marked by new harsh sentences for Jehovah's Witnesses, who receive the same sentences for peaceful religious activities as real criminals receive for murder. For example, on March 27, 2023, believer Aleksey Ukhov received six and a half years in prison in Sovetskaya Gavan in Khabarovsk territory; prior to that, he spent over eight months in a pre-trial detention center. The investigation charged the believer with such activities as \"reading prayers ... reading and quoting texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs.\"\nIn early 2022, Yevgeny Korotun of Seversk, Tomsk Region, was sentenced to 7 years in prison. This sentence has already passed all instances, including the court of cassation.\nIn December 2022, a court in Crimea sentenced Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Aleksandr Dubovenko to 6 years in prison. In Chita, three believers will spend from 6 to 6.5 years behind bars, father of four children Konstantin Sannikov from Kazan - 6.5 years, and Dmitriy Malevany from Primorye Territory - 7 years. These are just some of the most recent examples of the multitude.\nRussian courts continue to send not only men but also women to prison. On March 27, 2023, the court of cassation finalized the case of Lyudmila Shchekoldina from the Krasnodar Territory. The woman received four years and one month in prison for \"describing the attractiveness of serving Jehovah\" (!). Lyudmila is one of four women currently serving time in a penal colony for believing in Jehovah's God.\nRussian courts continue to send seriously ill people with disabilities, including those who cannot be there for medical reasons, to prison. For example, Andrey Vlasov, who suffers from a complex of serious illnesses, can barely move and has difficulty maintaining himself, received a 7-year prison sentence. Courts of all instances ignored the fact that his illnesses are on the government-approved list of illnesses that prohibit a convicted person from being in a penal colony.\nAgainst the background of what is happening, the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation looks ironic. In 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that worship services by Jehovah's Witnesses do not constitute a crime by itself, but that the court must in each specific case identify the actual unlawful acts of the defendants. Despite this, on March 14, 2023, the same court reversed the acquittal verdict against three believers from Sverdlovsk region, in whose actions three courts had found no evidence of extremism.\nA similar decision was made by the Supreme Court in the case of three believers from Kamchatka, in the presence of the media and diplomats from six countries.\nOn June 7, 2022 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a historic ruling that completely acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ruling was handed down simultaneously on 20 complaints filed by Russian believers. The court ruled that liquidating their legal entities, seizing their property, and banning their publications was illegal; it also ruled that the believers be discharged from prison and that they be paid compensation ranging from 1,000 to 15,000 euros each.\nAlthough the Russian authorities are in no hurry to comply with the ECHR's demands, the court's lengthy ruling (the Russian translation is 208 pages long) has once again made it clear that persecution of believers has no legal basis. \"The courts have not found [in the cases of the two dissolved religious organisations] a single word, act or deed of the applicants motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others or tinged with violence, hatred or discrimination,\" reads the ECtHR judgment (§ 271).\n\"The decisions to declare the publications 'extremist' and to liquidate the religious organisations of Jehovah's Witnesses were based on an unpredictable application of anti-extremism legislation,\" the court concluded (§ 282).\n","category":"analytics","date":"2023-03-30T16:03:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_fbf1d3f5c02df8d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_6b2fcdcf64146d0b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_78ca61be9e4ee16f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/301603/image_hu_94f4a601959159cd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/301603.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","elderly","disability","echr","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"There are Already 700 Victims of a Legal Collision. Men, Women, and Disabled Persecuted for Peaceful Religious Belief","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Crimea have been persecuted on religious grounds more than once. In March 2023, Yuriy Gerashchenko, a peaceful resident of the picturesque peninsula, happened to be among the victims of repression.\nYuriy was born in 1979 in the city of Lutsk. His mother raised him alone. When the boy was 4, they moved to Crimea. Yuriy\u0026#39;s mother, a primary school teacher, was offered a job and an apartment there.\nAs a child, Yuriy was fond of football, hockey, gymnastics, also engaged in clay modeling, photography and macramé, and had a junior category in chess. After school, he received the specialty of a controller of radio-electronic equipment and instruments. He worked as a TV debugger, loader and furniture maker, and from 2012 until his arrest—as an electrician.\nLearning about God from the Bible comforted Yuriy, as he realized that he had a Father and a Defender was God himself. Studying this ancient book, its historical and scientific background, as well as its prophecies, Yuriy became convinced of its authenticity and decided to apply Bible knowledge in his life. In 2000, the young man decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2002, Yuriy married Irina. The couple has common religious views. They love to enjoy the nature of Crimea, discovering new places on the peninsula. Also, according to tradition, every year the couple went to the Crimean Mountains with friends for a few days with an overnight stay.\nThe criminal prosecution and search in September 2022 greatly affected the life of the couple, bringing many difficulties. The worries were added by the fact that by the decision of the court of appeal, the believer went to the colony. Despite all the difficulties, the couple try not to lose their hearts.\nFriends, neighbors, and colleagues do not understand why the man was thrown behind bars—they know him as a decent, kind and peace-loving person. They support Irina and worry about Yuriy.\n","date":"2023-05-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gerashchenko/photo_hu_a4fb78770469ad41.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gerashchenko/photo_hu_2e3d15cf3b53a3ab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gerashchenko/photo_hu_a178b73a055d8810.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gerashchenko/photo_hu_f24cd1c6e854d05e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gerashchenko.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Gerashchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok in March 2023 disrupted the plans of peaceful believer Tatiana Kazakova. The trip she dreamed about had to be canceled because of the recognizance agreement she had to sign.\nTatiana was born in September 1973 in the city of Dalnegorsk (Primorye Territory). She had two older sisters, one of whom died in 2020. When Tatiana turned 2, her family moved to Vladivostok.\nAs a child, Tatiana played table tennis and chess. Now she loves to swim. She likes the outdoors, traveling to different cities and meeting new people. She views herself as a great car enthusiast.\nTatiana has a specialized vocational education. She has worked as a seamstress, sales consultant, cashier, office manager in a firm and a supply manager.\nShe was interested in questions about God, but did not find answers to them. Starting to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, Tatiana learned a lot about the Creator, his personality and qualities. In 1996, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nTatiana's adult son shares his mother's religious beliefs. From a young age, Konstantin defended his peace-loving views; he completed alternative civilian service instead of military service. He works in the catering industry. In his free time, he likes relaxing by the sea and fishing, as well as playing football, volleyball and basketball with friends.\nThe unexpected search affected Tatiana's health. According to the believer, her relatives are outraged by her criminal prosecution and are at a loss.\n","date":"2023-05-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kazakovat/photo_hu_1f3b805f41a018fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kazakovat/photo_hu_a3390ca31c5194fa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kazakovat/photo_hu_65c2dd206f028f17.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kazakovat/photo_hu_d0c50041380b5d01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kazakovat.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Kazakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In only 3 months a series of events took place in the life of Miroslav Sabodash – surgery due to serious illness, a search of his home during the rehabilitation period and a criminal case because of his faith.\nMiroslav was born in April 1979 in the village of Pyshchatyntsi (Ukraine). When he was six months old, his parents divorced, and Miroslav, his mother and older sister moved to Ivangorod, Leningrad Region. His mother worked all her life in production of electrical windings. She raised three children, including Miroslav's younger brother, on her own.\nAs a child, Miroslav loved visiting the countryside and walking in the woods, thanks to which he fell in love with nature. He also liked reading books, especially science fiction, imagining a world without enmity and anxiety.\nAfter school, he moved to Murmansk to his sister's, where he graduated from the trade and economic college with a degree in catering technology. After that he served in the Northern Fleet as a baker on a ship. After working for five years as a cook on various long-haul vessels, Miroslav returned to his native Ivangorod. There he worked as a waiter, a baker, a press brake operator and a repairman in a chemical plant.\nIn 2005 Miroslav started studying the Bible and found convincing evidence in it that the world around him is the result of the work of a brilliant Engineer. Three years later, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2014, Miroslav married Yelena, who shares his views on life. Together they raised two daughters from her first marriage. Yelena has a higher technical education. Recently, she has been working in the cleaning industry. The couple love traveling together, visiting museums and beautiful places, spending time with friends and learning new things from nature.\nThe family experienced stress because of the criminal prosecution. Relatives who do not share their religious beliefs worry about the Sabodash family.\n","date":"2023-04-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sabodash/photo_hu_1065869e992dbb81.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sabodash/photo_hu_e4696cefcbbf47be.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sabodash/photo_hu_e38639488c9baeb5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sabodash/photo_hu_26af2655f40ddd73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sabodash.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Miroslav Sabodash","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Shevlyuga was arrested in March 2023 because of his faith in Jehovah God. The family was left without the main breadwinner, which complicated the life of Igor's wife, Natalya, who takes care of her bedridden mother, who is severely disabled.\nIgor was born in August 1986 in the village of Krasnye Barrikady (Astrakhan Region). He was a versatile child: he fished, raised rabbits, went in for sports and grew flowers. After school he received a higher education in economics.\nIn 2013 Igor moved to Kingisepp. He mastered various specialties: he worked as an air systems installer at a construction site, a repairman at a chemical plant, and from 2020 until his arrest, as a barge skipper in a shipping company.\nWhen Igor met his future wife, he already had a daughter from his first marriage. Natalia was also raising her daughter. They were united by common interests, and in 2019 they got married. Natalia has several professions: a seamstress and sewing equipment technician, an accountant, a gas ovens technician. She loves to model and sew clothes. She works part-time as a cleaner so she has time to take care of her mother.\nIgor became a Christian in 2016. He tried to spend all his free time with his family, taking care of the emotional needs of his wife and daughters. They liked to travel together, engage in tourism, play board games and outdoor games.\nAlthough most of Igor's relatives do not share his religious beliefs, they cannot understand why he is being prosecuted.\n","date":"2023-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shevlyuga/photo_hu_c7847447d9319ab7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shevlyuga/photo_hu_218a972ead1997cb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shevlyuga/photo_hu_b46af51b7602e66b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shevlyuga/photo_hu_56cf1cda79bb6673.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shevlyuga.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Shevlyuga","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the spring of 2023, searches were carried out in the towns of Kingisepp and Slantsy, Leningrad Region. Among the believers who were sent to a temporary detention center was Tatyana Stepanova.\nShe was born in October 1974 in the town of Slantsy. Her mother worked as a German language teacher. Tatyana has an older sister.\nAfter graduating from school, Tatyana worked at a factory. She loved to read classical literature and historical novels. Her aunt introduced her to the Bible, and in 1992 Tatyana decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She was convinced from personal experience that the principles and advice from the Holy Scriptures can change a person's life for the better.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Tatyana's relatives are worried about her.\n","date":"2023-05-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stepanova/photo_hu_f01caacfe8fd339e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stepanova/photo_hu_17a567306c460ddc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stepanova/photo_hu_3dec224b0b460f0f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stepanova/photo_hu_83cc36f5cc01d5df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stepanova.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Stepanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2023, Aleksandr Vaganov faced prosecution for his peace-loving views when the law enforcement officers searched his home. The believer learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him.\nAleksandr was born in July 1985 in the city of Kingisepp. He has an older sister.\nAfter school, Aleksandr became carpenter-joiner. While still studying at a technical college, the young man defended his peaceful convictions at the lessons of elementary military training. Upon reaching military age, he completed alternative civilian service, working in a circus. Aleksandr spent a year in Segezha (Karelia), but the rest of the time he lived in his hometown, in Kingisepp.\nFor some time, Aleksandr was a laborer at a construction site and a gardener. Prior to the criminal prosecution, he worked as a janitor in a kindergarten. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and photographing old buildings.\nAleksandr became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001. He was motivated to make these changes in his life by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecies, which he learned from his study of the Scriptures.\n","date":"2023-04-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vaganov/photo_hu_3bb7afb78386cc44.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vaganov/photo_hu_35bfd3f8311ea632.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vaganov/photo_hu_35f25a804d7ea29c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vaganov/photo_hu_d170901bea4918b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vaganov.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vaganov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"An unexpected search and arrest left an indelible mark on the life of Konstantsiya Vovk – in March 2023, the law enforcement officers raided her home, she spent 3 days in a temporary detention facility and found out that she had become a defendant in a criminal case.\nKonstantsiya was born in July 1974 in the village of Teya (Krasnoyarsk Territory). From the age of 5 she did not live with her mother. Her father remarried, and two more children were born in the family. Caring for them fell on her shoulders, since her father and stepmother abused alcohol. Konstantsiya also has an older sister and a younger brother on her mother's side.\nAfter studying at the Achinsk Trade and Economic College with a degree in catering technology, she got a job as a chef. In 2005 Konstantsiya moved to Kingisepp. There she worked as a mechanic in the gas service, and later as a controller in a thermal power company. She raised two sons.\nKonstantsiya loves reading, especially Russian classics. She was interested in spiritual questions. While living in Norilsk, she began studying the Bible and at the age of 30 decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nKonstantsiya loves nature and traveling. She has been to Karelia, Belarus and Ukraine. She likes spending time with friends.\nHer work involves using the telephone and the Internet. Difficulties arose due to the criminal prosecution and ban on the use of communications.\nRelatives and friends of Konstantsiya are outraged and do not understand why she was accused of extremism.\n","date":"2023-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vovk/photo_hu_88a1ee173684bc89.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vovk/photo_hu_c8462c3dfa6a3abf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vovk/photo_hu_c5d787cfcd7de026.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vovk/photo_hu_217a81ae09bb801f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vovk.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantsiya Vovk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several articles in the information and analytical journal \"Religion and Law\" were devoted to Jehovah's Witnesses. The editor-in-chief of the journal, Doctor of Law, Professor, Honorary Advocate of Russia Anatoly Pchelintsev, in an editorial in issue No. 1 (85) of 2019, analyzed the concept of \"freedom of conscience\" and spoke about the history of his acquaintance with the intolerant attitude towards the followers of this religion.\n","date":"2023-03-29T14:18:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/282.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Pchelintsev A. Editor-in-chief's column. That sweet word is \"freedom of conscience.\"","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 29, 2023, the Kemerovo Regional Court upheld the main part of the sentence for 65-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov - 6-year suspended sentence. At the same time, a number of additional restrictions were removed from the verdict, in particular, a ban on publishing on the Internet and attending public events.\n“The court did not determine any consequences of my actions aimed at the peaceful practice of my faith in accordance with the Bible commandments, and did not mention them in the verdict,” Sushilnikov emphasized at the appeal hearing. \"The verdict does not include quotations of extremist statements, nor the dates, times and places of when they were made. On the contrary, it indicates that ... there are no such statements”.\nThe prosecution of Sushilnikov for his faith began in the summer of 2021. The Investigative Committee accused the believer of continuing the activity of a liquidated religious organization and initiated a case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the court hearings, it became clear that the investigation was referring to the peaceful holding of meetings for worship which are not prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.\nSergey Sushilnikov feels great support from his fellow believers and his wife, Tatyana, who is also a defendant in a criminal case for her faith. The believer said: “When I left the courtroom after the hearings, my friends applauded me. Almost everyone came up to shake my hand, to hug me - from such warmth, I was moved to tears. My wife was outside at the time; as a witness in the case, she was not allowed into the courtroom. She is given flowers, sweets, drawings from children. At this moment, I can’t support her, but there are so many friends here.” This is what Tatyana says about her husband: “He did not lose his confidence, firmness and did not allow despair to take over. He didn’t think about what awaited him, he thought about the [welfare] of others.”\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 17 Jehovah's Witnesses became defendants in criminal cases for their faith. Seven have already been sentenced to various terms. Andrey Vlasov, a believer with a disability, continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony in violation of the law. Judges, contrary to the decision of the ECHR and the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, issue verdicts against Jehovah's Witnesses. Vyacheslav Lebedev, Chairman of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, pointed out: “Higher standards for the protection of the constitutional rights of citizens are provided with clarifications... that actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the practice of of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_fe7eaf1f3b1fad8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_5e8b1f38982de7c1.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_1c9202a50150ebb4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/04/031040/image_hu_af61427d493b631f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/04/031040.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld the 6-year Suspended Sentence for Sergey Sushilnikov, a Veteran of Labor","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 28, 2023, a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court chaired by Natalya Abramova upheld the decision of the lower court. Igor Gusev, who is 58 years old, will have to pay a fine of 600,000 rubles for his faith.\nThe court of first instance imposed this punishment on the believer in November 2022. The investigation and trial lasted nine months. The case was based on recordings of four worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses secretly recorded by an undercover agent. The prosecution did not present a single extremist statement by Igor in the transcripts of these meetings of fellow believers. The collected evidence revealed only the religious affiliation of the believer, which he never hid to begin with.\nIgor Gusev insists that he is not guilty. He describes how he feels about being persecuted for faith: “When I read about ... how brothers and sisters were in penal colonies in the USSR, I admired the strength of their faith. When the arrests began [in Russia], I saw in this the fulfillment of Jesus' words that his disciples would be taken to court.” Gusev also described what helps him stay positive: “The brothers and sisters who come to the courthouse encourage me so much. They support me with their kind words and have no fear of persecution by law enforcement agencies.”\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights made a historic decision that defended Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The court stated that Article 9 of the European Convention “protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion.” (§ 267)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-28T14:54:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/281454/image_hu_24f618591c793aaa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/281454/image_hu_5299cf9666bc1d9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/281454/image_hu_75751221a4be6974.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/281454/image_hu_92b45fe124a0d0c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/281454.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"The Appellate Court in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Verdict of the Lower Court","tags":["282.2-1.1","appeal","fine"],"title":"Six Hundred Thousand Rubles—What Igor Gusev Will Pay for His Faith in God.","type":"news"},{"body":"The retrial of the case of Nataliya Kriger in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region ended in a guilty verdict: on March 28, 2023, Judge Aleksandr Kulikov imposed a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence on the believer for participating in peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court rendered the same verdict when the case was first considered in July 2021, although the prosecutor requested that the believer be sent to a penal colony for four years. The verdict came into force after an appeal, but the court of cassation did not agree with this decision. As noted by the panel of judges, the appellate court did not evaluate the believer's argument that she was found guilty of extremism despite the absence of any motive of hostility or hatred. Also, the court did not indicate which specific actions of Kriger contained signs of extremism. The appellate court during its second consideration of the case did not eliminate these errors, and it sent the case to the district court. This time, the prosecutor asked for a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence.\nThe criminal prosecution of Nataliya Kriger has been going on for more than three years. The woman still believes that this is an injustice and that the accusations are groundless. “For 25 years [as one of Jehovah's Witnesses] I have tried to be a good citizen of my country, and now the prosecution is proposing that I be declared an extremist,” she said. “But I didn’t commit any extremist actions.” The testimonies of witnesses and the examined evidence indicated only Nataliya's religious affiliation and did not reveal any corpus delicti.\nThe criminal case is based on recordings of peaceful worship. Although the recordings contained no signs of extremism, the investigation considered Nataliya's attendance at meetings of believers to be participation in illegal activities. Kriger drew attention to this in court: “The meeting, on which the charges against me are based, encouraged me to display good qualities and to do good deeds for the benefit of others ... All I learned at this event is to increase my love for God and for other people. And I am trying to do this. I sincerely cannot understand what I am guilty of.”\nIn December 2022, the same district court in Birobidzhan sent Nataliya's husband to a penal colony for seven years on similar charges. He is currently in a pre-trial detention center pending appeal.\nAddressing the court in her final statement, Nataliya Kriger emphasized: “As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I am not an extremist and never have been. No one forbade practicing one's religion in Russia, and being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime under Russian law. For me personally, being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a great honor!”\nThe global human rights community considers the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. In particular the European Court of Human Rights has stated: “Article 9 [of the European Convention] protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion” (§267).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_e9de814066e6feed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_e4e4af2c3d5bdf37.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_b857d1fab91e06d3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/290846/image_hu_8cf3f7727ef92589.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/290846.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","suspended","sentence","retrial"],"title":"A Court in the City of Birobidzhan Resentenced Nataliya Kriger, Giving Her a Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible and Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 27, 2023, Victoriya Anokhina, judge of the Sovetskaya Gavan City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, sentenced Aleksey Ukhov to 6.5 years in a penal colony for believing in Jehovah God. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. “I want to maintain my reputation as a person worthy of respect, who keeps his word, and also values the honor of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is very important for me,” said Aleksey Ukhov, addressing the court in his final statement.\nThe FSB initiated a criminal case in the fall of 2020. A search was conducted in the Ukhovs' house and Aleksey was arrested. He said: “I spent 8.5 months in a detention center, and this trial has been going on for more than 1.5 years. I'm labeled as an extremist.\" The investigation found the believer guilty of “performing actions aimed at reading prayers... studying and quoting texts of the Holy Scriptures... and the book of Psalms.” Aleksey Ukhov was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his bank accounts were blocked.\nDuring his pre-trial detention, the investigator did not allow Aleksey to see his wife, giving as the reason that she was a witness for the prosecution. For 3 months they were unlawfully denied the right to correspond. The couple saw each other only 6 months later. Moreover, Ukhov was deprived of quality legal assistance because his lawyers were changed 12 times. Alexey told how his fellow believers supported him all this time: “Letters came from all over the world from many brothers and sisters. Of course, it’s one thing to know that many people are praying for you, another thing is when you literally “hear” them when you receive letter after letter, and there are hundreds and hundreds of them”.\nSince August 2021, the case has been under consideration in court. Witnesses, whose testimonies the investigation took as the basis for the prosecution, stated that the protocols of their interrogations were falsified. The interrogated secret witness \"Surikov\", according to Aleksey, \"spoke an outright lie, no one can confirm his testimony\". Other witnesses noted that they had never heard calls for extremism from Ukhov. His manager described the believer as a diligent worker who can always be relied upon.\nAs part of the case, six expert studies were carried out: phonographic, psycholinguistic, psychological, sociopolitical and two religious. “I would like to draw the court's attention to the fact that the conclusions of all the expert studies do not confirm that I encouraged anyone to carry out extremist activity.” At the same time, as the defense emphasized, all the conclusions were drawn up with gross violations of legislative norms. Despite this, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 7 years in a penal colony for Aleksey Ukhov.\nThe Khabarovsk Territory ranks second in terms of the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who have become defendants in criminal cases for their beliefs. To date, 30 people have become victims of repression, 11 of whom were sentenced to various suspended sentences and fines, 4 have already served their sentences.\nThe European Court of Human Rights reiterated that “to discharge their duty to uphold the right\nto freedom of religion in democratic societies... States have responsibility for ensuring, neutrally and impartially, the exercise of various religions, faiths and beliefs” (§ 185).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-27T11:18:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/271118/image_hu_42428e1810e3dcab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/271118/image_hu_b542ea1500923a1e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/271118/image_hu_6b07a6e690b52256.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/271118/image_hu_1f5c9669f9788c9e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/271118.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","first-instance"],"title":"Court in Sovetskaya Gavan Sentenced One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aleksey Ukhov, to 6.5 Years Imprisonment for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his testimony in court, the believer clearly demonstrated that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor did it deprive believers of the right to gather together to practice their religion.\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/279.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivan Tchaikovsky in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"Sergey explained to the court the difference between a religion and a legal entity of a religious organization, and then dwelled on the moral aspects of acquitting an innocent person: \"Do I want acquittal in this court hearing? Yes. However, if the esteemed court decides otherwise, I will wait for God's justice.\"\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/280.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Shatalov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, Vardan Zakaryan says that he did not commit any crime, so he asks the court to acquit him. He explains: \"I acted within the framework of religious freedom, which is guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution and international legal acts.\"\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/281.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vardan Zakaryan in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, Komarov explained to the court that the biblical teachings encourage love, compassion, mercy, concern for one's neighbor and other good deeds, and not hatred and enmity. \"How can you call people who try to show such qualities extremists?\" he asked.\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/278.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Komarov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer stated: \"I will continue to try to live as a Christian and glorify Jehovah. I will continue to stay away from the crooked road of extremists, the road of enmity and hatred. But I will remain on the narrow path of love that leads to eternal life on earth in peace with all people.\"\n","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/288.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Chernyshev in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 24, 2023, in the city of Krasnoyarsk, the consideration of the case of 51-year-old Natalya Voropaeva was completed. Judge Ivan Ivanov of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court fined her 360,000 rubles for discussing the Bible with fellow believers as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe trial lasted only five sessions. The judge considered such actions as commenting at a religious meeting, singing songs, saying prayers and watching Bible lectures on video to be the continuation of the activities of an extremist organization. “The commission of such actions, which are unlawfully assessed as criminal by the prosecution, has nothing to do with extremism and is an ordinary, peaceful way of expressing faith,” said Natalya in her defense.\nCriminal prosecution affected Voropaeva back in 2018—security forces searched her home and interrogated her as a witness in the case of Andrei Stupnikov. Four years later, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe prosecutor requested two and a half years of actual imprisonment for the believer. “The prosecution was interested only in the fact that there were meetings of believers and religious discussions,” said Voropayeva in the court. “However, the investigator and the prosecutor did not even try to delve into the essence of what these meetings were dedicated to. Had they done so, they would have been convinced that I did not commit any unlawful acts; rather, I exercised the right to jointly practice a religion, which no one has banned.” Regarding the psychological and linguistic expert study in the case, Natalya pointed out to the court that the linguist and psychologist went beyond their competence and \"intruded into the interpretation of the law, for example, considering what constitutes extremism.\"\nTo date, 29 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been subjected to religious persecution in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Five of them were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, three received suspended sentences, and two received large fines.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. Vyacheslav Lebedev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, in turn, stated that \"actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-24T16:32:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/241632/image_hu_4dadd60aed379318.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/241632/image_hu_a5c669a75992fbaf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/241632/image_hu_eb96fd8afe4bbbc8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/241632/image_hu_e29ce7e518f4286d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/241632.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"The Believer Was Fined 360,000 Ruble","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","fine"],"title":"A Court in Krasnoyarsk Found Natalya Voropayeva Guilty of Extremism for Her Beliefs. ","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer explained how important it is for him to remain faithful to God and lead a law-abiding life: \"I want to maintain my reputation as a person worthy of respect, who values his word, and also values the honor of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. That's very important to me.\"\n","date":"2023-03-24T12:10:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/970.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Pensioner Pavel Brilkov, who was previously a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov, was himself accused of extremism because of his beliefs in the spring of 2023.\nPavel was born in 1958 in the city of Prokopyevsk, grew up here and lives all his life. After graduating from school, he worked as a molder of reinforced concrete products. In 1991, due to an accident, Pavel received an industrial injury—a compression fracture of the spine. The man received a group III disability.\nIn 2001, Pavel met Vera, and later they got married. Together they run a household, garden. In his free time, Pavel likes to be in nature and go to the forest.\nIn 2019, Pavel began to study the Bible. He heard a lot about this book from his mother-in-law, whom he respected and loved. \u0026quot;When I found out what God\u0026#39;s Kingdom would do for people and for me, I wanted to live according to Jehovah\u0026#39;s standards,\u0026quot; the believer recalls.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of Pavel and Vera. Relatives sympathize with them, being interested in what is happening.\n","date":"2023-09-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_b5ff0e3ec7d77c01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_db6d8a4ca263dc3c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_3907181095cd1f00.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/brilkov/photo_hu_87fd5cf2c3afdf93.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/brilkov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Pavel Brilkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 23, 2023, Judge Olga Karulina of the Apatity City Court of the Murmansk Region sentenced Denis Merkulov to a fine of 500,000 rubles. The court's decision was based on the belief that friendly meetings in person and via video conference were the activities of a “prohibited extremist group.\"\nThe decision has not entered into force and can be appealed. The case against Merkulov is based on the testimony of a man who in the past discussed the Bible with the believer and later wrote a denunciation about him to the FSB. Denis stated: \"I do not see anything objectionable about peaceful and confidential conversations, particularly with citizen T., who himself invited me to have these conversations.\"\nIn July 2021, security forces broke into Denis Merkulov's home, knocking out a window and a door with sledgehammers. The search of the apartment, garage, and car lasted about eight hours. The believer was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. He was informed that a criminal case had been initiated against him, and he was detained. The court placed Merkulov under house arrest; as a result, he lost his main source of income. After two months, Denis's preventive measure was replaced with a prohibition of certain actions. During this time, Merkulov wore a tracking device. “Bracelets are usually put on those who are under investigation for serious criminal charges. Emotionally, it is very difficult,\" said Merkulov. He added: \"My wife and fellow believers helped me to cope with negative feelings. Friends called us, encouraged us, and assured us of their love. This was a tremendous source of support.\"\nThe case has been considered in court since August 2022. During one of the interrogations, an FSB officer stated that he considers any religious actions by Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremist, even though the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation stated the opposite. “I am convinced, Your Honor, that I am not being tried for a real crime, but solely for my peaceful religion, my faith in God, which is based on the Bible,” Denis Merkulov said in his final statement. “It is thanks to the Bible that my life has changed for the better. Therefore, I [study] it to this day and gladly share what I learn with people who are interested.”\nIn the Murmansk region, seven of Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their beliefs; three of them were sentenced to heavy fines. The ruling of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, which fully justified Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, declares: “States do not have the right under the Convention to decide what beliefs may or may not be taught.” (§ 165)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T15:29:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/241529/image_hu_b023304679c7c77.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/241529/image_hu_5c7a70c9741d11b0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/241529/image_hu_4e6e56589b287a46.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/241529/image_hu_a2276a9f28d1ede0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/241529.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":"Denis Merkulov Was Convicted for Discussing the Bible","tags":["fine","sentence","282.2-1","work-restrictions"],"title":"In the City of Apatity, the Court Fined One of Jehovah's Witnesses 500,000 Rubles.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 23, 2023, Lyudmila Salikova reappeared before the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, which changed her sentence, reclassifying the charge from organizing the activities of an extremist organization to participating in it, and reduced her suspended sentence to two and a half years with a probationary term of three years.\nLyudmila Salikova from Snezhinsk has been prosecuted for her faith since the fall of 2020. She was taken to court for \"participating in the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and having discussions about the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" These actions, according to the investigation, constituted organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In January 2022, Lyudmila Salikova was convicted and given a six-year suspended sentence, and the appellate court upheld this decision.\nThe believer does not admit her guilt and considers the criminal prosecution a miscarriage of justice. The court of cassation did not reverse the guilty verdict, but it did note that the appellate court \"avoided an objective, fair and comprehensive review of the legality and validity of the verdict.\" According to the cassation court, “an improper assessment by the appellate court of the arguments of the appeal may affect the correct application of criminal law . . . and, as a result, the sentence.” In January 2023, the case was returned to the appellate stage.\nRepresentatives of the Russian and foreign public unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, David Bunikovsky, a visiting scholar of the School of Theology at East Finland University and a fellow at the Center for Law and Religion at the Cardiff School of Law and Politics called the persecution of believers inhumane and in opposition to human dignity. “It is contrary to international law (Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights) and the Constitution of the Russian Federation (Article 28), which guarantee freedom of religion, and it is contrary to common sense. Even the elderly are put in prison. For what? For singing songs, studying the Bible and praying together in private homes,” said Bunikowski.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T13:58:44+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_b2320b7f4dbc1615.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_95eebeaab248975a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_66e9b22f8a749ff2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/231358/image_hu_cb2d4ed81569c43f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/231358.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The Court Reduced the Believer's Suspended Sentence From Six to Two and a Half Year","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly","mitigation"],"title":"A Second Appeal in the City of Chelyabinsk Shortened the Sentence of 71-Year-Old Lyudmila Salikova.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 23, 2023, Judge Natalya Kazymova of the Central District Court of the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur gave Tatyana Svoboda, Tatyana Bondarenko and Elena Nesterova five-year suspended prison sentences with probationary terms of two years. The verdict has not entered into force. The believers can appeal.\nThe court viewed the women's conversations about God and the Bible with one of the local residents as extremism. According to the investigation, Bondarenko, age 62, Svoboda, age 63, and Nesterova, age 55, “influenced V. N. Demina to participate in the activities of a religious organization . . . persuading her and using other means to involve her in the activities of this extremist organization by lyingly convincing her of the correctness of its teachings.” The prosecution did not give a single example of such \"persuasions.\"\nIn the autumn of 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against pensioner Tatyana Svoboda. A month later, her home was searched, as were the homes of Elena Nesterova and Tatyana Bondarenko. In November of the following year, the case went to court, and a decision was rendered after six court sessions. According to the defense, the assessment by specialist D.·V. Galyamov was made from the standpoint of his religion and his personal judgments and was not based on scientific or other objective data, and expert M.·B. Serdyuk gave a legal rather than religious assessment to religious conversations, which does not meet the criteria of a scientific examination.\nThe testimony of Demina, who discussed Bible teachings with believers, did not indicate the presence of any signs of extremism in the actions of the women. The defendants reminded the participants in the process of an excerpt from the Plenum of the Supreme Court, according to which “the joint confession of religion and the performance of worship . . . in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.”\nDespite this, the state prosecutor requested this sentence for the believers: seven years of imprisonment, suspended, with a five-year probation term and restriction of freedom for one year and six months without the right to engage in activities related to posting materials on the Internet for a year and a half.\nDuring the judicial arguments, the defendants asked the court: “If the Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation publicly declare that citizens in Russia have the right to continue to profess the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, then on what basis do the investigating authorities consider it a crime to profess this faith?”\nSince 2018, 30 of Jehovah's Witnesses in this region have been subjected to criminal prosecution for their faith. Four of them were given suspended sentences; another four have served their sentences. Seventeen people have cases at the trial stage. As the European Court noted in the summer of 2022, “bearing Christian witness ... [is] an essential mission and a responsibility of every Christian and every Church ... There is nothing to indicate that non-religious people were forced to talk to them [Jehovah's Witnesses].” (§ 183)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T11:46:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_28f771a55b99f0ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_f306bac982ecdcfd.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_465c5d10f15b0d8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/241146/image_hu_ce61ca0d0ebb3758.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/241146.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1.1","sentence"],"title":"A Court in the City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Gave Three Women Five-Year Suspended Sentences for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the defendant noted: \"I am a believer, and I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them, share them with other people. This right is given to me both by God and by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T11:20:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/969.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Bondarenko in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her address to the court, the believer described how her life changed when she began to read the Bible and tell others what she had learned. She said, \"I don't understand how this can be extremism!\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T11:15:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/968.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Svoboda in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 23, 2023, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar, chaired by Oleg Maslov, did not change the verdict against Lyudmila Shchekoldina, who was convicted for her faith.\nIn May 2022, the court of first instance sentenced the believer to four years and one month in prison. The woman was taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where she spent four and a half months. In October 2022, the appellate court upheld the verdict. Since November of the same year, Lyudmila has been in a penal colony in the Volgograd region.\nDisagreeing with the decisions of the courts, Shchekoldina and her lawyer filed a cassation appeal. It states: “Several families of the Christian denomination peacefully gathered together, read and discussed the Bible, prayed, and sang religious songs. The [criminal] prosecution was carried out, not because [Lyudmila] committed a crime, but because of who she is—one of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nIn convicting Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the courts fail to consider that the Russian Federation has repeatedly and publicly confirmed the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess and disseminate their faith after the liquidation of the relevant legal entities. Back in 2018, the Government of the Russian Federation stated the following at a UN session: “The ban on the activities of the organization 'Jehovah’s Witnesses' does not in itself restrict the right to freedom of religion of its supporters, who still have the right to practice their religious rites, provided that the form of such practice does not contradict the norms of Russian legislation.\nDespite this, 694 of Jehovah's Witnesses are under criminal prosecution in Russia. Lyudmila Shchekoldina is one of four women currently serving their sentences in the country's penal colonies.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/270917/image_hu_10245df42793270b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/270917/image_hu_cd5bf5dab541f4c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/270917/image_hu_8213ee3b2e93c912.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/270917/image_hu_30482078fea55481.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/270917.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":" The Believer Has Been Behind Bars for Ten Month","tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","cassation","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Cassation Court in Krasnodar Ultimately Upheld the Verdict Against Lyudmila Shchekoldina.","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer pointed out that the accusations against him were unfounded: \"To attribute to me something that is absolutely alien to me is like calling black white and white black.\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/277.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Denis Merkulov in Apatity","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, Elena Nesterova said: \"Worshipping God individually or with friends, as well as witnessing to others about biblical teachings, should not be recognized as extremism in a civilized society.\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/276.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Nesterova in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer refuted the extremist motives attributed to her by the investigation, which \"contradict [her] faith.\" She said: \"It is not a search for my non-existent crime that is being conducted, but a deliberate discrimination and persecution of me on religious grounds.\"\n","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/284.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Natalia Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 21, 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court dismissed Gevorg Gevorkyan's appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance, which found him guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and gave him a six-year suspended sentence.\nAddressing the Court of Appeal in his final statement, Gevorkyan noted that the criminal prosecution ruined his health and had a negative impact on his wife's health. In addition, according to the believer, the “humiliating search accompanied by verbal and physical insults” carried out at his workplace tarnished his reputation in the eyes of his colleagues. Gevorg expressed his feelings in the following words: “Does a person deserve all this, a person whose so-called fault consists only of believing in God not merely in words but also in deeds, striving, not for enmity, but for peace?”\nIn the summer of 2019, Gevorg Gevorkyan and his family experienced two searches in one day and interrogations that lasted many hours. According to the believer, an audio recording device was installed in his home. Nizhny Novgorod law enforcement officers accused Gevorg of conducting joint religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which served as the basis for his prosecution.\nOn January 17, 2022, the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod found Gevorg Gevorkyan guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor then requested that he serve eight years in a penal colony, but the court gave him a suspended sentence. With the decision of the appellate court, the verdict came into force, but the believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal the decision in the cassation court.\nInitially, the criminal case against Gevorg Gevorkyan was separated from the case of Sergey Malyanov and others. It is still at the trial stage. Guilty verdicts have already been handed down in the Nizhny Novgorod region against eight of Jehovah's Witnesses. Not one of the criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses provided a single piece of evidence that the believers' actions undermined the foundations of the constitutional order, destroyed marriages, or caused any other harm to the state or the individual.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-21T09:42:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_6b0c873c8d3da0c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_1eacab2353dd7a21.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_9406ad304303a938.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/240942/image_hu_d61aa7dd665a5022.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/240942.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in the City of Nizhny Novgorod Upheld the Six-Year Suspended Sentence Imposed on Gevorg Gevorkyan, One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated March 21, 2023\nOn March 17, 2023, the Sosnovoborsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory found Yuriy Yakovlev guilty of extremism for holding peaceful religious services online. The verdict can be appealed.\nIn March 2022, a criminal case was initiated against the believer, and his house was searched. After that, Yuriy Yakovlev was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where remains until now. Shortly before the start of the prosecution, his elderly mother, who needed care, moved in with the believer. After her son's arrest, her condition deteriorated.\nThe case was investigated by the main investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. The case has been in court since June 2022. According to the investigation, Yuriy carried out “general management of the organization, the determining of meeting times through online broadcasts, pastoral work, and the leading of the preaching activity.”\n“All the evidence presented by the prosecution only confirms that after the liquidation of the legal entity, the believers continued to worship God together,” Yuriy Yakovlev commented on the accusations. “It is insulting to expect that after the liquidation of a legal entity… believers… will hold services exclusively within the framework of other religious denominations. This, in fact, means for them a renunciation of the faith and nullifies the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.”\nDuring the trial, witnesses for the prosecution were unable to confirm the believer's guilt in any actual crimes against the state and the individual. During interrogation in court, a secret witness withdrew the previously given testimony against the defendant. In addition, the court questioned Grigory Illarionov, an expert in religious studies, who reiterated that the courts in Russia did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from gathering together for worship.\nThe prosecutor requested 8 years of imprisonment in a penal colony for the believer, but the court imposed 6 years and 2 months.\nYuriy Yakovlev is already the 10th resident of the region convicted for the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. A total of 29 Jehovah's Witnesses are facing prosecution for their religious beliefs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia contradicts the European Convention on Human Rights. “The imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion,” the court ruled (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-17T15:10:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/171510/image_hu_ac427e9b9e746a07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/171510/image_hu_3f868782f2405894.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/171510/image_hu_85e32ff67358d137.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/171510/image_hu_dff5f53c1055900d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/171510.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence"],"title":"The Court Sentenced Yuriy Yakovlev, a 56-year-old Jehovah's Witness From Sosnovoborsk, to 6 Years and 2 Months in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, Yuri Yakovlev listed the historical events that contributed to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. \"Jehovah's Witnesses have always been targeted,\" he said. The defendant described how the Bible helped believers to endure these trials.\n","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/283.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 16, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea upheld the verdict against Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Aleksandr Dubovenko. The believers do not admit that they are guilty of extremism, and they have the right to appeal this decision in the cassation court.\nFour relatives were allowed to attend the hearing. According to Dubovenko's wife, the appellate court removed part of the additional punishment from the verdict—a ban on engaging in educational activities for a period of five years.\nOn December 1, 2022, Judge Tatyana Fedeneva of the City Court of the Republic of Crimea sentenced believers to six years in a penal colony for discussing the Bible with friends and for singing religious songs. The court of first instance ignored the motions of the defense and the evidence in favor of the believers, and the documents confirming their innocence disappeared from the case file. During the trial, Judge Fedeneva displayed prejudice against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and prevented the lawyer from providing legal assistance to the defendants. At the same time, the witnesses in the case gave the believers positive character references.\nRussian law enforcement officers continue to consider Jehovah's Witnesses' religious gatherings and conversations about God as extremism, even though the European Court of Human Rights in 2022 declared criminal prosecution for such actions unlawful. The court decision states: “Only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being 'extremist.’” (§ 271)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-16T17:10:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/171710/image_hu_468a1f1dd1088aae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/171710/image_hu_ee1fa7bab9496f31.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/171710/image_hu_6a23d9fad7ef2918.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/171710/image_hu_6635c250f3aa3c4c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/171710.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"They Were Sentenced to Six Years in a Penal Colony for Reading the Bible ","tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","appeal"],"title":"An Appeal in Crimea Upheld the Conviction of Two Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2023, the Eighth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction definitively upheld the conviction of Yevgeniy Korotun, who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In January 2022, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, and in May of the same year, this decision was upheld by the appellate court.\nYevgeniy, a 52-year-old pensioner and father of a young child, has been behind bars for a total of about two and a half years. Now he is serving his sentence in a penal colony in Nizhny Tagil.\n“Korotun and his family, along with several other Christian families, peacefully gathered at their home, read the Bible, prayed, and sang religious songs,” stated Yevgeniy’s lawyer. “This became the basis for the criminal prosecution of the believer.”\nThe European Court in its 7 June 2022 decision on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia expresses its position as follows: “The respondent State must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses, including by reference to the recently amended guidance by the Supreme Court of Russia and release all of Jehovah's Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty.” (§ 285)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/201434/image_hu_493a7e7fbd468647.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/201434/image_hu_b0073de4c82e7c38.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/201434/image_hu_74841acbd6d514fc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/201434/image_hu_7f00369efcf43c5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/201434.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","minors"],"title":"The Cassation Court in Kemerovo Did Not Change the Sentence Imposed on Yevgeniy Korotun From Seversk—Seven Years in Prison for His Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 14, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation overturned the acquittal of Aleksandr Prianikov and Venera and Darya Dulova and sent the case back for another consideration at the appellate instance.\nIn January 2020, the Karpinsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region gave believers suspended sentences ranging from one to two and a half years. The appellate court overturned the verdict due to violation of the principle of transparency and sent the case back for a new trial. The second verdict duplicated the previous court decision, but it was also appealed. In March 2022, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court found the believers not guilty of extremism. This happened shortly after the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of the believers' legal entities.\nIn accordance with this position, the regional court ruled that Pryanikov and the Dulovas “did not continue or resume their participation in the activities of [an extremist organization] but only disseminated their religious beliefs among the population of the city of Karpinsk. In addition, the testimonies of witnesses in this case proved only that the convicted persons belonged to the religious denomination “Jehovah's Witnesses”. The court of cassation agreed and upheld the acquittal on appeal. But Deputy Prosecutor General Igor Tkachev appealed these court decisions to the Supreme Court.\nSpeaking before the Supreme Court on March 14, 2023, Aleksandr Pryanikov said: “The accusations are far-fetched and do not contain any evidence. For years now, I have had to defend myself in courts simply because I want to live a peaceful life and practice my religious views without violating the law.”\nVenera Dulova also emphasized the groundlessness of the accusation of extremism: “My husband and I have different religious beliefs. But this did not divide our family in any way and does not affect our relationship. If I was motivated to hate another religion, then perhaps our family would have broken up long ago. My husband defended us three times in court and said that he saw nothing wrong with the fact that my daughter and I began to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nDarya Dulova, addressing the panel of judges, said: “Since the age of 18, I have been persecuted for my faith as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. For a 23-year-old, five years is a long time. The criminal case kept me in one place. And finally, an acquittal that lifted my spirits! I began to see a better future ahead of me; I began to set life goals for myself. And now, once again, they want to take it all away from me.”\nSince 2021, another case against the Dulovas and Pryanikov has been considered in court, also on charges of extremism.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a landmark decision in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, ruling that their persecution in Russia is unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-14T14:09:06+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/141409/image_hu_aeb8582b7020c419.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/141409/image_hu_c5b74ee95c54cc16.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/141409/image_hu_2f8de6cb6256a8f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/141409/image_hu_676ed43c2309e674.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/141409.html","regions":["sverdlovsk","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","supreme-court"],"title":"For the Second Time, the Supreme Court Has Overturned the Acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses—This Time in the Case of Believers From Karpinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuriy Byche, the father of two minor children, lost the opportunity to take care of his family when he ended up in a pre-trial detention center in March 2023 because of his religious views. In addition to worrying about her husband, his wife, Maria, has to cope with everyday hardships, as well as raising the children and providing for the family.\nYuriy was born at the end of 1985 in Transcarpathia, in the village of Hlybokyi Potik (Ukraine). He is the eldest of three sons. His mother and younger brother, who has a disability, still live in Ukraine. The father is no longer alive. As a child, Yuriy was fond of sports and he had his own horse.\nAfter school, Yuriy began to work with his father. Later, the whole family temporarily moved to Vladivostok to work. The young man mastered the profession of a carpenter, and in recent years he worked in the field of sales.\nAs a child, Yuriy learned the Bible thanks to his grandparents. He enjoyed attending Christian meetings with them. But Yuriy began to study the Bible thoroughly in 2006, when the family was living in Vladivostok. Soon his brothers joined him, and eventually his parents. In August 2006, Yuriy made the decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nShortly thereafter, the family returned to their homeland. There, Yuriy met his future wife, Maria. The girl grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses. She loved Bible teachings as a child, and later the she chose the Christian way of life. Yuriy and Maria got married in 2008. They had two daughters (in 2009 and 2017). Recently, the family has been living in Vladivostok. They all love the sea. Maria says that walking along the coast calms her down.\nEveryone who knows Yuriy is perplexed why such a kind and friendly person was accused of extremism and subjected to criminal prosecution. The couple's relatives live in Ukraine and cannot help them, but Yuriy and Maria are supported by their friends.\n","date":"2023-04-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bycha/photo_hu_f81a4728d72412ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bycha/photo_hu_462b5b811ef87965.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bycha/photo_hu_3426600a131136ed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bycha/photo_hu_11960ac791173dde.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bycha.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Byche","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2023, Sergey Novoselov and his wife, Natalya, were preparing to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. Instead, Sergey ended up in a pre-trial detention center due to accusations of extremism.\nSergey was born in March 1968. He has an older brother. They spent their childhood in the city of Artyom, Primorye Territory, where their parents worked at the Artyomovskaya State District Power Plant.\nSergey became interested in electronics at an early age—he loved to solder and to assemble electrical and radio devices. Over time, the hobby turned into a profession. As a young man, he graduated from the Far Eastern Polytechnic Institute. He worked as an electrician, a repairman of electrical equipment and electronics. Sergey likes to help his friends by repairing their household appliances.\nWhile studying at the institute, Sergey began to examine the Bible. After examining the arguments for creation, he found them convincing. During his internship in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), the young man attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and he was impressed by the way they treated one another. In 1990, Sergey decided to start his journey as a Christian.\nShortly thereafter, Sergey met Natalya, who shared his beliefs. She recalls that while studying the Bible, she was particularly moved by the teaching that people could live forever in a paradise on earth. In 1993, Sergey and Natalya got married. The couple have an adult son, who works as a cook. Before Sergey's arrest, the family loved taking trips to enjoy nature, especially to the sea.\nNatalya and her son are concerned about their beloved husband and father, who has been subjected to criminal prosecution. Sergey's mother, who does not share his beliefs, also supports her son.\n","date":"2023-04-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/novoselov/photo_hu_f596cd31dc6111e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/novoselov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/novoselov/photo_hu_805b9d5e12f9fb59.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/novoselov/photo_hu_de7d6d61d040cd0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/novoselov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Novoselov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"At the age of 27 Yegor Pogrebnyak became a prisoner of conscience. For the believer, Bible discussions with friends resulted in dismissal from work, blocking of accounts and house arrest.\nYegor was born in Vladivostok in May 1995. He has lived in this city ever since. He has an older sister. His father works as a senior mechanic in the merchant fleet and his mother is a housewife. Yegor has liked football since childhood.\nAfter graduating from the Institute of Applied Information Technology, Yegor got a job at the tax office, where he worked as an IT specialist. In his free time, he regularly played football and volleyball with friends.\nYegor often wondered why there is so much injustice around, and why people cannot achieve peace. He found answers to these questions in the Bible. Yegor was impressed by how the Bible explained world events and decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYegor's father does not understand why his son is being prosecuted under an article for extremism even though he does not share his convictions.\n","date":"2023-04-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pogrebnyak/photo_hu_2f2b7f8fd7ae0541.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pogrebnyak/photo_hu_4fb7636c078d7ce.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pogrebnyak/photo_hu_eec5ac87f0c2af3d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pogrebnyak/photo_hu_a63c2ec0717c7653.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pogrebnyak.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yegor Pogrebnyak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2015, Kishta Tutinova was detained for preaching in a public place and they tried to accuse her of an unsanctioned rally, but the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kalmykia acquitted her. In February 2023, she again faced persecution for her faith—this time she was accused of extremism.\nKishta was born in January 1961 in the village of Novolesnoy, Astrakhan Region. Later she lived in the village of Barun (Kalmykia). Since 1989, Kishta has been living in Elista. She has an elder brother and a younger sister. As a child, Kishta loved to play volleyball and was fond of sewing and knitting. Later, she independently acquired the skills of cutting the fabric and sewing, and also learned how to repair sewing machines.\nIn 1982, Kishta got married. Later, when she was left with her two sons to provide for her family, she took on any job: she cooked meals, sewed and sold bathrobes. Kishta raised decent and responsible sons. She now has six grandchildren.\nFor a long time, Kishta worked in a taylor's shop, sewing school uniforms and other things. The managment appreciated her for responsible, fast and high-quality work. Before retiring, she worked as a janitor for some time. Thanks to her cheerful nature and generosity, she maintains a good reputation among others. If relatives or friends need to sew something, she readily comes to their aid. During the COVID-19 pandemic the desire for new knowledge prompted her to study Russian sign language.\nKishta has always believed in God. As she began to study the Bible more deeply, she saw its wisdom and practicality. This changed her life for the better: she got rid of bad habits and freed herself from numerous superstitions. In 2003, she decided to become a Christian.\nThe news that Kishta was prosecuted for professing her religious views guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation came as a shock to her sons. They do not share their mother's Bible beliefs, but continue to care for her and look for opportunities to protect her good name.\n","date":"2023-05-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_5d4d7e0ffe998c71.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_8d2eca6306c5bdcf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_fbcdc59007d90bed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tutinova/photo_hu_5cd43ef6a1cac8d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tutinova.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Kishta Tutinova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 7, 2023, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo confirmed the verdict and the appeal ruling against four Chita residents for their faith, as final. The court hearing was held via videoconferencing.\nThe court of first instance convicted Vladimir Ermolaev, Aleksandr Putintsev, Igor Mamalimov and Sergey Kirilyuk of extremism for their peaceful religious beliefs on June 6, 2022, and on September 20 of the same year, the court of appeal upheld this decision. All convicts are already detained in penal colonies, except Sergey Kirilyuk, who was given a 6-year suspended sentence.\nThe lawyers for the convicts and Kirilyuk filed appeals with the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction requesting to cancel the verdict of the Central District Court of Chita and the appeal ruling, terminate the criminal proceedings against the believers, and also recognize their right to rehabilitation.\nThe defense drew attention to the fact that the law enforcement agencies of the Trans-Baikal Territory began to conduct checks on citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, however, “the goal was not to identify truly unlawful actions, but to establish the very fact that believers held joint services within the same religion as the liquidated organizations in order to bring charges on technical grounds\".\n“For example, after 2017, discussing the Bible with members of your family - is it a crime or a constitutional right?” the lawyers asked the court. “And if you invite a neighbor to discuss the Bible? What if with friends? Is this a right or is it already a continuation of the activity of a banned, liquidated organization?”\nThe European Court, in its decision, explicitly stated that, “by seeking to suppress the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, as they did, the Russian authorities failed to act in good faith and breached the State's duty of neutrality and impartiality vis-à-vis the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/091402/image_hu_355fcfded6d3664b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/091402/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/091402/image_hu_b0fcb765647bab29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/091402/image_hu_a3f2e9e6ca28f9d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/091402.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":"Three Will Spend From 6 to 6.5 Years in Penal Colonie","tags":["282.2-1","cassation","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Convicting Four Believers From Chita.","type":"news"},{"body":"*Text updated on March 9, 2023.\nOn March 5, 2023, security forces raided at least 10 addresses in Vladivostok as part of a criminal case for belief. Yuriy Byche, 37, and Sergey Novoselov, 54, are in pre-trial detention, and Yegor Pogrebnyak, 27, is under house arrest.\nAccording to the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorskiy Territory, the believers “using the ZOOM application... carried out actions aimed at continuing the activity of an extremist organization.” This is how the investigation interprets the conducting of peaceful meetings for worship. A criminal case was initiated under three parts of the extremist article at once — the organizing the activity, participating and involving others in it (parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nOfficers of the Investigative Committee, together with the FSB Border Control, launched a special operation early in the morning. According to eyewitnesses, the security forces handcuffed Yuriy Byche, threw him to the floor and kicked him several times. The investigator intended to connect to the believers' online call and film their conversation on video. He demanded passwords for phones and other equipment from Yuriy.\nIn another case, security forces seized electronic devices, postcards, notebooks with personal notes, and other items from believers.\nThe ECHR judgment of 7 June 2022 states that “the Russian authorities have failed to put forward anyelements which, according to the Court’s case-law, could have warrantedinterference with the applicants’ rights to freedom of religion, expression or association.” (§ 158). This position is shared by the founder and director of Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF, Brussels, Belgium) Willy Fautré: “Statistics about the magnitude of the repression are disturbing. Freedom of religion or belief is the cornerstone of all freedoms.”\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-03-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/071547.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","new-case","house-arrest"],"title":"In Vladivostok Three Believers Arrested After Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 3, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Andrey Perminov who is severely disabled — a 6-year suspended sentence. Judge Marina Klyushina agreed with the ruling of the court of first instance to deem peaceful religious services and discussions of the Bible to be extremism.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Although the legislation of the Russian Federation does not classify the dissemination and practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremism, the courts interpreted the believer's actions as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The prosecutor's office found the ruling of the court of first instance to be too lenient and appealed it.\nSpeaking at the appeal hearing, Andrey Perminov said: “Punishment is carried out for a specific purpose, namely, to correct the offender. I don't understand how exactly I should correct myself. During the course of the trial, it only was “revealed” that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. My only “guilt” was that I studied the Bible, sang songs, discussed Bible thoughts with friends and shared knowledge with others... I have a feeling that the investigation and the prosecution want me to change my faith, renounce God, my heavenly Father... In fact, the prosecution suggests that I become an ungrateful son. This will never happen!”\nAndrey Perminov has been subjected to criminal prosecution for the second year. He says: “The searches leave a scar. Headlights, cars stopping under the windows made us nervous for a long time”. He adds: “We have a small budget and there are expenses for issuing powers of attorney for my wife, because I am disabled and cannot go to the various authorities... I was added on the list of Rosfinmonitoring as an extremist, and all my bank accounts and cards were blocked... I am very glad that my employer did not terminate my contract when he found out about the criminal case. It is a lifesaver that the post office employees deliver the disability pension to my door”.\nAccording to Andrey, like-minded people have become a huge support for him. “Friends have been constantly sending messages that they love us and pray fervently for us,” he says and adds –– “With the support of God, we will endure everything and he will restore everything - both reputation and inner peace.”\nIn a recent decision, the European Court emphasized the unlawfulness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “Legal formalities should not be used to hinder the freedom of association of groups disliked by the authorities or advocating ideas that the authorities would like to suppress” (§ 243). Eric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute and former dean of Regent University’s Robertson School of Government, also noted, “Russia’s continuing persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘extremists’ who threaten Russia’s national security is unfair and unwise.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_af45a111cde5f886.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_facc2fcf765fc3d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_90aff68e4b96d41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/060938/image_hu_d03f51618174f19c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/060938.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"Disabled Person Will Serve a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","disability","suspended"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Verdict Against Andrey Perminov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2023, the Khabarovsk Territorial Court reduced Yegor Baranov's suspended sentenceby six months—now the believer will have to serve a four-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. The decision has entered into force. It can be appealed in the cassation procedure.\nThe basis of the accusations of extremism was the testimonies of witnesses, which either totally or partially did not correspond to reality. Other witnesses were subjected to psychological pressure. Also, during the investigation, the facts were falsified more than once. While considering evidence of Baranov's guilt in court, passages from the Bible were read on how to build relationships with others, how to strengthen the family and how to show respect for the authorities.\nThe ruling of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, which fully justified Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, states that “the right to freedom of religion as guaranteed under the Convention excludes any discretion on the part of the State to determine whether religious beliefs or the means used to express such beliefs are legitimate”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-01T17:18:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_4741e84f4530512b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_c3871dab31f28785.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_91f33ba23343cb2e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/021718/image_hu_8aa266bd1f81a1b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/021718.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"The Believer Was Given a Four-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence\u003cbr\u003e","tags":["mitigation","appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in Khabarovsk Reduced Yegor Baranov's Term by Six Months.","type":"news"},{"body":"Kirill Khabrik, according to those who know him, is a good-natured, calm person and a man of few words. In February 2023, he was taken into custody for reading the Bible with friends. Because of this, the law enforcement officers suspected him to be \u0026quot;an extremist who poses a threat to the constitutional order.\u0026quot;\nKirill was born in 1989 in the city of Kingisepp (Leningrad Region). His mother has an education as foundry technician and has been a chemistry teacher for many years. The father is no longer alive. Kirill has an elder and a younger brother.\nThe young man graduated from a music school with a degree in piano. Since childhood, he was a calm, obedient and determined child. His father, who had worked as a television and radio communications engineer, instilled in his son a love of technology and taught him how to solder.\nAfter school, Kirill chose to become an electromechanic. He studied remotely at university and worked at the same time as an electrician in a construction company. Years later, he got a job with his father in a company providing digital services and maintenance. A few years later, Kirill was invited to work in another telecom company as an engineer of linear communication facilities and subscriber units, where he worked until he was taken into custody.\nKirill\u0026#39;s mother tried to instill a love for the Bible in her sons from childhood. Kirill saw that the moral norms from the Bible have a positive effect on the lives of young people. This influenced his choice of path in life. In 2007, he made the decision to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Later, his younger brother joined him.\nIn 2015, Kirill married Alvina, who is a teacher of Russian language and literature by education. She shares his outlook on life. Alvina works as the head librarian in the children\u0026#39;s library. Readers love her and miss her in her absence. Alvina has a son from her first marriage. He is an electrician in college and enjoys graphic design and photo editing.\nKirill likes to fix his car on his own according to the instructions from the video tutorials. Together with his younger brother, before the criminal prosecution, they were engaged in the construction of a house.\nFriends note Kirill\u0026#39;s subtle sense of humor. When possible, they spent their holidays with him and his wife in a village far from civilization: the women went to the forest to pick mushrooms and berries, and the men went fishing.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, all members of the Khabrik family experienced stress. Colleagues, relatives, friends and neighbors wonder why this peaceful believer was considered an extremist.\n","date":"2023-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khabrik/photo_hu_e77f887bdfb44b9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khabrik/photo_hu_4fe944b76bbbc097.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khabrik/photo_hu_805c47a4e0b7e0c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khabrik/photo_hu_f55d981387dacdb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khabrik.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Kirill Khabrik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2023, Anna Matveeva, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Lesosibirsk, became a defendant in a criminal case because of talking about the Bible with friends.\nAnna was born in April 1977 in the village of Selenduma (Republic of Buryatia). Until the age of 9, she was raised by her paternal grandparents in the city of Oster, Chernihiv region (Ukraine), and in 1986, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Anna moved to her aunt in the village of Nevonka, Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nSince childhood, Anna loves books and music. As a teenager, she received a musical education in the accordion class, and connected her profession with the Russian language and literature—she graduated from the Pedagogical Institute in Lesosibirsk and has been working in her specialty for many years.\nIn her free time, Anna likes to walk around her city and its environs, and also ride on the ice slide in winter. She is married and has two adult children.\nOne day, Anna became interested in what was written in the Bible. She was particularly impressed by the way Bible prophecy is being fulfilled today. Also, the knowledge gained helped her to make sure that God hears her prayers and answers them. In 2013, 15 years after first reading the Bible, Anna decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nWhen faced with criminal prosecution for her faith, Anna tries not to lose heart, but to focus on how God, family, and friends support her.\n","date":"2024-04-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/matveeva/photo_hu_a337578369b8231.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/matveeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/matveeva/photo_hu_6b34ad423dd8dc90.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/matveeva/photo_hu_dbcd903ac3859c4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/matveeva.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Anna Matveeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2023, Andrey Morozov was placed in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was initiated against him, accusing him of organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization. He was among the first Jehovah's Witnesses in the Leningrad Region to be prosecuted for their beliefs.\nAndrey was born in July 1975 in the city of Kingisepp (Leningrad Region), where he lived until his detention. His brother died at the age of 16 in an accident. As a child, Andrey played sports, wrestled and loved reading. After school, he graduated as a smith from the Narva Technical School and worked in his specialty at local factories.\nAndrey was interested in spiritual matters, and he turned to different religions. He was able to find comprehensive answers for himself in the Bible, and in April 2002 he decided to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2005, Andrey met his future wife Olga, and two years later they got married. Olga works as a physical education instructor in a kindergarten. She shares the religious views of her husband. At one time, the Bible teaching about the resurrection freed her from the intense fear of death, and in 2001 she started the Christian way of life. In their free time, the couple love to travel and ride bikes.\nThe criminal prosecution disrupted the usual routine of Andrey and his family. Olga experienced severe stress. The husband's salary was the main source of income, so his arrest affected the financial situation of the family. Their relatives do not share Andrey's religious views, but they worry about him and sympathize.\n","date":"2023-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/morozova/photo_hu_97c862e08f85d792.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/morozova/photo_hu_e2ee87fcb9ad3012.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/morozova/photo_hu_ada8a6e1751c2f17.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/morozova/photo_hu_7b84f7bb029f46ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/morozova.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Morozov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Poveshchenko, a resident of the city of Kingisepp, became one of the defendants in a criminal case whose home was searched by security forces in February 2023 because of faith in Jehovah God.\nYevgeniy was born in January 1969 in the city of Slavyansk, Ukraine. As a child, he loved skiing, martial arts and basketball. His father was in the military, and his mother was an English language teacher.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy received a higher military education, served in the army and retired with the rank of major. He has lived in many places: in Crimea, Georgia, and Chukotka, as well as in Murmansk, Cherepovets, Gatchina, Saint Petersburg and Kingisepp. Yevgeniy is an entrepreneur who cares for his wife and two children.\nIn the early 2000s, Yevgeniy became interested in the Bible. After comparing what he read with what he saw around him, he realized that this book can be trusted, and in 2007 he decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and live according to Bible principles. Back then, the believer never imagined that he would be subjected to criminal prosecution for his beliefs.\n","date":"2023-03-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/poveshchenko/photo_hu_9b968dbee58df015.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/poveshchenko/photo_hu_71fe0db463bebad7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/poveshchenko/photo_hu_4e44a752a10ec2a5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/poveshchenko/photo_hu_adc5f705d6b9e219.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/poveshchenko.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Poveshchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Sergey Ryabokon and his wife changed radically when, in February 2023, the security officers came to search their house. Law enforcement officers classified Sergey as an extremist only because he believes in Jehovah God. The believer was arrested and put in a detention center.\nSergey was born in 1989 in the city of Dneprodzerzhinsk (Ukraine). He has a younger sister. Their father worked for many years as a railway welder, and now as an electrician in an educational institution. Their mother works as a teacher assistant in a kindergarten. When Sergey was still small, the family moved to the Arkhangelsk Region. As a youth, he was involved in athletics and soccer.\nAfter school, Sergey became an electrician for the repair and maintenance of electrical equipment. He worked as an electrician, janitor and also at a construction site. Guided by love of peace, Sergey requested to complete alternative civilian service instead of military service. He completed it in Moscow, working in his profession.\nSergey's mother was the first in the family who became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey was also impressed by the unity, kindness and peace among believers who applied the advice from the Bible. Eventually, he also decided to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2010, Sergey married Olga, who shares his Christian values. She enjoys sewing and molding with polymer clay. The couple love to travel together. They lived in the Komi Republic and the Leningrad Region. They enjoy spending time with friends, playing volleyball, football and chess.\nSergey is known as an open, sociable and cheerful person. His friends and relatives, including his father, who does not share his convictions, are worried and consider the criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2023-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ryabokon/photo_hu_440feb3204e69bfe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ryabokon/photo_hu_41af86f4e0e163b3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ryabokon/photo_hu_4a9b87b0ab71f9ab.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ryabokon/photo_hu_71164226c2aa6306.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ryabokon.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Ryabokon","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Zhmyrev is a former police officer, and now a peaceful believer, against whom a criminal case was initiated for reading the Bible. He was placed in a pre-trial detention center in February 2023.\nIgor was born in December 1970 in the city of Kingisepp, Leningrad Region, where he lived until his arrest. He has two older sisters. His parents are no longer alive. As a child, Igor read a lot and loved to play hockey.\nAfter school and military service, Igor worked as a policeman. At the same time, he led a hand-to-hand combat club. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a supervisor at the Center for the Protection of Industrial Objects.\nIgor is interested in contemporary art and interior design, and he still loves to read. In time, he became interested in the Bible. He thoroughly examined this book and found that it answered his questions. In 1993, he made the decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn the same year, Igor married Tatyana, whom he met at work. In her youth, she was involved in track and field sports, but she had to quit due to an injury. Tatyana is an accountant, and for many years she worked in this field. Tatyana became interested in Bible teachings while studying in Saint Petersburg, and in 1993, just like Igor, she began her journey as a Christian.\nBible knowledge helped the married couple raise their son in harmony with Christian values. After school, he immediately began to work. In his spare time, he plays sports. Igor and Tatyana love taking walks together.\nThe quiet life of the family was disrupted when security forces raided and searched their home. They seized all the money, bank cards, documents, and electronic devices, and they arrested Igor. His wife and son were left without him. They try to stay positive and to view the situation as an opportunity to build their faith and endurance.\n","date":"2023-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhmyrev/photo_hu_cad97b2f5f6581c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhmyrev/photo_hu_8c448a3d124cbd9a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhmyrev/photo_hu_49b9be239feaada6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhmyrev/photo_hu_5ec65cdc31069e5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhmyrev.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Zhmyrev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 1, 2023, the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk confirmed the verdict against Konstantin Samsonov, Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov for their faith, as final.\nBy the decision of the court of first instance, Samsonov should have gone to a penal colony for 7.5 years. The court imposed fines on Akopov and Sultanov, which were cleared on account of the time served in the pre-trial detention center. The court of appeal made significant changes to the verdict: Samsonov's prison term was replaced with a fine, and the amount of the fines imposed on the rest was increased.\nIn the cassation ruling, the prosecutor's office stated that it considers such a punishment for practising their religion to be \"unjustifiably lenient\" and insists on the need to \"isolate [the believers] from society\". Based on this, the public prosecutor requested to send the case for a new trial to the court of first instance.\nThree residents of Neftekumsk were convicted as extremists for gathering at home with friends to read and discuss the Bible, sing religious songs and pray. As the believers noted in the cassation appeal, their “actions and statements were of an exclusively peaceful nature... their motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise the right to profess and spread the beliefs in the ways characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses”.\nContrary to the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and the position of the ECHR, according to which “the State's duty of neutrality and impartiality prohibits it from assessing the legitimacy of religious beliefs or the ways in which those beliefs are expressed or manifested” (§ 119), the investigation and courts continue to prosecute Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/021119/image_hu_dfc9729fe67bb3d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/021119/image_hu_f6ccd1ef3f0871aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/021119/image_hu_cbfb839b4611bc33.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/021119/image_hu_1bd3655e652463.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/021119.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk Upheld the Sentence of Three Jehovah's Witnesses for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2023, the Stavropol Regional Court changed Viktor Zimovskiy's 6-year and 2-month prison sentence to a suspended sentence; he was released from the detention center. Instead of 4 years and 2 months of forced labor, Anatoliy Gezik received a suspended sentence. The sentence for his wife, Irina Gezik, - 4 years and 2 months suspended - remained unchanged.\nThe court of first instance announced the verdict against three Jehovah's Witnesses from Georgievsk in November 2022. They were found guilty of organizing and participating in extremist activity for meeting with their fellow believers for joint worship and Bible reading. When filing an appeal against the verdict, they drew the court's attention to the absence of evidence of an actual crime in their actions. So, Viktor Zimovskiy was convicted only because he “gave talks, read religious literature, organized religious services for followers of the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses.” “These actions,” as noted in the appeal, “are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as the fundamental rights and freedoms of a person that belong to him from birth.”\nIn 2019, the homes of the Gezik couple and Viktor Zimovskiy were searched, when, according to believers, the security forces planted flash drives of unknown content. During the search, Viktor Zimovskiy, who is disabled, fell ill. Nevertheless, he and ten other people were taken for interrogation. The investigator arrested Viktor after a second interrogation in January 2020. He spent 2 months in a detention center, and then another 1.5 months under house arrest. After the verdict was passed, Zimovskiy was again placed in the detention center, where he spent 3.5 months.\nAccording to Viktor Zimovskiy, during the criminal prosecution, it was especially hard to be separated from his children and his pregnant wife. And the difficult conditions of detention did not contribute to his optimism. However, as Viktor says, difficulties are easier to endure, thanks to the support of friends: “I was calm... that my family had everything they needed and were surrounded by care.”\nRussian courts continue to ignore the position of the European Court of Justice, which, in a judgment dated June 7, 2022, stated: “By holding [Jehovah’s Witnesses] criminally liable simply for continuing religious services, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on the exercise of their freedom of religion and association” (§ 260).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_a69bbd1ef11e6899.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_394994ceaeccf0f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_e0e85dce53ec0947.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/080818/image_hu_6a68ed1a78e6b75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/080818.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":"In The Stavropol Region, the Court of Appeal Changed the Sentence of the Gezik Couple and Viktor Zimovskiy","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","suspended","appeal","mitigation"],"title":"Suspended Sentences Instead of a Penal Colony and Forced Labor.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2023, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region considered the case of Svetlana Monis, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, for the third time. The appeals panel approved the decision of the lower court: for her faith she was found guilty of participating in extremist activity and given a 2.5-year suspended sentence.\nIn May 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region replaced the fine imposed on Monis with a 2.5-year suspended imprisonment. Later, the court of cassation overturned this decision. In March 2022, after a second appeal the case was returned to the Birobidzhan District Court for a new trial. This time, the court of first instance imposed a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The prosecutor again requested 4 years imprisonment for the woman. At the same time, the text of his closing argument was identical to what he read out at the first consideration of the case two years earlier. One of the main pieces of evidence of Svetlana's guilt mentioned by the state prosecutor was using the name Jehovah. However, no court has ever forbidden the use of this name; it is found in many translations of the Bible and works of literature.\nSvetlana's case is being heard in the courts for the past three years. At the same time, Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev, as well as three other believers, are subjected to criminal prosecution. In December 2022, Alam was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. He also was found guilty of extremism only for his peaceful religious beliefs. Now Aliyev is in the Birobidzhan detention center awaiting an appeal decision.\nSvetlana says that from the very beginning of the prosecution in 2018, she and her husband felt the constant support of fellow believers: “[Friends] from other cities were worried, prayed for us, passed letters with words of support, were interested, and through our relatives passed on material assistance.”\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. In its decision, the court ruled that “imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion” (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_414cabf5c912d3d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_a0c4e6a288a0abb.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_649b8a722d40d8f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/03/020856/image_hu_a9b4360d706475be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/020856.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":" A 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence For Her Faith","tags":["282.2-2","suspended","2-appeal"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Upheld the Verdict For Svetlana Monis.","type":"news"},{"body":"In Elista, on February 28, 2023, searches were conducted in at least three places. Kalmykia security officials suspect local residents of extremism because they profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. After being searched and interrogated, Kishta Tutinova was placed in a temporary detention center for two days.\nThe FSB Directorate for the Republic of Kalmykia is responsible for the raid. On February 16, Investigator D. V. Menkenov initiated a criminal case against Kishta Tutinova for organizing the activity of an extremist organization, as well as against unidentified persons for participating in this activity (parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation believes that Tutinova, from her home, \"conducts religious meetings and directly participates in them by means of online videoconferencing and also involves the residents of the region in the activities of this organization for the purpose of propaganda.\"\nUpdate. The search in Kishta Tutinova’s house began early in the morning and lasted almost three hours. It was conducted by five law enforcement officers. According to the believer, the security forces did not provide documents authorizing the search. They seized a Bible, three mobile phones, personal letters and notes. Despite the believer's requests, she was not given copies of the search protocol or the interrogation protocol.\nBy 5 p.m., Kishta Tutinova was taken to the detention center. One of the FSB officers handed her five liters of water and a cupcake to take with her. The believer, who is 62 years old, spent two days in the temporary detention facility, after which, on March 1, the court placed her under house arrest.\nThe believer was taken to the apartment of one of her sons, where a search was conducted but nothing was seized. As part of this criminal case, searches were conducted at the homes of two other women. Electronic devices, personal correspondence and notes were seized from both of these homes. One believer was immediately brought in for interrogation. An ambulance had to be called for the second woman during the investigative actions.\nAccording to human rights activists, in 2023, repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses are gaining momentum, despite the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which completely exonerated them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/03/021129.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":"Searches and Interrogations Took Place in Elista","tags":["new-case","interrogation","search","ivs","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Security Forces in Yet Another Region of the Russian Federation Initiated a Case Against Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer explained the difference between the Bible and the charter of a religious organization. \"As long as I remain Jehovah's Witness, as long as I am guided by the Bible, this is a guarantee that I will not commit actions of an extremist or any other negative nature,\" he said.\n","date":"2023-02-27T16:08:49+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/983.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Taras Kuzio in Yalta","type":"docs"},{"body":" Текст обновлен 14 марта 2023 года On February 27, 2023, Vladimir Romanenko, judge of the Yalta City Court, sentenced Taras Kuzo to 6.5 years in a penal colony, Petr Zhiltsov to 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony, Sergey Lyulin to 6 years in prison, and Darya Kuzo to 3 years of suspended sentence. The basis for such punishment was their religious beliefs.\nThe prosecutor requested 7.5 years in a penal colony for Taras Kuzo, the father of two, 7 years for Petr Zhiltsov and Sergey Lyulin, and 3.5 years for Darya Kuzo with a reprieve until her youngest child reaches 14 years of age. Now he is 8 years old.\nOn March 20, 2019, law enforcement officers arrived at the believers' home for the first search. In March 2021, after the third search, the investigation initiated a criminal case against Taras Kuzo for “financing the activity of an extremist organization” (part 3, Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and four months later the investigator added a charge of “organizing the activity of an extremist organization\" (part 1, Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). At the same time, Taras's wife, Darya, as well as Sergey Lyulin and Petr Zhiltsov, became defendants in the case. During the searches, communication equipment belonging not only to adults, but also to children, and personal savings were confiscated from the believers. Also their bank accounts were blocked.\nThe investigation lasted 2 years. From the moment of detention, Sergey Lyulin spent almost 7 months in a detention center. “There were 12 beds in the cell, but there were always more people, we had to sleep in turns. It was very stuffy, things practically did not dry, there was a huge number of flies, everyone smoked and they used obscene language,” said the believer about the conditions of his detention. He was later placed under house arrest for 4.5 months. Taras and Petr were also under house arrest—16 and 11.5 months respectively. “Because of the house arrest, I didn’t live with my wife and children, and as it was impossible to use the telephone and the Internet, I didn’t know for several days what was happening with my family,” Taras shared.\nTaras Kuzo noted that identical testimonies of three secret witnesses appear in the case—Ivanov, Petrov and Volodin. Lyulin said that these witnesses for the prosecution did not remember anyone except the defendants, although they had attended meetings for worship, according to them, for more than a year. They also claimed that they \"adhered to the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses\", but could not explain what the teachings of this religion were, and could not pronounce the name of God correctly. The believers think that they were infiltrators from the FSB.\nThe support provided by friends and fellow believers throughout the investigation and trial helped the believers to survive all the difficulties. “They wrote me a lot of letters with words of encouragement and Bible verses,” Taras said. “It was very strengthening that friends mentioned specific situations of when and how I had helped them. Their gratitude is a great example for me.” According to Petr, \"there is no such support anywhere else.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believers still insist on their innocence and can appeal against it.\nOn June 7, 2022, the ECHR emphasized that “only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination, may warrant suppression as being ‘extremist’. The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_99e20b76b96e391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_12490f53c87d99e8.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_1590bc01bb866bd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/280844/image_hu_c1b9032d6b10a9ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/280844.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Court in Yalta Gave Four Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman, From 3 Years Suspended Sentence to 6.5 Years in Penal Colony for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Daria Kuzio said that there was not a single piece of evidence of her guilt in the case and it was completely falsified: \"At the trial, there were a lot of lies from the prosecution, which discouraged us.\"\n","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/312.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Daria Kuzo in Yalta","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, Pyotr Zhiltsov said that he and the other defendants were being tried for \"continuing the activities of an organization that never even existed. He concluded: \"We were put on trial because we did not renounce our Christian beliefs.\"\n","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/275.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Peter Zhiltsov in Yalta","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer stressed that his criminal prosecution was groundless: \"In the USSR, when Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted, they were offered what is offered to us now - to renounce their faith. This proves once again that we are not being judged for extremism, but for believing in Jehovah God.\"\n","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/313.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Lyulin in Yalta","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 22, 2023, Aleksandr Shcherbina was released after serving his full term of imprisonment for his belief in Jehovah God. Earlier, the court of appeal commuted his sentence, reducing the period of stay in the penal colony from three years to two.\nShcherbina faced criminal prosecution in 2020, when homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in villages of the Krasnodar Territory. After the charge of extremism, 2 months of judicial proceedings followed. As a result, the believer was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony only because of his religion.\nLooking back, Aleksandr recalls that at the stage of investigative actions, “the most difficult thing was the conversation with the investigator, his questions and desire to extract the necessary information, as well as his reaction when I refused to cooperate with him.”\nIn the penal colony, the administration and prisoners treated the believer with respect. Although there were difficulties: upon arrival, Aleksandr was twice placed in a punishment cell for far-fetched reasons, he was not given personal correspondence for some time, and his requests for a Bible remained unanswered.\nAleksandr Shcherbina with friends on the day of his release from the penal colony. February 22, 2023 Despite this, Aleksandr did not lose heart. Later, he got a Bible anyway, and during his imprisonment he received more than 3,000 letters of support. Also, in the penal colony, the believer mastered a new profession as an auto mechanic.\nJehovah's Witnesses Artem Gerasimov and Sergey Filatov continue serving their 6-year sentences in the same penal colony. They should be released in 2026.\nThe judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of June 7, 2022 states:: “The imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion” (§ 264). But Russian courts continue to convict law-abiding citizens only for their choice of religion.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-02-22T14:42:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/220913/image_hu_ba2dc2c2c1b0291f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/220913/image_hu_d4e5a5331144aa76.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/220913/image_hu_c6ccc7b518f83528.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/220913/image_hu_9b4a83cb8a89230c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/220913.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","282.2-2"],"title":"Aleksandr Shcherbina Released. He Spent 2 Years in a Penal Colony For His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 22, 2023, to the applause of relatives and friends, Andrey Andreyev was released from a penal colony in Lipetsk. He served the complete term given by the court - 4.5 years - for his faith in Jehovah God.\nAbout a hundred people waited for more than two hours in a temperature of -17 degrees to welcome Andrey.\nIn fact, Andrey Andreyev spent 3 years, 4 months and 9 days behind bars. For most of this period, he was in a pre-trial detention center.\nRecalling his stay in the detention center, Andrey said: “[It] did not make me bitter, although all this time I was surrounded by negativity... I prayed daily to maintain my love for God and my neighbor. I have no resentment, no hatred towards anyone, not even anger, because this would not be right. Some cellmates in the detention center were inspired by Andrey's healthy lifestyle: they decided to quit smoking and take up sports.\nOn January 20, 2022, Andreyev was taken to a penal colony in Lipetsk to serve his remaining sentence. There he worked as a roofer. For good work, the believer received a commendation from the administration, but a few days later he was fined on trumped-up charges. According to the lawyer, this was done to deprive Andrey of the grounds for parole.\nOf the five convicted Jehovah's Witnesses from Kursk, Andrey Andreyev received the most severe punishment. Other defendants in the case - Andrey Ryshkov, Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan - have already been released, and Alexandr Vospitanyuk is still serving a suspended sentence.\nThe believers still consider their criminal prosecution groundless and unfair. The European Court of Human Rights agrees with them. In its judgment of 7 June 2022, it acknowledged that the Russian Federation had violated the right to freedom of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses: “By prosecuting the applicants merely for continuing worship, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on their exercise of freedom of religion and association” (§ 260).\n","category":"sentence","date":"2023-02-22T14:26:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/220915/image_hu_18d579a62b34e545.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/220915/image_hu_6e0e0cf51b1721be.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/220915/image_hu_2dad0404e8bd7dde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/220915/image_hu_82fa0743d789db83.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/220915.html","regions":["kursk","lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","release"],"title":"Andrey Andreyev, the Last of the Kursk Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted for Their Faith, Released From the Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 20, 2023, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan found Tatyana Obizhestvit and the Bochkarevs guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. None of those convicted pleaded guilty.\nTatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva received suspended sentences of two years and two and a half years respectively. Andrey Bochkarev was sentenced to three years and one month of actual imprisonment but was released in the courtroom because he already served this term in a pre-trial detention center.\nFor three believers from Kazan, it all started in January 2020, when Tatyana had guests at her home. An unexpected visit of security forces interrupted the friendly gathering. After the search, law enforcement officers took the detainees—more than 10 people—to the Department for Combating Organized Crime, where they were subjected to aggresive interrogation.\nThe criminal case was initiated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in December 2019. The investigation lasted almost a year and a half. This whole time, including during the trial, Andrey was in a pre-trial detention center and the women were under house arrest. Thus, for more than three years, they were deprived of liberty without mitigation of the preventive measures, as if they were dangerous criminals.\nIn court, it became obvious that the case was based on false testimonies of secret witnesses and provocateurs. Witnesses for the prosecution contradicted each other and were confused about dates and events.\nAndrey Bochkarev expressed his feelings about what was happening: “The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made it clear that its decision of April 20, 2017, does not in any way prohibit the constitutional rights of citizens, including mine. I continue to have the right to 'freely choose, hold, profess and act in accordance with religious and other beliefs.' I think that the preliminary investigation agencies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. And I sit on the court bench today, not because of a crime I allegedly committed, but because of their misinterpretation.”\nTatyana Obizhestvit expressed her firm belief that “this criminal case is the political repression of a religious minority—Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, in Russia anti-extremist legislation is being misused to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith.”\nThis situation is causing alarm in the global community. For example, the judgment of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022, states: “Considering the above elements and the sequence of events, the Court finds that the forced dissolution of all religious organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia was not merely the result of a neutral application of legal provisions but disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it.” (§ 254)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_f4fdc04ab93c3ab2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_a4d5f587fd6632b2.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_72698d15fa8455f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/210917/image_hu_998a4fefea005ccc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/210917.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":"The Believers Received Various Terms of Imprisonment","tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"Three of Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced in Kazan.","type":"news"},{"body":"*Text updated April 20, 2023\nOn February 19, 2023, in Kingisepp and Slantsy, five believers were detained as a result of seven searches conducted by the Investigative Committee. Igor Zhmyrev, age 52; Kirill Khabrik, age 33; Andrey Morozov, age 47; Yevgeniy Poveshchenko, age 54; and Sergey Ryabokon, age 33, ended up in a temporary detention facility in the city of Slantsy.\nOn February 21, 2023, Judge Yekaterina Ivanova of the Kingisepp City Court of the Leningrad Region ruled to detain Sergey Ryabokon and Andrey Morozov for two months. Kirill Khabrik and Igor Zhmyrev also ended up in the pre-trial detention center.\nUpdate. On March 23, 2023, security forces conducted six new searches in Kingisepp. Eleven believers were interrogated. Five were placed in a temporary detention center in Saint Petersburg; the others were released. Igor Shevlyuga, age 36; Miroslav Sabodash, age 43; Konstantsiya Vovk, age 48; Tatyana Stepanova, age 48; and Aleksandr Vaganov were put behind bars.\nLater, the court released everyone, except for Igor Shevlyuga, and imposed on them a ban on certain actions; it also extended the preventive measure imposed on Yevgeniy Poveshchenko—a recognizance agreement. On April 19, 2023, Shevlyuga was also released from custody under a ban on certain actions.\nOn February 19, 2023, a criminal case was initiated against several believers under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Searches were conducted in their homes. Aleksey Romanov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Committee, leads the investigative team in this criminal case. The team also includes Investigators K. A. Dmitriyev; D. A. Shevtsova; K. A. Podolyanets; K. A. Vasilyeva; and Deputy Head of the Investigative Department I. A. Podkurkov.\nThe searches lasted up to five hours. At least two women required emergency medical attention. In one case, the persons under investigation were not at home. However, their elderly mother, who was evacuated from a war zone, was in their apartment. She is missing one eye, has glaucoma in the other, and recently had a heart attack. She felt ill. The security forces seized her medical documents along with telephones, SIM cards and personal items belonging to the persons under investigation.\nFriends who were visiting believers at the time of the search were brought in for interrogation and later released. During the investigative measures, printed publications, computer equipment, documents and money were seized.\nAccording to a statement from the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Leningrad Region, one of the believers is suspected of \"organizing propaganda meetings with the participation of adherents via videoconference and at their places of residence.\" The investigation equates conducting peaceful worship services with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). What exactly the other detainees are suspected of is still unknown.\nThe Leningrad Region has become the 72nd region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against peaceful and law-abiding Christians—Jehovah's Witnesses. As Aleksander Verkhovskiy, director of the information and analytical center SOVA, said (original in English): “The scale and cruelty of pressure [on believers] is growing. Last year we harbored some hope that the repressive campaign could at least slow down, but we were wrong.”\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights emphasized that the actions of the Russian authorities \"disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance . . . designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it” (§·254). Despite demands by human rights organizations and the world community to stop the persecution, believers in dozens of regions of the Russian Federation are being prosecuted merely for their peaceful beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/211543.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":"Five People Are Behind Bar","tags":["search","sizo","ivs","new-case","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"For the First Time Since 2017, a Criminal Case Has Been Initiated Against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Leningrad Region for Their Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2023, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, after a retrial of the case, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yevgeniy Yegorov, again to 2 years and 6 months suspended with a 1-year restriction of liberty.\n“The respected prosecutor believes that I need to reform. To do this, I must first at least understand in what way, - Yevgeniy expressed his bewilderment to the court. “The reason for the investigation was peaceful Bible discussion, and not a single law of the state and not a single court decision prohibited this.”\n“The investigator said that if I prayed to God at home, believed in him only in my soul and did not express my faith in any way, then I would not be persecuted as an extremist. But such a position contradicts the very essence of faith, ” said Yevgeniy.\nThe criminal prosecution of this peaceful Christian has been going on for almost 5 years now. In 2018, Birobidzhan law enforcement officers searched his house, and a year later they accused the believer of extremism. The first court hearing began in the winter of 2020. Within two years, the case reached the Ninth Court of Cassation in Vladivostok, which sent it for a second appeal, which, in turn, sent it for a new consideration.\nDuring these years, Yegorov faced a number of difficulties. On the very day of Yevgeniy's wedding, the FSB charged his mother and several friends with extremism. Then the believer himself was under a recognizance agreement. “Because of this, my wife and I faced serious financial problems from the start of family life. But we did not lose heart,” said Yevgeniy. Soon the newlyweds learned that they were expecting a baby. The believer recalls: “Friends came to our aid. After the birth of our son, we received parcels with children's goods. And the words of support from fellow believers were very reassuring.”\nThe June 7, 2022 judgement of the European Court of Human Rights emphasizes that the behavior of the Russian authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses contains \"indications of a policy of intolerance ... designed to cause [believers] to abandon their faith and prevent others from joining it\" (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-17T19:20:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_90d428b05e6eef46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_cf0ce460a1aef30f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_a2fd21a6e4516b6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/171920/image_hu_9bccaf4634a5cc7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/171920.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":"He is Considered an Extremist for Continuing to Talk About the Bible","tags":["suspended","sentence","retrial","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, the Court Again Imposed a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence on Yevgeniy Yegorov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2023, the Gorno-Altaisk City Court of the Altai Republic found one of Jehovah's Witness, Aleksandr Kalistratov, guilty of extremism. Aleksandr has already won two trials for his faith. But this time, the judge supported the prosecution and punished the believer with a six-and-a-half year suspended sentence.\nOne more criminal case against Aleksandr Kalistratov was initiated on December 16, 2021. And a month later, security forces came to search his apartment. They confiscated electronic devices, documents, bank cards and personal notes from the believer. After being interrogated at the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr signed a recognizance agreement. The investigation accused the believer of extremism with the following wording: “For the purpose of secrecy, I determined the places and methods of holding [worship] services using software for video calls via the Internet.”\nIn August 2022, the case went to court. During the hearing, it was discovered that the courtroom testimony of witnesses for the prosecution contradicted their own testimony given during the preliminary investigation, which they had signed off on. One of the witnesses said that the investigator added information to the protocol that she did not agree with. Another witness stated that the investigator threatened her with detention if she did not sign the protocol. Another man who was questioned in court explained that he signed the protocol without reading it after experiencing severe stress because of the search, during which the FSB officer threatened to shoot his dogs.\nAleksandr Kalistratov told the court: “I have been one of Jehovah's Witness for 29 years. And our government did not suffer from this, and the constitutional order was not destroyed. On the contrary, I try to be a law-abiding person because the Bible encourages me to do so. I don't steal, I don't use violence against anyone, I don't even insult anyone. And I want all people on earth to live in peace and harmony. I regularly read the Bible, meditate on what I read, and discuss with my fellow believers and others what I have learned from the Bible. I do this because I am sure that the Bible can help millions of people become kinder and happier. Is it possible to call such actions unlawful? I'm sure it is not.\"\nThe European Court has come to a similar conclusion with respect to Jehovah's Witnesses. The ruling dated June 7, 2022 states: \"By seeking to suppress the religious activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses as they did, the Russian authorities failed to act in good faith and breached the State’s duty of neutrality and impartiality vis‑à‑vis the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-17T16:25:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_5b8017a8bff9da0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_b890ae7a61479281.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_28a0214b60d2a041.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/171625/image_hu_60129fdb7346482b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/171625.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":"Participation in Peaceful Religious Meetings Is Viewed as Extremism","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Gorno-Altaisk, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aleksandr Kalistratov, Was Given a Six-and-a-Half Year Suspended Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2023, the First Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Saratov upheld the fines imposed on Artur Netreba, Viktor Bachurin and Alexandr Kostrov for their faith in God. Each of them paid 300 thousand rubles.\nThus, the court of cassation agreed with the decisions of the courts of first and appeal instances, which found the men guilty of extremism only for participating in religious services and “preaching the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nIn their appeals, the believers noted that “peaceful conversation about God with fellow believers or with other people without calls for violence, discrimination and degrading treatment of any social group, cannot pose a danger to the public. Circumstances indicating that the residents of Lipetsk needed increased protection after [conducting religious services with the participation of the defendants or their conversations about religious beliefs] have not been established.”\nThe European Court in its decision explicitly stated that “by seeking to suppress the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Russian authorities failed to act in good faith and breached the state's duty of neutrality and impartiality vis-a-vis the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-16T19:12:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/171912/image_hu_15e06fcd9bdb16b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/171912/image_hu_a5c53f0acce3df8e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/171912/image_hu_deb6270c69ca120b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/171912/image_hu_14fe1c942148379.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/171912.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":"A Year Ago, They Were Fined for Their Beliefs","tags":["cassation","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Sentence of Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Lipetsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 21, 2023, the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in the city of Krasnodar upheld the ruling of the appellate court and the sentence—six years of imprisonment—against 57-year-old Anna Safronova.\nIn January 2022, the Trusovsky District Court of Astrakhan found Anna Safronova guilty of extremism for her faith in Jehovah God. According to the court, her actions in the joint profession of faith served as the grounds: participation in religious services where prayers were said, religious songs were sung, and the Bible was read. The prosecution did not provide any evidence of extremist statements or calls for violence, hostility or the overthrow of the constitutional order of the government. In April, the Astrakhan Regional Court upheld this verdict.\nIn two years of being persecuted for her faith, Anna Safronova experienced two searches, house arrest and imprisonment in a temporary detention facility and a pre-trial detention center. She has been in a penal colony for about a year already. Despite the harsh sentence and separation from her 82-year-old mother, her son and her friends, Anna has not lost her composure and even encourages her loved ones through her letters and poetry and during their prison visits.\nWith respect to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the ECHR stated in its decision of June 7, 2022: “By holding the applicants criminally liable, simply for continuing religious services, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on the exercise of their freedom of religion and association.” (§ 260)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/220927/image_hu_dac96dbe231e1ff0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/220927/image_hu_dd0f62961cb25603.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/220927/image_hu_469f9c645f731512.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/220927/image_hu_d93beadc42e5d3d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/220927.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","cassation","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Сassation Court Upheld an Unprecedented Harsh Sentence Against Anna Safronova, One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Astrakhan, Because of Her Faith\u003cbr\u003e","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 15, 2023, the Sovetskiy District Court of Kazan sentenced Konstantin Sannikov to 6.5 years in a penal colony. For conducting peaceful religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, the court found him guilty of extremism.\nSeveral secret witnesses testified in the Sannikov case. According to the defense, their statements did not correspond to reality and indicated personal hostility toward Jehovah's Witnesses. Also Judge Marat Khaertdinov noticed this: at one of the hearings he stated that the witness was clearly trying to slander the defendant.\n“There is no enmity, no hatred, no violence, no calls for them in my actions,” Konstantin emphasized in his final statement. Commenting further on the prosecution's arguments - audio recordings of religious services, books seized during the search, and testimonies of witnesses - Sannikov noted that they simply prove his religious affiliation. “I will continue to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, since the Russian Federation has not banned anything that I have just listed,” the believer said, concluding his statement.\nThroughout the preliminary investigation and trial – for more than two years – Konstantin has been in a detention center, where he was placed two days after the FSB initiated a criminal case against him under part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activity of an extremist organization). The believer maintained communication with his wife, Irina, and their four children with the help of letters. Irina told how her husband found a way to support her, even while in the detention center: “He often sends me cute cards and flowers through friends. On our wedding anniversary, the doorbell rang and the courier handed me a huge bouquet of my favorite white chrysanthemums. There was a note in the flowers: “Irishka, my dear, although I am far away, mentally I am always there. I fulfill my promise - I send a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. Love you!\"\".\nIn the detention center, Konstantin's chronic cardiovascular and abdominal illnesses worsened. He bolstered his health with exercise and walks. Letters and parcels from fellow believers from all over the world provided invaluable support.\nThe European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Russian Federation “must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses... and the release of all Jehovah's Witnesses in custody” (§ 285).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-15T14:47:10+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/161447/image_hu_db196b87ee736796.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/161447/image_hu_a83f5749b339190.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/161447/image_hu_2f538d9c7962331d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/161447/image_hu_1dd168d00744dffc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/161447.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","secret-witness"],"title":"Court in Kazan gave Konstantin Sannikov, a Father of Four, 6.5 Years in a Penal Colony for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech in court, the believer noted: \"I am not being judged because I offended someone or caused damage to someone. No. I am in the dock for the right to call my Father by his name, Jehovah.\" ","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/630.html","regions":["altai"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Aleksandr Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaisk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Early in the morning of February 14, 2023, law enforcement officers in the city of Saransk conducted at least 10 searches in the homes of believers who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Mikhail Shevchuk, Artem Velichko, and Ivan Neverov were sent to Detention Center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia.\nOn January 11, 2023, V. A. Makeyeva, an investigator for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, initiated a criminal case against three local residents. She saw the friendly meetings of believers as a crime—\"organizing the activity of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Investigator K. I. Frantsuzov is handling the case. On February 3, he received permission from the court to conduct searches in the region.\nLaw enforcement officers arrived at the home of one of the families in Saransk at 5:40 in the morning. Security forces led by Investigator Roman Obraztsov seized electronic devices, notebooks with recipes and Bible quotes, and three passports for travel abroad. After a five-hour search, the OMON officers took the woman and one of her daughters to the center for combating extremism, where the security forces ascertained how the religious meetings were conducted. According to the believers, the officers threatened that if the woman would not incriminate herself and fellow believers, \"it would be bad for her daughters.\"\nInvestigative measures were also conducted in the house of a believer from the village of Zvezdnyi, located two kilometers from the city of Saransk. The search began at 6:00 a.m. and lasted three hours; Lieutenant Colonel P. P. Soldatkin participated in it. When security forces rushed onto the property, they fired powder from a fire extinguisher at the owner's dog (veterinary care was required). Police officers searched the entire two-story house with an attic and a garage and seized video cassettes, notebooks with poems, two passports for travel abroad, CDs with photographs, and a recording of a children's performance. During the interrogation, the woman was threatened with being sent to a pre-trial detention center if she did not testify against herself and her relatives. The interrogation was carried out by three investigators at once, two of which were I. S. Markelov and K. I. Frantsuzov.\nIn Saransk, six believers, including a woman, have already been sentenced to a penal colony. One of the convicts is Aleksandr, the younger brother of Mikhail Shevchuk.\nThe European Court of Human Rights stated in its decision: “That broad definition of 'extremism' ... [led] to arbitrary prosecutions but also prevented individuals or organisations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorized as ‘extremist’ and censured with restrictive measures.” (§ 158)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-14T09:43:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_53008b2391e56dce.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_229bf01407e50de3.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_bc139fa94e3150cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/241011/image_hu_b1602e6c7ea13af1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/241011.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":"Three Believers Were Arrested","tags":["search","sizo","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the City of Saransk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2023, the Kamchatka Territorial Court considered the appeal of Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenov against the guilty verdict of a lower court, which gave them a four-year suspended sentence for their faith in God. The appellate court upheld the verdict, and it has entered into force.\nThe Semenovs learned that they were being criminally prosecuted in September 2021 when a search was conducted in their home. The believers were interrogated and released under a recognizance agreement. Three days earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the Semenovs under Article 282.2, part 1.1, of of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involving others in the activities of an extremist organization). The charges were based on a letter written by the Semenovs to local resident Yelena Turova that included Bible advice on how to treat others kindly. Afterwards the family experienced regular interrogations and the stress of expecting more searches. Dmitriy explained what helped them cope with anxiety and discouragment: “When we are scared and anxious, prayer helps us find inner peace.”\nAfter 10 months of investigation, the criminal case was submitted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court. On November 8, 2022, Judge Vladimir Bykov found the Semenovs guilty of extremism. The prosecutor requested that they be sent to a penal colony for four years, but the court gave them only a suspended sentence.\nIn the submission to the appellate panel, Dmitriy Semenov drew attention to the complete absence of any evidence of his or his wife’s guilt. The prosecution presented secretly recorded conversations of the believers, but they did not contain even signs of hatred or hostility toward representatives of other religions. No evidence was presented to indicate that the constitutional order of the Russian Federation had been undermined. “There is not a single piece of evidence, only empty, groundless accusations,” said Dmitriy Semenov, adding: “We register our business, we pay taxes ... I respect the state, I am aware of its importance, and I try to follow the laws of our country.”\nNadezhda Semenova also declared her absolute innocence at the appeal hearing and asked the court to use common sense: “Extremists promote violence and incite mass riots. But we did nothing of the kind, and we did not encourage anything like that. I have never been motivated by hatred or enmity. On the contrary, I love people ... I don’t understand what the crime is here and why my husband and I should be sentenced—albeit suspended—for several years.\"\nThe judgment of the European Court of Human Rights dated June 7, 2022, declared unreasonable and unjust the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities on charges of extremism. The ECHR emphasized that the right to \"try to convince one's neighbor\" is an essential element of religious freedom (§ 168). In addition, the European Court reiterated that the imposition of criminal sanctions for the exercise of religious beliefs is an interference with the right to freedom of religion (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-14T09:42:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_4e0565f76dd3c8c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_f0c59d71ed7909cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_19deadc0c96ea155.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/170942/image_hu_e531921011d5caf0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/170942.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"The Semenovs Were Given a Four-Year Suspended Sentence for Their Faith in God","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"The Appellate Court Upheld the Verdict Against Jehovah's Witnesses From Kamchatka.","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on February 14, 2023.\nOn February 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic upheld the verdict of four Jehovah's Witnesses from Alatyr, mitigating the sentence for two of them. Instead of fines of 350,000 rubles, Nina Martynova and Zoya Pavlova will pay 80,000 rubles each. The 6-year suspended sentences for Andrey Martynov and Mikhail Yermakov were left unchanged by the court.\nAll four have been peacefully practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses since the 1990s. However, in December 2022, in violation of the constitutional right to freely choose, have and disseminate religious beliefs, the Alatyr District Court declared them guilty of extremism.\nThe believers commented on this in their appeal as follows: “We have not denied that we are Jehovah's Witnesses and that together with our loved ones and friends we sang songs praising God, prayed and discussed the Bible. But our goal was not to continue the activity of a liquidated legal entity, but to carry out peaceful worship of God.” They added: \"The actual purpose of the verdict is to force us, under fear of criminal prosecution, to change our religion or leave the Russian Federation.\" The believers can appeal to the court of cassation.\nMikhail Yermakov named examples of the endurance of repressed fellow believers during the Soviet era as a source of support. “Even the investigator was sometimes surprised at my calmness and sense of humor,” the believer said.\nThe European Court of Human Rights held that the Russian Federation violated the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to freedom of religion: “By holding the applicants criminally liable, simply for continuing religious services, the Russian authorities imposed a disproportionate and unjustifiable burden on the exercise of their freedom of religion and association” (§ 260).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_97c6d044e1c723e8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_937aea6dd55dd871.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_2e6d0513a5b836cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/141019/image_hu_a49bb556fadda011.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/141019.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Large Fines and Lengthy Suspended Sentences Given for Reading the Bible","tags":["appeal","suspended","fine","mitigation","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Cheboksary Upheld the Verdict for Four Believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 13, 2023, in the village of Dormidontovka, Khabarovsk Territory, police conducted at least two searches and interrogations of persons suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A day earlier, a criminal case was initiated against 76-year-old Liliya Dolinina.\nAt 6:00 am, officers broke into the homes of elderly believers to conduct searches that lasted 4 hours. Electronic devices, computer storage media and personal records were confiscated from Liliya Dolinina and a man. After the searches, the believers were taken to the investigative committee for interrogation, where they were questioned to find out who else in the village professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and organizes meetings for worship.\nThe raids and interrogations were authorized by the Vyazemskiy Interdistrict Investigative Department and the Jewish Autonomous Region and, in particular, the investigator for especially important cases, Yuliya Vasetskaya, who also ruled that Liliya Dolinina be charged with a crime under part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe village of Dormidontovka is one more on the list of settlements in the Khabarovsk Territory, where already 29 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been severely persecuted for their faith. Four of them have been sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/160909.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"Criminal Case Initiated Against a 76-Year-Old Believer ","tags":["search","new-case","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"New Raids in the Khabarovsk Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"*Text updated on February 23, 2023.\nOn February 10, 2023, Pavel Bobrovich, judge of the Spassky District Court of the Primorye Territory, found four Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. 32-year-old Dmitry Malevaniy received 7 years in prison, 63-year-old Alexei Trofimov and Olga Panyuta — 6.5 and 4.5 years in prison , respectively. 70-year-old Olga Opaleva was given a 5-year suspended sentence.\nAfter the announcement of the verdict, computer science teacher Malevaniy as well as pensioners Trofimov and Panyuta were taken into custody in the courtroom. They were sent to Pre-trial Detention Center No. 4 of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Primorsky Territory (“Staryi Kliuch”). The convicted persons can appeal the verdict because they consider it baseless.\nThe criminal prosecution of believers from Spassk-Dalny has been going on since November 2018. As in many other cases, it began with searches, after which all four persons were sent to a temporary detention center and then placed under house arrest for almost a year. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case based on the charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and recruiting others in it (parts 1 and 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The security forces considered conversations on Biblical topics and peaceful religious meetings, typical of all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world, as a crime. The accusations were based on the testimony of intelligence agents who pretended to have an interest in the Bible. One of them was a neighbor of Olga Opaleva.\nThe trial has been going on for over three years. During the hearings, the defense repeatedly drew attention to the inconsistency of the evidence against the believers. For example, the prosecution played recordings of conversations that took place before the period of the crime the defendants are accused of. On some of the recordings it was impossible to identify the voices; on others, the speakers were discussing cooking recipes and were joking. Also, several witnesses stated that their written statements were falsified. Even the secret witnesses could not confirm the guilt of the believers. For example, “Sidorova” admitted during interrogations that she had not heard calls for violent actions against anyone and that at the worship services of Jehovah’s Witnesses there was a friendly atmosphere and believers discussed exclusively religious issues.\nCourt hearings were postponed many times due to the poor health of Olga Opaleva, who had a particularly hard time dealing with the criminal prosecution. Just before the search, she suffered a heart attack. A year later, on her way to the court, Olga had a stroke. Around the same time, Olga's son, Vitaly, also faced criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, recalling that period of her life, the believer says: “I was surprised at myself, because I remained calm. I prayed to Jehovah, and there was peace in my heart. My sisters and brothers visited me, brought the most necessary things, wrote letters, sent postcards from other cities, called and sent text messages. I never felt lonely or abandoned. I had everything, even more than I needed for each day.\"\nAleksey Trofimov retired during the criminal proceedings and received the honorary title of labor veteran. Aleksey mentioned things that gave him strength during the trial, such as the help of others and the fact that he himself tried to support loved ones. He says: \"You have to hold on, because others are holding on to you.\"\nAlso, Dmitry Malevaniy said: “We had everything we needed, and sometimes even a little more, so much so that we ourselves could take care of the needs of others.” Olga Panyuta expressed a similar thought: “We maintain a positive attitude thanks to the support we received from each other.”\nIn total, 46 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorsky Territory have already faced persecution for their faith and have become defendants in 19 criminal cases. 20 believers have already been sentenced—19 received suspended sentences; one was acquitted, but a higher court overturned that decision and sent the case for new trial. At the time of this news release, six believers from the Primorsky Territory are being held in pre-trial detention.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights rendered a historic ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It ruled that the Russian Federation had violated the rights of the followers of this denomination and ordered Russia to stop its persecution, release the prisoners, and pay them compensation. The Court noted in particular: “Both the applicants' [Jehovah's Witnesses'] religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence.” (§ 157)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-10T15:39:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_46c4e006821ce7c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_55cc14e11cb9bde0.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_84448e85a8929f99.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/101539/image_hu_1d4c94bb6903b96d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/101539.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","suspended"],"title":"The Court Sent Three of Jehovah's Witnesses From Spassk-Dalny to a Penal Colony for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final statement, Olga Panyuta told the court about her motives for worshiping Jehovah God and why she shared Bible knowledge with others. She said, \"The fact that I am accused of reading the Bible, praying and explaining Bible verses suggests that I am being judged for my faith.\"\n","date":"2023-02-08T11:38:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/966.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Olga Panyuta in Spassk-Dalny","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 7, 2023, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Kemerovo) upheld the decisions of lower courts regarding 54-year-old Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person. The believer will continue to serve his 7-year sentence in a penal colony, despite severe illness.\nVlasov was convicted under part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for peacefully practicing his religion. The law enforcement officers established only that believers held religious services, but at the same time, as the lawyer emphasizes, the investigation did not have information about a single action of the convict that could be considered a crime.\nThe defense cited the opinion of a medical specialist, according to which the conditions of stay in the pre-trial detention center and the penal colony contribute to the deterioration of Andrey Vlasov's health. His illness is included in the government-approved list of serious illnesses that prevent detention, but the courts of both instances ignored this fact. “The orthopedist, having seen the pictures, confirmed that with such a diagnosis, it's impossible to be in prison, and prison is the place where nothing is provided for the disabled at all,” said Andrey’s wife, Natalya.\nThe believer's lawyer drew attention to the seriousness of the situation in his appeal: \"If the court agrees with such a brutal and unfair verdict and appeal ruling, this will lead to Vlasov leaving the penal colony, at best, on a stretcher.\"\n“Such a punishment can be considered as degrading human dignity,” continues the defense. “Vlasov cannot take care of himself and constantly needs help with basic everyday tasks: he cannot reach his legs with his hands, because his joints restrict his movement, he can only take steps of ten centimeters.”\nDespite his health problems, Andrey tries to remain optimistic. In a conversation with his lawyer, Vlasov highlighted that “letters of support strengthen and encourage him, and he copes with difficulties thanks to the support of Jehovah God.”\nIn its decision of June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia “should take all necessary measures to end the criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses and release imprisoned Jehovah’s Witnesses.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/080854/image_hu_a824a9443ff844d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/080854/image_hu_960056a39297b40a.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/080854/image_hu_e5085b3b21c994a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/080854/image_hu_45688caf966b3461.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/080854.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","disability","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"Court of Cassation Upheld the Sentence Against Andrey Vlasov - 7 Years in a Penal Colony, Although According to the Law He Should Not Be in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2023, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the sentence for 54-year-old Vadim Gizatulin: 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The verdict has entered into force, but the believer has the right to appeal against it in the cassation process.\nVadim insists on his innocence and considers the accusation groundless: “I have never denied that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I never belonged to any of the organizations liquidated by the Supreme Court. I did not participate in the continuation of the activity of an extremist organization, but in the religious services of believers, which were not banned by the court.”\nMoreover, not a single piece of evidence of the believer's guilt in actions of an extremist nature was presented in court. “It is not clear which passages from my speech exactly and on what grounds they were considered by the prosecution as extremist,” emphasizes Vadim.\nIn his final statement in the court of appeal, the believer stated that he had done nothing wrong against the state and its citizens. He believes that he is being tried only for his religious beliefs. “I saw how evil and cruel people became kind and humble,” he said at the hearings. “I have seen some families falling apart and thanks to the Bible they have been able to stay together. And today I am not being judged because I have done something bad, but because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and because I faithfully serve my God.”\nDue to the stress suffered during the search, the chronic illnesses of Vadim's wife were aggravated, and soon she even ended up in intensive care. Vadim himself lost his job, the only source of income for the family.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is illegal: “Only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being ‘extremist’.” (§271) Despite the lack of such grounds, courts in Russia continue to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_aacfda708a294052.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_3aca64ec06016031.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_3f9fd39e40c7ca74.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/081408/image_hu_1a413be603d7ee8b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/081408.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"His Case Contains No Evidence of Extremist Activity","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Guilty Verdict Against Believer Vadim Gizatulin.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 3, 2022, the judge of the Lesozavodskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory Sergey Yarovenko found Yevgeniy Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Yefremova guilty of extremism because of their religious activity. The men received a 6-year suspended sentence with a 5-year probation period, and the elderly believer received a 3-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period, as requested by the prosecutor.\nThe believers consider the decision unjust and have the right to appeal it. “No matter how hard they try to accuse me of extremism, I still consider the accusation unfounded and unfair,” Yevgeniy Grinenko said, addressing the court with his final statement. — “Jehovah's Witnesses are known throughout the world as friendly and peaceful people. Their rights are respected in the vast majority of countries in the world. I would very much like the rights of believers to be respected in Russia too, and in this case, my rights.”\nA criminal case against Yevgeniy Grinenko was initiated in May 2020 by Oksana Belyakova, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Lesozavodsk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory. In March and April 2021, Svetlana Yefremova, Sergey Kobelev, and his mother Galina also became defendants (Galina's case was later made into a separate proceeding, and the court gave her a 6-year suspended sentence on similar charges). In September of the same year, the case went to court. The charges were based on covert audio and video recordings made by two informants who feigned an interest in the Bible. Conversations on Bible topics and peaceful religious meetings were considered by law enforcement agencies to be the resumption of the activity of a banned organization.\nSergey Kobelev noted in his final statement: “Everything I did is lawful ... And all the evidence of my guilt presented by the prosecution proves only that I am a follower of Jesus Christ and, just like him, I put the will of God first.\"\nSvetlana Yefremova, speaking before the court, also drew attention to the absurdity of the prosecution of believers: “I ended up in court because I do not want to renounce my God, and not because of a crime or violation of state laws. As a citizen of the Russian Federation, I have enjoyed the right [to freedom of religion] for almost 30 years. The article has remained unchanged to this day, and my behavior has not got worse over those years. Then the question arises: why am I being prosecuted?\nA total of 19 criminal cases were initiated in the Primorye Territory against 46 Jehovah's Witnesses. In 8 cases, the verdict has already entered into force and 7 cases are being considered in courts.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found it unlawful to ban the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and criminalize the followers of this religion. In its ruling, the court noted, in particular: “The forced dissolution of all religious organisations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia was not merely the result of a neutral application of legal provisions but disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it” (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-03T17:33:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_5a357b9f413563a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_79d1255d022aaa31.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_90f56bca66be26c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/031733/image_hu_fbf6a93e0196d3ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/031733.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"They Received Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye, a Court Found Three of Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a 72-year-old Woman, to Be Extremists.","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 2, 2023, the Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court upheld the judgment against 59-year-old Ildar Urazbakhtin—one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kodinsk, who received a six-year suspended sentence for his faith.\nIldar faced criminal prosecution in July 2021 when his home was searched. Rosfinmonitoring put him on the list of extremists and blocked all of his financial accounts, which caused a serious hardship for the family because Ildar is the sole breadwinner, and his wife has a stage-three disability. After the search, Urazbakhtin was placed in a temporary detention center for a day and then placed under house arrest for two months.\nThe Investigative Committee considered Ildar's videoconferences, during which he \"encouraged a deep study of the Bible and inspired others to support their brothers and sisters\", to be organization of the activities of an extremist organization. The court of first instance and the appeal court ignored the position of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Government of the RF and the ECHR by considering such an interpretation lawful.\n“It is clear to me that I am being persecuted and punished only because I am a Christian who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses,” said Urazbakhtin at the appeal hearing. He insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation court.\nIn a recent decision, the European Court reiterated that “only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271) can serve as a basis for conviction for extremism. Despite this, the Russian authorities continue to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for nothing more than peaceful worship and discussions about the Bible.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-02-02T14:28:36+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_e8d4698803a81f29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_e66b7c85b65241.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_dc26188d25b66c7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/02/021428/image_hu_6dc0b4256aaa8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/021428.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He Was Convicted as an Extremist for Discussing the Bible","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Krasnoyarsk Territorial Court Upheld the Suspended Sentence Imposed on Ildar Urazbakhtin from Kodinsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2023, the Maykop City Court refused to release from custody Nikolay Voishchev, a 67-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Maykop, where he has been held for more than 3 months only because of his faith as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He will stay in the detention center for at least another six months, despite his being diagnosed with an illness.\nThe judge ignored Nikolay's age, as well as the need for urgent re-diagnosis and emergency treatment, even though the defense provided the court with all the necessary medical documents. According to the treatment plan, the believer should have had a tumor assessed back in October. But instead, the believer is forced to be in a cramped cold cell without proper medical care, while his illness worsens.\nIn a recent decision, the ECHR ordered Russia to “take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses ... and release of all Jehovah’s Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty” (§ 290).\n","category":"prison","date":"2023-01-31T16:14:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/311614.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":"Behind Bars Nikolay Voishchev cannot receive proper treatment","tags":["elderly","sizo","medical-rights","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court Keeps an Elderly Believer From Maykop in a Detention Center for Months.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2023, the Kamchatka Territorial Court for the third time considered the case of the Bazhenovs, a married couple, and pensioner Vera Zolotova, who were previously acquitted, and found them guilty of extremism, imposing a suspended sentence of two years.\nAll three are residents of Yelizovo, a town in Kamchatka with a population of just over 36,000. The Bazhenovs are a friendly and social couple who are teachers with a close-knit family. Vera Zolotova is a 77-year-old pensioner, who has lived in her hometown all her life and has earned a reputation as a law-abiding person. Each of them has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than fifteen years. Like other representatives of this religion, who live in hundreds of other countries, they went to meetings with other believers, read and discussed the Bible, and sang religious songs. It was this activity, and not any actual crimes, that became the reason for their criminal prosecution, which has been going on for more than four years.\nDuring this time, the case of these believers has been at many stages: at first it was returned to the prosecutor's office due to shortcomings on the part of the prosecution; later it reached a verdict—the court found the believers guilty and gave them two-year suspended sentences. The appellate court recognized the verdict as fair, but the subsequent cassation court overturned it and sent the case back to the stage of appeal. In January 2022, the Kamchatka Territorial Court acquitted the believers. The Court of Cassation upheld this decision, but the prosecutor's office appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia, which overturned the acquittal on December 2022 and sent the case back to the appeal stage.\nSnezhana Bazhenova, recalling years of litigation, noted: “In court, it became clear that the charges against us were fabricated. For example, when the testimony of an elderly woman, a witness for the prosecution [who had discussed the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses], was read out, she could not help but shout out the whole time: 'You've misinterpreted everything! That's a lie!' And the judge saw and heard that the prosecution's witness never really said that. Moreover, when asked if she knew us, she said: “No, I don’t know them at all.” Snezhana assessed her unjust persecution as follows: “This is the usual course of a Christian; many Christians before me have endured it with dignity.”\nReflecting on the possibility of ending up in a penal colony, Konstantin Bazhenov said that it would cause serious hardship for his family but added: \"We are among our dear friends, and my family will definitely be taken care of.\"\nThe believers still consider themselves innocent. It should be noted that according to the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in itself does not constitute corpus delicti. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, pointing to \"indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities . . . designed to cause Jehovah's Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it\" (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-31T16:03:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_bce6a61e9de9168a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_2ef67f73454383f.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_f8ffc1d21dba82bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/311602/image_hu_5d1212928051577b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/311602.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":"As a Result of the Third Appeal, Believers From Kamchatka Were Found Guilty of Extremism","tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","2-appeal","282.2-2","fabrications"],"title":"A Suspended Sentence Instead of an Acquittal.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2023, the European Court of Human Rights published a ruling in which it found that the disruption of worship services, searches in worship buildings, and seizure of religious literature were violations of the rights of believers. The Russian authorities are ordered to compensate for the damage caused.\n","date":"2023-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/967.html","regions":["france"],"tags":["echr"],"title":"Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Nabokikh and Others v. the Russian Federation (application No. 19428/11 and 6 others)","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, Aleksey Trofimov explained to the court that his only motive for attending divine services was to worship God. The believer also recalled that the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are not prohibited.\n","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/299.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Alexei Trofimov in Spassk-Dalny","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Malevaniy stressed that he was being tried only for his faith. He said: \"Summing up the indictment, the prosecutor wrote: 'There are no victims, no victims.' What kind of victims or victims can there be from a person who strives to always keep God's commandments?\"\n","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/298.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Dmitry Malevaniy in Spassk-Dalniy","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Your Honor, I understand that the courts are called upon to fight crime, but I still do not understand what my crime is,\" Olga Opaleva said in her last word. \"Telephone conversations were listened to, videos were viewed, but nothing illegal was found in them.\"\n","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/297.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Olga Opaleva in Spassk-Dalniy","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 26, 2023, the Altai Regional Court upheld the verdict against Andrey Danielyan—six years in a penal colony. Reading and discussing the Bible was once again equated with extremism. The verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence and can file a cassation appeal against the verdict.\nIn November last year, the court of first instance convicted the believer. “The court committed significant violations of the criminal procedural law and the right to defense,” the lawyer notes in the appeal. “The criminal law was applied incorrectly, the conclusions do not correspond to the actual circumstances of the case.”\nThe believer himself says: \"The indictment does not quote... any statements attributed to me, or the dates, times and places of their expression.\" Thus, it remains unclear which exact passages from the convict's conversations were considered extremist by the prosecution.\nDuring the search, bank cards were seized from the Danielyans, as well as personal savings which he and his wife were saving to repair their country house. Some time later, the believer's property was seized. Later, during the interrogation, the investigator tried to put pressure on Andrey so that he would incriminate himself and cooperate with the investigation “for the sake of his wife’s well-being”.\nThe European Court clarified that “the joint study and discussion of liturgical texts by members of the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses is a recognized form of practicing one's religion during worship and teaching.” The ECHR reiterated that the right to practice one's religion “in community with others” has always been considered an integral part of freedom of religion (§ 268).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-26T10:09:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/271009/image_hu_b0872c992c4c3e4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/271009/image_hu_8b65fbc2f92fc80b.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/271009/image_hu_39c2e5c4f09e50ed.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/271009/image_hu_a6e012706980a63f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/271009.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"He Will Spend Six Years in a Penal Colony for Believing in Jehovah God","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Barnaul Upheld Andrey Danielyan's Sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer once again emphasized, in his final statement, that he \"did not commit any crime either before people, or before the state, or before God,\" and the prosecution did not present \"a single convincing evidence of [his] guilt.\"\n","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/300.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kobelev in Lesozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her speech, the defendant drew the court's attention to the fact that she had been freely practicing her faith for almost 30 years. \"The law has remained unchanged, and I have not done worse over the years. Then the question arises: why am I being persecuted?\" she commented.\n","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/301.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Efremova in Lesozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer explained to the court that this is a trial for faith, not for real crimes: \"I am not against the fight against extremism and I believe that it is necessary to fight those who really incite to violence and aggression. But why persecute Jehovah's Witnesses?\"\n","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/303.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeniy Grinenko in Lesozavodsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 25, 2023, searches were carried out in four homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Biysk.\nThe searches began at 6 in the morning, they were carried out by officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. Electronic devices were confiscated from believers. After the searches, a man and a woman were taken away for interrogation and released only in the evening. Two more believers were warned that they would be called in for interrogation later. It became known that the allegation against the believers was filed by a man who had previously feigned interest in studying the Bible.\nUpdate. According to updated information, the Investigative Department for the city of Biysk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory initiated a criminal case against Sergey Lukin. He is suspected of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Investigator I.V. Lobada took a recognizance agreement from the believer. Searches and interrogations of the believers lasted anywhere from 5 to 13 hours. Armed law enforcement officers in masks took part in the investigative actions. The security forces said they were looking for “weapons, drugs and extremist literature,” however, they seized electronic devices, personal notes and Bibles, including in the Synodal translation. In one instance, the law enforcement officers did not show any documents before the search. This is the second raid against Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. The previous operation, code-named \"Armageddon\", jump-started the criminal prosecution of six Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-01-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/011408.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":"Security Forces Raided Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Biysk","tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New Searches in the Altai Territory.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 24, 2023, Anton Iordan, judge of the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region) found the 65-year-old guilty of extremism because of his religious views.\nSergey Sushilnikov and his wife have been living in Novokuznetsk for over 40 years. During this time, he repeatedly received certificates of honor and awards from the city administration and his employers. He has the title of veteran of labor\nIn the summer of 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sergey for his faith. On June 8, OMON officers with machine guns, wearing masks and bulletproof vests broke into the apartment of the Sushilnikov couple. Shouting \"Everyone lie down on the floor!\" they knocked Sergey down, and pressed his wife against the wall.\nThe believer does not admit guilt. In court, he told a story that happened to his 6-year-old grandson. “Once my grandson was walking with his friend in the playground, and they found a wallet with money. The friend immediately thouhgt what to do — divide the money between themselves. But my grandson said that Jehovah does not like those who take what is not theirs. And they returned the wallet to the owner. So can people whose children behave this way, do something bad to others?” he asked rhetorically.\nAbout 120 people went to the district court building to support Sergey Sushilnikov. During the closing arguments, the believer and his lawyer reiterated that the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia; in the case there is no damage caused, none of the witnesses confirmed the guilt of the defendant, there is no extremist literature and the expert study did not confirm any extremist activity.\nSince July 2018, already 16 people have been prosecuted for their faith in the Kemerovo Region. The European Court of Human Rights, in its judgment on the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, reiterates: “… only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being 'extremist' […] The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination against others”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_8664246de667b39f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_b7fdc08a82a7041c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_ea7d1476df53d4e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/251425/image_hu_562d5c411b345999.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/251425.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"A Court in the Kemerovo Region Gave a Veteran of Labor a 6-Year Suspended Sentence For Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"In January 2023, in the Saratov region, FSB officers raided the homes of five of Jehovah's Witnesses—four women aged 39 to 69 and a 64-year-old man.\nThe first search took place on January 3, and it was directed by Major Matrosov. Lieutenant Ponomaryov also participated in it; the resident of the home recognized him as the one who had conducted surveillance on her since November of the previous year. The security forces confiscated the Synodal translation of the Bible from the family. They also asked about school history notebooks belonging to the believers' daughter. Security forces were especially interested in written notes about the Israelites leaving Egypt and about the execution of Christ.\nOn January 20, four more searches took place. During one of them, the owner of the apartment was escorted home from the clinic. Nothing was seized from her home as a result of the investigative measures.\nDuring the search of the home of a married couple who are believers, the following was seized: a tablet, a 25-year anniversary card, a Bible, and a notebook containing the addresses of relatives.\nLaw enforcement officers came to another woman's home in search of her son. They did not seize anything, but they explained that she would be a witness in this case. The search was led by investigator Aleksandr Prydatko, who had previously initiated a criminal case against five of Jehovah's Witnesses from Balakovo. At the moment, the men are prohibited from certain activities.\nThe city of Balakovo is notorious for attempts to fabricate criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. Back in 2015, believers captured video evidence of banned literature being planted in the building where worship services were held.\nIn June 2022, the European Court reiterated that Article 9 of the European Convention \"protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion\". (§·267)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/080852.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":"Previously, Security Forces Planted Banned Publications in Order to Incriminate Local Believer","tags":["elderly","search","fabrications","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"In the City of Balakovo, New Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 19, 2023, a panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court upheld the harsh sentence against six Jehovah's Witnesses from the town of Gukovo. The court found that the believers were involved in organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nEarlier, the court of first instance sentenced Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Dyadkin, Vladimir Popov and Yevgeniy Razumov to 7 years in a penal colony, and Aleksey Gorelov and Oleg Shidlovskiy to 6.5 years in a penal colony. They pleaded not guilty and filed an appeal against the verdict, stating that it was issued with numerous violations of the law and the conclusions set out in it contradict the facts. Since the court of appeal refused to take into account the arguments of the believers, they will defend their good name in courts of higher instances.\nBy January 2023, all six had spent 2 years and 5 months in a detention center. During this time, they faced various difficulties, including being kept in overcrowded cells. According to the believers, they feel the support of friends and fellow believers from all over the world, who have already written thousands of letters to them.\nIn the foreground, from left to right: Vladimir Popov, Oleg Shidlovskiy, Aleksey Dyadkin, Aleksey Goreliy. In the background, from left to right: Evgeniy Razumov, Nikita Moiseyev. The international community has repeatedly condemned the actions of the Russian authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights stated: “the forced dissolution of all religious organizations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia... disclosed indications of a policy of intolerance by the Russian authorities towards the religious practices ofJehovah’s Witnesses designed to cause Jehovah’s Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it.” (MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia judgment, §254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-19T17:34:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/201734/image_hu_a07b5c6f0569d876.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/201734/image_hu_26ee2f4cfc384e3e.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/201734/image_hu_cff028ebbdbb425f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/201734/image_hu_75192742a9d27c6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/201734.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"They Will Spend 6.5 to 7 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Upheld the Sentence of Six Jehovah's Witnesses From Gukovo.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 19, 2022, the Judicial Chamber for Criminal Cases of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court upheld the verdict against Yevgeniy Zinich—6 years in a penal colony for reading the Bible. The believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the verdict through the cassation process.\nIn addition to the term in the penal colony, Zinich is deprived of the right to engage in the organizational activity in public associations and religious organizations for 2 years and his freedom is limited for a year. After the verdict was announced, Yevgeniy spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, awaiting an appeal.\nYevgeniy Zinich and his lawyer sent two appeals to the regional court, in which they drew attention to the procedural and logical errors made by the court of first instance. Thus, the description of the “extremist motives” of the believer in the verdict was limited to general phrases, and the testimony of witnesses and experts proved only Zinich’s religious affiliation, which he did not hide. At the same time, there are no victims in the case, and it is not indicated what specific socially dangerous consequences the actions of the defendant led to.\nThe position of the Russian courts regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses contradicts the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of legal entities and the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Even if a religious association is recognized as extremist, believers have a right to continue to enjoy the right to freedom of religion both individually and jointly, as well as to hold services and other religious rites, if they do not contain signs of extremism.\nA total of 28 Jehovah's Witnesses faced criminal prosecution in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Among them, eight believers have already been convicted, two are serving terms in penal colonies.\nYevgeniy Zinich is one of the Jehovah's Witnesses who defended the right to freely practice his faith in the ECHR. In a recent decision, the European Court fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It states: “Under the European Convention, states are not empowered to decide which beliefs may or may not be taught, since the right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the European Convention excludes any discretion on the part of the State to determine the legitimacy of religious beliefs. or the means used to express them” (§165).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/200900/image_hu_7222377a6f6c7ecb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/200900/image_hu_9e914cfa6d72283.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/200900/image_hu_557ba37cef962f89.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/200900/image_hu_9fe6a05d61fd258d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/200900.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"He Is Sentenced to 6 Years in a Penal Colony for His Belief","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Court of Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Verdict against 56-year-old Yevgeniy Zinich.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 19, 2023, the Fourth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Krasnodar did not change the guilty verdict and appeal ruling in the case of Valeriy Rogozin, Igor Egozaryan, Sergey Melnik and Denis Peresunko, who were sentenced to long terms for their faith as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court of first instance passed the verdict in September 2021. Rogozin was sentenced to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Peresunko—6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, Melnik and Egozaryan—6 years in a penal colony. In March 2022, the court of appeal upheld the decision. Egozaryan, Peresunko and Rogozin have already been serving their sentences in a penal colony since August 2022, while Sergey Melnik was recently transferred to the place of serving his sentence.\nThe believers still do not agree with the verdict, as they stated in their cassation appeal: “Law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of committing . . . unlawful activity. Even during surveillance, nothing was recorded to claim that . . . Jehovah's Witnesses are committing or calling for committing unlawful acts.”\nThe prosecutor, in his objection to the cassation appeal, pointed out that the criminal intent of the defendants was to organize the activity of a banned religious organization, and their motive, in his opinion, was the desire to continue this activity, although the in fact believers exercised the right to profess and spread their faith.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is unlawful: “Only religious expressions and actions that contain or call for violence, hate or discrimination can serve as a basis for suppressing them as ‘extremist’.” (§271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/231338/image_hu_a9cbc5e9ca801c6b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/231338/image_hu_edf77f1970701e3c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/231338/image_hu_38dfa0d40a5ede44.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/231338/image_hu_3114f207e0627e4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/231338.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":"They Will Continue to Serve Their Sentences in Penal Colonie","tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Sentence of Four Believers From Volgograd.\n","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 17, 2022, Maksim Sirotkin, a judge of the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, found Gevorg Gevorkyan, 51, guilty of organizing the activity of a banned religious association. The court sentenced him to a six-year suspended sentence for practising his faith.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence: \"My views are absolutely opposite to what I am accused of, and fully confirm that religious strife and hatred of people professing other religions are alien to me.\" There is not a single victim in the case, but the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Gevorkyan to 8 years in a penal colony.\nIn the summer of 2019, the security forces searched the believer’s apartment, and the next day he was detained at his workplace and taken for many hours of interrogation. According to Gevorkyan, a listening device was installed in his apartment. Gevorg was named as a witness in the case of Malyanov and others. After 2.5 years, the investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Marina Korzunova, made his criminal case into a separate proceeding. In December 2021, it went to court, but was returned to the prosecutor's office due to significant violations. After 7 months, another judge began to consider the case. For more than a year, Gevorg was under a recognizance agreement.\nGiving evidence in court, the believer noted that, without grounds, the prosecution tried to link the Christian congregation, that is, the canonical structure, with the liquidated legal entity, which gave the activity of believers an illegal character. Since the term \"congregation\" is repeatedly used in the charge, Gevorg spoke about the modern congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which exists to \"study the Bible, pray together and support each other.\" Gevorkyan noted: “It seems that those who wrote this [charge] deliberately tried to create a certain negative image of narrow-minded, fanatical people who reject all the joys of life and are not interested in anything other than their religion! It's absurd.\"\nDespite the fact that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation grants believers the right to freely practice their religion, sixteen Jehovah's Witnesses in the Nizhny Novgorod Region are already being prosecuted for their faith in God, eight of them have already been sentenced.\nIn a ruling dated July 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights criticized the actions of the Russian authorities against believers and stated that “criminal prosecution and criminal liability for the peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, together with others, was based on an unacceptably broad formulation and arbitrary application anti-extremism legislation” (§272).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_6e1577f42e6e166d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_d42d58db805a3f59.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_105b1a8ee0f92ed9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/191115/image_hu_8c0f1126f9e49b5c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/191115.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Nizhny Novgorod, Gevorg Gevorkyan Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Declaring his innocence in extremist activities, the believer said: \"No one was harmed by my actions... Even the investigating authorities did not find any evidence. The conclusions of the prosecution are made solely on assumptions and conjectures.\n","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/274.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gevorg Gevorgyan in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 16, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia upheld the sentence of six Jehovah's Witnesses from Saransk: 6 years imprisonment for Atryakhin, 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony for the Nikulins, and 2 years imprisonment for Shevchuk, Korolev, and Antonov.\nThe believers participated in the hearing via video conference while in the Detention Center No. 1 in Saransk, where they were placed after the verdict of the court of first instance. February 2023 will be exactly 4 years since the criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Shevchuk and his fellow believers began. Despite the decision of the court of appeal, all six continue to insist on their innocence and intend to defend their good name in the court of cassation.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights unequivocally sided with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ruling states, among other things, that “the forced liquidation of all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation ... has revealed signs of a policy of intolerance regarding the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses on the part of the Russian authorities, aimed at forcing Jehovah's Witnesses to abandon their faith and prevent others from joining it” (§254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/171601/image_hu_e87da610fd649a5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/171601/image_hu_d5c8b4712e6b1021.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/171601/image_hu_83a19ef70e607e8a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/171601/image_hu_9d20724239afb088.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/171601.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":"They Will Spend 2 to 6 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","appeal","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"The Appeal Court Upheld the Verdict Against Six Believers From Saransk.","type":"news"},{"body":"Six-year suspended sentence—that is the sentence with which the consideration of the case of Anatoliy Senin in the Kyzyl City Court ended on January 12, 2023. Judge Vyacheslav Kyzyl-ool considered the discussion of the Bible among fellow believers to be organizing extremist activity.\nThe starting point for the criminal prosecution of the believer was the searches in Kyzyl in January 2021. Then Anatoliy Senin was detained, and then placed under house arrest for 56 days. The believer was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Olcha Okhemchik, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation considered broadcasting religious video recordings, encouraging to pray, sing religious songs and study the Bible as extremist actions.\nRecalling those events, Senin noted: “The most difficult for me were two days in the temporary detention center. I was frightened by the uncertainty and not knowing what will happen next. I was very afraid to displease God and asked him for wisdom to do the right thing. And then it was already much easier to cope with my emotions and changes in my life”. During house arrest, Anatoliy could not provide for his family, so caring for the material needs fell on the shoulders of his wife. Both spouses have heart disease which was exacerbated. Relatives, friends and fellow believers of Anatoliy supported him and his wife Anastasiya. The believer said: “They prayed for me, sent cards, assured me of their love and came to court hearings.”\nAfter a year of investigation, in February 2022, the case went to court. Witnesses for the prosecution confirmed that there were no calls of an extremist nature in the words of the defendant. Despite this, the prosecutor requested to impose on the believer 7 years imprisonment. Addressing the court with his final statement, Senin emphasized: “The prosecution, consciously or not, again and again ignores all the collected facts and evidence of my innocence, categorizing the ordinary practice of faith as the continuation of the activity of an extremist organization.” Nevertheless, the court issued a guilty verdict, which has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists have repeatedly expressed concern about what is happening, and called sentences against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia under extremist articles a gross violation of human rights. The operative part of the judgment of the ECHR dated June 7, 2022 states that Russia “must take all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses”. Despite this, the prosecution of the followers of this religion does not stop—the past year has surpassed several anti-records.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-12T09:35:26+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_7b0c0f19e1b61d4d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_c1e4f7a1dc48d042.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_995e2ae8d0bc8af2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/120935/image_hu_9879cd592c3a84b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/120935.html","regions":["tyva"],"subtitle":"This Is the First Verdict in Tuva Against One of Jehovah's Witnesse","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"A Court in Kyzyl Gave Anatoliy Senin a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 12, 2023, the First Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Saratov left unchanged the verdict of the Promyshlennyy District Court of the city of Kursk and the appellate ruling of the Judicial Panel for Criminal Cases of the Kursk Regional Court against five of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn June 2021 the court of first instance handed down severe sentences of imprisonment to four believers for practicing their religion. The appellate courtupheldthe sentence. At the time of the cassation appeal, three convicted persons—the Bagratyan couple and Ryshkov—had already served their sentences (Artem Bagratyan—two and a half years; Alevtina Bagratyan—two years; Andrey Ryshkov—three years), but they wanted to get a just ruling and restore their good reputation. Andrey Andreyev was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, and he is still behind bars. He is expected to be released in February 2023.\nIn 2019, the believers in Kursk experienced mass searches of their homes. Andrey Andreyev, whose home was invaded by security forces, described these events: “They found the Bible as if it were a weapon used in a crime, as if [it were] drugs or something, they took away my children's postcards. It's interesting that the protocol of seized items contains a postcard with the inscription: “Dear mommy.”\nAndrey Andreyev, Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, Andrey Ryshkov, Artem Bagratyan and his wife, Alevtina, all pleaded not guilty and believe that they were exercising their constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion and that their actions were exclusively peaceful.\nIn his cassation appeal, Andrey Ryshkov noted: \"As a Christian, as one of Jehovah's Witness, I studied the Bible, prayed to Jehovah God and sang religious songs with my fellow believers. This served as the basis for initiating a criminal case against me and finding me guilty.”\nThe Bagratyans expressed a similar thought: “A peaceful conversation about God without calls for violence, discrimination and degrading treatment . . . to any kind of social group cannot have such a degree of public danger that would require peaceful citizens to be convicted for committing an extremist crime.\"\nThe cassation court slightly changed the part of the verdict regarding the additional punishment—in accordance with the decision of a higher court, the convicted person still can use the Internet but cannot post religious information.\nThe international community strongly condemns the actions of the Russian authorities in their persecution of law-abiding believers. The judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 7 June 2022 declares that “the respondent State [Russian Federation] must take all necessary measures to secure the discontinuation of all pending criminal proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses, including by reference to the recently amended guidance by the Supreme Court of Russia, and release of all Jehovah's Witnesses who have been deprived of their liberty.” (§ 290)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/171448/image_hu_9248c6eb1ca255c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/171448/image_hu_dff020f3dbf493df.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/171448/image_hu_fe20eb144cf9a436.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/171448/image_hu_baeaf68a7310ae8d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/171448.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":"One of Them Is Still Serving a Sentence in a Penal Colony","tags":["cassation","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"The  Cassation Court Did Not Change the Sentence of Five of  Jehovah's Witnesses From Kursk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 11, 2022, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk overturned the appeal ruling against Lyudmila Salikova. An appeal against a verdict for the faith of a veteran of the nuclear industry and a veteran of labor will be considered by a different composition of the Court of Appeal.\n“If the courts had correctly applied the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, they would have acquitted me,” Lyudmila told the court of cassation. “For communicating, reading and studying the Bible with my fellow believers, singing songs, praying, as well as telling others about my Bible-based beliefs, the investigation charged me with a crime.”\nHere is how Lyudmila Salikova commented on the decisions of the courts against her and hundreds of other Jehovah's Witnesses, including the disabled and the elderly: “This criminal case is part of a large-scale campaign to suppress [followers of this religion] and has an ulterior motive – to silence me and my fellow believers, or for us to renounce our faith, and to punish me for my religious beliefs and openly expressing them.”\nIn a recent decision, the European Court reminded that convictions for extremism must be based “only on religious expressions and actions that contain or call for violence, hatred or discrimination” (§ 271). Despite this, the Russian authorities continue to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for peaceful worship and discussions about the Bible.\n","category":"trial","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_27745b885019d05c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_c96617eca11d67e6.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_e3453c9c6a5957e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/120936/image_hu_53de92876d1f2eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/120936.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","cassation","282.2-1"],"title":"Cassation Sent the Case of 71-year-old Lyudmila Salikova, for a New Appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said: \"I want to believe that you, Your Honor, will correct ... the legal mistake made by the preliminary investigation authorities and prosecutors, you will make the only correct and fair decision and put an end to the phrase \"You can't execute. Pardon.'\"\n","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/272.html","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Senin in Kyzyl","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 11, 2023, the Supreme Court of Russia considered the cassation appeal of Jehovah's Witnesses against the guilty verdict in the extremism case handed down on November 30, 2020, in Omsk and granted the part related to revising the sentence served by Sergey Polyakov.\nMore than two years ago, the Pervomaisky District Court of the city of Omsk sentenced Polyakov to three years in a general regime penal colony, and three women were given a suspended sentence: Anastasiya Polyakova—two and a half years; Gaukhar Bektemirova—two years and three months; Dinara Dyusekeyeva—two years. In May 2021, the appellate court upheld the verdict, and a year later this decision was upheld by the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in the city of Kemerovo. In November 2022, Sergey Polyakov was released after serving his full term in a penal colony.\nHowever, the believer should have been released forty five days earlier than he actually was. The courts considered the period of Polyakov's detention under house arrest, equating one day of house arrest to a half day of detention in a penal colony. But this law was not adopted in Russia until after 2018, that is, after the date when, according to the investigation and the court, Sergey Polyakov committed the crime. In his case, one day of house arrest should have been equated to one day in a penal colony.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation granted part of Sergey Polyakov's appeal related to the revision of the term of his sentence, and now he has the right to monetary compensation, which he can already claim in a civil procedure.\nThe believers also asked the Supreme Court to cancel the verdict of the court of first instance as well as the appellate ruling of the judicial panel and to transfer the criminal case for a new trial. They still plead not guilty, arguing that they exercised their constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion and that their actions were exclusively peaceful.\nThe cassation complaint mentions a number of violations discovered during the hearings in the court of first instance (the disappearance of physical evidence and the lack of measures taken to search for it, as well as the court’s refusal to add to the criminal case evidence that confirms the use of violence against Polyakov during the search and the planting of prohibited religious literature by security forces in places of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.). During the first instance court hearings, the prosecution did not cite a single statement by Polyakov aimed at inciting religious hatred, nor did it provide any evidence to support such statements. These arguments were not taking into account by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ruled that Russia stop persecuting them for their faith. Although Russia ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe in March 2022, in terms of international law, it is obliged to comply with the decisions of the ECHR issued before September 16, 2022.\n","category":"trial","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/120938/image_hu_83718e2fadfa28bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/120938/image_hu_92e1080e8e65c47c.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/120938/image_hu_9b8b537ecac0b043.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/120938/image_hu_67379a35ea58be22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/120938.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":"One of Them Has Already Served a Full Prison Term for His Faith","tags":["supreme-court","282.2-1","282.2-2","mitigation","complaints","282.3-1"],"title":"The Supreme Court of Russia Partially Granted the Appeal of Four of Jehovah's Witnesses From Omsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 10, 2023, the Eighth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the conviction of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin - 4 years of suspended sentence. The hearing was held in person and was attended by 12 of the defendants' relatives and friends.\nThe court of first instance passed its sentence in June 2021, and in February 2022, the appeal left it unchanged. Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin still do not agree with the charges against them, as they reported in their appeals: \"Neither the verdict nor the appellate ruling provides clear criteria by which we can clearly see what specific actions we took were a continuation of illegal activities of a liquidated legal entity.\"\n\"I was sentenced,\" commented Bondarchuk, \"only for worshiping Jehovah God, calling it an extremist, illegal action. And this is absurd!\"\nYavushkin also explained to the court that Jehovah's Witnesses can in no way be connected with extremism: \"Believing in Jehovah God and at the same time feeling hatred towards people are incompatible concepts. That is why I cannot be called an extremist in any way. Loving and respecting people is my way of life.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is illegal: \"Only religious statements and actions containing or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination can constitute grounds for suppression as 'extremist'. [...] The courts have not found any of the petitioners' words, acts or actions to be motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others or to have connotations of violence, hatred or discrimination\" (§271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_ed9980fa93ac4e22.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_aa157dfbb89f5783.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_69279623f2782de7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/111049/image_hu_63d8b5020cda6ed4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/111049.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"The Kemerovo Court of Cassation Upheld the Conviction of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin—Four Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2023, the European Court of Human Rights, having considered seven complaints from Jehovah's Witnesses from Russia, recognized the disruption of worship services from 2010 to 2014 as a violation of fundamental freedoms. The ECHR ruled to pay compensation to the applicants in the amount of 345,773 EUR and another 5,000 EUR as legal costs.\nWhat Happened?\nThis case concerns the disruption of religious meetings in 17 regions of Russia, as well as searches, confiscation of literature and personal belongings, and several cases of detention with personal searches.\nLaw enforcement officers, sometimes armed and wearing masks, would brake into the buildings where worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses were being conducted. The actions of law enforcement officers were justified by technicalities, for example, by the fact that the meetings were organized without prior notice to the authorities. The security forces either demanded that the event be stopped or remained on the premises and filmed what was happening using photo and video equipment, after which they interrogated those present.\nOn several occasions, police raided places of worship, including private residences. The search warrants did not provide specific grounds. They only stated that the buildings may contain \"evidence relevant to the criminal case.\"\n“The applicants unsuccessfully pleaded with [the police] to postpone the search until after the end of the religious services.” Several similar cases are described in the ECHR decision (§ 4).\nThe victims appealed against the actions of the security forces in local courts, but their demands were not satisfied.\nECHR Decision\nThe European Court concluded that the actions of the Russian authorities violated Article 9 of the Convention on Human Rights, which declares the fundamental right to participate in peaceful religious assemblies.\nHere are excerpts from the judgment of the ECHR.\n“The disruption of a religious assembly by the authorities and sanctioning of the applicants for holding ‘unauthorized’ religious events amounts to ‘interference by a public authority’ with the applicants’ right to manifest their religion.” (§ 9)\n“The Court has previously noted the consistent case-law of Russia’s Supreme Court that religious meetings, even those conducted on rented premises, did not require prior authorization from, or notice to, the authorities . . . [the applicants'] conviction did not have a clear . . . legal basis and was not ‘prescribed by law.’” (§ 10)\n“It is undisputed that all religious assemblies were peaceful in their nature and were not likely to cause any disturbance or danger to the public order. Their disruption . . . did not pursue a ‘pressing social need’ and therefore not ‘necessary in a democratic society.’” (§·11)\n“The Court finds that the search warrants had been couched in extremely broad terms . . . They did not specify why the particular premises were targeted, what it was that the police expected to find there and what relevant and sufficient reasons justified the need to conduct the search.” (§·12)\nWhat Does the Decision of the European Court Mean?\nAlthough the cases reviewed by the ECHR dealt with events prior to the ban on Russian legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017, hundreds of criminal cases filed since then have treated the joint discussion of the Holy Scriptures as a crime.\nYaroslav Sivulskiy, representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, commented on the decision of the ECHR: “The ECHR once again emphasized that there is not and cannot be anything extremist in the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The same was recognized by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia; however, some Russian courts continue to act contrary to these rulings, putting Jehovah’s Witnesses behind bars merely because of their religion.”\nMore than 60 applications from those who suffered from the repressive campaign against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses are awaiting the European Court's decision.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights recognized the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as illegal and demanded that the criminal prosecution of believers be stopped and that all those imprisoned for their faith be released.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-12-31T17:59:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_bef00bf20962b44e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_19500d295c944042.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_7061905fe753f9ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_aac3c5ccb8a11a3f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/02/031759.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","compensation","analytics","review","meetings-disruption"],"title":"The ECHR Ordered Russia to Pay About 350,000 EUR for Disrupting the Religious Meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on December 30, 2022.\nOn December 28, 2022, Judge Olga Kolesova of the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region found Leonid Druzhinin and Yevgeniy Bitusov guilty of conducting religious meetings with friends. Druzhinin was sentenced to six and a half years and Bitusov was sentenced to six years in a general regime penal colony. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nDruzhinin and Bitusov faced criminal prosecution for their faith back in 2019, when the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Zeya were raided. Searches were repeated a year and a half later. In June 2021, FSB investigator V. Obukhov charged the men with participating in extremist activity, and in October he reclassified the charge to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation considers Bitusov and Druzhinin guilty because they \"deliberately organized weekly religious events\"—peaceful meetings for reading and discussing the Bible. Investigator Obukhov has been conducting other similar cases since 2019 against a number of Jehovah's Witnesses from Zeya, Tynda, Blagoveshchensk and Belogorsk.\nThe charge against Druzhinin and Bitusov was based on the testimony of a woman who attended religious meetings and made hidden video recordings of them. In court, she mixed up her testimonies and could not remember many things; she was not even sure if she knew the defendants. Witnesses for the prosecution confirmed that there was no incitement to hatred in the words and actions of the believers. There are also no victims of the allegedly extremist activities—prayers, singing songs and talking about the Bible. However, the prosecutor asked the court to impose six and half years of imprisonment on Bitusov and seven years on Druzhinin.\nThe defendants insisted on their complete innocence. In his final statement, Yevgeniy Bitusov explained: “Charging me with extremism, charging my [spiritual] brothers and sisters throughout the country, and all the evidence cited in the materials, only create the appearance of fighting extremism. Everything is so obviously far-fetched ... There is evidence only that I am a believer who was practicing his religion within the framework of constitutional law.” Leonid Druzhinin noted: “My motive is to obey the commandments to love God and love people, not to change the foundations of the constitutional order.”\nThe criminal prosecution of Druzhinin and Bitusov, as well as hundreds of other believers in Russia, is based on the speculative thesis that the joint worship of Jehovah's Witnesses constitutes a crime. However, such a position is contrary to the norms of both Russian and international legislation. For example, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that prosecution on such grounds is unlawful: “By seeking to suppress the religious activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses as they did, the Russian authorities failed to act in good faith and breached the State’s duty of neutrality and impartiality vis‑à‑vis the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses” (§ 254 ).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-28T15:43:49+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/281543/image_hu_5d43f844564075b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/281543/image_hu_3e2042e18bf2c5b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/281543/image_hu_d737407cc39ed3e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/281543/image_hu_6aab28b87b574656.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/281543.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence"],"title":"In the City of Zeya, Amur Region, Two Believers Received Six and Six and a Half Years in a Penal Colony for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 28, 2022, in Krasnoyarsk, Judge Sergey Gruzdev of the Oktyabrskiy District Court convicted Alexander Filatov, a 38-year-old Jehovah's Witness, and sentenced him to six years in prison. This is the exact term that was requested by the prosecutor for the defendant.\nAleksandr and his wife Yelena have two children. Shortly before the start of the criminal prosecution, the family moved from Krasnoyarsk to Novorossiysk. In July 2021, Konstantin Zhuikov, an investigator with the Investigative Committee for the Oktyabrsky District of Krasnoyarsk, initiated a criminal case against Filatov. The believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and his case was separated from the criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov. Filatov's home was searched, he was detained and taken 5,000 kilometers away from his new home, and he was placed in pre-trial Detention Center No. 1 in Krasnoyarsk, where he stayed for about a year and a half until the verdict was rendered. Yelena, along with their children, who at that time were two and a half years old and ten years old, was forced to return to Siberia in order to be closer to her husband.\nThe criminal case against Aleksandr Filatov went to court in January 2022. The charges were based on the testimonies of two secret witnesses. During the hearing, the believer repeatedly declared his innocence. “The Bible has been my handbook since childhood. I try to apply its principles in my life, including the principle ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. The concept of ‘extremism’ is foreign to me,” he explained to the court. Filatov's judgment has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists that he is completely innocent.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a total of 19 criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses, 6 of whom have already been convicted.\nIn July 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment that rendered groundless the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on charges of extremism. In particular, it noted that “In the absence of expressions that seek to incite or justify violence or hatred based on religious intolerance, any religious entity or individual believers have the right to proclaim and defend their doctrine as the true and superior one and to engage in religious disputes and criticism seeking to prove the truth of one’s own and the falsity of others’ dogmas or beliefs” (§ 153).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-28T15:32:37+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/291532/image_hu_8055bfba4feee6df.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/291532/image_hu_dda1c14c9b9363b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/291532/image_hu_c481d4d5f3a1c5b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/291532/image_hu_a2a639c6402d51d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/291532.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Aleksandr Filatov has been in custody for over a year","tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","minors"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, a father of two young children was sentenced to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God.","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Alexander Filatov compared his faith to a ship: \"Only after overcoming the distance and the storm, the ship passes the test of strength. One day I will be able to return to my native \"bay\" with the proven quality of my faith.\n","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/273.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Alexander Filatov compared his faith to a ship: \"Only after overcoming the distance and the storm, the ship passes the test of strength. One day I will be able to return to my native \"bay\" with the proven quality of my faith.\n","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/304.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Even the interrogations of prosecution witnesses show that there has never been any extremism in my actions,\" Druzhinin said in his last word, \"and in principle there cannot be, since this contradicts our faith.\"\n","date":"2022-12-27T14:09:55+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/271.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Leonid Druzhinin's last word in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"Assessing what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in his last speech, Yevgeny Bitusov quoted the words of the writer Albert Camus: \"When religion is combined with politics, the Inquisition is born.\"\n","date":"2022-12-27T14:08:53+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/270.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Bitusov in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 27, 2022, a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court overturned the judgment that was rendered against Aleksandr Kabanov because of his faith and returned the case to the prosecutor's office. Earlier, the Zelenogorsk City Court gave the believer a two-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible, but the appellate court considered Kabanov's guilt unproven.\nIn his appeal, the believer pointed out that his actions were exclusively peaceful in nature, namely \"professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, an essential part of which is the study of the Bible, including with other believers\". Aleksandr believes that the goal of the guilty verdict is \"to use the fear of criminal responsibility to deprive him of the opportunity to practice his religion\". In addition, the prosecution acknowledged the absence of victims, and the judgment did not reflect any real consequences of Kabanov's actions.\nThe persecution of Aleksandr Kabanov began in December 2019, when he was detained at his workplace, his apartment was searched, and he was taken to a temporary holding facility. “Faith in God helped me not to worry too much . . . Words of encouragement from fellow believers helped me not to lose heart,” the believer later said.\nCurrently, 28 believers in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have faced persecution by the authorities. Three of them—Andrey Stupnikov, Anatoliy Gorbunov and Yevgeniy Zinich—were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in general regime penal colonies for talking to people about God.\nThe ECHR judgment dated June 7, 2022, which fully justified Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, points out: “States do not have the right under the Convention to decide what beliefs may or may not be taught because the right to freedom of religion as guaranteed under the Convention excludes any discretion on the part of the State to determine whether religious beliefs or the means used to express such beliefs are legitimate” (§ 165).\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/290936/image_hu_47febf1c08931ca3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/290936/image_hu_32efe2e121abbf1c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/290936/image_hu_ec241c2a0bcb5cbd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/290936/image_hu_d46413e50580cb23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/290936.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"The Court Found That His Guilt Was Not Established","tags":["appeal","282.2-2","case-to-prosecutor"],"title":"An Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Overturned the Judgment Against Aleksandr Kabanov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 27, 2022, the Judicial Chamber of the Amur Regional Court overturned the verdict against Vladimir Bukin, Valeriy Slashchev, Mikhail Burkov and Sergey Yuferov and returned their case for a new trial. The men were released and signed recognizance agreements.\nTwo months earlier, the Tyndinskiy District Court sentenced Bukin, Slashchev and Yuferov to 6.5 years in a penal colony, and Burkov to 6 years and 2 months. Following the announcement of the verdict, all four believers were waiting for the appeal decision in the detention center.\nWhile in custody, Vladimir Bukin fell ill, but thanks to the timely delivery of medicines, he quickly recovered. Mikhail Burkov also developed health problems, and the small cold cell, where everyone except him smoked, adversely affected his condition. However, the attitude towards the believers from other prisoners was good, and they also were able to receive letters of support.\nIn their appeals, all four referred to the decision of the European Court, which defended Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. According to that decision, the accusations of incitement to religious hatred are contrived: “The Court considers that the applicants [Jehovah’s Witnesses] were prosecuted for conduct that equates to exercising their right to freedom of religion in community with others” (§ 268). “Therefore, we still have the right to freely practice the religion of our choice, including reading the Bible and discussing it with others, praying to God, singing songs of praise to God and talking to other people about our faith,” the defendants mentioned in their appeals.\nThe four residents of Tynda hope for a fair retrial of their case and an acquittal. In the Amur Region, seven of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith and sentenced to various prison terms.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/281057/image_hu_847010bb975adaf9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/281057/image_hu_b467064ddf1a4b38.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/281057/image_hu_64f2b02bfde58f72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/281057/image_hu_8dbdf45782480e40.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/281057.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"The Case Was Sent for Retrial, and the Believers Were Released","tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","recognizance-agreement","mitigation"],"title":"In Blagoveshchensk, the Court of Appeal Overturned the Harsh Sentences of Four Jehovah's Witnesses from the Town of Tynda.","type":"news"},{"body":"Updated January 24, 2023. All data updated as of December 31, 2022.\nIn 2022, the ECHR declared the 2017 ban on Jehovah's Witnesses illegal. However, the repression not only did not weaken, but also updated records: in 2022, the courts sentenced 44 believers to a total of 244 years in prison (a year earlier, the figure was 160 years in prison). Other sad records were also recorded: the number of convictions, as well as the number of believers who are simultaneously in colonies and pre-trial detention centers.\nHow many people were repressed for their faith in 2022? As of December 31, 2022, 674 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted, convicted, or acquitted. Of these, 77 learned about the criminal prosecution in 2022. (In 2019, this figure was 213, in 2020 146, and in 2021 - 142.) The total number of criminal cases reached 319 (most often 2 or more defendants in one case).\nWhat is the geographical scope of repression for faith? Criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already been initiated in 72 regions of Russia. In 2022, cases were initiated in 2 new regions of Russia - Altai and Buryatia. (In 2019, criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses was initiated in 21 new regions of Russia, in 2020 in 8 new regions, and in 2021 in 10.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2022, and how many have gone into effect? During 2022, 119 believers were found guilty under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced by the courts of first instance to various punishments. (In 2019, this figure was 18, and in 2020 it was 39, in 2021 it was 111.) Of these, 57 people are still awaiting the decision of the appeal. With regard to 108 believers, appeals were held during 2022 and the sentences entered into force. In some cases, the punishment was mitigated or toughened, but most often it remained unchanged.\nIn total, as of December 31, 2022, 284 male and female Jehovah's Witnesses have been convicted for their faith in the past 5 years.\nWhat sentences were handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022? In total, during 2022, 44 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment, which is a sad record (in 2021, 32 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment). The duration of the punishment has also been toughened: in 2022, the average term in a colony imposed on believers was 5.5 years, while in 2021 this average figure was 5.0 years. For 6 years or more, 35 out of 44 believers were sent to a penal colony. In addition, 62 believers were conditionally sentenced to imprisonment (68 in 2021), 12 people were fined (10 in 2021) and 1 person was sentenced to 4 years of correctional labor. The most inhuman is the sentence of 7 years in prison imposed on Andrei Vlasov, a disabled person who cannot do without assistance. Due to strict restrictions in one of the correctional facilities, he developed soft tissue necrosis (bedsores), which he tries to cure.\nIn 2022, the acquittal of the believer handed down in 2021 was overturned on appeal. In addition, during 2022, 3 acquittals were issued – to three believers in the case of the Bazhenovs and others in Yelizovo (however, this verdict was overturned at the stage of the 2nd cassation in the Supreme Court of Russia), one believer in the case of Khabarov in Porkhov (however, this sentence was overturned on appeal) and three believers in the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk (however, these believers are heard in court another criminal case for faith).\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through temporary detention facilities, pre-trial detention centers or colonies, and how many are still being held there. In 2022, the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who are simultaneously in Russian colonies and pre-trial detention exceeded 100 for the first time. As of December 31, 2022, 113 people remain behind bars. (A year ago, this figure was 76 people; in December 2020, 44 people; in December 2019, exactly the same number was in jail - 44 people.)\nA total of 368 believers have been or remain behind bars since May 2017. In 2022, having served his sentence in full, having actually spent 5 years in a pre-trial detention center and a colony, the first convicted Jehovah's Witness, Dennis Christensen, was released and expelled from the country . In addition, Valentina Baranovskaya, the oldest believer at that time, who was sentenced to real imprisonment, was released from the colony on parole. While under investigation, the woman suffered a stroke. Her son, who was convicted for his faith with her, remains behind bars. As of December 31, 2022, there are still 19 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60 in prisons. The oldest of them, 71-year-old Boris Andreev from the village of Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory), was sent to a pre-trial detention center in July 2022. 70-year-old Vilen Avanesov has been behind bars for more than 3.5 years.\nHow many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the decision to liquidate registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations came into force, at least 1876 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 203 searches were carried out in 40 settlements of Russia in 2022. (In 2019, the number of searches was 489 in 75 settlements, in 2020 - 447 in 81 settlements, in 2021 - 382 in 82 settlements.) The largest special operations against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022 were carried out in Novorossiysk and 5 nearby villages (30 searches in 1 day), in Rybinsk (16), in Simferopol (16), in Chelyabinsk (13), in Novocherkassk (10). A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name.\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2022:\n16.01.2022 Gorno-Altaisk (Altai Republic): 5 searches carried out 01/28/2022 Krasnodar (Krasnodar Territory): 3 searches carried out 06.02.2022 Moskvoretskaya Sloboda (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 13.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 13 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory): 9 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Zhuravskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 2 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Berezanskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 4 searches carried out 13.02.2022 Buzinovskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 02/13/2022 Novodonetska (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 18.02.2022 Vyselki (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted 25.02.2022 Pregradnaya (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 1 search was conducted 04.03.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 15.03.2022 Kostroma (Kostroma region): 4 searches carried out 16.03.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted 03/18/2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 3 searches conducted 22.03.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 03/23/2022 Balakovo (Saratov Region): 8 searches carried out 23.03.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 29.03.2022 Sosnovoborsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06.04.2022 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 2 searches conducted 15.04.2022 Yoshkar-Ola (Republic of Mari El): 8 searches carried out 15.04.2022 Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod Region): 1 search was conducted 19.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 04/25/2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted 26.04.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 05/19/2022 Yaroslavl (Yaroslavl Region): 2 searches carried out 05/24/2022 Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 29.05.2022 Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 4 searches carried out 06/07/2022 Asha (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 14.06.2022 Baley (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out 16.06.2022 Kopeysk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 07.07.2022 Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug): 5 searches carried out 13.07.2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 16 searches carried out 07/27/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 05.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 1 search was conducted 11.08.2022 Novocherkassk (Rostov Region): 10 searches carried out 11.08.2022 Unecha (Bryansk region): 2 searches carried out 24.08.2022 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 2 searches carried out 08.09.2022 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 13 searches carried out 21.09.2022 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 2 searches carried out 28.09.2022 Krasnogvardeyskoye (Crimea): 11 searches carried out 06.10.2022 Yaroslavsky (Primorye Territory): 12 searches carried out 10/14/2022 Rybinsk (Yaroslavl Region): 1 search was conducted 17.10.2022 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka Territory): 4 searches carried out 20.10.2022 Maikop (Republic of Adygea): 3 searches carried out 10/27/2022 Krasnoznamensk (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted 09.11.2022 Ivanovo (Ivanovo Region): 3 searches carried out 11/18/2022 Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted 06.12.2022 Feodosiya (Crimea): 1 search was conducted 08.12.2022 Simferopol (Crimea): 16 searches carried out 14.12.2022 Izhevsk (Udmurt Republic): 2 searches carried out 26.12.2022 Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted What steps did the authorities take in 2022 to end the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? On February 22, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights published judgments in the cases of Cheprunov and Others v. Russia (74320/10) and Zharinova v. Russia (17715/12), in which it found that Russian authorities had violated the right to freedom of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses when they detained them while talking about the Bible or searched their homes.\nOn June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of all 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, the ban on their activities and the seizure of property; ban on printed publications and the official website. The judgment was made in the case of \"MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia\" (No. 32401/10). Russia is obliged to pay the applicants 3 million euros for non-material damage, as well as to return the seized property or pay 59 million euros for it. Although Russia ceased to be a member of the Council of Europe in March 2022, in terms of international law, it is obliged to comply with the decisions of the ECHR issued before September 16, 2022, as the Secretary General of the Council of Europe reminded the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia in a letter dated December 9, 2022.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2022-12-23T10:57:06+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_4115e55caface6d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_ff56bb181df39e59.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_7172027fc39bb12.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/231054/image_hu_90ddfd148d6458f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/231054.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","echr","new-case","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","acquittal","sizo","search","suspended","fine","labor","appeal"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses are under the yoke of repression. Results of 2022","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the judge of the Alatyrskiy District Court of Chuvash Republic, Ivan Konchulizov, found four believers guilty of extremism and imposed on Zoya Pavlova and Nina Martynova to a fine of 350,000 rubles, and on Mikhail Yermakov and Andrey Martynov a 6-year of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years.\nOn behalf of all the defendants, 58-year-old Andrey Martynov said: “There are no victims in this case, the state has not suffered in any way, and in fact there is no crime what so ever. But we are the victims; the defendants are husbands, wives, mothers, exemplary workers”. Nina, 64, has worked all her life as a kindergarten teacher; Andrey has been a driver and stoker in a boiler room for the last 25 years; Zoya, 57, has worked at a mechanical plant and in the housing and communal services sector, and Mikhail, 60, has been a janitor.\nThe persecution of believers began in June 2021, when searches were carried out in the city of Alatyr and a criminal case was opened. It took the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for Chuvash Republic a little more than a year to conduct an investigation, and in July 2022 the case went to court. The prosecutor requested that the believers be sent to a penal colony: Andrey Martynov and Mikhail Yermakov—6 years each, Nina Martynova—5 years and Zoya Pavlova—4.5 years.\nDefending her right to freedom of religion, Zoya Pavlova said at the trial: “Any believer will share what he has learned and meet with his friends for discussion and association. If this is not done, then the meaning of faith simply disappears”. Nina Martynova added: “If someone reads the Bible, believes in Jehovah God, loves his neighbor, sings religious songs, it cannot harm anyone. How can this undermine the foundations of the security of the state?”\nThe verdict has not entered into force. Believers insist on their complete innocence and they intend to appeal the court's decision.\nIn Chuvash Republic, three more Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution for their faith. In January 2022, heavy fines were imposed on them.\nIn a ruling dated June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights criticized the actions of the Russian authorities against believers and stated that “criminal prosecution and criminal liability for the peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, together with others, was based on an unacceptably broad formulation and arbitrary application of anti-extremism legislation” (§ 272).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T16:37:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_fabad3742eeace4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_b3aa5b8357d2ceca.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_443cd9d499d2df34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221637/image_hu_1275903d83192253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221637.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":"Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced in Chuvashia","tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","fine"],"title":"Fines for Two Women and Suspended Sentences for Two Men.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov considered the appeals of Aleksandr Vavilov, Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Rakovskiy, but did not change the verdict—3-year suspended sentence each.\nAll three disagree with the court decision court and consider themselves not guilty. In their appeals, they stated: \"We were convicted not of a crime, but for expressing our faith in ways typical of Christianity and permitted by law.\" The believers noted that, it became clear from the hearings in the court of first instance, that \"in order to pass a guilty verdict, the court did not need any facts or evidence\" of guilt .\nThe verdict in the case of Vavilov, Oreshkov and Rakovskiy was handed down in October 2021 and entered into force after an appeal in January 2022. The courts of all three instances considered that conducting religious meetings and services by Jehovah's Witnesses could be equated with extremism, without specific facts of illegal activity.\nSuch a position of the courts contradicts both the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the recent ruling of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, the European Court emphasized that “only religious expressions and actions containing violence, manifestations of hatred or discrimination, or calling for them, can serve as a basis for suppressing them as 'extremist' . . . The courts did not identify a single word, deed or action of the applicants, which would be motivated by violence, hatred or discrimination against others, or which would be tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination” (§271).\nAt the moment, in the Nizhny Novgorod Region two more similar criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses are being considered in courts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T14:19:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_fecbe7f03b2dc0e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_98e5dad25c0c7b69.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_715da03dd8f510c6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221419/image_hu_1df2175b9e9089ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221419.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"They continue to serve suspended sentences for practicing their religion","tags":["282.2-2","cassation","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Cassation in Saratov Did Not Change the Sentence of Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Pavlovo.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, Ksenia Ostanina, a judge of the Vyazemskiy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, imposed a suspended prison senctence of 2 years and 5 months on 31-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov, with a probationary period of 2 years for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, basically, for his religion.\n\"I believe that calling me an extremist is a big mistake, as hatred towards people is something alien to Jehovah's Witnesses because they follow the commandments of Jesus Christ to love people,\" the believer stressed , addressing the court in his final statement.\nPersecution of Sergey Kuznetsov for his faith began in September 2020 - his house was searched. This happened four months after the search in the home of his relative, Yegor Baranov. In March 2021 criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were initiated against Sergey; a repeat search was conducted at his home, and the believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists. The investigation, which lasted six months, was led by D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior criminal investigator with the Khabarovsk Region branch of the FSB.\nIn the fall of 2021, the criminal case went to court. None of the witnesses could confirm that the believer committed the crime, and one woman confessed that during the interrogation the investigator put pressure on her. There were no victims in the case, but that did not stop the prosecutor from requesting that Kuznetsov be sentenced to three years in a penal colony and one year of restricted freedom.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nThe case against another Witness of Jehovah from Vyazemsky is being considered by another court in the Khabarovsk Region: 69-year-old Aleksandr Shutov is also accused of participation in the activity of an extremist organization.\nIn a ruling dated June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights called the criminal prosecution of believers in Russia unlawful: “The forced liquidation of all religious organizations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Russian Federation… revealed signs of a policy of intolerance on the part of the Russian authorities aimed at forcing Jehovah's Witnesses to renounce their faith and prevent others from joining it” (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T11:46:20+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_f23b797305cd5f8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_ac52249bed609ff9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_909474a4d7388ae3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/231146/image_hu_b4fb0afef98a6ac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/231146.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Vyazemskiy, the Court Gave Sergey Kuznetsov a 2 Years and 5 Months Suspended Sentence for His Peaceful Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 22, 2022, the board of judges of the Khabarovsk Regional court chaired by Maksim Vergasov approved the sentence of Boris Yagovitov—5 years suspended with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 7 months. The court considered it extremism to have conversations about the Bible.\nThe decision of the court of first instance was generally left unchanged, the court only made a small technical clarification to the operative part on the appeal of the prosecutor—the sentence of imprisonment is considered suspended, and the sentence of restriction of freedom is not suspended.\nYagovitov filed an appeal against the verdict; he does not agree with the verdict. He stated: “In fact, I was convicted for my faith in Jehovah God and for attending meetings for worship; I am judged because I love to read the Bible and discuss it with friends, because I love God and people, do good deeds and have lived this way for half of my life. And I will continue to live this way because it's my choice, my personal beliefs, and it is my faith.”\nOfficers for the Center for Combating Extremism began operational search measures against Yagovitov back in 2018. In May 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer. Boris Yagovitov and his wife, Natalya, were detained and taken for interrogation while they were walking in the city park in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. As a result, the believer spent 7 months under house arrest and 9 months in detention. In December 2021, the case went to court. As evidence of Yagovitov's \"crime\", the prosecution cited the testimony of a certain Baleichuk, who, after several conversations with the believer, approached the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and agreed to inform them about the activities of the believers. The court found the believer guilty of extremism only because he had met with his friends to read the Bible.\nThe ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Taganrog LRO and Others v. Russia of June 7, 2022 states: “Respect for religious diversity is undoubtedly one of the most important problems that one has to face today; for this reason, authorities should perceive religious diversity not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment of experience. In an effort to suppress the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in this way, the Russian authorities did not act in good faith and violated the duty of the state to observe neutrality and impartiality in relation to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T11:25:02+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_31d54a7c8bc26251.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_98861fe856650db5.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_814b5c96d2fa6045.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221125/image_hu_414728488dcc8c0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221125.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":"An Appeal in the Khabarovsk Territory Approved the Verdict Against Boris Yagovitov","tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"“I Was Convicted for My Faith in Jehovah God.”","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated February 24, 2023\nOn December 22, 2022, the Fourth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation, presided over by Judge Rustem Asanov, insignificantly reduced the sentence on believers Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Yevgeniy Ivanov, sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony, and Olga Ivanova (wife of Yevgeniy), sentenced to 3.5 years in a penal colony. Now, after serving their sentence, they will be able to choose a settlement for residence, but they will be banned from leaving it. Previously, they were forbidden to leave Astrakhan.\nThe rest of the verdict was left unchanged, and the cassation appeals were not satisfied. The state prosecutor requested to toughen the punishment, and only verbally, without stating this in written objections to the cassation appeal. The session of the Court of Cassation was held via video-conferencing. Believers participated in the hearings while in the colonies.\nIn fact, the court found Astrakhan residents guilty of extremism because they believe in Jehovah God. In itself, being part of the international canonical structure of Jehovah's Witnesses, including believers organized in different groups all over the world, which the Russian Supreme Court had not assessed or declared extremist, does not constitute a crime.\nIn his cassation appeal Yevgeniy Ivanov stressed the absurdity of the charges against him: \"The verdict and the appeal decision do not contain any extremist statements, especially those aimed at inciting enmity and hatred.\" His lawyer also noted: \"Yevgeniy was found guilty of a crime against the foundations of the state and state security, although Jehovah's Witnesses are politically neutral, and he is not a socially dangerous person.\" \"All the witnesses questioned in the case indicated that there were no signs of extremism in my words, actions and motives,\" added Sergey Klikunov.\nA recent decision of the European Court states that \"believers demonstrate their desire to adhere strictly to the teachings of the religion they profess, and their right to do so is guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention\" (§ 172).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-22T09:24:24+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/230924/image_hu_3c0d4534896a0783.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/230924/image_hu_180b1fd5d4a480c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/230924/image_hu_dbbc13defc9f7b38.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/230924/image_hu_95f5a617465a94f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/230924.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","mitigation","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","families","282.3-1"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Slightly Softened the Brutal Conviction of Four Jehovah's Witnesses From Astrakhan","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2022, Judge Daria Varkalevich of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region sentenced Sergey Afanasiyev to 6.5 years in prison, Sergey Kardakov to 6 years and 4 months in prison and Sergey Yermilov, Anton Olshevskiy and Adam Svarichevskiy to 6 years and 3 months in prison. They were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe persecution of believers in Blagoveshchensk began back in 2017. Many of them were under covert surveillance. Later, their homes were searched. In October 2019, FSB Investigator Obukhov initiated a criminal case against Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov, and he charged Svarichevskiy, Afanasiyev and Kardakov within a year. All five were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and Afanasiyev was also accused of financing it. The essence of the actions that the court considered criminal came down to reading the Bible, praying, singing religious songs and discussing Christian teachings.\nReligious persecution also affected the wives of two believers—Valentina Yermilova and Yekaterina Olshevskaya. Since July 2021, they have been charged in a different criminal case, which is also being investigated by Investigator Obukhov.\nIn September 2021, the case went to trial. During the hearings, it became obvious that there were no victims in the case, and there is no proof of any illegal actions on the part of those accused. All five defendants pleaded not guilty and stated to the court that the only reason they are being prosecuted is their faith in God.\nIn his closing statement, Sergey Afanasiyev said: “Whom have I harmed? I didn't see a single victim. For one reason: there aren't any. If I was not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I would not be on trial.” Anton Olshevskiy expressed a similar thought: “I am sure that the criminal case against me is nothing less than persecution for my faith and an attempt to force me to renounce my convictions.” Sergey Yermilov said: “I believe that accusing me of involvement in extremist activities is either a gross error of the investigation or a deliberate distortion of facts in order to discredit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.” Adam Svarichevskiy, whose parents were exiled to Stalin's labor camps because of their faith in Jehovah, also emphasized: “I am convinced that I did nothing unlawful against God’s standards or against the government.” Sergey Kardakov pointed out: “During the judicial investigation, not a single piece of evidence was presented to indicate that my life and my worship to God in any way undermine the security of the state. The prosecutor's office has been trying to prove for a year that I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but I have never denied it.”\nYermilov, Olshevskiy, Svarichevskiy, Afanasiyev and Kardakov had been under a recognizance agreement for 2 to 3 years, until the verdict was announced. It has not yet entered into force and can be appealed. The criminal case materials against these five believers from Blagoveshchensk were separated from the case of Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik, who are already serving long sentences in prison. In total, criminal cases were initiated against 23 people in the Amur Region because of their faith as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn August 2022, the European Court of Human Rights unequivocally sided with Russian Jehovah's Witnesses. “Both the applicants’ religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence. […] Not one of the banned publications was found to contain calls or incitement to violence or any insulting, slanderous or discriminatory statements against members of other faiths.” (§ 157)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-21T14:23:04+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/211423/image_hu_f00c0086965f1caa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/211423/image_hu_22a7cfb27dfe84df.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/211423/image_hu_7652ee300109329c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/211423/image_hu_2a92c1f0bda4c12e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/211423.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":"Religious Meetings and Talks Are Viewed as a Crime","tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","families","282.3-1"],"title":"A Court in Blagoveshchensk Sentenced Five of Jehovah's Witnesses to More Than 6 Years in prison.","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I just want to serve God the way the Bible says, not the way someone wants to impose on me,\" the believer said. \"I am ready for any court decision, because I am convinced that I did nothing illegal either on the part of God's requirements or on the part of the state.\"\n","date":"2022-12-21T11:50:22+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/269.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Adam Svarichevsky in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer spoke about the life principles by which he lives and which help him to be a good family man, friend and citizen. He stated: \"I will not refuse to serve my God, Jehovah, because someone does not like it.\"\n","date":"2022-12-21T11:34:30+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/268.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anton Olshevsky in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"During the judicial investigation, not a single piece of evidence was presented to indicate that my life and worship God in any way undermine the security of the state.\" Sergey Kardakov explained to the court why peaceful believers were in the dock.\n","date":"2022-12-21T11:32:56+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/267.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kardakov in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 21, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court partially granted the appeal of Galina Kobeleva, freeing her from paying court costs. The verdict—6-year suspended sentence—entered into force, but can be appealed to the court of cassation.\nTwo months earlier, the Lesozavodsky District Court found Kobeleva guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. “The court unreasonably considered it a crime that I peacefully practised the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses together with other persons,” the believer explained in her appeal.\nGalina insists on her complete innocence. At the appeal hearing, she stated: “In my statements in the court of first instance, I repeatedly mentioned that the prosecution confuses the exercise of my rights as a believer with the activity of a local religious organization. In fact, I was condemned because I am a Jehovah's Witness, that I go to people and talk about the importance of knowing both the actual name of God and who is behind it”.\nThe Primorye Territory Court had earlier approved the convictions of 14 Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 6 cases against 23 believers are pending in the district courts of Primorye Territory.\nThe European Court has condemned the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In the decision it was reiterated that “in order to fulfill their duty to protect the right to freedom of religion in democratic societies in which several religions coexist within the same population, States have an obligation, in a neutral and impartial manner, to ensure the practice of different religions, beliefs and convictions” (§185).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_b8fd5ccc2f68d11c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_fda577e85be9ac26.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_fb6e8032d1640bbb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/221429/image_hu_4a6877c4ddd80468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/221429.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"The 66-year-old Believer Was Given a 6-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in Vladivostok Upheld the Conviction of Galina Kobeleva. ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 19, 2022, Judge Yana Vladimirova of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region rendered the following harsh sentences because of religion—Dmitriy Zagulin received 3.5 years in prison, Alam Aliyev recieved 6.5 years in prison, and Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger received 7 years in prison for supposedly organizing and financing extremist activity.\nThe investigation and trial lasted an unprecedented 4.5 years. The trial itself lasted over 2 years. The prosecutor requested that the believers be punished with 4 to 9 years in prison.\nOn May 17, 2018, a large-scale operation code-named \"Judgment Day\" was conducted by 150 security officials in Birobidzhan. During this raid, Alam Aliyev was detained. A criminal case was initiated against him because of his religion, and he spent 8 days in a pre-trial detention center. Later, three more believers were included in Aliyev's case.\nDmitriy Zagulin recalled: “After the searches that took place in our city, at first it was difficult to get used to the idea that we now live in a different reality.” On November 2021, Dmitriy was fired from his job because of the trial.\nSergey Shulyarenko talked about his family's reaction to the criminal case against him: \"My relatives believe that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is some kind of misunderstanding.\" He also noted that despite the persecution, believers \"try to come to the courthouse in order to support each other, to assure those who have hearings on that day of their love.\"\nAlam Aliev compared the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia with their persecution in the Soviet Union. “If I am considered an extremist, then how many years will I have to wait to be rehabilitated?” the believer asked the court.\nDuring the closing statement, Valeriy Kriger emphasized: “I am determined to continue to do good deeds and to display impartiality to all people, regardless of their nationality, social status and religious affiliation.”\nUpdate. After the verdict was announced, the believers were taken into custody: they were handcuffed and taken in prison vans to a temporary detention center, where they are awaiting an appeal hearing. In total, 23 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region have already been prosecuted for their beliefs. Among them are the wife of Alam Aliyev—Svetlana Monis;the wife of Valery Krieger—Nataliya Krieger; and the wife of Dmitriy Zagulin—Tatyana Zagulina.\nIn its judgment of June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully justified Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, stating: “The Court reiterates that only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being 'extremist' […] The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination against others.” (§ 271).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-19T09:47:15+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/190947/image_hu_5bc278dbbcb0dfe9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/190947/image_hu_3a2e48b6ccefae50.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/190947/image_hu_e131708b749740f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/190947/image_hu_636414b4a5616332.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/190947.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","work-restrictions","families","282.3-1"],"title":"Four Believers From Birobidzhan Received From 3.5 to 7 Years in Prison for Reading and Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with his last word before the court, Sergey Shulyarenko explained that extremism is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses. He said, \"I feel calm because I am not judged for evil deeds, but for good deeds. Not only in my actions, but even in my thoughts, I did not commit a crime related to extremism.\"\n","date":"2022-12-16T15:51:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/266.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Shulyarenko in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court how faith in Jehovah God changed him as a person, how he became an honest and respected person, and \"the prosecution demands that [he] cease to be Jehovah's Witness.\"\n","date":"2022-12-16T15:50:01+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/265.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Krieger in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 15, 2022, the Judicial Panel for Criminal Cases of the Russian Supreme Court reversed the acquittal of three of Jehovah's Witnesses and sent their case for a new appeal hearing. The court contradicted the Supreme Court Plenum's explanationsdated October 28, 2021, which stated that religious meetings do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe case was considered by Supreme Court Judges Aleksey Shamov, Vasiliy Zykin, and Sergey Zelenin. Around twenty people attended, including the media and representatives of diplomatic missions from at least six countries. \"We are saddened that the judges departed from the fundamental position of the Supreme Court,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The reason for the widespread persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is that the ordinary religious practice of believers is being wrongly interpreted as the continuation of the activity of an organization that was banned in 2017. The criminal prosecution of our dear fellow believers from Kamchatka is also based on this misunderstanding. To clear up this misunderstanding, the Supreme Court Plenum issued a clarification a year ago that is binding on all courts. Our believers are not guilty of anything.\"\nFrom left to right: Viktor Shipilov (lawyer), Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, Vera Zolotova, Viktor Zhenkov (lawyer), Maxim Novakov (lawyer) Lawyers and defendants from Kamchatka in the Supreme Court of Russia (December 2022) The case against Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and their friend Vera Zolotova (born in 1946) was initiated in 2018. All three spent some time behind bars, and their homes were searched. In September 2020, a court found them guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and gave them two-year suspended sentences. The Kamchatka Territorial Court upheld the conviction on appeal, but in November 2021 the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok, citing the decision of the Supreme Court Plenum of the Russian Federation of 28 October 2021, sent the case for a new appellate hearing. On January 18, 2022, the Kamchatka Territorial Court issued an acquittal, which went into effect immediately. The cassational court upheld that decision, but the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia asked the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to send the case for a new appellate hearing.\nNotably, in terms of international law, the believers are innocent and are subject to rehabilitation because in June 2022 the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment in the case LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia (32401/10) ruled that the 2017 decision to liquidate all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, to ban their activities and seize property and to ban printed publications and the official website is illegal; it also ordered Russia to end the criminal prosecution of believers and to release prisoners. In June 2022, the Russian Federation stopped implementing ECHR judgments.\nAt this time, the case of the Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova is being returned to the appeal stage; their conviction will be reexamined by the Kamchatka Territorial Court. They are considered convicted, but their sentence has not entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-15T16:46:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_82e4b45c2fd6ec07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_c7f134c2c7b824e7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_b8b069f18854b082.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/151646/image_hu_b5139a442c21939e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/151646.html","regions":["moscow","kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Russian Supreme Court Failed To Uphold Justice for Innocent Believers From Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 15, 2022, the Murmansk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Nikolay Martynov, denied the appeal of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vitaliy Omelchenko, against the guilty verdict issued by the first instance court. The penalty of a fine in the amount of 580,000 rubles became enforceable.\nThe criminal case against Vitaliy was initiated in December 2019. A month later the believer was detained near his house, after which he was sent to a detention center for two days. The court decided that Bible-based discussions among fellow believers constituted \"a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state, characterized by a high degree of public danger\".\n“The court groundlessly recognized my peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses together with others as a crime,” Omelchenko said in his appeal. “I was not engaged in extremist or other illegal activities. I lead a peaceful life, I respect authority, and I obey the law because I am a believer. Displaying hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views. I have respect for representatives of other religions and nationalities.” The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassational court.\nNumerous Russian and international human rights activists have repeatedly pointed out that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities is unacceptable. In fact, on June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that “the imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion under Article 9 § 1 of the Convention” (§ 264).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/210902/image_hu_fdfb253fc497b355.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/210902/image_hu_ca8f142db646a19a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/210902/image_hu_b0baed299360b83b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/210902/image_hu_94fe880291ebd2da.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/210902.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":"An Appeal in Murmansk Upheld the Verdict of a Lower Court","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","fine"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vitaliy Omelchenko, Will Pay a Fine of 580,000 Rubles Because of His Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 14, 2022, in Izhevsk investigative actions were conducted at two addresses where Jehovah's Witnesses live. A criminal case has been opened against two believers, 33-year old Yevgeniy Stefanidin and 49-year old Aleksandr Votyakov.\nRepresentatives of the Investigative Committee invaded the homes of the believers early in the morning. Electronic devices, hard drives, data storage, etc. were confiscated from them.\nLieutenant of Justice Artem Kholmogorov, a senior investigator of the Investigative Committee, charged Yevgeniy Stefanidin and Aleksandr Votyakov with organizing the activity of an extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the believers, the investigator considered it a crime to “organize and hold unlawful religious meetings . . . study articles from the book 'New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures' . . . that is, a publication that is part of the worldwide Bible educational activity carried out by Christian Jehovah’s Witnesses.”\nThe Stefanidins are raising a young child and Yevgeniy has a disability.\nThe day after the searches, on December 15, the court placed Aleksandr Votyakov under house arrest.\nIn Udmurtia, already five Jehovah's Witnesses, from Izhevsk and Votkinsk, are defending their innocence in court. In the summer of 2022, the ECHR issued a landmark ruling in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia, which noted in particular: “Both the applicants’ religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence” (§157).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-12-14T13:26:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/191326.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":"One of Them Was Placed Under House Arrest","tags":["search","282.2-1","house-arrest","new-case","disability","minors"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched in Izhevsk.","type":"news"},{"body":"The Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of Russia will deal with the direct consequences of the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 to liquidate all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ban their activity.\nOn December 15, 2022, three residents of Kamchatka, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, will appear before the Criminal Board of the Supreme Court of Russia. A couple, who are both teachers, and a pensioner were found guilty of participation in the activity of a banned organization, but were acquitted by the Kamchatka Territory Court. The prosecutor's office has already filed a second cassation appeal against the acquittal.\nThe case against Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and their friend Vera Zolotova (born in 1946) was initiated in 2018. After several rounds of hearings in the courts of the first, appeal and cassation instances, the Kamchatka Territory Court acquitted them in January 2022, which is a rarity against the backdrop of guilty verdicts (2 acquittals against 147 guilty verdicts). After the ban on the activity of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017, Russian courts sentenced 88 believers to punishment in a penal colony, gave 147 believers a suspended sentence, and 28 believers a large fine under articles on organizing and participating in the activity of a banned organization. Only 6 believers were acquitted (the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk and the case of the Bazhenovs and others in Yelizovo).\nThe prosecution of the Bazhenovs and Zolotova began when, in August 2018, all three spent two days each in a detention center and their homes were searched. They were charged with organizing the activity of a banned organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Pretrial detention was imposed on Konstantin Bazhenov but later he, as well as the women, were required to sign a recognizance agreement. A year later, in August 2019, the deputy prosecutor of the city of Yelizovo signed the indictment.\nIn October 2019, the Yelizovskiy District Court of the Kamchatka Territory started hearings but soon returned the case to the prosecutor for the elimination of violations, also pointing out the lack of distinction between lawful practice of religion and the continuation of the activity of a banned organization. The state prosecution succeeded in overturning the decision to return the case to the prosecutor. In March 2020, the judge of the Yelizovskiy District Court started the trial and announced his verdict in September of that year, after 11 hearings. He found the three believers guilty, not of organizing, but of participating in the activity of a banned organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and gave each a 2-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period. In November 2020, the Kamchatka Territory Court upheld the verdict on appeal.\nThe believers did not admit guilt and filed an appeal with the court of cassation. A year later, in November 2021, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok overturned the decision of the court of appeal and sent the case for a new appeal hearing to the Kamchatka Territory Court. In its cassation ruling the Court referred to the 28 October 2021 Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which clarified that meetings for worship and joint ceremonies by themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nOn January 18, 2022, the Kamchatka Territory Court, during a second appeal, overturned the verdict of the Yelizovsky District Court, rendered in September 2020, and pronounced an acquittal, which became effective immediately. On June 10, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation rejected the prosecutor's request to overturn the acquittal verdict. On September 30, 2022, Igor Tkachev, Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia, appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia asking to overturn the acquittal verdict and requesting that the case be sent for a new appellate consideration.\nThe believers appealed to the European Court of Human Rights regarding the decision to ban their organizations. In December 2018, when dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses had already been thrown behind bars, Mikhail Galperin, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, commented in an official response to the appeal: “The Russian authorities emphasize that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017 and the appellate determination of the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17 July 2017 do not assess the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses or contain any restrictions or prohibitions on the individual exercise of the above-mentioned teaching.” Finally, in June 2022, in the judgment in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia (32401/10), the European Court declared the liquidation of the administrative center and also 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, banning their activities and seizing property and banning printed publications and the official website illegal; the Court also ruled to stop criminal prosecution of believers and to release prisoners. However, a few days later the enforcement of the ECHR ruling was discontinued in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-12-12T16:11:36+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_a3d912e36f8f91f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_4c90351d1fa9d2e7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_17b9be82429196e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/121611/image_hu_1d93c91e5b6faf53.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/121611.html","regions":["kamchatka","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","families","acquittal","complaints","282.2-2"],"title":"Prosecutor's Office has Reached the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Seeking to Overturn a Rare Acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer noted: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are alien to hatred of people, because they follow the philanthropic commandments of Jesus Christ.\" He declared his innocence, wondering: \"I don't understand how you can consider a criminal a person who tries to live by God's standards?\"\n","date":"2022-12-12T11:14:13+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/960.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer recalled the persecution of Christians in ancient Rome and the USSR and concluded: \"Paradoxically, it is a fact: those who called for peace, love, and observance of God's norms were recognized as terrorists, criminals ... It's something similar in our business.\"\n","date":"2022-12-12T11:00:46+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/964.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Martynov in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"Mikhail Yermakov, addressing the court, said that sentencing a fair verdict is not an easy task, but he hopes for the impartiality of the judge. \"All my actions have nothing to do with the alleged crime, but are only the realization of my rights to religious life,\" the believer stressed.\n","date":"2022-12-12T09:55:17+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/963.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Yermakov in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the believer emphasized that Jehovah's Witnesses are politically neutral and respect state authority: \"Jesus assured Pilate that his kingdom did not pose a threat to his rule. And today's Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose any threat to the government.\"\n","date":"2022-12-12T09:53:13+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/962.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nina Martynova in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her last speech, the believer spoke about biblical advice that helped her become friendlier and calmer. \"If I share these helpful tips with others, will I do better or worse for them? She asked. \"The investigation considers this a crime.\"\n","date":"2022-12-12T09:49:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/961.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Zoya Pavlova in Alatyr","type":"docs"},{"body":"In early December 2022, FSB officers in Crimea conducted mass searches in the homes of peaceful believers. In total, about 40 people were subjected to investigative actions. A criminal case was opened against two Jehovah's Witnesses; they were placed under house arrest and a recognisance agreement.\nOn December 6, at 9 a.m. in Feodosia, the law enforcement officers searched the house of a young man \"in order to find extremist materials\". As a result, Roman Lebedev, an officer of the FSB Border Control, seized a smartphone and three flash drives. The warrant for this was issued by Alla Khinevich, judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea.\nTwo days later, on December 8, starting early in the morning, searches were carried out in the Simferopol District at no less then 16 addresses of believers. In one of the houses where investigative actions were carried out, the law enforcement officers \"turned everything upside down\", according to the residents. Finding nothing, they took away the couple's mobile phones. They took the woman for interrogation and released her soon after.\nIn another house, in the village of Novy Mir, a Bible in Ukrainian, a greeting card with a picture of a cake, three bank checks and personal notes were seized.\nSearches in Simferopol and nearby villages took place as part of a criminal case filed by Investigator Novikov of the Investigative Committee against 53-year-old Dmitriy Nakhatskiy. According to preliminary information, he is suspected of violating Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activity of an extremist organization) because of peaceful conversations about God. After the arrest, the court placed the believer under house arrest.\nOn the same day, Major of Justice Magomed Magomedov summoned another believer, 57-year-old Aleksandr Voronchikhin, to the Investigative Committee, where he was charged under the same article. After about 10 hours, the believer was released, having signed a recognisance agreement.\nA week before these events, two Jehovah's Witnesses from Crimea were sentenced to 6 years in prison for practicing their faith.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling that, in part, stated: “The overly broad definition of ‘extremism’… opens up the possibility of prosecuting individuals and organizations on charges of extremism for entirely peaceful forms of expressing opinion or religion.” (§ 158).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/121642/image_hu_1d274241c82e47a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/121642/image_hu_f8d9f4aefc0d7b27.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/121642/image_hu_ab3d31a6db566fe9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/121642/image_hu_f8c64c2b6b84e1a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/121642.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"Several More Jehovah's Witnesses Suspected of \"Extremism\"","tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","house-arrest","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"Mass Searches in Crimea.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2022, the judge of the Metallurgical District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk, Vitaly Sirotin, found Vadim Gizatulin guilty of participating in extremist activity. The court gave an electrician who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses a suspended sentence of 2 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nVadim Gizatulin faced persecution for his faith in February 2018. Then the security forces of the Chelyabinsk Region initiated operational-search measures against local believers. A year later, Gizatulin was searched as part of the Vladimir Suvorov case , in which he was a witness. Vadim himself became a defendant in a criminal case in August 2021. After 2 months, they came to the believer for a second search. Since July 2022, Gizatulin has been under a recognizance agreement.\nThe case was conducted by the third department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region. After almost a year of investigation, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of an informant, Lilia Ruzayeva, who made audio and video recordings of religious meetings on the instructions of D. A. Myzgin, an officer of the Center for Combating Extrimism. The indictment stated: “At every meeting, Gizatulin V.R. gave talks, made comments, answered questions on topics that were discussed and studied.”\nVadim Gizatulin insists on his complete innocence. “The indictment does not contain any statements of an extremist nature by me,” he said at one of the hearings. “I did not call on anyone to fight against the authorities, and I did not make any degrading remarks towards followers of other religions.”\nThe statements of the believer are also confirmed by the psychological-linguistic forensic examination attached to the case. It gives the following conclusion: “In the conversations recorded in the materials provided, there were no signs of incitement to hostility or hatred (discord) towards a group of persons based on gender, race, nationality, language, origin, religious views or belonging to any social group. Despite all this, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 4 years in prison.\nAlready 12 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region are being prosecuted for their faith. Six of them were given suspended sentences, one believer was fined.\nIn July 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a judgment that rendered groundless the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on charges of extremism. In particular, it noted that “In the absence of expressions that seek to incite or justify violence or hatred based on religious intolerance, any religious entity or individual believers have the right to proclaim and defend their doctrine as the true and superior one and to engage in religious disputes and criticism seeking to prove the truth of one’s own and the falsity of others’ dogmas or beliefs” (§ 153).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-07T15:26:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_3a320d1807a11af0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_bbd8020f8ea02a36.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_bd4d6ce561f4120f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/071526/image_hu_ecdb6c3fdafa2d2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/071526.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"The court considered discussion of the Bible and prayers to Jehovah God to be extremism","tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Resident of Chelyabinsk Vadim Gizatulin received a suspended sentence for his faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court approved the sentence of Maksim Zavrazhnov—6-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible. The believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in the cassation procedure.\nMaksim Zavrazhnov never denied that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and along with his friends he read the Bible and prayed to God. In court, he stressed: \"My goal was not to continue the activity of the liquidated legal entity, but to worship God.\"\nDuring the appeal hearing, the believer drew attention to the fact that the decision of the Moscow District Court in Nizhny Novgorod violated at least 5 articles of the European Convention. As the defendant noted, the guilty verdict vividly demonstrated to him that if he does not renounce his religious views as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, then he will continue to be prosecuted. \"The actual purpose of the court verdict is to violate [my] rights and force [me] to change my religion under pain of criminal prosecution,\" Maksim Zavrazhnov concluded.\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod region, 16 Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution for their faith. Seven of them have already been given suspended sentences.\nThe judgment of the ECtHR of 7 June 2022, which fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, states: \"The European Court concludes that the applicants were punished for acts that constituted the exercise of their right to freedom to practice their religion together with others\" (§ 269).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-05T15:31:26+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_6876d5c3b9335b6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/051531/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_77b263812b1a47e6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/051531/image_hu_91464fb0b6f4ab0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/051531.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":"Maksim Zavrazhnov, 41, Was Given a Six Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"An Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Upheld Another Guilty Verdict for Faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2022, the Fifth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in the city of Pyatigorsk overturned the verdict and the appeal ruling in the case of 58-year-old Yelena Menchikova, who is disabled, and sent her case for a new trial before other judges.\nThe believer's sentence was announced in December 2021. Two months later, the appeallate court confirmed her sentence, but waived her court costs.\nYelena Menchikova considers the earlier decisions of the courts to be unjust, as she stated in her cassation appeal: “In fact, the court, in violation of Article 28 of the RF Constitution and other provisions of current legislation, ruled that I am deprived of the right to profess my faith.”\nThis is how the believer argued her position: “Neither the verdict nor the appeal ruling contained a single example of a statement that was extremist in nature ... I was found guilty without grounds, specifically, for discussing religious topics with others, praying and singing religious songs. [...] The verdict is an act of direct and indirect religious discrimination. The Court treated me differently than representatives of \"traditional\" religions, without having a reasonable and objective basis for this. In fact, I was found guilty of engaging in religious activity as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nIn its judgment of June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, stating: “Peacefully seeking to convince others of the superiority of one’s own religion and urging them to abandon 'false religions' and join the 'true one' is a legitimate form of exercise of the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression” (§ 156).\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-12-05T14:50:01+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/051450/image_hu_704864faadd215c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/051450/image_hu_a0a6797bb0dde755.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/051450/image_hu_e389c0cd91d41dc0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/051450/image_hu_3a906e9d78fc43d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/051450.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":"Earlier, the Court Gave Her a Five-Year Suspended Sentence","tags":["cassation","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Cassation Court Sent the Case of Yelena Menchikova From Cherkessk for a New Trial.","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 1, 2022, Tatyana Fedeneva, judge of the Armyansk City Court of the Republic of Crimea, found Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Aleksandr Dubovenko guilty of extremism and sentenced them to 6 years in a penal colony— exactly what the prosecutor requested for them. The believers were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAleksandr Litvinyuk, 62, is a pensioner, he worked for many years at state enterprises and factories and raised three children. Aleksandr Dubovenko, 49, worked for a long time as a welder, then as an electrician. In August 2021, searches were carried out in their homes. The men were detained and kept under house arrest for more than a year.\nThe investigation was conducted by Vitaly Vlasov, an FSB investigator, for 7 months, after which the case was submitted to the Armyansk City Court of the Republic of Crimea. The court hearings lasted six months. At one of the hearings, a witness, a seriously ill elderly woman, refuted the testimony recorded on her behalf by the investigator, and also said that she did not know the defendant Dubovenko and did not attend meetings for worship with him.\nGiving his final statement in court, Aleksandr Dubovenko emphasized: \"All our activity, mistakenly interpreted as criminal, was in fact nothing more than us exercising our constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion.\" Aleksandr Litvinyuk noted in his final statement: “We would never be Jehovah's Witnesses if we incited hatred and religious intolerance or undermined the constitutional order, as is recorded in our criminal case. The same criminal case states that there were no victims.”\nAlexandr Dubovenko in the courtroom The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Believers insist on their complete innocence. In addition to Dubovenko and Litvinyuk, 17 other Crimeans are being prosecuted for their peaceful religious beliefs. Four believers from Crimea are serving sentences for their faith in colonies, and in early October, a court in Sevastopol sent three more to jail.\nIn a ruling dated July 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights criticized the actions of the Russian authorities against believers and stated that “criminal prosecution and criminal liability for the peaceful practice of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, together with others, was based on an unacceptably broad formulation and arbitrary application anti-extremism legislation” (§272).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-12-01T18:08:58+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/12/021730/image_hu_468a1f1dd1088aae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/12/021730/image_hu_ee1fa7bab9496f31.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/12/021730/image_hu_6a23d9fad7ef2918.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/12/021730/image_hu_6635c250f3aa3c4c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/12/021730.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":"The Court Considered Reading and Discussing the Bible Extremism ","tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","sentence","fabrications"],"title":"In Armyansk Two Believers Were Sentenced to Six Years in Prison.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 30, 2022, Sergey Polyakov's sentence ended and he was released. The believer served the full term of imprisonment - 3 years, of which he actually spent about 1.5 years in the penal colony.\nIn November 2020, a district court found Polyakov guilty of extremism because of his religion. After an appeal confirmed the verdict in May 2021, Sergey was transferred to Valdai, which is 3,000 kilometers from his hometown. The journey took almost 2 months, and in August he arrived at penal colony No. 4 in the city of Valdai.\nIn the colony Sergey had the opportunity to work as a contractor. He had good relations with both the prisoners and the administration—he was respected as a prisoner for his faith, there were no conflicts.\nThanks to the onsite library, Polyakov received a Bible. He was greatly supported by letters from friends and relatives. He says that he received more letters a day than the entire colony (about 250 people). Sergey was visited by his wife several times.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights fully acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ruled to stop persecuting them for their faith.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2022-11-30T16:13:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/301613/image_hu_e5183260910eeff3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/301613/image_hu_8b9e47a6d656caca.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/301613/image_hu_508f102814e07174.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/301613/image_hu_3e8a41f91457b8a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/301613.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":"He Served a Sentence of Three Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["release","letters","282.2-1","282.3-1","families","life-in-prison"],"title":"Sergey Polyakov, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Omsk, Was Released.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 30, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorye Territory, found Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitriy Tishchenko guilty of \"continuing the illegal activity of a banned religious organization\". That is how the authorities interpret the peaceful conversations of Jehovah's Witnesses about the Bible.\nAll believers received the same sentence: 6 years' suspended term, 4 years' probation, and 1 year restriction of liberty. The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Ussuriysk considered it a crime that Korolchuk, Chermnykh and Tishchenko gathered with friends in a café where they “listened to talks”, “answered questions” and “sang religious songs”. On June 18, 2019, Investigator E. Marvaniuk opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the same day, the homes of two believers were searched.\nSergey Korolchuk was taken to the Investigative Committee, seemingly to receive copies of the search protocol, but in the end, he was detained and placed in detention for 2 days. Later, all three defendants were put under a recognizance agreement, which was in place for almost 3 years. The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation blocked their bank accounts.\nOn August 11, 2020, the case was received by the Ussuriysk District Court. The key witness for the prosecution was K. Rusakov, an FSB officer. During 2017–18, he tracked the believers and arranged for their telephone conversations to be wiretapped. However, in court he could not answer most of the questions, as he “does not remember much”. Another witness was unable to confirm that she was interrogated in May 2019, although the documents bear her signature.\nThe criminal prosecution has become a test for the believers' families. Dmitriy Tishchenko said: “My wife and I began to appreciate the opportunity to be together even more, as we understand that we can lose it at any moment.”\nIn Primorye, 41 of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, 19 of them are women, the oldest of whom will soon be 88 years old. Five believers are serving a suspended sentence.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-30T13:32:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_937cddd4fac66846.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_8d3476d7af8e347f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_86f32e6c8a65ad27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/301332/image_hu_5a67edc839f96a2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/301332.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","rosfinmonitoring","minors"],"title":"In Ussuriysk Three Jehovah's Witnesses Were Given 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer spoke about the biblical laws of morality, emphasizing that they have nothing to do with extremism: \"Those who love God will not harm people, no matter what race, nationality, social status and religion they may be.\"\n","date":"2022-11-29T14:09:04+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/262.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer noted that the investigation did not try to establish \"the presence of extremism in his words and deeds,\" but considered it a crime only that he worships Jehovah God. Anton emphasized: \"There are no victims in my case. They cannot be, because the Bible teaches goodness and mercy.\"\n","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/263.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anton Chermnykh in Ussuriysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Neither the investigator nor the state prosecutor said what harm or damage I caused to the state, what words or deeds I incited discord between people,\" the believer said, addressing the court. \"Not a single person ever came to court to claim that he suffered from my actions.\"\n","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/264.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Tishchenko in Ussuriysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"If I am recognized as an extremist, then how many years will I have to wait to be rehabilitated?\" the believer addressed the court, recalling in his last word the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR and their full rehabilitation in 1992.\n","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/233.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alam Aliyev in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Drawing the court's attention to the absurdity of the accusations, the believer said: \"How can you put on a par with those who, out of love for their neighbor, refuse to take up arms, even at the cost of their lives, with those who are looking for an excuse to unleash ethnic, religious or some other discord?\"\n","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/234.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Zagulin in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 25, 2022, Judge Amir Amirov of the Kirovskiy District Court of Makhachkala gave Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Anton Dergalev 6.5-year suspended sentences and gave Mariya Karpova a 6-year suspended sentence. The court considered participation in worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremism.\nIn June 2019, the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan conducted searches of the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, and Derbent. According to eyewitnesses, brochures on the list of extremist materials were planted in one apartment. The searches were based on a criminal case initiated in May 2019. Law enforcement officers accused Abdullaev, Dergalev, Abdulgalimov and Karpova of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Additionally, the men were charged with financing a banned organization, and Mariya was charged with involving others in the organization's activity. All four Jehovah's Witnesses were included on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists, and their bank accounts were frozen. For some time they could not visit public places or use the telephone.\nThe believers spent around 1 year in a pre-trial detention center and another 2.5 years—until the verdict was rendered—under house arrest. While Mariya Karpova was in custody, her father died; he was seriously ill. She was not allowed to attend the funeral. Thousands of letters from Russia and from 30 other countries helped those imprisoned for their faith in pre-trial detention centers to cope with the injustice. Mariya says: “I especially liked letters with photographs. I never felt lonely.\"\nIn January 2021, after more than a year and a half of investigation, the case went to court. “Hundreds of people came to the court,” recalls Marat Abdulgalimov, “Many people came from neighboring cities and republics.” Arsen Abdullaev added: “Some traveled 300-400 km just to shake hands with us, hug us and say a few words of encouragement ... I am so proud of my wife, Suat. When we saw each other in court, she did show how hard this was for her.\nThe prosecutor requested a prison sentence of 7.5 years for Arsen, Marat and Anton and 6.5 years for Mariya, but the court gave only suspended sentences. In addition, the court excluded the charge of involving others in extremist activities from Mariya Karpova's verdict.\nThe court verdict against the four Makhachkala residents has not yet entered into force. The believers pleaded not guilty to the crimes and have the right to file appeals.\nIn a July 7, 2022 ruling, the European Court of Human Rights called the criminal persecution of believers in Russia illegal: \"The forced liquidation of all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation... revealed signs of a policy of intolerance on the part of the Russian authorities to force Jehovah's Witnesses to abandon their faith and to prevent others from joining it\" (§ 254).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_bc7b581f544e571f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_7aa99a784defba74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_b3fa4c7e79d96641.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/280921/image_hu_5ad8ab7fdf4bafc5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/280921.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":"They Prayed and Discussed the Bible","tags":["suspended","sentence","282.3-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Court in Dagestan Gave Suspended Sentences to Four of Jehovah's Witnesses for \"Extremism.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer noted: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are mistakenly labeled extremists. The task that our head, Jesus Christ, has entrusted to us: \"Go and publicly proclaim the good news and make disciples,\" would be impossible if we were hostile to people.\n","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/69.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Dubovenko in the Crimea","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with his last word, the believer said: \"As a Jehovah's Witness, I am alien to extremism in any of its manifestations. I am a peace-loving person and I have been proving this with my life for decades.\"\n","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/224.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Litvinyuk in Armyansk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer stressed that he is being tried for legitimate peaceful actions, not real crimes: \"According to the law, nothing prevents Jehovah's Witnesses from freely practicing their faith in Russia, since no formal permits are required for prayers.\"\n","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/241.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Afanasyev in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court that the Bible taught him to truly respect state authority. He noted: \"Accusing me of involvement in extremist activities is either a gross error of the investigation or a deliberate distortion of facts in order to defame the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/260.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Ermilov in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 21, 2022, the Moscow City Court rejected the appeals of Yuriy Temirbulatov, Aleksandr Serebryakov and their defense lawyers and did not change the sentence — 6 year suspended sentence each. The believers still insist on their complete innocence and can file a cassation appeal.\nIn August 2022, the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow found the believers guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization because they participated in religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses. Until the passing of this sentence—for a year and a half—the men were in detention. Yuriy Temirbulatov was not provided with treatment for a long time, despite the fact that he suffered from pain and needed urgent hospitalization in a specialized cancer prevention and treatment center. Aleksandr Serebryakov, contrary to the norms of the law, was for some time in a cell where relapsed prisoners were kept.\nCourts in Moscow are hearing 3 more criminal cases against 11 believers. In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses living in this region are undergoing criminal prosecution for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-21T19:19:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_8444d2261a65b14.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_ce988005994106c1.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_ae2b23680e3a7cae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/211919/image_hu_b94a9aa8eaee463.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/211919.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":"Believers given a 6 year suspended sentence.","tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Appeal Court in Moscow Upheld the Verdict for Serebryakov and Temirbulatov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2022, Ravil Nusratov, judge of the Asha City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region, found Andrey Perminov, 50, who has been a wheelchair user from his youth, guilty of extremism because of his religion and gave him a 6 years' suspended sentence.\nAndrey Perminov is severely disabled. The criminal prosecution of the believer began in the summer of 2021, when investigator Yevgeniy Dolgaev opened a criminal case against him, and a series of searches took place in the Chelyabinsk Region in the homes of those whom the investigation considered to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region investigated the case for almost a year, after which in May 2022 it was submitted to the Ashinsky City Court. During the court hearings, it turned out that a listening device had been installed in the Perminovs' apartment. However, neither the recordings from it nor the witnesses for the prosecution could prove a violation of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but only confirmed that the accused is an ordinary believer.\nExpressing his opinion of the accusation, the believer said: “All the materials of the criminal case and the evidence presented by the prosecution essentially boil down to the fact that I was a believer and held services with fellow believers. In fact, this is discrimination based on religious affiliation.”\nThe verdict, which corresponded with the punishment requested by the prosecutor for Perminov, has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, 11 more Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to criminal prosecution for their faith, including 4 women. Two elderly women, Lyudmila Salikova and Valentina Suvorova, received suspended sentences.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, in which it presented the result of analysis of all the logical and legal errors grossly committed by Russian courts, and came to the unequivocal conclusion that their persecution in Russia is illegal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-21T14:41:46+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_574ac47a7a161f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_7477089bc4dc103.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_b84ab657f6c8dc9a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/211441/image_hu_a1534638b0a027a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/211441.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":"severely disabled person sentenced to 6 years' probation for believing in Jehovah God","tags":["282.2-1","disability","sentence","suspended","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"The court in the Chelyabinsk Region issued a guilty verdict against Andrey Perminov;","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 18, 2022, in the village of Tavrichanka, a search was carried out in the house of 59-year-old Viktor Chernov. The next day he was interrogated and placed in a temporary detention center for a day. As it became known, the reason for the detention of the believer was the testimony of a secret agent who collected information about Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe search took place in the absence of the owner under the leadership of A. A. Tolkunov, investigator of the Investigative Committee, with the participation of employees of the center for counteracting extremism. According to eyewitnesses, the investigator explained what was happening by saying that \"there is information about holding prohibited meetings via the Internet.\"\nThe security forces searched the house, garage and sauna for four hours. At that time, only Viktor's daughter-in-law, who does not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was at home. After the search, she was taken to the investigation department for interrogation. The Chernovs' electronic devices were seized, along with a camera, a Synodal translation of the Bible, a calendar and a summary of a Bible talk on the topic “An Honest Marriage Before God.”\nThe next day, Viktor Chernov appeared for interrogation on a summons and learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him under an article for extremism (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The day before, it was separated from the case of Oleg Lonshakov.\nOn November 20, the court placed Chernov under house arrest and released him from custody.\nMore than 45 Jehovah's Witnesses have faced persecution for their faith in Primorye, more than in any other region of Russia. In the summer of 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the accusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses as groundless.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-11-18T16:53:33+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/211653/image_hu_ec82a4749ff4ce0c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/211653/image_hu_9af3bca59e3b419.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/211653/image_hu_17e670da830413b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/211653/image_hu_c3f692ebe8e7e943.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/211653.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":"A New Criminal Case Against one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye","tags":["house-arrest","secret-witness","ivs","interrogation","search","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"After a Day in Detention, a 59-year-old Believer is Placed Under House Arrest.","type":"news"},{"body":"In the last word, the believer notes that the principles of humanism, mercy and justice are at the heart of the law of God and the law of the state. He declares: \"We have kept our conscience clear before God and people and have never been and will never be what the prosecution considered us to be - extremists!\"\n","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1454.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Arsen Abdullayev in Dagestan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with her last word, Maria stated: \"I decided that I would show kindness wherever I was and no matter what happened to me ... Whatever the verdict, I will not become an extremist, but will remain a peaceful believer!\"\n","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1453.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Maria Karpova in Dagestan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory yet another guilty verdict was passed against one of Jehovah's Witnesses: On November 17, 2022, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk imposed a fine of 600,000 rubles on 58-year-old Igor Gusev. Judge Aleksandr Aksyutenko considered it illegal to discuss the Bible peacefully with fellow believers.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his innocence. According to him, the FSB investigator suggested \"a renunciation of faith in Jehovah God\" be put in writing. In return, the believer was promised that the case would be stopped. “It was at that moment that I realized that I was being tried not for a crime, but for my faith,” said Igor Gusev.\nThe case against Gusev was initiated on February 17, 2022—2 years after the start of the criminal prosecution of his fellow believer, Vitaliy Sukhov, in whose case Gusev was a witness. Rosfinmonitoring added the believer to the list of extremists, as a result, all bank accounts of Igor Gusev were blocked.\nAfter 5 months of investigation, the case went to court. The meetings were held in a hurry: the judge did not listen fully to the defendant's statement regarding the charges, and a secret witness was called without the prior knowledge of the lawyer or the defendant. Therefore, they could not prepare for his interrogation.\nThe charges of extremism against the believer were based either on general phrases or on lawful actions such as praying and reading Bible passages aloud. Addressing the court, Igor Gusev said: \"Even the encouragement to acquire wisdom is regarded as something forbidden.\" There is not a single victim in the case, but despite this, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 6 years of imprisonment in a penal colony.\nIgor Gusev drew attention to the fact that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination in general, and does not require believers to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms, including those performed jointly. In addition, in a letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation dated February 20, 2021, it was clearly emphasized that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation “has not evaluated either the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses or the ways in which they are expressed.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-17T13:22:45+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/171322/image_hu_4eeb0e21e0a4274.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/171322/image_hu_8500c724fecdd074.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/171322/image_hu_f76ef7b4488731ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/171322/image_hu_35bd497be4e5e86c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/171322.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":"Igor Gusev will have to pay the state 600,000 rubles for his faith","tags":["fine","sentence","282.2-1","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A court in Krasnoyarsk heavily fined one of Jehovah's Witnesses.","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with his last word, the believer stressed that the prosecution was substituting concepts, calling his worship of God the actions of a legal entity, and the prosecutor's office was forcing him to abandon the worship of God, thanks to which he \"has the meaning of life and hope.\"\n","date":"2022-11-17T10:58:58+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/1452.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Perminov in Asha","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer thoroughly analyzed and refuted the arguments of the prosecution. \"What is happening to me today is very similar to what happened to Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, who were later recognized as victims of political repression,\" concluded Igor Gusev.\n","date":"2022-11-17T08:38:27+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/965.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Gusev in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the 68-year-old believer said: \"I am sure that all these accusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses are a monstrous mistake. My co-religionists and I have never harbored criminal thoughts, we have no goals to overthrow the government or oppose it.\"\n","date":"2022-11-15T14:32:21+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/232.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Seredkin in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 15, 2022, the consideration of the case of Aleksandr Seredkin was completed in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk. Judge Yevgeny Zakharov considered holding religious meetings, saying prayers and reading the Bible as extremist and sentenced the believer to six years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Seredkin was initiated in April 2019 by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E. V. Selyunin. The believer was accused of \"organizing meetings and leading the reading and discussion\" of religious literature.\nAfter the search, Aleksandr was sent to a temporary detention center for a day, and then the court imposed upon him 6 months of house arrest. When the preventive measure was changed to a recognizance agreement, Aleksandr noted: “Now I could go outside and feel relatively free. But it was unpleasant to see me and my wife being followed.”\nThe investigation lasted almost 3 years, and in March 2022 the case went to court. At one of the hearings, a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Ivan\" who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and collaborated with the FSB, confirmed that he had not heard any extremist statements from the defendant. Another witness for the prosecution described Seredkin's actions as follows: he \"read religious literature, organized joint religious rituals, in particular, singing.\"\nThe Seredkins coped with the hardships of the criminal proceedings thanks to the help of relatives and fellow believers: they brought food, took them to the lawyer, printed out documents, and helped to understand the case materials. “On my own I would never have been able to deal with it or even understand it. But there was all this amazing help! Aleksandr shared, “The sons assured of their love and said that they were proud of me.”\nThe believer considers the sentence unjust and can appeal against it.\nIn Novosibirsk, eight Jehovah's Witnesses are subjected to prosecution for believing in God, and two of them have been sentenced.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-15T14:22:51+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/151422/image_hu_b93c6ef79d68c5c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/151422/image_hu_ae4709b1fef0c01f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/151422/image_hu_1068c9199aa73303.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/151422/image_hu_c10e55f24c9303d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/151422.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","secret-witness"],"title":"In Novosibirsk, 67-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin Was Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Reading The Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov, 54, who is disabled, was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony for his Christian beliefs. Due to a serious illness, he cannot manage without external help. The four-minute video tells what the believer has to face while waiting for the decision of the court of cassation.\nIn May 2022, the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk found Andrey Vlasov guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organisation and sentenced him to 7 years in a penal colony. In July of the same year, the court of appeal confirmed the verdict. The courts considered it a crime that the believer participated in religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses via videoconferencing. According to the court, by discussing Bible commandments, the believer undermined the foundations of the constitutional order of state and society.\nNatalya Vlasova, Andrey's wife: “Not a single piece of evidence was given. Well, for example, undermining the constitutional order of the country. How is it expressed? No mention of what my husband actually did. Breaking family ties. Which family, exactly, did he destroy? Name, surname, address, place of residence? Nothing is specified. The indictment just quoted Article 282. Andrey gave his final statement on May 23, 2022. Literally after a 5-minute break, the judge pronounced the sentence - 7 years.”\nMaksim Polezhaykin, Andrey Vlasov's stepson: “My reaction is shock. Also the people who were present there, friends, acquaintances, relatives, were also all shocked.”\nThe courts did not take into account Andrey's state of health. He was taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Earlier, after the searches and arrest in 2020, Andrey Vlasov was already in custody (later he was put under house arrest). Obviously, the conditions of imprisonment are unacceptable and painful for the believer.\nAleksandr Vakarev, surgeon, orthopedic traumatologist: \"Andrey suffers from a severe form of osteoarthritis of both hip joints with their ankylosing, that is, total stiffness, as a result of which Andrey's functions of movement, personal care and socializing suffer.\"\nAs Maksim Polezhaykin said, after the arrest, Andrey Vlasov ended up in a cell in a pre-trial detention center alone, without external help: “In order to simply put on his pants, he had to roll on the floor.” Because of unsanitary conditions, the believer had to tidy up the cell on his own: “Huge cockroaches run around, cobwebs are everywhere, dirty. He tidied up, more or less for himself having to be there,” said Maksim.\nArtur Ganin, lawyer: “The decree of the government of the Russian Federation establishes a general group of diseases, which specifically includes his disease. In order to somehow show this to the court, I turned to a specialist. Unfortunately, this disease can progress, and it is already progressing.”\nNow Vlasov is in penal colony No. 3 in the Novosibirsk Region. He appealed the verdict and the appeal decision to the court of cassation, which has the power to restore freedom and decent living conditions to the believer.\nAccording to Natalya Vlasova, Andrey remains optimistic and tries to keep in touch with her and his friends through letters. “Having already passed through these two years, I found myself thinking that in the beginning I was afraid. In fact, just waiting is scary. When it happens, Jehovah is so close, you can really feel his support!”\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2022-11-14T10:45:34+02:00","duration":"4:01","image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/141045/image_hu_8d6bfc58fcaa06d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/141045/image_hu_c503a05b1284266b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/141045/image_hu_6b2a05f8dacd7ff0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/141045/image_hu_c0e0a760026ea735.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/141045.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","health-risk","video","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In the Penal Colony, The Health of Andrey Vlasov From Prokopyevsk, Who is Disabled, is Deteriorating","type":"video"},{"body":"On November 14, 2022, the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory found Viktor Zimovskiy and the couple Anatoliy and Irina Gezik guilty of extremism for professing their faith. This decision was made by judge Nina Anashkina.\nThe court sentenced Viktor Zimovskiy to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony (he was taken into custody in the courtroom), Anatoliy Gezik received 4 years and 2 months of corrective labor, and Irina Gezik was given a suspended sentence of 4 years and 2 months. The decision of the court has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nThe Investigation Department of the Stavropol Territory opened a criminal case against Zimovskiy and the Gezik couple in December 2019. They were accused of organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization. According to believers, when searches were carried out in their homes two months earlier, law enforcement officers planted flash drives in them. During the search, Viktor Zimovskiy, who has a disability, felt unwell. Nevertheless, he and 10 other people were taken for interrogation. At that time, there were no arrests.\nThe investigator arrested Viktor after a second interrogation in January 2020. He spent 2 months in jail. At first, Zimovskiy was in a four-bed cell, along with 10 other prisoners. The inmates had to either sleep in turns or lie right on the cold floor. Due to the poor conditions of detention, Viktor fell ill. “In addition, at that time my wife was pregnant, and I could not be around to take care of her,” he said.\nThe investigation took 2 years and 2 months and on February 15, 2022, the case was submitted to the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory. The trial lasted 9 months.\nThe courts of the Stavropol Territory are considering 2 more criminal cases against 8 believers, 5 of which are women over 57 years old.\nRussian and international human rights activists have repeatedly emphasized that the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation is unjustified. However, the repressions do not slow down: hundreds of innocent believers have already become victims of criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_61e20874bce2581d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_f7562e0e67db40c7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_577ae11a1b6b7ca6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/161451/image_hu_fa719243e35c9f82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/161451.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["labor","liberty-deprivation","suspended","sentence","families","disability","plant","minors","282.2-1","282.2-2","health-risk"],"title":"Term in a Penal Colony, Suspended Sentence and Forced Labor—Three Jehovah's Witnesses Were Sentenced in Stavropol for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 10, 2022, the Vologda Regional Court reviewed the sentence imposed on Nikolay Stepanov for conducting religious meetings. Four years in a penal colony were replaced with a suspended sentence. Another person involved in the case is Yuriy Baranov. His 4-year suspended sentence remains unchanged.\nIn December 2019, when a massive raid of the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda was conducted, Stepanov and Baranov became targets of criminal prosecution. On September 5, 2022, the court of first instance issued a guilty verdict, which the believers appealed.\nDuring the preliminary investigation, Nikolay Stepanov spent 8 months in a detention center. After the verdict of the court of first instance was announced, the believer was again placed in detention, where he participated in the appeal hearings via video conference. According to Nikolay's lawyer, for some time the peaceful believer was held in custody together with criminal gang leaders and with a man who is on trial for murder. Stepanov should be released soon.\nUpdate. Later that day, Nikolay Stepanov was released from detention. His family and friends were waiting for him outside. Stepanov Nikolay with his wife Alla Stepanov Nikolay with his wife Alla, son Vyacheslav and friends against the background of SIZO-2 in Vologda after their release on November 10, 2022 Yuriy Baranov spent 3 months under house arrest. Now that he has a suspended sentence, he is under a recognizance agreement.\nYaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses, commented on the situation: “Despite the seemingly lenient sentence imposed by the court of appeal, the believers were still found guilty of extremism, even though they did not commit any crimes. They simply did what the early Christians did—they discussed the Holy Scriptures and prayed together. The verdict has entered into force, but Nikolay and Yuriy have the right to appeal it in cassation and international courts.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-10T16:36:09+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_e2a501c2de4aed3e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_d7f11eb823573bda.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_d42a1083c897747.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/101636/image_hu_c2902b0d708bdb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/101636.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in the Vologda Region Resulted in a More Lenient Sentence for One of the Convicted Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 9, 2022, security forces raided the homes of 3 Jehovah's Witnesses in Ivanovo. The believers were interrogated, and a criminal case was initiated under an article for extremism against two of them.\nThe searches began around 6:00 a.m. According to the 60-year-old believer, law enforcement officers threw him to the floor and handcuffed him, which they later removed. During the investigation, personal notes, a telephone, a memory card and a large amount of money received from the sale of property were seized.\nIvanovo has become the fifth city in the Ivanovo Region where law enforcement officers persecute Jehovah's Witnesses for their religious beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/171320.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"In Ivanovo, the First Criminal Case Was Opened Against Jehovah's Witnesses. Their Homes Were Searched","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2022, Vladimir Bykov, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy City Court, found the couple Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenov guilty of extremism and gave each of them 4 years suspended sentence. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe Semenovs learned about the criminal prosecution in September 2021 — a search was conducted in their home, the believers were interrogated and then released on a recognizance agreement. Three days earlier, Maxim Kudantsev, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory, opened a criminal case against the Semenov family under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activity of an extremist organization). The case was based on a letter with biblical advice to treat others kindly, written by the Semenovs, which was received by local resident Elena Turova. The investigation saw in it “words and statements that encourage actions aimed at joining a confession”. After 10 months of investigation, the criminal case went to court.\nAt the hearing, Nadezhda Semyonova said: “[Turova] replied that her mother had died in the spring and that the situation was very difficult for her. Applying what I had learned from the Bible, namely to love my neighbor and lend a helping hand, I could not ignore her letter. I wanted to answer her and console her in the best way I could.” The woman herself expressed a desire to regularly communicate with the Semenovs on biblical topics. However, later she began to cooperate with the FSB and record these conversations on video.\nDuring interrogation, the key witness for the prosecution admitted that she enjoyed talking with the Semenovs and their friends and that \"it was interesting to study the Bible\". The woman did not hear any extremist statements or calls for violence from the believers. The testimony of the witness at the court session differed from her written ones, and she could not state which of them exactly corresponded to reality. Despite this, prosecutor Pavel Venin asked the court to sentence the couple to 4 years in a penal colony.\nThe believers do not admit their guilt. At one of the hearings, Dmitriy Semenov said: “The Bible taught me to love all people ... I am deeply convinced that if every person on earth tried to apply the principles set forth in the Bible, the world would become much better.”\nIn total, four criminal cases against 8 Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith were opened in the Kamchatka Territory. One of them resulted in acquittal.\nHuman rights organizations consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be groundless and unjust. In June of this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the criminal prosecution of believers are illegal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-08T16:53:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_7e65bd5b15068d7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_5816a10a6eda535e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_7c932e51ab364a78.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081653/image_hu_5391e31b22812d38.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081653.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semyonov Were Given Four Years' Suspended Sentence for Sharing Bible Message","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok confirmed the conviction of five believers from Nevelsk — their suspended sentences of two to six-and-a-half years remain unchanged.\nIn January 2022, the Nevelsk City Court of the Sakhalin Region found Sergey and Tatyana Kulakov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Kozlitin and Yevgeniy Yelin guilty of either organizing or participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Three months later, the Sakhalin Regional Court dismissed the believers' appeal against the verdict.\nThe fact that the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues contrary to Russian law, causes bewilderment and misunderstanding among the international human rights community.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-08T16:42:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_61819dfa0160a746.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_7d8292f36b1bd4c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_622324dc68676f44.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081642/image_hu_d5b1588c03a5c00d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081642.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","suspended","families","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Verdict Against Five Jehovah's Witnesses from Nevelsk","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I feel not like a criminal, but a victim,\" the believer said in her last speech, noting that the biblical principles by which she and her husband try to live encourage love and peace, not extremism.\n","date":"2022-11-08T16:24:45+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/959.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nadezhda Semenova in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer told the court historical examples of how Jehovah's Witnesses were courageous and never spoke out against the state, even despite persecution. \"I will remain Jehovah's Witness wherever I am,\" the believer concluded.\n","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/231.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anton Dergalev in Makhachkala","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer spoke about his peaceful beliefs: \"I do not want to hate people. An example for me is Jesus, who was against violence.\" He drew attention to the fact that \"the prosecution provided evidence that it itself did not understand.\"\n","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/230.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Marat Abdulgalimov in Makhachkala","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 7, 2022, Nikolay Razdrogin, judge of the Nikolskiy District Court of the Penza Region, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, 32-year-old Viktor Shayapov, to 2 years' suspended sentence with 8 months' probation. The believer received such punishment for peacefully practicing his religion.\nViktor became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in October 2020. At that time, a wave of searches took place in Nikolsk at the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses, including the home of the Shayapov family. In February 2022, Shayapov was detained in the Moscow Region, taken to Penza and placed under house arrest. He spent almost 9 months in isolation from society with a location-tracking device on his leg. The believer was also added to the list of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation.\nShayapov was accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). For almost a year and a half, the investigation was carried out by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Penza Region. In March 2022, the case went to court. During the 7 months' hearing, the participants of the proceedings examinded at least 15 volumes of case materials.\nThere were no facts of any extremist actions or appeals presented in them, and the testimonies of witnesses in court differed from the preliminary statements. Nevertheless, the prosecutor demanded that the believer was given a 4 year suspended sentence.\n“Let me ask a question which was neither answered by the investigator nor the prosecution”, Viktor Shayapov addressed the court in his final statement, “how could I apply Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation—exercise my right to profess religion individually and jointly with others—and at the same time not be prosecuted? I simply profess religious views that are not prohibited by law.” The believer insists on his complete innocence. The verdict can be appealed.\nThe courts of Penza Region had previously convicted eight more Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith, including women over 60 years of age.\nRussian and foreign human rights institutions have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Russian authorities to the fact that the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is unlawful. The authorities continue to ignore such statements, and as a result, the number of peaceful believers labeled as extremists is on the rise.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-07T16:47:32+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_3ae114069eb6f24d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_6eef97731b273e20.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_5d0fc45661359e57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/081647/image_hu_bcbdcc30793c2580.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/081647.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended","fabrications"],"title":"A Court in Penza Region Sentenced Viktor Shayapov to Two Years Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 7, 2022, Judge Aleksey Bezrukov of the Rubtsovsk City Court of the Altai Territory decided that reading and discussing the Bible was extremism, found Andrey Danielyan guilty and sentenced him to 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nJoint worship of God with other believers was interpreted by the prosecution as illegal activity with criminal intent. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Danielyan to 7 years in prison. The judgment has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists that he is completely innocent.\nIn May 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a special operation in the Altai Territory, code-named “Armageddon”. At 6 a.m., FSB officers entered Andrey Danielyan's apartment, opening the door with their own key. It turned out that the believer's phone was tapped, and information from his personal computer had been accessed. After the search, Andrey and his wife were interrogated at the investigative department. Two days earlier, a criminal case was initiated against Danielyan on the charge of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Later, investigator Zavorin reclassified the charge to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believer spent almost a year and a half under a recognizance agreement.\nThe case went to trial after just over a year of investigation. After five sessions, the court entered the stage of closing arguments. Danielyan pointed out numerous examples of falsifications, inaccuracies, and bias against Jehovah's Witnesses; for example, one of the experts, Mirra Kashaeva, an assistant professor at Altai State University, voiced erroneous stereotypes about Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer was perplexed: “Based on the indictment, one could conclude that it is forbidden to preach, to pray, to discuss spiritual topics and to meet together. Can all this really constitute a crime? And what then are we allowed to do under Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation? It begs the question, how then are believers supposed to worship God?” The court and the investigation did not see the difference between a group of ordinary believers (a religious group), which does not need registration, and a legal entity that no longer exists in Russia. As a result, five men who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been subjected to criminal prosecution in the Altai Territory. In addition to Danielyan, Pavel Kazadaev's case is in court, and the other men are under investigation.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-07T13:30:32+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/071330/image_hu_638fafee5ae31aae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/071330/image_hu_c17166377d7eff9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/071330/image_hu_5a6c6677a206c5d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/071330/image_hu_dae330f19dc4b6f5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/071330.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Court in Rubtsovsk Sent 53-year-old Andrey Danielyan to a Penal Colony for 6 Years for Having Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer explained his innocence in illegal activities: \"There is no reason to consider the exercise of my right as something criminal. Satisfying one's spiritual needs cannot be a crime. Everything I was doing was peaceful and positive.\"\n","date":"2022-11-07T13:20:52+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/229.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 3, 2022, the Court of Appeal in Pskov overturned the acquittal verdict against Alexey Khabarov and sent the case for a new trial to the court of first instance comprising different judges.\nThe believer is being prosecuted under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation because of his religion. The \"not guilty\" verdict was handed down by the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region on June 27, 2022. The prosecutor's office, which had requested a sentence of 3.5 years in a penal colony, appealed the acquittal to the Pskov Regional Court of Appeal.\nAlthough the believer has the right to appeal this appellate ruling (overturning the acquittal) to the Third Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction in St. Petersburg, his status has now changed from acquitted to defendant. The Porkhov District Court will have to schedule a hearing as soon as the case materials arrive there.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-04T16:21:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/041621/image_hu_dc3d1f29fdf05afb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/041621/image_hu_8bbb7b46bb1ecffb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/041621/image_hu_f10f43cd318675eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/041621/image_hu_405471643ede5b04.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/041621.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","retrial"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Pskov Overturned the Acquittal Verdict Against One of Jehovah's Witnesses Aleksey Khabarov","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking about the right to freely worship God, the believer noted: \"To find law-abiding citizens of Russia guilty on false charges essentially means to accept other violations of their rights: illegal searches and arrests, unlawful detention, humiliation and even torture.\"\n","date":"2022-11-02T11:02:51+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/223.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Shayapov in Nikolsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 1, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court in Vladivostok upheld the sentence for Liya Maltseva from the town of Partizansk. This 53-year-old woman with a group II disability was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of suspended sentence for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the court regarded the peaceful profession of faith in Jehovah God.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn the Court of Appeal, Liya Maltseva drew attention to the fact that not a single statement or action of hers, in which hatred, violence or enmity was manifested, was presented to the court of lower instance. She stressed: \"The State Prosecution has not demonstrated that I participated in any socially dangerous activity. All the evidence examined in the trial court only shows that I discussed the Bible and its teachings with other people. I participated in a peaceful worship service, where I sang songs, listened to a Bible speech, studied a religious text that was not included in the federal list of extremist materials. All this was of an exclusively peaceful nature\".\nThe believer has been under house arrest since August 2020. Then a search was conducted in her apartment, and Maltseva herself was subjected to a psychiatric examination, for which she had to go to Ussuriysk, 200 km from home. The basis of the criminal case was the testimony of one of the participants in the religious service, who conducted covert videotaping of the meetings of believers.\nIn Primorye Territory, criminal cases were opened on similar charges against 44 other people. The sentences for 13 of them have already entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-11-01T15:25:12+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_16b5de4d247a289a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_1a8fed0cfa4fcb3b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_5719572b2077351d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/011525/image_hu_aa235b9fdd59f514.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/011525.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"In Vladivostok, the Appeal Upheld Liya Maltseva's Sentence for Professing the Faith of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 31, 2022, the retrial of the case of Svetlana Monis was completed in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The result was a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for believing in Jehovah God — the same sentence was given by the regional court at the first appeal.\nSvetlana Monis' sentence includes a two-year probationary period, as well as a one-year restriction of freedom. The believer insists on her complete innocence, which she stated at the stage of the debate of the parties. She has the right to appeal the verdict again in the court of appeals.\nThe starting point of the criminal prosecution of Monis was Operation Doomsday, which took place in May 2018 in Birobidzhan. A year and a half later, the believer was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization for practicing her religion. Monis' legal battle has been ongoing since March 2020. First, Svetlana was fined, later the regional court toughened the sentence. The cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which, in turn, sent it to a new consideration in the court of first instance. The hearings began in the spring of 2022. After seven months, the prosecutor again requested four years of imprisonment in a colony for the believer.\nThe Birobidzhan District Court is also considering the case of Svetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev. It is expected that it will enter the stage of debates in November 2022.\nIn June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unleashed in Russia is groundless.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_568b36d5d9b9c74.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_51de52748a6406e9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_8c00ca79885872bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/11/011521/image_hu_610e692bcd33f530.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/11/011521.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Birobidzhan District Court Again Issued a Verdict in the Case of the Believer Svetlana Monis — 2.5 Years Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I love people and do not wish them harm,\" the defendant said in his last statement. \"I don't hate people on social, racial or religious grounds. I do not hate the secular authorities, but, on the contrary, show respect for them.\"\n","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/228.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Semyonov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer explained that the Bible encourages Jehovah's Witnesses to be law-abiding citizens. \"Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable for me,\" he stressed.\n","date":"2022-10-26T09:30:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/218.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","retrial","courtroom"],"title":"Repeated last word of the defendant Sergey Yuferov in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 25, 2022, Ivan Kuznetsov, judge of the Tyndinskiy District Court of the Amur Region, sentenced four of Jehovah's Witnesses from the city of Tynda to imprisonment in a penal colony. Vladimir Bukin, Valeriy Slashchev and Sergey Yuferov were given 6 years and 6 months each, and Mikhail Burkov — 6 years and 2 months.\nThe believers were taken into custody in the courtroom. They can appeal the verdict to a higher court.\nOn November 11, 2019, FSB investigator V.S. Obukhov opened a criminal case against four residents of Tynda for their faith. A week later, searches and interrogations took place in their families, during which the men were persistently persuaded to cooperate with the investigation. The believers were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for holding worship services and “home-based Bible studies.” Also, the investigation considered the conversations of Bukin, Yuferov and Slashchev about the Bible with informant D. Nurakov, who in 2018 began collecting information about local believers, as an involvement in extremist activity (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe investigation lasted for a year and a half. On June 28, 2021, the case (consisting of at least 15 volumes) went to court. As “evidence of illegal activity” of the defendants, the prosecutor presented texts from seized postcards and printouts on the topics “Good manners are an integral feature of God’s people”, “What kind of treatment God expects for the elderly” and “Love strengthens”. Although during the hearings no specific facts of extremist actions on the part of the defendants were provided, the prosecutor asked to assign them long prison terms: for Vladimir Bukin — 8 years and 6 months, for Sergey Yuferov and Valeriy Slashchev — 8 years and 4 months each and for Mikhail Burkov — 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony.\nAddressing the court with the last plea, the believers stressed that they consider themselves innocent. “Our only ‘guilt’ is that we want to glorify God and keep his commandments,” Vladimir Bukin said. “Therefore, if I am found guilty, it is guilty of loving God, his holy name and his word, the Bible.” And Mikhail Burkov noted: “I am being judged because I am learning to show positive qualities: kindness, peacefulness, compassion, patience, respect ... A reference from the place of employment and two letters of gratitude from the mayor of the city of Tynda confirm that I am a hardworking, sympathetic and peaceful citizen ready for any good work.\"\nIn the Amur Region, 23 Jehovah's Witnesses suffered for their faith. Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik are serving long terms in a colony, while Konstantin Moiseyenko and Vasiliy Reznichenko received a suspended sentence. Another seven men are defending their right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in court. Most of the cases against believers in this region were initiated by FSB investigator Obukhov.\nForeign and Russian human rights activists condemn the relentless persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-25T16:15:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/251615/image_hu_cd44425de54cc9d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/251615/image_hu_dd5c8a3c63c77280.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/251615/image_hu_c6a8fb0b04aa646e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/251615/image_hu_727d07b0c560f6bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/251615.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Four of Jehovah's Witnesses Sentenced to Six Years in the Penal Colony in the Amur Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok considered Andrey Gubin's cassation appeal against verdict and appeal ruling, according to which he was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and 6 months suspended for his religion.\nThe believer considers himself innocent and unjustly convicted. At one time, the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan was liquidated by the decision of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. In its appellate ruling in the case, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation stated that \"members of this local organization are not deprived of the opportunity to perform their own religious worship.\" Gubin believes that he exercised this right. He tried to draw the attention of the Court of Cassation to this and many other rehabilitating circumstances of the case, but the verdict was not overturned.\nThe criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is puzzling to many legal scholars and human rights activists.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/271133/image_hu_5dc72b9213160aaf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/271133/image_hu_c76e90f0d250f39f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/271133/image_hu_b441066a606da1f2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/271133/image_hu_cdae458ac691eddc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/271133.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal of Jehovah's Witness Andrey Gubin against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court","type":"news"},{"body":"On 20 October 2022 searches were again carried out in Maykop at least three addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Nikolay Voishchev, 67, was arrested and a criminal case was opened against him.\nEarly in the morning employees of the Investigative Committee and FSB, witnesses and IT-specialist came to the believers with a search. They seized cell phones, electronic devices, and hard drives with personal photos and documents. The law enforcers behaved correctly.\nThree believers were taken to the investigative committee of Maikop for questioning, after which two were released and Nikolai Voishchev was placed in temporary detention isolation ward. Soon, the court will choose a measure of restraint for him.\nUpdate. The next day, October 21, the court placed the believer in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. You can write letters to him, with the following address on an envelope: «Voishchev Nikolay Pavlovich, born 1955, SIZO No. 2 in the Republic of Adygeya, ul. Lenina, 28, p. Tlyustenkhabl , Teuchezhskiy district, Republic of Adygeya, Russia, 385228». Letters of support can be sent by regular mail. They should not discuss topics related to criminal prosecution; letters in languages other than Russian are not allowed. In Maykop, three more Jehovah's Witnesses are charged with practicing their religion. Two of them, Nikolai Saparov and Inver Siyukhov,, are already defending their beliefs in court. They are being held in pre-trial detention.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-20T16:52:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_e9b971f86e7649f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_f994328032669b74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_e09d17a4c71b8418.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211652/image_hu_58a4c473fc7aaaa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/211652.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","interrogation","search","new-case","ivs"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses, 67, detained in Maykop","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2022, the Krasnodar Territory Court dismissed an appeal of 49-year-old Aleksandr Nikolaev from the village of Kholmskaya. The father of five children will have to spend another 11 months in a penal colony for participating in an online worship service where he read aloud a passage from the Bible.\nThe sentence came into effect. The believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to file a complaint with the court of cassation. He has already spent almost 13 months in the detention center, which is added to his sentence on the basis of the principle one day for one and a half. The presumed date of release from the colony - September 19, 2023, but after release, Aleksandr Nikolaev must regularly report to the inspection of the Federal Penitentiary Service for six months at his place of residence. This part of the sentence was added by the appellate court.\nIn December 2021, the Abinsk District Court of Krasnodar Territory found Aleksandr Nikolaev guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 3 years in prison for the believer.\nEarlier, in April 2021 the house of Nikolayev was searched, Aleksandr was placed on his own recognizance not to leave. In September, an investigator summoned him to the Investigative Committee, allegedly for questioning. However, the believer was detained and taken to court, which sent him to jail.\nDuring the trial, the defense discovered falsifications. For example, the resolution on bringing him as an accused and the indictment were forged after Nikolaev had previously read them. \"They added that he was at home, gave an address and indicated that it was between 2017 and April 2020. Sometime in that interval,\" the lawyer said. However, the judge did not order an examination of the documents for falsification. The lawyer also reported that several pages in the case file had been replaced.\nThe accusation is based on a recording of a worship service made by security officers using spyware installed on the computer of Nikolaev's father-in-law, Alexander Ivshin (he is already serving a 7.5-year prison sentence for his faith). A total of six residents of the village of Kholmskaya were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for reading the Bible.\nIn connection with the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, late Lyudmila Alekseeva, chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, expressed her indignation: \"The extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses is expressed in the fact that they believe their faith is true. But, excuse me, what believer doesn't consider his faith to be true?\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-20T16:08:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/211608/image_hu_87d06f0c8e1cd292.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211608/image_hu_d2195af3f1e45faa.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211608/image_hu_cdc83e19ee70662b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211608/image_hu_f415fcc43adf6dba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/211608.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors","appeal","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Appeal in Krasnodar Affirmed the Verdict for the Faith of Aleksandr Nikolaev, a Many-Child Father","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2022, the judge of the Lesozavodskiy District Court of the Primorye Territory Sergey Galayuda found Galina Kobeleva guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of her religion and sentenced her to 6 years suspended sentemce—this is exactly the punishment requested by the prosecutor.\nIn court, the believer said, “I still insist that I did not commit any crime. My religious activity was not a continuation of the activities of a liquidated legal entity, but a way of confessing my faith.” The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nOn May 12, 2020, a wave of searches took place in the city of Lesozavodsk, as a result of which four Jehovah's Witnesses—Yevgeniy Grinenko, Svetlana Efremova, Galina Kobeleva, and her son Sergei—became defendants in a criminal case for their faith. In August 2021, due to Galina's illness, her case was separated into a separate proceeding. According to the investigation, the believer was guilty of “assisting Y. A. Grinenko in organizing meetings of the LRO [local religious organization] of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Lesozavodsk, acting as a coordinator.” Galina Kobeleva was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which made it difficult for her to get a livelihood.\nIn total, the Investigative Committee investigated the case for a year and five months, and in October 2021 it went to court. The hearings went on for almost a year. The accusation was largely based on the testimony of an infiltrated FSB agent, Vladislav Mrachko, who asked Galina to study the Bible with him, and also repeatedly expressed a desire to attend divine services. One of the security officials, detective Severin, stated in court that the reason for the operational actions against Kobeleva was her involvement in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn addition, the conducted psychological-linguistic-religious examination was not objective. For example, Galina's everyday conversation about a meeting with a person at a store and a bus schedule was interpreted by experts as a discussion of \"issues related to attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses held in small groups at different times in different districts of Lesozavodsk.\" In addition, the conclusion gave a legal assessment of the actions of Kobeleva, and this is exclusively within the competence of the court. 20 witnesses also refuted the charges brought against Galina Kobeleva. However, the court convicted the believer.\nIn Primorye, 41 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted, 13 of them have been sentenced to suspended sentences for their religion.\nThe European Court of Human Rights considered the persecution of believers to be unjust, and all the persecution of the followers of this religion deployed in Russia was groundless.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_3565eb1c7fa02276.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_9f4c789041b61f47.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_2faaff8c34628381.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/210939/image_hu_fc331b4bb452246b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/210939.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","suspended","sentence","elderly","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Primorye, Galina Kobeleva, 66, Received a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On 18 October 2022 the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok considered the appeal of Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev against their sentence. The judicial board disregarded their right to freedom of religion and upheld the decision of the first instance.\nAddressing the court of cassation, Yuriy Belosludtsev said: “I am an ordinary believer, and my actions, which were regarded as criminal by the court of first instance, are reading the Bible, singing songs, praying, and also talking on biblical topics. But these cases are ordinary cases for any believer, and they are protected by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation”.\nSergey Sergeyev noted: “I am a Christian and have never hated anyone and do not now. My beliefs are based on the commandments of God, on norms, principles, love and justice . . . Therefore, for me, being an extremist and a terrorist is simply unthinkable”.\nBelosludtsev and Sergeyev still do not admit their guilt and believe that the charge of extremism brought against them does not correspond to reality, as they exercised their right to freedom of religion and continued to worship Jehovah God, they did not commit any illegal actions.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-18T16:20:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_916ed9bdad18cd77.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_4bcdf058cc5cb3ff.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_164a76fd806b6b25.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/211620/image_hu_26306797f31c3253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/211620.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","cassation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Cassation Upheld the Conviction of Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev - Six Years of Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"Dear court!\nDespite the formidable wording of the charges, in my final statement I want to remind you of the specific actions for which the public prosecutor asks me to be found guilty and convicted. They ask me to be recognized as an extremist only because I talked about the Bible with citizen Mrachko V.Y. and also for the fact that I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. If we assume that I would profess a different religion, for example, Orthodoxy, then my conversations about the Bible with citizen Mrachko V.Y. the prosecution would consider legitimate. And the whole accusation was built on this erroneous judgment. Throughout the trial, I pondered the question: How do I, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, differ from representatives of other religions? And why am I forbidden to do what others are allowed to do?\nBeing present at court hearings, I repeatedly heard the question: \"What is the difference between the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and other religions?\" In fact, there are many differences. But today I will talk about two of them, especially since they explain why I came to Mrachko V.Y. and talked with him, referring to the Bible.\nThe first difference. The Bible is a reference point in the worship of God for Jehovah's Witnesses. In John chapter 17, verse 17, Jesus Christ said to God, \"Your word is truth.\" The truth is in God's Word, the Bible. Therefore, in the worship of God and in life, it is necessary to adhere to what is written in the Bible. Let me give you an example. One of the commandments recorded in Exodus 20 chapter 4 and verse 5 reads: \"Thou shalt not make unto thee an idol, nor any image of that which is in heaven above, nor that which is on the earth below, nor that which is in the water below the earth. Thou shalt not worship them or serve them, for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God...\" Jehovah's Witnesses follow this instruction and do not worship any images, especially since Psalm 113:11-16 says: \"Our God is in heaven, doing whatever he wants. And their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; they have nostrils, but do not smell; They have hands, but they do not touch; they have legs, but they do not walk; and they do not utter voices with their larynx. Let those who do them be like them, and all who hope in them.\" It turns out that the worship of images is useless, since images are not seen, not heard and, of course, cannot help. And in Isaiah 44 chapters 9 to 20, verses about images also say that they are useless and that the person who worships them is deceiving himself: \"He is chasing dust, a deceived heart has led him astray, and he cannot free his soul and say, 'Is there not a deception in my right hand?'\" Taking into account all these scriptures from the Bible, it is impossible not to notice God's point of view on the question of whether or not images should be used in the worship of God. But some religions ignore this truth, replacing it with human commandments and traditions. If we worship God as the Bible teaches, and try to follow what is written in it, it brings great joy to God, and God's approval to us.\nThe Bible is the Constitution of God's kingdom and the standard of truth authored by God (2 Timothy 3:16,17). And therefore, no parliament in the world can change it even by a majority vote. And since it is written for all people on earth, this is why Jehovah's Witnesses try to worship God and live as God wants it and as it is written in his Word, the Bible.\nThe second difference. Jehovah's Witnesses, like first-century Christians, tell others what Jesus taught. According to the Gospel of Matthew 28 chapter 19, 20 verses, Jesus gave his disciples an important task: \"Go and make disciples of all nations... Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...\" The first Christians themselves went to the people and preached in the square, in the market and in private homes. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses also preach Bible truth wherever there are people and even here in court. Why do they do this? They love their neighbors, that is, all people, and therefore spare no time and effort to bring the Bible's message of hope and comfort. After all, everyone knows that a firm, well-founded hope gives strength to cope with difficulties and look to the future with joy. And this is so necessary for people now! And if Jesus said to preach, then I want to be obedient and act like the first Christians. That is why I came to Mrachko V. Y. and offered to learn about God from the Bible. First-century Christians were not extremists, and I, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not do anything extremist. After all, being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime!\nJehovah's Witnesses have lived in Russia for more than 100 years. And for most of this time, they practice their faith without those LRO (local religious organizations) - legal entities that appeared in the late 1990s and lasted less than 20 years. In 2017, these legal entities were liquidated. And what is the result? The rights of ordinary citizens to freedom of religion, which are enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and which they used before the appearance of LRO legal entities, began to be violated. And I would very much like the rights referred to in the Constitution of the Russian Federation to apply to all citizens of the Russian Federation and not act selectively.\nWhy are Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted? The answer can be found in the Bible. The apostle Paul wrote in a letter to Timothy: \"And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus (i.e., faithfully serve God) will be persecuted\" (2 Timothy 3:12). Jehovah's Witnesses lead a highly moral way of life: they do not smoke, do not swear, do not abuse alcohol, they have strong families, without adultery, respect any authority, and maintain Christian neutrality in matters of politics. Since this way of life is very disliked by God's enemy, the Devil, who, according to the Bible, rules the whole world, so Jehovah's Witnesses suffer persecution.\nEverything that is happening to me now in this court session has actually already happened in the history of our state. Thus, in April 1951, a campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses was carefully planned in the USSR, which was called \"Operation North\". Jehovah's Witnesses at that time, as well as I am now, were accused of undermining the state system. About 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses were forcibly exiled to Siberia without the right to return. Their houses and possessions were confiscated, and some were even deprived of their lives for believing in God, which did not fit into the framework of Soviet ideology. But none of them hated people in general, or even their persecutors. They remained Christians and law-abiding citizens. Jehovah's Witnesses worked honestly on collective farms and industrial enterprises, and did not pose any threat to Soviet power. Also today, I comply with the laws of our country, do not undermine security and do not threaten the integrity of our state, and even more so - the constitutional order. How can I even do this, since everything I am accused of contradicts what my God Jehovah teaches me? Just as Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted in the Soviet Union, unfortunately, this is still happening. But pay attention, dear court, in the early 1990s, Russia recognized the fallacy and illegality of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The affected Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized as victims of political repression and fully rehabilitated.\nYour honor! One name was often heard here - Jehovah. Jehovah is the personal name of the Most High God, and in the Bible, in most translations, it occurs in at least one place where it says: \"The Lord is a man of battle, Jehovah is his name\" (Exodus 15 chapter 3 verse). I am in the courtroom today practically for the fact that I am associated with this name, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I declare with all responsibility that it did not even occur to me what I am accused of as a criminal. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I always try to live and act in a way that does not defame the holy name of God.\nMy faith in God means a lot to me. Until 1994, I knew nothing about Jehovah's Witnesses. But I began to think about the meaning of life from a young age, as I saw how hard life is and that the end result of all this little joyful life is the grave. Of course, I didn't like it and always wanted there to be another, more positive way out. So when Jehovah's Witnesses offered me a study of the Bible, I agreed, hoping to find a logical and satisfying answer to this question. Why in the Bible? I had heard a lot about this book as wise and authoritative, and later, when studying it, I became convinced of this, having received evidence that it contained the wisdom of God, and not of men. At that time, I was already disappointed in the contradictory human wisdom regarding the meaning of life, seeing how much grief and injustice in my life, and throughout the world. And I intuitively, unconsciously, sought wisdom and guidance for my life from above. And Jehovah God heard me and sent his servants, Jehovah's Witnesses, to help me understand his letter, the Bible. It turned out that this guide to a happy life was given by God a long time ago, and I did not know. How glad I was to receive an answer not only to the question: what is the meaning of life, but also to many others. Studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, I began to understand what the name Jehovah means and why only the Most High God can bear this name, why people suffer and die, what happens to the dead, what the future holds for people, why the Bible and God can be trusted, and much more. With this accurate Bible knowledge, my faith in Jehovah God and his promises to make the whole earth a paradise was strengthened. This belief of mine was based not on the hypotheses and theories of imperfect people who are prone to error, but on the truth of God's Word, the Bible, authored by God himself. This knowledge from the Bible gave me confidence and joy in life, gave me a firm, reasonable hope for a happy future without disease, old age and death. I have also made many true, loving friends who will never intentionally let me down or betray me. I also experienced the words recorded in James 4:8: \"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...\" I became convinced that it is possible to have the same intimate relationship with God as with a good friend. I also saw evidence that Jehovah is the living God, and that he is always there for those who reach out to him.\nOn the basis of my Bible knowledge of God, his attributes, and his purpose for the earth and mankind, and the evidence that the Bible is a book from God and can be trusted, I have made a deliberate decision to dedicate my life not to any organization, person, or cause, but to the one who gave me this life, Jehovah God, promising him to serve and live in accordance with his will and standards. Which is what he expects from everyone. And for this I needed to change and, as I learned from the Bible, you need to start with thinking. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians 4:22-24 says, \"Put aside the old way of life of the old man, decaying in seductive lusts, And be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the new man, created according to God, in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.\" The fact that all our actions are preceded by thought was confirmed by Jesus Christ, who said: \"But that which proceedeth from the mouth proceedeth from the heart; This defiles man, For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery ... theft, perjury, blasphemy: it defiles a man...\" (Matthew 15:18–20)\nYour honor! I realized for myself that in order to please God and live in harmony with his standards and, accordingly, experience his blessings, I need to change my thinking. But how? In Philippians 4:8, the apostle Paul said, \"Finally, my brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honest, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is kind, whatever is glorious, whatever is only virtue and praise, think of it.\" It turns out that I had to fill my mind not only with everyday thoughts (home, work, garden, etc.), but also with useful thoughts from the Bible for spiritual development. Therefore, I decided for myself to read and meditate on the Bible daily, regularly attend services where we study the Bible, and share this Bible knowledge with others. Thanks to this, I learn to love people. To love even those who are hostile to me. This is not easy, but it is possible for everyone, because Jesus Christ said, \"Love your enemies\" (Matthew 5:44). The Bible teaches me to endure evil and not to speak offensively of anyone. And the more I read about it and think about it, the stronger the motivation to do good to all people.\nJehovah's Witnesses do good to people when they preach the good (or joyful) news from the Bible. It can be said that preaching is the calling card of Jehovah's Witnesses, as they fulfill the task of Jesus Christ throughout the world: \"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, as a witness to all nations; and then the end shall come\" (Matthew 24:14). Why can it be said that Jesus Christ gave this assignment not only to Christians in the first century, when he lived, but also to us? Because Jesus said, \"And then the end will come.\" So, at the end of this system of things, someone will preach the good news. According to biblical prophecies that are being fulfilled before our eyes, we live in these days. But how is it to be preached?\nSome of Jesus' instructions are recorded in Matthew 10:12–14: \"As you enter the house, greet those who are in it. If the house is worthy, let the world you wish for it come to it, and if it is unworthy, let your peace return to you. If somewhere you will not be accepted and will not be listened to, then, leaving that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. A clear and explicit instruction to talk to people from house to house about the good news, which is what I tried to do. But not for the purpose of involvement, as I am accused, but to bring this message to those who are interested. And Jehovah God \"attracts\" people. This is also what Jesus said in John 6:44: \"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...\" It is absolutely certain that it was not Jesus, not Jehovah, who did not authorize me to \"attract\" or \"involve\" someone. My goal is to witness to people and help those who want to learn about Jehovah God, remembering that everyone makes their own choices consciously and independently.\nTalking to people on biblical topics, reading and distributing religious literature, attending worship services, singing songs, praying - this is all a way of expressing my faith in God and worshiping him, and not an action prohibited by the LRO of Lesozavodsk. And I can't imagine how this peaceful worship of God can shake the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and be dangerous to others and to society as a whole. By reading the Bible and attending worship services, on the contrary, I learn to respect the authorities and their laws.\nI am also accused of being dangerous to the state and society, as I claimed that my religion was true. I would very much like to see a believer of any denomination who would declare that his religion is not true. Absurd! Everyone considers what they believe to be true.\nAll over the world, Jehovah's Witnesses are known as peace-loving people who have nothing to do with extremism. We follow the biblical counsel to respect \"all kinds of people,\" regardless of their religious beliefs (1 Peter 2:17). Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with violence, do not take up arms, and follow the command recorded in Isaiah 2:4: \"... And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: the people will not raise a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight. For Jehovah's Witnesses, an intimate relationship with God and a desire not to grieve him are so important that they are ready to end up in prison rather than take up arms. This command of God to \"not learn to fight\" is so important to Jehovah's Witnesses that parents do not buy their children war toys (tanks, pistols, etc.) so that children do not learn to fight from childhood.\nI'm far from a perfect person. I have mistakes and mistakes in life, like all people, because we are all imperfect. But all of them are incommensurable with what I am accused of today. Perhaps not everyone likes what I believe in and how I express my views and beliefs. And someone fundamentally disagrees with me. But if you think that someone does something differently than many people, not in the way that is customary for others, but at the same time without breaking the laws, without harming anyone, will he be judged for this as a criminal and an extremist? Hardly. And today they judge and want to brand me with this word only because I believe in Jehovah God, pray to him and am a believing Jehovah's Witness. It is very sad if this happens.\nIn conclusion, I would like to thank you, Your Honor, the distinguished State Prosecutor and the Registrar for your hard work. Nowadays, being impartial and honest is really not easy. Special thanks to my defender Galina Vladimirovna for her caring attitude to her work.\nYour honor! My conscience is clear. I did not commit any crime either before people, or before the state, or before God. Therefore, hoping for your impartiality, I ask you to acquit me.\nYours sincerely,\nDefendant Kobeleva G. A.\n","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/217.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Galina Alekseevna Kobeleva","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the morning of October 17, 2022, searches were carried out in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at four addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe criminal case was opened by the investigator for especially important cases D. M. Petukhov on September 25, 2022. At one of the families, the security forces searched not only the apartment, but also the car. They seized electronic devices, storage media, money and personal records. Law enforcement officers took another believer straight from work and took him to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After searches and interrogations, the believers were released on a pledge to appear.\nNow, in the Kamchatka Territory, 8 believers have already faced criminal prosecution for their faith. Three of them were acquitted, two received a fine, and one received a suspended sentence. Soon, the verdict will be announced to the Semyonov spouses from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/180943.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","summon"],"title":"In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched. Criminal Case Initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, Valery Slashchev explained why peaceful worship is not a crime, which was confirmed by both the Supreme Court and the President of the Russian Federation. \"But law enforcement officers, unfortunately, remained deaf to all the statements of the highest authorities,\" the defendant complained.\n","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/219.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","retrial","courtroom"],"title":"Repeated last word of the defendant Valery Slashchev in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 11, 2022, a panel of judges of the Birobidzhan Regional Court of Jewish Autononous Region overturned the conviction of Oleg Postnikov and his wife Agnessa and sent the criminal case for a new trial to the court of first instance. Believers will once again have to defend their right to freedom of religion in court.\nThe couple faced reprisals for their faith in May 2018, when their house was searched as part of the “Judgment Day” special operation. The prosecution against the Postnikovs was based on the testimony of police officer Yuliya Zvereva and another woman who feigned an interest in Bible study. A hidden video camera was installed in her house to record conversations with believers.\nJudge of the Birobidzhan District Court Marina Tsimarno sentenced Oleg and Agnessa to 5.5 and 5 years of suspended imprisonment respectively in April 2022. The prosecutor requested 5.5 years in a colony for Oleg, and 5 years in a colony for Agnes. It is not yet known why the Court of Appeal overturned the verdict.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region is the region with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. There were 19 cases against peaceful believers. Convictions for 14 of them have already entered into force.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-10-11T15:43:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/111543/image_hu_544dc443110a1cc2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/111543/image_hu_efe39a4201b5e3b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/111543/image_hu_e0de7b461f761c48.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/111543/image_hu_ceea1e0966db4732.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/111543.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"An Appeal in Birobidzhan Overturned the Verdict for the Faith of the Postnikov Spouses and Returned Their Case for a New Trial","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2022, the judge of the Kezhemskiy District Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Grigoriy Garbuz, sentenced Ildar Urazbakhtin to 6 years suspended sentence, equating the study of the Bible with extremist activity. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn July 2021, the Urazbakhtins were searched. They had three minor granddaughters visiting them, the youngest of whom at that time was five. A day earlier a criminal case was initiated against Ildar on suspicion of “committing a grave crime” under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for discussing Bible teachings with friends.\nAfter the search, Ildar Urazbakhtin was detained, placed in a temporary detention center for a day, and then spent two months under house arrest. The believer recalls: “My life abruptly ‘gave up on the brakes.’ I couldn’t leave the apartment, I couldn’t communicate with anyone except my wife.” Later, Ildar was under a recognizance agreement, which prevented him from freely leaving his district.\nIldar is the only breadwinner in the family, his wife is a disabled person of group III. The believer says: \"Rosfinmonitoring has blacklisted me, and all my accounts have been blocked. Therefore, the budget built in our family collapsed. Ildar and his wife were able to pay for the services of a lawyer, as well as a trip to Krasnoyarsk for a medical examination, only thanks to the financial assistance of friends. The Urazbakhtins received emotional help from letters of support.\nThe investigation lasted six months. The trial began in January 2022 and lasted over 8 months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, prosecutor Dmitriy Vladimirov asked the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 27 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their faith. Five were sentenced to various types of punishment—a fine, suspended sentences, real imprisonment. Among them is Andrey Stupnikov, who is serving a 6-year sentence in a penal colony.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, whose rulings are binding on all courts, clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, criminal persecution of believers in Russia continues.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-10T16:27:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_328f5ee13fa137e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_e0f0f3be3d36174c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_6de335bc794ee098.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/101627/image_hu_b77184285d744c0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101627.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Kodinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Ildar Urazbakhtin, 59, Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2022, the Solnechniy District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory sentenced Boris Yagovitov to 5 years suspended sentence. It was only because of his faith that he was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and being involved in it. Yagovitov was released from custody in the courtroom. He spent more than 9 months in the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case against Boris Yagovitov was opened in May 2021. The believer was suspected of a crime under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A few weeks later, the Yagovitovs were detained in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and taken for interrogation to the village of Solnechniy. The place of residence of Boris and Nataliya was searched in their absence. In June 2021, the believer was placed under house arrest, and in December of the same year, he was placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nThe imprisonment of Boris added to the hardships of the Yagovitov family. Boris's wife, Nataliya, said: \"Difficulties for me are connected with emotional stress: you need to voluntarily go to a place where it is not entirely comfortable to stay, and at the same time be in a good mood in order to be a source of support for my Boris.\" In addition, Yagovitov's elderly mother was left for a long time without the necessary care of her son and his wife, as she lives 6700 km from them.\nThe investigation considered the testimony of Pavel Baleychuk to be the main evidence of Yagovitov's guilt, who, after several conversations with Boris, turned to the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and agreed to participate in operational-search activities. The case file contains audio recordings of his personal conversations with Yagovitov, as well as divine services attended by the informant.\nConsideration of the case in the Solnechniy District Court began in December 2021. Three months later, Judge Pavel Nesterov returned the case to the prosecutor's office to eliminate the violations committed at the preliminary investigation stage. The case returned to court in May 2022, and this time he was appointed to judge Alyona Stolyarova. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 5 years in a penal colony, as well as 2 years and 11 months of restriction of freedom, but the judge assigned 50-year-old Boris Yagovitov a suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 7 months. The believer insists on his complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses are already being persecuted for their faith. Four of them served their sentences. Most human rights structures in Russia condemn the actions of the authorities.\nIn October 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, the intensity of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not decreasing.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-10T16:23:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_ae2e465823ae18d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_dde09cfe1ed97367.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_76b81abc1327b576.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/101623/image_hu_1ef0ff95fee23e3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101623.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","retrial"],"title":"In Khabarovsk Territory, a Court Sentenced Boris Yagovitov to Five Years Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God And Released After Nine Months in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 6, 2022, judge Olga Berdnikova of the Nakhimovsky District Court of Sevastopol found three Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. Yevgeniy Zhukov, Vladimir Maladyka and Vladimir Sakada got 6 years in prison each. The believers were taken into custody. They intend to appeal the verdict.\nUpdate. Right from the courtroom, Zhukov, Maladyka and Sakada were transferred to SIZO No. 1 in the city of Simferopol. Zhukov, Maladyka and Sakada faced persecution for their faith on October 1, 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. For the fact that believers participated in peaceful religious meetings, a criminal case was initiated against them. They, as well as their fellow believers from Sevastopol, were searched. On the same day, four believers, including Zhukov, Maladyka and Sakada, were sent to a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 6 to 7.5 months. In addition, Vladimir Maladyka and his wife were subjected to compulsory examination in a psycho-neurological dispensary because of a bag of powdered milk found at their home, which seemed suspicious to the investigators.\nVladimir Sakada and Vladimir Maladyka have families, Evgeniy Zhukov takes care of his disabled brother. All three believers have a reputation as respectable people and law-abiding citizens.\nThe investigation was conducted by the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol for about six months. In April 2021, the case went to trial. As “evidence” of the believers’ guilt, the investigation used hidden video recordings of worship services made by FSB agents. In the video, believers pray, sing and discuss the Bible. During the court hearings, Vladimir Sakada stated that the videotapes presented to the experts and the court \"were subjected to unauthorized changes.\" However, the court refused to verify this material evidence. FSB officer Dmitry Shevchenko, who conducted operational-search activities, said in court that there were no signs of extremism and facts of inciting religious hatred in the actions of the defendants. According to him, he has been familiar with the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol since 2015, and their services have always been of an exclusively religious nature.\nHowever, the court returned a guilty verdict. In addition to imprisonment in a colony, the court imposed travel restrictions on believers after serving their sentence for a period of 1 year. For 7 years, they are prohibited from publishing in the media and the Internet.\nIn Crimea, a total of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses have faced persecution for their faith, four of them are serving sentences in a penal colony. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful, and all charges against them unfounded.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-07T13:08:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/071308/image_hu_20ab79bcfdd21e66.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/071308/image_hu_c8cf3fdd7283b8dd.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/071308/image_hu_93f164c66d9621e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/071308/image_hu_998621180d9a9f14.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/071308.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court in Sevastopol Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to 6 Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer stressed that he considers the accusation groundless: \"I am not ashamed to look people in the eye, I am not ashamed to stand in the courtroom. I had no previous convictions, had nothing to do with crime. I am not here for any crime. I am only here because I believe in God, whose name is Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/216.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ildar Urazbakhtin in Kodinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 6, 2022, the Krasnodar Regional Court, chaired by Igor Krainik, denied 45-year-old Lyudmila Shchekoldina her appeal against the verdict, which has now entered into force.\nIn May 2022, Lyudmila Shchekoldina was sentenced to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony for participating in the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer appealed the verdict. In her appeal, she stressed that the court of first instance did not explain why the peaceful way of expressing faith in God was regarded as a crime, while freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer still insists on her innocence and can file a complaint with the court of cassation.\nIn February 2022, at a meeting of judges, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev explained that peaceful religious rites and ceremonies cannot be considered extremist crimes. However, since 2017, at least 349 Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through Russian prisons.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/100921/image_hu_f35a5dea294ad686.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/100921/image_hu_d5fc4f4c1afea72.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/100921/image_hu_e304e472e18220e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/100921/image_hu_ef90d1a5c66c6d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/100921.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Krasnodar left behind bars Lyudmila Shchekoldina, sentenced to more than 4 years in prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 6, 2022, in the village of Yaroslavskiy (Primorye Territory), searches were carried out at 12 addresses of those whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Two believers—Boris Andreyev, 70, and Nataliya Sharapova, 49,—were detained. The next day, the court sent them to a pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to preliminary information, Andreyev is suspected of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Sharapova of involvement in this activity (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt is known that they will spend at least 22 days in a pre-trial detention center. Some believers, including the elderly, were seized phones by law enforcement officers. After the searches, several people were interrogated.\nUpdate. It became known that on October 12, another believer from the village of Yaroslavskiy, Anatoliy Lee, 37, was arrested. He spent a day in a temporary detention center located in the neighboring village of Khorol, after which the court ruled to send him to a pre-trial detention center until October 28, 2022. Lee is another person involved in the criminal case initiated against Boris Andreyev and Nataliya Sharapova. This is already the 17th criminal case for faith in Primorye Territory. Twelve Jehovah's Witnesses from the region have been convicted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/101633.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Court Placed a Man and a Woman in a Pre-Trial Detention Center After a Wave of Searches at Believers in Primorye Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 4, 2022, the Kirov Regional Court, chaired by Aleksandr Kulguskin, denied the appeal of six local believers. The verdict of the first instance — 2.5 to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment — came into force.\nAndrzej Oniszczuk, Yevgeniy and Andrey Suvorkov, Maksim Khalturin, Vladimir Korobeynikov and Vladimir Vasilyev insist on their innocence because they practiced their religion legally. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nSpeaking with his last word in the Court of Appeal, Andrzej Oniszczuk noted that he had been a Jehovah's Witness for more than 30 years and lived according to Biblical principles. He said: \"As a believer, I never even thought about extremism ... Inner convictions do not allow me to oppose the state system.\" Vladimir Vasilyev also noted: “I profess religious views that are not prohibited by law. I have never had anything to do with extremism.\"\nVladimir Korobeynikov said: “I love my family very much and take care of them. My wife and daughter, who lives with us, have disability of I and II degree. My relations with neighbors are friendly, and they know me as a person who is always ready to help. There is also a characteristic in the case file confirming this. Do extremists have such qualities?”\nMaksim Khalturin emphasized: “My parents, due to their age and illnesses, depend on my help, which is unrealistic for social services to provide. They have no other relatives who can help them. Therefore, if I am deprived of their liberty, they will be put on the brink of survival and will not last long.”\nThe peace-loving views of Andrey and Yevgeniy Suvorkov (stepson and stepfather) had prompted them to do alternative civilian service instead of military service, but in court they were forced to prove that they were not extremists.\nEarlier, four other of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kirov were convicted. For practicing their peaceful religion, they received fines ranging from 200 to 500 thousand rubles.\nDespite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold worship services and joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_87ce803a516d1bc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_ea9ff580be5037bc.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_8b0abd816dd75bd4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/060947/image_hu_3eac32f83fd18de8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/060947.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended","families"],"title":"Appeal in Kirov Upheld the Verdict Against 6 of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2022, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Dmitriy Dobrobabin, considered Yevgeniy Yegorov’s appeal against the verdict and decided to return the criminal case for a new trial to the Birobidzhanskiy District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nSpeaking with his last word in the court of appeal, the believer said: \"Four years of criminal prosecution undermined my emotional and physical health, I acquired an incurable disease, with which I now need to somehow survive. How else have I been hurt? Instead of devoting time to caring for my family and raising my little son, I am forced to defend my violated honor and restore my good name.\"\nYevgeniy Yegorov was convicted in June 2021 for meetings with fellow believers. In November of the same year, the appeal left the sentence unchanged—2.5 years of suspended sentence. However, later the Ninth Cassation Court in Vladivostok sent the case back for a second appeal, which now, in turn, initiated a new trial of the case.\nSimilar criminal cases have been opened in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, and 18 believers have already been sentenced.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-10-03T16:09:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_7741842f6e07e6ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_d0f7ce43db4c7143.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_f7afcc81f8deb51e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/10/031609/image_hu_1936df758af8a3b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/10/031609.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","health-risk","suspended"],"title":"A Second Appeal in Birobidzhan Returned the Case of Yevgeniy Yegorov for a New Trial","type":"news"},{"body":"As of September 30, 2022, 95 men and 5 women professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are behind bars. Of these, 32 are in the penal colony and 68 in the pre-trial detention centers. Dmitriy Dolzhikov, arrested after a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk, became the 100th prisoner.\nOn May 13, 2020, A. Bryuzgin, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the RF Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region, opened a case against Dolzhikov. Two years later, the believer was detained in Chelyabinsk, and then placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region. The search at Dmitriy's place of residence in Chelyabinsk was authorized by investigator A. Chepenko, who is known for the criminal persecution of believers in the Chelyabinsk region.\nDolzhikov is charged with Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, because he allegedly “intentionally, out of extremist motives, took part in the activities of a religious association . . . in the form of participation in religious meetings and meetings of an extremist organization, conducting conversations . . . demonstrations and watching educational videos.”\nWhile there are simultaneously 100 people in custody, another 249 of Jehovah's Witnesses have been to prisons and pre-trial detention centers, some of whom have spent more than five years behind bars. Information about these people, including their criminal prosecution history, can be found at jw-russia.org under \"Prisoners of Conscience\" using a filter system. A total of 643 people have been criminally persecuted for believing in Jehovah God.\nWhat is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is of concern to the international community. For example, on September 28, 2022, the OSCE held a conference in Poland to discuss religious freedom and protection of human rights. The speakers drew attention to the fact that \"Russia's actions against... Jehovah's Witnesses... include raids, arrests, long prison sentences, and probably torture.”\n","category":"analytics","date":"2022-09-30T16:15:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_6c45459f3b56b73d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_5f690ff17e43f63a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_48621369ed711b6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/301615/image_hu_76888d2fbe3dd170.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/301615.html","regions":["novosibirsk","chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","analytics","review","statistics","282.2-2","international-community"],"title":"The 100th Jehovah's Witness Has Been Sent Behind Bars in Russia: Dmitriy Dolzhikov, 44, Is in a Novosibirsk Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of September 28, searches were conducted in at least 4 homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea. According to available information, one of the raids took place at the home of a resident of Nizhnegorsky, 44.\nThe security forces also invaded the home Sergey Parfenovich, 50, and opened a criminal case against him under an extremist article based on his religion.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches took place at 8 addresses in the settlements of Nizhnegorskiy and Krasnogvardeyskoye, as well as in the neighboring village of Petrovka. Sergey Parfenovich, 50, and Aleksander Vinichenko, 49, were detained and taken to Simferopol. Late in the evening Vinichenko was released. In the coming days, the court will choose a preventive measure for Parfenovich. Now he is in the temporary detention facility.\nThe searches were carried out by employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, some of them were wearing masks and with weapons. Investigative measures at Vinichenko were carried out with the participation of law enforcement officers Nikolay Schmidt, D. A. Yavnik, as well as V. A. Novikov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee, who led the case of believers from Yalta.\nThe security forces invaded the believers around 6:30 a.m., while they were still asleep. The searches lasted from 5 to 6 hours. In one house at that moment there was a minor child and an elderly disabled relative. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices and storage media, a router, personal records and a photo album. According to believers, the security forces tried to find out their passwords for electronic devices. In one case, they managed to unlock the phone by putting the hand of a family member to the device.\nTo date, Russian law enforcement officers in Crimea have opened 9 criminal cases against 16 local Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict against five of them has already entered into force.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-09-28T08:25:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/290825/image_hu_a2de4cc992516058.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/290825/image_hu_5156caccde08a7db.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/290825/image_hu_a17800bcc0006d56.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/290825/image_hu_39d886915578eca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/290825.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"New Raids at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the defendant recalled that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. Nevertheless, he had to defend his right to worship his God in court for a year and a half.\n","date":"2022-09-27T12:05:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/958.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Maladyka in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer listed the arguments indicating that he could not have had criminal intent, and also voiced the purpose of his attendance at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2022-09-27T11:59:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/957.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Zhukov in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer told the court that Jehovah's Witnesses are well known as peaceful citizens. He stressed: \"I am not an extremist and have never organized extremist activities, I have not continued any prohibited activities and I am not going to do this.\"\n","date":"2022-09-27T11:32:38+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/956.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Sakada in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 27, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia approved the verdict of a lower court to Aleksey Smelov — he must pay a fine of 400,000 rubles for believing in Jehovah God. The believer considers it unjust and insists on his complete innocence. He has the right to file a cassation appeal.\nAleksey Smelov faced criminal prosecution in July 2019, when a wave of house raids of Jehovah's Witnesses swept through the region of Karelia. The case against his fellow believers from Petrozavodsk is now at the trial stage.\nThe search, seizure of personal belongings, interrogation — all this was a shock to the Smelov family. The accusation of the head of the family of extremism brought financial difficulties. Aleksey said: “Since I was included in the list of extremists, my bank card was blocked. For five months, we did not receive a salary in full, but only a small part, which was enough to pay for utilities.”\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia caused a wide resonance. In June 2022, the ECHR recognized the accusations of representatives of this religion of extremism as groundless. The Washington Post commented on the European Court ruling: “The European court’s ruling will probably have only symbolic impact; Russia has been ejected from the council [of Europe] … But the ruling is a testament to what happens when innocent people are stripped of their rights and dignity by a police state.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-27T08:19:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/290818/image_hu_4c019d8b0b234673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/290818/image_hu_193a6fe2b6d74655.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/290818/image_hu_539da7a50673f440.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/290818/image_hu_bcd6d0fa3731d0f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/290818.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","282.2-1","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"In Karelia, the appeal upheld the verdict of Alexei Smelov. The believer will pay a fine for exercising his constitutional right","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 26, 2022, the Primorye Territory Court, having considered the appeal of six believers, upheld the guilty verdict. The decision of the court entered into force. Believers continue to insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn June 2022, the Leninskiy District Court of Vladivostok sentenced Valentin Osadchuk to 6 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of liberty. Five elderly women—Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purge, Raisa Usanova, Lyubov Galaktionova and Nailya Kogay—received 2 years of suspended sentence and 9 months of restriction of freedom.\nLitigation began in October 2019, when the believers' case first came to the Leninskiy District Court. At the request of the defense, a month later the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office. The prosecution repeatedly tried to appeal this decision, and in January 2021, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction nevertheless decided to return the case for consideration to the court of first instance, which ultimately convicted the peaceful believers.\nIn Primorye Territory, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for peacefully practicing their faith. For six of them, the sentence has already entered into force.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federationdid not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from discussing biblical issues in the circle of fellow believers or other persons and thus performing worship services. This constitutional right is reserved for every citizen of the country, however, more than 640 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-26T16:22:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_35eae64a4149b420.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_5c48bdaac0129680.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_a5c66f0195c50bdf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/261622/image_hu_1821f5235772f9a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/261622.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Appeal in Vladivostok Approves Sentencing of Valentin Osadchuk and Five Women to Suspended Sentences for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 22, 2022, the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, chaired by Sergey Krylov, upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Dmitriy Terebilov from Kostroma. For faith in God, he will spend 3 years in a penal colony.\nThe criminal prosecution of Dmitry Terebilov began in 2018 - the first search was carried out in his apartment. A year later, the search was repeated, and the believer learned about the criminal case initiated against him. Soon he was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The court sentenced Terebilov to 3 years in prison, the appellate instance upheld the sentence. The criminal prosecution of Dmitriy Terebilov began in 2018—the first search was carried out in his apartment. A year later, the search was repeated, and the believer learned about the criminal case initiated against him. Soon he was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The court sentenced Terebilov to 3 years in a penal colony, the appeal court upheld the sentence.\nThe believer attended the trial via video conference call from the penal colony. In the appeal, Terebilov emphasized that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 did not impose a ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was reaffirmed in the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021. Despite this, mass repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses do not subside.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-22T17:32:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/221732/image_hu_b6f664f8d587239d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/221732/image_hu_e32fea7e85e19c7a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/221732/image_hu_3e6cd395e51ef430.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/221732/image_hu_574524cc621dcd1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/221732.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov From Kostroma Will Remain in a Penal Colony. The Court of Cassation Affirmed the Verdict of the Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 22, 2022, Roman Girich, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Murmansk, found Jehovah's Witness Vitaly Omelchenko guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to a fine of 580,000 rubles.\nThe criminal case against the believer was initiated in December 2019. A search was carried out in his dwelling, and a month later the believer was detained in the evening near his house and sent to a temporary detention center. After 2 days, the court released Omelchenko under a ban on certain actions. FSB officers monitored his movements, calls and collected other information about his personal life.\nThe Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region investigated the case for 13 months, and in February 2021 it was transferred to the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Murmansk. Court hearings, which were held behind closed doors, lasted about 20 months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to six years in prison in a penal colony.\nThe accusation was built on the words of the secret witness \"Polonskiy\". Most of his testimony related to the period before April 20, 2017. He said that preaching was not prohibited in Russia, but at the same time spoke negatively about the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, expressing his personal opinion about the reasons for the liquidation of their legal entities in Russia.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. \"At liberty or in prison, my worship of God will not stop,\" Omelchenko said, speaking with last word.\nIn December 2021, the Court of Cassation upheld the conviction against Murmansk residents Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov for reading the Bible and praying to Jehovah God. Four more believers in the Murmansk region are defending in court their right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by law.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-22T17:10:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/221710/image_hu_d29f416bce11f621.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/221710/image_hu_a4e5490852705861.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/221710/image_hu_fe689b006a3b3e7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/221710/image_hu_55d13cb90ac4661f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/221710.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"In Murmansk, a Court Sentenced Vitaliy Omelchenko to a Fine of 580,000 Rubles for the Peaceful Confession of his Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 22, 2022 the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region reconsidered the appeal of Natalya Kriger at the direction of the 9th Court of Cassation of general jurisdiction. The new panel of judges overturned the first-instance sentence of 2.5 years of probation and returned the case for a new trial to the trial court.\nEarlier, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan were convicted for their faith and given suspended sentences of 2 to 2.5 years. The sentence of 14 of them came into force.\nRussian human rights activists and the international community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECtHR recognized this persecution to be groundless and unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-22T15:13:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/231512/image_hu_d9a71f13d2eca70e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/231512/image_hu_8284238c15c9b44e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/231512/image_hu_fb0f5664ec8b6f38.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/231512/image_hu_ab95551a913fdbd5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/231512.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Appeal in Birobidzhan Returned the Case Against Believer Natalia Kriger for a New Hearing","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with his last word in court, the believer stressed that \"undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and non-recognition of the authorities is definitely not about Jehovah's Witnesses ... The preaching of Jehovah's Witnesses brings good to society not only spiritually, but also literally saves lives.\"\n","date":"2022-09-22T14:33:46+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/955.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Omelchenko in Murmansk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 21, 2022, searches were carried out in the homes of two believers, Vladimir Zubkov and Aleksandr Chagan, in Tolyatti (Samara Region). The latter spent two days in the TDF and was released on bail.\nAt around 7:30 p. m., when Vladimir Zubkov, 71, was talking to friends via video conference, 12 people burst in, some of them armed. The believer's son, 33, was forced to lie on the floor. Electronic devices, bank cards and various translations of the Bible were confiscated from the family. Then the Zubkovs were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee and released home after midnight.\nAleksandr Chagan, 51, saw a capture group at the same time, squeezing out the window. They ordered everyone to lie on the floor and handcuffed the head of the family. The security forces did not show any documents. While one insulted the believers, the others behaved more correctly. Electronic devices, storage media, bank cards and cash (about 28,000 rubles) were confiscated from the family. After the search, the believers were taken away for interrogation, having been warned that Aleksandr would never return home.\nDuring interrogation at the Investigative Committee, according to the believer, one of the officers threatened to torture him and kept him face down on the floor for about an hour and a half. After 2 a. m., Chagan was interrogated by investigator Ruslan Mgoyan. Then, already in the morning, the believer was placed in a temporary detention facility. On September 23, the court released him on bail.\nThis is the second criminal case against believers in the Samara region. Four of them—Sergey Polosenko, Denis Kuzyanin, Nikolay Vasiliyev and Aram Danielyan—are in the detention centre.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-09-21T16:18:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/261617/image_hu_b89b495e8c179799.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/261617/image_hu_8814633217c5fa36.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/261617/image_hu_82dbe54349c5d074.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/261617/image_hu_b7bd113af79f7db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/261617.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","siloviks-violence","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Searches in Tolyatti: Armed Security Forces Entered Believers Through a Window","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 21, 2022, the Ninth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in the city of Vladivostok upheld the sentence imposed on Anna Lokhvitskaya from Birobidzhan—a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for her belief in Jehovah God.\nThe criminal prosecution of the Lokhvitsky family began in May 2018 when searches were carried out in the home of Anna and her husband and in the home of her mother-in-law. Later, in 2019, the FSB initiated a case against Anna's husband, Artur Lokhvitsky, and about a year later, Anna herself and her mother-in-law, Irina, were accused of extremism.\nOn July 20, 2021, the Birobidzhansky District Court sentenced Anna Lokhvitskaya to a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence. The believer filed an appeal, but the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not grant it.\nIn her cassation appeal, Anna stated that she was a \"victim of discrimination\" and a \"victim of arbitrary criminal prosecution.\" She also pointed out that during the entire period of the investigation and trial, her rights guaranteed to her as a citizen of Russia, including freedom of religion and of expression and respect for personal life, family life, and home, were repeatedly violated.\nArtur Lokhvitsky and his mother, Irina Lokhvitskaya, were also given two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentences. The cassation court upheld these judgments.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-21T09:37:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_1f99b756f49ae61e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_4e33df2fa2e28979.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_ca163e2fa1842b2d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/230937/image_hu_3a9dedbd9ab6a75a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/230937.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Cassation Court Did Not Change the Sentence Imposed on Anna Lokhvitskaya from Birobidzhan for Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2022 the panel of judges of the Trans-Baikal Territory Court headed by Olga Dedyukhina confirmed the sentence to for four of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chita: Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev - 6.5 years of a penal colony, Igor Mamalimov - 6 years in a penal colony, Sergey Kirilyuk - 6 years suspended. The verdict of the lower court came into force.\nAll four still insist on their innocence. Addressing the court, Aleksandr Putintsev said: \"Expression of hatred, hostility and violence is incompatible with my views. I respect representatives of other religions and nationalities. I was convicted only for my belief in God. Igor Mamalimov expressed a similar thought: \"I exercise my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs. And it is not a crime. Vladimir Ermolaev reminded that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Sergei Kirilyuk concluded: \"I am a victim of discrimination... There were no signs of extremism in my actions, which is confirmed by transcripts of audio recordings of worship services and expert conclusions. Moreover, this is confirmed by the witnesses for the prosecution who were questioned.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not require the followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion to renounce their faith. And according to Article 13 of the Russian Constitution, the state system of Russia is aimed at protecting the ideological diversity, the principle of secular state and, above all, human rights and freedoms, which are proclaimed as the highest value. However, law enforcement agencies continue to erroneously equate the peaceful religious activity of believers with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-20T16:40:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_a94a9fef05912e51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_167495033cb808b0.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_55c7cfa21a8fa200.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/201639/image_hu_2dbddb4739e571e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/201639.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Appeal in Chita Affirms Harsh Sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses: Six Years in Prison for Three of Them and Six Years Suspended for One","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2022, Aleksandr Yagubkin, a judge of the Partizan City Court of Primorye Territory, found 53-year-old Liya Maltseva guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment and 7 months of restriction of liberty.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Maltseva insists on her complete innocence. In her last statement in court, she said: \"It is unthinkable for me not only to commit a crime, but also to hate or even offend someone.\"\nIn July 2020, Liya Maltseva, a disabled person of group II, was surprised to find out that she was on the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. As it turned out, a criminal case was initiated against her.\nCurrently, another trial is underway in Partizansk against believer Irina Buglak. The presiding judge is Darya Didur, who authorized the search at Liya Maltseva's house as well.\nAs Memorial Human Rights Center notes, the decisions of Russian courts, including the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, “contain not a single fact of violation of public order by believers, manifestations of aggression or violence on their part, evidence that their peaceful religious activities threatened the security of the Russian Federation [...] The foregoing allows us to speak about the obvious illegality of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose ‘crime’ is that they exercised the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-20T15:01:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_cd81be14bdfb5045.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/211501/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_12246eeb66d2954.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/211501/image_hu_6bd23e7419205342.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/211501.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","282.2-2","suspended","rosfinmonitoring","sentence"],"title":"Primorye Court Found Liya Maltseva, One of Jehovah's Witnesses with Disability, Guilty of Extremism for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"In her last word, the believer explained that the Bible taught her not to hate people. According to her, people who love God cannot be extremists. \"I really like the qualities of God. I am learning to apply them in my daily life,\" Maltseva emphasized.\n","date":"2022-09-20T09:21:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/948.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Liya Maltseva in Partizansk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 19, 2022, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court dismissed Ilya Olenin's appeal. The verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nOn July 26, 2022, Judge Oleg Klementyev of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region found Ilya Olenin, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and fined him 500,000 rubles. The fact that the believer “took part in the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted conversations about the creeds of Jehovah's Witnesses” is cited as a justification for guilt. These actions are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, but, on the contrary, are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as fundamental human rights and freedoms.\nThe Court of Appeal excluded some evidence from the prosecution, but this did not affect the final punishment. During the trial, the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was also not taken into account, but only assessed the actions of specific legal entities.\nDespite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold worship services and hold joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop. Despite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold worship services and hold joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-19T10:40:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/201039/image_hu_1eeab035a7577a37.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/201039/image_hu_a0a9dd1c4bbc1659.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/201039/image_hu_6f9b814623b9f121.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/201039/image_hu_b01a27c9047a33a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/201039.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","fine"],"title":"An Appeal in Chelyabinsk Approved the Sentence of Ilya Olenin—a Fine of 500,000 Rubles for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2022, the judge of the Gukovo City Court of the Rostov Region, Natalya Batura, sentenced Aleksey Goreliy and Oleg Shidlovskiy to 6.5 years in penal colony; Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Dyadkin, Vladimir Popov and Yevgeniy Razumov each received 7 years in penal colony.\nThe court considered it a crime to take part in peaceful religious meetings, pray and perform religious songs.\nOn August 7, 2020, Vitaliy Pyatitsky, an investigator of the department for investigating especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Region, opened a criminal case against six believers under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). The next day, the FSB and the Investigative Committee officers searched their homes, and later all six were thrown behind bars, where they spent more than 2 years.\nAleksei Goreliy has a young child, and Oleg Shidlovsky has a teenage daughter.\nCurrently, 18 people have been persecuted for believing in God in the Rostov Region, 9 of whom have been convicted and sentenced to various terms. Alexander Parkov, Arsen Avanesov and Vilen Avanesov are serving their sentences in penal colonies.\nSince 1993, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has delivered more than 50 judgments that protect the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to worship, spread beliefs, use religious literature, raise children in accordance with their beliefs, make their own decisions regarding medical treatment, not take hands weapons for reasons of conscience and many other rights. In addition, the ECHR did not leave a stone unturned in the common myths about Jehovah's Witnesses, recognizing groundless accusations of extremism, a threat to the security of the state and society.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-19T09:26:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/210926/image_hu_da1be65c33f243d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/210926/image_hu_5564dd080fd27de3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/210926/image_hu_f677d62c5e89bf84.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/210926/image_hu_b401fd7666123cc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/210926.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","minors"],"title":"The Court Sentenced Six of Jehovah's Witnesses in Gukovo to 6.5 to 7 Years in Prison for Talking About God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2022, a panel of judges of the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the sentence of Maksim Beltikov — 2 years in a general regime colony for believing in Jehovah God.\nThe court of first instance delivered its verdict in the Beltikov case on January 17, 2022. The believer was immediately taken into custody. Since that day, he has been behind bars, separated from his wife and three minor children. Maksim Beltikov maintains his innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer began in the spring of 2020, when FSB officers searched the homes of many Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnodar Territory. Among them were Alexander Ivshin, Oleg Danilov, Alexander Shcherbina, Vladimir Skachidub andLyudmila Shchekoldina — the courts sentenced them to imprisonment in a colony for terms ranging from 2 to 7.5 years.\nBeltikov's accusation of extremism was based on audio recordings of his conversations about the Bible with the infiltrated intelligence agent Ilchenko. He was also a key witness for the prosecution in the case of Lyudmila Shchekoldina. Beltikov's accusation of extremism was based on audio recordings of his conversations about the Bible with the infiltrated agent Ilchenko. He was also a key witness for the prosecution in the case of Lyudmila Shchekoldina.\nRussian courts interpret the very fact that Jehovah's Witnesses hold worship services as extremist activity. However, the Government of the Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that the courts did not prohibit the followers of this religion from singing songs, praying together and discussing the Bible - all of these are ways of practicing religion, protected by both Russian and international law. Russian courts interpret the very fact that Jehovah's Witnesses hold religious services as extremist activity. However, the Government of the Russian Federation has repeatedly stated that the courts did not prohibit the followers of this religion from singing songs, praying together and discussing the Bible - all these are ways of practicing religion, protected by both Russian and international law.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/201604/image_hu_e9b971f86e7649f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/201604/image_hu_f994328032669b74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/201604/image_hu_e09d17a4c71b8418.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/201604/image_hu_58a4c473fc7aaaa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/201604.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","minors","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Krasnodar Upheld the Sentence to Maksim Beltikov for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 16, 2022, security forces detained two civilians on the street in Velsk, a small town in the Arkhangelsk region. They were taken for interrogation, and then searches were carried out in their home, accompanied by a pickup.\nAt approximately 3:00 pm, a woman, 60, and her son, 28, were met by 8 officials in civilian clothes outside a grocery store. Only one of them flashed his ID. The man and woman were taken to the police station.\nThe police did not explain the purpose of the arrest. The detainees were questioned about their religion, attitude to military operations in Ukraine and to the authorities. The woman was subjected to a personal search.\nAfter interrogation, she was brought home, where they also searched. It was attended by 9 people, including 2 witnesses. Electronic devices, data carriers, the Bible and religious literature were confiscated. The security forces, according to the woman, threw leaflets similar to business cards to these things, on which it was indicated that her son allegedly provides services in setting up access to a site banned in Russia.\nThe woman was then taken to the home of her mother, 88. Law enforcement officers took into account the poor health of the elderly woman and searched only the veranda, shed and bathhouse. After that, her daughter was again taken to the department. According to her, one of the police officers mentioned the case of Eugene Yakku. Mother and son left the police station at one in the morning.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-09-16T18:09:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/221809/image_hu_4e48eeace5281c2c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/221809/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/221809/image_hu_2006cb736fb1e290.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/221809/image_hu_9c500e805e5fc9ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/221809.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","families","personal-inspection","plant"],"title":"In the Arkhangelsk Region, the Security Forces Searched and Interrogated Mother and Son. They Are Suspected of Practicing the Religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2022, the Seventh General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Chelyabinsk refused to satisfy the prosecutor's cassation submission and upheld the acquittal of Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulova.\nThe criminal persecution of believers began in June 2018, when police detained Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera Dulova, who had disability of hearing, while talking about Bible topics. A month later, a criminal case was opened against them, accusing them of participating in the activities of an extremist organization for discussing the Bible. A year later, the third defendant in the case was the daughter of Venera, Darya Dulova.\nThe court of first instance issued a guilty verdict in January 2021, but in August an appeals court in Yekaterinburg overturned it and returned the case to the court of first instance. As a result of repeated hearings in the new composition, the court again sentenced the believers to suspended sentences. In the spring of 2022, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court overturned the decision of the court of first instance and acquitted the believers. But the prosecutor filed a cassation presentation with the Seventh Court of Cassation.\nAleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulova are defendants in another criminal case initiated for their faith on similar charges.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-09-15T15:58:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/151558/image_hu_976c795f0bac696e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/151558/image_hu_b6ce5571f45a3b21.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/151558/image_hu_d1ee2c3a7b911667.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/151558/image_hu_28bbc2d95f51e70c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/151558.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","acquittal","families","disability"],"title":"An Appeals Court Upheld the Acquittal of Three Jehovah's Witnesses from Karpinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 14, 2022, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok approved the sentence of 29-year-old Tatyana Sholner - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nSholner faced criminal prosecution for her faith in 2020, when FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin opened 6 criminal cases for faith against women from Birobidzhan in one day. All of them were charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The basis was the reading and discussion of the Bible, prayers and religious songs in the circle of friends.\nThe court of first instance ruled on June 25, 2021, then in December of the same year, the upheld the upheld the verdict. Tatyana Sholner still considers both of these decisions unjust, as she stated in her appeal: “Law enforcement agencies did not establish a single fact of my illegal activities … Not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activities of believers.” The decision of the court of cassation deprived Tatyana of the right to rehabilitation.\nIn total, the Ninth Cassation Court received complaints in 16 cases of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region. Four of them were sent for re-appeal.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-14T09:12:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_8001b85467a10483.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_36107428ddeba7f4.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_12b94eae06fcc779.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/150912/image_hu_772d7d2ca9c6737a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/150912.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","cassation","suspended"],"title":"An Appeals Court Left Unchanged Birobidzhan-Based Tatyana Sholner's Court Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer drew the court's attention to the fact that the followers of Christ had been persecuted since the beginning of the formation of the Christian faith in the first century, and this continues today. He stressed: \"It is not the presence of extremism in my words and my actions that is a crime, but only the name of my religion.\"\n","date":"2022-09-12T17:53:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/949.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikita Moiseyev in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Aleksey spoke about the absurdity of criminal prosecution for peaceful religious activity without victims: \"Bible study, prayers and religious songs ... After 2017, it all became criminal activity. To whom you tell about this, everyone is perplexed and asks again.\n","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/950.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Dyadkin in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which I have been attending since the age of 9, helped me to become a useful member of society, lead a highly moral life and create my own strong family,\" Aleksey Gorely emphasized in his last speech and asked the court to give him the opportunity to raise his only child.\n","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/951.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Gorely in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The accusation of extremism against me is not only unfounded, fictitious, not based on facts, but also blasphemous,\" the believer said in the courtroom. \"It offends my religious feelings, as well as contradicts common sense and violates my right to an honest name.\"\n","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/953.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Oleg Shidlovsky in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his short final speech, Vladimir stressed that the religious beliefs that he has been professing for almost 40 years have helped him become a law-abiding person and a good family man. \"What did I do wrong, that I was glued with the status of an extremist?\" the believer asks.\n","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/954.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Popov in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer emphasized the absence of evidence of a crime in the case: \"Not a single examination, not a single expert, neither the prosecution, nor even the investigation provided a single extremist slogan, not a single extremist statement.\"\n","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/952.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Razumov in Gukovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer emphasized the absurdity of the persecution for faith he faced: \"Biblical hope is dear to me. And now I have to be beaten for this with a baton of the law, on which it is written \"Article 282.2\"? Beat me with a baton of the law because I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses?\"\n","date":"2022-09-08T15:33:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/213.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Bukin in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"To learn peacefulness and kindness, to share good news with people and to sing songs about God - the Bible encourages the believer to do all this. Can this be considered extremism? Mikhail Burkov spoke about this in his last speech.\n","date":"2022-09-08T15:32:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/212.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mikhail Burkov in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 8, 2022, the First Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in Saratov dismissed the complaint of Bazhenov, Budenchuk, Makhammadiev, Gridasov, German and Miretskiy. A year ago, the last of 6 Jehovah's Witnesses convicted for faith was released.\nThe criminal prosecution of peaceful believers began in 2018. Prior to that, they were followed for a year, making audio and video recordings of services they attended. Following the initiation of a criminal case, searches and arrests took place. In September 2019, the court of first instance found the citizens of Saratov guilty of extremism. After 3 months the verdict entered into force . The criminal prosecution of peaceful believers began in 2018. Prior to that, they were followed for a year, audio and video recordings of services they attended were being made. Following the initiation of a criminal case, searches and arrests took place. In September 2019, the court of first instance found the citizens of Saratov guilty of extremism. After 3 months, the verdict entered into force.\nKonstantin Bazhenov served his sentence in penal colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region. The rest—in penal colony No. 1 in the Orenburg region. The courts groundlessly denied all six of them parole. As a result, only Konstantin Bazhenov achieved parole (after the 8th promotion from the administration of the colony)—two months before the end of his term. The rest of the believers have fully served their punishment. Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk spent 3.5 years in the colony, Feliks Makhammadiev—3 years, and Roman Gridasov, Gennadiy German and Aleksey Miretskiy—2 years each.\nAfter being released from the colony, Bazhenov and Makhammadiev were immediately placed in the Center for the temporary detention of foreign citizens and stateless persons, and then deported (Konstantin to Ukraine, and Feliks to Uzbekistan).\nRussian human rights activists and the international community condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECtHR recognized this persecution to be groundless and unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-08T08:22:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/140822/image_hu_ad02054e6cde9ef4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/140822/image_hu_9be4ad2cd1e21c47.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/140822/image_hu_38893ff3e14d4541.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/140822/image_hu_7b5db6433e477d51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/140822.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeals Court Left Unchanged the Sentence of Six Saratov Residents, Depriving Them of the Right to Acquital. Believers Have Already Served Prison Terms","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 8, 2022, a raid on 13 houses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk took place — the security forces broke out the windows and doors of the apartments. One of the believers, Dmitriy Dolzhikov, was detained and taken 1,500 kilometers away to Novosibirsk, where he was taken into custody.\nThe searches in the houses of the believers began in the evening and continued until midnight, and video footage was taken. Some were detained and taken away for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, while others were given summons for the next morning. These events affected about 34 people in total.\nElectronic devices, storage media, bank cards, passports, religious literature and personal records were confiscated from believers. A large amount of personal savings was taken from one family.\nTwo of the families affected live in the same apartment block on the 3rd and 7th floors. The security forces broke in their flats through the windows. To do this, they descended on ropes from the roof of the house and knocked out the windows of the balcony doors. One of the believers was handcuffed and laid on the floor, he has been kept in this position in the cold for about half an hour.\nIn another dwelling, where a woman lives with her daughter, the security forces broke down the iron door without waiting for it to be opened voluntary. One of the women was in bed with a high temperature due to illness.\nOperational activities were held with the participation of employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. Sivulko and E. Kozlov. According to believers, investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksandr Chepenko, who initiated a wave of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region, was also present at the interrogation.\nTwo days later, on September 10, the court arrested Dmitriy Dolzhikov. He was placed in SIZO No. 1 in Novosibirsk.\nIn the Chelyabinsk Region, 11 11 people are already being persecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. Six of them received unjust convictions.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_6cb010ce65fb992e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_a6f4e1557df98c20.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_3caada376d82628f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/140838/image_hu_cbf118b6babd44f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/140838.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","violent-raid","interrogation","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, Special Forces Stormed the Apartments of Jehovah's Witnesses. Believer Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer explained that the Bible encourages Jehovah's Witnesses to be law-abiding citizens. \"Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable for me,\" he stressed.\n","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/215.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Yuferov in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, Valery Slashchev told the court how the Bible helped him get rid of alcoholism, nationalism and save his marriage, as well as become a worthy member of society. He said, \"The Bible encourages me to obey the authorities, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for God and his principles.\"\n","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/214.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Slashchev in Tynda","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 5, 2022, Vologda City Court Judge Yelena Golovanova found Nikolay Stepanov and Yuriy Baranov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and handed the believers a four-year prison and four-year suspended sentence respectively. Stepanov was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe trial went on for over six months. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for Nikolay Stepanov, and 7 years suspended sentence for Yuriy Baranov. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The men insist on their complete innocence.\nIn December 2019, massive searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda, after which Stepanov and Baranov were detained. For more than two years, the senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Vologda Region A. A. Nesterov investigated their case.\nYuriy Baranov was under house arrest for more than 3 months. Under house arrest, the believer lived in a one-room apartment with a disabled mother, 94. Due to the stress of the persecution, Baranov's heart problems worsened and he was hospitalized. In view of his weakened health, investigator Nesterov released Yuriy uder recognizance agreement. Addressing the court with the last word, the believer noted: “The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views. I respect representatives of other religions and nationalities. I don't understand why I'm accused of a crime. Obviously, the only reason is faith.”\nNikolay Stepanov spent 8 months in a pre-trial detention center, and then a month and a half under house arrest. Stepanov said: \"The most difficult thing was to be in a confined space every day, where everyone smokes.\" In addition, Nikolay was not allowed to see his family—only once was he allowed to call his son. Addressing the court with the last word, Nikolay emphasized: “Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms and do not learn to fight, we love all people and do not want to cause harm and suffering to anyone. For this reason, extremism is alien to me.”\nThe defendants said that they were greatly supported by those who came to court hearings and showed interest in the outcome of the case. Nikolay Stepanov added that letters gave him strength, the number of which reached 1150 during his imprisonment. According to fellow believers, Stepanov and Baranov have many friends and are \"always ready to help.\"\nDespite the fact that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling in defense of the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to hold divine services and joint religious rites and ceremonies, the persecution of believers in the country does not stop.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_8674198a6a0277b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_47ebc02597cbae3c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_ea95335375862ea6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/061424/image_hu_51c401fa6f4b1675.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/061424.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","sentence","suspended","liberty-deprivation","health-risk","letters","disabled"],"title":"Vologda-Based Yuriy Baranov, 70, Was Handed a Four-Year Suspended Sentence, and Nikolay Stepanov, 48, Was Handed a Four-Year Prison Sentence for Their Belief in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 2, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, chaired by Judge Olga Migunova, upheld the verdict against Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov, Ilham Karimov and Aydar Yulmetyev, but at the request of the prosecutor imposed a number of restrictions on believers.\nFor their peaceful beliefs, four believers will serve suspended sentences: Vladimir Myakushin—3 years and 1 month, Aydar Yulmetyev—2 years and 9 months, and Konstantin Matrashov and Ilham Karimov—2.5 years each. All of them were also placed on probation for 2 years. The judicial board of the appellate instance fully satisfied the appeal presentation of the prosecution and added the following restrictions to the main punishment: “do not change the permanent place of residence without notifying the specialized state body that monitors the behavior of probationers, appear once a month for registration.” All four still insist on their innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.\nFor the first time, believers were persecuted for their faith back in 2018. After a series of searches, they were arrested, each had to spend almost six months in a pre-trial detention center and from 2 to 3 months under house arrest.\nAt the appeal hearing, Ilham Karimov said: “I did not engage in extremist or other illegal activities. I lead a peaceful way of life, respect authority and keep the law, because I am a believer. The manifestation of hatred, enmity and violence is incompatible with my views.” A similar thought was expressed by Vladimir Myakushin: \"I did not do anything for which I would be ashamed and for which I could be held criminally liable.\" Aydar Yulmetiev drew the attention of the court to the fact that because of his peace-loving views, he used the right to alternative civilian service. And Konstantin Matrashov noted that the interrogated witnesses did not confirm a single accusation against him.\nThe Soviet and Russian religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy Sergey Ivanenko commented on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “Jehovah’s Witnesses . . . are quite consistently pursuing a line so as not to destroy social foundations . . . This is their conscious choice, and in this sense I would not blame them for any extremist encroachments.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_1268c4d8fce1c3fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_37686797f990842d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_32e45c688f6bd1b4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/051623/image_hu_f2966970b4cb09bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/051623.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"A Tatarstan Appeal Upheld Suspended Sentences for Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In his statement, the defendant repeatedly stressed that his faith motivates him to treat people of different religious affiliations with respect and to maintain peaceful relations with them. \"The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views,\" he said.\n","date":"2022-09-01T23:44:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/296.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Stepanov in Vologda","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer stressed that extremism was alien to him: \"The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views. I have respect for representatives of other religions and nationalities.\"\n","date":"2022-09-01T23:38:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/295.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Baranov in Vologda","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 25, 2022, Yelena Simonova, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Saransk, sentenced six Jehovah's Witnesses, including a woman and a father of two young children, to gross terms of imprisonment in a penal colony just because of their religion.\nThe prosecutor requested 2.5 years in a penal colony for Shevchuk, Antonov and Korolev, 4 years and 2 months for the Nikulins, and 6.5 years for Atryakhin. Despite the absence of victims in the case, the court assigned real terms of imprisonment to all believers: for Vladimir Atryakhin—6 years, for Georgiy Nikulin and his wife Yelena—4 years and 2 months each, for Aleksandr Shevchuk, Aleksandr Korolev and Denis Antonov—2 years each. The believers were taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe criminal prosecution of believers began on February 6, 2019, when a series of searches and detentions took place in Saransk. On the same day, the three detainees were sent to custody, where they subsequently spent from 51 (Atryakhin) to 147 days (Nikulin and Shevchuk). They were accused of organizing, continuing, and financing the activities of an extremist organization (Parts 1, 1.1, and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) because of talking about the Bible. The investigation of the case was carried out by the investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Mordovia, E. V. Makeev. Long before the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, back in 2003-2004, he himself was interested in the Bible and, together with his wife, attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt the time of Vladimir Atryakhin's arrest, his children were 9 months and 2 years old. According to him, during his stay in the pre-trial detention center, worrying about his family was a difficult test for him. In places of detention, he also faced pressure: “The conditions of life in detention were difficult, especially at first. The staff of the pre-trial detention center tried to humiliate, put pressure on . . . Constant searches. During the day it was impossible to lie on the bed, only sit on the bench. Cold. Instead of a mattress, in fact, a piece of fabric on top of a sheet of iron.\nDenis Antonov lost his business due to a criminal case. He and his wife, Olga, were forced to work odd jobs to take care of themselves and their elderly mother, Olga, in their care.\nYelena Nikulina, while her husband was in jail, was left without a job and a livelihood. Also, she was not allowed to meet with her husband. And a year after the search, the family lost their homes due to a fire. According to Yelena, fellow believers came to the rescue: “During this period [after the fire], we felt like members of a global family. Support poured in from all over the world, and after 4 months we had a small apartment.”\nOther defendants also felt the support of those who are not indifferent. “At the moment, my wife and I have everything we need and even more,” said Denis Antonov. Aleksandr Shevchuk, who is a descendant of Jehovah's Witnesses who were repressed in 1951, recalls: “Letters brought particular joy. Each of them had something just for me.”\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts to liquidate and ban organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not evaluate the dogma of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on individually practicing the above doctrine.\" The European Court of Human Rights declared the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-25T09:14:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/260914/image_hu_e87da610fd649a5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/260914/image_hu_d5c8b4712e6b1021.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/260914/image_hu_83a19ef70e607e8a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/260914/image_hu_9d20724239afb088.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/260914.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","minors","families","help-providing"],"title":"A Mordovia Court Sentenced Six Saransk-Based Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman, to Two to Six Years in Prison for Practicing Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 24, 2022, the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Sevastopol. Viktor Kudinov, 53, and Sergey Zhigalov, 51, were arrested, and a criminal case was initiated against them.\nThe believers were accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), they were placed in a temporary detention facility. It is expected that on August 26 the court will choose a measure of restraint for them.\nAlso on August 24, another married couple was searched. All electronic devices were confiscated from them and taken to the FSB for interrogation.\nIn total, criminal cases have been opened in Crimea against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses, 4 of whom are serving sentences in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/251352.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"The Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol Searched Again. Two Believers Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 18, 2022, a panel of judges of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Averkin, upheld the verdict against Pavel Popov — a 6-year suspended sentence. The believer continues to insist on his innocence and has the right to appeal this decision in the cassation procedure.\nOn May 25, 2022, Mariya Melnikova, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, found Pavel guilty of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the believer, the charges against him were based on the testimony of agent Ruzaeva, who only told the court that she had heard his voice at the meeting for worship. Based on the facts presented in court, Popov concludes: “Evidence was considered in the court of first instance. This evidence does not prove any criminal activity by me, but only my faith in God. I did not commit any extremist actions”.\nDespite all the hardships associated with the trial and the unlawfulness of the accusations against him, Pavel tries not to lose strength and optimism. He said, “Friends stay until the end of the process and then they chat and give me support. Every time they give me and my family some gifts. All this is very encouraging and gives extra strength.” The believer is especially grateful for the support of his wife and daughter, who also courageously cope with the trials that have befallen them.\nIn recent years, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their religious beliefs in the Chelyabinsk Region, 10 of whom have already been given various suspended sentences and fines.\nThe global human rights community considers the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unlawful. In particular the European Court of Human Rights has stated: “Article 9 [of the European Convention] protects the right of believers to meet peacefully in order to worship in the manner prescribed by their religion” (§267).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_d30b249aba02e3f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_e84712f1d936afd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_b071e71d4002eb69.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/05/260843/image_hu_5163ea04a7bd641a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/05/260843.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended","help-providing"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upheld the Sentence of Pavel Popov","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 17, 2022, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction did not satisfy the complaint of three residents of Cheboksary against the appeal ruling of the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic and the verdict of the Kalininskiy District Court of the city of Cheboksary.\nVladimir Dutkin, Vladimir Chesnokov and Valeriy Yakovlev received convictions only because they professed the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. For this, in January 2022, they were fined large sums of money. In April of the same year, the court of appeal approved the verdict, but the believers pleaded not guilty and appealed to the court of cassation.\n“The court verdict is an act of direct and indirect religious discrimination, said Vladimir Dutkin in his appeal to the court. — Therefore, I am a victim of discrimination . . . and have been treated in violation of Art. 19 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/09/020830/image_hu_a3d7e6e7d0a0377c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/09/020830/image_hu_9a21ff136a9e82cb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/09/020830/image_hu_da2c41269c72468f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/09/020830/image_hu_5747f6540f6c2b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/09/020830.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeals Court Left Unchanged the Appeal of Three Cheboksary-Based Believers of an Unjust Verdict","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of August 5, 2022, a group of six security officials conducted an inspection in the apartment of a resident of Sevastopol, who had previously been interrogated in the case of Zhukov and others. The events were held on suspicion of \"carrying out extremist and missionary activities\", as well as \"financing an extremist organization.\"\nPermission for inspection was issued by the judge of the Sevastopol City Court Gennadiy Nikitin. Police Major A. Savelyev, an employee of Center “E”, as well as senior detective of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol Dmitriy Shevchenko, who had already carried out an operational search activity against local Jehovah's Witnesses, took part in this one too.\nThe inspection lasted more than 4 hours. The security forces dispersed around the rooms so that the owner could not observe their actions and took out personal belongings from the cabinets without asking permission and ignoring the man's objections. During the inspection, a video was taken. Law enforcement officers seized the man's electronic devices, as he refused to provide passwords for them, as well as personal belongings of his wife and adult son, who were not at home. Copies of the resolution and protocol of examination were not provided to the man.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-15T14:18:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/151418.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["inspection"],"title":"Security Forces in Sevastopol Inspected the Home of a Believer Who Had Previously Been Interrogated as Part of an Investigation Into the Case of Local Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 2, 2022, a translation of the ECHR judgment in the case of the LRO of Taganrog and Others v. Russia was notarized in Russia. The ECHR issued a historic ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, ruling that their persecution in Russia was illegal.\nThe following conclusions of the European Court of Justice, while made in the ruling against Russia, apply throughout the entire Council of Europe, where there are 2.8 million people who attend worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the ruling, the court assessed the charges that circulate among those who are prejudiced against this religion. Here are a few quotes.\nAre the charges of extremism justified? “The Court reiterates that only religious statements and actions involving or calling for violence, hatred or discrimination may warrant suppression as being “extremist”. … The courts did not identify any word, deed or action by the applicants which would be motivated or tainted by violence, hatred or discrimination against others.” — §271.\nIs it against the law to believe in the truth of one's religion? “Peacefully seeking to convince others of the superiority of one’s own religion and urging them to abandon “false religions” and join the “true one” is a legitimate form of exercise of the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression which enjoys the protection under Articles 9 and 10 of the Convention.” —§156.\nShould one be punished for refusing a blood transfusion? \"the refusal of blood transfusion was an expression of free will of a community member exercising her right to personal autonomy in the sphere of health care protected both under the Convention and in Russian law.\" —§165.\nIs conscientious objection to military service a crime? \" The religious admonishment to refuse military service did not break any Russian laws and the Jehovah’s Witnesses were entitled to seek to persuade others that they should prefer alternative civilian service instead of taking up weapons.\" —§169.\nIs there anything illegal about religious texts? \" Both the applicants’ religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence. … Not one of the banned publications was found to contain calls or incitement to violence or any insulting, slanderous or discriminatory statements against members of other faiths.\" —§157.\nHow should the practice of blocking entire websites be viewed? \"The Court has found above that the decision to declare the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ religious publications “extremist” disclosed a violation of the Convention. This finding applies to the publications, brochures and magazines which had been referenced in the request for a blocking order. However, even if there had been exceptional circumstances justifying the blocking of unlawful content, the measure blocking access to the entire website would have needed a justification of its own… and by reference to the criteria established by the Court under Article 10 of the Convention. Blocking access to legitimate content can never be an automatic consequence of another, more restricted blocking measure because indiscriminate blocking measure – interfering as it does with lawful content as a collateral effect of a measure aimed solely at illegal content – amounts to arbitrary interference with the rights of website owners.\" —§231.\nAs a result, the ECHR concluded that from the point of view of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the ban on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, as well as the publications and website, was unlawful. The Court ruled that the respondent state must take all necessary measures to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and release those of them who are imprisoned, as well as return the confiscated property from legal entities or pay compensation in the amount of 59,617,458 euros. In addition, the believers' claims for moral damages totaling 3,447,250 euros were satisfied.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-08-15T14:10:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/151410/image_hu_3efac30db4320492.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/151410/image_hu_ad78c593ce6921f9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/151410/image_hu_93839831565ccfac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/151410/image_hu_d87ccde8040c3fdd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/151410.html","regions":["france","moscow","rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","international"],"title":"The Russian Translation of the ECHR Judgment That Fully Vindicated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Is Published","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer told how communication with Jehovah's Witnesses helped him leave his life of crime. \"And here I am again, the defendant. It's a terrible thing - I'm accused of extremism,\" he told the court. \"Now it is in your hands to prevent injustice, not to allow the fate of innocent people to be broken.\"\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/209.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Korolev in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Anyone who knows Jehovah's Witnesses at least a little understands that any extremist views directly contradict our religious beliefs,\" the defendant said. In his opinion, the persecution of believers \"is like chasing the wind, and this persecution will not bring any benefit.\"\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/208.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Shevchuk in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer spoke about the motives that drive him in life: \"I made a decision a long time ago to be influenced by the teachings of the Bible. It gives me the strength to love God and people, to remain incapable of doing evil to anyone.\"\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/2011.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Denis Antonov in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the fact that he had not committed any crime and could not be dangerous to society just because of his faith.\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/210.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Georgy Nikulin from Mordovia","type":"docs"},{"body":"The defendant explained that the court did not establish the corpus delicti despite the abundance of evidence collected, and the motive of religious hatred remained unproven. \"I hope that every participant in the process has already been able to see the absurdity of the charges against us,\" he concluded.\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/207.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Atryakhin in Saransk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her speech, Elena Nikulina drew the attention of the audience to the lack of evidence of the accusations against her and explained why people living according to biblical standards cannot be extremists.\n","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/211.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Yelena Nikulina's last word in Saransk court","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 11, 2022, Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court presided by Judge Vyacheslav Chiginiev upheld the sentence of Galina Abrosimova - a 6-year suspended sentence for believing in Jehovah God.\nCriminal prosecution against Galina Abrosimova has lasted for more than three years: in July 2019 law enforcement officers came to her house with a search and reported that a criminal case was opened against her on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believer insists on her innocence. Although the verdict came into force, she may appeal against the court decisions on appeal.\nA total of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted for their beliefs in Nizhny Novgorod region, with sentences ranging from three to six years' probation already in effect for six of them.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights found the charges against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses unfounded and awarded the believers compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_9f1d77478786e274.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_89fcdf2156187c38.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_e68dc5e0da00ff76.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/121313/image_hu_43c2c1331104b0e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/121313.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","appeal","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Upheld the Conviction of Galina Abrosimova","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 11, 2022, in Novocherkassk (Rostov region), security forces conducted searches at 10 addresses, after which local believers were interrogated. The court placed two men, Garegin Khachaturyan, 55, and Gevorg Yeritsyan, 35, in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk for 2 months.\nThis is already the 11th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Rostov Region. The news is being added.\nUpdate. It became known that Lyubov Galitsyna, 66, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Returning from vacation, she found out that she had been summoned for interrogation. Anticipating a possible arrest, the believer took essentials and medicines with her. Senior investigator R. A. Bakhramov charged her under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and detained.\nThe Novocherkassk city court decided to send Galitsyna to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The woman was led to the courtroom and later to the paddy wagon to the applause of 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/161428.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Searches Were Carried Out at the Homes of Local Jehovah's Witnesses in Novocherkassk. Two Believers Were Placed in a Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 11, 2022, in Trubchevsk and Unecha, two cities in the Bryansk Region, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Some of them were already invaded by the security forces in 2019.\nThe raid, conducted by officers Center for Combating Extremism (CPE) and the Investigative Committee, took place at least at four addresses. Electronic devices, personal records and friendly letters were confiscated from believers. During subsequent interrogation in the Investigative Committee, citizens used the 51st article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nUpdate. According to updated information, on August 11, not four, but two searches took place, in the city of Unecha and the village of Vorobyovka, Unechsky district. According to available information, the investigative measures took place within the framework of a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 44-year-old Yelena Yashina. According to the investigation, the believer “being in public places and living quarters of residents of the city of Unecha and other settlements in the region, promoted the activities of the organization [Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia], distributing relevant literature and making attempts to involve new members in the banned organization” (from the press release of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Bryansk Region).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/161430.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-2","interrogation","new-case"],"title":"Three Years After the Mass Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses, Searches Were Again Held in the Bryansk Region. Criminal Case Was Initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 10, 2022, the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo denied Yuriy Savelyev his complaint. A 68-year-old believer from Novosibirsk remains in the penal colony.\nThe decision was made by a panel of judges consisting of Svetlana Zorina and Oksana Lazareva, chaired by Yevgeniy Kolchanov. This is the second consideration of Savelyev's case in the Eighth Court of Cassation.\nEarlier, a prosecutor who did not agree with the additional punishment imposed on the believer filed a cassation appeal against the decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court. In addition to 6 years in prison, he demanded that the believer be given an additional punishment: to deprive Savelyev of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation not only in public, but also in religious organizations for 3 years. Then the cassation returned the case to the stage of appeal, which granted the prosecutor's request. Yuriy Savelyev decided to challenge this verdict, too, by filing a complaint with the Court of Cassation.\nDuring the session in the Court of Cassation, Savelyev managed to have a little video conference call with his friends who came to support him. As it turned out, he had been in a punishment cell for the last 14 days, where he had to spend another 7 days, allegedly because of a violation of the regime. Prior to this, the believer was not given his summer shoes, and only in the middle of summer, after the lawyer turned to the head of the penal colony, the problem was resolved. Despite the difficulties in court, Yuriy Savelyev behaved with dignity and confidently spoke to the judges.\nIn June 2021, while being transferred to a penal colony, Savelyev was already placed in a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. On August 17, the Altai Regional Court will consider the believer's appeal against this penalty.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the accusations against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses groundless and awarded them millions of euros in compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_d369f98a1ebafa9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_774f5affb411778f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_578d092d86b49afc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/151420/image_hu_1181612b74ace628.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/151420.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","2-cassation","elderly","shizo"],"title":"An Appeals Court Again Reviewed the Case of Yuriy Savelyev and Upheld the Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2022, a panel of judges of the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, chaired by Judge Komarova, upheld the verdict and appeal decision regarding the spouses Rayman, Sergey and Valeria.\nEarlier, on October 9, 2020, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma found the believers guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it and sentenced them to 8 and 7 years of probation. In February 2021, the Kostroma Regional Court mitigated this punishment, and then the cassation sent the case back for re-appeal.\nOn March 30, 2022, a panel of judges of the Kostroma Regional Court excluded Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the verdict, and also recalculated the sentence taking into account the 9 and 6 months of restriction of liberty served by Sergey and Valeria. As a result, the Ryman spouses were given 7 and 6.5 years of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\nBased on the results of the cassation, this decision remains in force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-09T16:01:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_dc8575f81c5d6665.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_c822576f84d4eed9.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_e5eb3704c54ea3a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/101601/image_hu_8319f01b31028326.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/101601.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","cassation","families","suspended"],"title":"The court of cassation finally upheld the sentence to Sergey and Valeria Rayman from Kostroma - 7 and 6.5 years suspended with a probationary period of 2 years","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 8, 2022, the judge of the Golovinskiy District Court of Moscow, Sergey Bazarov, found Yuriy Temirbulatov and Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced them to 6.5 years suspended sentence. The believers were released in the courtroom after a year and a half in jail.\nUpdate. According to updated data, Serebryakov and Temirbulatov were sentenced to 6 years probation. The prosecution of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov was preceded by surveillance and hidden video recording in 2019. Investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of Moscow of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Mariya Rasskazova opened a criminal case on February 10, 2021. On the same day, armed officers from several law enforcement agencies broke into 16 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and the region.\nThe investigation lasted for almost a year, after which, on January 26, 2022, the case was transferred to the Golovinskiy District Court of Moscow. Although during the six months of hearings in court it was only proved that Temirbulatov and Serebryakov were Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecutor asked that they be sentenced to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment. Although the court sentenced them to suspended sentences, believers consider the sentence unjust and can appeal against it.\n“The investigation has no evidence that I committed extremist actions,” said Yuriy Temirbulatov, addressing the court. “The investigation and the state prosecution are trying to pass off the exercise of my right to freedom of religion, which is also expressed in the form of worship, as a prohibited activity.”\nDuring the time in custody, believers were repeatedly transferred between different pre-trial detention centers in Moscow. Yuriy Temirbulatov remained under arrest despite numerous diseases of internal organs, a serious surgical operation during his imprisonment, an oncological disease that developed in the same period, the guarantee of human rights activist Andrei Babushkin and the presence of four dependents. Aleksandr Serebryakov had a hard time covid. His wife said: “I didn’t know how he feels, what he needs, who takes care of him, how they treat him . . . Only when he started to recover, I found out that Alek was on the verge of death.” During the investigation, Aleksandr Serebryakov was never granted a meeting with his wife, they communicated only through letters.\nSpeaking before the court with the last word, Aleksandr Serebryakov said: “For several years now, a mass campaign has been going on to denigrate peaceful citizens, to sow hatred and enmity towards Jehovah's Witnesses. There were cases of vandalism, beatings, torture, arson of houses and liturgical buildings . . . We are the only victims here. A year and a half behind bars, wives all this time without husbands, children without a father. All this resulted in stress, pain, tears, illness. I wonder who needs all this? Who got better?”\nIn Moscow, 2 more criminal cases against 8 believers are in court. In total, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses living in this region fell under criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-08T17:15:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_ec82a4749ff4ce0c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_9af3bca59e3b419.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_17e670da830413b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/081715/image_hu_c3f692ebe8e7e943.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/081715.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","hidden-surveillance","282.2-1","health-risk"],"title":"Court Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses from Moscow to 6 Years of Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Recently it became known that back on August 8, 2022, the Rostov Regional Court toughened the punishment for one of the three believers from Rostov , Arsen Avanesov, who was previously sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony, adding another six months to the term.\nIn June 2022, the court of cassation in Krasnodar upheld the verdict against Vilen Avanesov and Aleksandr Parkov, but satisfied the prosecutor’s request regarding Arsen. The believer was again charged with “financing extremist activity”, a charge that the court had previously excluded. Later the case of Arsen Avanesov returned to the stage of appeal, where his sentence was toughened.\nThe judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 7 June 2022 states that “imposition of criminal sanctions for manifestation of religious beliefs amounts to an interference with the exercise of the right to freedom of religion under Article 9 § 1 of the [European] Convention” (264). Despite this, law enforcement officers in the Rostov Region and throughout Russia continue to sentence law-abiding citizens for long terms for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2023/01/190846/image_hu_7a051f41a1a9ea12.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2023/01/190846/image_hu_c6c59b2f70f80cce.jpg","webp":"/news/2023/01/190846/image_hu_8bdd78114565f2eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2023/01/190846/image_hu_17ee621c6620086b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2023/01/190846.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":"Instead of 6.5 Years — 7 Years in a Penal Colony","tags":["appeal","2-appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282","families"],"title":"A Second Appeal in Rostov-on-Don Toughened the Sentence for Arsen Avanesov.","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 5, 2022, the judge of the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Marina Petukhova, found 62-year-old Aleksandr Kabanov guilty of extremist activities and sentenced him to 2 years of suspended sentence.\nAt the end of December 2019, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the closed city of Zelenogorsk. Law enforcement officers interrogated 8 people, among whom were minors. The Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia opened a criminal case against Aleksandr Kabanov, the security forces detained him at his workplace. Later, his home was searched. He was arrested and placed in a temporary detention center for a day. The believer was charged under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). Later, the article of the charge was mitigated by Part 2 of Art. 282.2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nAccording to investigators, Kabanov \"organized... the activities of 24 groups of members of the banned organization and supervised their activities,\" which consisted of holding peaceful meetings where believers read and discussed the Bible. The security forces also considered it a crime to talk about God with those who do not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe investigation went on for 1 year and 2 months, and on February 15, 2021, the case was submitted to the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. After about 10 months of court hearings, instead of announcing the verdict, the court returned the case to the stage of judicial investigation.\nAs emphasized by the defense and Aleksandr Kabanov himself, there is not a single evidence in the case that he caused any harm to anyone. During the court hearings, the secret witness also did not confirm the charges against the defendant. Nevertheless, state prosecutor A.V. Ermakova asked the court to sentence the believer to 2.5 years in prison.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-05T14:53:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_774e99aab196286.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_1a7fe6769a4e52cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_d85ceb21e87cd8d6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/051453/image_hu_677c4277504ce606.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/051453.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness","elderly"],"title":"A Court in the Krasnoyarsk Territory Sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Aleksandr Kabanov, to a Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 5, 2022, the Stavropol Regional Court, chaired by Judge Andrey Shever, partially granted the appeal and commuted the sentence, replacing Konstantin Samsonov with 7.5 years in prison for a fine. The believer is expected to be released on August 8.\nAccording to preliminary information the court also partially satisfied the prosecutor's appeal, increasing the amount of fines for other defendants in the case—Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. Taking into account the period of detention in a pre-trial detention center, all three believers were fined, payable: Sultanov and Akopov—250,000 rubles each, and Samsonov—400,000 rubles.\nUpdate. It became known that the court imposed a fine of 1,400,000 rubles on Konstantin Samsonov and 1,000,000 rubles on Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. However, given the long period pre-trial detention, the punishment was reduced to fines of 400,000 rubles for Samsonov and 250,000 rubles each for Akopov and Sultanov. On April 19, 2022, the judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court Maksim Mazikin considered the conversations of three believers about God to be extremism. Of these, Konstantin Samsonov, the leading systems engineer at the Neftekumsk Central District Hospital, received the most severe sentence for his faith.\nThe process was held with violations, the prosecution did not provide evidence of crimes on the part of believers, as witnesses the prosecutor involved repeatedly convicted persons, including those who did not know the defendants, and the secret prosecution witness “Agafonov” admitted that the believers did not cause any harm to him or anyone or otherwise.\nAddressing the court at the appeal hearing, Samsonov emphasized that extremism was alien to him. He added: “I not only implemented federal programs for the digitalization of healthcare, but also participated in subbotniks to improve the city, did not lead an immoral lifestyle, raised a responsible son . . . I myself chose the Christian path. This is not extremism!”\nSamsonov, Akopov and Sultanov spent a year behind bars. Due to the imposed restrictions for more than two years, they were forced to wear special sensors that record their movements.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to end the persecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds and to release all believers illegally imprisoned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/081523/image_hu_79894e1a49e6621d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/081523/image_hu_22c9692d5c34cc9c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/081523/image_hu_7c0dabacaa65c43a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/081523/image_hu_79946088556ad6ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/081523.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.3-1","fine","mitigation","secret-witness"],"title":"Appeal in Stavropol Replaced Seven and a Half Years in Prison for Konstantin Samsonov With a Fine","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking in court, the believer compared the repressions in the USSR and the persecution for faith in modern Russia: \"History repeats itself. Only the term \"anti-Soviet activity\" was replaced by \"extremist activity.\" And the activity itself has not changed: it is still a Bible study and worship.\"\n","date":"2022-08-03T10:31:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/204.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Serebryakov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, Yuriy Temirbulatov said that extremism is categorically incompatible with his life values: \"For me, as a believer, the commandments are mandatory: 'Love your Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your thoughts' and 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'\"\n","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/205.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Temirbulatov in Moscow","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 2, 2022, the 9th General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation overturned the appeal decision in the case of Nataliya Kriger and sent the case for a new trial at the appeal stage. The verdict for faith is considered not to have entered into force.\nOn July 30, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Nataliya Kriger guilty of extremism, considering her presence at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses a crime, although this belief is not prohibited in Russia. The court sentenced her to 2.5 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The believer appealed the verdict, but on November 25 the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region approved it. Nataliya considered these decisions illegal and filed a cassation appeal.\n“April 19 and May 6, 2018, several families of the Christian religion peacefully gathered together at their homes, read and discussed the Bible, prayed, sang religious songs. This became the basis for criminal prosecution against me. Such persecution was carried out not because I had committed any crime, but because of who I am — a Christian, one Jehovah's Witness,” Nataliya wrote in her appeal.\nAccording to Nataliya Kriger, law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of her illegal activities. “Even [under surveillance] nothing was recorded to claim that I or any of Jehovah's Witnesses committed or called for illegal acts. Not a single person has been identified who suffered from the activities of believers,” says Nataliya.\nHaving considered the arguments of the believer, the court overturned the decision of the appellate instance, which recognized the sentence for faith as just. The new appeal hearing will be held in a different composition of judges of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-08-02T15:35:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_3f9dd9960e1f78d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_542037ea2f920886.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_8195c49bd4606252.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/051535/image_hu_c07e0a31486f7424.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/051535.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","cassation","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, the Cassation Sent the Case of Nataliya Kriger, Convicted for Her Faith, to a New Appeal Hearing","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 1, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, presided over by Judge Olga Yaroshenko, upheld the sentence handed down to one of Jehovah's Witnesses Kirill Yevstigneev, 42—3 years' suspended imprisonment for his belief in Jehovah God.\nAddressing the court, the believer emphasized: \"I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore I will never plan to commit extremist actions, as well as approve or support other people who commit similar criminal acts. These are my religious and life beliefs.\"\nThe verdict has entered into force. Kirill Yevstigneev still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn July 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of local believers in Nizhny Novgorod. In total, 31 families suffered from the actions of the security forces in the region, including Kirill and his wife. In September of the same year, a criminal case was opened against Yevstigneev on charges of financing the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe accusation was based on the fact that in April 2019, Kirill Yevstigneev was at a party in a rented room, where they acted out scenes based on the plots of Soviet films, danced, listened to secular music and played games. For this \"crime\" the prosecutor requested 6 years of real imprisonment.\nOn June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared the accusations against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses groundless and awarded them millions of euros in compensation for unfair criminal prosecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_dda71952d32fec93.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_3e221c8d82581cbb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_99c7fe2bdd28c594.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/08/020835/image_hu_850cb8588f368ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/08/020835.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhny Novgorod Approved the Conviction of Kirill Yevstigneev for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2022, the Primorye Regional Court, presided over by Judge Anna Chernenko, upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Vitaliy Ilyinykh. For his belief in God, he was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe decision of the lower court adopted in April 2022 came into force—Vitaliy Ilyinykh was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended sentence with a two-year probationary period. The prosecutor asked for a longer suspended sentence—4 years. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can file a cassation appeal.\nVitaliy Ilinykh and his mother, Olga Opaleva, have been persecuted for their faith since 2019. The Ilinykhs' house was searched twice, after the second one Vitaliy spent 2 days in the temporary detention center. Recalling those events, the believer said: “The hardest thing was to realize that the ‘calm’ life was over.” The criminal prosecution deprived Vitaliy Ilinykh of the opportunity to fully take care of his mother. He also faced financial difficulties due to the blocking of his accounts.\nIn total, 41 Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory, more than in any other subject of the Russian Federation. Among those charged with extremism are 87-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 74-year-old Lyudmila Shut and 79-year-old Vladimir Filippov.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from discussing biblical issues in the circle of fellow believers or other persons and thus performing worship services. This constitutional right is reserved for every citizen of the country, however, more than 630 Jehovah's Witnesses in 71 regions of Russia have already become defendants in criminal cases for their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-28T16:18:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_4126039dfad27657.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_c0501c601688bea6.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_f89318dd8d3f09c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/281618/image_hu_37edb53375fe240f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/281618.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Appeal in Ussuriysk Approved the Conviction of Vitaliy Ilinykh—a Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2022, Judge Oleg Klementyev of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region found one of Jehovah’s Witnesses Ilya Olenin guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles on him. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIlya Olenin, a design engineer by profession, faced persecution for his faith not for the first time. “The FSB and police officers raided our worship service on April 17, 2017,” the believer said. “An [administrative] case was brought against me under an article for missionary activity. First, the Justice of the Peace, then the city court in Snezhinsk imposed a fine on me, but the Chelyabinsk Regional Court overturned these decisions and the case was closed. Even then, I realized that criminal prosecution could affect me.”\nAnd so it happened. In November 2020, law enforcement officers came to the Olenin spouses with a search (as part of the case against Lyudmila Salikova). On September 8, 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Ilya, which went to court in May 2022. The believer, who is the guardian of an incapacitated father, was under recognizance not to leave for 4.5 months.\nThe charges were based on the testimony of FSB informant V. Kotelnikova, who, under the guise of a person interested in the Bible, collected information about believers in Snezhinsk and handed it over to law enforcement agencies. In the case there are no victims, no damage, no acts dangerous to society, but the prosecutor asked the court to send Olenin to a colony for 6.5 years.\n“It was during the previous trial that I realized — the decision is made even before the court session,” said Ilya Olenin. Nevertheless, the believer intends to appeal the verdict.\nIlya Olenin is the sixth of Jehovah's Witnesses convicted for his faith in the Chelyabinsk region. The remaining five were sentenced to suspended sentences ranging from two to six years.\nAs follows from the materials of hundreds of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, security officials consider peaceful gatherings of believers where they study the Bible, listen to Bible lectures, sing songs and pray together as a crime. Criminal prosecution for faith continues in spite of repeated assurances from the Russian authorities that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-26T16:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/261420/image_hu_2384258685ebace6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/261420/image_hu_bfcc74daf27c3859.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/261420/image_hu_7597d1bd98b24789.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/261420/image_hu_5253b1b09f995228.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/261420.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"In the Chelyabinsk Region, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Ilya Olenin Was Fined by a Court for Discussing the Bible Among Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2022, a panel of judges of the Kemerovo Regional Court, chaired by Larisa Korneva, denied 53-year-old Andrey Vlasov from Prokopievsk his appeal against conviction for faith. The verdict of the lower court has entered into force.\nDespite this, the believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nIn May 2022, the judge of the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, Pavel Kotykhov, found Andrey Vlasov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and sentenced him to 7 years in prison.\nDespite the fact that Andrey Vlasov has Degree II disability and cannot do much without the help of his wife, the state prosecutor requested for him 8.5 years of imprisonment. A physically disabled person had to spend two days on temporary detention and a year and 10 months under house arrest. Although he never violated the detention regime, the court repeatedly extended his preventive measure and restricted his access to medical treatment.\nThe criminal case against Andrey Vlasov was initiated on July 2, 2020 by Ivan Sablin, investigator with the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass. The investigation went on for almost a year. In June 2021, the Vlasov case was submitted to the Central District Court of the city of Prokopyevsk.\nCurrently, 13 Jehovah's Witnesses are being persecuted for their faith in the Kemerovo region. Three of them received suspended sentences. Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk have already been released from the penal colony.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/271423/image_hu_c5d9c3f53d509682.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/271423/image_hu_4f1b0dc286766fe7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/271423/image_hu_ad9f905860989641.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/271423/image_hu_8f026858c3866302.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/271423.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","disability","medical-rights","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"A Kemerovo Appeals Court Upheld Andrey Vlasov's Sentence: a Seven-Year Imprisonment for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2022, the website \"Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal situation in Russia\" (jw-russia.org). In addition to improvements in design, there are new features that make it easier to navigate the site and find the information you need.\nThe main page now displays more important news. They are presented in the form of a scrolling ribbon, which is convenient to use both when reading from a computer and from mobile devices.\n\"Five years of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" is the title of a new separate page that contains the main results of the criminal prosecution of believers since the Supreme Court ruled to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. Leads the corresponding banner to this page.\nPreviously, the search for news was limited only to a filter by region. Now the news is also distributed in categories. By clicking on a particular category displayed above the news headline, the user can see all the materials related to this category. For example, this is how you can find all publications about unjust sentences, the situation of prisoners in colonies and pre-trial detention centers or legal victories.\nAnother innovation is the tape chronology of cases. This block displays messages about the latest events taking place in the lives of believers as part of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. All these records are sequentially collected in chronological order on a separate page. You can go to it from this block in one click.\nMost of the graphic and functional solutions, as well as their purpose, do not require additional explanations, since they are intuitive when using the site.\n\"We hope that the updates will simplify public access to information about the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses and this will serve to protect the right to freedom of religion in Russia,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"website","date":"2022-07-19T08:47:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/182247/image_hu_66767583f9960789.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/182247/image_hu_c763c77a7c71f91e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/182247/image_hu_20be19c798f31bad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/182247/image_hu_af885c65a27610e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/182247.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","analytics"],"title":"Website redesign JW-RUSSIA.ORG. What has changed?","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 8, 2022, security forces took a resident of Severobaikalsk to the police station, suspecting her of professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. After a four-hour interrogation, her apartment was searched.\nThe interrogation of the woman was carried out by two law enforcement officers. They asked questions about the believer's personal correspondence and the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also asked if her family provided any assistance to those around her.\nThen the believer was taken to the place of residence for a search. During special events, her husband was also interrogated. A computer, laptop and other electronic devices were seized from the family. The security forces chose not to detain the couple.\nIt is not yet known on what criminal case the investigative actions were based.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-07-15T17:09:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/151709/image_hu_ee80051713b013d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/151709/image_hu_7ae9915df0023392.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/151709/image_hu_5c3d22fbbdc5d376.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/151709/image_hu_be56baacf0288aec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/151709.html","regions":["buryatia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"The Security Forces of Buryatia Joined the Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. A Search Took Place in Severobaikalsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 14, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court mitigated the sentence of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Andrey Ledyaykin, 33, replacing the sentence of 2 years and 2 months in prison with a suspended sentence of the same term.\nIn July 2020, FSB and Investigative Committee officers, accompanied by two OMON fighters, arrived at Andrey Ledyaikin’s place of work, the administration of Seversk, to pick him up for a search of his home. After the Seversk Investigative Department opened a criminal case against Ledyaykin in March 2021, he was forced to resign. Rosfinmonitoring has included a peaceful believer in the list of extremists and terrorists.\nOn April 26, 2022, the judge of the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region, Yekaterina Soldatenko, sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in prison with serving a sentence in a penal colony, although there were no victims and evidence of harm to the state and society in the case. Since then, Andrey has been held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the decisions of the courts in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe courts of the Tomsk region have already sentenced 6 Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith, including an 80-year-old woman. On June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of the administrative center and another 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, which law enforcement agencies take as a basis for criminal prosecution, although not a single Russian court has banned the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_b81b0c60af66b3f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_cf37f85fee169b8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_9144d6c9218ba2a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/151002/image_hu_618618e67c723e23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/151002.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","mitigation","suspended","liberty-deprivation","work-restrictions","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"An Appeal in Seversk Replaced the Prison Term of Andrey Ledyaykin With a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of July 13, 2022, searches were carried out in Rybinsk at 16 addresses where Jehovah's Witnesses live; three families were also searched at their country-house. There were no arrests. Criminal cases have been initiated.\nThe raid was initiated by the Russian Investigative Committee for the Yaroslavl region. Special events were held with the participation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard officers, as well as detectives of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Yaroslavl Region A. Ivanenko, V. Moskalev and D. Kovalenko. The basis was the decision of the Rybinsk City Court of July 12, 2022.\nCommunication equipment, electronic devices, data carriers, a digital camera, audio cassettes with music files, several copies of the Bible in different translations, and a book by a religious scholar about Jehovah's Witnesses were seized from the believers.\nOne of the believers said that 7 people came to her with a search. They did not show their official identification, but showed a search warrant. One of the officers was armed. The woman recalls: “It was very scary. Violence was not used, but for me the interrogation was real torture, since my health is very poor, I fell into faint. The interrogation of the believer lasted about 4 hours.\nUpdate. The woman's son and his wife were also searched. First, the security forces invaded their dacha. The search was attended by an investigator of the Investigative Committee, Lieutenant Colonel Andrey Bruders, a representative of the FSB and two witnesses, who, according to the victims, were police officers and assisted in conducting the search. The believer's wife was taken away for interrogation to the investigative committee, and he himself was taken to the apartment in the city to continue the search. There he found that the door to the dwelling had been broken down. Later, he was taken for interrogation to the building of the local lyceum, where other believers from Rybinsk were also interrogated. The man was told that he was a witness in the case against Yevgenia Samoilova and Olga Golovacheva (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), which would be conducted by Dmitry Kolesnikov, an investigator for especially important cases.\nThe security forces also came with a search to the family of 60-year-old believers, where the wife is disabled since childhood. One police officer introduced himself as a neighbor and asked to open the door, another, entering, began to record what was happening on video, but at the request of the owner of the house, he stopped filming. The couple's bank cards, on which pensions and salaries were accrued, were confiscated. They were later interrogated separately from each other.\nDuring a search in the apartment of Alexander Belyakov, the security forces demanded him to explain for what purpose he installed a program for video conferencing. According to the believer, the law enforcement officers behaved rudely: “They ordered me to stand up facing the interior door, raise my hands up, turning them palms out, and at the same time spread my legs as wide as possible. They said that I would stand like that until I told the password from the mail. There were threats of physical force.\" After the search, the believer was interrogated at the FSB department, and then taken to the Investigative Committee. All these events lasted about 15 hours. A criminal case has been initiated against the man.\nDuring a search in the apartment of Alexander Belyakov, the security forces demanded him to explain for what purpose he installed a program for video conferencing. According to the believer, the law enforcement officers behaved rudely: “They ordered me to stand up facing the interior door, raise my hands up, turning them palms out, and at the same time spread my legs as wide as possible. They said that I would stand like that until I told the password from the mail. There were threats of physical force.\" After the search, the believer was interrogated at the FSB department, and then taken to the Investigative Committee. All these events lasted about 15 hours. A criminal case has been initiated against the man.\nThe day after the raid, on July 14, one of the believers, 45-year-old Dmitriy Lebedev, was summoned for interrogation, where he was told that a criminal case had also been opened against him. The believer was threatened with 6 years in prison.\nOn July 27, Dmitriy Lebedev's house was searched again. Earlier, during the first raid in Rybinsk, an unknown man called Dmitriy from his mother's phone and said from the name of ambulance doctors that he needed to come to her. When he arrived at the house, he was met by police officers and taken away for interrogation. It also became known that on July 27, another believer, Yuriy Gusev, was taken to the Investigative Committee. Information regarding him is being specified.\nIn April 2021, mass searches were already taking place in Yaroslavl and Rybinsk. Criminal cases were initiated against 4 peaceful believers, now they are under a ban on certain actions.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_947dc7e0f5f68c90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_73c0f0de456d043.jpg","webp":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_8aa4f932f69f3d33.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_f0775ec321e7e27e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/250918.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","new-case","search","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"Mass Searches and Interrogations of Believers Took Place in the Yaroslavl Region","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of July 7, 2022, searches were carried out in Surgut in at least 5 dwellings of believers. The security forces again came to the apartments of Kirill Severinchk and Yevgeniy Kayryak, who were tortured by the security forces in 2019.\nThe new raid was carried out by the officers of the 4th investigative department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia with the participation of agents of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service for the Tyumen region and the OMON of the Department of the Russian Guard for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area. According to eyewitnesses, law enforcement officers behaved respectfully towards the believers. The security forces seized Bibles, personal photographs, electronic devices, storage media, bank cards, and a board game.\nOne of those to whom law enforcement officers came was the family of Kirill Severinchik, 24. After the search, the young man was taken to the department for interrogation, after which he was released. During mass raids in February 2019, Kirill and his father, Artur Severinchik, along with other believers, were severely beaten by security forces, forcing them to incriminate themselves. Kirill was not detained then, but his father was sent to a pre-trial detention center, where he was kept for almost a month. Now the believer is on trial for extremism and is under house arrest.\nIn order to conduct a similar search, law enforcement officers came to the apartment of Yevgeniy Kayryak, who was also tortured in the winter of 2019. At the moment he is under house arrest, being a defendant in the same criminal case as Artur Severinchik.\nIt is noteworthy that the previous searches of Kayryak and another believer in the same year were declared illegal. After meeting with relatives of the victims, Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, said:: “Torture is absolutely unacceptable, and allegations of torture must be verified as fully and comprehensively as possible. We cannot allow such evil to exist in our land.”\n“None of the security forces who grossly violated the law have yet been punished. Impunity leads to the fact that unjustified criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith continues not only in Surgut, but throughout Russia,” Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the situation.\nCurrently, 5 criminal cases have been initiated in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area against 23 civilians in the region, 19 of whom live in Surgut.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/111435.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"In Surgut, Jehovah's Witnesses Have Been Searched Again, Including Those Who Were Tortured by Security Forces","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal the liquidation of the administrative center and another 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the ban on their activities and the seizure of property; prohibition of printed publications and the official website; In addition, the court decided to stop the criminal prosecution of believers, and to release the prisoners.\n","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/206.html","regions":["france"],"tags":["echr"],"title":"Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. the Russian Federation (application No. 32401/10)","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 30, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court upheld the conviction of one of Jehovah's Witnesses—Sergey Belousov, 44. The believer was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIn sentencing Sergey Belousov to three years of suspended sentence, judge Yekaterina Soldatenko of the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region did not take into account that the right to be a believer does not depend on the existence of a legal entity or its prohibition. “As a result of a miscarriage of justice, I was only convicted of professing Bible-based beliefs and peacefully practicing my Christian faith as a Jehovah's Witness,” the believer said during the consideration of his complaint. Despite this, as well as a number of other violations, the appellate court upheld the verdict of April 14, 2022.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence. The verdict came into force, but Sergey Belousov has the right to appeal it in cassation.\nIn the Tomsk region, 7 believers are already being repressed for their faith in Jehovah God. Sergey Klimov and Yevgeniy Korotun were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment (6 and 7 years, respectively), and Yelena Savelyeva, 80,—to 4 years of suspended sentence.\nInternational organizations, Russian human rights activists and the European Court of Human Rights condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_c27108e2a7667412.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_270921e743fc28c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_f79b71fea7ecad7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/011113/image_hu_111ab8c1d0e4dcc8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/011113.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","appeal","suspended"],"title":"A Seversk Appeal Upheld Sergey Belousov's Suspended Three-Year Sentence for Practicing Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 30, 2022, the Tomsk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Andrey Kaplyuk, mitigated the sentence imposed by the court of first instance and replaced Andrey Kolesnichenko, 52, having changed four years in a penal colony for four years of probation.\nThe hearing was held via video-conferencing, as Kolesnichenko is in the pre-trial detention center in the city of Kolpashevo, which is more than 300 kilometers from Seversk. After the decision of the Court of Appeal, the believer was released. The verdict has entered into force. Kolesnichenko has the right to appeal against it in the cassation procedure.\nIn January 2022, Andrey Kolesnichenko was found guilty by the judge of the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region, Yalchin Badalov. He considered proven the believer's guilt in participating in the activities of an extremist community (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The sentence turned out to be somewhat milder than the prosecutor requested—5 years in prison. The believer was taken into custody.\nOn the same day, the judge of the Severskiy City Court, Svetlana Chebotareva, found guilty and sent to a colony for 7 years the brother of Andrey's wife, Yevgeniy Korotun.\nThe criminal prosecution of both Andrey Kolesnichenko and Yevgeniy Korotun began with searches that took place in July 2020. The Investigative Committee for the Tomsk Region opened a criminal case against Korotun, from which 8 months later he separated the case of Kolesnichenko into a separate proceeding.\nOn December 17, 2021, the 35 member countries of the International Religious Freedom Alliance issued a joint statement in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses who are being persecuted for their religious beliefs. The statement calls for the immediate release of all prisoners and an end to torture, violence, searches and other forms of discrimination against this denomination.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/07/011108/image_hu_be64779a29383cfc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/07/011108/image_hu_b1e7f28203b9a5bf.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/07/011108/image_hu_d63719bd84f1d135.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/07/011108/image_hu_f1f4d150e7921ffc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/07/011108.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","mitigation","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"Tomsk Regional Court Replaced Seversk-Based Andrey Kolesnichenko's Four-Year Prison Sentence With a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2022, Porkhovsky District Court of Pskov Region found 47-year-old Aleksey Khabarov not guilty of participation in activity of extremist organization (article 282.2 part 2 of Criminal Code of Russian Federation). Friends who came to support the believer met the court's decision with applause.\nThe verdict will come into force, if the prosecutor's office does not appeal. For now, Aleksey Khabarov will continue to be under recognizance agreement.\nIn September 2021, the Porkhovsky District Court sentenced Khabarov to three years of suspended sentence, although no evidence of Khabarov's involvement in extremist activity was presented during the trial. Two months later, an appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for reconsideration. All this time Aleksey Khabarov was under recognizance agreement.\n\"Both during the first hearing and now, no intent to carry out extremist activities was seen,\" Aleksey Khabarov said during the debate, \"there is not a single proof that I participated in activities that in any way resemble extremism, aimed at inciting religious and social hatred and hostility towards persons who practice another religion”. Speaking in court, he also referred to the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which declared the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unjust, and all unfolded persecution of followers of this religion unfounded.\nAleksey Khabarov welcomes the court's unbiased consideration of the case and its protection of his legal right to peacefully practice Jehovah's Witnesses religion in association with others. Earlier at one of the hearings he noted, \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid me, together with my friends or with my family, to discuss biblical issues and thus to perform worship services. And this constitutional right does not depend on whether or not there is a legal entity or any registration. Discussion of the Bible by a group of people is not included in the list of extremist activities”.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-06-29T15:57:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/291557/image_hu_237bee8e25bda955.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/291557/image_hu_142e0fc24864020f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/291557/image_hu_fa7bd9dc60e97132.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/291557/image_hu_83800c9b8542e131.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/291557.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","acquittal","recognizance-agreement","retrial"],"title":"In Pskov Region, the Court Completely Acquitted Aleksey Khabarov—One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2022, Nataliya Nikolayeva, judge of the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Krasnoyarsk, sentenced Jehovah's Witness Yevgeniy Zinich to 6 years in penal colony because he did not renounce his faith in Jehovah God after the confession's Russian legal entities were banned in 2017. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nYevgeniy Zinich, 56, is a third-generation Jehovah's Witness. His family had already been subjected to religious repression by the authorities: for refusing to take up arms for religious reasons, his grandfather received a 5-year prison term, in 1951, Yevgeniy’s mother and her parents were exiled to Khakassia as part of Operation “North”, and his father was sentenced to 10 years for transporting religious literature. The family of Yevgeniy’s wife, Mariya, also faced a similar situation. During the criminal prosecution of Yevgeniy, his wife, a disabled person of group II, died of a serious illness. The believer takes care of his elderly mother.\n“The wife did not wait for my acquittal. The experiences caused by my criminal prosecution, according to the doctors, became one of the reasons for her premature death, — said Yevgeniy Zinich in his last plea. — My mother, who is already 83 years old, would also very much like to live to see the time when I, her son, will be acquitted. She is very upset that so many people in power do not want to admit the obvious — my faith excludes extremism — and make great efforts to try to prove the opposite”.\nZinich came to the attention of law enforcement agencies in November 2018, then in Krasnoyarsk for the first time there were mass searches of believers. Initially, Yevgeniy was a witness in the case against another believer, Andrey Stupnikov, but over time he himself was accused of organizing “illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.” In December 2020, the couple's apartment was searched. Since October 2021, Yevgeniy has been under house arrest. Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia Konstantin Zhuikov investigated the case for 9 months. After that, on November 1, 2021, the case was submitted to the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Krasnoyarsk, where it was heard for about 8 months.\nThe decision of the court has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence: “The arguments that all my actions have nothing to do with the alleged crime, but are only the realization of my rights to religious life, guaranteed to me by the legislation of the Russian Federation, my lawyer and I presented in detail to the court. I'm sure they are more than convincing.\"\nIn total, 27 Jehovah's Witnesses, who are defendants in 18 criminal cases, faced criminal prosecution in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Five believers have already been convicted.\nAccording to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime. Liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in this case is not a basis for criminal prosecution of individual believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-27T16:13:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/271613/image_hu_492ae5436e154ba8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/271613/image_hu_83dd9a37e43f74c1.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/271613/image_hu_6a0315a0af0c11a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/271613/image_hu_e544a1c19726aa26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/271613.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","families","282.2-1","ussr"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, Yevgeniy Zinich, a Descendant of Jehovah's Witnesses Who Were Repressed in Soviet Times, Was Sentenced to Six Years in Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 14, 2022, at least 5 civilians were subjected to searches in the town of Baley, Trans-Baikal Territory. These are Lidiya Bzovi, Yelena Baylukova, 71-year-old Tatyana Kuznetsova and the Saranchuk spouses: 75-year-old Valeriy and 71-year-old Tatyana.\nThe elderly believer Lidiya Bzovi is facing religious persecution for the second time in her life. In 1951, by order of Joseph Stalin, she was exiled to Siberia along with other Jehovah's Witnesses. That sad page in the history of Soviet repressions was called Operation North.\nThe searches were initiated by the investigator of the Nerchinsk Interdistrict Investigation Department N. O. Buintseva. In June 2022, she opened a criminal case No. 12202760012000028 under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). The search warrant was given by the judge of the Baley City Court of the Trans-Baikal Territory O. Yu. Shcheglova.\nIn 2020, the previous wave of searches struck local Jehovah's Witnesses in the Trans-Baikal Territory. They were accompanied by beatings and torture. A criminal case was initiated against seven detainees. One of the believers in June 2022 was sentenced to 6 years in prison, two — to 6.5.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-06-23T10:01:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/231001.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","282.2-2","families","ussr"],"title":"New Searches in Homes of Believers in the Trans-Baikal Territory. For One Victim, History Repeats Itself 71 Years Later","type":"news"},{"body":"Despite the fact that during the trial Yevgeny Zinich lost his wife, he did not become embittered. Addressing the court with the last word, the believer said: \"It is not permissible to hate, humiliate or otherwise treat others badly, even if we are treated unjustly.\"\n","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/203.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Zinich in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 21, 2022, a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, chaired by Yuriy Tsybulya, upheld the decision of the lower court regarding Anatoliy Gorbunov, 64. The sentence for faith in Jehovah God — 6 years in a penal colony — came into force.\nHearings in the court of first instance lasted more than a year, all this time the believer was under a recognizance not to leave. After the verdict was announced, he spent more than four months in a pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal.\nThere are no victims in the case of Anatoliy Gorbunov. The prosecution only proved that he belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, while not presenting a single fact of extremist actions on the part of the defendant. The believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassation.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 27 of Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted, including one woman, whose charges were dropped. Five other believers were sentenced to various types of punishment: two to six years in prison, one was fined, and two more received suspended sentences.\nAddressing the court, Anatoliy Gorbunov recalled that the Supreme Court did not forbid Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their faith — this is their right, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-22T09:29:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_917bed0aab1aa0f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_557186ef91c1e26f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_fa8e26626d761813.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/220929/image_hu_e7ab0cb8e936474e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/220929.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Appeals Sentenced Anatoliy Gorbunov, a Retiree From Krasnoyarsk, to Serve a Six-Year Sentence in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"The inclusion of Jehovah's Witnesses publications in the extremist list was the foundation for the subsequent ban of activities and criminal prosecution of believers. In June 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued a ruling in which it thoroughly analyzed all the logical and legal errors made by Russian courts.\nIs it allowed to consider one's religion to be the only true one? According to the Russian government's explanation to the ECHR, \"a local religious organization in Taganrog was engaged in illegal activities, including the distribution of printed materials proclaiming the superiority of their religion over others\" (paragraph 144 of the ruling). This is the court assessment of the ECHR:\nParagraph 153: \"... Preference for one's own religion, \"perception\" of it as unique and the only true one... is the cornerstone of almost any religious system, as is the evaluation of other faiths as 'false,' 'wrong,' or 'unsaving.'\" (\"... Preference for one's own religion, the perception of it as unique and the only true one... is a cornerstone of almost any religious system, as is the assessment of the other faiths as \"false\", \"wrong\" or \"not conducive to salvation.\")\nParagraph 153: \"In the absence of expressions that seek to incite or justify violence or hatred based on religious intolerance, any religious entity or individual believers have the right to proclaim and defend their doctrine as the true and superior one and to engage in religious disputes and criticism seeking to prove the truth of one's own and the falsity of others' dogmas or beliefs.\nParagraph 156: \"Even accepting that the texts promoted the idea that it was better to be a Jehovah's Witness than a member of another Christian denomination, it is significant that the texts did not insult, hold up to ridicule or slander non-Witnesses.\"\nParagraph 200: \"...No elements of violence, hatred, abuse, insults, ridicule or calls for anyone's exclusion or discrimination have been identified in any of the publications.”\nIs it correct to regard criticism as \"incitement to hatred\"? \"The Regional Court [in Russia] referred to statements by two Orthodox priests and five Orthodox believers who claimed to have been offended by the Witnesses' criticism of Orthodoxy\" (par 18). The ECHR assessed this situation as follows:\nParagraph 154: “Religious people may be genuinely offended by claims of the superiority of another's religion over their own. However, the fact that individuals or groups of people may perceive criticism as an insult does not mean that it constitutes ‘hate speech’\nParagraph 156: \"Peacefully seeking to convince others of the superiority of one's own religion and urging them to abandon 'false religions' and join the 'true one' is a legitimate form of exercise of the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression which enjoys the protection under Articles 9 and 10 of the Convention.\"\n\"Incitement to hatred\" - in whom and to whom? The European Court considered the allegations of incitement to religious hatred to be speculative and unsubstantiated. This is the conclusion reached by the ECHR:\nParagraph 200: \"Although the Jehovah's Witnesses' publications have been widely available in many countries for decades, including in Russia, the Government has not submitted any evidence that they have caused interreligious tensions or led to any harmful consequences or violence, in Russia or elsewhere.” Paragraph 157: “Both the applicants’ religious activities and the content of their publications appear to have been peaceful in line with their professed doctrine of non-violence.”\nParagraph 200: \"There is no indication that the domestic courts perceived the texts in question as capable of leading to public disturbances or unrest.”\nWhat was wrong with the expertise on which the court relied? The Russian courts based their decisions on the conclusions of experts invited by the prosecution. How did the European Court regard this?\nParagraph 203: \"Expert conclusions ... go beyond addressing purely specialist issues, such as clarifying the import or meaning of particular words and expressions, and provide what is in effect a legal assessment of publications. The Court has found that situation unacceptable and stressed that all issues of law should be determined exclusively by judges.\"\nParagraph 204: \"The courts limited their analysis to reproducing a summary of findings by expert witnesses which they endorsed in their entirety without drawing any legal conclusions from them, stating simply that they had no reason to doubt them.\"\nParagraph 204: \"It is apparent from the judgments that it was not the court that made the decisive findings as to the 'extremist' nature of the Jehovah's Witnesses publications but the experts selected by the prosecutors and police.\" Did the believers have an opportunity to defend their publications in court? After examining the applicants' complaints ECHR concluded as follows:\nParagraph 205: \"They also failed to uphold the adversarial nature of the proceedings. Some applicants were unable to effectively put forward arguments in defence of their position, as the courts rejected their evidence, including alternative expert opinions.\"\nParagraph 205: \"Other applicants had not been even informed of the banning proceedings and denied the possibility to challenge the first-instance judgment by way of appeal.\"\nIs it possible to predict that the publication will or will not be recognized as extremist in Russia?\" ... Decisions to classify Jehovah's Witnesses publications as \"extremist\"... were based on an arbitrarily broad definition of 'extremist activity' in Russian law\" (par. 270). This is the problem, according to the ECHR, that this creates in society:\nParagraph 158: \"This is a broad definition of 'extremism'... deprived individuals or organizations of the opportunity to foresee that their behavior, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or hostility, could be classified as 'extremist' and subject to restrictions\". (\"That broad definition of \"extremism\"... prevented individuals or organisations from being able to anticipate that their conduct, however peaceful and devoid of hatred or animosity it was, could be categorised as \"extremist\" and censured with restrictive measures.\")\nParagraph 201: \"This sweeping definition enabled the Russian authorities to restrict the distribution of non-violent religious publications but also prevented publishers and users of the publications to anticipate, on account of its lacking the necessary precision, which publications could be categorized as 'extremist' and banned on that account.”\nThe only grounds for liquidation and prohibition of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia, confiscation of their property, criminal prosecution of over 600 believers and sentences of up to eight years in prison were the inclusion of their publications in the list of extremist materials. The fact that the European Court deemed this inclusion unlawful deprives all the persecution of the followers of this religion that has been unfolding in Russia of grounds.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-06-17T11:14:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/171114/image_hu_b38e7d752dd7df35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/171114/image_hu_1a7be55a9af7cb80.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/171114/image_hu_bb6332b10374f223.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/171114/image_hu_5413e61e85cb47e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/171114.html","regions":["rostov","moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","review","analytics","international"],"title":"ECHR Considered Why Jehovah's Witnesses Were Declared Extremists and Explained Why This Was Illegal. Key Quotes","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 16, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia approved the verdict against Aleksandr Vergunov and Matrena Spiriadi. The Judicial Collegium, chaired by Judge Yelena Dyukareva, considered attending services and discussing the Bible a criminal offense.\nIn the court of first instance, it turned out that most of the 42 witnesses either did not know the defendants or were confused in their testimony. Despite this, the prosecutor asked to sentence the believers to 5 years in prison. The court limited itself to a suspended sentence: 2.5 years each.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe third suspect in the case was 44-year-old Irina Sidorova, who died in hospital in July 2020 after two surgeries. Her minor child was left without a mother.\nThe case of the Abakan believers was separated from the case of Roman Baranovskiy and his mother Valentina . The 70-year-old believer was released on parole. Her son is still in prison for his faith in God.\nA recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights once again confirmed the incompetence of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-16T11:18:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_bf9a9b9e385f96a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_b8bc387a1d5d9c9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_f26b464c8154f903.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/161118/image_hu_3d0408fb716b5487.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/161118.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Abakan Upheld Suspended Sentences for Two Believers—Two-and-a-Half Years Each for Holding Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning on June 16, 2022, Andrey Bolotov, 38, was detained on the street of Kopeysk and taken to his home for a search.\nAt the door of Bolotov's apartment, 8 more people were met, three of whom were armed. Law enforcement officers seized a laptop, CDs, flash drives, smartphones. After the search, Andrey Bolotov and his wife were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region for interrogation, and then released, with an obligation to appear.\nThe event was led by investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, who had previously initiated criminal prosecution of other believers in the region. On June 8, 2022, he opened another criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization), under which the Bolotovs were searched.\nThis is the tenth criminal case against believers in the Chelyabinsk region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_a3b2ced771142e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_ec173bd2c80c730f.jpg","webp":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_613284c7a1a776c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/23218813626_a65dd88831_o_hu_7959300de005eb5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/221426.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","summon","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In the Chelyabinsk Region, Security Forces Searched the Home of a Family of Jehovah’s Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2022, the ECHR declared illegal liquidation of the administrative center and another 395 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the ban on their activities and the seizure of property; prohibition of printed publications and the official website; In addition, the court decided to stop the criminal prosecution of believers, and to release the prisoners. The decision was issued in the case “Taganrog LRO and others v. Russia”, in which a total of 20 complaints filed by Jehovah's Witnesses from 2010 to 2019 were combined. The total number of applicants is 1444, of which 1014 are individuals and 430 are legal entities (some applicants appear in more than one complaint). According to the ruling, in total, Russian Federation is obliged to pay the applicants EUR 3,447,250 in respect of non-pecuniary damage and to return the seized property (or pay EUR 59,617,458).\nBy its actions, Russia violated the provisions of several articles of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms: right of personal freedom (Article 5), freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 9), freedom of expression (Article 10) and freedom of assembly and association (Article 11). In addition, Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (the right to respect for property) was violated.\nYaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses said: “We are grateful to the Strasbourg Court for its authoritative qualified legal understanding of the unprecedented situation that has developed in Russia with Jehovah's Witnesses. We hope that today's ruling will help the Russian authorities to restore the rule of law and rights in relation to more than 175,000 believers of our religion in the near future.\"\nThe following is a brief history of all 20 complaints on which this ruling was made.\nTaganrog LRO and Others v. Russia (complaint 32401/10). In January 2007, by order of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, the Rostov Regional Prosecutor's Office in cooperation with the FSB initiated shutdown of the Jehovah's Witnesses LRO in Taganrog (Rostov region). As a result, on September 11, 2009, the Rostov Regional Court ruled to liquidate the LRO, ban its activities, declare 34 publications extremist and confiscate its property. On December 8, 2009, the Supreme Court rejected the appeal in a summary fashion. On June 1, 2010, the case was filed with the ECHR.\nAdministrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russia (Complaint 10188/17). On March 2, 2016, the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation issued an official warning to the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" with the requirement to stop \"extremist\" activities under threat of liquidation. Relying on the opinion that the Administrative Center had \"systematically violated\" the law on extremism by importing, storing, and distributing banned literature, the Ministry of Justice asked the Russian Supreme Court to liquidate the Administrative Center and 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout Russia, as well as to confiscate their property. On July 17, 2017, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the liquidation decision. The Administrative Center and its representative Vasily Kalin filed a complaint with the ECHR against the Russian Federation.\nGlazov LRO and Others v. Russia (Complaint 3215/18). On January 15, 2018, 395 local religious organizations (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed a complaint with the ECHR against the discriminatory decision of the Russian Supreme Court of April 20, 2017. All Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in the country were automatically declared extremist, liquidated, and property confiscated. (See Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russia.) The applicants also pointed to the failure of the national courts to ensure their effective participation in the proceedings.\nSamara LRO and Others v. Russia (Complaint 15962/15). In January 2014, police officers, under the guise of checking the electric grid, inspected a building rented by Jehovah's Witnesses in Samara for worship meetings. When they returned unmasked, they went straight to the dressing room they had previously inspected and \"found\" several books deemed extremist. On March 7, 2014, the Sovetskiy District Court fined the local religious organization (LRO) with 50 thousand rubles for \"possession\" of these publications. The Samara Regional Court approved this decision, and then on May 29, 2014, recognized the LRO as an extremist organization and liquidated it. On November 12, 2014, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation concisely considered the believers' appeal and upheld the decision. Representatives of the LRO appealed to the ECHR on March 31, 2015.\nKravchuk and Others v. Russia (Complaint 2861/15). In August 2013, the Tsentralny District Court of Tver declared Jehovah's Witnesses’ website, jw.org, extremist. The owner of the site, the Watchtower, Bible and Tract Society (New York), was not involved in the trial, which violated his rights. In January 2014, Tver Regional Court overturned the decision of the lower court. However, on an appeal by the deputy prosecutor general, the Supreme Court upheld the decision to ban the site. Internet service providers across the country blocked access to the site. Russia is the only country in the world where jw.org is banned. In January 2015, the Administration Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as Oleg Kravchuk and nine other believers who are readers of the site, filed a complaint with the ECHR.\nGorno-Altaysk LRO and Others v. Russia (complaint 44285/10). On December 22, 2008, the prosecutor filed a petition with the Gorno-Altaisk City Court to declare 27 religious publications by Jehovah's Witnesses extremist. The court ordered a comprehensive psycholinguistic religious examination of these publications, without any expert in the field of religious studies taking part in the study. As a result, on October 1, 2009, the court declared 18 publications extremist. Earlier in June of the same year law enforcement officers searched Jehovah's Witnesses place of worship in Gorno-Altaisk as well as believers' homes. During the searches, religious literature and personal possessions were confiscated. Gorno-Altaisk Jehovah's Witnesses LRO appealed, but on January 27, 2010, the Altai Republic Supreme Court rejected the appeal, upholding the decision of the city court. Later, on July 23 of the same year, the case was filed with the ECHR.\nChukan and Others v. Russia (complaint 2269/12) . On March 11, 2009, the prosecutor of Krasnodar Territory applied to court with the requirement to declare extremist four publications of Jehovah's Witnesses that were allegedly found in the city park as. Linguist from Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Krasnodar Territory considered the content of publications to be inadmissible, and on April 22, 2011, Pervomaiskiy District Court of Krasnodar acknowledged four publications to be extremist. This happened despite the fact that Rostov Regional Court had earlier ruled three of them not to contain any extremist elements in the text. In August 2011 the Krasnodar regional court rejected the believers' appeal, upholding the decision. Vasiliy Chukan and Aleksandr Tkachenko, Jehovah's Witnesses from Krasnodar, as well as the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Krasnodar, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and German and American publishers filed a complaint with the ECHR.\nZinich and Others v. Russia (complaint 74387/13). In 2012, FSB requested the prosecutor office to file a petition to a court to declare the book What Does the Bible Really Teach (2009) extremist. The court granted that request. On May 20, 2013, the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court rejected the appeal of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia against this decision. In this regard, a believer from Krasnoyarsk, Maria Zinich, as well as the German publishing house that issued the publication and the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed a complaint with the ECHR.\nVerish and Others v. Russia (complaint 79240/13). The Prosecutor of the Sovetskiy District of Krasnoyarsk went to court, asking to declare one of brochures extremist. On January 24, 2013, the Sovetskiy District Court satisfied this demand. Aleksey Verish and six other believers were denied the appeal, as they were not interested parties. The court also rejected an appeal from the publishing house, considering the ownership of copyright unproven. In July 2013, Administration Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia managed to appeal the decision, but the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court and then the cassation instance upheld the original verdict. On December 11, 2013, the believers appealed to the ECHR.\nNovikov and Others v. Russia (Complaint 28108/14). On November 2, 2011, the prosecutor appealed to the Uspenskiy District Court of Krasnodar Territory to declare the religious book of Jehovah's Witnesses extremist. Psychological and linguistic expertise found no signs of extremism in the book. However, at the request of the prosecutor, the publication was sent for reexamination to other experts who found signs of extremism in it. On June 19, 2013, the District Court satisfied the prosecutor's request and decided to confiscate the book. In doing so, it relied solely on the findings of the second expert report and the opinion of an Orthodox priest heard at the prosecutor's request. The LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Uspenskiy District, the German and American publishers of Jehovah's Witness literature, and three believers Novikov, Baylo, and Kalinin from Krasnodar Territory and Nizhny Novgorod filed an appeal. On October 8, 2013, the Krasnodar Territory Court rejected it, and the case went to the ECHR on April 4, 2014.\n\"LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan and Aliyev v. Russian Federation\", (Birobidzhan LRO and Aliyev v. Russia). In October 2013, the Leninskiy District Court of Vladimir declared two publications of Jehovah's Witnesses extremist without notifying the representatives of the religious organization. A similar decision on one of these publications 2 months earlier was made by the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Alam Aliyev and the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan successfully appealed against it in the court of the Autonomous Region. But a month later, in May 2014, the deputy prosecutor of Birobidzhan made an official demand to stop distributing the brochure, referring to the decision of the Vladimir court. Believers in Birobidzhan tried to appeal because they were not notified of the decision and could not challenge it in a timely manner. The Leninsky District Court of Vladimir refused to restore the terms of the appeal. In October 2014, the Vladimir Regional Court upheld this decision. On April 7, 2015, a complaint was sent to the ECHR.\n\"Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Wachtturm Bibel-Und Traktat-Gesellschaft v Russia, application 76162/12. On July 24, 1997, the Russian State Press Committee authorized the Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society (a branch in Germany) to distribute The Watchtower and Awake! magazines in Russia. The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was a distributor. On April 26, 2010, Roskomnadzor revoked the permission to distribute the journals in Russia. On 6 October 2011 the Moscow Arbitration Court ruled in favour of the applicants, finding that the order had been unlawful. However, on January 25, 2012, the Ninth Arbitration Court ruled that the use of mass media to promote extremism was prohibited by the Law of the Russian Federation \"On Mass Media\" and the order of Roskomnadzor was legalized. The believers filed a complaint with the ECHR.\nTrotsyuk and Others v. Russia, (Trotsyuk and Others v. Russia) v. Russia. In September 2009, the Rostov Regional Court recognized the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog as an extremist organization. In 2011, a criminal case was opened against Nikolai Trotsyuk and later against 15 other local Jehovah's Witnesses for organizing the activities of an extremist organization, involving in it and continuing the activities of the liquidated LRO. A written undertaking not to leave was taken from all believers. Since 2013, the Taganrog City Court has considered this case twice (after the first conviction, the appeal sent it for a new trial in a different composition of the court). As a result, all believers were found guilty. Four of them received a 5.5-year suspended sentence and a fine of 100,000 rubles, the rest were fined from 70,000 to 200,000 rubles. In March 2016, the Rostov Regional Court overturned the fines, upholding the rest of the conviction. This was the first time in modern Russia that Jehovah's Witnesses were criminally punished solely for their faith. On April 28, 2016, the believers filed a complaint with the ECHR.\nChristensen v. Russian Federation, application 44386/19 (Christensen v. Russia). Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, has lived in Russia since 1995. On the evening of May 25, 2017, armed FSB officers disrupted a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol. The believers were subjected to a personal search and interrogation, which lasted 10 hours, until 5:30 in the morning. Christensen was arrested and charged with continuing the activities of an extremist organization. After more than 50 hearings, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court found Christensen guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in prison. On February 18, 2019, the believer filed an appeal. He stressed that he had been discriminated against only because he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. On May 23, 2019, the Oryol Regional Court rejected Christensen's arguments and upheld the decision of the lower court. However, the court could not explain how Dennis could coordinate the actions of a legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses without being a member of it. The believer filed a complaint with the ECHR on August 20, 2019. (See also Christensen v. Russian Federation, complaint 39417/17.)\nChristensen v. Russian Federation, application 39417/17 (Christensen v. Russia). On May 25, 2017, police and FSB officers searched the home of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen and his wife, Irina. He was detained and accused of continuing the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol (liquidated by the decision of the Oryol Regional Court of June 14, 2016). The next day, the Sovetsky District Court ruled to detain the believer in a pre-trial detention center. Considering this a violation of his freedom of religion, Christensen appealed to the ECHR on June 2, 2017. He also filed a complaint with the Oryol Regional Court, which on June 21, 2017 upheld the measure of restraint without discussing the arguments of the defense. (See also Christensen v. Russia, complaint 44386/19.)\nBoltnev v. Russian Federation, application 3488/11 (Boltnyev v. Russia). On May 21, 2010, Jehovah's Witness Igor Boltnev and his fellow believer Farhod Mardonov were detained by police officers on a street in the city of Nizhnekamsk. The men's documents were checked and demanded to see the contents of the bags. Having found religious literature there, law enforcement officers took the believers to the police station, photographed them and took their fingerprints, and seized literature, Bibles and personal notes. Administrative cases against the two men were heard by different justices of the peace. On June 9, 2010, each of the believers was found guilty and fined 1,000 rubles due to the fact that a publication recognized as extremist was found among the seized literature. On July 7, 2010, the Nizhnekamsk City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan rejected the appeals of Boltnev and Mardonov. The believers filed complaints with the ECHR. (See also Mardonov v. Russian Federation.)\nMardonov v. Russian Federation, application 3492/11 (Mardonov v. Russia). On May 21, 2010, Jehovah's Witness Farhod Mardonov and his fellow believer Igor Boltnev were detained by police officers on a street in the city of Nizhnekamsk. The men's documents were checked and demanded to see the contents of the bags. Having found religious literature there, law enforcement officers took the believers to the police station, photographed them and took their fingerprints, and seized literature, Bibles and personal notes. The police report stated that as a result of comparing the texts of the Bibles seized from believers and the Bible of the Synodal translation, approved by the Russian Orthodox Church, discrepancies were found. Despite the fact that the men were detained at the same time, their cases were considered by different judges. On June 9, 2010, both believers were fined 1,000 rubles due to the fact that a publication recognized as extremist was found among the literature seized from them. On July 7, 2010, the Nizhnekamsk City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan rejected the appeals of Mardonov and Boltnev. The believers filed complaints with the ECHR. (See also Boltnev v. Russian Federation.)\nAliyev v. Russian Federation, application 14821/11 (Aliyev v. Russia). On March 31, 2010, police officers and the FSB of Birobidzhan disrupted a worship service at which Alam Aliyev, along with 50 other Jehovah's Witnesses, discussed printed excerpts from a Bible book. A month later, Aliyev was accused of distributing banned literature among fellow believers. In April 2010, the magistrate found him guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 3,000 rubles. The believer's complaint was registered with the ECHR on February 8, 2011.\nFedorin and Others v. Russia, (Fedorin and Others v. Russia). In 2010, 85-year-old Aleksey Fedorin and 9 other Jehovah's Witnesses filed a complaint with the ECHR about the violation of their rights as a result of searches conducted by the authorities, confiscation and destruction of religious literature. Aleksey Fedorin, who was imprisoned for 6 years in the 1970s for his faith, was detained again by a police officer in July 2010 and subjected to an 8-hour interrogation because of the distribution of religious literature among fellow villagers. He was denied a break for lunch and rest, despite his advanced age and disability. Although the believer claimed that during the period imputed to him he was ill and could not distribute literature, in July 2010 a judge of the Tselinsky District Court of the Rostov Region imposed a fine of 1,000 rubles on him, and ordered the literature to be confiscated and destroyed. In September 2010, the Tselinsky District Court rejected the believer's appeal. Nine other applicants from different regions of Russia faced similar treatment from the authorities.\nGareyev and Others v. Russia, application 5547/12 (Gareyev and Others v. Russia). In the fall of 2010, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia sent more than a ton of print and audio publications to believers in Kemerovo, none of which were recognized as extremist. On October 26, the police detained the recipients, among them was Vitaly Gareev, and took them to the Investigative Committee for questioning. The entire batch was confiscated as \"relevant to the criminal case.\" In February 2011, the believers appealed to the Zavodsky District Court, but it did not find any violations in the actions of the security forces. 4 months later, the Kemerovo Regional Court took the same position. In January 2012, the believers filed a complaint with the ECHR.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-06-07T16:22:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/071622/image_hu_e90ce4f55e093993.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/071622/image_hu_8c9f6a603e80570b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/071622/image_hu_68d2a9d022c2cd72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/071622/image_hu_51db5d0baae7a62a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/071622.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl","rostov","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["MRO","echr","acquittal","complaints","review","analytics"],"title":"European Court of Human Rights Acquits Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 17, 2022, in the Arkhangelsk Region, the criminal case against Vladimir Teterin, Andrey Maksimovich and Sergey Potylitsyn was closed. Their criminal case was dismissed due to the lack of corpus delicti, the arrest was lifted from the money and the car. The decision to terminate the criminal case was issued by Colonel of Justice D.V. Vereshchagin, Deputy Head of the Second Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigation Department of the Russian Investigative Committee for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. In making this decision, he was guided by the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of June 28, 2011, according to which, when considering extremist cases, it is necessary to establish specific actions and prove the motives that guided the guilty person.\nThe resolution also states that according to the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 29, 2020 No. 344 \"On Approval of the Strategy for Countering Extremism in the Russian Federation until 2025\", manifestations of extremism are \"socially dangerous illegal actions that threaten the constitutional order of the Russian Federation.\"\nA comprehensive psychological and linguistic religious examination of the video recordings of worship services organized by Teterin, Maksimovich and Potylitsyn did not establish signs of extremist manifestations: there were no \"statements containing signs of incitement to hatred or enmity on the basis of attitude to religion, propaganda of the exclusivity and superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses\" at the meetings. The main topics of communication \"were reading and studying the Bible, religious norms, instructions and examples of behavior, and preaching ministry.\" The investigation also considered that the presence of Maksimovich's young son at the services did not constitute a crime.\nThus, the investigation established that Vladimir Teterin, Andrey Maksimovich and Sergey Potylitsyn, by organizing liturgical meetings, “realized the constitutional right guaranteed to them to freedom of religion (Article 28).” Believers have the right to rehabilitation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-06-07T14:43:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/071443/image_hu_2e490b5dd4dd9bea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/071443/image_hu_aa070b536aecc5b8.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/071443/image_hu_c51742191b7fb50b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/071443/image_hu_366ce223752e9a65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/071443.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","expert-conclusions","282.2-1"],"title":"A Criminal Case Against Three Jehovah's Witnesses Has Been Closed in Severodvinsk. No Crime Was Found","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 6, 2022, the judge of the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, Kseniya Matvievskaya, sentenced 21-year-old Yegor Baranov to 5 years of suspended sentence. She found him guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and involving other persons in it.\nYegor Baranov was detained in May 2020 after searches in Vyazemsky. That same morning, armed FSB agents aggressively broke into the home of another believer, Yen Sen Li. The day before the searches, the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory opened a criminal case against Baranov and Li.\nBaranov spent almost six months in a pre-trial detention center, and all this time he did not have the opportunity to receive letters of support. This was due to the decision of the FSB investigator S. V. Nemtsev to seize all incoming correspondence. In the first four months alone, the number of letters reached 1200. Shortly before his release from the pre-trial detention center, about 2500 letters were given to Yegor under the ban on certain actions. The investigator continued to study the remaining letters, intending to attach them to the charges. The defense considered this as a way of influencing the arrested person in order to force him to give the testimony necessary for the investigation.\nThe investigation of the criminal case lasted more than 8 months. In February 2021, the case went to court. During the court hearings, it turned out that the written testimonies of some witnesses were completely or partially untrue. These witnesses also drew the court's attention to psychological pressure and threats from law enforcement officers. For example, a key prosecution witness completely refuted the testimony signed during the preliminary investigation. She stated that she gave them under pressure: FSB investigator Kuznetsov and FSB officer Svetachev threatened her with deprivation of parental rights.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, prosecutor Natalya Ozhogina asked the court to sentence Baranov to 6 years in a penal colony and 1.5 years of restriction of freedom.\nIn January 2022, during the period of court hearings, 69-year-old Yen Sen Li, the second defendant in the criminal case, died of COVID-19 at the stage of the trial. The criminal case against the believer was dropped.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Yegor Baranov insists on his complete innocence.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, 24 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith. Four of them have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 4.5 years, and one was given a large fine.\nDespite numerous calls from human rights activists and clarifications from the Plenum of the Supreme Court, harsh sentences continue to be handed down in Russia for the peaceful religious activities of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-06T16:42:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_7a2d2af2c6cfabae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_7624fbaa32f016b3.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_c9004834e071abd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/061642/image_hu_9560074b9000b2b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/061642.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","letters","sentence","died"],"title":"Vyazemsky-Based Yegor Baranov Received a Five-Year Suspended Sentence for Holding Discussions About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 6, 2022, Marina Kuklina, judge of the Central District Court of Chita, sentenced Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev to 6.5 years, and Igor Mamalimov to 6 years in prison, they were taken into custody. Serhiy Kirilyuk received a 6-year suspended sentence.\nFor Mamalimov and Kirilyuk, the prosecutor requested 6 years of suspended sentence, for Vladimir Ermolaev and Aleksandr Putintsev—7 years of real imprisonment, although there are no victims and evidence of crimes against the state and the individual in the case. Believers resolutely deny the guilt of extremism, the verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe criminal case was initiated on January 20, 2020. Six months earlier, the Chita believers noticed that they were being followed, and while relaxing by the river, they discovered tracking devices and hidden audio recordings. On February 10, 2020, FSB officers conducted 50 searches in Chita and other settlements in Transbaikalia. The security forces invaded the homes of the elderly, the disabled, large families and other believers. The search in the house of Sergey Kirilyuk took place in front of his wife, who has a group II disability, and a minor child. During the raid, Vadim Kutsenko was strangled and tortured with a stun gun. He, as well as Vladimir Ermolaev, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nIn total, 8 believers were suspected of organizing extremist activities, but in January 2021, charges were dropped against Vadim Kutsenko, Aleksey Loskutov, Georgiy Senotrusov and Pavel Mamalimov due to the lack of corpus delicti. The Investigative Committee for the Trans-Baikal Territory investigated the case against Ermolaev, Kirilyuk, Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov for 1 year and 1 month. Then it was taken to court.\nAll four defendants were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, their bank accounts were blocked. This had a particularly negative impact on the family of Igor Mamalimov, the father of three young children, who is the only breadwinner despite poor health. His wife, Nataliya, does not work due to childcare. Addressing the court, the believer said : “In my heart there is no resentment against anyone who accuses me, and even in my thoughts I do not hold malice against them. Deep down, I don't feel any hatred.\"\nVladimir Ermolaev spent 3 days in a temporary detention center and 50 days under house arrest, after which the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave him. Sergey Kirilyuk spent 5 days in a temporary detention center and was also released on bail. As a result, all four believers remained under house arrest for about 2.5 years.\nSpeaking in court, Sergey Kirilyuk said that thanks to his faith, he changed his way of life: “It was the love of God that prompted me [to start] showing love and care for my wife and children.” Vladimir Ermolaev emphasized in his last plea: “Even if I am convicted, I will not stop believing in Jehovah God.” Aleksandr Putintsev takes the same position: “I am not a fanatic, I am a living person, and I have serious health problems. But it is more important for me to remain faithful to God—this is the meaning of my life.”\nThis is the first conviction under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Trans-Baikal Territory.\nAt the PACE winter session held in Strasbourg in January 2022, the Plenipotentiary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe touched upon the topic of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Referring to the accusation of believers of extremism, she noted: “I think it is clear that this accusation is absurd, but the fact is that several hundred Jehovah’s Witnesses have been arrested and imprisoned simply for practicing their faith.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-06T16:26:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_79fbe6765397cec4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_a2723ee7cd1a0632.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_34ddca0cacf4adf4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/061626/image_hu_5e7042e2f4f64c5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/061626.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","sentence","families"],"title":"A Chita Court Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to Sentences Ranging From Six to Six-and-a-Half Years in Prison; Another Received a Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2022, Timur Yusupov, judge of the Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov, convicted six believers and sentenced them to 2.5 to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment, considering reading and discussing the Bible together extremism. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, 53, was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months; 29-year-old Andrey and 44-year-old Evgeniy Suvorkov got 6 years and 3 months each; Maksim Khalturin, 47, - 6 years and 2 months; Vladimir Korobeynikov, 69, was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months, and Vladimir Vasilyev, 65, — to 2 years and 6 months. Yuriy Geraskov, who died during the investigation, was also found guilty of extremism, but the criminal case was dismissed due to the death of the defendant. Earlier, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a prison sentence on everyone except Vladimir Vasilyev, while Vasilyev was to be fined 900,000 rubles.\nThe criminal prosecution of civilians in Kirov began with mass searches in 2018. The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region opened a criminal case on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, participating in it and financing it. According to the prosecution, the believers “organized meetings of followers and members of this association [Jehovah’s Witnesses] in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs, improving the skills of carrying out missionary activities, and studying religious literature.”\nThe residents of Kirov was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent from 3 to 11 months. After 70 days of imprisonment in solitary confinement, the court placed Vladimir Korobeinikov under house arrest, since his wife is seriously ill, and his daughter Nina is not able to provide her with the necessary support, since she herself is a group I disabled person. The rest of the believers were also under house arrest for 6 to 9 months after imprisonment.\nThe investigation lasted over 2 years. A week before the start of the hearing, Yuriy Geraskov died due to a long illness, aggravated by the stress of the criminal prosecution.\nTraditionally for such trials, there were no victims in the case. Vladimir Korobeynikov, in his last word in court, said: “My convictions are exclusively peaceful, therefore there are no victims in this case. For me, the humiliation of human dignity, the undermining of the foundations of the constitutional order, the incitement of religious or racial hatred are unacceptable. And the prosecution during the entire trial did not provide a single piece of evidence to the contrary!” Andrzej Oniszczuk, in turn, emphasized: “Biblical principles and inner convictions do not allow me to oppose the state system and cause harm and pain to someone.” Vladimir Vasilyev, addressing the court, was perplexed: “Like other disciples of Jesus Christ, by reading everything that is written in the Bible, I am learning to live as Jesus commanded. Can this be called a crime? According to Yevgeniy Suvorkov, \"It is clear that Jehovah's Witnesses are being tried only for their faith, and not for any crime.\" Andrey Suvorkov added: “All our actions were dictated only by love for God and neighbor!” Maksim Khalturin, in whose care the elderly parents are, urged the court: “Please do not bring me to criminal liability for following the commandments of Christ.”\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-03T16:27:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_315fd7889ab9eccd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_b35d51d65b7b5443.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_6112e07320b7c9e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/031626/image_hu_83adeec7efe88f09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/031626.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly","died","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Six Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov, Including a Polish Citizen, Received Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2022, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok, Maksim Anufriyev, convicted Valentin Osadchuk, Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purge, Raisa Usanova, Lyubov Galaktionova, and Nailya Kogay for their faith.\nThe defendants were sentenced to various types of punishment: Valentin Osadchuk received 6 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of freedom; the rest of the defendants received 2 years of suspended imprisonment and 9 months of restriction of freedom. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nDespite the absence of a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Valentin Osadchuk to 6.5 years in prison, and elderly women, the eldest of whom is 81 years old, to 5 years of suspended imprisonment. Valentin was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and five women were accused of participating in it.\nThe believers have been subject to criminal prosecution since April 2018. The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Valentin Osadchuk under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As part of this case, searches were carried out. Valentin spent 9 months in a pre-trial detention center and another 2.5 months under house arrest. In April 2019, part of the article under which he was accused was replaced — now he was charged with organizing extremist activities.\nAt the same time, six women were charged with extremism. They were under recognizance agreement for four years. The case against Yelena Zayshchuk was later suspended.\nAfter 2 years and 9 months of investigation, in January 2021, the case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok. While the proceedings went on, Nailya Kogaiy's husband died. “It's like losing one leg,” she says. “He was very worried about me. My persecution took a toll on his health. He died of cardiac arrest.\" The believer herself underwent a surgical operation during the same period.\nDue to criminal prosecution, chronic diseases have worsened among older believers. Lyubov Galaktionova, 80, who has a group II disability, says: “I experienced great stress during the search. It was bad physically and emotionally. The most difficult thing was to survive the interrogations and the first days after it ... It was difficult to understand the course of the criminal case and what they generally talked about in court.”\nAll defendants in the case were included in the List of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. In her last speech, Nadezhda Anoykina said: “I still can’t receive my pension normally, because my card is blocked ... I continue to work to help sick parents, and it hurts me a lot that I can’t receive even my modest salary.\"\nA total of 39 Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory are persecuted for their faith, and five have already been sentenced. The Russian authorities continue to maintain that this religion is not banned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-06-01T14:04:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_dfb95dee5f12e6a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_8b6f02bf90cc7168.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_457981050a81ab8d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/06/011404/image_hu_67d58ed3b748bf13.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/06/011404.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"title":"Six Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok Received Suspended Sentences for Reading the Bible Together","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2022, the judge of the Moscow District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, Azamat Ionov, sentenced Maksim Zavrazhnov to 6 years suspended.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer pleaded not guilty. There are no victims in the case, but the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the defendant to 5 years in a colony.\nIn July 2019, a massive special operation against peaceful believers took place in Nizhny Novgorod and its environs. Dozens were detained and interrogated, including Maksim Zavrazhnov. A criminal case was opened against him. For six months, the believer was under a ban on certain actions, and for 764 days - under a written undertaking not to leave. The investigation, which was conducted by the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, lasted more than two years. On October 25, 2021, the case was submitted to the Moscow District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\nIn court, several witnesses for the prosecution testified that their testimony had been falsified. According to one of them, the protocols contained untrue information that was added by an operational officer, and she was forced to sign the amended documents.\nIn his last speech, Maksim Zavrazhnov asked the court to recognize the accusation as unfounded: “The prosecution side misinterpreted my religious activities, and I, a person who refuses to take up arms and treats people as equals, is accused of extremism! This is a serious error that needs to be corrected.\"\nIn his youth, Maksim already faced discrimination for his faith when he asked to replace his military service with an alternative civilian one. He became the object of harassment by the local media. The believer nevertheless managed to obtain permission for the ACS, but later he was given a suspended sentence for asking to be transferred to another place due to unbearable conditions of service. Subsequently, he said: \"This did not frighten me, since the most important thing for me was to remain with a clear conscience before God and before the law.\"\nIn the Nizhny Novgorod region, 9 criminal cases have already been initiated against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses. Four of them were sentenced to probation for their convictions\nPeaceful meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are inappropriately interpreted by security officials throughout Russia as a continuation of the activities of liquidated religious organizations. \"This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" said the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-30T16:09:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_61605baadb62e312.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_3e1885097609b727.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_3e6c1fd703f43457.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/301609/image_hu_a63bab2898bc897e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/301609.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","fabrications","asc"],"title":"Maksim Zavrazhnov, a Nizhny Novgorod Resident, Received a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Participating in a Peaceful Religious Meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer pleaded not guilty. He said: \"I have never participated in rallies and did not incite the overthrow of the government, I was not a member of armed groups aimed at inciting social, racial and religious hatred. That would be contrary to my principles as a Christian.\"\n","date":"2022-05-30T16:00:25+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/202.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Zavrazhnyi in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"Despite her advanced age and poor health, the believer was able to tell the court about how the Bible helped her change for the better. She drew the court's attention to the fact that both neighbors and work colleagues know her as a kind and peaceful person.\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/196.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyubov Galaktionova in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her final statement, the defendant described how Bible truths have changed her life for the better and why Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincere believers, cannot be classified as extremists: \"I have not killed anyone, I have not robbed anyone, I have not harmed anyone. There are no victims in our case.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/197.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nadezhda Anoykina in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Nailya Kogai drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their faith in most countries of the world, which means they do not pose a danger. She also reminded the court that in modern Russia, followers of this confession were recognized as victims of political repression and rehabilitated.\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/198.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nailya Kogai in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer spoke about her life and how in the Bible she found answers to all her questions about suffering and death. She said, \"If people read the Bible and lived in harmony with it, I think there would be no wars, no anger, no hatred.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/199.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nina Purge in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Raisa Usanova compared modern prisoners of conscience with first-century Christians. The believer said, \"Jesus Christ warned that his followers would be brought to court 'for my name to bear witness to them.' Today, his words are coming true – I stand before you.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/200.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Raisa Usanova in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the last word, the defendant tried to answer the question of why peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith. \"They are persecuted because of their religious beliefs, and the goal is to eradicate those beliefs and prevent them from spreading.\"\n","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/201.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentin Osadchuk in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 25, 2022, the judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, Maria Melnikova, found 45-year-old Pavel Popov from Yemanzhelinsk guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The court found it a crime to discuss Bible topics with friends. Pavel Popov encountered manifestations of religious intolerance already in 2012: then law enforcement officers disrupted a big worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers went to court and won the process. At that time, Pavel Popov was subjected to surveillance, interrogations in the FSB, he was subjected to psychological pressure.\nIn March 2019, about 10 security officials in masks and with machine guns broke into the Popovs' house with a search. The believer was brought in as a witness in the case of Valentina Suvorova. Two years later, he became a defendant in a criminal case himself, and the Popovs were again searched, after which the entire family, including their minor daughter, was taken for interrogation. The believer recalls: “The operative said to me: ‘Maybe you will start making confessions already?’ I replied: ‘What should I confess to? Because I'm an extremist? How can I confess to something that I did not do and of which I am not guilty”.\nOn April 22, 2021, the investigator of the Chelyabinsk Department of the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Chepenko, opened a criminal case against Popov under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, considering prayers, conversations about the Bible and the performance of religious songs a crime. The criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the believer's entrepreneurial activities—the customer refused to pay for his work at three sites due to pressure from the investigation. Popov spent more than a year under house arrest. He said that in doing so, the investigator took into account his circumstances: “I work in another city 50 km from home, and I was allowed to travel that far.”\nThe investigation of the case lasted more than 6 months, after which, on November 2, 2021, the materials were submitted to the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 8 years in a penal colony.\nThe hearings revealed falsifications in the testimonies of the main witnesses for the prosecution. Although they claimed that the Popovs talked to them about the Bible, the documents presented to the court disproved this. One of the women was unable to identify the defendant in the courtroom. Witnesses for the prosecution, including law enforcement officers, admitted that Pavel Popov did not voice extremist appeals and did not promote religious superiority. The same was admitted by the police agent \"Liliya Ruzaeva\", who had previously collected information about the Chelyabinsk believers.\nIn his last speech, Pavel Popov said: “In this trial, the prosecution never mentioned any extremist acts on my part. Continued activities of an extremist organization? The prosecution did not discuss this issue. The accusation is based only on the fact that I am a believer and that I believe in Jehovah.”\nNevertheless, the court sentenced Popov to 6 years suspended sentence with 4 years of probation. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nDespite clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and appeals from human rights organizations, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be subjected to repression on religious grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-25T15:21:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_ad4d5101fca7bf2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_27e1922567683861.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_562b24b4acc3d4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/261521/image_hu_a7c12a7c7d6e716b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/261521.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","sentence","suspended","secret-witness"],"title":"Pavel Popov, an Entrepreneur From the Chelyabinsk Region, Was Handed a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 25, 2022, Dennis Christensen and his wife arrived safely in their native Denmark. This happened the day after his release from a Russian colony, where he spent 5 years for his faith. “I’m very happy to be released from prison and reunited with my dear wife, Irina,” said Dennis. “I want to thank the Danish government, especially the consular office in Moscow, for trying to help me. I am also grateful to my brothers and sisters in the faith who supported me and my wife spiritually, emotionally, and physically.”\nAround 130 people gathered in the morning of 24 May near the penal colony # 3 in the city of Lgov (550 kilometers from Moscow) to welcome Dennis. But the meeting did not happen because the migration service officials immediately took him and brought to Moscow airport to leave country.\nDennis was arrested and detained on May 25, 2017, when armed and masked Russian authorities raided a congregation meeting in the city of Oryol (350 kilometers from Moscow) that he was attending. He was subsequently convicted of organizing the activity of a religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Just one month before that, all organizations of that religion in Russia were declared extremist and banned by Russia’s Supreme Court, but the local organization in Oryol was banned even earlier, which became the basis of criminal prosecution of Christensen.\nRussian authorities have repeatedly confirmed that the 2017 ban is restricted to legal entities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, claiming that it does not interfere with the rights of individual Witnesses to practice their faith. However, Dennis’ detention was the start of an aggressive campaign of arresting and imprisoning many Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout Russia and Crimea.\nThe Royal Danish Embassy in Moscow repeatedly sent representatives to the court in Oryol. They petitioned that Christensen be held under house arrest, not colony, and provided the necessary guarantees. However, the court did not release Christensen from the colony until he had served his entire sentence, six years in the penal colony. (Christensen spent the first 2 years in a detention center, where incarceration is considered harsher than in a penal colony, and where one day's stay equals 1.5 days in a penal colony.) In 2018, the Kingdom of Denmark applied with the European Court of Human Rights to intervene as a 3rd party in the case of Christensen v. Russia. A judgment on this complaint has not yet been issued.\nChristensen was serving his sentence in the penal colony in Lgov. The administration of this penal colony repeatedly imposed additional unreasonable sanctions on him, which left him in even harsher conditions inside the colony. Russian courts did not grant his petitions for mitigation of the remaining sentence. After his release from the colony, Russia annulled the grounds for his residence in Russia and expelled him.\nAs of today, 91 of Jehovah's Witnesses remain behind bars in Russia. \"My heart is with my dear brothers and sisters in the faith who were victims of criminal prosecution for their faith,\" says Dennis Christensen. \"These people have nothing to do with extremism, they are suffering unjustly because they have been victims of religious persecution. I continue to pray for my courageous brothers and sisters who are being persecuted and imprisoned for their faith.\"\nDennis Christensen is a Danish citizen born in Copenhagen. For the last 20 years, he has been married to a Russian citizen, Irina, therefore he lived in Russia and worked in the field of assembly construction.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2022-05-25T08:59:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/260859/image_hu_b68fe0bd32b108c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/260859/image_hu_bf625c30bc0fe92e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/260859/image_hu_9cafeb07c7f2561f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/260859/image_hu_1394075311760b9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/260859.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","deportation"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Released From Russian Prison and Deported to Denmark","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 23, 2022, Olga Marchenko, a judge of the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, sentenced 45-year-old Lyudmila Shchekoldina to four years and one month in a penal colony. The woman was taken into custody in the courtroom. The court equated her ordinary religious practices with participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Shchekoldina insists on her complete innocence.\nAlthough Lyudmila Shchekoldina's health has recently deteriorated and she needs a surgery, the prosecutor asked the court to find the believer guilty under Articles 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentence her to 4.5 years in prison.\nThe criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina was initiated on April 23, 2020. A week later, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnodar Territory, and Lyudmila also became a victim. The accusation against the believer was based on a report by intelligence agent Ilchenko that the woman tried to involve him in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how he described their conversations about the Bible.\nThe case of Shchekoldina was investigated by the investigative department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory for a year. On May 13, 2021, the case went to court. It was examined by Judge Olga Marchenko of the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, the same judge who sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vladimir Skachidub, to 4 years in prison.\nRussian human rights activists and the world community consider criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses for the faith incompetent and strongly condemn it.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-24T14:52:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/241452/image_hu_80d4769b59669150.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/241452/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/241452/image_hu_4e2b4c2aa00a582c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/241452/image_hu_87841fd0a7eea12.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/241452.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","secret-witness","health-risk"],"title":"A Court Sentenced a Woman, Located in the Krasnodar Territory, to a Four-Year Penal Colony Term for Practicing Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2022, Dennis Christensen was released from the colony. For his faith, he spent a total of 5 years behind bars.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2022-05-24T11:58:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/241158.html","regions":["kursk","oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Released From Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 19, 2022, Anton Kokovin, a 31-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was detained on the main street of Yaroslavl. After the search and interrogation, the believer was given a written undertaking not to leave the place. On this day, operatives searched at least 3 dwellings. In the apartment of his friends, where Anton Kokovin was staying, law enforcement officers conducted a search on the order of the senior detective of the FSB of Russia in the Yaroslavl region, Major M.A. Morenov. In the absence of the owners, the security forces confiscated system units, laptops and hard drives that did not belong to the believer.\nThe second search took place at Anton Kokovin's place of residence. All electronic devices were also confiscated from him. After that, the man was taken to the investigative department for the Yaroslavl region for interrogation. There, the investigator informed Kokovin that he was suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and a criminal case was initiated against him.\nThe security forces entered the house of another believer through the fence, as no one was at home. The information is being specified.\nUpdate. It became known that on May 18, a believer from Yaroslavl, 50, received a summons for interrogation as a witness to the investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksandr Grigoryev. Since the document did not indicate what case the call was connected with, the believer refused to come. A few days later, he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. In Yaroslavl, 4 more Jehovah's Witnesses, including a woman, are persecuted for their faith. Their case is at the stage of preliminary investigation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-05-24T11:31:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_bdd51c5259a39c7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_21210f6686fe4bf.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_2d1f6940147243e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/241131/image_hu_b36e4246546e0560.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/241131.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","recognizance-agreement","sizo","282.2-2"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched in Yaroslavl. A Criminal Case Has Been Initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, Pavel Popov explained in detail that he was being tried for his faith, and not for any illegal actions: \"Five times my indictment was changed. We changed different phrases and wording. But not a single specific socially dangerous action on my part has been recorded.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T18:53:18+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/189.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Pavel Popov in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 19, 2022, the collegium of the Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Area-Yugra overturned the sentence of Andrey Sazonov and sent the case for a new trial to the Uray City Court by a differently constituted bench.\nTwo months earlier, Judge Ilnur Gilmanov of the Uray City Court found Andrey Sazonov guilty of organizing and financing extremist activities, despite the fact that the testimony of witnesses and the results of the examination refuted the charge. The believer was fined 500,000 rubles.\nSazonov holds the position of head of one of the departments at the Urayteploenergia enterprise. He was awarded diplomas from the city administration, as well as from the management of the enterprise, where he has been working for many years.\nThe Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra Court granted the convict's petition, removing the appointed lawyer from the courtroom, therefore, as in the city court, Andrey Sazonov defended himself. Addressing the Court of Appeal, he emphasized: “I exercise my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in accordance with my religious beliefs. And it's not a crime. Therefore, finding me guilty only for my religious beliefs is evidence of discrimination.”\nInternational and Russian human rights activists and public organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In November 2021, the public committee “Freedom of Conscience” stated: “The decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia must be implemented in judicial practice. The state must admit its mistake, and law enforcement agencies and courts must stop the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses. The state should apologize to believers.”\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-05-23T16:29:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/231629/image_hu_28acfc78cd2a4e98.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/231629/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/231629/image_hu_919c1edadd055520.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/231629/image_hu_e89f8ce63bea5f05.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/231629.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","retrial","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"An Appeal Filed in Khanty-Mansiysk Reversed Andrey Sazonov's Sentence and Ordered the Case to Be Retried","type":"news"},{"body":"Assuring the court of respect for the state and its laws, referring to the example of the first Christians and proving the groundlessness of the accusations brought against him, the believer said: \"We were deliberately soiled in the mud, and now we are forced to prove that we are not villains.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T15:03:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/195.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Korobeynikov in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer compared the modern persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with Stalin's repressions and asked the question: \"Do we want history to repeat itself? Or are we able to understand that joint Bible studies, prayers, and songs cannot be a threat to the foundations of the constitutional order?\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T15:00:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/194.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrei Suvorkov in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer said: \"Persecution and persecution are all very unpleasant and even terrible, because my life as a peaceful and law-abiding believer is turned inside out... You have the opportunity to put an end to the absurd accusations of extremist activity.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:57:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/193.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Suvorkov in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime,\" the defendant stressed. He explained that Jehovah's Witnesses teach people about God, his qualities and promises, and his Kingdom. \"This is a manifestation of love, and certainly not a continuation of the activities of a banned organization,\" the believer said.\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:54:19+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/192.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Vasiliev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer noted: \"When Jehovah's Witnesses participate in the field ministry, they do so not because they are prescribed to do so by a certain statute of the LRO, but because they consider it important for themselves to share with their neighbors what is written in the Bible.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:49:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/191.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Khalturin in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer explained why extremism is alien to him: \"Biblical principles and inner convictions do not allow me to speak out against the state system and cause harm and pain to someone. It's against my nature.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:45:41+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/190.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrzej Oniszczuk in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Andrey Vlasov, a disabled person of group II, said: \"If you honestly look into the eyes of the facts, how many people suffered from the so-called \"extremist\" activity that I carried out \"intentionally\"? [In this situation] only one person was injured! That person is me.\"\n","date":"2022-05-23T14:45:04+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/188.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 23, 2022, the judge of the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk Pavel Kotykhov found 53-year-old Andrey Vlasov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and sentenced him to 7 colony codes. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAddressing the court with the last word, Vlasov said: “My physical condition is limited . . . Due to stiffness in movement, without outside help, I cannot take care of my legs: put on socks, take care of my feet and toes. All this is done by my dear [wife] Natasha. I am in constant need of medical treatment and supervision.”\nAndrey Vlasov outside the courthouse Because of the criminal prosecution, all the worries about material needs fell on the shoulders of Andrei's wife, Natalya. The Vlasovs are grateful to fellow believers who came to court hearings, provided practical assistance, sent postcards and letters of support.\nIn July 2020, Ivan Sablin, an investigator with the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Kemerovo Region—Kuzbass, opened a criminal case against Andrey Vlasov. Ten days later, the FSB searched his house and workplace. The investigation went on for almost a year. In June 2021, the Vlasov case was submitted to the Central District Court of the city of Prokopyevsk. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 8.5 years in prison.\nVlasov spent two days in isolation, a year and 10 months he was under house arrest. Andrey said: “I am limited in movement, my life revolves on 30 square meters of an apartment.” Despite the fact that the believer never violated the detention regime, the court repeatedly extended his preventive measure. All this had a negative impact on his health, however, the court continued to restrict Vlasov from visiting medical institutions.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn the Kemerovo Region, 14 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith. Three of them received suspended sentences. Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk have already served their terms in a penal colony.\nRussian law enforcers mistakenly interpret the usual exercise of the constitutional rights of believers as extremist activity. Although the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation banned the activities of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, this court did not in itself prohibit the practice of this religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-23T14:37:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/231437/image_hu_6e984ee1bf151ac5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/231437/image_hu_2bef7a537679dd21.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/231437/image_hu_e475e9e333fd3e9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/231437/image_hu_a50fb0f06971be18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/231437.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","disability","sentence"],"title":"A Kemerovo Region Disabled Person, Andrey Vlasov, Was Handed a Seven-Year Penal Colony Sentence for Holding Bible-Based Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer consistently refuted the accusation and, using historical examples and quotes, showed why extremism is alien to the worldview of every Jehovah's Witness. According to the defendant, even the investigator understood this.\n","date":"2022-05-20T13:48:57+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/187.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Ermolaev in Chita","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 16, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court chaired by Yuriy Krivoshein upheld the sentence of 52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Yevgeniy Korotun. By leaving the believer behind bars, the authorities deprived him of the opportunity to raise his minor son.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Taking into account the time spent in the pre-trial detention center, Korotun will have to serve another 4.5 years in a general regime colony. The believer considers himself innocent and can appeal the verdict in cassation.\nJehovah's Witnesses have been persecuted in the Tomsk region since 2017. Four believers were sent to penal colonies for terms ranging from two to seven years just because they did not renounce their peaceful Christian beliefs. Two defend their good name in court, and 80-year-old Yelena Savelyeva, an honorary teacher, was sentenced to four years of suspended sentence.\nExperts condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. “The extremist status of the ‘Witnesses’ has deprived Russian society of the possibility of ‘self-adjusting the religious space’, when denominations can themselves agree among themselves on the rules of public behavior, and the state should only act as an arbiter in these relations,” believes religious scholar Mikhail Zherebyatyev.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/171049/image_hu_cf93fcaefaab6692.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/171049/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/171049/image_hu_613d2368192a486e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/171049/image_hu_835f708fb72d0580.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/171049.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","minors"],"title":"A Tomsk Court of Appeals Upheld Yevgeniy Korotun's Sentence — Seven Years in Prison for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Kirill Yevstigneev stressed that his religious views are incompatible with extremism: \"I consider all people equal and respect the right of every person to his personal views and beliefs. I have respect and due respect for the state authorities.\"\n","date":"2022-05-12T14:14:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/186.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Kirill Evstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court upheld the verdict against Victoriya Verkhoturova from Nizhny Novgorod. A panel of judges chaired by Nikolay Kozlov found the believer guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as extremism.\nIn November 2021, a lower court sentenced Verkhoturova to 4 years suspended for participation in the activities of a banned organization. The verdict has entered into force. The believer still does not plead guilty to extremism and has the right to appeal the verdict on cassation.\nIn the summer of 2019, the home of Victoriya and her husband Sergey was searched, during which the believers were subjected to psychological pressure. Phones were tapped in the family for a long time and covert video filming was carried out. For 1 year and 10 months, Victoriya was under house arrest and proper behavior.\nThe case featured a secret witness of \"Sidorov\" and a witness for the prosecution, who \"never heard that Viktoriya Verkhoturova involved anyone in a banned organization\", and also \"never saw her on stage with any appeals.\" The other prosecution witness never met Victoriya in person.\nIn total, 16 people in the Nizhny Novgorod region are subjected to criminal prosecution for believing in Jehovah God. Victoriya's husband Sergey Verkhoturov received 6 years of suspended sentence, three more were given 3 years suspended.\nAccording to the statement of the Government of the Russian Federation, “the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated April 20, 2017 and the appeal ruling of the Board of Appeal of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated July 17, 2017 do not provide an assessment of the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to profess individually the above religion”. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T13:50:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_4ce933f8e296dec7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_5da027ee770c4e55.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_12dbd243d7c5b427.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/131350/image_hu_4067e316f1a4da39.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/131350.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","282.2-2","suspended","hidden-surveillance","secret-witness"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Appeal Upheld Victoriya Verkhoturova's Four-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Aleksandr Putintsev described how the Bible saved his life and family, and added: \"I am a believer, and I am being judged for my religious views and deeds. You could say that it's not even me who is being judged, but the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","date":"2022-05-12T10:33:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/185.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Putintsev in Chita","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer emphasized that it was faith that helped him abandon bad habits, learn to love his family and take care of his neighbors. He said that more than 20 years ago he committed a crime, but then, under the influence of the Bible, \"learned to show love to people.\"\n","date":"2022-05-12T10:32:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/184.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kirilyuk in Chita (published with abbreviations)","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer denied all the accusations against him and drew attention to the biased attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses and the violation of their constitutional right to freely practice their religion. \"Jehovah condemns extremism and hates it,\" Mamalimov said.\n","date":"2022-05-12T10:30:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/183.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Mamalimov in Chita","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, the Primorye Regional Court of Vladivostok upheld the conviction of 49-year-old Sergey Melnikov for continuing to attend Jehovah's Witnesses’ services and discussing the Bible with residents of Ussuriysk.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal against it in cassation.\nSergey Melnikov has been subjected to criminal prosecution for more than two years, which began in June 2019. He was detained in his own car during a conversation with agent provocateur Konstantin Belousov, who collaborated with the FSB. He asked Melnikov questions about the Bible and made audio recordings of their conversations. At the same time, in his testimony in court, Belousov admitted that the believer had not forced him to talk about the Bible or encouraged him to join Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite this, Melnikov was searched and arrested, spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center and 145 days under house arrest, and since February 2021 he has been under recognizance agreement.\nDuring the hearings in the first instance court, the prosecutor requested a 4-year suspended sentence. On February 3, 2022, the judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorye Territory, Dmitry Babushkin, passed a suspended sentence of 3 years with a probationary period of 2 years and 8 months of restriction of liberty.\nIn Primorye, 39 believers have already been prosecuted. Six of them have been sentenced.\nRussian human rights activists consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses groundless. Olga Sibireva, an expert from the SOVA Human Rights Center, draws attention to the absence of any facts confirming the accusations of Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism. In her opinion, “there are no calls for terrorism and something like that, because Jehovah’s Witnesses are a completely peaceful doctrine.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T10:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_bfd679560022b5ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_7f851fb2b094a136.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_2edad45cf0a931e8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/121023/image_hu_2d741fa6d95a0bb9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/121023.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Sergey Melnikov's Primorye Appeal Was Upheld: A Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2022, Viktor Ushakov, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, found 42-year-old Kirill Yevstigneev guilty of financing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 3 years of suspended sentence. The believer can appeal the verdict.\n“I am in the dock not because I committed some real crime and therefore dangerous to society. I am being prosecuted just for being a Christian, for being a Jehovah's Witness. Do we live during the medieval Inquisition, when people were persecuted just because they read the Bible?” — asked the defendant rhetorically, addressing the court with the last word.\nYevstigneev resolutely denied the guilt of extremism and asked the court to justify his good name, but the judge delivered a guilty verdict, although he did not satisfy the prosecutor's request to send the believer to a colony for 6 years.\nIn the summer of 2019, in Nizhny Novgorod and the nearby town of Pavlovo, houses of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched extensively. After them, law enforcement officers began one after another to initiate criminal cases against believers. Now there are already 9 criminal cases against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. The Yevstigneev case is one of them.\nKirill Yevstigneev was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. All his bank accounts were blocked, and his travel ban limited his ability to move.\nThe believer was accused of “financing an extremist organization,” because, according to the investigation, he “signed a lease agreement for non-residential premises . . . and made payment under this agreement in the amount of 7,500 rubles.” The believers rented this room for friendly events, the video of one of them was later shown in court. The footage shows how during the 6-hour meeting people communicated, performed musical performances, including those based on plots from well-known and loved by many Soviet films, sang songs and danced to secular music. How these actions are connected with extremism, a crime against the foundations of security and the constitutional order, neither the investigation nor the prosecutor explained.\nThe ECtHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are just some of the organizations condemning the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_680204da680d0574.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_70c400f043312baa.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_edaf4a225b36873c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/130847/image_hu_a4fcfcbc81162db6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/130847.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["rosfinmonitoring","282.3-1","sentence","suspended"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Court Handed Kirill Yevstigneyev a Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal on Sakhalin upheld the verdict against five believers On May 11, 2022, the Sakhalin Regional Court dismissed the appeal of Yevgeny Yelin, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Kozlitin and Sergey Kulakov and his wife Tatyana. The verdict has entered into force.\nThe court of first instance found five believers guilty of extremism. Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeny Yelin, who were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, were sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment. The court sentenced Tatyana Kulakova, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Aleksander Kozlitin to 2 years suspended sentence for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Believers received such a punishment for reading and discussing the Bible together with fellow believers.\nFor all the defendants, this criminal prosecution was a test of strength. Sergey Kulakov, 60, and his wife have physical limitations — Tatyana, 48, is visually impaired, and Sergey cannot walk without a cane. The head of the family was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. Bank accounts were also blocked at 51-year-old Vyacheslav Ivanov and 46-year-old Aleksandr Kozlitin.\nThe verdict has entered into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite the clarification of the Plenum of the Russian Supreme Court that liturgical meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally emphacized on February 9, 2022: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_72ab5982df3cd23f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/121122/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_c5560a9383719164.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/121122/image_hu_e9ca12ae62ccc539.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/121122.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","families","282.2-1","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Sakhalin Appeals Court Upheld the Verdict Against Five Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 6, 2022, the judge of the Sovetskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, Ivan Karnavskiy, found Galina Abrosimova guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and sentenced her to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. The court considered meeting with friends to discuss the Bible as extremism.\n“Extremism is alien to me. Why? Because he is alien to both Jehovah God and his son Jesus Christ,” the believer emphasized in her last word. “The criminal case is absolutely illogical for me, given that I did not kill anyone, did not steal anything, and did not commit other crimes.”\nGalina Abrosimova worked as a pharmacist and histologist, and now she is on a well-deserved rest. In 2000, the woman lost her husband, and she had to raise two children alone. She suffers from serious chronic diseases.\nIn June 2019, Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, opened a criminal case against unidentified persons. After 1.5 months, the police and FSB searched 35 houses of residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region, including Galina. The believer was placed in a temporary detention center for 2 days, after which a preventive measure was chosen for her in the form of a written undertaking not to leave, under which the believer has been for more than 2.5 years. In September 2021, it was submitted to the Sovetskiy District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\nThe accusations were based on the testimony of secret witnesses, one of whom admitted that he did not know what role the defendant played at the services. On behalf of the defense, the son of Galina Abrosimova spoke in court. He said that after she began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, she changed and \" stopped abusing alcohol, her upbringing began to go softer ... all the conflicts that occurred were resolved without shouting, without swearing.\" The witness also added: “[She] taught to treat the authorities with respect, taught to obey the current laws that are in the legislation. She also taught to always respect the views of others, because every person in our country has the right to his own opinion.\nDespite the absence of victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Galina to 7 years in prison. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nIn 2021, five Jehovah's Witnesses from the Nizhny Novgorod Region were given suspended sentences of 3 to 6 years in prison. Two more, Maksim Zavrazhnov and Kirill Evstigneyev, are awaiting a court decision.\nNizhny Novgorod security officials have long been putting pressure on local believers. Even before the 2017 Supreme Court decision to ban legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses came into force, the security services disrupted worship services and planted literature from the list of extremist materials.\nThe repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is carried out despite repeated assurances from the authorities that the religion is not banned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-05-06T15:18:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_cccd9a2fef478d64.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_ed7d647516a602b2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_f6d6de815eb003d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/061518/image_hu_dac30fd28cb3f444.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/061518.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod Court Sentenced 55-Year-Old Widow Galina Abrosimova to a Six-Year Suspended Prison Term for Reading the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, the believer stressed that she was being persecuted solely for her religious beliefs and explained why she considers herself innocent: \"This criminal case is absolutely illogical for me, given that I did not kill anyone, did not steal anything and did not commit other crimes.\"\n","date":"2022-05-05T14:44:53+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/182.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Abrosimova in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 4, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia approved the decision of the Ust-Abakan district court about the parole of 71-year-old believer. She was greeted on her way out of the colony by her many friends.\nThe court considered the appeal of the prosecutor against the decision of the judge of the Ust-Abakan district court Maria Zablotskaya of February 22, 2022. A few months earlier the believer had petitioned for parole. The court granted it, but Abakan's assistant prosecutor V. Hasan filed a complaint against this decision. The woman was forced to remain behind bars until the appeal hearing. This further aggravated her health condition, as Valentina suffered a stroke in 2020.\nIn October 2021, the believer, who is convinced that she did not commit anything illegal, had already asked for a commutation of her sentence due to her illness. She had petitioned the same court, but was denied. Her next petition for parole, filed several months later, was granted.\nAlmost three years ago, in April 2019, a criminal case was opened against Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman Baranovskiy under the article \"participation in the activities of a liquidated organization.\" This is how law enforcers regarded the usual practice of believers to meet and discuss the Bible in a circle of friends. Mother and son received unprecedentedly harsh sentences: Valentina received two years in prison and Roman received six years. Roman Baranovskiy remains in a penal colony, where he will spend another five years.\nThere are still 13 Jehovah's Witnesses over the age of 60 in prisons at the moment. The oldest is Vilen Avanesov, who will turn 70 in 2022.\nUnfortunately, such unjustified persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in dozens of Russian regions. The world community condemns the persecution of peaceful believers simply because they remain faithful to their religious beliefs.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_489a3fdd028e1d83.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/050853/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_eb3d8437c6b19e83.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/050853/image_hu_e341af1160f5bd56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/050853.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","release","parole","appeal","families","282.2-2"],"title":"The Oldest Believer Was Released From Prison on Probation. The Court of Appeal Approved the Decision to Release Valentina Baranovskaya","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 26, 2022, the judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region, Yekaterina Soldatenko, sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in a penal colony. The court considered the participation of a believer in peaceful religious meeting as extremism. He is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAndrey Ledyaykin worked as an accountant in the administration of Seversk for 10 years. In July 2020, Ledyaykin was detained at his workplace. After that, the security forces, in the presence of Andrey's parents, searched his house and garage. The FSB officials exerted emotional pressure on Andrey, forcing him to incriminate himself.\nIn March 2021, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. Soon his boss received a call from the antiterrorist security department of Tomsk, after which the believer was fired. “I had a job that I loved it very much,” said the believer. — I valued and respected my colleagues. And it's simply impossible to express my feelings when the management of the administration asked me to resign because of a criminal case. I lost my regular income. I had to register with the Employment Center and work odd jobs. In addition, Rosfinmonitoring added me to the list of persons involved in extremist activities, restricting access to my bank accounts and cards.”\nThe Investigation Department for ZATO in Seversk investigated the case of Ledyaykin for three months. The accusation against the believer was based on the videos of the FSB agent Kira Klisheva, made during peaceful worship. The believer spent more than a year under house arrest.\nLedyaykin's defense emphasizes that in this case, as in other cases initiated in fact for confessing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, there are no victims, there is no evidence of harm to the state and society. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence Andrey Ledyaykin to 4.5 years in prison, but the court imposed a sentence of 2 years, 2 months in prison with serving the sentence in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the placement of appeals and other materials in information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet, for a period of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nAndrey Ledyaykin has firmly denied the guilt of extremism and may appeal the verdict. In his last word, he noted: \"Contrary to the assertion of the prosecution that I have a deliberate criminal intent, I still do not realize, despite all the unfounded accusations, what a danger to the constitutional order is posed by joint prayers, reading the Bible, chanting and discussing biblical texts.\"\nIn the Tomsk region, six Jehovah's Witnesses, including an 80-year-old woman, have already been convicted for their faith. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in its decisions has repeatedly pointed out that the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of Russia is not prohibited by law, they are not deprived of the opportunity to practice religious services on their own.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/271429/image_hu_21974172d1e0e12c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/271429/image_hu_318ecd0bb2328f62.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/271429/image_hu_e725b9e3de89a59e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/271429/image_hu_f613f7c7ca6e9295.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/271429.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","rosfinmonitoring","work-restrictions","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court Sentenced a Former City of Seversk Administration Employee to Two Years and Two Months in Prison for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the fact that \"the prosecution arbitrarily confused the concepts of the activities of a local religious organization with the canonical structure, without having grounds for this.\"\n","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/181.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Ledyaykin in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 21, 2022, the Primorskiy Regional Court in Vladivostok approved the verdict against Yuriy Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev from Luchegorsk. A panel of judges chaired by Yevgeniy Oleshchenko found the believers guilty of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as extremism.\nThe lower court sentenced civilians to 6 years of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 9 months. They had to spend half a year in a pre-trial detention center, about 5 months under house arrest and more than two years under house arrest. They were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, having blocked bank accounts.\nThe accusations against the believers were based on videos of conversations on biblical topics made by an FSB agent. The court ruled that talking about God and reading the Bible with friends was extremist activity. The verdict has entered into force. The believers still do not admit their guilt and have the right to appeal to the court of cassation.\nThis is already the fifth conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory. In total, criminal cases for faith were initiated against 39 people in the region. It should be noted that the first in Russia acquittal of a Jehovah's Witness under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was canceled by the same court of appeal.\nIn connection with the growing number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, noted in her report to V. V. Putin: “The events taking place with the followers of Jehovah's Witnesses make us think about the existence of a conflict between the constitutional right to practice one's religion . . . and signs of extremist activity specified in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-25T14:37:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_ff49fa208f08246f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_ecdfb77aa828de74.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_8ce81a97c2a893bf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/251437/image_hu_99630800a8e64c8d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/251437.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","rosfinmonitoring","secret-witness"],"title":"An Appeal in Vladivostok Upheld the Sentence of Two Believers from Luchegorsk—a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 25, 2022, Judge Mariya Tsimarno found Oleg Postnikov and his wife Agnessa guilty of involvement in and participation in extremist activities and sentenced them to 5.5 and 5 years suspended sentence, respectively. This is the 16th conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nThe prosecutor requested 5 and 5.5 years in prison for Agnessa and Oleg, respectively, although there were no victims in the criminal case, no specific facts of extremist actions were presented to the court, only the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was proved by the defendants. A conditional sentence for faith was imposed on the Postnikov spouses with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years each: they are forbidden to change their place of residence, to leave the territory of the municipality without the consent of the state body, and they must also appear once a month for registration in specialized government agency.\nOleg Postnikov noted that despite what is happening, they have developed respectful relations with the investigator and court employees. Agnessa Postnikova said that the events she had experienced did not go unnoticed and had a negative impact on her health.\nThe couple faced repressions for their faith in May 2018, when searches were carried out in their house as part of the “Judgment Day” special operation. Almost two years later, Oleg became a defendant in a criminal case, and a year later a second criminal case was opened against him and two cases were brought against Agnessa. FSB investigator I. Fedorov later combined the cases into one proceeding. The believers have been under house arrest: Oleg since February 2020, and Agnessa since March 2021.\nIn June 2021, the consideration of the case began in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. One of the witnesses for the prosecution is the notorious police officer Yuliya Zvereva. Her testimony formed the basis of most similar cases against believers in Birobidzhan. Another prosecution witness is a woman who asked the couple to study the Bible. A hidden video camera was installed in her house to record conversations with believers. In court, she said of the benefits of these conversations: “I have become a better person. I could flare up [before]. Now I can keep within the limits”.\nThe verdict did not take effect. Believers insist on their complete innocence and can appeal against it.\nIn total, there are 19 similar criminal cases in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, 16 of whom have already been convicted for their faith.\nThe world community resolutely condemns the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Despite this, law enforcement officers in dozens of Russian regions continue to inappropriately persecute Jehovah's Witnesses simply because they do not renounce their beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_dd69e345da5758b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_8347d31b6e156a6d.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_5fb08de5bc5698db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/05/031445/image_hu_fd1ecd466dd79c86.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/05/031445.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","sentence","suspended","families"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Sentenced the Postnikov Spouses to Suspended Sentences for Their Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 21, 2022, the judge of the Kondopozhskiy city court, Aleksandr Ivanov, found Aleksey Smelov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of his religious beliefs and sentenced him to a fine of 400 thousand rubles.\nThe verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a fine of 500 thousand rubles on Smelov.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksey Smelov, the father of three children, began in July 2019. The investigation, which lasted a year and five months, was carried out by officers of the Federal Security Service for the Republic of Karelia: the deputy head of the local department, M. V. Golubenko, senior investigator S. V. Grigoriyev, and others. The basis for initiating the case was the report of Lieutenant S. A. Usoltsev, an FSB detective, who pretended to be interested in the Bible and recorded conversations with believers. A week after the initiation of the case, Aleksey, as well as 16 other Jehovah's Witnesses from Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga, were searched. The Smelov’s case went to court on April 5, 2021.\nAleksey has been restricted in his movements for more than 2.5 years, as he is under recognizance agreement. Fellow believers provide great help to him and his family. Helping those who find themselves in similar circumstances helps the spouses to maintain a positive attitude. “Irina and I assisted in buying medicines needed for the brothers who are in penal colonies, we sent them parcels,” says Aleksey.\nAt the same time as Aleksey Smelov, four believers from Petrozavodsk were subjected to criminal prosecution. Their case is now being heard in the Petrozavodskiy City Court.\nJournalist Rahim Gumbatov, speaking about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, notes: \"It is difficult to understand the logic of the authorities that banned this organization . . . It is interesting that no information about the extremist behavior of members of the organization could be found.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-21T15:53:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/211553/image_hu_d66b6e8fc3855eeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/211553/image_hu_bcca0c31de47910a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/211553/image_hu_d3a48e81625eef29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/211553/image_hu_f27200f11e6205bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/211553.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","minors"],"title":"A court imposed a large fine on Aleksey Smelov, a resident of Karelia, for believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2022, the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the sentence of Vladimir Skachidub, a 60-year-old Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya. The believer will have to spend more than 4 years behind bars.\nOn October 11, 2021, the judge of the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Olga Marchenko, convicted Vladimir Skachidub under two extremist articles, finding him guilty of participation in the activities of a banned organization and involvement in it. Since then, Vladimir, a group III disabled person, has been kept in a pre-trial detention center. According to the investigation and the court, his fault lies in the fact that he shared his beliefs with acquaintances and did not renounce them when the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses were liquidated in 2017.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nIn total, 16 criminal cases were initiated in the Krasnodar Territory against 25 believers. 12 of them have already been convicted and received real prison terms. The most severe punishment - 7.5 years in prison - was received by a resident of the village of Kholmskaya Aleksandr Ivshin.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/211533/image_hu_f88cf5636581b801.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/211533/image_hu_3e50c8c212f1d2c0.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/211533/image_hu_3a42c84fbbfbf53a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/211533/image_hu_c3b423a0595eaf0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/211533.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","disability"],"title":"Vladimir Skachidub's Verdict of Four-Years-and-Two Months in Prison for Believing in Jehovah God Was Upheld Despite an Appeal Filed in Krasnodar","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2022, nine dwellings of Jehovah's Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola and the village of Silikatny (Mari El), as well as in Nizhny Novgorod, were searched. They affected at least 15 people, including an 83-year-old woman. The security forces detained 39-year-old Yevgeniy Plotnikov. He was sent to a detention center.\nSearches of peaceful believers began in the morning and lasted from 6 to 8 hours. The security forces were looking for \"extremist literature and computer and other equipment, through which communication was carried out with unidentified persons during worship.\" Electronic devices, bank cards, storage media, notepads and postcards were confiscated.\nP. Betkanov, the FSB investigator for the Republic of Mari El, summoned the believers for interrogation. Some subpoenas do not indicate the investigating body, the interrogating officer and the status of the summoned citizens.\nAs part of the same criminal case in Nizhny Novgorod, a search was carried out at the home of a young family with a newborn child, who had recently moved from Yoshkar-Ola to live with their parents. The raid was led by investigator Mikhail Zaulin and detective Vyacheslav Kalistov. The security forces behaved rudely and exerted psychological pressure, forcing the believers to incriminate themselves. The young father was summoned for interrogation in Yoshkar-Ola, 350 km from home.\nUpdate. On April 17, 2022, A. Nikolayev, judge of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court of the Republic of Mari El, placed Yevgeniy Plotnikov in custody for two months. It became known that he is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Yoshkar-Ola. Letters of support can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-04-19T13:28:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/191328.html","regions":["mari-el","nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes Were Searched in Mari El, Including the Home of an 83-Year-Old Woman. One Believer Was Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":" On April 20, 2017, Povarskaya Street in Moscow was filled with mobile TV stations. Near the entrance to the Supreme Court building, journalists asked Jehovah's Witnesses how they plan to live after their legal entities were banned. The results of the first five years proved more dramatic than it appeared at the time: сriminal prosecutions directly affected thousands of believers, and hundreds ended up in prison.\nWhat exactly did the Supreme Court of Russia decide. The court granted the suit filed by the Russian Ministry of Justice and liquidated the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Administrative Center and the 395 affiliated local religious organizations across the country as well as transferring the property of all these organizations, including the houses of worship, to the state.\nThe lives of some 300,000 Russian citizens were divided into \"before\" and \"after.\" By 2017, there were about 175,000 active Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia plus about 120,000 more who attended their services. All of these people had lost the opportunity to practice their religion, either individually or in association with others, even though it is guaranteed by the highest law of the country.\nHundreds of worship buildings throughout Russia have been closed and taken away in favor of the state.\nReligious meetings and ordinary meetings with friends proved to be risky due to raids by law enforcement officers and the threat of arrest.\nReligious literature was banned; electronic access to informational materials was also blocked.\n- Talking about faith carries with it the threat of criminal prosecution.\nMore than 1,700 families of Jehovah's Witnesses were directly affected by criminal prosecution. As of April 20, 2022, Russian law enforcement officers conducted 1,750 searches in more than 70 regions (Russia has 85 regions in total, according to the current Constitution). Although not everyone who has been searched has been charged, the search itself is psychologically and otherwise traumatic to families. The authorities use against Jehovah's Witnesses an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (282.2), which prohibits organizing and participating in the activities of organizations banned by the court.\nMore than 620 believers have been indicted, and this list is constantly growing. None of these believers had resumed the activities of the liquidated organizations; all of them simply practiced their religion, which is not prohibited by law and by the decision of the Russian Supreme Court of April 20, 2017.\nFinancial restrictions. Many people lost their jobs simply because of their religion - their employers forced them to leave their jobs on various pretexts. For example, Igor Trifonov was fired from the fire department after 22 years of exemplary work. The names of at least 486 Jehovah's Witnesses appear on an open extremist registry and were subject to economic sanctions by the Russian government. At least 22 believers were sentenced to fines ranging from 200,000 to 780,000 rubles.\nRestrictions on movement. . At least 377believers were banned from leaving their city or region (on their own recognizance not to leave). A total of 149 people have been or are under house arrest - without the right to receive or send letters. At least 87 others have been banned from certain activities over the years, many of whom had to wear a monitoring bracelet on their leg. Such a bracelet was worn on the right leg of 67-year-old Olga Opaleva, while her left leg, as well as the entire left side of her body, was paralyzed after a stroke she suffered in the convoy car on the way to court. A suspended sentence of imprisonment, also involving restrictions on movement, was imposed on at least 105 believers.\nExhausting investigations and trials. Criminal investigations, including searches, interrogations, trials, confrontations, forensic examinations, and review of case materials, take thousands of hours out of a believer's life. As a result of emotional stress many people's health deteriorates. Seven of the defendants died before they were sentenced - Rimma Vashchenko , Yuriy Geraskov , Yuriy Kim , En Sen Li , Viktor Malkov , Kaleria Mamykina and Irina Sidorova .\nMore than 320 believers - men and women, young and old - are behind bars, 89 of them remain in colonies or pre-trial detention centers across Russia. The first arrest happened just a month after the Supreme Court decision: on May 25, 2017, Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was detained in the city of Orel. The prosecutor's office proved in court that he had opened the doors of the worship building, cleaned the walkways, and shook hands with those who came there. Christensen still remains in the penal colony.\nOf those who are behind bars, 14 are older than 60, such as 71-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, who was sentenced to two years in prison, and 69-year-old Vilen Avanesov, who was sentenced to six years in prison (both also have sons in prison for their faith).\nThe harshest sentences - 8 years in a colony - were given to 4 men from Amur and Astrakhan regions. The longest sentence in a colony imposed on a woman was given in Astrakhan to Anna Safronova, who had been the only support for her 80-year-old mother until her arrest. (For comparison, the Russian Criminal Code provides 3 to 6 years in prison for rape and 6 years in prison for intentional murder.)\nA total of 60 people were sentenced to ordinary or strict regime penal colonies, of whom 35 were sentenced to more than 3 years in prison, and 20 believers were sentenced to more than 6 years in a penal colony. No victims were ever found in any of these cases.\nSelect the option: Dozens of believers faced pressure and torture. In Khanty-Mansi, Voronezh, Trans-Baikal, Irkutsk and other regions believers were tortured during searches, including by strangulation and use of electric shocks. At least 22 Jehovah's Witnesses reported torture to law enforcement authorities; however, no criminal charges were ever brought. Dozens of believers reported to their relatives about the use of various methods of pressure in pre-trial detention facilities, which may amount to torture. As a rule, under torture, law enforcement officers require believers to confess to extremist activity, as well as report the names of their fellow believers.\nHow has persecution affected the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia? “In letters from across Russia, believers report that as a result of widespread persecution of their faith, they are praying more often than before and feel a stronger relationship with God,” says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. “Many worship attendees who had been hesitant to become Jehovah's Witnesses have either resolutely embraced the faith or ceased communion. The example of the steadfastness and courage of fellow believers who faced criminal prosecution inspires Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and beyond and helps them remain strong in their faith.”\nWhat is Russia doing to stop the criminal persecution? Jehovah's Witnesses are making public the facts of wrongful criminal persecution for their faith and the abuse of legal mechanisms. Most human rights structures in Russia have spoken out condemning the actions of the authorities. The Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation - its rulings are binding for all courts - has clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not fall under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. Nevertheless, the intensity of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses has not yet weakened.\n","category":"org","date":"2022-04-19T13:26:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/191326/image_hu_ab939189111a31c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/191326/image_hu_287f8d5ff6ca9667.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/191326/image_hu_b5a95425fb4cc946.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/191326/image_hu_a799378a7a68ac28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/191326.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics"],"title":"Five Years Ago, the Russian Supreme Court Liquidated All Legal Entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. What Has Transpired Throughout These Years?","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that in the period from April 19 to April 26, 2022, searches were carried out in Maykop at local believers at at least five addresses. Some of them were interrogated by the Investigative Committee.\nOn the evening of April 19, a group of seven law enforcers searched the home of a local resident. Her computer, laptop and phone were confiscated. Law enforcers were interested in whether worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses were held in her house and whether she knew Maykop believers who were under investigation. After the search, the woman was interrogated at the Investigative Committee.\nOn April 25, another believer was searched, and electronic devices were also seized. The next day, members of the Investigative Committee raided the homes of three other families of Jehovah's Witnesses. One believer was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, and his phone was seized. The investigator was interested in whether he had participated in home worship services.\nInvestigative measures were carried out under the leadership of the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the city of Maikop V. Shnakhov. The searches were authorized by the Maykop City Court a month earlier.\nEarlier, two residents of Maykop were prosecuted, and another believer found his name on the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_41c36af83b19be9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_6ab498ec224abc20.jpg","webp":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_32d3a14237150a0d.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/RIAN_archive_330872_Employees_of_the_Investigating_Committee_of_the_Russian_Prosecutor's_Office_in_Tskhinvali_hu_c41318f60a005889.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/291504.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Maykop Police Continues Raids on Jehovah's Witnesses for the Second Month","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 19, 2022, Maksim Mazikin, judge of the Neftekumsk District Court of the Stavropol Territory, sentenced Konstantin Samsonov to 7.5 years in prison, he was arrested in the courthouse. Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov each received a fine of 500,000 rubles, which has already been paid off on account of the time served in the pre-trial detention center. A written undertaking not to leave was taken from them.\nThe judge began to announce the verdict for the three believers on April 15. This process took three sessions, each of which lasted many hours, during which the defendants and listeners had to stand. Dozens of those who are not indifferent came to support believers from different cities of Stavropol Territory, as well as from Elista and Moscow. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence Samsonov to 9 years in prison, Akopov and Sultanov to 8 years each, but the court sentenced only Konstantin to prison. Believers consider the verdict unfair, it has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nEven before the initiation of a criminal case, Neftekumsk believers faced an armed raid during a friendly meeting, surveillance and repeated searches. In December 2018, Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov ended up in a pre-trial detention center. A. V. Astakhov, senior investigator of the FSB department of the Stavropol Territory, accused them of extremism (part 1 of article 282.2 and part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAfter a year of imprisonment, the court replaced their arrest with a ban on certain actions. For more than two years, due to the restrictions imposed, they have been forced to wear special sensors that record their movements. Akopov could not receive the medical care he needed, and Samsonov could not work in his specialty (his family lives off the savings made before his arrest).\nAll the time the men were in jail, they were helped in every possible way by fellow believers. They financially and emotionally supported not only the prisoners themselves, but also their families, provided housing for the duration of court hearings in Stavropol. While behind bars, Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov received letters from more than 28 countries. Shamil Sultanov recalls: \"On one occasion they brought me about 70 letters at once.\" Konstantin Samsonov says: \"Everyone in the pre-trial detention center was amazed at how many letters came to me from Russia and other countries.\" He read some passages aloud at the request of his cellmates.\nThe ECtHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are just some of the organizations condemning the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/200905/image_hu_879427cc47ab3219.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/200905/image_hu_5339953d079cbbfe.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/200905/image_hu_b9bf138f1550c7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/200905/image_hu_1d75936dfbc92393.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/200905.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","fine","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Neftekumsk-Based Jehovah's Witnesses Convicted for Reading the Bible: One Received a Seven-and-a-Half Year Prison Sentence, the Other Two Received Hefty Fines","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2022, the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region sentenced Sergey Belousov to three years suspended sentence. Despite the recent clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Judge Yekaterina Soldatenko found the believer guilty of extremism only for participating in peaceful worship.\nThe court deprived Belousov of the right to post materials in information and telecommunication networks and on the Internet for a period of 5 years with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The believer is also forbidden to leave the house from 22:00 to 6:00, visit places of sports, cultural, entertainment and public events and participate in them.\nThe accusation was based on the testimony of the notorious Kira Klisheva, an intelligence agent who collected information about believers in Seversk and made covert videos of worship services. The court reviewed five such records. The prosecution did not present any evidence of Belousov's extremist activities. Despite this, the prosecutor asked for a sentence of 5 years in a general regime penal colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year for the believer.\nIn his last speech, Belousov emphasized: “It is important for me to have a good reputation in the eyes of God. Of course, under pressure, out of fear, someone can give up their beliefs. But what's next? How to live with it? To trample your conscience? Never! It is better to be not recognized by people, but approved by God.”\nSergey Belousov faced criminal prosecution for his faith back in July 2020, when officers from the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of several families in Seversk. Then the case was brought against another believer, Yevgeniy Korotun. In March 2021, the investigative department for ZATO in Seversk brought the case against Belousov into a separate proceeding and placed him on a recognizance agreement. Three months later, the case went to court.\nThe criminal prosecution proved to be a test for the entire Belousov family: the feeling of constant surveillance does not leave them and any knock on the door reminds them of the search they experienced. Due to the constant stress Sergey's chronic diseases worsened. Because of his travel ban he could not visit his elderly parents. “I worry about my father and mother. I am sorry that I cannot be with them: they are already aged, and my father has to deal with a serious illness that threatens his life,” Belousov shared.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believer insists on his complete innocence and has the right to file an appeal.\nIn the Tomsk Region, 7 Jehovah's Witnesses are already being repressed simply for not giving up their peaceful beliefs. One of them, Sergey Klimov, is currently serving a long term in a penal colony, and 80-year-old Yelena Saveliyeva was sentenced to 4 years of probation.\nThe world community and Russian human rights activists unanimously condemn the infringement of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-18T09:15:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_91aab79ba81b08c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_104b9509c3f8c753.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_9ec4be18fe9aadfd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/180915/image_hu_de703bfd17a6c39b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/180915.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"title":"Seversk-Based Sergey Belousov Was Given a Three-Year Suspended Sentence for Attending Peaceful Worship Services of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 18, 2022, the judge of the Norilskiy City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Natalia Kuzmenkova decided to return to the prosecutor the case against Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev. According to the judge, their being Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\nThe criminal prosecution of Shevelev and Polozov began in October 2019, when the special forces broke into a campsite in Norilsk, where men rested along with their friends. Two years later, the case against the believers was sent to the Norilskiy City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The prosecutor demanded the punishment in the form of 6 years of suspended sentence with a trial period of 5 years with a ban to occupy senior positions in public organizations.\nAleksandr Polozov spent 90 days in the detention center. \"The most difficult thing was to part with my wife,\" said the believer. His arrest was especially painful for Aleksandr's mother: she had to call the ambulance on several occasions. In spite of the difficulties, Aleksandr preserves a positive attitude: \"Even if the situation seems hopeless, [it is important] not to get discouraged.\"\nThe events had a negative effect on Stepan Shevelev's family as well. He and his spouse are grateful to fellow believers for their support. Stepan recalls: \"At times the messages came when we were in the strongest fear and anxiety.\" They themselves also try to help those in need.\nAlready 26 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory face criminal persecution for their faith. Two of them—Andrey Stupnikov and Anatoliy Gorbunov—were sentenced to 6 years in colony, Vitaliy Sukhov—by 6 years of suspended sentence, Anton Ostapenko—6 years and 3 months suspended sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_b61ea0ab82006ede.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_1617e51a2238ac3e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_7e098f4b55342dc2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/211520/image_hu_2b60f159aa80b7d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/211520.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","leisure-disruption"],"title":"An Element of Crime Is Absent — a Norilsk Court Returned to the Prosecutor the Case Against Believers Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelyov","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2022, Anna Zakharova, judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of the Primorsky Territory, found Vitaliy Ilinykh guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years of suspended sentence for religious beliefs (text updated, previously reported on a suspended sentence of 2 years).\nAddressing the court with the last word, the believer noted: “During the investigation, they often hinted at me and even directly told me to change my religion. But it was my religion that made me who I am today. Thanks to Jehovah's Witnesses, I have quit smoking, drinking, using drugs, swearing, disrespecting people, and the list goes on. And now I need to change religion? This would mean betraying Jehovah God, in whom I believe and who showed me the meaning of life.”\nThe first search at the Ilinykh' and his wife's home took place in February, 2019, as part of a criminal case against his mother. In September 2019, investigator E. S. Marvanyuk opened a criminal case against the believer, charging him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later mitigated the charge to participation in extremist activities (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His home was searched again in October 2019. On the same day, Ilinykh was detained. After 3 days in the temporary detention facility, the court released the believer from custody, and the investigator Marvanyuk placed him under recognizance agreement.\nAfter 13 months of investigation, in November 2020, the case was submitted to Judge Tatyana Pavlenko for consideration at the Ussuriyskiy District Court of Primorye Territory. In March 2021, the Ilinykh case was transferred to another judge, Anna Zakharova. The accusation was based on the testimony of a secret witness, an anti-Jehovah's Witness woman who attended religious services to collect information. At the same time, during interrogation in court, she admitted that she had never heard threats from them against her, calls for violence, genocide or overthrow of state power. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 4 years of suspended sentence.\nVitaliy Ilinykh looked after his mother, Olga Opaleva, for some time, who also faced criminal prosecution for her faith. During the investigation, the elderly woman suffered a heart attack and a stroke. Due to restrictions imposed by the court, Vitaliy could not fully take care of her.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believer insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the verdict.\nOn February 3, 2022, the Ussuriyskiy District Court sentenced another believer, Sergey Melnikov, accused under the same article, to 3 years of suspended sentence.\nAs in other cases against believers, the essence of the charge is that the peaceful legal expression of faith is equated with extremist activity. At the same time, at court hearings, evidence is given only of citizens belonging to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not of inciting religious hatred by them.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists and politicians pay attention to this legal collision. So, on November 8, 2021, the public committee “Freedom of Conscience” stated: “The decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia should be implemented in judicial practice. The state must admit its mistake, and law enforcement agencies and courts must stop the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses. The state should apologize to believers . . . The truth of the faith, the correctness of the translation and interpretation of the Bible, as well as the rootedness of the confession in the domestic tradition—all this should not be of interest to the state, which must observe neutrality in matters of religion . . . The definition of extremism in the law should be stated in such a way that under only actions that pose a real public danger—violence, propaganda of violence, calls for violence fell under it”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_869a9850697a1b5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_43623c07dfdd0972.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_14733afdfb34b590.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/180908/image_hu_1f38b0d45468c65f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/180908.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","secret-witness","families"],"title":"An Ussuriysk Court Sentenced 47-Year-Old Vitaliy Ilinykh to a Two-and-a-Half Year Probation for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer pointed out that his religion had nothing to do with the crime imputed to him: \"It is unthinkable for me to treat people rudely, intolerantly or cruelly, and even more so to commit a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\"\n","date":"2022-04-14T14:50:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/179.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Ilinykh in Ussuriysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 14, 2022, the Astrakhan Regional Court, by an appeal decision, approved the sentence of Anna Safronova, 56,—6 years of real imprisonment. The panel of judges, chaired by Nikolay Marevskiy, considered the discussion of the Bible and the collection of funds to help fellow believers extremism.\nThus, the record-breaking sentence for female Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia came into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation.\nAnna Safronova drew attention of the security forces in June 2020: she was brought in as a witness in a case against four fellow believers. A year later, a criminal case was opened against Anna herself, a search was conducted in her house, after which the believer was taken away for interrogation and placed in a temporary detention facility for a day. The next day, the court placed Anna under house arrest. After the guilty verdict was announced, she spent 80 days in a detention center waiting for an appeal.\nThe judge of the first instance repeatedly and grossly violated the right to defense and a fair trial in relation to the believer: he interrupted the hearings, did not allow the defense side to file petitions; gave the lawyer one week to familiarize himself with the 27 volumes of the case. At the same time, witnesses for the prosecution pointed out that there was no extremism in the actions of Anna Safronova.\nIn the Astrakhan region, eight believers have already been subjected to criminal prosecution. Four of them were also severely punished simply for not refusing to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented: “In Russia, a criminal can get even a shorter sentence for killing or rape. Justice officials put harmless talk of the Bible on a par with heinous crimes.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/180926/image_hu_d776d57acf00206f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/180926/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/180926/image_hu_7c23a2ec18654c43.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/180926/image_hu_380d5f7eac675d5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/180926.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Astrakhan Regional Court Affirms an Unprecedented Six-Year Prison Sentence for Anna Safronova — One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 13, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic approved fines against Vladimir Dutkin, Vladimir Chesnokov and Valeriy Yakovlev. Peaceful religious practice by Jehovah's Witnesses was equated by the court with extremist activity.\nEarlier, the Kalininskiy District Court of Cheboksary sentenced believers to fines ranging from 400,000 to 500,000 rubles. The verdict has entered into force. The convicts consider it unfair and insist on their innocence. They have the right to file a cassation complaint, as well as apply to international institutions to defend their good name.\nThe court did not establish a single fact of extremist actions of the defendants. The examination of the case contains conclusions that the believers “called for honesty, restraint, and patience in relation to dissidents”; “in the submitted materials... there is a set of moral, ethical and behavioral norms, [...] which includes: chastity, honesty, restraint, respect for dissenting relatives.”\nThe defendant Vladimir Dutkin addressed the court with a rhetorical question: \"If the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, if the Government of the Russian Federation publicly declares that believers in Russia have the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, then was I obliged to understand in any other way my religious rights enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation?\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/140845/image_hu_e70c7c6407cee4f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/140845/image_hu_e1edaf2a746440cb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/140845/image_hu_30e164b11ae41fd2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/140845/image_hu_cdb71fe7b0af0cc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/140845.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court Rejected the Appeal of Three Cheboksary-Based Jehovah's Witnesses. They Have Been Fined for Practicing Their Beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, Belousov stressed that he was being tried for his faith, and called it a gross mistake. Concluding his speech, he said: \"I believe in God and remain Jehovah's Witness, but I am not an extremist and never have been.\"\n","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/180.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Belousov in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"It became known that on March 28, 2022 the judge of Khostinsky District Court of Sochi Konstantin Sidoruk found four of local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. Two of them were sentenced to a penal colony, but they have already served their sentences in the pre-trial detention center. Another two were given suspended sentences by the court.\nThe court sentenced 49-year-old Tatyana Velizhanina to 1 year and 5 months in prison, 55-year-old Vladimir Deshko—to 1 year and 4 months, with a sentence to be served in a penal colony. The believers were not placed in custody as they have actually served their sentences—during the investigation and court hearings, Velizhanina and Deshko spent 11 and 10 months in the pre-trial detention center, respectively, after which they were placed under house arrest (one day spent in custody is equal to 1.5 days of imprisonment, and 2 days of house arrest—to one day in the penal colony).\nThe court sentenced 55-year-old Yuriy Loginskiy and 57-year-old Yuriy Moskalev to 2 years of suspended sentence without restriction of freedom with a probationary period of 2 years. Both believers have been released from house arrest.\nThe believers did not admit their guilt in extremism. The verdict has entered into force.\nIn the winter of 2021, the investigative department for the Khostinskiy district of Sochi of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against four believers under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. They were arrested and imprisoned in the temporary detention center. Two days after the detention, Yuriy Loginskiy and Yuriy Moskalev were placed under house arrest, and Vladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina were placed in a pre-trial detention center. Subsequently, Vladimir and Tatyana were also placed under house arrest, they were deprived of the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families.\nOn February 21, 2022, after 11 months of investigation, the case was submitted to the Khostinskiy District Court of Sochi. The accusation was based on the testimony of a young man who feigned an interest in biblical teachings. During personal conversations, he collected information about believers and passed it on to the security forces.\nAs in other similar cases against Russian believers, over a month of court hearings, the court only proved that the defendants belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sochi residents were tried for the fact that they \"held on the territory of the city . . . meetings\", and also \"carried out preaching activities.\" Commenting on the situation, Yuriy Moskalev said: “When I was sitting in the cell, I understood that I was arrested not for some real crime, but for the Word of God, for the truth that I wanted to convey to another. But the mind did not accept this reality of the matter.\nYuriy Loginskiy during the persecution had to face \"arrest, strong emotional stress from his mother, the death of his mother-in-law.\" The repressions were a particularly painful blow for the Deshkos, as their son, Yevgeniy, was also convicted for his faith. And Tatyana Velizhanina’s emotional shock was compounded by a deterioration in her health (she suffered COVID-19 behind bars).\nIn the Krasnodar Territory, 24 Jehovah's Witnesses have already become victims of repression for their faith. Four of them are in penal colonies, and two have served their sentences.\nDespite numerous appeals by human rights activists and clarifications, the Plenum of the Supreme Court in Russia continues to groundlessly condemn believers for peaceful religious activity.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-12T09:39:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_2a5e2f95951f5f61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_228548741bbe070f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_f19d25cddeeabad8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/120939/image_hu_f35b67368aea9852.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/120939.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation","suspended","secret-witness","families"],"title":"A Sochi Court Convicts Four Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2022, a panel of judges of the Primorye Territory Court chaired by Tatyana Myshkina granted the prosecutor's appeal against the acquittal Dmitriy Barmakin, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The verdict was canceled, the case was sent for a new trial to the court of first instance.\nIn November 2021, Judge Stanislav Salnikov of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok acquitted Dmitriy Barmakin. After examining the evidence presented by the investigation, he concluded that \"Barmakin D. V. never carried out extremist activities,\" but \"realized his right to freedom of conscience and religion.\" However, the prosecutor asked the higher court to overturn the acquittal and remand the case for a new trial.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia causes great resonance in the legal community. The ECHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are just some of the organizations condemning the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-04-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/111417/image_hu_d64f6ae770e47ef7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/111417/image_hu_127b0fce18f2b81e.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/111417/image_hu_445f07b75131fe4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/111417/image_hu_89e944737b6c4e5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/111417.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","acquittal"],"title":"An Appeal in Primorye Overturned the Acquittal of Dmitriy Barmakin. The Case Is Sent for Retrial","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2022, a panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk commuted the sentence of Aleksey YErshov from Seversk. Instead of 3 years in prison, the 69-year-old Jehovah's Witness was given 3 years of suspended sentence. The verdict has entered into force.\nIn July 2020, employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of five families of Jehovah's Witnesses at the same time and searched their homes for several hours. As in the case of 5 other believers from Seversk, the accusation of extremism against Aleksey Yershov was based on the testimony of Kira Klisheva, who collaborated with the FSB, and pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nThroughout the investigation of the criminal case—almost 11 months—the believer was under house arrest. On January 19, 2022, immediately after the Severskiy City Court sentenced the pensioner to 3 years in prison, he was taken into custody, and he spent a month and a half in a pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal.\nYershov still insists on his innocence. Now he can appeal the verdict in cassation.\nThe criminal prosecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses was condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union and many other Russian and international organizations. The new clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia dated June 28, 2011 state that communal worship in itself does not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use as justification for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-07T16:20:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_e0c39dc2162c5eb8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_706fecead9e4c3b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_ab081b775f0812d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/071620/image_hu_f3521bdc573c4a8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/071620.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","secret-witness"],"title":"An Appeal Overturned Seversk-Based Aleksey Yershov's Initial Prison Term for Practicing One's Faith and Replaced It With a Three-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2022, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court did not satisfy the appeal against the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Anton Ostapenko and upheld the sentence of the court of first instance—6 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and 1.5 years of additional restrictions.\nThe verdict has entered into force, but Ostapenko considers the charge of organizing the activities of an extremist organization far-fetched and can use the right to appeal the court's decision in cassation.\nThe 31-year-old believer has never been brought to administrative or criminal liability before. He takes care of his disabled mother. Ostapenko's colleagues at Berezovskaya regional power station know him as a decent person and a responsible worker.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anton Ostapenko began in April 2019, when mass searches were carried out in the town of Sharypovo in the apartments of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Ostapenko spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, where, according to him, pressure was put on him. Threats were also made against his family. Due to prolonged stress, the believer's health deteriorated.\nOstapenko's accusation was based on his conversations about the Bible, recorded on a hidden video camera. In the indictment, the believer is charged with the fact that he \"carried out an active activity in holding meetings, expressed in public speaking, discussion of biblical scriptures, prayers.\" Such actions are a common practice for Jehovah's Witnesses around the world.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite the clarification of the Plenum of the Russian Supreme Court that liturgical meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally stressed on February 9, 2022: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_8e9789d90ab49dc5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_8a79a7bf96667c4b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_6dc19496c6013d7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/111426/image_hu_baa0b5ad30afb7ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/111426.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Krasnoyarsk Regional Court Confirmed Anton Ostapenko's Sentence: a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 6, 2022, searches were again carried out in Kazan at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses at at least two addresses. 28-year-old Aleksey Yermakov and 32-year-old Ivan Minin were taken for interrogation to the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE). Aleksey Gerasimov was interrogated there two weeks earlier.\nBelievers were seized electronic devices, postcards, personal notes and money saved for vacation. During interrogation at the CPE, Minin was offered to incriminate himself, threatened that he would be sent to a pre-trial detention center and subsequently sent to prison for 8 years.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/071627.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Believers Were Again Searched in Kazan. Two Men Were Interrogated","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 4, 2022, the judge of the Abakan City Court, Yuriy Lotsky, sentenced Matrena Spiriadi and Aleksandr Vergunov to 2.5 years of suspended sentence. By its decision, the court equated the discussion of the Bible among friends with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe criminal case against the civilians of Khakassia—Aleksandr Vergunov, Matrena Spiriadi and Irina Sidorova—was initiated on April 20, 2020 by the investigative department for the city of Abakan of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia. Three months later, 44-year-old Irina Sidorova died in the hospital after two surgeries. Her minor child was left without a mother.\nA year after the initiation of the case, the senior detective of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Khakassia, police major Artem Kononov, searched the homes of Vergunov and Spiriadi. The believers were under an obligation to appear promptly when summoned by an interrogating officer, investigator, or to court.\nAt the time of the initiation of the case, Aleksandr Vergunov was doing alternative civilian service in a medical center for newborns. The draft board took into account his beliefs that did not allow him to take up arms.\nMatrena Spiriadi grew up in a large family, she was the youngest of 11 children. Now the believer lives with a disabled grandson suffering from cerebral palsy, whom she continues to take care of, despite her own health problems: she suffers from hyperglycemia. Due to the nervous shock after the searches, the blood sugar level of an elderly woman rose to a critical level. In this regard, she constantly has to take many medications. The investigation did not consider the life situation of the elderly woman as a mitigating circumstance.\nThe Abakan City Court has been hearing the case since June 29, 2021. To prove the guilt of the believers, the prosecution brought in 42 witnesses, most of whom were not acquainted with the defendants and had a superficial understanding of Jehovah's Witnesses. One of the two secret witnesses under the pseudonym \"Nadezhda Petrova\" for some time made secret audio recordings of conversations with believers, providing information to law enforcement officers. Many witnesses were unable to recognize the defendants in the courtroom, while others were confused in their testimony.\nThe line of accusation, as in many similar cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, was based only on proving the defendants' religious affiliation. Among the evidence are books “evidencing involvement in the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The file contains the conclusions of religious expert examinations of audio recordings of “meetings to glorify Jehovah and sermons on specific topics: ‘Do not give up, doing good!’, ‘Forgive your enemies,’ and others.” At the same time, no specific facts of the commission of unlawful actions by believers at the trial were provided.\nAleksandr Vergunov drew the court's attention to this in his final statement: \"All the evidence collected only shows that I was exercising my constitutional right to freedom of religion.\"\nSpeaking before the court with her last word, Matrena Spiriadi said: “As a believer, I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is a peaceful Christian religion whose teachings are based solely on the Bible. I have been studying the Bible for a long time and it does not make me worse. On the contrary, this holy book helped me to break with bad habits in due time. I also learned from the Bible how to build relationships with people and keep peace with them.”\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believers to 5 years in a penal colony, but the court limited itself to a suspended sentence. Vergunov and Spiriadi insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe case against Aleksandr Vergunov and Matrena Spiriadi was separated from another high-profile case against believers in Abakan, Roman Baranovskiy and his mother Valentina . A 70-year-old believer and her son are sent to a colony for their faith in God.\nAccording to clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the profession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot in itself be considered extremism. The world community expresses its concern about the unlawful use of anti-extremist legislation to organize religious repression.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_bf9a9b9e385f96a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_b8bc387a1d5d9c9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_f26b464c8154f903.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/04/051433/image_hu_3d0408fb716b5487.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/051433.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","died","minors","secret-witness"],"title":"Matryona Spiriadi, 68, and Aleksandr Vergunov, 24, Based in Abakan, Were Each Handed a Two-and-a-Half-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer spoke about the valuable biblical teachings for him: \"I believe that my religious views help me to become a good and kind person. It was nice to see how the attitude towards me changed on the part of those who at first spoke unflatteringly about Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/172.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Akopov in Neftekumsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final discourse, the believer spoke about the person of God and how faith has enriched his life. He explained, \"If we try to adopt his [God's] way of looking at things, our lives are filled with true happiness and meaning.\"\n","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/174.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Konstantin Samsonov in Neftekumsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Shamil Sultanov explained why it would be wrong to consider him a criminal. He noted: \"As a believer, I try to be guided in my daily life by biblical principles. For example, one of them says: \"Let every soul be subject to the higher authorities.\"\n","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/173.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Shamil Sultanov from Neftekumsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 29, 2022, in the city of Sosnovoborsk, 40 km from Krasnoyarsk, searches and interrogations were carried out in 5 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened for faith against 55-year-old Yuri Yakovlev.\nYakovlev is accused of a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation \"on the fact of organizing the activities of a religious association ... in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\" The investigation suspects the believer of \"carrying out activities to coordinate the preaching activities of persons professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" On March 30, the Sosnovoborsk City Court decided to detain this peaceful man for 2 months.\nDuring the searches, the security forces seized laptops, hard drives, and other equipment, as well as photographs, letters, and various papers from believers.\nUpdate. Yuriy Yakovlev\u0026rsquo;s case is being conducted by the investigator of the Berezovsky District of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Captain of Justice Y. V. Prannichuk. The believer is in pre-trial detention center No. 6, located in Sosnovoborsk. He can receive letters through the FSIN-Letter system or by regular mail. Address: Yakovlev Yuriy Aleksandrovich, born 1966, SIZO No 6 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, ul. Proizvodstvennaya zona, korp. 1, g. Sosnovoborsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Russia, 662500. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/04/071053.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sosnovoborsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Were Searched; One of the Believers Is Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"It is known about at least five searches, which took place in Balakovo on the evening of March 23, 2022. Detained were Aleksey Bogatov, 61, Vladimir Mavrin, 59, Sergey Tyurin, 27, Yevgeniy Fomashin, 44, and Oleg Yandutov, 52. Nothing is known about the alleged crime or the measure of restraint.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches took place at 8 addresses of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and affected a total of 14 people. Oleg Yandutov is at large, while another believer, 30-year-old Andrey Murych, has been detained. As a result, five believers from Balakovo were placed in a temporary detention facility. On March 25, 2022, the court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. They are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region. It is known that there is at least one FSB investigator in the investigation team. Law enforcement officers in Balakovo resorted to falsifying evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses before: right under the surveillance cameras a man, feigning interest in the Bible, planted a banned book on believers, and after that the law enforcement officers raided the building (see video from 00:02:20).\nAll the searches took place in the evening, while the worshippers were talking to each other via video-conferencing. The law enforcement officers entered one family under the guise of checking the meter readings. All the previous week the believers had been spying on them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_947dc7e0f5f68c90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_73c0f0de456d043.jpg","webp":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_8aa4f932f69f3d33.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/UAZ_Police_hu_f0775ec321e7e27e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/251036.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"A Series of Searches of Believers Took Place in the Town of Balakovo. Five Men Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of March 23, 2022, a 40-year-old resident of the city of Maykop, Nikolai Saparov, was detained at the Mineralnye Vody airport. Later, the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\nAfter Saparov was detained, his wife and underage daughter travelled home alone. The same night, Saparov's home was searched and he was taken there accompanied by investigator Murat Shnakhov. The law enforcers confiscated electronic devices from the family. After being detained, Saparov is now in the temporary detention facility on Proletarskaya Street in Maykop.\nAnother of Jehovah's Witnesses from Maykop found his name on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists. This is 46-year-old Georgiy Godizov, who is outside Russia with his wife and two minor children. Georgiy Godizov is a prominent Adygeya scientist-archaeologist, head of the scientific department of one of the large museums, a specialist in the field of freedom of conscience.\nAbout a year ago, mass searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Maykop, and a criminal case was opened against Inver Siyukhov. He is accused of organizing and continuing the activities of a banned religious organization. Since mid-April 2021, Inver Siyukhov has been in a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_3dd4f75521370e17.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_ec41d7a35805223.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_43f35cb9a10562c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/281129/image_hu_862f2f0ef78dc89f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/281129.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","sizo","ivs","rosfinmonitoring","minors","282.2-1"],"title":"A New Criminal Case Against Jehovah's Witnesses in Adygea. Nikolay Saparov, Father of a Minor Child, Was Arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 18, 2022, the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the conviction of Valeriy Rogozin, Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Sergey Melnik. They will get jailed for their faith in Jehovah God.\nIn September 2021, the court of first instance sentenced Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months, and Melnik and Egozaryan to 6 years in a penal colony. The verdict has entered into force, but believers can appeal it in cassation.\nWhen the criminal prosecution began, the wife of Denis Peresunko died of COVID-19, and the believer himself was placed in a pre-trial detention center for 5 months. He is on disability and the resulting stress has exacerbated his condition. A long stay in the pre-trial detention center also seriously undermined the health of Valeriy Rogozin. Egozaryan and Melnik are raising their underage sons.\nIn 2019, law enforcement officers arrested four believers and accused them of organizing extremist activities, and later two of them — Peresunko and Rogozin — also of financing it. At the same time, recordings of religious meetings of Volgograd Jehovah's Witnesses, at which they discuss Bibles, sing songs and pray to God, were used as material evidence of their “guilt.”\nIn court, the prosecution interrogated classified witnesses. One of them kept a covert record of worship and stated that the unlawful activities of the defendants consisted in the fact that they \"obey God.\" Another secret witness said that he had never heard threats, calls for violence or the overthrowing of power from the defendants. Some witnesses openly stated that their testimony had been falsified by the investigator.\nThe scheme, according to which Volgograd residents were convicted, is used by law enforcement agencies throughout Russia against peaceful believers. As in the Rogozin case, the indictments mention “propaganda of the cult of religious superiority of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses” as evidence of extremism. However, human rights activists in Russia and abroad consider this approach to be erroneous and unconstitutional. In particular, back in 2017, Lyudmila Alekseyeva, a member of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for the development of civil society and human rights, noted with concern: “What believer does not consider his faith to be true? Jehovah's Witnesses is a church that has branches in many countries. They everywhere freely profess their faith and nowhere are they considered extremists. And we have Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincerely believing people, very exemplary citizens: hard-working, honestly treating their families, their children.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_6d28dbf2de06dac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_db91ef1e7ce556ab.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_e5116b508ffc0d2d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/210919/image_hu_37f94eaf12c37cfe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/210919.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","disability","minors","health-risk","fabrications","secret-witness","hidden-surveillance","elderly"],"title":"An Appeal in Volgograd Upholds the Sentence of Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of March 18, 2022, searches were carried out in Kazan in two families of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened against 41-year-old Aleksey Gerasimov for his faith, he was placed under a recognizance agreement.\nAt 6:00 a.m., law enforcement officers invaded the homes of civilians. Electronic devices were confiscated from a large family with four children. The head of the family was interrogated for about 4 hours and then released.\nDuring searches, the Gerasimovs, who live with their mother, 71, were seized laptops, flash drives, bank cards, and a foreign passport by the security forces. On the same day, Aleksey Gerasimov was interrogated twice: first at the Center for Combating Extremism, and then at the local department of the Investigative Committee. Two more members of the believer's family were also interrogated.\nGerasimov was informed that on March 10, 2022, a criminal case was opened against him on suspicion of organizing and participating in extremist activities. The case file contains a hidden recording of a worship service, which, according to investigators, was attended by the suspect.\nAfter interrogations, investigator Airat Giniyatullin released the believer under recognizance agreement, which gives Gerasimov the opportunity to continue working and provide for his family.\nA few days before these events, another Jehovah's Witness from Kazan, Sergey Gromov, was detained at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. Whether these events are related is still unknown.\nThe news is being supplemented.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/221533.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","new-case","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"At Least Two More Searches Were Carried Out in Kazan on Families of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Believer Is Under a Recognizance Agreement","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 17, 2022, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, with the participation of state prosecutor Sergey Gorshkov, considered the appeal of Lyudmila Salikova and approved the sentence—6 years of suspende sentence for believing in Jehovah God.\nThe panel of judges, chaired by Alexandr Rozhnov, considered the verdict of the first instance justified, despite the fact that there is not a single fact of the defendant committing extremist actions in the case file. The testimonies of witnesses also refuted the accusations, and the attached expert examination was carried out by persons without a religious education.\nIn her last speech, Lyudmila Salikova, a veteran of labor and the nuclear industry, said: “Since I became acquainted with the Bible and became a Jehovah's Witness, the commandments ‘love God’ and ‘love your neighbor’ have become the main principles in my life. I try to show love not only to my fellow believers, but even to those who do not share my religious beliefs, who betray me and oppose me. It is impossible to deny that love and extremism are two completely opposite concepts”.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The believer considers the decision unfair and insists on her innocence. The criminal prosecution damaged her reputation and she had to resign from the Municipal Administration, where she had worked for many years as an energy engineer. Salikova has the right to file a cassation appeal.\nDespite the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the appeals of Russian and foreign human rights organizations, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are becoming victims of repression due to the unlawful application of anti-extremist legislation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_7096d3bfe85ed6ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_f129414f0c3e48d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/211426/image_hu_fe1b6b007c3c509c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/211426.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","work-restrictions"],"title":"An Appeal in Chelyabinsk Left Unchanged Snezhinsk-Based Lyudmila Salikova's, 70, Sentence — A Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Practicing Her Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 14, 2022, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, presided by judge Angela Sizova, having considered the case of Konstantin Guzev, ruled to make minor changes to the sentence that do not change its essence.\nThe sentence was passed by the Birobidzhan District Court in February 2021. Judge Aleksey Ivaschenko sentenced Konstantin Guzev to a 2.5-year suspended sentence for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). In May 2021 the court of appeal confirmed the verdict for the believer, but seven months later the Ninth Court of Appeal of General jurisdiction cancelled this decision and returned the case for a new appeal hearing. That's what took place on March 14, 2022.\nKonstantin's wife Anastasiya is among the seventeen Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan who have been convicted for believing in God. Six more believers are awaiting a court decision.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-15T11:18:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_59f70597708c6640.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_68dfb8470b8cadee.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_c29dd8b8e57427da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/151118/image_hu_e75765f37c5889b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/151118.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"A Second Appeal in Birobidzhan Left Unchanged Konstantin Guzev's Sentence: a Two-and-a-Half Year Suspended Sentence For Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 15, 2022, in Kostroma, employees of the Investigative Committee conducted searches in the homes of four women, three of whom are of retirement age. A month earlier, a criminal case on extremism was initiated.\nLaw enforcement officers searched the apartments of 68- and 72-year-old believers (the latter’s garage was also searched). At the same time, the security forces behaved politely, in one case they apologized for the inconvenience before leaving. The women’s electronic devices were seized as well as the Bible, religious literature and personal notes.\nTwo other women, aged 31 and 63, who were also searched, are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe searches were authorized by Marina Zaikina, a judge of the Dimitrovskiy District Court of the city of Kostroma. Aleksandr Sizov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Factory Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, petitioned for the searches. On February 17, he initiated a criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to him, “an unidentified person at an unspecified time […] took an active part in the activities of a religious organization by systematically attending religious meetings ... studying and discussing articles of religious texts.”\nFollowers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Often, even random persons mistaken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake become victims of searches and detentions.\nThis is the third criminal case in the Kostroma region. Dmitriy Terebilov is serving a three-year term in a strict regime colony for his faith. Spouses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman received suspended sentences.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/171107.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"As Part of a New Criminal Case Investigation in Kostroma, Four Women Were Searched, the Oldest of Whom Is 72 Years Old","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 15, 2022, spouses Sergey and Yelena Gromov, Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazan, were detained at Moscow's Vnukovo airport. The 52-year-old believer was taken into custody, his wife was able to get home. The next day, their apartment was searched.\nThe search took place in the presence of Gromov's wife and daughter. They assume that listening devices were installed in the apartment. It is not known whether a criminal case has been opened, against whom and which body is investigating it. It is expected that Gromov will be transported under escort from Moscow to Kazan.\nThe courts of Tatarstan are currently hearing another 4 criminal cases against 11 believers, one of them is at the appeal stage.\nThe news is being supplemented.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/171629.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","hidden-surveillance","ivs"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Detained in Moscow. His Apartment in Kazan Was Searched","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 15, 2022, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court overturned the conviction of Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera, and Darya Dulova for being Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers have the right to rehabilitation. Earlier, the same court initiated a retrial of the believers' case.\nOn July 15, 2021, the Karpinsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region again found the believers guilty, giving them a suspended sentence of 1 to 2.5 years.\nVenera Dulova has hearing disability. Her youngest daughter Darya faced criminal prosecution when she was only 18. It became difficult for Aleksandr Pryanikov to provide for his family. During the criminal process, all three believers were under house arrest. In addition, they were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nIn June 2018, Venera Dulova and Aleksandr Pryanikov were detained for talking about the Bible, which the investigators considered participation in the activities of an extremist organization. A criminal case was initiated. Soon their homes were searched. A year later, Darya became the third defendant in the case.\nThe trial revealed the inconsistency of the allegations. Secret witness \"Osokina\" was unable to give examples of illegal actions on the part of the defendants. She stated that the believers did not cause any harm to either her or her property. Another witness stated that he identified one of the defendants by the color of her hair, but it turned out that the investigator showed him only black and white photographs.\nIn 2020, the Dulovs and Pryanikov became defendants in another criminal case for their faith. They were charged with more serious charges: Venera and Darya - recruitment, and Aleksandr also the organization of extremist activities and the involvement of minors in it. Among the accused were also Alexander's wife Anastasia, Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband. It is noteworthy that Ruslan Zalyaev does not profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, nevertheless he is suspected of \"participating in the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Krasnoturinsk by [...] holding conversations in order to promote religious exclusivity.\"\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/160903/image_hu_ed4b58f6827952e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/160903/image_hu_ff7e8027879cab0f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/160903/image_hu_6299b159a501700f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/160903/image_hu_7452c726c10e72da.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/160903.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","acquittal","282.2-2","secret-witness","families"],"title":"The Sverdlovsk Regional Court Overturned the Sentence of Three Karpinsk-Based Believers, Finding Them not Guilty of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 9, 2022 panel of judges of Penza regional court presided by Olga Podshibyakina did not satisfy the appeal of Peter and Maya Krupnovs against the sentence of the court of first instance - 2 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in God. The verdict came into force. The believers have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation as well as in international instances.\nThe Krupnovs insist on their innocence and consider the conviction unfair: the court only proved their belonging to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the believers never hid. At the same time, neither the prosecution nor the secret witness presented the facts of the extremist actions of the defendants. Other witnesses claimed that their preliminary testimony had been falsified.\nA court case against another believer from Nikolsk, Viktor Shayapov, is about to begin.\nPersecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues despite a clarification by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that worship meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot be considered extremism per se. Supreme Court Chairman Vyacheslav Lebedev emphasized on February 9, 2022: \"Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_e8cb41a926bfc4c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_4245bd6b29d67147.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_3a89f241072cb695.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/101404/image_hu_f2636e0bf6ff4b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/101404.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Penza Upheld the Conviction of a Married Couple of Jehovah's Witnesses Based in Nikolsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 9, 2022 a panel of judges of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Elena Pyshkina, overturned the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Svetlana Monis. The case is returned to the Birobidzhan District Court for review by a new panel of judges.\nIn February 2021, Svetlana Monis was convicted and sentenced to a fine of 10 thousand rubles for alleged participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In May 2021, the appeal panel of the same court toughened the sentence, replacing the fine with a suspended sentence. But in December 2021, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction overturned the decision of the appellate instance. The criminal case for the faith was returned to the appellate stage for review by a new court.\nSvetlana's husband, Alam Aliyev, also ended up on the bench on charges of extremism. A total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses in the region have already been persecuted for their beliefs.\nRussian authorities have repeatedly assured that the Jehovah's Witnesses faith is not banned. As the Russian Supreme Court Plenum explained on October 28, 2021, worship by Jehovah's Witnesses does not by itself constitute an \"extremist\" crime, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"trial","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/101355/image_hu_63989ef2427b84b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/101355/image_hu_69237904ae4cec48.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/101355/image_hu_a8ce0060429ef8b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/101355/image_hu_f7bff67f15873eb9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/101355.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","retrial","282.2-2"],"title":"Svetlana Monis' Criminal Case Based on Practicing Her Faith Is Routed to the Original Jurisdiction for a Second Hearing","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer referred to numerous documents, court decisions and statements of the President of the Russian Federation, proving that the repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses are unreasonable. \"Any individuals, including myself, have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017,\" Spiriadi said.\n","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/171.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Matryona Spiriadi in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 3, 2022, the Astrakhan Regional Court upheld the harsh sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses: 8 years in prison for Yevgeniy Ivanov, Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov, and 3.5 years in prison for Ivanov's wife, Olga.\nFour believers were detained and placed in a temporary detention center in June 2020 during mass searches. After that, the men were imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center. Olga Ivanova spent about a year and a half under house arrest, and then waited 4 months for an appeal decision while in a pre-trial detention center.\nAt the hearings in the first instance - the Trusovsky District Court of Astrakhan - dozens of defense witnesses indicated that extremism was alien to the defendants. The prosecutor, in turn, refused to question 20 prosecution witnesses, which limited the right of believers to a full and objective study of the circumstances of the case.\nThe prosecution strategy was reduced to proving that the defendants belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, as stated by the Russia’s Government, religion itself is not prohibited. In reality, the security forces do not distinguish between the constitutional right to freedom of religion and participation in the activities of an organization banned by the court. The believers insist on their innocence and intend to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nAnna Safronova from Astrakhan, who had previously been involved in the case of Ivanov and others as a witness, was also sent to jail in January 2022 by a harsh court decision only for peaceful religious beliefs — she was sentenced to 6 years in prison.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia causes great resonance in the legal community. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the ECHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention are just some of the organizations condemning the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2022-03-04T16:54:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/041654/image_hu_8692188b2f7f9d42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/041654/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/041654/image_hu_98d685eeb22d8ef7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/041654/image_hu_ee98bf6f06023f1e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/041654.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"title":"An Appeal in the City Astrakhan Upheld Prison Sentences for Four Jehovah's Witnesses, Including a Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 3, 2022, at least 2 families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the Knyaz-Volkonsky rural settlement (Khabarovsk Territory). Valeriy Rabota was detained and on March 6, by a court decision, was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nA search was conducted in the house of Valeriy, 60, and his wife Elvira, during which electronic devices, various translations of the Bible, personal notes, video cassettes, a camera and a video camera were seized.\nAfter the search, the spouses were taken to the investigative department for the Industrial District of Khabarovsk for interrogation. Valeriy and Elvira took advantage of the right guaranteed by Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation not to testify against themselves. Then Valeriy Rabota was detained and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nEarlier in the Khabarovsk Territory, criminal cases had already been opened against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses, one of whom, unfortunately, died in the hospital during the trial.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_d665666f0a5dd85a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_bd71719f669afc61.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_4aed7f4d320ebdad.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs4_hu_67833fdad2999079.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/071359.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Searches Took Place in the Khabarovsk Territory. A Believer, 60, Was Detained and Placed in a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2022, Krasnoyarsk Territory court rejected the appeal of Vitaliy Sukhov, father of many children and confirmed the conviction — suspended sentence for \"organization of religious speeches and worship\".\nIn spring 2020, Sukhov's house was searched only because of his religion, his car was arrested, and he has been seeking justice in courts for almost 2 years. The testimony of the secret witness \"Kuzmin,\" as well as other prosecution witnesses, could not confirm Sukhov's criminal intent. The criminal prosecution of the 55-year-old believer jeopardized his ability to care for his wife and 8 children, three of whom are minors. On December 21, 2021, Judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk Svetlana Patsalyuk sentenced Vitaliy Sukhov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe verdict came into force. The believer still insists on his innocence and can appeal the verdict on cassational basis.\nThe Krasnoyarsk region has already charged 25 Jehovah's Witnesses with crimes against society and the state, even though they have not committed anything unlawful. In addition to Vitaliy Sukhov, four other believers have already been convicted for their faith.\nAccording to a clarification by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot be considered extremism by itself. On 9 February, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev further emphasized this idea: \"Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-03-02T10:53:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_f7a492fec501df04.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_d03261760b6a9e97.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_e05194b34a55f4b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/03/021053/image_hu_560e073b130671bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/021053.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Left Unchanged Vitaliy Sukhov's Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Belief in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2022, between 7 and 9 a.m. in the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, representatives of the investigating authorities conducted inspections of the dwellings of believers at 5 addresses. Five men were interrogated at the Center for Combating Extremism (CCE).\nThe investigation suspects the believers of \"participation in the banned organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" They seized mobile phones and other electronic devices, storage media and personal records. Interrogations that lasted many hours were conducted by CCE officers Alan Kambolov, Marat Badoyev, Aslan Tavasiyev, Marat Pliyev, and Atsamaz Pliyev. The detainees were asked questions about their religion and the content of their conversations with fellow believers. After interrogation, they were all released.\nAccording to current data, no criminal case has been initiated at the moment. Inspections and interrogations took place as part of the operational-search activities authorized by the judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Semyon Mzokov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/03/111414.html","regions":["osetia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["inspection","interrogation"],"title":"Five Vladikavkaz-Based Families of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Raided. Believers Were Released After Long Interrogations","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 22, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights published two rulings in which it found that Russian authorities had violated the believers' right to freedom of religion when they detained them while discussing the Bible or conducting searches or inspections of their homes and places of worship.\nThe judgments are titled: “ Cheprunovs and Others v. Russia ” (complaint 74320/10) and “ Zharinova v. Russia ” (complaint 17715/12). In total, the ECHR ordered to pay the faithful about 100,000 euros in just compensation, damages to property and court costs. In both cases, the ECHR found that Russia had violated Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of thought, conscience and religion). All the episodes refer to a time long before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that all legal entities of this religion should be liquidated in the country. Below are the details of each of the 2 cases.\nCheprunovy and Others v. Russia (complaint 74320/10). In the 1st of 2 judgments, the ECHR decided to bring together 5 complaints submitted on behalf of 13 Jehovah's Witnesses from Ryazan and Tambov regions and Karelia.\nSpouses Mikhail and Larisa Cheprunov, who lived in Tambov in 2010, had their home searched. The search warrant stated that they may be in possession of \"items, literature, and electronic media that promote religious hatred and enmity, as well as other records of the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group. As a result, a Bible, religious literature, a laptop and a number of other personal items were seized from them. The Cheprunovs appealed the search order to a higher court. On 10 June 2010 their appeal was rejected by the Tambov regional court. Having exhausted all the domestic remedies, the believers turned to the ECHR, claiming that Article 9 of the Convention had been violated in their case. The ECHR sided with them and ordered Russia to pay the Cheprunovs 7,500 euro in just satisfaction.\nTogether with the complaint of the Cheprunovs, the ECHR considered the complaints of Elena Chavychalova (Chavychalova v. Russia, complaint 74329/10) and Elena Novakovskaya (Novakovskaya v. Russia, complaint 74339/10), who lived in the town of Rybnoe (Ryazan region). An operative search operation (ORM) \"inspection of the premises\" was conducted in Chavichalova's home on the basis of allegations that she was the leader of an unregistered group of Jehovah's Witnesses and suspicions of crimes under Article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code. They confiscated her Bible, issues of Watchtower and Awaken! magazines, and other religious literature. As a result, she was fined 1500 rubles for allegedly keeping nine items from her home for \"mass distribution. On 16 June 2010 the Rybnovskiy District Court rejected her appeal against the administrative fine, and on 28 June 2010 the Russian Supreme Court rejected her appeal against the judge's decision to authorize the raid on her home. As a result, the ECHR awarded Chavichalova 7,500 euros in compensation, as well as 37 euros in material damages. Novakowskaya's home was also raided, which resulted in the seizure of a Bible, issues of the magazines \"Watchtower\" and \"Awaken!\", as well as other religious literature. The raid was sanctioned by the regional court. The believer attempted to appeal the decision, but on September 28, 2010, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dismissed her appeal on the pretext of missing the deadline. The ECHR also awarded her compensation in the amount of 7,500 euros.\nAnother complaint (Pekshuev and Others v. Russia, complaint 60771/13) was filed on behalf of six Jehovah's Witnesses from Kostomuksha and Kalevala (Karelia). The complaint concerns a raid on the homes of believers conducted in 2012 by armed Federal Security Service officers in balaclavas. Bibles, magazines and books, a computer, videos and other personal items were also seized from believers. The applicants challenged the legality of the \"premises inspection\" operational-search measures. The Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia dismissed their appeals in March and April 2013. In total, the ECHR awarded 38,000 euros in compensation to the applicants on this complaint.\nFinally, the last of the complaints considered in this case (Ogorodnikov and Others v. Russia, complaint 29295/14) was filed on behalf of four believers and one local religious organization (LRO), namely the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Kostomuksha\" (liquidated in 2017). This complaint relates to the \"inspection of premises\" in the worship building and houses of believers, conducted in 2012 by the Federal Security Service (FSB). The complainants were actually detained by FSB officers and religious literature, including Bibles, magazines and books on biblical themes, computers, videos, and paper notebooks were seized from them. The believers filed complaints, protesting against the conducted ORM and the illegal actions of the FSB officers. On October 17, 2013, the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia dismissed the applicants' appeals. In total, the ECHR awarded the applicants 22,500 euros in compensation on this complaint.\nZharinova v. Russia (complaint 17715/12). This is the 2nd judgment of the ECHR, issued on February 22, 2022. The complaint was filed by Yekaterina Zharinova, a resident of Ivanteevka (Moscow region). In 2011, Zharinova was approached by two police officers as she, accompanied by her friend, was talking about the Bible with local residents. The policemen took the women to the station, where they interrogated them and then subjected them to a body search. The women were stripped to their underwear in the presence of two witnesses. They were also ordered to remove their shoes and insoles. The female officer then shook out the contents of the women's bags and confiscated personal belongings and religious literature, including Bibles. The women were finally released after about four and a half hours. Zharinova complained about the actions of the police to the prosecutor's office and to Ivanteevsky city court. All of her complaints were dismissed. On 20 September 2011, the Moscow Regional Court also dismissed her appeal. In the case, the ECHR found that the Russian authorities had violated Zharinova's rights to liberty and security of person (Article 5, paragraph 1) of the Convention and to freedom of religion (Article 9 of the Convention). As a result, the ECHR awarded her €10,000 in just satisfaction and €1,000 in legal costs.\nAlthough these ECHR judgments do not directly address the repression of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses that has unfolded since 2017, the ECHR reaffirmed its well-established practice, consistently recognizing that the peaceful religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are protected by Article 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Some 60 other complaints by believers are pending before the ECHR, including the Supreme Court's decision to liquidate all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Since 2017, Russian authorities have conducted some 1,700 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBoth judgments are final and cannot be appealed to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR.\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-02-22T16:44:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/221644/image_hu_cd34ac4b0f105847.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/221644/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/221644/image_hu_5e4d9ef049869a40.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/221644/image_hu_90997108b9d84b5a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/221644.html","regions":["karelia","ryazan","tambov","moscow_obl","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","compensation"],"title":"The ECHR Issued Two Rulings in Favor of 14 Jehovah's Witnesses. They Complained About Searches and Detentions in 2010-2012","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2022, the Kemerovo Regional Court rejected the appeal of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin, leaving the sentence unchanged - 4 years of suspended imprisonment.\nIn the summer of 2021, the Zavodskoy District Court of Kemerovo found Bondarchuk and Yavushkin guilty of extremism. The prosecution presented prayers and the rental of a pool for the rite of Christian baptism as a \"crime\". The position of the prosecutor's office was based mainly on the testimony of a witness who was covertly filming the services. At one of the hearings, Yavushkin drew the court's attention to the fact that most of the witness' testimonies were false and contradicted each other. The verdict was appealed.\nAfter the decision of the court of first instance, the believers were under house arrest. Prior to that, they spent 700 days under house arrest. Thus, at the time of the appeal decision, their movements had been restricted in total for more than 2.5 years. During the criminal prosecution, Yavushkin suffered a stroke, and his wife was hospitalized with nervous and emotional strain.\nThe believers vehemently reject the accusations of crimes and can appeal against the decisions of the courts in cassation and international instances. At one of the court hearings, Aleksandr Bondarchuk quoted the words of Russian President Putin: “You can’t force people to go against their faith, their traditions, family pedigree, in the end against truth, justice and just common sense!”\nThe groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in May 2020 was confirmed by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. In its decision No. 10/2020, it was noted that criminal cases were initiated “only because [the accused] peacefully professed their religious beliefs, including having religious texts and Bibles with them, gathering together for worship with fellow believers.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-17T07:18:57+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_1bf92e30c2875dc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_2211160873ddde25.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_f70c48692f80b5a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/170718/image_hu_b272360fdf5f21e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/170718.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Kemerovo Upheld Aleksandr Bondarchuk's and Sergey Yavushkin's Sentence - Both Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer said that extremism has always been alien to him, and in everyday life he tries to live in accordance with God's command to \"love your neighbor as yourself\" and be a useful member of society.\n","date":"2022-02-16T16:31:25+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/170.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Vergunov in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 16, 2022, the judge of the Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea, Irina Altanets, sentenced one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Artem Shabliy, to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years, finding him guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIn the spring of 2020, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Valery Zarubin, opened a criminal case against Artem Shabliy, the father of 2 young children, under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). At the same time, a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Kerch. During a search in Shabliy's house, the security forces broke the windows, because of which a 4-year-old son of the believer cut his legs on splinters. Artem himself was kept undressed in the cold for several hours, as a result of which he fell ill.\nAfter the search and interrogation, the believer spent the night in a temporary detention center. The investigator persuaded Artem Shabliy to self-incriminate, but he refused and on the third day he was allowed to go home on bail.\nAccording to the investigation, the “extremism” of the builder from Kerch consisted in the fact that he “pointed to the correctness, value, usefulness of the proposed views, that is, he disseminated and explained the views and ideas of Jehovah’s Witnesses ... praised, justified and approved the ideology of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” The accusation was based on video recordings of conversations on religious topics, which were made by an I. Dukhanin, who portrayed an interest in the Bible.\nArtem Shabliy pleaded not guilty to extremism and may appeal the verdict. In his last word, he said: “It is impossible for me to even imagine that I can commit any active actions, the purpose of which is to incite racial, national and religious hatred. In fact, for me, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, such goals as the forcible change of the foundations of the constitutional order and the threat to the security of Russia are completely unacceptable.”\nCrimean courts have already sent four Jehovah's Witnesses to penal colonies for terms ranging from 6 to 6.5 years. At the same time, according to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. On February 9, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev further emphasized this idea: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious services and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-16T14:13:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_b754b34a8e5611d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_8e928d90a9432d4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_ad5bb02cd231f0fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/161413/image_hu_7efbddec9663765f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/161413.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-2","sentence","minors","health-risk"],"title":"A Court Handed Crimea-Based Artyom Shabliy a Two-Year Suspended Sentenced for Holding Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic upheld the sentence for faith to Yelena Menchikova — 5 years’ suspended. At the same time, she is exempt from paying court costs.\nIn December 2021, the court of first instance found the believer guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it, considering it a crime that Yelena Menchikova discussed the Bible with others, including at religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the believer's defense, the accusatory decision was made despite the fact that during the trial some witnesses gave false testimony. One of them said that he first saw Yelena only in court.\nThe believer denies the accusations of extremism and can appeal the decision of the appellate instance to the Court of Cassation and international structures.\nMenchikova is a group II disabled person and needs constant medication. Because of her recognizance not to live, it became more difficult for her to receive medical assistance. The former doctors, having learned about the criminal prosecution of Yelena, stopped helping her. The accounts of the 57-year-old woman were seized.\nAccording to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, religious meetings and conversations about the Bible cannot in themselves be considered extremism. On February 9, 2022, Chairman of the Supreme Court Vyacheslav Lebedev additionally emphasized: “Actions that do not contain signs of extremism and consist solely in exercising the right to freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including through the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, do not constitute a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-15T17:07:55+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_c8c9dcd8dcfad5de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_ce518f7a2c99480c.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_ba04f984fe757654.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/151707/image_hu_81e5e06119cc3540.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/151707.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disability","appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A Cherkessk Appeals Court Affirmed Yelena Menchikova's, a Woman With a Disability, Sentence for Practicing Her Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2022, the Tomsk Regional Court approved the sentence for teacher Yelena Saveliyeva: 4 years of suspended sentence for practicing her religion.\nAddressing the panel of judges, the believer emphasized the absurdity of the sentence passed on her: \"My faith teaches me not to kill, not to deceive, not to be a vile person, not to wish harm to my neighbor, not to envy, to be kind and compassionate, to be a humble and conscientious person, to see good in everyone, to wish my neighbor all the best, to help, love and enjoy life. And for this, dear court, I was recorded as an extremist.\"\nThe decision of the court entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in the cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nTwo months earlier, a judge of the Severskiy District Court of the Tomsk Region found Yelena Saveliyeva guilty of involving persons in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the court interpreted the believer's peaceful conversations about the Bible with other people.\nThe believer spent more than 9 months under house arrest. The criminal prosecution caused great damage to Saveliyeva's reputation. She has worked at the school for over 40 years and was awarded an honorary diploma from the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Atomic Energy.\nRussian President Vladimir Putin called the recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists \"nonsense.\" He stated that they are “also Christians” and “what they are being persecuted for” is not clear.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_4b8aad4408de1e7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_c44fe05c1e33b2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/150931/image_hu_beda42ee9a857fd1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/150931.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-1.1"],"title":"An Appeals Court Upheld the Verdict of an 80-Year-Old Widow From Seversk: a Four-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On Sunday morning, 13 February 2022, at least 25 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were raided in the villages of Vyselki and Berezanskaya in Krasnodar Territory. Another search took place in Novorossiysk. According to preliminary information, a criminal case was opened for belief in God against three men — Valeriy Vichkayev, Vitaliy Ushakov and Yevgeniy Bochko.\nUshakov, 41, was placed in the detention center in the town of Korenovsk after interrogation. In the coming days, the court will decide on his measure of restraint. The 46-year-old Bochkov was also interrogated in Korenovsk, but by the evening he was released home. Law enforcement officers did not find Valeriy Vichkayev at home, broke down the front door and conducted a search without the owners being present. Law enforcement officers, some of whom were armed with submachine guns, did not let Vichkaev's mother-in-law and the youngest daughter into the house without any explanation. The daughter was sick after spending several hours in the street.\nAnother peaceful believer allegedly became a suspect. He was interrogated, but, due to his disability, was not taken away from Vyselki village and was released on recognizance not to leave.\nUpdate. On February 15, 2022, the court chose a measure of restraint for Vitaliy Ushakov in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. Three days later, his wife was searched again. On February 21, the believer is planned to be transferred to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Krasnodar.\nAleksey Shubnikov, Valeriy Vichkayev and Yevgeniy Bochko were given a ban on certain actions: believers are not allowed to use the telephone, the Internet, leave their area of residence, communicate with defendants in a criminal case and, in general, with Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAccording to updated data, on February 13, 2022, at least 31 searches were carried out in the Kuban. In addition to the villages of Vyselki and Berezanskaya, raids took place in the villages of Buzinovskaya, Novodonetskaya, Zhuravskaya, the village of Gazyr, the village of Zarya, and the Beysuzhek the Second farm, including 75-year-old and 81-year-old believers. In total, the searches affected at least 51 people, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. In one case, an elderly woman, about 85 years of age, was subjected to a three-hour search. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records were confiscated from believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_a40cecf496601106.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_59b3c42f7ba1668c.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_3fcbebbe31916c7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_ec97b38ee75f388c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/151600.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","ivs","recognizance-agreement","disability","282.2-1"],"title":"Mass Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Kuban. At Least One Believer Was Sent to Jail","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 10, 2022, Sergey Orlov, judge of the Kalininsky District Court of Cheboksary, found three local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism. Vladimir Dutkin was sentenced to a fine of 500,000 rubles, while Valeriy Yakovlev and Vladimir Chesnokov were fined 400,000 rubles.\nThe convicts have professed the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses since the early 1990s, but the authorities began persecuting them for their faith only in the fall of 2020, when the local FSB organized a wave of searches in Cheboksary and Novocheboksarsk. As indicated in the documents of the investigation, the believers “organized and held meetings of the religious group of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Cheboksary in specially rented premises” what the security forces considered the organization of the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nFor six months, the prosecution presented evidence to the court not of any crimes, incitement of religious hatred or propaganda of superiority on the part of believers, but that Dutkin, Yakovlev and Chesnokov were discussing the Bible with others. It is noteworthy that the printed materials and audio recordings considered by the court contained calls on believers to avoid nationalism and anger and to show love for others.\nThere are no victims in this case, but there are inconsistencies and violations. So, the secret witness \"Ivanov\" testified about the events that took place long before the period imputed to the fault. Also in the case file was a psycholinguistic examination carried out by the FSB officer Komleva, although according to the law an independent specialist was supposed to prepare it. In it, she gave, among other things, a religious assessment of the activities of believers, although she does not have a religious education.\nThe prosecutor asked to send the believers to a colony for terms ranging from 6 to 6.5 years, but the court limited itself to fines. Convicts consider the verdict illegal and can appeal against it.\nDuring the criminal prosecution due to stress, the father of many children, Valeriy Yakovlev, worsened a chronic disease, pensioner Vladimir Chesnokov began to experience tachycardia attacks and shortness of breath at night. “One of the interrogations was particularly harsh and was accompanied by intimidation on the part of the investigator,” he said. Vladimir Dutkin, an insurance agent, was practically deprived of the opportunity to fully work and provide for his family, because the security forces confiscated all means of communication from him. The court also seized his car. Dutkin was under house arrest for more than a year, and Chesnokov and Yakovlev for more than 7 months.\nRussian authorities have repeatedly assured that the Jehovah's Witnesses faith is not banned. As the Russian Supreme Court Plenum explained on October 28, 2021, worship by Jehovah's Witnesses does not by itself constitute an \"extremist\" crime, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-10T09:48:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_eaf13e80264642d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_9ae317c28839beab.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_57d4c6c069a28589.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/110948/image_hu_d494130e665a9f58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/110948.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","secret-witness","elderly"],"title":"A Chuvashia Court Fined Three Witnesses of Jehovah for Talking About God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 7, 2022 Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the sentence of Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk against Yuriy Saveliyev — 6 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom for believing in God.\nAs an additional punishment, the court deprived the believer of the right to engage in activities related to administration and participation in public and religious organizations for a period of three years.\nSaveliyev called the charges against him trumped up and called himself a victim. He stated: \"I lost my health, I lost my property, my reputation suffered, and now I bear the shameful mark of a 'criminal\". He can appeal the verdict in cassation and international structures.\nAn appellate court in a different composition reconsidered the verdict to the believer after the Eighth Court of Cassation of General jurisdiction returned the case to the appellate stage on November 24, 2021.\nAfter his arrest, Yuriy Saveliyev has been behind bars for more than three years. In the colony, where the believer was sent after his conviction, there were attempts to force him to undergo treatment without grounds — in the summer of 2021 Yuriy was sent to Barnaul to a medical correctional facility specializing in the treatment of prisoners with alcoholism and drug addiction, although he does not suffer from either of these diseases. Saveliyev was repeatedly forced to sign a consent to medical procedures. In Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Altai Territory, photos of Yuriy with the caption \"prone to extremism\" were hung above his bed. The elderly believer should be released in August 2023.\nThe criminal prosecution of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses was condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union and many other Russian and international organizations. The new clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia dated June 28, 2011 state that communal worship in itself does not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use as justification for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_30c1736386b05588.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_41681369a5732fcb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_fe45ec6533df82d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/091403/image_hu_8bf6a2d13456f6ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/091403.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","fabrications","elderly"],"title":"A Secondary Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld an Imprisonment Term for 68-Year-Old Yuriy Saveliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"In 2021, one of the first Jehovah's Witnesses that was sent behind bars after the Russian Supreme Court decided to ban the organization was released from prison and deported from Russia. His story is told in this four-minute video.\nAs soon as Konstantin Bazhenov left the colony, he was detained and deported to Ukraine because his Russian citizenship was revoked due to criminal prosecution.\nIt all began on June 12, 2018, when searches took place in Konstantin Bazhenov's apartment, as well as in 6 other dwellings of believers. After that, he was charged with extremism. As a result, Konstantin and five other believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nKonstantin Bazhenov: “The FSB, the investigator and the operatives promised me that if I plead guilty, I will start cooperating with them, they will guarantee me a suspended sentence, and that I will not go to prison.” Konstantin refused to cooperate with the investigator, as this would mean giving up his faith. In total, Konstantin spent almost a year in a pre-trial detention center and waited for a court decision under a ban on certain actions for several more months. The investigation accused him of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nKonstantin Bazhenov: “The main accusation was based on the fact that in the winter, in January 2018, we held a religious meeting. We read the Bible there, sang spiritual songs, discussed how to live according to biblical principles. The investigator interpreted this religious meeting as if we were holding a meeting of a legal entity banned in Russia.”\nOn September 19, 2019, the judge announced the verdict: 3.5 years in a general regime colony. After 3 months, the court of appeal upheld this verdict and on February 4, 2020, Bazhenov was sent to a correctional colony.\nKonstantin Bazhenov: “On February 8, 2020, I was brought to the correctional colony-3 in the city of Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Region. I worked at the prison store. I received a lot of letters. The operational officer called me and said: “Bazhenov, we receive 300 letters a year for the entire colony. You alone received more than 300 letters in a month.\" He says: \"What are you doing? Do you want our inspector to drown in these letters?\" Well, I explained that people want to support me, somehow encourage, encourage me.\nKonstantin spent another 1 year and 3 months in the colony and was released on parole on May 5, 2021.\nKonstantin Bazhenov: “It was a happy moment - I saw Irina, my wife, hugged her. The head of the detachment says: “Konstantin, I didn’t expect so many people to be present! I knew that you have brothers and sisters, they write letters to you. But that so many people will come to meet you ... \"He says:\" Yes, you are a happy person!\nWhen the day of the deportation came, Konstantin's fellow believers gathered to support him. Konstantin Bazhenov: “On May 19, we arrived at the border. They checked our documents, all issued. I was met by brothers and sisters with a poster, flowers. My dear wife, Irina, was present. And it was such a joy, such an unforgettable moment, how we saw each other, how we could hug. As Jehovah promised that he would provide a way out in trials - behold, he provided me with a way out. I left the colony, left the deportation center. Indeed, he pushed away all the barriers and made it possible for my wife and I to meet on the day of our wedding anniversary. Such a happy moment.\"\nAfter his release, Konstantin and Irina Bazhenov live in Ukraine.\nOver the past 4.5 years, 322 Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned. As of February 2022, 65 believers are awaiting sentencing behind bars and another 18 are serving sentences in penal colonies. 8 Jehovah's Witnesses have served their sentences in full and have been released from prison.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2022-02-04T12:24:06+02:00","duration":"4:08","image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/041224/image_hu_455e594491c818d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/041224/image_hu_37e6bdf124a6ade7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/041224/image_hu_ebd4bfd8dda949a9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/041224/image_hu_c71f0296c4d39e0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/041224.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["deportation","release","282.2-1"],"title":"Arrested, Convicted, Served Time, Deported. What Is Occurring With Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Based on Konstantin Bazhenov's Experience","type":"video"},{"body":"In court, Vladimir Dutkin cited historical facts about the religious repression of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also said that they \"lead a highly moral lifestyle, raise children in the spirit of love and kindness, do not smoke, do not drink, do not take up arms, do not learn to fight and act honestly.\"\n","date":"2022-02-03T14:55:18+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/169.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Dutkin in Cheboksary","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the groundlessness of the accusations against him and spoke about the benefits that Jehovah's Witnesses bring to society.\n","date":"2022-02-03T14:49:44+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/168.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Valery Yakovlev's last word in Cheboksary","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, the believer said that neither the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor the President of Russia consider the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be illegal. Chesnokov stressed that \"the Bible does not encourage extremism, but honesty, morality and mercy.\"\n","date":"2022-02-03T14:46:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/167.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Chesnokov in Cheboksary","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 3, 2022, Dmitriy Babushkin, a judge of the Ussuriysky District Court of the Primorsky Territory, found Sergey Melnikov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 3 years suspended. The believer can appeal the verdict.\nOn June 5, 2019, Sergey Melnikov was detained in his own car while talking with Konstantin Belousov, who, as it turned out later, collaborated with the FSB. He asked Melnikov questions about the Bible, and recorded conversations on audio. According to investigators, this conversation and the fact that Melnikov, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, continued to attend religious meetings of believers, was \"a continuation of the illegal activities of a banned religious organization\" and falls under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Later, a search was conducted in Sergey's house.\nEven at the investigation stage, the prosecutor's office returned materials for further investigation due to violations. But even after the case went to court, there were no victims, as well as no facts of causing damage to the individual, society or the state. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked to sentence the believer to 4 years suspended.\nSpeaking in court , Melnikov pleaded not guilty to extremism and stressed that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, for more than 2 years, Sergey has been under criminal prosecution simply for his religion. During this time, he spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center, then 145 days under house arrest, and since February last year he has been under house arrest.\nThe judge sentenced the believer to 3 years probation with a probation period of 2 years, as well as 8 months of restriction of freedom.\nIn Primorsky Territory, 39 people have already been prosecuted for their faith. 6 of them received sentences: 5 received a suspended sentence and 1 was acquitted.\nThe world community strongly condemns the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-03T14:12:00+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_c6b03bd847bcea59.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_ff38133b09d81dd2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_e6691e9840197f3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/031411/image_hu_a8e93c360cce8df9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/031411.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","hidden-surveillance","282.2-2"],"title":"Ussuriysk-Based Sergey Melnikov Sentenced to Three Years of Probation for Adhering to Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of February 3, 2022, a search was conducted at the home of a Kemerovo resident Vladimir Baikalov. A day earlier, a criminal case was initiated against him on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nA criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Baykalov was initiated by Aleksandra Isaeva, senior investigator of the investigative department for the Zavodskoy district of the city of Kemerovo. According to law enforcers, Vladimir's extremism consisted in communicating on biblical topics via video conferencing.\nThe search lasted more than 4 hours and was attended by an expert of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and several detectives from the Center for Combating Extremism. The security forces confiscated Vladimir Baikalov's digital devices, electronic media, personal records, and his international passport.\nThis is already the 11th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the region. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, do not in themselves constitute a crime.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/041420/image_hu_70fa4f75f69152ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/041420/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/041420/image_hu_4d9f9f663ca541ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/041420/image_hu_37bc27eb14dc519a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/041420.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Another Search in Kemerovo. A Criminal Сase Is Initiated Against a 58-Year-Old Witness of Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer notes: \"If you live on the territory of Russia and profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, then you automatically become an extremist, regardless of whether you carry out any actions of an extremist nature or not.\"\n","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/166.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Melnikov in Ussuriysk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 2, 2022, Mariya Kunik, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, found 64-year-old Anatoliy Gorbunov guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony. The believer is taken into custody.\nIn Soviet times, Anatoliy Gorbunov's father and grandfather were declared \"enemies of the people\" and exiled to Siberia. In 1993 they were rehabilitated. Now Anatoliy was subjected to groundless repressions for his beliefs. In November 2018, he was searched, accompanied by pressure and threats. 17 months later, a criminal case was opened against Gorbunov. According to investigators, the believer organized discussions with fellow believers about the Christian way of life. This allegedly was the organization of the activities of a banned religious organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia).\nThe court hearings continued for more than a year. In anticipation of the verdict, the believer spent more than 13 months on bail.\nDuring the hearings in court, not a single fact was presented that would prove Gorbunov's guilt in real crimes. Among the materials of the case are 7 discs with records of religious meetings and Bible discussions. No calls for violence, inciting hatred or other illegal actions were recorded on them. The secret witness “Salov”, whose testimony, according to the prosecution, was supposed to prove the guilt of the defendant, admitted that he saw Anatoliy only once and did not hear anything extremist from him. There are no victims in the case. Despite this, the prosecutor asked to send Anatoliy to a colony for 8 years.\nThe believer insists on his complete innocence. In court, Anatoliy drew attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their faith, this right is enshrined in the Russian Constitution.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted. Five of them were sentenced to various punishments: 2 were sentenced to 6 years in prison, 1 was fined, and 2 received suspended sentences.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-02-02T11:11:11+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_57b794b159f7e238.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_810234fb16bcf559.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_9ba1c7e3cf5ef951.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/021055/image_hu_95d72bb80eb7264d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/021055.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","elderly","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Krasnoyarsk Court Sentenced Anatoliy Gorbunov to a Six-Year Prison Term for Discussing the Bible With Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2022, Judge of the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai, Yevgeny Stefanyuk, found 66-year-old Sergey Sergeyev and 57-year-old Yuriy Belosludtsev from Luchegorsk guilty of extremism for talking about God and sentenced both to a suspended sentence of 5 years.\nUpdate. According to updated data, the court sentenced Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev to 6 years of suspended term with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 9 months. Sergey Sergeyev said before the verdict: “I have never had a desire to harm someone ... I am accused of committing a serious crime, not because I did something bad or harmed someone, but because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nYuriy Belosludtsev also pleaded not guilty: “I have nothing to do with extremism, as it contradicts the biblical principles on the basis of which I try to build my life. And there is not the slightest hint of extremism in the case file.”\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nYuriy and Sergey were detained during mass searches and interrogations in Luchegorsk in March 2019. The local branch of the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against them, accusing them of participation (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and involvement in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). One of the key witnesses in the case is FSB officer Prokhor Vasin, who secretly filmed conversations with believers. According to him, their extremism consisted in discussing the Bible with him. The intelligence officer did not report any real crimes. There are no victims in the case. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked to send Belosludtsev to a colony for 5.5, and Sergeyev - for 5 years in a colony.\nBelievers have already had to spend half a year in a pre-trial detention center, then another almost 5 months under house arrest and more than a year under house arrest.\nIn total, in Primorsky Territory, criminal cases for faith were initiated against 39 people: 20 men and 19 women, some of whom are elderly.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate the legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses do not prohibit their beliefs or restrict their right to gather for worship.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-31T15:56:43+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_2283f62a9bf364.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_5dccad9503f7217a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_9e8b82c30e39527a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/311556/image_hu_8165c1a4a79f8a04.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/311556.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","elderly","suspended"],"title":"A Primorye Court Sentenced Two Jehovah's Witnesses to a 6-Year Suspended Sentence for Talking About God","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 31, 2022 Judge Nikita Kucherov of the Nevelsk City Court of Sakhalin Region found local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization or in its organization. Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeniy Yelin were sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment based on the more grave part of the article.\nTatyana Kulakova (wife of Sergey Kulakov), Vyacheslav Ivanov and Aleksandr Kozlitin were sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence on the milder part of the article. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The believers insisted on their complete innocence. There were no victims of the believers' actions in the criminal case.\nThe court fully satisfied the request of the prosecutor's office to give Yelin and Kulakov a suspended sentence of 6.5 years. However, the prosecutor's office asked for a more severe punishment: Ivanov 5 years, Kozlitin 4 years and Kulakova 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe case for the faith against Sergey Kulakov was initiated on December 24, 2018. Within a month there were at least 11 searches in the homes of believers in Sakhalin. This was the first raid on Jehovah's Witnesses after President Vladimir Putin expressed bewilderment at the persecution of believers of this religion and promised to deal with it. From April 2019 to March 2020, the Sakhalin Region FSB opened criminal cases against Aleksandr Kozlitin, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Yevgeniy Yelin, and Tatyana Kulakova one after another. All cases were later merged into one case. Throughout the investigation, the believers were under house arrest. On December 10, 2020 the case went to court.\nDue to illness, 60-year-old Sergey Kulakov has difficulty walking without a cane. In October 2019, he was included in the federal list of extremists Rosfinmonitoring, due to which the believer can no longer use a bank card. Sergey Kulakov shared, \"When it all started, the fellow believers repeatedly provided us with assistance, helped with food products.\"\nTatyana Kulakova is visually impaired and has difficulty reading a lot, which she had to do throughout the trial. The searches affected her health, in addition, Tatyana was hospitalized with a Covid.\nVyacheslav Ivanov shared that he and his wife were helped to cope with all the events - they were sincerely interested in their friends and cared for them not only morally, but also financially.\nDespite their peaceful activities, hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have already been subjected to repression, although Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that believers can continue to practice their religion freely. The world community and human rights organizations express strong concerns about systematic violations of the freedoms and rights of religious minorities, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-31T15:49:20+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_beec5e9578c58881.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/311528/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_f2ab36e53516cb94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/311528/image_hu_e7fdaf8aca92e153.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/311528.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1"],"title":"Five Sakhalin-Based Believers Received Suspended Sentences Ranging From Two to Six-and-a-Half Years for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2022, a series of searches and interrogations took place in the Krasnodar Territory. Criminal cases have been initiated against at least two peaceful believers: Pavel Sidorenko, 64, and Aleksey Lelikov, 61.\nSearches began around 6:30 in the morning and lasted about five hours, after which the men were taken for interrogation to the Krasnodar Territory FSB and then released. There were no reports of physical force or other violent actions towards the believers.\nDuring the search of the Sidorenko's house in Prigorodny, their adult daughter, who has a serious diagnosis, had a seizure. Law enforcement officers seized a laptop, phones, SIM-cards and memory cards, a Bible symphony and personal records from the family. The case was initiated against Pavel Sidorenko on suspicion of participation in extremist activity (part 2 article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He signed a pledge not to leave.\nThe search of Alexey Lelikov's house was led by FSB Lieutenant Colonel Nikita Rudenko. The law enforcement officers seized literature, not included in the list of prohibited items: a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko and an atlas of ancient Israel. In addition, they seized laptops, phones and plastic folders in which the utility receipts were kept.\nThe criminal case against Lelikov was opened by senior investigator Anton Poltoratsky on January 20, 2022. The believer is suspected of continuing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code), \"undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security,\" which was expressed through reading the Bible and preaching, a common practice of Jehovah's Witnesses which is not prohibited in Russia. Lelikov's wife and daughter are witnesses in the case.\nThere have already been 15 criminal cases in the Krasnodar Territory for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, the Plenum of the Supreme Court ruled that holding peaceful worship services cannot be considered a crime by itself.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/02/021103/image_hu_ee80051713b013d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/02/021103/image_hu_7ae9915df0023392.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/02/021103/image_hu_5c3d22fbbdc5d376.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/02/021103/image_hu_be56baacf0288aec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/02/021103.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","interrogation","282.2-2","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"A Series of Searches Took Place in Kuban. Two Criminal Cases Were Initiated Against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses follow the biblical instruction to obey the highest authorities, so they cannot be accused of extremism.\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/175.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kozlitin in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer reminded the court that Jehovah's Witnesses had already faced persecution in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, but were later rehabilitated. \"Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime. We have nothing to judge for,\" he said.\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/177.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ivanov Vyacheslav Vladimirovich in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer explained that he discussed the Bible with his friends and prayed to God solely out of good intentions, so he believes that calling him and his co-religionists criminals is fundamentally wrong.\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/178.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Kulakov in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer pointed out why the accusation of extremism against her was unfounded: \"Singing songs, reading the Bible, praying, discussing with fellow believers, communicating with them, how can this undermine the foundations of our state?\"\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/176.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Kulakova in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Almost 30 years ago, I was prosecuted for refusing to take up arms as one of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Yelin said in his final statement. The believer wonders why he was accused of extremism for the same peaceful beliefs.\n","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/165.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Yelin in Nevelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 27, the world observes the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a symbolic date to commemorate the victims of Nazism. Murderous Nazi terror targeted millions for reasons of biology, nationality, or political ideology. Few people recognize that the Nazis’ victims included thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who suffered for their Christian faith.\nJehovah’s Witnesses, also then known as Bible Students, were “the only group in the Third Reich to be persecuted on the basis of their religious beliefs alone,” says Professor Robert Gerwarth. The Nazi regime branded Witnesses “enemies of the State,” according to historian Christine King, because of “their very public refusal to accept even the smallest elements of [Nazism], which didn’t fit their faith and their beliefs.”\nOn religious grounds, the politically neutral Witnesses refused to give the “Heil Hitler” salute, take part in racist and violent acts, or join the German army. Moreover, “in their literature they publicly identified the evils of the regime, including what was happening to the Jews,” stated King.\nWitnesses were among the first sent to concentration camps, where they bore a unique uniform symbol—the purple triangle. Of about 35,000 Witnesses in Nazi-occupied Europe, more than one-third suffered direct persecution. Most were arrested and imprisoned. Hundreds of their children were taken to Nazi homes or reformatories. About 4,200 Witnesses went to Nazi concentration camps. Leading authority Detlef Garbe wrote: “The declared intention of the NS [Nazi] rulers was to completely eliminate the Bible Students from German history.” (Between Resistance and Martyrdom: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Third Reich, by D. Garbe, University of Wisconsin Press. 2008. p. 521) An estimated 1,600 Witnesses died, 548 by execution, including at least 39 minors.\nThe Nazis sought to break Witnesses’ religious convictions by offering them freedom in exchange for a pledge of obedience. The standard Erklärung (issued beginning in 1938) required the signee to renounce his or her faith, denounce other Witnesses to the police, fully submit to the Nazi government, and defend the “Fatherland” with weapon in hand. Prison and camp officials often used torture and privation to induce Witnesses to sign. According to Garbe, “extremely low numbers” of Witnesses recanted their faith.\nGeneviève de Gaulle, a niece of General Charles de Gaulle and member of the French Resistance, said of female Witness prisoners in Ravensbrück concentration camp: “What I admired a lot in them was that they could have left at any time just by signing a renunciation of their faith. . . . Ultimately, these women, who appeared to be so weak and worn out, were stronger than the SS, who had power and all the means at their disposal. They had their strength, and it was their willpower that no one could beat.”\nThe failure of Nazi coercion in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses contrasts with widespread societal conformity to Nazi aims before and during the Holocaust. The nonviolent resistance of ordinary people to racism, extreme nationalism, and violence merits thoughtful reflection on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day.\nSee also: “In the Spring of 1945, Russia Freed Jehovah's Witnesses From Concentration Camps. Why, 75 Years Later, Are They Again in Prisons?” \"\n","category":"crime","date":"2022-01-27T13:53:02+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/271353/image_hu_7b73fe95a239772f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/271353/image_hu_d86a2a7d2062b2fb.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/271353/image_hu_5a26a69cf9ae7594.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/271353/image_hu_c72267596fb4afe9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/271353.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["nazi-germany"],"title":"Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses Were Among the Millions Victims of Nazism","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 25, 2022, Aleksandr Lepsky, a judge of the Trusovskiy District Court of Astrakhan, considered Anna Safronova’s participation in Bible discussions extremism and sentenced her to 6 years in a penal colony, as requested by the prosecutor. After the verdict was announced, the believer was taken into custody.\nIn her last speech, Safronova said: “A conscience taught by the Bible does not allow me to harm the state and the people living in it. I have nothing to do with extremism. I am actually accused of believing in Jehovah God, praying to him, talking to others about the Bible and remaining a Jehovah's Witness, that is, enjoying the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution.” As in other \"extremist\" cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, in Safronova's case there are no victims or damage caused to anyone or anything. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAnna Safronova is a 56-year-old widow. She takes care of her mother, who is already over 80. The women had to go through searches twice. The first one took place in the summer of 2020, when a raid took place in the homes of 26 more families of believers. Then Anna was a witness in the case of other Astrakhan believers accused of extremism. A year later, Anna and her mother's apartment was searched again. This time, Safronova was already a suspect. She was interrogated and sent to the detention center for 1 day.\nOn May 28, 2021, the investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, Nikolay Banko, opened a criminal case against Anna Safronova under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 and part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, accusing her of participating in worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses and financing extremist activities. Among the evidence of Anna's “criminal intent” is a discussion of the Bible with fellow believers via video link and the singing of songs and prayers to Jehovah God. The investigation considers the financing of extremism to be the fact that Safronova helped collect voluntary donations for the common needs of believers. For example, to pay for the ZOOM program, video cameras and microphones to communicate with fellow believers. Almost immediately after the initiation of the criminal case, Anna was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, due to which her bank accounts were blocked.\nAnna Safronova became the first woman, Jehovah's Witness, in Russia to be sentenced to such a long prison term. In addition to her, after the guilty verdict, two more believers are currently behind bars: Olga Ivanova from Astrakhan (sentence - 3.5 years) and Valentina Baranovskaya from Abakan (2 years). In addition, Olga Ponomareva and Anna Yermak from the Krasnodar village of Kholmskaya were sentenced in absentia to 5 and 4.5 years in prison, respectively. Another woman, Tatyana Velizhanina from Sochi, is awaiting a court decision in a pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, “the divine services of Jehovah’s Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-26T08:38:12+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/260838/image_hu_951a4d6991667a91.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/260838/image_hu_8ad68d24cf37d6ea.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/260838/image_hu_b47971d7218fc338.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/260838/image_hu_d1d7294c5943c300.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/260838.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"For the First Time in Russia, a Court Sentenced a Woman to a Six-Year Prison Sentence for Adhering to Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"In her final remarks, Anna Safronova used historical examples to show that even under pain of death, Jehovah's Witnesses \"did not give up their beliefs and the biblical principles by which they lived: not to kill, not to learn to fight, not to repay evil for evil to anyone.\" She also explained why extremism is alien to her.\n","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/164.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anna Safronova in Astrakhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 20, 2022, the Lipetsk Regional Court denied the appeal of Artur Netreba, Alexandr Kostrov and Viktor Bachurin and upheld the sentence of the lower court. Believers are required to pay a fine of 300,000 rubles each.\nIn November 2021, the court found three Jehovah's Witnesses from Lipetsk guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and fined each of them 500 thousand rubles, but the amount was reduced to 300 thousand, since the believers spent almost a year in a pre-trial detention center. The court considered it a \"grave crime against the constitutional order\" for believers to participate in peaceful religious meetings and discuss the Bible with others.\nThe criminal case against Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba was initiated on December 2, 2019, on the same day their homes were searched, followed by arrest.\nA psychologist, a religious scholar and a linguist were involved in the criminal case as experts, who did not find signs of extremism in the activities of the defendants or the motivation of others to do so. There were no casualties or any harm from the actions of the believers.\nThe verdict has entered into force, but believers consider it illegal and can appeal in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nIn total, 10 people have already been prosecuted for their faith in the Lipetsk region, including 3 women. Repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses continue despite the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court that the joint worship of believers in itself is not a crime.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T16:37:52+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/201637/image_hu_7044609f2a05074d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201637/image_hu_3f5705986bb8e294.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201637/image_hu_34fdb1e598cf1a0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201637/image_hu_6aa4df0ef9854350.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/201637.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Lipetsk Upheld the Sentence of Three Jehovah's Witnesses—Fines for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2022, the judge of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Timofey Smolyuk found Lyudmila Salikova guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community and gave her a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period for not giving up her faith in Jehovah God.\nSpeaking before the court, the believer said: \"The goals of Jehovah's Witnesses are the most peaceful, and I am guided in my life exclusively by the Bible.\" She also noted: “I want to emphasize once again that my intent was not aimed at resuming the activities of any legal entities, but solely at exercising my right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.”\nOn November 30, 2020, the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexandr Chepenko, searched Lyudmila Salikova, and 9 months later brought her in as a defendant under a serious criminal article. This is not the first time investigator Chepenko has initiated the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk region and personally initiated at least 5 criminal cases against believers. Among those who have already received suspended sentences for their faith are pensioners Vladimir Suvorov and his wife Valentina.\nChepenko investigated the case for a year, and in November 2021 it was taken to court. The consideration of the case took two months. For six months the believer was under house arrest. Because of the criminal prosecution, the woman's reputation suffered, and Salikova had to resign from the Department of Municipal Services, where she worked as a leading engineer.\nThe charges were based on the testimony of an infiltrated FSB agent, Vera Kotelnikova, who feigned an interest in the Bible and made video and audio recordings of conversations. Later, they were sent for examination to three teachers of the Chelyabinsk State University: Andrey Konyuchenko, Yekaterina Zabelina and Olga Khokhlovskaya. After examining the conversations about God, they concluded that Lyudmila Salikova allegedly persuaded Kotelnikova to participate in the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and the local organization. However, according to the law, the production of a forensic examination could not be entrusted to these specialists, since they are not state experts and do not have a religious education.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the pensioner to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nThe entire logic of Salikova's accusation was based on the fact that faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" Consequently, instead of searching for and proving Lyudmila's \"guilt\", the prosecutor's office was busy proving that she professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the fact that the believer never hid this fact. In addition, no religion is prohibited in Russia, and on October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation confirmed this when it clarified that the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rites and ceremonies do not constitute a crime in themselves. Nevertheless, the court equated the peaceful pensioner with dangerous criminals and convicted her.\nLyudmila Salikova became the fifth woman in Russia to be convicted not for participating, but for organizing an extremist community just because of reading the Bible, praying and singing songs. Sentences under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for Valeriya Raiman, Yekaterina Pegasheva, Nataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina have already entered into force. The conviction of Lyudmila Salikova has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T14:29:15+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_23e825b39dc77888.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_1a652ef1eb2788d2.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_a8a54f8202b3f114.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201429/image_hu_cd79b84f1d108371.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/201429.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","282.2-2","studies-violations"],"title":"A Court Convicted 70-Year-Old Ural-based Retiree Lyudmila Salikova to Serve a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2022, Svetlana Chebotareva, a judge of the Severskiy City Court of Tomsk Oblast, found 51-year-old Yevgeny Korotun guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 7 years in prison—the exact punishment the prosecutor requested.\nThe believer has been in the pre-trial detention center for 1.5 years already. One day in jail is equal to one and a half days in a penal colony, so if the court decision is not revised, Yevgeniy Korotun will be behind bars for more than 4.5 years.\nThe court also deprived the believer of the right to engage in educational activities in all types of educational institutions for five years, and imposed an additional restriction of liberty for one year: after serving his term, the believer during this time will not be allowed to attend and participate in mass, sports, and cultural events, change his place of residence and leave it at night.\nIn his final speech, Yevgeniy Korotun drew a parallel between first-century Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: \"On the whole, people have a positive view of first-century Christians. Their strong faith is cited as an example to others. They were persecuted, persecuted, accused of sectarianism, of betraying the faith of their fathers, of sowing confusion among the people, of urging them not to recognize the authority of Caesar . . . And the accusations against me are practically the same”.\nYevgeniy Korotun is a good citizen and family man. He worked honestly for many years, making furniture, decorative plastering, and working as a plumber. He retired in April 2020.\nKorotun faced persecution because of his faith in July 2020, when members of the Investigative Committee and the Tomsk Region FSB invaded his family's apartment. The security forces nearly broke down the door, and during a lengthy search, Yevgeniy's wife and their 9-year-old son were held on the landing.\nImmediately after the search, the man was arrested. He spent two days in the temporary detention center, after which he was placed under house arrest. After 54 days, the court decided to detain the believer in a pre-trial detention center, where he has been kept for over a year and a half. He had never been away from his wife for so long before his arrest, so the separation is hard for the couple. They also miss their son very much.\nYevgeniya, the wife of the believer, says: \"I communicate with my husband through letters, and we have a date once a month. One of the difficulties is that not all letters get through, but that's not often. There was a period when the judge wouldn't let us have a date. And it's very hard to get a date: people wait in line even at night. Once I stood there for five hours. Sometimes all the people who came to make an appointment were kept outside even when it was minus 20 degrees below zero”.\nThe case against Korotun was initiated on July 13, 2020, by an investigator for particularly important cases of the investigation department of the Investigative Committee of the Tomsk Region in Seversk, A. N. Vyshegorodtsev. The investigation lasted more than eight months. The accusation was based on the testimony of the officer of the Federal National Guard Troops Service Yelena Studenova and Kira Klisheva. These embedded law enforcement agents portrayed interest in the Bible and kept covert audio and video recordings of peaceful worship services and conversations with believers. On March 31, 2021, the case came before the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region. The trial lasted for about 10 months.\nThe verdict did not come into force and can be appealed. Yevgeniy Korotun insists on his complete innocence.\nOn January 20, 2022, Andrey Kolesnichenko, the husband of Yevgeniy Korotun's sister, was also convicted only because he believes in Jehovah God and sentenced to four years in a general regime colony for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses for the very fact of their religious beliefs and joint worship services was unreasonable. While leaving unchanged a 2017 decision to liquidate their legal entities, the Supreme Court nevertheless considered the right of believers to continue to believe according to their beliefs to be legitimate.\nOn 8 November 2021, a group of Russian religious scholars and human rights activists published an open statement in support of Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, they noted: \"The Supreme Court ruling should be implemented in judicial practice. The state must admit its mistake, and law enforcement agencies and courts must stop the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T14:16:49+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/201416/image_hu_a6aff22c82d2d877.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201416/image_hu_d634db66746b8594.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201416/image_hu_188fe342f5e6e367.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201416/image_hu_83e0c1743fa08665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/201416.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court Sentences Tomsk-Based Yevgeniy Korotun, the Father of a Young Child, to Seven Years in Prison for Believing in Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 19, 2022, the judge of the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region, Yalchin Badalov, found 51-year-old Andrey Kolesnichenko guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to real imprisonment for a period of four years. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe court also appointed Kolesnichenko an additional restriction of freedom for 1 year: after serving the term, the believer during this period will not be able to visit places of mass, sports, cultural and entertainment events and participate in them, change their place of residence and leave it at night.\n\"From the materials of the case and my testimony it is clear that I did not commit any crime. I peacefully and legally professed my faith in Jehovah God,\" Kolesnichenko said in an appeal to the court.\nIn July 2020, FSB officers detained this cabinet furniture maker right at his workplace, after which they searched his home. The case was opened in March 2021, 8 months after the search. The investigation was carried out for three months by the Investigation Department for Close Administrative-Territorial Unit Seversk, Investigative Committee of the RF Investigative Committee for the Tomsk Region.\nSix months after the initiation of the criminal case, Kolesnichenko retired. Due to the need to constantly visit the Investigative Committee, he could not devote proper time to work. Throughout the investigation and trial, the believer was under house arrest.\nKolesnichenko's accusation was based on data obtained during the surveillance of the believer and the testimony of prosecution witness Kira Klisheva. The woman pretended to be interested in the Bible for about a year, made videos of the services from her home computer and handed them over to the FSB. Based on her testimony, charges were brought against at least five other Jehovah's Witnesses in Seversk: Aleksey Yershov, Andrey Ledyaykin, Yelena Saveliyeva, Sergey Belousov, and Yevgeniy Korotun. The latter is the brother of Kolesnichenko's wife.\nOn June 22, 2021, the Kolesnichenko case was received by the Severskiy City Court of the Tomsk Region and was considered there for 7 months. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the native of Seversk to 5 years in a penal colony and 1 year of various restrictions. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nIn total, seven criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated in the Tomsk Region. Sergey Klimov, sentenced to 6 years in prison, has been serving his sentence since February 20, 2020. 80-year-old Yelena Saveliyeva received 4 years of probation. The court sentenced Aleksey Ershov to 3 years in a penal colony, and Yevgeniy Korotun—to seven years in prison. The cases of Andrey Ledyaykin and Sergey Belousov are still pending in court.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T13:55:13+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/201355/image_hu_151d7adb71585be8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/201355/image_hu_f26194fdd2706055.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/201355/image_hu_3135ed544d0d1077.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/201355/image_hu_7c5573d16ddc5360.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/201355.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"Tomsk Region-Based Andrey Kolesnichenko, One of Jehovah’s Witnesses, was Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Holding Bible-Based Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2022, the Kursk Regional Court denied Andrey Andreyev, Andrey Ryshkov, Aleksander Vospitanyuk, and Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan their appeals against a guilty verdict. It came into force, almost all the defendants received real prison terms for their faith.\nHowever, on the same day Andrey Ryshkov was released from the pre-trial detention center. He served his term in full while being in custody for almost 2 years.\nAndrey Ryshkov leaves the pre-trial detention center, having served his sentence in full. January 2022 On June 3, 2021, the Industrial District Court of Kursk found 5 Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism for their religion. Andrey Andreyev was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, Andrey Ryshkov — 3 years in prison, Alevtina Bagratyan — 2 years in prison. Alevtina's husband Artem Bagratyan was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison, but he served his term while still in jail, and was released in June 2021. The court sentenced Aleksandr Vospitanyuk to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The believers appealed against the guilty verdict. They still consider themselves innocent of extremism and can appeal the appeal decision to the cassation and international instances.\nMeanwhile, Andrey Andreyev continues to be held in the pre-trial detention center. He has spent more than 2 years behind bars. Alevtina Bagratyan is currently under house arrest.\nThe Federal Security Service of Russia for the Kursk region opened a criminal case against the Kursk believers in September 2019. About a month later, on October 16, groups of law enforcers raided them with searches and accused them of organizing and continuing the activities of a banned religious organization.\nDuring the trial, the defense drew the attention of the court to falsifications in the case file, and several witnesses retracted their earlier testimony, explaining that the investigation put pressure on them. Also, according to them, interrogation protocols contained information they never reported.\nThroughout the trial, the prosecution tried to prove their religious views as Jehovah's Witnesses, which they never concealed. The prosecution never explained what real crimes against the state and society were committed by the believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/211404/image_hu_8dd827e37817deef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/211404/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/211404/image_hu_1f2203a5bd97c64a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/211404/image_hu_48bd66790589b3ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/211404.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","families"],"title":"A Kursk Appeals Court Upheld the Sentence of Five Believers, Including a Woman. Andrey Ryshkov has Served his Sentence and was Released","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer stressed that the charges against him have never been proven, and that he is being tried only for his beliefs. He also reminded the court of the history of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR and the fact that later all these believers were rehabilitated.\n","date":"2022-01-19T13:33:09+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/161.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Korotun in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 19, 2022, Yalchin Badalov, Judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region, found 68-year-old Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Yershov guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony. He is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nAt the court hearing that preceded the sentencing, Aleksey Ershov stated that he had not committed anything extremist. Faith helped him keep his family together and lead a respectable life: “The facts … prove that Jehovah's Witnesses do not resort to violence, work conscientiously, pay taxes honestly, as a rule, have strong friendly families.”\nAleksey Ershov was brought up without a father in a large family. He worked as an engineer and teacher, held a position of a local deputy.\nIn the summer of 2020, a series of searches took place in Seversk, including at Aleksey’s home. A few months later, the local department of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him, accusing him of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, which was expressed in \"active participation in meetings\" where local believers peacefully discussed the Bible. Aleksey did not commit any real crimes.\nThe accusation is based on the testimony of Kira Klisheva, who collaborates with the FSB. When asked on what grounds she determined that Jehovah's Witnesses were extremists, Klisheva replied in court: \"Because they pronounce the name of God - Jehovah.\" Similar testimonies of this witness are the basis for accusations against 5 other believers from Seversk.\nThe guilty verdict of the Seversky City Court against Aleksey Ershov has not entered into force and can be appealed. In November 2021, the same court sentenced 80-year-old Yelena Savelyeva, a teacher with forty years of experience, to four years suspended, also for talking about the Bible. In total, since last years, 7 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have been initiated in the Tomsk Region.\nThe repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is carried out despite repeated assurances from the authorities that the religion is not banned.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-19T13:17:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_ad45a2327aeb3d32.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_69e7787f4496ea0a.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_5bbe285cd640adbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/191317/image_hu_76c0f32aa218366b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/191317.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"A Seversk Court Sentenced Aleksey Yershov, a Retiree, to Three Years in Prison for Participating in Christian Meetings","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the accused stated that the persecution of believers only for their religious beliefs was groundless. Drawing attention to the more than 100-year history of his confession, he noted: \"It is not surprising that nowhere in the world, except Russia, are Jehovah's Witnesses accused of extremism.\"\n","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/163.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Kolesnichenko in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Alexei Yershov, a former deputy, described how the Bible changed his life: \"I began to pay more attention to my wife and children ... I learned to manage my emotions. I became a more balanced and happy person.\"\n","date":"2022-01-18T16:09:56+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/160.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Ershov in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 18, 2022 the Kamchatka Regional Court, for the second time considering the case of spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova, found them not guilty of extremism. This is the second acquittal of Jehovah's Witnesses charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code since the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued an explanation.\n\"I would like to thank the panel of judges for the fair outcome of the case. Appeals hearings are now taking place all over Russia regarding the illegal convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses. We hope that the Kamchatka example will be effective for other judges, and they will take the courage to correct the mistakes made by their colleagues,\" commented Yaroslav Sivulsky, representative of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association, on the court decision.\nIn September 2020, the Yelizovsky District Court sentenced three local residents to 2 years of suspended sentence, considering that 75-year-old Zolotova and 44-year-old Bazhenovs participated in the activities of an extremist organization by discussing the Bible with fellow believers. The appeal left the verdict unchanged, but the believers appealed it in the cassation instance, which returned the case for a second appeal hearing. The acquittal verdict, issued by judges D. E. Urban, A. Y. Ivakin and O. F. Slobodchikov, came into force immediately.\nTwo months earlier the Ninth Cassation Court in Vladivostok, having cancelled the appellate decision of the lower court, recommended that the regional court take into consideration the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation from 28 October 2021, which stated that the worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and their joint rites and ceremonies do not by themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"victory","date":"2022-01-18T14:08:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_1b012c9c78b002c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_c49029d870991025.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_66ce638421990f94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/181408/image_hu_24785f441359b71b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/181408.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["2-appeal","acquittal","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"title":"A secondary appeal acquitted three believers accused of extremism in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The explanations of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation indicate the erroneous conclusions of the prosecution about my guilt in committing a crime, since the court was not presented with a single evidence that I committed any illegal actions,\" the believer said in court.\n","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/162.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Salikova in Snezhinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 17, 2022, the judge of the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Andrey Mynochka, found Maksim Beltikov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to two years in a penal colony. The believer was immediately taken into custody from the courtroom.\nThe Beltikovs have three underage sons, the youngest of whom was 3.5 years old at the time the criminal prosecution began. The believer also has an elderly mother. Due to prolonged stress, her chronic diseases worsened.\nBeltikov faced difficulties at the investigation stage. He, the breadwinner of the whole family, had trouble getting his salary from the bank because his accounts were blocked. The criminal prosecution also undermined his health.\nNevertheless, the believer noted: “During the criminal persecution, fellow believers invited us to lunch and dinner and tried to support us financially and morally. Also, about 15 people regularly came to the courthouse to support us despite the bad weather.” Shortly before the sentencing, he said: “I work at the same place. The employer even kept my salary on those days when I went to the investigator or to court hearings”.\nAddressing the court with the last word, Maksim Beltikov emphasized: “Of course, I would like to hope that the court will pass an acquittal, but if not, then my faith will not be shaken. I am convinced that a peaceful religion cannot be extremist and never will be. I love all people regardless of their social status and faith.”\nMaksim Beltikov came to the attention of the special services at the end of April 2020, when the FSB, together with the Cossacks, raided Jehovah's Witnesses from two villages. Two months later, on June 23, 2020, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. It was initiated by the investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory M. Loy. It took the police about six months to complete the investigation. It was submitted to the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory in January 2021.\nThe charges were based on audio recordings of conversations about the Bible between Beltikov and the secret agent Ilchenko (who is also a key witness for the prosecution in the case of Lyudmila Shchekoldina, which is being heard in the same court). During the hearings, it turned out that the negative remarks about adherents of other religions, which were attributed to Beltikov, actually belong to Ilchenko. He was twice forced to admit this during interrogations in court.\nIn addition, the phonoscopic examination, which was carried out as part of the investigation, was carried out in bad faith. During interrogation in court, the religious scholar and psychologist admitted that they did it on the basis of not an audio recording, but a transcript provided by them, which was distorted. Despite the obvious violations, the court repeatedly denied the defense the appointment of a repeated comprehensive phonoscopic examination.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 3 years in prison in a penal colony. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Beltikov insists on his complete innocence.\nOn October 28, 2021, shortly before the sentencing of Maksim Beltikov, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities. During the meeting of the Plenum, the judge-rapporteur Yelena Peisikova separately noted that new clarifications appeared in pursuance of the instructions of the President of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-17T16:24:16+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/171624/image_hu_d7eea271fd807197.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/171624/image_hu_d46fd2e029ca2b01.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/171624/image_hu_c8035547bbfbff18.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/171624/image_hu_a1ed2e72f6d34147.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/171624.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors","liberty-deprivation","sentence","rosfinmonitoring","final-statement","secret-witness","282.2-2"],"title":"Court Sentenced Maksim Beltikov, a Father of a Large Family from the Village of Pavlovskaya, to a Two-Year Prison Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 16, 2022, at least 4 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Gorno-Altaysk. Against the 45-year-old Aleksandr Kalistratov, a criminal case was reopened under an extremist article. The Altai Republic has become the 71st region of Russia where citizens are subjected to repression only because of their faith.\nKalistratov first encountered religious discrimination in 2000. The believer decided to exercise his right to alternative civilian service, but a criminal case was opened against him for refusing to take up arms. Aleksandr was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center for 21 days. However, in May 2000, the Gorno-Altai City Court acquitted Kalistratov, not seeing corpus delicti in his actions and recognized his right to rehabilitation.\nIn 2010, for his beliefs, Aleksandr again found himself in the dock: this time on charges of extremism. Within a year and a half, his case was considered twice. As a result, the first conviction in the history of modern Russia was passed against a Jehovah's Witness under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In the end, the believer managed to defend his honest name: the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic found Aleksandr innocent. As a result, Kalistratov was re-acquitted with the right to rehabilitation.\nThe high-profile case of Kalistratov was the reason for holding a press conference held on November 11, 2010 at the Independent Press Center in Moscow. Russian and foreign human rights activists condemned the criminal prosecution of Kalistratov\nCommenting on his acquittal in 2011, the believer said: “I am pleased that in the end justice was served. I really hope that my life will return to normal and that I can safely practice my faith as a Jehovah's Witness.”\nDespite the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, the appeals of human rights activists and the world community, repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue. Aleksandr Kalistratov, like hundreds of other believers, faces a long prison term just because he did not give up his peaceful beliefs and continued to believe in Jehovah God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2022-01-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/180918/image_hu_e77ffc801f9c57d0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/180918/image_hu_7d391184f23cea15.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/180918/image_hu_38b2abd62d369253.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/180918/image_hu_b62ffc1b43e32b0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/180918.html","regions":["altai"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"Series of Searches Took Place in the Altai Republic. A Criminal Case was Initiated Against a Believer Whom the Court Previously Acquitted on Two Occasions","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 14, 2022, a panel of judges of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Olga Epifanova, upheld the sentence for residents of Pavlov, Aleksey Oreshkov, Alexander Rakovsky and Alexander Vavilov - 3 years suspended.\nBelievers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation and international instances.\nThe cases of Oreshkov, Vavilov and Rakovsky, along with several other cases in the region, were the result of mass searches that took place in July 2019 in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo. The Pavlovsk City Court found three believers guilty of extremism, although there were no victims in the case, and the trial itself was held with violations. The line of accusation was based only on evidence that the three men belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, one of the interrogated FSB officers admitted that this religion is not officially banned. No one presented evidence of real crimes in court. Witnesses involved in the court of first instance claimed that their testimony had been falsified.\nAlexey Oreshkov and Alexander Vavilov spent 7 and 8 months in pre-trial detention, respectively. Later, they were chosen a measure of restraint not related to imprisonment.\nDue to unjustified criminal prosecution, Alexander Vavilov lost his job and the opportunity to visit his children and granddaughters, Alexey Oreshkov for a long time could not take care of his mother, a disabled person of group I. Due to his criminal record, Alexander Rakovsky, the father of two young children, faces dismissal.\nHuman rights activists unanimously condemn the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-14T17:00:52+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_8188568c79b10761.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_7f373544aca057a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_7f3ac8ce03d7bbcd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/141700/image_hu_2054d367e14b7223.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/141700.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","work-restrictions","282.2-2"],"title":"The Appeal Filed in Nizhny Novgorod Left Unchanged Suspended Sentences for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 13, 2022, the Sevastopol City Court upheld the sentence to Igor Shmidt—6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God. Considering the time spent in a pre-trial detention center and under house arrest, he will have to spend about five more years in the penal colony.\nThe persecution of Schmidt began with a series of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol in October 2020. The criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) was initiated a few days earlier. After a long search, Schmidt was arrested and spent about six months behind bars, after which he was transferred to house arrest. After the verdict was pronounced, the believer was again taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he awaited an appeal decision.\nDuring the proceedings in the court of first instance, it turned out that the accusation against the believer was based on the testimony of the FSB agent Korkushko. He gave deliberately false testimony, which coincided word for word with the testimony of another FSB officer, Dmitriyenko. After Korkushko's speech, Igor Schmidt commented that he was used by the FSB for \"illegal and shameful persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol.\"\nIt is noteworthy that this man also testified in court in the case of Viktor Stashevskiy, a resident of Sevastopol, who was previously sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for his faith in Jehovah God. In Sevastopol, a case is being heard against three more Jehovah's Witnesses from this city—Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov and Vladimir Sakada. They were searched simultaneously with Igor Schmidt.\nIn October 2021, the judge of the Gagarinskiy District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Lyudmila Tumaykina, found businessman Igor Shmidt guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to a real prison term. The verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nThe illegality of the criminal prosecution of individual believers in Russia was recently confirmed by the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, having ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities. Igor Schmidt himself stated the same at the court of first instance: \"All the materials in the case prove exclusively my belonging to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been banned in Russia by any court.\"\nOn December 7, 2021, members of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation HRC Valeriy Fadeyev and Andrey Babushkin asked V. V. Putin “to draw the attention of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Director of the Federal Security Service, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court RF on this issue and instruct them to urgently and carefully check the expediency of keeping 56 people from among the Church of Jehovah's Witnesses in custody, for whom no court sentences have yet been passed, to study the previous sentences for their cancellation. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-14T13:20:44+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/141320/image_hu_8ed673a7c2f3f3f7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/141320/image_hu_9aa2f0adaa1cb880.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/141320/image_hu_5a4cc6b9c0cf06a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/141320/image_hu_d74535637b0a62dc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/141320.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Sevastopol Appeals Court Upheld Sentence for 49-Year Old Igor Shmidt, One of Jehovah's Witnesses: Six Years in a Penal Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 12, 2022, the panel of judges of the Kostroma Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yuliya Shumilova, rejected Dmitriy Terebilov's appeal. The verdict of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma entered into force.\nAt the same time, the court decided to send for a new consideration to the Sverdlovsk District Court in a differently constituted bench the question of material evidence (in the verdict, the court did not specify which physical evidence was to be returned and which to be destroyed). The appeal court left the main part of the verdict unchanged—the believer will have to serve a sentence of 3 years in a strict regime colony.\nIn court, Terebilov emphacized that he considers the sentence to be illegal: “I am using my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God. And this is not a crime. Therefore, the recognition of me guilty only for my religious beliefs testifies to discrimination and violation of the law.\" The believer also noted: \"I am being persecuted and punished only for being a Christian who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by law.\"\nThe strict regime of serving the sentence is due to the fact that Dmitriy Terebilov in the past, before becoming Jehovah's Witness, had a criminal record. While behind bars, he decided to read the Bible for the first time. The knowledge in this book influenced him positively. The changes in the prisoner impressed the administration of the correctional institution so much that they petitioned for his early release. Dmitriy left his former lifestyle and became a Christian, but in September 2021 he was again thrown behind bars—now because of his faith. Dmitriy Terebilov has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nIn Kostroma, young spouses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman were also prosecuted for their faith, who were sentenced to 3 and 2 years' suspended imprisonment, respectively.\nThe Court of Appeal in Kostroma upheld the verdict of the believer, despite the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, which indicated that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2022/01/130920/image_hu_bb8538aa9c7211db.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2022/01/130920/image_hu_38c9a501d489e702.jpg","webp":"/news/2022/01/130920/image_hu_6367641c45ebbdc0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2022/01/130920/image_hu_39d585ff4bcfa67f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2022/01/130920.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"Kostroma Appeals Court Upholds Dmitriy Terebilov's Sentence — Three Years in a Maximum Security Penal Colony for his Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Maksim Beltikov, a father of three minor children, said: \"For the manifestation of my faith, and not for extremism, I am being tried. I didn't have anything extremist and couldn't have been.\"\n","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/159.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maxim Beltikov in the village of Pavlovskaya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 30, 2021, residents of Berezovsky, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk, were released, having completely served the sentence imposed by the court in a correctional colony in Novosibirsk. For the long-awaited meeting with them, relatives, friends and relatives traveled more than 300 kilometers.\nAt the exit from the colony, the believers were greeted with applause by about 30 people, including the wife of Sergey Britvin, Natalya, and the eldest son of Vadim Levchuk. His wife Tatyana and his youngest son were unable to come to Novosibirsk due to illness.\nIn September 2020, the Berezovskiy City Court of the Kemerovo Region sentenced two believers to 4 years in prison for talking to others about the Bible. The court was not embarrassed by any falsifications in the case, or false testimony of witnesses, or the absence of corpus delicti and victims. The appellate instance upheld the verdict.\nDue to the long stay of the believers in the pre-trial detention center, during the investigation, they had to spend about 10 months in the colony during the investigation. De facto, they spent 250 days under house arrest, 700 days in a pre-trial detention center and another 297 days (9 months, 3 weeks and 1 day) in correctional colony No. 3 in Novosibirsk.\nIn prisons, Vadim Levchuk was placed in a punishment cell and under strict conditions of detention on trumped-up charges. Sergey Britvin faced other difficulties. He is a disabled person of the II group and cannot lift more than 2 kilograms, therefore, many everyday tasks are beyond his strength. Prisoners helped Sergey solve everyday problems: for example, they washed his clothes and heated water for him.\nAs the believers themselves said, letters from all over the world were a special source of support for them in the colony. Prisoners were surprised that even those with whom they did not personally know wrote to believers. Vadim Levchuk recalls: \"When 88 letters were brought to me for the first time, I leaned over the window in the cell door to thank the operative. She also leaned over and said: \"Let me at least look at you, otherwise everyone in the letters is interested in how you feel.\"\n“While in prison, Vadim gratefully recalled the smiles of his loyal friends, their support during the court hearings, how they inspired him with applause,” says Tatyana, Vadim's wife.\nIn addition to Levchuk and Britvin, 11 other Jehovah's Witnesses from the Kemerovo region were prosecuted on the basis of religious discrimination, three of them were sentenced to suspended sentences.\nDuring 2021, several anti-records were registered in Russia – in the number of sentences to Jehovah's Witnesses, in their cruelty, as well as in the number of believers in colonies and pre-trial detention centers. However, the end of the year was marked by the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in defense of believers and the first acquittal.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-12-30T14:52:21+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/301452/image_hu_30742fe55148d2bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/301452/image_hu_6f86857e86927cc4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/301452/image_hu_3364bd47a0c2e15b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/301452/image_hu_b6ec1fbb4024c853.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/301452.html","regions":["kemerovo","novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","disability","letters"],"title":"Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin Released After Concluding their Prison Sentences for a Conviction on Practicing their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 30, 2021, the judge of the Nikolsk District Court of the Penza Region, Irina Kuznetsova, sentenced Petr Krupnov and his wife, Maya, to 3 years probation and 8 months of freedom restrictions. The judge considered the discussion of the biblical commandments as participation in the activities of a banned organization.\n“I have not done anything illegal either before the people, or before the state, or before God!” Maya declared, speaking with her last word in court a few days before the verdict. “To be Jehovah's Witness is not a crime, but a great honor! All over the world, in more than 200 countries, Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their religious beliefs based on the Bible.”\nPetr also did not admit guilt and stressed that he adheres to teachings based on love for people, and this is incompatible with the ideas of extremism.\nNevertheless, the court passed a guilty verdict, appointing a suspended sentence and obliging the family to pay 42 thousand rubles of legal costs. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nMaya Krupnova has gone through many shocks in her life. Her first husband was killed, her fellow villagers poisoned their livestock, and their house was nearly burned down. In 2020, Maya's middle daughter died.\nThe case against the Krupnovs, as well as 60-year-old Yuriy Kim, was initiated on October 7, 2020. It was led by Igor Saulin, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Penza Region. The main defendant was Kim, he was accused of organizing extremist activities. The decision to initiate the case stated that Yuriy \"in an unidentified manner involved Maya Krupnova to participate in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The investigation considered it a crime for the woman to discuss religious issues in the company of friends, for example, how the Bible helps to keep calm in stressful situations.\n19 days after the initiation of the case, Yuriy was summoned 120 km from his home to familiarize himself with the collected materials. Upon arrival, the believer was paralyzed, the ambulance did not manage to save him, and on October 30, 2020, he passed away.\nAfter a year of investigation, on October 6, 2021, the case was taken to court. The file contains audio recordings of Maya's conversations with a girl, an FSB agent, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. In court, she could not remember exactly when the meetings of the believers took place and what was discussed at them. In December 2021, it turned out that the prosecutor did not provide any evidence of the \"criminal actions\" of Petr Krupnov.\nDuring interrogations, many witnesses retracted their testimonies, claiming that they had not said anything like that. Among the witnesses were neighbors who described Maya positively as a hospitable woman. They also noted that the Krupnovs' spouses helped them with the housework.\nAnother Nikolsk resident, Viktor Shayapov, is being prosecuted on the basis of similar charges of extremism. Also, six residents of the regional center - Penza - received suspended sentences from 2 to 4 years.\nOn December 8, 2021, a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Andrey Babushkin, sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, despite the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court. “By inertia, the investigating authorities and courts continue to sanction searches, arrest believers and pass convictions on them,” the human rights activist expresses concern.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_b74590b1d0a2e38b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_89bd48d306220c74.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_cdb3bf0fbdd7e649.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/310839/image_hu_81a8d5f0a5282e01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/310839.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Nikolsk Court Hands a Three-Year Suspended Sentence to the Krupnovs for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer stressed that his life principles have nothing to do with extremism.\n","date":"2021-12-28T15:35:30+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/157.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Pyotr Krupnov in Nikolsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the defendant said that faith in God is not forbidden. Referring to the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 28.10.2021, she explained that her actions did not contain signs of extremism.\n","date":"2021-12-28T15:28:32+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/156.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maya Krupnova in Nikolsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 24, 2021, the judge of the Uray City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra, Ilnur Gilmanov, found 41-year-old Andrey Sazonov guilty of organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to a fine of 500 thousand Russian rubles (about 6800 US dollars).\nThe verdict to Andrey Sazonov has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a penalty of 1.5 million rubles on the believer. The court reduced the requested amount by three times.\nA criminal case against Andrey Sazonov was initiated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra on January 31, 2019. On February 6, 2019, searches were carried out in Uray in 8 homes of citizens whom the authorities considered Jehovah's Witnesses. The security forces detained Andrey Sazonov, interrogated him and sent him to a temporary detention center.\nThe believer recalls: “When I realized that after being interrogated by the investigator I would not return home, of course, I was very worried. The unknown was frightening. The most difficult, probably, was to understand that now you will find yourself in separation from loved ones. The realization that there is nothing you can do to help them ... Yes, and before that we had never parted with my wife for more than two days.” Sazonov temporarily lost the opportunity to provide for his family and take care of the needs of his wife Viktoriya and two minor children. The believer was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, and all his accounts were blocked.\nDuring the 20 days that Sazonov spent in custody, he was transported three times from one place of detention to another. The journeys took several days. He said: “I was taken to a compartment called a ‘glass.’ There is enough space in it to just sit down. Your knees, shoulders, and back press against walls from all sides. It's difficult even to move. I was being transported in this position for about 6 hours. It was very cold that day, about 40 degrees below zero. I remember when we arrived at the Khanty-Mansiysk temporary detention facility, I already had a strong inner tremor because I could not get warm.” The “glass” does not exceed 50 by 80 cm in size and, in essence, is a metal cabinet with a door that has either one hole or many small ones — for negotiations and air intake.\nAfter 20 days of imprisonment, the court placed Andrey Sazonov under house arrest, under which he spent about 7 months with a bracelet on his leg.\nThe investigation of the criminal case lasted more than a year, after which on April 30, 2020, the case was transferred to the court. The charge was based on audio and video recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which were made by one of the witnesses at the request of the police. These records, as well as prosecution witnesses, did not confirm the facts of extremist actions or statements on Sazonov's part. The experts also pointed to the absence of extremism in the case materials sent for examination.\nSazonov holds a responsible position of the first deputy general director at the utility enterprise “Urayteploenergia.” He was awarded with diplomas from the city administration, as well as from the management of the enterprise, where he has been working for many years. Employees at work described Sazonov in court as a conscientious, kind and non-conflict person, a responsible employee and a good supervisor who is always ready to help.\nIn the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, the court is also considering a case against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut and one person mistakenly considered by the investigation as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Some of the believers reported that they were tortured during interrogations.\nOn December 8, 2021, Andrey Babushkin, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Noting the importance of the clarifications given on October 28, 2021 by the Plenum of the Supreme Court on the constitutional right of believers to continue to practice their religion, the human rights activist expressed regret over the actions of the judicial system. Babushkin notes: “The investigative authorities and courts by inertia continue to sanction searches and arrests of believers and pass convictions on them ... At the same time, people are being tried for what, according to the position of the RF Supreme Court, is not a crime.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-24T15:44:33+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/241544/image_hu_4f97d78b2c0a5919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/241544/image_hu_3b1e459696e3b68d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/241544/image_hu_a4d0c9dc357dd871.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/241544/image_hu_45df364373cfe863.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/241544.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","fine"],"title":"First Sentence in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area: Father of Two, Andrey Sazonov, Convicted for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 23, 2021, Nikolay Surmach, a judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, found 48-year-old Aleksandr Nikolayev guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months in a general regime colony.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and will be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case and all that is imputed to Nikolayev is one attendance at a divine service with reading from the book Genesis about the birth of sons and a daughter for Jacob, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence on the believer in the form of imprisonment for 3 years in a general regime colony, 3 years of ban on activities for the organization of religious associations, and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nAleksandr Nikolayev has many children. He and his wife Evgeniya have three adult sons and two adopted daughters of school age. In April 2021, a search was carried out in the house of Aleksandr Nikolayev and his family. The FSB personnel, accompanied by riot police, seized books, electronic devices, children's drawings, and a postcard with a Bible scripture.\nThe believer learnt that on March 31, 2021, the Investigative Department for the Abinsk District opened a criminal case against him under an extremist article. Nikolayev was interrogated at the Investigative Committee and released on recognizance agreement. Almost six months later, on September 30, 2021, Aleksandr was again summoned for interrogation, but instead he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center by a court decision.\nOn July 16, 2021, the case was transferred to the Abinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. During the trial, the defense side discovered a falsification of the indictment, as well as forgery of some case materials.\nSince April 2020, the Abinsk District Court has brought convictions to eight Jehovah's Witnesses, including two women, Anna Yermak and Olga Ponomareva. All of them were sentenced to real prison terms, four are already serving their sentences. The maximum term: 7 and a half years in prison, was passed to 64-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin, who is Aleksandr Nikolayev's father-in-law.\n“It is paradoxical that after the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which sorted out the issue and decided to stop the persecution of ordinary believers simply for their religious beliefs, a district court continues to stamp guilty verdicts, ignoring the binding nature of the decision of the Plenum,” Yaroslav Sivulskiy, representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the verdict. “Two women received absurd prison sentences: 5 and 4.5 years. We hope that these unfair sentences will be overturned on appeal.”\nVladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, considers it a mistake to believe that repression will force Jehovah's Witnesses to renounce their religious beliefs. The human rights activist notes: “A true believer will never be silent, he will always talk about his views. Therefore, in this sense, Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be silenced. As they conducted divine services before, so they will conduct them in the future. Their entire history testifies to this. They are the only ones among all religious denominations that did not support the Third Reich. They were the first to be persecuted by the Nazis in the 1930s in Germany. Similar persecutions [of Jehovah's Witnesses] took place in the Soviet Union under Stalin.”\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/241338/image_hu_451fc4b253c87950.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/241338/image_hu_ebca557fc473cac1.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/241338/image_hu_60598642f6515301.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/241338/image_hu_1909f88079066675.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/241338.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-2","minors"],"title":"First Prison Term After the Plenum Ruling: One of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Aleksandr Nikolayev, Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court with his last word, the believer expressed his attitude to the accusation of extremism: \"It sounds to me like a monstrous injustice, like a cruel game of people in power who are called upon by law to take care of my well-being and safety, among other things.\"\n","date":"2021-12-21T16:29:18+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/158.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Sukhov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the early morning hours of October 4, 2021, dozens of law enforcement officers raided the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Siberian city of Irkutsk. Some of the raids were accompanied by beatings and abuse.\nTatiana Kalina: \"At 6:15 a.m., they broke our window and kicked it in. My husband thought that we were being visited by thieves. He went to the window, but was immediately thrown against the glass, on the floor. His legs, elbows, and hands were all cut and bleeding.\nMerinov Nikolay: \"My wife and I woke up to continuous ringing of the doorbell. I only remember how I opened the door, and then I remember already lying on the floor. I felt that my tooth was chipped off.\"\nMerinova Liliya: \"And I hear how they started beating him.\"\nMerinov Nikolay: \"My wife was screaming as she cried that they didn't use force on me.\"\nMoish Ilyana: \"They broke into the apartment through the window. Started yelling at me that: \"Lie down with your face on the floor.\" In response, she said: \"What is this? I have a small child! Why are you breaking in like that?\" The child was very frightened. \"\nIn some cases security officers used torture to make believers incriminate themselves or give out personal information. In the house of the Razdobarovs family, the security officers stripped the head of the family Anatoly naked and ordered him to lie on the floor.\nAnatoly Razdobarov: \"And when I tried to raise my head up, they hit me in the face and said: Don't look at us. They kicked me somewhere in the kidney area and on the head. Then masked officers came and started to lift me up by my arms. My hands were tied like this, and they started to lift me up, even lifting me off the ground. It was just terribly painful. One of them sat on my legs, and the other one tried to abuse me with a bottle. Then they left, and for a while I was just left lying naked on the floor. The doors were open and it was very cold. \"\nAfter the searches, seven Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to the detention center: Sergey Kostoev, Nikolai Martynov, Yaroslav Kalin, Mikhail Moish, Aleksey Solnechny, Sergey Vasilyev and Andrey Tolmachev. The next day a court of law was held, which chose a measure of restraint for the believers. About 300 people came to the courthouse to support their friends.\nKalina Tatiana (wife of pretrial detainee Yaroslav Kalin): \"I am very grateful to my brothers and sisters who stood outside the court for 12 hours with their children in the cold and supported their brothers who were in court.\"\nValentina Martynova (daughter-in-law of Nikolay Martynov, who is in pre-trial detention): \"It was in general. Immediately it was felt that we were in a brotherhood, we were not alone\".\nKalina Tatiana: \"The words that the brothers and sisters spoke, you could see that they came from the depths of our souls, that they were just breathing with you.\"\nAs a result, six of the believers were taken to the pre-trial detention center. The brutal search in Irkutsk was a test of faith for local Jehovah's Witnesses. However, they firmly believe that these events united them and strengthened their faith.\nEvgeny Martynov (son of Nikolai Martynov, who is in pre-trial detention): \"When I read about this happening in other cities, I often wondered how I would behave in this situation. Well, this happened, and I realized that Jehovah really supported me.\"\nMerinova Liliya: \"I understood that angels were here with us, because the way we held on throughout this search, I understood that it was only with Jehovah.\"\nValentina Martynova: \"I had complete peace of mind, complete peace of mind when the search was going on.\".\nYevgeny Martynov: \"I felt it for myself, and I can be sure to the end that any other brother and sister who serves Jehovah today and does it sincerely, with all his heart, whatever trials may be in his life, he can cope with them, unequivocally.\"\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-12-21T15:23:30+02:00","duration":"4:00","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/211523/image_hu_de577a2141d501a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/211523/image_hu_4f45792f3ce96bf6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/211523/image_hu_dca35ab51de4dc61.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/211523/image_hu_a705c93699c87f35.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/211523.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs"],"title":"The Brutal Attack by the Law Enforcers Did Not Break the Believers in Irkutsk","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 15, 2021, in Samara, security forces searched 10 homes of local residents believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses and interrogated 16 people. Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Palasenko and Nikolay Vasilyev were detained, and on December 16, the Samara District Court arrested them for 2 months.\nIn some cases, having burst into a dwelling, law enforcement officers behaved rudely and used violence. A 23-year-old believer said that in response to his refusal to provide the password for his laptop, the security forces began putting a heated kettle on his hands and pouring hot water on his arms, legs and neck until witnesses came. The man was forced to lie on the floor for several hours. In addition, he was forced to sign the protocol, using brute physical force against him. The believer was threatened with long prison terms, physical violence and further torture. The search lasted about 7 hours, then he was taken to the FSB department for questioning. The believer was treated with respect there.\nUpdate. At 6:20 am, the security forces broke down the door of the apartment where IT specialist Nikolay Vasiliyev and two of his fellow believers live. According to the believer, there were at least 8 people who broke into the house together with the FSB investigator. One of the security officers - in uniform and mask - took out a pistol and, pointing it at the residents, ordered them to lie down on the floor. When the believer complied with the order, the law enforcement officer hit him hard on the inside of the thigh with a boot, so that he left a hematoma on Nikolay\u0026rsquo;s body. He was handcuffed, forced to his knees and, by turning on the video, ordered to read aloud the search warrant. Then the believer received several blows to the head. During the beating, he fell and hit his forehead on the edge of the table, after which he was photographed. In another case, the search took place early in the morning. At 6:20 riot policemen came to the communal apartment where the spouses — Jehovah's Witnesses live. FSB captain Sergey Smolin conducted a search as part of a criminal case against Palasenko, Kuzyanin and Vasilyev, which was initiated the day before. The spouses were ordered to put their phones on a table in the center of the room, recorded all incoming calls and were asked to answer them. The investigator showed the spouses screenshots taken during the video conferences, and also convinced them that law enforcement officers read the correspondence of believers in the Viber messenger in real time. The search of the house and car of the couple lasted 7 hours, after which they were taken to the FSB department, where they were interrogated separately from each other.\nOne of the searches took place in a family with a small child who was treated to candy by police officers.\nThe Samara Region has become the 70th region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses (according to the Constitution, there are 85 subjects in Russia in total).\nDespite the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, law enforcement officers continue to prosecute civilians for practicing their religion, ignoring the fact that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not constitute a crime in themselves.\n","category":"crime","date":"2021-12-21T15:02:25+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_a40cecf496601106.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_59b3c42f7ba1668c.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_3fcbebbe31916c7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_ec97b38ee75f388c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/211502.html","regions":["samara"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","sizo","interrogation","torture"],"title":"A Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Samara. Three Were Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center, One Reported Torture During a Search","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2021, the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Krasnoyarsk, Svetlana Patsalyuk, found the father of many children Vitaliy Sukhov guilty of organizing the activities of the extremist community and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 6 years in prison.\nIn his last word in court, Sukhov emphasized: “I want to assure the court of my innocence before the law, before people and before God ... I never had a desire to harm people, neither by action nor by inaction. I love my country, our city, and everyone who comes in contact with me knows this. The fact that I now stand before the court proves that I am ready to make sacrifices for the welfare and interests of the citizens of my homeland. I can’t help but tell others what I know and what can benefit them. ”\nOn May 8, 2020, the senior investigator of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Khakassia, Lieutenant P. Filishkan opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Vitaliy Sukhov, father of eight children. Two weeks later, the security forces searched his apartment. On that day, the believer learned that he was suspected of \"organizing religious performances and services.\" Later, the court seized Sukhov's car, depriving him of the right to use his property. This measure was taken in order to recover it from the cost of the car in the event of a penalty in the form of a fine. Investigator Filishkan investigated the case for about 11 months. On March 25, 2021, the case was submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk.\nThe criminal case involved the testimony of a secret witness \"Kuzmin,\" who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017-18. In court, he argued that these were allegedly meetings of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Krasnoyarsk.\" However, he said that he had not read the charter of this organization and did not know who was a member of it.\nTwo other witnesses for the prosecution said that they had no complaints against Sukhov, he did not agitate them to join any organization, and that Jehovah's Witnesses were not considered extremists.\nA religious examination carried out in this criminal case confirmed that “participation in meetings and training events”, “preaching work, which consists in the purposeful dissemination of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses,” as well as “observance of theocratic order” are “forms of expression of faith.”\nAt one of the court sessions, Vitaliy Sukhov drew attention to the fact that the investigator did not indicate the essence of the charge, the place and time of the crime, its methods, motives, goals, consequences and other circumstances. In this connection, he concluded: “Since these provisions have not been observed, the prosecution does not meet the requirements of Art. 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, therefore, the criminal case must be returned to the prosecutor.\" However, the court did not satisfy this request.\nIn the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 18 Jehovah's Witnesses are already accused of crimes against society and the state, although they did not commit anything illegal. Three of them have already been convicted for their faith.\nAccording to the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 32, when considering a criminal case on a crime provided for in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the court must take into account that religious associations “consisting exclusively in the exercise of their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint the confession of religion, the performance of divine services or other religious rites and ceremonies, in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_7b6b22b30889e394.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_6dc3fbdf91acccf5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_ce8e642fd5ed49fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/241448/image_hu_ab2ab262662e2bf4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/241448.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, Father of 8 Children, Vitaliy Sukhov, Given 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Andrey Sazonov said that his principle in life is to defeat evil with good. He said: \"I'm not ashamed of my life, I'm not ashamed to look people in the eye. I'm here for good deeds. And as we know, good always triumphs over evil.\"\n","date":"2021-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/155.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Sazonov in Urai","type":"docs"},{"body":"Updated January 7, 2022. All data updated as of December 31, 2021.\nDuring 2021, several anti-records were achieved - in terms of the number of court decisions, the severity of the sentences, as well as in the number of believers being held in correctional labor colonies and pre-trial detention centers. However, the end of the year was marked by the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in defense of believers and a first acquittal.\nHow many people were repressed for their faith in 2021? As of December 31, 2021, 597 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted, convicted, or acquitted. Of these, 142 learned about the criminal prosecution in 2021. (In 2019, this figure was 213, and in 2020 - 146.) The total number of criminal cases reached 277 (most often 2 or more defendants in one criminal case).\nWhat is the geographic scope of religious repression as of the end of 2021? Criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already been initiated in 70 regions of Russia (according to the Constitution, there are 85 subjects in Russia in total). In 2021, cases were initiated in 10 new regions of Russia - in Tuva, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Tula regions, in Adygea, in the Altai Territory, Kurgan, Irkutsk and, finally, Samara regions. (In 2019, criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses was initiated in 21 new regions of Russia, and in 2020 in 8 new regions.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2021, and how many have gone into effect? As of December 31, 2021, 170 men and women were convicted for their faith in the past 4 years. During 2021, 111 people were found guilty under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced by the courts of first instance to various punishments. (In 2019, this figure was 18, and in 2020 - 39.) Of these, 46 people are still awaiting the decision of the appeal. With regard to 85 believers, appeals were held during 2021 and the sentences entered into force. (In 2019, this figure was 10, and in 2020 - 23.) In some cases, the punishment was mitigated or toughened, but most often it remained unchanged. In 2021, there was 1 acquittal of a believer who was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; The acquittal has not yet entered into force.\nWhat sentences were handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in 2021? During 2021, the courts slightly updated the anti-records for the severity of the punishment imposed on believers. Until the end of 2020, the most severe sentences were given to 5 men with a sentence of 6 years in prison in a general regime colony. However, in 2021, the brutality of state prosecutors and judges broke through the bottom again and again: 6 years and 3 months, 6 years and 5 months, 6.5 years, 7.5 years and, finally, 8 years in a general regime colony. Moreover, 4 believers have already been sentenced to 8-year terms in the colony, and in 2 of them their wives are subjected to similar criminal prosecution. For example, Olga Ivanova from Astrakhan went to a colony for 3.5 years, while her husband was sentenced to 8 years in a colony. If we talk about women, the record of cruelty was updated in February, when the sentence was passed on 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, who suffered a stroke during the investigation. She was sentenced to 2 years in a penal colony. Attempts at appeal and cassation were unsuccessful, and she remains in the penal colony.\nIn total, during 2021, 32 believers were sentenced to real imprisonment, 68 believers were sentenced to suspended imprisonment and 10 to fines. In one case, no punishment was imposed in connection with the death of a believer. At least two believers, who now reside outside of Russia, are known to have been sentenced in absentia to prison.\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have gone through temporary detention facilities, pre-trial detention centers or colonies, and how many are still being held there. By February 26, 2021, the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who are simultaneously in Russian colonies and pre-trial detention exceeded 50 for the first time. As of December 31, 2021, 76 people remain behind bars. (A year ago, this figure was 44 people; in December 2019, exactly the same number was in jail - 44 people.)\nDuring 2021, a measure of restraint in the form of detention (SIZO) was chosen against 54 believers, including 6 women, and another 28 people spent several days in a temporary holding facility, but a measure of restraint that was not related to isolation from society was chosen for them. Thus, 82 believers were imprisoned within a year. (In 2019, this figure was 84 people, and in 2020 - 72.) During 2021, six Jehovah's Witnesses from Saratov and Kemerovo were released from prison after serving their sentences in full, and one was released two months early.\nA total of 315 believers have been or remain behind bars since May 2017.\nHow many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the decision to liquidate the registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses came into force, a total of 1660 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 382 searches were conducted in 82 settlements of Russia in 2021. (In 2019, the number of searches was 489 in 75 settlements, and in 2020 - 447 in 81 settlements.) The largest special operations against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2021 were carried out in Moscow and Chekhov (16 searches per day), Kovrov (12), Syktyvkar (13), Tula (17), Yaroslavl (13), Barnaul and its environs (27), Irkutsk and Pivovarikha (13), and Taganrog (14). A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name. After searches in Irkutsk, several believers reported that they had been tortured.\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2021:\n01/09/2021 Mednogorsk (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 3 searches carried out. 01/21/2021 Votkinsk (Udmurt Republic): 7 searches were conducted. 01/25/2021 Opochka (Pskov Region): 1 search was conducted. 01/28/2021 Kyzyl (Republic of Tuva): 3 searches carried out. 01/29/2021 Sibay (Republic of Bashkortostan): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2021 Chekhov (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2021 Moscow (Moscow): 15 searches carried out. 02/11/2021 Razdolnoye (Republic of Crimea): 2 searches were conducted. 02/14/2021 Belovo (Kemerovo Region): 6 searches carried out. 02/17/2021 Kovrov (Vladimir Region): 12 searches carried out. 03/02/2021 Syktyvkar (Komi Republic): 13 searches carried out. 03/04/2021 Belogorsk (Amur Region): 6 searches were conducted. 03/11/2021 Yalta (Republic of Crimea): 9 searches were conducted. 03/17/2021 Voronezh (Voronezh Region): 2 searches carried out. 03/20/2021 Taganrog (Rostov Region): 1 search was conducted. 03/22/2021 Voronezh (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 03/25/2021 Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory): 2 searches were conducted. 03/30/2021 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 03/30/2021 Abakan (Republic of Khakassia): 3 searches carried out. 04/02/2021 Taiga (Kemerovo Region): 3 searches were conducted. 04/ 06/2021 Maykop (Republic of Adygea): 1 search was conducted. 04/07/2021 Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 7 searches were conducted. 04/13/2021 Tula (Tula Region): 17 searches carried out. 04/13/2021 Yaroslavl (Yaroslavl Region): 13 searches carried out. 04/13/2021 Kireevsk (Tula Region): 3 searches carried out. 04/14/2021 Izhevsk (Udmurt Republic): 3 searches carried out. 04/15/2021 Voronezh (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 04/16/2021 Maykop (Republic of Adygea): 5 searches carried out. 04/16/2021 Voronezh (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 04/19/2021 Taiga (Kemerovo Region): 1 search was conducted. 05/02/2021 Kaltan (Kemerovo Region): 4 searches were conducted. 05/18/2021 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted. 05/27/2021 Barnaul (Altai Territory): 17 searches carried out. 05/27/2021 Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory): 7 searches carried out. 05/27/2021 Lugovoye (Altai Territory): 1 search was conducted. 05/27/2021 Troitskoye (Altai Territory): 1 search was conducted. 05/27/2021 Shahi (Altai Territory): 1 search was conducted. 06/01/2021 Lipetsk (Lipetsk Region): 2 searches were conducted. 06/02/2021 Astrakhan (Astrakhan region): 1 search was conducted. 06/05/2021 Solnechny (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 06.06.2021 Solnechny (Khabarovsk Territory): 2 searches carried out. 06/08/2021 Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region): 3 searches were conducted. 06/08/2021 Vladikavkaz (Republic of North Ossetia): 1 search was conducted. 06/09/2021 Moscow (Moscow): 1 search was conducted. 06/10/2021 Uvarovka (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted. 06/11/2021 Asha (Chelyabinsk Region): 4 searches were conducted. 06/11/2021 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 06/11/2021 Minyar (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted. 06/23/2021 Alatyr (Chuvash Republic): 2 searches carried out. 07/06/2021 Konakovo (Tver Region): 3 searches were conducted. 07/06/2021 Ivanovo (Ivanovo Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/08/2021 Kovrov (Vladimir Region): 2 searches were conducted. 07/13/2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 1 search was conducted. 07/14/2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 5 searches carried out. 07/14/2021 Shadrinsk (Kurgan Region): 8 searches were conducted. 07/16/2021 Maisky (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic): 3 searches carried out. 07/18/2021 Abdulino (Orenburg Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/20/2021 Kodinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 5 searches carried out. 07/21/2021 Murmansk (Murmansk region): 1 search was conducted. 07/21 /2021 Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk Region): 5 searches carried out. 07/21/2021 Polyarny (Murmansk Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/21/2021 Olenegorsk (Murmansk Region): 2 searches carried out. 07/22/2021 Apatity (Murmansk region): 4 searches carried out. 07/27/2021 Kodinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 07/30/2021 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 08/05/2021 Armyansk (Republic of Crimea): 7 searches were conducted. 08/06/2021 Tolyatti (Samara Region): 1 search was conducted. 08/16/2021 Yevpatoria (Republic of Crimea): 1 search was conducted. 08/18/2021 Sochi (Krasnodar Territory): 3 searches carried out. 08/25/2021 Moscow (Moscow): 7 searches were conducted. 08/29/2021 Alatyr (Chuvash Republic): 1 search was conducted. 09/02/2021 Maisky (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic): 3 searches carried out. 09/02/2021 Kanash (Chuvash Republic): 2 searches were conducted. 09/06/2021 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09/10/2021 Kirovsky (Primorye Territory): 2 searches carried out. 09/10/2021 Pavlo-Fedorovka (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09/10/2021 Gornye Klyuchi (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09/21/2021 Tambov (Tambov Region): 2 searches carried out. 10/04/2021 Irkutsk (Irkutsk Region): 12 searches were conducted. 04.10.2021 Pivovarikha (Irkutsk region): 1 search was conducted. 10/05/2021 Shadrinsk (Kurgan Region): 6 searches were conducted. 10/06/2021 Tambov (Tambov Region): 2 searches were conducted. 06.10.2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 3 searches carried out. 10/20/2021 Moscow (Moscow): 8 searches were conducted. 10/20/2021 Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory): 3 searches carried out. 10/22/2021 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 2 searches carried out. 10/27/2021 Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted. 10/29/2021 Taganrog (Rostov Region): 1 search was conducted. 01.11.2021 Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09.11.2021 Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan region): 1 search was conducted. 09.11.2021 Znamensk (Volgograd Region): 1 search was conducted. 11/10/2021 Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo Region): 2 searches carried out. 11/23/2021 Mednogorsk (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 4 searches were conducted. 11/23/2021 Stavropol (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted. 11/23/2021 Kineshma (Ivanovo Region): 5 searches were conducted. 11/24/2021 Kopeysk (Chelyabinsk Region): 4 searches were conducted. 11/25/2021 Lesosibirsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 5 searches carried out. 11/26/2021 Zheleznovodsk (Stavropol Territory): 6 searches carried out. 11/26/2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 1 search was conducted. 11/30/2021 Askiz (Republic of Khakassia): 1 search was conducted. 11/30/2021 Mezhdurechensk (Kemerovo Region): 1 search was conducted. 11/30/2021 Makushino (Kurgan Region): 1 search was conducted. 02.12.2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 1 search was conducted. 07.12.2021 Taganrog (Rostov Region): 14 searches carried out. 12/15/2021 Samara (Samara Region): 14 searches were conducted. 12/15/2021 Kurgan (Kurgan region): 1 search was conducted. 12/23/2021 Stavropol (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted. What steps did the Russian authorities take in 2021 to stop the illegal criminal prosecution? On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling stating that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation amended paragraph 20 of Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of June 28, 2011 \"On Judicial Practice in Cases of Crimes of an Extremist Nature\". During the meeting of the Plenum, the judge-rapporteur noted that new clarifications appeared in pursuance of the instructions of the President of Russia and that these clarifications were repeatedly discussed at meetings of the expanded working group with the participation of the FSB. \"The clarification will make it possible to unify the existing practice of applying Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code and avoid cases of unjustified criminal prosecution of persons solely in connection with the external manifestation of their attitude to religion.\"\nThe above-mentioned acquittal was handed down just after the issuance of this decision of the Plenum. However, the resolution could not immediately stop the repressive inertia: after the decree was issued, more than 50 searches were conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, new criminal cases were initiated against 18 believers, a preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center was chosen or extended against 34 believers, 13 believers were convicted and a sentence of 300,000 rubles was imposed on a fine up to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. In the case of 13 believers, the appellate courts upheld convictions, including those involving actual imprisonment, such as in the case of father and son Avanesov, who were sentenced to 6 and 6.5 years in prison.\nEarlier condemnations of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia included:\nCommissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation,\nHuman Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation,\nPresident of the Russian Federation,\nprominent public figures of Russia,\nEuropean Union External Action Service,\nobservers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,\nThe UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention,\nOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-12-17T15:00:50+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161640/image_hu_aea85b2b96b6f7cb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161640/image_hu_9477c2bbfa91c6c9.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161640/image_hu_128cecb774e2ed32.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161640/image_hu_4ea0bed8c504d105.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161640.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Under the Yoke of Repression. Year 2021 Results","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, Judge of the Cherkesskiy City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Din-Islam Chotchaev, found 57-year-old Yelena Menchikova guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 5 years of probation suspended sentence with the payment of all legal costs only for talking about the Bible.\nIn her last speech, the believer said: “My position in life is based on biblical principles, on high moral standards, where there is no place for extremism, violence or hostility. . . . In fact, I am accused of believing in God, that I remain Jehovah's Witness, that I remain loyal to my God. I am accused of communicating on religious topics with other people, more precisely, with my friends. The prosecution mistakenly calls the usual religious activities of a believer a crime.”\nYelena Menchikova is an architect by profession. For about 30 years she has been a disabled person of the II group. Because of the criminal prosecution, her chronic diseases have worsened and new ones have appeared.\nOn December 16, 2019, in Cherkessk, the local FSB department conducted 10 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses, including Menchikova. Almost a year later, on November 12, 2020, she was searched again. As the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic V. A. Drakin told the believer, on November 3, 2020, he initiated a criminal case against her for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Four months later, in March 2021, he attracted Menchikova under another article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — the believer was charged with the involvement of a local woman in a banned organization. The Menchikova case was separated into a proceeding from the Albert Batchaev case. On December 6, 2021, he was sentenced to 6 years of suspended sentence.\nThe investigation of Menchikova's case lasted about six months. In the apartment where she lived with her daughter, wiretapping and other technical devices were installed. On April 30, 2021, the case was sent to court. According to the defendant, the case involved an informant who collaborated with law enforcement agencies, gave deliberately false testimony and even presented false material evidence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 5 years in prison on the believer.\nThe court found Yelena Menchikova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T15:59:30+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_a2e575895744c665.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_75723c5b55e3ae07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_32307590de466585.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161559/image_hu_ac2e95607a1f69ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161559.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","disability","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"The Court in Cherkessk Sentenced Yelena Menchikova, a Disabled Person of the II Group, to Five Years of Suspended Sentence for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the judge of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Khakimov found Ilham Karimov, Aydar Yulmetyev, Konstantin Matrashov and Vladimir Myakushin guilty of extremism only because of their faith in Jehovah God and gave them suspended sentence.\nThe court sentenced 34-year-old Myakushin to 3 years and 1 month of suspended sentence, 33-year-old Matrashov and 40-year-old Karimov — to 2.5 years of suspended sentence, and 28-year-old Yulmetyev — to 2 years and 9 months of suspended sentence. All believers are also assigned a probationary period of 2 years. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. All four of them insist on their complete innocence.\nAddressing the court with the last word, Ilham Karimov said: “The accusations against me of extremist motives are not only unfounded, invented, not based on facts, but also blasphemous, offending my religious feelings, as well as contrary to common sense and violating my right to honest name\". Konstantin Matrashov noted: \"I have no shame because I didn’t do something bad.\" Aydar Yulmetyev emphasized: \"I am not guilty of what I am accused of, in these terrible crimes.\" Vladimir Myakushin explained to the court: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are absolutely peaceful people, and I try to do the same.\"\nThere is not a single victim in the case. However, the prosecutor requested 7 to 8 years in prison for them.\nAll four are law-abiding, peaceful citizens. Matrashov graduated from the University of Management and worked as a mechanic at a factory, financially supporting his mother. Karimov at various times worked as a glassblower, carpenter, assembler, electrician. Myakushin is a leading engineer at a plant for the production of electrical equipment for cars. Yulmetyev grew up in a family of builders and took over professional skills from them, he also studied as an auto mechanic and worked in both specialties.\nOn the evening of May 27, 2018, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB came to the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Naberezhnye Chelny and conducted searches until late at night. The security forces seized electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports from believers, among whom were elderly women and a child. Karimov, Myakushin and Matrashov were arrested. Two days after the raids, Yulmetyev was also detained. Later, they were charged with organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Tatarstan has been investigating the case for about 2.5 years. In November 2019, hearings were to begin in the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, but the court returned the case to the prosecutor's office, pointing out significant violations of the law committed at the investigation stage, as well as unfounded accusations by the investigator and the prosecutor. Nevertheless, a year later, the court began to consider the case, which lasted almost a year.\nSince the moment of detention, each of those arrested spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, then from 2 to 3 months under house arrest, and since the end of April 2019 they have been under recognizance agreement. Believers were also included in the Federal List of Extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. Because of this, men could neither fully take care of their relatives, nor get a job, or even insure a car.\nBelievers said that it was especially difficult to endure separation from loved ones. For a long time they were not allowed to meet and talk on the phone. Detention centre officials pressured and warned that if they did not stop sharing their faith with other prisoners, this could further aggravate their situation.\nIn the Republic of Tatarstan, due to the actions of the authorities, 7 more Jehovah's Witnesses suffered. Konstantin Sannikov has been in custody for about a year and a half, and all this time he has been denied visits with his wife.\nOn December 8, 2021, member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights Andrey Babushkin sent an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the ongoing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Noting the importance of the clarifications undertaken on October 28, 2021 by the Plenum of the Supreme Court on the constitutional right of believers to continue to practice their religion, the human rights activist expressed regret over the actions of the judicial system. Babushkin writes: \"By inertia, the investigating authorities and courts continue to authorize searches, arrest believers and pass convictions on them . . . At the same time, people are being tried for what, according to the position of the RF Supreme Court, is not a crime.\"\nOn behalf of the members of the Council under the President of Russia for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, the human rights activist asks Vladimir Putin “to draw the attention of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Director of the Federal Security Service, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to an explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on this issue and give them an order urgently and carefully check the expediency of keeping dozens of arrested Jehovah's Witnesses in custody awaiting trial, as well as “examining previously passed sentences with a view to overturning them.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T15:33:17+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_92a5af391ae51afa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_9b8d11c0481c4fd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_74ff2c9ac62dc112.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161533/image_hu_ea2221b8033a92b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161533.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"First Sentence for Faith in Tatarstan: Court Gave From 2.5 to 3 Years of Suspended Sentence to Four Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan, chaired by judge Marina Khomechko, upheld the verdict for discussing the Bible to 35-year-old believer Anatoliy Vilitkevich, who was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAnatoliy works in a sphere of construction — he is engaged in finishing work. A week before the appeal, he and his wife Alena had a son, Arseniy. Now Anatoliy is the only breadwinner in the family. Due to criminal prosecution and frequent court hearings, he is unable to find a permanent job and is forced to do odd jobs.\nVilitkevich was detained on April 10, 2018, when eight searches were carried out in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Ufa and nearby villages. He was prosecuted as a defendant in a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It turned out that in October 2017, hidden video surveillance was installed in the apartment of the Vilitkevich family. Anatoliy spent almost 2.5 months in a pre-trial detention center, 8 months under house arrest and 2 years and 10 months under recognizance agreement.\nDuring the court hearings, it turned out that the protocols of the interrogations of one of the witnesses contradicted his testimony in court, which may indicate fabrication of materials. During the trial, prosecution witnesses repeatedly confused the defendant with his lawyer.\nOn September 27, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court, Oksana Ilalova, sentenced the believer to 2 years of probation with a probation period of 3 years and restraint of liberty for 6 months. The verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T14:47:56+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_38a5eaf458b23475.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_8947ab60b0053dce.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_1fc60949b0b38eaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/161447/image_hu_5089e504a325b085.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/161447.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Ufa Upholds the Verdict for Faith to Anatoliy Vilitkevich — Two Years of Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Jewish Autonomous Region Court upheld the sentence to 28-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya: 2.5 years of suspended sentence. By its decision, the panel of judges chaired by Yelena Pyshkina equated communication of fellow believers with each other with “participation in extremist activities.”\nThe verdict entered into force. Lokhvitskaya still insists on her innocence. She has the right to file a cassation appeal and apply to international authorities.\nSpeaking with her last word in the appeal court, the believer drew the court's attention to the fact that the criminal case against her was filled with falsifications and inconsistencies. Thus, the prosecution witnesses, interrogated in the courtroom, were not eyewitnesses of the events imputed to her. In addition, the case of Lokhvitskaya, like other believers from Birobidzhan, is based on the testimony of police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who attended meetings of believers even before the 2017 Supreme Court decision, when they could not be equated with extremism. Zvereva also confirmed before the court that she had not heard any calls to extremism from the defendant.\nAddressing the panel of judges, Anna asked the question: “What law abolished the constitutional right of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess their faith in the circle of fellow believers? There is no such law ... The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. And religious meetings are one of the forms of expression of faith.”\nFor 1 year and 10 months, Anna was under recognizance agreement. Due to the criminal prosecution, she is deprived of the opportunity to care for her mother. She says: “The status of a criminal and the sentence passed completely limits my ability to help my mother manage household chores, especially in winter. For example, recently she had to hire people to help her around the house and chop wood, although my husband and I used to come to help with this. I am experiencing tremendous suffering from the fact that, having the strength and desire to help my loved one, I am limited in the ability to do so.”\nIn May 2021, the prosecutor declared before the Birobidzhan District Court that “the correction of Anna Aleksandrovna Lokhvitskaya is impossible without isolation from society,” and requested 4 years in prison for her. On July 20, 2021, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh found Anna guilty, but issued a lighter sentence: 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, 2 years of probation, and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The Court of Appeal upheld this judgment in full. Anna's spouse Artur and his mother Irina were previously sentenced to the same terms under a similar article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe case of Anna Lokhvitskaya is one of 19 criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Thirteen believers have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years.\nAs in many similar sentences against Jehovah's Witnesses, the court did not indicate which specific actions or words were illegal and constituted a crime. According to a recent clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated October 21, 2021, such a practice is unacceptable. In this regard, Anna Lokhvitskaya asked a rhetorical question: “If the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not restrict me as a Jehovah's Witness in how to practice my faith, then why did the district court of our city allow itself to do this?”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_e0457df9f7eea0f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_b64eb4827f21c335.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_3f72c2a25a86ea89.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/171429/image_hu_7bbf67b11e9e2d81.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/171429.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Another Appeal in Birobidzhan Dismissed. Verdict to Anna Lokhvitskaya Entered into Force","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region considered Tatyana Sholner's appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court. The panel of judges chaired by Svetlana Ketova approved the verdict.\nAccording to the defendant, the prosecution focused on proving the existence of some kind of organization among believers and their belonging to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses instead of specifying specific facts of criminal activity. Tatyana emphasized: \"All the actions imputed to me are fully consistent with the constitutional norm: 'everyone is guaranteed... the right to profess... together with others... religion.\" And my actions were legitimate. I did not disseminate extremist materials, did not call for violence, aggression, discord, hatred, enmity.\"\nTatyana Sholner is one of 23 victims of religious repression in the Jewish Autonomous Region, which began in 2018 with Operation “Judgment Day”, accompanied by massive searches in the homes of civilians. By profession, a 28-year-old believer is a sewing technician. Her friends and family do not understand why they are persecuting this peaceful girl.\nThe criminal case against Scholner, like many similar cases in Birobidzhan, was based on the testimony of police officer Yuliya Zvereva. According to the believer, Zvereva reported false information at the trial. Although Scholner became Jehovah's Witness only in 2017 and met Zvereva for the first time in the courtroom, she stated that she had known Tatyana since 2015. At the same time, Zvereva could not say anything about the services considered in the court, since she was not present at them.\nOn June 25, 2021, Judge Yuliya Tsykina found Tatyana Sholner guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to 2 years and 6 months of conditional imprisonment. The verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nIn total, there are 19 similar criminal cases against believers in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 17 of them have already been convicted.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_538b509ff2f66ba0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_27752b80ed5ee897.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_a3ef4867168048f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/171046/image_hu_a8433f9b1c18c675.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/171046.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan Upholds the Sentence of Tatyana Sholner: 2.5 Years of Suspended Sentence for Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the 57-year-old believer declared her innocence: \"I am sure that I have not committed any offenses against God and people. The prosecution mistakenly calls the usual religious activities of a believer a crime.\"\n","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/150.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Menchikova in Cherkessk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"History shows that when people are persecuted for their faith, and then later rehabilitated, sometimes even posthumously, it makes no sense. People suffered at one time, and perhaps even suffered some kind of bullying,\" Aidar Yulmetyev said in court.\n","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/153.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Aidar Yulmetyev in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The accusations of extremist motives against me are not only unfounded, but also... contrary to common sense,\" Ilham Karimov said in court.\n","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/151.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ilham Karimov in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Death, disease, old age, injustice, war - all this will remain in the past. I believe in this future, I don't believe in any extremism,\" Konstantin Matrashov said in court.\n","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/152.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Konstantin Matrashov in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer said: \"Every time I hear these accusations, the same thought lights up in my head all the time, like a light bulb - so this is not about us.\"\n","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/154.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Myakushin in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"docs"},{"body":"Early in the morning of December 7, 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the port city of Taganrog. Detained Aleksandr Skvortsov is subjected to criminal prosecution for his faith again: he was convicted in the high-profile “Case of 16”.\nA group of 8 law enforcement officers came to 59-year-old Aleksandr Skvortsov. When the believer opened the gate, two masked security forces threw him to the pavement. The search lasted 2.5 hours, after which Skvortsov's country house was searched. The believer was arrested. Soon the court decided to place him to a detention center.\nIn addition to Aleksandr Skvortsov, three other men who were previously convicted for their faith in the \"Case of 16\" were among the victims. In total, investigative actions were carried out at 14 addresses, where more than 30 people live, whom the investigation considers to be Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 15 of them were interrogated at the FSB, the Internal Affairs Directorate, the 1st and 2nd police stations in Taganrog. Among the victims was a disabled woman of group III. One of the believers had a hypertensive crisis due to stress. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, postcards and photographs from citizens. Several people were taken in for questioning.\nDuring the searches, the security forces behaved differently: in some cases, they damaged property, smoked and used foul language. In others, they behaved politely, tactfully, neatly putting things in their place.\nTo spouses living with an elderly mother, armed security forces broke into the yard, breaking the gate. With shouts of \"everyone on the floor!\" they twisted the hands of the head of the family and knocked him down. Falling, the man hit his head. The riot policeman put the muzzle of a machine gun to the believer and sat on his back. The search for 5 hours was carried out by 11 people. According to the victims, the security forces “turned everything upside down, tore off the wallpaper and broke the furniture.” The believers were kept barefoot in a house with an open door and an attic. They were threatened with arrest and \"hard labor in Siberia.\" Because of what was happening, a 70-year-old woman felt bad and the security forces called an ambulance for her. Although the head of the family had recently undergone heart surgery, he was not allowed to take medicine for a long time. After the search, the man was taken under escort for interrogation to the FSB building, kneeling on the floor of the car. According to the believer, the investigator exerted psychological pressure on him, citing convictions against Jehovah's Witnesses in Rostov-on-Don.\nUpdate. On May 18, 2022, 45-year-old Valeriy Tibiy, who was subjected to a search in December 2021, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Shortly before this, the believer found his name on the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. It is expected that on May 19 the court will choose a measure of restraint for him. After the search, another married couple was taken for interrogation to the police station, where they were kept in the basement for some time. The couple recall that the security forces, among other things, threatened to \"leave them in this basement where no one would find them\" if they did not admit that they were Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogation lasted a total of 2 hours.\nIn the FSB building, the interrogations were conducted by Major Roman Nesterenko, who had previously communicated with local believers, pretending to be interested in the Bible, and kept secret recordings of conversations on spiritual topics. He asked believers about Aleksandr Skvortsov. During interrogations, the victims used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nDescribing the experience, one of the believers shared: “It is very unpleasant and humiliating that we, law-abiding citizens, have been made criminals and break into our homes without dawn. Then it’s scary to live in your own house.” Despite everything, believers try to remain calm and positive.\nReligious repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog have been going on for more than 10 years. In March 2021, Aleksandr Skvortsov already had a search, after which he discovered a tracking device.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/081555.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Taganrog. Believers Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2021, Rustam Ataev, judge of the Cherkessk City Court of Karachay-Cherkessia, found Albert Batchaev guilty of extremism - organizing \"the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God\" and sentenced him to 6 years suspended.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. He emphasized: \"These services are an expression of faith in God and the fulfillment of God's standards described in the Bible, which does not contradict the laws of Russia.\" In his last word, Albert Batchaev said: “I am not an extremist, I do not even understand what the respected prosecution wants to say by this! I am clean, and my conscience is clear before the law, society and the state, because I have not committed the crime of which I am accused, and I never wanted and do not want to harm people, the order established by law and the constitutional order of Russia. \"\nOn December 16, 2019, the local FSB department conducted 12 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, Albert Batchaev was detained. The investigation of his case, initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 (organization of the activities of a banned organization), was carried out by an FSB investigator, Major of Justice, M. Sapronov. In total, Albert spent 5 days in a detention facility, 3 months in a pre-trial detention center, 15 months under house arrest. In June 2021, the defendant had a daughter. Five days before that, the measure of restraint was changed from house arrest to recognizance not to leave. He was able to work and take care of his wife and 87-year-old father.\nThere are no victims in the case of Albert Batchaev; during the trial, prosecution witnesses were unable to report which actions or words of the believer were extremist. Also, according to the defense of the believer, inadmissible materials were attached to the case, in particular, a religious examination, which was issued by a specialist without special education. The examination was based on the books by A. L. Dvorkin and A. N. Syrovatkin, known for their openly negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite the shaky position of the prosecution, on December 3, the prosecutor asked the court to imprison the believer in a colony for 6 years and restrict his freedom for 2 years.\nDue to the stress of the criminal prosecution, Batchaev's chronic diseases worsened, and heart problems began.\nThe Cherkessk city court is hearing a case against another Jehovah's Witness, 67-year-old Elena Menchikova\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-06T15:51:51+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_83db3c4498aa49f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_316ae659f3012ed0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_ff6e20238465556b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/061551/image_hu_eaec249b7cca817c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/061551.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court in Cherkessk Sentenced Albert Batchaev to 6 Years Suspended for His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on December 9, 2021.\nOn December 6, 2021, the judge of the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, instead of announcing the verdict to 61-year-old Jehovah's Witness Alexander Kabanov, left the deliberation room and decided to return to the stage of the judicial investigation, at which the case materials are examined and witnesses are heard. The next hearing is scheduled for December 24, 2021. Earlier information that the case had been returned to the prosecutor was not true.\nIn his last word before the court on December 1, Aleksandr Kabanov noted: “The laws of the Russian Federation are on my side. For example, there is Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. It says: \"Everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or in groups, any religion or not to profess any religion, freely choose to have and spread religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\" If I, as a citizen of the Russian Federation, have this right, I am under the protection of the highest law of the state, can I, without breaking the law, be called a criminal? \"\nAleksandr worked for 12 years in a boiler room, now he works as a street cleaner. The case against him was opened by the Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Zelenogorsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia on December 26, 2019. On the same day, the security forces detained the believer right at work, brought him home to conduct a search, and then placed him in a temporary detention center. The grounds for the arrest were the \"obvious traces of a crime\" discovered during the search. At the same time, it was not specified which items indicated the guilt of Kabanov in the commission of a \"grave crime.\"\nThe next day, despite the investigator's petition to place the believer in custody, the court decided not to choose any measure of restraint for Aleksandr.\nThe materials of the case, led by investigator Oleg Kolosov, are full of contradictions. Thus, the prosecution referred to the testimony of a secret witness. During interrogation, he admitted that he had not heard that the defendant incited religious discord, spoke negatively about non-Jehovah's Witnesses, encouraged the severing of family ties, and in any other way harmed society or the state.\nIn addition to Aleksandr Kabanov, the authorities in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are persecuting another 15 Jehovah's Witnesses simply because they profess an \"unwanted\" religion. Two of them - Andrey Stupnikov and Dmitriy Maslov - have already been sentenced: 6 years in prison and a fine of 450,000 rubles, respectively.\nThe Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights drew attention to the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses: “The decision [of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 – editorial comment] does not contain any conclusions about the prohibition of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as such. \" According to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/070923/image_hu_244e41c581f51b47.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/070923/image_hu_58003422ab3c3d01.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/070923/image_hu_5f01edccc91617b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/070923/image_hu_b713151166b98df6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/070923.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","first-instance"],"title":"Instead of a Verdict, Court Decided to Continue Hearings in the Case of the Believer Aleksandr Kabanov from Zelenogorsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2021 the Rostov Regional Court examined the appeal of 69-year-old Vilen Avanessov and his son, Arsen, as well as 54-year-old Aleksandr Parkov. They are all residents of Rostov-on-Don. The panel of judges headed by Gennadiy Peschanov left the sentence of the first instance unchanged: Parkov and Arsen Avanesov were sentenced to 6.5 years of real imprisonment and Vilen Avanesov - to 6.\nThe verdict came into force. The men insist on their complete innocence. They have the right to appeal the decision in cassation and international instances.\nIn July 2021, the prosecutor requested 7 to 7.5 years in a general regime penal colony for the believers. Vladimir Khudaverdyan, a judge of the Leninskiy District Court, found the law-abiding citizens to be extremists, but slightly commuted the sentence. The believers have de-jure served more than half of their sentence, as they were in the pre-trial detention center for 2.5 years while the investigation and the trial were going on.\nIn the late 1980s, the Avanessovs were forced to flee to Russia because of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. However, there they suffered repressions because of their faith.\nArsen is worried about his retired parents who have poor state of health. In addition, his mother was left alone without proper support. The investigating authorities did not allow her to see either her husband or her son for more than a year. Aleksandr Parkov had immune system problems. His wife Galina, who in January 2021, was also found guilty under the \"extremist\" article, is very worried about her husband's health: \"The conditions in the detention center are not good, he often had stomach aches.\"\nOn May 22, 2019, officials of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted mass searches in the homes of Rostov residents suspected of practicing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. On the same day, a criminal case was opened against Parkov, as well as father and son Avanesov for their religious beliefs alone. Immediately after the searches, the men were taken into pre-trial detention.\nThe charges against the believers were based on numerous falsifications. For example, at one hearing the court questioned a secret witness who had been instructed by the FSB to provoke Jehovah's Witnesses to criticize various denominations and the state. Two other witnesses claimed that their testimony was distorted. According to one of them, during the interrogation a whole paragraph of someone else's statements was attributed to her.\nThe believers repeatedly drew the court's attention to the fact that the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not extremist activities, but a peaceful manifestation of faith. They also emphasized the peacefulness of their beliefs. \"In their relations both with the authorities and with other people, Jehovah's Witnesses try to be correct, not to respond to rudeness, but to take the example of the first Christians and Jesus Christ,\" said Arsen Avanesov at one of the court hearings.\nEarlier, convictions of six other Jehovah's Witnesses were confirmed in Rostov-on-Don because of their belief in God. They all received two to four years of suspended sentences.\nThe Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on 28 October, 2021, brought attention to the inadmissibility of prosecuting Jehovah's Witnesses for their participation in peaceful meetings. According to its ruling, worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and their joint rites and ceremonies do not by themselves constitute a crime under the Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code, despite the liquidation and prohibition of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_8dd9f3abf4d10f5b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_daa4bcae0d7e2798.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_41dc7de5f54533a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/071458/image_hu_4bb656357f5e3180.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/071458.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","families","elderly","fabrications","secret-witness"],"title":"Rostov Regional Court Approved Six to Six and Half Years in Prison for Three of Jehovah's Witnesses. They Have Already Served Half of Their Sentence in Pre-Trial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer said that he had never hated people, and studying the Bible helped him love them even more. Through his faith in God, he was able to break bad habits and improve his family life. Batchaev was able to read out his appeal to the court only partially, as the judge interrupted his speech.\n","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/149.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Albert Batchaev in Cherkessk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 2, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, composed of the presiding judge I. P. Zhurova, as well as judges A. V. Sizova and V. G. Shabanov, upheld the sentence of Anastasia Guzeva — 2.5 years suspended for reading the Bible and talking on religious topics.\nThe believer still insists on her innocence and has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nTurning to the appellate panel with the last word, Anastasiya Guzeva noted that in a similar case, a court in Vladivostok had acquitted Dmitriy Barmakin.\nOn August 19, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced peaceful believer Anastasiya Guzeva to 2.5 years of suspended sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The court considered that participation in peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and conversations on biblical topics are a continuation of the activities of the banned organization. The believer appealed against the verdict.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, Anastasiya, together with her husband Konstantin, who was also convicted on the basis of similar charges, worked at a music school. Upon learning of the Supreme Court's decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, the manager, a former police officer, summoned the Guzevs to his office and said: \"You are extremists, and extremists have no place in a children's institution.\" So Anastasiya, together with her husband, faced religious discrimination and lost the opportunity to earn a living. For 1 year and 9 months, the believer has been under recognizance agreement.\nRussian human rights experts condemn the application of the extremism law to Jehovah's Witnesses. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation in his report back in 2013 noted: “The problem of imperfection of the so-called “anti-extremist” legislation remains urgent. The vague formulation of the basic concept of “extremism” in itself becomes even more blurred when the definition of “religious” is added to it. Even religious scholars cannot yet decide what exactly is considered “religious extremism”. ”\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint performance of rites and ceremonies, in themselves do not constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-02T15:50:31+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_9ecc9c4849726a04.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_c9f83a036e0cfb66.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_7e33f009af92ca72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/021550/image_hu_33d4ddd69963067.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/021550.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Appeal Court in Birobidzhan Upholds the Verdict for Faith of Anastasiya Guzeva","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 2, 2021, the Kirov Regional Court dismissed the appeal of three Jehovah's Witnesses against the conviction for their faith.\nThe verdict entered into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn July 19, 2021, the Leninskiy District Court of Kirov sentenced 30-year-old Andrey Shchepin to a fine of 500,000 rubles, 60-year-old Alexandr Shamov — 420,000 rubles, and 72-year-old Yevgeniy Udintsev — 200,000 rubles for “organizing the activities of an extremist organization”. The judge considered it a crime that the believers participated in the discussion of religious issues at meetings of local Jehovah's Witnesses, including by video link.\nAll three believers have close-knit families. Andrey Shchepin is a civil engineer, together with his wife they took care of her mother, a disabled person of group I, who died before the verdict was pronounced. Yevgeniy Udintsev, also a former civil engineer, is now retired and has poor health. The believer takes care of his wife, a disabled person of the II group, who is limited in movement. Alexandr Shamov is a pensioner with a disability, suffered a heart attack and heart surgery, and is now undergoing a rehabilitation course.\nThe case was attended by a secret witness and an FSB agent “Plastin”, who, feigning an interest in the Bible, kept a secret record of meetings of believers.\nA total of 11 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Kirov region were prosecuted for their faith. One of them — Yuriy Geraskov — died while under investigation.\nThe world community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Heiner Bielefeldt, professor at the University of Erlangen — Nuremberg. In his interview, he said the following: “Everyone agrees that it is important to fight extremist tendencies, but the concept of 'extremism' remains completely blurred, which creates a kind of access for the authorities, a loophole, an excuse to do what they want. And Jehovah's Witnesses are the perfect scapegoat. \"\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/12/030829/image_hu_35ddb13b945b659d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/12/030829/image_hu_74e0c8db194c7abe.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/12/030829/image_hu_edf934b6fc61303a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/12/030829/image_hu_278620bd9d51540c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/030829.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"Appeal Upholds the Verdict of Three of Jehovah's Witnesses From Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kabanov, addressing the court, said: \"I look at what is happening to us in Russia today, I read the words that Jesus spoke to his disciples, and this only strengthens my faith. It turns out that I am on the right track. His disciples were also imprisoned for the work of preaching.\"\n","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/148.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, the Eighth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation canceled the appeal ruling against 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev and returned the case to the stage of appeal consideration in a different composition of the court. The believer's defense hopes for his acquittal.\nBack in December 2020, the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk sentenced Yuriy Savelyev to 6 years in prison. The believer appealed against the verdict in the Novosibirsk Regional Court. The appeal upheld the the term of imprisonment, but changed the additional punishment, which imposed restrictions on Savelyev's activities after serving the term. In response, the deputy prosecutor of the Novosibirsk region, M.I. Askerov, filed a cassation appeal, demanding that Savelyev be deprived of the \"right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in public and religious organizations.\" This submission was satisfied by the cassation panel of judges consisting of E.V. Starchikova, E.V. Volkova and O.V. Plastinina.\nSince the sentence to Savelyev is now considered not to have entered into force, Yuriy cannot apply for a mitigation of punishment or ask for parole. The believer has been behind bars for over 3 years.\nThe appellate instance in the new composition may issue an acquittal in the Savelyev case in connection with the new version of the ruling of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of June 28, 2011, which states that joint services in themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which the security forces use to organize the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. These amendments have already been applied in the criminal case of Dmitriy Barmakin from the Primorsky Territory, and he was fully acquitted.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-11-30T13:20:51+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_43112c5e0f0af180.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_4409e0cdb9a05865.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_391f7dabe9e8d120.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/301320/image_hu_207eb3b159a6116f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/301320.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","2-appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Cassation Court Returned to the Appeal Stage the Case of Yuriy Savelyev, Who Is Serving a Sentence in a Colony for His Faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2021, in Lesosibirsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), searches were carried out in the homes of 6 believers. It became known that a criminal case was initiated against 55-year-old Valeriy Shitz under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization).\nThe searches began early in the morning, when officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee came to the houses of believers. Electronic devices, information carriers, as well as Bibles and religious literature were seized from civilians. In some cases, law enforcement officers took photographs and videos. After the searches, Valeriy Shitz and several other believers were taken for interrogation, after which they were released.\nOn November 19, 2021, Hakob Stepanyan, an investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Lesosibirsk, of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, opened a criminal case against Valeriy Shitz. According to the investigation, the believer \"organized and conducted meetings of adherents in the form of collective worship, taught the preaching work of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and carried out actions aimed at promoting the activities of a banned organization.\"\nOn November 26, 2021, the judge of the Lesosibirskiy District Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Aleksey Knyazev, decided to choose for Valeriy Shitz a ban on certain actions as a preventive measure — communication with witnesses in the case and persons who are not his close relatives, the use of mail and the Internet are banned for him. The believer is also prohibited from leaving the city of Lesosibirsk.\nLesosibirsk has joined the list of cities in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where 17 more civilians are currently being prosecuted. The harshest sentence in this region was passed on 47-year-old Andrey Stupnikov — 6 years in a penal colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-29T15:32:13+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/291532.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Held in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Criminal Case Initiated Against 55-Year-Old Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, in the city of Kopeysk, the homes of four families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched. It is known that a criminal case has been initiated.\nStarting at 6:30 in the morning, representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee began to rush into the believers under various pretexts. They were accompanied by SOBR fighters and operatives. Personal notes, electronic devices, information carriers, photographs and Bibles were seized from the believers.\n57-year-old Ivan Kopinyak, while familiarizing himself with the search warrant, felt sick and fainted. The law enforcers considered all this a \"circus\" and began to make sarcastic remarks about the believers. But later they still allowed Ivan's wife to measure his blood pressure and call an ambulance. Despite the condition of the believer, after the search he was taken for interrogation.\nTo the Tolmachev family, the security officials rang the doorbell under the pretext that a certain car had been scratched. After 47-year-old Alexandr Tolmachev said that he would go down now, they demanded to open the door, threatening to break it open. When Alexandr's wife opened the door, nine security officials burst into the house, the man was ordered to lie on the floor. After a search in the house, the security forces examined the family's car and took the spouses away for interrogation to the Kopeysk FSB department.\nEvents developed in a similar way during the search of the Kolovanov family. They rang the doorbell, saying that they needed help in the apartment next door. When Natalia Kolovanova opened the door, the security forces rushed in, rudely pushing the woman away, and began to film what was happening on her phone camera. After the search, Natalya, along with her daughter and son-in-law, was taken away for interrogation.\nAnother search took place in the family of Ivan Shoshin and his wife Yelena. After the search, they were also taken to the FSB, where they spent 6 hours awaiting interrogation.\nAll events took place within a criminal case that was initiated on November 8, 2021 against unidentified persons. According to law enforcement officers, the Kopeysk believers organized an extremist organization in the city simply because they professed faith in Jehovah God.\nSearches and a criminal case were initiated by the investigator of the third department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexandr Chepenko, who initiated almost all cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region. Among those who were prosecuted for their faith on his initiative are Vladimir and Valentina Suvorov, who have already received suspended sentences, as well as Lyudmila Salikova and Ilya Olenin from Snezhinsk whose cases are under investigation.\nThe order to conduct searches of residents of Kopeysk was issued by Leonid Bobrov, acting chairman of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, who had previously authorized a search of Salikova.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-29T15:30:40+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/291530.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","health-risk"],"title":"New Criminal Case in the Chelyabinsk Region. Local Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched in Kopeysk","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the absurdity of the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses. She wondered: \"As soon as we get together to sing songs, read the Bible, and that's it, are we criminals?\"\n","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/147.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Victoria Verkhoturova's last word in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 29, 2021, Viktor Yakovlev, judge of the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, sentenced 45-year-old Viktoriya Verkhoturova for allegedly participating in the activities of a banned organization.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the woman to 4.5 years in a penal colony.\nVictoria has elderly parents. She is very worried about how worries about her daughter will affect their health. In the hospital where Verkhoturova works, there have recently been many patients with complications after covid. Due to the heavy workload, it is always difficult for her to ask for court hearings.\nAddressing the court with the last word, the believer said: \"I am accused of a serious crime that I did not commit, namely, participation in the activities of an extremist organization. And my whole 'crime' is simply that I call myself one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" She added: \"As soon as we get together to sing songs, read the Bible, and that's it, are we criminals? Are we going back to medieval Europe when the Holy Inquisition burned people for reading the Bible?\"\nIn the summer of 2019, armed security forces broke into the house of Viktoria and her husband, Sergey. During the search, they threatened the woman with \"terrible conditions in prison, where her psyche will suffer,\" trying to force her to cooperate with the investigation.\nOn March 26, 2020, investigator Oleg Makerov opened a criminal case against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nThe investigation took 8 months, although in fact it began back in 2018, when law enforcement officers organized surveillance of the Verkhoturov spouses. The special services installed a hidden video camera in the believers' apartment and listened to their telephone conversations. The indictment stated that Verkhoturova's participation in the activities of a banned religious organization \"was expressed in participation in meetings, religious speeches and services at them, and the implementation of preaching activities.\" The accusation was also based on the testimony of two secret witnesses.\nOn November 30, 2020, the case was submitted to the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. Consideration of the case in court took exactly 1 year. At the meetings, the content of the videos, which depicted how believers discuss the Bible together, was analyzed in detail. At the same time, the prosecution did not provide facts of illegal actions on the part of Verkhoturova. \"She sang songs. [...] She did certain rituals: she got up, sat down, \"one of the prosecution witnesses answered the question at the trial about what exactly Viktoria's participation in extremist activities was expressed in.\nViktoriya Verkhoturova became the fifth Jehovah's Witness in the Nizhny Novgorod region convicted of religious beliefs. A month earlier, three peaceful believers from the town of Pavlovo had been sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment. Sergey Verkhoturov, Victoria's husband, was also prosecuted by law enforcement officers. On March 5, 2021, the same Prioksky District Court found him guilty of organizing extremist activities and imposed a 6-year suspended sentence.\nThe religious principles that guide the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses reject extremism, violence and aggression in any form against other people. Believers do not consider themselves entitled to speak out for the purpose of political reforms. Their peacefulness and respect for the laws of the state are known all over the world. On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_5d4165bc744ca321.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_779cd70b8e4ec0c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_711e829ab2f58a67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/301426/image_hu_76402a224244c098.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/301426.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Viktoriya Verkhoturova, a Nurse from Nizhny Novgorod, Sentenced to 4 Years of Suspended Term for her Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 26, 2021, the Pskov Regional Court overturned the conviction of Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Khabarov by a lower court and returned the case for a new trial before a different court. The believer remains under recognizance not to leave for the time being.\nAlthough in the court of first instance the prosecutor demanded that Aleksey Khabarov be deprived of liberty for 3.5 years in a general regime colony, on September 7, 2021, the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region sentenced him to 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years. The court considered Aleksey's peaceful meetings with other Jehovah's Witnesses to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer appealed the verdict.\n\"My activity has never been related to harming the state,\" Aleksey Khabarov said in his last appeal and asked the court to acquit him, \"How can you become an extremist while learning how to show love, respect, kindness and humility? How can the moral principles of the Bible be reconciled with hatred and enmity? For me, it's like different ends of the world that can't be connected!\"\nAlexey Khabarov is a teacher by education. Most recently he worked in the field of construction and repair. The believer was under recognizance not to leave for more than 2.5 years. Despite the fact that Aleksey is self-employed, he could not use his bank accounts, pay for services and make purchases.\nIn April 2019, in the city of Porkhov, searches were carried out in the homes of believers, including Alexei Khabarov. After interrogation, they took a written undertaking not to leave the place. It turned out that in March of the same year, Irina Pravdivtseva, an investigator for especially important cases from the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region, opened a criminal case against Aleksey Khabarov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator independently entered in the interrogation protocol the names and facts that Khabarov did not mention. The believer sent his testimony to the investigator stating that he had not provided the information inscribed in the protocol of the previous interrogation. In June 2020, the criminal case was sent to the prosecutor of the Pskov region. A week later, the prosecutor's office returned the materials of the criminal case to the investigation to eliminate the violations committed. In October 2020, hearings began in the Porkhovsky District Court, which lasted almost a year.\nDuring the trial, not a single piece of evidence of Aleksey Khabarov's involvement in extremist activities was found. Testifying, the believer pointed out that his civil rights were violated under at least nine articles of the Russian Constitution. According to Aleksey, \"the investigating authorities inappropriately freely interpret the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017\" and discriminate against him because of his religion.\nHuman rights activists of the SOVA Information and Analytical Center state: \"We believe that this decision [of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017], which led to mass persecution of believers under anti-extremist articles of the Criminal Code, had no legal grounds, and we regard it as a manifestation of religious discrimination.\" According to the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their performance of rites and ceremonies do not constitute a crime.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-11-26T15:18:13+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/261518/image_hu_a9b4aadd996d795c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/261518/image_hu_f67f17ea8cedca7e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/261518/image_hu_e069e430a77c2a22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/261518/image_hu_17426d8bbd094a2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/261518.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","retrial","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In Pskov, Appeal Court Overturned the Conviction for Faith Against Aleksey Khabarov. His Case will be Considered by Another Judge","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2021, the Court of Jewish Autonomous Region approved the sentence of Nataliya Kriger, 43, who was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restricted freedom for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nOn July 30, 2021 Birobidzhan District Court found Nataliya Kriger guilty after considering as a crime her presence at the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this faith is not banned in Russia. The prosecutor asked the court to send the believer to a penal colony for four years and to further restrict her freedom for two years.\nAddressing the court with her last word, Nataliya said: \"What did the court find extremist? That I professed religious beliefs as Jehovah's Witnesses with my husband and friends. However, according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion. . . . Only Holy Scriptures—the Bible—taught me to truly love people and genuinely care about them. Today my reputation as an honest person is tarnished.\"\nThe verdict of the appellate court went into effect, but the believer has the right to appeal it in cassation and international instances.\nIn 2018, Nataliya's husband, Valeriy Kriger, was also prosecuted under an extremist article. The investigation found him guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization.\nSeventeen of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan have already been convicted for practicing their faith, and for thirteen of them the sentence has come into force. The Birobidzhan District Court is currently hearing cases on similar charges against six other believers.\nOn October 28 this year the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia ruled that collective religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not by themselves constitute corpus delicti under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-26T08:44:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_b91114e57ae7928a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_57e7524e172d90a2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_9e6c98f13cd3a5aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/260844/image_hu_9853adf4abe68b5c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/260844.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Appeal in Birobidzhan Approved the Sentence for Faith for Nataliya Kriger","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 26, 2021 searches were conducted in the resort town of Zheleznovodsk. Officers from the FSB and the Center for Counteracting Extremism entered the homes of what they believe to be Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was initiated against Zinaida Minenko, 82, and she had to sign not to leave agreement.\nInvestigations in the town began around 7 a. m. and lasted from 1 to 5 hours. In several cases, according to believers, operatives planted flash drives with unknown content as well as books from the Federal List of Extremist Materials in their homes. Electronic devices, media, photographs, personal records, and bank cards were taken from the believers; one of the victims had a large amount of personal savings.\nUpdate. In the early morning, the security forces came to Zinaida Minenko, who will turn 82 in January, and read her a search warrant. The believer is a visually impaired group I. The surprise of the elderly woman, who almost can’t see, found it difficult to understand what was happening. A year ago, she was widowed, and now she lives alone, so there was no one to help her. The security officials said that they \u0026ldquo;found\u0026rdquo; a prohibited publication on her. However, according to Zinaida, it was a toss. Without giving her the opportunity to eat or drink water, the operatives took her away to search the garage. The elderly believer became very cold, and later she became ill with her heart. She was taken to a hospital where she was treated and then taken home. According to Zinaida, no one took into account her limitations and age, she felt insulted, not understanding why she was being treated this way. It also became known that the searches affected three women who were not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBack in 2016, believers in Stavropol Territory reported that security forces were planting prohibited items on them. Sometimes this was clearly recorded by surveillance cameras. As a result, criminal cases were brought against 14 Jehovah's Witnesses from this region for their belief in God. 90-year-old Rimma Vaschenko from Nevinnomyssk was the oldest \"extremist\" in Russia. She died in January 2021, not having had time to defend her good name in court.\n","category":"crime","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/12/061134.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","disability","plant"],"title":"At Least Six Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in the Stavropol Territory. A Criminal Case Was Brought Against an 82-Year-Old Visually Impaired Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, Judge Aleksandr Ustinov found Viktor Bachurin, Aleksandr Kostrov and Artur Netreba guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles on each of them. The fine was reduced to 300,000 rubles, since the believers spent almost a year in a pre-trial detention center.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the Sovetskiy District Court of Lipetsk to appoint each of them 4 years in prison and 8 months of restriction of liberty.\n60-year-old Aleksandr Kostrov has already retired. Another convict, Viktor Bachurin, is 59 years old. 43-year-old Artur Netreba lost his job in connection with the criminal prosecution, and his wife Svetlana cannot work for health reasons.\nAleksandr Kostrov in his last word emphasized:: “I am proud that I one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I try to sanctify the name of God with my righteous deeds. Becoming a Jehovah's Witness is not easy: for this you need to get rid of all bad habits, observe not only God's laws, but also the laws of the country in which you live. Therefore, the accusations against me and my friends are absurd. \"\nViktor Bachurin, in his address to the court, said: \"As a deeply religious person, it is difficult for me to imagine that for the good that we bring to people, we can, figuratively speaking, be executed.\"\nArthur Netreba, speaking with the last word, noted: \"I am credited with something that, as a Christian, is disgusting and alien. I was not convicted of anything reprehensible. Yes, I am a happy person, and I have nothing to blush for.\nOn December 2, 2019, the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Lipetsk Region, Yaroslav Yakushev, opened a criminal case against Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Within an hour and a half after that, searches were carried out in 7 houses of residents of Lipetsk. Three believers were visiting their friend when a group of FSB officers burst into the apartment. After interrogation, Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba were detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. They all spent 333 days behind bars.\nThe investigation lasted over 12 months. On December 7, 2020, the case was filed with the Sovetskiy District Court of Lipetsk. Judge Yekaterina Ferapontova issued an order to arrest Alexandr Kostrov's property in the amount of more than 760,000 rubles. The decision was taken in the absence of the accused, who was not even informed about the trial.\nDuring the court hearings, which lasted about a year, the oral testimonies of some witnesses differed from their written statements. The secret witness \"Ivanov\" was also confused in his testimony. The prosecutor considered the oral answers to be untrue and requested that the written statements of witnesses be read out instead.\nThe defendants drew the court's attention to the fact that the evidence presented by the investigation did not correspond to the charges against them. Nevertheless, the investigation considered the holding of \"religious meetings\" to be manifestations of extremism.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited. In addition, Russian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation. On October 28 of this year, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the very fact of collective religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is applied to believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-25T14:59:01+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/251459/image_hu_f9d34cff0dc276d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/251459/image_hu_a0f87ded5cb52e16.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/251459/image_hu_14fea153cef9f4bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/251459/image_hu_459039854ff68a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/251459.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Lipetsk Court Imposes Large Fines on Three Believers for Bible Reading","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region dismissed the appeal of 30-year-old Yevgeniy Yegorov, the father of a young child. The sentence of the lower court—2.5 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of freedom—came into force.\nThe believer considers the verdict as subject to cancellation because it was rendered with substantial violations of the norms of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, international legal acts, criminal and criminal procedural legislation of the Russian Federation, and its conclusions contradict the factual circumstances of the case. He has a right to appeal against the verdict in cassation as well as in international instances.\nAddressing the appellate court with his last word, Yegorov emphasized: \"The totality of all the evidence presented in my case includes only information that I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not an extremist. And as the prosecution itself admits, I participated in worship services, not in extremist meetings.\"\nThe persecution of Yevgeniy Yegorov and other peaceful believers in Birobidzhan began in May 2018 after a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day.\" In the Jewish Autonomous Region, 19 criminal cases were filed against 23 believers between 2018 and 2020, including 12 women between the ages of 28 and 59. The criminal case against Yegorov was filed on July 29, 2019, after his apartment was searched in May 2018.\nAfter the indictment, Yevgeniy Yegorov was put on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists, which creates significant difficulties for Yevgeniy and his wife, Ksenia, young parents: the believer's bank cards are blocked. Evgeny recalls, \"The unexpected happened. The day before the wedding we found out that the registry office had lost our application. Solving this problem, I learned from the news that the restaurant where the wedding reception was to be held was on fire. And, to make matters worse, the planner who had taken the money for the restaurant had quit. It seemed that the wedding was not going to happen, and the ground was gone from under my feet.” Finally, on the day of Yevgeniy and Ksenia's wedding, FSB officers charged Yevgeniy’s mother, Larisa Artamonova, as well as a few of the guests.\nMore than 60 Russian and foreign public figures and organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and state: \"What is happening to them is essentially happening to us. This is a test of society's immune forces. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the failure of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, it will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist. . . . In the story of how a man found at Jehovah's Witnesses answers to questions that a Catholic priest could not solve, the courts saw the promotion of religious superiority—that's all the extremism. Such \"extremism\", and much more brutal, can be found in the doctrinal, liturgical and other texts of most religions. If we approach religious scriptures with the same yardstick, we would have to ban all religions.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-25T14:37:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_6eeb6f562c497ad6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_2b8eb7e93198e8bb.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_7d3d00d39ba9bc1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/261437/image_hu_2bc89f9fdaf70d26.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/261437.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Appeal in Birobidzhan Left Unchanged the Sentence for Believer Yevgeniy Yegorov","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2021, six families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the town of Kineshma, Ivanovo Region. Andrey Okhapkin, 59, was sent to pretrial detention for 2 months by a court decision.\nDuring the searches, security officials confiscated electronic devices from believers. They also searched for printed publications and personal records. As it turned out, Okhapkin is suspected of \"resuming extremist activity.\" The rest of the believers are in the case as witnesses. Information is being specified.\nUpdate. According to updated information, the searches took place in the afternoon of November 23, 2021. Some lasted until almost midnight. In addition to electronic devices, personal records, photographs, and information carriers were confiscated from the believers. During one of the searches, a minor was interrogated. To the surprise of the security officer, the girl took advantage of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nIn one of the cases, the raid was led by V. S. Nesterov, FSB Investigative Committee for Ivanovo Region interrogator. On November 27, some of the believers were summoned for interrogation. The FSB investigator R. A. Drozdov interrogated a married couple and a woman whose houses were searched. These also appealed to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to one of the women, the investigator threatened her with the possibility that using this article during interrogation may result in the change of her status from a witness in the case of Andrey Okhapkin into an accused.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-24T16:31:47+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/261631/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/261631/image_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/261631.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","minors"],"title":"59-year-old Believer Andrey Okhapkin Arrested After a New Series of Searches in the Ivanovo Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 23, 2021, the reports came that searches had been initiated in the village of Mednogorskiy (Karachay-Cherkessia), in Dmitriy and Ilya Pasynkovs' as well as two other women believers’ homes. Meanwhile, in Stavropol, security forces invaded the house of a relative of the Pasynkovs.\nDuring the searches, a book, two flash drives and an old tablet were seized from the Pasynkov family. Nothing was confiscated from the women, the law enforcement officers simply handed them the investigator's order for a search, which was carried out without a court order. According to the believers, the investigator Andreyuk motivated this by the fact that \"the search cannot be delayed.\"\nThis is the second series of special events against believers in Mednogorskoye in 2021: in January, FSB officers raided at least 3 apartments of the Witnesses, but then there was no active development of criminal prosecution.\nSearches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Karachay-Cherkessia have been going on since 2016 - then, as part of an administrative case, the premises of residents of Mednogorsk and the village of Kurdzhinovo, who were suspected of distributing \"extremist literature\", were examined. In 2019, security forces searched 42-year-old Indira, who is raising four children alone. In December of the same year, after a series of raids, 43-year-old Albert Batchaev was arrested and his case is being heard in court. In 2020, a group of security officials led by V. Drakin, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for Karachay-Cherkessia, conducted a search of a 56-year-old believer. Currently, two believers from Karachay-Cherkessia are under investigation and under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-23T13:45:26+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/251345.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"A Series of Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in Stavropol and Karachay-Cherkessia","type":"news"},{"body":"On 22 November 2021 in Vladivostok, following the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the RF, an unprecedented event took place: after a continuous chain of convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses Dmitriy Barmakin was found not guilty under part 1 of article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code and acquitted by the court with the right to rehabilitation.\nJudge Stanislav Salnikov of the Pervorechenskiy District Court in Vladivostok handed down the acquittal verdict. The text of the verdict echoes a recent explanation by the Plenum of the Supreme Court. The verdict notes: \"The Court, having considered the present case, is convinced that both for every person in general and for everyone of Jehovah's Witnesses, attending joint worship services, providing premises for them, reading and discussing religious literature, spreading religious beliefs, observing religious rites and ceremonies, singing spiritual songs, offering prayers are forms of lawful conduct which are part of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. . . . Conducting religious rites of Jehovah's Witnesses in residential or commercial premises... does not violate the law, but is the implementation of the rights of believers to freedom of conscience and religion, because such a right cannot be limited exclusively to the space of private life, it can also be implemented in the external sphere, including in mass collective forms.\"\nIn addition, the verdict says that Barmakin \"is subject to acquittal due to the absence of corpus delicti in the defendant's act,\" since the believers \"exercised the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Russian Constitution.\" Judge Salnikov noted: \"When proceeding in criminal cases on crimes of an extremist nature, which include Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it must be borne in mind that ... the motives for committing these offences shall be proved ... Such motives have not been proven in the case. [...] Rights related to freedom of religion should be ensured regardless of whether a person is a member of any religious organization or not, and therefore the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses should be ensured even after the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia of 20.04.2017. After examining the evidence presented by the investigation, the court concluded that \"Barmakin D.V. never carried out extremist activities, he professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including meeting and discussing his beliefs with fellow believers.\"\nSignificantly, the court noted that \"the ideology of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not recognized as extremist in Russia,\" and \"the Bible... [its] content and quotations cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\"\nDmitriy Barmakin and his wife, Yelena, moved from Crimea to Vladivostok to take care of their elderly mother-in-law. On the morning of July 28, 2018, armed law enforcement officers in masks burst into the house of a 90-year-old woman, where the Barmakins were staying. They detained the believer, accusing him of organizing the activities of an organization banned by the court. The court sent him to a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 15 months, the first 2.5 months in a damp basement cell with rats and insects. Nevertheless, Dmitriy Barmakin categorically refused to plead guilty to the charges. After his release from jail Barmakin spent more than two years under prohibition of certain actions, namely, to change his place of residence, contact a number of people, receive mail and use means of communication.\nThe case was managed by the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok. The key witness for the prosecution in the case was 30-year-old local resident Ekaterina Petrova, a teacher at the Primorye Energy College in Vladivostok. Pretending to be interested in the Bible, she met with believers and asked them questions about their faith in God. It was later revealed that she was conducting covert audio recording on assignment from the security services.\nIn August 2019, Barmakin's wife, Yelena, also faced criminal prosecution. A criminal case was also opened against her for \"extremism\". Later, nine more peaceful believers became defendants in this case.\n\"Of course, it is not easy to be the first judge to interrupt a continuous chain of guilty verdicts and deliver a verdict of acquittal. We are grateful to Judge Stanislav Salnikov for his strength and his sound approach to the case. We hope that all Russian courts in their decisions on cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses will be guided by the decision of the Plenum of the Russian Supreme Court,\" commented Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the verdict for Barmakin and added: \"The verdict stressed what Jehovah's Witnesses were trying to make clear in all these years of religious persecution in Russia: religious activity by its very nature cannot be a threat to society or the state in any other way. I would like to believe that this verdict is only the first of many decisions in similar cases.\"\nDr. Sergey Ivanenko, a religious scholar, analyzed the situation with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and concluded: \"Having found themselves on trial, Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider themselves guilty and have no intention of abandoning their religious beliefs... Remaining Jehovah's Witnesses, they do not consider themselves criminals. Moreover Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation \"guarantees everyone freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess individually or collectively any religion or not to profess any, to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and to act in accordance with them.\"\n","category":"victory","date":"2021-11-22T16:24:33+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/221624/image_hu_2a3108a987b005c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/221624/image_hu_d98258906a438edd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/221624/image_hu_12308dd35118cab8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/221624/image_hu_e6e131315a3fd896.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/221624.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","282.2-1"],"title":"The First Acquittal of One of Jehovah's Witnesses Under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code in Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 17, 2021, the judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region Svetlana Chebotareva found Yelena Saveliyeva, a teacher with forty years of experience, guilty under the article on the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to four years of suspended sentence for talking about the Bible.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence. There are no victims in the case. The prosecutor asked the court to impose a fine of half a million rubles on the believer.\nYelena was born at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the first years of her life were spent in poverty, hunger and fear. She was raised by her grandmother and later returned to be raised by her mother and stepfather, who abused her. Yelena left home early to study and devoted her life to teaching. Currently, 80-year-old Yelena Saveliyeva is a widow. The criminal prosecution damaged the reputation of the peaceful pensioner and caused her a lot of grief.\nThe case against Yelena Saveliyeva was opened on March 25, 2021 by the investigator A. G. Kolpakov. It was investigated for about 3 months by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Tomsk Region. The criminal case was based on testimony from two women who portrayed an interest in the Bible. FSB agent Kira Klisheva and Rosgvardia employee Yelena Studenova recorded conversations with an elderly woman on a dictaphone and a video camera, and transferred these recordings to law enforcement agencies.\nFrom the indictment in the case of Yelena Saveliyeva in the commission of a crime, it is clear that the criminal prosecution of an elderly believer is carried out only for religious reasons. Peaceful conversations with people about God are interpreted as \"persuading, recruiting and involving\" other persons in the activities of an organization banned in Russia.\nIn total, 7 criminal cases were initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Tomsk Region. In 2020, the court sentenced one of them - Sergey Klimov - to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\n“Innocuous believers are accused of 'grave crimes', but there are no victims in the case, nor any signs of real crimes against a person or the state,\"— Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, comments on the current situation in Russia.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. This is how the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) comments on the situation in Russia: “All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully and without discrimination enjoy freedom of religion and assembly, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's international obligations, including Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. In light of this, we call on the authorities to drop charges against all detainees for exercising their rights to freedom of religion, expression and peaceful assembly, and to release them.”\nOn October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities. During the meeting of the Plenary Session, Judge-Rapporteur Yelena Peysikova separately noted that new clarifications had appeared in pursuance of the instructions of the President of Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_9d551818401fb7cc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_ef4c860c16def438.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_472843080cad7567.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/181626/image_hu_fff83e0a257d7df6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/181626.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","elderly","282.2-1.1","secret-witness"],"title":"The Court in Seversk Sentenced the 80-Year-Old Widow Yelena Saveliyeva to Four Years of Suspended Sentence for Talking About Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, Yelena Savelyeva spoke about the groundlessness of persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith. \"Neither the Bible nor the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses calls for violence, extremism, enmity and disobedience to the authorities,\" she said.\n","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/146.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Savelyeva in Seversk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 16, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region affirmed the sentence passed on 59-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya for \"participation in the activities of a prohibited organization\" — 2.5 years of suspended sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restricted freedom.\nAddressing the court of appeal with her last word, the believer stated: \" To speak about God is my right from birth, and it is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\" She drew attention to the unfairness and baselessness of the accusation: \"In fact, the victims are me and my family.\"\nOn July 19, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Irina Lokhvitskaya guilty of violating the law on extremism, essentially because of a religious practice common to all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world. The believer attended worship meetings and participated in a joint Bible study.\nDuring the trial, the prosecutors presented no evidence that the believer was a threat to society, but zealously demonstrated that she belonged to Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus a certain \"presumption of guilt\" was established in the case of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion, in violation of part 1, article 49 of the Russian Constitution, according to which no one may be accused of a crime until proven guilty. As a result, Irina was subjected to discrimination, despite the fact that the Constitution prohibits any form of restriction of the rights of citizens on the basis of religion.\nBy the decision of the court of appellate jurisdiction, the verdict came into force. Irina Lokhvitskaya has the right to file a cassation appeal, as well as to appeal to international instances.\nPersecution of believers in Birobidzhan came into an active phase on May 17, 2018, when law enforcement officers conducted an operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" against local Jehovah's Witnesses. Nineteen criminal cases were opened against 23 believers in the region. Seventeen of them, including Irina Lokhvitskaya, her son Arthur and daughter-in-law Anna, received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years; 11 sentences are in effect. Most of the cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated and brought to trial by the investigator Dmitriy Yankin.\nDr. Sergey Ivanenko, Ph.D., a religious scholar, analyzed the situation with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and drew the following conclusion: \"Having found themselves in the role of defendants, Jehovah's Witnesses do not consider themselves guilty and do not intend to abandon their religious beliefs... While they remain Jehovah's Witnesses, they do not consider themselves criminals.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-11-16T16:05:19+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_9c51ededd660bb12.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_b57085d0a5f386d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_291d964f9c6c6cba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/161605/image_hu_e96ce5bc73950486.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/161605.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"Appeal in Birobidzhan Approved the Verdict for the Faith Against Irina Lokhvitskaya","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that joint worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, their rites, and ceremonies do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, despite the liquidation of the religion’s legal entities.\nWhat is the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and what influence does it have on the judicial system?\nThe Plenum consists of all of the Supreme Court judges of the Russian Federation and is presided over by the Chief Justice. The Plenum is responsible for ensuring the uniform application by all courts of the legislation of the Russian Federation. Thus, the Plenum gives explanations on issues arising in judicial practice and interpretation of the current legislation. The Plenum adopts its explanations in the form of resolutions, which are binding for all courts, and as such they are taken into consideration by other courts in the administration of justice. In the case of the October 28 ruling, the Plenum amended a prior resolution.\nWhat is the background of the October 28 ruling?\nIn December 2018, Vladimir Putin expressed bewilderment at the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and recommended that the Russian Supreme Court summarize court practice in cases involving violations of legislation on religious associations. Two years later, at a meeting of the Human Rights Council, human rights defender Alexander Verkhovsky again pointed out to the Head of State the absurdity of prosecuting believers whose organizations had been banned; as a result, the President issued new instructions to the Supreme Court to prepare explanations regarding the generalization of court practice in cases related to violations of legislation on religious associations.\nPer the president’s instructions, the Plenum addressed the issue and issued new amendments at their October 28 meeting, explains judge-rapporteur Elena Peysikova. In addition, the Plenum revealed that the new clarifications were repeatedly discussed at meetings of the expanded working group with the participation of the FSB. “It appears,\" the judge-rapporteur concluded, “that this clarification will allow to unify the existing practice of application of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code and avoid cases of unjustified criminal prosecution of persons solely in connection with the external manifestation of their attitude towards religion.”\nWhat did the Plenum clarify regarding joint worship?\nAmendments were made to clause 20 of Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 28 June 2011, “On judicial practice in cases related to crimes of extremist orientation.” One of these amendments directly concerns the 2017 Supreme Court ruling that liquidated all of the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Crimea. Since that ruling, law enforcement officials have wrongly interpreted joint confession of religion by individual Jehovah’s Witnesses as organizing or participating in the activities of their liquidated legal entities. As a result, believers have been sentenced as much as 8 years in prison.\nHowever, the Plenum’s October 28 amendments clarify: “In the event that a court decides to liquidate or ban the activity of a public or religious association or other organization due to extremist activity, the subsequent actions of persons not connected with the perpetuating or renewing the activity of the relevant extremist organization and consisting exclusively in the exercise of their right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint profession of religion, performance of religious services or other religious rites and ceremonies, if such do not contain elements of extremism, do not on their own constitute the corpus delicti.” \".\nIn practice, the amendments pose new challenges for an investigator to initiate a criminal case, conduct a search, or detain a person simply because he or she professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or meets with another at a worship service. Courts should no longer view it a crime to read the Bible or spiritual literature, talk about one's faith, or the like. It is also not a crime to convene fellow believers to peacefully practice Jehovah's Witnesses' religion together, to prepare and perform rituals such as water baptism. Since 2017, such actions have been wrongly prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization).\nWhat actions then, according to the new amendments, can be considered a crime?\n“When considering a criminal case on a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the court should establish what specific actions have been committed by the perpetrator, what is their significance for the perpetuating or renewing the activity of the organization, against which the court rendered an enforceable decision to liquidate it or ban its activities due to extremism, as well as what motives guided the person in committing these actions.” In other words, investigators will now have to justify the wording often used in indictment papers against Jehovah's Witnesses: “realizing criminal intent”, “acting from extremist motives”, “being aware of the unlawful nature of their actions”, “having entered into criminal collusion”, “as part of a group of persons by prior collusion”, “not voluntarily ceasing participation in activities”, “having the intent to resume activities” and others.\nDo these amendments obligate courts to review of the sentences already passed?\nWhen considering appeals and cassation appeals, the courts are obliged to consider the Plenum's amendments.\nAs October 28, there were 152 convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses. Of these, the sentences of 40 believers are under appeal so have not yet entered into force. The remaining verdicts for the believers have already entered into force, and are currently being appealed in cassation proceedings.\nAnother 11 believers’ sentences have already been reviewed by the cassation courts, but Russian law affords them the right to file a second cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of Russia. 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya is currently preparing her second cassation appeal to the Supreme Court. Valentina remains in prison despite suffering a stroke while under investigation. The international human rights community, who have repeatedly criticize Russia’s treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses, eagerly anticipates how the Supreme Court of Russia will apply the new amendments and release the woman when considering the Baranovskaya case in the coming months.\n","category":"victory","date":"2021-11-15T14:13:29+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/151413/image_hu_354af9636d54ba35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/151413/image_hu_260929e2708bdff2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/151413/image_hu_13da5f1026455a8a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/151413/image_hu_bdf35e0fe49e3e89.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/151413.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","analytics","head","presidential-council"],"title":"Russian Supreme Court Rules Jehovah's Witnesses Should Not Be Prosecuted for Joint Worship","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the judge, Dmitry Barmakin stressed that extremism contradicts his peaceful Christian beliefs. \"As you could see for yourself, examining the materials of the case, I simply profess religious views that are not prohibited by law,\" he concluded.\n","date":"2021-11-12T14:01:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/docs/142.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Barmakin in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final remarks, Alexander Kostrov explained the preaching work of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusations of extremism against believers are absurd because they strictly adhere to the laws of both God and the state.\n","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/144.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Kostrov in Lipetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer thanked all the participants in the trial for their respectful attitude, quoted the Ten Commandments and told why Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted in Russia.\n","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/145.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artur Netreba in Lipetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Viktor Bachurin told the court why, despite the persecution, Jehovah's Witnesses do not renounce their faith and do not stop talking about the good news recorded in the Bible: \"It attracts people with its purity and transparency.\"\n","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/143.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Bachurin in Lipetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 9, 2021, searches of believers were carried out in Akhtubinsk and Znamensk. Dozens of people were detained for interrogation. Three men were sent to a temporary detention facility: 48-year-old Sergey Korolev, 60-year-old Sergey Kosyanenko and 34-year-old Rinat Kiramov.\nThe raids and interrogations began at about 6 am. In at least one of the cases - during a search at Rinat Kiramov's house - the security forces broke down the front doors of the believers' dwelling. Details are being clarified.\nUpdate. On November 10 and 11, 2021, the Akhtubinsky District Court imprisoned Sergey Korolev, Sergey Kosyanenko and Rinat Kiramov for 2 months. New searches and arrests in the region came shortly after the court handed down one of the harshest sentences since the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. On October 25, 2021, Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Yevgeniy Ivanov were sentenced to 8 years, and Yevgeniy's wife, Olga, to 3.5 years in a general regime colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-11T15:32:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches_hu_9ab87d7d289bbc25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches_hu_46fe7fa64b17bd07.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches_hu_31c4348485f141a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches_hu_80ebadd64954de4c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/111532.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"Three Believers Detained After Searches in the Astrakhan Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 19, 2021, the district court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area collected 28,500 rubles from the Russian Federation in favor of Timofey Zhukov, who was forcibly hospitalized for a psychiatric examination only because of his faith. This decision coincided with the beginning of the trial of him and 18 other Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut.\nA criminal case against believers from this city was initiated in February 2019. Then they were searched, and some of them reported that they were tortured by law enforcement officers right in the building of the Investigative Committee.\nOn January 16, 2020, the Surgut City Court issued a ruling according to which Timofey Zhukov was to be sent to a psychiatric hospital in Yekaterinburg. One of the “grounds” for the forced placement of a believer in a hospital was that Zhukov used Article 51 of the RF Constitution during interrogation, which allegedly allowed the investigation to question his sanity.\nThe believer appealed against this decision, so it did not enter into legal force. Despite this, on February 4, 2020, law enforcement officers found and kidnapped Timofey Zhukov. They took him to the hospital at night, which was unacceptable, since according to the law the drive cannot be made in the period from 22:00 to 06:00. During the 17-hour journey from Khanty-Mansiysk to Yekaterinburg, Zhukov experienced severe stress, as well as pain in his legs and back.\nFor the next 14 days, Zhukov was forcibly held in a psychiatric hospital. There, his life and health were constantly in danger, since the patients of his department were there in connection with the commission of serious crimes due to their serious mental disabilities. There were up to 9 people in the ward with Zhukov, most of them have from 3 to 6 convictions. Particularly violent patients were tied to beds with ropes. On the floor above, there were deranged patients who constantly made noise and screams, which made it difficult to sleep at night.\nAccording to the law, staying in a hospital is equated to detention, although only a written undertaking not to leave was assigned to Zhukov as a preventive measure. Thus, he suffered serious physical and mental harm, which was aggravated by the fact that a large circle of people became aware of his stay in a psychiatric hospital, including at his place of work — in the field of jurisprudence.\nCurrently, 23 residents of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Ugra are subjected to unfair criminal prosecution for their belief in Jehovah God. Increased attention to Surgut was attracted by the torture to which the security forces subjected civilians only because of their faith.\n","category":"victory","date":"2021-11-08T15:23:49+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/11/081523/image_hu_f58dadb1d373a07e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/11/081523/image_hu_78b76a093ff07dd6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/11/081523/image_hu_d79fe39f00e9950d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/11/081523/image_hu_bea9d1f1b0da36dc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/081523.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["compensation","forced-hospitalization"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Who Was Forcibly Placed in a Psychiatric Hospital, Obtains Compensation for Moral Damage","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2021, the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow extended the detention of Yury Temirbulatov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, in the pre-trial detention facility for another three months. While in custody, he underwent surgery. Andrei Babushkin from the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation personally asked the court to commute his preventive measure.\nThe believer has been in detention for nine months, despite the fact that he suffers from numerous chronic diseases. In addition, he was diagnosed with cancer in the pre-trial detention center. In October, he underwent major surgery to remove the tumor. After being discharged from the hospital, he was transferred back to the “Matrosskaya Tishina” detention centre.\nThe chairman of the \"Committee for Civil Rights\" Andrei Babushkin, in his statement on personal guarantee, drew attention to the fact that Yuri has a dependent mother-in-law - a disabled person of group II. He also noted that Temirbulatov \"is characterized positively at the place of residence, work and place of detention.\"\nTemirbulatov was sent to jail in connection with a criminal case brought against him in February 2021. Investigator Mariya Rasskazova mistakenly interprets reading the Bible and singing religious songs as organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nYuriy Temirbulatov became one of the victims of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the capital, which has not subsided for the second year already. Thus, in 2020, 5 men professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Moscow. Believers are still under house arrest. In 2021, 8 more people living in Moscow, including Temirbulatov, became defendants in criminal cases for believing in God.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony3_hu_965b145f723ac442.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony3_hu_f572e2fbd1b5fb16.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony3_hu_dff2798dcdd43032.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony3_hu_1c81dbf0a31369f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/091503.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"The Court in Moscow Kept Yuriy Temirbulatov in Custody, Despite the Personal Guarantee of Human Rights Activist Andrey Babushkin","type":"news"},{"body":"The searches that took place in Moscow and Moscow region on October 20, 2021, were not without violations of the rights of special categories of citizens — sick and pensioners. According to eyewitnesses, at times the security forces resorted to groundless threats, and one of the task forces took an unhealthy man away for questioning only because his mother was a Jehovah's Witness.\nAs a reminder, as a result of the raids, three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained, two of them — Roman Mareyev and Sergey Tolokonnikov — were sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nAs the believers said, during the searches, on the whole, the operatives behaved respectfully, but there were exceptions. For example, in one of the cases, the security forces came to a believing woman early in the morning when she was at work. She had to hurriedly return home, because the unexpected visit greatly frightened her sick son, a disabled person of the II group, suffering from mental illness. To avoid aggravating her son's condition, the woman asked law enforcement officers let her son not be present during the search and to wait at her neighbor's, but she was refused. She says: “My son was stressed. He hit the wall with his fist and kept asking: 'Won't you take me away?'\nAlthough the security forces did not want to take the believer's son away for interrogation, at the insistence of their superiors, they nevertheless brought both of them to the police station. “The son was nervous and cried loudly,” the woman said. During the interrogation, the investigators asked the detainees to describe Jehovah's Witnesses, express their \"attitude towards priests,\" and also inform them if they saw fellow believers at home.\nA group of six security officials broke into the apartment of a 71-year-old believer and her husband with diabetes mellitus at 6 a.m. The operatives violently searched woman's room: they threw all things out of the closets and turned over the beds. They confiscated a tablet, a telephone, a hard drive and unbanned editions of the Bible in the Synodal Translation and Archimandrite Macarius' translation from the hostess. Mockery and threats were poured at the believer. The law enforcers said: “You are extremists! You will go to jail. \" After a three-hour search, the spouses were taken for interrogation, despite the elderly woman's poor health and high temperature.\nOn the same morning, a task force of 6 people came to the 83-year-old believer. The officers confiscated from her a laptop, an e-book, a telephone, a Bible in the translation of Archimandrite Macarius, letters, several photographs and a postcard. After an almost 4-hour search, the believer was taken to the police station. The electronic devices were returned to the pensioner on the same day.\nThus, after new searches, already seven believers from Moscow and the Moscow region are in jail. One of them, Sean Pike, faced manifestations of domestic racism there.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-11-01T11:03:03+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_af9d50ad38809c4e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_9855f7b3bb34416d.jpg","webp":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_31cfdaa728b01de8.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/2020-07-20%20102849_hu_c1b3bcdae15553fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/11/011103.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","disabled","sizo","interrogation","elderly","disability"],"title":"During Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, Security Forces Detained a Disabled Person with a Mental Disorder and Threatened the Elderly","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 20, 2021, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, searches were carried out at the home of 54-year-old Elena Nesterova, 61-year-old Tatyana Svoboda and her peer Tatyana Bondarenko. A criminal case has been initiated against the women under an extremist article.\nAt about 8 am, representatives of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by armed OMON police in masks and bulletproof vests, as well as attesting witnesses, broke into the apartments of the believers. The security officials who came to Nesterova and Bondarenko were armed with a crowbar. At Tatyana Svoboda’s home, they knocked on the door with their hands and feet so loudly that neighbors began to go out to the noise.\nLaw enforcers claimed they were looking for prohibited items such as weapons and drugs (although Jehovah's Witnesses are known worldwide as those who do not accept the use of either one), as well as \"prohibited literature\" and any material that would confirm the religious affiliation of the women. As a result, the security forces confiscated Bibles in the Synodal translation, electronic devices and personal records. “The representatives of the authorities behaved correctly, allowed us to be put in order and take medicine,” said one of the victims.\nAfter the searches, the believers were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee located on the other side of the city. Nesterova was asked questions about her knowing other Jehovah's Witnesses. The investigator said that she had \"only two options: recognizance agreement or a pre-trial detention center.\" Later, all the detainees were released under recognizance agreement. Nesterova, Svoboda and Bondarenko found themselves far from home without money and phones.\nThe unmotivated persecution affected not only the persons involved in the cases, but also their relatives. Yelena Nesterova has a sick mother, and worries about her daughter aggravated her condition. Tatyana Bondarenko's husband was discharged from the hospital on the day of the search. Arriving home, he found an empty apartment with traces of a search. The man was shocked, considering that he could not even contact his wife. During the search, Tatyana Svoboda's blood pressure increased greatly.\nEarlier, criminal cases for their faith were initiated against 20 more Jehovah's Witnesses from the Khabarovsk Territory. In the summer of 2021, Nikolay Aliyev from Komsomolsk-on-Amur was sentenced to 4.5 years of probation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-29T13:35:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/291335/image_hu_ad585a5b234c5166.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/291335/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/291335/image_hu_9d933fc2dc47c94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/291335/image_hu_76449ab99dcb6285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/291335.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Searches of 3 Women Carried out in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Criminal Case Opened Against Them for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2021, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court did not satisfy the appeal of the 58-year-old Master of the International Chess Federation Dmitriy Vinogradov. The verdict of first instance came into force: 2 years of suspended sentence for faith in God.\nAddressing the court of appeal, Vinogradov stressed: \"My service to Jehovah God is not a crime, I am happy and proud of this fact.\" The believer has the right to file a cassation appeal, as well as appeal to international authorities.\nThe search in the home of the Vinogradov family took place in the absence of the owners: the security forces opened the apartment, which was under an alarm system. Law enforcers also searched his workplace — they seized the chess file that Dmitriy had developed over the years. The management of the institution where Dmitriy worked as a mentor for young chess players, having learned about the criminal case, dismissed him.\nDmitriy Vinogradov spent more than 20 months under recognizance agreement. Almost all this time, his accounts were blocked, he and his wife feared that their housing would be confiscated for non-payment: “Our apartment was removed from the utility bills payment system. We couldn't even pay our bills.”\nThe trial lasted more than 1.5 years. After the hearings, each of which was stressful for Dmitriy, he was sick for several days. As a result, his blood pressure began to spike and his eyesight deteriorated.\nThe prosecutor knew that the defendant is raising two minor children and has positive characteristics. The line of accusation in his case was based on the testimony of the agent of the Center for Countering Extremism \"Sergey Makarenko,\" as well as \"Liliya Ruzayeva\" recruited by law enforcement officers to spy on believers. However, according to them, Vinogradov did not incite religious discord, did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, did not encourage the breakdown of family relations and refusal of medical intervention, did not promote the activities of any organizations.\nSpeaking at one of the court hearings, Dmitriy drew attention to the fact that the very concept of 'extremism' contradicts the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses: side from violence and crime. They did not tarnish themselves by participating in such cases, even if they themselves became victims.\" He added: \"My father was a participant in World War II, and maybe I was born only because some German Jehovah's Witness refused to take a Schmeisser in his hands and go kill Russians on the Eastern Front.\"\nNevertheless, on June 7, 2021, the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk found Dmitriy Vinogradov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization because of peaceful talks about the Bible. Thanks to letters and postcards with words of support in dozens of languages ​​from different parts of the world, Dmitriy tries to remain calm in all his difficulties.\nIn addition to Vinogradov, in Chelyabinsk, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov received 6 years of suspended sentence, and his 73-year-old wife Valentina — 2 years.\nDespite their peaceful activities, hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have already been subjected to repression, although Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that believers can continue to practice their religion freely. The world community and human rights organizations express strong concerns about systematic violations of the freedoms and rights of religious minorities, in particular Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_7db6c55115a730fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_4a2bd3ea24b1e20.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_a82c9ff53ac901c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/291630/image_hu_86d69a129aaddb3a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/291630.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"Chelyabinsk Regional Court Upheld the Conviction of Jehovah's Witness Dmitriy Vinogradov for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2021, the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory found 30-year-old Anton Ostapenko guilty of extremism and sentenced him to six years and three months of suspended sentence with a probation period of for years and one and a half years of additional restrictions. His fault is the discussion of the Bible with friends.\nOn the day of the announcement of the verdict, about 80 of Anton's co-religionists came to the courthouse to support the believer, since he was facing a harsh term. Although there are no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint a peaceful citizen accused of organizing extremist activities to 8 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nIn his last word, Anton Ostapenko did not plead guilty to extremism and told the court: “I have always tried to do everything as it should be in our state. I am a peaceful believer who professes his religion in the way it happens all over the world and does not contradict the laws of our country. Together with others, I pray to Jehovah God, sing songs of praise to our heavenly Father, read the Bible and study it with other believers. \"\nEarlier, Christian convictions did not allow Anton to take up arms, therefore, at a draft age, he underwent alternative civilian service, working in a boarding school for the elderly and disabled. For his personal contribution to the development of the institution, he received gratitude from the management.\nThe criminal prosecution of Anton Ostapenko began in April 2019, when mass searches were carried out in Sharypovo in the apartments of citizens suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later Anton was detained. On the same day, senior investigator Yulia Fedynyak opened a criminal case against the believer for his faith under an extremist article. For 1 year and 9 months, the case was investigated by the Investigative Directorate for the Sharypovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, after which it was brought to court with violations. In July 2020, the Sharypovsky interdistrict prosecutor Vyacheslav Voroshilov returned the materials for further investigation. “[The case] does not meet the requirements, is not specified, there are significant contradictions... A number of circumstances... are not confirmed by the materials of the criminal case. In the course of the preliminary investigation, a large number of procedural violations were committed,” — said in the document on the return of materials to the investigator.\nOstapenko's accusation was based on transcripts of his conversations about the Bible, made on a hidden video camera in the house of one of the believers. In addition, the accusation was based on the testimony of a secret witness \"Ivanov\", who, as he himself stated in court, did not know Ostapenko at all. The witness for the prosecution said about the services the believer was accused of organizing: \"People just gathered together and sang songs.\"\nIn court, a linguistic expert said that, according to her examination of telephone conversations, no calls or motives for prohibited and extremist actions were found in the defendant's statements. The believer himself noted: \"For me, such actions are unacceptable, because I am a Christian who is required to follow the norms of morality and conduct established in the Bible.\"\nNevertheless, the court refused to acquit the believer. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nDuring the persecution, Anton spent six months in a pre-trial detention center and two months under house arrest. While in custody, he received over 1,000 letters of support. For a year and 10 months, Ostapenko has been under recognizance agreement.\nOnce in jail, Anton Ostapenko faced pressure. He recalls: “Daily interrogations, threats, various kinds of influence — all this was very exhausting. The state of health deteriorated due to nervousness. The hardest part was worrying about the family, as they were threatened, there was not enough information about what was happening to them. \"\n17 Jehovah's Witnesses are being persecuted in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, 7 of them are already being heard in court. Believers from Krasnoyarsk and Minusinsk, Andrey Stupnikov and Dmitriy Maslov, were convicted for their Christian beliefs.\nThe European Court of Human Rights has stated: \"It is undeniable that the joint study and discussion of liturgical texts by members of a religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses is a recognized form of professing [their] religion during worship and teaching.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-25T15:02:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_b9a5c1ee3132014b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_2aae4db136c0e5f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_5984ab9bc5fe29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/251502/image_hu_b20accc75bd30061.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/251502.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"A Court in the Krasnoyarsk Territory Gave Anton Ostapenko, One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Sharypovo, Six Years and Three Months Suspended for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2021, Dmitry Pestov, judge of the Pavlovsk City Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, found believers Aleksey Oreshkov, Aleksandr Rakovsky and Aleksandr Vavilov guilty of participating in extremist activities. In one day, the court went through the stages of the debate of the parties, the last word and the announcement of the verdict.\nThe believers insist on their complete innocence and can appeal the verdict.\nHairdresser Aleksandr Vavilov, 54, lost his job and the ability to visit his children and granddaughters who live in other cities because of the criminal prosecution. Also Vavilov has been unable to take care of his elderly mother for a long time. Similarly, Aleksey Oreshkov, 50, cannot help his mother, a group I invalid. IT specialist Aleksandr Rakovskiy, 41, father of two young children, also fears dismissal because of his criminal record.\nThe persecution of believers, organized by the Russian Federal Security Service in the Nizhny Novgorod region, began with mass searches in July 2019. Then the security forces invaded the homes of 31 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court sent Oreshkov and Vavilov behind bars. There they spent 211 and 241 days, respectively, and another 19 months under house arrest. Later Rakovskiy was also required to sign an undertaking not to leave, based on the criminal case.\nAccording to the investigation, it was extremism that \"unidentified persons, in the implementation of a joint criminal intent, acting intentionally, as a group of persons by prior collusion ... took active steps to ... hold religious speeches and services,\" during which, like in hundreds of other countries, they peacefully discussed the Bible and Christian teachings, as well as praying.\nAs in most cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecution line was built only on proving that law-abiding believers belonged to an \"undesirable\" religion. For example, Lobachevsky NSU experts, having studied the video files attached to the case, confirmed that they depicted actions characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, the experts concluded that the recordings do not contain any negative statements about persons of other race, nationality, or religion, and there are no encouragements to hostile actions. An FSB officer during the court hearings was also forced to admit that the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not banned in Russia. Witnesses involved in the trial drew attention to the numerous falsifications of their testimony in the interrogation protocols, as well as to the pressure they were subjected to. The prosecution did not identify any victims of the believers' actions.\nA total criminal cases were initiated against 15 believers in Nizhny Novgorod region. One of them had already been sentenced: Sergey Verkhoturov, 46, received a six-year suspended sentence for his belief in Jehovah.\nLegal scholars and human rights activists in Russia and abroad have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to stop persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2019, the problem of the legal conflict between freedom of religion and the application of the \"extremist\" article was mentioned in the report to the President by Russian Human Rights Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-25T11:35:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_67a836e532a018d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_41a70c8c31dc71b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_4f59e58f4dfe7f0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/271135/image_hu_c6f67f586fdfbeca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/271135.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Nizhny Novgorod Region Sentenced Three Jehovah's Witnesses to Three Years of Suspended Sentence for Their Belief in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2021, the Trusovsky District Court of Astrakhan sentenced Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Yevgeniy Ivanov to 8 years, and Yevgeny's wife, Olga, to 3.5 years in prison. These are the longest sentences that Russian courts have imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses for their religious beliefs in recent years.\n“Eight years - in Russia, a criminal can get even less sentence for murder or rape. Officials called upon to ensure justice put harmless talk about the Bible on a par with horrible crimes,— said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.— Earlier, only one believer, Aleksey Berchuk,, was sentenced to 8 years in prison for his faith. If we talk about sentences to women, then the current verdict against Olga Ivanova is a record one. Before her, only 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, who barely survived these events, was sent to prison under such an article”.\nBelievers in Astrakhan insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed in the appellate instance. If protection cannot be achieved in Russia, lawsuits to international structures are possible.\nYevgeniy Ivanov, a shipbuilder by profession, and his wife Olga, a linguist, were deprived of the opportunity to provide for themselves and take care of their elderly mothers due to criminal prosecution for their faith. Olga's mother recently lost her husband. She underwent two operations and needed medical attention, but her daughter was under house arrest and therefore could not help her receive qualified medical care. The criminal prosecution of the welder Sergey Klikunov deprived his wife and daughter of their only breadwinner. Rustam, a puppet theater actor, also lost his favorite job due to his arrest.\nYevgeniy Ivanov, Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov spent more than 500 days in a pre-trial detention center, while Olga Ivanova was under house arrest. She says: “Your apartment becomes a 'camera' with more comfortable conditions ... without the right to leave the house without the permission of the investigator or the court. To control my movements, an electronic bracelet was put on me. For the first two months, I was generally forbidden to leave my apartment. At the same time, I was not allowed to use the telephone, except for calling emergency services. A ban was imposed on the use of the Internet, as well as receiving and sending letters by mail. For the next 8 months I was allowed two-hour walks, but only in the courtyard of my house and at a strictly defined time. \" With the permission of the investigator, her mother moved to Olga from another city. “It was a huge support for me,” Olga continues. “Friends helped my mother buy groceries. To transfer the necessary things for Yevgeniy to the pre-trial detention center, they arrived early in the morning and stood in line even before it opened. \"\nOn June 9, 2020, mass searches took place in at least 27 families of local believers. More than a hundred of law enforcement officials of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region and regional FSB and Ministry of Internal Affairs took part in the raid. A day earlier, Nikolay Banko, an investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, opened a criminal case against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy and Olga Ivanova. On May 31, 2021, the case was transferred to the Trusovskiy District Court of Astrakhan.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint the believers from 4 to 8.5 years in prison. In passing the verdict, Judge Aleksey Semin changed these terms slightly.\nJehovah's Witnesses around the world are renowned for their peaceful worship practices. Believers in Astrakhan also gathered to pray and discuss the Bible with fellow believers, but the authorities groundlessly considered this a threat to the security of society and the state.\nHuman rights activists of the Sova Information and Analytical Center state: “We believe that this decision [of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017], which entailed mass persecution of believers under anti-extremist articles of the Criminal Code, had no legal basis, and we regard it as a manifestation of religious discrimination \".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-25T10:50:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/261050/image_hu_e956aa4a8314c600.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/261050/image_hu_d45096ba71537356.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/261050/image_hu_377a74dff7b8b6db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/261050/image_hu_d9262728eed85765.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/261050.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Unprecedented Verdict in Astrakhan: Three Jehovah's Witnesses Got 8 Years Each, One More Believer - 3.5 years in prison","type":"news"},{"body":"In an appeal to the court, Igor Schmidt explained: \"The investigation, expertise and prosecution were aimed only at proving that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I never hid it... I am proud that I am a believer and a full-fledged citizen of my state, I can believe and share it.\"\n","date":"2021-10-22T15:42:30+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/137.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Schmidt in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 20, 2021, at least 8 home searches took place in different districts of Moscow and one in the Odintsov City District of the Moscow Region. 67-year-old Anatoliy Marunov, 49-year-old Sergey Tolokonnikov and 43-year-old Roman Mareev were detained. At least one criminal case has been opened.\nThe searches began early in the morning and often lasted an unusually long time, up to 9 hours. Law enforcers were looking for \"extremist literature,\" in particular the Bible, as well as weapons and drugs. Investigative actions were initiated by Christina Moskalets, an investigator for especially important cases of the Department for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate (previously, Moscow believers had already been searched on her initiative). Interrogations of believers in the new criminal case took place in that location.\nThe Tolokonnikov family, living in a garden non-profit partnership (SNT) in the village of Solmanovo (Odintsovo urban district of the Moscow region), was invaded by a group of 8 law enforcement officers in masks and camouflage, one of them was armed with a machine gun, at about six in the morning. They tried to enter the apartment under a false pretext, but later directly stated that the police had come. In addition to the spouses, Sergey's 74-year-old mother-in-law was in the house at that time, who did not share his religious views. The security forces seized her pension and social cards. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from believers, as well as money belonging to members of the SNT and intended to pay utility bills.\nAfter a 7-hour search in Odintsovo, law enforcement officers took the Tolokonnikov family to Moscow to search their apartment in the city. Sergey's mother-in-law became ill, and the security officials, having interrogated her right on the bus, allowed her to return home. After the second search, the spouses were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Sergey was detained and placed in a temporary detention center. His wife was released and told that \"it makes no sense to wait for her husband in the next seven years.\"\nThe security officials also came to the Marunov family, living in the Khoroshevskiy District of Moscow, at about 6 am. A group of 8 people conducted the search for 9 hours. Various editions of the Bible, personal records, and electronic devices were seized from the family, including from their son, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. All three were taken to the Investigative Committee. After an hour of interrogation, Anatoliy Marunov's wife and son were released, and he himself was detained.\nUpdate. On October 22, 2021, Dmitriy Neudakhin, judge of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow, selected a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Anatoliy Marunov. He is prohibited from leaving his home, using communication devices and the Internet, and sending and receiving correspondence until December 20, 2021. The investigation accused the law-abiding pensioner of committing extremist activities (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).\nIt also became known that Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are under quarantine in pre-detention center No. 7 in Moscow on Verkhniye Polya Street, 57.\nThe family of Roman Mareev, living in Vykhino-Zhulebino, was woken up by the security forces at 5 am. The whole group was in civilian clothes, no documents were presented. Entering the apartment, the security forces shouted: \"Down on the floor!\" After Roman's 71-year-old mother, pointing to the floor, asked: \"Right here?\" — the security forces allowed her to keep standing.\nRoman's elderly father was also at home, who, after two heart attacks and a leg injury, walks on crutches. He and his wife are on disability, so what is happening was a great shock for them. The search lasted 9 hours. During all this time, the security forces did not allow Roman to eat. Digital equipment was seized from the believer, as well as a large amount of money collected to buy a dacha. Law enforcement officers told Roman that a criminal case had been opened against him. He was detained.\nLaw enforcement officers in uniform and with weapons came to Mikhail Zubkov at 6 am. Having learned there were children in the apartment, the security forces behaved correctly and did not even conduct a search in the children's room. After 5 and a half hours, the spouses were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee.\nIn addition, searches were carried out in the apartments of four women of different ages.\nAt the moment, five believers are behind bars in Moscow and the Moscow region, and five more are under house arrest. On July 20, 2021, the Moscow Regional Court approved suspended sentences of 2 to 6 years for four believers from the town of Chekhov near Moscow.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-22T15:33:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/221533.html","regions":["moscow","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","ivs","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"In Moscow, 3 Believers Sent to Temporary Detention. New Criminal Case Opened Against Jehovah's Witnesses, Raids Took Place","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 22, 2021, Chelyabinsk security forces searched at two addresses: at 53-year-old Vadim Gizatulin and 52-year-old Irina Mikhailenko. The home of 59-year-old Olga Zhelavskaya was not searched, as she was in the hospital after COVID-19 and a stroke. All three of them are suspected of extremism for their faith.\nElectronic devices and old telephone books were confiscated from believers. After the searches, Vadim Gizatulin and his wife, as well as Irina Mikhailenko with her husband and son, were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nOperational measures for Chelyabinsk residents were repeated, they were sanctioned by the Traktorozavodsky District Court on the basis of a criminal case initiated by investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, who organized the criminal prosecution of an elderly couple Vladimir Suvorov and his wife Valentina. They were subsequently sentenced to 6 and 2 years suspended sentence. Gizatulin and Mikhailenko were witnesses in that case. Chepenko also conducted an investigation into the case of three other Jehovah's Witnesses in the Chelyabinsk Region, including Dmitriy Vinogradov, who was sentenced to a 2-year suspended sentence.\nAs before, investigator Chepenko accuses believers of \"extremist activity\" — the peaceful and de jure not prohibited in Russia worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-22T14:06:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/281406/image_hu_7e354adac96515d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/281406/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/281406/image_hu_5eb75197710d6339.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/281406/image_hu_f0b6d6ab0b085b31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/281406.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Were Searched Again in Chelyabinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 22, 2021, judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Lyudmila Tumaykina, found 49-year-old Igor Shmidt guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 6 years in prison for his faith in Jehovah God.\nThe believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center after a raid in Sevastopol, where security forces searched at least 9 local residents in October 2020. The case against him was initiated by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol Sergey Bosiyev on September 24, 2020. The investigation lasted six months, all this time Igor was in a pre-trial detention center, then he was transferred under house arrest. On March 30, 2021, the case was brought to court. During the trial, the prosecution did not present a single victim to the court. Despite this, the prosecutor asked the court to imprison Shmidt for 7 years.\nAccording to Igor Shmidt, the investigation, expert examinations and accusations were aimed only at proving that he was Jehovah's Witness, allegedly “a dangerous sect for society,” but no evidence of its danger was provided. The believer referred to the words of the religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, who wrote several books about Jehovah's Witnesses: “The epithet 'sectarian' is usually applied to gloomy, aggressive, and embittered people. Jehovah's Witnesses, in my opinion, are the complete opposite of this image. They behave openly, give the impression of free people, open to the modern world and striving to make people better through their preaching of the Bible. \"\nAlready 16 of Jehovah's Witnesses from Crimea have been prosecuted for their faith. In March 2020, Sergey Filatov was sentenced to 6 years in prison, in June 2020, the Supreme Court of Crimea toughened the punishment assigned to Artem Gerasimov and sentenced him to 6 years in prison for talking on spiritual topics, and in September 2021, 6.5 years in prison received another Crimean Jehovah's Witness — Viktor Stashevskiy.\nBoth in Russia and abroad, human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe states: “Russia's failure to uphold religious freedom is yet another unforgivable violation of Moscow's OSCE commitments. People who practice their faith peacefully should never be harassed, fined, or imprisoned. The court order to confiscate the property of Jehovah's Witnesses adds humiliation to the persecution. It is hoped that this case will be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights ”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/251046/image_hu_b12dbb1b56c10cea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/251046/image_hu_7118e5c055097d9b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/251046/image_hu_2b9c6634d3c30bfc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/251046/image_hu_5fca71efe1972df2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/251046.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","sentence","282.2-1"],"title":"In Sevastopol, Businessman Igor Shmidt Was Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The modern campaign to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses, which began after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in April 2017 and continues to this day, is senseless and cruel,\" Olga Ivanova said, addressing the court with her last word.\n","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/138.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Olga Ivanova in Astrakhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer said that the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses contribute to both the personal good of a person and the good of society: \"A religion that helps citizens get rid of bad habits, become honest, law-abiding, kind people, strengthens the state.\"\n","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/140.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Rustam Diarov in Astrakhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Sergey Klikunov noted: \"I am far from an ideal person, I have mistakes and mistakes in life, like many people, because we are all imperfect. But all of them are disproportionate to what I am accused of today.\"\n","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/141.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Klikunov in Astrakhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Yevgeny Ivanov emphasized: \"I am a Christian and I am not going to violate state laws, but on the contrary I try to act within the framework of the Constitution and other laws of the Russian Federation.\"\n","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/139.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Ivanov in Astrakhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 18, 2021, the Ust-Abakan District Court of the Republic of Khakassia refused to release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, convicted of her faith, from the colony. The assigned term of imprisonment for the believer expires in January 2023.\nIn June 2021, Valentina filed a petition for release from serving her sentence on the basis of Article 81 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation \"Release from punishment due to illness.\" Baranovskaya's defense provided the court with a medical report confirming the diagnosis.\nBack in the summer of 2020, Valentina was diagnosed with cerebral infarction. Despite this, after the verdict was passed, the woman was placed in the Detention Center No. 1 of Abakan, where she spent about four months.\nThe elderly believer's lawyer appealed to various authorities to draw attention to the situation of the sick woman in the remand prison.\nIn June 2021, Valentina was transferred to a colony to serve a 2-year sentence. After additional examinations, she was prescribed the necessary medications. “The attending physician visited Valentina in the colony and issued his opinion. The administration of the colony agreed with him, they give her everything that is prescribed, they treat her every day. The therapist and the head of the medical unit treat her well. The treatment is good for her,” the lawyer told the believer.\nMeanwhile, Valentina's son Roman Baranovskiy is in correctional colony No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Trans-Baikal Territory, where he will have to spend about 5 and a half more years just because he did not give up his faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/201540.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mitigation","elderly","families"],"title":"The Court Refused to Early Release 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya From the Colony, Despite Her Serious Illness","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 15, 2021, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the sentence to Vladimir Suvorov - 6 years suspended for organizing \"extremist activities\". The verdict has entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe court of first instance did not satisfy the prosecutor's request to send the believer to jail for 7 years. On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, convicted the 75-year-old Jehovah's Witness and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment for talking to people about God, holding worship services, singing hymns and prayers. The judge considered it to be the organization of the activities of a banned community.\nVladimir Suvorov has hypertension and a sick heart. His 73-year-old wife, Valentina, was also prosecuted simply because she is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court also found her guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. All this was a new blow after the couple lost their only son a few years ago.\nIn July 2020, Vladimir Suvorov was included in the \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring. This seriously complicated the financial condition of the elderly spouses. In addition, the believer spent about a year under recognizance not to leave.\nVladimir has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for almost 30 years. Russian courts began to recognize ordinary religious practices as extremist activities and an encroachment on the constitutional order of Russia. Neither the venerable age of the defendants, nor the absence of victims and evidence of guilt in the case stop judges from sentencing believers.\nThe conflict between law and law enforcement practice in Russia, according to the European Court of Human Rights, occurs due to a number of erroneous stereotypes about Jehovah's Witnesses. The ECHR gave this a legal interpretation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_c5ceb4c8d83d1391.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_f2f916e0f7f0a11c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_f5b8eaefb0ef40f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/180949/image_hu_b4ea3e89ad48b192.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/180949.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","elderly","families","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Chelyabinsk Upholds the Conviction of 75-Year-Old Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Suvorov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 14, 2021, the Prosecutor General's Office of Belarus refused to extradite Jehovah's Witness Oleg Lonshakov to the Russian authorities. The believer's preventive measure was cancelled and he was released from Brest pre-trial detention center No. 7. He spent more than two weeks in custody.\nLonshakov, internationally wanted by Russia, was detained in the morning on September 29th in Brest, where he has been living for more than a year and has a residence permit. He spent two days in the temporary detention center, after which Deputy Prosecutor of Brest E. A. Pashkevich issued an order for placing Lonshakov in detention center No. 7 until November 8, 2021.\nBefore moving to Belarus, the 44-year-old believer lived in the village of Tavrichanka in Primorye Territory. In May 2020, Russian authorities initiated a criminal case against Lonshakov under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activities), essentially because of his beliefs. Due to religious repressions at home, Oleg was forced to leave for Belarus.\nIn September, 2021, Lonshakov applied for refugee status on the basis of his religion. In the coming weeks, it is going to be considered by the Department of Citizenship and Migration of the Interior Ministry of Belarus.\nThis is not the first time the Belarusian authorities have detained and then released a Jehovah's Witness from Russia. In 2020, Nikolay Makhalichev from the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area) spent more than a month in pre-detention center No. 2 in the Vitebsk region.\n","category":"rights","date":"2021-10-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_925a4297698e0939.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_a0b18f792e0f495c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_6ca1ac711caa60c5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/191540/image_hu_9fcbd44eaeafaf8a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/191540.html","regions":["belarus","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Belarus Refused to Extradite Jehovah's Witness Oleg Lonshakov to Russia, He Was Released From Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The main question to which the state prosecutor has not given an answer: how to reconcile the constitutional right to joint confession of faith within the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses with the ban on organizing activities recognized as extremist, so as not to be criminally prosecuted?\"\n","date":"2021-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/136.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anton Ostapenko in Sharypovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"During the mass searches in Irkutsk, which took place in the homes of believers on October 4, 2021, armed soldiers of the \"Grom\" special forces and the Russian Guard beat and tortured 31-year-old Anatoliy Razdobarov and 23-year-old Nikolai Merinov, as well as their wives.\nGreta and Anatoliy Razdobarovs came to the village of Novolisikha in the Irkutsk region to visit their parents. Early in the morning the security forces broke into the house, knocked Anatoliy to the floor, handcuffed him, kicked him in the head and kidneys. After that, they began to lift the believer from the floor by the hands chained behind his back, causing severe pain. Then law enforcement officers simulated rape, trying to stick a glass bottle between his buttocks. Anatoliy was not allowed to get up for a long time, until he finally began to feel sick. Only after that the torture stopped and he was allowed to stand up. The security forces demanded that the believer unlock his smartphone, confess to crimes that he did not commit, and incriminate fellow believers.\nAccording to Anatoliy himself, his wife, Greta, was dragged by the security forces into the next room by the hair, handcuffed behind his back, and repeatedly pushed. Only 30 minutes later, Greta was allowed to get dressed. The believer was frightened by the fact that \"in the female colony it is worse than in the male colony.\"\nThe search at the Razdobarovs' house lasted more than 8 hours. All this time, Greta's sister with her husband and two young children were in the house. A large amount of money received from the sale of the land plot was seized from Greta's parents. Then the Razdobarovs were released. The next day, they underwent a medical examination, during which doctors recorded multiple bruises and abrasions.\nAt about the same time, the security forces invaded the home of the Merinovs. They hit the head of the family, Nikolay, in the face with a heavy blunt object, breaking his tooth. The believer fell to the floor and lost consciousness. When Nikolay came to his senses, a special forces soldier was sitting on him and inflicted many blows.\nNikolay's wife, 27-year-old Liliya Merinova, was thrown to the floor by the security forces, dragged by her feet into another room and subjected to physical violence. After the search, the security forces took Nikolay away for interrogation, he was released late in the evening, after which the spouses underwent a medical examination and recorded injuries.\nDuring searches of other believers, the security forces also displayed unmotivated aggression. In a number of cases, at the beginning of the assault, the special forces knocked out the windows, although the doors in the houses were not locked. Residents were not allowed to dress despite the fact that frosty air entered the house — the temperature outside that morning reached -1 ° Celsius. According to the believers, one of the special forces soldiers explained the harsh actions by the fact that they received an order: the assault must be accompanied by an assault. “According to the investigator, the order to carry out the raid came so rudely directly from Moscow,” said one of the local residents, who was also searched. “Later, the special forces officers realized that we were peaceful. They calmed down and even showed sympathy. Some time after the start of the search, they were already playing games on their phones, someone even dozing. \"\n“Unjustified cruelty towards peaceful, non-resisting believers is a sad continuation of the brutal repressions of the Soviet era,”— says Yaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. “In 2019, a roundup of believers in Surgut turned into fastidious torture, in 2020 believers in Chita reported beatings and torture, after that a massive raid in Voronezh again led to beatings and torture. \"\nUnder Russian law, such flagrant abuse of power is a criminal offense. In addition, the Russian Federation is subject to several international bodies that protect people from torture. The Razdobarovs and Merinovs will use all available legal remedies, both domestic and international, in connection with these crimes. The believers filed a complaint against the actions of law enforcement officials with the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor's Office, and also informed the Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"crime","date":"2021-10-11T15:07:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/061135/image_hu_90cd0e6c65de2e9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/061135/image_hu_a1954110653499d6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/061135/image_hu_c13dc1e60f769490.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/061135/image_hu_8149eeae62adf39c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/061135.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","torture","minors"],"title":"Believers From Irkutsk Talk About Torture During a Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of September 29, 2021, a 44-year-old Russian citizen Oleg Lonshakov was detained in his apartment in Brest due to the fact that he was put on the interstate wanted list in Russia. On October 1, the deputy prosecutor of the city E. A. Pashkevich decided to detain him until November 8, 2021 in pre-trial detention center No. 7 of the UDIN Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in the Brest region.\nLonshakov learned from Belarusian law enforcement agencies that in Russia he was accused of \"extremism\" in a criminal case initiated on the basis of confessional affiliation. Oleg professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier, he had applied for political asylum in Belarus. The believer has been living in Belarus for more than a year and has a residence permit.\nBefore moving to Belarus, Lonshakov lived in the village of Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory), where a wave of searches took place in July 2020.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-11T10:57:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/111057.html","regions":["primorye","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Russia Was Arrested in Belarus. At Home, He Faces Criminal Prosecution for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 11, 2021, Olga Marchenko, judge of the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, found Vladimir Skachidub, a 59-year-old Jehovah's Witness, guilty of extremism. For peaceful convictions, he was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in a general regime colony. The believer is taken into custody.\nAddressing the last word before the announcement of the verdict to the court, Vladimir said: “Your honor, no matter what decision you make, my conscience is clear. I did not do any harm either against people or against the state. And in the eyes of God I will come out of here justified. \" The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nOn April 29, 2020, the security forces searched the house of the Skachidub family and 8 other residents of the Krasnodar villages of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya. Almost 2 months later, officers of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory opened a criminal case against Vladimir Skachidub. He was accused of peaceful talks about the Bible with fellow believers, which the investigation considered \"dangerous for society and the state.\"\nThe investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory investigated the case against the believer for six months. On December 17, 2020, the case was sent to court. During the hearing, the prosecution was unable to present a single evidence of the believer's dangerous acts and not a single victim.\nVladimir Skachidub is a disabled person of the III group, and his wife, Galina, is a disabled person of the II group. The criminal prosecution worsened the health of the spouses. For more than a year, Vladimir Skachidub was under recognizance agreement. After the verdict was announced, the believer was handcuffed. Until the appeal decision, Vladimir will be detained in a pre-trial detention center.\nIn total, 11 criminal cases were initiated in the Krasnodar Territory against 16 believers. Five of them have already been convicted and received real prison terms. The most severe punishment — 7.5 years in a colony — was received by a 63-year-old resident of the village of Kholmskaya, Alexandr Ivshin. “It seems that some judges in the Krasnodar Territory show particular hatred towards Jehovah's Witnesses. In many other Russian regions, believers are given suspended sentences for the same actions — Bible discussions and joint prayers. Although such verdicts are also unjust, at least people are not deprived of their freedom and do not risk losing the remnants of their health in the dungeons, ” — says Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nForeign and Russian jurists are outraged by the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In a joint statement, Russian human rights activists note: \"If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/120818/image_hu_d629482f6c11b286.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/120818/image_hu_856f506582695f42.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/120818/image_hu_1e9f1ec6b1f16c1b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/120818/image_hu_4ca7a35be3813fba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/120818.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"Krasnodar Court Sentenced Vladimir Skachidub, a Believer with a Disability, to Four Years in Prison for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 11, 2021, in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, searches were carried out in the homes of local believers, including the home of a 78-year-old woman. Two men were detained for 48 hours. Details are being specified.\nNikolaevsk-on-Amur has become the seventh settlement in the Khabarovsk Territory, where the authorities unreasonably persecute believers on religious grounds. Prior to that, criminal cases against 20 local residents were initiated in Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Vyazemsky, Bikin, Sovetskaya Gavan and the village of Solnechny. Jehovah's Witnesses are accused of gathering to read the Bible and pray together, including online. Security officials often interpret these actions as the activities of a banned extremist organization. This contradicts the provision of the Russian Constitution, which enshrines the right to profess any religion, as well as the assurances of the authorities that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nUpdate. As it became known, on October 11, 2021, a criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against local believers. The next day, 60-year-old Igor Kletkin, who was detained after the search, was charged by the security forces. On October 13, 2021, Nikita Rubtsov, judge of the Nikolaevsky-on-Amur Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, rejected the investigator\u0026rsquo;s petition to detain the believer and placed him under a recognizance agreement. The investigator also brought in another man as a defendant in the case, and a 78-year-old believer as a suspect. They also chose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/131059.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Searches at Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Carried Out in the Khabarovsk Territory. At Least Two Believers Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 11, 2021, the criminal case against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut and one person mistakenly accepted by the investigation as a Jehovah's Witness was transferred to the Surgut City Court. The case has been assigned to judge Dmitriy Lupin.\nThere were 19 believers in the dock, aged 22 to 71. Among them is one woman.\nIn 2019, Surgut became the first city in modern Russia where the Witnesses were brutally tortured by the security forces. During interrogation in the Investigative Committee, seven detained men (six of them are now in the status of defendants) were tortured with electric current, beaten and strangled until they lost consciousness, forcing them to incriminate themselves and their loved ones. From the stories of the victims, it follows that among the torturers there was a special group of security officials specially assigned to the region, who have the practice of beating testimonies from detainees.\nVictims of torture filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights, reported the incident to the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, employees of the offices of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, as well as Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Council under the President of Russia for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC). The latter said: : \"We cannot allow such an evil to exist on our land.\"\nNevertheless, until now none of the officers involved in the torture in Surgut has been brought to justice. Impunity led to the subsequent torture of Jehovah's Witnesses by the security forces in other regions. The last of the recorded cases occurred in Irkutsk during searches of believers.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_d84b3ebe3c4eb61c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_ed3efba6387da753.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_498b36ea89e4c787.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/211504/image_hu_7fcd2f9154f0c9fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/211504.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"title":"Trial Begins in Surgut in the Case Against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses, Six of Whom Were Tortured During Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"On 10 October, 2021 it became known that Oleg Danilov, serving his sentence for his Christian beliefs in the Akhtar colony, was unreasonably placed in a punishment cell. His detention in the penal cell was later extended by 15 days without any explanation.\nJehovah's Witness Oleg Danilov was sent to correctional colony № 11 in Krasnodar region in September 2021. During this short period the administration of the institution has already issued him two groundless reprimands, on the basis of which he was found to be a persistent violator of the order. At least one of the \"violations\" was fabricated with particular cynicism: a correctional officer took off Danilov's headdress and photographed him, after which he accused him of violating the internal regulations — as if he was inappropriately dressed.\nPenal detention isolators have the strictest conditions of detention. According to the Criminal Executive Code, detainees in the penal cell \"are prohibited from receiving visits, telephone calls, receiving parcels and packages, buying any food, smoking, and bringing food and personal items with the exception of basic necessities (toothpaste, toilet paper, soap, towels, and so on). In addition, the existence of penalties can prevent a prisoner from being released on parole or having his sentence commuted.\nPlacement in a punishment cell is used as a corrective measure for those who maliciously violate the regime of the colony or pose a threat to others (Article 116 of the Penal Enforcement Code). For example, punitive measures are used if an inmate uses alcohol or drugs, keeps prohibited items, clashes with other inmates or the administration, refuses to work or follow the internal rules of the institution.\nThis is the second instance in which Jehovah's Witnesses have been placed in a punishment cell in Krasnodar Krai colonies without justification. In late September 2021, Viktor Stashevsky, who is serving a sentence in the Khadyzhensk colony, was also placed in punitive confinement, allegedly because of the severe category of the article under which he was convicted.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-10-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony2_hu_bce02cc6b2982695.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_4065c86442783316.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony2_hu_2c67bb3b320c327c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony2_hu_58a310f8beb82f71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/121612.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["shizo"],"title":"Oleg Danilov, imprisoned for his faith, unjustly sent to a punishment cell","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 7, 2021, the Judicial Collegium of the Krasnodar Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yevgeny Matyakin, dismissed the appeal of Vasily Meleshko. The court considered conversations with friends on religious topics a \"socially dangerous\" act and approved the punishment in the form of 3 years in prison.\nThe sentence of the lower court came into force. A believer has the right to defend his innocence in cassation and in international courts.\nIn just two sessions, the judge of the Abinsk District Court, Mikhail Ostashevskiy, found Vasily Meleshko guilty of extremism and sentenced him to three years in a general regime colony.\nEarly in the morning of April 7, 2021, the task force searched the homes of the Meleshko spouses. The believer said that the security forces explained their arrival with the words \"all this is happening on the initiative of the Ministry of Justice from Moscow.\" 5 days later, Vasily was officially charged with extremism. According to the investigation, the believer's guilt lies in the fact that he \"conducted and listened to lectures based on religious literature ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants, participated in collective discussions of religious books.\"\nThe criminal case is based, among other things, on the results of a comprehensive psychological and religious examination dated May 31, 2021, which classifies the conversation between Vasily Meleshko and Aleksandr Ivshin , convicted of believing in God, as \"religious topics, and in particular, to serving Jehovah God.\"\nDuring the investigation, Vasiliy spent 127 days under recognizance not to leave, and after the verdict was announced, he ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he waited 2 months for an appeal decision.\nVasiliy became the 4th Jehovah's Witness from Kholmskaya to be sentenced to a real prison term for his religious beliefs. In the Krasnodar Territory, 17 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been persecuted for their peaceful religious views.\nAs in other cases, the prosecution against Vasiliy Meleshko unjustifiably equates ordinary aspects of communal religious life with extremism. Back in 2018, Russian public figures warned about the dangers of such a substitution of concepts in their joint statement : \"If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.\"\nHuman rights activists and organizations outside the Russian Federation have expressed similar concerns. In its statement, the OSCE emphasizes: \"We are concerned about the unjustified criminalization of the peaceful activities of members of the Jehovah's Witnesses communities in Russia, the liquidation of this community in the country. This Supreme Court decision poses a threat to the values and principles on which democratic, free, open, pluralistic and tolerant societies are founded.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-07T15:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/071525/image_hu_93ab4e341ab2d795.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/071525/image_hu_3b55dc120aa26a49.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/071525/image_hu_8fafc6062fb7ef06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/071525/image_hu_db58344761be7ceb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/071525.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Appeal Upholds the Verdict of a Pensioner from the Village of Kholmskaya — Vasiliy Meleshko Will Spend 3 Years in a Penal Colony for Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer described what motivated him to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses and how, through Bible study, he was able to put his life in order and find real purpose.\n","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/135.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 5, 2021, the panel of judges of Krasnoyarsk Territory Court headed by Vladimir Granenkin refused to satisfy Dmitriy Maslov's appeal. The sentence of the lower court came into force.\nThe 45-year-old believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn June 2, 2021, Judge of the Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Fomichev found Maslov guilty of committing crime according to clause 282.2 part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activity) because of his faith. He was sentenced to a fine of 450,000 rubles.\nDuring the debate in the Minusinsk City Court the prosecutor requested a 6-year imprisonment sentence for Dmitriy Maslov in a penal colony.\nA believer shared: \"Criminal prosecution creates a feeling of a sword hanging over you and keeps you in constant tension. There is no sense of security either in your home or outside of it.\" The stressful background for his wife, Yuliya, led to a worsening of her health. The family began to have financial difficulties, as accounts were seized and bank cards were blocked.\nOn April 19, 2019, in the city of Minusinsk, officers of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service with the participation of Rosgvardia operatives invaded the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches were conducted in five houses and over 30 people were detained for interrogation, including Dmitriy Maslov. He had to spend two days in custody.\nMaslov, a peaceful beekeeper, was the victim of an erroneous interpretation of the law by the authorities. Law enforcement officials are increasingly treating common religious practices as illegal activities due to the April 2017 decision of the Russian Supreme Court to liquidate all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nA total of 13 similar criminal cases have been initiated in Krasnoyarsk Territory, six of which are currently pending in the court of first instance. On September 7, 2021, an appeal in Krasnoyarsk upheld the sentence on 47-year-old Andrey Stupnikov. He will have to serve six years in a penal colony for his belief in Jehovah.\nLegal scholars in Russia and abroad condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko wrote: \"The vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding, striving to live according to the moral standards set forth in the Bible. They reject violence, pay their taxes conscientiously, value peace in the family, society, and the state, and recognize the right of others to have their own beliefs.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/071048/image_hu_3a8557e4d3784ef9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/071048/image_hu_e4e5d0964888ca54.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/071048/image_hu_8eac57834a0cdd0c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/071048/image_hu_f4167a112631e7b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/071048.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","fine"],"title":"The Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Verdict Against Dmitriy Maslov. The Believer Received a Fine of 450 000 Rubles","type":"news"},{"body":"On 4 October 2021, starting at 6:00 a.m., brigades of armed Rosgvardiya officers led by investigators surrounded the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk and the village of Pivovarikha. At least nine searches are known to have been carried out at different addresses. Windows were broken in one of the houses.\nBelievers are detained for interrogation. Some were released. Among others, searches are being conducted in the family home of 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, as well as in the home of 63-year-old Nikolay Martynov. The news is being updated.\nUpdate. According to updated information, searches were carried out in 13 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. Six believers were sent to jail: 52-year-old Yaroslav Kalin, 34-year-old Mikhail Moish, 45-year-old Alexei Solnechny, 61-year-old Sergey Kosteev, 63-year-old Nikolai Martynov and 46-year-old Andrey Tolmachev. Another, 70-year-old Sergey Vasilyev, was placed under house arrest after 2 days behind bars.\nThe issue of choosing a preventive measure for the detained believers was decided in the Irkutsk court on October 5 and 6, 2021. On the first day, about 300 people gathered outside the courthouse, wishing to support their fellow believers. After a while, they were approached by women living nearby, who learned that there were believers in court. They brought hot tea with them to express their sympathy.\nPhoto: In Irkutsk, about 300 of their friends came to the courthouse, where the measure of restraint was chosen for 6 believers, to support them After 2017, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, as investigators interpret ordinary religious practice as participation in the activities of an organization banned by the court. Often the victims of searches and detentions are also acquaintances, relatives of believers or even random persons taken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake.\nIrkutsk Region became the 69th region in Russia where residents are criminally prosecuted for believing in Jehovah's God. Jehovah's Witnesses have lived in this area since the days of Operation \"North\", when they were victims of the largest confessional deportation in Soviet history. The believers were later rehabilitated, so the mass roundups and criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia are of concern to historians and legal scholars.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-10-04T15:29:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/041529.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Irkutsk Region, the Officials Conducts Searches in the Families of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 4, 2021 Rostov regional court upheld the conviction of 42-year-old Andrey Okhrimchuk. By its decision, court equated simple discussion of the Bible with friends to extremist activity.\nThe believer insists on his innocence. Although the verdict came into force, he has the right to appeal it in cassation and international instances.\nTwo months earlier, the Leninskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don found Ohrimchuk guilty of participating in the activities of extremist activity and its financing. Judge Olga Borokhova sentenced the believer to 4 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restricted freedom, thereby satisfying the prosecutor's request.\nProsecutor A. Chebrikov, who has been involved in trials against other believers from Rostov-on-Don, was the state prosecutor at the appeal hearing.\nAndrey is an individual entrepreneur. Together with his wife, Ekaterina, they are raising a young daughter. On May 22, 2019, law enforcement officers broke into the believer's apartment and searched it in the presence of his schoolgirl daughter, and a year and a half later a criminal case was opened against him under two articles. He spent the last 11 months of his life under house arrest. Because Andrey is on the Rosfinmonitoring list, he is restricted in his financial capacity.\nDuring the trial, no evidence of the believer's guilt was provided. The court of the first instance questioned a religious studies professor, who was confused in his testimony and appealed to outdated information about Jehovah's Witnesses. In addition, prosecutor I. Napalkova was present at the sessions. She was prompting her colleagues with pressure tactics, which she had already used on other believers before.\nBy now, nine believers, including three women, have been sentenced in Rostov-on-Don.\nRussian government agencies have repeatedly asserted that liquidation of legal entities does not restrict religious freedom. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation stated: \"Members of a liquidated organization may independently practice their religion, including as members of religious groups, without registration, on the understanding that this does not involve extremist activity. However, law enforcement officers continue to unreasonably hang the label of \"extremism\" on the legitimate purely religious activities of believers. Andrey Okhrimchuk noticed this contradiction in his situation as well: \"I am accused for the fact that I prayed, sang songs and read the Bible.\nHuman rights activists in Russia and abroad condemn the systematic persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Dr. Hubert Seivert, professor at the University of Leipzig, notes: \"I cannot imagine that a court with sufficient information could come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or could be dangerous politically [...] Moreover, it is worth recalling that Jehovah's Witnesses were only banned by dictatorial regimes, for example Nazi Germany. And I do not think that today's Russia is like that.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_1d9ae78eede05da0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_7fe6bc6d5cd69544.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_6b43c36df07d4203.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/050820/image_hu_1d81aa8573b63925.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/050820.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","minors"],"title":"Four Years Suspended Sentence for Faith. Appellate Court Approved the Sentence for Rostov Resident Andrey Okhrimchuk","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 30, 2021, the panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court rejected the appeal of Olga Ganusha from Rostov-on-Don on the conviction for her choice of religion. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the sentence that has entered into force in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\n“My heart is filled with love for God and my neighbor. I encouraged people to read God's Word and learn goodness, love, justice. I have never experienced any hostility or hatred and do not feel it towards any person. If the prosecution insists on my involvement in extremism, it is from ignorance and misunderstanding of the essence of what is happening. Everything has its time. Perhaps these people will someday open their eyes,” Olga Ganusha said in court before the appeal.\nEarlier, on July 13, 2021, the judge of the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Viktor Trofimov, sentenced 60-year-old Olga Ganusha for “participation in the activities of a banned organization.” She was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 1.5 years.\nThe prosecutor asked the court to impose on the believer 3 years of suspended sentence, 3 years of probation and 1 year of restrictions. Ganusha is charged with ordinary religious practice as illegal activity. In particular, the court of first instance reviewed video recordings made in her apartment. The files contained recordings of worship meeting and telephone conversations of the defendant on daily and religious topics with her friends.\nThe criminal prosecution impacted Ganusha’s health, her chronic diseases worsened. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says.\nThe criminal prosecution impacted Ganusha’s health, her chronic diseases worsened. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says.\nFor almost a year, the pensioner was limited in her movement as she was under recognizance agreement. She says: “There were some difficulties after I was included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring. My retirement card has been blocked.”\nShe is now getting help from her fellow believers who provided material and emotional support: they bring food, send encouraging letters and postcards, offer small amounts of money.\nDespite the trials she faced, the believer does not allow the thought of giving up her beliefs: “Regardless of the outcome of the criminal trial, I remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I am determined to remain faithful to God to the end and to speak about my faith, whatever the circumstances.”\nThe criminal prosecution of Olga Ganusha began with mass searches and detentions on May 22, 2019. On that morning, law enforcers raided at least 15 homes of Rostov's Jehovah's Witnesses. “Reading the search warrant in my apartment, I couldn’t believe my eyes that this was happening to me,” recalls Olga Ganusha. “I didn’t understand a lot when I later read the materials of my case. There were 6 volumes, and I had no idea what could be written in them.”\nOn June 6, 2019, the First Investigation Department (headquartered in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened criminal cases under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 against three women: Olga Ganusha, Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova. Later, the cases of each of them were separated into separate proceedings. At the end of the trials, 71-year-old Ponomarenko was sentenced to 2 years of probation, and Parkova—to 2 years and 3 months of probation.\nOther believers in Rostov-on-Don were also convicted on charges of extremism: Aleksandr Parkov and Arsen Avanesov were sentenced to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment, and Vilen Avanesov—to 6. They have been in custody since May 22, 2019.\nLawyers and human rights activists in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, in May 2021, former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to President Vladimir Putin urging him to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-01T14:14:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_b4c4f7e276b570bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_ada061c6f3d6ab2b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_3749236aa66ea6d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/011414/image_hu_a697d5c1467880fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/011414.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Rostov-on-Don Upheld the Sentence Against 60-Year-Old Believer Olga Ganusha","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 1, 2021, the Arkhangelsk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Igor Vashukov, rejected Yevgeny Yakku's appeal and upheld the sentence of the lower court. Earlier, the Solombala District Court ordered the 41-year-old believer to pay a fine of 880,000 rubles, thus recognizing peaceful conversations about the Bible as extremism. The court also decided to impose a fine on both cars of the Yakku family, which were arrested earlier, and decided to destroy the seized Bibles.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe prosecutor requested for Yevgeniy 7.5 years in prison, 2.5 years of restriction of freedom, and also demanded that both arrested cars and other seized equipment be transferred to the state, and everything else, including the seized Bibles, should be destroyed.\nAfter the Yakku family was searched, Eugene lost his new job, which he was supposed to take that day. He got a job as a janitor, but after a while he was also suddenly fired from there without explanation. In April 2019, the believer was included in the list of \"terrorists and extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring.\nAgainst the background of stress in connection with the criminal prosecution, Yevgeny's chronic illness worsened. Doctors also noted a sharp deterioration in the health of his wife Irina, who has been suffering from an autoimmune disease for many years.\nDuring the investigation, in April 2020, Yakku's mother suffered a stroke. His father did not leave the house for about 10 years due to illness. He needed constant care, so in November of the same year, the believer decided to move his parents to his place, but on the way, Eugene's father died in the car right in his arms.\nThe wife of Eugene Yakku shared that in difficult times their friends were always there: \"They called, expressed their feelings and love, wrote letters and sent postcards. They came to court hearings as they were restrained, and with each subsequent hearing the number of friends did not decrease.\n\"We have never been abandoned or abandoned,\" echoes the words of his wife Eugene.- Friends readily came to us, encouraged, invited to visit, and also helped us financially in legal and medical matters. They brought a lot of food.\"\nThe security forces raided the house of Yevgeniy Yakku on the morning of February 18, 2019. Two criminal cases were initiated against the believer for organizing, participating and involving other persons in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAfter the search, he spent 1 day in a temporary detention center, and then for 2 years and 5 months, Yakku was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. A special device was put on his leg - an electronic tracking bracelet.\nDuring the trial, violations were revealed. One of the prosecution witnesses reported pressure from the investigator to fabricate testimony, but the investigator denied this.\nAnother prosecution witness, Theodosius Nesterov, a priest of one of the local churches, never met the defendant, but claimed that the magazines published by Jehovah's Witnesses \"clearly contain a motive for inciting intolerance ... Although it's not on all pages and it's encrypted.\"\nReligious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, in turn, drew the court's attention to the fact that the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses are not related to extremism and the decision of the Supreme Court of 2017 does not imply that believers do not have the right to continue to practice their religion together with others.\nIn addition to Yevgeniy Yakku, another resident of Arkhangelsk, 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina , faced persecution for her faith. In November 2019, the investigation closed the criminal case against her for lack of corpus delicti. The believer died of complications after the coronavirus in June 2021, without waiting for the results of her rehabilitation.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. For example, the EU countries express their concern about the current situation around believers with the following words: \"The decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia for 'extremism' opens the way for criminal prosecution of members of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses for the mere practice of their religion. Jehovah's Witnesses, like all other religious groups, must be able to peacefully enjoy freedom of assembly without interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as by Russia's international commitments and international human rights standards.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-10-01T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/10/011747/image_hu_646b208a2ad7cb0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/10/011747/image_hu_3439cdd221b19205.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/10/011747/image_hu_ce1b3657ac617267.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/10/011747/image_hu_29d0648b68713857.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/10/011747.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","fine","belongings-arrest"],"title":"An appeal in Arkhangelsk upheld the verdict against Yevgeniy Yakku. He was fined heavily for believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 27, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Ufa, Oksana Ilalova, found Anatoliy Vilitkevich guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months for his faith in Jehovah God.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vilitkevich to 7 years in a general regime colony. Passing the verdict, the judge reclassified the charge from Part 1 (organizing the activities of an extremist organization) to Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and appointed Anatoly a punishment not related to imprisonment.\nMaster of finishing works Anatoliy Vilitkevich became one of the first to be imprisoned because of his faith after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) was initiated against Anatoliy on April 11, 2018. A day earlier, mass searches took place in Ufa and its environs, after which Vilitkevich was detained. Taking the believer away, the security officials told his wife, Alyona, that she would not see him for a long time, and advised him to “look for a new husband”. Before these events, hidden video filming was carried out in the apartment of the spouses for six months.\nVilitkevich spent 2.5 months in a pre-trial detention center and almost 9 months under house arrest. For the last two and a half years, he was under recognizance agreement. In October 2020, the case went to court.\nMany contradictions were found in the materials of the criminal case. Thus, the sheets of the case provided to the defense side differed from those used by the prosecutor. At one of the hearings, the prosecution witness denied that he had ever met the defendant, although this was mentioned in the testimony he signed. Another witness, referring to a bad memory, was unable to explain the contradictions in his testimony. Vilitkevich, speaking with the last word, reminded the court that during the trial the prosecution witnesses had repeatedly confused the defendant with his lawyer. All prosecution witnesses who knew Anatoliy personally characterized him as an honest, peaceful citizen.\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich's lawyer drew the court's attention to the dubious nature of the religious examination. Its author, expert Marina Bignova, regularly “represents the Russian Orthodox Church” at public events and also criticizes Jehovah's Witnesses there.\nDuring the trial, the court studied records of home worship, during which Jehovah's Witnesses discussed how to help fellow believers, see good in people, regularly read the Bible, and praise children. The state prosecution considered such actions to be a threat to the security of society and the state.\nIn his appeal to the court, Vilitkevich emphasized: “In fact, the evidence that was collected and presented by the investigator suggests that I am Jehovah's Witness, that I met with fellow believers to watch videos of divine services, sang songs with them, prayed to Jehovah God and discussed his beliefs. However, do all these actions constitute a crime under the article presented to me? No!\"\nAlyona Vilitkevich was one of the wives of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses who sent an open letter to the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation. In this letter, the spouses of believers wrote: “In exchange for freedom and a quiet life, we are offered to renounce our faith. This is not a figure of speech — the investigators in the literal sense of the word propose to sign the paper in order to avoid punishment for ‘extremism’! Otherwise, according to them, no lawyers will help us. But we cannot stop believing in God. This is a right that every person has from the moment of his birth. The Russian Federation is a multi-confessional state, and we, as citizens of Russia, have the right to count on the state's respect and protection of our rights. We are not asking for any special privileges. We ask only one thing — please protect our rights. \"\nCommenting on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Alexandr Verkhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, noted: “According to the Constitution, people in Russia can collectively practice their faith. Faith cannot be forbidden. But as soon as Jehovah's Witnesses do this in practice — and this can be qualified as a congregation of a prohibited organization, article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The technique is not unique, but the scale is unique: in the post-Soviet period, criminal cases against any other group did not multiply at such a speed. We see that the mechanics of anti-extremist policies lead to a fundamental and large-scale undermining of one of the key freedoms—- freedom of conscience. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_e814eff3fa1bc41c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_3f23e03d00e5306e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_dd3b3347aa40f79e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/280834/image_hu_920ad16c07c2041c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/280834.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","mitigation","sizo","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The Court in Bashkiriya Sentenced Anatoliy Vilitkevich to Two Years of Conditional Sentence for Discussing the Bible With Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 23, 2021, the Traktorozavodsky district court of Volgograd sentenced Valeriy Rogozin, Igor Yegozaryan, Sergey Melnik, and Denis Peresunko to long prison terms for praying and discussing the Bible with fellow believers. They were taken into custody and will be kept in pre-trial detention until the sentence comes into force.\nOnly the defendants and one family member each were allowed into the courtroom. Their numerous friends who were waiting outside saw a paddy wagon and a convoy with dogs approaching the court building and it was clear that the sentence would involve actual imprisonment. So during the lunch break, the defendants said goodbye to their relatives and friends.\nJudge Iryna Struk sentenced Valeriy Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Denis Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, Sergey Melnik to 6 years in a penal colony, and Igor Yegorzaryan to 6 years in a penal colony. Earlier, assistant prosecutor Anna Myagkova asked for 9 years in a penal colony for Rogozin and Peresunko, and 7 years for Igor Yegorzaryan and Sergey Melnik.\nWhile the investigation was going on, Valeriy Rogozin, Sergey Melnik, and Igor Egozaryan have already spent more than 7 months behind bars. This seriously undermined Rogozin\u0026#39;s health, and he had to undergo prolonged treatment. Denis Peresunko was in pre-trial detention for more than 5 months. At the same time, there are no victims in the case. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nValeriy Rogozin, 59, is a former military pilot, who served in the army for 12 years. For many years he worked as a design engineer. Together with his wife, they raised two sons. Igor Yegozaryan, a 56-year-old construction electrician, is raising an underage son. Sergey Melnik, 49, a slinger and roofer by profession, helps his wife take care of their sick relatives. The spouses are raising three sons together, one of whom is underage. Denis Peresunko, 43, is on disability. The stress of his wife\u0026#39;s death and criminal prosecution have aggravated his condition.\nOn November 22, 2019, the charges against the believers were toughened—now the investigation considered them not participants, but organizers of an extremist community. Two of them, Rogozin and Peresunko, were also charged under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of an extremist organization). These articles carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.\nThe case against Valeriy Rogozin and three other believers was initiated on May 13, 2019. It was investigated for about 8 months by the Investigative Committee of the Volgograd region. The case went to the Traktorozavodsky district court of Volgograd on January 9, 2020.\nTo prove the guilt of peaceful believers in court, the prosecution questioned classified witnesses. One of them secretly recorded the worship services and stated that the unlawful activity of the defendants was to \u0026quot;obey God. Another secret witness accused the believers of \u0026quot;spiritual terrorism,\u0026quot; although there is no such term. The witnesses were interrogated incognito because of the alleged danger to their lives and the health of declassifying their identities, but no confirmation of this was given. One undercover witness said he never heard the defendants threaten, call for violence, or overthrow the government.\nIn May 2020, the UN Human Rights Council\u0026#39;s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled the criminal cases against 18 believers in Russia, including Valeriy Rogozin and Igor Yegozaryan, illegal.\nLawyers for the believers repeatedly alleged numerous violations during the preliminary investigation. Prosecution witnesses who appeared in court—mostly elderly—said that their testimony was falsified and their preliminary testimony contained words they had not said. One of them explicitly stated that the investigator had \u0026quot;made up and edited\u0026quot; her testimony. The defendants drew the court\u0026#39;s attention to the fact that the prosecution deliberately focuses on questioning elderly witnesses because it is easier to confuse them and get them to testify for the investigation.\nSpeaking in court with his last plea, Valeriy Rogozin emphasized: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses are peaceful, politically neutral people. We do not participate in protest rallies, strikes, or support any of the conflicting parties. We do not participate in military conflicts. We learned from the Bible that only God can deal with all of humanity\u0026#39;s problems. Sergey Melnyk emphasized in his address to the court: \u0026quot;I have never done anything that goes against the laws of God. Moreover, I have tried to do good, to show love and justice, to take care of people. Denis Peresunko noted: \u0026quot;Jesus was tried and killed for bringing truth to people. I am being judged because I learned the truth that is in the Bible and discussed it with my friends. Igor Yegozarian said in his final remarks: \u0026quot;The whole world says that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses cannot be extremists, that they are pacifists, that they do not take up arms and never speak against the state, they do not interfere in politics. The whole history of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is proof of that.\u0026quot;\n\u0026quot;Officially, the Russian authorities—President Vladimir Putin, the government, the Foreign Ministry—emphasize that it is not forbidden in the country to practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. But courts in the regions keep putting peaceful people behind bars for long terms,\u0026quot; says Yaroslav Sivulskiy commenting on the situation. \u0026quot;April 2021 marked the 70th anniversary of Operation \u0026#39;North\u0026#39;. when thousands of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were \u0026#39;designated\u0026#39; as criminals and deported under very similar charges of harming the state and society. Decades later, these charges were found to be criminal, and the victims of the repression were rehabilitated and compensated by the state. Today, accusations of extremism against the Witnesses resound like clear echoes. Dozens of ongoing and past trials of believers prove that there is not a single instance of actual harm to the state and society. The law enforcement facilities view it as extremism that people continue to pray and discuss the Bible peacefully together, just as they did in Soviet times\u0026quot;.\nThe prosecution consistently confused the concepts of a religious assembly and a local religious organization (LRO). The defense emphasized that no one could be held criminally liable for participating in a worship service. The position of the prosecution, as in many other cases against Russian believers, is at odds with that of the Russian Supreme Court, which has not banned Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_2d95a16a538b8de6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/240821/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_98ff256177469804.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/240821/image_hu_66def27fcc9a37c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/240821.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":"Court in Volgograd Sentenced Four Jehovah's Witnesses","tags":["sizo","sentence","282.2-1","282.3-1","health-risk","fabrications"],"title":"From 6 years to 6 years and 5 months in prison for the faith.","type":"news"},{"body":"One of Jehovah's Witness Yuriy Usanov, 29, of the town of Tayga, had his pleasant pre-wedding troubles suddenly ended when he was taken to the penitentiary in April 2021 for his faith. His fiancée, Irina Yagunova, was long denied visitation until they were married on September 9, 2021 - right in the jail.\nTheir wedding Yuriy and Irina originally planned for July 17, 2021. It was to be a long-awaited and joyful event for them, as well as for their families and friends. However, on April 2, Yuri suddenly stopped getting in touch. When his friends arrived, they found the window in his house broken and the bars cut off. It turned out that Yuriy was detained on charges of organizing the activities of a banned organization, as he had been discussing the texts of the Bible with his friends via video link. His house was searched and he has been behind bars ever since.\nWhat happened was a real test for both Yuriy and Irina. The girl was told that she had no right to visits since she was a potential witness in the case. Nevertheless, Irina and Yuriy managed to get permission to register their marriage right in the detention center. On the day of the wedding, friends and relatives came to the building of the pre-trial detention center with flowers, air balloons, and in holiday clothes. Irina was also dressed as a bride. Only she, her parents, and a registrar were allowed inside. The spouses were not allowed to stay together after the wedding. Photography was also forbidden. Now Yuriy remains in the pre-trial detention center, and Irina is at home and is looking for a meeting with her husband in her new status.\nSome time ago Yuriy was put in solitary confinement, which allows him to quietly read the Bible and meditate on its pages. He is grateful to everyone who writes letters of encouragement to him: at the beginning of September, there were already 1,179 letters from 29 countries. Of course, most of all he enjoys the letters from his wife, who has become a real support for him. According to the court's decision, his current preventive measure must remain in force until at least October 30, 2021.\nLegal scholars and human rights activists working for Russian and international organizations consider the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses a legal conflict and are making efforts to end it as soon as possible.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-09-22T16:14:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_a94f193aac954752.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_afdf209b236145b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_5db5bbc5819f7ecc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/221614/image_hu_93dacba85fb241e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/221614.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","human-right-organizations"],"title":"Believers’ Wedding Ceremony Became an Event for the Detention Center in the Town of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. How Religious Persecution Breaks the Lives of Innocent People","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer emphasized: \"I am not a criminal. I didn't kill anyone, I didn't rob anyone, I didn't even quarrel with anyone. This is confirmed by the investigation, as the indictment clearly states: there are no victims. I'm just professing religious views that are not prohibited by law.\"\n","date":"2021-09-22T14:13:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/134.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Vilitkevich in Ufa","type":"docs"},{"body":"Fungus on the walls and cellmates sick with covid - in such conditions the arrested believers from Gukovo are held\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-09-17T10:34:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/171034.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 16, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not satisfy the appeal of 37-year-old Tatyana Zagulina. The verdict came into force: the believer was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\n\"I have never participated in anything that would undermine the constitutional order and threaten the security of the state. I don't understand at all how I could be accused of this. The court convicted me, but did not provide a single piece of evidence of my guilt. There is not a single one of my actions and statements that would prove extremist motives. In the case, I never saw evidence of my guilt. My faith, on the contrary, calls to love people and even enemies,\" said Tatyana Zagulina, speaking with her last word before the appeals board. The believer has the right to appeal the court's decision in cassation and international instances.\nOn April 1, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced Tatyana Zagulina to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, finding her guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization, despite the absence of victims and evidence of extremist actions in the case. None of the witnesses questioned in court heard extremist calls from the believer, they all described her as a peaceful and non-confrontational person. According to Tatiana herself, she was convicted only for believing in Jehovah God, so she appealed the verdict.\nIn February 2020, Tatyana Zagulina was included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring and her bank accounts and cards were blocked. Due to her recognizance not to leave, the believer has been restricted in her right to move freely for more than 1.5 years. Tatyana's husband, Dmitry, is also facing persecution for his faith, and his bank accounts have been blocked since March 2019. Law enforcement officers actually deprived the couple of the opportunity to fully take care of their school-age child.\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses are being prosecuted in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nInternational and Russian human rights activists condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says: \"In our country, the right to religion, including joint religion, is enshrined in the Constitution. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses was not forbidden in our country. It turns out that if the followers of some creed gather at home or online, then we are necessarily talking about participation in the activities of a banned organization? No, I don't.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-16T16:17:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_ad566ceea04da2a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_e3ce7da3e2fdd709.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_53672d0a0ddd2658.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/161617/image_hu_12ae19cd510d29a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161617.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring","families"],"title":"An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the verdict for Tatyana Zagulina. The Believer Was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Rumyantsev, Sviridov, and Pike, Jehovah's Witnesses arrested in Moscow, were Transferred to pretrial detention center \"Butyrka\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-09-16T15:15:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161507.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2021, the Smolensk Regional Court upheld the sentence handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses Maria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina. They were sentenced to 6 years probation for allegedly organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The verdict has entered into force. The women have already spent more than six months in pre-trial detention and the same amount under house arrest.\nThe prosecutor requested a severe punishment for the believers in the form of long-term imprisonment in a general regime colony: for Troshina - for 6 years and 8 months, for Sorokina - for 6 years and 6 months. On April 22, 2021, the judge of the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region, Arkady Likhachev, sentenced them to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years. The Sychevsky District Prosecutor's Office filed an appeal against the verdict, but later withdrew it. Believers continue to insist on their innocence, they hoped that the court of appeal would commute or overturn the sentence. They have the right to appeal against it in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nSorokina and Troshina were detained on October 7, 2018, after a raid on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Smolensk region, in which officers from the FSB, the Center for Countering Extremism, and SOBR participated. Initially, the women were charged with participating in the activities of a banned organization, but in the summer of 2019 the charge was reclassified into organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nDuring the judicial interrogation, the FSB officers who participated in the raids could not repeat their testimony, as they could not remember it. The judge had to read this information from the criminal case. In the materials of the case, the investigation called the women members of a certain \"foreign religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" At one of the hearings, the prosecutor argued that the believers, \"realizing the public danger,\" were hiding from the state, which the defendants denied.\nThe trial in the court of first instance lasted about a year and a half. As a result of the hearings, Troshina and Sorokin did not understand exactly what extremist actions they committed, remaining believers and exercising their right to freedom of religion.\n\"I am guided in my life by the laws from the Bible,\" said Maria Troshina in her last word in the court of appeal.- Loving my neighbor, I try to do everything possible to help, not harm. This was confirmed by all prosecution witnesses. In their testimonies, they said that Sorokina and I did not incite social, racial, national, religious discord. They didn't say that one person is better than another just because he professes a religion.\"\nSpeaking at the Court of Appeal, Nataliya Sorokina drew attention to the distortion of concepts by the court of first instance: \"Peaceful and calm friendly meetings have turned into a 'continuation of extremist activity,' conversations about faith have turned into 'persuasion and recruitment.'\"\nA total of 8 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Smolensk region have been prosecuted. One of them, Viktor Malkov, died while under investigation. Three more were sentenced to suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 6.5 years.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia. In addition, Russian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_50b3d1877e9a4b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_4138b2fafdab6a90.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_8978091cfee76bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/161305/image_hu_509b9ad71f7f9fb0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/161305.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Smolensk Upheld the Sentence of Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina — 6 Years Suspended for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 10, 2021, the Border Guard Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorye Territory conducted four searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses living near the Chinese border. It is not yet known whether a criminal case has been opened or whether the searches were conducted as part of operational and investigative activities.\nElectronic devices, Bibles, religious literature, and personal notes in which they found the Biblical name of God - Jehovah - were confiscated from believers in Pavlo-Fedorovka, Gorny Klyuchi, and Kirovskii settlements.\nFourteen criminal cases have already been initiated against 37 Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory. Two believers from Razdolnoye village — 74-year-old Lyudmila Shut and 78-year-old Vladimir Filippov received suspended sentences of 4 and 6 years respectively for their beliefs.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-09-14T11:37:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/141137.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place Near the Chinese Border in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The case of Inver Siyukhov was transferred to the Maykop city court. The believer is now in a detention cell of the colony\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-09-13T14:59:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/131459.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["to-court"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 9, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Yuliya Tsykina, sentenced 47-year-old Andrey Gubin to 2 years and 6 months of conditional sentence, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. The believer immediately appealed against this decision.\nThe court found Andrey Gubin guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended that the court send the believer to a colony for 4 years. Gubin considers the sentence to be canceled. “I am convicted of believing in God,” he wrote in his appeal.\nOn February 12, 2020, senior forensic investigator Dmitriy Yankin opened a criminal case against Gubin under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation only because of his faith. The believer was placed under recognizance agreement. For more than six months, the investigation of the case was carried out by the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. On August 19, 2020, the case materials were transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nDuring the court hearings, Andrey Gubin has repeatedly noted that he considers this persecution to be an ideologically motivated order, which is contrary to common sense. He said: \"There is religious discrimination based on someone's personal hostility, prejudice and an illiterate understanding of the law on extremism.\"\nIn his appeal to the court, the believer noted: “It is written in my file that there are no victims. I am only persecuted as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Moreover, at this hearing there was a lot of material proving that I and the rest of Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. After all, the language of extremism is the language of enmity and hatred, which contradicts my convictions and the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. \"\nIn his youth, Andrey often faced injustice, which is why he became very hot-tempered. He even wanted to drop out of school. According to the believer, what he learned from the Bible allowed him to change, find peace in his heart and the meaning of life.\nIn total, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers in Birobidzhan. In addition to Andrey Gubin, sixteen believers have already been convicted.\nJehovah's Witnesses in Russia are condemned because of their faith, despite the official position of the country's leadership, voiced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2021: “During the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them were assessed. […] Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-09T16:08:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_e0a6cffe2a9f77a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_91cb66ce6b13e5d2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_704ae75727ee4bb9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/091608/image_hu_cde3c70252013165.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/091608.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan Andrey Gubin, One of Jehovah's Witnesses, is Sentenced to 2 Years and 6 Months Probation for Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 9, 2021, the Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict of the first instance court. Jehovah's Witness Konstantin Moiseyenko was sentenced to 6 years of conditional sentence with a following probation period of 4 years and an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn July 14, 2021, the judge of the Zeyskiy District Court of the Amur Region, Alexandr Kozlov, found 45-year-old Konstantin Moiseyenko guilty of \"organizing the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe accusation was based on the data provided by an embedded FSB agent: a woman, equipped with special equipment, took notes of liturgical meetings. In March 2019, searches were conducted in Zeya in at least five homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the Moiseyenko family. Laptops, telephones and personal records were confiscated from believers. Before the start of the trial, the believer spent about one and a half years under recognizance not to leave.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko is a systems engineer by profession, he is married. The court was presented with positive characteristics of the believer from relatives and neighbors, confirming his calm and peaceful disposition.\nTurning to the court of appeal, the believer drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses are not a threat to society and the state. They live by biblical standards that \"teach people to be honest and respect authority.\" Konstantin Moiseyenko said: \"Instead of constructively cooperating with Jehovah's Witnesses, who are of great benefit to society, the prosecution violates my rights, thereby harming not only me, but the entire society.\"\nMoiseyenko, being a believer, just continued to adhere to his religious beliefs and discuss the Bible with his fellow believers. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are not prohibited from practicing their religion. Prosecution witness senior FSB operative Nikolay Korendov, speaking in court, said: \"The gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses are chants and Bible readings.\" He added that he had never heard from the defendant calls for the overthrow of state power, any violence or aggression against representatives of other religions or nationalities. He also confirmed that according to Russian law, the Bible, its content and quotations taken from this book cannot be considered extremist. Nevertheless, the court considered the peaceful believer to be dangerous to society.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko is already the second believer in Zeya to be convicted by the court. In 2021, the court sentenced 78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko to two years' suspended imprisonment. In September 2021, the Amur Regional Court upheld the harshest sentence handed down to Jehovah's Witness since 2017: 8 years in a general regime colony for 45-year-old Alexey Berchuk. Another criminal case initiated against Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin is under preliminary investigation.\nHuman rights activists in Russia and around the world condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovskiy, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says: “In our country, the right to religion, including joint one, is enshrined in the Constitution. The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in our country was not prohibited. It turns out that if the followers of some creed gather at home or online, then we are necessarily talking about participation in the activities of a banned organization? No\".\nIn May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau), in connection with the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, which concluded: “We urge you to grant every citizen of Russia the constitutional right to freely profess religion. Please put an end to this injustice! \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-09T14:56:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_f1ce9ef251e2bcc4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_7f94f78185faaccc.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_fc0dbabc72ee67b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/091456/image_hu_59595750ec9a3d4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/091456.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","secret-witness","families"],"title":"An Appeal in the Amur Region Upheld the Verdict on Believer Konstantin Moiseenko — 6 Years Probation for Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer boldly told the court: \"Based on my Bible-trained conscience, I hate extremism and its manifestations even in my thoughts! Therefore, I consider the accusation of me as a participant in extremist actions a mistake, misunderstanding and slander, which also hurt my religious feelings and personal dignity.\"\n","date":"2021-09-08T15:18:49+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/133.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Gubin in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On 6 September 2021, Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenovs were searched in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and then brought for questioning to the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Kamchatka region. Criminal charges were filed against them under Part 1.1 Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code. The case is being investigated by senior investigator Kudantsev, who had previously handled Sergey Ledenev's case.\nDuring the searches, a computer, a tablet, two cell phones, a router and a webcam, as well as the New Testament and personal diaries were seized from Semenovs. During the interrogation, both Dmitriy and Nadezhda were threatened that the right to use Article 51 of the Russian Constitution could harm them.\nThe criminal case against the Semyonovs was opened on September 3, 2021. According to the investigation, they \"persuaded, convincing to participate in the activities of an extremist organization\" a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other unidentified persons. On the same day, Alexander Kotkov, judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, issued a search warrant in the apartment of Dmitriy and Nadezhda, suggesting that their apartment \"may contain literature, documentation and electronic media containing information of extremist nature, as well as computers and other technical means by which they were induced . . . to join an extremist organization, unidentified during the investigation\".\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-09-08T15:06:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/081506.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1.1","families","interrogation"],"title":"In Kamchatka, the Fourth Criminal Case Was Initiated for Believing in God. Spouses Nadezhda and Dmitriy Semenov, 36 and 37 Years Old, Are Under Suspicion","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 7, 2021, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of the first instance. Andrey Stupnikov, a 47-year-old engineer from Krasnoyarsk, will have to spend 6 years in a colony for his faith in Jehovah. Although the verdict has entered into force, the believer has the right to appeal against it in cassation and in international instances.\nConsidering that during the investigation of the criminal case, Andrey Stupnikov spent 337 days in a pre-trial detention center and 124 days under house arrest, he actually has 4.5 years left to serve.\n“If I seriously think about the time that I have lived, devoting my life to God, I would not change anything. There is no such person who could say that I ruined his life or did something bad for him,” said Andrey Stupnikov, emphasizing that he had nothing to do with criminal activity.\nStupnikov went through a lot in the past. During the hostilities in Chechnya in the 1990s, he was captured by the militants, saw the death of civilians. Faced with cruelty, Andrey began to wonder why people are fighting. The answer in the Bible was shown to him by Jehovah's Witnesses, who do not consider violence to be acceptable. Andrey Stupnikov also became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. As is customary among believers in hundreds of countries where Witnesses are allowed to work, he talked with others about the Bible, gathered for peaceful religious meetings with fellow believers, prayed and sang hymns with them. These actions formed the basis of the prosecution, which considered them a \"serious crime.\"\nIn 2018, Stupnikov was arrested at the Krasnoyarsk airport and placed in a pre-trial detention center. While in prison, the believer did not receive letters from his wife for some time, although other letters continued to come. As it turned out, the delay in the correspondence was a way of putting pressure on Andrey: “The law enforcers shouted and threatened that they could strengthen the charges against me, including terrorism. They began to remind me that I can go to my wife as soon as possible if I agree to incriminate myself and others. \"\nIn June 2021, the Zheleznodorozhniy District Court found Stupnikov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and granted the prosecutor's request, sentencing him to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony. Immediately after the verdict, Andrey Stupnikov was again taken into custody.\n“Andrey Stupnikov did not carry out any extremist actions. He did not call for violence or discrimination, much less use violence. Why artificially make criminals out of such peaceful people, and then imprison them for 6 years? There are many opinions, and one of them is that they are convenient prey for law enforcement officers, and those, as you know, need statistics on combating extremism, ”said the believer's lawyer. It is noteworthy that even some of the prosecution witnesses, during interrogations, spoke of Jehovah's Witnesses as decent citizens.\nIn addition to Stupnikov, 16 more civilians in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are subject to criminal prosecution. Among them is Dmitriy Maslov, who was fined 450,000 rubles in June 2021 for believing in Jehovah God. The court found him guilty of organizing extremist activities only because he gathered friends on a mountain hike.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-07T19:17:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/071917/image_hu_9ceade988f11f1ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/071917/image_hu_8c9fed659e953782.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/071917/image_hu_541ad601c25700a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/071917/image_hu_69a3e10eab0134a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/071917.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"The Appeal in Krasnoyarsk Upheld the Sentence to Andrey Stupnikov — the Believer Was Sent to a Colony for Six Years","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 7, 2021, the judge of the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region, Valentina Sirotenko, sentenced Aleksey Khabarov to 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period. The court recognized as extremism Aleksey's peaceful meetings with other Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer intends to appeal the verdict.\nAleksey, a teacher by profession, is concerned that his good name has been tarnished by accusations of extremism. Speaking in court with the last word, he said: “I was brought up in a simple village family: my mother is a rural history teacher, and my father is a fish protection inspector. They never instilled anything in me that looked like extremism. They taught me to respect the opinion of others, respect authority, be peaceful and achieve everything with my work. \" After that, he emphasized that it was the Bible that helped him become even better - \"learn to truly love others.\"\nOn March 28, 2019, the investigator for especially important cases Irina Pravdivtseva from the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region opened a criminal case against Aleksey Khabarov. On April 3, 2019, in the city of Porkhov, searches were carried out in the homes of believers, among whom was Khabarov. After interrogation, they took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\nAfter more than a year of investigation, the investigation transferred the criminal case to the prosecutor's office, but the department found violations in the materials and returned them for revision. Among other things, the prosecutor noted that the investigator had not identified the citizens who were declared witnesses to the crime allegedly committed by Khabarov.\nOn September 3, 2020, the case went to court. During the court hearings, not a single victim was presented, as well as evidence that the believer is an extremist. Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested that Aleksey Khabarov be sentenced to 3.5 years in prison in a general regime colony. In sentencing, the judge reduced this period by six months and decided to consider the sentence suspended. Among the additional restrictions imposed on the believer for the duration of the punishment is the prohibition to leave the area in which he lives.\nBack in November 2019, the name of Aleksey Khabarov was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which led to the blocking of his bank cards. The recognizance not to leave strongly hindered Aleksey from earning a living, since he constantly had to go to court asking for permission to leave the city. Due to severe stress, the believer's chronic illnesses worsened.\nAleksey Khabarov became the second Jehovah's Witness convicted of his faith in the Pskov region. In June 2020, Gennady Shpakovsky was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, but the court of appeal replaced his sentence with a suspended sentence.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. According to Vladimir Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, “This (violation of fundamental human rights - ed.) Always began with Jehovah's Witnesses, and then affected everyone. You can say, \"Take good care of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Because it will all turn against the rest. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-07T15:15:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_f717f3a57f443201.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_8c53ce9efb4b99fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_672145df8d29d3fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/071515/image_hu_e54f64bc2144d6d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/071515.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"A Court in Porkhov Sentenced 46-year-old Aleksey Khabarov to 3 Years Suspended for Talking About Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer drew attention to the fact that all his \"guilt\" lies in the fact that he was discussing vital biblical truths. He said: \"I still don't understand what I'm being judged for. For reading the Bible... sang songs and met friends to talk about God?\"\n","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/132.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Denis Peresunko in Volgograd","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Igor Yegozaryan told the court that Christians have been persecuted for centuries, and Jehovah's Witnesses were imprisoned in Nazi Germany and the USSR only because of their faith. The believer hopes that modern judges will be able to draw the right conclusions from the mistakes of previous generations.\n","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/130.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Yegorzaryan in Volgograd","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer rejected the accusations of extremism and explained to the court his life principles: \"take care of the family, raise your children so that they grow up honest and kind, ready to help others ... to do good, to show love, justice and care for people.\"\n","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/129.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Melnik in Volgograd","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Valery Rogozin said that he is a law-abiding citizen and a peaceful believer who professes his religion in the same way as it happens all over the world. About the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, he said: \"In our place tomorrow there may be other 'undesirable' confessions.\"\n","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/131.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Rogozin in Volgograd","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 6, 2021, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, Ekaterina Molodova, found 41-year-old Dmitry Terebilov guilty of extremism for talking about the Bible and sentenced him to 3 years in a strict regime colony. Before becoming a believer, Dmitry was already in prison, but thanks to the Bible he changed so much that he was released early.\nDmitriy Terebilov insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the verdict. During one of the court hearings, he explained: “Violence is incompatible with the religious canons by which I live. It was thanks to what was written in the Bible that I began to change my life for the better and get rid of bad habits (smoking, foul language, drug abuse). I have a family, which I value very much, so the accusation of undermining family relations sounds ... ridiculous and unfounded. \" The believer takes care of his uncle, whom he took to him because he was mistreated.\nThe active phase of Dmitriy's criminal prosecution began on July 25, 2018, when the security forces searched his apartment. To get into the house, the police and riot police broke down the entrance door. A year later, the security forces again came to the believer with a search. On June 13, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Dmitriy, and in September of the same year he was added to the List of Terrorists and Extremists of Rosfinmonitoring and his bank account was blocked. While the investigative actions and the trial were going on, Dmitriy was under recognizance not to leave for more than two years.\nDuring the trial, it became obvious that the case was fabricated: at the hearings, prosecution witnesses often could not explain their preliminary testimony, they referred to poor memory, their incompetence, or gave directly opposite testimony. In the linguoculturological examination carried out by Farida Akhunzyanova, associate professor of Kostroma State University, words with negative connotations, such as \"sectarians\" and \"sect\", were repeatedly addressed to Jehovah's Witnesses. Some of her findings coincided with information from Wikipedia, which raises doubts about the independence and objectivity of the study.\nYoung spouses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman, who were sentenced to a suspended sentence, took part in the Terebilov case - but now as witnesses. They described Dmitriy as extremely positive. “[Dmitriy] has changed his life for the better and is trying to be a law-abiding citizen. He is a good family man, [...] helps others when they turn to him, ”said Sergey Rayman.\nNevertheless, the court found Dmitriy guilty, after the hearing he was taken into custody.\n“There is not a single victim in the Terebilov case - this is already a tradition in cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor insisted that due to the “new crime” Dmitriy should be considered a repeat offender. Before becoming a Jehovah's Witness, he served his sentence in a correctional institution. There he first started to read the Bible. What he learned from it made such positive changes in him that the administration of the colony petitioned for the early release of Dmitriy. For many years he is a law-abiding citizen, but he is again sent to prison. Now, not for a real crime, but for the fact that thanks to which he was reformed - for faith in God, ”said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSpeaking about Jehovah's Witnesses, Natalya Mayorova, a specialist in the study of world religions, during her speech at the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, emphasized: \"Religious beliefs are an internal personal choice, and we have freedom of conscience in our country.\"\nIn March 2020, 33 states concerned about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia demanded that the Russian authorities provide believers with the opportunity to freely practice their religion.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-06T19:01:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/061901/image_hu_b6b10784c076b57.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/061901/image_hu_2d362051c053a3d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/061901/image_hu_5425d233a775708f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/061901/image_hu_b09f2b52603f30e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/061901.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court in Kostroma Sentenced Dmitriy Terebilov to 3 Years of a Strict-Regime Colony for Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"The verdict announcement to Aleksey Khabarov from Porkhov was postponed to September 7\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-09-06T16:44:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/061644.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of August 31, 2021, in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), repeated searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, authorized by the Nalchik City Court. Vladimir Ponomarenko and Mykola Smaglo are suspected of \"organizing extremist activities.\"\nRefinement. The searches took place on September 2, not August 31, 2021.\nThe search of Vladimir Ponomarenko lasted 1.5 hours. Personal notes and documents previously submitted to the court regarding the searches of July 16, 2021 were seized from him. The investigation of Mykola Smaglo lasted 4 hours. They were led by FSB investigator Sergei Svetikov, who had previously been convicted of abuse of office. He seized the believer's phone, tablet, a memo on self-legal defense, and documents on the July searches. None of the believers were interrogated.\nThis time, law enforcement officers behaved politely and courteously. Within the framework of which criminal case the investigative actions took place is currently unknown.\nUpdate. At about 7 o'clock in the morning, when 52-year-old Nikolai Smaglo and his wife were going to work, and their son and daughter were going to school, security forces and FSB officers broke into the courtyard of their house. None of them introduced themselves, except for Major Sergei Svetikov. The whole family was very frightened. The investigator allowed the children to have breakfast and, after checking their briefcases, let them go to school. To conduct a search, he suggested that Nicholas find witnesses himself, and he called his neighbors. They were outraged by what was happening, since they had never noticed anything illegal about this family. Svetikov agreed with the witnesses that Smaglo is good people, but explained to them the guilt of the believers: \"they continue to gather for worship via video link.\" Addressing the spouses, one of the operatives advised them to be called \"in some other way, not Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Although the search took place in a calm atmosphere, the family members experienced great stress. Nikolay says: \"All that day, my young daughter was very worried that masked police would come for her and take her out in handcuffs in front of the whole school.\"\nThe investigation of 48-year-old Vladimir Ponomarenko and his wife Irina was led by Oleksandr Ganzh. First, armed riot police inspected the houses, and then plainclothes law enforcement officers searched the believers' residential, non-residential premises and cars. Three security officials were present at the search 1.5 months ago. Despite the fact that the operatives behaved courteously, these events had a negative impact on the emotional and physical state. He began to wake up early with a feeling of anxiety and expectation that they would come to him again. Any persistent call to the gate causes stress and heart palpitations. His wife shares: \"Such visits had a strong impact on health. The pressure began to rise, tachycardia appeared. I have diabetes mellitus, and stress and worries increase blood sugar, it has become more difficult for me to keep it under control.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-09-04T12:05:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches_hu_9ab87d7d289bbc25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches_hu_46fe7fa64b17bd07.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches_hu_31c4348485f141a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches_hu_80ebadd64954de4c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/041205.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors"],"title":"In Mayskoye, the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched again. Two suspects are still at large","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 2, 2021, the Amur Regional Court satisfied the believers' appeal only partially: 34-year-old Dmitriy Golik’s sentense was reduced by 10 months, and the sentence to 45-year-old Alexey Berchuk — 8 years in a general regime colony — was left unchanged.\nThe court excluded from the sentence to Dmitriy Golik the charge of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization, leaving the charge of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The believer was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 6 years and 2 months, followed by restriction of freedom for 1 year and 2 months. The rest of the decision of the first instance court was left unchanged. The verdict entered into force. Berchuk and Golik still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn June 30, 2021, Tatyana Studilko, judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, handed down a record cruel sentence to Berchuk and Golik — 8 and 7 years in prison — for discussing Bible teachings with friends. This is the exact timeframe the prosecutor requested for believers.\nIn his youth, Dmitriy Golik already had to defend his peaceful Christian convictions: he did alternative civilian service instead of military, working as a nurse in a nursing home. Now the believer defended his good name in court, since the authorities ranked him as an extremist only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nIn January 2019, Alexey Berchuk was detained at a Moscow airport while going through passport control. During the arrest, all his money was taken away, so Alexey was very worried about his wife, since she was left without a livelihood.\nThe court of first instance considered the case of Berchuk and Golik for over a year. All this time they were supported by co-religionists — they wrote letters and provided practical assistance. For example, they provided housing to the Berchuk family free of charge when they urgently needed it.\nBelievers, despite persecution, try to notice the positive moments in their lives. Although they were deprived of the opportunity to leave their place of residence without the permission of the investigator, in the summer of 2019, with his consent, they were able to go on a short vacation. Aleksey Berchuk also told how one day, being in a cell, he asked a police officer to bring him “to read something encouraging”. Refusing at the beginning, he nevertheless brought the Psalter and the New Testament.\nAfter Dmitry and Alexei were convicted, Golik's wife, Christina, and 3 other religious women became involved in a new criminal case. By the end of August 2021, 20 Jehovah's Witnesses had already been prosecuted for their faith in the Amur Region. Four of them, including Berchuk and Golik, were convicted.\nDmitriy Golik in the court of first instance explained the groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “At certain periods, God's servants were sometimes called heretics, sometimes misanthropists, or enemies of the state. Today they use a new term — \"extremist\". They interpret it rather vaguely. But the goal is one — to silence these ministers, to stop talking about God. The purpose of this criminal prosecution is to silence me, to scare others, so that they would stop practicing their faith, as they professed it before. \"\n“The verdict against Berchuk and Golik is an example of the unscrupulousness and inhumanity of some judges. They ruin lives by imprisoning those who in many countries are held up as examples of good citizens,— Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the court’s decision.— Most accusations: for reading the Bible and talking with others about God. In 1991, the state recognized that the Witnesses were peaceful people, and that what happened to them was ideological repression. The believers were rehabilitated, they were paid compensation. The Russian authorities still claim that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. The judges in Blagoveshchensk put themselves and the entire state in a stupid position. \"\nThe Memorial Human Rights Center expressed its opinion on the persecution of believers in Russia: “We consider the declaration of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist and unfounded, violating the rights to freedom of conscience and association, and the criminal prosecution of followers of this peaceful belief is illegal and discriminatory.” Human rights activists demand an end to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses based on their religious affiliation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-03T08:28:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/030828/image_hu_38f1ad5e11417f4c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/030828/image_hu_e9bd58874822658b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/030828/image_hu_2825ac3882d9af05.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/030828/image_hu_e6253b8c2d69eba8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/030828.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","mitigation","282.2-1"],"title":"An Appeal in Blagoveshchensk Upholds a Record Harsh Sentence to Alexey Berchuk and Reduces the Prison Term for Dmitriy Golik","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 2, 2021, the Khabarovsk Regional Court upheld the sentence for faith handed down to Nikolay Aliyev — 4.5 years of probation. The verdict entered into force, but it can be appealed in cassation and international instances.\nOn June 4, 2021, the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur passed a guilty verdict on Nikolay Aliyev. The believer appealed this decision to the appellate instance. According to Aliyev, his convictions are incomparable with extremism.\n“At first it was hard to believe that this (criminal prosecution — ed.) Is actually happening to me. It seemed that it was some kind of scary movie that never ends,— says Nikolay, adding that God and fellow believers help him not to get angry. — In winter, fellow believers came to the courthouse before the trial to support me. When the hearing was held behind closed doors, many of them stood in the cold for one and a half to two hours and waited for the trial to end and I leave.\"\nAlthough the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing this religion, already 20 believers from the Khabarovsk Territory have been prosecuted.\nThe joint statement of the OSCE participating States on July 28, 2020 concerning the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation noted: “We have repeatedly heard from the Russian delegation at meetings of the Permanent Council that Jehovah's Witnesses profess and can continue to profess their faith freely. and freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Russian Federation. However, we see numerous reports of searches, detentions and criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses [...] All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly and expression of their opinion without discrimination, like this guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's commitments to the OSCE and international law ”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-02T14:20:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_5df0e9d1741a02aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_5a66928b383978fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_b871a7e1667f7ced.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/021420/image_hu_784f3138fbbd8291.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/021420.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"Appeal in Khabarovsk Upholds the Verdict for Faith to 42-Year-Old Nikolay Aliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 31, 2021 the Smolensk Regional Court upheld the appeal against the conviction of three local Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, 32-year-old Yevgeniy Deshko was given a 6-year suspended sentence, while 43-year-old Valeriy Shalev and 42-year-old Ruslan Korolev were given 6.5-year suspended sentences.\nIn April 2021, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, Marina Masalskaya, sentenced Shalev, Korolev and Deshko to suspended imprisonment, also assigning them various probation periods and additional punishments. There was also another defendant in the case, Viktor Malkov. He died a year after the initiation of the case, including due to the fact that he did not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center and under house arrest. The court found him guilty, but Malkov's case was dismissed due to his death. Victor's good name was defended in court by his widow, Vera Malkova. The court found all of the defendants extremists for talking about God and Christian teachings, reading the Bible together, singing religious songs and praying. All these actions on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses are interpreted by Russian law enforcement agencies as the organization or continuation of the activities of an extremist organization, although this faith is not prohibited in the country.\nThe sentence was appealed. Speaking to the court during the appeal hearing, Vera Malkova said that knowing the teachings of the Bible helped her and her husband save their marriage and make them happy. \"Our peaceful life suddenly changed dramatically when my husband was arrested and put in a detention center ... The persecution severely damaged my husband's health and his heart gave out and stopped,\" said the widow, calling the accusations against her husband unfounded. She asked the court to abolish the sentence and rehabilitate Viktor Malkov.\nValeriy Shalev, in turn, said that as a Jehovah's Witness, he does not accept extremism and other violent acts: \"Over the past 100 years in our country there has been a change of system, a change of government, large-scale repression, and World Wars raging. And in all this aggressive environment Jehovah's Witnesses have not even indirectly stained themselves with a single drop of blood.\" \"I am very glad that I am being judged not for some evil deeds, but for my faith,\" he stated earlier before the pronouncement of the verdict of the court of first instance.\nYevgeniy Deshko refused to take up arms and serve in the army because of his religious beliefs. Instead, from 2012 to 2014, he did alternative civilian service in a gerontological center, helping the elderly as a medical attendant. In an earlier statement to the court, he said, \"I did not and could not have had the intent to commit a crime. Although there are no victims, even though I did hard work for several years just because I don't want to learn how to kill and apply violence, I am being judged as an extremist.\"\nRuslan Korolev drew the court's attention to the fact that his faith helped him not to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died from the consequences of alcohol abuse. According to the believer, if he had not become a Jehovah's Witness, \"he could have been in prison a long time ago.\" Valery Shalev, Ruslan Korolev, Yevgeny Deshko and Vera Malkova on the day of sentencing. April 2021. During the period of criminal prosecution, Yevgeniy, Valeriy and Ruslan spent from 4 to 8 months in a pre-trial detention center and another from 3 to 7 months under house arrest.\nIn April another conviction was handed down in Smolensk region for the faith: 44-year-old Mariya Troshina and 46-year-old Nataliya Sorokina were given 6-year suspended sentences for believing in Jehovah God. They appealed the decision of the Sychevskiy District Court.\nThe criminal case against two other believers from Smolensk, 65-year-old Valentina Vladimirova and 61-year-old Tatyana Galkevich, is currently pending in court.\nThe international community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Dr. Hubert Seiwert, professor emeritus of comparative religious studies at Leipzig University (Germany), said in an interview: \"I can't imagine that a court with enough information could come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or could be dangerous politically. [...] In addition, it is worth recalling that Jehovah's Witnesses were banned only by dictatorial regimes, for example Nazi Germany. And I do not think that today's Russia is like that.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-09-02T10:45:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_f8730ac73b78d560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_36f75a9481497505.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_2e49477683b4f725.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/021045/image_hu_19d71d84bf6a4baf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/021045.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","died"],"title":"Appeal in Smolensk Upheld the Penalty on Three Believers — Suspended Sentence for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 27, 2021, Sean Pike, a 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness who was detained in Moscow for his faith , was placed in an overcrowded cell in Kapotnya Detention Center 7, given a mattress, and has been forced to sleep on the floor ever since. According to the lawyer, the situation can only be explained by a manifestation of domestic racism.\n“High-class specialist Sean Pike is not a murderer, not a thief, and not involved in drugs. He's a decent man. The attitude towards him is caused only by the color of his skin, this is just everyday racism, ”said his lawyer.\nAs he explained, it is known that other cells of this pre-trial detention center are not overcrowded, some have free places. Of all those detained, only a black believer is subjected to such humiliating treatment.\nA native of Georgetown, Sean Pike is a citizen of Gayana and Russia. He is married and has two young children with chronic diseases in his care. In 1997, Pike graduated from the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia with honors, his thesis was recognized as the best that year. For almost 8 years he worked in the Ministry of Transport of Gayana. The believer has been working in the Russian Federation since 2010, from June 2012 to the present - in the Moscow office of one of the international design and construction companies. Sean Pike holds the position of senior project team leader and, as stated in his job description, has shown himself to be \"a responsible, balanced and competent employee\", which is not tied to suspicions of extremism.\nSean Pike, as well as two other Jehovah's Witnesses, Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev, were detained during searches of the homes of believers in the Teply Stan district on August 25, 2021. They were placed in a temporary detention center, and two days later the Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow sent them into custody until at least 24 October. Believers are accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In the opinion of the investigator Vladimir Zubkov, who initiated the case, conversations about the Bible \"have an increased public danger.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-09-01T14:55:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_9fadd8a26e3f4856.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_657618c05c98a9f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_c209feac2a0fa355.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/09/011455/image_hu_bd87af84d25ca435.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/09/011455.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","health-risk"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses from Gayana, Arrested in Moscow, is Forced to Sleep on the Floor, Although There Are Free Beds in the Pre-trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 28, 2021, after a request from the European Court of Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders, as well as a medical examination, the court released Aleksandr Lubin and Anatoliy Isakov from the pre-trial detention center. For about 1.5 months, believers with disabilities were kept in conditions of torture that threaten their lives.\nOn July 13 and 14, 2021, in Kurgan and Shadrinsk (Kurgan Region), security forces conducted mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. Several believers were detained. 56-year-old Anatoliy Isakov and 65-year-old Aleksandr Lubin were taken into custody by a court decision.\nBoth believers were assigned the II group of disability due to serious illnesses, and the conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center threatened their lives and were comparable to torture. Anatoliy Isakov was diagnosed with cancer of the blood, multiple compression fractures of the spine, ribs and other diseases. Due to the fact that he was behind bars, his course of chemotherapy was interrupted. Also, the believer was deprived of vital potent medicine, in connection with which Anatoliy experienced unbearable pain. He cannot walk without a wheelchair. Before the criminal prosecution, a believer, on average, needed hospitalization 6 times a year. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Anatoliy Isakov was infected with COVID-19 in the pre-trial detention center.\nAleksandr Lubin has several diagnoses: a serious vascular disease, hypertension, as well as an autoimmune disease that affects various organs. In addition to medical treatment, he needs humidified oxygen for 16 hours every day — during his imprisonment, Aleksandr was deprived of all this. It is difficult for a believer to walk, and in the event of a fall, he is unable to rise without assistance. Aleksandr's wife, Tatyana, also has a disability group II (she suffered 4 strokes). The arrest of her husband endangered her health as well — her legs began to fail, she had problems with speech.\nWhen deciding to choose a measure of restraint for believers, the judges relied on the certificates of the doctors of the Kurgan Regional Clinical Hospital, according to which Lubin and Isakov have no illnesses that prevent them from being held in the pre-trial detention center. The defense sent petitions to the Kurgan City Court with a request to replace it with a preventive measure not related to detention, but the court ignored them. Also, in view of the serious health condition of the believers, the lawyers demanded that the leadership of Detention Centre No.1 send Lubin and Isakov for a medical examination, however, this was ignored. On August 6, the Kurgan Regional Court did not satisfy the believers' appeals and left them in a pre-trial detention center.\nSince all internal means of the defense had been exhausted, on August 8, 2021, the lawyers lodged complaints with the European Court of Human Rights, together with an application for interim measures in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Court. According to this rule, the ECHR, prior to its decision, may require the application of any preliminary measures in the interests of the parties, especially when there is an imminent threat of irreparable harm to human life and health. The ECHR communicated the complaint and petition to the Russian Government, demanding that the Russian Federation respond urgently.\nAs a result, on August 24, the believers were sent for a medical examination to the same Kurgan Regional Clinical Hospital. This time, the doctors discovered that the illnesses of Lubin and Isakov really impede their further detention. In this regard, the investigator applied to the court with a petition to change the preventive measure in the form of detention to prohibit certain actions. The court granted the petition and released the believers, but since the case has not been closed, they still face prison terms.\nThe decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 gave rise to real persecution of ordinary believers. This legal \"collision\", as Tatyana Moskalkova, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, put it, cripples the lives of hundreds of people. The number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is growing rapidly, dozens of believers are behind bars.\n","category":"victory","date":"2021-08-31T09:34:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/310934/image_hu_454a332a35d98814.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/310934/image_hu_41bd1abbc67e0a5d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/310934/image_hu_f112bb286b6c8e97.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/310934/image_hu_614213935f021b6e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/310934.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","prohibition-of-actions","disability"],"title":"After a Complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses to the ECHR, Two Seriously Ill Residents of Kurgan Were Released From Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer pointed out the main quality that drives him through life: \"As for me, I will continue to show love in deeds, wherever I am, because love is able to endure all injustice, even to those who do not notice it and persecute it.\"\n","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/128.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Khabarov in Porkhov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"This is my life and my faith, which have nothing to do with extremism. Telling people about the beautiful hope from Almighty God is an act of love, not hate. the opportunity to see truly happy and law-abiding people,\" Dmitry Terebilov said in court.\n","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/127.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Terebilov in Kostroma","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 25, 2021 law enforcers searched at least five apartments in the Tyoply Stan district of Moscow. Most of the victims were Jehovah's Witnesses. After interrogation, Eduard Sviridov, Sean Pike, and Aleksandr Rumyantsev were sent to jail. It is expected that on 27 August the Cheremushkinsky district court of Moscow will choose a measure of restraint for them.\nUpdate. On August 27, 2021, the Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses Alexander Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 1 month and 29 days, that is, until October 24, 2021 inclusive.\nJudge Natalia Zhuravleva on the same day granted the petition of investigator Zubkov to detain 49-year-old Sean Pike, a citizen of the Russian Federation and Guyana, for the same period. The court chose such a severe measure of restraint for the believer despite the fact that he has two dependent young children with chronic diseases.\nThree believers are accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigator, conversations about the Bible \"have an increased public danger.\"\nAll Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Teply Stan were quarantined for two weeks in SIZO-7 in Verkhniye Polya, after which they will be transferred to SIZO-2 in Butyrka in Moscow.\nThe investigation is being conducted by Vladimir Zubkov from the South-Western Administrative District Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Moscow. The searches took place in the early morning, beginning at approximately 6:00 AM. The task forces consisted of 7 people, including armed masked law enforcers. The investigators made a video recording of the intrusion. Among the items seized were electronic devices, storage media, bank cards, passports, and children's drawings.\nSean Pike, 49, has a wife and two young children. Aleksandr Rumyantsev, 44, is unmarried and his mother, whom he took care of, was also affected by the search. Eduard Sviridov is 57 years old and married. The families of the detainees were allowed to transfer some necessary things to the temporary detention facility.\nAfter 2017, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are erroneously charged with crimes under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, as investigators interpret ordinary religious practice as participation in the activities of an organization banned by the court. Often the victims of searches and detentions are also acquaintances, relatives of believers or even random persons taken for Jehovah's Witnesses by mistake.\nThe news is being supplemented.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-26T13:23:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/261323.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","minors"],"title":"A Series of Searches in Southwest Moscow. Three Believers Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2021 the panel of judges of the Primorsky Krai Court, chaired by Svetlana Gumenchuk, approved the verdict for Lyudmila Shut on appeal. The disabled person from the village of Razdolnoye was sentenced to 4 years of suspended imprisonment with probation for 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year for reading and discussing the Bible.\nOn May 19, 2021 Nadezhdinsky district court of Primorskiy region found Lyudmila Shut guilty of \"committing crime according to part 2 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\" (participation in activity of prohibited organization). The court sentenced her to four years of suspended imprisonment. The believer received such a verdict because she had participated in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and talked to others about God. The believer appealed the verdict because she considers herself completely innocent.\n\"I will not make excuses, because I never understood what exactly I am being judged for. My conscience is clear before God and before people... In the indictment there are no facts of the crimes of which I am accused. It turns out that I am being accused for the fact that I try to live honestly, respect and observe the laws of the state and do no harm to anyone,\" said Lyudmila in her last speech during the appeal hearing.\nNevertheless, the appeal panel of three judges decided to uphold the conviction. The believer has the right to appeal it in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe criminal prosecution of Lyudmila Shut began on July 19, 2018, when searches were conducted in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Razdolnoye. After that, Lyudmila was summoned for questioning several times over a year and a half. Investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against her on 10 February 2020.\nWitnesses in the Shut case, according to their statements, were subjected to pressure from the security forces, the investigative measures were carried out with violations of the rules of jurisdiction, and the court during the hearings considered the conclusions of a specialist who is not an expert in the field of law.\nDuring the entire investigation Liudmila Shut was under house arrest. After 5 months of court proceedings, the state prosecutor called off judge Natalia Derevyagina, and Lyudmila Setrakova was appointed the new judge. The believer, who can move around only with the help of others or on crutches, was forced to go through all stages of the trial anew. The prosecution worsened Lyudmila's health, her eyesight deteriorated and she needed an operation. After the interrogations, she repeatedly had to call an ambulance.\nAlready 36 residents of Primorye are trapped in the grip of the Russian judicial system simply for their belief in their God Jehovah. In March 2021 Lyudmila's fellow villager, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, was sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment for participating in peaceful worship services.\nRussian and foreign activists and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Vladimir Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights: \"It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then reflected on everyone.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_6270734ac81fbfe0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_fc6084083d35a8d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_28def80d70d750b7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/251431/image_hu_5d5a41683873c5b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/251431.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"title":"Appeal in Vladivostok Approved the Sentence of Four Years of Conditional Imprisonment for a 73-Year-Old Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 23, 2021, the Perm Regional Court rejected the appeal of five Jehovah's Witnesses. Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov, Alexandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag were found guilty of participation, and Igor Turik was found guilty of organizing and financing extremist activities. The sentence imposed by the court of first instance has not changed.\nIn May 2021, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Perm, Viktor Podyniglazov, sentenced Igor Turik to 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years; Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov, Alexandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag received 2.5 years of probation with a probation period of 3 years. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nBoris Burylov is already over 80. He is a respected person who has almost half a century of work experience, he has been repeatedly awarded for conscientious work. 52-year-old Igor Turik is raising two children. Alexandr Inozemtsev is 48 years old, he also has a child who is still a minor. For 45-year-old Yuriy Vaag, the criminal case was a continuation of the tragic history of the family: during the Soviet era, his parents were exiled to Siberia on a national basis.\nOn September 17, 2018, in Perm and other cities of the Perm Territory, searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers. FSB officers threatened them with lengthy prison terms. As it turned out, the special services tapped the phones of Turik, Kuchkov and Burylov and conducted covert surveillance behind them.\nIgor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov spent 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 101 days under house arrest, and more than 2 years under recognizance agreement. Alexandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag and Boris Burylov were under recognizance agreement for more than 2.5 years. According to Alexandr Inozemtsev, due to being included in the federal list of Rosfinmonitoring, at first, their family faced serious financial difficulties: “I had to borrow money, since we live in a rented apartment, and the bank account was blocked.”\nThe believers were helped by the support of relatives, friends and fellow believers from different countries. Igor Turik recalls: “I received a lot of letters and postcards, [friends] gave money and food. There were calls and letters from Poland, Germany, Spain, Austria, USA, Japan... For example, it was very touching to learn that fellow believers in the distant country of Gabon pray for us by name. During this time, we never once needed, although there was no income and we had to pay for a rented apartment.\"\nThis is the third verdict that came into force on believers from the Perm Territory. In September 2019, the court upheld the sentence to Alexandr Solovyev, who was fined 300,000 rubles for his faith in Jehovah God. In April 2021, a court in Chelyabinsk approved a fine of 350 thousand rubles to Alexey Metzger.\nDespite the fact that there is not a single victim in the criminal case against Turik, Inozemtsev, Burylov, Kuchkov and Vaag, and the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited, believers have had to defend their innocence in courts for almost three years. The prosecution was able to prove only the fact that the men are Jehovah's Witnesses, although they never hid it.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_25c2efeef1d6e960.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_f4fab255d634d9c6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_339f5536a1ae690f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/241019/image_hu_324aaa08c36b42cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/241019.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Perm Upheld the Verdict Against 5 Believers. Conditional Terms From 2.5 to 7 Years Were Approved","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 18, searches were carried out in Sochi at three addresses at least as part of a criminal case against 25-year-old Danil Suvorov. The believer was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. The next day, the court ruled to send him to a pre-trial detention center.\nAt 6:30 in the morning, law enforcement officers invaded Danil Suvorov. Electronic equipment was confiscated from the believer. At the same time, the security forces were looking for Danil at the house of other believers living in the village of Vesyoloye, Adler District, Sochi. There the search was carried out under the direction of the senior investigator of the RF IC for the Krasnodar Territory R. A. Shevriyev. Law enforcers were looking for religious literature. They confiscated electronic equipment, personal notes, postcards and a book about Jehovah's Witnesses, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko. After the searches, the detainees were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Everyone except Danil was later released.\nAnother search took place at the elderly woman's house. Law enforcement officers mistakenly believed that the woman was the mother of Danil Suvorov. Her son, Danil’s fellow believer, was summoned for interrogation.\nDanil Suvorov is accused of committing a crime under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Suvorov, “using his authority as a spiritual leader ... of Jehovah's Witnesses, took active steps aimed at persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving ... [a local resident] in the activities of a banned extremist ... [organization] on the territory Sochi \". This is how law enforcement officers qualified ordinary peaceful talk about the Bible. The criminal case is being investigated by the senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory A. G. Andrianov.\nThis is the third criminal case for faith in Sochi and the 12th in the Krasnodar Territory. Six Jehovah's Witnesses from the region have already been convicted and sentenced to between 13 months and 7.5 years in prison.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-20T10:38:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/201038.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1.1","families"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Held in Sochi. 25-Year-Old Believer Is Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 19, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, found the peaceful believer Anastasiya Guzeva guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nThe believer did not admit her guilt. Turning to the court with the last word, she stressed: “Although I have been seriously charged, there are no victims of my actions, as is probably usually the case in criminal cases. There is no direct intent, no active actions, no socially dangerous acts, no humiliation of human dignity, no objective and subjective aspects of the crime, no facts that any of my actions have caused harm, damage, suffering to others. Therefore, I did not hide my eyes from shame and always came and went to court sessions with a clear conscience.” Anastasia Guzeva intends to appeal the verdict in the appellate instance.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, the believer worked at a music school, where she established herself as a responsible and non-conflict employee. Her husband Konstantin also worked there. When the caretaker, a former police officer, learned about the Supreme Court's decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, he called the Guzevs into his office and said: \"You are extremists, and extremists have no place in a children's institution.\" First, Konstantin was fired, and later Anastasiya. The believer is perplexed: “According to the labor law, a person cannot be fired from his job just because of his religion. In fact, my husband and I faced religious discrimination. \"\nIt all started with the fact that in May 2018, they came to the Guzevs with a search that lasted 10 hours. The police officer in charge of the task force said his relatives were Jehovah's Witnesses. Obviously, therefore, law enforcement officers behaved politely and carefully. Nevertheless, because of what happened, Anastasiya experienced severe stress and for a long time experienced panic when she heard a knock on the door.\nIn July 2019, a criminal case was opened for faith against Konstantin, and on February 6, 2020, Anastasiya became the accused. For six and a half months, the case against her was investigated by Denis Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Since February 19, 2020, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave, and on February 27, 2020 she was included in the Rosfinmonitoring List of Terrorists and Extremists.\nOn August 19, 2020, the case went to court. The prosecution was witnessed by police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who also testified in at least 15 other trials against Birobidzhan believers. She admitted that she had not heard any extremist statements from any of them.\nThe court hearings in the Guzeva case lasted about a year. The prosecutor asked the court to sentence 41-year-old Anastasiya to 4 years in prison and 2 years of restraint of liberty. The prosecution did not present any concrete evidence that the believer participated in extremist activities. At the hearing, Guzeva remarked: “Video files were presented as 'evidence', which showed the study of the Bible and religious literature in the circle of fellow believers. The prosecution interprets these lawful actions as unlawful. But at all times, believers expressed their love for God by praying, gathering together to worship, studying and discussing the Holy Scriptures... All participants in the process could see firsthand that the deeds, words, thoughts, goals, motives of Jehovah's Witnesses are including mine, are directed only for good.\"\nThe persecution destroyed the usual way of life of a peaceful family and confused relatives, including Anastasiya's elderly mother. Nevertheless, relatives support the spouses. The Guzevs also appreciate the help that co-religionists provided throughout the persecution — they sent them letters of support, postcards, and helped financially.\nDuring the judicial debate, Anastasiya emphacized that the Russian courts did not prohibit the professing and dissemination of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and, in fact, these beliefs are \"the prevention of extremism\".\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have already been prosecuted for their faith. 16 of them, including Anastasiya's husband, Konstantin Guzev, were convicted and sentenced to various suspended sentences.\nApril 1, 2021 at the press conference “70th Anniversary of Operation North”. Lessons of repression \"religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko emphacized:\" The policy of forceful suppression of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has been carried out in the Russian Federation since 2017, is futile. This is evidenced by the lessons of Operation North and the analysis of the current situation, including the steadfastness of Jehovah's Witnesses in upholding their beliefs. It seems expedient, from the point of view of the state interests of Russia, to implement a set of measures for the return of Jehovah's Witnesses to the legal field.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_adb06358af837a1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_22aed4809132c0cd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_b2c66a1a09c0c2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/191119/image_hu_63b20b7468f34efd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/191119.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","sentence","282.2-2","families"],"title":"Another Conviction for Faith in Birobidzhan. The Court Gave Anastasiya Guzeva 2.5 Years Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, Anastasia Guzeva emphasized: \"Although I have been seriously charged, there are no victims of my actions, there is no direct intent, there are no socially dangerous acts, there is no humiliation of human dignity, there are no facts that any of my actions have caused harm, damage, suffering to others.\"\n","date":"2021-08-18T17:45:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/126.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anastasia Guzeva in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"The judge of the Abinsky District Court, Mikhail Ostashevskiy, considered the case of Vasiliy Meleshko in just two sessions and on August 11, 2021, sentenced him to 3 years in a general regime colony, considering his peaceful religious activities to be extremist. The believer was arrested and handcuffed to the pre-trial detention center of Novorossiysk.\nSpeaking in court, a resident of the village of Kholmskaya stated that he is Jehovah's Witness, but did not commit any crimes and has nothing to do with extremism. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nEarly in the morning in April 2021, the armed forces came to search the house of the married couple Vasiliy and Zoya Meleshko. Electronic devices, personal savings and letters were seized from the believers, after which Vasiliy was taken for interrogation to Abinsk in a car without a motorcar plate. After the interrogation, the security forces took two staged photographs of the believer: one against the background of the former building for religious services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the second at home at the table in order to \"film the crime scene.\" Then Vasiliy was placed on recognizance not to leave.\nThe criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned organization) against Vasiliy Meleshko was initiated by the Investigation Department for the Abinsky District of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory on March 31, 2021. After 4 months of investigation, the case went to court. The appointed attorney urged the believer to “confess guilt in the crime,” but the believer continued to insist on his innocence. In just two court sessions, the court considered the whole case and passed a guilty verdict on the believer.\nBasil and his wife Zoya have been Jehovah's Witnesses for 30 years. During this time, up to the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, there were no complaints from the law enforcement agencies against them.\n“The absurdity of the situation is obvious: for decades Meleshko, being Jehovah's Witnesses, led a law-abiding lifestyle and suddenly 'became' criminals. Not because they committed any real crime or harmed someone. The reason is that they are trying to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia from doing the same thing that believers are perfectly legal in hundreds of countries around the world - reading the Bible together and talking about God, ”explains Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nVasiliy Meleshko became the fourth believer from the small village of Kholmskaya, Krasnodar Territory, sentenced to a real prison term for believing in Jehovah God. Earlier, the court sentenced 63-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin to 7.5 years in prison, he is serving time in Rostov-on-Don. Oleg Danilov, 47, was sent to a penal colony in Khadyzhensk for 3 years. 45-year-old Aleksandr Shcherbina was also imprisoned there for a similar period. Criminal cases against several other believers from the village of Kholmskaya are at the stage of court hearings.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. In May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/131020/image_hu_479abe7278673b38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/131020/image_hu_fd5778188f029491.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/131020/image_hu_66cfef005efb8b54.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/131020/image_hu_8b09c2d8b2ce47fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/131020.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"Court in Krasnodar Territory Sentenced 60-year-old Vasiliy Meleshko to 3 Years in Prison for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 10, 2021, the Sevastopol City Court rejected Viktor Stashevskiy's appeal against the verdict. The panel of judges considered it a criminal activity to pray and talk together on biblical topics. The believer will have to serve 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\nStashevskiy continues to insist on his innocence. Although the verdict has entered into force, the believer has the right to appeal against it in cassation and in international instances.\nOn March 29, 2021, the judge of the Gagarinsk District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Pavel Kryllo, found Stashevskiy guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Although the prosecutor requested a sentence of 7 years' imprisonment for Viktor, the court appointed the believer a slightly shorter term — 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\nOn June 4, 2019, searches were carried out in the house of Viktor and eight other believers, during which they were threatened with planting drugs, blackmailing relatives, and spoiling personal property. Then — the investigation and litigation, which lasted more than a year. For about two years the believer was under recognizance not to leave the place. After the announcement of the guilty verdict, he was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nVictor, 55, is a loving father of two daughters and the son of an elderly mother who needs constant care after a stroke. After serving 10 years in the Navy, Victor began to study the Bible. Years later, his love for Scripture brought him to the dock.\nSpeaking with the last word in the court of first instance, Stashevskiy noted: “Because of unfounded and false accusations, my family and I have been in constant tension for almost two years now: recognizance not to leave, interrogations, court hearings. I am regularly reminded that I am on trial for extremism, and I myself cannot forget about it for a minute. Although what do I have to do with him? None! There are no victims in my criminal case, there is not even a statement against me from anyone. There is nothing! But a charge has been brought forward, a serious charge. Unreasonable! \"\nHowever, the believer does not lose heart thanks to the support of fellow believers. He says: “My family is supported spiritually, emotionally and, when needed, financially. When the court hearings began, fellow believers came [to the courthouse] despite the heat and cold.\"\nAccording to Viktor, despite accusations of incitement to hatred, it is his Christian beliefs that help him maintain respect for the state, despite the unfair persecution: \"I pray for wisdom, peace of mind, so as not to become bitter.\"\nThe persecution of believers in Russia is based on the fact of their belonging to a particular religion, and not on evidence of extremist activity. Speaking in court, Viktor Stashevskiy emphasized: \"Today is not the 1st century A. D., not the times of the medieval Inquisition, and not 1937, when the state dictated conditions to people — in which God they can believe and which one cannot.\"\nIn Crimea, 12 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been prosecuted for their faith, two of them — Sergey Filatov and Artem Gerasimov — are serving prison terms in a penal colony. Experts from the Crimean Human Rights Group previously stated that the imprisonment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea is a complex of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and, accordingly, falls under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/111039/image_hu_9bc54feb14dbcab4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/111039/image_hu_f94b49e2c2df2b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/111039/image_hu_83597bcc57a183f3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/111039/image_hu_76f1e44b821e5d08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/111039.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"The Third Jehovah's Witness From Crimea Will Go to a Colony for his Faith. The Appeal Confirmed the Harsh Sentence of Viktor Stashevskiy","type":"news"},{"body":"Olga Opaleva, a 69-year-old pensioner from Primorye, has been prosecuted for her faith in Jehovah for the third year. The security forces searched and detained the believer, knowing that she had a heart attack the night before. A few months later, on the way to the hearing, Olga suffered a stroke. In another city, Olga's son, Vitaliy Ilinykh, is on trial for his convictions.\nThe criminal case against Olga was initiated on November 12, 2018. A few days later her house was searched. Recalling those events, Olga says: “They took a grinder and sawed the door for me. They asked me: ‘Why didn’t you open it?’ I couldn’t answer, because I had a heart attack right the night before”. Despite this, law enforcement officers forcibly took the elderly woman for questioning to the investigator. Olga Opaleva spent the next two days in a temporary detention center. The believer says: “After a heart attack, of course, I felt very bad. They put handcuffs on me, brought me to court, put me in a cage.\" The judge put the elderly woman under house arrest.\nA few months later, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke when a Federal Correctional Service vehicle came for her to take her to the hearing. As a result, an ambulance took her to the intensive care unit of a local hospital. The believer's lawyer Aleksey Izbrekht says: \"According to the documents, she was admitted to a medical institution in a serious condition.\" Vitaliy, Olga's son, recalls: “When I saw her in this state, to say simply that I was worried is, in principle, to say nothing. When our eyes met, the first thing she did was smile, she burst into tears. \"\nJust a few days later, Vitaliy Ilinykh himself was detained because of his faith in Jehovah God. Now both mother and son are involved in criminal cases. Vitaliy explains: “With the criminal prosecution of my mother, the litigation began, which now affected me. As the investigator told me, if you remain Jehovah's Witness, in fact, if you have not renounced your religion, then you are an extremist. When I tried to explain what is the difference between a faith and a legal entity, the investigator simply refused to listen and said: “I don't care. I do my job, I am told what to do and I do it. \" The court chose a preventive measure against Vitaliy in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place.\nOlga Opaleva's lawyer notes: “She is accused of talking to people on biblical topics. And such talk about the Bible is imputed by the investigation as recruitment. The prosecution itself does not deny the fact that no damage, no real damage from Opaleva's actions arose.” He adds: “To suspect such people in actions of an extremist nature is, of course, an absurd accusation.”\nOlga and Vitaliy assure that the persecution did not deprive them of their peaceful convictions and did not shake their faith in God. Vitaliy is sure: “It's better with God in prison than without God at liberty.”\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-08-09T16:01:50+03:00","duration":"3:52","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_5a41927df4da94f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/091601/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_991add508d76db1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/091601/image_hu_4e55e3c04d1f4fa4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/091601.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","elderly","health-risk","families"],"title":"\"After a Heart Attack, I Was Put Into a Cage in Handcuffs.\" The Story of the Persecution for Faith of Olga Opaleva and Her Son in Primorye","type":"video"},{"body":"On August 5, 2021, in Armyansk — in the north of the Crimean Peninsula — a series of searches of local believers took place. 60-year-old Alexandr Litvinyuk was detained and taken 140 kilometers away from his home, to Simferopol. On August 6, the court chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of house arrest, and at about midnight the believer was taken home.\nThree days before the search, Vitaliy Vlasov, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, opened criminal cases under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities) against Alexandr Litvinyuk and another local believer — 48-year-old Alexandr Dubovenko. The basis was the reports received from the FSB Border Directorate. Litvinyuk is accused of “using the Zoom video conferencing software” to “attract new members of the [banned] organization”.\nOn August 6, 2021, the judge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol, Andrey Dolgopolov, sent Alexandr Litvinyuk under house arrest until October 1, 2021.\nAlexandr Dubovenko was staying with relatives in another city, so the search took place in his absence. The believer's wife Irina was at home. At about 6 a.m., she noticed several people in the courtyard. There was a knock on the door, closing the peephole. Irina recently had a coronavirus and still felt weak, but the security forces forced her to open, posing as FSB officers. Investigator Lavrov presented a search warrant issued by the Kiev District Court of Simferopol. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal records, title documents for the apartment and Alexandr's work papers.\nUpdate. On August 9, when Aleksandr Dubovenko returned from another city, he was detained and taken to Simferopol for investigative actions. At this time, his house was searched again. Electronic devices were again seized. The court chose a measure of restraint for Aleksandr in the form of house arrest. Late in the evening of the same day, the believer was taken home. The searches were carried out in total in the homes of 8 believers from Armyansk aged 47 to 72 years. The security forces arrived in minibuses and cars without license plates. They tried to get into one of the apartments, calling the representatives of public utilities to block the sewage system. They confiscated electronic devices and personal records from believers, searched for funds, personal notes and notebooks with handwritten text, which contains links to the Bible. The law enforcement officers did not provide copies of the decisions and protocols on the seizure of things.\nIn addition to believers from Armyansk, already 10 residents of Crimea are being prosecuted for their faith in Jehovah God. Sergey Filatov and Artem Gerasimov are serving real terms in a general regime colony only because of their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-09T14:08:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/091408.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","house-arrest","282.2-1"],"title":"A Wave of Searches Took Place in Crimea, New Criminal Cases for Faith Were Initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"The case against the believer Vasiliy Meleshko from the village of Kholmskaya was received by the Abinsk District Court\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-08-06T18:24:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/061824.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["to-court"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 5, 2021, the Saratov Regional Court, having considered the appeal of Rustam Seidkuliev, slightly softened the sentence: now the believer will have to spend 2 years and 4 months behind bars.\nThe believer has been in jail since the announcement of the verdict by the court of first instance — since May 2021. Seidkuliev asked the appellate court to fully acquit him. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nJudge of the Leninskiy District Court of Saratov, Andrey Yefimov, found 44-year-old Rustam Seidkuliev guilty of participation in extremist activities in May 2021. He sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison and 1 year of imprisonment. At the same time, there is not a single victim in the case. The prosecutor asked for a punishment for the believer in the form of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nRustam learned that the Saratov law enforcement officers had opened a criminal case against him for extremism in Adler, where he moved with his wife for family reasons. On February 15, 2020, police officers detained him with his wife in a shopping center, then he spent 5 days in a special detention center, and was escorted to Saratov. The believer was under house arrest for seven months.\nRustam recalls: “In the detention centre, I immediately tried to occupy myself with something: I did crosswords, took a book from the library, started a notebook for planning things in the future. In general, I tried to keep the brain busy with something all the time, because then time flows faster and there is no time to lose heart and worry. The first 2 months I was under house arrest not at home and without a wife, and my mother generally stayed in Adler, where I helped her. To be apart from loved ones, of course, is unpleasant, but being busy with some business and planning the day helped not to lose heart and not get upset, because I understood that some of my fellow believers who are now in prisons and colonies are much worse off than to me\".\nThe criminal prosecution deprived Rustam of the opportunity to provide for his family financially. The believer says: “I quit my official job so as not to let clients down in case of my arrest. There were plans to open a photo studio and equipment was purchased for this, but everything had to be sold for next to nothing, as the situation was unstable. \"\nAll the time while Rustam was under house arrest, he was supported by co-religionists. When he was not allowed to leave the house for walks, they helped the Seidkulievs as much as they could: they repaired the roof, weeded the weeds in the yard, and helped the family financially. During the court hearings, believers who were not allowed into the courtroom cheered Rustam with applause and words of support.\nThe court hearings in the case of Seidkuliev in the Leninskiy District Court began more than a year after his arrest and lasted only a month. Despite the lack of evidence of his guilt, the believer was sentenced to imprisonment, in fact, for talking about the Bible.\n“[During the court hearings] it was not taken into account that the Russian Federation has repeatedly publicly reaffirmed the right of believers of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess and spread their faith after the liquidation of their legal entities... the collection of information about my personal life was caused exclusively by my religious affiliation,” Rustam Seidkuliev noted in his appeal.\nIn September 2019, six peaceful Saratov Jehovah's Witnesses were also sentenced to prison for their faith. Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Gennadiy German, Roman Gridasov, Feliks Makhammadiyev and Aleksey Miretskiy have already served their sentences. Makhammadiyev and Bazhenov were deported from Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-05T17:06:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/051706/image_hu_cc9dfa224684dc73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/051706/image_hu_d265f02e344afbdd.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/051706/image_hu_11f12df92a43e1a0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/051706/image_hu_c51910c04b1acd71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/051706.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Appeal Reduced by Two Months the Prison Term Assigned to One of Jehovah's Witnesses From Saratov Rustam Seidkuliev","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 30, 2021 a search was conducted in the house of 68-year-old Aleksandr Shutov and his wife in the village of Kotikovo in Vyazemskiy district. During the raid, the believer's blood pressure spiked critically, but he was taken away for questioning 150 km away from his place of residence. Aleksandr was accused of extremism. He signed a not to leave the place.\nThe criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation in activities of a banned organization). The prosecution was initiated by lieutenant of justice S. V. Nemtsev, investigator of the Investigatory unit of Directorate of FSB of Russia for Khabarovsk territory. Nemtsev was joined in the search of the elderly couple's home by FSB officer Aleksey Svetochev, who organized the criminal persecution of other Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Vyazemsky. After the search, Aleksandr Shutov was taken to Khabarovsk for questioning.\nEarlier, criminal cases were already filed against 68-year-old En Sen Li, 29-year-old Ilya Degtyarenko, 30-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov and 19-year-old Yegor Baranov, who is the only son of a single mother in the area.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-08-04T15:43:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/041543.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","new-case","282.2-2","interrogation","health-risk","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Another Search in Khabarovsk Territory. A Criminal Case Was Brought Against 68-Year-Old Aleksandr Shutov for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 3, 2021, Aleksey Miretskiy was released. He became the last of Jehovah's Witnesses convicted in 2019 to serve their entire sentence in a penal colony for their religious beliefs. The believer was met by his wife Yulia.\nIn September 2019, Ph.D. Aleksey Miretskiy was convicted under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities). The court considered it a crime to read the Bible, sing songs and prayers. The believer spent a total of 1 year, 10 months and 16 days behind bars. After his release, his freedom will be limited for another year; in addition, he is deprived of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public organizations for 5 years.\nLike other believers who ended up in Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Orenburg Region, Aleksey Miretskiy was severely beaten by the employees of the institution. After that, the believer's health worsened, and even the question of surgical intervention arose. The difficulties did not end there. Aleksey suffered a viral disease in the colony. Using his right, Miretskiy filed a petition to replace the unserved part of the punishment with a fine, but instead received an unjustified penalty.\nWhile in the colony, Aleksey worked for a long time on a grueling schedule — 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, he worked in the sewing industry. Despite stress, hard work and difficult living conditions, he took an active part in various sports and cultural events, in particular in table tennis and football tournaments.\nAccording to the believer's lawyer, Aleksey behaved in an exemplary manner in the colony and was on good terms with other prisoners. Even before the verdict, the believer declared to the court: “My surname 'Miretskiy' contains the word 'peace'. I live on Mir Street. Peacefulness is an integral part of my personality ... At work, I have always tried to reconcile the warring parties and find compromises between the parties to various conflicts. My name is Miretskiy, and I am not an extremist. \"\n“By his behavior, Aleksey proved the truthfulness of the words spoken in court that he is in fact alien to criminal intentions and deeds. Because of the biased interpretation of the law on extremism, people are deprived of their freedom for years, but they are not deprived of either human dignity, or faith, or, with all this, Christian respect for state power. Aleksey went to prison as a respectable citizen and got out of it the same way,”said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn May 2021, the court sentenced another Saratov believer, Rustam Seidkuliyev, to 2.5 years in prison for talking about the Bible. The believer is awaiting an appeal.\nIn March 2020, 33 states issued a joint statement urging the Russian authorities to stop bullying Jehovah's Witnesses. The Memorial Human Rights Center considers Jehovah's Witnesses political prisoners and demands an end to the persecution associated with their religious affiliation.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-08-04T15:36:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/041536/image_hu_cbb8d31658c4793f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/041536/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/041536/image_hu_28d31c6e0ab51aeb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/041536/image_hu_9bf3c69e5aa49cf1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/041536.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","life-in-prison","siloviks-violence"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Aleksey Miretskiy, Convicted of Faith, Is Released From Penal Colony in Orenburg","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 4, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El rejected Ekaterina Pegasheva's appeal against the verdict. The believer was sentenced to 6.5 years probation with a probation period of 4 years for talking on spiritual topics, which the court considered \"organizing the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence and can appeal the verdict on appeal, as well as in international instances. In her last word, Pegasheva drew the attention of the court of appeal: “Since I, as a citizen of the Russian Federation, am a social person and cannot exist on my own, I interact, communicate with people. Coming to work, people cannot help but talk, because they are connected by a single theme - work. And if it is about faith in God? Can a believer talk to people about his God? Or can he talk about him [only] with himself or with some objects? \"\nOn October 3, 2019, in the Pegasheva case, searches were carried out at three addresses: two in Yoshkar-Ola and one in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region) where her mother lives. The security forces seized books, videotapes, electronic devices, personal letters and documents, including a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam. After the arrest, Yekaterina spent about 4 months in the pre-trial detention center. Then she was under house arrest for another 500 days.\nEkaterina Pegasheva became accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization, because, according to the investigation, she \"deliberately continued illegal activities\" - after the ban on religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, she did not stop practicing her faith and continued to talk with others about the Bible. According to law enforcement officers, with all of this, Catherine committed \"a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\"\nHearings in the Gornomariyskiy District Court, which have been going on since October 2020 for 8 months, indicated the groundlessness of the accusations against the believer. The secret witness on the part of the prosecution \"Petrov\" admitted that exclusively peaceful topics were discussed at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to another prosecution witness, people talked about God at the services, and Pegasheva never called those present to unlawful actions, as the investigation and the state prosecutor argued, who eventually demanded that Catherine be sent to jail for 7 years.\nDue to unreasonable criminal prosecution for religious beliefs, Catherine lost her job. This deprived her of the opportunity to help loved ones. A young woman helps her mother take care of her bedridden grandmother. According to the believer, stress deprived her of her strength and health.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations are concerned about the situation in Russia with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, Heiner Bielefeldt, professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, who has served as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief since 2010, explains: “The concept of 'extremism' in legislation remains completely blurred. Which creates a kind of loophole for the authorities, an excuse to do what they want. And Jehovah's Witnesses are the perfect scapegoat. Indeed, many people regard them with suspicion: Jehovah's Witnesses are active, engaged in missionary work. Not everyone likes it - even if they do it exclusively for peaceful purposes - but they exercise their right to freedom of religion and belief. \" He sums up: \"If Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, then we are all extremists.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_8a8072ad31c449b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_8b2577074e144837.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_c2e8065001c1713e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/050821/image_hu_cb81fd4f759b5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/050821.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","work-restrictions"],"title":"The Appeal in Yoshkar-Ola Upheld the Suspended Sentence of 31-year-old Yekaterina Pegasheva","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 2, 2021, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Olga Borokhova, found 42-year-old Andrey Okhrimchuk guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 4 years of suspended sentence, as well as 1 year of restriction of freedom - this punishment was requested by the prosecutor.\nThe believer has not pleaded guilty and can appeal the verdict. According to him, crime of any kind is incompatible with his beliefs. \"At the beginning of my Christian journey, I received an offer to earn money. I began to cooperate with an acquaintance. He said that you can earn more if you steal some of the material. I refused, choosing to serve God and have a clear conscience,\" said Andriy Okhrimchuk.\n\"I did not think that I would ever be a defendant and speak before a court, especially those accused of extremism, because I never even thought of harming anyone. I have always treated extreme views negatively, because people suffer from it. At one time, I participated in a counter-terrorist operation in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, ensuring the security of the state and its citizens. I also served in the peacekeeping forces. Later my life changed, I began to study the Bible. Then I was a peacemaker with weapons in my hands, but now I decided to become a peacemaker with the Bible in my hands, \"said the believer, speaking with the last word.\nOn October 29, 2020, the investigator for especially important cases, Major I. A. Kalnitsky, opened a criminal case against Andrey Okhrimchuk. The investigation was conducted by the First Investigation Department (located in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nAndrey was accused of \"taking part in an illegal religious meeting\", which was also attended by Alexander Parkov. By illegal religious gathering, the investigation refers to the usual worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are legally held in approximately 240 countries and territories. The investigation also established that money transfers were made from Andrey Okhrimchuk's bank card to the cards of Semyon Baibak, who had already been sentenced to 3.5 years of probation, as well as Arsen Avanesov. On July 29, 2021, three believers, Park, Arsen and Vilen Avanesov from Rostov-on-Don, received from 6 to 6.5 years in prison.\nIn May 2019, the security forces searched the believer's home and car, after which he was interrogated at the CPE. Andrey and his wife are raising a school-age daughter. The search in their house had a strong impact on the condition of Andrey's wife, Ekaterina: she had to seek help from a specialist and undergo treatment for several months. Andrey is worried about how what is happening will affect the health of his parents, since his father has a heart condition.\n\"After the searches, I was in shock for several weeks, could not eat normally, lost 5 kilograms. I sat like furniture, I didn't realize what was happening,\" the believer said.\nFor about 9 months, since November 2, 2020, Andriy Okhrimchuk has been under recognizance agreement. And on November 27, 2020, the believer was added to the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, his bank accounts were blocked.\nAlready 16 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Rostov region have been prosecuted for their faith. Eight of them have already been sentenced by the courts.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Jean-Marie Delarue , a member of the French Council of State. He explains: \"A Russian judge should take into account that if the fact of violation of public order is not proven, then Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for completely different reasons - they are persecuted as a religion. In this case, we ignore the fundamental freedom enshrined in the most important international laws.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-08-03T08:20:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_f79ab8b19d634607.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_8447e7060e73ffe7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_ac91195c2211dcf9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/08/030820/image_hu_37f3c51c15dc445e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/08/030820.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1","rosfinmonitoring","minors"],"title":"A Court in Rostov-on-Don Sentenced Andrey Okhrimchuk to 4 Years Suspended for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer rejected accusations of extremism, saying that the Bible helped him treat people better and taught him to love even his enemies. Speaking about the positive impact of faith in God, he noted that thanks to biblical advice, his marriage became truly happy.\n","date":"2021-08-02T11:12:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/125.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 29, 2021 the Amur Regional Court upheld the sentence of Vasiliy Reznichenko, a Jehovah's Witness from Zeya convicted earlier to 2 years of suspended imprisonment for talking on religious topics—the court considered it \"participation in the activity of an extremist organization.”\nThe verdict came into force: 2 years of suspended sentence and 6 months of restriction of freedom. The verdict can be appealed in cassation and international instances.\nIn three weeks after the appeal decision, labor veteran Vasiliy Reznichenko will be 79 years old. Most of them he led a habitual Soviet way of life, and for a long time he worked as a captain of a motor ship. Vasiliy and his wife familiarized themselves with the Bible and became Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s. For years, the newfound faith of Vasiliy and his co-religionists did not raise any questions from the authorities.\n\"Around 2005 or 2006, the police detained me and my wife several times while we were talking to people about God. We were taken to the police and interrogated. The attitude of the police was not strict. They even took magazines [on Biblical topics] from us to read,\" Vasiliy says. After identification, the believers were released.\nIn 2016, Vasiliy was widowed. About three years later, in March 2019, criminal proceedings began against him.\n\"On the morning of the day I was searched when I was reading the daily scripture. I heard the knock on my door. I thought it was one of the neighbors in the entryway. I opened the door, and there were people I didn't know. One showed his FSB ID and introduced himself. The second wore a mask and had a gun. The others were witnesses. The FSB officer said that I was about to be searched. He warned me not to resist and that everything would be fine,\" Vasiliy said, adding that he was most worried when he was called in for questioning. When I came out of the FSB building to the street after the interrogation, I felt better.\"\nSince March 21, 2019, Vasiliy Reznichenko has been under house arrest, and in November 2019 he was placed on the state List of Terrorists and Extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all of his personal savings, a significant amount that the pensioner had been saving for many years for his own needs, as well as to help his loved ones. Moreover, at the request of the investigator, the elderly believer had to travel to Blagoveshchensk (almost 600 km away) in order to undergo forensic psychiatric examination.\n\"I am subjected to criminal prosecution for being a Christian, for being a Jehovah's Witness [...] I do not consider it a crime under the Russia’s law. No one has forbidden the Jehovah's Witnesses religion in Russia,\" the believer said in his final statement before the court of first instance ruling.\n15 believers in the Amur Region have already faced criminal prosecution simply because of their religion.\nRussian and foreign opinion makers unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Richard Clayton, Queen's Counsel, UK Representative to the Venice Commission. He notes: \"Recognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will do nothing to help Russia consolidate its reputation as a civilized country. Any decision against Jehovah's Witnesses will affect others [...] This application of laws forms the image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: ‘You can believe in anything, as long as you believe in what I tell you.’ In my opinion, this is a shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-30T18:35:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_88c7938f7292808.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_dfb45e677c90b683.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_872cb81de0b54ef5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301142/image_hu_349ec05476267e5f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/301142.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","appeal","suspended","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"Appeal Court in Blagoveshchensk Left Unchanged the Verdict for Faith Against 78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 29, 2021, Gennadiy German and Roman Gridasov, having served their sentences in full, were released. At the entrance to the Orenburg colony No. 1, they were welcomed by their friends and loved ones who had arrived from Saratov 800 kilometers away. Thus, five out of six Saratov believers have been released from prison.\nGennadiy and Roman ended up behind bars as a result of an unfair accusation of extremism. On September 19, 2019, the Lenin District Court of Saratov sentenced them to 2 years in prison, despite the fact that the prosecutor requested 6 years. The believers spent a year and 10 months behind bars.\nUpon arrival of Roman and Gennadшy at the colony, the staff of the institution kicked and beat them with truncheons which resulted in the worsening of their chronic diseases. Gridasov's wife related: \"The husband has noticeably lost weight, there is a strong internal tension, but he is holding on.\" Nevertheless, Gennadiy and Roman managed to support their families emotionally and maintain good relations with other prisoners.\nThe believers were repeatedly sent to punishment cells on ridiculous false accusations, for example, “smoking in the wrong place” (Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke for religious reasons). The prison authorities imposed unreasonable penalties on them, for example, for an unmade bed. “Violations in the colony are very easy to find. And if the administration wants, they will quickly organize them,” said the wife of Aleksey Budenchuk, who has already been released from this colony after serving his sentence. After the believers filed a petition to replace their unserved part of the sentence with a fine, Gennadiy was reprimanded for allegedly not greeting the colony staff. Later, German and Gridasov were transferred to a detachment with more difficult conditions of detention.\nIn the colony, the believers worked in the sewing industry. Roman also mastered the profession of a cook. Gennadiy worked for a month and a half in the packing department. Due to the lack of air and light at the workplace, his health deteriorated. Both prisoners suffered from viral diseases. Their lawyer said: \"The believers are forced to work from morning to evening ... Conditions in the colony are bad ... The clothes are of poor quality... In the summer it is very difficult to get permission to take off their thick clothes ... Their state of health has deteriorated, they have lost weight.\" Due to faulty payphones, German and Gridasov were limited in communication with their wives, but they were supported by letters from fellow believers from different countries. Friends from Orenburg often paid for food for them.\nThe EU countries express their concern over the situation around Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, declaring: “All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief ... without discrimination, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's commitments with OSCE and international commitments.\"\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-07-30T17:12:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/301712/image_hu_5a748f20dec74428.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301712/image_hu_c9ddf0ab7bae68ad.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301712/image_hu_99a00eef5120fe34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301712/image_hu_a8588b17c8b4408d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/301712.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","siloviks-violence","life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Saratov Gennadiy German and Roman Gridasov Released","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 30, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, sentenced 43-year-old Nataliya Kriger to two and a half years in prison for participation in the activities of a banned community—this is how the investigation interprets reading and discussing the Bible with friends.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 4 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of freedom on the believer, with the obligation to report twice a month at the FSIN supervisory institution.\nWhen Nataliya was only a year old, her mother died, and the girl ended up in an orphanage. At the age of 6, her grandmother took little Nataliya to live with her. Many years later, due to a hip fracture, Nataliya's elderly grandmother stopped walking. The believer took care of her grandmother until her death in February 2020.\nSpeaking in court with her last word, Nataliya Kriger recalled how her grandmother was able to instill in her the biblical norms of morality, thanks to which she completely changed: “I was a very naughty child even in my teens and caused considerable difficulties. But from the very childhood, noticing any injustice or humiliation, I reacted sharply. During my school years, I went to the karate section in order to protect myself. Like most teenagers, I was influenced by peers: I began to smoke, get drunk and swear heavily. Even my relatives and friends did not trust me.”\n“I have learned to express tender feelings for my grandmother, to hug her, and not to shout at her and be insolent to her,” Nataliya continues. “The Bible taught me to treat her with great love, kindness, trembling ... I think she would be very surprised now that I'm on trial for extremism.\"\nIn May 2018, the house of the Kriger family was searched. Then a criminal case was opened against Nataliya's husband, Valeriy Kriger. Two years after these events, in February 2020, Denis Yankin, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, opened a criminal case against Nataliya. Then the believer was placed on recognizance agreement.\nThe investigation lasted 6 months, and on August 19, 2020, the case was referred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. At the time of admission to the court, the case consisted of more than 30 volumes.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses was police officer Yuliya Zvereva, who also testified in a number of other cases against Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan: Svetlana Monis, Anastasiya Sycheva, Tatyana Zagulina and Konstantin Guzev, whom the court sentenced to suspended sentences.\nA total of 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted. Many of them have already been convicted, others are still awaiting a court decision on their cases.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. In May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-30T14:33:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_6a8553675120f5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_9a845fad1bace0ba.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_8d5a2c44179769e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/301433/image_hu_a76ff108d03c8367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/301433.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, Nataliya Kriger Received 2.5 Years of Suspended Term for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer, who grew up as an orphan, told the court how she learned to love God and people through the Bible, which is the exact opposite of the extremism of which she is accused. She noted, \"I look forward with courage, and the hope for the future that God promises helps me survive the injustices I faced.\"\n","date":"2021-07-30T11:50:59+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/124.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nataliya Kriger in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 29, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Vladimir Khudaverdyan, found three local believers guilty and sentenced Alexandr Parkov and Arsen Avanesov to 6.5 years, and Vilen Avanesov to 6 years of actual imprisonment. The court considered it a crime of extremist orientation to discuss the Bible and Christian teachings.\nThe believers de jure have already served about half of their term, since they were in a pre-trial detention center for more than 2 years, while the investigation and the trial lasted.\nVilen, Arsen and Alexandr do not admit their guilt in extremism. Speaking in court with the last word, Vilen Avanesov said that after the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in April 2017, he did not stop professing the faith, and this right is enshrined in the country's Constitution: “Why am I here, in the dock? Despite all this, I have not lost my faith in God and people, my conscience is clear. \"\nArsen Avanesov, in turn, emphasized: “A person must overcome any craving for violence and rebellion in himself if he wants to become Jehovah's Witness. And this fact makes the accusation of extremism on Jehovah's Witnesses simply absurd.\"\nAlexandr Parkov told the court that the Bible-based beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses encourage them to create, not destroy. \"The Bible helps to correct the negative aspects of a person,\" he said.\nThe criminal case against the believers was initiated on May 20, 2019. On the same day, security officials conducted searches in 15 houses of Rostovites, who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In some cases, riot policemen, breaking into apartments, used force. Father and son Avanesovs, as well as Alexandr Parkov, ended up behind bars on the same day.\nDuring the trial, it became clear that the accusations of extremism were groundless. There was not a single victim in the case. During the court interrogations, several witnesses stated that the investigator Chaikin had fabricated their testimony. Nevertheless, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint the believers from 7 to 7.5 years in a general regime colony.\nThe litigation and imprisonment have dramatically affected the lives of the three families. Arsen Avanesov was the main breadwinner. Since he and his 68-year-old father ended up behind bars, Arsen's mother was left without due care.\nAfter the searches and arrest of Alexandr Parkov, his eldest daughter, who at that time was expecting a child, began to experience complications due to stress. And the believer himself was diagnosed with an immune disease.\nIn January 2021, the wife of Alexandr Parkov, Galina, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of suspended sentence — the case was initiated at the same time as the case against her husband, but he was later separated into a separate proceeding. After the verdict, she told what she had to endure: “There was a shock. The injustice towards me and my husband was acutely felt. The first months were spent fighting the fear. The interrogations were difficult (I attended 8 interrogations). The investigator often shouted, pressed and wanted to hear what suited him. After each interrogation, I recovered for several days.\"\nHowever, the most difficult thing, in her words, is to cope with the absence of a loved one nearby. “My husband means a lot to me. I can't imagine life without him. We have always done everything and always together. And he was taken away, and millions of decisions from day to day had to be taken by herself. Alexandr’s condition worried most of all. Conditions in the pre-trial detention center are not very good, and he often had stomach aches. Longing for her husband tormented every day,” — said Galina.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities is groundless, since the Supreme Court did not prohibit professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses individually or in community with others. The ban applies exclusively to legal entities, but not to the faith itself.\nTatyana Moskalkova, Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, referring to the growing number of criminal cases against believers, said in her report to the President of Russia: “These events make one think about the existence of a conflict between the constitutional right to profess one’s religion individually or jointly with others and signs of extremist activity, specified in article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. […] Vague criteria for classifying religious materials as extremist are unacceptable, when virtually any federal judge at his own discretion can prohibit any book, image, video or audio recording.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-29T17:51:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/291751/image_hu_78ce21270a19cf80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/291751/image_hu_d5fe1ac6c526ac59.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/291751/image_hu_d8e86e601fea90b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/291751/image_hu_f467abd3f8e11abf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/291751.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","families","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"In Rostov-on-Don, Three of Jehovah's Witnesses Receive From Six to Six and a Half Years in Prison for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 21 and 22, 2021, about 10 searches were carried out in four cities of the Murmansk region. The security forces broke into the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses mostly at night, interrogated them for many hours, and confiscated personal belongings. Criminal cases have been initiated against four believers.\nEvents in Snezhnogorsk\nIn Snezhnogorsk, searches were carried out at five addresses at least. Operational search measures were carried out at night \"in connection with the urgency of investigative actions.\" The operations were led by FSB Captain S. V. Polishchuk, Lieutenant Commander I. A. Meshchirikov and Major of Justice S. B. Mikheev. The following were confiscated from the believers: electronic equipment, personal records, information carriers, an album for drawing, bank card details. In one case, literature was planted, including a book not published by Jehovah's Witnesses and not on the federal list of extremist materials. Also, a search took place at 38-year-old Alexey Yeliseyev. After his arrest, he was placed in a temporary detention facility and then a recognizance agreement was taken from him, with some restrictions imposed. Presumably, a criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nYunona Iliasova, 36, a mother of three young children, was interrogated and placed in a temporary detention facility for a day. Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the IC Leshkov A. N. accused her of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity) and demanded that the believer be placed under house arrest. Viktoriya Loginova, judge of the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region, placed Yunona Iliasova under recognizance agreement. The believer was released from custody in the courtroom.\nSearches in Polyarny and Murmansk\nA night search in the city of Polyarny was carried out at the home of 47-year-old Roman Markin, who, together with fellow believer Viktor Trofimov, had already been convicted and fined a large sum for his faith in Jehovah God. All electronic equipment, a system unit, information carriers, a passbook, personal records and printed publications, including the Bible, were seized from Roman, his wife and daughter.\nAnother victim of unreasonable raids was a married couple, who, according to preliminary information, were witnesses in the case of Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov. The law enforcement officers searched the apartment for 9 hours, starting on the evening of June 21. They confiscated equipment, postcards and the Bible in the Synodal translation from the believers.\nRaid in Apatity\nOn the other end of the Kola Peninsula, in the city of Apatity, security officials conducted searches and interrogated at least four people. In the apartment of 45-year-old Denis Merkulov and his wife, law enforcement officers broke down the iron front door and knocked out the double-glazed window. The security forces seized electronic devices, bank cards, personal records, photographs and the Bible in Modern Translation. On July 24, the judge of the Apatity City Court Vladimir Dyomin chose a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of house arrest until September 18, 2021. Denis Merkulov was charged under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nThe security forces came to one of the residents of the city with a search during her communication with friends via videoconference. The woman, unsuspecting, opened the door, and a group of operatives broke into the apartment. One of them recorded conversations of believers about the Bible. The following items were seized: a laptop, religious literature, 2 telephones, audio cassettes, and a Bible. During the night interrogation, one of the operatives threatened the woman with a 10-year prison term. He claimed that because of her refusal to take the blame for extremism and incriminate fellow believers, she \"will have problems.\" Another believer became ill during a late interrogation and was unable to answer questions.\nJehovah's Witnesses are already being prosecuted in 68 regions of Russia. The Russian and international community emphasizes that the oppression of believers violates the norms of Russian and international law and fundamental human freedoms.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-29T17:40:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/291740.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","ivs","recognizance-agreement","interrogation","house-arrest","282.2-1"],"title":"A Wave of Searches in 4 Cities of the Murmansk Region. Roman Markin Convicted of Faith Is Among Its Victims","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I don't understand how I and my fellow believers can exercise freedom of religion.\" Aleksandr Parkov's last word before court in Rostov-on-Don\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-07-28T11:25:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/281125.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 22, 2021, a 62-year-old electrician Yuriy Ponomarenko was searched in Luchegorsk (Primorsky Territory). Later, the believer was interrogated and placed on recognizance not to leave. A criminal case was initiated against him under an extremist article.\nOn July 16, 2021, the senior investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory N.A. Sorokina opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities). After 6 days, she, accompanied by three operatives and two attesting witnesses, came to search Yuriy Ponomarenko's apartment. A mobile phone, a hard drive and postcards with Bible verses were confiscated from the believer. The security forces also searched his garage.\nOn July 24, Yuriy was summoned for interrogation to Dalnerechensk, which is located 80 kilometers from Luchegorsk. As evidence of the \"crime\", the investigator used a recording of a telephone conversation with a co-religionist, made in 2018. According to Sorokina, she also has records of how the services were held in the period 2017-2019.\nYuriy Ponomarenko became the 37th believer in the Primorsky Territory who is persecuted for his religious beliefs. The case against two other residents of Luchegorsk, Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev, is pending trial .\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-28T08:33:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/280833.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"New Search and Criminal Case for Faith in Luchegorsk. 62-Year-Old Yuriy Ponomarenko Was Placed on Recognizance Not to Leave","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 23, 2021, the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of the first instance court. Vitaliy Popov, 54, was found guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn May 21, 2021, Nataliya Devyatko, a judge of the Lenin District Court of Novosibirsk, found Vitaliy Popov guilty of a crime under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 and part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing). He was sentenced to 3 years of suspended sentence. In the court of the first instance, the prosecutor requested 6 years of actual imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nProsecution witnesses at the hearings emphasized that they know Vitaliy as \"a peaceful, hardworking person who is always ready to help.\" One of the witnesses said: “Good person with a capital letter ‘Good’. There are simply no such ones, in fact. Without any falsity. A kind man.\"\nVitaliy himself drew attention to the fact that he had always been a simple, peaceful, and hard-working person. “Many in the school [his last workplace] knew that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and had deep respect for my views, because I am a conflict-free person and I try to see positive qualities in people without any prejudice.”\n“For many years I tried to be an exemplary citizen of my country, I have always been a law-abiding citizen, I paid taxes honestly, always did my job in good faith, my employers always spoke positively about me, and suddenly the prosecution proposes to declare me an extremist. For what?—he asked in the court debate and himself offered the answer:—For the fact that I discussed biblical thoughts in the circle of my family and friends that encourage love and good deeds.”\nDue to criminal prosecution, Vitaliy lost his job, and his recognizance agreement restricted his right to move freely for more than a year.\nIn passing the verdict, the court of the first instance took into account the opinion of “specialist” Oleg Zayev, who has no religious education and who did not hide his hostility towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Equally surprising is the fact that Popov did not even attend the religious meetings presented to the court as evidence of his guilt.\nVitaliy Popov became the second resident of Novosibirsk convicted for his faith. Earlier, 67-year-old Yuri Savelyev was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony.\nRussian and foreign organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. For example, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin calling for an end to the persecution.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-23T14:47:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_ceb6108071a97f9b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_f188e21179d817ee.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_b1d726af24ea7e41.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/231447/image_hu_f3adcf16f6d8afa8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/231447.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"The Appeal in Novosibirsk Upheld the Verdict Against Vitaliy Popov for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that another criminal case for faith is being investigated in Seversk - against 80-year-old Elena Savelyeva. The case has already gone to court\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-07-22T15:38:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/221538.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2021, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh of the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAD sentenced Anna Lokhvitskaya to 2.5 years' probation for participating in the activities of a banned organization. The verdict can be appealed. The believer insists that she wasn't involved in any extremism.\nSpeaking in the debate she stressed that she had no criminal intent: \"What is the intent? That I read the Bible? That I sang songs of praise to God? There is not a single person who has been harmed by my contrived accusation of \"willful\" criminal acts. My life in general, as well as the actions I am charged with, are solely peaceful in nature. If there is no hate or animosity in the motives, there is no corpus delicti. Although there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to four years in a penal colony with further restrictions for another two years.\nJust the day before her mother-in-law, Irina Lokhvitskaya, was sentenced in exactly the same way, and in February 2021 her husband, Artur Lokhvitsky, was sentenced. In April 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region confirmed Arthur's verdict on appeal - the believer received a 2.5 year suspended sentence.\nThe case against Anna was initiated by D. Yankin, an investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the EAD, on February 6, 2020. About 7 months later, on August 19, 2020, it was transferred to court. According to the judge's decision, the case was heard behind closed doors, without the presence of the audience, the media, or even relatives. Since the start of the criminal case in February 2020, the believer was under house arrest.\nThe case of Anna Lokhvitskaya is among 19 criminal cases against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nOn April 20, 2021, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responding to a request from a believer, stated: \"The step taken [the Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017] has not restricted the right of citizens to freedom of religion... Participants of a liquidated organization may independently worship, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration, on the understanding that this is not related to the conduct of extremist activity. Nevertheless, Russian courts continue to convict Jehovah's Witnesses.\nForeign figures have also repeatedly stated that religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses is inappropriate and that persecution must cease.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-20T20:20:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_755d5312cbae88e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_6ad1dc47b5dfaf42.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_181f8b4a23be2bf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/201520/image_hu_82fc8b3b79cf0883.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/201520.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Birobidzhan the Court Gave Anna Lokhvitskaya a 2.5 Year Suspended Sentence for Her Belief in Jehovah. Such a Sentence Had Already Been Imposed on Her Husband and Mother-in-Law","type":"news"},{"body":"On 20 July 2021, the Moscow regional court did not satisfy the appeal against the criminal case against Vitaliy Nikiforov, Konstantin Zherebtsov, Yuriy and Zinaida Krutyakov from the town of Chekhov. The court equated their peaceful discussion of the Bible with friends with extremism. The final punishment: to Yuriy Krutyakov - 6 years suspended with probation for 5 years; to Zinaida Krutyakova - 2 years and 3 months suspended with probation for 2 years, to Konstantin Zherebtsov - 2 years and 2 months suspended with probation for 2 years, to Vitaliy Nikiforov - 2 years suspended with the same probation period.\nThe verdict came into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe first instance sentence was handed down on May 24, 2021. On that day, Judge Irina Pantela of the Chekhov City Court in Moscow Region sentenced the four local Jehovah's Witnesses to a suspended sentence as requested by the prosecutor.\nYuriy Krutyakov, a 69-year-old former civil engineer, came voluntarily to the Investigative Committee with no intention of hiding from the investigation. However, he was placed in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. As his serious diseases began to progress, Yury repeatedly applied for proper medical examination and treatment, but the management of SIZO-7 ignored his requests. As a result, his eyesight sharply deteriorated.\nYuriy's wife, 63-year-old Zinaida, gave more than 30 years to the construction industry. Criminal prosecution for her faith also undermined her health and deprived the spouses of their livelihood. In addition, Aleksandr Serebryakov, Zinaida's son-in-law, has been under criminal prosecution since February 2021 and is in jail for his peaceful religious beliefs.\nVitaliy Nikiforov, a 53-year old combat veteran, served as an aircraft technician in the Russian Air Force and took part in an anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. Now he has been convicted for his faith in God, thanks to which he got rid of his alcohol addiction.\nKonstantin Zherebtsov, 47, worked hard for many years at various NPPs and other enterprises of the energy complex, has numerous certificates and letters of appreciation. Due to criminal prosecution, he lost the opportunity to financially support his wife and young daughter. He had heart problems which worsened against the background of stress.\nYuriy Krutyakov spent about a year and three months in jail. Konstantin Zherebtsov, Viktor Nikiforov, and Zinaida Krutyakov were sent to the temporary detention center after detention and then were under house arrest for a year and 8 months until sentencing.\nOn October 3, 2019, night searches took place in the houses of believers, which ended by 4-5 a.m. They were followed by many hours of interrogations in the Main Investigative Department of the Moscow region. After detention, believers were not fed for 36 hours.\nThe basis of the criminal case was the testimony of an FSB officer who portrayed interest in the Bible, a certain Stanislav Kuznetsky. Yuri Krutyakov met him at the train station. Kuznetsov often went to Krutyakov for biblical advice for the solution of family problems and asked about fellow believers. Later, Zherebtsov, Nikiforov, and Krutyakov noticed that they were being watched and their phones were tapped.\nThere were no victims in the case against the believers. Harmless actions such as reading and discussing the Bible and praying to Jehovah God were interpreted as evidence of the believers' guilt.\nDuring the court hearings, the defense repeatedly emphasized: \"All three are adherents of a peaceful religion ... They live by the principle 'love thy neighbor as thyself.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations, including the UN, OSCE, PACE, diplomatic missions, and heads of various states, unanimously condemn the the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Even the President of the Russian Federation has publicly expressed his bewilderment at their prosecution.\nThe essence of erroneous accusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses comes down to the fact that they believe their religion is the only right one in the eyes of God.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-20T17:29:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_44068496647cbfb7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_226368987481d2cf.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_a213d0b776d78920.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/201729/image_hu_73ac6eede835af18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/201729.html","regions":["moscow_obl","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","suspended"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Left Unchanged the Verdict Against Four Believers From the City of Chekhov","type":"news"},{"body":"Early on the morning of July 20, 2021 law enforcement officers conducted searches in Kodinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, at least five locations where Jehovah's Witnesses reside. According to preliminary data, one person was detained. Electronic devices were confiscated from peaceful believers.\nSearches involving local FSB officers were authorized by R. I. Rogov, senior investigator of Investigative Division for Kezhemsky region of the Investigative Committee of RF for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia.\nUpdate. The next day, the investigator filed a petition with the Kezhemsky District Court to elect a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for the detainee Ildar Urazbakhtin. Judge Grigory Garbuz granted the investigator\u0026rsquo;s request, restricting the believer\u0026rsquo;s freedom for 2 months. The argument that the 58-year-old Ildar is the sole breadwinner in the family, living with his disabled wife, was not taken into account. Recently, Ildar Urazbakhtin has been working as a technical inspector. The investigation suspects him of \u0026ldquo;committing a grave crime\u0026rdquo; under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, only because of discussing biblical teachings with friends. The town of Kodinsk became the eighth settlement in Krasnoyarsk Territory where law enforcement officers persecute peaceful believers only because of their religion. Criminal cases were filed against 16 Jehovah's Witnesses there, and Andrey Stupnikov from Krasnoyarsk was sentenced to six years in prison for meeting with fellow believers and talking about the Bible.\nCriminal prosecution of adherents of this religion violates Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion for all. It also contradicts the official commentary of the Government of the Russian Federation, according to which the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 \"does not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/211416.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","house-arrest","ivs"],"title":"In the Town of Kodinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Detained After a Search","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2021, the judge of the Solombala District Court, Nikolai Bakov, convicted 41-year-old Yevgeniy Yakku, recognizing peaceful conversations about the Bible as extremism. The believer is obliged to pay 780,000 rubles. During the criminal prosecution, his mother suffered a stroke, and his elderly father died in Yevgeny's arms.\nThe believer insists on his complete innocence and can appeal the sentence. Speaking in court with the last word shortly before the verdict, Yevgeniy Yakku said: \"I adhere to biblical principles, which are based on love for God and neighbor ... Jehovah's Witnesses and extremism are incompatible concepts, like black and white!\"\nThe prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 7.5 years in prison and 2.5 years of restriction of freedom.\nThe criminal case against Evgeniy Yakku was initiated on February 13, 2019. He was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and of involving other persons in extremist activities. Later, investigator Roman Shagarov expanded the accusation by adding another part of the same article about the organization of extremist activity.\nOn the morning of February 18, 2019, the security forces invaded Yevgeny's home. After the search, he was taken away in an unknown direction, he returned only 2 days later. As it turned out later, the believer was in a temporary detention center. After that, Eugene Yakku spent 2 years and 5 months under the ban on certain actions. A special device was put on his leg - an electronic tracking bracelet. The believer recalls: \"It felt like I was constantly on a leash, and it was emotionally overwhelming.\"\nAfter the Yakku family was searched, Eugene lost his new job, which he was supposed to take that day. He got a job as a janitor, but after a while he was also suddenly fired from there without explanation. In April 2019, the believer was included in the state list of extremists. For the last 4 months, Yevgeniy has been working as a janitor for a small salary, and his wife Irina has been working as a cleaner to help her husband support and provide for the family financially.\nYevgeniy also noted: \"Thanks to the persecution of the Investigative Committee, I was left without a job, all accounts were blocked, cars were arrested.\" When the court decided to arrest 2 cars, the owner of the property was not even invited. According to the investigator, the cars should have been arrested in order to ensure the execution of a possible sentence involving a fine.\nAgainst the background of stress in connection with the criminal prosecution, Yevgeny's chronic illness worsened. Doctors also noted a sharp deterioration in the health of Irina, who has been suffering from an autoimmune disease for many years.\nDuring the investigation, in April 2020, Yevgeny's mother suffered a stroke. His father did not leave the house for about 10 years due to illness. He needed constant care, so in November of the same year, the believer decided to move his parents to his place, but on the way, Eugene's father died in the car right in his arms.\nDuring the trial, violations were revealed. One of the prosecution witnesses reported pressure from the investigator to fabricate testimony, but the investigator denied this.\nAnother prosecution witness, Theodosius Nesterov, a priest of one of the local churches, never met the defendant, but claimed that the magazines published by Jehovah's Witnesses \"clearly contain a motive for inciting intolerance ... Although it's not on all pages and it's encrypted.\"\nReligious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, in turn, drew the court's attention to the fact that the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses are not related to extremism and the decision of the Supreme Court of 2017 does not imply that believers do not have the right to continue to practice their religion together with others.\nThe Yakku family received letters of support from many caring people, including from the diplomatic departments of a number of countries. In February 2021, the believer's family received a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to a letter in which the wife of the accused, Irina, informed the minister about the criminal prosecution of their family and about the contradiction of what was happening with international law. The response states, among other things: \"Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\"\nIn addition to Yevgeny Yakku, another resident of Arkhangelsk, 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina , faced persecution for her faith in the region. In November 2019, the investigation closed the criminal case against her for lack of corpus delicti. The believer died of complications after the coronavirus in June 2021, without waiting for the results of her rehabilitation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-19T20:22:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/192022/image_hu_e348c1f6c4ea3ecd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/192022/image_hu_7a01d2a0db555423.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/192022/image_hu_cab0a8536b417116.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/192022/image_hu_3017d579588c584.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/192022.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"An Arkhangelsk Court Ordered Yevgeniy Yakku to Pay 780,000 Rubles for Bible Talks","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Love is a driving force that helps to look at life correctly, to have good intentions and to be a worthy member of society,\" Anna Lokhvitskaya drew the court's attention to the fact that everything related to extremism is alien to her.\n","date":"2021-07-19T18:51:48+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/118.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anna Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 19, 2021, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Kirov, Sergey Shvaytser, sentenced 30-year-old Andrey Shchepin to a fine of 500,000 rubles, 60-year-old Aleksandr Shamov - 420,000 rubles, and 72-year-old Yevgeniy Udintsev - 200,000 rubles.\nThe guilt of the convicts lies in the fact that they did not stop believing in Jehovah and talking about the Bible, which the court considered the organization of an extremist community. Initially, the believers were also accused of financing the extremist community, but later the prosecutor dropped this charge. Believers insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed in the appellate court.\nOn the morning of March 26, 2019, a series of searches took place in the homes of Kirov residents. On the same day, the Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kirov Region opened a criminal case against the three men. The investigation lasted just over 9 months. The investigation relied on the testimony of the witness Potekhin, an employee of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE). Later it turned out that about half of his testimony, recorded in the protocol by the investigator, coincided with the article on Jehovah's Witnesses from Wikipedia, along with typos and errors in it. As it turned out, the special services also sent an agent named Plastin to the believers, who, pretending to be interested in the Bible, secretly recorded conversations with the accused and worship services. Later, already at the stage of the court hearings, which lasted 1 year and 3 months, a secret witness was questioned, claiming that he was Jehovah's Witness. At the same time, he referred to publications that believers have not used for a long time. Two other prosecution witnesses stated that their testimony was completed by the investigator. There was not a single victim in the case.\nDespite the inconsistencies in the case, the state prosecutor Kolosova asked for severe punishment for the defendants: Shchepin and Shamov – to 4 and 2 years in a general regime colony, respectively, and Udintsev – to a fine of 600 000 rubles.\nIt is paradoxical that Andrey Shchepin, whom the investigation accused of inciting religious hatred, calls for violence and disobedience to the authorities, at one time, out of peaceful convictions, achieved alternative civilian service instead of serving in the army, which he served for 21 months. At the same time, he had the opportunity to get a military ID if he agreed to participate in military training for just a month. The case materials contain positive characteristics of a young believer from a gymnasium, from a place of alternative civilian service, from work and from an elder at home. In them, Andrey is called a non-conflict and non-aggressive person, always ready to help.\nDuring the criminal prosecution, the rights and freedoms of believers were limited. After being detained, Andrey Shchepin spent two days in a temporary detention facility, after which he was banned from certain actions for 2 years and 4 months, and later under recognizance not to leave. All of this made it difficult for Andrey to help his wife take care of a mother who needed special care due to her disability.\nAleksandr Shamov himself is on a disability pension, recovering from a heart attack and heart surgery.\nEvgeniy Udintsev's health also leaves much to be desired: in June 2020, he was forced to leave the meeting due to poor health. Despite the fact that Udintsev is at risk due to age, prosecutor Kolosova, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, insisted on continuing the meetings in person. The believer was under recognizance not to leave until the verdict was pronounced.\nEarlier in the Kirov region, another Jehovah's Witness, Anatoly Tokarev , was fined 500,000 rubles. Now the case of seven more Kirov believers is pending in court (one of them, Yuriy Geraskov, died under investigation).\nIn July 2020, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 30 member States criticized the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities. Their joint statement reads: \"All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, must be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and Russia's OSCE commitments and international law.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-19T16:07:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_bbf4c697dc448691.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_bc43656d94d89e87.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_b744e3a4305418b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/191607/image_hu_4c373859eed250d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/191607.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1","disability","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, Andrey Shchepin, Aleksandr Shamov and Yevgeniy Udintsev Got Big Fines for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, found 59-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya guilty of participating in the activities of a banned religious community. She was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The prosecutor asked for 4 years in prison for Irina.\n“The accusations [of extremism] against me are unsubstantiated and unfounded. I have been one of Jehovah's Witness for 28 years. The acquaintances I meet are shocked, they are outraged that I am being persecuted for my faith, they understand that I am far from extremism. Therefore, I am not ashamed to look people into eyes, I have not done anything illegal, ”said Irina Lokhvitskaya in her last plea on July 16. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nThe case against Irina Lokhvitskaya was initiated on February 6, 2020. She became the accused after her son, Arthur, who was convicted on similar charges, and his wife Anna, whose case is handled by the same judge as the Irina's.\nThe investigation was conducted by Denis Yankin, senior forensic investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. He also organized criminal prosecution against seven more believers from Birobidzhan. There are five women among them. The investigation lasted six months, and on August 21, 2020, 26 volumes of the case against Irina Lokhvitskaya were transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. By the decision of the judge, the hearings were held behind closed doors, the believer was deprived of the support of relatives and the right to publicity of the trial. The trial lasted over 9 months. During the trial, no evidence was presented that Irina incited religious hatred or spoke out against the state. There were no victims in the case either.\nThe persecution of believers in Birobidzhan intensified on May 17, 2018, when the security forces conducted an operation codenamed \"Doomsday\" against local Jehovah's Witnesses. In the region, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers. 13 of them, including Irina Lokhvitskaya, have already received suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 2.5 years.\nReligious service is an integral part of the legitimate religious activity of any denomination. The Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\" guarantees all citizens the right to \"perform services ... and ceremonies, teach religion and religious education ... have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\"\nLegal scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation. Back in June 2018, speaking in defense of believers, Russian human rights activists emphasized: \"If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-19T13:47:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_46a667e076d55f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_525dbef30f0847b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_b3161a38380b08f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/191347/image_hu_716b9f9a2df09719.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/191347.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Gave Irina Lokhvitskaya 2.5 years Suspended for Confessing the Faith of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Yevgeniy Yakku explained the main reason for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: \"We try to firmly adhere to high biblical standards while serving our God Jehovah.\" He linked the persecution of believers with the Gospel prophecies and quoted the famous fable of I. Krylov.\n","date":"2021-07-16T17:44:45+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/116.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeniy Yakku in Arkhangelsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking before the court, Irina Lokhvitskaya remarked: \"Even if we assume that the prosecution would be able to read my thoughts, they would not see anything extremist there. I have one motive, and that is to help sincere people come to know a loving Creator.\"\n","date":"2021-07-16T08:03:25+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/117.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Irina Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 15, 2021, the judge of the Karpinsk City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region Vera Bazuyeva found Aleksandr Prianikov, as well as Venera and Darya Dulova guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Their case was re-tried in the same court after the previous verdict was overturned.\nThe court sentenced Aleksandr Prianikov to 2 years and 6 months suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years, Venera Dulova—2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years, Darya Dulova—1 year of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 1 year.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nAt the first consideration of the case in 2020, the prosecutor asked the court to appoint suspended sentences for all three believers. And although there is still not a single victim in the case, this time the state prosecutor insisted on a more severe punishment for Aleksandr and Venera—3 years in prison, and for Darya— 2 years of suspended term.\nVenera Dulova is hearing impaired, caring mother of three, and a loving wife. Her youngest daughter Darya was only 18 years old when a criminal case was opened against her.\nVenera Dulova has been under recognizance agreement since August 2018, and Aleksandr Prianikov since September 2018. The same preventive measure was chosen for Darya on July 24, 2019. This limited the movement of the three until the end of the preliminary investigation in April 2021. In addition, they were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which means the blocking of all their bank accounts.\nRepeated searches and the need to constantly attend court hearings negatively affected their ability to work and provide for themselves and their families financially. “Every time after the search it felt like we were robbed. I had to buy laptops and telephones twice, because I need these devices for my self-employment,” said Aleksandr.\nOn June 14, 2018, the police detained Aleksandr Prianikov and Venera Dulova during a conversation on biblical topics. Their telephones, storage media, personal records were seized in order to check for extremist materials. Copies of passports and other documents were made, and fingerprints were taken.\nSoon, the security forces conducted a series of searches at the Dulovs' house, at the dacha of their relatives, as well as at the Prianikovs' apartment in their absence. During the subsequent interrogation, Venera and Darya were subjected to psychological pressure in order to find out the whereabouts of Prianikov.\nThe case was initiated on July 30, 2018. It was investigated by the Investigation Department in Krasnoturyinsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Sverdlovsk Region. The investigation lasted just over a year, after which the case went to court, where for 5 months it was considered by judge Svetlana Gabbasova. In January 2020, Judge Gabbasova found them guilty. All received suspended sentences of up to 2.5 years.\nHowever, on August 6, 2020, the sentence was overturned by the Sverdlovsk Regional Court on appeal. As a result, on August 20, the case was returned to the Karpinsk City Court for reconsideration in a new composition, chaired by Vera Bazuyeva. The new sentences were almost identical to the previous ones.\n“The indictment says a lot about my motives, that I was allegedly driven by hatred, I realized that my actions would be harmful. In fact, this is slander. It is impossible to ascribe such motives to me without having an ounce of evidence of this. On the contrary, my sincere desire to help people prompts me to talk about God and the Bible,” said Aleksandr Prianikov in his last plea.\nIn her appeal to the court, Darya Dulova noted: “I think you will agree, Your Honor, that this is the dream of any law enforcement agency: people who are ready at any time to come to the aid of their neighbors, non-conflict and non-aggressive. And these people are being persecuted now.”\n“I am worried that huge funds and efforts are directed not against real extremists, but against young students, pensioners, mothers of many children, fathers of families,” Venera Dulova emphasized in her last word.\nIn court testimony, believers have repeatedly emphasized how Bible teachings have positively influenced their lives. Faith helped them to become responsible and peaceful citizens, to break off with bad association, to become more patient and kind. However, the prosecution continues to insist that the peaceful confession of Aleksandr Prianikov, Venera and Darya Dulova of their faith is a dangerous crime for society and the state.\nMeanwhile, in 2020, the Dulovs and Aleksandr Prianikov became involved in another criminal case for faith. More serious charges were brought against them: Venera and Darya were charged with recruiting into an extremist organization, and Aleksandr with organizing extremist activities and involving minors into it. Aleksandr's wife Anastasia was also among the accused, as were Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband. The second case went to the same court on April 29, 2021.\n“All people, including members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, must be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination. […] We therefore call on the Russian Federation to conduct prompt, effective and thorough investigations into all reports of such acts,” the European Union statement said.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-15T23:48:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_cffe7038204a22e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_c91fe60e3c25f842.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_aa76e47c1d896326.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/161427/image_hu_375cf2364ce78376.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/161427.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["retrial","suspended","sentence","282.2-2","families","disability"],"title":"The Re-Examination of the Criminal Case for Faith in Karpinsk is Over. Defendants Received Suspended Sentences from 1 to 2.5 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer spoke about why Jehovah's Witnesses obey the authorities and expressed confidence that \"the time is near when decisions will be made at the state level that will allow Jehovah's Witnesses to gather freely to worship God.\"\n","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/121.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Parkov in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, Arsen Avanesov spoke of devotion to God: \"I dedicated my life to him and did it sincerely... I don't want to, I can't, and I won't go back on my promise.\" He expressed hope that the authorities recognize the right of law-abiding citizens to adhere to their beliefs.\n","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/123.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Arsen Avanesov in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court with the last word, the believer stressed that living the way Jesus Christ taught - according to high standards of morality and purity - is not a crime. He said: \"We live in a state governed by the rule of law, and it is my constitutional right to communicate with fellow believers on spiritual topics.\"\n","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/122.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov's last word in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 14, 2021, the judge of the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region, Alexander Kozlov, sentenced 45-year-old IT engineer Konstantin Moiseyenko to 6 years probation suspended sentence on charges of organizing extremist activities. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, state prosecutor Erika Schechtel asked the court to sentence the believer to 6 years in prison in a penal colony.\nOn March 21, 2019, in Zeya, searches were carried out in Zeya in the home of Konstantin Moiseyenko and several other believers. 10 days before that, V.S. Obukhov, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, opened a criminal case against Konstantin for his faith under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation lasted 16 months. On August 31, 2020, the case of Konstantin Moiseyenko was received by the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region. At the time the case was submitted to the court, it consisted of 11 volumes.\nThe charge relied on video recordings of the services received by an embedded FSB agent. The woman showing an interest in the Bible was provided with special equipment for audio and video recordings.\nAlso involved in the case was Olga Averina, an expert, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy of the Far Eastern Institute of Management, who, contrary to the official statements of the Russian authorities that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion in groups, stated in her expert opinion: “The very fact of holding meetings of followers of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses” is a confirmation of the continued activities of the [banned] organization. ”In fact, the RF Supreme Court did not prohibit practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nKonstantin Moiseyenko explained that Jehovah's Witnesses come to church services voluntarily out of a desire to worship God, and the very presence at church meetings is not a crime or a threat to the security of the state, as the investigation argued: “Why [the investigator] came to this conclusion is completely incomprehensible .. My only intention was to worship God. \" Speaking with the last word, the believer asked the court: “When sentencing, please explain how I can be Jehovah's Witness, how I can keep God's commandments set forth in the Bible so that I do not face the penalty of imprisonment for a period of 6 to 10 years under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ”. He added: “More than 20 years ago, I made a choice and made a decision — to devote my life to fulfilling the will of God. Promises must be kept. Therefore, I firmly intend to continue to adhere to the decision made. I don't want to give up my beliefs. On the contrary, I want to remain loyal to Jehovah God. Devotion is not 90%, not 95%, but 100%. \"\nMoiseyenko spent about 2 years and 4 months under recognizance agreement. The court hearings lasted over 10 months.\nA criminal case against the believer was initiated simultaneously with another case against another inhabitant of Zeya —78-year-old Vasiliy Reznichenko, a USSR labor veteran. He has already received a suspended sentence of 2 years. At the end of June 2021, two other believers from the Amur Region were sentenced to unprecedentedly high sentences: Alexey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik received 8 and 7 years in prison, respectively. Only 15 believers in the region faced criminal prosecution simply because of their faith in Jehovah God.\nAs in the case of other Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the criminal case against Konstantin Moiseyenko was initiated only because he did not renounce his religion. Even the prosecution witnesses were unable to confirm the facts of any unlawful actions of the believer. For example, FSB officer Korendov admitted that Jehovah's Witnesses are known to him for not resorting to violence in resolving conflicts and adhering to high moral standards. The videos presented in the court only confirmed the peaceful nature of the religious meetings of believers.\nAccording to Alexander Verkhovskiy, head of the “Sova” information and analytical center and member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, the logic of the sentences handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses in different regions is impossible to understand. “Probably not a single campaign of persecution has been unfolded at such a rate recently. Now the punishments are gradually getting tougher,— he noted.— The ban of Jehovah's Witnesses is, in fact, illegal, because it is based on the fact that they ... assert the superiority of their faith ... But this is such a generally accepted opinion among believers that it is their faith is the truest, which is not clear how anyone at all came to persecute for this. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-14T14:46:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_6bbc1ca423a33f23.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_8d9ee79045b3f484.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_3f635616d68f0d1f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/141446/image_hu_12a54c4967868579.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/141446.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"The Verdict Announced to One More of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Amur Region. Konstantin Moiseyenko From the City of Zeya Was Given a Six-Year Suspended Sentence for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Konstantin Moiseenko asked the court: \"When sentencing, please explain how I can be Jehovah's Witness, how I can keep God's commandments set forth in the Bible, so that I do not face a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 6 to 10 years.\"\n","date":"2021-07-14T13:55:34+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/115.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Konstantin Moiseenko in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the morning of 14 July 2021, searches were conducted in the homes of at least 8 families of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Kurgan and Shadrinsk. According to preliminary data, at least 13 peaceful believers were detained; the location of most of them is not yet known.\nOne of the searches was of 43 year-old Sergey Skudaev from Kurgan. He was detained and taken to the temporary detention center, awaiting a court decision on pre-trial restraint. A criminal case under the article on extremism was initiated. The case is being led by Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Kurgan region. In the resolution signed by him, the reason for the raid is a meeting of believers via video conference. Investigator Ivan Bezborodov and six other officers took part in the search of Skudayev's apartment, garage and dacha. Electronic gadgets, Bibles, diaries and wedding photos were seized from the believer.\nIn Kurgan, 49-year-old Valeriy Minsafin and 56-year-old Anatoliy Isakov were also searched. Searches in Isakov's family were carried out at three addresses at once.\nThe search in the house of Minsafin took place under the supervision of lieutenant colonel of justice, A.V. Tretyakov, investigator of internal affairs department of Kurgan region Investigation Committee, with participation of local FSB and Centre for counteraction to extremism. Some security officers were armed with machine guns. Electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal records, and bank cards were seized from the Minsafin family. After the search, the believer was taken to the building of the Investigative Committee in Kurgan (132 Burova-Petrova St.).\nAccording to preliminary information, at least 8 men were detained and taken to Kurgan in the town of Shadrinsk, about 150 km from the regional center.\nKurgan region became the 68th region in Russia where Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted. The international community and Russian human rights organizations unanimously condemn the actions of the Russian authorities against the followers of this religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_5c6cf220765f797a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_f83fda8b6d29ba90.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_c9c4066c83d218c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_285c2a837883ce7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/151648.html","regions":["kurgan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","new-case"],"title":"Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Is Underway in 68 Regions of the Russian Federation. Security Officials Raided Believers in Kurgan and Shadrinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 13, 2021, the judge of the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Viktor Trofimov, convicted 60-year-old Olga Ganusha for “participating in the activities of a banned organization”. She was given 2 years suspended with a probationary period of 1.5 years.\nThe believer insists on her complete innocence. Speaking with her last word in court, she said: \"As far west is from the east, so far I am from extremism.\" The verdict can be appealed.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 3 years of suspended imprisonment, 3 years of probation and 1 year of restrictions on the believer. The accusation was based on information that, while remaining Jehovah's Witness, the woman invited fellow believers to her home, and also, talking with her friends on the phone, raised religious topics. But none of these actions are prohibited by Russian law. Moreover, the 28th article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every citizen the right to freely profess his religion together with others or to spread his religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the court found Olga guilty of extremism.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the believer. “My life was divided into before and after the search,” she says. “I got fear when I suddenly heard a knock on the door, my sleep is disrupted.” For almost a year Olga was restricted in her movements, as she was under recognizance not to leave, and was forced to come to court several times a month to defend her legal right to freedom of religion.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer began with mass searches and detentions on May 22, 2019. On that morning, law enforcement officials raided at least 15 homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses. Vilen and Arsen Avanesovs , as well as Aleksandr Parkov, were arrested. About two weeks later, criminal cases were opened against Aleksandr's wife, Galina , and two more women - Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Olga Ganusha.\nThe investigation into the case of Olga Ganusha lasted more than a year and a half. The prosecution provided the court with data obtained from a hidden video camera, which the investigators installed in the believer's apartment.\nOlga Ganusha became the fifth resident of the Rostov region, in respect of whom the courts have already passed sentences for believing in Jehovah. All believers received various suspended sentences.\nThe international community, as well as human rights activists in Russia itself, have an extremely negative attitude towards the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In particular, Vladimir Ryakhovskiy , a member of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights under the President of the Russian Federation, makes a disappointing prediction: “[The infringement of freedoms] always began with Jehovah's Witnesses, and then affected everyone.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-13T19:39:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_de00ddff7494809b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_877849790966cbc3.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_9e0d5ca193637de7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/131939/image_hu_742881504765ce59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/131939.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court in Rostov-on-Don Gave Olga Ganusha a 2-Year Suspended Sentence for the Bible Discussions","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses from Karpinsk, Alexander Pryanikov, Venera, and Daria Dulov, delivered their final statements in court. The verdict is scheduled for July 15, 2021\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-07-13T18:38:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/131838.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","first-instance","families","disability"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am concerned that huge funds and efforts are directed not to the fight against real extremists, but against young students, pensioners, mothers with many children, fathers of families,\" the defendant complained and asked the court to prevent a situation in which everyone would be afraid to practice their religion.\n","date":"2021-07-13T18:24:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/114.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Venera Dulova in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer called her criminal case absurd and added that the Bible has made her a better person: \"It would be a big mistake to consider my faith dangerous to society, because it was the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses that helped me improve.\"\n","date":"2021-07-13T18:20:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/113.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Daria Dulova in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the courtroom, the defendant described how the Bible saved his life and added: \"The indictment says a lot about my motives, that I was allegedly motivated by hatred ... In fact, this is slander... To talk about God and the Bible motivates me to sincerely want to help people.\"\n","date":"2021-07-13T17:37:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/112.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Pryanikov in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 8, 2021, new criminal cases were filed against Jehovah's Witnesses living in the Vladimir region. Aleksey Kupriyanov, 48, from Kovrov, and Roman Adestov, 45, from the village of Ivanovo were interrogated and detained. The next day, the Oktyabrskiy district court of Vladimir put them in custody.\nIn the early morning of 8 July, law enforcement officers came with searches simultaneously to Kupriyanov and Adestov. Aleksey and Raman were taken for interrogation to the head criminal investigator D.A. Tyumenev. Then the search continued in the presence of the wives of the believers. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices. A few days before the searches, the Kupriyanovs and Adestovs noticed interruptions in the work of the home Internet and TV receivers.\nThe search in Kovrov was led by Captain Velichko, a senior FSB operative, and in the village of Ivanovo by junior FSB operative Polyakov.\nOn June 28, 2021, investigator Tyumenev opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Kupriyanov. According to the investigation, the believer \"took part in religious meetings ... actively participated in the collection of information on the amount of work done... on the implementation of... the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses ... to the civilian masses.\" This is how the investigation interprets peaceful discussions of the Bible among friends. Despite the fact that Aleksey has elderly parents who are dependent on him, the court ruled to detain the believer until August 26, 2021.\nAbout five months ago, a criminal case was opened in Kovrov against 66-year-old Boris Simonenko, who is still in jail for his faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-12T17:39:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_3dd4f75521370e17.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_ec41d7a35805223.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_43f35cb9a10562c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/121739/image_hu_862f2f0ef78dc89f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/121739.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"New Prisoners of Conscience in the Vladimir Region of Russia: Two More Jehovah's Witnesses Sent to Detention Centers","type":"news"},{"body":"In her address to the court, the believer emphasized: \"My conscience is clear before God, people and you, dear court. I am glad that I have had the privilege of defending my right to worship the only true God, Jehovah.\"\n","date":"2021-07-12T10:09:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/111.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Olga Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final remarks, the believer explained why people become Jehovah's Witnesses. He elaborated on what proves the existence of God and the divine origin of the Bible. \"Faith in Jehovah is not extremism, not a continuation of the activities of a legal entity, but our history and our present.\"\n","date":"2021-07-09T15:12:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/110.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrei Shchepin in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last word, the believer drew the court's attention to how the Bible helped him make his marriage happy: \"The fact that the husband is in charge does not mean that he will communicate with his wife as with a stool: where I put it, there you will stand. A husband must learn to love his wife as he loves himself.\"\n","date":"2021-07-09T14:46:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/119.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Udintsev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 6, 2021, it became known about a new criminal case for faith, initiated in the city of Konakovo (Tver region) against Aleksandr Starikov, 61, and Sergey Naumenko, 34. At least 4 searches were carried out, one of them 370 kilometers from Konakovo, in Ivanovo. The case was initiated on June 17, 2021, and is being investigated by the FSB Directorate for the Tver Region.\nAleksandr Starikov has recently been living in Ivanovo, where he is caring for his sick father. At seven in the morning, FSB officers, accompanied by investigator Yerofeyev, raided their apartment with a search. The security forces also searched the believer’s garage and car. Investigative actions were carried out for a total of 8 hours. As a result, electronic devices, flash cards, bank cards, personal notes and the biographical book “Fighting the Lion” about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany were seized. A recognizance not to leave was taken from Starikov. He is prohibited from leaving the city of Ivanovo.\nAt least one of the searches in Konakovo was authorized by Irina Vorozhebskaya, a judge of the Zavolzhsky District Court of Tver.\nAs it became known, Starikov and Naumenko are accused of discussing the Bible together with fellow believers from Konakovo via video conferencing using Zoom videoconferences, and also talking about Bible teachings to the residents of Konakovo district. The investigation interprets these actions as a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 (organization of the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court decided to liquidate).\nThe Tver region has become the 67th region of Russia where Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted, although the world community unanimously condemns the actions of the Russian authorities against followers of this religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-07-08T16:19:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/081619.html","regions":["tver","ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in the Tver Region. Criminal Case Is Initiated Against Two Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 24, 2021, the Abakan City Court convicted 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya and her son, Roman. Both are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Following the verdict, they were immediately taken into custody from the courtroom. Sadly, three months later the appeal court upheld the unjust verdict. They were cruelly and inhumanely sentenced to two and six years in prison, respectively.\nYegiazar Chernikov, attorney: “There is no way that it can be said that they committed any crime. They were just practicing their religion.”\nFriends of the family say what happened is beyond their comprehension: “Why did they imprison such an old and sick woman, and for that long?” A friend of Valentina: “When the ruling was announced, someone was crying quietly because it was impossible to accept this without tears.” A friend of Roman: “It lies outside the realm of human reason that they could possibly be “extremists.””\nHer sentence is the first one in modern-day Russia where a court has convicted and imprisoned a female Witness for her faith, and a 70-year-old at that. She is also the first Witness to be imprisoned for participating in, not organizing, a banned organization. Prior to this, Jehovah’s Witnesses who were accused of violating this article were fined or given a suspended prison sentence.\nAbout the reasons and prerequisites for the absurd verdict says lawyer Yegiazar Chernikov: “The main grounds for prosecuting Valentina and her son are once again the [Supreme Court] decision, which I would call egregious, that was handed down on April 20, 2017. On page 32 of the decision, the Supreme Court specifically noted that the ruling did not interfere with or violate the rights of citizens to meet together or worship freely. Nevertheless, the courts of the Russian Federation who are using this decision are totally ignoring the language in that section.” There is a curious detail in the case. “The charges were based on the evidence of one woman, who, pretending to want to study the Bible, recorded everything on camera; all their discussions, and handed it over to the FSB,” says Valentina's friend, who followed the trial.\nThe criminal case against Valentina and Roman was initiated in April 2019. Their home was subsequently searched. Then in July 2020, due to being under constant stress, Valentina suffered a stroke. Yegiazar Chernikov, attorney: “She was hospitalized, and then they discovered that she had heart problems as well. But despite those circumstances, the court still decided that she needed to be imprisoned, isolated from society.” A friend of Valentina: “Sometimes they had to call an ambulance five or six times a week because her blood pressure would skyrocket, and she would have problems with her heart.”\nDespite Valentina’s health problems and advanced age, the detention authorities forced her to wash the floor of her cell. According to their friends, Valentina and Roman are managing to stay positive despite being imprisoned and separated. In letters, Valentina relates that she eagerly awaits the time when they will be released and reunited. A friend of Roman: “Roman is very worried about his mother. I know that for now, while they’re still in the pretrial detention facility, they’re allowed to write to each other.”\nHow did the Baranovskys meet the hardships that befell them? A friend of Valentina: “The Baranovskiys handled this persecution in a praiseworthy manner. They never panicked. They remained calm and viewed it as something to be expected, and what every Christian should be ready for.” The lawyer who visited Valentina in the detention center said: “Every time I met Valentina, I never heard her express any negative sentiments with regard to her persecutors. She understands what is happening and why it is happening. But she will not renounce her faith just to make life easier, although she was given the opportunity to do so in the course of the investigation.”\nEven this shameful and inhuman verdict did not frighten Valentina and Roman. They remain loyal to their faith. Their friends hope that justice will soon be restored and that this elderly mother and her son will once again enjoy freedom.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-07-06T15:54:15+03:00","duration":"4:14","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_7150e9bccbff1efc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_c8c3630c287eabd4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_b8313f06bd855f38.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/061554/image_hu_8c981d4885c36228.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/061554.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","liberty-deprivation","elderly","sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"What Happened in Abakan? Details Around the Sentence that Sent a 70-Year-Old Woman and Her Son to Prison for Believing in Jehovah","type":"video"},{"body":"On July 6, 2021, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, convicted for his beliefs, Aleksey Budenchuk, having served his full sentence, left penal colony No. 1 in the city of Orenburg. His family and friends traveled 800 kilometers to meet beloved husband, father and friend.\nOn September 19, 2019, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Aleksey Budenchuk and five other believers to imprisonment for a term of 2.5 to 3.5 years for peaceful religious services. The Court of Appeal upheld the decision. During the criminal prosecution, the believer spent more than 11 months in a pre-trial detention center, 4 months under the ban on certain actions, and 17 months in a colony. Upon arrival at the colony, Aleksey and other believers were beaten. Then he was sent to a punishment cell on false charges of smoking in the wrong place. However, Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke for religious reasons.\nIn the colony, the believer had to work in a sewing workshop, despite problems with the spine, in which hours of sitting and standing are contraindicated. Because of stress and hard living conditions, Aleksey's chronic diseases worsened. At the end of 2020, the believer fell ill with presumably COVID-19. According to Tatyana, Aleksey's wife, the prison doctors did not even try to establish an accurate diagnosis. Aleksey was treated with the medicines that were in the medical unit and at the hands of the prisoners. As a result, he developed a number of complications that did not go away until he was released from the colony. “Now his pulse for no apparent reason reaches 100 beats per minute, and blood pressure jumps to 170,” says Tatyana Budenchuk. On top of that, about six months ago, the Bible was taken away from Alexey.\nDuring the last months in the colony, Aleksey received the specialty of an electrician and was awarded a diploma for success in his studies.\nAs Tatiana said, during the entire time of Alexey's imprisonment in the colony, they meet only three times and it was short-term. The last time was in September 2020. For a long time, two schoolchildren actually lost their father, and his wife, with which Aleksey has been married for 17 years, of support.\nThe Budenchuk family has a household and a small private house, which completely burned down shortly before the transfer of the believer to the colony. Tatyana and her children were not hurt. Friends and fellow believers helped build a new modest home for the family. The searches and the subsequent criminal prosecution of Aleksey Budenchuk had such an impact on the health of Aleksey's children that his son even needed medical attention.\nAccording to Tatyana, in recent years, the family has also felt support from those who do not share their religious beliefs. She says: “People are mostly sympathetic and do not understand the reasons for the prosecution. Words of support were expressed by teachers at school and classmates of children. Even some representatives of local authorities actively helped to obtain various characteristics and other papers for Aleksey. \"\nAleksey Budenchuk became the third Jehovah's Witness from Saratov to fully serve his sentence under an “extremist” article after the decision of the Supreme Court in April 2017. Three more defendants in the same criminal case are still in the colony and await release. In November 2018, lawyers for prisoners of conscience in Saratov filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights. The European Union demanded that the Russian authorities stop bullying Jehovah's Witnesses, mentioning six Saratov residents.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-07-06T14:01:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/061401/image_hu_3d52f72c4b15ecc6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/061401/image_hu_6b9afdab337ccd9.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/061401/image_hu_5f95f9600f752dcb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/061401/image_hu_183ea88891968b69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/061401.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Aleksey Budenchuk Released From Prison. He Is the Third Resident of Saratov to Serve a Sentence for Believing in God Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, a judge of the Metallurgical District Court of Chelyabinsk, found an elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization. She sentenced Vladimir Suvorov to 6 years of conditional imprisonment.\nThe believer will be deprived of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the activities of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, and will also be restricted in freedom for 10 months with a trial period of 4 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Vladimir Suvorov to 7 years in prison.\nThe 75-year-old believer suffers from hypertension and serious heart problems. In 2013, he lost his only son. In March 2021, Vladimir's wife, Valentina, received a 2-year suspended sentence for her faith.\nThe case was initiated on January 16, 2020 by Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region. The investigation was entrusted to 8 investigative officers and lasted almost 10 months. In November 2020, the case was filed with the Metallurgical District Court of Chelyabinsk. The case materials amounted to 17 volumes, more than 200 witnesses were interviewed. The court hearings lasted about 8 months.\nIn July 2020, Vladimir Suvorov was included in the \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring, which is why he was limited in terms of financial support from the state. The believer spent about a year under recognizance agreement.\nSpeaking his last word in court, Suvorov noted: “Neither the Supreme Court, nor the Constitutional Court, nor the Government of the Russian Federation considers it illegal to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. [...] However, the prosecution presents me with a choice: either I refuse to worship God in the circle of people close to me, or I will be prosecuted. I believe that it is illegal to force me, on pain of criminal liability, to go against faith and conscience.\"\nVladimir, a former theater actor, has been a Jehovah's Witness for 28 years. He notes: “I am charged with communicating on biblical topics. All over the world, Jehovah's Witnesses are known to cherish family ties and to have strong marriages. This is not because they are better or worse than others. Not. Jehovah's Witnesses are ordinary people with their own positive qualities and their own shortcomings. But the principles of the Bible are important to us. \"\nIn total, criminal cases were opened against 4 believers in the Chelyabinsk region. Two of them have already been sentenced. Dmitry Vinogradov and Valentina Suvorova received a suspended sentence of two years in prison. The case of Pavel Popov is at the stage of preliminary investigation.\nThe prosecution regarded Suvorov's conversations with people about God, his holding of divine services, the performance of chants and prayers as a crime, and the presence of literature in electronic form was declared \"measures of conspiracy.\" Vladimir himself has repeatedly emphasized at the trial that he only dealt with matters familiar to any believer.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. In May 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-07-01T14:17:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_4f5e4923e39dcb1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_92a11e1f0e5b1316.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_732118a7e579831c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/07/011417/image_hu_384794120917df04.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/07/011417.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-1","families"],"title":"75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov from Chelyabinsk was sentenced to 6-year suspended sentence for faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Vladimir Suvorov stressed that \"the great power of love, the mercy of God are incompatible with hatred and enmity.\" The believer said that through Bible study he learned to love people and felt God's fatherly care for himself.\n","date":"2021-06-30T16:24:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/109.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 30, 2021, the judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, Tatyana Studilko, set a new record for the cruelty of a sentence to peaceful believers. Two believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses community, which was recognized as extremist. They were sentenced to 7 and 8 years in prison, they were taken into custody.\nThe punishment is in line with what the prosecutor recommended. There are no victims in the case. The believers insist on their complete innocence. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed.\nWhen addressing the court with his last word, Aleksey Berchuk said: \"For me, the humiliation of human dignity, undermining of the foundations of the constitutional order, and incitement of religious or racial hatred are unacceptable. During the whole trial, the prosecution failed to bring a single piece of evidence to the contrary! Sadly, the fact that I read the Bible, talked about biblical themes, and prayed to God with the perpetrators is considered by the prosecution as extremism.\"\nDmitriy Golik said in his last statement: \"I do not need any organization or legal entity to worship God. Moreover, I am against extremism, its manifestations, and the very incitement of religious hatred. I am against it, but for some reason, I am accused of it. What connection there is between me and extremism, I never understood.\"\nOn July 20, 2018, at least three Jehovah's Witnesses' homes in Blagoveshchensk were searched. A month before the searches, on June 22, 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur region opened a criminal case.\nIn the summer of 2018, operatives installed a listening device in the apartment of Dmitry and Kristina Golik. Thus, law enforcement officers invaded privacy, violating the rights of peaceful believers to inviolability of the home, personal, and family secrets. Dmitriy Golik has been under house arrest for almost three years. He says, \"This is certainly an ordeal for Kristina. We haven't been to her homeland in four years. My parents are also very worried about being persecuted, and it's bad for their health.\"\nAleksey Berchuk was detained at the Moscow airport on January 21, 2019. He spent 2 days in the capital's temporary detention center, after which he was forced to return with an investigator to Blagoveshchensk. \"I was worried about my wife, I didn't know what was wrong with her,\" Aleksey recalls. - The uncertainty added to my anxiety. After the temporary detention center, the FSB officers took me 6,000 kilometers away, to the Far East. We were separated from his wife for more than a month.\" The believer was under house arrest for about two and a half years.\nThe investigation lasted more than a year and a half, and the case went to trial on February 6, 2020. All witnesses in the case characterized the defendants positively. Nikolay Karendov, an FSB operative, admitted that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was not banned and that he had not heard any appeals violating Russian law at Jehovah's Witnesses' services.\nAleksey Berchuk and Dmitriy Golik were prosecuted along with 13 other Jehovah's Witnesses from the Amur region.\nThe previous record for the severity of the sentence was set in the Krasnodar Territory. There, 63-year-old believer Aleksandr Ivshin was sentenced to 7.5 years in a penal colony; his sentence has already come into force; the believer is serving his sentence in the Rostov-on-Don penal colony.\nRussian security forces mistakenly interpret citizens' exercise of their constitutional rights as extremist activity. Numerous human rights organizations in Russia and beyond have repeatedly called for a halt to the wave of religious repression.\n\"All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Russian Constitution and Russia's commitments to OSCE and international law,\" the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on July 23, 2020.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-30T09:39:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_15e59de16489ddd1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_8f0b8ed561dd51a6.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_a36c8f21e6785163.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/300939/image_hu_3faf78e222f63212.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/300939.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Breaks Records of Cruelty: in Blagoveshchensk, the Court Sentenced Believer Aleksey Berchuk to Eight Years in Prison and Dmitriy Golik to Seven Years","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer told the court that he had always wanted people to live together in peace and harmony. He explained how to achieve this: \"The moral laws and commandments written in the Holy Scriptures are what is necessary for the harmonious development of human society.\"\n","date":"2021-06-28T14:45:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/108.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Sergeev in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I have nothing to do with extremism, as it contradicts the biblical principles on the basis of which I try to build my life,\" Yuriy Belosludtsev said in his last speech.\n","date":"2021-06-28T14:40:43+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/107.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 23, 2021, in the city of Alatyr, located 200 km south of the capital of Chuvashia, Cheboksary, local residents were searched. Security officials suspect them of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least seven believers were interrogated.\nAt about 7 o'clock in the morning, one of the believers was searched by officers of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, investigator R.O. They confiscated a tablet, a photo album, a wooden wall plate with the inscription \"Jehovah\", personal notes and drawings from the woman.\nA search also took place in the house of a married couple under the leadership of FSB Major Dmitry Baranov. Mobile phones were seized from the spouses, the head of the family was interrogated in the FSB department, and his wife was interrogated at home because of the child's illness.\nDuring interrogations of seven believers, law enforcement officers asked whether they were members of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, whether they participated in religious meetings and sermons, whether they made donations; if they know other Jehovah's Witnesses from Cheboksary and from Alatyr.\nAlatyr became the second city in the Chuvash Republic, where civilians are persecuted for their faith in Jehovah God.\nUpdate. On September 2, 2021, searches were carried out in the city of Kanash (Chuvashia), located 100 kilometers north of Alatyr. Investigative actions in both cities appear to be conducted within the framework of the same criminal case, which the FSB opened on June 16, 2021 against unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nOn August 31, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Cheboksary, Yevgeny Egorov, having granted the request of investigator Baranov, issued a search warrant in Ivan Elagin's apartment. He was then interrogated. It is known that the interrogation of Ivan Elagin's brother is scheduled for September 6, 2021. It will be conducted by another investigator, A. G. Grigoriev.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-28T09:53:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/280953.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches and Interrogations of Local Jehovah's Witnesses Were Again Held in Chuvashia","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 25, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Yulia Tsykina, sentenced 27-year-old Tatyana Sholner to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment under the article \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe believer was assigned 2 years of probation and another year of restriction of freedom. She cannot leave the city without the permission of the Federal Penitentiary Service and must be registered in it once a month. The prosecutor requested 4 years of imprisonment for her, despite the absence of victims in the case.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nIn her final statement in court, Scholner stated: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their kindness and willingness to help others absolutely free of charge. Are these really calls for extremism? My life changed significantly only for the better when I learned how to act according to the Bible. I have real sincere friends who are ready to help, whom I myself am ready to help, without hoping to get something in return, who can rejoice in my successes and sympathize when I need it. I have felt their help more than once in my life, and I still feel it now, when they support me in this difficult period.\"\nTatyana works in a pharmacy, by profession she is a technician-technologist of sewing production. The case against the believer was initiated on February 6, 2020. For six months, it was led by the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, D. Yankin. In his opinion, the girl \"resumed the activities of the local religious organization liquidated in 2016 ... as well as the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" simply because she did not renounce her faith.\nOn August 19, 2020, the case materials were received by the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nThe case of Tatiana Sholner is one of 19 cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The wave of religious repression in the region began with Operation Doomsday, accompanied by mass searches in the homes of civilians in Birobidzhan.\nRussian and foreign human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The country's government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-25T17:05:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_b0406ed814f4b3ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_f9076fefd0c46647.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_e500df590d3ef3c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/251705/image_hu_22838b0f0e2073a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/251705.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, 27-year-old Tatyana Sholner was given a suspended sentence for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 24, 2021, the judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court, Vadim Kuksa, did not satisfy the appeal of Aleksandr Shcherbina, but softened the sentence: the believer will spend not 3, but 2 years in a general regime colony. Aleksandr insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal the verdict on appeal.\nOn April 29, 2020, a search was carried out in Aleksandr's house, after which he was interrogated as a witness in the Ivshin case. And in November of the same year, O. I. Komissarov, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory, opened a criminal case against Shcherbina himself, accusing him of extremism for meeting with fellow believers and discussing the Bible. On December 2, 2020, a preventive measure was chosen for the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave, and on April 6, 2021, the judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Sergey Mikhin, sentenced him to 3 years in a general regime colony. Immediately after the announcement of the verdict, Aleksandr was taken into custody and later sent to colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk.\nAleksandr Shcherbina was actually accused of using the right guaranteed to every citizen of the Russian Federation — Article 28 of the Constitution. All his activities were exclusively religious in nature, but the court equated Aleksandr with dangerous criminals — extremists.\nA few months earlier, 2 more civilians of the village of Kholmskaya were sentenced for \"extremism\": 63-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin — for 7.5 years, and 47-year-old Oleg Danilov — for 3 years in prison. In total, 16 believers are being prosecuted in the region.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Heiner Bielefeldt, professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. In his interview, he said the following: “If we talk about legislation on extremism, everyone agrees that it is important to fight extremist tendencies, but the concept of 'extremism' remains completely blurred, which creates a kind of access for the authorities, a loophole, an excuse to do what they do. want. And Jehovah's Witnesses are the perfect scapegoat. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/250940/image_hu_6f0c73795c4b049f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/250940/image_hu_532d5b7b5d6af8ba.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/250940/image_hu_380362a9ed103499.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/250940/image_hu_58b8ec087e7b4fc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/250940.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","mitigation","282.2-2"],"title":"Аppeal in Krasnodar Mitigated the Sentence for Faith to Aleksandr Shcherbina, but He Will Still Go to Jail for 2 Years","type":"news"},{"body":"In his speech, the believer told why Christians were persecuted in the first century, as well as during the times of Nazi Germany. \"Why are [Jehovah's Witnesses] being tried and persecuted now? No one talks about it directly. But this is definitely not extremism! Extremism is a formal accusation,\" Berchuk said.\n","date":"2021-06-23T16:14:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/105.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexei Berchuk in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The purpose of this criminal prosecution is to silence me, to scare others so that they stop practicing their faith. [...] Whatever the court's decision, I am happy that the Judge of the whole earth will have the last word. We will all stand before his judicial throne,\" the believer said.\n","date":"2021-06-22T17:19:20+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/104.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Golik in Blagoveshchensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer expressed his attitude to the charges: \"Extremism and the manifestation of violence or hatred towards others are unacceptable for me. Such behavior indicates a rejection of faith and is completely contrary to God's standards.\"\n","date":"2021-06-22T17:15:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/103.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergei Yavushkin in Kemerovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 22, 2021, Vera Ulyanyuk, the judge of the Zavodskiy District Court of Kemerovo, sentenced the believers. 60-year-old Sergey Yavushkin and 46-year-old Aleksandr Bondarchuk were sentenced to 4 years suspended.\nBefore the verdict was pronounced, Sergey Yavushkin addressed the court with the last word: “I did not incite hatred or enmity and, of course, did not humiliate the dignity of anyone. Even the prosecution witnesses spoke about this ... What is my crime? After all, following the guidance from the Bible, I quit smoking, although before that I had smoked for more than 20 years, stopped using foul language, became more restrained and calm. As I continue to work honestly and lead a peaceful, balanced life, I have also changed the way I respond to insults or grudges. All these years I did not violate the law of the Russian Federation, and for 25 years I professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but for some reason now suddenly, in an instant, I turned into a criminal and an extremist. \"\nNevertheless, the judge issued a conviction, which turned out to be milder than the prosecutor demanded, requesting 5 years of imprisonment in a colony for each defendant. The court decision has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nActive criminal prosecution of believers began after the search on June 23, 2018. A year later, the security forces came to them again. A few days earlier, on July 19, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Sergey and Aleksandr. After their arrest, Sergey Yavushkin and Aleksandr Bondarchuk spent 2 days in the pretrial detention facility, and then were placed under house arrest. They have not been able to leave their home for over a year and a half. Their property was seized despite the fact that the appellate instance overturned this judgment.\nThe case of the believers was investigated by the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Kemerovo Region for over 8 months. The accusation is mainly based on the testimony of a witness who for a long time conducted secret filming of religious meetings. According to the expert V. V. Shiller, who was involved in the trial, the witness also passed distorted information to the investigation, \"having no precise knowledge of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nRecently, Aleksandr Bondarchuk worked as a refractory worker at a coke-chemical plant, where he was considered an indispensable specialist in the repair of coke ovens. Sergey Yavushkin worked for 40 years at state enterprises, until recently - as a high-grade electric and gas welder. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the physical and emotional health of Sergey and his wife. Soon after the search and arrest, the believer suffered a stroke, the consequences of which he still feels - due to a lack of coordination of movement, he can hardly perform short housework, needs outside help and medical supervision.\nBack in May 2020, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention claimed that 18 believers, including Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin, were arbitrarily detained and detained “just for the fact that they peacefully professed their religion, including themselves religious texts and Bibles, gathered together for services with fellow believers. \" But despite the fact that the court attached this document to the case, it was not taken into account.\nApril 1, 2021 at the press conference “70th Anniversary of Operation North”. Lessons of repression \"religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko emphacized:\" The policy of forceful suppression of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has been carried out in the Russian Federation since 2017, is futile. This is evidenced by the lessons of Operation North and the analysis of the current situation, including the steadfastness of Jehovah's Witnesses in upholding their beliefs. It seems expedient, from the point of view of the state interests of Russia, to implement a set of measures for the return of Jehovah's Witnesses to the legal field.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-22T17:04:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_94c95a59db04be16.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_28ef4dcc4bb66c4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_b2dab55d3c1f9cb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/221704/image_hu_9f51257593e3a786.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/221704.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"A Verdict for Religion Was Announced in Kemerovo. Sergey Yavushkin and Aleksandr Bondarchuk Got 4 Years Suspended","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Aleksey Ivashchenko, sentenced 30-year-old Jehovah's Witness Yevgeniy Yegorov to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom for meeting with fellow believers, considering it \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. “In this trial, I have heard more than once that I am being tried for extremism, I am not being tried for my religious beliefs,” Yevgeny said in his last word. “But there is no evidence of my «extremism». I’m under the trial for participation [in an extremist organization], but participation was expressed in Bible study, which is part of my faith. But in the same time I’m under the trial not for my faith. So who will explain to me, a legally uneducated person, what is my crime? \"\nYevgeniy Yegorov is an aspiring writer. In May 2018, his apartment was searched and he lost his manuscripts. The persecution for the faith deprived a young family man of the opportunity to take proper care of a young child.\nThe persecution of Yevgeniy Yegorov and other peaceful believers in Birobidzhan began in May 2018 after a large-scale operation codenamed “Doomsday”. A criminal case against Yegorov was initiated on July 29, 2019. It was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. On December 23, 2019, the case file went to court. The prosecutor asked to impose a punishment on the believer in the form of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony plus 1 year of restraint of freedom.\nYevgeniy's mother, Larisa Artamonova, was convicted under the same criminal article. In April 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region toughened the decision of the lower court and replaced her with a fine of 10,000 rubles for 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. In total, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith with varying degrees of punishment in the Jewish Autonomous Region. For another 4 believers, the trials are nearing completion.\nAll cases were initiated only because the believers peacefully confessed their religious beliefs and gathered for services. The world community unequivocally classifies this as a violation of fundamental human rights.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-21T14:02:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_a4d79acf90509d54.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_5e1eba430f47b928.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_fb219f0707640f56.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/211402/image_hu_1eabe41088078349.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/211402.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"The Court in Birobidzhan Sentenced Yevgeny Yegorov to 2.5 Years Suspended for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer said that he did not understand the accusation: \"There is no evidence of my extremism, and I am not being tried for it. They are on trial for participating, but participation was expressed in Bible study, which is part of my faith. But I am not judged for my faith either. So who will unravel this tangle and explain to me what my crime is?\"\n","date":"2021-06-18T16:08:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/101.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Yegorov in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer addressed the court: \"I do not understand where I violated the law of the state?.. I am simply a believer, a member of a religious group of people who discuss the Bible together. [...] I don't see any logic or reasonable arguments in banning my religion.\"\n","date":"2021-06-17T16:16:40+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/102.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 16, 2021, the judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Ksenia Chipiga, rejected Sergey Verkhoturov's appeal against an unjust sentence for faith. It went into force.\nThe believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn March 5, 2021, the judge of the Priokskiy District Court, Denis Kiselev, found Sergey Verkhoturov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended prison term with a probationary period of 4 years. The prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for the believer and another 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nSergei Verkhoturov was detained on July 17, 2019 during searches under the sanction of investigator Aliya Chesebiyeva. Earlier, back in May 2018, he was under surveillance—the police received the right to wiretap his phone and view pages on social networks for 90 days. However, the day after the arrest, the Nizhniy Novgorod District Court refused to arrest the believer and ordered his immediate release from custody in the courtroom. He was chosen a milder measure of restraint—a ban on certain actions.\nTogether with Sergey, his wife Victoria is also under criminal prosecution. The investigation accuses her of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAt one of the trial hearings, portions of video recordings were viewed that discussed the behavior of Christians during ethnic, religious and political conflicts. Sergey emphasized: “Believers learn to show love for all people, obey the authorities, not to pay back with evil for evil, and to forgive others. All this is odd for an extremist organization.”\nDuring his testimony, the defendant stated that he did not consider himself guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. “This is an unfounded accusation that insults my dignity,” he said. It was thanks to his faith that Sergey became a respectable citizen of his country, abandoned bad habits and stopped showing aggression towards others. “I am a peacemaker and I am proud of it,” he stressed.\nTotally 15 Jehovah's Witnesses have been prosecuted for their faith in the Nizhniy Novgorod Region. Cases against 10 believers are under investigation, and 4 more believers are already at the dock in the court of first instance.\nRussian and international human rights activists unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and urge them to stop it immediately. The letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation says: “Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious faith, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. During the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them were assessed.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-17T09:19:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_e93a51f05e45c2a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_dfb1ee0dae0864a5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_bd951d95d8e39600.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/170919/image_hu_5ccfe68267329bb2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/170919.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"title":"Appeal in Nizhniy Novgorod Upheld the Verdict for Faith against Sergey Verkhoturov","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, Tatyana Sholner drew attention to the fact that she is being tried solely for her faith. But it was faith, she said, that taught her to love people and help them, which is in no way consistent with the definition of the term \"extremism\" that is attributed to her.\n","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/106.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Sholner in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"For June 21, the first hearing is planned in the case of Ilya Degtyarenko in connection with his religion in the city of Vyazemsky, Khabarovsk Territory\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-06-16T11:54:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/161154.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"In Partizansk , hearings on the criminal case of another believer, 52-year-old Liya Maltseva, begin. The first meeting is scheduled for June 22\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-06-16T11:42:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/161142.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"A 28-year-old believer Alexander Kazakov was searched in Krasnoyarsk. The search was carried out by CPE officers from the Republic of Tyva In Krasnoyarsk, the search was conducted in the home of 28-year-old believer Aleksandr Kazakov. The search was conducted by anti-extremism police from the Republic of Tyva\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-16T11:28:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/161128.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk","tyva"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 15, 2021, Artyom Bagratyan left the pre-trial detention center and was released. About two weeks earlier, the Industrial District Court of Kursk sentenced the the believer to 2.5 years in prison, but Artyom had already served this term while in custody.\nThe years spent in the pre-trial detention center were a test for Artem: he suffers from serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Every day his blood pressure rose, and his blood sugar level reached 26 units, and he had severe headaches. Being kept in a cold cell with non-closing windows led to a severe cold. In this state, Artem had to repeatedly go to court hearings.\nIn addition, the courts of the Kursk region do not provide food for the defendants. During lengthy court hearings, Artyom's health deteriorated sharply due to irregular nutrition, so that he had to seek emergency medical help. Nevertheless, judge Oksana Ivanova unreasonably extended the term of the believer's detention in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center that were contraindicated for him. Due to his illness, Artyom needed a special diet, but the only thing that was available to him was buckwheat and kefir in the store of the detention center.\nArtem and his lawyer filed at least 15 petitions and appeals to various authorities: human rights organizations, Rospotrebnadzor, the Investigative Committee, the prosecutor's office - with a request to provide qualified medical care. Only after that the believer was placed for treatment in a medical unit.\nOne day he discovered that the funds from his account were gone, and the parcels from his relatives came opened. The administration deliberately did not give Artyom the Bibles that his friends sent. The believer repeatedly asked the head of the pre-trial detention center to provide him with the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Holy Scriptures, but the requests remained unanswered. Letters from all over the world, of which more than 1000 came, became a great support for Artem.\nAll the time he was in custody, Artyom could not communicate with his wife, Alevtina, who was prosecuted in the same criminal case as her husband, but received 2 years in prison. She is still under house arrest. Artyom saw Alevtina only during the trials, when they were placed in the same cage. After the release, the Bagratyan family was reunited.\nThe unfounded accusations of extremism by Russian Jehovah's Witnesses separate loved ones, ruining their fates. Whole families go to jail. Russian human rights activists and the international community demand an end to religious repression in Russia. The unfounded accusations of extremism by Russian Jehovah's Witnesses separate loved ones, ruining their fates. Whole families go to jail. Russian human rights activists and the international community demand an end to to religious repression in Russia.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-06-15T08:39:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/160838/image_hu_e0ff9bba6cf6937f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/160838/image_hu_a5432ca6f5189218.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/160838/image_hu_4303d1d5fd62159f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/160838/image_hu_7c002dc13b116c55.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/160838.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","families"],"title":"One of Convicted Jehovah's Witness, Artyom Bagratyan, Was Released After Serving His Entire Sentence for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 11, 2021, in the town of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, several apartments of local believers were searched. After interrogations, the believers were released.\nUpdate. According to updated data, five families of Jehovah's Witnesses in Asha and neighboring Minyar (Chelyabinsk Region) were searched. On June 9, 2021, Oksana Makarenko, judge of the Tractorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, issued an order to search the home of 49-year-old Andrey Perminov, a disabled person, as part of a criminal case under part 1 Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. The believer moves around in a wheelchair and can't do without assistance.\nAt 6:30 a.m. there was a knock at the door of Perminovs' couple. Guests introduced themselves as employees of the housing management company. Five people, headed by an investigator for particularly important cases Yevgeny Dolgayev and accompanied by two riot policemen and an employee of the management company, entered the apartment. The search lasted about two and a half hours, during which Andrey was forced to stay in bed. They confiscated electronic devices, bank cards, data storage devices, and personal records.\nOnly after the search, Andrey was allowed to get dressed and get into his wheelchair. Due to the believer's state of health, the interrogation was conducted on the spot. The law enforcers were asked, \"How can you explain the lectures found in your possession about the worship of Jehovah God?\" During the interrogation, the couple used Article 51 of the Russian Constitution, even though Natalia was threatened that she would be put in jail for it. The Perminovs experienced severe stress, a sense of helplessness, and fear for their family's future.\nAnother local believer, 28-year-old Andrey Fedorov, had his car alarm go off at 5:30 in the morning. When he went out to check if everything was all right, he was attacked from behind and laid face down on the pavement. Eight law enforcers, two of whom were FSB officers in camouflage and with guns, put Andrey, his wife, and his sister against the wall and read the search warrant. Electronic devices, data carriers, personal records, and bank card were seized from them.\nSimultaneously, law enforcers searched the neighboring house, where Andrey's father, 52-year-old Vadim Fedorov, lives. That morning there were only two underage children and their grandmother at home. One of the law enforcers threatened Andrey that if he did not report the whereabouts of his father, the children would be taken away by guardianship.\nVadim Fedorov soon arrived from a nearby town, where he was with his wife on business, worried that the family members were not in touch. Law enforcement officers were waiting outside the house for the believer. They reported that in his absence they searched the house and seized a Bible, a computer, a Bible game, and two walkie-talkies.\nAfter the search believers were taken for questioning to the Investigative Committee. They were asked if they knew Andrey Perminov, if they were members of Jehovah's Witnesses organization and if they conducted worship services with the help of Zoom. Vadim was threatened with the fact that if he did not cooperate with the investigation he would ruin his and his children's lives and the \"extremist\" article would become a \"stigma for life.\" The believers took advantage of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and were released 20 minutes later.\nThe raid in Asha and Minyar is not the first case of harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Chelyabinsk region. Dmitry Vinogradov was recently convicted for his belief in God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-11T14:03:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/111403.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","disability","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"Police Raids Jehovah's Witnesses in Asha, Chelyabinsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 8, 2021, in the city of Novokuznetsk law enforcement officers raided 3 houses of believing pensioners, as well as another apartment whose residents are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt about 6 am the law enforcement officers broke into the home of a 74-year-old sister proceeding with the raid. They confiscated her Bible and the postcards, after that she was taken away for interrogation. The second victim of law enforcement officers was an elderly woman who does not leave home. Seven people invaded her home, nothing was confiscated.\nThe third search was carried out in the house of an elderly couple; a car of special police forces (OMON) was seen nearby. The couple was later taken to the police station for questioning. In the evening they were released, and the man was ordered not to leave his place.\nUpdate. According to 64-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, he and his wife were woken up with long bells at the door. When the believer opened the door, three riot policemen burst into the apartment with machine guns, masks and bulletproof vests. Shouting \"everyone, on the floor!\" siloviki knocked down Sergey, and his wife was pushed against the wall. After that, two FSB operatives entered, accompanied by a specialist from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and attesting witnesses. The senior investigator of the Novokuznetsk Investigation Department, Pavel Nekhoroshev, read the order and began the search, which was carried out for 3.5 hours. By their actions, law enforcement officers have caused damage to property, in connection with which the apartment now requires repair. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized from the spouses.\nAfter the search, the Sushilnikovs were taken to the investigation department, where they waited for interrogation for three hours, guarded by riot police. From the stress experienced, Sergei's blood pressure rose.\nAnother search took place in the apartment where Jehovah's Witnesses used to live, but now other people live there.\nNovokuznetsk has become the seventh settlement in the Kemerovo Region where authorities have raided believers’ homes since the Supreme Court ruled to liquidate and ban all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. At present, some believers from this region, namely 48-year-old Vadim Levchuk and 55-year-old Sergey Britvin, are already serving their sentences in the general regime colony No. 3 in the Novosibirsk region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-10T08:23:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/100823.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"title":"Novokuznetsk: Law Enforcement Officers Search Elderly People, Suspecting Them of Worshiping Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 5, 2021, searches were carried out in the working village of Solnechny (Khabarovsk Territory). A criminal case has been initiated. Boris Yagovitov, 49, was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. On June 7, Pavel Nesterov, a judge of the Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of house arrest until August 4, 2021.\nA car drove up to Boris and his wife Natalia during a walk in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, from which two got out and invited the couple to get into the car. When Boris asked about the reason for the detention, he received the answer: \"This is due to your activities.\" Then the believers were taken to their place of residence in the village of Solnechny, which is 40 kilometers from Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\nLate in the evening, at about 10 p.m., their apartment was searched, and then the spouses were interrogated. Boris was placed in a temporary detention facility, and Natalia was released home at 2:30 a.m. The search and interrogation were conducted by the investigator for especially important cases Alexander Meshalkin.\nAt 9:30 p.m. on the same day, security forces from Amursk and Khabarovsk came to another local believer. During the search, they seized electronic devices and personal records of her late husband. Then the woman was taken for interrogation to the investigative department for the Khabarovsk Territory and the city of Amursk in the village of Solnechny, where she was interrogated. The believer was taken home at 4:30 in the morning.\nBoris Yagovitov became the 19th Jehovah's Witness persecuted for his faith in the Khabarovsk Territory. Another resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Nikolay Aliyev, was recently given a 4.5-year suspended sentence for reading the Bible.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-06-07T15:54:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/071554.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","house-arrest","new-case","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"New searches of believers in the Khabarovsk Territory. After 2 days behind bars, a 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2021, the association of former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp (Lagergemeinschaft Dachau) sent an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin condemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n“Not a day passes on which there is no report of state repression against Jehovah’s Witnesses,” the letter explains. “The homes of members of the religious denomination are searched and ravaged by the Russian secret service, FSB, and the police. Violent assaults and mistreatment occur. Women and men are condemned to long-term prison sentences. Requests to ease detention conditions or for parole are regularly refused.”\nThe letter concludes: “We urge you to grant every resident of the Russian Federation the constitutional right to free exercise of religion. Please end this injustice!”\nSince the ban on Russian religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses and as of June 7, 2021, almost 1500 searches have been carried out in 65 regions of Russia, 492 people have become accused of extremism, the courts have already passed 100 sentences, 15 believers have been sent to a colony, 2 have served their sentences and been released, the rest are still serving their sentences. A total of 57 Jehovah's Witnesses are detained for their faith.\n","category":"rights","date":"2021-06-07T15:04:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/071504/image_hu_b9baf012a256ede3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/071504/image_hu_177f0719e6d8855a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/071504/image_hu_c2005e176cc738ba.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/071504/image_hu_fe9baa5187feb4a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/071504.html","regions":["moscow","germany"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["nazi-germany","international","eu","head"],"title":"Former prisoners of the Dachau concentration camp called on Putin to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2021, the judge of the Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk, Aleksandr Tabakov, sentenced Dmitriy Vinogradov, accused of extremism for his peaceful Christian faith, to two years suspended. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAlthough there are no victims in the case, and the defendant has two minor children, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 3 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years.\nThe persecution of Dmitry Vinogradov, master of the International Chess Federation, began on March 19, 2019 with a search in his apartment and at his workplace - in the chess club. As a result, he lost his own chess file, on which he worked for many years, as well as several students - after the incident, they stopped visiting his courses.\nThe case against Dmitriy Vinogradov was initiated on January 20, 2020. It was separated from the case of Valentina Suvorova, and it was investigated by the same investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Aleksandr Chepenko. For almost a year and a half, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave, although the investigation of the case took only a month and a half. On March 4, 2020, the case was submitted to the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk.\n“As a result of a scrupulous trial, no one left in doubt that I was being persecuted solely for my Christian faith in Jehovah God,” Dmitriy said in his last speech.\nIn one of his appearances in court, the believer stated: “I have been studying the Bible for a long time and this does not make me any worse. On the contrary, this sacred book helped me at one time to break with bad habits. \" Dmitriy drew attention to the fact that for his professional achievements he was repeatedly awarded with diplomas and certificates of honor of state bodies, including from the governor of the Chelyabinsk region, the mayor of Chelyabinsk and the minister of sports of the Russian Federation.\nAnother Chelyabinsk court, the Metallurgichesky District court, has already sentenced Valentina Suvorova, a labor veteran who has worked as a teacher for 30 years, to a suspended sentence for her faith. The same court is hearing a case against her husband, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov.\nRussian security forces mistakenly interpret citizens' exercise of their constitutional rights as extremist activity. Numerous human rights organizations in Russia and beyond have repeatedly called for a halt to the wave of religious repression.\n\"All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Russian Constitution and Russia's commitments to OSCE and international law,\" the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on July 23, 2020.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_9f90b06d99859b1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_96c58eda83caf9ba.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_768d33269f1552fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/080810/image_hu_f8aaa940403e695f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/080810.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Dmitriy Vinogradov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses From Chelyabinsk, Got 2 Years Suspended for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 4, 2021, the judge of the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Natalya Gurkova, found Nikolay Aliyev, 42, guilty of involvement and participation in the activities of an extremist organization. He received a suspended sentence of 4 years and 6 months with restriction of freedom for 1 year and 2 months.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor requested 6 years in prison and 2 years and 11 months of restriction of liberty for him.\nNikolay Aliyev worked as an electrician at the city's enterprises. In his younger years, due to his peaceful convictions, he had to defend his right to alternative civilian service for several years.\nThe criminal prosecution caused great stress for Nikolay and his wife Alesya. For several nights they could not sleep. “There was a fear that we were being watched and listened to,” Nikolay recalls. “We were afraid to tell my parents about all these events, as it could negatively affect their poor health.” (His mother has a heart problem)\nAddressing the court with his last word, the believer emphasized: “For my relatives, friends and even employees who do not share my views and beliefs, for everyone who knows me and talked to me a little, it is quite obvious that I am not an extremist. ... And this is an axiom for them.”\nHe continued: “However, it seems that the law enforcement authorities consider everything connected with the name Jehovah to be extremist. Perhaps they think that the name was invented by Jehovah's Witnesses, since they speak of it everywhere. But is this true? As I mentioned earlier, the name Jehovah is written in the Bible itself. It occurs about ten times only in the Synodal Translation, and the translation of the Bible by Archimandrite Macarius has it hundreds of times. In addition, this name is known all over the world and was widely used in the works of world literature. […] Are these writers, as well as people who read the Bible and use the name of God, are they extremists? Of course not. This statement applies to me as well. I am not an extremist. Moreover, I have every right to use the name of God in worshiping him.”\nOn May 22, 2020, at about 7 a.m., armed riot policemen burst into the door of the Aliyevs' apartment and knocked Nikolay to the floor. The security forces were looking for any information confirming the believers' belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAfter a 5-hour search, the spouses were taken for interrogation, where emotional pressure was exerted on them. For example, FSB Major Aleksey Ivanov advised Nikolay Aliyev to change his faith to a “more traditional” one. The believer was threatened with arrest for using the 51st article of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The operative of the CPE K. Rubantsov suggested that Nikolay's wife cooperate with the investigation so that “something didn’t happen to her husband.”\nOn April 30, 2020, the Investigation Department for the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case. The investigation lasted more than 5 months.\nAs it turned out later, Nikolay's peaceful conversations with “Vladimir Tyomniy,” who imitated interest in the Bible, were recorded on video in 2018 and later formed the basis of the accusation.\nIn court, the conclusions of the linguistic expert E. A. Rozhdestvina were read out, who noted that there were no calls for specific actions in the videos for 2018, and the verbal constructions used “did not have the character of direct motivation and did not have a categorical form.”\nAlthough, according to the expert, religious texts contain motives for action (“Your children need you. Tell them about Jehovah”), there are no direct calls in the statements of the participants in the communication. In conclusion, the expert notes: “Through the use of constructions with the meaning of advice, the desirability, possibility, and not the need for a specific action are emphasized.”\nThe criminal case was transferred to the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on October 7, 2020. The hearings lasted about 8 months.\nIn court, Nikolay Aliyev said: “I have never encouraged anyone to hatred or overthrow the government, I did not incite anyone against people of another nationality or religion, I said and did only what my God commanded. I want all people to live in wonderful conditions, in peace and unity with each other. Thus, the accusation of extremism is unfounded.”\nNikolay becomes the 105th Jehovah's Witness convicted of his faith in Russia after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate 396 religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017. The youngest defendant in the Khabarovsk Territory, Yegor Baranov, is 20 years old.\nIn 2018, 60 prominent Russian human rights defenders issued a statement saying: “What is happening to them [Jehovah's Witnesses] is, in fact, happening to us. This is a test of the immune forces of the society. The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the groundlessness of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-04T13:26:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_ead117a174c9db0a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_56203b39211aa61d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_f32ed2eb8c5b1469.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/041326/image_hu_e4b2ca8c70614add.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/041326.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Nikolay Aliyev Received 4.5 Years of Suspended Sentence for His Faith in God","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Nikolay Aliyev notes: \"I, a person without a legal education, have to explain and prove to the court the obvious that a legal entity and an individual are not the same thing! And also that reading the Bible and talking about it with other people is not extremist activities.\"\n","date":"2021-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/100.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Nikolay Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer, addressing the court with his last word, told what his beliefs are based on, who Jehovah's Witnesses are, as well as about their persecution in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and in modern Russia.\n","date":"2021-06-03T19:13:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/98.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 3, 2021, the judge of the Krasnoyarsk Zheleznodorozhny District Court, Marina Poptsova, found 47-year-old engineer Andrey Stupnikov guilty of organizing extremist activities because of his faith and sentenced him to 6 years in a general regime colony. The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence of 6 years in prison on Stupnikov, with the deprivation of the right to engage in leadership activities in public associations for a term of 5 years and restriction of liberty for 1.5 years.\nAccording to the prosecution, Stupnikov's guilt lies in the fact that he did not renounce his religious beliefs and participated in peaceful worship, said prayers, sang hymns and discussed the Bible. The state prosecutor used the term \"banned Jehovah's Witnesses organization,\" although an organization with that name never existed.\nAndrey Stupnikov at the age of 5 moved with his parents to the city of Grozny. In the 1990s, a military conflict broke out in this region. It was then that Andrey learned firsthand what real extremism is. He was captured by the militants, experienced fear, pain, beatings; saw the death of innocent people. As a result of those events, Andrey Stupnikov became an internally displaced person.\nThe believer was detained on July 3, 2018 at 4:20 am at the Krasnoyarsk international airport. FSB officers took Stupnikov to the Security Service Directorate, and on the same day a criminal case was opened against him. It was investigated by the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory for more than a year and a half. As part of this case, more than 30 searches were carried out in the homes of Krasnoyarsk residents. The case materials reached 15 volumes, including audio and video surveillance recordings made even before the arrest.\nSince his arrest, Andrey Stupnikov spent 241 days in a pre-trial detention center, 124 days under house arrest, and for almost two years remained under a ban on certain actions. De jure, he served more than 1 year and 2 months of the sentence assigned to him). On February 18, 2020, his case was submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Krasnoyarsk.\nIn the early 2000s, Andrey visited criminals in prisons, telling them about God, helping them to find hope, abandon the criminal path and become useful members of society. He said in his last speech: “The experience gained in communicating with this category of people helped me too, when I myself was already in jail. By the way, there I saw how the Bible has a beneficial effect on people. Over time, the cell where I was located became exemplary. Imagine, Your Honor, everyone quit smoking and swearing, introduced a fine for swearing! All commissions brought us ... And now, Your Honor, I sincerely cannot understand: why they call me an extremist?\"\nIn addition to the case of Andrey Stupnikov, 10 other criminal cases have been initiated in the region against 13 Jehovah's Witnesses. The Russian authorities consider any spiritual life of believers of this religion as illegal. Andrey Stupnikov, addressing the court, asked a question to which he has not heard an answer until now: \"How was I supposed to confess my unforbidden faith so as not to break the law?\"\nRussian and international human rights activists call on the authorities of the Russian Federation to immediately end the persecution on religious grounds.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-03T15:51:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/031551/image_hu_a77ff82b49988f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/031551/image_hu_ab2c60ec207307d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/031551/image_hu_8c0b1d348a584694.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/031551/image_hu_8a2ebceacf05466f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/031551.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Verdict Was Announced for the 99th of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Andrey Stupnikov Received Six Years of Prison for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2021, the Kursk Industrial District Court sentenced 5 Jehovah's Witnesses for their religion. Andrey Andreev was sentenced to 4.5 years in a colony, Andrey Ryshkov in the form of 3 years in a colony, Artem Bagratyan in the form of 2.5 years in a colony, his wife, Alevtina, in the form of 2 years in a colony. Their co-religionist Alexandr Vospitanyuk was given a 2-year suspended sentence.\nThe decision was made by judge Oksana Ivanova. Andrey Andreev was found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the others were found guilty of participation in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Andreev, Ryshkov and Artem Bagratyan remain in jail, and Alevtina Bagratyan, who has actually served her sentence in jail and under house arrest, will continue to wait for the verdict to come into force at home with a tracking bracelet on her leg.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Believers insist on their complete innocence. There is not a single victim in the case. The prosecutor asked the court to impose even harsher punishment on them: for Andrey Andreev - 7.5 years in prison, for Andrey Ryshkov - 4.5 years, for Alevtina Bagratyan - 4 years, for Artem Bagratyan - 3.5 years and the same was for Aleksandr Vospitaniuk.\nArtem Bagratyan suffers from diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases, his condition requires inpatient treatment. In 2019, an ambulance was called for him right during one of the meetings. In the Kursk pre-trial detention centre, his condition worsened to critical, but the management and doctors of the isolation ward for a long time denied him proper treatment and the necessary diet, after which he was hospitalized. Alevtina Bagratyan has an elderly mother who needs her help.\nAll five believers were imprisoned immediately after being detained in 2019 and 2020. Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, a father of 3 children, left the IVS 2 days after the arrest, Alevtina Bagratyan was transferred from the detention centre to house arrest a year and 2 months later. Andrey Ryshkov has already spent more than a year in a pre-trial detention centre, and Andrey Andreev and Artem Bagratyan have spent more than a year and a half.\nThe case against five Kursk believers was initiated on September 12, 2019, and was investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Kursk region for 11 months. On August 11, 2020, the case materials were transferred for consideration to the Industrial District Court of Kursk. The case was heard for about 10 months.\nDuring the court proceedings, it became known that a certain A. Grisko, pretending to be interested in the Bible, kept a record of conversations with Alevtina and transmitted information to the FSB officers. Several witnesses in court retracted their earlier testimonies, explaining that the investigation put pressure on them, and information appeared in the protocols that they did not report. The defence also drew attention to the falsifications in the case materials.\nThroughout the trial, the prosecution argued that all the defendants profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" However, believers have never hidden their religion, and no religion is banned in Russia.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses based on religion has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign experts. Historian Alexandr Guryanov, during a recent round table dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia, noted: \"There is some particular bitterness on the part of the government towards this particular confession.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-03T15:27:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_446e248fdfc03969.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_bd6ef993ae303064.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_76b6f5dc922f39ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/031523/image_hu_d4ca470a30e0f9ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/031523.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"In Kursk, a Court Sentenced Five Believers. Four of Them, Including a Woman, Were Assigned From 2 to 4.5 Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 2, 2021 judge of Zeya district court of Amur region Oksana Brylyova sentenced Vasiliy Reznichenko to 2-year imprisonment conditionally with an 8-month probationary period for \"participation in the activity of extremist association\" - this is how the court interpreted the religious belonging of the resident of Zeya.\nThe court imposed exactly the punishment recommended by the state prosecutor. The verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The believer insisted on his complete innocence.\nVasiliy Reznichenko worked for a long time as a captain of a motor ship, for which he received the title \"veteran of labour of the USSR\". In 2016 he lost his wife, and for the last two years, a criminal case for extremism has been under investigation against him. The elderly man has been searched and interrogated, and his movement is restricted by his recognizance not to leave. All of this has weakened his health. In November 2019, he was put on the Rosfinmonitoring's list of terrorists and extremists, which caused all of his bank accounts to be blocked.\nIt all started on March 21, 2019, when law enforcement officers came to the pensioner's home with a search. They seized his laptop, phone, personal records and photos. The criminal case was initiated on March 11, 2019.\nThe case of Vasiliy Reznichenko was investigated for a year and a half by V. S. Obukhov, investigator of the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur region. On September 11, 2020, the case went to the Zeya District Court of the Amur region. By the beginning of the debate, the case contained nine volumes.\nThe court heard transcripts of worship meetings held in 2018. The believer's accusation was based on two prayers and several thoughts on a biblical topic expressed in a circle of fellow believers. This is interpreted by law enforcement officials as a security threat to Russian society and the state.\nAddressing the court with his last word, Vasiliy Reznichenko expressed bewilderment: \"The FSB officers consider me a dangerous criminal, while I am trying to understand what is so dangerous and terrible against the state or people I have committed? Why am I being treated this way? I asked this question to the FSB officers, but I did not receive a comprehensible answer. In the court hearing, listening to the testimony of witnesses and experts, I also tried to understand what my guilt was, what I had to do or not to do so that I wasn't considered a criminal. But I never got an answer to my question. [...]\nA total of 5 criminal cases were opened in the Amur region, 4 of which are being investigated by V. S. Obukhov. Another Jehovah's Witness, Konstantin Moiseenko, is on trial in Zeya.\nBack in 2018, the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of the Russian Federation gave an unambiguous description of the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The charges brought against believers in all cases are based on the allegation that a group of believers held a worship service. Accusations of citizens reading the Bible together and praying to God are interpreted as \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization. The Council believes that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the stated position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic in nature.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-02T16:42:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_137eae31c08073e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_ca7f85de1593f8ac.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_64f3ad37c0bb7e25.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/021418/image_hu_cb12ab5a6acb21ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/021418.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Amur Region, 78-Year-Old Vasiliy Reznichenko Was Given a Two-Year Suspended Sentence for Meetings with Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 2, the judge of Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory Viktor Fomichev found 45-year-old Dmitriy Maslov guilty of committing a crime according to part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of RF (participation in the activity of extremist organization) because of his faith. He was fined 450,000 rubles.\nThe sentence has not entered into force and may be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. Although there are no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Maslov to six years of imprisonment in a penal colony because of his religious views.\nBeekeeper Dmitriy Maslov and his wife Yuliya liked to spend time in the mountains. It was such a trip to the mountains that law enforcement officers considered as a continuation of extremist activity. Due to criminal prosecution for her faith, Yuliya's health deteriorated sharply. The family started having financial difficulties, as their bank cards were blocked.\nDmitry Maslov before the verdict with things for the pre-trial detention center The criminal case against Dmitry Maslov was initiated on April 19, 2019. On that day, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service with the participation of Rosgvardia fighters conducted searches in 5 houses of believing residents of Minusinsk. More than 30 people were detained for questioning and later released. The searches were sanctioned by the acting head of the investigative agency, V. N. Kolenichenko. Dmitriy was sent to the temporary detention facility.\nHis case was investigated by the Minusinsk District Department of the Investigative Committee for Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia for about 8 months. On December 31, 2019, it went to the Minusinsk City Court of Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nAt the hearing, the prosecution had already traditionally interpreted the normal life of a believer (praying, chanting, reading the Bible) as illegal actions. Despite the exceptionally positive characterization of Dmitry Maslov given by witnesses at the trial, the authorities try to smear his good name with suspicions of committing a serious crime against the state simply because of his religion.\nAll in all, 10 similar criminal cases were initiated in Krasnoyarsk Territory, four of which are currently being considered in court.\nNumerous Russian and foreign organizations and individual experts condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Richard Clayton, a Queen's Counsel and UK representative to the Venice Commission, for example, says that \"recognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will do nothing to help Russia consolidate its reputation as a civilized country. Any decision against Jehovah's Witnesses will affect others. It will be a red flag for everyone - if you disagree with the Russian authorities, you are at risk.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-06-02T10:55:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/021055/image_hu_f11119c65fcde8a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/021055/image_hu_d03ae5f5fbda638f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/021055/image_hu_2cf546ae9035eb1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/021055/image_hu_5045dfc04c1bd9b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/021055.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"A Sentence for One of Jehovah's Witnesses Was Handed Down in Krasnoyarsk Territory. Dmitriy Maslov, 44, of the City of Minusinsk Was Sentenced to a Fine","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the 78-year-old believer explained: \"To be Jehovah's Witness is to hold to high biblical standards of morality [...] And no matter what pressure is taken against me, I will not depart from the Almighty Creator of the universe, Jehovah God. My life depends on it in the future.\"\n","date":"2021-05-31T14:25:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/96.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vasily Reznichenko in Zeya","type":"docs"},{"body":"The believer told the court that in his youth he faced real extremism, and then helped prisoners. He wonders: \"Why do they call me an extremist? [...] I never heard any evidence of what could be called a crime in my actions or words.\"\n","date":"2021-05-31T10:47:41+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/95.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 31, 2021, the judge of the Gornomariyskiy District Court of the Republic of Mari El, Nikolay Aiplatov, found 31-year-old Ekaterina Pegasheva guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 6 years and 6 months of probation with a probation period of 4 years.\nPrior to the entry into force of the verdict, a written undertaking not to leave the place was taken from Catherine, previously she was under house arrest. The believer does not admit guilt and can appeal the sentence. Although there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to imprison Ekaterina for 7 years in a colony.\n“The only victims in this criminal case are me, my mother, my elderly sick bedridden grandmother. We have suffered significant damage - property, physical, emotional, mental, as well as damage to our reputation. I am a law-abiding citizen of the Russian Federation, I did not call for violence. My conscience is clear before God, and before the state, and before the people,” said Ekaterina Pegasheva, speaking in court with her last word.\nThe criminal case against Ekaterina was initiated on September 26, 2019. The investigation was initiated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Mari El. The believer became accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), because, according to the investigation, she “deliberately continued illegal activities ...” - after the ban on religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, she did not cease to profess Christianity and continued talk to others about religious topics.\nOn October 3, 2019, two searches were carried out in the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva: in Yoshkar-Ola and in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region), where the mother of the believer lives. Books, videos, electronic devices, personal letters and documents, including a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam, were seized from the women. Ekaterina herself was sent to a pre-trial detention center, where she spent more than 4 months. Then she was under house arrest for another 500 days. She was banned from correspondence, the use of communications, as well as daily walks.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Catherine lost her job, which made it impossible for her to help look after an elderly bedridden grandmother. According to Ekaterina, stress-related health problems began not only for her, but also for her mother.\nInvestigator Alexei Marushin investigated Ekaterina's criminal case for almost a year. On September 21, 2020, it went to court.\nThe course of the process revealed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution. The secret witness on the part of the prosecution \"Petrov\", during the interrogation, admitted that peaceful topics were considered at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to another prosecution witness, at the meetings people \"talked about God,\" and Pegasheva never called upon those present to \"commit violent acts, overthrow state power and change the constitutional order,\" as the investigation and the state prosecutor argued.\nThe campaign to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is unanimously condemned by the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union, the United States and a large number of other international organizations. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated: “We call on the Russian government to revise the Law on Countering Extremist Activities in order to clarify the vague and open-ended definition of extremist activities ... We also call on the authorities to drop charges and release all detainees for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly and association. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-31T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_1beefb4a92bb9498.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_8a551963615ca4d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_123cf6548a873efb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/06/011031/image_hu_b2b17c9771eb8db2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/06/011031.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The Court in Mari El Sentenced Ekaterina Pegasheva to 6.5 years suspended for reading the Bible and talking about God","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 28, 2021, the Omsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva. The court found it extremist that they were meeting to discuss the Bible.\nOn November 30, 2020, the judge of the Pervomaisky District Court Denis Pershukevich found Sergey Polyakov guilty under Art. 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 3 years in a general regime colony. Three more women were sentenced by the court under Art. 282.2 (2) in the form of imprisonment conditionally: Anastasiya Polyakova for a term of 2 years and 6 months, Gaukhar Bektemirova - 2 years and 3 months, Dinara Dyusekeyeva - 2 years.\nThe prosecutor requested 6 and a half years of real imprisonment for Sergey Polyakov. The state prosecutor asked Anastasiya Polyakova, Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova to be sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe couple spent 5 months in solitary confinement and 3 months under house arrest. Dinara and Gaukhar have been under recognizance not to leave for more than a year and a half.\nAnastasiya Polyakova became the first woman - Jehovah's Witness in the history of modern Russia, who found herself behind bars for her faith.\nSergey and Anastasiya Polyakovs were detained during searches on July 4, 2018. During the arrest, Sergey was beaten and then forced to wipe the blood off the floor. Over the next two days, the couple did not get in touch, the door to their apartment was found broken open. Simultaneous searches were carried out in at least 4 homes of believers. During the search, the attesting witnesses actively helped law enforcement officers, prompted and even tried to interrogate believers. Veterinarian Dinara Dyusekeyeva and her friend Gaukhar Bektemirova came under investigation about a year after the Polyakovs. In the summer of 2019, a criminal case was also initiated against them, which was connected with the case of Anastasiya and Sergey.\nIn the summer of 2018, the Investigative Committee opened a similar criminal case against Igor Zhukov in Omsk.\nThe court found the believers guilty only because they participated with their fellow believers in peaceful worship and talked with other people about the Bible. In reality, these actions are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the contrary, they are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as fundamental human rights and freedoms.\nThe entire logic of the accusation is based on the speculative thesis that faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" Among the proofs of the \"guilt\" of the Polyakovs, Bektemirova and Dyusekeyeva - 20 biblical cartoons, which were reproduced at court hearings, and the Bible in different languages.\nThe defendants themselves explained in their testimony that they were exercising their constitutional right to disseminate their religious beliefs, since \"Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation applies to all believers.\" They categorically denied their involvement in extremism and during the appeal hearings tried to explain the essence of their faith to the court. The chairman of the board of the court, Aleksandr Bondarenko, repeatedly interrupted the defendants' speeches with the last word. Without allowing Sergey Polyakov to finish, the panel of judges retired to the deliberation room, after which they announced the decision: in terms of punishment, to leave the sentence in force. Thus, the court equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals. Convicted persons have the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe European Union is deeply concerned about the situation surrounding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: “As we have already stated many times, all people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, should be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination, which is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's commitments within the OSCE and international commitments”.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_1e87c853a57ea5a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_9a84e29e1c81fba0.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_bc61f13464eb69c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/311337/image_hu_d5fd05ee2b85aed3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/311337.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Omsk Upheld the Convictions of Four Jehovah's Witnesses. One of Them Will Go to Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"\"A year and 7 months in jail did not harden me. I prayed daily that I would be able to maintain love for God and my neighbor. I have no resentment, no anger, let alone hatred for anyone, because this should not be, \"said Andrei Andreev, speaking in court.\n","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/97.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrei Andreev in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the judge, the believer noted: \"I very much hope that you will not take a formal attitude to the sentencing, and also that your name will not go down in the history of repression, but you will be remembered as a person who did everything possible to protect the citizens of his country from unfair accusations.\"\n","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/99.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dmitry Maslov in Minusinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Since the morning of May 27, 2021, security guards have been searching the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Barnaul, the capital of Altai Territory, and Rubtsovsk, about 300 km away. At least eight people are being detained for interrogation. According to preliminary data, a criminal case has been opened against a 24-year-old believer.\nUpdate. It has become known that mass searches and detentions took place in the cities of Barnaul, Zarinsk and Rubtsovsk, the settlement of Telmenka and the villages of Troitskoye and Shakhi during a police special operation codenamed \"Armageddon\". Believers reported the use of physical force by security forces. At least 17 people were taken for interrogation to the UVS and the Extremism Combating Center. Ekaterina Popova, a judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Barnaul, issued a warrant for searches in Barnaul and four other locations. Police Major Yaroslav Medvedev was among the leaders of the operation.\nAt 6 a. m. the law enforcers burst into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronic devices, data carriers, biblical literature, books and personal records were seized from them. In some cases, law enforcement officers broke down the doors and forced believers to lie on the floor. During the interrogations there was psychological pressure. Investigators asked questions: \"How long have you been reading the Bible? What is written there? Is Jesus the son of God? How long have you been a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses \"sect\"? Have you participated in Zoom conferences? How do you preach? How do you attend meetings?\" The believers used Article 51 of the Russian Constitution.\nThe special operation was carried out within the criminal case that was initiated on May 11, 2021 against 24-year-old Pavel Kazadaev, a resident of Novokuznetsk. Senior investigator Evgeny Kozuchenko saw in the actions of the young man signs of a crime under part 2 of clause 282.2 of Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in activities of extremist organization). Pavel and his wife were detained and brought to Barnaul, 350 kilometers away from home. The believer was sent to custody. The next day, an investigator petitioned the court for a measure of restraint to be chosen for Pavel in the form of house arrest. As a result, he was released on his own recognizance not to leave.\nLaw enforcement officers also searched the place of registration of Pavel Kazadaev in the village of Lugovoi, where his relatives live. Presenting themselves as the police, the operation officers and OMON riot police entered the house. They also searched the garage, car, bathhouse, and yard. Due to the stress, the elderly woman had to call an ambulance.\nFour other families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched and questioned in Rubtsovsk. One of the worshippers had his notebook and cell phone hacked and then confiscated in his presence. According to him, the operatives also took his personal savings of 100,000 rubles.\nAltai Krai has become the 66th region of Russia in which law enforcement agencies prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses. Security officials perceive joint meetings of believers to read and discuss the Bible, as well as conversations about God, as the activities of an extremist organization, although no Russian court has banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the authorities have emphasized that believers are allowed to gather for collective worship.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-05-27T14:16:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/271415.html","regions":["altaisky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","siloviks-violence","ivs","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Altai, in two cities, Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched, there are detainees","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final discourse, the believer compared the persecution of God's servants in the past and in the present. He stressed that just as in biblical times, today Christians are accused of loving God and their neighbors.\n","date":"2021-05-27T08:10:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/94.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrei Ryshkov in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 25, 2021, the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the conviction against 47-year-old Jehovah's Witness Oleg Danilov from the village of Kholmskaya. For discussing the Bible, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer insists on his innocence and has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn March 30, 2021, Olga Khomchenkova, judge of the Abinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, convicted Oleg Danilov, considering peaceful discussions of the Bible to be participation in the activities of a banned organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation was initiated by the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory, O. I. Komissarov. He also handled the cases of Aleksandr Ivshin and Aleksandr Shcherbina, who were sentenced for their faith to 7.5 and 3 years in prison, respectively.\nIn court in the case of Oleg Danilov, witnesses for the prosecution spoke, including the ataman of the village of Kholmskaya, in which the believer lives, and a district inspector. Both could not say anything bad about the defendant. FSB officer Bochin was able to provide only a poster with biblical quotes and homemade postcards as proof of \"extremism\".\nOleg Danilov\u0026rsquo;s wife Natalia and sons on the day of the appeal Oleg Danilov and his wife are raising two sons, students, one of whom has not yet reached the age of majority. In April 2020, Oleg Danilov and his family were searched for the first time, but the security forces did not find anything prohibited on them. After 7 months, they were searched again. The representatives of law-enforcement agencies seized a sketchbook and diaries from the children's room. The investigator threatened the minor child with problems in the educational institution because of the refusal to unlock the phone.\nWhile the investigation lasted and the trial was underway, the head of the family was under recognizance not to leave for about 3 months. It was difficult for him to provide for his wife and children financially. After the verdict of the court of first instance was announced, the believer was placed in custody in a pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk, and the family lost their breadwinner.\nLaw enforcement officers have equated Jehovah's Witnesses with dangerous criminals, although this religion is not prohibited in Russia.. Their peaceful meetings and conversations on spiritual topics about the Bible are perceived by the authorities as a threat to security for society and the state. Oleg Danilov emphasized: “It was the Bible that taught me to be peaceful, attentive towards people of all kinds. The very concept of “extremism” fundamentally contradicts my Christian nature. \"\nIn Russia and abroad, legal scholars condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko wrote: “The absolute majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding, strive to live in accordance with the moral standards set forth in the Bible. They reject violence, pay taxes in good faith, value peace in the family, society and state, and recognize the right of other people to have their own convictions. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-25T09:31:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/260931/image_hu_f8c79da621721bbb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/260931/image_hu_5d2aa41cf8c313b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/260931/image_hu_b0ebc860f55db8ae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/260931/image_hu_3c29b2bb16ed38f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/260931.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Krasnodar Upheld the Sentence to Oleg Danilov - 3 Years in Prison for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"In the last word, the believer boldly declared: \"Your honor, if the sentence is associated with imprisonment, it will not change anything. While in the colony, I will still read the Bible, live by its laws and share with others the knowledge from it. No one and nothing will stop my God Jehovah from supporting me.\"\n","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/93.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alevtina Bagratyan in Kursk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 24, 2021, the judge of the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region, Irina Pantela, found four local Jehovah's Witnesses guilty of extremism and assigned them a suspended sentence: Yuriy Krutyakov - 6 years with a probation period of 5 years; Zinaida Krutyakova - 2 years and 3 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Konstantin Zherebtsov - 2 years and 2 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Vitaliy Nikiforov - 2 years with the same probationary period.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\n69-year-old pensioner Yuriy Krutyakov has worked all his life in the construction industry and has gone from a foreman to the head of the production and technical department. Yuriy's wife Zinaida has also devoted more than 30 years to the construction industry. Criminal prosecutions for their faith damaged their health and robbed them of their livelihood.\nYuriy Krutyakov spent 445 days in the pre-trial detention center, despite the fact that he voluntarily came to the Investigative Committee, which means that he had no intention of hiding from the investigation. He was placed in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. The believer suffers from a number of serious diseases, has undergone several operations, including on the eyes, as a result of which his vision has deteriorated sharply. Numerous appeals about proper medical examination and treatment, which Yuri sent to the management of the Moscow SIZO-7, where he was held until his transfer to a new place, remained unanswered.\nVitaliy Nikiforov served as an aircraft technician in the Russian Air Force in various regions, including the Arctic Circle. He took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, has a war veteran's certificate. He was convicted of faith in God, thanks to which he got rid of alcohol addiction.\n1 2 3 4 5 6 Konstantin Zherebtsov worked hard for many years at various nuclear power plants and other enterprises of the energy complex, he has numerous certificates and letters of thanks on his account. In connection with the criminal prosecution, Konstantin cannot financially support his family. In October 2019, due to stress, his heart problems worsened.\nAfter night searches in October 2019, Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Viktor Nikiforov were detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. Then they spent almost 600 days under house arrest.\nA criminal case against Chekhov's believers was initiated on September 30, 2019 and was investigated by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region. The investigation lasted 445 days. On December 18, 2020, the case materials were transferred to the court.\nThe investigation regards the peaceful conversations of believers as extremist activity. The criminal case is based on the testimony of Stanislav Kuznetsky, with whom Yuriy Krutyakov met at the station and later discussed the Bible. As it turned out later, Kuznetsky worked for the FSB and, on instructions from the special services, portrayed an interest in biblical teachings. He called Krutyakov, complained about family troubles, asked for Bible advice and asked about like-minded people. The Zherebtsov, Nikiforov and Krutyakovs were under surveillance, their phones were tapped.\nOne of the investigators, Golovanov, who conducted operational-search measures against believers, admitted at a hearing in the Chekhov City Court that, according to the laws of the Russian Federation, the Bible cannot be recognized as extremist material, so Jehovah's Witnesses can read and discuss it together with others.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Government of the Russian Federation emphasized that \"Acts of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation [of 20.04.2017 and 17.07.2017] do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" According to a statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, \"members of the liquidated organization [of Jehovah's Witnesses] can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-24T19:38:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_66a4798bf4a99ab3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_3d4ff4c79aa0a460.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_49e8520b220ccc5e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/241938/image_hu_400b79e6b6a0f79b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/241938.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"In Chekhov, the Court Gave Four Believers From Two to Six Years Probation for Discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia denied Valentina and Roman Baranovsky their appeals against the lower court's unprecedentedly cruel sentence. For the first time a 70-year-old woman was sentenced to actual imprisonment.\nValentina Baranovskaya suffers from a variety of illnesses. She suffered an ischemic stroke in July 2020 and needs constant medical supervision. Roman is her only son, she depends on his help.\nThe verdict came into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nThe first instance sentence was handed down on February 24, 2021. The assistant prosecutor of Abakan Svetlana Shestakova asked to sentence 69-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya to 5 years in prison and a year of restricted freedom, Roman - to 8 years in a colony with the same restriction. Judge of Abakan city court Elena Shcherbakova sentenced Valentina Baranovskaya to 2 years in prison under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist organization), and her son Roman - to 6 years in prison under Part 1 of the same article (organization of an extremist organization).\nLate in the evening of April 10, 2019, armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the homes of at least three residents of Abakan. On the same day, criminal charges were filed against him and his mother.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses stated in her testimony that she \"dislikes ... [the Baranovskiy family] because they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Meanwhile the right to choose and practice any religion is enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and the statement of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of 20.06.18 says: \"The [Supreme] Court decision does not contain conclusions about banning the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as such\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-24T19:21:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_37807d5168cd8f43.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_976239dcf968843a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_88ca824f7d211ff4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_6667ca2c6a5104d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/241921.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"The verdict came into force: Valentina Baranovskaya, 70, Is Sentenced to a Penal Colony for Two Years, Her Son is Sentenced for six years. They Are Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 21, 2021, Natalya Devyatko, a judge of the Lenin District Court of Novosibirsk, found Vitaliy Popov guilty under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 and part 1 of Art. 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation and financing of the activities of an extremist organization). He was sentenced to 3 years of suspended sentence.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended to the court that Vitaliy Popov be sentenced to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nOn June 27, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against him, which was investigated by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region. Vitaliy Popov spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, then was under recognizance agreement.\nDue to criminal prosecution, the believer lost his job in an educational institution. According to Vitaliy's wife, former colleagues took his dismissal painfully. The believer says: “They set up an economic blockade for me, blocking my account on the card and adding me to the list of extremists. Then, two months later, they called at my workplace and forced my employer to fire me of my own free will, although the director clearly did not want to let me go. As a result, I lost my job and cannot get a job because of a criminal case. At first I tried to earn extra money, but when the trials began about twice a week, I could no longer take care of the material needs of my family.”\nVitaliy Popov in the courtroom on the day of the verdict Vitaliy Popov with his wife near the courthouse Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk It took almost a year to collect evidence of the believer's “guilt”. During this time, he faced psychological pressure: during a four-hour interrogation, the investigator for especially important cases A. Bryuzgin tried to force him to incriminate himself. “The investigator constantly pressed on me, rushed me so that I could read 22 volumes in a week [about 5000 pages], provoked me to self-incrimination,” Vitaliy recalls. Through the efforts of the same investigator, another resident of Novosibirsk, 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev, was sentenced to six years in prison for his faith.\nOn June 18, 2020, the case against Vitaliy Popov was transferred to the court for consideration by judge Irina Tsygankova. On August 13, the state prosecutor challenged her on the grounds that earlier, under her chairmanship, court decisions had been taken in the criminal case of Yuriy Savelyev. The court agreed with the arguments of the prosecution and granted the motion to challenge Tsygankova. The case was referred to Judge Natalya Devyatko.\nVitaliy Popov, even during the investigation, stated that he did not plead guilty and considered the criminal case against him as repressions for his faith, since his religion was the only reason for the persecution.\n“Your Honor, I cannot understand what is my fault?” said the believer in his last word. “The fact that I love to read the Bible together with my fellow believers and live according to it, share with others what I learned from it—this is my constitutional right, and I just practiced this right. Someone may agree or disagree with Jehovah's Witnesses’ beliefs, but that is another matter. The Russian Federation is a multi-confessional country, and many religions are taught in different ways and May contradict each other, but this is not a reason to consider them extremists.”\nThe same opinion was expressed by Russian and foreign human rights activists. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses “do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-21T13:36:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_2c1036b80d837275.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_6300d4228d71e917.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_76f600f621c2fcde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/211336/image_hu_796aee5a9b21de58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/211336.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"54-year-old Vitaliy Popov Received 3 Years of Suspended Sentence. The Second Resident of Novosibirsk Suffered for Faith in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2021 judge of Leninskiy District Court of Saratov Andrey Efimov found Rustam Seidkuliev guilty under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in activity of extremist organization). The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nSeidkuliev was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom after his release. The court took into account the 7 months that Rustam spent under house arrest: 217 days corresponding to 108 and a half days of imprisonment. Thus, the believer has to spend over two years in prison.\nThe verdict did not come into force, and can be appealed. The believer insists on his complete innocence. The state prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to four years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.\nAfter getting acquainted with biblical doctrines, Seidkuliev decided to lead a peaceful life, not to take up arms and not to learn how to fight. For his refusal to join the army, he was convicted twice (in 1995 and 1996) and spent 1 year and 8 months in a minimum-security penal colony in Turkmenistan. Twenty-five years later, Rustam found himself in court again only because of his faith in the God Jehovah.\nRustam Seidkuliev at the entrance to the courthouse Rustam Seidkuliev with his wife Yulia Rustam and Yulia Seidkuliev with friends near the courthouse Leninsky District Court of Saratov A criminal case against Rustam Seidkuliev was initiated on January 29, 2020. The believer learned about it on February 15, 2020, when police officers detained him along with his wife in a shopping center. It was announced to Rustam that he was wanted, and later he was placed in a special detention center for 5 days.\nOn February 20, 2020. On February 20, 2020, Seidkuliev was taken for a search, after which he was transported by car to Saratov. On the morning of February 22, 2020, the court ordered that he be placed under house arrest for two months. This preventive measure was later extended to 7 months and 8 days, and in September 2020 it was changed to a ban on certain actions. One month later, the investigator confined himself to a written pledge not to leave.\nThe case of Seidkuliev was investigated by the bodies of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Saratov region for a year and two months. On 30 March 2021, the case went to court. The case was considered for more than a year.\nAs stated in the indictment, Seidkuliev, \"acting from extremist motives, realizing that by his actions he undermines the foundations of the constitutional order and state security\", continued to participate in worship services and talk to others about God. This accusation was made against Rustam in court, despite the fact that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every citizen \"the right to practice...any religion or not to practice any religion. Neither the Supreme Court nor any other court has ever restricted this right as applied to Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe OSCE, the European Union, Russian human rights activists and many others condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-20T17:39:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/201739/image_hu_34617e637b3670bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/201739/image_hu_373b8b624d622c49.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/201739/image_hu_7e81a540a14f883e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/201739/image_hu_3b2c3d238623859e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/201739.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Court Sent One More of Jehovah's Witnesses Behind Bars. Rustam Seidkuliev Was Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Talking About the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2021 in the city of Pyatigorsk, the Fifth Court of Cassation of general jurisdiction finally confirmed the innocence of Yuriy Zalipaev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from the city of Maisky. A panel of 3 judges chaired by Sergey Leontyev and judges Svetlana Harrasova and Andrey Zhelezny completely rejected the prosecutor's appeal of his acquittal verdict.\nMore than ten people came to the court building to support Zalipaev, but only the believer and his lawyer were allowed to the sitting. It is noteworthy that during the process the prosecutor did not support a number of claims stated in the cassational submission.\nEarlier, on October 7, 2020, Elena Kudryavtseva, a judge of the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, fully acquitted Juriy Zalipayev, accused of \"public calls for extremist activities\" (part 1 article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). However, the prosecutor appealed this decision in a higher court.\nYuriy Zalipaev was not able to appear before the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic until January 22, 2021, since he and his family were infected with coronavirus infection after yet another search of his home. After hearing the arguments of the believer, Judge Fatimat Chechenova issued an appeal ruling - to uphold the acquittal verdict of the lower court.\nOn February 25, 2021 the Prosecutor Lukianov had to officially apologize to Yuriy Zalipaev for the harm caused by the unjust criminal prosecution. Nevertheless, the prosecutor's office still appealed the decision in the court of cassation, which eventually sided with the believer.\nCourts of cassation of general jurisdiction appeared in Russia relatively recently, in 2018. One of their purposes is to check the legality of the rulings of the courts of first and appellate instances, which have entered into legal force. Cassation courts of the Russian Federation have already repeatedly protected the rights of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, in the Christensen case in Orel, the Levchuk and Britvin case in Berezovsky, the Abdullayev and others case in Makhachkala, the Savelyev case in Novosibirsk.\nMeanwhile, the Maisky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is making new attempts to prosecute local Jehovah's Witnesses. In April 2021, Kirill Gushchin, a 40-year-old resident of Maiskoye, was prosecuted under Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the same time, a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against Gushchin's wife, Svetlana, and 4 other women. A criminal case was also initiated against 7 women and 2 men from Mayskoye under Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (refusal to testify), since the believers took advantage of the right under Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation not to testify against themselves.\n","category":"victory","date":"2021-05-20T09:37:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/210937/image_hu_8669c37a5506ccbe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/210937/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/210937/image_hu_d19a9a8f2dab17c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/210937/image_hu_62957e451ddd16af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/210937.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","acquittal"],"title":"The Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk Finally Acquitted One of Jehovah's Witnesses Yuriy Zalipaev","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am pleased to know that during the investigation not a single fact of directly extremist actions on my part was revealed. There was not a single victim, no damage or even assistance to any extremist activity was revealed,\" the defendant stressed.\n","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/92.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Rustam Seidkuliev in Saratov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 18, 2021, security officials searched the house of Pavel Popov, 44, from Yemanzhelinsk, a city about 40 kilometers from Chelyabinsk. The believer was detained, but later released on recognizance agreement. A criminal case was initiated under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nAt 7:00 am, Russian Guard officers knocked loudly at the apartment of the Popovs and ordered to open the door. They put Pavel against the wall with his hands up. Later, the investigator allowed the believer to move freely around his flat. The 5-hour search was conducted in the presence of attesting witnesses who said they were law college students and future police officers. Pavel's garage and car were also examined. Law enforcers seized the Popovs' phones, tablets, computers, as well as a registration certificate for a car, which, according to the investigator, would be a pledge in case of a fine for the believer.\nAfter the search, the entire Popov family, including their 13-year-old daughter, was taken to the Chelyabinsk Investigative Committee for interrogation. Investigator Aleksandr Chepenko acquainted Pavel with the preliminary materials of the criminal case initiated on April 22, 2021. The documents turned out to be very similar to the materials of the case of another believer from Chelyabinsk, Valentina Suvorova. Pavel does not consider himself guilty of a “crime” of simply practicing religion.\nTwo years ago, on March 26, 2020, Pavel Popov was already searched, but after interrogation he was released. The current criminal case against Popov was separated from the case of Valentina Suvorova, who was sentenced to 2 years probation for her faith. Also in Chelyabinsk, Vladimir Suvorov and Dmitriy Vinogradov are persecuted for their faith.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-05-19T19:28:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/191928.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","minors","interrogation"],"title":"A Witness in the Suvorovs Case from Chelyabinsk Became an Accused. Pavel Popov will be in the Dock Because of His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 19, 2021 the judge of Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorye Territory Lyudmila Setrakova found the disabled woman Lyudmila Shut guilty of participation in activities of extremist organization. A pensioner from the village of Razdolnoe was sentenced to four years of suspended imprisonment.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nThough there were no victims in the case, the court fully satisfied the prosecutor's recommendation: the state prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to four years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of three years and one year of restricted freedom. The state prosecutor also asked to deprive the believer of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for 4 years. She has been kept on her own recognizance for over a year.\nLyudmila could hardly move on crutches. Since she was a little girl she did a lot of hard physical labor, helping her mother with household chores. During her life she worked as a turner, milkmaid, headed a warehouse and was manager of a state farm. She was widowed 18 years ago. She has three children and three grandchildren. Criminal prosecution further undermined her health, her eyesight deteriorated and she needed an operation. After the interrogations she repeatedly had to call an ambulance.\nIn her final statement, Lyudmila Shut said: \"I have the right to be a religious person! I do not agree with the charges. I am not a criminal and not an extremist. I do not know such a scary word at all, it is alien to me and completely contradicts my religious views.\"\nOn July 19, 2018, searches were conducted in the homes of believers from the village of Razdolnoye, after which Lyudmila Shut was summoned for interrogations several times over the course of a year and a half. On February 10, 2020, investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against her. The investigation lasted about 3 months, it was led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Primorye Territory.\nSince November 2017 there was hidden video recording of worship services in the settlement of Razdolnoye. Later, based on the materials of operational investigative activities, law enforcement officers concluded that some believers were allegedly the leaders of the banned organization, and others were participants, including Lyudmila Shut. However, while watching these recordings in court, the participants of the trial were convinced that the believers did not speak about their superiority over members of other faiths at the services, as the prosecutor claimed.\nOn April 28, 2020, Lyudmila Shut's case was brought to the Nadezhdinskiy District Court for consideration by judge Natalia Derevyagina. After 5 months of hearings, the state prosecutor challenged the judge, pointing out that she had previously assessed Shut's actions as a witness in another believer's case. The new judge, Lyudmila Setrakova, actually started the trial all over again, and the elderly believer on crutches had to go through all stages of the trial again.\nIn their testimony in court, witnesses in Shut's case confirmed that the Supreme Court decision did not ban Jehovah's Witnesses from holding meetings. They also gave a positive characteristic of Lyudmila and said that they had never heard extremist statements from her.\nA total of 36 people from Primorye were taken to the millstone of the judicial system just for believing in Jehovah's God. Lyudmila's fellow villager, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, has already received a 6-year suspended sentence for participating in peaceful worship services.\nThe OSCE, the European Union, Russian human rights activists and many others condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-19T13:40:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_810ad76c4df4c7df.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_762a68027e2be73.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_f20b94bb7a6ac5bd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/191340/image_hu_7c76a9f5eda03c1a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/191340.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"In Razdolnoe Village a 73-Year-Old Believer Lyudmila Shut Received a 4-Year Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Konstantin Bazhenov, who was again detained and sent to a deportation center after his release from the colony, was expelled from Russia, of which he had been a citizen for more than 10 years. On May 19, 2021, the believer arrived in Ukrainian Kramatorsk, where he was met by his wife, Irina, and fellow believers.\n“The fact that I was released on parole is a miracle! Although I had the right to parole: I had exemplary behavior and a lot of incentives, there were no penalties ... And yet, until the last moment, there were doubts until I read the court order on release, ”said Konstantin Bazhenov.\nKonstantin was born in Veliky Novgorod and, as a child, left for the Ukrainian SSR with his parents. In 2009, he and his wife, Irina, moved to Russia and received citizenship. Before the start of the criminal prosecution, the family lived in Saratov.\nIn September 2019, the court sentenced six believers, including Konstantin Bazhenov, to imprisonment, considering peaceful discussions of Christian teachings to be extremism. The Saratov Regional Court dismissed the appeal, and Konstantin received 3.5 years in prison. During the served term, the court included 15 months that the believer spent in a pre-trial detention center, and 4 months under the ban on certain actions. For another 15 months, Konstantin Bazhenov was serving his sentence in the colony of Dimitrovgrad. During his imprisonment, the authorities revoked the Russian citizenship of the believer.\nAccording to Konstantin, he had to deal with prejudice on religious grounds in the colony, but this did not happen for long. \"After [the administration and other prisoners] looked at my behavior, and when I explained my beliefs, their opinion changed. And even if they did not take my side, I still felt respect, \"said the believer.\nKonstantin Bazhenov and his wife, Irina. Ukraine, May 19, 2021 De jure, the sentence imposed on Konstantin Bazhenov expired on July 5, 2021, but in April 2021, the court released him on parole. On May 5, Konstantin was again detained right at the exit from the colony, after which he was taken to the local deportation center. Almost two weeks later, the believer was put in a car and sent to Ukraine.\nTogether with Konstantin, his wife, Irina, was forced to leave Russia. There were never any complaints from the law enforcement agencies against her, but further separation from her husband turned out to be unthinkable for her. Even during the imprisonment of Constantine in the colony, Irina moved to another city to be closer to her husband.\n“When Kostya was in the colony, we were not given visits for 13 months. For the first time since our imprisonment, we met only in February 2021. Sometimes we were able to communicate on the phone. We prayed and sang songs together, ”said Irina Bazhenova, who left Russia a few days earlier than her husband.\nSo far, the spouses do not know how their life will be built in a new place. They are glad that they will be able to freely profess their beliefs, but they worry about their fellow believers, who are still subjected to religious persecution in Russia.\nKonstantin Bazhenov became the second Jehovah's Witness to serve a sentence for his faith and was deported from the country. In January, his fellow believer, a resident of Saratov, Felix Makhammadiev, was expelled from Russia to Uzbekistan. Four more defendants in the case of Bazhenov and others are still in the colony and await release in June and August 2021. In November 2018, the unfounded criminal prosecution of believers was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2021-05-19T09:35:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/200935/image_hu_e18025d9ad3deba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/200935/image_hu_ae4b9023bea1263d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/200935/image_hu_76cbda774d8c337d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/200935/image_hu_ce4fd607e30af7f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/200935.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Konstantin Bazhenov, Who Had Served His Sentence for Faith, Deported From Russia to Ukraine","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2021 the judge of Leninsky district court of Rostov-on-Don Alexander Osipov found Lyudmila Ponomarenko guilty of participation in extremist activity - this is how the court interpreted her religious beliefs. The believer was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment—the exact amount the prosecutor asked.\nThe verdict has not come into force and can be appealed. The pensioner insists on her complete innocence. There are no victims in the case.\nOn June 6, 2019, the First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Lyudmila Ponomarenko under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for participation in divine services and preaching. Earlier, in the spring of the same year, law enforcement officers came to her apartment with a search. They confiscated a phone, a tablet, Bibles in various editions, a Bible dictionary, a reference book and a religious studies monograph from a pensioner who was caring for her sick husband. On August 18, 2020, she found herself under recognizance not to leave. On September 30, the case went to court.\nSpeaking in court with the last word, Lyudmila Ponomarenko noted: “The indictment does not indicate with what words, when, under what circumstances I advocated the advantage of some people over others. Also, it is not indicated in what way, on what date, at what time and who exactly I encouraged to refuse medical care, to reject state bodies or to break off family relations. I did nothing of the kind and no evidence to the contrary was presented in court. It turns out that I am being judged for being an honest person who respects and observes the laws of the country in which I live; as a believer, I love people and is not able to harm them; I abide by the laws of the country and exercise my right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. \"\n9 criminal cases against believers from the Rostov region are at different stages of production. Three of Jehovah's Witnesses have already received convictions and have entered into force. Earlier, in 2016, under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, 16 believers from Taganrog were found guilty.\nIn 2018, 60 prominent Russian human rights defenders issued a statement saying: “What is happening to them is, in fact, happening to us. This is a test of the immune forces of society. The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the groundlessness of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist. […] In the story of how a person found answers from Jehovah's Witnesses to questions that a Catholic priest could not resolve, the courts saw propaganda of religious superiority — that is all extremism. Such \"extremism\", and much more brutal, can be found in doctrinal, liturgical and other texts of most confessions. If one approaches religious scriptures with the same yardstick, all religions will have to be banned. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-18T17:32:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_cd5a9c3629660140.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_2edf4e88b437d27.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_9ffa1cc7216750c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/181732/image_hu_2841918ae78c5650.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/181732.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"A Court in Rostov-on-Don Sentenced a 71-Year-Old Woman to Two Years of Suspended Imprisonment for Believing in Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 14, 2021, the Primorye Territory Court in Vladivostok upheld the sentence to Vladimir Filippov for his faith. The court considered the peaceful confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be the activity of a banned legal entity. However, the court overturned the order to destroy material evidence.\nThe verdict was handed down by a panel of judges composed of Tatiana Medvedeva, Svetlana Nikolina and Tatiana Shcherbak, and came into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn March 15, 2021, the judge of the Nadezhdinsky District Court of the Primorye Territory, Diana Merzlyakova, sentenced the 77-year-old former military man to 6 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. Prosecutor Mariya Koval requested for Filippov 6.5 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of additional restrictions, despite the absence of any real damage in the case of the victims.\nVladimir Filippov was born during the World War II in 1943. His father died before he was born. After graduating from the Tomsk Artillery School, he served in the army for 27 years. In 1995 he became a Jehovah's Witness, for which he was discriminated against on the basis of religion in modern Russia. For more than a year he has been under recognizance agreement.\nIn his last plea at the court of appeal, Vladimir Filippov said: “Have you noticed that the Bible teaches us to do only good? That is why there is neither a victim nor a victim in my case ... I have never participated in extremist affairs, have not shown and do not show hatred towards people of other nationalities and religions. Extremism is incompatible with my religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness ... Accusing me of involvement in extremist activities is a gross error of the investigation, deliberate distortion of facts in order to defame the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. We are known for striving to be honest, peaceful and follow the Bible's counsel as closely as possible in all areas of our lives.”\nFor 2 years and 9 months, the investigation conducted operational measures in relation to the believer. In particular, they received an audio recording of a conversation about the Bible with a certain B.N. Ulyankin, depicting a spiritual interest. A psychological, linguistic and religious examination was carried out on the case, which was prepared by Nadezhda Oleshkevich, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy and Legal Psychology, Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. She found an article on the Internet with biased information about Jehovah's Witnesses and, on this basis, built a conclusion about the \"hostility\" of the believer's religion towards the state. At the same time, the expert did not provide evidence of any specific hostile actions or crimes.\nFrom 2018 to 2020, 3 searches were carried out in Vladimir Filippov’s home. On July 19, 2018, during the assault, one of the law enforcement officers punched him in the face. After about a year, he was searched again. Then his wife Lyubov, due to stress, suffered a hypertensive crisis and needed urgent medical attention. About six months later, the court sanctioned the third search in the Filippovs' home, after which Vladimir was charged under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe defendant noted in court: “The investigation has not provided any evidence that I have committed at least one of the actions that are listed as extremist in paragraph 1 of Art. 1 of the Federal Law ‘On Counteracting Extremist Activity’. What is extremist activity? This is an exclusively illegal activity. But praying to God is not a violation of the law. Learning Bible teachings is not breaking the law. Talking to other people who are willing to talk about spiritual topics is not a violation of the law.”\nReligious scholar Olga Averina presented an expert opinion, including on the topics that were discussed at the liturgical meeting on November 18, 2017 (goodness, honesty and moral purity). She noted the promptings of believers to be diligent in studying the Bible and serving God.\nIn total, 20 criminal cases have already been initiated in the Primorye Territory against 36 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 20 women. The oldest of them, Yelena Zaishchuk, is 87 years old. Some of them have been under recognizance agreement for the fourth year already.\nOn July 23, 2020, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) stated with alarm: \"We have heard more than once from the Russian delegation at the Permanent Council that Jehovah's Witnesses profess and can continue to practice their faith freely. However, we see numerous reports of searches, detentions, and criminal investigations against Jehovah's Witnesses. This is in strong contrast with the statements made by the Russian delegation. [...] All people, including Jehovah's Witnesses, must be able to peacefully exercise their rights, including the right to freedom of religion, peaceful assembly, and expression without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's OSCE commitments and international law.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-14T14:10:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_a51e0c6a2dc52cee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_ce65e347f5304aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_63b22e9701ca3fe1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/141410/image_hu_d602d34c20120258.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/141410.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"Vladivostok Appeal Court Upholds the Guilty Verdict Against 77-Year-Old Jehovah’s Witness Vladimir Filippov","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 29, 2021, the Karpinsky City Court received the second case against Aleksandr Pryanikov, Daria and Venera Dulov. This time, there are three more defendants in the case: Anastasia Pryanikova, Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband Ruslan, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case will be considered by judge Vera Dranitsyna.\nThe investigation accuses the believers of violating other articles of the Criminal Code, for which a more severe punishment is provided - up to 10 years in prison. All six are suspected of involving third parties in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In addition, investigator A. S. Spirin saw a crime in the fact that the Zalyaevs raise their children in accordance with the Gospel commandments. For this, they and Aleksandr Pryanikov face from 5 to 8 years in prison under Part 4 of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - involvement of a minor in a crime. Also, the spouses Zalyaeva and Anastasia Pryanikova are accused of participating in the activities of a banned association, and Alexander Pryanikov is accused of organizing this activity under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for which he faces from 6 to 10 years in prison.\nAlexander Pryanikov, Daria and Venera Dulov have been defending their faith in court for more than two and a half years. The criminal prosecution began on July 30, 2018, when the first case was initiated against them under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of a banned organization. A verdict had already been passed in this case - the believers were given suspended sentences, but the court of appeal overturned this decision and sent the case back to a lower court for consideration by another judge.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-05-14T08:33:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_e61407e80aeeed36.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_c14b36c0a2ff5d39.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_405964db8d174b22.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_685714836a74948b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/140833.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","families"],"title":"Six accused and new articles. Court hearings in the second case against Jehovah's Witnesses begin in Karpinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am being judged for being an honest person who respects and observes the laws of the country in which I live,\" Lyudmila Ponomarenko said in her last statement, \"During the trial, no evidence was obtained that I committed any [extremist] actions.\"\n","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/91.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech, the believer explained to the court that he had been living according to high moral principles from the Bible for more than 26 years and therefore extremism was alien to him: \"I did not commit any extremist actions, I was engaged in peaceful religious activities and did not violate either the law of the state or the law of God.\"\n","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/90.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vitaly Popov in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 13, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region toughened the verdict handed down to Yuliya Kaganovich by the court of first instance for participating in the activities of a banned organization. Judges replaced the previously appointed monetary fine for 2.5 years of imprisonment with a suspended sentence of 1 year.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn February 16, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vladimir Mikhalev, found Yuliya Kaganovich guilty under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. She was fined 10,000 rubles with a 5-month payment plan. The verdict was appealed against by the prosecutor Anton Vyalkov. He requested a punishment for the believer in the form of imprisonment for a term of 4 years plus 2 years of restrictions. An appeal against the verdict was also filed by the convicted woman, who, despite the mild punishment, did not agree with her conviction.\nThe health of 55-year-old Yuliya Kaganovich has seriously deteriorated in connection with the criminal prosecution and court proceedings. Her husband was also diagnosed with serious illnesses. In addition, the believer is caring for an elderly mother who suffered a heart attack and stroke during the criminal prosecution of her daughter.\nIn her last word, Yuliya Kaganovich noted: “The confession of me guilty does not correspond to either the letter or the spirit of the criminal law. I have always led a quiet and peaceful life. Even in the conclusion of the psychological and psychiatric examination it is said that I have “the most pronounced features - empathy with other people, responsiveness, kindness, sympathy with other people's successes.” With such personal qualities, it was unthinkable for me to do something extremist or something that could harm a person, society or state. \"\nDue to her recognizance not to leave, the woman has been restricted in her right to move freely since October 2019. The persecution of Yuliya Kaganovich began almost a year and a half after a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" with the participation of 150 security officials.\nThe charges are based on audio recordings of the believers' telephone conversations. However, in these records, Yuliya Kaganovich's phone number does not appear, and she is not mentioned in the conversations.\nYuliya Kaganovich, using the right guaranteed to her by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, professed her religion among her fellow believers. The authorities considered the talks about the Bible to be a threat to the security of the state and added the woman to the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 18 similar criminal cases were initiated against 23 believers. In addition to Yuliya Kaganovich, five more women were convicted, and the court of appeal has already toughened the sentences for some of them.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them is Richard Clayton, QC, British Representative to the Venice Commission. “Recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will in no way help Russia to consolidate its reputation as a civilized country,” he notes. “This application of laws forms the image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: what am I telling you. \" In my opinion, this is a shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose. \"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-13T15:16:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_a1b73e42cdadb4c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_30f502c9e0627c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_1071fc2e0571846e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/131516/image_hu_8b0e141e5ec17de.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/131516.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Birobidzhan Toughens the Sentence Against Yuliya Kaganovich—the Believer Was Given a 2.5-Year Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 13, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the sentence to Konstantin Guzev from Birobidzhan - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nOn February 18, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Aleksey Ivashchenko, sentenced law-abiding builder Konstantin Guzev to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with restriction of liberty for 1 year. He was assigned a probationary period of 2 years with the obligation to report to the supervisory authority once a month.\nThe prosecutor asked for a punishment for the believer in the form of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nKonstantin's wife, Anastasiya Guzeva, is also persecuted for her faith in God. Due to discrimination on religious grounds, the spouses were forced to resign from the music school where they worked. The leadership motivated this by the fact that there is no place for “extremists” in a children's institution. Guzev spent the last year and a half under recognizance not to leave.\nIn his appeal to the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the believer stated: “Singing religious songs based on the Bible, praying to God, reading and discussing the Bible together is a way for a believer to practice his religion, guaranteed by both national and international law. . . . The decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 did not oblige me to give up my faith in God and stop worshiping based on my religious beliefs. . . . Thus, the actual purpose of the sentence is to violate my fundamental rights and force me, on pain of criminal prosecution, to change my religion or leave the Russian Federation. ”\nOn May 17, 2018, a large-scale operation codenamed “Judjement Day” took place in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials, which resulted in a series of searches and arrests. The security forces tried to get to the Guzevs, claiming that their neighbors had a burglary. The owners did not believe them, but were forced to let the operatives in after the threat of breaking the doors.\nDescribing his feelings in connection with the criminal prosecution, Konstantin shared: “The interrogations and constant humiliation by the investigators hurt me a lot. For twenty years I have completely lost the habit of rudeness, humiliation, insults and constant lies. This was perhaps the most difficult for me. \"\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, 19 cases were initiated against 23 believers.\nThe charge against Konstantin Guzev was based on video recordings secretly filmed during the services, and on the testimony of police officer Yulia Zvereva, who could not tell anything about the events imputed to the believer.\nKonstantin Guzev, like many of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, was convicted under a criminal article only for the peaceful confession of faith in God.\nThe delegation of the Russian Federation has repeatedly assured the OSCE that \"individual Jehovah's Witnesses can practice their religion at home, since permission is not required to pray in Russia.\" However, representatives of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe note that \"they have repeatedly witnessed that in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, any manifestation of faith can lead to a search, lengthy detention, criminal prosecution and imprisonment.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-13T13:12:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_342440632467088a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_dd88573228477365.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_78d02f81b21fdec5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/131312/image_hu_b454ee1707b92099.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/131312.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"An Appeal in Birobidzhan Upheld the Conditional Sentence of 56-Year-Old Believer Konstantin Guzev","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking in court with the last word, Lyudmila Shut firmly stated: \"I have the right to be a believer! I do not agree with the accusations. I am not a criminal or an extremist. I do not know such a scary word at all, it is alien to me and completely contradicts my religious views.\"\n","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/89.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Lyudmila Shut in the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 12, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region increased the sentence of Svetlana Monis, who was previously found guilty of extremism because of her belief in the Jehovah God. She was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment conditionally with a probation period of 2 years.\nThe believer was also sentenced to 1 year of restriction of freedom. She is not allowed to change her place of residence, must report to the Federal Penitentiary Service on a monthly basis and not to leave the boundaries established by the Service.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn February 15, 2021 Vladimir Mikhalev, Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAO, found the believer guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to a fine of 10 thousand rubles. Despite the mildness of the first instance court verdict, Svetlana Monis appealed it.\nThe prosecution of 44-year-old Svetlana Monis, a foreign-language teacher, began a year and four months after the opening of a criminal case against her husband, Alam Aliyev, who is accused of Part 1 of the same article. In parallel with the court hearings, Svetlana has to take care of her elderly grandmother, who lives separately.\nSpeaking in court, Svetlana Monis said: \"I did not commit a crime against the state or against its constitutional order. I was not involved in any extremist organization. I would like to draw the court's attention once again to the fact that I am standing before you not because I committed any crime, but precisely for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Father, Jehovah God.\"\nSvetlana had been under house arrest for more than 16 months, and in October 2019 the court seized her car.\nThe criminal prosecution of the believer was the result of a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day,\" which took place in Birobidzhan on May 17, 2018. About 150 law enforcement officers took part in it.\nAs a result, 23 people, including Svetlana Monis and her husband, became the subjects of 19 criminal cases. Ten believers have already been sentenced to fines or suspended sentences. On appeal, Elena Reino-Chernyshova and Larisa Artamonova, whose cases were similar to those of Svetlana Monis, received harsher sentences and received suspended sentences instead of a fine.\nOne of the witnesses for the prosecution in the Svetlana Monis case was police officer Yulia Zvereva, who allegedly identified Monis on the videos. However, during the preliminary investigation witness Zvereva did not identify Svetlana Monis, so the information she gave in court was unreliable.\nYulia Zvereva herself, who acted as a witness for the prosecution in several trials against believers from Birobidzhan, admitted that she had not heard any extremist appeals from any of them. According to her, the services were peaceful, and the topics of family and child-rearing were discussed.\nThe Memorial Human Rights Center considers Jehovah's Witnesses in pre-trial detention and under house arrest to be political prisoners. \"They are persecuted solely and directly for their faith and beliefs, for the exercise of their rights to freedom of conscience and association, guaranteed both by the Constitution and international norms,\" said Sergei Davidis, a member of the Council and head of the \"Support for Political Prisoners\" program.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-12T19:09:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_8b3a0767f2e9cbf4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_b455e3c6ad46df34.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_cd0bdeb13f90304a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/121909/image_hu_2bda4d085e142cf4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/121909.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"The Appeal in Birobidzhan Toughened the Sentence Against Svetlana Monis: She Was Sentenced to 2.5 Years of Suspended Imprisonment","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2021 the Industrial District Court of Perm found Igor Turik, Boris Burylov, Aleksandr Inozemtsev, Viktor Kuchkov and Yuriy Vaag guilty of extremist activity. Igor Turik was sentenced to seven years of suspended imprisonment; the other four received 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment each.\nAlthough there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence them to 4 to 9 years in a penal colony. They were accused of crimes under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity), Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in an extremist community) and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code (financing of extremist activities). Judge Viktor Podyniglazov reclassified the charges against Boris Burylov and Viktor Kuchkov to a milder article, Article 282.2 part 2 of the Criminal Code.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nIgor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov spent 3 days in the temporary detention facility in Perm, 101 days under house arrest, and also more than 2 years under recognizance not to leave. Alexandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag and Boris Burylov were under recognizance not to leave for more than two and a half years. The case of Turik and others in Perm was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory. On December 4, 2020, it was transferred to the Industrial District Court of Perm.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, a native of the Tver region, 52-year-old Igor Turik successfully worked as a photographer and architectural designer. He is a loving husband and father of two minor children. He notes: “The Perm news TV channels were reporting on the FSB special operation from the courtroom as well. This news had a negative impact on my employers. I lost my main customers, and, accordingly, my earnings ... I could not get insurance for a car, I could not use bank cards. To get a package for my family from Germany, I had to call the FSB, Rosfinmonitoring, customs. \"\nIn his last word, Igor said: “My children, whom I have always taught to be good, to be honest, to respect the views of other people who are growing up as wonderful citizens, treat their parents and society with deep respect, wonder why now they want to be separated from their father. You would know what I was 25 years ago, before I became Jehovah's Witness. That's when I needed to be held accountable. I have completely changed because of my relationship with God. Previously, in my hometown, neighbors were shocked only when they saw me. Until recently, they were shocked that the truth can change a person for the better. And now they are shocked that I am facing such a monstrous term. \"\nThe total length of service of the oldest of the 5 defendants in the case - 80-year-old Boris Burylov - is 45 years, during which he was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and gratitude. In his last speech, the believer noted: “I did not bring about any destabilization in society. I did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and state security by any actions. All this magnificent bouquet of unreliable and unconfirmed accusations was collected in different years from unknown sources, and not only the city of Perm, but also other cities of Russia, in which I have never been. […] Jehovah's Witnesses, including myself, are benevolent, hardworking, God-fearing, peace-loving people. We treat all state authorities with respect. \"\n48-year-old Aleksandr Inozemtsev, together with his wife, is raising a minor daughter. Speaking with the last word, he drew the court's attention to how important the divine services were for him, the attendance of which was imputed to him: “This is my need. Communication with fellow believers helps me become even better and show such qualities as love, kindness, compassion, the ability to show self-control, tact towards others. Therefore, they speak of me as a polite and tactful person, which is confirmed by the characteristics provided to the court and attached to the case materials. \"\nThe wife and daughter of 53-year-old Viktor Kuchkov do not share his religious views, but they fully support the head of the family, shocked by the absurdity of the charges against him. In his last word to the court, the believer emphasized: “Reading the Bible and praying to strengthen your relationship with God is not bad. Meeting with fellow believers to discuss the wonderful qualities of our Creator and further imitate him is not extremism. Sharing knowledge of our heavenly Father with others is not a crime, but a realization of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. ”\nThe son of parents exiled on ethnic grounds - a 45-year-old husband and father of 2 adult children, Yuriy Vaag - met in Siberia with Jehovah's Witnesses, who were also sent into exile for their faith and later rehabilitated. “These are people who have kept the faith despite the persecution they faced,” the believer noted in his last speech. “I was struck by their faith, despite the harsh conditions, they helped others to survive. […] I am glad that I have become a believer, because it benefits both me and others. \"\nIn total, 10 Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for their faith in the Perm Territory. All of them did not stop practicing their religion after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, for which they faced severe persecution and religious discrimination. Meanwhile, Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows one to freely choose and practice any religion, both independently and jointly with others.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-05-12T15:52:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_9053b470be62e4a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_5ffd24a0805d3da8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/121552/image_hu_49413a51dbc4b8f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/121552.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"A Sentence Was Announced for Five Jehovah's Witnesses in Perm. Believers Received From 2.5 to 7 Years of Suspended Imprisonment for Believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On 5 May 2021, 45-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov was released on parole from the penal colony in Dimitrovgrad but was sent to the temporary detention center for foreign citizens, as his Russian citizenship was revoked due to criminal prosecution. The believer will be deported to the territory of Ukraine.\nUpdate. On May 7, 2021, the Melekessky District Court of the Ulyanovsk Region in the city of Dimitrovgrad ruled to detain Konstantin Bazhenov in a temporary detention center for foreign citizens for up to 2 months. During this time, he will be deported to Ukraine. During the period of criminal prosecution, he spent about 15 months in the detention center, 4 months under the ban of certain actions, and 15 months in the colony. The believer's prison term expired on July 5, 2021.\nBazhenov was born in Veliky Novgorod. As a child, he moved to Ukraine with his parents and received citizenship of this country. Later, after starting a family, he settled in Russia. In 2019, Konstantin Bazhenov was sentenced by the Leninsky District Court of Saratov to 3.5 years in prison because of his religion.\nOn April 22, 2021, Dimitrovgrad City Court of Ulyanovsk Region granted a lawyer's petition for parole to Konstantin Bazhenov.\nIn January 2021 another Jehovah's Witness from Saratov, Felix Makhammadiev, who was unjustly convicted of extremism and deprived of Russian citizenship, was also deported from Russia after serving his sentence - to Uzbekistan. In both cases, the formal reason for the revocation of citizenship was a conviction under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.\nFour more Saratov believers, sentenced by Judge Dmitry Larin to imprisonment, are expected to be released in the summer of 2021.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-05-06T08:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/05/2/image_hu_9c89c363882ca27d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/05/2/image_hu_42acda9604c3bdd9.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/05/2/image_hu_177055b268714d91.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/05/2/image_hu_216de6fc65ad74c3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/2.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["parole"],"title":"Konstantin Bazhenov, Convicted for His Faith, Released From the Colony, but Detained for Deportation","type":"news"},{"body":"In her emotional appeal to the court, Ekaterina Pegasheva drew attention to the unfairness of her criminal prosecution: \"In order to accuse me, suffice it to say that I am a Jehovah's Witness and that's it, in the eyes of the prosecutor's office I am a criminal and an extremist.\"\n","date":"2021-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/88.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ekaterina Pegasheva in Kozmodemyansk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the morning of May 2, 2021, searches were carried out in the small town of Kaltan, Kemerovo Region. Two men, 49-year-old Vitaliy Syrykh and 53-year-old Aleksandr Tsikunov, were detained and sent to a temporary detention center.\nThe security forces searched the homes of at least four local residents. The believers themselves were taken for interrogation, two of them were later released. Law enforcers took Aleksandr Tsikunov to the neighboring town of Osinniki, and Vitaliy Syrykh was taken to the regional center, Kemerovo, more than 250 km from his home. In the near future, the court will determine a preventive measure for them.\nUpdate. On May 4, 2021, the judge of the Kaltan District Court, Yevgeniy Vanyushin, sent Vitaliy Syrykh under house arrest until June 22, 2021. He is charged under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). On the same day, Judge Vanyushin placed Alexandr Tsikunov under house arrest until June 27, 2021. The believer is in the status of an accused under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nSome details of the incident have become known. For example, the security forces burst into the houses of believers shouting: \"On the floor, hands behind your back!\" The searches were attended by the investigators of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Stepan Tyshchenko and Maksim Somik, the operative of the Center for Combating Extremism A. V. Dydenko and representatives of the FSB, accompanied by armed riot police. After 4 hours of searches in the homes of civilians, electronic devices, bank cards, personal records and photographs were seized. Law enforcers were looking for forbidden literature, namely \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation.\" During the search at the Tsikunovs' house, a young grandson was present, who burst into tears from fear. Another family had three children at home, aged 4 to 8, who were very frightened by what was happening. As a result, due to stress, the family could not spend the night in their home, because they were afraid to stay at home.\nKaltan is already the sixth settlement in the region where peaceful believers are subjected to religious repression. Earlier, criminal cases for their faith were initiated against eight men from Kemerovo, Belovo, Berezovsky, Prokopyevsk and Taiga. Two, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk, have already been convicted and are serving their sentences in a colony.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-05-04T08:23:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/05/1.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","282.2-2","282.2-1","house-arrest","minors"],"title":"New Searches in Kuzbass: Two Believers From Kaltan Town Were Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 29, 2021, the Jewish Autonomous Region Court upheld Birobidzhan-based Igor Tsarev's two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence with a year of the restriction of freedom and a probationary period of two years. The court determined that peaceful practicing of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses to be participation in the activities of a banned organization.\nA criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against the 46-year-old father of a minor child was initiated on July 30, 2019. The trial lasted almost 14 months, and on February 12, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region sentenced Igor Tsarev to suspended imprisonment for continuing to read and discuss the Bible with others. The believer considered the verdict unfair and appealed against it.\nDuring the appeal hearing, Igor Tsarev noted that neither the investigation nor the state prosecutor distinguished between the meetings of ordinary believers and the activities of prohibited associations, but focused on proving the believer's belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses, which no one hid. “So it turned out: if I profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, then I am an extremist, albeit without extremism, a criminal without a real crime. What other conclusion can be drawn when only one conclusion suggests itself? I am on trial for my faith in God, ”said the believer to the panel of judges.\nNevertheless, the appellate instance upheld the decision of the lower court unchanged. The verdict entered into force, but the believer can appeal against it in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region holds the record for the number of cases filed against Jehovah's Witnesses. Igor Tsarev is one of 23 residents of Birobidzhan persecuted for their faith.\nRussian human rights activists and the world community consider it unauthorized to prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses for the faith. Jean-Marie Delarue, member of the French Council of State and former director of civil liberties at the French Ministry of the Interior, says: “I believe that a democratic society should clearly define what it means to violate public order, to harm the common interest. A democratic country can blame and condemn someone in clear terms. Extremism is an obscure concept. Each of us will always be an 'extremist' for someone.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-29T16:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_8d34351620d44e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_feaf870fc5ae7982.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_35d9364713618248.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/25/image_hu_6378d07f31e0d95d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/25.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","minors"],"title":"An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the suspended sentence for Igor Tsarev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"\"My children, whom I have always taught to be kind, to be honest, to respect the views of other people who grow up to be excellent citizens, wonder why they now want to be separated from their father.\" Igor Turik told the court about his activities, which nullify accusations of extremism.\n","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/86.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Turik in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The investigating authorities and the court have not established a single fact of my belonging and connection with the LRO. On the contrary, the documents provided confirm my innocence and speak of my religion, which no law has prohibited,\" the believer said, addressing the court with his last word.\n","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/87.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Inozemtsev in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last speech at the trial in Perm, 80-year-old believer Boris Burylov expressed confidence in his innocence: \"I am accused of threatening human life and undermining the security of the state, without citing any facts or evidence. Any extremism and terrorism are condemned by the Bible, and are unacceptable for me.\"\n","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/85.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Boris Burylov in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Viktor Kuchkov said: \"I'm not an extremist, I just want to remain a Christian. I have not done anything reprehensible or illegal for which I could be convicted.\"\n","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/84.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Kuchkov in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, the believer emphasized: \"We have never been extremists, because we learn from the Bible, and the Bible teaches truth, love and kindness. ... I have not done anything reprehensible: neither against God nor against the people around me.\"\n","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/83.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Vaag in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 23, 2021, the Industrial District Court of Smolensk found Valeriy Shalev, Yevgeniy Deshko and Ruslan Korolev guilty of organizing extremist activities in connection with their practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Instead of the imprisonment requested by the prosecutor, the believers were assigned suspended sentences.\nJudge Marina Masalskaya sentenced Valeriy Shalev and Ruslan Korolev to 6.5 years of conditional imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of liberty and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years; Evgeniy Deshko – to 6 years probation with a probationary period of 4 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years. Viktor Malkov was also found guilty under Part 1 of Art. 282.2, his case was dismissed due to the death of the defendant.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believers insist on their complete innocence.\nThe case against Shalev, Deshko, Korolev and Malkov was initiated on April 25, 2019 under Art. 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in extremist activities. The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Smolensk Region investigated this case for almost a year (350 days). During this time, the charge was reclassified into articles of the Criminal Code, for which a more severe punishment is provided: the organization and financing of extremist activities. The criminal case was received by the Industrial District Court of Smolensk on April 9, 2020.\nThe investigation established that Shalev, Deshko, Korolev and Malkov, being believers, peacefully gathered together with fellow believers to pray to God and discuss the Bible. This was seen as a threat to the security of the state. It is noteworthy that the ruling on bringing them into custody states that, according to the investigation, the believers “organized [and] and conducted [and] a joint prayer to Jehovah, [and] demonstrated video clips ...”.\nDespite the fact that there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to sentence Deсhko and Shalev to 8 years of actual imprisonment, and Korolev to 9 years.\nDuring the investigation, the believers spent 4 to 8 months in jail and another 3 to 7 months under house arrest. Exactly one year after the initiation of the criminal case, one of the accused, Viktor Malkov, died. In the pre-trial detention center and under house arrest, he did not receive proper treatment, which undermined his health.\nThe OSCE, the European Union, Russian human rights activists and many others condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-26T14:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_f99953a54bb099a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_23db845447cfbe08.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_22c3629a8446748a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/24/image_hu_b0fbf1abdcef4e59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/24.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","died","case-dismissed"],"title":"A Court in Smolensk Sentenced Three of Jehovah's Witnesses to a Suspended Sentence of 6 to 6.5 Years for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 22, 2021, the judge of the Sychevka District Court of the Smolensk Region, Arkadiy Likhachev, found Mariya Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina guilty of allegedly organizing the activities of an extremist organization. For their faith in Jehovah God, they were sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years.\nDespite the lack of victims in the case, the prosecution asked the court to sentence Mariya Troshina to 6 years and 8 months in prison, and Nataliya Sorokina to 6 years and 6 months.\nThe verdict has not entered into force. The believers insist on their complete innocence and will appeal.\nDuring the court hearings, the women and their defender repeatedly stressed that the charges were based on an incorrect interpretation of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that banned legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of Russia.\n“The operational officers and the investigator did not understand the essence of the decision of the Supreme Court. [...] The FSB of Russia ... opened a criminal case only because the two women did not change their religion after 2017,” said the defendants' lawyer.\nNataliya Sorokina and Mariya Troshina from the city of Sychevka, Smolensk Region, were detained on October 7, 2018 after officers of the FSB, CPE and SOBR raided the homes of peaceful believers in the Smolensk Region. The case against the two women was initiated on September 19, 2018. Initially, they were charged with participation in the activities of a banned organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In the summer of 2019, the charge was reclassified into organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt took the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region 1 year and 2 months to investigate the case. It was transferred to the Sychevka District Court on November 21, 2019; hearings began in December.\nThe believers are accused of organizing the activities of the “Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.” “I have never been a member of any banned organization,” Nataliya Sorokina noted at the trial. “I have no idea how the meetings of the ’Administrative Center’ were held. I have never attended such meetings and learned about them from the case file ... Nowhere in the case file is there evidence that I am an employee of the ‘Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.’ There is no factual evidence that someone appointed me, there is only interpretation and attribution of certain motives.”\nMariya Troshina, in turn, emphasized: “My beliefs are not the beliefs of any legal entity. These are the views of a believer based on the Bible, not blind assertions or blindly following someone.”\nAt the hearing, the judge had to read out the previously given testimonies of the FSB officers, since they did not remember them. In the materials of the case, the investigation erroneously named the women members of a certain “foreign religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.” At one of the sessions, the prosecutor argued that the believers, “realizing the social danger,” were hiding from the state, which the defendants denied.\nThe court heard audio recordings of divine services and religious conversations with the participation of Nataliya and Mariya. The believers' lawyer emphasized that the recordings revealed the counsel on how to apply the knowledge from the Bible: respect all people, including those in power, take care of the family, and imitate the example of Jesus Christ. The audio materials did not contain calls to change or overthrow the constitutional order, thoughts about the superiority of any group of people, and any mentions of the “Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.”\nThe women spent more than six months in prison. In the spring of 2019, they left the detention center and were under house arrest until the fall of the same year. After that, the court released them on their own recognizance. Natalia, who suffers from asthma, had exacerbated health problems while she was in jail.\nIn the Smolensk Region, a total of eight Jehovah's Witnesses face criminal prosecution on the basis of their religion.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-23T13:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_2bf8684e767a1088.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_12c7bf0d332f52d7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_1ea2b1e0403d0a5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/23/image_hu_5a3e83deca8fecf8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/23.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended"],"title":"In the Smolensk Region, Mariya Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina Received 6 Years of Suspended Sentence for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer is perplexed: \"In the case of a real term of imprisonment, in which direction will the penal colony correct me, if before my arrest I already had no problems with the law?\"\n","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/80.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ruslan Korolev in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the defendant noted: \"All that the prosecution has presented is evidence that we believe in Jehovah God, read the Bible, gather in tiny groups to pray, read the Bible, sing songs, support our own.\"\n","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/81.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valery Shalev in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his address to the court, the believer firmly stated: \"Whatever decision is made, I have a clear conscience before God and the state, and I am proud that I had the honor to participate in the fulfillment of the prophecy predicted by Jesus Christ.\"\n","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/82.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Deshko in Smolensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 22, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region dismissed the appeal of Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova and satisfied the appeal of the prosecutor by toughening her sentence to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint.\nThe verdict for allegedly participating in the activities of an extremist organization came into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nTwo months earlier, Yelena was convicted by the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region Vladimir Mikhalev. The prosecutor asked for a real term of imprisonment of 4 years, but the court sentenced the believer to a fine of 10,000 rubles. After that, Reyno-Chernyshova appealed against the verdict in a higher court. The deputy prosecutor of Birobidzhan A.A. Vyalkov also submitted an appeal, considering the verdict, on the contrary, too lenient.\nDuring the debate in the court of appeal, the believer noted: “After the verdict was passed, my relatives, acquaintances and colleagues immediately asked me if I would appeal or plead guilty, and I would agree with such a punishment because it was small. But the point here is not how much was awarded, but that I am innocent. How can I agree with the verdict if I have not done anything illegal?”\nAt the appeal stage, the prosecution continued to insist on the need to deprive Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova of her freedom for 4 years, arguing that the woman “needs to be corrected”. However, no evidence of her illegal activities was provided.\n“What do I need to correct !?” Yelena wondered at the hearing. “I try to live in harmony with the principle ‘to love God and your neighbor, not in words, but in deeds.’ How can you be an extremist by living up to these commandments?”\nYelena Reyno-Chernyshova has been under recognizance agreement for over a year and a half. Due to criminal prosecution, she was fired from her job and her accounts were blocked. The hardships experienced undermined the health of the whole family: Yelena's husband was recently diagnosed with a serious illness, and her mother's heart problems worsened.\nYelena is one of 23 defendants in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. The persecution of these peaceful civilians began after “Operation Doomsday.” To date, the courts of the Jewish Autonomous Region have already approved four convictions.\nThe groundlessness of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has been repeatedly emphasized by Russian and foreign scholars and human rights activists. Historian Aleksandr Guryanov, during a recent roundtable dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia, noted: “There is some particular bitterness on the part of the government towards this particular confession.”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-22T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_d8f91daafccfb8b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_abebe8598fb55580.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_a4125409e977c791.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/22/image_hu_dc46e73790ed5c60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/22.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","complaints","fine","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","work-restrictions","health-risk"],"title":"Appeal Court in Birobidzhan Toughens the Sentence for YYelena Reyno-Chernyshova for Her Faith. The Fine was Replaced with a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"In her last word, Maria Troshina expressed her feelings about what has been happening to her over the past two and a half years of persecution: \"One could talk about injustice, however, this is already clear to any person who comes into contact with this case ... My faith grew stronger. Trust in God has increased.\"\n","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/79.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Maria Troshina in Sychevka","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"While remaining a Jehovah's Witness, I cannot threaten the constitutional order and integrity of the state, and I cannot even think about extremism, let alone commit any illegal actions,\" Natalia Sorokina said in her last statement to the court.\n","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/78.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Natalia Sorokina in Sychevka","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 16, 2021, in the city of Maikop, the capital of the Republic of Adygea, searches were carried out supposedly at 5 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Several men and women were questioned. 46-year-old Inver Siyukhov was placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nAt about 6 o'clock in the morning in Maikop, armed representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee (about 12 people in total) arbitrarily entered a private household, waking up Inver Siyukhov and his elderly parents. During the 5-hour search, printed publications and electronic devices were seized. No copies of the minutes were provided. On April 17, the Maykop City Court ruled to detain Inver. Two days later, he was transferred to SIZO-2 in Tlyustenkhabl, an urban-type settlement in the Teuchezhsky district of the Republic of Adygea. The believer's elderly parents are under intense stress.\nAccording to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Adygea, Inver Siyukhov is suspected of organizing and continuing the activities of a local religious organization in Maikop. According to the investigation, the unlawful actions of the believer were expressed in \"holding meetings using the Internet, coordinating speeches and services ..., ideological indoctrination of the residents of the Republic of Adygea in order to increase the number of followers of this religious extremist organization.\nOther believers, a married couple, were visited by 6 security officials, headed by investigator Murat Temzokov, in a rented apartment. All electronic devices, personal records and a bank card were seized from them, and then interrogated as witnesses in the criminal case of Siyukhov. The spouses were encouraged to cooperate with the investigation, threatening to change their status from witnesses to suspects: \"You are very young. Why do you need problems?\" The investigator inquired whether they knew Inver, whether they were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, and whether they held meetings. Around noon, the couple were released.\nAt 6:40 a.m., another believer was awakened by a loud knock on the door. A group of security officers with machine guns entered the house. Investigator Yuriy Chundyshko told the woman that she was being searched because she communicated with Inver Siyukhov. At the same time, another local believer was searched. After interrogation, both women were released.\nIt is noteworthy that after the 70th anniversary of the repressions in the USSR against Jehovah's Witnesses, searches of Russian believers are only becoming more frequent. During the week, the security forces staged 8 raids in 7 regions of the country. Several new criminal cases have been initiated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-20T19:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_a51ef0b1ebeea24f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/21/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_c9b31a780bd206b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/21/image_hu_616c23480332511d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/21.html","regions":["adygea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Persecuted in 65 Regions of Russia: Mass Searches Took Place in Adygea, One Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, having considered the prosecutor's submission and Larisa Artamonova's complaint against the verdict, replaced a fine of 10,000 rubles for 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty. She is condemned for believing in Jehovah God. The verdict entered into force.\nOn February 12, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vladimir Mikhalev, found Larisa Artamonova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, but imposed a penalty below the lowest - a fine. The court found it a crime that she read the Bible with her fellow believers and discussed Christian teachings. As proof of the presence of the believer at one of the religious meetings, the prosecutor's office presented a screenshot from the video, which depicts a shadow allegedly belonging to Larisa. She was not charged with any real crimes. Nevertheless, the prosecution asked to send the believer to a colony for 4 years.\n“Who have I hurt? Who suffered from my actions? Where are the victims? No one knows!”- said Larisa Artamonova in court before the decision was made.\n“The indictment says that Jehovah's Witnesses 'incited religious discord by determining the superiority or, on the contrary, inferiority of a person, based on his religious affiliation.' However, what confirms these actions, who exactly committed them and which court of the Russian Federation established this is not the case in the verdict, - she said. - Neither the court of first instance, nor I have found a description of my criminal acts in the criminal case”.\nA believer can appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\n“At first glance, a suspended sentence is a rather mild measure. But it only seems so. The suspended sentence at any time can be replaced with a real one, if law enforcement officers again consider the discussion of the Bible a violation of the law. Jehovah's Witnesses do not cease to be believers after being sentenced. Therefore, a suspended sentence is a form of suppression of the fundamental right to faith,” said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the verdict.\nThe criminal prosecution of Larisa Artamonova began shortly after the special operation of the FSB, codenamed “Judgment Day,” in May 2018, in which 150 security officials took part. The investigation against the believer was conducted by the same security official who initiated the persecution of 15 more fellow believers of Larisa - D. Yankin from the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nDue to her recognizance not to leave, Larisa Artamonova was restricted in her right to move freely for more than a year and a half. In addition, the believer was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, so all her bank accounts are blocked, and her good name is defamed.\nTo date, 23 people have been persecuted for their faith in God in the Jewish Autonomous Region, including 12 women and 11 men.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-20T15:28:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_da19b397c495d995.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/20/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_c1d08624aab2a299.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/20/image_hu_3bc887abba2edf79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/20.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","suspended","complaints","recognizance-agreement","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Toughened the Verdict for Faith to Larisa Artamonova From Birobidzhan. The Fine Is Replaced With a Suspended Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 14, 2021, at least 12 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Izhevsk (Udmurtia). 6 men between the ages of 31 and 56 were detained, two were taken into custody. The believers are accused under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nDuring a search in the house of 56-year-old Petr Matsola, the security forces \"found\" a Bible included in the list of extremist materials, but the believer said that this book did not belong to him. According to him, even before the start of the search, in his absence, officers of the FSB and another special service entered his house. Electronic devices, bank cards, postcards and personal records were seized from Petr.\nThe next day, Maksim Derendyaev, 35, and Aleksandr Kutin, 38, were taken into custody. Sergey Ashikhmin, 47, was released without any preventive measure due to his health condition.\nUpdate. It became known that the searches of believers were carried out by officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee. During the raid, 14 people were interrogated. During the 7-hour interrogation of Sergey Ashikhmin, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee, A. Yu. Rodionov, tried to find out his role and responsibilities in the Christian congregation, claiming that the investigation had a video recording of a divine service with Sergey\u0026rsquo;s participation. On April 16, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk, Gulfiya Zamilova, imposed a ban on certain actions on Sergey Ashikhmin, taking into account the state of his health. The believer is forbidden to communicate with 13 witnesses in the criminal case. Investigative actions were carried out by the investigator for especially important cases P. S. Marin. This is the second case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Udmurtia: in neighboring Votkinsk, two more peaceful believers have been persecuted since January 20, 2021. One of them is in SIZO No. 1 in Izhevsk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-16T18:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/planting_hu_41cf1cde91a8ac73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/planting.jpg","webp":"/news/common/planting_hu_c319d9d852e36c9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/planting_hu_70b3cf09f00af23b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/19.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Izhevsk, a Series of Raids Took Place in Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two People Sent to Jail for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2021, the judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court, Victoriya Konofieva, upheld the record-breaking sentence to Aleksandr Ivshin, who was accused of extremism for discussing the Bible with friends. At the same time, the court ruled to destroy his Bible in a non-forbidden translation.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nAleksandr Ivshin had been sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. This decision was made on February 10, 2021 by the judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Aleksandr Kholoshin, who found Ivshin guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. The state prosecutor asked for a punishment for Aleksandr in the form of 8 years in a general regime colony.\nAleksandr Ivshin, a 63-year-old pensioner with 8 grandchildren, has been seriously ill with the coronavirus, having contracted it in one of the five pre-trial detention centers that he has changed since the sentencing. Prior to that, during the investigation, he had spent about 9 months under a recognizance agreement. In August 2020, the court seized his car, considering it necessary to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\nAt the end of April 2020, FSB officers accompanied by Cossacks came to the house of Ivshin and 8 other families of Jehovah's Witnesses from the villages of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya with searches. This raid resulted in several criminal cases against peaceful believers. Two—Aleksandr Shcherbina and Oleg Danilov—have already been sentenced to real terms. Two more cases against Maksim Beltikov and Vladimir Skachidub are under consideration.\nDuring the hearing of the case in court, the prosecution witness, from whom the FSB filed a statement, admitted that he did not know the defendant personally, but only saw him from afar. The fact that Aleksandr is the head of the LRO is just his assumption. Other evidence of Ivshin's “guilt” is audio recordings of prayers and a group photo with his fellow believers.\nIt is noteworthy that the court ruled to destroy Aleksandr’s Bible in the not prohibited Modern Translation. Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, said in this regard: “The President of Russia, by his decree, protected the Bible from judicial punishment, forbidding it to be recognized as extremist. But the court went further and ruled to destroy it altogether! Russian law enforcement officers repeat that they are combating not faith, but extremism, but this fact proves the opposite: we are witnessing anti-religious, anti-Christian persecutions.\"\nThe decision in the case of Aleksandr Ivshin was made against the background of events dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the deportation to Siberia of about 10,000 Jehovah's Witnesses. Russian human rights activists and religious scholars have repeatedly stressed that the persecution of this confession in the USSR had no legal grounds, just as it does not have them today.\nThus, Sergey Davidis, a member of the Council of the Memorial Human Rights Center and head of the Support for Political Prisoners Program, recalled that the only meaningful basis for the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 to liquidate organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses was \"a declaration of the religious superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religious groups.\" ... \"It is quite obvious that this is an absurd accusation,\" he stressed. \"The conviction of the correctness of your religious doctrine in comparison with any other faith is natural for any religion.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-16T11:11:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_221a56ddf9e45e02.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_3622b1123955dbf4.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_fc9c2cac095f3876.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/18/image_hu_b28ac99dd2a91c09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/18.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"In Krasnodar, Appeal Court Left Aleksandr Ivshin, 63, in a Colony for 7.5 Years. His Bible Was Ordered to be Destroyed","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of April 13, 2021, in Yaroslavl and neighboring Rybinsk, FSB and National Guard officers conducted searches in the homes of believers. The Investigative Committee reports that the raid took place at 31 addresses, but this information is being specified. The 45-year-old father of a young child, Andrey Vyushin, was detained and sent to the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. Later it became known about the detention of the second believer, 55-year-old Petr Filiznov. On April 15, the court ruled to send both believers to Detention Center No. 1 in Yaroslavl until at least June 11, 2021 (address: 10 Portovaya Naberezhnaya St., Yaroslavl, Yaroslavl Region, Russia, 150001). The Kuznetsov spouses, 38-year-old Alexander and 33-year-old Maria, were also placed in the same pre-trial detention center. The believers were suspected of holding religious meetings, \"including through the Internet, within which [they] promoted prohibited teachings,\" according to the official website of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Yaroslavl Region. A criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2. Once again, security officials call the activities of an extremist organization a peaceful religious practice, during which believers discuss the Bible, pray and sing religious songs. The security officials do not report any real criminal activity of the suspects.\n“Andrey Vyushin has a five-year-old child and a mother with a disability. She cannot walk without assistance. Why are the security forces punishing them? For the fact that the head of the family read the Bible and prayed. And this is happening despite the explanations of the authorities that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited,” says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThis is the first case of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Yaroslavl region since the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-14T13:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/16/image_hu_26257380054b9d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/16/image_hu_3a742c95386120d5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/16/image_hu_28d4fb84fe0cde97.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/16/image_hu_828442b91002b45.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/16.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282","minors"],"title":"Mass Searches in the Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Took Place in the Yaroslavl Region. At Least One Believer Is Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2021, as part of new criminal cases, at least 4 peaceful believers were searched in the village of Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory). The search warrants were issued by judge Aleksandr Kholoshin, who two months earlier had handed down a harsh sentence to Aleksandr Ivshin.\nAt 6:20 a.m., the house of 38-year-old Anna Yermak, who has a baby, was searched by FSB operative Lieutenant I.V. Govorukhin, accompanied by 3 officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and 2 witnesses. For 3 hours, the security forces tried to \"find items and documents testifying to the organization of the activities of the extremist organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abinsk.\" As a result of the search, a tape cassette, CDs, 8 A4 sheets with the heading \"Jehovah's Witnesses in Eritrea are imprisoned for their faith\", a notebook with personal notes, and a photo album with postcards containing the mention of Jehovah's name were seized. The believer was summoned for interrogation.\nInvestigator Vitaliy Kuzmin came to Olga Ponomareva with a search that same morning. Not finding anything forbidden, law enforcement officers began to consult with someone by phone. As a result of an almost 2-hour search, a laptop and a notebook with personal notes were confiscated from the believer. The investigation interprets Olga's peaceful conversations with people about the Bible as committing a crime under Part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 (persuading, recruiting or otherwise involving a person in the activities of an extremist organization). After the search, the believer was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, where the investigator Kuzmin offered her to incriminate her friends and threatened her with imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center. Olga signed a recognizance agreement.\n\"While I was being interrogated, my mother became ill with her heart, and there was no one to help her, since we live together,\" said Olga Ponomaryova.- After the search, she cried for several more days. Now we shudder at every knock and bark of the dog.\"\nTwo men were also detained and interrogated. Aleksandr Nikolayev, suspected of participating in extremist activities under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, had three addresses searched (his place of registration, actual residence and the apartment he rents). Electronic devices, a book on psychology, school notes of his child, a child's drawing with the inscription \"Father will protect us\" and a postcard were seized from the believer.\nIn total, 8 criminal cases were recorded in the Krasnodar Territory against 12 peace-loving believers. Three residents from the small village of Kholmskaya with a population of about 20 thousand people have already received harsh sentences (from 3 to 7.5 years in prison) just for their faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-14T09:45:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/15.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1.1","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","minors"],"title":"A New Wave of Religious Persecution in Kholmskaya. Another Criminal Case for Faith Opened","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin, 63, is awaiting an appeal against the harsh sentence for his faith. The hearing will be held by conference call from the SIZO of the city of Syzran (Samara region) on April 15, 2021. Within 2 weeks, the pensioner was transported from one pre-trial detention center to another in five regions of Russia. On the way, he fell seriously ill.\nAleksandr was kept in basements of pre-trial detention centers. He spent a day in Novorossiysk, and then 4 days each in Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and Saratov. In the Krasnodar Territory, the employees of the pre-trial detention center made holes in Aleksandr's dishes, he had only a spoon left.\nAfter becoming infected with the coronavirus, the elderly believer suffered the disease very hard: he fell and lost consciousness multiple times, and he lost his sense of smell, which has not yet recovered. He was not provided medical care. Aleksandr was very weak, so when he was transferred to the next jail, he could only carry a mattress. His personal belongings had to be distributed among the prisoners.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-04-13T16:17:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_6a77e38509ec9996.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_9290b01ff03006ee.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_41deeed676f00452.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/14/image_hu_e53c3d703f84b2e2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/14.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","transfer","health-risk"],"title":"While Waiting for an Appeal Against the Harsh Sentence, Aleksandr Ivshin Visited Five Pre-Trial Detention Centers in 1.5 Months and Fell Seriously Ill","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 6, 2021, the International Memorial gathered together a number of Russian scholars and human rights activists at a round table dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the exile of Jehovah's Witnesses to Siberia—the largest confessional deportation in the USSR. The video of the event can be viewed in its entirety online (in Russian).\nThe conference announcement notes: “At the beginning of April 1951, the USSR Ministry of State Security conducted another forced resettlement campaign: the families of Jehovah's Witnesses were subject to deportation ... The participants of the round table will talk about the operation itself and the long history of persecution for faith which, alas, has not stopped until now.”\nThe memorandum of the Ministry of State Security (MGB) addressed to Stalin in early April 1951 said: “In order to suppress further anti-Soviet actions of the Jehovist underground, the MGB of the USSR considers it necessary, along with the arrest of the leading members of the Jehovist sect, to evict the identified Jehovists from the borders of Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with families to the Irkutsk and Tomsk regions. A total of 8576 people are subject to eviction (3048 families).”\n“The persecution of this confessional group ... is still happening today, which makes today's examination of the history of Operation North especially relevant in our reality,” said Aleksandr Guryanov, the host of the conference, in his opening remarks.\nPavel Polyan, historian, geographer, specialist in the study of forced migrations in the USSR, spoke about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union and beyond. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Jehovah's Witnesses \"were most actively developed by the Ministry of State Security,\" the specialist noted. “They are excellent missionaries, which was not to the liking of the atheistic secular authorities,” he explained one of the reasons behind the persecution.\nAleksandr Daniel, co-chairman of the St. Petersburg Memorial Society, researcher of the history of dissent in the USSR, focused on the legal aspects of Stalin's persecution—articles of the criminal code and types of punishments. “Counterrevolutionary” and “anti-Soviet” propaganda, “harm to the health of citizens under the guise of inflicting religious rites”—these were the main articles under which Jehovah's Witnesses and members of other confessions were persecuted. Another problem was confusion in the names: “The camp clerks were quite illiterate people, and they constantly referred to Jehovah's Witnesses as Jehovists.”\nValeriy Borshchev, human rights activist, co-chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, member of the Christian Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Believers in the Soviet times, spoke about how the Soviet authorities tried to \"reeducate\" Jehovah's Witnesses using propaganda and other methods. For example, at factories, a Communist party or trade union activist was assigned to each believer to take “patronage” over them. But these attempts were unsuccessful. “The commissioners [for religious affairs] themselves understood that all this was useless and did not work.” Efforts were also made to alienate Soviet Witnesses from communion with their fellow believers in other countries. “Jehovah's Witnesses, we must give them credit, were firm and did not leave behind,” Borshchev emphasized.\nSergey Davidis, member of the Memorial Human Rights Center Council and head of the Support for Political Prisoners program, reviewed the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia since 1998. He recalled that the only meaningful basis for the Supreme Court's decision of April 20, 2017 to liquidate the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses was “a declaration of the religious superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religious groups. It is quite obvious that this is an absurd accusation,—he stressed.—The conviction of the correctness of your religious doctrine in comparison with any other creed is natural for any religion.”\nYaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, spoke about the peculiarities of the life of believers in Siberian special settlements as told by his parents, who were among the repressed. People were forced to build dugouts with their own hands, and nettles and tree bark often served as food. Many died of hunger or disease. Speaking about the reasons for the Soviet and current persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, he stressed that their apoliticality is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as “non-recognition of state power”. In fact, the Witnesses are known for their respectful attitude to authority, law abidance, and hard work. Sivulskiy invited conference participants and all those interested in this topic to the new website 1951deport.org, which contains a lot of historical and archival materials, photographs and videos about Operation North.\nThose present were able to watch a documentary video “70 Years of Operation North” presented by the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is based on interviews with direct participants in the events, as well as historians.\nIn his concluding remarks, Aleksandr Guryanov again turned to the events of our day: \"There is some particular bitterness on the part of the government towards this particular confession.” 70 years later, history repeats itself: law-abiding citizens of the country are again declared criminals only on the basis of their confessional affiliation.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-04-13T09:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/13/image_hu_47803c48d5f1c641.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/13/image_hu_94804276f45ec40d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/13/image_hu_b55ecf19aaeff1ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/13/image_hu_77738e7dc7ed0e85.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/13.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","review","human-rights-defenders","deportation"],"title":"What Was Said at the International Memorial Society Round Table on the 70th Anniversary of the Siberian Exile of Jehovah's Witnesses?","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 13, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted searches at 17 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tula and the neighboring city of Kireevsk (Tula Region). Gurami Lobadze, 58, was placed under house arrest and a case was initiated against him for his faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity).\nAccording to preliminary data, cases have also been initiated against three other believers - 35-year-old Yevgeniy Godunov, 39-year-old Angela Putivskaya and 42-year-old Yuliya Popkova. All three are placed in the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On April 14, 2021, the court ruled to send Yuliya Popkova and Angela Putivskaya to a pre-trial detention center # 1 located at ul. Maurice Toreza, 11 B, Tula, Tula region, Russia, 300012. They are deprived of their liberty at least until May 15, 2021, unless the appeal court decides to release them earlier. On April 16, the Central District Court of Tula ruled to place Yevgeniy Godunov into the same pre-trial detention center. He will spend 1 month and 11 days in custody. Most of the rest of the believers were released after the interrogation. They are witnesses in criminal cases against the above-named four accused. It is reported that during the searches the FSB officers behaved correctly and tactfully.\nAlso, on April 13, searches were carried out for the first time against law-abiding believers in the Yaroslavl Region. During this day, the number of regions that launched the persecution of citizens for believing in Jehovah God increased by 2 and reached 64.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_bea2fac12737dda1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/17/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_aa008de480c9a3aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/17/image_hu_5cd8c0921408473b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/17.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"Raids and Criminal Cases for Faith in the Tula Region. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses Gripped Another Region of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 8, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region did not satisfy the appeal of a resident of Birobidzhan, 35-year-old Artur Lokhvitskiy, who had previously been sentenced to 2.5 years of probation for his faith. During the hearing, the judge forbade the believer to quote the Bible, threatening additional punishment.\nOn February 2, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region sentenced Artur Lokhvitskiy to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a 3-year probationary period and the obligation to report to the police once a month. The prosecution requested 4 years in prison. The verdict was passed under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The believer appealed against this decision in the appellate instance - the regional court.\nThe appeal hearing on April 8 began with Judge Vladimir Shibanov emphatically forbidding a believer to talk about God and his faith, despite the fact that the right to profess religion is enshrined in the Russian Constitution; the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is also not forbidden. During the believer's speech, the judge repeatedly interrupted him, threatening to \"call him to justice.\"\nArtur himself said that he had not committed anything criminal: “The court [of the first instance] followed the lead of the state prosecutor, who proceeded from the erroneous assumption: everything that is somehow connected with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, everything is extremist and everything that is prohibited, and therefore, it is only necessary to prove that a person professes the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, then the crime is proven. \"\nIn the last word in the court of appeal, Artur reasoned: “From the Bible I learn that it is necessary to love neighbors, to love enemies and not to repay evil for evil. Agree, would an extremist do this? This is some kind of strange extremist! [...] The case does not contain victims and other data on the nature and amount of harm. In this whole case, my family and I were the victims. [...] Hours of video, which were examined in court, captured the usual religious activities: believers pray, perform religious chants, read and discuss the Bible and spiritual topics, talk about their faith in God. There are no extremist appeals, no mass distribution of extremist materials. There is not even a single offensive or obscene word. \"\nThe court did not heed the arguments and upheld the conviction, which took effect immediately. Nevertheless, a believer has the right to appeal against it in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy is an electrician by profession, works in the fire department. He spent about one and a half years under recognizance not to leave. Artur's family was also affected by the criminal prosecution. Following him, his wife, Anna, and his mother, Irina, became accused under a similar article. As a result of the criminal prosecution, Anna suffered serious emotional trauma and had to undergo expensive treatment.\nSecurity officials have been monitoring believers in Birobidzhan, wiretapping their telephone conversations and conducting covert video filming since the spring of 2017. In May 2018, a special operation of the FSB took place in the city, codenamed \"Judgment Day\", in which 150 law enforcement officers took part. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers, among whom was Artur Lokhvitskiy.\nThe investigation into the Lokhvitskiy case lasted 5 months. On December 24, 2019, the case went to court. During the trial, there was no evidence that the believer had committed at least one real criminal act. The entire logic of the accusation was based solely on the fact that Artur is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and he discusses the Bible with others. Even the prosecutor's office admitted that there are no extremist actions of the defendant in the videos of the services with the participation of Artur Lokhvitskiy.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, 10 believers have already received various sentences. With regard to 10 more believers, court decisions are on the way.\nBoth in Russia and abroad, there are regular calls to stop mass religious repression that violates Russian law and the Constitution. Even the Russian government stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-08T21:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_7db50eb8523616ef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_cc9a0a060c24914.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_eaa0134f6e5fccf5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/12/image_hu_8428ab5fce438c8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/12.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"An appeal filed in Birobidzhan upheld Artur Lokhvitskiy's conviction for practicing his faith - a two-and-a-half year probation","type":"news"},{"body":"A new website about the mass confessional expulsion of Jehovah's Witnesses for the faith in the Soviet Union - “70 years of Operation North” has been launched. You will be able to visit the 3D museum, find out how and why believers were repressed, hear first-hand stories from the victims of the tragedy and get acquainted with the declassified archives of the USSR Ministry of State Security.\nThe web project was developed for the 70th anniversary of the deportation of about 10,000 believers and their families from the western regions of the Soviet Union, thousands of kilometers from home without the right to return.\nThe 1951deport.org website is available in 3 languages - Russian, English and Ukrainian - and consists of 6 main sections, reflected in the top menu of the main page.\nThe section \"Operation North\" provides answers to basic questions about the deportation: why did it start and how did it proceed? What are its consequences?\nThe \"3D Exhibition\" section allows you to walk along the corridors of the virtual museum and see photos, installations, read secret orders from the authorities to expel innocent people. Having entered the virtual museum, do not forget to turn on the sound (this can be done using the menu in the lower right corner of the screen) - this way you will plunge into the atmosphere of those events even more.\nThe \"Video\" section contains a short documentary film \"70 years of Operation North\". In the headings \"Archive\" and \"Books\" you can study in more detail the documents that shed light on little-known facts about religious repression against Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR. News about press conferences, scientific meetings, etc. in the context of Operation North will be published in the Events section.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-04-08T11:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/11/image_hu_7002635ad0b9006a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/11/image_hu_ac1704f2c947fe6a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/11/image_hu_ec00218898963b51.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/11/image_hu_2c1ebeb39a057122.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/11.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","review","deportation"],"title":"New web project about the deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union: 3D exhibition, photos, documents, books","type":"news"},{"body":"\"To evict forever.\" The government's order for the largest religious deportation in the USSR, which commenced in April of 1951, changed the lives of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses forever. Men and women, the elderly and babies - about 10,000 individuals - were loaded onto freight trains and transported in inhumane conditions from the western regions of the country to the north without the right to return. They were deprived of their homes, property, and some even their lives for their faith in God, because it did not fit into the framework of Soviet ideology.\nWhat did believers have to endure and what are the parallels with the events in modern Russia? The victims of the tragedy and experts talk about this in a video prepared for the 70th anniversary of the special operation, codenamed \"North\".\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2021-04-07T13:05:00+03:00","duration":"9:26","image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/9/9_hu_9c160327734f0ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/9/9_hu_ed1834f429f10400.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/9/9_hu_b61835accb799031.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/9/9_hu_ce05a22793d83f3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/9.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","video","expert-comments","expert-conclusions","deportation"],"title":"70 years of Operation North - eyewitnesses and experts discuss the mass deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR","type":"video"},{"body":"On April 8 and 9, 2021, an online scientific and practical conference and a press conference will be held dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the mass deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was organized by the Soviet authorities in April 1951. At that time, about 10,000 believers and their families, including children and the elderly, were deported to eternal settlement in the north of the country just because of their religious views.\nClick to open the press release On April 8, at 11:00 Moscow time, the scientific and practical online conference \"Operation North\" will begin. 70 Years Later: Important Lessons from Religious Repression\". The meeting was organized by the Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies, the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and the Center for Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine.\nThe event will be broadcast on YouTube in English, Russian and Ukrainian .\nExperts will discuss the policy of the totalitarian authorities, in particular the Soviet regime in relation to religious organizations; historical facts of the Soviet regime's repression of Jehovah's Witnesses; the current situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world (Europe, Asia); the role of the media in shaping public opinion about religious organizations.\nQuestions can be asked to speakers via WhatsApp at +38 (063) 041-71-49.\nClick to open the press release On April 9, at 11:00 Moscow time, an online press conference will be held at the Ukrinform press center in Kyiv, at which materials from the declassified KGB archives will be made public. They will reveal little-known facts of repression suffered by ordinary civilians whose ideology did not coincide with the party's.\nThe press conference will be attended by Head of the Department for Religions and Nationalities of the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine Andriy Yurash; Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Vice-President of the Ukrainian Association of Religious Studies Lyudmila Filipovych; Konstantin Berezhko, PhD in History, visiting researcher at the Technical University of Dresden and the Hannah Arendt Institute for the Study of Totalitarianism; Press Spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine Ivan Rieger.\nThe meeting will also be webcast in English and Ukrainian .\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-04-07T13:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/10/image_hu_93e9444ee79772a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/10/image_hu_21228afc1573e5a8.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/10/image_hu_e707fab877187277.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/10/image_hu_b94a643d3065742b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/10.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","review","deportation"],"title":"On April 8 and 9, a series of online conferences will be held to commemorate the mass deportation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR","type":"news"},{"body":"The International Historical and Educational Society Memorial holds a round table \"70 Years of Operation \"North\"\" about the persecution of believers in Soviet and post-Soviet Russia. The MGB USSR conducted Operation North in early April 1951. This was a forced relocation of identified Jehovah's Witnesses with their families to remote areas of the USSR.\nThe conversation will be broadcast online on the International Memorial channel at the link. It will begin on April 6, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.\nPavel Polyan, historian and expert in the study of forced migrations in the USSR, has been invited to participate in the roundtable. He will address the topic of \"Operation North: Deportation for the Faith.” In addition, Aleksandr Daniel, co-chairman of the St. Petersburg Memorial Society, will speak on \"Some specific methods of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1950s and 1960s.” Human rights activist Valery Borschev of the Moscow Helsinki Group will speak on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. Sergey Davidis, a member of the Board of the Memorial Human Rights Center and head of the program \"Support for Political Prisoners,\" will speak about \"Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017-2021: chronology, statistics, formal justifications.\" Yaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses has been invited to participate in the discussion. The moderator of the round table is Aleksandr Guryanov, head of the Polish Research Program of International Memorial.\nThis round table is not the only commemorative event on the anniversary of Operation North. On April 1, a press conference was held in Moscow (a recording is available online). On the same day in Chisinau a scientific conference was held under the auspices of the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova with the participation of Balti and Cahul State Universities. In addition, a scientific conference is planned in Kiev.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-04-06T16:21:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/7/image_hu_ab962f7897e2db79.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/7/image_hu_b6c034ada26b0aee.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/7/image_hu_f8ca00cc0fd2a013.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/7/image_hu_c4c4edc6dac0e80.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/7.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","international","review","deportation"],"title":"On April 6, 2021 the International Memorial Society is holding a round table in Moscow entitled \"70 Years of Operation \"North\"\". An online live transmission of the event is being made available","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 6, 2021, the judge of the Abinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Sergey Mikhin, sentenced Aleksandr Shcherbina to 3 years in a general regime colony, considering prayers and reading the Bible \"the activities of an extremist organization.\" The verdict can be appealed, the believer insists on his innocence.\nAfter the sentencing, Aleksandr was taken into custody in the courtroom. He was sent to a pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk. On the eve he made his last word and, referring to his experience of participation in war, said: “I know firsthand what hatred and violence are,” and then added: “The Bible helps to get rid of such qualities. I study this book and try to follow the two main commandments that are given in it: to love God and to love your neighbor. I try to do good, respect the authorities, lead a calm and peaceful life. \"\nAleksandr Shcherbina came to the village of Kholmskaya to take care of his mother who is ill. Soon after, in November 2020, a criminal case was opened against him for his faith - for discussing the Bible, praying and chanting with fellow believers. The law enforcement officers considered these actions to be a continuation of the activities of the banned organization, although the believer was not a member of the legal entity liquidated by the court. Within three months, the case was investigated by the Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory, and on March 1, 2021, it was transferred to the court.\nPrior to the initiation of the criminal case, Aleksandr Shcherbina was a witness in the case against another believer from Kholmskaya, Aleksandr Ivshin, who had already received 7.5 years in prison on similar charges. On March 30, 2021, another Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, Oleg Danilov, was sentenced to 3 years in prison. All of them faced religious persecution after a raid carried out by the Krasnodar FSB together with representatives of the local Cossacks.\nTime and again, Russian courts have interpreted believers' exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of religion as extremist activity in violation of Article 28 of the Russian Constitution. According to the well-known religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanenko: \"I do not know of any court decisions or legislative acts that would say that the internal structure of Jehovah's Witnesses contradicts the legislation of the Russian Federation, and would contain any prohibitions related to the doctrine or cult practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-06T10:56:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_6a8b973c42c0fd53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_b2e435e369d65f07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_40d8896468deb4d7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/8/image_hu_3baa32910a0a68d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/8.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"A third Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya has been sentenced to imprisonment for practicing his faith. Aleksandr Shcherbina received a three-year prison sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 2, 2021, a series of searches took place in Jehovah's Witnesses homes in the city of Taiga (Kemerovo Region). Yuriy Usanov, 29, was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. A criminal case was opened against him under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation; three pensioners are witnesses in the case.\nEarly in the morning on April 2, a search took place in Yuriy Usanov's apartment, after which he stopped communicating. His worried friends came to his house and found that the bars had been removed from the window, and the glass had been broken. Police was on duty at the entrance. As seen from the case files, the believer \"committed actions of an organizational nature aimed at the continuation and renewal of the illegal activities of the banned organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' in the form of convening meetings with the participation of residents of the city of Taiga.\"\nOn April 2, the judge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region F. V. Timofeev chose a preventive measure for Yuriy Usanov in the form of arrest until May 30. He is currently held in SIZO-4 of Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\nIn the apartments of 72-year-old Nataliya Kozlova and 65-year-old Zinaida Vasina, visually impaired, law enforcement officers entered under a disguise of their neighbors. Once inside, they announced: \"We are looking for everything connected with your God Jehovah.\" The searches lasted about 3 hours. Electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, personal notes, postcards with the words \"God\" and \"Jehovah\", bank cards and a Wi-Fi router were seized from Nataliya and Zinaida. The women were then taken to the investigative committee for questioning. The security forces were waiting for 69-year-old Lyudmila Gorovaya near her house, from where she was taken for interrogation, which lasted 3 hours.\nThe investigator was interested in whether the women knew Yuriy Usanov, whether they gave him money, whether he offered them literature, whether he involved them in any organization. The siloviki threatened the pensioners that their relatives would have problems at work. Older women have experienced severe stress.\nThe searches were carried out by officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee on the basis of a decree issued by the Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Major of Justice Y. V. Dudin. Yuriy Usanov became the 8th citizen of the Kemerovo region who was subjected to religious discrimination for believing in Jehovah.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-04-05T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/4.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","disability","elderly","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"A new wave of raids against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Kemerovo Region. Yuriy Usanov, 29, is arrested in the town of Tayga","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2021, the Novosibirsk Regional Court upheld the verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk against the 67-year-old pensioner Yuriy Savelyev. He had been sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation procedure, as well as in international instances.\nThe prosecution requested 8 years in prison for the elderly believer, but on December 16, 2020, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, Yekaterina Kashina, reduced his term by two years.\nYuriy Savelyev has been behind bars for more than two years. He ended up in a pre-trial detention center immediately after a raid in Novosibirsk in November 2018, and his detention was continually extended. All the while, he tries to maintain a positive attitude and counts every letter he receives from his friends and fellow believers. As of March 9, 2021, he received a total of about 14,000 letters from 82 countries around the world.\nThe charge against Yuriy Savelyev was based on the conclusion of Oleg Zayev, a teacher of \"sectology\" from an Orthodox theological institute. At the trial, he made no secret of his personal animosity towards Jehovah's Witnesses because of their religion. The case also features a secret prosecution witness under the pseudonym \"Ivanova\", who did not appear at any court hearing. Judge Kashina allowed her affidavit to be read out in violation of the believer's right to a fair trial.\nOn March 10, 2021, the Eighth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Kemerovo declared Savelyev's imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center unlawful during the trial, which lasted 413 days.\nIn the Novosibirsk region, 3 more criminal cases against 6 believers are currently at different stages of proceedings.\nThe beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The right to freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Russian Constitution. In February 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry said: \"In the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them, were assessed.\" Despite this, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be sentenced to prison terms only because of their faith.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-05T13:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_324f6728901a4daa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_1dc23684d23808a9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/6/image_hu_12fe9e155df8bf47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/6.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"A Novosibirsk appeal upheld 67-year-old Yuriy Savelyev's verdict: six years in prison for practicing his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2021, during a debate in the Abinsk City Court, the prosecutor requested for 45-year-old Aleksandr Shcherbina from the village of Kholmskaya 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for not renouncing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court is preparing to deliver its verdict on April 6.\n“There can be no variant of being at least somehow connected with hatred and violence. I am a peaceful Jehovah's Witness and will remain so in the future,” said Aleksandr Shcherbina, speaking in court with the last word.\nA criminal case against a former combatant during the Chechen military conflict, and now a deeply religious civilian, was initiated in November 2020. The investigator considered Aleksandr's participation in reading and discussing the Bible together with fellow believers as a continuation of the activities of the extremist organization, calling these acts a threat to public safety and the constitutional order of the state.\nThe court has set the sentencing on April 6, 9:00 local time.\nThe Russian authorities have repeatedly stressed that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in the country. The international community considers the criminal prosecution of believers to be religious repression.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-04-05T12:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/5/image_hu_7461c1c76b7346e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/5/image_hu_8508862af301e08a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/5/image_hu_ad85bde911c51ef4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/5/image_hu_74c07c30619663e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/5.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The prosecutor requested to transfer Aleksandr Shcherbina, a believer from the village of Kholmskaya, to a correctional colony for three years","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Being somehow connected with hatred and violence is out of the question. I am a peaceful Jehovah's Witness and will remain so in the future,\" Alexander Shcherbina said in his last statement.\n","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/76.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Shcherbina in Abinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 1, 2021, in the Rosbalt press center, religious scholars and human rights activists talked about the anniversary of the events of April 1, 1951 - the mass deportation of almost 10 thousand followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Baltic States, Moldova, Belarus and Ukraine to Siberia, from Tomsk to Lake Baikal. The conference was broadcast in its entirety on the Internet.\nYaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, mentioned in his speech that Operation North directly affected his family. \"By checking archival sources, we were able to establish that a total of 9,793 Jehovah's Witnesses and their family members were deported,\" Sivulsky said, \"This figure includes those who died and were born on the road.” His presentation contained many additional details related to the operation.\nReligious scholar Sergey Ivanenko spoke about the role of propaganda in the USSR, as well as its role in contemporary events in Russia with followers of this religion. Making a thorough review, Ivanenko emphasized: \"The policy of forceful suppression of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has been carried out in the Russian Federation since 2017, is futile. The lessons of Operation North and the analysis of the current situation, including the steadfastness of Jehovah's Witnesses in defending their beliefs, bear witness to this. It seems advisable, from the point of view of Russia's national interests, to implement a set of measures to return Jehovah's Witnesses to the legal field\".\nKazakhstan religious scholar Artur Artemiev, author of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan: A Social-Historical and Religious Analysis, revised in 2020, described how the Soviet policy of exiles and camps applied to Jehovah's Witnesses affected the growth of the religion's followers in his country.\nThe topic addressed by human rights activist Valery Borschev of the Moscow Helsinki Group was formulated as follows: \"The Soviet Roots of Modern Discrimination against Believers.\" One of his substantiated theses: \"Persecution only strengthens Jehovah's Witnesses. The authorities must understand that.\"\nValentin Gefter, a member of the Expert Council under the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, addressed \"How Prisoners of Conscience Emerge in Modern Russia.” Discussing the root of persecution, he said: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are not against the state—they are outside the state.\" He went on to explain how and why this causes persecution.\nAleksandr Verkhovsky, a member of the Presidential Human Rights Council, said that the organization he heads (the Sova Information and Analytical Center) keeps records of all cases of improper application of the extremism law to Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Let's start with the good,\" Verkhovsky said, \"Last year, 110 new defendants were added to the cases of banned Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. It would seem that what is good here? That it is half as many as the year before. Will this campaign be reduced? This is a very important question, and we do not know the answer.\" Verkhovsky is convinced that the state must sooner or later stop persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses. He cited several models of how this might work.\nParticipants had the opportunity to answer journalists' questions.\nThis press conference was not the only commemorative event on the anniversary of Operation North. A similar event was held in Moldova and is planned for Ukraine.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-04-03T09:37:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/3/image_hu_e53bdf7015c88af6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/3/image_hu_68ff61bd53986104.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/3/image_hu_c67fa260f89c05a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/3/image_hu_24995a40ed265cc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/3.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["1951deport","ussr","human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations","expert-comments","deportation"],"title":"\"70th Anniversary of Operation North. Lessons of Persecution\" press conference was held in Moscow","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 1, 2021, Yuliya Tsykina, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, found Tatyana Zagulina guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization. She was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\nTatyana's religious convictions as a Jehovah's Witness were the only grounds for the verdict. It has not entered into force and can be appealed. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nDespite the absence of victims in Tatyana Zagulina's case, the prosecutor asked the court to send her to a general regime colony for 4 years.\nA criminal case was opened against the 36-year-old mother of a minor child a year after her husband Dmitriy Zagulin was charged in another criminal case, also under an “extremist” article.\n“I personally have never allowed not only statements, but even hints of the possibility of ethnic and religious hatred or the need to commit any illegal actions,” Tatyana said in her last plea. “It turns out that I am in the dock for the wrong reason, not because I committed some real crime and therefore dangerous to society, but for being a Christian, for being Jehovah's Witness. When FSB officers came to raid our home, I asked them what they were looking for. They answered: ‘Everything related to the Bible.’ It turns out they were looking not for something that could be really connected with extremism, but for something that is connected with faith in God.\"\nThe case against Tatyana Zagulina was initiated on February 6, 2020. It was investigated by the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. The accused was under recognizance agreement for 400 days. After 6 months of investigation, on August 19, 2020, the case was brought to court.\nThe prosecution witness, an employee of the cafe where Tatyana and her friends held weddings and get-togethers with their children, confirmed in court that they only partied in the cafe, behaved “decorously and nobly, ate, drank tea, danced, no problems arose \". However, the prosecution tries to portray such get-togethers as meetings of a banned organization.\nAnother witness, a police officer Zvereva, noted in court that she had not heard any extremist calls from either Zagulina or any other Jehovah's Witness. According to her, Tatyana was a simple listener at worship sessions, and the meetings themselves were held peacefully, the topics of family and raising children were discussed.\nIn total, 19 criminal cases were initiated in the Jewish Autonomous Region against 23 Jehovah's Witnesses. Currently, 12 believers from Birobidzhan are forced to prove their innocence in court and defend their peaceful convictions.\nIn Russia, as in other countries, calls are regularly heard to stop the massive repression of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sociologist Massimo Introvigne, director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions (Italy), wrote about the members of this religion: “They are peaceful people who reject violence and have never used violence themselves. The only connection between Jehovah's Witnesses and violence is that they are victims of violence.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-04-02T10:06:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_82e871d33fe06f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_42d1d7dbe052ea8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_353e2155b588ddaf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/2/image_hu_dce0fac0a6ace1e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","minors","282.2-2"],"title":"Birobidzhan-based Tatyana Zagulina was handed a two-and-a-half year probation for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 31, 2021, the Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg declared as “extremist” and banned the distribution in Russia of the religious mobile application JW Library, a library which contains biblical texts, audio and video materials. The court made this decision without even examining the application.\nIn October 2020, the St. Petersburg prosecutor's office demanded that the application be banned, citing the fact that earlier Russian courts had unjustifiably added some publications of Jehovah's Witnesses to the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Prior to this, the overwhelming majority of state expert institutions, including the Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, consistently and unequivocally concluded that there were no signs of extremism in such publications. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses is freely and legally distributed in approximately 240 countries and territories.\nAs follows from the reports of human rights defenders and international structures, the ban on literature in Russia became possible largely due to the half-baked anti-extremist legislation, as well as the bias of individual experts and judges, which became the basis for an arbitrary interpretation of the concept of extremism. Back in 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that the Russian state “revise the Federal Law 'On Countering Extremist Activities' in order to ... establish clear and specific criteria by which certain materials can be classified as extremist. All necessary measures should be taken to prevent the arbitrary application of this law and the Federal List of Extremist Materials should be revised.\"\nAn amendment was made to the law on extremism, according to which “the Bible, Koran, Tanakh and Gandzhur, their content and quotations from them cannot be recognized as extremist materials” (Article 3.1). In spite of this, the court banned the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses - “Holy Scripture. New World Translation ”. The liquidation of legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the subsequent beatings, arrests and sentences are the result of the ban on literature.\nAccording to a lawyer familiar with the circumstances of the case, the decision to ban JW Library was made with gross violations of the law: “The application was not even examined in court. This in itself is nonsense when deciding whether to recognize information material as extremist. In addition, the court, without any substantiation, rejected numerous requests to obtain evidence and send requests to state bodies. \"\nThe decision is subject to immediate execution, but an appeal will be made.\nThe JW Library app was developed by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2013. The program includes content in 98 languages and supports Android and iOS. Only the Android version of the application was downloaded by over 10 million users, who collectively rated it 4.8 points out of 5.\nJW Library allows to download and read the Bible in various translations, including those published by non-Jehovah's Witnesses, for example, the Synodal Translation, which are widespread in Russia, the translations of Archimandrite Macarius, Archpriest Pavsky, and others. Various Bible commentaries and reference books, Bible study aids, videos, films and cartoons for children, Christian songs and music are also available.\n“Not all publications that are available for download are strictly religious,” says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. “They cover topics such as nature, science, history, morality, health, family life, etc. Here are just a few examples. articles: \"Alcohol: Soberly Assess the Consequences\", \"Don't Smoke Your Life\", \"May Your Family Be Happy\", \"Teenage Depression. Reasons and solutions”, “How to find a way to reconciliation”. Banning the JW Library application for the fact that someone can download something prohibited in Russia is like closing the library, assuming that there is a banned book in its archives.\"\nUpdate. On September 27, 2021, a panel of judges at the St. Petersburg City Court, chaired by Natalia Karsakova, upheld a lower court's decision to ban the JW Library app in the Russian Federation.\nThe lawsuit was filed by Sergey Zhukovsky, deputy prosecutor of St. Petersburg. Among the interested parties are the Ministry of Justice and Roskomnadzor. Russian representative offices of Apple and Google were also involved in the process.\nJW Library is one of the top 100 apps in the \"Books \u0026 Guides\" category for iOS and Android by the number of downloads. Every day it is opened by 8 million people in more than 200 countries. According to international certification agencies, this program is suitable for users of all ages, as it contains no inappropriate materials.\n","category":"literature","date":"2021-04-01T20:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/04/1/image_hu_cb02726a53d3e099.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/04/1/image_hu_a5c455c38451cf14.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/04/1/image_hu_8ff140cd112c7f3b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/04/1/image_hu_6e61019f6ccebd4f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/04/1.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","translations","app-ban","fsem"],"title":"A St. Petersburg court banned a popular JW Library mobile application","type":"news"},{"body":"In April 1951, MGB officers captured all 9,793 Jehovah's Witnesses identified in the country and took them \"to eternal settlement\" in Siberia. Commemorative events will be held in a number of countries to mark the anniversary of the events. On April 1, 2021, at 13:00 (Moscow time), a video broadcast from the Moscow press center \"Rosbalt\" will begin.\nTopic of the press conference: \"The 70th anniversary of Operation North. Lessons of Repression\". Declassified archival materials, including notes to Stalin from the Minister of State Security, shed light on the logic and mechanisms of repression. How was such a large-scale special operation prepared? How was Operation North different from Stalin's other deportations? Has it solved the tasks? How did believers survive it? What role did anti-religious propaganda play in the life of the country? How has religious policy changed in the country up to our time? What is the reason for the attention of modern Russian law enforcement agencies to Jehovah's Witnesses? Is the scale of modern action comparable to the events of the 1950s? What are the consequences for the state of repression in both the short and historical perspectives?\nParticipants of the press conference: Dr. Philos. religious scholar Artur Artemiev; member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, Director of the SOVA Center Alexander Verkhovsky; D. Philos. religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko; human rights activist and publicist Valentin Gefter; co-chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group Valery Borshchev and representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nPlace and time of the press conference: press center \"Rosbalt\" (Moscow, Tablecloth lane). It starts on April 1, 2021 at 13:00. Due to covid restrictions, the number of seats in the Rosbalt press center has been reduced, journalists can obtain accreditation there in advance. The conference will be broadcast online in Russian language; Simultaneous translation into English is organized.\nOther events and innovations will be announced later.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-03-31T13:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/23/image_hu_e53bdf7015c88af6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/23/image_hu_68ff61bd53986104.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/23/image_hu_c67fa260f89c05a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/23/image_hu_24995a40ed265cc9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/23.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ussr","review","human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations","deportation"],"title":"The 70th anniversary of the largest confessional deportation in the history of the USSR. Online conference in Moscow","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 30, 2021, Olga Khomchenkova, Krasnodar Territory Abinsky District Court judge, announced Oleg Danilov's, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, verdict: a three-year imprisonment in a general regime colony for practicing his faith. He was found guilty of participating in the activities of an \"extremist\" organization.\n“I am accused of a terrible crime that I did not commit,” said Oleg Danilov in his last word. “My honest name is mixed with filth, I’m appointed an extremist. Exactly appointed, Your Honor, because my conscience is absolutely clear both before God and before men. My house was searched twice, and nothing significant was found to prove my connection with extremism. My calm, happy life is upside down, my family is forced to take sedatives when they hear knocking on the gate— is that right? \" He added: \"I would prefer to remain faithful and free in my beliefs, even if not at large.\"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor asked the court to impose a sentence on the believer in the form of 3 years in a general regime colony. The court agreed with this. The defendant was taken into custody immediately after the announcement of the verdict. Now he is in SIZO-3 of Novorossiysk.\nIn April 2020, Oleg Danilov and his family were searched, but the security forces did not find anything prohibited. Subsequently, the search was repeated. On November 12, 2020, a criminal case was initiated against the believer under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a prohibited organization). The initiator of the investigation was the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, O. I. Komissarov, the same person who investigated the case of Aleksandr Ivshin, who was subsequently sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, and two other believers from Kholmskaya.\nOleg Danilov was accused of participating “in religious teaching and sermons ... through information and telecommunication networks, ... entered into discussions in a collective discussion of the Bible, ... read aloud to other participants the religious books Jehovah's Witnesses, with an emphasis on the fact that that these books contain the correct knowledge about God ... ”.\nIt took about 3.5 months from the date of the initiation of the criminal case until the end of the investigation and the transfer of the case to the court on March 1, 2021. All this time, the believer was under recognizance agreement, it was difficult for him to provide for his family financially—Oleg and his wife are raising two teenage sons.\nLaw enforcers perceive peaceful meetings of believers, conversations on spiritual topics and reading the Bible as a threat to security for society and the state. They have equated Jehovah's Witnesses with dangerous criminals, although this religion is not prohibited in Russia.\nReligious scholar Sergey Ivanenko wrote: “Jehovah's Witnesses are our fellow citizens who have the right to believe as they believe and preach the values that they believe are true. As life shows, the absolute majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding, strive to live in accordance with the moral standards set forth in the Bible. They reject violence, pay taxes in good faith, value peace in the family, society and state, and recognize the right of other people to have their own convictions.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-31T08:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/22/image_hu_8e589b1ad53d056.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/22/image_hu_591423952321d5bf.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/22/image_hu_e96a397b6b25c6b8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/22/image_hu_515bdcdaef4c7045.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/22.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"A Krasnodar Territory-based peaceful believer Oleg Danilov is sentenced to three years of imprisonment in a correctional colony for practicing his religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 29, 2021, during a debate in the Abinsk District Court, the prosecutor asked to sentence 46-year-old Oleg Danilov to 3 years in prison. On March 30, the believer will deliver the last word. On the same day - only 2 sessions after the start of the trial - the court may issue a verdict.\nIn November 2020, O. I. Komissarov, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory, opened a criminal case against Oleg Danilov from the village of Kholmskaya, imputing him participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Such a serious accusation is based only on the fact that the believer by video link discussed the Bible with his friends and prayed. According to Oleg Danilov, his religious views are exclusively peaceful and \"directly opposite to what is called extremism.\" It was not proven otherwise during the trial.\nTo date, 8 civilians in the region have been prosecuted for their faith. Two of them have already served their sentences, and Aleksandr Ivshin is at the stage of being sent to a colony, where the court sent him for 7 and a half years.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-30T10:08:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/21/image_hu_4a392eed11ff9bac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/21/image_hu_c05d71b8ce5abae1.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/21/image_hu_f881a9a330ffa965.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/21/image_hu_6d8e93646332ef4a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/21.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","282.2-2"],"title":"The Prosecutor Asked 3 Years of Imprisonment for Oleg Danilov From Kholmskaya. The Verdict for Reading the Bible Can Be Pronounced as Early as March 30th","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I don't know what the prosecutor expected from me. That I would renounce my faith or renounce my friends and my God? For me, this is unthinkable, impossible. I would prefer to remain faithful and free in my beliefs, even if not at large,\" Oleg Danilov said in his appeal to the court.\n","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/77.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Oleg Danilov in Kholmskaya","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 29, 2021, the judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol, Pavel Kryllo, found Jehovah’s Witness Viktor Stashevskiy guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist community (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and sentenced him to 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. The defendant was taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to a pre-trial detention center. He insists on his complete innocence.\nThe prosecutor asked the court to sentence Viktor Stashevskiy to 7 years in prison, not paying attention to the absence of victims in the case. The defendant has an elderly mother dependent on him.\nViktor Stashevskiy was accused only for the fact that he, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, together with his fellow believers prayed and discussed the Bible. Viktor is not charged with any other crimes. Searches were carried out at his home, as well as at eight other addresses of believers, during which they were threatened with planting drugs, blackmailing relatives, and spoiling personal property.\nAddressing the court in his last plea, the believer noted: “If I cease to be Jehovah's Witness, there will be no complaints against me and all charges will be dropped. But ... I have no intention of giving up my faith in God. I was and still am Jehovah's Witness!\"\nThe case against Viktor Stashevskiy was initiated on May 31, 2019. After that, he spent more than a year and a half under recognizance agreement. The investigation was carried out by the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. It took almost two years to find evidence of the guilt of a peaceful believer. In the indictment, he is called \"the ideological inspirer of the extremist organization.\" The case files, as many similar cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses, contains a testimony of a secret witness.\nThe case was received by the Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol on March 30, 2020. Eight months after the start of the hearing on the merits due to the resignation of the appointed judge, the hearings began anew under the chairmanship of Pavel Kryllo.\nViktor Stashevskiy became the third resident of Crimea convicted of believing in Jehovah. Earlier, Sergey Filatov from Dzhankoy and Artem Gerasimov from Yalta received 6 years in prison. Thus, the sentence to Stashevskiy became even the harshest for the Crimean Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRussian and foreign public figures and organizations again and again condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-29T21:14:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/20/image_hu_6cfd295a795477f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/20/image_hu_e71ff98778f1b764.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/20/image_hu_da7a71e664f81cf0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/20/image_hu_c41a076a338893dd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/20.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Harshest Sentence for Faith in Jehovah Passed in Crimea: Viktor Stashevskiy Sentenced to 6 and a Half Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 29, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court confirmed the sentence to Semyon Baybak in the form of 3.5 years of suspended sentence. The Rostov resident was found guilty of extremism for peaceful religious beliefs. The verdict entered into force, but it can be appealed in cassation and in international instances.\nSemyon Baybak, who since childhood has professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was detained in June 2019. After a day in a temporary detention center, the court sent him to house arrest for more than a year and a half.\nSemyon was accused of collecting funds to rent premises for religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. In this, the investigator Kalnitsky saw \"financing of an extremist organization.\" The prosecution witness, who has known the believer for more than 13 years, explained to the court that the donated funds were used not to finance a prohibited legal entity, but to help fellow believers. According to him, the investigator falsified the materials of the case, adding wording at his own discretion into the testimony.\nOn December 21, 2020, Vladimir Barvin, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, found Semyon Baybak guilty under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The court assigned him a conditional imprisonment with a probationary period of 4.5 years and 1 year of restriction of liberty. The prosecutor demanded 4 years of suspended imprisonment for the believer with a probationary period of 5 years. Semyon Baybak pleaded not guilty and appealed the sentence, since his beliefs are incompatible with violence, incitement to hatred and other forms of extremism. As a teenager, he even refused to take up arms and, instead of serving in the army, did alternative civilian service in the children's clinical hospital.\nAt the moment, 16 peaceful believers have been prosecuted in the region. Sentences have already been passed against three of them.\nRussian and foreign public figures and organizations condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In January 2021, at a meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin re-ordered the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience.\nThe conflict between law and law enforcement practice in Russia, according to the European Court of Human Rights, occurs due to a number of myths around Jehovah's Witnesses. The ECHR gave this a legal interpretation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-29T15:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_d467e92519c2220c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_8dcd982b815a1cbb.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_550112ac95c21741.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/19/image_hu_77ad59d4a6289475.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/19.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.3-1","suspended"],"title":"Appeal in Rostov-on-Don Upheld the Verdict of Semyon Baybak, Convicted of Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 24, 2021, 4 believers were detained and placed in a temporary detention center in Sochi. Two days later, the court ruled to detain 54-year-old Vladimir Deshko and 48-year-old Tatyana Velizhanina in jail. 54-year-old Yuriy Logininskiy and 56-year-old Yuriy Moskalyov were placed under house arrest.\nAccording to available data, the believers are accused of “involvement in the activities of an extremist organization” (part 1.1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) simply because they had talked with local residents about God. FSB officers along with the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Krasnodar Territory took part in the arrest of the believers; the Investigative Committee of Russia is engaged in the investigation of the criminal case.\nVladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina will remain in the pre-trial detention center until at least April 18, 2021.\nThis is the eighth criminal case in the Krasnodar Territory. In December 2020, residents of Sochi, Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolay Kuzichkin were found guilty of organizing extremist activities. In February 2021, a 63-year-old Jehovah's Witness from the village of Kholmskaya, Aleksandr Ivshin, received an unprecedentedly harsh sentence: 7 and a half years in prison for his faith.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-03-29T10:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/18.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Four Jehovah's Witnesses Detained in Sochi, Among them a Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Viktor Stashevskiy firmly stated: \"I was and remain Jehovah's Witness! And I really hope that today is not the first century of our era, not the times of the medieval Inquisition and not 1937, when the state dictated conditions to people - in which God they can believe and which one cannot.\n","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/75.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Viktor Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 18, 2021, it became known that Dennis Christensen had the opportunity to receive letters also in English and Danish, in addition to Russian. Dennis is thrilled with this opportunity as he receives dozens of letters every day.\nThe believer's wife said that in Lgov colony No. 3, where Dennis is serving his sentence, a special program was installed that translates printed text from foreign languages. This will allow more fellow believers from different countries to send letters of support both by regular mail and through the Federal Penitentiary Service. Letters written by hand in a language other than Russian will not be translated or delivered to the believer.\nAlthough the Kursk Regional Court ruled that some of the disciplinary sanctions imposed on Christensen were illegal, the believer is still being held under strict conditions of serving his sentence. He still suffers from pain in his back and arm, so his wife Irina sends her husband the necessary medications. To the delight of the prisoners, hot water was connected to the washstands, which they very much asked the administration of the colony.\nThe Christensen spouses are again allowed dates. The latest short-term date was on February 13, 2021. These visits usually last four hours and take place in the presence of a representative of the administration.\nSupport for Dennis Christensen, the first Russian prisoner of conscience from among Jehovah's Witnesses, was expressed by PACE observers, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation and other influential organizations. “The charge and imprisonment of Christensen just for confessing his faith is an unacceptable violation of the right to freedom of religion,” the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said.\n","category":"prison","date":"2021-03-24T16:51:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/17/image_hu_b4cf815d3494e368.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/17/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/17/image_hu_1ac4cad8668d2aef.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/17/image_hu_19326eb1c9dff2c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/17.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","strict-conditions"],"title":"Dennis Christensen can now receive letters in three languages","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 23, 2021, during a debate in the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the prosecutor asked the court to send 42-year-old Nikolai Aliyev to a general regime colony for 6 years, followed by restriction of freedom for 2 years. His \"guilt\" lies only in the fact that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nInvestigator Aleksey Evsyugov opened a criminal case against Nikolay Aliyev in April 2020. The formal reason for this was video recordings of a conversation between a believer and a person depicting an interest in the Bible. The investigator considered the peaceful conversations to be \"the organization of extremist activities.\" Soon Nikolay's apartment was searched, followed by interrogation, during which the security forces strongly advised Nikolay and his wife to change their religion, as well as to help fabricate criminal cases against other Jehovah's Witnesses.\nTo date, in the Khabarovsk Territory, 17 people have already become victims of criminal prosecution for their faith. Four were convicted, and one of them, Valery Moskalenko, has already served his sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-24T15:44:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/16/image_hu_794c1e6c332f503a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/16/image_hu_1fe161263ec88ab9.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/16/image_hu_808ef3f9e0f64b16.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/16/image_hu_b12aaef0cd6373e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/16.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"A  Komsomolsk-on-Amur prosecutor requested a six-years penal colony for believer Nikolay Aliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2021, during the debate in the Gagarinskiy District Court of Sevastopol, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 7 years in prison for the 54-year-old Viktor Stashevskiy. On March 29, the believer will deliver the last word, after which the court can pronounce a sentence on him.\nIn May 2019, the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Y. A. Andreev, opened a criminal case against Viktor Stashevskiy, calling the peaceful believer \"the ideological inspirer of an extremist organization.\" Such serious accusations were leveled against the believer for the fact that he, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, prayed and discussed biblical topics with fellow believers. Viktor is not charged with any other - real - crimes.\nTo date, 10 Crimean Jehovah's Witnesses have become victims of unjustified criminal prosecution for the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two of them are already serving time in a penal colony.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-23T22:07:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/15/image_hu_dbe81c00def8a0df.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/15/image_hu_9fdaed6a77d52f23.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/15/image_hu_34c3e6e62bf5e5bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/15/image_hu_6d1c534fff707942.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/15.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","282.2-1"],"title":"A Sevastopol prosecutor is demanding a seven-year imprisonment for Viktor Stashevskiy charging him for believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court considered Galina Parkova's complaint against the verdict of the lower court. She asked to be found not guilty of committing a crime under the article \"participation in the activities of a banned organization.\" But the appellate panel upheld the verdict.\nThe verdict entered into force. The believer still insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal against the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nEarlier, the Lenin District Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years and 3 months.\nRepresentatives of the prosecutor's office, A.P. Chebrikov and I.V. Napalkova, requested 3 years of probation for the believer and 1 year of restriction of freedom with a 4-year probationary period.\nThe criminal prosecution divided Galina's life into “before and after”. She is forced to do odd jobs in order to provide for herself, as well as support her husband, who has been in custody for over a year and a half on charges of “extremism”.\nGalina Parkova herself has been under recognizance agreement for about 7 months, her bank accounts have been blocked. Together with her husband, they are included in the list of Rosfinmonitoring: a list of individuals allegedly related to extremist activities or terrorism.\nOn May 22, 2019, officers of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted searches in at least 15 houses of Rostov citizens who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. So the husband of Galina Parkova ended up behind bars, and two weeks later, on June 6, 2019, a criminal case was instituted against her.\nOn the same day, investigator Kalnitsky opened criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 also against Olga Ganusha and Lyudmila Ponomarenko. Now women are under recognizance agreement.\nGalina Parkova, using her freedom of religion, invited fellow believers to her home and discussed the Bible with them, and also shared her beliefs with neighbors and relatives. The investigation interprets this as participation in the activities of a banned organization and campaigning to persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, all these actions are the right of every person, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nRussian and foreign opinion-makers and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-23T15:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_211072adbca23f5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_83d116eea969661.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_592ef7c081bebe27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/14/image_hu_3fa96e0821bfe6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/14.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don appeals court upheld Galina Parkova's guilty conviction for practicing her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2021, during a debate in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the prosecutor demanded that Tatyana Zagulina, a 36-year-old mother of a minor child, be sentenced to 4 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of restriction of freedom for reading the Bible with her fellow believers. On March 31, the court will issue a verdict.\nFashion designer and manicure master Tatyana Zagulina, following her husband Dmitry, was under investigation because of her faith in Jehovah God. In February 2020, the FSB forensic investigator D. Yankin opened criminal cases against the believer and her fellow believers, accusing her of extremism.\nDuring the trial, which has been going on since August 2020, the inconsistency of the charges became apparent. One of the witnesses did not recognize the believer; another gave her a positive characterization. A police officer summoned to the court as a witness stated that she had not heard any extremist calls from the believer.\nTo date, 23 believers in the region have become victims of unfounded criminal prosecutions for the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. 9 of them have already been sentenced.\nThe Russian and foreign public condemns the persecution of believers in Russia. In January 2021, at a meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin re-ordered the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with violations of the legislation on freedom of religion.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-23T12:16:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/13/image_hu_a6316a1bc3a4de3c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/13/image_hu_ca459ac948caddb2.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/13/image_hu_28adc56bdaceff8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/13/image_hu_ec833969aef07b1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/13.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","minors"],"title":"A Birobidzhan prosecutor requested a four-year prison sentence for Tatyana Zagulina for practicing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 22, 2021, at a meeting of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, the prosecutor asked to send three Jehovah's Witnesses to jail for discussing Christian teachings: 31-year-old Yevgeny Deshko and 43-year-old Valery Shalev for 8 years, and their 38-year-old fellow believer Ruslan Korolev — for 9 years.\nThe criminal prosecution of believers has been going on for almost 2 years. During this time, they spent 4 to 8 months in jail and another 3 to 7 months under house arrest. Initially, there were 4 persons involved in the case. However, one of the accused, Viktor Malkov, died without waiting for the trial. Being in a pre-trial detention center and under house arrest, he could not receive proper treatment, without which his poor health could not withstand.\nAccording to the prosecutor, the believers \"organized the activities of the banned organization\" by continuing to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, praying, reading and discussing the Bible together with others.\nOn March 25, believers are expected to speak at the debate. Their final speech is scheduled for March 29, after which the date of the verdict will be announced.\nThe Russian authorities have repeatedly stressed that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. The international and Russian human rights community consider the criminal prosecution of believers to be religious repression.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-23T09:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/12/image_hu_bb5d9a893c02ce19.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/12/image_hu_f80695ea86923454.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/12/image_hu_359830c293ea97c6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/12/image_hu_446b6c938a6e191d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/12.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","282.2-1"],"title":"A Smolensk prosecutor demanded that three believers be sent to a correctional colony for eight and nine years. They read the Bible together","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 20, 2021, the police searched the home of 58-year-old Taganrog-based Aleksandr Skvortsov, having previously placed his home under audio surveillance. Approximately ten years ago, the security forces already invaded the home of this peaceful believer. At that time, he endured exhausting court hearings and served a suspended sentence.\nOn Friday, March 19, Alexander and his wife were lured out of the house on a far-fetched reason: they were called by the traffic police and asked to come to check the information about their car. The Skvortsovs spent about two hours in the inspection. Later that day, Aleksandr discovered special tracking devices in his kitchen at home. A tracking device found in the Skvortsovs\u0026rsquo; house. Taganrog. 19 March 2021 The next day, police officers came to the spouses, accompanied by technical specialists and witnesses - a total of 10 people. They announced a search and began looking for a listening device that they had installed earlier. Law enforcement officers carefully searched the house, basement and outbuildings in the yard for 3 hours, but did not find anything. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from Aleksandr. He was not provided with copies of the order and the protocol of the search. Due to the stress, the believer's wife required urgent medical attention.\nUpdate. On March 26, police conducted searches in the homes of Aleksandr Skvortsov\u0026rsquo;s two married daughters, who live separately. In both houses, nothing was found and seized. According to the operatives themselves who conducted the search, the real reason for this was their desire to find the surveillance device previously discovered by Skvortsov. This is not the first time a civilian in a southern port city has faced criminal prosecution. In August 2011, his house was searched as part of a criminal case initiated under an “extremist” article against 16 Taganrog residents for not stopping to gather for religious meetings. In the spring of 2016, all believers were found guilty. Aleksandr was sentenced to 5.5 years of probation. Aleksandr Skvortsov served his term in full.\n“The faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited by law. The authorities have repeatedly stressed this. But it is enough to substitute concepts - simply call a peaceful religious meeting the activity of a banned organization - and any believer can be “pulled a fast” as many times as you like through criminal cases with the same charges. In fact, a repressive conveyor belt is being formed in Russia. But as the history of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union shows, repression cannot change convictions, ”Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, comments on the situation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-03-22T15:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/11.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Taganrog home of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who previously served more than five years of probation for practicing his faith, was searched again","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, having considered Evgeniy Golik's appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court, left the suspended sentence - 2.5 years - unchanged. The verdict entered into force, but can be appealed at the cassation instance.\nOn January 20, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region found Yevgeniy Golik guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for discussing the Bible with other Jehovah's Witnesses during religious meetings. The believer was sentenced to two and a half years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. Evgeniy Golik appealed against the verdict.\nThe appeal hearings were held at the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Judge of the panel of judges Angela Sizova did not allow the believer to fully express his position. She interrupted his speech during the debate, arguing that those present were \"of a different faith.\"\nIn his appeal to the court, Yevgeniy Golik stressed that he was accused of extremism for Christian activities, which have nothing to do with crimes. He also recalled that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n“Who suffered from my actions? From my faith? From my prayers? If there are victims in this case, it is me and my family. Recognition as an extremist limits my rights. My bank card is blocked. How can I provide myself and my family with honest labor? ” The believer asked the court questions.\nAddressing the panel of judges, Yevgeniy Golik said: “Today believers are hated and persecuted, it seems, only because they are somehow different from the majority. But to be different does not mean to be an extremist. \"\nAfter hearing the arguments, the judges partially satisfied the appeal of the prosecutor, who asked not to indicate a specific city when imposing an additional sentence in the form of restricting the freedom of the defendant. The rest of the verdict remained unchanged.\nIn recent years, 23 residents of the Jewish Autonomous Region have been prosecuted for their peaceful religion, 9 believers, including Yevgeniy Golik, have already been convicted, 12 people are under consideration in court.\nThe Russian and international community are outraged by the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In a joint statement from 36 human rights and public organizations in Russia, it is said: “We call on the Russian authorities to stop [violation of rights], interrogations and prosecutions for the peaceful religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. We ask international organizations and governments of democratic states to call on the Russian government to end the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. […] After Jehovah's Witnesses were outlawed in Russia, the number of acts of intolerance, violence and discrimination on the basis of religion against members of this community is constantly growing. ”\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-16T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_585561ed26db4fc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_c3f12a477b982be5.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_e8bde7d3adb34f39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/10/image_hu_7e500f1e4a53613a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/10.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"The Jewish Autonomous Region court confirmed Yevgeniy Golik's conviction of a two-and-a-half year probation for discussing the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 15, 2021, Diana Merzlyakova, the Nadezhdinsky District Court judge of the Primorsky Territory, determined that the participation of the 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov in peaceful religious services is considered extremism and handed him a six-year suspended sentence with a further probationary period of four years and a restriction on the freedom of movement for one year.\nThe believer is also deprived of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 3 years. The verdict did not enter into force. Vladimir Filippov does not admit his guilt and intends to appeal against him. Despite the fact that there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor Maria Koval requested 6.5 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of additional restrictions for the believer.\nIn his last speech, Vladimir Filippov said: “I have never participated in extremist affairs, did not show and do not show hatred towards people of other nationalities and religions ... I did not commit a crime, but only used my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in agreement with their religious convictions. \"\nThe case under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity) against a resident of the village of Razdolnoye Vladimir Filippov was instituted on July 1, 2019. But a year earlier, on July 19, 2018, in another case, in which Filippov was a witness, armed law enforcement officers wearing masks broke into the homes of local believers. One of the security officials hit the elderly Vladimir Filippov in the face. About a year later, already in the case against Filippov himself, a second search took place in his apartment. Then the wife of Vladimir, Lyubov, due to stress, suffered a hypertensive crisis and needed medical attention. On January 10, 2020, a court sanctioned the third search in the homes of peaceful believers. The search took place on January 22, 2020, law enforcement officers seized cell phones from the elderly couple of Filippovs.\nVladimir Filippov was under surveillance. Security officials secretly filmed peaceful religious meetings of local Jehovah's Witnesses, and a B. Ulyankin, portraying an interest in the Bible, recorded a conversation with Vladimir Filippov. The investigation used the obtained materials to present Filippov as the “head of a banned organization”.\nIn the case against Vladimir Filippov, a psychological, linguistic and religious examination was also used, which was prepared by Nadezhda Oleshkevich, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Legal Psychology. She arbitrarily chose an article on the Internet with biased information about Jehovah's Witnesses and, on this basis, built a conclusion about the \"hostility\" of the believer's religion towards the state. At the same time, the expert did not provide evidence of any specific hostile actions or crimes in the conclusion.\nOn May 19, 2020, after almost three years of investigation, which was conducted by Denis Shevchenko, CO investigator for the Nadezhdinskiy district of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Filippov's case was brought to court. For more than 10 months, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave.\nVladimir Filippov has not been previously convicted. Before coming to faith, he devoted 27 years to military service.\nThe verdict to Vladimir Filippov was the first in the region. At the moment, 33 believers are undergoing 20 criminal cases in Primorye, including Filippov's fellow villager, 73-year-old Lyudmila Shut.\nWell-known human rights activists and public figures unanimously condemn and demand to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-15T15:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_a982ff469768c2e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_fd66f4596d1a2c6d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_28d0ed3a6537bad5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/9/image_hu_2e5144b212b7693b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/9.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","suspended","elderly"],"title":"A Primorye-based former military man Vladimir Filippov was convicted and received a six year suspended sentence because of his faith in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"CLARIFICATION. On March 11, 2021, the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk labeled Valentina Suvorova's, a retiree, activities as extremist because she “sang songs” and “prayed to Jehovah God.” The believer was given a two-year suspended sentence with additional restrictions on certain activities for a period of six months and a one-year probationary period (initially it was reported that the believer was given a one-year suspended sentence).\nAddressing the court with her last word the day before the verdict, Valentina Suvorova noted: “The cases of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are currently being conducted in Russia, are taking place before the eyes of the whole world. And in this case, the reputation of our country suffers greatly, turning it, in fact, into a totalitarian state. \" She continues: “The criminal case against me has no legal basis and does not obey logic and common sense. I am an extremist without extremism. It doesn't work that way. Today they put the stigma of an extremist on me, accuse me of a grave crime, trampling my good name in the mud. \"\nThe verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended to the court that the believer be sentenced to 3 years of imprisonment in a colony.\nValentina Suvorova worked as a teacher at school in Chelyabinsk for 30 years. She bears the honorary title of \"Labor Veteran\". With her husband, Vladimir, she has been married for half a century. Several years ago, this friendly family suffered a series of tragedies: their beloved and only son Igor died of blood cancer, Valentina's mother died 2 years later, then her sister died, and her younger sister was paralyzed after a stroke. Before the Suvorovs family had time to recover from these shocks, investigators came to their house with a search. This happened on March 26, 2019, about a week after a criminal case was initiated on participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe investigation was initiated by the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region. For about a year, investigator Chepenko collected evidence that the believer \"deliberately talked about faith with the residents of the city of Chelyabinsk, sang chants, prayed to Jehovah God, and studied religious literature.\"\nThe prosecution took advantage of the testimony of an embedded agent Lilia Ruzayeva, who often spoke with Valentina on biblical topics. “We loved her as a daughter,” the believer said in her last word. - We met with joy, with treats. […] She spoke warm words of consolation, seeing how much grief and misfortune I endured that I live on pills alone. How can you drink tea, hug a person, receive flowers from him and betray him at the same time? Only now I fully understand what pain Jesus Christ experienced when he was betrayed by his own disciple Judas Iscariot. \"\nSince December 5, 2019, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave. On February 7, 2020, the case was sent to court.\nIn the same Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk, a case is being heard against Valentina's spouse, 75-year-old Vladimir Suvorov. Another believer, 57-year-old Dmitry Vinogradov, is defending his beliefs in the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk.\nHuman rights defenders of the international society \"Memorial\" drew attention to the incompatibility of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with common sense: “It is absurd when Jehovah's Witnesses convicted under Soviet rule are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the Federal Law on Rehabilitation (1991) - and at the same time are sent to the prisons of the current followers of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Back in 2019, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation presented a report to the President, where she drew attention to the unjustified criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. In January 2021, at a meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin re-ordered the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion and religious associations.\nThe conflict between law and law enforcement practice in Russia, according to the European Court of Human Rights, occurs due to a number of myths around Jehovah's Witnesses. The ECHR gave this a legal interpretation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-12T16:21:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_ad7a23b1320e9e5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_e0fd54d879ed5b37.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_964830f61c868b19.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/8/image_hu_15b964e22bf71210.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/8.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A Court in Chelyabinsk Sentenced 73-year-old Valentina Suvorova, a Labor Veteran, to a Suspended 1 Year for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 11, 2021, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the suspended sentence of 43-year-old Anastasia Sycheva from Obluchye. The verdict has entered into force. The believer insists on her innocence. She has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn January 21, 2021, Olga Afanasyeva, judge of the Obluchensky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, found Anastasiya Sycheva guilty of participating in a banned organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period and 6 months of restriction of freedom. This is the kind of punishment the prosecutor requested.\nAt the hearing in the court of appeal, Anastasiya described the charge in the following words: “There is no logic. It is absent. After all, I'm not being judged for real crimes, but for my faith in God. But a good sense of humor helps out. Otherwise, you can get crazy if you take all this seriously.\"\nIn addition to criminal prosecution, Anastasiya had many life’s trials: in just one year, her older sister died of cancer, and later she lost her mother and brother. She has raised two nephews, and now she is caring for her sick father. She spent almost a year and a half under recognizance not to leave, which limited her free movement outside the region.\nIn total, 19 similar criminal cases were initiated in the administrative center of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan, against 23 believers who peacefully profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The accusation against Anastasia Sycheva and a number of believers from Birobidzhan is based on the testimony of the only witness for the prosecution - police officer Yulia Zvereva. However, in court, she stated that she did not know anything about the events in which Sycheva was accused. According to the defendant, in the minutes of the court sessions of the first instance, \"what did not actually happen and was not said was added.\"\nActions such as divine services, prayers and chants are not prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the contrary, they are guaranteed by the Russian Constitution as fundamental human rights and freedoms. In February 2021, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated: “During the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legitimacy of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them, were assessed. […] Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice their religion, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration. \"\nDespite this, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continue to be sentenced to prison terms because of their faith. Russian and foreign human rights organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of believers in Russia. In January 2021, at a meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin re-ordered the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience, religion and religious associations.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-12T09:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_479d6aa608eadfab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_824b107e47b396aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_d2314052e1d55a9e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/6/image_hu_8056ae6cdba047d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/6.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","appeal","fabrications","282.2-2"],"title":"Jewish Autonomous Region court upholds Anastasiya Sycheva's suspended sentence for participating in Jehovah's Witnesses worship services","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs,\" Vladimir Filippov said in his last speech.\n","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/73.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Filippov in Razdolnoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 11, 2021, one more series of searches took place in Yalta in at least 9 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Four people were detained for interrogation, one of them was taken by the security forces to Simferopol.\nUpdate. At least five people were interrogated in Yalta on March 11. Taras Kuzio was sent to the temporary detention facility in the city of Bakhchysarai. The court should soon choose a measure of restraint for the believer. During the search, all electronic equipment and a large amount of money were seized from 42-year-old Taras Kuzio. The security officials did not wait for the believer to open the door and broke it open. Previously, he had already been searched twice.. Then the security forces sought connections with Artyom Gerasimov, one of Jehovah's Witness, who was later sentenced to 6 years in prison for his faith.\nAccording to preliminary data, the reason for the raid was a new criminal case \"on the financing of an extremist organization.\" The searches were sanctioned by Viktor Krapko, judge of the Kievskiy district court of Simferopol. Details are being clarified.\nAs follows from the materials of hundreds of criminal cases initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the security forces consider peaceful gatherings of believers to be a crime when they jointly study the Bible, listen to biblical speeches and participate in joint chants and prayers. Investigators automatically interpret this religion as a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organizations. The criminal prosecution continues, despite repeated assurances from the Russian authorities that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-03-11T17:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/7/image_hu_bb99be8a891e4bf9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/7/image_hu_e6725abec819635e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/7/image_hu_fd66507be1f9a401.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/7/image_hu_b2cd1c54fd14612c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/7.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","ivs","interrogation","282.3-1"],"title":"A wave of searches in homes of believers in Yalta. A new criminal case was initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of March 4, 2021, groups of security officials conducted searches at 6 addresses in the city of Belogorsk (Amur Region). 12 believers were taken to the local FSB department and later released. A criminal case has been opened for extremist activity on the basis of religion.\nOperational groups arrived from the regional center of Blagoveshchensk, which is located 120 km from Belogorsk. The security forces entered the homes of citizens under the guise of district police officers or neighbors. In one place they introduced themselves as electricians - allegedly through the fault of believers, an accident occurred, and the house was de-energized. Students from local educational institutions were invited as witnesses. Electronic devices, Bibles in the Synodal translation, bank cards, postcards, letters and personal records with the name of Jehovah God were seized from 5 men and 7 women.\nAfter the searches, the believers were taken to the local department of the FSB, where they were given copies of the protocols. Further investigative actions will take place in Blagoveshchensk. The criminal case was initiated by the investigator of the FSB Department for the Amur Region V.S. Obukhov, who since 2019 has been conducting 4 more similar cases against 11 peaceful believers from Zeya, Tynda and Blagoveshchensk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-03-11T15:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/5.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case"],"title":"A sixth criminal case in the Amur Region. FSB searches 12 Belogorsk-based believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 9, 2021, during the debate in the criminal case against four Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd, assistant prosecutor Anna Myagkova requested 9 years in a penal colony for Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko, and 7 years for Igor Yegorzaryan and Sergey Melnik.\nThe previous anti-record belonged to the prosecutor from Abakan Svetlana Shestakova, who asked 8 years in prison for the believer Roman Baranovskiy.\nAll four Volgograd believers are charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Valeriy Rogozin and Denis Peresunko are also charged with financing it (part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The men do not admit their guilt and claim that their faith is incompatible with extremism. The debate in the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd will continue on March 18.\nThe persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds in Russia has evoked unceasing criticism from both the Russian human rights community and the international community. Shortly before the start of the debate on the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Volgograd, the British Ambassador to the OSCE Permanent Council, Neil Bush, expressed deep concern over violations of the rights of believers.\n“We must highlight - unfortunately not for the first time - the concerning situation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Russian Federation. The 2017 ruling of the Russian Supreme Court, which rejected the appeal against the decision to categorise Jehovah’s Witnesses as “extremists”, criminalised the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravened the right to religious freedom that is enshrined in the Russian Constitution, and in multiple OSCE commitments.”— Neil Bush said at a commission meeting on March 4, 2021.“— “Since that 2017 ruling, we have witnessed an increasing number of detentions, criminal investigations and prosecutions of Jehovah’s Witnesses across Russia, including the arrest and sentencing of Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovskiy on 24 February, and the sentencing of Aleksandr Ivshin on 10 February. Such cases reinforce the impression of an organised campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses.”\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-03-10T14:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/4/image_hu_68d90390a72bbdd1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/4/image_hu_626f9996b539135c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/4/image_hu_95aea70bd4f8f030.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/4/image_hu_47107db24f3e2a7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/4.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"A State prosecutor requested an unprecedented sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses from Volgograd — nine years in prison for practicing one's faith","type":"news"},{"body":"In her last word, Valentina Suvorova drew the court's attention to her main life principles: \"I have always tried to build my life on two important commandments set forth in the Bible: to love God and people. Therefore, I have not caused any harm to the state and I am not going to do so.\"\n","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/72.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 5, 2021, Denis Kiselyov, a Prioksky District Court judge, found Sergey Verkhoturov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentenced him to a six-year suspended sentence with a four-year probationary period. The believer is insisting he is completely innocent.\nAlthough there is not a single victim in the case, the prosecutor recommended that the court impose a sentence of 7 years in prison and another 1 year of restriction of liberty on Verkhoturov. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\nSpeaking in court with the last word, Sergey voiced the reason for his criminal prosecution: “I am being tried for my religious beliefs, for my belief that no harm should be done to people, society, or the state. I am being judged for what I have encouraged and will continue to encourage all people to love each other, avoid any violence, and strengthen family relationships.\"\nFor 19 months Sergey has been banned from certain actions: he is forbidden to leave his home after 21:00, use communications and communicate with other citizens.\nOn July 16 and 17, 2019, in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo (Nizhny Novgorod region), searches were carried out in several houses of believers at once. In total, over 30 families and individual believers were affected. The criminal case against Verkhoturov was initiated on June 4, 2019 under Part 1 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He was investigated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod region for 1 year and 2 months.\nA year before the initiation of the case, on the basis of a court order, the police obtained the right to wiretap Sergei Verkhoturov's telephone conversations for 90 days. On July 30, 2020, the case went to court.\nLaw enforcers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, under the guise of fighting extremism, are actively prosecuting Jehovah's Witnesses. They consider peaceful religious services, during which believers read the Bible and pray, as a \"crime\". In total, criminal cases have been initiated in the region for their faith against 14 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the wife of Sergey Verkhoturov, Victoriya (participation in the activities of a banned organization). 10 cases are under investigation, 4 have been transferred to the court.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion both individually and in groups.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-05T15:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_f9f0676d1e6c108f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_c6a3583a6c1bed5c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_9503bdca299bf163.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/3/image_hu_58d59d3fd235ae5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/3.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","prohibition-of-actions","282.2-1"],"title":"A Nizhny Novgorod court sentenced Sergey Verkhoturov to six years of suspended sentence for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of March 2, 2021, at least 4 families of local believers were searched in Syktyvkar. Four men were detained and placed in a temporary detention center. One of them, 59-year-old Sergei Ushakhin, was later released on recognizance not to leave. The rest are awaiting a court decision.\nUpdate. On March 3, 2021, the court left 42-year-old Aleksandr Kruglyakov in custody for 2 months. 49-year-old Andrey Kharlamov and 53-year-old Aleksandr Ketov were placed under house arrest. During the searches, Bibles, electronic devices and personal records were confiscated from believers.\nThe investigative measures took place shortly after the senior investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Komi Republic, Major of Justice Alexander Belov, opened criminal cases against five believers, including one woman. The investigation suspects them of organizing and participating in the activities of a banned organization (parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), considering as extremism peaceful religious meetings at which believers read the Bible, prayed and sang religious songs. Details are being specified.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-03-03T14:28:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_8336a88e7b240db6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_375c64878e52a448.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_80872f2ca2d37264.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/1/image_hu_3d6947a76a8fb8db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/1.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Syktyvkar. Three believers are now behind bars","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court upheld the sentence against Ruslan Alyyev. The appellate court recognized him as a member of a banned organization. The believer will be conditionally imprisoned for 2.5 years.\nThe verdict has entered into force, but Ruslan Alyev still insists on his innocence. He has the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nEarlier, the judge of the Leninsky District Court, Vladimir Strokov, found Ruslan Alyev guilty and sentenced him to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years 6 months and the obligation to report for registration once a month. Prosecutor Levchenko demanded 3 years of probation for Ruslan Alyev with a probation period of 4 years.\nRuslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak were detained at their places of residence in Rostov-on-Don on June 10, 2019, less than a month after a mass raid on the homes of Rostovites who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The next day, the court placed the detainees under house arrest.\nFor the entire time of the investigation and consideration of the case in the court of first instance, Ruslan Alyev spent a day in a temporary detention facility, and then over a year and a half under house arrest. The same fate befell Semyon Baibak.\nAmong the evidence against Ruslan Alyev is the testimony of an anonymous, secret witness, whose words the court accepted even without questioning. Thus, the defense did not have the opportunity to ask the witness questions and make sure that he did not answer according to someone else's instructions.\nThe court found the believer an extremist without evidence that he had carried out at least one of the extremist actions listed in the legislation. In addition, according to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, crimes of an extremist nature can be committed only with direct intent. However, the court did not provide a single piece of evidence of the defendant's intent.\n\"The convict was found guilty only because he remained a believer after the liquidation of legal entities. This is reminiscent of the totalitarian regime in Soviet times, when Jehovah's Witnesses were exiled to concentration camps and shot for their faith in God. Later, by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, they were recognized as victims of political repression, \"the appeal says.\nOn March 29, 2021, the court is due to make an appeal decision in the case of Semyon Baibak, whom the court of first instance sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4.5 years on charges of extremism. The believer also does not admit his guilt.\nThe case of three other believers - Arsen, Vilen Avanesov and Alexander Parkov is now being considered in the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don. According to investigators, they organized and financed the activities of the banned organization. For more than a year and a half, Rostovites have been kept in pre-trial detention.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them are the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as many foreign organizations, human rights activists and scientists. Even the Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-03-02T12:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_30c83507dabf967e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_ca7490659d3eeab7.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_760ace7ed2fc6a7e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/03/2/image_hu_dd31c937852af853.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/03/2.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don appeal upheld the conviction of believer Ruslan Alyyev","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, Sergey Verhoturov explained to the court that the worship of God according to the biblical model has nothing to do with the extremism incriminated to him. According to the believer, he encouraged and will continue to \"encourage all people to love each other, avoid any violence, strengthen family relationships.\"\n","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/70.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Verkhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 26, 2021, the Kostroma Regional Court, having considered the appeal of the Rayman spouses, canceled the longest suspended sentence for faith - 8 and 7 years. Earlier, a lower court found Sergey and Valeriya guilty of organizing and participating in extremist activities.\nThe Court of Appeal excluded the \"organization\" from the charges against both believers (part 1 of Art. 282.2) and commuted Sergey's and Valeriya’s sentences to 3 and 2 years of suspended imprisonment respectively.\nThe verdict came into force. Believers still insist on their innocence. They have the right to appeal the verdict in cassation, as well as in international instances.\nOn October 9, 2020, Dmitriy Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of suspended sentenced, respectively. With the filing of the state prosecutor Ivan Bogomolov, the court found the believers guilty of both organizing and participating in extremist activities (parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The state prosecution asked the court to give them a suspended sentence of 7 years of imprisonment for both.\nThe couple have been married since 2015. Sergey is an interior decoration specialist, and in his free time he is engaged in cooking and video filming. Valeriya is a makeup artist and hairdresser who loves to bake and make interior items from concrete.\n“The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has not been prohibited by any court,” Valeriya told the Court of Appeal in her last word. “I led the ordinary life of a believer. My life, my beliefs and views have nothing to do with extremism. I have not committed any crime. I ask you to look at this situation from the point of view of common sense and give us back our good name. \"\n“We live in a state governed by the rule of law,” Sergey Rayman said in his last word. “Not so long ago, even Human Rights Day was celebrated. And according to Article 28 of the Constitution, I have the right to have religious beliefs, disseminate and act in accordance with them. \"\nSergey Rayman was placed in a cramped solitary confinement cell for 2 months with a ban on correspondence and reading the Bible because of the map of ancient Palestine it contains. He then spent a month under house arrest with an electronic tracking bracelet on his leg and 90 days under a ban on certain actions. Valeria had to spend 2 days in the temporary detention facility and 179 days under the ban on certain actions. The spouses could not communicate with each other for some time because of the court decision.\nThe pursuit of the Ryman spouses began in the early morning of July 25, 2018, when armed special forces used crowbars to smash the door to their apartment at gunpoint. Law enforcement officers accompanied their actions with caustic comments regarding the religion of believers. Friends who came to the Rayman spouses found the apartment empty with signs of a burglary on the door. Sergey and Valeria were sent to a temporary detention center.\nIn September 2019, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma returned the Rayman criminal case to the Kostroma prosecutor's office. At the same time, the court emphasized that in the case of spouses \"there is a legal right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been prohibited.\" The court pointed to the \"vague\" wording of the indictment. Neither in the materials of the criminal case, nor in the register of legal entities, nor in any other documents, there was no confirmation that the young people were founders or members of a local religious organization in Kostroma. The accusation is unfounded in relation to the fact that the Rayman couple held meetings of a religious organization. At the same time, not a single name of the participants in such meetings is given.\nThe Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma is hearing the case of another local believer, Dmitriy Terebilov.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The conclusion of the state religious expert examination on the doctrine and the corresponding practice of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses says: spreading faith, violates the rights of other citizens. On February 20, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion both individually and collectively.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-26T20:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_507117618ca38aae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_b06ec1ed7eb2d65b.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_bdab805b3f54039a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/18/image_hu_f552189b192a30e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/18.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","mitigation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"title":"A Kostroma appeals court commuted Sergey and Valeriya Rayman's strict sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Bis zum 26. Februar 2021 erreichte die Zahl der Zeugen Jehovas, die sich gleichzeitig in russischen Kolonien und Untersuchungshaftanstalten befinden, 51. In nur 3,5 Jahren nach der Entscheidung des Obersten Gerichtshofs, 396 juristische Personen dieser Konfession im Land zu liquidieren, starben 230 Personen durch Orte der Inhaftierung.\nCurrently, 9 believers from 4 regions are serving their sentences in colonies, 39 more people from 16 regions are awaiting sentences while in jail. On February 24, Valentina Baranovskaya, a 70-year-old believer from Abakan, suffered a stroke as a result of criminal prosecution, and her 46-year-old son Roman became the 50th and 51st prisoners of conscience sent to jail for confessing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. They were taken into custody right in the courtroom after the sentencing - Roman is 6 years old, Valentina - 2 years in prison. On the same day, they were sent to a pre-trial detention center, from where they will be transferred to a colony, if the Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia does not change the sentence.\nWhile behind bars, Russian believers have repeatedly faced inhuman treatment: they were beaten and tortured, deprived of medical care; they were unjustifiably placed in punishment cells and solitary confinement cells, deprived of the right of correspondence and even citizenship. For example, five believers from Saratov were severely beaten upon admission to Correctional Colony No. 1 in Orenburg. One of them, Felix Makhammadiyev, was hospitalized with serious injuries. Later, his citizenship was revoked and, after his release from the colony, he was deported to his country of birth, Uzbekistan. Konstantin Bazhenov also lost his citizenship.\nThe health of Kursk resident Artyom Bagratyan in the pre-trial detention center has deteriorated sharply, approaching critical in January 2020. On January 27, he was finally transferred from the Kursk SIZO to a hospital for examination, and his relatives were allowed to provide him with the necessary medicines. Bagratyan, who suffers from serious chronic diseases, is still behind bars.\nNikolai Kuzichkin, 69, with cancer, heart problems and a number of other serious diagnoses, spent six months in a pre-trial detention center without medical care.\nA resident of Chekhov near Moscow, Yuri Krutyakov, who has been imprisoned since March 2020 and is rapidly losing his sight, is also denied proper treatment in a pre-trial detention center.\nPre-trial detention center No. 3 of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory Detention Centre No.1 for Lipetsk Region Pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tambov region Correctional colony No. 1 in the Orenburg region Detention Centre No.2 for Republic of Tatarstan Dennis Christensen, the first prisoner of conscience from Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia, who is serving a sentence in Lgov, was forced by the colony administration to perform work that was contraindicated for him for medical reasons. He was repeatedly sent to the punishment cell for formal reasons such as improper dress code. Until now, he is in a special block together with those who maliciously violate the regime of the colony.\nSome believers spent significant periods in the pre-trial detention center. Yuri Savelyev, 66, has been held in Novosibirsk pre-trial detention center # 1 for more than two years.\nVadim Levchuk and Sergei Britvin were detained for 524 days, and later the court sentenced them to four years in prison.\nThe circumstances of believers in Russian colonies are covered in more detail in the section “Life in a colony”.\nThe international and Russian human rights communities consider what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be nothing more than repression on religious grounds, since there is no evidence that any of the prisoners have committed a real crime.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2021-02-26T15:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_c5380c458bd2aeef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_db76009ffcd0dbbc.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_b786afcb84654837.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/17/image_hu_776e9effa7ce0cc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/17.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","statistics","analytics","review","sizo"],"title":"More than 50 Jehovah's Witnesses are imprisoned - an anti-record of being persecuted for practicing one's faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 24, 2021, Abakan city court passed an unprecedentedly cruel sentence: for the first time a woman, who is also elderly, was sentenced to imprisonment. For the first time, a person is imprisoned under the milder part of article 282.2 (participation in a banned organization) of the RF Criminal Code. This is the case of Valentina Baranovskaya.\nHer son, Roman Baranovskiy, was sentenced to 6 years in prison under a stricter part of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization). The criminal case was based on recordings of conversations between believers, from which it follows that they practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. There are no extremist statements in their conversations. There are no victims in the case.\nThe verdict was handed down by Judge Elena Shcherbakova. The verdict did not come into force; it will be appealed. Both believers insisted on their complete innocence. After the verdict was pronounced, both believers were taken into custody. They will be placed in the SIZO.\nIn the summer of 2020, just before the court hearings began, Valentina was diagnosed with cerebral infarction or ischemic stroke. The defendant, according to doctors' estimates, was in the hospital in moderate condition. Valentina will be 70 years old in April 2021.\nSuch a cruel punishment was recommended by the state prosecutor, Svetlana Anatolievna Shestakova of the Abakan prosecutor's office. On February 1, 2021, during the debate, she asked to sentence Roman Baranovskiy to 8 years in prison, while for Valentina Baranovskaya the prosecutor recommended 5 years in a penal colony.\nIn reply to the charges of \"harming people and the state\" Valentina answered in her last statement that the Bible helped her to become peaceful, fair, loving people and God and taught her to respect the authorities and their laws. She stressed that despite the ban of the legal entity - the local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses of Abakan (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation from 20.04.2017) - everyone has the right to practice their religion according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nRoman Baranovsky said in his last statement: \"I am accused, in fact, of confession of faith, because exactly the actions of confession of faith, according to the prosecution, are evidence of my illegal activities, namely: singing songs glorifying God, praying together and discussing the Bible in my home with my friends and acquaintances, and the fact that we agreed to meet with each other for this purpose. And this is in the 21st century! Is this really possible? How could it undermine the constitutional order of our country?\"\nOn April 10, 2019, armed law enforcement officers broke into the home of Roman and his mother Valentina.\nShortly before that, on March 21, 2019, A. Pachuev, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Abakan of the Investigative Committee of the RF for the Republic of Khakassia initiated a criminal case against the believers under Article 282.2 part 1 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization). Later Valentina's indictment was lowered to part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (organization of activity of a forbidden organization). Later Valentina's accusation was downgraded to part 2 Article 282.2 (participation in the activities of a liquidated organization) of the RF Criminal Code.\nAll in all, there are two criminal cases pending in the Republic of Khakasia. The second case, in which six believers from Abakan were involved, was separated from the Baranovskiys’ case.\nThe Baranovskiys' case was being investigated for one year and two months prior to coming to the Abakan city court on June 15, 2020.\nThe indictment revealed violations of the requirements of criminal procedural law, due to which the prosecutor returned the case to investigator O. Ermakova to \"rewrite the indictment and eliminate the detected violations\".\nBefore retiring in 2006, Valentina worked as an accountant and economist, while Roman did some finishing work. Their friends, colleagues, and relatives are perplexed as to how this peaceful and decent family can be accused of such monstrous things as extremism.\nRussian and international legal scholars unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\nFor example, human rights activists from the international society Memorial highlighted the incompatibility between the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and common sense: \"It is absurd that Jehovah's Witnesses convicted under the Soviet regime are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the 1991 Federal Law on Rehabilitation - while they are simultaneously imprisoned as Jehovah's Witnesses today.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-24T16:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_37807d5168cd8f43.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_976239dcf968843a.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_88ca824f7d211ff4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/16/image_hu_6667ca2c6a5104d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/16.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","families","elderly"],"title":"In Khakasia, a 70-year-old Woman Was Sentenced to 2 Years in a Penal Colony for Faith. Her Son Was sentenced to 6 Years in a Colony. They Are Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 10, 2021, in the village of Razdolnoye (Razdolnensky District, Crimea), security forces examined the homes of two local Jehovah's Witnesses: Andrey Rogutskiy and Lyudmila Shevchenko. Bibles, notebooks, electronic devices were confiscated from believers.\nThe list of property seized from Lyudmila Shevchenko included a book “The Sacred Nativity Scene” that did not belong to her, and it was not published by Jehovah's Witnesses. Lyudmila was not found to have any publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe survey of the premises was carried out on the basis of the decision of the Sevastopol City Court. During the events, Andrey Rogutskiy's wife became ill, she had to call an ambulance.\nSince 2018, already 9 residents of Crimea from different cities have faced persecution based on the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, two of them have been sent to colonies.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-24T14:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/planting_hu_41cf1cde91a8ac73.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/planting.jpg","webp":"/news/common/planting_hu_c319d9d852e36c9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/planting_hu_70b3cf09f00af23b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/15.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Homes of two Jehovah's Witnesses in Razdolnoye, a Crimean village, were searched. A religious book was planted in the home of a 72-year-old believer","type":"news"},{"body":"“Members of a liquidated organization may worship independently, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration...” the Russian Foreign Ministry response, dated 20 February 2021, reads. “\n\"During the consideration of the case [in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], neither the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor the ways of expressing them, but only the specific illegal actions of the organization in question, were assessed.\" Click to open the document This explanation was sent to Irina Yakku from Arkhangelsk. In her letter to Sergey Lavrov, she asked the respected minister to help restore international law and comply with Article 28 of the Russian Constitution: \"Since February 2019, our family has not been spared persecution for faith. On February 13, 2019, a criminal case was opened against my husband, Yevgeniy Yakku, just for discussing the Bible with friends and praying. And there are already hundreds of such criminal cases in our country. More than a thousand searches have been carried out at the homes of innocent people just because they believe in Jehovah God, whose name is repeatedly mentioned in various translations of the Bible.\" The investigation considers the very fact that Yevgeny Yakku discusses his religious views with his friends in faith sufficient to initiate a criminal case under the articles on organizing the activities of an extremist organization and on participation in it. His case is being heard in the Solombalsky District Court of Arkhangelsk.\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs in its response refers to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, on the liquidation and prohibition of the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations of this denomination. It was this decision, which in itself was unjust, that was misinterpreted by law enforcement officials that led to large-scale religious repression. Russian courts have consistently convicted ordinary Jehovah's Witnesses believers under serious criminal articles only on the fact of their personal confession of religion. At the same time, neither the state prosecution nor the courts set themselves the task of detecting signs of extremist activity in the words and deeds of believers. Since the Supreme Court's decision to ban Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities in Russia came into force, 1318 searches have already been conducted in the country. Charges under the \"extremist\" article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation have already been brought against 438 believers. As of February 20, 2021, 80 criminal cases are still at various stages of trial, 26 sentences have already entered into force, 9 believers are being held in colonies, 39 people are in pre-trial detention centers, and 26 are under house arrest.\nYaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses says, \"There is an obvious conflict between the law and law enforcement practices, and it is no surprise that in January 2021, following his last meeting with the Human Rights Council, President Putin instructed the Supreme Court to look into violations of legislation on freedom of conscience, religious beliefs, and religious associations.” Human rights activist Aleksandr Verkhovskiy drew the President's attention to the fact that the problem is not being solved. He said: \"We miss the Supreme Court's explanations on these issues. This is especially true with respect to those banned organizations which had some religious aspect. It turns out that these people afterward when they gather to pray together, which is mandatory in all major religions, joint prayers, will also turn out to be a meeting of a banned organization, and so maybe understood.\"\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain a restriction or ban on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"rights","date":"2021-02-24T14:21:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/14/image_hu_128f95c683148c1b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/14/image_hu_71a630fba3b73209.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/14/image_hu_ff22692d8d5f421c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/14/image_hu_3295d6d88bb64c83.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/14.html","regions":["arkhangelsk","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mid","supreme-court","review","analytics","statistics","human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations"],"title":"The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion in groups. Why then are there dozens of believers that are imprisoned?","type":"news"},{"body":"If the purpose of punishment is to prevent the commission of new crimes, then did I commit crimes? As the government of the Russian Federation points out, no special permits are required for prayers, \"the believer said in an appeal to the court, calling the accusations against him unfounded.\n","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/67.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Roman Baranovsky in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Valentina Baranovskaya noted: \"I am ashamed that Russia is again stepping on the same rake by arranging shameful persecution of the most peaceful, kind and law-abiding citizens of its country.\" She hopes for an honest and just sentence and acquittal of all prisoners of conscience.\n","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/68.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valentina Baranovskaya in Abakan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 17, 2021, believers from the Kovrov city reported searches that had taken place at least at 6 addresses. 14 people were detained and taken away for interrogation, including elderly ones. Details are being clarified.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches and inspections in Kovrov began at 7 am on February 17 and took place at 7 addresses. One of the believers was picked up straight from work in the morning at about 9 o\u0026rsquo;clock. Electronic devices were seized from the majority of citizens. The security forces interrogated 23 people, one of the women needed emergency medical attention, and she was taken to the hospital. During interrogations, FSB officers from Vladimir and Kovrov presented screenshots taken in the summer of 2020. They show that believers communicate with each other via video link. Most of those interrogated were released on the same day. One of the believers was released only the next morning. 65-year-old Boris Simonenko was sent by a court decision for 2 months to a pre-trial detention center (a room operating in the mode of pre-trial detention centers) at the Correctional Colony No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Vladimir Region. The Vladimir Region has become the 62nd region of Russia where criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is being conducted under the guise of fighting extremism. Law enforcement officials consider peaceful religious services, during which believers read the Bible, pray and discuss Christian teachings, as a \"crime\". Despite the fact that the Russian courts did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, its confession is equated by the security forces as a continuation of the activities of the banned organization. Currently, 81 out of almost 200 initiated criminal cases are in courts. 26 sentences entered into force, 49 people were placed in places of detention, 9 of them - in colonies. There are no victims in any of the criminal cases and no harm had been caused to a person or any of the state structures.\nThe world community unequivocally classifies the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as unjustified religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-19T12:08:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/13.html","regions":["vladimir"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Vladimir region siloviki join in religious persecution. A series of searches took place in Kovrov","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 18, 2021, Aleksey Ivashchenko, a Birobidzhan District Court judge of the Jewish Autonomous Region, handed a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence to Konstantin Guzev, a law-abiding construction worker, for participation in extremist activities. In addition, Guzev was given a two-year probation period with the obligation to report once a month to a supervisory authority.\nThe prosecutor asked for 4 years of imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime and an additional 1-year restriction with the obligation to report once a month to the supervisory authorities. The verdict has not come into force. There are no victims in the case. The believer pleaded not guilty and would appeal the verdict. Konstantin Guzev spent the last year and a half being released on his own recognizance.\nThe Birobidzhan District Court is also hearing the case of Konstantin's wife Anastasia, accused of a similar article. The couple faced discrimination on religious grounds - they were forced to resign from the music school. The management motivated this by the fact that \"extremists\" in the children's institution had no place.\nOn May 17, 2018, a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" took place in Birobidzhan, involving 150 law enforcement officers.\nThe criminal case for faith against Konstantin Guzev was initiated on July 29, 2019. The case was separated from the materials of the criminal case against Alam Aliyev. The case was investigated by the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation lasted about 5 months. The prosecution was based on video footage secretly filmed during religious meetings of believers, and on the testimony of police officer Zvereva, who also acted as a prosecution witness in the cases of Evgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva and Tatiana Zagulina.\nOn December 23, 2019, the case went to the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAD. During the court hearings, the prosecutor officially declared the defendant's house the scene of the crime. The charges essentially boiled down to the fact that Konstantin Guzev was reading the Bible with friends at his home via Skype. In court, the believer noted, \"The evidence presented by the prosecutor only confirms that I practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In other words, it proves that there was no corpus delicti in my actions.\"\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, 19 cases were brought against 22 believers. Eight local Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for these peaceful people exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Earlier, Judge Alexei Ivaschenko sentenced another believer, Igor Tsarev, to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. Ivaschenko is also considering the case of Yevgeny Yegorov.\nKonstantin Guzev became the 70th resident of modern Russia to be punished under a criminal article merely for his profession of faith in the God Jehovah. A suspended sentence with probation condemns the believer to a life of constant fear, since he could go to prison at any time if law enforcement authorities deem his individual confession of faith \"an extension of the organization's activities.\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The Russian Government has stated repeatedly that the Russian courts' decisions to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations 'do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and contain no restriction or prohibition to individually profess the aforementioned doctrine'. At the end of January 2021, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin again instructed the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to deal with \"violations of the legislation on freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and religious associations.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-18T12:32:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_24a7328428e5d472.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_25c39a40800174b1.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_4cc118e59441bbc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/12/12_2_hu_5978365e5393beea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/12.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","suspended","work-restrictions","282.2-2"],"title":"A sentencing for a 70th Jehovah's Witness. A Birobidzhan court handed Konstantin Guzev a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence for practicing his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2021 Vladimir Mikhalyov, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, found Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova guilty under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of a banned organization). She was sentenced to a fine of 10,000 rubles. The prosecutor asked for 4 years of imprisonment.\nThe sentence has not come into force. The believer pleaded not guilty and asked for full acquittal. There were no victims in the case.\nYelena Reyno-Chernyshova is an accountant by profession. She had lost her job at the financial department of the Government of the Jewish Autonomous Region and her position as deputy head of the financial department of the district administration because of her criminal prosecution for her belief in God. Her husband recently suffered a third heart attack. Her elderly mother also has serious heart problems and needs her daughter's care.\nElena has been under house arrest since October 1, 2019. She was one of 21 victims of criminal prosecution for \"extremism\" who were initiated and investigated by FSB investigator D. S. Yankin. A total of 22 Jehovah's Witnesses were prosecuted in Birobidzhan. The persecution of civilians began after a large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" with the participation of 150 security officials.\nThe Reyno-Chernyshova case was opened on September 25, 2019. It was separated from the case against Alam Aliyev (currently under house arrest). The investigation lasted 5 months and 7 days. On March 3, 2020, the case went to court.\nThere have already been 8 convictions of peaceful believers who exercised their constitutional right to freedom of religion in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Among them are Yevgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva, Arthur Lokhvitsky and others.\nYelena Reyno-Chernyshova personally sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin, and received an answer. In court, she referred to it, as well as to an annual press conference held in December 2020, where the president said that \"there was no repression on religious grounds in Russia...there was no selective persecution for any particular religion.\"\nRussian human rights activists, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be inappropriate.\nFor example, Vladimir Ryakhovsky, a member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, says that the persecution of Witnesses in Russia has far-reaching consequences: \"It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then reflected on everyone.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-17T14:33:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/11/image_hu_6f1367154d0cd1e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/11/image_hu_67b10a9631dc5fbc.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/11/image_hu_383aeabd81aa285a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/11/image_hu_ad07d8bb5cd07106.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/11.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","work-restrictions","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"title":"Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova of Birobidzhan was ordered to pay a fine. This is an eighth conviction for practicing one's faith in the Jewish Autonomous Region","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I love God and people and will never do anything criminal. My conscience is clear before God and people, and I am not ashamed of my beliefs, which encourage me to lead a respectable lifestyle,\" Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova explained to the court that there is not and cannot be extremism in her actions.\n","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/64.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"If you remove the words 'illegal' and 'extremist' from the charges, then a story about how I believe in God will come out.\" According to the speech of Konstantin Guzev with the last word, the court could judge his attitude to the act imputed to him.\n","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/65.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Konstantin Guzev in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 16, 2021, Judge Vladimir Mikhalev of the Birobidzhan District Court found Yulyia Kaganovich, 54, guilty under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code. She was sentenced to a fine of 10,000 rubles with five months' installments. The prosecutor recommended four years of imprisonment in a penal colony plus two years of restrictions, and asked to take her into custody in the courtroom.\nYulia Kaganovich became the 68th Jehovah's Witness in Russia to be convicted for her faith. The verdict has not entered into force. There are no victims in the case. The believer insists on her complete innocence.\nYulyia Kaganovich is a creative person and an engineer by profession. Together with her husband they brought up their son, who, like Yulyia, was a musician. In her life Yulyia experienced a lot of shocks: loss of loved ones, betrayal, violence. This affected her poor health. Thanks to the Bible she was able to overcome all her trials and find meaning in her life. But now she is being prosecuted under an \"extremist\" article for her peaceful conversations on spiritual topics.\nThe persecution of Yulyia Kaganovich began almost a year and a half after the notorious large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day,\" involving 150 security forces.\nThe case against Yulyia Kaganovich was initiated on October 10, 2019. It was investigated by the investigative department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Cases against at least 21 believers, including Yulyia Kaganovich, were conducted by the same investigator—D. Yankin. Yulyia Kaganovich's case was investigated for about five months. She couldn't leave Birobidzhan for almost 1.5 years because she had to sign an undertaking not to leave.\nOn March 3, 2020, the case went to the Birobidzhan District Court of the EAD. The first hearing did not take place until nine months later, on December 24, 2020. The hearing was postponed several times due to her health condition, the coronavirus pandemic, or the illness of the judge. Yulyia Kaganovich's criminal case was considered by the same judge as the cases against Yelena Reino-Chernyshova, Svetlana Monis and Larisa Artamonova. Earlier, 6 verdicts against peaceful believers, who exercised their constitutional right to freedom of religion, had already been issued in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Among them are Yevgeny Golik, Anastasiya Sycheva and Artur Lokhvitsky.\nThe prosecution relied on audio recordings of telephone conversations and other materials that had nothing to do with the defendant. For example, the prosecution presented conversations of believers on spiritual topics, discussion of work schedules and leisure activities as evidence of the defendant's involvement in extremist activities.\nRussian and international legal scholars unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation. For example, human rights activists of the international society \"Memorial\" drew attention to the incompatibility of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with common sense: \"It is absurd when Jehovah's Witnesses, convicted under the Soviet authorities, are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the Federal Law on Rehabilitation (1991)—while simultaneously being sent to prison as current Jehovah's Witnesses\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-16T15:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/10/image_hu_cf8702e154daac05.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/10/image_hu_e70cf5f2a4687e99.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/10/image_hu_85cd1dac55801c32.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/10/image_hu_12a990bbb6bcb5c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/10.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"Another sentencing for one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. A court imposed a fine on Yuliya Kaganovich for believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer mentions that the prosecution erroneously applies the law on extremism to Jehovah's Witnesses, \"misinterprets court decisions, substitutes the concepts of legal entities and individuals and puts an equal sign between them.\" Yulia Kaganovich notes: \"There is a clear persecution for the faith.\"\n","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/62.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yulia Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"Vladimir Mikhalyov, a city of Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region) District Court judge, found Svetlana Monis guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization on February 15, 2021. The verdict has not yet come into force. The believer is insisting on her complete innocence.\nSvetlana was under house arrest for 495 days. Despite her progressive nearsightedness from an early age, Svetlana became a teacher of foreign languages. Lately she has been taking care of her elderly grandmother, who lives alone.\nThe persecution of Svetlana Monis began one year and 4 months after a criminal case was brought against her husband, Alam Aliyev. This happened after the notorious large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" with the participation of 150 security forces.\nThe case was initiated on September 26, 2019. Svetlana was one of the believers against whom FSB investigator D. S. Yankin opened at least 12 criminal cases for extremism. The criminal case of Svetlana Monis was investigated by the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Investigator D. S. Yankin investigated the case for 5 months. The case was taken to court on 3 March 2020; the hearings, with interruptions, lasted more than 11 months.\nThis is the 6th conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in the region and the 67th conviction in the entire country.\nThirteen criminal cases against believers are at various stages of review in the Birobidzhan District Court.\nAccording to Article 28 of the Russian Constitution, everyone has the right \"to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and to act in accordance with them. This right extends to believers of all views and beliefs, including Jehovah's Witnesses. No court in Russia has ever recognized the religion or beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses as criminal. Such a decision is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Obviously, it is impossible to ban people, ideas, beliefs, thoughts and feelings.\nThe world community, in particular representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, unequivocally condemns the religious repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. They assert that \"Jehovah's Witnesses should be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression, without discrimination.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-15T15:06:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/8/image_hu_aed68666265b49d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/8/image_hu_725825f4e97a1b5c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/8/image_hu_7a814cedc287d00a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/8/image_hu_4b974de3f7ab42b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/8.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"A sentence for 67th Jehovah's Witness. A Birobidzhan court ordered Svetlana Monis to pay a fine for believing in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On 12 February 2021, Dmitry Zozulya, Judge of the Savelovsky district court of Moscow, sent the peaceful believers Aleksander Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov to jail for two months, until 10 April 2021. The men will be kept in Detention Center #7.\nTwo days earlier a new wave of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Moscow and the Moscow region. In the early morning hours, at least 14 searches were conducted in the apartments of believers in Khovrino and the Levoberezhny district of Moscow, Khimki, and Chekhov. Several believers reported beatings.\nIt has become clear that operatives in 2019 established surveillance of believers and hidden video recording. The investigator believes that in August 2019, the believers held a friendly meeting at which they sang songs about God and read the Bible. In this regard, the investigation charges 43-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov and 43-year-old Yuriy Temirbulatov with \"committing an intentional grave crime,\" for which they face a sentence of 6 to 10 years in prison under Part 1 Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organizing the activities of an organization banned by the court).\nThe court granted the petition of investigator Maria Rasskazova to choose the strictest measure of restraint for the believers in the form of detention. This decision was made even despite the fact that Aleksandr Serebryakov has an elderly disabled mother on his dependents. The suspects intend to appeal the unlawful court ruling.\nEarlier, on November 24, 2020, five more residents exercising their constitutional right to freely practice their religion without forming a legal entity were detained in Moscow. Searches and detentions in Moscow and throughout the country are taking place despite calls from international organizations to end the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and assurances from the authorities that the Jehovah's Witnesses faith is not banned in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2021-02-15T14:56:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/7.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","siloviks-violence","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Two Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Moscow after the February 10 raids were placed in a detention center located in Verkhniye Polya","type":"news"},{"body":"Svetlana Monis spoke about who Jehovah's Witnesses are and why they are called that. \"It is simply vital for me to meet with my fellow believers in order to discuss moral standards for moral improvement. It was for this reason that I ended up in the dock, \"she said.\n","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/63.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Svetlana Monis in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On Sunday, February 14, 2021, at least six Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the city of Belovo (Kemerovo region). Sergey Ananin, 53, was detained and taken to a temporary detention center.\nUpdate. On February 16, 2021, the Central District Court of Kemerovo ruled to place Sergey Ananin under house arrest. The believer intends to appeal this decision. It is known that a criminal case was opened against him on February 9. In the Kemerovo region this is already the fifth criminal case brought against Jehovah's Witnesses. The Beryozovsky city court sentenced miners Sergei Britvin and Vadim Levchuk to 4 years in a penal colony of the general regime, Hassan Kogut - to 2 years and 6 months of conditional imprisonment. Another case - against Sergei Yavushkin and Alexander Bondarchuk - is currently being heard in the Zavodsky District Court of Kemerovo.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. They include the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman, the Presidential Human Rights Council, the Russian President, prominent Russian public figures, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-14T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/9.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs"],"title":"New searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Kemerovo region. A 53-year-old believer was detained; the court will be deciding which restrictions to place on him","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 12, 2021, Judge Vladimir Mikhalev of the Birobidzhan District Court found Larisa Artamonova guilty under Part 2, Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (participation in extremist activities). With reference to Article 64 of the Criminal Code, the court sentenced her to a fine of 10,000 rubles ($135) with payment in installments for 4 months.\nIn the Jewish Autonomous Region, there have already been several convictions of peaceful believers who exercised their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Among them are Yevgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva and Artur Lokhvitsky, Igor Tsarev. Larisa Artamonova became the 14th woman in modern Russia to be punished under a criminal article for her profession of faith in Jehovah. The total number of those convicted throughout Russia is 64. (14 women and 51 men; the youngest was 23, the oldest 74).\nIn early childhood, Larisa Artamonova received psychological trauma because of the murder of her father. Later, she had to raise her son, who suffers from a rare disease, alone, as well as overcome her own health problems. The criminal prosecution of Larisa Artamonova began sometime after the infamous FSB special operation codenamed \"Judgment Day,\" involving 150 law enforcement officers.\nLarisa, as a person who believes in God and has the right to freedom of religion guaranteed to her by the Russian Constitution, met with co-religionists to pray and discuss the Bible. The investigation calls such meetings \"active participation in an illegal religious event for the purpose of spreading the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case against Larisa Artamonova was initiated on September 25, 2019. Due to her recognizance not to leave, she was restricted in the right to move freely for almost 1.5 years. The investigation was conducted by the SO of the FSB of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. Cases against at least 12 believers, including Larisa Artamonova, were handled by the same investigator, D. Yankin. The investigation lasted about 5 months. On March 3, 2020, the case was submitted to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The court hearings lasted almost a year. On April 13, 2020, the preliminary hearing in the case of Larisa Artamonova was postponed, and on May 7, 2020, the court proceedings were suspended for 5 months and resumed on October 22, 2020. Larisa Artamonova's criminal case was heard by the same judge who hears cases against Elena Reino-Chernyshova and Yulia Kaganovich. In the Birobidzhan District Court, 14 criminal cases against believers are at various stages of consideration.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. They include the Russian Human Rights Ombudsman, the Presidential Human Rights Council, the Russian President, prominent Russian public figures, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-12T17:26:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/6/6_2_hu_2a97cbfa2a1c2cfd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/6/6_2_hu_51b9ccb883e7a218.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/6/6_2_hu_6462b0ab4579f0e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/6/6_2_hu_54602a974867c771.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/6.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"The verdict has been announced for the 66th Jehovah's Witness. In Birobidzhan, a court sentenced Larisa Artamonova to a fine for her belief in God","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 12, 2021 judge of the Birobidzhan district court of EAD Aleksey Ivaschenko sentenced the peaceful believer to 2,5 year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 1 year and with probation for 2 years. He was declared guilty of participating in extremist activities (Part 2, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The sentence has not entered into force. He will be under house arrest until the verdict comes into force.\nAlthough there were no victims in the case, the prosecutor asked for four years in prison for the believer. 46-year-old Igor Tsarev and his wife are raising a schoolgirl daughter. His suspended sentence condemns him to a life of constant fear, as he may go to jail at any time if law enforcement officials deem his individual faith \"an extension of the organization.” The believer insists on his innocence and will appeal his sentence.\nReading the Bible with friends and improving his communication skills on spiritual topics was equated by the investigation with criminal activity. \"I am a Jehovah's Witness, but that does not automatically make me a criminal,\" Tsarev told the court shortly before the verdict was read, \"As a people, we are known for our peacefulness. Jehovah's Witnesses form an international brotherhood based on love and mutual respect. The Bible taught me to be a decent man, a responsible husband, a good father, a devoted friend... not to repay evil for evil to anyone. Is this extremism in the sense of our legislation?\"\nIn Birobidzhan, security forces have been harassing peaceful believers since the fall of 2015. It was then that the first planting of banned literature in the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses was recorded. Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan learned about the beginning of repression for the faith in 2018 when a special operation involving 150 law enforcement officers was carried out against them. The Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region initiated a criminal case against Igor Tsarev on July 30, 2019. The believer has been under house arrest for about 1.5 years (since August 13, 2019).\nThe preliminary investigation into Igor Tsarev's case lasted about 5 months. The charges were based on video footage obtained by FSB officers during covert filming of worship services. On December 23, 2019, the case went to court. Most of the hearings were held behind closed doors at the request of the prosecutor. In his opinion, this was necessary to \"secure\" the participants in the trial from the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. The trial lasted almost 14 months.\nThe Jewish Autonomous Region is one of the regions with the largest number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses. Nineteen criminal cases against 22 Jehovah's Witnesses are in various stages of review by the EAO courts. Three local Jehovah's Witnesses, Yevgeniy Golik, Artur Lokhvitskiy, and Anastasiya Sycheva, have already been convicted for these peaceful people exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Igor Tsarev became the 64th resident of modern-day Russia to be criminally convicted for practicing his faith in Jehovah.\nDuring the hearings on Tsarev's case, the prosecutor acknowledged the right, enshrined in Article 28 of the Russian Constitution, for citizens \"to practice any religion individually or in association with others.\" At the same time, he claimed that Igor Tsarev was allowed to believe \"only within himself\" and was not allowed to participate in biblical discussions with co-religionists.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they restrict or prohibit the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-12T12:42:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_a59f7b754ce2ae3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_54089242d9e1f130.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_3b866f456a3b357e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/5/image_hu_bcea6beca6b4847c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/5.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance","minors","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The verdict has been announced for the 65th Jehovah's Witness. In Birobidzhan, Igor Tsarev was given a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Larisa Artamonova, who has lived all her life in the Jewish Autonomous Region, expressed bewilderment at her persecution in her last statement: \"I sincerely believed that people who speak the name of God should be deeply respected in our region.\"\n","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/66.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Larisa Artamonova in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"After a wave of searches that took place in Moscow and the Moscow region on February 10, 2021, 43-year-old Aleksandr Serebryakov and 43-year-old Yuriy Temirbulatov were detained. On February 12, 2021, the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow is scheduled to select a deterrence measure for the two men.\nWhat are the believers accused of? In its press release, the Investigative Committee announced that a criminal case had been opened under the article for organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization (parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Believers are accused of the fact that in the north of Moscow “conspiratorial gatherings were held in one of the apartments located on Dybenko Street, where the followers studied religious literature and information contained in other sources of information propagating the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and carried out other actions typical of this associations. In addition, the organizers held online meetings via video link. \" The case is being investigated by the Investigation Department for the North Administrative District of the Main Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow. It is not known whether this case is related to other criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the capital, for example, the case of Tchaikovsky and others in Moscow or the case of Nikiforov and others in Chekhov.\nThe scale of the February roundup. In the early morning of February 10, 2021, representatives of law enforcement agencies with attesting witnesses and camera operators began to gather at some entrances of residential buildings in Khovrino and Levoberezhny district of Moscow, as well as Khimki and Chekhov. In a press release from the Investigative Committee it is said that the searches were carried out at 16 addresses of the believers' residence together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the FSB of Moscow and the Moscow Region with the support of the National Guard. Beginning at 5:30 am, families of Jehovah's Witnesses began to inform friends and family about the incursions into their homes. At least 14 searches have been confirmed. After the raids, at least 18 believers were interrogated until late in the evening in the buildings of the Investigative Committee on Kuusinen Street in Moscow.\nBeatings and bullying. The TV channels were flown around the footage of the invasion of the believers by law enforcers dressed in helmets and body armor and armed with machine guns. The believers who have been lifted out of bed lie on the floor with their hands behind their heads. One of them is taken away with handcuffs fastened behind his back. During one of the searches, the security forces beat two men, although they did not offer any resistance. After that, their hands were tied with plastic mounting straps. When one of the believers was pushed and fell onto the bed, the tie broke. For this, his hands were tied with three more clamps. The men were in this position while the search was going on. In addition, the security forces used gross obscene language and expressed derogatory comments about the religion of the apartment residents. At the end of the search, the family noticed that a large amount of personal savings had been stolen from them.\nThe logic of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the assumption that faith in God is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" \"Proving\" the religion of the accused, which they do not hide anyway, the investigation automatically interprets this fact as the activity of a banned legal entity. Foreign leaders and organizations also unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the European Union's foreign policy service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-02-11T17:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/4/4_2_hu_78c8c0ab55ef5557.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/4/4_2_hu_5da581da6d58a86f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/4/4_2_hu_38893fd1bfa0f661.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/4/4_2_hu_c6aaa4e6f292f4d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/4.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","siloviks-violence","282.2-1","282.2-2","interrogation"],"title":"Two Jehovah's Witnesses are detained in Moscow and a criminal case for practicing their faith is initiated. Some believers are reporting beatings","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Igor Tsarev speaks of his faith in Jehovah God, a God whose name is found in world classical literature and on architectural objects of different times. He also cites scientific facts, saying that \"the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the history of mankind is cyclical.\"\n","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/61.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Tsarev in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 10, 2021, Aleksandr Kholoshin, judge of the Abinsk district court of Krasnodar region, pronounced the sentence on Aleksandr Ivshin, who was accused by local law enforcement officials of organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code). The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. He will be kept in pre-trial detention until the sentence is enforced.\nThe investigation claimed that an elderly believer had been discussing the Bible with friends from a neighboring town by video link. The state prosecutor asked for 8 years in a penal colony.\nThere are no victims in the case. Aleksandr Ivshin insists on his complete innocence and will appeal.\nThe imposed punishment is the harshest of all sentences imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier, the court of the first instance sentenced Gennady Shpakovsky of Pskov to 6.5 years in prison, but that sentence was commuted on appeal. The most severe sentences were given to Sergey Klimov, Sergey Filatov, Dennis Christensen, and Artyom Gerasimov. All of them were sentenced to six years in prison. They are currently serving their sentences.\n\"Today's sentence is shockingly cruel,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"The news of such a cruel sentence for Aleksandr Ivshin came at the same time as the news from Moscow, where about 15 families of our co-religionists were invaded today by security forces armed with automatic weapons. Television shows innocent, law-abiding people being led with handcuffs behind their backs. No one can explain why they are a danger to the state. The Russian Supreme Court has officially clarified that the decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities did not include a ban on religion. Nevertheless, believers continue to be persecuted. In less than four years, 226 people have already passed through the torture chambers or are still there. In recent months, about 50 people at a time are in prison, dozens under house arrest. People are sentenced to 6-7 years in a penal colony, as in Soviet times, and many sentences are already in effect. Legal scholars, human rights activists, and even President Putin are publicly bewildered, but it is still happening. At the end of January 2021, it became known that the president gave a second instruction to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to investigate why believers are given guilty verdicts. I hope that the law and common sense will prevail and religious persecution of followers of our religion will stop.\nThis is not the first imprisonment sentence for believers in the Krasnodar region: In December 2020, two Sochi believers were sentenced by the Khostinsky District Court to 1 year and 1 month to 1 year and 10 months in prison. The believers managed to serve their sentences in the pre-trial detention center.\nIn April 2020, searches were conducted in nine houses of believers, including Aleksandr Ivshin, in Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya villages of the Krasnodar region. During the searches, both he and his wife suffered a hypertensive crisis. \"I feel humiliated,\" he said. “All the time waiting for something bad to happen.\" After the search, he was taken to the Krasnodar FSB, where he was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. On the same day, criminal proceedings were instituted. While the investigation was ongoing, Aleksandr spent nine months under house arrest. In December 2020, the case was sent to court. Judge Holoshin managed to fit into four sessions.\nIn his last statement to the defendant, Aleksandr thanked his wife, Galina, his children, and grandchildren, as well as his friends, for their support during the difficult times for the family and for coming to court on the days of the trial. \"I have the feeling that I am not being tried for extremism, but for simply continuing to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" he said. “In my last word, I want to assure you once again that throughout my life I have never shown aggression or hatred toward anyone. I was approached for advice and help, and it pleased me. . . . Dear court, my life position is based on biblical principles, where there is no extremism or violence. In view of the foregoing, I ask that I be fully acquitted and thereby regain my good name.\"\nThe entire logic of the prosecution was built on the speculative thesis that belief in God is \"an extension of the activities of an extremist organization. As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they practiced a particular religion, even though no religion is banned in Russia. After \"proving\" the defendants' confession, which they had never concealed, the investigation suggested that this fact should be automatically interpreted as the activities of a banned legal entity. The absurdity of this logic did not embarrass the court, and it equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals.\nForeign figures and organizations also unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the European Union foreign policy service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-10T19:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_58d06ab8975e5288.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_9a203761f733905.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/3/image_hu_4050093b2ba75481.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/3.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"An unprecedentedly harsh sentence for a 63-year-old witness from the village of Kholmskaya: a seven-and-a-half year imprisonment for practicing faith","type":"news"},{"body":"\"One gets the feeling that the prosecution is trying me not for extremism, but for the fact that I simply continue to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" In his last word, Aleksandr Ivshin told the court what he believes in and how it affects him.\n","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/60.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Alexander Ivshin in Abinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 2, 2021, Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, sentenced 35-year-old Artur Lokhvitskiy to 2 years and 6 months in prison conditionally with a 3-year probation period and the obligation to report to the police once a month. The sentence has not come into force.\nThe verdict was handed down under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The judge considered the discussion of the Bible among fellow believers to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The state prosecutor N. Breycher demanded four years in a penal colony and one year of additional restrictions for a peaceful believer. At the same time, there is not a single victim in the case. The defendant does not plead guilty and notes that even the prosecution did not prove the existence of a crime.\n\"In my opinion, the entire judicial investigation proved that the worship meetings that I am charged with are exclusively peaceful, lawful, non-threatening religious activities that were not prohibited by any court. Therefore, there was no crime,\" said Artur Lokhvitskiy, speaking in court with his last word.\nSince the spring of 2017, believers' phones have been tapped and there has been hidden video recording of their worship meetings. In May 2018, in the city of Birobidzhan, an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 law enforcement officers, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers.\nThe case against Artur Lokhvitskiywas initiated on July 31, 2019. It was investigated by the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation lasted five months. The accusation brought against the believer was based on secretly made video recordings of worship services, where moral and spiritual topics were discussed. On December 24, 2019, the case went to trial. Hearings had been going on for more than a year. The conviction of Artur Lokhvitskiy was the 3rd conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy is an electrician by profession and works in the fire department. He spent about a year and a half under house arrest. Arthur was followed by his wife, Anna, and mother, Irina. His wife, Anna, suffered serious emotional trauma as a result of the criminal prosecution and had to undergo expensive medical treatment.\nArtur Lokhvitskiy became the 62nd believer in Russia to be convicted after the Russian Supreme Court liquidated the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the RF Commissioner for Human Rights, the RF Presidential Human Rights Council, the RF President, prominent Russian public figures, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-02-02T17:07:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_2022a223e5b42701.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_a14502378ab87a07.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_23b3f46917883c62.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/2/2_2_hu_ba4158e552c64a45.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Birobidzhan court handed a sentence for believing in God. Artur Lokhvitskiy received a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"\"From the Bible I learned that it is necessary to love neighbors, to love enemies and not to repay evil for evil. Would an extremist do that? This is some kind of strange extremist.\" In his last speech, Artur Lokhvitsky stressed that faith in God helps him to respect people of all nations, classes and religions.\n","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/59.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artur Lokhvitsky in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 1, 2021, during a debate in the Abakan City Court, the prosecutor asked to sentence 46-year-old Roman Baranovsky to 8 years in prison and a year of restricted freedom. For his 69-year-old mother, Valentina Baranovskaya, who suffered a stroke, the prosecutor requested 5 years in prison with the same restriction.\nUpdate. The record cruel punishment for believers was requested by Assistant Prosecutor Svetlana Anatolievna Shestakova As Valentina Baranovskaya stated during one of the court hearings, the prosecutor voiced accusations of extremism, which consisted in the fact that “Baranovskaya ... decided to participate in the joint confession and dissemination of the Christian faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, namely: to perform religious services, to introduce people with the Holy Scriptures and biblical teachings, principles and norms of the indicated religious teaching. \" “Whatever accusations the prosecutor voiced, the key thought is that I have read and still read the Bible and discuss what I have read with others,” said the believer, firmly rejecting allegations of extremist actions and motives.\nRoman Baranovsky, in his testimony to the court, also stated that he did not commit extremist actions. Moreover, the knowledge from the Bible helped him to become a more decent citizen - to give up bad habits and learn to get along with people. “For 25 years I tried to be an exemplary citizen of my country, and now the prosecution proposes to declare me an extremist,” Roman Baranovsky said, adding that during the trial “not a single witness, neither the investigation, nor the prosecutor” indicated what kind of crime he committed.\nA criminal case under article part 1 art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a banned organization) against the mother and son of the Baranovskys was initiated on March 21, 2019. Later, the charge of Valentina was softened to part 2 of art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a liquidated organization). As a crime, believers are charged with the peaceful services of Jehovah's Witnesses, at which they discussed the Bible together with their fellow believers, prayed and sang religious songs, which the investigation interprets as a continuation of the activities of prohibited organizations, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nThe requested penalty for Roman Baranovsky is the longest since the ban in 2017 of legal entities, organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Prior to that, the record was set by the Pskov prosecutor, who requested 7.5 years for Gennadiy Shpakovskiy, whom the court sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, but the court of appeal replaced the sentence with a suspended sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2021-02-01T21:44:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_e9b34589c9808313.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_71fc2a6e97b2375f.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_616b8822ecbda822.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/02/1/image_hu_710faffa8a3b09d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/02/1.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","families","elderly"],"title":"A Khakassia prosecutor requests a record-breaking eight-year prison sentence for Roman Baranovskiy for practicing his faith and a five-year sentence for his mother","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2021 the FSB conducted searches on believers in Kyzyl, the capital of the Tyva Republic. 41 year-old Anatoliy Senin was detained and placed in the temporary detention center. It became known that a criminal case was opened against him under an \"extremist\" article. In the next two days the court will decide on the question of a believer's preventive measure.\nUpdate. On January 30, 2021, the court placed 2 believers under house arrest: 39-year-old Vitaliy Manzyrykchi and 41-year-old Anatoliy Senin. Both spent 2 days behind bars, in a temporary detention center. During interrogations, investigators are interested in former members of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the city of Kyzyl, which was liquidated in April 2017 by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. Local believers notice themselves being surveilled. In the evening, around 6:30 p. m. law enforcers came to search at least four local families. After a three-hour search of Anatoliy Senin , he was detained and taken to the investigative department for questioning. Also, law enforcement officers searched and questioned a man who did not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronic devices were seized from him.\nThe Republic of Tuva, located on the border with Mongolia, became the 61st region of Russia where the authorities persecute Jehovah's Witnesses, even though the Supreme Court has not banned believers from practicing their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-01-29T18:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_a40cecf496601106.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_59b3c42f7ba1668c.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_3fcbebbe31916c7c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs3_hu_ec97b38ee75f388c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/7.html","regions":["tyva"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"The Republic of Tyva became the 61st region of Russia where Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted. A believer was placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Kyzyl","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 26, 2021, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Snezhana Fedorova, sentenced Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months on probation with the same probation period. The court considered the participation of a believer in peaceful religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremism.\n“I am allegedly being judged not for my faith, but for extremism, but no signs of this grave crime have been found. During the trial, we examined the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the indictment now and then flashes phrases: “bowed her head for prayer”, “sang along” ... There is a substitution of concepts. The religious life of an individual is presented as the activity of a prohibited legal entity, ”Galina Parkova said in her last word to the court on the eve of the verdict. She drew attention to the fact that there are no victims in the case, and her convictions are aimed at helping, not harming people. “An extremist without extremism, like borscht without vegetables, does not exist! My conscience is clear before God and before the law, ”said the believer.\nThe criminal case under Part 2 of Art. 282.2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) against Galina Parkova was initiated on June 6, 2019. The investigation was supervised by the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nGalina and two of her fellow believers (the cases of Olga Ganusha and Lyudmila Ponomarenko are separated into separate proceedings) were accused of participating in meetings at which prayers were sounded and Bible discussions were held, which the security officials considered a threat to the security of society and the state. The logic of the accusation was based on the erroneous thesis that the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they professed a certain religion, despite the fact that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited. Having “proved” the religion of the defendants, which they did not hide anyway, the investigation proposed to interpret this fact as the activity of a banned legal entity. On these grounds, the prosecutor recommended for Galina Parkova 3 years of probation, 1 year of restriction of freedom with a 4-year probationary period.\n\"The absurdity of the logic of the prosecution did not embarrass Judge Fedorova, and she passed a guilty verdict, equating a peaceful believer with dangerous criminals. The verdict has not yet entered into force,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring the criminal prosecution Galina Parkova is under recognizance not to leave. She is forced to do odd jobs in order to support herself and help her husband Alexander, who, together with two other co-religionists, has also been in jail for more than a year and a half for their faith.\nThe case of Galina Parkova is one of 9 criminal cases for her faith in the Rostov region. In relation to Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak, the court has already passed convictions. Alyev was sentenced to 2.5 years suspended imprisonment, and Baybak - 3.5 years suspended. Believers will appeal against sentences. Galina Parkova became the 62nd inhabitant of modern Russia, in respect of whom the court has already passed a guilty verdict for their faith.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them are the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ... The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-01-26T16:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_b8dd6a2eebbeb6d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_49a772ca518cbe69.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_3b9c449d5692e0df.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/6/image_hu_d381aa3c20175d31.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/6.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A sentence for discussing the Bible has been imposed in Rostov-on-Don. Galina Parkova received a two-year-three-month suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I diligently observed the laws of my country, respected the authorities and the people around me. But today they put the stigma of an extremist on me, accusing me of a serious crime without evidence,\" Galina Parkova said in her last word to the court.\n","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/58.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galina Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 21, 2021, the judge of the Obluchensky district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Olga Afanasyeva, found Anastasiya Sycheva a member of a forbidden organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probation period and 6 months of restricted freedom. This punishment was recommended by the state prosecutor.\nAnastasiya Sycheva from Obluchye was sentenced only for participation in worship services and communicating with fellow believers. The believer explained to the court that the services teach compassion, mercy, patience, and other Christian qualities, encouragement to avoid violence and immorality. \"What kind of extremism are we talking about? I don't understand,\" she stressed.\nAfter 2017, Anastasiya Sycheva became the 61st Russian citizen found guilty of extremist activity for practicing faith in Jehovah God. The sentence has not entered into legal force. The believer does not admit her guilt and will appeal it. She notes: \"...there are no victims in the criminal case. Not a single person was harmed by my actions. After watching the video recordings of the worship services in court, Anastasiya Sycheva explained that during the discussions of the biblical teachings there were not extremist ideas, but appeals to compassion for others, which helps those who lead asocial lives to reform. The prosecutor was never able to answer Anastasia's question about which of these he saw as extremism. On January 15, 2021, Anastasia gave her final word, pointing out to the court that \"a minister of God must hate the evil that hurts others. The believer emphasized: \"We try just not to hate people, but even to eradicate such thoughts. I cannot be a friend of God by hurting my neighbor. None of the participants of the trial noted that I had a hatred for other people. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are in no way associated with extremism, on the contrary, they show love for each other and other people.\"\nAlmost three years earlier, in May 2018, in the city of Birobidzhan, an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 security officials, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers. The case against Sycheva was initiated on September 25, 2019. For more than a year, the believer has been under recognizance not to leave (since October 1, 2019). The case was investigated for 5 months by the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. The case is based on video footage of worship services and recordings of Anastasia's telephone conversations, which, in her opinion, not only lack signs of extremism, but, on the contrary, show respect for the interlocutors.\nOn 4 March 2020, the case went to court. The hearings lasted more than 10 months. There are at least 26 volumes in the case. A witness for the prosecution, police officer Zvereva, who knew nothing about the events Anastasiya Sycheva was accused of, was questioned in court. Zvereva was involved in the formation of administrative offense cases against the Local Religious Organization and its leaders in 2015-2016, who were found guilty by courts for possession of extremist materials, although they were planted by believers. Also, believers reported to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation about the crime committed by law enforcement officers, namely planting prohibited items on them. This report is available in the materials of the criminal case. There was no proper response to this statement from the state.\nAnastasia faced many difficulties in her life. Her older sister died of cancer in one year, and later her mother and brother passed away. The believer took care of and raised two nephews, and now cares for her ailing elderly father. Ten years ago Japanese television made a program about the Sychev family. The program was about family values and human relationships. Journalists liked this large, friendly family, and in the summer of 2020, Japanese reporters found Anastasia again. They reported that the program about their family was being re-run. Ironically, in Russia, this well-meaning woman was accused of \"participating in extremist activities\" (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code).\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain a restriction or ban on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-01-23T14:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_4b868e1ebcbe2ff2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_2dca2ddb4e136f7d.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_21a07aae475aad65.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/3/image_hu_7ea248ac319f5d67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/3.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Jewish Autonomous Region court sentenced the 43-year-old nurse Anastasiya Sychyeva to two years of suspended sentence for her belief in Jehovah's God","type":"news"},{"body":"Text updated on January 26, 2021.\nOn January 21, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted searches in seven homes and workplaces of Votkinsk-based Jehovah's Witnesses. Mikhail Potapov, 42, was taken to Izhevsk detention center #1 and Sergey Gobozev, 63, due to poor health, was placed under house arrest and banned from using a telephone and the Internet.\nCriminal cases were initiated against the believers based on Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity). During the searches, electronic devices, postcards, photo albums, and Bibles were seized from the believers. Eyewitnesses reported that law enforcement officers planted publications that are included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-01-22T14:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/5.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","house-arrest","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In Udmurtia, security forces invaded the homes and workplaces of believers. There are detainees","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2021, Feliks Makhammadiyev, having fully served his 3-year prison sentence for his faith, having lost his Russian citizenship due to criminal prosecution, was released in the country of his birth. His wife, Yevgenia, a Russian citizen, left the country after him.\nFelix Makhammadiev was severely beaten by guards in Penal Colony No. 1 in the Orenburg region, with a broken rib and punctured lung, and ended up in hospital. On December 31, 2020, after his release from the colony, Feliks Makhammadiyev was placed behind barbed wire in a migration center. On the night of January 20, Interior Ministry officials put him on a train to Tashkent, and 20 hours later he was reunited with his wife.\nFollowing the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Feliks Makhammadiyev became the first member of that religion to serve a full court-ordered sentence in a penal colony for his faith. He was also the first prisoner of conscience to have his citizenship revoked effectively on the basis of his religious affiliation.\nFelix has lived in Russia since 2002, when he arrived as a teenager with his mother from Uzbekistan. Here he led a law-abiding life - obtained citizenship, worked as a hairdresser, and created a family. However, in the summer of 2018, a criminal case was opened against him and five other believers from Saratov on charges of organizing extremist activity. The only culpability of the believers was peaceful religious meetings, where they read the Bible and discussed Christian teachings. All five were found guilty, Felix was sentenced to 3 years in a minimum-security penal colony.\n\"I cherish a clear conscience before God and my neighbors ... I have never questioned the correctness of the norms of right and wrong set forth in secular laws,\" Feliks Makhammadiyev told the court shortly before his sentencing. \"In my heart I experience dignity for the humiliation through which we still go, without making me, my family or my friends bitter to society.\nIn a colony hundreds of miles from home, the believer endured brutal beatings, unjust treatment, and grueling labor. As his wife, Eugenia, said shortly before Felix's release, he endured it all with an inherent smile: \"I am very proud of him! Not only did he survive the trial with dignity, but he continues to endure the hardships with dignity.\"\n","category":"sentence","date":"2021-01-22T09:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/4/image_hu_74733d0df65a59da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/4/image_hu_9d67ee1d3c41c2e.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/4/image_hu_b300afd9ba2e9496.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/4/image_hu_6f88b1b235bf8792.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/4.html","regions":["orenburg","saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","deportation"],"title":"Feliks Makhammadiyev has been released. He was deported from Russia, and reconnected with his wife at the central railway station in Tashkent","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2021 Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan district court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, sentenced Yevgeny Golik under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist association): 2.5 years of suspended sentence with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year.\nThe state prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony. There were no victims in the case. The believer pleaded not guilty and asked for a full acquittal. The verdict did not come into force.\n\"I am against extremism, violence and brutality. I have never felt hatred towards people and have never encouraged anyone to do so. All my actions were presented on video. I studied the Bible with the perpetrators, and this was not prohibited by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation,\" Golik said in the defendant's last statement.\nBefore becoming a Jehovah's Witness, Yevgeniy Golik served in the army in Chechnya and has state awards for participation in combat operations. After becoming acquainted with the Bible, he got rid of drug addiction.\nFor almost a year and a half, he has been under house arrest, which limits his freedom of movement. It all began in May 2018, when an FSB special operation with the participation of 150 law enforcement officers, code-named \"Judgment Day,\" took place against local Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan. As a result, 19 criminal cases were opened against 22 believers. On July 30, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Yevgeniy Golik. His case was investigated by the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Jewish Autonomous Region. The investigation went on for about five months, and on December 23, 2019, the materials were transferred to court. The trial lasted 13 months.\nDuring the appearance in court, a witness for the prosecution, a police officer, was unable to explain what exactly the \"crime\" of Yevgeniy Golik consisted in. She only referred to the fact that the townspeople were unhappy with the defendant's religion. They didn't hear any extremist slogans from the believers. Believers gathered to pray and discuss the Bible with co-religionists, which the security forces considered a threat to state security and the constitutional order. The entire logic of the accusation was based on the speculative thesis that belief in God is \"an extension of the activity of an extremist organization. As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they practiced a particular religion, even though no religion is banned in Russia. Having \"proved\" the defendants' confession, which they had never concealed, the investigation suggested that this fact should be automatically interpreted as the activities of a banned legal entity. The absurdity of this logic did not embarrass the court, and it equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals.\nThe conviction of Yevgeniy Golik was the first in the Jewish Autonomous Region. In January 2021 several more sentences for believers in this region are scheduled to be announced. Yevgeniy Golik became the 60th resident of modern Russia to be convicted of believing in God after the Russian Supreme Court liquidated the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and 395 local religious organizations.\nRussian and foreign figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the RF Commissioner for Human Rights, the RF Presidential Human Rights Council, the RF President, prominent Russian public figures, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or bans on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2021-01-22T09:23:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_7c4ea7588ce7cb9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_8228481b0358385c.jpg","webp":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_6b227b22e6641183.webp","webp2x":"/news/2021/01/2/image_hu_b95a99ed144d43ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/2.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Yevgeniy Golik, 44, of Birobidzhan was convicted for his faith. He received a two-and-half year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer stressed that he was not doing anything that the Supreme Court had banned, such as distributing \"extremist\" literature. \"I myself am against extremism, I do not take up arms and do not encourage anyone to do so,\" Yevgeniy said.\n","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/56.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeniy Golik in Birobidzhan","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her appeal to the court, the believer spoke about the incompatibility of her beliefs with extremism and the positive influence of the Bible on a person. Anastasia Sycheva expressed bewilderment at how in a modern country the authorities can subject people to criminal prosecution based on stereotypes and myths.\n","date":"2021-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/55.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Anastasia Sycheva's last word in Obluchye","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 9, 2021, in the village of Mednogorsky (Karachay-Cherkessia), FSB officers conducted an examination of at least three apartments of believers: 34-year-old A.S., 42-year-old S.G., and 55-year-old Irina Perefilieva. An elderly relative had high blood pressure due to stress. She required urgent medical assistance.\nFederal Security Service agents from Cherkessk, about 100 km from the small mountain village in the North Caucasus, came to the believers in the early morning of the weekend. On 30 December 2020, Judge Islam Gerbekov issued an order for an inspection of the Mednogorsky dwellings in order to \"identify the facts of involvement in the activities of the banned Jehovah's Witnesses organization\". The inspection of the premises lasted from about 7:00 to 10:00 a.m.\nThe law enforcers offered believers to voluntarily surrender prohibited items, such as weapons. Having found nothing illegal, they seized electronic devices, data carriers, personal records and Bibles in different translations. The law enforcers promised to return all the items in a few days.\nPersecution of peaceful believers in Karachay-Cherkessia began back in September 2010. At present the Cherkessky City Court is considering a criminal case against Albert Batchaev, who is accused of \"extremism. Russian and foreign human rights activists have repeatedly stated that religious discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses is inappropriate and called for an end to the persecution.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2021-01-12T17:07:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2021/01/1.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","inspection"],"title":"The FSB attempted to identify proof of involvement in the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses among three residents of a mountain village in Karachay-Cherkessia","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 31, 2020, a 36-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Saratov left Penal Colony No. 1 in Orenburg. He was transferred to a deportation center because after his sentence, his Russian citizenship was revoked and he is subject to return to his country of birth. This happened because he was convicted under an \"extremist\" article for his faith.\nAfter his release from the colony, Feliks Makhammadiev is still behind barbed wire—in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons, located in the village of Alabaytal (Orenburg Region). The term of his stay here will be determined by the Belyaevskiy District Court, the hearing is scheduled for January 4, 2021.\nThe believer did not commit any crime. In Mahammadiev's case, studying the Bible and praying to Jehovah God were wrongly interpreted by investigators and courts as organizing the activities of a banned organization (Part 1, Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). He was sentenced to three years in prison. Taking into account the time spent in the detention center, his prison term ended on December 31, 2020. On his admission to the colony, he was severely beaten by guards and emergency hospitalized due to a broken rib and damaged lung.\nDetention center for illegal migrants in the village of Alabaytal, Orenburg region Feliks Makhammadiev moved to Saratov when he was 17 and later obtained Russian citizenship. He started a family with Russian citizen Yevgenia Lagunova and worked as a hairdresser. Some time after the sentence came into force, Makhammadiev learned that the Russian Federation had terminated his passport.\nMakhammadiev has a number of illnesses related to intolerance to certain types of food. The violation of his diet negatively affects his health, leading to exhaustion of his body. The rules of the deportation facilities establish that dietary meals are not provided there. The center itself is under quarantine.\nTogether with Makhammadiev, several of his fellow believers from Saratov were sentenced to prison: Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, and Aleksey Miretskiy. Their prison terms expire in 2021. Courts refused all of them in applications for mitigation of punishment and replacement of the remaining sentence with a fine. Apart from them, four other believers are currently serving their sentences in various colonies.\nThe vague wording of Russian legislation on extremism has been the subject of criticism by legal scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad. According to experts, the term “extremism” is inapplicable to the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their persecution must be stopped immediately.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2020-12-31T18:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/12/image_hu_f3b2fe582995386c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/12/image_hu_e62da639bf1f1e53.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/12/image_hu_2c2f40e4a4df12eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/12/image_hu_3d42767a5dafaaa0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/12.html","regions":["orenburg","saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release","deportation","health-risk"],"title":"A first individual who served time in prison and was deprived of his citizenship for his faith. Feliks Makhammadiyev left the correctional facility but has not attained freedom","type":"news"},{"body":"How many people were repressed for their faith in 2020? As of December 30, 2020, 427 followers of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted, convicted, or acquitted. Of these, 146 learned of criminal prosecution in 2020. (In 2019, the number was 213.) The total number of criminal cases brought was 188 (most often 2 or more defendants in one criminal case).\nWhat is the geographic scope of religious repression as of the end of 2020? Criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses have already been opened in 60 Regions, Territories, republics, Autonomous Regions, and Cities of Federal Significance. In 2020, cases were opened in 8 new regions of Russia. (In 2019, the number was 21.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2020, and how many of them went into effect. As of December 30, 2020, 59 men and women were convicted for their faith in the past 2 years. During 2020, 39 people were convicted under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code and sentenced to various penalties by the trial courts. (In 2019, the figure was 18.) Of these, 21 people are still waiting for an appeal decision. For 23 believers during 2020, appeal hearings were held and sentences went into effect. (In 2019, the number was 10.) In some cases, sentences were reduced or increased, but most were unchanged.\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through temporary detention facilities, pre-trial detention centers, or penal colonies, and how many are still being held there. A total of 221 believers have been sent behind bars since May 2017. During 2020, 49 believers were placed in pre-trial detention (SIZO), and another 23 spent a few days each in a TDF, but they were given a non-custodial measure of restraint. Thus, during the year, 72 believers ended up in detention. (In 2019, the figure was 84.) As of December 30, 2020, 46 people remain behind bars, including 36 in pre-trial detention facilities and 10 in penal colonies.\nVladimir and Tatyana Alushkin Felix Makhammadiyev, March 2020 The family meets Gennadiy Shpakovsky at the exit from the pre-trial detention center Lyudmila Shut in the courtroom, September 2020 Yuriy Zalipaev in the courtroom Yuriy Savelyev in the courtroom, Novosibirsk, 2020 The security forces are storming the apartment of believers. Moscow, November 2020. Photo source: Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Vardan Zakaryan after the session of the Presnensky District Court, Moscow, November 30, 2020 Dennis Christensen in a prison cell for visits during a meeting with a lawyer. Lgov. September 8, 2020 Natalia and Sergey Britvin, Vadim and Tatyana Levchuk, Berezovsky, September 2020 How many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the ban on registered Jehovah's Witnesses took effect, a total of 1,274 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 477 searches were conducted in 2020. (In 2019, the number was 489.) A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to liberty and security of person, privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name.\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2020:\n01/19/2020 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 4 searches were conducted. 01/21/2020 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted. 01/22/2020 Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory): 6 searches carried out. 01/24/2020 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted. 01/28/2020 Pechora (Komi Republic): 12 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Darasun resort (Trans-Baikal Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2020 Chita (Trans-Baikal Territory): 23 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Pervomaisky (Trans-Baikal Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2020 Verkhnyaya Hila (Trans-Baikal Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2020 Baley (Trans-Baikal Territory): 3 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Amazar (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Duldurga (Trans-Baikal Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/10/2020 Yasnogorsk (Trans-Baikal Territory): 6 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Khilok (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Krasnokamensk (Trans-Baikal Territory): 4 searches carried out. 02/10/2020 Novopavlovsk (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/12/2020 Stavropol (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted. 02/13/2020 Yalta (Republic of Crimea): 1 search was conducted. 03/06/2020 Kizlyar (Republic of Dagestan): 1 search was conducted. 03/23/2020 Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 03/24/2020 Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory): 4 searches were conducted. 03/30/2020 Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk Region): 3 searches carried out. 04/11/2020 Teikovo (Ivanovo Region): 5 searches were conducted. 04/28/2020 Starokorsunskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 1 search was conducted. 04/29/2020 Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 5 searches carried out. 04/29/2020 Pavlovskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 5 searches carried out. 05/12/2020 Lesozavodsk (Primorye Territory): 4 searches were conducted. 05/19/2020 Lesozavodsk (Primorye Territory): 3 searches were conducted. 05/20/2020 Maisky (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic): 5 searches carried out. 05/21/2020 Lesozavodsk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted. 05/21/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 2 searches carried out. 05/22/2020 Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory): 2 searches carried out. 05/26/2020 Kerch (Republic of Crimea): 5 searches were conducted. 05/27/2020 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 5 searches carried out. 05/27/2020 Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 06/02/2020 Vlasikha (Moscow Region): 5 searches carried out. 06/09/2020 Astrakhan (Astrakhan region): 27 searches carried out. 06/18/2020 Nazarovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 12 searches carried out. 06/22/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 2 searches were conducted. 06/23/2020 Goluboy Bay (Republic of Crimea): 2 searches carried out. 07/02/2020 Tavrichanka (Primorye Territory): 6 searches were conducted. 07/07/2020 Likino-Dulevo (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/07/2020 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 2 searches carried out. 07/09/2020 Vladivostok (Primorye Territory): 7 searches were conducted. 07/11/2020 Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad Region): 7 searches were conducted. 07/12/2020 Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo Region): 4 searches carried out. 07/13/2020 Voronezh (Voronezh Region): 64 searches carried out. 07/13/2020 Ramon (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/13/2020 Liski (Voronezh Region): 2 searches carried out. 07/13/2020 Semiluki (Voronezh Region): 3 searches carried out. 07/13/2020 Stary Oskol (Belgorod Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/13/2020 Borisoglebsk (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/13/2020 Maslovsky (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/13/2020 Pavlovsk (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/13/2020 Novovoronezh (Voronezh Region): 1 search was conducted. 07/14/2020 Seversk (Tomsk Region): 6 searches conducted. 07/15/2020 Zvezdny (Kabardino-Balkarian Republic): 1 search was conducted. 07/23/2020 Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug): 1 search was conducted. 07/28/2020 Solikamsk (Perm Territory): 3 searches were conducted. 08.08.2020 Rostov-on-Don (Rostov Region): 1 search was conducted. 08.08.2020 Gukovo (Rostov Region): 16 searches carried out. 08.08.2020 Kursk (Kursk region): 2 searches carried out. 08/10/2020 Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory): 2 searches carried out. 08/18/2020 Partizansk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted. 08/19/2020 Yugorsk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area): 8 searches were conducted. 08/19/2020 Sovetskiy (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area): 1 search was conducted. 08/24/2020 Pechora (Komi Republic): 12 searches carried out. 08/27/2020 Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted. 09/03/2020 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09/04/2020 Yelets (Lipetsk Region): 2 searches conducted. 09/05/2020 Pechora (Komi Republic): 1 search was conducted. 09/15/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 09/24/2020 Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region): 1 search was conducted. 01.10.2020 Sevastopol (Republic of Crimea): 9 searches were conducted. 06.10.2020 Solnechnodolsk (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted. 10 /11/2020 Nikolsk (Penza Region): 4 searches were conducted. 10/13/2020 Zeya (Amur Region): 8 searches were conducted. 10/19/2020 Berezovsky (Sverdlovsk Region): 5 searches carried out. 10/22/2020 Sovetskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk Territory): 2 searches carried out. 10/29/2020 Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 11/ 11/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 2 searches were conducted. 11/ 12/2020 Maisky (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic): 1 search was conducted. 11/12/2020 Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria Republic): 6 searches conducted. 11/12/2020 Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkess Republic): 1 search was conducted. 11/16/2020 Gryazi (Lipetsk Region): 9 searches carried out. 11/18/2020 Nizhnekamsk (Republic of Tatarstan): 12 searches were conducted. 11/ 19/2020 Nizhnekamsk (Republic of Tatarstan): 1 search was conducted. 11/24/2020 Moscow (Moscow): 20 searches carried out. 11/27/2020 Cheboksary (Chuvash Republic): 5 searches carried out. 11/27/2020 Novocheboksarsk (Chuvash Republic): 2 searches carried out. 11/27/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 11/28/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 11/30/2020 Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 4 searches were conducted. 02.12.2020 Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Territory): 2 searches carried out. 12/09/2020 Oryol (Oryol Region): 8 searches were conducted. 12/11/2020 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted. 12/21/2020 Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatka Territory): 1 search was conducted. 12/21/2020 Lermontovka (Khabarovsk Territory): 4 searches carried out. 12/21/2020 Bikin (Khabarovsk Territory): 5 searches carried out. 12/24/2020 Kirsanov (Tambov Region): 20 searches carried out. 12/24/2020 Lukhovitsy (Moscow Region): 1 search was conducted. 12/25/2020 Chita (Trans-Baikal Territory): 1 search was conducted. Which international organizations came out in defense of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses in 2020?\nOn March 12, 2020, 27 European Union (EU) states issued a statement calling on Russia to stop repressing Jehovah's Witnesses. Six other non-EU countries joined the statement.\nOn May 6, 2020, the UN Human Rights Council's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention adopted a decision concerning 18 believers in Russia. The group deemed the cases against them illegal and recommended their immediate release.\nOn July 23, 2020, 30 OSCE member states issued a statement harshly criticizing the Russian repression of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn October 1, 2020, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (the body that oversees how countries execute ECtHR judgments) issued a decision noting the repeated failure of the Russian Federation to implement the final judgment in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. The Committee of Ministers pointed out that the 2017 Supreme Court decision concerning Jehovah's Witnesses effectively nullified earlier progress in the case, creating a legal basis for the repetition of violations that the European Court had previously assessed and found unlawful.\nEarlier condemnations of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia included:\nУполномоченный по правам человека в РФ, Совет по правам человека при Президенте РФ, Президент РФ, видные общественные деятели России, внешнеполитическая служба Евросоюза, наблюдатели Парламентской ассамблеи Совета Европы, Рабочая группа по произвольным задержаниям ООН, Управление Верховного комиссара ООН по правам человека. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-12-30T17:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/11/image_hu_6e824854a7e195a4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/11/image_hu_a0edc9c3ff7dcd03.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/11/image_hu_d07e38f46596a544.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/11/image_hu_a8c58fff6371606a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/11.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","international","human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations","commissioner-rf","presidential-council","pace","eu"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Under the Yoke of Repression: Results of 2020","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 29, 2020, the Nadezhdinsky District Court held a hearing in the criminal case against a former military officer from the village of Razdolnoye. Because of his belief in Jehovah's God, the prosecutor's office charged him with organizing the activities of a banned organization. A date for announcing the verdict has not yet been set.\nUpdate. It became known that Vladimir Filippov is scheduled to deliver his last word on January 27, 2021 at 15:30. The verdict will probably be announced on the same day. State prosecutor Maria Koval (assistant to the prosecutor) recommended judge Diana Merzlyakova to sentence the 77-year-old pensioner to 6 years 6 months imprisonment in a penal colony. The prosecutor also wants to prohibit him to participate in public organizations for another 2 years and to order him to register every month for 1 year after his release, not to leave home at night, not to attend public events, not to change his place of residence and not to leave the Nadezhdinsky municipal district without the consent of supervisory bodies.\nThere are no victims in Filippov's case. Filippov himself does not admit his guilt; he claims that he was simply praying and discussing the Gospel. The believer has been under house arrest for over nine months now. Before that, operatives put him under surveillance.\nThe case against Vladimir Filippov was initiated on July 1, 2019. However, a year earlier, on July 19, 2018, as part of another case in which Filippov was formally a witness, armed law enforcement officers in masks rudely broke into the dwellings of believers in the village of Razdolnoye. One of them punched Vladimir Filippov in the face. A year later his apartment was searched again as part of the case against Filippov, after which his wife, Lubov, suffered a hypertensive crisis and had to call an ambulance. On January 22, 2020, the Nadezhdinskiy District Court sanctioned the third search in the home of peaceful believers. Both cases were investigated by the Investigative Division of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Primorye Territory.\nThe criminal case is based on video recordings of worship services from 2017 and audio recordings of conversations about the Bible with a certain B. N. Ulyankin, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. The investigation into the case lasted just under 2 years. On May 19, 2020 it went to court. The hearing lasted another 7 months.\nThe prosecutor's office accused the peaceful pensioner of \"convening meetings, organizing religious speeches and religious services... Distribution of literature with extremist content, implementation of preaching activities\" - all this was interpreted as extremism. After viewing the video of the worship service in court, it became clear that Filippov only participated in prayer and chanting, and gave a short biblical speech about showing kindness to people. In his testimony, Vladimir Filippov noted that \"praying to God is not a violation of the law. Learning biblical instruction is not a violation of the law. Talking to other people who express a desire to speak on spiritual topics is not a violation of the law.\"\nVladimir Filippov is a former military man who served for 27 years. His father died at the front shortly before he was born. As a young man Vladimir was a member of the Krasnozersk district hockey team. For the last 25 years he has been studying the Bible in depth.\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unlawful. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain a restriction or ban on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-12-29T17:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_5fff63c7b77c40e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_f59bbecf48de4db5.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_27c8c385812399f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/10/image_hu_b9b89b752fdd740e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/10.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","elderly"],"title":"A Primorye prosecutor requested six-and-a-half year correctional colony sentence for the 77-year-old believer Vladimir Filippov","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, the believer explains why he does not pose a danger to society and is not going to hide. He lists the facts of pressure, threats and provocations against Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol and him personally, which have been committed since 2009.\n","date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/57.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal","courtroom"],"title":"Vladimir Melnik's speech in the Court of Appeal on his preventive measure in Oryol","type":"docs"},{"body":"In the morning of December 24, 2020, at least two searches of believers were carried out in the city of Kirsanov, Tambov Region. Details are being specified.\nUpdate. On 21 December 2020 investigators of the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 27-year-old Anton Kuzhelkov and 56-year-old Nikolay Prokhorov under Part 1 Article 282.2 (organization of activities prohibited by the court) of the RF Criminal Code. Three days later searches were conducted at 19 locations in the town of Kirsanov. Kuzhelkov was detained. On December 25, the Leninskiy District Court of Tambov sent him to the pretrial detention facility for 2 months, until February 20, 2021. Prokhorov was released after interrogation. The Tambov Region becomes the 59th region where law enforcement agencies persecute citizens on the basis of their confession as Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-12-24T14:28:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/9.html","regions":["tambov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"The Tambov region becomes a 59th region in which Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted","type":"news"},{"body":"A conscientious objector, whose faith does not allow him to take up arms, was convicted under \"extremist\" articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Barvin, a Leninskiy District Court judge, issued the verdict on December 21, 2020. Several days earlier, the same court handed down a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence to another Jehovah's Witness, Ruslan Alyyev.\nSemyon Baybak was sentenced to 3.5 years suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4.5 years, 1-year restriction of freedom, namely: it is forbidden to leave home from 22:00 to 6:00, it is forbidden to visit institutions where alcoholic drinks are sold, it is forbidden to leave Rostov-on-Don, change the place of residence and work, it is ordered to come twice a month to a supervisory body for registration. The believer was immediately released from the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\nAnother 14 law-abiding residents of Rostov-on-Don are currently prosecuted under a similar scheme. The investigation interprets the unprohibited observance of religious rules — reading the Bible, praying, singing, and Biblical conversations — as participation in the activities of an organization banned by a court in Moscow in 2017.\nOn December 18, 2020, addressing the court with his last word, Semyon Baibak said: \"I am not the first Jehovah's Witness in this court and, unfortunately, not the last. My other co-religionists will be here for some time yet... Jehovah's Witnesses in general, as a religion, are absolutely alien to extremism in all its manifestations. Let me give you an example from history. Bergen-Belsen, Bohr, Buchenwald, Wevelsburg, Gros Rosen, Dachau, Sachsenhausen, Lichtenburg, Majdanek, Mauthausen, Mittelbau-Dora, Niederhagen, Neuengamm, Oswiecim, Ravensbrück, Stutthof, Esterwegen... These are all names of Nazi concentration camps. The Jehovah's Witnesses, a group of people marked with a purple triangle patch on their uniforms, were held . . . in each of them. Sent to these terrible places for their religious beliefs, for refusing to say \"Heil Hitler!\" and for refusing to participate in that war. So why did they refuse? The Bible calls, \"As far as possible on your part, be at peace with all men.\" For Jehovah's Witnesses, these are not just words. It is a directive from God that we honor sacredly.\"\nSemyon Baibak did not admit his guilt of participating in an extremist organization. He considers his criminal case to be nothing but religious persecution. At the same time, he told the court: \"I don't feel depressed or hate that such things touched me as well. But I intend to prove my innocence to the very end. I would like to end with a passage from the Bible that I like very much: \"We are constrained in every way, but not driven into a corner; we are confused, but our situation is not hopeless; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; subverted, but not destroyed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-22T18:29:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_6762db9cfce68be2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_8c09ab7371274c24.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_eea9b00288f1cb0a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/8/image_hu_f00b1423fef2f32b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/8.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Another verdict for practicing faith: a three-and-a-half year suspended sentence for the 23-year-old Rostov-on-Don-based Semyon Baybak","type":"news"},{"body":"Updated December 24, 2020.\nOn December 21, 2020, at least 9 searches were conducted in the apartments of local believers in the town of Bikin and the village of Lermontovka (Khabarovsk Territory). A few people were detained for questioning, but were released the same day. Sergey Kazakov, a 46-year-old resident of Bikin, was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention center in Khabarovsk.\nSergey Kazakov came to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to take care of his mother after a stroke. There, in her apartment, he was found by investigators. A search was conducted, Kazakov was taken from Kamchatka and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk. His mother was left without help. Moreover, three days later she started to show symptoms of covid. It is probable that she was infected during the search. Sergey Kazakov's state of health in the pre-trial detention center is unknown.\nThe house of 48-year-old Vladimir Agarkov was broken into by the FSS officers early in the morning. The search was carried out by investigator of Vyazemsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Khabarovsk Krai and EAD Yakimov N. E., as well as three officers of the local FSB. A search warrant was issued by the court on 10 December 2020. Four telephones, a tablet and a laptop were seized. Immediately after the start of the search the believer's wife became ill, an ambulance was not called. During the interrogation, the investigator offered Vladimir to voluntarily surrender the items related to the \"crime\". Then Vladimir was taken for interrogation to the commandant's office of the Border Troops on Matronin Street. Vladimir notes that his wife was being watched because she often noticed the same car nearby.\nDuring other searches, bank cards, phones and flash drives were seized from the believers. Their relatives were also deprived of their bank cards. During interrogations, believers were asked questions such as: \"Are there Jehovah's Witnesses in your area and in neighboring villages?\" \"What time do you gather?\" \"Do you have a conference connection?\" \"Is there printed literature?\"\nIt later became known that in addition to Kazakov, at least one other woman from the town of Bikin was among the suspects in the criminal case for her faith.\nUpdate. At 06:00, a woman knocked on Olga Mirgorodskaya's apartment in the village of Lermontovka (50 km from Bikin) and asked to call an ambulance. When Olga's husband opened the door, law enforcement officers burst in and pinned him to the wall. They searched the apartment in the presence of a 9-year-old child for four and a half hours. Spiritual books, personal records, electronic media and a telephone were seized. Investigator A. Khanin said that a criminal case was opened against Olga. After the search the believer was taken for interrogation.\nLaw enforcement officers took advantage of worshippers' compassion, trying to get into their homes: they pretended to be people who were involved in car accidents, asking for help, etc. In search of \"extremist\" words, they searched for sheets of personal notes in trash cans and trays of kitty litter, confiscated Bibles in the Synodal translation, explaining this by the fact that it contained the name of God.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-21T16:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/7.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in Khabarovsk Region, One Believer Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2020, Yuriy Pilipenko, a judge of the Khostinsky district court, found two Sochi residents guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization because of their religion. Vyacheslav Popov spent one year and two months in the pre-trial detention center, and Nikolay Kuzichkin spent 6.5 months in the pre-trial detention center plus eight months under house arrest.\nThe time the believers have already spent in custody corresponds to their sentences: 1 year and 1 month for Kuzichkin and 1 year and 10 months for Popov. Vyacheslav Popov will remain in the pre-trial detention center until the sentence comes into force.\nThe criminal case in Sochi became known on October 10, 2019, when groups of law enforcement officers conducted searches in 36 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi. Armed special forces broke down the doors, broke in through the balcony. Both young and old were laid face down on the floor.\nThe case was investigated for 12 months by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. All this time Kuzichkin and Popov remained under arrest. The health condition of 69-year-old piano tuner Nikolay Kuzichkin in pre-trial detention approached a critical state. Lack of treatment for life-threatening diseases caused him to lose 24 kilograms in just a month and a half. In April 2020, the Krasnodar Regional Court ruled to release Kuzichkin from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. Vyacheslav Popov's detention was extended 14 times.\nThe ban and liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in 2017 have long since escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of the liquidated legal entities. This legal \"collision,\" as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation put it, is crippling the lives of hundreds of people. Recently the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, with dozens of men and women behind bars. The believers await the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they have filed a complaint.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-18T20:59:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_db013c6f5057aacb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_71c6a5d88b51c3b6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_59f7057b469b69a3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/6/image_hu_5f452f13039d2193.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/6.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"title":"Sochi-based believers Kuzichkin and Popov were sentenced to imprisonment but were released due to having, in effect, completed their sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, Semyon Baibak emphasized: \"If it were my pleasure to commit any crime, the purpose of which is to incite any discord, or the desire to shake the government, then first of all I would cease to be Jehovah's Witness, since I simply could not remain one.\"\n","date":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/54.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Semyon Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"On 17 December 2020, Vladimir Strokov, judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Rostov-on-Don, found a law-abiding believer guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization just because he observes the customs of his religion: he reads the Bible and recommends it to others. The verdict did not take effect.\nTogether with the suspended sentence, Ruslan Alyev was put on probation for 2.5 years with the obligation to report for registration once a month.\nRuslan Alyev, a Chinese language tutor, spent about a year and a half under house arrest after the Investigative Committee opened a case against him for praying, reading the Bible, and discussing religious issues. The case file includes testimony from a classified witness whose words the court accepted even without questioning him, depriving the defense of the opportunity to ask him questions. The prosecutor asked for three years of suspended sentence for Alyev with a probation period of four years.\nIn his final statement, \"In the first century C.E. a young man of 33 years stood trial on charges of inciting rebellion against the state. The witnesses' testimonies contradicted each other, the prosecution could not prove his guilt, but the verdict, nevertheless, turned out to be guilty. That man was Jesus Christ. Today, in the twenty-first century, I, a young man of 33, stand before the court accused of a crime against the constitutional order and security of the state. When I hear the charge of undermining the constitutional order and threatening the security of the state, I wonder at the inconsistency and absurdity of the charge. It's like drawing a sheep with fangs and claws: on paper it's possible, but in life it's not.\"\nI grew up imbibing the culture of at least three nations: Russian, Azerbaijani and Ukrainian,\" Aliyev said about himself in his last statement, \"Each of them is dear and close to me equally. [...] Among my friends are quite a few people from various English-speaking countries in Africa and the Chinese. By blood I am an Azerbaijani. Everyone knows about the long-standing hostility between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, but my close friend is Armenian, he was a witness at my wedding. This attitude towards people of different nationalities, races, religions and social status has been formed in me, thanks to my religious upbringing... And now to hear accusations of fomenting ethnic or racial hatred or superiority over others is very surprising to me and to those who know me.\nRuslan Alyev is one of 16 Jehovah's Witnesses in the Rostov region who are charged under Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code because of their religion.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain restrictions or bans on individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-17T18:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_eb22bbce2d1801d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_ca643051c003f964.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_60a844627e38292d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/5/image_hu_36ca6b4563d10f9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/5.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"A Rostov-on-Don sentence for practicing faith: one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ruslan Alyyev, 33, was handed a two-and-a-half year suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk judge Yekaterina Kashina sentenced Yuriy Savelyev to six years in a general regime colony for believing in Jehovah God on December 16, 2020. The believer will appeal the verdict and will remain in pre-trial detention center until the appeal hearing, where he has been held for 769 days, despite his deteriorating health.\n“Yuriy Savelyev was taken to the announcement of the verdict with a high fever, in a weakened state, but in a good mood, despite the fact that at the previous session the assistant prosecutor V. Petrov requested 8 years in prison for him. The believer intends to appeal the verdict in the near future,” Saveliev's lawyer said after the court session.\n“I do not hold any grudge or resentment against those because of whom I am in prison,” said Yuriy Savelyev, speaking in court on December 9 with his last word.\nAfter the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017, Yuriy Savelyev did not stop adhering to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, reading the Bible and discussing religious topics with fellow believers and other people. The investigation considered this to be extremism, organization of the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Yuriy Savelyev considers these accusations absurd: “I have no enemies, and for my almost 67 years I have never been brought to administrative or criminal responsibility. I am against any form of violence, be it verbal, psychological or physical. \"\nDuring the trial, not a single evidence was presented that the believer had committed any real crime and pose a threat to society or the state. Nevertheless, Judge Yekaterina Kashina repeatedly extended the detention of a believer despite the pandemic. As a result, in prison, Yuriy Savelyev fell ill, besides, the elderly man had aggravated diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.\nBased on the rules for recording the time of detention, Yuriy Savelyev has already served almost half of the term in the pre-trial detention center. He should be released in September 2023.\n“Such a severe sentence for an absolutely innocent elderly and not very healthy person violates the norms of humanism and undermines faith in justice. During the time of the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in contemporary Russia, Yuriy Savelyev became the fifth prisoner of conscience to be sentenced to 6 years in prison just for participating in peaceful religious meetings. The Russian state indicated that this confession is not prohibited, only legal entities have been liquidated. But the courts continue to send ordinary people to jail, essentially saying that Jehovah's Witnesses have no right to freedom of religion,” said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe international community strongly condemns the criminal prosecution of believers.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-12-16T18:50:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_5eef4bd2c94e64b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_3a0ff804e0b9ffca.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_1b99c63eac07c496.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/4/image_hu_ef3dcb914e95814f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/4.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","sizo","282.2-1","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"A Novosibirsk court sentenced 66-year-old Yuriy Savelyev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, to six years in prison. He has already spent half of this term in pre-trial detention","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Hearing accusations of incitement to violence is ridiculous to me. Violence and me as a Jehovah's Witness are incompatible things!\" In his last speech, Ruslan Alyev stressed that his religion encourages him to develop love for people of different religions and nationalities.\n","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/53.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Ruslan Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 9, 2020, at least three searches in the apartments of local followers of religion Jehovah's Witnesses take place in the city of Oryol. It is reported that criminal proceedings have been initiated against three believers.\nThree believers were detained and sent to a temporary detention center: Vladimir Piskaryov, 64, Artur Putintsev, 50, and Vladimir Melnik, 54. A married couple was also taken in for questioning, but were later released. According to updated information, searches were carried out at 7 addresses. During the search of Artur and Lyudmila Putintsev's home, an investigator pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the dog. Electronic devices, books and personal records were seized from the believers. In one of the apartments, law enforcement officers seized a collection of poems, explaining that they were looking for anything that contained the name Jehovah.\nOn December 11, the Sovetsky District Court of Orel sent Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Artur Putintsev was left by the court in the temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On December 14, the judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, Andrei Tretyakov, decided to send Artur Putintsev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. According to the official press-release of the Investigative Committee, the case was initiated under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. It is reported that the believers in Oryol and Naryshkino were identified by FSB and MVD officers. The believers are accused for \"convening meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, in which they personally participated and formed their summons.\"\nTwo local Jehovah's Witnesses have already been convicted for their faith: Dennis Christensen and Sergey Skrynnikov.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-09T16:58:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search3_hu_7ea1ce3a27574811.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_5d81dd4e85a32543.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search3_hu_66d4ea9dba81578c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search3_hu_38f81ff3fa3ee2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/3.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In the City of Oryol a Wave of Searches in the Apartments of Dennis Christensen’s Fellow Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow had a total of about 20 searches. In some cases law enforcers broke down the doors, two people were beaten up. Five of them spent two to six days behind bars, now under house arrest. During interrogations, believers were intimidated by the prison and threatened with taking their children away.\nArmed security forces broke into homes of pensioners and young families with children, trying to find extremism in their faith. Most raids took place in Moscow and one in the Tula region. The special operation was organized as part of a criminal case being investigated by Dmitry Smadich from the first Department for Investigation of Special Cases of the Russian Federation SCS Moscow. For many months, law enforcement officers have been spying on believers.\nThe storming of Chernyshev's apartment started at about 6 am. The family awoke from the sounds of broken glass. Armed security guards in balaclavas and camouflage broke down the front door, threw Yuriy, the head of the family, to the floor, and his wife, Yekaterina, was placed facing the wall. The spouses and their minor daughter were then taken to different rooms and banned from communicating. The search at the Chernyshevs lasted about 9 hours in the presence of the film crew of the state TV channel. Electronic devices and all their savings were seized. During the interrogation in the Investigative Committee, the Chernyshevs were prompted to engage in self-incrimination, threatening that otherwise their daughter would be sent to an orphanage, and they \"will not be helped.\" They were asked questions: \"What if your daughter is wooed by a Muslim?\", \"How do you feel about Christ?\" and the like. After the interrogations, Yuriy was detained and sent to the temporary detention facility. Footage of the storming of Chernyshev's apartment was posted on the news channels.\nAnother search took place in the apartment of A.'s family, where the law enforcers first twisted the hands of their neighbor, but when they realized that they had made a mistake, they started breaking the door to the apartment of believers. The hands of а the head of the family were twisted, he was put on the floor and hit on the back with the butt of an automatic rifle. During the search electronic devices, flash drives, bank cards, and cash, documents and personal records, a tape recorder, cassettes, and even a calculator were seized. Later, the believers were taken to the local police station, where they were photographed and fingerprinted. They were then taken to the Investigative Committee for questioning. Investigator Dmitry Smadich asked them questions, among them: \"Do you believe in Trinity?\", \"On what was Christ crucified?\", \"Do you go to the elections?\", \"Do you recognize the president?\", \"Do you transfuse blood?\" and \"Would you cheat on your wife?\".\nThe search lasted about 5 hours for 33-year-old Y. M. The law enforcers looked through the correspondence of the believer in the messengers and threatened her with the jail. During the search, Bible and postcards were seized. After the search, the believer was taken first to the local police station, and later to the Investigative Committee building for questioning.\nIn another case, law enforcement officials insulted two female believers, threatening to strip them and put them out on the street.\nViktor Tchaikovsky, 34, was also the victim of the search. Early in the morning of 24 November he was awakened by a strong knock on the door and shouts: \"You are pouring us! The search in his apartment under the direction of investigator Valeria Bashaeva lasted 5 hours. Electronic devices and data carriers were seized. After the search, Victor was taken to the local police station for fingerprinting and then to the Investigative Committee for questioning. In total, the investigation lasted more than 12 hours.\nBefore the search of 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan's head was smashed by law enforcement with an automatic rifle buttstock. The believer was hospitalized and was under heavy guard, no one was allowed to see him except doctors, and he was unable to move freely. Two days later, he was discharged and taken to an investigator for interrogation, then to the TDF. Several copies of the Bible were seized from his family. On 30 November, after 6 days of detention, the court released the believer under house arrest. He appealed the illegal detention and beating to the prosecutor's office.\nAll detained believers were sent under house arrest by court order.\nSearches and detentions took place in Moscow, despite calls from international organizations to stop the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and assurances from the authorities that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses was not forbidden in Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-09T09:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/12/2/image_hu_db41bd9b536dce10.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/12/2/image_hu_97f66f1019a93e13.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/12/2/image_hu_68800a2d6c7cd1e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/12/2/image_hu_19751c8ae49484c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/2.html","regions":["tula","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation","hidden-surveillance","house-arrest"],"title":"Beating with buttstocks, threats and questions regarding Christ's crucifixion. Details of the raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am ashamed that Russia once again arranges shameful persecution of the most peace-loving, kind and law-abiding citizens.\" In his final statement, Yuriy Savelyev drew the court's attention to the unfounded accusations against him as a Jehovah's Witness.\n","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/52.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuri Savelyev in Novosibirsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 30, 2020, in the city of Snezhinsk, Chelyabinsk Region, searches were carried out in 4 families of believers, including a 69-year-old woman. A criminal case was initiated under Art. 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 43-year-old Ilya Olenin.\nThe security forces broke into the apartment of Ilya and Natalya Olenin early in the morning. The search was led by FSB officer Alexander Teplyakov. The law enforcers searched the apartment where the believers live, their car and garage, and also another apartment 50 km from Snezhinsk. As a result of the searches, law enforcement officers seized cash and bank cards, Bibles, electronic devices, disks with films and personal records from the Olenins.\nThe search was also carried out at the work of an elderly believer who will turn 70 in the spring. The operatives asked her colleagues if she talked to them on religious topics. In addition, searches took place in her apartment and garage. Electronic devices, photographs and personal records were taken from the woman.\nA new criminal case was initiated by the investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexander Chepenko, notorious for other cases against believers, including the married couple Vladimir and Valentina Suvorov, who are already over 70.\nThe order to conduct the searches was signed by Leonid Bobrov, judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk. Other details are being investigated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-12-03T16:11:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/12/1.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"Security forces raided the homes of believers in the Chelyabinsk Region, including the home of a 69-year-old woman. A criminal case was initiated","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 30, 2020 Pervomaiskiy District Court of Omsk sentenced Sergey Polyakov to 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, he was taken into custody. Another 3 women were given a suspended sentence by the court: Anastasia Polyakova 2 years 6 months, Gaukhar Bektemirova 2 years and 3 months, Dinara Dyusekeeva 2 years.\nThe verdict has not entered into force, believers will appeal against it. Sergey Polyakov will wait for the appeal while in jail.\nSergey Polyakov and his wife Anastasia, a radiophysicist and lawyer, led a usual life until June 2018, when a criminal case was initiated against them. About two weeks later, in July, their house was searched, during which Sergei was severely beaten. The spouses were later sent to a detention center where they spent 154 days in solitary confinement - Anastasia was the first woman Jehovah's Witness in the history of modern Russia to be imprisoned for her faith. The couple spent another 91 days under house arrest. On July 13, 2018, they filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights.\nThe veterinary doctor Dinara Dyusekeeva and her friend Gaukhar Bektemirova were under investigation about a year after the Polyakovs. In the summer of 2019, a case was also filed against them, which was connected to the case of Anastasia and Sergei, and the believers were under obligation to appear.\nThe women were charged with involvement, while Sergei Polyakov was charged with organizing and financing a banned religious organization. This is how the investigator qualified the fact that the believers talked to others about God and gathered for religious service together.\nDuring the trial, none of the interviewed witnesses confirmed that the defendants had caused them any harm or made threats, although some witnesses criticized the religious views of believers.\nAmong the evidence of their \"guilt\" were 20 biblical cartoons and the Bible in different languages. As in other cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, there are no victims in criminal cases against the Polyakovs, Dyusekeeva or Bektemirova.\nThe defendants themselves, testifying, explained that they \"exercised their constitutional right to spread their religious beliefs\" because \"Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation applies to all believers. They categorically rejected their involvement in extremism.\nAs Sergey Polyakov stated in his last word, the history of Jehovah's Witnesses persecution in the Soviet Union proved that believers do not threaten society and respect the authorities. His wife Anastasia brought arguments to the judge proving that she and her husband and fellow believers are judged solely for their faith in Jehovah, not for crimes.\n\"My desire for peace is connected not only with my non-participation in military conflicts, but also with my rejection of violence against other people,\" Gauhar Bektemirova said. \"I am confident in my rightness. My position is shared by many reasonable people around the world,\" Dinara Dyusekeeva noted in her testimony. On November 10, the believer made a last word in the process, emphasizing: \"Neither I nor my friends have committed any crime.\nJudge Denis Pershukevich ignored inconsistencies in the case and the arguments of the believers, admitting all 4 defendants guilty of extremism. Sergey Polyakov will have to go to the colony for his faith. The court decided to include 5 months of believer's stay in the pre-trial detention center and 3 months under house arrest as the time served. The sentence did not come into force, the believers will appeal against it.\nRussian human rights organizations, as well as the international community, consider the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia to be illegitimate.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-30T19:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_44c83bdba91ae661.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_47b9c37fa528caf0.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_d4789da9a42df955.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/12/image_hu_170b8fb513ea6966.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/12.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"title":"An Omsk court sentenced a 48-year-old Jehovah's Witness to a three-year sentence in a correctional facility. His wife and two other women received a suspended sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, during raids in Moscow, law enforcement officers hit the head of 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan with an automatic rifle buttstock. After the strike and blood loss, the believer was hospitalized and was in custody. On 30 November the court released Zakaryan under house arrest and he appealed against the law enforcement officers' actions to the prosecutor's office.\nThe family did not make any attempts to resist.\nFor 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan the way to the TDF was through the hospital. A loud knock on the door of the apartment, where the believer lives with his daughter and wife who do not share his religious beliefs, was heard at 6 am. As soon as Vardan Zakaryan managed to open the door, one of the law enforcers knocked him down with an automatic rifle buttstock. Zakaryan's wife was ordered with a scream to lie down. Seeing blood on Vardan's head, she fell to the floor in terror, trying to cover her husband with her body, and asked the law enforcers not to hit her husband again.\nDuring the search, Vardan Zakaryan felt bad, his blood pressure rose, and an ambulance team arrived. \"They asked me to give my father some help. Entering the living room, I saw a 10-centimeter blood stain on the floor, and Dad lying on the sofa with a fresh bloody wound on his forehead. He was pale and trembled with his whole body,\" the daughter of a believer told about the circumstances of the raid.\nVardan Zakaryan was taken under escort to the 20th city clinical hospital with the diagnosis \"traumatic encephalopathy. At the same time, relatives were not allowed to visit the believer and food products were not handed over to him.\nOn November 26, at the insistence of the security forces, Zakaryan was discharged from the hospital - he was taken to investigator D. Smadich, who interrogated him at night and charged the believer. On November 27, he was taken to court to decide on the measure of restraint, the judge extended the period of detention. From the court building, the weakened Zakaryan was taken to the temporary detention center, where he was subjected to strong psychological pressure, trying to force him to incriminate his fellow believers and take the blame for extremism.\nOn November 30 Presnensky district court of Moscow ordered to release Vardan Zakaryan from prison and to send him to house arrest till January 23. As soon as a believer was released he filed a complaint to the office of public prosecutor against illegal use of force by law-enforcement agencies.\nAccording to Zakaryan's lawyer, the criminal case under which the believer was detained was initiated under Part 1 and Part 1.1. Article 282.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and is under investigation by the investigator for especially important cases of the first investigation department of the first investigation department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Moscow Smadich D. V. Attempts by the lawyer to ask for explanations about the violence against Vardan Zakaryan Smadich ignored and stopped answering calls. The lawyer filed a complaint with the Moscow prosecutor's office.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-30T18:10:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/11/image_hu_aac902114fee0dd4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/11/image_hu_d67182522fd67de8.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/11/image_hu_c5a09b90758b9e45.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/11/image_hu_c3fb23f7b6f722b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/11.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","health-risk","interrogation","house-arrest","ivs","282.2-1.1","282.2-1"],"title":"\"With the rear of a rifle to the head.\" After being released from a detention center, a Moscow-based detainee filed a complaint about experiencing severe beatings by law enforcement officers","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 12, 2020, armed officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee roughly invaded at least six families of believers in the towns of Maiskiy and Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria). Among the victims was the family of a believer, Yuriy Zalipaev, who was acquitted by the court only a month ago.\nEarly in the morning in Tyrnyauz there was a knock at the door of a believing woman diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Through the door, she was told that they had come to help her fight the virus. When she opened the door, eight security officers entered the apartment. Despite the hostess's bad health, a search was conducted in her apartment to find 'drugs, weapons and prohibited items'. In another apartment, a 61-year-old believer was prevented from approaching her bedridden mother for several hours to give her medicine and food. In another case, a 54-year-old man with a high fever was forced to stand half-naked in a draught facing the wall. Finally, a 15-year-old boy was kept in a separate room with two members of the armed forces at his side.\nAt the same time, in the town of Maiskiy, Vadim and Mariya Zalipaev woke up from a heavy noise and saw their yard filled with people. Some of them were wearing weapons, camouflage and balaclavas, while others wore black civilian clothes. Among the people in black, Zalipaevs could see Sergey Svetikov, an FSB officer who had been repeatedly found guilty of falsifying operational materials against Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular against their father and father-in-law Yuriy Zalipaev, who had been acquitted a month earlier by a court of first instance. The law enforcers did not explain the purpose of the visit, so the believers did not open the door. Then the law enforcers broke the window and broke the iron entrance door with a sledgehammer. They justified their actions with the words: \"We come to you with all our hearts, but you...\". For six hours under the leadership of Svetikov and with the active assistance of two witnesses, the operatives were looking for smartphones: they scattered things, turned the bed over, trampled it with dirty shoes. From time to time, they made derogatory remarks about the Zalipayevs. After the search of the spouses, they were taken for questioning to the police station in Maysky, and then to the Investigative Committee of Tyrnyauz, 120 kilometers away from home.\nThe searches were initiated by Shamil Gyatov from the Investigative Department for Elbrusskiy District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. (The same person, working as deputy head of the Investigative Department in the town of Maysky, previously participated in the initiation of an illegal criminal case against Yuriy Zalipaev). The order for searches in Tyrnyauz was issued by the judge of Elbrusskiy district court Tahir Gergokov at the request of the investigator for especially important cases A. Nashapigov.\nA criminal case was opened against the believers under part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The investigator interpreted the peaceful meetings of believers as 'inclination of residents to participate in an extremist organization by providing them with religious literature of extremist character, conversations and beliefs during secret meetings.'\nThe searches lasted 5-10 hours each. Electronic devices, personal records, postcards, photos and flash drives were seized. After the searches, believers were taken to the police station and then to the Investigative Committee, where they were interrogated by Major Zalim Kenetov. Attempts of the believers to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation caused irritation of the law enforcement officers: 'You learned about Article 51, now I will not be so polite with you.' Some heard mockery and threats to themselves and their loved ones. In addition, the believers were not provided with copies of court orders and protocols of searches and interrogations.\nUpdate. The Zalipaev family spent the whole day in the corridors and offices of law enforcement agencies. Few days later all family members showed signs of coronavirus infection: loss of smell, fever, chest and kidney pain. Doctors refuse to make the diagnosis officially. It is not known whether the organizers of mass events with the number of participants of about 100 people were brought to responsibility for neglecting the anti-quarantine requirements.\nIn connection with Yuriy Zalipayev's illness, the appeal hearing in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, scheduled for November 27, 2020, did not take place. The hearing was postponed and scheduled for December 11, 2020 10:00.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-27T18:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/10.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families","health-risk","minors","interrogation","282.2-1.1"],"title":"After Yuriy Zalipayev acquittal, law enforcers raided peaceful believers across towns of Kabardino-Balkaria","type":"news"},{"body":"On 27 November 2020, law enforcers searched at least 3 civilians in Cheboksary and Novocheboksarsk. A 40-year-old believer was detained for questioning and later released. Criminal proceedings were instituted against another man, 57-year-old Vladimir Dutkin for his beliefs.\nA series of searches began in the morning. The formal basis for the special operations was the criminal case opened on 25 November 2020 against Vladimir Dutkin, a resident of Cheboksary. He was accused of organization of extremist activity (part 1 of article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code). Electronic devices and personal records were seized from believers.\nChuvash Republic became the 58th region of Russia, where the authorities prosecute Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the fact that the Supreme Court did not prohibit believers from practicing their religion.\nThe news is being supplemented.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-27T18:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/9.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Chuvashia became a 58th region where Jehovah's Witnesses were searched and detained for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, at least ten searches of believers took place in Moscow. Among the 4 detainees, 65-year-old Ivan Tchaikovsky, who is the applicant in the case Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. In 2010, the ECHR obliged Russia to rehabilitate the community, but now the ECHR ruling is considered to be unimplemented and has been taken under the control of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n\"We have confirmed information about ten searches in the apartments of believers in the north-east of Moscow, which took place during November 24,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"No reliable data on searches in other regions of Russia have been received.\"\nAccording to preliminary information four believers were left for the night in the detention center: Ivan Tchaikovsky, 65, Sergey Shatalov, 51, Yuriy Chernyshev, 57, Vitaliy Komarov, 44. Searches were conducted in their apartments. Tchaikovsky was detained at his summer house in Tula region. Among the investigators was Valeriya Bashaeva from the Department for Investigation of Special Cases (crimes against the person and public safety).\nUpdate. Among the detainees turned out to be 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan. After the raids, eyewitnesses saw fresh bruises on the believer\u0026rsquo;s face. He was hospitalized in the therapeutic department of the 20th city clinical hospital, where he spent two days under guard. The law enforcement officers did not allow the relatives to give the believer food. On November 26, the believer was taken directly from the ward to the Presnensky District Court of Moscow to decide on a preventive measure. The rest of the detainees were taken to the same court. Ivan Tchaikovsky was an elder in the Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses community when it was dissolved by Golovinsky court in March 2004. Disseminated in the media information about the detainees' association with any centralized or local Jehovah's Witnesses organization is not true. All these organizations ceased to exist in 2017. Since then, believers living in Russia have enjoyed the constitutional right to freely practice their religion without establishing any entity.\nIvan Tchaikovsky is one of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1977. Between 1998 and 2004, he had to defend his faith, as well as the Jehovah's Witnesses community registered in Moscow, against false accusations in the Golovinsky court, in a civil trial. In 2001, that court ruled in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses, but in 2004, under pressure from Moscow City Court, the community was liquidated.\n\"Later, in 2010, a convincing victory was won in Strasbourg,\" says Yaroslav Sivulskiy, \"Russian authorities paid the believers, through Ivan Tchaikovsky, a large monetary compensation. Now, however, Ivan Tchaikovsky is detained in a criminal case, and his house was searched. It is not surprising that the Committee of Ministers has taken under its special control the implementation of this ECHR decision.\"\nThe Committee, composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe, is an international body that controls how countries implement the ECHR decisions. On October 1, 2020, this Committee issued a decision in which it was not the first time that the Russian Federation had failed to comply with the final decision in the case Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. The Committee of Ministers pointed out that the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 on Jehovah's Witnesses nullified the previous progress in this case, it creates a legal basis for the repetition of violations that had previously been assessed and found illegal by the European Court. The Committee of Ministers expressed serious concern about the imposition of a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses, who are a well-known religion and according to the ECHR case law are entitled to practice their religion.\nAccording to paragraph 4 of Article 46 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, such repeated failure to comply with the final decisions of the ECHR gives the Committee of Ministers the right to raise before the ECHR the issue of Russia's violation of its obligations under the Council of Europe.\nMany Russian and international organizations call on Russia to stop the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-11-25T11:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_ec363359bc883d2d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_cb6a3a2e27834612.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_f82bf971dfc47c54.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/8/image_hu_d0a37c1655b2d210.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/8.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","ivs","mid","echr","review"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses being searched in Moscow. How will these affect European foreign ministers?","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 24, 2020, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court found the believer guilty of activity of extremist organization but reclassified his actions from part 1 (organization) to part 2 (participation) of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. He was appointed two years conditionally with a probation period of three years. The prosecutor demanded six years of the penal colony.\nThe sentence did not come into force. Sergey Ledenyov did not plead guilty and intends to appeal the decision. \"My conscience is pure before God and people,\" he said in his last word to Judge Natalia Lychkova. \"When a person commits a real crime, he is expected to repent in the last word. I still can't understand what I need to repent. That I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses? In other words, that I deeply believe in Jehovah and tell others about him? Or that we gathered together with friends? What exactly is my crime? The entire investigation has proven that the worship meetings that I am accused of are purely peaceful, legal, non-hazardous religious activity, which was not banned by any court.\"\nThe criminal prosecution of Sergey Ledenyov lasts almost 2 years. Searches in houses of believers were conducted in December 2018. He was charged with organizing the activities of a banned organization for discussing the Bible with other people. A year later, in 2019, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court found many violations in the case and returned it to the prosecutor, but the supervisory authority finally insisted that the case be considered in court.\nLaw scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the authorities' actions against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-25T09:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_16db46ff70834484.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_ff6443c597170a88.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_970ee40d6a7fa9cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/7/image_hu_7d0559971a204253.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/7.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Kamchatka resident Sergey Ledenyov was sentenced to two years of probation for speaking about the moral value of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of 18 of November 2020, several families of local believers were searched in Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan). Law enforcers seized electronic devices from at least 4 men. Seven people from 36 to 47 years old, including one woman, were taken for questioning. The news is being supplemented.\nUpdate. FSB officers accompanied by OMON soldiers armed with assault rifles searched 12 apartments of believers and their relatives. There were minors in several families of the house. In one apartment they shouted: \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t move! - The law enforcement officers pointed their weapons at the sleeping woman, and in the other one, a married couple was thrown to the floor, their husband was handcuffed and taken away for questioning. During the searches, electronic devices, foreign passports, bank cards and personal records were seized. 12 people, including 3 women, were interrogated. One man was kept for more than 12 hours during interrogation. It is known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Believers are charged with continuing the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Kazan. Employees of the Federal Security Service of Kazan and Naberezhnye Chelny participate in the investigation. Oleg Zorin, an employee of the Center to counteract extremism in the Republic of Tatarstan, participated in the interrogations. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-18T17:17:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/6/image_hu_d180cf8eaa25be2d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/6/image_hu_dff36d433176607.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/6/image_hu_17f7a8579e895a96.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/6/image_hu_d1abe535aa65a790.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/6.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"In the City of Nizhnekamsk, After a Series of Searches, Law Enforcers Took 7 Believers for Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 16, 2020 the Investigative Committee and OMON officers conducted searches at 9 addresses of believers in Gryazi town in Lipetsk region. Five believers, including a pensioner, had already spent the night in the detention center. The court will decide on their further restraint. Another 7 people were released by the law enforcers after the interrogation.\nOn November 17, the day after their arrest, 42-year-old Sergey Kretov and 46-year-old Yevgeniy Reshetnikov were charged under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code. The Gryazinsky City Court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for peaceful believers. Information on the situation of the remaining detainees is being clarified.\nUpdate. On November 18, 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy, as well as Svetlana Vyrezkova and Tatyana Morlang, were released from custody, against whom the case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2. The searches were carried out on the basis of 5 criminal cases initiated by an investigator of the first department for investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Lipetsk region under part 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization and participation in activities of an extremist organization). Electronic devices and personal documents were seized from believers. In the nearest future the court will decide on the measure of restraint in relation to the detainees.\nAccording to the investigation, believers, professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted worship services and sermons. The police interpreted such peaceful religious activity as continuation of the banned religious organization, although the Jehovah's Witnesses religion is not banned in Russia. An official report from the Investigative Committee states that \"during the meetings, the suspects discussed religious intolerance towards representatives of other faiths with those who came\". In the near future, the court will either require the investigator to prove the allegation - and then release the believers from custody, or take his word for it - and impose a preventive measure on the believers.\nThe security forces interpret such peaceful religious activity as a continuation of the activities of a banned religious organization, although the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nPreviously, three local residents had been prosecuted for their faith in Lipetsk region and held in a detention center for almost a year. At the end of October 2020, the court released them on their own recognizance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-17T18:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_38cb693d06ccb8a8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_9bd7a28d489bb10.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_9074776eda44a1a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/5/image_hu_21a7dc5e789fe7a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/5.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs","sizo"],"title":"In Gryazi Town 5 Believers Imprisoned for Talking About God, Among Them a 67-year-old Woman","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 17, 2020, the Kamchatka Regional Court denied the appeal of Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova. The verdict of the lower court came into force.\nHunting the Elderly: Security Forces List Older Women in the Ranks of Extremists Earlier, on September 25, 2020 the judge of the Yelizovo District Court Yulia Piskun sentenced them to two years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months. The court found peaceful citizens guilty of participation in activity of extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Crimina Code).\nCriminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yelizovo began in summer 2018. Bazhenov spouses and pensioner Vera Zolotova were accused of holding joint worship meetings and conversations with others about God, which was considered as \"organization\" of the activities of a banned extremist organization (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). Subsequently, when the court passed the sentence, it reclassified the charges as \"participation\" (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).\nThe religious persecution turned out to be not only an exhausting series of court proceedings, but also serious financial difficulties for the believers. Bazhenovs, school teachers by profession, cannot find jobs in children's institutions. Together with 74-year-old Vera Zolotova, they are included in the \"List of terrorists and extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring, which means blocking all bank accounts.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-11-17T11:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_e600a7d9fcda0982.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_e19f4f160e9c8f7b.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_58f2aa45fc62fe65.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/4/image_hu_433cbda3d3699802.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/4.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","elderly","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"title":"The Appeal Did Not Change the Sentence of the Kamchatka Believers. School Teachers and a Pensioner Will Be Conditionally Deprived of Their Liberty for Two Years","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of November 12, 2020, a group of law enforcement officers led by an investigator of the FSB for Karachay-Cherkessia V. Drakin repeated the search of Yelena Menchikova. Dracinom repeated the search of Elena Menchikova. A 56-year-old resident of Cherkessk had her daughter seized her drawings. The woman was asked to sign a not to leave the city.\nThe reason for the actions of law enforcement officers was a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, which investigator Drakin initiated against the believer on November 3, 2020. The FSB blames Menchikova for friendly meetings and peaceful conversations about the Bible, interpreting them as \"incitement to religious discord,\" \"recruiting conversations\" and \"exams to join the ranks of a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe first search of Yelena was conducted earlier in the criminal case against a local believer, Albert Batchaev, who was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. According to the indictment, he is guilty of \"singing songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and praying to the God of Jehovah. The case of the believer is heard in the Cherkessk City Court.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/3/image_hu_d60265858e5f3b5c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/3/image_hu_d407ce1db3d2547e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/3/image_hu_6b4effafad13a33b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/3/image_hu_d7c0f17c729e8939.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/3.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"A Cherkessk resident is suspected of extremism for talking about the Bible. Her daughter's drawings were seized as evidence from the believer","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, Sergey Ledenyov noted that Jehovah's Witnesses learn to show love, eradicate prejudices, and be loyal to God at worship services. \"There is nothing illegal and dangerous in this, and therefore there is no data on the victims,\" the believer emphasized.\n","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/50.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Ledenev in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"My peace-loving religious views have done no harm to anyone.\" In her appeal to the court, Dinara Dyusekeyeva stressed that her religion teaches goodness and peace, and she herself values the reputation of an honest and hardworking person.\n","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/51.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Dinara Dyusekeyeva in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Saratov residents Alexey Budenchuk and Alexey Miretsky, convicted for their faith, have served more than half their sentence. The defense petitioned for their early release and replacement of the part of the sentence that had not been served with a fine. The lawyer and wives of the believers told what happened to the convicts while they are waiting for trial.\nIn September 2019, 44-year-old candidate of economic sciences Alexei Miretsky and 38-year-old handyman, father of two children Alexei Budenchuk, along with four other Saratov residents were convicted for reading the Bible and communicating with fellow believers. After arriving at the colony in February 2020, the believers were beaten by guards, after this they were sent to a punishment center for several days on unfounded charges. By September 2020, both believers had served more than half of their sentences: Alexey Budenchuk - 34 months out of 42 court-ordered, and Alexey Miretsky - about 14 months out of 24. In September 2020, a petition for mitigation of the believers' punishment was filed.\nIn the penal colony Budenchuk and Miretsky are forced to work from morning to evening in sewing production. Stress, hard work and conditions in the colony have led to an intensification of chronic diseases.\nIn February 2020, the prisoners' spouses managed to get a short visit from their husbands. According to Yulia Miretskaya, after the beating her husband's health deteriorated and the question of surgical intervention arose, but it was postponed for now. \"On the whole, she feels better and smiles. Life is slowly getting better,\" says Yulia.\nAccording to Tatyana Budenchuk, Alexey assured her that he would cope with everything and asked not to worry too much for him. \"But I am worried anyway,\" Tatyana said.\nShortly before Aleksey was sent to the colony, the Budenchuk family's house was completely burned down, Tatyana and the children miraculously survived, having managed to take only documents with them. Friends and fellow believers helped to build new modest housing for the family. In addition, Tatiana and the children had been ill with COVID-19.\n\"Miretsky and Budenchuk take part in various sports and cultural events in the colony, including table tennis and soccer tournaments. The actions for which the believers were convicted have nothing to do with the use of violence against anyone, which is confirmed by the verdict. Thus, there are all grounds for early release by replacing the part of the sentence that has not been served with a fine,\" says the petition submitted to the court.\nThe Central District Court of Orenburg should consider the issue of mitigation of Miretsky and Budenchuk's sentence. The trial was scheduled for November 6, 2020, but it was postponed.\nIn March 2020, the European Union and several countries sharply condemned religious persecution in Russia and the mistreatment of Jehovah's Witnesses from Saratov.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-11-04T16:51:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/2/image_hu_6c092430b7414ab8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/2/image_hu_d57768ca3c9c4f7a.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/2/image_hu_13948987198ec0ca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/2/image_hu_ef4ad2990470b669.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/2.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"title":"Two more Saratov-based believers await an early release trial in exchange for a fine","type":"news"},{"body":"In 3.5 years after the liquidation of all Jehovah's Witnesses groups, the number of innocent victims exceeded four hundred. From Kamchatka to Kaliningrad, law-abiding believers are accused of \"extremism.\" They lose calmness, freedom, health, and property only because they read the Bible, sing songs, and pray to Jehovah God.\nAs of the end of October 2020, ten believers are kept in a penal colony, 38 are in pre-trial detention centers, 26 are under house arrest, 24 are under the prohibition of certain actions and about 200 are under subscription about not leaving. In 1,166 believers' families, the searches took place.\nSeveral believers received severe sentences for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. Dennis Christensen from Oryol, Sergey Klimov from Tomsk, as well as Artem Gerasimov and Sergey Filatov from Crimea each, received 6-year sentences. For 3.5 years, the colony was appointed Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk. Feliks Makhammadiyev was sent to prison for 3 years, and Gennadiy German, Roman Gridasov, and Aleksey Miretskiy — for 2 years. All these 10 believers have already been sent to the colony. In addition, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk were sentenced to 4 years in a general regime colony, but their sentence has not yet entered into force and they are in a detention center.\nAlso, a number of believers were sentenced to suspended sentences and fines. For example, 8 and 7 years of imprisonment were assigned to the spouses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman from Kostroma, Gennadiy Shpakovskiy from Pskov (6.5 years), and Igor Ivashin from Yakutia (6 years). The largest fine, 700 thousand rubles, was imposed on the car mechanic from Ivanovo Yevgeniy Spirin.\nAt the end of October 2020, 12 believers were sentenced to imprisonment, 9 — to payment of large monetary fines. In total 27 criminal cases were solved, 148 are still under investigation. As a rule, the investigation lasts for years. While waiting for their cases to be heard, more than half of the 400 defendants, ranging from a few days to three years, were kept in pre-trial detention centers or other detention facilities. 15 believers spent in the pre-trial detention center for more than one year. Yury Saveliev, 66, has been in detention for about two years. Dennis Christensen remains behind bars the longest — for almost 3.5 years.\nBy the will of the authorities, the overwhelming majority of prisoners of conscience find themselves in a very difficult financial situation: 310 people have been placed on the list of extremists and terrorists by Rosfinmonitoring. In practice, this means depriving them of their jobs, business, pensions, bank accounts, and even the possibility to buy a SIM card or take out insurance.\nThe resulting stress undermines the health of innocent people. Four died while under investigation: Yuriy Geraskov died a week before the trial, Viktor Malkov — a year after his arrest, the mother of two childrenIrina Sidorova — 3 months after the initiation of the case, Yuriy Kim — after the first visit to the court, the same evening.\nDozens of elderly people, as well as about a hundred women, were under the pressure of the authorities. The oldest are Rimma Vashchenko from Nevinnomyssk (90) and Yelena Zayshchuk from Vladivostok (86). The presence of underage children among believers also does not stop the law enforcement agencies: 74 parents of underage children, including parents of 4 families with many children, were persecuted. Some criminal defendants themselves only recently reached adulthood. Yegor Baranov from Khabarovsk Territory and Darya Dulova from Sverdlovsk Region faced reprisals when they were 19.\nThe increase in the number of victims of religious persecution is bewildering amidst repeated statements by the authorities that the April 2017 Supreme Court decision did not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion in Russia.\nCommenting on the unfair verdicts against Jehovah's Witnesses, the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, Tatiana Moskalkova, said in June 2019: \"These events make one think about the conflict between the constitutional right to practice one's religion individually or in community with others and the signs of extremist activity mentioned in Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code.”\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-11-03T17:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/11/1/image_hu_14198d6c856d179a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/11/1/image_hu_b5e166087a321a13.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/11/1/image_hu_49f52203bea5072c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/11/1/image_hu_4f28ebfdfaa4ff51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/11/1.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","analytics","statistics","commissioner-rf"],"title":"400 victims of a legal collusion: the number of Jehovah's Witnesses accused of extremism is growing","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28 Bryansk regional court upheld the conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses from Novozybkov. Vladimir Khokhlov, Eduard Zhinzhikov, Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva remain free because they have already served their sentences in investigatory isolators. They do not admit guilt in extremism.\nCriminal proceedings against four Novozybkov residents began in June 2019. After a series of raids, Tatiana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva were the first to be imprisoned. Four months later, criminal proceedings were instituted against Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov. Tatyana and Olga spent 8 months in detention; Vladimir and Eduard were in detention for almost a year. In September, a court sentenced the believers to imprisonment, but since they had already served their sentence, they were released in the courtroom.\nThe defense appealed the court decision because the believers had not committed any crime. The prosecutor's office, although initially asking for an increase in prison sentences, agreed to the verdict. The Judicial Collegium of the Bryansk Regional Court consisting of Alexander Sidorenko, Andrey Rossolov and Alexander Ryabukhin upheld the verdict of the previous court.\nOlga Silaeva, Tatyana Shamsheva, Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov in the courtroom. Bryansk. 28 October 2020 Speaking at the appeal hearing on October 28 believers insisted on their innocence and noted that decision of Novozybkovsky court was a manifestation of discrimination on religious grounds.\n\"The court considered it a crime that I watched different religious videos, listened to religious songs, discussed religious topics\", - Olga Silayeva stated. But when examining these materials in court it was clearly seen that all this encourages only to show love, compassion for people [...] and love is completely opposite to extremism\".\n\"The error of the investigation is that the concepts of 'Jehovah's Witnesses' and 'Jehovah's Witnesses Management Center in Russia' are not different,\" Tatiana Shamsheva said, stressing that the court banned legal entities, but not religion. - After the coming into force of the court decision of April 20, 2017 should I stop being one of Jehovah's Witness? Should I stop reading the Bible, pray, talk to others about your beliefs, change your lifestyle? If I don't pray, read the Word of God, what kind of a believer am I?\"\nThe international community, Russian human rights activists believe that the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is nothing more than religious persecution. According to the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-28T17:14:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/16/image_hu_f1d97a42a6bf0247.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/16/image_hu_747abf88be0f5b1f.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/16/image_hu_61786d387c38acee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/16/image_hu_67d4aa360fe44c67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/16.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","282.3-1"],"title":"The Bryansk Court Confirmed the Conviction of 4 Jehovah's Witnesses From Novozybkov, But the Believers Will Remain Free","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28 judge of Dimitrovgrad city court Dmitry Russky refused to soften the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Konstantin Bazhenov convicted for 3.5 years of colony and to replace the part of term not completed with a fine. The defense will appeal against this decision.\n\"Unfortunately, to some extent Konstantin and I expected such a decision,\" said Irina Bazhenova, Konstantin's wife, after the trial, implying that under conditions of repressions against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses, courts can easily ignore the exemplary behavior of believers in places of detention.\nAccording to Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association, the reason for the court's refusal was the fact that the believer is on the preventive record as \"a person convicted of extremist activity\". \"All Jehovah's Witnesses convicted of faith automatically receive this status, which deliberately puts them in a vulnerable position. Also, despite the positive characterization from the colony, the correctional facility and the prosecutor did not support the request to release the believer for unclear reasons,\" Sivulsky said.\nTo this day, Konstantin Bazhenov has served four fifths or more than 80% of the sentence imposed by the court. In addition, as the lawyer of the believer said on the eve of the trial, \"Konstantin ... has various awards, behaves respectfully and correctly towards the staff of the penitentiary system, is not in conflict, is an exemplary family man\".\nKonstantin Bazhenov, 45, has been in Dimitrovgrad penal colony since February 2020. In September 2019 a court found Konstantin and five of his fellow believers guilty of extremism for not giving up their peaceful religious beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-28T17:08:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/15/image_hu_367932fba5bfde62.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/15/image_hu_29602a5d1cd33428.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/15/image_hu_95b425b8d1dca49f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/15/image_hu_1b58f5dd8305921c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/15.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison"],"title":"The Court left Konstantin Bazhenov, convicted for his faith, in prison, despite meeting requirements for a release","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2020 Dimitrovgrad city court of Ulyanovsk region will decide whether Konstantin Bazhenov will leave the colony in exchange for a fine. This Jehovah's Witness from Saratov, who was convicted for faith in God for 3.5 years, has already served 80% of his sentence and earned a reputation of a peaceful and hardworking man in prison.\n\"Konstantin Bazhenov was not convicted of a crime - he did not harm anyone. For many months he was unreasonably kept in jail, deprived of citizenship. He has a serious heart condition. It would be humane from the side of justice to stop persecuting a man suffering only because of his religious beliefs,\" said Jehovah's Witnesses European Association representative Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nKonstantin Bazhenov, 45, has been in the Dimitrovgrad correctional colony since February 2020. He was escorted here from the Saratov detention center just over a month after an appeal court confirmed Saratov's conviction of the Leninsky District Court on September 19, 2019. The court found Konstantin and five of his fellow believers guilty of extremism for not giving up their peaceful religious beliefs.\nOn September 21, 2020 Bazhenov's defense exercised its legal right to apply for replacement of undone part of prison sentence of a believer with a fine. By that time, Konstantin had already served four-fifths (or 80 percent) of his sentence, including his stay in the Saratov temporary detention center and pretrial detention facility.\nAccording to Viktor Shipilov, Konstantin Bazhenov's lawyer, all conditions were met to mitigate the sentence.\n\"First, Konstantin served more than half of his sentence. Secondly, he has various incentives, behaves respectfully and correctly towards the employees of the penitentiary system, is not in conflict, and is an exemplary family man,\" lawyer Viktor Shipilov said.\nDuring his imprisonment, the believer has developed good relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners who treat his religion in a kind manner.\nKonstantin received rewards from the colony's administration for his participation in cultural and sporting events, as well as for his honest attitude to work and exemplary behavior. This contributed to the fact that in August 2020 the believer was transferred to easier conditions of detention. He did not receive any penalties during the entire time he was serving his sentence.\nKonstantin Bazhenov has successfully mastered the profession of a painter-plasterer and is currently studying as a tiler. Konstantin's master describes him as \"an accurate, ready to help others, proactive and attentive student.\"\n\"It is expected that the court will take the above facts into account when deciding on mitigation of Konstantin's sentence. By the way, not only his family and friends are waiting for him at home. One of the organizations is already ready to employ him as a driver with the possibility of receiving a social package,\" says the lawyer, stressing that at present there is no valid reason to refuse mitigation of punishment to Konstantin Bazhenov.\nThe arrest of Saratov believers, along with other cases of harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, has been strongly condemned by the international community.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-27T17:10:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/14/14_2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/14/14_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/14/14_2_hu_18148e9b47753ae4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/14/14_2_hu_18148e9b47753ae4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/14.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison"],"title":"Convicted for Faith Konstantin Bazhenov Expects Early Release From the Colony. The Trial Is Scheduled for October 28","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 26, 2020 Lgov district court of Kursk region refused to replace an unpaid part of Dennis Christensen's prison term with a fine. The court referred to Christensen's opposition to work in prison, although such work contradicts his health condition.\nExactly 4 months ago the same court, but with a different membership, decided to release Christensen. This decision was made in response to a petition filed by the believer after he had served more than half of the sentence imposed by the court and had been granted the right to request mitigation of his sentence.\nHowever, the Kursk Regional Court soon overturned that decision at the prosecutor's request and returned the case to a new hearing. As a result, not only did Dennis Christensen not receive legal freedom, but he also faced additional pressure from the Lgov colony administration. In September 2020, the prison commission unreasonably declared Christensen a \" malicious violator\" of the regime. He was regularly forced to perform work that was medically contraindicated and three times unjustifiably placed in a punishment cell (SHIZO). This served as a basis for submitting negative characteristics to the court and influenced the issue of release. In total, the believer spent 37 days in SHIZO.\nThe Dane citizen was put behind bars in May 2017 only because of his faith in God. In February 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol sentenced Christensen to 6 years of general regime colony. To date, Christensen, who has not committed any real crime, served about 4.5 years from the date of the court.\nSupport for the first Russian prisoner of conscience among Jehovah's Witnesses was expressed by PACE observers, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation and other well-known organizations.\n\"Accusing and imprisoning Christensen only for confessing his faith is an unacceptable violation of the right to freedom of religion,\" said observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-10-26T19:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/13/image_hu_36ddb954a8afa4da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/13/image_hu_564e9d458e81e9f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/13/image_hu_99a669f29201c1b7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/13/image_hu_268cfaf13a77008d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/13.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","health-risk"],"title":"The Court Left Dennis Christensen Behind Bars. He Can File a New Petition for Mitigation of Punishment Only After 6 Months","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 23, 2020, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov announced the verdict in the case of 61-year-old Anatoliy Tokarev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was found guilty of organizing the activities of the banned organization and fined 500 thousand rubles. He pleaded not guilty and will appeal the court decision.\nThe verdict caught former software engineer Anatoly Tokarev and his family in the midst of an illness that they endure without hospitalization. Judge Sergei Skorobogaty did not postpone the announcement of the verdict.\nThe trial showed that there were no victims in the case and no one had ever heard anything similar to extremism from Anatoliy Tokarev and other believers, although he was charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation at once: organization (part 1 of article 282.2) and financing (part 1 of article 282.3) of an extremist organization. The whole essence of Tokarev's \"crimes\", uncovered by investigators of the Investigative Committee, boiled down to \"joint singing of biblical songs and the study of religious literature,\" as well as to covering the utility costs of an empty worship building. But even in order to bring these accusations, the investigators had to resort to falsifying the testimony of witnesses, which was revealed during their interrogation in court.\nNone of this deterred Judge Skorobogaty from convicting. A large fine imposed is a heavy punishment for a believer who lives on a pension and a janitor's salary. The verdict has not entered into force.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-23T16:14:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/12/image_hu_40370bb877864e8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/12/image_hu_a5155ded796f022b.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/12/image_hu_43943558f46359f5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/12/image_hu_7261f05b080ab02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/12.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","health-risk","fabrications"],"title":"A Kirov court finds Anatoliy Tokarev, a peaceful believer, guilty of extremism. He was fined 500 thousand rubles.","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 22, 2020, searches were conducted in the town of Sovetskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk Territory). Aleksey Ukhov, 40, was detained, his electronic devices were taken from him and he was placed into isolator in neighboring settlement Vanino. Details are being clarified.\nTo search the home of Alexei Ukhov, a graphic artist for a local newspaper, FSB officers arrived from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, located more than 500 km from the believer's place of residence. The investigative action was carried out within the framework of a criminal case initiated on October 21, 2020 by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the FSB, Y. A. Nelyubin. During the 5-hour search, electronic devices, flash drives, SIM cards, bank cards, personal records and printed publications — a total of 117 items — were seized from the Ukhov spouses. After the search, by the evening of October 22, Aleksey Ukhov was detained.\nHe was able to inform his wife about his whereabouts only the next day. At the same time, the Vanino court chose a measure of restraint for a peaceful believer in the form of detention for 2 months. According to investigators, Ukhov \"committed actions ... aimed at reading prayers ... studying and quoting the texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs\", which, according to the investigation, is a manifestation of extremism.\nUpdate. On the same day, law enforcement officers searched the apartment of a local believer. At about 2:00 p.m., 8 law enforcement officers broke in, one of whom was wearing a mask and carrying a machine gun. They seized the woman\u0026rsquo;s Bible and electronic devices, as well as a TV and modem. According to the believer, the authorities planted and immediately \u0026ldquo;found\u0026rdquo; a videotape and a printed publication from the federal list of extremist materials in the apartment. During the search, the woman was questioned about her religious beliefs and fellow believers, in particular about Alexei Ukhov. A few days before the searches in Sovetskaya Gavan, interrogations of believers took place. On October 16, 2020, a police officer allegedly visited a local resident and inquired about how Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Sovetskaya Gavan were holding their religious meetings and Bible discussions. The woman was summoned for questioning at the police station. On October 19, law enforcement officers also interrogated her son. Sovetskaya Gavan is an administrative center with a population of about 40,000 people located near Sakhalin Island on the coast of the Tatar Strait. Aleksey Ukhov is already the 14th believer in Khabarovsk Territory, who was only repressed for his faith in God Jehovah.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-23T10:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/11.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Law enforcement officials conduct another raid against believers in Russia's Far East. A 40-year-old man is detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Saratov residents Roman Gridasov and Gennady German, sentenced to 2 years in prison for their faith, served half their sentence. In September, the defense requested their release in exchange for a fine. It is expected that the Central District Court of Orenburg will consider their application in November 2020.\nIn September 2019, 51-year-old painter Gennady German and 42-year-old finisher Roman Gridasov were convicted of reading the Holy Scripture, singing spiritual songs and praying to God Jehovah. Upon arrival at Colony 2 in Orenburg, they and three of their fellow believers were beaten up by guards. Feliks Makhammadiev was the most severely injured - he was hospitalized and operated on with broken ribs, kidney and lung injuries. Gridasov and Herman also suffered injuries then, but not related to health threats. After the incident, believers faced pressure - they were forced to refuse to testify about the beatings. On the first day of arrival at the colony, Gridasov and Herman were accused of allegedly smoking (Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke on religious grounds) and punished accordingly.\nEight months have elapsed since then. Herman and Gridasov have already recovered from the incident and are working in the sewing industry. Roman also mastered the profession of a cook.\n\"Believers have to work from morning till evening. After a working day, they often only have time to wash and wash their clothes. The conditions in the colony are bad. Prisoners are given only a small nightstand to store things. Clothes are of poor quality. According to those who have been kept in the colony for a long time, in summer it is very difficult to get permission to take off the dense clothes, when because of the hot weather the body gets very hot and you have to work in the direct sense of your own sweat. Their health condition has deteriorated, they have lost weight and their chronic diseases have worsened,\" said the lawyer after his visit back in spring. Shortly after his departure, COVID-19 was quarantined in connection with the pandemic.\nBy September 2020, Roman Gridasov and Gennady Herman had already served more than half of their sentence and were eligible for release if the court allowed them to pay a fine in exchange for the unpaid part of the sentence. On September 21 the defense of Hermann and Gridasov filed a corresponding motion. A total of two de jure believers had already been imprisoned for 421 days (or 14 months out of the 24 appointed). Of these, 3 days in a temporary detention facility and another 93 days in a pretrial detention facility (which counts as 1 day for 1.5 days). Another 277 days the believers had left for the colony.\nAfter filing a petition, Gennady Herman was reprimanded for allegedly failing to say hello to the colony staff, which allowed the institution's administration to give a negative characterization to the court.\nIn the run-up to the trial, the believers maintained a positive attitude thanks to the support of Orenburg's close and sympathetic residents. Letters from dozens of different countries also keep believers from drowning in their spirits.\nThe arrest and mockery of the Saratov believers caused a sharp condemnation of the international community.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-10-21T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/10/image_hu_cc0ae4edefb4c20b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/10/image_hu_8d8f0738596f2d30.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/10/image_hu_840a6898a84dcee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/10/image_hu_80fcf3e10a40f9d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/10.html","regions":["saratov","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","siloviks-violence","torture-conditions"],"title":"Two believers, who experienced beatings in an Orenburg correctional facility, may be released early. A court decision is expected soon","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of October 19, 2020, at least 5 searches of the residences of local Jehovah's Witnesses took place in the town of Beryozovsky near Ekaterinburg. The 38-year-old Konstantin Zotov was detained, but after 3 hours of interrogation was released. Details are being clarified.\nOne of the searches was led by A. Babeshko, an employee of the Investigative Committee of the RF. He was accompanied by FSB officer R. Gainullin, Center for Counteracting Extremism officer V. Bauer and the expert of the Central Committee of the Interior Ministry's Main Directorate T. Chistyakova, who was taking photos and videos. The search warrant was issued by the Berezovsky Town Court of Sverdlovsk Region.\nUpdate. Investigative actions against believers were initiated by the head of the department of the FSB of Russia for the Central Military District of Yekaterinburg, Colonel Andrei Kalashnikov. On October 14, 2020, Alexey Zyryanov, head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region, opened a criminal case against Konstantin Zotov and Natalia Kochneva, who live in Berezovsky and are not related to the liquidated LRO Jehovah's Witnesses of Yekaterinburg. The investigation interprets conversations about the Bible among friends as \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nMore than 10 believers living at 5 addresses became innocent victims of the raid. The searches lasted 3-5 hours. Bibles of various translations, bank cards, electronic devices and other media, personal records, photographs and postcards, SIM cards, cash receipts, a city map and watches were seized from civilians.\nNatalia Kochneva's house was searched by the deputy head of the investigation department, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Snigirev, with the participation of the detective of the CPE of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Sverdlovsk Region, Police Major Vladimir Yarochevsky, senior FSB detective, Major Alexei Filatov and chief expert of the forensic center Marina Egorova.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-21T08:10:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/9.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"The Center for Counteracting Extremism, the FSB and the Investigative Committee conducted a joint raid on believers near Yekaterinburg","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Yekaterina Kashyna chose not to release the believer from pre-trial detention center despite the pandemic or the cassation court's decision on the illegality of his further detention. Court hearings include the testimony of an Orthodox sectologist. And because of a secret witness, the believer even filed a recusal against the judge.\nUpdate. On October 20, 2020, the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk extended the period of detention of Yuri Savelyev until January 22, 2021. Investigators accused Saveliev of organizing extremist activities. The believer insists on his innocence, stating that he just practiced his religion. How are the hearings in the Leninskiy District Court of Novosibirsk going?\nSecret witness and challenge to the judge. The main evidence against the believer is the testimony of the witness under the pseudonym \"Natalia Ivanova.\" Unsubstantiated secrecy of a prosecution witness in itself grossly violates Saveliev's right to a fair trial, as it deprives him of the opportunity to cite facts that would question the testimony of the anonymous witness. But worse: On September 16, 2020, Judge Kashina decided to accept and publicize the written testimony of the secret witness even without calling him to the court and allowing the believer to ask counter questions - though through a sound link with the change of the witness' voice. The defense filled a recusation against the Judge Kashina, but she rejected it. (Judge Kashina issued a private order to the prosecutor on abuse of procedural rights for failing to ensure the appearance of a secret witness in court).\nOrthodox anti-Cultist against a believer. On September 16, 2020, the court interrogated specialist Oleg Zaev, who spoke on behalf of the Anti-Cultist Center by proxy signed by Orthodox activist Aleksandr Dvorkin. The defense noted that at the time of his testimony to the investigator, Zaev, who had no special education, was a professor of sectology at the Novosibirsk St. Makariev's Orthodox Theological Institute (the Institute closed in 2019). The \"Specialist\" did not hide his Orthodox views; he had a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses and considered them dangerous to the Orthodox country and the government.\nThe court's unwillingness to soften the preventive measure. On April 2020, Judge Kashina extended the detention of a 66-year-old believer in the courtroom in the absence of the audience due to the coronavirus epidemic. He tried to tell the judge that at the height of the pandemic, one of his cellmates was doing work in the pre-trial detention center that involved contact with large numbers of people. However, he does not wear a mask or gloves, which creates a high risk of infection. The judge was not touched by these arguments. Five months later, on September 9, 2020, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction declared illegal the decision on prolongation of Yuri Saveliev's detention until April 22, 2020. On this basis, the believer again appealed to Judge Kashina for mitigation of the constraint measure, as she had every reason to do so. Unfortunately, the judge refused to transfer the believer at least to house arrest. Saveliev is still in custody, which was extended until 22 October 2020.\nWhat happens to Saveliev in the pre-trial detention center. The believer remains in a positive mood and does not complain about anything. It is known, however, that in June 2020, Saveliev faced short-term pressure from the administration of the pre-trial detention facility because of a religiously-motivated refusal to vote on amendments to the Constitution. Physically, he feels relatively well, maintains a healthy lifestyle, does gymnastics, sings, and draws. The lawyer who visited said that he smiles, jokes, feels supported by God, and sees many positive things happening to him behind bars. Saveliev reported that he was greatly supported by letters from believers and other sympathetic people. Incoming letters he carefully registers in notebooks. For June 2020 it has already received more than 7200 letters from 54 countries of the world. He is very grateful for such support.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-10-16T13:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_5578fdb4fdc9eda4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_3ca8e1a03ace9af3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_53f4427e17dc263a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/8/image_hu_93a51d68609bc5b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/8.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","secret-witness","health-risk"],"title":"700 days in detention. How the Novosibirsk court is deciding the fate of the 66-year-old believer Yuriy Savelyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 14, 2020, Ivanovo regional court upheld the sentence of Evgeniy Spirin, a 34-year-old believer from the town of Furmanov, who was fined 700 000 rubles for \"extremism\" by Furmanov town court in July. Given the time spent in detention, the amount payable is 500,000 rubles.\nThe prosecutor initially demanded that the believer be sentenced to 7 years in prison. In its appeal, the prosecution requested that the case be returned to a new trial, and the defense asked for a full acquittal.\n\"Extremism\" was considered by the courts to be conversations with believers about God. \"If Jehovah's Witnesses stop gathering together, how can they exercise the right under the Constitution of our country that they \"have the right to confess their beliefs one or with others\"? — said Yevgeniy Spirin in his last word. He also stressed that his faith does not threaten the state and society, because \"the Bible teaches us to do good deeds and never resort to violence.\" According to Yevgeniy, the peaceful civic position is proved by the fact that he refused to take up arms and completed a longer-term alternative non-military service.\nYevgeniy Spirin was detained on January 27, 2019, when about 10 security officers in civilian clothes broke down the door in the apartment where he lives with his wife, Natalia. At that moment the believers had friends, including an 11-year-old child, an 82-year-old pensioner, and a 70-year-old woman with a disability. Several law enforcement officers pushed Yevgeniy into the kitchen and handcuffed him. Electronic devices, literature, and postcards were seized from those present. Law enforcers behaved rudely, called the crowd a \"sect\" and threatened to undergo a humiliating inspection.\nThe next day the court sent Yevgeniy to the pre-trial detention center, where he remained for almost six months. He remained under house arrest for another six months and was released in December 2019 without further restrictive measures.\nThe criminal case against Yevgeniy Spirin was investigated by the Ivanovo region FSB. Special services monitored the believers with the help of an embedded agent, a former police officer who depicted interest in the Bible. Yevgeny was replaced with the reopening of the banned Jehovah's Witnesses religious organization because he did not stop participating in religious meetings of believers.\nAccording to a decision of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, attached to Yevgeny Spirin's case, the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-14T17:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/7/image_hu_aa7c9ec3688d79e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/7/image_hu_aacdad845824d8b5.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/7/image_hu_4967fa098c67b103.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/7/image_hu_4ff08f8c666f5ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/7.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","appeal","282.2-1"],"title":"Ivanovo region-based believer Yevgeniy Spirin's sentence is now in force. The sentence, in the form of a large fine, has not changed","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of October 11, 2020 armed forces invaded 4 apartments in Nikolsk city located approximately 100 km from Penza. Personal belongings were taken from believers. Among those searched was Yuri Kim, 60, who is suspected of extremism.\nUpdate. On October 30, Yuriy Kim was summoned to the Pervomaisky District Court of Penza, 120 kilometers from Nikolsk, to familiarize himself with the search materials. After returning, in the evening, the believer became ill, he was paralyzed and he lost consciousness. The ambulance doctors who arrived at the scene were unable to provide assistance and called the resuscitation team from Penza. Doctors did not have time to save Yuri. On November 14, he and his wife would celebrate the 19th anniversary of the creation of the family.\nThus, a minibus came to the house of a young married couple, law enforcers in masks and with automatic rifles came out. They began knocking out the door to the couple's dwelling, but the head of the family opened it himself. Investigator for especially important cases of Investigatory directorate of Investigatory committee of Russia for Penza region, senior lieutenant Igor Saulin presented to believers a search order issued on October 7 by Pervomaiskiy district court of Penza based on initiated criminal case. Electronic equipment, phones, flash-drives, watches, letters and bank cards were taken from the spouses. The couple were taken away for interrogation that lasted about 2.5 hours. After that the believers were released.\nOne of the searches was also carried out in the house of Yuriy Kim, against whom a criminal case was initiated under part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organization of the activities of the banned organization. A a recognizance not to leave was taken from Yuriy Kim. Other details are specified.\nAmong those searched on the basis of unfounded suspicions of extremism were a man with a disability and his wife.\n\"Someone was knocking on the door and wanted to break it down. I couldn't open it right away as my leg was amputated and some parts of my fingers were missing. It was hard for me to orient myself, \"says the believer about the events he experienced. According to his wife, the security forces tried to enter the apartment not only through the door: \"A man in camouflage began to knock on the window frame with a mount, preparing to knock it out. I opened the door. 8 people entered the house.\"\n\"I asked what they were looking for. The investigator replied: \"Everything related to religion and Jehovah,\" continues the head of the family.\n\"They took personal photos, four Bibles (including in the Synodal Translation, in the Translation of Archimandrite Macarius and the Modern Translation), as well as an Evangelical dictionary, personal notes on a biblical theme, postcards, a foreign passport, even my personal poems about Jehovah,\" says the believer. According to the woman, the security forces were also interested in why she and her husband \"do not believe like everyone else.\"\nHer husband says: \"I have hypertension and heart problems. Two years ago he was hospitalized with a suspected stroke. During the search, the pressure jumped sharply. By evening, I felt bad again. The pressure does not subside, in the morning the nose bleeds, the heart began to hurt again.\nLess than a month before the searches in Nikolsk, on September 16 the court made a decision on the case of 6 believers from Penza and sentenced them to suspended sentence based on similar accusations of extremism only for the fact that they read the Bible together with believers. Sentences for religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses are handed down in Russia despite the fact that their faith is not prohibited in the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-13T13:47:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_d1deed48f3b75e5f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_bf850788886c29a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_41e173b15241bcee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/6/image_hu_65d058bfc279f3b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/6.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","died","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"A Series of Searches of Believers in Penza Region. A Criminal Case Initiated Under the \"Extremist\" Article","type":"news"},{"body":"On the afternoon of October 6, 2020, in the village of Solnechnodolsk, located about 60 kilometers from Stavropol, security forces searched the home of 64-year-old Gennady Serdyukov and planted three books from the Federal List of Extremist Materials on him. Another believer was detained but later released.\nThe decision to conduct an inspection, and in fact a search, in Serdyukov's house was issued by the judge of the Stavropol Regional Court Anton Akulinin. What exactly the believer is suspected of is not yet known. It is also unclear whether the actions of the security forces are related to one of the three criminal cases initiated in the Stavropol Territory against 14 civilians in Neftekumsk, Nevinnomyssk and Georgievsk. The oldest of the suspects in extremism in the region, Rimma Vashchenko, is 90 years old, the youngest resident of the region persecuted for his faith is 27-year-old Alexander Akopov.\nThe wave of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Stavropol Territory began 4 years ago from the village of Nezlobnaya. At that time, law enforcement officers planted banned literature on believers, which was recorded by surveillance cameras. In October 2019, this practice continued in the city of Georgievsk. In the homes of three believers, the security forces planted flash drives with prohibited materials.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-12T15:45:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_87c5d9fbde9b8ed0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_de1a879ad76fa4f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/5/image_hu_7713b4ab65b461a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/5.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","plant","search"],"title":"In the Stavropol Territory, law enforcers planted banned literature on an elderly believer and \"found\" it during a search","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2020, Dmitry Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentenced Jehovah's Witnesses Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively. This is more than the state prosecutor asked. The believers' guilt is a joint home Bible discussion. The verdict has not entered into force.\nThe court found the believing spouses guilty both in organization and participation in activity of extremist organization (part 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). State prosecution asked the court to sentence them to 7 years conditionally each. Believers continue to insist on their complete innocence.\n\"The very fact that they were found guilty under 2 mutually exclusive articles at once already testifies to complete misunderstanding of the matter among law enforcers, - said Yaroslav Sivulskiy from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, - In reality Sergey and Valeriya simply enjoyed their constitutional right to freedom of religion, no extremist activity is being involved\".\nSergey and Valeria Rayman during the sentencing in court. Kostroma. 9 October 2020 \"For some reason, any attempt to exercise their religious beliefs, which no court has banned, is a crime from the perspective of the investigation. No one was harmed by my actions, and the indictment clearly states: 'No victims’. They could not have been, because the main motive of all my actions is love for people. I am not ashamed of my beliefs that helped me to become a worthy man,\" Sergei Rayman said in his last word.\nValeriya Rayman, addressing to court with last word, has told: \"The persecution by the authorities has had an impact on our life, on our physical and emotional health. And now, for over two years, we have been living under constant stress and anxiety. And all this is due to the unfair accusation of extremism. I have not committed any crime and my conscience is clean before everyone.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-09T16:16:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_4b5827d6e374f75c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_61a5246850d4700e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_c2a4891807e82d05.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/4/image_hu_acbdb08a82b67035.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/4.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","sentence"],"title":"In Kostroma, the Court Sentenced a Family of Jehovah's Witnesses to the Largest Probation Period During Religious Persecution in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 8, 2020, the judge of the Zasviyazhsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, Galina Soshkina, sentenced 6 law-abiding local residents professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to various terms of imprisonment suspended from 2 years and 2 months to 3.5 years. Until the verdict comes into force, they will be under recognizance not to leave.\nSergey Mysin was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of freedom, his actions were reclassified under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. His wife, Natalia Mysina, was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of freedom. Mikhail Zelensky was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 8 months of restriction of freedom. Andrey Tabakov was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of freedom. Aleksandr Ganin was sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment plus 9 months of restriction of freedom. Khoren Khachikyan was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty. The property of believers has not been confiscated, it has been seized.\nThe state prosecutor asked for a sentence of 3 to 7 years in a colony with the confiscation of savings and cars in the amount of 1.57 million rubles, which were seized. The believers themselves asked the court to fully acquit them.\nSergei Mysin told the court in his final statement: \"Neither I, nor my family, nor my friends are extremists, and never have been. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I am not guilty either before the law of my country, or before my conscience, or before the Creator, Jehovah God\" (full text).\nAndrei Tabakov told the court: \"The indictment says that each of us committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state. But I don't understand how exercising my constitutional right to have beliefs and share them with others can lead to such serious consequences for the state. I don't understand how you can call extremists people who, even at the cost of their own lives, reject any violence\" (full text).\nKhoren Khachikyan said: \"I do not presume to teach those who undertook to eradicate the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, but there is one simple and very important feature: the stronger the persecution of a sincerely believing Christian, the stronger his faith becomes\" (full text).\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-10-08T15:51:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_8a696096c5fce514.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_182aeee2c8d15134.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_ee2dd714f8226f67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/3/image_hu_412381955eeac695.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/3.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A verdict was passed on 6 believers in Ulyanovsk. All of them were sentenced to suspended imprisonment for terms up to 3.5 years","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 7, 2020, Elena Kudryavtseva, judge of the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev, recognizing the accusations of incitement to extremism as unproven. The unfair criminal prosecution of the believer lasted more than 4 years. If the prosecutor's office does not appeal the verdict, it will come into force.\n\"I am very happy and grateful to everyone who defended my freedom. I saw from family members, from my friends, that they were preparing for the worst. And it weighed on them. It is very pleasant that the court approached this case in a principled and unbiased manner and revealed all the pros and cons,\" said Yuriy Zalipaev after the verdict was announced.\nIn August 2016, law enforcement agencies broke into the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye and planted literature included in the federal list of extremist materials. The fact of falsification was confirmed by video recordings from the scene and witnesses interrogated in court. The evidence was presented to the court during the consideration of the case of an administrative offense, but the court ignored it and awarded the believers a large fine. The decision in the administrative offense case was one of the steps in the liquidation of all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and in the criminal prosecution of Yuriy Zalipaev: less than a year later, a criminal case was initiated against him under two articles: \"public calls for extremist activities\" (part 1 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and \"incitement of hatred or enmity\" (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nGuilty without proof\nAccording to prosecutors, Zalipayev distributed banned literature and encouraged other Jehovah's Witnesses to use violence against members of other religions in the area where he lives. During the trial, neither the prosecutor nor the police officers named as witnesses presented any evidence of these accusations, stating that they were not aware of any violence by Jehovah's Witnesses at all.\nOn January 23, 2019, the Maysky District Court terminated the criminal proceedings on charges of inciting hatred and enmity (Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) due to the prosecutor's refusal to charge this part. The court recognized the believer's right to rehabilitation, including compensation for moral damage and legal expenses. The prosecutor's office appealed this decision, but the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria upheld it. However, Zalipayev continued to be prosecuted under Article 280 of the Russian Criminal Code.\nIt is noteworthy that on June 4, 2019, the court appointed a psychological and linguistic religious examination in the case of the believer at the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia. According to the experts' conclusion, \"in [Yuriy Zalipaev's] statements ... there are no calls, demands for the commission of any actions, including hostile, violent, discriminatory\"; \"Statements ... are not characteristic of the personality of Zalipaev Y. V.\", they \"do not reflect the worldview of Jehovah's Witnesses\" and \"the practice of the movement of Jehovah's Witnesses\".\nYuriy Zalipayev's lawyer Anton Omelchenko, addressing the court during the debate of the parties on September 21, stated: \"There is every reason to assert that the accusation of Y.V. Zalipaev is not only not proven, but completely refuted.\"\nYuri himself also resolutely denied the accusations against him. According to him, he has good relations with acquaintances, including neighbors who hold different religious beliefs. \"The words of enmity attributed to me could not have been uttered at all by any of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is impossible to persuade them to violence,\" said Yuriy Zalipaev during one of the court hearings. Speaking in court with the last word, the believer said: \"I feel calm because I am not judged for evil deeds, but for good ones. I have not committed a crime either before the state or before God.\"\nCurator from the FSB\nIn the course of the trial, the planned fabrication of the criminal case became apparent. Even before the search in the educational institutions where Yuriy worked, the special services recruited false witnesses. In addition, one of the FSB officers, as follows from the billing of telephone conversations, coordinated actions with all witnesses, police officers, the investigative committee, the prosecutor's office, the court and prosecution witnesses in the case. The latter gave contradictory testimony throughout the trial. As it turned out, those who claimed to have heard Zalipayev's calls for violence were not even present at the meetings where these words were allegedly heard.\nAccording to the arguments of the defense, as well as the testimony of 32 witnesses, the only appeals coming from Yuri Zalipaev were to read the Bible, show warmth to all people, and treat people of different backgrounds with kindness.\nThe Court attached to the case the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which clearly emphasized: Jehovah's Witnesses, in principle, do not practice violence or call for it.\nJudge Elena Kudryavtseva, having considered the facts, decided to find Yuri Zalipaev not guilty.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-10-07T17:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/2/image_hu_8312b32f44cebd55.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/2/image_hu_9d0733be3ef6cc68.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/2/image_hu_5599b02081238a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/2/image_hu_30d8b0ed1259328c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/2.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","sentence","review","280-1"],"title":"An acquittal verdict - for the first time in three years - handed to one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yuriy Zalipayev of Kabardino-Balkaria found not guilty","type":"news"},{"body":"In his last word, the defendant reminded the court that in 1991 the country's authorities had already condemned religious repression and rehabilitated Jehovah's Witnesses. Tokarev also explained that he had never participated in extremist activities, and renunciation of faith was unacceptable for him.\n","date":"2020-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/46.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anatoly Tokarev in Kirov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"If you can't express your religious feelings, then what's the point of faith?\" Sergey Rayman asked this rhetorical question during his speech with his last word in court. According to him, he became a useful member of society precisely because of his religious beliefs. But the security forces call them \"extremism\".\n","date":"2020-10-05T10:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/44.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Rayman in Kostroma","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"What I am accused of is contrary to my essence!\" Valeria Rayman said in her last word in court. The believer said that she was instilled with biblical values from childhood and this helped her grow up to be a decent person. Valeria stressed that her religion is not banned in Russia.\n","date":"2020-10-05T10:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/45.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Valeria Rayman in Kostroma","type":"docs"},{"body":"Updated 10/06/2020\nOn October 1, 2020, in Sevastopol, security forces searched at least 9 local residents. The next day, the court sent Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov, Vladimir Sakada and Igor Schmidt to the pre-trial detention center. A few years ago, law enforcement officers unsuccessfully tried to plant a banned book on believers.\nThe raid began early in the morning and lasted several hours. During a search of the Maladyka spouses, the investigator found a bag of milk powder in the refrigerator. Stating that the inscriptions on the package resemble the formula of a narcotic drug, the investigator unexpectedly sent the spouses for compulsory examination in a neuropsychiatric dispensary. (Later the examination confirmed that the package contained milk.)\nAfter the searches, the security forces took 5 believers for interrogation to the branch of one of the local law enforcement agencies. In the evening, Natalia Maladyka was released, and Vladimir and three of his fellow believers were sent to a temporary detention center.\nThe next day, October 2, 2020, the Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sent 4 believers into custody in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Address: 4 Lenin Blvd., Simferopol, 295006). 50-year-old Yevgeny Zhukov, 57-year-old Vladimir Maladyka and 50-year-old Vladimir Sakada were arrested until November 30, 48-year-old Igor Schmidt - until November 23, 2020. A criminal case was opened against them under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt least one of the arrest decisions was made by Judge Viktor Klimakov. He did not heed the arguments of believers that after the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, they did not take part in it, and the FSB accuses them of ordinary religion.\nCriminal prosecution for belief in Jehovah has been going on against the residents of Sevastopol for more than a year. Sevastopol resident Viktor Stashevskiy defends his beliefs in court. The 10-minute film tells about how the persecution cripples the lives of innocent Crimean citizens.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-10-02T14:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_f27eb250635cb8ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_256690efee477926.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/10/1/1_1_hu_a5f751154a004374.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/10/1.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","sizo","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"After the searches in Sevastopol, four peaceful believers were sent to a detention center for at least two months","type":"news"},{"body":"In his address to the judge, Andrey Tabakov spoke about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany and the criminal prosecution of believers during the USSR with their subsequent rehabilitation. With minor abbreviations, we publish Tabakov's last word in court.\n","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/43.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Andrey Tabakov in Ulyanovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The main arguments of the prosecution are prejudice and gossip,\" said Khoren Khachikyan from Ulyanovsk in his last statement.\n","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/42.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Khoren Khachikyan in Ulyanovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"Neither I, nor my family, nor my friends are extremists, and never have been. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I am not guilty before the law of my country, nor before my conscience, nor before the Creator, Jehovah God.\" The last word in court was made by Ulyanovsk resident Sergey Mysin.\n","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/41.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Mysin Sergey Alexandrovich in Ulyanovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"A committee composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe and overseeing the implementation of ECHR judgments has called on Russia to lift the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations.\"\n","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/49.html","regions":["france"],"tags":["eu"],"title":"Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the results of the audit of the implementation of the ECHR judgments on the complaints \"Jehovah's Witnesses of Moscow v. the Russian Federation\" and \"Krupko and Others v. the Russian Federation\"","type":"docs"},{"body":"As a result of prosecutorial inconsistencies, Judge Olga Barabash unexpectedly returned the criminal case of a Vladivostok believer to the prosecutor. This occurred on September 29, 2020, after the defendant's concluding remarks were heard in court. The prosecutor requested a three-year suspended sentence for faith.\nA criminal case is usually returned to the prosecutor's office in connection with violations in the accusation that cannot be eliminated during the trial. The decision to return the case of Elena Barmakina notes that \"from the text of the indictment it is not possible to establish the extremist orientation of the defendant's actions in her cult activities: in reading and discussing texts from the Bible ... participating in the performance of religious chants and prayers, and watching video sermons, despite the fact that freedom of religion is a constitutional right. [...] The event of the crime in the plot of the prosecution is not described specifically, in the opinion of the court, this circumstance indicates non-compliance with the requirements of paragraph 3 of part 1 of article 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, since it is not possible to establish what specific actions prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, where, when, in what way the defendant committed, which is essential for resolving the criminal case on the merits of the charge.\nThe persecution of Yelena Barmakina began more than 2 years ago. In the early morning of July 2018, a group of masked armed security forces invaded her 90-year-old grandmother's apartment. Elena and her husband, Dmitry, both believers, were also in the apartment. Dmitriy was taken away in handcuffs and imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center for 447 days. A year later, the case was initiated against Elena herself. She was found guilty of extremism because of her religion, charged, and her bank accounts were blocked. All this had a noticeable impact on the financial well-being and health of the family.\nOn the eve of the return of the case to the prosecutor, not yet aware of the upcoming court ruling, Yelena Barmakina said in her last word: \"I am happy that I am not suffering for crimes. I didn't steal, I didn't kill, I didn't blackmail anyone, I'm not a fraud. I suffer because I worship God. Of course, it does not surprise me that such events occur, but it sometimes surprises others. Why persecute Jehovah's Witnesses who do not take up arms at the cost of their lives and freedom? History shows that they never had a confrontation with either the Stalinist regime, or the Nazi regime, or the authorities of any other country. The attack has always been one-sided, and an attack on a group of obedient to the authorities, truly religious, fundamentally peace-loving people.\nThe decision to return the case to the prosecutor's office has not entered into force, it can be appealed to the Primorsky Regional Court.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-09-29T10:45:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/11/image_hu_7c24d0eb7f292426.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/11/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/11/image_hu_eeffcb23bef646d5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/11/image_hu_e404b77ae6a6b90.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/11.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","families"],"title":"\"Discussing the Bible is not an extremism.\" The court, instead of sentencing believer Barmakina, returned the case to the prosecutor","type":"news"},{"body":"In her last speech, Yelena Barmakina expressed her confidence: sensible people understand that the campaign to persecute believers in Russia is senseless and cruel. She explained to the court that Jehovah's Witnesses and extremism are incompatible concepts.\n","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/39.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Elena Barmakina in Vladivostok","type":"docs"},{"body":"Kamchatka residents Vera Zolotova and spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenovs were found guilty of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. Sentence was announced on September 25, 2020 in Yelizovsky district court. Believers do not admit guilt and consider the events to be religious persecution.\nIt is noteworthy that when the court passed its sentence, it reclassified the article of the prosecution. Investigators and prosecutors considered that believers were guilty of \"organization\" of extremist community (part 1 of article 282.2 of RF Criminal Code) and the court eventually declared them guilty of \"participation\" in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of RF Criminal Code). In addition, the state prosecution recommended imposing an unbearable fine on the believers: 1,200,000 rubles for the Bazhenovs and 400,000 rubles for Vera Zolotova. However, the court sentenced all three to 2 years conditionally with a probationary period of 3 years and subsequent restraint of freedom for 6 months.\n\"The situation in Yelizovo clearly showed that the articles of the Criminal Code were applied to believers in a completely arbitrary manner. In reality we are not talking about any organization or any participation in any kind of extremism. People simply study the Bible together, pray and learn to love their neighbors in the spirit of the Gospel. They're infinitely far from extremism,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association.\nThe prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yelizovo began in the summer of 2018. The city residents were searched in August that year. Among the 11 detainees were former schoolteacher Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana, who worked as a teacher at school, their minor daughter, and pensioner Vera Zolotova. The believers were taken to the temporary detention center. Konstantin spent 8 days in the pre-trial detention center. Snezhana and Vera were released after 2 days. All of them, except for the minor, were taken to sign up for not leaving.\nThese peaceful citizens were accused of holding joint worship services and conversations with others about God, which the operatives considered to be the organization of the banned extremist organization.\nFour days before the verdict, on September 21, 2020, the defendants delivered their last word, saying that they were being prosecuted for reading the Bible and praying to Jehovah.\n\"I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them and share them with others. This right gives me both God and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation\", - said in an appeal to the judge Vera Zolotova.\nKonstantin Bazhenov asked the judge to allow him to continue \"to gather peacefully and openly with friends to read the Bible and sing songs of praise to our God Jehovah\". And his wife, Snezhana, reminded that Jehovah's Witnesses had already been repressed in the USSR, but were later rehabilitated by the state.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly accept the religion of citizens for participation in the extremist organization's activities. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on individual practice of the above doctrine.\nThe court's decision has not entered into force. Believers will appeal against it.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-25T21:37:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_90e6d400b65cd012.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_c86f1b9e6bd29eb6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_2f6497d14e7f9c2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/10/image_hu_66d319b908187f24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/10.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","families","elderly"],"title":"Two Years of Conditional Imprisonment for Faith.  A 73-year-old Woman and a Married Couple Sentenced in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"The confusion on the faces of prosecutors on September 21, 2020 was caused by the decision of the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction that the detention of of four Jehovah's Witnesses from Makhachkala was illegal. Three men and one woman spent twelve months in the pre-trial detention center and have already been under house arrest for four months.\nIn June 2019, in four cities of Dagestan, masked and armored FSB officers armed with automatic rifles invaded 13 houses of believers. Peaceful law-abiding Makhachkala residents - Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov - were sent to prison by the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala.\nThe Court of Cassation found illegal the extension of their preventive measure from January 27 until May 27, 2020. It is noteworthy that in March 2020 this Fifth Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk had already granted a complaint about the extension of the arrest of Makhachkala residents Karpova, Dergalev, Abdulgalimov and Abdullaev. As a result, 2.5 months later they were released from the pretrial detention center under house arrest.\nAnd this was not the first cassation decision on the arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, in December 2019, the Eighth Court of Cassation overturned an appeal decision on the detention of believers of Kemerovo Britvin and Levchuk, and later, in September 2020, this court declared illegal the extension of the detention of Novosibirsk resident Saveliev.\nThese cassation decisions clearly demonstrate that district and appellate courts in Jehovah's Witnesses cases only listen to the opinion of the investigating authorities and do not go into detail. As a result, dozens of believers spend many months in jail or under house arrest until conscientious investigators or judges understand that they do not pose a threat to society and the state. The courts of first instance are obliged to examine whether there are facts that justify the appointment or extension of a detention. The fact that a person practises the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not sufficient to warrant arrest and detention. As a rule, the investigation cannot present facts of extremist statements or actions by Jehovah's Witnesses to the courts.\nCassation courts of general jurisdiction are an innovation in Russian legal proceedings. Cassation courts of general jurisdiction started their work on October 1, 2019. A total of nine cassation courts were established in Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo and Vladivostok.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-09-25T14:47:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_6ebb3495105c04f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/9/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_65044d7a903c19aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/9/image_hu_95b4e742939a5773.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/9.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"The Detention of Believers From Dagestan Was illegal. This Was the Ruling of the Fifth Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk","type":"news"},{"body":"\"There was no corpus delicti in my actions, just as there was in the actions of my friends.\" In her final statement, Anastasia Polyakova drew attention to the lack of evidence of guilt, as well as how Bible study saved her from addictions and taught her to respect the dignity of every person.\n","date":"2020-09-24T13:00:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/47.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Anastasia Polyakova in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Sergey Polyakov drew attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses are law-abiding people. He also stressed that from a biblical point of view, this court hearing is the fulfillment of a prophecy so that people can hear God's message and decide whether to accept it or not.\n","date":"2020-09-24T13:00:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/docs/40.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Polyakov in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 27, 2020, the FSB department for Sakhalin region stopped criminal prosecution for religious activities of two Nevelsk residents, 50-year-old Vyacheslav Ivanov and 23-year-old Dmitry Kulakov.\n\"This positive event indicates that, if the law enforcement agencies wish, they are able to conduct an objective investigation and do not give in to the trend of harmful to society persecution of peaceful believers. I want to believe that the same result will come to other criminal cases, which were groundlessly prosecuted only for religious beliefs,\" - commented the situation representative of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nIvanov and Kulakov were detained in July 2019 when they were talking to local residents about God and the Bible. On the same day, they were released. Later a criminal case was initiated against the believers under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. According to the case materials, Dmitry and Vyacheslav \"by prior conspiracy... conducted conversations with residents.... at home, trying to impose on them the ideas that were preached by a religious association liquidated by court order in connection with extremist activities\".\nIn October 2019 the houses of the men were searched. The seized publications, audio cassettes, disks, a laptop and a telephone were sent by law enforcement agencies for examination, which found no signs of extremism, hatred, hostility or degradation of dignity on religious grounds. In addition, the expert concluded that the submitted materials did not support the idea of superiority of one religion over another.\nAfter reviewing the facts, FSB investigator Melnikov D. S. terminated the criminal proceedings because, as stated in the ruling, \"the actions of Kulakov and Ivanov are of a general religious nature related to the right to practice a religion that is not prohibited in the Russian Federation, which is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Russian Constitution. As recalled in the document, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not assess the legality of Jehovah's Witnesses' religious beliefs or the ways in which they were expressed. No crime was found in the actions of Vyacheslav and Dmitry.\nThus, Dmitry Kulakov is no longer a defendant in a criminal case. However, Ivanov Vyacheslav is still a suspect in another criminal case opened against five Sakhalinians, including Dmitry Kulakov's parents - Tatiana and Sergei.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2020-09-24T08:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/8/image_hu_18a2be88764acce8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/8/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/8/image_hu_46d1871d7a9e08a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/8/image_hu_f116ad52193a4235.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/8.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","families"],"title":"On Sakhalin, the FSB Stopped Criminal Proceedings Against Believers for Talking About God - Not a Crime","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Throughout the meetings ... sufficient evidence has been presented that Jehovah's Witnesses are peaceful, decent, law-abiding people.\" With these words, Gaukhar Bektemirova concluded her speech before the court.\"\n","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/48.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gaukhar Bektemirova in Omsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 21, 2020, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic held a hearing in the case of Yuri Zalipaev. Lawyer Anton Omelchenko in his speech with the help of expert opinions and other facts proved the absurdity of the accusation against the believer.\n","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/34.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Speech of lawyer Anton Omelchenko in court pleadings in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria)","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I ask to be allowed to gather peacefully and openly with friends to read the Bible and sing songs of praise to our God Jehovah, ... Since it does not harm anyone and is not prohibited by law,\" the believer made such a request to the court during his last speech on September 21, 2020.\n","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/36.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Konstantin Bazhenov in Yelizovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In her last word, Snezhana Bazhenova drew the court's attention to the fact that on October 30, the country celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression. Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses were among the victims. The survivors were rehabilitated. With minor editing, we publish the believer's appeal to the court.\n","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/37.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Snezhana Bazhenova in Yelizovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them, share them with other people. This right is given to me by God and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation,\" said 74-year-old Vera Zolotova. With minor editing, we publish the text of her last word in court.\n","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/38.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vera Zolotova in Yelizovo","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his final statement, Yuriy Zalipayev noted that he perceives the trial as an opportunity to tell the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses and the God they worship.\n","date":"2020-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/35.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yuriy Zalipaev in Mayskoye","type":"docs"},{"body":"September 16, 2020 Penza Regional Court commuted the sentence of Vladimir Alushkin, replacing 6 years in prison with 4 years of suspended sentence. To his wife, Tatiana, and 4 more believers the court left the sentence - 2 years conditionally - in force. The believers did not admit guilt in extremism. The verdict came into force.\nPersecution of Penza believers has already lasted for 3 years. Even before the criminal cases were initiated, operatives had been following them for several months, recording that believers had not renounced their religious beliefs after the ban of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in Russia and continued to gather for joint Bible studies.\nJuly 15, 2018. Vladimir Alushkin was arrested for the first time. He spent 3 days in a TDF and then 181 days in pre-trial detention center #1 in Penza region.\nOn January 14, 2019 Alushkin was released from the pre-trial detention center. The court placed him under house arrest, where he spent an extra 11 months. His fellow believers Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrei Magliv (helps his wife take care of her elderly mother) and Denis Timoshin spent 515 days under house arrest).\nOn December 13, 2019, Alushkin was arrested for the second time. He was taken into custody in the Leninsky District Court of Penza, after Judge Roman Tanchenko announced the decision: Vladimir Alushkin was sentenced to 6 years in prison, his wife, Tatyana, to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The court also sentenced Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Even before the verdict came into force, Alushkin was transported from Penza to one of the detention facilities in Mordovia.\nOn March 25, 2020. Vladimir was released from the pre-trial detention center again. This happened after the Penza Regional Court overturned the sentence of December 13 and sent it for a new trial. Vladimir Alushkin (and the rest of the accused) received a preventive measure in the form of subscription on his not leaving.\nOn July 9, 2020. First Court of Cassation returned Alushkin's case and 5 of his associates for new appeal consideration to Penza regional court. Even before the announcement of the decision of the appeal instance, which softened Alushkin's sentence under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and left in force the conditional punishment for the rest, the believers were under the subscription about not leaving.\n\"It is good that the believers will not go to prison. And yet the court unfairly found them guilty of extremism. There are no victims, no harm or even intentions to inflict it. All their guilt is that in the name of their religion there is the word combination \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", which propaganda methodically covers with myths about a threat to society. Although the Russian authorities themselves have repeatedly assured that this religion is not banned,\" Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Jehovah's Witnesses Association commented on the court ruling.\nAndrey Magliv and Natalia Kulyasov Vladimir and Snezhana Olkhova Galiya Timoshin Denis It is noteworthy that on October 1, 2019 the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council declared Vladimir Alushkin's arrest as unlawful. \"An appropriate measure of protection,\" the document says, \"would be the unconditional release of Vladimir Alushkin and the granting of his enforceable right to receive compensation and damages.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2020-09-16T23:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_404727eba237e67a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_48da5a170ea2b575.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/7/7_2_hu_e0cbad2f77e5f4fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/7.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1"],"title":"The appeal filed in the City of Penza reversed the prison sentence for Vladimir Alushkin. Six believers received a suspended sentence.","type":"news"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut from Razdolnoye village ( Primorye Territory) is being tried for her faith under the article on participation in the extremist organization's activities. Already on September 21, 2020 in Nadezhdinskoye district court, the state prosecutor is likely to request punishment for her, and after that the court will leave to the consulting room for sentencing.\nThe surveillance of the believers in Razdolnoye village began in the fall of 2017. The investigation was conducted by the Russian Investigative Committee for the Primorye Territory. Criminal cases were opened and the believers were charged with leading or participating in the activities of the banned organization. In February 2020 investigator Denis Shevchenko opened a criminal case against Lyudmila Shut based on suspicions of her participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code).\nIn the prosecution's opinion, Lyudmila Shut, \"acting deliberately... anticipating the coming of socially dangerous consequences... wishing to do so on the grounds of religious hatred, acting out of extremist motives... participated in.... meetings\". The case was brought to court in April 2020. Judge Natalia Derevyagina listens to it. At least 7 court sessions on the merits took place.\nLyudmila Shut is old enough to be mother of most investigators. She is an invalid of group II, can not move around on her own, and even with the help of others needs crutches. All her guilt comes down to peaceful chanting, reading the Bible, praying and talking about God. Nevertheless, law enforcement officers seek for her severe punishment under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code (fine, forced labor or imprisonment for up to 6 years with loss of rights).\n\"It is alien to me as one of Jehovah's Witness to show hatred and enmity,\" Lyudmila said in court. \"Jehovah's Witnesses around the world are known for their peacefulness, they don't take up arms... If all people as Jehovah's Witnesses refused to fight, there would be no wars, no terrorist acts and no extremism in the world.\"\nRepression of Jehovah's Witnesses is particularly active in Primorye Territory, with about 30 people involved in various cases. Many of them are women and elderly people. The oldest of them is 86 years old.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-09-11T16:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_ef51031dd0abeed5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_b7675543c40f5e6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/6/image_hu_1c80fa55bafa87c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/6.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"title":"In the city of Primorye, the trial of a 72-year-old believer is drawing to a conclusion. Being disabled, she commutes to court hearings using her crutches","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 10, 2020, the Berezovsky City Court of Kemerovo region handed a guilty verdict to Hasan Kogut, a 37-year-old father of a minor child. The believer was sentenced conditionally to two-and-a-half years with a probation period of two years. He strongly denied the guilty charge of extremism, stating that he was convicted for his faith.\n\"30 states openly condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and hope that this misunderstanding will soon be over. I'm not going to give up my faith in Jehovah, and making me do it is a crime,\" Hassan Kogut said in a final statement to the court, stressing that he is not being tried for crimes but for religious beliefs.\nJudge Elena Bigeza, having listened to the argumentation of the believer, sentenced him to suspended sentence, although the prosecutor asked for 2 years of colony for Kogut.\nJuly 22, 2018 the house of a resident of Berezovsky Hassan Koghut was searched. But he was only detained on 6 February 2019, the same day that the regional FSB department opened a criminal case against him for involvement in extremist activities. Immediately after his arrest, Kogut was placed in a detention center for 2 days, and later - for 202 days under house arrest. The court then relaxed his restraining order until he signed a notice not to leave.\nAccording to the case file, Hassan Koghut gathered with his fellow believers for religious meetings, \"continuing\" the activities of a legal entity, a banned religious organization. By doing so, a believer \"committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security,\" the indictment said.\nHassan Kohut\u0026rsquo;s support group outside the courthouse The trial of Hassan Kogut lasted more than a year. During that time, many witnesses testified that they had not heard a believer call to hatred, violence or anti-state slogans - none of which is listed in the legislation on countering extremist activity. The presence of extremism in Kogut's words analyzed during the court sessions was also denied by the expert Vadim Shiller from Kemerovo.\n\"The course of the process indicated that law enforcers act on the basis of misinformation about believers. For example, in her speech the state prosecutor stated that Jehovah's Witnesses invented the doctrine of hell as a place of torment for sinners, although among Christian religions it is the Witnesses who deny the existence of fiery hell. This nuance is an indicator of how law enforcement in general treats the facts, if we talk about the criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses,\" - commented on the sentence representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nThe case of Hasan Kogut was separated from the case of other Berezovsky believers - Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin, who were sent to the colony for 4 years by the court on September 2, 2020, based on similar charges.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-10T17:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_5076a489cb507c97.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_f80038bb430955fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/5/image_hu_60494d2d0d42abd3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/5.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"title":"Hasan Kogut, a believer from Beryozovsky, was handed a two and a half year suspended sentence for participating in meetings with fellow believers","type":"news"},{"body":"In his final statement, the defendant recalled that 30 states had already condemned the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. According to him, forcing a person to abandon his faith is a crime.\n","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/33.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Hasan Kogut in Berezovsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 4, 2020, Vladimir Olovnikov, judge of the Kursk Regional Court, overturned the court's decision to release Dennis Christensen and sent the case of one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark for a new trial to the Lgov District Court of the Kursk Region.\nAs lawyer Anton Bogdanov said after the court hearing, \"Dennis was not at all discouraged and met this court decision with a smile.\" \"His health condition is consistently difficult, as there is no adequate treatment for his neurological diseases. Despite this, the believer is determined to go to the end, defending his innocence,\" the lawyer said.\n\"There is not a single person, either at large or in prison, who has been harmed in any way by Christensen. But he, as some kind of murderer or rapist, has been purposefully kept behind bars for the 4th year only because he prayed to Jehovah together with others and talked about love for one's neighbor. This only underlines the demonstratively repressive nature of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the decision of the Kursk service.\nDane Dennis Christensen is the first Jehovah's Witness imprisoned for his faith even before the entry into force of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Christensen was arrested on May 25, 2017 in Oryol, where he had lived with his wife Irina for more than a decade. In February 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol sentenced the believer to 6 years in a general regime colony. The court considered it extremism that Dennis gathered with fellow believers for worship. At the same time, there were no victims of Christensen's actions.\nTo date, the Dane has actually been behind bars for about 1200 days (a little more than 3 years and 3 months), of which 731 days were in a pre-trial detention center. Taking into account the fact that according to the law, one day in a pre-trial detention center equals 1.5 days in a general regime colony, Christensen served more than 4 years of the 6-year term appointed by the court.\nAlready a year ago, he was eligible for parole or other mitigation. On the 4th attempt, the believer's petition went to court, and on June 23, 2020, the judge of the Lgovsky District Court of the Kursk Region, Galina Petlitsa, decided to replace Christensen's unserved part of the sentence with a fine. However, the Kursk prosecutor for the supervision of correctional institutions, Alexei Shatunov, appealed this decision. Not only did Dennis not receive legal freedom, but he also faced additional pressure from the colony authorities.\nEven before the decision to release Lgov Colony No. 3, the administration of Lgov Colony No. 3 used far-fetched pretexts to draw up a negative characterization of Christensen. In particular, he was regularly forced to perform types of work that were contraindicated for health reasons (in the colony, Dennis suffered pneumonia, he was diagnosed with serious diseases of the spine). After the court's decision to replace the term with a fine, the management of the correctional institution fabricated violations against the believer, as a result of which he spent 27 days in a punishment cell.\nThe unfair treatment of Christensen by the authorities caused a wide international outcry. \"The accusation and imprisonment of Christensen only for confessing his faith is an unacceptable violation of the right to freedom of religion,\" said observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Kingdom of Denmark, the European Union External Action Service , the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the Human Rights Council of the Russian Federation and other well-known human rights organizations and ombudsmen also spoke in support of the first Russian prisoner of conscience.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-09-04T21:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/4/image_hu_34e8810ef5c57561.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/4/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/4/image_hu_6cba30b2c64bdd77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/4/image_hu_d5d07079a6b567d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/4.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","retrial","liberty-deprivation","prison-treatment","health-risk","282.2-1"],"title":"A court decision leaves Dennis Christensen behind bars, but is providing an opportunity to another court to free the believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 3, 2020, the Novozybkov City Court sentenced Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov to 1 year and 3 months of imprisonment and 1 year of restraint, and Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva to 1 year of imprisonment and 6 months of restraint. But, since they have already served their time in a pre-trial detention center, they were released.\nNone of the believers pleaded guilty to extremism. One of them, Vladimir Khokhlov, addressing the court with the last word, said: “I am accused of committing crimes against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security. I consider this to be unfounded statements, since it is directly opposite to everything I believe in and how I act” (the full text of the speeches with the last words of Eduard Zhinzhikov,Tatiana Shamsheva, and Olga Silaeva is also available).\nThe criminal prosecution of four civilians from Novozybkov began in June 2019. After a series of raids, 42-year-old Tatiana Shamsheva and 31-year-old Olga Silaeva were the first to be imprisoned. They were accused of “spreading the ideology of the religious organization“ Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia ”by conducting conversations with residents of Novozybkov and Klimovo” (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nFour months later, in October 2019, a criminal case was opened against the 42-year-old father of a minor child, Vladimir Khokhlov, and 47-year-old Eduard Zhinzhikov. They gathered to pray and discuss the Bible with their fellow believers, which the security officials considered a threat to the security of society and the state (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Homes of Vladimir and Eduard were searched again, and the believers themselves were detained and later sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n\u0026ldquo;The accusation of Yahweh worshippers has already been finalized\u0026rdquo;—speech of the lawyer Tatyana and Olga spent 8 months in custody and in February 2020 were released from the detention center under the recognizance agreement. Vladimir and Eduard were imprisoned for almost a year—until the recent court verdict.\n“Courts unreasonably send believers to prison. The sentence to four Jehovah's Witnesses from Novozybkov seems mild, but it is nevertheless an accusatory one. People spent many months behind bars on the basis of fictitious accusations,” Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, commented on the court's decision.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-04T13:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/3/image_hu_c0942dd1237c4f2b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/3/image_hu_6033e9656b4261de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/3/image_hu_d65e84463c2bd329.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/3.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"Novozybkov Court Sentenced 4 Jehovah's Witnesses to Jail, But Released Them Because They Have Already Served Their Time","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am convinced that only God is a full-fledged Lord, only his rule is the best, and I want to show with my life that I am on his side,\" Tatyana Shamsheva said in her last word, addressing the court. She explained that the faith does not need to be registered and cannot be liquidated.\n","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/30.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Tatyana Shamsheva in Novozybkov","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last statement, the defendant said that the actions of which he was accused were contrary to his beliefs, and called what was happening discrimination, which should not occur in an interfaith country.\n","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/31.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Khokhlov in Novozybkov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 2, 2020, the 14-month court proceedings against Jehovah’s Witnesses Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk in the town of Beryozovsky came to a conclusion. The court convicted them and sentenced them to imprisonment in the penal colony with some additional restrictions. They had already spent 520 days in pre-trial detention and 250 days under house arrest.\nBoth of the Witnesses are family men. At the time of the arrest of 48-year-old Vadim Levchuk, his son was still a minor. Sergey Britvin is 55 and registered as Category 2 disabled. In the past, before their criminal investigation, they both worked in mining enterprises. Levchuk worked in a mine, and Britvin worked as a driver of a heavy transport vehicle. Their lives changed completely in July 2018, when a wave of home searches of Jehovah’s Witnesses was carried out in their town. During the raids, one woman was injured by broken glass. Two days later the Tsentralniy District Court of Kemerovo ruled to place Britvin and Levchuk in pre-trial detention. They spent time in SIZO-1 in Kemerovo and SIZO-4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\nThe investigation was conducted by the Investigative Department of the Kemerovo Regional Headquarters of the FSB. They were unable to find a single victim or anyone who had suffered harm as a result of the activity of the accused. The investigators consider that they organized the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1) of the Russian Federation Criminal Code) merely for discussing spiritual subjects with their friends. At the core of the criminal case lies evidence given by a “secret witness” whose name has not been revealed by the prosecution. As a result of this, the Witnesses have been unable to exercise their right to defend themselves against the charges (impossibility to ask a witness more specific questions, impossibility to see his reaction and make sure that he answers not according to others' instructions). The state prosecutor recommended that the court sentence both men to 6.5 years in prison. They refused to plead guilty and insist that just practicing their religion is not forbidden by the law.\nAfter they spend 4 years in the colony, they will be forbidden to hold certain positions for another 3 years, and they will also be subject to 1 year of restrictions.\nOf the 18 months they spent in pre-trial detention, the last 6 months were unlawful. This fact was belatedly admitted by the Eighth Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction in December 2019, two months after the newly-formed cassation court system began to operate in Russia.\nFrom the court’s decision it is clear that the law-enforcement agencies and the courts of Kemerovo Region remain convinced that citizens of the region cannot profess the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, despite the fact that Article 28 of the Russian Federation Constitution guarantees this right. Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia insist that they have nothing in common with extremism. The Russian government confirmed that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban the activity of their organizations “did not give an appraisal of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and do not contain any restrictions or bans on the individual profession of the teaching indicated above.”\nThe court's decision has not entered into force. Believers will appeal against it.\nUpdate. After the verdict, Britvin and Levchuk were taken into custody in the courtroom — watch the 25-second video. They are transferred to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk ","category":"verdict","date":"2020-09-02T16:27:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/09/2/image_hu_6a8424eaaadfd1dd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/09/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/09/2/image_hu_581e18408dda9f51.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/09/2/image_hu_699d32ea9e4c914.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/09/2.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","video"],"title":"The First Convictions in Kemerovo Region Have Been Handed Down to Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Both Were Sentenced to an Imprisonment for Four Years","type":"news"},{"body":"The defendant thanked all the participants in the trial, including the judge and the prosecutor, and then explained in detail, with reference to the testimony of experts, why joint religion is not \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization,\" and the prosecution is completely based on the religion of citizens.\n","date":"2020-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/32.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Britvin in Berezovsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, Vadim Levchuk drew attention to the facts proving that the faith for which he is being tried made him a peaceful and honest person, strengthened his family and helped him to be a responsible citizen.\n","date":"2020-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/27.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vadim Levchuk in Berezovsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 4, 2020 at 16:00, the Kursk Regional Court will consider the prosecutor's appeal against the decision of of the Lgov District Court to replace Dennis Christensen with a fine of 400,000 rubles. The case will be considered by the judge Vladimir Olovnikov.\nThe appealed decision was issued by the Lgov District Court on 23 June 2020. Since Christensen had served significantly more than half of his 6-year sentence, the court, with the support of the prosecutor, decided that his sentence could be commuted. However, two days later, the Kursk prosecutor's office suddenly changed its mind. Prosecutor Shatunov sent an appeal to a higher court, in which he demanded that the decision to commute the sentence be overturned, allegedly \"due to the lack of positive activity in labor and public life in the correctional facility. Following this, the believer was subjected to several punishments at once and was sent twice to the punishment cell.\nIt is noteworthy that during the hearing on June 23 the defense presented to the court expert conclusions confirming the presence of Christensen's diseases that exclude labor at the works in the colony and participation in other types of work. The representative of the colony admitted that they could not provide a believer with a type of work that would not be contraindicated to him for medical reasons. The court attached the documents to the case and, apparently, relied on them to make its decision.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-08-28T16:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/9/image_hu_9479545d1cf453d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/9/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/9/image_hu_624000f3ce7d623c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/9/image_hu_1d8c9ca91a4177fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/9.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","appeal"],"title":"Kursk regional court to rule on September 4 whether Dennis Christensen can be set free in exchange for a large fine","type":"news"},{"body":"On 23 July 2020, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 30 member States issued a statement strongly criticizing the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses by the Russian authorities.\nThe joint statement of OSCE member States said: “We have heard the Russian delegation claim more than once at the Permanent Council that Jehovah’s Witnesses are, and will continue to be, able to practice their religion freely, and that freedom of religion or belief is guaranteed in the Russian Federation. However, we continue to see numerous reports about home raids, detentions, and criminal investigations concerning Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is in strong contrast with the claims by the Russian delegation.”\nThe statement stresses: \"All people, including members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, must be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Russia's OSCE commitments and obligations under international law.”\nOf particular concern to European leaders were the mass arrests and beatings of believers in the city of Voronezh in mid-July this year. Nicola Murray, Deputy Head of the UK Delegation with the OSCE, drew attention to “increasing number of searches, as well as use of simultaneous large-scale home raids, creates the impression of an organised campaign of persecution against Jehovah’s Witnesses.” She added: \"So-called ‘evidence’ used against those investigated and prosecuted includes regular aspects of communal religious life.”\nThe US joined the OSCE statement. Lane Darnell Bahl, representative of the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, called on the Russian authorities to cease criminal investigations against Jehovah's Witnesses, halt the seizure of their headquarters in Russia, and immediately release all imprisoned or detained believers.\nThis is not the first time that EU countries have demanded that Russia stop persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of their religion. Similar statements on this topic were published onMarch 12, 2020 and May 10, 20188. Many other foreign and Russian organizations have made similar calls.\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-08-28T11:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/8/image_hu_17c1bf7f45be9c2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/8/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/8/image_hu_86e1e63efe5828ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/8/image_hu_35999351caac64a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/8.html","regions":["eu","voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","osce","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"Thirty European nations condemned the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"In Krasnoyarsk, District Court has begun consideration of the criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov, a peaceful believer accused of extremism. Who he is and why he is being tried, is described in a 4-minute video.\nViktor Shipilov, Attorney: He is accused of committing a crime stipulated by Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code—for organizing the activity of an organization that has been liquidated by a court decision for carrying out so-called extremist activity. Andrey Stupnikov was never one of the founding members of such organizations and was never a member of one of their supervising organs. No one has been banned from having religious beliefs, a fact that was emphasized by the court that ruled to liquidate legal entities [of Jehovah’s Witnesses]. But when we open the bill of charges we read the following: “Andrey Stupnikov took steps to preserve and increase the number of followers of the given religious teaching.” But a religion cannot exist without followers that profess certain beliefs.\nAndrey and Olga have been married for 27 years. According to them, it was knowledge of the Bible that made their marriage strong and happy. However, on 3 July 2018 their happy family life was disrupted when Andrey was detained by security forces.\nAndrey Stupnikov: My wife and I arrived at the airport at 4:00 in the morning. When we were at the check-in counter, the FSB approached us. We were told that I was under investigation.\nAfter that he was interrogated by the FSB, had court hearings on preventive measures and spent eight months in pre-trial detention. Andrey was not allowed to see his wife. They threatened him, trying to force him into testifying against himself.\nAndrey Stupnikov: They shouted and threatened that they could, for example, increase the severity of the charges to terrorism. After this, the situation worsened; for some time I stopped receiving letters from my wife. But I received other letters. Then a man would come and ask me: \"So what happened to your wife, do you know?\" Later I realised why this was happening. They told me that if I agreed to cooperate or admit my guilt, I could return to my wife very soon.\nAndrey acknowledges that the presence of hundreds of fellow believers who came to encourage him was of great support to him. For anyone who discerns what is happening, it is obvious that law enforcement agencies have taken it to the extreme by labelling peaceful law-abiding citizens as extremists.\nViktor Shipilov, attorney: It is clear that Andrey Stupnikov did not carry out any extremist activities. He did not incite anyone to violence or discrimination, and he never employed violent means himself. All he did was meet with fellow-worshippers, participate in religious services, and share his religious views with others. Why are such peaceable individuals being framed as criminals and imprisoned for six years? There are many opinions on that question, one of which is that they are an easy target for law-enforcement officers, who have quotas to meet in their battle with extremism.\nAt present, Andrey is free. His current preventive measure prohibits certain actions. And although Andrey’s life has changed a lot in the past year, he admits that persecution will not force him to renounce his faith in God.\nAndrey Stupnikov: Reflecting on my life since I dedicated myself to God, I wouldn’t change anything. Not one person can say that I’ve ruined their life or done anything bad to them. I’m proud to know Jehovah and to have him by my side.\nThe judicial proceedings against Andrey Stupnikov are in full swing, and we will likely find out very soon if the judge will render a fair and independent decision—acquitting an ordinary believer.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2020-08-24T14:32:00+03:00","duration":"4:18","image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/7/7_2_hu_c0670e791924a588.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/7/7_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/7/7_2_hu_b26baf6ca8adf60b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/7/7_2_hu_f75b3abbc83123f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/7.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","first-instance","video","prohibition-of-actions","282.2-1"],"title":"Why are peace-loving individuals being framed as criminals? An engineer is being tried for his faith in the city of Krasnoyarsk","type":"video"},{"body":"In the morning of August 19, 2020, law enforcers invaded at least four dwellings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the towns of Ugorsk and the neighboring Sovetskiy. No information about the detainees had been received so far. As new information becomes available, this news item will be updated.\nUpdate. According to updated data, on August 19, searches were carried out at 9 addresses - 8 in the city of Yugorsk and 1 in the city of Sovetsky. 16 people were taken away for questioning. After the interrogations, two believers — 48-year-old Ugra resident Andrey Zhukov and 42-year-old Soviet resident Ivan Sorokin — were sent to a temporary detention center for 48 hours. During this time, the court had to decide on the choice of a preventive measure against them. However, late in the evening of August 20, the believers were unexpectedly allowed to go home on their own recognizance. A criminal case was initiated against Zhukov and Sorokin under Part 1 of Article 282.2. It is being investigated by the investigator of the Control and Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation N. Y. Tatarnikov. (Header updated to reflect information received on August 21.) This is not the first time that raids against believers have taken place in the region. In Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District 23 believers have already been prosecuted, 5 of them went through detention, several people were tortured by law enforcers, and one — Timofei Zhukov — was illegally placed in a psychiatric hospital.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-19T15:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/6/image_hu_dbc914b06161b68e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/6/image_hu_17e76329b6c487f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/6/image_hu_3d8248ae793b4780.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/6.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Law enforcers once again search the homes of believers in the Yugra region. After being detailed for two days, two men were released on a condition that they sign a recognizance agreement","type":"news"},{"body":"During searches in the homes of residents of Nevinnomyssk on August 10, 2020, law enforcers planted books on the believer that are included in the Federal List of Extremist Literature (FSEM). Another believer's laptop and phone were seized.\nThe searches were carried out by officers of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Stavropol Territory on the basis of a ruling by the judge of the Stavropol Regional Court, Nikolai Kramchinin, who authorized the \"Inspection\" to verify information about the involvement of believers in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The forbidden literature was planted when one of the witnesses became ill and was taken out into the street.\nWhy are banned literature planted on Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses? On the same day law enforcement officers came to another local believer. He told the law enforcers that there was nothing forbidden in his house, so he would consider everything that would be \"found\" as a plant. His laptop and phone were seized from him. No religious literature from the FSEM was found in his home by law enforcement officials.\nAccording to preliminary information, operational and investigative measures are not connected with the criminal prosecution of Kuznetsov and others in Nevinnomyssk. The suspects in the Kuznetsov case are eight local believers. One of them, Rimma Vashchenko, a 90-year-old physics teacher, is the oldest Jehovah's Witness prosecuted for her faith in Russia. Rosfinmonitoring has listed her and other individuals with regard to whom there is evidence of involvement in extremist activities or terrorism. There are restrictions on access to their bank accounts.\nThe planting of banned religious publications was one of the foundations of criminal proceedings against believers, which led to the banning of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in Russia. In September 2016, CCTV cameras recorded the falsification of evidence in a church building in the village of Nezlobnaya, located in the same Stavropol Territory.\nLater, special services planted evidence in peaceful believers both in Stavropol, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan, Sochi, Nizhny Novgorod and Novosibirsk regions, Kaluga and other regions of Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-13T16:18:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_87c5d9fbde9b8ed0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/5/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_de1a879ad76fa4f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/5/image_hu_7713b4ab65b461a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/5.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","fsem","282.2-2","elderly"],"title":"In Stavropol Territory, Law Enforcers Planted Banned Literature on the Believer. Details of Searches in Nevinnomyssk","type":"news"},{"body":"In his appeal to the court, lawyer Anton Omelchenko noted that \"a peaceful conversation about God in the circle of fellow believers or with other people without calls for violence, discrimination and degrading treatment of any public group cannot have a public danger.\"\n","date":"2020-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/26.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Speech of lawyer Anton Omelchenko in court pleadings in Novozybkov","type":"docs"},{"body":"\"The Bible helps a person become a better person, not the other way around. Why, showing Christian qualities, am I standing before the court today and have already spent about 9 months in custody?\" This question was asked to the court in his last word by Eduard Zhinzhikov, accused of extremism for his faith.\n","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/28.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Eduard Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","type":"docs"},{"body":"To live without history is to live without memory. For centuries, people have suffered for the truth; Jehovah's Witnesses are also persecuted simply for believing in Jehovah God. But in due time, justice will be restored. Olga Silaeva spoke about this on August 12, 2020 in her last speech.\n","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/29.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Olga Silaeva in Novozybkov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 8, 2020 at least 12 local believers were searched in the cities of Gukovo, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov-on-Don and Kursk. The next day, 51-year-old Oleg Shidlovsky, 40-year-old Evgeny Razumov, 39-year-old Alexei Gorely and 30-year-old Nikita Moiseyev were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nUpdate. On August 12, security forces detained 53-year-old Vladimir Popov in the city of Zverevo. According to preliminary information, he was taken to a branch of one of the law enforcement agencies in Rostov-on-Don. The raids were held as part of a criminal case, which was initiated on August 7 by a senior investigator of the Department of Investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Rostov region, V.V. Pyatitsky in relation to 6 believers: Nikita Moiseyev, Alexei Gorely, Evgeny Razumov, Alexei Dyadkin, Oleg Shidlovsky and Vladimir Popov. They are suspected of organizing extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, the believers' fault is that they called meetings of believers, prayed and sang songs to God Jehovah. According to several law enforcement officers during the searches, an FSB agent had been watching believers for a long time.\nThe day after the initiation of the criminal case the raids began. Most of them took place in the believers of Gukov residents. FSB and Investigative Committee officers invaded civilian homes in the early morning. In one of the cases, law enforcers introduced themselves as workers of the water supply organization. Mobile devices, computer hard drives, flash drives and personal records were seized from believers, as well as from some relatives who do not share their religious views.\nAs part of this criminal case, searches were also carried out at Alexei Gorely in Rostov-on-Don, at Nikita Moiseyev in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, and at Olga Dyadkina, who lives in Kursk.\nAs a result, Oleg Shidlovsky, a school physical education teacher, Evgeny Razumov, a driller, Alexey Gorely, an accountant, and Nikita Moiseyev, a construction worker and a household appliance repair foreman, were detained and taken to the Rostov-on-Don temporary detention facility. On August 9th , the Leninsky District Court sent all four of them under arrest for one month 29 days, until October 6th, 2020.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-10T16:43:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_c0184c93d34600fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/4/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_f1b0e43ab6e228ab.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/4/image_hu_1891715eab3e2f82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/4.html","regions":["kursk","rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","ivs"],"title":"In Rostov and Kursk Regions at Least 12 Searches Took Place. Four Believers Were Sent to the Detention Center for Religious Views","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 6, 2020, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court overturned the sentence of Alexander Pryanikov, Venera, and Daria Dulova, who were conditionally convicted six months ago for a term of 1 to 2.5 years. The case is being returned to the Karpinsky City Court for consideration by another judge.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-08-06T17:26:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/3/image_hu_c8ae4f80b481df50.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/3/image_hu_388db195b5ad1025.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/3/image_hu_a8777e00c1b159b4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/3.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","families"],"title":"The Sverdlovsk Court Overturned the Conviction of Three Jehovah's Witnesses From Karpinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Believers Yuriy Galka and Anatoliy Yagupov reported about the inhumane treatment through a lawyer, who visited them in the detention center. On the day of their detention they were strangled with bags and beaten, demanding a confession. Earlier, believers Bokov, Katyrov and Korol described the beatings.\nLawyers tried to get to Yagupov and Galka from the moment they were taken to pre-trial detention center #1 in Voronezh region, but the lawyer was allowed to see them only after 2 weeks, July 29 and 30.\nIt became known that 44-year-old Yuri Galka had a broken rib. The torture began during the search and continued during the interrogation. The FSB officers twisted his hands behind his back and put the bag over his head, tightening until Yuri began to suffocate. At this time, he was beaten, breaking a rib. He was required to confess to extremism and links with Jehovah's Witnesses. Upon admission to the pre-trial detention center, a rib fracture was revealed, but the staff of the institution, taking advantage of Yuriy's state of shock, wrote in the documents that he received injuries by household.\n51-year-old Anatoliy Yagupov was tortured in a similar way: he was put a bag over his head and beaten on a chair, on which the interrogators put a Voronezh resident.\nA total of five Voronezh Jehovah's Witnesses are now complaining about torture by law enforcement officials. Despite the torture, the Voronezh believers refused to admit guilt for crimes they had not committed. They recorded injuries in a medical facility to protest the actions of law enforcement officers.\nOn July 13, 2020 more than 110 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses houses were conducted in Voronezh and the region.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-08-06T13:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_d743890388eb1282.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_6e320afd3ad9608f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/2/image_hu_88b90d2dfd06aa3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/2.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","sizo","health-risk","siloviks-violence","search","interrogation"],"title":"Two additional Voronezh-based believers reported being tortured during detention. Both are imprisoned and one has a broken rib","type":"news"},{"body":"On August, 3, 2020, the appeal court commuted the sentence imposed on a 61-year-old believer by the Pskov City Court, replacing 6.5 years of imprisonment with a suspended sentence. A few hours after the verdict was pronounced, Gennady was released from the pre-trial detention center.\nThe news is being updated\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-08-03T21:49:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_d1ed4925abeeb45a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/08/1/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_35100e51907ac683.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/08/1/image_hu_6062f5b46d91d19a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/08/1.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","mitigation","suspended","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"The Pskov Regional Court replaced Gennadiy Shpakovskiy's prison sentence with a suspended sentence. The believer has already been released.","type":"news"},{"body":"Two criminal cases were brought against Vyacheslav Ivanov from the town of Nevelsk under the same part of the \"extremist\" article (part 2 of article 282.2). Two large law enforcement agencies use serious resources to prosecute a civilian for believing in God and talking about the Bible.\nThe first criminal case was initiated by the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Nevelsk urban district. On August 29, 2019 Senior Lieutenant Ilya Antonov accepted the case for proceedings under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the grounds that Vyacheslav Ivanov \"by prior conspiracy bypassed the residents [...] of the city of Nevelsk on behalf of a representative of a religious organization\".\nThe second case was initiated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Sakhalin region, located in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. On October 14, 2019 Senior Lieutenant D.S. Melnikov initiated and accepted for investigation another criminal case under the same article against Vyacheslav Ivanov on the basis of the report of the operative officer. According to this document, the believer \"is an active member of a religious association... Jehovah's Witnesses\" and \"involved new individuals in it.\"\nAs a result, Vyacheslav Ivanov, forced to simultaneously respond to various investigators, filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office against the actions of the authorities. However, Aleksandr Metelsky, senior assistant to the prosecutor of the Sakhalin region, refused to satisfy his complaint and \"found no reason to connect the two criminal cases.\nBy mid-July 2020, a FSB investigator was ahead of his colleague from the Interior Ministry. On 14 July D. S. Melnikov brought an official charge against Vyacheslav Ivanov. He believes that the believer participated in criminal activity \"on the instructions of Sergey Kulakov or Yevgeniy Elin\" and \"together with Kulakov and Kozlitin conducted psychological processing of Nevelsk residents in order to involve them in the activities of \"Jehovah's Witnesses\". (It is noteworthy that the entire family of Kulakovs — Kulakov Sergey and Kulakova Tatyana, as well as their son, Kulakov Dmitriy — are persecuted for their faith by various agencies).\nWhat is happening to Vyacheslav Ivanov is not the first time that the state has spared neither efforts nor means to fight peaceful believers. For example, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim from Khabarovsk are tried for their faith in two courts at once, while criminal cases on \"extremist\" articles have been reopened against Venera Dulova, her daughter Daria and Aleksandr Pryanikov after the conviction.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly accept the religion of citizens for participation in the extremist organization's activities. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, and do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on individual practice of the above doctrine.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-07-31T13:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/23.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Two separate criminal charges were filed against a Sakhalin-based believer based on the same subpart of the legal code","type":"news"},{"body":"Aleksandr Korol, 29, who was detained during a mass raid on Jehovah's Witnesses on July 13, was tortured during interrogation, demanding to identify his fellow believers: he was strangled with a plastic bag and beaten. This was revealed after his release from the temporary detention facility where he was held for 48 hours.\nThe most massive raid against Jehovah's Witnesses in the history of modern Russia was conducted by law enforcement agencies in the Voronezh region on July 13, 2020. Searches were conducted at more than 100 addresses, dozens of civilians were detained and taken to interrogations. 10 people were arrested and thrown into the pre-trial detention center. According to more detailed information, three men were beaten and tortured. One of them is 29-year-old Aleksandr Korol.\nAfter the search in Aleksandr's house, he was taken to the building of the Main Department of the Russian Interior Ministry in Voronezh region on Sredne-Moskovskaya Street. There he was interrogated several times. For the first time the interrogators tried to convince the believer to incriminate himself and threatened to torture him. Aleksandr refused, so one of the officers put a plastic bag over his head and began to tighten it around his neck, blocking the air access and asking who among the believers is the elder. The torture was repeated several times until the bag was torn. Simultaneously, Aleksandr was punched in the face several times. The silovik also threatened to use needles for torture.\nThe interrogation with the use of force lasted about 15 minutes, after which Aleksandr was taken to another address, where he was interrogated again.\nAt about 5:30 p.m., handcuffed, he was taken to the Interior Ministry department in Khokholsky district, located about 40 km from Voronezh, and placed in a temporary detention facility for 48 hours.\nAt 5:00 p.m. on 15 July Aleksandr was released without any explanation or apology. Since Aleksandr had no money, and the police seized the means of communication, he had to ask passers-by to borrow money to get home to Voronezh. At the moment it is unknown whether a criminal case has been initiated against the believer. Aleksandr Korol is preparing to appeal against the illegal actions of law enforcers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-29T15:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_5c6cf220765f797a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_f83fda8b6d29ba90.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_c9c4066c83d218c.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs5_hu_285c2a837883ce7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/21.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","torture","siloviks-violence","health-risk","ivs","interrogation"],"title":"\"They placed a bag over my head, strangled and beat me.\" A Voronezh believer tells about being tortured after being detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2020, the Furmanov City Court sentenced 34-year-old Yevgeniy Spirin a fine of 700,000 rubles, ruling that conversations with fellow-worshippers about God constitute extremism. Due to the time already spent in pre-trial and under house arrest, the amount to be paid is 500,000 rubles. The prosecutor has asked that he be sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.\nAlthough Yevgeniy does not agree with the verdict of conviction, he himself, his friends and relatives are happy that the punishment is not associated with imprisonment.\nUpdate. On August 11, 2020, it became known that the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office had appealed this verdict to a higher court. This means that the believer still faces imprisonment. “If Jehovah’s Witnesses stop meeting together, how are they supposed to enjoy their Constitutional right to “profess their beliefs alone or jointly with others?”— asked Yevgeniy Spirin rhetorically, referring to Article 28 of the Russian Federation Constitution during his closing statement to the court.\nSpirin pointed out that the Russian Federation Supreme Court did not ban the joint profession of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He also stressed that his faith poses no threat to the government or society because “the Bible teaches us to do good deeds and never to resort to violence.” According to Yevgeniy, the fact that he refused to take up arms and instead performed non-military alternative service for a longer period proves that he holds to this peaceable civil position.\n“During this court hearing the question has constantly been asked “Have you heard from Spirin statements calling for violent change to fundamental Constitutional order and to the violation of the integrity of the Russian Federation?” Everyone who was asked this by the court confirmed that they had never heard any [such statements].”\nYevgeniy Spirin informed the court that his arrest and the subsequent court hearings have had a serious detrimental effect on the health of members of his family and requested that the court acquit him.\nJudge Yuriy Gnedin ignored these arguments and sentenced the Witness to a punishment of a fine of 700,000 rubles. Given the fact that Yevgeniy has already spent 160 days in pre-trial detention and 167 days under house arrest, the total amount of the fine to be paid is 500,000 rubles.\nYevgeniy Spirin was detained on January 27, 2019 after his apartment had been searched. On the following day the court sent him to a pre-trial detention facility, in which he spent almost 6 months. He spent about the same amount of time under house arrest before being freed in December 2019 without any further restrictions being imposed.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-07-28T16:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/20/20_1_hu_ea971e3b1cd6ec66.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/20/20_1_hu_4957aa75763dbb4b.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/20/20_1_hu_2fb9b46cc79e779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/20/20_1_hu_1c3ab14f86d182dd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/20.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"Yevgeniy Spirin of Furmanov is sentenced to a heavy fine for meeting peacefully with fellow believers.","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2020, law enforcers searched three addresses in Solikamsk. Five citizens of Russia, including women, were taken to the Investigative Committee building. After the interrogations, two believers were detained, as well as the husband of a local woman who does not share his wife's religious views. The news is being supplemented.\nIt became known that criminal investigation was initiated against 51-year-old believer Vladimir Timoshkin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The case is under investigation by the Solikamsk investigation department of the Perm Region Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Timoshkin remains a suspect.\nThe special operation took place in the homes of spouses Timoshkin, spouses A., and A. S. The searches started early in the morning and lasted about five hours. Senior Investigator S. Kanafyev issued at least one of the search orders on the day of the search.\nUpdate. According to updated data, searches were carried out at 4 addresses, six people were taken to law enforcement offices. Three men, including 58-year-old Vladimir Poltoradnev and 51-year-old Vladimir Timoshkin, were sent to the temporary detention facility by the security forces. The wife of a local believer and two women were released on the day of detention after interrogation. On July 30, the court placed Vladimir Timoshkin under house arrest. On another believer, the court imposed a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. On July 31, the court chose house arrest for Vladimir Poltoradnev as a measure of restraint. Earlier two Perm residents — Aleksandr Solovyov and Aleksei Metzger — were sentenced to a fine for talking to others about God and going to religious meetings with believers. Criminal proceedings were also initiated against another 6 local believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-28T16:23:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/22.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"A raid on Solikamsk believers. After the interrogations, three men were placed in a detention facility","type":"news"},{"body":"Communication with fellow believers is not a crime, it does not contradict the laws of Russia. This was stated by Yevgeny Spirin from Furmanov, emphasizing the absurdity of Jehovah's Witnesses' accusations of extremism. With minor abbreviations, we publish the last word of the believer in the Furmanovsky City Court.\n","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/25.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Spirin in Furmanov","type":"docs"},{"body":"After Christensen's release from the punishment cell (SHIZO), where he stayed for 15 days on unjustified charges, the administration of the colony brought him there again. The reason was the believer's refusal to work there, which is detrimental to his health. The pressure on him increased after the court decision to soften his sentence.\nThe second time Christensen was sent to the SHIZO on July 15, 2020. The colony management invited doctors who cooperate with the penal system. They examined Christensen and concluded that he could work with breaks for rest and gymnastics. Previously, an independent doctor had concluded that the nature of the work expected at the prison sewing factory was contraindicated to him.\nSHIZO is a prison inside a prison with harsh conditions. Prisoners were not allowed to purchase food, receive visits, make phone calls or receive parcels or packages. Although by law prisoners in the SHIZO have the right to invite a clergyman, Dennis Christensen does not have this option because Jehovah's Witnesses are not officially registered in Russia.\nThe first time Dennis Christensen was brought to the SHIZO for 10 days, which was extended for another 5 days. If he is punished one more time, the colony may recognize him as a \"malicious violator\" and send him to a chamber-type facility ( EPKT ) for up to six months. In this case, the total term of Christensen's imprisonment may be extended.\nThe defense is trying to appeal against the penal colony's decisions on penalties. However, the Lgov District Court did not accept the claim for unlawfulness of the 1st punishment, because of which Christensen found himself in the penal colony for 15 days. Judge Tatiana Ignatieva referred to several formal, unfounded reasons and did not accept the suit. For example, she claimed that documents should be translated into Danish, although this is not required, as Christensen himself is the applicant in this case. Furthermore, she stated that the lawsuit should be accompanied by the prison administration's own decisions, which is not possible in principle, as one of them is an oral reprimand, and the second colony does not hand over to the prisoner and can only send him or her within a month in response to a lawyer's request. In the meantime, the judge had given the defense until 24 July to obtain documents and translate them into Danish.\nIn June 2020, Lgov District Court, considering Dennis Christensen's request for a reduction of his sentence, with the consent of the prosecutor's office, replaced his unexpired portion of his prison term with a large fine. Literally two days later the prosecutor's office changed its position and appealed the leniency to a higher court. For their part, the employees of the colony - on the same day - drew up two reports on Christensen's violation of prison rules at once, and the next day they sent him to SHIZO.\nDespite all the difficulties, Dennis Christensen is still in a positive mood.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-07-25T09:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/18/image_hu_e6f3f8ca3ebdc8ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/18/image_hu_f828c4ff801a21fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/18/image_hu_8439b953393c033f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/18/image_hu_2449e80e381b7857.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/18.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","mitigation","complaints"],"title":"Four days after his release from the special punishment cell, the prison administration sent Dennis Christensen back to the special punishment cell again","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 23, 2020, a second search was conducted in the apartment of Igor Petrov, who has been under investigation since February 2019, in Surgut. A year and a half ago, during a large-scale raid , law enforcement officers seized things from a believer. After the search was declared illegal, the security forces persistently tried to return them to him. Igor refuses, fearing possible falsifications.\nEarlier, on July 2, law enforcement officers arrived in 2 minibuses at the workplace of Igor's wife, Larisa. They rudely and persistently tried to give her a black bag of things. Larisa refused, arguing that she could not identify them. Igor himself also repeatedly filed a statement of refusal to accept things. The investigator for especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Guselnikov, decided to conduct a second search in his home.\nThe decision was issued on June 26, 2020 by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg, Tatyana Chashchina. Guselnikov arrived at the Petrovs' apartment accompanied by a second investigator, Alexander Monin, 2 armed riot policemen, witnesses, operatives (Senior Lieutenant Igor Antonov and Lieutenant Alexander Todorov) and a technical specialist. Law enforcement officers put pressure on believers because of their refusal to provide passwords for electronic devices. The search in the presence of a minor child lasted 4 hours. Electronic devices, postcards and personal records were seized from the family.\nWhat happens to Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut after the infamous torture raid in February 2019 is being closely watched by Russian human rights activists.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-25T09:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/19/image_hu_a8d0ebc4b6b91cad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/19/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/19/image_hu_2c6cf4ab01d685f3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/19/image_hu_c99bc2c81053d586.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/19.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors"],"title":"Law enforcement forces from Surgut searched the home of Igor Petrov for the second time after his refusal to collect the items seized 1.5 years ago","type":"news"},{"body":"More than 110 searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses on July 13, 2020. The homes are located across seven residential communities in the City of Voronezh region. At least two believers reported severe beatings for refusing to provide smartphone passwords. Ten men between the ages of 24 to 56 were sent to the pre-trial detention center. This news is being continuously updated.\nWhat is known about the arrests and detentions of believers. On July 14 and 15, 2020, the Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh sent ten believers into custody for 1 month and 22 days (until September 3): Antyukhin Aleksey (44), Bayev Sergey (47), Veselov Mikhail (51), Galka Yuriy (44), Gurskiy Valeriy (56), Nerush Vitaly (41), Pankratov Stepan (24), Popov Igor (54), Sokolov Yevgeniy (44) and Yagupov Anatoliy (51).\nOn the day of the search these believers were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on Ordzhonikidze Street in Voronezh. They sat in a prisoner transport bus, and were taken one by one to the building, handcuffed to the escort. It became known that overnight they were sent to an isolation ward in the village of Nizhnedevitsk.\nWhat is known about the beating of believers. Believers Aliaksandr Bokov and Dmitriy Katyrov were severely beaten and abused, as they refused to provide passwords from their mobile devices. During the search, 30-year-old Aleksandr Bokov was beaten at face, head and ribs by the guards, then he was forced to do push-ups on the floor and squat until he was exhausted. At that moment Aleksandr's friend, 23-year-old Dmitriy Katyrov, rang the doorbell. Law enforcers brought Dmitriy into the apartment, demanded the password from his device, and after the refusal they threw him on the floor and started beating his back and neck with their legs, breaking out hands and fingers to unlock the phone with his fingerprint. Because of what was happening, Aleksandr Bokov's wife got sick and needed the help of an ambulance team. The police threatened the believers with further beatings if they reported the beatings to the doctors. Later, after the interrogation, both believers were released. They documented the injuries at the medical facility to protest the law enforcement officers.\nIt is also known that during the storming of Yuriy Galka's apartment, after his front door was broken into, the law enforcement officers knocked him down and pressed him face to the floor. The damage he suffered is unknown, as he was sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nWhat is known about the geography of searches and their number. The official press release the Investigation Committee reports 110 searches. of the Investigation Committee reports 110 searches. The raids were confirmed in the city of Voronezh, towns of Borisoglebsk, Lisky, Pavlovsk, Ramon, Semiluki, the villages of Nikolsky and Babyakovo. The search was also carried out in the city of Stary Oskol (Belgorod region) at a believer who moved there from Voronezh. A total of approximately 100 addresses searched were confirmed by local Jehovah's Witnesses, including apartment and workplaces, garages, and the like.\nWhat is known about the manner in which the law enforcers conducted the searches. According to eyewitnesses, Rosgvardiya employees did not wear the means of epidemiological protection. However, they were armed with assault rifles. During the searches, the Bible, personal diaries, postcards, photographs, computers and telephones were seized from believers. Book volumes with verses by Joseph Brodsky and Bulat Okudzhava were also confiscated from one family. The search orders were issued by the Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh.\nWhat is known about the way the interrogations were conducted. The majority of believers, at least 40, including women, were taken for interrogations to the Center for Counteracting Extremism, to Sredne-Moskovskaya Street in Voronezh. There, they were kept in a big hall under the supervision of armed gunmen and interrogated one by one. During the interrogations some of investigators exerted pressure and used foul language. At least one believer was beaten in the back of the head with his palm.\nWhat do we know about a criminal case. On July 3, 2020, the 1st Department of Investigation of Special Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Voronezh Region initiated 2 criminal cases under paragraph 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against the above mentioned believers (Antyukhin, Bayev, Veselov, Galka, Gursky, Nerush, Pankratov, Popov, Sokolov, Jagupov). Ten days later, 2 cases were merged into one proceeding. The case is being investigated by investigator for especially important cases I. Bichev, with the active participation of the head of the department Andrey Shevelev. The investigation of the case is under control of the head of the regional investigation department.\nThe previous sad record for the number of searches was set by the law enforcement agencies of the Transbaikalia: on 10 February, they conducted searches in 50 houses of believers. Other anti-records were recorded in Sochi (36 searches) and Nizhny Novgorod (35 searches). Law enforcement officers from other regions participated in each of the raids. Following the Supreme Court decision against Jehovah's Witnesses, more than 1,000 believers' homes were searched as of mid-July 2020.\nVoronezh Region became the 57th region of Russia (85 in total in Russia), where criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated.\nThe ban and liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in 2017 have long since escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of the liquidated legal entities. This legal \"collision,\" as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation put it, is crippling the lives of hundreds of people. Recently the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, with dozens of men and women behind bars. The believers await the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they have filed a complaint.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-16T09:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/17.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","sizo","interrogation","review","statistics","analytics","torture"],"title":"Two believers beaten and ten sent to prison in the largest raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Voronezh","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of July 14, 2020, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB conducted searches in the city of Seversk. 11 men and women were taken to the security forces for interrogation. All but 50-year-old Yevgeny Korotun were released. He was placed in a detention center and placed under house arrest the next day.\n\"The door was opened as it was almost broken down. Approximately 10 people entered the apartment and started searching. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food,\" said one of the believers after the security raid.\nThe searches began simultaneously at 9 a.m. in the houses where five families of believers live. FSB officers detained 50-year-old Andrey Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Andrey Ledyaikin at work, after that searches were conducted at their homes. Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department of Leninskiy district of Tomsk, wondered why Aleksey Kolesnichenko \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\nThe search of 67-year-old Aleksey Yershov lasted about 5 hours. Aleksey's wife, Lyudmila, was not allowed into his apartment, but later was taken for interrogation together with her husband and daughter, whose apartment was also searched. Ludmila's anxiety and exhaustion increased her blood pressure.\nLaw enforcers confiscated electronic devices, various Bible translations, notebooks, WI-FI-routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\nAfter the searches, the detainees were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee in Seversk, where they stayed until late in the evening. They were interrogated and then released.\nEarlier in Tomsk region Sergey Klimov, a local resident, was convicted for his faith for six years in the colony. The criminal prosecution of the believers is carried out against the law and the Russian authorities' assurances that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have the right to practice their religion. The international community strongly condemns the religious persecution of this group of Christians.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-15T15:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/16.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest","minors","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"In the Tomsk Region, There Were Five Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. After a Night in the Detention Center, One Believer Was Placed Under House Arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"The number of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia continues to increase after the April 2017 Supreme Court decision. By mid-July 2020, more than 1000 home invasions of these law-abiding citizens had already been recorded. Law enforcement raids turn the lives of innocent people into a nightmare: separating families, destroying reputation, and causing physical and emotional trauma.\nSpecial operations of law enforcers against peaceful believers are striking with their cruelty. Armed grabbing groups in masks break down doors and windows, breaking into harmless people. Not only men but also young children, defenseless women, the elderly, and the disabled are often the victims of exhausting, long hours of searches. Although Jehovah's Witnesses offer no resistance to the authorities, they are insulted, threatened, intimidated with assault rifles and tasers, beaten and even tortured.\nAs evidence in criminal cases, law enforcers confiscate Bibles, printed publications, electronic devices, as well as money, bank cards, personal notes, sewing and knitting magazines, \"suspicious\" napkins with beautiful illustrations and other things that have nothing to do with religion.\n2018: \"We are not in America\"\nThe raids began with fan searches in winter 2018 in the Kemerovo and Belgorod regions. Special services treated peaceful workers as dangerous criminals. Armed detachments in masks broke down doors, crowded into dwellings, and forced harmless people to stand with their hands up against the wall for long periods, fell to the floor, releasing sarcastic remarks and offensive comments.\nIn a special operation code-named \"Judgment Day\" in Birobidzhan, about 150 law enforcement officers were involved in raids on 22 houses of believers. In Saratov, having come to the Bazhenov family with a search, the special forces by mistake cut the door to their neighbors and then broke their own. In Omsk law enforcers severely beat Sergey Polyakov and forced him to wipe his own blood off the floor. In Penza, the investigator forced six women to fully undress for a personal search.\nOn the night of November 15-16, 2018, one of the largest special operations against believers was carried out in a small Crimean town Dzhankoy. More than 200 FSB and police officers broke into at least 8 homes of local residents, kicking down doors. As a result of severe stress, 22-year-old Zhanna Lungu had a miscarriage. The young spouses had experienced the loss very badly. One of the Crimean believers had a microstroke due to the aggressive actions of the law enforcers.\nAnother distinguishing feature of the actions of the guards was a flagrant violation of procedures and disregard for the rights of citizens: the understood help special services to search andinterrogate residents, operatives do not let you get acquainted with the regulations and protocols of searches, threaten with problems at work and in educational institutions. In response to a request from a believer to make a legal call to a lawyer, the Kemerovo operative said: \"We are not in America!\"\n2019: \"It's unpleasant, but this is my job.\"\nThe number of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2019 almost doubled, from 269 in 2018 to over 500. Special services did not ease the pressure on believers but acted more aggressively and cynically.\nThe infamous raid on the Surgut believers (KMAA-Yugra) turned into sophisticated torture with strangulation to the point of unconsciousness. In Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a Rosgvardiya officer pushed 76-year-old Aleksandr Potemkin, which caused the man to fall and get injured. In Evpatoria (Crimea), the search began late in the evening and continued almost a day, despite the poor health of believers. In Petrozavodsk (Karelia), the seizure groups came to people right at their workplaces and detained them on the street. In the Lipetsk region, FSB officers knocked down a housewife. She suffered a head injury and had to call an ambulance. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, after the mass raids, the car of one of the believers was crushed with a sledgehammer.\nDuring the raids law enforcers threw extremist literature into the homes of believers and immediately \"found\" it, adding it to the evidence in criminal cases. This happened in Novosibirsk, Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), Makhachkala, Kaluga, and other cities.\nThe enthusiasm of law enforcers in hunting \"extremists\" many times led to the fact that they came by mistake with searches even to people who were not Jehovah's Witnesses. In the town of Unecha (Bryansk region), in search of prohibited literature from relatives and friends of believers, law enforcement officers opened the floors. In the village of Nikolaevka (Krasnoyarsk territory), a 77-year-old woman experienced severe stress during a raid, the only reason for which was the religion of her grandson.\nWhile storming an apartment in Sochi through a balcony, armed special forces placed both young and old people face to face on the floor, pointing machine guns at believers. During the search of the Martynov family, law enforcement officers planted a religious publication that did not belong to them. The law enforcers admitted that it was unpleasant for them themselves, but that was their job.\n2020: \"Armageddon has come for you!\"\nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian law enforcement continued to storm the houses of Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the regime of self-isolation. Searches in early 2020 became particularly aggressive and massive.\nApproximately 100 Astrakhan law enforcement officers raided 20 families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. More than 30 investigative teams raided 50 houses of believers in the Transbaikalia. During the search in Chita, a teenager was beaten in front of his mother and younger sister. In Khabarovsk Territory, FSB officers invaded 68-year-old Yen Sen Li, hit him, broke his hands, fell to the floor, and handcuffed him. His wife lost consciousness as a result of such inhuman treatment of the elderly man.\nIn Ivanovo region, Primorye territory, Moscow region, and Tatarstan special services put believers at mortal risk of infection with coronavirus. In Teikovo (Ivanovo region), operatives in dirty boots flooded the apartment, inspecting everything up to plumbing and underwear. During the 7-hour search, a family of 5 people was allowed to visit the toilet only accompanied by security and sometimes with the door open.\nDuring a raid in Kerch , Crimea, a 29-year-old father of young children was kept undressed in the cold for several hours, causing him to fall ill. His 4-year-old son cut his legs on the shards of broken windows. One of the security officials told the head of the family: \"Armageddon has come for you! I will baptize you with 8 years of imprisonment. You'll cut down trees in the zone and sew uniforms for me.\"\n\"We're looking for anything to do with Jehovah.\"\nThe only reason for aggression and violence against peaceful believers in Russia is their faith in Jehovah God. The authorities motivate their decisions by the fact that \"the activities of [Jehovah's Witnesses] are different from the traditional principles of Christianity\". Russian law enforcement officials take conversations about God, Bible discussion, and prayer as extremism. According to the law enforcement officials themselves, they are looking for \"everything connected with Jehovah\": the Bible, cards, magnets.\nFor Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia - representatives of a religion known all over the world for its peacefulness - the house is no longer a \"fortress.\" They no longer feel safe, can't sleep, wondering if a group of grabbers will break into their apartment shouting: \"Everybody on the floor!\n\"You are so calm as if you were waiting for us\"\nAt the same time, their strong faith serves as a source of support for Jehovah's Witnesses, and their prayers help keep them calm. Konstantin Moiseenko from Zeya (Amur region) said that during the search and interrogation, he and his wife felt extraordinary calm, so the senior FSB officer even remarked surprisingly: \"You are so calm as if you were waiting for us\". Later, a local church parishioner with knowledge of the situation told Konstantin, \" The persecutors will never achieve their goal because persecution only strengthens the faith.”\nThere is a lot of support from fellow believers, and law enforcement officials themselves are well aware of that. Thus, during the search in the Krasnodar region, noting the confusion on the face of a believing woman, the investigator said: \"Jehovah's Witnesses do not abandon theirs. Believe me, in a couple of days you will have instructions on how to act, what to say, and where to write.”\nAggressive actions of law enforcers have caused serious concern among Russian and international figures and organizations. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention strongly condemned the violation of believers' rights and called these persecutions \"systemic and institutionalized\". Law scholars and human rights defenders both in Russia and abroad have unanimously condemned the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-07-14T15:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/14.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","review","statistics","analytics","siloviks-violence","un-working-group"],"title":"Caution, the doors are about to be kicked in! The number of house searches of peaceful believers within three years reaches one thousand","type":"news"},{"body":"In a press release of the Investigative Committee it is reported that on July 13, 2020, more than 110 searches were conducted in Voronezh and the region, two criminal cases were initiated under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code and a few people were detained. Within one day, approximately 60 families have confirmed that their homes were raided\nA few people reported that they were beaten by law enforcement officials. Details are being clarified. The news will be updated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-14T13:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/15/image_hu_bc8640476f4c5f86.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/15/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/15/image_hu_e6ec06e2c976f173.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/15/image_hu_bd26d7799bede9d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/15.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs","siloviks-violence"],"title":"The Largest Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Modern History: 110 Searches in One Day Throughout the Voronezh Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 7, 2020, in the town of Likino-Dulevo, Moscow Region, security forces invaded the apartment of 20-year-old Kirill Leonov and his grandmother. After the search, Kirill was interrogated for 2 hours at the police department about his faith. It turned out that the military registration and enlistment office had given the CPE information that the believer had asked for alternative service.\nContrary to the assurances of the Russian authorities that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited, and to Article 28 of the Constitution on the freedom to profess one's faith personally or jointly with others, the military committee staff reported information about Leonov to the Counter-Extremism Center (CEC).\nShortly after Leonov's visit to the military committee, Major of Police Galina Udinova, CEC officer Artem Mitrokhin and two other security officers came to Kirill's apartment. The inspection of the premises - in fact the search - began at 8:30 am. Law enforcers opened wardrobes and personal bags of believers. They seized electronic equipment and data carriers, including a disc with the Leonov’s sister wedding video. Despite the fact that the documents of the inspection exclusively include Kirill Leonov, law enforcers asked his 70-year-old grandmother about religion.\nAfter the investigative measures, Kirill Leonov was taken for interrogation to the police department of the Interior Ministry Likino-Dulevo, from where he was released two hours later. At the police station he was interrogated about the attitude to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, meetings with believers. Whether a criminal case has been initiated against a believer is still unknown.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-13T16:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/12.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","asc","inspection"],"title":"In the Moscow region, law enforcers searched the apartment of a 70-year-old woman after her grandson told the military committee about his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 11th in Kaliningrad, armed security services conducted a series of searches of believers. At least 12 people were taken to the FSB department in Kaliningrad for interrogation. A criminal case has been initiated against Mikhail Kopytov, 52. Whether anyone remains in custody is still unknown.\nThe raids on the believers started around 3 p.m. local time. The believers were taken to the local administration building of the Federal Security Service. Among them - 27-year-old Myslyon Igor, 57-year-old Nikolai Ter-Avanesov, 52-year-old Mikhail Kopytov. Most of the detainees have already been released. The exact number of addresses that were raided is not yet known. Whether or not any of the detainees are in custody is being clarified.\nAccording to preliminary information, the reason for the special events was a criminal case under the \"extremist\" article against Mikhail Kopytov.\nKaliningrad region became the 57th region where law enforcers persecute Jehovah's Witnesses solely for their faith, despite the fact that this religion is not prohibited in Russia.\nUpdate. The initiation of a criminal case under the article \u0026ldquo;organization of extremist activity\u0026rdquo; against Mikhail Kopytov was confirmed. 11 people were taken for questioning and released. Searches were carried out at least 6 families of believers, including a disabled person of group I. During the searches, electronic devices, bank cards, Bibles of various translations (Synodal and Modern), postcards and photographs were seized from peaceful believers. In some cases, believers note that the authorities treated them tactlessly. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-13T13:58:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/11.html","regions":["kaliningrad"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","disability"],"title":"In Kaliningrad, the FSB Detained at Least 12 People for Interrogation. The Authorities Already Support Religious Persecution in 57 Regions","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 12, 2020, FSB officers conducted searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokopievsk. Andrei Vlasov, 51, who has a disability, was detained for 2 days and is in an isolation ward in Kemerovo. The news is being updated.\nA number of believers were taken for interrogation to the FSB department on Komsomolskaya Street in Prokopyevsk. Among them is 69-year-old Viktor Mikhnyuk, who recently suffered a stroke. In the evening he was released.\nIt is known that on July 2, 2020 the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass initiated a criminal case against believers under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Four days later, on 6 July, Judge Irina Ivanova from the Central District Court of Kemerovo, on the request of FSB investigator I. A. Sablin, authorized the searches.\nUpdate. On July 14, 2020, Andrey Vlasov, after two days behind bars, was sentenced to a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Two days earlier, a search was conducted in the house where he lives with his wife Natalya, the FSB confiscated electronics and Bibles. A search was also carried out at Andrey\u0026rsquo;s workplace. Natalya was interrogated in the investigators\u0026rsquo; offices. The spouses Yuriy and Elena Chernykh were also questioned; the search in their house took place at the same time as the Vlasovs. Viktor Mikhnyuk\u0026rsquo;s apartment — while he was being interrogated in the police station building — was broken into and searched without his presence. Earlier at least three criminal cases had already been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in Kemerovo region. The case of Kogut in Berezovskoye and the case of Levchuk and Britvin in Berezovskoye are investigated by the FSB, while the case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo is investigated by the Investigative Committee.\nIt's noteworthy that it's not the first time the FSB has gone to Judge Ivanova for sanctions. Previously, she had issued permits for searches at Berezovskiy and twice extended the period of detention of believers Levchuk and Britvin.\nRussian law enforcers refer to Article 9 of the law \"On countering extremist activities\" and start hundreds of similar criminal cases against civilians who do not harm anyone. In reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-13T10:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/9.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","disability","interrogation","elderly"],"title":"A Wave of Searches of Believers in the Kemerovo Region. At Least One Person With Disability Was Detained for 48 Hours","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 11, 2020, the 15-day arrest period of Dennis Christensen, who was sent to a punishment cell on fabricated charges, came to an end. He is in good spirits. His defense team plans to appeal his fine and hope to achieve commutation of the sanctions imposed on him.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-07-11T19:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/8/image_hu_91249578bfc5553d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/8/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/8/image_hu_41974f96ad4f16a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/8/image_hu_cd29af9ed228bd27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/8.html","regions":["kursk","oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["shizo","fabrications"],"title":"Dennis Christensen has been released from a special punishment block after being held there for 15 days. The defense team plans to appeal the punishment that he has received","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 9, 2020, the prosecutor demanded to sentence 34-year-old Yevgeny Spirin to 7 years of colony, baselessly considering religious conversations extremist. Yevgeny did not plead guilty. On July 14, the debate on the case will continue and he may make a final statement in court. At the same time Furmanovsky city court may pass a sentence.\nUpdate. On July 14, the defendant himself spoke in the debate. \u0026ldquo;I did not commit illegal acts, did not create illegal organizations and did not violate the law of the Russian Federation, and joint discussion of the Bible with friends is an inalienable right enshrined in the Constitution,\u0026rdquo; the believer said. He drew the court\u0026rsquo;s attention to the fact that the testimony of witnesses at the trial refutes the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s accusatory position. (Yevgeniy\u0026rsquo;s final statement in court is scheduled for July 21; a date for the verdict has not yet been set, but the court may issue a verdict on the same day.) January 21, 2019, the FSB of Ivanovo region instituted criminal proceedings against Yevgeniy Spirin. Prior to that, special services had been monitoring the believers with the help of an embedded agent, a former police officer, who depicted interest in the Bible. Eugeniy is charged with resuming the activities of the banned religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, as he did not stop participating in religious meetings of believers.\nOn the first day of the debate in the Furmanov Town Court of Ivanovo region, the prosecutor spoke. He considered Yevgeny Spirin's guilt proved and requested 7 years in prison for him.\n\"I have never been neither an organizer nor a member of a banned religious organization. I simply profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. My religious beliefs are based only on the Bible\", - said, in turn, during one of the previous court hearings Yevgeniy Spirin.\nThe prosecutor requested a prison sentence for the believer, despite obvious falsifications in the case. In particular, an expert confirmed the fabrication of the search report in Spirin's house, while his former neighbor during the interrogation in court reported that she hadn't given Yevgeni a negative characteristic, appearing in the case.\nThe second part of the debate is scheduled for 14 July 2020. On that day, the believer's defence will take the floor and Eugene Spirin may also make a final statement to the court. Judge Yuri Gnedin may then pronounce his verdict.\nYevgeniy Spirin was detained on January 27, 2019, when about 10 security officers in civilian clothes broke down the door in the apartment where he lives with his wife, Natalia. At that moment the believers had friends, including an 11-year-old child, an 82-year-old pensioner, and a 70-year-old woman with a disability. Several law enforcement officers pushed Yevgeniy into the kitchen and handcuffed him. Electronic devices, literature, and postcards were seized from those present. Law enforcers behaved rudely, called the crowd a \"sect\" and threatened to undergo a humiliating inspection.\nThe next day Larisa Zubova, judge of the Kastrychnitskaya district court of Ivanovo, sent Spirin to the pre-trial detention center, where Yevgeniy stayed for 5.5 months. He was under house arrest for another 5.5 months. December 18, 2019, the court ruled to release Spiryn from house arrest.\nAccording to a decision of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, attached to Yevgeny Spirin's case, the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-07-09T17:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/7/image_hu_a064d4b13b56aa46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/7/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/7/image_hu_39d48743281bc354.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/7/image_hu_a64dd34ab189c6e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/7.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","fabrications"],"title":"The prosecutor's request includes seven years of corrective penal colony for Yevgeniy Spirin of the City of Furmanov, despite an obvious fabrication of charges","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 6, 2020, when Dennis Christensen was about to leave his cell for alleged protocol violations, the prison authorities extended his detention for another 5 days. The reason for this was another ungrounded accusation of violations - a late rise from sleep and unauthorized communication with prisoners.\nDennis Christensen, a Danish citizen and resident of Oryol, sentenced to 6 years in prison, was illegally placed in a punishment cell on June 26, 2020, three days after the decision of the Lgov district court of Kursk Region on his early release in exchange for a fine. The formal reason for this was two reports that he was in the dining room for a meal at the wrong time and that he also did not wear a prison jacket over his T-shirt.\nEarlier it was reported that Christensen was sent to a single cell type facility (EPKT), a special isolation facility for persistent violators of the prison regime. However, this information was not confirmed. Christensen himself told his lawyer that he was brought to the EPKT building and was given clothes with patches of this special isolator. However, he was not told where he was. Later it turned out that Christensen wasn't placed in the EPKT, but in a punishment cell (SHIZO) located in the same building.\nIn order to prolong Christensen's detention in the isolation ward, the colony's administration once again resorted to fabrication. According to the new reports, the believer violated the wake-up time and also carried out \"inter-cell communication\". In an interview with his lawyer, Dennis called the charges ungrounded.\nBefore the decision to prolong Dennis Christensen's detention at the SHIZO, the reports of violations were discussed by a special prison commission, during which the believer was not provided with an interpreter, depriving him of the right to sufficiently understand what was happening. The commission also failed to conduct a medical examination of Christensen, which, due to his illness, it was obliged to do both before being admitted to the SHIZO and before extending his sentence.\n\"Already after the decision to extend the stay at the SHIZO a doctor came to Dennis. Christensen told him about all of his complaints, especially the fact that he has difficulties breathing and his neurological diseases became more intense. The doctor replied: \"It's not fatal, your pulse is good.\" This was related by one of the lawyers of the believer after talking to his client.\nAs the defense lawyer explains, the violations against Christensen are fabricated in order to gather \"support evidence\" for the appeal the court decision on mitigation of punishment to the believer, has no real facts that would prevent Dennis from going free. Back in June 2019, after serving half of his prison sentence, Christensen was eligible for early release.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-07-09T08:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/6/image_hu_7f68aeab33e21e7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/6/image_hu_a929ddef91709745.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/6/image_hu_65e9eba01236fc8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/6/image_hu_b0eb5a281cae42d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/6.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["shizo","fabrications"],"title":"Danish citizen Dennis Christensen will remain in the penal detention center for an additional 5 days. The center's management has, once again, fabricated baseless violations of prison protocol","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 9, 2020, the First Cassation Court of the Saratov Jurisdiction will be holding a hearing to review a complaint from the Prosecutor's Office. The complaint objects to the Appeals Court's overturned conviction of Vladimir Alushkin, a worshiper from the city of Penza. Depending on the Cassation Court's decision, Alushkin may be placed into custody once again.\nIn December, 2019 the court of first instance in Penza has sentenced Alushkin to six years of colony for faith. In March 2020, the regional court overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial to the same court with a new composition, while the believer was released from custody on a subscription not to leave the city. The prosecution disagreed with this and filed a cassation appeal. On July 9, 2020, it will be the first time that the Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction will review the sentence in the case against Jehovah's Witnesses. Previously, the Court of Cassation had only reviewed interim judgments, such as defendants' complaints about the precautionary measure or the court's refusal to grant a leniency application.\nUpdate. On July 9, 2020, the First Court of Cassation returned the case of Alushkin and 5 of his fellow believers for a new appeal to the Penza Regional Court. The measure of restraint chosen by the believers in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place remained unchanged. The case was heard by the judges of the Court of Cassation Elena Batulina (rapporteur), Andrey Savelyev and Valentina Komissarova. Alushkin has already been imprisoned twice for his faith. The first time he was sent to the pre-trial detention center in 2018, while his case was under investigation. He spent six months there and another 11 months under house arrest. When the Leninskiy District Court of Penza sentenced him to six years in prison for his faith, he was taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to another pre-trial detention facility for 291 days. He stayed there until the Penza regional court cancelled the wrongful conviction and sent the case for a new trial. Accordingly, if the cassation court reverses the decision of the Penza Regional Court, the believer will be taken into custody for the third time.\nThe decision of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued in October 2019, demonstrates the illegality of the verdict and sentence of six years in prison. This body found Vladimir Alushkin's arrest unlawful. The Working Group described what was happening with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as \"systemic and institutionalized persecution\" (para. 65).\nCourts of cassation are an innovation in Russian legal proceedings. They are the higher instance for appeal courts and review court decisions that have come into force on cassation appeals and on newly discovered circumstances. The general courts of cassation began their work on 1 October 2019. A total of 9 general courts of cassation have been established in Saratov, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo and Vladivostok.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-07-08T16:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/5/image_hu_9f5c5dc7493d2b4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/5/image_hu_32116054ede46397.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/5/image_hu_50b34a7c0c0f353d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/5/image_hu_21f6eddb3d0d52c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/5.html","regions":["penza","saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Vladimir Alushkin May Be Placed Under Arrest for the Third Time. Cassation Court Will Review the Appeal Decision to Overturn the Sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"Almost 2 months after the searches in the village of Pavlovskaya, officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Krasnodar region initiated criminal proceedings against two more believers: 58-year-old Vladimir Skachidub and 39-year-old Maxim Beltikov. Earlier in the village the case was opened against Liudmila Shchekoldina.\nOn June 29th, 2020 the believers were summoned for interrogation. The reason for this was the criminal cases brought under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of the banned extremist organization). Lieutenant of Justice M. Loi asked Maxim Beltikov about his religious beliefs and belonging to a legal entity banned by the court, local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses of Pavlovskaya village.\nThe investigator of the same institution, Lieutenant of Justice Vitali Veter questioned Vladimir Skachidub. The next day his wife, who is an invalid of group II, was summoned for interrogation.\nIn the decisions on initiation of criminal cases the investigators use almost identical wording: \"... participated in religious sermons, during which... conducted and listened to lectures based on religious literature, entered into conversations and religious discussions, and participated in collective discussions of the content of religious books\". Believers are suspected of \"being aware of the criminal nature and public danger of their actions,\" exercising \"the role of a preacher.\" They were taken to sign up for not leaving.\nA total of six believers are persecuted in Krasnodar region for their faith in Jehovah. Everyone is accused of extremist activities - this is how law enforcers qualify the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which, according to the authorities, was not banned. There are no victims in these criminal cases.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-07-06T10:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/4.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","interrogation","disability","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In Krasnodar Region Two More Local Residents Prosecuted for Their Faith. They Are Accused of Preaching","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2020, starting at 8 a.m., searches began in at least six families of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Tavrichanka. It is known that three believers were taken away for interrogation. The searches were sanctioned by Marina Gerasimova, a judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court. The news is being updated.\nUpdate. According to updated information, 11 people were taken to the investigating body for interrogation. All of them were released. As a result, 13 believers became victims of the searches. The first search began at 07:10. About 8 thousand people live in Tavrichanka, located on the coast of Amur Bay. The settlement is a part of Nadezhdinsky district of Primorye Territory. This is not the first criminal case for the faith in this municipality. Currently, two trials are being heard in the Nadezhdinsky District Court - against 77-year-old believer Vladimir Filippov and 73-year-old believer Lyudmila Shut. It is noteworthy that Vladimir Filippov was searched three times. During one of the raids law enforcers beat him for his faith.\nA total of 12 cases against 24 believers are being investigated in Primorye Territory.The cases were brought in Razdolnoye (2), in Ussuriisk (3), in Partisansk, in Luchegorsk, in Spassk-Dalny, in Vladivostok (3), in Lesozavodsk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-07-02T13:33:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/3.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"A New Wave of Searches in the District of Primorye, Where 12 Cases Against Worshipers Are Underway. This Time a Raid in the Village of Tavrichanka","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 26, 2020, the Lgov prison authorities illegally placed Dennis Christensen in a cell of a special punishment block (EPKT), typically used for malicious offenders. Given that his health has deteriorated, the move seems to be a calculated attempt to break him. At the same time, the prosecutor's office appealed the mitigation of his sentence, which they had originally supported in court. What happened?\nWhat did the prosecutor's office do?\nDe jure, Dennis Christensen has already spent more than 4 out of 6 years in prison for his faith. Already one year ago, he was eligible for parole or another mitigation of his sentence. On the 4th attempt, his petition went to court, and on June 23, 2020, the Lgov District Court ordered the replacement of the remaining part of the sentence with a fine of 400,000 rubles. Artem Kofanov, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kursk Prosecutor's Office for the Supervision of Correctional Institutions, who took part in the trial, supported the mitigation of the punishment. But two days later, on June 25, Aleksey Shatunov, the prosecutor of the same prosecutor's office, stated that the court ruling was illegal and demanded to cancel it and sent the material for a new trial to the same court. What made the prosecutor's office change its position is unknown.\nWhy did Prosecutor Shatunov consider the decision to have been illegal? In his presentation, he referred to the administration of the Lgov prison, which, according to him, characterized the prisoner unsatisfactorily: \"Due to the lack of positive activity in his work and public life of the correctional facility.\"\nShatunov's arguments were already considered invalid by the Lgov district court when they were voiced by the prison representatives during the trial on mitigation of the punishment. The defense submitted to the court expert reports confirming that Christensen has physical conditions that exclude him from physical labor: industrial work in the prison and participation in other types of labor. In turn, the representative of the penitentiary was forced to admit that the prison could not provide him with the type of work that would be in accord with his physical limitations. The court attached medical documents to the case and apparently relied on them in making its decision.\nWhat did the prison do?\nAt the same time as the unexpected actions of the prosecutor's office, events were developing in the Lgov prison: on June 25, two reports against Christensen were made at the same time. The first one — for the fact that he was in the food room at a wrong time, and the second — for the fact that he was in the barracks in a T-shirt, without a jacket. This was enough to have him sent to the EPKT for 10 days. In penal colonies, this is the strictest of measures for particularly vicious violators of prison order.\nAccording to the law, such measure is taken only in a case of repeated, serious violations by the prisoner and only after a medical examination for the absence of diseases that prevent the detention in the EPKT. Neither of these measures happened with Christensen.\n\"The colony administration chose a strange excuse to put Christensen in the EPKT as a particularly dangerous offender. The list of gross violations is given in Article 116 of the Penal Enforcement Code, and there is nothing in it that Christensen did. According to the administration of the colony, it turns out that being in a shirt in the barracks is the same as rioting or taking drugs,\" says Yaroslav Savulskiy, representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe believer and another prisoner are in a cell measuring 3.3 meters by 2.3 meters. The room is poorly ventilated and there is mold, which threatens the health of Christensen, who suffered pneumonia a few months ago. \"Dennis has been diagnosed with a serious spinal cord condition. The administration of the colony is aware of this, but placed him in conditions where he has to sleep on a hard bed, experiencing excruciating pain,\" said the lawyer of the believer.\nChristensen himself told the lawyer that at the time of his alleged violations in similar circumstances, there were other prisoners with him, but he alone was sent to the EPKT. \"This leads to the idea that there is a planned action, which is necessary to prevent Dennis from being released by court order,\" said the lawyer.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-07-02T10:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/07/2/image_hu_e6f3f8ca3ebdc8ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/07/2/image_hu_f828c4ff801a21fd.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/07/2/image_hu_8439b953393c033f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/07/2/image_hu_2449e80e381b7857.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/2.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","review","life-in-prison","mitigation","fabrications","health-risk","strict-conditions"],"title":"What Did the Prison and Prosecutor's Office Do to Prevent the Danish Believer Dennis Christensen From Going Free?","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 26, 2020, the Kursk Prosecutor for the Oversight of Correctional Services appealed the court decision on mitigation of punishment to Dennis Christensen. On the same day, the colony staff illegally placed him for 10 days in a special detention facility designed for malicious violators of prison rules.\nThe defence challenges both the appeal submission by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the decision to place the believer in a unified cell-type room. However, all this means that Dennis Christensen will not be able to leave the colony for many more weeks.\nOn June 23, 2020, the Lgov District Court of the Kursk region ruled to soften Kristensen's sentence by replacing the unpaid part of the sentence with a fine of 400,000 rubles. Remarkably, that during the trial, the prosecutor supported the believer's petition to replace the prison sentence with a monetary fine.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-07-01T13:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/07/1.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","release","shizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's release from the colony postponed: the prosecutor's office appealed against the decision, the believer thrown into the special isolation ward","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 23, 2020, at 19:50 Lgov district court, considering Dennis Christensen's petition for mitigation of his sentence, replaced his unexpired part of the prison term with a fine of 400,000 rubles. A Jehovah's Witness convicted of faith will be released after the court ruling enters into force.\nThe hearing was attended by Danish diplomats. No one else, including Dennis' wife Irina, was allowed into the building. Christensen himself attended the hearing via video.\nDennis Christensen was arrested on 25 May 2017 and sentenced to six years in prison in February 2019. The court considered it extremist that the believer continued to gather with his fellow believers for religious meetings and welcomed them before the religious service. However, there were no victims of Christensen's \"crimes\". To date, the believer has actually been behind bars for about 3 years and 1 month. However, taking into account the fact that according to the law, one day in the pre-trial detention facility equals 1.5 days in the general regime colony, Christensen has served more than 4 years of the term appointed by the court.\n\"From the moment of his arrest Christensen has behaved and behaved respectfully and correctly towards the employees of the investigation and court, the pre-trial detention facility and the employees of correctional colony № 3. He independently organized free English language training for prisoners, maintains friendly relations with other convicts,\" said Christensen's lawyer, explaining to Galina Petlitsa the grounds for the mitigation of punishment to the believer.\nCorrectional colony No. 3 in Lgov The lawyer described the mistakes made by the courts, which put Christensen in prison. As stated in an appeal ruling of the Supreme Court on October 18, 2016, which confirmed the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Oryol,\" believers in Russia \"are not deprived of the opportunity to perform their own religious worship. Contrary to this, the courts interpreted Christensen's private religion as the continuation of a banned legal entity.\n\"Judge Galina Petlitsa made a fair decision. This is a brave and honest act, which is not often decided recently by the judges hearing the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" said the representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, Yaroslav Sivulski.\nReplacing the punishment of a believer means for Christensen the opportunity to go free without any additional restrictions, except for the obligation to pay the fine, said Christensen's advocate.\nCurrently, there are 10 convicts in Russian colonies for the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, while another 24 people are imprisoned. A total of 353 people who hold the views of Jehovah's Witnesses are accused of extremism for their Christian faith. The religious persecution continues despite assurances from the Russian government and Vladimir Putin that there is no reason to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-06-23T20:17:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/16/image_hu_209aefe4dc92abe3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/16/image_hu_fce88e9de3035433.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/16/image_hu_cdc83b30c2547b0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/16/image_hu_6c0c0c5048cff321.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/16.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mitigation","fine","international","life-in-prison"],"title":"The Court Ordered to Free Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witness From Denmark. For His Faith, He Stayed in Prison for 1128 Days","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 18, 2020 in the town of Nazarovo there were mass searches in the homes of local believers. An armed detachment of security officers invaded the homes of the Shulyuk spouses. As a result, Ivan Shulyuk, 43, was detained. In the same morning, a criminal case was opened against him, based on the materials of operational and search activities of the “FSB for 33rd Guards Rocket Army”.\nIvan Shulyuk is an investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Nazarovo district of Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Lieutenant of Justice D. Smolin initiated a criminal case under part 1 of article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the materials of operational and search activities, the believer is allegedly \"a leader with wide functionality\" and \"forms a stable opinion about the need to continue the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses despite its ban\". The list of grounds for initiation of criminal proceedings includes \"discussion of biblical writings, prayer\".\nAt 6:35 a.m. on June 18, investigator Smolin presented the believers with a decree to \"search in cases that do not require delay.” In the dwellings of the local citizens, law enforcers searched for electronic devices and \"objects of extremist paraphernalia\" to confirm \"the existence of an organization of extremist orientation and participation in its activities.”\nRussian law enforcers refer to Article 9 of the law \"On countering extremist activities\" and start hundreds of similar criminal cases against civilians who do not harm anyone. In reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-19T16:34:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/15.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"“FSB for 33rd Guards Rocket Army” Enters Into Battle With Believers in Krasnoyarsk Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 23, 2020, Judge of the Lgov district court of Kursk region Galina Petlitsa will consider the issue of early release of the Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witness, convicted for his faith for 6 years in prison. There are no legal grounds for refusal to release a believer, says Christensen's defense.\n\"There is no objective reason to prevent the judge from deciding in Christensen's favor. Dennis meets all the requirements to be released on parole: he served more than half of his sentence, he has exemplary behavior in the colony. Although the administration imposed penalties on him, the prosecutor found them unjustified and illegal. So we are optimistic,\" said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDennis Christensen during one of the court hearings According to Dennis Christensen's lawyer, his mood is positive, despite some health problems and attempts of the administration to exert pressure. \"Dennis has serious illnesses, due to which the doctor banned him from physical labor, but the colony staff regularly try to force him to perform those types of work that would cause him physical suffering,\" said the defender of the believer.\nDennis Christensen was eligible for parole or replacement of the unserved part of the sentence about a year ago. According to the rules for accounting for the term of imprisonment, 1 day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is equal to 1.5 days in a general regime colony. Thus, by June 23, Christensen will have served almost 4 years and 1 month out of 6 years of court-appointed imprisonment. On three occasions the Lgov court refused to consider the believer's petition for mitigation of punishment on formal grounds. However, the last petition - the fourth - was accepted for consideration by the court and scheduled a hearing for 10 am on June 23, 2020. It is planned that the meeting will be open. The Consul of the Kingdom of Denmark expressed his wish to be present.\nJudge Petlitsa will consider the issue of Christensen's early release in the light of the decision of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council regarding 18 Russian believers who are under criminal prosecution on the basis of the same charges on which Dennis Christensen was convicted. On 6 May 2020, the Group found the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses illegal and called for their immediate release in connection with the pandemic.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-06-19T15:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/14/image_hu_58f8f1b2ca2c4353.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/14/image_hu_6ac4213535bb28c5.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/14/image_hu_e137133a9cd04051.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/14/image_hu_3208f1361b7dcd86.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/14.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","parole","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"The Court Will Decide on Dennis Christensen's Parole on June 23. Pressure on the Believer Continues in the Colony","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of June 18, 2020, security forces came with searches in houses of peaceful law-abiding believers. Preliminary reports indicate that 15 families have been searched. The news is being supplemented.\nUpdate. It became known that the searches began simultaneously at 6 am and were carried out at least 12 addresses. The victims of the searches were 28 believers, including children. Most of them were also interrogated. Ivan Shulyuk, a 43-year-old believer, was detained and sent to jail for 48 hours. A criminal case has been opened against him for his faith. In the coming days, the court will choose a measure of restraint for him. It is noteworthy that Jehovah's Witnesses living in Nazarovo have been practicing their religion for several generations: 70 years ago, families of believers were forcibly exiled. An interesting piece of evidence contains a published and publicly available archival document - a memorandum to the Council on Religious Affairs dated August 5, 1976. The document stated, among other things: \"The Jehovahists' grouping [Jehovah's Witnesses] in the city of Nazarovo was formed in 1951 ... Currently, it unites more than 107 people. ... Persons under the age of 40 account for 55.2%. [...] The Jehovah's Association in Nazarovo is a deeply conspiratorial Jehovah's Witnesses underground, working to attract new individuals to the sect and leading Jehovah's Witnesses groups in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. [...] The Executive Committee of the City Council, which monitors compliance with the legislation on religious cults, was to work to stop the organized activities of this grouping, compromise the leaders and create public opinion around them, to separate ordinary believers from their influence, and also to carry out extensive propaganda of Soviet legislation on religious cults\" (Quoted from: Odintsov M. I. The Council of Ministers of the USSR decides: \"Evict forever\". Moscow, 2002, pp. 123-124). All believers who were persecuted during the Soviet period were later recognized as victims of political repression and rehabilitated.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-18T10:34:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/13.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"A Special Operation Against Jehovah's Witnesses Is Being Carried out in the Town of Nazarovo, Krasnoyarsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"The collection is devoted to the history of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses. It traces the path of its formation from a small circle of like-minded people devoted to the study of the Bible, to one of the largest international religious organizations operating in more than 200 countries and numbering over 6 million people.\nThe book tells in more detail about the appearance of this religion in the Russian Empire at the end of the XIX century and its subsequent spread in the Soviet Union. The main attention is paid to the period of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and after the war decades, up to the era of \"perestroika and glasnost\" in the USSR, as well as the state and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses associations in the Russian Federation in the 90s of the XX century.\nThe collection includes more than 60 documents and materials from various state archives of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova. First of all, they concern two sad dates in the post-war history of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses – the mass deportations of believers in 1949 and 1951 to Kazakhstan, Siberia and the Far East. Archival documents enable readers to come into direct contact with the history of the life of believers in places of special settlement and in those areas where they were allowed to live after the end of exile, and in addition, learn about the Soviet policy towards believers, religions and religious associations.\nThe book will be of interest to members of Jehovah's Witnesses associations and believers of other religious associations operating in the Russian Federation. It will be of interest to historians, religious scholars, students and pupils of schools that learn the national history of the XX century.\nIt will be extremely useful for state and municipal employees who practically implement the religious policy of the state and maintain relations with religious associations.\n","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/24.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Odintsov M. The Council of Ministers of the USSR decides: \"evict forever!\": Collection of documents and materials about Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union (1951 - 1985)","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 10, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) gave legal analysis to a number of popular myths about Jehovah's Witnesses. The Russian government was ordered to restore the rights of the Moscow community and compensate for the damage. Ten years later, Russia is acting against the judgment.\nThe reason for appealing to the ECtHR was the decision of the Golovinsky Court of Moscow to liquidate the religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and ban its activities. The proceedings were initiated by the prosecutor of the Northern Administrative District of Moscow. In 2001, the Golovinsky Court rejected the prosecutor's demands, stating in its decision that there were no grounds for the liquidation and ban on the activities of the community. The case was, however, sent for a new trial, in which the court no longer investigated the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, but their religious beliefs. In March 2004, the Golovinskiy court satisfied the prosecutor's demand. The complaint \"The religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow against the Russian Federation\" was filed with the ECtHR.\nOn 10 June 2010, the Strasbourg Court issued a ruling. Seven judges unanimously recognized the dissolution of the Jehovah's Witnesses Religious Community in Moscow and the ban on its activities as illegal and as violating basic human rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Rejecting all the arguments of the Russian side, the European Court stressed that its ruling was subject to mandatory enforcement by the Russian Federation, which must take measures \"to cease the violation established by the European Court and to compensate as far as possible the consequences of such violation\".\nRussia has attempted to challenge this decision before a panel of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights. However, in December 2010, the Grand Chamber refused to allow Russia to review the ruling in the case.\nWhat is happening to believers now? The 10-year anniversary of the ruling was met in prison by 35 believers, 23 under house arrest, 26 under a ban on certain actions, 154 under a travel ban. Acting against the decision of the ECtHR, the Russian authorities liquidated not only the Moscow community that had won the suit at the ECtHR, but also all 396 registered organizations of that religion throughout Russia. On this basis, more than 300 believers were prosecuted under the article \"organization or participation in the activities of an organization liquidated by a court decision\" (Article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code). New complaints were filed with the European Court. In addition, believers filed complaints against Russia's actions with the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which monitors the implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, legal scholars and human rights defenders both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-06-16T10:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/12/image_hu_589afa8f8458e425.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/12/image_hu_271bc7cec2337691.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/12/image_hu_1209314ef77ee027.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/12/image_hu_9bdd2a009bbaa6dd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/12.html","regions":["france","eu","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","analytics","mro","complaints","review"],"title":"Ten Years Ago, ECHR Ruled in Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia Case. What Is Happening to Believers Now?","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 11, 2020, Natalia Senchenko and Olga Ivanova, judges of the Kirovskiy district court of Astrakhan, decided to send three believers to the detention center: Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, and Yevgeniy Ivanov. All three have families. Judge Nadezhda Melikhova put under house arrest Yevgeny Ivanov’s wife, Olga.\nJune 9, 2020 in Astrakhan, about one hundred of law enforcement officers searched two dozen families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. That day, investigators detained for three days Sergey Klikunov, 45, Rustam Diarov, 46, Evgeniy Ivanov, 43, and his wife, Olga Ivanova, 37.\nAs of June 12, 2020, 34 people are languishing in Russian prisons for their faith in Jehovah. Another 142 people, after having been behind bars for several years to many months, have been changed to a milder measure, such as house arrest, a ban on certain actions, or a not-exit subscription. The longest person behind bars is Dennis Christensen from the City of Orel (3 years and 1 month). The longest sentence was passed on 61-year-old Gennady Shpakovsky from Pskov (6.5 years in prison).\nThe Astrakhan judges, justifying their decision on the strictest measure of restraint for peaceful believers, draw attention to the fact that they carried out \"an encroachment directed against the foundations of the constitutional order.” In particular, Judge Natalia Senchenko notes in her ruling that \"Diarov's involvement in the crime is confirmed ... by the testimony of a witness about the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose activities differ from the traditional principles of Christianity.”\nUnder what article are the Astrakhan believers charged? On June 8th , a criminal case was brought against them by a senior investigator for investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Astrakhan region, N. P. Banko. Three men are charged under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity). Olga Ivanova (she's the judge's namesake) is charged with part 2 of article 282.2 (participation in extremist activities). The charges directly go back to the Supreme Court decision of 20 April 2017 on liquidation of all registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. Although religion itself was not banned, which is emphasized by the Russian government, law enforcement officials do not distinguish between the inherent right of everyone to freedom of religion and participation in the activities of an organization whose activities are prohibited by the court.\nLawyers and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-06-12T13:03:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony4_hu_fbb0f6cf1b601cc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_51441f02ed3083fc.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony4_hu_d4437787afa78821.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony4_hu_ceca8910487919d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/11.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Astrakhan, the Court Put Three Jehovah's Witnesses Behind Bars and Placed the Wife of One of Them Under House Arrest From Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 11, 2020, the Kirov District Court of Astrakhan, chaired by judge Olga Ivanova, ruled to imprison Sergey Klikunov, 45, for 2 months. It is still unknown what happens to the three other believers, detained during mass searches in Astrakhan on June 9.\nThe criminal case against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Evgeniy Ivanov and his wife, Olga, was initiated on June 8 by the senior investigator for investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Astrakhan region, N. P. Banko. The next day a series of searches in the houses of believers took place. Klikunov, Diarov and Ivanov are charged under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activities). Olga Ivanova (namesake of the judge) is also charged under article 282.2, part 2 (organization of extremist activities).\nThe decision of the Kirovskiy district court notes that Sergey Klikunov is married and positively characterized at his workplace, which paradoxically \"indicates the possibility of the suspect to hide from the investigation.”\nThe only reason for persecution of civilians in Astrakhan is their faith in God Jehovah. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-06-11T16:22:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/10.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"In Astrakhan, the Believer Sergey Klikunov Was Sent to the Pre-Trial Detention Center for Two Months Because of His Religious Views","type":"news"},{"body":"During the raid in Kerch on May 26, 2020, law enforcement officers kept the 29-year-old father of two young children, Artyom Shabliy, undressed for several hours in the cold, resulting in his illness. His 4-year-old son cut his legs on shatters from the windows broken by the law enforcers. In total 5 houses of believers were searched that day.\nOn May 26th, 2020 at 6 a.m. investigator for especially important cases V. Zarubin initiated a criminal case against Artem Shabliy under part 1.1. of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code. One hour later, a group of 10 armed men stormed his house, breaking a gate and window panes.\nThe believer was handcuffed and placed on a cold, damp floor, threatening to use a stun gun. Artyom was not allowed to stand up for a long time, although he did not resist. During the 3-hour search, the believer, wearing only underwear, stood facing the wall and was handcuffed. Because of the broken windows and open doors in the house, the believer fell ill - that morning the temperature outside ranged between 13 and 16 degrees Celsius.\nThe young children of Artyom suffered - the older 4-year-old son cut his legs on the glass, dotted the floor. The security forces confiscated a computer, phones, literature, documents, postcards mentioning the name of Jehovah God.\nA window broken by security forces in the house of Artem Shabliy during the assault. Kerch. May 26, 2020. After Artyom had been searched, he was taken to the Investigation Department. There, he stood in the corridor for two hours waiting for interrogation. Artyom's handcuffs were only taken off in the investigator's office. One of the law enforcers put pressure on him, saying: \"It’s Armageddon for you! I'll baptize you by eight years of imprisonment. You're going to plant trees in a joint and tailor my uniform.\"\nThe investigator, Major of Justice Valery Zarubin, processed the administrative detention for two days against Artyom and sent him to the detention center. The believer was locked in a cold, dirty room measuring 1 by 2 meters, with no furniture. Artyom had to stand again until two hours later he was given a mattress, a dirty pillow, a short sheet and a blanket.\nArtyom was not allowed to make a legal call to his family. All this time, no water or food was given to the believer. It was only at 18:00 that Artyom ate what his wife had brought him for the first time in a day. The isolation cell also had no technical water until 11:00 the next day until he was transferred to another room.\nThe next day, the investigation continued. Zarubin insisted that Artyom plead guilty. He refused Shabliy's requests to replace the investigator and the lawyer. From the detention center, where Artyom spent two days, he was released under an obligation to appear. At the exit from the detention center facility, the believer felt ill and had to call an ambulance. Without waiting for the doctors, his friends took Artyom to the hospital, where he was examined. The believer filed a complaint with the law enforcement agencies about the illegal actions of law enforcement officers.\nIt is noteworthy that the criminal prosecution of Artyom Shabliy started after a statement by an Igor Dukhanin. Earlier a man with the same name initiated conversations with Jehovah's Witnesses in Kerch, portraying his interest in the Bible. According to the Crimean Prosecutor's Office, in 2015 a local resident with such name and surname was sentenced to 2.5 years conditionally for extremist activities - distribution of leaflets inciting national hatred.\nLaw-enforcement agencies of Ukraine became interested in violation of the rights of believers in Kerch and a criminal case was initiated on the fact of illegal searches.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-10T17:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/9.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","torture","minors","siloviks-violence","new-case","282.2-1.1","interrogation","ivs","torture-conditions","summon"],"title":"\"It Is Armageddon For You!\" After a Provocateur's Denunciation, the Kerch Law Enforcers Kept a Believer Undressed for Three Hours in the Cold","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 10, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) gave legal analysis to a number of popular myths about Jehovah's Witnesses. The Russian government was ordered to restore the rights of the Moscow community and compensate for the damage caused.\n","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/23.html","regions":[],"tags":["echr"],"title":"Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of the Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and Others v. the Russian Federation (complaint No. 302/02)","type":"docs"},{"body":"Since the morning of June 9, 2020, believers in Astrakhan have reported on raids on their homes by law enforcement officers. It is already known about searches in at least two families. This news is being updated. Update. Four believers were detained for 48 hours: marriage couple Evgeniy and Olga Ivanov (43 and 37 years), as well as Rustam Diarov, 46, and Sergey Klikunov, 45. In total, at least 19 families of local believers were searched. After the searches the investigators arranged for interrogations, including elderly people with disabilities. A single mother was threatened with being deprived of her parental rights. The total number of searches in homes of believers in the country has already exceeded 900. The large-scale religious persecution in Russia began after a miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate and ban all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. Law enforcers issue a joint confession of these law-abiding citizens \"for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-09T13:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/8.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"The 55th Region of Russia Is Joining the Religious Persecution. The Houses of Jehovah's Witnesses Are Being Searched in the City of Astrakhan","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 5, 2020, the Babushkinskiy District Court of Moscow refused to allow the investigator to detain Sergey Oganyan, 33, who had been detained after a series of searches in Vlasiha settlement near Moscow, and sent the believer under house arrest.\nInvestigator E. V. Dymchenko accuses Sergey Oganyan under three articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation at once: organization of an extremist community (part 1 of article 282.2), recruitment (part 1.1 of article 282.2) and participation in it (part 2 of article 282.2). Despite the fact that the investigator asked for a strict measure of restraint - pre-trial detention - the prosecutor did not support this request. He asked to limit him to house arrest.\nAs a result, the judge of Babushkinskiy district court Evgeniya Babinova refused the investigator in the detention of a believer. She took into account the following: he has a permanent place of residence in the Moscow region, is employed, earlier was not under the trial, has a minor child. In addition, there is no evidence that Sergey will obstruct the investigation and will abscond.\nHowever, the judge considered it necessary to place the believer under house arrest, forbidding him from communicating with witnesses in the case and using any kind of communication.\nIt is worth mentioning that earlier Judge Evgeniya Babinova decided to put the believers from Chekhov near Moscow under house arrest.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-06-09T13:07:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/7/image_hu_991d3855a38d8118.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/7/image_hu_e649b9b09ac51ee6.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/7/image_hu_79d5f0101550a08f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/7/image_hu_acb2f18829b51b6f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/7.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"title":"A Moscow Court Placed Sergey Oganyan, the Father of a Young Child, Under House Arrest. The Believer Spent 3 Days Behind Bars","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 9, 2020, Judge of the Pskov City Court Galina Belik sentenced 61-year-old Pskov resident Gennadiy Shpakovskiy to six and a half years in a penal colony, despite the absence of real crimes. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. His only “crime” is to discuss the Bible with friends.\nThe court found Gennadiy Shpakovskiy guilty of organizing the activities of the extremist organization and its financing, considering that religious meetings with believers are not the exercise of the private right to freedom of religion, but the continuation of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities liquidated by court\nGennadiy Shpakovskiy completely denied any involvement in extremism. In his final address to the judge, he recalled that during Soviet times millions of citizens were repressed on false charges. Among them were Jehovah's Witnesses, who were later rehabilitated by the authorities. \"Unfortunately, history repeats itself. Today, the same thing is being done to me and my fellow believers. They accuse me of a monstrous crime, which not only does not conform to my Christian beliefs, but also does not fit into the consciousness of a sane person,\" said the believer.\n\"The evidence in the case includes only information that I confess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including meeting to watch religious videos with believers, singing songs with them, praying to God Jehovah and discussing my beliefs with others,\" said Gennadiy Shpakovskiy and explained that none of these actions is mentioned in the law on countering extremist activities.\nThe believer referred to the Russian government's explanation of the injunction against 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"does not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, nor does it contain any restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine.\nThe court did not take into account Shpakovskiy's arguments and sentenced him to 6 years and 6 months in prison. Although the prosecutor had requested 7.5 years in prison, this verdict is the toughest of those imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia.\n\"Paradoxically, at one of the last sessions Judge Belik personally stressed that the practice of religion, joint meetings and prayers is not a crime, but a right of a Russian citizen, enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of Russia,\" said Arli Chimirov, the lawyer for Shpakovskiy.\nEarlier, Judge Belik's questions to Shpakovsky revealed that she was under the influence of prejudice. Addressing the defendant, the judge explained how she understood his actions: \"You say: (...) \" They will send papers from Brooklyn, I will gather everyone, and we will again learn the Bible the way they want. Not as the state calling itself the Russian Federation wants, but as the state calling itself the United States of America wants\" (In fact, the believer only enjoys the inalienable right to freedom of religion, which is guaranteed to everyone by the Constitution of the Russian Federation).\n[i18n] Learn more The last word of Gennadiy Shpakovsky Shpakovskiy's verdict, as well as the decision of the Crimean Supreme Court in the case of another believer, Artyom Gerasimov, were issued in defiance of repeated demands of the UN Working Group and other international structures to stop criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The decisions of the courts are getting tougher. In terms of international law, the court's verdict is an arbitrary deprivation of liberty for the peaceful practice of religion,\" said representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Yaroslav Sivulskiy.\nGennadiy Shpakovskiy became the 11th member of Jehovah's Witnesses, sent to prison for the faith. A criminal case against the believer was initiated in early 2018. Before that, special services had been watching the believer for several months. On June 3, 2018, he was detained in the apartment of friends while they were peacefully discussing the Bible. Armed FSB officers, with the participation of riot police, broke down the door and searched the home for six hours, after which they interrogated the believers for several hours at the law enforcement unit. Some members were persuaded to self-incrimination by threats of a 10-year prison term, dismissal from employment and other problems.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-06-09T11:36:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_a2a0968b573269bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_96bea25068e03c24.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_4a7ac5dd8c2655b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/6/image_hu_6bcca8265e6cb563.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/6.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"61-year-old Gennadiy Shpakovskiy Sentenced to a Record Six and a Half Years in Prison for His Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 4, 2020 the Supreme Court of Crimea considered the appeal of Artyom Gerasimov, who asked to be acquitted. On the contrary, the court announced a tougher punishment for his talking about God: instead of a fine of 400 thousand rubles, he was sentenced to six years in prison. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\nEarlier, on March 5, 2020, the Yalta City Court sentenced Artyom Gerasimov to a large fine. The verdict was appealed.\n[i18n] Addition. It became known that along with an appeal from a believer, a prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s appeal was filed to the court \u0026ldquo;for the sentence is lenient\u0026rdquo;. As a result, the panel of judges (Judge-Rapporteur - Aleksei Lastov) denied the appeal of the believer, but partially satisfied the representation of the prosecutor. The prosecutor, Oksana Chuchueva, asked for a 6.5-year sentence in the colony. On June 4, during the appeal hearing the Supreme Court of Crimea took the side of the prosecution and replaced the fine with imprisonment. The verdict came into force. The defense intends to appeal this decision to the court of cassation. \"The decision of the Crimean Supreme Court brings religious persecution to a new level of brutality. After the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, the appeal instances have never toughened the punishment, realizing that there are no real crimes behind the charges against believers,\" said Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, pointing out that the judicial authorities ignore repeated demands of international structures to immediately stop repressing Jehovah's Witnesses.\nEarlier, the court in Dzhankoy sentenced Sergey Filatov, a fellow believer of Gerasimov, to the same prison term.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-06-04T17:25:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/5/image_hu_26e81947642fac34.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/5/image_hu_8a2556dfa8ab4de0.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/5/image_hu_3db8cd40ec2b1214.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/5/image_hu_2cacc8d7eefda60b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/5.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","appeal"],"title":"Six Years in Prison Instead of a Fine. The Crimean Supreme Court on Appeal Did Not Commute, but Toughened the Sentence of One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2020, 61-year-old Gennadiy Shpakovskiy, speaking at the last word in Pskov City Court, did not plead guilty to extremism and stressed that he is under the trial purely for his faith. The prosecutor asked for 7.5 years in a general regime colony and 1.5 years of freedom restrictions.\nReferring to repeated decisions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council demanding a halt to repression against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, Gennadiy Shpakovskiy filed an application with the prosecutor's office and the court to stop the criminal case. Judge Galina Belik did not find it necessary to take this into account.\n[i18n] Learn more The last word of Gennadiy Shpakovsky At the court hearing, the prosecutor asked for Gennadiy's longest term, which was announced in the courts during the religious persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia - 7.5 years in a general regime colony with subsequent restriction of liberty of 1.5 years.\nAfter the debate, the prosecutor's and Gennadiy Shpakovskiy's closing remarks, judge Belik left to deliver the verdict, which is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on June 8, 2020.\nUpdate. On June 8, Judge Belik postponed the announcement of the verdict to 9:00 on June 9. Gennadiy Shpakovskiy is charged with organizing and financing a banned organization (article 282. 2 (1) и 282. 3 (1) OF THE CRIMINAL CODE). The initiation of criminal proceedings against him became known 2 years ago after humiliating mass searches of believers in Pskov. Before that, he had been followed for several months, collecting \"evidence\". - evidence that he continues to read the Bible with believers and speak to other residents about God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-06-03T17:04:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_4024d5ea21cb9f9a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/4/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_806c158f4767e9b6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/4/image_hu_a5401c90f335a5f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/4.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"The Pskov Prosecutor Asked to Imprison Gennadiy Shpakovskiy for Record 7.5 Years for Faith in Jehovah. The Verdict Will Be Announced on June 8","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of 2 June 2020, at least five houses of local believers were searched in the village of Vlasikha near Moscow. Two women and one man were taken away for interrogation by the security services. Sergey Oganyan, the father of a minor child, was detained.\nAt 6:20 a.m., about 10 law enforcement officers broke into the apartment of Sergey Oganyan, who lives with his wife and minor daughter. The law enforcers issued a decree to initiate a criminal case against Sergey on charges of organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization, after which they began a search. It was supervised by investigators of the Main Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Moscow Region Yevgeny Dymchenko and Denis Popov.\nThe spouses reminded the investigators that a raid in the conditions of a pandemic could pose a special threat to health. Law enforcers ignored the warning, despite the fact that, according to the Ministry of Health of the Moscow region on June 3, Odintsovo district, where the Oganyan family lives, is one of the leaders in the number of detected cases of coronavirus in the Moscow region.\nMobile phones, other electronic devices, bank cards, personal records and greeting cards were seized from Oganyan. Sergey was taken to the Mytishchinskoye branch of the Russian Interior Ministry's department and previously detained for 48 hours.\nOn the same day two women believers were searched in Vlasikha. They were taken for interrogation to a branch of one of the law enforcement agencies and released a few hours after the events began. Details are being clarified.\nUpdate. According to the updated information, Sergey Ohanyan\u0026rsquo;s administrative detention has been extended to 72 hours. Searches were conducted in the homes of five families of believers. Security forces seized computer equipment and other electronic devices, personal records and photo albums, as well as Bibles and Bible atlases. Believers, including the minor daughter of one of the women, were asked provocative questions during the searches about their faith in God. After the searches, five people, including one minor, were taken as witnesses for questioning to the Main Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Moscow Region, located in the center of Moscow. This is the second wave of persecution of believers in the Moscow region after the liquidation and prohibition of all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in 2017. In September 2019, a criminal case for the faith was initiated against six Chekhov residents. Notably, in 2016 and 2017, local courts acquitted two residents of Moscow Region who were accused of a similar \"crime\" - religious gatherings and conversations about the Bible with others\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-03T15:41:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/1.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","health-risk"],"title":"At the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Law Enforcers Launched Raids in the Moscow Region. A 33-year-old Believer Has Been Detained for the Second Day","type":"news"},{"body":"On 23 May 2020, 17-year-old Aleksandr Karpov was questioned by an investigator about the events of 10 February 2020. That day, during the raid on the believers, police officers dropped him on the floor, forced him to lie on his stomach and put his hands behind his head, hit him on the back, ribs and legs, causing him to bleed.\nThe events unfolded as follows. On 10 February 2020, at 06:00 am, Aleksandr heard a knock on the door. Not waiting for an answer to the question \"who is there\", he opened the door, thinking that it was his father who had returned from work. When he saw a group of masked people in the dark, he intuitively tried to close the door. The law enforcers forced him to the floor, put their hands behind his head and beat him - in front of his mother and younger sister. The young man had to \"crawl\" into the living room, where the law enforcement officers read to the family the court order to search their house. The search lasted 12 hours.\nThe lawyer in the interests of Aleksandr Karpov filed a complaint with the investigation department about the actions of law enforcers who broke into their house. The medical expert recorded the traces of beatings of the teenager, and a specialist went to the house to inspect the house, who seized the tights with traces of Aleksandr's blood, in which he was on the day of the search.\nDue to the misinterpretation of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, law enforcement officers continue to persecute Russian families of peaceful believers, and often children and teenagers suffer from this.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-06-03T14:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/3.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","minors","search"],"title":"In Chita, Investigators Study the Circumstances Surrounding the Beating by Police of a Christian Teenager During a Raid in February","type":"news"},{"body":"Starting June 1, 2020, our website is automatically translated for readers whose native language is English, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, German, Portuguese, Finnish, French or Japanese. If you wish, you can easily return to the Russian original.\nWhen machine translation is enabled, an advisory is displayed at the top of each page informing that the page has been translated using a machine. Machine translation is done by a computer, usually without human intervention. Although machine translation has its drawbacks, in most cases, the reader has a generally accurate grasp of the publication. To implement machine translation, a number of third-party services are involved; these are constantly working to improve the quality of machine translation.\nReaders can use the machine translation of all headings and texts, including subtitles of video reports.\n","category":"website","date":"2020-06-01T15:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/06/2/image_hu_1d1c82dda57d816f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/06/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/06/2/image_hu_9978f7429b170d29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/06/2/image_hu_5f88430962d68a69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/06/2.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review"],"title":"JW-RUSSIA.ORG Is Now Available in Ten Languages Besides Russian. Machine Translation Systems Are Used","type":"news"},{"body":"The beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not related to the crimes described in the law on countering extremism - this is the opinion of religious scholars and even the Supreme Court of Russia. This was stated to the judge of the Pskov City Court Galina Belik by Gennady Shpakovsky. With some abbreviations, we publish his last word.\n","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/22.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Gennady Shpakovsky in Pskov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 27, 2020, during searches of believers in Khabarovsk and Vyazemsky, FSB officers invaded in the house of 68-year-old Lee Yen Sen. An armed, masked operative hit Lee Yen Sen in the side, twisted his hands and put him in handcuffs. His wife lost consciousness as a result of such inhuman treatment of the elderly man.\nIt was 07:30 in the morning. Lee Yen Sen’s wife needed the help of an ambulance team. During the search, electronic devices were seized from the Lee's family and copies of photos with friends and personal notebook entries were taken. The handcuffs of Lee Yen Sen were only removed after the search to sign the search report, a copy of which was never left to him. Then the believer was taken for interrogation to the FSB in Khabarovsk Territory. There, Lee Yen Sen was offered a deal with the investigation that involved self-incrimination. He was only released home at 9 p.m., after 13 hours of detention. The measure of restraint in the form of a subscription about not leaving was chosen to the believer.\nYen Sen Lee is suspected of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" and \"involving other people,\" although the Supreme Court decision to liquidate and ban legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia does not prohibit them from individually or jointly practicing their religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-29T15:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_133b0858b5005fa7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/22/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_da882bf8ab9af3d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/22/image_hu_fa5ee0340c7a48b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/22.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly","health-risk","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","ivs"],"title":"Hit, Twisted, Handcuffed: Details of an Aggressive Invasion Against a 68-Year-Old Believer in Khabarovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On the 26 of May 2020, armed security groups conducted a series of raids in Kerch. At least seven believers, including the elderly, were questioned. Five of them were taken to the investigation department and later released all but Artem Shabliy, 29, who had been detained for two days.\nIn the early morning, groups of 7-10 law enforcement officers, including representatives of the Rosgvardia and masked armed riot police, came to the homes of local residents of Kerch at four addresses under the pretext of \"examining premises, buildings and structures.\nDuring the special operation in the house of Artem Shabliy, who lives with his wife, mother and children, 2 and 4 years old, the law enforcers broke the windows in the entrance hall. The law enforcers put the cuffs on Artem himself and took them off only a few hours later, already after the interrogation in the local law enforcement department.\nAccording to eyewitnesses, one of the organizers of the raid orally mentioned that a criminal case under article 282.2 of the RF Criminal Code had been initiated against Shabliy, but no documentary evidence was provided. It is known that the case was initiated by investigator Valery Zarubin. He accuses a believer of \"involving others in the activities of an extremist organization\" while talking to them about the Bible.\nWhile Artem was interrogated in the building of the Investigative Committee, his wife remained at home with her children, but later she was called for questioning and released the same day. The investigator tried to put pressure on the woman, threatening to \"put\" her husband. Artem was placed in a temporary detention facility.\nUpdate. On the evening of May 28, 2020, Artem Shabliy was released from the temporary detention facility under the obligation to appear as a suspect. A criminal case has been initiated against him under part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\u0026ldquo;involvement in the activities of an extremist organization\u0026rdquo;). Special operation at the other three addresses lasted about three hours. In one of the cases, the security guards broke the entrance gate. Electronic devices, printed media and some documents were seized from the believers. They were also taken for interrogation to the Investigative Department, where they remained for about two hours. In none of the cases were the owners presented with court orders to hold special events, and copies of the \"examination\" reports were not provided.\nRecently, Crimean law enforcers have increased pressure on those who profess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. On May 26, 2020, the court sent Sergey Filatov, a resident of Dzhankoy, to the general regime colony for 6 years. His fault was a Bible study with children and friends. Before that Yalta resident Artem Gerasimov was fined 400 thousand for talking to people about God. Currently the case of Victor Stashevsky, a resident of Sevastopol, who is unreasonably accused of extremism because he believes in Jehovah, is in court hearings.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-28T16:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/21/image_hu_629c956bfc528fb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/21/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/21/image_hu_5ec894a2047700ee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/21/image_hu_195644e9b5393c11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/21.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","vandalism","minors","interrogation","282.2-1.1","ivs"],"title":"In Kerch, Law Enforcers Crushed Windows When Raiding Houses of Believers During a \"Survey\". A Father of Two Young Children Was Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 19, 2020 the investigation expanded the list of defendants in the second criminal case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk. New suspects were Anastasia Pryanikova and the Zalyaevs. Now three Uralian families are being prosecuted on far-fetched extremism charges.\nIt is noteworthy that three of the six suspects, Aleksandr Pryanikov, as well as Venera and Darya Dulova (a mother and her daughter), have already been sentenced to suspended terms on charges of involvement in extremist activities in January 2020. The court decision was appealed, while a new criminal case was opened against the believers under part 1.1 of article 282.2 (\"involvement in an extremist organization\"), which implies a more severe punishment - up to 8 years in prison.\nIn March the house of Ruslan and Svetlana Zalyaev was searched as part of the investigation of this case. On the 19th of May they together with Aleksandr Pryanikov's wife Anastasia were included in the list of suspects under part 2 of article 282.2, and two days later A.S. Spirin, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of Krasnoturyinsk city, took from them a recognizance not to live and proper behavior.\nIt is noteworthy that Ruslan Zalyaev is not a Jehovah's Witness, nevertheless he is suspected of \"participating in the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Krasnoturinsk by [...] holding conversations in order to promote religious exclusivity.\"\nIt is clear from the decree on the measure of restraint for believers that criminal prosecution is carried out on religious grounds. Svetlana Zalyayeva, the Pryanikovs and the Dulovs family are charged with the fact that they have not stopped communicating with others about God and gather for religious meetings - similar accusations have been made against entire families in the past.\n\"Harmless believers are accused of 'grave crimes,' but there are no victims or any signs of real crimes against the individual or the state in the case,\" comments Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, noting that groundless religious repression leads to open condemnation of Russia by the international community.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-05-28T13:45:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/20/image_hu_2d0903fd643331b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/20/image_hu_ba79b5bab4143086.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/20/image_hu_12e70f6b89c34f3c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/20/image_hu_cd75a6b8b5ab82ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/20.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"title":"Three More People Prosecuted for Their Faith in the Sverdlovsk Region. Six Defendants Are in the Case Now","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2020 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur two dwellings of local believers were searched. The authorities interrogated four people – Nikolay and Alesya Aliyev, Vyacheslav Dubinkin and Dmitriy Bryankin. The only reason for the raid on these civilians was their faith in God Jehovah.\nAround 07:00 in the morning there was a knock at the door of Aliyev's apartment, where Alesya's 18-year-old brother Vyacheslav lives together with his wife. When Nikolay opened the door, eight law enforcement officers broke in and armed riot policemen fell him to the floor. Investigator Aleksei Evsiugov presented the court order and began the search in the presence of two witnesses, dressed in military uniforms. The search lasted for five hours, after which Nikolay, Alesia and Vyacheslav were taken to the Investigative Department for questioning.\nAt the same time, a believer Dmitriy Bryankin was called by an unknown man and called to the street under the pretext that his car had allegedly been involved in an accident. An OMON officer, Lieutenant Colonel of the FSB and two witnesses were waiting for him outside. They presented Dmitriy with a detention order and took him to the Investigative Department right in his slippers; an 11-year-old child was left unattended at home. The security forces kept the believer in the car for over an hour. After receiving the search warrant, they returned to his apartment, where they seized his laptop and smartphone, printed materials and notebooks. Then Dmitriy was taken to the Investigations Department building. He had to spend six hours in the car with an OMON officer and the witnesses while waiting for an interrogation. Then he was interrogated for about 3 hours and was not released home until 21:00. Dmitri felt bad at home, he needed help from the medical team.\nThe believers were tried to put emotional pressure on them. For example, FSB Major Alexei Ivanov advised Nikolay Aliyev to change his faith to a more traditional one. K. Rubantsov, a CCE investigator, offered Alesya Aliyeva to cooperate with the investigation so that \"something did not happen\" to her husband. Nikolay Aliyev was presented with hidden video recordings of 2018, in which he talks to a man who depicts interest in the Bible.\nDespite threats of arrest for using Article 51 of the Russian Constitution, all three believers were released in the evening. No one was elected to the measure of restraint.\nDuring the searches the law enforcers searched for any information confirming that the believers belonged to Jehovah's Witnesses. They seized electronic devices, printed publications, photographs, and postcards mentioning the personal name of God.\nVyacheslav Dubinkin, Dmitriy Bryankin and the Aliyev spouses are persecuted along with 10 other believers in the Khabarovsk region. A verdict has already been passed in two cases, and two more cases are being considered by the court of first instance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-28T08:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/19.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","minors"],"title":"\"Dropped to the Floor.\" The Details of the Searches in Komsomolsk-on-Amur Have Become Known","type":"news"},{"body":"On 27 May 2020 the Dagestan Supreme Court replaced the preventive measure for Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev from detention to house arrest. The believers are to be released from the detention center on the same day.\nThe court rejected the investigator's petition, which demanded that the Makhachkala residents continue to be held in prison.\nThe believers were detained in June 2019 during humiliating searches and interrogations. At that time, masked and armored security forces had invaded approximately 10 homes of law-abiding local residents, who were accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-05-27T15:16:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_5e2a761e7f06dc94.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_b9cf0e27c9211e49.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_7384cdee3f1a6579.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/18/image_hu_ced640cdf3cc22fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/18.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","supreme-court","house-arrest"],"title":"The Dagestan Supreme Court Ruled to Release Four Believers From the Detention Center. They Spent in Prison Almost a Year","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 27, 2020 reports of new searches in Khabarovsk Territory came. According to preliminary information, armed officers of the FSB searched Yen Sen Lee, 68, and his wife, as well as 19-year-old believer and his mother. Both men were detained and taken to an unknown location.\nAt 21:00 local time, it became known that Yen Sen Lee returned home. Other details are being clarified.\nUpdate. On May 29, 2020 Aleksey Shatilov, judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, made a decision to remand in custody until July 26, 2020, Baranov, 19, a student of the 2nd year of a forestry technical school, the only son of a single mother. Before his arrest Yegor lived with his mother in the town of Vyazemsky. As grounds for his arrest, Judge Shatilov said in a ruling that \u0026ldquo;Baranov E.A. continues to be a member of the recognized extremist religious organization Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses . . . has established stable religious views and is one of the leaders of this religious organization.” The total number of searches in believers' homes has already exceeded 900. Large-scale religious persecution in Russia began throughout Russia after a miscarriage of justice—the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officials, for unknown reasons, interpret the joint worship of these law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Law scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad unanimously condemn the actions of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nThe Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban Jehovah's Witnesses legal organizations do not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds, \"do not contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the aforementioned doctrine\" and \"do not limit the constitutional right of believing citizens to unite.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-27T14:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_f0c3015c3be429d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_36306413bf4835ce.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_89cd0f6b32a87a9c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/17/image_hu_16dfa03fe9b35e24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/17.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"The Town of Vyazemsky Becomes a New Hotbed of Religious Persecution: at Least Seven Searches of Believers per Day","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 26, 2020, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea upheld the sentence on Sergey Filatov, a resident of Dzhankoy, ignoring numerous violations in the case and the UN Working Group's demand for the release of Jehovah's Witnesses arrested in Russia. Filatov's only fault was reading the Bible with his family and friends.\nThe Dzhankoy District Court sentenced Sergey Filatov, father of four children, two of whom are minors, to 6 years in a general regime colony on March 5, 2020, finding him guilty of \"undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\nThe sentence was appealed, and the case is rife with mass inconsistencies and falsifications. Among other things, the investigation illegally changed the evidence in the case, involved false witnesses and experts who did not provide diplomas confirming their competence. At the same time, the court refused to consider those certificates that required consideration by the Filatov's defense.\nOn 26 May, the Crimean Supreme Court, having considered the appeal, ruled that Filatov's conviction was lawful: 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in educational activities for 5 years, with a restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe judges considered insignificant the decision of the UN Working Group, which has already pointed out three times the absurdity of Jehovah's Witnesses accusations of extremism. This international body demanded the immediate closure of the criminal cases initiated \"only because [the accused] peacefully practiced their religious beliefs, including carrying religious texts and the Bible, and gathered together in worship services with fellow believers\".\nAfter the appeal decision, Filatov's sentence came into effect. In which colony the believer will serve the term, it is not known yet. Since March 5, 2020, he has been held in the detention center № 1 for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. According to the law, the time of stay in the pre-trial detention facility is counted as 1 day of the pre-trial detention facility equals 1.5 days in the colony. Sergei stayed in the pre-trial detention center for about three months and will remain in the colony until January 23, 2026. This is the longest period of time that the convicted Jehovah's Witnesses have been appointed.\n\"I firmly know that I have not committed any crime either before God or before the state. I am judged for the fact that I am a Christian and consider my faith to be true ... and I can not abandon it, - said Sergey Filatov in his last speech addressed to the Dzhankoysky district court. - Whatever sentence I get, I will in any case leave the courtroom acquitted in the eyes of my family, my friends\".\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-05-27T08:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/16/image_hu_aabef58b6771c9b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/16/image_hu_ac7ffa4238e43767.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/16/image_hu_31ff51b0fae43a94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/16/image_hu_f2d893e917777ad8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/16.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","minors","appeal"],"title":"The Court in Crimea Upheld the Sentence to Sergey Filatov. The Believer Will Go to the Colony for 6 Years for Reading the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Residents of Krasnoyarsk, 53-year-old Vitaliy Sukhov and 55-year-old Igor Gusev, are accused of extremism only because they discussed the Bible with fellow believers and prayed to God Jehovah.\nA criminal case under part 1 of article 282.2 (organization of activities of the banned community) was brought on May 8th, 2020 by Lieutenant Filishkan P. V, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department for Zheleznodorozhny district of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Federation Investigative Committee for Krasnoyarsk region and Khakassia.\nThus, 12 believers in Krasnoyarsk region are already accused of crimes against society and the state, although they have not committed any crimes. The international community and the Russian public consider the prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia unjustified and demand that the violation of the rights of believers be stopped immediately the violation of believers' rights.\n[i18n] Clarification. As it became known on May 26, 2020, no criminal case was initiated against Igor Gusev. The security forces summoned him for questioning as a witness in the criminal case of Vitaliy Sukhov. In total, there are 11 believers in the region, against whom criminal proceedings have been initiated. ","category":"trial","date":"2020-05-26T13:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/15.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, Two More Local Residents Accused of Extremism, Raising Number Prosecuted for Their Faith in the Region to 12","type":"news"},{"body":"25 May 2020 marks exactly three years since the Danish citizen who lives in Oryol Dennis Christensen was taken into custody. Dennis' health has deteriorated during his imprisonment. Now the prison administration is not giving him any medication and is trying to prevent him from being released.\nDennis Christensen became the first Jehovah's Witness in modern Russia to be sentenced to real imprisonment for his faith. Immediately after his arrest, Christensen was imprisoned in the Oryol pre-trial detention center, where he was kept for about two years. In February 2019, the court sentenced Dennis to 6 years in prison. Three months later, the appellate court upheld this decision. After the verdict came into force, Dennis was transferred to colony No. 3 in the city of Lgov (Kursk region).\nDuring his imprisonment, Dennis began to have health problems. Already in prison, he suffered pneumonia, the effects of which he still feels. According to the lawyer, Christensen's medical record was recently \"lost\", and without it, Dennis is refused treatment. Due to the \"absence of superiors at the workplace,\" the believer is not given the medicines that his wife Irina sends him, although the dispensing of medicines is not in charge of the colony authorities, but of the hospital doctor.\n\"The medical documents \"disappeared\" after the defense petitioned for the recovery of medical records from the colony, which is suing the prosecutor for the fact that he declared the penalties imposed on Christensen illegal. We notified the prosecutor about this strange disappearance, \"explained one of Dennis Christensen's lawyers.\nIn the meantime, the administration of the colony puts pressure on the believer, it keeps a diary in which it writes down untrue conclusions about Christensen's personality and behavior. Although Dennis has never been convicted before and the current prison term was assigned to him not for specific crimes, but for his faith, his characterization states that he \"flaunts a criminal past\", plans to \"deal with\" representatives of the authorities, the court and \"accomplices\" after his release. Such fictions sound absurd to anyone who knows Christensen and Jehovah's Witnesses in general.\n\"Recently, the head of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Kursk region, Vladimir Nazarov, came to the colony, Dennis complained to him, but he only supported the position of his subordinates,\" the lawyer said.\nIn June 2017, Dennis Christensen filed an appeal against his arrest with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Later, the Kingdom of Denmark entered the case of Christensen v. Russia as a 3rd person. It is known that the complaint has passed the communication stage. Representatives of the Danish Embassy in Moscow regularly visit Christensen in the colony, the previous such visit took place on March 11, 2020.\nDue to the coronavirus pandemic, Dennis' wife, Irina Christensen, cannot get to the colony to meet her husband. Nevertheless, they communicate regularly on the phone.\nAccording to Irina, during his imprisonment, Dennis had to adapt to different conditions, but now they are tolerable. \"There are mice, cockroaches, mosquitoes and many other insects in the colony. I send cockroach traps and adhesive fly tape to my husband in a package. And he is friends with mice, \"says Dennis's wife with a smile.\nPostcards that Dennis Christensen sent to his wife Irina from the colony According to Irina, Dennis writes a lot, sometimes he receives 100 letters a day. \"For the last month, he has not received letters in foreign languages, since there is no censor who knows foreign languages in the colony,\" she says.\nTo date, Christensen has served almost 4 years out of 6 appointed by the court - according to the Criminal Code, 1 day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is equal to 1.5 days in a colony. A year ago, he had the right to mitigation of punishment, petitioned for it, but the court rejected three petitions for bureaucratic reasons. While the believer is waiting for a decision on the fourth, the administration of the colony issues unjustified reprimands that are designed to prevent him from being released. It even went as far as tossing a knife. If the court does not commute Dennis Christensen's sentence, he will not be released until May 25, 2022.\n\"Russian Human Rights Defenders\" and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom recognized Dennis Christensen as a prisoner of conscience, and the European Union called on his release \"immediately and unconditionally.\" The same was demanded from the Russian authorities at the UN.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-25T08:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/14/image_hu_7337e9cd5924cb39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/14/image_hu_70d57728a284b994.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/14/image_hu_42286e6159953183.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/14/image_hu_cc5e94d2023bb016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/14.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","life-in-prison","torture-conditions","medical-rights","complaints"],"title":"Mice, Pneumonia and Unreasonable Penalties: How Dennis Christensen, a Prisoner of Conscience, is Serving His Sentence Three Years After His Arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2020 the apartment of 46-year-old Dmitriy Bryankin, who lives there with his wife and daughters, was searched. The head of the family was taken away for interrogation. Two more families of believers are not in touch. Details are being clarified.\nThe religious persecution in Russia was a direct consequence of a miscarriage of justice—the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate and ban all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. Driven by unknown motives, law enforcement officers issue a joint confession of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Law scholars and human rights defenders both inside and outside Russia unanimously condemn what is happening with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including the Human Rights Commissioner in Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation himself, prominent public figures in Russia, as well as the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.\nJehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that decisions by Russian courts to dismantle and ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"do not evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine, nor do they limit or prohibit the practice of the above doctrine on an individual basis.”\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-22T12:39:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/13.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"The City of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Has Joined the Religious Persecution: Search in the Family of Believers, Detention and Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2020, security forces searched five houses in the town of Mayskoye. Six believers — a married couple and four other women — were taken to the investigation department for interrogation, and later released after questioning about their religious views \"not for the record.\"\nDuring the searches, literature included in the list of extremist materials was planted on all believers.\n\"One of the employees entered the bedroom and closed the door behind him. After that, he came out and forbade us to go there. Then a planted publication from the list of extremist materials was found there,\" said one of the believers, whose home was searched.\nIn another case, the security forces came to the home of a local resident when she was at work. The door was opened by her son-in-law. Law enforcement officers twisted his arms and took him to one of the rooms, while they continued the search in other rooms. Later, law enforcement officers brought the owner of the house and after that \"found\" 7 copies of prohibited literature.\nDuring the interrogations, the security forces asked the believers what kind of God they believed in, how long ago and who taught them this.\nElectronic devices and personal records were seized from local residents. Law enforcement officers did not provide them with copies of search protocols and other documents.\nOn May 14, the searches were sanctioned by the judge of the Maysky District Court, Andriy Skrypnyk. According to eyewitnesses, the special events were led by one of the local security officials, who had previously falsified evidence with the help of planting.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-22T11:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/12/image_hu_cbbea508320a5344.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/12/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/12/image_hu_81d57942b41e280b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/12/image_hu_363cf9b71c0a34ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/12.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","interrogation","fsem","siloviks-violence"],"title":"The houses of six believers were searched in Kabardino-Balkaria. The law enforcers planted banned literature on them","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 6, 2020, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention prepared a decision concerning 18 believers in Russia. The Group considers the cases brought against them to be unlawful, urges authorities to immediately release those arrested, in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, and to “take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of their rights.”\nThe authoritative UN body considered the complaint of eighteen Russian believers from Volgograd, Kemerovo, Smolensk, Penza, Perm and Novozybkov. Ten of them were arrested and held in pre-trial detention: Andrey Magliv, Igor Egozaryan, Ruslan Korolev, Vladimir Kulyasov, Valery Rogozin, Valery Shalev, Tatyana Shamsheva, Olga Silaeva, Alexander Solovyov and Denis Timoshin.\nAccording to the 15-page decision No. 10/2020, there are no grounds for criminal prosecution in any of the cases considered and all of them should be closed immediately. The cases were initiated \"only because [the accused] peacefully professed their religious beliefs, including carrying religious texts and Bibles, gathered together for worship services with fellow believers\" (paragraph 67).\nParagraph 71 of the document states: \"All 18 people ... were accused of various forms of \"extremist activity\". However, in the view of the Working Group, none of the activities described could be interpreted as such. In addition, the Working Group has not been submitted, and the Working Group itself is unable to establish, any reasons that could justify the restriction of the rights of these 18 persons under article 18 of the [International] Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights]. The Working Group considers that all the activities in which they participated constituted a peaceful way of exercising the right to freedom of religion under article 18 of the Covenant. Such activity was the sole basis for the detention of all 18 persons and their proceedings in the courts.\"\nParagraph 80 emphasizes that \"the actions of these 18 persons were of a peaceful nature, and there is no evidence that any of them, or indeed any of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, ever resorted to violence or called on others to violence.\"\nThe decision reiterates that there is a \"systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in Russia (para. 78). The same wording was expressed in the decision of October 1, 2019, concerning Vladimir Alushkin from Penza, and in the decision of May 3, 2019 regarding Dmitry Mikhailov from Shuya (Ivanovo region). Thus, this is the third opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses. In all cases, UN officials rejected Jehovah's Witnesses' association with extremism.\nThe Working Group also calls for the release from detention of those held in pre-trial detention centres, as there is a high risk of contracting COVID-19 with limited medical care (para. 84).\nIn paragraph 85, the Working Group calls for \"a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty\" of believers and \"to take appropriate measures against those responsible.\"\nThe UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is a body designed to investigate cases of detention that are inconsistent with international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international instruments. The Working Group has the right to receive information from the authorities and non-governmental organizations and to meet with detainees and their families in order to establish the facts. The Working Group submits its conclusions and recommendations to governments, as well as to the UN Human Rights Council. Although the decisions of the Working Group are not binding on States, they can help to soften the position of the authorities in the face of wide international publicity.\nAccording to the legal position of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, expressed in the ruling of 09.06.2015 No. 1276-O, the Russian Federation, as a state governed by the rule of law, cannot ignore the decision of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which contains conclusions on arbitrary detention and criminal prosecution of citizens, without avoiding legal consequences.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-05-21T15:26:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/11/image_hu_5b07e79946eef0fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/11/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/11/image_hu_ba1022958e431c8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/11/image_hu_4ba8c7a949044f56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/11.html","regions":["perm","smolensk","penza","volgograd","bryansk","kemerovo","switzerland"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["un-working-group","complaints","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Third Decision of UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Regarding Russian Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The memorial “Mask of Sorrow” erected in this region notorious for the Gulag labor camps recalls the millions of victims of political repression during the years of the USSR. However, dramatic events unfold here again, breaking the lives of innocent people. Three-minute video.\nIn May 2018, the Magadan FSB opened a criminal case for their faith under Article 282.2(1) against 13 local residents. Among them are Sergey Agadzhanov, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Sergey Yerkin, Evgeny Zyablov, Inna Kardakova, Konstantin Petrov, Ivan Puida, Viktor Revyakin, Mikhail Solntsev, Oksana Solntseva, Irina Khvostova, Anastasia Chibisova.\n\"The case was opened against four people,\" says one of the accused, 34-year-old Konstantin Petrov. But now they have combined all this into one thing with 13 people.\nKonstantin Petrov has been under investigation for two years. During this time, he managed to serve 2 months in a pre-trial detention center and 8 months under house arrest. It all started on May 30, 2018, when mass searches took place in the homes of peaceful believers in Magadan. He recalls: \"I opened the door and quickly found myself on the floor. Immediately screams, noise. They ran in masks, with weapons, put me on the floor and sat on top. They put a bag over my head, threw it into a car and drove me to the FSB building.\"\nAccording to Konstantin, the security forces tried to force him to cooperate with the investigation, threatening him with serious problems if he refused. \"They exerted emotional pressure in order to force us to accept their point of view,\" says Konstantin Petrov.- We chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\"\nAs a result, Konstantin Petrov and three other believers ended up in the Magadan pre-trial detention center. Neither the investigation nor the court took into account Konstantin's state of health.\nValentina Shafurina, mother of Konstantin Petrov: \"He has health problems, he does not digest gluten and lactose. At first, he was covered with a rash. Konstantin Petrov: \"I need special food, and it is clear that there is no such food in the pre-trial detention center, my health was deteriorating.\"\nThe inhuman treatment to which Konstantin and other believers were subjected was the result of a criminal case initiated under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nKonstantin Petrov: \"The investigation is still ongoing, the investigator is collecting some information. According to him, the investigation will not end soon.\nAs in hundreds of other criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses throughout Russia, in the case of Konstantin Petrov there is no information about the victims and the damage caused.\nKonstantin Petrov: \"What did we do wrong? If we are believers and just call ourselves Jehovah's Witnesses, is that already a crime?\"\nValentina Shafurina: \"Will they really be imprisoned? I don't know. I can't believe that you can be imprisoned for this.\"\nKonstantin signed a recognizance not to leave. And although he is free, criminal prosecution and imposed restrictions disrupt the life of the family and deprive him of the opportunity to support his elderly mother.\nValentina Shafurina: \"I also called to myself, saying: \"Maybe you will come to me?\" They saved up for tickets to meet us. We haven't met, and I don't know when we'll meet now.\"\nThe memorial to the victims of political repression was created as a monument to the past. But for many believers, the \"Mask of Sorrow\" is becoming an increasingly clear reflection of the present.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2020-05-19T16:49:00+03:00","duration":"3:18","image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_b2b7add2d64f7c23.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/10/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_ee3be37f50d4acd1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/10/image_hu_736aad1a6ef963e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/10.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ussr","282.2-1","sizo","house-arrest","health-risk","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Kolyma 2.0. The Land of Trampled Freedom Once Again Becomes a Hotbed of Repression","type":"video"},{"body":"On May 15, 2020, the administration of Colony No. 3 of Dimitrovgrad notified Konstantin Bazhenov, convicted for faith, that his Russian citizenship was annulled. In 2009 Konstantin and his wife moved back from Ukraine to Russia, where they received citizenship. Authorities revoked Bazhenov’s permission to hold Russian citizenship only a few days after the same decision on his fellow believer Felix Makhammadiyev.\nKonstantin was born in Veliky Novgorod, as a child he moved to Ukraine with his parents. In 2001, he married Irina from the Donetsk region. In 2009, the couple moved to Russia and received citizenship there.\nOn September 19, 2019, Konstantin Bazhenov was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. He was accused in the same criminal case as his five fellow believers from Saratov, including Felix Makhammadiyev, whose permission to grant Russian citizenship was revoked by the authorities just days before the Bazhenov decision.\n\"The decision to grant citizenship to her husband was revoked on April 20, 2020, but the colony informed him about it only on May 15,\" said Irina Bazhenova, Konstantin's wife.\nAccording to Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, the revocation of citizenship for Bazhenov and Makhammadiyev testifies to the indiscriminate nature of the Russian justice system. \"The authorities, formally following the law, apply the same measures to both terrorists and peaceful believers who are imprisoned only for their beliefs, the meaning of which is love for God and people,\" Sivulsky commented on the situation.\nThe international community considers the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses unjust and illegal. Russian human rights activists have included Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiyev in the list of prisoners of conscience.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-05-19T08:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/9/image_hu_161d4f79139bd0c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/9/image_hu_dce28b5f77deb513.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/9/image_hu_ad3f0821f8f84e06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/9/image_hu_c9aa607ddf81cc8c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/9.html","regions":["saratov","ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Konstantin Bazhenov, Born in Veliky Novgorod, Became the Second of Jehovah's Witnesses Penalized With Annulled Russian Citizenship","type":"news"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Grinenko, 49, was placed in custody for two months until July 12, 2020. A criminal case has been instituted against this peaceful believer, charging “organization of an extremist organization” prohibited under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the time of his arrest, he lived in the town of Lesozavodsk with his elderly parents. Searches in at least four homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Law enforcers entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of verifying compliance with the self-isolation regime, thus exposing innocent people, including the elderly, with the deadly threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nSearches of at least 4 homes of local believers took place on May 12, 2020. Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorye Territory, entered the homes of peaceful believers under the pretext of checking compliance with the self-isolation regime - exposing innocent Far Easterners, including the elderly, to the mortal threat of infection with the COVID-19 virus.\nIt is known that searches were carried out at 71-year-old G.P., 64-year-old G.K., at the family of 44-year-old Sergey Kobelev, as well as at Yevgeny Grinenko and his elderly parents. By arranging searches and interrogations during the coronavirus pandemic, this is not the first time that the investigating authorities have put the life and health of citizens at risk. Peaceful believers sit at home, obediently observing the regime of self-isolation, according to the recommendations of the Russian government. However, groups of government officials invade their homes and, accompanied by witnesses, rummage through their belongings, take them out for interrogations and place them in pre-trial detention centers.\nDuring the searches, electronic media, bank cards and other personal belongings, such as postcards, were seized, which mentioned the name of God, Jehovah, which was not prohibited by any court.\nSergey Kobelev was detained at about 8 a.m. by FSB officers at work and taken home, where a search had already been conducted in the presence of his wife, minor son and elderly father. Later, the believer was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After a search and interrogation, he was released. The detention lasted a total of 11 hours.\nAccording to the investigation, the accused Yevgeny Grinenko \"carried out actions of an organizational nature to convene and hold meetings, and also took a direct part in the meetings aimed at continuing the activities of a religious association recognized by the court as extremist.\" This accusation is directly related to the unjust decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal scholars and human rights activists around the world unanimously condemn Russia's actions against Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-05-18T14:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/8.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","sizo","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Another Witness of Jehovah Was Sent to Jail. New Criminal Case Near the Chinese Border in the Town of Lesozavodsk","type":"news"},{"body":"At the Lgov colony, where Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, is serving his term for faith, administrators imposed numerous absurd penalties on him to block the paying of a fine in lieu of unserved time. For example, one of the supposed “violations” was “sleeping at the time that was not set according to the daily routine.” At the time, he complained of poor health after being hospitalized for pneumonia. The prosecutor's office intervened in the case, calling the penalties illegal.\nDane Dennis Christensen, who was sentenced in February 2019 to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God, has already served more than half of his sentence, and, using his legal right, filed petitions with the court with a request to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine.\nAfter that, pressure increased on Christensen in the colony: the administration falsifies or tries to provoke the believer to violations, the presence of which will make mitigation of punishment or early release impossible (Part 3 of Article 175 of the Penal Code of Russia).\nTo date, four ridiculous penalties (reprimands) have already been imposed on Christensen. For example, one of the \"violations\" concerned the fact that the believer \"on November 7, 2019, slept, lying in his bed at an unallotted time by the daily routine.\" At the same time, he complained of feeling unwell. In his decision to cancel this penalty, the prosecutor indicated that just two weeks before these events, Dennis was in the hospital with pneumonia, and the administration of the colony did not take into account this fact, as well as the state of health of the convict. In response, the prison authorities appealed the prosecutor's decision in order to recognize the penalty as legitimate and leave Christensen behind bars.\nMoreover, the administration started a diary in which it records the behavior of the believer, and also compiled a description of him, in which, among other things, she indicated that Christensen was \"melancholic, leads a reclusive lifestyle.\" It is noteworthy that earlier the deputy head of the colony, Igor Myasnyankin, forced Christensen to stop communicating with other prisoners, in particular, to discuss with them faith in God.\n\"Dennis Christensen has behaved and is behaving correctly towards the staff of the colony. As an independent initiative, he organized free English language training for other prisoners. The pressure from the administration is unmotivated and looks like nitpicking because of someone's personal hostility, which a decent person is forced to pay for with his freedom, \"Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, comments on the situation.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-14T09:29:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/7/image_hu_4c6985c5a8cc56ba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/7/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/7/image_hu_de9d9718e117972.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/7/image_hu_7a903127519bbeb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/7.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","fabrications","health-risk"],"title":"The Colony Administration Increased Pressure on Dennis Christensen, Trying to Prevent Him From Going Free","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 8, 2020, it was learned that Russian citizenship of Saratov resident Feliks Makhammadiyev, who had suffered a brutal beating in a colony of Orenburg, was annulled after his 18 years of living legally in this country. In fact, Russia violates his fundamental right to citizenship, which is entrenched in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.\nThe Saratov Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs notified the family about the cancellation of Mahammadiev's admission to Russian citizenship. The document was signed on April 17, 2020 by the head of the department Alexei Zelepukin. The formal reason is the ridiculous verdict on the recognition of the peaceful law-abiding Felix Makhammadiyev guilty under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation only because of his religion.\nFelix Makhammadiev was born into a family of law enforcement officers in Uzbekistan. As a minor, he moved to Saratov with his mother. Here Felix became a citizen of Russia - this is his only citizenship. Here Felix started a family with a Russian citizen Evgenia Lagunova.\nThe right to a nationality is fundamental and is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. \"States should take measures to prevent statelessness by granting their citizenship to persons who would otherwise be stateless,\" the website of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says.\n\"It's a shock for Felix and me. After he was informed of the decision, he could not come to his senses for several minutes,\" Evgenia Lagunova said anxiously after a telephone conversation with her husband.- Now there is continuous uncertainty: how will this decision affect the future of our family? Will Felix be able to stay in the country after his release, or will we be separated again for a long time?\"\n\"Felix Makhammadiev had not yet had time to recover from the beatings in the colony and urgent surgery, as another blow followed,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"The termination of his citizenship after 18 years of law-abiding residence in Russia is a direct result of unfair criminal prosecution for his religious beliefs.\"\n\"Entire families of our fellow believers abandon everything and, in order to save their children, flee abroad to ask for political asylum,\" the wives of citizens arrested for their faith wrote in a collective letter. Refugees are active civilians of various professions who paid taxes, supporting the economy. \"If earlier it was about the fact that Russia is not trying to keep them, now it simply expels them on religious grounds. Moreover, this is happening despite the official position of the president, who was perplexed about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" notes Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nThe vague wording of Russian legislation on extremism has been the subject of criticism by legal scholars and human rights activists both in Russia and abroad. According to experts, the term “extremism” is inapplicable to the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their persecution must be stopped immediately.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-05-13T13:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/6/image_hu_ed5dbf4e6eec1cba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/6/image_hu_e218f08198a3d2f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/6/image_hu_2782865b638a0aca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/6/image_hu_8e04f926ac241974.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/6.html","regions":["saratov","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Persecution Sinks to a New Level: Feliks Makhammadiyev Became the First of Jehovah's Witnesses Forced to Stateless-Person Status","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 12, 2020, at least three homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in the town of Lesozavodsk. Sergey Kobelev, 44, was detained. Details are being clarified.\n[i18n] Clarification. On May 16, 2020, it became known that Sergey Kobelev, who was detained at his workplace, was released on the same day after a search in his house and interrogation in the investigator\u0026rsquo;s office; The detention lasted 11 hours. However, 49-year-old Yevgeny Grinenko was sent to a pre-trial detention center after his arrest: a criminal case was initiated against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Searches were carried out in at least 4 families of believers. Religious persecution in the city is carried out by officers of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Primorsky Territory. The city of Lesozavodsk with a population of 35,000 people is located 350 kilometers north of Vladivostok. Earlier in Primorye Krai, at least 11 criminal cases for faith had already been initiated against 18 local Jehovah's Witnesses. Cases were initiated in Vladivostok, Luchegorsk, Partizansk, Razdolny, Spassk-Dalny and Ussuriysk.\nSuch a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The problem was highlighted by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-05-12T16:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search2_hu_49779cebc96c1159.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_620778508a59ad7b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search2_hu_8fce651d990480ef.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search2_hu_1d18a4e1b43d8ff3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/5.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"In the Primorye Territory, New Searches of Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to Preliminary Data, One Person Is Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark, has been in custody almost four years of six appointed. According to the law, the unserved part of the believer’s punishment can be replaced by a fine, but the court has already three times declined the option. Due to health weakened by pneumonia and the overarching pandemic threat, Christensen is in danger if confined in a colony. On March 20, 2020, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture recommended to authorities “to reduce prison sentences more often,” as well as to “parole” convicts during the COVID-19 pandemic.\nDennis Christensen, a resident of Orel, was taken into custody on May 25, 2017. He became the first Jehovah's Witness to be convicted of his faith in modern Russia.\nChristensen spent 731 days in the Oryol pre-trial detention center, and after the trial a year ago he was sent to colony No. 3 in the Kursk region. According to the Criminal Code, 1 day of detention in a pre-trial detention center is equal to 1.5 days in a colony. Consequently, to date, Christensen has spent almost 4 years in prison out of 6 appointed by the court.\nSince the law allows for a prisoner's sentence to be mitigated after serving half of his sentence, Christensen sent requests to the Lgov District Court to that effect. The judges returned three of the four motions, each time citing a formal, clerical reason. The last petition was sent on April 15, 2020, there is no court response to it yet.\nAddressing the court, Dennis Christensen asks to take into account the opinion of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture of March 20, 2020, according to which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities are advised to \"more often resort to reducing prison terms\", as well as to \"parole\" of convicts.\n\"I fear for my life in view of the likely spread of coronavirus infection on the territory of correctional colony No. 3, where I am serving my sentence,\" Christensen wrote in the petition, pointing out that in October 2019 he suffered a severe form of pneumonia, which made his body even more vulnerable to infection.\nThe verdict against Dennis Christensen, as well as the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a whole, outraged international democratic structures , both non-governmental and state-owned. In Russia itself, the human rights community also recognized the verdict against the Dane as illegal.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-07T16:13:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_7f68aeab33e21e7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_a929ddef91709745.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_65e9eba01236fc8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/4/4_2_hu_b0eb5a281cae42d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/4.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Has Served Over Half His Sentence for Faith. The Law Allows His Release, but the Court Ignores the Motions","type":"news"},{"body":"More than 4,000 prisoners of concentration camps wore purple triangles on their chests. Because of their faith, they refused to salute Hitler, pick up weapons and fight. On the 75th anniversary of the liberation, the peace-loving Jehovah's Witnesses are again in prison, this time in Russia. How did the liberating country become an oppressor?\nWhy were Jehovah's Witnesses considered \"enemies of the Reich\" in Nazi Germany? Jehovah's Witnesses believed that participation in the leader's personality cult, participation in elections, work in party structures and military enterprises, as well as military service were contrary to the commandments of the Gospel. Of the 35,000 followers of this religion who lived in the territories controlled by Berlin, 11,300 were arrested, 4,200 were sent to concentration camps, and 1,600 died.\nIn 2020, visitors to the memorial museums of former concentration camps will be able to see monuments, plates and stands telling about the feat of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, the plaque in Sachsenhausen tells the story of 29-year-old Jehovah's Witness August Dieckmann, the first in Nazi Germany to be executed for refusing to serve in the Wehrmacht. In 1939, just three days after the outbreak of World War II, August was summoned to the Gestapo and ordered to sign a conscription document. When he refused, he was placed in solitary confinement, and the camp commander asked the SS for permission to execute Dickmann in the presence of all camp prisoners. Here is how one of the participants of those events told about it: \"The SS shot August Dieckmann and threatened to shoot the others if we did not sign a renunciation of our faith. No one did. We were no longer afraid of their bullets, but of not pleasing Jehovah.\"\nIn 1944-1945, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army participated in the liberation of concentration camp prisoners, including Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, some of the 387 Jehovah's Witnesses sent to Auschwitz were still in the camp on the day of liberation, January 27, 1945. The world as a whole learned about the existence of the concentration camps of the Third Reich only in 1945. Meanwhile, as early as 1937, Jehovah's Witnesses reported on poison gas experiments in the Dachau camp in their journal Consolation, and in 1940 they published the names of 20 concentration camps and described what was happening there. Then they did not attach any importance to this.\nWhy were Jehovah's Witnesses considered \"enemies of the people\" in the Soviet Union? In 1941, when Wehrmacht troops attacked the borders of the USSR, there was not a single Jehovah's Witness among the attackers. The believers were ready to die at the hands of the executioners, but not to shoot at people. At the end of the war, however, when the number of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR increased dramatically at the expense of new territories, the Soviet government responded with ingratitude.\nJehovah's Witnesses in the USSR still believed that participation in the cult of personality of the leader, participation in elections, work in party structures and military enterprises, as well as service in the Soviet army contradicted the Gospel commandments. Already in the early 1950s, thousands of Soviet Jehovah's Witnesses were deported to Siberia without means of subsistence (the infamous Operation North), many died in the Gulag institutions. Some of Jehovah's Witnesses went first to Nazi and then to Soviet camps. Here's one example.\nIn 1943, in Bessarabia, German-controlled authorities sentenced 23-year-old Ephraim Platon to 25 years of hard labor for refusing to take the military oath and take up arms. He told what happened at the recruiting station: \"Eight conscripts, including me, stepped forward. We said that we would not participate in the war, because we adhere to the position of neutrality. We were arrested and severely beaten, so that even my wife barely recognized me. Then we were sent to Chisinau, where we had to appear before a military court. In the bitter cold, we, eight people, chained and urged on by soldiers who did not allow us to eat or drink, walked 140 kilometers in 21 days. When we arrived at the next police station, we were beaten - there were 13 such stations on our way! We survived only by the fact that the locals fed us when we stayed overnight at the polling stations. In May 1945, Bessarabia became part of the USSR, and the believer was released after 2 years of hard labor. But already in 1949, he was again separated from his family and sent on wanderings through the Gulag: first to Kurgan, then to Vorkuta. Only in 1965, the Platon family was able to be released from prison, and they were allowed to return to Moldova only in 1989.\nWhy are Jehovah's Witnesses classified as \"extremist organizations\" in modern Russia? In the indictment documents against believers, there are no victims or harm caused. In the Russian Federation, which considers itself the legal successor of the USSR, the vague concept of \"extremist activity\" is used to persecute Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSince 2017, the authorities of the Russian Federation have launched the most massive repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the modern world. Law enforcement officers prey on peaceful believers throughout the country, seize Bibles and spiritual books, take them to courts, beat them, and torture them. Among them are the elderly, the disabled, parents of minor children, labor veterans, representatives of professions necessary for society. All Jehovah's Witnesses turned out to be potential criminals in Russia, who could be arrested at any time simply because of their religious views. If in the USSR Jehovah's Witnesses were accused of \"anti-Soviet propaganda\" and were seen as \"enemies of the people\", then in the Russian Federation they are accused of \"extremism\" and \"encroachment on the constitutional order.\" But behind the new formulations are old approaches: a person does not have to commit a crime to be behind bars. It is enough to believe in Jehovah and discuss this faith with others. In modern Russia, what in Germany and the rest of Europe is considered a long-lived nightmare has become a reality again. The EU countries in general (e.g., July 2017, February 2019, March 2020) and Germany in particular (May 2017, June 2019) strongly condemn Russia's actions towards Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDennis Christensen, Sergey Klimov, Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiyev, Alexei Miretsky, Alexey Budenchuk, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German are the names of Jehovah's Witnesses who are currently serving sentences in Russian colonies because of their religious affiliation. Hundreds of their fellow believers are involved in similar cases, dozens are imprisoned in pre-trial detention centers and under house arrest, awaiting sentences under serious criminal articles. \"I love my country, and I don't want my grandchildren to be ashamed of Russia, just as I am ashamed today in front of my grandparents for Stalin's repressions. Just as the citizens of Germany today are ashamed of the years of Nazi rule,\" said the convicted Saratov resident Alexei Miretsky in his last word, after which he added: \"I am sure that sooner or later justice will be restored. All prisoners of conscience who have been subjected to humiliation, insults, theft of property, deprivation of liberty will be acquitted and rehabilitated, as has happened more than once in the history of mankind. The only question is when?\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-05-06T08:26:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/3/image_hu_a9615847afff934b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/3/image_hu_4d97848f2717aa0d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/3/image_hu_49152367c0ab5cb2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/3.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["nazi-germany","ussr","review","international-community","deportation"],"title":"In the Spring of 1945, Russia Freed Jehovah's Witnesses From Concentration Camps. Why, 75 Years Later, Are They Again in Prisons?","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/21.html","regions":[],"tags":["un-working-group"],"title":"Resolution of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning 18 believers","type":"docs"},{"body":"According to data on May 4, 2020, Feliks Makhammadiyev, who had a damaged lung, is recovering in the prison hospital; the threat to life has passed. Believers Budenchuk, Miretskiy, Gridasov and German also report feeling better. They are forced to work ten hours a day.\nThe brutal beating took place on February 6, 2020, when Aleksey Budenchuk, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Aleksey Miretskiy, Roman Gridasov and Gennady German were admitted to Orenburg Correctional Colony No. 1.\nMakhammadiev suffered more than others. He became ill and was hospitalized the next day. Because his ribs were broken and his lung was damaged, urgent surgery was needed. In addition, doctors revealed that Mahammadiev's body was starving: due to intolerance to a number of products, he, while in jail, could not eat enough. In the prison hospital, he has the opportunity to follow a diet.\nBudenchuk, Miretsky, Gridasov and Herman have recovered from their beatings and are gradually adapting to the prison regime, although their chronic illnesses have worsened. In the colony, they are forced to work 10 hours a day, including in a sewing workshop. The lawyer of one of the believers said that due to the prison regime, believers do not have time to read letters of support and respond to them. In addition, the prison authorities imposed unreasonable penalties on them, for example, for not making a bed. However, the prosecutor's office, after checking on its own initiative, lifted most of the sanctions. Believers also challenge the actions of the prison administration, which the prosecutor's office did not pay attention to.\nAll five believers are not discouraged. They are supported by sympathetic residents of Orenburg, paying for food for them. They themselves and their relatives sincerely thank all those who are not indifferent for their support and help.\nSaratov residents Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Makhammadiev, Aleksey Miretskiy were imprisoned as a result of an unfair accusation of extremism. (Bazhenov was transferred to correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region.) Such a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The problem was highlighted by the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-05-04T10:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_2c3d3cc4c6c32f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/05/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_b0b3e7176f898a6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/05/2/image_hu_348f9a402a5f266c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/2.html","regions":["saratov","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","health-risk","sizo","life-in-prison"],"title":"Three Months Passed After the Beating of Five Believers in the Orenburg Colony. What Is Happening to Them Now?","type":"news"},{"body":"In the morning of April 29, 2020, groups of armed security forces invaded at least seven homes of residents of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya villages for searches and interrogations, exposing believers to the risk of infection during the pandemic. A 62-year-old believer was taken to Krasnodar for interrogation, and a written recognizance not to leave the place was taken.\nIn addition to the security forces, representatives of the local Cossacks participated in the searches as witnesses. In the village of Kholmskaya, located about 60 kilometers from Krasnodar, law enforcement officers came to at least the homes of 3 families. In the village of Pavlovskaya, the special services searched at least 5 dwellings.\nUpdate. As it became known, on April 29, searches were carried out in 9 houses. On that day, another family was searched in Kholmskaya. The security forces searched the literature of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and asked the owners if they were \u0026ldquo;adherents of a banned organization.\u0026rdquo; After the raids, a 43-year-old resident of the village of Pavlovskaya was taken on her own recognizance. A criminal case was initiated against her under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 (involvement in the activities of an organization recognized as extremist). The investigator considered it a crime that the believer had conversations with a young man about \u0026ldquo;the attractiveness of serving Jehovah.\u0026rdquo; The interlocutor turned out to be an agent of the special services. Electronic devices were seized from believers, including those necessary for distance learning for children. The security forces also confiscated Bibles in various translations and books written by religious scholars.\nThe investigative actions were carried out on the basis of a criminal case initiated by the Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory in order to identify those who continue to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The security forces consider the joint spiritual communion of believers not as a manifestation of religious freedom, but as a continuation of the activities of banned organizations.\nThese are the first large-scale raids against believers in the Krasnodar Territory in 2020. The relative lull has lasted since October 2019, when 36 searches were carried out in Sochi and the district on the same day. One of the believers, Vyacheslav Popov , has been held in a pre-trial detention center ever since.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/omon_hu_cc21e0c1b202fec1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_ffc696cb236da5bb.jpg","webp":"/news/common/omon_hu_4c87d2ce782042cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/omon_hu_9c4da176cf33a608.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/05/1.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"title":"The Krasnodar FSB, Together with the Cossacks, Raided Believers in Two Villages. Bibles and Electronic Devices Seized","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 26, 2020, a year after his arrest, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Smolensk, Viktor Malkov, died. Before the criminal case, he worked as a driver, helped an elderly mother and a disabled brother, was a loving husband and a reliable friend. For his faith, Victor spent eight months in a pre-trial detention center and three months under house arrest. This undermined Viktor Malkov’s already poor health.\nRidiculous charges, arrest and many months in prison undermined the already poor health of Viktor Malkov. A week after his arrest, he wrote from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Smolensk region: \"Chronic diseases, coronary heart disease, blood vessels, kidney problems have worsened. I do not receive proper treatment, although I have repeatedly consulted a doctor. There are no medicines here that I need.\"\n5 months after his arrest, in September 2019, the lawyer shared his impressions of visiting Viktor Malkov in the pre-trial detention center: \"Throughout his imprisonment, Viktor continued to maintain a positive attitude, smiling a lot. Employees of the pre-trial detention center said that thanks to communication with Malkov, other detainees began to violate the regime less.\nYuriy Geraskov, a 64-year-old Believer, Died a Week Before He Could Appear in Court. He Spent the Last Year of His Life as a Defendant for Faith At the same time, Victor's health continued to deteriorate. The lawyer says: \"He experienced pain in the heart area, and other diseases began to progress. In all the cells where he was kept, he sat with smokers, for some time there were 24 people in the cell, 23 of them smoked\" (Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke for religious reasons - ed.).\nThe security forces repeatedly offered him to incriminate himself and his fellow believers in exchange for freedom, but he refused. In December 2019, investigator G.P. Bezrukov from the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region still insisted that Viktor be kept in a pre-trial detention center. However, the court released him under house arrest.\n\"After his detention, all his illnesses worsened,\" said Viktor Malkov's lawyer, \"but it turned out to be a vicious circle. The court's decision on house arrest stated that he could leave the premises to receive medical care with the permission of the investigating and supervisory authorities. The investigator allows her to visit the clinic, Victor calls the inspector, and she says that she does not have permission. Victor informs her that he has it, he can bring it. To this, the inspector says that if Viktor leaves the house, it will be a violation of the regime.\nAs of the end of April 2020, the criminal case against Viktor Malkov and three of his co-religionists — Yevgeny Deshko, Ruslan Korolev and Valery Shalev — has not yet been submitted to the court.\n","category":"bio","date":"2020-04-28T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/16/image_hu_c082222588457513.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/16/image_hu_c881f441afa5b755.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/16/image_hu_cf7ee79f45b1a8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/16/image_hu_1d268a70c3e99355.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/16.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["died"],"title":"In Smolensk, Viktor Malkov, 61, Died Suddenly. Released After Eight Months in Pre-trial Detention, He Succumbed Before Court Date","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 24, 2020, at the age of 64, Kirov resident Yuriy Geraskov died of a long illness. He was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The investigator knew about the health condition of the believer, but did not stop the criminal prosecution. Stress from searches and interrogations negatively affected Yuriy's well-being.\nThe search of Yuriy and his wife Alevtina began early in the morning of October 9, 2018. Three police officers and two witnesses, without identifying themselves, entered the apartment and demanded to \"give out drugs\" - this is one of the standard absurd methods by which the security forces try to explain their appearance on the doorstep of peaceful and law-abiding believers.\n\"We said that we did not have drugs,\" Yuriy himself said shortly after those events, \"Then they presented a search document. During the search, we were accused of a crime, of extremism.\"\nMobile phones were immediately taken away from the believers. The search lasted more than two hours, and believers were allowed to go to the toilet only if accompanied by a police officer. The security forces seized the spouses' electronic equipment, notebooks with notes, several notebooks, 14 family photo albums, a bank card and a Bible in the Synodal translation.\n\"Then they took me to the police station. I waited for the interrogation in the corridor for 4 hours, the interrogation itself lasted about 20 minutes. One of the policemen asked me, \"Aren't you afraid to go to jail?\" I said, \"No.\" And another, with a SOBR patch, declared: if it were his will, he would shoot all the Witnesses. It became uncomfortable, \"the believer said.\nLater, Yuri was taken to the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Kingdom Hall. There they broke down the door and conducted a search. Finding nothing, the security forces sealed the door and the gate, after which Yuriy was released.\n\"Although we endured this raid steadfastly, now we shudder at every knock and doorbell,\" Yuri said at the time and added: \"But in general, everything is fine.\"\nA criminal case against Yuriy Geraskov was initiated back in July 2019, and on July 26, a recognizance not to leave was taken from him - a relatively mild measure of restraint, taking into account Yuriy's condition. Until now, the investigator had enough time to realize the unfairness of the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses and close the criminal case, but he did not do so.\nYuri did not live less than a week before the start of the trial. The Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov scheduled a hearing in the case of Geraskov and six of his fellow believers for April 30, 2020.\n","category":"bio","date":"2020-04-27T13:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_76914e32cf6bb13f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_b0041da02cf0560c.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_ff8ac2c9d66280cc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/15/15_2_hu_d2e65172f2f26282.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/15.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Geraskov, a 64-year-old Believer, Died a Week Before He Could Appear in Court. He Spent the Last Year of His Life as a Defendant for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"As of April 24, 2020, 23 believers, including two women, await trial in detention centers in 12 regions of Russia. None are accused of violent acts. Nevertheless, all of the applications to transfer them to house arrest in view of the COVID-19 pandemic were denied.\nFor example, a petition was filed with the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan to change the measure of restraint for Andrey Bochkarev, who is in a special risk group due to his illnesses. The next day, the senior investigator of the SCh of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan, Major of Justice R. Galimzyanov, decided to refuse the petition, arguing that neither the situation with the coronavirus nor the state of health obliges him to soften the believer's preventive measure.\nIn Novosibirsk, on April 16, 2020, the judge of the Leninsky District Court, Ekaterina Kashina, in the absence of listeners in the courtroom due to the coronavirus epidemic, extended the detention of believer Yuri Savelyev until July 22, 2020. The 66-year-old believer tried to tell the judge that in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of his cellmates was doing work in the pre-trial detention center that involved contact with a large number of people. But at the same time, he does not use a mask, gloves, or shoe covers, which creates conditions for a high risk of infection. The judge was not touched by these arguments.\nAt the same time, investigators, prosecutors and judges are aware that there are no victims in cases against believers, and the believers themselves are infinitely far from violence and there is no need to expose them to the mortal risk of falling ill behind bars.\nIn addition to the 23 believers in pre-trial detention, 8 more people are in various correctional colonies, as their conviction for their faith has entered into force.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-04-27T11:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/colony_hu_b2f7602125f54ebe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_de99acb6b37a6943.jpg","webp":"/news/common/colony_hu_6e0cd92444077d24.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/colony_hu_2259fc288b0c3b88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/14.html","regions":["novosibirsk","tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["health-risk","sizo"],"title":"Believers Are Denied Transfer From Overcrowded Pre-Trial Detention Centers, Despite the Increased Risk of COVID-19","type":"news"},{"body":"According to tabulations April 20, 2020, three years after the liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses’ communities, 332 people became victims of criminal prosecution, 166 of these undergoing imprisonment. These are honest, non-drinking workers: teachers, builders, firefighters, accountants, lawyers. Authorities ruin their career, paralyze their life.\nValuable employees\nBelievers who have fallen into the millstones of criminal prosecution work in various fields, such as medicine, economics, architecture, business, education, art, and all kinds of services. Among them are an aircraft technician, a leading designer, an educator, a janitor, a designer, a railroad worker, a captain of a motor ship, a crab catcher, a master of sports, a nurse, a musician, an oilman, a hairdresser-stylist, a welder, a theater soloist, a rescuer, a scientist, a miner.\nThe professional merits of some are so significant that they are marked by awards, diplomas, orders and titles not only from the leadership, but also from the government of Russia. Many older believers bear the honorary title of veteran of labor. Here are some examples. Galina Dergacheva devoted her whole life to teaching. She is a veteran of labor of the Magadan region and for her impeccable work has been repeatedly awarded diplomas and valuable gifts. Dmitry Vinogradov is a prize-winner of numerous chess tournaments. He devoted many years to coaching at the Olympic Reserve School, and later received a British diploma and worked in a large retail chain as a member of the board of directors. Sergey Loginov made a huge contribution to the development of the energy sector of the Northern region. He received awards for his work from the governor and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia. Prior to the start of the criminal prosecution, Dmitry Ravnushkin held the position of chief power engineer at his enterprise. Igor Trifonov worked as a firefighter for 22 years.\nOnce in jail or under house arrest, under a ban on certain actions or a ban on engaging in certain activities, at best forced to follow summonses to investigative institutions and courts, believers can no longer engage in normal work.\nFor faith - in the ranks of the unemployed\nForced dismissal is a type of economic repression that, along with the blocking of bank accounts and the seizure of property, deprives believers of their livelihood. Since April 2017, at least 18 peaceful believers from 11 regions of Russia have been dismissed under pressure from law enforcement agencies. The essence of the problem is the religion of the employee, because of which the bosses \"do not need problems.\" Basically, believers are forced to leave \"of their own free will\" under the threat of dismissal under the article.\nBelievers Forced to Quit Their Businesses in Connection with the Supreme Court Decision Against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses In Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), a believer who worked as a watchman at a school was forced by the principal to resign, explaining that this initiative came from law enforcement agencies. As it turned out, the woman was under surveillance, including right in the school building, and the director was given printouts of her SMS correspondence. The daughter of a believer studies at the same school. The child's refusal to sing songs on military themes was also blamed on the mother. According to the director, all this \"goes to the detriment of the political party of Russia.\" In Petrozavodsk, Dmitry Ravnushkin was detained right at his workplace. He was taken to the FSB for interrogation, which lasted about 4 hours. Three days later, Dmitry was fired from his job, where he held the position of chief power engineer. The bosses explained: \"We don't need problems.\" Another married couple from Karelia, Maksim Amosov and his wife Maria, were detained on the street. The director of the store where Maxim worked was warned to look for a new accountant. Firefighter from Surgut (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug) Igor Trifonov worked in the Ministry of Emergency Situations for 22 years and had only positive characteristics from the leadership, but because of the criminal case he was fired from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Georgy and Elena Nikulin live in Mordovia. Georgy is a specialist with 9 professions. Just like his wife, due to criminal prosecution, he cannot get a job for a long time. The family does not have enough money for food and basic household items. Criminal cases have also been initiated against the spouses from Rostov-on-Don, Alexander and Galina Parkov, under an \"extremist\" article. Aleksandr has been in jail for almost a year. Galina, who is still free, had to quit her job. Her bank card, to which her salary was transferred, was blocked. A woman is interrupted by odd jobs in order to support herself and support her husband. Vitaliy Popov from Novosibirsk was forced to resign \"of his own free will\" after a call from law enforcement officers to his employer. According to the director, she received a call and was told that \"there is no place for an extremist in an educational institution.\"\nIn southern Russia, believers are being forced to resign due to the Supreme Court\u0026rsquo;s decision against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses \"The Labor Code of Russia directly prohibits the restriction of labor rights depending on beliefs,\" commented Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"but unfair criminal prosecution and pressure on employers have created a situation of impunity, when believers are deprived of the opportunity to even try to defend their rights». The paradox of the situation is, Sivulsky believes, that Jehovah's Witnesses are known as valuable, honest, punctual and hardworking employees.\nIn addition, Rosfinmonitoring has added more than 200 of them to the list of persons involved in extremism and terrorism. For believing in Jehovah God and reading the Bible peacefully, they lose their jobs, business, pensions, bank accounts, and even the opportunity to buy a SIM card or take out insurance. Ultimately, businesses lose valuable employees, and believers and their families find themselves in a difficult financial situation.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-04-23T08:11:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/13/image_hu_6a4f665c2ce29669.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/13/image_hu_708a25a17e1eb63c.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/13/image_hu_b59b69607f077bd0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/13/image_hu_a0993a9928b48d06.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/13.html","regions":["karelia","krasnodar","crimea","mordovia","novosibirsk","rostov","sverdlovsk","smolensk","stavropol","tatarstan","khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics"],"title":"Russia Loses Conscientious Workers as Attacks on Faith Go On","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev, a 66-year-old resident of Novosibirsk, has been detained for almost a year and a half. In prison, he faced humiliation, poor health, and the threat of contracting coronavirus, but in those trials he felt God's support. He received about 4,700 letters from 44 countries and encourages others himself. Despite all the difficulties, Yuriy considers isolation as an opportunity to encourage others. \"Love life! [...] Dear ones, take care of and forgive each other, while there is time.”— Yuriy, writing in a responding letter.\n\"The Father has everything under control,\" Yuri describes his attitude to difficulties in one of his letters \"to freedom\", implying the support of God.\nYuriy is now being held in a small cell, usually with one or two other cellmates, who are sometimes replaced. One of them pestered the believer with insults for almost six months and constantly smoked. As you know, Jehovah's Witnesses do not use tobacco, and for an elderly and not very healthy person, cigarette smoke is all the more harmful.\nThis attitude did not unsettle Yuri, he continued to try to behave kindly with others. In addition, neighbors in the cell, as a rule, turn out to be pleasant people to talk to. One of them was greatly surprised that Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their faith, and wished to learn more about their beliefs from the writings of unbiased religious scholars.\nRecently, Yuriy's health has deteriorated somewhat, and treatment is difficult in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center. \"Teeth here are not treated at all - they are immediately removed. Yuriy has already lost two, although they could have been saved at large, \"said his lawyer after Yuri's visit.\nAlthough the pre-trial detention center is in quarantine due to the pandemic, the fact that one of Yuriy's cellmates performs various works in the detention center adds to the believer's anxiety. At the same time, he walks without a mask, shoe covers and gloves, during the day he is in different places, communicating with many people.\nFragment of a letter from Yuri Savelyev Despite all the difficulties, Yuri remains calm and positive. He sees the conditions of isolation as an opportunity to support others. \"Love life! You live with her and live ... My dear, take care of each other and mutually forgive while there is time, \"Yuriy writes and thanks for the support from fellow believers and other caring people who write to him in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-04-22T16:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_6025eee0604351b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_cf4b487901ab09a4.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_ef8688776365164e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/12/image_hu_497b28302f750fe9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/12.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"‘The Father Has Everything Under Control.’ Yuriy Savelyev Tells of Life in Jail and Nearly 5,000 Letters From Around the World","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 16, 2020, the Krasnodar Regional Court decided to move 69-year-old Sochi resident Nikolay Kuzichkin from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest. The believer has been in custody for almost six months. “A prison is an internal X-ray of a person that shows the qualities of a Christian,” said Nikolay. While in prison, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he showed a peaceful attitude toward his neighbors. Indeed, he helped another prisoner to cope with depression and not commit suicide.\nNikolay Kuzichkin suffers from a number of serious illnesses requiring treatment that was not possible in an isolation ward. In addition, already in the pre-trial detention center, he was diagnosed with severe hypertension and heart problems. Prior to that, Nikolai Kuzichkin experienced a hypertensive crisis. Despite this, for a long time he was denied proper examination and treatment in the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2, which was confirmed by the prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory.\nFor some time, Nikolay Kuzichkin was kept in a damp cell with mold. Given his condition and the growing threat of the spread of coronavirus in prisons, staying in a pre-trial detention center is deadly for Nikolay. The court's decision should be executed as soon as possible. At home, Nikolay will be able to receive adequate medical care.\nThe believer himself is happy with the positive changes, although he speaks with honor about the trials. \"Prison is an internal X-ray of a person that shows the qualities of a Christian, more precisely, they are there or not,\" says Nikolai.\nWhile in prison, Nikolai, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, repeatedly showed a peace-loving attitude and sincere concern for his neighbors. So, he helped one of the young prisoners cope with depression and not commit suicide.\nWhile still in the pre-trial detention center, Nikolai Kuzichkin expressed deep gratitude to his fellow believers for their prayers and letters.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-04-17T13:09:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_3dda0abaec2680d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/11/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_f221b299f45e77e3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/11/image_hu_49b7e0711ade45d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/11.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"The Court Ruled to Release Nikolay Kuzichkin After a Six-Month Ordeal to Survive Without Proper Treatment","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2020, 4 days after the first wave of raids on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the town of Teikovo, at least 3 more families reported that interrogators had invaded them for interrogation. For example, 79-year-old Galina Nosach was asked what her translation of the Bible was and whether her fellow believers visited her.\nIn the meantime, dramatic details of Saturday's searches in the city have come to light.\nUpdate. According to updated information, on April 15, representatives of the authorities came to four addresses. On April 11, 2020, at 6:00 a.m., 64-year-old Vladimir Spivak and his wife heard a strong knock on the door. The house was entered by 10 security officials, almost all in civilian clothes, the head of the group with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Everyone, without exception, walked around the apartment in dirty shoes (which, in the conditions of the pandemic and the special regime, put innocent believers in great danger), the apartment was crowded with people, and 2 more people were on the street, watching the windows. During the search, the security forces turned everything upside down, looked into the exhaust well and the drain tank, and examined all the items of underwear. The search lasted more than 3 hours, a computer, a printer, a telephone, and two Bibles in the Synodal translation were seized. The believers were not allowed to call the children, and were also denied a copy of the search warrant and the search protocol. The spouses are experiencing a severe emotional shock.\nOn the same day at 6:30 a.m., 50-year-old Alexander Vasichkin and his wife were awakened by a persistent knock on the window. The house was entered by people in special uniforms, wearing masks and with weapons, as well as people in civilian clothes - a total of 12 people. During the search, electronic devices, hard drives, diaries, sheet music of Bach music and even sewing and knitting magazines were seized. The search lasted 7 hours, all 5 family members were guarded and even the toilet was visited accompanied by a police officer and sometimes with the door open. They were required to provide passwords for phones, threatening: \"If you do not tell the password, then we will take your father away and you will not see him again!\" Due to the actions of law enforcement officers, the whole family is experiencing a depressed state.\nAt 6:30 a.m., 52-year-old Sergey Galyamin, his wife and minor daughter were awakened by persistent doorbells. Six, including 4 police officers headed by Major Astafyev and 2 witnesses, entered the apartment and searched it. Police officers were wearing rubber gloves. The head of the family was asked to provide the password for electronic devices, otherwise they threatened to take away the devices of all family members. As a result, all devices were seized, including her daughter's tablet, as a result of which she lost the opportunity to study - due to quarantine associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the girl is undergoing distance learning.\nAt 6:30 a.m., six law enforcement officers, some wearing helmets, carrying weapons and SOBR patches, led by investigator D.O. Batalov, invaded the apartment of 56-year-old Anatoly Lyamo. Another 2 security officers watched the windows. During the first 3 hours, the investigator did not allow the head of the family to use the toilet, stating that he had to show him a doctor's certificate confirming the need to use the toilet urgently. When one of the family members tried to record what was happening on a mobile phone camera, law enforcement officer Pavel Norovkov ordered the Sobrov officer to forcibly take away the phone. Witnesses Ignatenko and Oleynikov were sitting in the kitchen with smartphones during the search, so the security forces were free in their actions. Computers, telephones, personal diaries, works of ancient historians, the Bible in German and the Bible in the Synodal translation were seized from the believer.\nThe search warrant for Anatoly Lyamo was issued by Ekaterina Savina, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Ivanovo. In total, about 40 law enforcement officers and witnesses participated in the raids at the same time.\nUpdate. On April 16, Skuridina, a senior investigator from the Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, questioned Vladimir Spivak and Sergey Galyamin about their religion and whether they read the Bible in the New World Translation. After the interrogation, the believers were given a written undertaking not to leave the place. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-16T16:01:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/sobr_hu_db6bdff650e64560.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_a86723e543e37699.jpg","webp":"/news/common/sobr_hu_e7599b6b61f18360.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/sobr_hu_f2367077e24b439e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/10.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","minors","elderly"],"title":"New Raids in Teykovo: Security Forces Put Young and Old Witnesses at Mortal Risk in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning on Saturday, April 11, 2020, in the midst of quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, in the city of Teykovo, Ivanovo Region, security forces invaded the apartments of four believers' families, exposing them to the risk of contracting a deadly disease. This time there were no detentions, but electronic devices and personal belongings were seized from believers.\nThe reason for the searches was a criminal case on the organization of extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), initiated on April 10, 2020 by the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region. According to the sad tradition, the investigators considered extremism to be the practice of worship and conversations with people about God, which is familiar to Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. During the searches, law enforcement officers were looking for evidence that four men (the eldest of them is 64 years old, and the youngest is 50 years old) continued the activities of the \"banned local religious organization\" of believers.\nDuring the search, the believers and their families experienced stress. \"The pressure has risen. I was worried about my wife and daughter, who were also worried. The daughter shared later that at first she was scared, but then she prayed and saw a photo of our family on the wall, it helped her calm down a little, \"said one of the owners of the apartment where the search took place.\nAccording to him, the security forces seized his daughter's tablet, depriving her of the opportunity to study - due to the quarantine associated with the coronavirus pandemic, the girl is undergoing distance learning.\nThis time there were no arrests, but electronic devices and personal belongings were seized from believers. Some believers were not provided with a copy of the search protocol by the security forces. All were issued summons to appear for interrogation, scheduled for April 16 and 17, 2020.\nIn the Ivanovo region, criminal cases have been initiated against 10 people. The case of one of the believers, Yevgeniy Spirin, is already being heard in court.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-04-14T08:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/police_hu_c2b408d29a0866a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/police_hu_77177c4f3bb7b17b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/police_hu_38a613f39b8476.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/police_hu_7739329aeb3bcc37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/9.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","282.2-1","new-case","elderly"],"title":"Series of Searches in the Ivanovo Region. Security Officials Seek Evidence of Jehovah's Witnesses Activity","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2020, the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus refused to extradite Nikolai Makhalichev to the Russian Federation, against whom a criminal case had been initiated in his homeland on the basis of religion. On the same day, he was released from the Vitsebsk pre-trial detention center, where he had been held since the end of February.\nThe case against Nikolay Makhalichev was initiated in Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) on January 31, 2019. He was one of 23 residents of the region who were persecuted for discussing the Bible. On February 21, 2020, he was detained by Belarusian law enforcement officers near the border with Russia. Belarusian and international human rights organizations have called for the refusal to extradite Makhalichev, as they are convinced that his persecution in Russia is connected exclusively with his religion.\nImmediately after the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Vitebsk Region G. A. Korenko signed a decree on the release of the believer from the pre-trial detention center.\nNikolay Makhalichev was released a few hours before the start of the Lord's Supper, the only religious celebration among Jehovah's Witnesses, which in 2020 was celebrated on April 7 after sunset.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-04-08T17:30:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_ce8b5991b2f6f0aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_69b33692609497c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_4999d6a87b2316a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/8/image_hu_90b433f43a06faf9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/8.html","regions":["belarus","khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international-community","sizo"],"title":"Nikolay Makhalichev Will Not Be Extradited to Russia. He Was Released From Belarusian Pre-trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"The April 1st verdict to the believer — a husband and father of two children — provides a list of material evidence by which one can judge the nature of his ‘crime’: “Religious cards; religious games; envelope with religious pictures; Bible domino; folder with Bible comics; box with postcards.\"\nAn eloquent list of \"evidence of guilt\" is supplemented by \"two Bibles; three diaries; seven notebooks; two halves of a notebook; the book \"Is there a caring Creator\"; the book \"Spivanik in Praise of Yegovya\"; the booklet \"First Encounter with God's Word\"; \"The Bible. Modern translation\"; the book \"New Testament and Psalms\"; the book \"On People Who Never Part with the Bible\"; the booklet \"Consolation for the Suffering from Depression\"; photo album\". In addition, the list includes laptops, tablets, phones, storage devices.\nAt the same time, the state prosecutor Oksana Slastina recommended that the court sentence Igor Ivashin to 7 years in prison with serving the sentence in a general regime colony. In his last speech, the believer unsuccessfully tried to reach out to the judge: \"There are no victims in my criminal case, there is not even a statement against me. There is nothing! But a serious accusation has been made. Unfounded!\" On April 1, 2020, Zhanna Schmidt, judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), handed down a harsh sentence to Igor Ivashin: 6 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\nThe criminal case against Igor Ivashin was initiated after large-scale police raids in the summer of 2018. His home was searched, during which the security forces seized the items listed above. The investigation considered the presence of these items in Igor's apartment to be convincing \"evidence\" of his extremist activities.\nEarlier, in November 2019, Judge Sergei Osmushin returned Ivashin's case to the prosecutor. The court then noted that \"it is not possible to understand\" what the expert opinions in the criminal case testify to \"at all.\" Obviously, the \"evidence\" of the crime provided by the investigation also looked unconvincing. Nevertheless, the retrial of the case in the new composition of the court eventually ended in a guilty verdict.\nDespite the fact that the prosecutor's office asked to sentence Igor Ivashin to real imprisonment, the judge still sentenced him to probation. Also, according to the judge, \"the prosecution did not prove that the defendant committed propaganda to induce the rupture of family and family relations, a call to refuse medical intervention.\" The judge excluded these points from the charges.\nJudging by the text of the verdict, Zhanna Schmidt also admitted that the Supreme Court of Russia did not prohibit individuals from professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and \"did not deprive its followers of the right ... the exercise of independent worship.\" Article 28 of the Russian Constitution also does not prohibit \"the practice of any religion individually or in community with others.\" However, despite the convincing arguments of the defense, the court decided that Igor Ivashin was guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – that he \"carried out religious instruction and religious preaching\", as well as \"sang choral religious songs\".\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-04-08T16:05:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_a55b90b459b9e8b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_8b1b816ff5d82f65.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_de87e89a763257e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/7/image_hu_aa4285d06ac82719.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/7.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"title":"Envelope Inscribed \"Bible Quiz\": Igor Ivashin, Sentenced to Six Years’ Probation, Will Receive Back Material Evidence of His ‘Crime’","type":"news"},{"body":"Since 2016, at least 18 cases of harassment of the children of Jehovah's Witnesses have been recorded in various regions of Russia. Five such episodes occurred in January 2020. Dozens of minors suffered from religious persecution.\nUnder the pretext of \"treatment for coronavirus\", in the early morning of March 30, 2020, in the city of Volchansk (Sverdlovsk region), security forces invaded the apartment of the Zalyayev family. Investigator Vladimir Sudin kept the spouses and their 2 minor children naked in the corridor until he read out the search warrant and seized the phones of all family members. After the search, Ruslan Zalyaev, the father of the family, was taken to the police station for interrogation. There he was interrogated about his attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses, threatened with a prison term for his faith and an unenviable fate for his children: \"Think, you will be imprisoned, and the children will be sent to an orphanage.\"\nOn January 17, 2020, a man and two women, one of whom was in the uniform of a law enforcement officer, interrogated a sixth-grader during a break in one of the schools in Georgievsk. In violation of the law, the interrogation was conducted without the presence of parents or legal representatives. The child was asked questions on a tape recording, asking if he or his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses and if he knew any of the representatives of this faith. Four days later, on January 21, this student was interrogated during the lesson - the boy was asked the same questions. Earlier, a series of searches took place in Georgievsk, and a criminal case was opened on suspicion of believers of extremism. The schoolboy's mother, who is raising him alone, is very alarmed by the situation. According to her, she has almost stopped sleeping at night and is afraid to let the child go to school.\nAnother interrogation of a minor took place on January 16, 2020 in one of the western regions of Russia. Before that, the investigator intended to come to school and interrogate the child \"in front of everyone.\" The boy's parents came with him for questioning at the law enforcement department. The child was asked if he knew any of the believers, including those who are now accused of extremism. Earlier, the security forces interrogated the relatives of the teenager, consolidating the trend of religious persecution of entire families. Now the child's relatives are very concerned about the possible development of events.\nAccording to one of the lawyers, in the Smolensk region, parents were often frightened by deprivation of parental rights. \"There was an attempt to interrogate a minor in Smolensk in May 2019. Then the police came to the school, took the mobile phone from the teenage girl and tried to interrogate her with the participation of the school psychologist. This was avoided thanks to the intervention of the mother, \"says a lawyer with knowledge of the situation in the region.\nOn January 19, 2020, two children , aged 9 and 12, were interrogated in Kazan after security forces broke into the apartment of a local resident, Tatyana Obizhestvit. All her guests, including children, were taken for interrogation to the Department for Combating Organized Crime. During the interrogations, the security forces intimidated believers.\nOften, security forces invade residential buildings with searches in the morning and evening, greatly frightening sleeping children. This is exactly what happened in Sochi in October 2019, when a group of armed special forces broke into Vyacheslav Popov's house through a balcony, breaking the handrails and breaking the windows.\nIn some cases, law enforcement officers acted disproportionately harshly. In July 2019, in Kaluga, during the arrest of Roman Makhnev, the security forces put his 15-year-old daughter barefoot on the street. For a long time, the girl stood in the rain while the search was going on. At this time, publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were planted under her bed.\nIn the spring of 2019, in Yemanzhelinsk (Chelyabinsk region), after a search, law enforcement officers detained parents, leaving the children under the supervision of acquaintances. Under similar circumstances, in November 2018, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), security forces took away the parents of a one-year-old child for interrogation, leaving the baby with his grandmother.\nIn December 2018, during a search in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory), the security forces stripped the minor to his underwear.\nOn June 26, 2018, in Shuya (Ivanovo region), security forces took a 10-year-old girl to the branch of the Investigative Committee and interrogated her. In the presence of the school psychologist, the child was forced to reveal the religion of the family, she burst into tears from stress. Law enforcement officers put pressure on the girl's mother, threatening to open a case on involving minors in \"committing a crime\" - reading the Bible, praying, meeting with fellow believers.\nDuring a special operation in Polyarny (Murmansk region) in May 2018, special forces soldiers broke down the door to Roman Markin's apartment. At gunpoint, they laid him and his 16-year-old daughter face down on the floor. After the search, Markin's daughter was taken away and interrogated until 3 a.m.\nIn August 2017, during a raid on believers in Neftekumsk, security forces arrested a group of 18 people, including children. The police brought them to tears, interrogating them for 3 hours about their attitude to religion. The interrogations were conducted despite the protests of the parents, without explaining the rights and obligations of minors.\nShortly after the Supreme Court's decision to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in April 2017, three cases of pressure on children in schools in Bashkortostan, Rostov and Kirov regions became known at once. In the suburbs, the school principal threatened to transfer the parents of an 8-year-old girl to another form of education. As it turned out, the girl was singing songs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also talked about God with a classmate.\nChildren of believers faced harassment on religious grounds even before the Supreme Court's decision. In 2016, at least 25 law enforcement officers disrupted a worship service in a local community in St. Petersburg. Among those present were minors who were interrogated by the security forces.\nIt is generally accepted that children and the elderly require special care from society and the state. However, in Russia, a misinterpretation of the legislation on extremism jeopardizes not only the religious freedoms of these categories of citizens, but also their physical and emotional health.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-04-06T13:48:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/6.html","regions":["sverdlovsk","stavropol","smolensk","krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors","families","search","interrogation","review"],"title":"Little Victims of Big Injustice. Children of Jehovah's Witnesses Are Detained, Interrogated, Humiliated","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2020, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia sent Belarus a request for the extradition of Russian citizen Nikolai Makhalichev, 36, who is accused of erroneous religious views in his homeland. The believer has been in the Vitebsk pre-trial detention center for more than a month and can go to a Russian prison for up to 15 years. International and Belarusian human rights activists are convinced that the extradition to Russia and even confinement in a pre-trial detention center simply because of religious beliefs violate Belarusian law. “Nikolai Makhalichev has not committed any internationally recognizable criminal offense or anything which constitutes a crime under Belarusian law and is facing prosecution solely for exercising his right to freedom of religion,” Amnesty International said in its urgent action statement. “He should be immediately and unconditionally released.”\nInternational and Belarusian human rights activists are convinced that extradition to Russia and even detention in a pre-trial detention center simply because of religious beliefs violate Belarusian legislation. \"Nikolay Makhalichev has not committed any internationally recognized criminal offence or other offence that is classified as a crime under Belarusian law,\" Amnesty International said in an urgent statement. \"He is being persecuted only because of his exercise of his right to freedom of religion and must be immediately and unconditionally released from detention.\"\n\"The extradition of Nikolai Makhalichev will violate both international agreements and the domestic legislation of the Republic of Belarus,\" the Belarusian human rights organization Human Constanta said in a statement. The authors of the publication explain that, according to Article 17 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of January 4, 2010 No. 105-Z \"On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the Republic of Belarus\", foreigners cannot be expelled from the Republic of Belarus to a foreign state where their life or freedom is threatened due to their race, religion, citizenship, nationality, belonging to a particular social group or political opinion.\nThe case against Nikolay Makhalichev was initiated in Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) on January 31, 2019. On February 21, 2020, he was detained by Belarusian law enforcement officers near the border with Russia. On February 24, by the decision of the Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District of the Vitebsk Region, A.N. Zaikin, the believer was sent to SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. There he is waiting for the decision of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus on the issue of his extradition to Russia.\nIn addition to Makhalichev, another 22 people are being prosecuted in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug for their faith in Jehovah. In this region, there were cases of the most cruel treatment of believers. Some of them were tortured and forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital.\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-04-03T15:54:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_48492b6cb928508c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_d8dde54e680510f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_b343f4faaab58dbe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/5/image_hu_4b522c2f1a694656.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/5.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","human-rights-defenders","international"],"title":"In Belarus, Human Rights Groups Protest Plan to Extradite Nikolay Makhalichev to Russia, Where He Faces Persecution for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 20, 2020, the investigator D. Melnikov opened another criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against local resident Tatyana Kulakova. Criminal investigations are under way against her husband and eldest son, Dmitriy. The youngest of the Kulakov family, Yevgeniy, for reasons of conscience, asks to replace his military service with alternative civilian service (ACS). However, the authorized bodies unreasonably deny his request, threatening criminal prosecution for \"evading military service.\"\nMore than a year has passed since the first searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers on Sakhalin. Back in December 2018, a criminal case was opened in this region against a 57-year-old resident of the city of Nevelsk, Sergey Kulakov. 8 months later, on August 29, 2019, their eldest son, Dmitry, was among the suspects under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nYevgeny, the youngest of the Kulakov family, for reasons of conscience asks to replace his military service with alternative civilian service (ACS), but the authorized bodies groundlessly refuse him, threatening him with criminal prosecution for \"evading military service\". The believer had already lost in the court of first instance and appealed to a higher court.\nTo date, there are at least 20 cases in Russia where two or more family members are prosecuted because of their faith in Jehovah God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-04-02T15:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/4.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","asc","282.2-2"],"title":"On Sakhalin, Criminal Cases for Faith Have Been Opened Against Parents and the Eldest Son. The Youngest Son Defends the Right to ACS in Courts","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 5, 2020, the Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra overturned the decision of the judge of the Surgut City Court Tatyana Slyusareva to send Timofey Zhukov for a 30-day psychiatric examination in Yekaterinburg. The detention and hospitalization of the believer were illegal.\nOn January 16, 2020, the Surgut City Court appointed an inpatient forensic psychiatric examination of Timofey Zhukov. The believer appealed against this decision.\nOn February 5, 2020, however, Timofey Zhukov was, in fact, abducted in Khanty-Mansiysk and taken away in an unknown direction. Later it became known that he was taken to the Sverdlovsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Yekaterinburg.\nOn February 19, 2020, upon completion of the examination, Timofey Zhukov left the hospital. Whether the believer will demand compensation for the illegal actions of the security forces is not yet known.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-04-02T13:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_8e65ea830d23305d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_bd25408061f40e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer2_hu_1dd92405d6c2c02a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/3.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","forced-hospitalization","complaints"],"title":"Khanty-Mansiysk Court of Appeal Finds Unlawful Hospitalization of a Believer in a Psychiatric Clinic","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 30, 2020, in Karpinsk, security forces again searched the homes of Venera Dulova and her daughter, Daria, as well as Aleksandr Pryanikov, who received suspended sentences on extremism charges at the end of January. The security forces also invaded the apartment of another family in the city of Volchansk (Sverdlovsk region).\nThe believers were involved in a new criminal case. Digital media and electronic devices were seized from them. After the searches, law enforcement officers interrogated Aleksandr Pryanikov and his wife, Anastasia, and searched their car.\nIt is noteworthy that the search warrant was issued by Svetlana Gabbasova, the same judge of the Karpinsky City Court who had previously sentenced Dulov and Pryanikov to suspended sentences; both then and now, investigator Vladimir Sudin initiated a criminal case. In addition to him, investigators A. Spirin and A. Ovchinnikov participated in the searches.\nThe decision to initiate a new criminal case was signed on February 18, 2020. If the last time believers were accused and found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization), then in the framework of a new case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization), three believers are accused of talking about God with residents of Karpinsk. At the same time, witnesses appear in the case, \"whose true data is kept secret.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-04-02T08:40:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/2/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/2/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/2/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/2/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/2.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families","new-case","282.2-1.1"],"title":"A Criminal Case for Faith Reopened Against the Already Convicted Residents of Karpinsk. A Series of Searches Took Place","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 1, 2020, Zhanna Schmidt, judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha, sentenced 43-year-old Igor Ivashin to six years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God and discussing the Bible. Ivashin called the accusations of extremism far-fetched: there is no evidence and no victims in the case.\nIn the past, geologist, and in recent years, locksmith Igor Ivashin, along with 22 other co-religionists, was detained on the basis of accusations of extremism in June 2018. Prior to that, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Center for Countering Extremism monitored local Jehovah's Witnesses for a year and a half and listened to Ivashin's telephone conversations.\nThe believer was the only defendant in this case. All his guilt was that he continued to discuss the Bible with his fellow believers, sing religious songs together and pray to God after 396 legal entities - organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses - were banned in Russia.\n\"The prosecution asks to convict me under the article extremism, seeing it in the fact that I sang songs, watched films with my friends and carried out religious preaching. And since the state prosecutor is well aware that these actions cannot constitute a crime in themselves, he sees my guilt in the fact that I sang not just songs, but songs of Jehovah's Witnesses. It turns out that my so-called guilt is that I am a Jehovah's Witness,\" Ivashin said in his last speech, calling the accusations of extremism unsubstantiated.\nThe judge, not heeding the arguments of the believer, issued a guilty verdict, although not as severe as the prosecutor demanded - the prosecutor Oksana Slastina requested seven years in a general regime colony. As a result, Ivashin received 6 years probation with a probationary period of three and a half years. In addition, the court banned Ivashin from holding senior positions in any public organizations for five years. He also forbade for one year without permission to leave Lensk and change his place of work without notifying the regulatory authorities.\nDespite the relative leniency of the sentence, the suspended sentence with probation condemns the believer to a life of constant fear, since he can go to prison at any time if law enforcement authorities consider his individual religion \"an extension of the organization's activities.\" Ivashin intends to appeal the verdict.\nThe verdict to Igor Ivashin comes against the backdrop of the European Union's demand to stop bullying Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Ivashin is already the 32nd Jehovah's Witness to be convicted by the Russian legal system. Eight believers are currently serving sentences in penal colonies for their beliefs, some of whom have been beaten and humiliated.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-04-01T10:06:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_69dffb410a78fa5e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_500599acb4340116.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_dfbe8afe7d914da1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/04/1/image_hu_6e91848312d4a5f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/04/1.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"title":"In Yakutia, a Judge Sentenced a Father of Two Children to Six Years’ Probation for Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 25, 2020, investigator K.O. Zhuikov opened a criminal case against Anatoly Gorbunov, a 62-year-old resident of Krasnoyarsk. The believer was accused of continuing the activities of an \"extremist organization\" for meeting with fellow believers.\nAnatoly Gorbunov became the tenth believer who is persecuted for his Christian beliefs in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nIn the decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Zhuikov indicates that the believer \"held religious meetings ... in order to continue the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses contrary to the ban\", implying the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 17, 2017.\nIn reality, the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as repeatedly emphasized by Russian authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, the government and President Vladimir Putin. The wording used by the investigator underlines the widespread practice of Russian law enforcement agencies to mistakenly generalize the concept of a legal entity and the believers themselves.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-03-31T14:31:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_31cce20a7e0c72be.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/12/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_f30ac044dee07c8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/12/image_hu_b88d5a41f826687d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/12.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"The Tenth Criminal Case for Christian Convictions in Krasnoyarsk Territory; 62-year-old Believer Accused of Extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 30, 2020, Vladimir Alushkin, sentenced to six years in a colony for believing in Jehovah, left the pre-trial detention center after the sentence was canceled. In total, the believer spent almost nine months in prison -- 293 days. It was a touching scene as he rejoined his wife and friends on the way home.\nVladimir and his wife Tatyana Alushkina, as well as fellow believers Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov, Denis Timoshin and Galiya Olkhova were found guilty of extremism on December 13, 2019. The essence of \"extremism\" boiled down to the fact that believers, following the example of first-century Christians, gathered together to discuss the Bible, chants and prayers to Jehovah God.\nThe most severe sentence - imprisonment in a colony - was received by Vladimir. The rest were given suspended sentences by the court. On March 25, the Penza Regional Court overturned this verdict, reversing the accusatory trend in the consideration of Jehovah's Witnesses cases.\n\"The cancellation of the verdict is essentially a precedent, since it proved the absurdity of accusing Jehovah's Witnesses of 'extremism', 'crimes against the state and public safety' - these are the wording that is full of criminal cases initiated against believers without evidence,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFive days after the cancellation of the verdict, Vladimir Alushkin was released from the pre-trial detention center, located in the Mordovian city of Ruzaevka. Upon Vladimir's return, there was a touching meeting with his wife and friends.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-03-31T13:24:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/11/image_hu_64801c2d7d635c48.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/11/image_hu_3fdbb3fd8ea58d7f.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/11/image_hu_1faefdd48e8a99e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/11/image_hu_858621a95a1cebf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/11.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal"],"title":"With Sentence Voided in Penza Ruling, Vladimir Alushkin Left the Pre-trial Detention Center in Mordovia and Rejoined His Wife and Friends","type":"news"},{"body":"Yuri Krutyakov, an elderly believer from Chekhov near Moscow, who has been languishing in a pre-trial detention center for a month, has deteriorated health. After his arrest, the Holy Scriptures were taken away from him.\n67-year-old Yuriy Krutyakov was arrested on March 4, 2020 on suspicion of extremism. Now he is placed in Moscow pre-trial detention center No. 4, in a special unit for especially dangerous criminals. Yuriy suffers from a number of serious diseases of internal organs, he has undergone several operations, including on the eye, as a result of which his vision problems have become sharply complicated.\nLiving conditions and food in the pre-trial detention center do not contribute to the recovery of the believer. Although Yuri is not discouraged, he intends to petition for proper medical care.\nMeanwhile, Yuri was deprived of the Bible, from which he could previously draw consolation. The Holy Scriptures were seized for verification, and so far the book has not been returned to the believer.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-03-30T14:52:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_fc145c4437d0fd62.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_a37aafec760ea339.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_9480b30d2e5bbba8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/9/image_hu_13bc331d0c3faeed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/9.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"title":"One of Jehovah’s Witnesses From Chekhov Deprived of the Bible in Jail. His Health Also Worsened","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 23, 2020, FSB officers searched and seized personal belongings from 38-year-old Yelena Avramenko. A search warrant was issued for her husband, Igor, who recently died of heart failure. This circumstance did not deter investigator Stanislav Grebenkin from unceremonious actions.\nLaw enforcement officers came to Elena Avramenko at work and escorted her home, where investigator Grebenkin was waiting for her along with witnesses. The investigator explained that the search warrant was issued on March 17, 2020 - before it became known about the death of her husband. He assured that the procedure \"will be superficial\", since it is necessary \"to close the case as soon as possible and hand it over to the archive.\" During the search, however, investigators dismantled the computer and camera, removed the storage media and seized them. In addition, notebooks, diaries, digital discs and the like were taken away from the woman. No copies or protocols were provided.\nIn the Khabarovsk Territory, criminal cases have been opened against 10 people, two have already been sentenced. In this Russian region, as in many others, law enforcement officers deny citizens the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which contradicts not only Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but also the position of the Government and the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-03-27T16:20:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/8.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"FSB Officers in Khabarovsk, Aware of the Recent Death of a Believer, Raided the Home of His Widow","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 25, 2020, the Penza Regional Court quashed the verdict for believers Vladimir and Tatyana Alushkin, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv, Galiya Olkhova, and Denis Timoshin and returned the case for a new trial. Vladimir Alushkin should exit the pre-trial detention center as soon as the hard copy of the appeal ruling is received there.\n\"The verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Penza of December 13, 2019 [...] cancel, transfer the criminal case for a new trial to the same court by a different composition of the court, change the measure of restraint to Alushkin - detention - to recognizance not to leave and proper behavior, to release him from custody. The measure of restraint for Magliv, Kulyasov, Timoshin, Alushkina and Olkhova should be left the same - a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior, \"the presiding judge read out the decision of the judicial board.\nVladimir Alushkin, sentenced to 6 years in prison, is currently imprisoned in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Mordovian city of Ruzaevka. Until the appellate ruling reaches the place of detention, the believer will remain in custody.\n","category":"victory","date":"2020-03-25T15:29:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/7/image_hu_ec37a9fa8c7c7a8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/7/image_hu_de793629c34d956c.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/7/image_hu_c3b88c77ace6bc4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/7/image_hu_ed6aec9174a4c6e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/7.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","retrial","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In the City of Penza, Court of Appeal Overturns Conviction of Six Jehovah's Witnesses. Alushkin Must Leave Jail in the Near Future","type":"news"},{"body":"Addressing the court, the believer noted that Russia publicly positions itself as a democratic state that guarantees the rights and freedoms of its citizens. However, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses seriously damages the reputation of the country, turning it into a totalitarian one.\n","date":"2020-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/20.html","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Igor Ivashin in Lensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"In February 2020, five believers who were sent to a penal colony by a Saratov court were severely beaten by guards. One of them, Felix Makhammadiyev, had a broken rib, lung and kidney damaged. What preceded these events? What believers and their families went through is described in a 4-minute video.\n\"We were approaching the car, the road was blocked by a tinted jeep, several people in balaclavas with machine guns jumped out of there and, shouting 'Stop!' twisted their arms and laid them on the hood of my car\" – this is how Felix Makhammadiev described his detention back in July 2019. The interview was recorded after Felix was released after 11 months in jail. At that time, no one knew that just two months later the court would find him guilty of organizing extremist activities and send him back to jail along with his fellow believers.\n\"I got it because I smiled\"\nIn December 2019, the Saratov Regional Court rejected the believers' appeal and upheld the verdict. In early February, five of the six convicted Jehovah's Witnesses were transferred to Correctional Colony No. 1 in Orenburg, and on February 6, upon arrival, they were all beaten by prison staff.\n\"They squatted down and started beating them with truncheons, hands and feet. Felix got the most, most likely due to the fact that he smiled there at the entrance, because he is smiling, \"says Evgenia Lagunova, wife of Felix Mahammadiev, about those events.\nAfter the beatings, doctors diagnosed Felix Mahammadiev with a broken rib, lung and kidney damage.\nA pre-trial detention center and a colony for a hardworking family man\nAlexey and Tatyana Budenchuk have two minor children. Their whole family lives in a small private house, and the main income comes from the household. But on June 12, 2018, their lives changed dramatically. A group of armed law enforcement officers came to their home.\n\"I saw a masked man in uniform entering the garage. A few seconds later he went up the stairs, put me on the floor, handcuffed me.\"\nOleksiy Budenchuk tells about his detention.\nAccording to his son Yegor, the security forces detained both parents at that time: \"Mom and dad were taken away. I was worried that it might happen that I wouldn't see them again.\"\nAs a result, Tatyana was released, and two days later, by a court decision, Aleksey was placed in a pre-trial detention center together with Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiev. Three more believers were chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n\"In total, I stayed in the pre-trial detention center for 11 months and 8 days. On May 20, 2019, we were released from there under another measure of restraint - a ban on certain actions, \"recalls Alexei Budenchuk.\n\"There are no victims, there is no damage\"\nIn July 2019, the consideration of the merits of the criminal case against the believers began. Lawyer Viktor Shipilov draws attention to the groundlessness of the accusation.\n\"Even if you read the indictment, it directly says: 'There are no victims, no damage has been caused to anyone.' A person should know what he is accused of, when he did something, where he did something. It begins with the fact that at an unspecified time, in an unidentified place, after a certain date, there was an intention to create an organization whose activities are prohibited, \"says defender Shipilov.\nAs a result, all six believers were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of two to three and a half years.\nThis court decision was a test for the relatives and friends of the convicts. Their wives declare that they will continue to support their husbands and will never give up their faith in God.\nIn July 2019, Felix Makhammadiev and Alexei Budenchuk shared in an interview that the criminal prosecution did not embitter them, and they see the difficulties they may still face as an opportunity to prove their devotion to God.\n\"There came a moment when it seemed: well, that's it, I can't stand it anymore. But I prayed to Jehovah every day that he would give me peace and joy for this day,\" Felix Makhammadiev said at the time.\nAccording to Felix's wife Eugenia, he does not lose heart. \"I'm very proud of him! Not only did he meet this test with dignity, he carries it with dignity, and he helps me to hold on with dignity, \"she says.\nIn connection with the beating of believers in Orenburg Penal Colony No. 1, complaints were filed with the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova, the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Igor Krasnov, the Office of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and dozens of other bodies.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2020-03-20T13:19:07+03:00","duration":"4:47","image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/38/image_hu_50ec648113737715.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/38/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/38/image_hu_509dcf65b1379138.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/38/image_hu_aa39bc74c7624ec6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/38.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","siloviks-violence","health-risk","review","hatred-attacks","life-in-prison","video"],"title":"The beating in the Orenburg colony did not break the believers and their families in Saratov","type":"video"},{"body":"A joint statement of the 27 European states-members of the European Union (EU) was circulated on March 12, 2020, in Vienna at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The statement was joined by another six non-EU countries.\nAmong other things, the statement said: \"... Jehovah's Witnesses must be able to peacefully enjoy their human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression, without discrimination. We call on the authorities to drop all charges against individuals who have been unjustifiably prosecuted or prosecuted for exercising human rights.\"\nThe European Union cites shocking statistics: \"Since the liquidation of all local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, 869 house searches have reportedly been conducted, 26 people are in pre-trial detention, 23 are under house arrest, 316 have been charged and 29 have already been convicted.\"\nThe statement lists the most egregious recent cases of ill-treatment of believers by Russian officials: \"According to reports from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, which were also reflected in Forum 18 reports and media articles, on 6 February 2020, in Orenburg, prison No. 1 officers beat five citizens (Alexei Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Makhammadiev and Alexei Miretsky). All of them suffered serious injuries, and one of them required hospitalization. In addition, on February 10, 2020, it was reported that Vadim Kutsenko was tortured before he was taken into custody. Law enforcement officers repeatedly beat and choked him, as well as beat him with electric shocks, demanding information about other Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe European Union pledged to continue to \"closely monitor developments around Jehovah's Witnesses in the OSCE region.\"\n","category":"rights","date":"2020-03-17T18:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/6/image_hu_17c1bf7f45be9c2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/6/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/6/image_hu_86e1e63efe5828ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/6/image_hu_35999351caac64a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/6.html","regions":["austria","eu","saratov","zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international","osce","siloviks-violence","torture"],"title":"European Union Calls on Russian Authorities to Stop Ill-Treatment of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/18.html","regions":["eu"],"tags":["eu"],"title":"EU Statement on the Situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation and Reports of Torture and Ill-Treatment","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 15, 2020, Adler police detained Saratov resident Rustam Seidkuliev in a shopping center. He was taken to a police station and later placed in a special detention center for 5 days. From there, he was transported under escort to Saratov and changed the measure of restraint to house arrest.\nIn September 2019, the spouses Rustam and Yulia Seidkulievs moved from Saratov to Adler for family reasons.\nOn February 15, 2020, Rustam and Yulia were walking through a shopping center. Suddenly, they were approached by police officers. They did not identify themselves and did not show their documents. Rustam showed his driver's license, but he was still taken to the police station for identification. Later, Yulia was informed that her husband had been detained. The next day, Rustam was notified that he was wanted, so he would be placed in a special detention center for 5 days.\nOn February 20, 2020, the believer was transported under escort to his parents' apartment, where a search was conducted, but nothing prohibited was found.\nIn the meantime, several law enforcement officers arrived from Saratov to pick up Rustam. The next day, the believer was taken to Saratov and handed over to the staff of the Investigative Committee. The investigator said that Seidkuliev was suspected of extremism, and a criminal case had been initiated against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. After that, the believer was placed in a local temporary detention facility.\nOn February 22, 2020, a trial was held in the case of Seidkuliev, he was assigned a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for two months.\nNow Rustam lives in a small one-room apartment with his grandmother. Due to the tightness, Julia has to live separately from her husband. In March 2019, Saratov security forces had already interrogated the spouses about their religion and fellow believers.\nNote dated 16.03.2020: clarifications have been made to the text.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-03-11T11:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs2_hu_474589935570a03a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs2_hu_8acedb093c85c4ed.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs2_hu_48d5f127a7eed0c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs2_hu_818807f2685e6d1e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/5.html","regions":["saratov","krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","search","interrogation","house-arrest","282.2-2"],"title":"In Adler, Police Officers Detained a Believer From Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"The believer thoroughly analyzed the accusations against him and proved their inconsistency.\n","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/19.html","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation","courtroom"],"title":"Testimony of the defendant Igor Ivashin in Lensk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 5, 2020, the judge of the Yalta City Court, Vladimir Romanenko, sentenced Artyom Gerasimov to a fine of 400 thousand rubles for talking to people about God. The prosecution demanded 6.5 years in prison for him. The believer himself considers the sentence unfair.\nArtyom Gerasimov was accused of organizing the activities of a banned organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The criminal case was opened on March 15, 2019, a few days later a series of searches were carried out in Yalta, Gurzuf and Alupka.\n\"Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Russian Constitution, but the fact that law enforcement officers and courts will follow it is not guaranteed by anyone - such a conclusion suggests itself from the court's decision,\" Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, comments on the situation. - The Russian government, including the Ministry of Justice, has repeatedly stated that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. However, this is the 30th conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses. How many more such sentences will it take to stop the persecution of peaceful, law-abiding citizens?\"\nOn the same day, in Dzhankoy, the court sentenced Sergey Filatov to 6 years in a general regime colony. The third criminal case is being investigated in Sevastopol, the accused Viktor Stashevsky is under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-03-05T10:43:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/4/image_hu_d229259cbd1579f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/4/image_hu_a0047749aabff744.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/4/image_hu_369c0c8f67ed09d2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/4/image_hu_6e22b10305c8f0df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/4.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1"],"title":"In Crimea, One More Jehovah's Witness Convicted for His Faith. Artem Gerasimov Fined RUB 400,000","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 5, 2020, the judge of the Dzhankoysky District Court, Maria Ermakova, sentenced Sergey Filatov to six years in a general regime colony for alleged extremist activities. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom. The case is rife with falsifications, the verdict will be appealed.\nAccording to the state prosecution, the believer \"undermines the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\" At the same time, all that is imputed to him is reading the Bible together with family and friends in his own home. To gather enough evidence of such a \"crime,\" the security forces organized a covert audio recording of believers discussing Bible verses and singing Christian hymns.\nIn her verdict, Judge Ermakova ignored the fact that Sergey Filatov has no criminal record, has positive characteristics, and two of the four children are minors. Senior Assistant Prosecutor Aleksandr Onischuk insisted that \"Jehovah's Witnesses are banned on the territory of the Russian Federation,\" despite the position of the Russian Government and the Supreme Court, repeatedly voiced by the defense, that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia, and its legality has never been challenged in court.\n[i18n] Learn more Последнее слово Сергея Филатова Внезапные учения у здания суда Filatov's case is rife with falsifications. So, on the date indicated by the investigation (10.10.2017), when a service was allegedly held at Filatov's home, in reality there was no worship, which is proved by the details of telephone conversations. The investigation illegally changed the evidence in the case; copies were used instead of original evidence; the experts in the case did not provide their diplomas, as required by law; One of the prosecution witnesses gave false testimony, which was established by the testimony of other witnesses.\nAt the same time, the court did not satisfy a single request of the defense to verify evidence or request additional information. The investigation practically did not touch on issues directly related to the subject of proof - Filatov's management of the banned organization \"Sivash\". Instead, the religious views of an indefinite circle of people (Jehovah's Witnesses) were discussed, and the prosecutor used the term \"banned sect.\"\nSergey Filatov's conviction was made possible by the fact that on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court liquidated all 22 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea , just two years after their formation. In less than two years of their existence, these organizations have not received a single fine or warning. But then all of them were recognized as \"extremist\" at the same time.\n\"It is sad that the mass repressions for the faith unleashed by law enforcers in dozens of regions of Russia have reached Crimea,\" commented Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. - Sergey Filatov was convicted under a serious criminal article as a dangerous state criminal for ordinary family worship. The case is sewn with white threads, the investigation did not try to hide its falsifications in the case, and the court clearly sympathized with the prosecution. This is a mockery of justice, and the verdict will definitely be appealed.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-03-05T10:28:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/03/3/image_hu_da976a5fde1b5479.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/03/3/image_hu_f40939ebf3357de1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/03/3/image_hu_6089ad9b1dc671b6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/03/3/image_hu_62d9510c19c23e2f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/3.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Crimea Resident Sergey Filatov Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Worshipping at Home","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 22, 2020, a series of searches took place in the villages of Razdolny and Timofeevka (Primorye Territory). Law enforcement officers raided three believers, including 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov, who had previously been beaten by security forces for his faith.\nIn addition to Filippov's home, the security forces searched the houses of Valentina Chernoskutova and Ekaterina Goga. One of the decrees authorizing the actions of the security forces was signed by judge Natalia Derevyagina. As follows from another search warrant, the basis for the operational measures was joint meetings of believers, which the security forces call a continuation of the activities of a banned organization and a crime.\nAs a result of the special operation, electronic devices were confiscated from all three.\nAlthough no criminal case has been initiated against Vladimir Filippov, his house has been searched for the third time. On July 19, 2018, masked FSB officers with machine guns rudely broke into his apartment, where he was with his wife and daughter. After hitting the pensioner in the face, they threw him to the floor and twisted his arms. Bibles in various translations, personal publications and electronic equipment were seized from the family.\nOn August 15, 2019, under the pretext of a \"population census\", senior investigator D. A. Shevchenko came to the Filippovs' apartment and conducted a second search, but without a court order. Due to the rude treatment of the authorities, Vladimir's wife Lyubov has already suffered a hypertensive crisis twice. I had to call an ambulance.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-03-05T10:21:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/2.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In the Primorye Territory, Searches Do Not Stop. The Siloviki Came to a 77-year-old Believer Three Times; Once He Was Beaten","type":"news"},{"body":"How can people who do not take up arms and are even willing to go to jail for it, people who oppose all kinds of violence, be extremists? Such a rhetorical question was asked in court by Artyom Gerasimov. With small abbreviations, we publish his last word.\n","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/17.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Artyom Gerasimov in Yalta","type":"docs"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the TFR in the Chelyabinsk region, opened a criminal case against 74-year-old Vladimir Suvorov. The accusations are based on conversations about God with residents of Chelyabinsk and discussion of the Bible among fellow believers.\nThe criminal case against Vladimir Suvorov was initiated on January 16, 2020 under the article \"organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAs stated in the decision to initiate the case, Vladimir organized meetings of fellow believers, during which they prayed to Jehovah together and sang religious songs. The investigator interpreted these actions as a continuation of the activities of the legal entity, the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", which was actually liquidated back in May 2017 after the Supreme Court decision to ban 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nOn February 26, investigator Chepenko summoned Vladimir for interrogation, during which he orally informed the believer that he was under recognizance not to leave. Vladimir himself stated during the interrogation that he had never been engaged in extremist activities, and petitioned for the termination of the criminal case due to the absence of the fact of the crime itself.\nEarlier, the same investigator charged Vladimir's wife, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova, with extremism. Now she is under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-03-02T17:36:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/03/1.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","families","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"title":"A 74-year-old Resident of Chelyabinsk and His Wife Persecuted for Faith. The Investigator Considered the Elderly Couple Extremists","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecution believes that children who sing songs of praise to God at home with their father and mother are committing a serious crime. Crimean resident Sergey Filatov drew the attention of the court to this nonsense on February 28, 2020. With minor abbreviations, we publish his last word.\n","date":"2020-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/15.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Sergey Filatov in Dzhankoy","type":"docs"},{"body":"Previous anti-records were recorded in Sochi (36 searches) and Nizhny Novgorod (35 searches). Law enforcement officers from other regions participated in each of the raids. Following the Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses, as of the end of February 2020, searches were conducted in 869 apartments of believers.\nThe Investigative Committee officially announced that before the raids, more than 30 investigative and operational groups were formed, which operated in Chita and areas of the Trans-Baikal Territory.\nIn total, on February 10, 2020, searches were carried out in 14 settlements: Chita (20 searches), Khilok (4 searches), Krasnokamensk (4 searches), Baley (3 searches) and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky (2 searches), the villages of Yasnogorsk (5 searches), Amazar (4 searches), Duldurga (2 searches), Verkhnyaya Hila (1 search), Kurort-Darasun (1 search) and Pervomaiskoye (1 search), as well as in the villages of Verkh-Chita (1 search), Zasopka (1 search) and Ilya (1 search). During the storming of one of the apartments in Chita, law enforcement officers brutally beat 17-year-old Alexander Karpov (injuries were recorded, the actions of law enforcement officers are being appealed).\nDuring the day, law enforcement officers took 27 people to the investigating authorities, including 8 women, including those of retirement age. Most of them were released home after interrogation, but four were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. One of them was later placed under house arrest, and three more left the detention center after 5 days.\nAt least one of the believers, Vadim Kutsenko, said that law enforcement officers tortured him with a stun gun. He was handcuffed behind his back, his eyes were closed and taken to the forest, where he was beaten, strangled and electrocuted in the lower leg and abdomen, demanding a confession.\nVadim Kutsenko and other believers complained about the actions of law enforcement officers to the relevant authorities.\nIt is known that a criminal case for faith was initiated against at least 6 Chita residents.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-27T17:06:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/91.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","review","elderly","minors","complaints"],"title":"Law Enforcement Authorities of Transbaikalia Broke a Sad Record: On February 10, Searches Were Conducted in 50 Homes of Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 21, 2020, in the Republic of Belarus, police officers detained Russian citizen Nikolay Makhalichev, 36. Checking his documents, they declared he was wanted by the Russian authorities since he was professing a banned religion. Three days later the prosecutor sent him to pre-trial detention facility SIZO-2 in Vitebsk, Belarus.\nA criminal case against Nikolay Makhalichev was opened in Russia on January 31, 2019 by the investigating authorities of the city of Uraya (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug).\nWhile traveling around Belarus, Nikolai Makhalichev was stopped by the police to check his documents. He was told that Russia had put him on the wanted list. The believer ended up in a temporary detention center in the town of Gorodok (Vitebsk region).\nOn February 24, 2020, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District, Junior Counselor of Justice A.N. Zaikin decided to detain Nikolai Makhalichev with serving in SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. In his ruling, the Belarusian prosecutor, referring to the Russian court, claims that Makhalichev acted \"deliberately, motivated by religious intolerance, from extremist motives, expressed in the propaganda of the advantage of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses over other persons ...\", and was also engaged in \"confession and dissemination of ideology and faith.\" It is obvious that the prosecutor copied the text of the charge from the Russian criminal case into his decision.\nGiven that the Belarusian authorities may extradite him to Russia, Nikolai Makhalichev filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee. Makhalichev considers the decision of the Belarusian prosecutor on detention illegal and will appeal it in the Belarusian court.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-25T10:12:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/83.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","belarus"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","sizo","international","complaints","unhrc"],"title":"For the First Time, Belarus Authorities Arrest One of Jehovah’s Witnesses Persecuted for His Faith in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, criminal cases were opened in Birobidzhan on suspicion of extremism against six women. Two more criminal cases - against citizens Andrei Gubin and Oleg Postnikov - were initiated on February 12. In total, 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.\nThe cases against 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Natalia Krieger were initiated by D. Yankin, a senior forensic investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region.\nAll six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Investigator D. Yankin opened a similar case against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin.\nIn relation to 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov, the case under the same article was initiated by the senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB I. Fedorov.\nEarlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky. All four men are under recognizance agreement. The cases of Guzev and Lokhvitsky are already being considered in the Birobidzhan District Court.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-02-18T17:58:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_a8c404e2bc8d351e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_314afd7539e86e80.jpg","webp":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_2ad7449984257986.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/criminal_case_hu_34a0012c7c562f22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/66.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Birobidzhan, the Investigator Accused Eight of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Number of Criminal Cases for Faith in the City Reaches 19","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, in Orenburg, officers of Correctional Colony No. 1 beat believers Budenchuk, Makhammadiyev, Miretsky, Gridasov and German with truncheons and kicks. As a result, one of them, Felix Makhammadiyev, was hospitalized. The rest were sent to a punishment cell on false charges.\nThe believers were beaten upon admission to a penal colony located in Krymsky Lane in Orenburg. The next day, doctors examined them. Only after Feliks Makhammadiyev wrote a document stating that he \"hit the toilet\" was an ambulance team called. He was hospitalized, underwent surgery, and a drain was inserted into his lung to drain fluid. Among other things, tests showed that Mahammadiev's body was starving (he had gluten intolerance, and the colony staff took away the special food prescribed by the doctor). The rest of the believers were sent to punishment cells on ridiculous false accusations, for example, \"for smoking in the wrong place\" (Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke for religious reasons).\nUpdate. On February 19, it became known that Felix Makhammadiyev was on the mend. The drainage of the lung is removed. On September 19, 2019, Dmitry Larin , judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, sentenced six Saratov believers to prison terms ranging from 2 to 3.5 years. Three months later, on December 20, 2019, the Saratov Regional Court upheld the verdict. Konstantin Bazhenov, the 6th believer, was sent to Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk Region, so he was not injured in the incident in the Orenburg colony.\nFKU \"Correctional Colony No. 1\" of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Orenburg Region is located in Orenburg at 119 Krymsky Lane. The head of the institution is Major of the Internal Service Alexander Nikolaevich Grebennikov.\nA year ago, on February 15, 2019, 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut were tortured — electric shocks, strangulation, sophisticated beatings. Under torture, the investigators forced them to answer questions about their religion and fellow believers. According to believers, an investigation is underway.\n","category":"crime","date":"2020-02-15T10:41:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/37/image_hu_2c3d3cc4c6c32f07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/37/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/37/image_hu_b0b3e7176f898a6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/37/image_hu_348f9a402a5f266c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/37.html","regions":["saratov","orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","health-risk","shizo","life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"title":"Five Believers Were Beaten in the Orenburg Colony. Feliks Makhammadiev Has a Broken Rib, a Damaged Lung and Kidney","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of February 12, 2020, in Stavropol, law enforcement officers disguised as neighbors came to search the family of 24-year-old Denis and Anna Mashkov. The special events lasted about 6 hours and were accompanied by insults. The head of the family was questioned whether he was an \"organizer\" of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt 7 o'clock in the morning, when Anna's husband was at work, she heard a strong knock on the door, accompanied by shouts: \"We are your neighbors from below, you are flooding us!\" An hour later, reluctantly presenting a police ID and a court order to inspect the home, a group of 7 people, including two witnesses, entered the apartment of Anna and Denis. Among the participants in the search activities was an operative of the Center for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Stavropol Territory, M. Chmyrev, who had previously initiated the initiation of criminal cases against believers in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory).\nDuring the search, the security forces planted several publications previously included in the federal list of extremist materials, and also seized laptops, phones, electronic storage devices and personal records, including phone passwords.\nLaw enforcement officers asked Denis questions about his connections with Jehovah's Witnesses, whether he was the organizer and whether he knew other believers.\nAfter the search, the security forces threatened the Mashkovs that \"now they will see each other more often.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-14T18:09:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/49.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","plant","fsem"],"title":"In Stavropol, Security Forces Planted Forbidden Literature on Believers During a Search. A Family Faces Criminal Prosecution","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 10, 2020, during searches in Transbaikalia, law enforcement officers handcuffed 31-year-old Vadim Kutsenko behind his back, closed his eyes and subjected him to beatings, strangulation and electric shocks to the lower leg and abdomen in an official car, demanding a confession.\nVadim Kutsenko was detained late at night with his wife's parents. During the torture, he refused to admit guilt or give false testimony against fellow believers. The official car stopped in the forest behind the SibVO stadium in Chita. Vadim Kutsenko was stripped of his hat and forced to get out of the car, threatening to stage an escape attempt. They also put him facing the car and beat him on the legs. After that, he was taken to the investigator, where he immediately declared the torture inflicted on him.\nThe believer is still in custody. Not later than February 15, the court must choose a measure of restraint against him. On February 12, the Ingodinsky District Court of Chita extended the term of his detention for three days, as well as the detention of believers Pavel Mamalimov and Sergey Kirilyuk. Vladimir Yermolayev was placed under house arrest.\nRaids in Transbaikalia took place at least at 40 addresses, 28 people were detained, one was beaten. Read how events developed\n","category":"crime","date":"2020-02-14T10:09:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/46/46-2_hu_4a8d9a4b9567090.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/46/46-2_hu_6b48f41513af32f8.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/46/46-2_hu_2abbe5bff784e957.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/46/46-2_hu_3d025dfb22c8c1e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/46.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","siloviks-violence"],"title":"In Chita, Vadim Kutsenko Reports That During Interrogation He Was Beaten Using Electric Shock to His Stomach and Leg","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 14, 2020, the believer addressed the court with his last word. He told how studying the Bible helped him become a better person, and how their family tries to be useful to the state. He also noted that in a truly secular state, opinions are not judged, and it is impossible to forbid thinking and believing.\n","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/14.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Yevgeny Aksyonov in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 24, 2019, the Sweden Ministry of Culture concluded that Jehovah’s Witnesses “contributed to maintaining and strengthening the fundamental values upon which society is based.” It allows them to receive state funding for religious communities. The same happened in Norway a month later.\nIn 2007, the Swedish authorities decided to arbitrarily remove Jehovah's Witnesses from the list of such organizations because they do not vote in elections. However, the Supreme Administrative Court declared this decision inconsistent with the law on three occasions. Finally, on October 24, 2019, the Ministry of Culture confirmed that Jehovah's Witnesses meet all the requirements for religious organizations that receive state grants for public benefit activities under the Swedish Law on the Support of Religious Communities.\nA similar thing happened in Norway, where the state regularly provided grants to all religious organizations, but denied it to Jehovah's Witnesses because of their position of political neutrality. However, on November 18, 2019, after further study of the situation and decisions on a similar issue by public authorities in Sweden, Italy and Germany, Oslo County Governor Valgerd Svarstad Hoagland issued a statement: \"Voting in elections is a fundamental right of Norwegian citizens, but not an obligation. Refraining from this right seems to be part of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Believers will be entitled to receive state grants in accordance with the Norwegian law \"On Religious Communities\".\nIn Europe, Russia, and elsewhere in the world, Jehovah's Witnesses strive to be guided by the \"golden rule\" of Jesus Christ: \"In all things, as you want people to do to you, do you also to them\" (Matthew 7:12).\n","category":"opinions","date":"2020-02-11T10:47:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/33/image_hu_6ca08cfc1ef4f47c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/33/image_hu_88a2b2f308c50b8a.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/33/image_hu_88961c33a71ffc4b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/33/image_hu_b8e8458664080dbc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/33.html","regions":["sweden","norway"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international-community","international"],"title":"Sweden and Norway Recognize Jehovah’s Witnesses as a Religion That Contributes to Society","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of February 10, 2020, FSB officers began mass raids against believers in the cities of Chita, Baley, Khilok and Krasnokamensk, the villages of Kurort-Darasun, Pervomaiskoye, Amazar, Duldurga, Yasnogorsk and Verkhnyaya Hila. Vladimir Yermolaev, Oleg Podgrushin, Aleksandr Putintsev, Viktor Reshetov and others were detained.\nUpdate. On the evening of February 12, a judge of the Ingodinsky District Court of Chita sent 31-year-old Vladimir Ermolaev, who had been in custody for more than 60 hours, under house arrest. Three believers remain in custody: 47-year-old Sergey Kirilyuk (married), Pavel Mamalimov (married, has a young daughter), 31-year-old Vadim Kutsenko (married). On the eve of the Investigative Committee reported that more than 30 investigative and operational groups were formed, which simultaneously worked in Chita and the districts of the region. To Alexander and Larisa Vasilyev, who live in Kurort-Darasun together with four children 4, 6, 8 and 16 years old, law enforcement officers invaded early in the morning. During the search, Aleksandr, a group III disabled person, felt unwell, but he was still taken away for interrogation. His wife, Larisa, who works as a neurologist, was left at home with her children, promising that she would be interrogated later. All electronic devices were seized from the family. The only reason for what happened was religion.\nIn the house of one of the families, law enforcement officers opened the floors during searches. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated.\nThe Trans-Baikal Territory is the territory where Jehovah's Witnesses were massively exiled to a special settlement during the Stalinist repressions. Later, the believers were rehabilitated and recognized as victims of political repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-10T11:34:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_e3e6a981b042f9ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_8eb1da9639c33f3d.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_20492297919732f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/26/image_hu_e5476ff33b605277.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/26.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","disability","minors"],"title":"Transbaikalia Becomes the 54th Region of Russia Where Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Repressed. Searches in the City of Chita and Six Other Settlements","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 29, 2020, about 100 concerned citizens came to the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, where the detention of three believers in the pre-trial detention center was extended. Right there, they were given summons for interrogation to the investigator in the case against believers. Citizens are outraged by the actions of officials. The first complaints were filed on February 2.\nListeners of the trial in the case of Viktor Bachurin, Alexander Kostrov and Artur Netreba sent complaints to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia and other bodies about the actions of the judicial authority (Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, the chairman of the court is Irina Bensman), which undermine confidence in the judicial system and its authority, raise doubts about the impartiality of the court, testify to extra-procedural ties between the leadership of the court and the Federal Security Service.\nThe actions of the security forces did not frighten those who came, they smiled and applauded the arrested as they were escorted along the corridor to the courtroom. Unlawful persecution of believers under \"extremist\" articles causes a great public outcry, so many listeners come to the trials of Jehovah's Witnesses - friends, acquaintances and simply not indifferent to what is happening with freedom of religion. Often, complete strangers who understand the absurdity of the accusations come to provide moral support to those arrested, despite the threat of falling under suspicion for this.\nEntrance to the building of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk was carried out with a passport. The bailiffs let them in, but then three security officials, including police Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Vladimirovich Kravchenko, collected documents from the listeners and, to everyone's bewilderment, issued summonses for interrogation from the investigator of the local FSB department, Yakushev. The summons were issued by a man who introduced himself as Andrei Mikhailovich Puzanov (he refused to show his official ID). As a result, citizens were not allowed into the courtroom, the judge declared the hearing closed.\nAs the lawyers emphasize, a mass summons for interrogation in this way grossly violates the principle of publicity of the trial. \"Any citizen, be it a journalist, a relative of the defendant or just a passer-by, has the right to enter the courthouse and attend the trial without fear that he will be summoned to the FSB and asked why he decided to exercise his right under the law,\" says one of the lawyers involved in the defense of believers.\n\"The officials had no reason to seize passports from me and other citizens in the district court building, since this is not provided for by Russian law,\" one of the complaints to the Prosecutor General of Russia says.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-02-07T15:07:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_aaa6fd2da0259685.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_2b6ecfe139c78d13.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_eb11db8f41c9d1f9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/22/image_hu_9b9cb5b7adb572d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/22.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Citizens File Complaints: Bailiffs Seized Passports From Listeners and Returned Them With Summons for FSB Interrogation","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 5, 2020, in Khanty-Mansiysk, 40-year-old lawyer Timofey Zhukov was detained under unknown circumstances, whom the Surgut security forces are trying to put in a psychiatric hospital for a month, located more than a thousand kilometers from his home. Earlier, believers in Surgut reported torture.\nOn January 16, 2020, the judge of the Surgut City Court, Tatyana Slyusareva, issued a ruling according to which a believer from Surgut, Timofey Zhukov , must arrive at the Sverdlovsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital (Yekaterinburg) by February 5 for an examination within 30 days. Such a measure is equivalent to detention. On January 20, Zhukov appealed the decision to the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra. This means that Judge Slyusareva's decision has not entered into legal force and must be reviewed by a higher court.\nNevertheless, on February 4, law enforcement officers in civilian clothes tried to find Timofey Zhukov in the building of the Surgut City Court. The believer allegedly went to seek protection in the court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra, where he appealed, but was detained in Khanty-Mansiysk and taken away in an unknown direction.\nEarlier, on February 15, 2019, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured in the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. A criminal case was opened against them and 14 other local believers under the article \"organization and participation in an extremist organization.\" Reports of torture have attracted the attention of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights and the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. Work is underway to establish the facts of what happened.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-02-06T11:27:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/16/image_hu_daa674762b3b0f6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/16/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/16/image_hu_cb9696108a7e5131.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/16/image_hu_b3d31f2b9f263a64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/16.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","forced-hospitalization"],"title":"Timofey Zhukov Detained by Security Officials Attempting to Force a Psychiatric Examination in a Hospital","type":"news"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring has added more than 200 innocent Russians to the list of persons involved in extremism and terrorism. For believing in Jehovah God and reading the Bible peacefully, they lose their jobs, business, pensions, bank accounts, and even the opportunity to buy a SIM card or take out insurance. Why?\nWhat is the \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\"? This is a list of persons suspected of extremism or terrorism, in respect of whom certain financial restrictions have been imposed. The reason for including a person in the list can be both real illegal activity, and simply Christian beliefs or biblical readings. At the beginning of 2020, there are about 9000 people on the list. More than 200 of them are peaceful Christians who hold the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" includes both those who have already been convicted and those who are under investigation, before trial and even before being charged, regardless of the degree of danger of their activities. According to the imposed restrictive measures, young mothers and fathers with many children, pensioners and labor veterans are equated with murderers or militants.\nWho is behind this? The list is supervised by the Federal Financial Monitoring Service, also known as Rosfinmonitoring. This is a state structure designed to perform the functions of \"countering the laundering of proceeds from crime, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.\" The Chief Executive Officer is the President of the Russian Federation. The paradox is that Vladimir Putin himself called the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses and their direct inclusion in the List \"complete nonsense\", but the repression of believers is intensifying. According to the position declared by the Government of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 did not prohibit the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nPhantom suspicions. Previously, in order to close the legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, the security forces resorted to open planting of banned literature, today, in order to register peaceful believers as extremists, they are \" included\" in the membership of non-existent (closed) legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, allegedly continuing their activities.\nInfringement of rights and freedoms. Being included in the list entails an automatic blocking of access to wages, benefits and pensions. In fact, any action that requires the use of a passport is a serious problem. A person is suspected of \"money laundering of an extremist organization\" and is deprived of the right to carry out any financial transactions. People cannot enter into inheritance rights, receive alimony, judicial damages, cash out money needed for the funeral of relatives or urgent treatment, draw up powers of attorney and other transactions through a notary.\n\"The persecution has robbed us of our livelihoods.\" In most cases, believers who are on the list and are under investigation are the economically active part of the population that loses the opportunity to provide for themselves and their families normally (see diagram). \"We don't need trouble,\" the recently convicted Alexei Miretsky heard from the director after a search of his home. Employers refuse to hire a person if he cannot open an account to which to transfer the salary. There is no right to even register and receive unemployment benefits. There is no opportunity to do business, get a passport or visa, and even purchase a SIM card. Drivers cannot register a car and take out an insurance policy. The age of believers and their services to society are also not an obstacle to their inclusion in the list of extremists. The eldest of them, Elena Zayshchuk, is 85 years old!\nRemoval from the list. At the end of the sentence, a person often remains on the list until he begins to seek exclusion from it on his own, going through multiple bureaucratic procedures. Problems are not resolved even after de-listing. In some cases, more than a year after the closure of the criminal case, former convicts are still unable to take out car insurance, open a bank card or sell some property. They are deprived of this opportunity simply by showing their passport.\nThe criminal prosecution of Russian believers has acquired a huge scale and causes them serious emotional, moral and material harm. Hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses have been placed on the Federal List of Extremists and Terrorists, although everything related to these concepts has always been alien to them. People who are \"guilty\" only because they sincerely believe in Jehovah God and read the Bible are \"paralyzed\" - deprived of ordinary, normal life in all its manifestations.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2020-02-06T08:42:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/02/15/image_hu_c7cb047fe6ffddd8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/02/15/image_hu_55d024ab72614eb1.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/02/15/image_hu_dbafda7b37a4c8d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/02/15/image_hu_629b4b0d95230631.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/02/15.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["rosfinmonitoring","statistics","review"],"title":"Rosfinmonitoring Treats as Terrorists More Than 200 Believers. How Jehovah's Witnesses Are Deprived of Livelihoods","type":"news"},{"body":"In his concluding remarks to the court on February 4, 2020, Stanislav Kim recalled the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Hitler's Germany and asked the court a rhetorical question: do we want a repeat? But the court found him guilty. Another trial in Stanislav's case is taking place in another court.\n","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/16.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Stanislav Kim in Khabarovsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 29, 2020, before the start of the trial of the three believers in the Sovetskiy District Court of Lipetsk, law enforcement officers collected passports from approximately 100 students of the trial. In violation of the law, they issued summonses for interrogation to an FSB investigator named Yakushev, who is in charge of the case of those arrested. On February 2, 2020, citizens filed complaints against the actions of the security forces with the Prosecutor General of Russia and other authorities. One of the complaints is published (personal information deleted).\n","date":"2020-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/13.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["complaints"],"title":"Complaint against the actions of officials in the premises of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 31, 2020, the prosecutor's office demanded that the court declare Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Believers themselves did not admit guilt and asked to be fully justified. The verdict is expected February 4 at 3 p.m. in the Zheleznodorozhniy District Court of Khabarovsk on street Suvorova, 73.\nAddress of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court: Khabarovsk, Suvorov str., 73.\nStanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are tried in 2 courts at once for the same cases of reading the Bible and saying prayers. The second criminal case was initiated against them under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization). This case is being heard in the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk. As a result, believers have been forced to sit in the dock in one court or the other in recent months.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-31T11:06:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/54/image_hu_4e3c837a944cb6aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/54/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/54/image_hu_5a9bc4a807b01e9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/54/image_hu_9de55e81be5b47b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/54.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"On February 4, a Verdict Is Due in Khabarovsk in the First of Two Cases of Polevodov and Kim. The Charge Asks Three Years in Jail","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2020, at least ten addresses of believers were searched in Pechora (Komi). Of 14 people detained, four remain in custody: 68-year-old Pavel Ogorodov, who suffered a stroke; 60-year-old Gennadiy Polyakevich, Gennadiy Skutelets, 43, and Maksim Terentyev, 28.\nThe storming of the apartment of 43-year-old Gennadiy Skutelets began at 6:20 am. The search lasted six hours. Gennady's elderly mother was in the apartment. At this time, his acquaintance, 28-year-old Maxim Terentyev, came to Gennady to take a meat grinder. He, as well as Gennadiy, together with his mother, were taken for interrogation to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The woman was released after interrogation, and Skutelets and Terentyev were sent to the temporary detention facility.\nBefore his arrest, Pavel Ogorodov, despite suffering a stroke, took care of his wife and daughter, both of whom have disabilities.\nUpdate. On January 30, 2020, a court hearing was held on the measure of restraint in relation to two detainees during police raids on believers. The court left Gennadiy Polyakevich in a pre-trial detention center for two months, and Gennadiy Skutelets was released under house arrest. According to updated information, Pavel Ogorodov and Maksim Terentyev were released by the security forces on the day of detention. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-29T17:25:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_d47978800fa5e21b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut.jpg","webp":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_e7e36e7e158e908a.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/invasion-surgut_hu_28a0fe43c2e78d82.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/48.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","ivs","health-risk"],"title":"During Mass Searches in the Town of Pechora, 14 Witnesses Were Detained, including Women and the Elderly. Four Were Not Released Even After a Day","type":"news"},{"body":"In the early morning of January 28, 2020, in the city of Pechora (Komi), groups of law enforcement officers, in some cases numbering 7 people, searched and detained local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The details of what is happening are being clarified.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-28T15:50:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/search1_hu_702c9b9704ae758a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_7c3d49c9fecf8054.jpg","webp":"/news/common/search1_hu_9a6e0a4c091b8ea3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/search1_hu_4ae7e68fe9772eb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/41.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"The Komi Republic Has Become the 53rd Region of Russia Where Jehovah’s Witnesses Are Persecuted. A Series of Searches Took Place in the Town of Pechora","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 22, 2020, a court in Sochi left 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin in custody until February 24. This happened despite the fact that in the pre-trial detention center Nikolay is deprived of the opportunity to receive high-quality treatment, his condition is critical.\nBefore the hearing, Nikolay's friends and acquaintances, about 70 people, including young people, gathered at the courtroom. They came to support their fellow believer, despite the rainy, cold weather. However, the hearings were held behind closed doors.\nAt the same time, as one of those present at the hearing said, the court staff somewhat softened their attitude towards the listeners of the trial. \"The court workers did not drive us away with rude teams from the fence, at which we crowded in order to see up close and support the prisoner during the escort. But this is what they usually did to us in previous courts,\" said one of the eyewitnesses.\nThe audience supported Nikolay with applause.\nAccording to a source close to Nikolai's family, the investigator in charge of the case in which Kuzichkin and others are involved also softened his attitude.\n\"When an elderly woman with epilepsy scolded him a little for summoning him for questioning, he replied to her with something like: 'It wasn't exactly me who called you. There are other interested people.\" After the interrogation, he helped her stand up and led her arm into the corridor, \"says an acquaintance of the Kuzichkins.\nPiano tuner Nikolai Kuzichkin has been languishing in jail for more than three months. All this time, his condition worsens.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-28T07:54:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_f382051a127a51e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_f7b2c362fd91ef8f.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_7c02a1bf81629a9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/43/image_hu_9678fb8819bca83e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/43.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"title":"The Court in Sochi Left 68-Year-Old Nikolay Kuzichkin in Jail. About 70 People Came to Support the Believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 27, 2020, a judge of the Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region, Svetlana Gabbasova, decided in the case of three peaceful civilians under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in extremism). All received suspended sentences lasting from one to two and a half years plus restrictions solely on the basis of their religious views.\nAlexander Pryanikov received the harshest sentence - 2.5 years probation with a probationary period of 2.5 years. Venera Dulova was given a 2-year suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years; Darya Dulova — 1 year probation with a probationary period of 1 year.\nAll three are additionally forbidden to visit crowded places and change their place of residence. When changing jobs, it is necessary to notify the supervisory authorities. Twice a month it is necessary to report to the police. If the terms of the probation period are violated, the suspended sentence may be replaced by a real prison term.\nThe believers intend to appeal the illegal verdict on the basis of confessional affiliation. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nPryanikov and the Dulovs have become the latest victims of law enforcement agencies that interpret the usual practice of religion as participation in extremist activities or its organization. The case against the believers has been under investigation since July 30, 2018, although Aleksandr and Venera were first detained for distributing (unbanned) religious literature back in April 2016. Then they were accused of theft without evidence.\nTwo years later, they were equally unsubstantiated accused of extremism. The case involves a religious examination of personal notes and telephone conversations between Alexander and Venus, which established two facts: they talked about religion; religion is related to Jehovah God. That's all the \"crime\", the investigation of which took a year and a half. 19-year-old Daria Dulova became the youngest defendant in cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nAfter the verdict in Karpinsk, the number of those unjustly convicted for believing in Jehovah in Russia reached 37.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-01-27T08:12:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/39/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/39.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","families","suspended"],"title":"In Karpinsk, the Faith of a Man and Two Women Leads to Criminal Convictions","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 16, 2020, Judge Tatyana Slyusareva of the Surgut City Court issued a ruling according to which Timofey Zhukov , a believer from Surgut, must go to Yekaterinburg and go to a psychiatric hospital for an unprecedented period of up to 30 days, which is comparable to detention.\nThe believer was ordered to arrive at the Sverdlovsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital (Yekaterinburg) by February 5 for examination. The court's decision has not yet entered into force, since on January 20 Zhukov appealed it to the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra.\nAlthough psychiatric examination of defendants in criminal cases is standard practice, doctors are usually only convinced of their sanity and ability to independently defend their rights. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. However, investigator Guselnikov ordered a psychiatric examination in a hospital only on the fact of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This practice has no precedent in the modern history of persecution of followers of this faith.\nTimofey Zhukov is an experienced lawyer and takes an active position to protect himself and help other victims of the actions of the security forces. In his appeal against Judge Slyusareva's decision, he draws attention to the fact that religious beliefs, which is a form of discrimination and political repression, are cited as the basis for the appointment of an inpatient forensic psychiatric examination.\nAnother reason the investigation saw in the fact that during the preliminary outpatient examination, the accused refused to answer some questions, referring to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. This supposedly casts doubt on his sanity. The case file cynically states: \"It is not possible to assess the somato-neurological state of the subject because of his refusal to participate in the examination.\"\nIn the appeal, Zhukov draws attention to other procedural violations: the secrecy of the court session, errors in the production of materials, the inability to familiarize himself with the case materials, and the violation of the defendant's right to defense.\n\"My placement in a psychiatric hospital ... is an act of political repression against me and other citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, deployed in the Russian Federation by a number of senior officials,\" the text of the complaint says. \"[...] The continuation of these repressions against me is caused solely by the reaction of investigator Guselnikov and Judge Slyusareva to the exercise of my right, provided for in Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, not to testify against myself, in order to force me to testify either out of fear or as a result of the forced administration of psychotropic drugs.\"\nCurrently, 21 residents of Surgut are awaiting trial just because they believe in Jehovah God (see details in the \"case of Loginov and others in Surgut\"). Increased attention to this Siberian city was attracted by the torture to which the security forces decided to subject civilians because of their faith. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-26T15:42:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/38/image_hu_5a24ed09b632b75d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/38/image_hu_8adcaec8e6b26c5b.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/38/image_hu_73c0c4079d804233.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/38/image_hu_d1f79f972663d032.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/38.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","complaints","appeal"],"title":"Jehovah’s Witness From Surgut Sent to Yekaterinburg to Undergo Unprecedented 30-Day Psychiatric Examination","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Svetlana Gabbasova will announce the verdict in the Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region at 9:30 a.m. at 60 Mira St., Karpinsk. The prosecution is asking for 2 to 3 years of probation. 19-year-old Daria Dulova is the youngest of the believers who fell into the millstones of repression. Her mother, Venus, is hearing impaired.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-24T15:12:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/37/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/37/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/37/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/37/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/37.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence"],"title":"Announcement: On January 27, 2020, the verdict on believers Venera and Daria Dulov and Alexander Pryanikov will be announced in Karpinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Galiya Olkhova, a Penza resident, is one of six believers convicted on extremism charges for living as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, that is, reading the Bible and discussing it with others.\nThe day before the verdict, Galia appeared before the court, speaking about the incompatibility of extremism with her beliefs. She also shared how her faith helped her strengthen her marriage. With minor abbreviations, we publish the last word of Galiya Olkhova at the court hearing on December 12, 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-24T09:40:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/35/image_hu_32e5c29a77296744.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/35/image_hu_5b9d370e2a45eda.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/35/image_hu_ea3853bd536f8240.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/35/image_hu_5b921c14b8ff2743.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/35.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"“To Call Extremism What Is Called Love for People in Other Countries.” The Last Word of Galiya Olkhova in the Court of Penza","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses do not respond with evil to evil by being guided by the Bible in their deeds and words. They respect authority, because this is what Jehovah God teaches them. On December 12, 2019, a resident of Penza, Vladimir Kulyasov , one of six citizens accused of organizing extremist activities for his faith, spoke about this in court.\nKulyasov's speech did not deter the judge from convicting. Vladimir was given a two-year suspended sentence. The court's decision has been appealed. In anticipation of the appeal hearings, we publish with minor abbreviations the last word of Vladimir Kulyasov, in which he told how the Bible helped him become a useful member of society.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-24T09:37:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/34/image_hu_3752a92cf4b2c9e0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/34/image_hu_a2b9f295882b0c31.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/34/image_hu_3dd1a0e198e8f179.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/34/image_hu_7e2cf0142fb59bf2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/34.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"“I Learned To Restrain Myself Even When They Treat Me Unfairly.” The Last Word of Vladimir Kulyasov at the Trial in Penza","type":"news"},{"body":"Thoughts from the Bible, which Jehovah's Witnesses talk about with others, teach peace, improve family ties, and help not to become embittered in difficulties. Vladimir Alushkin , one of six Penza residents accused of extremism for worshiping Jehovah God, told the court about this.\nThe court did not heed Alushkin's arguments and sentenced him to 6 years in prison. The verdict was appealed. In anticipation of the appeal, we publish the last word of Vladimir Alushkin with small abbreviations. He spoke with it before the Penza court on December 12, 2019. Vladimir explains in detail what and why he believes, as well as what it led to.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-24T08:58:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/31/image_hu_71f53ec2a161899.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/31/image_hu_a144d32f4e2c1f3d.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/31/image_hu_7e8520dd81fafc03.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/31/image_hu_aff7205337fb2aa1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/31.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","families"],"title":"“God Taught Me Patience and Love for People.” The Last Word of Vladimir Alushkin in the Court of Penza","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses avoid bloodshed and value the life of even an unborn child. There are no racial conflicts among them, they do not raise uprisings even in conditions of severe repression. Extremism is alien to witnesses. On December 12, 2019, Penza resident Denis Timoshin , one of six citizens accused of organizing extremist activities for his faith, spoke about this in court.\nThe court did not heed the arguments of the believer and sentenced him to two years of suspended imprisonment. The court's decision has been appealed. In anticipation of the appeal hearings, we publish the last word of Denis Timoshin, in which he spoke about faith, the history of repression and his view on the causes and organizers of persecution.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-24T08:27:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/30/image_hu_db00c3270e518181.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/30/image_hu_fdbc7d5ba7fc5a00.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/30/image_hu_8fc0e0e2e45e5d23.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/30/image_hu_bd97b87ba0f33312.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/30.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"“Either There Are Rights and Freedoms for Everyone, or They Are Not for Anyone.” The Last Word of Denis Timoshin at the Trial in Penza","type":"news"},{"body":"Today, January 23, the court for 47 days (until March 11, 2020) imprisoned a resident of Kursk, Andrei Ryshkov. The decision on another detainee, Oleksandr Vospitanyuk, has not yet been made by the judicial authorities.\nAndrey Ryshkov, 32, and Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, 40, were detained on January 21, 2020 after they appeared for questioning. It is not yet known exactly what they are accused of, but the detention took place against the backdrop of a series of searches and arrests that took place in Kursk last fall in connection with a criminal case under \"extremist\" articles initiated for reading and discussing the Bible together.\nSince then, Kurians Andrey Andreev and a married couple Alevtina and Artyom Bagratyan have been behind bars. The latter's health problems worsened after his arrest.\nIn most cases, the detention of detainees in pre-trial detention facilities is not limited to the initial term, since the courts then extend the measure of restraint. Sometimes peaceful believers are forced to spend a year or even more in a pre-trial detention center awaiting trial. For example, Dmitry Barmakin , a believer from Vladivostok, spent almost a year and three months in prison.\nThe security forces perceive the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as a continuation of the activities of the 396 legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia, although the courts did not prohibit the faith itself.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-23T17:04:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_c1ba1fe0fba8de81.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_6352a6d9befce345.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/depositphotos_21862193_hu_7dda90e3b5ffe468.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/28.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families","health-risk","interrogation"],"title":"The Kursk court sent the believer to a pre-trial detention center. The number of Kurians arrested for their faith has reached four","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 14, 2020, the judge of the Industrial District Court of Orenburg, Tatyana Gorbacheva, returned the criminal case against 7 believers to the prosecutor's office due to the vague nature of the charges and the lack of motives and goals of the alleged crime.\nIn its ruling, the court noted that \"the indictment must indicate the motives and purposes of committing crimes,\" which is not the case. The court also noted that the indictment did not specify exactly how the defendants Logunov and Suvorov \"coordinated the activities of the Orenburg LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses ... coordinated and coordinated their actions on the leadership of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Orenburg\" with a higher organization, received religious literature, including extremist content, from the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\". It is noted that it is often unclear from the prosecution which actions were committed by Logunov and which by Suvorov.\nThe criminal case against Vladimir Kochnev, Alexander Suvorov, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov, Alexey Matveev and Nikolai Zhugin was initiated on May 14, 2018, after which Kochnev and Suvorov were thrown into a pre-trial detention center for 78 days. In October 2019, the investigation decided to change the articles of the charge.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-23T17:03:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_e61407e80aeeed36.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_c14b36c0a2ff5d39.jpg","webp":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_405964db8d174b22.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/referee%27s%20hammer_hu_685714836a74948b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/29.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","fabrications"],"title":"The court returned to the prosecutor's office a criminal case against 7 believers from Orenburg. Two of them spent almost 3 months in jail","type":"news"},{"body":"At 11:00 a.m. on January 24, 2020, in the district court of the city of Polyarny (2 Sivko Street), Judge Victoria Loginova will begin to announce the verdict. 45-year-old Roman Markin and 62-year-old Viktor Trofimov pleaded not guilty. Having already spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, they go to court with things that they may need if they are sent to jail.\nBrief information about the defendants and their biographies can be found on the relevant pages (Roman Markin, Viktor Trofimov). How the criminal case has developed since November 2017 is described in chronology. There you can also find links to the details of the raids carried out by the FSB, to the texts of speeches in the debates and much more related to this case.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-23T16:49:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_4c7417cf57a4f4dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_a4336550aa4a8184.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_969fa7d7246372b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/27/image_hu_321b4bf2c3279959.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/27.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo"],"title":"Announcement: On January 24, the verdict on believers will be announced in the Murmansk region. The prosecutor asks to send them to a colony for 6 years","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 29, 2019, in the village of Sukhobuzimskoye (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a believer's car was smashed with a sledgehammer and a threatening note was left. Earlier, law enforcement officers conducted 13 searches of believers in this small village. Any search casts a shadow on a person's reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and other people.\nOn June 14, 2019, in a village with a population of about 4,000 people, security forces invaded 13 homes of believers, including the house of Kirill Mikhailin, with searches and interrogations. Another search took place on the same day in the neighboring village of Minderla and a few days later at Mikhailin's registration address in Krasnoyarsk. The searches and interrogations were led by investigator Denis Lugovoi, who had previously been seconded to the department of the Investigative Committee of Krasnoyarsk. He also investigated the criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov, initiated in July 2018 (the investigation has been completed, but the case has not yet been submitted to the court). Almost all searches in Sukhobuzimsky were accompanied by questions about Stupnikov.\nAlthough the local resident suspected of attacking Kirill Mikhailin's car was found and questioned on the same day, the episode raises important questions. What caused such intense hatred? How did the security forces' intrusion into the homes of believers affect their relations with their neighbors in the village, where everyone knows each other? Could it discredit civilians in the eyes of fellow villagers?\nAccording to believers, law enforcement officers, who accuse them of inciting religious hatred, by their own actions themselves incite hatred of dissidents in people. A striking example of this is the surge in sectarian violence that occurred shortly after the infamous Supreme Court decision in April 2017.\n","category":"crime","date":"2020-01-23T11:20:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/25/image_hu_355af334b13f1a25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/25/image_hu_aa8fe315915d8d2e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/25/image_hu_a3b4ed37535d8ffa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/25/image_hu_f3d9c44ee14b80c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/25.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","search","hatred-attacks","interrogation"],"title":"What Preceded Intentional Damage to Property Based on Religious Hatred in the Village of Sukhobuzimskoe?","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, as a result of a series of searches in the closed city of Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a local resident, Aleksandr Kabanov, was detained and later released. A criminal case was opened against the believer under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nLaw enforcement officers believe that Aleksandr Kabanov organized the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses of Zelenogorsk. In particular, he is suspected of \"holding weekly religious meetings, distributing religious ... installations of the organization and the involvement of new adherents.\nAccording to the materials of the case, the grounds for the detention of the believer are the \"obvious traces of a crime\" discovered during the search, while it is not specified which items found indicate the guilt of Kabanov in committing a \"particularly grave crime.\"\nThe case is being investigated by the head of the Investigation Department for Zelenogorsk, Colonel of Justice Oleg Kolosov. Y. Ufimtsev, senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Zelenogorsk, operatives of the FSB of Russia A. Bolatov, O. Panov and D. Lobanov were also involved in the investigation.\nAlexander Kabanov became the ninth resident of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, whom the authorities suspect of extremist activity. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison just for believing in Jehovah God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-23T11:01:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_d9de51e55f20a72a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_454663a50b656c8a.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_cbb8a2635ac730de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/24/image_hu_f4ad620d440ec14d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/24.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","elderly"],"title":"Faith As a Felony: New Details of the Criminal Case Against a Peaceful Civilian in Zelenogorsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2020, believers were detained in Kursk: 40-year-old Aleksandr Vospitanyuk and 32-year-old Andrey Ryshkov. The question of the measure of restraint will be decided in court on January 23. Since mid-October, Kurians Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan and their friend Andrei Andreev have also been languishing behind bars.\nAndrey Ryshkov was invited to the FSB building for interrogation as a witness. However, already on the spot, the security forces declared him a suspect. It is not yet known what exactly. Under similar circumstances, Aleksandr Vospitanyuk was detained. Details are still unknown.\nIn October and November 2019, several waves of searches and detentions of local residents suspected of joint worship of Jehovah took place in Kursk. Artyom Bagratyan, who is in pre-trial detention, has his health deteriorated sharply.\nLaw enforcement officers interpret the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as a continuation of the activities of 396 legal organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia, although the courts did not prohibit the faith itself.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-22T13:25:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_4c19bccc616a0461.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e7ed3c04c528ed3b.jpg","webp":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_e58593e77498609.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/handcuffs_hu_3097a2541128b86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/23.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","sizo","health-risk","search","families"],"title":"Two more believers were detained in Kursk. Earlier, a woman and two men had already been sent to the Kursk pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2020, after a day spent in a temporary detention facility, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan released Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva under house arrest. Meanwhile, Leysan's husband, Andrey Bochkarev, was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nOn January 22, it became known that operatives were going around the apartments of believers with questions. One of them, Daria Granik, was searched again that morning, and she herself was summoned for questioning at the Center for Combating Extremism and Terrorism.\nAdditional details of what happened on January 19, when at 11:15 a.m. a group of security officials invaded Tatiana Obizhestvit's apartment. Immediately, one of them loudly commanded: \"Bochkarev Andrey, go out! Is Laysan's wife here? According to believers, law enforcement officers generally behaved correctly, but did not introduce themselves. Later that day, the search began and lasted about two hours. A computer was seized from the owners of the house. According to the security forces, they were looking for weapons, drugs and \"everything connected with Jehovah.\"\nDuring the interrogation, which took place in the building of the Department for Combating Organized Crime, methods of psychological pressure were used. For example, believers were told that their fellow believers had already begun to confess. Tatiana and Leysan were taken for medical examination in handcuffs. The case is being conducted by investigator Galimzyanov R.U.\n44-year-old Andrey Bochkarev, his wife Leysan and Tatyana Obizhestvit are civilians in Kazan who have nothing to do with extremism. The right to profess any religion and peacefully gather together is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nUpdate. On January 28, 2020, in Kazan, security forces forcibly pushed a 30-year-old believer into a car and took her away in an unknown direction. As it turned out, she was taken for interrogation and later released. On January 29, the woman was again summoned for interrogation and asked what kind of God she believed in, and whether she knew Andrey Bochkarev, who had been arrested. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-22T11:32:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_dd17dffc3cef8db4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_4b89126d83a19526.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_70e44a5b57f00671.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/22/image_hu_1067ab533ac95dd1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/22.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest","sizo","interrogation"],"title":"“Search For Everything Related to Jehovah.” New Details of the Raid on Believers In Kazan","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 24, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., the judge of the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region is scheduled to announce the verdict to two friends, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov. The prosecutor requested 6 years for Markin and 6 years and 5 months in prison for Trofimov because both believe in Jehovah God and try to live according to the principles of Christianity.\nOn the eve of the announcement of the verdict, we publish excerpts from Roman Markin's speech in the debate. On January 15, 2020, he told the court about the campaign to discredit Jehovah's Witnesses, the misinterpretation of their activities, as well as the grounds on which Christians do what the security forces biasedly classify as extremism.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-22T11:32:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_4c2cc0d0e73c4da2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_2c5eec9fc0aab3b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_d870761f99e72df4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_83844e6835fd2c0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/21.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"Jehovah's Witness and extremist are mutually exclusive concepts.\" Speech by Roman Markin in the debate at his trial in Polyarny","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, Vitaliy Omelchenko was detained in Murmansk. Leaving the entrance with his wife at about 6 p.m., he saw four men in civilian clothes who invited him to proceed to the police station. Vitaly's wife returned home alone.\nThis is not the first time that Murmansk law enforcement officers have harassed civilians because of their religious beliefs. The case of Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov has been going on since the spring of 2018.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-21T15:45:05+02:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/18/image_hu_4cac645955304c35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/18/image_hu_a8bc7fea07127f54.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/18/image_hu_337408dc59bf9fdd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/18/image_hu_fd5fbb7211ffadd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/18.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs"],"title":"In Murmansk, four men in civilian clothes detained a local resident, Vitaliy Omelchenko, on suspicion of believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 14, 2020, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court granted Aleksandr Polozov's complaint against the preventive measure and released him from the pre-trial detention center. The decision of the lower Norilsk City Court was overturned. Meanwhile, in fact, Alexander was released only on January 21.\nA believer from Norilsk was imprisoned for almost 3 months. Now he will await trial for his faith on his own recognizance.\nThe case against Aleksandr Polozov was initiated on October 20, 2019. According to the investigation, he is accused of \"religious speeches and worship,\" as well as \"propaganda of the activities of the banned organization Jehovah's Witnesses.\" For this, he could face up to 10 years in prison.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2020-01-21T11:47:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_38e0d4f9f34a8ac4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_45d512c41ffea0a7.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_3bb68a1102acfb5a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/17/image_hu_fe2e4ee0ea8b2904.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/17.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","recognizance-agreement","sizo"],"title":"Aleksandr Polozov Successfully Appealed the Preventive Measure, Released From Pre-Trial Detention","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, in Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), the hearing of arguments began in the case of Alexander Pryanikov, Venera Dulova and her 19-year-old daughter Daria. At the hearing in the Karpinsky City Court, the prosecutor demanded a suspended sentence of 3 years for Alexander and Venera and 2 years for Daria.\nAlso, the prosecution asks to appoint 3 years of probation for Alexander and Venus and 2 years of probation for Daria.\nThe catchy case against Alexander Pryanikov and Venera Dulova was initiated in the summer of 2018. Later, Daria was included in it. All this time, the investigation tried to collect evidence of the guilt of peaceful believers under the grave article of the Criminal Code - 282.2 (2) (participation in extremist activities), but found only the facts of reading the Bible with friends.\nThe sentencing is expected on January 27 at 9:30 a.m. The presiding judge is Gabbasova S.V.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-21T10:44:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_f4857a1079465ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_fd872bc8b1e95df3.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_b014f2fdb6094e02.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/16/image_hu_927af9760f9fa97d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/16.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","suspended","families"],"title":"In Karpinsk, Prosecution Asks 2 and 3 Years of Suspended Sentence for 3 Citizens, Including One Hearing Impaired","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of January 19, 2020, law enforcement officers detained about 15 believers in Kazan, including two women over the age of 80 and two children. All of them were interrogated under psychological pressure about who was forcing them to read the Bible. Some believers were searched.\nAt about 11 a.m. on January 19, three investigators, accompanied by six masked riot policemen, entered Tatiana Obizhestvit's apartment. At this time, Tatiana had guests. About 15 people, including children aged 9 and 12, were taken to the local department for combating organized crime at 3 Karl Fuchs Street. During the interrogation, the investigators did their best to find out what the believers were doing in a private apartment, which of them was the \"senior\" and who made them discuss spiritual topics with each other. Intimidation techniques were used. One of the believers was threatened with initiation of a criminal case for \"involving children in illegal activities.\"\nArmen Hayriyan and Lyudmila Samoilova were searched. Spouses Andrey and Leysan Bochkarev were interrogated until late in the evening. Copies of protocols and other documents were not provided to anyone. The Bochkarevs, as well as 51-year-old Tatyana Obizhestvit, have been in a temporary detention center for the second day.\nOther details of the incident are being clarified.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-20T15:55:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_24ad70e1aa0e2a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao.jpg","webp":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_f1aae88eb07ca8e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/vtorzghenie%20v%20hmao_hu_d2d4237a735db5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/12.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption","interrogation","elderly","minors"],"title":"Mass Detentions in Kazan: Department for Combating Organized Crime Finds Out Why People Aged 9 to 80 Read the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, the believer used the last word and compared his trial to the trial of Jesus Christ. He talked about how the Son of God lived and why he was executed, as well as why Jehovah's Witnesses cannot commit the crimes of which they are accused.\n","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/10.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Alexander Pryanikov's last word in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses respect people of all nationalities and faiths and want to tell them the good news from the Bible. To judge them for this is tantamount to insulting their religious feelings. Daria Dulova, a 19-year-old student from Karpinsk, spoke about this in her last speech on January 20, 2020.\n","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/12.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Daria Dulova's last word in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"Believers have been persecuted in various periods of history. Usually, this ended with their rehabilitation. So why repeat the mistakes of the past? Why look for extremism where it does not exist and cannot exist? Venera Dulova spoke about this on January 20, 2020 in her last speech.\n","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/11.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Venera Dulova's last word in Karpinsk","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 18 and 19, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of 9 local families in the city of Neftekumsk and the village of Zaterechnoye, Stavropol Territory. Some were interrogated about fellow believers who had been released from pre-trial detention a few days earlier by the court.\nThe searches began on December 18 at about 9 a.m. and lasted about an hour and a half. Another search took place in Zaterechne on December 19.\nAs follows from the search protocols, the police, employees of the Investigative Committee and the Center for Countering Extremism were looking for \"objects and documents confirming criminal activity related to the organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nHowever, the security forces found and seized several copies of the Bible, including in the Synodal translation and the translation of Archimandrite Macarius. Also, a laptop, tablet, mobile phone, and personal records were confiscated from believers. In one of the cases, law enforcement officers took a box with 800 rubles.\nAfter the searches, six believers were taken to law enforcement offices and interrogated. Among other things, they asked about three residents of Neftekumsk, who had previously been imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center for their faith. They were released only a year later, but remain accused in the case of extremism.\nThe criminal case against believers from Neftekumsk is one example of unjustified persecution for their beliefs in Russia. Believers face degrading treatment and arrests for \"not renouncing their religious views.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-16T13:30:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_4aa589b81b87365e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk.jpg","webp":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_dc16356e31723ca3.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/searches%20saransk_hu_d442190f69a95cf6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/8.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches of Witnesses Continued in the Stavropol Territory. Security Forces Seized Bibles","type":"news"},{"body":"Three believing residents of Georgievsk (Stavropol Territory) became the object of close attention of law enforcement officers - a married couple was accused of extremism. Also, the defendant in the criminal case was the father of two minor children who underwent heart surgery.\nAs it became known on January 11, 2020, a criminal case was opened on charges of organizing and participating in extremist activities in the context of searches in Georgievsk that took place on October 23, 2019.\nSpecial services raided three addresses, in each case the owners planted flash drives. Then 11 people were detained, they were interrogated until late at night, after which they were released.\nOne of the searches took place in the house of Viktor Zimovskiy. Some time ago, he underwent severe heart surgery. Victor became ill right during the special events. Nevertheless, he was also taken to the police station and interrogated along with everyone else.\nAccording to the Investigative Committee, Victor convened and held meetings of fellow believers in the household provided by the couple. Believers discussed with those who came \"religious intolerance towards representatives of other faiths,\" as follows from the message on the website of the Investigative Committee for Stavropol. This is what the security forces call peaceful prayers and joint discussions of the principles of Christian life. A criminal case was opened against all three under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of Russia.\nThe repression may affect not only Viktor's health, but also his family. Viktor has two small children of preschool and primary school age, his wife is pregnant with her third child.\nBelievers have repeatedly told how religious persecution hits families. In addition, there have been cases when the stress associated with the actions of the security forces led to the failure of pregnancy. This happened in the Lungu family of Dzhankoy.\nUpdate. On January 23, 2020, investigator A. M. Ostya summoned Viktor Zimovskiy for questioning and immediately detained him, sending him to the temporary detention facility. The next day, the Georgievsk City Court arrested Viktor for 1 month and 6 days. It is not yet known in which pre-trial detention center the believer will await trial. ","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-16T09:42:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/usb-flash_hu_1ea7369786ae2d86.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/usb-flash_hu_180cb0f5b9385364.jpg","webp":"/news/common/usb-flash_hu_7f924ef94ac140a0.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/usb-flash_hu_4b5889e29bec1275.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/6.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families","minors","new-case","plant","health-risk","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"Searches in Georgievsk Lead to Criminal Prosecution of Three Believers Including the Father of Two Children","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 9, 2020, in Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a criminal case was opened against 62-year-old Viktor Sagin two months after the search of his apartment. The man is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity) because of his religious views in the complete absence of victims and the damage caused.\n\"Organized the activities of members of a banned organization on the territory of Achinsk and supervised their activities during weekly religious meetings, dissemination of religious and ideological attitudes of a banned organization,\" the decision to initiate a criminal case says. It is led by the investigator of the investigative department for the Achinsk district, Lieutenant of Justice Maria Lebedeva.\nOperational measures against the believers of Achinsk began in November 2019. Then Viktor Sagin and several other citizens were searched and interrogated, Bibles and spiritual books were seized from them.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-15T16:18:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_943a8332cba14e42.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_caffff98386a2f9a.jpg","webp":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_10d4e5329eff2378.webp","webp2x":"/news/common/constitution-upk_hu_543ff2e213e31665.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/4.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search"],"title":"The first criminal case for faith was opened in Achinsk. Earlier, the suspect seized the \"instrument of crime\" - the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"68-year-old Nikolay Kuzichkin is suspected of cancer in several organs and a number of serious chronic diseases. The diagnoses were partially made even before the arrest, but the doctors of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 do not conduct a full examination and treatment, putting Nikolai's life in danger.\nAn elderly piano tuner was detained on October 10, 2019 during a large-scale raid by security forces in Sochi and its environs. Nikolay is suspected of extremism on the grounds that he adheres to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this is not prohibited.\nAfter the arrest of a non-smoker, a seriously ill Kuzichkin was put in a cell with smokers. This alone violates Article 33 of the Federal Law \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\".\nInitially, there were not enough beds in the cell, so the detainees were forced to sleep in turns - there were only 10 beds for 18 people.\nAfter numerous complaints, including from strangers but not indifferent people, the conditions of Nikolay's detention improved. \"At least there are enough beds for everyone,\" says Nikolai's lawyer.\nHowever, in the pre-trial detention center, Kuzichkin cannot receive the treatment he underwent before his arrest. For many years, Nicholas successfully restrained the development of diseases with the help of traditional medicine. Now he has been deprived of this opportunity. As a result, Nikolay's condition began to deteriorate sharply, he lost more than 20 kilograms in weight. Those who saw Nicholas during the court hearings say that he lost a lot of weight, his voice weakened, and his speech became confused.\nAt the end of October, Kuzichkin appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination, but was refused. According to Tereshchenko, Kuzichkin's illnesses are not included in the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nLater, Nikolai Kuzichkin was still examined, but superficial. At the end of December, the doctors of the Clinical Oncology Center No. 1 of Krasnodar gave the same answer as Tereshchenko.\nAt the same time, Kuzichkin's illnesses are contained in the \"List of serious diseases that impede detention\", section \"Diseases of the endocrine system\".\nAccording to Kuzichkin's lawyer, his condition is accompanied by numerous symptoms of cancer.\n\"The doctors of the Krasnodar cancer center were supposed to conduct an in-depth examination, but this was not done,\" says the lawyer.\nKuzichkin's friends and relatives try to support him, regularly passing food to the pre-trial detention center. Previously, Nikolay could not be seen even during the court hearings in Sochi, because they were held behind closed doors. On December 30, 2019, the Krasnodar Regional Court concluded that this procedure for the administration of justice was illegal, but still left Kuzichkin in custody.\nIn this situation, the victim is not only Nikolai, but also his wife Olga, who herself has a disability. She does not share her husband's religious beliefs, but his criminal prosecution deprived the woman of a breadwinner - only Nikolai worked in the family, despite his age.\nReligious repressions in Russia lead to the fact that entire families suffer because of \"extremist\" cases, and a whole layer of elderly believers accused of extremism is also created.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-01-15T16:05:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_643a6864718c4376.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_e857c34e4bdf0cde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/3/image_hu_344187f1bc123111.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/3.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"title":"Management of the Armavir Pre-Trial Detention Center Is Slow to Treat an Elderly Believer. The Life of Nikolay Kuzichkin Is in Jeopardy","type":"news"},{"body":"Update. The date of the announcement of the verdict to believers Markin and Trofimov has been postponed from January 22 to January 24. It will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the Polyarny District Court at 2 Sivko Street. On January 15, 2020, the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region held a hearing in the case against local believers accused of extremist activities. A sentence of 6 years in prison was requested for Roman Markin, and 6 years and 5 months in prison for Viktor Trofimov.\nIn turn, in the last word, the believers asked the court to fully acquit them.\nThe local FSB focused its efforts on law-abiding Jehovah's Witnesses as early as November 2017. Hidden video cameras were installed in their apartments. Six months later, on April 18, 2018, searches were conducted in the homes of local residents in the city of Polyarny. 16 citizens, including minors, were taken for interrogation to the investigative department. They were asked questions about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogations continued until 7 a.m. the next day.\n44-year-old Roman Markin and 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov were sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months on suspicion of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Later, they spent another 4 months under house arrest.\nOn May 24, 2019, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were served with an indictment signed by the prosecutor's office of the Kola district of the Murmansk region. After 3 days, the case was received by the Polyarny District Court and was transferred to Judge Victoria Loginova for consideration. In total, more than 20 hearings in the case took place.\nThe announcement of the verdict is scheduled for January 24, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at 2 Sivko St., Polyarny.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-15T15:33:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_4c2cc0d0e73c4da2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_2c5eec9fc0aab3b7.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_d870761f99e72df4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/2/image_hu_83844e6835fd2c0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/2.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Six and More Years in Prison Requested for Believers Markin and Trofimov. Witnesses in Penza to Hear Verdict on January 24","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of the court hearing dated 01/15/2020 in case 1-23/2019 on charges of R.N. Markin and V.F. Trofimov in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","date":"2020-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/5.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Roman Markin's speech at the court pleadings in Polyarny","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 27, 2019, law enforcement officers detained two women in Penza under the pretext of searching for fraudsters. As it turned out later, the real reason for the detention was religious beliefs. One of the security officials flaunted the fact that he \"imprisoned Alushkin.\"\nFriends 26 and 29 years old came to visit a local woman who had invited them to talk about the Bible the day before. Almost immediately after the believers, two police officers entered the entrance. Major Valery Kulikov said that the women allegedly fit the description of the wanted fraudsters and forced them to follow him to the police station. As it turned out, there were no specific orientations for believers, the police picked them up at random, but the description and appearance of the detainees did not coincide with the orientations.\nThe women were not charged and were taken to another police station without apparent grounds, where the security forces continued their interrogation. The detainees were inspected and mobile phones were seized. The security forces tried to take fingerprints by deception and intimidation. At the same time, threats were made against believers and psychological pressure was exerted on them. During the interrogation, one of the women became ill.\nThe police questioned the detainees' religious beliefs, asking if they needed help to \"leave the sect.\"\nLaw enforcement officers were especially interested in whether the women knew Vladimir Alushkin, who on December 13, 2019, was sentenced to 6 years for professing his faith.\nA security official surnamed Bukov, who introduced himself as an \"investigator for extremist cases,\" said that women did not need to share their faith with others. Now, according to him, the security forces will have to decide \"what kind of case to initiate: a criminal case on extremism or an administrative case on missionary activity.\" After interrogation, the women were released.\nThe events described happened just two weeks after the verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Penza against six citizens whose faith was not liked by the security forces. In addition to Vladimir Alushkin, his wife Tatyana, as well as Galiya Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov were convicted under the \"extremist\" article. Alushkin's wife and four of his acquaintances received 2 years of suspended sentence each.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-13T17:14:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1552/depositphotos_75905113_7_2_hu_a7e12beae6cb7bec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1552/depositphotos_75905113_7_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1552/depositphotos_75905113_7_2_hu_d58f9b884b44bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1552/depositphotos_75905113_7_2_hu_eb91f4ca8be731ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1552.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation"],"title":"“Put Alushkin in Prison.” Police in Penza Believe They Have Carte Blanche for Religious Persecution","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2019, in Kirov, 70-year-old Yevgeny Udintsev was charged with organizing an extremist organization. A few months earlier, he and other believers had been searched.\nIn March 2019, a criminal case was opened against Yevgeny Udintsev under a milder article, when investigators \"appointed\" him as a member of an organization banned in Russia (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Until December 13, 2019, he had the status of a suspect. Now, after several months of investigation, the investigator for especially important cases, Georgy Malykh, has formulated an accusation against Yevgeny Udintsev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of a banned organization. If the court finds the elderly believer guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Together with Yevgeny Udintsev, Alexander Shamov and Andrey Shchepin are accused in this criminal case.\nThe essence of the actions that the security forces considered extremist was reading the Bible, singing songs with fellow believers, including in Udintsev's apartment, and paying utility bills for an empty worship building. This, as in many similar cases, is called in the case file undermining \"the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state\" and \"religious hatred.\"\nThe investigator's decision to toughen the indictment against Udintsev indicates about 60 dates when believers gathered for joint meetings. Probably, all this time, law enforcement officers were watching civilians.\nOn December 30, 2019, Yevgeny Udintsev was notified of the end of the investigation.\nThe Udintsev case serves as further evidence that in Russia the statistics of the disclosure of \"extremist\" criminal cases are largely formed at the expense of harmless believers. Dozens of elderly men and women face criminal prosecution in different regions of the country. In December 2019, residents of Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory) joined this list. In Kirov alone, at least 3 criminal cases against 11 people are being investigated. Five of the defendants are men of retirement age.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-13T17:04:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_4743166a539eb398.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9b7c10fda8b39cef.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e0bce0903650c1c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1551/shablon_dlya_novostey_vosstanovlen_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_26b15cb9dafc4b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1551.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, the Investigator Considered a 70-year-old Witness an Extremist. He Faces up to 10 Years in Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"Today, on January 13, 2020, the panel of judges of the Perm Regional Court upheld the decision of the lower court to punish Alexei Metzger for practicing his religion.\nThe criminal verdict under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, in which conversations on spiritual topics are interpreted as extremism, was left unchanged. Now a resident of Perm will have to pay the state a fine of 350 thousand rubles for his religious beliefs, which he has the right to profess on the basis of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The decision has entered into force.\nThe penalty for believing in Jehovah was the second in the Perm region. Last summer, another civilian resident of Perm, Alexander Solovyov, was fined a comparable amount. Several other cases are pending.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2020-01-13T14:14:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1550/metsger3_0_hu_c734f044f4b6fa5d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1550/metsger3_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1550/metsger3_0_hu_1a41832d1485ea34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1550/metsger3_0_hu_fb9e48196b78a539.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1550.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","fine"],"title":"Court of Appeal Upholds Criminal Sentence for Aleksey Metsger for Believing in Jehovah God","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 13, 2020, the Perm Regional Court will hold an appeal hearing on the complaint of Alexei Metzger, who was found guilty two months ago under a criminal article for his faith (with a fine of 350 thousand rubles). The meeting starts at 9:30 local time. Court address: Perm, Ekaterininskaya str., 33.\nEarlier, on November 14, 2019, the Ordzhonikidze District Court found this resident of Perm guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). The accusation is based on two episodes that the investigation considered evidence of \"extremist activity\": a lecture on a biblical topic and a private conversation in the apartment of one of the believers. At the same time, other participants in the events, including prosecution witnesses, testified at the trial that they had not heard any extremist statements or calls for illegal actions from the defendant.\n\"The verdict is subject to cancellation, since the court unreasonably recognized as a crime my peaceful actions to practice my unbanned religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Alexei Metzger said in his complaint. The believer hopes that the court of appeal will be able to restore justice in this case.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-10T14:36:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1546/permskiy_kraevoy_sud_novyy_korpus_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_315ac8ed12fe1124.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1546/permskiy_kraevoy_sud_novyy_korpus_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_434039aa986e44c9.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1546/permskiy_kraevoy_sud_novyy_korpus_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_3838368f7ae08066.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1546/permskiy_kraevoy_sud_novyy_korpus_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e537ca6d8ceabfa1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1546.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","complaints","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"On Monday, the Perm Regional Court Will Consider the Complaint of Aleksey Metsger On a Criminal Conviction For Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of December 29, 2019, Kirill Mikhailin from the village of Sukhobuzimskoye (Krasnoyarsk Territory) discovered that the windshield of his car was broken, and next to it was a note with an obscene word and a mention of Jehovah God. Kirill's family has been receiving threats in connection with their religion for about a year now.\nSomeone smashed the windshield with a sledgehammer and tore off the side mirror. The sledgehammer seems to have slipped out of the vandal's hands and remained inside the cabin. A note with profanity left at the crime scene indicates that it was committed precisely on the basis of religious hatred. Kirill and his wife called the police. The suspect, one of the local residents, was questioned the same day.\nWhile studying the case file, investigator Nadezhda Shnitko found a note indicating that the crime was motivated by religious hatred and enmity, and even asked the victims if they professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is not yet known whether a criminal case has been initiated.\nDiscrimination, harassment and hatred on the basis of religion, unfortunately, are becoming the norm in our country. The arson of a house, the attack on a 56-year-old woman are just two examples of many. Intolerance towards Jehovah's Witnesses has increased many times since the Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017. The religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\n","category":"crime","date":"2020-01-07T09:21:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1542/ewfrewfr_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_68c6a0c1632792e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1542/ewfrewfr_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2bde69250f6588a5.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1542/ewfrewfr_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_efb8a6eb1450650f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1542/ewfrewfr_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_789914daa5e37f73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1542.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","hatred-attacks"],"title":"Religious Strife in Action: In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a Believer Found His Car Damaged With Insults Toward God","type":"news"},{"body":"Among the hundreds of respectable citizens against whom criminal cases have been unjustly initiated, there are entire families - married couples, parents and children. Below are a few examples of how false accusations separate loved ones, breaking their destinies.\n\"In prison, he sings songs instead of radio\"\nIn July 2018, security forces with machine guns at the ready broke into the apartment of the spouses Vladimir and Tatyana Alushkin in the Penza region and searched it. Vladimir was arrested. He spent 3 days in a temporary detention facility, 181 days in a pre-trial detention center and 333 days under house arrest. For almost a year and a half, he was physically unable to take care of his family.\nOn December 13, 2019, the court sentenced both spouses: he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, and she was given a 2-year suspended sentence. Vladimir was taken into custody in the courtroom. Separation again, now for years.\nTatyana, despite the harsh realities, does not lose heart and actively supports those who find themselves in a similar situation.\n\"I was on a date,\" she says. - Volodya has already received some e-mails (we are talking about letters that are sent to Vladimir Alushkin in prison). Thank you all so much! He prays for everyone. He sits alone. The sound of the radio has the ability to remove itself, instead of it sings our songs. Calm and joyful.\"\nLife in a pre-trial detention center is under attack\nHusband and wife from the Kursk region Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan have been in jail since October 16, 2019. In the dungeons of the detention center, Alevtina immediately caught a cold. Artem's health problems have reached a critical level. According to the lawyer, there is a threat to life.\n\"In the pre-trial detention center, Artem is not allowed to take the medicines he was taking before his arrest. In the isolation ward, he is given analogues that are ineffective. They also do not provide a special diet,\" his lawyer said.\nIn addition, the criminal prosecution deprived the spouses of their livelihood. Alevtina's mother needs constant help. The woman is very worried about her daughter and son-in-law.\n\"I felt my husband smell like prison\"\nDmitriy and Elena Barmakin, a family from Primorsky Krai, also had to face the hardships of persecution for their faith. Dmitriy spent 447 days in the pre-trial detention center, some of them in solitary confinement in a damp basement.\nAbout two months after Dmitry's arrest, Rosfinmonitoring blocked Yelena's bank cards. She could not get a permanent job because of the criminal proceedings - she could be summoned to court or for interrogation at any time. Moreover, a criminal case was initiated against Elena herself.\nAfter Dmitry was transferred to house arrest, the couple are together again. It is possible that temporarily, since the courts on the merits are ahead.\nHere's how Elena describes the first hours after separation:\n\"I just didn't expect such a result! For a year and two months, I got used to the fact that he was constantly left in custody ... And when Dima was released right in the courtroom, it was, of course, a shock! I didn't even know how to rejoice... My girlfriends immediately began to cry, and I just froze with surprise. Complete prostration! And when we came to the apartment, I felt the smell of prison from my husband for some time.\nDmitry admits that the imprisonment greatly influenced him. \"A lot has happened in the 15 months that I spent in jail,\" he says. \"The long separation has changed us, and now we have to get to know each other again.\"\n\"I'm afraid to be at home alone\"\nGeorgy and Elena Nikulin live in Mordovia. After his arrest, the head of the family spent 147 days in a pre-trial detention center. A specialist with 9 professions, just like his wife, cannot get a job today due to criminal prosecution. The family does not have enough money for food and basic household items. Persecution for his faith undermined George's physical health. The arrest and interrogation by the FSB caused deep psychological trauma to Yelena. \"Now I'm afraid to be at home alone,\" she admits.\nEarly in the morning, masked men broke into the apartment of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov in the Omsk region, knocking out the front door. Sergei was beaten and then taken away. Anastasia was also arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where she spent 154 days. Anastasia became the first woman in recent history to be imprisoned only for her religious beliefs.\nThe two spouses then spent another 91 days under house arrest. Now Sergey and Anatasiya are under recognizance not to leave.\nAlexander and Galina Parkov from the Rostov region have been separated for more than six months - Alexander is in a pre-trial detention center. Criminal cases have been initiated against both. Galina, who is still free, had to quit her job, her bank card, to which her salary was transferred, was blocked. A woman is interrupted by odd jobs in order to support herself and support her husband.\nThe persecution of the couple had a negative impact on other family members as well. Due to stress and worries, Alexander's pregnant daughter began to have health complications.\nValeria and Sergey Rayman from the Kostroma region are the youngest couple who face 10 years in prison, despite the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor's office.\nMikhail and Oksana Solntsev became hostages of criminal cases in the Magadan region. In Taganrog, Oksana is waiting for sick parents who have no one to take care of. But she is under recognizance not to leave. Due to a similar measure of restraint, Mikhail is constrained in the ability to work and provide for his family.\n\"I became afraid of every knock on the door\"\nVenera and Daria Dulov faced persecution for their beliefs in the Sverdlovsk region. Venera is hearing impaired, and her daughter Daria is the youngest \"prisoner of conscience\" - a student. After searches conducted by law enforcement officers in the apartment and at the family's dacha, the girl is in a stressful state.\n\"I became afraid of every knock on the door,\" says Dasha, \"I stopped keeping a diary, writing poetry and even taking notes on my phone. It seems to me that uninvited guests will come again and take it all away.\nKonstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, residents of the Kamchatka Territory, were detained during a raid in front of their minor daughter Elizaveta. Both spouses are now under recognizance not to leave and are forced to deal with the consequences of stress in their daughter.\nAt least 18 families are prosecuted for religious reasons. Among them are married couples - Mikhail and Elena Popov (Kamchatka Territory), Sergey and Natalia Mysin (Ulyanovsk Region), Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk (Khabarovsk Territory), as well as Vilen and his son Arsen Avanesov (Rostov Region ), Sergey Kulakov together with his son Dmitry (Sakhalin Region), Valentina and Roman Baranovsky (mother and son, Khakassia), Sergey and Svetlana Malyanov (father and daughter, Nizhny Novgorod region). In some cases, law enforcement officers act with excessive harshness in relation to minor children. So, in July 2019 in Kaluga, during the arrest of Roman Makhnev, his 15-year-old daughter was put barefoot on the street by the security forces. For a long time Dasha stood in the rain. During the search, the security forces planted publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials under the girl's bed. In this case, the child did not become a defendant in the criminal case, but her father was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-06T15:48:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_63051421ccf11c56.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_fd2f8a209ca1a464.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_c7c83326829e17f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1539/semi_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_64d3aee7e626774a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1539.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","families","liberty-deprivation","sizo","health-risk","medical-rights"],"title":"Relatives with the smell of prison: in Russia, whole families are judged for their beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"At least until February 11, 2020, 43-year-old Circassian Albert Batchaev will be in jail. What events in the republic preceded his arrest over the past 10 years?\nThe difficulties of believers in this republic began long before the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. However, if from 2010 to 2016 there were about 5 cases of harassment for faith in the republic, then in 2019 alone there were already 2. Here is a list of known incidents in chronological order.\n04.09.2010, Cherkessk. Two believing women, 70-year-old E. Turok and A. Ciobanu, were detained during a conversation with neighbors and taken to the Main Directorate for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Karachay-Cherkessia. They stayed there for 8 hours. Interrogation and inspection of personal belongings was carried out by Senior Lieutenant F. Erkelova. Mobile phones and religious literature were seized from the women. Even then, employees of the Center for Counteracting Extremism threatened believers with searches and arrest. During a subsequent search of E. Turok's house, several books were seized.\n13.05.2011, Nikolaevskoye village. Three Jehovah's Witnesses were detained and taken to the police station as they returned to their home in their own car. At the police station, the believers were interrogated about their religious activities, copies of passports were made, photographed and fingerprints were taken, after which they were released.\n13.08.2013, Kosta-Khetagurova village. FSB officers A. Kokhov, M. Dyachenko, O. Netkacheva, as well as S. Kosenko, an expert of the Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, came home to 72-year-old V. Kolieva and her relative L. Kolieva for \"inspection of the premises\". Law enforcers presented a ruling from the Karachai City Court, which stated that the Kolievs were engaged in \"reading and distributing extremist literature.\" During the inspection, which looked more like a search, all religious literature was seized. The believers filed a complaint with the court.\nJune 2015, Cherkessk. Vladimir Mirzoyan, a 53-year-old Jehovah's Witness, was beaten twice and mistreated by police officers. During the first interview, under severe pressure, he was forced to sign an explanation prepared in advance by the police, but the next morning he filed complaints against law enforcement officers. After that, he was subjected to even more severe bullying: beaten in the face and stomach, threatened relatives, demanding that he retract his statement. As a result, the believer was forced to seek medical help. The reason for such actions was the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cherkessk, which interfered with the construction of retail space and, according to the prosecutor's office, was subject to confiscation for alleged \"extremist activities\" of believers. Later, publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, previously included in the list of extremist materials, were planted in the building and then \"discovered\".\n20.09.2016, p. Mednogorsky and s. Kurdzhinovo. FSB officers conducted \"surveys\", in fact searches, in 4 houses of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge of the Supreme Court of the KCR, Islam Gerbekov, who authorized the special event, explained this by the fact that one of the believers, Svetlana Isaeva, who lives in Mednogorskoye, allegedly engaged in involving others in her religion and allegedly distributed books included in the list of extremist materials among her like-minded people. A week later, the FSB officer conducting the search returned to Svetlana Isaeva and demanded that she change her testimony by confessing to distributing extremist literature. The woman refused to incriminate herself.\n01.06.2019, Ordzhonikidze village. The security forces searched 42-year-old Indira, who is raising four children alone. The search took place in the presence of the woman's three minor children. For two hours, the operatives searched for \"extremist\" literature, even checking a school textbook. One of them asked if Indira knew that the court had banned Russian Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. According to the woman, the head of the group said that he had nothing against Jehovah's Witnesses, \"just doing his job.\" Unable to find literature, the security forces apologized and left. According to Indira, she had previously noticed surveillance of herself in Karachaevsk.\n16.12.2019, Cherkessk. After a series of searches, 43-year-old Albert Batchaev was arrested for 2 months. He is still being held in a pre-trial detention center.\nUpdated 11.01.2021. Albert Batchaev spent 3 months in a pre-trial detention center and has been under house arrest for about 10 months. Meanwhile, the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses continues in the republic:\n12.11.2020, Cherkessk. A group of security officials led by V. Drakin, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for Karachay-Cherkessia, conducted a second search of a 56-year-old believer.\n09.01.2021, p. Mednogorsky. Early in the morning, FSB officers conducted surveys (in fact, searches) of at least 3 apartments of believers. Once again, the searches of believers were sanctioned by Judge Islam Gerbekov.\nBelievers hope that the \" systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in Russia will end, and the victims will be rehabilitated. At the moment, only four believers from three regions of the country have been acquitted and/or rehabilitated: Arkadya Akopyan, Andrey Sivak, Vyacheslav Stepanov and Kaleria Mamykina.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-03T17:29:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_dc3380517d8a04b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8dd87ad9cbe2193e.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e433ae9a55407b16.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1524/cherkessk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e493d072c62bca97.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1524.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","elderly","siloviks-violence","minors","sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"How Jehovah's Witnesses Are Persecuted in Karachay-Cherkessia: 2010–2020","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two \"extremist\" articles against 9 believers, the eldest of whom is 89 years old. So law enforcement officers decided to intensify the persecution of peaceful elderly Jehovah's Witnesses.\nLieutenant Colonel of Justice V. Sabadash, deputy head of the investigation department for Nevinnomyssk, decided to initiate a criminal case against 60-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov on charges of organizing a banned community (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Accused of participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) were 89-year-old Rimma Vashchenko, 78-year-old Anatoliy Boyko, Georgy and Tatyana Parfentiev (73 and 72 years old, respectively), 71-year-old Evgenia Akhrameeva, as well as 57-year-old Nadezhda Konkova and 54-year-old Karina Sahakyan.\nThe decision to initiate criminal cases was made on the basis of the reports of the detective of the Center for Countering Extremism (CPE) of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Stavropol Territory M. Chmyrev and the senior detective of the FSB department of Russia F. Savichev.\nAbout a year earlier, on November 21, 2018, mass operational-search activities took place in the homes of believers from Nevinnomyssk: security forces seized phones, books, computers, other electronic devices and flash drives. In some cases, operatives demanded passwords from computer equipment, threatening otherwise to hack them.\nIn one of the cases, after a search, an elderly owner lost 10 thousand rubles. In another case, the search took place in the presence of minor children.\nThe searches were followed by interrogations that lasted for several hours. One of the men had high blood pressure during the interrogation and had to call an ambulance.\nSix months later, in July 2019, at 6:40 am, the operatives came to Vahan Mkhitaryan. The search and the subsequent interrogation were accompanied by threats and insults, as well as obscene language against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Mkhitaryan was taken to the police station, where he was beaten for refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Electronic media, Bibles in Armenian and Russian languages were seized from him. The security forces also tried to plant a bag with suspicious green contents on the man.\nAnother raid, the victims of which were mainly the elderly, the disabled and children, took place in Neftekumsk, when on August 26, 2017, security forces detained 18 believers who were vacationing in nature.\nHarassment of believers in the Stavropol Territory began even before the Supreme Court's decision to ban 396 Russian religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Announcements of these events are published on the regional page.\n","category":"trial","date":"2020-01-03T17:16:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_3c81089fb7ef7662.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_99cdaf48cf4c5211.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_f7208f3419e7fe0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1523/312_edited_0_hu_60fde69805fd126c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1523.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","search","interrogation","siloviks-violence","plant"],"title":"Investigators Replenish the List of “Elderly Extremists” With Believers From Nevinnomyssk","type":"news"},{"body":"A few months before the December raids in Cherkessk , security forces searched the home of a resident of the village of Ordzhonikidze, who is raising four children alone. This happened back in June 2019, but the details have become known only now.\nOn the morning of June 1, law enforcement officers approached Indira, a mother of many children, on the street when she was talking to her neighbors. Presenting a search warrant, they entered the house, the neighbors were invited as witnesses. The search took place in the presence of the woman's three minor children. For two hours, the operatives searched for \"extremist\" literature, even checking a school textbook. One of them asked if Indira knew that the court had banned Russian Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. According to the woman, the senior in the group said that he had nothing against Jehovah's Witnesses, \"just doing his job.\"\nFinding nothing, the security forces apologized and left. As Indira herself said, she had previously noticed surveillance of herself in Karachaevsk.\nBack in 2016, in two settlements of Karachay-Cherkessia — the village of Mednogorsky and the village of Kurdzhinovo — as part of an administrative case, the premises of local residents who were suspected of distributing \"extremist literature\" were examined. However, at that time the searches did not entail criminal prosecution of believers. As a result of December searches in Cherkessk, 43-year-old Albert Batchaev was arrested, against whom a criminal case was initiated under the \"extremist\" Article 282 of the Criminal Code.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2020-01-03T11:37:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1520/extybrb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9ecdde5ab0f23d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1520/extybrb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d9c64968b841e055.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1520/extybrb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a50c96ab803d4aff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1520/extybrb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9733c5ea35c3b189.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1520.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors"],"title":"In Karachay-Cherkessia, law enforcers searched for extremist literature from a mother of many children","type":"news"},{"body":"Обновление. 27 января 2020 года Артём Багратян переведен из курского СИЗО в больницу, где должно пройти обследование. В начале января руководство колонии позволило родственникам передать Артёму необходимые препараты, которые он начал принимать под наблюдением медработников изолятора. Родные верующего по-прежнему сильно обеспокоены положением дела у Артёма.\nThe management and doctors of the Kursk pre-trial detention center refuse proper treatment for Artyom Bagratyan, who was arrested for reading the Bible, meeting with fellow believers and talking with others about the Bible. Artem, 47, has diabetes and hypertension, and his condition is deteriorating sharply.\nArtyom, along with his wife Alevtina and other believers, were detained in Kursk on October 16, 2019 on charges of extremism. Since then, both spouses and their acquaintance Andrey Andreev have been under arrest in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kursk region.\n\"In the pre-trial detention center, Artem is not allowed to take the medicines he was taking before his arrest. In the isolation ward, he is given analogues that are ineffective. They also do not provide a special diet,\" Bagratyan's lawyer said, adding that there is a real threat to the life of the client.\nThe lawyer visited Bagratyan on December 26, 2019. The next day, December 27, the Leninsky District Court held hearings to extend the measure of restraint. During the meeting, Artem became ill, he had to call an ambulance, because the sugar level and blood pressure increased greatly.\n\"The doctor did not have a medicine for blood pressure, so we ran to the pharmacy. After that, Artem felt a little better, and the trial continued, \"says the lawyer.\nDespite Bagratyan's critical health, Judge Tatyana Pozdnyakova extended his arrest until March 11, 2020.\nThe case of the Bagratyan family is being conducted by the investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Kursk region M.N. Zaitsev.\nAfter Bagratyan's detention in October 2019, a series of raids took place in Kursk. On October 24 and 31, 2019, security forces searched a total of seven houses of believers. On November 6 and 11, three more searches took place.\n","category":"prison","date":"2020-01-02T17:48:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_f58c8cb96a1ce362.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_965a897978c440cc.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2ffb8bf3826f73ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1518/skoraya_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7289c3054ada704e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1518.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","health-risk","families"],"title":"Prisoner for Faith Is Forbidden to Take Necessary Medicine in the Kursk Pre-Trial Detention Center. His Condition Is Critical","type":"news"},{"body":"Special forces break into a defenseless elderly woman. Ambulance, hospital, undermined health. She was watched as she prayed, read, sang, and talked to others about God. For the security forces, she is an \"extremist\". They worked this scenario on at least 20 Russian women from 60 to 87 years old.\nAlmost all law enforcement agencies are engaged in surveillance and raids on dissident pensioners: the FSB, the prosecutor's office, the Investigative Committee, the National Guard, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the riot police, and the SOBR.\nHeart attacks, strokes, exacerbations of chronic diseases and complications after surgery are just some of the consequences of the blind or biased application of anti-extremist legislation, which has become the basis for the persecution of older believers.\nParticularly illustrative is the situation in Vladivostok, where charges of extremism were brought against six elderly women at once: Elena Zaishchuk (85 years old), Raisa Usanova (72 years old), Nina Purga (79 years old), Nailya Kogai (68 years old), Lyubov Galaktionova (73 years old) and Nadezhda Anoykina (62 years old). From the stress received due to the actions of the security forces, women's already poor health worsens.\nIn addition, the criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the financial situation of innocent people. Nailya Kogai completely lost her livelihood, since all her savings were blocked with the beginning of the criminal prosecution.\nTwo pensioners from Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Krai), Olga Panyuta (60 years old) and Olga Opaleva (67 years old), may end up in prison on the same charges. They spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, and then 357 days under house arrest.\nFor Opaleva, such shocks could cost her life. The night before the search, doctors diagnosed her with a heart attack, after which she spent 2 days in a prison cell. And during one of the trips to the court, right in the convoy car, she had a stroke, which resulted in paralysis of the entire left side of her body, as well as severe headaches. The criminal case has not been closed.\nOther women of venerable age also fell under the article on extremism because of their religious beliefs:\nВалентина Барановская (68 лет) из Абакана (Хакасия); Майя Карпушкина (70 лет) из Хабаровска; Людмила Пономаренко (69 лет) из Ростова-на-Дону; Зинаида Крутякова (61 год) из Подмосковья; Вера Золотова (73 года) из Елизово (Камчатский край); Светлана Рыжкова (66 лет) из Шуи (Ивановская область); Любовь Асатрян (69 лет) и Галина Дергачева (63 года) из Магадана; Валентина Владимирова (63 года) и Татьяна Галькевич (60 лет) из Смоленска; Валентина Суворова (71 год) из Челябинска; Olga Veryovkina, 87, was searched by a group of armed law enforcement officers in Kaluga. \"A full brigade in the camouflage of militants. The ruling was not shown. They say, \"Get up!\" and I say, \"I can't, I'm weak.\" My blood pressure rose from 200 to 115, \"says Olga herself.\nOften, during special events, security officials make excuses: they say, no personal claims against believers, it's just work. But, given that the intimidating actions of the security forces pose a real threat to the lives of elderly civilian women, some are wondering: are such harsh measures justified? Commenting on the raids in Kaluga, lawyer Anton Omelchenko said: \"If our law enforcement officers, in order to come to an elderly woman, gather a crowd, put on masks, take weapons with them, then what cowards they are!\"\nThe criminal case against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina, who has been under surveillance for more than a year, stands apart. According to operatives, reading the Bible and talking to friends about God are criminal acts. The investigation lasted seven months in her case, until the investigator came to the conclusion that the accused \"exercised her right to freedom of religion, provided for in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and therefore there was no corpus delicti in her actions.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2020-01-02T16:23:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_206bf7e5b2a012df.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_883742e08a6fe1f0.jpg","webp":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e104929aca119d07.webp","webp2x":"/news/2020/01/1514/1578966_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_27cb38a0195c3abb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2020/01/1514.html","regions":["primorye","arkhangelsk","khakassia","khabarovsk","kamchatka","rostov","moscow_obl","ivanovo","chelyabinsk","smolensk","kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","analytics","review","elderly","health-risk","ivs","house-arrest","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Hunting the Elderly: Security Forces List Older Women in the Ranks of Extremists","type":"news"},{"body":"(click to enlarge) How many people were repressed for their faith in 2019? As of December 31, 2019, 313 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are officially in the status of accused, suspected, indicted or convicted. Two-thirds of them (213) learned about the criminal prosecution in 2019. The total number of criminal cases initiated is 135 (most often 2 or more defendants in one criminal case).\nWhat is the geographical scope of repression for faith as of the end of 2019? Criminal cases have been initiated in 52 regions of Russia. In 2019, cases were opened in 21 new regions of Russia. (There are a total of 85 regions in Russia, which means that 61% of the regions are persecuted by Jehovah's Witnesses.)\nHow many convictions for faith were handed down in 2019, and how many of them went into effect. Although criminal prosecutions of Jehovah's Witnesses under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation began in 2018, the first sentences were handed down in 2019. During the year, 18 people were found guilty and sentenced by the courts to various punishments, from large fines to 6 years in prison. An appeal has already been filed against 10 people, and the sentences have entered into force. Another 8 people are waiting for the decision of the appeal.\nList of sentences handed down and entered into force in 2019: On 23.05.2019, the Oryol Regional Court upheld the decision on the prison term for Dennis Christensen.\n13.06.2019 The Oryol Regional Court upheld the conviction of Sergey Skrynnikov.\n05.09.2019 The Perm Regional Court upheld the conviction of Alexander Solovyov. For his faith, he will pay a large fine of 300 thousand rubles.\n05.11.2019 The Khabarovsk Regional Court replaced Valeriy Moskalenko with 26 months of forced labor with a large fine.\n20.12.2019 The Saratov Regional Court did not change the sentence of Konstantin Bazhenov, Alexey Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Makhammadiev, Alexey Miretsky. For their faith, they will be sent to a colony for terms ranging from 2 to 3.5 years.\nList of sentences handed down in 2019 but not in force: 05.11.2019 Six years in prison for Sergey Klimov. A court in Tomsk handed down another guilty verdict for believing in Jehovah.\n14.11.2019 The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm sentenced Alexei Metzger to a fine of 350 thousand for the right to practice religion (the prosecutor asked for 3 years in prison).\nOn 13.12.2019, the Leninsky District Court of Penza sentenced Vladimir Alushkin to 6 years in prison for his faith. His wife, Tatiana, and their fellow believers Galiya Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov were sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nHow many Jehovah's Witnesses have passed through the pre-trial detention center and how many are still being held there. Since May 2017, 149 believers, including 22 women, have been sent to jail. More than half of the total – 84 people – were detained during 2019.\nList of believers who have already spent more than 6 months in jail (more than 30 people): Abdulgalimov Marat, born in 1991, Under arrest since: June 1, 2019, SIZO-1 in the Republic of Dagestan\nAbdullaev Arsen, born in 1979, Under arrest since: June 1, 2019, SIZO-1 in the Republic of Dagestan\nAvanesov Arsen, born in 1983, Under arrest since: May 22, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region\nAvanesov Vilen, born in 1952, Under arrest since: May 22, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region\nAkopov Alexander, born in 1992, 359 days in jail\nAlushkin Vladimir, born in 1964, 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 181 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Penza region, 333 days under house arrest. On December 13, 2019, by a court verdict, he was again taken into custody\nBazhenov Konstantin, born in 1975, 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 341 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region. On September 19, 2019, by a court verdict, he was again taken into custody\nBarmakin Dmitry, born in 1974, 447 days in jail\nBuglak Irina, born in 1975, 181 days in jail\nBudenchuk Alexey, born in 1982, Under arrest since: June 12, 2018, 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 364 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region. On September 19, 2019, by a court verdict, he was again taken into custody\nValentina Vladimirova, born in 1956, 191 days in jail\nGalkevich Tatiana, born in 1959, 190 days in jail\nAnton Dergalev, born in 1985, Under arrest since: June 1, 2019, SIZO-1 in the Republic of Dagestan\nDeshko Yevgeny, born in 1989, 207 days in jail\nSergey Klimov, born in 1970, convicted, Under arrest since: June 3, 2018, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region\nChristensen Dennis, born in 1972, 731 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Orel, on May 23, 2019, by a court verdict, was sent to correctional colony No. 3 in the Kursk region\nKuzin Dmitry, born in 1965, 182 days in jail\nMalkov Viktor, born in 1959, Under arrest since: April 25, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Smolensk region\nFelix Makhammadiyev, born in 1984, convicted, 3 days in the temporary detention facility, 364 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region. On September 19, 2019, by a court verdict, he was again taken into custody\nMakhnev Roman, born in 1976, 182 days in pre-trial detention\nMoskalenko Valery, born in 1967, 396 days in jail\nOsadchuk Valentin, born in 1976, 275 days in pre-trial detention\nOstapenko Anton, born in 1991, 246 days in jail\nParkov Alexander, born in 1967, Under arrest since: May 20, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region\nSavelyev Yuriy, born in 1954, Under arrest since: November 8, 2018, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region\nSamsonov Konstantin, born in 1977, 361 days in jail\nSorokina Natalia, born in 1975, 191 days in jail\nStupnikov Andrey, born in 1973, 241 days in jail\nShamil Sultanov, born in 1977, 361 days in pre-trial detention\nMaria Troshina, born in 1977, 191 days in pre-trial detention\nShalev Valery, born in 1977, Under arrest since: April 25, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Smolensk region\nOn December 31, 2019, 5 women are in the pre-trial detention center: Tatiana Shamsheva, born in 1977, has been under arrest since June 11, 2019 in SIZO-1 in the Bryansk region\nSilaeva Olga, born in 1988, under arrest since: June 11, 2019, SIZO-1 in the Bryansk region\nMaria Karpova, born in 1980, under arrest since: June 1, 2019, SIZO-1 in the Republic of Dagestan\nBagratyan Alevtina, born in 1977, under arrest since: October 16, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kursk region\nPegasheva Ekaterina, born in 1989, under arrest since: October 3, 2019, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mari El\nHow many searches have been conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses? Since the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations came into force, a total of 778 searches have been conducted in their homes. Of these, 489 searches were conducted in 2019. (A search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to liberty and security of person, privacy, personal and family secrets, honor, and good name.)\nChronicle of the incursions into the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2019: 01/12/2019 Ipatovo (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted 20.01.2019 Nogliki (Sakhalin Region): 3 searches carried out 01/20/2019 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Sakhalin Region): 6 searches conducted 01/20/2019 Nevelsk (Sakhalin Region): 1 search was conducted 01/27/2019 Furmanov (Ivanovo Region): 1 search was conducted 03.02.2019 Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory): 3 searches carried out 05.02.2019 Kirov (Kirov region): 1 search was conducted 06.02.2019 Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted 06.02.2019 Saransk (Mordovia): 9 searches carried out 06.02.2019 Urai (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug): 2 searches were conducted 06.02.2019 Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted 02/15/2019 Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug): 22 searches carried out 02/25/2019 Kurilsk (Sakhalin Region): 2 searches carried out 02/27/2019 Arkhangelsk (Arkhangelsk Region): 6 searches carried out 02/27/2019 Ulyanovsk (Ulyanovsk Region): 5 searches conducted 27.02.2019 Nefteyugansk (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug): 1 search was conducted 02/28/2019 Pyat-Yakh (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug): 1 search was conducted 03/01/2019 Cherepovets (Vologda Region): 1 search was conducted 03/13/2019 Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Region): 7 searches carried out 03/17/2019 Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory): 3 searches carried out 03/20/2019 Magadan (Magadan Region): 8 searches conducted 03/20/2019 Yalta (Crimea): 8 searches were conducted 03/21/2019 Zeya (Amur Region): 5 searches conducted 03/26/2019 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 10 searches carried out 03/26/2019 Kirov (Kirov Region): 12 searches carried out 03.04.2019 Porkhov (Pskov region): 2 searches carried out 04/11/2019 Abakan (Khakassia): 4 searches carried out 04/15/2019 Omsk (Omsk Region): 1 search was conducted 04/16/2019 Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk Region): 1 search was conducted 04/19/2019 Partizansk (Primorye Territory): 2 searches carried out 04/19/2019 Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 11 searches carried out 04/19/2019 Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Region): 13 searches conducted 04/19/2019 Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 5 searches conducted 04/25/2019 Smolensk (Smolensk Region): 3 searches carried out 30.04.2019 Ufa (Bashkortostan): 2 searches carried out 05/08/2019 Omsk (Omsk Region): 5 searches were conducted 05/15/2019 Ulyanovsk (Ulyanovsk Region): 1 search was conducted 16.05.2019 Smolensk (Smolensk region): 2 searches carried out 05/16/2019 Volgograd (Volgograd Region): 7 searches carried out 05/22/2019 Rostov-on-Don (Rostov Region): 13 searches carried out 05/24/2019 Kirov (Kirov region): 1 search was conducted 06/01/2019 Makhachkala (Dagestan): 13 searches conducted 06/01/2019 Karachaevsk (Karachay-Cherkessia): 1 search was conducted 04.06.2019 Sevastopol (Sevastopol): 10 searches carried out 06/07/2019 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 2 searches carried out 11.06.2019 Unecha and Novozybkov (Bryansk region): 22 searches carried out 12.06.2019 Moscow (Moscow): 1 search was conducted 14.06.2019 Sukhobuzimskoye (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 9 searches carried out 06/18/2019 Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory): 2 searches carried out 06/26/2019 Budyonnovsk (Stavropol Territory): 9 searches carried out 06/28/2019 Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Region): 1 search was conducted 04.07.2019 Kostroma (Kostroma region): 1 search was conducted 07.07.2019 Sevastopol (Crimea): 1 search was conducted 07/09/2019 Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory): 1 search was conducted 07/09/2019 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 2 searches carried out 07/11/2019 Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 13.07.2019 Yevpatoria (Crimea): 2 searches carried out 07/17/2019 Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod Region): 35 searches carried out 17.07.2019 Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted 07/17/2019 Kirov (Kirov Region): 1 search was conducted 07/18/2019 Kirov (Kirov Region): 1 search was conducted 07/22/2019 Kemerovo (Kemerovo Region): 2 searches carried out 07/26/2019 Kaluga (Kaluga Region): 6 searches conducted07/29/2019 Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Region): 6 searches conducted 07/31/2019 Kirov (Kirov Region): 1 search was conducted 07/31/2019 St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg): 1 search was conducted 31.07.2019 Kondopoga (Karelia): 6 searches carried out 31.07.2019 Petrozavodsk (Karelia): 10 searches carried out 08/02/2019 Sukhobuzimskoye (Krasnoyarsk): 1 search was conducted 08/06/2019 Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 15.08.2019 Razdolnoye (Primorye Territory): 2 searches carried out 02.10.2019 Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk Region): 1 search was conducted 03.10.2019 Chekhov (Moscow): 4 searches carried out 03.10.2019 Yoshkar-Ola (Mari El): 3 searches carried out 10.10.2019 Sochi (Krasnodar Territory): 35 searches conducted 10.10.2019 Oryol (Oryol Region): 2 searches carried out 10/16/2019 Kursk (Kursk region): 13 searches carried out 10/17/2019 Chekhov (Sakhalin Region): 1 search was conducted 10/17/2019 Kholmsk (Sakhalin Region): 2 searches conducted 17.10.2019 Kirov (Kirovskaya): 1 search was conducted 10/20/2019 Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 5 searches conducted 10/21/2019 Kirov (Kirov Region): 2 searches carried out 10/23/2019 Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory): 1 search was conducted 23.10.2019 Novozybkov (Bryansk region): 2 searches carried out 10/23/2019 Georgievsk (Stavropol Territory): 3 searches carried out 10/24/2019 Kursk (Kursk region): 4 searches carried out 10/30/2019 Smolensk (Smolensk Region): 1 search was conducted 31.10.2019 Kursk (Kursk region): 3 searches carried out 01.11.2019 Soligalich (Kostroma region): 1 search was conducted 03.11.2019 Podolsk (Moscow): 1 search was conducted 04.11.2019 Angero-Sudzhensk (Kemerovo Region): 1 search was conducted 06.11.2019 Borodino (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 1 search was conducted 06.11.2019 Kursk (Kursk region): 2 searches carried out 11.11.2019 Kursk (Kursk region): 1 search was conducted 11.11.2019 Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory): 3 searches carried out 11/14/2019 Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 8 searches were conducted 11/17/2019 Tynda (Amur Region): 9 searches conducted 11/18/2019 Kholmsk (Sakhalin Region): 2 searches conducted 11/21/2019 Smolensk (Smolensk Region): 1 search was conducted 22.11.2019 Smolensk (Smolensk region): 1 search was conducted 03.12.2019 Lipetsk (Lipetsk Region): 7 searches carried out 03.12.2019 Wärtsilä (Karelia): 1 search was conducted 06.12.2019 Surgut (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug): 2 searches carried out 12/16/2019 Cherkessk (Karachay-Cherkessia): 12 searches carried out 12/19/2019 Vologda (Vologda Oblast): 6 searches carried out 12/26/2019 Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory): 6 searches conducted 30.12.2019 Murmansk (Murmansk region): 5 searches conducted Russian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Among them:\nCommissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-12-31T14:32:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1512/2019_hu_12ba876087604e51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1512/2019_hu_a2f32ad854376e7d.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1512/2019_hu_17b650334109f15a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1512/2019_hu_366dac8b79244c28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1512.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics","search","fine","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses are under the yoke of repression. Results of 2019 ","type":"news"},{"body":" On December 25, 2019, Roman Makhnev, a believer from Kaluga, left the pre-trial detention center, where he spent 182 days. During this time, his father died, and his widowed mother's house burned down. About 30 of Roman's fellow believers came to the aid of the elderly woman.\nFriends of the Makhnevs reacted quickly. There were so many people who wanted to help that some had to refuse. As a result, about 30 people dismantled tons of burnt furniture, metal structures, roofs and household appliances in 2 days. They also cleared the walls of burning, installed a frame for a new roof and connected temporary wiring.\nWhat was happening aroused great interest among the villagers, many specially came to see how the work was progressing. As far as they could, neighbors began to help: they provided volunteers with parking spaces, allowed them to use the toilet, borrowed kettles, and the like. Impressed by the support of her friends, the elderly woman repeated: \"Everyone would like sons like my Roman!\"\nUpdate. In Kaluga, friends of the prisoner of conscience Roman Makhnev installed roof rafters on his mother's house.\n","category":"activity","date":"2019-12-31T09:39:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1511/eftawetaw_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_46a469cc97bcb98b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1511/eftawetaw_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_59708cd9b0990b94.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1511/eftawetaw_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1b74232ec8d51256.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1511/eftawetaw_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_20c129301615d760.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1511.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["help-providing"],"title":"In Kaluga, friends support believers who find themselves in trouble due to criminal prosecution","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 29, 2019, law enforcement officers, including employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, simultaneously invaded at least 4 apartments where Jehovah's Witnesses live. Searches and interrogations were conducted. A criminal case has been initiated.\nIt is known that criminal case No. 11902470002000277 has been initiated. It is being investigated by the Investigative Department for the city of Murmansk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region. It is not yet clear, however, under what article and against whom this case was initiated.\nInvestigators I.O. Shash and N.I. Glebov were involved in the operation, among others.\nEarlier, on April 18, 2018, in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region), searches were conducted in the homes of local residents. 44-year-old Roman Markin and 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov were sent to a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (age indicated at the time of arrest). On May 24, 2019, they were served with an indictment, a final document in which investigators had to justify their attacks on peaceful law-abiding believers.\nUpdate. According to updated information, on December 29, 5 searches took place in Murmansk, after which 13 people were taken to the building of the local Investigative Committee for interrogation. Only one of the detainees was provided with a copy of the interrogation protocol. At the place of search, the security forces seized literature and electronic media. A copy of the search protocol was also not provided to everyone. According to a press release from the Investigative Committee for the Murmansk Region, a new criminal case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization). The number and names of the defendants in the criminal case are still unknown.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-30T17:59:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1510/190215_hu_584e781696db873d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1510/190215.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1510/190215_hu_5a7893bc0af43a5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1510/190215_hu_46985ff64a76e579.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1510.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Sunday operation against believers in Murmansk. The forces of the Investigative Committee were thrown into the investigation of the Bible readings ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, a series of searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' homes took place in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. At least 8 people, including minors, were taken for questioning. 59-year-old Aleksandr Kabanov spent a day behind bars. On December 27, however, the court refused to send him to jail.\nUpdate. It became known that the minors were not taken away for interrogation, but were interrogated at the place of the search.\nDespite the severe frost, about 40 anxious citizens came to the hearing on the election of a preventive measure for Alexander Kabanov. Almost none of them were allowed to attend the hearing and were even escorted out of the courthouse. For about 3 hours, the believer's friends waited for what the court would say, taking turns warming themselves in cars. All of them breathed a sigh of relief when they learned about the court's refusal to send Aleksandr Kabanov to the pre-trial detention center.\nThis is not the first time that law enforcement agencies in the Krasnoyarsk Territory have persecuted ordinary people and deprived them of their legal right to practice their religion. Compared to other regions, the Krasnoyarsk Territory is engaged in a very active struggle against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses . The fight against the \"undesirable\" faith has been launched in six cities of the region at once - Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, Minusinsk, Sharypov, Achinsk, and now in Zelenogorsk.\nCurrently, investigations are underway in this region against seven believers: Krasnoyarsk, Minusinsk, Sharypovo, Norilsk and Achinsk. Aleksandr Polozov from Norilsk was taken into custody in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Most recently, on the night of December 20, 2019, Anton Ostapenko from Sharypovo was released from pre-trial detention center No. 3 under house arrest, after 246 days behind bars. And the case of Andrey Stupnikov has been dragging on since July 3, 2018.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-27T17:57:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1509/zelenogorsk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a3af187dacca810.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1509/zelenogorsk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_6542397dc54bff0d.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1509/zelenogorsk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a4a3f2724a87de59.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1509/zelenogorsk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_60650e5ad941c5a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1509.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","ivs"],"title":"In the closed city of Zelenogorsk, the believer spent a day in an isolation ward. The security forces asked to send him to a pre-trial detention center, but the court refused ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, the Volgograd Regional Court released Igor Yegozaryan, Valery Rogozin and Sergey Melnik from the pre-trial detention center. A day later, a similar decision was made on Vyacheslav Osipov. Their detention has been replaced by a ban on certain actions.\nFour civilians in Volgograd were imprisoned on May 16, 2019, after a raid and mass arrests for their faith. All of them are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) just because they have not stopped practicing their religion.\nRelatives of believers are happy to be reunited with their loved ones, but the criminal case against them continues to be investigated.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-27T15:12:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1508/15082_hu_ab887ae40d96d39e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1508/15082_hu_807bcd4a1663a9d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1508/15082_hu_80999e373758ff23.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1508/15082_hu_af4e8f48668c5c1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1508.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"All four prisoners of conscience were released from pre-trial detention center in Volgograd ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 30, 2019, the Spassky District Court, chaired by Judge Pavel Bobrovich, will host the first hearing in the case of 29-year-old Dmitry Malevaniy, 60-year-old Aleksey Trofimov, 60-year-old Olga Panyuta and 67-year-old Olga Opaleva.\nThese civilians became accused after a wave of searches that security forces conducted in this small seaside town on November 25, 2018. Peaceful believers were under house arrest for almost a year, and only in November 2019 were they released on their own recognizance. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of Olga Opaleva, who, due to stress, suffered a stroke right in the convoy car.\nAs in other similar cases, the investigation believes that local believers continued the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated in Russia. Their religious activities are equated with extremist activities. Law-abiding, peaceful citizens face real prison terms simply because they continue to believe in Jehovah God.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-27T11:49:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d29f416bce11f621.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a4e5490852705861.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_fe689b006a3b3e7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1507/sud2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_55d13cb90ac4661f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1507.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"title":"In Primorsky Krai, the trial of four believers of Spassk-Dalniy begins","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 23, 2019, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction overturned the appeal decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court, which upheld the 6-month extension of the period of detention of Kemerovo residents Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk. Although the believers have already served this term in a pre-trial detention center, it is important that it is recognized as illegal.\u0026nbsp;\nHere's how events unfolded:\u0026nbsp;\n13.06.2019The Berezovsky City Court, based on the results of the preliminary hearing, extends the period of detention of Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk in custody for another 6 months, that is, until December 3,\u0026nbsp;2019. By that time, both had already been behind bars for almost 11 months.\u0026nbsp;\n17.06.2019The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 to extend the\u0026nbsp;period of\u0026nbsp;detention\u0026nbsp;for Britvin and Levchuk\u0026nbsp;until December 3, 2019\u0026nbsp;.\u0026nbsp;\n19.07.2019The Kemerovo Regional Court refuses to satisfy the lawyer's\u0026nbsp;appeal filed on 17.06.2019.\u0026nbsp;\n30.07.2019The lawyer submits a cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 and the decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019.\u0026nbsp;\n19.08.2019The judge\u0026nbsp;of the\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Kemerovo Regional Court\u0026nbsp;refuses\u0026nbsp;to transfer\u0026nbsp;the cassation appeal dated 30.07.2019\u0026nbsp;to the Presidium of the Regional Court.\u0026nbsp;\n12.09.2019The lawyer submits a cassation to the higher Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\u0026nbsp;\n12.11.2019The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation satisfies the cassation appeal. Judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vasily Zykin, having studied the circumstances of the case, notes that the decision on the 6-month extension of the period of detention of Kemerovo residents Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk \"cannot be recognized as lawful and justified.\" The Supreme Court refers\u0026nbsp;the cassation\u0026nbsp;appeal for consideration to the\u0026nbsp;newly created\u0026nbsp;Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (located in the city of Kemerovo).\u0026nbsp;\n27.11.2019The Berezovsky City Court extends the period of detention of\u0026nbsp;Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk\u0026nbsp;for another 3 months, that is, until March 3, 2020.\u0026nbsp;\n02.12.2019The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 27.11.2019\u0026nbsp;to extend the\u0026nbsp;period of\u0026nbsp;detention\u0026nbsp;for Britvin and Levchuk\u0026nbsp;until March 3, 2020.\u0026nbsp;\n23.12.2019The Kemerovo Regional Court changes the decision of the Berezovsky\u0026nbsp;City Court of 27.11.2019 (on a 3-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and assigns them house arrest. On the same day, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction cancels the appeal decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019 (on a 6-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and returns the case to the Kemerovo Regional Court for the\u0026nbsp;appeal stage.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n25.12.2019Late in the evening, believers leave the pre-trial detention center after 521 days in custody.\u0026nbsp;\nBelievers do not admit their guilt, insist that they are simply practicing their religion - and this is not prohibited by law. They cannot be charged with the victims or the damage caused.\u0026nbsp;\nCassation courts of general jurisdiction are an innovation in Russian legal proceedings. The cassation courts of general jurisdiction began their work on October 1, 2019. A total of 9 cassation courts of general jurisdiction were established in Saratov, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar, Pyatigorsk, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Kemerovo and Vladivostok.\u0026nbsp;\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-27T09:28:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_cd81be14bdfb5045.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_12246eeb66d2954.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1506/2_1_hu_6bd23e7419205342.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1506.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["cassation","sizo","disability"],"title":"The newly created Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction found the detention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kemerovo unjustified","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2019, Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, decided to release Yevgeny Spirin from house arrest, which lasted 167 days (before that he spent 160 days in a pre-trial detention center). No other preventive measures have been imposed.\nThe court decided to release Yevgeny Spirin, despite the investigator's request to extend his house arrest for another month. Among the reasons for her decision, Judge Zubova indicated information about the personality of Spirin and the absence of violations of the house arrest regime.\nA criminal case against Yevgeny Spirin was initiated on January 21, 2019, 6 days later he was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 160 days, after which he was transferred to house arrest. The believer is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nYevgeniy Spirin became the sixth Jehovah's Witness in the Ivanovo region persecuted for his faith. Five more believers are under investigation in nearby Shuya. Among them is Dmitry Mikhailov, whose arrest was declared illegal by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A similar ruling was made a few months later in the case of Vladimir Alushkin from Penza, and applies to all similar cases of arrest for his faith.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-26T15:46:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1505/spirin_hu_d31b3e254e1d9c7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1505/spirin_hu_3005fc95e3522c09.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1505/spirin_hu_71ee18591c90b278.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1505/spirin_hu_b1d08562bb288dcf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1505.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest"],"title":"In Furmanov, the court released the believer from house arrest despite the insistence of the investigator ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 23, 2019, the Kemerovo Regional Court changed the decision of the Berezovsky City Court on the next extension of the detention period for 3 months of Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin. On the night of December 26, they were transferred to house arrest, the hearing on the merits continues.\nThe trial for their faith against Vadim and Sergey began on June 13, 2019 (the first court hearing took place on July 30, 2019). The hearings are being held in the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region under the chairmanship of Judge Irina Vorobyova. Believers are tried for participating in worship services, interpreting this as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nLaw enforcement officers of the Kemerovo region are trying to convince the court that the peaceful practice of religion according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is a continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-26T11:35:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_187dcd13f6021d72.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_a1245171968de1d0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1504/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_0_hu_9cddf706de19f920.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1504.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest","disability"],"title":"In the Kemerovo region, Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin were released under house arrest after 521 days behind bars","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 25, 2019, Olga Alabugina, judge of the Kaluga District Court, softened the measure of restraint for Roman Makhnev, who had previously been subjected to inhuman treatment in the FSB building in Kaluga. He spent exactly six months behind bars. A day earlier, a similar decision was made in relation to Dmitry Kuzin.\nWhile Roman Makhnev was in custody in a pre-trial detention center, his family faced a number of misfortunes. His father died. His mother's house burned down. Due to unfair criminal prosecution, he could not be with his family during this difficult period. All this time, the fellow believers supported the family as best they could.\nEarlier, Kuzin and Makhnev declared the violation of their rights in an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. Dmitry Kuzin's wife and his lawyers also appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kaluga Region, Yury Zelnikov, the Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, and the former Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, Mikhail Fedotov.\nAdditional details of the criminal prosecution of Kaluga believers are given in the 5-minute video \"I managed to tell my dad in my ear that I was proud of his steadfastness.\" The life of believers in Kaluga was divided into before and after.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-25T17:48:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1503/mahnev2_0_hu_1701912f0fa9233.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1503/mahnev2_0_hu_e72f6e8247573e5c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1503/mahnev2_0_hu_344b0439ca295fcd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1503/mahnev2_0_hu_1fe442f870c091a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1503.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"In Kaluga, the second believer, Roman Makhnev, left the pre-trial detention center ","type":"news"},{"body":"The corresponding decision was made by the Kaluga District Court on December 24, 2019. At the exit from the court, the believer was greeted by about 40 people (a short video is published).\nThe decision to soften the measure of restraint of Dmitry Kuzin was made by judge Olga Alabugina. The court pointed out that, given the state of health of Dmitry Kuzin, he has the right to be under house arrest in a medical institution. Kuzin will have to spend 2 months under house arrest, until February 23, 2020 inclusive. Among other things, he is forbidden to leave his place of residence (except for short walks), receive and send letters, use the telephone and the Internet, as well as communicate with witnesses and other participants in the criminal case.\nInvestigator E. Pavshenko petitioned for the extension of Kuzin's detention, but the court rejected the prosecutor's request.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-25T17:29:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1500/kuzin_hu_30f53ff77563c55f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1500/kuzin.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1500/kuzin_hu_47d6051f6b422b7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1500/kuzin_hu_8f43ee97bf3d7f27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1500.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","video"],"title":"In Kaluga, believer Dmitry Kuzin was released under house arrest after six months in a pre-trial detention center    ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region charged 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova with continuing the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) simply because the woman enjoyed the right to freedom of religion. They took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\nThe investigator of the department for the investigation of especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Alexander Viktorovich Chepenko, accuses the woman of \"committing a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" The decision to prosecute Valentina Suvorova alleges that she deliberately talked about faith with residents of the city of Chelyabinsk, sang chants, prayed to Jehovah God, and studied religious literature.\nValentina Suvorova committed all these terrible acts from the point of view of investigator Chepenko, \"anticipating ... and expecting the onset of socially dangerous consequences in the form of violation of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of man and citizen.\" It is noteworthy that in the same document, the lieutenant colonel explains that those who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are engaged in \"performing divine services, familiarizing people with the Holy Scriptures, biblical teachings, principles and norms.\"\nThe case against the believer is being handled by the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region. It is known that in total, at least 10 searches were conducted in the homes of believers in the Chelyabinsk region in 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-25T17:28:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1bf2c14bfa426c70.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2d43f9efdf4b2292.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_ec881b33c0675bc9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1499/planshet_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2965a87e5fe457fc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1499.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In Chelyabinsk, a woman born in 1948 was charged. She \"sang hymns\" and \"prayed to Jehovah God.\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, Denis Nikishov, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, released 60-year-old Viktor Malkov from custody in the courtroom. A day later, the same judge made a similar decision in relation to 42-year-old Valery Shalev. After spending 240 days behind bars, believers will now languish under house arrest.\nTwo other defendants in this case, Ruslan Korolev and Yevgeny Deshko, were released from the pre-trial detention center earlier, having spent 112 and 207 days behind bars, respectively.\nFSB investigator G.P. Bezrukov objected to Viktor Malkov and Valery Shalev being released from the pre-trial detention center. Although the court rejected the FSB's request to keep them behind bars, still, under the terms of house arrest, they cannot live or even communicate with their wives, since the FSB assigned them the status of \"witnesses\" in the case (despite the fact that close relatives in Russia are exempt from the obligation to testify in the case). In addition, believers are not allowed to enter into correspondence with anyone, make phone calls, use the Internet, and so on.\nIn total, three criminal cases have been initiated against believers in the Smolensk region: the case of Shalev and others in Smolensk (4 accused), the case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka (two accused), and the case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk (two accused). All believers spent an average of 196 days in the pre-trial detention center and were placed under house arrest.\nAll three criminal cases are being investigated by the Smolensk Region Directorate of the FSB. Such formidable security forces in the region are thrown against 4 women and 4 men who are perfectly characterized, not convicted, law-abiding. There are no victims in the cases. FSB officers are forced to delve into theological issues and are now able to explain how the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses differs from the creeds of other religions. At the same time, the security forces fail to explain what, in fact, the \"extremism\" imputed to believers is. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-24T15:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_efed2bf8dddfe7c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e4bb76f851ed4ec5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d0406961c88c54a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1496/smolensk_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8523ed4e89fe2ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1496.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In the Smolensk region, after 8 months behind bars, believers Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov were transferred under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2019, it became known about 2 more criminal cases for faith, this time in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Back in the spring, he opened a case against 44-year-old Alexander Kozlitin, and on December 10, 2019, he opened a hunt for 45-year-old Yevgeny Yelin.\nThe basis for the initiation of these criminal cases, according to D. S. Melnikov, is \"active participation in ... the religious group and the activities therein, including religion, religious rites and ceremonies, religious instruction and religious education.\" Yevgeny Elin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and Aleksandr Kozlitin is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In fact, believers face real terms only for their religious activities, which were not prohibited by the court.\nThe first searches of Sakhalin believers took place on January 20, 2019 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Nevelsk and the village of Nogliki. Then, on February 25, under the guise of a \"survey of premises\", searches were conducted in the Kuril Islands. On October 17, CPE officers invaded the homes of believers in Kholmsk and Chekhov, and on October 24 in Nevelsk.\n","category":"other","date":"2019-12-24T15:31:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1495/depositphotos_75905113_7_1_hu_a7e12beae6cb7bec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1495/depositphotos_75905113_7_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1495/depositphotos_75905113_7_1_hu_d58f9b884b44bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1495/depositphotos_75905113_7_1_hu_eb91f4ca8be731ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1495.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"New criminal cases on Sakhalin. Two more local believers turned out to be \"criminals\" only because of their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of December 19, 2019, in Vologda, security forces invaded a number of homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. On December 21, the court sent 45-year-old Nikolai Stepanov, who has a wife and son, to the pre-trial detention center. 67-year-old Yuri Baranov was placed under house arrest by the court, given that his mother needs daily care.\nBelievers say that in some cases groups of security officers consisted of 4 SOBR fighters, a technical specialist, an investigator, and witnesses. During the searches, electronic devices were seized. After hours of searches, believers, including women and minor children, were detained for interrogations that lasted until 8 p.m. At least 6 searches of believers' homes took place in the city at the same time.\nIt is known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believers are suspected not just of worshiping God together, but of allegedly resuming the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Vologda\". The case is being investigated by the first department for the investigation of especially important cases (crimes against the person and public safety) of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vologda Region. Among those who conducted searches or interrogations were investigator N.A. Shilov, investigator Denis Kamensky and detective of the Center for Countering Extremism Viktor Povzderin.\nIt is obvious that this criminal case, as well as hundreds of other cases in more than 50 regions of Russia, are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers inappropriately interpret joint confession of religion as participation in extremist activities, which contradicts Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion for all.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-24T10:47:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1494/depositphotos_21862193_4_0_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1494.html","regions":["vologda"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","house-arrest","minors","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vologda. One believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center, another was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, an appeal hearing was held on the appeal against the verdict against Saratov believers Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, Aleksey Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, and Gennady German. The lower court's brutal sentence upheld.\nAll six pleaded not guilty, they insist on their complete innocence. There is not a single victim in the case, and the investigation and the prosecutor's office were unable to provide the court with any evidence of the real crimes of believers, except for participating in peaceful worship, reading the Bible and singing Christian songs.\nEarlier, on September 19, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, Dmitry Larin, decided to sentence Konstantin Bazhenov and Alexei Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Alexei Miretsky to 2 years. Also, all were additionally sentenced to a ban on holding senior positions in public organizations for a period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. They were found guilty of violating the notorious Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity).\nIn the morning at 11:00 a.m., about 200 people came to the courthouse at 85 Michurina Street to find out if justice would be restored to peaceful countrymen. \"The flames of religious repression are flaring up more and more, and many do not understand how this is possible in the twenty-first century,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"We will continue to pray for our fellow believers, as well as for the authorities, that they come to their senses and stop hunting people for their religious beliefs.\"\nThe verdict has entered into force. Believers will seek its abolition in Russian and international instances.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-12-20T15:32:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1487/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_0_hu_293b6503195afdb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1487/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_0_hu_5ae1033d96411da5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1487/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_0_hu_1f645c74241125b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1487/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_0_hu_71be1bc946c627bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1487.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"The Saratov Regional Court did not change the sentences of six Jehovah's Witnesses. For their faith, they will be sent to a colony for terms ranging from 2 to 3.5 years ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of December 20, 2019, in Sharypov (Krasnoyarsk Territory), believer Anton Ostapenko was released from a pre-trial detention center after spending 246 days behind bars. He was met by his wife, mother, sister, nephews, other relatives and friends.\nThe court decided to soften the measure for the believer 3 days ago, on December 17, 2019. However, on that day, the handcuffs were not removed from the believer: the judge ordered that house arrest begin only on December 20, while Anton was transferred to a temporary detention center.\nThe case against him for his faith continues to be investigated. Investigator Kunko A.M. and senior assistant to the Sharypovsky inter-district prosecutor Sharky E.Y. petitioned for an extension of the period of detention for Anton Ostapenko, who is accused of \"discussing biblical writings, prayers.\" However, the judge of the Sharypovsky City Court, Rimma Baiteryakova, refused the petition, considering that \"the grounds for extending the measure of restraint are not convincing.\"\nA peaceful believer became a victim of unfair accusations of \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization\" simply because of his religion (not banned in Russia). In another city in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Norilsk, another believer, Aleksandr Polozov, continues to be held in pre-trial detention on similar charges.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-20T10:21:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_f0583faf10151438.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_551602d2c8f00146.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1480/191220_sharypovo_ostapenko_hu_e8faf583954e410a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1480.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"At exactly midnight, Anton Ostapenko from the Krasnoyarsk Territory was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., the Saratov Regional Court will consider an appeal against the verdict against six local residents sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their faith. Court address: Saratov, st. Michurin, 85.\nOn September 19, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Aleksey Miretsky to 2 years. Such a harsh sentence is based only on their religion as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBelievers hope that the appellate court will overturn the absurd verdict for faith against innocent people. All convicts are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, not previously convicted, all have families. At the moment, they are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-19T17:07:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_27587c34f73ec7b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_7e59c7129528eec0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1482/saratov6_0_hu_423065249920e623.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1482.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","appeal","sizo"],"title":"Six peaceful Saratov residents were sentenced to prison only for their faith in Jehovah God. An appeal is scheduled for December 20 in the regional court","type":"news"},{"body":"The details of the criminal case initiated on December 2, 2019 against three residents of Lipetsk — 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin, 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov and 41-year-old Artur Netreba — became known. Among the charges are holding \"religious meetings\", dealing with \"issues of a religious nature\" and \"pastoral ministry\".\nThe investigator of the Investigation Department (SO) of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region, Y. Yakushev, considered all these purely religious actions \"a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state\" and demanded that the believers be placed in a pre-trial detention center. The head of the SO S. Stepanov agreed with Yakushev, as a result of which three peaceful believers were thrown behind bars for 2 months.\nOn December 13, the regional court held an appeal hearing on the complaint of Aleksandr Kostrov, one of the three believers, for arrest. The trial attracted dozens of listeners, and court employees had to make additional benches. The believer took part in the meeting without leaving the pre-trial detention center, via video link. The court dismissed the complaint.\nThe case of the three believers from Lipetsk is not much different from the many similar cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. As in many of them, in the case of Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba there are no victims, facts of committing \"crimes\" and even specific dates. At the same time, believers often spend many months in pre-trial detention.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-19T16:59:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_b06b80a6f92e272d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_fc0d43778e65844b.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_d42f4760d7dd3669.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1481/3_edited33_hu_fe7d7bf08e26dddf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1481.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","appeal","282.2-2"],"title":"In Lipetsk, an investigator explained the \"guilt\" of three believers sent to a pre-trial detention center ","type":"news"},{"body":"In Khabarovsk, court hearings are being held in the case of Polevodov and others . A friendly party at a local café on November 10, 2018 was the reason to accuse six believers of extremism at once. In the dock are: Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and 70-year-old Maya Karpushkina.\nFrom the testimonies of witnesses questioned in court, it is clear that the meeting in the café was not religious in nature and had nothing to do with extremism. The appearance of dozens of riot policemen shortly after the start of the meeting shocked both the café staff and the believers present.\nIt is noteworthy that two criminal cases were initiated against Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim at once. Believers are forced to defend themselves in two courts, the sessions of which are sometimes scheduled for the same day. More recently, harsh sentences have been handed down in similar cases, each of which also has 6 accused. This is the case of Alushkin and others in Penza and the case Bazhenova and others in Saratov, on which an appeal decision of the court is expected on December 20, 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-18T14:11:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_25602e7b4cd8fa80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_58ec651c25068bb1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_fdda4697d4aa447e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1479/5464646_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_3e0a8442a78d7191.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1479.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","leisure-disruption"],"title":"The Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk hears the case of 6 believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 16, 2019, in Cherkessk, the FSB conducted at least 9 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened against Albert Batchaev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for organizing \"the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God\" and similar actions.\nThe case against the believers was initiated by the local FSB. The persecution of believers is carried out by the FSB investigator, Major of Justice M. Sapronov. At least 10 people were detained for questioning. A day later, all the believers, with the exception of Albert Batchaev, were released.\nUpdate. On December 21, 2019, the Cherkessk City Court sent Albert Batchaev to the pre-trial detention center until February 11, 2020. The decision upset about 25 friends and relatives of the believer, who came to court to support him.\nThe searches were authorized by the Circassian City Court. Neither the investigator nor the prosecutor appeared at the court hearing on the searches, which did not prevent Judge Ruslan Atayev from subjecting his innocent countrymen to such a serious restriction of rights as searches. (The peacefulness and law-abiding attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses have been well known in Karachay-Cherkessia for more than 50 years, since after 1967 believers of this religion moved here in whole communities from Siberian exile.)\nThe FSB claims that Albert Batchaev \"using his authority as a spiritual leader of the followers of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses ... He resolved issues of resolving conflict situations with followers, organized collective religious services consisting of.... sequential singing of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God.\" Although all such actions are guaranteed to everyone by the Russian Constitution (\"the right to profess any religion\"), law enforcement officials, in pursuit of indicators of the \"fight against extremism\" and possible promotion, claim that believers do not just pray and sing songs, but continue the activities of the banned organization. Authoritative Russian international organizations, governments and human rights activists, including the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, pay attention to this practice.Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nKarachay-Cherkessia became the 50th region of Russia where criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. In total, there are 85 regions in Russia, including 22 republics, 9 territories, 46 regions, 3 cities of federal significance, 1 autonomous region and 4 autonomous districts.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-17T15:29:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_5c029784ec6c0990.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_761f82d6c4446976.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_f677d006d392a397.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1478/58963_hu_70a33382cafede0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1478.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","sizo","ivs"],"title":"Raid on believers in the capital of Karachay-Cherkessia. A 43-year-old Christian pastor is being held in the FSB for the second day","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 3, 2019, a 61-year-old believer was searched in the village of Wärtsilä (Karelia). Feigning an interest in religion, the agent sent knocked on her door and began asking questions about how to find the truth.\nTwo uniformed policemen and a woman in civilian clothes entered the believer's apartment. According to them, a denunciation was received from neighbors that songs were being sung in her apartment. The hostess told the security forces that she was a former music worker, that she had an accordion and there was nothing unnatural in the fact that she was playing music. Nevertheless, she was searched, her Bible, personal diaries, spiritual literature, and even a magnet hanging on a refrigerator were seized. Security officials also asked the woman to unlock electronic devices, but she refused.\nThis is not the first time that law enforcement officers have preyed on older women. In Arkhangelsk, a criminal case was opened against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina for sharing her religious beliefs with others. In Vladivostok, 6 elderly women (Raisa Usanova, Nina Purge, Nailya Kogai, Elena Zaishchuk, Lyubov Galaktionova, Nadezhda Anoykina) were in the dock. In Spassk-Dalny, 2 pensioners, Olga Panyuta and Olga Opaleva, are prosecuted, and the latter had a stroke right in the convoy car. Women of retirement age are also subject to criminal prosecution in Khakassia, Khabarovsk, Rostov-on-Don, the Moscow region and Kamchatka.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-17T15:09:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_fd092af93ab81305.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_28c3d8c0d91749eb.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_72a2c3b61ecae52a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1477/bayan2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_dbd7e1ae9d449ec4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1477.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In the Karelian outback, law enforcement officers brought a woman to talk about God in order to invade her with a search","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2019, a second criminal case on extremism was initiated against Yevgeniy Yakku in Arkhangelsk. At the same time, he has already been under investigation since February of this year. In April, a court seized two cars belonging to the believer's family. The new criminal case was combined in one proceeding with the previous one.\nR. V. Shagarov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee, who is investigating the criminal case against Yevgeny Yakku, has expanded the scope of the charges: now, in addition to participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving others in its activities (parts 1.1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the believer is also accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is a more serious charge, as Yakku now faces six to ten years in prison.\nIn addition to Yevgeniy Yakku, another resident of Arkhangelsk, 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina, faced persecution for her faith, the criminal case against her was initiated on May 7, 2019, and the next day was merged with the Yakku case. Prior to this, the elderly woman had been under surveillance for more than a year.\nThe ranks of peaceful believers who profess a religion that is \"objectionable\" to law enforcement officers are constantly replenished. To date, at least 116 criminal cases have been opened against 300 Russians, and their number continues to grow steadily.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-17T14:35:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1476/ukrf_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_d1a5946b1b07aa6b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1476/ukrf_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_d33dec874c441bdf.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1476/ukrf_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_1a160899306ca471.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1476/ukrf_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_2c3db5adc4c777fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1476.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","belongings-arrest"],"title":"In Arkhangelsk, another criminal case was initiated against Yevgeniy Yakku for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, the judge of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, Sergey Lubnin, returned the criminal case against Sergey Ledenev to the prosecutor. As a rule, the court returns the case if serious violations are found in the indictment.\nSergey Ledenyov is accused of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He learned about the criminal case on December 2, 2018, when his house was searched. This is not the first criminal case for faith initiated in Kamchatka. In July 2018, Mikhail and Yelena Popov were arrested in Vilyuchinsk after a series of searches, and in August of the same year, Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and pensioner Vera Zolotova from Yelizovo were sent to the temporary detention facility.\nThis is not the first time that Russian courts have refused to consider criminal cases against civilians who are Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus, in Kamchatka, the criminal case of the Bazhenov spouses and others in Yelizovo was returned to the prosecutor's office. The courts also refused to hear the case against Valentin Osadchuk and 6 elderly women in Vladivostok, the case of Igor Ivashin in Yakutia, the case of Karimov and others in Tatarstan, and the case of the Rayman couple in Kostroma. Despite the courageous decisions of the judges, believers are still in the status of accused and face long prison terms.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-16T17:30:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1473/shablon_dlya_novostey54_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9f958ce84213e399.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1473/shablon_dlya_novostey54_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e9e43ee0d6464bd9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1473/shablon_dlya_novostey54_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_dad88bd31887d5f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1473/shablon_dlya_novostey54_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_4cd1b3feeca3e501.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1473.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"title":"Another bold decision of the court: in Kamchatka, the criminal case against the believer Sergey Ledenev is returned to the prosecutor's office ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Penza announced a verdict to 6 citizens whose faith was not liked by the security forces. Vladimir Alushkin was arrested in the courtroom. His wife, Tatiana, and their co-religionists Galiya Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov were given suspended sentences of 2 years.\n\"Our hearts go out to the six Jehovah's Witnesses convicted today, including Vladimir Alushkin and his wife, Tatiana,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"Vladimir's 6-year prison sentence is one of the harshest sentences handed down to Jehovah's Witnesses since the ban in 2017. Unfortunately, such sentences are becoming the norm in modern Russia. It is especially significant that the Russian authorities continue to stubbornly ignore unanimous criticism from authoritative international organizations, governments and human rights activists. The current state of religious freedom in Russia is reminiscent of the worst periods of Soviet history, but, as we know, even under the yoke of the Soviet machine, Jehovah's Witnesses did not abandon their faith. Similarly, since the ban in 2017, tens of thousands of our brothers and sisters in Russia have remained strong in their faith despite the constant threat of arrest and imprisonment. We have no doubt that their faith will continue to be strong.\"\nHow did it all begin? In September 2017, the Investigative Committee for the Penza Region decided to increase crime detection rates at the expense of innocent Jehovah's Witnesses. Instead of protecting Penza from dangerous criminals, the department threw reserves for operational-search measures against believers.\nOn July 15, 2018, groups of law enforcement officers led by Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously broke into the apartments of civilians in Penza. After interrogations, which lasted well after midnight, criminal cases were opened against four believers under various parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of an extremist organization or organization thereof. Vladimir Alushkin was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Penza region for 184 days. Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin were placed under house arrest for the same period.\nA year later, on July 10, 2019, Roman Tanchenko, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, accepted the criminal case for his proceedings. At the same time, he extended the detention of Vladimir Alushkin, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin under house arrest.\nAccording to the verdict of the court, Vladimir Alushkin will go to a colony for 6 years, his wife, Tatiana, was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov were also sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.\nIt is noteworthy that the court openly ignored the resolution of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, issued on the complaint of Vladimir Alushkin. His arrest was declared illegal, and what was happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was called \"systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Russian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-12-13T13:43:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_9f5c5dc7493d2b4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_32116054ede46397.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_50b34a7c0c0f353d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1471/alushkiny_v_zale_suda2_hu_21f6eddb3d0d52c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1471.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","families","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"title":"Vladimir Alushkin was sentenced to 6 years in a real colony by the Penza court for his faith. What was he guilty of?","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, all six Jehovah's Witnesses addressed the court with their last word. The court retired to the deliberation room. The verdict will be announced on December 13, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in the Leninsky District Court of Penza at 36 Volodarsky Street.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-12T15:53:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1465/1258_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_ec37a9fa8c7c7a8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1465/1258_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_de793629c34d956c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1465/1258_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_c3b88c77ace6bc4a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1465/1258_montazhnaya_oblast_1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_ed6aec9174a4c6e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1465.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments","prosecutor-request"],"title":"The verdict for believers in Penza will be announced on December 13, 2019. Prosecutor's Office Asks for 3 to 7 Years in Prison for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The last word of Denis Timoshin, in which he spoke about faith, the history of repression and his view on the causes and organizers of persecution.\n","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/6.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Denis Timoshin in Penza","type":"docs"},{"body":"The day before the verdict, Galia appeared before the court, speaking about the incompatibility of extremism with her beliefs. She shared how her faith helped her strengthen her marriage.\n","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/9.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Galiya Olkhova in Penza","type":"docs"},{"body":"In his last statement to the defendant, Vladimir Alushkin explains in detail what and why he believes, as well as what it led to.\n","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/7.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of the defendant Vladimir Alushkin in Penza","type":"docs"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses do not respond with evil to evil, they respect authority, because this is what Jehovah God teaches them. With minor abbreviations, we publish the last word of Vladimir Kulyasov, in which he told how the Bible helped him become a useful member of society.\n","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/8.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The Last Word of the Defendant Vladimir Kulyasov in Penza","type":"docs"},{"body":"On December 4, 2019, in the Vilyuchinsk City Court, according to the transcript of the hearing in the case of the Popovs, Judge Aleksandr Ishchenko called \"extremist statements\" the mention of the fact that in World War II Catholics and Protestants from some European countries shot at their fellow believers from other countries. Judge Ishchenko became nervous the day before, when the court began to get acquainted with the watchtower Society's documentaries and feature films seized during searches of believers. The judge repeatedly drew attention to the \"foreign\" origin of the videos, the nationality of the participants in the films, the sounding English speech and geographical places. When the film began, in which the father ties balloons to the field so that his children can imagine the size of Noah's Ark, Judge Ishchenko began to worry that he might be accused of promoting the \"American way of life.\" Judge Ishchenko's nervous tension reached its peak on December 4. When watching a film about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the twentieth century, he lost patience with the words of the announcer (literally): \"In 1939, when World War II broke out, almost every religious group sent its parishioners to war. Catholics from France and America killed Catholics from Germany and Italy, and Protestants from England and America killed Protestants from Germany. Jehovah's Witnesses have made it clear that they do not support this bloodshed.\" Hearing this, Judge Ishchenko, according to the transcript of the hearing, suddenly declared: \"I'm interrupting watching this movie. Criticism of other religions begins, exaltation of one over the other. Interrupt the movie! Write it all down in the protocol. [...] The court stops broadcasting it because it contains obvious extremist statements against other religions!\" The defense made official objections to the actions of the presiding judge at the hearing. (According to the official clarification of the Russian Supreme Court, \"criticism of other religions\" is not extremism.) Nevertheless, the next day, when studying the book \"The Secret of Family Happiness\", Judge Ishchenko, having learned that the copyright to the book belongs to a legal entity registered in the United States, expressed surprise that such a publication turned out to be in Vilyuchinsk, a closed territorial entity. (Later, after the defense's objection, the court recognized that the production of publications abroad is not a sign of extremist activity.) As a matter of principle, Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms, obeying the covenant of Jesus Christ: \"Put the sword in its scabbard! Whoever takes up the sword will perish by the sword\" (Bible, Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26, verse 52). It is widely known that Jehovah's Witnesses, as a religious belief group, did not support the Third Reich. Not only in Germany, but also in other countries, believers were severely persecuted for conscientious objection to military service. In the Russian Federation, Jehovah's Witnesses enjoy the constitutional right to alternative civilian service. Unfortunately, in some cases, the staff of the draft board believe that young Jehovah's Witnesses are \"extremists\", which means they should serve like everyone else, with weapons in their hands. ","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-11T18:26:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1464/judge_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7a2d2af2c6cfabae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1464/judge_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7624fbaa32f016b3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1464/judge_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_c9004834e071abd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1464/judge_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9560074b9000b2b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1464.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","families"],"title":"In Kamchatka, a judge let slip what he saw as a crime of believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 10, 2019, the defense of six Jehovah's Witnesses demanded that the court fully acquit them for not being involved in any extremist activity. On December 12, the defendants will make their final statement. After that, Judge Roman Tanchenko will announce the verdict.\nEarlier, on December 5, the prosecutor requested 7 years of real imprisonment for Vladimir Alushkin, 4 years of imprisonment for Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin for 4 years in prison, and 3 years of imprisonment for Tatyana Alushkina and Galiya Olkhova. For everyone except Vladimir Alushkin, the prosecutor proposes to replace the prison with forced labor.\nVladimir Alushkin, whom the prosecutor's office proposes to send to jail for 7 years, appealed his arrest to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. On October 1, 2019, the UN Working Group, having studied the explanations provided by the Russian authorities, promulgated its resolution: the arrest of believer Vladimir Alushkin was illegal! The UN regarded what was happening in Russia as \"systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" (paragraph 65).\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-11T15:53:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1463/depositphotos15812491_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1463/depositphotos15812491.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1463/depositphotos15812491_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1463/depositphotos15812491_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1463.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments","families"],"title":"On December 12, six innocent people may be sentenced in Penza. Prosecutor's Office Asks for 3 to 7 Years in Prison for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"Tomorrow, December 12, at 11:00 a.m., the Saratov Regional Court will consider an appeal against the verdict against six local residents sentenced to various terms of imprisonment for their faith. Court address: Saratov, st. Michurin, 85.\nOn September 19, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Aleksey Miretsky to 2 years. Such a harsh sentence is based only on their religion as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBelievers hope that the appellate court will overturn the absurd verdict for faith against innocent people. All convicts are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, not previously convicted, all have families. At the moment, they are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\nUpdate. About 150 people came to the hearing, but only 40 were allowed into the hall. It turned out that the lawyer of one of the accused did not appear, so a new one was appointed to him. The court postponed the hearing until December 20 so that the new lawyer could familiarize herself with the case materials and the complaint.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-11T11:25:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_293b6503195afdb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_5ae1033d96411da5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_1f645c74241125b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1462/15896_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_71be1bc946c627bc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1462.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"On December 12, an appeals court in Saratov will decide whether to imprison six local Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2019, repeated searches were carried out in the homes of residents of Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), accused of extremism because of their religion. It is known about the searches of Ilkhom Aminzhanov and Timofey Zhukov. Less than a year has passed since believers in this city were tortured for their religious beliefs.\nIt is already known that the search took place in the apartments of Ilkhom Aminzhanov and Timofey Zhukov. The case against them under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on February 11, 2019. The search was led by the investigator of the investigation department for the city of Pyt-Yakh, senior lieutenant of justice Igonina Elena Olegovna. Electronic devices were seized from believers. Information about other possible searches is being clarified.\nThe wave of terror against peaceful believers in Surgut began on February 15, 2019, when, after mass searches accompanied by brutal torture, at least 15 people were detained and taken to the investigating authorities. And the total number of persons against whom criminal cases have been initiated in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is now 22.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-10T15:32:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1461/search_01_0_hu_345f97689922c53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1461/search_01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1461/search_01_0_hu_3d24520b699a0e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1461/search_01_0_hu_2021c7bce5ce4c61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1461.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"In Surgut, the flame of religious persecution does not subside. Two believers were again searched","type":"news"},{"body":"For almost six months, peaceful Kaluga residents have been languishing in a pre-trial detention center. How did the FSB act against obviously innocent people? What was thrown under the bed of 15-year-old Dasha Makhneva? How many masked armed security forces were thrown against 87-year-old Olga Verevkina? A 5-minute video about what is happening in Kaluga.\nOn June 26, 2019, mass searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful believers in Kaluga. Two Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin, were arrested simply because of their religion.\nAddressing via video link from the pre-trial detention center, Roman Makhnev says: \"The court did not properly consider the measure of restraint against me. There was no evidence that I should have been detained.\"\nHis wife, Anna Makhneva, recalls: \"I heard a noise in the street. When I came out, I saw two masked people in the courtyard of the house. I took the keys to the gate, opened the doors. A few more people were standing on the doorstep. My daughter came out, she was barefoot, and she was placed next to me on the paving slabs in the yard. It was drizzling. I asked permission to put on the child's shoes. He said, 'Later.'\"\nAnton Omelchenko, Roman Makhnev's lawyer: \"The believer, Roman Makhnev, was handcuffed, despite the fact that he did not resist and did not show himself in any bad way.\"\nAt the same time, another group of security officials broke into the apartment of Dmitry and Svetlana Kuzin. Here is what Svetlana Kuzina had to experience: \"I was in this room, at home, watering flowers. And I hear my husband open the door with his keys. And I go out, and then there are a lot of people. My husband was knocked down when he entered, apparently, he was knocked down on the tiles, face down. His hands were handcuffed from behind.\"\nAnother group of armed law enforcement officers invaded the home of 87-year-old Olga Verevkina. She says: \"A full brigade in camouflage of militants. The ruling was not shown. They say, \"Get up!\" and I say, \"I can't, I'm weak.\" My blood pressure rose from 200 to 115.\nAccording to believers, during the searches publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were planted on them, and their rights were violated. Roman Makhnev's wife, Anna, says: \"I heard Dasha screaming: 'This was not in my room, what is it doing here, explain to me!' And I heard her husband's voice saying, 'This is a toss.'\" Daria Makhneva, the daughter of Roman and Anna, says: \"Just that day in the afternoon I was vacuuming under the bed, there was nothing lying there.\"\n\"No one introduced themselves to us, they didn't show us any documents. The search began at 9 p.m. and lasted until about half past five in the morning,\" says Svetlana Kuzina.\nOlga Verevkina: \"To break into the camouflage of militants in such a way to old, infirm people - it amazes me!\"\nAnton Omelchenko: \"If our law enforcement officers, in order to come to an elderly woman, gather a crowd, put on masks, take weapons with them, then what cowards they are! Such people say that they are actually fighting extremism.\"\nAfter the searches, Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin were taken to the FSB building. \"When my dad was taken away, the only thing I managed to say in his ear was that I was proud of his resilience,\" says Daria Makhneva, \"And then he was taken away, and I felt sad. I was scared.\"\nAnna Makhneva: \"Roman, when he was brought to the FSB building, was handcuffed to a battery in some utility room, and remained so until the morning, until he was summoned for interrogation.\"\nIt is worth noting that a few hours earlier, during the searches, an ambulance was called for Roman Makhnev. \"Roman became very ill,\" says his wife.- Dasha began to scream. An ambulance was called by FSB officers, she arrived quickly enough. They gave him medicine, after a while Roman felt better. He was detained on the 26th, he was fed only on the 29th!\nAnton Omelchenko: \"Roman Makhnev was not fed for three days. They said, \"Well, he had the opportunity to eat what he brought with him.\" Interesting position. I have filed complaints with various departments.\"\nOn June 28, two days after the arrest, the Kaluga District Court sent Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin to a pre-trial detention center.\nRoman Makhnev: \"I have never called for religious discord. Always, on the contrary, encouraged love and good deeds. But now we will continue to fight, we will file a cassation appeal.\" His daughter, Daria, says: \"I hope that people will understand that my dad is not guilty of anything, and he is not a criminal. Therefore, I hope that soon we will meet with him and be together again.\nBelievers do not agree with the accusations and intend to seek justice.\nSvetlana Kuzina: \"I don't know if we can. But I am determined to fight to the end in order to help my husband, to support him.\" Anna Makhneva: \"I very much hope that common sense will prevail, and the people in power will finally understand that we do not pose any threat to society and even more so to the state.\"\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2019-12-06T15:00:07+03:00","duration":"4:59","image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_a0ac6580f2d5913f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_cf459ffb0df3dd48.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1456/kaluga_02_hu_168e286783a73070.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1456.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","video","plant","minors","elderly","siloviks-violence"],"title":"\"I managed to tell my dad in his ear that I was proud of his resilience.\" The life of believers in Kaluga was divided into before and after ","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, the judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court, Oleg Kuts, released the believers from custody in the courtroom. All three were assigned a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. They spent almost a year in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe mitigation of the measure of restraint was petitioned by the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Stavropol Territory, A. Astakhov, who investigates the \"criminal\" religion of young people. According to him, now believers will not be able to interfere with the investigation, since most of the necessary investigative actions have been completed.\nNow Akopov, Sultanov and Samsonov will be able to live at home and even work, but they will have to wear special sensors that record their movements. They are forbidden to use mail, telephone and the Internet, communicate with witnesses in the case and change their place of residence.\nThe criminal case against the three Neftekumians is just one of 116 cases brought against peaceful believers across Russia. As a result of these religious persecutions, 8 people have already received prison sentences, others have been fined heavily. Three believers were acquitted.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-06T14:11:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_a587327df3da6689.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_c4357cec489a62bd.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_48974b276f1539e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1455/stavropolcy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_edited_hu_176ffba78374dd6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1455.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag"],"title":"Aleksandr Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov were released from pre-trial detention center in Neftekumsk. They were put on electronic bracelets ","type":"news"},{"body":"Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov, Denis Timoshin were sentenced to 4 years in prison, and Tatyana Alushkina and Galiya Olkhova were sentenced to 3 years each. Everyone except Vladimir Alushkin is asked by the prosecutor to replace the prison with forced labor. Meanwhile, the UN Working Group officially recognized Alushkin's arrest as arbitrary.\nThe prosecutor requested such severe sanctions on December 5, 2019, speaking in a debate in the Leninsky District Court of Penza. All the \"guilt\" of peaceful Penza residents is faith in Jehovah God. Six people are defendants in the case. Four men are under house arrest and two women are under recognizance agreement. The case is replete with falsifications and inconsistencies. Believers are accused of extremism, although these accusations are not confirmed by witnesses or international arbitrators. A crime is called a joint discussion of the Bible, singing songs with fellow believers, conversations with others about God. Investigators unreasonably consider these actions to be the organization of the activities of a religious organization banned in Russia, although the Supreme Court of Russia did not prohibit the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses itself.\nEven before the arrest, the special services monitored the believers for several months, then in July 2018 they staged mass searches and detentions. Vladimir Alushkin, whom the prosecutor's office considers the \"leader\" of local believers, was sent by the court to a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for about six months and was then released under house arrest.\nThe defense tried to appeal against the arrest and measure of restraint of the believers, demanding that the appellate instances declare them illegal. However, the judges of the Penza Regional Court refused to do this and repeatedly extended the terms of the preventive measure.\nAt the same time, the panel of judges ignores the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, according to which the activities, in particular, of Vladimir Alushkin (and since he is called the \"leader\", the rest of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses) cannot be considered extremist. \"All the activities in which Alushkin took part are an absolutely peaceful religious discussion,\" the UN Working Group said in a document.\nDuring the trial, several witnesses, including the main prosecution witness, did not confirm that the defendants' actions were in any way related to extremism. From the interrogations of other witnesses given during the court hearings, it follows that the investigation falsified their preliminary testimony, and some openly exerted pressure.\nThe continuation of the debate is scheduled for 10.12.2019. There will be a defense.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-05T15:51:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_66ed08d09368c457.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_63592e7cf956cc7c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_352d226901714db8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1450/web_image_alushin_vladimir_hu_28b0543ff7f52e25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1450.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","suspended","labor","families","fabrications"],"title":"In Penza, the prosecutor asked Vladimir Alushkin for 7 years of real prison! The supervisory body ignored the opinion of the UN on this case ","type":"news"},{"body":"The court made the decision on December 4, 2019, without notifying any of the relatives. It was found out that the men are still in a temporary detention center, and in mid-December they should be transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Lipetsk region. The case is being conducted by Y. V. Yakushev, an investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region.\nThe Lipetsk region has become the 49th region of Russia where believers are persecuted. On December 2, 2019, at least 7 searches were carried out in the regional center. Having burst into one of the dwellings, the FSB officers knocked down the owner of the apartment, while she received a head injury, and an ambulance had to be called. The men present in the apartment were handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor.\nBy midnight, believers from different places were taken for a 5-hour interrogation to the FSB department. 41-year-old Artur Netreba, 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin and 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov were arrested.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-12-05T15:44:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_72305b2fb5a1974f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a2e59549e53aa24c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_88a56cf23d595095.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1449/prison5_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_70267bbf847a76b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1449.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","siloviks-violence","health-risk","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Lipetsk, believers Artur Netreba, Viktor Bachurin and Aleksandr Kostrov were sent to a pre-trial detention center. The FSB insisted on their arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that the searches in Tynda, which took place on November 17, 2019, were carried out as part of a criminal case against four residents of Tynda - Sergey Yuferov, Valery Slashchev, Mikhail Burkov and Vladimir Bukin. All of them are accused of \"organizing meetings of followers ... religious organizations\".\nThe criminal case was initiated on November 11, 2019. The persecution of believers is carried out by the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Amur Region, V. S. Obukhov. According to investigators, the defendants \"wanted an offensive ... socially dangerous consequences, acting out of extremist motives.\" They are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nDuring the searches on November 17, 2019, electronic media, Bibles in the Synodal translation and even a napkin with a beautiful illustration, which the security forces considered suspicious, were seized. To date, 10 believers have already been prosecuted in the Amur Region.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-12-04T17:04:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1446/312_edited_hu_3c81089fb7ef7662.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1446/312_edited_hu_99cdaf48cf4c5211.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1446/312_edited_hu_f7208f3419e7fe0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1446/312_edited_hu_60fde69805fd126c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1446.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"A new criminal case in the Amur Region. Four residents of Tynda were accused of extremism ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 2, 2019, at least 7 searches were carried out in Lipetsk. Breaking into one of the dwellings, the FSB officers knocked down the owner of the apartment. At the same time, she hit her head hard. As a result of a wave of searches, 41-year-old Artur Netreba, 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin and 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov were detained, the question of the measure of restraint for them will be decided by the court.\nAt about 7:30 p.m., a group of FSB officers broke into the apartment of Sergei Antonov, who was receiving guests, knocked down the owner of the house, so that she received a head injury and had to call for emergency help. Although the search warrant referred to only three suspects, the men present in the apartment were handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor.\nThe search lasted 4 hours. The security forces searched the personal belongings and cars of believers, and also asked if they could confirm each other's identities. On the same evening, searches were carried out at at least 6 more addresses. Money, equipment, books were seized from the closet.\nCloser to midnight, 8 people were taken for interrogation to the FSB department. Netreba, Bachurin and Kostrov were detained, the rest were released 5 hours later, having issued summonses for re-interrogation on December 5. Believers reported pressure from investigators when trying to use Article 51 of the Constitution.\nThis is the first case of Jehovah's Witnesses being persecuted for their faith in the Lipetsk region, but it only adds to the map of persecution of believers in modern Russia, which already covers most regions of the country. At the same time, the courts considering criminal cases against believers began to return them to the prosecutor's office because of vague wording and obvious falsifications.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-12-04T15:32:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1445/depositphotos_18573119_8_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1445/depositphotos_18573119_8.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1445/depositphotos_18573119_8_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1445/depositphotos_18573119_8_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1445.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","siloviks-violence","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"Lipetsk Region Becomes 49th Region of Russia Where Believers Are Persecuted: Three Men Detained, Woman Injured","type":"news"},{"body":"Already on December 3, 2019, in the Leninsky District Court of Penza, the prosecutor may demand the punishment that, in his opinion, six citizens deserve. Their \"guilt\" is faith in Jehovah God. The case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Penza is rife with falsifications and inconsistencies. Update. On December 3, 2019, it became known that the previously planned debate was postponed, as the prosecutor wished to return to the judicial investigation stage. The study of material evidence continues.\nAll believers are accused of extremism, although these accusations are not confirmed by witnesses or international arbitrators. A crime is called a joint discussion of the Bible, singing songs with fellow believers, conversations with others about God. Investigators unreasonably consider these actions to be the organization of the activities of a religious organization banned in Russia, although the Supreme Court of Russia did not prohibit the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses itself. Surveillance and raids Even before the arrest, the special services monitored the Penza believers for several months, then in July 2018 they staged mass searches and detentions. After them, the three believers spent two days in the detention center. Vladimir Alushkin, whom the prosecutor's office considers the \"leader\" of local believers, was sent by the court to a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for about six months and was then released under house arrest. At the moment, six people are defendants in the case, including two women: Vladimir's wife Tatyana Alushkina and their friend Galiya Olkhova. Both women are under recognizance agreement. The men were left under house arrest by the courts. Collateral casualties While the prosecution is working on the installation of artificially criminalizing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, the families of law-abiding citizens are suffering. One of the defendants in the case, Vladimir Kulyasov, working at the Penza Design and Technology Bureau of Valve Engineering, was recognized as an excellent student and the best driver of the year. Now he cannot take care of his two minor children and wife in the way he could do if he had a job - house arrest does not allow. Entrepreneur Denis Timoshin is the only breadwinner in the family and the father of a minor child. His wife cannot work for health reasons, so the issue of house arrest places a heavy burden on the family. Andrey Magliv's wife became the only breadwinner in the family. However, she is forced to spend a lot of time caring for an elderly mother who cannot take care of herself.\nThe UN Working Group is not a decree The defense tried to appeal against the arrest and measure of restraint of the believers, demanding that the appellate instances declare them illegal. However, the judges of the Penza Regional Court refused to do this and repeatedly extended the terms of the preventive measure. At the same time, the panel of judges ignores the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, according to which the activities, in particular, of Vladimir Alushkin (and since he is called the \"leader\", the rest of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses) cannot be considered extremist. \"All the activities in which Alushkin took part are an absolutely peaceful religious discussion,\" the UN Working Group said in a document. During the trial, several witnesses, including the main prosecution witness, did not confirm that the defendants' actions were in any way related to extremism. From the interrogations of other witnesses given during the court hearings, it follows that the investigation falsified their preliminary testimony, and some openly exerted pressure. ","category":"verdict","date":"2019-12-02T21:03:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1437/penza_hu_f4caafe544ea9467.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1437/penza_hu_317ced169368e50f.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1437/penza_hu_7b7e9b0c40689531.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1437/penza_hu_e8f9b38ffe72b1a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1437.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","review","families"],"title":"Absolutely peaceful \"extremists\": the prosecutor will decide on the term of imprisonment for believers in Penza ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 27, 2019, the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court refused to consider the case against Ilham Karimov, Konstantin Matrashov, Vladimir Myakushin and Aydar Yulmetyev. The court pointed to a significant violation of the law committed at the pre-trial stage and returned the case to the prosecutor of the Republic of Tatarstan.\nThe court drew attention to the fact that the investigators handed the defendants one text of the charge, and presented another to the court with a significantly expanded charge. In addition, the investigation, followed by the prosecutor's office, qualified the actions of believers under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation completely arbitrarily, clearly not understanding what, in fact, their \"crime\" was.\nDespite the court's bold decision to return the case, the believers remain under recognizance not to leave. The case against them has not been closed.\nUpdate. On February 14, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan considered the appeal against the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor and upheld the decision of the lower court. A dark period in the history of religious freedom in Tatarstan began on May 27, 2018. Law enforcement officers raided 10 apartments of local residents who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches and interrogations in the homes of peaceful believers began on Sunday evening and continued until late at night. Law enforcement officers introduced themselves as employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. All electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports were confiscated from the believers, including four men, 10 women (including the elderly) and a child.\nIlham Karimov, 37, Vladimir Myakushin, 30, Konstantin Matrashov, 29, and Aidar Yulmetyev, 24, were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months. After that, each of them spent another 2 months under house arrest.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. This criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia, which on April 20, 2017, liquidated and recognized as \"extremist\" 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-29T17:35:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_79a2e02e99332800.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_b68329bcdf142253.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_b4d5e933fcf14829.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1434/123456789_hu_91f12af3f381c077.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1434.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","fabrications","case-to-prosecutor","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Four believers from Tatarstan spent six months in a pre-trial detention center - and now the court has returned their case to the prosecutor because of falsifications!","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 31, 2019, V. Obukhov, investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Amur Region, sent a request to the Zeya Hospital for a medical examination of Vasily Reznichenko, accused for his faith under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n\"Given the advanced age of the accused,\" the investigator writes to the chief physician, \"there is a need to identify the presence (absence) of diseases that prevent the serving of a sentence of imprisonment.\"\nThe case against the 77-year-old believer was initiated on March 11, 2019. Since March 21, 2019, he has been under recognizance not to leave.\nOn top of that, Vasiliy Reznichenko was included in the List of active terrorists and extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all his savings.\nThe elderly believer is not guilty of anything. The Amur FSB, in particular investigator Obukhov, receives funding from taxpayers' funds to persecute ordinary believers who do not pose any threat.\nCivilians in the Amur Region have been prosecuted for more than a year simply because they believe in Jehovah God. In June 2018, it became known about the first searches in this region - in Blagoveshchensk. In March 2019, the same events took place in Zeya, and in November 2019 in Tynda.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-11-28T12:30:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_29cf2579f2a00dab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2383228708d39a47.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_776539759c1a914c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1417/reznichenko_veb_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_c39a99c4b50bda75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1417.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-2","new-case","recognizance-agreement","rosfinmonitoring","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Make sure that there are no obstacles to \"serving a sentence of imprisonment.\" The Amur FSB nobly sent a 77-year-old believer for a medical examination","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 22, 2019, the deputy head of the investigation department for Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory), Captain of Justice V. Golsky, charged local residents Dmitry Tishchenko and Anton Chermnykh under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and they were charged with a written undertaking not to leave.\nThis criminal case was initiated on March 30, 2019. Until now, there was only one defendant in it - 52-year-old Sergei Korolchuk.\nAccording to the investigation, these men are charged with \"a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state,\" namely, that they gathered with friends in a café where they \"listened to sermons\", \"answered questions\" and \"sang religious chants\".\nOn June 18, 2019, law enforcers searched Dmytro Tishchenko's apartment. Mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized from him. Dmitry's wife was interrogated as a witness to the \"crime\".\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-27T17:14:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1411/cafe2_cc_by-nc-nd_2.0_hu_34d088559fc408bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1411/cafe2_cc_by-nc-nd_2.0_hu_23ad2c30fa42b247.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1411/cafe2_cc_by-nc-nd_2.0_hu_87c953c0174cbaad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1411/cafe2_cc_by-nc-nd_2.0_hu_ecae13b4fb09648.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1411.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The authorities of Ussuriysk consider a friendly meeting in a café a criminal offense. Two More Believers Became Accused","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Kaleria Mamykina ... exercised her right to freedom of religion under Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and therefore there is no corpus delicti in her actions.\" Sledkom noted, however, that the woman was \"under the destructive influence\" of Eugene Yakku.\nThe decision to dismiss the case against the elderly woman was made on November 27, 2019. Investigator R. Shagarov, after a year of surveillance and 7 months of investigation, came to the conclusion that Mamykina, receiving fellow believers in her house, \"had no intention of participating in the activities of a [banned] religious organization.\" Thus, the investigator concluded that the woman's actions did not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIn accordance with the law, Kaleria Mamykina has the right to rehabilitation, which includes an official apology from the prosecutor, compensation for property and moral damage. If information about the criminal prosecution of a rehabilitated person has been published in the mass media, then at the request of the rehabilitated person, reports on rehabilitation must be disseminated.\nMeanwhile, Yevgeny Yakku, who also exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion, is already charged under three \"extremist\" articles - organizing activities, participation and involving others in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2, part 1.1 of article 282.2, part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe case of Yevgeniy Yakku and Kaleria Mamykina is a clear confirmation of how blurred the concept of extremist activity is in the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which makes it unclear where the constitutional right to freedom of religion begins and where it ends. Following the logic of the investigation, it is necessary to stop the criminal prosecution of dozens of other Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as to acquit and rehabilitate those of them who have already been convicted under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_40ef2a7868b61d3f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_deb89b48f86f3ef3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_8c466a37f3fb6426.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/12/1498/mamykina_hu_4587a464baf5c870.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/12/1498.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","case-dismissed","282.2-2"],"title":"In Arkhangelsk, the Investigative Committee stopped the criminal prosecution of 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina","type":"news"},{"body":"Close to the critical state of health of Nikolai Kuzichkin is a law-abiding, previously unconvicted piano tuner. Lack of treatment for life-threatening diseases has already led him to lose 24 kilograms in just a month and a half. He was arrested during a raid on believers on October 10, 2019.\nOn November 14, 2019, Nikolay Kuzichkin told his lawyer: \"The management of the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 and the head of the medical unit Sidelnikov refused my numerous applications requesting my medical examination and treatment. At the same time, Sidelnikov verbally explained to me that, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he does not have the right to send me for medical examination and treatment. [...] I believe that I, as a sick person, do not receive medical care. All this is inhuman treatment and torture.\"\nEarlier, on October 30, Nikolai Kuzichkin's lawyer appealed to the head of the Armavir pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for a medical examination. After a week of deliberation, on November 6, Maksim Tereshchenko rejected the petition, citing the fact that Kuzichkin's condition did not fit the \"list of diseases that impede detention.\"\nNikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith. The decision to send him, as well as Vyacheslav Popov, to prison for his faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Before that, on October 10, 2019, in Sochi, from the Lazarevskoye microdistrict up to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia, a total of 36 searches were carried out in one day.\nOn November 20, 2019, the term of detention of Nikolay Kuzichkin was extended by Judge Martynenko for another 1 month, until December 24, 2019.\nLetters of support to the believer can be sent to: Kuzichkin Nikolay Nikolaevich, born in 1951, FKU SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, Pugachev str., 32, Armavir, Krasnodar Territory, Russia, 352909.\nCorrespondence can be sent by regular mail or through the FSIN-letter system.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2019-11-26T11:10:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_643a6864718c4376.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e857c34e4bdf0cde.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1408/bezymyannyy-1_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_344187f1bc123111.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1408.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment"],"title":"The health of a 68-year-old believer from Sochi has deteriorated to a threatening state in the Armavir pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"The details of what happened in Achinsk on November 14, 2019 have been clarified. In total, searches were conducted in at least 7 apartments of believers, and 8 people were interrogated. Law enforcement officers seized various editions of the Holy Scriptures from several believers that were not included in the list of extremist literature.\nMost of the books were seized from 62-year-old Viktor Sagin: the Bible in the Orthodox Synodal translation, two Bibles of the Orthodox Archimandrite Macarius and two editions of the New Testament. The Bible of Archimandrite Macarius, the Bible in Modern Translation and the Bible Symphony, as well as a smartphone and tablet were seized from 52-year-old Alexander Borkunov.\nIt is also known about searches and inspections of the premises of Yuri Sotnikov, Natalia Nikitina, Vladimir Chernik, Arkady Osipok and Alexander and Tatyana Pozdnyakov. All the believers mentioned were asked about their religious views.\nThe residents of Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) subjected to searches and interrogations are peaceful, law-abiding citizens whom law enforcement officers decided to equate with extremists only because they suspected them of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, the massive confiscation of Bibles from Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country confirms Vladimir Putin's words that in fact the fight is not against extremists, but against Christians.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-25T17:04:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_98cc54593df84d29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_9b31467cfd75625d.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_aec39a2b2970d4fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1405/7_bibles2_hu_ed0c96598c0f7258.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1405.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","translations","interrogation","elderly"],"title":"Five Bibles and two New Testaments were seized from residents of Achinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 19, 2019, the Primorye Regional Court found no reason to extend house arrest Alexei TrofimovAnd, Olga PanyutS and Olga Opaleva. The next day, the court also released Dmitriy Malevaniy. The counter-arguments of the investigator that the suspects could escape, the court recognized as unfounded.\nCriminal cases against believers in Primorye were opened back in November 2018 after searches in their homes . In total, they were under house arrest for almost a year. In October 2019, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke right in the convoy car. However, she still could not leave her home and was forced to wear an electronic bracelet on her paralyzed leg.\nUpdate. It became known that the prosecutor appealed against the decision made in November 2019 to refuse to extend the term of house arrest for Alexei Trofimov, Dmitry Malevaniy and Olga Panyuta. On December 18, 2019, however, the Spassky District Court, chaired by Judge P. V. Bobrovich, decided to replace the measure of restraint for believers in the form of house arrest with a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-22T17:10:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1393/sud_v_primorie_osvobodil_montazhnaya_oblast_hu_ad96090a74d29db5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1393/sud_v_primorie_osvobodil_montazhnaya_oblast.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1393/sud_v_primorie_osvobodil_montazhnaya_oblast_hu_e061f9cfffcece35.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1393/sud_v_primorie_osvobodil_montazhnaya_oblast_hu_ad785fc1a5aa8e65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1393.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","complaints","ankle-tag","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"A court in Primorye released four believers from house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2019, the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), chaired by Judge Sergei Osmushin, returned to the prosecutor's office the case initiated on June 29, 2018 against a local believer. The preventive measure chosen against him in the form of a recognizance not to leave the place remains in force.\nIgor Ivashin became a defendant in a criminal case after police raids conducted in Lensk in the summer of 2018. Investigative actions related to him have been carried out since February 2018, when the authorities began audio and video surveillance at his place of residence and wiretapping of his phone.\nJudge Sergei Osmushin considered the accusation against Igor Ivashin not specified. According to him, in the case file the investigator did not indicate what exactly the unlawful actions of the believer were. It is also unclear how the \"religious chants\" and \"sermons\" are related to the continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization, which was never registered in Lensk. The court also noted that it is \"not possible to understand\" what the expert opinions presented in the criminal case testify to.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-22T17:04:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1392/ivashin_hu_b80ae75abcb14f5f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1392/ivashin.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1392/ivashin_hu_d51507e0318f062a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1392/ivashin_hu_498650d8837e0d35.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1392.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","recognizance-agreement","expert-conclusions"],"title":"A court in Yakutia returned the criminal case against Igor Ivashin to the prosecutor ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 6, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev, a resident of Kirov, was charged under two \"extremist\" articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization, part 1 of article 282.2, and its financing, part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThere are no victims in Tokarev's case, and the prosecution repeats word for word the wording previously used against other believers. For example, Georgy Malykh, an investigator for especially important cases who is investigating Tokarev's case, called him the \"spiritual leader\" of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. Earlier, the same wording was used in the case against Sergey Klimov from Tomsk, who was recently sentenced to 6 years.\nTokarev faces real prison terms for the fact that at his home he conducted \"training sessions and meetings in the format of a collective worship service, consisting of the performance of songs ... and prayers to Jehovah God,\" as well as \"appointed readers to study the Bible\" and \"engaged in pastoral work.\" In addition, Tokarev is charged with the fact that he did not stop \"his personal involvement\", in other words, did not renounce his religious beliefs, to which he was legally entitled even after the entry into force of the Supreme Court decision regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrzej Oniszczuk spent 330 days in the Kirov pre-trial detention center on similar charges.\nThe investigation claims that Tokarev collected funds (which were used to pay utility bills for electricity in an empty worship building and maintain it in technically proper condition). This is what the investigator considered to be the financing of an extremist organization.\nJehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows any citizen \"to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\" Perceiving law-abiding believers for talking about religion is a significant mistake by law enforcement agencies that distracts them from the fight against real crime.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-22T16:52:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_b39a23cf851cd7f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_b58e68399a55399c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_d0cd847438c0964b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1391/tokarev2_hu_6e89fb79257a0dab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1391.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","elderly"],"title":"Anatoly Tokarev, a pensioner from Kirov, was charged under two articles at once","type":"news"},{"body":"What was Alexey Metzger talking about on November 12, 2019, before the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm fined him 350 thousand rubles for practicing his religion? The full text of the last word is given.\nThe defendant told the court about how knowledge from the Bible helped him overcome bad habits and become a law-abiding person. He dispelled several common myths about Jehovah's Witnesses, such as that they \"destroy families.\" Aleksey stressed that he was proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses and thanked the prosecution: \"I want to say not just thank you, but a huge thank you, because thanks to you my faith has become even stronger. The Bible says that anyone who wants to live a life of devotion to God will be persecuted. It convinces me that I'm on the right track.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-20T17:38:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1389/img_20190406_173622_2_0_hu_e5531f8c0bfe577d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1389/img_20190406_173622_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1389/img_20190406_173622_2_0_hu_48d16738a896de34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1389/img_20190406_173622_2_0_hu_c45dcad31cd86c78.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1389.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"\"Because of [the persecution], my faith has become even stronger.\" Alexei Metzger's last word at the trial in Perm","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Alexey Metzger's speech in the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm on November 12, 2019.\n","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1388.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Alexei Metzger's last word","type":"docs"},{"body":"On November 17, 2019, in Tynda (Amur Region), searches began in the homes of law-abiding citizens suspected of reading the Bible in the morning. They were conducted by two task forces that arrived from Blagoveshchensk.\nAmong the security forces were Police Major Valentin Fomin, representative of the FSB Directorate for the Amur Region Maxim Isaev and other operatives. One of the groups consisted of 6 people. It seems that the searches took place according to a pre-prepared list. It is known that representatives of the authorities came to at least 6 houses. They seized cell phones and laptops, personal notes, postcards, Bibles in the Synodal translation, and even a napkin with a beautiful illustration that seemed suspicious to them. Police Major Fomin tried in vain to start a conversation with the owners on a biblical topic. All those whose homes were inspected were invited for interrogation by the FSB of the city of Tynda.\nUpdate. Later it became known that searches were carried out in 9 families of believers from Tynda. 12 people were interrogated by the FSB.\nEarlier, 3 criminal cases against believers were initiated in the Amur Region: the case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk, the case of Moiseenko in Zeya and the case of Olshevsky and Ermilov in Blagoveshchensk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-19T17:46:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1375/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_1_hu_e33719bbb893995f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1375/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1375/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_1_hu_c583ec7904548f1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1375/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_1_hu_82d1fb38cbd4f9b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1375.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"In Tynda, security forces searched the homes of believers. Personal notes, postcards and Bibles were seized","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk, FSB officers summoned a local resident, Yuri Savitsky, for questioning. In the cities of Neftekumsk and Blagodarny, as well as in the villages of Urozhaynoye and Velichayevskoye, searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, followed by interrogations.\nThese events take place as part of the investigation into the case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov and Shamil Sultanov. During interrogations, FSB officers Mikhail Kalashnikov and Vadim Lyakhov find out whether citizens are familiar with Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov who are in pre-trial detention, what religion they adhere to and where they work.\nKonstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov ended up in pre-trial detention in December 2018, but the criminal prosecution was initiated by the events of August 2017. Then a group of believers, including children, the elderly and the disabled, were blocked by the police while relaxing on the shore of the lake and taken for interrogation.\nKonstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexander Akopov are still in the pre-trial detention center of the city of Stavropol. At the moment, 45 people suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are being held in custody in Russia, eight of them are serving real terms in prison just for their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-15T17:44:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1369/search_02_hu_470c7df232cdbd40.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1369/search_02.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1369/search_02_hu_14d90c3d94ba9231.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1369/search_02_hu_607fea0552def003.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1369.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"In the Stavropol Territory, New Searches and Interrogations Took Place in the Case Against Believers from Neftekumsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Judge Svetlana Chereneva from the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm found 44-year-old Aleksey Metzger guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). By the court verdict of November 14, 2019, he was fined 350 thousand rubles.\nThe judge did not support the prosecutor's demand for a three-year prison term for the peaceful believer. It is noteworthy that another Jehovah's Witness from Perm, Alexander Solovyov, was also previously fined a comparable amount.\nThe case against civil engineer Alexei Metzger was based on two episodes - a lecture on a biblical topic in a local house of culture and a conversation in a private apartment. The prosecution did not provide evidence that Metzger committed extremist acts or called for them of others, but the court considered that the mere fact of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is sufficient for a conviction. The believer's defense considers the sentence for believing in God illegal and will appeal against it.\nAlexei Metzger became the 28th resident of modern Russia to be criminally convicted for professing faith in Jehovah.\n","category":"administrative","date":"2019-11-14T17:28:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1364/metsger3_hu_655596a896d585fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1364/metsger3_hu_60f8ee09cb233237.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1364/metsger3_hu_772835b63bcf02c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1364/metsger3_hu_9e68e5c681909f01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1364.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"350 thousand rubles will be paid to the state by a resident of Perm for the right to practice his religion. The verdict was announced to Alexei Metzger","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2019, the Kostroma Regional Court approved the decision of the district court to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office. Valeria and Sergey Rayman are innocent. The shocking footage of the storming of their apartment, which was circulated by the media in July 2018, remained evidence of the suffering experienced by believers.\nOn September 25, 2019, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma decided to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office. At the same time, the court emphasized that in the case of spouses \"there is a legal right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been prohibited.\"\nValeria and Sergey Rayman were accused of continuing the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, banned by the decision of the Supreme Court. However, on September 25, the Kostroma court pointed to the \"vague\" wording of the indictment. Neither in the materials of the criminal case, nor in the register of legal entities, nor in any other documents, there is no confirmation that the young spouses were founders or members of a local religious organization in Kostroma.\nThe prosecution unfoundedly pointed out that the Rayman couple held meetings of a religious organization, but at the same time did not cite a single name of the participants in such meetings - the defense of believers drew attention to this. The indictment also does not indicate the consequences of the actions of the Ryman spouses and the methods of committing the \"crime\".\nThe court found no evidence of intent to commit a crime in the investigation documents. At the same time, the court referred to Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia of June 28, 2011 \"On Judicial Practice in Criminal Cases on Crimes of an Extremist Nature\", which clearly states: \"The crime provided for in Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is committed only with direct intent and with the aim of inciting hatred or enmity, as well as humiliating the dignity of a person or a group of persons on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, membership in any social group.\"\nThe court pointed out that \"in this case, there is a legal right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was not prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017.\" \"Despite the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in its decisions has repeatedly pointed out that the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of the Russian Federation is not prohibited by law, they are not deprived of the opportunity to independently practice religious cults,\" the court ruling, which has not yet entered into force, says.\nDespite this position, the court left Valeria and Sergey Rayman under recognizance not to leave. The couple still face up to 10 years in prison.\nThe nightmare for the young family began in the early morning of July 25, 2018, when, during a series of searches in Kostroma , armed special forces, using crowbars, broke down the door to their apartment. After the search of the spouses was detained, Valeriya spent 2 days under arrest and another 179 days under the ban on certain actions. Sergey spent 59 days under arrest, part of this period in a cramped solitary confinement cell, 30 days under house arrest and another 90 days under the prohibition of certain actions. All this time, it was impossible for the spouses to lead a full life, including communicating with each other.\nThe religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is indeed not prohibited.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-11-14T14:58:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1362/rayman2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_551395d3e4734af0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1362/rayman2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_aef4693dcb003dff.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1362/rayman2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_53bd5a5209a46abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1362/rayman2_montazhnaya_oblast_1_0_hu_7c3036cf90a12872.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1362.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","families","282.2-2","282.2-1","case-to-prosecutor"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Kostroma upheld the right of young spouses to worship Jehovah God without fear of criminal prosecution","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of November 14, 2019, in the city of Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, searches were carried out in several apartments of believers. According to preliminary data, searches were carried out at the homes of Viktor Sagin, Yuri Sotnikov and Alexander Borkunov. Natalia Nikitina was inspected and subsequently interrogated.\nCompared to other regions, law enforcement officers in the Krasnoyarsk Territory are among the most active in the fight against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The fight against the \"undesirable\" faith is deployed in five cities of the region at once - Krasnoyarsk, Norilsk, Minusinsk, Sharypov and now Achinsk.\nUpdate. It became known about another search in Achinsk. Arkady Osipok was detained at work and interrogated, a search was carried out in the apartment at the address of his registration with the seizure of equipment and personal records.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-14T14:45:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1361/search_03_hu_675fd0db5f700ecf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1361/search_03.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1361/search_03_hu_de87ba9165806d5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1361/search_03_hu_d375cb98d22e0c93.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1361.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Persecution for faith in the Krasnoyarsk Territory reached Achinsk. Security forces came to four civilians","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2019, at 13:00 Moscow time, the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm (11 Kavkazskaya Street) will announce the verdict in the case of Alexei Metzger, accused of believing in Jehovah God. The prosecutor requested 3 years in prison for him. In the pleadings, the believer himself explained why this was a mistake.\nThe case is being heard under the chairmanship of Judge Svetlana Igorevna Chereneva\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-13T14:36:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1359/2_hu_9dfd22e12d0652fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1359/2_hu_9f13057a77c639be.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1359/2_hu_f57cc1fbe02357c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1359/2_hu_b87487a3eb6d6d03.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1359.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"Will another peaceful believer go to a penal colony for three years? On November 14, the court will announce the verdict in the Metzger case ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 12, 2019, a preliminary hearing was held in the Leninsky District Court of Omsk in the case of spouses Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, as well as Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova. These are civilians from Omsk, and the only basis for criminal prosecution is their religion as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case against the Polyakovs was initiated on June 20, 2018. A few days later, on July 4, searches were carried out in four houses of believers, Sergey and Anastasia were taken away for separate interrogations. During the arrest, Sergey was severely beaten by masked security forces, receiving several blows to the head and face. One of the blows was struck by the knee. Then he himself was forced to wipe his own blood off the floor. Anastasia was insulted during interrogations. After interrogation, Sergey was thrown into a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 154 days. He spent another 91 days under house arrest, and now he is under recognizance not to leave. Later, Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova were involved in the Polyakov case.\n47-year-old engineer-radiophysicist Sergey Polyakov is charged simultaneously under two articles of the Criminal Code - 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1), respectively, the organization of extremist activities and its financing. Three women are charged under the milder article 282.2 (2) - participation in extremist activities.\nThe hearings are presided over by Judge Ivan Vladimirovich Kargapolov. On November 12, the defendants filed a motion to transfer the case to the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk in connection with the territory of jurisdiction, it will be considered on November 20.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-13T14:04:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1358/polyakovy_bektemirova_dyusekeeva_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_87ddbbe4ddb39dc7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1358/polyakovy_bektemirova_dyusekeeva_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_cd61db79ed52136b.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1358/polyakovy_bektemirova_dyusekeeva_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_6b031f7e6e242dc8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1358/polyakovy_bektemirova_dyusekeeva_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_2ebda51641f7a3f4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1358.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["families","282.2-1","282.3-1","282.2-2","to-court"],"title":"The trial of four believers has begun in Omsk. The Polyakovs' spouses, Dinara Dyusekeeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova are in the dock ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2019, the Yelizovsky District Court will hold the third hearing in the criminal case against civilians Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana, and Vera Zolotova. In August 2018, all three were sent to a temporary detention center.\nIn 2018, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city of Yelizovo, after which Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova were detained. The women spent 3 days behind bars, and Konstantin spent more than a week. A criminal case was opened against the believers, and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from them.\nOn October 24 and November 7, 2019, court hearings on this criminal case were held in the Yelizovsky District Court. The prosecution announced the indictment, which has 111 pages. All three are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. No one was recognized as \"victims\" in this case. The defense filed a motion to return the case to the prosecutor. The next court hearing will be held on November 14, 2019.\nA chronicle of this process has been published\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-12T17:56:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1355/bazhenovy_hu_4e3470223d469196.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1355/bazhenovy_hu_5ca5dbc4b78137d8.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1355/bazhenovy_hu_bd7d004679aed495.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1355/bazhenovy_hu_16aa552fb5b25a45.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1355.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","families"],"title":"In Yelizovo in Kamchatka, another trial of peaceful believers has begun. An accountant and two teachers are on trial for extremism","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, the Kirov Regional Court canceled the arrest of Anatoly Tokarev's apartment, imposed earlier by the court of first instance. The court ruled that it is against the law to seize the property of believers in case the court imposes a fine on them under an \"extremist\" article.\nThe decision to arrest the apartment and garden belonging to the family of Anatoly Tokarev was made on July 1, 2019 by Sergey Skorobogaty, a judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov. At the same time, housing with a plot of land is in the possession of Lydia Kachurina, the mother of 60-year-old Tokarev. Later, after an appeal filed by the believers, the authorities changed their minds about arresting the garden, but the apartment in which Anatoly's mother lives remained under arrest. Then an appeal was filed with the Kirov Regional Court.\nThe Kirov Regional Court, considering the appeal of Anatoly Tokarev, made the following conclusion: the seizure of property in order to ensure the payment of a fine as a punishment under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code in the future is not provided for by law. The court pointed out that a fine is only one of the possible main penalties under this article. Since a fine is one of the main types of punishment, in case of non-compliance, it can be (in accordance with Part 5 of Article 46 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) replaced by another type of punishment other than imprisonment. The possibility of such a substitution in itself guarantees its payment and the interests of criminal proceedings. As a result, the court decided to lift the arrest from the apartment of Anatoly Tokarev.\nThe threat of seizure of real estate is nothing more than pressure on believers who refuse to make a deal with the investigation. Back in May 2019, law enforcement officers threatened Anatoliy with problems for his relatives.\nAnatoly Tokarev and his family are not the only Kirov residents who have faced problems because of their religion. After a series of searches in Kirov, criminal cases were opened against at least 11 Jehovah's Witnesses. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk spent 330 days in jail. ","category":"administrative","date":"2019-11-12T16:53:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1353/obl.sud_kirov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a70f0c50332c65b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1353/obl.sud_kirov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_9caa004525d5fc8e.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1353/obl.sud_kirov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7c5f493c277bd63c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1353/obl.sud_kirov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_1410002de520a7d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1353.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","belongings-arrest","fine","fabrications","complaints"],"title":"Court of Appeal: It is illegal to seize property to ensure payment of a fine for faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 12, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok, chaired by Judge Anton Sklizkov, refused to consider the case of Valentin Osadchuk. The accused in this case are also 6 women, the eldest of whom is 85 years old.\nValentyn Osadchuk was arrested on April 19, 2018. He spent 275 days in jail and 77 days under house arrest. Now the believer is under recognizance not to leave. In April 2019, during the preliminary investigation, the court seized the car and money seized from Valentin during a search in his house. According to the investigation, he and the rest of the defendants participated in worship services, which is interpreted as participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The first preliminary hearing in the case took place on October 14, 2019.\nIn most cases, the court returns the case to the prosecutor if the indictment is drawn up with significant violations of the law, for example, the charge is not specified.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-12T15:14:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_3c54e07749043428.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_a25b7a0d4c93d331.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_c492c077eddd38df.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1368/osadchuk_and_others_web_hu_b6c8fd52d0dc31a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1368.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","elderly"],"title":"The court returned to the prosecutor the criminal case against believers from Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"What was Sergey Klimov talking about on November 5, 2019, when the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk sentenced him to 6 years in prison in a penal colony for believing in Jehovah God? The full text of his last word is given.\nSergey Klimov explains to the court the motives of his service to God, based on love and Christian duty to his neighbor, and not on extremist motives, which have not been proven by the prosecution. \"God thinks it just to warn every man of his intentions concerning the earth. manifestation of extremism will hide this information from people, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to make their own informed choice,\" the defendant explains.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-12T15:02:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1352/web_image_klimov_sergey_1_hu_d4393a29e9febbe9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1352/web_image_klimov_sergey_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1352/web_image_klimov_sergey_1_hu_1a17233ca047b93b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1352/web_image_klimov_sergey_1_hu_d6e5cddc2ffb5e7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1352.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"Some people may not like preaching, but I have never acted out of hatred.\" Sergey Klimov's last word at the trial in Tomsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 5, 2019, in the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm, Alexei Metzger , persecuted for his faith, provided a lot of evidence that reading and discussing the Bible is not a crime, but the daily life of a believer. Read the full text of his speech below.\nOn November 12, the defendant will make his last speech, after which the verdict will be passed.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-12T12:15:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1350/img_20190406_173622_2_1_hu_e5531f8c0bfe577d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1350/img_20190406_173622_2_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1350/img_20190406_173622_2_1_hu_48d16738a896de34.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1350/img_20190406_173622_2_1_hu_c45dcad31cd86c78.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1350.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"Alexei Metzger's speech at the pleadings in Perm","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of the court hearing dated 05.11.2019 in case 1-461/2019 on charges of A. A. Metzger in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1349.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Alexei Metzger's speech at the pleadings in Perm","type":"docs"},{"body":"Transcript of Sergey Klimov's speech in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk on November 5, 2019.\n","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1351.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Sergey Klimov's last word","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 24 and 31, 2019, in Kursk, law enforcement officers invaded a total of seven houses of believers with searches. In three cases, the victims were older women, and in one case, the search was carried out in front of a young child.\nOn October 31, law enforcement officers raided the homes of three women, and Inna Belousova was taken from her workplace, and Irina Shchepelina did not have time to get to work. During the search, Galina Shapareva's house was her son, a hearing impaired, whose smartphone was broken by the security forces. The same thing happened at Inna Belousova's house - her son tried to record what was happening, which is why the security forces broke his camera. Galina Shapareva, who suffers from hypertension, was kept all day without food. All three women experienced severe stress.\nDuring the searches, law enforcement officers seized personal notes, Bibles in various translations and equipment. In two out of three cases, law enforcement officers explicitly stated that they were only interested in electronic devices and printed publications. Criminal prosecution of believers is handled by the investigative department of the FSB Directorate for the Kursk region.\nMass searches of residents of Kursk have been frequent since October 16, when the spouses Bagratyan and Andrei Andreev were arrested .\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-07T17:53:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1331/search_01_hu_345f97689922c53.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1331/search_01.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1331/search_01_hu_3d24520b699a0e20.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1331/search_01_hu_2021c7bce5ce4c61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1331.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors"],"title":"In Kursk at the end of October, 7 searches took place. Earlier, three believers ended up in the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"In Khabarovsk, the Investigative Committee and the FSB did not share the dubious laurels of victory over believers. Now Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are tried simultaneously for the same religious actions in the Industrial and Railway courts of the city - under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nNovember 10, 2019 marks exactly one year since more than 50 residents of Khabarovsk gathered in a rented café for a friendly party. This meeting was not a religious gathering: people planned to socialize together, enjoy treats and entertainment. Shortly after the start of the meeting, several dozen riot policemen burst into the café. Investigators of the Investigative Committee stood behind them.\nThese events marked the beginning of the criminal prosecution of six believers - Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, spouses Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and 70-year-old Maya Karpushkina were under investigation. Three men were put in a pre-trial detention center, and later sent under house arrest, one is now under recognizance not to leave. The women were given a written undertaking not to leave the place. All six are charged with various parts of the \"extremist\" Article 282 of the Criminal Code of Russia. Investigators consider extremism not to be real criminal offenses, but faith in Jehovah God and meetings with fellow believers, including friendly parties.\nSix months later, the Khabarovsk FSB, for its part, also opened a criminal case for faith - against 49-year-old Nikolai Polevodov and 51-year-old Stanislav Kim. Due to the callous attitude of the authorities, believers and their families are now forced to suffer doubly unjustly.\n\"Ends with ends.\" Stanislav Kim, 51, is a former forensic expert who worked for many years in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and drug control. During this time, he received awards and commendations. Previously, Stanislav watched from the inside how the law enforcement system works, but now he has become its victim.\nStanislav has two children, one of whom, a son, has been disabled since childhood. Now, because of the criminal prosecution, his health has deteriorated. \"Chronic diseases have worsened. The chosen measure of restraint and prohibitions do not allow him to purchase basic necessities. Since his wife does not work, they have to make ends meet. All this has a very strong effect on Stanislav's psycho-emotional state,\" said lawyer Artur Ganin, who assists Stanislav Kim.\nThe life of 49-year-old electrician Nikolai Polevodov has also changed dramatically, although he is still free (he spent 66 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Khabarovsk Territory, 201 days under house arrest). \"Nikolay is seriously worried about his little son, wife, because he does not know what the verdict will be. Will he be able to provide for his family, be a support and support for his wife, raise his son and participate in his life? At the moment, he is not able to fully work and earn a living, \"said family friends.\n\"Formalism is higher than values.\" The uniqueness of the situation of Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov is that they are accused in two criminal cases at once. The first was initiated on the basis of a charge of organizing the activities of a banned extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the second on the basis of a charge of participation in it (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Investigators do not merge cases into a single proceeding, as is usually the case. This means that law-abiding Russians face two criminal penalties, but now they are forced to go to two trials at once in different district courts of Khabarovsk - Industrial and Railway. Initially, the two criminal cases were investigated by different investigative bodies - the Investigative Committee and the FSB. The latter saw grounds for combining the criminal case and for this purpose handed over the documents to the prosecutor of Khabarovsk, but the prosecutor's office sent the case to the TFR \"as is\".\n\"The main reason for such decisions is the reluctance of the courts and the prosecutor's office to delve into the essence of the case. Unfortunately, for the judicial system, formalism is higher than the values and principles of the criminal procedure law,\" Artur Ganin believes.\nAccording to Ganin, it is very difficult for believers to defend themselves, especially Polevodov, who does not have a law degree.\n\"This is a violation of the defendant's right to defense. Since he is not a lawyer, it is difficult for him to prepare for several trials at the same time. Of course, the situation itself is an element of pressure. First, the defendants see the formalism inherent in the judicial system. Secondly, if the court does not want to understand the obvious things and stand up for their rights, the big question arises as to how fair it will be at all,\" says Artur Ganin.\nHouse arrest with \"bugs\". Stanislav Kim is currently under house arrest. This measure of restraint is considered to be mild, however, as explained by believers who have been or are under this judicial restriction, it causes a lot of inconvenience, mainly because of the atmosphere of fear created by the efforts of law enforcement agencies.\nMany families fear that they have \"wiretaps\" at home - devices for hidden audio or video surveillance. Such fears are not unfounded. Surveillance and secret \"wiretapping\" of believers repeatedly preceded the arrests. There were cases when the tenants of the apartments themselves discovered listening devices.\n\"Sometimes the investigators themselves are intimidated by stories about wiretapping. In some cases, they demonstrate that they know everything about the family, sometimes they retell some phrases, reproduce dialogues. That is, it is clear that a camera and wiretapping were installed in the bedroom, \"says Artur Ganin.\nAccording to the lawyer, the hidden equipment is installed with the aim of \"exposing\" prayers and reading the Bible, which, according to law enforcement officers, is extremist activity, which means that the court may choose a stricter measure of restraint.\n\"People understand that the observance of the right to privacy, family secrets, inviolability of the home in relation to them has been erased,\" Ganin summed up.\nThe case of six Khabarovsk residents is another fact of the persecution of religious minorities in Russia. A variety of organizations have repeatedly expressed their concern about what is happening, and Russian President V. Putin called for \"carefully understanding\" what is happening. In September , the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe \"urged the authorities to urgently take all necessary measures to ensure the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion without hindrance.\"\nHearings in the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk are scheduled for November 5 and 13, 2019, hearings in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk are scheduled for November 14, 18, 26 and December 5, 2019.\nUpdate. The Industrial Court postponed the hearing from November 13 to December 5, 2019. As a result, on December 5, believers defend themselves at 9:30 a.m. in the Industrial Court, and at 2:00 p.m. in the Zheleznodorozhny Court of Khabarovsk.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-07T16:39:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_a331f925f602e7bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_f2a73515a694a317.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_5946423859055414.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1329/kim_polevodov_hu_cba1c0c028317bfd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1329.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","282.2-2","review","leisure-disruption","minors"],"title":"Khabarovsk pliers: an electrician and a former criminologist are tried for faith in two courts at once ","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 7, 2019, the Moscow City Court will consider the complaints of believers from Chekhov near Moscow. It became known that the security forces invaded their homes after midnight, that money and tools were stolen during the searches, that after the detention people were not fed until 36 hours, that one of the relatives was broken by the security forces.\nHow did it all start? In June 2018, one of the believers, while waiting for a train at the station, got into a conversation with a certain Stanislav. This Stanislav (his surname is Kuznetsky), hiding that he worked in the FSB, asked the believer to help him understand the Bible. During the year, he met with the believer several times and, sitting in the car, complained about family troubles, asked for Bible advice and asked the believer about his like-minded people. As a result, a criminal case was formed on the basis of his testimony.\nChekhov residents, who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, were lifted from their beds on the night of October 3, 2019. The night searches were followed by many hours of interrogations in the Main Investigation Department for the Moscow Region (at 38/2 Komintern Street in Moscow). By the evening of the next day, they were sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS), and on October 4, 2019, they were taken to the Babushkinsky District Court, which chose a measure of restraint against them in the form of house arrest, equating the peaceful practice of religion with a serious crime.\nRaid on the family of Konstantin Zherebtsov and theft. At 00:15, when 46-year-old Konstantin, his wife and 9-year-old daughter, as well as his parents and a relative who was visiting them, were sleeping, an investigator, operatives and witnesses broke into the house. Konstantin was placed facing the wall, all the others were gathered in one room, so that they could not observe the search, which lasted until 4:30 in the morning. They seized laptops, phones, tablets, a camera, documents. Believers report that personal savings (a total of 33 thousand rubles) were stolen from wallets and from the closet, which the believers stated to the investigator, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Yuri Kobyletsky, to which he expressed his surprise. After the search, the loss of power tools was discovered. 20 hours after the start of the search, Konstantin was taken to the temporary detention facility, where he was fed for the first time. The next day he was handcuffed in Babushkinsky district court, where judge Evgenia Babinova sent him under house arrest. Damage to the health of a relative. During a search of the Zherebtsov family, investigators found the second half of the house (with a separate address), which belongs to Konstantin's brother. They raided my brother there as well, hitting my brother and breaking his rib, which was later recorded during the examination. The man is forced to take sick leave. After the search, my brother's power tools also disappeared. Why is Zherebtsov persecuted? According to investigators, while sitting in the car, Konstantin \"organized a meeting with [FSB officer] S.V. Kuznetsky, taught him how to pray to Jehovah God, explained the provisions and interpretation of the chapters of the Bible, John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:13, Acts 24:15, showing them on a tablet belonging to S.V. Kuznetsky.\"\nRaid on the apartment of Vitaly Nikiforov. At 00:20, an investigator, a district police officer, operatives and witnesses, a total of 8 people, entered the apartment of the 51-year-old believer. The \"guests\" were dispersed around the rooms, so that it was not possible to follow the progress of the search. They seized 2 computers (one working), tablet, phones, bank cards, flash cards. The search ended at 05:15 a.m., after which he was taken for interrogation to Comintern Street. By evening, he was sent to the temporary detention center, where he was fed for the first time. The next morning, handcuffed, he was taken to the Babushkinsky District Court for a preventive measure, where he remained without food until 9:30 p.m. He was placed under house arrest. Why is Nikiforov being persecuted? Vitaliy works as a computer programmer. According to investigators, on January 11, 2019, while sitting in a car, he \"discussed the issue of buying a tablet [by FSB officer] Kuznetsky for the subsequent download of prohibited literature,\" and also \"reported the circumstances of his acceptance of this faith.\" (In fact, Nikiforov, as a technical specialist, only shared his experience of which technique works best. Thus, the investigation, followed by Judge Yevgenia Babinov, considers advising on the purchase of a tablet as one of the grounds for depriving a person of liberty.)\nRaid on the apartment of Zinaida Krutyakova. When Zinaida came home to feed her mother, who suffered from senile dementia, she found that the house had been searched for more than an hour. Unbanned books with an explanation of the Bible were found and seized from her. (She later discovered that 1,000 rubles had disappeared from the handbag.) After the search, she was sent for interrogation to Moscow, and after interrogation, to the temporary detention center. She had the opportunity to eat only the next morning, 36 hours after her arrest. After that, she was taken in handcuffs to the Babushkinsky District Court, where she waited until 19:00 for Judge Evgenia Babinova to consider the case. She was placed under house arrest. Why is Krutyakova persecuted? Zinaida was detained on the grounds that she, sitting in a car parked on Vokzalnaya Square in Chekhov, \"questioned [FSB officer] S.V. Kuznetsky about how he did his homework on studying the chapters of the Bible with the subsequent interpretation of its provisions.\" (Thus, Zinaida Krutyakova was detained for professing her faith and sharing her beliefs with Kuznetsky in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution.)\nThe appeal hearing for house arrest will be held on November 7, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in the Moscow City Court at 8 Bogorodsky Val, Moscow.\nUpdate. On November 7, 2019, at 15:20, it became known that the Moscow City Court upheld house arrest for Chekhov resident Vitaly Nikiforov. The fate of Konstantin Zherebtsov and Zinaida Krutyakova is still being decided\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-06T14:40:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1321/moscow_city_court-01_hu_12597b41d349a0d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1321/moscow_city_court-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1321/moscow_city_court-01_hu_b25fb45fcbb29cfa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1321/moscow_city_court-01_hu_bb6e71544d318beb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1321.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","appeal","house-arrest","review","health-risk","interrogation","ivs","siloviks-violence"],"title":"The Moscow City Court will review the house arrest of 3 believers. Dramatic details of the raid in Chekhov near Moscow","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 5, 2019, at a hearing in the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm, the prosecutor's office requested a sentence of 3 years in prison for Alexei Metzger. He is accused of participating in extremist activities (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code), which is how the prosecution interprets Bible discussions and joint prayers.\nAccording to the prosecutor's office, the accused professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but had to stop doing so after the closure of legal entities to which he had never had any relation. On November 5, the hearing of arguments in this case took place. On November 12, Alexei Metzger will deliver his final speech, followed by the sentencing.\nThe details of the hearings can be followed in the updated chronicle.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-05T14:38:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1320/mecger_s_zhenoy_hu_923e010351c2b8aa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1320/mecger_s_zhenoy_hu_af507e29960087f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1320/mecger_s_zhenoy_hu_a5e8d0b5ad01b84a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1320/mecger_s_zhenoy_hu_65f3e1a0053e1fee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1320.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"A Perm prosecutor requested a three-year prison sentence for Aleksey Metzger because of his religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 5, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court commuted the sentence of Valery Moskalenko, replacing forced labor with a fine of 500 thousand rubles for reading an excerpt from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Taking into account 396 days in the pre-trial detention center, the court released him from paying this fine. The prosecution asked for 3 years in prison for him.\nThe verdict has entered into force. The court ruled to return to Moskalenko all the items seized from him during the search, including computer equipment, notebooks with personal notes, as well as printed publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, with the exception of one book included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nEarlier, on September 2, 2019, the court of first instance sentenced him to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor, as well as to restriction of freedom for a period of 6 months in the form of a ban on leaving Khabarovsk and the obligation to report to the inspection on a monthly basis.\nThe text of the appellate ruling in the form of a signed document is not yet available.\nMoskalenko believes that criminal prosecution for believing in God is unacceptable. On December 18, 2018, his complaint \"Moskalenko v. Russia\" regarding his illegal detention was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights. Now Moskalenko intends to file a complaint with the ECHR against the conviction.\n","category":"administrative","date":"2019-11-05T10:43:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1319/web_image_moskalenko_valeriy1_edited_hu_c88b2d7f925ee637.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1319/web_image_moskalenko_valeriy1_edited_hu_dfcd59392c07357f.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1319/web_image_moskalenko_valeriy1_edited_hu_21255c5683339faa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1319/web_image_moskalenko_valeriy1_edited_hu_98687dc277613e29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1319.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","labor","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"A Khabarovsk Court of Appeal Replaced a Believer's 26 Months of Forced Labor with a Large Fine","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 5, 2019, Dmitry Borisov, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk, announced the verdict for a local resident, Sergey Klimov, who was convicted of professing the \"wrong\" religion: 6 years in prison in a general regime penal colony.\nThe judge found that the 49-year-old believer's guilt in grave crimes against the constitutional order of Russia had been fully proven, and all the arguments of the defense had been declared unbased on the law. The only reason for such a harsh sentence is the defendant's religious beliefs, which he did not renounce after the Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017.\nAfter serving his prison term, the believer will be sentenced to additional punishments: a ban on engaging in educational activities in all types of educational institutions and posting materials on the Internet and other networks for 5 years, as well as another year of restriction of freedom (a ban on attending cultural and entertainment events, including festivals, religious holidays, festivities, a ban on traveling outside Tomsk and on changing one's place of residence without the consent of supervisory authorities).\nSergey Klimov becomes the eighth Jehovah's Witness in modern Russia to be sentenced to a real prison term for his faith. Prior to that, 6 believers from Saratov and a Danish citizen Dennis Christensen received similar sentences.\nSergey Klimov's defense considers the verdict on the basis of religious affiliation illegal and plans to appeal against it.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-11-05T10:30:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1318/klimov_hu_f265a0cf2bf9f59a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1318/klimov_hu_eb39700ecf275dcd.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1318/klimov_hu_3911a8cd5167832e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1318/klimov_hu_11fd51f5f195ddba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1318.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Six years in prison for Sergei Klimov. A Court in Tomsk Handed Down Another Guilty Verdict for Believing in Jehovah","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 23, 2019, in Georgievsk (Stavropol Territory), police officers in bulletproof vests almost simultaneously broke into 3 dwellings of believers. Searches were carried out. Flash drives were planted in all the houses. 11 people, one of whom has a disability, were taken to the local police station for interrogation, which lasted until 2 a.m.\nDuring the raid, police officers who introduced themselves as the \"Investigative Committee\" confiscated electronic devices, asked questions about the religious affiliation of residents, where they kept money and how often they saw their fellow believers. Viktor Zimovskiy, whose house was searched, underwent complex heart surgery, and although he became ill during the search, he was taken away for interrogation along with others. In another case, the police raided a woman who was lying at home with a fever. All were fingerprinted.\nThree years ago, it was from the village of Nezlobnaya, Georgievsky District, Stavropol Territory, that a wave of persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in that region rolled in. At that time, law enforcement officers planted banned literature on believers right under surveillance cameras, and, as it became obvious, the practice of planting continues.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-11-04T17:56:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1317/9_hu_46bc5ed68f48720f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1317/9_hu_a2de7514ac2512ef.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1317/9_hu_ad9d63c0308aed5c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1317/9_hu_8dd5c6c54e070786.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1317.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","interrogation","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Searches in the homes of believers in Georgievsk. Regular planting and interrogation of believers","type":"news"},{"body":"Speaking on October 30, 2019 in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk, the defendant Sergey Klimov explained why the charges against him were unfounded and biased. Read the full text of his speech.\nA day earlier, his lawyer spoke at the hearing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-11-04T14:17:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/11/1316/web_image_klimov_sergey_hu_d4393a29e9febbe9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/11/1316/web_image_klimov_sergey.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/11/1316/web_image_klimov_sergey_hu_1a17233ca047b93b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/11/1316/web_image_klimov_sergey_hu_d6e5cddc2ffb5e7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/11/1316.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["courtroom","defense-arguments"],"title":"Sergey Klimov's speech at the pleadings in Tomsk","type":"news"},{"body":" Transcript of the court hearing dated 30.10.2019 in case 1-417/2019 on charges of Klimov S.G. in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","date":"2019-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1315.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Speech in the debate by Sergei Klimov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 28, 2019, a lawyer spoke in the debate on the case of Sergey Klimov, which is being heard in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk. Earlier, the prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for the believer.\nThe debate will continue on 30 October. Read the chronicle of the process.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-29T18:43:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1309/190528_tomsk_klimov_hu_cf15208d1094dbf6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1309/190528_tomsk_klimov.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1309/190528_tomsk_klimov_hu_173bc75e17a01189.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1309/190528_tomsk_klimov_hu_d4f0a2a9fe0f0755.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1309.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["courtroom","defense-arguments"],"title":"The full text of the speech of the lawyer defending Klimov in Tomsk is published","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 24, 2019, in the city of Nevelsk (Sakhalin), searches were conducted at the homes of 49-year-old Vyacheslav Ivanov and 22-year-old Dmitry Kulakov. This is the second criminal case for faith in the city.\nThe search warrants were issued by Polina Rykova, chairman of the Nevelsk City Court. The searches were conducted by D. Aimagambetova, a senior investigator of the city Department of Internal Affairs. The searches of believers were also supported by the prosecutor E. Pomogaeva.\nIn Nevelsk, 2 criminal cases for faith are being investigated. The first of them is being investigated by the SO of the FSB in the Sakhalin Region. This case was initiated in 2018 against 58-year-old Sergey Kulakov (father of Dmitry Kulakov). As a result, on January 20, 2019, the FSB conducted a series of searches in the homes of believers on Sakhalin. The second case is being investigated by the Department of Internal Affairs of the Nevelsk urban district. It was initiated at the end of August 2019 against Dmitry Kulakov and Vyacheslav Ivanov.\nInvestigator D. Aimagambetova believes that Vyacheslav Ivanov and Dmitry Kulakov \"conducted conversations\" with residents of one of the houses in Nevelsk, \"trying to impose on them the ideas that were preached by a religious association liquidated by a court decision, in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\" During the search, personal notes, notebooks, various translations of the Bible and receipts for electricity were seized from believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-29T17:38:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1306/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_0_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1306/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_0_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1306/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_0_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1306/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_0_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1306.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","families"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith on Sakhalin. Searches were carried out","type":"news"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen, who is serving time for his faith in Lgov Penal Colony No. 3, has been battling pneumonia for the past month. He was in the hospital of the Correctional Colony No. 2, the conditions in which leave much to be desired. As of October 29, 2019, he is feeling better and has been placed in colony No. 3.\nChristensen's health problems began in June, when he sought medical help because of severe pain in his left shoulder. Dennis was not provided with timely assistance due to the fact that the surgeon and neurologist of the prison hospital were on vacation, and the attending physician refused him the opportunity to invite a doctor from a paid clinic.\nIn September, Dennis contracted pneumonia caused by regular prolonged hypothermia. By the time of the onset of night frosts, the prisoners of colony No. 3 were not given warm clothes, while Christensen, along with other convicts, was taken to the daily formation by 8 am in light uniforms and summer sandals. Such constructions lasted for an hour and a half twice a day.\nOn September 25, Dennis, with pneumonia, was transferred to colony No. 2, which has a hospital. There he was given more than 70 injections of antibiotics, as well as prescribed antibiotics in the form of tablets.\nOn October 17, Christensen reported that it was still cold in the hospital where he was staying and that he could use one thin blanket that he had to keep warm. There is no enhanced nutrition in the hospital, and it was difficult for Dennis, in his weakened state, to get to the dining room in a building without an elevator. He was forced to eat mainly what he bought at a local store. All this did not contribute to recovery.\nEarlier it was reported about unsanitary conditions in colony No. 3, as well as about the moral pressure that is exerted on Dennis Christensen. Nevertheless, he maintains a positive attitude that attracts the attention of those around him.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-10-29T17:08:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1305/kristensen699_0_hu_7f68aeab33e21e7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1305/kristensen699_0_hu_a929ddef91709745.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1305/kristensen699_0_hu_65e9eba01236fc8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1305/kristensen699_0_hu_b0eb5a281cae42d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1305.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prison-treatment","health-risk","medical-rights","torture-conditions","life-in-prison","transfer"],"title":"In the colony, Dennis Christensen suffered pneumonia. Recovery is slow due to poor living conditions","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2019, the trial of Yevgeny Aksyonov continued in Khabarovsk, whose \"guilt\", according to the investigation, is that he read the Holy Scriptures with his friends. In August, FSB officers searched the apartment of this civilian resident of Khabarovsk and his family, and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer.\nOn October 21, 2019, the first hearing in the case of Yevgeny Aksyonov, chaired by Judge Tatyana Kalganova, was held in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk. 15 people came to support him. Despite the fact that Russian law encourages the publicity of legal proceedings, they were not allowed into the courtroom. The judge granted the lawyer's request to postpone the hearing.\nAt the court hearing on October 28, Aksyonov expressed his attitude to the charges. Yevgeny believes that in fact he is accused not of extremism, but of faith in God, because he did not commit any socially dangerous actions. He recalled that the Supreme Court banned the activities of a legal entity. Being a believer and reading the Bible is not a crime. Freedom of religious activity is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The next court hearing is scheduled for November 6, 2019 at 11:30 a.m.\nOn September 2, 2019, the Khabarovsk Railway Court sentenced another peaceful believer, Valery Moskalenko, to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor. This judgment is being appealed.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-29T16:48:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1304/aksenov_hu_9c45edbc823f76b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1304/aksenov_hu_d9d7c08772fbb0aa.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1304/aksenov_hu_84424149eb3c1787.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1304/aksenov_hu_b9b7692050103177.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1304.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"In the Railway Court of Khabarovsk, the trial of the faith of a 52-year-old employee of a water utility began","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 5, 2019, D. S. Pozdnyakov, a senior forensic investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory, charged Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov in absentia under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Their alleged fault is that in April 2018 they met with friends in the conference room of the hotel complex and read the Holy Scriptures together.\nSemenyuk and Svetonosov were charged along with Yevgeny Aksyonov, who has been under house arrest since August 6, 2019, when his apartment was searched. The number of believers persecuted in Khabarovsk has reached 10 people. One of them, Valery Moskalenko, was sentenced on September 2, 2019 to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom. A decision by the Court of Appeal is awaited.\nOn August 13, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, in the absence of the accused, chose a measure of restraint for them in the form of detention. According to investigators, Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov are outside of Russia. They are on the international wanted list. Returning to their homeland threatens each of them with immediate imprisonment.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-29T08:00:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_4d9b0f700cb05c38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_47e317bbf397c366.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1301/depositphotos_36128927_1_hu_801a71917c6929b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1301.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"Arrested in absentia. In Khabarovsk, two more men became defendants because of their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2019, lawyer Artur Leontiev, who defends Sergey Klimov in Tomsk, spoke in the debate.\n","date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1307.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Speech by lawyer Artur Leontiev defending Sergei Klimov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 24, 2019, in Novozybkov (Bryansk Region), a court sent two local Jehovah's Witnesses, 42-year-old Vladimir Khokhlov and 47-year-old Eduard Zhinzhikov, to the pre-trial detention center until December 3. They were detained the day before after searches in their homes. 2 women from Novozybkov are already in jail for their faith.\nAs of October 28, 2019, there are 44 Jehovah's Witnesses, including 7 women, in various prisons in Russia.\nOlga Silaeva and Tatyana Shamsheva from Novozybsk were arrested during mass searches conducted in the Bryansk region on June 11, 2019, in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. Then, in total, in the city of Unecha, the city of Novozybkov, in the village. Klimovo and the village of Dobrik underwent 22 searches. Searches were carried out in families with small children, as well as in the home of an 83-year-old woman.\nMany local believers report that they are being followed.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nVladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov are in Detention Center No. 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Bryansk Region at the address: 9 Red Square Street, Novozybkov, Bryansk Region, 243000.\nUpdate. On November 18, 2019, it became known that Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov were transferred to Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Bryansk Region at the address: 2 Sovetskaya Street, Bryansk, 241050\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-28T22:39:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1295/depositphotos_6406965_3_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1295.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo"],"title":"Two More Jehovah's Witnesses Arrested in Bryansk Region ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 26, 2019, the Norilsk City Court placed 49-year-old Aleksandr Polozov in a pre-trial detention center. Prior to this, the special forces staged a mass raid at the camp site, where Alexander was along with his fellow believers. It is noteworthy that initially the believer was placed only on recognizance not to leave.\nImmediately after the raid on the camp site on October 20, Aleksandr Polozov was taken to the building of the Investigative Committee for interrogation. Investigators were actively interested in his religious beliefs. On October 22, the investigator chose a recognizance agreement for him, but three days later a closed trial was held, during which the believer was placed in a temporary detention center. The result of the hearing on October 26 was a tightening of the measure of restraint. Now Aleksandr will be in jail for at least two months.\nThe believer is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organization of extremist activity. On similar charges, based solely on religion, cases were opened against five more civilians in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-28T15:40:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_8beabca5fbe48988.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_c2139a93f3450d46.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1294/depositphotos_55123709_hu_a8e852d2bca96ee7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1294.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","recognizance-agreement","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"In Norilsk, the court toughened the measure of restraint for Alexander Polozov. A peaceful citizen was thrown behind bars ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2019, in the city of Novozybkov (Bryansk Region), a new criminal case was opened against 42-year-old believer Vladimir Khokhlov on suspicion of belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses. The investigation is being conducted by the Novozybkovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Bryansk Region.\nAccording to the case file, Khokhlov is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, as well as financing it (respectively, Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The case is being investigated by Senior Lieutenant of Justice I. Postevoy. The decision to initiate a criminal case against Khokhlov can be appealed.\nThis is the second criminal case that has been initiated against peaceful believers in Novozybkov. Earlier, as a result of mass searches in the Bryansk region , they stopped communicating and later arrested 31-year-old Olga Silaeva and 42-year-old Tatyana Shamsheva. They have been languishing in the Bryansk pre-trial detention center for more than 4 months.\nReading the Bible and peaceful meetings of believers continue to be misinterpreted by law enforcement agencies as participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Because of this loose interpretation of the \"extremist\" articles of the Criminal Code, the number of people persecuted only for their adherence to their religious views is steadily growing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-26T10:11:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1293/depositphotos_75905113_7_0_hu_a7e12beae6cb7bec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1293/depositphotos_75905113_7_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1293/depositphotos_75905113_7_0_hu_d58f9b884b44bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1293/depositphotos_75905113_7_0_hu_eb91f4ca8be731ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1293.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"Another criminal case for faith opened in the Bryansk region","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 21 and 22, 2019, a new charge was brought against six believers from Orenburg, and the articles under which each of the believers is accused were changed (Articles 282.2, parts 1 and 2, as well as Article 282.3). The preliminary investigation of the case is coming to an end, followed by the stage of familiarization with the case materials.\nSergey Logunov, who is under recognizance not to leave, has now been charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Vladimir Kochnev, who spent 78 days in a pre-trial detention center and 70 days under house arrest and is now banned from certain actions, is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The same charge was brought against Nikolai Zhugin, Alexei Matveev and Pavel Lekontsev. Vladislav Kolbanov, in addition, is charged under Article 282.3 (financing of extremist activities). He spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility and 146 days under house arrest, and is currently prohibited from certain activities.\nThese peaceful Orenburg residents became accused after a major raid by security forces on May 16, 2018. Relatives and friends of believers are seriously concerned about what is happening, because these respectable citizens face real prison terms just because they studied the Bible. The support of loved ones helps them cope with this ordeal, and they all hope for a fair trial.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-25T19:25:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1292/6_hu_3b7d0458ba732fc1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1292/6_hu_8bd969dd8c528d5f.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1292/6_hu_4e859077b78e3269.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1292/6_hu_f532348782f0fbca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1292.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"title":"In Orenburg, investigators re-indicted 6 believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 21, 2019, V. S. Obukhov, an investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, issued a decision to initiate a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Sergey Yermilov and Anton Olshevsky are now accused of extremism. Both were taken on their own recognizance.\nThis is not the first criminal case initiated against civilians in Blagoveshchensk. On July 20, 2018, searches were carried out in seven homes of believers in the city. One of them was Dmitry Golik, in whose apartment a listening device was installed. For almost six months, operatives listened to the details of the personal life of Dmitry and his wife. On January 21, 2019, Alexei Berchuk was detained at the Moscow airport and taken to Blagoveshchensk. Both men signed recognizance agreements. A preliminary investigation of the criminal case is underway.\nThus, the authorities of Blagoveshchensk interpret the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of religion as organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Sergey Yermilov and Anton Olshevskiy face real prison terms just because they believe in God.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-25T19:13:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1291/blagoveshchensk_0_hu_145f92ebc5eb5a7d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1291/blagoveshchensk_0_hu_5fd67dc6b998858a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1291/blagoveshchensk_0_hu_7291d7ce29a903f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1291/blagoveshchensk_0_hu_fbb94a92841f67bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1291.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"title":"In Blagoveshchensk, a new criminal case was opened for faith. Two men signed a recognizance agreement","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 17, 2019, in Kholmsk and Chekhov (Sakhalin Oblast), searches were carried out in three dwellings of believers. Early in the morning, representatives of the authorities under the leadership of Police Major Dmitry Orkin, an employee of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, searched the homes of Oleg Tsimerman, Denis and Oksana Kholinykh in Kholmsk. The security forces also came to Denis's mother, Valentina Kholina, who lives in Chekhov. Electronic media were seized from all believers. The issue of initiating a criminal case is being decided.\nThe security forces came to the Kholin spouses at 7:00. They persistently knocked on the door, beat on the couple's car in the yard so that the alarm went off. When Denis opened the door, he was approached by 8 officers of the CPE, the FSB and the police, not counting the witnesses. The search lasted 4 hours. Representatives of the authorities seized the tablet of the 15-year-old son of the Kholins, who used it to prepare for exams and stored important educational materials on it. Denis's work phone and hard drive with work files were taken away, which, in fact, deprived his family of their livelihood.\nLater, the couple learned that the 5-hour search was carried out on the same day at the home of Denis's mother, Valentina, who lives in the nearby town of Chekhov. A 68-year-old woman was very worried, her blood pressure rose. Valentina is outraged that the authorities are persecuting her family, although they have done no harm to anyone, but at the same time refuse to open a criminal case against the person responsible for the accident that recently killed Valentina's husband.\nEarlier, on January 20, 2019, the FSB had already conducted mass searches of believers on Sakhalin. Criminal cases under Part 2 of Article 282.2 were initiated against Vyacheslav Ivanov, Dmitry Kulakov and his father Sergey.\nUpdate. On November 18, 2019, it became known about 2 more searches in Kholmsk - at the homes of Alexander Pavlov and Valentina Guseva. The details of the incident are being clarified. Although the authorities officially refer to their actions as \"ORM inspection of premises\" (implying the voluntary consent of residents, as well as the fact that no criminal case has been initiated), in fact, searches are being conducted at believers' homes.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-25T18:30:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_e33719bbb893995f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_c583ec7904548f1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1290/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_0_hu_82d1fb38cbd4f9b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1290.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors","elderly"],"title":"New searches on Sakhalin. A teenager and an elderly woman suffered from the actions of the security forces","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, in the convoy car of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), on the way to court, 67-year-old Olga Opaleva became ill, she was hospitalized with an ischemic stroke. On October 23, she was escorted from the hospital back to house arrest. The left side of her body is paralyzed, and an electronic bracelet is worn on her right leg. He moves around the room with difficulty.\nOlga Opaleva is one of 4 defendants in the case of Malevaniy and others in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Krai). In November 2018, she was kept in a detention center for 2 days, the investigator petitioned for her detention, but the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\nIn September, they began to acquaint her with 14 volumes of criminal case materials, for this she was taken to the investigating authority under the escort of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Additional pressure was exerted on her by the court on September 25, 2019, ruling that she had time to familiarize herself with the volumes of the case only until October 20, 2019 (which limits her right to judicial protection).\nOn the day when Olga Opaleva was taken from the hospital back under house arrest and put a bracelet on her healthy leg, law enforcement officers invaded the house of her son Vitaly Ilyinykh, who takes care of her. After that, Vitaliy was taken into custody, in the near future the court will choose a measure of restraint for him. Vitaliy is accused of the same thing as his mother - of believing in Jehovah God.\nIn total, there are more than 20 Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Vladivostok, Luchegorsk, Partizansk, Spassk-Dalny and Ussuriysk, as well as in the village of Razdolnoye, as accused or suspects in the Primorsky Territory. At least 8 criminal cases have been initiated, some of them are being investigated by the FSB, and some by the Investigative Committee. For example, in one of the cases investigated by the Primorsky FSB, there are 6 women aged 61 to 85 years in the dock.\nThe investigation into what Olga Opaleva, her son and other residents of Spassk-Dalniy believe in began with an FSB operation that took place on the evening of August 12, 2018. At least 17 FSB officers invaded a rented room on Krasnoznamennaya Street, where a friendly meeting was taking place. Phones and tablets were seized from those present. Until late at night, citizens were asked questions under the protocol, for example: was the name \"Jehovah\" pronounced at the meeting? Was the Bible read in the New World Translation?\n","category":"crime","date":"2019-10-24T10:32:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_9731d3e7c0837d2d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_1ce042bc80903379.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1286/opaleva_olga_web1-2_hu_5e487feb81e3a3e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1286.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","health-risk","house-arrest","ankle-tag","families"],"title":"In Spassk-Dalny, a believer suffered a stroke in a convoy car. After that, she put an electronic bracelet on her leg, which was not paralyzed","type":"news"},{"body":"In Kursk, after mass searches on October 16, 2019 and subsequent interrogations of believers , Andrey Andreyev, as well as spouses Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan, were arrested for 27 days. The believers were placed in custody until November 11, 2019 inclusive. Criminal cases against three citizens are combined into one, it is being investigated by the investigative department of the FSB in the Kursk region.\nAccording to incomplete information, searches in Kursk took place at more than 10 addresses, and law enforcement officers invaded some local residents at 6 am. After the searches, many believers were taken away for interrogations, during which FSB officers intimidated them, threatening to open criminal cases against both themselves and their family members. For three believers, these threats became a reality.\nAs follows from the documents of the case, Andrey Andreev is accused of continuing the activities of a certain \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan are charged with participation in the activities of this organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIt is noteworthy that, although the decisions on detention were made by different judges of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk (Judge Inessa Kvaskova sent Alevtina Bagratyan to the pre-trial detention center, and Judge Tatyana Pozdnyakova issued an arrest warrant for Artem Bagratyan and Andrey Andreev), the terms of imprisonment for all three are the same, which indicates the coordination of actions.\n90 kilometers from Kursk in the city of Lgov (Kursk region), Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen sentenced to 6 years just because he did not renounce his beliefs, is serving a sentence. Many Russian and international organizations, such as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Human Rights Society Memorial, spoke out in support of Christensen.\nUpdate. On October 24, 2019, 4 more searches of believers took place in Kursk - two of older women, and one in front of a young child. A laptop, phones, digital media were seized.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-23T10:12:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1274/depositphotos_21862193_5_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1274.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"title":"In Kursk, Two Men and One Woman Sent to a Pre-Trial Detention Center for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On Sunday morning, October 20, 2019, two SOBR groups surrounded a camp site in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where believers were at that time. Masked commandos broke into the building and demanded that everyone who was there hand over their phones and tablets. The homes of some believers were searched.\nMore than 50 people suffered from the actions of law enforcement officers. Law enforcement officers put a number of those present in minivans, including those with the Norilsk Nickel logo, and took them away for interrogation and searches in their apartments.\nThe interrogations were conducted in the building of the Investigative Committee at 7 Zavenyagin Street in Norilsk. The questions were asked by investigators who introduced themselves as Alexander Slimkin and Alexander Garber. Their questionnaire consisted of 25 items. The investigators were interested in whether their fellow countrymen professed a \"forbidden\" faith.\nAt least 5 searches are known, which lasted an average of 5 hours. Bibles, computers, tablets and phones were seized from believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-21T19:09:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_2599831b72c1bf39.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_d5efdd019a6e82c7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1269/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_0_hu_fe7618ee5c38e8fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1269.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","leisure-disruption"],"title":"In Norilsk, more than 50 believers were blocked by special forces at a tourist base. Searches and interrogations took place","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 23-25, 2019, a committee composed of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Council of Europe and overseeing the implementation of ECHR judgments \"urged the authorities to urgently take all necessary measures to ensure the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion without hindrance.\"\nThe Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has examined the Russian Federation's compliance with the judgments in the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses of Moscow and Others v. Russia and Krupko and Others v. Russia. A document published on the website of the Council of Europe states: \"The Committee is concerned about information received from various sources that as a result of the new ban, Jehovah's Witnesses are being arrested, prosecuted and tried simply for participating in peaceful religious services and making donations.\"\nBackground to the case \"Jehovah's Witnesses of Moscow and Others v. Russia\". In March 2004, the Golovinsky Court of Moscow liquidated the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers appealed this decision to the European Court of Human Rights and won. The court decided to lift the restrictions, re-register the community and pay tens of thousands of euros in compensation.\nBackground to the case of Krupko and Others v. Russia. In March 2006, about 400 believers gathered in a rented space for the annual celebration of the Memorial of the death of Jesus Christ. The worship service was disrupted - dozens of security officials, including a riot police, entered the building, ordered the crowd to disperse, and several men were detained. The believers appealed against these actions, first in local courts, and later in the ECHR. The European Court sided with Jehovah's Witnesses, found the disruption of worship and detention unlawful, and awarded the victims compensation for non-pecuniary damage and legal costs.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-10-21T18:18:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_bef00bf20962b44e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_19500d295c944042.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_7061905fe753f9ea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1268/image_hu_aac3c5ccb8a11a3f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1268.html","regions":["france","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","eu","mro","meetings-disruption"],"title":"The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe checked how Russia implements the judgments of the European Court on the complaints of Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 21, 2019, the hearing in the case of Sergey Klimov, who is accused of extremism only because he did not stop practicing his religion after the decision of the Supreme Court, continued in Tomsk. The prosecutor's office believes that this \"crime\" should be punishable by 7 years in prison.\nThe believer is being tried under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). Speaking in the debate in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk, the prosecutor said that all evidence of Klimov's \"extremist activities\" had been found, for example, making speeches and singing songs. At the same time, the prosecutor admitted that the defendant's legal involvement in the banned religious organization has not been established, however, according to the prosecution, there are signs indicating his role as a \"de facto leader\" and \"spiritual leader\".\nThe prosecutor's office requested for the defendant a sentence of 7 years in prison with serving in a penal colony of general regime, plus another year and a half of restriction of freedom. It is also proposed to ban educational activities and post any materials on the Internet for 8 years.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for October 28, after which the verdict is expected.\nSergey Klimov has been in pre-trial detention for more than a year, since June 3, 2018.\nOn April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses or restrict the right of citizens to practice it, which was then further clarified by the Government of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-21T14:19:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_d27042c6e935ecd2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_9a120aca42c812d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1267/klimovy_sergey_i_yuliya_dlya_sayta_hu_6dc985322caa6ba9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1267.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"The Tomsk Prosecutor's Office requested 7 years in prison for Sergey Klimov because of his religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 10, 2019, groups of armed special forces broke down the doors and broke into the apartments of dozens of Sochi residents through the balcony. Both young and old were laid face down on the floor. The action, resembling a special operation against terrorists, turned out to be searches of those who believe in God differently from others.\nSearches in the homes of peaceful believers were carried out at at least 19 addresses in Sochi and its environs. Not only local security officials participated in the special operation, judging by the license plates, even outfits from the Rostov and Volgograd regions joined.\nThe reason for the raid in Sochi was a criminal case under the \" extremist\" article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is being investigated by the senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Petrunnikov.\nThey stormed through the balcony. Vyacheslav and Yulia Popov are among those to whom special forces raided the apartment. The assault began at about 7 p.m. Armed masked men burst through the balcony, breaking the handrails. At this time, there were children at home who were very frightened and crying. The security forces immediately took Vyacheslav away for interrogation, then, presenting the decision of the judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, began a search that lasted more than an hour and a half. Cell phones, tablets and other computer equipment were seized from the family, as well as some printed publications, notebooks with personal notes and postcards.\nThe whole family is at gunpoint. On the same evening, employees of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by the National Guard, invaded the house of 26-year-old Normund Gudin. They forced the entire family, including Normund's parents and even his elderly grandmother, to lie on the floor at gunpoint. The search lasted more than three hours. During the search of another family, Vladislav and Alla Martynov, law enforcement officers planted a religious publication that did not belong to them. The security forces admitted that it was unpleasant for them themselves, but that was their job.\nA search warrant issued by Anna Voronkova, a judge of the Central District Court of Sochi, was presented as grounds for the intrusion.\nTwo believers in a pre-trial detention center. As a result of the raid on believers in Sochi, two people were detained - 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov. On October 11, a trial was held, Judge Shevelev decided to arrest them and place them in a pre-trial detention center until November 24. Believers came to support their relatives, friends and acquaintances, some gathered at the entrance to the building. They supported their fellow believers with applause as the paddy wagon took them to the place of detention.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-21T14:16:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_629c956bfc528fb9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_5ec894a2047700ee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1266/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_0_hu_195644e9b5393c11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1266.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","elderly","sizo","plant"],"title":"Elderly Woman Facing the Floor and Planted Material Evidence: Details of the Raid on Believers in Sochi","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 16, 2019, groups of law enforcement officers raided at least 4 families of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk. 43-year-old Andrey Andreev was sent to jail. Also, 47-year-old Artem Bagratyan and his wife Alevtina do not get in touch (presumably arrested).\nLaw enforcement officers do not hide the fact that their actions are due to the religion of citizens.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-18T12:34:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1264/jw-russia_02703_0_0_1_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1264/jw-russia_02703_0_0_1_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1264/jw-russia_02703_0_0_1_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1264/jw-russia_02703_0_0_1_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1264.html","regions":["kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs"],"title":"Mass Searches and Detentions of Believers in Kursk","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 18, 2019, Stanislav Salnikov, judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, decided to soften Dmitry Barmakin's preventive measure. After 447 days in jail, Dmitry Barmakin returned to his wife. He is forbidden to change his place of residence, communicate with a number of persons, receive mail and use means of communication.\nThe criminal case against Dmitry Barmakin in connection with his religion is being heard in court.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-18T12:24:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1262/191018_barmakin_hu_786847149042de64.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1262/191018_barmakin.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1262/191018_barmakin_hu_e5d078d1354471e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1262/191018_barmakin_hu_27db719690365470.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1262.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Dmitry Barmakin returned to his wife after 447 days in jail. The court reduced his restraint to a ban on certain actions","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, in the city of Oryol, FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of believers at at least two addresses. As it became known, the searches took place at the relatives of Dmitry Prikhodko, the criminal case against which was previously separated from the case of Dennis Christensen.\nThe security forces asked questions about where believers gather and what literature they read. DVDs were seized during the searches.\nOn May 23, 2019, the Oryol Regional Court sentenced Dennis Christensen to 6 years in prison just because he adhered to peaceful religious beliefs that the judges considered \"extremist\". This verdict undermined the explanations of the Russian authorities, who assured international authorities that the ban on religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia did not restrict their right to practice this religion.\nThe high-profile trial of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen caused not only indignation of human rights activists in Russia, but also international condemnation. Worse, the verdict gave the green light to intensify criminal prosecution of Russian residents for their faith.\nShortly after Christensen's verdict, another resident of Orel, Sergey Skrynnikov, was convicted on similar charges, receiving a large fine.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-18T00:25:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1261/img_4731_hu_91249578bfc5553d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1261/img_4731.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1261/img_4731_hu_41974f96ad4f16a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1261/img_4731_hu_cd29af9ed228bd27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1261.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families"],"title":"In the wake of the Christensen case: another search took place in the homes of believers in Oryol ","type":"news"},{"body":"What was Roman Gridasov talking about on September 19, 2019, when the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced him, along with five fellow believers, to various terms of imprisonment for their faith? The text of the defendant's last word is given.\nIn his last speech, the believer decided to talk about how, despite a difficult childhood and bitterness in his youth, he became a peace-loving and law-abiding person under the influence of the Bible. \"I changed my speech, habits, thinking, stopped engaging in aggressive sports and seeking justice with my fists,\" Roman said. \"On the contrary, I developed the qualities that the Creator would like to see in people: meekness, self-control, kindness.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-16T14:05:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1255/image_13_hu_1e11e1bc412fcdbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1255/image_13.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1255/image_13_hu_abeeabb570ba2a19.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1255/image_13_hu_fdfddb2786acfbd9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1255.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"I decided to change my life in accordance with God's standards.\" Roman Gridasov's last speech at the trial in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Roman Gridasov's speech in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov on September 19, 2019.\n","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1254.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Roman Gridasov's last word","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 11, 2019, the Central District Court of Sochi sent to the pre-trial detention center Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov, who had been detained the day before during a mass raid on believers. Nikolay Kuzichkin, 68, is the oldest of 40 Jehovah's Witnesses currently held in prison for their faith.\nThe decision to send his fellow countrymen to prison for their faith was made by 35-year-old judge Nikolai Shevelev, a native of the village of Krasnaya Polyana (Sochi). Dozens of their friends came to the court to support the believers.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-15T16:55:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_ec458fc47fdd1ac1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_5c08a8dc95a0a275.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1246/191011_sochi_avtor_eltavskiy_k_2a_hu_44c9e77fc89f70ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1246.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"title":"Two Sochi residents have been sent to jail for their faith until at least November 24, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"What did Feliks Makhammadiev say on September 19, 2019, before the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced him, along with five fellow believers, to various terms of imprisonment for their faith? The full text of the defendant's last word is given.\nFeliks Makhammadiyev decided to use his last word to \"express his attitude to the criminal case ... based on the word of God, the Bible.\" He talked about how he understands God's love, how it manifests itself in his life and how it is connected with conscience and moral duty to his neighbor. \"I cherish a clear conscience before God and my neighbors ... never questioned the correctness of the norms of good and evil set forth in secular laws,\" the defendant said.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-14T20:02:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1243/mahammadiev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_f965afd94b0c959b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1243/mahammadiev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_f1469f15be20a243.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1243/mahammadiev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a89870a81fea63fc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1243/mahammadiev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_63c29a828ba110ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1243.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"I want to talk about the opposite of violence - about love.\" Felix Makhammadiyev's last speech at the trial in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 1, 2019, the second decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was received. This time, the arrest of Vladimir Alushkin from Penza was declared illegal. The Working Group is concerned about the \"systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses\" (para. 65).\nWhat was the first decision of the Working Group on Complaints of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses? On May 29, 2019, a document was received following the consideration of the complaint of Dmitry Mikhailov from Shuya (Ivanovo region). His arrest was found to be a manifestation of religious discrimination.\nWhat conclusions did the Working Group reach on the complaint of Vladimir Alushkin (excerpts):\nAbs. 51-52: \"The decision to initiate a criminal case alleged that Alushkin was a religious minister of Jehovah's Witnesses and \"exercised general direction\" of their activities in the city of Penza, which was illegal after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017. In particular, it was assumed that they had committed a crime in \"conducting conversations in public places and living quarters with residents of Penza ... and the involvement of new participants from among their relatives, acquaintances and residents of Penza\", as well as holding worship services to \"study its ideology\". The Working Group cannot accept that any of these activities could be described as organizing or participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The Working Group is unable to find any other reason that could justify the restriction of his rights under article 18 of the Covenant. All the activities in which Alushkin took part are an absolutely peaceful religious discussion.\"\nAbs. 53: \"The search of Alushkin's home and the seizure of his Bibles and religious texts, which he used in worship, also constitute an interference with his rights under article 18 of the Covenant.\"\nAbs. 63: \"The Working Group concludes that Alushkin's detention had no legal basis, as the Pervomaiskiy District Court and the Penza Regional Court did not comply with the basic condition for ordering this measure.\"\nAbs. 65: \"The Working Group particularly wishes to draw attention to the latest joint complaint in which special procedures mandate holders expressed concern about 'the issue of systemic and institutionalized persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.'\"\nAbs. 67: \"Alushkin's actions have always been completely peaceful, and there is no evidence that he or other Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia ever used violence or encouraged others to violence. The Working Group notes that Alushkin is only one of a growing number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia detained and imprisoned who have been charged with criminal activity on the grounds that they were simply exercising the right to freedom of religion, a right protected by article 18 of the Covenant. The Working Group therefore concludes that Alushkin's detention and detention was a manifestation of religious discrimination.\"\nAbs. 68: \"All these cases relate to the fact that the peaceful religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were characterized as 'extremist', which led to the detention and imprisonment of those who belong to this religion. Therefore, while this Opinion relates to Alushkin's particular circumstances, the Working Group wishes to emphasize that its conclusions in this Opinion apply to all other persons in circumstances similar to those of Alushkin.\"\nAbs. 71-72: \"An appropriate measure of protection would be the unconditional release of Vladimir Alushkin and the granting of his enforceable right to receive compensation and other forms of reparation in accordance with international law. The Working Group urges the Government to ensure a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Vladimir Alushkin and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights.\"\nWhat is the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention? This is a structure under the UN designed to investigate cases of detention that do not comply with international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international documents. The Working Group has the right to receive information from the authorities and non-governmental organizations and to meet with detainees and their families in order to establish the facts. The Working Group submits its conclusions and recommendations to governments, as well as to the UN Human Rights Council. Although the decisions of the Working Group are not binding on States, they can help to soften the position of the authorities in the face of wide international publicity.\nJehovah's Witnesses filed complaints with three different international bodies: the European Court of Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Committee, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-10-14T17:26:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1241/190114_alushkin_hu_a772f6d61cb82211.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1241/190114_alushkin.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1241/190114_alushkin_hu_26d2129c5b3c3d0b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1241/190114_alushkin_hu_949adb13912eb186.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1241.html","regions":["penza","switzerland"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international","review","complaints","un-working-group"],"title":"\"Systemic and Institutionalized Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The UN Working Group issued a second decision on Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Felix Mahammadiev's speech in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov on September 19, 2019.\n","date":"2019-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1242.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Felix Mahammadiev","type":"docs"},{"body":"Transcript of Alexey Budenchuk's speech in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov on September 19, 2019.\n","date":"2019-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1238.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Oleksiy Budenchuk's last word","type":"docs"},{"body":"What was Alexey Budenchuk talking about on September 19, 2019, when the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced him, along with five fellow believers, to various terms of imprisonment for their faith? The text of the defendant's last word is given.\nIn his speech, the believer thanks all those present, and especially his friends who were with him all the time while he was behind bars in the pre-trial detention center. For 11 months, he received 1700 letters of encouragement and support. With unwavering faith, he relates, quoting the Bible, about a time when \"God will establish true peace, order and harmony.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-12T00:46:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1237/image_12_hu_c97018cff60100b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1237/image_12.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1237/image_12_hu_5da727f2472e78d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1237/image_12_hu_5056d446d5c0462e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1237.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"The time will come and everything will fall into place.\" Aleksey Budenchuk's last word at the trial in Saratov ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of October 10, 2019, groups of armed, masked security officers, sometimes with dogs, invaded at least 19 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi, Krasnodar Territory. During the searches, 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov were detained.\nSearches took place in Dagomys, Khost, Sochi, Adler, Krasnaya Polyana and the villages of Veseloe and Chereshnya. Law enforcement officers drove up in cars with local license plates, as well as in cars from the Rostov region.\nIn some cases, the seizure groups cordoned off the homes of believers and broke locks. During the searches, electronic devices and books about the Bible were seized.\nThe ban and liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017 have long escalated into real persecution of ordinary believers, most of whom have never been members of liquidated legal entities. Recently, the number of criminal cases has increased significantly, dozens of men and women are behind bars. The believers are waiting for the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where they filed a complaint.\nUpdate. A total of 36 searches were conducted in Sochi in one day on October 10, 2019. The geography of the roundup: from the Lazarevskoye microdistrict up to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia. (The events in Sochi broke the sad record of Nizhny Novgorod, where on July 16, 2019, 35 searches were carried out in the homes of believers.)\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-11T17:19:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_ef6ecbbf815d3a43.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_4555117cf3a0fae4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1236/201407_sochi_olimpiyskiy_park_hu_a64eb3b3a633764.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1236.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"title":"There is a mass raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Sochi. At Least Two Believers Detained","type":"news"},{"body":"The text of an open letter from Roman Makhnev, who has been held in a pre-trial detention center for more than three months because of his religion, to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov, is given. The believer draws attention to violations during the investigation and asks for a fair and impartial trial.\nRoman Makhnev was arrested on June 26, 2019, along with Dmitry Kuzin, another believer from Kaluga. Roman stated that during the search he was planted compromising evidence - banned literature. Then, in the FSB building, he was handcuffed to a radiator until morning and kept without food for a long time. Both believers were thrown behind bars as dangerous criminals, despite the lack of evidence of guilt and victims of their actions, only because they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nA similar letter was written by Dmitry Kuzin.\nLetter from Roman Makhnev:\nAn Open Letter\nTo the Governor of the Kaluga Region\nArtamonov Anatoly Dmitrievich\nfrom a prisoner in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kaluga region\nMakhnev Roman Sergeyevich, b. 04.02.1976\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich!\nSince the 1990s, I have professed the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made an unprecedented decision to liquidate the legal entities \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and a large number of local religious organizations, including the \"LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga.\" I have never been a member of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga. I worshipped Jehovah God both before the appearance of these legal entities, and after their liquidation, on the basis of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation as the fundamental law of the country.\nMy quiet life as a law-abiding resident of Kaluga ended on June 26, 2019, when criminal case No. 11907290001000019 was opened against me under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The house where I live with my wife and minor daughter was searched by the FSB of Russia in the Kaluga region. As I stated in the search report, several printed publications \"found\" in my house do not belong to me and were planted during the search. I demanded that \"sweat-fat studies\" of these things be carried out in order to establish the involvement of me or my relatives in their presence in my house. However, this was not done by the investigation. During the search, which lasted until half past three at night, I was constantly handcuffed like a dangerous criminal. After that, I was taken to the FSB building, where I was left chained to a radiator until the morning and was not fed for almost two days.\nOn June 28, the Kaluga District Court remanded me in custody for 2 months. The court considered that I was caught committing a crime. What really happened? At the time of the start of the search, I was repairing a washing machine.\nOn August 26, the district court extended my stay in custody for another 2 months, although the investigator did not present any additional facts, except for a positive characterization from the pre-trial detention center. According to the incriminated article, I face up to 10 years in prison as a dangerous criminal! For what? For praying to God and reading the Bible differently than someone else? At the same time, I can avoid punishment altogether if I voluntarily stop believing in God. It is reminiscent of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages.\nLaw enforcers confuse the ban issued by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on April 17, 2017 against legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and the opportunity to freely express their faith, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I did not establish or resume any activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kaluga.\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich! I am not asking you to interfere in the course of the investigation and the trial. But I observe the following picture. The criminal case was initiated in a hurry (in 20 minutes). Court hearings on the measure of restraint are held behind closed doors. Human rights defenders are not allowed to attend them. The court of two instances on the search ignored numerous violations by the investigation. These actions do not testify to the impartiality of the judicial system and the objectivity of the investigation. Residents of the region, including people of different faiths, including Jehovah's Witnesses, cannot calmly observe such facts. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clearly indicated that its decision would not affect the usual practice of believers. In fact, everything turns out differently. And this is happening despite repeated calls from human rights defenders to change the situation. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke out in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nI ask you to pay attention to what is happening in our region and encourage law enforcement agencies to be objective in investigating this case.\nMakhnev R.S.\n28.08.2019\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-11T16:28:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5840e62985f22c29.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a5bd9f2a03857d03.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_66968e1e0cb175e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1235/mahnev_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_a475d0fe6a709e69.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1235.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Roman Makhnev's Open Letter to the Governor of the Kaluga Region","type":"news"},{"body":"What did Alexei Miretsky say on September 19, 2019, before the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced him, along with five fellow believers, to various terms of imprisonment for their faith? The full text of the defendant's last word is given.\nIn his speech, Alexey Miretsky stressed that Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be associated with extremism for the simple reason that then they will not be able to be called Jehovah's Witnesses. He explains: \"The standards of the Bible in many areas of life are higher than those established by the criminal and other laws of the state. If the penal code only requires me not to harm other people, then God's law encourages me to show love, kindness, compassion, and even love to all people who hate me.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-10T17:40:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1234/mireckiy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_4347f8a4b79ed51d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1234/mireckiy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_43a180387e573463.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1234/mireckiy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_847fffbe1b4ac57f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1234/mireckiy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_6a865a4f5bd27b7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1234.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"Peacefulness is an integral part of my personality.\" Alexei Miretskiy's last word at the trial in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 4, 2019, the judge of the Ussuriysk District Court (Primorye Territory) Galina Lazareva decided to change the measure of restraint for local resident Sergey Melnikov from detention to house arrest. The case against the peaceful believer has not been closed, he still faces up to 10 years in prison.\nSergey Melnikov has been in pre-trial detention since June 5, 2019. He was detained after talking about religion with a man. From the point of view of local law enforcement officers, this is extremist activity.\nIn Primorsky Krai, Dmitry Barmakin and Irina Buglak remain behind bars on similar charges. Law enforcement officers of the Far Eastern region are convinced that citizens cannot profess faith in Jehovah even after the explanations of the Government of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-09T18:05:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1211/image_2_hu_67be7cf9ee99fb4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1211/image_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1211/image_2_hu_99afc081f5a41a6b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1211/image_2_hu_2b24c6e483dd8b2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1211.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest"],"title":"In Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai, Sergey Melnikov, accused of talking about religion, was released from the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 2, 2019, Valery Moskalenko, a resident of Khabarovsk, was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and another 6 months of restricted freedom for believing in Jehovah God. The text of his last word before the verdict is published.\nValery Moskalenko is convinced that he was a victim of repression for the peaceful practice of religion. In the absence of the landlord, FSB officers tried to cut down the door with a grinder when Valeriy's elderly mother was at home, which led her to a heart attack. The investigation found corpus delicti even in the name of God taken from the Bible, and the expert in the case recognized the words of Jesus Christ as extremist. In his last word, the believer explains how absurd everything that is happening.\nOn October 10, a court hearing will be held on Valery Moskalenko's appeal against the verdict.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-09T17:20:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1207/20190830_hu_308a4c3a83f17e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1207/20190830.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1207/20190830_hu_af343531ab5735d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1207/20190830_hu_610cfb9ec5d8c937.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1207.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement"],"title":"\"The FSB officers were taught that Jehovah's Witnesses were enemies.\" Read Valery Moskalenko's last word","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 19, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov and five of his fellow believers to various terms of imprisonment for their faith. The text of Constantine's last word, uttered by him the day before the verdict, is given.\nIn his speech, the defendant hardly spoke about the legal aspects of the prosecution and focused on its spiritual side. \"It is better to suffer for good deeds than for evil ones,\" he quoted Jesus Christ as saying. He then gave a brief account of what Jehovah's Witnesses believe in and how they live, and at the end he read a poem of his own composition.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-09T16:03:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1206/konstantin_s_zhenoy_irinoy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_460ca2e8cbd88ff9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1206/konstantin_s_zhenoy_irinoy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_d8b3b9a22ceb6531.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1206/konstantin_s_zhenoy_irinoy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_b6c53e7cf599f05b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1206/konstantin_s_zhenoy_irinoy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e742804a07b30f00.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1206.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"\"You should not be ashamed of your faith, but, on the contrary, you should rejoice.\" Konstantin Bazhenov's last speech at the trial in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 2, 2019, two criminal cases were initiated against civilians in Krasnoyarsk. According to investigators, Sergey Tolstonozhenko and Tatyana Feruleva carried out \"illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" This is how law enforcement officers interpreted a simple conversation at a bus stop.\nBoth cases were initiated by the senior investigator, Major of Justice R. I. Kurbanov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The decision to initiate a criminal case notes that both persons \"committed actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" which was expressed in \"involving new members\" and \"distributing extremist literature and software among the participants of the organization.\"\nDuring the interrogation, Tatyana Feruleva was offered to conclude a so-called deal with justice - to admit her guilt in the \"crime\" and expose its other \"participants\".\nCurrently, investigations are underway in the Krasnoyarsk Territory against five believers. Anton Ostapenko is still in custody in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Achinsk. Andrey Stupnikov's case has been going on since July 3, 2018.\nJehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism. Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows \"to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them.\" Persecuting law-abiding believers for talking about religion is a terrible mistake of law enforcement agencies that distracts them from the fight against real crime.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-09T13:58:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1204/27788629854_571f2e4035_o_hu_31cce20a7e0c72be.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1204/27788629854_571f2e4035_o.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1204/27788629854_571f2e4035_o_hu_f30ac044dee07c8f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1204/27788629854_571f2e4035_o_hu_b88d5a41f826687d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1204.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","interrogation"],"title":"New criminal cases in Krasnoyarsk. A man and a woman can go to jail for talking about faith on the street ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court will hold a hearing on the appeal of Valery Moskalenko. Earlier, on September 2, he was sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and another six months of restriction of freedom. The defense considers the conviction for believing in God unlawful, and it was appealed.\nValery Moskalenko is a peaceful worker and a caring son who takes care of his sick mother. For more than a year he was detained in a pre-trial detention center and then was convicted for meeting with friends in the conference hall of the Yerofey hotel complex and quoting the words of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount.\nIt is expected that the end of this case will be put in the regional court.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-09T13:04:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1203/moskalenko2_0_hu_e21e871f7f80195.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1203/moskalenko2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1203/moskalenko2_0_hu_28fd070d67b8e688.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1203/moskalenko2_0_hu_f4ae54d632bddc9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1203.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","labor","complaints"],"title":"Valery Moskalenko was convicted of quoting the Bible. What decision will the Court of Appeal make on October 10? ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, in the capital of the Republic of Mari El, searches were carried out in the homes of believers. According to preliminary data, the case under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was initiated against 30-year-old Ekaterina Pegasheva, she was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Yoshkar-Ola. Thus, 7 women and 33 men are in various prisons in Russia for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIt is known about three searches in the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva: two took place in Yoshkar-Ola, one in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region), where her mother lives. During the searches, books and videos, electronic devices, personal letters and documents were seized, including even a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam. Other details of the incident are being clarified.\nThe number of criminal cases against peaceful believers is growing throughout the country, despite the explanation of the Government of the Russian Federation that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited and citizens have the right to practice it. This was recently confirmed by the district court in Kostroma.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-08T22:26:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_e72af37aa75d1f1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_7805ecde99cd73d0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_df8ef87054fb48b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1202/yoshkar-ola_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_5350b2c269f17eb4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1202.html","regions":["mari-el"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"A criminal case for faith in Yoshkar-Ola. A young woman was sent to jail","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, a wave of searches and detentions on the basis of religious affiliation began in the city of Chekhov (Moscow Region). At the moment, it is known that Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov, Vitaly Nikiforov and Nikolai Yakovlev were sent under house arrest.\nThe measure of restraint against believers was chosen by the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow on October 4, 2019. All four are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers intend to appeal against the unfair decision of the court, according to which the peaceful practice of religion is equated with a serious crime.\nThe details of the incident are being established.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-10-08T12:00:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_95d477c1c6a3c0eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_30817d02889f1dd3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_c466d42379af0bca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1201/chehov_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_4249e6605f6bc91b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1201.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","house-arrest","elderly"],"title":"In Chekhov, Moscow region, searches and arrests for faith are taking place. Four are under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"At the end of September 2019, a court in Primorye Territory ruled to release two believers from the pre-trial detention center. Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev from Luchegorsk were placed under house arrest. Cases of faith against them continue to be investigated.\nOn September 24 and 26, 2019, the Primorsky Regional Court considered two appeals against the decisions of the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorsky Territory regarding the preventive measure of 64-year-old Sergey Sergeev and 55-year-old Yuriy Belosludtsev. In both cases, the presiding judges (Alexei Gorbachev and Irina Zhukova, respectively) overturned the rulings of the lower court and softened the measure of restraint. Believers are placed under house arrest, which imposes some restrictions on their actions (including a ban on the use of mobile communications and the Internet, receiving parcels and letters).\nYuriy and Sergey were detained on March 17, 2019 during mass searches and interrogations. Two days later, they were placed in a pre-trial detention center. They are accused of \"promoting the activities of a banned organization [Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nBoth believers are still under investigation and face up to 10 years in prison for peacefully practicing their faith. In Primorsky Krai, Dmitry Barmakin and Irina Buglak remain behind bars on similar charges.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-07T20:32:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1198/sergeev_belosludcev_hu_613bf9b4d2933230.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1198/sergeev_belosludcev.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1198/sergeev_belosludcev_hu_bcec7ec25ef3ded4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1198/sergeev_belosludcev_hu_c784173ec5541781.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1198.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","complaints"],"title":"In Primorye, Sergey Sergeyev and Yuri Belosludtsev were transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 30, 2019, the Pervomaisky District Court of the city of Kirov released Yevgeniy Suvorkov, Vladimir Korobeynikov and Maxim Khalturin from house arrest. Prior to that, the believers spent 6 to 9 months in isolation in their own homes.\nJudge Alexei Zhilin considered that there was no reason to continue to keep believers under house arrest — they would not be able to interfere with the criminal proceedings. The court also once again rejected the investigator's argument that the defendants \"may continue to engage in criminal activity.\"\nEarlier, the court softened the measure of restraint for two more defendants in this criminal case - it released Andrei Suvorkov from house arrest, and also released Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance.\nFive Kirov believers were arrested on October 9, 2018, following mass searches in the homes of civilians, including those who do not profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. The investigation suspected them of \"singing biblical songs together, improving their missionary skills, studying religious literature, the so-called 'Holy Scripture' (Bible).\" These charges are based on the \"extremist\" articles 282.2 (1) and 283.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, under which civilians in Kirov face from 6 to 10 years in prison.\nThe searches, arrests, and criminal prosecutions deeply traumatized the families of the believers. Some of them have relatives who are seriously ill and need constant care.\nAt the moment, 12 residents of the Kirov region are under investigation for their faith in Jehovah. Kirov law enforcement officers continue to interpret the peaceful profession of faith guaranteed by the Russian Constitution as a serious crime.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-10-07T13:08:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1195/suvorkovy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_67e37d01023722.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1195/suvorkovy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_8709a0fe1039488e.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1195/suvorkovy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_4714be860cad3bda.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1195/suvorkovy_montazhnaya_oblast_1_hu_b640a5234ece6ee5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1195.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["recognizance-agreement","families"],"title":"A court in Kirov released three believers after a lengthy house arrest. The criminal case has not been closed","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 25, 2019, the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma returned the criminal case against the married couple Valeria and Sergey Rayman to the Kostroma prosecutor's office. At the same time, the court emphasized that in the case of spouses \"there is a legal right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been prohibited.\"\nValeria and Sergey Rayman are accused of continuing the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, banned by the decision of the Supreme Court. However, on September 25, the Kostroma court pointed to the \"vague\" wording of the indictment. Neither in the materials of the criminal case, nor in the register of legal entities, nor in any other documents, there is no confirmation that the young spouses were founders or members of a local religious organization in Kostroma.\nThe prosecution unfoundedly points out that the Rayman spouses held meetings of a religious organization, but at the same time does not cite a single name of the participants in such meetings - the defense of believers drew attention to this. The indictment also does not indicate the consequences of the actions of the Ryman spouses and the methods of committing the \"crime\".\nThe court found no evidence of intent to commit a crime in the investigation documents. At the same time, the court referred to Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia of June 28, 2011 \"On Judicial Practice in Criminal Cases on Crimes of an Extremist Nature\", which clearly states: \"The crime provided for in Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is committed only with direct intent and with the aim of inciting hatred or enmity, as well as humiliating the dignity of a person or a group of persons on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, membership in any social group.\"\nThe court pointed out that \"in this case, there is a legal right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was not prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017.\" \"Despite the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in its decisions has repeatedly pointed out that the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of the Russian Federation is not prohibited by law, they are not deprived of the opportunity to independently practice religious cults,\" the court ruling, which has not yet entered into force, says.\nDespite this position, the court left Valeria and Sergey Rayman under recognizance not to leave. The couple still face up to 10 years in prison.\nThe nightmare for the young family began in the early morning of July 25, 2018, when, during a series of searches in Kostroma , armed special forces, using crowbars, broke down the door to their apartment. After the search of the spouses was detained, Valeriya spent 2 days under arrest and another 179 days under the ban on certain actions. Sergey spent 59 days under arrest, part of this period in a cramped solitary confinement cell, 30 days under house arrest and another 90 days under the prohibition of certain actions. All this time, it was impossible for the spouses to lead a full life, including communicating with each other.\nThe religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is indeed not prohibited.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-10-01T12:29:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/10/1192/raymany_oblozhka_0_hu_116121878ef82f3a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/10/1192/raymany_oblozhka_0_hu_c5bec802239ecf64.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/10/1192/raymany_oblozhka_0_hu_8ae5169cf054f50d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/10/1192/raymany_oblozhka_0_hu_a1a1bfc7ae1b5627.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/10/1192.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","282.2-2","case-to-prosecutor","families"],"title":"The court recognized the right of the spouses to profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses and returned the case to the prosecutor because of the unfounded accusation","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2019, 44-year-old Dmitry Ravnushkin was detained at his workplace in Petrozavodsk. The believer was taken for interrogation, which lasted about 4 hours, after which he was released on his own recognizance. Three days later, Dmitry Ravnushkin was fired from his job, the authorities explained: \"We don't need problems.\"\nThe extremism case (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) against Ravnushkin is being investigated by S. Grigoriev, senior investigator of the Karelian FSB, who also oversees the criminal prosecution of other Petrozavodsk believers, in particular, Maxim Amosov and Mikhail Gordeev, who was also taken away for interrogation directly from work. The charges in the case include language such as \"organizing meetings\" of Jehovah's Witnesses and \"propaganda activities.\"\nThe criminal case and the sudden loss of his job jeopardize not only Dmitry Ravnushkin, but also his family. Groundless persecution for their faith also affected other civilians in Karelia: on July 31, 2019, the FSB conducted at least 17 searches in the homes and workplaces of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-09-29T00:04:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1175/33742771952_dc3a2bc6f6_o_hu_44d3d54e9bc94794.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1175/33742771952_dc3a2bc6f6_o.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1175/33742771952_dc3a2bc6f6_o_hu_c87d0a7e3ed72ce4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1175/33742771952_dc3a2bc6f6_o_hu_5c24a650eadd473.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1175.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement","work-restrictions","282.2-1"],"title":"Another resident of Petrozavodsk was accused of extremism and lost his job due to persecution for his faith  ","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 4, 2019, in the trial of six Jehovah's Witnesses in Saratov , the floor was given to the well-known religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation Sergey Igorevich Ivanenko. Here are excerpts from his testimony.\nOn the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Jehovah's Witnesses can be called a denomination, it is an independent movement in Christianity. It is not the most numerous - according to the latest data, there are about 8 and a half million Jehovah's Witnesses in the world. One of the main features of Jehovah's Witnesses is that the so-called last days have now come, that is, Jesus Christ has already reigned in heaven as a rightful ruler, and Jehovah's Witnesses must obey him as their religious leader and mentor. Therefore, they must preach, very zealously fulfill the precepts that support the Holy Scripture of Christians - the Bible, and be guided by them in their daily lives.\n\"If Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the head of their congregation is Jesus Christ, he is the Son of God, if they recognize the Bible and study the Bible, call themselves Christians, from a religious point of view, they are also a trend within Christianity.\"\nOn the religious life and practice of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Jehovah's Witnesses have a very significant feature: they do not rely on some harsh disciplines, the authority of some leaders, but try to form a conscience trained in the Bible among their followers, so that a person can independently, voluntarily make decisions following the Bible.\"\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses try to follow what is in the Bible, which should correspond to the principles that were laid down by Jesus Christ and his disciples in the first century AD.\"\n\"If we talk about joint confession of faith, which is expressed in Bible study, answering questions on biblical topics, singing songs that are also based on biblical texts, then Jehovah's Witnesses have an emphasized desire to rely on the Bible in everything. That is, if we are talking about a religious chant, at the very beginning there is necessarily a reference to which biblical text this term is based, the lyrics of the song, what it should express from the point of view of the religious needs and beliefs of the believer.\n\"They also have the conviction that Christians must necessarily carry out their religious life on the basis of meetings. And here, too, Jehovah's Witnesses analyze the New Testament, what is said about Jesus Christ, his disciples, his followers, about the first stages of the development of the Christian church... Jehovah's Witnesses are convinced that they should also practice their religious life in religious meetings.\"\n\"They emphasize that disciples of Jesus Christ can be recognized by the fact that there will be love between them.\"\nOn the alleged ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. \"I am not aware of any court decisions or legislative acts that would say that the internal structure of Jehovah's Witnesses contradicts the legislation of the Russian Federation, and would contain any prohibitions related to the doctrine or cult practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n\"It was not about banning worship services, some kind of cult actions, but it was about what from the point of view of the Supreme Court was considered as extremist activity.\"\nAccusations of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Initially, some publications of Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized as extremist, in which, according to experts, it was claimed that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was the only true one, and the rest of the religions were false. This statement is present in other denominations, but in this case the claims were made against Jehovah's Witnesses. The assertion that only their religion was true and that all others were false was interpreted as propaganda of religious superiority.\n\"[The court's decision] seems to me as a religious scholar to be vulnerable from the point of view that, if desired, in any religious denomination you can find the statement that only our religion is correct, and the rest are false or largely mistaken.\"\n\"If we talk about the fact that believers consider their religion to be absolute truth, and other religions are either completely false or essentially false, this is certainly present in any believer. And it must be present, because otherwise you will be credited with a hypocrite.\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses are pacifists, they are quite consistently pursuing a line so as not to destroy social foundations. Rather, they advocate the primacy of biblical principles. God's laws are a priority for them. But to the extent that God's laws do not contradict earthly laws, Jehovah's Witnesses are very consistent and purposeful in trying to keep earthly laws. It is no coincidence that there are quite a few reports that it is Jehovah's Witnesses who return some lost wallets, pay fines and taxes, although they can evade them. This is their conscious choice, and in this sense I would not blame them for any extremist encroachments.\"\nOn the need for legal entities to profess their faith. \"The decisions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation show that ... most of the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses did not have a legal entity and were not registered. Therefore, it is wrong to say that any Jehovah's Witness in some territory is necessarily a member of a legal entity.\"\n\"The main content of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses is carried out by those canonical structures that are created in accordance with biblical principles.\"\n\"As for legal entities ... I carefully studied their statutes, there are no overseers, no elders, no pioneers, none of these terms are present there. There we are usually talking about the founders - this is a limited circle of people, about 10 people. As for purely canonical activities, they reflect not the legal, but the canonical side of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is the same in different countries and in different regions.\"\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses have taken note [of the Supreme Court's decision], that is, in their activities they strive not to explicitly violate this decision of the Supreme Court. But at the same time, they will continue their activities as a religious denomination that is not prohibited by the authorities. They continued their activities as private individuals professing their religion. That is, from their point of view, from a religious point of view, this activity does not violate the decision of the Supreme Court.\"\nOn the preaching activity of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Jehovah's Witnesses are distinguished by the fact that they are very active in preaching. I would put Jehovah's Witnesses in the first place in terms of their preaching activity, zeal, so that every believer must be a preacher and devote some time to preaching.\"\n\"They usually say this: the Bible says this, a person can take the Bible himself and check it. If a person agrees, he goes along with them. If he disputes it, he doesn't go with them. There is no compulsion. But their explanation is consistent and logical in its own way. This is the attraction for some people of their preaching. Their preaching does not work, in my opinion, for everyone. If a person is more mystical, wants some revelations from God or some supernatural spiritual powers, he will not go to Jehovah's Witnesses ... And more rational people who want to reach everything with their minds, live in accordance with this consistently, they will come to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nOn the attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to the Bible. The peculiarity of Jehovah's Witnesses is that they use any translation of the Bible both for preaching and for studying. They have a keen interest in distributing the Bible in different languages. In this sense, they are bibliocentric. Their own translation was indeed recognized as extremist in our country ... Perhaps those who accepted it thought that Jehovah's Witnesses were attached exclusively to this translation and if it was excluded from the game, Jehovah's Witnesses would give up. This is a wrong judgment. For Jehovah's Witnesses, each translation of the Bible has its own value.\"\nOn the attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to blood transfusions. \"The Bible says that 'the soul is in the blood' and therefore blood should not be consumed. We are talking about a food ban, but they interpret it broadly. They believe that blood should not be consumed in any form: neither in food (they will not eat blood sausage), nor [in the form of] blood transfusions. But they agree to the use of small fractions of blood - this is the voluntary choice of the believer ... They are not for dying by refusing a blood transfusion, but for good treatment so that a person receives first-class medical care. The blood transfusion itself, from their point of view and from the point of view of many medical aspects, is dangerous, because you can get AIDS and something else. Bloodless surgery provides more guarantees, and often in reality – I looked at the statistics – wealthy people often prefer to do without blood transfusions, because it guarantees greater safety in terms of freedom from infections and complications.\nAbout the collection of donations by Jehovah's Witnesses. \"A person may not make any donations. He can, roughly speaking, go to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses all his life and not donate a ruble or a dollar. But he can also sacrifice - that's his choice.\nDespite strong expert arguments that Jehovah's Witnesses are ordinary Christians and not criminals, all six defendants in the Saratov case were found guilty for their faith and sentenced to various prison terms. Persecution of hundreds of their fellow believers across the country continues.\nSergey Ivanenko is the author of two scientific papers on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. They can be found in the section \"Religious Studies\".\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-09-24T16:05:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1155/ivanenko-01_hu_ccd7bda83d3d10ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1155/ivanenko-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1155/ivanenko-01_hu_d578c036ca8a6a83.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1155/ivanenko-01_hu_1d4f29c069e489ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1155.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","translations","expert-comments","review","liquidation","fsem","analytics"],"title":"The well-known religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko spoke in the trial of Jehovah's Witnesses. What did he say?","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitry Kuzin, who is being held in jail because of his faith, wrote an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. The full text of the letter is below.\nThe believer was arrested on June 26, 2019. Together with him, another resident of Kaluga, Roman Makhnev, ended up in the pre-trial detention center. The investigation considers it a crime only that both profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn his letter, Dmitry Kuzin draws attention to violations during the investigation and false accusations of extremism.\nLetter from Dmitry Kuzin:\nAn Open Letter\nTo the Governor of the Kaluga Region\nArtamonov Anatoly Dmitrievich\nfrom a prisoner in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kaluga region\nKuzina Dmitry Yevgenievich, b. 10.07.1965\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich!\nOn 26.06.2019, the Investigative Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Kaluga Region initiated a criminal case under 11907290001000019Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, I allegedly \"took active organizational actions aimed at continuing illegal activities in the territory of the city of Kaluga, which was banned by the court of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kaluga, expressed in the unification of the followers of the world organization of Jehovah's Witnesses living in the territory of the city of Kaluga under a single leadership; convening meetings in residential premises; organization of religious speeches and services at these meetings\", etc.\nLaw enforcement officers mistakenly interpret the peaceful religion of citizens as \"participation in extremist activities.\" Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President himself have already drawn attention to this problem. The Russian government stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nBut despite this, my wife and I were illegally searched in my apartment on the night of June 26-27, 2019 without a court order. All this time I was handcuffed, although I did not offer any resistance. We were not allowed to move freely around the apartment. The FSB officer E.V. Beijing, who led the search, exerted emotional pressure on my wife and me, raised his voice. Our personal belongings were seized. On 28.06.2019, the judge of the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region, M.A. Lvov, chose a measure of restraint for me in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, later this decision was upheld. On 26.08.2019, my stay in the pre-trial detention center was extended by 2 months despite the serious chronic diseases that I have and which require regular examination and treatment, which is impossible in the pre-trial detention center. The relevant medical documents were submitted to the courts, but this was not taken into account.\nMy wife appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kaluga Region Zelnikov Y.I., to the Commissioner for Human Rights Moskalkova T.N., my lawyers appealed to Fedotov M.A., Chairman of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\nDear Anatoly Dmitrievich, I would like to ask you to pay attention to my situation, to the fact that my constitutional right to freedom of religion has been violated, to the fact that I am being persecuted for my faith. I have nothing to do with extremism, I am a peaceful person, I am well characterized at my place of work and I am not guilty of the crimes of which I am accused.\nKuzin Dmitry Evgenievich\n28.08.2019\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-09-24T15:04:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_9159210c340e9a09.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_b5bb91d1599473ac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1152/image-9876_hu_57ed8afd787aeda2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1152.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters"],"title":"The arrested Jehovah's Witness wrote an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region. Its text is given","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1451.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["un-working-group"],"title":"Resolution of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning Vladimir Alushkin (Penza)","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 19, 2019, Dmitry Larin, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, sentenced six residents of the city to various terms of imprisonment based on their religion. Such a harsh sentence for faith in Jehovah was the second in the history of modern Russia.\nThe Leninsky District Court of Saratov ruled to sentence Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiyev to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Alexei Miretsky to 2 years. Also, all were additionally sentenced to a ban on holding senior positions in public organizations for a period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. All of them are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization). The defendants were taken into custody in the courtroom to be sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nThe court ignored the fact that in the 30 volumes of the criminal case there is not a single victim and not a single negative consequence of the alleged \"extremist activity\" of the defendants. The entire logic of the prosecution was built on the speculative thesis that belief in God is \"an extension of the activities of an extremist organization.\" As a consequence of this approach, instead of searching for and proving the guilt of the defendants, the prosecutor's office was busy \"proving\" that they practiced a particular religion, despite the fact that no religion is banned in Russia. Having \"proved\" the religion of the defendants, which they did not hide anyway, the investigation proposed to automatically interpret this fact as the activity of a banned legal entity. The absurdity of this logic did not embarrass the court, and it equated peaceful believers with dangerous criminals.\nEarlier, Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev had already spent almost a year in a pre-trial detention center. All the convicts are ordinary residents of Saratov, not previously convicted, all have families. Two of Alexei Budenchuk's children are still in school. Konstantin Bazhenov is a bricklayer by profession, Felix Makhammadiev is a hairdresser, Roman Gridasov is a construction technologist, Gennady German is an artist, Alexey Miretsky is a candidate of economic sciences. In the last word, the believers quoted the Bible and noted that they did not hold a grudge against the persecutors.\nThe verdict in the case of six Saratov residents was the sixth conviction for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia. Prior to that, Dennis Christensen, Sergey Skrynnikov, Alexander Solovyov, Valery Moskalenko, as well as 16 believers in Taganrog were sentenced to various punishments. Only Dennis Christensen is currently in the colony, his complaint has been accepted for consideration by the European Court of Human Rights. The list of Russians convicted of believing in Jehovah has increased dramatically to 26 people, and the number of those imprisoned for this \"crime\" has increased from 1 to 7.\nThe defendants insist that they have nothing to do with extremism. The defense intends to appeal the unfair verdict.\n","category":"sentence","date":"2019-09-19T22:26:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1149/saratov6_hu_61d829088678d77a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1149/saratov6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1149/saratov6_hu_7ed7e9f3dc6b9a72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1149/saratov6_hu_c25d427544684acd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1149.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sentence"],"title":"From 2 to 3.5 years in prison for faith. In Saratov, a second sentence against Jehovah's Witnesses with real terms was handed down ","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 9, 2019, the Kaluga Regional Court granted Dmitry Kuzin's complaint against the measure of restraint and overturned the decision of the court of previous instance due to gross violations and biased attitude of the judge. The case was sent for review with a change of judge, and the believer can leave the pre-trial detention center in four days.\nOn June 26, 2019, a criminal case was opened against Dmitry Kuzin, a resident of Kaluga, under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization) in connection with his religion as a Jehovah's Witness. He was taken into custody. On August 19, the investigator applied to the Kaluga District Court with a request to extend the period of Kuzin's detention for another two months. On August 26, the district court granted this request, and the accused appealed his decision to the regional court.\nJudge of the Kaluga Regional Court Svetlana Anatolyevna Prokofyeva, having considered this appeal on September 9, decided to cancel the decision of the district court of August 26, to reduce the period of Kuzin's stay in custody until September 23, and to transfer the petition of the senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Kaluga Region to extend the period of detention for a new trial in the same court, but with a different composition.\nAlthough the believer remained in custody, albeit with a reduced sentence, an important outcome of the appeal was the recognition of \"significant violations of the criminal procedure law,\" according to the text of the ruling. Thus, Judge Prokofieva drew attention to the fact that the lower court did not allow the believer to defend himself, referring to his religious beliefs, and in fact mocked him.\nHaving studied the audio recording of the court session, the judge of the regional court pointed to the phrase of the lower court judge addressed to Kuzin: \"You are not a prisoner of conscience and have nothing to do with the first Christians, there is no need to speculate on this, you are not called to gladiatorial fights. And as a follower of Jehovah, you also raise many questions.\" Judge Prokofieva noted in her conclusion: \"With such data, it is impossible to talk about the objectivity of the presiding judge.\" She concluded that this indicates the interest of the presiding judge in the outcome of the case and the illegality of the composition of the court.\nAs a result, the petition to extend Kuzin's detention will have to be considered by the new composition of the Kaluga District Court. The believer is glad that, at least in some cases, bias against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russian courts receives a proper legal assessment.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-09-19T16:45:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1148/kuzin_0_hu_6c9982c0f19dc69f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1148/kuzin_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1148/kuzin_0_hu_cf14249441dac12c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1148/kuzin_0_hu_8e76f15b25734e37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1148.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","retrial"],"title":"In Kaluga, the Court of Appeal found violations and discrimination in the case of Dmitry Kuzin. It will be considered by the new composition of the court ","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Alexey Miretsky's speech in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov on September 19, 2019.\n","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1233.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Alexei Miretsky","type":"docs"},{"body":"Transcript of Konstantin Bazhenov's speech in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov on September 19, 2019.\n","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1209.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Konstantin Bazhenov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 18, 2019, in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, the prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev and Alexei Budenchuk and 6 years for Alexei Miretsky, Roman Gridasov and Gennady German. All are blamed for their religious views as Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal case against six peaceful Saratov residents has been dragging on since June 9, 2018. Then 43-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, 35-year-old Alexei Budenchuk and 33-year-old Felix Makhammadiev ended up in a pre-trial detention center and spent 343 days in it. They were later released under a ban on certain actions.\nIn addition to imprisonment for their faith, the prosecutor also requested for all defendants a restriction of liberty with deprivation of the right to hold positions in public organizations for a period of 1 year.\nOn September 18, the debate began, after which the verdict will be announced in the coming days. A detailed chronicle of the process is kept.\nUpdate. The types of punishments for defendants have been clarified. In addition to imprisonment, the prosecutor requested an additional 5 years of deprivation of the right to hold leadership positions in public organizations and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-09-18T16:29:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1143/photo_2019-09-11_13-30-39_2_hu_20d85c4ef45de0af.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1143/photo_2019-09-11_13-30-39_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1143/photo_2019-09-11_13-30-39_2_hu_5f16dc25034e09d8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1143/photo_2019-09-11_13-30-39_2_hu_669cffacdeaf449d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1143.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Saratov, the prosecutor requested 6 and 7 years in prison for believers. The verdict will be known in the near future ","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 5, 2019, in Petrozavodsk (Karelia), FSB officers detained Mikhail Gordeev right at his workplace, suspecting him of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The man was searched, his tablet was seized and taken to the FSB department for interrogation.\nInvestigator Grigoriev provided Mikhail with a free lawyer. The interrogation lasted four hours. A criminal case was opened against the believer under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity). He is suspected of \"continuing the activities of an extremist religious organization in the city of Petrozavodsk.\" He was placed under recognizance agreement.\nPersecution of residents of Karelia on religious grounds began at the end of July 2019, when mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in two cities of the region. The authorities opened criminal cases against Aleksey Smelov, Maksim Amosov and Nikolay Leshchenko. These civilians are grieving unfair criminal prosecution.\nIn May 2017, a family of Jehovah's Witnesses from Karelia was awarded the Order of Parental Glory. Exemplary parents received the award from the hands of the head of state Vladimir Putin.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-09-11T13:04:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1138/depositphotos_75905113_7_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1138.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith in Karelia. Mikhail Gordeev, 59, was detained at his workplace and placed on recognizance not to leave ","type":"news"},{"body":"No. According to the statement of the Government of the Russian Federation, \"the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17.07.2017 do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually.\" Commenting on the unfair verdicts against Jehovah's Witnesses, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatiana Moskalkova, said on June 10, 2019: \"These events make us think about the existence of a conflict between the constitutional right to profess one's religion individually or jointly with others and the signs of extremist activity specified in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\" On October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\nWhat did the Supreme Court of Russia ban in 2017? The court banned the activities of 396 registered and operating Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. This decision has been challenged in the European Court of Human Rights. The statement of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights of 20.06.18 says: \"This decision of the [Supreme] Court contains an exhaustive list of legal entities subject to liquidation. At the same time, the court's decision does not contain conclusions about the ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as such.\" Is it allowed in Russia to practice religion without forming a legal entity? Yes. Jehovah's Witnesses have lived in Russia for more than a hundred years, and for most of that time they practiced their faith without the organizations that emerged in the late 1990s under the Freedom of Conscience Law and lasted less than 20 years. The presence or absence of such organizations does not mean the prohibition of entire religions, and even more so does not give grounds for criminal prosecution of citizens for their beliefs. Is it possible to ban people, ideas, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings? This is both impossible and unacceptable. According to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, everyone has the right \"to freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and to act in accordance with them.\" This right extends to believers of all views and beliefs, including Jehovah's Witnesses. No court in Russia has ever recognized the religion or beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses as criminal. Such a decision would be discriminatory and unconstitutional. How does the international community regard connivance with the actions of Russian officials who persecute Jehovah's Witnesses? The campaign of persecution of believers was unanimously condemned by the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union, individual countries of the world (Germany, USA), and a large number of international organizations. ","category":"faq","date":"2019-09-10T11:28:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/5.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","commissioner-rf","analytics","review","international-community","international","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Are Jehovah's Witnesses Actually Banned in Russia?","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 3, 2019, the judge of the Kirov Regional Court, Alexander Moseev, granted the appeal of Andrzej Oniszczuk to extend his detention. After almost a year behind bars and a ban on communicating with his wife, the believer is finally free, but on his own recognizance.\nPolish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kirov region as a result of mass searches in the homes of believers on October 9, 2018. Then five Kirov residents were arrested, whom the investigation accused of \"singing biblical songs together, improving the skills of missionary activity, studying religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible).\"\nLater, the court softened the measure of restraint for everyone except Oniszczuk, while Andrzej continued to remain under arrest. During the 11 months of his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he was forbidden to communicate with his wife Anna, even by phone, under the pretext that she was a witness in the case.\nMeanwhile, the investigation of the case against Andrzej Oniszczuk continues, for believing in God and reading the Bible with friends, he faces up to 10 years in prison under \"extremist\" articles 282.2 (1) and 283.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the moment, 10 residents of the Kirov region are under investigation in connection with the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Kirov law enforcement officers continue to interpret ordinary, peaceful religion as a serious crime.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-09-04T21:13:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1123/oniszczuk_0_hu_e23983a230597c1a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1123/oniszczuk_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1123/oniszczuk_0_hu_6e0133e2d4bf35eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1123/oniszczuk_0_hu_8b5bb0b2542d326.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1123.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["release"],"title":"Andrzej Oniszczuk was released after 11 months in jail. There are no more Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars in Kirov ","type":"news"},{"body":"Two years and two months of forced labor and another six months of restriction of freedom - this is the sentence handed down to Valery Moskalenko by the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk on September 2, 2019. At the same time, the court did not support the petition for a prison term for a peaceful believer convicted of reading the Bible.\nOn the morning of September 2, 2019, Judge Ivan Belykh announced the verdict, in which he only partially supported the position of the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor called for the believer to be sent to jail for three years under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). The key episode for the prosecution was the events that took place on April 21, 2018 in the conference hall of the Yerofey hotel complex. There, Moskalenko quoted the words of Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount. A ten-minute audio recording of the reading of this passage with commentary formed the basis of the indictment.\nAfter the verdict was announced, 52-year-old Valery Moskalenko was released from custody in the courtroom to the delight of his family and friends. He has been in jail for more than a year, since August 2, 2018. Before being taken into custody, he worked as an assistant locomotive driver and cared for his sick mother. Under the terms of restriction of freedom, he cannot travel outside Khabarovsk and must report to the penitentiary inspectorate once a month.\nThe believer's defense believes that a guilty verdict for believing in God and quoting the words of Jesus Christ cannot be considered legitimate, so it intends to appeal the verdict.\nIn addition to Valery Moskalenko, 7 more believers in the Khabarovsk Territory are awaiting sentences for similar \"crimes\". In this Russian region, as in many others, law enforcement officers deny citizens the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which contradicts not only Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but also the position of the Government and the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-09-02T14:10:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_ab863688bdd804b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_a4ae4c64c2e1e71e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/09/1115/140fab92-26cf-41fa-bd33-5a7fdff05434_hu_70b114c97824b381.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/09/1115.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-2","sizo"],"title":"2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom for reading the Bible. Valery Moskalenko at large, but with a guilty verdict ","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Valery Moskalenko's speech in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk on September 2, 2019.\n","date":"2019-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1208.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Valery Moskalenko","type":"docs"},{"body":"On August 30, 2019, speaking in a debate in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Assistant Prosecutor Anatoly Grigorenko announced that Valery Moskalenko, who has been in jail for 13 months, should be sent to a general regime colony for 3 years just because he professes faith in Jehovah God. Before the pre-trial detention center, Valeriy lived with his elderly mother and provided her with daily care, which she desperately needs. Read the chronicle of the process.\nAn episode of Moskalenko's life, which the local FSB considered a crime, was a meeting of friends in the conference room of the hotel, during which he read the words from the Gospel: \"Learn from the lilies of the field how they grow: they do not work and do not spin, but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them. If God dresses the plants of the field in this way, which are there today and will be thrown into the furnace tomorrow, then will He not clothe you, you of little faith? So never worry and say, 'What should we eat?' or 'What should we drink?' or 'What should I wear?'\" Moskalenko explained to the court that his comments on the Sermon on the Mount were exclusively peaceful. He talked about how to overcome worries about economic difficulties.\nLawyers spoke in the debate of the parties. At the end of the debate of the parties, the defendant addressed the court with the last word, after which the court will retire to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-30T10:18:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_308a4c3a83f17e5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_af343531ab5735d9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1114/2019083016169_hu_610cfb9ec5d8c937.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1114.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo","liberty-deprivation","defense-arguments"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the prosecution requested 3 years in prison for reading a passage from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. The verdict will be announced on September 2","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 22, 2019, a 43-year-old resident of Perm, Alexei Metzger, was officially prosecuted for alleged participation in extremist activities. He signed a recognizance not to leave. The believer faces up to 6 years in prison just for practicing his religion.\nDespite the absence of victims, law enforcement agencies are convinced that Metzger's actions constitute a serious crime. E. Leontiev, an investigator for especially important cases, opened a criminal case against another peaceful believer under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The accused has already begun to familiarize himself with the materials of the case. It will then be taken to court.\nAlexey Metzger has become the fifth resident of the Perm Territory against whom a criminal case has been initiated in connection with the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. His case was separated from the case of Alexander Solovyov, who had already been convicted under a similar article. On July 4, 2019, he was sentenced to a fine of 300 thousand rubles. Three more residents of the Perm region are now under investigation: Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov and Igor Turik.\nThese criminal cases are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. Law enforcement officers inappropriately interpret joint confession of religion as participation in extremist activities, which contradicts Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion for all.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-29T12:44:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1113/img_20190406_173622_2_hu_df4fb1fbf2577351.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1113/img_20190406_173622_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1113/img_20190406_173622_2_hu_690f3b4519cedad5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1113/img_20190406_173622_2_hu_3140c611242ad5c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1113.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Another criminal case for faith in Perm. Alexei Metzger was indicted ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 22, 2019, the Court of Appeal of Khanty-Mansiysk changed the measure of restraint for Andrey Sazonov from house arrest to prohibition of certain actions. Judge Natalia Pashayeva ruled that \"the decision of the court of first instance is not based on objective data and contradicts the articles of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\"\nNow the believer is forbidden to communicate with \"people related to the criminal case\", send and receive correspondence, use the Internet and telephone according to the circumstances of the criminal case. Meanwhile, the case against Andrey Sazonov, initiated on January 31, 2019, continues to be investigated. He still faces up to 10 years in prison for believing in God under two parts of Article 282.2 (1 and 2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nEarlier, the deputy head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug M. Kartoev, in whose proceedings the criminal case is located, appealed to the court with a petition to extend the term of house arrest of Andrei Sazonov until September 30, 2019. However, Judge Pashayeva came to the conclusion that the decision of the court of first instance to extend the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest is not based on objective data and contradicts several articles of the Criminal Procedure Code at once. In particular, there is no evidence that Andrei Sazonov obstructed the investigation or plans to do so in the future. In addition, the court of first instance did not take into account the state of health of the accused, who requires surgery. Attention is drawn to the positive characteristics of the accused, his social adaptation, the availability of his own housing and family.\nAndrey Sazonov has learned all the facets of criminal prosecution. Previously, he spent 20 days in a pre-trial detention center, 178 days under house arrest with a bracelet on his leg, and now he is deprived of the opportunity to communicate freely. All this is due to the fact that the authorities consider the peaceful practice of religion to be \"extremist activities.\" Andrey is an engineer by profession, married, has a son and a daughter.\nAt the moment, 22 believers in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug are involved in criminal cases on the basis of religion. Meanwhile, the Russian Government confirmed that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of their organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-08-26T13:32:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1092/3_2_0_hu_fc07bb378cfc75d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1092/3_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1092/3_2_0_hu_b1bdc17dabde8d6f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1092/3_2_0_hu_dbc27855ea5198a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1092.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","appeal","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Andrey Sazonov was released from house arrest. The court considered that the exemplary father of the family could be at large ","type":"news"},{"body":"At the end of July 2019, the staff of the colony where Dennis Christensen is serving his sentence planted a knife on him - and immediately \"found\" him under a video camera. This incident was used to put pressure on the believer. Support for him was the visit of Andrei Babushkin from the Presidential Council for Human Rights (HRC). Human rights activists inquired about the conditions of his detention and the observance of human rights.\nThe leadership of the colony, primarily the deputy head Igor Myasnyankin, unsuccessfully tries to prohibit Dennis Christensen from talking about the Bible with his cellmates, although this is not prohibited by the rules of the colony. The believer insists on his constitutional right to freedom of religion. In some cases, even those who are the guardians of human rights by virtue of their work are influenced by common stereotypes. For example, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kursk Region, Vladimir Firsov, at a meeting with Dennis Christensen, expressed bewilderment that \"a sectarian from abroad could come to our Orthodox country.\"\nIrina Christensen, having visited her husband in the colony, informed the lawyer about the appalling conditions of Dennis Christensen's detention in the colony. For example, she had to wait 8 hours standing for a date in a stuffy corridor, all the windows of which were clogged or painted over. There are puddles in the premises of the prison dormitory, toilets are faulty, the dominance of mice, mosquitoes and cockroaches. Visitors for inspection are stripped to their underwear. In pre-trial detention centers, where dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses are held, living conditions are generally better.\nTogether with Andrey Babushkin, Maria Bolshakova, a member of the Human Rights Council, visited Christensen's penal colony (IK-3 in the Kursk region in Lgov). Andrey Babushkin himself is the head of the standing commission on assistance to the Public Monitoring Commission, reform of the penitentiary system and crime prevention. In February 2019, Babushkin demanded to stop the criminal activities of the security forces responsible for the torture of Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Surgut. Then he sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General and the head of the Investigative Committee.\nIn June 2017, Dennis Christensen filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Later, the Kingdom of Denmark entered the case of Christensen v. Russia as a 3rd person. The case is currently pending. The believer was recognized as a prisoner of conscience by the Russian organization Memorial and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The European Union called for Christensen's \"immediate and unconditional release\". The UN spoke in the same vein, calling on the Russian authorities to release all persons arrested for their peaceful religious beliefs.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-08-20T13:29:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1077/190121_oryol_web_hu_bbe1ed91e9578c26.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1077/190121_oryol_web.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1077/190121_oryol_web_hu_19e3ec498957b92f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1077/190121_oryol_web_hu_b8d080796c471550.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1077.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["plant","presidential-council","life-in-prison"],"title":"A knife was planted in Dennis Christensen's cell to exert pressure. Soon it was visited by members of the Presidential Council ","type":"news"},{"body":"In the city of Berezovsky (Kemerovo region), hearings began on the criminal case against Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk. Both of them have been in jail for more than a year. The next meetings are scheduled for 20 and 21 August, 3, 4, 17 and 18 September 2019. Read the details of the hearings in the chronicle of the trial.\nThe hearings are being held in the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region under the chairmanship of Judge Irina Vorobyova. Both believers are accused of organizing religious activities, which is interpreted by law enforcement agencies as extremism (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to friends Sergey and Vadim, they radiate optimism. In July, Sergey Britvin was in a prison hospital, but now his condition has improved. Sergey is a disabled person of group II, by profession he is a driver and crane operator. Vadim Levchuk worked as a miner for many years, has gratitude from the company for conscientious work.\nThe life of two peaceful residents of Berezovka changed abruptly on July 22, 2018, when a wave of searches took place in the apartments of believers in the city. One of the believers received a slight bodily injury during the storming of the apartment. Two days later, on July 24, the judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Natalia Naumova, decided to detain Britvin and Levchuk in custody of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kemerovo. Later, the court transferred them to SIZO-4 in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk, where they are still staying.\nThe law enforcement agencies of the Kemerovo region are convinced that residents of the region cannot profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, despite the fact that this right is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Believers insist that they have nothing to do with extremism. The Russian government confirmed that the decisions of Russian courts to liquidate and ban their organizations \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor do they contain restrictions or prohibitions on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-19T18:25:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1076/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_hu_7bb71e1733ad19bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1076/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1076/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_hu_9f9aa2434f3315d5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1076/britvin_sergey_kemerovskaya1_hu_1db7608fd4d4c39b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1076.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"The trial on the merits of the case over the religion of two residents of the Kemerovo region has begun. Hearings will be held in August-September ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 14, 2019, a resident of Smolensk, Ruslan Korolev, was released from the pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost four months. Now the believer will be under house arrest, but three more men and two women remain imprisoned in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center.\nRuslan Korolev, 37, was arrested on April 25, 2019, along with two other citizens. Before that, according to the already familiar scenario, searches were carried out in the houses of believers, and the security forces themselves were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Department of the FSB, from where they never left, having gone to jail.\nA few days later, Yevgeny Deshko, the fourth suspect in this criminal case, was detained in Dagomys (Krasnodar Territory). All these civilians are accused of \"extremist activities.\" The case is being investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\nTwo women are also being held in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center on similar charges: Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova, both of retirement age, and before them, Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina spent more than six months behind bars.\nPeaceful believers across the country continue to face criminal prosecution and real prison terms. This is happening despite the protests of international organizations such as the European Union's foreign policy service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights . In Russia itself, the absurdity of accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses is recognized by public figures and even Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-08-19T16:48:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_116b0f8ef4f4d5ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_4032e991d238a4e0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1073/korolev_r_hu_9eb37f036483bac1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1073.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"The believer was released under house arrest after 112 days in a Smolensk pre-trial detention center ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2019, the prosecutor of the city of Karpinsk, Andrei Arzhakhovsky, approved the final document, which summarized the charges against Alexander Pryanikov, Daria and Venera Dulov, suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case goes to court - read the details in the chronicle of the process.\nThree believers are charged with participating in the activities of the banned religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" - this is how law enforcement agencies interpret reading the Bible with friends. In their opinion, 19-year-old student Daria Dulova colluded with her mother and acquaintance Pryanikov and \"continued to actively participate in the activities of a banned local religious organization,\" and also had a \"psychological impact on society.\" All three were charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIt is noteworthy that Daria Dulova is the youngest accused in the trials against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia at the moment, and her mother Venera has been receiving a group III disability pension since 1996. Alexander Pryanikov is an entrepreneur who makes decorative tiles. All three are under recognizance agreement. Searches were carried out in their homes, electronic devices and various documents were seized from them.\nLaw enforcement officers of the Sverdlovsk region continue to believe that residents of the region do not have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which contradicts Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the statement of the Government of the Russian Federation: \"[the decisions of the Russian courts] do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-19T16:10:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1072/web_daria_dulova_0_hu_30445067175a901e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1072/web_daria_dulova_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1072/web_daria_dulova_0_hu_999b0d270f58fa0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1072/web_daria_dulova_0_hu_208c1233e4e8bf06.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1072.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["to-court","disability","recognizance-agreement","families"],"title":"The prosecutor's office in the Sverdlovsk region signed an indictment against three believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 14, 2019, Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), met in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area) with local Jehovah's Witnesses, who officially announced the torture inflicted on them on February 15, 2019 by employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The meeting was held in the conference hall of the Central City Library named after A. Pushkin. In addition to human rights defenders, it was attended by the head of the Investigative Committee in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the first deputy prosecutor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the deputy head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the deputy governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the mayor of Surgut. The heads of law enforcement agencies were unable to explain why, despite strong evidence, a criminal case on the fact of torture has not yet been opened. On the part of the believers, there were 28 people – victims, as well as members of their families, who helped them cope with the psychological consequences of their experiences. In addition, the believers told what pressure they were subjected to from law enforcement officers: mothers were intimidated by the weaning of children, wives by the fact that they would not see their husbands, husbands by the fact that their wives would be put in cells and raped, etc. After the initiation of a criminal case, they cannot live normally: someone is asked to quit their jobs; someone is afraid to let children go outside; someone shrinks with fear when he sees police officers; someone cannot sleep in constant anticipation of the next morning search; The children ask their parents if the soldiers will come to them again. (The latter applies equally to hundreds of believers and their families across the country.) Believers also had the opportunity to talk about the nature of their religious beliefs with a Bible in their hands. Natalia Fedina, the wife of one of the accused, expressed a general idea: \"A paradoxical situation: on the one hand, my husband was put in a pre-trial detention center, a criminal case was opened against 19 people, but there is not a single victim; On the other hand, there are 7 people who were tortured here, and there is not a single criminal case!\" After the meeting, Mikhail Fedotov said: \"My conclusion: we must get to the bottom of the truth. I am far from agreeing in advance with any side of this story, but what is clear is that torture is absolutely unacceptable, and allegations of torture must be verified as fully, comprehensively and exhaustively as possible. We cannot allow such evil to exist in our land. The President has a very negative attitude towards the facts of torture. We remember his words that this is an absolutely unacceptable practice.\" ","category":"rights","date":"2019-08-15T14:18:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1070/fedotov_0_hu_faeed2423715383d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1070/fedotov_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1070/fedotov_0_hu_ea26babec834b60e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1070/fedotov_0_hu_9d31519611109e79.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1070.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","presidential-council","health-risk","work-restrictions","minors"],"title":"\"We have to get to the bottom of the truth.\" In Surgut, the head of the Human Rights Council interviewed believers who were tortured ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 15, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk completed the judicial investigation in the criminal case against local resident Valery Moskalenko. He faces up to 6 years in prison for the fact that in the spring of 2018, in the conference hall of the hotel, he, according to the investigation, talked with friends about faith in Jehovah God. On August 28, the debate will begin, during which the prosecution will request punishment for the believer.\nThe case is being heard by Judge Ivan Belykh, the investigation was conducted by the local FSB department. In December 2018, the lawyers sent the complaint \"Moskalenko v. Russia\" to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to consider it as a priority in accordance with the policy of the Strasbourg Court. The complaint draws attention to the violation by the Russian Federation of several articles of the European Convention at once, including Articles 9, 3, 8, 17 and/or 18 (considered alone or jointly with other articles). The initiation of the case became known in August 2018. FSB and OMON officers invaded 6 houses of civilians in Khabarovsk, seized religious literature, mobile phones and other personal belongings of citizens. Among others, Valery Moskalenko was interrogated and taken into custody. He was accused of participating in worship services and \"hymns reflecting the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Valery Moskalenko is an assistant driver of an electric locomotive by profession. Before being placed in a pre-trial detention center, Valeriy lived with his elderly mother and provided her with daily care, which she desperately needs. When he was arrested, she became ill, she had to call an ambulance.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-15T10:50:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_bf906f76fa2a38a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_755724c945518180.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1069/gavel3_1_0_hu_c57b019ca489577.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1069.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","sizo","echr","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the trial of a 52-year-old believer is coming to an end. He has been in jail for more than a year ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 12, 2019, the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court upheld the decision of the lower court, which sent 51-year-old Alexander Vavilov to a pre-trial detention center for his faith. Alexei Oreshkov, 48, is also behind bars. Both are accused of participating in extremist activities, which is how the investigating authorities interpret the peaceful religious beliefs of citizens.\nTwo believers have been in pre-trial detention centers since mid-July 2019. At the moment, it is known that Alexander Vavilov was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 of the Kstovsky district of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Alexei Oreshkov is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Nizhny Novgorod. Both are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in extremist activities). This was preceded by mass searches and detentions of believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which took place on July 16 and 17, 2019.\nAccording to the materials of the case, the believers Vavilov and Oreshkov, \"realizing a joint criminal intent, acting intentionally, by a group of persons by prior conspiracy ... took active steps aimed at... conducting religious speeches and services\" (from the decision to bring A. V. Vavilov as an accused, signed by investigator S. S. Sosunov).\nAt the moment, more than ten believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region have been prosecuted because of their religion. Law enforcement agencies are convinced that residents of the region are forbidden to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which directly contradicts the position of the Government and the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-08-13T15:54:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1051/jw-russia_02703_0_0_0_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1051.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","282.2-2"],"title":"Two residents of the Nizhny Novgorod region were imprisoned because of their faith ","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 2, 2019, in the village of Nikolaevka (Krasnoyarsk Territory), masked and bulletproof security forces broke into the house of 77-year-old Lyubov Mirenyuk when she was alone at home and demanded that all available electronic devices be handed over. The reason is the religion of her grandson. The search warrant was signed by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Artem Ginter. The only reason for such actions was that her grandson, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was registered in the woman's house. Lyubov Mirenyuk herself does not share this faith. Subsequent events turned into a real nightmare for an elderly woman. In the afternoon, armed men climbed over the fence, broke into the house and began the search without identifying themselves or showing any documents. They threatened a long prison term for her grandson, saying that a criminal case had already been opened against him under the article \"extremism\". Lyubov refused to believe it, knowing that her grandson was a decent and law-abiding person. Lyubov Mirenyuk has poor health and has not gone out for a long time, he moves around the house with great difficulty. She was very frightened by the behavior of armed masked men. From the resulting stress, the pensioner had a dangerously high blood pressure. She did not receive any protocols from the authorities. The search was sanctioned as part of a criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov, which has been going on since July 3, 2018. He is accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for the sole reason of professing the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-08-08T14:56:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_baf6f76c7a56fdee.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_f9d72a1eff930d90.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1028/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_0_hu_a2f6d2cc5701e6a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1028.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","health-risk"],"title":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a 77-year-old woman was subjected to an armed raid by security forces because of her grandson's religion ","type":"news"},{"body":"The wave of religious persecution in Russia reached Karelia. The local FSB department opened three criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses at once, namely against 44-year-old Aleksey Smelov from Kondopoga, 42-year-old Maxim Amosov and 57-year-old Nikolai Leshchenko from Petrozavodsk. On July 31, 2019, each of them was searched, and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from them. In total, 6 searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city of Kondopoga, and at least 11 more searches were carried out in Petrozavodsk. In general, the FSB officers behaved politely, however, unreasonably invading the personal space of law-abiding citizens, law enforcement officers violate human rights enshrined in Russian legislation.\nIn recent months, the pressure on Jehovah's Witnesses has only increased. In total, after the decision of the Supreme Court, searches were carried out in 613 houses of believers. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-08-06T17:38:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1022/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_hu_8188fd3eca415f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1022/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1022/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_hu_543774ce06547aeb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1022/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_0_hu_b2b50dd1f8eb461d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1022.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"At least 17 searches have been carried out in Karelia and 3 criminal cases for faith have been initiated ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 24, 2019, a decision was issued to bring Yevgeny Aksenov, a native of Khabarovsk, as an accused. The \"guilt\" of Aksenov, according to the investigation, is that in April 2018, he and his friends met in the conference hall of the hotel complex and read the Holy Scriptures.\nOn the evening of August 6, 2019, 4 FSB officers with witnesses came to the apartment of Yevgeny Aksyonov and his family in Khabarovsk. During the search, they turned over all the belongings and seized the hard drive.\nLaw enforcement officers regard reading the Bible as a continuation of extremist activity. The decree was signed by D. Pozdnyakov, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory. A written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-06T15:06:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1019/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_0_hu_97e3f6e73b7b7769.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1019/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1019/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_0_hu_367e45b1bc969113.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1019/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_0_hu_6bac055085a21d42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1019.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Criminal prosecution of Yevgeny Aksyonov for reading the Holy Scriptures in Khabarovsk ","type":"news"},{"body":"While under house arrest, 45-year-old Maksim Khalturin, as far as possible, continues to take care of his elderly parents. He himself draws strength, among other things, from letters from people who are not indifferent to his situation. He could receive letters while he was in jail. Under house arrest, correspondence is prohibited. Maksim's mother, Galina Khalturina, is over 80 years old, and his father has suffered a stroke and especially needs help. On October 9, 2018, after a series of searches in Kirov, Maksim Khalturin and four other believers were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for singing biblical songs together and studying the Holy Scriptures. (Read more about the events in the 10-minute video \"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov.\") Later, Maksim, as well as his fellow believers Vladimir Korobeynikov, Andrey and Yevgeny Suvorkov, were transferred to house arrest. As for Andrzej Oniszczuk, he is still languishing in a pre-trial detention center.\nFriends and relatives of Kirov residents hope that soon the label of extremists will be removed from these decent people. After all, Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians, and many wonder why they are being persecuted. ","category":"prison","date":"2019-08-06T15:03:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_a2a6e2bf5ebdf21f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_4f74dbd388dc961a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1018/web_image_khalturin_maksim2_hu_9672c42a2c2d9f64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1018.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters"],"title":"During the 122 days in the pre-trial detention center, the believer received 562 letters of support ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of July 29, 2019, another wave of police raids on the apartments of believers took place in Novosibirsk. The next victims were Igor Muravyov, Anton Shakhmatov, Oleg Epifanov, Sergey Kozlyuk and Alexander Serikov. The investigation suspects them of professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. Personal property was seized. At about 8 a.m. on July 29, the search began in the apartment of 54-year-old Igor Muravyov. He himself was at work at that time. His wife managed to contact her husband and tell him about what happened, but after a while the connection with him was lost. Later it became known that Igor Muravyov was taken to the police station for interrogation. On the same day, information was received about two more searches carried out in the homes of Anton Shakhmatov and Oleg Epifanov. They were also taken to the local police station for questioning. It is known about searches in the apartments of Sergey Kozlyuk and Alexander Serikov. Details are being specified. In Novosibirsk, criminal cases for faith have already been initiated against six people. One of them, Yuri Savelyev, has been behind bars for more than six months. Believers claim that they have nothing to do with extremism. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-08-06T14:56:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1017/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1017/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1017/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1017/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_1_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1017.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"New searches and interrogations of peaceful Christians in Novosibirsk ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2019, in the city of Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), a criminal case was initiated against 19-year-old Daria Dulova solely on religious grounds. The investigation believes that she professes the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. For the same reason, her mother has been under recognizance not to leave for a year. According to the investigation, the 19-year-old college student, colluding with her mother and acquaintance, \"continued to actively participate in the activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\" and had a \"psychological impact on society.\" On this basis, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Department for Krasnoturinsk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Captain of Justice V. A. Sudin opened a criminal case against Daria for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The girl became the youngest accused in the trials against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia at the moment. A year earlier, on July 30, 2018, a criminal case was initiated under a similar article against Daria's mother, Venera Dulova, who has a hearing disability. Then law enforcement officers searched their apartment and subjected Darya to psychological pressure and threats. They were actively interested in whether her parents read religious literature. The case of Darya Dulova is combined with the criminal cases of Venera Dulova and Aleksandr Pryanikov, another peaceful believer who was persecuted in Karpinsk. Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia has recently become widespread, and law enforcement agencies are initiating cases under serious criminal articles, regardless of the age and gender of the believers. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, President Putin himself, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights drew attention to this problem. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-08-03T22:36:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1015/web_daria_dulova_hu_30445067175a901e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1015/web_daria_dulova.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1015/web_daria_dulova_hu_999b0d270f58fa0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1015/web_daria_dulova_hu_208c1233e4e8bf06.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1015.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","families","282.2-2","disability"],"title":"In the Sverdlovsk region, a criminal case for faith was opened against a young girl and her disabled mother ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 31, 2019, the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Karelia conducted at least 15 searches in the cities of Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga in the homes and workplaces of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Men and women were detained for interrogation, some overnight. Several people are still not in touch, presumably they are detained. A criminal case was opened on the grounds that in 2017 the Supreme Court of Russia banned the activities of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia at once. Law enforcement agencies interpret this decision as a total ban on the worship of Jehovah (\"Jehovah\" is the name of God in the Bible). In most cases, believers were caught by law enforcement officers at home. For some, the seizure groups came to their workplaces. Spouses Maksim and Maria Amosov were detained on the street, while the woman's coat was torn. The search in the apartment of Mikhail Gordeev, where he lives with his wife, minor daughters and mother-in-law, was carried out until the evening. During the searches, phones, tablets, computers and the like were seized from citizens. Judging by the investigators' questions, a criminal case was opened against 44-year-old Alexei Smelov from Kondopoga and 42-year-old Maxim Amosov from Petrozavodsk. Both men have families who are struggling with unfair criminal prosecution. Exactly 3 years ago, on July 28, 2016, the Karelian special services staged an act of intimidation for believers, breaking into the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses in Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksha with machine guns. Believers were roughly knocked to the floor, pressed with their knees, kicked. Law enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-08-01T16:55:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/08/1012/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_hu_1448093d6183e596.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/08/1012/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/08/1012/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_hu_297fff4090394aee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/08/1012/190717_nizhniy_novogorod_2_hu_dfefb035f606595a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/08/1012.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case"],"title":"Searches and Detentions of Believers in Karelia ","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses Maria Karpova, Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov are sitting in the Makhachkala pre-trial detention center for their faith. On July 25, 2019, Dalgat Hajiyev, a judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala, ordered that their detention be extended until September 27, 2019, despite the fact that the only charge against them is their religion. Believers ended up in prison after a raid on the homes of believers, which took place in Dagestan on June 1, 2019. Dozens of Makhachkala residents came to support their friends at the court hearing. All four are clearly aware that they have not done anything wrong or illegal, and maintain a positive attitude. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-30T16:14:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_d8b89e5d9c86483e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_ea2733a62e65f31d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/1007/190725_mahachkala_hu_d6dc7f6bdd3f1247.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/1007.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Dagestan, a court extended the detention of four Christians in prison ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 1, 2019, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov seized Lydia Kachurina's apartment and garden, in case her 60-year-old son, Anatoliy Tokarev, was found guilty of extremism for being a Jehovah's Witness. An apartment and a plot will be needed to recover a large fine from him.\nThe investigation suspects Anatoly Tokarev of \"organizing ... including in his apartment... meetings\" of fellow believers, together with them he sang biblical songs and studied religious literature, \"the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible).\"\nIn May 2019, Anatoly's house was searched. When Anatoliy refused to cooperate with the investigation, the security services threatened problems for his family members.\nOn July 19, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev was informed of the decision of Sergey Skorobogaty, a judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov, who arrested his housing and land plot owned by Tokarev's elderly mother. On July 24, 2019, Anatoliy Tokarev appealed against the decision to seize property.\nTokarev and his mother are not the only Kirov residents who have faced problems because of their religion. After a series of searches in Kirov, criminal cases were opened against at least 11 Jehovah's Witnesses. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk has been held in pre-trial detention for more than 290 days. ","category":"property","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_5c558753bfa22046.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_aa5e8194921d9bd7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/999/gavel3_1_hu_5e365c883efcfa9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/999.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["belongings-arrest","elderly"],"title":"Law enforcement officers in Kirov plan to take away the only housing of an elderly woman as punishment for her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 24, 2019, the judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Elena Lapina, sent two Kemerovo civilians, 58-year-old Sergey Yavushkin and 45-year-old Aleksandr Bondarchuk, under house arrest for one month and 27 days. Prior to that, they spent almost two days in a temporary detention center.\nOn July 22, at 6 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee invaded their apartments with a second search. For the first time, believers were subjected to this humiliating procedure on January 23, 2018. According to investigator M. Nikitin, both defendants profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and therefore participate in extremist activities. On July 18, 2019, a criminal case was opened against them under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThis is not the first case of persecution for faith in the Kemerovo region. The epicenter of persecution was the city of Berezovsky. On July 22, 2018, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk were arrested there and sent to a pre-trial detention center . In February 2019, the court placed another resident of this city, Hassan Kogut, under house arrest. All of them are accused only of not ceasing to profess the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017. The wave of religious repression that has been going on in the Kemerovo region for the second year was a direct consequence of the fact that civilians were branded extremists for simply practicing religion. The Russian government emphasized that the views of Jehovah's Witnesses have never been declared criminal in Russia. The president of the country also spoke out against the persecution of them. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-26T12:33:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/998/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_0_hu_656ef17cdbe4b20d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/998/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/998/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_0_hu_7ce8e2062dbcb96.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/998/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_0_hu_b7d5336e4c911f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/998.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","house-arrest","282.2-2"],"title":"New searches in Kemerovo, believers were placed under house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2019, at 10:40 a.m., 6 people raided the apartment of 67-year-old pensioner Nadezhda Kurakina. Knocking on the door, they introduced themselves as social security workers. According to the hostess, the uninvited guests were representatives of law enforcement agencies (three majors and a captain), as well as two witnesses. They seized the elderly woman's personal paper notes and a tablet. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-22T12:02:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/991/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_0_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/991.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Search of a peaceful believer in Krasnokamensk, Trans-Baikal Territory ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17 and 18, 2019, searches were conducted in the homes of 48-year-old Anton Vasyukov, 62-year-old Aleksey Okatyev and 63-year-old Yuriy Geraskov. The events are carried out within the framework of the criminal case of Anatoly Tokarev. In total, 3 identical cases against 11 Jehovah's Witnesses are being investigated in the city. Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk has been held in pre-trial detention for more than 280 days. 6 men were charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization in Kirov, 5 more remain in the status of suspects. Many believers are summoned for interrogations. Police officer Maslov from the Center for Countering Extremism, repeatedly comes to believers and knocks loudly on doors for a long time, causing confusion among neighbors. On at least one occasion, after Maslov's visit, believers discovered that a police officer with unknown intent had de-energized their apartment by opening the electricity meterboard.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-19T13:51:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_95debb157caa4267.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_e49c210e136e2d3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/987/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_3_hu_abb6c4b63cdec885.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/987.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"In Kirov, law enforcement officers conduct searches and exert pressure on believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"Update. The figures in this news have been updated and updated as of July 31, 2019. In less than six months after the verdict of Dennis Christensen, the number of searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses has doubled to 587!\nWe are talking only about those searches that were carried out in the homes of believers after and as a result of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of July 17, 2017 on the liquidation and prohibition of the activities of all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. After the widespread resonance that was caused on February 6, 2019 by the brutal sentence of Dennis Christensen, the Russian law enforcement system significantly increased pressure on believers. If by February 6, 2019, the total number of searches in the apartments of believers conducted over the previous year and a half was 296, then by July 31, 2019, there were 291 more of them and now stands at 587. Jehovah's Witnesses consider court decisions against them to be unlawed. Over the past 2 years, more than 90 criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in 43 regions of Russia. At least 241 people are in the status of suspects, accused or convicted. At least 129 believers were sent to detention centers or pre-trial detention centers, and although most of them have their sentences commuted, 39 people, including 6 women, are behind bars and another 27 are under house arrest. Searches after Christensen's sentencing took place in Abakan (4), Arkhangelsk (6), Budyonnovsk (9), Volgograd (7), Yevpatoria (2), Zeya (5), Karachaevsk (1), Karpinsk (1), Kemerovo (2), Kirov (12), Kostroma (1), Krasnoyarsk (5), Kurilsk (2), Luchegorsk (3), Magadan (8), Makhachkala (10), Minusinsk (5), Moscow (1), Nevinnomyssk (1), Neftekumsk (2), Nefteyugansk (1), Nizhny Novgorod (31), Novosibirsk (18), Omsk (6), Partizansk (2), Petrozavodsk (2), Porkhov (2), Pyt-Yakha (1), Rostov-on-Don (13), Saransk (9), Sevastopol (11), Severodvinsk (7), Smolensk (5), Surgut (22), Sukhobuzimsky (10), Ulyanovsk (6), Unecha (22), Urai (2), Ussuriysk (2), Ufa (2), Chelyabinsk (10), Cherepovets (1), Sharypovo (11), Yalta (8). ","category":"analytics","date":"2019-07-19T13:45:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/985/500_obyskov_hu_6ad56035ff954223.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/985/500_obyskov.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/985/500_obyskov_hu_c6d53316de95e209.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/985/500_obyskov_hu_1be7d6a510cea744.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/985.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","statistics","review","liberty-deprivation","house-arrest"],"title":"500 Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes ","type":"news"},{"body":"As it became known, in the early morning of June 26, 2019, in Budyonnovsk (Stavropol Territory), searches were carried out almost simultaneously in 6 houses of believers. The actions of law enforcement officers are connected with a series of arrests in nearby Neftekumsk, where three people have been in jail for more than 7 months. Update. According to updated data, on this day 9, not 6 searches took place in the homes of believers.\nSearches at the Budyonnivtsi began at about 6 a.m. In one case, the absent owner was tricked into returning home, where FSB officers were already inspecting the premises. One woman's home was searched in the presence of her 4-year-old son and adult daughter. In addition to his house, the 52-year-old believer's outbuildings, garage and car were searched. Security forces also invaded the homes of a 66-year-old widow and a 59-year-old man with a disability. Law enforcement officers were interested in the religious views of citizens, and also offered them to identify the residents of Neftekumsk from photographs, whose \"guilt\" lies in the fact that they \"after the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to ban activities ... a religious organization [Jehovah's Witnesses] ... they have not renounced their religious views.\" It is noteworthy that, in addition to investigator Y. Koropov and Major Klopotova from the Budyonnovsky Department of Internal Affairs, as well as their employees V. Kapitsa, R. Safonov and A. Prokhorov, FSB officers from Stavropol and St. Petersburg participated in the searches. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-19T13:32:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/984/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_2_hu_95debb157caa4267.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/984/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/984/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_2_hu_e49c210e136e2d3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/984/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_2_hu_abb6c4b63cdec885.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/984.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"A wave of searches of believers in Budyonnovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"During a special operation of special services in the Nizhny Novgorod region, at least 13 believers were detained. One of them, 48-year-old Alexei Oreshkov, is still in the temporary detention facility. Another is under house arrest. The fate of the rest is being investigated.\nMass searches and detentions in Nizhny Novgorod, the cities of Pavlovo and Bor (Nizhny Novgorod region) took place on July 16 and 17, 2019. The security forces invaded the homes of believers, seized computer equipment and electronic drives. In some cases, special forces soldiers laid the residents of the house \"face to face\", saying: \"We know everything about you.\"\nPeaceful meetings of believers who adhere to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses are inappropriately interpreted by security officials throughout Russia as a continuation of the activities of banned religious organizations. This is despite the clearly articulated position of the authorities that the decision of the Russian Supreme Court to ban Russian organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-19T13:18:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/983/jw-russia_02703_0_0_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/983/jw-russia_02703_0_0_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/983/jw-russia_02703_0_0_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/983/jw-russia_02703_0_0_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/983.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","house-arrest"],"title":"Special services detained 13 believers near Nizhny Novgorod","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of July 13, 2019, in Yevpatoria (Crimea), FSB officers detained 57-year-old Oleg Osetsky. During the special operation, he became ill, however, the searches continued throughout the night until 8 pm the next day. He was later released. That evening, friends and acquaintances, fellow believers, among whom was Oleg Osetsky, came to the local resident. In the meantime, the special services put up a cordon around the entrance, after which a group of FSB officers entered the apartment. The security forces interrogated those present on video, recorded their personal data, and also seized personal documents, CDs and printed publications.\nThis is not the first time that believers in Crimea have had problems. In June 2019, FSB officers conducted a series of raids, as a result of which a 52-year-old local resident was detained. Before that, believers complained about surveillance and wiretapping.\nAnother search in the apartment of a resident of Sevastopol took place about a month later, on July 7. In both cases, the townspeople were suspected only of adhering to the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nWhat other Crimeans, whose faith the security forces do not like, had to face, is described in the video \"Dzhankoy after the raid: how persecution cripples the lives of believers.\"\nThe Supreme Court's decision to ban 396 religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia should not have led to persecution of believers. This has been repeatedly assured by both the Ministry of Justice and the government. However, in reality, the ban turned into religious persecution for thousands of believers, and prison and torture for some civilians.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-17T23:49:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/977/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_hu_afc8ef9914f1045.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/977/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/977/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_hu_110646edbd02672b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/977/190215_surgut2759_0_0_0_hu_a5ed6cce72530181.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/977.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Special services detained another believer in Crimea","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of July 16 and the morning of July 17, 2019, about 10 searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo (Nizhny Novgorod region), and equipment was seized. In at least one case, security forces forced civilians to lie on the floor. Men and women have been detained, and interrogations are underway.\nThe last time Nizhny Novgorod security officials put pressure on those who hold the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses was more than two years ago, even before the Supreme Court's decision to ban 396 organizations of believers came into force. Then the special services disrupted the worship service and planted a brochure included in the list of extremist materials. Update. In total, searches were carried out in 31 families of Nizhny Novgorod believers. 5 criminal cases were initiated against 7 men and 2 women. Persecution of faith is carried out by employees of the Nizhny Novgorod regional police department together with employees of the regional department of the FSB. Force support was provided by the SOBR of the regional department of the Russian Guard.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-17T23:39:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/976/190717_nizhniy_novgorod_hu_c76b515c04f5d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/976/190717_nizhniy_novgorod.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/976/190717_nizhniy_novgorod_hu_bcc0ec49f1b7dbc8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/976/190717_nizhniy_novgorod_hu_bb42be29c516becf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/976.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Mass operation against believers in the Nizhny Novgorod region","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 9 and 11, 2019, searches were carried out in Krasnoyarsk in at least three apartments of citizens suspected of professing the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two people were questioned about their religion. In one case, law enforcement officials seized a Quran in the belief that it was relevant to a criminal case.\nOn the evening of July 9, 2019, a group of investigators searched the apartment of a family of believers. Phones, computers, storage media, notebooks with personal notes were seized from them. At the same time, the officers made sarcastic jokes about the religion of the searched. After the search, the head of the family was taken to the investigation department, where he received a summons for questioning as a witness. On the same day, another search of a believing woman took place. Electronic devices and spiritual books, including the Koran, were also seized from her apartment. The woman was taken to the investigation department and questioned about her religious views. Two days later, another family was searched.\nSince July 3, 2018, a criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov has been dragging on in Krasnoyarsk. He stayed in jail for 241 days and is currently banned from certain activities. In total, in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, criminal prosecution for faith (in connection with Jehovah's Witnesses) was launched against three people.\nUpdate. On July 16, it is known that the operational-search measures were sanctioned by the Krasnoyarsk Garrison Military Court at the request of Lieutenant-General V. Ryazansky from the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation. Relying on a court sanction, this body conducted examinations (in fact, searches) of 61-year-old Sergey Tolstonozhenko, 50-year-old Eduard Belyaev and Tatyana Feruleva, in whose apartment the Koran was found and seized.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-15T09:19:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/960/190206_saransk532_3_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/960/190206_saransk532_3_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/960/190206_saransk532_3_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/960/190206_saransk532_3_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/960.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, new searches and interrogations for faith, the Koran was confiscated","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 5, 2019, the Ivanovo Regional Court released 33-year-old Yevgeny Spirin from pre-trial detention and transferred him from custody to house arrest. In total, the believer spent 160 days in prison. It is noteworthy that this peace-loving citizen of Russia, who is now accused of extremist activities, in the past underwent alternative civilian service, because his conscience did not allow him to take up arms. Yevgeny Spirin was arrested on January 27, 2019 and sent to a pre-trial detention center the next day as a result of a series of searches of residents of the city of Furmanov (Ivanovo region). The criminal case is being conducted by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev. The believer faces from 6 to 10 years in prison. Yevgeniy Spirin is forbidden to leave his home, communicate with anyone (except his wife, investigator and lawyer), surf the Internet, make phone calls, receive and send mail. ","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-13T00:01:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_a064d4b13b56aa46.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_39d48743281bc354.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/958/spirin_11903_hu_a64dd34ab189c6e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/958.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, six months after his arrest, a believer was released ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2019, Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgiy Nikulin were released in Saransk (Mordovia) after 147 days behind bars. The investigation of the criminal case continues.\nAccording to the investigation, the locusts were engaged in \"spreading ideology and faith among the inhabitants of the Republic of Mordovia ... by conducting conversations in public places and living quarters with residents of the city of Saransk and other settlements\", which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\".\nThe case of Shevchuk and others in Saransk was initiated on February 4, 2019. After 2 days, the Mordovian FSB conducted searches of 9 Saransk families of Jehovah's Witnesses. Aleksandr Shevchuk, Vladimir Atryakhin and Georgiy Nikulin were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Currently, all of them are under recognizance not to leave.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-10T23:54:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_96d2676832ad32b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_6eb748b5f22a6ed4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/953/shevchuk12767_hu_5297958b6d858f9e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/953.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Residents of Saransk accused of \"spreading the faith\" were released from the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of July 9, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), special services searched the house of at least one believer. According to unconfirmed information, during special events, the security forces planted banned literature on the believer. This information is verified.\nMass raids on believers have already taken place in Nevinnomyssk, provoked by the fact that law enforcement officers on the ground misinterpret the law on extremism. In November 2018, special services, suspecting local residents of being Jehovah's Witnesses, among others, detained a man with a group I disability , parents of an infant and a 77-year-old man who, as a result, required emergency medical care.\nInformation about other cases of violation of the rights of believers in the region is published on the news page of the Stavropol Territory . You can find out why banned literature is being planted on Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-10T23:53:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/952/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_0_hu_e33719bbb893995f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/952/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/952/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_0_hu_c583ec7904548f1d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/952/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_0_hu_82d1fb38cbd4f9b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/952.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant"],"title":"Another search in the house of a believer took place in the Stavropol region","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 7, 2019, at 07:30, the house of Vladimir Petrovsky, a resident of Sevastopol, was searched. The suspicion that he belonged to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was the reason for the invasion of the believer's home. The details of the incident are being clarified. Law enforcement officers mistakenly interpret the religion of citizens as participation in the activities of an extremist organization, which causes a widespread wave of searches and detentions of peaceful believers. Earlier, security officers searched the homes of at least 9 Sevastopol residents, one of whom was detained and later released on his own recognizance. \"Life in our family began to divide into before and after,\" said one of the victims during searches in Dzhankoy (Crimea).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-10T23:52:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/951/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/951/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/951/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/951/190206_saransk532_0_0_0_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/951.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Search in the house of a believer in Sevastopol ","type":"news"},{"body":"In the city of Unecha (Bryansk region), law enforcement agencies conducted searches of citizens who were mistakenly attributed the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In one apartment, in search of forbidden literature, they even opened the floors.\nPersecution of believers in Russia is beginning to take the most absurd forms. On June 26, 2019, it became known that as part of operational search activities in several settlements of the Bryansk region , law enforcement officers of Unecha conducted searches in at least three apartments, the owners of which had never professed the views of Jehovah's Witnesses. In one case, they were relatives of the husband of one of the believers; in another, the wife of a man who was interested in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses but died two years ago; in the third, acquaintances of one of the believers, whom she helped in the garden.\nLaw enforcement officers across the country are convinced that it is illegal to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but this contradicts the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, which \"does not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses\" (official comment of the Government of the Russian Federation).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-07-06T21:19:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/950/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_hu_9e2490900fcfed60.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/950/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/950/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_hu_6cc1f1316a3d97e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/950/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_0_hu_cb2ab44ff78e7625.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/950.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Searches of Non-Jehovah's Witnesses Were Conducted in the Bryansk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 26, 2019, 43-year-old believer Roman Makhnev was handcuffed to a pipe in the FSB building in Kaluga and left in this position until the next morning. After a sleepless night, he was subjected to investigative actions. Neither on June 26, nor on June 27, nor on June 28, he was presented with any food. It was not until June 29 that he was fed breakfast for the first time.\nThis happened as a result of a raid by officers of the FSB of Russia in the Kaluga region against believers. A total of 6 searches were carried out, including in the apartment of an 81-year-old woman. After Roman Makhnev announced that banned literature had been planted in his house, he was taken to the FSB building instead of the temporary detention center. Makhnev's 15-year-old daughter was taken outside and forced to stand barefoot in the rain while the house was searched.\nThe atrocities committed by the FSB were stubbornly ignored by the Kaluga District Court. Thus, on June 28, 2019, this court avoided assessing the circumstances of the detention of believers. On the same day, the court chose Roman Makhnev, as well as 54-year-old Dmitry Kuzin, a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\n","category":"crime","date":"2019-07-05T08:47:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/949/jw-russia_02703_0_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/949/jw-russia_02703_0_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/949/jw-russia_02703_0_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/949/jw-russia_02703_0_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/949.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence"],"title":"A believer was subjected to inhuman treatment in the FSB building in Kaluga","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm appointed 300,000 rubles instead of the 3.5 years in prison requested by the prosecutor to Jehovah's Witness Alexander Solovyov. The verdict was announced on July 4, 2019. The believer insists on his complete innocence and will appeal.\nThe case against Solovyov was initiated in May 2018. The investigation was carried out by the Investigative Committee for the Perm Territory. The indictment was approved by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Perm Territory Alexander Deryshov. There are no victims in the criminal case.\nWhat is the essence of the accusations? Solovyov was charged with participating in the activities of an organization banned by the court, citing the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2017, a small group of Perm residents who in the past professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the instructions of the \"E\" center, having received hidden recording equipment from operatives, began to hold discussions with Solovyov about the Bible. Police Lieutenant Colonel K. Ulitin sent the recordings of these discussions for examination to the catechist of the Russian Orthodox Church, a graduate of the Perm Theological Seminary, Alexei Mosin. The expert \"found\" in Solovyov's words signs of psychological pressure on the interlocutor, which, in turn, according to prosecutors, serves as confirmation that Solovyov \"continued the activities\" of the banned organization. He was charged under the article \"Participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nIn Perm and the Perm Territory, several similar criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. Russian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdate. On September 5, 2019, the Perm Regional Court upheld the conviction of Aleksandr Solovyov.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-07-04T13:39:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/948/web_image_aleksandr_solovyov721_hu_cdf3f8f2d53c1318.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/948/web_image_aleksandr_solovyov721_hu_d9394d3a83fd0c61.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/948/web_image_aleksandr_solovyov721_hu_ee74bf15c8aaa24a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/948/web_image_aleksandr_solovyov721_hu_b35af87d6ae8e446.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/948.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"A guilty verdict for faith was passed in Perm. A large fine was imposed ","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 27, 2019, the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm completed the trial of Alexander Solovyov, who was prosecuted for his faith. In May 2018, he spent 2 days behind bars and another 179 days under house arrest. The prosecutor's office asked for 3.5 years of real prison for him.\nIn his last speech, the 49-year-old believer expressed his attitude to the criminal prosecution. At the end, he said: \"I ask you, Your Honor, to drop the charges against me, dismiss the criminal case and fully acquit me.\"\nIn Perm and the Perm Territory, several similar criminal cases have been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses. Russian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-07-03T16:32:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/946/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_0_hu_27d5de9a3ddadc1a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/946/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_0_hu_6780ff6a146e93f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/946/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_0_hu_99599123ee6f635f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/946/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_0_hu_cd2dca04916377ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/946.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","final-statement","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"On July 4, a court in Perm will announce the verdict to the believer. What did Alexander Solovyov say in his last word?","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2019, a court in Krasnoyarsk released Andrey Stupnikov, who had been held under house arrest for his faith. Now he will be able to move freely.\nJudge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Svetlana Sakovich, decided to release 45-year-old Andrey Stupnikov from house arrest and\u0026nbsp;choose a preventive measure for him in the form of a ban on certain actions. He is not allowed to use the mail and\u0026nbsp;the Internet, as well as to communicate with witnesses interrogated in his criminal case.\u0026nbsp;\nAndrey's friends and relatives do not hide their joy at his release, but the criminal case against him has not been closed. The believer still faces up to 10 years in\u0026nbsp;prison for organizing extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is how law enforcement agencies interpret conversations with friends on biblical topics.\u0026nbsp;\nThe criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov was initiated on July 3, 2018. He spent 241 days in the pre-trial detention center, and in February 2019, the court transferred him to house arrest. His case was the first criminal case in the Krasnoyarsk Territory initiated on the basis of religious affiliation. Two other residents of the region who are suspected by the authorities of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are in a similar situation: Dmitry Maslov in Minusinsk and Anton Ostapenko, who is still being held in\u0026nbsp;a pre-trial detention center in Achinsk. Russian and international human rights organizations and public figures strongly\u0026nbsp;condemn religious repression in Russia.\u0026nbsp;\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-07-03T16:23:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/07/945/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_0_hu_c8a6b7d9cda3308c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/07/945/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/07/945/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_0_hu_b368a2d2e95b8645.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/07/945/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_0_hu_b038b741131e2f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/07/945.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Krasnoyarsk believer released from house arrest ","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 26, 2019, searches were conducted in Kaluga, Kaluga Region, on the basis of the assumption that the city's residents profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court arrested Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin for two months. One believer claimed that compromising material had been planted.\nOfficers of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Kaluga region searched two apartments of believers. Personal belongings, electronic devices, notes, various editions of the Bible, and scientific books on religious studies were seized from them. During the search, one of the believers, Roman Makhnev, noticed the planting of literature that did not belong to his family members, about which he entered a statement in the protocol. The searches continued until late at night.\nTwo days later, on June 28, the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region sentenced Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin to 2 months of detention.\nPlanting extremist literature on believers has become a common practice in recent years. Finding no evidence of the guilt of believers, law enforcement agencies stoop to outright fabrication of evidence. Meanwhile, public figures, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other Russian and international organizations are increasingly calling for an end to the persecution of innocent people just because of their faith.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-30T17:41:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_87c5d9fbde9b8ed0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_de1a879ad76fa4f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/944/planting-062765_1_hu_7713b4ab65b461a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/944.html","regions":["kaluga"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","plant"],"title":"Believers Were Arrested in Kaluga with Planting Banned Literature","type":"news"},{"body":"The trial of Alexander Solovyov, who is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization), has ended in Perm. The prosecutor's office requested that the 49-year-old believer be sent to a penal colony for a period of three and a half years (see chronology of the case).\nThe trial lasted six sessions, the announcement of the verdict is scheduled for July 4, 2019, 11:00. At the same time, there are no victims in the case.\nAlexander Solovyov may become the second Jehovah's Witness in Russia to go to prison for his faith. Earlier this month, Dennis Christensen, a believer from Oryol, went to serve his sentence in the Kursk region.\nPersecution of Jehovah's Witnesses has been growing lately, and a record number of 37 believers are being held in pre-trial detention centers in different cities of the country. This is despite the fact that the Russian government assured that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" Public figures, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other Russian and international organizations have repeatedly drawn attention to religious repressions.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-06-28T00:30:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/943/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_hu_27d5de9a3ddadc1a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/943/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_hu_6780ff6a146e93f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/943/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_hu_99599123ee6f635f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/943/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_0_hu_cd2dca04916377ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/943.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2"],"title":"The prosecutor requested 3.5 years in prison for faith for a resident of Perm","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript of Alexander Solovyov's speech in the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm on June 27, 2019.\n","date":"2019-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/947.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The last word of Alexander Solovyov","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 18, 2019, searches and detentions for religious beliefs continued in the Primorsky Territory. In the city of Ussuriysk, officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation searched the apartments of two believers who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized from Sergey Korolchuk and Dmitry Tishchenko. Dmitry Tishchenko's wife was interrogated as a witness to the \"crime\".\nAt the same time, Sergey Korolchuk was detained and placed in a temporary detention center, where he stayed until June 20. During the interrogation, it turned out that Sergey had been under covert video surveillance for a long time. The believer was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nEarlier, on June 5, 2019, Sergey Melnikov was detained in Ussuriysk and sent to a pre-trial detention center for two months. In general, this is the seventh criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Primorsky Territory. Five believers in the region remain in detention. Despite this, the Russian authorities claim that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" Public figures, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other Russian and international organizations have repeatedly drawn attention to religious persecution in Russia.\nUpdate. On October 23, 2019, in Ussuriysk, 45-year-old Vitaliy Ilinykh and his wife Irina underwent another search.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-21T23:05:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/941/190206_saransk532_0_0_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/941/190206_saransk532_0_0_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/941/190206_saransk532_0_0_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/941/190206_saransk532_0_0_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/941.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","hidden-surveillance","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"In Primorye, new searches for faith, one believer stayed behind bars for two days","type":"news"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva, 42, and Olga Silaeva, 31, were arrested during mass searches conducted in the Bryansk region on June 11, 2019, in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses and their relatives. In total, in the city of Unecha, the city of Novozybkov, in the village. Klimovo and the village of Dobrik underwent 22 searches.\nIt is known that a criminal case has been initiated on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the searches, Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva stopped communicating. On June 14, 2019, it became known that they were in SIZO-2 in the Bryansk region (in Novozybkov, 9 Red Square Street).\nSearches were also carried out in families with young children, as well as in the home of an 83-year-old woman. As part of this criminal case, the 23rd search also took place at Olga Silaeva's relatives in Moscow.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-14T20:48:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_a80eba6c9c4df8ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_47aec7c6d02f45f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/934/depositphotos_6406965_2_0_hu_e8c0909b3e5d1bad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/934.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","sizo","elderly","minors"],"title":"2 women believers were arrested in the Bryansk region. 22 searches carried out","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 13, 2019, a panel of three judges of the Oryol Regional Court upheld the verdict of the district court, according to which Sergey Skrynnikov was sentenced to a large fine for his faith.\nEarlier, on April 1, 2019, Gleb Noskov, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, announced his decision to find Sergey Skrynnikov guilty under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and sentence him to a fine in the amount of 350 thousand rubles. At the same time, the judge considered far-fetched the accusations of calls for the destruction of the family and non-recognition of authority, which were put forward against the believer by the investigators and prosecutors.\nThe case against Sergey Skrynnikov was separated from the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, whom the same court sent to a colony for 6 years.\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-06-13T16:48:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/933/skrynnikov24764_hu_d59933bcf55ebb7c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/933/skrynnikov24764.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/933/skrynnikov24764_hu_a3faaa0a406e6a31.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/933/skrynnikov24764_hu_77c8bc28742b3193.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/933.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","282.2-2"],"title":"An appeals court in Oryol upheld the conviction of a second believer ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2019, Markus Grübel, Federal Commissioner for Religious Freedom Worldwide, commented that the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen.\n\"I regret the court's decision to dismiss the Christensen appeal,\" said Markus Grübel, \"The situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is of concern to me. Freedom of religion and worldview is an important human right. Every state must respect it. Religious freedom is indivisible and valid for all religious communities.\"\nA huge number of Russian and international figures and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" Nevertheless, Russian security forces in 40 regions continue to conduct night raids on the homes of believers and throw them into prisons.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2019-06-12T16:40:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_9479545d1cf453d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_624000f3ce7d623c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/931/img_49664758_hu_1d8c9ca91a4177fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/931.html","regions":["oryol","germany"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international","appeal","sizo"],"title":"The Federal Commissioner for Religious Freedom around the World is concerned about the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 10, 2019, Tatiana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, presented her report for 2018 to the President of the Russian Federation. In it, for the first time, she drew attention to the unjustified criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also pointed out the root of the problem.\nContradictions in the current legislation. Referring to the harsh sentence imposed on Dennis Christensen, Tatiana Moskalkova wrote: \"These events make us think about the existence of a conflict between the constitutional right to practice one's religion individually or in community with others and the signs of extremist activity specified in Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\" (At the time of the High Commissioner's meeting with the President, there were 38 Jehovah's Witnesses in Russian prisons as a result of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which in 2017 recognized all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses registered in the country as extremist, liquidated and banned their activities.)\nWhat is the root of all the accusations of extremism leveled against Jehovah's Witnesses? Tatiana Moskalkova pointed to the very essence of the problem: \"Vague criteria for classifying religious materials as extremist are unacceptable, when virtually any federal judge at his own discretion can prohibit any book, image, video or audio recording.\" (In fact, all accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses boil down to the Federal List of Extremist Materials, which included religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses. Subsequently, because of these books, 1) fines were imposed on religious organizations, 2) warnings were issued to organizations, and 3) organizations were liquidated and recognized as \"extremist.\")\nCondemning the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation is unanimous with the President of the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the European Union External Action Service and many other influential organizations and institutions. Nevertheless, raids and arrests continue in 40 regions of Russia from Pskov to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2019-06-11T15:36:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/922/moskalkova_tatyana_upch700_hu_9b0eff6c56b18b96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/922/moskalkova_tatyana_upch700_hu_f027816271c6f852.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/922/moskalkova_tatyana_upch700_hu_655cd1b965e876.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/922/moskalkova_tatyana_upch700_hu_d70fb0cb1b1cea01.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/922.html","regions":["moscow","oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["commissioner-rf","analytics"],"title":"The Russian Ombudsman pointed to the root of the unjustified persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of June 11, 2019, in the cities of Unecha and Novozybkov (Bryansk region), law enforcement officers conducted mass raids on the homes of local residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Criminal cases have been initiated. In some cases, believers were forced to lie on the floor.\nAdditional details are being clarified.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-11T15:17:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/923/190206_saransk532_1_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/923/190206_saransk532_1_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/923/190206_saransk532_1_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/923/190206_saransk532_1_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/923.html","regions":["bryansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Mass Searches in the Homes of Believers in the Bryansk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"Letters of support for Dennis Christensen, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison, can be sent to the address of the general regime colony located in Lgov (Kursk region). It is expected that this will be a permanent place of serving the unjust punishment to which the Russian law enforcement system subjected a law-abiding believer.\nAddress for correspondence: Christensen Dennis Ola, born in 1972, Correctional Colony No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Kursk Region, Primakov Street, 23A, Lgov, Kursk Region, 307754, Russia. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-06-11T15:00:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/921/kristensen699_hu_7f68aeab33e21e7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/921/kristensen699_hu_a929ddef91709745.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/921/kristensen699_hu_65e9eba01236fc8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/921/kristensen699_hu_b0eb5a281cae42d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/921.html","regions":["oryol","kursk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["transfer"],"title":"Dennis Christensen transferred to Lgov colony (Kursk region)","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 5, 2019, in Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory), a local resident Sergey Melnikov, born in 1973, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. This is at least the 7th criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Primorye Territory.\nAccording to preliminary information, Sergey Melnikov was detained in his own car, after which a search was conducted in his house, a laptop and phones were seized. After that, the court chose a measure of restraint against him in the form of detention. It is reported that over the past year, three men, having met Sergey, took him to talk about faith. Sergey was detained during a conversation with one of them.\nSergey Melnikov can receive letters of support. He is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Primorsky Territory at the address: 63 Engels Street, Ussuriysk, 692525.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-06-10T17:19:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_b2338c9446a128c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_313b4c1be40c6db9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_6f3d432f9aa46fcf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/920/jw-russia_02703_hu_2b8ca09ae0cf009b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/920.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Ussuriysk, a believer was sent to jail for 2 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of June 10, 2019, 32-year-old Ruslan Alyev was detained for 48 hours at his home in Rostov-on-Don. A few hours later, it also became known about the detention of 22-year-old Rostov resident Semyon Baibak. According to preliminary data, they are waiting for a court decision on the measure of restraint, being in a temporary detention center on Voroshilovsky Avenue. Update. On June 11, 2019, the court imposed house arrest on Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak. They left the detention center after spending a day behind bars\nRuslan Alyyev's wife was informed that a criminal case had been opened against her husband for his faith. Earlier, on May 22, 2019, employees of the Investigative Committee of Russia conducted raids on at least 15 addresses of Rostov residents who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Men and women were detained. Three believers — father and son Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkov — were then sent to jail.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-06-10T15:35:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/919/depositphotos_21862193_4_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/919/depositphotos_21862193_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/919/depositphotos_21862193_4_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/919/depositphotos_21862193_4_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/919.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","new-case"],"title":"Two more believers detained in Rostov-on-Don","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of June 2, 2019, in Prokhladnoye (Kabardino-Balkaria), attackers set fire to an empty building where Jehovah's Witnesses had previously held worship services. At one time, the building was built by local believers, but because of persecution it is not used.\nAfter firefighters extinguished the flames, three sources of ignition were discovered. The CCTV camera was previously rendered unusable. The building was badly damaged. The police arrived at the scene, conducted an inspection with witnesses, and a report was drawn up.\nIn Prokhladny, a criminal trial under the article \"extremism\" against Arkadi Hakobyan, a peaceful believer from Prokhladny, who was unreasonably persecuted by the court for about three years, recently ended. All charges were dropped after an appeal against the wrongful conviction was filed.\nNevertheless, the actions of officials against Jehovah's Witnesses apparently fuel an atmosphere of religious hatred and enmity and push aggressive people to commit such acts of vandalism.\nUpdate. It became known that on July 2, 2019, in Kabardino-Balkaria, in connection with the arson of an empty hall for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, a criminal case was initiated under the article \"Intentional destruction or damage to property\" committed in a generally dangerous way (part 2 of article 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The case is being handled by the investigative department of the inter-municipal police department \"Prokhladnensky\".\n","category":"crime","date":"2019-06-06T10:51:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/909/190602_prohladnyy_kbr695_hu_cbbd71f0a263e05b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/909/190602_prohladnyy_kbr695_hu_66c39cf8fcba0b3c.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/909/190602_prohladnyy_kbr695_hu_86245a5e950c2591.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/909/190602_prohladnyy_kbr695_hu_bfdb50007d63c540.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/909.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","arson","new-case","hatred-attacks"],"title":"In Kabardino-Balkaria, an empty hall for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses was set on fire","type":"news"},{"body":"The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention strongly condemned the arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses and demanded that Russia immediately release the believers. On May 29, 2019, a document was received following the consideration of Dmitry Mikhailov's complaint from Shuya (Ivanovo region). His arrest was recognized as a manifestation of religious discrimination. The document stresses that the findings \"apply to all other persons in circumstances similar to those in which Mr. Mikhailov finds himself\" (para. 77).\nRussian Jehovah's Witnesses filed complaints about arrests with three different international authorities: the European Court of Human Rights, the UN Human Rights Committee, and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The document on Dmitry Mikhailov was the first decision of an international court. The decision was made on April 26, 2019 during the 84th session of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\nExcerpts from the resolution on Mikhailov's complaint. \"It is clear to the Working Group that Mr. Mikhailov did nothing more than exercise his right to freedom of religion under article 18 of the Covenant and was detained by the authorities for doing so. The Working Group therefore concludes that Mr. Mikhailov's detention falls within category II. The Working Group refers the case to the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion for further action\" (para. 53). \"Mikhailov is one of a growing number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia who have been detained and imprisoned and charged with criminal activity on the grounds that they were simply exercising the right to freedom of religion\" (para. 76). \"In all the circumstances of the present case, the appropriate remedy would be to dismiss the case against Mr. Mikhailov and give him the right to receive compensation and other forms of damages in accordance with international law\" (para. 80). \"The Working Group urges the Government to ensure a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Dmitri Mikhailov's arbitrary deprivation of liberty and to take appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights\" (para. 81).\nCircumstances of the criminal prosecution of Dmitry Mikhalov. Dmitriy Mikhailov and his wife, Yelena, learned that for several months from the end of 2017, their phones were tapped and covert video recording of their lives was conducted in order to record the fact of their joint prayers and reading the Bible. On April 19, 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Ivanovo Region opened a criminal case against him, a search was conducted in their house, Dmitry was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months. Later, his wife was also charged. The investigation is based on the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate and ban the activities of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. He is accused of financing and participating in the activities of an organization banned by the court, although the right to practice any religion was not abolished by the Supreme Court.\nWhat is the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention? This is a structure under the UN designed to investigate cases of detention that do not comply with international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international documents. The Working Group has the right to receive information from the authorities and non-governmental organizations and to meet with detainees and their families in order to establish the facts. The Working Group submits its conclusions and recommendations to governments, as well as to the UN Human Rights Council. Although the decisions of the Working Group are not binding on States, they can help to soften the position of the authorities in the face of wide international publicity.\nEarlier, the signals of the Working Group were heard in Kazakhstan and South Korea. In January 2017, 60-year-old Teymur Akhmedov was arrested and imprisoned in Kazakhstan . He received a five-year sentence just for sharing his beliefs with others. Having exhausted domestic remedies, Akhmedov filed a complaint with the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The UN condemned the actions of the Kazakh authorities and called for the release of the believer. In April 2018, the President of Kazakhstan pardoned Teymur Akhmedov. In South Korea , young Jehovah's Witnesses were sent to prison for refusing to serve in the armed forces. In August 2018, the Working Group demanded the immediate release of prisoners of conscience and the removal of their criminal records. By 2019, all Jehovah's Witnesses had been released.\nAccording to the organization's rules, the Russian Government was informed of the resolution even before the applicant became aware of it. The Russian government has 6 months to answer whether the case against Mikhailov has been dismissed, whether compensation has been granted to him, whether an investigation has been conducted against violators of rights and with what result, whether legislative amendments have been adopted in connection with the violation of rights. The Working Group reserves the right to follow up on its own case.\n","category":"victory","date":"2019-06-05T17:13:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/905/mikhailov4091_hu_df10495a6b5e8e18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/905/mikhailov4091.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/905/mikhailov4091_hu_623cf69990626653.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/905/mikhailov4091_hu_be50a5d93e2b6f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/905.html","regions":["ivanovo","switzerland"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["un-working-group"],"title":"First International Decision on Complaints of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses Against Arrests","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of June 4, 2019, the FSB conducted searches in at least 9 homes of local believers. Viktor Stashevsky, 52, was detained, but the next day he was released from the detention center on his own recognizance. A criminal case was opened against him under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe search warrants were issued by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol, Anatoly Vasilenko. They were attended by FSB officers and special forces. In at least one case, the security forces invaded the apartment in the absence of the owners, making the door unusable. The searches continued until late at night. Computer hard drives, phones and tablets were seized. The next morning, the believers were summoned for interrogation to FSB investigator A. Chumakin, who specializes in persecution for faith in Crimea.\nShortly before the searches, residents of one of the apartments suspected hidden espionage activity and changed their wireless Internet access point. During the search, the task force was accompanied by a \"technician\" who hid his face behind a mask.\nDetainee Viktor Stashevskiy was a former member of the local Christian religious organization (MHRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses. This organization was registered by the Russian Ministry of Justice in May 2015 at the initiative of the Russian authorities, along with 21 other similar organizations, in order to promote the religion of 8,000 Jehovah's Witnesses on the peninsula. Less than 2 years later, without receiving any complaints, without involvement in the case, these organizations were liquidated by the Supreme Court of Russia with a single stroke of the pen and recognized as \"extremist\" without any reason. The criminal prosecution of believers was a direct consequence of these events, despite the fact that the activities of the MHRO were not carried out after the liquidation.\nThe 10-minute film tells about how the persecution cripples the lives of innocent Crimean believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-05T10:52:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/904/190215_surgut2759_0_0_hu_662e0edcab67be80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/904/190215_surgut2759_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/904/190215_surgut2759_0_0_hu_a47e5911c24caa4c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/904/190215_surgut2759_0_0_hu_e8566297f0f0d897.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/904.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"Raid and detention of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2019-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/906.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["un-working-group"],"title":"Resolution of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention","type":"docs"},{"body":"June 3, 2019 marks exactly one year since the raid on the basis of religious repression was carried out in Tomsk . Local Jehovah's Witnesses, including an 83-year-old woman, were taken out of their homes and loaded onto a bus to be taken for interrogation. The court sent the detained Sergey Klimov to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region. On May 28, 2019, the court once again extended his detention.\nThe past year has been filled with anxieties and sorrows for many Tomsk believers, especially for Yulia Klimova, Sergey's wife. The couple celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on April 7, 2019 on opposite sides of the prison wall. Immediately after her husband's arrest, Yulia Klimova, together with other wives of citizens arrested for their faith, sent an open collective letter to all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The letter began with the words: \"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... thrown behind bars on suspicion that they read the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and prayed to God.\" In turn, the Human Rights Council sent an appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to verify the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. Unfortunately, the Prosecutor General's Office did not stop the repression.\nLong before the initiation of a criminal case, the judge of the Tomsk Regional Court, Andrei Goncharov, allowed the Center \"E\" to carry out operational-search measures against Sergei Klimov: wiretapping of telephone conversations and removal of information from technical communication channels. In addition, the security forces sent an informant to the believers - a man who, pretending to be interested in the Bible, provoked believers into discussions about God.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-06-04T10:56:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_a249eab4e86729b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_a084302b403ee953.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_51def0294dcf5886.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/901/5472148420867130366_1023483768698_hu_c7fb221343b7587e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/901.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"A 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness has been awaiting trial in Tomsk for 12 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2019, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent 40-year-old Arsen Abdullaev, 38-year-old Maria Karpova, 34-year-old Anton Dergalev and 27-year-old Marat Abdulgalimov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Two days earlier, on June 1, 2019, in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, and Derbent, masked and bulletproof FSB officers armed with assault rifles invaded approximately 10 homes of law-abiding local residents accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring the intrusion into the Abdullaevs' apartment, the security forces knocked the head of the family to the floor face down, and blocked his wife and son in the room. They announced a search warrant and immediately \"found\" 2 religious brochures in the corridor, which were planted by someone from the seizure group. After that, without being given the opportunity to eat, Arsen and his wife, Suat, were taken for interrogation to the \"E\" center, and later to the republican FSB, where they were interrogated until the evening. The operation was led by an FSB investigator known as Ivan Yemelyanov.\nDuring the interrogation, the spouses were orally told that they were both suspected under the article \"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\", Arsen as an \"organizer\", and Suat as a \"participant\". The investigator offered Arsen to plead guilty, but when he said that he had nothing to confess to, the investigator said: \"Then there will be consequences.\" After that, Arsen was detained.\nDagestan became the 39th region of Russia, where the same type of criminal cases have been opened against Jehovah's Witnesses. Law enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-06-03T15:32:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_fc94768baaa44e95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_21547093e5780931.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_cb711479156726e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/888/190215a_surgut533_0_0_hu_2395b217dfd3d655.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/888.html","regions":["dagestan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","siloviks-violence","plant"],"title":"In Dagestan, a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses. Three men and one woman were arrested","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 23, 2019, Dennis Christensen had the last chance to reach out to the conscience of those on whom his future fate depended. What did he say in his last word? An excerpt from the transcript of his appeal, which he made during the appeal hearing in his case in the Oryol Regional Court, is published.\nThe court upheld the sentence and sentence of 6 years of imprisonment to be served in a general regime colony.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-31T15:54:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/887/img_4963701_hu_746b29eaecf3e68e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/887/img_4963701_hu_f30e9291e8556b5e.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/887/img_4963701_hu_3125c479c5914724.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/887/img_4963701_hu_750ae743d63155be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/887.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","appeal"],"title":"A fragment of Dennis Christensen's last word in the Court of Appeal is published","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2019, in Kirov, officers of the Police Center for Countering Extremism (CPE) invaded the apartment where 60-year-old Anatoliy Tokarev lives with his family. A criminal case was opened against him under the article \"Organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) for \"joint singing of biblical songs ... in his apartment.\"\nEmployees of the Center for Counteracting Extremism offered Anatoly Tokarev cooperation with the investigation in exchange for refusing to prosecute members of his family, but he refused (such cooperation implies the \"confession\" of a believer in extremist activities that he never engaged, in fact, self-incrimination). At the direction of the detective O.V. Bratukhin, Anatoly and his son packed their belongings with them, but the policeman later admitted that they were not going to arrest them yet. During the search, phones and computer equipment were taken from the family.\nAfter the search, Anatoliy was taken for interrogation to Georgy Malykh, an investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Kirov region, which is investigating the case of Andrzej Oniszczuk, who has been languishing in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kirov region for almost 8 months, as well as other Jehovah's Witnesses. Anatoly Tokarev learned that on May 8, 2019, a criminal case was opened against him under the article \"Organization of extremist activity\" for the fact that, according to the investigation, he \"organized ... including in his apartment... meetings of followers and participants of this meeting in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs ... study of religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials Containing the Doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAnatoliy Tokarev, his wife and children were released, but he had to sign an undertaking to appear for interrogation and provide the investigation with a new phone number (which he should acquire instead of the one seized during the search).\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-28T15:39:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/883/190206_saransk532_0_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/883/190206_saransk532_0_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/883/190206_saransk532_0_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/883/190206_saransk532_0_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/883.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","interrogation"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith and search in Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"As of May 24, 2019, 43 women and 157 men across Russia are facing criminal prosecution in connection with the ban imposed on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in 2017. Exactly half of the victims - 100 people - were sent to Russian prisons. There are 132 people in the status of \"accused\", 64 people as \"suspect\", 3 people as \"defendant\" and 1 person as \"convicted\" (sentenced to 6 years in prison). The following are the main facts and figures.\nAge. 34 people are over 60 years old, 8 people are over 70. The youngest of those who suffer for their faith is 19, the oldest is 85. Many have adult or minor children.\nActivities. All victims of criminal prosecution are ordinary working people, pensioners, entrepreneurs. Some work as drivers, builders, welders, among them there is at least one agronomist, hydrologist, miner, BelAZ driver, mining excavator driver, railroad worker, stove bricklayer, design engineer, poster artist, portrait photographer, system administrator, deputy general director of an energy company, systems engineer in a hospital, translator from Chinese and many others.\nChosen measure of restraint. 32 people are being held in prisons (the remaining 68 preventive measures have been mitigated), 25 people are under house arrest, 14 people are under a ban on certain actions, 74 people have been recognized not to leave, 4 people have given an obligation to appear. 2 people were taken into custody in absentia and are wanted.\nGeography of persecution for faith. Criminal cases for faith have been initiated in 38 regions of Russia, namely: Amur, Arkhangelsk, Belgorod, Volgograd, Ivanovo, Kemerovo, Kirov, Kostroma, Magadan, Murmansk, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Orenburg, Orel, Penza, Penza, Pskov, Rostov, Saratov, Sakhalin, Sverdlovsk, Smolensk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk regions; Kamchatka, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Primorsky, Stavropol, Khabarovsk Territories; the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria, Bashkortostan, Crimea, Mordovia, Sakha (Yakutia), Tatarstan, Khakassia; Jewish Autonomous Region and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.\nWho is not included in the statistics? This list does not include those who have been searched, who have been and are being monitored, who have eavesdropping or spying devices in their homes, but have not been charged. For 2 years, more than 430 searches have been carried out in the homes of believers in Russia. A search turns an innocent person's life into a nightmare, undermines his health, causes deep emotional trauma and casts a shadow on his reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and others. How people feel when they are raided and their loved ones are imprisoned is described in the videos \"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov\", \"Arrests of Believers Throughout Russia\" and \"Dzhankoy After the Raid: How Persecution Cripples the Lives of Believers\".\nThe two hundredth was Alexander Parkov, arrested for his faith during a special operation on May 22, 2019 in Rostov-on-Don.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nThe actions of law enforcement agencies create all the prerequisites for the list of those persecuted for their faith to be replenished. Information about most of them can be found in the \"Prisoners of Conscience\" section of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia website.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-05-24T16:42:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_9180fc64711438f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_a81b2debc1167ec6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_4a2701ebb8bf028a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/878/allprisoners_hu_80a8bb9ea83176c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/878.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","analytics","statistics","elderly","liberty-deprivation","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement","summon","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"The number of Jehovah's Witnesses under criminal prosecution has reached 200","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2019, 51-year-old Aleksandr Parkov, 35-year-old Arsen Avanesov and his 66-year-old father Vilen Avanesov were detained in Rostov-on-Don. A criminal case has been opened against them for organizing extremist activities just because they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Dozens of other believers were released after interrogation.\nUpdate. On May 26, 2019, Victoria Mamelko, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, decided to send all three to custody for 2 months. They are kept in SIZO-1 in the Rostov region.\nIt is known that at least 15 searches were conducted in the apartments of Rostov residents who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In some cases, riot policemen, breaking into apartments, used force, seized electronic devices, photographs, and Bibles from residents.\nFor interrogation, the believers were taken to the building of the Center for Countering Extremism on Saryan Street. Suspects Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkov, are now being held in the temporary detention facility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at 28 Voroshilovsky Prospekt. The court hearing on the election of a measure of restraint is tentatively scheduled for Friday, May 24.\nThe persecution of believers was initiated by employees of the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia. The detention was supervised by senior investigator M. Antipov.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-23T15:33:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/873/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_1_hu_765855e7508e113a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/873/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/873/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_1_hu_5244a58cfc2591f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/873/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_1_hu_cc52c705e3b36c65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/873.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","new-case","interrogation"],"title":"Three Believers Imprisoned in Rostov-on-Don","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 23, 2019, a panel of three judges of the Oryol Regional Court upheld the verdict of the lower Zheleznodorozhny District Court, according to which Dennis Christensen was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony for his faith. He was found guilty under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code. Now the believer is preparing to be transferred to a colony from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region, where he has already spent almost two years. In the meantime, the European Court of Human Rights is preparing to consider his complaint with the participation of the Danish Government as the person concerned.\n\"Today it has become clear that the statements of the Russian authorities before international institutions that the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually\" are nothing more than cunning,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"As we have seen, in order to convict a person of extremism and an attempt on the constitutional order, and then punish him on a par with thieves and murderers, law enforcement officers only need to prove that he believes in God in the wrong way, and catch him reading the Bible. Such court decisions have been known since biblical times. In Russia, we experienced all this in the Soviet years. But, as history shows, none of the goals for which such a harsh mechanism of repression has been launched will be achieved.\nDennis Christensen has been under arrest since May 25, 2017, becoming the first Jehovah's Witness in modern Russia to be imprisoned for his faith. The history of this criminal case and its consequences are described in the 11-minute video report \"The Christensen Case. A faith that is above prison walls.\" You can also find a detailed chronicle of the process.\nAfter the arrest of the Dane, mass searches and arrests of other people whom law enforcement agencies considered extremists only for their religion began in all regions of the country. Dozens of Russian citizens and another foreigner are in jail or under house arrest in criminal cases similar to the one in Orel. Acting according to a single template, law enforcement agencies initiate cases against civilians who gathered to pray and read the Bible in private homes.\nAuthoritative international and Russian human rights organizations have already spoken out in support of Dennis Christensen, whose case is considered by many as a precedent. Denmark intervened as a third party in the case of Christensen v. Russia, pending before the ECHR. The believer was recognized as a prisoner of conscience by the Russian organization Memorial and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. The European Union called for Christensen's \"immediate and unconditional release\". The UN spoke in the same vein, calling on the Russian authorities to release all persons arrested for their peaceful religious beliefs.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-05-23T13:12:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/872/judges3357_hu_feb174047d0c3b3e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/872/judges3357.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/872/judges3357_hu_9069493042513ea1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/872/judges3357_hu_ebc7bd1c432418eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/872.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"A higher court upheld the prison sentence for Dennis Christensen","type":"news"},{"body":"Excerpt from the transcript of Dennis Christensen's last word in the Oryol Regional Court on May 23, 2019.\n","date":"2019-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/886.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's last word in the Court of Appeal","type":"docs"},{"body":"Early in the morning of May 22, 2019, law enforcement officers invaded at least 4 apartments of Rostov residents who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Men and women were detained. Some are released, the fate of others is being clarified.\nWhen 50-year-old Sergey Khotov opened the door, the security forces threw him to the floor and twisted his hands behind his back. Later, he was picked up and his apartment was searched, electronic devices were seized, as well as the Synodal edition of the Bible. The search was carried out by employees of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Rostov Region, including the deputy head of the center with the rank of lieutenant colonel of police.\nLaw enforcement officers inappropriately call the religion of citizens participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-22T16:22:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/871/190215a_surgut533_0_hu_fc94768baaa44e95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/871/190215a_surgut533_0_hu_21547093e5780931.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/871/190215a_surgut533_0_hu_cb711479156726e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/871/190215a_surgut533_0_hu_2395b217dfd3d655.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/871.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Rostov-on-Don","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, Lyudmila Kuzub, decided to detain two women for a period of 2 months: Tatyana Galkevich and 63-year-old Valentina Vladimirova. Prior to that, both were searched.\nAlthough Valentina Vladimirova was detained under the pretext of stealing from the prosecutor's house, during the interrogation the investigator immediately began to ask prepared questions about her religion. A case was opened against the women under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). Then her house was searched, interrogated, and electronic devices were seized.\nSmolensk law enforcement officers, following their colleagues in other Russian cities, claim that peaceful believers are engaged in \"organizing extremist activities,\" while they only privately read the Bible and prayed. The Russian government confirmed that the decisions of the Russian courts \"do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice individually the above teachings [of Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nVladimirova and Galkevich became the seventh and eighth defendants in criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk. At the end of April 2019, four believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center, and before that, Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina spent 191 days behind bars.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-22T15:57:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/867/depositphotos_6406965_2_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/867.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"In Smolensk, two more women were sent to a pre-trial detention center for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 18, 2019, the judge of the Central District Court of Volgograd, Andrey Oleynikov, decided to send four civilians who were detained during a raid on believers on May 16, 2019, to a pre-trial detention center for two months. Valery Rogozin, Sergei Melnik, Igor Egozaryan and Vyacheslav Osipov were sent to prison only because the authorities consider them Jehovah's Witnesses. All four are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in extremist activities.\nIvan Valkovsky, whose detention was reported earlier, was released on the same day. Information about the detention of D. Peresunko and V. Tarasov (81 years old) was subsequently not confirmed. Surveillance, summons and interrogations of believers in the city continue.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-21T17:47:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/861/depositphotos_21862193_2_2_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/861.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","interrogation","282.2-2"],"title":"In Volgograd, Four Believers Were Detained for 2 Months","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 20, 2019, the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chaired by Judge Igor Dyuzhakov, released from custody in the courtroom Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev, who had been in jail since June 12, 2018. They are still charged under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity), but the measure of restraint for them has been changed to a ban on certain actions. They must wear bracelets and cannot leave the house at night, communicate with other defendants in the criminal case, use the telephone and the Internet.\nBelievers are grateful to the court, which finally realized that there is no reason to keep civilians behind bars just for their religion. In December 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians and the reasons for their persecution are unclear.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-21T17:33:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_7e5697ef7d78f726.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_377e583aef420a4f.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_e952c6ebe3fad2f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/860/5409233326143702399_1266861724630_0_hu_b9a47dbf21550e46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/860.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"Almost a year of believers behind bars has ended in Saratov","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Ulyanovsk, Yulia Poladova, chose a measure of restraint for 62-year-old Alexander Ganin - a ban until June 23 to leave the house from 16:00 to 9:00 the next day, use the telephone and the Internet, as well as communicate with participants in criminal proceedings.\nEarlier, on May 15, 2019, at 5:50 a.m. local time, FSB officers came to Alexander's house in Novoulyanovsk and searched him. Aleksandr himself was placed in a temporary detention center.\nAleksandr Ganin became the sixth believer in Ulyanovsk to be prosecuted for his faith. He is charged under Article 282.2 Part 2 (Participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The cases of all six were merged into one criminal proceeding. According to the investigation, the Ulyanovsk believers were engaged in \"popularizing the ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses, promoting the superiority of these ideas over other religious teachings.\" Such an absurd accusation was made despite the fact that the Government of the Russian Federation clearly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-05-17T17:03:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/853/190215_surgut2759_0_hu_407b0352f7f3df8a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/853/190215_surgut2759_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/853/190215_surgut2759_0_hu_5a72f0b834530009.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/853/190215_surgut2759_0_hu_2f601db844bdf09d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/853.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","search","282.2-2","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"In Ulyanovsk, the court released the believer from the detention center, but with the condition","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2019, in Volgograd, at least 5 believers were detained by FSB and police officers, some at their workplace. The detainees Sergey Melnik (46), Valery Rogozin (57), Igor Egozaryan (54), Vyacheslav Osipov (48) and Ivan Valkovsky (36) were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation at 2 Gagarin Street.\nRefinement. The text has been amended because the previously published information about the detention of Denis Peresunko and 81-year-old Vladimir Tarasov has not been confirmed.\nVyacheslav Osipov was detained right at his workplace. At the same time, law enforcement officers did not submit any documents or court orders. Earlier, searches were carried out in their apartments. According to some believers, the police behaved politely during the searches. The investigator decided to place everyone in a temporary detention facility for a period of 48 hours. Additional details are being established.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-17T16:38:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/852/depositphotos_18573119_6_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/852/depositphotos_18573119_6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/852/depositphotos_18573119_6_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/852/depositphotos_18573119_6_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/852.html","regions":["volgograd"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"title":"Mass Detentions for Faith in Volgograd","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript and audio recording of Dennis Christensen's 50-minute speech in the debate at the appeal hearing in the Oryol Regional Court on May 16, 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-16T17:06:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/850/christensen_0_2_hu_10c950a52b9622d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/850/christensen_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/850/christensen_0_2_hu_cc8155b9c08ec28d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/850/christensen_0_2_hu_2697bcaa226cb8fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/850.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom","appeal","audio"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's statement in the debate at the appeal hearing","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 23, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., the appeal hearing in the case of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark will come to an end in the Oryol Regional Court. After that, the court will retire to pass sentence.\nOn May 16, 2019, Dennis Christensen's prosecutors and defense attorneys spoke in the debate. The hearing was attended by foreign diplomats, journalists, as well as numerous members of the public. The hearings are held in the building of the regional court at the address: Orel, Krasnoarmeyskaya str., 6.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-16T14:40:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/848/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_0_hu_3b166fe3e4181f49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/848/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/848/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_0_hu_3524cb1ee472fe67.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/848/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_0_hu_42026df8fdd381af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/848.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","appeal"],"title":"Dennis Christensen will address the Court of Appeals with his last word on May 23","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript and audio recording of Dennis Christensen's 50-minute speech in the debate at the appeal hearing in the Oryol Regional Court on May 16, 2019.\n","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/849.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal","courtroom"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's statement in the debate at the appeal hearing","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 6, 2019, Aleksandr Deryshov, deputy prosecutor of the Perm region, signed the final document in which investigators summarized the charge against 48-year-old Perm resident Alexander Solovyov, suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case goes to court (see chronology of the case).\nWhat exactly is Alexander Solovyov accused of? He is charged with participating in the activities of an organization banned by the court, citing the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2017, a small group of Perm residents who in the past professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the instructions of the \"E\" center, having received hidden recording equipment from operatives, began to hold discussions with Solovyov about the Bible. Police Lieutenant Colonel K. Ulitin sent the recordings of these discussions for examination to the catechist of the Russian Orthodox Church, a graduate of the Perm Theological Seminary, Alexei Mosin. The expert found in Solovyov's words signs of psychological pressure on the interlocutor, which, in turn, according to prosecutors, serves as confirmation that Solovyov continued the activities of the banned organization. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. There are no victims in the criminal case.\nWhat is the position of the accused? According to the indictment, Alexander Solovyov does not agree with the charges, does not admit guilt, claims that he did nothing wrong, and does not understand why he is being held accountable. Refers to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives the right to practice any religion personally or jointly with others. He believes that the Bible taught him self-control, helped him give up bad habits, and its study also led to other positive aspects. In addition, Alexander Solovyov did not want to explain anything, deciding to wait for the trial.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-15T16:50:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/846/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_hu_27d5de9a3ddadc1a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/846/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_hu_6780ff6a146e93f6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/846/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_hu_99599123ee6f635f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/846/solovevy_aleksandr_i_anna621_hu_cd2dca04916377ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/846.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","282.2-2","to-court"],"title":"The prosecutor's office in Perm signed an indictment against Alexander Solovyov","type":"news"},{"body":"The real boom in arrests for faith began after a court sentenced a Jehovah's Witness to imprisonment for the first time in modern Russia. The verdict was handed down by the Oryol District Court on February 6, 2019. Over the next 3 months, similar cases were initiated in 25 cities of Russia (20 regions of Russia), 74 believers became accused or suspected, of which 28 were sent to jail (some later had their preventive measures mitigated). 141 families of believers were searched in their homes. At least 7 believers complained of torture, including with the use of electric shocks.\nArrests, searches and interrogations over the past 3 months took place in the following chronological order:\n6 February: Saransk, Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), Berezovsky (Kemerovo Oblast); 15 February: Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug); 19 February: Arkhangelsk; February 25: Kurilsk (Sakhalin region); February 27: Ulyanovsk; February 28: Nefteyugansk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug); March 13: Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region); March 17: Luchegorsk (Primorsky Territory); March 20: Magadan, Yalta (Crimea); March 21: Zeya (Amur Region); March 26: Kirov, Chelyabinsk; April 3: Porkhov (Pskov region); April 10: Abakan; April 16: Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region); April 19: Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), Partizansk (Primorsky Territory), Novosibirsk; April 22: Inozemtsevo (Stavropol region); April 25: Smolensk; April 29: Dagomys (Krasnodar region). \"The verdict against Dennis Christensen caused an international outcry and drew attention to the groundlessness of the brutal persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the state,\" notes Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, our believers are as far from extremism as heaven is from earth.\"\nMeanwhile, the raids continue. On May 8, 2019, about 5 new searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses took place in Omsk. The total number of Russians prosecuted for their faith is 188.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-05-13T15:29:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/841/_cv_4200702_hu_38b0d04d0090620f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/841/_cv_4200702_hu_2155750737f631dd.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/841/_cv_4200702_hu_b1b21fc009b0369.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/841/_cv_4200702_hu_4ee2ffc22532f53f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/841.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","statistics","review","search"],"title":"What has changed in the religious life of Russia after the verdict of Dennis Christensen?","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 8, 2019, searches were carried out in Omsk in approximately 5 homes of citizens whom law enforcement officers consider to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The raid was sanctioned the day before by Oksana Voltornist, a judge of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk. The searches took place as part of a criminal case against the Polyakovs.\nInvestigators brought to court a list of people who, according to the Investigative Committee, were previously members of the Omsk, Kazakh congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court was not interested in the question of whether \"Omsk, Kazakh\" was related to the organization banned by the court. The very existence of the list was considered by Judge Voltornist to be sufficient reason to turn the lives of innocent citizens into a nightmare by authorizing searches of their homes.\nFor example, one of the houses was invaded by a group of 8 people, some of them wearing masks. During the search, investigators and operatives rummaged through closets, filmed everything, humiliated the human dignity of citizens and made offensive comments about their faith. In at least one case, the investigating officer did not allow the landlady to cross out the remaining empty fields when drawing up the report.\nAfter the searches, the believers were taken for interrogation to investigator Denis Levchenko. This criminal case was initiated in June 2018. Spouses Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov spent exactly five months in solitary confinement. By subjecting the spouses to such cruel treatment, law enforcement officers forced them, in fact, to incriminate themselves and other people. In December 2018, the couple were placed under house arrest. Their current preventive measure is a written undertaking not to leave.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-09T23:12:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/834/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_hu_5714af0d470f0912.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/834/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/834/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_hu_a4d5176d412b10a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/834/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_1_hu_cd87270a34f44d1d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/834.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","families"],"title":"A new wave of searches in the homes of believers in Omsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen's lawyers will have to summarize all their arguments during their speech in the debate, which will begin on May 16, 2019 at 10:00 in the Oryol Regional Court (Oryol, Krasnoarmeyskaya St., 6).\nOn May 8, the court passed the stage of judicial investigation, rejecting all petitions of lawyers. For example, the court did not satisfy the petition to verify the evidence that formed the basis of the unfair sentence.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-08T15:42:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/832/obl-sud_building2953_hu_bf5d522e1961220c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/832/obl-sud_building2953.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/832/obl-sud_building2953_hu_99231a4174f0c98a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/832/obl-sud_building2953_hu_2f98bdcbbc84894b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/832.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Christensen's appeal hearing is scheduled for May 16","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 7, 2019, the Oryol Regional Court began hearings on the appeal against the harsh sentence of Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark. The sequel is scheduled for May 8 (11:00), as well as May 16 and 17 (10:00). A spacious hall is allocated.\nThe case is heard by a panel of judges Olga Zuenko (chairman), Alexander Bukhtiyarov and Andrey Rogachev.\nThe believer insists on his innocence. He was arrested by the FSB in May 2017. After 622 days in pre-trial detention, on February 6, 2019, he was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison to be served in a general regime colony. The verdict was appealed, so it did not come into force. The defense filed an appeal (text) and an additional appeal (text).\nDennis Christensen is currently in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region. Letters of support can be sent to him. The history of this criminal prosecution and its consequences is described in the 11-minute video report \"The Christensen Case. A faith that is higher than prison walls.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-07T17:04:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/827/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_hu_1ea67317127b205d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/827/190507_pered_slushaniem2952.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/827/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_hu_3bf198787672a1c0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/827/190507_pered_slushaniem2952_hu_8a4a18b434619ca4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/827.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Christensen's appeal hearing will continue on May 8 ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 7, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Kaleria Fedorovna Mamykina. The woman is accused of \"continuing the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk.\" Investigators equated reading the Bible and talking about faith with acts with criminal intent.\nFor more than a year, the woman was under surveillance, during which sufficient information was collected, according to investigators, indicating the presence in the actions of Kaleria Fedorovna of signs of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Namely: participation in meetings of groups of possible participants in extremist activities at their place of residence.\nThe case is being investigated by the investigator for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug R. Shagarov, who is in the rank of lieutenant colonel.\nRussian and foreign leaders and organizations unanimously condemn the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. These include the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, prominent public figures of Russia, the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_87c5d9fbde9b8ed0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_de1a879ad76fa4f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/06/935/planting-062765_0_hu_7713b4ab65b461a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/06/935.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","new-case","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A 78-year-old resident of Arkhangelsk is accused of inciting religious hatred with criminal intent","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 1, 2019, a court in Smolensk sent 30-year-old Yevgeniy Deshko, who is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to prison for 2 months. The man was arrested on April 29, 2019 in Dagomys (Krasnodar region) and taken to Smolensk.\nAccording to preliminary information, Yevgeny Deshko came to the attention of Smolensk law enforcement officers in the context of the criminal prosecution of Valery Shalev and other followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk, against whom the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Smolensk Region opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case became known on April 25, 2019, when searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Smolensk. The next day, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk sent Ruslan Korolev, Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov to jail.\nThis is the second such criminal case in the Smolensk region. On October 7, 2018, officers of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region conducted a series of searches, during which in Sychevka (Smolensk Region) 2 women, Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, were arrested. They spent more than six months behind bars, after which they were transferred to house arrest.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-05-02T16:57:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_b1b09ffc05734fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_dfaf7658a4675457.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/05/813/190501_smolensk_deshko2938_hu_dae34042d32b0013.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/05/813.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Fourth believer arrested in Smolensk","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 26, 2019, the Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk sent three local believers to jail - 36-year-old Ruslan Korolev, 41-year-old Valery Shalev and 60-year-old Viktor Malkov. On the eve of Smolensk, mass searches were once again carried out in the homes of citizens whom local law enforcement officers suspect of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case was opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\nIn total, on April 25, 2019, about three searches took place in Smolensk. For example, Valery Shalev was detained by law enforcement officers near his place of work. He was taken home, where a search was conducted for 2 hours. After the search, he was placed in the temporary detention center of the Department of Internal Affairs in the Smolensk district.\nThis is at least the second such criminal case. The first became known on October 7, 2018, when the FSB, together with the Center for Counteracting Extremism and SOBR, conducted searches in the homes of believers and arrested two women , Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina, who had been behind bars for more than six months. Now that the women have been placed under house arrest, a new case has been opened and three more people have been sent to pre-trial detention.\nIt is noteworthy that on December 18, 2016 in Smolensk , about 15 armed riot policemen, investigators and police officers entered the building for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses on Pushkin Street when a service was held there with the participation of about 60 believers. Law enforcement officers purposefully entered the toilet and pretended to find a brochure included in the list of extremist materials. By that time, evidence had already accumulated that law enforcement officers and persons cooperating with them systematically planted prohibited items on believers.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the foreign policy service of the European Union, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem . Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-30T17:57:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_1668646e2e3ce90b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_661548179a144ab1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/800/190426_smolensk_shalev2926_hu_b045c3de74384065.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/800.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","elderly","ivs"],"title":"In Smolensk, three men were sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 24, 2019, Inga Gavritskaya, a judge of the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, decided to detain Anton Ostapenko, a 28-year-old power plant driver, for a period of two months. He was detained during mass searches in the homes of believers that took place throughout the city on April 19. According to the investigation, the believer is \"the organizer of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe case was opened on April 19, 2019 by Y. Fedynyak, a senior investigator of the investigation department for the Sharypovsky district of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The charges are based on transcripts of conversations about the Bible made on a hidden video camera in the house of one of the believers.\nConsidering the investigator's petition for Ostapenko's detention, the judge ignored the lawyer's arguments that no instruments or traces of the crime were found during the search in his apartment. The court's decision was not affected by the fact that the accused is characterized positively by everyone who knows him, has never been prosecuted and is caring for his disabled mother.\nSearches on April 19, 2019 in Sharypov took place in a total of 10 houses of believers. A similar scheme was used: groups of FSB and Investigative Committee officers blocked peaceful, unarmed people in their homes, took away all their electronic devices and Bibles (including in the Synodal translation), forbade them to talk to each other, and interrogated them. Some were detained and taken to the investigation department. Believers reported that they experienced great stress, some had complicated illnesses.\nLaw enforcement officers in Sharypov, following their colleagues from other cities of Russia, came to the wrong conclusion that the usual religious activities of citizens (reading the Bible, praying) are \"a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" International organizations, the Human Rights Council and even the President of Russia have repeatedly drawn attention to this vicious practice and its sad consequences.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-26T19:29:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_dc57a86423a53d8a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_e2b6fffb28c4e239.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/794/190424_sharypovo2893_hu_421138bc57b994ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/794.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In Sharypov, a believer was imprisoned for 2 months for talking on spiritual topics","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 19, 2019, FSB officers simultaneously invaded at least six homes of civilians whom the authorities suspect of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It became known about the initiation of a criminal case against 64-year-old Alexander Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov and 48-year-old Marina Chaplykina. On April 21, 2019, the Oktyabrsky District Court refused to allow the investigator to detain Seredkin and Maletskov. Instead, they chose a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Marina Chaplykina signed a recognizance not to leave.\nAleksandr Seredkin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, he \"organized meetings and led the reading and discussion of literature recognized as extremist.\" Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation believes that they assisted A. Seredkin. The case was initiated by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the Novosibirsk Region Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E.V. Selyunin. More than 70 people were interrogated in the case.\nSearches in the homes of believers followed a similar pattern. A loud knock on the door was heard at 20:45 in the house of Valery Maletskov, who lives with his wife and young child. Without waiting for an answer, the door was broken into. Shouting \"Stand, do not move, raise your hands!\" 5 people in camouflage, masks, with weapons and tools to break the door burst into the house. After that, 9 more people in civilian clothes immediately entered the house. They stated that the house would be searched by court order. The certificates were presented by police Lieutenant Colonel A.V. Pinaev and FSB Captain D.S. Maslyukov The operation was led by an FSB officer who refused to show the certificate. The search lasted until 3 a.m., during which they seized passports, phones, computer equipment and a CD with a recording of their wedding. After the search, the spouses were taken to the Federal Security Service of Russia Directorate for the Novosibirsk Region at 49 Kommunisticheskaya Street. There, at 5 a.m., their interrogation continued on video. After interrogation, Valeriy Maletskov was placed in an isolation ward. The man appealed to the investigator with a petition for the application of a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave due to special circumstances (the only breadwinner in the family, works 2 jobs, in the care of a young child and a 72-year-old mother with a disability of group II). However, investigator Selyunin asked the court to send the man to jail, without even mentioning his petition in court.\nUpdate. In total, searches were carried out at 12 addresses of believers.\nIn the autumn of last year, a criminal case was opened in Novosibirsk against Yuri Savelyev, who is now in a pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-25T16:15:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_b3a75d6446bf5b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_9c2c1347edee10ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/790/police-034407_0_2_2_hu_cec6f3ae74f8e0a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/790.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","house-arrest","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","ivs"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith is being opened in Novosibirsk, about 70 people have been interrogated","type":"news"},{"body":"In April 2019, in Novosibirsk and in the resort village of Inozemtsevo (Stavropol Territory), during searches in the homes of believers, books included in the list of extremist materials were planted on them. This practice was used by law enforcement officers across the country in 2016-2017 and abruptly stopped after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all communities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn April 19, 2019, during a search in Novosibirsk, a believer noticed a book planted on him, included in the list of extremist materials.\nOn April 22, 2019, in Inozemtsevo, groups of law enforcement officers simultaneously invaded the workplace and house of 65-year-old Oleg Popadin. At work, a book and a digital disc were planted on him, and 5 more printed publications were planted at home to his wife. A search was also conducted in the believer's car. They seized phones and a computer hard drive. They asked questions about Jehovah's Witnesses, asked for the names of his fellow believers, tried to persuade him to cooperate, and hinted that the planted literature might or may not be used against him.\nAt the time of the Supreme Court decision, Jehovah's Witnesses were already aware of at least 60 plantings and falsifications. Illegal actions have repeatedly fallen into the lenses of surveillance cameras. Unscrupulous law enforcement officers, hoping to get a promotion, resort to falsifications, since there are no real violations of the law by Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-24T19:26:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_cbbea508320a5344.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_81d57942b41e280b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/789/planting-062765_hu_363cf9b71c0a34ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/789.html","regions":["stavropol","novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","elderly"],"title":"New cases of planting prohibited items on believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2019, Irina Buglak, who was detained on April 19 during searches in the homes of believers in Partizansk (Primorye Territory), was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center on suspicion of extremism. The court considered talking about biblical topics at home \"a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order.\"\nThe first search in the homes of partisans suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses began on April 19 after 8 p.m. in the apartment of 80-year-old Nelly Tarasyuk. At this time, the landlady was visiting several women. Security officials from the FSB and the Investigative Committee rang the doorbell and introduced themselves as medical workers. Those present opened, after which 8 law enforcement officers entered the apartment and began to search the house, filming what was happening on video. During the search, Nelly Tarasyuk became ill, it was necessary to call an ambulance.\nAt night, those who were in the apartment, except for the hostess, were taken to the investigation department. The detainees were released in turn from 4 to 7 a.m. Everyone was released except 44-year-old Irina Buglak.\nAt three o'clock in the morning, the security forces took Irina Buglak to her place of residence to conduct another search there. According to eyewitnesses of the events, during the interrogations, the operatives admitted that the operation had been prepared since 2018, they were spying on the woman on social networks and tapping the phone. Irina's left arm was lost from the stress of the searches. Nevertheless, she was taken to the local temporary detention center.\nOn April 20, 2019, the judge of the Partizansky City Court, Maria Sundyukova, decided to arrest Irina Buglak for 2 months - until June 20, 2019. At the same time, the court ignored the fact that Irina's detention was carried out with violations - she was not provided with a lawyer in a timely manner and her rights were not explained.\nBochkarev, an investigator of the Investigative Department for Partizansk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, who petitioned for Irina's arrest, accuses her of continuing the activities of the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Partizansk\". The investigator believes that this organization was banned by a court decision, but in fact this LRO ceased to exist in 2015 and was never banned by the court.\nAccording to investigators, Irina met with fellow believers to communicate on spiritual topics. As stated in the court order on her arrest, \"the person was caught after committing a crime, obvious traces of a crime were found in his home.\" The investigator considers prayers and discussions of the Bible to be a \"serious crime committed against the foundations of the constitutional order.\" This is not prohibited either by the Russian Constitution or by the decision of the Supreme Court, which, according to the Russian government, concerns only the legal bodies of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not the religion of citizens.\nAn appeal has already been filed against the decision of Judge Maria Sundyukova with the Primorsky Regional Court. In addition, an appeal is being prepared on the fact of the illegal arrest of a peace-loving woman to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Primorsky Territory, Yuri Melnikov, as well as to the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-24T19:25:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/788/depositphotos_6406965_1_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/788.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","health-risk"],"title":"A resident of Primorsky Krai was sent to a pre-trial detention center for her faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 19, 2019, in Minusinsk, officers of the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service with the participation of Rosgvardia fighters invaded the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches were carried out in 5 houses. More than 30 people were detained for questioning and later released. A criminal case has been opened against 42-year-old Dmitry Maslov under the article \"organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He signed a recognizance not to leave.\nDuring one of the intrusions, an employee of the National Guard pushed 76-year-old Alexander Potemkin, because of which the man fell and received bodily injuries. His house was searched, electronic devices were seized.\nReligious persecution in his city was launched by V. Kolenichenko, acting head of the Minusinsk District Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, who on April 19, 2019 authorized the searches on his own, explaining that \"going to court with a petition for a search is not possible due to the late time of the day.\" Earlier in the day, a criminal case was opened against Dmitry Maslov for the fact that, according to investigators, he rented a holiday cottage and organized a worship service there.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-23T17:24:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/782/190215_surgut2759_hu_c81fc800fb49377f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/782/190215_surgut2759.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/782/190215_surgut2759_hu_8dd81f682b5a7b72.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/782/190215_surgut2759_hu_27160f679404e0ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/782.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Criminal Case, Searches and Interrogations in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 19, 2019, in Novosibirsk, Partizansk (Primorsky Territory), Sharypov and Minusinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), groups of law enforcement officers came with searches to the apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 5 people were detained, two of them remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nIn Novosibirsk, FSB officers invaded 6 houses at the same time. It turned out that in the morning a new criminal case was opened in the city (not related to the Savelyev case). 64-year-old Aleksandr Seredkin, 44-year-old Valery Maletskov, as well as local resident Marina Chaplykina were detained. On April 21, the court refused to detain them, the men were placed under house arrest, and the investigator took a written undertaking not to leave the woman.\nIn Partizansk, from 20:30, a search was conducted for 5 hours in the house of an 80-year-old woman (during the search she needed emergency medical assistance). 8 representatives of the FSB and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation came to her house. After the search, the women in the house were interrogated until the morning. An investigation team consisting of at least 4 investigators has been established. 44-year-old Irina Buglak was detained.\nIn Sharypov, religious literature was searched in at least 8 houses of local residents. Bibles (the Synodal Edition, as well as the Translation of Archimandrite Macarius), greeting cards, notebooks were seized. An investigation team consisting of more than 10 investigators has been established. 28-year-old Anton Ostapenko was detained.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-22T20:32:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_922e7f546d9d1595.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_85635877cd473b59.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_d8a309bae1630cb1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/777/190215c_surgut557_hu_a84be51c3e3a10a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/777.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","elderly"],"title":"On the evening of April 19, incursions against believers took place in 3 regions of Russia, 5 people were detained","type":"news"},{"body":"By April 15, 2019, Yuriy Savelyev, who had been languishing in jail for his faith for almost six months, had received 715 letters with words of support and small gifts. Australia, Austria, Belarus, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, USA, Ukraine, France are just some of the countries whose residents decided to support the 64-year-old believer from Novosibirsk. Fellow believers and simply caring people write him words of support and encouragement, and some even send small parcels, putting a chocolate bar or a postcard in them.\nThe neighbors in the cell are surprised by so many letters and do not stop asking Yuri questions. Especially surprising for them is that the letters come from people he does not know. People who visited Yuriy in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Novosibirsk region report that the flow of letters was a great encouragement for him and an occasion for interesting conversations. According to him, he is respected by his cellmates for his beliefs and dignified behavior, and they even protected him from unfair treatment.\nThis situation is also typical for other Russian Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars. They also reported a never-ending stream of letters. Despite the increasing number of criminal cases, the number of believers in pre-trial detention centers has recently been decreasing. At the moment it is 20 people.\n","category":"prison","date":"2019-04-18T17:02:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_107495d86a642a51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_46541c0da654b53b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/776/web_image_savelyev_yuriy26312_hu_9c5a3c19e5f49892.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/776.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"title":"Believers in pre-trial detention centers receive hundreds of letters of support from all over the world","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 27, 2019, the court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra granted the appeal of Yevgeny Kayryak against the order to search his apartment. The plaintiff referred to the absence of legal grounds for the search. The court noted that \"the [lower] court did not in any way motivate or evaluate the decision, did not draw any conclusions of its own as to why it considered the investigator's request for permission to conduct a search to be justified, and in connection with which it should be satisfied.\" The proceedings were discontinued.\nOn the same day, the district court ruled on a similar complaint by Vyacheslav Boronos. The decision to allow a search of his apartment was declared illegal due to violations of procedural norms (lack of a properly executed record of the court session). The investigator's petition was sent to the court of first instance for a new trial.\nOn February 15, 2019, shortly after the searches, Yevgeniy Kayryak and Vyacheslav Boronos reported that they had been tortured in the building of the Investigative Committee during interrogations. Criminal cases have been initiated against them. Believers insist on their complete innocence, while courts in Surgut and other Russian cities continue to interpret ordinary religious activities of believers as extremist activity. The Human Rights Council, the President of Russia, the European Court of Human Rights and many other Russian and international organizations have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-18T14:59:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/775/boronos_kairyak2629_hu_e8679a60cca6b1c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/775/boronos_kairyak2629.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/775/boronos_kairyak2629_hu_1147cf6f15f395da.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/775/boronos_kairyak2629_hu_9fe4d3223ef53bab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/775.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","appeal","complaints"],"title":"Searches of two believers in Surgut declared illegal          ","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 16, 2019, in Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), 6 law enforcement officers came to the house of Alexander and Anastasia Pryanikov with a search. A search was conducted in the apartment and car. Alexander is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn the hands of law enforcement officers was a warrant to search the car of the Pryanikovs, issued by Captain of Justice Vladimir Sudin from the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the city of Krasnoturyinsk. The investigator expected to find religious literature in the car, but seized only electronic devices, and not from the car, but from the apartment.\nA criminal case under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) against Alexander Pryanikov, as well as a local resident Venera Dulova, was initiated on July 30, 2018. After 2 days, 3 searches were carried out: in the apartment of Venera Dulova, at the dacha of her relatives and in the apartment of the Pryanikovs during their departure. During the interrogation, Venera Dulova, as well as her 18-year-old daughter, were pressured and intimidated with long prison terms. The girl was asked if her parents read religious literature. On the same day, Venera Dulova signed a recognizance not to leave.\nUpon returning home, in August 2018, Alexander Pryanikov came to the investigator and was interrogated as a suspect. In September, he was released on his own recognizance.\nIt is known that the written materials seized from believers in 2018 were sent for examination to the Department of Theology of the Ural Mining University.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-17T19:51:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/771/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_hu_95debb157caa4267.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/771/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/771/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_hu_e49c210e136e2d3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/771/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_0_hu_abb6c4b63cdec885.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/771.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families","282.2-2"],"title":"Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in the Sverdlovsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 16, 2019, the judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok, Sergey Olkhovsky, arrested the car and money of Valentin Osadchuk, accused of participating \"in an extremist community\" for his religious beliefs. On the same day, it became known about the completion of the preliminary investigation and the transition of the case to the stage of familiarization of the accused with the case materials.\nThe court argued the decision on the seizure of property by the fact that Osadchuk is accused of acts for which the court can impose a fine of 400 thousand to 800 thousand rubles and confiscate property. According to the law, confiscation of property is possible only if it is obtained \"as a result of committing crimes\" provided for by the \"extremist\" article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. How Osadchuk could get a car and money during the service, neither the investigator nor the court explained. (According to FSB investigator O. Tunyk, Valentin Osadchuk's extremism consisted in the fact that he participated in worship services of believers - he read the Bible, prayed, sang religious songs and talked with fellow believers on biblical topics.) Before his arrest, Osadchuk earned his living as an individual entrepreneur and worked as a sales manager.\nNevertheless, in order to ensure the execution of a possible sentence, the judge arrested a Nissan Presage car (born in 2001) and 26 thousand rubles seized during a search of the believer's house. It was decided to \"transfer the money for storage\" to the FEO of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory.\nValentin Osadchuk is under house arrest, the court replaced this measure of restraint with his detention in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent 275 days.\n","category":"property","date":"2019-04-16T19:26:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/793/190919_osadchuk_valentin2891_hu_d44357f49fcf8187.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/793/190919_osadchuk_valentin2891.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/793/190919_osadchuk_valentin2891_hu_c51400ce29579c24.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/793/190919_osadchuk_valentin2891_hu_77f216803e5e302f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/793.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"title":"A court seized a believer's car and money in Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 15, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk transferred Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina to house arrest. Women from the small town of Sychevka (Smolensk region) were released in the courtroom after spending more than six months behind bars.\nOn October 7, 2018, innocent law-abiding women, a nurse and a tour guide, were arrested by FSB officers for 48 hours. Later, on 9 October, 19 November and 19 February, the court extended their detention.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-15T16:33:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_ac8ba1789033b971.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_366d3f70f6a58252.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/757/sorokina-troshina6110_1_hu_7646824358a259de.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/757.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Smolensk, after 191 days of imprisonment, 2 women believers are released from prison","type":"news"},{"body":"The Oryol Regional Court has set a hearing date for the appeal against the harsh sentence handed down to Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison because of his religion. The investigation regarded this as a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\nDennis Christensen was arrested by the FSB in May 2017. After 622 days in pre-trial detention, on February 6, 2019, he was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison to be served in a general regime colony.\nThe decision, which was made by Alexey Rudnev, a judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Orel, was appealed, therefore it did not enter into force. The appeal (text) was filed by the defense on February 18, 2019. Later, on March 18, the defense filed an additional appeal (text).\nDennis Christensen is currently in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region. Letters of support can be sent to him. The history of this criminal prosecution and its consequences is described in the 11-minute video report \"The Christensen Case. A faith that is higher than prison walls.\"\nThe hearing will begin at 14:00 in the Oryol Regional Court at 6 Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, Orel.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-04-12T16:34:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/752/17069_0_0_hu_b88d0180b6a709de.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/752/17069_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/752/17069_0_0_hu_c9db14d24d2d99ca.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/752/17069_0_0_hu_f35009ac9b0512cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/752.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","complaints"],"title":"Announcement: Christensen's appeal hearing will take place on May 7, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2019, the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov extended the detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Felix Makhammadiev and Aleksey Budenchuk until June 12. Despite the unfair criminal prosecution, the believers remain positive.\nTo support the believers, their many friends came to court.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-12T16:31:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_fba9580de529354d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_97627440c8576201.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_cf5748df9610abe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/751/01550_hu_734edceddcedcad2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/751.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Saratov, the court extended the detention of three believers to 12 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 11, 2019, at 00:01, Sergey Loginov and Yevgeny Fedin, who had been behind bars since February 15, were released from custody. Two days earlier, the Surgut City Court refused to extend the investigators' detention.\nSergey Loginov, 57, is one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. On the fact of the incident, complaint No. 10618/19 \"Loginov and others v. Russia\" was filed with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR continues to consider this complaint.\nUpdate. The Surgut City Court imposed a ban on both believers to leave their homes at night, communicate with other defendants in the case, use mail, telephone and the Internet. This ban came into force after their release from the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-12T11:30:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_3bc6f4d778dccff8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_993ee1c30ce119f8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/749/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_0_hu_afa4eaaf97eb7aa8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/749.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","complaints","echr"],"title":"In Surgut, a court released both Jehovah's Witnesses who remained in jail","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 10, 2019, Irina Inozemtseva, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Orenburg, to the delight of about 120 people who came to support believers Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov, refused the investigator, who wanted to toughen the preventive measure for them, forbidding them to leave their homes at night.\nFor the past 56 days, Vladimir Kochnev and Vladislav Kolbanov have been prohibited only from communicating with other defendants in their case, including by phone and via the Internet, as well as from receiving and sending mail. Prior to that, for 121 days, they were also forbidden to leave the house at night, but on February 12, 2019, the same court lifted this restriction. In total, Vladimir Kochnev spent 78 days in a pre-trial detention center and another 70 days under house arrest, while Vladislav Kolbanov spent 2 days behind bars and another 146 days under house arrest.\nThe court hearing lasted just over 2 hours. The meeting room could accommodate only 20 listeners, the rest were left to wait for the result. It was obvious from the faces and statements of the Orenburg residents that the persecution to which their fellow believers were subjected in the city and throughout Russia greatly strengthened their faith, courage and Christian unity.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-11T17:27:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/748/bez_imeni-1_hu_9449fcfd01aae8a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/748/bez_imeni-1_hu_4aa24849d8090e19.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/748/bez_imeni-1_hu_bab5a7eee91c3f7e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/748/bez_imeni-1_hu_28a3d371ce1e786.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/748.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest"],"title":"In Orenburg, the court refused the investigator to toughen the measure of restraint for two believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 10, 2019, in Abakan, armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the homes of at least two families of local residents who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Late at night, at the end of the searches, 44-year-old Roman Baranovsky was detained.\nAccording to preliminary information, a criminal case was initiated against Roman Baranovsky under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"participation in the activities of a liquidated organization\"). His mother, who lives with him, was interrogated.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdate. On April 10, 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Roman Baranovskiy and his mother, 68-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya, under Article 282.2 (1). As part of the case, on the basis of the investigator's order, a total of 4 searches were carried out, Bibles, personal records, electronic devices and various data carriers were seized.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-11T16:47:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_bc35e2b13fcbc919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_f571588148f19ed3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_18155fa8c9f9373.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/746/190206_saransk532_hu_a34abcc86fea65d6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/746.html","regions":["khakassia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","282.2-2","interrogation","elderly","families","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Khakassia","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 18, 2019, an appeal was filed against the sentence by which Dennis Christensen, a 46-year-old resident of Orel, was sent to a penal colony for 6 years solely for his faith.\nLater, on March 18, the defense filed an additional appeal in connection with the full acquaintance with the record of the court session. (Filing an additional complaint is provided for in Part 4 of Article 389.8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.)\nThe text of the main appeal can be read on this website (below). An additional complaint can be found in the \"Documents\" section.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-04-10T16:48:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/745/kristensen_web5841_1_2_hu_386a4ff49f328df7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/745/kristensen_web5841_1_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/745/kristensen_web5841_1_2_hu_4825278593b675b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/745/kristensen_web5841_1_2_hu_51248a6f399e4612.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/745.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's defense in Oryol appealed against the harsh sentence","type":"news"},{"body":"An additional complaint was filed by the defense on March 18, 2019 in connection with the full familiarization with the minutes of the court session. The filing of an additional complaint is provided for in Part 4 of Article 389.8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. The main appeal was filed on February 18, 2019.\n","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/742.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Additional Appeal Against Dennis Christensen's Conviction","type":"docs"},{"body":"Appeal against the verdict of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, which found Dennis Christensen guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to 6 years of actual imprisonment. The document was filed on February 18, 2019.\n","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/743.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Appeal against the conviction of Dennis Christensen","type":"docs"},{"body":"Appeal against the verdict of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, by which Sergey Skrynnikov was found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to a fine in the amount of 350 thousand rubles.\n","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/741.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"title":"Appeal against the verdict to Sergey Skrynnikov ","type":"docs"},{"body":"Six years in prison was the verdict of the Oryol District Court in the case against a 46-year-old local resident, a Danish by nationality, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The verdict caused a wide public outcry. The history of criminal prosecution for faith is in an 11-minute video report.\nIrina Christensen puts together a program for her husband, Dennis Christensen. Almost two years have passed since he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Orel. \"I can give thirty kilograms a month,\" she says, \"Well, I bring what he orders. He loves marzipan very much, I'll bring him candy with marzipan.\nIt all started on May 25, 2017, when armed masked men burst into the service. \"Of course, we didn't know what to do, what to do, because everyone wanted to shoot, record it all, but it was forbidden. Dennis was arrested right at the worship service.\"\nThe very next day, a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen against Dennis Christensen.\n\"Investigative measures were quite intensive,\" recalls lawyer Anton Bogdanov.- For example, as many as 13 forensic examinations were appointed by the investigator himself. Several handwriting examinations, religious, linguistic, and, oddly enough, psychological and psychiatric. In addition, there were, of course, interrogations. I think about a hundred people were interrogated. The main bet was to do everything quickly and as toughly as possible.\nAt the end of February 2018, 9 months after his arrest, court proceedings began. Dozens of believers came to the hearing in the building of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Oryol to support Dennis Christensen and his wife. \"Last year, of course, 3 times a week I see my husband in court,\" admits Irina Christensen.\n\"In court hearings, thanks to his actions, such a positive, and somewhere even cheerful atmosphere reigned,\" says Anton Bogdanov.\n\"He showed children's drawings that were sent to him from all over the world,\" says lawyer Irina Krasnikova.- He gladly received greetings that his friends conveyed to him. It was evident that he was very happy with those who came to him.\n\"A lot of the Bible was read, just excerpts, verses from the Bible, whole paragraphs from books we read,\" says Irina Christensen. We watched different videos, we studied the entire \"Yearbook\" for 2017, we studied all the \"Workbooks\" for 2017. Everything that the prosecutor's office provided, we read it all, how songs were sung at the meeting, and in general it was some kind of ridiculous action, to be honest.\nIrina Krasnikova: \"This situation seems somewhat paradoxical. It seems that a person is accused of extremism, but it turns out that no hostility comes from him, even to those who unfairly accuse him.\nThe trial, which lasted almost a year, left no doubt that Dennis Christensen did not commit any crime.\nAnton Bogdanov: \"The fact is that our position and, above all, Christensen's position was to prove his innocence. Well, it was obvious, in fact, that the person is innocent, but, nevertheless, since we are in court, we need to defend our position, we need to present evidence.\nIrina Krasnikova: \"In general, in order to deal with such cases, you need to understand what the essence of a person's religious beliefs is, and why he acts in one way or another. Why does he come to worship? Because he considers himself a member of some legal entity? Or because he believes that this is a way for him to exercise his right to freedom of religion?\"\nAnton Bogdanov: \"When a crime where the punishment is 10 years of freedom in its maximum terms, they begin to establish who organized the cleaning, who bought the mop and rags for this cleaning, why Christensen was the first to open the gate and began to remove the snow, this is, of course, surprising.\"\nFebruary 6, 2019. Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. \"The court sentenced Christensen Dennis Ole to be found guilty of committing a crime under part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to sentence him to 6 years in prison to be served in a penal colony.\"\nIrina Christensen: \"Well, of course, it was surprising that such a large number of people came to the announcement of the verdict. And I know that many came from different cities: Moscow, Belgorod, Kursk, Kaluga, Yelets. But that's just a few I've met... I want to say that my husband did not deserve such a sentence, because he is a wonderful person, and he spent his life helping people, and not doing harm to someone and encouraging someone to violence.\nAnton Bogdanov: \"The court has not been able to name a single specific socially dangerous, in the true sense of the word, action that would have been taken by the defendant.\"\nIrina Krasnikova: \"In my opinion, this verdict does not correspond to the inner conviction of the judge, because for any sane person, and even more so for a person who understood the essence of this case, it is obvious and understandable that there was no extremist organization here, that there were no extremists here. And, of course, it is very scary that such a punishment is given to a person simply for what he believes, it is very cruel.\nAnton Bogdanov: \"That is, all this looks more like a reprisal against a believer belonging to a minority religion.\"\nThe unprecedented sentence handed down to Dennis Christensen caused a wide public outcry. Russian and international organizations called on the Russian authorities to release the believer and drop all charges against him. Human rights activists, in turn, call the court's decision unfair and monstrous.\nHuman rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina (Civic Assistance Committee): \"The assessment is very simple – it's monstrous, it's just monstrous. The fact that people are condemned not for anything, not for what they have done, but for involvement, for beliefs, is, of course, absolutely monstrous.\nValery Borshchev (Moscow Helsinki Group): \"It seems to me that the court found itself in a difficult situation, because it could not present any extremism. Well, there is none, no, absolutely.\nReligious scholar Roman Lunkin (Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences): \"This is, of course, a shame for relations between the state and religion in Russia, for religious policy. We believe that Russia is a country of faith, and even more religious than European countries. How does the persecution of believers take place in such a country? How?\"\nHuman rights activist Lev Ponomarev (movement \"For Human Rights\"): \"As I see it, people who sincerely believe should have the right to do this. And obviously, they cannot be prosecuted for this. This is one of the basic constitutional human rights.\"\nValery Borshchev: \"And I believe that he won the trial. He won, he was much more convincing in court and looked better than the judge and the prosecutor. In my opinion, the judge himself also felt this. And, in general, every religion is strengthened as a result of persecution, as you know. Those who keep the faith, and there are undoubtedly many who will, they will be firm, and they will stand up for their faith even more.\"\nHuman rights activists, lawyers and participants in the trial also spoke about this at a press conference held in Moscow two days after the verdict was announced.\nValery Borshchev: \"Dennis made a very interesting decision at the trial - he turned the last word into a sermon. And what happens? It turns out that all 50 people present at the trial, including the prosecutor, the judge, me and the media, were participants in a religious meeting.\"\nYaroslav Sivulsky (European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses): \"I can only say that Jehovah's Witnesses did not deserve such treatment. Nothing they do deserves to be jailed or charged with extremism.\"\nIrina Christensen: \"My husband, of course, is a strong man, and he will endure everything. And his faith in God is strong, and our God will support him and will always help him, just as he has been supporting me for almost two years... The press conference in Moscow is just an amazing event that happened recently, and I could never imagine myself among these people, respected by everyone. After the press conference, each of them said something nice to me: words of support, encouragement, told a little bit of their life stories about the fact that they also underwent a lot, understand me and my feelings. It was very nice.\"\nIrina says that she and her husband have been greatly supported by the thousands of letters, postcards and drawings they receive from all over the world: \"He had such a plan that every child's drawing should hang on his wall. From transparent plastic files, he sewed them with threads and made such a well, like a stand or something, so that there were several drawings, immediately hung. And when a child's drawing comes, he inserts it and at least one day this drawing should hang with him. And when the evening check comes, they, he says, every time they look at these new children's drawings. And he says, \"I want to tell these kids later that your drawing was in jail and it was hanging on the wall.\" Well, the number of letters that he receives, this, of course, shocks everyone in the pre-trial detention center, because they say: \"As much as you receive, well, no one receives.\"\nAccording to Irina, Dennis writes her several letters every week, in each of which he finds words to support her and share encouraging thoughts. Here is an excerpt from one of the letters: \"Positive emotions are the key to success, and today we have a lot of reasons to rejoice! Is it not an honor for each of us to illuminate Jehovah's name in our city? Justifying God's great sovereignty is not the purpose of our existence? I know that our path is long, and there will be no victory yet, but for now! In the end, we will win. I'm 100% sure of that.\"\nIrina very much hopes that the court of appeal will release her husband from custody. But, she said, whatever the outcome, she will continue to support Dennis. \"If he was there because he killed someone or raped someone or robbed them, that's one thing. And the fact that a person is in jail for his faith is another. And he sits with a clear conscience, he sits with good thoughts, because he has done no harm to anyone. Therefore, I have always been proud and proud of my husband. And I understand what an honor it is to endure all this with dignity, calmly, confidently... Jesus Christ said that all of his followers would be persecuted, so of course what is happening now is not surprising, it should have been. And with the help of the power of God, you can withstand any test at all, absolutely any, whatever it may be.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2019-04-04T17:26:42+03:00","duration":"11:20","image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/719/kristensen2474_0_hu_4a3d878d95594301.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/719/kristensen2474_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/719/kristensen2474_0_hu_1e1fc7b95c347300.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/719/kristensen2474_0_hu_6a55aee6b072ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/719.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","liberty-deprivation","review","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"The Christensen case. A faith that is higher than prison walls","type":"video"},{"body":"On March 26, 2019, FSB investigator S. Bosiyev charged Artem Gerasimov, who was detained for interrogation during searches in 8 houses of believers in Alupka, Gurzuf and Yalta (Crimea), with organizing extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After interrogation, he was released.\nAccording to the investigator's ruling, Artem Gerasimov's guilt lies in the fact that he held meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"realizing the public danger\" of this. Gerasimov is also accused of \"getting acquainted with literature\" containing statements \"degrading human dignity on the basis of attitude to religion.\" The investigator did not give any explanations or specific examples.\nIt is noteworthy that during the hearings of the case on the ban of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and another 395 local organizations of believers, not a single fact was heard proving that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses inspired any real crimes. Human rights activists and other members of the public consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be a peaceful religion, which is alien to the ideas of enmity and hatred on any grounds.\nAfter the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia, including Crimea, persecution of believers began, despite the Russian government's explanation that the ban should apply only to legal entities and should not restrict the right of believers to practice this religion. Russian President Vladimir Putin also expressed bewilderment at the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-04-03T14:26:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/718/190320_yalta2401_0_hu_ddbadf1891b7a990.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/718/190320_yalta2401_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/718/190320_yalta2401_0_hu_ae5d4feb221aeca7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/718/190320_yalta2401_0_hu_36266e8e9b0e34a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/718.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1"],"title":"FSB declared a resident of Yalta an extremist for his beliefs","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2019, in the city of Porkhov (Pskov region), FSB officers broke into the apartment where the married couple Sergey and Svetlana Komissarov live. The security forces knocked the head of the family to the floor, took away his and his guests' mobile devices and forbade them to record what was happening. Thus began the \"operation of the FSB of the city of Pskov\", in the context of which another search took place on the same day.\nAs Sergey said, in the morning at about 11:00 a.m., unknown people began to call persistently at the door of the apartment where they live. \"I went to the door, the lock was not closed, I opened the door, I saw a lot of people. Not understanding what was happening, I began to close it, then there was an unexpected attack, blows to the head, I was thrown to the floor. After that, the whole crowd flew into the apartment. Sergey was presented with a court order for a search. Then the security forces under him hacked into his accounts on several Internet resources and, under dictation, recorded the information in the protocol. The computer, tablet and all information media were confiscated by law enforcement officers.\nAccording to eyewitnesses, none of those present were allowed to photograph, rewrite or in any other way record the names, ranks and positions of operatives. The search lasted approximately 4.5 hours. At about 4:30 p.m., the search began in the apartment of two of Sergey's guests. The security forces seized laptops, a tablet, a phone, a bank card and flash drives from them.\nAs a result, 52-year-old Sergey Komissarov, his wife, as well as 44-year-old Alexei Khabarov were taken for interrogation to the regional center - to the main Directorate of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region. Around midnight, everyone was released, and the men were ordered not to leave the place.\nAs it became known, the searches took place within the framework of a criminal case on extremism, which was initiated by the senior investigator for especially important cases of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Irina Pravdivtseva.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/747/190215a_surgut533_hu_fc94768baaa44e95.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/747/190215a_surgut533_hu_21547093e5780931.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/747/190215a_surgut533_hu_cb711479156726e2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/747/190215a_surgut533_hu_2395b217dfd3d655.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/747.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation"],"title":"FSB hacked into accounts of believers and conducted searches in the Pskov region","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 28, 2019, the Pervomaiskiy District Court of Kirov refused to extend the investigator's detention of Yevgeny Suvorkov. He was placed under house arrest. Thus, out of 5 believers arrested in Kirov on October 9, 2018 for \"singing biblical songs together... study of religious literature, the so-called Holy Scripture (Bible)\", only 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk, a citizen of the Republic of Poland living in Russia, has remained behind bars for 176 days.\nVladimir Korobeynikov was the first to be placed under house arrest after 73 days in pre-trial detention. This happened on December 20, 2018. On February 2, 2019, the court placed Andrey Suvorkov and Maksim Khalturin under house arrest. Both spent 117 days behind bars.\nReligious persecution in Kirov continues. On March 26, 2019, at least 10 new searches of believers' homes took place in the city. A criminal case has been initiated against 3 people, which is being investigated by G. Malykh, an investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Kirov region. He also opened a case against Andrzej Oniszczuk and others in October 2018.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-04-02T19:36:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_367d81280702dbe9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_5298d53910b706a9.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_3bade8af84b6475c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/714/kirov-01442_hu_4dab35bae8321c83.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/714.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families"],"title":"Everyone in Kirov left the pre-trial detention center except Andrzej Oniszczuk ","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, a judge of the Lomonosov District Court of Arkhangelsk arrested two cars of the Yakku family, registered to the head of the family, Yevgeny. He is accused of allegedly continuing the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Central, Arkhangelsk\". At the same time, Eugene Yakku has never been a member of this organization; Moreover, this organization was disbanded on the initiative of believers and has never been recognized as \"extremist\" by any court.\nOnly the judge and the prosecutor participated in the court session at which the decision to seize property was made. Neither Yevgeny Yakku nor his lawyer, as follows from the case materials, were invited to the meeting.\nThe arrest of the Opel Astra and Chevrolet Spark cars was requested by the investigator who is in charge of the Yakku case. According to the investigator, the cars had to be arrested in order to ensure the execution of a possible sentence, implying a fine in the amount of a 3-year salary or up to 700 thousand rubles.\nThe prosecutor supported the investigator's opinion, and the judge granted the petition, referring to Article 115 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Russia. This article of the Code of Criminal Procedure states that when deciding on the seizure of property, the court must indicate the specific, factual circumstances on the basis of which it made such a decision. The court simply repeated what was said in the investigator's petition, from which it is clear that Eugene Yakku is accused only of professing and spreading his faith.\nEugen Yakku considered the court's decision unjust and appealed it to a higher court.\n","category":"property","date":"2019-04-02T12:47:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/709/yakku401_0_hu_e3e67a33fe4f9260.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/709/yakku401_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/709/yakku401_0_hu_80f05260795d2728.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/709/yakku401_0_hu_a7b6a77c24a0ba8e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/709.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"title":"In Arkhangelsk, the court arrested the cars of a family of believers","type":"news"},{"body":"To find Sergey Vladimirovich Skrynnikov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to a fine in the amount of 350 thousand rubles. Such a decision regarding a peaceful teacher was announced on April 1, 2019 by Gleb Noskov, a judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. The case against Sergey Skrynnikov was separated from the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, who had previously been sent to a penal colony for 6 years by the same court.\nThere are no victims or victims in both criminal trials. The criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the liquidation and prohibition of registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens, the right to which has not been abolished, for participation in an extremist organization.\nThe case of Sergey Skrynnikov was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Oryol region on February 20, 2018 under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" A written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer. In May 2018, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which not a single item prohibited by law was found.\nThe court considered the charges of calling for the destruction of the family and non-recognition of the authorities brought by investigators against Sergei Skrynnikov far-fetched.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-04-01T10:55:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/708/dsc_70443440_0_1_hu_4ad5185f24ee53c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/708/dsc_70443440_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/708/dsc_70443440_0_1_hu_9d30e45ef2402719.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/708/dsc_70443440_0_1_hu_e99299ea88ef5ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/708.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fine","sentence","282.2-2"],"title":"A court imposed a heavy fine on a second believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey Skrynnikov is the second Jehovah's Witness in the city of Oryol to be prosecuted for his faith. Sergey said that he helps him not to give up, what was his path to faith, what he feels being under criminal prosecution.\nWhen did Sergey first meet Jehovah's Witnesses? It happened in 1973, when I was 11 years old. We lived in a small village in eastern Ukraine. In the context of Soviet anti-religious propaganda, my mother began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. It was from her that I first heard about God, his Son, and his good news. I have never doubted the truth of God's word, and this knowledge is deeply embedded in my heart. But the knowledge of the truth obliged to build one's life in accordance with the morality of the Gospel. I was not ready for this then, and my life went according to a bad scenario. At the age of 25, I was already abusing alcohol, lost my job, lost my family and decided to return to my mother in my native village, in Manuylovka.\nHow did Sergey come to real faith? \" My mother had clandestine editions of the magazine \"Awake!\", and she deliberately left them for me in prominent places in the house. I gradually rethought my life. I realized that I heard what the Creator was saying to me, but I didn't listen to him. He began to study the Bible intensively. I suggested that my mother move somewhere far away from my drinking buddies. We sold our house and moved to Torez, where there was a community of Jehovah's Witnesses. By comparing biblical truth with my negative experiences, I realized where the truth was. In 1989, after a long search, I was baptized into the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nHas Sergey's life changed for the better?\" I mentioned that because of my riotous lifestyle, my marriage broke up, Nina and I divorced and ran away. After a while, Nina learned from a friend that I had become one of Jehovah's Witnesses—and she couldn't believe it. Still, she decided to write me a letter. This was the first step. Nina and I already had a daughter who went to first grade without me. During the holidays, they came to me. Nina became interested in the good news of the Gospel and a year after me, in 1990, she also became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. We decided to restore the marriage because Jehovah hates divorce. They re-signed, lived in Torez. So the Bible saved not only me, but also our marriage.\"\nHow did the future life of the family develop? I am a physical education teacher by profession, I graduated from the Bolkhov Pedagogical School. He worked by profession, including here, in the Oryol region. Nina is also a teacher by profession. Once, her child was injured at work. Due to severe stress, Nina was paralyzed, she did not get out of bed for 1 year and 4 months. It was a difficult time. One day, Nina suddenly says, \"I want to go with you to the field ministry.\" I dissuade her, but she insists on her own. There was nothing to do, he dressed her, picked her up in his arms and carried her. So we walked about 20 meters to the neighbors, where I put her on a bench, and she started talking about the Bible with the neighbor. After 15 minutes we returned home. The next day, in the same way - 30 minutes. Then an hour. And so, over time, she began to walk. All thanks to the ministry. Now Nina is struggling with melanoma. He is observed by an oncologist and enjoys every day he lives.\nDoes the Skrynnikovs' daughter share her parents' beliefs? Olesya became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1994 and later married a wonderful man among our brothers in faith. When we moved to Orel to take care of my wife's parents, Olesya and her family also moved with us. Four of her five children were born in Orel. We are helping to raise our five grandchildren. My Nina is a devoted friend, her support is very important to me. She knows from her own experience that Jehovah God is a caring and loving heavenly Father.\"\nHow did the big family react to Sergey's criminal case? When it all started, we were ready. Thanks to the care of Jehovah and loving elders, we were not taken by surprise. The whole family quickly rebuilt and began to adapt to new circumstances. No one goes to extremes. True, sometimes deep down you feel like a leper. You can't talk to anyone on the phone because of possible wiretapping. You can't go on a visit because of possible surveillance. You can't even appear somewhere near the brothers - they will take a picture together, then they will have problems. It's like we're living in the Wild West.\"\nWhat do the Skrynnikovs think about the upcoming court verdict? We are all determined to rejoice in what Jehovah will allow. If he allows me to be imprisoned, then this is his will and a new appointment for me. There are millions of people in the colonies who have not heard the Word of God. As Jesus Christ said, \"The fields are white and ready for harvest.\" I am ready for anything and I believe that my beloved God Jehovah will not leave me. Every day he fills my heart with peace and joy, and it always will be.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-04-01T10:33:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/04/707/12428_hu_f1404237acadfa7d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/04/707/12428_hu_7f8fd1c7d835bfee.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/04/707/12428_hu_4ef4c8cf4eccf5b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/04/707/12428_hu_18826b8a95edfa2f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/04/707.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review"],"title":"Sergey Skrynnikov - who is he?","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 28, 2019, it was announced that the verdict for Jehovah's Witness Sergey Skrynnikov would be announced on April 1 at 10:00 a.m.\nEarlier, prosecutor Naumova asked for a real prison term for the believer, accused under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" - three years in a general regime colony plus one year of restriction of movement.\nAddress of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel: st. Maxim Gorky, 45-a.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-03-29T18:07:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/706/180606_orel5052_0_hu_e7298b1856a480ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/706/180606_orel5052_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/706/180606_orel5052_0_hu_b0d5bc71d531a19c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/706/180606_orel5052_0_hu_e4908599d0bef5f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/706.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request"],"title":"Announcement: the verdict for the second believer in Oryol will be announced on April 1","type":"news"},{"body":"What did Sergei Skrynnikov say in his last statement to the defendant? The full transcript of his address, which he delivered at the Railway Court of Orel on March 28, 2019, is published.\nEarlier, on March 18, 2019, prosecutor Naumova asked for a real prison term for a believer accused under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" - three years in a general regime colony plus one year of restriction of movement.\nThe court will announce its verdict on April 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-03-29T17:58:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/704/skrynnikov2423_hu_f20bdfef776a9835.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/704/skrynnikov2423.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/704/skrynnikov2423_hu_fe3b48cc6916618c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/704/skrynnikov2423_hu_935579ada6768318.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/704.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The full text of Sergey Skrynnikov's last word is published","type":"news"},{"body":"Transcript and sound recording of Sergey Skrynnikov's last word in the Railway Court of Orel on March 28, 2019.\n","date":"2019-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/705.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Sergey Skrynnikov's last word","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 28, 2019, a press conference will be held in Moscow highlighting the authorities' response to the complaint of 7 Surgut Jehovah's Witnesses who reported torture during interrogations on February 15, 2019.\nThe press conference will be attended by well-known human rights defenders, lawyers and a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe event will be held at the Press Center of the Rosbalt News Agency at the address: Moscow, Skatertny per., 4/2, p. 1. The press center organizes a live video broadcast of the conference. It starts on March 28, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-03-26T19:52:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/691/adobestock_79103334__0_hu_eb34277bead45a80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/691/adobestock_79103334__0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/691/adobestock_79103334__0_hu_1d4972b4faf39b14.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/691/adobestock_79103334__0_hu_5854828283af862c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/691.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"Announcement of the press conference \"Torture of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut. New facts of persecution. Expert opinion\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 26, 2019, at approximately 7:00 a.m., there was a soft knock on the door of the apartment where the spouses Pavel and Elena Popov live with their young daughter in Yemanzhelinsk (Chelyabinsk region). The owners were told through the door that there was some kind of accident with their car in the yard. When they opened the door, they saw about 10 masked men with machine guns and a sledgehammer to kick down the door.\nThe couple were informed that their home would be searched because they professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A computer, phones, tablets, family photos, books and passports were seized. After the search, the spouses were taken for interrogation to another city, presumably to Chelyabinsk. The child was left in the care of family friends. According to law enforcement officers, whether the spouses will be arrested \"depends on how they cooperate.\" (Law enforcement officers across the country have threatened believers to incriminate themselves or others by \"confessing\" to engaging in extremist activities.) The case against believers is being handled by the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region.\nSimultaneously with the operational activities in Yemanzhelinsk, searches in the homes of believers, according to reports, are taking place in the Metallurgichesky district of Chelyabinsk.\nEarlier, after the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, the Russian Federation admitted that it had violated the rights of 150 deaf Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk in connection with the disruption of their worship services, and paid 30,000 euros in compensation for moral damage and 60,544 euros in compensation for legal costs. The ECHR ruling in this case, known as Konstantin Kuznetsov and Others v. Russian Federation, states: \"It is undeniable that the joint study and discussion of liturgical texts by members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community is a recognized form of professing [their] religion during worship and teaching.\" This ruling was issued in 2007.\nUpdate. A total of 10 searches were conducted in the homes of believers in the Chelyabinsk region on March 26, 2019.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-26T18:41:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/690/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_0_hu_188976aa29143af0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/690/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/690/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_0_hu_f31e4dbf1419b25e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/690/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_0_hu_47c3b832d75185b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/690.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors","interrogation"],"title":"Searches and Criminal Case in the Chelyabinsk Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of March 26, 2019, a wave of new searches began in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. It is known about searches in at least 10 places. Several people have been detained and interrogated are underway. The criminal case is being investigated against 58-year-old Alexander Shamov, 27-year-old Andrey Shchepin and 70-year-old Yevgeniy Udintsev.\nEarlier, in October 2018, after raids on the homes of believers in Kirov, 5 people were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center. Currently, three of them are under house arrest, and two have been languishing in prison for 169 days, including Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk. The only basis for criminal prosecution is the religion of these citizens. (The Polish consulate is monitoring what is happening with Andrzej Oniszczuk.)\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdated. During the searches, Andrey Shchepin was detained. After 48 hours, he was released, and later, on March 29, on his own, without hiding from anyone, he came to court, which chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of a ban on certain actions. Alexander Shamov and Yevgeny Udintsev were released on the same day.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-26T18:38:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/689/depositphotos_75905113_6_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/689.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"New searches and detentions in Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 19, 2019, the court ruled to send two believers from the village of Luchegorsk, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, who were detained during searches on March 17, 2019 and taken to Dalnerechensk, to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nAccording to preliminary information, they should be held in the pre-trial detention center of Spassk-Dalny. As of March 21, 2019, 25 people are being held in various prisons for their faith, whom law enforcement officers consider to be followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Another 27 people are under house arrest.\nMeanwhile, a wave of criminal prosecutions for faith has moved along the Chinese border to the Amur region. On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in Zeya, and a criminal case was initiated.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-22T15:05:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_765855e7508e113a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_5244a58cfc2591f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/682/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_0_hu_cc52c705e3b36c65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/682.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"title":"In Primorye Territory, the court sent 2 believers to prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On 20 March 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) lifted the urgent interim measures imposed in the event of a threat to the applicant's life. However, the cessation of such a threat, which makes it possible to remove interim measures, does not mean that the ECHR recognized the failure to prove the torture committed on February 15, 2019. The ECHR continues to consider the complaint of Sergey Loginov and other believers from Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area) about the torture inflicted on them.\nOn March 18, 2019, the Russian Government, in its response to the ECHR, referring to the medical examinations carried out, indicated the absence of diseases preventing the detention of Sergey Loginov. However, an independent medical examination for torture (examination of the skin by experts in the field of forensic medical examination, psychological research) has not yet been carried out in relation to the believer.\nThe believer's lawyer requested an independent examination with the involvement of dermatologists and psychologists, as well as other highly specialized experts specializing in skin burns, in order to identify traces of the use of stun guns and the psychological consequences of torture. In response to this petition, the believer, who was beaten with a stun gun through a wet cloth to reduce the appearance of burns on his body, was externally examined by a paramedic of the pre-trial detention center through the prison bars! Later, a consultation with a psychiatrist was organized in the pre-trial detention center for the presence of mental illness in Loginov. Meanwhile, the defense did not doubt that he did not have mental illness, but asked to identify the psychological trauma caused by the use of torture. Russia has not done this.\nOn March 5, 2019, 18 days after the torture, when the traces of burns caused by the stun gun became indistinguishable, Loginov was examined at the Nizhnevartovsk District Clinical Hospital for the presence of diseases that prevent his detention. At the same time, specialists in the field of studying the skin and a psychologist were still not involved in the examination.\nThus, the Russian authorities replaced the requirement to examine Loginov for torture with a medical report on his general state of health. Believers continue to seek an investigation into what happened.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-03-21T21:38:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_2bb747ab688e3ccc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_696303f32266b608.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/681/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_0_hu_5d9f730ee10adda9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/681.html","regions":["france","khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","torture","health-risk","sizo"],"title":"The ECHR lifted the interim measures, but continues to consider the complaint of Surgut residents about torture","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 21, 2019, at least 5 searches were conducted in the homes of local residents believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya (Amur Region). A criminal case has been initiated under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\". 42-year-old Konstantin Moiseenko was involved in the case as a suspect, he was taken on his own recognizance.\nShortly before that, on March 17, 2019, searches in the homes of believers took place in Luchegorsk (Primorsky Territory). Local residents Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev were sent to the pre-trial detention center. They were prosecuted under the article for organizing the activities of an extremist organization on the grounds that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation unreasonably immediately banned 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, including a local religious organization in Luchegorsk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-21T21:35:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/680/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_0_hu_5714af0d470f0912.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/680/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/680/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_0_hu_a4d5176d412b10a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/680/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_0_hu_cd87270a34f44d1d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/680.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"Along China's Border, New Criminal Prosecutions for Faith ","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region), searches were carried out in at least 7 homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been initiated under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\". 61-year-old Vladimir Teterin and 37-year-old Sergey Potylitsyn were involved in the case as suspects. Vladimir Teterin signed a recognizance not to leave.\nThe searches were carried out by FSB investigators P. Yuriev, I. Kozodubov, I. Mironov and others. About 20 conscripts were involved as witnesses. The searches were authorized by the Severodvinsk City Court. Some of the believers were taken to Arkhangelsk, where they were interrogated at the FSB Directorate at 54 Troitsky Prospekt. After interrogations, which lasted until late at night, everyone was released.\nEarlier, on February 18, 2019, 39-year-old Yevgeny Yakku was arrested in Arkhangelsk on a similar charge. Later, the court chose a preventive measure for him in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-21T21:31:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_5c4c9ebd7271043.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_421cc24b5469cb8e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/679/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_0_hu_4afab3bd5e6710d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/679.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Severodvinsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, in the Crimean cities of Yalta and Alupka, at least 6 homes of local followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were attacked by FSB officers. A criminal case was opened against the believers under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\" Several people were detained for questioning. 34-year-old Artem Gerasimov was taken to the republican center - Simferopol.\nDuring the searches, computers and other electronic devices, as well as Bibles, were seized from believers. The case against the believers is being conducted by FSB investigators A. Lavrov and S. Bosiev.\nEarlier, on November 15, 2018, a major operation against believers took place in Dzhankoy (Crimea).\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-20T18:30:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/675/190320_yalta2401_hu_70587dbf24ff2f60.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/675/190320_yalta2401.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/675/190320_yalta2401_hu_94e528d1dff8cdbd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/675/190320_yalta2401_hu_dfdaa9beeacba0d9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/675.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Searches and Arrests for Faith in Crimea ","type":"news"},{"body":"The morning of March 20, 2019, for Jehovah's Witnesses in Magadan began with an invasion of their homes by FSB officers. Searches were carried out in at least 4 houses of believers, but there are suspicions that searches were carried out in another 5 houses, and their residents were taken to the FSB for interrogations. According to law enforcement officers, 9 new criminal cases have been initiated in the city for believing in God.\nDuring the searches, all electronic devices were seized from citizens: tablets, smartphones, laptops, cameras, all memory cards and flash drives, as well as notebooks and other personal belongings. The search in the Solntsev family took place in the presence of their 9-year-old child. Nothing is known about the new arrests.\nEarlier, on May 30, 2018, a criminal case was opened in the city and 4 believers were sent to jail for several months. Now all four are under house arrest.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdate. On April 9, 2019, it became known that 9 criminal cases initiated against 3 men and 6 women were merged by the investigation into one proceeding and attached to the case of Puida and others.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-20T18:28:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/674/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_hu_188976aa29143af0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/674/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/674/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_hu_f31e4dbf1419b25e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/674/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_1_hu_47c3b832d75185b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/674.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors"],"title":"Mass searches of believers in Magadan","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 17, 2019, in the village of Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory), searches were carried out in the homes of citizens whom law enforcement officers consider to be Jehovah's Witnesses. The operation was carried out by FSB officers from Dalnerechensk, which is 80 kilometers away. In some places, searches and interrogations lasted for 7 hours. Two believers, Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, were detained and taken to Dalnerechensk.\nIt is not yet known whether a criminal case has been opened and what is the fate of the detainees.\nThis operation took place against the backdrop of a lawsuit in Luchegorsk: the prosecutor's office is seeking to turn into state ownership the building in which Luchegorsk's Jehovah's Witnesses used to hold their services. The building was sold, the prosecutor's office is trying to invalidate the transaction.\nEarlier in Primorye Krai, four (!) criminal cases had already been initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses for their faith: in Vladivostok (2), Spassk-Dalny and the village of Volno-Nadezhdinsky. Six people were sent to jail, five of them were placed under house arrest. Five more are under recognizance not to leave. 44-year-old Dmitry Barmakin has been in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Primorsky Krai for 235 days.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-19T18:16:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_23458ff72d5d182a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_41be4fdc3329939f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/669/depositphotos_75905113_5_0_hu_3edef06ca7286b3e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/669.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly"],"title":"Searches and Detentions of Jehovah's Witnesses Near the Chinese Border","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 18, 2019, the trial of Jehovah's Witness Sergey Skrynnikov in Oryol proceeded to the stage of debate. Prosecutor Naumova asked for a real prison term for the believer, accused under the article \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" - three years in a general regime colony plus one year of restriction of movement. After the prosecutor's speech, the Railway Court of Orel gave the lawyer the opportunity to speak. The defense insists on the absolute innocence of the 56-year-old believer.\nOn March 28, 2019, at 10:00 a.m., Sergey Skrynnikov will have the last word, after which the court will retire for sentencing. The verdict is expected to be announced in court on April 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.\nThe case of Sergei Skrynnikov is the second case in the city after the well-known case of the Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, whom the same court sentenced to 6 years in prison. The criminal prosecution of these law-abiding Orlov residents is a direct consequence of the liquidation and prohibition of the activities of registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. A number of \"evidence\" in the Skrynnikov case, such as linguistic, religious, and computer expertise, were separated from the Dennis Christensen case.\nSergey Skrynnikov was charged on May 8, 2018, and since then he has been under recognizance not to leave. On the same day, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which not a single object prohibited by law was found. Like Dennis Christensen, Sergey Skrynnikov has never been a member of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Oryol\" and has not participated in its activities.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-03-18T17:30:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/668/dsc_70443440_0_0_hu_4ad5185f24ee53c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/668/dsc_70443440_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/668/dsc_70443440_0_0_hu_9d30e45ef2402719.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/668/dsc_70443440_0_0_hu_e99299ea88ef5ff9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/668.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Prosecutor's office demands 3 years in prison for the second defendant in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in the cities of Nefteyugansk and Pyt-Yakh (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), located near Surgut, searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Aleksandr Nikanorov, 37, a father of a 7-month-old child, was detained in Pyt-Yakh, but he was released after interrogation.\nOn February 15, 2019, mass searches took place in Surgut and Lyantor. On February 17, 2019, the court sentenced three citizens to a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation of an extremist organization\" was initiated against 19 local residents, including women.\nA week earlier, on February 6, 2019, searches were conducted in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov was arrested. After 20 days, the court placed him under house arrest.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-03-18T17:28:40+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/667/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_hu_991140f937d91078.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/667/180603_tomsk_obysk2385.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/667/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_hu_b0fb01ee607b8778.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/667/180603_tomsk_obysk2385_hu_f8ed6b73be5f6cfd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/667.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors"],"title":"Searches in cities near Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 7, 2019, the Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra overturned the decision of the Surgut City Court (first instance) to detain 50-year-old Artur Severinchik. He spent 21 days behind bars. However, it was refused to mitigate the measure of restraint for 42-year-old Yevgeniy Fedin and 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, they still remain in jail.\nEarly in the morning of February 15, 2019, in Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, mass searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured in the buildings of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation in an extremist organization\" was initiated against 20 local residents, including women. On February 16, 2019, believers in Surgut contacted the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture. On February 17, 2019, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for three of them.\nOn February 26, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered the Russian government to urgently send for a medical examination 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdate: Despite the decision of the Court of Appeal, due to the slowness of the document flow, Artur Severinchik remained in the pre-trial detention center until March 15, 2019. He spent 29 days behind bars.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-07T21:36:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_a18ee8820d669744.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_e9b6b28c61c8c2c3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_51431205acb80b2f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/654/190315_severinchik419_hu_593b86c63316c215.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/654.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","complaints"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Released One of the Three Believers in Surgut from the Pre-Trial Detention Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 1, 2019, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturned the conviction of Arkada Hakobyan from Prokhladny. The proceedings were discontinued. The decision takes effect immediately.\nEarlier, the prosecutor asked for 3 years of suspended imprisonment for Arkadi Hakobyan. The Prokhladnensky District Court sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor. In the meantime, an amendment was made to the Criminal Code, according to which Arkadya Hakobyan cannot be prosecuted under the article imputed to him (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nFrom the very beginning, the believer insisted on his complete innocence.\n","category":"victory","date":"2019-03-01T20:26:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_78ef94388b9b8536.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_50d0e7bb90ede467.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/651/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_0_hu_29268ede337583b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/651.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","282.2-1","elderly"],"title":"Arkadi Hakobyan's case has been dismissed, he is considered to have no criminal record","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, Svetlana Chebukina, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, sent 53-year-old Sergey Mysin to jail. The man is accused of \"organizing an extremist organization\" in connection with his religion. His wife Nataliya, as well as 46-year-old Andriy Tabakov, 33-year-old Khoren Khachikyan and 58-year-old Mikhail Zelensky were placed under house arrest.\nThe case against residents of Ulyanovsk, who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was initiated by the local FSB. The believers are accused of \"promoting the popularization of the ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses, promoting the superiority of these ideas over other religious teachings, finding venues for meetings of members of this organization, and directly participating in the events held.\" On February 27, searches were conducted in the apartments.\nSergey Mysin, according to the court order, will be held in SIZO-1 in the Ulyanovsk region until April 23, 2019 inclusive. The man is accused of \"organizing an extremist organization\" in connection with his religion.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-03-01T20:22:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/03/650/depositphotos_21862193_3_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/03/650.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","search"],"title":"In Ulyanovsk, one believer was sent to prison, four were placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 25, 2019, in the city of Kurilsk and the village of Reidovo (Sakhalin Region) on the Kuril Islands, FSB officers searched the homes of two women, Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova. The event was held on the basis of the Decree of the Head of the PU of the FSB of Russia for the Sakhalin Region, Lieutenant-General (!) S. Kudryashov, as well as on the basis of the Resolution of the Judge of the Sakhalin Regional (!) Court V. Malevanny.\nAlthough the operational-search event was formally called \"Inspection of premises\", computers, hard drives, cell phones, flash drives, and other personal belongings were seized from women. As far as is known, no criminal proceedings have been initiated and no women are suspects or accused. The reason for the seizure of things was not explained to them. As a result, the women were left without means of communication on an isolated island.\nAbout 1,600 people live in Kurilsk, about 1,000 people live in the village of Reidovo.\nLaw enforcement officers across the country continue to interpret citizens' normal religious activities as \"extremist activity.\" Meanwhile, the Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts banning the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-28T16:03:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/642/lori-0003999013-bigwww-crop_hu_45fb62a08b1fd4b0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/642/lori-0003999013-bigwww-crop_hu_dffeab397025f1f1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/642/lori-0003999013-bigwww-crop_hu_9e4cbcbe437410b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/642/lori-0003999013-bigwww-crop_hu_662540192dcec1b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/642.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Kuril Islands","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 27, 2019, at least four apartments of local residents suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Ulyanovsk. A number of citizens were detained and taken for interrogation to the local department of the FSB. Five citizens were detained for 48 hours to choose a measure of restraint for them.\nSergey Mysin, 53, and his wife Natalia (the couple have a daughter), Andrey Tabakov, 46, Khoren Khachikyan, 33, and Mikhail Zelensky, 58, were detained.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-28T15:05:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/641/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_1_hu_ef9922f011dd685f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/641/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/641/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_1_hu_9ee4384f48cdbbd9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/641/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_1_hu_a56c2aa557bee22e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/641.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","families"],"title":"Searches and detentions of 5 believers in Ulyanovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 26, 2019, the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court (court of first instance) rejected the request of the Investigative Committee of Russia to detain 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov and ordered his immediate release. Earlier, on February 8, the court sent him to 55 days in custody, but later the court of appeal reduced the period of his detention and returned his case for a new trial. The decision on house arrest was made by the new composition of the court.\nIt is noteworthy that Andrey Sazonov will be under house arrest at his home in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), and not in Khanty-Mansiysk, where the investigative body is located. The distance between the cities is more than 400 kilometers.\nAndrew arrived home the same day at 2 a.m. The next morning, a bracelet was put on his leg.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-27T19:53:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_616cceef17c4e75c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_1142d5f6876380fa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/637/190208_sazonov285_0_hu_3bc78bf85ce49750.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/637.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"title":"A believer from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 25, 2019, Andrey Babushkin, head of the standing commission on assistance to the Public Monitoring Commission, penitentiary system reform and crime prevention, as well as a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, demanded to stop the criminal activities of the security forces responsible for torturing Jehovah's Witnesses detained in Surgut. His appeal was addressed to the Prosecutor General, the head of the Investigative Committee, as well as the chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.\nIn his statement, the human rights activist described what happened to the detained believers in the dungeons of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. Andrei Babushkin demanded that a criminal case be opened against the security forces for abuse of office and organization of a criminal community (Articles 286.3 and 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and \"to choose a preventive measure against them that excludes their criminal activity.\"\nIn addition, Andrey Babushkin asked the PMC officers to visit Sergey Loginov in the pre-trial detention center and interview him about torture.\nEarly in the morning of February 15, 2019, in Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, mass searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured in the buildings of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Surgut. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation of an extremist organization\" was initiated against 20 local residents, including women. On February 16, 2019, believers in Surgut contacted the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture. On February 17, 2019, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for three of them.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-27T17:27:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_d5e9011b84d6367d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_80d94d8749bd8711.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/636/lori-0000576000-bigwww-crop_hu_c501025a7ef12e60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/636.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","presidential-council","human-right-organizations","sizo"],"title":"Demand to investigate allegations of torture in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 26, 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered the Russian government to urgently send for a medical examination 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, one of 7 Surgut residents who reported torture in the building of the Investigative Committee. Sergey Loginov is the only one of these seven who is in custody.\nAccording to the order of the Strasbourg court, the Russian government must send Sergey Loginov for examination to a medical institution independent of the Investigative Committee and the penitentiary authorities by March 20, 2019, in order to examine his physical and psychological condition, as well as the harm allegedly caused to him by torture on February 15 and 16, 2019. Doctors must determine whether he needs treatment and whether his condition is compatible with his further stay behind bars. By March 11, 2019, opinions prepared by independent doctors must be submitted to the European Court.\nThe complaint \"Loginov and Others v. Russia\" was prepared and submitted to the European Court in a short time, it was assigned the number 10618/19.\nThree believers, Sergey Loginov, Yevgeny Fedin and Artur Severinchik, were sent to jail in connection with this case. They are in a pre-trial detention center in Nizhnevartovsk (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area). There were no reports that Yevgeny Fedin and Artur Severinchik were tortured. Earlier in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), mass searches and detentions of citizens suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses took place. At least 7 people reported that they were beaten and tortured during interrogations in the building of the Investigative Committee. In total, 20 local residents, including a woman, became defendants in this case. On February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia received an appeal with a request to take action in connection with reports of torture of Sergey Loginov.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization, referring to a court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-27T15:28:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_82e791bf0fd8da90.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_f16ebbeb9e25bc63.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_5b7f1ed8f664732f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/627/image_hu_e58b44e875621a60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/627.html","regions":["khanty-mansi","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","torture","complaints","sizo","review"],"title":"ECHR imposed interim measures on a complaint of torture in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/638.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["echr","torture"],"title":"Imposition of interim measures by the Strasbourg Court on the complaint \"Loginov and Others v. Russia\"","type":"docs"},{"body":"On February 20, 2019, an application was filed with the Office of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra to disqualify the investigation team due to sufficient grounds to believe that the head of the investigation department for the city of Surgut Ermolaev V.V., investigators Tkach S.V., Adiyatullin A.F., Gaisin S.S., Bogoderov S.A., Asmolov D.L. and other representatives of law enforcement agencies tortured detained Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAs previously reported, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to electric shocks, strangulation and beatings in the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut. By torture, believers were forced to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nOn February 15 and 16, 2019, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured — electric shocks, strangulation.\nOn February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) received an appeal with a request to take measures to the investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Asmolov in connection with reports of torture taking place on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia on Ostrovsky Street, 47, in Surgut in between his interrogations. After the hotline received a message about the torture of 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, he was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and under torture forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home. It is not known what is now in the pre-trial detention center with him, as well as with two other arrested - 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin and 52-year-old Artur Severinchik.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-20T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_eafea3695fa9e91d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_df959481e97e0a27.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/626/190220_zayavlenie_ob_otvode_sledstvennoy_gruppy4621_hu_91459caa315c51aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/626.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","complaints","sizo","torture-conditions"],"title":"Disqualification of the Investigation Team in Surgut in Connection with Allegations of Torture","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2019, the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) received an appeal with a request to take measures to the investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Leonidovich Asmolov in connection with reports of torture occurring on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia on Ostrovsky Street, 47, in Surgut in between his interrogations.\nOn February 15 and 16, 2019, at least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were tortured — electric shocks, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and sophisticated beatings. After the torture, the investigators forced them to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nAccording to believers, torture was used in between interrogations conducted by the following investigators: investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee for the city of Surgut of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Tkach Stepan Vladimirovich, investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Asmolov Dmitry Leonidovich, investigator Bogodelov Sergey Alekseevich. After the torture, the investigators helped the believers to come to their senses, offered water, paper handkerchiefs and gently reproached the believers for bringing themselves to \"trouble\" with their taciturnity.\nThose of the believers who were released recorded bodily injuries and appealed to the supervisory authorities, including the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, outlining the circumstances of the incident.\nAfter the hotline received a message about the torture of 57-year-old Sergey Loginov, he was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and under torture forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home. It is not known what is now in the pre-trial detention center with him, as well as with two other arrested - 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin and 52-year-old Artur Severinchik.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-20T15:36:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_ff17023a73f28f8f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_b163a81166b9a189.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_6f52431d4b183f94.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/624/lori-0002534797-bigwww-crop_hu_b0fea021f92a5c0c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/624.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","torture","interrogation","sizo"],"title":"Believers in Surgut appealed to the hotline of the TFR on the fact of torture","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 17, 2019, the Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra chose 42-year-old Yevgeny Fedin, 57-year-old Sergey Loginov and 50-year-old Artur Severinchik as a preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case under the article \"organization and participation of an extremist organization\" was initiated against 19 local residents, including women.\nOn February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers with electric shocks, strangulation and beatings, which took place on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut.\nSergey Loginov, 57, was tortured, among others. On Saturday, February 16, 2019, his friends contacted the hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to take action against the investigator of the Surgut department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Leonidovich Asmolov in connection with incoming reports of torture. After contacting the hotline, Sergey Loginov was immediately released, but after that he was again detained and, under torture, forced to write an explanation that no one had tortured him. After that, he was not allowed to go home.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization, referring to a court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-20T15:32:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_e4cc14d2169bc51c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_6e8eef7dc4a96af6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/623/depositphotos_18573119_0_1_hu_eb738af7a5a4a71f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/623.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","torture","complaints"],"title":"Three Believers Thrown Into Prison in Surgut After Torture","type":"news"},{"body":"\n","date":"2019-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/625.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["torture"],"title":"Application for the disqualification of the investigation team in Surgut","type":"docs"},{"body":"At least 7 peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses were subjected to electric shocks, strangulation to the point of unconsciousness, and sophisticated beatings. The torture was carried out on the first floor of the building of the Investigative Committee of Russia at 47 Ostrovsky Street in Surgut. By torture, believers were forced to answer the questions: \"Where do the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses take place? Who comes to the meetings? What are the names of the elders? What's the password on your phone?\"\nOn the morning of February 15, 2019, mass searches began in the homes of believers in Surgut, after which they were taken to the building of the Investigative Committee. During interrogation, they refused to incriminate themselves and their fellow believers. After the lawyer on duty left, they were tied with tape behind their backs and beaten, stripped naked, doused with water and used a stun gun. The torture continued for several hours.\nAt least three believers remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case was opened against 19 local residents for the so-called \"organization of an extremist organization.\"\nThose of the believers who were released recorded bodily injuries and appealed to the supervisory authorities, outlining the circumstances of the incident.\nBelievers will seek a thorough investigation of the sadistic treatment, the identification of the organizers and participants of the torture conveyor. Torture, cruel or degrading treatment is a criminal offence. The Russian Federation is a signatory to the UN Convention against Torture and Inhuman Treatment.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-19T23:27:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_346cc6b3f86ce8c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_2e5c529cd97a2ade.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_d5d375bd9f22cb6d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/622/lori-0005433418-bigwww-crop_hu_354c8aea0e6d5030.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/622.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["torture","interrogation","sizo","complaints"],"title":"Torture of Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of February 18, 2019, unidentified law enforcement officers invaded the house of 39-year-old Arkhangelsk resident Yevgeny Yakku. After the search, he was taken away in an unknown direction and did not return home. Friends managed to find out that on February 19, 2019, a meeting was scheduled for February 19, 2019 in the Lomonosov District Court of Arkhangelsk to elect a preventive measure.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdated: On February 19, 2019, Yevgeny Sharapov, judge of the Lomonosov District Court of Arkhangelsk, imposed a ban on Yevgeniy Yakku from leaving his home at night, holding \"meetings and gatherings\" at home, using the Internet, telephone, mail, and communicating with participants in the criminal proceedings.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-19T20:50:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/621/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_0_hu_1debe313749f77fb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/621/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/621/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_0_hu_4af2bae7720d2a5f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/621/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_0_hu_c43e9deb960534b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/621.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","prohibition-of-actions"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses Detained in Arkhangelsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 8, 2019, the board of the International Historical, Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society Memorial issued a statement demanding the immediate release of Dennis Christensen and the rest of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses.\nRecalling the decision of the Supreme Court to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an extremist organization, human rights activists stressed: \"This shameful and anti-legal decision has put Russia among the countries with the most odious regimes. Jehovah's Witnesses were brutally persecuted in Hitler's Germany. In all democratic countries, Jehovah's Witnesses operate freely. [...] The six years that Christensen received for exercising his constitutional right to freedom of religion are quite comparable to the terms that Jehovah's Witnesses received under the Soviet regime.\nHuman rights activists again drew attention to the incompatibility of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses with common sense: \"It is absurd when Jehovah's Witnesses convicted under the Soviet regime (Memorial knows many hundreds of such ruined destinies) are recognized as victims of political repression in accordance with the Federal Law on Rehabilitation (1991) - and at the same time sent to prison current followers of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nSummarizing the above, International Memorial stated: \"This verdict once again confirms the flawedness of Russia's 'anti-extremist' legislation, which makes it possible to enroll almost everyone as extremists. We demand the lifting of the unconstitutional ban on Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-15T20:15:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/620/kristensen_web5841_3_0_hu_386a4ff49f328df7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/620/kristensen_web5841_3_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/620/kristensen_web5841_3_0_hu_4825278593b675b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/620/kristensen_web5841_3_0_hu_51248a6f399e4612.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/620.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["international-community","international","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"International Memorial defends Dennis Christensen ","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of February 15, 2019, in Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, mass searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to incomplete data, 15 people were detained and taken to the investigating authorities.\nIt is not known whether the raids are related to the investigation of the criminal case in Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), in which the 38-year-old father of two children, Andrei Sazonov, has already been sent to jail . The case was opened there by the Investigative Committee of Russia for imaginary organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Searches of believers, numbering in the hundreds, turn the lives of innocent people into a nightmare, undermine their health, cause deep emotional trauma and cast a shadow on their reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and others.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Federation, as well as international organizations - the European Union External Action Service, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-15T15:35:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/616/police-034407_0_2_1_hu_b3a75d6446bf5b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/616/police-034407_0_2_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/616/police-034407_0_2_1_hu_9c2c1347edee10ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/616/police-034407_0_2_1_hu_cec6f3ae74f8e0a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/616.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation"],"title":"Large-scale operation against Jehovah's Witnesses in Surgut","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 8, 2019, Arkady Koba, a judge of the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court, ordered Andrey Sazonov, a 38-year-old husband and father believed to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, to be sent to a pre-trial detention center. A few days earlier, on January 31, 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against him and other residents of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nEarlier, on February 6, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-14T17:11:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/615/190208_sazonov285_hu_e8d90c04feb7708c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/615/190208_sazonov285.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/615/190208_sazonov285_hu_8153604e5632f8b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/615/190208_sazonov285_hu_7644750ad6b1879f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/615.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"In the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, the court sent the believer under arrest for 55 days","type":"news"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic has scheduled for March 1, 2019 the consideration of appeals against the sentence handed down to a 70-year-old Jehovah's Witness from Prokhladny. On December 27, 2018, the district court found Arkadya Hakobyan guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor.\nThree appeals were filed from Arkadi Hakobyan himself, as well as from his lawyers, asking for the cancellation of the verdict and full acquittal. There is no real evidence of Hakobyan's guilt in the case, so the verdict was appealed. In the past, all attempts to charge individual Jehovah's Witnesses under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were unsuccessful.\nIn addition, a request was submitted by the prosecutor with a request to cancel the sentence and terminate the proceedings in connection with the decriminalization of the criminal article.\nThe appeal hearing in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic will be held on March 1, 2019 at the address: Nalchik, st. Pacheva, 12.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-02-14T17:00:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_ebf358a1894dd600.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_61e31a015a6e0439.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/614/akopyan4501_1_0_hu_5b30c12b309343b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/614.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"title":"Announcement: appeal in the case of Arkadi Hakobyan in Kabardino-Balkaria","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 7, 2019, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a statement calling on Russia to drop all charges against Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\"Christensen's harsh sentence sets a dangerous precedent, criminalizing the right to freedom of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia ... We urge the Government of Russia to revise the Law on Countering Extremist Activity in order to clarify the vague and open-ended definition of extremist activity and to ensure that the definition requires an element of violence and hostility. We also call on the authorities to drop charges against and release all those detained for exercising their rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly and association.\"\nPreviously, the problem was pointed out by various UN agencies, including the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, which called on Russia to abolish the List of Extremist Materials.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-13T21:00:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/613/image1170x530cropped_hu_2cdaf187f8dd0875.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/613/image1170x530cropped.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/613/image1170x530cropped_hu_183c361fbe336aad.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/613/image1170x530cropped_hu_136448f2e1471a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/613.html","regions":["usa"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","expert-conclusions","expert-comments","international"],"title":"UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the sentencing of Dennis Christensen","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 7, 2019, observers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expressed serious concern about the verdict against Dennis Christensen. They stated: \"The accusation and imprisonment of Christensen only for confessing his faith is an unacceptable violation of the right to freedom of religion.\"\n\"The speakers expressed the hope that Christensen's conviction would be overturned by the decision of the Court of Appeal and called on the Russian authorities to release him while the appeal is pending.\"\nThe observers recalled that the European Court of Human Rights had previously defended the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to conduct religious activities without interference from the Russian authorities. In addition, PACE itself has previously expressed concern about the abuse of the law on countering extremism by the Russian authorities. Thus, on April 21, 2017, PACE issued a statement stating, among other things: \"The recent decision of the Supreme Court to declare the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation an extremist organization and to close it and 395 local religious organizations of the Witnesses raises serious concerns about religious freedom in Russia, and also serves as another example of how anti-extremist legislation is used to suppress freedom of expression opinions and peaceful assemblies\" (source).\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-13T20:44:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/612/plenary_chamber_of_the_council_of_europes_palace_of_europe_2014_01_hu_265297661933db31.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/612/plenary_chamber_of_the_council_of_europes_palace_of_europe_2014_01.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/612/plenary_chamber_of_the_council_of_europes_palace_of_europe_2014_01_hu_2cd57d2673c409d8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/612/plenary_chamber_of_the_council_of_europes_palace_of_europe_2014_01_hu_511d07dc4b5e81bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/612.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","pace","echr","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"PACE observers called for Christensen's release without waiting for an appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2019, Dennis Christensen, a resident of Orlov, was sentenced to 6 years in prison on the grounds that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Orel\", like hundreds of other organizations of this religion, considering that it was engaged in extremist activities. Jehovah's Witnesses consider 1) Christensen's conviction, (2) the Supreme Court's decision to liquidate religious organizations, and (3) the entire decision to recognize Jehovah's Witnesses' Christian books as \"extremist materials\" to be unfounded and unjust. Why?\nWhy is Christensen's conviction unjust? Because it contradicts the Russian government's own legal position presented to the ECHR: \"The authorities of the Russian Federation emphasize that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of July 17, 2017 do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually.\" The Russian government's explanation at the UN Human Rights Committee reads as follows: \"The decision [of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation] does not restrict the right of citizens to freedom of religion. Members of the liquidated organization have the opportunity to practice their beliefs independently, provided that they do not distribute literature with extremist content or otherwise participate in illegal activities.\" The court's mistake lies in the fact that the court interpreted the ordinary, lawful activities of Dennis Christensen as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nWhy are the decisions of the Supreme Court on the liquidation of religious organizations unjust? Because they are based on falsified \"evidence\" that the Supreme Court took on faith. In 2015-2016, there was an epidemic of similar planting of prohibited materials in the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses and subsequent discoveries in the regions of Russia, which was often recorded on surveillance cameras. Lower-level courts dismissed protests from believers and imposed fines on communities, but later the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation gave those decisions prejudicial force and formally liquidated all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. This led to the seizure of hundreds of worship buildings worth over 6 billion rubles from believers, as well as to criminal cases and imprisonment of dozens of people.\nWhy are court decisions to recognize the Christian books of Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist materials\" unjust? Since 2009, books have been included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) for the most innocuous statements, for example: \"People worship many things. But the Bible says that there is only one true God. Not all beliefs and customs are bad. But God does not approve of those that come from false religion and contradict biblical teachings.\" The reason for the ridiculous decisions is the vague definitions of \"extremism\" in the law and the obvious incompetence or bias of the judges, who considered \"extremism\" the belief of Jehovah's Witnesses in the truth of their religious choice.\n\"The inclusion of books of Jehovah's Witnesses in the FSEM is the only reason for accusations of extremism brought against our fellow believers in Russia,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. - The Supreme Court of Russia was able to distinguish the wheat from the chaff in a timely manner, but did not do so. This has caused irreparable suffering to thousands of people whose entire fault is their faith. They hope that the Russian authorities will find the courage to correct mistakes and restore the rights of innocent people.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2019-02-13T15:07:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/611/17069_0_hu_e8104f391b2e2036.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/611/17069_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/611/17069_0_hu_7379a4c66a88617b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/611/17069_0_hu_895c022321695ad7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/611.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","echr","review","fsem","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses consider court decisions against them to be unlawed","type":"news"},{"body":"After 120 days of confinement in their own homes, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov can return to a relatively normal life. On February 7, 2019, the Polyarny District Court (Murmansk Region) refused to extend the investigator's house arrest.\nBelievers and their families have become victims of criminal prosecution for their faith. In April and November 2018, searches were carried out in the cities of Polyarny in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were sent to a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 176 days each. Both were later placed under house arrest.\nThe investigation of their case continues, they have been taken on their own recognizance.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-02-13T13:56:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/610/markov-trofimov6032_0_hu_16463d18ca94b6ba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/610/markov-trofimov6032_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/610/markov-trofimov6032_0_hu_3e1de9c1ec286c58.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/610/markov-trofimov6032_0_hu_32e4911e6b019e24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/610.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"title":"In the Murmansk region, 2 believers were released from house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2019, 43-year-old Alexei Berchuk was detained while passing through passport control at the Moscow airport. The next day, he was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, and was forced to cancel his plans and, together with the senior investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, go to Blagoveshchensk, where his case is being investigated. He signed a recognizance not to leave.\nBefore the arrival of the FSB investigator from Blagoveshchensk, Aleksey Berchuk was in custody for 2 days. It turned out that on June 22, 2018, a criminal case was opened against him in the Amur Region, according to which on July 20, 2018, in Blagoveshchensk, searches were carried out in at least 5 homes of citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses. Another resident of Blagoveshchensk, 31-year-old Dmitry Golik, was also involved as a defendant in a similar case. He is charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-02-08T13:40:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/599/berchuk_7285_hu_f4112e29b23381b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/599/berchuk_7285.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/599/berchuk_7285_hu_1f646007fe165640.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/599/berchuk_7285_hu_70595c283f841371.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/599.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-1","ivs","search","recognizance-agreement","new-case"],"title":"The believer was detained in Moscow and forced to leave for the Amur region","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 8, 2019, Moscow will host a press conference \"The verdict in the case of Dennis Christensen. Implications for freedom of conscience in Russia\".\nThe press conference will be attended by well-known human rights defenders, Dennis Christensen's wife, his lawyer, as well as a representative of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe event will be held at the Press Center of the Rosbalt News Agency at the address: Moscow, Skatertny per., 4/2, p. 1. The press center organizes a live video broadcast of the conference. It will begin on February 8, 2019 at 12:00 p.m.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-07T21:48:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/597/adobestock_79103334__hu_eb34277bead45a80.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/597/adobestock_79103334_.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/597/adobestock_79103334__hu_1d4972b4faf39b14.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/597/adobestock_79103334__hu_5854828283af862c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/597.html","regions":["moscow","oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations"],"title":"Announcement: Christensen press conference ","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2019, FSB officers detained 35-year-old Hasan Kogut, a resident of the city of Berezovsky (Kemerovo region). The issue of choosing a preventive measure for him is being decided.\nEarlier, in July 2018, searches were carried out in the city in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin, who have been in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kemerovo region for more than 200 days, were arrested.\nAs it turned out, Hasan Kogut and his wife arrived at the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region on a call from an investigator who promised to give his laptop, seized during the July searches. Upon arrival, he was detained.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-07T20:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/598/depositphotos_6406965_0_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/598/depositphotos_6406965_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/598/depositphotos_6406965_0_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/598/depositphotos_6406965_0_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/598.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs"],"title":"Kemerovo FSB detained the third believer in the region","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2019, in the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), searches were conducted in 8 houses of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 38-year-old Andrey Sazonov was arrested, the court must choose a measure of restraint for him within 2 days.\nRecently, believers have noticed surveillance of themselves from cars with tinted windows, so they were even forced to file a complaint with the police on the helpline.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-07T16:23:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/596/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_hu_8840cec15fee8f3d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/596/depositphotos_21862193_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/596/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_hu_62802ad46aa503fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/596/depositphotos_21862193_2_0_hu_2848070554300b5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/596.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs"],"title":"Searches and detention of believers in Ugra","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 6, 2019, starting at 6:00 a.m., in the capital of Mordovia, FSB officers conducted at least 20 searches in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Vladimir Atryakhin, husband and father of two young children, was detained. The issue of the measure of restraint should be decided on February 8.\nA total of 8 people were detained, according to preliminary information, most of them were released after interrogation. Believers report that police officers initially behaved rudely, but since the believers remained unfailingly friendly, they even recommended that believers eat before being detained, knowing that the detention procedure could be delayed.\nIt is known that a criminal case has been initiated, but it is not yet known under what article and against whom. The search warrant was issued the day before by the Leninsky District Court of Saransk. Additional circumstances are being investigated.\nDespite concerns about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, human rights defenders, the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia and the President himself, repressions against believers have recently intensified. Recently, a guilty verdict was passed on a Danish citizen, Dennis Christensen, just for professing his faith.\nUpdate. Together with Atryakhin, Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgiy Nikulin, a total of 3 people, were detained and sent to the pre-trial detention center. According to updated data, searches were carried out in 9 families.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-02-07T16:19:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/595/police-034407_0_2_0_hu_b3a75d6446bf5b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/595/police-034407_0_2_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/595/police-034407_0_2_0_hu_9c2c1347edee10ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/595/police-034407_0_2_0_hu_cec6f3ae74f8e0a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/595.html","regions":["mordovia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors","interrogation","new-case"],"title":"Searches of believers in Saransk. Father of young children detained","type":"news"},{"body":"A few hours after the verdict was announced to Dennis Christensen, the European Union's foreign policy service issued a statement in connection with the verdict.\n\"Today, a Russian court in Oryol sentenced Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, to 6 years in prison. He was accused of \"organizing extremist activities,\" essentially exercising his right to freedom of religion as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. A number of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses are next in line,\" the statement said, summing up: \"No one should be imprisoned for peacefully observing the precepts of their religion. The European Union believes that Mr. Christensen should be released immediately and unconditionally.\"\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-02-07T12:51:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/594/9815182515_2597e06d7a_o_hu_9c4c75832eb1028.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/594/9815182515_2597e06d7a_o.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/594/9815182515_2597e06d7a_o_hu_3beb962ec53c346d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/594/9815182515_2597e06d7a_o_hu_ea517c541ecabd89.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/594.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu"],"title":"EU statement: \"Release immediately and unconditionally\"","type":"news"},{"body":"See the full infographic On February 6, 2019, Dennis Christensen was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison to be served in a general regime colony. The decision did not come into force.\nThe verdict was handed down by Judge Alexei Rudnev, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. Lawyers consider this verdict unjust and are preparing an appeal. Meanwhile, Dennis Christensen will be in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region, where he has already spent 622 days. Letters of support can be sent to him.\nYaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses commented on the verdict: \"The verdict is only very regrettable. A man who had not committed any crime was convicted. It is sad that in Russia it has again become a crime to read the Bible, keep its commandments and talk about one's faith with other people.\"\n","category":"verdict","date":"2019-02-06T12:35:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_40ee7c9191d517cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_4ce0c18443880e77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/593/kristensen_web5841_3_hu_ab603dc7ddfedb4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/593.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen found guilty, sentence to be appealed","type":"news"},{"body":"What did Dennis Christensen say in his last statement to the defendant? The full transcript of his address, which he made in the Railway Court of Orel on January 30, 2019, is published.\nEarlier, at the stage of the judicial investigation, Dennis Christensen presented his explanations to the court. The text of his speech in the debate, as well as the speech in the debate of his lawyer, Anton Bogdanov, has also been published.\nThe court will announce its verdict on February 6, 2019 at 11 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-02-01T22:40:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/02/590/img_39777023_0_hu_a104f5e93e51e44c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/02/590/img_39777023_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/02/590/img_39777023_0_hu_bbe6861be0561514.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/02/590/img_39777023_0_hu_a3d8d415c4c7bedd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/02/590.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"The full text of Dennis Christensen's last word is published","type":"news"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen's address in the debate on January 30, 2019.\n","date":"2019-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/591.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's intervention in the debate","type":"docs"},{"body":"Full transcript of Christensen's address, January 30, 2019.\n","date":"2019-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/592.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"title":"Dennis Christensen's Last Word","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 30, 2019, the hearing of arguments in the case of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen concluded in Oryol. Judge Alexei Rudnev announced that the verdict would be announced in court on February 6, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.\nThe defense asked to fully acquit the believer, while the prosecution demands that he be sent to a colony for 6 and a half years.\nAddress of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel: st. Maxim Gorky, 45-a.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-30T16:16:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/589/17069_hu_f40f03959bc87dd8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/589/17069_hu_f6b5059848d9248a.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/589/17069_hu_4d45dd8bff881b17.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/589/17069_hu_2e1805366d038ebc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/589.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"Announcement: the verdict for the believer in Oryol will be announced on February 6","type":"news"},{"body":"The hearing in the case of Danish believer Dennis Christensen began in the Oryol District Court on January 23, 2019. On this day, representatives of the prosecution, as well as one of the lawyers of the believer, Anton Bogdanov, spoke. Lawyer Irina Krasnikova gave her defense speech on January 30, 2019.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-30T16:04:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/588/img_72364612_0_hu_4521b07b2699365a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/588/img_72364612_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/588/img_72364612_0_hu_3726d980d7992d2d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/588/img_72364612_0_hu_1d35a5b7bfd99a75.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/588.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["courtroom","first-instance"],"title":"The full text of the speech of the lawyer defending Christensen in Oryol is published","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 23, 2019, lawyer Anton Bogdanov, who defends Dennis Christensen in Orel, spoke in the debate.\n","date":"2019-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/587.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"Speech by lawyer Anton Bogdanov defending Dennis Christensen","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 29, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court changed the decision of the court of first instance to detain 50-year-old Stanislav Kim. He will be placed under house arrest. Another believer, Valery Moskalenko, remains in the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center.\nStanislav Kim spent at least 81 days in the pre-trial detention center. Thus, none of the accused in the case of Polevodov and others is in prison. This case is being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nThe accused in the second similar case in Khabarovsk, Valery Moskalenko, has been behind bars for six months. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, his case is being investigated by the FSB.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nUpdated 2019-01-30: Stanislav Kim left the pre-trial detention center after 82 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-29T16:43:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_1c665d8a1fd8af92.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_a2f3bf09a69c2e50.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/586/190130_habarovsk_kim7067_hu_5ad1842e103dc4f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/586.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, a third believer leaves the pre-trial detention center, another one remains","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 28, 2019, Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, sent 32-year-old Yevgeny Spirin to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months only for his faith in God. A. Dmitriev, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Ivanovo region, and A. Tsitskeev, assistant prosecutor of the Oktyabrsky district of the city of Ivanovo, petitioned the court for his detention.\nIt is known that the case against Yevgeny Spirin was initiated on January 21, 2019 by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev.\nOn January 27, 2019, Yevgeny Spirin, a resident of Furmanov (Ivanovo region), was detained by FSB officers. On this day, the FSB conducted searches in the city in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeniy Spirin was brought to the criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) as an accused. Investigators charge Yevgeniy Spirin with \"committing actions aimed at the resumption and continuation of the illegal activities of the said religious organization [\"structural unit of the religious organization\" Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia \"], namely, he convened and held meetings of this organization, carried out religious conversations with residents of the Ivanovo region in order to promote it.\nThis is the second criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. The first case in Shuya was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ivanovo Region against Dmitry Mikhailov, his wife Yelena and 3 other people under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1). Dmitry Mikhailov spent 171 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region, then was released on his own recognizance.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-29T16:41:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/585/depositphotos_21862193_2_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/585.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-1","search"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, a believer was sent to jail for 2 months ","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 27, 2019, Yevgeny Spirin, a 32-year-old resident of Furmanov (Ivanovo region), was detained by FSB officers. On this day, the FSB conducted searches in the city in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeniy Spirin was brought to the criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) as an accused. Information on the number of detainees and the number of searches is being specified.\nIt is known that the case was initiated on January 21, 2019 by the investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region, A. Dmitriev, allegedly for the resumption and continuation of the illegal activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThis is the second criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Ivanovo region. The first case in Shuya was initiated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ivanovo Region against Dmitry Mikhailov, his wife Yelena and 3 other people under Articles 282.2 (2) and 282.3 (1). Dmitry Mikhailov spent 171 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region, then was released on his own recognizance.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-01-28T15:37:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/584/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_hu_f13bf151c2842b16.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/584/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/584/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_hu_97082e715053af9d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/584/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_0_hu_6703762e7e2dca17.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/584.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, a new criminal case for faith and detention","type":"news"},{"body":"The hearing of arguments in court in the case of Danish believer Dennis Christensen will continue in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. After that, the court is likely to retire to the deliberation room for a few days.\nEarlier, speaking in the debate on January 23, 2019, the prosecutor requested from the court a real term for Dennis Christensen — 6 and a half years in prison just for his faith in Jehovah.\nAddress of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel: st. Maxim Gorky, 45-a.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-27T18:19:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/583/kristensen_web5841_2_hu_40ee7c9191d517cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/583/kristensen_web5841_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/583/kristensen_web5841_2_hu_4ce0c18443880e77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/583/kristensen_web5841_2_hu_ab603dc7ddfedb4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/583.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"In Oryol, the date for the continuation of the debate has shifted to January 30, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 24, 2019, a \"Joint Statement on Religious Freedom in Russia\" was published in defense of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses, prepared by 36 organizations from 18 countries. Human rights activists call on the Russian government to immediately and unconditionally release all imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses and drop the charge of extremism against them.\nAs noted in the statement, in addition to criminal prosecution, believers are subjected to armed searches, disruption of worship services, dismissals, and denial of the right to alternative service. In addition, the state seizes the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Separately, the statement refers to the detained foreigners - Dennis Christensen and Andrzej Oniszczuk.\nThe joint statement was prepared under the auspices of the Civic Solidarity Platform and signed by non-governmental organizations in Armenia, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Georgia, Germany, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States. Among the Russian organizations that signed the statement are the SOVA Information and Analytical Center and the Memorial Society.\nEarlier, prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of Russia spoke about the massive violation of the rights of believers in a joint appeal.\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-01-25T17:59:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/579/kirov-017052_hu_2a68c10b69a16aa0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/579/kirov-017052.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/579/kirov-017052_hu_a4a519f66099ecc4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/579/kirov-017052_hu_f03714e1669e58d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/579.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-right-organizations","international"],"title":"Joint Statement of 36 Public Organizations in Defense of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 22, 2019, spouses Sergey and Valeria Rayman were finally allowed to live together, use communications and remove the electronic tracking bracelet from their leg. The court refused to extend the investigator's preventive measure in the form of a ban on leaving the house at night, using the Internet, telephone, mail and communicating with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\" However, the criminal case has not been dismissed, the spouses still face up to 10 years in prison. The spouses are under recognizance not to leave.\nSergey Rayman spent 59 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kostroma region, 30 days under house arrest and another 90 days under the ban on certain actions. Valeria Rayman spent 2 days in custody and another 179 days under the ban on certain actions. All this time, it was impossible for the spouses to lead a full life, even to communicate with each other.\nThe criminal case against the Rayman spouses was initiated under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in their house four times to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. On July 25, 2018, in Kostroma, the forces of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the Center for Counteracting Extremism and the National Guard conducted searches in the homes of citizens who, according to the investigation, profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Raimans' apartment was stormed with scrap.\nLaw enforcers mistakenly mistake citizens' religion for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, as well as the President of the Russian Federation himself drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence. The Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-25T17:02:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/580/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_0_hu_bbb07adebb39b848.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/580/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/580/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_0_hu_a938606dca77baec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/580/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_0_hu_824ec12307134ea7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/580.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["recognizance-agreement","families"],"title":"In Kostroma, the measure of restraint for young spouses has been softened","type":"news"},{"body":"See the full infographic The debate began on 23 January 2019. The prosecutor requested from the court a real sentence for Dennis Christensen - 6 and a half years in prison just for his faith in Jehovah.\nThe debate will continue on Monday, January 28, 2019 at 11:30 a.m., with a speech by lawyers. After that, Dennis Christensen will make his final statement and the court will retire for sentencing.\nThe address of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel: st. M. Gorky, 45-a.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-23T20:07:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/578/kristensen_web5841_1_0_hu_386a4ff49f328df7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/578/kristensen_web5841_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/578/kristensen_web5841_1_0_hu_4825278593b675b5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/578/kristensen_web5841_1_0_hu_51248a6f399e4612.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/578.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Orel, the debate on the case of the Danish believer will continue on Monday, January 28","type":"news"},{"body":"See the full infographic On January 23, 2019, in the Railway Court of Oryol, the representative of the Prosecutor's Office of the Oryol Region, Ivan Fomin, speaking in the debate, asked the court to sentence Dennis Christensen to 6 and a half years in a general regime colony.\nLawyers take the floor in the debate. Dennis Christensen will then have the final say and the court will retire to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-23T12:56:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/577/img_46657047_hu_8ec19065bf7ba426.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/577/img_46657047.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/577/img_46657047_hu_96d10676ca59a30a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/577/img_46657047_hu_8f0d2b6c81e080f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/577.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","liberty-deprivation"],"title":"In Oryol, the prosecution requested 6 and a half years in a general regime colony for a Danish believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 20, 2019, at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Nevelsk, as well as in the village of Nogliki. This is the first action of this kind after President Putin expressed dissatisfaction with the persecution of believers of this religion and promised to deal with it. The events began on Sunday morning at 11:10 in the village of Nogliki (Sakhalin region). Armed FSB officers stormed the apartment of Alexander Ryndin, where guests had gathered at home. The 47-year-old owner was punched in the face and knocked to the floor. The search in the apartment lasted 5 hours. Then Aleksandr Ryndin was taken to the FSB department for interrogation. His 14-year-old child was also questioned in the presence of witnesses, a teacher from his school and 2 special forces. His guests were also taken away to have their apartments searched. Electronic devices, books, photographs, and even a greeting card for the newlyweds with the inscription: \"Be an example in love and faithfulness to Jehovah and to each other\" were seized from citizens. Among others, two 80-year-old women were taken to the local FSB for interrogation. After searches and interrogations, everyone was released. A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on December 24, 2018 against 57-year-old Sergey Kulakov from Nevelsk. D. Melnikov, an investigator of the Sakhalin Oblast Directorate of the FSB, believes that in the fall of 2017, Sergey Kulakov \"led a religious group consisting of residents of Nevelsk professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, provided material and other support for the group's activities, convened appropriate meetings, religion, ensured the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, taught religion and religious education.\" The judge of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court, Galina Masterkova, to whom the FSB officer applied for a search warrant, considered that the above circumstances were enough to unleash persecution of innocent believers in her own city. The search warrants were signed by the judge on January 17, 2019.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In addition to the president, prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, drew attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2019-01-23T10:58:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_c9bd0eb287696891.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_ed7e80912590418e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/576/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_0_hu_bbe657a20f775f02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/576.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","elderly","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"The FSB conducted a series of searches in the homes of believers on Sakhalin","type":"news"},{"body":"Starting from January 22, 2019, headlines and abbreviated news texts are also published in English on the jw-russia.org website - simultaneously with Russian. The full text of the news will be available only in Russian language.\nAll news reports can be found on the \"News\" page and filtered by region of Russia.\nOn the \"Prisoners of Conscience\" page you can find a list of Jehovah's Witnesses who are being prosecuted in Russia, as well as their brief biographical data and a summary of their criminal case. The information is constantly updated.\nPreviously published information will appear in English as it prepares.\nThe language switch button is located on each page on the right in the top menu of the site.\n","category":"website","date":"2019-01-22T13:30:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/566/english-screen3_0_hu_10944002cb751ade.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/566/english-screen3_0_hu_362d1a067a742dd0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/566/english-screen3_0_hu_ee7b22cb59b4727d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/566/english-screen3_0_hu_4409289b0be29f24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/566.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review"],"title":"News from Russia can now be followed in English","type":"news"},{"body":"The debate of the parties will begin on January 23, 2019 at 10:30. During the debate, representatives of the prosecution will state what punishment, in their opinion, should be imposed on the believer. Dennis Christensen will then have the final say and the court will retire to the deliberation room for sentencing.\nThe debate will be held in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel at the address: st. Maxim Gorky, 45-a.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-21T19:31:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/570/kristensen_web5841_1_hu_40ee7c9191d517cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/570/kristensen_web5841_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/570/kristensen_web5841_1_hu_4ce0c18443880e77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/570/kristensen_web5841_1_hu_ab603dc7ddfedb4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/570.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"The date of the debate of the parties in the case of the Danish believer in Oryol has been clarified","type":"news"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin in Penza, Vitaliy Zhuk and Nikolay Polevodov in Khabarovsk and Valentin Osadchuk in Vladivostok left the pre-trial detention center.\nOn January 14, 2019, the courtroom of the first instance in Penza was filled with listeners who came to support 54-year-old Vladimir Alushkin. Unexpectedly, the court refused to allow the investigator to extend his arrest and released him from custody in the courtroom under house arrest. Vladimir Alushkin spent 184 days behind bars.\nOn the same day, January 14, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court changed the decision of the court of first instance on the arrest of Vitaly Zhuk and Nikolai Polevodov. They were placed under house arrest. Both stayed in SIZO-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory for 66 days. The third defendant in their criminal case, Stanislav Kim, is still in jail.\nFinally, on January 18, 2019, after 275 days in custody, the court of appeal decided to transfer Valentin Osadchuk, a resident of Vladivostok, to house arrest. Investigators of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory unsuccessfully tried to intimidate him. According to eyewitnesses, during his arrest in April 2018, a security officer tried to make Valentin feel sorry for himself, saying that he was \"not destined to buy in the summer.\" In response, Valentine, without losing his sense of humor and dignity and being firmly convinced of his innocence, replied: \"Well, maybe then I'll play snowballs in winter.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-21T15:01:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/569/190114_penza_alushkin_pod_dom_arest7033_hu_ac3dadbc79493fac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/569/190114_penza_alushkin_pod_dom_arest7033.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/569/190114_penza_alushkin_pod_dom_arest7033_hu_74e1a15bbb31827a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/569/190114_penza_alushkin_pod_dom_arest7033_hu_13a8e201cf977f7a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/569.html","regions":["penza","khabarovsk","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest"],"title":"4 believers were transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 15 and 16, 2019, Dennis Christensen, who is accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), presented his explanations to the court. He confirmed that he professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, analyzed the motives attributed to him by the investigation, revealed inconsistencies in the charges, openly exposed the secret witness for the prosecution and declared his complete innocence.\nAbout his faith and intent. It's true, I'm an elder,\" he confessed in court, \"For Jehovah's Witnesses, this is not a position, but a way of life as a servant of God.\" As evidence, Christensen cited excerpts from the Bible to the court, which speak of high moral standards for elders. However, he strongly rejected the accusation of \"convening meetings\" and that he was the \"organizer\" of worship. Christensen spoke in detail that Christian meetings are a manifestation of Christian love on the part of everyone, that they were held in Orel before his arrival, and will be held if he is not there.\nAnalyzing the extremist motive attributed to him, Dennis Christensen explained why he likes to be in the religion of the Witnesses: \"We call each other brothers and sisters ... After such meetings, the person feels encouraged. We discuss how to provide practical help to those who are sick. Perhaps they need help buying groceries or cooking. Seniors often need help if something is broken or a light bulb needs to be changed. We discuss how to help people have an intimate relationship with God, how to explain biblical truths to them. We talk about how you can improve your relationships with neighbors, employees, classmates. Sometimes it's about what we could do to make our city even cleaner.\" He concluded: \"As can be seen from the above, when I became Jehovah's Witness and later, when I came to Russia, I had no intention of committing a crime.\"\nWas it forbidden to believe in Jehovah? Already in the pre-trial detention center, Christensen had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the court decision recognizing the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Oryol as extremist. He read out an excerpt from the ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 18, 2016: \"The rights of participants of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Eagle\" to freedom of religion will not be violated, since they are not deprived of the opportunity to carry out and perform religious cults that are not related to the distribution of religious literature of extremist content.\" Christensen then stated: \"If the Supreme Court considers it legal for believers, including former members of the LRO, to conduct and practice their religious cults, then why am I accused of being illegal in my case? If the Supreme Court gives such an explanation, why am I accused of having to understand it differently?\"\nChristensen explained that the Oryol LRO ceased to exist on October 18, 2016 on the basis of a court decision. But this did not mean that believers in the city of Orel were obliged to stop believing in God. \"Since Article 28 of the Constitution has not been repealed to date, I believe that I and my fellow believers had the right to hold worship services that were in no way related to the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\"\nAbout secret recordings of telephone conversations. \"The FSB had been secretly listening to me for 9 months,\" Christensen said, \"and I didn't know it. And during this entire period, I have never denigrated anyone, I have never encouraged anyone to genocide, to persecute other people, to destroy my family, to violence, or to anything else that I am accused of. The fact that in my telephone conversations various issues are discussed that are related to my life as a believer is not proof that I have committed any crimes.\" \"None of my telephone conversations even use the phrase 'local religious organization,'\" Christensen continued, \"but the prosecution arbitrarily claims that it is a local religious organization, Oryol, of Jehovah's Witnesses. And I never had any legal or factual relation to her. Accordingly, I never had any intention or desire to resume the activities of this organization.\nExposing a secret witness. Separately, Dennis Christensen dwelled on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Yermolov\". \"The court could make sure that the real name of this citizen is Oleg Kurdyumov, he is a teacher at Oryol State University,\" said Dennis Christensen.- Under the guise of a person interested in the Bible, Kurdyumov began, on the instructions of the FSB, to film services with a hidden camera, and then, also on the instructions of the FSB, secretly recorded our conversation with him on a dictaphone. Since the audio and video recordings obtained by him do not contain any information about the commission of a crime by me, Kurdyumov decided to supplement them with his fantasies, testifying under a pseudonym. I assess this act as unworthy of a university teacher. [...] As the witness Kurdyumov explained, he read many of the information he reported in court on the Internet. This means that his testimony cannot be used as evidence in the case, since it is just a rumor.\n\"Dear court, I want to emphasize that, unlike the prosecution, I have never considered the peaceful worship of believers as a continuation of the activities of the liquidated LRO,\" Dennis Christensen concluded.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-18T16:55:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/568/img_39777023_hu_ac779c10d7ad2b6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/568/img_39777023.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/568/img_39777023_hu_ad0769847fc37e6b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/568/img_39777023_hu_3534cee3cef7fc1b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/568.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"During the trial of the Danish believer in Orel, the defendant himself made an explanation","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 21, 2019, the hearing in the case of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen will continue at the Oryol Railway Court. Probably, on this day, the debate of the parties will begin, during which the representatives of the prosecution will declare what punishment, in their opinion, should be imposed on the believer. After the debate, the defendant will be given the last word and the court will retire to the deliberation room for sentencing.\nOn January 16, 2019, the court almost completed the judicial investigation of the case. Witnesses for the prosecution and defense were questioned, and the materials and evidence in the case were examined. The defendant presented his explanations to the court. The defense party filed petitions, the resolution of which was postponed until January 21, 2019. The parties confirmed to the court that they were ready to speak in the debate.\nThe charge against Dennis Christensen of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) is based on a court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of a local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Orel. The believer himself denies any connection with extremism and insists on his complete innocence.\nThe hearing will begin on January 21, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol at 45-a Maxim Gorky Street.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-17T23:28:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/565/kristensen_web5841_0_hu_40ee7c9191d517cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/565/kristensen_web5841_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/565/kristensen_web5841_0_hu_4ce0c18443880e77.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/565/kristensen_web5841_0_hu_ab603dc7ddfedb4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/565.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["defense-arguments"],"title":"The debate of the parties in the case of the Danish believer in Oryol may begin as early as January 21, 2019","type":"news"},{"body":"According to available data, in 2018, 269 searches were conducted throughout Russia in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. All searches are a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. A search turns an innocent person's life into a nightmare, undermines his health, causes deep emotional trauma and casts a shadow on his reputation in the eyes of neighbors, employers and others.\nThe year 2018 began with 12 searches in the homes of believers in Kemerovo in January and 13 searches in Belgorod in February. In Belgorod, large groups of law enforcement officers knocked citizens to the floor, put them against the wall. Some searches were carried out in a rude form and were accompanied by offensive comments, Bibles, electronic devices, passports, money, even photographs hanging on the wall were seized from citizens.\nIn April 2018, 8 searches took place: 2 in Ufa, 4 in Polyarny (Murmansk region) and 2 in Vladivostok. In Polyarny, armed riot police officers acted extremely rudely. In one case, they broke down the door to an apartment and, at gunpoint, forced a man and his minor daughter at home to lie on the floor. Elsewhere, the commandos pushed an elderly man with such force that he fell, and, in addition, bruised two other women who were visiting him. The teenagers, siblings, were put against the wall and ordered to hold their arms outstretched.\nIn May 2018 , a total of 68 searches took place in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses: 17 in Orenburg, 22 in Birobidzhan, 1 in Perm, 8 in Orel, 10 in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), 6 in Shuya (Ivanovo region) and 4 in Magadan. In Shuya, during one of the searches, riot police officers put a gun to a man's head, although he did not offer any resistance, and forced him to lie on the floor for 15 minutes. In Birobidzhan, about 150 security officials simultaneously participated in a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses, code-named \"Judgment Day\".\nIn June 2018 , a total of 19 searches were conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses: 4 in Pskov, at least 2 in Tomsk, 7 in Saratov , and 8 in Lensk , Yakutia. In Pskov, law enforcement officers broke down doors, among the victims of searches were 2-year-old children and 80-year-old people.\nIn July 2018, 27 searches took place: 4 in Omsk, 4 in Penza, 2 in Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), 3 in Blagoveshchensk, in Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region), 2 in Kostroma, 1 in Nakhodka (Primorsky Territory) and 3 in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory). In Omsk, masked security forces broke down the door of the apartment where the couple slept and, without making any demands, struck the man several blows to the head, as a result of which severe bleeding began. After a while, the man was picked up and forced to wipe the blood on the floor. In the village of Razdolnoye, armed masked law enforcers hit a 75-year-old landlord in the face during the assault and twisted his hands behind his back.\nIn August 2018 , 12 searches took place: at least 1 in Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region), 4 in Khabarovsk, 3 in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory) and 4 in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory).\nIn September 2018, 13 searches took place: 6 in Perm and 7 in Kostroma.\nIn October 2018, 38 searches took place: 8 in Sychevka and Smolensk, 19 in Kirov and 11 in Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan). In Smolensk, during a search, 2 women were arrested, who have been behind bars for about 100 days.\nIn November 2018 , 51 searches took place: 20 in Krasnoyarsk, 10 in Novosibirsk, 4 in Khabarovsk, 8 in Dzhankoy (Crimea), 5 in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory) and 4 in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory).\nIn December 2018, 8 searches took place: 1 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and 7 in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory). In Neftekumsk, during a search, a woman was forced to fully undress in the presence of witnesses. In addition, a minor was subjected to a body search with exposure to his underwear. A woman with group II disability was not allowed to use the toilet for a long time. A young girl, in front of whom the search took place, cried with fear. Another woman required emergency medical attention after the search.\nIn addition to searches in homes, at least 57 other people were subjected to a personal search (an investigative action consisting in finding on the body of the searched person, in his clothes and shoes, as well as in his personal belongings objects relevant to the criminal case). The above number of home searches and personal searches is probably incomplete.\nHow do Jehovah's Witnesses who have been searched live? How do they feel when they are rounded up and their loved ones are imprisoned? They themselves talk about this in the videos \"Ruthless searches and arrests of believers in Kirov\", \"Arrests of believers throughout Russia\" and \"Dzhankoy after the raid: how persecution cripples the lives of believers\".\nA search is a significant restriction of a person's constitutional right to liberty and security of person, privacy, personal and family secrets, honor and good name. Concern about what is happening was expressed by the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation and personally by President Vladimir Putin. ","category":"analytics","date":"2019-01-15T19:20:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_493da938a12197b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_ca20c1e6c55c47b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/563/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_1_hu_48583e27bcecec14.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/563.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","review","siloviks-violence","minors","health-risk","elderly","disability","personal-inspection"],"title":"Record 269 Searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' Homes in a Year (Review)","type":"news"},{"body":"In a number of regions of Russia, the courts gradually softened the measure of restraint for innocent citizens: from detention to prohibition of certain actions and even to recognizance not to leave. At the same time, the investigation of these criminal cases continues, and believers still face up to 10 years in prison. The investigators, for their part, continue to insist on the detention of believers, unsuccessfully trying to persuade them to incriminate themselves.\nOn August 9 and 10, 2018, in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory), spouses Mikhail and Elena Popov were released from the measure of restraint. Mikhail spent 11 days behind bars, Yelena - 4 days plus 7 days under house arrest.\nOn August 24, 2018, in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory), courts released Vera Zolotova and Snezhana Bazhenova on their own recognizance after 2 days behind bars. On August 30, 2018, Konstantin Bazhenov was released after spending 8 days in captivity.\nOn October 14, 2018, in Orenburg, the court twice changed the measure of restraint for Alexander Suvorov and Vladimir Kochnev. The last time the court found it possible to impose a preventive measure on them in the form of a ban on certain actions, namely to leave the house at night, receive mail and use means of communication, after they had spent 78 days in a pre-trial detention center and 70 days under house arrest. The same measure was imposed on Vladislav Kolbanov, who spent 2 days in custody and 146 days under house arrest.\nOn October 24, 2018, in Kostroma, a court softened Sergey Rayman's preventive measure to a ban on certain actions (leaving the house at night, using the Internet, telephone, mail and communicating with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah\"). Sergey spent 59 days in prison and 30 days under house arrest. His wife Valeria has the same measure of restraint; She spent 2 days behind bars.\nOn November 15, 2018, in Shuya (Ivanovo region), a court released Dmitry Mikhailov on his own recognizance after he spent 171 days in a pre-trial detention center.\nOn November 19, 2018, a court in Perm changed Aleksandr Solovyov's measure of restraint, prohibiting certain actions (using the Internet, telephone, mail and communicating with participants in a criminal case). Prior to that, the believer spent 2 days behind bars and 179 days under house arrest.\nOn December 27, 2018, a court in Perm released Viktor Kuchkov and Igor Turik on their own recognizance. Both spent 3 days behind bars and 101 days under house arrest.\n15 believers, the courts softened the measure of restraint, changing it from detention to house arrest (still a significant restriction of freedom). As of January 1, 2019, 22 people were under house arrest. Another 25 people remained in the pre-trial detention center.\nThese data are remarkable in the light of the all-Russian statistics on changes in preventive measures. Thus, according to official data for 2017, published on the website of the Judicial Department at the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, on average in Russia, courts only in 2% of cases softened the measure of restraint, while in cases initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2018, this figure reaches 30%. Obviously, the courts understand that believers who are persecuted have nothing to do with extremism.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2019-01-15T17:35:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/562/gavel3845_1_0_0_hu_ee4422c560bab770.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/562/gavel3845_1_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/562/gavel3845_1_0_0_hu_9dfdf8d65845b0c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/562/gavel3845_1_0_0_hu_12bc36ed50adea43.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/562.html","regions":["ivanovo","kamchatka","kostroma","orenburg","perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","statistics"],"title":"Courts in a number of regions are softening the measure of restraint for believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, searches were conducted in several homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. As a result, 5 people were arrested, including a Polish citizen. Their families tell the details of what happened and how they live now.\nNina Korobeynikova, a resident of Kirov, who has a disability, draws a postcard for her father Vladimir. For two months now, he and four other Jehovah's Witnesses have been in pre-trial detention. \"When I was little, my dad was my best friend,\" says Nina. We played together, talked, went fishing. And all my life I've always lived with my parents, and my dad was always there.\"\nGalina Khalturina, Maksim Khalturin's mother, recalls the details of that October morning when the raids took place. \"We were still sleeping, but Maxim was in the kitchen, he had breakfast, he goes to work early.- Then my husband and I woke up, I went out into the corridor and saw a lot of people. Maxim is facing the wall. Legs and arms are wide apart.\"\nAnd here is what happened in the house of Vladimir Korobeynikov. Says his wife Olga, who, due to illness, practically does not get out of bed: \"I tried to wake Volodya up, he quickly got up, approached, he was told: \"Open the door, we want to talk to you about God.\" And he said, \"I won't open it for you, and if you don't leave now, I'll just call the police.\" Well, that's when they say, \"We're already here.\" And they showed their crusts.\n\"We quickly got dressed, opened the door, and in a second the apartment was filled with men in black,\" says Svetlana, the wife of Yevgeny Suvorkov, \"I was just shocked. They flew into the apartment in an instant.\" Her relative Svetlana, the wife of Andrey Suvorkov, says: \"They behaved busily, they felt like masters in our apartment. This, too, of course, was unpleasant.\nAnna, who is married to Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, shares her feelings: \"For me, it was just a humiliation when people come to you and walk through your clean linen with dirty boots. When they start opening things, look in. They also look at us in such a way that we may have something wrong there. Yes, it was a shame, a humiliation, I was embarrassed in front of my neighbors, because they know us ... To be honest, I still try to put everything together in such a way that if they come again, I won't be ashamed.\"\nAs a result, 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk, 65-year-old Vladimir Korobeynikov, 25-year-old Andrey Suvorkov, 40-year-old Yevgeny Suvorkov and 44-year-old Maxim Khalturin were sent to a pre-trial detention center. They are accused of organizing and financing extremist activities simply because of their religion.\n\"The exact time, 8:39, I remembered for the rest of my life,\" says the mother of Maxim Khalturin.- This is probably a long time I will not forget. At that time, Maksim was taken away from the apartment.\" \"I hoped that he would leave for two hours,\" admits Olga Korobeynikova.- But by the evening I already realized that he would not return. Not today, most likely, not tomorrow.\" \"When he left, it was like we said goodbye to him for two hours. He himself probably did not expect such a turn, \"says the wife of Andrei Suvorkov. \"When I began to collect food, the operative advised me to collect things,\" says Anna Onischuk.- And the investigator said: \"He doesn't need to collect anything, maybe I'll let him go today.\" The implication was that if he cooperated, I might let him go.\"\nUnfortunately, when deciding on the measure of restraint, the court did not take into account the difficult family situations of the accused. In particular, Maxim Khalturin's elderly parents have serious health problems. His father is completely dependent on his son's support and care. \"It's very hard for me without him. After all, I take care of my husband alone. And I'm 81 years old,\" says Galina Khalturina.- My husband lost his speech and the right side. He couldn't talk, so these facial expressions, these tongue twisters, it had a very big effect on him and on his speech. And at least now he speaks a little, slowly. It's all the merit that Maxim helped him a lot.\"\nThe situation in the family of Vladimir Korobeynikov is no less difficult. His wife practically does not get up, and his daughter Nina is not able to provide her with the necessary support, since she herself is a disabled person of group I. She says: \"Sometimes mom needs immediate medical attention, and usually dad would call an ambulance and accompany her in the car, because only he knows in what position you can put it, how to lift it.\" Here is how his lawyer, Yegiazar Chernikov, comments on the situation: \"The court's decision looks blasphemous from the point of view of human relations, since the court's decision contradicts the basic principles of mercy in the administration of justice. It breaks my heart to see the situation of their families.\" \"When you see a 66-year-old pensioner who has lived a well-deserved life, or a middle-aged man who has sick relatives, of course, it causes only human sympathy,\" says Yevgeny Kokoulin, deputy chairman of the Vyatka Committee on Human Rights.\nRelatives of prisoners share that the incident seriously affected their own physical and emotional state. \"I couldn't sleep and eat for the first week at all,\" says Olga Korobeynikova.- When I just wake up, it's just pain. When no one is at home, no one at all, I allow myself to cry loudly, to pray out loud. Well, that is, this is no longer a prayer, this is a cry, this is a supplication. Andrey Suvorkov's wife Svetlana shares: \"I constantly think about Andrey, I constantly think about how he is now, what is happening to him, what he feels. I miss him very much, and I think he misses me too.\" Maksim Khalturin's mother Galina: \"I miss him very much. It's so hard for me without him! I don't know how I can wait for it? Valery Petrovich also misses his son. And when they took him away, he also had tears on his face.\"\nThe wives and close relatives of five imprisoned believers try to support each other. They get together, read letters from the pre-trial detention center, discuss the life of prisoners and share the latest news from behind barbed wire.\n\"I walk around the cell a lot, I can walk six steps, then back. You know, I love walking. I refuse to walk only in severe rain. I really like to walk, there is a larger area, you can walk in circles, and look at the sky through the lattice, breathe fresh air\" (from a letter from Yevgeny Suvorkov).\n\"Today they brought 60 letters, more than a kilogram. Letters, of course, have come before, but so many at once, for the first time\" (from a letter from Maxim Khalturin).\n\"How I miss you! Previously, it was enough for me to be aware that you were in the next room, and I could approach you at any time. And now I just need to get at least some news from you like air!\" (from a letter from Vladimir Korobeynikov).\n\"Life gives each of us black and white sketches, and they are not always beautiful. But we have felt-tip pens of all colors, and it's up to us to decide which ones to use. But how much wiser it is to paint life with bright colored felt-tip pens, then you will find a joyful heart. Look around, what colors the joyful God uses\" (from a letter from Andrei Suvorkov).\nThese women very much hope that law enforcement officers will come to their senses and stop the senseless persecution of their husbands, fathers and sons. Moreover, quite recently, the president of the country promised to look into this issue.\n\"And it is necessary, of course, to do what you propose - to analyze law enforcement practice. And if necessary, make some adjustments. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, and I also don't really understand why they should be persecuted. Therefore, we just need to analyze, we need to do it. I will talk to Vyacheslav Mikhailovich [Lebedev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation], and try to do it\" (from the transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights on December 11, 2018).\n\"I imagine that we will meet at home,\" says Nina Korobeynikova.- Mom will be able to get up for a while, all three of us will hug, and we will all cry.\nFortunately, this meeting did not have to wait long. On December 20, the Kirov Regional Court considered the believers' appeal and placed one of them, Vladimir Korobeynikov, under house arrest.\nFour more believers from Kirov still remain in the pre-trial detention center.\nAs of January 1, 2019, 25 Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in Russia.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2019-01-11T14:50:09+03:00","duration":"10:01","image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_2a68c10b69a16aa0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_a4a519f66099ecc4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/561/kirov-01_0_hu_f03714e1669e58d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/561.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly","disability","families","video"],"title":"Ruthless Searches and Arrests of Believers in Kirov","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 29, 2018, an appeal was filed with the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic against the verdict of the Prokhladnensky District Court of the KBR, which found Arkadya Hakobyan guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to 120 hours of compulsory labor. The prosecutor asked for a 3-year suspended sentence.\nThe court's guilty decision is based on the confusing and contradictory testimony of five prosecution witnesses, which was changed and supplemented many times during the trial. The veracity of their testimony is highly questionable.\nThe court did not take into account the facts testifying in favor of the accused, as well as the circumstances that positively characterize Arkadya as a calm, non-conflict person who deeply respects people of different nationalities and religions. The criminal prosecution of this peaceful citizen is a direct violation of his civil rights.\nIt is noteworthy that the guilty verdict was announced immediately after the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the need to carefully understand why Jehovah's Witnesses are declared extremists.\nExtremism, including incitement to hatred and enmity, completely contradicts the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, peaceful citizens living according to the commandments of Jesus Christ. The defense asks the court to cancel the decision of the Prokhladnensky District Court and fully acquit Arkady Hakobyan, recognizing his right to rehabilitation.\n","category":"trial","date":"2019-01-04T17:01:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/559/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_hu_da2f73039a4f1e07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/559/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/559/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_hu_1803295d9c5f1c21.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/559/web_image_2_arkadya_akopyan6942_hu_fd759b523ac6195d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/559.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","fabrications","labor"],"title":"In Kabardino-Balkaria, a believer appealed against an unjust verdict","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2018, a new complaint \"Moskalenko v. Russia\" was sent to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to consider it as a priority in accordance with the policy of the Strasbourg Court.\nOn August 2, 2018, FSB and OMON officers invaded at least 5 houses of civilians in Khabarovsk. The police seized religious literature, mobile phones and other personal belongings of citizens. Among others, Valery Vasilyevich Moskalenko was interrogated and taken into custody. He is accused of participating in worship services and \"hymns reflecting the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" If convicted, he faces up to 6 years in prison.\nThe complaint draws attention to the violation by the Russian Federation of several articles of the European Convention at once, including Articles 9, 3, 8, 17 and/or 18 (considered alone or jointly with other articles). Thus, article 18 of the Convention prohibits the imposition of restrictions for purposes other than those for which they were intended. In this regard, the complaint emphasizes: \"The declared goal of combating extremism serves as a cover for the State for the illegal goal of eradicating the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\nTo date, more than 40 complaints from Jehovah's Witnesses have been filed with the European Court of Human Rights against Russia. Among them are \"MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia\" No. 32401/10 and 21 other complaints (communicated on March 6, 2014); MRO Samara and Others v. Russia No. 15962/15 and 6 other complaints (communicated on September 4, 2017); \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\" No. 10188/17 (communicated on December 1, 2017); Christensen v. Russia No. 39417/17 (communicated on 4 September 2017); \"Markin and Trofimov v. Russia\" No. 20/519/18; Suvorov and Others v. Russia No. 29779/18; Polyakovy v. Russia No. 32532/18; Klimov v. Russia No. 40768/18; Puida and Others v. Russia No. 42412/18; Britvin \u0026 Levchuk v. Russia (filed November 1, 2018); Bazhenov and Others v. Russia (filed November 30, 2018).\n","category":"rights","date":"2019-01-01T20:15:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2019/01/556/kollazhik6922_hu_a4614aaf3c00dcdf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2019/01/556/kollazhik6922.jpg","webp":"/news/2019/01/556/kollazhik6922_hu_4bae8bd42ec4e939.webp","webp2x":"/news/2019/01/556/kollazhik6922_hu_91bc4f94a51f9d59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2019/01/556.html","regions":["khabarovsk","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","echr","search","interrogation"],"title":"Moskalenko v. Russia: New Complaint to the ECHR in the Case of Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"news"},{"body":"To find Arkadya Akopovich Akopyan guilty under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 120 hours of compulsory labor. This decision was announced on December 27, 2018 by Oleg Golovashko, a judge of the Prokhladnensky District Court. There is no real evidence of Hakobyan's guilt in the case, so the verdict will be appealed. In the past, all attempts to charge individual Jehovah's Witnesses under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation were unsuccessful.\nThe court believed in an implausible accusation: five witnesses for the prosecution, who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, unanimously admitted that they had massively distributed Jehovah's Witnesses brochures with signs of extremism on behalf of Arkadi Hakobyan. The court considered all other episodes to be unproven or insignificant.\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses never instruct strangers to distribute our liturgical literature,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. Finally, for some people who do not profess our religion to so unanimously undertake to spread the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is something out of the realm of fantasy. We are deeply saddened by the stigma of a criminal that the judge imposed on an honest, decent person.\"\nIt is noteworthy that in 2018, Russia took steps to decriminalize Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation at the legislative level. Nevertheless, the court considered itself entitled to sentence a 70-year-old pensioner who worked all his life working as a tailor to punishment in the form of compulsory labor.\nEarlier, under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the authorities tried to accuse Jehovah's Witnesses in Gorno-Altaisk, Yoshkar-Ola, Sergiev Posad, and Chita. All the trials that came to a verdict under this article ended with the full acquittal of believers with the right to rehabilitation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2018-12-27T17:33:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_98852c342e22021b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_29915cdee3c65602.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/555/akopyan4501_1_hu_4f12b431c93b4c6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/555.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","labor","282.2-1","fabrications","elderly"],"title":"In Kabardino-Balkaria, a court convicted a peaceful believer","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergey and Zhanna Lungu have been married for two years. Although they look quite happy spouses, it is not easy for them to talk about what happened on November 15, 2018. As a result of those events, they lost a child.\nThat evening, in Dzhankoy (Crimea), one of the largest special operations in modern Russia was carried out against peaceful believers. Almost two hundred police, FSB and riot police officers were involved.\n\"I saw that there was a large crowd of employees in black masks near my gate,\" recalls Vladimir Bezhenar, \"They were crawling through my gate, and I got the impression that they were like snakes. I thought that if I didn't open the door first, they would start kicking us out, screaming and beating us. There were friends of mine in the house who were also in a state of shock.\"\nAmong his friends was Alexei Filatov. He tried to make a video recording of what was happening, but he was immediately twisted and taken to his home. It turned out that a large group of armed special forces soldiers was waiting for him at the gate, since the searches were taking place in the case against his father, Sergei Filatov. \"When I went in,\" says Sergey Filatov, \"I saw my son standing with his back to the refrigerator, he was handcuffed.\" Alexei says: \"I was handcuffed for about forty minutes before my parents arrived.\"\nMeanwhile, security forces invaded the house of 78-year-old Alexander Urs, whose name was not even mentioned in the search warrant. He painfully recalls how brutally law enforcement officers acted against him: \"I managed to take one step, I got here, he broke this arm for me, then this hand, he beats me on the legs: \"There, to the wall!\" And then I wanted to turn around and see what they were doing to my son, and he hit me back to the wall, and I hit my head. And it spreads my legs, I'm already more ... I have no strength, and I am already starting to fall, already on my knees. \"What are you doing? \"I'm going to be 80 years old, I'm resisting, or what, why are you wringing my hands out?\" And then let's search me again, from head to toe. Three times he walked over his hands, commanded: \"Hands up!\" I hold my hands up. Again: \"Hands up!\" and then he led me. His hands were brought back to me, and so, holding me back with his hands, he already led me into the house.\nThe unjustifiably harsh actions of the security forces led to the fact that some believers needed urgent medical attention. \"From what I saw, from what was happening in my house, my blood pressure began to rise,\" says Vladimir Bezhenar.- Then my left arm began to twist and my left leg began to go numb. His wife Lilia recalls: \"I see that Vova is getting worse and worse, worse and worse. They began to say that it was necessary to call an ambulance. I said: \"Of course, call an ambulance, of course!\"\" The ambulance team arrived and decided to urgently hospitalize Vladimir with a suspected stroke.\nIn the meantime, another medical team provided emergency assistance in the house of Mikhail and Lyubov Gozhan, where operatives also invaded. Lyubov had high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate, all accompanied by leg cramps. \"I felt that my blood pressure was rising, I was getting sick, I had a sting in my chest, everything was squeezing,\" says Lyubov Gozhan.- The doctor asked what was the reason for my high pulse. I say, \"Stress.\" He looked like that and said: \"Of course, from such stress and there will not be such a pulse.\"\nThe searches, which began simultaneously in 8 houses of believers, continued until late at night. Electronic devices, personal records, letters and photographs were seized.\n\"When they took me out of the house, I thought they were taking me to a pre-trial detention center, I saw correspondents with the Vesti 24 logo near my yard,\" recalls Sergey Filatov. Later, footage circulated on the air and information networks in which journalists shouted: \"Just a few words, what happened? They say that you are a sectarian. Sergey says: \"I did not answer a single word, because I understood that everything I said could be distorted and then presented incorrectly.\" The news anchor also told viewers: \"Extremist literature was found in his house, as well as manuals on psychology and recruitment.\" It wasn't true. \"Such materials were not seized during the search,\" says Sergey.- False information was given in order to highlight me, my family and my friends in a bad light. They snatched up angles that showed me in an awkward position: as if I was sitting and feeling guilty, but at the moment I was praying to Jehovah that he would give me the strength to endure it all.\"\nAfter a short conversation with the investigator, Sergey Filatov was released on his own recognizance. He was charged with \"continuing the activities of an extremist organization.\" \"In the car, I was offered cooperation,\" says Sergey.- \"I need information: all my accomplices, all my appearances, all my meetings.\" To which I refused, so they brought charges and now I am the accused.\"\nAt about the same time, law enforcement officers entered the house of Sergei and Zhanna Lungu, who were mentioned at the very beginning. There were no owners of the house. When they returned the next morning, they found obvious traces of a search. \"I saw that the door was broken into. When I go in, I see what is trampled. I also see that everything seems to be in place, but then, as we discovered, our tablet disappeared, \"says Sergey. The couple decided not to stay in the house, but to go to Zhanna's parents in Yalta. On the way, Jeanne got worse and worse, she complained of pain. They wanted to tell their parents the news of the pregnancy. \"But the very next day it turns out that I take her to the hospital, to gynecology,\" says Sergey. A day later, it became finally clear that they had lost a child. \"As soon as I was told on the ultrasound that that's it, there is no child, I have a tantrum. I couldn't even call Seryozha and tell him about it.\"\nBelievers hope that law enforcement officers will have the courage not to resort to concealing the tragedy and that, going to the next search of peaceful believers, they will at least not lose human face while doing their job.\n\"They took us ... how they take criminals, armed. We jumped over the fence. Wouldn't we have opened it if we had been told: 'Police!' but instead to break in so hard..,\" says Victor Ursu. His elderly father shows abrasions and bruises left over from the brutal actions of the security forces. But these wounds, he assures, are nothing compared to the emotional experiences and humiliations that he and his friends had to endure. \"This, one might say, is lawlessness,\" he says, \"Wringing your hands, searching. It's such a humiliation.\"\n\"Life in our family began to divide into before and after,\" admits Vladimir Bezhenar.- All in the aggregate: the feelings that we experienced that evening, the humiliation - moral, physical and much more.\nMany of those who were searched in Dzhankoy know from childhood what persecution for faith is. But, according to them, they have never faced such ill-treatment. \"There has never been such treatment,\" says Alexandru Ursu, \"neither in childhood, when they were evicted, nor when there were still searches , nor when they were summoned and talked.\" \"No one allowed himself, for example, to wring his hands, to beat his legs,\" adds his son Victor. \"No one climbed over the gate, no one surrounded the house, there were no people with such weapons,\" says Lilia Bejenari.\nBelievers still try to find the positive. \"Some people met us and said: 'We pray for your family,'\" says Lilia Bezhenari. People understood that... Well, you can't do that to us, we're not the same people! What have we done wrong?\"\nEven the country's president called the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses \"complete nonsense\" and promised to look into the matter. \"Regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. [...] Of course, this is sheer nonsense, we must look into it carefully, and I agree with you on this. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, and I also don't really understand why they should be persecuted\" (from the transcript of Vladimir Putin's speech at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights on December 11, 2018).\nIn the meantime, Sergey Filatov, a father of four, is forced to travel to Simferopol for interrogations every week. \"I'm worried about my family, about my children, because I don't know what to expect next from law enforcement officers, because they have already stigmatized me as a criminal.\"\nThe day after the searches, Vladimir Bezhenar was transferred to inpatient treatment. Fortunately, his suspicions of a stroke were not confirmed. \"I don't know when we'll recover from this condition,\" says his wife, \"and he's on such serious pills that help him calm down a little.\"\nLyubov Gozhan still takes drugs that normalize blood pressure, and can not sleep without sedatives, as well as other victims. \"It was a lot of stress for me,\" she says, \"I couldn't sleep for several nights. For me, it was scary when the evening came.\nSergey and Zhanna really hope that they will definitely have a baby.\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2018-12-27T13:29:03+03:00","duration":"10:33","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_36062ada3258e634.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_c737e953cb12c643.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/554/djankoy_size750x375_hu_108a5030bbbefdd0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/554.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","health-risk","minors","elderly","fabrications","recognizance-agreement","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Dzhankoy after the raid: how persecution cripples the lives of believers ","type":"video"},{"body":"Some cases of violation of the rights of believers that occurred in 2018 are published.\nOn January 21, 2018 , in Ilovaisk, two men disrupted a worship meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses. They knocked down a stand with a microphone, took away a smartphone and a tablet from two believers, and then beat several participants in the meeting, including a woman. The attackers threatened physical violence, said they were authorized to do so by the \"central church,\" and accused Jehovah's Witnesses of \"destroying the Orthodox faith.\" Children witnessed what was happening, they were very frightened. The believers called the police. The DPR security forces who arrived interviewed those present and promised to check whether Jehovah's Witnesses were a banned organization. The believers also tried to submit an application to the military commandant's office, but the document was not accepted there.\nOn February 22, 2018, in the village of United (Makiivka), a man beat up two women who were talking to people about the Bible. At the same time, the man insulted believers and threatened them with murder. One of the victims was a 60-year-old woman.\nOn March 19, 2018 , in the village of Bulavinskoye, unknown persons broke the window of the Kingdom Hall, entered and set fire. Several benches were burned, traces of autopsy attempts remained on the metal safe. Burnt matches, the contents of a first-aid kit and household chemicals were scattered throughout the room. Some of the equipment disappeared from the building. The arsonists left a note to the believers: \"You have 200,000 rubles and everything will be fine.\" Thefts have already been committed in this building - in October 2017. Then the DPR police refused to initiate a criminal case.\nOn April 12, 2018, in the village of Nizhnyaya Krynka, the DPR security forces came to the home of a 61-year-old local resident, Olga A. (not her real name). One of the employees hit an elderly woman in the kidney area. They took her phone, keys to the apartment and took her away for interrogation to the local police station. At the police station, the woman was insulted and beaten, and a gas mask was put on her to get a confession of theft (allegedly during a conversation on biblical topics, Olga stole money from one of the local residents). Olga was kept in the department for a day without food. The woman was released only after her acquaintances saw her through the window of the police station. At home, Olga discovered the loss of several tens of thousands of rubles that her relatives had previously sent her. According to those who have known Olga for many years, she has an impeccable reputation. Olga herself claims that she never talked with the allegedly robbed woman.\nOn September 5, 2018, in Shakhtersk, against the backdrop of a trial to ban the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, the DPR security forces summoned one of the believers for questioning about religious activities. Dmitry B. was summoned by phone, the caller introduced himself as a police officer and threatened with riot police in case of refusal to voluntarily appear. Dmitry B. arrived at the police station. He refused to talk about his religious activities, referring to Article 44 of the DPR Constitution, which allows him not to testify against himself. A high-ranking police officer tried to search him and convince him that he was misinterpreting the provisions of the Constitution. Dmitriy was kept in the police station for about 3 hours, after which he was released.\nOn December 19, 2018, in Snezhnoye, a group of 10 people, including presumably administrative staff, entered the Kingdom Hall and sealed all doors and windows.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2018-12-25T15:47:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_edba96866b5e05c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_40e0cf04053f2329.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/553/gorlovka_dnr147_hu_291489c4041c2c9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/553.html","regions":["dnr"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","meetings-disruption","review","siloviks-violence","minors","hatred-attacks","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Violation of the rights of believers in a separate territory in the Donetsk region of Ukraine in 2018","type":"news"},{"body":"Arkada Hakobyan will be sentenced in the Prokhladnensky District Court on December 27, 2018. Earlier, on December 21, the arguments of the parties were held in his case, and he himself made the last word. The prosecutor asked for a 3-year suspended sentence. The believer insists on his complete innocence.\nA suspended sentence means that if during this period Arkadya Hakobyan is seen in something that the court regards as extremist activity or other crime, or failure to fulfill the imposed obligations (not to change his place of residence, to appear for registration, not to visit certain places), then the believer will go to the colony. Therefore, any conviction would be a substantial violation of human rights.\nArkadya Hakobyan was prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution relies on the testimony of witnesses that Arkady Hakobyan made a speech to fellow believers, in which he allegedly spoke derogatorily about representatives of other religions. The defense insists that Hakobyan did not make a speech at all on the specified day. The prosecution does not have an audio or video recording of Hakobyan's speech. It is also significant that the video recordings from the surveillance cameras were seized by law enforcement officers and destroyed. Moreover, there is evidence in the case that the witnesses were not present at the service on the day they indicated. Finally, the court-appointed psychological and linguistic examination of the testimonies came to the conclusion that there are no signs of propaganda of the inferiority of citizens in the words attributed to Arkada Hakobyan.\nLaw enforcement agencies had no complaints against Hakobyan until the security forces launched a campaign in Russia to harass Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of far-fetched accusations.\nThe announcement of the verdict will begin on December 27, 2018 at 16:00 in the Prokhladnensky District Court at the address: Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Prokhladny, K. Marx St., 36.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-12-25T15:41:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_8f8db288d526e6b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_6e10c866d8b498e9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/552/3148_hu_7886495f56b299f6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/552.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","282.2-1","prosecutor-request","suspended"],"title":"A 70-year-old believer is expected to be sentenced in Kabardino-Balkaria on December 27","type":"news"},{"body":"During 2018, the situation with freedom of religion in the territory of the Donetsk region, which left the jurisdiction of Ukraine, worsened. Local authorities banned the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, equating a peaceful denomination with extremists. The believers were under surveillance, and in different cities law enforcers summoned them for interrogations and threatened them with arrests. According to a similar scenario, the situation developed in Russia, where the ban on the organization turned into total oppression of hundreds of thousands of people.\nFrom January to June 2018, representatives of the DPR law enforcement agencies showed increased attention to the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses - Kingdom Halls. In such cities as Donetsk, Yasinovataya, Snezhnoye, Zugres, Yenakievo, and Dokuchaevsk, prosecutorial checks, conversations with believers, and inspections of Kingdom Halls were conducted. Later, this resulted in the confiscation of buildings. By August 29, 2018, a total of 16 Kingdom Halls had been taken from local Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSince June 2018 , security forces in Donetsk, Torez, Snizhne, Shakhtersk, Yenakiyevo, Makiivka, and Yunokommunarovsk have begun collecting data on Jehovah's Witnesses. Some men and women were summoned for interrogation on summonses, others were taken to police stations right on the street and from home.\nIn July and August 2018, the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched. One in Yenakiyevo, another in the village of Krasnoarmeyskoye (Novoazovsky district).\nOn August 22, 2018 , the local Supreme Court, at the request of the DPR prosecutor's office, recognized a number of information materials of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the official website, as extremist. On September 5, 2018, the local Ministry of Communications ordered telecom operators to block the site.\nOn September 26, 2018, the Supreme Court of the DPR banned the activities of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses in the controlled territory, accusing the organization of extremist activities. At the same time, neither the prosecutor nor the court considered it necessary to hear the arguments of Jehovah's Witnesses in their defense.\nIn October-November 2018, the security forces made additional efforts to identify Jehovah's Witnesses. Some believers reported being under surveillance. In the village of Talmanovo, the security forces made rounds of the residents, notifying them against receipt that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were banned.\nIn Yenakiieve, there were reports that law enforcement agencies had been ordered to \"find, arrest, and neutralize Jehovah's Witnesses engaged in the preaching work.\"\nSerious concerns are caused by reports from various sources about the preparation of mass detentions. The situation threatens to turn into massive violations of the rights of thousands of civilians, as is happening in the Russian Federation. (Although the Russian authorities claim that the country's Supreme Court decision to ban a religious organization applies only to legal entities, dozens of innocent people have become prisoners of conscience. The decision of the Russian Supreme Court has been appealed to the European Court of Human Rights, which intends to consider the complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses as a matter of priority.)\n","category":"analytics","date":"2018-12-24T15:56:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/551/foto._otobrannye_zdaniya_dlya_bogosluzheniy_v_donecke_i_makeevke6868_hu_524d631898c0f81a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/551/foto._otobrannye_zdaniya_dlya_bogosluzheniy_v_donecke_i_makeevke6868.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/551/foto._otobrannye_zdaniya_dlya_bogosluzheniy_v_donecke_i_makeevke6868_hu_2ce09f735e055c6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/551/foto._otobrannye_zdaniya_dlya_bogosluzheniy_v_donecke_i_makeevke6868_hu_5c05663cbb90e539.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/551.html","regions":["dnr"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","interrogation","search","website"],"title":"Overview of the situation in the isolated territory in the Donetsk region of Ukraine","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 30, 2018, in Luhansk, 22-year-old A.A. (initials changed) was detained, searched and beaten just because he was found in possession of a Jehovah's Witnesses business card.\nNot far from the Luhanska station, armed men in the uniform of the LPR law enforcement agencies stopped and searched A.A.'s car. They announced that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses had been banned on their territory since February 2018, and took him to Luhansk, to the building where the Security Service of Ukraine had previously been located. After 2 hours of waiting, the interrogation began. The man was handcuffed and beaten, presumably with a book. At the same time, the security forces tried to get information from him about Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as about his participation in this religion. Later, they began to take the young man from office to office, pulling a hat over his eyes. At one point, someone said, \"Yes,\" and A.A. was hit in the solar plexus. When he asked permission to call his wife, he was told, \"You're missing.\" After a six-hour interrogation, the security forces took the man to his home for a search to seize religious literature. In the end, he was released. He and his wife were forbidden to observe the precepts of his religion under threat of imprisonment.\nAs a result of the incident, the man was subjected to cruel and degrading treatment, restriction of the right to freedom of religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-24T15:53:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/550/foto._sryv_bogosluzheniya_v_alchevske_avgust_2017_goda6867_hu_af167701022cad49.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/550/foto._sryv_bogosluzheniya_v_alchevske_avgust_2017_goda6867_hu_cc20b4a4b85d5a68.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/550/foto._sryv_bogosluzheniya_v_alchevske_avgust_2017_goda6867_hu_e6deb1c206044d97.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/550/foto._sryv_bogosluzheniya_v_alchevske_avgust_2017_goda6867_hu_5389dd16a6af8d5a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/550.html","regions":["lnr"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs","interrogation"],"title":"Detention and beating for faith in Luhansk","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 21, 2018, the arguments of the parties in the case of 70-year-old Arkadi Hakobyan began in the Prokhladnensky District Court (Kabardino-Balkaria). He is charged under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor asked him for 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years.\nArkadia Hakobyan, a native of a small Armenian village in Azerbaijan, came to Kabardino-Balkaria with his wife and three children in 1988, fleeing ethnic violence caused by the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. He met Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the early 90s, amazed at the fact that this religious group was alien to the ideas of interethnic hostility and violence.\nLaw enforcement agencies had no complaints against Hakobyan until the security forces launched a campaign in Russia to harass Jehovah's Witnesses on the basis of far-fetched accusations.\nArkady Hakobyan was accused of distributing banned literature, as well as inciting hatred. The accusations are based on the testimony of six witnesses who said they attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and heard Hakobyan speak disrespectfully about Muslims and Orthodox priests.\nThe court examined the evidence of the parties for a year and a half. During the hearings, facts indicating the fabrication of the case were voiced.\nOne of them is the billing of witnesses' mobile phones. He pointed out that during the religious meetings, the prosecution witnesses not only did not attend services on many of the days declared, but were not even in the city of Prokhladny. In addition, the billing revealed a close relationship between witnesses and law enforcement officers, which casts doubt on the impartiality of the testimony.\nThe witnesses themselves became confused in their testimonies and could not describe the details of where and how Hakobyan \"committed the crime.\" It turned out that on the day when, according to the case file, Arkady Hakobyan expressed \"hatred or enmity\" against representatives of other religions from the stage, he did not speak at all at a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nArkadya Hakobyan denies the accusations and claims that he never saw prosecution witnesses at religious meetings until the day law enforcement officers came to the Kingdom Hall and banned literature was planted in the building. That day he saw for the first time one of these prosecution witnesses, who tried to smuggle banned literature into the building. Most of the prosecution witnesses he saw only in court or during investigative actions.\nAfter Arkadya Hakobyan delivers his last speech, the judge of the Prokhladnensky District Court will leave for sentencing.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-12-21T12:31:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_ebf358a1894dd600.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_61e31a015a6e0439.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/547/akopyan4501_0_0_0_hu_5b30c12b309343b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/547.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-request","defense-arguments","elderly","fabrications","plant","suspended"],"title":"The prosecutor's office in the city of Prokhladny demanded a 3-year suspended sentence for the believer","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 13, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) informed Jehovah's Witnesses that Russia had commented on the complaint \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russia.\" The substantive remarks state: \"The Government emphasise that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017 and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17 July 2017 do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not contain a restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the above-mentioned doctrine.\"\n\"In view of the foregoing,\" continues Mikhail Galperin, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation, who signed the comments, \" there is no violation of the provisions of the Convention in the present case in connection with the liquidation of the Administrative Center and the prohibition of its activities.\"\n\"The explanations presented to the European Court look mocking, especially for tens of thousands of believers who live in constant fear of a sudden search or arrest,\" believes Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses, \"As a result of the decision taken by the Supreme Court, 62 people, including 7 women, were imprisoned for their faith. Right now, 26 people are languishing in various Russian pre-trial detention centers. By claiming that there are no violations, the authorities only exacerbate the already desperate human rights situation in Russia.\"\nComplaint No. 3215/18 (LRO Glazova and Others v. Russian Federation) was filed on behalf of 395 local religious organizations (LROs) that were liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in April 2017 along with the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The ECHR declared the complaint admissible and indicated that it would consider it as a matter of priority.\nSeparately, complaint No. 10188/17 was filed with the ECHR (\"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\"). Russia sent comments on the merits of this complaint to the ECHR in March 2018. In December 2018, Russia submitted observations to the compensation claims for both complaints. Now the complaints have been referred to the court. A ruling is awaited.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-12-19T15:21:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_affee45bf96b0592.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_e075a8f6fbebffc0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_11acd09eadbdfafb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/546/image_hu_4bb9473a29123698.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/546.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","international","supreme-court","complaints","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"Russia submitted comments to the European Court on the complaint \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russia\"","type":"news"},{"body":"In connection with the ban on activities and the seizure of property, Jehovah's Witnesses filed 2 complaints with the European Court of Human Rights with a total amount of compensation claims of more than 6 billion rubles (79,215,679 euros). In its response sent to the court on 7 December 2018, the Russian Federation rejected all material claims.\nThe amount consists mainly of the cost of worship buildings turned into state income (believers emphasize that their main demand is not money, but the return of real estate). Thus, a large worship complex in the village of Solnechnoye (St. Petersburg) worth about 2 billion rubles was taken away from believers. Russia turned it into its property, but denies it before the ECHR. How is that possible?\nDeputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galperin wrote to the European Court: \"All the listed property at the time of the liquidation of the organization did not belong to the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In particular, according to a certificate from Rosreestr, the real estate listed in paragraph 1 of Appendix 18 belongs to the Watch Tower, Bibles and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania, an organization that is not a complainant to the European Court. Accordingly, the complaint of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in relation to real estate at 6 Srednaya Street in Solnechnoye, St. Petersburg, is not substantiated and is not subject to satisfaction by the court\" (paragraph 8 of the Notes).\nThe position of the Russian authorities in the international court comes into striking conflict with their own position - but in the domestic Russian court. In December 2017, the state appealed to a domestic Russian court, arguing that the Watch Tower Society did not actually own the worship complex, and that the transfer of ownership from the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" to it in 2000 was a sham. The court's decision of December 7, 2017 says: \"The court found that the direct transfer by the donor of the thing into the possession, use and disposal of the donee did not take place, the transactions were not actually executed.\" As a result, the court declared the 17-year-old transaction null and void, and the complex was subject to seizure to the state, as if it still belonged to the \"Administrative Center\". (Earlier, during the hearing in the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Watch Tower Society petitioned to intervene in the case due to the fact that its interests could be affected by the court decision, informed the court about the property available on the territory of Russia, filed a private complaint against the refusal to involve in the case, and even an appeal against the court decision, but to no avail.)\n\"The tricks of the Ministry of Justice look unconvincing,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is sad to realize that Russia \"for export\" is so different from Russia for its own citizens.\nAfter Russia had submitted all its observations, the complaints were referred to the court. The ECHR said it would consider them as a matter of priority. A ruling is awaited.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-12-19T15:15:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_67c35d9be63344c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_f7f64f05b950b3b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/545/_mg_102425992_0_hu_f4e4f4447aef578a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/545.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","administrative-center","echr","compensation","buildings-seizure"],"title":"Russia rejects Jehovah's Witnesses' claims for compensation before the ECHR","type":"news"},{"body":"\"This is complete nonsense, we must carefully look into it,\" Vladimir Putin commented on the inclusion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the list of extremist organizations. The corresponding question was asked to him at a meeting of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, which was held in Moscow on December 11, 2018. \"We have to be much more liberal at some point... Treat all religions equally. [We should not] be enrolled in some kind of destructive, let alone terrorist organizations.\"\nHuman rights activist Ekaterina Shulman. Photo source: www.kremlin.ru\nHuman rights activist Ekaterina Shulman drew attention to the problem. She pointed out that in the official \"List of Terrorists and Extremists\" the majority are 404 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"They certainly do not call for violence and do not carry it out,\" the human rights activist said. In response, Vladimir Putin said: \"Regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. Perhaps we can, and even should at some point, be much more liberal towards representatives of various religious sects, but we must not forget that our society does not consist exclusively of religious sects. 90 percent of the citizens of the Russian Federation or so consider themselves Orthodox Christians. We have three more religions that are practically traditional and receive help from the state. We should treat the representatives of all religions equally, this is true, but we should still take into account the country and the society in which we live. True, this does not mean at all that we should enroll representatives of religious communities in some kind of destructive, let alone terrorist organizations. Of course, this is complete nonsense, we must carefully look into it, here I agree with you. A little later, the President again returned to the topic of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, for which they are persecuted, I also do not really understand.\"\nIn international instances, the Russian government has repeatedly stated that the decisions of the Russian courts on the liquidation and prohibition of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" Meanwhile, dozens of Russian citizens are currently in prison or under house arrest just because they practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-12-17T16:44:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/544/181211_spch6659_hu_6b0abece4848f2bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/544/181211_spch6659.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/544/181211_spch6659_hu_b8b20b5e6209617a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/544/181211_spch6659_hu_f88c8aa341a5bf5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/544.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-right-organizations","human-rights-defenders","international-community","head","presidential-council"],"title":"Vladimir Putin: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, I also don't really understand why they should be persecuted\" ","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 4, 2018, Sergey and Anastasiya Polyakov were placed under house arrest. They spent exactly five months in solitary confinement. By subjecting the spouses to such cruel treatment, law enforcement officers forced them, in fact, to incriminate themselves and other people. Neither the Polyakovs nor dozens of other prisoners for their faith throughout Russia make such a deal with the investigation.\nSince May 2017, a total of 62 people have been imprisoned on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including 7 women! Currently, 26 citizens are still languishing in prisons, 2 of them are women. Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem. Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-12-14T18:08:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_68cd5b9f164575d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_3ed17778b33e9fd0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/543/polyakov_for_site3365_0_hu_312700eae401bb74.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/543.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","families"],"title":"In Omsk, the couple was placed under house arrest after 5 months in solitary confinement for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 9, 2018, at least 8 searches were carried out in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory) in apartments, private houses and non-residential premises of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Konstantin Samsonov (41), Aleksandr Akopov (26) and Shamil Sultanov (41) were sent to jail. Another man is wanted. The criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the Investigative Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Stavropol Territory on December 7, 2017.\nMany law enforcement officers, including those from the regional center, were involved in the searches. In most places, masked soldiers armed with assault rifles drove up in an off-road military truck (Ural).\nCitizens were subjected to degrading treatment. During one search, a woman was forced to fully undress in the presence of witnesses (women). In addition, a minor (17 years old) was subjected to a body search with exposure to his underwear. A woman with group II disability was not allowed to use the toilet for a long time. A young girl, in front of whom the search took place, cried with fear. Another woman required emergency medical attention after the search. An ambulance team was also called to Konstantin Samsonov directly for the court hearing, during which he was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nDuring the searches, books, communication equipment, computers, notebooks, electronic storage devices, personal money, bank cards, vehicle documents, photographs, etc., were seized.\nIt is noteworthy how the FSB motivated the need to detain citizens: \"After the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to ban activities ... Samsonov K.V. did not renounce his religious views\" (the identical wording was also used in the investigator's petition to the court against Shamil Sultanov). Earlier, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\nEarlier, on August 26, 2017, 18 citizens who were vacationing with children on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Neftekumsk, were blocked by a detachment of armed police officers and taken to the police station under the threat of force. In November, 9 searches in the homes of believers were conducted in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-14T15:37:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/537/police-034407_0_5_0_hu_b3a75d6446bf5b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/537/police-034407_0_5_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/537/police-034407_0_5_0_hu_9c2c1347edee10ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/537/police-034407_0_5_0_hu_cec6f3ae74f8e0a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/537.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","new-case","282.2-1","personal-inspection","minors","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Arrests, Searches and a Criminal Case in the Stavropol Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 2, 2018, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a group of more than 10 armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the home of a local resident who was receiving guests in his house that day. All 13 people in the house were suspected of reading the Bible together (officially holding \"collective religious speeches and services\", \"distributing extremist literature\", \"routine training in the postulates of the religious association Jehovah's Witnesses\", \"watching videos of a banned religious structure\") and taken for interrogation to the investigative department. It became known that a criminal case was initiated against 44-year-old local resident Sergey Ledenev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization), and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him.\nThis is at least the third criminal case for faith initiated in Kamchatka against citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory) was initiated on July 25, 2018 under Parts 1 and 1.1 of Article 282.2 (organization of the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). On July 30, 2018, a series of searches were carried out in the city, Mikhail and Elena Popov were arrested. Later, the measure of restraint was mitigated. Mikhail spent 11 days behind bars, Yelena - 12 days behind bars and under house arrest. The investigation is ongoing.\nThe case of the Bazhenov spouses and others in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory) was initiated on August 17, 2018 under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activities). On August 19, 2018, searches were conducted in the city in 4 apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Konstantin Bazhenov and his wife Snezhana, as well as 71-year-old Vera Zolotova, were sent to a temporary detention center. After 2 days in the isolation ward, the women were released. Later, Konstantin Bazhenov was also sent on his own recognizance not to leave (he was released from custody by an appeal decision of the court), having spent 11 days behind bars.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem. Believers insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-06T15:20:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/529/kamchatka-01_0_hu_5d69934b29636179.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/529/kamchatka-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/529/kamchatka-01_0_hu_e7653ac47ea518db.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/529/kamchatka-01_0_hu_3c3274413462a6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/529.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","282.2-1","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The Third Criminal Case for Faith in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 25, 2018, in the city of Spassk-Dalny (Primorye Territory), five people were detained and sent to an isolation ward in the wake of searches in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two days later, 28-year-old Dmitry Malevan, 59-year-old Alexei Trofimov, 59-year-old Olga Panyuta and 66-year-old Olga Opaleva were placed under house arrest. One man was released without a preventive measure.\nIt is noteworthy that on November 13, 2 weeks before this happened in reality, the media, citing the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, disseminated information about the arrest of 5 believers. It was also reported that a criminal case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization).\nEarlier, in Spassk-Dalny, an FSB operation took place to disrupt a friendly meeting. On the evening of August 12, 2018, at least 17 FSB officers invaded rented premises on Krasnoznamennaya Street in Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory), where a friendly meeting was taking place with the participation of 28 people. Phones and tablets were seized from those present. Until late at night, citizens were asked questions under the protocol, for example: was the name \"Jehovah\" pronounced at the meeting? Was the Bible read in the New World Translation? The basis for these actions was the decision to conduct a number of operational-search activities \"Inspection of premises, buildings, structures, terrain and vehicles\", which was issued on August 10, 2018 by the acting head of the Service in the village of Kamen-Rybolov of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory. As a result, the rented premises were searched, as well as the houses and cars of several citizens.\nThus, a total of at least four criminal cases have been initiated in the Primorye Territory against citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case of Valentin Osadchuk is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. The case of Dmitry Barmakin, who came to take care of his wife's sick mother, but instead ended up in a pre-trial detention center, is being investigated by the body of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky district of Vladivostok. The case in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), during which a brutal military operation against civilians was carried out, is being investigated by the Investigative Department for the Nadezhdinsky District of the Investigative Committee of Russia. Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-06T15:15:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_a7e12beae6cb7bec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_d58f9b884b44bb7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/528/depositphotos_75905113_5_hu_eb91f4ca8be731ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/528.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs","house-arrest","elderly","interrogation"],"title":"Primorye: Criminal Case and Arrests in Spassk-Dalniy","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 23, 2018, in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region), searches were carried out in the homes of 2 citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In one case, underage children observed searches of their homes.\nDuring the searches, a copy of the Bible in the translation of the Orthodox Archimandrite Macarius, the New Testament in church translation, a scientific monograph on religious studies, as well as notebooks, personal notes, a mobile phone, a computer, flash drives and tablets were seized from citizens.\nIn April 2018, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were arrested during violent assaults on 7 apartments belonging to citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. After 176 days in pre-trial detention, they were placed under house arrest. According to the investigation, they held worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). Believers view the actions of law enforcement officers as a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-12-06T15:13:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/12/527/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_hu_ef9922f011dd685f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/12/527/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/12/527/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_hu_9ee4384f48cdbbd9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/12/527/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_0_hu_a56c2aa557bee22e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/12/527.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","minors"],"title":"New searches of believers in the Murmansk region","type":"news"},{"body":"More than 200 police and FSB officers were involved during the raid conducted on November 15, 2018 in the city of Dzhankoy (Crimea). That evening, FSB officers, with the support of the police, invaded at least 8 homes of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 25 law enforcement officers were thrown to storm each of the houses.\nA criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against 46-year-old Sergey Filatov, a father of four children. More than 35 law enforcement officers drove up to his house in 3 minibuses, several official cars and a 50-seater bus, about half of them were special forces soldiers armed with pistols. Some cars were without license plates, some had visible numbers of the Rostov region. Sergey Filatov's house was searched, he was interrogated and released on his own recognizance.\nIt is known that the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the Center for Countering Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Crimea, and police officers from the regions of Russia participated in the military operation. According to media reports, law enforcement officers from Moscow also participated in the operation. CCTV footage shows that law enforcement officers, armed with devices for breaking doors, without knocking or ringing, put a ladder to the gate and entered households, knocking out doors.\nLaw enforcement officers acted rudely, allowing derogatory comments about believers. After the search, two citizens discovered the loss of cash savings - large sums of money. In another case, the loss of jewelry made of precious metal was discovered.\n78-year-old Alexander Urs had his hands twisted behind his back, because of which he fell. He was forcibly lifted and, turning his face to the wall, was pushed hard against the wall. From hitting the wall, a hematoma remained on his face. Many hematomas are also recorded on the legs. In Soviet times, Alexander Ursu was repressed for his faith, and was later rehabilitated. During the search, the 50-year-old believer's blood pressure rose, part of his face, torso and arm were paralyzed. An ambulance was called, the man was hospitalized with a microstroke.\nDuring the search, one of the women had high blood pressure and an ambulance was called. While medics treated the 53-year-old woman, law enforcement officers continued to search her home.\nOne of the men, returning home the next morning after interrogation, found a rout in his house. His 22-year-old wife was taken to the hospital. As a result of psychological trauma, she had a miscarriage. The young couple have no children and are grieving the tragedy.\nA criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Lieutenant of Justice A. Chumakin. The investigation was entrusted to a team of investigators consisting of 11 people. According to investigators, Sergey Filatov continued the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the Supreme Court of Russia in 2017. This activity allegedly was expressed \"in holding meetings, religious speeches, as well as promoting the religious ideas of the said organization, using for these purposes the dwelling at the place of its registration and actual residence.\"\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to such criminal cases in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-28T15:56:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_37494ef6b6a5b07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_6d5917184f84daec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/526/web_image_filatov_sergey_hu_b91600ae55b2ad0e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/526.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly","siloviks-violence","health-risk"],"title":"The Dzhankoy Searches Are the Largest Operation Against Believers in Recent Times","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 21, 2018, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), starting at 6 a.m., 9 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Computers and other electronic devices were seized from believers.\nDuring one of the searches, a man, a disabled person of group I, was detained. During another search, spouses with a one-year-old child were detained. The child was left in the care of one of the relatives. During the interrogation, the 77-year-old believer required emergency medical attention. All those who were detained for questioning were released. It is not known whether a criminal case has been opened and what the believers are suspected of. The searches in the homes of believers, which take place throughout Russia, were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-27T23:15:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/525/police-034407_0_5_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/525.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","disability","minors","elderly"],"title":"Mass Searches of Believers in Nevinnomyssk ","type":"news"},{"body":"During the FSB's November operation against Jehovah's Witnesses, 78-year-old Alexandr Ursu, who has a certificate of rehabilitation as a victim of political repression, was knocked down. In a 3-minute interview, he talks about the tragic events of the past, which are repeated in the present.\nAlexandru Ursu: \"It was July 6, 1949. I was nine and a half. It was still dark in the morning when we were woken up. When we broke in, we saw that they were military men. They came in and read out that they were evicting them to an eternal settlement. Two soldiers began to tear things from the walls that were on the walls, and put them together: take it, because it will be useful to you with you.\nWhile others were brought and put in a wagon, relatives from our village brought us something from food. Because there was almost nothing to take with us, we did not know that we would be evicted. There was no warning, it was all sudden.\nThere were already bunks in two floors in the car. We were accommodated on the ground floor. There is another family above, there were two old ones traveling with us. On the contrary, the other two families were in this car, it was a two-axle car. They had just had a little child, two or three months old. And most of it... There were cries because it was very hot. And the heat became when we were kept for hours somewhere on a station or in the steppe. And the air came only through a small window, through which even my head could hardly crawl to look. Then the brothers made a toilet. They cut a hole in the floor and made a screen so that they could go to the toilet.\nThere was always hunger. All the time - hunger and hunger.\nWe were taken to the border of the Kurgan and Tyumen regions. To the dead end, to the wilderness...\"\nNovember 15, 2018, Dzhankoy. The FSB, with the support of riot police, carried out brutal incursions into the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nFSB officer: \"You don't need to shoot.\"\nUnknown voice: \"What's going on, please tell me?\"\nFSB officer: \"Some organization banned in Russia, sectarians. Investigative actions are underway, so please do not interfere.\"\nAs of November 19, 2018, 93 people across Russia are subjected to various forms of criminal prosecution on suspicion of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 47 people (including 2 EU citizens) were taken into custody. 25 people (including 3 women) remain in the pre-trial detention center. 23 people are under house arrest. More than 35 people are under recognizance not to leave. Most face 6 to 10 years in prison.\nPunitive authorities in modern Russia consider any worship of Jehovah as participation in the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially declares that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"eyewitnesses","date":"2018-11-19T16:30:24+03:00","duration":"2:51","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_1c923e3073ba4c51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_337acac03a7a655d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/518/dzhankoy_ursu_0_hu_d6549084f3c55e90.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/518.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","elderly","siloviks-violence","deportation","ussr"],"title":"Crimea: the rehabilitated is again subjected to repression (video)","type":"video"},{"body":"78-year-old Alexander Petrovich Ursu, who was repressed for his faith and later recognized as an innocent victim, was pressed against the wall and fell to his knees, handcuffed. This happened on the evening of November 15, 2018 in the city of Dzhankoy (Crimea), where the FSB, with the support of riot police, carried out gross incursions into the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. A criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against a 46-year-old local resident Sergey Filatov. The arrests are not yet known, the handcuffs of Alexandr Ursu have been removed.\nThe Russian authorities in 2018 are repeating the tragic mistake made during the Stalinist period. Since the early 1930s, Alexandr Ursu's family has considered itself to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the 1940s, his father, uncle and grandfather were sent to labor camps because of their religion. In 1947, with a serious injury, but alive, only his father returned. \"When I was nine years old, our family and hundreds of other Witnesses from Moldavia were exiled to Siberia,\" Alexander Ursu said in his autobiography, \"On July 6, 1949, we were loaded into cattle cars, and we traveled non-stop for 12 days. Having covered more than six thousand kilometers, we arrived at the Lebyazhye station. The local authorities were already waiting for us there. We were divided into small groups and immediately settled in different places. For our group, a small empty school became home. We were exhausted and depressed.\" Later, Alexandru Ursu was repeatedly subjected to various forms of pressure from the state security agencies, including searches in his house. On May 21, 1991, Alexandr Ursu was rehabilitated in accordance with the Decree \"On additional measures to restore justice for the victims of repressions that took place in the period of the 30-40s and early 50s\". Certificate of rehabilitation No. 23 was issued to him on 17 June 1991.\nPunitive authorities in modern Russia consider any worship of Jehovah as participation in the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially declares that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-16T16:42:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_24c79b751c8a428f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_98b1c69a897dd89d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/517/ursu_aleksandr6523_hu_c3a40c30185a4f08.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/517.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","siloviks-violence","deportation","ussr","new-case","282.2-1"],"title":"Crimea: A Believer, a Victim of Political Repression, Was Injured in a Force Operation","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 15, 2018, the Court of Appeal overturned the order for further detention of Dmitry Mikhailov, a 40-year-old resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He left pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region after spending almost six months in it.\nThe case of the Mikhailov spouses and others in Shuya was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, the Mikhailovs, together with unidentified persons, participated in worship services. The Investigative Committee mistakenly interprets this as participation in and financing of the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), while the Russian government officially states that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition on the individual practice of the above doctrine.\" \"There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic,\" the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights said in a statement .\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-16T16:41:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_7bb0d60fd9bbc441.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_ce983dddb58476af.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_f125094a89e54bd3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/516/mikhailov_hu_92ec76482237c51c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/516.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Ivanovo region, a believer left the pre-trial detention center after 171 days in custody","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 9, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan decided to transfer under house arrest three Chelny residents who remained in the Chistopol pre-trial detention center because of their religious beliefs. On November 13, 2018, Vladimir Myakushin and Aidar Yulmetyev left the pre-trial detention center after 170 days in it.\nEarlier, the same court placed a 4th prisoner, Ilham Karimov, under house arrest. He was released from the detention center 7 days after the decree came into force.\nThe case of Karimov and others in Naberezhnye Chelny was initiated under Parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution claims that these citizens worshipped Jehovah God, and interprets this not as their constitutional right to freedom of religion, but as \"organization\", \"participation\" and \"involvement in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nMeanwhile, the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is sounding the alarm: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-14T17:18:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_4d9b0f700cb05c38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_47e317bbf397c366.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/515/depositphotos_36128927_0_hu_801a71917c6929b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/515.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"Tatarstan: three more transferred from pre-trial detention center to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 12, 2018, the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk sent to jail 46-year-old Vitaly Zhuk, 48-year-old Nikolai Polevodov and 50-year-old Stanislav Kim, suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The arrests were preceded by an operation with the participation of riot police to capture citizens who had gathered in a café for a friendly non-religious meeting.\nOn November 10, 2018, a friendly meeting was held in a rented café in Khabarovsk, which was attended by about 55 people. The purpose of the meeting was to treat and entertain, it was not religious in nature. Half an hour after the start, at least 30 riot policemen led by FSB investigators suddenly invaded the building, breaking down the doors. The fighters dispersed around the perimeter of the room, ordered everyone to stay in their seats and forbade touching phones and tablets. After that, everyone who was in the café was interrogated (including minors), fingerprinted and photographed, and many had their tablets and phones seized. All this lasted 5 hours. Several men and a woman of retirement age were detained and taken away for searches. On November 12, 2018, Svetlana Telina, judge of the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk, decided to arrest Vitaliy Zhuk for 2 months. Following him, Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\nA criminal case under 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated on November 10, 2018 by the Investigative Directorate for the city of Khabarovsk of the Investigative Committee of the Khabarovsk Territory. Vitaliy Zhuk, Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov are prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organization of activities of an extremist community\"), and two women, one of them of retirement age, are prosecuted under Part 2 (\"participation in the activities of an extremist community\"). The proceedings in the case were entrusted to a group of 8 investigators, the investigator for especially important cases D. Shlenchak was appointed its head.\nEarlier, on August 2, 2018, the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least 4 houses of Khabarovsk residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 51-year-old Valery Moskalenko was sent to pre-trial detention center-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-13T16:53:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/514/police-034407_0_2_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/514.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["leisure-disruption","sizo","interrogation","elderly","282.2-2"],"title":"In Khabarovsk, the disruption of a friendly meeting, searches and new arrests for faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 8, 2018, searches were conducted in Novosibirsk in at least 10 homes of civilians who were suspected of jointly practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 64-year-old Yuriy Prokopievich Savelyev was arrested. By order of Maria Shishkina, judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until January 7, 2019.\nOperational activities were led by the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region. According to eyewitnesses, during the invasion of one of the apartments, where guests gathered at that time, law enforcement officers pointed the muzzle of a machine gun at civilians. In total, at least 19 people, including a young girl, suffered morally from the actions of law enforcement officers. During the searches, personal belongings were seized from citizens.\nThe events in Novosibirsk were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-12T22:30:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_3b889cc6cc5f80c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_935fc167bb6f77de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/513/signal-2018-11-12-1336136515_hu_8dadc7513e520684.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/513.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches and a Criminal Case for Faith in Novosibirsk","type":"news"},{"body":"Roman Khairullin, a 37-year-old Izhevsk resident, who in 2017 committed a pogrom in the building where Jehovah's Witnesses had previously held services, sentenced the magistrate's court to 11 months of suspended imprisonment, to pay compensation for damages and legal costs in total.\nOn the night of May 20, 2017, in the wake of the aggression against believers that swept across Russia after the liquidation of all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations, Roman Khairullin entered a building on Krasnoposselskaya Street in Izhevsk through a broken window. With a heavy metal object, he destroyed furniture, a false ceiling, interior doors, audio and video equipment, tore out metal electrical panels, and activated fire extinguishers. The man explained his barbaric actions by a negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The actions of Roman Khairullin were recorded by CCTV cameras.\n","category":"victory","date":"2018-11-12T22:29:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_1fd55b8976a5133e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_df4b52a9790376ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/512/izhevsk-top3278_0_hu_8d505f46d3a324ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/512.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","violent-raid","hatred-attacks","suspended"],"title":"In Udmurtia, a sentence was passed for a pogrom committed on the basis of hatred","type":"news"},{"body":"In October 2018, during a break between meetings, Dennis Christensen had a few moments to show his friends in the room some of the hundreds of letters of support from Russia and other countries that he receives in prison (see slideshow):\nBy that time, Christensen had already spent 525 days in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region due to the fact that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The punisher of \"heterodoxy\" in the region is the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Oryol region, which opened a case and insisted on the most severe measure of restraint for a peaceful law-abiding person. There are no victims in his case.\nChristensen admits that the letters, including children's drawings, are a great support for him. He expressed his gratitude to everyone who comes to court hearings to support him. By October 30, 2018, Christensen had already appeared in court 49 times.\n","category":"prison","date":"2018-11-09T23:49:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/511/044084_hu_f0af32e84df22f7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/511/044084.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/511/044084_hu_2f866b73cab995c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/511/044084_hu_4f19e2165c404728.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/511.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liberty-deprivation","letters"],"title":"Dennis Christensen receives letters of support","type":"news"},{"body":"In October 2018, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol held 11 court hearings in the case of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, who faces up to 10 years in prison (under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) solely on the grounds that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case is being heard by Judge Alexei Rudnev.\nOn October 8, 10, 15-17, 22-24, 2018, the court examined religious books in digital format found on the computer seized from Dennis Christensen. In the courtroom, excerpts from these books and pamphlets were read, namely the encouragement to maintain peaceful relations with people, to strengthen family ties, especially if the life partner has a different religion.\nThe prosecution paid attention to the passages explaining who the elders of the Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses are, what their pastoral care is, and what personal requirements they must meet. In particular, the instructions listed in the New Testament that each of them \"should be impeccable, the husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sensible, collected, hospitable, able to teach, should not make drunken scandals, beat others, but be prudent, not belligerent, not love money, manage their household well ...\" The lawyers could only notice that the appearance of a man who was completely different from the criminal was looming. The prosecutor also drew attention to a quote from the New Testament Acts of the Apostles: \"We must obey God more than men.\" When Dennis Christensen was asked, \"Do you know of any cases in which Jehovah's Witnesses refused to obey the laws of the state by opting for God's laws?\" he replied that he knew of one such case—when German Jehovah's Witnesses went to concentration camps during World War II instead of the Eastern Front, refusing to kill Russian soldiers.\nThe lawyers also noted that none of the books or pamphlets found by the prosecution were recognized as \"extremist\".\nOn October 24, 2018, the court once again extended Christensen's detention for 3 months - until February 1, 2019. The next day, a complaint was filed against this decision.\nOn October 29, 2018, the court examined electronic files from tablets seized from other believers. The very fact that citizens used books in electronic form, the prosecution interprets as a measure of conspiracy. Lawyers consider this interpretation far-fetched.\nDescribing the seized files, the investigator unreasonably attributed them as belonging to the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses Orel. When the lawyers drew attention to this, the judge asked the prosecutor if there was any information about the LRO in the files. The prosecutor was forced to answer that he did not. Christensen also clarified that he had nothing to do with these files.\nReviewing the next evidence of Christensen's guilt, invested in the case by investigators, the lawyers drew the court's attention to photographs where Christensen and his wife were filmed in a supermarket next to a man in a fairy-tale character costume. The lawyers asked what these and many other similar \"evidence\" prove. They do not prove anything and are invested in the case only for volume, which reflects the essence of this criminal case, based on nothing, the lawyers concluded.\nOn October 30, 2018, the court continued to examine the case materials. The prosecutor read out various bank statements dating back to 2016. While announcing them, the prosecutor repeated the phrase \"it does not matter for this criminal case\" several times, so the court asked: \"If the materials are not relevant to this case, then why are we wasting time here?\" The prosecutor refused to disclose the next protocol of 48 points.\nTrying to prove Christensen's guilt, the prosecution also attached to the case file a certificate from the military commissariat about 9 conscripts who refused to serve in the army, citing their religious beliefs. The lawyers drew attention to the fact that the wording used by the prosecution \"refused to serve in the army\" is incorrect, since the state provides citizens with alternative service. When choosing an alternative, a citizen strictly follows the law. The lawyer then read out where each of the 9 young men had been sent for alternative service. Some served at the Russian Post, others in the gerontological center, caring for the elderly. The lawyer suggested thinking about the feelings of the elderly who were cared for by these people, and how they were grateful to them. Young believers, without a doubt, gave their civic duty to the state.\nOn October 31, 2018, the initiative in reviewing the case materials passed to the defense. The lawyers drew the court's attention to the fact that after the case was initiated against Christensen, the investigation did not arrest him for some time. This means that the investigator himself did not believe that Christensen could go into hiding. Consequently, his detention is unreasonable.\nIn addition, the lawyers identified defects in the examinations available in the case.\nFurther hearings in this case are scheduled in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel (Maxim Gorky St., 45-a) on November 6, 7, 12, 14, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-11-09T23:44:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/510/depositphotos_15812491_1_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/510.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","sizo","first-instance"],"title":"October 2018. Review of the hearings in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Ilham Karimov is to be placed under house arrest after 160 days spent in a pre-trial detention center in Chistopol, Tatarstan. This was ordered on November 2, 2018 by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, canceling the decision of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court, which in October extended the believer's detention until December 25, 2018. Despite the fact that the ruling of a higher court was issued 6 days ago, Ilham Karimov has not yet left the pre-trial detention center due to the slowness of the document flow.\nThe case against Ilham Karimov, as well as Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov and Aidar Yulmetyev was initiated under Parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The prosecution claims that these citizens worshipped Jehovah God, and interprets this not as an exercise of their constitutional right to freedom of religion, but as \"organization\", \"participation\" and \"involvement in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nMeanwhile, the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights is sounding the alarm: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-11-08T17:21:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_11d842b8a26d1fa4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_a2d9a17fc807ab9b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/509/15098_0_0_hu_1c0902adf5aec438.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/509.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"One of the 4 taken into custody in Naberezhnye Chelny will be transferred to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"Searches of approximately 20 apartments and houses where citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses live took place on November 7, 2018, starting at 5:00 a.m. They were sanctioned by the Central District Court of Krasnoyarsk in the criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov, who was arrested on July 3, 2018 on charges of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nDuring the searches, phones, tablets, computers, flash drives, notebooks, photographs and the like were seized. After the searches, almost all citizens were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. Some were detained for more than 3 hours. There is no information about new arrests. FSB officers took an active part in the events. Some were threatened with criminal prosecution if they refused to testify against fellow believers.\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to such criminal cases in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-11-07T17:21:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/11/508/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_hu_7375bd76d581940f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/11/508/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/11/508/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_hu_7ce6593ef8506c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/11/508/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_0_hu_18703cef708c35f2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/508.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Krasnoyarsk: new mass searches in the homes of believers  ","type":"news"},{"body":"A schematic statement of the facts relating to the criminal prosecution in Russia of a Danish citizen because of his religion.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2018-11-07T12:00:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2018/11/507.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"Prisoner of Conscience by Dennis Christensen (infographic)","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 31, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan softened the measure of restraint for 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev from Dyurtyuli (Bashkiria). He was placed under house arrest after 14 days spent in pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Having placed Anton Lemeshev under house arrest, the court banned him from correspondence and telephone conversations, as well as communication with people involved in his criminal case as witnesses or suspects.\nAnton Lemeshev was detained on October 18, 2018. On that day, at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case under Article 282.2 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the Dyurtyulinsky Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia on September 20, 2018. Investigator R. Farrakhov motivated his decision to initiate the case: \"An unidentified person ... reliably knowing that a religious organization ... recognized as extremist ... deliberately organized the activities of a local religious organization in the city of Dyurtyuli.\" It is not known how the investigator established that the \"unidentified person\" acted \"deliberately\" and that this person not only exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion, but \"organized the activities of a local religious organization.\"\nThis is not the first such case in Bashkiria. In April 2018, 32-year-old Anatoliy Vilitkevich was arrested. He spent 71 days in the Ufa pre-trial detention center, and was later transferred to house arrest. His arrest was also a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-31T17:54:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_6bf4a94fe978a20f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_2779808be82817fc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/505/vs_rb_ufa6268_hu_555f4f6263359dc3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/505.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","supreme-court","sizo"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Bashkortostan transferred the believer to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that from September 24 to September 26, 2018, the Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory initiated at least 4 more criminal cases against local residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist community). Earlier in Perm, 2 criminal cases for faith had already been initiated: one is being investigated by the Investigative Committee, the second by the FSB.\nOn May 22, 2018, employees of the Investigative Committee detained Aleksandr Solovyov and his wife at the exit from the train in Perm. After 2 days in the detention center, Solovyov was placed under house arrest. Later, on September 17, 2018, in a number of cities of the Perm Territory, the FSB conducted rolling searches in the homes of citizens. After 3 days of detention in the detention center, Igor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov were placed under house arrest.\nIn total, more than 90 criminal cases for faith have been initiated in 30 regions of Russia. In 30 criminal cases against citizens, a preventive measure related to detention or house arrest has been chosen. Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-10-26T21:25:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/504/depositphotos_75905113_4_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/504/depositphotos_75905113_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/504/depositphotos_75905113_4_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/504/depositphotos_75905113_4_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/504.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","house-arrest","ivs","search"],"title":"4 more criminal cases for faith in Perm","type":"news"},{"body":"In September 2018, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol held 4 court hearings in the case of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, who faces up to 10 years in prison (under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) solely on the grounds that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case is being heard by Judge Alexei Rudnev.\nOn September 4 and 5, 2018 , the court examined the materials found on electronic digital media seized during searches from Dennis and Irina Christensen, as well as from other believers in Oryol. Individual files (correspondence) were examined behind closed doors.\nOn September 25 and 26, 2018 , the court continued to examine the files found on the computers and phones seized from believers. The prosecutor drew attention to materials related to religious topics: books in electronic formats, abstracts, etc. On one of the media, a file was found with the text of a dialogue about faith, during which a website included in the FSEM was mentioned. However, in the course of studying the properties of this file, it was found that it was created long before the period imputed to Christensen, in 2013. Moreover, the file was found on the digital media not of Dennis Christensen, but of another person.\nFurther hearings in this case are scheduled in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel (Maxim Gorky St., 45-a) on October 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-10-23T15:50:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/495/depositphotos_15812491_2_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/495/depositphotos_15812491_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/495/depositphotos_15812491_2_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/495/depositphotos_15812491_2_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/495.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"September 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 18, 2018, in the city of Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan), at least 11 searches were conducted in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev was arrested, he was sent to the pre-trial detention center until November 20, 2018.\nThe searches began early in the morning and lasted for 2-3 hours. All electronic devices, phones, computers, SIM cards, money, bank cards, passports, postcards, photographs, personal letters were seized. 15 people, including a minor girl, were taken to the investigative committee for questioning. After interrogation, most were released.\nIt is not yet known what exactly Anton Lemeshev and other citizens are suspected of.\nEarlier, on April 10, 2018, after mass searches in the capital of Bashkortostan, 32-year-old Anatoly Vilitkevich was arrested. He is charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization) due to the fact that he allegedly professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. After 2 days, he was sent to Ufa pre-trial detention center No. 1, where he spent 71 days. He is currently under house arrest. His arrest was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority. Meanwhile, dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-10-19T17:02:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_17f57f64d6549234.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_d582e8f1ef3e37e5.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/494/dyurtyulinskiy_rayonnyy_sud3928_hu_214900fb67151a47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/494.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","minors"],"title":"In Bashkiria, a new criminal case for faith and arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, Lyudmila Kuzub, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, sent Maria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina, who live in Sychevka (Smolensk region), to prison. Women are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to the judge's decision, women must stay in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center at least until November 19, 2018.\nMaria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina were detained during mass searches conducted on October 7, 2018 by officers of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region. A criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist community). The special services, in fact, deny Smolensk residents the constitutional right to freedom of religion, charging ordinary citizens who have been seen in worshiping Jehovah God with continuing the activities of a religious organization liquidated by the court. On that day, at least 17 citizens, including minors, suffered from the actions of the Smolensk special services. All of them experienced severe stress, were searched, personal belongings were seized.\nThere are now three women in prison in Russia on charges of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses: Maria Troshina, Nataliya Sorokina, and Anastasia Polyakova, who has been in Detention Center No. 1 in the Omsk Region for 104 days (at the time of publication) since her and her husband's arrest on July 4, 2018. Another 4 women spent from 2 to 4 days in temporary detention centers, but later their preventive measure was mitigated. Currently, 14 women believers are under recognizance not to leave or under a ban on certain actions.\nMaria Troshina and Nataliya Sorokina are being held in Detention Center No. 1 in the Smolensk Region.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-15T22:01:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_44c855f621c37b18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_af9eabce823a03cd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/493/sorokina-troshina6110_hu_6c88470f4660755f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/493.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","new-case","282.2-2","search"],"title":"Smolensk: 2 more women sent to prison for their faith ","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, in the city of Kirov, during a search in the house of pensioner Vladimir Bogomolov, who collects artifacts from the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), investigators seized fragments of obviously incapable rusted shells. The man was searched because his 69-year-old wife (the only one of her entire family) professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The woman does not share her husband's passion for antiques. Thus, the report that the ammunition was allegedly seized from Jehovah's Witnesses is not true.\nJehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms for reasons of conscience. For this position, they appeared before the tribunals of different countries and went to concentration camps. They will be grateful to the media for clarifying the misunderstanding.\nVladimir Bogomolov, from whom the relics were seized, in the past an active participant in the search movement (aimed at burying the remains of soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War), the foreman of the search party. The activities of his detachment were written in the newspapers. On October 9, 2018, a criminal case was opened on the discovery of artifacts on illegal possession of weapons, it was separated into a separate proceeding. The items were sent for examination.\nThe criminal prosecution of peaceful believers, including searches and arrests of civilians in Kirov, was the result of a miscarriage of justice—the recognition of all registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia as \"extremist.\" Believers will appeal this decision to the European Court of Human Rights. The Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation expresses concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"crime","date":"2018-10-12T19:19:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_caee271291cb7333.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_e5eb64641ac75ca9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/489/depositphotos_215301272_hu_20f15e060acd3cb7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/489.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","new-case","fabrications"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with ammunition in Kirov","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 10, 2018, the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region decided to soften the preventive measure for 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov and 44-year-old Roman Markin and transferred them to house arrest. They were arrested on April 18, 2018 by officers of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region.\nBoth face up to 10 years in prison under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist community\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and declared \"extremist\" all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" A total of at least 43 people were sent to prison, most of them, 26 people, are still in pre-trial detention centers or temporary detention facilities, the rest of the measure of restraint has been mitigated.\nAt the same time, in the ECHR, the Russian Government argues that the decision of the Supreme Court and the appellate ruling by which it was upheld \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually\" (paragraph 91 of the comments of the Russian Federation on complaint No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\"). Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-11T16:46:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_7fd19a952fd3e405.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_c998da7503a765a6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/488/markov-trofimov6032_hu_f55e9e5d6c14d869.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/488.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Murmansk, after 176 days in pre-trial detention, two believers were placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 7, 2018, officers of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region, together with operatives of the Center for Counteracting Extremism and SOBR fighters, conducted a series of searches in the homes of Smolensk residents suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the city of Sychevka (Smolensk region), 2 women did not get in touch for the third day: Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina. Presumably, they were arrested, because, according to neighbors, they were taken away in an unknown direction by the officers who conducted the search.\nIt became known that a criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist community). According to the interpretation of the Smolensk FSB, unidentified persons continued the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", which was liquidated by the court in 2017. On October 2, 2018, Andrey Lantsov, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, issued permits for searches in the homes of citizens whom the FSB considers to be related to the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-10-10T17:01:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/487/depositphotos_75905113_3_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/487/depositphotos_75905113_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/487/depositphotos_75905113_3_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/487/depositphotos_75905113_3_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/487.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-2"],"title":"Two women arrested for their faith in Smolensk region","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2018, searches were carried out in Kirov in the homes of citizens accused of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as relatives who do not share their beliefs. 5 people were detained, including a foreigner. According to investigators, the question of the further measure of restraint for them should be decided on October 10-11, 2018.\nThe list of detainees includes 50-year-old Andrzej Oniszczuk (a citizen of the Republic of Poland living in Russia), 65-year-old Vladimir Korobeynikov, 25-year-old Andrey Suvorkov, 40-year-old Yevgeny Suvorkov and 44-year-old Maxim Khalturin. During searches in their homes, all electronic devices were seized. The investigating authorities searched not only believers, but also their relatives who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case was initiated by investigators of the Investigative Committee under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist community) and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of extremist activities). The official report of the investigation states that the citizens \"organized meetings of followers and participants of this association in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs, improving the skills of missionary activity, studying religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials Containing Doctrine Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAs can be seen, this criminal case is a direct consequence of the decision of the Vyborg City Court to recognize as extremist material the translation of the Bible into modern Russian, which was seized at customs from Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAfter the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and declared all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations \"extremist\", law enforcement agencies throughout the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"org","date":"2018-10-10T15:31:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/486/depositphotos_21862193_1_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/486.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","elderly","families","new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"title":"In Kirov, a new criminal case for faith and the arrest of 5 citizens, including a Polish citizen","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 5, 2018, the Magadan Regional Court decided to soften the measure of restraint for 65-year-old Sergey Yerkin, 41-year-old Yevgeny Zyablov and 41-year-old Ivan Puida and transferred them to house arrest. They were arrested on May 30, 2018 by officers of the Magadan Region Directorate of the FSB of Russia.\nEarlier, on August 3, 2018, the court sent under house arrest another defendant in this case, 31-year-old Konstantin Petrov, who was also arrested on May 30.\nAll four face up to 10 years in prison under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist community\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). After the Russian Supreme Court liquidated and declared \"extremist\" all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" A total of at least 37 people were sent to prison (pre-trial detention center or temporary detention facility), most of them, 21 people, are still in pre-trial detention, the rest of the preventive measure was mitigated. At the same time, in the ECHR, the Russian Government argues that the decision of the Supreme Court and the appellate ruling by which it was upheld \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually\" (par. 91). Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression. ","category":"restriction","date":"2018-10-05T20:10:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/10/485/puyda_erkin_zyablov5992_hu_19f5dfc13b3f762.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/10/485/puyda_erkin_zyablov5992.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/10/485/puyda_erkin_zyablov5992_hu_6784ae3986bf7ea0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/10/485/puyda_erkin_zyablov5992_hu_c455c5171aa4c1c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/10/485.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest"],"title":"In Magadan, after 129 days in pre-trial detention, three believers were placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 26, 2018, Christina Arriaga, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), announced the inclusion of Dennis Christensen, who has been in a Russian prison for almost a year and a half for his faith, on the organization's list of \"Religious Prisoners of Conscience.\" The list is intended to focus the Commission's work on the release of specific prisoners and to draw attention to their plight and the general state of religious freedom in their countries.\nThe Commission's official press release states: \"Dennis Christensen was arrested in Oryol on 25 May 2017 following an attack on a prayer service in which he was participating. As of September 13, 2018, Christensen has appeared 38 times before the Oryol District Court. He faces up to 10 years in prison. [...] In April 2017, Russia's Supreme Court declared Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization and banned its activities.\"\n\"However, these religious groups only seek to practice their views peacefully and without fear,\" the press release also says.- At the time of his arrest, Dennis was reading the Bible with his fellow believers. The international community must uphold internationally recognized human rights and press for the release of... Dennis and many other citizens imprisoned in Russia for their religious beliefs and activities.\"\nIn 2018, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom listed Russia as a \"Country of Particular Concern.\" According to the Commission's regulations, these are countries whose governments commit systematic, persistent and egregious violations of religious freedom.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-09-27T18:06:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/481/kristensen_web5841_hu_89399db99162b020.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/481/kristensen_web5841.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/481/kristensen_web5841_hu_4c340c6a3c58a4b1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/481/kristensen_web5841_hu_239236ac8c8c739d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/481.html","regions":["oryol","usa"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-rights-defenders","analytics","expert-comments","expert-conclusions","international"],"title":"USCIRF Recognizes One of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a Prisoner of Conscience","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2018, Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galperin asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to grant Russia an additional 3-month grace period to prepare comments on the claims for compensation in complaints No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\" and No. 3215/18 \"LRO Glazova and Others v. Russian Federation\". The court granted a reprieve until December 7, 2018.\nThe total amount of compensation claims for these complaints exceeds 6 billion rubles (79,215,679 euros). The complaints were filed in connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to liquidate and ban the activities of all registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as to turn all their property, primarily all worship buildings, into state revenue.\nIn their application for compensation, the believers emphasize that the main requirement for the Russian Federation is the return of confiscated real estate throughout Russia.\nThe ECHR declared complaints No. 10188/17 and No. 3215/18 admissible and said that it would consider them as a matter of priority. In March 2018, the Russian government sent its comments to the Strasbourg Court on the merits of complaint No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\", stressing that the decision of the Supreme Court and the appellate ruling by which it was upheld \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teaching individually\" (par. 91). However, less than a month after this statement, mass searches and arrests of believers began in Russia, which is of the greatest concern as a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court.\nMikhail Galperin justified the delay in preparing comments on compensation claims by the large number of applicants and the large amount of documentation, as well as the need to verify the stated claims, which implies a request for real estate data from various Russian authorities throughout the country.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-09-26T09:58:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_6e788a2878d27343.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_e4d84198bab985c4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/480/shutterstock_34787520526192_2_hu_1c7ef1072df9acb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/480.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","buildings-seizure"],"title":"Russia asked the ECHR for additional time to prepare a response to the case of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 21, 2018, 21-year-old Sergey Rayman was released from pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Kostroma region after 59 days of detention. The Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, after a 5-hour hearing, changed his measure of restraint to house arrest, rejecting the investigator's request to extend his detention. It is noteworthy that the representative of the prosecutor's office supported the accused's petition for the application of house arrest.\nIt became known that the conditions of detention in Sergey's pre-trial detention center were very difficult at first: a small solitary confinement cell, letters were not missed. It was not allowed to have a Bible on the pretext that it contained maps of ancient Palestine, which, theoretically, could be used to prepare for escape. Later, however, the situation changed: he was allowed to have a Bible (cards removed) and receive letters, which became support for the young man.\nSergey's wife, Valeria Rayman, was detained along with her husband on July 25, 2018 after a brutal assault on their home. She spent 2 days in a temporary detention center, after which the court imposed a ban on her leaving the house at night, as well as a ban on the Internet, telephone, mail and communication with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\" On September 21, 2018, the court extended her preventive measure.\nThe criminal case against the Rayman spouses was initiated under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in their house twice to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. On September 20, 2018, throughout Kostroma, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the Center for Counteracting Extremism and the National Guard conducted mass searches in 11 houses of citizens who, according to the investigation, profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 16 people were actually detained for questioning, some were detained at 6 a.m. and released only around 5 p.m.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-09-25T14:32:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/479/rayman_sergey_web5835_hu_60eb46a8134534ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/479/rayman_sergey_web5835_hu_a63abb1d4fd0ae3f.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/479/rayman_sergey_web5835_hu_66e0af7c2720a525.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/479/rayman_sergey_web5835_hu_ab25f2e85e57130f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/479.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","families"],"title":"In Kostroma, a believer was released from a pre-trial detention center under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2018, searches were conducted throughout Kostroma in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier in this city, after a harsh detention by the National Guard, 22-year-old Sergei Rayman was arrested; his wife Valeria was banned by the court from certain actions.\nDuring the new searches, at least 4 citizens, men and women, were detained and taken for interrogation. They were later released. Presumably, the raids are related to the criminal case against the Rayman spouses, who are accused under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) only on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in their house twice to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-09-21T15:43:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/478/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_hu_4854c360ed913aa2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/478/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/478/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_hu_3b2a93c103894ca4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/478/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_hu_192e772d263e87d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/478.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","prohibition-of-actions","families"],"title":"Mass searches in homes of believers in Kostroma","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 17, 2018, in Perm and other cities of the Perm Territory, such as Gubakha and Ocher, searches were carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Several citizens were detained and interrogated, including 77-year-old Boris Burylov. According to preliminary data, after three days of detention in the detention center, 50-year-old Igor Turik and 51-year-old Viktor Kuchkov were placed under house arrest.\nA criminal case against these citizens was initiated on September 7, 2018 by an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Perm Territory. Turik, Kuchkov and Burylov are charged with violating Article 282.2(1) (organization of an extremist community). According to available information, the security services tapped their phones and conducted surveillance on them.\nDuring the searches, mobile phones and other electronic devices were seized from citizens. During searches and interrogations, FSB officers threatened citizens with long prison terms.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression. ","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-09-21T11:04:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/473/depositphotos_75905113_0_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/473/depositphotos_75905113_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/473/depositphotos_75905113_0_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/473/depositphotos_75905113_0_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/473.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","ivs","house-arrest","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A new criminal case and house arrest of two believers in the Perm region","type":"news"},{"body":"In July and August 2018, a total of 14 court hearings were held in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol in the case of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, who faces up to 10 years in prison (under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) solely on the grounds that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case is being heard by Judge Alexei Rudnev.\nA summary of the hearings on July 2, 3 and 4, 2018 was published earlier.\nOn July 9, the defense re-filed a motion to interrogate witnesses who had left the Russian Federation for permanent residence. At the same time, the court was provided with information about the cities where these persons were staying. The presiding judge announced that the petition would be considered later after checking the possibility of fulfilling such a request. The court then proceeded to wiretap Christensen's telephone conversations, which the FSB had controlled for a long time, behind closed doors. All those present were asked to leave the meeting room.\nOn August 7 and 8 , the hearing was devoted to a review of the case materials. The defense drew attention to multiple violations and misinterpretations made by the investigation during the collection of materials.\nOn July 10, 11, 30, 31 and August 1, the meetings were held behind closed doors, as telephone conversations between Dennis Christensen and other Jehovah's Witnesses in Orel were examined. At the same time, on July 30, the court once again extended the period of detention of Dennis Christensen (until November 1, 2018 inclusive).\nOn August 13 and 14, the written materials of the case, in particular, the results of the searches, were examined. The court drew attention to the fact that various translations of the Bible were seized from believers, including the Synodal translation of the XIX century and the Modern Translation. Dennis Christensen explained that it should not be surprising that believers have different Bibles, since Jehovah's Witnesses, as Bible students, use different translations of the Bible.\nThe decisions of the courts on the recognition of the literature as extremist were studied, since the investigator attached to the case file the decisions of the courts on those publications that were found during the searches. The lawyers drew the court's attention to the fact that for all these publications, either the date of the court decision or the date of entry into the FSEM refers to the time after the period imputed to Christensen. In addition, both the court and the prosecution were interested to read on the basis of what ridiculous arguments the courts recognized this or that publication as extremist. The revival was caused by the fact that the Bible in the New World Translation was recognized as extremist material on the basis of an examination carried out by a mathematics teacher.\nOn August 15, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:35 p.m., the Oryol Regional Court, composed of Judge Igor Paukov, considered an appeal against the extension of Dennis Christensen's detention. Judge Paukov had already considered the first appeal against Christensen's initial detention earlier in June 2017, as a result, he did not consider it possible to apply a milder measure of restraint.\nThe court rejected the petition for the discovery of material evidence - audio recordings of Christensen's conversations with his father and a conversation in a café with Oleg Kurdyumov (later interrogated as a secret witness). The court did not bother to explain the reasons for the decision. At the same time, it was this evidence that confirmed Christensen's lack of desire to go abroad in order to escape from the court, a key circumstance in deciding whether to choose or extend the period of detention. So, in a conversation with the father, the latter expressed concern about the possible imprisonment of his son, to which Christensen Dennis replied: \"I want to try something new,\" after which the father said: \"If you are put in prison, you can preach there.\" Also in these negotiations, Christensen has repeatedly stated his desire to stay in Russia, talking about leaving only in case of forced deportation by the country's authorities.\nIn the café, Kurdyumov tried three times during a conversation that lasted more than an hour to push Christensen to the topic of leaving Russia due to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, to which Christensen each time said that he did not want to do so. However, Judge Paukov was not interested in all this information.\nAfter being removed to the deliberation room for 10 minutes, Judge Paukov expectedly left Dennis Christensen in custody, rejecting the appeal.\nAt the time of the trial, it was the 447th day of Dennis Christensen's imprisonment.\nThe next court hearings in this case are scheduled in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel (Maxim Gorky St., 45-a) on September 4, 5, 25 and 26, 2018. Time: 10:30 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-09-05T20:15:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/09/471/depositphotos_36128927_hu_4d9b0f700cb05c38.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/09/471/depositphotos_36128927.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/09/471/depositphotos_36128927_hu_47e317bbf397c366.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/09/471/depositphotos_36128927_hu_801a71917c6929b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/09/471.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"July-August 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov, who had been in pre-trial detention since August 21, 2018, was released on August 29. The court decided not to choose any measure of restraint for him, but the criminal case against him was not closed.\n41-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov was detained in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory) during searches. Together with him in the temporary detention center were his wife Snezhana Bazhenova and 71-year-old Vera Zolotova. On August 24, both women were also released, but the investigator chose a measure of restraint for them in the form of a written undertaking not to leave as part of a further investigation.\nAll three believers are charged with organizing extremist activities. Law enforcement officers bring such an accusation against believers throughout the country without evidence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-31T16:59:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/470/depositphotos_6341185_0_hu_64fe248e688c644.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/470/depositphotos_6341185_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/470/depositphotos_6341185_0_hu_eb2f7519340c1df2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/470/depositphotos_6341185_0_hu_315e1cd9ba87fccb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/470.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["recognizance-agreement","families"],"title":"All Three Believers in Kamchatka Released","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 27, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic continued hearings in the criminal case against Yuriy Zalipayev, who faces up to 5 years in prison for his faith.\nFive witnesses were questioned at the trial: three members of the operational-investigative team who in August 2016 participated in the seizure of literature at the place of worship in Maysky, an assistant prosecutor and one local resident.\nSenior Assistant Prosecutor Denis Shapovalov testified that he was not aware of any cases of distribution of extremist literature by Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye. This is what the investigation accuses Yuriy Zalipaev. According to Denis Alekseevich, believers are well aware of what literature is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials and do not use it. He also confirmed the arguments of the defense that almost all witnesses in the case received calls from the phone, the number of which belongs to the FSB officer Svetikov Sergey Alexandrovich.\nTwo members of the investigative team said that although they seized \"extremist\" literature, it was discovered before their arrival and they did not know by whom.\nFinally, an interrogated local resident, an education worker, told the court that in August 2016, an unknown woman gave him the magazine \"Awaken!\", which he immediately threw away. It remains unclear how investigators found the man, who received the literature a full year before the first interrogation in the case.\nAccording to the prosecution, Yuriy Zalipayev distributed banned literature and also called on other Jehovah's Witnesses to beat Orthodox Christians and Muslims. The believer rejects these accusations. He faces up to 5 years in prison under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to hatred or enmity) and under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public calls for extremist activities).\nThe next meeting is scheduled for September 7, 14:00. The dates of subsequent meetings are tentatively known: 17, 21, 24 and 28 September; October 19.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-08-31T16:57:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/469/web_image_001_hu_aa5f22494f1cdfc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/469/web_image_001.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/469/web_image_001_hu_a7fbb238204d7b6c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/469/web_image_001_hu_ba9ed42269298618.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/469.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fsem","282.2-1","280-1","fabrications"],"title":"A criminal trial for faith against a local resident continued in Mayskoye","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 19, 2018, in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory), searches were conducted in at least 3 homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 41-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, his wife Snezhana Bazhenova, and 71-year-old Vera Zolotova were sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS). On August 21, 2018, Ruslan Maslov, judge of the Yelizovsky District Court of the Kamchatka Territory, chose a measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov in the form of 2-month detention until October 18, 2018; Snezhana Bazhenova and Vera Zolotova were released after being detained for 2 days.\nA total of 11 citizens were detained in Yelizovo, including Elizaveta, the Bazhenovs' minor daughter. After many hours of interrogation, most were released. It became known that a criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization).\nEarlier, on July 30, 2018, in the city of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory), dozens of armed FSB officers conducted several searches in the homes of believers. Spouses Mikhail Popov and Elena Popova were detained. The court of first instance sent 56-year-old Mikhail Popov to a pre-trial detention center, and his wife, after 4 days in a temporary detention facility, under house arrest. Later, the Kamchatka Regional Court released the spouses.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Believers insist on their complete innocence. Currently, criminal prosecution for faith, accompanied by rough searches and arrests of law-abiding citizens, takes place in 7 of the 9 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District (excluding the Sakhalin Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Region), namely: in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Amur, Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions, Primorsky (3), Khabarovsk and Kamchatka (2) territories.\nThe town of Yelizovo is located 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Konstantin Aleksandrovich Bazhenov, detained in Yelizovo, is the namesake of 43-year-old Konstantin Viktorovich Bazhenov, who was sent to the Saratov pre-trial detention center on similar grounds.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-22T14:34:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_452b2859e91a6b76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_f107157da6664010.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/468/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_1_hu_34e9e3ddb05b2843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/468.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","ivs","search","families"],"title":"In Kamchatka, another person was sent to a pre-trial detention center for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 20, 2018, a new section was published on the Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia website, clearly showing the scale of religiously motivated criminal prosecutions in the country. It publishes information about citizens who have become defendants in criminal cases (accused) due to the fact that, according to the investigation, they profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nData filtering by regions of Russia is provided. At the time of the first publication, criminal prosecutions for faith were noted in 20 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Another filter, \"Under Arrest Only,\" shows that there are currently 32 people in prisons or under house arrest. For the rest of the citizens, a measure of restraint (punishment) not related to isolation was chosen. Sorting the data \"by region\" will help to establish the scope of criminal prosecutions in a particular subject of Russia. For example, you can see that 4 people are persecuted for their faith in the Magadan and Penza regions, as well as in Tatarstan.\nBy opening the file of any of those persecuted for their faith, you can get more detailed information about him or her: name, year of birth, current status in the criminal case, current measure of restraint, if he was taken into custody, when it happened, how many days he spent in prison, where he is now, address for letters. You can also see a photo (if any) and briefly get acquainted with the biography. The \"Case Summary\" box will provide basic information about the criminal case in which the person is being prosecuted.\nThe information in this section will be updated and updated as events unfold and information becomes available, so sorting the data \"by date updated\" on the \"Prisoners of Conscience\" page will help readers keep track of the changing situation with religious persecution in Russia.\n","category":"website","date":"2018-08-20T15:13:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/460/prisoners_hu_e741eccd9bfbf6e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/460/prisoners.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/460/prisoners_hu_9395630bfefa501b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/460/prisoners_hu_91b43742df3f9f54.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/460.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review"],"title":"New section \"Prisoners of Conscience\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9 and 10, 2018, Mikhail and Elena Popov, who were arrested in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory) on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, were released from arrest by an appeal decision of the Kamchatka Regional Court. Mikhail spent 11 days behind bars, Yelena - 4 days plus 7 days under house arrest.\nOn the morning of July 30, 2018, a series of searches were conducted in the homes of citizens selected on the basis of their attitude to religion in Vilyuchinsk. The Popovs were charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization and involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). On August 1, 2018, the Vilyuchinsky City Court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 56-year-old Mikhail Popov. Two days later, his wife Yelena was placed under house arrest.\nAppeals were filed against the decisions. On August 9, 2018, Olga Alekseeva, judge of the Kamchatka Regional Court, overturned the decision to detain Mikhail Popov by an appeal decision. On August 10, Judge Yevgeny Kirillov overturned the decision to elect house arrest to Yelena Popova.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem. Believers insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-11T14:08:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/429/depositphotos_15812491_0_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/429.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","appeal","families"],"title":"In Kamchatka, an appeals court released spouses arrested for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"It took the Russian authorities 9 years to implement the cunning plan. The chronology of the main stages, as well as the statements of analysts, are given in a 7-minute video.\nVideo footage of raids on peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses is shocking. How did law-abiding Jehovah's Witnesses become \"extremists\" in Russia?\nDecember 2009: The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation declared 34 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses \"extremist\"; LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" was liquidated\nAugust 2011: a criminal case under the article \"extremism\" was initiated against 16 Taganrog residents.\nApril 2013: Searches at the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\nFebruary 2014: the beginning of systematic planting of \"extremist\" materials to believers, followed by searches.\nApril 2015: Jehovah's Witnesses are banned from importing Bible publications into Russia; Millions of magazines detained by Russian customs\nMarch 2016: guilty verdict for all 16 Taganrog residents; The sentence is up to 5.5 years in prison conditionally.\nJuly 2016: action of armed special forces against believers in Karelia; pressure on believers in different parts of Russia begins\nApril 2017: Russian Supreme Court liquidates all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia citing \"extremism\"\nMay 2017: The first believer, Dennis Christensen, was sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol.\nDecember 7, 2017: A St. Petersburg court legalized the seizure of real estate that housed the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia; the property is owned by a foreign owner, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.\nDecember 20, 2017: The Leningrad Regional Court declared the Russian translation of the Bible distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\"\nApril 2018: searches were conducted in Ufa, Anatoliy Vilitkevich was sent to a pre-trial detention center\nAlyona Vilitkevich : At 6:40 a.m., the doorbell rang.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I was at home with my children.\nVenera Mikhailova: I saw armed men on the street.\nOlesya Yakimova: There were riot police vests, masks and machine guns.\nElena Kozhevnikova: There was a very loud knock, I had to open it.\nGulfiya Khafizova: When my husband opened the doors, this young man put a gun to my husband's face.\nVenera Mikhailova: A search has begun. They threw everywhere, climbed everywhere.\nGulfiya Khafizova: We were not allowed to communicate with each other, we were not allowed to call anyone.\nOlesya Yakimova: When we were brought to the investigative committee, going up to the 2nd floor, my mother immediately became ill, and she fainted.\nElena Kozhevnikova: I ran up to my sister, she was already lying on the floor, on the dirty floor. We shouted, \"Help, somebody!\"\nOlesya Yakimova: And just a crowd of people, men who surrounded me, looked at all this, as if it was really some kind of farce and circus.\nElena Kozhevnikova: Then the ambulance came. She was taken away. Her daughter was released with her, but I was not.\nOlesya Yakimova: That is, I actually almost lost my mother that day.\nAlfiya Ilyasova: I'm not afraid for myself, I'm afraid for my children. And what will they do without me.\nSuzanne and Artur Ilyasov: We didn't do anything wrong, but they came at us with machine guns, and as if we were some kind of criminals.\nOver the following months, dozens of such searches and arrests were carried out in Russia.\nYaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, representatives of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly argued that the court's decision would not affect ordinary believers in any way. It will apply only to legal entities, but what do we see in fact? Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is being violated, and the norms of international law are being violated.\"\nMassimo Introvigne, Founding Director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions (Italy): \"During the fascist period, Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution. However, they were not persecuted for extremism, but quite the opposite. They were persecuted for pacifism, for refusing to cooperate with the fascist regime, for not supporting militant speeches and public sentiments. It can be said that they were persecuted for not being extremists. So when I found out that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia were being persecuted for extremism, it sounded ridiculous to me.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov, journalist: \"It turns out that in my country it is so easy to deal with, I emphasize this word \"crack down\", with a fairly large number of believers, with their dignity, their religious feelings. If it happened in some movie, yes, probably, it would be great, it would be a godsend - to show how you can mock people.\nAlexander Verkhovsky, member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation: \"Many of these repressive mechanisms are invented not for any particular group, but for some other threat, not religious, strictly speaking, but rather political. And then they are often used in quite unexpected ways.\nGerhard Bézier, religious scholar: \"Therefore, it would be very insidious to transfer the term 'extremism', a political term, to the religious sphere.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"I have yet to meet a single expert who would not agree that Russia's actions towards Jehovah's Witnesses are illegal, given the international Convention on Human Rights, which Russia is a signatory.\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"In fact, with regard to Jehovah's Witnesses, this means that all, well, at least adult Jehovah's Witnesses, can potentially be prosecuted.\"\nMikhail Sitnikov: \"How to understand this? Like, look, you and I, like rabbits, can do anything. And not even just with you. But here he is, a Dane, because of him, a representative officially comes from Denmark, and we sneezed on it. As we did, so we will keep it. Intimidation? Who should be intimidated?\"\nAlexander Verkhovsky: \"There is not a single democratic country where such a mechanism would exist.\"\nMassimo Introvigne: \"One of Russia's goals is to give a semblance of legitimacy to the decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nGerhard Bézier: \"We must not give up trying to convey to the public what is happening.\"\nAs of August 8, 2018, there are 26 believers in the pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-08-08T13:28:11+03:00","duration":"7:48","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_78d1ab7bc705d235.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_fc43d2caaf6c2d2a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/414/how_jws_became_an_extremists_hu_c4f217835929130a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/414.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","video","analytics","review","mro","plant","search","suspended","liquidation","bible-ban","human-rights-defenders","sizo"],"title":"How were believers in Russia turned into \"extremists\"?","type":"video"},{"body":"On August 3, 2018, Inna Yangubayeva, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Orenburg, issued a decision on the election of Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov as a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. At the same time, as a result of an appeal hearing in the Magadan Regional Court, Konstantin Petrov was transferred from custody to house arrest.\nVladimir Kochnev, a master of metal products from Orenburg, spent about 78 days behind bars, starting from May 17, 2018 (biography).\nThe master of making keys from Orenburg Alexander Suvorov spent about 78 days behind bars, starting from May 17, 2018 (biography).\nKonstantin Petrov, a 31-year-old resident of Magadan, was separated from his wife for about 64 days, from May 30, 2018. (Konstantin Petrov is married, works as an electrician and home appliance repairman, and enjoys drawing, sculpting, and playing the guitar.)\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Believers insist on their complete innocence.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-03T17:19:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/380/180803_orenburg_osvobozhdeny15499_hu_b847295c2bc15e35.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/380/180803_orenburg_osvobozhdeny15499.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/380/180803_orenburg_osvobozhdeny15499_hu_c1ec7f424556c9eb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/380/180803_orenburg_osvobozhdeny15499_hu_85ca4f9310a954ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/380.html","regions":["orenburg","magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"title":"In Orenburg and Magadan, three believers were transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of August 2, 2018, the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory conducted searches in at least 4 houses of Khabarovsk residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 51-year-old Valery Moskalenko was detained. According to preliminary data, on August 3, 2018, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\nSome of the citizens who were searched were taken to the police station, where they were interviewed, fingerprinted and released. Others were sent to the FSB building, where they were interrogated by investigator V.S. Balakirev.\nDuring a search in the house of Valery Moskalenko, his 83-year-old mother, who had a pacemaker installed, became ill and an ambulance was called. At the end of the search, which lasted about 5 hours, Valeriy Moskalenko was taken away. According to the investigators, it is known that a case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Law enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights activists, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , express concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-08-03T17:18:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/379/depositphotos_21862193_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/379.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","interrogation","elderly","health-risk","282.2-2","new-case"],"title":"A local resident was arrested in Khabarovsk for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2018, 22-year-old Sergey Rayman was sent to jail in Kostroma. His wife Valeria was chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. The couple are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn July 25, 2018, friends found their apartment empty with signs of a burglary on the door. It became known that Sergey and Valeria were sent to a temporary detention center. On the same day, armed riot police raided the homes of at least two other families suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. All computers and tablets, a printer and a Bible were seized from citizens. The search, among others, involved law enforcement officers Kuropatkin and Malinin. Law enforcement officers accompanied their actions with caustic comments regarding religion. The case is being investigated by investigator S. Korchashov, from the Central District Department of Kostroma of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.\nOn July 26, 2018, the Sverdlovsk District Court chose a measure of restraint for Sergey Rayman in the form of 2-month detention. The next day, the court chose a preventive measure for Valeria - in the form of a ban on leaving the house at night, a ban on the Internet, telephone and mail, as well as on communication with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\" The girl was prosecuted under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization and participation in the activities of an extremist community) only on the grounds that, according to the investigation, citizens gathered in her house twice to discuss the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-03T17:17:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_4854c360ed913aa2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_3b2a93c103894ca4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/378/180725_kostroma_vtorzhenie_istochnik_foto_tv_centr38042_0_hu_192e772d263e87d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/378.html","regions":["kostroma"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","families","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"A young man was arrested in Kostroma for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 1, 2018, Mikhail Popov, a 56-year-old resident of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory), was sent to a pre-trial detention center until September 24. His wife, Yelena, has been in a temporary detention facility since July 30, and the court extended her detention for another 72 hours. The spouses are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn the morning of July 30, 2018, in the city of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory), dozens of armed FSB officers in balaclavas conducted several searches in the homes and cars of local residents. According to preliminary data, the searches were carried out on the initiative and with the support of the FSB, but the case is being investigated by the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Kamchatka Territory, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Viktor Ushakevich. Representatives of the police also participated in operational activities, since one of the law enforcement officers presented a police major's certificate in the name of Sutyagin.\nFor some time, no one knew about the whereabouts of Mikhail and Elena Popov. Since they still have locked pets, their friends entered their house and found traces of a search. Later it was found out that the Popovs were in a temporary detention center. His appointed lawyer recommended that blankets and warm clothes be handed over to them, which was done.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The Human Rights Council under the President of Russia drew attention to this problem: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ... This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\nSuch persecution for faith, accompanied by rough searches and arrests of law-abiding citizens, occurs in 7 out of 9 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-08-01T16:33:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/377/depositphotos_6406965_hu_1bbec167c0c66ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/377/depositphotos_6406965.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/377/depositphotos_6406965_hu_67809cd636efcf6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/377/depositphotos_6406965_hu_2407383a2cdbcb51.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/377.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","families"],"title":"Mass Searches and Arrests for Faith in Kamchatka","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 19, 2018, in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), armed masked law enforcement officers rudely broke into the homes of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. During the assault, law enforcement officers hit the 75-year-old landlord in the face. Shouting: \"Lie down!\" his hands were twisted behind his back.\nWhen armed law enforcement officers broke into another apartment, there were at least seven people aged 70 or more, some of them disabled, together with the hostess. One woman had a seizure. An ambulance arrived at the scene and took the woman to intensive care.\nAmong others, investigators A.A. Sendzyuk and D.A. Shevchenko, FSB officer N.B. Belyaev, and Alexander Zhertovskoy, an employee of an unidentified law enforcement agency, participated in the operation against civilians. The case is being investigated by the Nadezhdinsky District Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nDuring the searches, phones, tablets, computers were seized from citizens. The detained citizens were taken for interrogation to the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye (Primorsky Territory). The interrogation dragged on until late at night.\nThis is the third criminal case for faith in the Primorsky Territory. The first case, against Valentin Osadchuk, is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. The second case, against Dmitry Barmakin (sent to the pre-trial detention center until September 27, 2018), is being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok.\nCurrently, criminal prosecution for faith, accompanied by rough searches and arrests of law-abiding citizens, occurs in 7 of the 9 regions of the Far Eastern Federal District, namely: in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), in the Amur, Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions , Primorsky (3), Khabarovsk and the Kamchatka Territory. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-08-01T16:21:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/376/police-034407_0_0_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/376.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","siloviks-violence","health-risk","disability","interrogation"],"title":"In Primorye Territory, the Third Criminal Case for Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 30, 2018, 44-year-old Dmitry Barmakin, who came from Crimea to Primorsky Krai to take care of the sick mother of his wife Elena, who lives in Nakhodka (Primorsky Territory), was sent to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Dmitry is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case against Dmitry Barmakin was initiated on July 27, 2018. It is being investigated by investigator G.Y. Tarasenko from the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky district of Vladivostok.\nOn July 28, 2018, at approximately 7 a.m., a group of armed masked men broke into the home of a 90-year-old woman who was visiting the Barmakins. The spouses were detained and taken to Vladivostok. Yelena was released, threatening that she \"will be next\" and \"will go under arrest after her husband.\" Dmitriy was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization).\nOn July 30, 2018, Olga Barabash, judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, sent Dmitry Barmakin to jail until September 27, 2018.\nIn total, at least three criminal cases have been initiated in the Primorye Territory against citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The case of Valentin Osadchuk is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in Vladivostok. Another case, during which a military operation was carried out in the village of Razdolnoye (Primorsky Territory), is being investigated by the Investigative Department for the Nadezhdinsky District of the Investigative Committee of Russia.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-08-01T16:18:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_ef9922f011dd685f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_9ee4384f48cdbbd9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/08/375/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_1_hu_a56c2aa557bee22e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/08/375.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Another Prisoner for Faith in Vladivostok","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 22, 2018, in the city of Berezovsky (Kemerovo Region), at least three dwellings of believers were searched. One of the apartments of the FSB officers in the Kemerovo region decided to storm from the balcony, despite the fact that the hostess opened the door to another group of employees. At the same time, a window was broken, the fragments of which injured the hostess (dissection of the forehead and arm).\nLater, the believers were interrogated by the senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region, M. I. Efimov, and a number of other employees. On July 24, by the decision of the judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo N.M. Naumova, two believers, Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk, were placed in custody until September 19, 2018. Sergey Britvin is a disabled person of the second group. A criminal case was opened under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). This case, as in the case of Dennis Christensen, is based on the testimony of a \"secret witness\", whose name the investigation does not disclose.\nLaw enforcement agencies across the country mistakenly interpret peaceful meetings of believers as \"extremist activity.\" Dozens of human rights defenders, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation , expressed concern about the growing religious repression.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-27T20:12:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_dc77be40404d0772.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_b2617c89503029b0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/374/depositphotos_21862193_0_hu_a991a9524848ca09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/374.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo","health-risk"],"title":"In the Kemerovo region, two believers were placed in custody","type":"news"},{"body":"From 7:00 a.m. on July 20, 2018, at least three homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Blagoveshchensk. One of them was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nThe case is being conducted by the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, investigator I. Beloglazov. According to the investigator, it became known that as part of the operational preparation of this case, a listening device was installed in the apartment of a married couple for almost six months, as a result, the investigation has a number of details of the personal life of the spouses. Such an unceremonious invasion of privacy, violation of the right to inviolability of the home, personal and family secrets, became possible as part of the brutal persecution unleashed against Jehovah's Witnesses. Law enforcement officers across the country falsely interpret compliance with common religious precepts, such as praying together or reading the Bible, as participation in the activities of an extremist organization. All this was a direct consequence of a miscarriage of justice made by the Supreme Court of Russia and personally by Judge Yuri Ivanenko.\nSearches in the homes of peaceful Blagoveshchensk residents were sanctioned by Oleg Filatov, a judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region. Similar criminal cases have been initiated in other Far Eastern regions - in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, in the Magadan and Jewish Autonomous Regions, and also in Yakutia. Update. According to updated data, on July 20, 2018, 7 searches were conducted in the apartments of believers in Blagoveshchensk.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-23T23:12:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/373/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_0_hu_ef9922f011dd685f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/373/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/373/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_0_hu_9ee4384f48cdbbd9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/373/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_0_hu_a56c2aa557bee22e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/373.html","regions":["amur"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"In the Amur region, a criminal case for faith was initiated, searches were carried out","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 15, 2018, four groups of law enforcement officers led by Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously broke into the apartments of civilians in Penza just because they allegedly profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronics, photographs, documents, and personal records were seized in all apartments. About 40 people were taken to police stations for questioning, leaving the children alone at home.\nSome police officers humiliated and intimidated believers during searches. In one case, a female investigator forced six women to fully undress for a body search.\nAfter interrogations, which lasted well after midnight, criminal cases were opened against four believers under various parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – participation in the activities of an extremist organization or organization thereof. Vladimir Alushkin was remanded in custody until September 14, 2018 inclusive. Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin were placed under house arrest for the same period.\nLaw enforcement officers across the country mistakenly mistake citizens' joint religion for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-20T15:34:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_452b2859e91a6b76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_f107157da6664010.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/372/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_0_hu_34e9e3ddb05b2843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/372.html","regions":["penza"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","personal-inspection","282.2-2","new-case","ivs","house-arrest","sizo"],"title":"Mass Searches and Detentions Took Place in Penza  ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 16, 2018, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic began hearing on the merits of the criminal case against Yuriy Zalipayev. The hearings began with a statement by the public prosecutor of the merits of the charges. In his opinion, the defendant not only spoke unflatteringly about Muslims and Orthodox Christians, but called on other Jehovah's Witnesses to beat them, and also distributed religious literature, the distribution of which is prohibited in Russia, to non-Jehovah's Witnesses, so that they would distribute it instead of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDefense lawyer Anton Omelchenko noted in his speech that the investigator refused to attach almost two volumes of written evidence collected by the defense, and refused to conduct an author's study, which would be guaranteed to show that Yuriy Zalipayev did not utter the statements attributed to him. Moreover, law enforcement agencies tried to destroy videos of how evidence against Zalipayev was falsified.\nAccording to the lawyer, the prosecution itself presented evidence to the court that law enforcement agencies destroyed some evidence, falsified others, and when they realized that they had been exposed, they began to take measures aimed at concealing their illegal activities. The falsification of evidence was coordinated from a telephone belonging to FSB officer Sergei Svetikov. The fact that this phone belonged in the testimony was personally confirmed by the district police commissioner of the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Maisky district, Alexander Savinov. At the same time, the district police officer never observed that Jehovah's Witnesses showed violence against Muslims or Orthodox Christians.\nYuriy Zalipayev faces up to 5 years in prison under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - \"incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity\", as well as under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation \"public calls for extremist activities\". The hearing will continue on August 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-07-19T21:46:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/371/web_image_004_hu_c63ab045bfefac6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/371/web_image_004.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/371/web_image_004_hu_f7d0b939df53a249.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/371/web_image_004_hu_d53067346a2832ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/371.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"title":"Hearings in a criminal case against a believer in the Elbrus region have begun","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that Sergey Polyakov, who, together with his wife, did not get in touch for several days, was beaten during detention in his house in Omsk. Bodily injuries were inflicted by two Omsk law enforcement officers in masks.\nOn July 4, 2018, at 7:20 a.m., Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov were awakened by a knock on the door and immediately realized that it had begun to be hacked. To the question \"Who is there?\" they heard in response: \"Police.\" Sergey tried to make a phone call, but at that time masked men burst into the apartment and, without making any demands and without explaining anything, struck Sergey several blows to the head. At the same time, his nose and lip were broken, as a result of which severe bleeding began. Sergei was then thrown to the floor and one of the commandos hit him in the face with his knee. After a while, he was picked up and forced to wipe the blood on the floor in the hallway.\nDuring the invasion, the front door to the Polyakovs' apartment was practically blown off its hinges, and the door to the stairwell was also knocked out. The search of the Polyakovs' apartment and car lasted about 5 hours. When the couple asked law enforcement officers to introduce themselves, they were rude in response or mocked. A personal search of the spouses was also conducted. Anastasia was searched by a woman-witness (!). Investigator Denis Loginovsky ignored requests to clarify their rights and seek the help of a lawyer. A search was simply conducted, during which personal property was seized from the spouses. When Anastasia tried to indicate in the protocol what she did not agree with, the investigator snatched the sheet from her hands. Later, the spouses were taken in different cars to the village of Azovo (Omsk region), where identifications and other investigative actions were carried out. While traveling in the car, law enforcement officers forced Anastasia to testify, calling her an \"American agent\" and a \"sectarian.\"\nSergey's medical examination on the fact of inflicting bodily injuries was carried out only more than 2 days after the beating - in one of the medical institutions in the village of Azovo. Since Sergey still had a swollen nose, an X-ray examination was done.\nAnastasiya and Sergey were taken to the Azov District Court for a hearing on the election of a measure of restraint in handcuffs, and in the courtroom they were kept in a cage. The chairman of the court, Nina Iordan, sent both of them to Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region for 2 months . The couple ended up in prison because they are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both of them are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has made a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities). They have been prosecuted.\nSergey and Anastasia Polyakov have been married since 2003. They have many friends who love them very much and have a hard time going through what is happening.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-13T19:08:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_2bf818a1715dd24b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_c845d386a502a91c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/370/polyakov3436_hu_3f0003a8b14633d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/370.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["siloviks-violence","search","sizo","health-risk","families"],"title":"Omsk law enforcement officers severely beat Sergey Polyakov","type":"news"},{"body":"In court, the name of the Orthodox theologian Oleg Kurdyumov was again heard.\nOn July 2, 2018, the prosecutor partially read out procedural documents in open court, indicating that the conversation between Kurdyumov and Christensen in the Country Chicken café, which took place on May 16, 2017, was secretly recorded on a dictaphone. (Oleg Kurdyumov is a lecturer at Oryol State University, a graduate of the Department of Religious Studies and Theology, a specialist in the history of near-Orthodox heresies.) Lawyer Anton Bogdanov drew the court's attention to the fact that the printed transcript protocol made by the FSB officers sometimes distorts the meaning of what Christensen said during the conversation with Kurdyumov, and that listening to the audio recording will help to establish this fact.\nAfter that, the court examined the audio recording of the conversation between these two people in a closed court session. (Behind closed doors of the courtroom, there was information about the motives of the young historian, who appeared next to Christensen precisely when the FSB was secretly recording video or audio. Only the prosecutors, lawyers, judge and the defendant who remained in the courtroom could hear the conversation between Christensen and Kurdyumov at a table in an ordinary café in the city of Orel, after which Christensen was arrested 9 days later. What are the questions that evening, May 16, 2017, worried the Orthodox theologian Kurdyumov? Was he interested in Bible teachings or was he trying to lead Christensen to topics of interest to FSB officers? It is hoped that the answers to these questions will be heard in the debate of the prosecution and defense, and possibly in the verdict of the court.)\nOn July 3, 2018, the public prosecutor, in open court, examined the documents contained in volumes 2 and 3 of the criminal case, from which it follows that the telephone conversations of Dennis Christensen and 4 other citizens were wiretapped, by decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, for six months. And Christensen's conversations continued to be listened to even after he was placed in a pre-trial detention center, until January 2018.\nOn July 3 and 4, 2018, the court session was again held behind closed doors, since this was related to listening to audio recordings of telephone conversations of the persons indicated in volumes 2 and 3 of the criminal case.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for July 9, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-07-13T10:29:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/369/depositphotos_15812491_hu_f1f56aae5fa1d218.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/369/depositphotos_15812491.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/369/depositphotos_15812491_hu_b0243de96b4b29d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/369/depositphotos_15812491_hu_5e6af4cb51aea851.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/369.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"July 2-4, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"In June 2018, 5 court hearings were held on June 4, 5, 6, 13 and 14, 2018. During this time, two witnesses were questioned, the rest of the days were devoted to the study of the recordings of the secret video recording of the services that took place on February 19 and 26, 2017, as well as the written materials of the case, on which the prosecution relies.\nOn June 4, 2018, a secret witness was questioned in court for 6 hours in an open session, whose face was not visible and whose voice was changed. The speech of the secret witness was well choreographed, at the level of a university teacher. He was easily oriented in religious specifics. It seemed as if the answers had been verified by the state prosecution. Answering all the prosecutor's questions, the witness tried to point out the \"special\" role of Christensen, who, according to him, is the most important among Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol and the Oryol region. The witness reported that he had attended Jehovah's Witnesses worship services about 10 times. He was forced to admit that all these events were peaceful and did not pose any threat to him and others: believers sang songs praising God, said prayers, listened to Bible speeches and discussed the Bible with questions and answers. He also shared his impressions of Jehovah's Witnesses: they maintain \"normal, working relations with the state, but do not serve in the armed forces.\"\nDennis Christensen said in the courtroom that this secret witness is Oleg Kurdyumov. It is known that Oleg Gennadievich Kurdyumov is a lecturer at the Department of Humanities and Natural Sciences of Oryol State University, a graduate of the Department of Religious Studies and Theology, a specialist in the field of near-Orthodox heresies. A secret witness recounted a number of fables about Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, he stated that Jehovah's Witnesses allegedly break off relations with relatives if they profess a different religion, otherwise believers and relatives will go to hell. (Jehovah's Witnesses do not have such beliefs.) When asked by lawyers where the witness got such knowledge, he referred to Wikipedia.\nThe secret witness did not answer all questions willingly. For example, in response to a question from the prosecutor's office, a witness stated that only \"his own\" could attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the entrance was closed to outsiders. The defense asked how he himself got to the services, but the witness began to answer evasively. During the interrogation, he actively used Article 51 of the Constitution, choosing which questions he should answer and which not. For example, there is operational-search material in the case - an audio recording of a conversation that took place on May 16, 2017 between Christensen and Kurdyumov in the Oryol café \"Country Chicken\". When the secret witness was asked if he had met Christensen at the café, the witness refused to answer because \"it could reveal [his] identity.\"\nOn June 6, 2018 , a new witness, 55-year-old Sergey Filippov, was questioned, who explained that he had been baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ukraine 13 years earlier. But in 2014, due to hostilities in the Donbass, where he lived with his large family, he was forced to move to Russia. After settling in Oryol, he was surprised to find that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia did not have religious literature, since the customs authorities had banned its import into Russia. He regularly attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in Oryol, and there were no signs of extremism in them. The worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses are held peacefully according to the same routine throughout the world.\nOn June 5, 13 and 14, the trial was held behind closed doors, as video recordings of worship services that took place on February 19 and 26, 2017 and were secretly recorded on the instructions of the FSB Directorate for the Oryol Region were examined.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for July 2, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-07-13T10:01:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/368/depositphotos_6341185_hu_64fe248e688c644.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/368/depositphotos_6341185.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/368/depositphotos_6341185_hu_eb2f7519340c1df2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/368/depositphotos_6341185_hu_315e1cd9ba87fccb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/368.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"June 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 6, 2018, Nina Iordan, judge of the Azov District Court of the Omsk Region, sent a young woman, Anastasia Polyakova, as well as her husband, 46-year-old Sergey Polyakov, to the Omsk pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The couple ended up in prison because they are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Both of them are charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). They have been prosecuted.\nEarly in the morning of July 4, 2018, Sergey and Anastasia, while at their home in Omsk, were awakened by an invasion of their home by law enforcement officers. The door to their apartment was broken into. In fact, they were detained and held in custody for more than 2 days, until the court chose a measure of restraint.\nThe investigation team is headed by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov District Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region. Law enforcers in different regions of Russia mistakenly accept the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Presidential Council for Human Rights, have already drawn attention to this problem.\nAnastasia and Sergey can receive letters of support. Letters in foreign languages are not allowed to enter the pre-trial detention center, with the exception of children's drawings. Address for letters:\nSergey Valerievich Polyakov, born in 1972, FKU \"Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region\", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)\nAnastasia Andreevna Polyakova, born in 1984, FKU \"Detention Center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Omsk Region\", 86 Ordzhonikidze St., Omsk, 644007. E-mails are also accepted through the FSIN-letter system. (Criminal prosecution topics should not be discussed in the letters.)\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-10T23:29:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_99486f4fcedd5055.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_f497856188a1c5b7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/367/polyakov_for_site3365_hu_78dbefeceeca849b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/367.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","families"],"title":"For the first time a young woman was sent to prison for her Christian faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 26, 2018, in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo Region), police conducted new searches in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Adults and a young child were interrogated, and three citizens were asked not to leave on their own recognizance. Earlier, on April 20, 2018, mass searches were already carried out in the homes of believers in the city. 40-year-old Dmitry Mikhailov was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to investigators, a hidden video camera was installed in one of the believers' apartments. After new searches, the believers were taken to the body of the Investigative Committee. A 10-year-old girl was also taken there and interrogated there. During the interrogation, in the presence of the school psychologist, the child was forced to disclose the religion of the family, she burst into tears. Her mother threatened that if she refused to cooperate with the investigation, she could be charged with another crime - \"involving minors in the commission of a crime.\"\nIt became known that new criminal cases were initiated and a written undertaking not to leave four local residents, a man and three women, including Elena Mikhailova, the wife of Dmitry Mikhailov, was taken. Since May 29, 2018, Dmitry Mikhailov has been in custody in a pre-trial detention center, although he is the only son of an elderly mother and takes care of her, has a permanent place of residence and work, as well as other close social ties in the city of Shuya.\nThe accusation is built by substituting concepts: the constitutional right of everyone to profess his religion and the criminal offense of participation in an extremist organization. Electronic devices, hard drives, cameras, personal notes, documents, Bibles, including in the Orthodox Synodal translation, musical notes and even a children's diary of a music school were confiscated from citizens. A new criminal case has been initiated. The investigator for all cases is Captain of Justice Alexander Ryazantsev. Earlier, believers in this city reported that during interrogations, Captain Ryazantsev insulted them and their religious beliefs.\nThe repression for faith in Shuya drew the attention of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation. On June 20, 2018, the Council mentioned criminal proceedings in this city and called on the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality of initiating these and similar cases in other cities.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-10T23:28:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/366/22_13360_hu_fd3d2b4bce912796.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/366/22_13360.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/366/22_13360_hu_71b89035c09b70e7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/366/22_13360_hu_b242336996e811a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/366.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors","interrogation","search","recognizance-agreement","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"New searches in Shuya, 10-year-old child interrogated","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 6, 2018, 46-year-old Sergey Polyakov and his wife Anastasia, who were suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, were sent to the Omsk pre-trial detention center. They were detained during searches conducted on July 4, 2018 in the homes of local residents.\nThe Polyakovs did not get in touch for 2 days, the door to their apartment was found broken open. Simultaneous searches were carried out in at least 4 dwellings of Omsk residents. Starting at 7:00 a.m., the searches continued until 3:00 p.m. and were carried out in houses, on land plots, in outbuildings and in parked cars of citizens. All possible electronic storage media and electronic devices were seized. During the search, the witnesses actively helped law enforcement officers, prompted and even tried to interrogate believers. The case is being conducted by Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov District Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region.\nIt is not yet known under what articles the criminal case was initiated. However, law enforcement officers in different regions of Russia mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Prominent public figures of Russia, as well as the Presidential Council for Human Rights, have already drawn attention to this problem.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-06T17:46:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/360/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_hu_17a7f6510007a8a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/360/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/360/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_hu_fa10a11985b59e0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/360/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver3352_hu_5745fb0cb44e8fa9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/360.html","regions":["omsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","families","new-case","282"],"title":"In Omsk, a husband and wife were arrested for their faith, a criminal case was opened","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 16, 2018, the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic begins hearings in the criminal case against local believer Yuriy Zalipayev, who became a victim of criminal prosecution under Part 1 of Article 282 and Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"Incitement to hatred or enmity\" and \"public calls for extremist activity\"). The case was initiated after printed materials included in the FSEM were planted in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe initiation of this criminal case became known in August 2017. The criminal prosecution became possible after printed materials included in the FSEM were planted in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer faces up to 5 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities.\nThe preliminary hearing in the case was held behind closed doors on July 4, 2018 by Judge Yelena Kudryavtseva. A similar case against Arkadi Hakobyan is already being heard in the district court of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria).\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-07-06T17:43:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/362/zalipaev5101_hu_cca70f97b73e6ea4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/362/zalipaev5101.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/362/zalipaev5101_hu_91afdf9fb73f44b2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/362/zalipaev5101_hu_778cc42ff2183187.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/362.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","plant"],"title":"Hearings on the second criminal case for faith in the republic begin in the Elbrus region","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 30 and July 1, 2018, in the city of Lensk (Yakutia), police raids were conducted in 8 homes of local citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. After the searches, 22 people were taken to the police station, 15 people were interrogated. A criminal case was initiated against 42-year-old Igor Ivashin under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him.\nThe searches were carried out by employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), including Andrey Romanenko and Andrey Myreev. During the interrogations, the investigators claimed that the citizens had been under surveillance for more than six months.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The Human Rights Council under the President of Russia drew attention to this problem: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is inconsistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ... This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\nWhat is happening in Lensk is of great concern to Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. The last time such close attention of believers was to this city was 17 years ago, after the devastating flood of 2001, during which three families of Jehovah's Witnesses lost their homes and many others suffered. They and other victims were assisted by their fellow believers from all over Russia through the nearby town of Mirny (Yakutia).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-06T17:21:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/361/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_hu_468fe1d1fbbba777.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/361/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/361/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_hu_619a7fd0852b7191.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/361/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver3351_hu_40d9309332b42448.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/361.html","regions":["sakha"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"title":"In Yakutia, mass searches in the homes of believers ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 4, 2018, at least 70 people came to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court\u0026nbsp;of Krasnoyarsk to support 44-year-old Andrey Stupnikov, who was arrested the day before because of his religion. After a 45-minute hearing, Judge Marina Belova chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of 2-month detention, until September 2, 2018.\nIt became known that a criminal case was initiated against Andrey Stupnikov under\u0026nbsp;Part\u0026nbsp;1 of Article\u0026nbsp;282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\u0026nbsp;- \"organization of the\u0026nbsp;activities of an extremist organization\". He was arrested by FSB officers. Detention in court was sought by investigator S. Brigida and prosecutor T. Lazovskaya.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The special services presented to the court the materials of operational-search activities, according to which Andrei Stupnikov planned to take part in the international congress of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany. In the arrest warrant, the judge noted that in Germany Stupnikov \"can obtain political asylum, knowing that criminal prosecution is being conducted against him.\" Therefore, the most severe measure of restraint was chosen.\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to such criminal cases in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"The accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not\u0026nbsp;consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\nGiven such an arbitrary interpretation of the law, it requires great civic courage and a clear conscience before people and God to come to court and support fellow believers.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-07-05T15:55:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_cc6736e08ebee74b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_f400caebd83f2260.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/359/stupnikov_krasnoyarsk3350_1_0_hu_4a297b5b4b7dc816.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/359.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"In Krasnoyarsk, a believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months","type":"news"},{"body":"In June 2018, officers of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region, with the support of the armed National Guard, conducted a series of searches in the homes of peaceful Pskov residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and continuing the activities of a liquidated extremist organization. The searches were authorized by Judge Galina Belik, deputy chairman of the Pskov City Court.\nAt least 5 searches were conducted in the homes of believers on June 3, 2018. In some cases, law enforcement officers broke down the doors. Among the victims of the searches are 2-year-old children and 80-year-old people. Citizens were interrogated until late at night. At least three were taken to the FSB building for questioning. During the searches, law enforcement officers made caustic remarks in connection with the religion of citizens. Tablets and mobile phones were confiscated.\nThe case was initiated on May 31, 2018 against Gennadiy Shpakovsky and other unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is being investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region. The searches were carried out by FSB officers, including Sergey Bogodukhov, Ivan Kalita, Tigran Merzabasov, Irina Pravdivtseva, M. Shogenov. Gennady Shpakovsky was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\nThe Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights referred to this criminal case in its appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. \"The accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization,\" the appeal says. - The Council believes that such an interpretation does not correspond to the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-04T22:43:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_b3a75d6446bf5b00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_9c2c1347edee10ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/358/police-034407_0_6_0_hu_cec6f3ae74f8e0a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/358.html","regions":["pskov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","elderly","minors","presidential-council"],"title":"In June, the Pskov FSB conducted mass searches in the homes of believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 3, 2018, at 4:20 a.m., FSB officers arrested 44-year-old Andrey Stupnikov at Krasnoyarsk's Yemelyanovo airport. He is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt check-in, Andrey and his wife were approached by two men. One of them presented an FSB ID card. Andrey was told that he had been detained and would be taken to the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory at 18 Dzerzhinsky Street. According to state security officers, within 2 days the court must decide on the measure of restraint against Andrei.\nCurrently, dozens of citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are in jail and under house arrest. Such a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia: \"The accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. There is a contradiction between the declared position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice. This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-07-03T17:54:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/07/357/depositphotos_18573119_5_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/07/357/depositphotos_18573119_5.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/07/357/depositphotos_18573119_5_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/07/357/depositphotos_18573119_5_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/07/357.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs"],"title":"A believer was arrested at the Krasnoyarsk airport","type":"news"},{"body":"By the decision of the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan, Anatoliy Vilitkevich, who had been detained in a pre-trial detention center for more than two months, was transferred to house arrest. On June 21, the court granted his lawyer's request to change the measure of restraint and agreed with the arguments that the accused did not pose a threat to society and would not try to leave the city.\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich was detained on April 12 in Ufa on charges of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). His wife, Alyona, was one of the authors of a collective letter to the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, which drew attention to the massive repression of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country. When Anatoliy was taken away by the police, one of the officers told his wife that now she would not see him for a long time, and the investigator in the case advised her to \"look for a new husband.\"\nIt is noteworthy that earlier the courts rejected the lawyer of Anatoliy Vilitkevich in petitions to change the measure of restraint. But on June 20, the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. A day earlier, more than 60 human rights defenders and public figures signed an open letter demanding an end to repressions against believers.\n(See also video interviews with Alyona Vilitkevich and other victims of mass searches in Ufa.)\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-06-22T14:19:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_53b34aac5de16967.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_2c166c994f89e2d4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/356/vilitkevich4874_0_hu_70dd655a886bd0d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/356.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich was released from the pre-trial detention center","type":"news"},{"body":"The Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) asked the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason for this was a letter to the Council of Wives of Arrested Believers, which spoke of a massive campaign of persecution throughout the country.\nHaving studied the appeal, the human rights defenders of the HRC revealed a paradoxical situation. According to the organization's statement published on its website, the decisions of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20 and July 17, 2017 \"do not contain conclusions about the prohibition of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as such,\" and the Government of the Russian Federation has twice stated that this decision \"does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" However, in practice, the opposite happens, dozens of criminal cases have been initiated against believers.\n\"There is a contradiction between the stated position of the Government of the Russian Federation and law enforcement practice,\" the HRC said in a statement. \"This cannot but cause concern, since criminal prosecutions and arrests have become systemic.\"\nIn this regard, the Council asked the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of believers and take measures to protect their constitutional rights.\nOn June 7, the wives of the arrested Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (all the accused are men) sent an open collective letter to the HRC. It drew attention to a massive campaign of criminal prosecution of citizens solely on the basis of their faith, despite the fact that the highest authorities in Russia continue to declare that this is not happening.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-06-21T13:03:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/355/fedotov_hu_4e1874c7ab1fb30a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/355/fedotov.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/355/fedotov_hu_7bc312081c1a05f6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/355/fedotov_hu_fb5f9d34fc11d536.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/355.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["presidential-council","human-rights-defenders","human-right-organizations","letters","families"],"title":"Human Rights Council responds to appeal from wives of citizens arrested for their faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The appeal \"This is actually happening to us\" was published on June 19, 2018 by human rights Internet resources and the media. It is signed by well-known human rights activists, lawyers, writers, historians, public figures.\n\"What is happening to them, in fact, is happening to us,\" the authors of the appeal state, \"this is a test of the immune forces of society. The persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses shows the failure of anti-extremist legislation in general. If society does not protect Jehovah's Witnesses, if they are not restored to their rights, this will mean that anyone can be declared an extremist.\"\nIn intelligible language, human rights activists explain what the \"extremism\" of believers is: \"In the story of how a person found answers from Jehovah's Witnesses to questions that a Catholic priest could not resolve, the courts saw propaganda of religious superiority - that is all extremism. Such \"extremism,\" and much more brutal, can be found in doctrinal, liturgical, and other texts of most faiths. If you approach religious scriptures with the same yardstick, you will have to ban all religions.\"\n\"Law enforcement agencies, organizing raids and detentions, and the courts, authorizing searches in the homes of Witnesses and imprisoning them, refer to the decision of the Supreme Court to unconditionally ban the activities of this religious organization. The Supreme Court, in banning the Witnesses, referred to the decisions of the district courts to recognize the texts as extremist. The district courts referred to expert opinions. Experts working for the FSB and the \"E\" centers are able to detect \"signs of extremism\" even in the borscht recipe. As a result, the circular irresponsibility of the authorities led to a police operation launched from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka against innocent law-abiding citizens. This special operation is carried out, in fact, on the basis of several custom-made examinations.\nAfter listing by name the believers who are behind bars, the authors conclude: \"We call and demand: 1) to stop persecuting Jehovah's Witnesses for their religion; 2) immediately release from custody Jehovah's Witnesses accused under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization or participation in it), in fact, for professing their religion; 3) to cancel, using the available procedural possibilities, the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 on the liquidation and prohibition of the activities of organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-06-20T14:21:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/354/behind_bars5102_hu_9b2a1cd160ed59fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/354/behind_bars5102.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/354/behind_bars5102_hu_970bc0d6ed347aee.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/354/behind_bars5102_hu_1eff435205fbe367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/354.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-rights-defenders"],"title":"More than 60 public figures in Russia demand an end to the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 12, 2018, in Saratov and the region, law enforcement officers conducted mass searches in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Three people were arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center: 43-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov, 35-year-old Aleksey Budenchuk and 33-year-old Felix Makhammadiev.\nAt least 7 searches are known in the city of Saratov and the village of Shiroko (Saratov region). Acting extremely rudely, law enforcement officers broke down apartment doors. So, having come with a search to Konstantin and Irina Bazhenov, the special forces mistakenly cut the door to their neighbors and only then, having figured it out, broke the door to the apartment of the spouses. During the searches, all equipment, books, photographs, notebooks, personal savings, savings books, and foreign passports were seized from citizens.\nDuring at least 2 searches, prohibited items were planted. For example, during a search in the village of Shirokoye, in the house of Aleksey and Tatyana Budenchuk, in the sleeve of a children's jacket hanging on a hanger, the visitors shoved and defiantly \"found\" two books, one of which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Aleksey Budenchuk was detained.\nMore than 10 people were taken to the FSB for interrogation, some were interrogated almost until midnight. In general, during interrogations, believers followed the admonition from the Bible: \"I will bridle my mouth until the wicked are before me. I was mute and silent, and silent even about good things\" (Bible, Psalms 38:2, 3).\nOn June 14, 2018, it became clear that Konstantin Bazhenov, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Aleksey Budenchuk were charged under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\"). Svetlana Gogoleva, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chose a measure of restraint in the form of 2-month detention (until August 12, 2018) for these law-abiding respected citizens.\nSuch a serious violation of the rights of believers is a direct consequence of a terrible miscarriage of justice - the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to indiscriminately liquidate and ban all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers, driven by unknown motives, pass off the joint religion of law-abiding citizens for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-15T16:31:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/349/police-034407_0_6_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/349.html","regions":["saratov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","ivs","sizo","interrogation","282.2-1"],"title":"Saratov: Searches, Planting and Arrest of Three Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"About 100 people were not afraid to come to the Orenburg Regional Court on June 6, 2018 to support fellow believers who were thrown into prison for their faith. With tears on their faces, they boldly looked into the eyes of the judges. Judges and prosecutors sent believers to jail with their heads down.\nThree weeks earlier, when the Industrial District Court of Orenburg ordered the arrest of Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov, the hearing lasted from 11 a.m. until almost midnight. All this time, about 50 people were in the building and in the courtyard of the court. From the window of the courtroom it was clear that some were holding children in their arms. Someone on a bicycle brought hot food. People did not disperse to catch a glimpse of how those arrested one by one would be put into an escort car, and shout words of support to them: \"Hold on!\", \"We are with you!\", \"We will support your girls!\"\nAfter brutal incursions into the homes of 19 families, as well as detentions, interrogations, threats and the use of physical force, the believers found the courage to come to court and were ready to look into the eyes of their offenders - the employee of the Center for Counteracting Extremism Beloshenko, employees of the FSB, the Investigative Committee and the prosecutor's office.\nWith the permission of Alexander Suvorov, a letter written to him in the pre-trial detention center by his wife and daughter was read out in court. \"Daddy, I love you very much and I want you to come back as soon as possible. When you come back, we will tell you a lot of interesting things. Everyone supports us. I met a lot of people. We miss you very, very much. Mom promised that before you come back, we'll buy a dog, a Jack Russell,\" written in a child's hand, and circled with a felt-tip pen: \"You're the best dad in the world.\" \"Sasha,\" writes Natalia Suvorova, \"please don't worry about us at all. There is a sea of love and support around us!\"\nEarlier, the Supreme Court of Russia approved the liquidation and prohibition of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations registered in Russia, but the constitutional right of citizens to freely practice their religion, both individually and in community with others, was not abolished. Nevertheless, Vladimir Kochnev and Aleksandr Suvorov are accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, since law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov are in the PKU pre-trial detention center No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Orenburg Region.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-06-12T16:45:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/347/web_image_0053439_0_hu_b812e3fa9b92afd0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/347/web_image_0053439_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/347/web_image_0053439_0_hu_f9d5cc662016b414.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/347/web_image_0053439_0_hu_ae1b25d08a3790bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/347.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","help-providing"],"title":"Arrests in Orenburg Did Not Intimidate Believers","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2018, an open collective letter from the wives of citizens arrested for their faith was sent to the Head and all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The text of the appeal is published below.\nThe letter begins with the words: \"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... thrown behind bars on suspicion that they read the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and prayed to God.\"\nUpdate. On June 21, 2018, it became known that the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights responded to the appeal of the wives of citizens arrested for their faith. An appeal was sent to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to verify the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nEnglish translation (PDF)\nTo the Council under the President of the Russian Federation\non the development of civil society\nand human rights\nDear Mikhail Alexandrovich! Distinguished members of the Human Rights Council,\nAn open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our loved ones — husbands, breadwinners, fathers of our children, peaceful, honest and compassionate people — are thrown into jail on suspicion of reading the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and praying to God, whose name is written in the Bible as Jehovah.\nTo date, 17 believers are languishing in pre-trial detention centers in Russia. One of them has been detained for more than a year. Dozens of believers in 11 regions of Russia are under house arrest and recognizance agreement. Every day their number is constantly increasing. Given that there are 175,000 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, we are concerned about the question: how many more tens, hundreds, or thousands of prisoners of conscience are required to end this unjust criminal prosecution of people for believing in God?\nUnder the pretext of fighting extremism, many of us, and even our children, were threatened with weapons by riot policemen and forced to lie on the floor. Searches have been carried out in our homes, phones and computers have been taken away from us, which does not allow us to live and work normally. Family photos, passports and other documents, Bibles were confiscated. Law enforcement agencies try to make us live in fear and shudder at every knock on the door or the wail of a siren, expecting to be arrested just for our faith. Some believers have already been expelled from the factories after many years of impeccable work, with the sole justification that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is banned. We cannot find an answer to the question: why are we being subjected to such persecution in our country, and what religion will be appointed as the next victims after us?\nLaw enforcement agencies explain the persecution of our husbands for believing in God by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017, which liquidated all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nAt the same time, both the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation during the trial in the Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation after the decision repeatedly officially stated that this court decision would not entail violations of the rights of citizens to freedom of religion.\nThe above-mentioned decision of the Supreme Court did not really ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, but applies exclusively to legal entities. Who in our country today benefits from mass repressions of believers? Why are our relatives accused of a serious crime with the prospect of spending 6 to 10 years in prison for alleged extremist activities under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation? Why do law enforcement officers mistakenly interpret the peaceful profession of faith in God as participation in an extremist organization?\nDistinguished members of the Council, help us get answers to these questions.\nIn such a horrific environment, many of us fear for the future of our children. In our country, prerequisites have been created for the removal of children from parents whose faith in God is declared \"wrong\". In this light, there are disturbing reports that data on children from Jehovah's Witnesses families are being collected in educational and medical institutions. It is not surprising that almost every week entire families of our fellow believers drop everything and, in order to save their children, flee abroad to seek political asylum.\nIn exchange for freedom and a quiet life, we are offered to renounce our faith. This is not a figure of speech - the investigators in the literal sense of the word offer to sign the paper in order to avoid punishment for \"extremism\"! Otherwise, according to them, no lawyers will help us. But we cannot stop believing in God. This is a right that every person has from the moment of his birth. The Russian Federation is a multi-confessional state, and we, as citizens of Russia, have the right to count on the state's respect and protection of our rights. We are not asking for any special privileges. We ask only one thing – please protect our rights.\nDear members of the Council! A real terror has now been unleashed against an entire religion, one of the largest Christian religions in Russia! Basic human rights are violated: the right to liberty and security of person, the right to personal dignity, the right to privacy, the right to inviolability of the home, freedom of conscience and freedom of thought, freedom of religion, the right to private property.\nIf you do not stop the impending catastrophe, it will happen before your eyes. We are sure that you are now able to do something! We ask you to bring this information to the attention of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as to use all measures provided for by law to restore the rights of believers!\nYours sincerely, wives of persons currently in detention:\nAlyona Vilitkevich (Bashkiria),\nAnna Zyablova (Magadan region),\nYulia Klimova (Tomsk region),\nGalina Kochneva (Orenburg region),\nIrina Christensen (Oryol region),\nSvetlana Markina (Murmansk region),\nTatyana Petrova (Magadan region),\nAnastasia Puida (Khabarovsk region),\nNatalia Suvorova (Orenburg region),\nUlyana Trofimova (Murmansk region) and others Wives of Citizens Arrested for Their Faith\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-06-07T18:49:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/345/15061_hu_89ed1c1bd606dba1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/345/15061.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/345/15061_hu_56e42c9d61d66877.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/345/15061_hu_a46372111ad1c7d3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/345.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["presidential-council","letters","families","human-right-organizations"],"title":"Collective Open Letter from Wives of Citizens Arrested for Their Faith","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2018, in the city of Oryol, a preliminary investigation of another criminal case for faith was completed - against 55-year-old Orel resident Sergey Skrynnikov. This is the second such criminal case in the city - after the well-known case of the Danish citizen Dennis Christensen, who has been in jail since May 2017.\nThe case of Sergey Skrynnikov was initiated by investigator A. Kompaniets on February 20, 2018 under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). A written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer.\nOn May 8, 2018, Sergey Skrynnikov was brought in as an accused and interrogated. On the same day, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which not a single object prohibited by law was found. A number of \"evidence\" in his case, such as linguistic, religious, and computer forensics, were separated from the Christensen case.\nThis criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the liquidation and prohibition of registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens, the right to which has not been abolished, for participation in an extremist organization.\nLike Dennis Christensen, Sergey Skrynnikov has never been a member of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Oryol\" and has not participated in its activities.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-06-06T11:19:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/342/180606_orel5052_hu_12469a7de97e2d43.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/342/180606_orel5052.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/342/180606_orel5052_hu_5d573c6be5c39e09.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/342/180606_orel5052_hu_ea53136502b1e98c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/342.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"A new criminal case for faith is being investigated in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"During these 3 days, the court examined some of the materials of the case, refused to restrict the media in covering the trial, as requested by the prosecutor's office, and began questioning a secret witness - who, according to lawyers, is not really secret. Since the previous court session, the court has been in the deliberation room, deciding whether to declassify the \"secret witness\" - Oleg Kurdyumov, who on November 10, 2017 was already interrogated in this case under his real name, that is, there can be no grounds for secrecy. Without refuting the identity of the witness, the court nevertheless decided to interrogate him using special means that make him unrecognizable.\nOn May 28, 2018, the appearance of the \"secret witness\" was not ensured, so the written documents from Volume 1 were read out in court. At the same time, no matter what evidence the state prosecutor announced, the lawyers pointed to the inconsistency of this evidence in this case. Thus, the state prosecutor announced the decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of March 3, 2016 on bringing the LRO to administrative responsibility, but the lawyers drew the court's attention to the fact that this decision was canceled on appeal and has no legal force. Then the prosecutor announced the decision to liquidate the LRO in the city of Orel, as well as the appellate ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in the same case. But the lawyers read verbatim a quote from this ruling of the Supreme Court, indicating that even former members of the LRO of Oryol have the right to practice religious rites after the liquidation of the LRO and their right to profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. After that, the prosecutor read out extracts from Sberbank and commented that the LRO in the city of Oryol allegedly carried out monetary transactions after the decision to liquidate it. But the lawyers asked to take a closer look at these statements: it follows from them that the operations were carried out by Sberbank itself, transferring the remaining money of the LRO to its current account in connection with the liquidation of the LRO.\nOn May 29, 2018, it was decided to watch the secret video of the service. The court decided to watch the video behind closed doors (the citizens in the video did not give their consent to the disclosure of their faces), so it asked all listeners to leave the courtroom.\nOn May 30, 2018, the hearing began with a petition from the prosecutor's office to restrict the media from covering this process. The defendant Dennis Christensen, not seeing his guilt before people and God, on the contrary, said that secrecy would limit his right to his own defense. The court ruled to refuse this petition to the prosecutor's office. Before the court began questioning the \"secret witness\", the lawyers asked him to personally make sure that there was no one sitting next to the witness who would tell him the answers, and that he did not have records in which he would peep. Judge Rudnev withdrew and, upon his return, confirmed that the witness was sitting in the room alone and that there was no access to him by outsiders. But as soon as his interrogation began, it became clear that the equipment distorted the voice of the \"secret witness\" so much that it was impossible to understand for certain what he was saying. In this regard, the court postponed the interrogation until June 3, 2018, promising to find better equipment.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-06-05T15:19:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/340/christensen_0_0_hu_10c950a52b9622d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/340/christensen_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/340/christensen_0_0_hu_cc8155b9c08ec28d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/340/christensen_0_0_hu_2697bcaa226cb8fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/340.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 28-30, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of June 3, 2018, a raid was carried out in Tomsk on the basis of religious repression. The interrogations lasted until 2 a.m. Sergey Klimov, 48, was arrested and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nOn Sunday, at approximately 10:00 a.m., law enforcement officers, including special forces soldiers, invaded a number of houses where believers live. About 30 people were gathered on a bus and taken for interrogation to the Center for Countering Extremism. Among the detainees was an 83-year-old woman. It is known that during the day an ambulance came to the building where the interrogation was carried out several times, one person was hospitalized.\nSearches were carried out in homes and private cars. Phones, tablets, computers, Bibles, personal records, photos, money, bank cards were seized. Law enforcement officers refused to hand over the acts of seizure of things and copies of interrogation protocols. One of the detainees was intimidated by being expelled from the university. It is also reported that some of the investigators were clearly slandered. It is known that the case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\nThe arrested Sergey Klimov is in the temporary detention facility for suspects and accused at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Tomsk Region at the address: Tomsk, Elizarov St. 46/4. The issue of choosing a preventive measure for him must be decided no later than June 5, 2018.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-04T18:17:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_17a7f6510007a8a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_fa10a11985b59e0e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/339/180603_tomsk_vylamyvayut_dver5108_hu_5745fb0cb44e8fa9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/339.html","regions":["tomsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly","282.2-1"],"title":"Raids and arrests in Tomsk ","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 10, 2018, Anatoliy Vilitkevich was arrested during a search of his apartment in Ufa. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan upheld the decision of the lower court on his detention. At the same time, searches were carried out in 7 more dwellings of Ufa residents.\nAlyona Vilitkevich recalls: \"At 6:40 in the morning, the doorbell rang. We were still asleep. Tolya opens the door and I see that people enter the corridor, two in masks with machine guns, and then 8 people entered.\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"When my husband asked through the door: \"Who is there?\", They said: \"You are pouring us.\" He said, \"Actually, we live on the ground floor.\" They said: \"The Investigative Committee. Open it.\" There was a very loud knock, I had to open it. Then they put a machine gun right in his forehead. They pushed them back and started shouting: \"Where is the family?! Where is your family?!\"\nAlfiya Ilyasova: \"I was at home with the children. My daughter is seventeen years old and my son is eight years old.\"\nVenera Mikhailova: \"The children were all shocked, everyone was raised.\"\nOksana Lapina: \"And my grandson, who is 4 years old, got scared, began to cry a lot.\"\nOlesya Yakimova: \"I actually woke up from the fact that my mother was screaming that the police. She didn't know what to do. For us, this is, of course, a non-standard situation, stress. A huge crowd of people on two defenseless women.\"\nDuring the searches, all electronic devices, telephones, and personal records were seized from believers, including teenagers and children.\nOksana Lapina: \"They confiscated two Bibles of the Synodal translation, my personal notes. My daughter's 9th grade book was confiscated. Apparently, they thought that the anthology was somehow connected with Christ.\nImmediately after the searches, all believers, including those with small children, were taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nOlesya Yakimova: \"When we were brought to the Investigative Committee, having climbed to the 2nd floor, my mother immediately became ill and fainted.\"\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"I ran up to my sister, she was already lying on the floor, on the dirty floor. We were shouting, 'Help, somebody!'\nOlesya Yakimova: \"That is, my mother was practically dying in my arms. Her breathing stopped, she screamed in pain, her chest was bursting, her pulse was not beating. And just a crowd of people, men who surrounded me, looked at it all as if it was really some kind of farce and circus.\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"They stepped over her hands, which fell like this all the time, they went to the smoking room over us while we were lying on the floor. At some point, it seemed to me that she was already dying, because she turned blue and said: \"I see the light\"... Then the ambulance arrived. She was taken away. Her daughter was released with her, but I was not.\"\nOlesya Yakimova: \"That is, I actually almost lost my mother that day.\"\nAs a result, Olesya's mother spent almost two weeks in the hospital. Even after a while, those who survived these raids can barely find the words to describe their feelings.\nVenera Mikhailova: \"I've never seen people attacked like that. It was very painful, as if a huge tank had been driven through the chest.\nOlesya Yakimova: \"And they talked like criminals.\"\nSuzanne and Artur Ilyasov: \"We didn't do anything wrong, but they came at us with machine guns, and as if we were some kind of criminals. That was very frustrating.\"\nElena Kozhevnikova: \"My husband said that he had never experienced such humiliation in his 50 years of life.\"\nUnfortunately, such humiliation of civilians has become the norm in modern Russia.\nOperational video footage published by the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation shows armed law enforcement officers breaking down the door of believers and shouting: \"Police! On the floor! On the floor! Hands on the back of my head!\"\nOver the past two months, dozens of searches have been conducted in more than 10 regions of Russia. Hundreds of law enforcement officers are involved. At time of writing, 12 believers are in custody.\nAlyona Vilitkevich: \"Of course I miss it, maybe I've already realized a little bit of what happened, that while he will be there. But now, I just miss it, it's not enough. Because always, every day together, together, but not here.\"\nAnatoliy Vilitkevich from Ufa remains in custody by a court decision. Relatives and friends of Anatoliy very much hope that despite the threats of law enforcement officers, the outcome of this criminal case is still not predetermined.\nAlyona Vilitkevich: \"An investigator came in, I asked him: \"Excuse me, but can I ask if I can take the SIM card?\" He says very rudely and angrily: \"No! You can buy new phones, a new tablet and look for a new husband!'\"\nAlfiya Ilyasova: \"One of the detectives said that you will have a suspended sentence, and Anatoly Vilitkevich will have a real term. It turns out that they have already passed a sentence on us in advance.\nMass searches and arrests of believers were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate and ban the activities of all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses says: \"During the hearing of the case in the Supreme Court, representatives of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly argued that the court's decision would not affect ordinary believers in any way. It will apply only to legal entities, but what do we see in fact? Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is being violated, and the norms of international law are being violated.\"\nJehovah's Witnesses filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. It will be considered as a matter of priority. In the meantime, Alena Vilitkevich reads touching letters from her husband again and again and hopes that soon he will be free. \"Alenchik, I love you,\" Anatoly writes to her from custody, \"Apparently, we won't be able to see each other yet. But don't give up and hold on. I will also try. Please call my mom, she needs your help now. You're strong with me. I've always known that. If you can, say hello from me to your everyone and everyone I know. I love you.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-06-04T18:14:33+03:00","duration":"6:54","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_60a137a6aea19200.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_a29a2ac2c7d690d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/338/picture_vilitkevich_0_hu_4a59aaa1922d40cc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/338.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","search","sizo","minors","interrogation","health-risk","siloviks-violence"],"title":"Arrests of believers all over Russia","type":"video"},{"body":"24-year-old Aydar Yulmetyev was arrested on May 29, 2018 in Naberezhnye Chelny, who is suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. His arrest was preceded by mass searches in the homes of local citizens, as well as the arrest of 37-year-old Ilham Karimov, 30-year-old Vladimir Myakushin and 29-year-old Konstantin Matrashov. It is known that in relation to one of them, Vladimir Myakushin, a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 57 days, until July 25, 2018, was chosen.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:32:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/337/police-034407_0_4_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/337.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","ivs"],"title":"Fourth believer taken into custody in Tatarstan ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2018, Dmitry Mikhailov, a 40-year-old resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was taken into custody. Earlier, on April 20, 2018, he was recognized as a suspect in participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt the time of his arrest, Mikhailov was told that he was now suspected of \"financing\" extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-06-01T16:24:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/336/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_hu_cb8bbc79fc28e15e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/336/mihaylov_dmitriy4875.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/336/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_hu_7df984e635d864c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/336/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_hu_9b4e644f4360b76d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/336.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs","282.3-1","new-case"],"title":"A 40-year-old believer was arrested in Ivanovo region ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of May 30, 2018, 39-year-old Ivan Puyda, who is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was taken into custody in Khabarovsk. His apartment was searched, during which his wife Anastasia and her mother Olga were also present.\nIt is noteworthy that the arrest warrant for Ivan Puida was issued by a court in Magadan, where three believers were arrested on the same day .\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization and bring charges against them of \"organizing\" or \"participating\" in \"extremist activities\", and even of \"financing\" it (282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:18:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/335/depositphotos_75905113_2_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/335.html","regions":["magadan","khabarovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"A 39-year-old believer was arrested in Khabarovsk","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2018, Konstantin Petrov, 31, Yevgeny Zyablov, 41, and Sergey Yerkin, 65, were arrested in Magadan on suspicion of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches were conducted.\nThe searches were carried out by FSB officers accompanied by armed masked special forces. The case is being conducted by an investigation team, including investigators Amerkhan Aspiev and Alexander Chuprina. During the searches, electronic devices, bank cards, books from the personal library were seized.\nThe believers are kept in a temporary detention center. The issue of the measure of restraint for detainees must be decided by the Magadan City Court no later than June 1, 2018.\nRussian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization and bring charges against them of \"organizing\" or \"participating\" in \"extremist activities\", and even of \"financing\" it (282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-06-01T16:16:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/334/depositphotos_18573119_4_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/334.html","regions":["magadan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo"],"title":"Three believers arrested in Magadan region","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 30, 2018, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturned a lower court's decision to block four websites, including the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (jw-russia.org).\nEarlier, in February 2018, the prosecutor's office of the city of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) filed a lawsuit with the Prokhladnensky District Court to block the jw-russia.org website in Russia, as well as three other unrelated sites about Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason for the prosecutor's appeal, presumably, was the article \"A peaceful respected person is tried for his faith in the Elbrus region\", dedicated to the unfair criminal prosecution of 70-year-old local believer Arkadi Hakobyan.\nDistrict Court Judge Tahir Metselov declined to involve the Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society of Pennsylvania in the case, despite the fact that the Society claimed its rights to the jw-russia.org site, indicated the existence of a copyright mark on the site, and sent a representative to protect its rights. As a result, the case was heard with the participation of only Assistant Prosecutor D.S. Chapsky, who stated that the sites should be banned only because they contain information about Jehovah's Witnesses. At the hearing, the court did not access the Internet and did not investigate the sites.\nOn March 20, 2018, the Prokhladnensky District Court granted the prosecutor's claim, deciding to restrict access to this site. However, now, 2 months later, the Court of Appeal has overturned and dismissed the case.\n","category":"victory","date":"2018-06-01T11:32:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/06/333/180601_apellyaciya_jw-russia4848_hu_8588506aaf1176e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/06/333/180601_apellyaciya_jw-russia4848.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/06/333/180601_apellyaciya_jw-russia4848_hu_9ebe9a1c8cf6314f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/06/333/180601_apellyaciya_jw-russia4848_hu_9c4f86413acc0093.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/06/333.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","website"],"title":"The Court of Appeal overturned the decision to ban the jw-russia.org website","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 27, 2018, in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), law enforcement officers raided 10 apartments of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Ilham Karimov, 37, Vladimir Myakushin, 30, and Konstantin Matrashov, 29, were arrested.\nSearches and interrogations in the homes of peaceful believers began on Sunday evening and continued until late at night. Law enforcement officers introduced themselves as employees of the Investigative Committee and the FSB. All electronic devices, mobile phones, and passports were seized from the believers, including 4 men, 10 women (including the elderly) and a child.\nIn the coming days, the issue of the measure of restraint for the detainees should be resolved. It became known that the criminal case was initiated under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Russian law enforcement officers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization. This criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia, which on April 20, 2017, liquidated and recognized as \"extremist\" 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-30T00:41:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/332/police-034407_0_3_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/332.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","elderly","minors","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"title":"Three believers arrested in Tatarstan after mass raids ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 15, 2018, the Kingdom of Denmark submitted an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to join as a 3rd person in the case of Christensen v. Russia.\nThe complaint was filed with the ECHR in June 2017, after Russian courts made an unsubstantiated decision to pre-trial detention Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen who was arrested in Oryol solely for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. (Russian law enforcement officials mistakenly mistake citizens' joint religion for participation in an extremist organization.) The complaint was accompanied by a written request from Christensen himself to consider the case as a matter of urgency. On 4 September 2017, the ECHR declared the complaint admissible and sent questions to the Russian Government regarding the circumstances of the case.\nIt all started a year ago, on May 26, 2017, when Svetlana Naumova, a judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol, without due grounds decided to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Dennis Christensen, thereby correcting Christensen's key constitutional and basic human right - the right to liberty and security of person, which is second only to the right to life in importance. Four weeks later, on June 21, 2017, the Oryol Regional Court upheld the decision of the lower court.\nAt the time of publication of this news, Dennis Christensen has been in custody in the Oryol pre-trial detention center for a year.\nUnofficial translation\nApplication No. 39417/17\nDennis Ole Christensen v. Russia\nComments by the Government of Denmark\nIn a letter dated 7 September 2017, the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Court) notified the Government of Denmark (hereinafter referred to as the Government) of the above-mentioned application lodged by a Danish citizen and invited the Government to notify the Court if the Government decided to exercise its right to intervene under Article 36 § 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) and Rule 44 of the Rules of Court. In a letter of 30 November 2017 the Government informed the Court of their intention to exercise their right to intervene. In a letter of 26 March 2018, the Court sent to the Government a copy of the parties' observations concerning this application and invited the Government to submit in writing any observations it might have on the issues raised in the present case. The deadline for submission of comments from the Government was set for April 27, 2018. The Government argued that the applicant's pre-trial detention constituted a violation of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention. The Government emphasise that the above arguments are without prejudice to the present case, either when Article 9 § 1 of the Convention is applied alone or when applied in conjunction with Article 14 of the Convention, which has also been violated, as alleged by the applicant. If the Court has any questions in view of these observations or the statement in general, the Government will be at your disposal. I. QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES\nParties were invited to address the following issues in their comments:Has there been a violation of Article 9 of the Convention, taken alone or in conjunction with the provisions of Article 14 of the Convention, in connection with the applicant's arrest and detention? Did the domestic courts' decisions to detain the applicant and extend his detention contain \"substantial and sufficient\" grounds, as required by Article 5 § 3 of the Convention (see Buzadji v. Moldova, No. 23755/07, paras. 92-102, ECHR 2016 (excerpts))? The Government further provides comments on question 2. This case concerns the imprisonment of a Danish citizen for 10 months by the Russian authorities and, according to the information provided to the Government, it is clear that he was deprived of his liberty without sufficient grounds. Article 5 of the Convention is one of the key provisions of the Convention and prohibits arbitrary deprivation of liberty. A fundamental safeguard against arbitrary deprivation of liberty is that any deprivation of liberty must be justified on substantial and sufficient grounds. Moreover, as provided for in article 5, paragraph 1, of the Convention, pre-trial detention is an exception to the basic rule under article 5, paragraph 1, that everyone has the right to liberty. Article 5, paragraph 3, of the Convention provides for a number of procedural guarantees, including the provision that pre-trial detention should not exceed a reasonable time. II. THE GOVERNMENT'S OBSERVATIONS\nAccording to the Court's case-law under Article 5 § 3, the maintenance of \"reasonable suspicion\" is a sine qua non[1] condition for the lawfulness of continued detention (see, inter alia[2], Grand Chamber judgment of 5 July 2016, Buzadji v. Moldova, application No. 23755/07). In paragraph 102 of Buzadji v. Moldova, cited above, the Court stated that, in addition to maintaining reasonable suspicion, the official was required to provide \"substantial and sufficient\" reasons for detention immediately after arrest. In previous cases, the Court has found arguments to be \"substantial\" and \"sufficient\" reasons on grounds such as \"the threat of escape, the risk of exerting pressure on witnesses or the falsification of evidence, the risk of collusion, the risk of re-offending, the risk of causing public disorder and the need to protect the detainee\" (see paragraph 88 of Buzadji v. Moldova, cited above). a. Reasonable suspicion\nThe investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Oryol region justified the first requirement for the applicant's detention as follows (Appendix 16):\n[...] in the period from October 18, 2016 to May 16, 2017, D.O. Christensen, being a member of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Orel\" (hereinafter referred to as the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Orel\") [...] , in respect of which the decision of the Oryol Regional Court of June 14, 2016, which entered into force, was made on the liquidation of activities in connection with the implementation of extremist activities, committed actions of an organizational nature, aimed at continuing the illegal activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Eagle\" and expressed in the convening of meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Eagle\" in the premises at: [...], the organization of preaching activities, the distribution of funds of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Eagle\".\nAs can be seen from the above quotations, the applicant was allegedly a member of the LRO \"Oryol\", which was dissolved on the grounds of extremist activity. However, according to the available information, the applicant had never been a member of the Oryol LRO and he could never have become a member because the Orel LRO did not recognise foreign nationals as members (see paragraph 10 of the applicant's reply of 21 February 2018 to the Government's observations on the admissibility and merits of the case). It would be more accurate to say that the applicant was a member of the legitimate religious assembly \"Central\". Furthermore, the Government would like to point out that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, in its judgment of 18 October 2016, made it clear that the \"liquidation\" of the Orel LRO does not prohibit its members from holding worship services that are not related to the distribution of extremist literature. This conclusion further confirms that the applicant has the right to attend, participate in and conduct worship services at the Tsentralnoye Meeting. On this basis, the Government considered that there were no grounds for \"reasonable suspicion\" that the applicant had committed the offence for which he had been detained. The Government considered that Article 5 § 3 of the Convention had been violated on that ground alone. b. \"Substantial\" and \"Sufficient\"\ni. Threat of Escape\nOn 21 June 2017 the Oryol Regional Court upheld the decision to impose pre-trial detention on the applicant. The court's reasoning includes the following (Appendix 36-B):\nThe arguments of the defense lawyers that Christensen has been registered as a permanent resident of the city of Oryol for more than 10 years, has a residence permit and a legal source of income in the Russian Federation, is married to a citizen of the Russian Federation, has a positive characteristic at the place of residence, are not a sufficient guarantee that in case of release Christensen will not leave the Russian Federation, This could seriously complicate the preliminary investigation.\nIn principle, the threat of escape is among the circumstances which have been considered \"substantial\" and \"sufficient\" in previous cases before the Court (see paragraph 88 of Buzadji v. Moldova, cited above). However, the Court recognizes the threat of escape only when such a risk is considered real. The Court pointed out that the threat of escape could not be determined solely by the gravity of the sentence possible; it should be assessed on the basis of other relevant factors. In this context, account must be taken, inter alia, of the character of the person concerned, his or her morals, property, connection with the State in which he or she is persecuted and his or her international contacts (see, inter alia, paragraph 33 of the judgment of 26 January 1993, V. (W) v. Switzerland, application No. 14379/88). In the present case, the Oryol Regional Court found that the applicant had been registered as a permanent resident of Oryol for more than 10 years, had a residence permit and a legal source of income in the Russian Federation, was married to a citizen of the Russian Federation and had a positive characteristic at his place of residence, but, nevertheless, the court found that these factors did not constitute a sufficient guarantee that that the applicant will not leave the Russian Federation. In its appeal decision, the Oryol Regional Court did not state any reason why these factors could not be considered as a guarantee against escape. Moreover, on 15 September 2017 the applicant received a letter from the Embassy of Denmark in Moscow (Annex 20) assuring him that the Embassy would not issue him a new passport or otherwise assist him in leaving the territory of the Russian Federation. However, the letter did not lead to the applicant's release. The Court had previously ruled that an applicant who provided reasonable grounds for his or her to appear before a court, for example by providing guarantees or depositing his or her passport, should be released (see paragraph 39 of the Court's judgment of 12 December 1991 in the case of Clooth v . Belgium, application No. 12718/87). In this regard, the Government considered that there was no real risk of escape, and therefore such an alleged justification could not constitute \"substantial\" and \"sufficient\" reasons for the applicant's detention. ii. Risk of collusion\nIn its appeal decision of 21 June 2017 the Oryol Regional Court also gave the following reason, leaving unchanged the decision to impose a preventive measure on the applicant in the form of pre-trial detention (Appendix 36-B):\n[The applicant] may use his authority and position among the members of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses \"Oryol\", in respect of which the court issued a decision to liquidate it in connection with its recognition as extremist, can influence them in order to induce them to testify in his favor or refuse to testify, thereby obstructing the proceedings, or take measures to destroy evidence.\nIn principle, the risk of collusion, including fears that witnesses will be influenced or that evidence will be tampered with, is also one of the justifications that the Court has defined in previous cases as \"substantial\" and \"sufficient\" grounds for pre-trial detention (see paragraph 88 of Buzadji v. Moldova, cited above). In its case-law, the Court has found that the risk of collusion, including the fear that witnesses will be influenced or that evidence will be tampered with, is a justification that becomes invalid over time (see, inter alia, paragraph 35 of the Court's judgment cited above in W. v. Switzerland). According to the information submitted, the FSB investigator interviewed all the witnesses and collected all the evidence in the case case until 20 November 2017, when the Oryol Regional Court nevertheless ordered the extension of the applicant's pre-trial detention (see paragraph 57 of the applicant's reply of 21 February 2018 to the Government's observations on the admissibility and merits of the case). According to the available information, the applicant was in pre-trial detention until the trial, which began on 3 April 2018, i.e. for a total of just over ten months. In the light of the foregoing, the Government argued that the risk of collusion had not, or at least had not continued, to be a \"substantial\" and \"sufficient\" reason justifying the applicant's pre-trial detention. The courts did not provide any other reasons to justify the applicant's pre-trial detention. The general assessment was that the Government therefore considered that there was neither a \"reasonable suspicion\" nor \"substantial and sufficient\" reasons for the applicant's pre-trial detention and, thus, the Government alleged that there had been a violation of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention. III. CONCLUSION\nThe Government claimed that the applicant's detention constituted a violation of Article 5 § 3 of the Convention. Copenhagen, 26 April 2018\nMr. Tobias Elling Rehfeld, Chargé d'Affaires of the Government of Denmark\nMs. Nina Holst-Christensen, Chargé d'Affaires of the Government of Denmark\n[1] Translator's note: sine qua non (Latin) - mandatory, indispensable.\n[2] Translator's note: inter alia (Latin) — among others, among others.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-05-29T12:36:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/329/shutterstock_34787520526192_1_hu_6e788a2878d27343.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/329/shutterstock_34787520526192_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/329/shutterstock_34787520526192_1_hu_e4d84198bab985c4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/329/shutterstock_34787520526192_1_hu_1c7ef1072df9acb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/329.html","regions":["eu","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","echr"],"title":"The Government of Denmark as a 3rd party in the case of Christensen v. Russia before the European Court","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2018, in Perm, after 2 days of arrest, 48-year-old Jehovah's Witness Alexander Solovyov was released from custody in the courtroom, who was removed from the train and sent to a temporary detention center. The corresponding decision was made by Alexey Ryabov, a judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Perm. This decision of the court was relieved by Solovyov's wife and their co-religionists.\nAleksandr Solovyov was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). This criminal case is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcement officers mistakenly interpret joint confession of religion as participation in an extremist organization.\nThe investigator for especially important cases, A. E. Leontiev, asked the court to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to the believer. The investigator was supported by the senior assistant to the prosecutor of the region A. Kostarev. However, the court found it possible to apply a milder measure - in the form of house arrest.\nSolovyov is forbidden to leave the apartment, use the telephone and the Internet, send and receive mail and SMS, communicate with people who are defendants or witnesses in this criminal case.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-28T17:04:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/328/gavel3845_1_0_2_hu_ee4422c560bab770.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/328/gavel3845_1_0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/328/gavel3845_1_0_2_hu_9dfdf8d65845b0c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/328/gavel3845_1_0_2_hu_12bc36ed50adea43.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/328.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["house-arrest","282.2-2"],"title":"A believer in Perm was transferred from a detention center to house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 25, 2018, Judge Angela Sizova of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region issued an appeal ruling to \"release from custody immediately in the courtroom\" 55-year-old Alam Aliyev, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who was sent to prison solely because of his faith! The believer spent 8 days in custody, from May 17, 2018, when a large-scale raid was carried out on the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAliyev's fellow believers could not hold back tears of joy.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-25T15:25:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/327/gavel3845_1_0_1_hu_ee4422c560bab770.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/327/gavel3845_1_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/327/gavel3845_1_0_1_hu_9dfdf8d65845b0c1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/327/gavel3845_1_0_1_hu_12bc36ed50adea43.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/327.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","recognizance-agreement"],"title":"The Court of Appeal in Birobidzhan released Alam Aliyev","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 22, 2018, it was planned to question a secret prosecution witness, whose face would not be visible and whose voice would be changed. However, the trial listeners who came to court were told that this interrogation had been postponed to May 23.\nOn May 23, 2018, at the beginning of the court session, the lawyers filed an additional motion to disclose the true data of the classified witness, since the defense has information that this witness is Oleg Gennadievich Kurdyumov, who on November 10, 2017 was already interrogated by the investigator in this case under his real name, that is, there can be no grounds for secrecy. In addition, it is unacceptable to interview one person in two statuses - as an ordinary witness and as a \"classified\" witness. To make sure, it will be enough for the court to compare the surname, name and patronymic of this witness in the \"secret envelope\" and the surname, name and patronymic of the witness in the interrogation protocol dated November 10, 2017, available in the case file.\nTo resolve this petition, the court retired to the deliberation room for about 1 hour. Upon his return, the court announced that the defense's motion was not resolved on the merits, so the court session was adjourned until Monday, May 28, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-25T13:57:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/326/orel_sud_vyveska4430_0_hu_9023ed5d8e851c05.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/326/orel_sud_vyveska4430_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/326/orel_sud_vyveska4430_0_hu_dac7bff659b46e7d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/326/orel_sud_vyveska4430_0_hu_e592b06ee8d8d07e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/326.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 22-23, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On that day, the court continued the interrogation of the witness Vera Ivanovna Banshchikova, a pediatrician with 35 years of experience, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Banshchikova was invited to court by the prosecution. The meeting is attended by the Danish television and radio company DR TV.\nThe court continued to question her about her attitude towards blood transfusions. Having worked as a doctor all her life, Banshchikova spoke in detail about the medical risks associated with blood transfusions, as well as the availability of real alternatives to this procedure. Among other things, Banshchikova mentioned the Order of the Ministry of Health No. 363, which approves instructions for doctors on the use of blood components. According to the instructions, before using donated blood, the doctor is obliged to inform the patient about the risks associated with this and obtain his written consent. In case of refusal, the doctor does not have the right to ignore the patient's decision. The patient is not obliged to inform the doctor of the reason for refusing a blood transfusion.\nWho cleaned the worship hall? Who closed and opened the gate? Was it Dennis Christensen? These questions were still of keen interest to the court, as if cleaning and unlocking the building was the very crime that Christensen was charged with. Banshchikova explained that greeting at the entrance to the building is a common practice in Jehovah's Witnesses communities. In addition, in all the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses where she has been, believers participate in cleaning the premises. According to Banshchikova, these are issues of simple hospitality and etiquette. She herself, if necessary and if possible, participated in the cleaning, driven by a personal impulse. She did not remove snow in the yard because her health condition did not allow it, but she saw Christensen come early and clear the snow so that it would be convenient for people to pass.\nWhen prosecutors asked to talk about what happened on May 25, 2017, when law enforcement officers came to their worship service and Christensen was arrested, Banshchikova said that \"I have never seen such a spectacle in my life, it was very scary, like a horror film.\" Some people then became ill.\nThe interrogation lasted more than 3 hours and ended at 14:00.\nThe next day, a secret witness is scheduled to be questioned, whose face will not be visible and whose voice will be changed. The lawyers filed a motion to interrogate this person in the usual manner, since the interrogation of an anonymous witness limits the defendant's ability to defend himself. In addition, such an interrogation is possible only in the event of a threat to the life and health of the witness, but there are no grounds for such fears in the case.\nThe court postponed the resolution of this petition until the next day, May 22, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-25T13:56:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/325/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_0_hu_3aa28b37a9018adc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/325/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_0_hu_1ce61c55d755fdbf.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/325/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_0_hu_c94396852c901571.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/325/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_0_hu_a73a94bc05e69c72.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/325.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 21, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Sent to a temporary detention center 48-year-old Alexander Solovyov, a resident of Perm, who is suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was detained on the evening of May 22, 2018. The issue of choosing a preventive measure against him should be decided on May 24.\nAlexander Solovyov and his wife Anna were returning home after a trip abroad. Friends who came to meet them at the Perm-2 railway station saw that law enforcement officers drove up to the car, handcuffed Aleksandr, and he and his wife were taken in different cars in an unknown direction.\nThroughout the night of May 22-23, searches were carried out in their apartment, during which all electronic devices, storage media, a wi-fi router, photographs, and a collection of Bibles were seized.\nRefinement. Information about the seizure of property documents from the Solovyovs was subsequently not confirmed.\nAleksandr Solovyov is in a temporary detention facility at 90 Uralskaya Street in Perm. His wife has now been released.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-24T16:32:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/323/depositphotos_75905113_1_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/323/depositphotos_75905113_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/323/depositphotos_75905113_1_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/323/depositphotos_75905113_1_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/323.html","regions":["perm"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs"],"title":"Perm: Criminal Case for Faith, Believer Sent to Prison","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 19, 2018, 2 days after the raid on believers in the Orenburg region, the Industrial District Court of Orenburg chose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 citizens who are accused of organizing worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. The 3rd believer from the special detention center was transferred to house arrest.\n25-year-old Vladislav Kolbanov was placed under house arrest. The hearing in his case was scheduled for May 18, 2018 at 15:00, but lasted until 23:17 local time. 50 relatives and friends came to support the young man, only 15 of them fit in the hall, the rest were waiting in the corridor and on the street. When the court announced the decision to transfer him from the detention center to house arrest, the audience applauded for a long time. Arrested for 58 days, until July 14, 2018, 38-year-old Vladimir Kochnev, married, has positive characteristics from the place of residence and work (master of metal products). The corresponding decision was made by Judge Igor Izmailov. Arrested for 58 days, until July 14, 2018, 38-year-old Aleksandr Suvorov, a key maker, is married and has a young daughter. The court was presented with positive references from Suvorov's place of residence and work, letters of thanks, diplomas and certificates from the place of study and institutions of additional education of the child, but Judge Igor Izmailov did not find an opportunity to choose a milder measure of restraint than detention. Currently, 8 citizens are behind bars in different regions of Russia, namely: Dennis Christensen in Orel, Anatoly Vilitkevich in Ufa, Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov in the Murmansk region, Valentin Osadchuk in Vladivostok, Alam Aliyev in Birobidzhan and Vladimir Kochnev and Alexander Suvorov in Orenburg.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-22T15:25:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/322/depositphotos_18573119_3_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/322.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"title":"In Orenburg, two citizens were sent to a pre-trial detention center for their faith, one was placed under house arrest","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2018, 18 searches were carried out in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in 4 settlements of the Orenburg Region. 15 believers were detained, three were sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS). 11 people were found guilty in the criminal case.\nG. Buzuluk. Searches in 5 houses. A written undertaking not to leave was taken from one of the citizens. Orenburg. Searches were carried out at 9 addresses, where a total of 25 people live, including small children. 8 people were found guilty in the criminal case. A written undertaking not to leave was taken from 6 people. Three were sent to a temporary detention center, namely 25-year-old Vladislav Kolbanov, 38-year-old Aleksandr Suvorov and 38-year-old Vladimir Kochnev. P. Perevolotsky. Searches were carried out in 3 families at 2 addresses, including 25-year-old Boris Andreev, who lives with his wife and 2-year-old child. Andreev was found guilty in the criminal case. Sol-Iletsk. There were 2 searches. 44-year-old Anatoly Vichkitov was found accused. The criminal case was initiated under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Earlier, the Supreme Court of Russia approved the liquidation and prohibition of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations registered in Russia, but the constitutional right of citizens to freely practice their religion, both individually and in community with others, was not abolished. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-22T14:59:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/321/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_hu_501a9b3bd3475921.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/321/180516_orenburg_fsb5114.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/321/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_hu_91230167b0c4adb0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/321/180516_orenburg_fsb5114_hu_8d5f14a80842be41.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/321.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","review","282.2-1","new-case"],"title":"Details of the raid on believers in the Orenburg region","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 16, 2018, in the hearing in the case of Dennis Christensen, 2 witnesses for the prosecution were questioned: Aleksandr Chirikov, who lives near the building on Zheleznodorozhnaya Street, where Jehovah's Witnesses held their services, and Vera Banshchikova, a local resident who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAccording to the observations of Chirikov's neighbor, people went to worship \"as if on a holiday\" - decently dressed, sober, with children. The yard was cleaned, snow was cleaned in winter, and the lawn was mowed in summer. Who supervised the cleaning, who opened and closed the gate, Chirikov did not see. After these words, the state prosecution began to insist that Chirikov's testimony differed from what he told the investigator, namely, that Christensen was in charge of the cleaning and he also locked the gate. The court decided to read out the previous testimony of the witness. The lawyers tried to ask the witness additional questions in order to find out exactly when he told a lie, but the court consistently removed the questions of the defense, not allowing them to end. As a result, the lawyers first asked to record their objections to the judge's actions in the record of the court session, and later challenged him, giving reason to believe that he was interested in a certain outcome of the case. The court retired to the deliberation room and, an hour later, dismissed the challenge.\nWitness Vera Ivanovna Banshchikova, a retired pediatrician, has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for about 25 years, moved to Orel in 2008. According to her, Christensen, like herself, read the Bible at worship services. To do this, he went on stage, as well as almost all other believers, as is customary among Jehovah's Witnesses. She had heard that Christensen was an elder, but he hadn't told her about it, and no one had ever titled him like that.\nThe judge inquired about Banshchikova's attitude to blood transfusions in connection with the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. Zhenkov's lawyer tried to challenge the judge's questions because they were unrelated to the charges against Christensen and, moreover, the court did not discuss the doctrinal teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court rejected this protest, and Banshchikova was forced to give the court the reasons for the fact that she, who had worked as a doctor all her life, decided to look for alternatives to blood transfusions for herself. These are reasons both purely medical and religious, since the Bible has a clear command from the Creator not to use blood.\nAt this point, the court adjourned. On Monday, May 21, 2018, the interrogation of Vera Banshchikova will continue.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-22T11:39:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/320/p10201952282_4_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/320/p10201952282_4.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/320/p10201952282_4_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/320/p10201952282_4_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/320.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 16, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 10, 2018, the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) issued a statement on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The European Union is deeply concerned about the increasing persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. \"The Russian government claimed that although it had liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, individual believers were free to practice their faith,\" the statement said. Over the past year, authorities have opened nine criminal investigations and five Jehovah's Witnesses are currently in detention.\"\nEU Statement on the Situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Unofficial translation (source in PDF) EUROPEAN UNION\nPC. DEL/588/18 10 May 2018\nOSCE Permanent Council No. 1185\nVienna, 10 May 2018\nThe European Union is deeply concerned by recent reports of increased state harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including police raids on private homes, arbitrary detentions and intimidation.\nWe have repeatedly stated that Jehovah's Witnesses, like all other people, should be able to peacefully practice their religion and enjoy freedom of assembly without discrimination, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international obligations.\nOn April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation banned the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses and all 395 local legal entities of the Witnesses on the basis of legislation on \"extremism.\" The Russian government claimed that although it had liquidated the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, individual believers were free to practice their faith. However, the government's words are at odds with its actions. Over the past year, authorities have opened nine criminal investigations, and five Jehovah's Witnesses are currently in detention. All of them could face possible jail time of up to ten years just for getting together to hold a peaceful worship service. In addition to criminal investigations, the Russian state has confiscated some 90 to 100 properties belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses by court order, and another 100 properties are currently under trial. Russian authorities also threaten Jehovah's Witnesses with deprivation of parental rights.\nThe EU reiterates its call on Russia and all other OSCE participating States to abide by their international obligations on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. OSCE participating States have repeatedly stressed the importance of freedom of religion or belief as a fundamental principle of universal security.\nThe EU will continue to closely monitor developments concerning Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the OSCE area and is concerned by reports that several participating States are restricting the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to profess their faith.\nFreedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief is a fundamental right of every human being and excludes any discrimination. This right is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as joint OSCE commitments. Freedom of religion or belief includes the freedom to manifest one's religion or belief, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, in teaching, worship and worship. The EU continues to promote freedom of religion or belief, which must be respected and promoted everywhere on the basis of the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-05-21T23:38:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/319/973514798_hu_17c1bf7f45be9c2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/319/973514798.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/319/973514798_hu_86e1e63efe5828ce.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/319/973514798_hu_35999351caac64a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/319.html","regions":["austria"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international","osce"],"title":"European Union Statement on the Situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Since the early morning of May 17, 2018, at least 9 searches have been carried out in the homes of local residents who are believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region). One of the believers was detained. According to one of the operatives involved in the searches, a total of 150 security officials are involved in this operation, codenamed \"Judgment Day\".\nA criminal case has been opened against 55-year-old Alam Aliyev, a local Jehovah's Witness. He is detained, and it is expected that on May 18, 2018, the issue of a preventive measure will be decided against him.\nIt is known for sure about at least 9 searches carried out in different parts of the city. Photographs, bank cards, money, all electronic devices, even old and broken ones, are seized from citizens.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-17T16:36:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/318/police-034407_0_1_hu_c745ca0ce87593ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/318/police-034407_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/318/police-034407_0_1_hu_6588ff4e9afd779c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/318/police-034407_0_1_hu_3e3030f75d39506f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/318.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs"],"title":"Raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, Codenamed \"Judgment Day\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 15, 2018, two witnesses invited by the state prosecution were questioned in court, namely, the interrogation of FSB officer Pavel Azarenkov, who conducted operational-search measures against Christensen, was continued, and a local resident, Elena Chernitsova, who, like Christensen, professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was questioned.\nWhen asked by the lawyers, the FSB officer explained that the Oryol Regional Court and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, that in Oryol, as before, it is allowed to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, it is allowed to read the Bible and pray together with others, and it is not forbidden to spread one's religious beliefs, including on the street. It is noteworthy that the district police officer Maxim Ranev discovered an equally clear understanding of these issues the day before, on May 14, during interrogation in court.\nDuring the interrogation of witness Elena Chernitsova, the court was strongly interested in how her religion differed from Orthodoxy. Another issue of interest to the court and the prosecution is who organized the cleaning of the worship hall, who encouraged it to take part in it. The witness explained that she did the cleaning on her own initiative, driven by religious feelings, since Jehovah God is pure and holy. However, it was clearly difficult for the court and state prosecutors to understand such an answer.\nWhen asked by the court about her place of work, witness Chernitsova explained that she worked as a castellan in kindergarten No. 11 in Oryol, but soon after Christensen's arrest she was forced to resign because FSB officers came to her job and explained to the head T. Kostina that Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not have the right to work in kindergartens.\" When the lawyers tried to find out from the witness the names of those FSB officers, the court stated that it was removing all questions related to this incident.\nThe hearing is scheduled to continue on May 16, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-17T16:33:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/317/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_0_hu_53c1fd03cc9a4a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/317/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/317/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_0_hu_b2cee290a96732b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/317/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_0_hu_55d619bc8bc33974.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/317.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 15, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of May 16, 2018, a series of searches were conducted in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg and Buzuluk (Orenburg Region). According to preliminary information, three citizens were detained, three more were taken on their own recognizance. It is known that citizens are prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in an extremist organization).\nIt is expected that on May 17, 2018, decisions will be made on the measure of restraint for detainees.\nThis criminal case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-17T16:32:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/316/depositphotos_18573119_2_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/316/depositphotos_18573119_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/316/depositphotos_18573119_2_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/316/depositphotos_18573119_2_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/316.html","regions":["orenburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"title":"Criminal Case for Faith, Searches and Detentions in the Orenburg Region","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 3, 2018, the St. Petersburg City Court ruled: \"The decision of the Sestroretsky District Court of December 7, 2017 to leave unchanged, the appeal is dismissed.\" With this decision, the city court of St. Petersburg legalized the seizure of foreign property located in the village of Solnechnoye near St. Petersburg. The seizure of such a large and expensive property was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to liquidate and ban the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n\"We did not observe any adversarial proceedings in the process at all,\" Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses shared his impressions of the trial, \"The judges did not ask any questions, did not specify any circumstances in the case. They simply listened to the arguments of the defense, there was no debate of the parties. They retired to a five-minute meeting and returned with a ready-made solution. That is, in five minutes, the property worth two billion rubles was transferred to the state. It was noticeable that the judge knows the decision in advance and conducts the process along this path.\nArtur Leontiev, a lawyer who represented the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in court, had a similar feeling: \"A number of signs allow us to make such an assumption, because back in 2016, somehow there was an entry in Rosreestr that this complex is planned to be withdrawn for state or municipal needs. Interestingly, even before the start of this process, information appeared in the media that one of the state institutions had already submitted an application for this complex to be transferred to them. that the decision had already been made in advance.\"\nArtur Leontiev adds: \"This decision in itself, it has nothing to do, strictly speaking, to the law, because, in general, the institution of protecting private property rights, it is completely trampled. As a matter of fact, no one today can feel protected, even if he diligently complies with the law, all the requirements of the authorities. And it turns out that if the attitude towards it changes for some reason on the part of the authorities, then you can always come up with something, in some interesting way interpret the norms of the law and also the facts, and come to the conclusion that is needed at a given time.\nRichard Devine, vice president of the Watch Tower Society, who testified in court, says: \"I think any unbiased person would agree that the real estate in Solnechnoye belongs to us legally and that this property was, in fact, stolen by the Russian authorities. The decision was predictable, so we are not discouraged. We are pleased that we were able to prepare a solid basis for applying to the European Court of Human Rights.\"\nBelievers have mixed feelings. Here is how Yaroslav Sivulsky expressed them: \"We look positively even at what has happened now, in the context of the fact that by doing so we understand that we are on the right path, since Jesus said that I was persecuted, and you will be persecuted, I was hated, and you will be hated. There was no reason to hate Jesus, no reason to hate and persecute Jehovah's Witnesses. And we are confident that in due time God will restore justice to all his faithful servants.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-05-15T23:52:40+03:00","duration":"3:31","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/315/appeal_property_hu_95141af4b49beaed.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/315/appeal_property.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/315/appeal_property_hu_2a7e28cf0ae8b8ff.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/315/appeal_property_hu_1c4ce7bc4c1ba564.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/315.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","buildings-seizure","belongings-arrest","expert-comments"],"title":"Results of the real estate court in Solnechnoye","type":"video"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol continued the hearing in the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, who has been in the local pre-trial detention center for almost a year for his faith.\nThe meeting opened at 10:40 a.m. Three prosecution witnesses appeared in court. Their rights and obligations were explained to them and they were invited to the hall one by one.\nThe first to be interviewed was the district police officer Maxim Ranev, on whose territory there is a building in which Jehovah's Witnesses held their services. After the court decision to liquidate and ban the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, Orel, Ranev did not visit this building, did not go inside. He also explained that he could not distinguish the activities of a religious group from the activities of the LRO, since he did not have the right to conduct operational-search activities.\nThe second witness for the prosecution, Eduard Gavrikov, said that his mother, with whom he does not live, professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Gavrikov honestly admitted that he treats Jehovah's Witnesses negatively, considers this religion to be false. He knows about divine services from the words of his mother. Christensen came to his mother's apartment to help rescue her niece, who could not leave the bathroom because of a broken lock. When Gavrikov was asked what he meant by the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, he replied that they were people who believed in Jehovah God. He never attended the services of the Witnesses because he did not see the point in it. He himself is Orthodox, he was baptized in the Orthodox Church, by his own admission, without asking for his consent.\nThe third witness for the prosecution, Pavel Azarenkov, is an FSB detective. He kept an eye on Christensen at the place of worship. Everything was recorded on special audio and video recording equipment. Before the defense could ask the witness their questions, the court adjourned until May 15, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-15T23:37:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/314/p10201952282_3_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/314/p10201952282_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/314/p10201952282_3_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/314/p10201952282_3_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/314.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"May 14, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"Dmitry Mikhailov, a 40-year-old resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, was found to be suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him. Early in the morning of April 20, 2018, in the city of Shuya, searches were simultaneously conducted in 4 apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring one of the searches, riot policemen, having invaded the believers, put a gun to the head of their neighbor in the communal apartment, although he did not offer any resistance, and forced this peaceful man to lie on the floor, so that he remained in this position for about 15 minutes. During another search, the man was threatened with handcuffs to prevent him from getting legal advice over the phone. The woman, whose house was searched, could not follow the actions of the operatives, because she had to calm a small child. After the searches, women who exercised their right under Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation during interrogation were intimidated with criminal prosecution. Phones and tablets were taken away from citizens, which in most cases they need for work and everyday affairs. Bank cards and various kinds of documentation were also seized.\nPolice officers participated in the searches, for example, Major Mikhail Konstantinov, senior commissioner of the UEEX for economic crimes, and Lieutenant Colonel Konstantin Konovalov, deputy head of the Center \"E\" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Ivanovo region. One of the believers said that during the interrogation, investigator Aleksandr Ryazanov used insulting characteristics in relation to his religious views.\nThe case of Dmitry Mikhailov was initiated on April 19, 2018 by a senior investigator of the Komsomolsk Interdistrict Investigation Department, seconded to the Investigative Department for the city of Shuya of the Investigative Department for the Ivanovo Region, Captain of Justice Robert Barseghyan. On the same day, Sergey Garber, a judge of the Shuisky City Court, authorized a search of Dmitry Mikhailov's house. The initiation of the criminal case was preceded by operational-search activities that lasted several months, including wiretapping of believers' phones and secret video recording. The criminal case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcers mistakenly mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-05-15T15:58:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/313/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_0_hu_cb8bbc79fc28e15e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/313/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/313/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_0_hu_7df984e635d864c2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/313/mihaylov_dmitriy4875_0_hu_9b4e644f4360b76d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/313.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","minors","interrogation","siloviks-violence","hidden-surveillance"],"title":"A Criminal Case for Faith in the Ivanovo Region","type":"news"},{"body":"44-year-old Roman Markin and 61-year-old Viktor Trofimov, residents of Polyarny (Murmansk region), were sent to a pre-trial detention center for almost 2 months on suspicion of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). They did not get in touch after the searches, which took place on April 18, 2018 in this city in 7 apartments belonging to citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe searches were carried out almost simultaneously, with the participation of armed riot police, who acted extremely rudely. In the evening, Roman Markin was at home with his 16-year-old daughter. At 7:40 p.m., the door to their apartment was kicked down by riot police. At gunpoint, they were forced to lie on the floor and searched. Markin's daughter was taken away and interrogated until 3 a.m. Elsewhere, an elderly man opened the door to a group of armed commandos, and they pushed him with such force that he fell. By their actions, law enforcement officers bruised two more women who were visiting. The teenagers, siblings, were put against the wall and ordered to hold their arms outstretched. A total of 17 citizens were searched, all electronic devices were seized and taken away for interrogation, which lasted until 7 am.\nThe criminal case was initiated on April 12, 2018 by the Investigative Department for ZATO Aleksandrovsk (which includes the cities of Polyarny and Snezhnogorsk) of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Murmansk Region. The believers were interrogated by several investigators, including Ivan Misa. The case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Law enforcers often mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\nIt is noteworthy that earlier, on October 23, 2016, brochures submitted to the FSEM were planted at the service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Snezhnogorsk. Law enforcement officers then drove up to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and, referring to a \"message received,\" said that there might be weapons in the building. Weapons, as expected, were not found, but banned brochures were demonstratively \"discovered\". The epidemic of such falsifications led to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which became the reason for the arrests of believers.\nRoman Nikolaevich Markin (born in 1974) and Viktor Fedorovich Trofimov (born in 1957) are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Murmansk Region.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-05-11T11:30:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_468fe1d1fbbba777.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_619a7fd0852b7191.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/312/180418_polyarnyy_vylamyvayut_dver5107_hu_40d9309332b42448.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/312.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","sizo","interrogation","minors"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Civilians Detained for 55 Days in the Arctic","type":"news"},{"body":"A real estate complex worth about 2 billion rubles will be seized from a foreign organization, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. On May 3, 2018, the St. Petersburg City Court upheld the decision of the lower court. The decision takes effect immediately.\n\"The inviolability of private property is considered the basis for confidence in the future,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nWhat steps preceded this seizure of property? 1) Without any convincing argumentation , the courts recognized a number of publications of Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist\". 2) In 2017, after an epidemic of planting \"extremist\" materials in worship buildings, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses registered in Russia as extremist and liquidated them. (3) The lower court, on the basis of this decision, decided to transfer this property to the ownership of the state, since until 2000 it belonged to one of the liquidated organizations. To that end, the court declared the 17-year-old deal to transfer it to the Watch Tower Society null and void.\nIt is noteworthy that on April 20, 2016, more than a year before the claim of the Ministry of Justice on the liquidation of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, an intriguing entry appeared in the \"Unified State Register of Real Estate Rights\" (EGRP) relating to this liturgical complex: \"A decision has been made to seize the property for state or municipal needs.\" Rosreestr explained this record to believers as a \"technical error.\"\nSuch a large-scale seizure of property in Russia, which was used for religious purposes, is comparable only with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars \"On the separation of Church and State\" of 1918, by which religious organizations were deprived of property. However, unlike the events of 100 years ago, the buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses were purchased and built without state support, solely on voluntary donations and by the believers themselves.\nAll options for further appealing this decision, both nationally and internationally, will be considered by the Watch Tower Society after reviewing the full text of the appellate ruling. In addition, the European Court of Human Rights is considering as a matter of priority the complaint \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\", filed in connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which, in turn, served as the basis for today's decision.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-05-03T14:25:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/309/img_32224675_hu_8731343b135c3276.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/309/img_32224675.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/309/img_32224675_hu_fbbfeeef0b75eb6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/309/img_32224675_hu_b884fb70fbc4d466.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/309.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","buildings-seizure","belongings-arrest","ussr"],"title":"The Court of Appeal legalized the seizure of property in the village of Solnechnoye, St. Petersburg","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 3, 2018, at 12:50 p.m., with a 50-minute delay, the St. Petersburg City Court began hearing on the appeal of the \"Watch Tower, Bibles, and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania\" against the decision of the Sestroretsky Court of St. Petersburg, which canceled the 17-year-old deal in which the Society became the owner of a large worship complex in the suburbs of St. Petersburg.\nThe case is heard by a panel of three judges: Tatyana Kudasova (reporter), Svetlana Nichkova and Galina Kordyukova. Richard Devine, Vice President of the Watch Tower Society, and attorneys Artur Leontiev and Victor Shipilov are involved in the process. On the side of the plaintiff are representatives of the prosecutor's office, Rosreestr and the Federal Property Management Agency.\nThere are 45 people in the hall, including foreign diplomats and media representatives.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-05-03T13:42:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/308/180405_spb_gorsud4573_1_hu_f6d2d4d6efac801b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/308/180405_spb_gorsud4573_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/308/180405_spb_gorsud4573_1_hu_ae282d99b6f710c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/308/180405_spb_gorsud4573_1_hu_fea000a89412c6fb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/308.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","complaints","buildings-seizure"],"title":"In St. Petersburg, the issue of the property of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Solnechnoye is being resolved","type":"news"},{"body":"On that day, a witness invited by the prosecution was questioned in court, a 78-year-old local resident who professes the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe interrogation lasted 2.5 hours, during which the woman answered questions posed to her by the prosecutors and the judge. In addition to Christensen's activities, the court was interested in a wide range of issues relating to the religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe hearing will continue on May 14, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-05-01T15:05:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/307/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_hu_20106679bdb5dd85.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/307/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/307/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_hu_468cba21202eff79.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/307/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_0_hu_d17c5013502eb95b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/307.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"April 25, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"A 2-minute video review of property in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, which the prosecutor's office, in violation of the basic principles of the inviolability of private property, is trying to take away from a large foreign association.\nSt. Petersburg, the village of Solnechnoye. The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was located here. 10 hectares of landscaped area, 14 buildings with a total area of 33,000 square meters. The complex was built in 1997 by volunteers. Since 2000, ownership has been held by the Watch Tower, Bibles, and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania. During this time, the \"Society\" paid about 190,000,000 rubles in taxes to the budget of the Russian Federation. The Russian authorities intend to seize this property from a foreign organization. The appeal hearing in the St. Petersburg City Court is scheduled for May 3, 2018.\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-04-30T12:13:33+03:00","duration":"2:02","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/306/digest_solnechnoye_hu_2fc21baccd70f2c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/306/digest_solnechnoye.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/306/digest_solnechnoye_hu_62f9de766b9a7468.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/306/digest_solnechnoye_hu_659ba196f83e3494.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/306.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","video","belongings-arrest"],"title":"Summary: What do they want to take away from Jehovah's Witnesses in Solnechnoye?","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg made an unprecedented decision to seize a large real estate complex in St. Petersburg from a foreign organization, recognizing the 17-year-old transaction as invalid.\n\"We are talking about 14 buildings with an area of 33,000 square meters,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.- They are located on 10 hectares of beautiful, landscaped territory in the village of Solnechnoye, this is the Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. And this complex was transferred to the possession of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania in 2000.\nDuring the 4-hour court session, exhaustive evidence was presented confirming the legality of the transfer of the complex to a foreign owner.\nAttorney Victor Shipilov explained, \"For example, in the 2000's, in 2007, the transfer of property to the ownership of the Watch Tower Bible and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania was carefully checked, and no violations by the prosecutor's office were found, no claims were made.\"\n\"The Watch Tower Society had to pay taxes, even though the Administrative Center, as a religious organization registered under Russian law, was exempt from paying taxes on land and real estate,\" lawyer Artur Leontiev explained. This amount amounted to about three million dollars. It is clear that making an imaginary deal purely for the sake of appearance or on paper, no one would spend that kind of money.\nNotably, the Watch Tower Society was not allowed to participate in the April 2017 hearings before the Russian Supreme Court. Then the Supreme Court refused to involve the \"Society\" in the case, arguing that the interests of this organization were not affected in any way.\nArtur Leontiev: \"In simple terms, this situation can be compared with the fact that I, for example, am the owner of the apartment in which my relative lives, and some law enforcement agencies make claims to this relative on far-fetched, perhaps, grounds and say that he violated something. Representatives of the state come to me and say: \"Give me an apartment!\" I say: \"Why?\" - \"Well, because your relative, in our opinion, violated the law.\" I said: \"I'm sorry, I didn't break the law, they didn't make any claims against me. Why do you want to take my property?\" but nevertheless they say, 'Yes, we want to take it.'\"\nIt is worth noting that the Russian Federation did not finance the construction of the complex. An abandoned pioneer camp located on this territory was purchased commercially by Jehovah's Witnesses from one of the Russian enterprises.\nYaroslav Sivulsky: \"This complex was built at the expense of foreign religious organizations and exclusively by the believers themselves. So there is nothing illogical in the fact that these buildings were subsequently donated to the Watch Tower Society, at whose request the construction was carried out.\nAlexander Blokhin recalls: \"We saw with what enthusiasm, dedication, desire, joy fellow believers from many countries take part in this. They came with trailers, they lived there, in these trailers. That is, people made specific sacrifices. Today, seeing that what was built with such love, with such sacrifices, with such dedication, is simply taken away. It's just humanly very sad and painful.\" His wife Olga shares her feelings: \"It seems that a part of your heart was torn off from you, because smells, plants, everything that was there, as if it were all with your own hands, and a lot of soul was put into it.\"\nRecall that this happened in Russia only once, namely 100 years ago, in 1918. Then, by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars, all the property of the Russian Orthodox Church was taken away. The decision of the Sestroretsky District Court has no analogues in the history of modern Russia.\nMikhail Sitnikov, journalist: \"If we proceed from normal human understanding, then this is a robbery. Actually, the same violence, the other side of the same violence, which was expressed in discrimination against religion and believers, was expressed in insults when they broke in during worship. It is expressed now in the fact that they are trying to take everything to the skin.\nGerhard Bézier, religious scholar: \"Such a step surprised me, because it harms the image of Russia in certain circles. In my opinion, there is no benefit for Russia in this. We must not give up trying to convey to the public what is happening, and especially to reach out to thinking people around the world.\"\nRoman Lunkin, religious scholar: \"I think that the time will come when the Russian state will have to carry out the same partial restitution of religious property that has been taking place since 2010 in relation to the Russian Orthodox Church and, of course, the state will sooner or later have to return to the principles of religious freedom, which means returning to Jehovah's Witnesses what is now being confiscated.\"\n\"If the case is considered purely according to the law, then we believe that the decision of the Sestroretsky District Court should be canceled and the prosecutor's claim should be denied,\" said lawyer Artur Leontiev. If any other considerations prevail, well, then we will continue the appeal further.\n\"Jehovah's Witnesses have dedicated all the property that can be seized to Jehovah God,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky. Therefore, we believe that it belongs to God and is taken away from God. And the Bible teaches us to put all our worries on Him.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2018-04-25T18:24:51+03:00","duration":"6:10","image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_80cc18bdd8229dbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_b3b41bc3b5c09428.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/305/solnechnoye_hu_6bf156ba7abdbb29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/305.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","fabrications","video","administrative-center"],"title":"Seizure of foreign property by Russian authorities","type":"video"},{"body":"On this day, in the court in the case of Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen, accused because of his religion, 2 prosecution witnesses were interviewed: an FSB officer and a woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services from 2013 to 2015.\nAn FSB officer said that in 2017 he monitored the building on Zheleznodorozhnaya Street in the city of Orel. He filmed Christensen greeting people in a friendly way in the yard. However, he does not know what happened inside the building. In addition, he once followed Christensen in a café, trying to record Christensen's conversation. He didn't hear what the conversation was about, and he's not sure if the sound was recorded. Finally, he participated in the search of the home of a family of believers. When asked by the lawyer why, contrary to the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the items that he seized during the search were not listed and described, the witness replied that he was only the executor and acted under the direction of another employee.\nA local woman who was invited as a witness said that she attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2013 to December 6, 2015. The witness could not give any testimony about Christensen's activities in the period after 2016, when the court liquidated the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe hearing is scheduled to continue on April 25, 2018.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-04-25T17:26:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/304/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_hu_6ca212cc720664b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/304/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_hu_3206f4cc2500b94f.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/304/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_hu_79736fdc75265b7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/304/180403_orel_kristensen4571_0_hu_5781215a4f3057c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/304.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"April 24, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 23, 2018, the charges against him were announced at a court hearing in the case of the Danish believer Dennis Christensen. The defendant and his lawyers expressed their attitude to this charge. The further procedure for the trial has been determined.\nThe hearing began at 10:40 a.m. Christensen thanked Judge Rudnev for the opportunity to familiarize himself with all 12 volumes of the case, but clarified that he was not allowed to familiarize himself with \"material evidence\" (audio and video recordings of operational surveillance, as well as printed materials and personal records seized from believers).\nProsecutor Fomin announced the charges. When asked if he understood the accusation, Christensen explained that only part of it was understood. Many of the accusations are so general that he does not understand what exactly he is accused of.\nExpressing his attitude to the charges, lawyer Zhenkov said that the defense intends to help the court clearly distinguish between what should be considered the consequences of the liquidation of a particular legal entity, and what is an inviolable human right to freedom of religion. (The attitude of lawyer Viktor Zhenkov to the charge against Dennis Christensen.) Lawyer Bogdanov expressed his and lawyer Krasnikova's attitude to the charges: by virtue of the provisions of Articles 14 and 73 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the subject of criminal proceedings cannot be an assessment of a human act depending on his religion. The indictment does not contain the substance of the charge, a description of the place and time of the alleged criminal acts, methods, consequences and other significant circumstances, without which it is impossible to pass a court verdict.\nFurther, the court appointed the order of the proceedings: first the interrogation of witnesses, then the interrogation of the defendant and, finally, the debate of the parties. Schedule of hearings for the next month: April 24, 25, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 May 2018. Time: 10:30 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-04-24T12:07:47+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/303/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_hu_660d0c68596fe86f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/303/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/303/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_hu_d7fd15848204e455.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/303/dennis_kristensen_v_zale_suda4596_0_hu_6d9dfe665a5bebef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/303.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"April 23, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"One of the followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok, 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk, was arrested for two months, until June 20, 2018. He is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in an extremist organization). On the eve of his arrest, on April 19, 2018, police officers and the FSB conducted searches in the homes of local residents. Women of 66 and 83 years old (!) were involved as suspects under the same article in the criminal case, they were taken on their own recognizance.\nThe criminal case was initiated on April 9, 2018 by an FSB investigator. This was preceded by operational-search activities, including secret video filming. On April 23, 2018, Sergey Olkhovsky, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok, chose a preventive measure in the form of detention against Valentin Osadchuk. On April 27, 2018, the investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Primorsky Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice O. A. Tunyk, decided to bring Valentin Osadchuk as an accused.\nThe criminal case was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, including the local religious organization in Vladivostok. Law enforcers often mistake the joint religion of citizens for participation in an extremist organization.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/05/311/depositphotos_18573119_1_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/05/311.html","regions":["primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-2","search","new-case"],"title":"In Primorye, a civilian was arrested for 2 months for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"After the announcement of the charges against Christensen, the court gave the defenders the opportunity to express their attitude to the charges.\n","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/302.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["courtroom"],"title":"The attitude of lawyer Viktor Zhenkov to the charge brought against Dennis Christensen (in accordance with Article 273 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation)","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 10, 18, 19 and 20, 2018, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Bashkiria, the Murmansk Region, the Primorye Territory and the Ivanovo Region. Four citizens were arrested.\nOn April 10, 2018, 8 searches were carried out simultaneously in Ufa . Appeals have been filed against the search order with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan. One of the citizens, a 32-year-old man, was arrested and is in jail until June 2, 2018.\nOn the evening of April 18, 2018, in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region), searches were carried out in the homes of local citizens. Two citizens, men 44 years old and 61 years old, who were seen in the police, do not get in touch. Presumably, they were arrested.\nOn April 19, 2018, law enforcement officers invaded one of the dwellings in Vladivostok. A 42-year-old man was arrested. He learned that he would be charged under Article 282. (organization of an extremist organization).\nSince the morning of April 20, 2018, at least three searches in the homes of local residents have been carried out in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo region). One of the citizens, a 33-year-old man, was taken to the police.\nEarlier, in January and February 2018, mass searches took place in Belgorod and Kemerovo. Citizens are suspected of continuing the activities of the organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\nAll searches and arrests were a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. At the same time, the Russian authorities continue to maintain that this decision does not prohibit the practice of the Jehovah's Witnesses. A Danish citizen who has been in pre-trial detention since May 25, 2017, was taken into custody in Oryol on a similar charge. On July 21, 2017, the Memorial Human Rights Center recognized Dennis Christensen as a political prisoner.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-04-20T15:56:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_e4cc14d2169bc51c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_6e8eef7dc4a96af6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/301/depositphotos_18573119_0_0_hu_eb738af7a5a4a71f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/301.html","regions":["bashkortostan","murmansk","ivanovo","primorye"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","sizo","282"],"title":"In four regions of Russia, citizens who are considered Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested almost simultaneously","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of April 18, 2018, three searches were conducted in the homes of local residents in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). 16 citizens, including minors, were taken for interrogation to the investigative department. They were asked questions about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogations continued until 7 a.m. the next day.\nTwo citizens, men 44 years old and 61 years old, who were seen in the police, do not get in touch. Presumably, they were arrested.\nEarlier, on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation ruled to liquidate the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Polyarny\", along with other 395 registered associations of this religion throughout the country. Thus, the searches were a direct consequence of this decision of the Supreme Court.\nUpdate. Later it became known that a total of searches took place in 6 houses, the last of them ended at 4:15 am. The interrogations of 13 people continued until 6 a.m.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-04-20T12:24:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/300/police-034407_0_hu_6c5ecc25b4d71c14.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/300/police-034407_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/300/police-034407_0_hu_74301eacedcd83c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/300/police-034407_0_hu_659d7304e419ca3a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/300.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","interrogation","minors"],"title":"In the Murmansk Region, Searches and Arrests of Citizens Believed to Be Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"During the mass searches that took place in Ufa on April 10, 2018, one of the local residents, 32-year-old Anatoliy Vilitkevich, was arrested. He is charged under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization) due to the fact that he allegedly professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn April 12, 2018, Larisa Mokhova, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, issued a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Anatoly Vilitkevich in the form of detention until June 2, 2018 inclusive. At the same time, the court ignored a number of legal requirements, for example, it did not indicate in its decision why it was impossible to choose a milder measure, and also did not check the validity of Anatoly Vilitkevich's involvement in the crime imputed to him.\nOn April 16, 2018, Anatoliy Vilitkevich's lawyers filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan against the court's decision to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention. On April 19, 2018, during the appeal hearing in the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the decision to detain the believer was upheld.\nThe arrest was a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which imposed a ban on the activities of all registered legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the association in Ufa. The decision of the Supreme Court is appealed to the ECHR as a matter of priority.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-04-19T21:11:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_30ba949c5c8a9279.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_679eab0c5142f06f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/299/img_33512969_hu_d00c1d85a8dacd8e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/299.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","search","282.2-2","ivs","review","appeal"],"title":"In Bashkiria, a believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 52 days","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 3, 2018, the St. Petersburg City Court (second instance) will consider the appeal of the Watch Tower, Bibles, and Tracts Society of Pennsylvania, the owner of the cult complex worth about 2 billion rubles.\nOn December 7, 2017, after a 4-hour court hearing , the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg (first instance) concluded that the 18- and 8-year-old transactions for the acquisition of real estate by the Watch Tower Company were invalid. The court turned this property into state ownership, referring to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, adopted in relation to another legal entity that had been operating in Russia since 1991.\nIt is noteworthy that earlier the state checked these transactions and did not find any violations in them. For 15 years, the Watch Tower Society paid high taxes to the treasury of the Russian Federation associated with the ownership of the complex.\nThe Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society has been active since 1884 and serves the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world. It is obvious that the decision of the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg is aimed at illegally depriving him of property rights on far-fetched grounds. Such a precedent clearly indicates the real risks of illegal seizure of real estate acquired in Russia, even despite the foreign or international status of the owner. The appeal hearing will begin on May 3, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. in the City Court building at 6 Basseynaya Street in St. Petersburg.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-04-11T11:12:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_e06c6f0d3b3ed8d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_15988acfc5fb2c50.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/298/180405_spb_gorsud4573_hu_fb226e1ecf7bfd80.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/298.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","administrative-center"],"title":"In St. Petersburg, the date of the appeal in the case of the seizure of the cult complex in the village of Solnechnoye has been set","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 23, 2018, Andrey Fedorov, Chief of Staff of the Commissioner of the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights, sent to the Strasbourg Court the observations of the Russian Federation on complaint No. 10188/17 \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\". The European Court will consider this complaint as a matter of priority.\nAlthough, in general, the authors of the document are trying to justify the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate and ban the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", the official response of the Russian authorities contains a statement that should serve as a warning to all law enforcement agencies in Russia against the illegal persecution of believers. Thus, paragraph 91 of the above-mentioned document reads: \"The authorities of the Russian Federation emphasize that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 and the appellate ruling of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17.07.2017 do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" Paragraph 90 separately explains that the above-mentioned decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not restrict the constitutional right of believing citizens to unite.\nJehovah's Witnesses, in turn, have the right to prepare their response to the comments of the authorities of the Russian Federation to the ECHR by May 7, 2018.\n","category":"rights","date":"2018-04-10T10:24:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/297/shutterstock_34787520526192_0_hu_6e788a2878d27343.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/297/shutterstock_34787520526192_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/297/shutterstock_34787520526192_0_hu_e4d84198bab985c4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/297/shutterstock_34787520526192_0_hu_1c7ef1072df9acb5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/297.html","regions":["moscow","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","echr","liquidation"],"title":"The Russian Federation submitted to the ECHR a response to the complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses about the ban on their legal entities","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., about four dozen people gathered in the building of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel. These are Christensen's relatives and friends, journalists from the Oryol media, lawyers, prosecutors and an interpreter. The prosecution is represented by the prosecutor of the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor's Office of the Oryol Region, 1st class lawyer Ivan Fomin and junior counselor of justice Nadezhda Naumova. The defendant's lawyers are Anton Bogdanov, Viktor Zhenkov, Irina Krasnikova. The defendant was provided with an interpreter.\nAt 10:44 a.m., Judge Alexei Rudnev opened the court session, and a few minutes later a convoy brought the defendant Dennis Christensen into the courtroom in handcuffs.\nThe court clarified the rights and obligations of an interpreter. He is allowed to ask only questions that clarify the meaning, he is criminally liable for knowingly incorrect translation. After that, the judge announced the rules of the meeting, the rules of conduct for those present, as well as the rights of the defendant. Christensen thanked the judge for the detailed explanation.\nThe court considered Christensen's application for permission to have a telephone conversation with his wife. The judge said that the result of the examination would be sent to him at his location (in the pre-trial detention center). Lawyer Bogdanov filed a motion to extend the period for familiarization with the case materials, since, due to circumstances beyond the control of the defendant, he managed to familiarize himself with only 8 of the 12 volumes of the criminal case. In addition, he was not properly acquainted with the material evidence available in the case, which was collected by the investigators: video recordings, photographs, objects seized as a result of searches. Prosecutor Fomin objected to giving Christensen time to familiarize himself with the case materials, he considers this to be a deliberate delay in the process. After negotiations with the interpreter Uskov about the technical possibilities for familiarizing the defendant with the case materials, the judge partially granted the defense's request. Christensen will be allowed to familiarize himself with the materials of the case, but not with material evidence. He will have 6 more meetings with the interpreter and after that, on April 23, 2018 at 10:30, the meeting will continue.\nAt the end of the court session, those present had a few moments to say words of support to the believer. Christensen thanked everyone warmly.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-04-09T16:43:44+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/296/180403_orel_kristensen4571_hu_6ca212cc720664b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/296/180403_orel_kristensen4571_hu_3206f4cc2500b94f.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/296/180403_orel_kristensen4571_hu_79736fdc75265b7f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/296/180403_orel_kristensen4571_hu_5781215a4f3057c5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/296.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review","first-instance"],"title":"April 3, 2018. Review of the hearing in the case of a Danish believer in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2018, the Petrozavodsk City Court, composed of Judge Natalia Kurchavova, partially satisfied the claim of the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Karelia, which asked to recognize the ownership of the building that local Jehovah's Witnesses used for worship.\nThe building was commercially purchased by the Norwegian organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, then it was donated to the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Petrozavodsk\", and finally donated to the Religious Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Finland, which has been continuously operating since 1945.\nOn April 20, 2017, the Petrozavodsk organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, along with 395 other organizations throughout the country. Since by this time the building already belonged to Finnish Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecutor's office demanded through the court to invalidate the donation agreement. The court satisfied this requirement. However, in this process, the court rejected the prosecutor's request to recognize the ownership of the state.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-04-06T15:36:01+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/04/295/petrozavodsk_14409_0_hu_6c7dfcd268e0da65.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/04/295/petrozavodsk_14409_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/04/295/petrozavodsk_14409_0_hu_aa3ae83bae6bf4c9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/04/295/petrozavodsk_14409_0_hu_2ba351d5c30111fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/04/295.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["buildings-seizure"],"title":"A court confiscated a building in the center of Petrozavodsk from a Finnish religious organization","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 3, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol will continue the hearing in the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, who has been in the local pre-trial detention center for 10 months for his faith.\nEarlier, on July 21, 2017, the Memorial Human Rights Center recognized Dennis Christensen as a political prisoner.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-03-28T18:49:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/03/292/p10201952282_1_0_0_hu_76acf4e981dfbe6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/03/292/p10201952282_1_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/03/292/p10201952282_1_0_0_hu_eda08b0bfc089883.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/03/292/p10201952282_1_0_0_hu_97cb6b8d0543c845.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/03/292.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"On April 3, 2018, hearings on the criminal case of a Danish believer continue in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 14 and 15, 2018, at the hearing in the criminal case of Jehovah's Witness Arkadya Hakobyan in the Prokhladnensky District Court (Kabardino-Balkaria), expert Irina Balova was questioned, who fulfilled the conclusion underlying the charge against Hakobyan under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to hatred, humiliation of dignity). The court identified significant shortcomings in this conclusion and decided to appoint a new examination in the case.\nExpert Balova analyzed the disgusting \"statements\" that are falsely attributed to Arkada Hakobyan from the \"memoirs\" of several prosecution witnesses, who, judging by the location of their mobile phones, were not even in the vicinity of the worship building on the day they indicated. At the same time, a number of defense witnesses claim that Hakobyan did not say anything like this either on the specified day or at any time at all. Among the methodological shortcomings of the examination, one can note the fact that the expert ignored the absence of a punctuation mark in the analyzed statement, which allows interpreting it in a completely different way.\nThe defense submitted a reasoned motion to the court on the need for a new examination. Despite the objection of the public prosecutor, the court ruled to appoint a comprehensive psychological and linguistic examination of the case.\nThe hearing will continue on April 17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-03-20T23:05:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/03/291/akopyan4501_hu_dc10eeceebd43813.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/03/291/akopyan4501.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/03/291/akopyan4501_hu_809738d7cbb81855.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/03/291/akopyan4501_hu_a7b265990662df45.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/03/291.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"title":"In Kabardino-Balkaria, the court recognized the examination of the prosecution as \"vicious evidence\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 26, 2018, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol granted the defense's motion and gave Dennis Christensen additional time to familiarize himself with the case materials. Earlier, the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol significantly restricted his right to do so, giving him only 2 weeks to familiarize himself with 2,500 pages of documents in a non-native language.\nIn connection with the hearings, the Consul of the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow, Jean Christina Demirchi, is in Orel.\nThe hearing in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel will continue on April 3, 2018 at 10:30 a.m.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-02-28T14:30:08+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/290/orel_sud_vyveska4430_hu_d6d6d9e809ad5c64.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/290/orel_sud_vyveska4430.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/290/orel_sud_vyveska4430_hu_d4321037f77c9e6e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/290/orel_sud_vyveska4430_hu_346f1998c4584cde.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/290.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"A 35-day break in hearings on the case of Danish Jehovah's Witness has been announced in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"The detention of Dennis Christensen, a Dane who has been held in pre-trial detention for about 9 months for about 9 months due to the fact that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, has been extended until at least August 1, 2018. The decision to extend the arrest on February 22, 2018 was made by Alexei Rudnev, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel.\nMeanwhile, on February 26, 2018, the start of the main hearings in the criminal case against Denis Christensen is scheduled. He is accused of continuing the activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was liquidated by the court. In fact, Christensen has nothing to do with this organization. He was merely exercising a right that \"everyone\" is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely the right to have religious beliefs and act in accordance with them.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2018-02-23T14:20:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/289/depositphotos_18573119_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/289.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The detention of a believer in the city of Oryol has been extended for another 5 months","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 19, 2018, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol began a preliminary hearing in the criminal case of a Danish citizen, Dennis Christensen, a Jehovah's Witness by religion, accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Since May 2017, Dennis has been detained in a local pre-trial detention center.\nOn the evening of May 25, 2017, the street near the building belonging to one of the believers was filled with cars and buses with armed masked men - riot policemen. Under the direction of an FSB investigator, the group entered the building and blocked the believers in it. Searches, interrogations and searches of houses continued until the next morning. Dennis Christensen was arrested.\nThere are no victims or victims in his case. No one ever heard words of enmity or hatred from him. All the guilt of this peaceful man lies in the fact that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the registered organizations of which were liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\nThe main occupation of Dennis Christensen in Orel was the installation of wooden structures, he is married to a local resident, Irina Christensen, so he was in Orel for personal reasons, and not at the invitation of any organization.\nEvery 393rd inhabitant of Denmark professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, in Holbæk (Denmark) there is a major biblical center of this religion. The Royal Embassy of Denmark, seeking a milder measure of restraint for Christensen, provided assurances to the court that it would not assist him in leaving the Russian Federation. However, the court left him in custody for the entire period of the investigation.\nThe preliminary hearing will continue on February 21, 2018. Lawyers are requesting the exclusion of a number of inadmissible evidence from the case.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-02-19T22:28:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/288/p10201952282_2_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/288/p10201952282_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/288/p10201952282_2_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/288/p10201952282_2_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/288.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"The trial of one of Jehovah's Witnesses from Denmark began in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"An interesting legal turn was unexpectedly taken by the case that on March 2, 2018 will be considered in the Petrozavodsk City Court on the claim of the First Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic of Karelia against the \"Religious Association of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in the Republic of Finland (Jehovan todistajat -uskonnollinen yhdyskunta). The subject of the lawsuit is a religious building with an area of 460 sq. m., located in the center of Petrozavodsk (52 Pervomaisky Ave.), which the prosecutor's office wants to turn into the property of the Russian Federation.\nIn 1998, the building was purchased for $150,000 by the Kingdom of Norway's Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society (Vakttårnets Bibel- og Traktatselskap). 9 years later, in 2007, the Norwegian religious organization decided to donate the building to Russian co-religionists. For this purpose, a donation agreement was concluded, and the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Petrozavodsk\" became the owner. Finally, in March 2017, ownership of this worship building was transferred to the \"Religious Association of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in the Republic of Finland. Later, the Petrozavodsk religious organization was liquidated. However, foreign religious organizations continue to exist officially.\nThe Karelian prosecutor's office asks the court to cancel the donation agreement concluded in March 2017 in order to confiscate the building, which temporarily belonged to the Petrozavodsk community. As a basis for its claim, the prosecutor's office cites 2 innovative grounds: the transaction is illegal because it was concluded between two persons of the same religion of Jehovah's Witnesses (?), and the transaction is illegal because the parties to the transaction wanted to preserve property within the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses (?).\nOn February 6, 2018, the case took a new turn: after learning about the prosecutor's lawsuit, the Norwegian organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, the same organization that bought this building in 1998 and donated it to the Petrozavodsk community in 2007, appealed to the Petrozavodsk City Court. The Norwegian Jehovah's Witnesses reasonably stated that if the court takes the position that a gift agreement between two religious organizations of the same denomination is illegal and entails the invalidity of the transaction, then the 2007 gift agreement should also be invalidated. And then, on the basis of Article 167 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the property must be returned to the Norwegian Watch Tower, Bible and Tract Society. Norwegians remind that Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms guarantees the protection of property: \"Every natural or legal person has the right to respect for his property. No one shall be deprived of his property except in the public interest and under the conditions provided for by law and the general principles of international law.\" The Court allowed the Kingdom of Norway's Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society to participate in the case as a third party making independent claims regarding the subject matter of the dispute.\nThus, three states are involved in this trial. The hearing with the participation of the plaintiff (the Russian prosecutor's office), the Finnish defendant (Jehovan todistajat -uskonnollinen yhdyskunta) and the Norwegian third party (Vakttårnets Bibel- og Traktatselskap) will continue on March 2, 2018 at 10:00.\n","category":"property","date":"2018-02-13T13:01:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/287/petrozavodsk_14409_hu_5b44b60e77bb5e07.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/287/petrozavodsk_14409.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/287/petrozavodsk_14409_hu_8f160fcb52ad19b8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/287/petrozavodsk_14409_hu_a84f94e4b02d3c5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/287.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["buildings-seizure"],"title":"The Karelian Prosecutor's Office Takes Away the Worship Building from the Finnish Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"At least 16 dwellings of civilians in Belgorod and 12 dwellings in Kemerovo were invaded by law enforcement agencies and searched. Dozens of people have been detained, some of whom have been detained for two days. Citizens are suspected of continuing the activities of the organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\" Thus, this criminal prosecution is a direct consequence of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 to recognize this organization as \"extremist\".\nOn the evening of February 7, 2018, in Belgorod, large groups of law enforcement officers, consisting of police officers, the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and armed SOBR fighters, simultaneously invaded a number of private homes of local residents. In some cases, citizens were thrown to the floor, put against the wall, then all were forcibly taken to the police, and searches were carried out in their homes. A group of deaf people who had gathered for friendly communication was also taken to the police. In total, dozens of people were taken to the police department at 60 Knyaz Trubetskoy Street. In the department, passport data was collected from citizens, fingerprints were taken, and summonses were issued. The last of those released left at 9 a.m. the next day. Two citizens, Anatoly Chaliapin and Sergey Voikov, were taken into custody for 48 hours, the issue of choosing a preventive measure on suspicion of continuing the activities of an extremist organization is being decided (it is known that the case has been initiated). During the searches, which were sometimes rude and accompanied by offensive comments, Bibles, all electronic devices and data carriers, passports, money, and in some cases even photographs hanging on the wall were seized from citizens. The very next day, interrogations of citizens who appear in the police on a summons began. It became known that an investigation team consisting of 12 (!) investigators of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had been created. Citizens are asked questions like: \"Do you really believe that during the Last Judgment everyone will die, but you will stay?\" and \"How do you feel about the country's President Vladimir Putin?\"\nIn the city of Kemerovo, searches in the homes of civilians were carried out on January 23, 2018. The case, initiated on January 19, 2018 under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, is being conducted by the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for especially important cases, Colonel of Justice Oksana Rybalkina. She petitioned the court to conduct searches in the homes of citizens, arguing that, according to her, at least 14 local residents continue to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge of the central district court of Kemerovo, Irina Ivanova, granted at least 12 of her petitions in one day. As a result, a search was conducted in 12 houses of peaceful believers, which continued, among other things, at night. In some cases, armed masked SOBR officers forcibly opened doors when they broke in, placed civilians facing the wall with their hands raised, or threw them to the floor. The apartments were sometimes invaded by more than 10 people, including members of the police, the National Guard and the Investigative Committee. Citizens were denied the opportunity to make a phone call or have a lawyer invited; the refusal was accompanied by the explanation of Stanislav Shlagov, senior detective of the CPE for especially important cases: \"We are not in America.\" Citizens, including women and the elderly, are experiencing a condition close to shock. Many have exacerbated chronic diseases. Phones, tablets, computers, personal belongings, storage media were seized. It is reported that the witnesses present during the searches were familiar with the police officers and actively helped them, in some cases with their tips.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, having banned the activities of the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", did not deprive believers of the constitutional right to freely practice their religion. However, Judge Ivanova, for example, having allowed investigator Rybalkina to conduct searches, did not provide any evidence that citizens continue to participate in the activities of the organization liquidated by the court, and not just exercise their inalienable constitutional right to freedom of religion. 11 appeals have already been filed with the Kemerovo Regional Court against court decisions authorizing searches.\nIt is noteworthy that the Ministry of Justice of Russia, which asked for the liquidation of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses, insisted that the constitutional rights of individual believers were not affected by their lawsuit.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2018-02-09T17:49:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/286/police-034407_hu_b95076d94ad70556.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/286/police-034407.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/286/police-034407_hu_eb33a8e7112a6cdf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/286/police-034407_hu_1463b4b2c0b5310d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/286.html","regions":["kemerovo","belgorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","review"],"title":"Mass Searches and Criminal Cases Against Believers in Kemerovo and Belgorod — with Reference to the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 2, 2018, a new article \"Why are Jehovah's Witnesses not a sect?\" was published in the Q\u0026A section of the About Us section.\nThe article clarifies one of the most common misconceptions about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2018-02-02T18:34:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/285/img_89204403_hu_bb8ff7c150c9c9f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/285/img_89204403.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/285/img_89204403_hu_86c2e3aec1db2052.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/285/img_89204403_hu_55fc05c0499f4ac9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/285.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review"],"title":"Is it correct to use the term \"sect\" to refer to Jehovah's Witnesses?","type":"news"},{"body":"The term \"sect\" has no legal definition in Russian legislation. Instead, the law operates with the concepts of \"religious association\", \"religious group\", \"religious organization\". None of the meanings of the word \"sect\" apply to Jehovah's Witnesses.\nJehovah's Witnesses are not a sect in the narrowly scientific sense of the term. The concept of \"sect\" is used in the sociology of religion to refer to one of the types of religious association, along with the other two - \"denomination\" and \"church\". Religious scholars agree that Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be typified as a sect. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines this religion, which unites more than 8 million active followers in more than 200 countries around the world, as a denomination.\nJehovah's Witnesses are not a sect in the everyday sense of the word. According to Ushakov's explanatory dictionary, a sect is \"a religious community consisting of people who have broken away from the dominant church and adopted a new creed.\" Jehovah's Witnesses never broke away from the mainstream churches, but emerged independently from the Bible study circle. To this day, the study of the Holy Scriptures is the cornerstone and \"calling card\" of their activities. They publish the world's most popular religious magazine that encourages biblical enlightenment.\nUshakov's dictionary gives another definition of the word \"sect\": \"A group of people who have fenced themselves off from communication with others, closed in on themselves.\" Religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, who devoted his doctoral dissertation to the study of this religion, wrote: \"The epithet 'sectarian' is usually applied to gloomy, aggressive, embittered people. Jehovah's Witnesses, in my opinion, are the exact opposite of this image. They behave openly, give the impression of free people, open to the modern world and striving to make people better through their preaching of the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses do not isolate themselves from people. On the contrary, it is well known that they themselves come to people to talk to them about the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses do not build monasteries or live as hermits, but live and work side by side with their fellow citizens of all views and faiths. The useful work of Jehovah's Witnesses for the benefit of society has been repeatedly recognized .\nThe unethical use of the term \"sect\" to Jehovah's Witnesses was confirmed in its decision by the Judicial Chamber for Information Disputes under the President of the Russian Federation (1998): \"The Judicial Chamber also notes that there is no such thing as a 'sect' in the legislation of the Russian Federation. At the same time, this term, due to the prevailing ideas in society, certainly carries a negative connotation and, using it, journalists can offend the feelings of believers. According to the Russian Constitution, all religions in the country are equal, and religious discrimination and humiliation on the basis of religion are prohibited.\nLabeling such as \"sect\" is one of the signs of stereotypical thinking, which leads a person to make ineffective and erroneous decisions. A personal acquaintance with Jehovah's Witnesses living in the neighborhood will help to make sure that these are ordinary people who deeply believe in God and sincerely wish good for their neighbors.\n","category":"faq","date":"2018-02-02T17:43:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/4.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["review"],"title":"Why are Jehovah’s Witnesses not a sect?","type":"news"},{"body":"In the dock of the Prokhladnensky city court is 70-year-old Arkady Akopovich Hakobyan, who worked all his life with his own hands, fled to the city of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) from ethnic violence on the territory of Azerbaijan. Arkadya Akopovich is a Jehovah's Witness by religion, which is why he is now being prosecuted under the article \"extremism\" (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe accusation is based on the testimony of five prosecution witnesses who, not being followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, claim that they allegedly distributed Jehovah's Witnesses publications en masse on behalf of Hakobyan only after attending several religious meetings (which is implausible in itself). In addition, these people claim that during the service, Hakobyan gave a speech in which he criticized other religions. Earlier, Hakobyan appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring these five witnesses to criminal responsibility for false testimony. However, his criminal complaint has not yet been properly vetted.\nThe court began consideration of the case on May 16, 2017. 9 volumes of the case were read out and prosecution witnesses were questioned. Due to the weakness of the evidence, the state prosecutor even involved as witnesses for the prosecution police officers who did not see the facts of the distribution of literature and did not attend religious services, but only participated in operational-search actions against believers. On January 10, 2018, the public prosecutor announced the completion of the presentation of evidence.\nOn January 11, 30 and 31, 2018, the defense presented its evidence to the court. Lawyers claim that there was no crime itself, that is, Hakobyan did not give the speech that the prosecution witnesses spoke about. Interestingly, the lawyers provided the court with information about the location of the mobile phones of the prosecution witnesses, and it turned out that none of them was even near the worship building on the specified day. In order to somehow justify themselves, prosecution witnesses falsely stated that believers \"were forbidden to bring mobile phones to worship services,\" so they \"did not take them with them.\" Naturally, the lawyers were also able to present evidence to the court that there is no ban on mobile phones, that believers brought phones with them to worship services and even broadcast a spiritual program for those who are sick. This served as additional evidence of perjury. In addition, the prosecution witnesses incorrectly named both the interior of the worship building and the composition of the religious groups in which the services were held. Finally, numerous testimonies were presented to the court that these citizens were not present at the service.\nSonya Hakobyan, the wife of the defendant, was questioned as a witness for the defense. Unlike Arkadi Akopovich, she is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness. Nevertheless, they have been happily married for about 40 years. Since becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, her husband has never forced her or her children to change their religion. All this does not correspond to the accusation of \"extremism\" brought against Hakobyan. Both the family and neighbors, including people of different nationalities, cultures and religions, respect Arkada, know him as a kind and sympathetic person.\nThe hearing of the case will continue in the Prokhladnensky City Court on February 20, 2018 at 10:00.\n","category":"trial","date":"2018-02-01T23:05:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_98852c342e22021b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_29915cdee3c65602.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/02/283/akopyan4501_0_hu_4f12b431c93b4c6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/02/283.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","elderly","fabrications"],"title":"In the Elbrus region, a peaceful respected person is being tried for his faith","type":"news"},{"body":"The reasoning part of the appellate ruling of December 20, 2017 banning the translation of the Bible under the publishing title \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" was provided by the Leningrad Regional Court three weeks later. The court had to find a way to overcome the direct indication of the law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\": \"The Bible, Koran, Tanakh and Ganjur, their content and quotations from them cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\" The court found an argument, and this argument turned out to be innovative, not heard during the trial.\nThe court determined: \"The arguments that a gray-bound book in Russian language with the title \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" is a Bible are rejected because the book does not contain the corresponding title \"Bible\", which is provided for by the system of standards for information, librarianship and publishing (GOST 7.80-2000), is actually a translation into Russian, it is based on the translation into English of ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek texts with significant changes, the existence of which is acknowledged by the authors of the New World Translation themselves.\" There is no other reasoning in the court's ruling.\nDuring the trial , GOST 7.80-2000 was not mentioned either by the transport prosecutor, who sought to ban the Bible, or by representatives of the publishing house. This standard, as follows from paragraph 1, regulates the work of libraries and other organizations engaged in bibliographic activities. It instructs librarians \"to use a unified, best-known title when compiling bibliographic records for editions of anonymous classical works published under different titles, editions of texts of scriptures, liturgical books published in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and having various complex titles. For example, if the publication contains the full text of the Bible, it, according to this GOST, should be written as the \"Bible\"; if the edition contains only the Old Testament, then it should be written as \"The Bible. V. Z.\", and if the publication is called the Apocalypse, then it should be written as follows: \"The Bible. N. Z. Apocalypse\". At the same time, the need for this GOST stems precisely from the fact that the scriptures were published in Russian language under different titles, for example, \"Book of Praises\", \"Tegilim\", \"Psalms of David\", \"Psalter\".\nThus, the court applied this GOST 7.80-2000 erroneously, which led to a significant violation of the norms of substantive law, namely, to the non-application of the law to be applied (the provision prohibiting the recognition of religious texts, including the Bible, as extremist materials). According to the article of the Civil Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, this is the basis for the cancellation of the court decision.\nThe proposition that \"the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures\" is not the Bible because \"the book . . . In fact, it is a translation into Russian, it is based on the translation into English of Hebrew and ancient Greek texts with significant changes\", is devoid of legal force, contradicts facts and common sense. Since the Bible was not written in Russian language, for most it is always a translation. In addition, many editions of the Bible, both in large and small languages, were the result of a two-stage translation, that is, a translation made from a translation. For example, the translation of the Old Testament part of the Church Slavonic Bible, which is still officially used in Orthodox worship, was made from a translation known as the Septuagint. The Synodal translation of the Bible, officially approved in Orthodoxy for home reading, also follows this tradition in many places.\nThe unjustified decision of such a high court to ban the Bible itself clearly demonstrates the depravity of the mechanisms for recognizing materials as \"extremist\". Since 2009, Jehovah's Witnesses have been confronted with the blatantly groundless inclusion of their worship materials on the ban list. Later, these court decisions became the reason for accusations of believers of \"extremist activity\", which eventually turned into a total ban, confiscation of property, fines, criminal cases and even imprisonment of individual believers.\n","category":"literature","date":"2018-01-24T18:19:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/01/282/gost4350_hu_2befb44a3561a0c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/01/282/gost4350.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/01/282/gost4350_hu_113b1d9669f72feb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/01/282/gost4350_hu_6b3f234b21ede6f6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/01/282.html","regions":["leningrad_obl","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"The Leningrad Regional Court motivated the decision to ban the \"Holy Scriptures\" by the absence of the word \"Bible\" in the title","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 15, 2018, a new section appeared on the jw-russia.org website that makes it easier to search for documents published on the site, such as expert opinions, appeals, transcripts of court hearings, court decisions and others.\nGo to the \"Documents\" section\n","category":"website","date":"2018-01-15T15:04:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2018/01/281/legalcase218_0_hu_f4f820c600deae61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2018/01/281/legalcase218_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2018/01/281/legalcase218_0_hu_bac9eead6ef7f3b9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2018/01/281/legalcase218_0_hu_dd63377073a751af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2018/01/281.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"New section \"Documents\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2017, at 9:55 p.m., the Leningrad Regional Court upheld the decision of the Vyborg City Court to recognize the Russian translation of the Bible distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\" Representatives of the copyright holder intend to appeal this decision.\nSuch erroneous court decisions to recognize certain printed materials as extremist are the basis of all accusations of extremism brought against Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as the basis of the court decision to liquidate and ban all registered organizations of this religion and turn their property into state revenue. The court's absurd decision to ban the Bible itself clearly demonstrated the flawed mechanisms for recognizing Witnesses' liturgical materials, including incompetent or openly biased expert opinions and law-violating court decisions. In 2014, the situation with expert examinations and lawsuits against sacred texts attracted the attention of the President of Russia, so he came up with a legislative initiative to protect the holy books of various religions, including the Bible, from the effect of anti-extremist legislation (in other words, from the incompetence of prosecutors, experts and judges). However, even this did not help to save one of the translations of the Bible from yesterday's court decision.\nInternational organizations have repeatedly called on Russia to abandon the existing List of Extremist Materials, to review and cancel court decisions against Jehovah's Witnesses, who are currently being treated unfairly on the basis of such court decisions.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-12-21T09:28:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/280/bible-02_0_0_hu_7033285b2b3c2e5f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/280/bible-02_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/280/bible-02_0_0_hu_323b433476641398.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/280/bible-02_0_0_hu_1e46947cf32f323b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/280.html","regions":["leningrad_obl","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"The Court of Appeal upheld the unlawful decision to ban the translation of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"During the hearings on December 20, 2017, it is planned to interrogate the experts whose conclusion is the basis of the decision of the court of first instance to recognize the Russian Bible, published by Jehovah's Witnesses since 2007, as \"extremist material.\" A text report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-12-20T12:41:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/279/img_2740_hu_ec5d41bd9b7c9674.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/279/img_2740.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/279/img_2740_hu_68ec12bb7d89262.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/279/img_2740_hu_5f77e8c147d1b890.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/279.html","regions":["leningrad_obl","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"The Leningrad Regional Court is reviewing the decision to ban one of the Bible translations","type":"news"},{"body":"Experts will come to the Ostankino District Court of Moscow and from there answer questions from the Leningrad Regional Court (St. Petersburg) via videoconferencing. The court intends to clarify the inconsistencies noted in the examination.\nEarlier, the Vyborg court ruled to recognize the Russian Bible, published by Jehovah's Witnesses, as extremist material (Holy Scripture - New World Translation, 2007). The copyright holder, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, did not agree with the court's decision and filed an appeal.\nThe first hearing in the appellate instance was held in the Leningrad Regional Court on December 6, 2017. The case is heard by a panel consisting of the presiding judge Larisa Gorbatova, the judge-rapporteur Tatyana Khruleva and the judge Igor Kosarev. During the hearing , the attention of the judges was attracted by obvious contradictions in the examination, on which the court of first instance relied, so it was decided to interview experts - Natalia Kryukova, V.S. Kotelnikov, A.E. Tarasov. The survey is scheduled for December 20, 2017.\nNatalia Kryukova is the permanent head of the Center for Socio-Cultural Expertise, whose work is the basis of many cases against Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe case will be heard in the Leningrad Regional Court on December 20, 2017 at 14:30 at the address: St. Petersburg, Fontanka Embankment, 6. The experts will answer questions from the court, as well as representatives of the parties, while in the Ostankino District Court at 35, 1st Ostankinskaya Street, 312, Moscow. The participation of experts in the court session is ensured by the judge of the Ostankino court Olesya Sushkova (room 312).\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-12-19T13:07:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/278/171206_lenoblsud4234_hu_6ee15c9af0f51fe1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/278/171206_lenoblsud4234.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/278/171206_lenoblsud4234_hu_ca579e781ec96f16.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/278/171206_lenoblsud4234_hu_cc79ef655ad5ddbc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/278.html","regions":["stpetersburg","leningrad_obl","moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-conclusions","interrogation","bible-ban","fabrications"],"title":"On December 20, a judicial interrogation of experts who found extremism in the Bible will take place","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 11, 2017, Elena Gaponova, judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, at the request of the investigation, significantly limited the time given to the believer to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case, the volume of which is 11 volumes, including about 2500 pages, until December 25, 2017.\nAs the only reason for limiting the time for familiarization with the case materials, the court indicated the use of the services of an interpreter by the accused. It was in this that the judge saw Christensen's delay in the familiarization process. Thus, what he is entitled to under the law has been used against the believer.\nThe defense filed an appeal against the court ruling.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-12-19T11:20:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/277/p10201952282_1_0_hu_3b2d1c776abcdaa8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/277/p10201952282_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/277/p10201952282_1_0_hu_99c99282050e6ba1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/277/p10201952282_1_0_hu_14db854e931b6a2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/277.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"The court restricted Dennis Christensen's right to familiarize himself with the case file","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 14, 2017, about 40 employees of various departments, including the Ministry of Emergency Situations, seized and later sealed a huge worship building near the Pionerskaya metro station in St. Petersburg. Details are being clarified.\nThis building with the sign \"Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses\" was inaugurated in September 1999 at 21 Kolomyazhsky Prospekt. One of the specialized magazines published a brief architectural and design review of this building, as well as an interview with its architect Helenios Osmo Ilmari.\nArchival video (April 11, 2017) shows how believers gather for the last service in this building.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-12-14T18:15:08+03:00","duration":"1:22","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_807ec00a0d59d588.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_6888005e01d4b60b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/276/20171214_0_hu_6e9de9520eaa7560.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/276.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","buildings-seizure","administrative-center"],"title":"A liturgical building that served for thousands of St. Petersburg believers was seized and sealed","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 1, 2017, the European Court of Human Rights declared the complaint of Jehovah's Witnesses admissible, decided to consider it as a matter of priority, and ordered the Russian Federation to submit its explanations by March 23, 2018. The Russian Federation was invited to indicate its position regarding the conclusion of an amicable agreement in this case and to submit any proposals.\nThe complaint is titled \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Kalin v. Russian Federation\" (No. 1018817). It was sent to the European Court in connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia of April 20, 2017 to liquidate all 396 organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and ban their activities on the grounds provided for by anti-extremist legislation.\nRepresentatives of the Russian state will have to explain in writing to the international court: was there a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention, which guarantees the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association with others? Has there been a violation of article 9, which guarantees the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom to change one's religion or belief and freedom to manifest one's religion or belief, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, in worship, teaching or practising religion? Had there been a violation of article 14, which prohibits discrimination and guarantees equal rights for all, regardless of their religious beliefs or other characteristics? Separately, the question was raised whether there had been a violation of article 1 of Protocol 1 to the European Convention, which guarantees every natural or legal person the right to respect for their property, which implies that no one shall be deprived of his property except in the public interest and under the conditions provided for by law and general principles of international law?\nIt is well known that the decision to liquidate and ban all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia entailed numerous violations of the rights of believers both by officials and by the aggressive part of society. With regard to individual believers, operational-search measures are being carried out, criminal cases are being initiated. Jehovah's Witnesses insist on the illegality of the decision against them.\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-12-11T23:48:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_1916d43704934efe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_84ec0e7174c03c17.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/275/shutterstock_34787520526192_hu_5a4765714fb8a787.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/275.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"The European Court will review the decision to ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia as a matter of priority","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, after a 4-hour court hearing, the court announced the decision to invalidate the 17-year-old transaction. If this decision remains in force, it may entail the conversion of a large real estate object in the village of Solnechnoye (St. Petersburg) to the state. This decision casts a shadow on the inviolability of property rights in the Russian Federation, where no organization, even on an international scale, can be calm about its transactions, even if they are officially registered by authorized bodies.\nJehovah's Witnesses have dedicated all the confiscated property to Jehovah God, so they believe that it belongs to God and is being taken away from him. As the Bible calls, Jehovah's Witnesses place all their worries on God (1 Peter 5:7).\n","category":"property","date":"2017-12-07T18:23:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_871104ce5a17dd96.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_df2e4c3ab98cd434.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/274/2017-12-07-0-r_hu_2ea88d9ebe752d46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/274.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sentence","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"Sestroretsk District Court legalized the seizure of foreign property","type":"news"},{"body":" On December 7, 2017, the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg begins hearings on the lawsuit for the confiscation of a large real estate complex from the foreign organization Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Read the text report from the courtroom.\n","category":"property","date":"2017-12-07T15:48:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/273/0_2_hu_511ed1edd2a9bb25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/273/0_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/273/0_2_hu_fa1aeb7b8051faa0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/273/0_2_hu_d7ee510cd0a022a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/273.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation"],"title":"Report from the Sestroretsky District Court on the lawsuit for the seizure of real estate of a foreign religious organization","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 6, 2017, the Leningrad Regional Court is considering an appeal against the decision of the Vyborg Court to recognize the \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\", the translation of the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses, as \"extremist material\". A text report from the courtroom is underway. ","category":"literature","date":"2017-12-06T10:24:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/271/lenoblsud-014172_1_hu_29928fc845495da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/271/lenoblsud-014172_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/271/lenoblsud-014172_1_hu_953acaba4987ebfa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/271/lenoblsud-014172_1_hu_af5893fcded8eadf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/271.html","regions":["stpetersburg","leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","appeal","bible-ban"],"title":"Report from the Leningrad Regional Court on the case of the ban on one of the Russian translations of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"\"The books of the Bible are written in different languages. There are a lot of options: canonical, non-canonical. The question of the canonicity of the text, most likely, should not, after all, be considered by a secular court.\nBut in any case, without going into casuistry, we already know that there are many translations of the Bible. These translations are different and will be different, just as the translations of any book are always different. Therefore, to say that it is in these differences ... I just can't imagine what the prosecutor will prove in court. That he will find any differences between the translation adopted by Jehovah's Witnesses and the translation of the Synodal and will prove that these differences are extremist? That would be the only logical way, so to speak, but I'm afraid you can't prove anything that way. Although we know how these processes are going on in our country. Often very rapidly, I would say.\nTherefore, unfortunately, it cannot be ruled out that the prosecutor's office will also benefit here. But, in general, this is still a very big scandal, so maybe someone, after all, will give up and this will not happen. If, however, the prosecutor's office wins, then there will, of course, be problems for Jehovah's Witnesses. But, problems can arise in other people too. And not because they accidentally got the Bible in the wrong translation. They may not have even noticed. After all, not everyone understands it that way. But simply because it opens up prospects for the most unexpected bans further. This, in general, depends on the imagination, to a large extent. Therefore, it would be better, of course, for the state not to embark on this slippery slope, because it is completely incomprehensible where it will lead.\nAlexander Verkhovsky, Director of the SOVA Information and Analytical Center, member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights. ","category":"opinion","date":"2017-12-05T14:23:37+03:00","duration":"1:45","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/269/verkhovsky_image_hu_549f9e29652a202f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/269/verkhovsky_image.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/269/verkhovsky_image_hu_2056bb17b6c99535.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/269/verkhovsky_image_hu_c918b8d7d9a2f47b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/269.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-comments","bible-ban"],"title":"Alexander Verkhovsky: \"It would be better for the state not to embark on this slippery slope\"","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 7, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., the Sestroretsky District Court of St. Petersburg will begin consideration of a lawsuit filed by the prosecutor's office aimed at seizing a large real estate complex in St. Petersburg from a foreign organization, the Pennsylvania Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.\nWe are talking about 14 buildings with an area of 33 thousand square meters, located on 10 hectares of landscaped territory in the village of Solnechnoye, Kurortny district of St. Petersburg. The complex has been openly owned since 2000 by the Watch Tower Society, an association that has been active since 1884 and serves the interests of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world.\nThe Russian Federation did not finance the construction of the complex. The abandoned pioneer camp was purchased commercially by Jehovah's Witnesses from a Russian company. The ownership of this complex, owned by the Watch Tower Society, was officially registered by the authorized bodies of the Russian Federation and was not disputed by anyone for 17 years. Over the years, the Watch Tower Society, as the owner of real estate, has transferred tens of millions of rubles in taxes to the Russian budget.\nContrary to official statements about the inviolability of private property in the Russian Federation, the prosecutor's office by its actions damages the country's business reputation. No one can feel protected in a state in which the property rights of even foreign associations of international scale are openly violated.\nThe hearing, chaired by Judge N.L. Bogdanova, will be held on December 7 at 14:00 in the Sestroretsk District Court at the address: Sestroretsk, Volodarsky Street, 41.\n","category":"property","date":"2017-12-04T12:21:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_7914d1e424a1fcfa.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_1d7775344fcebdea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/268/_mg_102425992_hu_e25c39e0059d09a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/268.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","belongings-arrest"],"title":"Attempted seizure of foreign property by Russian authorities","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I am an employee of the Institute of Oriental Studies, I teach ancient languages, including some biblical disciplines. Participated in the Bible translation project.\nI am not very familiar with this translation, but I have some complaints, purely linguistic, historical and cultural. Everyone has the right, if he is competent enough to do so, to translate and interpret the biblical text. At the same time, others have the right to criticize him.\nOne perfect translation would be good, but it is impossible, because there is no perfection in the world. And when there are several alternative translations on which you can say something like that, then this is an absolute blessing. The translation of 70 interpreters, judging by the original source, was done in this way. They translated everything, and then they got together and consulted.\nEvgenia Smagina, Head of the Department of History and Culture of the Ancient East of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, translator of the Bible.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-12-04T12:16:14+03:00","duration":"1:00","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/267/smagina_image_hu_a581b5f155688434.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/267/smagina_image.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/267/smagina_image_hu_c0598b228c555258.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/267/smagina_image_hu_30a115e88e0246a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/267.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-comments","bible-ban","translations"],"title":"Evgenia Smagina: \"Several alternative translations are an absolute blessing\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"I have an idea about both the translation and the trial. As for the translation, it is one of the translations of the Bible, and it has supporters and those who criticize some particular points. This is natural. There is not a single perfect translation. And I believe that many translations of the Bible are needed. Different approaches are needed. And in this sense, the New World Translation occupies its own, I would say, legitimate niche. Moreover, there are some interesting finds, so to speak. As for this trial, the situation when it is said that this is extremism and that it is supposedly not the Bible, I want to emphasize once again: in the academic environment, one can criticize the New World Translation in the same way as the Synodal Translation. And, by the way, there is still a big question: if we compare with the Hebrew and Greek originals, then in some parts there may be a Synodal translation more precisely, in others - the New World Translation, and so on. But this is a translation of the Bible. Any attempt to claim that this is some other book is simply ignorant. Every person who picks up this translation sees that it is a translation of the Bible. You see, you can argue about some terms, about what the instrument of execution of Jesus Christ looked like. But, sorry, it's up to the professionals. And when they try to tell us that the \"cross\" is normal, and the \"pillar\" is extremism, it would be funny when it was not so sad! I would say so. Because we are talking, of course, about an attempt to ban the Bible.\nIt may seem that I speak harshly of the Synodal translation. It's not that. He played a huge historical positive role, but, sorry, it's been 150-160 years.\nThere is no reference translation. And I think that it will not be. You see, there must be different translations. Just as there is no normative translation of anything - the tragedies of Shakespeare or the poetry of Byron. In each generation, new translators come and are taken again. And such a book as the Bible ... Naturally, more and more translations will be needed.\"\nNikolay Shaburov, PhD in Cultural Studies, Professor, Head of the Educational and Research Center for the Study of Religions of the Russian State University for the Humanities.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-12-02T12:25:08+03:00","duration":"3:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/266/shaburov_image_hu_6b29c972fa3ab94e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/266/shaburov_image.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/266/shaburov_image_hu_590404133deb2664.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/266/shaburov_image_hu_ef9252b8a4c459a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/266.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-comments","bible-ban"],"title":"Nikolay Shaburov: \"This is a translation of the Bible. Attempts to assert otherwise are simply ignorant.\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"Some strange philological examination was made, which began with the words that this is the text of the translation of the Bible, and ended with the fact that it is not the Bible. Appealing to the fact that it is not written there, that it was published with the blessing of the patriarch.\nThere are a huge number of translations of the Bible and, regardless of the quality and number of these translations, they are all translations of the Bible. As we all know, none of these sacred texts are written in Russian language. All of them are presented in the Russian Federation to believers in one translation or another.\nWhat does it mean that a translation can be considered extremist? The text itself can be recognized as extremist, while the translation is secondary to the text. That is, by recognizing a translation as extremist, we essentially recognize the text itself as extremist. And then any translation of it, into any language, will also be extremist.\nSuch trials of holy books can destabilize the religious situation in the country. Naturally, such a treatment of the Holy Book looks, of course, rather strange, and it can hardly please a believer of any religious direction.\nWhen the ban on the Qur'an in Guliyev's translation was issued, we, probably three years ago, argued, I remember, with colleagues on this topic, and one of them, maybe even me, said: well: will the Bible be next? Unfortunately, our foresight came true.\"\nEkaterina Elbakyan, Doctor of Philosophy, religious scholar, executive secretary of the editorial board of the scientific and theoretical journal \"Religious Studies\".\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-12-01T12:33:57+03:00","duration":"1:47","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/12/265/elbakyan_image_0_hu_66a853014cc5a205.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/12/265/elbakyan_image_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/12/265/elbakyan_image_0_hu_61e2e1c6b2e515fb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/12/265/elbakyan_image_0_hu_7102a9ceb5ad7d60.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/12/265.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-comments","bible-ban"],"title":"Ekaterina Elbakyan: \"By recognizing the translation as extremist, we recognize the text itself as extremist\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"I have been engaged in one way or another in the practice and theory of Bible translation for the past 24 years. These works were carried out at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I have a lot of questions about the New World Translation, and I have spoken and written about this more than once. I consider it unfortunate. But I believe that this question should be decided among themselves by colleagues - orientalists, philologists, and that it has nothing to do with the prosecutor's office, the court and everything else. Here at the Institute of Oriental Studies, behind my back, they study, translate, study the Bible, the Koran, and traditional texts of Buddhism. Then it turns out that at any moment any of our texts, translations, any of our studies can be declared extremist simply because it does not coincide with someone's understanding of these texts. Therefore, for me it is categorically unacceptable. This is a question for professionals and for readers who can choose what to read. But to impose on them a certain unified interpretation as universally binding, in the end, is against the Constitution of Russia, where no religion can be considered a state religion.\nAndrey Desnitsky, Doctor of Philology, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bible translator, biblical scholar.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-11-30T20:57:38+03:00","duration":"1:05","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/264/vlcsnap-error9452594_hu_185365f58694513c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/264/vlcsnap-error9452594.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/264/vlcsnap-error9452594_hu_18e32c1c4f85e238.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/264/vlcsnap-error9452594_hu_afc18058868c4966.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/264.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","expert-comments","bible-ban"],"title":"Andriy Desnitsky: \"This is a matter for professionals and readers, not for the prosecutor's office and the court\" ","type":"video"},{"body":"On December 6, 2017, the Leningrad Regional Court will consider an appeal against the decision of the Vyborg City Court, which recognized the Bible (!) with the publishing title \"Holy Scripture – New World Translation\" as \"extremist material\".\nThe complaint, consisting of 141 points and thoroughly proving the groundlessness and illegality of the decision of the court of first instance, was filed on September 21, 2017.\nThe hearing will begin on December 6, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at the address: St. Petersburg, Fontanka Embankment, 6.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-11-29T21:45:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/263/lenoblsud-014172_hu_5f7e8f84c0d31488.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/263/lenoblsud-014172.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/263/lenoblsud-014172_hu_14ea08076792aab9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/263/lenoblsud-014172_hu_bb6d1bcbbeb983f6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/263.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","appeal","bible-ban","complaints"],"title":"The Court of Appeal will review the decision to ban the translation of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 20, 2017, a judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol decided to keep the law-abiding Jehovah's Witness behind bars, extending his detention until February 23, 2018.\nA local resident, Dennis Christensen, who has Danish citizenship and is married to an Orlov woman, was arrested on May 25, 2017 during a Bible study, which he attended with his wife Irina. The FSB officers investigating the case baselessly stated that Christensen \"continued\" the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol, which was liquidated by a court decision. Meanwhile, the believer was never a member of this organization, as the court could easily verify by simply looking at the documents received from the local department of justice. In the six months since Christensen's arrest, FSB investigators have interviewed dozens of residents of the Oryol region and other regions, trying to gather evidence of any illegal activity of the believer.\nDuring the 3-hour hearing, Judge Andrei Tretyakov did not satisfy the defense's motions to replace the measure of restraint with a milder one, such as house arrest. The court also did not take into account the official guarantees of the Royal Embassy of Denmark, which, on humanitarian grounds, gave assurances that it would not provide Christensen with a new passport to replace the one seized by the investigators and would not assist him in leaving the Russian Federation.\nThe fact that the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol was liquidated by the court, and its activities were banned, does not negate the right of \"everyone\" (that is, not only a citizen of Russia) to freedom of religion, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to the Basic Law of the country, everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or in community with others, any religion, freely choose, have and disseminate religious and other beliefs and act in accordance with them. The main occupation of Dennis Christensen in Orel was the installation of wooden structures, he was in Orel for personal reasons, and not at the invitation of any organization.\nDennis Christensen is completely innocent.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-11-20T20:49:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/262/oryol4115_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/262.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The Oryol District Court extended the arrest of a believing Danish citizen for another three months","type":"news"},{"body":"Sergiev Posad residents Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak, who have been prosecuted for their religion for 7 years, received letters of apology from the Sergiev Posad City Prosecutor's Office with apologies and an explanation of the procedure for rehabilitation.\nIn the letter, the deputy prosecutor of the city A. K. Sergeev said: \"... On behalf of the state, I officially apologize to you for the moral damage caused to you associated with unjustified criminal prosecution under Article 282 Part 2. [...] You have the right to request written communication of the decision that justifies you to your place of work, study or place of residence. In the event that information about ... the illegal actions applied to you have been published in the press, disseminated on radio, television or other mass media, you have the right to demand that the relevant media make a report on rehabilitation.\nThe Federal Financial Monitoring Service has already informed believers that their names have been excluded from the list of \"persons in respect of whom there is information about their involvement in extremist activities.\"\n","category":"rehab","date":"2017-11-07T12:19:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/228/serposad-24064_hu_739cd85cc081c642.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/228/serposad-24064.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/228/serposad-24064_hu_2d1ca31c056b2973.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/228/serposad-24064_hu_619204edccb8dd53.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/228.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["prosecutor-apology","282.2-2"],"title":"The Prosecutor's Office Made an Official Apology to the Sergiev Posad Elders","type":"news"},{"body":"In 2017, a complete translation of the Bible appeared for the first time in Uzbek, the mother tongue of more than 25 million people. Moreover, almost simultaneously, the release of two Uzbek translations of the Bible, prepared independently of each other, was announced! One of these translations (Muqaddas Kitob – Yangi dunyo tarjimashi) was published by Jehovah's Witnesses. It is printed in Japan and is intended for free distribution to everyone. Also available in electronic format (PDF, 22 MB).\nIn Russia alone, about 700 Jehovah's Witnesses use the Uzbek Bible in their religious life. Uzbek-speaking communities of Jehovah's Witnesses also exist in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United States, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.\nNative speakers speak with praise of this new translation of the Bible. For example, the greeting \"Peace be with you\" found in the Gospels is conveyed in it by the everyday \"Assalom alaikum!\", which literally means \"peace be with you\" in Arabic. Thanks to such translation solutions, the new Bible is easy to read and its text reaches the heart.\nThis 2200-page publication is provided with an extensive research apparatus, including color maps and diagrams, a glossary, a short symphony (concordance), cross-references, explanations and notes. Work on the text took many years. For the first time, the New Testament part of the Bible in Uzbek was published by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2010.\n","category":"activity","date":"2017-11-03T15:20:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/11/227/mukaddas-14063_hu_f9b8f53bd2caa3b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/11/227/mukaddas-14063.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/11/227/mukaddas-14063_hu_e007b6139d4e5c9e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/11/227/mukaddas-14063_hu_f5f53eb3a4f1f71b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/11/227.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["translations"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Published a Complete Bible in Uzbek","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 9, 2017, Jehovah's Witnesses filed a complaint with Tatyana Moskalkova, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, against the decision of the Russian Supreme Court of April 20, 2017. Believers ask the Ombudsman to exercise the right to appeal against a court decision that has entered into force.\nAmong other things, the attention of the Commissioner for Human Rights is drawn to the massive, growing human rights violations that followed the court's decision. We are talking about a surge of aggression and vandalism against believers, raids by law enforcement officers, surveillance of believers, collection of personal information, including regarding minors, refusals to provide alternative civilian service, discrimination in the workplace, arrests of believers and even imprisonment.\nThe believers hope that after reviewing the case materials, Tatiana Moskalkova will consider it necessary to appeal to the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia with a demand to cancel the unjustified and illegal court decision.\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-10-10T16:49:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/10/224/supremecourt-02_2_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/10/224/supremecourt-02_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/10/224/supremecourt-02_2_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/10/224/supremecourt-02_2_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/10/224.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","commissioner-rf","complaints","asc","work-restrictions","minors"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses ask the Commissioner for Human Rights to appeal the decision of the Supreme Court","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal against the arrest of a Jehovah's Witness in Oryol was unsuccessful. On September 28, 2017, the Oryol Regional Court, after hearings that took 2 days and lasted 7 hours, upheld the measure of restraint in the form of detention.\nBeliever Dennis Christensen was arrested on May 25, 2017 while reading the Bible with fellow believers. The arrest was a direct consequence of the liquidation of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol. Although Dennis Christensen was never a founder or member of this organization, representatives of the investigation inaccurately told the court - and the court did not check this - that he was its \"leader\". He was groundlessly charged with continuing the activities of an organization that was liquidated for extremism.\nLawyers insist on the complete innocence of Dennis Christensen. The liquidation of a legal entity does not cancel the constitutional right of everyone to freedom of religion. Although Dennis Christensen is a Danish citizen, he lives in Oryol with his wife Irina, works in the field of installation construction. He was never a \"foreign missionary\" and came to Orel for personal reasons, not at the invitation of any organization.\nThe court refused to replace the detention of the believer in the Oryol pre-trial detention center with house arrest, even despite the official guarantees of the Royal Embassy of Denmark, which, for humanitarian reasons, gave assurances that it would not provide him with a new passport to replace the one seized by the investigators and would not assist him in leaving the Russian Federation.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-29T23:12:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/223/oryol2542_0_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/223.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"The believer in Oryol was left behind bars until at least November 23","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 21, 2017, an appeal was filed with the Leningrad Regional Court against the decision of the Vyborg City Court, which recognized as extremist material and decided to confiscate the Bible with the publishing title \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\". The complaint (below) consists of 141 points and thoroughly proves the groundlessness and illegality of the court's decision.\nIn its decision, the court refers to the examination carried out by the teacher Natalia Kryukova, who does not have the qualifications to perform such a study. Moreover, the conclusion of this \"expert\" contradicts the scientific conclusions of higher-level specialists who are authoritative scientists in the field of linguistics and religious studies, studied during the court hearings .\nThe lawyers ask the court to overturn the decision of the Vyborg court and completely refuse the Leningrad-Finland transport prosecutor's request to recognize the Bible as extremist material.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-09-22T15:58:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/221/appeal-picture3920_hu_ce36dc7346bfbc33.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/221/appeal-picture3920.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/221/appeal-picture3920_hu_b4d92b6d45ba0829.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/221/appeal-picture3920_hu_6e3d508a3f457ad8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/221.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","appeal","studies-violations"],"title":"Appeal against the decision of the Vyborg court to ban the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"Early in the morning of September 20, 2017, law enforcement officers raided at least 2 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Bugulma (Tatarstan). The searches were carried out as part of a criminal case in connection with threats to the prosecutor of Bugulma in a letter from an unknown citizen from Moscow. According to the police, that letter indirectly mentions the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring the search, a tablet and a computer, as well as notebooks, Bibles, and books were seized in the family of believer Alexander Levin. Obviously, the search was carried out with the aim of further pressure on believers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2017-09-22T09:43:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/220/depositphotos_75905113_hu_9562793a62681db7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/220/depositphotos_75905113.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/220/depositphotos_75905113_hu_5a6a4c97f64aac9f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/220/depositphotos_75905113_hu_2199880271566a24.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/220.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","mro"],"title":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses Are Searched in Tatarstan","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2017, after a 4-hour hearing, the Oryol Regional Court postponed the appeal hearing in the case of Dane citizen Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, who is being held in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Oryol. The reason is that the court of first instance did not submit to the appeal part of the evidence of the defense, which was examined when considering the issue of extending the detention.\nThe court of first instance chose the most severe measure of restraint, baselessly assuming that Dennis Christensen could hide from the investigation and the court, leaving for the borders of Russia. Lawyers point to the redundancy of such a severe measure of restraint. Investigators seized the believer's passport, so he cannot physically leave Russia. Attached to the case is a letter from the Danish Embassy, which states: \"For humanitarian reasons, the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow in support of the petition ... on the replacement of a measure of restraint in the form of detention with another measure of restraint gives assurances at the place of demand that the Royal Embassy of Denmark in Moscow will not provide a new passport to D.O. Christensen and will not assist D.O. Christensen to leave the territory of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer is suspected of continuing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the court. Seeking his full acquittal, at this stage, the lawyers are asking the Court of Appeal to choose a measure of restraint against Dennis Christensen in the form of cash bail or house arrest. The appeal hearing will continue in the Oryol Regional Court on September 28, 2017 at 14:00.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-21T10:59:35+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_10c950a52b9622d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_cc8155b9c08ec28d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/219/christensen_0_1_hu_2697bcaa226cb8fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/219.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"title":"The appeal hearing in the case of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark in Oryol will continue on September 28","type":"news"},{"body":"An appeal to the Leningrad Regional Court against the decision of the Vyborg City Court, which recognized as extremist material and decided to confiscate the Bible with the publishing title \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\". The complaint consists of 141 points and thoroughly proves the groundlessness and illegality of the court's decision.\n","date":"2017-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/261.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["bible-ban","complaints"],"title":"Appeal against the decision of the Vyborg court to ban the Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 16, 2017, in the village of Chunsky (Irkutsk region), unknown persons entered the building on Mira Street, where Jehovah's Witnesses used to hold services, cut open internal doors, smashed sound amplification equipment, damaged burglar alarms, and sprayed powder fire extinguishers around the hall. A statement was filed with the police on the fact of hooliganism.\nThe building has not been used in any way since the decision of the Supreme Court, which banned the activities of registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. The decision is being appealed to the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia. Believers have no doubt that these and other barbaric actions were provoked by an unjustified court decision against Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-09-20T16:13:21+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/218/image0012543_hu_a95cd0a2f879a2e6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/218/image0012543_hu_eb2d253dd2589d18.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/218/image0012543_hu_aecad76374fd1678.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/218/image0012543_hu_6452bc53fe6cc660.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/218.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism"],"title":"In the Irkutsk Region, vandalism against the building of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2017, the Oryol Regional Court is considering an appeal against the decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol to extend the period of detention of Danish citizen Dennis Christensen for another 4 months. The believer is suspected of continuing the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, which was liquidated by the court. The lawyers are asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision to extend the prison sentence and choose a measure of restraint in the form of cash bail or house arrest against Dennis Christensen.\nThe decision to extend the period of detention was made on July 20, 2017 by Judge S. Naumova, the same one who made the initial decision to choose a measure of restraint in the form of imprisonment against the believer. In fact, when deciding whether to extend the period of detention and establishing whether there were grounds for choosing this measure of restraint, Judge Naumova had to decide whether her own actions in applying the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation regulating the procedure for choosing a preventive measure had previously been appropriate and sufficient. In other words, it was considering an issue on which it had previously decided, which is unacceptable in Russian legal proceedings. In accordance with this, the judge was unsuccessfully challenged at the hearing.\nThe court also ignored the arguments of the defense about the redundancy and unreasonableness of such a severe measure of restraint. For example, the meeting examined an extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, as well as the charter of the liquidated organization, which confirm that Dennis Christensen, although he is Jehovah's Witness by religion, was not and could not be the founder, member or leader of this registered religious association, and therefore cannot be accused of continuing its activities. However, in its ruling, the court did not even mention this and did not evaluate any of the evidence presented by the defense. ","category":"restriction","date":"2017-09-19T20:27:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_754b209349d14a6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_b7af5b2b383deaa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/217/oryol2542_hu_a42dd01d8bfa20b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/217.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo","complaints","mro"],"title":"An appeal against the extension of the arrest of a Jehovah's Witness from Denmark is being heard in Oryol","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 15, 2017, Sergey Isaev, a 32-year-old Sochi resident who was arrested because of his religion, returned to his wife and children after being held in custody for 8 days on false charges of disobeying police officers. Meanwhile, the FSB pressured a local teenager to give false testimony against Isaev.\nSergey Isaev was detained at the pedestrian bridge over the Khosta River while walking with a family friend, 16-year-old Arseny U., on the basis of a statement from a passer-by who recognized them as Jehovah's Witnesses. The men were escorted to a police station, where they were interrogated and searched by FSB Major Sergei Mutsko. The teenager was released, and Sergey Isaev was arrested for 10 days on ridiculous charges of disobedience to police officers.\nThe next day, 16-year-old Arseny, as well as his mother, were summoned to the FSB. Threatening criminal prosecution and sanctions against himself as well as his mother, FSB Major Mutsko demanded that Arseny sign a prepared testimony against Isaev. Despite tremendous pressure, Arseniy firmly refused to sign anything.\nDuring the appeal hearing, the Krasnodar Regional Court was presented with a CCTV footage, which clearly shows that Sergey Isaev walked with the police officers without any resistance at their request. As a result, the court ruled to release Sergey Isaev.\nCCTV camera recording in Sochi, September 6, 2017\nSergey and his wife are not frightened, they maintain firm faith and courage. They are grateful to God and everyone who helped them in difficult times.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2017-09-19T20:23:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/216/p1040365-011_0_hu_ae812570006ae5c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/216/p1040365-011_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/216/p1040365-011_0_hu_cd6115eb8e15d5bc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/216/p1040365-011_0_hu_c716ce4fb919ce6c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/216.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-arrest"],"title":"Circumstances surrounding the arrest of a believer in Sochi","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 11, 2017, at 11:30 a.m., lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses filed a supervisory appeal against the Supreme Court's decision to liquidate and ban all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The complaint must be appointed for consideration by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia within 3 months.\nThe believers ask to completely cancel the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 and suspend its execution until the end of the proceedings in the supervisory court.\nThe decision of the Russian Supreme Court, which unjustifiably classified an entire religion as \"extremists\", has already entailed the most negative consequences for believers in the form of dismissals, waves of religious hatred, attacks, police raids, criminal cases and imprisonment of innocent people.\nThe international community unanimously condemned the court's decision.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-09-11T15:34:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/214/supremecourt-031777_1_0_hu_2dc02667026e5213.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/214/supremecourt-031777_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/214/supremecourt-031777_1_0_hu_292d2959b46d5f21.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/214/supremecourt-031777_1_0_hu_9f05262b87f4e034.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/214.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","supreme-court","human-rights-defenders","liquidation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses will appeal to the Presidium of the Supreme Court of Russia against the decision to ban them","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 11, 2017, lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses filed a supervisory complaint against the decision to liquidate and ban the activities of all 396 registered religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2017-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/236.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["complaints","liquidation"],"title":"Supervisory Appeal Against the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to Liquidate All Jehovah's Witnesses Organizations","type":"docs"},{"body":"On September 6, 2017, in the Khostinsky district of Sochi, police detained two Jehovah's Witnesses, 16-year-old A.U. and 32-year-old Sergey Isaev, while walking. After many hours of interrogation by FSB officers, Sergey Isaev was arrested for 10 days on false charges of disobeying the police.\nA passer-by recognized the men as Jehovah's Witnesses and, noticing the police and the Cossack patrol, informed them that Jehovah's Witnesses were walking along the alley, \"who are forbidden.\" Police officers and Cossacks escorted the believers to the police station, where they, including the minor, were interrogated until late at night. After midnight, Sergei Isaev was taken to the Sochi department of the FSB. Later it became known that Sergei was accused of disobeying the police. Allegedly, he \"refused to get into the car\", although there was no car at all!\nIt is noteworthy that a few hours before the detention in the Khostinsky district of Sochi, police went around the houses of local Jehovah's Witnesses, trying to find out whether their co-religionists were coming to visit them, and whether there were foreigners among them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2017-09-08T17:26:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/213/depositphotos_18573119_0_hu_d5cee966f90916.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/213/depositphotos_18573119_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/213/depositphotos_18573119_0_hu_51a8cf3809faf296.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/213/depositphotos_18573119_0_hu_526cdc1b7d7f3266.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/213.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-detention"],"title":"One of the believers was arrested in Sochi for 10 days","type":"news"},{"body":"The only basis for all accusations of \"extremism\" against Jehovah's Witnesses — the Federal List of Extremist Materials — can be revoked. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on Russia to do so in its Recommendation of August 25, 2017.\nThe UN Committee is concerned about the unclear definition of extremist activity and the lack of clear criteria by which materials can be classified as extremist, which is used against vulnerable segments of the population.\nThe international community unanimously condemned the accusations of extremism and the ban imposed by a Russian court on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations. This is evident from the following official statements.\nJoint statement by the 28 member states of the European Union, as well as 11 other states, including Australia, Canada and NorwayJuly 21, 2017 (source) \"On July 17, the Russian Supreme Court upheld a decision to liquidate all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, cease their activities and confiscate property on charges of \"extremist activity.\" The decision confirms the ban on the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country. This ban has already led to cases of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as police raids on their prayer halls. It has contributed to an atmosphere of hatred and bullying, which has led to arson attacks and other forms of harassment. Jehovah's Witnesses, like all followers of religious groups, must be able to peacefully enjoy freedom of assembly without interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as by Russia's international obligations and international human rights standards.\"\nFederal Republic of Germany. German Foreign OfficeJuly 19, 2017 (source) \"We are concerned by the approval of the court decision to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Thus, despite our attempts at persuasion at all levels, the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of religion and thought has become punishable.\"\nUnited States of America. U.S. Department of StateJuly 19, 2017 (source) \"The Russian Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses this week is the latest in a disturbing trend of persecution of religious minorities. We call on the Russian authorities to lift the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, lift the closure of the Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center, and release all members of religious minorities who continue to be unjustly detained for so-called 'extremist' activities.\"\nUnited Kingdom. Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeJuly 18, 2017 (source) \"We are deeply concerned that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation rejected the appeal of Jehovah's Witnesses against the decision that labeled them \"extremists\". This ruling criminalizes the religious activities of more than 175,000 Russian citizens and contravenes the right to religious freedom that is protected by the Russian Constitution.\"\nEuropean Union. European External Action ServiceJuly 18, 2017 (source) \"Jehovah's Witnesses, like all other religious groups, must be able to peacefully enjoy freedom of assembly without interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as by Russia's international commitments and international human rights standards.\"\nUnited States of America. U.S. Commission on International Religious FreedomJuly 17, 2017 (source) \"Unfortunately, the Supreme Court's decision demonstrates the government's continued attempts to equate those who peacefully exercise the right to religious freedom with extremists. Jehovah's Witnesses are not an extremist group and should be able to practice their religion openly, freely and without pressure from the authorities.\"\nFederal Republic of Germany. German Chancellor Angela MerkelMay 2, 2017 (source) \"I... asked Mr. President to exert his influence to ensure the preservation of the rights of minorities. This also applies to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human RightsApril 25, 2017 (source) \"I am concerned about the unjustified criminalization of the peaceful activities of members of the Jehovah's Witnesses communities in Russia, the liquidation of this community in the country. This Supreme Court decision poses a threat to the values and principles on which democratic, free, open, pluralistic and tolerant societies are founded.\"\nOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for Combating Racism, Xenophobia and DiscriminationApril 25, 2017 (source) \"This ban, the persecution of peaceful people for mere worship, clearly violates the fundamental right to freedom of religion, and with it international human rights standards guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, so it needs to be reviewed as soon as possible.\"\nParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeApril 21, 2017 (source) \"The recent decision of the Supreme Court to declare the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation an extremist organization, to close it and 395 local religious organizations of the Witnesses, raises serious concerns about religious freedom in Russia, and also serves as another example of how anti-extremist legislation is used to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.\"\nUnited States of America. Commission on Security and Cooperation in EuropeApril 21, 2017 (source) \"Russia's failure to respect religious freedom is yet another inexcusable violation of Moscow's OSCE commitments. People who practice their faith peacefully should never be harassed, fined, or imprisoned. The court order to confiscate the property of Jehovah's Witnesses adds humiliation to the persecution. It is hoped that this case will be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.\"\nEuropean Union. European External Action ServiceApril 21, 2017 (source) \"Yesterday's decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on grounds of \"extremism\" paves the way for criminal prosecution of members of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses for the mere practice of their religion. Jehovah's Witnesses, like all other religious groups, must be able to peacefully enjoy freedom of assembly without interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as by Russia's international commitments and international human rights standards.\"\nUnited Kingdom. Foreign and Commonwealth OfficeApril 21, 2017 (source) \"The decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to recognize the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist is alarming. This ruling effectively criminalizes the peaceful worship of 175,000 Russian citizens and contravenes the right to religious freedom enshrined in the Russian Constitution. The UK calls on the Russian government to uphold its commitment to this basic human right.\"\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-09-04T17:10:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/212/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_0_hu_5b07e79946eef0fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/212/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/212/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_0_hu_ba1022958e431c8c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/212/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_0_hu_4ba8c7a949044f56.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/212.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international","osce","pace","state-department","fsem"],"title":"The UN called on Russia to abolish the List of Extremist Materials","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 17, 2017, a 56-year-old follower of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was attacked in the village of Nikonovsky (Ramensky District, Moscow Region), as a result of which she was hospitalized.\nThe attack took place at approximately 18:00. Three believers on a bench were talking, holding a Bible in their hands. At this time, a local resident approached them from behind and shouted \"Get out! You've been banned!\" struck one of the believers on the head with a glass jar she had in her bag. The blow was so strong that residents of neighboring houses mistook it for a shot. Continuing to shout religious insults and threats, the attacker scattered the contents of the believer's bag.\nAn ambulance team stopped the bleeding and took the victim to the hospital, where she was hospitalized with a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury with a concussion. A police report has been filed.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-09-04T16:09:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/09/211/ambulance_hu_ad238e38cb50ae6e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/09/211/ambulance.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/09/211/ambulance_hu_76ea713e8e6538bc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/09/211/ambulance_hu_192829281775e914.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/09/211.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","hatred-attacks"],"title":"Brutal attack on believers in the Moscow region on the basis of religious hatred","type":"news"},{"body":"On Saturday, August 26, 2017, 18 citizens who were resting with children on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of the city of Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory) were blocked by a detachment of armed police officers who arrived by bus and 5 cars. Police Lieutenant Colonel Ostrikov, who led the operation, stated that \"an anonymous call was received that Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered on the river, and they were banned.\" Under the threat of force, citizens were forced to enter a police bus and taken to the police station.\nMore than half of the detainees were children, the elderly and the disabled. For 3 hours, the police interrogated them, asking questions about their attitude to religion, and the children were interrogated despite the disagreement of their parents, without explaining their rights and obligations. The children were frightened and crying. Everyone, without exception, experienced severe stress. Some citizens noted in the interrogation record that they had experienced degrading treatment at the hands of the police. In particular, it was expressed in the fact that citizens were loaded into a dirty bus inside, they were not allowed to use the phone, they were escorted to the toilet, and they made sarcastic remarks during interrogation.\nIt is noteworthy that for several days before this event, the police went around the houses of these citizens, trying to establish their place of work, occupation, etc. Despite the absence of any signs of illegal actions, the police did not apologize to the citizens for the disrupted rest.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-08-30T12:01:33+03:00","duration":"1:21","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_ea88a788615be849.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_539aa76cf7505047.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/210/lake-13629_hu_e87d506f72cd3d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/210.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["elderly","disability","minors","interrogation","leisure-disruption"],"title":"In the Stavropol region, a police raid on citizens during a picnic","type":"video"},{"body":"\"The most extraordinary and rare mother is awarded,\" these words begin the certificate of honor, signed on June 1, 2017 by the director of the Research Institute of Pediatrics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leila Namazova-Baranova. The diploma was presented to Melana Petrosyan, a resident of Ramenskoye (Moscow region). Together with her husband Suren, they are raising their 13-year-old beloved son David and have been helping him fight a serious illness for 9 years.\nThe award was given to Melana, among other things, \"... for the ability to heroically endure difficulties in the upbringing and treatment of not only her rare child, but also helping other families with the same children, giving love and hope for light and goodness and urging never to give up under any circumstances and life difficulties.\nAccording to family friends, Melania and Suren have always sought and sought the best medical treatment, refuting the myth that Jehovah's Witnesses allegedly \"refuse medical treatment.\" All these years, Melana and Suren were helped in overcoming difficulties by their faith, advice from the holy book of the Bible, and the support of fellow believers. The ban imposed on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses made life much more difficult for David and his parents.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2017-08-29T17:33:46+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/209/petrosyan2482_hu_d965e4cbe1528674.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/209/petrosyan2482.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/209/petrosyan2482_hu_330930451a3992f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/209/petrosyan2482_hu_b27ebb44fda4cfc0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/209.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disabled","awards"],"title":"\"The most extraordinary and rare mother is awarded\"","type":"news"},{"body":"Today, August 24, 2017, the Moscow Regional Court upheld the acquittal of two Jehovah's Witnesses from Sergiev Posad. Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak are innocent. It took law enforcement agencies and the court more than 7 years to establish this simple truth!\nThe long-term unfair criminal prosecution of these law-abiding citizens was based on a \"Reference\" signed by expert Natalia Kryukova, who on October 11, 2010, after analyzing the video recordings of the sermons they read, declared the presence of extremism in them. Expert Kryukova, among other things, is known for the fact that on the basis of her \"conclusion\" the Bible itself was recognized as extremist material!\nAfter Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak were charged under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement to hatred or enmity committed by an organized group) on July 16, 2013, these believers were included in the list of \"accomplices of extremism\". As a result, among other things, their accounts were blocked. Andrey Sivak was forced to leave teaching.\nToday's court decision means that Sergiev Posad residents Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak have the right to rehabilitation.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-08-24T17:49:52+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/208/stepanov_sivak1_1_hu_463c4505d01b907d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/208/stepanov_sivak1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/208/stepanov_sivak1_1_hu_b2de2d6a387fc576.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/208/stepanov_sivak1_1_hu_796b0451b3f002a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/208.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","studies-violations"],"title":"The Court of Appeal Confirmed the Acquittal of the Sergiev Posad Elders","type":"news"},{"body":"In August 2017, it became known that in the village of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against a 54-year-old local resident, Yuriy Zalipaev, under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"incitement to hatred or enmity\"). The believer faces up to 5 years in prison.\nFrom the decision to initiate a criminal case, signed by senior investigator A. Kodzokov, it follows that in 2016 Yuriy Zalipaev allegedly distributed 3 copies of the magazine \"Awake!\" for August 2009 with the title \"Discrimination and prejudice: the root and solution of the problem\".\nIn fact, in 2016, believers unsuccessfully tried to prove to the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria that these copies of the magazine \"Awake!\" were planted by them in a worship building. During the service, the lights went out in the building and more than 20 law enforcement officers, led by an FSB officer, invaded it without explanation. Under the threat of force, some of the believers were blocked in the premises, and electronic devices were confiscated from them. Law enforcement officers in the dark began inspecting the premises. When the lights were turned on, the police pointed out to the believers the publications included in the FSEM, which were lying on a bench next to an employee in camouflage uniform. Despite the fact that video recordings were carefully seized from the believers, they managed to keep videos proving that there were no publications on the bench before the start of the search. However, in November 2016, the court of the village of Maisky was critical of these videos and imposed a fine of 200,000 rubles on the community. Less than a year later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against one of the believers, Yuri Zalipaev.\nYuri Viktorovich Zalipaev is a respected head of the family, husband and father, who has been known as a decent believer for 25 years.\nIn 2010, the magazine \"Awake!\", which Yuriy Zalipayev is unreasonably accused of distributing, was included in the FSEM under number 757 on the basis of the decision of the Kemerovo District Court, which considered the article \"The Point of View of the Bible: Should Believers Be Divided into Clergy and Laity?\" as extremism.\nThis is the second similar case in the republic: the Prokhladnensky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria is hearing a case against 69-year-old Jehovah's Witness Arkadi Hakobyan. According to the prosecution, Arkady Akopovich Hakobyan made a speech in which the dignity of persons of other religions was allegedly humiliated, and instructed those present to distribute prohibited literature. He was charged under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Earlier, Arkadya Hakobyan appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring to justice those who gave knowingly false testimony on which the charges were based.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-08-23T22:01:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/207/gavel3845_1_0_hu_bf906f76fa2a38a7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/207/gavel3845_1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/207/gavel3845_1_0_hu_755724c945518180.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/207/gavel3845_1_0_hu_c57b019ca489577.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/207.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","plant","fsem"],"title":"New Criminal Case for Faith in Kabardino-Balkaria ","type":"news"},{"body":"Late in the evening of August 17, 2017, the Vyborg City Court announced its decision: to recognize as extremist material the translation of the Bible into modern Russian, which was seized at customs from Jehovah's Witnesses. The entire detained consignment must be confiscated for destruction. This decision has not entered into force and will be appealed to the Leningrad Regional Court.\nRussia was the first European country to officially ban the translation of the Bible. The historic decision was made by Judge Dmitry Grishin at the request of the prosecutor's office. During the hours-long hearings , Grishin was given an exhaustive opportunity to make sure that the subject of the trial was the Bible, a book that, according to the law, cannot be recognized as extremist material. During the meetings, dozens of fragments were read out from it, whole stacks of different editions of the Bible were presented, comparisons and comparisons of texts were carried out. Dozens of texts from the Bible were read directly by Judge Grishin. The most authoritative experts in the field of linguistics and religious studies were invited to the court from Moscow, who answered all the questions of the parties and the court. Prosecutors who pushed for the Bible to be banned were unable to identify a single Bible quote that they believed could be considered extremism. Nevertheless, to everyone's surprise, the court decided to recognize the Bible as extremist material.\nThis lawsuit is based on the expert opinion of Natalia Kryukova, who, without citing a single quote from the text of the Bible, nevertheless comes to the conclusion that this book is extremist material. The logic of this expert opinion is that this Bible is extremist material because it is used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The court ignored other scientific opinions, examinations and reviews available in the case, which convincingly prove that Kryukova's conclusion is unscientific and contradictory and that the Bible that became the subject of the lawsuit is in fact the Bible. It is noteworthy that the teacher-mathematician Natalia Kryukova does not have an education that gives her the right to conduct this study.\nJudge Dmitry Grishin holds a Ph.D. in Law. When the lawyers showed him that the Bible translation was included in the Catalog of Bible Translations published by the Library of Congress, Grishin told the parties that he had spent many days doing his research at the Library of Congress. Nevertheless, on August 17, 2017, Grishin issued a decision to ban the Bible - a decision that is contrary to science, law and common sense!\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-08-18T14:24:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/206/img_0350_hu_96cf3f5c7c478698.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/206/img_0350.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/206/img_0350_hu_9d8176fdac0057fe.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/206/img_0350_hu_43b01b6532336005.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/206.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban","studies-violations"],"title":"In Russia, the court banned the modern translation of the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"In Vyborg, on August 17, the hearing on the case of the ban of the Bible continues. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-08-17T14:58:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/205/img_62622369_0_0_hu_bb736f45bb63123f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/205/img_62622369_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/205/img_62622369_0_0_hu_9e57d641156e7e55.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/205/img_62622369_0_0_hu_5669ba6315ab75b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/205.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"Report: Trial of the Bible in Vyborg","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2017, in the Vyborg City Court, the hearing on the Bible ban lasted 11 hours! The case is being heard by Judge Dmitry Grishin.\nThe process attracted many observers, including journalists and foreign diplomats. The hall could accommodate only a small part of those who came, but the judge allowed the door to the auditorium to be left open, so that the listeners, standing in the corridor, could follow the process. The organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses of Germany (publisher and producer of the Bible), the United States of America (the owner of the copyright in the translation) and Finland (the carrier from whom the shipment of Bibles was seized) participate as interested parties.\nSince we are talking about such a respected and culture-forming book as the Bible, an authoritative scientist in the field of text examination was invited to participate in the case as a specialist - Anatoly Nikolaevich Baranov, Doctor of Philology, Professor, Head of the Department of Experimental Lexicography of the Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences, author of the textbook \"Linguistic Examination of the Text\". For almost 2 hours, the scientist answered questions from the parties and the court. Among other things, he explained to the court the nuances associated with the translation. For example, what is meant by the term \"Bible\"? Can its Russian translation be considered a \"Bible\"? Is it possible to establish the identity of a translation by comparing it with another translation? Although the answers to these questions seem self-evident, they are very important for establishing all the facts in this case, given that in Russia the Bible has a special immunity from anti-extremist legislation.\nThe hearing is scheduled to continue at 9:30 a.m. on August 16, 2017. The court is scheduled to interview a religious scholar.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-08-10T16:26:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/202/img_62622369_0_hu_95ad45ddce94f4a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/202/img_62622369_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/202/img_62622369_0_hu_11447cc39a76dc39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/202/img_62622369_0_hu_5826a542edf3e2b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/202.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban","expert-comments"],"title":"A lexicologist was questioned in the Vyborg court in the case of banning the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"On August 9, 2017, the Vyborg City Court (Leningrad Region) continues hearings on the claim of the transport prosecutor's office to recognize the Bible seized at customs from Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\"\nThis is a modern translation of the Bible from 2007, known as the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. Earlier , customs blocked the import of 2,016 copies of this Bible into Russia. Later, Jehovah's Witnesses were also banned from importing batches of Bibles in the official translation of the Russian Orthodox Church (Synodal Edition) and the \"Cognitive Bible\" published by the Russian Bible Society.\nOn March 15, 2016, the Vyborg City Court began hearings on the ban on the New World Translation. The lawsuit of the prosecutor's office caused bewilderment among religious scholars and human rights activists, including members of the Presidential Council for Human Rights L. Alekseeva, A. Verkhovsky, V. Ryakhovsky.\nBefore filing the lawsuit, the prosecutor's office enlisted the support of the \"expert\" Natalia Kryukova, known for the authorship of about 50 \"scientific\" conclusions against Jehovah's Witnesses. Substituting the objects of study, the \"expert\" stated that this translation of the Bible is \"extremist\" only because it is used by Jehovah's Witnesses!\nHowever, the Vyborg City Court went further: in violation of the logic of legal proceedings, violating a number of provisions of the legislation of the Russian Federation, Judge Roman Petrov sent the Bible for forensic examination by the same N. Kryukova! Despite the fact that the current legislation prohibits the appointment of an examination in an institution whose head has already conducted research on this subject. The court's actions are most surprising in light of the fact that the Bible simply cannot be subjected to examination for extremism, since the President of the Russian Federation made a special amendment to the law on extremism that protects sacred texts, including the Bible, from anti-extremist legislation.\nIn her new \"expert opinion\" of June 6, 2017, N. Kryukova expectedly came to the conclusion that there is extremism in this translation of the Bible! In support of her conclusions, she quotes at least 12 times (!): \"God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and the nearby city of Gomorrah. All their wicked inhabitants perished.\"\nThe unjust inclusion of printed materials of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Federal List of Extremist Materials is the only reason for all accusations of extremism against the official representative offices of this religion, which led to their total ban in Russia.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-08-09T17:10:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/08/201/bible-03_0_hu_1c9c61e19a20a205.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/08/201/bible-03_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/08/201/bible-03_0_hu_238cbe1ec596c173.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/08/201/bible-03_0_hu_541ddb29d3eb5506.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/08/201.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban","studies-violations"],"title":"In Vyborg, the issue of banning the Bible is being decided","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 26, 2017, the media reported on the detention in Kaliningrad of a man suspected of drug possession. It is not true that he is a follower of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe man shown in the news attended services of this religion in Kaliningrad, but long ago ceased all communication with believers. Accordingly, he was never a Jehovah's Witness, much less the \"leader of the Kaliningrad cell\" of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nJehovah's Witnesses consider the non-medical use of drugs and even tobacco smoking to be a serious sin, since the Bible teaches us to respect life and health as gifts from God, and also commands us to love our neighbor. Drug trafficking is also incompatible with the Christian morality of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-07-31T15:17:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/200.html","regions":["kaliningrad"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fabrications"],"title":"The man detained in Kaliningrad has never been one of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2017, hearings resumed on the first case in the history of Russia on the prohibition of Bible translation. Despite the petition, a spacious courtroom was not provided for the trial, so only 7 people could enter the hall as listeners.\nWithin minutes of the start, the trial was postponed because one of the parties, namely the temporary storage warehouse, where the batch of Bibles detained at customs was kept, had not been properly notified of the hearing.\nThe hearing will continue on August 9, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-07-28T20:12:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/199/img_62622369_hu_7280056536de0ef2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/199/img_62622369.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/199/img_62622369_hu_4b5f685ee7735773.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/199/img_62622369_hu_8770aae8d9241d64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/199.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"The trial of the Bible was postponed until August 9","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 28, 2017, the Vyborg City Court (Leningrad Region) resumes hearings on the claim of the Leningrad-Finland Transport Prosecutor to recognize the canonical Bible seized from Jehovah's Witnesses at customs as \"extremist material.\" The court received an \"examination\", the authors of which criticize this publication from the standpoint of Orthodox apologetics and attribute extremist content to it!\nThis \"examination\" was carried out by the teacher Natalia Kryukova, the author of about 50 similar conclusions against Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as her constant co-authors - the Orthodox religious scholar V. Kotelnikov and the translator from English A. Tarasov. Earlier, an application was filed with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to initiate a criminal case against Kryukova for giving false expert opinions (Article 307 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). For example, on the basis of the conclusions of this \"expert\", two believers in the Moscow region were subjected to unfair criminal prosecution for many years.\nN. Kryukova's actions in relation to her assessment of the Bible seized from Jehovah's Witnesses are indicative. In her conclusion of June 6, 2017, Kryukova, proving that this publication is not the Bible, reports: \"In the book \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" there are no generally accepted names \"Old Testament\" and \"New Testament\", these sections are called respectively \"Judeo-Aramaic Scriptures\" and \"Christian Greek Scriptures\". And as an argument in favor of the \"extremist\" nature of the material submitted for examination, the authors of the conclusion at least 12 times (!) cite the following quote: \"God rained fire and brimstone on Sodom and the nearby city of Gomorrah. All their wicked inhabitants perished.\"\nThe attempt to recognize the Bible itself as extremist seems implausible against the background of the fact that in the fall of 2015, the Russian president put forward and signed a law protecting the Holy Scriptures, including the Bible, from anti-extremist legislation. Nevertheless, the prosecutor's lawsuit is a fait accompli: on Friday, July 28, 2017, the court may for the first time in history recognize the canonical Bible as \"extremist material\"!\nThe decision in this case may affect many people, since the Bible is a respected and widespread book in Russia. There are at least 50 different translations of the whole Bible or sections of the Bible in Russian language. The prosecutor's lawsuit has already drawn unanimous condemnation from human rights activists and religious scholars.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-07-27T18:06:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/198/bible-02_0_hu_b1908c2694b4e5d3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/198/bible-02_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/198/bible-02_0_hu_864a5c3fd99b9d8b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/198/bible-02_0_hu_928a791cfcf73520.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/198.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban","studies-violations"],"title":"On July 28, the trial of the Bible resumes in Vyborg","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2017, by the decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was left in a pre-trial detention center for another 4 months, until November 23. The court decided to extend his preventive measure as a criminal who committed a \"serious offense\", despite the complete absence of corpus delicti and victims.\nThe court rejected all of the defense's motions except one, for a public hearing. The judge did not agree to release the believer under house arrest with a bail of 1 million rubles, insisting that a peaceful believer should be isolated from society, although the investigation still cannot explain what his crime is.\nThe investigation continues to mislead the court by claiming that Christensen is the leader of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Oryol. In fact, he was never even a member of this organization.\nThe trial was attended by numerous foreign observers, including the Danish Vice-Consul and Danish and German media representatives.\nThe believer's lawyers are preparing an appeal.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-07-22T23:04:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_5cf7dce59158f7c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_67de9140ed0d2025.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/197/christensen_0_hu_202619b202d23b6b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/197.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen Left in Pre-Trial Detention, Defense Motions Rejected ","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 20, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., the Sovetskiy District Court of Oryol begins a hearing on further restraint for an innocent Jehovah's Witness, a Danish citizen, who has been languishing in the Oryol pre-trial detention center since May 25 just because he read the Bible with fellow believers. He is charged with violating Article 282.2 (\"Organization of the activities of an extremist organization\").\nThe case of Dane Dennis Christensen, who has been living in Oryol for more than 10 years, will be heard by the same judge Svetlana Naumova, who previously considered detention to be the only possible preventive measure for law-abiding Dennis. The FSB investigator in charge of the case again asks the court for the most severe measure of restraint.\nThere are oddities in this case. Of particular bewilderment were the circumstances of the appeal hearing on the decision on detention, which was to be held on June 7, 2017 in the Oryol Regional Court under the chairmanship of Judge Igor Paukov. The hearing was unexpectedly postponed until June 21 due to the lack of a Danish translator, but an article suddenly appeared in the official newspaper stating that \"the Oryol Regional Court upheld the decision of the district court to arrest a Danish citizen.\" Such a \"false start\" leads to suspicion that the decision was made and communicated to the journalists of the official newspaper even before the court hearing with the participation of an interpreter, which took place more than 10 days later, on June 21, 2017.\nAnother oddity is that investigators continue to convince the court that the Danish citizen was allegedly the head of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Orel. In fact, he was never not only a leader, but also a member of this organization, as is easy to see by referring to official information.\nLawyers continue to work actively, proving the complete innocence of the believer.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-07-19T18:22:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_34ae99f8c6b6a24d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_32d20a5bf70c40ac.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/196/dennis_cristensen3385_0_hu_88d902713ca71bcc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/196.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"title":"Whether the Danish believer will be released from custody, the court in Oryol decides","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court missed the last chance to restore law and justice for 175,000 Russian citizens who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. It took a panel of three Supreme Court judges less than an hour of deliberations to uphold the decision made earlier by Judge Yuriy Ivanenko to liquidate and ban all registered organizations of this religion without exception.\nSince there are no more effective domestic remedies, believers will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and other international organizations.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-07-17T19:18:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/195/img_7597_0_hu_351451d7616dd822.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/195/img_7597_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/195/img_7597_0_hu_b441209befc71dd0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/195/img_7597_0_hu_ab24f7a23b1cf101.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/195.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","echr","supreme-court","liquidation"],"title":"The Supreme Court rejected Jehovah's Witnesses. They are preparing complaints to the European Court","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., a panel of three judges of the Supreme Court begins consideration of an appeal against the decision made by the same court to liquidate all 396 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations existing in Russia. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-07-17T10:13:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_b1604d4c134fa85d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_deb8423c3f94b009.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/194/img_7269_750_hu_30f7705e2e2817ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/194.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation","appeal","supreme-court","mro","courtroom","administrative-center"],"title":"Hearing in the Russian Supreme Court on the Appeal of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia began hearings on the appeal the decision of April 20, 2017 to liquidate the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Witnesses\" Jehovah in Russia\". There is a text report from the\u0026nbsp;courtroom.\nApril 5–20, 2017 July 17, 2017 July 17, 2017 09:30 Dark clouds are falling over Moscow's Arbat district, where Russia's Supreme Court is located. At the entrance to the A large group of citizens has gathered in the courthouse, their number is approaching 150. Those who stand in At the beginning of the queue, we came to the entrance at 4 am. Journalists armed with filming equipment are noticeable. The Moscow police ensure public order. 10:00 The largest meeting room has been made available for hearings again. On the faces of the court employees there is a solemn expression, everyone tries to perform their duties flawlessly. A subdued hum can be heard in the hall. 10:05 Foreign speech is heard in the courtroom: there are quite a few foreign observers, most represent Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in different countries. There are also observers, who drove up to the courthouse in cars with diplomatic plates.\n10:40 The position of the administrative plaintiff is still empty. On the part of the administrative defendant — representative of the religious organization Vasily Mikhailovich Kalin, lawyers Viktor Zhenkov and Anton Omelchenko, lawyer Maksym Novakov.\n10:50 In the courtroom, leaning over their tablets, journalists from the Russian media are working. The place of the administrative plaintiff is taken by Svetlana Konstantinovna Borisova, who represented The Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in the court of first instance. 11:10 Silence fell in the courtroom, the parties and observers awaited the appearance of the judges.\n11:11 The judges who will hear the case enter the courtroom. By announcing the case, they establish who represents Side. In addition to Kalin, Zhenkov, Omelchenko and Novakov, the side of the administrative defendant represents lawyer Yuriy Toporov. The composition of the Judicial Collegium is Judge Manokhina Galina Vladimirovna (Chairman), Vladimir Yurievich Zaitsev and Vladimir Valentinovich Popov. Neither side has It turns out that there are reasons to challenge one of the judges. 11:17 After the introductory remarks, Omelchenko's lawyer filed a motion to postpone the consideration of this until a decision is reached on the numerous private complaints that have been accepted for proceedings by the Appellate Chamber of the Supreme Court. The lawyer explains that the court's decision of 20 Numerous complaints were filed by persons who substantiated in detail that the decision was Their rights and interests were affected, which means that they should have been involved in the case. The fact that they don't had the opportunity to participate in the case, in itself indicates that the decision should be Automatically canceled. However, all these complaints were returned without any analysis of the cited Arguments. The court only stated that \"the appealed judicial act did not resolve the issue of their rights and responsibilities.\" In response, citizens filed private complaints, but contrary to all logic, the court intends to file them after the final decision on the case has been made. That's why the lawyer Requests that this hearing be adjourned pending the determination of the full number of participants in the proceedings on the appeal against the decision. 11:22 Omelchenko's lawyer files a motion to interrogate rehabilitated citizens from the number of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court of first instance refused to question them. Contrary to its promise, the court did not investigated to a proper extent the circumstances of political repression against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, for example, did not pay attention to the question of what actions of state authorities have already recognized as political repression, and did not check whether these actions continue to be committed in the Jehovah's Witnesses at the present time. 11:28 Omelchenko's lawyer continues to petition for the interrogation of witnesses Pavel Bezhenar and Anatoliy Yasinsky. They are recognized victims of political repression as Jehovah's Witnesses. Them It is a well-known fact that the ban on religious organizations causes severe and unjustified persecution of believers of this religion. Thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses lost their lives in April 1951 of their property and were deported in freight cars from the western regions of the USSR for eternal settlement Subsequently, they were subjected to searches, confiscation of religious literature, and discrimination and imprisonment only because they lived according to the commandments of the Bible.\nBejenar, for example, is aware that in 1951 he and members of his family were deported from Moldova to the Tomsk region. Subsequently, he was convicted twice and spent 8 years in prisons imprisonment because he followed Christ's commandment: \"Return thy sword to its place; for all who take the sword shall perish by the sword.\" As a result of discrimination, he had to change his religion six times residence. In 1982, he faced a search and seizure of religious literature.\nRecognizing these people as victims of political repression, the state condemned \"years of terror, unleashed by the Bolshevik Party-Soviet regime against the clergy and believers of all denominations\", and also undertook to \"seek real guarantees of rule of law and human rights\". In fact, the state promised to make sure that the what they're up against.\n11:31 Novakov's representative files a motion to interrogate witnesses to the planting of extremist literature and other falsifications that were organized or used by law enforcement agencies, cases on which the Ministry of Justice relies in its lawsuit. Witnesses came to the courtroom and are ready to testify. 11:40 Novakov says that four witnesses came to the courtroom. The Court, without making a ruling on the asked if there were any other motions. Novakov petitions to be summoned to the hall another 53 witnesses of falsifications. 11:45 Omelchenko's lawyer files an extensive motion to demand evidence from the courts, to which refers to the Ministry of Justice, trying to prove \"extremism\" among Jehovah's Witnesses. A similar request was made It was filed in the court of first instance, but the court dismissed it. Therefore, the defendant requests The Court of Appeal should nevertheless request from the courts those materials of Jehovah's Witnesses that were recognized as \"extremist\". After all, court decisions in themselves do not have a prejudicial significance for of this case, as recognized by the court of first instance, due to the fact that the Administrative Center was not involved in the pending. 11:50 Omelchenko's lawyer reminds that the law obliges the court to directly investigate everything Evidence. For example, given the seriousness of the case to religious freedom throughout the world, territory of the Russian Federation, the Supreme Court must directly investigate the grounds for recognizing the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, and whether these grounds are sufficient to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. The court could be convinced that in the literature of the Witnesses There are no signs of incitement to hatred or enmity in the form determined by the Plenum of the Supreme Court in its judgment of 28 June 2011. Not a single court has found otherwise! (Under incitement to hatred and enmity, according to the Plenum, means statements justifying the need for genocide, repression, deportations, the use of violence against representatives of any nation, race or religion. As the Plenum emphasized, even criticism of religious beliefs or religious practices should not be seen as extremism.) 11:55 Continuing to speak about the need to demand evidence, counsel recalls that in the under a new clause in the law on combating extremist activity The Bible and Quotes from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials. Upon requesting evidence, the court may to make sure that the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses is always based on the Bible, encourages people to love of God and love of neighbor and strengthens faith in the Bible. This all means that literature Jehovah's Witnesses was recognized as \"extremist\" by misunderstanding, and in any case cannot serve grounds for banning an entire religion that has hundreds of thousands of adherents in Russia. 11:59 Having failed to resolve the previous motions, the court invited the lawyer Zhenkov to read out his petitions. 12:00 Zhenkov petitions for the interrogation of experts (religious scholars, linguists). In the court of first instance, the court unreasonably refused to do so. In the meantime, the explanations of specialists are necessary for the adoption of a legal and informed decision. For example, a specialist in religious studies could clarify the specific concepts that are used in the charter of a religious organization, as well as how the stated goals and objectives of Jehovah's Witnesses are put into practice. Importantly, he is a religious scholar could clarify whether belief in the truth of one's religion is unique to Jehovah's Witnesses or whether it is A characteristic feature of any religion. 12:03 The participation of a linguistic specialist is necessary because all accusations of extremism brought against the To Jehovah's Witnesses, they are not taken from real life or established offenses, but only from of their liturgical texts. It is linguists who are engaged in the analysis of texts. 12:04 Zhenkov filed another motion to admit new evidence. It's about events acts of vandalism and other offences that have taken place since the April 20 decision; provoked by the decision. These events are captured on video, and Zhenkov is petitioning to see them in the courtroom. 12:07 Since there are no more petitions, the court invites a representative of the Ministry of Justice to express his opinion. The representative of the Ministry of Justice objects to the postponement of the hearing, to the video recording, to the interrogation Witnesses are citizens of victims of political repression. In addition, the Ministry of Justice is against the interrogation of witnesses falsifications, against the demand for evidence from the courts. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that The petitions are aimed at reviewing the court decisions that have entered into force, which, in his opinion, Invalid. The representative of the Ministry of Justice considers the video with the facts of violation of the rights of citizens to be irrelevant Proof. 12:15 The court shall adjourn for deliberation on the motions. 12:25 Upon returning from the deliberation room, the court refuses to satisfy all the petitions. 12:30 Judge Manokhina begins her presentation of the essence of the case. 12:45 Having stated the arguments of the statement of claim, the position of the defendant, the court retells the essence of the decision, issued on April 20, 2017. 12:51 The court proceeds to retell the appeal filed on behalf of the religious organization. 12:58 At the end of the report, the court invites the defendant to give its explanations. The lawyer is the first to speak Zhenkov. Zhenkov's first thesis is that the court did not indicate evidence in its decision extremist activities of the Administrative Center. Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the court transcript of the first instance. The Court: \"How does it confirm that the organization carried out extremist activities? activity?\" Ministry of Justice: \"The religious organization has not taken any effective measures aimed at suppression of these activities...\" The court also inquired from the administrative plaintiff whether the Inadequate measures, or even inaction to be a sign of extremism? The Ministry of Justice, with reference to the law, was I have to admit that no, only deliberate actions can be extremism. 13:04 Zhenkov: \"If the Administrative Center did not commit extremist actions, then we are at the representative of the The Ministry of Justice was investigated in court whether each of the 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Has Russia committed extremist acts? The response of the Ministry of Justice was that only in relation to 10 Of these, there are court decisions, but there are no such data for the rest. A natural question is: if in the the court did not find that the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and at least 385 local religious organizations committed any extremist actions, why did the court recognize them? extremist and liquidated?\" 13:08 It follows from the record of the hearing that the court of first instance gave the plaintiff clear legal issues that are important for the correct resolution of the case. The Court received replies that extremism is the specific actions listed in the law, and that the Administrative Center and more 300 local religious organizations did not commit such actions. But the court decision at the same time For some reason, the court ruled the exact opposite: to recognize all 396 organizations as extremist and eliminate them.\n\"How so, dear court? \"Shouldn't you, as a panel of judges, have that raise questions? If there are no extremist actions, then what is there to recognize? extremist?!\"\n13:10 Zhenkov gives an example. He says that during the court hearing we found out that there are Witnesses in Crimea For decades, Jehovah has been peacefully carrying out his religious activities. Once on the territory and in compliance with Russian law, Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea asked the Russian Ministry of Justice register 22 of their local religious organizations. And the Ministry of Justice, recognizing the legitimacy of their the existence and legitimacy of their creed, in 2015 registered them. In this way, the state recognized that it is possible to believe in Jehovah God on the Crimean peninsula, and therefore a religion called Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to legally exist and act. So what's next? Less than two years later, without establishing signs of extremism in their actions, only on the instructions of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, the same Ministry of Justice that registered them appealed To the court with a demand to recognize them as extremist organizations and to take away all their property. And the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, even without the participation of these legal entities, declared them extremist and liquidated, and also allowed all their property to be taken away. \"This raises questions that are both legal and universal,\" says Zhenkov, Why are believers in Crimea being punished in such a way? For what specific actions? Answers to these questions There are no questions in the court's decision. But can such a decision be legitimate?\"\n13:15 Zhenkov's second thesis is that the conclusions of the court of first instance do not correspond to circumstances of the administrative case. For example, the court's decision states: \"As follows from the over the past seven years, annually in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law the facts of extremist activities of the Organization are being established...\" However, the court established explicitly reverse. Lawyer Zhenkov: \"The administrative plaintiff admitted in court that in his actions The facts of extremist activity have not been established directly by the Administrative Center, and the court writes \"Established.\" 13:20 Zhenkov's third thesis: the court of first instance incorrectly determined the circumstances that are important for an administrative case. Zhenkov lists a number of examples. 13:30 Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the document of the Ministry of Justice: \"Recognition of information materials denominational Jehovah's Witnesses are extremist... Confirms... The fact that there is a in a manner that is impermissibly offensive from the point of view of the legislation of the Russian Federation expressing conviction in the truth of their religious beliefs, and in this case not even in the truth of beliefs, but in the interpretation of the ordinances contained in the Bible.\"\nSuch a characterization does not correspond to reality. Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Jehovah's Witnesses' publications were recognized as \"extremist\" eight years ago. At that time, there was no Resolution No. 11 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, in which clarification of what the courts should understand by incitement to hatred or enmity.\nPrior to 2011, some courts erroneously held that if the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is named in literature, the only true one, is a sign of incitement to hatred, since it is an insult for other religions. And if the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses says that the Trinity is not biblical teaching, such an interpretation of the Bible is all the more so, in the opinion of some judges, incited hatred. But that wasn't until 2011, when the Supreme Court clarified that the criticism religious associations, religious beliefs, religious customs shall not be considered as an action aimed at inciting hatred or enmity. It took years for all They finally understood that to consider only their religion to be true is not extremism, but the norm for Believer. 13:45 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the Administrative Center was denied participation in the court cases on the recognition of printed materials as extremist. In some cases, believers They don't even know why this or that book was recognized as extremist, since the court considered that Jehovah's Witnesses had nothing to do with it. The same position has been consistently taken by the Supreme Court of Russia, as a result, the Administrative Center had no right either to participate in the process or to lead to the court, their arguments, nor to appeal against the court's decisions. And now, for some reason, the court of first instance took the exact opposite approach. The court now considers that on the basis of these decisions The administrative center can be liquidated.\n\"Dear court,\" says Zhenkov, \"you have the opportunity to correct this injustice. It is important for the Supreme Court to be consistent, because it is a model for all courts in Russia.\"\n13:50 Zhenkov's fourth thesis is the disproportionality of the court's decision. Zhenkov cites an excerpt from the court's decision: \"Contrary to the Organization's objections, such interference is proportionate and necessary ... so how to ensure the elimination of violations of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of an indefinite number of persons, a real threat of harm to the person, the health of citizens, public order, public security, society and the state.\" 13:52 \"But, dear Court, let's look at the facts and see who is threatening whom and who is hurting whom \"In the court of first instance, it was established that for 26 years of official the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have not been harmed either by the state or by morality in the Society. There are no acts of vandalism on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses, no violence. There is no violence, even acts of protest! It turns out that the threat that the court writes about in its decision is imaginary, far-fetched. If it were real, it would have been in the 26 years of its official existence in Russia and in the 100 years unofficial, it would have come true. But the court's decision does not contain facts of harm from their Activities. What kind of threat to society and the state can we talk about if just recently, on May 31, In 2017, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin presented the Order of Parental Glory in the Kremlin the family of Jehovah's Witnesses?\" 13:55 On the other hand, because of the court decision, the believers themselves are subjected to a significant violation of their rights. Zhenkov cites various facts confirming this. For example, the facts of refusing believers to replace military service as an alternative civilian service on the basis of a court decision. Completing his Zhenkov attaches copies of draft commission protocols and summonses from the military registration and enlistment office to the case. 13:56 It is the turn of Representative Toporov to give explanations. The first point of his speech focuses on Article 310 of the Administrative Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, according to which \"decisions of the court of first instance are subject to unconditional cancellation in the event of a court decision on the rights and obligations of persons not involved in the participation in an administrative case.\" 14:00 By a court decision, the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and local religious organizations that are part of its structure. All these local religious Organizations are clearly listed in the decision of the court of first instance, and this transfer takes up half of the the text of the entire decision. However, these 395 organizations were not involved in the trial. 14:20 The conclusions of the court of first instance contradict all the long-standing established judicial practice cases against local religious organisations, Toporov said. Qua evidence he cites the ruling that the Russian Supreme Court indicated in its judgment of 8 December 2009:\n\"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and Local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" are independent organizations, which is also confirmed by the evidence accepted by the court of cassation, including a scheme for the structure of religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\". The question of rights and obligations of the Administrative Center by the Rostov Regional Court the above-mentioned statement of the prosecutor of the Rostov region was not resolved by the decision of Rostovsky On September 11, 2009, the regional court recognized as extremist and liquidated the local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\".\nAt the same time, this ruling of the court is of prejudicial importance for the present case, since it was issued by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in respect of the administrative defendant. It sets that the fact that the liquidation of a local religious association that was part of the structure of the Administrative Center, does not affect the rights and obligations of the latter, since this local The religious association and the Administrative Center are independent organizations. Court of the first instance ignored this evidence, which led to his misapplication of the the rules of substantive law when making the Decision.\n14:24 The above argument supports Toporov's second thesis: the court's decision is subject to cancellation due to improper application of substantive law. Trying to justify the recognition of LROs as structural subdivisions of the administrative defendant, for the actions of which he should be responsible, the court allowed misapplication of substantive law by applying laws that are not applicable, and namely the laws \"On Political Parties\" and \"On Public Associations\". The Court Gave Wrong interpretation of the law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\", \"On Counteraction to the Religious Association\" extremist activity\", the Administrative Procedure Code of the Russian Federation, including without taking into account the legal positions contained in the decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation courts of the Russian Federation. 14:32 The third thesis of Toporov's speech is that the court's decision is subject to cancellation in connection with the failure to prove the circumstances established by the court of first instance. 14:35 As an example of the failure to prove the circumstances specified in the court decision, Toporov cites an excerpt from the decision that the Administrative Center participated in the financing of LROs that are recognized as Extremist. This fact is cited in order to prove its extremist nature activities of the Administrative Center. However, the Ministry of Justice did not submit to the court (according to Toporov, deliberately!) relevant donation agreements and donation decisions of the Administrative Centre, from which it follows that the donation of funds to these organizations was carried out, firstly, several years before they were recognized as extremist and, secondly, for clearly defined purposes: construction of worship buildings, assistance to victims of natural disasters, payment of utility bills payments and fulfillment of other obligations to the state. All these contracts and decisions have been transferred By the Administrative Center to the Ministry of Justice in the course of the inspection that preceded the appeal of the Ministry of Justice to the court. 14:45 Explanations to the court are given by the representative Novakov. And his first thought is that the circumstances referred to by the court related to the commission of administrative offences, have no prejudicial effect in this case. 14:54 Novakov shows the court a sequence of CCTV footage clearly showing that extremist publications were planted on Jehovah's Witnesses. He cites other egregious facts testifying to the falsification of evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses in the regions of Russia. All of these falsified cases are at the heart of this case. 15:10 Novakov draws attention to paragraph 34 of Resolution No. 16 of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of the Federation on June 15, 2010. The Plenum clarified that \"new facts\" (i.e., facts revealed by Within 12 months of the issuance of the warning) may not be recognized those violations that are were identified after the warning was issued, but were admitted in materials distributed earlier Warning. Novakov draws attention to the fact that the court of first instance did not give any assessment of this the fact that, although these warnings were issued after March 2, 2016, they were announced in the events that \"took place\" prior to the issuance of the warning by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation Federations in Voronezh, Snezhnogorsk, Stavropol. 15:24 Omelchenko's lawyer begins to give his explanations. In response to the court's request not to repeat the explanation of his colleagues, Omelchenko loud and clear declares his intention to focus on the violation international law. 15:25 Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that there is a violation of the right to a fair trial, guaranteed by Article 6 of the European Convention. 15:29 Omelchenko convincingly argues that the court also violated the ban politically motivated prosecution under Article 18 of the Convention, read in conjunction with Articles 9 and 6 Convention. The European Court of Human Rights in its judgment in the case of Merabishvili v. Georgia\" points to the clearest signs of political repression: when state authorities unequivocally resist the repeated appeals of the complainant, the public and even some high-ranking civil servants about an objective and thorough investigation, to argue that the measures applied to the applicant are not a means of a legitimate response to his behavior, but by means of political persecution. This is exactly what is happening to Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. 15:35 Omelchenko points out that there was a violation of the right to freedom of religion, speech and association. Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Convention. For example, he pays attention to the requirement international law that State intervention must be provided for by law. In In particular, the law must be definite and its application predictable. Omelchenko based on materials of this case proves that the application of anti-extremist legislation to Jehovah's Witnesses is uncertain and unpredictable. 15:40 International law requires that state intervention pursue a legitimate purpose and was also necessary in a democratic society. Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that In its 100-year history, no extremist manifestations on the part of the Witnesses have been recorded Jehovah. But after this decision, a huge number of believers were subjected to groundless violation of their rights. 15:45 The representative of the Administrative Center Kalin supported the appeal and the explanations of the lawyers. The right to present her explanations was transferred to the representative of the Ministry of Justice Borisova. 15:50 The Ministry of Justice believes that the court decision to ban Jehovah's Witnesses organizations was lawful and fair. Borisova says that every religion has the right to spread its own beliefs and views, but the wording should not offend adherents of other religions. 16:00 Borisova cites the facts of interaction between the Administrative Center and local religious organizations. Along In the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, this should indicate a single structure, integrity and identity religious organizations. 16:19 Concluding his speech, the representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to leave the court's decision unchanged, and the appeal was dismissed. 16:20 The court has no questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The court proceeds to examine the materials of the case. Representatives of the defendants ask to make public a number of materials of the case, but Judge Manokhina is resolute He said: \"We didn't receive the case yesterday. We have been preparing it for a long time. And with all these documents are well known.\" 16:29 A 20-minute break is announced.\n16:50 After the break, the court asks a representative of the Ministry of Justice to express his opinion on the disclosure of the materials cases requested by the defendant. The Ministry of Justice objects. The Court decides to make public some of the stated case materials. 16:54 The court announces the conclusions of the legal expert opinion, which analyses the norms anti-extremist legislation, namely, the concept of \"structural subdivision\" as applied to the religious organizations. The conclusions reached by the experts are that from the point of view of rights, local religious organizations cannot be attributed to a structural unit centralized organizations. 17:00 A public statement of the Administrative Center is announced, distributed in February 2017. A religious expert report on the Witnesses is being read out Jehovah. 17:20 Representative Novakov selectively draws the court's attention to the case materials in the 38th and 39th volumes of the case. The documents reveal false accusations of \"extremism\" against Jehovah's Witnesses. To For example, the case contains a number of documents in which people who acted as \"witnesses\" against believers, report that they gave their testimony against the believers under pressure from employees law enforcement agencies, without warning of liability for knowingly false denunciation. 17:27 The Court will now proceed to its debate. Zhenkov is the first to speak. 17:30 Lawyer Zhenkov: There are a lot of people outside the walls of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and millions of citizens everywhere The entire system of justice in modern Russia will be judged by today's decision. its fairness, its impartiality, and its independence from any influential persons and government agencies. Why? Because today it is the organizations that belong to the religion that are being judged, known all over the world.\nThis religion is known for the fact that its followers strive to live according to the commandments of Jesus Christ, set forth in the Bible. Under no circumstances do they take up arms, do not interfere in the politicians, do not set the goal of overthrowing state power, try to show love to everyone people, regardless of their religion, nationality, social status. Everything is alien to them, which is called extremism in the Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\". 17:31 Lawyer Zhenkov: All civilized countries of the world are fighting extremism because it is good understand the essence of this phenomenon and its dangers. But there are no Jehovah's Witnesses in any country in the world equated with extremists. And Jehovah's Witnesses around the world profess the same Bible-based creeds. In every country in the world, these Christians worship Jehovah God, In every country of the world, Jesus Christ is an example to follow for them, who did only good. For Jehovah's Witnesses in every country in the world, the source of wisdom is the same Bible. Therefore, if extremism was manifested in their behavior, words and deeds, it would be would be visible on a global scale. But Jehovah's Witnesses do not have a reputation for extremism around the world. And in our country, they do not have such a reputation. 17:33 Lawyer Zhenkov: Yes, in our country people have different impressions of Jehovah's Witnesses, however as well as representatives of other religions. God Himself gave people the freedom to choose. And according to us, By law, we are obliged to respect the choice of another person. Some may not understand why Jehovah's Witnesses adhere so strictly to the Bible's moral standards. Someone may not be able to I like their active preaching. Some may disagree with how Jehovah's Witnesses understand Bible. But none of the citizens associate Jehovah's Witnesses with extremists. History Jehovah's Witnesses proved that extremism and the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are completely incompatible concepts. 17:35 Lawyer Zhenkov: Why then did the court of first instance make such a decision on April 20, 2017? An unprecedented decision for modern Russia - it banned the existence of all legal entities at once Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and there were 396 of them? There is only one reason: the incorrect use of anti-extremist Legislation. Even a respected representative of the ministry incorrectly quoted the law today: \"the superiority of one religion over another.\" In fact, there is no such thing in the law. There is propaganda the superiority of man over man on the basis of religion. 17:38 Lawyer Zhenkov: I have already said in the court of first instance, and I want to repeat here that this is the case happened only once in the history of our state, soon after the October Revolution. In 1918 On the basis of a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, all religious organizations were deprived of their rights All Orthodox churches and all the property of religious organizations were confiscated. The state recognized these actions as a mistake. But for some reason, now, 100 years later, the court of the first He repeats this mistake, but this time against Jehovah's Witnesses. 17:39 Lawyer Zhenkov: The fact of rehabilitation of thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses in our country as victims political repression shows that miscarriages of justice have cost millions dearly in the past. than innocent citizens of our country. Dear court, you have both the opportunity and the authority today to correct the miscarriage of justice by reversing the decision of the court of first instance. 17:40 Lawyer Zhenkov: Can a court decision that liquidates 395 local residents be legal? religious organizations without their participation, without even giving them the opportunity to be heard and Defend yourself in court? Can the decision to recognize those legal entities as extremist be legitimate? persons in whose actions no signs of extremism have been established? Can there be a legitimate decision The consequences of which result in acts of violence, vandalism, hatred towards people who were not so long ago They were tolerant, but now they are hated only because they have been declared by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Outlawed? 17:42 Summing up the speech in the debate, lawyer Zhenkov: \"Of course, each of us has the right to have your point of view in relation to any religious denomination and religion in general. But no one has the right use the law to persecute dissidents. This persecution for faith can now be either stop by reversing the decision of the court of first instance, or ignite it if upheld. And let your Your conscience, dear judges, will tell you what is the right thing to do.\" 17:42 The representative of Toporov begins to speak in the debate.\nRepresentative Toporov: Is it possible to liquidate a legal entity in court in Russia without it? Participation? That is, without involving this person as a defendant? Is this fair? Lawfully? Court The court of first instance argues that it turns out that it is possible. That it's fair and perfectly legal. Not one, and 395 at once in one fell swoop. And what does the law say? And what does common sense say? And what does it say? Do you have a conscience? The law says that the liquidation of a legal entity in court is possible only if such a A person is brought to court as a defendant, since the very existence of this person is being decided. The law says: if the court has resolved this issue without involving the liquidated legal entity in the case, Such a decision shall be subject to unconditional cancellation. Why? It violates a fundamental right to a fair trial, to judicial protection.\n17:43 Representative Toporov: And what does common sense tell us? It's clear that if you're on trial, then you have the right to at least participate in this court, to defend yourself by all legal means. And otherwise it turns out like in the Russian folk proverb: \"Without me, I was married.\" Finally, what says Do you have a conscience? And conscience says that any court without the involvement of the one who is being judged and wanted liquidation, this is an unfair trial. Jesus Christ was judged and condemned by the Jewish Sanhedrin supreme court. It was an unfair trial. Illegal. But even he did not dare to judge Jesus without his involvement. And the court of first instance decided to do so.\n17:45 Representative Toporov: We have before us the decision of the court of first instance on the liquidation of the Administrative and 395 other legal entities – local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. But none of them of the local religious organizations was not involved in the case, did not speak in the case of any the defendant or the interested party. Are you familiar with such court decisions? I'm in my practice I haven't. Even associations that are not legal entities, in the event of a court decision on prohibiting their activities, the law obliges them to search for them at different addresses and to publish information about their activities. on the official websites of courts and government agencies. Why? To ensure such an association of citizens has the right to judicial protection. And we have 395 registered by the state Moreover, all of them filed official applications to the court to join the case. However all their statements, and then their appeals, in order to enter the case and defend themselves, to defend themselves their good name, to protect their right to exist, were rejected by the court of first instance with one \"Your rights are not affected\"! What is the meaning of this? Their rights are \"not affected\" but They have been liquidated by the court, recognized as extremist, their activities are prohibited, but \"the rights are not are affected.\" Where is the justice here? Legality? Conscience? Such a decision of the court is impossible to understand, not to accept. But this monstrous mistake can still be corrected. And you, dear court, can do it do today. 17:47 Representative of Toporov: Extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses continues to be extremism in the world paper drawn by extremism, virtual, contrived. At the same time, natural questions arise: Is there extremism without consequences? Could it be that someone is carrying out extremist activities? And there are no victims, no consequences? Can there be extremism in the form of inaction? Court of the first instance believes that it can. Russian legislation and common sense suggest the opposite. 17:48 Representative Toporov: You, dear court, are you, here and today, who can eliminate this injustice and dishonesty towards hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, reinstate them good name, strengthen the credibility of the Anti-Extremism Law by clearly showing the distinction between real extremists and extremists drawn on paper. We hope that the court will have enough the courage to do so and to make a fair and impartial decision, guided by the law and a gift from God, a human conscience. 17:50 Statement of Novakov's representative in the court debate. The representative focuses on the analysis the so-called \"new facts\" of extremist activity that allegedly took place during the year after a warning has been issued. These \"facts\" were clearly falsified. 17:54 The courts proceeded from the presumption of guilt of local religious organisations, Novakov said. For example, if There was a banned book in the houses of worship, and the courts ruled solely on the basis of assumptions that the book belongs to an organization. 17:58 In his speech, Novakov raises the question of whether the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses contains signs listed in the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\" extremism and calls for extremist actions? Does the Managerial Its goal is to carry out extremist activities? What is the purpose of the creed? Jehovah's Witnesses?\nNovakov shows that in the present case there is not only a subjective side extremist activity of the Administrative Center (intent, purpose), but not even objective parties (statements, motives, appeals, specific actions).\n18:03 Novakov: The plaintiff calls peace-loving citizens extremists. Hitler once swore to destroy Jehovah's Witnesses for refusing to show extremism, and the Ministry of Justice today asks to hang Jehovah's Witnesses are labeled extremists. At the same time, the accusations humiliate Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as how they are accused of lying. We have no reason not to trust members of local religious organizations organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses brought to administrative responsibility, which allege, that they did not disseminate extremist materials, but became victims of falsification. We Believe in the Witnesses Jehovah not only because they presented 100% proof of fraud, but also because they because they are highly moral people who live in accordance with the biblical commandment: \"In all things we want to behave honestly.\" Accusations of lying degrade the human dignity of Witnesses. The following events were carried out: psychophysiological research on Jehovah's Witnesses. Studies have established: Witnesses Jehovah speaks the truth, which is perfectly natural to them. 18:07 Novakov: From the arguments of the plaintiff, it follows that anyone, and this happens en masse, can come to places where Jehovah's Witnesses worship services are held in Russia, ask for or take literature from FSEM. But the surprising thing is that with such information, neither the FSB officers nor the CPE officers For some reason, they cannot provide documented evidence of such a transfer (at the audio and video media). There is no hidden audio and video footage that captures this, despite that the police were conducting an operational activity and could have made covert filming of the relevant facts if the They were. At the court hearing, it was found out that the administrative plaintiff had no evidence objective recording or other documented evidence of the transmission by the Witnesses Jehovah's literature from the FSEM, for example, on video. 18:09 Novakov: However, the Administrative Center is ready to provide a lot of documented and recorded evidence to the contrary. An Attack on Jehovah's Witnesses in the Form of Their Confession extremist religious associations are completely unfair. Therefore, we ask the court to make a decision A Fair Appellate Ruling in the Case: Preventing the \"Judicial Killing\" of the Right to Liberty conscience and religion for hundreds of thousands of believing citizens of Russia. 18:11 Omelchenko's lawyer makes the closing speech in the debate.\nLawyer Omelchenko: Dear court! Dear participants of the process! In speaking on this case, I He has repeatedly referred to authoritative sources of law. In support of my position, I pointed out that the requirements of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation violate the Basic Law of the Russian Federation and the provisions of the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations Rights.\n18:13 Lawyer Omelchenko: But I also want to draw attention to the existence of a law that is higher than this. In In democratic countries, this law is given a special place. So part of the modern legal doctrine of Anglo-American law for almost three hundred years is William Blackstone's postulate: \"This the law of nature, which is the same age as mankind and is dictated by God Himself, is unquestionable, surpasses all others in terms of obligation. It is obligatory everywhere on earth, in all countries and at all times: if human laws contradict it, they lose their force.\" In addition to the law There is also the \"law of revelation\" recorded in the Bible, the Law of God: \"On the These two pillars, the law of nature and the law of revelation, are the foundation of all human laws; that There is no way to let human laws contradict them.\" 18:14 Lawyer Omelchenko: On the need to obey the natural law, as history shows, can be forgotten by those in power in totalitarian states. For example, in the Nazi In Germany, many officials believed that they were simply following the law of their country. That's the kind of they took a position at the Nuremberg Trials. However, the tribunal proceeded from the common duty of each to obey the law of nature, the law of humanity, the law of conscience. This law is a fundamental source of international law. But because it was forgotten in Nazi Germany, he had to be reminded with the help of principles, the Nuremberg Principles. The first: \"Every person Whoever commits an act recognized as a crime under international law shall be liable to responsibility for it and is subject to punishment.\" The second: \"The fact that under domestic law there is no penalty for any act recognized under international law, does not relieve the perpetrator of the act from responsibility under international law. law.\" At the same time, principle VI refers to crimes against humanity as extermination and other inhumane acts committed against the civilian population or the persecution of the political or religious motives. 18:15 Lawyer Omelchenko: It is obvious that in the present process without recourse to natural law It is impossible to make a lawful and fair decision, because even the best laws need to be Apply correctly. First, as my colleagues have shown and with which the administrative plaintiff agrees, the persecution of religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is due to the fact that they are as true The teachings disseminate God's laws recorded in the Bible among the people of Russia. Earlier I showed that Such behavior is a simple exercise of the rights to freedom of religion, freedom of opinion, freedom of associations guaranteed by the articles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Convention and the International Covenant. But You will agree that from the standpoint of natural law it is unthinkable to justify the persecution of a person, propagandizing the need to live by the principle: \"Love your neighbor as yourself,\" even if He claims that he strongly disagrees with all those who do not believe this to be true. 18:16 Omelchenko's lawyer: Secondly, it is necessary to admit that the task of this legal proceeding is is not the final solution to the question of Jehovah's Witnesses, but like any other Administrative proceedings – protection of violated or disputed rights, freedoms and legal interests of citizens, rights and legitimate interests of organizations. The need to ensure the implementation of the right to a fair trial. But doesn't justice itself say that you can't? To liquidate religious associations without providing them with an effective means of protection? Isn't it Those believers who have suddenly been deprived of their seats should be allowed to speak out in their defense worship of God and the right to establish new religious organizations, although they have not violated any law And did nothing but good to their fellow-men? I am convinced that the esteemed court cannot agree that 395 local religious organizations were not even heard in court and were liquidated without them Participation. 18:18 Omelchenko's lawyer: Thirdly, the organization I represent before the court calls on the Honourable Court for Protection from Inhuman and Degrading Treatment, Discrimination and political repression. As a lawyer, I argued that such an appeal is inadmissible from the position of Constitution of the Russian Federation, Convention. But now is the time to understand that the administrative plaintiff is calling for committing inhuman acts against the civilian population of Jehovah's Witnesses, their persecution for political and religious reasons. And the most ardent detractors sincerely hope that after the entry into force of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, there are more Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia That is, they think that the believers of this peace-loving denomination will be exterminated. 18:19 Omelchenko's lawyer: Who can prevent the commission of this crime against Humanity? You, dear court. In view of the foregoing, I ask the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20 April 2017, to cancel in its entirety and to make a new decision in the case, which satisfied the the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation is to be dismissed. 18:20 In her concluding remarks, Kalin's representative thanks the court for its attention and asks for a fair decision. 18:21 The floor was given to Borisova, the plaintiff's representative, to speak in the debate. 18:22 Borisova: the offense \"is of a dangerous, systematic, deliberate and gross nature.\" 18:24 Borisova quotes from the state strategy for countering extremism. Asks to refuse satisfaction of the appeal, and the decision of the first instance to leave unchanged. 18:27 The court retires to the deliberation room to make a final decision. 18:40 Journalists - representatives of central TV channels - begin to work in the hall. Mounted on tripods about 10 TV cameras. 19:10 On July 17, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia missed the last chance to restore law and justice for 175,000 Russian citizens professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Less than an hour of meeting it took a panel of three Supreme Court justices to uphold the decision, adopted earlier by Judge Yuriy Ivanenko, on the liquidation and prohibition of all registered organizations of this religion.\nSince there are no more effective domestic remedies, believers will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights and other international organizations.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-07-17T00:00:00Z","duration":null,"image":{"svg":"/img/news/verdict.svg"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/193.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","liquidation","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Report: Supreme Court Hears Appeal Banning Jehovah's Witnesses Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On Monday, July 17, 2017, a hearing will be held on the appeal of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" against the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017. This decision affected all 175,000 followers of this religion in Russia, as all their 396 registered organizations in Russia were liquidated with a single stroke of the pen, and their activities were banned. In addition, the court ordered the confiscation of the property of all these religious organizations. As a result, in addition to the complaint from the Administrative Center, a total of hundreds of appeals were filed against this decision from the remaining 395 liquidated local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses and from hundreds of individuals whose rights were directly affected by the court decision.\nThe hearing will begin at 11:00 a.m. ","category":"org","date":"2017-07-10T15:51:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/189/supremecourt-02_1_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/189.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","buildings-seizure","complaints"],"title":"Announcement: On July 17, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court may overturn the decision against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"An 18-year-old believer, Abel Lukin from the city of Shumerlya (Chuvashia), was sent to the Strategic Missile Forces (!) by the draft commission. The official protocol of the draft commission provides the motivation:\n\"In connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 on the liquidation of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, recognizing it as extremist and prohibiting its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation, refuse to grant the right to replace military service by conscription with alternative civilian service. Article 22 - to call for military service. Assigned to the Strategic Missile Forces. Enroll in team No. 50. The results of the voting: \"for\" - unanimously\" (Protocol No. 3 of the meeting of the draft commission of Shumerl dated 05/12/2017). \"Obviously, the Russian state itself does not believe that Jehovah's Witnesses are 'extremists'! - says Yaroslav Sivulsky from the European Association of Christian Jehovah's Witnesses.- Otherwise, would the \"extremist\" have been sent to serve in the Strategic Missile Forces?! At the same time, all members of the commission voted unanimously.\nThe believer is trying to challenge the decision of the draft board through the courts.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-07-06T22:08:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/186/alternativka3273_0_hu_d5ae0faede9473.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/186/alternativka3273_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/186/alternativka3273_0_hu_430695208dcaa58f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/186/alternativka3273_0_hu_2d905c70ac6f2a2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/186.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["asc"],"title":"Denial of a Believer's Right to Replace Military Service with Alternative Civilian Service","type":"news"},{"body":"Despite persistent attempts by the prosecutor's office to recognize the two peaceful believers as \"extremists,\" the court acquitted them again with the right to rehabilitation.\nOn June 21, 2017, the Sergiev Posad City Court announced the verdict that acquitted Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak, Jehovah's Witnesses from Sergiev Posad (Moscow Region), who had been subjected to unfair criminal prosecution for 4 years. Earlier, on March 4, 2016, the court had already found these believers innocent, but at the request of the prosecutor's office, the criminal case was re-examined by another judge. Wanting to justify the long-term illegal persecution of believers, the prosecutor's office again appealed against the second acquittal!\nJehovah's Witnesses are far from any manifestations of extremism, they consider the persecution of believers on far-fetched charges to be repression.\n","category":"victory","date":"2017-07-04T16:42:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/07/185/stepanov_sivak1_0_hu_463c4505d01b907d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/07/185/stepanov_sivak1_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/07/185/stepanov_sivak1_0_hu_b2de2d6a387fc576.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/07/185/stepanov_sivak1_0_hu_796b0451b3f002a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/07/185.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","retrial"],"title":"The court acquitted the elders of Sergiev Posad, rejecting the unfounded claims of the prosecutor's office","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 21, 2017, the Court of Appeal found justified the most severe measure of restraint for a peaceful meek man, Dennis Christensen, who had already spent 4 weeks in the Oryol pre-trial detention center just for reading the Bible with his brothers and sisters in faith. Hearing the court's ruling, many of those present in the hall could not hold back their tears.\nFSB investigators are investigating Dennis, charging him with \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\" Insisting on the most severe measure of restraint, law enforcement officers inaccurately informed the court that Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, was allegedly the head of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Orel. In fact, he was never not only a leader, but also a member of this organization. Lawyers continue to work actively to prove the complete innocence of the believer.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-06-21T18:54:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/183/p10201952282_1_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/183.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"title":"Oryol Regional Court Left Innocent Believer in Custody","type":"news"},{"body":"Pogroms, arson, acts of violence and vandalism, confiscation of personal belongings, insult to the religious feelings of believers in the most heinous form, illegal arrests - all this is becoming an everyday reality in modern Russia. This was made possible only by the incitement of religious intolerance in society, which has intensified many times after the recent decision of the Supreme Court.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-06-20T22:22:23+03:00","duration":"9:12","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/182/vandalism_1_hu_f675ec6431f79dec.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/182/vandalism_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/182/vandalism_1_hu_12ecab308259263f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/182/vandalism_1_hu_c8589201c8bb5625.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/182.html","regions":["oryol","udmurtia","moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","hatred-attacks","violent-raid","arson"],"title":"Video: A wave of sectarian violence has swept the country","type":"video"},{"body":"In Crimea, the draft board demanded that a recruit who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses provide a document confirming the renunciation of his faith and conversion to another faith.\nOn June 9, 2017, the believer, once again visiting the local military commissariat, received an offer to perform alternative civilian service (ACS). He agreed, adding that this is what he has been trying to achieve for a long time. But then he was told that the right to pass the ACS would be granted only on condition of renunciation of his religious views.\nIn two summonses, the recruit was required to appear at the military registration and enlistment office \"to provide documents on the change of faith.\" The believer was not explained which faith he should convert, as well as where to get such documents, but added that in case of refusal, he would go to court.\nArticle 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees every citizen \"the right to profess ... any religion or no religion.\" Neither the Supreme Court nor any other court has ever restricted this right as applied to Jehovah's Witnesses, nor has it prohibited the views of Jehovah's Witnesses as criminal.\nArticle 59 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states: \"A citizen of the Russian Federation, if his beliefs or religion contradicts the performance of military service, as well as in other cases established by federal law, has the right to replace it with alternative civilian service.\" The law does not stipulate what kind of beliefs a recruit should have.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-06-16T11:25:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/181/peremena_very_hu_5ffb961ea768b58f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/181/peremena_very.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/181/peremena_very_hu_101be78eb4620737.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/181/peremena_very_hu_e0120859ac081071.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/181.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["asc"],"title":"The military registration and enlistment office requires conscripts to renounce their faith in writing","type":"news"},{"body":"The authorities of the city of Oryol awarded local Jehovah's Witnesses for their active participation in cleaning the city from garbage. Believers were pleased to receive gratitude from the city administration and a gift (book) with the signature: \"In gratitude for a good deed - garbage collection for the benefit of people and nature.\"\nSignature on a gift from the city administration\nJehovah's Witnesses, wherever they live, seek to benefit their neighbors not only by spreading Bible knowledge, but also by participating in various types of socially useful activities. The same is the civic position of Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol who took an active part in the cleanup. Standing knee-deep in the cold water of the Orlik River, he pulled garbage out of the river with a net. All work was carried out free of charge.\nCleaning of the territory in the city of Orel, 2011–2017 In view of this, it is especially paradoxical that Christensen has been languishing in a city pre-trial detention center for almost three weeks on falsified charges of organizing an extremist community. Believers are perplexed, because, according to the city authorities, it is this community that benefits the city. Garbage collection turned out to be the last good deed of Dennis, which he managed to do while free.\nIt is noteworthy that the representative of the Oryol administration sympathized with Jehovah's Witnesses in connection with religious persecution in the country and wished them not to lose their fortitude.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2017-06-14T15:04:32+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_2a3c1940e2112dba.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_4d1db111accf3020.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/180/20131026_img_4896_2_hu_d49d3382de2ae049.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/180.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["gratitude","sizo"],"title":"Dennis Christensen, who is languishing in a pre-trial detention center, and his fellow believers received gratitude from local authorities","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, the Oryol Regional Court was to consider the appeal of one of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Danish citizen, Dennis Christensen, against the decision on 2-month detention. This measure of restraint was chosen for him by the Sovetsky District Court of Orel on May 26, 2017.\nThe regional court postponed the hearing due to the fact that it was not possible to find an interpreter from Danish for the accused. The date of the new meeting has not yet been announced.\nOn June 10, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported that the Oryol Regional Court had allegedly upheld the lower court's decision to detain Christensen. This information is not true, since the hearing did not take place.\nDennis Christensen was arrested on May 25, 2017, while studying the Bible together with fellow believers. This meek, peaceful man faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-06-13T18:07:23+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/179/p10201952282_0_0_hu_3b2d1c776abcdaa8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/179/p10201952282_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/179/p10201952282_0_0_hu_99c99282050e6ba1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/179/p10201952282_0_0_hu_14db854e931b6a2d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/179.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"The Oryol Regional Court postponed the hearing in the case of Dennis Christensen","type":"news"},{"body":"The Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses organizations caused a flood of violations of the rights of individual believers, despite the fact that the court did not consider the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor did it resolve the issue of the rights of individuals.\nOn April 26, 2017, in Mineralnye Vody (Stavropol Territory), the head of the company's security service suggested that one of Jehovah's Witnesses working at the enterprise resign of his own free will. Otherwise, he was promised to make life unbearable. In an informal conversation, one of the leaders confirmed that this requirement is related to religion.\nOn April 28, 2017, in Krasnodar, two women working in the regional clinical hospital refused the requirement to wear St. George ribbons on their robe. They were summoned to the head, who, referring to the order of the head physician, threatened them with dismissal. The women tried unsuccessfully to explain their decision. Since they refused to sign a letter of resignation of their own free will, they lowered their rate (with loss of pay) and at the same time increased the amount of work by 1.5 times. As they were told, this was done so that they themselves would quit.\nOn May 15, 2017, in the city of Novokubansk (Krasnodar Territory), the director of a preschool institution summoned an employee and demanded that she write a letter of resignation \"of her own free will,\" explaining her demand by the fact that the woman professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believer recalled that in two years she has established herself as a conscientious and responsible employee who gets along with the team and children and to whom there is no complaint from the authorities. Referring to the decision of the Supreme Court, the director said that the woman could no longer work in this institution. The believer experienced a strong emotional shock in connection with the dismissal.\nEarlier it was reported about cases of pressure on workplaces in the Perm Territory, Smolensk region, Tatarstan and Crimea. The Supreme Court decision also increased pressure on children of Jehovah's Witnesses in schools. In one case, a schoolgirl is even threatened with transfer to another form of education.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-06-08T12:27:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/178/img_81152284_0_hu_6967a1a79700f063.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/178/img_81152284_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/178/img_81152284_0_hu_b5a5bd499020f8f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/178/img_81152284_0_hu_510b0944044a11d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/178.html","regions":["crimea","krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["work-restrictions","minors"],"title":"In southern Russia, believers are being forced to resign due to the Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 15, 2017, at 2:30 p.m., the Prokhladnensky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria will begin consideration on the merits of the criminal case against local resident Arkadi Hakobyan, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The hearing will begin with the public prosecutor outlining the merits of the charges. In the following days, a large number of witnesses declared by the prosecution and defense will be questioned, the accused will also testify and the case materials will be examined.\nAccording to the prosecution, the believer made a speech in which the dignity of persons of other religions was allegedly humiliated. The charges were brought under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Earlier, Arkadya Hakobyan appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring to justice those who gave knowingly false testimony on which the charges were based.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-06-07T23:21:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/177/gavel3845_1_hu_5c558753bfa22046.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/177/gavel3845_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/177/gavel3845_1_hu_aa5e8194921d9bd7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/177/gavel3845_1_hu_5e365c883efcfa9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/177.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"On June 15, the Prokhladnensky court will begin a hearing against a local Jehovah's Witness","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 31, 2017, at a meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, the President of the country presented Valeriy and Tatyana Novik, Jehovah's Witnesses from Karelia, with the Order of Parental Glory. The award ceremony was also attended by six of Novikov's eight children.\nThe order is awarded to parents with many children who set an example in strengthening the institution of the family and raising children, form a socially responsible family, lead a healthy lifestyle, ensure the full and harmonious development of the personality of children, a high level of care for their health, education, physical, spiritual and moral development.\nIn response, speaking about the spiritual and moral development of children, Valery Novik quoted a text from the Bible, which serves as a guide for him as a parent: \"Guide the boy to the right path; he will not shy away from it, even when he is old\" (Proverbs 22:6).\n","category":"opinions","date":"2017-06-06T06:20:22+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/176/novik_hu_fd1a40a2f93cd200.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/176/novik.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/176/novik_hu_b3171f3f26c85725.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/176/novik_hu_1225a18b2d2981c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/176.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disabled","gratitude"],"title":"A family of Jehovah's Witnesses received the order from the hands of the head of state","type":"news"},{"body":"The Supreme Court's decision to liquidate the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not even entered into force yet, caused a flood of violations of the rights of individual believers. At the same time, it is believed that the court did not consider the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, nor did it resolve the issue of the rights of individuals. Nevertheless, there are reports from all over the country that the management of institutions, especially budgetary ones, initiates the dismissal of employees professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn April 3, 2017, in the village of Ilyinsky (Perm Territory), a believer, an employee of the district administration, was invited to a conversation with her supervisor, during which she was informed that she, as a municipal employee, had no right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Despite the fact that there are no complaints against the woman regarding the performance of official duties, she was threatened with dismissal with the inability to work in the public sector in the future.\nOn May 1, 2017, in Smolensk, a woman who works in a cleaning company serving the Federal State Registration Service received a call from a manager and said that another employee would take her place, and she was fired. When asked about the reason, the manager said that this was an order from the management: at work they knew that she professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. As a result, a woman raising a child alone was left without a job.\nOn May 4, 2017, in Yelabuga (Tatarstan), a believer who works for a large energy company was summoned to the police. The woman was stunned to learn that she had received a denunciation in which, with reference to her religion, she was baselessly attributed the intention to use her official position to \"carry out terrorist attacks\". As a result, the company's security officers demanded that the believer either renounce her religious beliefs or resign.\nOn May 10, 2017, in the city of Bakhchisarai (Crimea), a woman, an employee of Rospotrebnadzor, was summoned to the prosecutor's office in connection with her religion. The woman refused to give the names of her fellow believers, as a result, she was threatened with dismissal.\nOn May 16, 2017, it became known that in the Smolensk region, a large city-forming enterprise, at the direction of the FSB, intends to dismiss all Jehovah's Witnesses working on it. Believers are offered to leave \"of their own free will\", otherwise they are threatened with dismissal under the article. In a conversation with one of the believers, the factory management reported that two FSB officers came to them, who told their superiors that \"extremists\" could not work at the plant, despite the fact that these employees were very valuable. The believer refused to be dismissed of his own free will.\nThe Supreme Court's decision also sparked a wave of vandalism against citizens who practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The incidents occurred in St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Penza, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Tula regions, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Komi and Udmurtia.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-06-05T10:49:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/175/img_81152284_hu_6967a1a79700f063.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/175/img_81152284.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/175/img_81152284_hu_b5a5bd499020f8f0.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/175/img_81152284_hu_510b0944044a11d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/175.html","regions":["perm","smolensk","tatarstan","crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Believers Forced to Quit Their Businesses in Connection with the Supreme Court Decision Against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 7, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., the Oryol Regional Court will consider an appeal against the decision to detain local Jehovah's Witness, Dennis Christensen, a Danish citizen, for 2 months. He was arrested on May 25, 2017 while reading the Bible with fellow believers. He, a peace-loving and respected person, faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of organizing an extremist community.\nAn appeal against the decision of the District Court to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention was filed on May 29, 2017. On May 30, the Danish consul met with Christensen in the Oryol pre-trial detention center.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-06-02T10:26:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_69e455a6d550e673.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_1ab9259c202e965d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/174/p10201952282_0_hu_7219e561eae74ff4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/174.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"title":"The complaint about the detention of a believer will be considered on June 7, 2017","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 17, 2017, a hearing is scheduled on appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 on the liquidation of the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\". The complaint was filed on May 19, 2017 by the Administrative Center. In addition, complaints were sent from all 395 liquidated local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court's decision also affected the rights of individual citizens, so at least 400 appeals were sent to the court on behalf of individuals.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-06-01T23:02:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_9d349f06d9109ec6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_5b35ea7f35091eae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/06/173/supremecourt-031777_1_hu_4a7abee263f39599.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/06/173.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mro","administrative-center","liquidation","supreme-court","complaints","appeal"],"title":"A review of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding Jehovah's Witnesses is scheduled for July 17, 2017","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 29, 2017, an appeal was filed with the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Oryol Regional Court against the court's decision to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention against a local resident, a foreign citizen Dennis Christensen.\nThe believer's lawyer considers the decision illegal and asks for it to be canceled. The court was obliged to indicate why a milder measure could not be chosen, but this was not done. As the only justification for choosing the most severe measure of restraint, the court indicated the fact that Christensen is a Danish citizen (according to the court, he can hide from the investigating authorities). The court rejected other unfounded arguments of the investigator about the need to detain the accused.\nIn addition, the court made such a harsh decision only on the basis of his religion, despite the fact that he has no previous convictions, has a permanent place of residence and work, where he is characterized positively, and also despite the fact that his behavior is fundamentally different from the behavior of those who seek to incite enmity, hatred and humiliation of human dignity. This means that the court discriminated on the basis of nationality and attitude to religion.\nExtremism, or incitement to hatred, is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses because they follow the philanthropic precepts of Jesus Christ. They deny all accusations of extremism as grossly wrong.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-05-31T00:15:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_d8d96bbbcc2f3e4a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_d2278bfcbc96df87.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/172/p10201952282_hu_b3bf0996023ab705.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/172.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"title":"A Complaint Filed in Oryol Against a Court Order to Detain One of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 17, 2017, E. Mikhalevskaya, the director of the school in the village of Tomilino (Moscow region), in the presence of the school psychologist and the head of security, officially handed over to the parents of an 8-year-old student a document in which, with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court against Jehovah's Witnesses, she notified of the ban on \"all actions that are not related to the educational process\" on the school grounds. \"If we find a violation of this prohibition,\" warns the director, \" we will be forced to report the violation to the police, to the Department of Education, and raise the issue of transferring the student to another form of education.\" In response to questions from parents, the director made it clear that she knew about the religion of the family. The girl sang songs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also talked about God with a classmate.\nAfter the decision of the Supreme Court , this is not the first case of pressure on schoolchildren, incidents took place in Bashkortostan, Rostov and Kirov regions. According to the legislation in force in Russia, parents have a preferential right to the education and upbringing of their children over all other persons. The Family Code imposes the duty of caring for the \"spiritual and moral development of their children\" on parents.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-05-29T16:47:51+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/171/170517_uvedomlenie_o_zaprete_v_shkole22793_hu_40e7e054c9751e99.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/171/170517_uvedomlenie_o_zaprete_v_shkole22793.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/171/170517_uvedomlenie_o_zaprete_v_shkole22793_hu_1bdb6e5bdb6e9bf4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/171/170517_uvedomlenie_o_zaprete_v_shkole22793_hu_734780dcac61386d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/171.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors"],"title":"In connection with the decision of the Supreme Court, the schoolgirl faces transfer to another form of education","type":"news"},{"body":"Respected in the circle of fellow believers, 44-year-old Dane Dennis Christensen was sent to the pre-trial detention center of the city of Orel for 2 months. He is charged with continuing the activities of an organization that was banned for extremism (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He was arrested on May 25, 2017, during a joint Bible reading conducted by local Jehovah's Witnesses in a building on Zheleznodorozhnaya Street.\nOn the evening of May 25, at 7:30 p.m., the street near the building belonging to one of the believers began to fill with cars and buses with armed masked men - riot policemen. Under the direction of an FSB investigator, the group entered the building and blocked believers who were forbidden to touch phones and tablets. Document checks, searches and interrogations continued until the morning. Searches were conducted in a number of believers' homes.\nOn Friday, May 26, 2017, Judge Svetlana Naumova decided to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 months against Dennis Christensen. Dennis's wife, Irina Christensen, as well as lawyers, intend to use all possible legal remedies. The Consulate of the Kingdom of Denmark was notified of the incident.\n","category":"restriction","date":"2017-05-27T09:42:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_da9eda5e08e3620e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_71a30e5395414a1a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/170/dennis_cristensen3385_hu_724006e3888c17a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/170.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["sizo","282","search","interrogation"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Danish citizen, was arrested in the Oryol region for two months ","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 24, 2017 in the village. Zheshart (Komi Republic) set fire to the house in which worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses were held. The porch and half of the roof burned down. The building suffered significant damage. The remains of a Molotov cocktail were found.\nAbout 50 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses live in the village. They are shocked by what happened. The action continued a wave of vandalism following the Supreme Court's decision against Jehovah's Witnesses. Incidents also occurred in St. Petersburg, Voronezh, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Penza, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Tula regions, Krasnoyarsk Krai, and the Republic of Udmurtia.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-26T17:44:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/169/170524_zheshart_podzhog3383_hu_217af44bed1e69d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/169/170524_zheshart_podzhog3383.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/169/170524_zheshart_podzhog3383_hu_f4ceeacbd0089a74.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/169/170524_zheshart_podzhog3383_hu_e7f77a73e7130a6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/169.html","regions":["komi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","arson"],"title":"Arson of the building of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Komi Republic","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 25, 2017, in the city of Oryol, at least 15 armed men, including FSB officers, entered the house where local Jehovah's Witnesses were located. Law enforcement officers reported that a criminal case had been opened under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (continuation of the activities of an organization that was banned for extremism). One of the believers was arrested. The passport data of all those present were rewritten, explanatory notes were taken, tablets were seized. The men were taken to the FSB building, where some of them were held until the next morning. Searches were conducted in several homes of believers.\nIt is known that a criminal case was initiated against at least one of the believers, Dennis Christensen, a foreign citizen. He was arrested and held in the FSB building.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2017-05-26T17:43:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/168/police-033384_hu_b95076d94ad70556.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/168/police-033384.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/168/police-033384_hu_eb33a8e7112a6cdf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/168/police-033384_hu_1463b4b2c0b5310d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/168.html","regions":["oryol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","new-case"],"title":"In the Oryol Region, Searches, Arrest and a Criminal Case Under the Article Extremism Against Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of May 20, 2017, in Izhevsk, a man entered the building on Krasnoposelskaya Street, where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held, through a broken window. Inside, he destroyed furniture, a false ceiling, interior doors, audio and video equipment with a heavy metal object, tore out metal electrical panels, and activated fire extinguishers. Thanks to a security alert, local believers arrived at the building, with their help, the man was detained by the police. Investigative actions are being carried out. The man explained his barbaric actions by a negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Supreme Court's decision sparked a wave of such aggressive, intimidating actions against Jehovah's Witnesses. Incidents also occurred in St. Petersburg, in the Voronezh, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Penza, Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Tula regions, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory .\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-24T17:49:11+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/167/izhevsk-top3278_hu_d60750e1298a383b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/167/izhevsk-top3278.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/167/izhevsk-top3278_hu_510d8cc331774202.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/167/izhevsk-top3278_hu_ae098bac2a216be7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/167.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","violent-raid","hatred-attacks"],"title":"Pogrom in the building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Udmurtia","type":"news"},{"body":"Within the prescribed 30-day period, an appeal was filed against the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia of April 20, 2017 to liquidate all registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The full text of the complaint is published below.\nThe filing of a complaint means that, although the decision terminated the activities of registered organizations, it has not entered into legal force and is subject to review in the appellate instance - a panel consisting of three judges of the Supreme Court. An appeal hearing date has not yet been set.\nTo the Board of Appeals\nof the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation\n121260, Moscow, Povarskaya str., 15 of the administrative defendant: Religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\"\n197739, St. Petersburg, Solnechnoye village, Srednyaya str., 6 Administrative plaintiff: Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation\n119991, Moscow, Zhitnaya str., 14 Administrative case: AKPI17-238 APPEAL\non the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017.\nin the administrative case AKPI17-238\nThe decision of the court that is being appealed\nBy its decision of 20.04.2017 in the administrative case AKPI17-238 (hereinafter referred to as the \"Decision\"), the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation granted the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, liquidated the Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" (hereinafter referred to as the Religious Organization) and its local religious organizations and turned the property of the liquidated religious organization remaining after the satisfaction of creditors' claims into the ownership of the Russian Federation. Requirements of the person filing the appeal and the grounds for\nby which it considers the court's decision to be incorrect\nThe administrative defendant claims for the complete cancellation of the court decision and the adoption of a new decision in the case to refuse to satisfy the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, since there are the following grounds on which he considers the court decision to be incorrect:- The decision is based on the presumption of guilt of Jehovah's Witnesses in carrying out extremist activities, and not on a comprehensive, complete, objective and direct study of the evidence available in the administrative case and without proper verification of information about the facts on the basis of which it was necessary to establish the presence or absence of circumstances substantiating the claims and objections of the persons participating in the case, as well as other circumstances relevant to the proper consideration and resolution of an administrative case;\n- The decision liquidated independent legal entities registered by authorized federal bodies of state power in the form of religious organizations, in the activities of which there are no facts of extremism in general, and those with the presence of which the federal law associates the possibility of their liquidation;\n- The decision violated the rights and legitimate interests of the administrative plaintiff, as well as individuals and legal entities of the Christian religion of Jehovah's Witnesses who were not involved in the case;\n- The decision does not comply with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, generally recognized principles and norms of international law and international treaties of the Russian Federation.\nThe wrongness of the decision is so obvious that even sincere opponents of Jehovah's Witnesses admit it. Thus, on 25.04.2017, the official website of the Sobesednik Publishing House (https://sobesednik.ru/obshchestvo/20170425-andrey-kuraev-zapret-svideteley-iegovy-podryvaet-doverie-k-s) published an interview with Protodeacon Andrei Kuraev \"The Ban on Jehovah's Witnesses Undermines Confidence in the Court.\" In it, A. Kuraev stated: \"Accusing them of extremism is ridiculous ... Accuse pacifists, radical non-resisting Tolstoyans of extremism! ... The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation seriously compromised itself with this decision. The belief that the Russian judicial system, even at the highest level, can be trusted, has been undermined. In this case, I am not a defender of Jehovah's Witnesses ... I defend common sense and just stability in our society. Politically speaking, this decision of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation destabilizes the situation in the country, it rocks the boat, presents the authorities in an evil and unpredictable form and thereby creates unnecessary distrust and apprehension in society. Facts testifying to the incorrectness of the Decision\nI. Having incorrectly determined the circumstances relevant to the administrative case (paragraph 1 of part 2 of Article 310 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation), the court excluded from the scope of judicial review the circumstances of the use of political repression that violated Article 18 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, taken together with Articles 9 and 6 of the Convention\nIn making the contested decision, the court of first instance proceeded from the fact that the proclamation of a religious association as extremist is carried out regardless of the characteristics, reputation, as well as other qualities of the relevant association that do not prevent its liquidation when signs of extremism are established in its activities. At the same time, the court pointed out that such facts regarding the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as a whole were established by court decisions in civil, administrative cases, and decisions of judges in cases of administrative legal relations that entered into legal force. ","category":"org","date":"2017-05-22T12:42:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/166/supremecourt-031777_0_hu_9d349f06d9109ec6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/166/supremecourt-031777_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/166/supremecourt-031777_0_hu_5b35ea7f35091eae.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/166/supremecourt-031777_0_hu_4a7abee263f39599.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/166.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","complaints","supreme-court","liquidation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Appeal Supreme Court Decision","type":"news"},{"body":"Appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia of April 20, 2017 to liquidate all registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2017-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/226.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["complaints","liquidation"],"title":"Appeal against the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"docs"},{"body":"On May 16, 2017, the city court of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) began consideration of the case on charges of Arkadi Hakobyan of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Preliminary hearings on the case were held in a closed session. The public prosecutor requested time to prepare his case. At his request, the hearing was postponed until May 31, 2017 at 10:00.\nAccording to the prosecution, the believer made a speech in which the dignity of persons of other religions was allegedly humiliated. He is also charged with distributing religious literature among his fellow believers. Arkadya Hakobyan had previously appealed to the Investigative Committee of Russia with a request to bring to justice those who gave knowingly false testimony on which the charges were based. However, his criminal complaint has not yet been properly vetted.\nMeanwhile, a similar case is being considered in the Sergiev Posad City Court against two Christian elders of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The next hearing is scheduled for June 2, 2017.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-05-18T13:20:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/165/gavel3845_0_hu_5c558753bfa22046.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/165/gavel3845_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/165/gavel3845_0_hu_aa5e8194921d9bd7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/165/gavel3845_0_hu_5e365c883efcfa9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/165.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"Criminal Proceedings Under the Article \"Extremism\" Against a Jehovah's Witness Began in Kabardino-Balkaria","type":"news"},{"body":"A 26-minute speech by a lawyer in a debate at a historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The most dangerous form of extremism is a wave of persecution of believers just because they worship God,\" Novakov said.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-16T17:45:33+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_83f28f3bd3956a06.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_e83ba20e6d4a0e22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/164/novakov_hu_73f8c68143513b7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/164.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["audio","supreme-court","courtroom","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Audio: Maxim Novakov's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Late in the evening of May 6, 2017, unknown persons drove a car to a residential building on the street of the Ministry of Railways in the village. Novokhopersky (Voronezh region) and broke glass in the apartment of a local resident who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The action was accompanied by shouts, the meaning of which the woman did not hear.\nIn addition, on the night of May 14, 2017 in Yekaterinburg, on the porch of the building where the services of Jehovah's Witnesses were held, unknown persons applied an offensive inscription.\nThe decision of the Supreme Court against the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, issued on April 20, 2017 and which did not enter into force, caused a wave of aggressive actions against the followers of this religion. Incidents also occurred in St. Petersburg, in the Kaliningrad, Moscow, Penza, Rostov, Tula regions, and the Krasnoyarsk Territory .\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-15T14:18:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/163/170506_vandalizm3274_hu_82fb23b57dd289a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/163/170506_vandalizm3274.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/163/170506_vandalizm3274_hu_77ee8ee59c014178.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/163/170506_vandalizm3274_hu_d7f4d38254c749b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/163.html","regions":["voronezh","sverdlovsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism"],"title":"New cases of vandalism against Jehovah's Witnesses: Voronezh and Sverdlovsk regions","type":"news"},{"body":"Another case of violation of the right to alternative civilian service (ACS) occurred in Chuvashia. On May 12, 2017, in the city of Sumerlya, the draft commission denied 18-year-old Abel Lukin, whose convictions contradict military service, the constitutional right to ACS. One of the members of the draft board, referring to the decision of the Supreme Court against the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, told the young man: \"You can keep your beliefs to yourself, and your faith.\"\nAbel was issued a summons to appear on May 22, 2017 to be sent for military service. He intends to appeal the decision of the draft board.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-05-15T12:13:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/162/alternativka3273_hu_3e9f701b02101abe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/162/alternativka3273.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/162/alternativka3273_hu_c0f03ba4637dca75.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/162/alternativka3273_hu_5f6c5f623cc59346.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/162.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["asc"],"title":"The right to ACS continues to be taken away from believers with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"Against the backdrop of the lawsuit against Jehovah's Witnesses organizations, some children raised in accordance with biblical morality began to experience unprecedented pressure from teachers and police officers.\nOn March 28, 2017, in Ufa (Bashkortostan), district police officer A. Rozhkin came to the house of a large family and, finding his eldest son, asked for a written explanation regarding their religion. When the mother and her daughters arrived, the policeman demanded an explanation as to why the woman \"involves minors in extremist activities\" (which is not true). The woman refused to give explanations, and the eldest daughter began to record the words of the policeman on a mobile phone camera. In the future, the police continued to put pressure on the family.\nOn April 17, 2017, in one of the schools of the Rodionovo-Nesvetaysky district of the Rostov region, the class teacher summoned a 14-year-old girl from the lesson to the principal's office, having previously seized her phone. In the office, the district police officer A. Yunyaev, as well as a man in civilian clothes, began to tell the girl that her mother was forcing her to go to a \"terrorist organization\" in which \"they are robbed\" and \"taught to kill people.\" Officials brought the child to tears by intimidating the child, insulting her feelings, and falsely claiming that Jehovah's Witnesses would \"wrap her around and send her to blow up the school.\" They encouraged the girl to \"show my mother my self and not go to meetings.\" \"If you want, read the Bible at home and don't go anywhere,\" they said, \"just read our Bible, from church.\"\nOn April 24, 2017, in a school in the Pizhansky district of the Kirov region, two 6th grade students, sisters from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, refused to sing a song in a music lesson, the lyrics of which glorify hostilities and murder (which contradicts the religious beliefs of the family). Although the teacher knows the views of this family, she in a raised voice expelled the children from the class to look for another song, which brought them to tears. In front of the whole class, the teacher told the girls: \"You are now banned and already tired of your religion.\" Later, in a conversation with the girls' mother, the teacher said: \"You are now extremists and there will be no concessions.\" Nevertheless, the family managed to arrange the performance of a song about nature, which does not contradict their views. The teacher lowered the grade \"for an off-topic song.\"\nAccording to the legislation in force in Russia, parents have a preferential right to the education and upbringing of their children over all other persons. It is on parents that the Family Code imposes the duty of caring for the \"spiritual and moral development of their children.\"\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-05-15T12:08:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/161/2703272_hu_a48852af6ea030d5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/161/2703272.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/161/2703272_hu_740ea65b8c9867e1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/161/2703272_hu_53365bd1db49c964.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/161.html","regions":["bashkortostan","rostov","kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["minors"],"title":"After the Supreme Court decision, pressure on the children of Jehovah's Witnesses increased in schools","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 6, 2017, a meeting of the draft commission was held at the military commissariat of Zelenodolsk (Tatarstan) in the case of an 18-year-old follower of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, Damir Galeev, whose beliefs contradict military service. A member of the draft commission, A. Tygin (the mayor of the city), began to convince other members of the commission of the need to deny the believer his constitutional right to replace military service with alternative civilian service (ACS) on the grounds that the young man was an \"extremist.\" In response to the believer's remark that the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on the liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations, the mayor asked him to come back in 3 weeks and find out if he would be sent \"to the troops or to prison.\" The believer intends to appeal the decision of the draft board to the court, but he is unable to obtain a copy of this decision.\nOn April 28, 2017, in the village of Kugesi (Chuvashia), the draft commission for the Cheboksary and Marposad districts, chaired by V. Nikolaev, denied 18-year-old Jehovah's Witness Yevgeny Vladimirov the constitutional right to ACS. Military service is contrary to his beliefs. In his file there was a certificate from a religious organization stating that he was baptized in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses at a conscious age. Members of the commission said that this certificate \"confirms that the recruit is an extremist.\" The young man was promised that his case would be transferred to the FSB for verification. The believer intends to appeal the decision of the draft commission to the court.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2017-05-11T13:48:16+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/160/alternativka3111_hu_3e9f701b02101abe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/160/alternativka3111.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/160/alternativka3111_hu_c0f03ba4637dca75.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/160/alternativka3111_hu_5f6c5f623cc59346.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/160.html","regions":["tatarstan","chuvashia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["asc"],"title":"The Constitutional Right to Alternative Service Is Taken Away From Young People After the Supreme Court's Decision to Liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses Organizations","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 5, 2017, in the city of Novomoskovsk (Tula Region), unknown persons entered the courtyard of the building where Jehovah's Witnesses used to hold services and put a threatening inscription on the door.\nActions against Jehovah's Witnesses dictated by religious intolerance became more frequent after the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia on April 20, 2017 to liquidate registered organizations of this religion.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-09T15:44:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/159/novomoskovsk_vandalizm3107_hu_5b48e6d4c3a2ea01.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/159/novomoskovsk_vandalizm3107.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/159/novomoskovsk_vandalizm3107_hu_4edd6bd7d51d1d58.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/159/novomoskovsk_vandalizm3107_hu_606cdda02c7f8965.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/159.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism"],"title":"Manifestation of religiously motivated vandalism in the Tula region","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 30, 2017, another act of vandalism was committed against followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the village of Lutsino, Moscow Region, a local resident who had previously spoken negatively against the religion threw a Molotov cocktail into the house where a family of Jehovah's Witnesses lived while intoxicated. The resulting fire destroyed two houses and cars of believers.\nThe culprit of the arson was detained in hot pursuit.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-08T17:38:57+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/158/0_1_hu_f90a387eb0d07e0b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/158/0_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/158/0_1_hu_7d2b72adcff378f4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/158/0_1_hu_4b1297bb1c362ef0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/158.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","arson"],"title":"A house inhabited by Jehovah's Witnesses in the Moscow region","type":"news"},{"body":"On the night of April 22, 2017, in the city of Gukovo (Rostov Region), unknown persons damaged a household where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. They broke the mailbox, threw mud at the front door and dented the fence.\nOn the night of April 30, 2017, in Achinsk (Krasnoyarsk region), one of the local residents, aggressively opposed to Jehovah's Witnesses, broke a window in the house where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. The next day, the believers asked him to stop such hooligan actions. However, the local resident reacted aggressively and said that he would not stop doing what he was doing.\nOn the night of April 30, 2017, in Penza, unknown intruders entered the territory of the house where Jehovah's Witnesses worship were held. They broke down the gate and hung it on an arch above the place where it was installed.\nOn the night of May 2, 2017, in Kaliningrad, unknown assailants smashed a window with a stone in the house where a family of Jehovah's Witnesses lives. At that time, a relative of the believers was in the house. When the glass was broken, he was in shock for several minutes. Believers report that he has always had peaceful, good-neighborly relations in the district. The only reason for the incident, he believes, is hatred caused by the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses and incited in the media.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-05-05T16:53:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_c72c0c3ccc67348a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_53eb6a0262b25026.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/157/vandalizm2_hu_7d4b0bbf21189602.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/157.html","regions":["rostov","krasnoyarsk","penza","kaliningrad"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","hatred-attacks","administrative-center"],"title":"Four New Cases of Vandalism After the Supreme Court Decision Against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"4-minute speech by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in the debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Madness and a crime against his own people,\" he called the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-04T15:56:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_46dadee8b9bd6e25.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_9d6f26830868bc2c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/155/kalin_hu_1d348682203ef6ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/155.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["audio","supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Audio: Vasily Kalin's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On May 3 and 4, 2017, the Sergiev Posad City Court is scheduled to continue hearing the criminal case against Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak from the local Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe believers are accused of \"extremist activities.\" The recordings of their Bible-based peaceful sermons were sent for research to an \"expert\" who was not qualified but known for his ability to look for \"signs of extremism\" in Jehovah's Witnesses publications. In court, the believers asked to appoint a new examination to an authoritative expert institution. The court sent the records to the Federal Budgetary Institution \"Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation\".\nIn this case, there are no victims, no offenses have been committed, the instigators of which would be these believers. They became victims of criminal prosecution only because of their religion.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-05-03T17:08:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/154/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_0_hu_bc3a07fbb74c487e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/154/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/154/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_0_hu_e6a4579ee3fd6643.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/154/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_0_hu_328666e3a1c0a401.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/154.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"title":"Criminal proceedings against elders of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses continue in Sergiev Posad","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2017, Sergey Cherepanov of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia made a 13-minute comment during the court debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-05-02T13:39:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_a128b7107dc069b7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_f6f6d94b3c948046.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/153/cherepanov_hu_dd93c447f70c39b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/153.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation","audio","administrative-center","mro","supreme-court","courtroom"],"title":"Audio: Sergey Cherepanov's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"It took the Russian Supreme Court six days to rule on the Justice Ministry's lawsuit to liquidate and ban all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia.\n\"When the judge rejected one petition after another, it seemed that everything, the issue was already a foregone conclusion,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky, a member of the steering committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The lawyers filed various petitions for admission to participate in the case of representatives of local organizations, for the involvement of experts, for the study of various documents, but the judge's words sounded again and again in the courtroom: \"The court, having listened to the opinion of the persons participating in the case, determined: to refuse to satisfy the petition.\"\nYaroslav Sivulsky: \"In general, about seventeen petitions were rejected and only one was granted by the court. We did not see any evidence in favor of the Justice Department's claim. To clarifying questions, a representative of the Ministry of Justice often said: \"I don't know,\" \"I don't know.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between the court and the representative of the Ministry of Justice (from the transcript of the trial). Judge Ivanenko: \"You were preparing for the trial...\" - \"Yes.\" - \"Surely you know what kind of threat we are talking about?\" - \"Now I find it difficult to answer.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between lawyer Zhenkov and a representative of the Ministry of Justice. Zhenkov: \"Tell me, are there any cases of violations of public order by Jehovah's Witnesses under the influence of the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses read? Do you have such facts?\" - \"No, I do not have such facts.\"\nFragment of the dialogue between the lawyer Omelchenko and the representative of the Ministry of Justice. Omelchenko: \"Please name which local religious organization spent what amount and on what type of extremist activity\" - \"We do not check local religious organizations.\" - \"That is, you do not have such information?\" - \"No.\"\n8 witnesses were questioned in court, including 4 witnesses from the plaintiff's side. \"They failed to cite a single fact confirming the extremist activities of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky.\nUnder the sights of dozens of cameras, Judge Yuriy Ivanenko announced the verdict: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation decided to satisfy the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation ...\" And on the same day, unknown persons threw stones at the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg. A similar development of events was predicted during the pleadings by the representative of the defendant, Maxim Novakov: \"From this status of 'extremists' will follow the widespread use of violence against Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe decision of the Supreme Court, which caused a wide international outcry, will be appealed.\n","category":"overview","date":"2017-05-01T17:08:24+03:00","duration":"3:17","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_9d67c8ae7ae4d932.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_891f148a822e175b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_70aeee307af5dae5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/152.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","liquidation","mro","administrative-center","supreme-court","courtroom","review"],"title":"Video: Review of the trial to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"video"},{"body":"A few hours after the Supreme Court of Russia announced the decision to liquidate the center of Jehovah's Witnesses, late in the evening of April 20, 2017, a group of men drove up in 2 cars to the largest worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg, located on Kolomyazhsky Prospekt. They blocked the exit from the building with cars. One of the visitors, shouting insults to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and threats of physical violence, threw the façade of the building, including glass doors and windows, with pre-prepared cobblestones. The liturgical building suffered significant damage.\nSuch a development of events was predicted by the lawyers who spoke in court. Earlier in the day, speaking in the debate, Maksim Novakov, representing the Jehovah's Witnesses Center, predicted that the trial could provoke a wave of violence against the Witnesses, ranging from damage to property to attacks on believers motivated by religious hatred. These are the inevitable consequences of the fact that peaceful people are unreasonably considered dangerous criminals.\n","category":"crime","date":"2017-04-25T12:46:58+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_6278eccc146a8285.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_3b50bb42f4e5a86b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/150/vandalism_hu_144e8831c8248551.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/150.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism","violent-raid","administrative-center"],"title":"The Supreme Court's decision provoked a harsh act of religious intolerance in St. Petersburg","type":"news"},{"body":"The date of April 20, 2017 has a chance to go down in history as a black day for fundamental human freedoms in Russia. Today, the Supreme Court decided to liquidate the centralized religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as all 395 local religious organizations of this religion. From a historical perspective, this decision may lead to the most unfortunate consequences both for believers of different faiths and for Russia's image on the world stage. The situation can be saved by the cancellation of this decision in the appellate instance - a panel consisting of three judges of the Supreme Court.\nThe believers have already begun to prepare an appeal, which is to be considered within a month.\nMeanwhile, concern about the actions of the Ministry of Justice, as well as the decision of the court of first instance, is expressed by numerous organizations both inside and outside Russia. \"This lawsuit poses a threat not only to Jehovah's Witnesses, but also to individual freedom in the Russian Federation as a whole,\" said the UN specialrapporteurs working under the mandate received from the UN Human Rights Council, \"We call on the authorities, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, to end the judicial process and to review the legislation on combating extremism and its implementation.\"\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-20T18:56:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_3fbc793b61b358a0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_400d6c2106404be9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/149/judge_ivanenko_hu_54de28c8ebd1625b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/149.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"The Supreme Court decided to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses. They are preparing an appeal","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 20, 2017, at 14:00, the hearing continues. The process has entered its final stage, the debate of the parties is expected. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-20T11:57:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_b535638ef86efd51.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_fec8a7d53f51dc39.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/148/img_1893-1_hu_2509f7f01b0adf3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/148.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","defense-arguments","courtroom"],"title":"The sixth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2017, in Strasbourg (France), at the 1283rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers (the body monitoring the implementation of ECHR decisions), the issue of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was raised in the light of the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. A statement was made by the Delegation of the European Union.\nThe European Union called on the Russian authorities to ensure the peaceful enjoyment by Jehovah's Witnesses of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the right to freedom of assembly and association without further interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Russian authorities need to comply with international agreements, including the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as international human rights standards.\nStrasbourg, 05/04/2017. Unique ID: 170407_38\n1283rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers\nStatement of the European Union on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\nThe March 15 filing by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation with the Supreme Court is the latest tough action taken against Jehovah's Witnesses and a further intensification of the violation of their rights and prosecution to which they are subjected in Russia, which contravenes international standards on freedom of religion or belief.\nThis decision may lead to the liquidation of the Administrative Center and all local representative offices of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the confiscation of their property. In the meantime, the Ministry labeled the Administrative Center as \"extremist\" and imposed a ban on all legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country. This is a very negative development that could lead to criminal proceedings against Jehovah's Witnesses simply for practicing their religion.\nThe European Union shares the concerns of the UN Human Rights Committee about a number of reports indicating that the Federal Law on Countering Extremist Activity is increasingly being used in the Russian Federation to restrict freedom of religion aimed, inter alia, at Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Russian authorities should ensure that Jehovah's Witnesses peacefully enjoy the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and the right to freedom of assembly and association without further interference, as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The Russian authorities must comply with international agreements, inter alia the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as international human rights standards.\nThe European Union continues to promote freedom of religion or belief as a right to be exercised by all and everywhere, based on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and universality. Under international human rights law, the exercise of freedom of religion or belief in community with others includes (but is not limited to): legal personality and non-interference in internal affairs, including the right to establish and maintain accessible places of worship or assembly, the freedom to choose and train leaders, and the right to engage in social, cultural, educational and charitable activities.\n","category":"rights","date":"2017-04-20T11:50:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_cb29fc7dbd8e0ea3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_291a6f295660ee4e.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_46eff594a4b96cb3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/147/702013119_univ_lsr_xl2999_hu_5dbe1e1d36348543.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/147.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","echr","mro","administrative-center","unhrc"],"title":"The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe heard a report on the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"A 26-minute speech by a lawyer in a debate at a historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"The most dangerous form of extremism is a wave of persecution of believers just because they worship God,\" Novakov said.\n","date":"2017-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/238.html","regions":[],"tags":["audio","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Maksim Novakov's speech before the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in the case of liquidation of all Jehovah's Witnesses organizations","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 20, 2017, Sergey Cherepanov of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia made a 13-minute comment during the court debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2017-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/240.html","regions":[],"tags":["audio","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Sergey Cherepanov's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"docs"},{"body":"4-minute speech by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in the debate at the historic trial to ban Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Madness and a crime against his own people,\" he called the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice.\n","date":"2017-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/239.html","regions":[],"tags":["audio","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Vasily Kalin's speech before the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 19, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., the hearing continues. The court will have to study the materials of the case. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-19T08:56:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_2af9e2c177b4377d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_5a9bfe964ecd0bc4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/146/img_2045-1_1_hu_cd079d01929c14f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/146.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"The fifth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"\"Jehovah's Witnesses in France are citizens like everyone else. There is no reason to think otherwise. Some of their beliefs are unique to them. But these beliefs do not contradict the values of the French Republic and do not conflict with the teachings of other religions that exist in France. I would like to emphasize that France has always been a multi-confessional country, and even more so today. We are a secular state, and it is not always easy for foreign countries to understand this. That is, we proceed from the fact that everyone is free to believe what he wants, and the state does not interfere in religious matters. Therefore, we can coexist peacefully. The government does not impose its ideology, and religions, in turn, do not dominate each other. That is why, I think and hope, Jehovah's Witnesses can practice their faith in an acceptable way without disturbing public order. But so far they have never been seen in such violations.\nI believe that a democratic society should clearly define what it means to violate public order, to harm the common interest. A democratic country can blame and condemn someone in clear terms. Extremism is an obscure concept. Each of us will always be an \"extremist\" for someone. There is political diversity in France, and views can range from the extreme left to the extreme right. Does this mean that people who hold opposing views are extremists who violate public order? Absolutely not. Public order is violated by someone who causes damage to property or people, for example, in public places. We all know what it looks like. But the concept of \"extremism\" does not make any sense to me if it does not include specific actions that can be qualified as extremism. For this reason, if they try to bring Jehovah's Witnesses under this law, then the concept of \"extremism\" is not applicable in this case. Perhaps the law on extremism is a way to convey to religious groups, whether Jehovah's Witnesses or someone else, that they must obey this law without clarifying concepts and any clarifications. In this case, in practice, this means that the fight is not against extremism, but against religion itself. Consequently, the principle underlying international human rights instruments — the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms — is violated. Both documents contain an article that clearly defines freedom of conscience and religion. According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, freedom of conscience and religion is unconditional. The European Convention on Human Rights states that such freedom may be restricted if public order is affected. A Russian judge should take into account that if the fact of violation of public order is not proven, then Jehovah's Witnesses are persecuted for completely different reasons - they are persecuted as a religion. In this case, we ignore the fundamental freedom enshrined in the most important international laws. I would like you to persuade the Supreme Court, which is obliged to decide on the case, to carefully weigh two conditions: on the one hand, the fact of violation of public order, and on the other hand, freedom of religion is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away without serious consequences.\nJean-Marie Delarue, member of the French Council of State, former director of civil liberties at the French Ministry of the Interior.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-04-18T13:43:09+03:00","duration":"4:37","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/145/photo_delarue_0_hu_6a802309b3f4b75c.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/145/photo_delarue_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/145/photo_delarue_0_hu_e6293b4cc25e6916.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/145/photo_delarue_0_hu_ecf11ceed2c8b349.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/145.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","international-community","human-rights-defenders","expert-comments","eu"],"title":"Jean-Marie Delarue: \"In practice, this means that the fight is not against extremism, but against religion itself\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"First of all, I must say that I do not belong to Jehovah's Witnesses, so I do not know the details of their doctrine. But on duty, I had the opportunity to work and get to know some of their responsible persons in Spain. We have a great relationship. My impression of the Witnesses is that they are very kind people who never create difficulties in cooperation.\nThe only \"extremist activity\" I have seen from Jehovah's Witnesses is their extreme kindness and politeness. In Spain, their legal status was established many years ago, they are recognized as a well-known religion. This gave them great legal powers. For example, now they have the right to register marriages. In other words, the state has a lot of trust in this religious group. And, of course, as far as I know, in our country there have never been any occasions for lawsuits, complaints or accusations against this group because of any of its activities that could be considered extremist or illegal.\n[Russia should take into account] the norms of international law, as well as the rulings of courts, primarily the European Court of Human Rights in cases of freedom of religion, including Jehovah's Witnesses, especially in Russia. For example, the rulings in the case of Kuznetsov in 2007 and Krupko in 2014, as well as in the case of 2010 on the illegal denial of the right of Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses to have a registered community. In its decision, the European Court emphasized at least two principles that should serve as a guide when deciding in such cases imposing a ban on religious activity.\nFirst of all, the state must be neutral and impartial in relation to religious beliefs. And secondly, and most importantly, citizens as a group professing their faith in community with others must be guaranteed that the State will not illegally and arbitrarily interfere with their activities. In other words, the right to separate the state from religion, that is, from views or their expression. This implies autonomy for religious associations, freedom from interference by the state in internal organization and activities.\nI think that the reaction should be the same as we are already seeing in some forums. A statement was issued by the International Helsinki Group, an organization affiliated with the OSCE, which considers the application of anti-extremist legislation (and it was not intended to apply to religious organizations as such) as arbitrary. The dangers associated with the overly broad application of this law may lead to the fact that it will be applied to any creed that for some reason is considered extremist. In fact, in 2010, when the European Court of Human Rights expressed its opinion in the case of the Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses community, it had already considered the arguments that led to the ban of this organization to be arbitrary and baseless. And now they again intend to go beyond the law, to misuse the law. Therefore, international organizations and democratic states must respond to protect the right to freedom of religion of all citizens, in this case, citizens of Russia.\"\nMercedes Murillo Muñoz is a professor of ecclesiastical law at the University of King Juan Carlos (Spain).\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-04-18T13:36:58+03:00","duration":"5:17","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/144/photo_mercedes_murillo_hu_9c2a9241628e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/144/photo_mercedes_murillo.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/144/photo_mercedes_murillo_hu_dbcffafed24b90b8.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/144/photo_mercedes_murillo_hu_8dc402127078e71e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/144.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","international-community","video"],"title":"Mercedes Murillo Muñoz: \"Our state has a lot of confidence in this religious group\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"In Spain, they [Jehovah's Witnesses] have been registered in the Register of Religious Organizations of the Ministry of Justice since 1970.\nFrom that day until now, this denomination encourages its members to live in harmony with their faith and views, which include obedience to the law, respect for the rights of others and cooperation with the authorities. Therefore, I do not consider them dangerous in any way. In fact, it's quite the opposite.\nFrom my professional point of view, they exercise their rights, or try to do it without going beyond the legal framework, and go to the courts when they believe that their rights have been violated.\nReligious freedom is a part of social well-being, the right of citizens, one and all, to adhere to certain religious views, to hold worship services, to profess or not to profess a particular religion. I believe that the peaceful exercise of this right actively and passively contributes to the social well-being of citizens and society as a whole. Thus, restricting religious freedom will have a negative impact on a society that thrives only when everyone's rights are respected.\nI believe that this is unacceptable, because the activities of this denomination in our country over the past more than 40 years have not led to anything that could be called extremism. The activities of this denomination, as well as others, are carried out by believers who, professing their religion, are guided by a personal conscience. By trying to share their faith with others, they remain within the framework of religious freedom.\nIn our country, they have never participated in activities that can be described as extremist, and their religious views have nothing to do with extremism — if by this term we mean propaganda of violence and enmity. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses preach peace, and above all they apply their teachings in their lives. They try to exercise their legal rights, respecting the legitimate rights of others, peacefully and never resorting to violence.\"\nConsuelo Madrigal, lawyer, teacher, until 2016 Attorney General of Spain.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-04-17T21:33:08+03:00","duration":"2:34","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/143/photo_consuelo_madrigal_hu_cc18f6e94f11dfdb.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/143/photo_consuelo_madrigal.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/143/photo_consuelo_madrigal_hu_16da032b8507335a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/143/photo_consuelo_madrigal_hu_c3ca82bf2fe19138.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/143.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","video"],"title":"Consuelo Madrigal: \"I don't consider Jehovah's Witnesses dangerous in any way\"","type":"video"},{"body":"On April 12, 2017, at 10:00 a.m., the lawyers of the religious organization will continue to give their explanations, as well as answer questions from the court and a representative of the Ministry of Justice. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-12T09:39:03+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_a15ebd861d5ac0c6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_4af702e847880659.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/142/20170412_3_hu_2e943f1fb542e645.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/142.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","mro","administrative-center","liquidation","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"The fourth day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia on the claim of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"news"},{"body":"The text of the explanations made on April 7, 2017 at the Supreme Court of Russia by Vasily Kalin from the steering committee of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\".\nDear court! I am not a lawyer, so I will try to speak in simple words, simple expressions, so that it is clear to you, dear court, as well as to a respected representative of the Ministry of Justice.\nOn March 15, 2017, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation appealed to you with a request to recognize as extremist and liquidate all religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia at once. And there are many of them - this is one centralized organization and 395 local religious organizations throughout Russia. Is it legal? I don't think so. The Administrative Center does not agree with the statements of the Ministry of Justice, since it has not carried out extremist activities and is not currently carrying it out.\nOver the 26 years of the organization's official existence as a legal entity, the Administrative Center has never been held accountable for violating any provisions of the Federal Law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\", as well as the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\". If so, then I, the chairman of the governing body, have a question: if we were good for 26 years and did not commit crimes, then I wonder on what day we became extremists? What has the Administrative Center done that is being demanded to be liquidated? Personally, I did not find an answer to this question in the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice.\nThe Ministry of Justice claims that the lawsuit was filed in order to strengthen the rule of law and prevent violations of state and public security, protect human and civil rights and freedoms, as well as to counter extremist activities. Where are these grim facts? I do not argue that the fight against extremism is indeed an important and noble goal. But the fact is that by satisfying the claims of the Ministry of Justice, the state will achieve not the stated goals, but the exact opposite - violation of the rights of believers, trampling on their freedom and returning to the dark past. The supremacy of the law provided for in Article 4 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation will be violated, and significant harm will be caused to the legitimate rights, freedoms and interests of more than 175,000 citizens of the Russian Federation - men, women and children.\nIn addition, meeting the demands of the Ministry of Justice will further intensify the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses on religious grounds, which has already begun. In fact, the court's decision to liquidate all religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses will be interpreted by law enforcement officials as a nationwide ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in declaring their peaceful worship criminal. As a result, tens of thousands of believers will be illegally persecuted just for getting together, reading the Bible, and we have already gone through this.\nAlready now, even before the Supreme Court makes a decision on this case, on the basis of the order of the Ministry of Justice of Russia dated March 15, 2017, the activities of the Administrative Center have been suspended, the organization's bank accounts have been blocked, and therefore the Management Center is unable not only to continue normal economic activities, but also to pay the state fee. The administrative center has already been included by the Ministry of Justice in the list of terrorists and extremists and is put on a par with organizations such as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban movement, Aum Shinrikyo and many others.\nWe heard a representative of the Ministry of Justice, speaking without batting an eyelid, say that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, i.e. criminals, and this is in the lawsuit. The very fact that the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice was granted will be the embodiment of extremism, blatant injustice and a return to the times of the Soviet Union, when thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses were brutally persecuted, placed in the Gulag and exiled forever to Siberia just because they professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In modern history, no state of law has allowed itself such actions in relation to its people. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses legally operate in more than 240 countries and territories, including all countries in Europe, and have a worldwide reputation for respect, peace, and law-abiding people.\nDear court! You have the power and legal basis to make a decision in this administrative case that will show that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia on the basis of accusations of extremism must be stopped. There can be only one fair, honest and legal decision in this case - the refusal to satisfy the claim of the Ministry of Justice.\nJehovah's Witnesses were never extremists, and they are not today. Their beliefs contradict the manifestations of hatred, enmity and violence. These are peaceful, conscientious, respectable members of society and the state who follow the biblical commandments: to make prayers, petitions and supplications, thanksgiving for all people, for kings, for all rulers, so that we may lead a quiet, serene life, in all piety and purity. This is a quote from the Bible, the apostle Paul's letter to Timothy, chapter 2, verses 1-2. Also in the Bible, in the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans, chapter 13, verse 1, it is said that every soul should be subject to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God. This means that Jehovah's Witnesses, in obeying this biblical instruction, show deep respect for authority and show respect and love for people. They are not extremists.\nThe history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia goes back more than 100 years. And during this time, there has not been a single case when Jehovah's Witnesses called for violence, overthrowing the government, or otherwise threatening the security of the state. On the contrary, Jehovah's Witnesses, both in the past and now, often receive praise from the state for their good deeds for the benefit of society. Representatives of the authorities presented their religious associations with written letters and gratitude, there are many of them here, and something was provided in court.\nThe Christian doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is based solely on the Bible and does not contain the signs of extremism listed in the Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On Countering Extremist Activities\", and does not call for extremist actions. The basic creed notes that believers treat others as they would have them treated. This is a quote from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 12. And Jehovah's Witnesses have always adhered to and still adhere to the principles of peacefulness. And the spread of faith is due to the desire to do the will of God, which is also recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, verse 14, and the desire to help other people draw closer to God, to find hope for eternal life in paradise on earth. These documents were provided to the court.\nDuring the Soviet Union, when the state waged an irreconcilable struggle against dissent, Jehovah's Witnesses, along with believers of other faiths, were severely persecuted simply because they read the Bible, printed publications based on it, and professed their biblical views. In 1951, thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses, peaceful citizens of the USSR, were exiled forever to Siberia. All the property of believers, their houses, belongings, livestock were confiscated. Later, hundreds of believers were convicted on charges of anti-Soviet activities and served their sentences in the Gulag system. The question is: for what? Only because they professed the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and followed the biblical commandments.\nMy family and I also went through political repression for the same thing we are accused of today, but then we were rehabilitated. I was born on February 5, 1947 in Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk region. And on April 8, 1951, at the age of 4, together with our family - parents, grandmother, two older brothers and a sister - we were exiled to Siberia forever, to the Irkutsk region. We were transported in dirty freight cars for more than 20 days in inhuman conditions, in which cattle are usually transported. There were men, women, children, no toilet, no food, no conditions.\nOur exile to Siberia was connected with Stalin's decree and concerned people who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. My parents were Jehovah's Witnesses. But one thing that was interesting to me was that my parents, as well as any of Jehovah's Witnesses who were to be expelled at that time, could have avoided this fate. It was only a small thing to do - to renounce the faith, to sign a document of renunciation. Interestingly, if you are a criminal and therefore you are subject to severe punishment, it is unlikely that anyone will have such an opportunity. But this opportunity was given to Jehovah's Witnesses only because they were not criminals. Clearly, Jehovah's Witnesses also did not commit any crime at that time, but were persecuted.\nThe state simply did not like the position of these people, which was very different from the ideology of building a godless society, which was alien to people. The exiled Jehovah's Witnesses in Siberia also continued to study the Bible and tell others about what was written in it. Despite the further terror and persecution and slander against these innocent people, Jehovah's Witnesses did not lose their deep convictions, they did not become embittered, they did not rebel against their oppressors. They continued to be honest, highly moral, decent people, showing love and respect for all the people around them, regardless of their beliefs, nation and origin. Why? Because they held God's law very high to \"love your neighbor as yourself.\"\nToday, nothing has changed. Yes, my childhood was spent more in poverty, hunger, humiliation, ridicule, because I grew up as a child of enemies of the people. How would you react, dear court, if a five-year-old child asks for bread from his mother, and the mother turns away so that the child does not see her tears, and says: \"Son, be patient a little, we will soon have a lot of bread.\" And this kid who asked for a piece of bread... I thought for a long time, how much bread will we have? Probably a whole bun! That crying woman was my mother. That kid begging for a piece of bread was me.\nThe question arises: for what? Why were these people in such poverty? For what crime were these children deprived of the joy of their childhood, a simple piece of bread and a free life? And, of course, later, as a young man, it was very difficult for me to compare that reality with the humiliating propaganda of that time about a happy childhood given to us by a great country. And what about the lies that were generously showered on these innocent honest workers? During my school years, I sometimes felt like an outcast.\nThe judge asks to speak closer to the essence of the case.\nKalin: Dear court, I did not want to advertise my family and myself personally. I wanted to show by the example of the past that we are returning to the same thing today. Because today what is already happening, even the fact that the lawsuit has been filed with the Supreme Court to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses, we are already seeing a lot of what is happening today. Today, too, many people, or some people, are already prejudiced against Jehovah's Witnesses, there is already persecution and ridicule of schoolchildren at school, they are already collecting lists of Jehovah's Witnesses in some places, etc. Therefore, if today we follow the path that the Ministry of Justice offers us – to liquidate the Administrative Center, to liquidate all local religious organizations on the territory of Russia, the same thing will happen.\nI really liked the words of one official who told me: \"Vasily Mikhailovich, a legal entity can be liquidated, but faith is not.\" What does the Ministry of Justice think, having fulfilled their desire to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses, will we really abandon our actions, our faith? Never. But what will happen? Exactly what has already happened in Russia, such as the trial in Taganrog. People have already received official imprisonment, people have already been convicted, and their families have also suffered a lot of persecution. Therefore, looking at the whole situation that is happening today, of course, it is very unfortunate that we are returning to that state.\nFor me, for example, the question is so incomprehensible: I received a certificate as a victim of political repression. I was once a criminal, just like my parents. Then this charge was dropped from me. And what kind of certificate does the Department of Justice want to provide to these people, whom they call extremists? What deeds, what actions have Jehovah's Witnesses carried out, that they are equated with those who commit crimes today?\nTherefore, I believe that the lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice is brought back and demands that they be deprived of the right to jointly profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in God. Otherwise, we face harsh prison terms and possibly subsequent complaints. If during the Soviet years Jehovah's Witnesses were tried on the basis of a vague article of the Criminal Code on anti-Soviet activities, today the basis for prosecution (is) the same vague and vague article of anti-extremist legislation. However, as I have already said, Jehovah's Witnesses have never posed a threat to the state, either in the past or now, and they will not provide such a threat in the future.\nAddressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice, I want to remind you that the demand to liquidate the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia will outlaw those people who wish you and all citizens of Russia peace, happiness and love. I hope that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation will not allow the Ministry of Justice to bring back those shameful pages of history that I and many other Russians of my age had to go through. Therefore, I ask you to refuse the claim of the Ministry of Justice. Thank you very much.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-11T10:13:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_a12ff407b39df5a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_79e5f12bfa6152a7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/141/img_0611_2_hu_8dcd9527e949865a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/141.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","rosfinmonitoring","ussr","courtroom","deportation"],"title":"Vasily Kalin: \"I received a certificate of a victim of political repression. And what kind of certificate does the Ministry of Justice want to provide me today?\"","type":"news"},{"body":"From April 5 to April 7, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia held the first hearings on the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice, which demands that an entire religion be banned in Russia. A one-and-a-half-minute video.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-04-11T08:50:59+03:00","duration":"1:21","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/140/supreme_court_hu_46cf6c3870d0fc01.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/140/supreme_court.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/140/supreme_court_hu_bac3c4b267077574.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/140/supreme_court_hu_f0d153ac2fa15e00.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/140.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","supreme-court","liquidation"],"title":"Video: Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court. The first days of meetings","type":"video"},{"body":"The abstracts of the explanations made by Yuri Toporov, a representative of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, delivered at the Supreme Court of Russia on April 7, 2017, are published.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-10T18:54:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_4939285ad597e05a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_4e4f89da66e662b4.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_724c3c519fe55495.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/139/toporov_hu_27f375302bba76a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/139.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","human-rights-defenders","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Yuriy Toporov: \"Extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses Remains Extremism on Paper\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 10, 2017, at 2:30 p.m., the Sergiev Posad City Court continues hearings in the criminal case against Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak from the local Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThey are accused of \"extremist activities\", the \"proof\" of which are video recordings of their spiritual sermons. To find out whether these speeches contain \"signs of extremism\", the court appointed an examination at the Federal Budgetary Institution \"Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation\". The results of this examination have already been submitted to the court, in connection with which the continuation of the hearings is scheduled.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-04-10T12:00:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/138/stepanov_sivak1_hu_463c4505d01b907d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/138/stepanov_sivak1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/138/stepanov_sivak1_hu_b2de2d6a387fc576.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/138/stepanov_sivak1_hu_796b0451b3f002a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/138.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"Hearings on the criminal case of Sergiev Posad elders continue","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 7, 2017, the Supreme Court continues hearings on the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban the Administrative Center and all 395 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-07T11:57:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_81367c052f26f034.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_cb6ea06078045a9e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/136/img_09862_hu_25521826a51542e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/136.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["courtroom","supreme-court","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"The third day of hearings in the Supreme Court of Russia. Report from the courtroom","type":"news"},{"body":"The abstracts of the explanations made by Yuri Toporov, a representative of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, delivered at the Supreme Court of Russia on April 7, 2017, are published.\n","date":"2017-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/244.html","regions":[],"tags":["liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Yuriy Toporov's explanations in the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"docs"},{"body":"On April 6, 2017, the Russian Supreme Court continues hearings on the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban the Administrative Center and all 395 Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia. The hearing is scheduled to start at 14:00. A report from the courtroom is underway.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-06T14:14:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_3be676b71b0c3bd2.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_bb44251d25981ee1.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/133/img_0547_hu_a48ab6975893a79e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/133.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","administrative-center","mro","liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Second Day of Supreme Court Hearing on the Lawsuit to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Courtroom reporting is provided.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-05T10:59:59+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_42389295cf5d8582.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_17e17a88b4db3cbf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/129/2017040514_hu_6cedb7fde6b43cb0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/129.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","administrative-center","mro","liquidation"],"title":"Supreme Court Hearing to Ban Religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 5, 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia began hearings on the liquidation claim Jehovah's Witnesses. There is a text report from the\u0026nbsp;courtroom.\nApril 5, 2017 April 6, 2017 April 7, 2017 April 12, 2017 April 19, 2017 April 20, 2017 April 5, 2017 Collapse 10:58 The large, beautiful courtroom is crowded. More than 200 people attend, including numerous journalists, representatives of public organizations, foreign embassies. Hearing started at 10:30 a.m.\nJust under 250 people remained outside to await the results of the hearing. Povarskaya Street in Moscow is filled with cars with transmitting TV antennas. The events are filmed by numerous Camera. Police walkie-talkies periodically broadcast the messages \"Everything is calm, without incident.\" In Representatives of embassies and foreign organizations listen to the translation of the process in headphones.\nThe case is being heard by Judge Y. Ivanenko. On the defendant's side, \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", represent 6 people, including Vasiliy Kalin from the steering committee and attorneys. Representative Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation — Svetlana Borisova. The defendant's objections were attached to the case, together with annexes in 35 Volumes.\nThe court allowed photography and video recording only when the final act was announced. However, for audio recording There are no obstacles. About 40 media representatives are present in the hall, they occupy the first rows in the\u0026nbsp;hall.\n11:00 The court refused to accept the counterclaim to recognize the actions of the Ministry of Justice as political repressions. Judge considered the acceptance of the defence to the claim to be a sufficient measure of protection for the defendant. 11:15 Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses apply for permission to participate in the case of representatives of all 395 local religious organizations. Lawyer Zhenkov: \"If believers throughout Russia are deprived of their rights, let them They're going to hear it here in court.\" Local religious organizations, contrary to the logic of the Ministry of Justice, are not structural subdivisions of each other, but independent legal entities. 11:20 Omelchenko's lawyer gives an example: \"According to the logic of the Ministry of Justice, it turns out that it is necessary to pass a sentence: 'Shoot Ataman. And his whole platoon.'\" 11:25 The court refused to involve 395 local organizations in the case as co-defendants. 11:30 Jehovah's Witnesses asked the court to allow audio broadcasting of the court hearing. The court refused. 11:35 Lawyers for Jehovah's Witnesses are asking the court to postpone the hearing until it reaches a decision on another case in another case Court. We are talking about\u0026nbsp;an appeal in court orders of the Ministry of Justice on the suspension of the activities of organizations. 11:42 The Ministry of Justice objects because it believes that the Ministry of Justice had every right to suspend the Activities of organizations. 11:45 The court refused to postpone the hearing. 11:50 Omelchenko's lawyer petitions to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice without consideration. The plaintiff did not comply with the pre-trial settlement of claims against 395 Jehovah's Witnesses communities. Before you make a statement a lawsuit to liquidate 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, state authorities, According to the law, they had to issue official warnings to each of them and give them time to do so. correction. 11:55 The second reason for leaving this claim without consideration is that the Russian courts have already Similar cases of liquidation and recognition of 2 out of 395 local organizations are being considered Jehovah's Witnesses (in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Samara Region). 12:05 The court rejected the petition to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice without consideration. 12:10 Representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses ask to postpone the hearing for one week due to the fact that the Ministry of Justice sent a statement of claim to the defendant in a timely manner. It arrived by mail only on March 28, 2017. In addition, the Ministry of Justice did not provide the defendant with all the documents referred to in the statement of claim. 12:17 The Ministry of Justice does not object to the adjournment of the case. 12:19 The court refused to postpone the case. 12:20 Lawyer Zhenkov petitions for the suspension of the case due to the fact that a number of Russian courts have filed applications for consideration of court decisions that have entered into force on the basis of newly discovered circumstances. We are talking about on the revision of the cases on the liquidation of 8 local religious organizations (LROs) that have entered into force and on the introduction of 88 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses in the FSEM. The fact is that all those court decisions were made without the involvement of Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, since the Ministry of Justice insisted that the decisions of the courts in The rights of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" are not affected by the LRO. In the same case, The Ministry of Justice has changed its position and now all the accusations brought against the LRO are imputed to the Administrative Center. 12:30 The Ministry of Justice objects to the suspension, considering that the same lawyers participated in the cases involving the LRO, as in the case of the liquidation of the Administrative Center. 12:33 The court retired to the deliberation room. 13:50 The court left the deliberation room. The suspension of the case was denied. 13:55 Lawyer Zhenkov files a motion to involve specialists in the case, namely religious scholars and Linguists. Experts can clarify whether the texts that underpin the requirement are so dangerous The Ministry of Justice on the prohibition of an entire religion in Russia. 14:00 When asked by the judge whether the lawyers propose to arrange a \"revision\" of the decisions of the courts, which were the literature, is included in the FSEM, the lawyers explained that this information will be important for determining proportionality requirements of the Ministry of Justice. 14:04 A representative of the Ministry of Justice objects to the admission of specialists to the hearing. 14:05 The court refused to involve specialists in the hearing of the case. 14:06 Lawyer Zhenkov asks to involve 9 foreign legal entities in the case, representing religious associations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Europe. The reason is that the Ministry of Justice in In his lawsuit, he asks the court to confiscate real estate belonging to these organizations. 14:14 The court refused to involve foreign organizations in the case. 14:15 Omelchenko's lawyer files a motion to involve interested parties in the case eight Russian citizens who were rehabilitated as victims of political repression. These people are present in the hall. The lawyer convincingly argues that if the claim is satisfied, these people from the those rehabilitated will turn into \"extremists.\" 14:20 The Ministry of Justice believes that the court decides on the liquidation of legal entities, this does not apply to individual citizens. In his Lawyer Zhenkov recalled that the Soviet authorities were guided by such considerations, banning the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, however, the repression hit the people hard, as a result of which they were rehabilitated. 14:25 The court dismisses the petition. 14:30 Lawyers are petitioning for the interrogation of individual citizens, followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, who can testify to the measures taken by Jehovah's Witnesses to prevent extremist activity. 14:35 The Ministry of Justice does not object. The court satisfied. 14:40 Lawyers file a motion to interrogate as witnesses persons recognized as victims of political Repression. The Ministry of Justice objects. The court refuses. 14:43 The representative of Jehovah's Witnesses, M. Novakov, files a motion for the interrogation as witnesses of persons who were eyewitnesses to the falsification of evidence against believers in cases that the Ministry of Justice uses in claim as \"new evidence of an offence\". 14:45 To the judge's objection that these are decisions that have entered into force, Novakov explains that in this case, A prejudicial approach cannot be used in the case, since it is a question of different subjects of law. Court is obliged to examine the evidence directly. Novakov tells the court about the circumstances planting and perjury in a number of Russian cities. 15:00 The Ministry of Justice objected, arguing that this interrogation, in their opinion, was aimed at \"revising the decisions that have entered into force.\" The court refused to question witnesses of falsification of evidence against local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:05 Omelchenko's lawyer petitions for the requisition from the courts of the publications that were recognized \"extremist\" and which formed the basis of this lawsuit to ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Attorney Stresses that this is necessary in order to examine whether these statements are sufficiently dangerous, to significantly restrict the right to freedom of 300,000 Russian citizens on this basis Religion. He drew attention to the legal requirement that there should be restrictions are justified and proportionate to the constitutionally significant objectives. 15:15 Omelchenko gives examples of statements in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses that caused these publications were recognized as extremist. 15:16 Omelchenko explains that the court should investigate whether the statements in the said statement are so dangerous. that they would justify restricting the rights of hundreds of thousands of citizens. 15:20 The Ministry of Justice objects. The court refuses to demand literature recognized as extremist. 15:21 The right to file motions passes to the administrative plaintiff. A representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to attach to the There are several judicial acts in the case that were not attached to the statement of claim. The Office, not having them on the hands, hastened to refer to them in its lawsuit. And only now, having received them, does he ask to attach them to the case. 15:25 The defendant objects. The court, having deliberated on the spot, grants the request of the Ministry of Justice. 15:28 The court adjourned until April 6, 2017 at 14:00.\nApril 6, 2017 Back to top Collapse 12:00 The weather in Moscow is warm and sunny. A large queue of people formed near the entrance to the court. Television journalists are working. There is a calm and friendly atmosphere among those present. Increased security measures are noticeable. There is a bus with police officers right at the entrance. A thorough inspection is carried out at the entrance. No liquids are allowed inside the building. The staff of the Supreme Court who organize the hearings carry out their work in a professional and coordinated manner. Despite the large number of listeners, there are no glitches.\n14:30 The hearing began with a motion by the defendants to stay the hearing due to the fact that private cases had been filed complaints about yesterday's refusals of the court to satisfy most of the 17 petitions filed. Hearing should be suspended pending a decision on these complaints. 14:33 The Ministry of Justice objects to the suspension of the hearings. The court retires to the deliberation room. 14:37 The court denies the motion to stay the hearing.\nOmelchenko's lawyer requests that materials that may testify to the political motives for the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. We are talking about documents of foreign organizations, such as the UN, the OSCE, official statements of human rights organizations, as well as archival Documents.\n14:40 The court decided to grant the request to admit these materials.\nThe court reports on the merits of the case and gives the floor to the Ministry of Justice.\n14:45 The representative of the Ministry of Justice Borisov proceeds to present the arguments justifying the need to ban all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It lists the decisions of the courts against the local religious organizations (LROs) of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:12 In conclusion, the representative of the Ministry of Justice asks the court to liquidate all organizations of Witnesses Jehovah, remove them from the register of legal entities and ban their activities. Asks to be confiscated property and make the court decision immediately enforceable (i.e., do not wait for the entry into the of the decision into legal force).\nThe judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice a counter-question: why does the Ministry of Justice ask at the same time liquidate legal entities and prohibit their activities. The judge is perplexed: how can it be forbidden that no longer exists. He asked whether the Ministry of Justice was demanding that all unregistered groups be banned. The representative of the Ministry of Justice explains that he is not asking to ban them, because Jehovah's Witnesses do not provided the agency with information about unregistered groups.\n15:16 A new clarifying question of the judge: on what grounds does the Ministry of Justice apply a prejudicial approach to Administrative center, if the center was not involved in the affairs. Prejudice is applicable in the case of decisions that have entered into force (i.e. the court relies on them as an already established fact) only in against the same subjects of law. Accordingly, the court decisions issued in respect of LROs did not may have prejudicial effect against a centralized organization. 15:17 A representative of the Ministry of Justice argues that the Administrative Center was aware of these court cases, and the lawyers of the Center were present at them. 15:20 The Ministry of Justice in its lawsuit asserts the need to liquidate religious organizations due to the fact that Organizations, in their opinion, violate the rights of citizens. The court asks Borisova's representative the next question Clarifying question: what rights of citizens are being violated? Borisova reports that this is the right to receive medical treatment. According to them, organizations prevent citizens from receiving medical treatment. In In response to the hum in the courtroom, the judge asks those present to restrain their emotions. 15:24 The judge asks if the Ministry of Justice has evidence of their claim about medical treatment. The Ministry of Justice does not I am ready to provide them. The judge is perplexed again, because the Ministry of Justice has recently conducted a large-scale inspection Jehovah's Witnesses and, if there were such facts, they should have been identified. 15:25 The judge asks the Ministry of Justice to clarify their assertion that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses pose a threat public safety. The Ministry of Justice speaks of a threat to an indefinite circle of people. 15:30 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice if they ask to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, Will believers gathered for prayer be threatened with criminal prosecution? The Ministry of Justice: \"Yes, if the court will find them guilty of violating Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\" 15:34 A judge asks a representative of the Ministry of Justice about the Ministry of Justice's Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) Russia. The court is interested in the question: is the Ministry of Justice revising this list? The representative of the Ministry of Justice is uncertain informs the court that this list may be revised from time to time. 15:39 The judge gives the defendants the opportunity to ask questions to the Ministry of Justice. 15:40 Lawyer Zhenkov first of all asks the court to refuse to accept a copy of the court's decision, which takes a few minutes The Ministry of Justice presented it to the court. The court's decision describes a case in which some parents brought Sick Child's Hospital. Doctors diagnosed low hemoglobin levels and suggested treatment medicines or transfusion of donor blood. Parents preferred medications, However, the hospital appealed to the court to give it carte blanche to use the donor Blood. The decision also mentions that there was no threat to life, it was about planned treatment. Attorney draws attention to the fact that the court's decision does not mention any of the organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 15:50 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice: if there is no mention of Jehovah's Witnesses, then what is the relationship The document is relevant to the case. 15:53 The judge postpones the decision to admit the document. 15:54 Lawyer Zhenkov begins to ask questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The first question is whether the Ministry of Justice has information about any offenses committed under the influence of the literature of the Witnesses Jehovah, which is included in the FSEM. The response of the representative of the ministry: \"No, we do not have such information.\" 15:57 Lawyer Zhenkov clarifies with the representative of the Ministry of Justice whether the defendant correctly understands that the claims of the Ministry of Justice are reduced to three points: 1) importation of extremist literature, 2) financing of LROs, 3) non-acceptance effective measures to prevent extremist activity. The Ministry of Justice confirms that this is true understanding, however, to this should be added 4) \"the threat of violation of human and civil rights\". 16:00 Lawyers have tried unsuccessfully to find out what kind of human rights violations are meant.\nZhenkov tries to clarify the point \"failure to take effective measures to prevent extremist activities.\" He asked whether the Ministry of Justice was aware of the timely letters sent by the Centre Jehovah's Witnesses to all LROs, on the inclusion of certain materials in the FSEM? The Ministry of Justice is aware. Next Question: What does the ministry think would be an effective measure? The Ministry of Justice does not know the exact answer to the this question. The lawyer asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice whether there is such a criterion for extremist activity as inaction? It is obvious to everyone that there is no such criterion.\n16:10 Zhenkov asks whether the Ministry of Justice is aware that materials recognized as extremist make up 0.1% of the total literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Ministry of Justice does not know. Does the Ministry of Justice know that the Rostov Regional Court, who recognized 34 publications of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, at the same time refused to recognize extremist dozens of others? 16:19 Zhenkov clarifies whether the Ministry of Justice is aware that literature has not been imported into Russia for two years. To the Ministry of Justice, this is Known. Then a natural question arises, why exactly in 2017 the Ministry of Justice raised the issue of Eliminate. The Ministry of Justice cannot provide facts confirming that during the last 12 months The Administrative Center distributed \"extremist\" literature. 16:13 The Ministry of Justice reports that the FSEM does not indicate the date of inclusion of materials in this list. 16:24 The judge asks the representative of the ministry whether it is possible to make claims against a religious organization, and Also customs for the fact that materials were imported into the country that will be recognized as extremist in the future? How to know in advance that this or that material will be included in the FSEM. Representative of the Ministry of Justice: no way, only contact the FSEM. 16:30 The defendant's representative, Yuriy Toporov, is trying to find out what the Ministry of Justice means by the concept of \"structural\" a division of the worldwide organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" What is a \"world organization\"? It's some kind of A legal entity? The Ministry of Justice believes that no, we are talking about a certain canonical concept. What is \"structural\" subdivision\"? Is it a legal concept? No, it's more of a canonical connection. Another question: in the In what sense, then, does the Ministry of Justice use this term in relation to LROs, saying that they are \"structural subdivisions of the Administrative Center\"? Canonical or legal? Representative The Ministry of Justice believes that this is identical. 16:37 Toporov is trying to find out whether the law on extremism can issue a warning to the \"structural unit\" without the organization itself. The Ministry of Justice is forced to admit that there should be a warning carried out throughout the organization. 16:40 Toporov's legitimate question: if the warning was issued to a local religious organization and did not to the Administrative Center, how then can this local organization be \"structural\" subdivision of the center? Nohow. 16:42 The Ministry of Justice now believes that issuing a warning to a \"structural unit\" is not prohibited by law, but So, the prosecutor's office could have done it. What is not forbidden is allowed. The judge asks the representative Ministry, whether at least any notifications were sent to the religious organization at that time (To the Administrative Center)? There is no record that such notices have been sent. 16:46 Toporov's new question to the Ministry of Justice. Does the law on countering extremism provide for the possibility of Liquidate a \"structural unit\" without liquidating the organization itself? Representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"According to your interpretation, it does not.\" The judge asks the defendant to accept the Ministry's response as eat. 16:53 Questions to the Ministry of Justice are asked by Omelchenko's lawyer. He asked whether there was a unit in the Ministry of Justice capable of answering exactly when a certain item appeared on the Federal List of Extremist Materials book. The Ministry of Justice believes that the answer to this question can be obtained by a court request. 16:56 Omelchenko asks about the federal centers of forensic examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia. It draws attention to the fact that these centers came to diametrically opposite conclusions about the presence or absence of signs of extremism. Omelchenko's question: how could this be possible? A representative of the Ministry did not Knows. The next question is: why did the Ministry of Justice support only the negative conclusions of the experts and did not support them Positive? Unknown. Has the Ministry of Justice initiated a review of decisions in cases where there was such a review? contradiction? The Representative is not aware of any such facts. 16:58 Omelchenko recalls that earlier today the court asked the Ministry of Justice whether the Ministry had initiated revision of the list of extremist materials after amendments were made to the law, for example, on that the Bible and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials. None of the kind There were no initiatives on the part of the Ministry of Justice. 17:07 Questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice are asked by the representative of the defendant Maxim Novakov. He's trying to find out Is the Ministry of Justice aware of the circumstances of the events that are imputed to Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist?\" activities\". For example, do they know why the special services are needed before searches of Jehovah's Witnesses? They de-energized entire neighborhoods in which worship buildings are located. Ministry of Actual Circumstances doesn't know. The defendant has no other questions to the Ministry of Justice. 17:13 The court adjourns the hearing until April 7, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. The entrance to the building will be open from 9:00. April 7, 2017 Back to top Collapse 9:00 Soft rain is drizzling in Moscow. Along the façade of the Supreme Court, there was a long line of those who I came to the trial as a listener. A large A bus full of visibly bored police officers. Such a high-profile trial seems to be an unusual event for court employees. However, the surprising calm that, despite the obvious excitement, is maintained by Hundreds of believers, better than any words, convinces that extremism is not about them.\n9:40 The Great Hall of the Supreme Court is gradually filling up with listeners and journalists. 10:00 The trial began with the court's questions to the representative of the Ministry of Justice. The court is trying to deal with the fact that the plaintiff accuses the Administrative Center of an episode from 2014 when, according to the Ministry, The Administrative Center imported into Russia a publication that would later be recognized as extremist Materials. The Court is interested in the question of how a religious organization could have known that the book would be recognized extremist, if it is not in the FSEM. 10:10 The court is trying to understand what provision of the law the Ministry of Justice relies on, arguing that local religious Organizations (LROs) are \"structural subdivisions\" of the Administrative Center. The Ministry of Justice believes that This makes sense, since organizations read the same literature and are connected to each other. The Court asks To what extent does it meet the requirements of legal certainty in such a case? Won't it break the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the European Convention? After all, the attraction was refused 395 organizations to participate in the case as co-defendants. Questions remain unanswered. 10:20 The judge asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice on what basis they claim that the financing of the LRO Is the financing of \"extremist activity\" the administrative center? Why is it objective? Proved? If nothing, then what are the claims of the Ministry of Justice based on? 10:28 It is the turn of the defendants to give explanations. First of all, however, Omelchenko's lawyer is petitioning for attaching to the case extracts from the \"Rossiyskaya Gazeta\" with the dates of entry of certain publications into the FSEM. Court Attaches. 10:35 The first speaker is Vasily Kalin, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Administrative Center of the Witnesses Jehovah in Russia\". Is it legitimate to try to ban the Witnesses today? For 26 years, the center has not been involved in responsibility for extremism. \"If we've been good all these years, at what point did we become extremists?\" If the ban happens, significant harm will be done, and the persecution has already begun. People will be persecuted just for reading the Bible together, and we have been through this before. We've already been appointed on a par with organizations such as the Taliban, Aum Senrikyo and others. Position of Jehovah's Witnesses Unchangeable: to obey the authorities, to pray for them. They always adhere to the principles of peacefulness. 10:45 Kalin tells the circumstances of the repression of this religion in the USSR, which he himself remembers. It shows certificate of a rehabilitated victim of political repression. He asks what Does the Ministry of Justice want to issue a certificate to him and his fellow believers? The actions of the Ministry of Justice throw the country back into the past.\nFull Speech by Vasily Kalina\n10:50 Kalin's deputy, Sergey Cherepanov, speaks. He describes the measures taken by the center Jehovah's Witnesses for the prevention of extremism. 10:57 Cherepanov mentions that the center of Jehovah's Witnesses is on the list of the most dangerous organizations. He's not a lawyer, but He thinks that the ministry's actions are misleading the fight against extremism. In recent years, Twenty criminal cases were initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses under the article of extremism. Although most cases ended in acquittals, the rights of believers were significantly violated, and their lives were overshadowed. 11:05 Cherepanov mentions cases of planting and falsifications, which were reported to law enforcement agencies, However, they are completely ignored by the police and other authorities. There is no doubt that the center of Jehovah's Witnesses has taken all possible measures to counter extremism. Deputy The Prosecutor General, who signed a warning to Jehovah's Witnesses a year ago, refused to meet at the which could clarify what other measures the supervisory authority could expect from Jehovah's Witnesses. 11:13 Extremism is being fought throughout the civilized world. However, it is only in Russia that this is prosecuted Jehovah's Witnesses, whose services are attended by about 20 million people in the world. Chasing Them in Russia means to challenge all those countries where Jehovah's Witnesses freely practice their faith. At this point, Cherepanov concludes his speech and asks that the theses of his speech be attached to the case.\nFull text Sergey Cherepanov's explanations (PDF, 226 KB)\n11:15 Speech by lawyer Zhenkov. He convincingly proves that, contrary to the assertion of the Ministry of Justice, among the goals and The objectives of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses are not extremism. If for 100 years of unofficial and 26 years There has been no proven harm from the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the official existence of Jehovah's Witnesses, then what is the case with the harm referred to by the Ministry of Justice? 11:20 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that the vast majority of Witnesses' publications were included in the FSEM 8 more years ago. Over the years, there has not been a single act of terrorism or vandalism by Jehovah's Witnesses. Nothing like it had happened before. 11:24 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that all these publications were included in the FSEM even before the famous the Supreme Court Plenum, which clarified that criticism of others should not be considered extremism Religions. 11:25 Zhenkov stresses that only a few experts find signs of extremism in the literature of the Witnesses Jehovah. Often, unqualified experts work. Courts hear cases in the absence of believers. To For example, one of the brochures, which contains almost no text, was recognized as extremist for the phrase \"Avoid doing bad things.\" In response to laughter in the hall, Zhenkov said that people who are being searched Because of this pamphlet, it's no laughing matter. 11:30 Two other publications have been included in the FSEM, but Jehovah's Witnesses still do not know why, despite A lot of requests and requests. \"If printed texts are viewed in this way, then Russia will soon be able to be seen at all Leave them without books!\" 11:35 Zhenkov: One gets the impression that the prosecutor's office is trying by any means to recognize both as extremist as many materials of Jehovah's Witnesses as possible. For example, the prosecutor's office filed a lawsuit with the court for recognition extremist Bible itself, despite a direct clause in the law that the Bible and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist. From the arguments of the prosecutor's office: \"Taken as a book, the Bible ceases to be The Bible, as it is only in the Church.\" (Laughter.) 11:39 Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that cases related to the recognition of the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses as extremist, appealed to the ECHR. 22 complaints and merged into one proceeding. In response to a request from the Strasbourg Court The Russian Federation has officially acknowledged that the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses does not contain overt appeals to violence. 11:45 The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that cases involving the recognition of Jehovah's Witnesses' material extremist do not affect the rights of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" and these decisions have not been cancelled. And the Ministry of Justice now believes that, on the contrary, it affects the rights of the center. But it's error. 11:55 Zhenkov's lawyer documents that the printed materials were never imported into the country after were recognized as extremist. This also applies to all episodes that the Ministry of Justice imputes believers in their suit. 12:05 When almost every publication was imported into the country, the center of Jehovah's Witnesses had the results of examinations, that do not show signs of extremism in them. Thus, the center could not foresee that one or the other Materials may be considered extremist. The legislation is based on the principles of legal certainty and predictability of the consequences of certain actions. However, in the actions of the state against Jehovah's Witnesses, this principle is clearly not respected. 12:10 Statement of the defendant's representative Toporov. \"The extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses remains extremism in the paper.\" No victims, victims or survivors of alleged \"extremist\" activity neither the prosecutor's office nor the Ministry of Justice could represent. 12:12 Toporov refutes the Ministry of Justice's thesis about the \"financing of extremism.\" Financial assistance provided by LROs was used to maintain worship buildings, pay for utilities, and sometimes help believers affected by natural disasters. 12:17 Representative Toporov: The Ministry of Justice encourages the country's highest judicial body to resort to double standards. Previously, the court, with the support of the Ministry of Justice, took a consistent position that decisions against local organizations are not affected by the rights of the Administrative Center. Now the Ministry's position has changed from Quite the opposite. It is trying to extend the sanctions imposed on several local organizations, and all other 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 12:22 Toporov analyzes the legal meaning of the concept of \"being part of the structure of a centralized organization.\" Referring legislation, statutes and legal opinions, Toporov shows that it is exclusively about canonical, spiritual connection. Local religious organizations are not affiliates and representative offices of a centralized organization. 12:37 Toporov explains that the centralized and local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are not responsible on each other's obligations. The Center is not the founder of any of the LROs. Each of them has its own composition founders of 10 or more citizens. Each LRO has its own unique name, its own charter, segregated property, the right to conclude civil law contracts. Addressing the judge, Toporov He gives an analogy: the entire judicial system of Russia is a single structure, but the regional courts do not are structural subdivisions of the Supreme Court, but are independent institutions. 12:43 Toporov wonders why the overwhelming majority, more than 380 LROs of Russia, who have never received no claims from the state, should be liquidated, even without any Warnings and opportunities to change something? There are hundreds and hundreds of results of inspections in the case various agencies that did not reveal any violations in the activities of all these LROs. 22 LRO of Crimea, registered under Russian law and have not committed a single violation, They are perplexed why they should be recognized as extremist, and their property confiscated? Why A Moscow LRO registered under the ECHR order and has not committed a single offense must to be subjected to such a severe sanction?\nFull text of Yuriy Toporov's speech\n12:52 Speech by the representative of Maxim Novakov. His presentation is devoted to the analysis of the so-called \"new facts of extremist activity\", which the Ministry of Justice refers to in its lawsuit. We are talking about fines, imposed on several LROs due to the discovery of extremist materials in worship buildings. 13:06 The Administrative Center was not involved in the cases, so it did not have an effective opportunity to raise the question of the existence of provocations. In the meantime, no evidence for the court can be established Forces. Court orders imposing fines cannot be prejudicial. Otherwise, That would be a violation of the right to a fair trial. The decisions referred to by the court are beautiful Closed \"caskets\", but the contents of these \"caskets\" are not so pretty. To have a holistic picture and give an objective assessment, the court must assess the circumstances of the incident. Bursts into worship services Riot police, throw all the men on the floor, they are not even allowed to raise their heads, while unknown persons Men move around the building uncontrollably. Cameras show riot police storming the worship building and the police officers plant forbidden materials in the cabinet, and then they \"discover.\" 13:12 Novakov tells an interesting detail, recently discovered in the materials of one case. Was that one of the planted publications bears an inscription indicating that the publication belongs to one of the Orthodox anti-sectarian centers! 13:18 Novakov draws attention to the fact that the term \"structural subdivision\" itself is defined in the name of the corresponding chapters of the law. The term \"structural unit\" refers only to political parties. 13:25 The court adjourns until April 12, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.\nAudio recordings of speeches:\nVasiliy\u0026nbsp;Kalin\nText Sergey Cherepanov\u0026nbsp; PDF April 12, 2017 Back to top Collapse 8:00 Moscow, Povarskaya Street. An invigorating morning. Stiff fingers. There are more than 200 people at the entrance. Those Who Stand At the beginning of the queue, we arrived at the court in a taxi by 5:30, but they were not the first: in parked cars Believers who had come to the court hearing, in which freedom of religion in Russia is being decided, were already warming up.\n9:30 The day before, on April 11, 2017, most groups of Jehovah's Witnesses had a successful celebration The Lord's Supper. At the moment, it is known that police officers and other law enforcement officers authorities invaded the celebration in the city of Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk region). They rewrote the passport data Believers. Law enforcement officers also came to worship services in Krasnoyarsk and Michurinsk (Tambov region) to ask believers questions or serve summonses. 9:58 \"I ask everyone to stand up!\" The court announces the continuation of the court session and for the purpose of giving explanations gives the floor to attorney Anton Omelchenko. Omelchenko says his explanations will be concerning how the claim of the Ministry of Justice violates the provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international treaties.\n10:12 Loudly and convincingly, Omelchenko proves that the lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice contradicts Articles 9, 10, 11 of the European Law Convention, Articles 28, 29, 30 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Civil Rights political rights. He quotes from the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), by which an authoritative court determines the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to freedom of religion. That demands by the Ministry of Justice, is not a justified and proportionate measure. 10:18 The ECtHR, in its judgments, has clearly defined which texts can be considered to incite hatred and enmity — incitement to violence, blood feud, calls justifying the need to use physical strength. It is noteworthy that in the memorandum that the Russian Federation sent to the ECHR, The Ministry of Justice acknowledged that there were no overt calls for violence in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses (p.\u0026nbsp;41). 10:25 Omelchenko notes that the communities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the Ministry of Justice asks to liquidate, received many letters of commendation and gratitude from the local authorities (available in the file), but warnings about They did not receive any inadmissibility of extremist activity. 10:31 Speaking about the disproportionality of the measure required by the Ministry of Justice, Omelchenko lists the steps he took The Administrative Center (CA) of Jehovah's Witnesses: 1) notified all LROs about the entry of books into the FSEM, 2) created Commission to Prevent the Appearance of Extremist Materials, 3) notified the authorities to no avail 4) unsuccessfully asked the Prosecutor General's Office what other measures could be expected from the Jehovah's Witnesses to prevent \"extremist activity.\" 10:43 International law prohibits inhuman or degrading treatment. This norm protects dignity, including the right to mental integrity of the person. Lawsuit of the Ministry of Justice on prohibition of Jehovah's Witnesses breaks the moral and physical resistance of the individual, as it forces them Be afraid to openly profess your faith. Some of the victims of criminal prosecution for their faith in Taganrog left the Russian Federation and even received political asylum in European countries. Their Escape It eloquently testifies to the fact that believers are afraid to openly profess their religion. Of course most of the 175,000 believers will not leave Russia, which means they will be persecuted in the Russia. 10:50 Omelchenko analyzes the legality of the actions of the Ministry of Justice. Current legislation Jehovah's Witnesses recognized as victims of political repression. The Ministry of Justice (among other departments) is obliged by law to to promote the rehabilitation of believers. However, the Ministry of Justice is moving in the opposite direction. Omelchenko lists domestic and international calls to the Russian Federation to stop politically motivated persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, misuse of anti-extremist of the law applicable to Jehovah's Witnesses. We are talking, for example, about the signed by the most \"The Repressed Are Again Persecuted\" by well-known Russian human rights activists, on the open appeal of the Moscow Helsinki Group, as well as on appeals from various structures in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, United Nations, etc. International norms on the prevention of reprisals prescribe that close attention should be paid to signals from the human rights community. The Ministry of Justice, ignoring all incoming signals, continues to act as a repressive body. 11:04 Omelchenko talks about the biased position of the Ministry of Justice. Expert institutions under the Ministry of Justice came to mutually exclusive conclusions with regard to the same materials of Jehovah's Witnesses. Justice did nothing to remedy the situation. Moreover, the Ministry of Justice has always insisted on the use of only those conclusions of experts who found \"signs of extremism\" in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is new evidence that the Ministry of Justice's lawsuit to ban Jehovah's Witnesses is politically motivated. 11:12 Lawyer Zhenkov asks for an explanation about the court's decision, which is several days old The Ministry of Justice presented to the court as \"an example of violation of the rights of citizens by religious organization\" (the story of a patient who, of two alternatives, chose medication rather than blood transfusion).\nThe lawyer, firstly, is perplexed as to why the Ministry of Justice did not explain where they got the document. containing medical confidentiality.\nSecondly, Zhenkov says that in case of refusal of transfusion, we are not only not talking about a violation of somebody's rights, but, on the contrary, that the rights of the citizen were guaranteed, the right to voluntary Informed treatment. If a patient were denied treatment only on religious grounds, it would be would be a violation of rights. Zhenkov reads out excerpts from the Order of the Ministry of Health, concerning the dangers of transfusion of blood components, as well as the need to receive Written consent from the patient to perform this operation. Zhenkov notes that there is no reservations to the effect that members of certain religions are allowed to exercise the right to an informed consent, and others are not allowed.\n11:30 The judge begins to ask questions of the defendant's representatives.\nThe first question is: Does the Jehovah's Witnesses Training Center provide Bible interpretation to local organizations? The answer is no, interpretation of sacred texts is provided by the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses (international management).\nA new question is: in what sense does the CA ensure the \"coordination of activities\" of the LRO (according to the Charter). Answer: LROs are separate legal entities, but the CA provides them with recommendations. For example, if there is a question of constructing a worship building, the CA can refer to the Bible recommend the construction of a modest, unpompous building. However, the ultimate decision on how to there will be a new building, takes LRO.\nAnother question of the court is whether the CA approved the charters of those 8 LROs that were liquidated by court decisions. Representative Toporov explains to the court that the founders of the new LRO apply to the CA with a request to entering the CA structure in order to speed up the registration procedure. In this case, the CA will certainly coordinates their statutes to ensure that the founders are Jehovah's Witnesses and that their The goals of the task coincide with the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court is interested in the question of whether the CA is the founder of non-profit, public organizations or LROs, after all, such a possibility is spelled out in the Charter. Lawyers explain to the court that the possibility in the Charter It was prescribed \"just in case\", but it was not implemented. The founders of all LROs were local Citizens. For example, the charter also provides for the possibility of importing literature, but this possibility It is also not implemented due to objective circumstances.\n12:05 The Court is interested in the question of whether the chairpersons of the LRO are members of the steering committee of the CA. Kalin explains, that members of the LRO are never members of the steering committee of the CA.\nAre there CA decisions that are mandatory for LROs? Kalin explains that when LROs request material assistance from the CA (in the form of a donation), the center is interested in the question of how the funds are spent. For example, The TC provides a design for a modest worship building, and the LRO coordinates this project with the local Authorities. Or if a natural disaster occurs, the TC donates funds to help believers and cooperates with the LRO to help affected Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as their relatives.\nThe court asks whether the funds were spent on the production of printed products. Defendants They explain that they don't.\nCourt: Did the Training Center import literature that was later recognized as extremist? Defendants explain that the function of the CA is purely logistic: it collects orders from individuals directly A foreign publishing house, and it also sends them literature. The CA is not engaged in \"dissemination\" Literature.\nThe Court: One of the books was imported into Russia shortly before it was recognized as extremist, However, when was it common among believers? Lawyers pay attention to the a letter in which the CA immediately informs all LROs about the entry of this book into the FSEM, and asks not to use it anymore. Naturally, after that, the TC could not distribute this book.\nCourt: What is the fate of printed products that are recognized as extremist? It is withdrawn by the center believers? Destroyed? Lawyers explain that the TC cannot dictate to believers what to do with literature that is in their possession. However, may pay attention to the provisions of the of the law, and does so.\n12:30 It is the plaintiff's turn to ask questions. What is the role of CAs in approving the charters of LROs and their members? Omelchenko gives the following example. The role of the CA in approving the charters of the LRO is similar to the role of the LRO itself. Ministry of Justice: The Ministry of Justice checks the statutes for compliance with the law, and the CA checks the statutes for canonical correspondence.\nNew questions of the representative of the Ministry of Justice are devoted to finding out how independent LROs are in their the extent of the CA's influence on the LRO, including the approval of governing bodies and charters of LROs.\nThe court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice a counter-clarifying question: \"From the point of view of legality, how is this affects the legal capacity and legal personality of legal entities?\" The question turns into a rhetorical one. DOJ: Who are traveling ministers? Who are special preachers? Defendant's Representatives explain that these ministers cooperate with religious groups, not with LROs.\n12:50 The court\u0026nbsp;(addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice): Does the plaintiff have evidence that the traveling Ministers and special preachers have something to do with the decisions of the competent ones that have come into force. bodies to find individuals or LROs guilty of extremist activity? No, the Ministry of Justice There are no such facts.\nThe Court (addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice): Does the Ministry of Justice still believe that judicial acts against Do individuals and LROs have prejudicial force for our case? Yes, the Ministry of Justice still thinks so, as the CA was aware of these cases. The Court urges the representative of the Ministry of Justice to make a clear statement in the future indicate which provisions of the law the agency refers to, since the court is tasked with checking legality of the claims of the Ministry of Justice.\n13:10 A representative of the Ministry of Justice is trying to find out from the defendants whether the fact that the CA provides financial assistance to the LRO, to the fact that the CA and the LRO are a single organization subordinate to the CA. Attorney-at-law Zhenkov explains that if a person gives material help to a friend, it does not mean that this friend turns out to be in some kind of dependence. Ministry of Justice: Does the CA conduct audits of the financial activities of LROs? Lawyers They explain that the CA does not have such an obligation, but it is the Ministry of Justice that carries out regular inspections the financial activities of the LRO, as evidenced by the hundreds of inspection reports of the Ministry of Justice in the files. Moreover, none of the inspections revealed the expenditure of funds for non-statutory purposes. 13:25 The representative of the Ministry of Justice is interested in the question of why the CA sent a letter to the LRO about the recognition of one of the books extremist only after its inclusion in the FSEM, if, by the believers' own admission, they knew about the the decision was made earlier, from the information on the website of the district court. Lawyers explain what to track It is extremely difficult to find court decisions on the official websites of the courts, moreover, from the brief information on the It was not clear on the court's website that it was a publication of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not a publication of the same name publication of a different origin. 13:35 The representative of the Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that, according to an outdated (until 2010) copy of the \"Fundamentals of the Beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses\", the main means of disseminating the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses is The Watchtower magazine. Permission to distribute this periodical was revoked in Russia, and the document \"Fundamentals of Doctrine\" submitted to the Ministry of Justice has been amended accordingly. Representative The Ministry of Justice is interested in what is the source of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses now. The lawyers explain that The basis of the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine is the Bible, with most of the religious books of the Witnesses are based on the Orthodox Synodal edition. The Watchtower itself was not recognized as extremist, but only a few of its separate issues. Since 2015, no publications are not imported into the country at all. 13:40 The court adjourns the hearing until 2:30 p.m. 14:30 A representative of the Ministry of Justice continues to ask questions to representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses. What measures did he take? A Training Center to Prevent Extremist Activity After a Warning from the Prosecutor General's Office on March 2 2016. Lawyers list. The court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice clarifying questions: If the CA at all Didn't do anything? Would there be a reason to liquidate them? Is there extremism \"by negligence\" or \"By inaction\"? Answer of the representative of the Ministry of Justice: No. THE COURT: If not, what are we even trying to find out? Why, then, does the Department of Justice impute this to the CA in the first place? 14:45 The Ministry of Justice presents to the court an \"internal\" document of Jehovah's Witnesses, obtained by the Ministry of Justice from \"open sources.\" In response to a clarifying question from the court, a representative of the Ministry of Justice said that the letter was taken from the website NTV Television Company. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that the text of the letter will help to clarify how to communicate with each other CAs and LROs are financially linked. Lawyers are not ready to confirm that such a letter is genuine, but they have already it is obvious that LROs are neither the recipients nor the sender of the letter, which means that the letter has no relationship to this process. The Court postpones the question of whether to append the text to the case files. 14:58 The Ministry of Justice is requesting the questioning of four witnesses by the plaintiff. We are talking about people who In the past, they practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but later left it. The defendants object. Court grants the petition for the examination of witnesses by the plaintiff. 15:05 The interrogation of the witness on the part of the defendant, Valentin Zavyalov, who has been a professor at the Moscow Institute of Strategic Studies since 1992, begins. He has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than 20 years. He reported that at meetings of his religious group Literature included in the FSEM is never used. The names of this literature are posted on the wall the place where worship services are held. Believers carefully inspect the room before starting services in order to exclude the possibility of such literature being found at divine services. 15:20 Witness Yevgeniy Skladchikov, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Witnessed Jehovah's in 1998. He says that in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses he was attracted by the unconditional peacefulness It is completely incompatible with extremism. No extremist publications on worship services are not used. 15:30 Witness Vilen Kantere, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Worker of Science and Technology. Representative Defendant Toporov: \"When you became one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, did you pursue extremist goals?\" Witness: \"God forbid! The witness explains that this is incompatible with the faith of the Witnesses Jehovah. Toporov: \"Do you use the materials included in the FSEM?\" A law-abiding citizen destroyed these publications. (Kantere, though, says he's leaving it aside the question of whether he agrees that these publications have been included in the FSEM.) Dozens of his students defended PhD and doctoral dissertations. His religion does not in any way contradict his scientific work. On A question from a representative of the Ministry of Justice explained that his religion did not prevent him from obtaining higher education. As a researcher, he believes that education should be approached responsibly. 15:50 Witness Tatyana Kremneva, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. Within the framework of his scientific activity, he is engaged in prevention of child abuse, as well as extremist manifestations in youth education Wednesday. He professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Axe Spokesman: When you became Jehovah's Witness, Have you been prompted to commit extremist acts? Answer: No, the religion of the Witnesses Jehovah's is incompatible with extremism. The court's question: why didn't you become the founder of the LRO? THE WITNESS: I don't see it Need. Court: Do you not incite hatred towards other religions in each other at divine services? Witness: No. Lawyer Zhenkov: Did the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses help you raise your child? A witness tells of that he is proud of his child, his success in study and work. Zhenkov: how do you feel about your colleagues and Students who don't share your religion? Witness Answer: Positively, without hatred, disrespect, contempt, discrimination. 16:05 The Ministry of Justice invites its witnesses. The first witness is Natalia Koretskaya. The Witness Left Religion Jehovah's Witnesses many years ago. She is unable to explain to the court where she can come from in such a case \"Facts of extremist activity\" in recent years are known. 16:54 When questioning witness Koretskaya, the court drew attention to the fact that she uses personal notes when giving Readings. Omelchenko's lawyer asked how to explain the similarity of the wording from her notes with the texts from the website of a well-known anti-sectarian center. The court decided to get acquainted with Koretskaya's notes later.\nThe interrogation of witnesses of the Ministry of Justice continues. Testimony is given by former Jehovah's Witness Pavel Zverev.\n18:11 Questioning witness Zverev, the court asks: \"If you have been harmed, have you applied to the The witness did not apply. Zverev said that under the influence of literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, he personally felt hatred for the clergy of the Orthodox religion. The witness denies that he is a member of anti-cultist organizations, although he has also met He was photographed with the most famous \"sectologist\".\nWitness of the Ministry of Justice Petrov, former Jehovah's Witness. In 1983, after becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, she left work related to the propaganda of military heroism, because it is not in accordance with the doctrine Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2009, she left the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. As an example, extremist activities of the Administrative Center, a witness cites the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses exclude from their ranks those who commit sins. (The court asked a representative of the Ministry of Justice whether What are the arguments of the Ministry of Justice cited in the lawsuit supported by the testimony of this witness? The Ministry of Justice is again talking about a possible threat to an indefinite circle of people.) When asked by the court whether she had seen witness Petrov, for someone to distribute extremist literature, the witness replies that he does not Saw.\nThe court invites the last witness of the Ministry of Justice, V.V. Koretsky.\n18:30 In 2009, Koretsky left the ranks of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge asked whether 2009 was limited to the year his knowledge of Jehovah's Witnesses. Witness: Yes. The Ministry of Justice asks the witness to explain what he knows about the attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to higher education and state symbols. The Court Asks representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"If you do not indicate these points in the grounds of the claim, why do we need it Representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"The question has been withdrawn.\" When asked by the court whether Koretsky was interested in the outcome He answers curtly, \"Yes.\"\nThe court adjourns until April 19, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.\nApril 19, 2017 Back to top Collapse 9:00 The front of the Supreme Court building is more crowded than ever. The queue began to form at night. Many specially came from different cities of Russia. Since the weather in Moscow is cold, most are dressed in winter. From time to time, someone would bring coffee and pies for those standing in line. Staff The police work professionally and coherently, ensuring the safety of those involved in the trial.\n10:05 Zhenkov filed a motion to attach fresh documents. He reports that in March-April In 2017, law enforcement agencies across Russia, citing an ongoing trial, invaded the worship buildings, demand that they be stopped, interrogate believers, and rewrite passport data. Prosecutor's warnings about criminal liability for extremism are issued in connection with Holding Bible study meetings. The Ministry of Justice objects to the introduction. The Court shall determine join.\n10:15 A representative of the Ministry of Justice requests that copies of the decisions of the Steering Committee be attached to the case file CA on the appointment of members of the LRO committees. In the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, these documents testify to the the role of the CA. Representatives of the CA leave it to the discretion of the court. In their opinion, this is irrelevant evidence. Lawyers draw attention to the fact that some of the documents are dated 1998 and earlier (that is, before registration CA under the new law). In addition, the content of the certificates fully complies with the Charter of the CA. Help were issued due to the fact that the charter of the LRO was changing, so certificates were issued to confirm that the persons specified in them are still members of the LRO. The court shall determine to be attached, except that refer to the time before the CA is re-registered. 10:25 The court proceeds to examine the materials of the case. The first document is the statement of claim of the Ministry of Justice. Trial Again clarifies with the representative of the Ministry of Justice on what grounds the department asks to liquidate all LROs together with CAs. He asks again whether the Ministry of Justice intends to clarify the claims. The Ministry of Justice does not intend to. Defendant's Attorneys draw attention to the fact that the real estate listed in the lawsuit does not belong to the CA. 10:35 The court examines the document \"Fundamentals of the Doctrine and Corresponding Practice of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Lawyers draw attention to the provisions on love for one's neighbor and tolerance (which directly contradicts the concept of \"extremism\"). They are also asked to read out the provisions that say that Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to Give your children a good education. 10:40 The Charter of the CA is being studied. The Court is interested in the question of whether religious groups are part of the structures of LROs. How many total unregistered groups? Lawyers explain that unregistered groups are part of the structure TC. The concept of \"structure\" in the Law on Freedom of Conscience is related to the separation of religion and state. Religions exist according to their internal hierarchical institutional structure, which includes The state does not delve into it. In this regard, the CA does not maintain legal records related to the activities unregistered groups, and therefore cannot provide official information to the court. 10:47 The court announced a 10-minute technical break.\n11:00 The examination of documents continues. The Court enumerates the various decisions of the courts. When a Solution Is Being Investigated Rostov Regional Court of 2009 (on the Taganrog LRO), representative of the defendant Omelchenko draws attention to the fact that this judgment was delivered prior to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which decided what is extremism and what is not. For example, the Taganrog community, as well as publications By this decision, Jehovah's Witnesses were recognized for \"undermining respect for other religions\", \"rejecting the use of blood for medical purposes\", \"renunciation of civic duties\". Also a number of publications were recognized as extremist for having absolutely nothing to do with Extremism. For example, the brochure Jehovah's Witnesses. Who are they? What do they believe?\" was recognized extremist for mentioning that Jehovah's Witnesses do not take up arms. Others are cited Examples. 11:10 Representatives of the defendant draw attention to the fact that the enumerated judicial acts were issued without involvement Consequently, they cannot serve as evidence in a lawsuit. 11:15 Representative Novakov draws attention to the fact that at least one court decision, although the Ministry of Justice attached it to the case, was overturned by a higher court. 11:20 The Certificate of Inspection of the CA by the Ministry of Justice is being discussed. Lawyers draw attention to the unreliability of the conclusion of the Ministry of Justice on the that the CA hides information about imported literature. In fact, by submitting for verification more than 70,000 pages of documents to the Ministry of Justice, the CA with good reason refused to provide information, which the Ministry of Justice had to request from the customs authorities as part of interdepartmental cooperation. 11:30 A representative of the Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that, according to one of the documents, under the leadership of There are more than 2,000 unregistered groups operating in CAs. Lawyers explain that this is an internal spiritual structure.\nThe court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice for what purpose they attached to the case the trial balance Statements. A representative of the Ministry of Justice explains that the statements indicate that \"monetary The funds may have been used to finance extremist activities.\" The Court asks It can be seen that the money was spent on extremist activities, and not on the usual statutory Goal. The Ministry of Justice does not have exact data. Representative Toporov draws attention to the fact that as part of the inspection The Ministry of Justice was provided with all agreements for targeted donations to the CA, in which the purpose was deciphered of all financial transfers. A natural question from the representative: \"Why didn't the Ministry of Justice submit these documents to the court?\"\n11:40 Omelchenko's lawyer to a representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"Can you specifically name what amount, when, who it was? The Ministry of Justice has no information. 11:45 Documents showing that the prosecutor's office collected information about property are reviewed Believers. Representatives of the defendant are asking the representative of the Ministry of Justice for what purpose these meetings were gathered. information. Answer: for the purpose of confiscation of property in the event that the court decides to do so. decision. 11:50 Certificates and acknowledgements issued by the authorities of the CA and LRO for assistance in landscaping are inspected Cities. The representative of the Ministry of Justice believes that Jehovah's Witnesses are doing this in order to carry out \"missionary activity.\" Lawyer Zhenkov, addressing the representative of the Ministry of Justice: \"Svetlana Konstantinovna, when it came to financing LROs, you suspected extremist goals. When believers are involved in helping the city, you are again suggesting some kind of trick. You can't do that!\" 11:55 Zhenkov draws attention to the state religious expertise of the Ministry of Justice, based on the conclusions which was registered in 1999. The conclusions of this examination are still in force. Attempted revision conclusions of a competent expert examination in a court hearing are inadmissible. 12:00 The following volumes of the case consist entirely of expert opinions, about 70, testifying to the absence of extremism in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. Many studies have been conducted in expert institutions Justice ministry. For example, Zhenkov, referring to the conclusions of a state expert institution, quotes from the book \"Mankind in Search of God\" (included in the FSEM). The book says: \"It is not possible to study different religions is to betray one's own faith. On the contrary, it can be strengthened when we see how we have sought the truth other people, and what it gave them. Knowledge gives understanding, and understanding gives tolerance to people who have other views.\" Experts found no signs of extremism in the book, quite the opposite. However, the book is included in the list of extremist materials. 12:05 The Ministry of Justice believes that these examinations were carried out at the request of lawyers, which means that they contain private opinions Experts. Omelchenko explains that this is not true: a significant part of the examinations was carried out at the request of courts, law enforcement agencies and customs authorities. 12:15 The author examines the decisions and sentences of the courts that have entered into force, testifying to the absence of extremist in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. The believers were prosecuted and, according to the In fact, they spent five years in court, and then were acquitted. Now, they face sanctions again if if the claims of the Ministry of Justice are satisfied. 12:17 Representative Novakov: planting extremist materials in worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses have become an epidemic in Russia. Novakov describes the events of September 20, 2016 in the village of Nezlobnaya (Stavropol Territory), when law enforcement officers cut out the front doors with a grinder and planted extremist ones materials right under the CCTV cameras. 12:19 Omelchenko: The Ministry of Justice did not take action to ensure that expert conclusions on the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, conducted in the south of the country did not differ from the conclusions of the examinations carried out in the north. Justice did nothing (as a party that was involved in the cases) to reconsider the newly opened court decisions on the recognition of materials of Jehovah's Witnesses that have come into force Extremist. 12:25 The article examines the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In connection with the fact that the ECHR gave legal interpretation of the refusal of believers to receive blood transfusions, the discussion about the blood transfusions. A representative of the Ministry of Justice refers to a case where a child of Jehovah's Witnesses died after a terrible accident, as well as in the event that a child born with multiple pathologies died. Court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice: is there evidence of a causal relationship between non-use of donated blood and death. Lawyers tell the court what they do not say Representative of the Ministry of Justice: in both cases, criminal cases were initiated against the parents, extensive examinations that established the absence of such a cause-and-effect relationship. Parents acquitted for the absence of a crime event. 12:40 Materials are being examined indicating that the believers appealed to the competent authorities for the facts of falsification (planting). 12:45 Court decisions to recognize literature as extremist materials. It can be seen that the CA was not involved in the participation in the case (as well as the representatives of the publishing house). Representatives of the defendant talk about double standards government agencies. When it was necessary to recognize literature as extremist, the training centers were not allowed to participate in the case, however, when the task is to liquidate the CA, he is charged with the fact of recognition of literature extremist. 13:00 The case file contains DVDs with video recordings of the plantings. A spokesperson for Novakov says that materials will help to understand whether the CA is related to prohibited materials in local worship services buildings, or other persons are related to them. The discs will help to see the reaction of the believers themselves — how they are They react indignantly to the appearance of prohibited materials in worship buildings. 13:05 Court: To what period of time do the video recordings relate? Novakov: the events in the village of Nezlobnaya relate to September 2016. It was only thanks to the video recording that law enforcement officers refused to criminal intent to initiate a case against the LRO. Novakov describes outrageous details falsifications caught on cameras in other settlements of Russia. 13:10 The court asks the defendant's representatives whether all these facts have been appealed in accordance with the established procedure. And if Yes, whether there are results. Representatives of the defendant confirm that they have appealed and continue to appeal to the authorities, but so far to no avail. The court proceeds to examine other evidence without watching the video. 13:20 The materials of the 24th volume of the case are already being examined. In total, there are at least 43 volumes in the case. 13:25 The court reads out in its entirety the CA's public statement that the CA has nothing to do with extremism. The statement was originally posted on the jw-russia.org website. At the same time, the court finds out who is the copyright holder of this site. Representatives of the Training Center report that the site belongs to the foreign Watch Tower Society. The CA does not have so the statement was posted on the website of another organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. 13:30 The next few volumes consist of acts of inspections of LROs by the judicial authorities, but no No violations of the law were revealed. The Ministry of Justice, in turn, asks to attach it to the case file copies of various warnings and cautions issued to the LRO. 13:43 The court adjourns until 2:30 p.m.\n14:40 Hearings are ongoing. Volume 39, which contains the minutes of LRO meetings in different cities, is reviewed. In The protocols record in detail the events related to the planting of extremist literature, as well as Measures that have been taken against the appearance of extremist literature in places of worship. 14:45 The Court draws attention to the fact that the form of the minutes of the meetings of the different LROs is similar to one another. Court I am interested in the question: is there an approved form for these protocols? Why are they similar? Omelchenko explains that there is no approved form. The reason for their similarity is explained by the fact that believers are in close contact with each other. 14:50 The court again asks the defendant's representatives whether they claim to challenge the court decisions that formed the basis of the claim. Omelchenko's lawyer clarifies that this is not a question of revising these Solutions. At this hearing, the court must evaluate these decisions as any other evidence in the case, the degree of their relevance. 15:02 Color photographs are examined - freeze frames of video materials testifying to the planting extremist materials in places of worship. Representative Novakov draws attention to the unified the scheme by which the planting was carried out throughout the country. 15:07 Another characteristic feature of tosses is fake witnesses. One example is notarial certified evidence of friendship between one of the witnesses and an FSB officer on a social network. 15:08 In the village of Kurdzhinovo (Karachay-Cherkessia), three believers were fined on the grounds of false witness Readings. Subsequently, these witnesses repented and gave a receipt that they had knowingly given false testimony under pressure from law enforcement officers. Novakov draws attention to the fact that there is a receipt in the case file. 15:13 Omelchenko draws attention to the court decision made in Voronezh. The Court correctly assessed that Extremist materials found tucked under a carpet nailed to the floor were clearly planted. How The Voronezh court noted in its decision that the fact that the Witnesses profess the same religion is not raises doubts about the authenticity of their testimony. 15:16 Omelchenko returns to the question that was raised a little earlier, at 2:45 p.m. He shows the court a series of protocols of different LROs. These protocols vary greatly in form. The court asks the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Does the agency have any doubts that there are protocols that differ in design? There is no doubt about it. Court He doesn't doubt it either. 15:20 The representative of Toporov draws attention to the fact that the decision to liquidate the local organization of Birobidzhan was made in trial with the participation of the same representative of the Ministry of Justice, S. Borisova. CA to participate in the case does not because his rights are not affected. Therefore, it is surprising that in this process, the Ministry of Justice has changed its position and is applying the decision on the LRO of Birobidzhan to the CA. 15:25 Documents signed by various international and domestic authorities and organizations and expressing concern about the application of anti-extremist legislation to Witnesses Jehovah. Omelchenko reads out the most characteristic excerpts from these documents, including calls for of the Russian Federation to stop the political persecution of believers. 15:42 The court returns to the resolution of the motions filed earlier, but postponed. Representative of the Ministry of Justice asked to attach to the case 12 court decisions giving doctors the right to use donor blood in treatment of minors. Representatives of the defendant believe that these decisions do not apply to Case.\nFirst, refusal of blood transfusion has nothing to do with the concept of \"extremism\" (no others) There are no grounds other than extremist activity for the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses in the lawsuit leads).\nSecondly, the CA was not a party to those court cases and is not even mentioned in any of the decisions.\nThirdly, the inclusion of these decisions affects medical confidentiality. To evaluate them, you will need to Ask for patients' consent as well as their medical records. In all solutions without exception It is said that the parents wanted to treat their children and turned to medical institutions. About the Waiver There was no question of treatment.\nLawyer Zhenkov draws attention to the fact that in the ECHR ruling, which gives a legal interpretation refusal of blood transfusion, examples of prohibitions in Islam and Orthodoxy that may be potentially hazardous to health. \"However, the Ministry of Justice does not come up with a lawsuit to liquidate centralized organizations of these religions,\" Zhenkov said.\n15:59 The court refuses to attach court decisions related to blood transfusion procedures. 16:10 The court is deciding whether to attach copies of 28 acts of prosecutorial response, namely warnings and warnings issued to various LROs. These acts were issued over a period of 6 years, not only in for the last 3 years. 16:20 The Court asks why the Ministry of Justice did not apply to the local courts on these acts. The Ministry of Justice explains that The violations were minor or eliminated. Representatives of the defendant note that these acts are not related with extremist activities. The court refuses to attach these acts to the case file. 16:22 The Court returns to the issue of attaching to the case a copy of the \"internal\" document of Jehovah's Witnesses, obtained by the Ministry of Justice from \"open sources\" (from the website of the NTV television company). Representatives of the CA confirm the authenticity of the text, explain to the court the content of this letter, telling the procedure for implementation believers of voluntary donations. They explain to the court what \"councils of elders\" are and who they are \"circuit overseers.\" Taking into account the detailed explanations, the court decides to attach this document to the materials Case. 16:35 In response to the assertions of the representative of the Ministry of Justice that the decisions of the CA on the appointment of the chairpersons of the LRO are imperative nature, the representative of Toporov draws attention to the wording \"recommends as Chairman of the LRO\". 16:36 A representative of the Ministry of Justice asks to attach to the case an updated extract from the state register with an updated list property of CAs and LROs. The court gives the defendants 10 minutes to read the statement. 16:38 A short technical break has been announced.\n17:11 The hearings are resumed. Representatives of the defendant, having familiarized themselves with the extract from the register, comment that The extract is not up-to-date information, but information about the property that has ever been in property of the CA or LRO, however, was alienated. The Ministry of Justice explains that it is in this form that the data provided by the Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography. The court decides to attach it. 17:16 The Court wonders how the idea of a connection between an LRO and a CA is formulated in the statutes of the LRO. To do this, he asks parties, whether they have an example of the charter of the LRO. The Ministry of Justice does not. Omelchenko presents to the court a sample of the Charter of the LRO Jehovah's Witnesses. The text of the charter states that the LRO is part of the \"canonical structure\" of the CA, belongs to to the \"religious denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" There is no wording \"structural unit\" (the term applicable to political parties), on which the administrative plaintiff insists. 17:29 The court denies the earlier motion to view the video recordings of the plantings. 17:30 Since there are no more motions, the court announces the continuation of the hearing on April 20, 2017 at 14:00. April 20, 2017Back to topCollapse 13:15 The courtroom of the Supreme Court is gradually filling up with listeners. It feels hard to feel pent-up excitement. The parties are intently preparing to speak in the debate.\n13:50 Most of the seats in the hall are already occupied. 14:09 Hearings begin. Omelchenko submits a short motion to attach the statement European Union on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. In it, the European Union says, that \"the statement of claim of 15 March, filed by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation with the Supreme Court, is the latest tough measure taken in the fight against Jehovah's Witnesses and further strengthening violations of their rights and the prosecution to which they are subjected in Russia, which is contrary to international standards on freedom of religion or belief.\" The Court specifies how this application can influence the outcome of today's hearing. Omelchenko says that this is evidence of a violation of Article 18 of the European Convention. Although the European Union is not a body of the Council of Europe, it is made at a meeting Council of Europe. The court refuses to attach the document. 14:15 The Court shall begin its deliberations. Speech by the representative of the Ministry of Justice. 14:16 The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that Russia adheres to the principle of the rule of law. For the law on the Freedom of conscience is subject to limits. The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the fact that the very name of the training center is \"Managerial center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" indicates that the centralized organization carries out control over LROs. The Ministry of Justice draws attention to the leading role of the CA in interaction with the LRO. The CA agrees issues related to the appointment of chairpersons of LROs, etc. Organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are represented by is a whole organism. They are characterized by organizational unity. Canonical Link References The Ministry of Justice considers them unconvincing. 14:25 According to the representative of the Ministry of Justice, the fact that the defendant continues to claim planting, indicates that the Training Center does not repent of extremist activities. 14:28 Representative of the Ministry of Justice: although many religions express one or another attitude towards secular authorities, the texts Jehovah's Witnesses are held in unacceptable offensive ways of expressing the truth of their beliefs. It is not quotations from the Bible that are recognized as extremist, but interpretations of what is written in the Bible. 14:35 The Ministry of Justice believes that the wide coverage of court decisions recognizing materials as extremist gave the CA all possibilities not to import into the country literature that would fall under the arguments of the courts that extremist activity. 14:35 According to the Ministry of Justice, a gross violation of anti-extremist legislation is evidenced by the fact that the Training Center on the For 25 years, he imported materials that were later recognized as extremist. 14:38 The Ministry of Justice considers it cynical that the word \"extremist\" is used in the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses (as applied to the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses) is taken in quotation marks, despite the fact that court decisions on recognition of literature as extremist has entered into force. 14:40 Summing up, the representative of the Ministry of Justice, as before, asks to liquidate the training center and all LROs of Jehovah's Witnesses. confiscate their property, and all this without waiting for the court decision to enter into force. 14:42 The representative of the administrative defendant Omelchenko begins his speech in the debate. 14:45 Omelchenko analyses the non-legal nature of the generalization made by the Ministry of Justice that various Organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses are allegedly a single organization \"with structural subdivisions.\" 14:50 Omelchenko cites the norms of legislation on countering extremism. The law does not provide for such extremist actions, such as \"an act in the form of omission\", \"an act committed unintentionally, negligence.\" The Supreme Court of Russia has repeatedly pointed out that extremism can only be active actions aimed at forcible change of the foundations of the constitutional order. 15:02 The plaintiff's representative, according to Omelchenko, gave his own interpretation of the fact that This is extremism. However, the defendant recalls that the legal interpretation is given by the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. And these courts ruled that extremism can be considered \"incitement to hatred and hatred propaganda of social, racial, national, religious superiority, the presence of which should be be determined taking into account all the relevant circumstances of each particular case, namely the form and the content of the activity or information, its addressees and purpose, socio-political context, the presence of a real threat, including calls for unlawful encroachments on constitutionally protected values, justification or justification of their commission.\"\n\"Restricting freedom of conscience and religion by means of anti-extremist legislation, freedom of expression and the right to impart information shall not apply to any activity or information on the sole grounds that it does not fit into the generally accepted perceptions that do not conform to established traditional views and opinions, enter into conflict with moral or religious preferences. To do otherwise would be retreat the constitutional requirement of the necessity, proportionality and fairness of restrictions on rights and freedoms of man and citizen\".\n15:13 Omelchenko: The actions of the Ministry of Justice do not pursue a legitimate goal, they bear all the signs of political Repression. \"I ask you to dismiss the claims of the administrative plaintiff in full.\"\nFull text Anton Omelchenko's speeches (PDF, 184 KB)\n15:16 Lawyer Zhenkov speaks during the debate. He begins with a personal impression of the last few days. He found himself in a one of the parks in Moscow and saw that dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses had come to this park. They didn't have posters and they did not come out to protest against the trial, which began in Supreme Court on 5 April 2017. They went out to clean up the garbage that had accumulated over the winter. So who are these people? Extremists or good Christians? 15:20 The Ministry of Justice demands to take away all worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of Russia, built believers at their own expense. This happened in Russia only once, namely a hundred years back in 1918. At that time, the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars confiscated all property, including liturgical buildings, of the Russian Orthodox Church. 15:27 Zhenkov: The Ministry of Justice suggested that Jehovah's Witnesses are desperately saying that the cases are against them Rigged. However, believers do not despair, Zhenkov notes. They believe the Bible's words that it is not Nothing secret that won't be revealed. And everyone will be held accountable to God for his deeds. Just the other day, on April 17, 2017, the President of the Russian Federation approved an amendment to Article 303 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Criminal liability is provided for the falsification of evidence in administrative cases. However the problem of falsifications should be of concern not only to the President, but above all to the executive authorities authorities, such as the Ministry of Justice (justice means justice in Latin). 15:35 There are dozens of certificates in the case: gratitude not only for the improvement of the territory, but also for active life position, for assistance to victims of natural disasters, for assistance to the forced migrants from the territory of Ukraine, for assistance to the children's home, for the improvement of the leisure center for children with disabilities, for participating in the marathon \"Help the Child\", etc. that the organization is both useful and dangerous?\" asks Zhenkov. 15:40 Zhenkov analyzes the testimony of witnesses, both on the part of the plaintiff and on the part of the defendant. 15:45 The lawyer draws attention to the expert opinions on the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"Why Me Again Do I want to focus on literature? Because literature recognized as extremist is the only claim against Jehovah's Witnesses of carrying out extremist activities.\" 15:46 Zhenkov: \"There was a man in this room who was born in prison. 'Cause his mom is 5 months pregnant pregnancy was sentenced as an enemy of the people to 8 years in prison just for being Jehovah's Witness. She gave birth in prison, and the child spent two years in the prison orphanage. The father did not could have taken him away because he had been exiled to Siberia. In 1991, the State recognized the mother as a victim political repressions, apologized to her, assigned a pension. And here in court, this man, He was born in prison and asked me: \"Does the Ministry of Justice really want to repeat this terrible war? history?\" And I didn't know what to say. Even now I don't know what motivates the representatives of the Ministry justice and those who direct this process.\"\n15:50 Zhenkov: \"What will happen if the court grants the request of the Ministry of Justice? Dear Court, if it is the will state, then the country successfully acquires 170,000 prisoners of conscience and the corresponding Reputation. If it is the will of the state that the law should be observed, then the decision of the court can only be one is to dismiss the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice.\"\nFull text of Viktor Zhenkov's speech (PDF, 174 KB) 15:52 The representative of the defendant Toporov begins his speech in the debate. \"Accuse Jehovah's Witnesses of Extremism is like accusing a baby of extremism. Only an infant is incapable of committing extremist activity because of their age, and Jehovah's Witnesses because of their religious Outlook. For them, calls for any violence against people, violent acts, enmity and hatred of people on any grounds is a serious sin against God.\" 16:02 Speaking about the independence of the LRO, Toporov refers to the charter of the CA. LROs are endowed with an absolute right without taking into account the will of the Administrative Center to determine the term of its presence in the said structure, to decide issues of liquidation, transfer to other centralized religious organizations, etc. \"The TC has no right to liquidate LROs, is not their founder... What kind of structural unit is this?\" he asks Axes. 16:12 At the end of his speech, Toporov quotes the statement in full human rights defender Lyudmila Alekseyeva. At the end, he says: \"You, dear court, are you, here and today You can eliminate injustice and dishonesty towards hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, restore their good name, strengthen the credibility of the law on countering extremism, clearly showing The difference between real extremists and extremists drawn on paper. We hope that you will be able to the Court will have the courage to do so and to make a fair and impartial decision, guided by the law and the gift of God, the conscience of man.\"\nFull text of Yuri Toporov's speech 16:13 The representative Novakov begins his statement in the debate. He draws attention to the fact that due to the suspension Believers across the country were subjected to massive violations of their rights: worship services were invaded law enforcement officers and rewrote the personal data of citizens who had not committed any Offences. Police officers carried out illegal detention, delivery to the police, personal Administrative cases are initiated, warnings are issued about the possibility of criminal prosecution under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. 16:16 Referring to the increasing number of violations of rights, Novakov says: \"All the more so if the Court rules on the This will have even more tragic consequences throughout the country. Any Jehovah's Witness can be recognized as an extremist with all the ensuing consequences — widespread religious violence against the Witnesses: from destruction and damage to property and attacks to the point of causing grievous harm health and killings of peaceful believers on the basis of religious hatred. At any international level The blame for connivance with violence and persecution under far-fetched circumstances will be placed on public authorities in Russia\". 16:32 Novakov recalls that the representative of the Ministry of Justice in his debate accused Jehovah's Witnesses of cynicism. \"I I will tell you what cynicism is,\" Novakov said. When the Ministry of Justice in the trial of the LRO first says that it is right The CA is not affected, and then these decisions are presented as the basis for the liquidation of the CA. Or when Much harsher statements against Jehovah's Witnesses are perceived by the Ministry of Justice as \"ordinary At the same time, he calls \"extremism\" those statements that are far from extremism. When Contrary to the available data, the Ministry of Justice dismisses reports of falsification, while hesitating to cite as a basis for action those cases where the falsification is clearly recorded on video. \"Here's what is cynicism!\" concludes Novakov.\nFull text of Maxim Novakov's speech (PDF, 125 KB) 16:40 Representative Cherepanov begins his speech in the debate. He believes that if the court leaves the Witnesses Jehovah's in the legal field, Russia will not only not suffer damage, but on the contrary will improve its reputation both internally as well as in the international arena. Decisions against Jehovah's Witnesses have been appealed to the ECHR and the Committee on Jehovah's Witnesses human rights at the United Nations. 16:45 \"We have had good cooperation with the Ministry of Justice for decades,\" Cherepanov said. \"I think the Ministry of Justice should to feel in a sense our intercessor, he has registered us!\" To representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Cherepanov says: \"Let's be friends! Don't turn into a punitive body. Us We don't want to sue you, we ask you to help us, and not look for an excuse to shut us down.\" 16:47 Cherepanov talks about the problem of denigrating the good name of Jehovah's Witnesses in the media. Various are attributed to Atrocities, such as the \"seizure of apartments\". Proving the falsity of this myth, Cherepanov recalls the biblical the commandment, \"Thou shalt not covet that which is not theirs.\" 16:50 \"The strength of a powerful state is precisely to protect the interests of the minority, because the majority will stand up for themselves.\"\nFull text of Sergey Cherepanov's speech 16:55 Defendant's representative Kalin speaks: \"With an unfounded and ill-considered accusation, the Ministry of Justice not only It humiliates itself and its functions, but it humiliates the entire state in the eyes of the international community. If you have Dear representative of the Ministry of Justice, I have personal convictions that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, I am very much What a pity. If a representative of the Ministry of Justice has become a victim of the circumstances in which he has found himself, and is forced to comply with the just the role of the accuser, I'm sorry too. But in both cases, you will have to answer to your own conscience.\" 16:56 Kalin reminds us of our responsibility before God and says: \"I would like to take this opportunity to endure warning to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Justice. Please come to your senses! Please come to your senses!\"\nFull text of Vasily Kalin's speech (PDF, 46 KB) 17:00 The parties exchange remarks. 17:01 The representative of the Ministry of Justice reminds that the essence of the lawsuit is to liquidate a legal entity, the Ministry of Justice does not makes claims against individuals. The Ministry of Justice reminds the court of the testimony of one of the plaintiff's witnesses, who has been expelled from the religious community. The Ministry of Justice considers this a violation of citizens' rights. In the reciprocal Zhenkov reminds that at one time the Russian Orthodox Church excommunicated the church writer Leo Tolstoy. In modern times, the Russian Orthodox Church has refused to overturn the excommunication decision, despite petitions hereof. This is an internal matter of the church. Zhenkov asks if the Ministry of Justice intends to present any charges against the Russian Orthodox Church requirements. 17:09 The court retires to the deliberation room. 17:18 The hall is filled with television journalists. 18:25 The court is still in the deliberation room. The hall is waiting for the announcement of the judicial act. 18:50 The Supreme Court Decided to Liquidate the Centralized Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as all 395 local religious organizations of this religion.\nThe believers have already begun to prepare a complaint to the appellate instance (a panel consisting of three judges Supreme Court), which should be considered within a month.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-04-05T00:00:00Z","duration":"4:39","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_9d67c8ae7ae4d932.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_891f148a822e175b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/05/152/frame_for_jw-russia_hu_70aeee307af5dae5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/05/151.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","courtroom","liquidation","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Reporting: Supreme Court hearings case banning religion of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"video"},{"body":"On April 4, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed with the Supreme Court of Russia \"Objections to the Administrative Claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\" Having stated the objections in 254 points, the believers ask the court to dismiss the statement of claim of the Ministry of Justice in full.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-04-04T13:54:49+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/04/128/supremecourt-02_0_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/04/128.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","complaints","liquidation","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Filed Formal Objections to the Justice Ministry's Lawsuit with the Supreme Court ","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 4, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed with the Supreme Court of Russia \"Objections to the Administrative Claim of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\" Having stated the objections in 254 points, the believers ask the court to dismiss the statement of claim of the Ministry of Justice in full.\n","date":"2017-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/242.html","regions":[],"tags":["complaints","liquidation"],"title":"Objections to the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia on the liquidation of all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"docs"},{"body":"All 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, which the Ministry of Justice intended to ban behind their backs, filed applications with the Supreme Court to join the case as co-defendants.\nUnder the current legislation, all local religious organizations are separate legal entities, with separate property, which are not structural subdivisions, branches or representative offices of each other. With the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" they are united only by unity in doctrine and internal canonical relations.\nThe vast majority of these organizations have never been accused of violating the law. They wonder why the Ministry of Justice demands their liquidation, prohibition and recognition as \"extremist\", especially behind their backs. They are especially concerned about the fact that after the liquidation of organizations, believers find themselves in the position of dangerous criminals, \"extremists\" who can be prosecuted only for reading the Bible together, as shown by the criminal \"Case of Sixteen\" in Taganrog.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-31T22:29:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/125/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18844_hu_22a9e60446da2358.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/125/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18844.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/125/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18844_hu_cc9a8c0401bd5a01.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/125/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18844_hu_762bf30516925780.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/125.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro"],"title":"A total of 395 applications filed with the Supreme Court from local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses to intervene in the case","type":"news"},{"body":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia appealed to the court against the order of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to suspend the activities of all 396 registered organizations of this religion in Russia. The order was issued by the Ministry of Justice simultaneously with the filing of a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban all these organizations.\nAlthough this suspension order applies to all 396 organizations, the Ministry of Justice sent it to only one of them, the \"Administrative Center\", and even then, judging by the stamp on the envelope, only 5 days after it was signed.\nBelievers hope that the court will invalidate this order.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-31T22:27:12+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_adcc474ea0ed0450.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_6389c68654f9424b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/124/gavel3845_hu_129bc46f39cb308.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/124.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses appealed to the court against the order of the Ministry of Justice to suspend the activities of their organizations","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I have experience with Jehovah's Witnesses, and quite extensive. I know them as gentle people and very convinced in their views, but this does not distinguish them from many others.\nTo call extremism the idea that your religion is true and someone else's false, or to call it terrorism, is, frankly, absurd. I can't imagine that at least some country agreed with this. I fully share the conviction that the Russian government is behaving in this situation in an extreme way.\nThere is nothing in the case evidence that I have read, on which the charges against Jehovah's Witnesses are based, that would in any way support the accusations of extremism.\nRecognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists will do nothing to help Russia consolidate its reputation as a civilized country. Any decision against Jehovah's Witnesses will affect others. It will be a red flag for everyone - if you disagree with the Russian authorities, you are at risk. This is a direct signal: you need to do what you are told, you need to refrain from expressing your views and not have beliefs that are at odds with the state ideology. This application of the law forms an image of religious freedom in Russia as extremely negative: \"You can believe in anything, as long as you believe in what I tell you.\"\nIn my opinion, this is a shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose.\nOf course, Jehovah's Witnesses can appeal to the Strasbourg Court. This, of course, will take time and a lot. But such draconian, extraordinary measures, as well as the irreparable consequences of confiscation of property, should prompt the Strasbourg Court to maintain their status quo until the case is heard. Of course, it will be a very difficult time, and they will be persecuted even more than before.\nHaving worked with them, I find the idea that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or dangerous to society to be extremely strange. Perhaps someone is irritated by them. But irritation is not a reason to close them or deprive them of their rights.\nRichard Clayton, Queen's Counsel, UK Representative to the Venice Commission.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-31T11:02:58+03:00","duration":"2:55","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/123/photo_clayton_hu_d3de5570ba49f98.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/123/photo_clayton.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/123/photo_clayton_hu_4518e956a91f1f29.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/123/photo_clayton_hu_f474dfd206a3c6aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/123.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","human-rights-defenders","expert-comments","video"],"title":"Richard Clayton: \"A shocking example of how a bad law is being used for an even worse purpose\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"I worked closely with Russia, which is an active member of the OSCE and which has done a lot in the interests of persecuted Christians around the world. Therefore, it seems to me somewhat paradoxical that the problems of religious freedom now exist within Russia itself. As I understand it, the law used against Jehovah's Witnesses is the law on countering extremism. And it is quite understandable that Russia is concerned about problems related to extremism because of its geopolitical position and the fight against terrorism. However, religious freedom is a fragile concept and the definition of extremism can easily be turned against groups that are not particularly popular, and it is usually a test of the quality of religious freedom in a country.\nI have been studying Jehovah's Witnesses for 40 years, and it is especially important that they are a \"peaceful community,\" to put it formally in the terminology of historians and sociologists. They are peaceful people who reject violence and have never used violence themselves. The only connection between Jehovah's Witnesses and violence is that they are victims of violence. The Nazi regime murdered more than 2,000 Jehovah's Witnesses. Here is a well-known fact that testifies to their peacefulness: when Jehovah's Witnesses were in concentration camps, they were the only prisoners whom the Nazis allowed to visit as barbers, because only they could be trusted with a dangerous razor, confident that they would not use the blade against Nazi guards. As can be seen, Jehovah's Witnesses are a supremely peaceful community.\nAnd now, as far as I know, they are sometimes accused of extremism under Russian law, because their publications claim that they are the only true religion. But there are two observations in this regard. First, a certain emphatic style of writing is characteristic of religious literature in general. This can be found in the Holy Quran of Muslims, and in the Old Testament in the Bible. Second, Jehovah's Witnesses are not in favor of being treated better by states or governments than by members of any other religion.\nTherefore, I believe that declaring Jehovah's Witnesses extremists is based on a misinterpretation of what is the typical literary style of their publications. Banning and discriminating against Jehovah's Witnesses in any way would be a mistake and a danger to the religious freedom of many other groups. This would tarnish the image of Russia, both as a government and as a country, which does a lot in an international forum, advocating for religious freedom for persecuted Christians in many countries of the world.\nDr. Massimo Introvigne, Founding Director of the International Centre for the Study of New Religions (Italy), has served as OSCE Commissioner for Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination since 2011. ","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-30T17:06:47+03:00","duration":"3:39","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/122/photo_introvigne_hu_eba3e5243957c140.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/122/photo_introvigne.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/122/photo_introvigne_hu_7ed8f745b039233.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/122/photo_introvigne_hu_a5634848975d3499.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/122.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","video"],"title":"Massimo Introvigne: \"The only connection between Jehovah's Witnesses and violence is that they are victims of violence\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"During the years when I served as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, I often came into contact with Jehovah's Witnesses in different countries during fact-finding missions, because Jehovah's Witnesses are one of the communities that is most threatened, while society as a whole ignores their situation. Therefore, it is especially important that we learn about the tragedy that is now unfolding there.\nIf we talk about legislation on extremism, everyone agrees that it is important to fight extremist tendencies, but the concept of \"extremism\" remains completely blurred. Which creates a kind of access for the authorities, a loophole, an excuse to do what they want. And Jehovah's Witnesses are the perfect scapegoat.\nAfter all, many people regard them with suspicion: Jehovah's Witnesses are active, engaged in missionary work. Not everyone likes it — even if they do it exclusively for peaceful purposes — but they exercise their right to freedom of religion and belief.\nIf Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, then we are all extremists.\nThis is an example of legislation so vague that it gives the authorities carte blanche to prosecute anyone.\nAll this creates an atmosphere of fear, threat, and, of course, contradicts the letter and spirit of human rights. So the people of Russia and the entire international community should pay close attention to what is happening there.\nThis affects all Russians, because the more space is taken away from minorities, the more democracy itself is at risk.\nEither we have a space where freedom of religion or belief can be exercised without imposition, intimidation and absurd threats in the name of fighting extremism, or this space will shrink more and more. And we have already seen this in many countries. If the state makes a religious community a target, a scapegoat, it reduces the scope for all. Therefore, it is in the interest of all religious communities to have space for the free expression of their faith. Including the majority, because the freedom to talk about one's faith is freedom of religion. At the end of the day, it serves the interests of the majority, even if they don't understand it.\"\nDr. Heiner Bielefeldt, Professor at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Since 2010, he has served as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-30T14:42:42+03:00","duration":"2:58","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/121/photo_bielefeldt_hu_8d136ed69f111c3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/121/photo_bielefeldt.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/121/photo_bielefeldt_hu_779475c7a815a7f7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/121/photo_bielefeldt_hu_cd700229e6e9aa41.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/121.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","video"],"title":"Heiner Bielefeldt: \"If Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, then we are all extremists\"","type":"video"},{"body":"The Ministry of Justice demands that all 396 registered Jehovah's Witnesses organizations in Russia, including 22 organizations in Crimea, be liquidated, recognized as extremist, banned and confiscated. For the 8,000 believers on the peninsula who have been practicing their religion freely for decades, the news came as a complete surprise.\nThese 22 local religious organizations (LROs) of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Republic of Crimea were registered at the initiative of the Russian authorities in May 2015. Since then, they have not received any complaints, fines or warnings from the state. Therefore, they are extremely perplexed about the initiative of the Ministry of Justice to ban them and recognize them as extremist.\nThe most outrageous thing is that the Ministry of Justice considered it possible to outlaw all these organizations - behind their backs, without involvement in the case. The statement of claim, with a great delay, was sent only to the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\"\nFor this reason, 22 Crimean LROS filed applications with the Supreme Court to involve them in the case as an administrative co-defendant. They recall that in the Russian Federation the right to judicial protection is one of the fundamental inalienable rights.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-30T11:10:26+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/120/cremea1727_hu_210f45f28c657047.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/120/cremea1727.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/120/cremea1727_hu_f2a5127837e9fd13.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/120/cremea1727_hu_7bba42f4c0f541aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/120.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mro"],"title":"Applications from 22 Crimean organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses have been submitted to the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"\"I believe that this lawsuit, of course, violates the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience, since Jehovah's Witnesses can hardly be called an extremist organization. Jehovah's Witnesses have not been seen in any terrorist attacks or malicious intentions. The Witnesses do not call for any military action, terrorist organizations, or disobedience.\nThey try to accuse witnesses of not donating blood. But there are a lot of Orthodox groups, or Muslim, or Jewish, especially those who treat blood with care in the same way, considering it a sacred carrier of the soul, for example. So you can go far.\nI think, of course, that the Witnesses are persecuted for only one reason - that they, working on the principle of \"from person to person\", are a serious competitor to the Russian Orthodox Church in a number of regions. And I believe that Jehovah's Witnesses, as an organization that originated in Russia in the nineteenth century, are, if not traditional, then at least primordially Russian organizations. Its U.S. branch, Watchtower, cannot determine the faces of this organization, just as the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia cannot determine the faces of Russian Orthodoxy.\nJehovah's Witnesses sat in Stalin's camps, in Nazi camps and, in general, firmly and strongly professed their faith. Those who have personally encountered the Witnesses in their personal lives, when it was not about religious matters, but simply about human relations, know that, as a rule, they are very decent, honest people who do not steal, do not drink, who can be trusted.\nIf it is possible to ban an organization whose members make up hundreds of thousands of people in this way, then it is possible to repress other religious or social ideological groups quite easily. I believe that this is arbitrariness, and it is impossible to agree with this arbitrariness. And it is necessary to protect the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation who are members of this religious organization in a legal way.\nAnd modern persecution seems to me simply absurd. I do not understand what their relevance is even for those who initiate them. Just tick the box, or what? That we will strangle those who have been strangled? It seems to me that this is an extremely unpleasant manner of the Russian law enforcement agencies and the legal system. Here, obviously, there is the hand of influential public organizations, the Moscow Patriarchate and high officials sympathetic to it in the special services, who believe that by banning the Witnesses, they are fulfilling some kind of alleged duty to Russian Orthodoxy.\nTherefore, to be honest, I consider the ban unconstitutional, violating the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience and the very essence of the law on extremist activity.\"\nMaxim Shevchenko, President of the Center for Strategic Studies of Religions and Politics of the Modern World, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-29T16:06:59+03:00","duration":"3:20","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_45ce4951d00746f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_5c50837dd70338bb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/118/photo_shevchenko_hu_20bac465689863c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/118.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Maksym Shevchenko: \"This lawsuit violates the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"I have been researching Jehovah's Witnesses for many years. I visited Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, in the USA, in England, in Copenhagen, in Denmark. I have talked with many of Jehovah's Witnesses. They are a religious minority, but a minority that coexists peacefully with the rest of society. They go to the same schools, work in regular jobs. They do not separate themselves from society, but adapt to it.\nThe law on extremism is rather vague, it was created with the specific purpose of preventing incitement to violence and hatred on racial or religious grounds. But the law does not say what types of actions are extremist.\nJehovah's Witnesses are a Christian organization, and Christianity by its nature claims to be exclusive. This means that Christian organizations claim to possess the absolute truth. If the extremists are Jehovah's Witnesses, then most Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant versions of Christianity can be called the same.\nJehovah's Witnesses are known for their opposition to violence, especially for their refusal to serve in the military and not to carry weapons. And yet there is a law accusing Jehovah's Witnesses of inciting violence, which in itself is ironic.\nState laws on religious movements are often problematic, especially with regard to the worldviews of religious movements. Because such laws often apply to some currents, and do not apply to others, although they have a very similar worldview.\nDr. Annika Hvithamar, religious scholar, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen (Denmark).\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-29T14:41:43+03:00","duration":"1:58","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/117/foto_hvithamar_hu_592b1429f987ed5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/117/foto_hvithamar.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/117/foto_hvithamar_hu_655cf842f017938c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/117/foto_hvithamar_hu_ae56697ddd900640.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/117.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","international-community","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","video"],"title":"Annika Vitamar: \"If Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, then most versions of Christianity can be called the same\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"The religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany is quite famous. Largely due to their preaching activities. But there are also many prejudices against them. In particular, for this reason, the process of recognizing Jehovah's Witnesses as a public law corporation has been so delayed. On the other hand, in the course of all court proceedings, all arguments were exhausted and it was proved that prejudices against Jehovah's Witnesses were unfounded. So now—and I'm happy about that—Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany are recognized by both the court and the state authorities as the official religion, and thus equated with the big churches.\nI must say that in Germany there is no such legal concept as extremism. I can only guess what is meant by this in Russia. For example, in Germany, this may mean some acts of violence with political overtones, that a crime is committed for political reasons. If the term \"extremism\" is applied to Jehovah's Witnesses in this sense, then it is completely absurd.\nEveryone knows that Jehovah's Witnesses do not pursue political goals. By the way, I can say about Germany, here, I think, there are few groups whose crime rate is lower than that of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOf course, Jehovah's Witnesses have their own ideas about morality, which seem strict in many respects compared to German ideas. For example, strict sexual morality or conservative, from the point of view of the majority, view of the family. However, I don't know what extremism has to do with it.\nI can't imagine that a court with enough information could come to the conclusion that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists or could be politically dangerous.\nIn addition, do not forget that in Russia there is also a Constitutional Court. I don't know if you can contact him. But what I do know is that it was absolutely right and legal of us to do everything possible to convey the information, as I am doing at the moment, that Jehovah's Witnesses, as far as we know, are in no way connected with politics.\nIn addition, it is worth recalling that Jehovah's Witnesses were banned only by dictatorial regimes, for example, Nazi Germany. And I don't think today's Russia is like that.\"\nDr. Hubert Seiwert, Professor Emeritus of Comparative Religious Studies at the University of Leipzig (Germany).\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-29T11:42:40+03:00","duration":"4:07","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/116/foto_seiwert_hu_5939c3b323ecc2bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/116/foto_seiwert.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/116/foto_seiwert_hu_2f5a1d76435a006d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/116/foto_seiwert_hu_4f3b562208b00f9a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/116.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","international-community","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders","eu"],"title":"Hubert Seiwert: \"Prejudice against Jehovah's Witnesses is unfounded\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"One of the first laws of the new Russia was the law of October 18, 1991 on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression. Those who were deported were subject to rehabilitation. This was mainly true of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was the 91st year. What has changed during this time? Have Jehovah's Witnesses changed? No. What has changed in our country during this time? Otherwise, how can one explain this rash, to put it mildly, act on the part of the Ministry of Justice, which resulted in the issuance of this lawsuit to liquidate and ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses? What are the consequences if this claim is satisfied? The Criminal Code establishes liability for participation in or organization of activities prohibited as an extremist organization, and such severe sanctions as the article \"for participation\" - from 2 to 6, \"for organization\" - from 6 to 10 years in prison!\nAre there really no analysts behind these controlling, or supervisory, bodies that are behind this lawsuit? No experts? Is there really no one who can say today what it will lead to tomorrow? Here is the first step. The next steps - they follow from what has already been done. If it was banned today, then tomorrow - what should be? There should be criminal prosecution. Now many people comment on today's circumstances in relation to your religious association, saying: \"Come on! Yes, it is unlikely that anyone will go for it. Will these landings begin?\" I say that it will be simply inevitable.\nThis has already been tested. As you remember, in 2015 in Taganrog, when the local community was banned in 2009, in 2012 they made operational filming, recorded the fact of holding a meeting, opened a case, the case dragged on for a long time and at the end of 2015 they reached a court verdict. And even if it was fines, even if it was a suspended sentence, but it was guilty verdicts. That was, one might say, the touchstone. And now what? Now it is no longer Taganrog. This is not a single community. This is already all over Russia. So? Will there be landings all over Russia today? They are inevitable if today... Now, today there is still time to come to your senses - there are less than two weeks left - to come to your senses and stop. And, probably, it would be more noble to take a step back, because the consequences of what can happen are unpredictable.\nMany people now think that Jehovah's Witnesses are on the list of undesirables, and this will not affect us, then it seems to me that we should not flatter ourselves. And again, just a look at history — the history of persecution for religious beliefs. It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then affected everyone. What happens, probably, is ... that you can say, \"Take care of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Because it will all turn against the rest.\nAnd that's where I started - about the recognition of victims of political repression. And then, in 1991, the same Jehovah's Witnesses were given certificates, such beautiful books that so-and-so was recognized as a victim of political repression. And according to this certificate, certain benefits were relied upon. And what about today? Go back and revise the law on rehabilitation? Maybe cancel it? Or should the Witnesses simply collect all these IDs and hand them back? I really want to believe that, after all, common sense and truth - they will prevail.\nVladimir Vasilyevich Ryakhovsky, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Managing Partner of the Slavic Legal Center Law Firm, Director of the Non-Profit Partnership Slavic Legal Center, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, member of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, member of the Public Collegium for Press Complaints, member of the editorial board of the journal Religion and Law.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-27T13:46:59+03:00","duration":"5:00","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_a9aecc8e621c45e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_5c5c1bbfbc6aa05c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/112/ryahovskii-1_hu_f4bb98198db43d21.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/112.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Vladimir Ryakhovsky: \"It always started with Jehovah's Witnesses and then affected everyone\" ","type":"video"},{"body":"\"From my point of view, the federal executive bodies, such as the Ministry of Justice, made a colossal legal mistake and ... religious. The whole history shows that an attempt to ban, liquidate does not lead to anything. It's just that Jehovah's Witnesses will be underground.\nAnd when I communicate with believers, with clergy, they ask me a question, in fact, rhetorical: \"Anatoly Vasilyevich, what is happening?\" This is a colossal mistake of the federal executive authorities. I'm not even talking about the fact that elementary constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens are violated. Article 28 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, is simply trampled on, it is simply ignored.\nJehovah's Witnesses exist all over the world today. And even Nazi Germany, which created its Auschwitz camp for them, or in Polish it is called Auschwitz, where one million four hundred thousand people were killed, was created for Jehovah's Witnesses. They wore a purple triangle... And how did it end? This ended with the collapse of Nazism. But other states have drawn the right conclusions from this. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses exist and operate unhindered in Germany and other European countries. But why is this happening here? I ask myself this question. And I am absolutely sure that this will not lead to anything good.\nI may not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, but today I am in favor of defending them, because the violation of rights begins here.\nAnd I would also like to remind you of the well-known words – they may sound trite, but they should be repeated more often – of the well-known priest Martin Niemöller, by the way, a German Lutheran priest, who said: \"At first they came for the Communists, but I kept silent. Then they came for the Jews, but I kept silent, because I was not a Jew either. They came for the Catholics - I said nothing. And when they came for me, there was no one to say a word in my defense.\" So, do not be silent. If we say that we are a state governed by the rule of law, we are a state where human rights and freedoms are guaranteed, where the law has the force of supremacy, then let's raise our voices in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses!\"\nAnatoly Vasilyevich Pchelintsev, Honorary Advocate of Russia, Senior Partner of the Slavic Legal Center Law Firm, Editor-in-Chief of the Religion and Law magazine, Doctor of Law, Member of the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, Member of the Commission for Improvement of Legislation and Law Enforcement Practice of the Council for Cooperation with Religious Associations under the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-26T18:26:38+03:00","duration":"2:34","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_906cc9eabc6e6858.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_626e37d863d133c3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/111/pchelintsev-1_hu_4cb3a16863b4c599.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/111.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Anatoly Pchelintsev: \"Let's raise our voice in defense of Jehovah's Witnesses!\"","type":"video"},{"body":"\"As a human rights activist, I cannot help but be outraged by this decision. Do you want to make these hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens extremists? This is against our Constitution! They pretend that it is a sect, that they are extremists, etc. But the extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses is expressed in the fact that they consider their faith to be true. But, excuse me, what believer does not consider his faith to be true? Jehovah's Witnesses is a church that has branches in many countries. They everywhere freely profess their faith and nowhere are they considered extremists. And we have Jehovah's Witnesses, as sincerely believing people, they are very exemplary citizens - hard-working, honestly treating their families, their children... Will we really sink to such a shame that not only those generations of Jehovah's Witnesses who were in camps in Soviet times, but also those Russian citizens are exemplary citizens, I say again, hard-working, honest, moral! - Who live now, will also go to the camps?! It's going to be a shame! A great shame in front of its citizens. And a disgrace at the international level. This is not just another mistake, but, I believe, a crime of the Ministry of Justice - to declare this church extremist.\"\nAlekseeva Lyudmila Mikhailovna, Chairman of the Moscow Helsinki Group, member of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-24T17:27:00+03:00","duration":"2:12","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_bfa1f6a275a40fd6.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_543661cd1efbf03e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/110/alekseeva-1_hu_14003898f532a7c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/110.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["expert-comments","administrative-center","mro"],"title":"Lyudmila Alekseeva: \"Not just a mistake, but, I think, a crime\"","type":"video"},{"body":"On March 21, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia appealed to the Supreme Court of Russia with a request that a courtroom capable of accommodating 200 or more people be provided for the hearing of the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, and that persons present in the courtroom be allowed to make video recordings of the court session.\n\"In itself, the submission of such an unprecedented application to the court is an extraordinary event for Russia, attention to which is riveted not only throughout Russia, but throughout the world, since Jehovah's Witnesses are not only a well-known and recognized religion in Russia, but also a world-famous Christian religion professed in the vast majority of countries and territories of the world. After posting this information on the website of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia receive numerous requests to clarify the date and time of the hearing from representatives of local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses, state bodies ... - says one of the petitions - the media, human rights organizations, representatives of embassies of various countries, believers and other persons. consideration of this case\".\nThe hearings will begin on April 5, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in the Supreme Court of Russia, located at 13 Povarskaya Street, Moscow. The nearest metro stations: Barrikadnaya and Arbatskaya.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-23T10:13:10+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_22a9e60446da2358.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_cc9a8c0401bd5a01.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/109/141008_moscow_sc_rf_18426_hu_762bf30516925780.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/109.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro","administrative-center","liquidation"],"title":"A petition was filed for a spacious hall and video filming at a hearing in the Supreme Court of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The unprecedented news was the reason for this appeal. The Ministry of Justice set out to shut down and criminalize an entire religion, Jehovah's Witnesses. A lawsuit has already been filed with the Supreme Court of Russia. They are asking for the death penalty for all three hundred and ninety-six of our organizations, including our Administrative Center! We are talking about liquidation and recognition of them as extremist.\nA special clause is to confiscate all their houses of worship and other property from believers! Moreover, the Ministry of Justice wants to do this immediately.\nFor the 175,000 followers of our religion, this may be the most troubling period of their lives.\nI remember an April night in 1951. Then eight and a half thousand believers of our religion, that is, almost ALL, were deprived of their homes, loaded into wagons and taken to Siberia for eternal settlement. The lives of thousands of believers were irreparably broken. Hundreds and hundreds passed through the camps. But they did not renounce their faith. And they didn't harden. They always remained peaceful people, as Christ commanded. Subsequently, the state recognized us as victims of political repression. And how blasphemous it is for us to find ourselves in the position of dangerous criminals again!\nIf the Ministry of Justice gets its way, believers will face up to 10 years in prison! Recently, after the liquidation of the registered community in Taganrog, 16 of our brothers and sisters in the faith were sentenced to heavy fines, and some even to 5-year suspended imprisonment just for reading the Bible together. A new charge can lead them to real terms.\nFor what? What are these people to blame for? That they seem to be \"wrongly\" studying the Bible? That they regard their faith as the only true one? Or are they guilty of not resorting to violence by following the Gospel commandment to \"sheath your sword\"?\nThe accusation of extremism against Jehovah's Witnesses is absurd and savagery.\nWe ask you, who can influence the course of events, to face the facts objectively and impartially.\nFinally, I recall the episode described in the Acts of the Apostles. Christians were tried on false accusations. One of the judges of the Supreme Court, the Sanhedrin, said of them to his colleagues: \"Leave these people alone, let them go. If their purpose and their work are from men, it will perish of its own accord, but if it is from God, you will not destroy them. And how would it not turn out that you are struggling with God himself! (Acts 5:38, 39)\nVasily Kalin, Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2017-03-21T13:28:27+03:00","duration":"3:10","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_db3891107dc34ea0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_bc4b4e4be0cbaf2b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/108/kalin_statement_hu_c6001373cfb134d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/108.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","ussr"],"title":"Vasily Kalin's Urgent Video Message in Connection with the Lawsuit to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"video"},{"body":"Liquidate not only the Administrative Center, but also all 395 local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Immediately confiscate all houses of worship belonging to these organizations. Recognize the Administrative Center as an extremist organization and prohibit its activities. This is sought by the Ministry of Justice, the body that determines religious policy in the country.\nThe believers learned about the plans of the Ministry of Justice in the office of the Supreme Court of Russia, having familiarized themselves with the text of the statement of claim. The court has already set a hearing date of April 5, 2017.\n\"If the Ministry of Justice gets its way, any of the 175,000 believers could face up to 10 years in prison simply for practicing their faith,\" says Vasily Kalin of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, \"Recently, after the liquidation of a registered community in Taganrog, 16 of our brothers and sisters in faith were sentenced to heavy fines, and some even to 5-year suspended imprisonment just for reading the Bible together. That was an illustration.\"\nIt is noteworthy that 66 years ago, also in April, the Stalinist government conducted an operation codenamed \"North\".\n\"I remember the April night of 1951,\" says Vasily Kalin, \"Then eight and a half thousand believers of our religion, that is, almost all, were deprived of their homes and taken to Siberia for eternal settlement. The lives of thousands of believers were irreparably broken. Hundreds and hundreds passed through the camps. But they did not renounce their faith. And they didn't harden. They always remained peaceful people, as Christ commanded. Subsequently, the state recognized us as victims of political repression. And how blasphemous it is for us to find ourselves in the position of dangerous criminals again!\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-20T19:12:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_4dfef4cf69bee559.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_56cfff11a8110362.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/107/170316_solnechnoe_2405_hu_225d547f117a5726.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/107.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","ussr"],"title":"Unprecedented news: The Ministry of Justice of Russia is seeking an immediate and total ban on a major religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed an application with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with a request to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia without movement due to non-compliance with the rules for filing a statement of claim.\nThe law requires the plaintiff, who has state powers, to first notify the defendant, and only then submit documents to the court. But in violation of this norm, the believers learned about the filing of a lawsuit for the liquidation (!) of their Administrative Center from the media, and after 2 days they still have not received a copy of the lawsuit. In these circumstances, the administrative statement of claim should be left without movement, since the principle of adversarial and equality of the parties to administrative proceedings has been grossly violated.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-17T13:57:43+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_a6c77d8b5d33902.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_1a62d67719250830.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/106/supremecourt-03399_hu_a191de202c102016.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/106.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","liquidation","mro","administrative-center"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Ask the Supreme Court to Dismiss the Justice Ministry's Lawsuit","type":"news"},{"body":"Expert Natalia Kryukova, against whom an application for initiation of a criminal case has been filed, talks about the intricacies of her methods for detecting extremism. Video duration 00:05:56.\n","category":"opinion","date":"2017-03-16T11:40:46+03:00","duration":"5:56","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/105/ekspert_kryukova_1_hu_d08b1994380d983d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/105/ekspert_kryukova_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/105/ekspert_kryukova_1_hu_69aba2644e5f8abc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/105/ekspert_kryukova_1_hu_6aef23dcf159d050.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/105.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["studies-violations"],"title":"Video: An expert on extremism talks about his methods of work","type":"video"},{"body":"On the website of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, information appeared that the Ministry of Justice of Russia filed a lawsuit to recognize the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" as an extremist organization, liquidate and ban activities. However, the religious organization did not receive the relevant documents. Millions of believers around the world consider the ministry's actions a big mistake. If successful, the lawsuit would have disastrous consequences for religious freedom in Russia, directly affecting about 400 registered local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and would affect all 2,277 religious groups across the country, uniting 175,000 followers of this religion.\nExtremism is profoundly alien to the biblically based beliefs and morals of Jehovah's Witnesses. The persecution of peaceful believers under anti-extremist legislation is based on outright falsifications, unprofessionalism of individual \"experts\" and, as a result, on judicial errors.\nBanning the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses center may result in criminal prosecution of believers simply for practicing their religion - reading the Bible together, singing and praying. This was clearly shown by the sensational criminal case of sixteen believers, men, women and minors, who were sentenced to heavy fines and more than 5 years of suspended imprisonment after the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" was recognized as extremist and liquidated.\n\"Our prosecutors are carried away by the game of building a tower that is destined to collapse ,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the steering committee of the religious organization . For alleged incitement to rebellion, the first Christians were persecuted and Christ himself was executed, and God did not like it. Modern oppression for faith in Russia is also by no means a godly deed.\"\nVasily Kalin, chairman of the organization's steering committee, said: \"Each of us, Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, only sincerely wants to worship our God peacefully. Unfortunately, for more than 100 years, the authorities in Russia have been trampling on their own legislation guaranteeing us this right. In Stalin's time, when I was still a child, our entire family was exiled to Siberia simply because we were Jehovah's Witnesses. It's a shame and sadness that my children and grandchildren will have to face something similar.\"\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-16T10:30:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_ca7c681ea1c3e89a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_b68d14b08b547a1c.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_ba9320e5cf931b7a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/104/bethel-1393_hu_369742a4928c75ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/104.html","regions":["moscow","stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","administrative-center"],"title":"A lawsuit has been filed with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 13, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, acting in accordance with Article 16 of the Law \"On Protection of the Rights of Legal Entities\", sent Objections to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation regarding the Inspection Act of February 27, 2017. Jehovah's Witnesses did not violate applicable laws, including the law on extremism.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-03-16T09:39:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/103/proverka_minyusta386_hu_feeff6e55b8a5ab5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/103/proverka_minyusta386.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/103/proverka_minyusta386_hu_6f6527ac567af45c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/103/proverka_minyusta386_hu_6ed0f6925cfaad1f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/103.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["liquidation"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses did not agree with the conclusions of the inspection of the Ministry of Justice of Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 16, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia filed an application with the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation with a request to leave the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia without movement due to non-compliance with the rules for filing a statement of claim.\n","date":"2017-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/235.html","regions":[],"tags":["complaints","liquidation"],"title":"Statement on the dismissal of the claim of the Ministry of Justice of Russia on the liquidation of all organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 13, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, acting in accordance with Article 16 of the Law \"On Protection of the Rights of Legal Entities\", sent Objections to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation regarding the Inspection Act of February 27, 2017. Jehovah's Witnesses did not violate applicable laws, including the law on extremism.\n","date":"2017-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/237.html","regions":[],"tags":["complaints","liquidation"],"title":"Objections to the Conclusions of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on the Violation of the Law on Extremism Following the Inspection of the Jehovah's Witnesses Center","type":"docs"},{"body":"It was illegal to suspend the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh. On March 2, 2017, the Voronezh Regional Court overturned the corresponding decision of the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Voronezh, Alexander Kuryanov. During 7 sessions, the higher court carefully studied the case materials and the testimony of witnesses from the prosecution and defense. The court considered the event of the offense unproven, and the testimony of witnesses on whom the accusations against the organization were based was contradictory!\nThe believers' lawyers drew the court's attention to obvious signs of forgery: four brochures submitted to the FSEM were hidden between the wall and the stand, and also shoved under the carpet at night. Recall that on October 9, 2016 , during a service with the participation of 650 local Jehovah's Witnesses, the police entered the premises. Law enforcement officers began to look for \"extremist materials\" in an unusual place - in the decorative colors that decorated the stage. What was the surprise of believers when the police \"found\" there, under the carpet pinned to the floor, hidden books included in the list of extremist materials.\nJehovah's Witnesses do not use materials that have been deemed \"extremist\" as a result of a series of miscarriages of justice. They strongly oppose any form of extremism that is deeply alien to their biblically based beliefs and morals. Believers welcome the decision of the Voronezh Regional Court.\n","category":"victory","date":"2017-03-03T12:48:45+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/03/101/planting-11_0_0_hu_c56aba4f0612f110.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/03/101/planting-11_0_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/03/101/planting-11_0_0_hu_a3c8428f31f65d22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/03/101/planting-11_0_0_hu_14606c9310fe21c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/03/101.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","plant"],"title":"A higher court defended Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh","type":"news"},{"body":"In compliance with the current legislation on countering extremist activity, the Centralized Religious Organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" makes a public statement that it has nothing to do with the signs of extremism and events set forth in the judicial acts on bringing to administrative responsibility, as well as on the recognition of local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses that are part of its structure as extremist.\nThe religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" did not instruct local religious organizations within its structure, as well as individual believers, to distribute, store or otherwise use literature after it was included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe program of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia does not include the study of information materials prohibited by law.\nThe religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" does not agree with the actions of persons who bring publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials to the liturgical buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses. For each fact of planting banned literature, believers file a complaint with law enforcement agencies with a request to bring the perpetrators to justice.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-02-24T16:00:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/100.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","fsem"],"title":"Public Statement of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 15, 2017, the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia had to hand over more than 73,000 pages of internal documentation (pictured) to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. In the notice of an unscheduled inspection, the Ministry of Justice of Russia does not hide the fact that it acts at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. What does such a check mean?\nOn March 2, 2017, one year expires from the date of issuing a warning to the \"Administrative Center\" about the inadmissibility of extremist activities. In it, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia threatens to close a centralized religious organization if \"new facts\" of extremist activity are revealed within 12 months. The believers unsuccessfully tried to challenge the prosecutor's warning in the courts of various instances, proving the illegality and far-fetchedness of the accusations of Jehovah's Witnesses of extremism.\nDuring these 12 months, cases of falsification of evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses became significantly more frequent, primarily by planting printed \"extremist materials\" in worship buildings. In 2016 alone, there were at least 46 such throws, some recorded on surveillance cameras. Believers sent relevant statements to law enforcement agencies, however, instead of investigating them and identifying the perpetrators, the prosecutor's offices issued warnings to the believers themselves.\nTo outlaw Jehovah's Witnesses, the prosecutor's office uses a simplified scheme. A single planted pamphlet often amounts to a warning from a local religious organization (LRO). After that, within a year after the warning, due to new plantings, \"new facts\" of the extremist activities of this LRO are formed. On this completely fabricated basis, the LRO is liquidated. And the fact of the liquidation of the LRO is used to accuse the centralized organization of extremism. The warning to the Administrative Center was issued on this basis. And the Prosecutor General's Office, in its demand to the Ministry of Justice to conduct an unscheduled inspection, claims that \"new facts\" of extremist activities of the Administrative Center have already been established, since after a warning under the above scheme, several more LROS were liquidated.\nDoes the prosecutor's office intend to use this scheme against the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and liquidate it on trumped-up charges of extremism? This is not known, but all the necessary steps have already been taken by the Prosecutor General's Office.\n\"Now the Ministry of Justice, at the request of the Prosecutor General's Office, is thoroughly studying the property and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" says Yaroslav Sivulsky of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. We don't know. However, given that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is professed by hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, such a step would be a real disaster for rights and freedoms in our country. Without any exaggeration, this would throw us back to the dark times of oppression for the faith, which are still fresh in the memory of the older generation. I hope that doesn't happen.\"\n","category":"overview","date":"2017-02-23T16:04:47+03:00","duration":"3:49","image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_ef24575471d0aed5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_a958983d91ab6a83.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/99/for_jw-russia-3299_hu_ec89203c83d3a812.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/99.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-center","mro","plant","fsem"],"title":"The Ministry of Justice is launching a large-scale unscheduled inspection of the Jehovah's Witnesses Center. What does it mean?","type":"video"},{"body":"On February 10, 2017, in Nizhny Novgorod, a group of 15 law enforcement officers attended a service with the participation of about 100 Jehovah's Witnesses, which took place on Fuchik Street. The police immediately dispersed in the cloakroom, where one of the visitors put a brochure included in the list of extremist materials on a bench.\nThe believers warned the police about the inadmissibility of disrupting the service, but police captain (in civilian clothes) Igor Gorshkov walked with the whole group from the cloakroom to the Hall, where he demanded to stop reading the Bible, saying that otherwise it would be considered as disobedience and obstruction of the operational-investigative action!\nBelievers have no doubt that the intrusion of law enforcement officers was accompanied by a planting, because before the start of the service, they prudently inspected the building and clearly recorded in the \"Visual Inspection Report\" that there were no prohibited materials in it.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2017-02-14T17:24:19+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/97/planting-04247_hu_c52f95a2467eef61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/97/planting-04247.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/97/planting-04247_hu_427af605b1c3bfec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/97/planting-04247_hu_2e2bf73db380b43e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/97.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant"],"title":"In Nizhny Novgorod, law enforcement officers rudely disrupted a worship service. Planting a forbidden brochure","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 16, 2017, the Leninskiy District Court of Voronezh will consider an administrative case against a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is wrongfully accused of failing to notify the authorities of a worship service that took place on October 9, 2016 in a rented sports complex on Voroshilov Street. On that day, the police raided the worship service with a search (pictured). Believers are convinced that the case should be dismissed in the absence of an event of an administrative offense.\nThe law does not require the authorities to be notified of prayer and religious meetings, which was finally clarified by the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. In a ruling of December 5, 2012, the Constitutional Court, considering a complaint filed by the Commissioner for Human Rights on behalf of Jehovah's Witnesses, explained:\n\"The necessity to notify the authorized bodies of state power or bodies of local self-government of such a public religious event and to bear other encumbrances established by law by virtue of the mere fact that it is held outside the places specially designated for this purpose constitutes unlawful interference of the state in the sphere of freedom of conscience, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and recognized by Article 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and unjustified restriction of the right to freedom of assembly, not conditioned by the goals specified in Articles 17 and 55 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as in paragraph 2 of Article 11 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. [...]\nLaw enforcers, including courts, when considering controversial issues regarding the need to notify public authorities of holding public religious events in places other than those specified in paragraphs 1-4 of Article 16 of the Federal Law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\", including when deciding on the application of administrative liability for non-compliance with this requirement, should be guided by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this The resolution and in any case not to apply the procedure for holding rallies, demonstrations and processions to prayer and religious meetings held in non-residential premises, if neither the content of the religious event itself, nor the location of the non-residential premises require public authorities to take measures aimed at ensuring public order, security and tranquility of citizens\" (Resolution of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation of 05.12.2012 No. 30-P).\n","category":"administrative","date":"2017-02-14T17:22:55+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/96/planting-11_0_hu_89deb51a1b50e533.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/96/planting-11_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/96/planting-11_0_hu_6a6c2224d66152cc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/96/planting-11_0_hu_89fd52b2005041e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/96.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh are unreasonably charged with a new violation","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 7, 2017, an application was filed with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to initiate a criminal case against the prolific \"expert on extremism\" Natalia Nikolaevna Kryukova, the author of about 50 \"examinations\" against Jehovah's Witnesses. The evidence base sufficient to initiate a criminal case was collected by a lawyer who analyzed a number of high-profile cases related to believers of this religion.\nLawyer Viktor Zhenkov considers the activities of N. Kryukova to be a \"crime against justice\". Liability for such an offence, namely for giving false expert opinions to the court or the investigation, is provided for in article 307 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In addition, in the activities of the expert, the lawyer sees signs of incitement to hatred, violation of equality of human and civil rights and freedoms, violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion (Articles 282, 136, 148 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAccording to the lawyer, the expert, not even having a basic philological education, misled the courts by performing \"linguistic\" examinations of the printed publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as \"acts of speech activity\" of individual believers. (Natalia Nikolaevna is a mathematician and teacher by education.) Going beyond his competence, the expert cannot fail to understand that his actions lead to miscarriages of justice, which, in turn, hurt the lives of thousands of innocent people. One example is the long-term criminal prosecution of two believers in Sergiev Posad.\nIn addition, the expert's work uses the tactics of substituting the objects of study. For example, in the operative part of one of her examinations, N. Kryukova declares the presence of signs of \"extremism\" in the 115 printed publications listed by her, however, judging by the research part of the conclusion, the expert did not analyze them at all, but oral speech recorded on digital media, which is not related to 115 printed publications.\nThe actions of N. Kryukova in relation to her assessment of the Bible are indicative. According to lawyers, these actions can be qualified as forgery. To \"find\" signs of extremism in the Bible published by Jehovah's Witnesses (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, 2007), the expert turned to the book What Does the Bible Really Teach?, which in 2010 was included in the List of Extremist Materials under number 510 (the decision to include it is being challenged by the ECHR). Having discovered that this book is completely based on the Bible, the expert concludes: it means that the Bible itself is also \"extremist\"! (Certificate of study dated August 3, 2015).\nThere are more than enough such examples, since N. Kryukova's \"expertise\" is in demand by representatives of law enforcement agencies, who are increasing the indicators of the fight against extremism on law-abiding Jehovah's Witnesses. On February 21, 2014, N. Kryukova established her own organization \"Center for Socio-Cultural Expertise\". To participate in the preparation of examinations against Jehovah's Witnesses, N. Kryukova also attracts his like-minded people - V.I. Batov, A.E. Tarasov and V.S. Kotelnikov.\nAccording to the law, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is obliged to conduct an audit of the activities of \"experts\" and make a procedural decision.\n","category":"literature","date":"2017-02-09T17:21:34+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/95/legalcase218_hu_9b4f1f4c1b3f9a75.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/95/legalcase218.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/95/legalcase218_hu_28b7a7940287e308.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/95/legalcase218_hu_568e7e515bd54e11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/95.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["studies-violations","fabrications","slander","bible-ban","fsem"],"title":"The Investigative Committee received materials on an \"expert\" who denigrates Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On February 9, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation considered an appeal against the liquidation of a local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. The believers tried to prove to the court that the grounds for liquidation were grossly falsified. Unfortunately, the court ignored their arguments.\nHow was the evidence against the Birobidzhan LRO falsified?\nOn February 11, 2015, three police officers, as well as an FSB officer, interrupted a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses in a rented room. During the search, they \"found\" someone neatly camouflaged publications included in the FSEM. (Witnesses interviewed later testified that a stranger had entered the room before the service began.) On this basis, the district court fined the chairman of the LRO 4,000 rubles. The prosecutor issued a warning to the LRO about the inadmissibility of repeated \"violation\" of the law within 12 months.\nOn October 18, 2015 , believers discovered that someone had again planted banned books in the premises they rented for worship. They hurried to dispose of these items, and a few minutes later, apparently not by chance, the same police officers entered the room to search, but, of course, they could not find anything forbidden.\nOn January 21, 2016, again, the same law enforcement officers, together with others, interrupted the worship service and announced a search for \"extremist materials.\" Clustered in a corner of the room, they said they had \"found\" a stack of banned publications. However, due to the inconsistency of their actions, it turned out that that corner had already been examined a few minutes earlier by other police officers, who did not find anything forbidden there. Moreover, one of the believers saw the same bundle of literature in the hands of law enforcement officers. The believers announced another forgery. However, the district court did not listen to the arguments of the believers and again imposed a fine of 3,000 rubles on the chairman of the LRO.\nAll appeals of believers to the prosecutor's office and the Investigative Committee on the facts of these plantings were also completely ignored.\nOn October 3, 2016, it was on the basis of these fabricated \"facts\" allegedly confirming \"extremist activity\" that the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, at the suit of the Department of Justice for the Jewish Autonomous Region, decided to liquidate the LRO and recognize it as \"extremist\".\nThis decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not mean a ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. Only a specific legal entity was liquidated, which included a little more than 10 Birobidzhan residents. The profession of faith by Jehovah's Witnesses is still legal throughout the Russian Federation thanks to Article 28 of the Russian Constitution, which has not undergone any changes. (Earlier, in a similar case of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the court, having sorted it out, issued a decision restoring justice for the Tyumen LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses.)\n","category":"verdict","date":"2017-02-09T13:49:28+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/94/supremecourt-02215_hu_6f94193f48413aef.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/94/supremecourt-02215.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/94/supremecourt-02215_hu_b4a658cdc4ba2873.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/94/supremecourt-02215_hu_f34d62b92cfde2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/94.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mro","liquidation","fabrications","analytics","meetings-disruption","plant"],"title":"The Supreme Court upheld the decision to liquidate the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan","type":"news"},{"body":"Since 2010, two members of Sergiev Posad have been prosecuted for their faith. Below is a brief biography of them.\nVYACHESLAV STEPANOV (39 years old, pictured left) was born and raised in Sergiev Posad, in a large family. His parents worked at a well-known electromechanical plant in the city. As a child, Vyacheslav cherished his grandfather's carpentry tools. After the 8th grade, he began working at a construction site, completing his education at night school. Currently, Vyacheslav earns a living in the construction industry. He made his religious choice at the conscious age of 23. At the age of 30, he started a family with a girl who shares his values and views. Now, when Vyacheslav is being prosecuted, Oksana has become an invaluable assistant and support for him.\nANDREY SIVAK (42 years old, pictured right) grew up in a large family on the Kolyma River in the Magadan Region, where his parents participated in the construction of a hydroelectric power station. Andrey was fond of sports and received the profession of a physical education teacher. In the mid-1990s, Andrey started a family and had children. After moving to Sergiev Posad, he and his wife began to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In 2008, their third child was born. The charges, numerous court hearings, the invasion of the police house with a search - all this became a difficult test for the family, including Andrei's mother. In addition, when Andrey (as well as Vyacheslav Stepanov) was included in the list of \"accomplices of extremism\" before the court decision, he was forced to leave teaching - he used to work as a children's football coach. With his family, Andrey prays that the court will understand the absurdity of the charges against him and his co-religionist, Vyacheslav Stepanov.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-02-03T16:22:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/02/92/stepanov_sivak207_hu_d522a3d03545db7e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/02/92/stepanov_sivak207.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/02/92/stepanov_sivak207_hu_7d1d584dd7c0539d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/02/92/stepanov_sivak207_hu_d169ca99fb487dec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/02/92.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":[],"title":"Who are the accused believers of Sergiev Posad?","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 25, 2017, the Sergiev Posad City Court continued its consideration of the criminal case against Vyacheslav Stepanov (39 years old) and Andrey Sivak (42 years old), elders of the local Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, who are accused under the article \"extremism\". The next hearing is scheduled for February 20, 2017.\nAs follows from the brief chronology, this criminal prosecution for faith has been going on for almost seven years.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-01-30T16:48:07+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/90/sergiyev_posad_court_building201_hu_3498d54808927eff.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/90/sergiyev_posad_court_building201.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/90/sergiyev_posad_court_building201_hu_2b7bda8e2edede1b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/90/sergiyev_posad_court_building201_hu_947c478e7a7bb4e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/90.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["first-instance"],"title":"Interrogation of believers begins in Sergiev Posad court","type":"news"},{"body":"30 July 2010 Under the heading \"secret\" in the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for the Moscow Region, a plan of operational-search measures is approved against followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Sergiev Posad district.\nAugust 2010. Following the plan, operatives S. Chumachkov and N. Luchikhin, feigning interest in religion, twice come to peaceful services. They record the Bible program on hidden video cameras mounted in the borsette and items of clothing.\nAugust 2010. The video materials are transferred for \"examination\" to Natalia Nikolaevna Kryukova, a mathematics teacher who collaborates with the Russian Institute of Cultural Studies.\n11 October 2010 Expert N. Kryukova single-handedly signs the Certificate of Research, in which she reports on signs of extremism in the Bible discussions recorded on camera. The topics of these discussions are noteworthy: \"Conquer evil by restraining anger\" and \"What reputation do you deserve before God.\"\n18 October 2010 The results of the secret operation and the Certificate are transferred to the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation for verification.\n2010-2013 years. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation does not see corpus delicti in the actions of believers, therefore it refuses to initiate a criminal case.\n9 April 2013 Investigator M. Dukhovnev issues a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of hatred or enmity committed by an organized group). More than 2 years of preliminary investigation begins.\n12 April 2013 The homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sergiev Posad are being searched.\n16 July 2013 Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak are charged under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n28 October 2013 Expert N. Kryukova (mathematics teacher) in collaboration with V. Batov signs a new linguistic examination performed in the framework of a criminal case.\n13 November 2013 Expert N. Kryukova in collaboration with V. Batov signs another linguistic examination carried out in the framework of the criminal case.\n8 October 2014 The investigator \"puts on the wanted list\" and then \"discovers\" Stepanov and Sivak. Both live at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who thus artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\nDecember 7, 2014. Expert N. Kryukova in collaboration with V. Kotelnikov and A. Tarasov signs another linguistic examination performed in the framework of a criminal case. Each time, the expert detects signs of extremism in the words of believers. According to experts, the defendants incited hatred by saying: \"We do not want to lead an empty life that does not have a great value, like most people. They have no goals and no meaning in life and, unfortunately, are unhappy... They are not interested in the creator of all living things.\"\n28 December 2014 The investigator again \"puts on the wanted list\", and then \"discovers\" Stepanov and Sivak. Both invariably reside at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\n13 April 2015 For the third time, the investigator \"put on the wanted list\" and then \"discovers\" Sivak and Stepanov. Both still live at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\nAugust 31, 2015. Sivak and Stepanov are handed the text of the indictment. In it, the investigator claims that since 2007, believers have been hatching plans to incite hatred and humiliate the human dignity of citizens. To this end, they registered a local religious organization with the Russian Ministry of Justice. Their guilt, according to the investigator, was that they held \"'religious' meetings of citizens, veiled under the guise of 'religious' meetings\" (?!).\nOctober 19, 2015. Sivak and Stepanov are included in the official List of terrorists and extremists (No. 5323 and No. 5234), with the publication of their personal data in the \"Rossiyskaya Gazeta\" dated 19.10.2015, Sberbank of Russia of the Russian Federation refuses their request to open a cash account. As a result, Andriy Sivak, the father of three children, is deprived of employment in a state institution.\nSeptember 2015 – March 2016. Hearings in the Sergiev Posad City Court presided over by Judge Elena Aminova. The interests of believers are represented by lawyers Viktor Zhenkov and Dmitry Kolobov.\n20 November 2015 ANO \"Laboratory of Applied Linguistics\" gives a review of the expert opinions of N. Kryukova and others. Inversion of generally accepted assessments occurs in cases where the object of evaluation is hostile, negatively assesses the positive qualities of the enemy. In other words, it follows from the text of the examination that it is not Jehovah's Witnesses who are hostile to people, but experts V.S. Kotelnikov, N.N. Kryukova and A.E. Tarasov are hostile to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n9 February 2016 By court order, the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation conducts a re-examination of worship services filmed on a hidden camera and concludes that there are no signs of extremism.\n4 March 2016 The Sergiev Posad City Court fully acquits the believers.\nMay 26, 2016. The Moscow Regional Court, at the request of the prosecutor, cancels the acquittal and sends the case for a new trial to the Sergiev Posad City Court.\nNovember 21, 2016. In the course of the retrial, expert N. Kryukova is interrogated, who admits that she assesses the religious direction of Jehovah's Witnesses negatively and that her assessment of words and expressions depends on the representative of which religious direction pronounces them.\nJanuary 9, 2017. Judge Lilia Baranova, who has been assigned to the case, proceeds to its retrial.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-01-30T16:46:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/89/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_hu_ef06c8ede3422868.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/89/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/89/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_hu_f36e641ca144f4fd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/89/sergiyev_posad_court_sign200_hu_f2d8dfdb56fb2d97.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/89.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["acquittal","retrial"],"title":"The case of the Sergiev Posad elders. Timeline \u0026 Facts","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 16, 2017, the Moscow City Court heard arguments from representatives of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" about the groundlessness of the warning about the inadmissibility of extremist activities issued against them by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia. The appeal was dismissed.\nAn audio recording of the explanations and speeches in the debate of two representatives of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" is published.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-01-25T16:32:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/88/moscow_city_court-02199_hu_c84987d2a270601d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/88/moscow_city_court-02199.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/88/moscow_city_court-02199_hu_71984723f18a8aea.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/88/moscow_city_court-02199_hu_2903c51553d254ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/88.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","courtroom","liquidation","defense-arguments"],"title":"Speeches in the Moscow City Court by representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses Center","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 16, 2017, the Moscow City Court dismissed the appeal of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, in which believers challenged the warning issued to their Administrative Center.\nYaroslav Sivulsky, a representative of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, said: \"Extremism among Jehovah's Witnesses is a delusion that has been repeated a hundredfold, but has not become true because of this. For more than 60 years, the Russian authorities have been well aware that we are as far from extremism as heaven is from earth. Our believers went to prison and even went to be shot, just not to raise weapons against people, no matter what ideals it was for. We have nothing to do with extremism.\"\nThe incident was the result of erroneous decisions of the lower courts to include a number of religious publications of Jehovah's Witnesses in the federal list of extremist materials (FSEM). Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies actively use falsified evidence (planting materials from the FSEM, false testimony) to fine believers and file lawsuits to liquidate local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nJehovah's Witnesses intend to use all legal remedies to prove the absurdity of the accusations. They hope that justice will prevail.\n","category":"org","date":"2017-01-16T14:58:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/86/moscow_city_court-02_hu_73200109e4b7cb57.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/86/moscow_city_court-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/86/moscow_city_court-02_hu_f79f52595e9df4a2.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/86/moscow_city_court-02_hu_85febb1b8d63abdd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/86.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","appeal","liquidation","fsem"],"title":"Moscow City Court Rejects Jehovah's Witnesses' Complaint in Prosecutor's Warning Case","type":"news"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses challenged in court the warning issued to them by the Prosecutor General's Office about the inadmissibility of extremist activities. On January 16, 2017, the appellate instance, the Moscow City Court, heard arguments from representatives of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2017-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/243.html","regions":[],"tags":["liquidation","courtroom"],"title":"Speech in the Moscow City Court of representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses in the case of challenging the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"docs"},{"body":"It became known that on December 14, 2016, the criminal case against six Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog (Rostov Region) was terminated on rehabilitative grounds. This criminal case was an exact repetition of the sensational \"Case of Sixteen\", which has been heard in the courts for about four years and on which a guilty verdict was passed (at present, believers and their defenders are appealing it to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation).\nBack in 2011, six believers, as well as sixteen, were caught praying and reading the Bible and regarded this as \"extremist activity\" on the grounds that the court had previously liquidated a legal entity - the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\". The liquidation of the legal entity did not mean that believers were deprived of the right to freedom of religion. After many years, it became clear to the investigation that there was no corpus delicti in the actions of the accused. Now believers must return the Bibles and other personal property seized from them during searches in 2011, and two of the accused, 67-year-old spouses Vladimir and Svetlana Chesnokov, will also have to unblock their bank accounts, which contain their modest retirement savings.\n","category":"victory","date":"2017-01-12T15:15:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_8c8e44336ef42ead.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_6fc7de9cec17faf3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/85/vlcsnap-error168187_hu_fb97edd36d5152a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/85.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","rosfinmonitoring","families","elderly","liquidation"],"title":"Criminal prosecution of six Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses has been terminated","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 27, 2016, the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was solemnly awarded a commendation \"for active citizenship and great contribution to the social life of the city.\" For many years, believers have been enthusiastically involved in maintaining cleanliness and comfort in their native Vladikavkaz.\nHundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses have repeatedly responded to the call for help in improving the recreation areas of citizens, for example, in the vicinity of the Vladikavkaz arboretum and the Sapitskaya Budka forest park. More than 2,300 followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses live in the city, and over the years they have repeatedly received thanks from the head of the city and the heads of prefectures \"for their active life position\", \"for active participation in public life\", \"for assistance in cleaning and restoring order\", for participating in the \"Plant Your Tree\" campaign and other events.\nInterestingly, earlier in 2010, Jehovah's Witnesses contributed a slightly different kind of contribution to the national culture. They published and distributed the first complete Bible in the Ossetian language in the republic. Given that UNESCO had listed the Ossetian language as endangered the year before, the publication of the Bible undoubtedly helps future generations to continue to speak their native language.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2017-01-11T12:26:24+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/83/image1185_hu_24d215c3109df4c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/83/image1185.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/83/image1185_hu_ef4d9c4c62d06c22.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/83/image1185_hu_99a4d73909209621.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/83.html","regions":["osetia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["translations","gratitude","maintenance"],"title":"Vladikavkaz City Authorities Commend Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 9, 2017, the Sergiev Posad City Court began consideration of a criminal case under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (extremism) against two local elders of the Jehovah's Witnesses community. Earlier, on March 4, 2016, the court acquitted these believers on rehabilitative grounds, but the court of appeal sent the case for a new trial.\nThe case against Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak was initiated in April 2013. The operatives entered the worship service, made a covert video recording and handed the recording to an expert collaborating with them, mathematics teacher N. Kryukova, who \"discovered\" \"signs of extremism\" in the words of believers. The expert's conclusions were refuted during the court hearings, and the believers were acquitted. However, the Moscow Regional Court returned the case to the court of first instance. The new trial was entrusted to Judge Lilia Baranova.\n","category":"trial","date":"2017-01-09T15:59:02+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2017/01/82/gavel3_0_hu_adcc474ea0ed0450.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2017/01/82/gavel3_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2017/01/82/gavel3_0_hu_6389c68654f9424b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2017/01/82/gavel3_0_hu_129bc46f39cb308.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2017/01/82.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["retrial"],"title":"In the suburbs, believers defend their innocence before a criminal court","type":"news"},{"body":"Incitement to hatred of people is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses because they follow the philanthropic precepts of Jesus Christ. Attributing extremism to them is a mistake for several reasons.\n1. The more than 100-year history of this religion proves the non-extremist nature of their views. Jehovah's Witnesses never take up arms. In Germany, at the cost of freedom and even their lives, they refused to serve in the Wehrmacht units. In the USSR, while subjected to severe oppression, the Witnesses did not hate their persecutors. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses are a multinational brotherhood that has proven its ability to overcome prejudices that divide people.\n2. Nowhere in the world, except Russia, are Jehovah's Witnesses accused of extremism. Communities of this religion operate freely in more than 200 countries around the world. All of them are united by one Bible-based creed. Millions of Jehovah's Witnesses are concerned about unfounded accusations against their Russian co-religionists.\n3. Russian human rights experts condemn the application of the law on extremism to Jehovah's Witnesses. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation in his report for 2013 noted: \"The problem of imperfection of the so-called \"anti-extremist\" legislation remains urgent. The vague formulation of the basic concept of \"extremism\" in itself becomes even more blurred when the definition of \"religious\" is added to it. What exactly is considered \"religious extremism\" cannot yet be decided even by religious scholars. On the other hand, this \"rubber\" concept is easily operated by other law enforcement and judicial bodies on the ground, which put their own subjective attitude to a particular confession into it.\n4. The international community condemns the application of the law on extremism to Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. The Assembly calls on the Russian authorities to... refrain from applying the law on extremist activity to all religious communities, especially Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; (Resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe No. 1896 [2012], para. 25.31). The UN Human Rights Committee has repeatedly expressed concern that in Russia the law on extremism is \u0026quot;directed, in particular, against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses\u0026quot; (CCPR/C/SR.3157, Concluding Observations on the Seventh Periodic Report of the Russian Federation).\nJehovah's Witnesses themselves see an explanation for what is happening in the prophetic words of Jesus Christ, who was executed on false charges of sedition. He warned his disciples, \"If I have been persecuted, you will also be persecuted\" (John 15:20).\n","category":"faq","date":"2017-01-04T10:05:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/3.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics"],"title":"Why Is It a Mistake to Consider Jehovah’s Witnesses as ‘Extremists’?","type":"news"},{"body":"The inclusion of a number of books by Jehovah's Witnesses in the FSEM is the only reason for accusations of extremism brought against followers of this religion in Russia. Why are Bible-based publications, freely distributed throughout the world in hundreds of languages, declared \"extremist\" in Russia?\n1. Due to the unclear definition of extremism in the law. In 2015, the UN Human Rights Committee recommended that the Russian state \"revise the Federal Law 'On Countering Extremist Activities' without undue delay in order to ... establishing clear and specific criteria by which certain materials can be classified as extremist. All necessary measures should be taken to prevent the arbitrary application of this law and the Federal List of Extremist Materials should be revised\" (CCPR/C/SR.3157, Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the Russian Federation).\n2. Due to errors of experts or judges. Court decisions, sometimes contrary to common sense, are based on expert opinions. The obvious bias or incompetence of specialists led to the appearance of a concretizing provision in the law on extremism: \"The Bible, the Koran, the Tanakh and Ganjur, their content and quotations from them cannot be recognized as extremist materials\" (Article 3.1). Unfortunately, despite this, the courts continue to receive lawsuits from the prosecutor's office to recognize the Bible itself, as well as publications with its quotations, as \"extremist materials\".\n3. Due to the selective application of \"anti-extremist\" legislation. Lev Levinson, an expert at the Institute for Human Rights, explained: \"The campaign of persecution of [Jehovah's] Witnesses for statements common to all religious texts is a gross violation of the constitutional principle of freedom of conscience and equality of religious associations before the law. I am not calling for the same approach to be applied to the Russian Orthodox Church or Jewish communities, but only to emphasize its discriminatory and absurd nature.\" The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation in his report for 2012 noted: \"The religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses remains the \"record holder\" for the number of such inspections. [...] Organizations are actually deprived of the opportunity to defend their sacred values in court, challenging the opinions of experts on the part of the prosecution. [...] Any creed is based on the position of its own \"truth\" and the \"falsity\" of other creeds.\nThere have been dark pages in the history of various countries when a ban was imposed on the translation and distribution of the Bible. In some cases, it came to the mass destruction of this book and the persecution of those who owned it. That is why many sensible people in Russia are trying to prevent a repeat of the mistakes of the past.\n","category":"faq","date":"2017-01-04T10:01:09+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/2.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","fsem","review","unhrc"],"title":"Why Are Some Publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses Included in the ‘Extremist List’ (FLEM)?","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 20, 2016, Judge Alexander Kuryanov of the Leninsky District Court of Voronezh issued an order to suspend the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses for a period of 1.5 months for allegedly \"storing extremist materials.\" In fact, the lawyers presented to the court all the evidence that the brochures were planted on the believers.\nThe evidence was falsified on October 9, 2016, during a worship service held at the Voronezh sports complex on Voroshilov Street with the participation of 650 local Jehovah's Witnesses. On that day, referring to a call received about an alleged crime, the police invaded the worship service. Law enforcement officers began to look for \"extremist materials\" in a very unusual place - in the decorative colors with which the room was decorated. What was the surprise of believers when the police \"discovered\" hidden books included in the list of extremist materials (see photo). In addition, after passively examining several rows of believers, the police chose for inspection a package belonging to a stranger, which contained a book entered into the FSEM. The man, according to eyewitnesses, hastily left the hall just before the arrival of the police. In addition, several false witnesses appeared, who stated that they were independently in the building and were handed publications from the list of extremist materials. Although these people claimed that they did not know each other, however, video camera recordings show that before the start of the service, these people communicated with each other, took pictures together and checked their watches. Finally, the witnesses, as follows from the video, to a direct question from the lawyer, clearly confirm their interest in the outcome of the operational event.\nJehovah's Witnesses do not use materials that have been deemed \"extremist\" as a result of a series of miscarriages of justice. They strongly oppose any form of extremism that is deeply alien to their biblically based beliefs and morals. Believers consider the court's decision to be a very sad event.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-12-23T11:19:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/79/planting-11_hu_da03f0b670ce3056.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/79/planting-11.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/79/planting-11_hu_b1ff814d2983439b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/79/planting-11_hu_e219efd96c17c5a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/79.html","regions":["voronezh"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fabrications","plant","meetings-disruption","fsem"],"title":"The court in Voronezh turned a blind eye to the obvious facts of falsification of evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Exactly 20 years ago, in December 1996, work began in St. Petersburg on the design of a large liturgical building on Kolomyazhsky Prospekt, accommodating 2,600 believers at a time.\nA brief architectural and design review of this building was published in the issue of the magazine \"World of Design\" (2000/01).\n","category":"activity","date":"2016-12-23T09:39:42+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/78/zk-03_1_hu_c7c032f40a46343a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/78/zk-03_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/78/zk-03_1_hu_d86dee0b894370dd.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/78/zk-03_1_hu_68b30be36014b4c1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/78.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["construction","review"],"title":"20 years ago, the design of the \"Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses\" began in St. Petersburg","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 18, 2016, in Smolensk, about 15 armed riot policemen, investigators and police officers entered the Jehovah's Witnesses worship building on Pushkin Street while a service was being held there with the participation of about 60 believers. Law enforcement officers purposefully entered the toilet and pretended to find a brochure included in the list of extremist materials.\nThis is not the first time that Jehovah's Witnesses have had literature thrown into the toilet, as a month ago in the Nizhny Novgorod region.\nAt the same time, in Smolensk, a search was conducted in a private house where Jehovah's Witnesses live. Believers note that police officers behaved rudely, used force against women. When one of the believers seriously deteriorated his health, the police, under the threat of force, prevented the emergency medical service from being called for a long time.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-12-19T17:13:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/76/kollazh_hu_c3f4338e86a18055.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/76/kollazh.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/76/kollazh_hu_2d793ad4114ee892.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/76/kollazh_hu_8909f2214e952548.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/76.html","regions":["smolensk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","search","health-risk"],"title":"In Smolensk, Police Planted a Banned Brochure on Jehovah's Witnesses in the Toilet","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 17, 2016, approximately 15 people came to the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses on Poselkovaya Street in Sochi, led by Police Major S. A. Matsko. Police officers, as well as people in Cossack uniforms, blocked all the doors in the building.\nLaw enforcement officers insisted on the expulsion of believers from the hall, leaving only two. As a result, believers, deprived of the opportunity to control the actions of a group of operatives, were planted with a printed publication included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nIn addition to the fact that this outrageous forgery was committed, the police disrupted the services of two Sochi communities of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is noteworthy that one of the \"witnesses\" who came with the police helped knock out the gate into the courtyard of the liturgical building. Six months ago, the same witnesses were seen searching the apartment of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-12-19T16:16:50+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/75/planting-01_0_hu_4e3c9539bf236ac7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/75/planting-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/75/planting-01_0_hu_6040977556c61772.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/75/planting-01_0_hu_62d4767538f77ccd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/75.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fabrications","fsem","vandalism"],"title":"In Sochi, Authorities Planted a Prohibited Item on Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On December 14, 2016, in order to falsify evidence, three strangers entered a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tula. Two of them brought with them books included in the list of extremist materials.\nIn the middle of the service, police officers entered the hall. The video shows that two strangers (see photo) quickly leave the building, and prohibited books remain in their places, which the police immediately pay attention to. A third stranger (pictured right), allegedly unrelated to the other two, stays and gives the police detailed explanations, on the basis of which a protocol is drawn up, supposedly on behalf of the parishioner.\nThis is already a well-established scheme, according to which law enforcement agencies achieved a ban on several local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Fortunately, in some cases , the courts see that the evidence against Jehovah's Witnesses is falsified and refuse to impose sanctions on believers.\nJehovah's Witnesses are outraged by the unscrupulous actions of the police and their accomplices.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-12-16T14:47:25+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/74/planting-09_0_hu_f77302a4cb9453.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/74/planting-09_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/74/planting-09_0_hu_ac1e0c875880922b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/74/planting-09_0_hu_b562f038ac9db4f6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/74.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fsem","fabrications"],"title":"Outrageous planting of banned publications in Tula. New details","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of December 14, 2016, two men entered the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses on Karl Marx Street in Tula. They planted several books on the believers included in the list of extremist materials. At the same time, about 10 law enforcement officers entered the hall, including Grigory Nikolaev, an employee of the center for countering extremism. The security forces pretended that they had accidentally discovered banned books and drew up a protocol on an administrative offense, which could ultimately threaten catastrophic consequences for the freedom of religion of local Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAs a result of the invasion, worship had to be stopped. Believers are outraged by the unscrupulous actions of the police and their accomplices.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-12-15T16:07:48+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/73/planting-03_0_hu_824d80d3ea54d356.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/73/planting-03_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/73/planting-03_0_hu_bbeb57b9d3edeaeb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/73/planting-03_0_hu_4bba0a2724ddd2e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/73.html","regions":["tula"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fabrications","fsem"],"title":"In Tula, Law Enforcement Officers Planted Banned Books on Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Evidence has accumulated that law enforcement officers and individuals who cooperate with them systematically plant printed publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) at worship services. Why do they do this?\nBecause some officials purposefully restrict the freedom of Jehovah's Witnesses. Most often, such officials have become victims of false information about Jehovah's Witnesses. In pursuit of their goal, they do not disdain any means.\nBecause there are no real violations of the law by Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witnesses do not use FSEM publications in their religious use and scrupulously check worship buildings for their absence. Unscrupulous authorities are forced to falsify evidence in order to find a pretext to accuse Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn some cases, the courts, having sorted it out, make decisions that restore justice.\n","category":"faq","date":"2016-12-09T15:05:30+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/about/faq/1.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["plant","fsem","fabrications"],"title":"Why Is Banned Literature Planted on Jehovah’s Witnesses?","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of November 29, 2016, in the town of Ozyory, Moscow Region, about 10 police and FSB officers, as well as witnesses, entered the building where the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses began with the participation of about 100 people.\nWithin 2 hours, an inspection was carried out, in fact, a search, of the premises, and explanations were taken from several dozen of those present under the protocol. Religious texts and instructions for the maintenance of the building were seized from believers. Law enforcement officers behaved correctly, as a result of the invasion, nothing illegal was found, but the service was disrupted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-12-02T11:09:18+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/12/70/planting-04_hu_c52f95a2467eef61.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/12/70/planting-04.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/12/70/planting-04_hu_427af605b1c3bfec.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/12/70/planting-04_hu_2e2bf73db380b43e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/12/70.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption","inspection"],"title":"Law enforcement officers disrupted a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Moscow region","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 27, 2016, a 6-hour service was held in the village of Nezlobnaya (Stavropol Territory), which was attended by 500 Roma professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Joy and excitement reigned at the service. Many were touched to listen to the reading and explanation of the Bible in their own language, pray and sing songs of praise to God in the Vlaš dialect of the Gypsy language.\nMany believers were accompanied by their family members, who patiently remained in their seats and listened attentively to speeches and interviews in their native language. They were surprised that speakers of different Gypsy dialects, who usually avoid communicating with each other, communicated in a friendly manner at the service.\nJehovah's Witnesses carry the gospel good news in three Gypsy dialects of Russia—Vlasch, Kotlyar, and Gypsy North Russian. Translation is complicated by the fact that there is little or no writing and grammar in the Romani languages. For example, in order to publish publications in Vlachi, translators had to develop 4 new Cyrillic characters.\nSuch contributions to the development of small languages are not uncommon for Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, liturgical publications of Jehovah's Witnesses have been published in more than 10 other Roma languages and dialects for Roma believers living in Albania, Argentina, Bulgaria, Chile, Germany, Greece, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.\n","category":"activity","date":"2016-11-28T15:54:27+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/69/roma-01_0_hu_82f2de2192854752.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/69/roma-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/69/roma-01_0_hu_e292b928928ac695.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/69/roma-01_0_hu_21e8307ee416fd16.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/69.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["languages","conventions"],"title":"A major congress of Jehovah's Witnesses Roma was held in the Stavropol Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"The support provided by Jehovah's Witnesses for persons with disabilities in their worship buildings has been welcomed by the State of Haiti, which is adjacent to the Dominican Republic. The believers received one of the awards from the hands of the Prime Minister of the country!\nThe first award was received back in 2013, when Haiti was recovering from an earthquake that caused numerous casualties and injuries. The Christian Association of Jehovah's Witnesses Haiti was awarded for its worship building in Les Cayes, which was built to meet the needs of the disabled. In December 2015, another award was received for providing the deaf and blind with modern digital technologies, such as sign language videos and educational literature in Braille.\nRussian Jehovah's Witnesses follow the high standards of their fellow believers abroad. For example, Kingdom Halls are equipped with ramps, widened doors, and wheelchair accessible toilets. In addition to people with limited mobility, hearing-impaired, deaf, visually impaired and blind people receive everything they need to fully participate in worship services. According to the Bible, mercy is one of the most important Christian virtues.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2016-11-25T15:28:38+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/67/awards-02_hu_59c5be636f5b6d76.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/67/awards-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/67/awards-02_hu_50b4ee5ea74b509f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/67/awards-02_hu_fabb699a082dc367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/67.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["disabled","construction","maintenance","help-providing","gratitude","awards"],"title":"State Awards for Supporting Persons with Disabilities in Haiti","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 13, 2016 in the village. Priyutovo (Bashkortostan) Men with machine guns, masks and sportswear blocked the entrance to the city house of culture, where the service of Jehovah's Witnesses, coordinated with the authorities, began with the participation of 600 believers who came from different cities of the republic. The service was disrupted.\nSeveral hundred believers, including children and the elderly, were blocked inside, the second group remained in complete bewilderment in the cold outside. There was no explanation from the officials, only by phone an employee of the police on duty said that \"anti-terrorist exercises\" organized by the FSB were taking place in the house of culture.\nBelievers consider the actions of law enforcement officers to be a deliberate disruption of their worship services. They intend to appeal these actions to various authorities.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-22T16:35:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/66/priutovo-03_hu_9677b685a5d13383.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/66/priutovo-03.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/66/priutovo-03_hu_22e1f05225cd085f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/66/priutovo-03_hu_9e89b3ba11e869ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/66.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption"],"title":"In Bashkiria, Security Forces Disrupted a Major Worship Service of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 19, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. in Novosibirsk, several law enforcement officers came to the service of Jehovah's Witnesses on Ruzheynaya Street, who examined the service for an hour, which actually disrupted the service. The believers were outraged by the fact that a black bag with a brochure and a book submitted to the FSEM was planted in the cloakroom. The publications were seized along with several Chinese-language Bibles.\nSince admission to the services of Jehovah's Witnesses is free, even before the start of the meeting, a stranger was seen among those present, whom the believers identified as a law enforcement officer. Jehovah's Witnesses have already faced dozens of plantings, some of which were recorded on video.\nJehovah's Witnesses do not use materials that have been deemed \"extremist\" as a result of a series of miscarriages of justice. They strongly oppose any form of extremism that is deeply alien to their biblically based beliefs and morals.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-21T16:02:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/65/planting-06_0_hu_cbbea508320a5344.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/65/planting-06_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/65/planting-06_0_hu_81d57942b41e280b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/65/planting-06_0_hu_363cf9b71c0a34ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/65.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","search","plant","fsem"],"title":"In Siberia, the security forces invaded Jehovah's Witnesses. Banned materials planted","type":"news"},{"body":"In the course of the retrial, expert N. Kryukova is interrogated, who admits that she assesses the religious direction of Jehovah's Witnesses negatively and that her assessment of words and expressions depends on the representative of which religious direction pronounces them.\n","date":"2016-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/258.html","regions":[],"tags":["courtroom","studies-violations"],"title":"Interrogation of the expert N. Kryukova in the trial on charges of Sergiev Posad elders","type":"docs"},{"body":"On July 30, 2016, in the village of Kalininskaya (Krasnodar Territory), police officers prevented the disruption of a major worship service attended by more than 1,600 Jehovah's Witnesses. The coordinated actions of the police were reported by the stanitsa newspaper.\nUnfriendly citizens gathered near the place of worship. As the newspaper \"Kalininets\" noted, one of the leaders of the Cossacks, in the presence of the younger generation of Cossacks, disobeyed police officers who were guarding public order. As a result, he was prosecuted and pleaded guilty in court. The newspaper cites the words of Lieutenant Colonel V. Tretyakov, who, on behalf of the leadership of the Department of Internal Affairs, \"appeals to the leaders of the Kalinin District Cossack Society to prevent such violations in the future and points to the perniciousness of educating young people not in the legal field.\"\nJehovah's Witnesses are grateful to the police for their work in promoting peace between people of different nations, cultures, and religions that have inhabited the Kuban region for centuries.\n","category":"crime","date":"2016-11-18T16:35:05+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/64/kalininets-01_hu_aefaa3d7f46e1bea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/64/kalininets-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/64/kalininets-01_hu_9145d7311e8da2aa.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/64/kalininets-01_hu_a624955134953a71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/64.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["conventions","meetings-disruption"],"title":"In the Krasnodar Territory, the police protected the worship service from disruption","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 13, 2016, a panel of the Leningrad Regional Court overturned the decision of a lower court, which, according to the prosecutor's office, had erroneously recognized Jehovah's Witnesses' brochures as \"extremist materials.\" The millionth party was under arrest for more than a year and a half.\nThe court examined a lot of evidence refuting the prosecutor's arguments, including the opinion of a leading expert institution in Russia, as well as the conclusions of a number of specialists in the field of philosophy and philology, including doctors of science from St. Petersburg State University and other scientists.\nIt is noteworthy that one of the brochures, which the prosecutor's office tried to recognize as \"extremist\", draws the attention of believers to the need to avoid violence, develop patience and love for others.\nThe erroneous inclusion of Jehovah's Witnesses publications in the FSEM is at the root of widespread harassment of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the country, including the liquidation and banning of several registered communities. Jehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"victory","date":"2016-11-16T16:19:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/63/lenoblsud-01_hu_5f7e8f84c0d31488.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/63/lenoblsud-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/63/lenoblsud-01_hu_14ea08076792aab9.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/63/lenoblsud-01_hu_bb6d1bcbbeb983f6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/63.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["case-dismissed","appeal","fsem","expert-conclusions"],"title":"The Leningrad Regional Court Refused to Recognize Jehovah's Witnesses' Brochures as \"Extremist\"","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 16, 2016, in Gelendzhik (Krasnodar region), operatives came to the building of Jehovah's Witnesses on Vasnetsov Street. This happened before the start of the service, when there were several people, men and women, in the building. The service was disrupted, later no one was allowed into the building and was not released, it was cordoned off by representatives of the Cossacks. Those who came planted printed publications from the FSEM to the believers, which greatly outraged the believers.\nAt the same time, searches were conducted in two more houses where Jehovah's Witnesses live. Office equipment and a personal spiritual library were seized.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-16T16:05:20+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/62/planting-02_0_hu_6884b4c2135fb4c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/62/planting-02_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/62/planting-02_0_hu_ad11cfc3be0e8709.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/62/planting-02_0_hu_67fa979063f49843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/62.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","search","plant","fsem"],"title":"In Gelendzhik, a search of Jehovah's Witnesses in a cordon of representatives of the Cossacks","type":"news"},{"body":"It became known that on November 13, 2016, simultaneously with the raid by law enforcement officers on Jehovah's Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, police and prosecutors came to worship this religion in the city of Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory). About 20 law enforcement officers with weapons entered the hall on Mira Street, where about 100 believers were meeting, and began to obstruct the practice of their religion with loud demands.\nThe believers persuaded those who came to wait for the end of the service. After that, within 5 hours, law enforcement officers copied the passport data of the majority of those present, as well as searched and seized audio equipment, computers, video discs with Bible recordings in sign language for the deaf, as well as printed publications. Believers report that by their actions police officers frightened law-abiding believers, especially the elderly and children.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-15T17:09:36+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/61/police-01_1_hu_f3ef7eeda4ab78c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/61/police-01_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/61/police-01_1_hu_866c87b03e0dcc36.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/61/police-01_1_hu_71e88a92e6a29efb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/61.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption"],"title":"In Kamchatka, another invasion of Jehovah's Witnesses by security forces","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 14, 2016, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), Mikhail Savitsky, an elder of Jehovah's Witnesses, who a quarter of a century ago put his signature on a document submitted for registration of the \"Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR,\" died. This historic document was signed on March 27, 1991 in the Ministry of Justice of the RSFSR after many decades of religious persecution.\nMikhail Savitsky became a Jehovah's Witness in 1949, and two years later, at the age of 18, he was sentenced to 4 years in prison because of his faith. In April 1951, while he was imprisoned in Lviv, his family was exiled to Siberia along with thousands of other Jehovah's Witnesses. After his early release, he and his extended family were forced to change their place of residence many times. Mikhail Vasilyevich Savitsky died at the age of 84.\n","category":"bio","date":"2016-11-15T16:32:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/60/savitskiy-02_hu_59ed05783a56f48d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/60/savitskiy-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/60/savitskiy-02_hu_fcbb5222dca36a83.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/60/savitskiy-02_hu_fbb23def9c27ad3f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/60.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ussr","liberty-deprivation","deportation"],"title":"One of Jehovah's Witnesses who achieved recognition of this religion in the USSR passed away","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 15, 2016, the last of 4 administrative cases against local Jehovah's Witnesses, whom the police accused of violating the order of missionary activity, was terminated in Kaliningrad for lack of an administrative offense. The cases were heard by two justices of the peace and the Kaliningrad District Court on 14 October, 9, 11 and 15 November 2016. These are the first cases against Jehovah's Witnesses initiated in Russia under the new law on missionary activity.\nThe courts noted that the law \"On Freedom of Conscience\" does not contain a ban on the dissemination of personal religious experience and communication on religious topics. The activities of believers who simply wanted to exercise their right to disseminate their religious views do not contain a set of signs of missionary activity established by law, and therefore cannot be considered as missionary.\n","category":"victory","date":"2016-11-15T16:27:15+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/59.html","regions":["kaliningrad"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["administrative-detention","case-dismissed"],"title":"The courts do not find in the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses a violation of the law on missionary activity","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 15, 2016, without waiting for a trial, the authorities released from custody Jehovah's Witnesses A. Timakov and S. Kazakov, who had been arrested after a raid by police and prosecutors on a religious building in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on November 13, 2016.\nBelievers were repairing a window broken by police officers during the invasion (pictured). Timakov and Kazakov were sent to a detention center for allegedly disobeying a police officer's demand.\n","category":"administrative","date":"2016-11-15T15:58:14+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/58/kamchatka-01_hu_c5468f41292ed28d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/58/kamchatka-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/58/kamchatka-01_hu_8144434233f4a519.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/58/kamchatka-01_hu_c490ef78ba875bfb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/58.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs"],"title":"Believers released in Kamchatka after 44 hours of detention","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of November 13, 2016, after a search of Jehovah's Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, two believers came to the building to repair a broken window. There they were detained for allegedly disobeying police officers. These believers were placed in a temporary detention facility (IVS). Prior to the publication of this report, the police had not submitted the case file to the court for trial.\nJehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"administrative","date":"2016-11-14T17:09:06+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/57/prison-01_hu_1d68a1030cef0fac.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/57/prison-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/57/prison-01_hu_4861d7b0386a7da6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/57/prison-01_hu_cf35b85d5163e04.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/57.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ivs"],"title":"In Kamchatka, two innocent believers have been held in a temporary detention facility for the second day","type":"news"},{"body":"On November 13, 2016, in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, two armed masked operatives broke a window and entered a residential building on Kavkazskaya Street, where about 100 local believers were holding a service. Ignoring the owner's demands, masked men opened the door from the inside and let in about 20 law enforcement officers, including Assistant Prosecutor of the Kamchatka Territory Anton Uvarov and Police Lieutenant Colonel Yevgeny Kurdenkov. Without presenting any orders, those who came interviewed and copied the data of believers, and also conducted a search, during which one of those present needed emergency assistance and was hospitalized.\nExplaining his actions, Uvarov, an employee of the prosecutor's office, said that \"there are a large number of people on the territory of the building, which means that signs of extremist activity can be seen.\" During the search, the police used a crowbar to open some rooms. Audio equipment and CDs that were planted near the broken window were seized.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-14T17:02:04+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/56/police-03_hu_b95076d94ad70556.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/56/police-03.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/56/police-03_hu_eb33a8e7112a6cdf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/56/police-03_hu_1463b4b2c0b5310d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/56.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","search"],"title":"In Kamchatka, law enforcement officers invaded the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses through a broken window","type":"news"},{"body":"Dzerzhinsk (Nizhny Novgorod region). On the evening of November 8, 2016, shortly before the start of the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses, Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Natalia Sukhova, accompanied by an inspector of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and plainclothes officers, entered their building under the pretext of a fire inspection. Later, a police squad arrived.\nA plainclothes officer quietly entered the toilet for people with disabilities. After leaving there, he stated that in the toilet there were two religious brochures included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM). Since there were no brochures in the building before the arrival of the security forces, and Jehovah's Witnesses do not keep religious literature in the toilet, the believers resolutely stated that \"this is a planting and provocation on the part of those who came.\" The planned worship service was disrupted.\nJehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals. They do not use literature from the FSEM and do not allow it to appear in worship buildings.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-10T17:01:37+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/55/planting-05_0_hu_2a41a08a7ec1d3e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/55/planting-05_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/55/planting-05_0_hu_25d269ab2e4b8c57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/55/planting-05_0_hu_23d8d1b2abca29a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/55.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fsem"],"title":"Security forces planted religious books in the toilet for Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of November 8, 2016, in Kislovodsk (Stavropol Territory), about 15 riot police and other law enforcement officers came to the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses at 40 Kirov Street with a search warrant. Only one believer was allowed to be present at the search, the chairman of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. For objective reasons, he could not control the actions of 15 strangers. As a result of the search, nine books were found planted in different parts of the building.\nThe search was carried out under a ridiculous pretext - on suspicion that the building may contain office equipment stolen from a certain organization. As expected, the stolen equipment was not found.\nThe believers are convinced that the books were planted on them, because the day before, in the usual manner, they inspected the building for the absence of prohibited literature in it.\nIt is noteworthy that on September 20, 2016, in the nearby village of Nezlobnaya, a surveillance camera clearly recorded how law enforcement officers unceremoniously planted banned books on believers. (In Kislovodsk, law enforcement officers prudently seized the DVR.) The invasion of Nezlobnaya was carried out under an even more ridiculous pretext - suspicion of possession of weapons.\nA similar incident also occurred on October 13, 2016 in the city of Saransk, where a large group of police officers (about 20 people) invaded the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses. Masked men stood close to each other, huddled against an empty closet, broke down its doors and \"found\" literature from the FSEM.\nJehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals. They do not use literature from the Federal List of Extremist Materials and do not allow it to appear in religious buildings.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-11-08T16:45:31+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/11/54/planting-03_hu_824d80d3ea54d356.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/11/54/planting-03.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/11/54/planting-03_hu_bbeb57b9d3edeaeb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/11/54/planting-03_hu_4bba0a2724ddd2e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/11/54.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant"],"title":"In Kislovodsk, Law Enforcement Officers Planted \"Extremist Materials\" on Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 28, 2016, on the fence around the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses at 13 Pushkari Street, inscriptions were found with threats against followers of this religion. A total of 17 meters of the fence surface was damaged.\nThe check showed that the inscriptions were made the night before by two unknown persons. Believers associate this action with unreliable defamatory information about Jehovah's Witnesses disseminated by individual activists in the Kirov region.\nBelievers made efforts to repair the damage caused by the vandals. The photo above was taken after the threatening inscriptions were washed away.\n","category":"crime","date":"2016-10-31T16:35:56+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/53/kirovkh-01_hu_130874e044f9919.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/53/kirovkh-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/53/kirovkh-01_hu_8ab8fce07c6bb3b3.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/53/kirovkh-01_hu_1f4df7e9622eb890.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/53.html","regions":["kirov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["vandalism"],"title":"In Kirov, an act of vandalism against the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 25, 2016, the Federal Bailiff Service for Kalmykia announced the confiscation of the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses, located in the city center at 32 Chkalov Street. The modest building was erected by the hands of believers in 2000.\nEarlier, the court liquidated the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Elista on the basis of 2 warnings about the inadmissibility of extremist activity. Lawyers unsuccessfully tried to prove that the cases were falsified. So, on June 25, 2015, the CPE officers entered the courtyard, and police major Yurikov purposefully approached the fence, under which he \"found\" 2 books from the FSEM, clearly thrown over the fence from the outside. The community was fined 100,000 rubles and was given its first warning. The second incident occurred in December 2015. The believers recorded alarms and suspected that someone was trying to plant prohibited materials on them. Soon, more than 10 officers of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including Major Yurikov, came with a search. In the space under the roof, which can only be accessed from the outside of the building, a package with publications from the FSEM planted by someone was found. As a result, a new fine of 100,000 rubles and a second warning, which became the basis for a lawsuit to liquidate the community and recognize it as \"extremist\".\nThe believers categorically deny all accusations of extremist activity, consider it a miscarriage of justice to recognize their literature as extremist, and appeal all such court decisions to higher authorities.\n","category":"property","date":"2016-10-28T15:04:53+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/52/elista-01_hu_a637c8abecadbbea.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/52/elista-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/52/elista-01_hu_887fe5087104ae3f.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/52/elista-01_hu_2d890368fec1f46a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/52.html","regions":["kalmykia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["mro","plant","fsem","buildings-seizure"],"title":"The process of confiscation of the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses has started in Elista","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 24, 2016, the Irkutsk Regional Library hosted a conference on the topic \"Theory and Practice of Implementing Ethno-Confessional Relations in the Irkutsk Region\".\nRelations based on mutual respect have developed in the region with Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious organizations, said Alexei Mishin, a representative of the regional government, in his plenary speech. Referring to Jehovah's Witnesses, he said that about 5,500 of them live in the Baikal region, and they appeared in the region 65 years ago during the operation of mass forced resettlement of believers of this religion from the western regions of the USSR.\nIt can be added that for many years in different cities of the Irkutsk region, Jehovah's Witnesses have been actively helping in landscaping. The patronage assistance that individual believers provided to the orphanage and the baby home in the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye did not go unnoticed.\n","category":"opinions","date":"2016-10-27T17:02:17+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/51/irkutsk-01_hu_6bedabe0279cd49d.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/51/irkutsk-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/51/irkutsk-01_hu_47ebb140d6674211.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/51/irkutsk-01_hu_6cda78f583e55970.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/51.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["ussr"],"title":"At a conference in Irkutsk, mention was made of the benevolent attitude of the authorities towards Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 23, 2016, in Snezhnogorsk, Murmansk Region, 15 minutes after the start of the service, law enforcement officers arrived at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Referring to a \"received message\", they said that the building could contain weapons and extremist literature. Since the law enforcement officers did not have a search warrant, the believers let them into the building only under threat of force. During the search, law enforcement officers seized a laptop used to play liturgical music. Brochures submitted to the FSEM were planted and \"discovered\". The weapon, as expected, was not found.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-10-24T17:15:39+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/50/planting-02_hu_6884b4c2135fb4c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/50/planting-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/50/planting-02_hu_ad11cfc3be0e8709.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/50/planting-02_hu_67fa979063f49843.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/50.html","regions":["murmansk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fsem"],"title":"Law enforcement officers disrupted the Sunday service of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Murmansk region","type":"news"},{"body":"A judicial panel of three judges decided that there were no signs of extremism in these materials.\n","date":"2016-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/250.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["courtroom","extremism-texts"],"title":"Appellate Ruling of the Leningrad Regional Court in the Case of Recognizing as Extremist the Brochures \"What Can the Homeless and the Poor Hope For\" and \"The End Is Near?\"","type":"docs"},{"body":"On October 11, 2016, at least 25 law enforcement officers disrupted a worship service of one of the Jehovah's Witnesses communities in St. Petersburg. The Kingdom Hall on Luzhskaya Street was searched until the ceiling was opened. Many of the men were taken to police stations and the Investigative Committee. Bibles, electronic tablets, and telephones were seized from believers without proper registration. Minors were interrogated. The believers intend to appeal against the actions of law enforcement officers.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-10-12T14:33:13+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/49/police-01_0_hu_f3ef7eeda4ab78c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/49/police-01_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/49/police-01_0_hu_866c87b03e0dcc36.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/49/police-01_0_hu_71e88a92e6a29efb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/49.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","meetings-disruption","interrogation","minors"],"title":"In St. Petersburg, police and investigators disrupted a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On October 12, 2016, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow rejected Jehovah's Witnesses' request to declare illegal the warning about the inadmissibility of extremist activities issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia to their Administrative Center. The court announced the decision at 1:10 p.m.\nJehovah's Witnesses consider this decision of the court to be erroneous. They strongly object to labelling them \"extremists\", emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-10-12T13:52:54+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_3a17304a21a80f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_1526078cea8e0115.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/48/tverskoy_sud-01_hu_ccd40cc0444ec907.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/48.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The court rejected the request of Jehovah's Witnesses to annul the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2016, the FSB Border Guard Department for Karachay-Cherkessia conducted 4 searches (\"examinations\") in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the villages of Mednogorsky and Kurdzhinovo.\nThe search warrants were issued by I. Gerbekov, a judge of the Supreme Court of the KChR, on the grounds that one of the believers, Svetlana Isaeva, who lives in Mednogorskoye, is engaged in involving others in her religion and, allegedly, distributed books included in the list of extremist materials among her like-minded people, who were also searched.\nA week after the searches, an FSB officer returned to Isaeva and demanded that she change her affidavit and admit that she had been distributing extremist literature. Isaeva refused, as this is not true.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-10-03T14:25:41+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/10/47/kurdzhinovo-01_hu_5889a39990a5360b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/10/47/kurdzhinovo-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/10/47/kurdzhinovo-01_hu_9db2b5d0b9195715.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/10/47/kurdzhinovo-01_hu_4a706061854c973d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/10/47.html","regions":["stavropol","karachaevo"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search"],"title":"Simultaneously with the searches in the Stavropol region, a series of searches took place in Karachay-Cherkessia","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2016, masked law enforcement officers searched the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Nezlobnaya (Stavropol Territory). The CCTV footage clearly shows the actions of law enforcement officers.\nEarly in the morning, several cars drove up to the building, people in black masks got out of them. Jumping over the fence, they broke the lock on the gate, cut off the front door with special means and entered the building.\nThe camera footage shows that the employees were dispersed to different rooms. Several people entered the hall on the first floor and two of them, in the presence of their colleagues, took forbidden literature from under their clothes and put it in a table next to them. Later, employees allegedly withdraw forbidden literature from the exact part of the table where it was placed, while the rest of the shelves remain empty.\nAs Pavel Puzyrev, chairman of the committee of the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses, later explained, the worship building is regularly checked for the presence of foreign objects and prohibited literature. On the eve of the special operation, such a check was carried out as usual. In particular, there was nothing in that table, it was empty.\nAmong other things, law enforcement officers seized audio and video equipment. When Yevgeny Vernik, a representative of the owner and a member of the LRO committee, arrived at the worship building, law enforcement officers did not allow him to participate in the search. Wernick said: \"The senior person in charge of the search did not introduce himself, did not let me read the order. Moreover, when I asked him to provide me with a copy of the order, he rudely demanded that I leave the building. And I had to do it.\"\nAccording to lawyers, these actions were carried out in violation of the law. For example, there was no search warrant, although there were people in the building. They were not offered to open the door voluntarily, but instead immediately used special equipment. Also, law enforcement officers exceeded their official powers by removing the owner's representative from the search site.\nIn Nezlobnaya, a search was also conducted in the house of the chairman of the LRO, Pavel Puzyrev. He said: \"Some of the officers climbed over the fence, and when they came to our house, there were about 10 of them, they immediately dispersed to different rooms, which is why we could not observe the search. And, for example, the first toss was made in the kitchen. It is noteworthy that a week before these events, Puzyrev became the victim of a provocation: in educational institutions, unknown persons pasted fake leaflets on his behalf. During the search, in addition to prohibited literature, a stack of such leaflets was planted on him. As a result, a protocol on an administrative offense was drawn up against him.\nBelievers believe that the incident indicates the intention of the authorities to ban their local religious organization, which has been legally operating in the village of Nezlobnaya for 17 years.\n\"The last time searches were conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Nezlobnaya was in 1985,\" said Pavel Puzyrev, \"At that time, every Jehovah's Witness understood that law enforcement officers could come to him at any time and seize the Bible and Bible literature. History repeats itself. Only now, in 2016, even if you don't have anything forbidden, they can just throw it at you!\"\nThe Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is already aware of at least 60 plantings and falsifications. \"In most cases, believers are only forced to shrug their shoulders helplessly,\" said Sivulsky Yaroslav, a representative of the center, \"However, cases, as in Nezlobnaya, when the toss is recorded on camera, prove a very sad truth: the planting is carried out by those who themselves must protect the law and the law! It is their conscience. It is their responsibility before God and men.\"\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2016-09-30T08:48:48+03:00","duration":"4:35","image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/46/nezlopnaya_picture_for_jw-russia_hu_ed6c3febbd227ea5.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/46/nezlopnaya_picture_for_jw-russia.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/46/nezlopnaya_picture_for_jw-russia_hu_c1780a457b0402d6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/46/nezlopnaya_picture_for_jw-russia_hu_ffc16ba6ad5a9b18.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/46.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","video","plant","fabrications"],"title":"Surveillance Cameras: Security Officers Plant Banned Books on Believers","type":"video"},{"body":"On October 12, 2016, the hearings on the lawsuit of Jehovah's Witnesses, which demand that the \"Warning on the inadmissibility of extremist activity\", issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia, be declared illegal. The parties have been given time to familiarize themselves with the new documents. Jehovah's Witnesses strongly object to labelling them \"extremists,\" emphasizing that extremism is deeply alien to their biblically based views and morals.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-09-23T14:58:29+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_1f504180d609444.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_fa6329c38b708261.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/42/tverskoy_sud_hu_c16eb4bf429fbe64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/42.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The court postponed the hearing on the claim of Jehovah's Witnesses demanding to annul the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 20, 2016, during a search in the house of the chairman of the local religious organization, P. Puzyrev , and his parents, law enforcement officers planted banned books on them, as well as, unexpectedly, a stack of fake leaflets that someone had hung in educational institutions in Georgievsk a week earlier. Believers are upset by the dishonest actions of officials.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-09-21T09:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/45/planting-08_0_hu_adc520b3d46421b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/45/planting-08_0.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/45/planting-08_0_hu_ee7b9128602ac06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/45/planting-08_0_hu_9303cc3de2481be1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/45.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant","fabrications"],"title":"The origin of fake leaflets in the Stavropol region was revealed","type":"news"},{"body":"On the morning of September 20, 2016, masked law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in worship buildings and private homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Nezlobnaya and the city of Pyatigorsk. In Nezlobnaya, the police, sawing down the front doors, invaded the worship building, which can accommodate up to 2,350 believers. Not allowing representatives of the community, law enforcement officers \"found\" banned books in the building. Believers are convinced that the books have been planted. A search was also conducted in the house of the chairman of the local religious organization, P. Puzyrev, and his parents.\nOn the same day, a search was conducted in a worship building in Pyatigorsk at 86 Naberezhnaya Street, during which nothing prohibited was found in the building.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-09-20T17:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/44/police-06_hu_dd37e72dda0de996.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/44/police-06.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/44/police-06_hu_ba8e1f57e8d788cf.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/44/police-06_hu_19cc0d4809d5dba5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/44.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["search","plant"],"title":"In the Stavropol Territory, a Series of Searches in the Homes and Worship Buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On September 12, 2016, it became known that in some educational institutions in Georgievsk (Stavropol Territory), unknown persons pasted leaflets with a call to pray and take the right path, as well as with the personal phone number of the chairman of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has nothing to do with the leaflets. Believers believe that the fakes are intended to incite law enforcement agencies to act against them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-09-19T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/09/43/planting-08_hu_adc520b3d46421b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/09/43/planting-08.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/09/43/planting-08_hu_ee7b9128602ac06.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/09/43/planting-08_hu_9303cc3de2481be1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/09/43.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fabrications"],"title":"Fake leaflets on behalf of Jehovah's Witnesses are distributed in educational institutions of Stavropol Territory","type":"news"},{"body":"The examination was appointed by the decision of the Leningrad Regional Court. The object of the study is two brochures \"What to hope for the homeless and the poor\" and \"The end is near?\".\n","date":"2016-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/249.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","extremism-texts"],"title":"Volokhova L., Kryuk E., Panin S. Psychological, linguistic and religious conclusion of experts of the RFTSSE. Liturgical materials","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is appealing in court against the warning issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation about the inadmissibility of extremist activities. The warning is a matter of concern because it threatens to close the Administrative Centre. On July 18, 2016, representatives of foreign embassies came to the first court hearing in the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow as observers.\nThe court held a conversation with the parties and scheduled the main hearing for September 23, 2016. It will take place at the address: st. Tsvetnoy Boulevard, 25A, beginning at 9:00. The case is being heard by Judge Maria Moskalenko.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-08-03T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_486ea3aa8bcc3c18.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_c6dfc34efd3ca836.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/08/15/bethel-02_hu_5fa2f46988958ab0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/08/15.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"On September 23, a meeting will be held in Moscow to appeal the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On the evening of July 28, 2016, law enforcement officers armed with machine guns, including the FSB and riot police, came to the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses in Petrozavodsk and Kostomuksha.\nIn Petrozavodsk at that time, a service was held with the participation of dozens of local believers. Phones and other electronic devices were seized from those present. Some of the believers were roughly knocked to the floor by law enforcement officers, pressed with their knees, and kicked. Believers were asked questions, documents were checked. The last detainee was released well after midnight. Several printed publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) were planted.\nAt the worship building in Kostomuksha, the visitors planted two copies of printed materials included in the FSEM, as well as, unusually, the original passport of a man who had not attended Jehovah's Witnesses services, but it is known that his relatives had previously opposed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The purpose of planting this document is unknown.\nAs for the planting of printed materials, this has become a widespread practice of unscrupulous law enforcement officers. The \"discovered\" materials serve as the basis for initiating administrative cases with a view to the subsequent liquidation of the registered community and recognizing it as \"extremist\".\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-07-29T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/07/39/police-01_hu_f3ef7eeda4ab78c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/07/39/police-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/07/39/police-01_hu_866c87b03e0dcc36.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/07/39/police-01_hu_71e88a92e6a29efb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/07/39.html","regions":["karelia"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","siloviks-violence","plant"],"title":"In two cities of Karelia, a violent action against peaceful Christians took place simultaneously","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 2, 2016, law enforcement officers came to a religious meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses in Alushta. They interrupted the service and \"seized\" a bag of Watchtower magazines from a stranger who was present in the room at the time.\nThe disruption of worship services is an extraordinary event and a serious violation of the rights and freedoms of citizens, as the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Kuznetsov v. the Russian Federation (2007) and then reiterated in the judgment in the case of Krupko v. the Russian Federation (2014).\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-07-04T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/07/16/planting-01_hu_4e3c9539bf236ac7.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/07/16/planting-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/07/16/planting-01_hu_6040977556c61772.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/07/16/planting-01_hu_62d4767538f77ccd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/07/16.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","echr","plant"],"title":"In Crimea, Jehovah's Witnesses Again Planted Banned Materials and Disrupted Worship Services","type":"news"},{"body":"The Bulgarian television and radio company SKAT (National Television SKAT) was found guilty of spreading false information and threats against Jehovah's Witnesses. On January 25, 2016, the Commission for Protection against Discrimination found that as many as six programs aired on the company several years ago contained serious defamation, discrimination and violations of journalistic ethics that \"cannot be justified.\" As a result, a fine was imposed on the TV company and two journalists.\nBelievers are convinced that these programs, which were broadcast on the cable channel SKAT TV in 2010-11, caused a serious surge of aggression and violence against them. They accused civilians of heinous crimes that they did not actually commit. These materials received great publicity in the Bulgarian society.\nThe SKAT openly encouraged religious violence and extremism. In 2011, one report justified attacks on a worship building in the city of Burgas and other acts of violence. Then, we recall, the crowd severely beat some of those present at the service, they had to be hospitalized. But the broadcaster expressed approval of the attackers and said that Jehovah's Witnesses deserve such treatment. After such reports, acts of violence and vandalism throughout the country became sharply more frequent, and individual officials even began to issue discriminatory decrees.\nAs a result, believers filed a complaint with the Bulgarian Commission for Protection against Discrimination, and this complaint was fully satisfied. Stingray refused to admit its guilt, which is why the amount of the fine became significantly higher than usual.\nThe believers are grateful to the Commission for the fair decision and hope that it will help stem the flow of insults and attacks to which they are subjected by some biased or ill-informed journalists. \"It is important that people hear the truth about Jehovah's Witnesses,\" said a representative of a religious organization in Bulgaria.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2016-07-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/07/23/camera-01_hu_76f779a281dcf0c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/07/23/camera-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/07/23/camera-01_hu_ff901674e47aa1cb.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/07/23/camera-01_hu_8f6efb2d9e1131dd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/07/23.html","regions":["eu"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["eu","slander"],"title":"Bulgarian TV Channel Fined for Defamation of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The examination was appointed by the decision of the Odintsovo City Court of the Moscow Region. The object of the study was 15 brochures, including \"The Secret of Family Happiness\", \"The Bible for the Little Ones\" and others.\n","date":"2016-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/246.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","extremism-texts"],"title":"Elbakyan E., Boytsov A., Volokhova L., Kryuk E., Sekerage T. Psychological, linguistic and religious conclusion of experts of the RFTSSE. Liturgical materials","type":"docs"},{"body":"On June 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the decision to terminate the activities of the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belgorod and recognize it as \"extremist\". The court's decision does not mean that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Belgorod is banned. Only a specific legal entity, which included 11 Belgorod residents, was liquidated.\n","category":"org","date":"2016-06-10T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/06/12/foto_verhovnogo_suda_hu_8d741d80dd1dadca.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/06/12/foto_verhovnogo_suda.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/06/12/foto_verhovnogo_suda_hu_862d226a950ec815.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/06/12/foto_verhovnogo_suda_hu_89433deb99f35001.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/06/12.html","regions":["belgorod"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","mro"],"title":"The Supreme Court upheld the decision in the case of Belgorod Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 1, 2016, a lawsuit was filed with the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow to declare illegal the \"Warning on the inadmissibility of extremist activities\" issued by the Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia. Earlier, Jehovah's Witnesses appealed the warning to the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation Y. Chaika.\nPrevention consists of a number of legal contradictions. For example, the prosecutor's office charges the Administrative Center with the fact that 88 publications of the Witnesses are included in the list of extremist materials, although the prosecutor's office itself has consistently insisted in the courts that the Administrative Center should not be involved in the case, since its \"interests are not affected\" (the organization is not the publisher or copyright holder of the materials).\n","category":"org","date":"2016-06-09T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_fc8e5bf8eff6defc.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_5e4fe091f0ca74a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/06/17/bethel-07_hu_45eadbf57b529f0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/06/17.html","regions":["moscow"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","fsem","administrative-center"],"title":"The Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses appealed to the court against the warning of the Prosecutor General's Office","type":"news"},{"body":"On June 3, 2016, the Arkhangelsk Regional Court rejected the prosecutor's request to recognize the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Tsentralnaya, Arkhangelsk\" as extremist. The prosecutor's lawsuit, among other things, was based on an episode with the discovery in the car of one of the believers' publications included in the list of extremist materials. At the same time, the believer from the very beginning claimed that the prohibited materials had been planted on him. During the trial, an examination was carried out, which showed the absence of his fingerprints on the packaging and the publications contained therein.\n","category":"victory","date":"2016-06-08T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/06/29/gavel3_hu_adcc474ea0ed0450.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/06/29/gavel3.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/06/29/gavel3_hu_6389c68654f9424b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/06/29/gavel3_hu_129bc46f39cb308.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/06/29.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["plant","case-dismissed","search","mro"],"title":"Arkhangelsk Regional Court Defends Freedom of Religion","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 25, 2016, in Stavropol, more than 10 police and FSB officers cordoned off the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses on Vasilyev Street. Upon entering the building, they dispersed to the back rooms and \"found\" three publications included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) in a box with sound-amplifying equipment on a laptop keyboard. The day before, believers carefully examined the building to exclude the possibility of planting, noting the absence of publications from the FSEM in the building. Therefore, they have no doubt that the materials were planted.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-05-19T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/05/18/planting-05_hu_2a41a08a7ec1d3e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/05/18/planting-05.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/05/18/planting-05_hu_25d269ab2e4b8c57.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/05/18/planting-05_hu_23d8d1b2abca29a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/05/18.html","regions":["stavropol"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["plant","fsem"],"title":"Planting prohibited items in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Stavropol","type":"news"},{"body":"On March 27, 2016, about 10 officers from the Center for Religious Activity and the FSB broke into the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkaria, where a service was being held with the participation of more than 70 believers. The participants were not allowed to record the inspection of the premises, expelling them from the building. When the first floor of the building was at the disposal of law enforcement officers, they announced the \"discovery\" of materials submitted to the FSEM. Since the believers conduct a regular thorough inspection of the building, recording the absence of any prohibited items in it, they are sure that the materials included in the FSEM were planted by them.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-05-18T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/05/19/planting-06_hu_cbbea508320a5344.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/05/19/planting-06.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/05/19/planting-06_hu_81d57942b41e280b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/05/19/planting-06_hu_363cf9b71c0a34ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/05/19.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","fsem","hatred-attacks"],"title":"Planting prohibited items in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokhladny","type":"news"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office succeeded in banning the book, which is a chronological retelling of the four Gospels. The decision to ban was made by the Smolninsky District Court of St. Petersburg, and on May 5, 2016, the book \"The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived\" was included in the federal list of extremist materials. Judge Tatyana Matusyak did not involve the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the case. The decision, made without the knowledge of the believers, will be appealed.\n","category":"literature","date":"2016-05-13T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/05/30/book-5_1_hu_c389154f9f19ed4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/05/30/book-5_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/05/30/book-5_1_hu_4cd1f6831a3b9817.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/05/30/book-5_1_hu_66b7363da17898aa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/05/30.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["fsem","sentence"],"title":"The book with the retelling of the life of Christ was recognized as extremist","type":"news"},{"body":"The conclusion was prepared on the basis of lawyers' requests of V.L. Shipilov and A.N. Bogdanov. Modern Translation (VTI)\", \"The Bible is a New World Translation\", \"The Bible is a Translation of the Russian Bible Society\", \"The Bible is a Translation of the Bible Translation Institute\".\n","date":"2016-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/254.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["bible-ban","expert-conclusions"],"title":"Baranov A., Dobrovolsky D. Linguistic conclusion. Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"About fifty believers in the large hall of the Supreme Court applauded the unanimous decision of the panel of judges to refuse the prosecutor's office to liquidate and recognize the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Tyumen as extremist. Lawyers for the believers insisted that the evidence in the case was falsified. We are talking about false testimony and planting of \"extremist\" materials, which have become widespread practice.\n","category":"victory","date":"2016-04-15T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/04/13/supremecourt-02_hu_bf0ea4246d6535a3.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/04/13/supremecourt-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/04/13/supremecourt-02_hu_10aae2dc4ff51d09.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/04/13/supremecourt-02_hu_137948a78f549282.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/04/13.html","regions":["tyumen"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["supreme-court","plant","mro","fabrications"],"title":"The Supreme Court of Russia refused the prosecutor's office to liquidate the Tyumen organization of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"The conclusion was prepared on the basis of the lawyer's request of Bogdanov A.N. The object of the study is the translation of the Bible \"Holy Scripture – New World Translation\".\n","date":"2016-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/253.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["bible-ban","expert-conclusions"],"title":"Medvedev A. Religious conclusion. Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"The UN Representative on Religious Freedom, Heiner Bielefeldt, negatively assessed the situation in this area in Russia. The report of the 113th session of the UN states that Russian courts erroneously apply the new law \"On Countering Extremist Activities\" against Jehovah's Witnesses.\nA recent report by the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) stated: \"Russia continues to restrict ... freedom of religion, including that of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Mr. Bielefeldt noted that freedom of religion was one of the fundamental and inalienable freedoms that could not be restricted even in a state of emergency.\nAt the 113th session, the HRC published a report stating that Russia is not fulfilling its obligations as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Russian authorities, while paying lip service to protecting the freedom of religion of their citizens, continue to aggressively enforce the law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\" against Jehovah's Witnesses. After a series of amendments a few years ago, this law has become a convenient tool in the hands of individual officials who decided to settle scores with arbitrarily selected religious associations.\nThe UN draws attention to the fact that in the new edition, the Russian law on extremism has become extremely vague. This allowed the courts to easily repress religious and any other organizations, simply by finding the right \"experts\" who would sign the analysis of literature or oral statements. This policy has already led to curious consequences, such as a lawsuit to ban the Bible (currently pending in the Vyborg City Court), as well as a ban on the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has no analogues in any country in the world. In the spring of 2015, for the first time, in violation of all legal norms, the Russian authorities banned the import into the country of all literature of Jehovah's Witnesses without exception, even those that had never been on the \"forbidden\" lists. It is especially paradoxical that the faithful were not allowed to import even the universally recognized Synodal translation, which is used by the Orthodox Church!\nJehovah's Witnesses found themselves in this situation about two years ago, when religious persecution across the country intensified dramatically. Yevgeny Bobrov, Deputy Chairman of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, explains: \"In the last two years, in the process of intensified struggle against sects and the search for extremists among their adherents, almost all dissidents have been persecuted. Members of such groups are often subjected to arbitrary detention and searches. Their meetings are dispersed and worship services are disrupted for no reason.\"\nBut there was also good news. For example, in May 2015, the Russian Ministry of Justice reinstated the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, and on June 3, 2016, in Arkhangelsk, the court refused to liquidate the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses at the request of the prosecutor's office. Alas, these events may be the exception rather than the rule. According to some experts, such steps may only be intended to reassure the public, mainly abroad. Time will tell how much the Russian authorities are ready to respect the rights and beliefs of their citizens.\n","category":"rights","date":"2016-04-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/04/40/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_hu_d75decdef3c0ef00.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/04/40/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/04/40/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_hu_fd30f41d56d9dc1e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/04/40/k.jakubowska_shutterstock.com_1_hu_ad59c09b35291970.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/04/40.html","regions":["usa"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["human-rights-defenders","unhrc","expert-comments","review"],"title":"UN: Russia continues to infringe on the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Members of the Presidential Council for Human Rights Lyudmila Alekseeva, Alexander Verkhovsky and Vladimir Ryakhovsky speak about the demand of the prosecutor's office to recognize the Bible seized from Jehovah's Witnesses as \"extremist material.\"\n","category":"opinion","date":"2016-03-30T10:10:10+03:00","duration":"3:19","image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/03/11/nwt_2016_cover_hu_2ca8bdd06de02fd4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/03/11/nwt_2016_cover_hu_de7af7ce56a3f2ef.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/03/11/nwt_2016_cover_hu_93d1820d1cd6f87d.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/03/11/nwt_2016_cover_hu_7c07aafea4ad866d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/03/11.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","video","presidential-council","expert-comments","human-rights-defenders"],"title":"A lawsuit to recognize the Bible as extremist. What do human rights activists say?","type":"video"},{"body":"The examination was appointed by the decision of the Kurgan Regional Court. The object of the study was the book \"Keep Yourself in God's Love\" and the brochure \"Let You Be Influenced by the Spirit of God, Not the Spirit of the World.\"\n","date":"2016-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/248.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","extremism-texts"],"title":"Levochskaya A., Odintsov M., Fateeva N. Linguistic and religious conclusions of MIC experts. Liturgical materials","type":"docs"},{"body":"On the evening of March 17, 2016, the Rostov Regional Court essentially upheld the conviction of 16 Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses. All sixteen believers were sentenced to heavy fines, and four were sentenced to more than 5 years of suspended imprisonment. The defendants, as well as their fellow believers across Russia, are shocked by the blatantly unjust verdict. The court considered the usual peaceful religious activities of Taganrog residents to be a crime. The reason is that in 2009 the court liquidated a legal entity - the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\" (the decision was appealed to the European Court of Human Rights). The lawyers drew the court's attention to Russian legislation, according to which the liquidation of a legal entity does not deprive individual believers of the right to freedom of religion. \"During the appeal hearing, it became clear that judges Shelekhov, Malysheva and Kuznetsov were not ready to defend believers from a fictitious accusation,\" says lawyer Anton Omelchenko.- When we reviewed the meager arguments of the prosecution, I asked the collegium, if the verdict was guilty, to honestly reflect in it that believers were sentenced only for reading aloud a passage from a psalm, or from the Gospel of John. or from the Acts of the Apostles.\" \"This is the first time in modern Russia that people have been criminally punished just for their faith,\" said Yaroslav Sivulsky of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, \"The decision of the Rostov Regional Court discredits Russian justice, returning Russian reality to the sad times of religious repression.\"\n\"Our dear fellow believers, men and women, young and old, peaceful and law-abiding people, were considered extremists, dangerous criminals. You can't call it anything other than a perversion of justice,\" says Vasily Kalin of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. As God-fearing Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose any threat to society. The forces of Russian law enforcement, prosecutors and judges deserve much better use.\"\nThe believers intend to seek justice in this case.\n","category":"verdict","date":"2016-03-18T10:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_d04b751f92f4d7fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_490946eacb9741de.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/03/84/taganrog_16_podsudimyh_1_1_1_hu_26a00d12849d3c0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/03/84.html","regions":["rostov"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["appeal","fine","suspended","liquidation","mro"],"title":"Conviction of 16 believers from Taganrog entered into force ","type":"news"},{"body":"The study was carried out on the basis of the lawyer's request of Bogdanov A.N. The object of the study was the translation of the Bible \"Holy Scripture – New World Translation\".\n","date":"2016-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/252.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["bible-ban","expert-conclusions"],"title":"Odintsov M. Religious conclusion. Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"On March 4, 2016, the Sergiev Posad City Court, presided over by Judge E.G. Aminova, announced the verdict that acquitted Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak, Jehovah's Witnesses from Sergiev Posad (Moscow Region). ","date":"2016-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/257.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["courtroom","acquittal"],"title":"Acquittal in the First Trial of Sergiev Posad Elders ","type":"docs"},{"body":"Evidence is being gathered that law enforcement agencies and individuals who cooperate with them systematically plant books included in the list of extremist materialsto believers . Unscrupulous authorities do everything to find a pretext to accuse Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","category":"from-the-scene","date":"2016-02-15T14:27:00+03:00","duration":"5:50","image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/02/2/image_hu_74837476bf4cc3da.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/02/2/image.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/02/2/image_hu_32f1834b97ae0524.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/02/2/image_hu_f87e6ced6f00a4ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/2.html","regions":["crimea"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","fabrications","plant","fsem"],"title":"How law enforcers fabricate charges against Jehovah's Witnesses. Video footage from Sevastopol, Samara and Balakovo","type":"video"},{"body":"The Leningrad-Finland Transport Prosecutor filed a lawsuit to recognize the canonical Bible, seized at customs from Jehovah's Witnesses, as \"extremist material.\" This seems implausible against the background of the fact that in the fall of the year the Russian president put forward and signed a law protecting the Holy Scriptures, including the Bible, from the action of anti-extremist legislation. Nevertheless, the prosecutor's claim is a fait accompli: the first hearing in the case is scheduled for March 15, 2016 in the Vyborg City Court (Leningrad Region).\nThe decision in this case may affect many people, since the Bible is a respected and widespread book in Russia. At least 59 Russian translations of the whole Bible or sections thereof, which have been published at various times since 1819, are in the possession of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","category":"literature","date":"2016-02-11T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/02/31/bible-02_hu_449876c8a0ee6163.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/02/31/bible-02.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/02/31/bible-02_hu_a78efed9441b4440.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/02/31/bible-02_hu_7480bbf39dc5c13c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/31.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["Bible-ban","bible-ban","translations"],"title":"For the first time in history, the prosecutor's office is seeking to ban the Bible itself through the courts!","type":"news"},{"body":"The examination was appointed by the decision of the Sergiev Posad City Court of the Moscow Region. The object of the study was the public speeches of A.P. Sivak and V.Y. Stepanov, dated August 2010.\n","date":"2016-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/245.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Volokhova L., Nesevrya E. Psychological-linguistic conclusion of experts of the RFTSSE. Acts of speech activity","type":"docs"},{"body":"On January 26, 2016, in the center of Birobidzhan, about 15 people, some with weapons and masks, interrupted a worship service held by 150 Jehovah's Witnesses in a hall rented by one of the believers. Without presenting a warrant, police officers and the FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region inspected the premises and \"found\" a package with materials included in the list of extremist materials. The believers have evidence that the package was brought and planted near the entrance to the hall, and they intend to appeal against the actions of the officials. In recent years, planting tactics have become widespread in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses communities throughout Russia. In Birobidzhan, a similar incident took place on October 8, 2015.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-02-05T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/02/32/police-05_hu_47c8e02b75fdf5e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/02/32/police-05.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/02/32/police-05_hu_731d039749fa89cc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/02/32/police-05_hu_8601e41d687516ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/32.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant"],"title":"New disruption of worship services and planting of extremist materials in Birobidzhan","type":"news"},{"body":"In January 2016, a complaint was sent to the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region in connection with the gross disruption of the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses that occurred on October 8, 2015 in the center of Birobidzhan. On that day, believers who came to the rented premises before the start of the meeting found that someone had planted several publications included in the list of extremist materials in an empty box. They hurried to destroy the publications, and within 15 minutes a group of 8 police officers arrived, who, without any warrant, canceled the service and inspected the premises. Of course, no extremist materials were found. The believers filed a collective complaint against these actions. The Birobidzhan District Court rejected it, and the believers hope that a higher court will satisfy their appeal.\n","category":"siloviki","date":"2016-02-04T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/02/33/planting-07_hu_1d7b9c43491d4e2b.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/02/33/planting-07.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/02/33/planting-07_hu_7ad6bb731b4dee6a.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/02/33/planting-07_hu_1682d5b3ab57557b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/33.html","regions":["jewish"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["meetings-disruption","complaints","inspection"],"title":"Jehovah's Witnesses Complain Against the Actions of Police Officers in the Jewish Autonomous Region","type":"news"},{"body":"The complaint was filed by the Watch Tower Society. The Commission on Human Rights of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation submitted to the Court an opinion that the recognition of the site as \"extremist\" violated the right of believers to judicial protection, since the case was considered without the owner of the site.\nThe court refused to consider the complaint without eliminating the legal uncertainty, as a result of which sites can be recognized as extremist without granting their owners the right to effective legal protection. There is also no proper assessment of the fact that the site is recognized as \"extremist\" in the absence of materials from the FSEM on it, but only because such materials may appear on it!\n","category":"literature","date":"2016-02-02T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/02/34/website-01_hu_541d885d7cba42a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/02/34/website-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/02/34/website-01_hu_da99740040137c5e.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/02/34/website-01_hu_ec4df2dd52c50696.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/34.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["complaints","courtroom","website","fsem","bible-ban"],"title":"The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation issued a ruling on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"On July 13, 2015, customs in the Russian city of Vyborg (Leningrad Region) unexpectedly detained a large shipment of Bibles. This is a New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures published by Jehovah's Witnesses. Customs officers not only seized the entire shipment of 2013 copies of the Bible, but even opened a case against the Jehovah's Witnesses center in Finland, from which the shipment came.\nJehovah's Witnesses have faced bans and seizures of their literature before, but this is the first time that law enforcement agencies have paid attention to the Bible. It is particularly surprising that the customs ordered an examination to establish whether the Bible in question was \"extremist.\" Russia may become the only country in the world in which the Bible, the holy scripture of several world religions, will be recognized as \"extremist literature.\"\nThe case of the inclusion of the New World Translation in the Federal List of Extremist Materials is currently being considered in the Vyborg City Court. If this edition of the Bible is on the list, its distribution will be banned throughout the country. This will be a serious restriction of the constitutional rights of citizens, because the freedom to choose religion, including sacred texts, is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nIn some languages of the peoples of Russia, the New World Translation is the only complete edition of the Bible. One of these languages is Ossetian. As a result of the ban, all Christians who speak this language will not be able to read the full Bible.\nThe possible recognition of the Bible as extremist seems especially strange due to the fact that in November 2015 the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a law prohibiting the recognition of the Bible and other sacred texts as extremist. Prior to that, Russian courts had twice rejected attempts to recognize well-known sacred texts as such (the Bhagavad-gita in 2011 and the Koran in 2013).\nThe Russian authorities do not limit themselves to confiscating only the Bible from Jehovah's Witnesses. Arbitrary detentions of various Bible literature have been going on since March 2015. Each time, in order to confiscate another batch of literature, law enforcement officers send copies of it for \"examination\", which necessarily finds supposedly signs of extremism in it. Customs officers continue to seize literature even though Jehovah's Witnesses have provided court decisions and expert examinations confirming that it does not contain any signs of extremism. Customs simply ignores these documents.\nJehovah's Witnesses sincerely hope that common sense will prevail and Russian officials will abandon attempts to ban the Bible, a book of books. \"If they are not stopped by knowledgeable people, it will be a disgrace to the whole world, because the Bible is a great book that is read not only by Christians around the world, but all over the world,\" says Lyudmila Alekseeva, a human rights activist and member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2016-02-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2016/02/41.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["border-control","Bible-ban","bible-ban"],"title":"Customs Blocks Bible Shipments to Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"On January 14, 2016, a complaint was filed with the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region against the actions of the customs, which on November 27, 2015 again blocked the import into Russia of holy books for the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. This time, a batch of Bibles in the official translation of the Russian Orthodox Church (Synodal Edition), as well as a batch of the \"Cognitive Bible\" issued by the RBS, were not allowed into the country. Earlier, the Vyborg customs did not allow 2,016 copies of the New World Translation of the Bible in Russian and Ossetian languages to enter Russia.\n","category":"discrimination","date":"2016-01-18T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2016/01/35/bible-03_hu_88585b9dc898585a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2016/01/35/bible-03.jpg","webp":"/news/2016/01/35/bible-03_hu_51b1dc42f081d70b.webp","webp2x":"/news/2016/01/35/bible-03_hu_9e4bac3627269279.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2016/01/35.html","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["border-control","Bible-ban"],"title":"Vyborg customs again blocks the import of Bibles into Russia","type":"news"},{"body":"The Odintsovo City Court of the Moscow Region interrogated the authoritative philologist A. Baranov, as well as N. Kryukova, whose competence as an expert was repeatedly questioned.\n","date":"2015-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/256.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["courtroom","studies-violations","extremism-texts"],"title":"Protocol of the interrogation of experts A. Baranov and N. Kryukova in the trial in the case of recognizing the brochures \"The Bible and Its Main Theme\", \"Keep Yourself by God's Love\" and others as extremist","type":"docs"},{"body":"The review was carried out on the basis of a request from the Lawyer's Office of the St. Petersburg Bar Association. The object of the study was a number of expert opinions of the RSD \"Center for Socio-Cultural Expertise\" on liturgical materials published by Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2015-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/259.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Smirnov A., Mazhnik G. Review of experts of the ANO \"Laboratory of Applied Linguistics\" on the conclusions of the examinations of Batov V., Kryukova N., Kotelnikov V., Tarasov A.","type":"docs"},{"body":"The review was carried out on the basis of an agreement concluded between the International Bar Association \"St. Petersburg\" and the Regional Public Organization \"Guild of Linguists-Experts in Documentation and Information Disputes\". The object of the study was the examination of liturgical materials dated July 22, 2015, carried out by Kotelnikov V.V., Tarasova A.E. and Kryukova N.N.\n","date":"2015-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/255.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","studies-violations","extremism-texts"],"title":"Gorbanevsky M., Zharkov I., Mamontov A., Trofimova G. Review of GLEDIS linguists-experts on the expert opinion of Kotelnikov V., Tarasov A., Kryukova N. ","type":"docs"},{"body":"Pages 24-279 in PDF format (2.5 MB)\nCONTENT\nBerezhko K. A., Slupina V. The Origins of the Jehovah's Witnesses Movement in the USSR\nGorbatov A. V. Jehovah's Witnesses in Siberia. 1951–1970\nDudaryonok S. M. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Far East. 1944–1990\nGutshmidt V. G. Vera, obrechennaya dorogoy tsena. Autobiography\nLeontiev A. E. History of Golovin's Trial to Liquidate the Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses Community and Its Assessment in the European Court of Human Rights\nBelenko I. V. Regulation of missionary activity and definition of the problem of proselytism and sacrilege. Experience of foreign countries\nDocument. U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society New York et al. v. Stratton Village et al.\nAntonov A. I., Medkov V. M. Scientific Conclusion on the Results of a Sociological Study of the Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow\nKhalikov F. Procedure for Recognition of Materials as Extremist: Analysis, Criticism, Suggestions\nBelenko I. V. Expert Evaluation of Religious Texts, Sayings and Illustrations for Incitement of Hatred\nDocument. Conclusion of the Commission of Experts of the Main Directorate of the RFTSSE under the Ministry of Justice of Russia\nOdintsov M. I. Transcript of the speech in the debate as a defender in criminal case No. 1-376/10 against A. V. Kalistratov, accused of committing a crime under Article 282 (part 1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\nBelenko I. V., Odintsov M. I. Bibliography on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world and in Russia\nStatistical information on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world and in Russia\nPages 24-279 in PDF format (2.5 MB)\n","category":"analytics","date":"2015-09-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/09/37/book-3_hu_8d94a4000fe0b183.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/09/37/book-3.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/09/37/book-3_hu_57ad300be7a090c7.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/09/37/book-3_hu_b1bdd1d35320e5ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/09/37.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review","statistics"],"title":"Freedom of Conscience in Russia: Historical and Modern Aspects. Issue 9","type":"news"},{"body":"The Ukrainian Supreme Specialized Court once again confirmed the right of citizens to replace military service with alternative civilian service, even during the period of mobilization and hostilities. An important decision was made in the case of Vitaliy Shalaiko, who is one of more than 140,000 Jehovah's Witnesses living in this country.\nLike most of his fellow believers, after receiving a summons for mobilization, Shalaiko asked to be given the opportunity to perform alternative civilian service. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution of Ukraine, and two courts, including an appellate court, have confirmed that it applies to citizens even despite the ongoing military operation in the east of the country at that time.\nLater, the prosecutor appealed the decision of these courts to the Supreme Specialized Court of Ukraine, but on June 23, 2015, this court confirmed the decisions of the lower courts, citing the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and precedents in the European Court of Human Rights.\nThis important court decision concerns not only Vitaliy Shalaiko, but any believers who have found themselves or may find themselves in a similar situation. Recently, thousands of Ukrainians have faced this, some of them have been prosecuted under criminal articles.\nAnd now the high judicial body confirmed that the constitutional right of citizens to replace military service with alternative civilian service on the basis of religious beliefs cannot be canceled even during hostilities and military mobilization, and such a right cannot be interpreted as a threat to the security of the country. The decision of the court is not subject to appeal.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2015-09-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2015/09/24.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review"],"title":"Ukraine reaffirmed the right to alternative civilian service during mobilization","type":"news"},{"body":"\nCONTENT\nBerezhko K. A., Slupina V. The Origins of the Jehovah's Witnesses Movement in the USSR\nGorbatov A. V. Jehovah's Witnesses in Siberia. 1951–1970\nDudaryonok S. M. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Far East. 1944–1990\nGutshmidt V. G. Vera, obrechennaya dorogoy tsena. Autobiography\nLeontiev A. E. History of Golovin's Trial to Liquidate the Moscow Jehovah's Witnesses Community and Its Assessment in the European Court of Human Rights\nBelenko I. V. Regulation of missionary activity and definition of the problem of proselytism and sacrilege. Experience of foreign countries\nDocument. U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Watch Tower, Bible, and Tract Society New York et al. v. Stratton Village et al.\nAntonov A. I., Medkov V. M. Scientific Conclusion on the Results of a Sociological Study of the Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow\nKhalikov F. Procedure for Recognition of Materials as Extremist: Analysis, Criticism, Suggestions\nBelenko I. V. Expert Evaluation of Religious Texts, Sayings and Illustrations for Incitement of Hatred\nDocument. Conclusion of the Commission of Experts of the Main Directorate of the RFTSSE under the Ministry of Justice of Russia\nOdintsov M. I. Transcript of the speech in the debate as a defender in criminal case No. 1-376/10 against A. V. Kalistratov, accused of committing a crime under Article 282 (part 1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\nBelenko I. V., Odintsov M. I. Bibliography on the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world and in Russia\nStatistical information on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the world and in Russia\n","date":"2015-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Freedom of Conscience in Russia: Historical and Modern Aspects. Issue 9","type":"docs"},{"body":"The study was carried out on the basis of the request of the Vyborg customs. The object of the study was the translation of the Bible \"Holy Scripture – New World Translation\".\n","date":"2015-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/251.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["bible-ban","studies-violations"],"title":"Kotelnikov V., Tarasov A., Kryukova N. Information about the study. Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"Full text of the book in PDF format (24 MB)\nINSTEAD OF AN INTRODUCTION\nThree circumstances prompted me to write this small book.\nFirst: the absolutely unimaginable avalanche of negative materials that almost daily falls on the average person through the media about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses - a world Christian organization operating in 236 countries of the world and already having more than 7 million active members (\"publishers\") or more than 17 million followers (\"publishers\" together with sympathizers).\nFor reference, I will say that in Soviet times this church was banned as anti-Soviet, and the local communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were underground (although the legalization process began during perestroika, but it was never completed).\nBut new times have come: Kazakhstan has become an independent state that has constitutionally proclaimed the secular, democratic principles of its construction, the main of which are freedom of conscience and equality of all faiths and denominations before the Law.\nJehovah's Witnesses, like some other \"persecuted\" denominations, came out of hiding and officially registered their communities in accordance with the requirements of the Law on Freedom of Religion and Religious Associations.\nIt would seem that all the dots over the \"i\" were placed.\nUnfortunately, religious tolerance and harmony did not last long. The harassment campaign has already swept not only the media. Trials began, moreover, on the most ridiculous charges.\nHere is just one example. The program \"Zheti Kun\" on the TV channel \"Khabar\" (Kazakhstan) aired an article about how a young man appealed to the prosecutor's office of the city of Taraz with a statement against his parents, who allegedly \"encroached on his civil rights\", forcing him to visit the community of Jehovah's Witnesses. As it was said, it was this letter that served as the reason for the prosecutor's office to appeal to the court with a statement of claim to invalidate the registration of this religious community.\nLet's leave aside the moral aspect of the young man's act and the involuntary associations with the pioneer heroes that it evokes. Let's just ask, what does the religious community have to do with it? If parents forced their son, against his wishes, to join a pro-government party, would the prosecutor file a lawsuit to ban the activities of its local branch?\nI think the question is rhetorical.\nThey tried to convince us that believers receive instructions for such treatment of children from their spiritual mentors, and the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses contains calls for abuse by parents of their children. But this is absurd! You don't need to be a religious scholar to be convinced of the inconsistency of such statements. An elementary acquaintance with the mass publications of Jehovah's Witnesses is enough. As M. Y. Lermontov once said, \"all this would be funny if it were not so sad.\" But in this situation, it is not only sad ... For all this is already becoming widespread.\nSo, it is necessary to understand how justified other accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses are, how legitimate is the campaign directed against the followers of this creed.\nSecond, the extremely negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses of many even very educated people who in other situations are not averse to speculating about tolerance, freedom of conscience and religious tolerance. Why did they succumb to propaganda directed against Jehovah's Witnesses and often advocate banning the activities of this religious organization?\nHaving pondered this phenomenon for a long time, I have found no other explanation than the lack of objective information.\nRussian scientists have already made some efforts to change this situation. Two very informative works were published there: Doctor of Philosophy, Professor N. S. Gordienko \"Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity\" and Candidate of Philosophical Sciences S. I. Ivanenko \"On People Who Never Part with the Bible\" (recently Sergey Igorevich defended his dissertation \"The Evolution of the Ideology and Activities of the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and became a Doctor of Philosophy). We do not have such studies yet.\nAnd thirdly, having been studying religions for almost thirty years, Jehovah's Witnesses remained something of a \"blank spot\" for me, although I naturally had a general idea of this confession. Hence the desire to somewhat deepen their knowledge, having understood in detail the history, doctrine, cult practice and current state of the world Christian organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. And there is no better way than to sit down and start writing a book, in my opinion.\nAt first, I intended to limit myself to materials on Kazakhstan. But the deeper I began to delve into the problem, the more I became convinced that the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan is closely intertwined with the history of the spread of this creed throughout the Central Asian region: it is impossible to write about Kazakhstan without touching on the state of affairs in the countries of Central Asia. Therefore, the geography of the study was expanded.\nAnd one more point that needs to be highlighted.\nNot only am I not a follower of the Jehovah's Witnesses' creed, but I also cannot consider myself a believer at all, since I do not belong to any denomination or denomination.\nIn this regard, one episode comes to mind. I happened to be in London. The hospitable hosts decided to show not only the capital, but also the country and offered a trip to the lakes that are located on the very border of England with Scotland. The famous Russian poetess Lydia Grigorieva, who has been living in London for several years, went with us, as her husband, a talented writer, journalist, poet Ravil Bukharaev, works for the BBC. And so, walking and admiring the beauty of the lakes, Lydia suddenly asked me:\n- You are engaged in the philosophy of religion, and you yourself are a believer?\n\"Me?\" \"No,\" I replied.\n\"How, then, can you study religion?\"\n- You know, Lydia, I am deeply convinced that only a person who does not belong to any denomination can be a religious scholar. Imagine if I were, for example, Orthodox or Muslim, could I objectively write about other religious movements?\nA pause followed... We did not touch on this topic again.\nIn Kazakhstan, that year, a noisy campaign began to revise the legislation on freedom of religion and religious associations in the direction of its tightening (which, unfortunately, has not ended even today).\nNeither civil principles nor professional conscience allowed me to stand aside, so when I returned to Almaty, I wrote an article in the magazine \"Sayasat\", in which I sharply opposed the constant \"shyness\" of the state in relations with religious associations: from ensuring freedom of conscience to rough administration and legislative tightening. In it, he tried to protect such denominations and denominations as Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahay, Ahmadi and others from unfounded attacks. I sent the published article to Lydia with the inscription: \"In continuation of our dialogue on the lakes.\"\nI am deeply convinced that unbelief is not lack of spirituality. If a person deeply believes in God and it helps him in life, that's great!\nIt is frightening when a person is spiritually devastated, when instead of spiritual values there is moral decay, cynicism, complete degradation.\nAnd to choose between faith and unbelief is everyone's right.\nI am impressed by the point of view of Jehovah's Witnesses:\n\"To understand what another person believes is not to share his beliefs and follow them, and to acquaint him is not to convert to one's faith.\" It is important to be able to respect each other's views.\nBut back to our main topic.\nSo, who are Jehovah's Witnesses? What kind of Christian world organization unites them? And how is it represented in Kazakhstan and Central Asia?\n[...]\nFull text of the book in PDF format (24 MB)\n","category":"opinions","date":"2015-08-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/08/27/book-1_hu_8df3e2f0d5488615.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/08/27/book-1.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/08/27/book-1_hu_de7a5fb801db93e4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/08/27/book-1_hu_6ddc26b4cb3b52fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/08/27.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["scholar-publications","expert-comments"],"title":"Artemyev A. Jehovah's Witnesses of Kazakhstan and Central Asia: Historical and Religious Analysis","type":"news"},{"body":"\nINSTEAD OF AN INTRODUCTION\nThree circumstances prompted me to write this small book.\nFirst: the absolutely unimaginable avalanche of negative materials that almost daily falls on the average person through the media about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses - a world Christian organization operating in 236 countries of the world and already having more than 7 million active members (\"publishers\") or more than 17 million followers (\"publishers\" together with sympathizers).\nFor reference, I will say that in Soviet times this church was banned as anti-Soviet, and the local communities of Jehovah's Witnesses were underground (although the legalization process began during perestroika, but it was never completed).\nBut new times have come: Kazakhstan has become an independent state that has constitutionally proclaimed the secular, democratic principles of its construction, the main of which are freedom of conscience and equality of all faiths and denominations before the Law.\nJehovah's Witnesses, like some other \"persecuted\" denominations, came out of hiding and officially registered their communities in accordance with the requirements of the Law on Freedom of Religion and Religious Associations.\nIt would seem that all the dots over the \"i\" were placed.\nUnfortunately, religious tolerance and harmony did not last long. The harassment campaign has already swept not only the media. Trials began, moreover, on the most ridiculous charges.\nHere is just one example. The program \"Zheti Kun\" on the TV channel \"Khabar\" (Kazakhstan) aired an article about how a young man appealed to the prosecutor's office of the city of Taraz with a statement against his parents, who allegedly \"encroached on his civil rights\", forcing him to visit the community of Jehovah's Witnesses. As it was said, it was this letter that served as the reason for the prosecutor's office to appeal to the court with a statement of claim to invalidate the registration of this religious community.\nLet's leave aside the moral aspect of the young man's act and the involuntary associations with the pioneer heroes that it evokes. Let's just ask, what does the religious community have to do with it? If parents forced their son, against his wishes, to join a pro-government party, would the prosecutor file a lawsuit to ban the activities of its local branch?\nI think the question is rhetorical.\nThey tried to convince us that believers receive instructions for such treatment of children from their spiritual mentors, and the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses contains calls for abuse by parents of their children. But this is absurd! You don't need to be a religious scholar to be convinced of the inconsistency of such statements. An elementary acquaintance with the mass publications of Jehovah's Witnesses is enough. As M. Y. Lermontov once said, \"all this would be funny if it were not so sad.\" But in this situation, it is not only sad ... For all this is already becoming widespread.\nSo, it is necessary to understand how justified other accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses are, how legitimate is the campaign directed against the followers of this creed.\nSecond, the extremely negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses of many even very educated people who in other situations are not averse to speculating about tolerance, freedom of conscience and religious tolerance. Why did they succumb to propaganda directed against Jehovah's Witnesses and often advocate banning the activities of this religious organization?\nHaving pondered this phenomenon for a long time, I have found no other explanation than the lack of objective information.\nRussian scientists have already made some efforts to change this situation. Two very informative works were published there: Doctor of Philosophy, Professor N. S. Gordienko \"Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity\" and Candidate of Philosophical Sciences S. I. Ivanenko \"On People Who Never Part with the Bible\" (recently Sergey Igorevich defended his dissertation \"The Evolution of the Ideology and Activities of the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and became a Doctor of Philosophy). We do not have such studies yet.\nAnd thirdly, having been studying religions for almost thirty years, Jehovah's Witnesses remained something of a \"blank spot\" for me, although I naturally had a general idea of this confession. Hence the desire to somewhat deepen their knowledge, having understood in detail the history, doctrine, cult practice and current state of the world Christian organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. And there is no better way than to sit down and start writing a book, in my opinion.\nAt first, I intended to limit myself to materials on Kazakhstan. But the deeper I began to delve into the problem, the more I became convinced that the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazakhstan is closely intertwined with the history of the spread of this creed throughout the Central Asian region: it is impossible to write about Kazakhstan without touching on the state of affairs in the countries of Central Asia. Therefore, the geography of the study was expanded.\nAnd one more point that needs to be highlighted.\nNot only am I not a follower of the Jehovah's Witnesses' creed, but I also cannot consider myself a believer at all, since I do not belong to any denomination or denomination.\nIn this regard, one episode comes to mind. I happened to be in London. The hospitable hosts decided to show not only the capital, but also the country and offered a trip to the lakes that are located on the very border of England with Scotland. The famous Russian poetess Lydia Grigorieva, who has been living in London for several years, went with us, as her husband, a talented writer, journalist, poet Ravil Bukharaev, works for the BBC. And so, walking and admiring the beauty of the lakes, Lydia suddenly asked me:\n- You are engaged in the philosophy of religion, and you yourself are a believer?\n\"Me?\" \"No,\" I replied.\n\"How, then, can you study religion?\"\n- You know, Lydia, I am deeply convinced that only a person who does not belong to any denomination can be a religious scholar. Imagine if I were, for example, Orthodox or Muslim, could I objectively write about other religious movements?\nA pause followed... We did not touch on this topic again.\nIn Kazakhstan, that year, a noisy campaign began to revise the legislation on freedom of religion and religious associations in the direction of its tightening (which, unfortunately, has not ended even today).\nNeither civil principles nor professional conscience allowed me to stand aside, so when I returned to Almaty, I wrote an article in the magazine \"Sayasat\", in which I sharply opposed the constant \"shyness\" of the state in relations with religious associations: from ensuring freedom of conscience to rough administration and legislative tightening. In it, he tried to protect such denominations and denominations as Jehovah's Witnesses, Bahay, Ahmadi and others from unfounded attacks. I sent the published article to Lydia with the inscription: \"In continuation of our dialogue on the lakes.\"\nI am deeply convinced that unbelief is not lack of spirituality. If a person deeply believes in God and it helps him in life, that's great!\nIt is frightening when a person is spiritually devastated, when instead of spiritual values there is moral decay, cynicism, complete degradation.\nAnd to choose between faith and unbelief is everyone's right.\nI am impressed by the point of view of Jehovah's Witnesses:\n\"To understand what another person believes is not to share his beliefs and follow them, and to acquaint him is not to convert to one's faith.\" It is important to be able to respect each other's views.\nBut back to our main topic.\nSo, who are Jehovah's Witnesses? What kind of Christian world organization unites them? And how is it represented in Kazakhstan and Central Asia?\n[...]\n","date":"2015-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/2.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Artemyev A. Jehovah's Witnesses of Kazakhstan and Central Asia: Historical and Religious Analysis","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Functionality of Faith Oleksandr Yalovenko\nFrom the editors\nThe construction of large religious buildings today is rare for St. Petersburg. Moreover, the event when a complex of non-traditional religious denominations for Russia is included in the architectural fabric of the city cannot fail to attract attention. Each religion forms its own architectural canon, corresponding to the nature of the faith and the religious activity corresponding to it.\nThe material prepared for the magazine by Alexander Yalovenko acquaints the reader with the peculiarities of the architecture of the Center for Holding Meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and the creator of this complex, the Finnish architect Helenios Osmo Ilmari.\nOleksandr Yalovenko and Helenios Osmo Ilmari\nIn September 1999, the Center for Religious Meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses was opened at 21 Kolomyazhsky Prospekt. Built in St. Petersburg, the complex is the first specialized religious building in Russia, which also allows you to hold congresses and conferences. The shape of the building was born in the contrast of bright, rich red-orange volumes, impressively combined with light, in some places striped volumes, giving a harmonious appearance of the building. As the architects expected, the building became an ornament of the city. At the same time attractive and elegant, it has become a kind of architectural dominant of this area.\nCenter for Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. General view\nAt first glance, the rationality of the building is noticeable, and the closer you get to know it, the more you understand its compliance with its purpose, covering all elements of the exterior and interior. This aesthetics is observed everywhere and is a feature of the rational structure of the building.\nThe first thing that captures, overwhelms, amazes and at the same time opens up new horizons when you enter a huge conference room is its size. As far as the eye can see, the beamed unsupported space of the hall extends, giving rise to a feeling of ease of communication, airiness of its structure. Although, probably, such a decision required more than one approval in the relevant instances. (According to the estimates of the project participants, the total number of agreed documents reaches several hundred units.)\nWing of the Kingdom Hall Complex\nThe cult hall can be described by the words: spaciousness and convenience. Its dimensions of 39 m x 36 m cannot fail to impress, on congress days it accommodates 1600 people. Wide aisles, the outer rows of seats are slightly turned to the center - everything speaks of concern for the convenience of visitors. This is one of those places where panic will never arise during evacuation. In addition to the usual wide entrance doors, two side doors have been added to exit in the middle of the hall.\nEntrance portal, ramp\nThe hall may even seem universal, but in fact it is intended for only one main purpose - a thorough study of the Bible. Worship of God takes place both individually and with a large gathering of people, this is the basis of the tradition of thousands of biblical seminars. For these meetings, special cozy halls have been built, such as this one. Simple but comfortable conditions protect against bad weather at any time of the year and allow you to focus on the learning process. During the congresses, much attention is paid to communication during the long breaks provided for by the program. Another feature that distinguishes this hall from all other rooms of this type is a small baptismal pool to the right of the stage behind thick glass. It can be accessed through men's and women's changing rooms and showers via a thick metal staircase. A comfortable baptism in this pool takes place with great spiritual support from those in the huge hall and produces a great emotional impact on others.\nThe story of the halls does not end there. In addition to the grandiose conference hall, five small halls for 200 attendees were provided in a separate three-story building. The complex of five halls is designed for weekly Bible study in small groups. The study is conducted in accordance with a special worldwide program of Bible teaching. In each hall there are two small rooms for 15-20 people for practical classes - in-depth study of the Bible and the development of skills in presenting Bible material.\nCongress Hall\nThe principles of equal opportunities proclaimed for all who come here are noticeable - if something is given here, it is equally and of the same quality, this applies to lighting, the location of the place, the level of acoustic sound and ventilation of the air. The center provides comfortable conditions to all visitors, certainly on equal terms.\nThe stage of the congress hall\nSpecial care for visitors of different genders, ages, people with disabilities, and children is immediately noticeable.\nThe usual queues for such a crowd of people to the toilet are not possible here, because the Center has the largest toilet in the city. This huge sparkling high-tech machine made of chrome pipes, white shells, mirrors and other rational economy makes an indelible impression.\nEach piece of equipment is designed and manufactured after analyzing the aspects of its application, and you feel it literally every moment. The architecture of the Center is woven from this functional direction.\nSkylight\nFor the disabled, there are special two-level railings, with the help of which they can climb the ramp to the porch and then, using the device at the door, turn around and enter the hall on their own in a wheelchair. Then they are waiting for elevators, where they can get together with the stroller. A disabled person, according to architects and as is customary in Western countries, does not remain separated from life, but along with everyone else actively participates in it. The Center also has special toilets, locker rooms, showers for them. There are no exquisite decorations in this strictly functional building. Nowhere is there any luxury—these are the principles universally accepted in the places of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses at the beginning of the twentieth century. Laconic wooden pulpits exhaust the list of external religious attributes. In any room, you can see on the wall the obligatory quote from the Bible, which changes every year.\nThe equipment in the Center is also of the same type and rational. Easily sliding groups of chairs located in all halls are upholstered with material of non-staining colors.\nInitiation Rite Pool\nOne of 5 200-seat Kingdom Halls\nMonologue of the architect It is interesting to get acquainted with the views of the architect Helenios Osmo Ilmari, according to whose project the building of the Center was built. We asked the author to answer a few questions.\nWhat kind of requirements were the main ones during your work on the architectural project?\nBefore starting work on the project, it is necessary to answer the question \"What is this building built for?\" In any case, it must be said that whoever is the initiator of the project has a specific purpose regarding the use of the building. Therefore, it must bring some concrete benefit. This is always the most important requirement.\nThe façade is the hallmark of the building. It should reflect the purpose for which it is built. It is also important that the appearance is in harmony with the neighboring buildings.\nThirdly, these are constructions. It is good if the designer discusses the work with the construction team from the very beginning. Sometimes you need to change something. In this case, it is good to get some useful advice on working directly at the construction site.\nToilet\nFourthly, for the normal functioning of the building, it is necessary to install a good ventilation system. It should not take up much space and should be in harmony with the overall design of the building.\nIn order for all these elements to interact well, you need a group of designers, including specialists in various fields.\nThe work of the architect also includes the unification of all the components and proposals made. He needs to make sure that the purpose of the building remains unchanged and each component contributes to the fact that the building will be a harmonious whole.\nEntrance portal, ramp\nTo what extent, in your opinion, does the construction in St. Petersburg differ from similar projects in Finland and other European countries?\nI was educated in Finland and therefore have little experience working in Russia. But there is not much difference between this project in St. Petersburg and others that I have worked on in Finland and in other countries. The only difference is that obtaining all the necessary permits and certificates takes a lot of time and effort.\nFinnish architect Helenios Osmo Ilmari was born on November 18, 1935. In 1961 he graduated from the University of Industrial Arts of Helsinki with a degree in architecture. From 1961 to 1983 he worked in the architectural office of O. Hansen and Osmo Helenios, from 1967 to 1975 he also worked in the Public Works Department of the City of Helsinki, from 1983 to 1992 in the workshop of Osmo Helenios, and since 1993 he has been working as the chief architect of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nSource: Yalovenko A. Functionality of faith // World of design. №1 [18] 2000. S. 60-63.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2015-07-15T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/07/77/zk-00_hu_616d4acb55fa5233.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/07/77/zk-00.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/07/77/zk-00_hu_46681b2ab2bdaec6.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/07/77/zk-00_hu_b82991a72bec76a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/07/77.html","regions":["stpetersburg"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["construction","analytics","review"],"title":"Assembly Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in St. Petersburg. Review","type":"news"},{"body":"Full text of the book in PDF format (17 MB)\nINTRODUCTION\nThe socio-economic transformation of Russian society, which began in the mid-80s of the XX century, led to significant changes in the religious life of the country, one of the aspects of which was the increase in the number of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. In a relatively short period of time, Jehovah's Witnesses turned from a relatively small religious organization operating underground into a large religious association, one of the most numerous movements of late Protestantism in Russia.\nThe authors of works devoted to criticism of the ideology and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses published in the former USSR were forced to take into account the assessment of this religious organization, contained, in particular, in a note by the Ministry of State Security of the USSR to J. V. Stalin, in which Jehovah's Witnesses were characterized as an \"anti-Soviet sect\", used in publications throughout most of the Soviet period.\nUnder the influence of the negative attitude towards the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses on the part of the authorities, the version that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and this religious organization itself was created on the direct instructions of the imperialist bourgeoisie with the aim of opposing the world revolutionary movement and the socialist system became widespread in atheistic publications. At the same time, in the most informative works published during the Soviet period, the social origins of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses were analyzed, they contained valuable factual material characterizing the forms and methods of ideological work with the followers of this religious organization.\nAt the end of the 80s, religious scholars attempted to summarize the main results of the evolution of Protestant communities in the USSR, and within the framework of the research, the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses was also analyzed. According to the results obtained, the Protestant communities in the USSR intensively lost their sectarian characteristics.\nThe conclusion that the Protestant communities in the USSR gradually lost the features typical of sectarian religious organizations and that this process to a certain extent affected the communities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, seems important and methodologically fruitful for assessing the ideology and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in subsequent years, after the collapse of the USSR, in conditions of freedom of conscience.\nIn the 90s of the XX century, two approaches began to dominate in the study of the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses: the first is scientific, religious studies and the second approach, confessional-accusatory, based on the principles of the so-called \"anti-cult movement\".\nThe study of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses from a scientific and religious perspective was carried out by V. I. Garadzha, N. S. Gordienko, I. Y. Kanterov, the staff of the Department of Religious Studies of the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (in 1994-2002 headed by Prof. N. A. Trofimchuk) and other researchers. Their textbooks and reference books and other publications contained an objective assessment of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as one of the later movements in Protestantism.\nIn 2000, one of the first monographs in post-Soviet Russia was published containing objective religious information about the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses - the book \"Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity\" by the famous Russian religious scholar N. S. Gordienko.\nAs N. S. Gordienko argues, Jehovah's Witnesses are \"a normal religious organization - a confession,\" and it should be treated with the same tolerance as other confessions and denominations that legally exist in Russia and operate within the framework of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe second approach to assessing the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was formed on the basis of the so-called \"anti-cult movement\", which is an alliance of heterogeneous confessional, political and other forces that oppose the application of the principle of equality of all religious organizations before the law to those religious movements that are arbitrarily, regardless of scientific religious criteria, declared \"totalitarian sects.\" Works based on the use of such categories as \"totalitarian sects\", \"destructive cults\", etc., as a rule, do not contain objective and reliable information, including about the ideology and activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, and can provoke interfaith confrontation.\nIt is essential that some religious organizations are formed as a denomination from the very beginning of their emergence, while others turn into a denomination, transforming from other types of religious organizations. As this book shows, a religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (Bible Students) can be characterized as an organization that has been a denomination since its inception and throughout its evolution.\nIn working on this topic, the author used archival materials, including the current archive of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, scientific literature, as well as theological works and publications in the publications of the Watch Tower Society devoted to the history and current state of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the former USSR and in Russia, the authors of which, being participants in the most important events in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, seek to explain it from the point of view of the Bible and reveal the main content of the preaching activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in different periods.\nThe attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses on the part of society and the state remains ambiguous at present. Some consider them a dangerous sect, others a Christian religious organization that educates believers in accordance with biblical principles. The main purpose of this book is to help those who would like to form their own opinion based on the facts studied by religious studies to understand the real situation.\nFull text of the book in PDF format (17 MB)\n","category":"opinions","date":"2015-07-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/07/28/book-4_hu_5b570d1884935cd0.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/07/28/book-4.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/07/28/book-4_hu_fa1f5573af0214cc.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/07/28/book-4_hu_ae0737c7be06439.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/07/28.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["scholar-publications","expert-comments"],"title":"Ivanenko S. Jehovah's Witnesses — A Traditional Russian Religious Organization","type":"news"},{"body":"\nINTRODUCTION\nThe socio-economic transformation of Russian society, which began in the mid-80s of the XX century, led to significant changes in the religious life of the country, one of the aspects of which was the increase in the number of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. In a relatively short period of time, Jehovah's Witnesses turned from a relatively small religious organization operating underground into a large religious association, one of the most numerous movements of late Protestantism in Russia.\nThe authors of works devoted to criticism of the ideology and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses published in the former USSR were forced to take into account the assessment of this religious organization, contained, in particular, in a note by the Ministry of State Security of the USSR to J. V. Stalin, in which Jehovah's Witnesses were characterized as an \"anti-Soviet sect\", used in publications throughout most of the Soviet period.\nUnder the influence of the negative attitude towards the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses on the part of the authorities, the version that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and this religious organization itself was created on the direct instructions of the imperialist bourgeoisie with the aim of opposing the world revolutionary movement and the socialist system became widespread in atheistic publications. At the same time, in the most informative works published during the Soviet period, the social origins of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses were analyzed, they contained valuable factual material characterizing the forms and methods of ideological work with the followers of this religious organization.\nAt the end of the 80s, religious scholars attempted to summarize the main results of the evolution of Protestant communities in the USSR, and within the framework of the research, the situation of Jehovah's Witnesses was also analyzed. According to the results obtained, the Protestant communities in the USSR intensively lost their sectarian characteristics.\nThe conclusion that the Protestant communities in the USSR gradually lost the features typical of sectarian religious organizations and that this process to a certain extent affected the communities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, seems important and methodologically fruitful for assessing the ideology and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in subsequent years, after the collapse of the USSR, in conditions of freedom of conscience.\nIn the 90s of the XX century, two approaches began to dominate in the study of the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses: the first is scientific, religious studies and the second approach, confessional-accusatory, based on the principles of the so-called \"anti-cult movement\".\nThe study of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses from a scientific and religious perspective was carried out by V. I. Garadzha, N. S. Gordienko, I. Y. Kanterov, the staff of the Department of Religious Studies of the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (in 1994-2002 headed by Prof. N. A. Trofimchuk) and other researchers. Their textbooks and reference books and other publications contained an objective assessment of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as one of the later movements in Protestantism.\nIn 2000, one of the first monographs in post-Soviet Russia was published containing objective religious information about the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses - the book \"Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity\" by the famous Russian religious scholar N. S. Gordienko.\nAs N. S. Gordienko argues, Jehovah's Witnesses are \"a normal religious organization - a confession,\" and it should be treated with the same tolerance as other confessions and denominations that legally exist in Russia and operate within the framework of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe second approach to assessing the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses was formed on the basis of the so-called \"anti-cult movement\", which is an alliance of heterogeneous confessional, political and other forces that oppose the application of the principle of equality of all religious organizations before the law to those religious movements that are arbitrarily, regardless of scientific religious criteria, declared \"totalitarian sects.\" Works based on the use of such categories as \"totalitarian sects\", \"destructive cults\", etc., as a rule, do not contain objective and reliable information, including about the ideology and activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, and can provoke interfaith confrontation.\nIt is essential that some religious organizations are formed as a denomination from the very beginning of their emergence, while others turn into a denomination, transforming from other types of religious organizations. As this book shows, a religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses (Bible Students) can be characterized as an organization that has been a denomination since its inception and throughout its evolution.\nIn working on this topic, the author used archival materials, including the current archive of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, scientific literature, as well as theological works and publications in the publications of the Watch Tower Society devoted to the history and current state of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the former USSR and in Russia, the authors of which, being participants in the most important events in the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, seek to explain it from the point of view of the Bible and reveal the main content of the preaching activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in different periods.\nThe attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses on the part of society and the state remains ambiguous at present. Some consider them a dangerous sect, others a Christian religious organization that educates believers in accordance with biblical principles. The main purpose of this book is to help those who would like to form their own opinion based on the facts studied by religious studies to understand the real situation.\n","date":"2015-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/3.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Ivanenko S. Jehovah's Witnesses — A Traditional Russian Religious Organization","type":"docs"},{"body":"Page. 45\n«... I want to be understood correctly: no one obliges Jehovah's Witnesses to carry the Bible with them. It is not their religious duty. And perhaps some of them do not take the Bible with them in some cases. At the same time, the need to check one's actions against biblical principles and preach by appealing to the Bible is so significant for most of Jehovah's Witnesses that I personally have not yet been able to meet any of them without the Bible.\nA New Yorker told me that one day she left the house with a heavy bag and decided not to take the Bible with her. On the way, she struck up a conversation with a random interlocutor about understanding a Bible text and mentioned that she was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but now she did not have a Bible with her. \"You are not telling the truth,\" the man said, \"Jehovah's Witnesses never part with the Bible.\" \"I became very ashamed,\" the woman recalled, \"and now I always carry the Bible with me.\"\nI remember this story so much that I decided to call the book dedicated to Jehovah's Witnesses 'On People Who Never Part With the Bible.'\"\n","category":"opinions","date":"2015-06-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/06/36/book-2-2_hu_907209051c1e579e.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/06/36/book-2-2.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/06/36/book-2-2_hu_5ebdc69e041e24a4.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/06/36/book-2-2_hu_44e584683c779eb4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/06/36.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Ivanenko S. About people who never part with the Bible","type":"news"},{"body":"\nPage. 45\n«... I want to be understood correctly: no one obliges Jehovah's Witnesses to carry the Bible with them. It is not their religious duty. And perhaps some of them do not take the Bible with them in some cases. At the same time, the need to check one's actions against biblical principles and preach by appealing to the Bible is so significant for most of Jehovah's Witnesses that I personally have not yet been able to meet any of them without the Bible.\nA New Yorker told me that one day she left the house with a heavy bag and decided not to take the Bible with her. On the way, she struck up a conversation with a random interlocutor about understanding a Bible text and mentioned that she was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but now she did not have a Bible with her. \"You are not telling the truth,\" the man said, \"Jehovah's Witnesses never part with the Bible.\" \"I became very ashamed,\" the woman recalled, \"and now I always carry the Bible with me.\"\nI remember this story so much that I decided to call the book dedicated to Jehovah's Witnesses 'On People Who Never Part With the Bible.'\"\n","date":"2015-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/4.html","regions":[],"tags":["scholar-publications"],"title":"Ivanenko S. About people who never part with the Bible","type":"docs"},{"body":"The study was carried out on the basis of the definition of the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region. The object of the study was the book \"Keep Yourself in God's Love\" and the brochure \"Let the Spirit of God Influence You, Not the Spirit of the World.\"\n","date":"2015-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/247.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Medvedev A., Petrova I. Linguistic and religious conclusion of experts of the URTSSE. Liturgical materials","type":"docs"},{"body":"2014 was a special year in the history of translating the Bible into the Kazakh language. More than three thousand delegates to the convention of Jehovah's Witnesses held in September each received a copy of a new, modern translation of the Holy Scriptures known as the New World Translation.\nA little later, in October, the center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Almaty held an open day, during which each visitor also received a new Bible. The event was attended by the head of the Department of Religious Affairs Nurzhan Zhaparkul, as well as religious scholars and foreign diplomats, it was reported by the Kazakh media.\nThe edition of the Bible made by Jehovah's Witnesses was highly appreciated by specialists. Thus, linguist and expert on Turkic languages Alexander Garkavets noted: \"The translators of Jehovah's Witnesses have done an impressive job.\" He praised them for their skillful use of the potential of the Kazakh language and the use of the \"living word\".\nThe New World Translation is a modern, understandable translation of the Bible, published in more than 130 languages, including Russian, Ossetian and Tatar. Its total circulation has exceeded 200 million, making it one of the most widely distributed editions of the Bible in the world.\n","category":"activity","date":"2015-02-01T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":{"jpg":"/news/2015/02/26/kazakh_nwt-01_hu_e20a7e967b192b4a.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2015/02/26/kazakh_nwt-01.jpg","webp":"/news/2015/02/26/kazakh_nwt-01_hu_8db49f8cd9b2331c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2015/02/26/kazakh_nwt-01_hu_cad7c6305df4b2a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2015/02/26.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["languages","translations"],"title":"A modern translation of the Bible into Kazakh has been published","type":"news"},{"body":"On April 19, 2014, the \"Hall of Religious Meetings of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Surgut\" was solemnly opened in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). The hall can accommodate just under 1,000 people at a time.\nMore than 800 Jehovah's Witnesses live in the city, united in 11 congregations. Services are held in 7 languages – Azerbaijani, Armenian, Bashkir, Romanian, Russian, Russian sign language and Tajik.\n","category":"activity","date":"2014-05-06T14:00:00+04:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2014/05/38.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["construction"],"title":"In Surgut, after reconstruction, a large Hall of Religious Meetings was solemnly opened","type":"news"},{"body":"The history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Uzbekistan is full of twists and turns. In recent years, the authorities of this Central Asian country have fined believers for peaceful religious activity, and also refused to register religious groups. Throughout Uzbekistan, only the community in the town of Chirchik is officially registered, while the rest of the congregations face difficulties.\nHowever, recently there have been a number of improvements. In 2013, Uzbek authorities released from prison all Jehovah's Witnesses who were still in detention. One of them, Abdubannob Ahmadov, spent more than four years in prison. Also in 2013, the Uzbek government announced plans to implement UN recommendations on the recognition of religious freedom in the country.\nThe representative of Jehovah's Witnesses, Igor Yurchenko, after a series of meetings with officials, noted noticeable changes for the better. \"Apparently, they are going to make positive changes,\" he said. Whether this is so, time will tell. Believers are waiting for these steps to lead to tangible changes in the lives of citizens whose only goal is to serve God peacefully.\n","category":"analytics","date":"2014-05-01T14:00:00+04:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2014/05/25.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["analytics","review"],"title":"Believers in Uzbekistan hope for an improvement in the legal situation","type":"news"},{"body":"On Thursday, June 6, 2013, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered Russia to pay V. Zhukova and E. Avilkina 5,000 euros (215,000 rubles) each in damages. Russian law enforcement agencies requested the medical records of V. Zhukova and E. Avilkina without their permission. The Court held that this violated the fundamental right to respect for private life, which the Court described as a \"particularly important principle\" protected by the European Convention.\nThe Court's decision put an end to the litigation, which lasted 5 years. In 2007, the deputy prosecutor of St. Petersburg demanded that all medical institutions in the city report to the prosecutor's office \"every fact that Jehovah's Witnesses refuse transfusions of blood and its components\" without notifying and consenting patients. As a result, on March 9, 2009, the Witnesses filed a complaint with the ECHR \"Avilkina and Others v. Russian Federation\". The Court held that the actions of the Russian authorities in relation to the applicants were of an unjustifiably \"severe nature\" and confirmed that there were no \"relevant and sufficient motives\" for disclosing confidential information about the applicants to prosecutors.\nNoting the significance of the case, Grigory Martynov, a spokesman for Russia's Jehovah's Witnesses, said: \"This judgment will contribute to the protection of the fundamental rights of both Russian citizens and citizens of all member states of the Council of Europe.\"\n","category":"analytics","date":"2013-07-02T14:00:00+04:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2013/07/20.html","regions":["france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","complaints"],"title":"The European Court Protects Privacy in the Case of Jehovah's Witnesses","type":"news"},{"body":"Head of the Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation of the North Ossetian State Medical Academy, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation Vitaly Slepushkin talks about his medical practice without blood transfusion.\nVideo duration: 00:04:39\n","category":"opinion","date":"2011-09-01T14:10:35+04:00","duration":"4:39","image":{"jpg":"/news/2011/09/609/mpc-hc64_2019-02-12_12-54-41_hu_8fb4c5ae75235f6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/news/2011/09/609/mpc-hc64_2019-02-12_12-54-41.jpg","webp":"/news/2011/09/609/mpc-hc64_2019-02-12_12-54-41_hu_36258b3e03f8a73c.webp","webp2x":"/news/2011/09/609/mpc-hc64_2019-02-12_12-54-41_hu_b0d54bc952101784.webp"},"permalink":"/en/news/2011/09/609.html","regions":[],"subtitle":null,"tags":["video","expert-comments"],"title":"Doctor of Medical Sciences on the benefits of surgery without blood transfusion","type":"video"},{"body":"What actions of a person can be considered manifestations of extremism, and which are not? A group of legal scholars led by the Head of the Department of Criminal and Criminal Procedure Legislation; Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Law, Professor V.P. Kashepov conducted a thorough analysis.\n","date":"2010-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1426.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation. Legal assessment of citizens' actions regarding the presence of signs of extremist activity in them ","type":"docs"},{"body":"In 2009, the prosecutor of the Samara region, M. Pletneva, sought inclusion in the list of extremist materials of the 384-page book \"Humanity in Search of God\". The Samara Regional Court involved the most authoritative scientists in the case: religious scholar N.S. Gordienko (Russian State Pedagogical University), linguist O.V. Kukushkina (Moscow State University), linguist A.A. Smirnov (RFTSSE), psychologist T.N. Sekerage (RFTSSE). Their findings are published.\n","date":"2010-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1424.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","extremism-texts"],"title":"Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia. Comprehensive forensic psychological, linguistic and religious examination of the book \"Humanity in Search of God\" ","type":"docs"},{"body":"The Head of the Department of Experimental Lexicography of the Vinoradov Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences analyzes excerpts from the texts of religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"2009-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1421.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","extremism-texts"],"title":"Baranov A.N. Linguistic conclusion (information aimed at inciting hatred and enmity; assessment of groups of people) ","type":"docs"},{"body":"STRASBOURG. The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously ruled that the actions of the police and the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Ekaterina Gorina, violated justice and violated the right to religious freedom of citizens when they disrupted a legitimate Christian meeting of 150 deaf Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk. In ruling in favour of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Court reaffirmed an important principle upheld by the Russian Federation: the right to freedom of religion.\nThe Court's judgment in this case, known as Konstantin Kuznetsov and Others v. the Russian Federation, states: \"It is undeniable that the joint study and discussion of liturgical texts by members of the community of Jehovah's Witnesses is a recognized form of professing [their] religion during worship and teaching. [...] In addition, [the Court] notes the consistency of the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which recognizes that the holding of liturgical meetings and congresses requires the prior permission of the authorities and there is no need to notify them of the holding of these meetings.\"\nThe Court also found that the actions of the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission and the police officers were unlawful.\nThe Court ruled that the plaintiff, and in his person all the applicants, should be paid an amount of EUR 30,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage and EUR 60,544 in respect of costs and expenses.\nThe Kuznetsov case became more significant when the activities of the registered Jehovah's Witnesses community in Moscow were banned in 2004. It is this ban, as well as the related issue of religious freedom, that is the subject of a complaint in another case before the European Court.\nSpeaking about the significance of this decision, Vasily Kalin, chairman of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, said: \"Today's decision is a victory for all Russians who value the constitutional right to freedom of peaceful assembly.\"\n","category":"victory","date":"2007-01-11T14:00:00+03:00","duration":null,"image":false,"permalink":"/en/news/2007/01/21.html","regions":["chelyabinsk","france"],"subtitle":null,"tags":["echr","international-community","international"],"title":"The European Court declared illegal the disruption of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk ","type":"news"},{"body":"The study was conducted by the Department of Sociology and Family Demography of the Faculty of Sociology of Lomonosov Moscow State University.\n","date":"2001-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1415.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Antonov A.I., Medkov V.M. Family and the Bible. Scientific Report on the Results of a Sociological Study of the Moscow Community of Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"docs"},{"body":"At the request of the registration authority, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, the Expert Council for State Religious Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation conducted a religious examination on issues that arose during the registration of the Charter of the Administrative Center of the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"1999-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1420.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Conclusion of the State Religious Expert Examination on the Doctrine and Corresponding Practice of the Religious Association of Jehovah's Witnesses ","type":"docs"},{"body":"On behalf of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, an expert group consisting of the Director of the Institute of Religion and Law, Head of the Department of Family Sociology of the Moscow State Center, Deputy Head of the Department of Religious Studies of the Civil Registry Office and President of the Christian Legal Center conducted an expert assessment of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","date":"1998-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/docs/1416.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"title":"Pchelintsev A.V., Antonov A.I., Odintsov M.I., Ryakhovsky V.V. Expert Opinion on the Religious Association of Jehovah's Witnesses  ","type":"docs"},{"body":"In July 2021, the court sentenced Arsen Avanesov to 6.5 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God, and his elderly father Vilen — to 6 years in prison. The believers were found guilty of extremism because they read and discussed the Bible with friends.\nArsen was born in 1983 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He has an elder sister Elina. As a child, Arsen played rugby. After school, he graduated from the Don State Technical University with a degree in engineering in biomedical practice, but worked mainly in the construction professions. In the late 1980s, his family moved first to Armenia and then to Russia, where they settled in Rostov-on-Don.\nArsen is fond of foreign languages, studying English and French. Thanks to my parents, I got acquainted with the Bible, from which he draws guidance for everyday life.\nThose close to Arsen and Vilen believe that they were condemned unfairly, since the believers did not actually commit any crime. Arsen was the main breadwinner of the family, his parents are pensioners. Arsen\u0026#39;s mother has been deprived of the necessary support since the arrest of both men in May 2019.\n\u0026quot;In this case, the only victims are us and our families, who suffer without us,\u0026quot; Arsen said in his final statement in court. \u0026quot;Our physical, emotional and material condition has been harmed.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/aavanesov/photo_hu_c07010c3251539d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/aavanesov/photo_hu_af0a47d8322ca181.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/aavanesov/photo_hu_425d5861e7f37abf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/aavanesov/photo_hu_31edaa97ed58a2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/aavanesov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Arsen Avanesov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan ended up behind bars after mass searches at Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk. Both were imprisoned for a long time. The court handed down guilty verdicts to peaceful spouses only because of their faith.\nAlevtina was born in 1977 in Kursk. She was an active child: she went to the mime studio, was fond of break dancing, and participated in the life of the school. She graduated from the trade and culinary and construction schools, took courses as a hairdresser and worked in this specialty. Alevtina lived in different places: Kharovsk (Vologda region), Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Dyatkovo (Bryansk region). Later she returned to her native Kursk together with her husband to take care of her mother.\nAlevtina met Artem in Kursk. In 2012 they got married. Spouses love outdoor activities, go for mushrooms and berries.\nAlevtina became interested in the Bible in her youth, and the knowledge from this book immediately resonated in her heart. Artem supported his wife in her spiritual interests. However, both of them could not even imagine that for this they would be subjected to criminal prosecution and would end up behind bars.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abagratyan/photo_hu_d641dfa52b115be.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abagratyan/photo_hu_d4ce97f7b390a952.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abagratyan/photo_hu_9499ce3fd4beb2b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abagratyan/photo_hu_86b20c7512626d58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abagratyan.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Alevtina Bagratyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a raid on the homes of believers in Dagestan on June 1, 2019, law enforcement officers detained four civilians — one woman and three men. Three days later, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent all four to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is Marat Abdulgalimov. What is known about him? Marat was born in 1991 in Makhachkala (Dagestan). He grew up in a large family. He has two younger brothers and a sister. His father is a pensioner with a disability, his mother works as a sister-hostess in a local maternity hospital. Since childhood, Marat loved to drive the ball in the yard with the neighbor boys. After school, he received the specialty of an electric welder, currently works in a shoe shop as a shoe knocker. There have always been warm and peaceful relations with colleagues at work. The employer appreciates Marat very much for his honesty and hard work. In his free time, as before, he likes to play football with friends, go out into nature, fry kebabs, fish. From a young age, Marat's father tried to instill in his son respect for the Bible. Marat enjoyed reading and studying the Holy Scriptures. Reflecting on what he read strengthened his faith in God and confidence in this book. He was always drawn to people who live according to the commandments of Christ and love their neighbors. The news of his son's arrest brought much pain and suffering to his mother. Marat's father is also worried about his son, but tries his best to maintain a positive attitude and encourage all family members who miss him very much and are looking forward to his release. They cannot believe that Marat, whom everyone knows as a decent and peace-loving man, ended up in prison.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abdulgalimov/photo_hu_edc9635daf493704.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abdulgalimov/photo_hu_972d14eb484a56f9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abdulgalimov/photo_hu_63a3b5f2561d99d7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abdulgalimov/photo_hu_f14bf587479964be.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abdulgalimov.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":[],"title":"Marat Abdulgalimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a raid on the homes of believers in Dagestan on June 1, 2019, law enforcement officers detained four civilians — one woman and three men. Three days later, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent all four to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is Arsen Abdullayev, who was charged with organizing extremist activities only because of his religion. What do we know about this man? Arsen was born in 1979 in the village of Kasumkent (Dagestan) in a family of doctors. His father was an anesthesiologist, his mother worked as deputy chief physician. The father is no longer alive, as well as one of Arsen's two brothers. As a child, he was fond of volleyball and loved to read. After graduating from school, Arsen graduated with a degree in winemaking. He also started, but did not finish, his studies as an economist. To provide for his family, he worked in a variety of places, including a laborer. Recently, he has been engaged in the maintenance of heating and plumbing systems. In his free time he likes to play football and volleyball, fish, and learns English. On his own, he mastered playing the guitar by self-instruction. Arsen's mother is a deeply religious Muslim woman who twice made the Hajj to Mecca. However, Arsen himself in 2000 made a conscious choice in favor of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was struck by the moral and spiritual purity, brotherly love and strong family ties among people who live according to the commandments of the Bible. Both of Arsen's parents initially resisted his religious choice, but later softened their attitude, seeing changes for the better in it. Also in 2000, Arsen married Suat, an artist-teacher by profession. She taught arts and crafts at school, now devotes most of her time to her family and raising her son Mirza, who was born a year after the wedding. Until 2014, Arsen and his family lived in Makhachkala, then moved to nearby Kaspiysk. The whole family is happy to go out with friends to nature, Mirza and her dad love to fish, and Suat plays the piano well. Arsen's mother and brother, as well as Suat's parents and brother and sister, are extremely upset and outraged by the criminal prosecution of Arsen for his faith. \"The whole family knows Arsen as peaceful, kind, sympathetic, always ready to help with advice and deeds,\" says his wife. - Everyone understands that the criminal case against him is fabricated. Everyone is very worried, constantly interested in Arsen's well-being. Relatives do not lose hope that justice will be served.\" ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abdullaev/photo_hu_da769649253dc039.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abdullaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abdullaev/photo_hu_7bf66ff75fce802a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abdullaev/photo_hu_d2ab7bd73e9ee3d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abdullaev.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":[],"title":"Arsen Abdullaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, 35 searches were carried out in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. Galina Abrosimova spent two days in the detention center, accused of extremism and eventually sentenced to 6 years suspended sentence.\nGalina was born in 1966 in the village of Prigorodnoye, Penza region. She is the eldest of three children. Their parents are no longer alive. As a child, Galina likedy to do needlework—knitting, sewing. After school, she received the profession of pharmacist and worked in it for 10 years. Later, she took courses as a histologist laboratory assistant and devoted 20 years to this work. In 2014, she took a well-deserved rest but continues to do needlework. She sews and helps in the atelier.\nWhen Galina lost her husband in 2000, she began to study the Bible. The clarity and practicality of the Scriptures touched her heart. Galina sought to bring up her two children in accordance with the commandments of this wise book. Today they are adults, their son Aleksandr is a refrigerator repairman.\nThe children are outraged by the criminal prosecution of their mother for her faith. They cannot understand how she could have been convicted of a crime she did not commit.\nIn June 2024, Galina was suspected of having cancer. She was unable to pass the examination as she was searched again and spent almost the entire day in police custody. At the end of September, the diagnosis was confirmed. During these months, the tumor almost doubled in size. Galina underwent surgery in November 2024 and has been undergoing chemotherapy since December. Relatives and friends support the believer.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/abrosimova/photo_hu_bfe3d36d63741ea9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/abrosimova/photo_hu_988df44fa5763ce9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/abrosimova/photo_hu_e3bfd6e0d804ef30.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/abrosimova/photo_hu_4b04ad7d495aaf7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/abrosimova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Galina Abrosimova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 31, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Chekhov, a resident of Moscow Region. 66-year-old Stepan Adamov is accused of extremism.\nStepan was born in 1954 in Sverdlovsk. He has a younger sister, Maria.\nIn his youth, he was engaged in running, was fond of freestyle wrestling - he participated in district and regional competitions, and also worked as a coach. In addition, Stepan always liked to do housekeeping, in the summer he worked in the forestry. He graduated from the Velikoanadolsky Forest College, after which he worked as a forest master. He is now retired.\nStepan is a widower and has two children. He lived in Odessa, Tver, Moscow. He moved to Chekhov to support his children and be closer to his grandchildren. Stepan's son, Victor, is very worried about him.\nStepan shares that the criminal prosecution has changed all plans. Age and poor health impose their own difficulties. However, he tries not to lose heart and entrusts all his worries to the Creator.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_ebd3fb18e8867292.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_99a858303e1bb2c8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_6b34e4549a83f36a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/adamov/photo_hu_c3a3eb13a9262f4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/adamov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Stepan Adamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, the life of a peaceful family man Roman Adestov was divided into “before” and “after”: law enforcers came to his house with a search, then the believer was taken away for interrogation and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nRoman was born in July 1976 in Kovrov, Vladimir region. His mother is retired. His father died when Roman was 13 years old, and in 2016 his elder brother died.\nAs a child, Roman was fond of wood burning, playing hockey and football. Having learned to be a gas electric welder, he worked by profession for most of his life. In 2006, the administration of the city of Kovrov awarded Roman with a certificate of honor for many years of conscientious work and personal contribution to the development of housing and communal services. After his arrest, Roman lost his job, but he was assured that they were always ready to take him back after resolving the issue of criminal prosecution.\nIn 1998, Roman met Alina, a year later they got married. The couple have an adult daughter, Yekaterina.\nReading the Bible, Roman concluded that the prophecies recorded in it were being fulfilled. This prompted him to become a Christian in 2006. A year earlier, his wife had become a Jehovah's Witness.\nIn 2018, the Adestovs moved from Kovrov to the village of Ivanovo. They have long dreamed of a quiet rural life in their own home. After the move, Roman's main hobby was the improvement of the house and the plot. Alina says: “Everything is done by the hands of Roman with love, starting with all communications in the house and on the plot, finishing the house and ending with the construction of a bathhouse. The bathhouse is a hobby, a favorite time of rest after stressful everyday life.” She herself is engaged in planting flowers and growing vegetables. “I am getting used to new circumstances without a reliable friend and loving husband by my side,” Alina said after her husband was arrested.\nAccording to relatives, Roman is a kind and peaceful person who did not deserve to be behind bars. The daughter does not share the religious views of her parents, but she is very worried about her dad. The elderly neighbor even burst into tears upon learning of what had happened.\n","date":"2021-08-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/adestov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/adestov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/adestov/photo_hu_ab27ceea9bdc4a2c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/adestov/photo_hu_ab27ceea9bdc4a2c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/adestov.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Adestov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The decision to become a Christian radically changed the life of Sergey Afanasiyev and his family: “It filled our lives with happiness and purpose,” he says. However, 20 years later, because of his beliefs, the peaceful believer became a victim of religious repression.\nSergey was born in April 1964 in the village of Horonkhoy (Buryatia). He has an older sister. When Sergey was 10 years old, his father died tragically, and his mother had to raise the children alone.\nAs a child, Sergey was fond of hockey, football and fishing. After school, he went to Blagoveshchensk and entered the river college. Later he gained construction skills and worked for about 15 years in a housebuilding factory.\nSergey met Irina in Blagoveshchensk and in 1984 they got married. The couple raised three children with Christian values. Two of them are adults and already have families of their own.\nSergey was concerned with spiritual questions for many years, but he found answers to them only in 1996, when he and Irina began studying the Bible thoroughly. They were glad to learn that the Holy Scriptures contain the name of God, and they also found useful advice on strengthening the family and raising children. In 1998, the Afanasiyevs became Christians. According to Sergey, Bible knowledge had a positive effect on him: “I began to devote more time to my family and children, and also to help other people”.\nIn their free time, the Afanasiyevs go to the forest to pick mushrooms, go fishing, go ice-skating and play volleyball. Sergey recently took up painting.\nAfter the searches in the summer of 2018, the life of the Afanasiyev family changed a lot. The criminal prosecution affected their emotional state and physical health. However, the family does not lose heart. Sergey says: “The prosecution dramatically changed our lives. At first we were anxious; there was some kind of uncertainty. But we were not frightened, because we understood that this could happen to anyone”.\nRelatives and colleagues are at a loss because of the unfair sentence handed down to this peaceful and exemplary family man—6.5 years in a penal colony only because of his religion. Sergey's daughter, Yekaterina, is also being prosecuted for her faith, and in December 2022 her husband, Anton, was sentenced along with his father-in-law to 6 years and 3 months imprisonment for his beliefs.\n","date":"2022-01-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_139f8f513506b604.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_4ec43c3dd8edc533.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/afanasiyev/photo_hu_d78489b3d8ae7fe1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/afanasiyev.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Afanasiyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The father of two young children and an exemplary family man Aleksandr Filatov in July 2021 came under the scrutiny of law enforcement officers only because of his faith in Jehovah God. The believer was detained in Novorossiysk and transferred to the Krasnoyarsk pre-trial detention center.\nAleksandr was born in December 1984 in the south of Siberia - in the city of Sharypovo, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has a younger brother. As a child, Alexandr was engaged in running, loved to design: he could assemble a bicycle from improvised spare parts and parts. His father instilled in him a love of playing the guitar, and now Alexander writes songs and composes music.\nAfter graduating from the Siberian Federal University, Aleksandr worked as an engineer and technician. Until the beginning of the criminal prosecution, he worked as an electrician.\nWhile still very young, Aleksandr became interested in Bible teachings. Except for his mother, no one else in the family shared his religious beliefs.\nAleksandr met his future wife visiting friends. They have common interests and values in life. Elena recalls that she liked Aleksandr for his calmness, ability to maintain dignity and solve complex problems. She says: \u0026quot;There is nothing that he could not repair — any malfunction.\u0026quot; The couple have two children. When Aleksandr faced criminal prosecution for his faith and ended up in jail, his youngest son was only 2.5 years old, and the oldest was 10 years old.\nHaving been ill with coronavirus, the Filatovs decided to change the climate to a more favorable one and moved to Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory). After Aleksandr was detained, the family had to return to Siberia. While her husband is in jail, Yelena is forced to take care of her sons alone. After the search and detention of her husband, her health deteriorated. But most of all, Yelena worries about the children: \u0026quot;How will they grow up without a father, not seeing his positive example?\u0026quot; Yelena shows her little son old family videos so that he does not forget his father. The elder son also misses his dad very much, because they are used to doing everything together: playing football, going shopping, being in nature and having picnics.\nRelatives and friends support the Filatovs as much as they can.\n","date":"2021-08-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/afilatov/photo_hu_2da4647e774d17be.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/afilatov/photo_hu_ece67a7b5faac2e1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/afilatov/photo_hu_a05d5b2cea1a2217.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/afilatov/photo_hu_4e264f7d7ef55f6c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/afilatov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksadr Filatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Sergey Agadzhanov became a new defendant in the criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that he participated in worship services. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1957 in the village of Pervomaisky, Luhansk region of Ukraine. He has a younger sister and two adult sons. As a child, he was fond of modeling, worked as a driver for more than twenty years. Now retired, but does not like to sit idly by - he is engaged in apartment repairs, goes to the gym to maintain good physical shape.\nOver the years, Sergey lived in Moscow, the Kaliningrad region and Yakutia. Recently he has been living in Magadan. In the 2000s, he was greatly impressed by the evidence that the Bible is God's Word.\nSergey's relatives cannot understand why a peaceful person is being prosecuted under criminal articles, although they understand that this is exactly what the Bible predicted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_cc2fcd232ce17644.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_ed9f6ea642ecaf66.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_d259fe5d53327929.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/agadzhanov/photo_hu_a6d187a769fa4bfb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/agadzhanov.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Agadzhanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 9 believers. Charges of extremism were brought against elderly people, the eldest of whom is 89 years old. Among the accused is Evgenia Akhrameeva.\nEvgenia was born in November 1948 in the village of Novoalekseevskaya (Krasnodar Territory) in a family of rural workers. At school she studied excellently, was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, performed at concerts together with the collective farm choir.\nShe graduated with honors from an agricultural technical school with a degree in animal husbandry. She worked by profession, and after moving with her husband to Nevinnomyssk, she got a job at a railway station. Having improved her qualifications, she took the position of a shunting dispatcher, and later became a station attendant.\nEvgenia became interested in the Bible in the 90s, while studying at a technical school. She was convinced of the truth of the biblical story about the Creator by the complex structure and diversity of living organisms. Even during her school years, she could not agree with the theory of evolution.\nIn 1998, Evgenia was widowed. She has 3 three children, 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. A special hobby is gardening.\nDuring the search, the 71-year-old believer experienced extreme stress. That morning she was lying with a high fever. The security forces, who broke into the house, lifted her out of bed, took her to the police and kept her there until three o'clock in the afternoon. The emotional shock exacerbated Evgenia's problems with memory and diabetes.\nChildren, grandchildren, friends and neighbors are very worried about Evgenia. It is difficult for them to understand why a good-natured elderly man was recorded as an extremist.\n","date":"2020-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_2e9d2d34a655e15e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_c7bd13a8f3d419e5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_46a5afa3741666e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akhrameeva/photo_hu_b70911a2bbd1ee37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akhrameeva.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Evgeniya Akhrameeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, Artyom Kim reported torture. What is known about him?\nArtem was born in 1988 in Surgut. As a child, he was fond of football, basketball and volleyball. After graduating from school, he graduated from the Surgut Petroleum College and has been working in the field of information technology for several years. He has many friends whom he helps with the repair of computer equipment and cars.\nAs a teenager, Artem heard about the Bible from his mother, who was guided by her advice when raising her son. What he learned seemed reasonable and logical to him. In 2013 he married Nadezhda.\nDue to injuries received at school, Artem had to leave sports, but at the beginning of 2019, together with his wife, he mastered snowboarding. The couple even decided to go to a ski resort with friends at the end of February. It was not possible to implement these plans - the criminal case took all Artyom's free time, and the torture further undermined his health.\nArtem's relatives are shocked and outraged by what is happening. It pains them to see that in a civilized society it is possible to persecute peaceful and decent people, and even more so when it is associated with inhuman torture.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akim/photo_hu_6b2caa791f44346d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akim/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akim/photo_hu_a02aafb092f88e58.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akim/photo_hu_c4245d0e1d6236ae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akim.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Artem Kim","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Arkadya Hakobyan was born in 1948 in a small Armenian village in Azerbaijan. Parents worked on a viticultural collective farm, raised four sons. Arkadya unsuccessfully entered the Pedagogical Institute, but eventually began to work in a sewing studio, fell in love with tailoring and even completed correspondence studies at the Faculty of Modeling of the Baku Technical School.\nIn 1978, Arkadya married Sonya. Ten years later, an outbreak of ethnic violence in Azerbaijan forced him and his three children to move to Kabardino-Balkaria. Having met Jehovah's Witnesses in the early 1990s, Arkadya Akopovich appreciated the depth of biblical wisdom. Separately, he was struck by how alien ethnic hostility is to the followers of this religion.\nHis wife Sonia is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness. Nevertheless, they have been happily married for about 40 years. Since becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses 25 years ago, her husband has never forced her or her children to change their religion. All this does not correspond to the accusation of \"extremism\" brought against Hakobyan. Both the family and neighbors, including people of different nationalities, cultures and religions, respect Arkada, know him as a kind and sympathetic person.\nMarital status: married. He has 3 children, 6 grandchildren, 3 siblings.\nIn the photo (from left to right): granddaughter Alina, Arkadya Hakobyan, his wife Sonya, granddaughter Oksana, daughter Liana, son-in-law Alexander, granddaughter Diana. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_801bc1e157bc1e91.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akopian/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_c78c9db12cda6e8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akopian/photo_hu_adcb09837347266d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akopian.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Arkadya Akopyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2018, in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory), three believers, including Aleksandr Akopov, were arrested during mass searches in the apartments of civilians. What is known about him?\nAleksandr was born in 1992 in Neftekumsk. He is single and has two siblings. As a child, he was actively involved in football, basketball and tennis. He works with his father and older brother in the field of construction and repair. He independently mastered the specialty of a builder-finisher, clients appreciate him for his professionalism and conscientiousness. He still likes to kick ball with friends or relax in the bosom of nature. Can prepare a delicious treat for guests.\nAlexander got acquainted with the Bible as a child thanks to his mother. Under the influence of the holy book, at the age of 6, he got rid of military toys and decided that he would not take up arms.\nRelatives and acquaintances who do not share Alexander's religious beliefs are completely perplexed that this calm, polite, kind young man ended up in prison because of his faith. Some pray for him.\nAlexander's father, also not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, said he was proud of him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akopov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akopov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akopov/photo_hu_7e5d80331ea2870d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akopov/photo_hu_7e5d80331ea2870d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akopov.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Akopov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A civilian resident of Saransk, Aleksandr Korolev, spent almost 2 years in a penal colony for his beliefs. The court considered the discussion of the Bible among friends to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAleksandr was born in 1978 in the Zemetchinsky district of the Penza region. He has two sisters. The children grew up without a father. As a child, Aleksandr was fond of fishing and played football.\nAfter school, Aleksandr received the profession of a tractor driver of a wide profile. He worked on a collective farm as a shepherd, livestock breeder and gas boiler operator. Before his arrest, he worked as a carpenter-fitter of wooden products.\nFor some time, Aleksandr lived in the village of Akim-Sergeevka (Mordovia), then moved to Saransk. He still loves fishing, board games, enjoys working with his wife in the country.\nHaving once learned the biblical doctrine of eternal life, Aleksandr realized that he had found the answer to a question that had worried him for many years. He marvels at how logically the Bible explains vital issues. In June 1998, he became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAleksandr met his future wife Nataliya in Saransk. She raised her son alone. They got married in 2006. Nataliya loves sewing, playing board games and chatting with friends. She was impressed by the wisdom of the Bible\u0026#39;s parenting advice, so she loved this book too.\nThe criminal prosecution brought anxiety and worry into the lives of the Korolevs. The parents of Aleksandr and Nataliya always tried to support them. In July 2024, Aleksandr was released from the penal colony.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/akorolev/photo_hu_9dc4d11a7f83d58.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/akorolev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/akorolev/photo_hu_b3e1b8d5c2aa3125.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/akorolev/photo_hu_a83129758ab32886.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/akorolev.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Korolev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"52-year-old Yevgeny Aksyonov from Khabarovsk was accused of meeting with friends in the spring of 2018 in the conference room of the hotel for a joint Bible reading. Because of this, a criminal case was opened against him on July 24, 2019. On February 18, 2020, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk found the believer guilty of extremist activity.\nYevgeny was born in 1967 in Khabarovsk. The parents are no longer alive. He was the only child in the family. As a child, he was fond of freestyle wrestling, music and poetry. After school, he received the profession of a fourth-class cook. He works as a driver. He lived in Uzbekistan for some time, but then decided to return to his hometown. In his spare time, he likes to ride a bike, spend time in nature, fish and pick mushrooms.\nNelly met his future wife at work, and in 2002 they got married. Eugene and Nelly have always appreciated the spiritual side of life, so they decided to get to know the Bible better. Impressed by her wisdom, as well as the sincerity of those who live by her, Eugene began to change for the better. The family has become more cohesive, love and mutual understanding reign in it.\nEugene and Nelly are raising a son and a daughter, to whom they tried to instill a love of God from childhood. Together they read, walk and go to rest on the sea.\nRelatives and friends of the spouses were very worried about the absurd criminal case against Yevgeny. They continue to support and encourage the family during this difficult time for them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/aksenov/photo_hu_e98db5a4557f5632.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/aksenov/photo_hu_a4b45c61b5dae3c8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/aksenov/photo_hu_c9b633fba8797bc4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/aksenov/photo_hu_c7a3d2bb39cfca52.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/aksenov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Aksenov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2018, Alam Aliyev was detained during an operation code-named \"Judgment Day\", in which 150 law enforcement officers took part. He spent 8 days in a detention center. The believer was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After 4.5 years, the court found him guilty and sent him to a penal colony for 6.5 years only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlam was born in 1963 in the village of Lyaki (Azerbaijan) in a large family of simple workers. Alam has 2 brothers and 3 sisters. As a child, Alam was fond of checkers, but he was not particularly obedient. He did his military service in Germany and then got a job as a sailor on a fishing boat.\nIn 1989, Alam moved to Khabarovsk, where he began to read the Bible and was impressed with what he learned from it. In 1991, he chose to become a Christian. His parents, who professed Islam, initially did not approve of this, but they began to respect Alam's faith after they saw positive changes in him. His mother was so delighted with how the Bible changed her son that she told the neighbors: \"Alam became like an angel\".\nIn recent years, Alam worked as a machinist in a boiler room. He has two adult children from his first marriage. Alam remarried in 2015 after the death of his first wife. He likes to spend time in nature with his family and in his free time he enjoys playing chess.\nAlam's wife, Svetlana, also became a victim of criminal prosecution for her faith - she was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence. Standing before the court, Alam firmly stated: “I am not ashamed to stand before the court for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It would be shameful if I was tried for a real crime”.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_28a22379ee179fcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_9c75f0f44574de71.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_8996d72f5701eee3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/aliev/photo_hu_fcb9333782036f2b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/aliev.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["elderly","families","health-risk"],"title":"Alam Aliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2020 in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, two dwellings of local believers were searched. The only reason for the raid on these civilians was their faith in God Jehovah. Representatives of the authorities interrogated 4 people. Among them was Nikolay Aliyev.\nNikolay was born in October 1978 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. His mother worked as a kindergarten teacher, his father as a welder at the plant. As a child, the boy was engaged in hockey, cycling, combat sports, went skiing. In his youth he was fond of playing the guitar, composing poems and music. After school Nikolay graduated from metallurgical technical school and since then he has been working as an electrician at the city enterprises. After graduating from technical school, he had to defend his right to alternative civil service for several years.\nBack in his childhood, Nikolay was worried about where stars and life came from. It encouraged him to study the Bible. Reading it, he received clear answers to his many questions. Reflecting on the lifestyle of Christ, Nikolay decided to leave the section of karate.\nIn 2011 he moved to Primorye, where he met his future wife Alesya. After 5 years they got married. Alesya works as a hairdresser, is fond of sewing, knitting and drawing. In his spare time, Nikolai still likes to play the guitar. The spouses go out into nature, fishing, picking mushrooms, go hiking and bathing, play board games with friends.\nSearch and interrogation caused the family a lot of stress. Several nights they could not sleep. \"There is a fear that we are being watched and listened to,\" says Nikolay. - We are afraid to tell my parents about all these events, as it can negatively affect their weak health (my mother has a heart condition). In these difficult times, friends have become a reliable support and encouragement for the Aliyev family.\nIn June 2021, the court sentenced him to 4.5 years of probation.\n","date":"2020-07-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/alievn/photo_hu_6061e3030981e78c.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/alievn/photo.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/alievn/photo_hu_10f0d68624f1e9ba.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/alievn/photo_hu_48152e41d4c5a95b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alievn.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Aliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 15, 2018, Vladimir Alushkin was arrested in his own apartment in Penza. A criminal case against him under Article 282.2 (part 1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated a few days earlier. What is known about this man?\nVladimir was born in 1964 in the city of Salavat (Bashkortostan) in a working-class family. As a child, he often went with his parents to the mountains and nature, went in for swimming. Later he moved to Penza, in 1986 he graduated from the Faculty of Radio Electronics of the Penza Polytechnic Institute. While working at a research institute, he married Tatyana, who worked as a programmer.\nIn 1995, Vladimir became interested in the Bible, noticing its beneficial effect on his wife Tatiana. Thanks to this, he found answers to many questions that worried him. This is a friendly and close-knit Christian family. But in July 2018, the life of the Alushkins changed dramatically - security forces burst into their apartment with machine guns at the ready, searched and arrested Vladimir.\nHis family, neighbors and work colleagues were shocked by this treatment of a peaceful person. They conveyed to the court positive characteristics of Vladimir as a kind, sympathetic, decent and conflict-free person. His friends sincerely hoped that the absurd accusations of extremism would be dropped.\nHowever, on December 13, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Penza, chaired by Judge Roman Tanchenko, sentenced Vladimir Alushkin to 6 years in a real colony only for his faith in God. Tatyana Alushkina received a two-year suspended sentence. The lawyers appealed the verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/alushkin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/alushkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/alushkin/photo_hu_6743bb6728ef30da.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/alushkin/photo_hu_6743bb6728ef30da.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alushkin.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vladimir Alushkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2019, a civilian resident of Penza, Tatyana Alushkina, was brought as a defendant in a criminal case after her husband, Vladimir. Later, the court found the spouses guilty of extremism because of their participation in religious services.\nTatyana was born in 1963 in the city of Rybinsk (Yaroslavl region) in a non-religious family. His father was a member of the Communist Party, his mother worked at a factory. As a child, she was fond of skiing, attended a ballet studio. Later she graduated from Yaroslavl State University with a degree in applied mathematics and moved to Penza. She worked as a programmer at one of the research institutes in Penza, where she met and married a design engineer Vladimir.\nIn the mid-1990s, both spouses became keenly interested in the Bible. They have an adult daughter with whom they maintain a warm relationship. Vladimir and Tatyana love to walk in nature, pick mushrooms.\nRelatives and neighbors are perplexed by the persecution of the Alushkin family because of their religion. Some gave the court positive references to them.\nOn December 13, 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Penza passed a guilty verdict against the Alushkins. Judge Roman Tanchenko sentenced Tatyana to 2 years of suspended imprisonment, and her husband Vladimir to 6 years in prison.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/alushkina/photo_hu_99089b3910301486.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/alushkina/photo_hu_bd0434477359e6e4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/alushkina/photo_hu_760b353151cde1ce.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/alushkina/photo_hu_2ce985d3d54b010a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alushkina.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Tatyana Alushkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 1, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence handed down to Ruslan Alyev by the Leninsky District Court in December 2020. The believer was given a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence just because he prayed and read the Bible with his wife and friends.\nRuslan was born in 1987 in the village of Chunoyar, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has a younger sister. As a child, his family moved frequently, so Ruslan also lived in Azerbaijan and Ukraine. He was a versatile child: he was fond of sports, foreign languages, dancing, read a lot, wrote poetry. He graduated with honors from the Rostov Technical School of Railway Transport, as well as Chinese language courses. He worked as a builder, finisher, roofer, sales assistant, guitar and English tutor, and recently teaches Chinese. In total, Ruslan knows four languages, writes and performs songs with a guitar.\nIn 2006, Ruslan met Kristina, a few years later they got married. Kristina is a hairdresser by profession, sings well and is fond of needlework. Together with her husband, she studies Chinese.\nFrom the age of 13, Ruslan loves to read the Bible and write down interesting thoughts from it. Over time, he found answers to all his questions in this book and became a staunch Christian. Ruslan's relatives and friends, as well as acquaintances who do not share his religious views, are outraged by the absurdity of the verdict. Everyone understands that extremism is incompatible with the personality and reputation of a believer.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/alyev/photo_hu_8e5a037c2e7a00d8.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/alyev/photo_hu_fda24961372caba0.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/alyev/photo_hu_3a26ad9cd2e6c05e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/alyev/photo_hu_78c9cd656a6c162d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/alyev.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Ruslan Alyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 31, 2019, in two cities of Karelia (Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga), mass searches were carried out at the apartments of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The raid resulted in three criminal cases for faith. 42-year-old Maksim Amosov and his wife were detained on the street, he was taken on his own recognizance. What do we know about him?\nMaksim was born in 1976 in the village of Chernoye, Perm Region. Of the parents, his father, a former radiologist engineer at the plant, is alive today. Mom worked as a school principal. He has a younger brother, Konstantin.\nAs a child, Maksim went hiking, engaged in fencing, modeling, played chess, read a lot. After school, he entered the university at the Faculty of Economics, but left his studies. After 2 years, he entered the academy and received a higher economic education with a degree in management. During the break between studying at universities, he managed to acquire a special education as an accountant-economist. Since 2000 he has been working as a chief accountant at various enterprises, since 2006 it has been a store of musical instruments.\nIn 1998, Maksim came to Petrozavodsk to work. There he met his future wife Maria. She is a lawyer by education, but does not work in her specialty. Maria masterfully makes handicrafts and gives them to loved ones. The husband calls his wife a \"good Samaritan\" because she is always ready to help. Maxim likes to spend his free time in the garden, is also fond of numismatics and philately, works out in the gym with his wife.\nMaksim knew from childhood that his surname Amosov was directly related to the Bible, since it contains a book with that name. \"Since there is a book by Amos, then I am of the same kind,\" says Maxim, laughing. \"That's how I reasoned. Besides, I'm Jewish. But with all this, I did not consider myself a believer. And when I began to get to know this wise book more deeply, to reflect on what I learned by applying the knowledge gained in my life, I was amazed that all God's advice is effective! I saw happy friends around me, I looked at my wife and realized how valuable Bible knowledge was to her. And our family became stronger and happier from year to year.\"\nMaksim and Maria were detained right on the street. The \"men in black\" came up from behind, unexpectedly. According to Maxim, now every time someone comes up from behind, they shudder and freeze. Maria has to constantly take sedatives. The director of the store where Maxim works was warned to look for a new accountant. All this does not allow the spouses to lead a normal life.\nDespite the fact that none of the relatives of Maxim and Maria share their beliefs, everyone is very worried about Maxim and does not understand how white can be called black and good evil.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/amosov/photo_hu_6ea1558066847ec5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/amosov/photo_hu_f95b8e8ed308a0ec.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/amosov/photo_hu_f7152b08a25c2848.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/amosov/photo_hu_5209e8cf6d7fcb72.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/amosov.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Amosov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2020, Sergey Ananin suffered a massive heart attack, had heart surgery and spent several days in intensive care. Just a month and a half later, the law enforcement officers raided his home, as well as the home of his wife's elderly parents. The believer spent 48 hours in a temporary detention center and was placed under house arrest, despite doctors recommending him following a special schedule of walks and treatment.\nSergey was born in April 1967 in the Urals, in the town of Shchuchye, Kurgan Region. From childhood he was fond of music and played the guitar in an ensemble. After school, he entered the Novosibirsk Electrotechnical Institute of Communications (today SibGUTI) in the faculty of automatic telecommunications. After studying, he was assigned to the city of Belovo, where he worked for 30 years at the Belovsky State District Power Plant.\nIn 1988, Sergey married Yelena. Together they raised two daughters who were educated in the fields of medicine and teaching. They already have their own families and live separately. Sergey and Yelena maintain a warm, close relationship with their daughters, as well as with his wife's elderly parents. The families often gather together to have a barbecue, relax and socialize in the village where Yelena's parents live. Music is still Sergey's main hobby: in his spare time he practices or just listens to music.\nIn 1995, Yelena began studying the Bible, and Sergey soon joined her. About a year later, the couple decided to become Jehovah's Witnesses. “I was convinced of the truth of the Bible, as prophecies recorded in it have been fulfilled and are being fulfilled before our very eyes. And I also began to recognize the appealing and beautiful personality of the Creator, which helped me develop a friendship with him,” Sergey said.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the couple. Yelena's chronic illness worsened, and Sergey, due to house arrest, lost the opportunity to receive comprehensive medical care and to recover after his surgery. In March 2023, the court sentenced the peaceful believer to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","date":"2021-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ananin/photo_hu_8fd2c8f7fc4a850a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ananin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ananin/photo_hu_38765597252acf28.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ananin/photo_hu_77d51450e9479bac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ananin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Ananin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019, mass searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk. Andrey Andreyev ended up behind bars only because of his faith. He was released only a few years later—in February 2023, having survived the investigation and trial in captivity and having served his term.\nAndrey was born in 1976 in Kursk. He has a younger sister. As a child, Andrey loved to play sports, after school he received the profession of a repairman. For some time he worked as a firefighter, in recent years, before criminal prosecution, he was engaged in roofing work.\nIn 1999, Andrey married Svetlana. The couple raised two daughters—Angelika and Albina. Svetlana is a process engineer by profession, later she mastered the profession of a sales representative. Angelika is a hair stylist, loves music, plays the guitar and draws. Albina studied at a medical college and plays the piano. The whole family shares Andrey's love of travel.\nAndrey became interested in the Bible when he learned about the prophecies that were written in it thousands of years ago and are being fulfilled today, especially from the Bible book of Daniel.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, the Andreev family faced numerous difficulties. Svetlana's parents supported their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughters. Speaking before the court, Andrey said: “I was personally convinced that my wife is my flesh, and for the time for which we were separated, it really seemed like some part of me was cut off. Many thanks to my daughters, they supported me and supported their mother.”\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/andreyev/photo_hu_2e5393b957b6feb8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/andreyev/photo_hu_d948453c4fbb3fd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/andreyev/photo_hu_252b9819df4f1111.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/andreyev/photo_hu_bb3a5ad8ee21b715.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/andreyev.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Andreyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Labor veteran Boris Andreev from Primorye Territory faced criminal prosecution for believing in God in the fall of 2022—his house was searched, the man was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, accused of extremism. Being behind bars worsened his health.\nBoris was born in November 1951 in the village of Monastyrishche (Primorye Territory). He has an elder brother and sister. Their mother worked as a primary school teacher.\nAs a child, Boris liked to ride a bicycle. He read a lot. After school, the young man graduated from the Far Eastern Polytechnic Institute with a degree in electrical engineering, as well as the University of Marxism-Leninism. Prior to the criminal prosecution, Boris worked for 18 years as a dispatcher of the unified duty dispatch service. At various times he lived in Vladivostok, the village of Khorol and the village of Yaroslavsky.\nFrom a young age, Boris wanted to read the Bible, but he began to study it thoughtfully only at the age of 50. In this book, he found answers to his questions. With the help of advice from the Bible, Boris was able to quit smoking and overcome alcohol addiction. In 2004, he embarked on the Christian path.\nBoris has three adult sons from his first marriage. In 2019, he met Aleksandra, who shares his views on life. A year later they got married. Aleksandra loves gardening. The spouses enjoy spending time together, as well as with friends, walking, going to the sea and playing board games.\nDue to the long stay in the pre-trial detention center and the lack of full-fledged physical activity, it became difficult for Boris to perform the simplest actions, heart problems and dizziness began. He was also diagnosed with a precancerous condition that requires regular follow-up by specialists, which is not easy in prison.\n","date":"2022-11-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_57e9386dcb13ca23.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_65cffaf8e2662c08.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/andreyevb/photo_hu_b46889bb62aa7c47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/andreyevb.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Boris Andreyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nadezhda Anoykina never suspected that she could be prosecuted for her faith. She became one of six residents of Vladivostok, aged 61 to 84, who was charged with extremism.\nNadezhda was born in 1958 in the village of Parnaya (Krasnoyarsk Territory). As the eldest of three daughters, she helped her parents a lot with household chores. After school she graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Railway Technical School. Later she married, but in 1985 the family broke up. Nadezhda raised two daughters. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, she worked as a pumping operator. Due to the difficult economic situation in Siberia, Nadezhda was forced to move to Primorsky Krai: first to the village of Wrangel, and then to Vladivostok, a port city on the coast of the Sea of Japan. Now she is retired, but works as a cleaner.\nNadezhda often thought about why people suffer and die, and wanted to find the truth about God. In 1996, she found convincing answers to her questions in the Bible.\nNadezhda's daughters support her and help her cope with the new difficulties that have arisen due to criminal prosecution, both moral and material.\n","date":"2021-04-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/anoykina/photo_hu_22c8dbe9a18dbede.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/anoykina/photo_hu_db3bd3091001a7b4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/anoykina/photo_hu_836391f42b283df7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/anoykina/photo_hu_7978b98e7fa60611.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/anoykina.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Nadezhda Anoykina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several residents of Saransk, including Denis Antonov, were prosecuted for their faith. Law enforcers considered the conversations about the Bible to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. According to the court\u0026#39;s decision, Denis had to spend almost 2 years behind bars.\nDenis was born in 1976 in Syktyvkar (Komi Republic). The family moved frequently, as his father worked as an agronomist and helped on collective farms in the north. Denis had a brother who is no longer alive.\nAfter school, Denis entered a technical school in Vorkuta, where he received a degree in mining electromechanics. For about five years he worked in a mine as an underground electrician, then as a janitor, a building maintenance worker, and before his arrest as a home foreman. His father instilled in Denis a love for photography, macro photography and to this day his hobby along with playing chess.\nFrom his youth, Denis wondered about God, tried to read religious literature and the Bible, but did not understand much of it. While serving in the army, he corresponded with a friend who told him about Bible teachings. The consistency of the Bible and the fact that God has a name touched Denis\u0026#39;s heart, and he decided to embark on the Christian path. Years later, at a court hearing in his case, Denis said: \u0026quot;For more than half of my life I have been one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and I have always tried to develop love for God and for people.\u0026quot;\nIn 2015, Denis married Olga, whom he had known since 1996. She worked as a cook in a coal factory and in a kindergarten. The couple moved from Vorkuta to Saransk to take care of Olga\u0026#39;s elderly mother, who was left alone after her husband\u0026#39;s death. During the search, the authorities took away their employment record books and other documents, which forced Denis to close his business. Up until his arrest, the couple were forced to do odd jobs.\nIn June 2024, Denis was released from the penal colony and happily reunited with his family and friends. He is very grateful to them for supporting him throughout the criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/antonov/photo_hu_d380cbf3df791219.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/antonov/photo_hu_953374e6f7a3a7a3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/antonov/photo_hu_50839b294e706f11.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/antonov/photo_hu_a44b4acfe7dec0ec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/antonov.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Antonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, because of a large-scale raid on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Voronezh region—110 searches in one day—Aleksey Antyukhin ended up in a pre-trial detention center along with 9 other local believers. After 5.5 years, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\nAleksey was born in Shymkent (Kazakhstan) in 1976. He grew up with his sister. In his youth, he was fond of sport shooting and cross-country skiing. He graduated from college with a degree in electric and gas welder and from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (MISiS) with a degree in engineering.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, Aleksey worked as an electric and gas welder and was also fond of construction. In his spare time, he enjoyed skiing and swimming.\nSince 2013, Bible study has become an important part of Aleksey\u0026#39;s life. In 2014, he married Natalya, and the couple moved to Voronezh. Five years later, they returned to Stary Oskol to take care of Aleksey\u0026#39;s elderly mother, who had just become widowed.\nAfter Aleksey\u0026#39;s arrest, his wife and mother found it difficult to cope with rural life on their own, as he was the only breadwinner and helper in the family.\n","date":"2020-10-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/antyukhin/photo_hu_a603cf0c54805bd8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/antyukhin/photo_hu_658c478f764c0545.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/antyukhin/photo_hu_4c6d97153904b2dc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/antyukhin/photo_hu_94b882e5de33111f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/antyukhin.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Antyukhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Anufriyev is a simple tractor driver from Pechora (Komi Republic). He was born in May 1957 not far from this city, in the village of Akis. His parents were believers, and the family often talked about God. Nikolay has a brother and four sisters, he is the third child in the family.\nNikolay worked on the drilling rigs for many years, and now he is retired. He is fond of fishing, which is often combined with friendly conversation.\n\"I was very touched by Jehovah's justice,\" says Nikolay, recalling his path in faith. He was also impressed by the love and friendliness that reigns among Christians. In 2008, he firmly decided to devote his life to serving God.\nNikolay was widowed in 2019. His only daughter is adult and lives in St. Petersburg. Although she does not share the religious beliefs of her father, she sincerely worries about his criminal prosecution on false accusations. Nikolay seeks consolation in God and is happy that the repression has not yet affected his health.\n","date":"2020-12-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_a5339bd7deeab319.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_3b73f0b7717511d9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/anufriyev/photo_hu_50951c718bbc6669.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/anufriyev.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Anufriyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the city of Shuya, Ivanovo region, a criminal case was opened for faith against five civilians. What do we know about one of them, Alexei Arkhipov?\nAlexey was born in Arkhangelsk in 1960 and has a younger sister. As a child, he was fond of skiing and photography, loved to make crafts from wood. In the late 1970s, he served in the army, and later settled in Murmansk.\nAlexey worked all his life as a bus driver, for many years of conscientious work he was awarded various awards, including a ministerial diploma, and also received the title of veteran of labor. At work, he met his future wife Natalia, with whom he was in the same bus crew. The marriage was registered in 1984, and two children were raised together. Natalia spares no effort, maintaining comfort in the house, together with her husband receives guests whom he likes to treat with cakes of his own making. In addition to cooking, Alexey enjoys chatting with friends and traveling.\nAfter retiring, Aleksey and his wife moved to Shuya to take care of Natalia's elderly parents. Together, the couple decided to get acquainted with the Bible, and they were struck by the wisdom of the Bible's teachings. They were also touched by love and mutual assistance among those who live by them.\nThe search and the criminal case against Aleksey came as a complete surprise to the spouses, bringing anxiety and pain to the life of this peaceful, hardworking family. Chronic diseases have worsened. Alexei cannot report what is happening to his relatives, as his mother, who lives in another city, has a heart condition.\nThe son and daughter, who do not share the beliefs of their parents, try to be a support for them in everything. They, as well as colleagues at work, are shocked by what is happening. The managers of the company where Alexei works say that Alexey's religion does not matter to them, because they see how well he treats people and does his job.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_80aa19c312e33664.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_6c6a8d0fadaa36c6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_29ce878963a9a1d5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/arkhipov/photo_hu_c942f981321de434.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/arkhipov.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Arkhipov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For 3 years, Larisa Artamonova had to face surveillance, search, interrogations and trial. The peaceful believer was found guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced to a fine, and in April 2021, the court of appeal toughened the sentence. Larisa was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nLarisa was born in 1970 in Birobidzhan. When she was three years old, her father was killed. This psychological shock left an imprint on the rest of Larisa's life. Later, her mother remarried, Larisa had a younger brother.\nLarisa graduated as a pastry chef, but also worked as a graphic designer and seamstress. In 1990 she got married and gave birth to a son. After 4 years, the couple divorced and Larisa had to start all over again. She increasingly wondered: why is there so much injustice, grief and evil in life? Spiritual quest led to Bible study. Larisa says: \"I realized that only God can answer my questions and only the Creator can eliminate all evil.\"\nLarisa was diagnosed with a rare form of autoimmune disease. However, the believer does not dwell on her difficulties. Bible principles help her to worry less and not aggravate her illness with worry. “My faith literally saves my life,” says Larisa.\nThe believer leads an active lifestyle: she rides a bicycle, skates and ski, continues to paint and participate in art exhibitions, and develops the profession of a portrait painter. Larisa's son got married, and now she is a happy grandmother of her little grandson.\nLarisa's elderly parents were shocked that their daughter was being persecuted not for a crime, but for her beliefs. They were especially wounded by the fact that Larisa faced six years in prison - that is how much the man who killed her father received. The believer was added to the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, and her bank cards were blocked.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/artamonova/photo_hu_f6cc0a017f3a3108.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/artamonova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/artamonova/photo_hu_cfa1790b0cb4c5d8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/artamonova/photo_hu_a5a0a9dd14473be1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/artamonova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Larisa Artamonova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Lyubov Asatryan became a new defendant in a criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that she participated in worship services. What do we know about Lyubov?\nLyubov was born in 1951 in Kirovabad (Azerbaijan), which is now called Ganja. She is the youngest of six children of her parents (five sisters and one brother). Since childhood, Lyubov loved to read, knitted and sewed. After school, she graduated with honors from a vocational technical school and became a laboratory chemist. In 1973 she moved to Krasnodar (Russia), where she got a job as an optician at a pharmaceutical factory. Later she lived in several cities of the Far East, including Magadan. Since childhood, Lyubov was worried about the fact that she saw a lot of violence around her, and she was very happy to learn from the Bible that God intends to put an end to all violence and cruelty. This made her want to harmonize her life with the commandments of the Holy Book. This happened back in 1991.\nLyubov still loves to read a lot, chat with friends, pick berries and cones in the forest. She was married and had no children.\nNeighbors and acquaintances who do not share Lyubov's religious beliefs are completely perplexed by her criminal prosecution, while Christian friends pray fervently for her.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_6c0c0f9274889deb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_9bdc3a4e017f44ef.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/asatryan/photo_hu_385870a6a24d1df3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/asatryan.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Asatryan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Faith in Jehovah God again and again becomes the reason for the persecution of peaceful Russian citizens. Among them was Sergey Ashikhmin.\nSergey was born on December 30, 1973 in the village of Zheshart, Ust-Vymsky district of the Komi Republic. He lost his father early, when he was only 7 years old. He was raised by his mother, she died in 2000. Sergey's older sister died in 2005.\nAs a child, Sergey was fond of various sports, but he especially liked to play football. He also enjoyed hiking, was interested in space, and read science fiction. After receiving secondary education, he worked in various fields - security, trade, working personnel, moonlighting as a janitor and a loader. Now he is not working, because he recently underwent complex heart surgery.\nIn 2007, Sergey married Anastasiya, who was instilled with high biblical standards from childhood, Anastasiya loves animals. Her hobby is cooking delicious meals. The family is very fond of walking together and being in nature.\nSergey lived in the city of Glazov in the north of the Udmurt Republic and in the city of Syktyvkar. Glazov is a small town, and it was difficult to find a permanent job, so Sergey decided to move to Izhevsk, where he lives now. In Glazov, he became acquainted with the teachings of the Bible, and in November 2001 he became a Christian.\nSergey is interested in biblical history, loves to walk and learn something new about nature and animals. He is impressed by many facts, ranging from the complex structure of the cell and the human brain with its inexhaustible potential to the perfect harmony in space.\nSergey and Anastasiya are experiencing strong emotional stress in connection with the events taking place. Sergey's mother-in-law is sincerely outraged by the persecution of peaceful believers.\n","date":"2021-05-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ashikhmin/photo_hu_fcb604f3d21a26f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ashikhmin/photo_hu_964df128a4cfc382.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ashikhmin/photo_hu_6b2beb507ae18432.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ashikhmin/photo_hu_94e496ef9f18c124.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ashikhmin.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Ashikhmin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"As a child, Nina Astvatsaturova's mother and grandmother instilled faith in God. Since then, she has been searching for the truth about the Creator and already in adulthood - in 2003 - she embarked on the Christian path, convinced of the scientific accuracy of the Bible and its usefulness in modern life. 17 years later, a criminal case was opened against her - in fact, Nina is being persecuted for her love of the Holy Scriptures.\nNina was born in July 1959 in the city of Kuibyshev (now Samara). She is the only child in the family. Nina's childhood was spent in different cities - her father was a military man, so they often moved.\nAt school, Nina studied excellently. She also graduated from music school with a degree in piano. Later she entered the Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the Institute of Oil and Chemistry in Baku (Azerbaijan) and, after graduating from it, worked in her specialty.\nIn addition to Samara and Baku, Nina lived in Kaliningrad, and later moved to Vladivostok at the place of her husband's military service. The couple raised a son.\nIn her youth, Nina studied English, ballroom dancing and horse riding. Now she enjoys attending theater and classical music concerts. Nina loves animals, nature and travel, she enjoys spending time with friends.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Nina's health: after the search, she had a hypertensive crisis. Other diseases have also worsened. Relatives and friends of the believer are outraged by the persecution and consider it unfair.\n","date":"2022-01-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_5ad07f112e36528f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_12de6e5ca1b88b3a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_b7609194639ae9a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/astvatsaturova/photo_hu_ca90d496b78fdb4f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/astvatsaturova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Nina Astvatsaturova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Suvorkov is one of the peaceful believers detained during the raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov. He was accused of extremism only because of his faith, and Andrey had to defend his good name in court.\nAndrey was born in 1993 in Kirov. His love for the Bible was instilled in him by his mother, who from childhood raised him in accordance with the commandments from this book. At school age, he loved the exact sciences, participated in city Olympiads, and played volleyball in his free time. Later he received the specialty of a computer operator.\nHaving reached military age, due to peaceful Christian convictions, Andrey asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one. His request was granted, and he worked full time as a nurse in a narcological dispensary.\nIn 2016, Andrey married Svetlana. They have many friends, spouses love to play sports and help others.\nRelatives and friends of Andrey do not understand why such a peaceful person was subjected to criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/asuvorkov/photo_hu_3fcec3a678ee531f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/asuvorkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/asuvorkov/photo_hu_8184350aa0cb3d5d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/asuvorkov/photo_hu_b5fcadd9e499f482.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/asuvorkov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Suvorkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, authorities conducted a series of searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalny. Aleksey Trofimov was detained. After several years of investigation and trial, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in prison just because of his faith.\nAlexey was born in 1959 in the working village of Mamakan (Irkutsk region). His parents' family had five children. They loved to walk and play sports, and on weekends they helped their parents in the country.\nWhile still a student in Vladivostok, Alexei met Tamara, and soon the couple got married. After receiving his diploma, he worked for many years as a locksmith at various enterprises in the field of housing and communal services. Recently he worked as the head of the boiler house.\nIn the early 1990s, Aleksey discovered that the Bible makes people happy, helps them lead meaningful lives and show genuine love for their neighbors. So he made a decision that he would serve God.\nIn 2001, Alexey and Tamara moved to Spassk-Dalny, where his wife's elderly parents lived. This made it easier for them to take care of them. Today, Alexey and Tamara are loving parents of four children, as well as grandparents.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_ae8deaf137a88b65.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_f1d3674fba9a697d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/atrofimov/photo_hu_ae99e21f8e1b025e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/atrofimov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Trofimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several residents of Saransk, including Vladimir Atryakhin, were prosecuted for their faith. Law enforcers considered the conversations about the Bible to be the organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\nVladimir was born in 1987 in the village of Rozhdestveno (Mordovia). He and his younger brother were brought up in a single-parent family. Since childhood, Vladimir loves sports, enjoys playing football, volleyball, hockey, intellectual games with friends. Even during his school years, he became deeply interested in the Bible and fell in love with this book.\nVladimir is a programmer by profession, works as a system administrator for two companies, and also edits a scientific journal at Mordovia State University. He is respected by his neighbors - he heads the house committee in the house in which he lives.\nIn 2009, Vladimir married Mariya, the couple have two small children who were 7 months and 2 years old at the time of their arrest.\nVladimir's relatives were shocked by his criminal prosecution. Those of them who previously disapproved of Vladimir's religious views are now trying to help him in any way they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/atryakhin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/atryakhin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/atryakhin/photo_hu_6b5a344665775cd6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/atryakhin/photo_hu_6b5a344665775cd6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/atryakhin.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Atrуakhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, the court sentenced Vilen Avanesov to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God, and his son Arsen to 6.5 years in prison. The believers were found guilty of extremism because they read and discussed the Bible with friends.\nVilen was born in 1952 in Baku (Azerbaijan). He worked as an electrician and builder, now retired. Since childhood, Vilen is fond of cooking, loves to bake homemade bread. Another of Vilen's hobbies is reading. One of his favorite books from a young age was the Bible.\nIn 1980, Vilen married Stella, they had a son, Arsen, and a daughter, Elina. Due to the conflict in Nagorny Karabakh in 1988, the family was forced to leave their home and move to Armenia as refugees. But the earthquake in Yerevan in the same year and the deteriorating financial situation forced the family to move again. This time, the place of residence was the Russian Rostov-on-Don. Vilen had to start everything from scratch, because he lost his home first in Baku and then in Yerevan.\nThe whole big family of Vilen is worried about the fact that they and Arsen were convicted. Vilen is in poor health. “Vilen and prison are incomparable things,— says his wife.— Vilen is the kindest person. This is how all his family and friends know him.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_910fea42d606270e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_ad95cfb78fc27a02.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_3d17caa81f7d1b7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/avanesov/photo_hu_f59ec4e538431f0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/avanesov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Vilen Avanesov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of Lipetsk, Viktor Bachurin, along with two fellow believers, were sent to jail after a series of searches that took place on December 2, 2019. Two days later, at the request of the investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Lipetsk region, without notifying the relatives, the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Lipetsk sent them to the pre-trial detention center.\nViktor Bachurin was born in 1962 in the city of Pavlovsky Posad, Moscow Region. He is married, the couple has two adult children, has a granddaughter who will soon go to the 1st grade.\nVictor became seriously interested in the Bible in the early 1990s. At that time he lived in Surgut. In 1993 he moved to Lipetsk.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_c4bad9947199362a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_54f474ae0c993d9d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bachurin/photo_hu_1bce0d40b4f18b6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bachurin.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Bachurin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since the summer of 2020, Sergey Baev, a hard-working landscaping worker from Voronezh, has been persecuted for his religious beliefs. Neither the good reputation of a peaceful believer, nor his serious health problems prevented law enforcement officers from accusing him of a serious criminal offense.\nSergey was born in April 1973 in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan). He has a younger sister. Their parents divorced when the children were 5 and 7 years old, and their mother raised them alone.\nAs a child, Sergey was fond of football and chess, for five years he learned to play the accordion at a music school. After school, he received the profession of a mechanical technician for the installation, repair and maintenance of refrigeration equipment.\nFor some time Sergey worked in his specialty, after that he was engaged in the maintenance of buildings, and before the criminal prosecution, the improvement of streets and parks. After a stay in a pre-trial detention center and under house arrest, Sergey was again taken to his former place of work in the Improvement Plant. In December 2021, he was awarded a certificate of honor for his good work.\nThe Bible impressed Sergey with its internal coherence. In 1994, he decided to take the Christian path. In 2003, Sergey married Olga, a geologist by profession. She shares his love for the Bible. Olga noted that the biblical creation story is consistent with modern geological data. Together, the couple raised their daughter Olga. In 2012 the family moved to Voronezh.\nSergey has serious vision problems. Against the backdrop of criminal prosecution, myopia has significantly worsened, and other diseases have also become aggravated. Due to his detention in a pre-trial detention center and subsequent house arrest, Sergey could not provide for his family for several months, for which his earnings were the main income.\nSergey's employees are aware of the persecution and worry about the believer. His family and friends try to provide the necessary support.\n","date":"2022-01-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baev/photo_hu_2774732b03f8e40a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baev/photo_hu_f938860617593332.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baev/photo_hu_f26b5a2a90425d7a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baev/photo_hu_c365659cece106af.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baev.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Sergey Baev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan ended up behind bars after mass searches at Jehovah's Witnesses in Kursk. Both were imprisoned for a long time. The court handed down guilty verdicts to peaceful spouses only because of their faith.\nArtem was born in 1972 in the city of Abovyan (Armenia). He has a brother and sister. By occupation, Artem is a gas boiler operator, he also repairs household appliances and shoes.\nAfter moving from Armenia, Artem lived for some time in Stary Oskol, then in Kursk, Dyatkovo (Bryansk region) and Tomsk. In Kursk, Artem met his future wife Alevtina, and in 2012 they got married. After the wedding, the couple lived in Dyatkovo, but after a while they returned to Kursk to take care of Alevtina's mother.\nArtem is fond of cars, loves to be in nature with family and friends, fry shish kebabs, pick mushrooms and berries.\nCriminal prosecution and imprisonment seriously affected the health of Artem, who suffers from diabetes and a number of other diseases.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bagratyan/photo_hu_f67cc6fc0ce8d824.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bagratyan/photo_hu_ebed65cb11098215.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bagratyan/photo_hu_cebd52998d6b510d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bagratyan/photo_hu_80c3fd39ece12e88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bagratyan.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["families","health-risk"],"title":"Artem Bagratyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner from the Amur region, who worked all his life on the railway, did not expect that, because of his faith, he would be involved in a criminal case. However, in the spring of 2021, security forces broke into his house and accused the believer of extremism.\nVladimir was born and raised in the city of Belogorsk, Amur Region and still lives in the same house where he was born in 1952. He had a brother Gennadiy, he died at the age of 11. After school, Vladimir was drafted into the army. After serving, he got a job on the railway, where he worked for many years as an electrician in the communications system.\nIn 1972, Vladimir married Tatiana. Together they raised two sons. One of them, Dmitry, became an artist. The second, Gennadiy, followed in his father's footsteps and works as an electrician.\nTatyana was the first to get acquainted with the biblical teachings, after some time Vladimir became interested in them. He says: \"It amazed me that God has a name, Jehovah. I have never heard of this, but it is found even in the works of Russian writers!\" The entire Balabkin family loves and appreciates the Bible.\nThe search and the criminal case against Vladimir worsened the health of the elderly couple. Tatiana is on disability, she underwent heart surgery. Most of Vladimir's stomach has been removed, stress aggravates the pain. Nevertheless, the court sentenced the elderly believer to a real prison term.\n","date":"2021-08-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_249b26540ae89e8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_e092028bdc3f2118.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_fbde4b11e8d51ffa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/balabkin/photo_hu_5ebaceedb8e75b78.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/balabkin.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Balabkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 19, 2019, a wave of mass searches swept through Vologda, as a result of which 67-year-old Yuri Baranov was detained and then placed under house arrest.\nYuri was born in 1952 in Vologda. He grew up without a father, as a child he loved to ski and play the accordion. All his life he worked as a gas electric welder. He is now retired.\nYuriy is known as a sympathetic person, always ready to help. If necessary, he always helps friends and acquaintances with minor repairs around the house, supports in word and deed. By his example, he shows young people how important it is to help others.\nIn 1989, Yuri met his future wife Nadezhda, and in 1990 they got married. Together they raised Nadezhda's daughter, Elizabeth.\nIn search of justice and answers to his questions, in 1992 Yuri, his wife and daughter began to study the Bible together, and then, according to Yuriy, \"everything fell into place.\"\nAfter the searches and subsequent arrest, the life of the spouses changed dramatically. Yuri's heart problems worsened (before his arrest he was preparing for an operation in Moscow) and a number of other diseases, insomnia began. Yuri needs to undergo an annual course of treatment.\nYuri's mother, who is already over 90, needs constant care and assistance from Yuriy, has a disability group.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_76d3dc7f8d0346b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_f1e20e802a1f0c65.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_7a705f991b1a84b1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranov/photo_hu_fada5e15f192f976.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranov.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Baranov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 10, 2019, searches were carried out in the families of believers in Abakan. Valentina Baranovskaya and her son Roman were detained. A criminal case was opened against them under an \"extremist\" article. The investigation lasted more than a year, and then the case was considered in court for 8 months. In February 2021, an unprecedented decision was made: a 70-year-old woman was sentenced to 2 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God. 3 months later, the Supreme Court of Khakassia upheld the verdict.\nValentina was born in 1951 in the Kazakh village of Vannovka. Together with her older brother and sister, she grew up in a family dominated by communist beliefs. In 1973 she graduated from the Ufa Financial College in absentia. The next year, a son, Roman, was born. When he was 7 years old, the family settled in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan). In 1991 they moved to Abakan, where they still live.\nValentina worked as an accountant and economist and retired in 2006. She is a creative person, since childhood she writes poetry, loves to give her friends wedding greetings and songs. She loves to cook and receive guests, and in her free time she loves to solve crosswords.\nBack in 1995, Valentina and her son began reading the Bible. She was struck by the beautiful truths that are contained there. She was particularly impressed by the idea that God could not lie. She decided to trust the Bible always and in everything and live according to its commandments.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Valentina's health: in the summer of 2020, just before the start of the court hearings, she was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction, or ischemic stroke. According to the doctors, the believer was in the hospital in a moderate condition. All this, however, did not prevent the court from sentencing the elderly woman to a real prison term.\nRelatives were shocked to learn that Valentina and her son were convicted only because of their faith. “They know that we are peaceful, kind, decent people ... They still cannot come to their senses,” says Valentina.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_a9eaa3630b68ba4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_72863d270cf84278.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_6b73519a6bd0743f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranovskaya/photo_hu_4dc2e5a0d54435ac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranovskaya.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Valentina Baranovskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 10, 2019, searches were carried out in the families of believers in Abakan. Roman Baranovskiy and his mother Valentina were detained. A criminal case was opened against them for extremist activities. The investigation lasted more than a year, and then the case was considered in court for 8 months. In February 2021, a harsh decision was made: Roman was sentenced to 6 years in colony, and his 70-year-old mother was sentenced to 2 years in colony for believing in Jehovah God.\nRoman was born in 1974 in the city of Balakovo, Saratov Region. Later, the family moved to Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), and in 1991 moved to Abakan, where Valentina\u0026#39;s relatives lived. As a child, Roman was fond of chess and football. He graduated from the Polytechnic College as an auto mechanic, and later mastered the skill of finishing work, which is what he is doing to this day.\nFrom his youth, Roman thought about the meaning of life. He says: \u0026quot;Sometimes I asked God to show me the right way. It always seemed to me that there is a higher meaning in life than just living it ... In 1993 I bought a Bible and began to read it \u0026quot;. Mother joined him in this. The man is very impressed by the consistency of the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings.\nIn his free time, Roman likes to play mind games. He is also interested in playing the guitar. Before sentencing, Roman took care of his mother. \u0026quot;He is a very big support for me,\u0026quot; said Valentina.\nRoman\u0026#39;s cousins and sister were shocked to learn that Roman and his mother were accused of such monstrous things as extremism simply because of their belief in God. They were surprised by the unfair conviction of Roman and Valentina.\n\u0026quot;I am sure,\u0026quot; Roman said in his final statement, \u0026quot;that real happiness depends on the realization that God approves of you. His approval depends on whether you act out of love for him and your neighbors. Love for God and for my neighbors is the main motive for all my actions. And this has nothing to do with extremism.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranovskiy/photo_hu_6d3c733d7499022d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranovskiy/photo_hu_553d1be5219c0b6b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranovskiy/photo_hu_a66314083bef83f2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranovskiy/photo_hu_612bdec0dcac2c6c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranovskiy.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Roman Baranovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"One of the youngest Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted for their faith in Russia, Yegor Baranov, spent six months in prison. For some time, the young man was deprived of the support of family and friends: he was not given visits with his mother and letters of support that came to him from different countries.\nYegor was born in March 2001 in Transbaikalia in the urban-type village of Olovyannaya (Chita region) in a large family. He has two elder brothers. His father died in 2013.\nAlready at the age of 4, Yegor read poetry and stories, and a little later he fell in love with books about nature and animals. He was interested in dinosaurs, dreamed of becoming an archaeologist.\nBefore the criminal prosecution, Yegor was a 2nd year student at the Vyazemsky Forestry—Technical School named after N. V. Usenko.\nIn the late 1990s, Yegor's mother became Jehovah's Witness, and two years later her grandmother joined her. From childhood, the boy was interested in spiritual questions: will God eliminate all evil, and most importantly, death? He was especially touched by the biblical promise of the resurrection of the dead and the possibility of seeing his father again in the future. This prompted him to become a Christian.\nIn his free time, Yegor plays the synthesizer, burns wood, writes poetry. He tries to master different types of construction tools, as he has to take care of a private house and make repairs himself. Another hobby is cooking.\nWhen Yegor ended up in jail, his mother was left without the support of her son. Yegor himself has heart problems.\nRelatives who do not share Yegor's religious convictions do not understand why a calm and affable young man, ready to lend a helping hand at any moment, was recognized as an extremist. Yegor's uncle, Sergey Kuznetsov, was also convicted on similar charges.\n","date":"2021-05-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baranovye/photo_hu_7aeef009f5f6d3ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baranovye/photo_hu_19016b79784b5c29.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baranovye/photo_hu_b4255e2a7aa1fc18.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baranovye/photo_hu_c2bf71aafc5a49b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baranovye.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yegor Baranov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin was born in 1974 on the Black Sea coast, in Alushta (Crimea). At the age of 10, he lost his mother, and his father raised his son on his own. Since childhood, he was inquisitive, swam well and loved to read. In the eighth grade, I bought a Bible with the money I earned during the holidays. The practicality of the biblical advice convinced Dmitriy that this ancient book could be trusted.\nAfter graduating from a vocational school, Dmitry received a diploma as a cook. Later he graduated from programming courses in Kaliningrad and worked as a programmer and CNC operator. The company has established itself as a responsible and honest employee, a person who is always ready to help.\nDmitry met his wife Elena in Bakhchisarai in 2003. And three years after they met, they got married. Together they took care of Dmitry's sick father for several years, until his death. In 2017, the family moved to Vladivostok to help Yelena's parents and grandmother. Elena has a creative job, she is a photographer. Dmitry's passion for photography was also passed on. In addition, he successfully creates computer programs. The couple love to travel, together they traveled around the Crimea, the Far East, shooting the sea, nature, animals. They have many loyal friends and good acquaintances, which they have acquired over the years of married life.\nSince July 28, 2018, Dmitriy and Elena have been separated – Dmitriy was arrested on charges of professing his faith, which is essentially guaranteed by the Constitution to every person in Russia. The wife is painfully experiencing parting with her beloved husband. And for Elena's relatives, Dmitry's arrest is a real tragedy, because the spouses provided physical assistance to many of them, including their 93-year-old grandmother. They cannot understand why an honest and respectable person ended up behind bars.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/barmakin/photo_hu_a5f0a5665706e12d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/barmakin/photo_hu_cc04fb6773e9431e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/barmakin/photo_hu_12e23b43c93b326e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/barmakin/photo_hu_c7f08af572f1cc58.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/barmakin.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Barmakin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On September 12, 2018, Rosfinmonitoring arrested the bank cards of Vladivostok resident Yelena Barmakina, and the next day she was charged with participating in extremist activities. By that time, her husband Dmitry Barmakin had already been held in a pre-trial detention center on a similar charge for more than a month. The only complaint of law enforcement officers to the Barmakins is their religion. What do we know about Elena?\nElena was born in 1967 in the city of Cherepanovo, Novosibirsk Region. She has a younger brother, Sergey. As a child, she was engaged in gymnastics, loved to skate. She graduated from the Odessa College of Public Catering and received the specialty of a catering technologist. Later, she was educated remotely at the New York Institute of Photography. She worked as a photographer and photo designer. Today, her hobby coincides with her profession - this is photography. He still goes in for sports and visits the pool, goes hiking.\nYelena firmly decided to adhere to the Christian path in her life and has not left it for many years. According to Elena, she was amazed by the precisely fulfilled prophecies from the Bible and the answers to prayers, which became clear proof of the power of God for her. She was also greatly impressed by the exemplary behavior of believers.\nOver the years, Yelena lived in Donetsk and Bakhchisarai. In Crimea, she met her future husband Dmitry, who also loved the Bible. Three years later, in 2006, they got married. Together we moved to Vladivostok to be closer to and take care of Yelena's elderly parents and grandmother. Dmitry shares Elena's passion for travel, is also fond of photography, loves to create video animations.\nThe life of the spouses was divided into \"before\" and \"after\" the initiation of criminal cases. In addition to supporting her husband in the pre-trial detention center, Yelena cannot find a permanent job, since she can be summoned to court or interrogation at any time. \"If earlier we solved all the issues and tasks together with Dima, now this heavy burden fell on my female shoulders,\" says Elena. - I have no support, support and adviser. We have been together for many years and have never parted! And now I'm alone for the second year. I'm very worried about Dima. My mother cries all the time, and all my relatives and friends are still shocked by what is happening.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/barmakina/photo_hu_6762184383342aa5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/barmakina/photo_hu_1a4e81673768ea6b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/barmakina/photo_hu_b77ccfb4d695b7d9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/barmakina/photo_hu_f0fcf5864ceaa147.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/barmakina.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Barmakina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 16, 2019, at least 9 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses' homes took place in Cherkessk. Among the detainees was Albert Batchaev. He was sent to a detention center for singing religious songs and praying to God. What is known about this man?\nAlbert was born in 1976 in the North Caucasus city of Karachaevsk. His childhood and youth were spent on Sakhalin. Albert grew up in a large family - he has 3 sisters and an elder brother. Albert's mother is dead, and his father is already over 80.\nAs a child, Albert was fond of sports, played football even for adult teams. Today, due to health problems, he can no longer maintain his former physical shape, but if possible, he goes out into nature to admire the beauty of the Caucasus Mountains.\nAfter school, Albert moved to Khabarovsk. There he graduated from the Higher School of Police with a degree in law and worked as a senior criminal investigation officer. Recently, he has been installing doors.\nSince 2017, Albert has been living in Cherkessk, as his elderly father needs help.\nAlbert has always been interested in the spiritual sphere of life. As a child, he read the entire Koran, prayed to God, watched cartoons about Jesus Christ. Once, as a grown man, he read a book about Jesus overnight. Albert was so inspired by his example that he has not smoked a single cigarette since, although he used to be a heavy smoker.\nIn his life, Albert has always adhered to the rule of an operative - any information must be double-checked. He applied the same rule to the Bible and became convinced of its truthfulness. Applying the advice in this book made Albert's character softer.\nIn 2007, Albert met his future wife Jeanne, the same year they got married. Zhanna loves sewing, knitting and is fond of learning foreign languages. For 12 years of marriage, the couple got used to doing everything together and never parted, so today's separation from her husband is not easy for Jeanne. She is also worried about her husband's deteriorating health - during the first week in the pre-trial detention center, Albert lost 10 kg. In addition, due to stress and detention, he began to have heart problems and exacerbated chronic diseases: Albert has high blood pressure, as well as problems with the kidneys, liver and pancreas.\nAlbert's relatives and friends are very worried and perplexed by the fact that the man ended up behind bars only for his faith in God. They try in every possible way to help Jeanne, and also come to all court hearings to support their friend and relative, and hope for a speedy favorable outcome of events.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/batchaev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/batchaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/batchaev/photo_hu_5a263f17c3942fa0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/batchaev/photo_hu_5a263f17c3942fa0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/batchaev.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"Albert Batchaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2019, Semyon Baybak from Rostov-on-Don was placed under house arrest. A year later, the court found him guilty of participating in and financing extremist activities. The believer was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4.5 years. The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.\nSemyon was born in 1997 in Rostov-on-Don, where he lived all his life. He has an elder brother and sister. Since childhood, he is fond of poetry and the Chinese language, works as a tutor of the Chinese language.\nEven at primary school age, Semyon discovered the world of the Bible, in which he found wise advice. Later, under the influence of Christian convictions, he asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one, which he performed from 2015 to 2017 at the Regional Children's Clinical Hospital as a territory cleaner.\nSemyon's relatives and friends are worried and outraged by the unfair criminal prosecution of a man who not only did nothing wrong, but once proved to the state the peace-loving nature of his religion.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baybak/photo_hu_79111d60bb461701.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baybak/photo_hu_92125cdcc6affcd5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baybak/photo_hu_975511a7b53e908f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baybak/photo_hu_be665bc15a3a7c88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baybak.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Semyon Baybak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 21, 2020 in Khakassia a criminal case was initiated under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against six believers. Among them is Alexei Baikalov. What do we know about him?\nAlexei was born in 1995 in Abakan (Khakassia). His parents brought him up together with his older brother. In his youth, he started doing track and field athletics, as well as photography.\nAfter graduating from school, he spent 2 years studying at the Khakassia Technical Institute for Electric Power Engineering. After passing the alternative civil service, he worked as an auxiliary worker to finish the premises.\nWhen he began reading the Bible, he was struck by the internal consistency and accuracy of prophecies, as well as the relevance of advice from the Holy Scriptures. Having better recognized Jehovah's Witnesses, Alexey was impressed by the peace and love among them.\nIn January 2020 he married Svetlana, a music theory teacher. The newlyweds settled in Balakhta (Krasnoyarsk region). Shortly before the initiation of criminal proceedings, they planned to move to Krasnoyarsk to get a new job. The spouses love to sing together and spend time in the countryside.\nThe criminal prosecution has brought uncertainty into the lives of Aleksey and Svetlana, and their relatives consider the persecution of harmless people a misunderstanding.\n","date":"2020-06-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baykalov/photo_hu_db461bc7d94864c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baykalov/photo_hu_89bf7342ce6f194f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baykalov/photo_hu_ab08e587b0749257.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baykalov/photo_hu_8afa216195cde44e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baykalov.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Baykalov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Love for biblical moral norms radically changed the life of Vladimir Baykalov from Kemerovo: he used to teach people boxing, now he appreciates love and forgiveness. In February 2022, a criminal case was opened against him only because of his belief in God.\nVladimir was born in April 1963 in the village of Krapivinsky, Kemerovo Region. He has an elder sister. Their father loved horses, with his own hands he made teams, sledges and even a carriage, on which he rode his grandchildren. In 2015, he died, and in 2020, their mother died of COVID-19.\nVladimir was fond of sports since childhood and loved to design. At the age of 16, he entered an agricultural technical school and at the same time seriously took up boxing. Later, he entered the Kemerovo Technological Institute of Food Industry, where he met his future wife, Irina. They married in 1984.\nIn 1983, Vladimir graduated from helicopter courses. The following year he became a master of sports in boxing and received an invitation to play for the national team of Belarus. He accepted him, and the couple moved to Bobruisk for a while.\nAfter graduation, Vladimir worked as a stadium director and coach. In the 2000s, he trained as a plumber and worked in the industry for many years. For the last 2 years he has been working in the cleaning industry.\nThe couple raised two children — a son and a daughter. They already have families of their own. The Baykalovs have two grandchildren. Vladimir and Irina lead an active lifestyle, love cycling in the summer and skiing in the winter. They enjoy spending time outdoors in tents, especially with friends. Vladimir also likes to fish, to be in nature in silence. Irina is fond of creativity, needlework and cooking. She also sews professionally.\nIrina was the first in the Baykalov family to study the Bible, later her daughter and then sister Vladimir joined her. He recalls: \"I resisted for a while, but I stopped resisting them because I saw how this study affected them.\" He himself became interested in the Bible after he was hospitalized in the 1990s with a gunshot wound—his elbow was shattered by a shot, there was a danger of losing his arm. After leaving the hospital, he began to diligently study the Holy Scriptures. This had a positive effect on him, and in 1999 Vladimir embarked on the Christian path. The man who shot him was impressed that he had forgiven him and was not going to take revenge.\nCriminal prosecution has become stressful for the Baykalovs, but they are trying not to lose heart. He says: “Our dear children, grandchildren and friends support us. The nieces also call us and encourage us.”\n","date":"2022-03-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_f2e16eb16755232b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_ef7d71ee6d526035.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_33cd94c772ba55a8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/baykalovv/photo_hu_110f15baa2fafbee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/baykalovv.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Baykalov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov was born in 1975 in Veliky Novgorod in a family far from religion. As a child, he moved to Ukraine with his parents and brother. As a child, Konstantin was engaged in gymnastics, was fond of music, graduated from a music school and became the head of a brass band. At the same time, from a young age, Konstantin was a principled and thinking person. Driven by personal pacifist convictions, he did not serve in the armed forces. During his student years, he researched the spiritual literature of different religions. He found answers to his questions when he began a Bible study.\nTo earn a living, Konstantin mastered the art of a bricklayer-stovemaker. Over time, while living in Ukraine, he met Irina, and in 2001 they decided to start a family. In 2009, Konstantin and Irina moved to Russia. The couple love to travel around the country. They have creative hobbies: Irina is fond of drawing, and Konstantin loves to play percussion instruments.\nKonstantin's relatives endure his unfair arrest very painfully. They do not understand how a kind, sensitive and peace-loving person could be accused of extremism and inciting hatred. They are very worried about him and hope that the authorities will realize that they made a mistake.\nIn 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Konstantin Bazhenov to 3.5 years in a colony because he believes in God. The Court of Appeal upheld this decision. On May 5, 2021, 45-year-old Konstantin Bazhenov was released on parole from the colony in Dimitrovgrad and sent to a temporary detention center for foreign citizens for deportation to the territory of Ukraine, since his Russian citizenship was revoked due to criminal prosecution. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bazhenov/photo_hu_94ecabf17bbcc716.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bazhenov/photo_hu_3d9cc68b081f8088.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bazhenov/photo_hu_caa81f1c5be51613.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bazhenov/photo_hu_5c030d17bdd181ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bazhenov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Konstantin Bazhenov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, a criminal case was opened against Gaukhar Bektemirova, a resident of Omsk, for reading and discussing the Bible with others. In November 2020, the court found her guilty of extremist activities and sentenced her to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment.\nGaukhar was born in 1976 in the village of Uryl (Kazakhstan). She is the youngest of 6 children. Since childhood he is fond of volleyball, loves nature. She especially likes the mountains among which she grew up. After school, Gaukhar received the profession of a hairdresser. In 1994, she moved to Omsk, Russia, where her brother and sister were already living. Gaukhar is married.\nGaukhar was always interested in a question to which she could not find an answer anywhere: what is the meaning of life? One of her friends said that the meaning of life is in children, but this did not convince her. One day, her sister asked her to find out what the Bible said about this. The long-awaited and logical answer was found. At the same time, Gaukhar found values and principles that help her in family life and everyday difficulties. She also draws the comfort she needs from this book because of the unfair persecution by the authorities.\nGaukhar recalls that the first days after the search passed \"like in a fog\": the Bible and electronic devices were taken from her. There was a strong desire to go away from their homes. Only after a while did she manage to recover.\nRelatives of Gaukhar are outraged by the guilty verdict. They are surprised that in modern Russia it is possible to persecute people for their religion.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bektemirova/photo_hu_52b1419d156aa9ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bektemirova/photo_hu_529f51452be5047a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bektemirova/photo_hu_429817a34da41bcb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bektemirova/photo_hu_4dcba5f00cf67ce6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bektemirova.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Gaukhar Bektemirova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 17, 2019, mass interrogations and detentions of citizens for their faith took place in the village of Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory). Two days later, the court ruled to send two local believers to the pre-trial detention center. One of them is Yuri Belosludtsev. What do we know about him?\nYuriy was born in 1964 in the village of Smidovich (Jewish Autonomous Region). He has an elder brother. As a child, he often lived with his grandmother in the village and used to help with the housework. He graduated from the Primorsky Forestry Technical School. He worked at the state district power plant, first as a crawler, later as a power unit driver. He likes fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter. In addition to Smidovich and Luchegorsk, he lived for some time in Novoshakhtinsk (Primorsky Krai).\nIn 1985, Yuri married Elena, whom he met during his studies. A few years later, both spouses were impressed by the fulfilled prophecies from the Bible, as well as God's promise to remove evil and suffering from the earth. They decided to devote more time to Bible study. Yuriy and Elena have adult children.\nYuri's relatives do not share his religious views, but even they find it difficult to understand why he is behind bars.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_22126f3332f1323d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_62c6f2e4602eaa1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_3246ddef084f26e5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/belosludtsev/photo_hu_924ced31acca2678.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/belosludtsev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Belosludtsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Biblical truths once greatly affected Sergey Belousov, a civilian resident of Seversk. Faith in God helped him find meaning in life, but now it has become a pretext for criminal prosecution. In March 2021, law enforcement officers notified the believer that a criminal case had been opened against him.\nSergey was born in March 1978 in the small town of Esil (Kazakhstan) into a family of musicians. Sergey has an older brother. Their mother is a piano teacher, and their father is a piano and accordion teacher.\nAs a child, Sergey attended the sports sections of sambo and boxing. After school, he came to study at the Tomsk Instrument-Making College, where he received a specialty in electronics engineering. Later Sergey graduated from Tomsk Polytechnic University. For 10 years he worked at a petrochemical plant as an electrician, group leader, site manager, and later as a designer at a design institute.\nIn 1997, while studying at a technical school, Sergey met his future wife Svetlana, who was studying to be a software engineer. They got married 2 years later. The spouses enjoy ice skating and outdoor recreation in their free time. Sergei also loves football and playing the guitar, and Svetlana is engaged in needlework - knitting, sewing, and also riding a bicycle.\nIn 2001, Sergey first met Jehovah's Witnesses, who helped him find answers in the Bible to questions that worried him. After some time, Sergey's wife joined the study of the Holy Scriptures, because she had always believed in God and considered the Bible to be a special book. She soon became a Christian too.\nIn 2000, the couple had a daughter. She was raised as a believer. She enjoys playing the piano and guitar, as well as creativity and foreign language studies.\nThe criminal prosecution negatively affected the physical and emotional health of Sergey and his family: it deprived them of peace, they are not left with a feeling of constant surveillance. “Every knock on the door gives rise to anxiety, as the feelings experienced during the search are recalled,” says Sergey. In addition, the believer's chronic diseases have worsened: headaches have become more frequent, there are sudden surges in pressure and sleep disturbances. Sergey's daughters began to have nightmares.\nSergey's relatives are very worried about him and his family. They just cannot understand how in the 21st century a person who is trying to lead a highly moral lifestyle can be persecuted for believing in God and labeled an \"extremist\" on him.\n","date":"2021-05-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/belousov/photo_hu_a91251e6172dd580.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/belousov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/belousov/photo_hu_99497e0b566d5066.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/belousov/photo_hu_e88e62812e0717d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/belousov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Belousov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The quiet life of the large family of Maksim Beltikov from the Krasnodar Territory changed overnight when they were searched in April 2020. Two months later, a criminal case was opened against the believer and he was ordered not to leave the place. In January 2022, a peaceful family man was sentenced to 2 years in prison just because of his faith, he was taken into custody in the courtroom. In September 2023, Beltikov was released, having served his term in full.\nMaksim was born in October 1980 in Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region). Mother worked all her life at the bakery, received the title of \u0026quot;veteran of labor\u0026quot;.\nAs a child, Maksim was fond of folk music, played in the orchestra of folk instruments. He loved to pick mushrooms and fish. He lived in different cities: Baltiysk, Klaipeda (Lithuania), Liepaja (Latvia), and in 1993 he moved to the village of Pavlovskaya to take care of his sick grandfather.\nMaksim began to work early, already while studying in the senior classes of the evening school. At the same time, he received two professions—a driver of categories B and C and a bricklayer. From the age of 22 he worked as a driver, but after an eye injury he moved to the position of a labor protection specialist. In his free time, he likes to make wooden crafts with his own hands, he is fond of gardening.\nMaksim became interested in Bible teachings in his youth when his cousin told him about God. He was impressed to learn that God has a personal name, Jehovah. He was also struck by the fact that all the prophecies recorded in the Bible are fulfilled, and the advice from it is applicable in life. Love for God and deep respect for this ancient book prompted him to become a Christian.\nMaksim has known his wife Mariya since childhood. They got married in May 2005. Mariya works in the field of social protection of the population, helps older people not to feel lonely. She loves to rearrange and repair the house. There are three sons in the family. When time and money permit, the Beltikovs travel with pleasure.\nThe criminal prosecution, because of which the whole family experienced stress, affected both Maksim\u0026#39;s health and the well-being of his mother. Despite the difficulties, she helped Mariya take care of the children. Relatives and friends tried to support Maksim and came to every court hearing.\nSpeaking in court with the last plea, Maksim said: \u0026quot;I am ashamed of the experts who are inattentive when studying documents on which human freedom depends. It is also very embarrassing and painful to see that the prosecution did not find anything better than to invite my own friends as witnesses against me.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-06-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/beltikov/photo_hu_3ab40b90f06ee5a6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/beltikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/beltikov/photo_hu_d26dd85e5c91319b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/beltikov/photo_hu_ac56fe2394e237b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/beltikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Beltikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 11, 2019, in the city of Krasnoyarsk, FSB officers conducted a search with the seizure of property in the apartment of 50-year-old Eduard Belyaev. Later, a criminal case was opened against him under the article for \"extremism\" because of a simple conversation about religion in the dining room. What do we know about this man?\nEduard was born in 1968 in Krasnoyarsk. His father worked as a locksmith in a river port, but died when he was 16 years old. His mother is now retired. There are no siblings. As a child, Eduard was fond of freestyle wrestling and in 1996 received the title of master of sports. He took second place in the All-Union freestyle wrestling tournament.\nAfter school, he graduated from a vocational school, receiving the specialty of a gas welder. For a long time he worked in his specialty. In his free time, he likes to relax with his family, go to nature, meet friends.\nIn the late 1990s, Eduard became deeply interested in the Bible and learned from it that he was very valuable in the eyes of God. This touched Edward's heart, had a positive effect on his self-esteem and prompted him to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2016, Eduard married Nataliya. He has a son from his first marriage.\nDuring the search, he experienced a strong shock and could not believe that it affected him personally and his family. Natalia is very worried about her husband and supports him in difficult times. Eduard fears for the health and well-being of the rest of his relatives because of the ridiculous criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/belyaev/photo_hu_44cd16e3dcb0701a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/belyaev/photo_hu_23b76a258dc6ef88.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/belyaev/photo_hu_36a85960ec18b2cb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/belyaev/photo_hu_f3a0aef83cfd1873.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/belyaev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Eduard Belyaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 21, 2019, Aleksey Berchuk was detained at one of the Moscow airports. He was charged with organizing extremist activities, after which he was forced to return to Blagoveshchensk together with an FSB investigator.\nAleksey was born in 1975 in the city of Kartaly (Chelyabinsk region), later lived in Saransk, Blagoveshchensk and other cities. The only son in the family. Aleksey loved sports since childhood, especially hockey. He was also fond of wrestling and boxing. However, in the 1990s, after reading the Bible on his own several times, he changed his hobbies to more peaceful ones. He loves to play football with friends. In 2008, Aleksey got married. He worked in the field of construction and finishing works.\nThe criminal case against the believer was considered in court for more than a year. On June 30, 2021, judge Tatyana Studilko set a new record for the cruelty of a sentence to peaceful believers. She sentenced Aleksey to 8 years in prison in a general regime colony for singing and praying to Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/berchuk/photo_hu_ea9fecbc9a24d306.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/berchuk/photo_hu_82e4c5758157914e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/berchuk/photo_hu_74ff5468a7fabc0b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/berchuk/photo_hu_bffdf7ade120186.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/berchuk.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Berchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Security forces suspected Yevgeniy Bitusov, an electrician from a small town in the Far East Region of Russia, of extremism because of his belief in Jehovah God. Talking to others about the Bible and about Christian values was considered a crime.\nYevgeniy was born in February 1979 in the city of Zeya. He has an older sister. Their mother, a lifelong resident of Zeya, worked as an accountant, and their father was a driver who came from Siberia to help build the Zeya Hydroelectric Power Station. When Yevgeniy was three years old and his sister was ten, his father died in a car accident.\nAs a child, Yevgeniy attended clubs and groups for swimming and soccer that were available in the city, but most of all he loved sports tourism and skiing. In addition, he enjoyed repairing electronics.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy became an electrician at a training and production plant. Then he attended a local technical school, where he mastered the skill of joiner-carpentry. Later, Yevgeniy worked as a tractor driver and even received an honorary title in this field. For a long time, he worked with satellite television; he later worked as an electrician and a builder.\nIn his teenage years, Yevgeniy became familiar with Bible principles because his mother and older sister read the Bible regularly. However, his real faith in God developed later. This was largely thanks to his decision to seek out good friends and to brake off friendships with those who had a bad influence on him.\nIn 2001 Yevgeniy married Nadezhda, who is a paramedic. They had two children—a son in 2002 and a daughter in 2010. Nadezhda worked for several years as a nurse in a trauma center, then she worked for sixteen years as a confectioner, and then she again changed her occupation and became a manicurist.\nYevgeniy said: “Because of the criminal prosecution, anxiety became part of our life; this affected Nadezhda's health. The family budget was also affected, as I had to buy things to replace what had been confiscated.”\nRelatives and acquaintances are outraged that deeply religious people who live according to Bible standards are considered criminals, dangerous to society and to the state.\n","date":"2021-08-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bitusov/photo_hu_ef77654f11dbb719.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bitusov/photo_hu_f604e60f63c7fc4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bitusov/photo_hu_484ecc608d20911c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bitusov/photo_hu_c4054e44cc781492.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bitusov.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Yevgeniy Bitusov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bochkarev.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Andrey Bochkarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bochkareva.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Leysan Bochkareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2022, Yevgeniy Bochko became a suspect in a criminal case on extremism only because of his belief in Jehovah God. He was searched, which caused bouts of chronic illness in a believer who is on disability—Bochko has multiple sclerosis, and this affects his coordination.\nYevgeniy was born in April 1975 in the village of Novoberezanskiy, Krasnodar Territory. He is the only child in the family, his mother raised him alone.\nAs a child, Yevgeniy was fond of studying insects, collecting stamps. He liked to repeat the experiments he had seen at physics and chemistry lessons at home, to examine objects under a microscope. In high school, he became interested in electronics, assembled a random number generator.\nIn 1996, Yevgeniy graduated from the Krasnodar Engineering College. After that, he worked as an electrician, an engineer for maintenance of instrumentation and automation of gas equipment. Currently unemployed for health reasons.\nYevgeniy recalls: “Childhood was difficult. There was no one to rely on, except God, I prayed from childhood. So when they offered to study the Bible, I immediately agreed.” Eugene found answers to his questions and in 1998 embarked on the Christian path.\nYevgeniy got married in 2009. His wife Anna is a housewife. For several years the couple lived in the city of Marks (Saratov region), later returned to Vyselki, and then settled in the village of Buzinovskaya.\nIn their free time, the couple take care of the garden and vegetable garden together. The Bochcos love animals: they have a cat, who, according to Yevgeniy, likes to listen to music, and two dogs.\nThe criminal prosecution has radically changed the lives of believers. Yevgeniy had to call an ambulance, as the stress he had experienced greatly affected his already poor health.\nRelatives and friends are perplexed because of what is happening. The villagers began to treat Yevgeny with more respect.\n","date":"2022-03-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bochko/photo_hu_7da9c30b17446c66.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bochko/photo_hu_52cd3def28e6dd63.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bochko/photo_hu_f91fbf950bde4a6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bochko/photo_hu_7cc08c0709cc4e0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bochko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability","families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Bochko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"All his life, Aleksey Bogatov had been searching for justice. Bible study helped him find answers to his troubling questions, and in 1994 he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. 27 years later, the believer was prosecuted for his beliefs.\nAleksey was born in 1960 in the village of Baklushi (Ulyanovsk Region). He has a sister. As a child, Aleksey was fond of hockey, football, skiing and swimming. After school, he received the profession of an engine maintenance technician at the Astrakhan nautical school.\nIn 1982, Aleksey married Lyubov, with whom he studied together at school from the 4th grade. The couple raised three sons. In their leisure time, the Bogatovs like to go to the forest for mushroom foraging. They enjoy swimming in the Volga and playing chess. Lyubov is now retired. She is fond of knitting. In his free time, Aleksey used to go to the gym and ride a bicycle. For some time, the believer worked at the fire station, and before his arrest, he worked as a driver at a medical center in Balakovo.\nRelatives painfully endure the arrest of Aleksey and consider the criminal prosecution unfair. They do not understand why an honest and decent person is accused of extremism and inciting hatred.\n","date":"2022-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_956229f0ac4b40eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_1a1adefb9b13c046.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bogatov/photo_hu_8cd806058ce31735.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bogatov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Bogatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 18, 2019, in the Kemerovo region , a new criminal case was initiated against peaceful believers. One of them, Aleksandr Bondarchuk, was under house arrest. Because of this, he lost his job and did not see his children for almost 2 years. The court considered the criminal case for over a year, and in June 2021, Aleksandr was sentenced to 4 years of probation for his faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in 1974 in the city of Topki (Kemerovo region), later moved to Kemerovo. He has a younger brother. Their father died in 1993. As a child, like all boys, Aleksandr loved to ride a bike, fish, ski. He was engaged in track and field athletics and sprinting.\nAfter finishing 8 classes of school, Aleksandr entered the technical school, and a year later - at the school, where he received the profession of a tractor driver and driver of category C. Later, at a construction site, he learned carpentry skills. Before his house arrest, the believer worked as a refractory worker at a coke-chemical plant and repaired coke ovens. He was considered an indispensable employee. When the security forces began criminal prosecution, the management of the plant personally turned to the investigator with a request to release Aleksandr and give him the opportunity to return to work.\nIn 1992, Aleksandr married Yelena. The couple raised two sons. Helen interested Aleksandr in the Bible, and for many years he has successfully applied Bible advice in family life and raising children. Belief in God helped Aleksandr and Yelena to preserve their marriage, which was on the verge of collapse.\nSpouses prefer active recreation. In summer, they like to spend time with the whole family and friends in nature, sitting by the fire and looking at the starry sky, and in winter they like to ski.\nAleksandr's mother was very worried about the criminal prosecution of her son. She did not leave the fear that at any moment he could be behind bars. While Aleksandr was under house arrest, his wife had to take care of the material needs of the family.\nSpeaking in court with the last word, Aleksandr Bondarchuk noted: “My conscience is clear, I have not caused any harm or harm to anyone, there are no victims in my case, therefore I do not deserve such a harsh punishment as imprisonment. Maybe for some it will seem strange, but I am glad that I am being judged not for some real evil deeds, but for my faith in God. \"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondarchuk/photo_hu_3c99e96c65497f29.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondarchuk/photo_hu_34c0fed1df9e5321.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondarchuk/photo_hu_680e48167d0db2d3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondarchuk/photo_hu_a2d39eb47abd6709.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondarchuk.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Bondarchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2022 Tatyana Bondarenko, a pensioner from the Far East Region, was accused by law enforcement officers of violating two articles of the Criminal Code on extremism because of conversations about the Bible.\nTatyana was born in May of 1960 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Territory. Her mother was a builder who raised her daughter alone. The girl was fond of reading and attended ballet school.\nTatyana graduated from college and technical school and became a miller. After graduation, she worked in this profession for nine years.\nIn 1992 Tatyana married Vladimir. He is a carpenter and concrete worker, and he participated in the construction of the Eastern Space-Launch Complex. The couple have three adult sons. After her maternity leave, she worked as a maid until her retirement.\nTatyana became genuinely interested in the Bible. Her study of this book instilled in her a desire to become a Christian, which she did in 2005.\nThe search in October 2021 was very stressful for this elderly woman; she never expected that belief in God could be considered extremism. Her chronic illness worsened. Although the family does not share Tatyana's religious beliefs, they are worried about her. Her husband helps her to cope with these new difficulties.\n","date":"2023-03-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_23ae0105b52978ff.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_82bca5c8fc7b19a6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bondarenko/photo_hu_e4f9f6dbbc5c64f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bondarenko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Bondarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, torture was reported by Vyacheslav Boronos. What is known about him?\nVyacheslav was born in 1966 in Omsk. He has a younger brother. As a child, he was fond of tourism. After graduating from the construction college, he has been successfully working in the field of construction for 25 years, is a leading engineer of the building repair department.\nIn his youth, during hospitalization, Vyacheslav met a nurse named Victoria. Over time, young people fell in love with each other and got married, this happened in 1991. In 2000, the family moved from Omsk to Surgut in search of work.\nBack in Omsk, Victoria became interested in the Bible, and Vyacheslav, seeing positive changes in her character and personality, joined her in studying the ancient book. He discovered the meaning of life, which he would not exchange for anything. Now it is a close-knit Christian family - the couple and their son love to travel with a tent, collect puzzles, go to the gym. Vyacheslav's wife and son try not to lose heart and support him in this difficult time.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/boronos/photo_hu_19ea225ea3233c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/boronos/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/boronos/photo_hu_5d0cc54242db4735.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/boronos/photo_hu_331fe8bb8d96933.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/boronos.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Vyacheslav Boronos","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two \"extremist\" articles against 9 believers. One of them is 78-year-old Anatoliy Boyko.\nAnatoliy was born in 1941 in the Alarsky district of the Irkutsk region. He grew up in a large family, but out of eight children, only two sisters survived, except for Anatoly. Both grandfathers were repressed and died during the Great Terror.\nThe first years of Anatoly's life were in wartime. Because of poverty and hunger, instead of children's games, the boy collected plants from which the mother could prepare food for the children. At the age of 5, he was on the verge of starvation. Growing up, he began to get involved in technology. He took care of animals and tried to breed bees.\nAnatoly graduated from 7 classes of school. He did not serve in the army, as at the age of 13 he injured his spine and became disabled. For many years he worked on an excavator. After leaving home, for some time he lived in Bratsk, in the city of Nartkala (Kabardino-Balkaria), and in 1971 he moved to live in Nevinnomyssk. He is currently retired. They have three children.\nAnatoliy says that a difficult childhood, hunger and cruelty of the war and post-war years prompted him to think: \"Is it really going to end like this?\" In 1967, Anatoliy began to study the Holy Scriptures. Having received answers to his questions, despite the strong opposition of relatives and colleagues, he decided to embark on the path of a Christian.\nHere Anatoly was waiting for new trials. The criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the elderly person. During the search, he became ill and had to call an ambulance.\nAnatoly's friends are very worried about him, and do not understand how a person at this age can be persecuted just for believing in God.\nOnce upon a time, both of Anatoly's grandfathers suffered from repression, and now, 82 years later, their grandson is subjected to new repressions - religious.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_a377493cf2fb8f0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_4c1b2f92bd7e8a81.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_fb9dad18fde95dfe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/boyko/photo_hu_b4dec9203ed0fe6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/boyko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Boyko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On 21 May 2020, criminal proceedings were instituted in Khakassia under article 282.2, part 2 (participation in a banned extremist organization), against six believers. Among them is a father of three sons, Peter Bozykov.\nPeter was born in 1971 in the village of Novotroitskoye (Khakassia) and grew up in a large family with a brother and two sisters. As a child he attended various clubs, was fond of volleyball. After school, he graduated from Khakas Technical Institute in Abakan as a mechanical engineer for foundry production. For some time he worked as a locksmith, now he is a master of finishing works.\nReading the Bible, Peter became convinced that the prophecies from this book are being fulfilled, and he found the advice for life and happiness very practical. He was deeply touched by the principles from scripture and decided to follow them in his life.\nHis refusal to serve in the army and to take up arms turned into a year and a half imprisonment sentence for Peter. After his release in 1995 Peter married Karina, a sociable and cheerful girl working as a nurse. The spouses raised and brought up three sons.\nOnce again in the status of the accused for the faith, Peter cares mainly not for himself, but for his family - will the family be able to cope without him, if he is deprived of liberty? His family has similar concerns.\n","date":"2020-06-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bozykov/photo_hu_8d19165183692819.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bozykov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bozykov/photo_hu_195f48507875f406.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bozykov/photo_hu_7f9e3cedc86a6531.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bozykov.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Petr Bozykov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After the storming of the houses of believers in July 2018, Sergey Britvin ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he ended up spending almost 2 years. He was tried and found guilty of organizing extremist activities, appointing 4 years in a general regime colony. In March 2021, he was taken to a Novosibirsk colony.\nSergey was born in 1965 in the city of Belovo (Kemerovo region). Since childhood, he was fond of gymnastics and other sports. Sergey is a crane operator and driver by profession, worked as a BelAZ driver. Currently, he is a disabled person of group II.\nIn 1992, Sergey got married, and in 1995 he began to study the Bible, as he was interested in the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead. Years later, his wife Natalia also became interested in the Holy Scriptures. She was particularly moved by the positive effects of faith on her husband.\nSergey's daughter, son-in-law, grandson, brothers and sister do not share his religious beliefs, but they are outraged by what happened to him. According to the believer's relatives, it is unacceptable to imprison people just because they peacefully study the Bible at home.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_7120f4c31cf97c9f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_add8ce7cc5e20afe.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_f20a1cd78fe44828.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/britvin/photo_hu_5aad1233b8cd5103.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/britvin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Sergey Britvin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksey Budenchuk was born in 1982 in the village of Shirokoe (Saratov region). He has a younger brother. Their mother was left without a husband early and became disabled. To support the family financially, Aleksey left his studies at the medical university and began working, subsequently changing a number of professions.\nAleksey is a versatile person. He is interested in medicine, fishing, gardening, landscaping, car and apartment repairs. Spiritual searches while studying at the medical university led Aleksey to the understanding that man and the Universe have a Creator, and the Bible is the word of God. In 2003, Aleksey married Tatyana, who shares her husband's Christian beliefs and his hobbies for medicine and gardening. The spouses have a household.\nThe couple are raising two schoolchildren. Son Yegor successfully participated in the All-Russian Olympiads, draws and writes poetry, and Sofia is fond of singing. The Budenchuk family has a positive response from the administration of the municipality where she lives. The spouses \"have proven themselves on the positive side: as conscientious, conflict-free, respectful people ... The psychological situation in the family is stable,\" the description says. It is said separately about Tatyana that she is \"tactful, patient, knows how to find compromise solutions and teaches her children this.\" The whole family is positively characterized by the leadership of the school where the children study.\nWhat happened to the believer shocked Aleksey’s relatives, non-religious people. Considering the reasons for the criminal prosecution of this peace-loving person to be unfounded, they try to help in any way they can.\nIn 2019, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov ruled to sentence Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison because of his faith in God. The Court of Appeal upheld this decision. Aleksey’s two children lost their father for a long time, and his wife, with whom they had been married for 17 years, lost support. On July 6, 2021, the believer was released, having completely served his term.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/budenchuk/photo_hu_a53a2aabfffdccb4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/budenchuk/photo_hu_cf371dce319d3e31.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/budenchuk/photo_hu_201af91c89188166.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/budenchuk/photo_hu_9c2808ac6356b4b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/budenchuk.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Budenchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the city of Partizansk. A day later, economist Irina Buglak was arrested and sent to the detention center for almost six months. She was charged with \"a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order\" only because of her religious views.\nIrina was born in 1975 in the city of Partizansk, where she spent her entire life. As a child, she was fond of chess, athletics and karate. She always studied diligently—she graduated from high school with a gold medal, then she graduated from a university with a red diploma and a degree in finance and credit. Irina has an elder brother and two adult children.\nIrina worked as an accountant, librarian and teacher's assistant. For almost twenty years she has been seriously studying the Bible which serves as a guide in her daily life.\nIrina's husband and mother, who do not share her religious views, believe that she did nothing wrong. Irina experienced stress being next to her mother during the search, detention and interrogation.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/buglak/photo_hu_b76f9c3eb18c05b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/buglak/photo_hu_ef5a2a615887f62c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/buglak/photo_hu_6f79eced91e21f76.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/buglak/photo_hu_d1b675304d661879.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/buglak.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Irina Buglak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the fall of 2019, civilians were searched in Tynda, after which Vladimir Bukin became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism only because of his faith. The case was considered in court twice. As a result, the believer received more than 6 years in prison for his beliefs.\nVladimir was born in 1972 in Vladivostok. He is the only child in the family. As a child, Vladimir studied at an art school, played in a brass band, and also played table tennis and sambo.\nAfter school, Vladimir went to Vladivostok, graduated from the Far Eastern Power Engineering College, having received a specialty \"operation of electrical equipment and automation of power systems.\" He worked as a car mechanic at Primorskaya GRES, a communications electrician at Rostelecom LLC, and an electrician at a car depot. He likes to repair cars.\nVladimir got acquainted with the Bible in the mid-1990s. \"I loved researching this book,\" says Vladimir. \"Over time, all the beauty of biblical truth was revealed and faith came that this is the Word of God.\"\nIn 2001, Vladimir married Natalya. She is a housewife, fond of drawing, embroidery, bakes delicious pies. Spouses love to spend time together, go to the forest for mushrooms and berries. In 2012, the family moved to Tynda.\nThe criminal prosecution seriously affected the lives of Vladimir and Natalya, depriving them of peace of mind.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bukin/photo_hu_2f0bde8fd95d28c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bukin/photo_hu_70fc5bfedc391595.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bukin/photo_hu_9bec01e2b88e72e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bukin/photo_hu_f1e161eb821b96c4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bukin.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Bukin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Vasile Burenescu. What do we know about him? Vasily was born in 1958 in the city of Balti (Moldova). His father left the family early, and his mother had to work so hard that for several years the boy lived in a boarding school. Only on weekends he returned home to his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, with whom he loved to spend time. As a teenager, he was fond of athletics and weightlifting, loved fishing. After graduating from school at the age of 16, he got a job as a car mechanic. In 1977, Vasily married Natalia, they had a daughter, Irina. A year later he was drafted into the army. In 1984, the second child was born in the Burenescu family - son Vasily. In search of work, the family had to change more than one place of residence: Murmansk, Pechora, Inta, Ukhta, Arkhangelsk, Surgut. He worked in the field of trade, as well as a loader. When Vasily was 42 years old, he began to have many difficult life questions, the answers to which he found in the Bible. He was particularly struck by the verse from Psalm 37, which says that the righteous will never be abandoned and his descendants will not ask for bread. He began to think about who the righteous is and how to become one. The wife and children hold a different faith, but this has never been a cause for discord in their family - everyone respects each other's choices. Looking back, Vasily notes that the most difficult time in his life is behind him - he was able to cope with alcohol addiction, which disrupted his family happiness for 12 years. To date, 61-year-old Vasily suffers from constant pain, limited in movement. He was awarded the III degree of disability. His wife, Nataliya, has a negative attitude towards the fact that the country's authorities are prosecuting her husband as an extremist. She believes that he is not doing anything criminal, but only practicing his religion.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/burenesku/photo_hu_efa8ade52c21ceaf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/burenesku/photo_hu_d4973d572970b0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/burenesku/photo_hu_1ef8e1c80a7df75e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/burenesku/photo_hu_4ac0bb946058d2ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/burenesku.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Vasily Burenesku","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mikhail Burkov, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness from Tynda, accused of extremist activity in 2019, was sentenced to six years in a penal colony in 2024.\nMikhail was born in September 1983 in the village of Araslanovo, Chelyabinsk Region, into a large family. He has four brothers and two sisters. As a child, he was fond of growing indoor plants, and during his school years, he took up the repair of household electrical appliances and mechanical watches. Later he graduated from the railway technical school. Mikhail\u0026#39;s family—parents and elder brothers—was not the most prosperous, so at the first opportunity, Burkov left home for Tynda.\nBefore his arrest, Mikhail worked as a carpenter in the city administration. In his free time, he willingly helped his friends: he fixed refrigerators and washing machines.\nIn the early 2000s, Mikhail got acquainted with the Bible. The young man was amazed at the accuracy of the description of the physical laws and information about the earth contained in it, even though this book is not a scientific work. At the age of 23, he made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nLater, when they began to summon the believer for interrogations, his colleagues were very surprised: \u0026quot;This is a mistake, what kind of extremist are you!\u0026quot; In his final statement, Mikhail Burkov emphasized: \u0026quot;I am being judged for learning to show positive qualities: kindness, peacefulness, compassion, patience, respect for the feelings of other people.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2022-01-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/burkov/photo_hu_d1e34b96c1a90925.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/burkov/photo_hu_8dfa82d6ece59846.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/burkov/photo_hu_e163f12e8e4ed507.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/burkov/photo_hu_935b131ef48ebc92.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/burkov.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Burkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, the Investigation Department of the FSB opened a criminal case against peaceful pensioner Boris Burylov. For more than three years, together with 4 other believers from Perm, he defended his good name in the courts. In 2021, the court found Boris Ivanovich guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nBoris Burylov was born in 1941 in Sevastopol. During the war, his family was evacuated to the Perm region. Childhood was difficult, I had to work a lot on a par with adults. Boris graduated from a technical school and an institute, received the specialty of an agronomist. He says: \"My total work experience is 45 years, during which I was awarded certificates of honor and gratitude, without a single penalty.\"\nBoris Ivanovich remembered that as a child, his mother read him passages from the Holy Scriptures, and they impressed him. After his mother's death, he read all the Gospels on his own, dreaming of reading the entire Bible, but he could not find it on sale. It was only in the 1990s that this dream came true. Then the study of the Bible became an integral part of Boris's life.\nIn the summer, Boris Ivanovich spends time at the dacha, caring for the garden, and in the winter he reads a lot. For people who know him, it is surprising that this respected and peace-loving man was sentenced to probation for extremism. Speaking in court, Boris Ivanovich emphasized: \"Jehovah's Witnesses, including myself, are benevolent, hardworking, God-fearing, peace-loving people. We respect all state authorities... Any extremism and terrorism are condemned by the Bible, and are unacceptable for me.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/burylov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/burylov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/burylov/photo_hu_98dbae397b3b7e8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/burylov/photo_hu_98dbae397b3b7e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/burylov.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Boris Burylov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bushev found out that he was a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in September 2022, when the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in his hometown of Chelyabinsk and he himself became one of the victims of illegal actions by law enforcement officials.\nYevgeniy was born in November 1973 in Chelyabinsk. He has a younger sister. Their mother worked as a nurse in a kindergarten. Parents divorced when the boy was 6. After 30 years, Yevgeniy resumed communication with his father, and they kept in touch until his death. The mother is also no longer alive.\nFrom his youth, Yevgeniy was seriously fond of sports—first boxing, then karate, participated in city competitions. He wanted to improve in martial arts, but after an injury in 1995, he had to end his sports career. He was also fond of painting and photography.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy entered an industrial college, but did not finish his studies, as he devoted most of his time to sports. He graduated from the courses of an electric and gas welder and studied to be a turner. After retiring from the sport, Yevgeniy underwent special training and worked as a security guard for 8 years. Recently, he was engaged in the repair and maintenance of buildings.\nSince childhood, Yevgeniy has been asking questions: what is the meaning of life? Is there a God? Does humanity have a future? Why is evil not always punished? He looked for answers in different religions and philosophies. At the age of 30, Yevgeniy began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the consistency of this book with science, the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in it, and the wisdom of its laws. In 2004, he decided to embark on the Christian path.\nYevgeniy still loves sports—he rides a bicycle, goes hiking in the mountains and performs strength exercises on the uneven bars, horizontal bar and kettlebells.\nDue to criminal prosecution, the believer lost a stable source of income, as he was forced to resign, and his bank accounts were blocked. Also, due to stress, chronic diseases have worsened.\nYevgeniy's relatives and friends do not understand why they are persecuting this law-abiding citizen.\n","date":"2023-10-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/bushev/photo_hu_d4b68fbd31d1cc48.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/bushev/photo_hu_b0f7153c65aa9450.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/bushev/photo_hu_dce215f45e16b87b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/bushev/photo_hu_e4413786c75331b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/bushev.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Bushev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since the beginning of spring 2022, searches in the home of the family of Alexander and Ekaterina Chagan have been carried out twice. Aleksandr was detained and sent to jail on suspicions of extremism.\nAleksandr Chagan was born in 1971 in Dnepropetrovsk (at that time the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic). A year later, the family moved to Togliatti. The boy's mother died when he was only 11 years old, and his father raised two sons alone. After a while, the father remarried, and the couple had another son.\nAleksandr recalls that the family lived amicably. As a child, he was involved in wrestling and boxing. My father made a sports corner with a horizontal bar at home, and also taught children to play chess. He worked hard to ensure that his sons grew up to be well-rounded people.\nAfter the 8th grade of school, Aleksandr entered a vocational school and received the profession of an auto repairman. After graduating with honors, he continued his studies at the institute, but did not finish his studies - he went to serve in the army. Upon his return, the young man entered the university to study humanities. Later, Aleksandr acquired the skill of working with a computer and began to work in this field.\nAs in his childhood, Aleksandr loves sports.\nIn the late 1990s, Aleksandr often thought about the meaning of life, because he did not find satisfaction either in money or in his career. At the age of 30, he met Jehovah's Witnesses. From them, he first learned that the Bible does not contradict science and that the Scriptures speak of death and the Creator's purpose for mankind. Aleksandr concluded that the Bible was the Word of God and decided to become a follower of Christ.\nIn 2008, Aleksandr married Ekaterina. She shares her husband's beliefs. Ekaterina loves sewing and drawing.\nTogether, the couple raised Yekaterina's daughter, Regina. In their free time, the family loves to walk and travel together. Alexander also has a daughter from his first marriage.\n\"The criminal prosecution came as a surprise to us, but at that time we felt the love of our fellow believers, and how God fulfills his assurance: 'I will never leave you and I will never leave you,'\" says Aleksandr. According to him, relatives sincerely do not understand why peaceful people who do not harm anyone are being persecuted in Russia.\n","date":"2023-02-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chagan/photo_hu_3fe99b7c5032b155.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chagan/photo_hu_7ddd28666af27e1a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chagan/photo_hu_8c98ce5aa34a23db.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chagan/photo_hu_a04e471fb75ae3d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chagan.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Chagan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, a criminal case was opened against Marina Chaplykina from Novosibirsk under an extremist article, her house was searched, and the woman was placed on a recognizance agreement. After almost two years of trials, the believer was sentenced to 4 years in prison.\nMarina was born in 1971 in Novosibirsk. She raised her daughter alone, trying to instill in her the qualities that are valued in society: honesty, kindness, love for people. Marina worked as a hairdresser for many years. Employees and customers appreciated her for her quality work and kind attitude.\nAs a child, Marina heard from her grandmother that God exists and watches over every person. Growing up, she began to read the Bible and look for answers to difficult life questions in it. After a long search, her perseverance was rewarded. Love for God and the Bible prompted Marina to embark on the Christian path.\nThe news of the criminal prosecution not only shocked Marina\u0026#39;s family and friends, but also deprived the woman of her favorite job, and, consequently, her livelihood. Her family does not understand why law-abiding citizens are persecuted for their faith.\nMarina herself declared her innocence in court as follows: \u0026quot;Since I was guided by my faith, the laws of our state . . . there are no consequences that would be dangerous for society, then I consider myself innocent before God and before the state.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chaplykina/photo_hu_c43849396ae55e6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chaplykina/photo_hu_2b7bda26c305abc3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chaplykina/photo_hu_9e17e75a12aeeed4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chaplykina/photo_hu_d1685b356b292184.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chaplykina.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Marina Сhaplykina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_85409459540339f4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_2c7581fee9364ab5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_a5dd300e0297af9e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chaykovskiy/photo_hu_33363fa3d3bae4ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chaykovskiy.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Ivan Chaykovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On the morning of October 17, 2022, security forces raided Sergey Chechulin's workplace and took him away for interrogation. He learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him and his wife, Yelena, for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in September 1968 in the village of Tymlat, Kamchatka Territory. He grew up in an orphanage. He has a younger sister. As a child, Sergey was fond of photography.\nAfter school, the young man was trained as a ship mechanic at a vocational school. Then he worked as a loader in a warehouse, and he recently worked for a heating company as a level-five repairman.\nWhen Sergey began to read the Bible, he was surprised by its accuracy, logic, and practical value. In 1995 he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSergey is married to Yelena, who works as a nurse. She shares her husband's religious views. In 2002 the couple had a son, who now has his own family.\nSergey has lived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky all his life. He loves to go hiking. He has been on several hiking tours in Crimea and Arkhyz.\nThe criminal prosecution shocked Sergey's friends and coworkers, since many know him as a respectable worker and citizen. He said: “At first I felt insecure and restless, and I did not sleep well, but now I am strengthened by the help of Jehovah and fellow believers.”\n","date":"2023-02-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chechulin/photo_hu_df01f9a06d50f801.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chechulin/photo_hu_eefe90689501f925.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chechulin/photo_hu_f9420ca4017112c7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chechulin/photo_hu_ec4e2567688b9c27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chechulin.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Chechulin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Chechulina, a 45-year-old nurse from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, like her husband, encountered criminal prosecution for discussing the Bible with other believers. The investigation equated her actions with organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nYelena was born in 1978. She was the only child in the family. As a child, she loved to read books. After studying at high school and medical school, Yelena began working as a nurse in a clinic.\nYelena started to trust the Bible when she saw how accurately the prophecies described in it were fulfilled. In addition, she was impressed by the lifestyle of Jehovah's Witnesses. In July 2000 Yelena joined this religion.\nIn the same year, she married Sergey, who shares her religious beliefs. Her husband works as a locksmith.\nThe criminal prosecution did not discourage the Chechulin family — Yelena and her husband are trying to maintain a positive attitude and share it with their relatives who are worried about them. Friends and colleagues try their best to support Yelena.\n","date":"2023-02-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chechulina/photo_hu_51307bd5b6a4c571.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chechulina/photo_hu_c30bf9b1926c8377.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chechulina/photo_hu_1cf68807e8f4304.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chechulina/photo_hu_72949910c19bb782.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chechulina.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Chechulina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Another resident of Ussuriysk was charged with extremism on the basis of religion. After the meeting in the café where the Bible was discussed, Anton Chermnykh will be in the dock. What do we know about him?\nAnton was born in 1987 in Magdeburg, Germany, where his parents did military service under a contract. Anton has a twin brother Maxim. Later, the family moved to a military garrison in Krasny Kut (Primorsky Krai), and then to Ussuriysk. The father left the family, he does not keep in touch with his adult sons.\nWhen Anton and Maksim were still young, their mother began to read the Bible and instilled an interest in it in her sons. Anton liked that the Bible clearly and clearly answers questions that many people find philosophical, such as what is the meaning of life and why is there so much suffering.\nAfter school, Anton graduated with a degree in Applied Informatics in Economics. He worked as a software engineer in the housing and utilities sector, then as a worker in the city dentistry. I've always been fond of computers. Other interests: fishing and hiking, which now he cannot go out because of his recognizance not to leave.\nIn 2011, Anton asked the military registration and enlistment office to provide alternative civilian service (ACS). He passed it in a special department of a psychiatric clinic, where patients who have committed especially serious crimes and are declared insane lie. Paradoxically, now a peaceful person whose conscience did not allow him to take up arms will be tried for extremism.\nIn 2013, Anton married Ekaterina. She is a housewife, loves to draw, sew, skate. The couple have a daughter, Milana.\nThe criminal prosecution changed the whole life of the young family. Anton worries that his family may lose their husband and father. \"Now I'm raising a daughter who is 5 years old,\" he says. \"And in the case of a guilty verdict and serving a sentence, I will see my daughter when she is 15 years old. I grew up without a father, I know how difficult it is. I made a promise to myself that I would never repeat my father's mistakes and that I would never leave my child. And then there is a criminal case ... Anton's relatives are also very worried about what is happening and do not understand why he is being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chermnykh/photo_hu_916ae5e7509627df.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chermnykh/photo_hu_597e1b53130a1b89.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chermnykh/photo_hu_9bf989b46962fdd0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chermnykh/photo_hu_c7fa428a990a8692.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chermnykh.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Chermnykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2020 Viktor Chernov, a landscape designer from the village of Tavrichanka, began facing persecution for his belief in Jehovah God. His house was searched, and a year later, his wife died; another year later, a criminal case was initiated against him and he lost his job.\nViktor was born in April 1963 in the city of Vladivostok. His father worked as a carpenter, and his mother was a housewife and worked part-time as a watchman. There were 10 children in the family—five boys and five girls.\nAs a child, Viktor was fond of soccer and loved to fish and to take walks. As he grew older, he never lost his love for nature and the sea—he likes to grow coniferous plants, travel by boat around the islands, fish, and go to the taiga with friends in the fall.\nViktor has a specialized secondary education. He started working at the age of 15. He served in the army for two years, where he became a bricklayer. Later he learned six more professions. He was a sailor for eight years.\nIn the 1970s, Viktor's parents were introduced to the Bible, and they began to instill Christian values in their children. Viktor recalls: “My parents always loved to read the Bible. It was their handbook, and they loved to share what was written in it.\" As a result, all 10 children became Christians.\nObservation of the world around him prompted Viktor to think about God and his creation. He recalls: “When I went to the sea, I saw whales, dolphins, killer whales, penguins, and many different birds. I loved to look at the stars and admire them.\" This prompted him to study the Bible more deeply. His future wife, Yevgeniya, shared his views. In 1993 they got married and decided to become Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYevgeniya worked as an electrician. Like Viktor, she loved growing flowers and conifers. The couple were married for 28 years and raised a son. Now dealing with the loss of his wife, Viktor says, “Being a widower is not easy. I have always loved taking care of my wife and son.”\nRelatives and friends worry about Viktor and provide him support. Despite his health problems, he does not become discouraged, and he maintains a positive attitude.\n","date":"2023-03-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_1d710be377a75bbe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_c8705c73b87a83f8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_aa82c235c119f294.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernov/photo_hu_636d82a9dddaab43.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Chernov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernykh, a miner with 20 years of experience, faced criminal prosecution for his faith because of his love for the Bible.\nYuriy was born in April 1975 in the city of Kimovsk, Tula Region. He has a younger sister. For ten years the family lived in the urban-type settlement Sugar Factory (Voronezh region). After the parents divorced, the children, together with their mother, were forced to move to their relatives in Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo region).\nAs a child, Yuriy loved to draw. After school, he graduated from a technical school with a degree in underground electrician. From 2000 to 2021, he worked at the mines of Prokopyevsk. Over the years, Yuriy has mastered several professions: an underground mining worker, an electric locomotive driver and a diesel-hydraulic locomotive driver. Currently works as a track fitter in the transport department.\nWhile still at school, Yuriy liked the history of the ancient world. One day, among the papers for kindling the stove, he saw a book about biblical prophecy. Yuriy read it without stopping from beginning to end, however, he understood little of it. But reading this book aroused in him an interest in the Bible, and Yuriy began to study the Holy Scriptures. In 2007, he embarked on the Christian path.\nYuriy married in 2006. Yelena shares his outlook on life. The couple raised three sons, the youngest of whom is still in school. Yuriy and Yelena love spending time with their grandchildren.\nRepeated searches with the seizure of personal belongings affected the state of the Chernykh spouses, depriving them of the feeling of comfort and tranquility in their own home. The youngest son is afraid to stay at home alone after the searches.\n","date":"2022-02-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernykh/photo_hu_30e890a4c015e11b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernykh/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernykh/photo_hu_dc419d68d05667a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernykh/photo_hu_b4d56743b0b4fffc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernykh.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yuriy Chernykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Insults, harsh treatment and threats to send their underage daughter to an orphanage were what the Chernyshev family from Moscow had to face when the security forces bro into the house of believers in the early November morning. As a result, the court sentenced the head of the family to 6 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God.\nYuriy Chernyshev (pronounced as \u0026quot;Chernyshov\u0026quot;) is a native of Moscow. He was born in 1963. As a child, he was engaged in sports swimming. After school, he graduated from the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, and later worked as a civil engineer.\nYuriy\u0026#39;s mother, who is no longer alive, was a believer and from childhood instilled in her son a love for God and the Bible. The study of the Holy Scriptures helped Yuriy to be convinced of God\u0026#39;s love, compassion and care for people and for him personally. He was impressed by the kindness and hospitality of people who try to live according to the biblical commandments, and this prompted Yuriy to do the same.\nIn 1989, Yuriy met his future wife Yekaterina. In 1996, the young people got married, and soon they embarked on the Christian path together. They are raising a daughter who is in medical college. Yekaterina runs a household, she has a hobby—decoupage. Before the persecution, the Chernyshevs loved to spend time with the whole family, visiting various attractions, parks and exhibitions, traveling and learning the history of other countries.\nIn 2014, the head of the family was diagnosed with serious problems with the spine, which worsened after the search. After Yuriy was placed under house arrest, he and his wife had to live separately for six months, as Yekaterina was a witness in a criminal case against her husband.\nIn his last plea at the trial, Yuriy Chernyshev stated: \u0026quot;On November 24, 2020, my life and the life of my family changed. The investigator accused me of something I had never done. I . . . did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system and the security of the state, did not incite religious discord, did not encourage the rupture of kinship and family relations.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-01-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo_hu_a900c035dfefe134.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chernyshev/photo_hu_a900c035dfefe134.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chernyshev.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Chernyshev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, a peaceful pensioner from Cheboksary, Vladimir Chesnokov, was accused of organizing extremist activities. The reason was his peaceful religious activity, which was expressed in the discussion of the Bible.\nVladimir was born in March 1959 in the village of Bakhmutovo (Chuvashia). Father worked as a driver, mother — as an accountant. The parents are no longer alive. Vladimir grew up with his older brother Nikolay, who passed away in 2020. As a child, Vladimir was fond of football, volleyball and hockey, participated in school competitions, studied in the acrobatics section. In the evenings he liked to read.\nIn 1980, after graduating from the Alma-Ata Higher Border Military School named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky Vladimir received the rank of lieutenant. In the same year, he married Nina. Two sons were born in the marriage\nUntil 1993, Vladimir served in the border troops of Ukraine. During the service, he learned the biblical promise that people \"will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into sickles: the people will not raise a sword against the people, and they will no longer learn to fight.\" This prompted Vladimir to resign from the armed forces. He retired and returned to his native Cheboksary. Bible study helped Vladimir find the meaning of life, and also convinced him of the existence of God. At the end of 1993, he became a Christian.\nFrom 2000 to 2008, Vladimir worked as a stoker. He resigned due to deteriorating health. He tries to be in nature more often. Before the pandemic, he regularly went in for swimming. Recently, I began to study English. Vladimir's wife, Nina, is retired, but still works as a nurse. Spouses love to walk together, cook, work in the country.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Vladimir's health. Due to stress at night, there is difficulty breathing, an increased heart rate, and exacerbated problems with the spine. The adult children who lived with their parents were also affected by the search: their hard drive was seized, which created difficulties for their work.\nAlthough none of Vladimir's family shares his religious views, they are all discouraged by the persecution of peaceful Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","date":"2021-08-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_b3fb4304b4d85dcf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_15476b15ceba8c03.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_a92a3e2be75dc927.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/chesnokov/photo_hu_36dd2dbf15a40a28.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/chesnokov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Chesnokov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":" Dennis Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1972 to a family that professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He has a younger sister, Maybritt, with whom Dennis has maintained close friendships since childhood. In 1989, Dennis made a conscious decision to be baptized and become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 1991 he graduated from carpentry courses, in 1993 he received a diploma in construction technician at the Higher School of Craftsmen in Haslev (Denmark). From the age of 19, Dennis lived separately from his parents and provided for himself.\nIn 1995, Dennis came to St. Petersburg to volunteer in the construction of Jehovah's Witnesses buildings in Solnechnoye. He fell in love with Russia, and in 1999 he moved to Murmansk. There he met his future wife, Irina, who by then had become a Jehovah's Witness relatively recently. They got married in 2002, and in 2006 decided to move south to Oryol.\nHere Dennis worked as an individual entrepreneur, offering his services as a builder, a master of interior decoration. Having no children of his own, Dennis was enthusiastically engaged in the improvement of the playground in the courtyard of his house on the street. Dennis and Irina Christensen have good relations with their neighbors.\nOn February 6, 2019, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court found Christensen guilty of extremism. He was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony located in Lgov (Kursk region). On May 23, 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld this verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/christensen/photo_hu_933a20dcf5418774.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/christensen/photo_hu_5bb3fecc387452ee.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/christensen/photo_hu_d9fb22958fff33ea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/christensen/photo_hu_b325f9945d7cd90d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/christensen.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Dennis Christensen","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of the small town of Rubtsovsk, Andrey Danielyan, to the surprise of his relatives and employer, was suspected of extremism. In May 2021, a criminal case was initiated against him, and in November 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\nAndrey was born in March 1969 in the city of Aleysk, Altai Territory, in the family of a builder and a seamstress. He is the oldest child in the family; he has a brother and sister.\nAs a child, Andrey was fond of music and sports: he learned the accordion at a music school, played football, volleyball and went swimming and fishing. After school, he qualified as an electrician, specializing in white appliances. In 1995, Andrey moved to the town of Rubtsovsk, where he lives to this day. He worked as a builder, plumber and janitor in a secondary school.\nIn 1997 Andrey married Nina, a music teacher by profession. Now she works as a hairdresser. In his free time, Andrey likes to play volleyball, checkers and listen to music. The Danielyans often spend time with friends and enthusiastically work in the garden and in the allotment: Nina grows vegetables and flowers and Andrey makes improvements to the property.\nAndrey was worried about environmental issues. He followed the situation in the world, studied materials about the destructive influence of man on the planet and came to the conclusion that people cannot solve these problems on their own. Andrey learned that, according to the Bible, only God can do this. As a result, in 1992 he decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrey's wife and younger brother share his religious beliefs.\nStress caused by the criminal prosecution has had a negative effect on Andrey's health. For a long time, he and his wife experienced emotional strain. Relatives and colleagues consider the criminal prosecution and conviction unjust.\n","date":"2021-08-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/danielyan/photo_hu_fc6e11e2ddd127e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/danielyan/photo_hu_5ed4cbdd3e90bb76.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/danielyan/photo_hu_3f587bbef7faefb5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/danielyan/photo_hu_be1d98dcd3100efe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/danielyan.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Danielyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Late in the evening in January 2022, Aram Danielyan, the father of a six-month-old baby, was detained at the Samara airport when he was about to visit his homeland, Armenia. As a result, the court deprived the child of paternal care, sending the believer to a colony for 7 years only because of his convictions.\nAram was born in October 1990 in the city of Sevan (Armenia). When he was six months old, the family moved to Russia, to Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory), where Aram\u0026#39;s younger brother was born. In 2001, the family moved to Samara.\nAfter school, Aram graduated from the University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. He worked as an engineer in the production and technical department, a sales manager, and during his student years he worked as a merchandiser. Before his arrest, he worked in the supply department of a road construction company.\nSince childhood, Aram has been fond of football, volleyball, loves fishing, and studied astronomy for some time. He likes to spend his free time with friends and relax in nature.\nAram was introduced to Bible teachings as a child. His aunt gave him a book about the Bible, which he liked so much that Aram read it several times. Since then, the boy asked his mother to take him to meetings for worship. She agreed, and then she began to visit them regularly herself. Soon, in 2000, Aram\u0026#39;s mother embarked on the Christian path. Her son followed suit in 2011. Soon, driven by his peaceful convictions, he completed an alternative civilian service.\nIn 2017, Aram married Elina, who shares his religious views. In June 2021, their son was born.\nEmployees are surprised that this honest and decent person was put behind bars. His relatives, including those who do not share his beliefs, are painfully experiencing the forced separation.\n","date":"2022-03-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/danielyana/photo_hu_4a5592f71453b9fc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/danielyana/photo_hu_6cc4224ff0553b6e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/danielyana/photo_hu_8bd5027ed287449f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/danielyana/photo_hu_b68ceb4c13fc760b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/danielyana.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Aram Danielyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For the first time, Oleg Danilov\u0026#39;s family faced persecution in the spring of 2020, and six months later they came to them again with a search, and this time Oleg was placed on a recognizance agreement. In March 2021, the court sentenced the believer to 3 years in prison, he was taken into custody right in the courtroom. On March 1, 2024, he was released, having served his sentence in full.\nOleg was born in April 1974 in the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye, Irkutsk Region. His mother worked as a crane operator and seamstress, and his father as a locksmith. Oleg is the middle child in the family. When the children were small, they often went hiking with their parents in the mountains of Stavropol.\nAs a child, Oleg was fond of music. After school, he studied as an electrician. He worked in the field of construction, as well as a driver, a furniture maker. Before his imprisonment, he worked as a sharpener of manicure tools. He is fond of winemaking, loves to relax in nature and travel with the whole family. At one time he lived in Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory) and the village of Chernomorskiy, Krasnodar Territory.\nIn 1995, Oleg married Nataliya, who shares his views on life. She works as a manicurist. The couple raised two sons. At the time of the start of the criminal prosecution, the eldest son was still studying at a technical school as an auto mechanic, and the youngest was at college as an Internet marketer. At one time, the family moved to the village of Kholmskaya to live in a private house and be closer to nature.\nOleg\u0026#39;s relatives are deeply religious people. In 1958, his grandparents became acquainted with the Bible through communication with Christians repressed for their faith in Siberia. His mother read the Bible from an early age and tried to follow its canons. The influence of his family helped Oleg to see the value of biblical norms, and in 1991 he firmly decided to embark on the Christian path. Together with his wife, they tried to instill spiritual values in their children.\nThe searches and criminal prosecution had a strong impact on the emotional state of the entire Danilov family. \u0026quot;Oleg and I have always had a very close relationship,\u0026quot; Nataliya said. \u0026quot;When it was taken away, it was as if a part of my body had been torn out and a bleeding wound was left.\u0026quot; She added: \u0026quot;The carefree youth of the sons abruptly turned into adulthood with responsibilities and solving many problems. But they did a great job with it. The example of Oleg, which they saw when he was around, helped them a lot.\u0026quot;\nOleg himself, speaking before the court with the last plea, noted: \u0026quot;For me, being a Christian is not just words or a name, it is a way of life and thinking. These truths are deep in my heart, I absorbed them, one might say, with my mother\u0026#39;s milk.\n","date":"2021-03-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/danilov/photo_hu_1c0557b5fbb41012.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/danilov/photo_hu_32913388b562b79f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/danilov/photo_hu_ee69aba06baab205.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/danilov/photo_hu_8de0fd28df0a21e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/danilov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Danilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, in the city of Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk Region), a criminal case was opened for her faith against 19-year-old student Darya Dulova. According to the investigators, because of her religion, she has a \"psychological effect on society\", being in collusion with her own mother, a hearing-impaired person involved in the same case. Darya became one of the youngest accused in the trials against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nDarya was born in 2000 in the city of Krasnoturyinsk (Sverdlovsk region), but has lived all her life in neighboring Karpinsk. Darya is the youngest of 3 children. The father provides for the family, and the mother runs the household.\nAs a child, Darya was fond of macrame, beading, volleyball, dancing, singing, music, studied foreign languages and went on hikes. At the time of the initiation of the criminal case, she was a 4th year college student with a degree in public catering technology. I did an internship in a cafe, and worked there for a short time. Loves books, theater, walks in the woods.\nWhen Darya was 16 years old, she seriously considered becoming a Christian. She was especially moved by the fact that there are people who know the Holy Scriptures well and are ready to live as it teaches.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Darya’s emotional and physical health. From the stress she experienced, she became afraid of knocks on the door, stopped keeping a diary, writing poetry, and even taking notes on her phone. She is very worried that all this will be taken away again. Relatives cannot believe that criminal prosecution for the faith of entire families is a reality.\nIn July 2021, the court found Darya guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to 1 year of probation. Her mother Venera received a 2-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. The mother and daughter are involved in another criminal case for their faith in Jehovah, which is being considered by another judge.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ddulova/photo_hu_10f14915b531736e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ddulova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ddulova/photo_hu_3042df67782ee605.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ddulova/photo_hu_f9368e4ec2673bed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ddulova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Darya Dulova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, in the city of Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk Region), a criminal case was opened for her faith against 19-year-old student Darya Dulova. According to the investigators, because of her religion, she has a \"psychological effect on society\", being in collusion with her own mother, a hearing-impaired person involved in the same case. Darya became one of the youngest accused in the trials against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nDarya was born in 2000 in the city of Krasnoturyinsk (Sverdlovsk region), but has lived all her life in neighboring Karpinsk. Darya is the youngest of 3 children. The father provides for the family, and the mother runs the household.\nAs a child, Darya was fond of macrame, beading, volleyball, dancing, singing, music, studied foreign languages and went on hikes. At the time of the initiation of the criminal case, she was a 4th year college student with a degree in public catering technology. I did an internship in a cafe, and worked there for a short time. Loves books, theater, walks in the woods.\nWhen Darya was 16 years old, she seriously considered becoming a Christian. She was especially moved by the fact that there are people who know the Holy Scriptures well and are ready to live as it teaches.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Darya’s emotional and physical health. From the stress she experienced, she became afraid of knocks on the door, stopped keeping a diary, writing poetry, and even taking notes on her phone. She is very worried that all this will be taken away again. Relatives cannot believe that criminal prosecution for the faith of entire families is a reality.\nIn July 2021, the court found Darya guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to 1 year of probation. Her mother, Venus, received a 2-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. Mother and daughter are defendants in another criminal case for belief in Jehovah, which is being considered by another judge.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ddulova2/photo%20%E2%80%94%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F_hu_10f14915b531736e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ddulova2/photo%20%E2%80%94%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ddulova2/photo%20%E2%80%94%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F_hu_3042df67782ee605.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ddulova2/photo%20%E2%80%94%20%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F_hu_f9368e4ec2673bed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ddulova2.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Darya Dulova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Deshko is one of 5 Smolensk believers who ended up behind bars in April 2019 because of their religious views. The criminal prosecution lasted almost 2 years. During this time, Yevgeniy spent six months in a pre-trial detention center and about 4 months under house arrest. After a year of legal proceedings, the believer was found guilty. In April 2021, the court sentenced him to 6 years probation with a probation period of 4 years, 1 year restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years. Yevgeny was born in 1989 in Sochi. Since childhood, he was a versatile child, was fond of various types of creativity, sports, graduated from school with a silver medal. He has an older sister. Parents in childhood instilled in Eugene love and respect for the Bible, which became a reference book for him. Yevgeniy graduated from Sochi State University with a degree in physical education for people with disabilities. He worked as a massage therapist, driver and electrician. Because of his peace-loving convictions, he asked to replace military service with an alternative civilian one, which he performed from 2012 to 2014 in Smolensk, at the Cherry gerontological center, helping the elderly as an orderly. After graduating from the ACS, he stayed in Smolensk, but in March 2019 he returned to Sochi again. Eugene loves to make and give friends crafts using unusual technology - using various mechanisms and gramophone records. He also knows how to collect bouquets of sweets, sweets and fruits.\nYevgeny's parents consider his criminal prosecution for extremism a blatant injustice, especially after he defended his right not to take up arms.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dechko/photo_hu_28c665ce51cfac5c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dechko/photo_hu_d3a42275a95e4624.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dechko/photo_hu_497f6423668de3b8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dechko/photo_hu_9dad8dd21ac845ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dechko.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Dechko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"2020-11-13","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/degtyarenko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Ilya Degtyarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dementev.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Dementev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Maksim Derendyaev and his wife was divided into before and after, when a criminal case was opened against the believer on charges of extremism. The spouses were searched, Maksim was arrested and he spent almost 3 months in a pre-trial detention center, having lost his job.\nMaksim was born in November 1985 in Izhevsk. He is the only child in the family. Parents divorced when the boy was 10 years old.\nAs a child, Maxim was engaged in ballroom dancing, was fond of aquarism. He often spent summers in the village with his grandparents, where he fished, played football, swam in the river, picked mushrooms and berries in the forest and helped his grandfather in haymaking.\nAfter school, Maxim graduated from the Lyceum, where he received the specialty of an electrician for the repair and maintenance of electrical equipment. For some time he worked in the field of construction, and then as an electrician in the center of tourism and crafts, the agricultural academy, the technical school, from where he was dismissed due to criminal prosecution. Recently, he has been working as an emergency electrician in the housing and communal services sector.\nMaxim became interested in Bible teachings with his mother. He liked how warmly believers treat each other, as well as their kindness and responsiveness. In the summer of 2000, she and her mother embarked on the Christian path.\nIn 2015, Maksim married Tatyana, who shares his views on life. She works as a manicurist, is fond of sewing, drawing, modeling from polymer clay, cooking. Maxim has versatile hobbies: he likes to play table tennis, listen to orchestral music, blues and jazz. He also grows hot peppers at home. The couple love to go hiking in the picturesque places of Russia, read and cook together.\nMaksim's relatives and friends are genuinely perplexed by what happened: they know the believer well and are sure that he could not have done anything related to extremism.\n","date":"2022-01-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/derendyaev/photo_hu_e4723ef693d68e6a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/derendyaev/photo_hu_910cc37c97a9d554.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/derendyaev/photo_hu_a72ae968e6f9caee.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/derendyaev/photo_hu_9a38829f28b2d8a2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/derendyaev.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Derendyaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Galina Dergacheva is one of the believers in Magadan who were prosecuted for their faith. In 2024, the court gave her a 3-year suspended sentence for participating in Christian meetings for worship.\nGalina was born in 1956 in the village of Myaundzha (Magadan Region) in a large family. Her parents are ordinary workers. Her childhood was like many Soviet children\u0026#39;s: drawing and art reading circles, gymnastics, dancing, theatrical scenes.\nIn 1972, Galina got a secondary specialized education and worked as a kindergarten teacher. In 1980 she got married and moved to Magadan. In 1986, Galina graduated from the Khabarovsk State Pedagogical Institute. For 40 years she worked at the Magadan Polytechnic College, since 1992 as a teacher. For her good work, Dergacheva was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and letters of appreciation. Galina is a veteran of labor, she has been retired since 2020. Dergacheva\u0026#39;s adult daughter has her own family.\nGalina loves to travel, pick berries and spend time with friends and grandchildren. She takes Bible teachings seriously and has lived by them for many years. \u0026quot;I always realized that the Bible is a special book, I wanted to read and understand it,\u0026quot; the believer recalls. \u0026quot;When I started studying it, I saw how logical and practical it is. It contains the truth that helps us find the meaning of life, reveals much about our loving Creator and his purpose.\u0026quot;\nGalina has many relatives in different cities of Russia. They do not share her religious views, but they are sure that she did not commit any crime.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_9abf95cf38df7e84.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_2ae578ef8b99eb4d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_ac285c0e26aa8594.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dergacheva/photo_hu_a56bac677c2dec00.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dergacheva.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Dergacheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a raid on the homes of believers in Dagestan on June 1, 2019, law enforcement officers detained four civilians — one woman and three men. Three days later, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent all four to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is Anton Dergalev. What is known about him?\nAnton was born in 1985 in Rostov-on-Don. When he was not even ten years old, his father left the family, so his mother had to work hard and raise her two sons to their feet. In childhood and adolescence he was fond of studying flora and fauna, loved to cook.\nAnton is an electrician and landscape designer by profession. He worked on landscaping, helped in organizing weddings. He also participated in charity banquets for children with disabilities. In his free time, he likes to go with friends to nature, to the mountains, to fishing, skiing. For several years he lived in Pyatigorsk. In 2007, at the invitation of a friend, he came to Makhachkala, fell in love with this city and decided to stay there.\nAnton's mother and grandmother instilled in him a love of Christian values. He was especially touched by the fact that, according to the Holy Scriptures, soon people of different nationalities will live as one big friendly family, and peace and harmony will become a reality.\nAnton's brother, who does not share his religious beliefs, cannot believe that his brother is being tried for something he did not commit. Anton's mother is in a state of shock. She is sure that her son is a worthy person, kind, attentive, who has not done anything reprehensible.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dergalev/photo_hu_e1bb914b47b1dedb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dergalev/photo_hu_98d6de92aeba5e65.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dergalev/photo_hu_8ec334f754abe8f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dergalev/photo_hu_166be99cebe4be76.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dergalev.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Dergalev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Deshko was thrown into jail because of his faith in March 2021. A month later, his son, Yevgeniy, was sentenced to 6 years suspended sentence for discussing the Bible. Prior to that, he also spent several months behind bars.\nVladimir was born in January 1967 in the village of Girey, Krasnodar Territory. Later the family moved to Sochi. Since childhood, Vladimir was fond of repairing equipment, and also was engaged in boxing. He graduated from school with honors and entered the Higher Military Engineering School, but left his studies, as he realized that he was not ready to be a military man.\nOver time, Vladimir received a driver's license of all categories and worked as a driver, and later as an electrician at an enterprise that installed alarm and video surveillance systems. After the arrest of his son in April 2019, he often traveled to Smolensk, hundreds of kilometers away. Therefore, the believer had to quit his permanent job and work for hire.\nVladimir served in the army in Murmansk, where he met his future wife, Yelena. They got married in 1988. The family had two children — a son and a daughter. The couple love to travel. As a rule, they spend their holidays in the Voronezh region, where Yelena's mother lives. In his free time, the head of the family continues to repair household appliances. Tourism is his hobby. Vladimir loves to pick mushrooms, walk in the forest and in the mountains, taking pictures of the beautiful nature.\nVladimir is an inquisitive person. He looked for answers to his questions in various sources, and found them in the Bible. In the early 1990s, Vladimir embarked on the Christian path. A few years later, his wife joined him, and later his son.\nThe criminal case against Vladimir was another blow to his loved ones, who are already worried about the persecution of Yevgeny. Vladimir's mother and daughter, who do not share his convictions, are outraged by what is happening. His wife Elena shares her support for her: “We understand that Bible prophecies are being fulfilled, and the time has come to glorify the name of God in such circumstances.”\n","date":"2022-01-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/deshko/photo_hu_ca6ed4ca51f4b1b4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/deshko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/deshko/photo_hu_e662575e409a1617.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/deshko/photo_hu_f49afb8cd318b2db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/deshko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vladimir Deshko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2020, puppet theater actor Rustam Diarov was detained and sent to jail only because of his faith, and in October 2021 the court handed him a severe sentence—8 years in a penal colony. In February 2025, the believer was deprived of Russian citizenship. A year later, he left the colony early due to a serious illness and was deported to Uzbekistan.\nRustam was born in 1973 in Samarkand. The family was creative: his mother worked as a theater director until her retirement. Rustam has been fond of music since childhood. After school he graduated from the Samara Institute of Culture.\nIn 1997, Rustam married Yelena. She shares his views on life. The couple has a son, a hairdressing master. His hobby is growing cacti. The spouses are united by a common profession: before the criminal prosecution, they worked as actors in a puppet theater. They also have a common hobby—singing with the guitar.\nRustam consciously embarked on the Christian path in 1998. Then he did not yet know that 22 years later, because of his Christian views, he would lose his favorite job and end up behind bars.\nAddressing the court with his last word, Rustam shared: \u0026quot;Because of the criminal prosecution, my family and I faced terrible consequences: I was forcibly separated from my wife, with whom I had lived happily for almost 23 years before my arrest. Due to the intense stress caused by these events, my wife started having panic attacks and now needs the help of a psychotherapist. She also had an acute exacerbation of her eye disease and became visually impaired. Now she almost gropingly must walk along the street, and she cannot even stop a minibus, because she does not see the number. Due to her visual impairment, my wife must overcome enormous obstacles in her daily activities. Previously, I could help her in these matters, but now she was unfairly deprived of support.\u0026quot; Yelena is visually impaired.\nThe stress of Rustam\u0026#39;s unfair persecution affected his mother as well. The believer noted: \u0026quot;My mother, who is almost 70, has a serious illness—diabetes mellitus. It also worsened because of intense experiences. But I am her only son, and she has no one else to rely on in this life. \u0026quot;\n","date":"2020-07-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/diarov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/diarov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/diarov/photo_hu_92f95727758a05ed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/diarov/photo_hu_92f95727758a05ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/diarov.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Rustam Diarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Dikhtyar, a pensioner from Primorye Territory, led a calm, measured life until the security forces came to his house to conduct a search. It turned out that the father of three children was suspected of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nNikolay was born in December 1954 in the city of Makeyevka (Donetsk region of the Ukrainian SSR). He has an elder and a younger sister.\nAfter school, Nikolay worked as a concrete worker and stoker. Later he graduated from the Irkutsk Polytechnic Institute and received the profession of a thermal power engineer. For many years he worked in his specialty until he retired - 14 years after the retirement age. As a child, Nikolay fell in love with fishing and to this day does not miss the opportunity to go fishing in his free time.\nIn 1975, Nikolay got married. The couple raised three children: a son and two daughters. The family lived in the city of Samarkand (Uzbekistan), the city of Kainda (Kyrgyzstan), the village of Berkakit (Yakutia). Later, Nikolay, together with his wife and three children, moved from Yakutia to where the climate is warmer - to Primorye Territory. There, Nikolay began to study the Bible and learned the benefits of applying its advice. He embarked on the Christian path in 1998.\nDue to the criminal prosecution of Nikolay, his relatives experienced stress and are perplexed, for which the authorities opened a case against this law-abiding head of the family.\n","date":"2022-06-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_98b64786b0f7b513.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_ed3dd03e8b3d5962.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dikhtyar/photo_hu_b5ac2379a0a75117.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dikhtyar.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Dikhtyar","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the city of Nevelsk, Sakhalin Region, a criminal case was opened for faith against 22-year-old Dmitry Kulakov. Earlier, for a similar reason, a criminal case was opened against his father. What do we know about Dmitry?\nDmitry was born in 1996 in Nevelsk. He has a younger brother. As a child, he loved to draw, sing and ride a bicycle. After graduating from school, he entered a technical school and became an auto mechanic. At first he worked in a kindergarten, but due to deteriorating health he was forced to get a job as a janitor. In his free time, he likes to play tennis and volleyball with his family, sing, listen to music, walk in the forest.\nIn 2007, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred near Sakhalin Island. The main blow of the disaster fell on the hometown of Dmitry and his family. They were forced to move to the village of Bereznyaki for several months, but later returned, as they got an apartment. Moving back was given to Dmitry with great difficulty. Later, due to poor health, he received a military ID. Recently he has been living with his brother in Nevelsk.\nDmitry's mother was a very religious person, she always went to church and took her son with her. When he was 5 years old, mother and son became interested in the Bible and began to read it together. Dmitry remembers how much he was excited by the promise that there would be paradise and harmony on earth. He found that the Bible was scientifically and historically accurate, and he was determined to embark on the path of the Christian.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Dmitriy experienced great stress and excitement. Nine months earlier, a criminal case had also been opened against his father, Sergei Kulakov , in connection with his religious beliefs. It is difficult for relatives and friends of the Kulakov family to understand why peaceful people are persecuted for their faith. They try to support Dmitry and Sergey as best they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dkulakov/photo_hu_37a74d86bee4c57d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dkulakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dkulakov/photo_hu_b362f11469e01f87.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dkulakov/photo_hu_e9a1bb967d82f763.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dkulakov.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Kulakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In her old age, Liliya Dolinina, a widow from the village of Dormidontovka, was searched, interrogated and prosecuted for her religious beliefs. In February 2023, a criminal case was initiated against the woman. The accusation was based on letters that Liliya sent to an acquaintance. \u0026quot;In the correspondence there were words from the Bible with a wish to get to know this book better and, as a result, become happier,\u0026quot; said the believer.\nLiliya was born in September 1946 in the city of Obluchie, Jewish Autonomous Region. There were three children in the family. In childhood and adolescence, Liliya skied professionally. She was attending a sports club, participating in competitions, and preparing to receive the title Master of Sports, but her wedding changed her plans.\nLiliya finished a secretarial course. For several years before retiring, she worked at a factory as a crane operator. She gave birth to two sons. After the death of her second husband, the woman lived alone.\nAlthough none of her close relatives shared her views, Liliya loved to read the Bible and has lived by its standards since 2000. She was especially touched by the fulfilled prophecies in this book. Reflections on the Holy Scriptures helped the believer not to lose heart. Due to problems with her heart, vision and hearing, it was difficult for Liliya to participate in court hearings, so they were interrupted for several months. A month after the court of appeal, in August 2025, the woman died.\n","date":"2023-03-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_67ef6b396daa599c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_dc146f2e231719f8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_98bd3fb3147af67b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dolinina/photo_hu_d88e9d878d0960f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dolinina.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","died"],"title":"Liliya Dolinina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitriy Dolzhikov, a civilian resident of Chelyabinsk, learned that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith during the search in his home in September 2022. The man was detained, taken 1500 kilometers to Novosibirsk and placed in a pre-trial detention center. In the summer of 2023, the court sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony but replaced this decision with forced labor. In the fall of 2025, the believer was released on parole.\nDmitriy Dolzhikov, a civilian resident of Chelyabinsk, learned that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith when he was searched in September 2022. The man was detained, taken 1500 kilometers to Novosibirsk and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nDmitriy was born in 1978 in the village of Kamyshevka (Rostov Region). He has two younger brothers. Their father is a truck driver, and their mother is retired.\nAs a child, Dmitriy was fond of football, and in his youth, he learned to play the guitar. After school, Dmitriy graduated from the railway technical school, where he received the specialty of an assistant driver. He is actively involved in sports, and in his free time he draws and still plays the guitar. In addition, Dmitriy loves to be in nature, to observe animals, especially spiders.\nDmitriy lived in Azov, Tver, Moscow, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk. He worked in a furniture factory, repaired and sewed shoes, was engaged in construction work and the production of window and door metal structures.\nIn Dmitriy\u0026#39;s family, his mother was the first to study the Bible, and he himself watched with interest how it changed her character for the better. This prompted Dmitriy to also begin studying the Holy Scriptures. After only three months, he lost the desire to use profanity. Dmitriy decided to become a Christian in 1997.\nIn 2008, Dmitriy married Marina, an architect-designer by profession. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious views. Marina is fond of drawing. Together, the Dolzhikovs love to spend time in nature, watch films about animals, sing songs.\nWhen Dmitriy was thrown behind bars, the life of the Dolzhikov spouses changed dramatically. Marina had problems with sleep, feeling anxiety. A positive attitude and the support of friends help her cope with what is happening.\nDmitriy\u0026#39;s parents are worried about the situation with believers in Russia. They wonder why the authorities can persecute a man who loves people and life so much.\nWhen Dmitriy was thrown behind bars, the life of the Dolzhikov spouses changed dramatically. Marina had problems with sleep, feeling anxiety. A positive attitude and the support of friends helped her cope with what was happening.\n","date":"2022-10-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dolzhikov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dolzhikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dolzhikov/photo_hu_d4556f04314255c6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dolzhikov/photo_hu_d4556f04314255c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dolzhikov.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Dolzhikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dominova Aksana is a 51-year-old housewife. She has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for 25 years. The believer, her relatives, friends and neighbors could not imagine that one day the security forces would come to her with a search and accuse Aksana of extremism.\nAksana was born in March 1970 in the village of Sunzha (North Ossetia). She grew up in a large friendly family. Aksana has 3 sisters, one of them shares her religious views. When Aksana was 4.5 years old, the family moved to Kabardino-Balkaria, the city of Maysky. During her school years, Aksana was engaged in artistic gymnastics, participated in competitions, received certificates and awards, attended a photo club, and went to dances.\nIn 1989, Aksana married Gennadiy. The couple raised two sons who love their parents very much and help them both financially and physically. The family loves to spend time together: to relax in the mountains, to go out with friends to nature.\nAksana recalls: “I often asked myself: what is the meaning of life? why is it so fleeting? if we were created mortals, why does death bring unbearable pain, why do we not have immunity against it? \" She found the answers to these questions by studying the Bible. In 1996, Aksana became a Christian.\nDespite the fact that Aksana's husband and sons do not share her religious views, they have an excellent relationship. All family members have deep respect for her beliefs. Relatives and friends were shocked by the criminal prosecution. It affected Aksana's poor health. The believer notes: \"All relatives understand very well that I have nothing to do with extremism, and are ready to support me.\"\n","date":"2021-06-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dominova/photo_hu_bc887d5d1c01226f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dominova/photo_hu_7eecb3c9094215.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dominova/photo_hu_aa1ce6c60a5d0bd9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dominova/photo_hu_1869b11879ad1a46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dominova.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":[],"title":"Aksana Dominova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2020, Leonid Druzhinin came home from work to get changed and go to court to testify in the case against his fellow believer Konstantin Moiseyenko. There FSB officers were waiting for him. They conducted a search and took the believer away for interrogation. As a result, due to his faith, Leonid changed from a witness into a defendant in a new criminal case. In December 2022, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nLeonid was born in February 1969 in the village of Trubachevo (Zabaykalksy Territory). He grew up with a younger sister and brother; the latter later went missing. His parents worked on the construction of the Zeya hydroelectric power station. His father has already died.\nAt school, Leonid attended sports club, went in for skiing, was fond of fishing and hunting. After the eighth grade, he studied at evening school and worked as a concrete carpenter, and later worked in the field of construction-repair services.\nIn the mid-1990s, the young man began to read the Bible regularly. He was deeply touched to learn from the Bible that “God is love”, and found the answer to the question that bothered him: why does the Creator allow suffering?\nIn 2008 Leonid met Tamara and two years later they got married. By profession, Tamara is a pattern cutter; later she completed hairdressing courses and is working in this new field. During childhood Tamara's mother instilled in her a love for the Bible. The couple like to spend their free time with friends. They like to be outdoors in nature, and in the summer they like to pick mushrooms and berries.\nInterrogations and searches were stressful for the couple. Leonid began to have problems with blood pressure. Friends worry about the believer and consider the criminal prosecution and sentence unjust. The Druzhinins try not to lose heart and they support each other.\n","date":"2021-09-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/druzhinin/photo_hu_d2eeb31aee86cd5c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/druzhinin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/druzhinin/photo_hu_17bf9210614059b3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/druzhinin/photo_hu_50c0a34050ae0c7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/druzhinin.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Leonid Druzhinin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, Aleksandr Dubovenko was accused of extremism, searched, interrogated and placed under house arrest. All this happened to a civilian resident of Armyansk (Crimea) only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in March 1973 in the city of Ochakov (Ukraine). When he was one year old, the family moved to Crimea, to the city of Armyansk.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of wrestling, together with his father he loved to go hunting and fishing. After graduating from vocational school, he worked as a fitter-welder, then as an electrician. Recently he was engaged in interior decoration.\nAleksandr met his future wife, Irina, in a hairdresser, where he cut his hair — he was her client. They got married in 1999. The couple have an adult daughter.\nAfter starting his Bible study, Aleksandr read about the justice of the Creator. He was deeply impressed by the biblical promise that God would transform the earth into a paradise, and that everyone living there would love and respect one another. This prompted Aleksandr to embark on the Christian path of life in 1999. 5 years earlier, his mother had become a Jehovah's Witness.\nThe criminal prosecution added stress to Irina, who, barely recovering from the covid, twice survived the invasion of her apartment by the security forces, once in the absence of Aleksandr. The relatives of the spouses do not understand why decent people suddenly began to be considered criminals. The daughter does not share the beliefs of her parents, but is proud that they bravely defend their position.\n","date":"2021-09-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dubovenko/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dubovenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dubovenko/photo_hu_2a8b1ac781422b6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dubovenko/photo_hu_2a8b1ac781422b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dubovenko.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Dubovenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"May 20, 2021 marks one year since the search in the house of pensioner Svetlana Dubovkina. Due to the stress she has endured, she still cannot calmly look at the police cars and hear the sounds of sirens. “I am in constant tension, I listen to all knocks and it often shakes me. Hair began to fall out, vision deteriorated, and chronic diseases worsened, ”says the believer.\nSvetlana was born in June 1961 in the city of Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory). After 7 years, her younger sister was born. Their father worked as a driver. Mom was a seamstress, also worked in a cannery. Parents divorced when Svetlana was only 9 years old. Then the family moved to the village of Solomenskoye (Stavropol Territory).\nAs a child, Svetlana was an active child, she loved to play basketball. After school, she graduated from the Mozdok Mechanical and Technological College with a degree in Grain and its Processing Products Technologist. She worked as a chemist in the laboratory of the Kotlyarevsky distillery.\nSvetlana got married in 1981. After the wedding, the couple lived with their husband's parents in the village of Orlovka, Budennovsky district. In 1982, their eldest daughter Nataliya was born. Since 1983, Svetlana has been living in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), where she worked as a laboratory assistant in the technical control department. In 1988 and 1996, the couple had 2 more daughters, Yulia and Anastasiya. Before retirement, her husband worked as a driver of a motor transport company, and Svetlana worked as a teacher's assistant in a kindergarten. Now she is also a pensioner, sometimes working part-time in the field of cleaning private apartments. Despite the difficulties with her health, Svetlana tries to lead an active lifestyle: ride a bike and go hiking with friends.\nSvetlana thought about the lack of harmony in the world. In the Bible, she found answers to her questions. This prompted her to become a Christian in 1995. Svetlana made many friends among the believers. She recalls: \"I did not have friends at all, and now there are many of them, and what kind!\" According to her, the believer feels the benefits of applying biblical principles, they gave her a sense of inner harmony.\nThe daughters support Svetlana, although they do not share her religious views. Speaking about the persecution of the mother by law enforcement officers, the eldest daughter was indignant: \"Let them catch the real criminals!\" The youngest daughter also considers the criminal prosecution to be unfair, since her mother did not violate any Russian laws.\n","date":"2021-06-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_b7a3a7cadfc783d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_607dc4486af9ed95.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_64330286a7ee4cc5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dubovkina/photo_hu_708821495cd7ae62.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dubovkina.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Dubovkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2018, Venera Dulova was detained by the police while talking on biblical topics. A month later, a criminal case was opened against a peaceful believer, accusing her of participating in the activities of a banned organization. More than a year later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Venera and her daughter Darya were found guilty and sentenced to 2 years and 1 year of probation, respectively. A second criminal case has also been initiated against the believer, which is pending before another judge.\nVenera was born in 1968 in Karpinsk. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. As a child, she was very fond of reading, knitting, at school she was an excellent student, she especially liked the exact sciences. She attended an orienteering club.\nWhen Venera was in eighth grade, her mother was already very sick. She encouraged her daughter to leave school and go to study at a mechanical engineering college in order to get a profession as early as possible. When she was 14 years old, her grandmother died, and two years later her mother also died. After graduating from college, Venera worked at a factory. She got married in 1990. With her husband Igor, they have three children and 30 years of a happy marriage behind them.\nSince childhood, Venera had problems with hearing, since 1996 she has been a disabled person of the III group. In 1998, she was laid off at work and since then she has been running a household and raising children. In his leisure hours, he likes to knit, read books about travel, adventure, as well as classics. In the summer he spends a lot of time in the garden.\nFrom childhood, Venera saw her grandmother, a devout Lutheran, read books about God every day. The content of these books was a mystery to her, since they were written in German and Latin. Very early on, Venera began to ask questions: why do people die? why not end the wars in any way? why is it not possible to treat the Earth with care? what future awaits my children? At 28, she finally found the answers to all her questions through a thorough Bible study. She admired the historical accuracy, simplicity, and wisdom of the teachings in this book.\nThe spouse and older children, who do not share the religious views of Venera, are very worried about her. “It is necessary to catch and imprison bandits, thieves, criminals, not my mother,” said Venera’s eldest daughter.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dulova/photo_hu_b201961e221fb4bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dulova/photo_hu_f35942893b869864.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dulova/photo_hu_7206237975b06d7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dulova/photo_hu_4191818afa7b4d9c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dulova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Venera Dulova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2018, Venera Dulova was detained by the police while talking about biblical topics. A month later, a criminal case was opened against the peaceful believer, accusing her of participating in the activities of a banned organization. More than a year later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Venera and her daughter Daria were found guilty and sentenced to 2 years and 1 year of probation, respectively. A second criminal case has also been initiated against the believer, which is under consideration by another judge.\nVenera was born in 1968 in Karpinsk. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. As a child, she was very fond of reading, knitting, at school she was an excellent student, she especially liked the exact sciences. She attended an orienteering club.\nWhen Venera was in eighth grade, her mother was already very sick. She encouraged her daughter to leave school and go to study at a mechanical engineering college in order to get a profession as early as possible. When she was 14 years old, her grandmother died, and two years later her mother also died. After graduating from college, Venera worked at a factory. She got married in 1990. With her husband Igor, they have three children and 30 years of a happy marriage behind them.\nSince childhood, Venera had problems with hearing, since 1996 she has been a disabled person of the III group. In 1998, she was laid off at work and since then she has been running a household and raising children. In his leisure hours, he likes to knit, read books about travel, adventure, as well as classics. In the summer he spends a lot of time in the garden.\nFrom childhood, Venera saw her grandmother, a devout Lutheran, read books about God every day. The content of these books was a mystery to her, since they were written in German and Latin. Very early on, Venera began to ask questions: why do people die? why not end the wars in any way? why is it not possible to treat the Earth with care? what future awaits my children? At 28, she finally found the answers to all her questions through a thorough Bible study. She admired the historical accuracy, simplicity, and wisdom of the teachings in this book.\nThe spouse and older children, who do not share the religious views of Venera, are very worried about her. “It is necessary to catch and imprison bandits, thieves, criminals, not my mother,” said Venera’s eldest daughter.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dulova2/photo_hu_b201961e221fb4bd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dulova2/photo_hu_f35942893b869864.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dulova2/photo_hu_7206237975b06d7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dulova2/photo_hu_4191818afa7b4d9c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dulova2.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Venera Dulova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2020 57-year-old Vladimir Dutkin from Cheboksary suffered a lot of hardships. In June he lost his only younger sister, who died of cancer, and in November security forces came to him with a search. A criminal case was opened against the believer under an „extremist“ article.\nVladimir was born in May 1963 in Novoaltaisk (Altai Territory) in the family of a carpenter and a cashier-seller. In early childhood, he moved with his parents to Cheboksary. Father died in 1992.\nVladimir grew up as a versatile child: he played volleyball, football, hockey, went skiing, took part in amateur performances and olympiads in mathematics, played the guitar. After school he worked as a locksmith at a factory, a stone-cutter-graniter, an entrepreneur, was a secretary of the Komsomol organization, played volleyball and took part in humor competitions. In 1995 he received a higher education in economics with a degree of an accountant. From 1998 to the present day he has been working as an insurance agent. Vladimir still leads an active lifestyle: he goes in for sports, loves to sing and dance with friends.\nVladimir began to think about the meaning of life when he was 25 years old. At 31 he began looking for answers to his questions and found them in the Bible. „The prophecies convinced me how accurately they came true. This clearly confirmed that God was behind them,“ says the believer. At the age of 39, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 1996, Vladimir had a daughter, Juliette, in marriage. After the divorce, the daughter stayed with her father. She graduated from the College of Communications and works as an advertising specialist. Juliette loves to read since childhood. When she realized that without the Creator there could be no such order in the Universe, she, like the her dad, decided to embark on the Christian path of life.\nThe death of his sister and the criminal prosecution radically changed the life of Vladimir and his family. The 81-year-old mother started having health problems, which forced the believer to move to her place.\nDuring the search, all equipment was confiscated from Vladimir, which prevents him from working fully and having the necessary means for living. Relatives and acquaintances of the believer are outraged and do not understand how it is possible to rush in with searches to peaceful people and persecute them only for their faith in God.\n","date":"2021-03-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_6bd4013172d3d6ab.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_8c55fc9cf0c0c74b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_6622ba398bab95d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dutkin/photo_hu_f362c7bcfdc12306.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dutkin.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Dutkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2020, searches were conducted at the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Soon Alexei Dyadkin, who came to the investigator for questioning, was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. In September 2022, the court sentenced him to 7 years in a penal colony just because of his faith.\nAleksey was born in Chkalovsk (Tajikistan) in May 1989 in the family of a technologist and a hairdresser. He has 2 elder sisters. Since childhood, Aleksey loved sports: football, figure skating, weightlifting. After school, he graduated with a degree in welding engineering. For some time, Aleksey worked by profession, and also mastered the skills of a builder, plumber and tiler.\nAleksey was introduced to Bible teachings by his grandmother. As he studied the Scriptures and applied what he learned, he realized that his life was changing for the better. Guided by a conscience brought up according to the Bible, he asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one, which he completed in the regional hospital of Kursk.\nIn 2011, Aleksey married Vitalina, whom he met in a circle of mutual friends. Vitalina is a pastry chef by profession, works as a hairdresser, and for some time was fond of painting. The couple traveled a lot, lived in Zadonsk, Saratov and Gukovo. The family returned to Kursk to support Aleksey\u0026#39;s parents.\nAfter the arrest of Aleksey, the life of the family changed dramatically. The husband was placed in a pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don, because of that Vitalina had to move there, look for housing and work. Experiences affected health, exacerbated chronic diseases.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s father, mother and sisters do not recognize him as guilty and do not understand why their loved one was thrown into prison.\n\u0026quot;After two years of arrest and separation from my family, I did not become embittered with the officers of the FSB, the Investigative Committee, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office and others,\u0026quot; Aleksey said in his final statement. \u0026quot;I try to see everything through God\u0026#39;s eyes and love people, even those who unfairly persecute me.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2020-10-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dyadkin/photo_hu_f330abf038bc7136.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dyadkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dyadkin/photo_hu_2768fca6c3ed789c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dyadkin/photo_hu_16d5be20b75097a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dyadkin.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Dyadkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, a criminal case was opened against a resident of Omsk, Dinara Dyusekeyeva, for believing in God. In November 2020, the court found her guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced her to 2 years of probation.\nDinara was born in 1982 in the village of Leningradskoye (Kazakhstan). She has a younger sister and brother. His mother and father are now retired. In 1987, the family moved to Omsk, Russia. As a child, Dinara was fond of basketball, volleyball, running, and cycling.\nAfter graduating from school, Dinara studied at the Omsk Agricultural College as a veterinary paramedic. Later she entered the Omsk State Agrarian University, where she received the specialty of a veterinarian. Until 2011, she worked as a veterinarian in a food corporation, and then in a large meat processing enterprise. In her free time, Dinara likes to play volleyball, run, sing karaoke, and solve crossword puzzles. He studies the Kazakh language.\nFrom a young age, Dinara was concerned about deep questions about life, and she began to look for answers to them in the Bible. Studying this ancient book, Dinara admired its wisdom and accuracy. She liked the biblical teaching that there is a true God who always speaks the truth and reveals what will happen in the future.\nDinara's relatives are very upset because of the unfair sentence. They know better than anyone that this peaceful girl has nothing to do with extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/dyusekeyeva/photo_hu_7929ec44740d7372.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/dyusekeyeva/photo_hu_ee819523107de5ab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/dyusekeyeva/photo_hu_6760b9a610b5b7d7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/dyusekeyeva/photo_hu_fe02ccaea4699b4c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/dyusekeyeva.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Dinara Dyusekeyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"“I am against extremism, violence and cruelty. I have never felt hatred for people and have not encouraged anyone to do this, ”- these words were said by Yevgeniy Golik in his appeal to the court, which has been considering a criminal case against him for more than a year. Despite the fact that law enforcement officers were never able to explain what the \"crime\" was, the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years of probation, and on March 16, 2021, the court of appeal upheld this sentence.\nYevgeniy was born in 1975 in Birobidzhan in a working class family. He has two younger brothers. From childhood he loved sports, was engaged in weightlifting. After the 8th grade, he entered a vocational school, where he received the profession of a welder, and later - a crane operator; worked in a city boiler room.\nWhile serving in the army, Yevgeniy had to take part in hostilities in Chechnya. After returning, he began to lead a riotous and immoral lifestyle, used not only alcohol, but also drugs. All this seriously undermined his health.\nYevgeniy’s parents divorced. During that difficult time, his mother became interested in the Bible. Communicating with her, Yevgeniy also began to think about serious issues. “I wanted to understand what is the meaning of life and what awaits me in the future, so I agreed to find out what is written about it in the Bible,” says Yevgeniy. This book surprised him with its clear and logical answers to important questions, and its advice prompted the man to change and begin to live according to the high moral standards of God. “It was not difficult for me to quit drugs and leave an immoral lifestyle,” the believer notes. - It turned out to be much more difficult to change my personality. Studying the Bible, I realized that you need to treat people with respect and attention, and even love your enemies. \"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/egolik/photo_hu_adfd3b886e4caabf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/egolik/photo_hu_a5b4fbcc44a2517d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/egolik/photo_hu_bb524873c73d2c75.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/egolik/photo_hu_80504825a193c1b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/egolik.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Golik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, a court in Volgograd sentenced four civilians to real prison terms for believing in Jehovah God. One of them is Igor Egozaryan.\nIgor was born in 1965 in Volgograd in a simple working-class family. He has a younger sister. As a child, he was fond of music, independently mastered the guitar and performed in an amateur music group at school evenings. After graduating from school, he worked as a shoemaker, builder and electrician.\nIn the early 1990s, thanks to his mother, Igor first became acquainted with the teachings of the Bible. He was struck by its logic and simplicity.\nIgor's relatives are outraged by the unfair sentence passed on him only because of his religious views. Igor's mother, who is already over 80, is especially worried. When the believer was thrown behind bars, the elderly woman lost the much-needed support of her son.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/egozaryan/photo_hu_d2831e0071395b6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/egozaryan/photo_hu_d2831e0071395b6d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/egozaryan/photo_hu_7e6dee5ca2e61d2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/egozaryan/photo_hu_7e6dee5ca2e61d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/egozaryan.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Egozaryan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Law enforcement agencies in the city of Shuya (Ivanovo region) opened a criminal case against Yelena Mikhailova on charges of extremism. Her husband Dmitriy was also detained and spent six months in a pre-trial detention center. Elena was grieving the forced separation. The investigator also imposed restrictions on Yelena, taking from her a written undertaking not to leave the place. What do we know about her?\nElena Mikhailova was born in 1983 in Shuya. As a child, she was fond of athletics and rhythmic gymnastics. After graduating from school with a medal, she received the specialty of a teacher of physics and mathematics, worked as a tutor in these subjects.\nAt the age of 9, Yelena was left without a father, and this prompted her to think about spiritual topics: is there a God, what happens to a person after death, why are children left without parents? At the age of 13, she received answers to these questions from the Bible. As a child, Elena tried to imitate the kindness and mercy of Jesus Christ. This did not go unnoticed by her family.\nIn 2003, Elena married Dmitry, who worked as a system administrator, loved to play the guitar, was fond of photography and electronics. Elena and Dmitry are happy to be in nature, play football.\nYelena's friends and relatives are greatly perplexed by the accusations against her family. Some neighbors, who do not share their religious views, admitted that they pray for them. Other neighbors told the representatives of the investigative committee: \"Why did you stick to these saints, exemplary people? If anyone is imprisoned, it is definitely not them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/emikhailova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/emikhailova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/emikhailova/photo_hu_6c0154805ed38a3e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/emikhailova/photo_hu_6c0154805ed38a3e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/emikhailova.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Mikhaylova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 27, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Novosibirsk for his faith against Maxim Eremeev. What do we know about this man?\nMaksim was born in 1987 in the village of Tyazhin (Kemerovo Region). She has an older sister. As a child, he was fond of sports and had the third adult category in volleyball.\nAfter school, Maksim moved to Novosibirsk and received a secondary special education there with a degree in the profession of \"software technician\", but later worked in other fields. In his free time, he likes, as in childhood, to play volleyball and ride a bicycle.\nIn the early 2000s, Maksim's entire family became seriously interested in the Bible. A thorough study of the fulfilled and still fulfilling prophecies from this ancient book convinced Maxim of the need to build his life taking into account the commandments of the Bible.\nRelatives are very worried about the unfair criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/eremeev/photo_hu_5d59826b6e79cc63.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/eremeev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/eremeev/photo_hu_bf941e34f70c061f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/eremeev/photo_hu_abbf00c72992ea10.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/eremeev.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Eremeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Livievich Yerkin was born in 1953 in Vladivostok. He is a technician-architect by education. Since 1975, Sergey lived in Kazakhstan, where he worked as an engineer, architect and lead designer, designed buildings. In the 1980s, he moved to the Magadan Region, where he was also employed in the construction industry. The last place of work before retirement was as an engineer for design and estimate work at one of the mining enterprises in Chukotka.\nHis friends and acquaintances know Sergey as a kind and sympathetic person. He cared for his elderly mother until her death in 2007.\nThis intelligent and humble man, who had worked all his life for the good of society, is now accused of absurd crimes incompatible with his Christian beliefs.\nIn connection with the existing disease, doctors prescribed a diet for Sergey. The disease aggravates his position as a prisoner.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_516d068dbaf60b20.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/erkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_1be7aec8b80c3f6e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/erkin/photo_hu_bb4b01e02012eac4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/erkin.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Yerkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2020, Vladimir Ermolaev and his wife, Valeriya, were woken up by a group of security forces who stormed their apartment in Chita. Because of his faith in Jehovah God, Vladimir was detained and then placed under house arrest. For more than a year, a peaceful believer was forced to defend his good name in court, and in June 2022, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in prison.\nVladimir was born in 1988 in Kurdzhinovo, a village in Karachay-Cherkessia, where an entire community of Jehovah's Witnesses moved from Siberia in the 1970s. The whole large family of Vladimir in four generations professes this religion. He has three brothers and a sister.\nBelieving parents instilled in their children high moral standards and respect for work. Vladimir earned his first money while still in elementary school: he collected forest flowers and sold them. In addition to general education, he graduated from a children's art school and continued to develop his creative abilities at the college of the city of Georgievsk in the Stavropol region, where he mastered the specialty \"technician-architect\". In the same place, Vladimir completed a training course in interior design.\nDue to peace-loving convictions, instead of military service, Vladimir underwent alternative civilian service (ACS) in the TB dispensary in the city of Irkutsk, working there as a janitor and handyman. When Irkutsk television aired a report about “alternatively serving Vladimir Ermolaev,” he was already in charge of the hospital warehouse. After graduating from the ACS, Vladimir worked as a restorer of wooden products, including antiques—he gave a second life to musical instruments and furniture.\nIn 2014, Vladimir married Valeriya, who shares his religious views. After the wedding, the family moved to Chita, where they made many new friends. Valeriya is a professional hairdresser and makeup artist. She loves to sing, dance, for some time she studied vocals. Together, the Ermolaevs love to go hiking. Before the prosecution, they enjoyed travelling.\nDespite the criminal prosecution, Vladimir maintains a positive attitude. Speaking in court shortly before sentencing, he emphacized: “Even if I am convicted, it will not stop me from believing in Jehovah God. If the court decides to deprive me of my liberty, I will go to prison as a Jehovah's Witness and come out of it as a Jehovah's Witness!”\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ermolaev/photo_hu_418bd1c71ce1da6c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ermolaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ermolaev/photo_hu_8fc0dde0caff23bd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ermolaev/photo_hu_72a29dbc28f9b485.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ermolaev.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Ermolaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Yelena Savelieva, a teacher with forty years of experience, found herself under criminal prosecution for reading and discussing the Bible, thanks to which she found meaning in life.\nYelena was born in July 1941 in the village of Katka (Republic of Belarus) at the height of World War II. The settlement was beautiful and well-groomed, therefore, having occupied it, the German troops tripled their headquarters there. The first years of Yelena's life were spent in poverty, hunger and fear.\nThe girl grew up separately from her parents, she was raised by her grandmother. Having moved to Russia and having lived for three years in the city of Chernyakhovsk (Kaliningrad region), in 1950, the grandmother sent Yelena to her mother, being unable to provide her granddaughter financially. Yelena's stepfather was a cruel person, so life was very difficult for her. At the age of 15, she left her parents' home for the city of Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Region, where she studied at the school of projectionists.\nIn the spring of 1960, Yelena, at the insistent request of her parents, who at that time lived in the Kemerovo region, came to them. But later that year, she moved to the city of Tomsk, where she decided to settle down and continue her education. Yelena graduated from the railway technical school, graduated from high school as an external student and entered the Tomsk Pedagogical Institute at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. After graduation, she devoted more than 40 years to teaching.\nIn 1963, Yelena married the nuclear physicist Leonid, with whom they had been married for 55 years until his death in 2018. Together, the couple raised two sons.\nIn her youth, Yelena had a strong desire for the spiritual. In her prayers, she often asked God: “Why do I live? What can I do for you?\". Later, after meeting Jehovah's Witnesses and starting to read the Bible, Yelena received answers to her questions. In 2002, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution did not change her attitude towards others, including her ill-wishers. “When I get to know new people, I start to love them with all my heart,” says Yelena.\n","date":"2021-09-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_4f6ac51451db17c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_2465c79e8f7a6fae.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_cf42aa85cb9832ea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/esavelyeva/photo_hu_c145669d68706f88.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/esavelyeva.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Saveliyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Suvorkov is one of the Kirov civilians detained after the raid on believers in 2018.\nYevgeniy was born in 1978 in the village of Kumeny (Kirov region) in a large family. Parents worked on the collective farm, they had two sons and three daughters. As a child, Yevgeniy was engaged in chess, hockey, radio engineering, and music. Later, his family moved to the regional center, where he lives to this day. Yevgeniy chose the profession of an electrician after graduating from a technical school.\nYevgeniy is married to Svetlana, who has an adult son from her first marriage. Andrey is a defendant in the same criminal case for believing in God.\nIn his youth, Yevgeniy became interested in biblical teachings. Therefore, when the draft age came, he asked to replace his military service with an alternative civilian one, in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation. He was able to win lengthy litigation with the draft board.\nYevgeniy went through the courts, defending his right not to take up arms, and since 2021 he had to end up in the dock again—this time to prove that he is not an extremist.\nYevgeniy worked at various enterprises in the city. He said: “Everything I have learned from Jehovah's Witnesses helps me in my family life and in my business life. Working in various fields, from building factories to cleaning companies, I have become convinced that a reputation as a servant of God helps to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts”.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/esuvorkov/photo_hu_5cdd2e24f1c540c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/esuvorkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/esuvorkov/photo_hu_9eebedb6c703adb6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/esuvorkov/photo_hu_c51193bfed3e8e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/esuvorkov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Suvorkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive actions of intimidation of believers at that time took place in Surgut. Security forces broke into the homes of local residents throughout the city, some were tortured, and criminal cases were initiated against 19 people. One of them is Yevgeny Fedin. What is known about him?\nYevgeny was born in 1977 in Chelyabinsk in a family of ordinary workers. He has an older sister. As a child, he was an active child, actively fond of sports and martial arts. He received the title of candidate master of sports in boxing, participated in competitions. By profession, he is a technician-technologist of welding production.\nIn the late 1990s, Eugene became interested in the teachings of the Bible. He was encouraged by the fact that God never wanted the world to be filled with cruelty and violence. By that time, there were many meaningless conflicts in his life, and this weighed on him. As a result, he revised his life principles, and today he is a meek, peace-loving person. He loves nature and documentaries about animal life. Of the active sports in his life, only swimming remained, with the help of which he keeps himself in shape.\nIn 2012, Eugene married Natalia, this is his second marriage. Olesya's first wife had died three years earlier from a transient illness. Natalia is a specialist in the field of information technology. Together they love to cook dishes from different nations of the world, go to the swimming pool.\nYevgeniy's relatives worry about him and try to help, although they do not share his religious beliefs.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fedin/photo_hu_b8c5daea0171c86e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fedin/photo_hu_b8c5daea0171c86e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fedin/photo_hu_76f19c61e046f129.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fedin/photo_hu_76f19c61e046f129.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fedin.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Evgeny Fedin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The father of five children, Vadim Fedorov, was prosecuted for his faith. A case was opened against him under an extremist article and a search was conducted in his house and one of his sons. Vadim was born in October 1968 in the city of Rudny (Kazakhstan). He had an elder brother who died of cancer in 2018. Vadim's father is also no longer alive, his mother is retired.\nAs a child, Vadim was fond of fishing, engaged in Greco-Roman wrestling. After school, he graduated from college, where he acquired the specialty of a drilling rig operator. He worked as a railway worker. Currently, he works as a loader, and also provides services to the population — he is engaged in the restoration of bathtubs and furnace work.\nIn 1991, Vadim married Lyubov. The couple has five children — four sons and a daughter. The whole family loves to spend time outdoors. Lyubov is fond of decorating, knitting and growing flowers.\nVadim and his wife started reading the Bible in the early 1990s. In this book they found practical guidance for their lives. Vadim recalls: “I liked that a person can live forever, that he was created not for a short life full of problems and suffering, but for something more.” In 1993, Vadim and Lyubov embarked on the Christian path together. Four years later, the family moved to Asha, where they still live.\nRelatives of Vadim and Lyubov do not understand why they are persecuting peaceful believers. Due to the stress of the persecution, Vadim's mother began to have serious health problems.\n","date":"2022-07-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fedorov/photo_hu_63f84091fc401d7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fedorov/photo_hu_338b26fac38a73e1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fedorov/photo_hu_a2fef0b15a60a66b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fedorov/photo_hu_109f509aa485f867.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fedorov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vadim Fedorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Viktor Fefilov. What do we know about him? Viktor was born in 1962 in the village of Uinskoye (Perm Territory). His parents are no longer alive, but there are three siblings. As a child, Victor loved to be in nature and observe the animal world. After graduating from high school, he entered the school, where he received the profession of a universal turner. Later he worked as a driver. Due to economic difficulties, he was forced to move to Surgut to work. For a long time he was engaged in his favorite activities - hunting and fishing. Victor met his wife Natalia in 1996, a year later they got married. Natalia is a caring and loving wife. She was the first in the family to become interested in truths from the Bible. Later, Victor joined her, finding answers in the Bible to the questions that had worried him for many years: why is there so much evil and injustice in the world? Why are wars blessed? Relatives and friends of Viktor and Natalia are outraged by what is happening. It is difficult for them to understand why peace-loving people are being prosecuted. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_b39eaf45e7cfbc57.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_ca1bb7d92342b95d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_235ee064376e098c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fefilov/photo_hu_36982d9a04d22f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fefilov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Victor Fefilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 2, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Krasnoyarsk against Tatyana Feruleva. Her conversation at a bus stop with a resident of the city was regarded by law enforcement officers as \"extremism\". According to investigators, the believing woman \"involved new members\" in an organization where the Bible is read. What do we know about her?\nTatyana Feruleva was born in 1974 in Altai, in the village of Berezovka. She has an elder and a younger sister. Together with his parents they moved to the village of Kurbatovo, Balakhtinsky district. Her father left the family, and my mother had to raise the girls alone. Later, he and his grandmother moved to Krasnoyarsk. After school, Tatyana received a secondary specialized education by profession \"educator\". Recently she has been working as a nurse.\nTatyana loved the forest since childhood. When I was in the taiga, I admired the beauty and reflected on wildlife. Questions arose: where did everything come from? Thanks to whom does such magnificence exist? \"As a child, I heard from my parents that God created everything,\" Tatiana recalls. \"But I was also told about the fiery hell in which God torments disobedient people after death. At that moment, I lost interest in spiritual things, considering God to be cruel. Everything changed when my mother became seriously ill. She prayed a lot, looking for help. Her prayers did not go unanswered: she began to read the Bible and learn about God. I was in my early twenties at the time.\" Later, Tatiana also became interested in the spiritual.\nThe criminal case has already affected Tatyana's health and caused insomnia. The younger sister, her husband and daughter cannot understand why they are persecuting a peaceful woman.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/feruleva/photo_hu_bf06a11c062feb94.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/feruleva/photo_hu_99f97ffbb5cfff86.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/feruleva/photo_hu_f5a5f3e6b3f35562.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/feruleva/photo_hu_ed34a8b33ce97440.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/feruleva.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Feruleva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On an autumn night in 2018, one of the largest special operations of law enforcement officers against believers was carried out in Dzhankoy (Crimea). More than 200 FSB and police officers broke into at least 8 homes of local residents, kicking down the doors. Four buses and several official cars drove up to the house of only Sergey Filatov. After a search and interrogation, a criminal case was initiated against him.\nSergey was born in 1972 in the village of Privolnoye (Ukraine). He has two sisters. As a child, he was fond of football, basketball and stamp collecting. He graduated from college as an electrician. He worked as an electrician, machine operator, plumber, master of finishing works.\nIn 1995, Sergey married Natalya, thanks to whom he became acquainted with Bible teachings. Natalya was worried about the death of her father, and she was deeply touched by the biblical teaching on the resurrection of the dead. She began to share with her husband what she learned from the Bible. \u0026quot;I was amazed that I can live the way Jehovah wants me to, that is, live the right way,\u0026quot; Sergey said. \u0026quot;The scales fell from my eyes like a veil. I understood what truth is.\u0026quot;\nThe couple have four children, whom they brought up in accordance with Christian commandments. In 2003, the whole family moved to Dzhankoy because of the eldest daughter\u0026#39;s illness.\nIn court, Filatov emphasized: \u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses have been known for their exemplary behavior and law-abiding behavior in Dzhankoy for more than 50 years. I have nothing to be ashamed of. I am not guilty in the eyes of God and people. I have not done anything reprehensible.\u0026quot;\nIn the spring of 2020, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a general regime colony. He was released in January 2026, having served his term in full.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filatov/photo_hu_8d2896620917e9df.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filatov/photo_hu_d95e4fb232eacf40.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/filatov/photo_hu_27225d2056a768de.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filatov/photo_hu_5a46ccc73d2cb2e5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filatov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Filatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filatovd/photo_hu_44bb38e840efce2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filatovd/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/filatovd/photo_hu_a2db4d64eaed9dd5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filatovd/photo_hu_678edc082d307b44.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filatovd.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Filatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov was given a 6-year suspended sentence because of his faith in Jehovah God. This was preceded by searches and lengthy criminal prosecution of a peaceful pensioner.\nVladimir was born in 1943 in the village of Oktyabrsky (Novosibirsk region). His father died at the front in the same year, even before the birth of his son. Mom worked as a laborer on a state farm. Vladimir's elder brother, Venediy (born in 1941), lives in Ukraine.\nVladimir's school years were spent in the Far East. He was actively engaged in skiing, was fond of bandy and was a member of the national team of the Krasnozersky district. Fishing was an occupation for the soul, which Vladimir loves to this day.\nIn 1961, Vladimir entered the Tomsk Artillery School. He graduated in 1964, and with the rank of lieutenant was sent to serve in the village of Razdolnoye. Here he met his future wife Lyubov. They married in 1967. Lyubov is a seamstress by profession. Due to her husband's frequent moves, she had to work in various specialties. She always supported her husband, participated with him in all social events. In her free time she was engaged in dancing.\nSubsequently, Vladimir's service took place in the village of Shkotovo (Primorsky Krai), in the city of Leipzig (Germany), in the village of Priamursky (Jewish Autonomous Region). After 27 years of military service, Vladimir retired. After that, he worked in the Frunzensky District Executive Committee of Vladivostok.\nIn 1994, Vladimir's wife began to study the Bible. When her husband joined her in this, they were both convinced that this book was the Word of God. What they learned together from the Bible strengthened their faith in God and Jesus Christ. In 1995, both became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nNow the couple live in the village of Razdolnoye. They moved here to help their fellow believers, as well as to take care of Lyubov's sister, who is 11 years older than her. The couple's daughter, Elena, lives on the other side of the country. Vladimir and Lyubov cope with all household chores, including the garden, on their own. Lyubov also loves to grow flowers at home. Vladimir is already retired. He loves to spend time with friends, often fishing with his wife.\nIn January 2020, Vladimir Filippov's house was searched for the third time. During the first search, Lyubov was subjected to rough treatment by FSB officers, and Vladimir was slapped in the face by the security forces. The criminal prosecution undermined the health of the elderly couple. Lyubov's numerous chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_859127653a71ecf5.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filippov/photo.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_7b823ede1d376640.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filippov/photo_hu_a8f2b033aa7dcda9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filippov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Filippov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Petr Filiznov, a law-abiding Russian citizen, spent 93 days in a pre-trial detention center. He was detained after searches in Yaroslavl in April 2021. The believer was accused of organizing worship activities and promoting \"forbidden doctrines\", which in fact are not prohibited.\nPetr was born in October 1965. He was the only child in the family. As a child, he led an active lifestyle, was engaged in sports sections. He liked botany. After school, Petr entered the Yaroslavl Automotive Technical School, and upon graduation he was drafted into the army. After military service, he got a job at a factory as a foreman, and later as a turner.\nIn 1988, Petr met his future wife, and the same year they got married. Svetlana worked at the Yaroslavl synthetic rubber plant, was fond of dancing, drawing, playing the guitar and writing poetry. After the birth of her children, she left her job to devote more time to her son Alexey and daughter Yuliya, who from an early age were brought up in accordance with biblical norms. Children are already adults, they have their own families.\nFor some time, Petr was an individual entrepreneur: he provided plumbing services, and was engaged in the installation of doors. Then he got a job in a management company and began to work in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order in the adjacent territory of apartment buildings. So he had more free time, and he was able to devote to his wife: together they do household chores, work in the country, make preparations for the winter. When Svetlana is caring for a sick mother, Petr takes full care of the household.\nWhen Petr was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, his wife had to cope with numerous duties on her own. She shares: \"I lacked a strong shoulder, a man who was always there and took responsibility in solving difficult family issues.\"\nIn July 2021, the court released Petr from custody, but the charges against the believer were not dropped. Relatives and friends of the believer call him a peaceful and kind person. At work, Petr is known as a conscientious worker — he received a lot of positive feedback from his superiors and tenants.\n","date":"2021-08-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_e6e138fa57ad26c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_f99ec751384d9983.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/filiznov/photo_hu_20953e04f5c6402e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/filiznov.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Petr Filiznov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fokin.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Stanislav Fokin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On September 24, 2021, Marina Fokina and her husband, Stanislav, were prosecuted in the case against believers from the city of Berezovskiy.\nMarina was born in September 1994 in Yekaterinburg. She was an active child: she was engaged in gymnastics, sambo, was fond of dancing, jogging, volleyball, table tennis, loved to ride a bicycle and a scooter. She was also fond of beading, embroidery, knitting and sewing.\nMarina received a secondary special education, having studied to be a designer. She worked as a secretary, salesman, merchandiser. Recently she worked in the field of cleanliness.\nIn her free time, Marina enjoys playing volleyball and badminton, walking and running. She knits children's clothes, scarves, toys, jewelry, and repairs clothes. Likes to listen to music, draw.\nMarina never doubted that God exists and decided to learn more about him. She began to read the Bible and realized that God is not cruel and loves her. It touched the girl's heart. There was a meaning in her life. Seeing how God answered her prayers, she also wanted to do something for him and at the age of 19 embarked on the Christian path. Having married Stanislav, Marina moved to Berezovsky.\nDespite the fact that a year has passed since the search, the believer still remembers that day in detail. Marina says: “Although I had anxiety before, now it just intensified significantly, since I am a rather gentle, impressionable person. It was very difficult during the first interrogation, which lasted 2.5 hours. Began to be afraid of knocking on the door. It's hard to live in constant stress. I am very worried about my spouse. \"\n","date":"2021-11-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fokina/photo_hu_a3b4ddee673c61f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fokina/photo_hu_366fd27d864ec430.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fokina/photo_hu_c1bb9dbd202298c4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fokina/photo_hu_814eca8419e2396.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fokina.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Marina Fokina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Fomashin, who years ago was impressed by the biblical promise that God would remove all injustice from the earth, became a victim of criminal prosecution for his faith and love for the Bible. In March 2022, his house was searched, after that the believer was interrogated and thrown into jail.\nYevgeniy was born in June 1977 in the city of Balakovo, Saratov Region. He grew up as an obedient child and earned respect among friends. He skillfully settled disputes, for which he received the nickname \"diplomat\". As a child, Yevgeniy loved to observe animals and insects and to play chess.\nAfter school, the young man graduated from a technical school and served in the army. Upon his return, he entered the Saratov State Technical University, where he received a degree in power supply engineering. In those years, Yevgeniy was fond of ballroom dancing.\nThe believer worked as a chief engineer for a large chemical company. Recently, he worked as an electrician of the 5th category for the repair of high-voltage transformers.\nYevgeniy is a caring son and father. Elderly parents are disabled and need his constant help. The believer has an adult student son with whom he has a warm, intimate relationship. In his free time, Yevgeniy goes fishing and plays the guitar.\nFomashin has always been a justice-sensitive individual, so the biblical promise of peace and harmony on earth deeply interested him. In 2013, he embarked on the Christian path. Some time later, Yevgeniy learned sign language to help people with disabilities.\nYevgeniy’s parents are worried about the criminal prosecution of their son and wonder why this kind, sympathetic and decent person should suffer. The events that took place seriously affected their already poor health.\n","date":"2022-05-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/fomashin/photo_hu_73d8a204488983d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/fomashin/photo_hu_56bd14ca648e87e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/fomashin/photo_hu_e77d04bbf4f58d1a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/fomashin/photo_hu_f9167ccc8e1fe6ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/fomashin.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Fomashin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Law enforcement facilities of Vladivostok initiated criminal cases against six elderly women, including Lyubov Galaktionova. The pensioner was accused of extremism only because of her religion.\nLyubov was born in Vladivostok during the war, in the summer of 1942. She has lived in this city all her life. Lyubov was the only child in the family. She received the got of a secretary-typist and worked in this profession until her retirement.\nIn 1962, Lyubov got married and had a son. Unfortunately, after 14 years of marriage—in 1976—her husband passed away. She had to raise and raise my son alone.\n“Over the years,” Lyubov shares her memories, “I began to ask myself questions: what is the meaning of life? Why do people die?” By reading the Bible, she found answers to them and received comfort.\nDue to health problems, Lyubov is on the II disability group, but she is supported by communication with fellow believers and conversations on spiritual topics.\nThe unjustified criminal prosecution to which Lyubov was subjected undermined her health. Her son is worried about her. Although he does not share her religious views, he knows for sure that his mother is a good person and does not deserve such treatment.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_81b7ccbd278feeb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_8834ec8ea8ab665e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_d8adfd8ac0ebaa20.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galaktionova/photo_hu_28794d2c174d0c7a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galaktionova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Galaktionova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Lyubov Galitsyna ended up in a pre-trial detention center shortly after searches in Novocherkassk in the summer of 2022. Because of her faith in Jehovah God, she was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nLyubov was born in May 1956 in the village of Plastunovskaya (Krasnodar Territory). Until graduating from school, she lived in the village of Shedok (Krasnodar Territory). She has a sister and a brother. Since childhood, Lyubov helped her parents take care of a large vegetable garden, which brought the main income to their large family.\nAfter graduating from school, Lyubov moved to Novocherkassk (Rostov region), where she entered the Polytechnic Institute, and then the Machine-Building College. Later she married and had two children. In 2015, her husband died.\nLyubov worked at a machine-building plant. Colleagues appreciated and loved her for her diligence, sincerity and good nature. After retirement, Lyubov continued to work at the Polytechnic Institute as a barmaid. In her spare time, she enjoys embroidery and painting by numbers.\nLyubov showed interest in the Bible because she was moved by the prophecy that in the future people would no longer get sick, grow old, and die. In 1997, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nLyubov devoted a lot of time and attention to her children and grandchildren, so separation from her became a real test for the whole family. Relatives of the believer are worried about her, especially in view of the fact that Lyubov suffers from diabetes. It is difficult for them to understand why this peaceful believer is being persecuted.\n","date":"2022-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_9277816fd0b65d90.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_a432849951a71cd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_c1d36364d1db201a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galitsina/photo_hu_48228b00cf455dfc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galitsina.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Lubov Galitsina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2020, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Voronezh Region were searched—110 homes in one day. Yuriy Galka ended up in the pre-trial detention center along with 9 other local believers. He was among those who reported torture by law enforcement officers. After 5.5 years, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a penal colony.\nYuriy was born in 1975 in the Ukrainian city of Marganets. He is the eldest child in a large family—he has a sister and two brothers. When the boy was 2, the family moved to Tajikistan. As a child, Yuriy loved to read, was fond of shooting and karate.\nWhile the young man was studying at the Russian Tajik University in philology, there was a civil war in Tajikistan. Many families, including Yuriy\u0026#39;s, were starving. To help his family, he combined his studies with a job as a journalist for a local television and radio company, as well as an elevator operator and a construction worker.\nAt that difficult time Yuriy got acquainted with the biblical teachings confessed by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The biblical truth touched his heart. As a child, he often participated in fights, but through the study of the Holy Scriptures, he learned to love peace.\nAfter graduation, the young man moved to Voronezh, and later his whole family joined him. Here Yuriy mastered the specialties of a loader and tiler.\nIn 2009, Yuriy married Nadezhda. Modesty of the young man, his tactfulness, reliability, humor and self-esteem attracted the girl. Together they bring up Nadezhda\u0026#39;s daughter, instilling her spiritual values. As a family, they love to spend time with friends, including outdoors.\nAlthough Yuriy\u0026#39;s family and colleagues do not share his religious views, they are bewildered by the criminal prosecution of a believer. His family misses Yuriy and waits for him at home. The believer himself is convinced that justice will eventually be restored.\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galka/photo_hu_31895863838d6a70.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galka/photo_hu_f42d200978efcccb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galka/photo_hu_5e0d873959f75cbb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galka/photo_hu_d9533c96df6d0ea8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galka.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Galka","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich, a peaceful resident of Smolensk, did not even suspect that her faith in God would become a reason for criminal prosecution. The investigation accuses her of praying and discussing the Bible with friends. As a result, the woman spent more than six months in jail for her faith.\nTatyana was born in the village of Bereznyaki, Smolensk region, in 1959. As a child, she was fond of sports and even jumped with a parachute, did handicrafts and loved to read. After school she graduated from a textile technical school and received a specialty as a knitwear production technologist. She worked as a knitter, was a shift master.\nNow Tatyana lives in Smolensk and is on a well-deserved rest. In his free time he is engaged in gardening and vegetable garden. Since 1989 she has been married, a daughter was born in marriage.\nTatiana was in awe of God even before she came to know the Bible, but she knew nothing about the Creator. The knowledge gained from studying the Scriptures helped her to better understand them and encouraged her to live according to biblical standards.\nDue to the criminal prosecution and imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, where she spent several months, Tatyana’s chronic diseases worsened. In addition, she lost her job. Relatives who do not share her religious beliefs, as well as friends, try to support the woman morally, emotionally and physically.\n","date":"2021-02-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo_hu_c66ff9a5967d284c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galkevich/photo_hu_c66ff9a5967d284c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galkevich.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Galkevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 11, 2020, at 6:30 a.m., despite the self-isolation regime introduced in Russia in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the security forces searched Sergey Galyamin's apartment. A peaceful believer became one of four accused under the \"extremist\" article.\nSergey was born in the city of Teikovo (Ivanovo region) in 1967. He has a brother and sister, his father is already dead. As a child, Sergey was fond of badminton, loved to listen to music and spent a lot of time walking on the street.\nHe graduated from college with a degree in repairman. After military service for some time he served as an ensign, worked as a plumber. Since 1995 he has been an individual entrepreneur, engaged in shoe repair.\nIn 1991, Sergey married Lyudmila. She is a professional seamstress, and loves this activity. For her, sewing is not only a profession, but also a hobby. Sergey learns to play the guitar on his own. The couple have three daughters. The older ones are already married and live separately. The youngest daughter is still in school and lives with her parents. She loves to draw, bake cakes and make soap.\nIn 1993, Lyudmila's father died tragically, which was a great shock for her. A year later, the couple began to study the Bible together, and the hope of the resurrection of the dead truly comforted Luda. Studying the Holy Scriptures, Sergey also became convinced that he had found the truth. He recalls: \"I felt kindness and genuine love among believers.\" Putting Bible principles into practice strengthened the marriage and helped the couple to lovingly raise their children.\nSergey's mother, brother and sister do not share his religious views, but they have a positive attitude towards his faith. The whole family is under great stress because of Sergey's criminal prosecution. For the first time after the search, Lyudmila could hardly sleep. The daughter is afraid to stay at home alone. Due to the pandemic, she is on distance learning and is now deprived of the opportunity to study normally - during the search , the security forces took away her electronic device.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/galyamin/photo_hu_a617ae8811c99aff.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/galyamin/photo_hu_8785bfc8952189ec.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/galyamin/photo_hu_e015d0df2cca459e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/galyamin/photo_hu_168b3205b3747dcc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/galyamin.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Galyamin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning in May 2019, FSB officers broke into Alexandr Ganin's house, searched and took him to a temporary detention center. The believer was accused of extremism; in October 2020, the court sentenced him to 3 years of probation only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlexandr was born in 1957 in the village of Ekhabi on Sakhalin Island. As a child, he loved to ride a motorcycle. After leaving school, Alexandr became a driver. Now retired, spends a lot of time in the garden, loves animals.\nFor more than twenty years, Alexandr has been firmly convinced that there is an Almighty Creator, and the Bible is his word. His wife Svetlana, with whom he has been married since 1980, having seen positive changes in her husband's character, also began to show an interest in the spiritual. According to relatives and friends of Alexandr, he was convicted for nothing.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_e1eb85570d0c40f1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_62185712acd6d64e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_979f561b3322955f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ganin/photo_hu_dd80c5358f6a7629.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ganin.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Ganin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the apartment of a peaceful pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, Olga Ganusha, covert video surveillance was installed. In 2019, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. In July 2021, Judge Viktor Trofimov convicted and sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nOlga was born in Rostov-on-Don in 1961. She has an elder sister. Since childhood, Olga was fond of dancing, embroidery, photography and needlework, and in her youth she sang in an ensemble. After the 8th grade, she entered a construction college, then worked as a foreman at a gypsum factory and a typist at a tobacco factory.\nOlga lived all her life in her native Rostov-on-Don, only occasionally going to Shakhty and Taganrog. Now he is on a well-deserved rest. In his spare time, he still likes to do needlework, listens to classical music and reads humorous stories.\nFor more than 20 years, Olga has been leading a Christian lifestyle. It was always hard for her to come to terms with death, and she never believed in an afterlife. When she first learned from the Bible that people can live forever and meet resurrected loved ones in an earthly paradise, her joy knew no bounds. She was also fascinated by the practicality of the biblical advice. To her son Alexei, who, due to circumstances, had to be raised alone, she was able to instill high moral standards based on Christian commandments.\nThe criminal prosecution had a strong impact on Olga's health. All chronic diseases affecting vital organs have worsened. \"My life was divided into before and after the search,\" she says. \"There was a fear when I suddenly heard a knock on the door, my sleep was disturbed.\" The son is very worried about his mother and her health. Although other relatives do not share Olga's religious views, they do not understand why she is being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_c6830c2963e19c95.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_e694f8dcc02e0b81.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_8382d3675a65c207.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ganusha/photo_hu_83485ca369020445.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ganusha.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Ganusha","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, Savely Gargalyk reported torture. What is known about him?\nSavely was born in 1960 in the village of Avdarma, Moldavian SSR. He has an older brother and a younger sister. As a child, he was engaged in freestyle wrestling and athletics. He worked as a machine operator, livestock technician, carpenter. Now retired, has a disability. In his spare time, he takes care of the flowers in the garden.\nIn 1986, Savely moved from Moldova to Surgut and in the same year married Olga, an X-ray technician by profession. The couple love to go to the forest together to pick mushrooms. They have two daughters, the youngest is still in school.\nSavely's relatives are well aware of the words of Christ that if they persecuted him, they will persecute his disciples, so they support and encourage Savely as best they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gargalyk/photo_hu_e02b43854a0fda00.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gargalyk/photo_hu_e02b43854a0fda00.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gargalyk/photo_hu_7b1564e63d8b4e34.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gargalyk/photo_hu_7b1564e63d8b4e34.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gargalyk.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Saveliy Gargalyk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the spring of 2019, FSB officers detained Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness Artem Gerasimov in Yalta. The believer was accused of extremism and sentenced to a fine of 400,000 rubles. However, in 2020, the Supreme Court of Crimea toughened the sentence, replacing the fine with 6 years in colony.\nArtem was born in 1985 in Yalta. As a child, he was fond of table tennis and wrestling.\nArtem recalls: \u0026quot;I have experienced how the Bible can positively influence life, how it can support even in difficult times. The hardest period in my life was my teenage years, when in five years I lost six loved ones, including my father. As I remember, from the very beginning of my conscious life I was interested in spiritual questions, questions about God. But later, when you lose relatives one by one, it is easy to become an atheist, not understanding why, as a child, \u0026#39;God takes away\u0026#39; my loved ones. But fortunately, it was during that period that I began to study the Bible. And it was a great comfort for me to learn that Jehovah, as Jesus said, is not \u0026#39;the God of the dead, but of the living, for with Him all are alive.\u0026quot;\nArtem acquired the profession of a pastry chef but later worked in various working specialties. Together with friends he loved to play volleyball and go on camping trips with overnight stays in the picturesque places of Crimea.\nWhen riot police broke into Artem\u0026#39;s house, his brother, who did not share his religious convictions, said: \u0026quot;Why did you come to Artem? After all, he walks around the city with the Bible, not with a machine gun.\u0026quot; Neighbors and work colleagues speak of the believer as an exceptionally peaceful person.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gerasimov/photo_hu_281b0fdcc0cdaea2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gerasimov/photo_hu_80c182471a15dd58.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gerasimov/photo_hu_7064ee3e9c435f12.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gerasimov/photo_hu_b1b14c895a7e6559.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gerasimov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Artem Gerasimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The quiet life of a driver from Kazan, Aleksey Gerasimov, was disrupted by a search of his home in March 2022. So the man found out that he was a defendant in a criminal case on extremism because of his religious beliefs. Later, the court handed him a harsh sentence—6 years in prison.\nAleksey was born in December 1980 in the city of Ust-Kut, Irkutsk Region. He has an elder sister. Their father died.\nAs a child, Aleksey was fond of swimming and playing the guitar. After school, he trained as a navigation technician, and also received an incomplete higher education with a degree in hydraulic engineering. For some time he worked as a navigator on the Lena River.\nAleksey met his wife Nataliya as a child—they lived in the same yard. They got married in February 2007 and became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses together in December of the same year. Aleksey recalls that he was prompted to devote his life to serving God by studying the Bible and reflecting on how the world around him was thoughtfully and lovingly created.\nFor some time the family lived in Ust-Kut, then in Skovorodino (Amur Region) and Yakutsk, and later moved to Kazan. Before his imprisonment, Aleksey, like his wife, worked as a personal driver. He also moonlighted as a janitor. She and Nataliya love books, theater, museums and exhibitions. Nataliya is also interested in psychology, as well as the structure and functioning of the brain.\nSpeaking about his persecution, Aleksey, speaking with his last word in court, noted: \u0026quot;During the entire trial, the prosecution did not indicate anywhere, when, or in the presence of any persons I said or did anything that would charge me with an extremist article.\u0026quot; And then he quoted the words of his lawyer: \u0026quot;The purpose of punishment is correction. Why should Gerasimov be punished and what should he improve?\u0026quot;\n","date":"2022-11-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gerasimoval/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gerasimoval/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gerasimoval/photo_hu_862bb1ce9c342344.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gerasimoval/photo_hu_862bb1ce9c342344.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gerasimoval.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Gerasimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy was born in 1956 in Baku (Azerbaijan). His parents died when he was 29. As a child, Yuriy was fond of football and photography. After school, he immediately got a job and until his retirement he worked as a loader in the Philharmonic Hall. He had a disability of the first group.\nIn 1993, due to the difficult political situation in Azerbaijan, Yuriy was forced to move to Russia. For some time he lived in Apsheronsk (Krasnodar Territory), and later ended up in Kirov, where he met his future wife Alevtina. They got married in 2011. The couple valued the time they could spend together, walked a lot in the fresh air and often invited friends to visit. Alevtina, being a creative person, is engaged in wicker weaving, makes various decorative products.\nYuriy has always loved to read, and one day the Bible attracted his attention. From this book, he learned about the hope for a better future for all people. Yuriy's Christian beliefs became the reason for initiating a criminal case, which seriously affected his health.\nOn April 24, 2020, Yuriy died of a long illness. The investigator was aware of the believer's condition, but did not stop the criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/geraskov/photo_hu_e63f44c34441527d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/geraskov/photo_hu_570d806a31f84875.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/geraskov/photo_hu_e36b78b313b7e5af.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/geraskov/photo_hu_960395ab4521774c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/geraskov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["died"],"title":"Yuriy Geraskov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since July 2019, Gevorg Gevorkyan has been under the close supervision of law enforcement officers. He recalls how it started: \"Early in the morning they searched our apartment, then they took my wife and me away and interrogated us until the evening. In the evening we were searched again. After that, I was summoned for interrogations for two years, my criminal status and preventive measures were changed.\"\nGevorg was born in February 1971 in Tkvarcheli (Abkhazia). He has a younger brother and sister. His father took care of the family, working as an engineer and plumber. His mother made custom-made clothes at home. The parents raised their children in an atmosphere of peace and love.\nWhen Gevorg was 15 years old, the family left for Tbilisi (Georgia). There they lived in rented apartments. The children had to change schools frequently, so it was difficult for them to make friends. When Gevorg returned from the army, a military conflict broke out in the area where his family lived. Parents, wanting to protect their children, decided to emigrate to another country.\nDuring this period Gevorg accidentally got hold of a religious book, which prompted him to think about the origin of life. He began to study the Bible and found in it evidence for the existence of God. Later he was joined by his family in his study of the Holy Scriptures. In 1996 Gevorg stood on the Christian path.\nAround the same time Gevorg met Yana, who later became his wife. The couple have been married for over 25 years. Gevorg said: \"We have always maintained peace, happiness and love in the family. This has been possible thanks to the wise and solid principles from God's Word that we have tried to apply in our lives. I also always had the example of my dear parents in front of me.\"\nSeveral years ago the couple moved to Nizhniy Novgorod to take care of Yana's elderly mother. Gevorg got a job at a factory as a forklift driver to provide for his family. To their surprise, in this city they encountered criminal persecution for their faith, which disrupted the peace and tranquility of the believer and his family members.\n","date":"2022-01-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gevorkyan/photo_hu_6a968685b1371868.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gevorkyan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gevorkyan/photo_hu_1d198f9c0c805fa4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gevorkyan/photo_hu_5b35ff6e2d77c285.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gevorkyan.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Gevorg Gevorkyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoly Gezik, together with his wife, Irina , became a defendant in a criminal case for extremism in December 2019. In November 2022, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months of forced labor just because of his faith.\nAnatoliy was born in 1967 in the village of Nezlobnaya, Stavropol Territory. There were two children in his family.\nAs a child, Anatoliy was fond of football. After school, he graduated from the College of Agricultural Mechanization in Georgievsk with a degree in mechanical engineering.\nFor some time Anatoliy worked in a colony for juveniles. Here he began to ask questions: what awaits these young people in the future and what is the meaning of life in general? He found answers to his questions in the Bible, which he began to study in the late 1990s.\nIn 1996, Anatoliy met his future wife, Irina, and in 1997 they got married. The couple love doing everything together—relaxing, travelling to the mountains; they both got jobs at the same reinforcement plant, where Anatoliy worked at a milling machine. They also care for Anatoliy's mother together.\nAs a result of the criminal prosecution, Anatoliy began to have serious health problems.\nAnatoliy's mother, as well as friends and neighbors of the couple, are concerned about what happened, because, according to them, they \"have known Anatoly and Irina for decades and can only say good about them\".\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gezik/photo_hu_c9f98002ad8f817e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gezik/photo_hu_29dff13d4f612cde.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gezik/photo_hu_1b0d039e1640ef94.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gezik/photo_hu_69594c448c9254c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gezik.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anatoliy Gezik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Irina Gezik, together with her husband, Anatoliy, became a defendant in a criminal case for extremism in December 2019. In November 2022, the court found her guilty and gave her suspended sentence of 4 years and 2 months just because of her faith.\nIrina was born in 1972 in Georgievsk. She has an older sister. As a child, Irina was fond of basketball and loved to knit. After school, she graduated from a vocational college as a seamstress.\nIn 1997 Irina married Anatoliy. They worked at the same reinforcement plant. Irina also helped caring for her husband's mother.\nIn 1998, Anatoliy became interested in the Bible, and seeing a change for the better in her husband's lifestyle and habits, in 2008 Irina decided to join him. As she studied the Bible, she saw that God is tender and loving, and that he teaches people to show the same qualities.\nThe criminal prosecution caused serious stress to Irina and Anatoliy. Neighbors, friends and Irina's sister help the couple and support them during these trials.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/geziki/photo_hu_57c15f0c60e55d6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/geziki/photo_hu_5fa402fb7cca48d9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/geziki/photo_hu_65111200505f4a26.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/geziki/photo_hu_cafe82693e2c2ae5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/geziki.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Irina Gezik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Gennadiy German is one of six Saratov residents who served a court-ordered sentence for their faith in Jehovah God. On July 29, 2021, he left the colony and finally met his wife.\nGennadiy was born in 1969 in the village of Dzygovka (Ukraine). He was educated as a poster artist after his father, who is also an artist. He has three brothers and a sister. Since childhood, he has been fond of sports, fishing and outdoor activities.\nIn 1992, Gennadiy married Nadezhda, who works as an apparatus operator for chemical water purification. The couple love to travel and often invite friends to visit. They have an adult son who is involved in advertising.\nIn 2006, Gennadiy became a Christian. It was the love for the Bible that became the reason for the criminal prosecution.\nIn September 2019, the Leninskiy District Court of Saratov sentenced Gennadiy to 2 years in prison only because of his faith — the court considered peaceful meetings with fellow believers to be the organization of the activities of an extremist organization. This news hurt the emotional and mental state of Gennadiy's family. They are outraged that such law-abiding and peaceful people as Gennadiy are being persecuted for their faith in Russia.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ggerman/photo_hu_36a859ff0259fdec.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ggerman/photo_hu_c5bda57e6eb0e7e6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ggerman/photo_hu_6624044eeb86a87e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ggerman/photo_hu_869db896b0253642.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ggerman.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Gennadiy German","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Rostov-on-Don, law enforcement services are stepping up criminal prosecutions of peaceful believers. On June 6, 2019, another case for faith was opened against 21-year-old Pavel Gild. What is known about him?\nPavel was born in 1998 in Rostov-on-Don, but later his family moved to the village of Zaplavskaya, Rostov region, where he spent his childhood. Pavel is the eldest of four sons, his father works as a universal turner, his mother, a historian by education, runs a household.\nPavel grew up as a creative child, graduated with honors from a music school, loved to go to the children's art house, make crafts from different materials, and ride a bicycle in his free time. After graduating from school, he entered the university as a process engineer in the field of mechanical engineering and at the same time got a job at the post office as a courier. At this time, he and his entire family returned to Rostov-on-Don.\nEven before entering the institute, Pavel developed a love for biblical truths, which he adopted from his parents. He saw the benefits of applying the advice in this book and found answers to his questions in it. Therefore, he was determined to do alternative civilian service instead of military service.\nThe search and criminal prosecution psychologically traumatized not only Pavel, but also his loved ones, especially his grandmother and mother, who cannot accept the fact that her son is considered a criminal. It also made it difficult for Pavel to work and study, as his accounts were blocked and his electronic equipment was confiscated. Pavel and his family try to support each other during this difficult period of their lives.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gild/photo_hu_78d52cb55d81d770.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gild/photo_hu_9738751fbf15262c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gild/photo_hu_1147b4bef641719b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gild/photo_hu_1fc0d811b5f9b102.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gild.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Gild","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Chelyabinsk, a wave of repression on religious grounds began in February 2019, when the first criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses were initiated there. Among them are the cases of Vladimir and Valentina Suvorov, in which Vadim Gizatulin was a witness. Later, the case was initiated against him.\nVadim was born in October 1968 in the city of Zlatoust (Chelyabinsk region). He has a younger brother. Their father worked as a turner and their mother as a handyman.\nIn his youth, Vadim was fond of luge. After graduating from technical school, he chose the profession of an electrician. He has been working in this area all his life.\nIn 1990, Vadim met his future wife, Tatyana. Two years later they got married. Now Tatiana is a housewife. She is fond of knitting. Together, the couple raised a daughter. Due to health problems with his wife and mother-in-law, Vadim's family moved to Chelyabinsk to Tatyana's parents.\nIn the mid-2000s, the couple began to study the Bible in earnest. Tatiana was imbued with God's love for people. She was also surprised by the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in the Bible. Vadim, thanks to reading the Holy Scriptures, found answers to those questions that interested him all his life. The couple decided to become Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDue to unjustified criminal prosecution, Vadim was forced to resign. His wife's health deteriorated, which is why she was hospitalized. Relatives are worried about the future of the spouses.\n","date":"2021-11-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gizatulin/photo_hu_1d9b6630fd0d425.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gizatulin/photo_hu_6cee5432e2bc3d20.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gizatulin/photo_hu_a8fcf6e3f19213d5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gizatulin/photo_hu_d4e75e3c4c0ee138.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gizatulin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vadim Gizatulin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, peaceful believer Andrey Glazov was accused of extremism only because of his beliefs.\nAndrey was born in 1972 in Yaroslavl. He has a younger brother. Their father is no longer alive, and their mother, a disabled person of group II, cannot take care of herself on her own due to restrictions in movement.\nAs a child, Andrey was interested in technology and went in for sports—he attended the skating section. He also loved to be in nature and was fond of horseback riding.\nAfter school, Andrey graduated from college with a degree in motorist-helmsman. For some time he worked in this field, and later as a driver, plasterer-painter, agricultural worker. Recently he worked as a carpenter.\nIn 1998, Andrey married Yuliya, an economist by education. Now she works in the field of cleaning, takes care of the garden and garden, in her free time she likes to read and travel. Andrey also reads a lot, especially history books. He also enjoys traveling, hiking with a tent.\nAndrey has been studying the Bible for many years. He was impressed that there are people living in harmony with this book, and he himself decided to do the same.\nAndrey's relatives worry about him and do not understand why he is being persecuted.\n","date":"2023-09-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/glazov/photo_hu_ffde094b3a05f8f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/glazov/photo_hu_291219b5b75d4fe3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/glazov/photo_hu_a31b232f279a0f5b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/glazov/photo_hu_fa0a5a635538ebba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/glazov.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Glazov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several residents of Saransk, including Georgiy Nikulin, were prosecuted for their faith. Law enforcers considered the conversations about the Bible to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nGeorgiy was born in 1963 in the city of Rovenky (Ukraine). After school, he graduated from college with a degree in car mechanics. Subsequently, he mastered several more specialties: graphic designer, satellite communications radio technician, equipment maintenance mechanic, printing, wood carving. He worked in all these areas. Recently he worked as an electrician.\nGeorgiy often had to move in connection with work—he lived in Zhytomyr (Ukraine), Tolyatti (Samara region) and in Yakutia. Over time, together with his wife Yelena, he moved to Saransk, where the family was able to settle in their own house for the first time.\nGeorgiy has always loved to learn and learn something new. He was especially interested in the question of the origin of mankind. He says that when he got acquainted with the Bible and found answers to his questions in it, he \u0026quot;discovered a whole treasure in it and fell in love with it.\u0026quot;\nCriminal prosecution and a long stay behind bars affected Georgiy\u0026#39;s health. His relatives are worried and do not understand why this peaceful married couple lost their freedom. In December 2025, Georgiy served his sentence and left the penal colony.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gnikulin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gnikulin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gnikulin/photo_hu_f8f0f84bb2bc8042.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gnikulin/photo_hu_f8f0f84bb2bc8042.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gnikulin.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Georgiy Nikulin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Former lawyer, a 63-year-old pensioner from Votkinsk Sergey Góbozev did not even suspect that he would ever face criminal prosecution for love of God and the Bible. The believer had not yet had time to recover from the severe COVID-19 disease, when he was arrested and a criminal case was opened against him.\nSergey was born in October 1957 in Vorkuta. Parents worked hard to raise three sons. Sergey’s father worked as a miner, his mother as a teacher of chemistry. The family moved more than once: from Vorkuta to Karaganda (Kazakhstan), and from there to Novomichurinsk (Ryazan region). One of the brothers is no longer alive, as well as their parents.\nIn his youth, Sergey was fond of sports: alpine skiing and athletics. After serving in the army, he moved to Neryungri (Sakha Republic), and then to Votkinsk (Udmurtia), where his parents already lived. Sergey graduated from the university, in recent years he worked as a lawyer. He is now retired.\nHaving got acquainted with the Bible, Sergey from the very first lines of this ancient book did not doubt that it was from God. Everything that he learned from it aroused trust and respect. This was exactly what he lacked for all the years he lived. Biblical prophecies, both those that came true in the past and prophecies for the future, impressed Sergey a lot. These and other Bible truths motivated him to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2004, Sergey married Olga, who shares her husband's religious views. She teaches chemistry at an online school. Sergey, as before, is very fond of sports - he tries to work out with a barbell, kettlebells and dumbbells every day. After the illness, the believer does not give up: several times a day he does special breathing exercises and has already resumed home workouts.\nThe criminal prosecution caused Sergey a lot of problems, including health troubles. Shortly before his arrest, he spent 10 days in intensive care due to complications caused by the coronavirus. Sergey has been suffering from diabetes since 2009. Due to house arrest, the believer cannot work. The bank card on which the pension was received was seized during a search. In addition, he was banned from communicating with family and friends on the phone, as well as using the Internet and electronic devices.\n","date":"2021-03-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_62da72774fdcabd5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_542ad66538b035a4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_4d7311a9adb0a384.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gobozev/photo_hu_9bb1b2f7cd5daa8f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gobozev.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Gobozev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2022, archaeologist Georgiy Godizov from Adygeya discovered that his bank accounts were blocked and his name was on the list of extremists. In his absence, the security forces searched the believer's home and workplace. A criminal case was opened against him under an extremist article.\nGeorgiy was born in 1976 in Maykop in the family of an engineer and a doctor. He graduated from a music school with a degree in piano and baritone, composed music, and was also fond of archeology, which led him to the history department of the university.\nIn the early 1990s, George's mother met Jehovah's Witnesses. They helped her see solid evidence for the existence of a Supreme Intelligence. Georgiy began to study the Bible only because he considered it a valuable historical source, but he discovered its depth and in 1994 received Christian baptism from Jehovah's Witnesses. This decision was reflected in the topics of his research, for example, his Ph.D. thesis was devoted to the topic \"The problem of freedom of conscience in the public life of the Kuban (1965-1990)\". It explored the causes and forms of suppression of dissent, including the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOver time, Georgiy’s passion for archeology took over. He headed the scientific department of the museum and became an archaeologist, collaborating with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Thanks to his work, dozens of archaeological sites were identified, and the museum fund was replenished with valuable artifacts.\nSince 2004, Georgiy has been married to Nataliya, whom he met through their common faith. Together, in accordance with the gospel values, they raise two daughters. Children are fond of foreign languages, sports and dancing.\nRelatives, numerous fellow scientists and familiar families are shocked by what happened. They understand that the criminal case against Georgiy is far-fetched and he cannot be called an extremist.\n","date":"2022-09-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/godizov/photo_hu_849c357c7902f365.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/godizov/photo_hu_2bfead9b8f4f49a7.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/godizov/photo_hu_cc37a18c29bf4f80.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/godizov/photo_hu_9e793fd848c8e4c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/godizov.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"Georgiy Godizov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a raid on believers in the Tula region, several people were sent to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is 35-year-old Yevgeniy Godunov. The man is accused of organizing extremist activities only because he continues to believe in Jehovah God.\nYevgeniy was born in 1986 in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory). He is the only child in the family. As a child, Yevgeniy was so fond of reading books that even while studying in the lower grades, he was transferred to the library for high school students. Also, the boy was very fond of animals, pets have always lived in his house.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy studied at a construction college. He worked as a shoe sewing and repairman. Later he acquired skills in the field of apartment renovation and decoration. He was fond of photography and worked in this field for some time. Recently I have been studying to repair TVs and laptops.\nYevgeniy’s mother and grandmother from childhood tried to instill in the boy a love for the Bible and for God. Having matured, Yevgeniy decided to figure out for himself how reasonable it is to believe what is written in this wise book. He understood that the time had come for him to choose his own path in life, and he chose to serve God.\nWhen Yevgeniy was drafted into the army, he defended his right to alternative civilian service (ACS), since taking up arms and learning to fight was contrary to his peace-loving convictions. In the fall of 2004, Yevgeniy was one of the first Russian believers who was sent to the ACS 1800 km from his home (at that time Astrakhan) in the city of Kardymovo (Smolensk region). There he worked in a nursing home for the elderly and disabled for 3 years and 8 months.\nYevgeniy met his future wife Yelena in Sasovo (Ryazan region) in 2010. They got married two years later. Yelena is very hardworking: she likes housekeeping, cooking and handicrafts, caring for animals. Elena, just like Yevgeniy, deeply values the Bible and lives in harmony with Christian moral norms. She shares that this wise book once helped her avoid many mistakes in life. Spouses often host guests, like to play board games, go out into nature.\nYevgeniy’s relatives are very worried about him and wonder how such a benevolent, hardworking and decent person can be persecuted just because he loves God and the Bible.\n","date":"2021-05-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/godunov/photo_hu_4891546fe06e41ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/godunov/photo_hu_515d817cccac5b55.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/godunov/photo_hu_a6ef6df0d8f1ac22.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/godunov/photo_hu_756621cb171c91b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/godunov.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Godunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 20, 2018, in Blagoveshchensk, mass searches took place in the homes of civilians. On the same day, Dmitriy Golik was charged and a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a recognizance agreement Subsequently, it turned out that the operatives installed a listening device in the apartment where he lived with his wife, and for almost six months listened to the details of their personal life.\nDmitriy Golik was born in 1987 in the village of Tohoy (Buryatia). He is the only son in the family. His father was the liquidator of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, his mother worked as an accountant. Dmitriy was fond of playing the guitar and martial arts. He received his law degree, but worked in other fields, in particular as a translator from the Chinese language.\nDmitriy\u0026#39;s entire family began to take an interest in the Bible back in the 1990s. In early childhood, he gladly leafed through the children\u0026#39;s Bible and prayed with the words of the prayer \u0026quot;Our Father\u0026quot;. In his youth, due to his Christian beliefs, Dmitriy asked to replace military service with alternative civilian service in accordance with the law. His request was granted, and he worked as an orderly in a nursing home.\nDmitriy loves sports and tries to keep fit by playing football and training with weights. In 2012, he married Christine, a graphic designer by profession. This friendly family loves to travel, invite guests, and play board games. Together they study Chinese and English.\nThe criminal case against the believer was considered in court for more than a year. In June 2021, the court sentenced Dmitriy to 7 years in a penal colony for songs and prayers to Jehovah God. Just a month after the verdict was passed, Dmitriy\u0026#39;s wife, Kristina, was prosecuted as a defendant in a similar criminal case and later sentenced to forced labor. In April 2025, Golik was released.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/golik/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/golik/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/golik/photo_hu_b6a7e72f9ebe7924.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/golik/photo_hu_b6a7e72f9ebe7924.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/golik.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Golik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Kristina Golik turned out to be a defendant in a criminal case for her faith just a month after her husband Dmitriy was sentenced to 7 years in prison on similar charges. Dmitriy was convoyed to Ussuriysk 1,300 kilometers from home, and Kristina was placed under recognizance not to leave.\nKristina is from Transcarpathia (Ukraine), she was born in the village of Russkoye in 1992. Together with her sisters Irina and Karina, Kristina grew up in a family of Jehovah's Witnesses. On the maternal side, girls are believers in the fifth generation, and on the paternal side, in the third. The sisters of Kristina with their husbands and children still live in Ukraine. The whole family shares a love for the Bible, and this, according to Kristina, makes her \"happier and more united.\"\nKristina says: \"Since childhood, I was a very naughty child, and my parents had a hard time with me... I liked to run around the field, play games with street children on the street, pick flowers and sing than do my homework.\" Nevertheless, the parents tried to raise their daughter by reasoning with her with the help of the Bible. Kristina continues: “My parents never forced [me to become Jehovah's Witness] ... I remember my dad wanted to instill in me a love of creation and talked about the qualities of the Creator. He could, lying with me on the grass in the garden for a long time, tell parables, biblical stories, which greatly influenced me. I realized that Jehovah is a loving, caring Father! \" At a young age, the girl consciously decided to devote her life to serving God.\nAfter school, Kristina studied at the Uzhgorod Art College as a graphic designer, and also took courses as a layout designer. For a while she worked as a housekeeper.\nIn 2010, Kristina met Dmitrшy when he came to Ukraine to visit relatives. Two years later, she married him and moved to Blagoveshchensk. There she, together with her husband, began to learn Chinese, and eventually began to teach it. Kristina is also fond of baking, handicrafts, soap making and sewing, she loves to draw and make decorations from polymer clay.\nFor a while, Kristina and Dmitrшy lived in Vladivostok and Krasnoyarsk. In July 2018, the couple came to Blagoveshchensk to visit their husband's parents, but there they came with a search, Dmitrшy ended up under recognizance not to leave. Because of this, they had to stay in Blagoveshchensk, where Kristina continued to live even after Dmitriy was sentenced.\nFrom the very beginning of the criminal prosecution, the spouses constantly experienced stress due to surveillance, even just an unexpected knock on the door caused anxiety. After Dmitriy was sentenced to imprisonment in a colony, Kristina, in order to visit her husband, each time has to obtain permission from the investigator. She says: “I was preparing for real deadlines, but emotionally it is very difficult to be at a distance with my husband. For nine years of living together, we parted only for ten days, and so we were together all the time. I miss him very much, and absurd accusations against my husband and me take a lot of time and energy. \" Stress took its toll on Kristina’s health. Yet she and her husband try to maintain a positive outlook on their circumstances.\nThe consequences of criminal prosecution of a married couple are also felt by their relatives. Father Dmitry's chronic illness worsened due to stress, and new ones appeared. Dmitry's parents spent many sleepless nights, and the cruel sentence added to the experience.\n","date":"2021-09-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/golikk/photo_hu_eab174b681eed986.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/golikk/photo_hu_67748c85aa5db128.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/golikk/photo_hu_e9da5ec05e380ed1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/golikk/photo_hu_1c55415fa921ae7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/golikk.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Kristina Golik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the Yaroslavl region in July 2022, another criminal case was initiated against peaceful believers — Olga Golovacheva and her mother Yevgenya Samoilova, a disabled person of group III.\nOlga was born in November 1976 in Rybinsk (Yaroslavl region). As a child, she was fond of music and attended piano classes. After school, she graduated from the Rybinsk Aviation College with a degree in Tool Production. She worked in the food industry, then at a flour mill. Olga loves to walk in nature, visits the pool.\nIn 1995, Olga got married. The couple had two children. Now my daughter is an adult, my son is in school.\nIn 2008, Olga's relative told her about the Bible and aroused her interest in this ancient book. Studying the Holy Scriptures, the believer found answers to many questions that concern her. Mom joined Olga in a Bible study and in 2014 together they decided to embark on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution for her faith came as a complete surprise to Olga and her entire family. She worries about her children and elderly mother. Her husband does not share her religious views, but he wonders why this happens.\n","date":"2022-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/golovacheva/photo_hu_fa643487460a0eca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/golovacheva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/golovacheva/photo_hu_6d8fa9ee267065e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/golovacheva/photo_hu_9fc10df83edf66e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/golovacheva.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Olga Golovacheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Soviet times, Anatoliy Gorbunov's father and grandfather were declared \"enemies of the people\" and exiled to Siberia. In 1993, they were rehabilitated, and in 2022, the court recognized Anatoliy himself as an extremist and sentenced him to 6 years in prison only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAnatoliy was born in August 1957 in the village of Dikanka (Ukraine). He has a younger brother. Parents worked hard to feed the family: father in a coal mine, and mother in a cultural center.\nAs a child, Anatoliy was fond of swimming, skiing and hockey, loved physics and mathematics. Graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Higher Command School of Air Defense Radio Electronics. He lived and worked in such places as Inta (Komi), the village of Chernaya (Nenets Autonomous Okrug), as well as in Estonia and Kazakhstan.\nIn 1978 Anatoliy married Galina. The marriage produced two children. From 1978 to 1983 he served in the army. After his dismissal, he moved to Krasnoyarsk with his family. Later he worked as an electrician, welder, power engineer. Now retired.\nSpouses have always been interested in the question of whether God exists from the point of view of science. Having found the answer to it, in 1996 Anatoliy and Galina decided to become Christians.\nA criminal case and a harsh sentence completely changed the life of the spouses. Relatives consider the persecution of Anatoliy unfair and illegal.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_6d4e79789d79b05b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_20c52b4420154094.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gorbunov/photo_hu_c2bcb6c14c1c1936.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gorbunov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Gorbunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mikhail Gordeev became another victim of criminal prosecution for his faith in Petrozavodsk when FSB officers detained him right at his workplace on September 5, 2019. Instead of work, the believer was interrogated for 4 hours, after which he was placed under recognizance not to leave. What is known about this man?\nMikhail was born in Petrozavodsk (Karelia) in 1959, he has a brother Alexander. Mikhail's parents worked all their lives at the Onega Tractor Plant, his father was a turner, and his mother was an engineer. Mikhail grew up as an ordinary boy, loved sports, especially swimming, was fond of music and technology. After graduating from the motor transport technical school, he received the specialty of a road builder. After working for some time as a road foreman, he retrained as a driver, which he still does.\nWhen Mikhail was introduced to the Bible in the mid-1990s, he was amazed at what he learned. Positive changes in his personality over time prompted his family to take a more interest in this book. In 1999, Mikhail started a family with Elizaveta, a livestock breeder by profession. The couple is raising two daughters. Both parents and children are very fond of pets.\nThe unfair criminal prosecution for the faith affected Mikhail's entire family, adversely affecting the physical and mental health of its members, especially the eldest daughter, who is very worried about her father. At work, colleagues and management deeply sympathize with Mikhail, try in every possible way to support. Relatives and friends of the family are of great help.\nHowever, the unjust persecution did not come as a complete surprise to Michael and Elizabeth, as they are convinced that this is how Bible prophecy is fulfilled. Mikhail and his wife hope to withstand the difficulties with dignity.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_aa496881c7ac1b3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_a95e5ab556f8786b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_d8caa76802c0d5fc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gordeev/photo_hu_6c33d4395a59391b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gordeev.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Gordeev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2020, a series of searches took place in the homes of peaceful believers in the Rostov region. One of the victims of law enforcement was Aleksey Goreliy. The day after the raid, he was placed in a pre-trial detention center, and in September 2022, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in a penal colony just because of his faith.\nAleksey was born in 1980 in Ryazan. A year later he moved to Gukovo (Rostov region) with his mother and grandmother. Since childhood, the boy was curious, fond of architecture, built models of sailing ships, and studied history.\nAfter school Aleksey graduated with honors from the construction technical school, where he obtained the profession of accountant-lawyer. Later, he graduated with correspondence from the University of Economics, specialty \u0026quot;Finance and Credit\u0026quot;. Worked as a tax inspector, deputy head of the department of desk audits, and recently, before criminal prosecution—as a chief accountant in the production of dish soap.\nAleksey got acquainted with the Bible when he was 9 years old. His mother and grandmother from a young age tried to teach the boy love for this ancient book. Knowledge of biblical truths helps Aleksey to lead a meaningful life and have reasonable hope for the future.\nIn 2011, Aleksey married Inna. A son was born in the marriage, who in 2020 went to first grade. Criminal prosecution had a serious impact on his family\u0026#39;s usual way of life. Alexey was the sole breadwinner, so his mother, a disabled person of group II, had to move to Rostov-on-Don to help around the house and take care of his grandson while Inna looked for a suitable job.\nIn November 2025, Aleksey Goreliy was released after almost 5.5 years behind bars. His wife and son missed Aleksey very much, because before they never had to part for a long time. The employer wanted to support Aleksey\u0026#39;s family, provided them with practical help. He was outraged by the criminal prosecution of this law-abiding believer. Aleksey\u0026#39;s neighbors also know him as a peaceful and decent person.\n","date":"2020-10-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/goreliy/photo_hu_71c6151383f02684.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/goreliy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/goreliy/photo_hu_81489471e954b778.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/goreliy/photo_hu_c85d1d0646d55aa5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/goreliy.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Goreliy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gorelov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Gorelov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Gridasov is one of six Saratov residents who served a court-ordered sentence for believing in Jehovah God. On July 29, 2021, he left the colony.\nRoman was born in 1978 in Saratov. He has a younger sister. In his youth, he was fond of sports - he was engaged in running, biathlon, cycling, wrestling. He often went hiking. After school, he received the specialty of technician-technologist-builder. He worked in the field of construction and finishing works. In his spare time, he plays the accordion, still loves nature and travel, especially in the Caucasus.\nRoman's wife's name is Elvira, they got married in 2011. Elvira sews clothes and loves to make gifts for friends with her own hands.\nWhen Roman began to study the Holy Scriptures, he saw how the Bible changes people's behavior and thinking for the better. Oddly enough, it was Christian beliefs that served as the reason for the fact that a criminal case was opened against Roman. The court found the believer guilty of extremism without evidence and sentenced him to 2 years in prison. Relatives were shocked that he was considered a criminal only because of his convictions - nothing but talking about the Bible, Roman was not charged.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gridasov/photo_hu_e800fa1152e3341e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gridasov/photo_hu_fda382922994e234.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gridasov/photo_hu_d4fecbfccff18088.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gridasov/photo_hu_719081ad153da7d0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gridasov.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Gridasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Grinenko is one of Jehovah's Witnesses who are persecuted for their faith in Primorye Territory. In May 2020, a criminal case was opened against him, a search was conducted in the house where the believer lives with elderly parents, and he was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\nYevgeny was born in October 1970 in the small town of Lesozavodsk, located 350 kilometers north of Vladivostok. He has a younger brother and sister. The father of the family worked as a driver most of his life, now retired. His mother worked as a machine operator in the woodworking industry, and after suffering a stroke she is on disability.\nDuring his school years, Eugene was fond of sawing with a jigsaw and wood burning. Over time, his childhood hobby became a profession: after graduating from the Primorsky College of Forest Technologies, Economics and Transport, he received a degree in mechanical engineering for setting up woodworking equipment.\nAfter serving in the army, Yevgeny returned to his hometown, where he made laminate for cabinet furniture. From 1994 until his arrest, he worked as an operator of wood drying kilns.\nSince 1997, Eugene began to get acquainted with the Bible, and after 2 years he embarked on the Christian path.\nYevgeniy loved sports from his youth. His hobbies were basketball and motocross. Now, due to problems with the hip joint, he cannot move much and lead an active lifestyle: fishing, picking mushrooms and relaxing in nature, as before.\nThe criminal prosecution undermined Yevgeny's health. The IVS did not have the necessary medicines and his condition immediately worsened. After leaving the pre-trial detention center after 2 months, Yevgeniy registered a disability, as he could no longer move without a cane. Due to house arrest, he was left without a job.\nYevgeny's relatives, who do not share his religious convictions, worry about him and wonder why this peaceful man is being persecuted.\n","date":"2022-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/grinenko/photo_hu_210fee7f7595af4b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/grinenko/photo_hu_f8f6c4a6aaad2d11.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/grinenko/photo_hu_1970a9006d4b29b1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/grinenko/photo_hu_ca2dd7d41abba9fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/grinenko.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Evgeny Grinenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov from Kazan learned that a criminal case had been opened against him when, in March 2022, law enforcement officers unexpectedly detained him and his wife at a Moscow airport. The Gromovs\u0026#39; apartment was searched, the head of the family was sent to jail, where he remained until the verdict in February 2023. The judge\u0026#39;s verdict was harsh—6 years and 1 month in prison.\nSergey was born in 1969 in Kazan, he has a twin brother. Parents divorced early, and the boys were raised by their grandmother. In his youth, Sergey became interested in playing the guitar, composing poetry and music. He graduated from a vocational technical school with a degree in graphic design, worked in a framing workshop.\nIn 1990, Sergey married Yelena. She is a physician by education and worked in surgery. The couple raised a son and a daughter. They like to do household chores together, relax, receive guests. In 1994, they also decided to study the Bible together. At that time, Sergey did not believe in God, because, as he said, he had never seen him. But after examining the scientific and biblical evidence for the existence of a loving Creator, he became a believer. The couple instilled a love for the Bible in their children.\nMusic is still an integral part of Sergey\u0026#39;s life: he plays the guitar and often sings with family and friends. He also studies the Georgian language and draws. Together with his family, Sergey loves to be in nature.\nCriminal prosecution has become stressful for the whole family. Relatives who do not share Sergey\u0026#39;s religious views wonder how such a benevolent and peace-loving person could be accused of extremism. In their opinion, he would never have done anything extremist because of his beliefs based on the Holy Scriptures.\n","date":"2022-03-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gromov/photo_hu_ad89bd516c8bb925.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gromov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gromov/photo_hu_7aab04bd717a5028.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gromov/photo_hu_a76b3a5d84bf7ed0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gromov.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Gromov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Back in Soviet times, Kristina Gruzdeva's grandmother was repressed on ethnic grounds and spent 19 years in prison. Now, in modern Russia, Kristina also faced unfair persecution, but in her case, for her faith in Jehovah God.\nKristina was born in September 1983 in Kurgan. His father worked as an electrician, his mother was an engineer-physicist by education. For many years, the woman worked at the Kurgan Center for Standardization and Metrology. The father did not take an active part in the life of the children, so mother, basically, raised them alone. Kristina has a younger brother.\nAs a child, Kristina studied ballet, in high school she fell in love with reading, especially Russian classical literature. She graduated in psychology. After university, she worked for some time by profession in a kindergarten. Kristina now works as a housekeeper.\nKristina’s grandmother was a religious person, she taught her daughter traditions and customs, which she carried to her family, although she was an atheist. Growing up, the children began to ask their mother questions about the existence of God, about the meaning of religious symbols and traditions. To answer them, Kristina’s mother began reading the Bible in 1994. Two years later, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses. From childhood, Kristina was interested in the Bible, she was captivated by the consistency of this book and its consistency with science, as well as the practicality of Bible advice for a modern person. In 2000, Kristina and her brother also embarked on the Christian path.\nIn 2005, Kristina married Maksim, who shares her outlook on life. A year after the wedding, the couple moved to Berezovsky (Sverdlovsk region). In 2016, their daughter was born. The Gruzdevs lead an active lifestyle, love to go hiking together, although the daughter does not share this love yet. The girl loves to paint. Kristina is fond of needlework and sewing, learns German, loves theater and ballet.\nAfter the search, Kristina is afraid of separation from her child, worries if she and her family are being followed. The believer recalls: \"The day after the search, for the first time in my life, I learned what a panic attack is.\"\nKristina’s mother and mother-in-law, who is not Jehovah's Witness, are outraged that peaceful people are being unjustly persecuted. Kristina’s brother shared: \"When I was collecting documents confirming that my grandmother was repressed in the Soviet Union because of her nationality, I could not even imagine that my sister living in a democratic country would be persecuted on religious grounds.\"\n","date":"2021-10-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gruzdeva/photo_hu_2d2f4d3818bcce3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gruzdeva/photo_hu_4c48b1d446e2de7e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gruzdeva/photo_hu_a5368fd9a7d99afe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gruzdeva/photo_hu_b44671b0456fc50d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gruzdeva.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Kristina Gruzdeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2020, Andrey Gubin was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAndrey was born in 1974 in the city of Saran (Kazakhstan). He has an elder brother and sister. As a child, Andrey was fond of sports, music and dreamed of learning to play musical instruments.\nAfter school, Andrey worked at a factory as a locksmith's apprentice, helping the family financially. He acquired several specialties: from a turner to a driver of heavy equipment. In his free time he was fond of poetry and wrote poetry.\nSpeaking in court, Andrey emphasized: \"For five years I worked as a janitor and cleaned the territory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the city department, riot police and other objects of state power of particular importance. I did not participate in any subversive activities while working there. The fact that I have worked in these organizations indicates that I can be trusted, that I am an honest and decent person, that I respect the authorities.\nIn his youth, faced with injustice and evil, Andrey became hot-tempered and wanted to leave school. But, having learned from the Bible that the Creator wants to restore justice on earth, he found peace in his heart, the meaning of life and found answers to his questions.\nAndrey spent his young years in Khabarovsk. In 2007, he married Tatyana, and in 2011 the family moved to Birobidzhan, where they still live. By applying Bible principles, spouses can cope with life's adversities and keep their marriage strong and happy.\nThe criminal prosecution had a bad effect on Tatyana's health — chronic diseases worsened, sleep was disturbed. Relatives worry about Andrey and Tatiana and support them as best they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gubin/photo_hu_1ebba48695b2fa48.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gubin/photo_hu_8a929fa85be38f2c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gubin/photo_hu_6282c922cdb0cd77.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gubin/photo_hu_630693171cd3b59c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gubin.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Gubin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Gurskiy became one of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sent to a detention center after a large-scale raid on Voronezh Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the summer of 2020. After 5.5 years of criminal prosecution, the court sent the believer to a penal colony for 6 years, considering his guilt in extremism proven.\nValeriy was born in 1963 in Voronezh. He grew up with two brothers, the younger and the older ones. As a child, he was fond of athletics and studied birds. After studying at the aviation school, he worked mainly in the field of repair: as a finisher of premises, a sewing machine operator, and an assembler of plastic windows.\nIn his spare time, Valeriy grows grapes and makes wine, collects mushrooms, gardening. He is still fascinated by bird watching. The man often helps neighbors and friends with the repair of faulty devices. \u0026quot;If something is broken, go to Valera. He will gladly fix it, and the thing will be like new,\u0026quot; his friends say.\nIn the 1990s, Valeriy worked as a security guard, and he had a lot of time to read. Among the books he found one about God. After reading it overnight, he realized that he had learned something important and began to study the Bible.\nIn 1988, Valeriy met his future wife, Tatyana. The woman is a vegetable agronomist by education, but no longer works, is on the second disability group.\nThe criminal prosecution became stressful for the Gurskiy family and their loved ones. Everyone who knows Valeriy is worried about the unfair treatment of this soulful and meek man.\nIn his final plea, the believer said: \u0026quot;I never imagined that I would be honored with such a great honor to stand up for God\u0026#39;s good name in court and to preach his kingdom to you. It warms my heart to think that I am not here because of some mistake of mine, not because I stole something or beat someone. No, I have not violated either the law of God or the law of man, so my conscience is clear.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2020-07-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gurskiy/photo_hu_84c11f4b1318ce01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gurskiy/photo_hu_60cca8f835cbd3a5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gurskiy/photo_hu_2cc308675327bf33.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gurskiy/photo_hu_8dc7f21ee3a30695.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gurskiy.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Gurskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Gusev, a resident of Krasnoyarsk, was brought in as a witness in a case against another believer, Vitaly Sukhov, in 2020. Two years later, a criminal case was also opened against Igor himself under an extremist article.\nIgor was born in 1964 in Krasnoyarsk. His father worked at the Krasnoyarsk combine plant in the foundry, his mother worked as an accountant. As a child, Igor was fond of team sports: football, hockey, volleyball. He loved physical education lessons.\nAfter working for a year at the combine plant, Igor entered the Krasnoyarsk Polytechnic Institute. After graduation, he worked for 3 years as a foreman, then as a turner on numerically controlled machines, and later, until 2015, in the construction industry. In recent years, Igor has been working in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order.\nIgor got acquainted with the Bible in the early 1990s. The study of the Holy Scriptures helped him find peace of mind and peace, and in 1994 he decided to become a Christian.\nFaced with persecution for his faith, Igor remains calm, drawing strength from the examples of courage and resilience of Jehovah's Witnesses who survived religious persecution in the Soviet Union and went through exile and camps.\n","date":"2022-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_982537c8c5670aa5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gusev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_6c56d867837f28a4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gusev/photo_hu_75272b1e2b443a9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gusev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Gusev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The reputation of Kirill Gushchin from Kabardino-Balkaria suffered when local television broadcast a story about the initiation of a criminal case against him under an \"extremist\" article. Later, the believer's wife, Svetlana, also came to the attention of the security forces. The life of a married couple was divided into before and after, when on May 20, 2020, armed FSB officers broke into their house. Kirill recalls that during the search he experienced a nervous shock.\nKirill was born in December 1981 in the town of Maysky. He has an elder brother. As a child, Kirill attended the athletics section, loved to play football and basketball. He worked as a lifeguard on a city lake.\nReturning from the army, Kirill unlearned to be a welder, worked for some time in his specialty. In 2004, he married Svetlana, who shares his views. Since 2005, Kirill has been working as a plumber, installing plumbing and heating systems in the private sector. In his free time, he likes to relax in nature and play football.\nIn the early 2000s, Kirill heard the idea that Christ could not be born in winter. This haunted him, and he decided to go to the library in search of reliable information. To his surprise, the library materials only confirmed this information. Kirill seriously engaged in the study of the Holy Scriptures and soon decided to devote his life to serving God.\nDue to frequent calls to the Investigative Committee, it became more difficult for Kirill to carry out his work. Relatives and friends of the family, including Kirill's customers, who know him well, are perplexed because of what is happening and are outraged by the actions of law enforcement agencies. The believer hopes that the regional courts, which had previously sided with Jehovah's Witnesses Arkadya Akopyan and Yuriy Zalipayev, will remove the label of an extremist from him.\n","date":"2021-07-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gushchin/photo_hu_f680b25f70ec787c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gushchin/photo_hu_8438fa34961f3a93.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gushchin/photo_hu_82362c2a6fb21ee5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gushchin/photo_hu_1fe0f4f9c1c08153.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gushchin.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Kirill Gushchin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 20, 2020, the life of Svetlana Gushchina and her family changed dramatically. She learned that criminal proceedings had been instituted against her and her husband Kirill for believing in Jehovah God.\nSvetlana was born in January 1971 in the city of Prokhladny, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR). Her mother is an accountant by profession, and her father is a participant in the liquidation of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Svetlana has a younger brother.\nAs a child, she was engaged in dancing, aerobics, collecting stamps. After school, she received the profession of \"cooking technician\". She worked in a dining room. In the 2000s, she changed her profession, becoming an insurance agent.\nDuring her life, Svetlana changed her place of residence several times. As a child, she moved with her parents to the village of Maysky (KBR). Later, she also lived in the Urals, Transbaikalia, Belgorod, after which she returned to Maysky.\nAt the age of 31, Svetlana firmly decided to become a Christian after deeply studying the Bible and making sure that God fulfills all his promises and answers prayers.\nSvetlana has a daughter. In 2004, Svetlana married Kirill. The couple together with their daughter and her husband love to relax in nature.\nThe search and criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Svetlana's health. \"After the search,\" she says, \"I experienced a strong nervous shock.\" Parents, other relatives and neighbors consider the criminal prosecution of peaceful people for their faith in God unfair.\n","date":"2021-07-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/gushchina/photo_hu_23b783f213bd711d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/gushchina/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/gushchina/photo_hu_816d1ca1ee0ccea3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/gushchina/photo_hu_ea1a07300148c9a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/gushchina.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Svetlana Gushchina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"More than 20 criminal cases for faith were opened in Birobidzhan. Among those accused of extremism were Konstantin Guzev and his wife Anastasiya. The investigation lasted about 5 months, then the case was considered in court for over a year. In February 2021, a believer was given a suspended sentence of two and a half years on the basis of secret video footage of worship services and testimony from a police officer depicting an interest in the Bible.\nKonstantin Guzev was born in 1964 in Khabarovsk. He has two sisters. In his youth, he was fond of active sports and drawing. After school, he received the specialties of an electrician and a gas welder, and later mastered many skills in the field of construction and repair. Recently, Konstantin was a worker at a music school, and his wife Anastasiya worked there as a cleaner.\nKonstantin grew up in an unfavorable environment - his father often drank and beat his mother. In the end, the family fell apart. Konstantin often had questions about the meaning of life and did not find answers to them. He lived recklessly, trying to find solace in alcohol and drugs.\nStudying the Bible helped Konstantin get answers to all his questions, abandon a destructive lifestyle and create a happy marriage. However, due to the 2017 Supreme Court decision, the family faced discrimination on religious grounds - both spouses were forced to resign, arguing that there was no place for “extremists” in a children's institution.\nBecause of the recognizance not to leave, Konstantin could not normally communicate with his relatives, since they all live in Khabarovsk. Although his relatives and friends do not share his religious beliefs, they wonder how such sentences can be passed on peaceful people just for believing in Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/guzev/photo_hu_9f62f7c4a0177b59.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/guzev/photo_hu_1bb0bc35bc9ebf8c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/guzev/photo_hu_c37c60ea8dac1cfc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/guzev/photo_hu_c2eefbf4d9d27f02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/guzev.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Konstantin Guzev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anastasia Guzeva is one of the residents of Birobidzhan, against whom criminal cases were initiated in February 2020. She, like other peaceful women, is suspected of extremism. What do we know about her?\nAnastasia was born in 1979 in Birobidzhan. She has two brothers. All three were raised by their mother alone. Anastasia loved to study, read a lot, went in for sports and ballroom dancing.\nAt the age of 10, Anastasia discovered a Bible from her grandmother. The inquisitive girl had many questions. Thus began her personal journey of seeking God. Over time, she and her mother began to study this Bible seriously. In 1995, they were baptized together in Christianity.\nIn 2001, Anastasia married Konstantin, who moved to Birobidzhan from Khabarovsk. Konstantin was engaged in the decoration of apartments, Anastasia tried her hand at maintaining her own grocery store.\nThe Guzevs never hid the fact that they were believers. When they were searched for the first time in May 2018, it was a real shock for Anastasia. Another blow was the initiation of a criminal case against Konstantin in July 2019. Finally, in 2020, a case was initiated against Anastasia herself. The criminal prosecution destroyed the usual way of life of a peaceful family and confused numerous relatives, including Anastasia's 71-year-old mother.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/guzeva/photo_hu_48d195e1896bb627.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/guzeva/photo_hu_6a347077cb730711.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/guzeva/photo_hu_387a60e258985752.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/guzeva/photo_hu_4fbd62e6dd1ee3b8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/guzeva.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Guzeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ilyinykh was prosecuted for his faith in the fall of 2019, a year later than his mother, Olga Opaleva. They were both accused of extremism and given suspended sentences for their beliefs.\nVitaliy was born in 1974. From childhood, he thought about why people die and what happens at death, but did not find an answer to his question. Spiritual search continued for many years, until in the mid-1990s he began to read the Bible, in which he found answers to all his questions. Vitaliy struggled with bad habits for three years, which helped him to break with a deep study of the Scriptures.\nVitaliy studied at the Higher Police School of Khabarovsk. He worked as an escort in the internal affairs bodies. Together with his wife Irina, he loves to relax in nature, enjoying the beautiful views of Primorye.\nThanks to the Bible, Vitaliy found the meaning of life and real friends, but he could not even think that because of this he would be subjected to criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ilinych/photo_hu_b9d122c569475fce.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ilinych/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ilinych/photo_hu_9fa2aaa3a5ba76bf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ilinych/photo_hu_16d53abb5a27ea8d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ilinych.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vitaliy Ilinykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, Yunona Ilyasova from Snezhnogorsk, a mother of three little children, was searched and interrogated at night. The investigation regarded her religion as a grave crime against society and the state.\nYunona was born in May 1985 in the city of Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk region). Her mother is an engineer at a shipyard. Her father works as a driver. She has a younger brother. As a child, Yunona was actively involved in sports, attended several sections: alpine and cross-country skiing, athletics. She received a sports category in athletics, took part in numerous competitions.\nYunona studied to be a special education teacher for working with preschool children, and later retrained as a speech therapist and worked in a kindergarten for almost 10 years. Now she takes care of children, monitors health and proper nutrition, bakes bread, creates various desserts and blogs on this topic.\nYunona grew up in a religious family: from childhood, her mother instilled in her and her brother Christian values. Therefore, at a young age, she decided that she would adhere to a Christian lifestyle: regularly study the Bible, communicate with fellow believers, and share religious beliefs with others.\nIn 2011, Juno married Rais, the couple had three children, who at the time of the initiation of the criminal case against the believer were 2, 4 and 6 years old. Rais respects his wife's religious views.\nThe criminal prosecution added a lot of worries and worries to the life of a large family: Yunona is afraid of losing her job because of this. Rais supports her husband at this difficult time for her.\n","date":"2021-09-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ilyasova/photo_hu_9cb8695257e9917a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ilyasova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ilyasova/photo_hu_c7b2b0cc97be3868.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ilyasova/photo_hu_73f80e5411bb5bae.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ilyasova.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yunona Ilyasova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alexandr Inozemtsev is a peaceful family man from Perm who had to defend his good name in the courts. In 2021, he was found guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization and the court sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation.\nAlexandr was born in 1972 in Kostanay (Kazakhstan). He has a brother and sister. As a child, Alexandr was fond of drawing and wood burning, playing hockey, football, skiing and skating. In the summer, he liked to go fishing with dad and uncle.\nAlexandr's first profession is an electrician. After serving in the army, he worked as a car mechanic, driver, loader. In the late 90s, Alexandr moved from Kazakhstan to Russia. In Perm he studied and worked as a locksmith, and also was engaged in apartment renovation.\nSince childhood, Alexandr has been troubled by questions about death and injustice. Reading the Bible, he found simple, but at the same time logical answers to them.\nIn 2017, Alexandr married Olesya. Olesya works as a hairdresser, loves to knit and sew. The couple are raising Olesya's daughter from her first marriage together. The whole family of the Inozemtsevs loves to skate, bicycles, walk along the embankment in Perm in the evening.\nFaced with criminal prosecution, Alexandr felt tension, uncertainty and anxiety. At the trial, he emphacized: “Neither the Bible, nor the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses teach or call for violence, revenge, extremism, enmity, disobedience to the authorities. These are peaceful people who are able to lend a helping hand to the people around them, to help both with a kind word and in deed.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/inozemtsev/photo_hu_a9db9e5020f99df0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/inozemtsev/photo_hu_fe38ae8c68ce345c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/inozemtsev/photo_hu_20393ca02a646df5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/inozemtsev/photo_hu_3fe405c7fded4afe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/inozemtsev.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Inozemtsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Igor Petrov. What do we know about him? Igor was born in 1969 in the village of Turdakovo (Poretsky district of the Chuvash Republic). The oldest child in the family, he has a brother and sister. He spent his childhood in the city of Shymkent (Kazakhstan). Igor loved to carve wood and sew clothes. He was educated as a cabinetmaker and furniture maker. In 1994 he moved to the city of Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) in search of work. There he worked hard as a carpenter, mason. Now he works as a forklift driver at Surgutneftegaz. A few years after the move, Igor met his future wife, Larisa. The young people were deeply touched by the beauty and practicality of life-changing biblical principles. Soon they were both determined to live as the Scriptures taught. Igor and Larisa got married in 2001, two years later a son, Matvey, was born in the family. The couple love to spend time with their teenage son, play board games, relax in nature, travel. When Igor's mother found out that a criminal case had been opened against her son because of his faith, she was extremely outraged and upset. It is difficult for her to understand how such terrible accusations could fall on a simple, kind and hardworking person.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ipetrov/photo_hu_a6be16a70c2bf0e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ipetrov/photo_hu_601ed658d4960ff6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ipetrov/photo_hu_395eea87a0811a1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ipetrov/photo_hu_3ef0c3f815cec6c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ipetrov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Petrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor was born in 1966 in Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region). His older brother is no longer alive. As a child, Igor was fond of skiing, orienteering and rafting on mountain rivers.\nAfter graduating from a vocational school, Igor worked as a plaster painter and plumber. Served in the army. \u0026quot;From an early age, he worked honestly, never hid even from hard work; he made furniture for people so that people could rest; he built houses so that they would have a place to live; built kindergartens and schools so that children could learn and be useful to people\u0026quot;, said the man, describing his work experience.\nIn 1988, Igor married Luciena, the couple had a daughter, Yelizaveta. In the early 2000s, the man decided to bring his life in line with Christian values, thanks to the study of the Holy Scriptures. He said: \u0026quot;Studying the Bible, I learned to love people, to get rid of envy, malice and hatred . . . found answers to many of his questions and found out: what is the meaning of life; what happens at death; why we get sick, grow old and eventually die; found practical advice on how to create family happiness; how to find joy in work and build relationships with people around you. Through reading and studying the Bible, I have been able to develop the qualities that the Creator wants to see in all people, such as meekness, kindness, self-control, and patience. It has benefited both me and my family.\u0026quot;\nIn their free time, the couple likes to relax together in nature. Before his arrest, due to Luciena\u0026#39;s health condition, Igor spent a lot of time caring for his wife. The criminal prosecution of her husband had a negative impact on the woman\u0026#39;s health.\n","date":"2020-08-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ipopov/photo_hu_5deec330be661240.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ipopov/photo_hu_9d1dd063ece0c69c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ipopov/photo_hu_2a5741365840251e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ipopov/photo_hu_cbbb1621bf1ec2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ipopov.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Igor Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Criminal prosecution for faith is another misfortune that befell the family of Anatoly Isakov, a disabled person of group II. In 2017, his 28-year-old son died, and in July 2021, the believer was searched and, despite his serious health condition, was placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAnatoliy was born in August 1964 in Kurgan. As a child, he was engaged in judo, took part in sports competitions both in Kurgan and in other cities of the country. After school, he went to work at the Kurgan Machine-Building Plant (KMZ) and at the same time entered the correspondence department at the Kurgan Machine-Building Institute, from which he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked at KMZ as a foreman, ventilator, and also as a roofer in the brigade.\nThroughout his youth, Anatoliy did not abandon his passion for sports: he was engaged in weightlifting, bodybuilding, and competed for his plant. He still leads a healthy lifestyle. His hobbies include music and reading. He especially enjoys playing the guitar, reading classical and educational literature.\nAnatoliy has always felt a spiritual thirst. In 1993, when he first picked up the Bible, he became interested in its teachings and began to study them deeply. He learned that, according to the Holy Scriptures, there is a Creator who has a plan for the earth and humanity, and that people are not a product of evolution. Anatoliy had a meaning in life.\nIn 1988, after the army, Anatoliy married Tatyana, whom he had known since school. After graduating from college, his wife has been working at KMZ all her life. In marriage, the couple had two children.\nTatiana is described as a good housewife, caring wife and mother. At first, she did not share her husband's religious beliefs and even began to study the Bible to prove the uselessness of his \"hobby\". However, over time, Tatiana's accumulated knowledge and life experience helped her to become convinced of the opposite, and she also became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2015, Anatoliy fell seriously ill and was bedridden for about a year. He got a disability and left his job, as he needs constant treatment for cancer. The sudden death of his son was a strong shock.\nRelatives are worried about the unfair criminal prosecution of Anatoly. They are especially concerned about his state of health and whether he is being provided with the necessary medical assistance in the pre-trial detention center. Prisoners are obliged to follow the requirements of the staff of the pre-trial detention center, including physical exertion that is unbearable for Anatoly: he can hardly move, he is not able to walk in the ranks at the required speed.\nDue to the arrest of Anatoly, the course of chemotherapy was interrupted, which he is forced to constantly undergo in the fight against oncology. Thus, criminal prosecution poses a real threat to Isakov's life.\n","date":"2021-08-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_7d0d2cd721c7e33f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_ed81b61d5c5e1da8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_3444edadde403aa1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/isakov/photo_hu_fa7cb7b630360fba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/isakov.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Isakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 30, 2019, the law enforcement agencies of Birobidzhan opened a new criminal case for believing in God. His defendant was Igor Tsarev. The investigation lasted about 5 months, and then for more than a year the believer defended his good name in court. The court sentenced the father of his minor daughter to 2.5 years of probation only because of his faith. An appeal in Birobidzhan upheld the verdict.\nHe was born in 1974 in the village of Birakan, Obluchensky district (Jewish Autonomous Region), near the border with China. He has two younger sisters. As a teenager, while at school, Igor began working to help his family. During the summer holidays, he worked on cutting down trees, in a carpentry shop, and helped his father work as an electrician. He liked to spend his free time in nature, fishing, riding a moped. After school, he went to study at DOSAAF, where he received the specialty of a driver, and immediately went into the army. Then he worked as a driver, furniture assembler and electrician.\nEven in the army, Igor began to think about the meaning of life. I wanted to understand and understand whether God really exists and how to come to him. \"I even prayed as best I could,\" he recalls. After the army, Igor, together with his father, tried to find answers to their questions, and the search led to the Bible.\nIn 1998, Igor married Viktoria, and they moved to Birobidzhan together. The couple are raising a schoolgirl daughter. The criminal case completely changed the lives of these law-abiding people. \"Very soon, with the verdict of the court, my life will change dramatically,\" says Igor. - Yes, it has already changed! I have restrictions on movement, as I am under recognizance not to leave. And at work, I had to explain to my boss why law enforcement agencies have an increased interest in me. The company's management is at a loss as to why I am being persecuted for my faith. Although they themselves answer this question: \"Christians have always been persecuted.\"\nIgor's relatives are also discouraged by the current situation and are very worried about him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/itsarev/photo_hu_87eef5210379e839.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/itsarev/photo_hu_caebf438fec89694.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/itsarev/photo_hu_83a899d9587c9618.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/itsarev/photo_hu_44ff9d2ab6d7927d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/itsarev.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Tsarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aidar Yulmetyev was born in 1993 in Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan). He grew up in a family of builders and learned construction skills from them. He also studied to be an auto mechanic, worked in both specialties. He is fond of music, studied at a music school.\nAidar has younger brothers and a sister. The head of this large family, Marat Khalimovich, was the first to seriously think about the Bible when he became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses. Seeing major positive changes in his parents, Aidar also became interested in the teachings of the Bible.\nAidar has nothing to do with the extremist activities imputed to him. Moreover, the conscience brought up according to the Bible does not allow Aidar to take up arms. He proved to the draft board that military service was contrary to his beliefs, so he was able to give his civic duty by performing alternative civilian service.\nIn 2013, Aidar got married. Until his unjust arrest, Aidar and Albina, like any young family, worked side by side for the benefit of themselves and others, were friends, dreamed, made plans. Relatives and friends of this peace-loving young man are shocked by the accusation of extremism brought against him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/iulmetev/photo_hu_4a88833aab9bae9a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/iulmetev/photo_hu_f768cb7f407ee0f0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/iulmetev/photo_hu_bd6479f343d3c575.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/iulmetev/photo_hu_49c47897be10dd0d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/iulmetev.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Aydar Yulmetyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the Sakhalin Region, a criminal case was opened against Vyacheslav Ivanov. The court gave him a two-year suspended sentence only because of his faith.\nVyacheslav was born in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1970 in a family of simple workers. He has an elder brother and sister. As a child, Vyacheslav loved outdoor games and sports, enjoyed playing football, tennis, hockey, and was engaged in chasing. After school, he served in the army and received a diploma in radio engineering at a nautical school, then worked as an electrician. Since 2013, he has been an individual entrepreneur in the field of apartment renovation.\nFor some time, Vyacheslav lived in Magadan and Vladivostok, but then returned to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to take care of his seriously ill mother, which he did until her death in 2018.\nEven at school, Vyacheslav was interested in history, he wanted to know how everything appeared. \u0026quot;It was bitter that I would never know about it, and I even cried because of it,\u0026quot; he recalls. \u0026quot;And when an armed conflict broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh after the collapse of the USSR, I thought: where does evil come from? After all, everyone wants peace and happiness. I began to look for the answer in historical literature, but I realized that we had to go from Creation. I\u0026#39;ve heard that the Bible is an extraordinary book. By researching it, I found the answer to a question that had been bothering me for a long time.\u0026quot;\nAt the end of 2007, Vyacheslav met his future wife Irina, and 9 months later they got married. She grows house flowers, knits, draws, loves to sing. Irina has two adult children who live in another city. The spouses are happy to be in nature, by the fire on the seashore, go to the forest for berries, play board games.\nThe criminal prosecution radically changed the life of the married couple. Irina\u0026#39;s chronic illness worsened due to a stressful situation. The relatives of the spouses are perplexed why such a peace-loving and sympathetic person was recognized as an extremist.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivanov/photo_hu_74a4be0965f19edb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivanov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivanov/photo_hu_40721fe85be4c9ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivanov/photo_hu_facf7922f1966951.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivanov.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Vyacheslav Ivanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the Sakhalin region, the persecution of civilians for their passion for the Bible continues. Another criminal case was initiated in the city of Nevelsk against Vyacheslav Ivanov. What is known about him?\nVyacheslav was born in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1970 in a family of ordinary workers. He has an older brother and sister. As a child, he loved outdoor games and sports, enjoyed playing football, tennis, hockey. In the house of pioneers he was engaged in coinage. After school, he served in the army and received a diploma in radio engineering at a nautical school, worked as an electrician. Since 2013 he has been an individual entrepreneur in the field of apartment renovation.\nFor some time Vyacheslav lived in Magadan and Vladivostok, but then returned to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to take care of his seriously ill mother. He did this until her death in 2018.\nWhile still at school, Vyacheslav was keenly interested in history, wanted to know how everything appeared. \"It was bitter that I would never know about it, and even cried because of it,\" he recalls. - And when an armed conflict arose in Nagorno-Karabakh after the collapse of the USSR, I thought: where does evil come from? After all, everyone wants peace and happiness. I began to look for the answer in the historical literature, but I realized that we had to go from Creation. I have heard that the Bible is an extraordinary book. By researching it, I got an answer to a question that had been bothering me for a long time.\nAt the end of 2007, Vyacheslav met his future wife Irina, and 9 months later they got married. She plants home flowers, knits, draws perfectly, loves to sing. She has two adult children who live in another city. Irina and Vyacheslav are happy to be in nature, by the fire on the seashore, go to the forest for berries, play board games.\nThe criminal prosecution radically changed the life of a married couple. \"After the searches, we constantly feel anxiety and fear. It seems that at any moment we can be detained,\" says Vyacheslav. Irina's chronic illness worsened due to the stressful situation. Law enforcement officers collect information about Vyacheslav and his family, which scares away customers.\nThe relatives of the spouses are perplexed why they are persecuting such peace-loving and sympathetic people as Vyacheslav and Irina.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivanov2/photo_hu_74a4be0965f19edb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivanov2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivanov2/photo_hu_40721fe85be4c9ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivanov2/photo_hu_facf7922f1966951.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivanov2.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Vyacheslav Ivanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2020, a series of searches were carried out in Astrakhan in dozens of houses of believers. The victims of the illegal actions of the security forces were the Ivanovs. A criminal case was opened against them for their faith, and in October 2021, the court handed them a harsh sentence — 8 years in prison for Yevgeniy and 3.5 years of real imprisonment for Olga.\nOlga was born in 1982 in the city of Volzhsky (Volgograd region). She has two sisters. As a child, Olga learned to play the accordion.\nIn 2003 she graduated from the Academy with a degree in linguistics. During her studies and after Olga worked as an English tutor, later as a sales assistant, and more recently, until her arrest, as an au pair. Having married Yevgeniy, Olga moved to Astrakhan with her husband in 2007.\nFrom early childhood, Olga was worried about why people die. She received an answer from her mother, who in the early 1990s became interested in Bible teachings. “Thanks to the fact that I got to know the Bible and God himself in my teens,” Olga recalls, “my life has changed qualitatively! I learned to choose good friends who didn't encourage me to smoke or try drugs. My speech became clear of foul language. Thanks to the advice from the Holy Scriptures, I was able to find a worthy person who became my husband. These tips help me to be a loving wife, to be his helper. In addition, I have received answers to questions that have deeply worried me since early childhood, and this helps me to lead a meaningful life. \"\nOlga loves animals, helps homeless dogs and cats, and her husband Eugene supports her in this. Before the criminal prosecution, they enjoyed spending time with friends, watching movies and relaxing in nature.\nThe spouses, who are accustomed to chatting every day, can hardly bear the separation, since Yevgeniy was taken into custody. “Now we not only do not see each other, but we also cannot find out from each other how things are,” says Olga. Speaking in court with the last word, she noted: “I see cruelty in the fact that all of us, the accused, were separated from our families, from the people most dear to us. Me with my husband, and the rest — with their wives.” After the search and arrest, the spouses were left without work and cannot earn a living.\nOlga's mother, who lost her husband and underwent two operations, is experiencing additional stress due to the unfair attitude of the authorities towards her daughter and son-in-law. She came from another city and lived with Olga for more than a year in order to help her and her husband in the necessary matters as much as possible.\n","date":"2020-07-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivanova/photo_hu_32ebbd4d2a71aed1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivanova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivanova/photo_hu_fadefb142746affa.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivanova/photo_hu_f1a5e68eeb7d3c50.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivanova.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Olga Ivanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2020, a series of searches were carried out in dozens of houses of believers in Astrakhan. The Ivanovs — Yevgeniy and Olga — also became victims of the unlawful actions of the security forces — a criminal case was opened against them for their faith. In October 2021, the court handed down a harsh sentence to the spouses — 8 years in prison for Yevgeniy and 3.5 years of real imprisonment for Olga.\nYevgeniy was born in 1976 in Astrakhan. As a child, he was fond of karate and aircraft modeling. He graduated with honors from vocational school with a degree in metal ship hull assembly, manual welder and gas cutter. For nine years he worked in his specialty at the Astrakhan shipyards, and in 2006 he took up repair and finishing work. In this area, Yevgeniy worked until the initiation of a criminal case, performing, in addition, the duties of an electrician, plumber, locksmith and auto mechanic.\nThe young man began to take a serious interest in the Bible in 1997, when a colleague gave him several publications on religious topics to read. As he studied the Scriptures, he was impressed by the example of the life of Jesus Christ. Yevgeniy recalls: “By the time I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I had stopped drinking, quit the bad habit of smoking that I had from 8 to 22 years old, and stopped leading an immoral lifestyle.”\nIn 2005, Yevgeniy met Olga, and two years later they got married. They love to spend time in nature, to help stray animals.\nThe confinement became a heavy burden for the Ivanovs, who were accustomed to spending a lot of time with each other. The couple rented an apartment, and the loss of their job posed the most difficult financial issues for them. Yevgeniy noted: “Our surname and my wife have been included in the list of extremist persons. In view of this, Rosfinmonitoring isolated us from all financial possibilities. My wife was placed under house arrest. Accordingly, she lost the opportunity to earn her living, pay for rental housing, and bank cards are blocked. And this at a time when there is a pandemic throughout the country, rising prices, unemployment. \"\nOlga's mother, who lost her husband and underwent two surgeries, is experiencing additional stress due to the unfair attitude of the authorities towards her daughter and son-in-law. The harsh sentence deprived her of much-needed support from her loved ones.\n","date":"2020-07-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivanovye/photo_hu_5801893d7e3a115.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivanovye/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivanovye/photo_hu_e01c6d2fde05e2c2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivanovye/photo_hu_32d07b4091ba1921.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivanovye.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Ivanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, law enforcers tapped Igor Ivashin's phone and conducted covert surveillance of his house. The believer was searched and accused of organizing extremist activities. In April 2020, the court found Ivashin guilty and sentenced him to 6 years of probation. On May 21, 2020, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.\nIgor was born in 1976 in Lensk, where he lived all his life. As a child, he was actively fond of hunting, fishing, playing football and hockey. He has a younger sister, Irina.\nAfter school, Igor decided to follow in his father's footsteps and became a geologist. But, after working for five years in various expeditions, he decided to leave geology and got a job as a mechanic for the maintenance of heat and power networks, which he works to this day.\nIn 1999, Igor married Natalia, whom he met while still at school - they studied in parallel classes. Soon after the wedding, the couple became interested in the teachings of the Bible. Natalia then worked as a school physics teacher. The couple had two daughters. The eldest of them, Victoria, graduated with honors from high school.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivashin/photo_hu_5c8e101f262fa450.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivashin/photo_hu_4050a0852740d930.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ivashin/photo_hu_12adf7db73f15616.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivashin/photo_hu_9620bf659481d477.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivashin.html","regions":["sakha"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Ivashin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A pensioner from the village of Kholmskaya, Alexandr Ivshin, faced criminal prosecution in April 2020: a criminal case was opened against him for believing in Jehovah God. After the search and interrogation of law enforcement officers, Alexandr and his wife suffered a hypertensive crisis.\nAlexandr was born in August 1957 in Katav-Ivanovsk (Chelyabinsk region). Later he moved to the Kuban, to the village of Kholmskaya, where he still lives.\nAlexandr has two older brothers and a younger sister. As a child, he loved to organize hiking and sporting events. After school he graduated from the Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute. Later he graduated from the Voronezh Forestry Institute.\nAlexandr worked as a turner, assembler of radio equipment, foreman of a forging and production workshop. Having moved to the Krasnodar Territory, he got a job as a lumberjack. Before retirement he worked as chief engineer, industrial safety engineer. Now he is on a well-deserved rest. Likes to travel with his family through the territory of the former USSR, is engaged in floriculture.\nAlexandr met his future wife Galina in 1974, and four years later the couple got married. Galina worked as a kindergarten teacher and is now retired. The spouses help in raising 8 grandchildren.\nIn the 90s, a serious illness made Alexandr think about the meaning of life. Together with his brother, they read three of the four Gospels in one night. In 1995, Alexandr met those who, with the help of the Bible, helped him get answers to deep life questions. This is how Alexandr became a Christian. Peaceful views prompted him to refuse to participate in military training and take up arms.\nAfter searches and interrogations in quarantine due to COVID-19, the family faced difficulties in resolving medical and domestic issues. “I feel humiliated,” the believer shared. - All the time waiting for something bad. The court seized Alexandr's car, considering that it was necessary to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\nRelatives and friends are worried about the married couple. They were shocked that Alexandr was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, despite his age and state of health. While awaiting an appeal against the verdict, the believer visited five pre-trial detention centers in a month and a half and fell seriously ill. On April 15, 2021, an appeal in Krasnodar upheld the verdict.\n","date":"2020-05-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_75d7a0ce315a787f.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_6ed056914b25844e.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_e62038f0cdf33583.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ivshin/photo_hu_d11e6eb9fc616e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ivshin.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Ivshin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/izhukov.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Zhukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 26, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of believers in Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory, after which at least 8 people went for interrogation. Aleksandr Kabanov spent the day in the temporary detention facility. What do we know about him?\nAlexander was born in August 1960 in the city of Kansk. The parents are no longer alive. He has a brother and sister. As a child, he liked to ski in winter and fishing in summer. After graduating from school, he got a job in a boiler room and worked there for 12 years. Now he works as an operator of complex cleaning of the territory.\nAfter the death of Alexander's mother, questions began to torment: what happens to a person when he dies? Is he in hell? Why does God allow suffering? He found answers to these important questions in life, as well as comfort and hope, in the Bible. He decided to become a Christian and live according to what is written in this wise book.\nLater he moved to the city of Zaozerny, then to the closed administrative-territorial unit Zelenogorsk. Single. There are adult children who already have their own families.\nAlthough Aleksandr's family does not share his beliefs, they believe that his criminal prosecution because of his faith is an unfortunate legal error that needs to be corrected as soon as possible.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_b90bb4280cd5bce8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_1fdc89e50f463347.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_7fe5a0e2760ca835.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kabanov/photo_hu_fc9dc9c7882b9c47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kabanov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kabanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019, a criminal case was initiated for her belief against a civilian resident of Birobidzhan, Yuliya Kaganovich. In February 2021, the court found her guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced her to a fine. The prosecutor appealed with a request to toughen the sentence, and in May 2021, a higher court sentenced Yuliya to a suspended sentence of 2.5 years.\nYuliya was born in 1966 in the city of Mikhailovka (Volgograd region). She was a creative child: she attended a dance studio, graduated from a music school, played domra and accordion in an orchestra, and sang in a choir.\nIn her life, Yuliya has experienced many emotional upheavals. This prompted her to think about the meaning of life. She found the answers to her questions in the Bible. The advice from this book helped her find peace in her heart and hope for a wonderful future, raise her son as a worthy person, strengthen her family, and develop good relationships with others. She is known as a cordial, hospitable person, always ready to help in difficult times.\nYuliya is married and has an adult son Artur. She met her future husband Aleksandr, a serviceman, in Birobidzhan, where she went to work on assignment, having graduated from the Volgograd Civil Engineering Institute. The son followed in the footsteps of his mother in the musical path — he studied vocals and playing the piano, performed in music programs, has certificates and gratitude.\nYuliya’s health deteriorated greatly due to the criminal prosecution and legal proceedings. Her husband was also diagnosed with serious illnesses. In addition, the believer is caring for an elderly mother who suffered a heart attack and stroke during the criminal prosecution of her daughter. The husband does not share Yuliya’s religious beliefs, but he and everyone who knows her are outraged by the unfair sentence.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kaganovich/photo_hu_291685d275fb8941.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kaganovich/photo_hu_a9621be9c47dc237.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kaganovich/photo_hu_d2e29cefdcd375f1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kaganovich/photo_hu_3cb6b3d69929fe13.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kaganovich.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuliya Kaganovich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yaroslav Kalin, a peaceful family man from Irkutsk, is one of Jehovah's Witnes in the fourth generation. In Soviet times, his parents were exiled from Ukraine to Siberia for their faith. In October 2021, Yaroslav himself was accused of a “crime against the state”.\nYaroslav was born in April 1969 in Siberia, where his parents were exiled during Operation “North” in 1951. Yaroslav has a younger sister. The father and mother worked at the local state farm, kept up the household, therefore, from early childhood, the children were accustomed to work.\nIn his youth, Yaroslav was fond of sports, loved music and played in a school ensemble. After school, he completed courses as a television mechanic, after that he worked for a long time in the repair of television and radio equipment.\nIn 1991, Yaroslav married Tatyana. She is a teacher by profession, enjoys interior design, loves to play the piano. The family had four children — two daughters and two sons. Yaroslav had to master different professions: an electrician, a joiner, a carpenter, as well as a manager in the field of trade, in order to provide for his large family.\nOne of the Kalins' daughters, Svetlana, is a lawyer. The other, Liliya, works in the field of software support. Vasiliy is currently doing alternative civilian service, since his convictions do not allow him to take up arms. In 2007, a great misfortune happened in the family: at the age of four, the youngest son Vitaliy died tragically.\nThe Kalins and their children loved to spend time together: to go to Lake Baikal, to meet with relatives and friends. The criminal prosecution deprived the wife and children of the support of the head of the family. Everyone experienced an emotional shock.\nRelatives and friends, including those who do not share the religious beliefs of the Kalins, cannot understand why Yaroslav was arrested, because he did not commit any crime.\n","date":"2021-11-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kalin/photo_hu_f18a88202a05d5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kalin/photo_hu_a2413d7158655dda.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kalin/photo_hu_a84f5ed1c459635e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kalin/photo_hu_3e2208f31bec7e02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kalin.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yaroslav Kalin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kalistratov faced criminal prosecution for his faith three times. Twice he managed to defend his good name in court, but in 2023 he was sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended term.\nAleksandr, the third son in the family, was born in the city of Biysk, Altai Territory, in July 1976. Three years later, his father died.\nDuring his school years, Aleksandr was fond of reading, photography and skiing. In 1998, he graduated from Gorno-Altai State University. As a student, Aleksandr was particularly interested in biology and the theory of evolution. At the same time, his mother began to study the Bible.\nOne day, Aleksandr came across a book dedicated to the origin of life on Earth. \u0026quot;It had a huge impact on my worldview,\u0026quot; he recalls. \u0026quot;I realized that life was created.\u0026quot; He was struck by the simplicity and clarity with which the Bible describes the creation of the world, as well as its internal consistency and fulfillment of prophecies. In 1994, Aleksandr chose the Christian path.\nIn 2000, for the first time, Aleksandr had to defend his peace-loving Christian views before the court. A criminal case was initiated, the believer spent 21 days in a pre-trial detention center. The criminal case was taken to court, but the court acquitted Aleksandr. Ten years later, law enforcement agencies tried to re-prosecute Kalistratov for believing in God. Again, the court ruled in acquittal.\nThe new, third in a row, criminal prosecution has changed the life of Aleksandr and his wife, Yuliya, who from a young age appreciates the spiritual. The believer said: \u0026quot;The unknown is scary. Relatives support us and are proud of us.\u0026quot;\nFor several years, the man worked as a school psychologist, but due to criminal prosecution he was forced to change his profession. \u0026quot;Since then, I have no longer worked in my specialty,\u0026quot; Aleksandr said. \u0026quot;Despite my higher education, I was forced to work either as a janitor or as a handyman. But the Bible taught me to appreciate any work, and my religion taught me to love all people.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2022-03-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kalistratov/photo_hu_b0d3348090f30231.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kalistratov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kalistratov/photo_hu_d9a038b48cd39f13.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kalistratov/photo_hu_8d9a5d7aec7d4031.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kalistratov.html","regions":["altai"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kalistratov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kardakov/photo_hu_b373bcb267826605.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kardakov/photo_hu_62a3134c35239f4b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kardakov/photo_hu_ebaf3fe4e9111a5d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kardakov/photo_hu_993db707ec669f0b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kardakov.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Kardakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Inna Kardakova became a defendant in a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Magadan in the spring of 2019. Five years later, the court gave her a three-year suspended sentence. A year and a half earlier, her younger brother Sergey, who was also convicted of extremism only because of his faith, was sent to a penal colony for more than 6 years.\nInna was born in 1980 in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region. As a child, she was fond of volleyball, knitting and reading fiction, especially loved detective stories. Now her hobbies have not changed much: she still loves sports, plays volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and is also engaged in needlework. Inna is an accountant-economist by profession, she graduated from a municipal construction college and worked as an accountant for 12 years. For the last few years he has been living in Magadan.\nInna\u0026#39;s grandmother, who professes Orthodoxy, instilled in her faith in God from childhood. Later, she and a friend mailed out a Bible. \u0026quot;At the same time, my parents were on a spiritual quest. However, their experiences did not resonate positively in my heart until I met people who had already developed strong faith in God. Their behavior, their kindness, their attitude towards me, and the steadfastness of their faith despite life\u0026#39;s difficulties prompted me to learn more from the Bible and to begin to study it seriously on my own—the very book that I myself had subscribed to in the mail much earlier. I wanted to get this knowledge myself, I was looking for it myself, and I got it myself,\u0026quot; Inna said.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kardakova/photo_hu_c9c6ce1461568175.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kardakova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kardakova/photo_hu_4952fe4b2d8187cd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kardakova/photo_hu_42c11c33d4d6b59e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kardakova.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"title":"Inna Kardakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Ilham Karimov was born in 1981 in Jambay (Uzbekistan). Since childhood, he was fond of radio engineering, went in for sports. To help the family, he bred rabbits. Ilham's father was a teacher, his mother works as a seamstress.\nIlham received a secondary specialized education and worked as a glassblower. In 2000, he moved to Russia, to the city of Belebey (Bashkortostan). To support his family in Uzbekistan, including his mother, two sisters and a brother, Ilham worked three jobs, was a carpenter, installer, electrician and handyman. Later, Ilham's entire family was able to reunite in Russia.\nIn 2001, Ilham, faced with injustice, prayed to God for help and met Jehovah's Witnesses the very next day. Eventually, his mother, sisters, and brother joined him in a Bible study.\nAfter moving to Naberezhnye Chelny, Ilham met Yulia. In 2012, they started a family. Before the sudden arrest, Ilham helped Yulia raise her son, support him in his studies and cycling, the whole family was fond of landscaping the garden plot, spent time with friends and in nature.\nThe criminal case and the arrest of Ilham plunged his family and friends into a state of shock, as he is well known as a moral and law-abiding person who has nothing to do with extremism. They are convinced that the Russian Constitution should guarantee freedom of religion for all.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/karimov/photo_hu_7a17e6832a80384e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/karimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/karimov/photo_hu_d51678df56507434.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/karimov/photo_hu_c5708191b2a4c4f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/karimov.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Ilkham Karimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a raid on the homes of believers in Dagestan on June 1, 2019, law enforcement officers detained four civilians — one woman and three men. Two days later, the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent all four to a pre-trial detention center. Among them is Maria Karpova.\nMaria was born in 1980 in Magadan. She was the middle child in the family: Maria has 2 brothers - Alexander and Fedor. As a child, she was fond of skiing. Maria loves to travel and is fond of reading.\nShe graduated from the Maykop Technical School with a degree in veterinary medicine. She worked as a food quality control laboratory assistant and, more recently, as a hairdresser.\nFor some time Mariya lived in Neftegorsk, in 2004 she moved to Makhachkala.\nFrom her youth, Maria wondered about the future, and having found answers to her questions in the Bible, at the age of 18 she decided to embark on the path of Christianity.\nThe criminal prosecution turned Maria's life upside down - she lost her job, she began to have health problems.\nIn August 2019, Maria's father died, but she was not allowed to attend the funeral, as well as to see her mother. Despite the hardships that have befallen Maria, she tries to find the positive in her circumstances, to notice support from God and fellow believers, and to help people even in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/karpova/photo_hu_c86b1ad5450fc05d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/karpova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/karpova/photo_hu_df937271fba9efef.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/karpova/photo_hu_a049c12cd9620965.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/karpova.html","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":[],"title":"Mariya Karpova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 10, 2018, in Khabarovsk, 30 riot policemen broke into a café where a friendly party was taking place. After breaking down the doors, they staged hours of mass interrogation of those present, including minors, with the seizure of personal property and fingerprinting. Criminal cases were opened against several party participants in connection with their religion. Among them was Maya Karpushkina. What do we know about her?\nMaya was born in 1949 in the village of Anuchino, Primorsky Krai. Her parents are no longer alive, but there is a sister who is 2 years younger. Maya grew up active and sociable, loved dancing and was engaged in an ensemble. She graduated from the Spassk Pedagogical School and received a specialty as a primary school teacher. After studying in the direction, she went to Khabarovsk and stayed to live in this city. Almost all her life, Maya worked in her specialty. Recently, after retiring, she got a job as a salesman in a bread kiosk. She has a vegetable garden where she not only grows vegetables, but also enjoys planting flowers. He also helps with the upbringing of grandchildren and great-grandson. She has known her husband since school, he was her classmate. The family has three children: a son and two daughters. Now they have grown up and live separately with their families. Maya is the only one in the family who takes the Bible and its commandments seriously. \"I really liked that the people who talked to me on spiritual topics knew the Holy Scriptures well, and most importantly, they themselves adhered to the biblical teachings in their lives,\" Maya recalls. Having lived a decent life, she could never have imagined that she would be written down as an \"extremist\" simply because of her faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_e44b2c19c52c8e21.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_f73205dd40bf3cde.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_28d7ab7bd1052171.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/karpushkina/photo_hu_a98e82ae9cbe0808.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/karpushkina.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Maya Karpushkina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kartayganov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Alibek Kartayganov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, a wave of searches took place in Vladivostok. Masked law enforcement officers with machine guns broke into the homes of six believers; one of whom is Lyudviga Katanaeva.\nLyudviga was born in 1967 in Vladivostok. From the age of 2, under the guidance of her father, she began ice-skating; later she studied at art and music schools and was interested in tourism and folk dances. She has a younger sister.\nAfter school, Lyudviga studied inlay art at college. Later she graduated from a Tourism Academy. She worked as an artist in the painting workshop at a porcelain factory. For a while, Lyudviga held the position of a graphic designer, worked in the hotel industry for several years in a row, and later trained as a manicure and pedicure professional. She is currently a housekeeper and a babysitter.\nLyudviga enjoys helping others. In her youth, she often devoted time to children and teenagers from dysfunctional families. As a result, some of those children were taken off the police register. For this, the Department of Internal Affairs of the Primorye Territory awarded her a certificate of honor.\nTraveling and getting to know different people, cultures and architectural features of different cities and countries bring real pleasure to Lyudviga. She also likes to go camping with her friends in nature.\nFor many years, Lyudviga searched different religions for answers to vital questions, and early in 2000 she learned that the Bible has the answers. They turned out to be simple and logical, which attracted the young woman. Lyudviga raised her daughter alone, and when she learned Bible truths, she began to apply the advice from the Holy Scriptures in doing so.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the believer: her eyesight and memory deteriorated and her sleep was disturbed due to the constant expectation of a second search. Relatives who do not share the religious views of Lyudviga are outraged by the unfair prosecution of law-abiding citizens of Russia.\n","date":"2020-08-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/katanaeva/photo_hu_899df97990b125f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/katanaeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/katanaeva/photo_hu_3e951caa80c267a2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/katanaeva/photo_hu_399021bd0e922dc7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/katanaeva.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Lyudviga Katanaeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, Yevgeniy Kayryak was tortured. What is known about him?\nYevgeniy was born in 1986 in Surgut and grew up in a close-knit family with three children. After graduating from school, he received the professions of an accountant and an economist-manager. In 2011 he was retrained and since then he has been working as a technician in the laboratory of metals.\nYevgeny's family became acquainted with the teachings of the Bible in the mid-90s, and a few years later Yevgeniy decided to serve God. He knew from childhood that disciples of Jesus Christ were to love one another, and he did see that love among his family and friends.\nIn 2016, Evgeniy married Rosanna. She sings and dances well. Spouses love to spend time together, play board games, ride bicycles. Relatives are deeply worried about Yevgeniy because of everything that he had to go through.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kayryak/photo_hu_30bb86bedd8c681.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kayryak/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kayryak/photo_hu_fbafac3ef7d81de0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kayryak/photo_hu_4ae047ddf2d4ad2f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kayryak.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Evgeny Kayryak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev refused to learn to fight out of love for people and used the right to alternative civilian service (ACS), but in 2021 he was accused of \"undermining the constitutional order\" due to the fact that he professes the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and discusses the Bible with others. In April 2023, the court sentenced him to 3 years probation, four months later the appeal replaced this term with a real one.\nPavel was born in September 1996 in the city of Ust-Ilimsk (Irkutsk region). Two years later, the family moved to the village of Lugovoye (Altai Territory). His father works as a machine operator at the factory, my mother works in the field of cleanliness. Pavel is the eldest of three sons. As a child, he was fond of volleyball, football, cycling and ice skating. He graduated from school with honors.\nParents from early childhood instilled in their sons high moral standards. Pavel said he was fascinated by the wisdom of the universe and the benefits of applying Bible counsel. In Pavel’s family, 15 people, including himself, try to live according to the Christian principles set forth in the Bible.\nAfter studying at school, Pavel decided to go through the ACS, since his convictions do not allow him to take up arms. He worked as a postman in his village. At the end of the service, he worked as a repairman for phones and tablets, then worked for some time in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as an installer and technician for video surveillance, fire and burglar alarms.\nSince May 2021, due to his recognizance not to leave, Pavel cannot leave the village of Lugovoye. Now he is unable to provide for his family, since it is almost impossible to find work in the village.\nIn 2020, Pavel married Darya, who, like him, appreciates biblical wisdom since childhood. She always dreamed of finding true friends and found them among fellow believers, as she made sure that they live according to biblical principles. Darya likes foreign languages, she mastered sign language. The couple are fond of cooking, like spending time with friends, traveling and going to the mountains. In February 2021, the Kazadaevs moved to Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region).\nReligious persecution affected the health of Pavel’s family, who were emotionally disturbed by the unjust criminal prosecution of the believer.\n","date":"2021-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kazadaev/photo_hu_2fcc0372dd940fd4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kazadaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kazadaev/photo_hu_903eafc606504cd7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kazadaev/photo_hu_cf03411726cef835.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kazadaev.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Kazadaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Kazakov is a retired firefighter who came to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to take care of his sick mother. Investigators found this peaceful believer there in her apartment. In December 2020, Sergey was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1974 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city on the Far Eastern Peninsula of Russia near active volcanoes. He has a younger brother. As a child, Sergey was fond of orienteering and went skiing. He worked in the fire department, where he worked his way up from a simple firefighter to the head of a detachment. Now he is on a well-deserved rest.\nAs an adult, Sergey moved to the city of Bikin (Khabarovsk Territory). In the summer of 2020, he returned to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to an elderly mother who had suffered a stroke and needed constant help.\nIn the early 2000s, Sergey, noticing huge changes in his cousin and ,came interested in what had such a beneficial effect on him - biblical teachings. Mom supported his interest, and, after some time, she also became a Christian.\nThe search and criminal prosecution had a particularly strong effect on the health of Sergey's mother. Experiencing extreme stress, she again went to the hospital. In addition, a few days after the security forces' invasion, she developed symptoms of coronavirus. She is very worried about the unfair treatment of a law-abiding person.\n","date":"2021-01-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kazakov/photo_hu_fd13e1615e489bfe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kazakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kazakov/photo_hu_ba5acd09482e3c95.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kazakov/photo_hu_597c419ec73d2022.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kazakov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Kazakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kazakov, a Jehovah's Witness from Tuva, was became the victim of unfair criminal prosecution in May 2021: a criminal case was opened against him for his faith, and his house was searched.\nAleksandr was born in November 1992 in Krasnoyarsk. He has a younger sister. Aleksandr grew up as an active child — he went in for swimming and football.\nAleksandr is a cadastral engineer by profession. He also studied as an electrician, worked as a janitor, a roofer, and in recent years has been working as an electrician.\nFrom childhood, Aleksandr’s mother instilled Christian values in her son and daughter. Aleksandr was impressed by how clear and precise the Bible's teachings were. Subsequently, he decided to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2016, Aleksandr married Ksenia, who shares his views on life. Ksenia works as a hairdresser. Together, the couple loves to go hiking, snowboarding, Aleksandr plays the guitar and still loves football.\nPersecution for the faith was a blow to the Kazakov family. “I had to feel for many months that something very bad was going to happen,” Aleksandr said. “Because of this, sometimes there was no strength for anything.” Relatives are worried about the Kazakovs because of the injustice they faced only because of their beliefs.\n","date":"2022-07-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kazakova/photo_hu_bdf6b29861e72bc5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kazakova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kazakova/photo_hu_b51cb9a07e8ac04e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kazakova/photo_hu_502a6ca92dd77ef9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kazakova.html","regions":["tyva"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kazakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov and his wife Snezhana were detained on August 19, 2018 in the town of Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory). After long legal proceedings, the spouses were sentenced to 2 years probation for extremism.\nKonstantin was born in 1977 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. He is the eldest of four children of his parents. As a child, he loved equipment and designers, which later came in handy for him in the profession of a locksmith. He also worked as a school labor teacher.\nKonstantin is a sociable person, he has many friends with whom he loves to be in nature and sea fishing. In 2001 he married Snezhana, a teacher by education. They had a daughter, Elizabeth. Shortly thereafter, the Bible touched Constantine's heart, and he decided to live in harmony with its commandments with his family. Later, the whole family moved to the district center of Yelizovo.\nRelatives of Konstantin and Snezhana were discouraged by the news about their criminal prosecution. Even those of them who do not share their religious views are outraged by what is happening and try to help in any way they can. \"These events have brought us all together even more,\" Konstantin notes.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kbazhenov/photo_hu_1557b222eb311be3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kbazhenov/photo_hu_277215f9a6098322.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kbazhenov/photo_hu_fe8c8ac2eec750e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kbazhenov/photo_hu_35ffee495dd33bd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kbazhenov.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Konstantin Bazhenov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Второй день весны 2021 года начался для Александра Ке́това с обыска в его доме, после которого сотрудники правоохранительных органов поместили верующего в изолятор временного содержания, где он провел сутки. Затем его отправили под домашний арест.\nАлександр родился в семье рабочих в 1968 году в деревне Малая Беберка (Республика Коми). У него был младший брат, который умер в возрасте 5 лет от врожденного заболевания. Детство Александра прошло в сельской местности, окруженной девственными лесами, признанными объектом Всемирного природного наследия ЮНЕСКО. Родители привили сыну любовь к труду и чтению. Изучая журналы о здоровье, мальчик всегда задавался вопросом: почему люди мало живут?\nВ юные годы Александр увлекался разными видами спорта, профессионально занимался лыжными гонками и сохранил это увлечение на всю жизнь.\nОкончив школу в 1989 году, переехал в Сыктывкар, где учился в техникуме по специальности «заготовитель вторсырья». После службы на флоте приобрел профессию каменщика и пожарного. Александр работал в должности командира отделения пожарной охраны, а сейчас находится на заслуженном отдыхе.\nВ 1994 году Александр женился на Наталье. У них есть взрослый сын. Супруги любят вместе путешествовать, а летом — ухаживать за растениями в саду и ходить в лес за грибами и ягодами.\nЕще в детстве Александр слышал от старших, что Библия — пророческая книга, и в конце 1990-х годов убедился в этом сам, начав исследовать библейские пророчества. Особенно он был рад найти ответ на вопрос, почему люди болеют и умирают. Он рассказал, как благодаря вере в Бога изменился его образ жизни: «Я перестал неумеренно употреблять вино, курить и сквернословить».\nВера, которая наполнила жизнь Александра смыслом, побуждает его делиться библейскими знаниями с другими, что теперь трактуется правоохранительными органами как экстремизм. Уголовное преследование лишило покоя всю семью. Супруга и сын Александра считают преследования несправедливыми.\n","date":"2021-04-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ketov/photo_hu_16fd59126ca8f134.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ketov/photo_hu_c977626f5ebd851c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ketov/photo_hu_2ec3c5d4eace4e1e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ketov/photo_hu_6a3654cb5fcff887.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ketov.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Ketov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, in the city of Porkhov, security officers broke into the homes of believers with searches. Aleksey Khabarov was accused of extremism. After several years of proceedings, during which he was first sentenced to a suspended sentence, then fully acquitted, but eventually sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony, the believer ended up behind bars.\nAleksey was born in 1975 in the village of Burtsevskaya, Arkhangelsk Region. He has a younger brother. Since childhood, Aleksey loved fishing, in which a significant role was played by the fact that his father worked all his life as a fish protection inspector. Aleksey grew up as an athletic child: he was fond of football and athletics, participated in district and regional competitions, and received school certificates.\nAleksey graduated from the Pedagogical University as a teacher of labor and drawing. However, in 1997, due to the difficult economic situation, he went to work in a bakery, where he was a handyman, watchman and freight forwarder. In the following years, he worked as a sales representative in a printing house, and then was engaged in construction and repair.\nIn his free time, Aleksey likes to organize friends\u0026#39; weddings and joint trips to nature, go mushroom picking, and also does not forget to keep himself in good physical shape.\nFor many years, Aleksey was worried about the transience of life. While serving in the army, he began to think about the questions: what is the meaning of life? What does the future hold for people? His spiritual quest led him to study the Bible. As a result, he found meaning in life, in 2000 he became a Christian.\nIn 2008, Aleksey moved to the city of Severodvinsk, and three years later to Porkhov.\nAlthough the parents do not share their son\u0026#39;s religious views, they were worried about him and did not understand why he was being persecuted. In January 2026, Aleksey was released, having served his term in full.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khabarov/photo_hu_710d99a94055cbe2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khabarov/photo_hu_833c509afabcd796.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khabarov/photo_hu_f3269f5138be3ecb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khabarov/photo_hu_a3cd8aa409918f4b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khabarov.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Khabarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of a carpenter from Novocherkassk, Garegin Khachaturian, changed dramatically when he was imprisoned in August 2022 for his faith in God.\nGaregin was born in July 1967 in the mountain village of Karachinar (Azerbaijan). His parents and one of his four sisters are no longer alive. As a child, the boy helped his parents with the housework, herding sheep.\nAfter receiving secondary education, Garegin began working as a carpenter. He manufactures furniture, window frames, décor elements. At the same time, he is engaged in the repair of residential premises.\nGaregin leads an active lifestyle: he likes to walk and run, play football and ride a bicycle. He likes chess and backgammon. He is proficient in the art of playing the Azerbaijani tar.\nFor some time Garegin lived in Poland and Germany. In 1995 he moved to Russia and settled in Novocherkassk.\nGaregin was the first in the family to start reading the Bible. In it, he found answers to many questions. He was also touched by the sincere love that Jehovah's Witnesses showed for each other. In 1994, he embarked on the Christian path. His younger sister soon followed suit.\nIn 2008, Garegin married Ksenia. She works as a speech therapist in a kindergarten. The couple strives to apply what they learn from the Bible to their lives and raised their son, Timothy, according to Bible principles.\nGaregin's relatives worry about him and provide all possible assistance to the family.\n","date":"2022-09-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khachaturyan/photo_hu_b1e97d88d1a55a8d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khachaturyan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khachaturyan/photo_hu_48df609188d8987e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khachaturyan/photo_hu_bedde85b34fd2f33.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khachaturyan.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Garegin Khachaturyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in Ulyanovsk, criminal cases were initiated against several civilians in connection with their faith. One of them, Khoren Khachikyan, was placed under house arrest. What is known about him?\nKhoren was born in 1985 in Yerevan. He has an older sister and a younger brother. In his youth he was engaged in Greco-Roman wrestling. Due to the economic crisis, Khoren's family moved to Russia, first to Moscow, and then to Ulyanovsk. Khoren received a higher economic education, but in recent years he has been working in the construction industry. Today he enjoys playing volleyball with friends, running.\nOne day, Khoren picked up a Bible, and he was impressed by the consistency and consistency of the book. He realized that he had to get to know God better and live according to his commandments.\nKhoren's relatives are shocked by the charges that have been brought against him, because they know him as a gentle and kind person.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khachikian/photo_hu_c4b45749b961b1c4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khachikian/photo_hu_c4b45749b961b1c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khachikian/photo_hu_17489990a3a5ea84.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khachikian/photo_hu_17489990a3a5ea84.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khachikian.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Khoren Khachikyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Maksim Khalturin is one of the civilians in Kirov detained after a raid on believers in 2018.\nMaksim was born in 1974 in Kirov. Parents tried to instill in him decency, responsibility and love for work. Maksim loved to read. Despite poor health, immediately after school he began working as a turner, and later mastered the profession of an engraver. Wherever Maxim worked, colleagues spoke of him as an honest and responsible person.\nAt the age of 19, Maksim became interested in biblical teachings. He began to research the Holy Scriptures and found that this book can be trusted and its advice is relevant to life.\nMaksim takes care of elderly parents. Although they do not share his religious beliefs, they have always had a warm, close relationship with their son. Maksim helped his father recover from a stroke for several years and took over all the housework. Parents experienced stress when Maksim was arrested and accused of extremism. This worsened their health even more.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khalturin/photo_hu_2b5481fd44356f17.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khalturin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khalturin/photo_hu_10298b0bad7c4299.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khalturin/photo_hu_b5580570674a9387.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khalturin.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Khalturin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After mass searches of peaceful believers in Syktyvkar in March 2021, Andrey Kharlamov was detained and sent to a temporary detention center, and later under house arrest. The father of two adult children, a professional hockey player and a conscientious employee of heating networks with experience, faced criminal prosecution for his faith.\nAndrey was born in March 1971 in the city of Syktyvkar (Komi Republic). His father worked as a car mechanic, and his mother worked as a typist in a newspaper. Both are no longer alive. Andrey, the second of six children in a large family, helped his parents raise his younger brothers and sister. As a child, Andrey was engaged in freestyle wrestling, and in his teenage years he became interested in ball hockey, played in the Syktyvkar team \"Builder\". Andrey took part in the All-Union and All-Russian zonal competitions \"Wicker Ball\", and in 1986 he was recognized as the best scorer in field hockey.\nAfter school, Andrey entered the secondary technical school in St. Petersburg, played in the local hockey team \"Krasnaya Zarya\". A year later, he returned to Syktyvkar, entered the Pedagogical University, where he met his future wife Larisa. Andrey and Larisa got married in 1990. Larisa worked as a teacher in a boarding school and as a career staffer, now she is retired. The Kharlamovs' children work as teachers: the son teaches English, and the daughter teaches music.\nIn 1993, Andrey's colleague introduced him to the Bible. Andrey shared what he learnt with his wife, and in 1994 they both embarked on the Christian path of life. Larisa shares that they were deeply touched by God's love for people and his just attitude towards them.\nAndrey worked as a carpenter-machine operator at a woodworking plant, and for the last 26 years he worked at a large enterprise \"Syktyvkar Heating Networks\" - first as a boiler driver, and in recent years as an operator of a gas boiler house. Andrey is in good standing with the employer, he has established himself not only as an executive worker, but also as an experienced mentor. During his work he has not received a single disciplinary sanction, he has gratitude for his conscientious work.\nTo this day, Andrey does not abandon his hockey hobby: he participates in bandy competitions among amateur teams in Syktyvkar, has awards, in 2018 he received the Cup of the Night League tournament as the best player in the team. In his free time, Andrey plays the guitar, and Larisa is very fond of singing, the family often arranges musical evenings with family and friends. Larisa likes to create coziness in the house, she is interested in interior design, loves walking. With her husband, they are engaged in agriculture, grow vegetables and flowers in their summer cottage.\nThe search and criminal prosecution just because of faith in God and reading the Holy Scriptures shocked the entire Kharlamov family.\n","date":"2021-04-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kharlamov/photo_hu_9b992895085bfe07.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kharlamov/photo_hu_bbcc2592a075ed51.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kharlamov/photo_hu_3803771dd9d65656.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kharlamov/photo_hu_8fe51b48fff47db4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kharlamov.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Kharlamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Khmil, an exemplary family man and father of many children from the town of Gryazi, turned out to be one of the peaceful believers against whom a criminal case was initiated in June 2021 under an \"extremist\" article.\nValery was born in April 1982 in the city of Kolpashevo, Tomsk Region. He has a younger brother. As a child, Valery was engaged in weightlifting and running.\nOn the basis of the school curriculum, Valery received the profession of a cook of the 3rd category. After school, he worked as a grinder in a carpentry workshop, cook, freight forwarder and storekeeper, most recently as a senior storekeeper.\nIn February 2006, in Tomsk, Valery met Kira, and a year and a half later they got married. Kira loves to go to the forest for mushrooms and berries, collect herbs for fragrant tea, and is fond of baking yeast-free bread. The couple have three schoolchildren: two girls and a boy. Parents try to develop the creative abilities of each child. The eldest daughter studies at a music school, plays the flute, the son is at an art school, and the youngest daughter loves to dance and dreams of learning to play the guitar. Valeriy has a very friendly family, they love to walk together in the forest and travel by car.\nIn 2006, Valeriy attended a major worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses. There he learned that, according to the Bible, God is a person and has qualities such as devotion and love. This prompted Valeriy to study the Holy Scriptures. His wife, Kira, had respected the Bible since childhood. In 2008, together they decided to embark on the Christian path.\nSearch, detention, house arrest - all this greatly influenced the quiet life of the family. Valery is worried about how to provide financially for his large family. Valeriy's mother wonders how her son can be persecuted for his faith, thanks to which he put his life in order.\n","date":"2021-07-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khmil/photo_hu_63d6119438b1bbd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khmil/photo_hu_75d927deeeda0f78.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khmil/photo_hu_e9459f1d43506866.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khmil/photo_hu_10fd9b37b4a637a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khmil.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Khmil","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 24, 2019, in Novozybkov, law enforcers threw two believers into a pre-trial detention center just because of their religion. One of them is 42-year-old Vladimir Khokhlov.\nVladimir was born in April 1977 in Novozybkov. He has a younger sister. In his youth, he was seriously fond of soccer and played for the city national team. He graduated from the Agricultural College as a mechanical technician.\nAfter his military service, he worked in the construction industry. Lately, he has been working in the security service at the TB dispensary. In his spare time, he also plays soccer, fishes and plays guitar.\nVladimir has always loved to read, and when a friend advised him to get to know the Bible better, he took up its study with great interest. The new knowledge deeply touched his heart, helped him to abandon bad habits and begin to live according to Christian commandments.\nIn 2007, Vladimir married Olga. A year later they had a daughter, Anastasiya. In summer the family likes to play volleyball, and in winter to go skating.\nAt 6:15 a.m. on October 24, 2019 Vladimir was at work when his daughter called and screamed: \"Dad, we are being searched!\" When he arrived home, he was met by men with automatic rifles, wearing bulletproof vests and masks. There were also three investigators and two witnesses in the apartment. During the search, electronic devices and personal belongings were seized from the family. The operative, having found his daughter's diary, loudly read out the deeply personal experiences described there. Then Vladimir was taken to the investigation committee for questioning, arrested and thrown to jail, where he spent more than 10 months. The believer was only released from detention after his conviction, as he had already served his time in the pre-trial detention facility.\nThe criminal prosecution had a bad effect on Vladimir's health. Because of stress, he suffered a hypertensive crisis. The relatives sincerely do not understand what crime this honest and decent man was convicted for.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khokhlov/photo_hu_21391f489a102233.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khokhlov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khokhlov/photo_hu_e126258d78b8d923.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khokhlov/photo_hu_65ac93746bc807f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khokhlov.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Khokhlov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Khvostov, a resident of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, became aсcused in a criminal case at the age of 73. The persecution of an elderly man and six of his fellow believers began in November 2021. Before that, the believer's house was searched as part of the case against Anton Ostapenko.\nAnatoliy was born in April 1948 in the city of Makeyevka, Donetsk region, Ukrainian SSR. He has a younger brother. As a child, Anatoliy was fond of sports, immediately after school he went to work.\nIn addition to Makeyevka, Anatoliy lived for some time in Taganrog (Rostov Region) and Novosibirsk, later moved to the city of Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where he participated in the construction of the Berezovskaya regional power station. Recently he worked as a locksmith.\nIn the mid-1990s, Anatoliy began to study the Bible. Meditating on the prophecies contained in this book touched his heart and moved him to the Christian path in 1997.\nAnatoliy is divorced, a daughter and a son were born in marriage, who is no longer alive.\nThe criminal prosecution hit the already poor health of an elderly person. Yet the believer does not lose hope for the wonderful future described in the Bible, and maintains a positive attitude. In this he is helped by the support of relatives and friends.\n","date":"2022-03-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_7def3c82addb2ceb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_2331948ea29c3c76.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_6bef8b8cd20121c4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khvostov/photo_hu_9f00eeab458dfc7b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khvostov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Khvostov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Persecution of civilians on religious grounds continues in Magadan. Searches and interrogations began in March 2018. People are accused of \"extremism\" just because they read the Bible, pray and sing songs together. Among them is 27-year-old Irina Khvostova. What do we know about her? Irina was born in the city of Stakhanov (Lugansk region, Ukraine) in 1992 in a religious family, her parents profess Orthodoxy. Irina has a younger sister. Since childhood, the girl was drawn to art, to self-education. She read a lot, studied piano at a children's music school. And today her craving for beauty, as well as her desire to learn, has not weakened: Irina loves music and learns to play the guitar. Later the family moved to Odessa. There, Irina graduated from the Polytechnic University with a degree in chemical technology. Now he works in an environmental laboratory. In Odessa, the girl got acquainted with the teachings of the Bible. \"Since childhood, I believed in God,\" says Irina, \"and wondered why so many misfortunes happen to people around the world. I haven't read the Bible before. Studying it helped me to see the great wisdom of this book, to find the answer to my question and to find the most beautiful hope for the future.\" Due to the hostilities in Ukraine, the whole family had to move to Magadan. By that time, she was already married. Irina met her future husband Vadim at school. He is fond of cars and their modeling from paper. Irina and Vadim love to get together with friends in nature, cook kebabs. When they came to the couple with a search, Irina's younger sister was visiting them. She experienced a great shock. She does not share her sister's religious beliefs, but she sincerely does not understand what the dreaded word \"extremism\" has to do with Irina and her friends. \"These are peaceful people who respect the opinions and views of others,\" she says. Irina's husband is completely perplexed by the criminal prosecution of his wife. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/khvostova/photo_hu_22d6c639a8050c3b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/khvostova/photo_hu_f896a9c244237083.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/khvostova/photo_hu_6a7bd2de716d7e57.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/khvostova/photo_hu_1f1f6f59ff59b8da.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/khvostova.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"title":"Irina Khvostova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim, a forensic expert from Khabarovsk, faced criminal prosecution in 2018 for beliefs that once saved his life. He was convicted twice for his faith: in 2020 and 2024. The first time, the man received two years of suspended sentence, and the second time—more than 8 years in a penal colony. Later, the court of appeal replaced this sentence with a suspended one.\nStanislav was born in Khabarovsk in 1968. As a child, he loved to sing, play chess and checkers, participated in various sports competitions. He grew up inquisitive and read a lot.\nHaving received a higher legal education, Stanislav worked for many years as a forensic expert in the Federal Drug Control Service. He was known as an honest, responsible worker, has numerous awards and gratitude. \u0026quot;When I was hired, I declared my faith in Jehovah God, and the internal security department conducted a thorough check. As a result, they gave permission to work in this structure. I\u0026#39;m sure if I had any violations of the law because of my religion, I would have been fired right away. But my faith in God not only did not prevent me from serving in this structure, but helped me a lot,\u0026quot; Stanislav said.\nIn 2008, Stanislav married Olesya, who is fond of photography and video, and runs a culinary blog. The couple have two children, one of whom has been disabled since childhood. The Kim family loves to spend time together, go out into nature and chat with friends.\nRecalling his meeting with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Stanislav said: \u0026quot;Once in my life there was a black streak: I found out that my son was terminally ill. After that, I was involved in several serious car accidents, getting injured, and once, while standing up for a woman, I received a blow to the head, as a result of which I underwent two surgeries, and part of my skull was removed. After that, I went into a severe depression, and even suicidal thoughts began to appear. Thank you that after those events, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses came to me and helped me get out of this state by revealing the truths from God\u0026#39;s Word, the Bible.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the criminal prosecution, the parents supported Stanislav and Olesya, despite their age and health problems. Those who know Stanislav well, including relatives and friends who do not share his beliefs, believe that the believer did not deserve such a verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kim/photo_hu_193b93a94d5ab1b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kim/photo_hu_dbae4397687abd5c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kim/photo_hu_6f976f8e8be590bd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kim/photo_hu_abdb792fd7b0a9b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kim.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Stanislav Kim","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim, a forensic expert from Khabarovsk, faced criminal prosecution in 2018 for beliefs that once saved his life. He was convicted twice for his faith: in 2020 and 2024. The first time, the man received two years of suspended sentence, and the second time—more than 8 years in a penal colony. Later, the court of appeal replaced this sentence with a suspended one.\nStanislav was born in Khabarovsk in 1968. As a child, he loved to sing, play chess and checkers, participated in various sports competitions. He grew up inquisitive and read a lot.\nHaving received a higher legal education, Stanislav worked for many years as a forensic expert in the Federal Drug Control Service. He was known as an honest, responsible worker, has numerous awards and gratitude. \u0026quot;When I was hired, I declared my faith in Jehovah God, and the internal security department conducted a thorough check. As a result, they gave permission to work in this structure. I\u0026#39;m sure if I had any violations of the law because of my religion, I would have been fired right away. But my faith in God not only did not prevent me from serving in this structure, but helped me a lot,\u0026quot; Stanislav said.\nIn 2008, Stanislav married Olesya, who is fond of photography and video, and runs a culinary blog. The couple have two children, one of whom has been disabled since childhood. The Kim family loves to spend time together, go out into nature and chat with friends.\nRecalling his meeting with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Stanislav said: \u0026quot;Once in my life there was a black streak: I found out that my son was terminally ill. After that, I was involved in several serious car accidents, getting injured, and once, while standing up for a woman, I received a blow to the head, as a result of which I underwent two surgeries, and part of my skull was removed. After that, I went into a severe depression, and even suicidal thoughts began to appear. Thank you that after those events, Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses came to me and helped me get out of this state by revealing the truths from God\u0026#39;s Word, the Bible.\u0026quot;\nThroughout the criminal prosecution, the parents supported Stanislav and Olesya, despite their age and health problems. Those who know Stanislav well, including relatives and friends who do not share his beliefs, believe that the believer did not deserve such a verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kim2/photo_hu_193b93a94d5ab1b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kim2/photo_hu_dbae4397687abd5c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kim2/photo_hu_6f976f8e8be590bd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kim2/photo_hu_abdb792fd7b0a9b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kim2.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Stanislav Kim","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2020, a criminal case was opened against Yuriy Kim. A search was carried out, after which the health of the believer was severely shaken. The necessary medical care was not provided in time, and he died on October 30, 2020.\nYuriy was born in 1960 in Amursk (Khabarovsk region). In his youth, he was fond of sports. After school he got a profession of a glass maker. For some time he worked by profession, as well as in the foundry department of the Amur Metallurgical Plant, then as a tiler and tinsmith for car repair. After the accident, as a result of which he lost his leg and partially his fingers, he moved to his mother's house in Nikolsk (Penza region). Yuriy found the strength to adapt to the new circumstances and was able to take care not only of himself, but also of his old mother until her death in 2001.\nYuriy’s elder half-sister had a good, warm relationship with him although she did not share his beliefs. His own sister Tatyana told him about the biblical hope for eternal life, which affected him very much. After getting acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses, Yuriy was impressed that they try to live in harmony with the biblical teachings. All this prompted him to radically change his lifestyle and become a Christian.\nIn 2001, Yuriy married Vera. They were united by their love for the Bible. Vera became a Christian, having felt the sincere care of believers and appreciated the logicality and clarity of the biblical teachings. She worked as a painter in a glass factory. She is fond of reading, poetry and knitting. Together with her husband, she loved to do healthy walking.\nAfter retirement, Yuriy Kim worked as a shoe repair master. To support his health, he was engaged in gymnastics and cold showers. In his spare time he was fond of electronics and playing chess.\nYuriy's death after a long stress on the background of criminal prosecution was a terrible blow to his wife and relatives.\n","date":"2020-11-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kimyu/photo_hu_6a7163d4c8005c05.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kimyu/photo_hu_6a7163d4c8005c05.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kimyu/photo_hu_a48aaa65eab003bb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kimyu/photo_hu_a48aaa65eab003bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kimyu.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["died"],"title":"Yuriy Kim","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early November morning of 2021, Rinat Kiramov and his wife Galina experienced a strong shock: the security forces broke into their house, breaking down the door. The search was tough — law enforcement officers even opened the ceiling in the kitchen and the lining of the balcony. Rinat was not released from the interrogation, to which the spouses were taken, and he was sent to jail only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nRinat was born in August 1987 in Moscow in the family of a test pilot. Mom is a disabled person of group II. Rinat has an older sister. Their parents divorced in 2009.\nFor some time the family lived in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, then moved to the city of Zhukovsky (Moscow region), where Rinat spent his childhood. He grew up as a versatile child: he was engaged in figure skating, judo, basketball, volleyball, football, and snowboarding.\nRinat got to know the Bible when his mother began to study this book with Jehovah's Witnesses. Already in childhood, the boy was worried about the meaning of life. He wondered: \"Is it really all that awaits us — is to live 80 years and die?\" He found the answers to his questions in the Bible. In addition, he was impressed by the fulfilled Bible prophecies, as well as the love and unity among those who live by Bible principles. All this prompted Rinat to embark on the Christian path.\nRinat has a higher education — he received a bachelor's degree in organization management from the International Institute of Management LINK. Following his religious convictions, Rinat asked to replace military service with alternative civilian service (ACS), so from 2008 to 2010 he worked as a postman in Salekhard. After the end of the service, Rinat was a taxi driver, was engaged in repair work. In 2021, he graduated from programming courses in the direction of \"front-end developer\", but because of the arrest he could not complete an traineeship.\nIn 2009, Rinat married Galina, whom he had known since childhood. After Rinat passed the ACS, the couple decided to move south. As a result, they settled in Akhtubinsk.\nAlready in adulthood, the spouses graduated with honors from three-year courses at a music school, having mastered musical instruments from scratch (Rinat — playing the guitar, and Galina — the piano). After that, they continued their studies, wishing to improve their skill level. Rinat loves to read books, especially about space, and Galina loves to draw. The couple also enjoy playing basketball, cycling, hiking and relaxing in nature, admiring the sunset and the starry sky.\nThe criminal prosecution has drastically changed the life of the family. Galina says that after the search, anxiety and fear of being at home alone settled in her heart. “The feeling of security and personal space is completely lost, especially after I found out that there was a wiretapping in our house,” she said. After her husband's arrest, Galina was asked to quit (she worked as a manicure master in a beauty salon). She had to leave her studies at a music school due to a lack of funds.\nRelatives of Rinat and Galina are outraged by the persecution of peaceful, calm and law-abiding people and consider the criminal case to be unfair. They are perplexed: \"Why is it forbidden to read the Bible in freedom, but in prison you can?\"\n","date":"2021-12-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kiramov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kiramov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kiramov/photo_hu_9106139d36c66b27.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kiramov/photo_hu_9106139d36c66b27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kiramov.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Rinat Kiramov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2020, during mass raids on the homes of civilians in the Trans-Baikal Territory, several male believers were detained for 5 days. One of them is Sergey Kirilyuk. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1972 in Cheremkhovo (Irkutsk region). He grew up in the village in a large family with six children. After school, he mastered the specialty of a welder. In 1992, Sergey married Olga, the couple had three children.\nIn the late 1990s, Olga discovered the depth of the Bible and interested Sergey. Soon the couple decided to lead a Christian lifestyle.\nAt the time of the raid, the eldest sons lived separately from their parents, and the youngest, minor child lives with his parents. Olga has serious health problems, she has a II disability group. The search, arrest and criminal case brought alarm and added difficulties to the life of Sergey and his family.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kirilyuk/photo_hu_deac5de3482202fb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kirilyuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kirilyuk/photo_hu_5a44aa5bd85fa6de.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kirilyuk/photo_hu_8a4715015f802a80.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kirilyuk.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Kirilyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, peaceful pensioner Igor Kletkin was charged with extremism for reading the Bible and praying with his fellow believers. After the searches, he was detained for two days and then released under recognizance agreement.\nIgor was born in May 1961 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur (Khabarovsk Territory). In the family, he was the only child. After leaving school, he received the profession of a driver. For many years he worked by profession, working in public and private enterprises. He was also a security guard, a martial arts trainer, and later a comprehensive service worker at the Children's Art Center. Igor is now retired.\nSince childhood, Igor loved music, learned to play the guitar. He still retains his hobby today. He enjoys hiking, cycling. Igor is often in nature, admiring the beautiful views of the Amur River.\nIgor was always interested in spiritual questions about the meaning of life and what happens after death. He looked for answers from various preachers. Igor says: “When my mother was paralyzed, I was in despair, raised my head to the sky and asked God — why? When I learned from Jehovah's Witnesses that there would be eternal life on earth in wonderful conditions, I really liked this thought, I began to learn more about it from the Bible.\" In December 1999, he embarked on the Christian path. The knowledge gained prompted him to abandon the violence-related martial arts. But Igor still continues to maintain his physical shape.\nIgor is married and has a daughter. The family is worried about the accusations against the head of the family, considering them groundless, since the beliefs of the believer are incompatible with the ideas of extremism.\n","date":"2021-11-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_3992c51b9a8b5e60.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_def62f9ba2fbf6ab.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kletkin/photo_hu_ee05f7b6bdccfa3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kletkin.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Igor Kletkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On the morning of June 2020, a series of searches were carried out in Astrakhan with the participation of more than a hundred security officials who invaded the apartments of local Jehovah's Witnesses. Several criminal cases were initiated for their faith, Sergey Klikunov was sent to jail. In October 2021, the court handed down a severe sentence to the believer — 8 years in a general regime colony.\nSergey was born in 1975 in Astrakhan. He has a younger brother Dmitriy. As a child, Sergey was fond of fishing. After school, he served in the army and began to work — he worked as a railroad worker, welder, assembler of metal structures, boiler room operator.\nSergey is married to Irina, they have two adult daughters. In his free time, Sergey still enjoys fishing and playing the guitar.\n“By nature, I was a calm person, kind, but I could flare up over trifles when they hurt, even led to quarrels. And when I drank, at some point I became aggressive and uncontrollable. All this caused a lot of problems for me, and my environment, and my family,” says Sergey about the time when he was not yet Jehovah's Witness.\nOver time, the couple became interested in Bible teachings. Sergey notes: “I overcame bad habits and began to treat alcohol in moderation. I no longer had breakdowns and drunken scandals. Also, in character, I became softer, more compliant, began to show self-control, to control my temper and irritability. \" The knowledge from the Holy Scriptures touched his heart so deeply that in 2007 he embarked on the path of a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution deprived the family of the only breadwinner.\n","date":"2020-07-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/klikunov/photo_hu_8c768ba6ecf836cc.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/klikunov/photo_hu_73a7946a32adfcfb.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/klikunov/photo_hu_bfa4bc5472a732bc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/klikunov/photo_hu_ff348df46a49ab0f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/klikunov.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Klikunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Klimov is a peaceful man who was accused of extremism only because of his beliefs. He ended up behind bars in June 2018 after a search. Sergey was released only 5 years later, having fully served his sentence for his faith.\nSergey was born in 1970 in the village of Matyshevo (Volgograd region). He has an elder sister, Svetlana. Their father died when Sergey was 11. As a child, the boy was fond of photography, later received the profession of a crane operator and an auto mechanic. He was an individual entrepreneur. He studies English, loves to sing, to be in nature.\nIn the mid-1990s, Sergey became interested in Bible teachings. His interest in the spiritual influenced his mother, sister, and wife, Julia, whom he married in 1989. In the same year, the couple had a daughter, whom they raised using Christian commandments.\nSergey's family was shocked to learn about the criminal case initiated against him. Relatives are very happy that the believer was released.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/klimov/photo_hu_6a1d0b9a88c5f6bc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/klimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/klimov/photo_hu_a8830afa85d2a96e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/klimov/photo_hu_ee0f1dd77a9673bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/klimov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Klimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Stanislav Klyuchnikov was persecuted by the authorities for his peaceful religious beliefs, which once changed his life for the better. Faith in Jehovah God can cost a man up to 10 years in prison.\nStanislav was born in September 1982 in Nizhnekamsk. He has an elder brother. As a child, Stanislav was fond of philately (collecting stamps), and also attended circles of young naturalists. At school, he got into a group — so drugs, tobacco and alcohol appeared in his life.\nAfter graduating from the 9th grade of school, Stanislav unlearned to be a fitter of control and measuring devices and automation at a school, worked as a janitor in a kindergarten, and later as a carpenter and roofer. After marriage, he worked as a rolling mill operator for rubber compounds at the Nizhnekamsk tire production. Then Stanislav decided to go into private business — video filming and video editing of weddings and other events. In parallel with this, he worked in a car repair shop and, together with his wife, is engaged in cleaning apartments. Stanislav's hobby is related to the improvement of video editing programs. He also loves to play football.\nStanislav was once touched by the fact that God has a personal name, as well as the kindness, love and sincerity of people who helped him understand the Bible. In addition, he was impressed by the Bible prophecies that are being fulfilled today in front of his contemporaries. In 1998, he decided to devote his life to serving God.\nIn 2000 Stanislav met Oksana, a cheerful and hospitable girl from Orenburg. They got married 3 years later. The couple raised a daughter who shares the life values and high moral principles of her parents.\nEver since the Klyuchnikov family faced criminal prosecution, they are not abandoned by the fear of the unknown. After the searches, the spouses and their daughter shuddered at first from any call and knock on their door. Oksana struggles with negative thoughts, and sometimes does not sleep at night. Believers worry that the persecution could tarnish their reputation in the eyes of their clients. But despite the stress they have experienced, they try to remain calm and positive. According to Stanislav and Oksana, friends help them a lot in this.\nThe relatives of the Klyuchnikovs, who do not share their religious beliefs, are surprised by what happened and do not understand why they are persecuting and initiating criminal cases against decent people just because of their faith. Stanislav's mother, upon learning about the persecution of her son, cried and worried about him.\n","date":"2021-11-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/klyuchnikov/photo_hu_acdbf5f77c4b5528.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/klyuchnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/klyuchnikov/photo_hu_67544c65237b18ad.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/klyuchnikov/photo_hu_ee9f26385e7e9ab1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/klyuchnikov.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Stanislav Klyuchnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Faith in Jehovah God again and again becomes the reason for searches and arrests of peaceful Russian citizens. Among them was Sergey Kobelev - a criminal case was opened against him and his mother, they were included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring only because of their participation in worship services and talking about the Bible.\nSergey was born in 1975 in the village of Kurskoye, Primorsky Krai. He has a younger sister. As a child, Sergey studied at an art school for 2 years, and also attended many circles and sections in search of a lesson to his liking.\nAfter school, Sergey learned to be an electrician of a contact network and, after serving in the army, got a job at a railway station - he fixed trains during the change of locomotives. In 2002, he got a job in his specialty, and he still works in it. The management highly appreciates his professionalism and hard work. In 2018, he took second place at the all-Russian competition \"The Best Electrician of the Contact Network\", and in May 2020 he was recognized as the best inspector of the Far Eastern Railway, as was written about in the local newspaper.\nIn 1997, Sergey married Lyudmila. They had two children: a daughter and a son. The daughter graduated with honors from the school, the son has good academic performance at school - he often receives letters and gratitude. Also, Sergey himself and his wife were repeatedly noted by the school's gratitude for the excellent upbringing of their son. The family loves to get together to meet friends, relax on the river or the sea, and go skiing in winter.\nIn 2008, Sergey's father had a misfortune - he lost his leg in an accident. Sergey took his disabled father to live with him.\nAs in his youth, Sergey has a variety of interests and hobbies. Several times a year he goes fishing, loves to swim in the sea and dive, looking at the underwater world. In the fall, Sergey and his family go to the taiga to collect lingonberries, and in the winter he is engaged in tubing. She dreams of learning snowboarding.\nIn the 1990s, Sergey became acquainted with the teachings of the Bible. He was impressed by the honesty and sincerity of the people living by Christian standards. Sergey also learned about Bible prophecies that were fulfilled down to the last detail, and how the ancient book of the Bible survived despite attempts to destroy it. In 2007, he decided to devote his life to serving God and became a Christian. Wife Lyudmila shares his position in life.\nSergey shares that the searches and the label of an \"extremist criminal\" caused stress and intense anxiety in the family. Fear of the future has also been added, since all family accounts are blocked, and the threat of job loss persists. Employees support Sergey and consider the accusations against him far-fetched. Relatives and friends hope that the persecution for the faith will soon end.\n","date":"2021-05-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kobelev/photo_hu_6abde0a5e504f6da.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kobelev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kobelev/photo_hu_a7c4780d28bce024.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kobelev/photo_hu_38c3c699897104a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kobelev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Kobelev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Persecution of believers continues in the Primorsky Territory. Young and elderly residents of the region are targeted by law enforcement officers. Among them are 64-year-old Galina Kubeleva and her son Sergey. They are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring only for their participation in peaceful services and talking about the Bible.\nGalina was born in February 1956 in the village of Verkhniye Mully, Perm Territory, in the family of a carpenter. She has a younger sister. The parents are no longer alive.\nAt the age of 11, Galina and her parents moved to the village of Kurskoye in the Primorsky Territory. She graduated from college with a degree in salesman, then studied as a commodity specialist at the Far Eastern Institute of Soviet Trade. After getting married, she moved to the city of Lesozavodsk. The family had two children - Sergey and Julia. After a while, the couple divorced.\nGalina worked as a store manager, commercial director, chief accountant, specialist of the 1st category in the Office of the Federal Treasury. She is now retired. Galina loves to work in the garden, grow vegetables and berries.\nIn the late 90s, Galina got acquainted with the Bible and became convinced of the existence of God. Her faith was strengthened by fulfilling Bible prophecies and God's answers to her prayers. Later, her children also became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe persecution for her faith unsettled Galina, disturbed her calmness and her usual way of life. The stress was added to the worries about the son and his family.\n","date":"2021-05-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_695f6eeac49124c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_adadd6c2d6d71e76.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kobeleva/photo_hu_2c7a64067e7bedd7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kobeleva.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Galina Kobeleva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the largest and most brutal operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Igor Kobotov. What do we know about him?\nIgor was born in 1973 in the city of Apsheronsk (Krasnodar Territory). His parents divorced when he was only 6 years old, but he maintained a cheerful attitude. He was fond of football, fishing, cycling, graduated from a music school in the class of wind instruments (saxophone).\nAfter serving two years in the army and returning to his hometown, Igor faced an economic crisis and was forced to go to Surgut to work. There he worked hard in various oil companies and received additional education. Currently works at Transneft.\nWhen Igor was 23 years old, he began to think about how and why life was created. His search for answers led him to the Bible, where his thirst for answers was finally quenched. Igor was determined to live by Christian standards.\nIn 2005, he married Julia, with whom they have been happily married for 14 years. In 2011, Yegor was born in their family. Igor is doing everything possible to be an example for his son. For example, realizing the value of life, he abandoned his risky passion for motorcycle sports and took up the manufacture of leather goods, bone carving, winemaking and painting. The family especially appreciated his passion for making furniture - all the furniture in the house of the Kobotovs is made with their own hands. The whole family loves joint cycling in nature, country trips and picnics.\nRelatives are very worried and sincerely do not understand how it is possible to accuse such a decent family man and law-abiding citizen as Igor of extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kobotov/photo_hu_34869d4c53083501.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kobotov/photo_hu_9426d1062adcca0c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kobotov/photo_hu_6473a5e031d262d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kobotov/photo_hu_c469bac6bddf6654.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kobotov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Kobotov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Lyubov Kocherova, who grew up without a father and lost her son, faced persecution for her faith in Jehovah God and misunderstanding from her relatives. March 2022 was a turning point in her life—then her house was searched, and she became a defendant in a criminal case only because of her faith.\nLyubov was born in May 1958 in the city of Aktyubinsk (Kazakhstan). She has an elder brother and a younger sister, her parents are deceased. When Lyubov was 8 years old, her mother, due to a difficult situation in the family, moved to the village of Knyaz-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory).\nAs a child, Lyubov was fond of athletics and knitting. After school, she graduated from college and worked as a salesman, telegraph operator and military radiotelegraph operator. At various times, she lived in Krasnodar, Kamchatka, in the village of Khor, Khabarovsk Territory.\nLyubov met her future husband in 1998. She has a daughter. Lyubov's brother and his wife first became interested in Bible teachings. From them, the woman learned that the Bible says a lot about love, which she lacked all her life. When she began to read the Bible, she realized that she could no longer work in the military unit and quit. Lyubov embarked on the Christian path in 2002. Her granddaughter followed suit.\nWhen the criminal prosecution for faith began, Lyubov's husband could not understand her Christian position, and her sister encouraged her to abandon her faith \"so as not to end up in prison.\" The brother supports Lyubov and respects her beliefs.\n","date":"2022-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_81cd00f2c00a546e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_6c6047c223ef13a1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_563cf9b70513cfb6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kocherova/photo_hu_7c653cd02f8c97ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kocherova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Kocherova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Kochnev was born in 1979 in Orenburg. His mother raised three children alone, of whom Vladimir was the youngest. As a child, he was fond of fishing and football. His older sister introduced him to the teachings of the Bible. Already at the age of 14, Vladimir made his conscious religious choice. He gained a reputation as a thinking, kind and peace-loving person.\nIn his youth, Vladimir received the profession of a television and radio mechanic, later he was engaged in construction and metalworking. It has positive characteristics from the place of residence and work.\nIn the early 2000s, Vladimir met a like-minded person, Galina. In 2003 they got married. These hospitable, sociable and sympathetic spouses have many friends. All of them have a hard time tolerating the unexpected, unfair arrest of Vladimir. In 2018, Vladimir and Galina celebrate their 15th anniversary of family life.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kochnev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kochnev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kochnev/photo_hu_200d84b1a9046066.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kochnev/photo_hu_200d84b1a9046066.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kochnev.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Kochnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The 42-year-old mother of two sons, Natalya Kochneva, suddenly found herself in the sight of the special services. During the search, the family experienced severe stress.\nNataliya was born in 1978 in the city of Alapaevsk (Sverdlovsk region). She was the only child in the family. As a child, she went to a theater club, was fond of Indian dances, basketball and karate, read a lot.\nNatalya graduated with honors from college as an accountant lawyer. She lived in Artyomovsky, and being 19 years old moved to Beryozovsky.\nNatalya works as a chief accountant in a company selling auto parts. Engaged in the study of Turkish language, still loves to read, happy to travel.\nWhen she was 12 years old Natalya started reading the Bible on her own and saw that God has a personal name. A few years later she met those who know and use it. Spiritual searches convinced her of the consistency of the Bible and gave answers to many questions. At the age of 24 she consciously entered the Christian way.\nNatalia was married from 2000 to 2020, two children were born in marriage: Daniil and Matvey. The eldest, Daniil, got the profession of a master of housing and communal services, actively engaged in sports and is fond of technology. Matvey is mastering the profession of a welder in a technical school, is engaged in music. In addition, he took on all the hard domestic work. Natalya and her sons love to travel on mountain bikes, enjoy the sunsets by the lake, and sleep in tents.\n","date":"2020-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kochneva/photo_hu_fe9c8c266bf4dc36.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kochneva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kochneva/photo_hu_ea33f4b2dea3bd74.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kochneva/photo_hu_796a2b7db6709e9b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kochneva.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Natalya Kochneva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nailya Kogai is one of the elderly women from Vladivostok who were accused of extremism only because of their religion. During the trial, she buried her husband. The believer said, \"It's like losing one leg. He was very worried about me. My persecution took a toll on his heart. He died of cardiac arrest. My husband was very worried about me and supported me.\"\nNailya was born in 1951 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). The parents are no longer alive. Nailya has an elder brother. The younger one died in 1992. As a child, Nailya was fond of athletics.\nAfter school, Nailya graduated from the Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers, where she received the specialty \"civil engineer\". She worked as a design engineer in design organizations, as well as deputy director of the institute. She is currently retired.\nIn 1975, Nailya married a work colleague, Robert Kogay. The couple raised two children. In 2003 they moved to Vladivostok. Robert worked as a team leader in a design institute, but since 1989 he has been on disability and needs constant care.\nThe logic of the Bible and the understanding that God is loving and caring convinced Nailya that the Bible is trustworthy. Therefore, in the second half of the 1990s, she decided to take the Christian path.\nNailya experienced severe stress due to criminal prosecution. The incident affected her physical health and financial situation. All accounts, including savings left after the sale of an apartment in Tashkent, which Nailya used to pay for rented housing, were blocked. Against this background, chronic diseases worsened.\nSon Vadim worries about his mother. During interrogation, he said in bewilderment: \"My mother is a reasonable and competent person and knows what she is doing. She's not an extremist!\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_dd66a003366710ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_faea976e947c0f5d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_3111bc74e9848011.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kogay/photo_hu_ccf4625b85b6e1c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kogay.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nailya Kogay","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2018, a civilian resident of Berezovskiy Khasan Kogut was searched, and in February 2019 the FSB opened a criminal case against him on charges of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In 2020, the court found Khasan guilty and sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nKhasan was born in 1983 in the city of Shakhrisabz (Uzbekistan). He has a brother and sister. After leaving school, Hasan mastered the professions of a telemaster and hydrologist.\nWhen Khasan became interested in Bible teachings in the mid-1990s, his parents took it easy, seeing that Bible reading had a positive effect on their son.\nIn 2004, Khasan moved to Kurgan. He took on any job. Hasan later received Russian citizenship.\nIn 2010, Khasan married Yekaterina, in 2012, a son, Timofey, appeared in the family. A year later, the family moved to Berezovskiy to take care of Yekaterina’s mother. At the trial, the believer emphasized: “I am very grateful to my beloved wife, who, despite the difficulties of life associated with the trial, the serious illness of our son, which drains her emotionally, maintains a positive attitude and supports me. During the house arrest, she was my hands, feet, my lips, doing everything that I had to do, because I was deprived of the opportunity to earn money and go to the store, to the pharmacy, to the post office. \"\nAt the end of the court hearings, Khasan firmly stated: “I am not going to give up my faith in Jehovah God, and I consider it a crime to force me to do this! These are my firm convictions, and no matter what circumstances I find myself in. \"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kogut/photo_hu_e90b463877166d29.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kogut/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kogut/photo_hu_58bf3f712d204de7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kogut/photo_hu_e00dca09046a5176.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kogut.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Khasan Kogut","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Two searches in a day, an interrogation and a threat of imprisonment — a criminal case for faith turned the life of an engineer from Yaroslavl, Anton Kokovin.\nAnton was born in July 1990 in the city of Yaroslavl, where he still lives. His mother works as a sales assistant, his father is retired, a disabled person of group II.\nSince childhood, Anton was fond of technology, attended various circles and sections, especially loved theatrical art lessons. He graduated with honors from a technical school with a degree in auto mechanics.\nAnton has been working in the telecommunications industry for more than 10 years, most recently as a communications engineer. He spends his free time with friends, loves to travel, watch movies and listen to music.\nAnton has been familiar with biblical teachings since childhood. \"As I approached adulthood, I realized that there was no real meaning in life without God,\" Anton said, \"so I decided to devote my life to him.\" In 2009, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution created difficulties: due to the restrictions imposed, Anton cannot travel to other cities for work, and even more so to visit friends. He worries about how what is happening will affect his loved ones.\n","date":"2022-08-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kokovin/photo_hu_e79d96ca2b424f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kokovin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kokovin/photo_hu_d966f0e52926507e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kokovin/photo_hu_63559141dcb640c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kokovin.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Kokovin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladislav Sergeevich Kolbanov was born in 1992 in Orenburg. He worked in the field of computer maintenance. When he was 6 years old, his mother, an engineer by training, began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses and instilling Christian values in her children, Vladislav and his younger sister. In 2008, Vladislav was baptized in his newfound faith.\nAt the age of 18, Vladislav was waiting for a test: he asked the military registration and enlistment office to satisfy his legal right to replace military service with alternative civilian service. At first he was refused, but after three and a half years of litigation, he was given this opportunity. Throughout his service, Vladislav took care of the elderly in a nursing home in Orenburg.\nParadoxically, this meek young man, who fought for years for the right not to take up arms, is now accused of extremism. The criminal prosecution had a serious impact on the health of some members of his family. On the other hand, Vladislav's father, not being one of Jehovah's Witnesses, under the impression of his son's Christian steadfastness, began to read the Bible regularly.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolbanov/photo_hu_9ef899569a73133c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolbanov/photo_hu_f46d790bdabda1f5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolbanov/photo_hu_dbcb961375c666ea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolbanov/photo_hu_80c4019056968e77.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolbanov.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladislav Kolbanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Kolesnichenko was detained by FSB officers right at his workplace, after which his home was searched. The reason for the criminal prosecution of the man was his faith in Jehovah God.\nAndrey was born in June 1970 in the city of Seversk (Tomsk region). His father worked at the Siberian Chemical Combine, and his mother worked in the school cafeteria. Andrey has a younger brother. Their mother is no longer alive.\nAs a child, Andrey loved to draw and collect electrical circuits, attended a ship modeling circle, dreamed of becoming a pilot. After graduating from the Tomsk College of Information Technologies, he worked at a chemical plant, and for the last 14 years, together with his brother, they have been manufacturing cabinet furniture.\nAndrey's future wife was introduced by her brother Yevgeniy Korotun, who is also persecuted for his faith in Jehovah. Young people got married in 1998. Oksana is a teacher by profession. She enjoys reading fiction and medical articles. The acquired knowledge and skills were useful to her in raising her son Kirill. He takes photographs, plays guitar and drums, studies history.\nAndrey is a versatile person. He loves outdoor activities - he and his wife ride bicycles. He is also very fond of cooking.\nSpouses have always been concerned with the questions: what happens after death and why does God allow suffering? The desire to find the truth prompted Andrey and Oksana to study the Bible. The logic and simplicity of the teachings of this ancient book prompted them to embark on the Christian path.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Andrey lost a lot of weight, his sleep was disturbed. Andrey's father and brother are perplexed, for which the believer was convicted and thrown behind bars.\n","date":"2021-05-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolesnichenko/photo_hu_2751ff5a1de658c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolesnichenko/photo_hu_ad34ba5ac6d232e5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolesnichenko/photo_hu_2d31cab9854c1839.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolesnichenko/photo_hu_c9a95c56cb14c430.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolesnichenko.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Andrey Kolesnichenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Kolesnikov, a retired serviceman, faced criminal prosecution for his faith in 2022. Two years earlier, he had endured the loss of his beloved wife.\nVladimir was born in March 1946 in Lvov. He has a younger brother and sister. As a child, he was keen on sports and took part in running competitions.\nFrom 1956 to 1968, Vladimir pursued his education: first at the Orenburg and Kazan Suvorov Military Schools, and later he graduated from the Yeisk Aviation School. After that, he served in Transbaikalia, and in 1976 he retired with the rank of captain. He then went on to work at a mine in the Far North.\nIn 1979, he married Zinaida, who was raising a daughter on her own at the time. During their marriage, they had a son and a second daughter. Zinaida worked in retail and in cleaning services. As her health deteriorated, the couple moved to the settlement of Vyselki in the Krasnodar Territory, where Vladimir still lives today. In his free time, he tends a vegetable garden and enjoys walking. He is now retired. His situation is complicated by health problems: shortly after his wife\u0026#39;s death, he suffered a stroke.\nFrom a young age, Vladimir—convinced of God\u0026#39;s existence—reflected on spiritual matters. In 1993, Zinaida learned that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were planning a large religious convention and wanted to attend it. Later, the couple began studying the Bible together and, in 1995, embarked on the Christian path.\nCriminal prosecution also affected Zinaida\u0026#39;s son-in-law, Viktor Spirichev. In December 2025, a court sentenced him to two years of suspended imprisonment for his faith.\n","date":"2022-07-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_335cf8feb3b43a31.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_e3630e724a67a6e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_f9f9b9cf11fe24cb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolesnikov/photo_hu_cef66348d4e6e083.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolesnikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Vladimir Kolesnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2022, Yuriy Kolotinskiy, a labor veteran with a group-three disability, learned that he had been accused of extremism because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nYuriy was born in January 1955 in the village of Teya, Tiraspol Region, Moldovan SSR. His parents and his older brother and sister are no longer alive. As a child, Yuriy loved sports, was in the second category in soccer, and was also involved in weightlifting and table tennis. He graduated from a mining vocational school and became an electrician.\nIn September 1977, Yuriy married Natalya, and soon the young family moved to the region of Yakutia in the Far North of Russia. Natalya worked as a salesperson. Yuriy worked in the nonferrous mining industry and later in a coal mine. For about 22 years, Yuriy worked with heavy trucks. Now he is retired, and due to an occupational disease, he is on disability.\nYuriy became the first in his family to learn about the Bible; this happened in 1994. He recalls: “I had questions like, What will happen to humanity? What will happen to our earth? If there is a God, then why does he allow so much suffering? Will it ever end? These questions have been fully answered. I told my wife what I learned, and she immediately showed interest in it.” The couple was impressed by the accurate fulfillment of Bible prophecy and how wise and helpful the Bible is. A year later, the Kolotinskiys became Christians.\nThe couple raised two sons and a daughter and instilled Christian values in them as well. The family decided to move from the countryside of the Altai Territory to the city of Barnaul. The couple spend their free time with their grandchildren and enjoy mushroom picking and fishing. Yuriy is a photographer; he professionally shoots beautiful landscapes and makes paintings from his pictures. Natalya grows vegetables and flowers in her garden.\nRelatives, acquaintances and neighbors of the Kolotinskiys were surprised to learn about the criminal prosecution of Yuriy. They do not understand how a peaceful and law-abiding person can be considered an extremist.\n","date":"2023-01-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_9cff9f092548c94b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_f9ecc870f4aa0303.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_d573b80459c168de.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kolotinskiy/photo_hu_fc415d72a2905263.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kolotinskiy.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Kolotinskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov, a native Muscovite and father of two minor children, was one of those whom the security forces broke into in November 2020. This was the beginning of the criminal prosecution of the believer, as a result of which he was sentenced to 6 years in prison.\nVitaliy was born in 1976 in Moscow. He has a younger brother. Their mother, a former nurse, is now retired, and their father died in 2006. As a child, Vitaliy collected stamps, and was engaged in athletics at the Olympic Center named after the Znamenskiy brothers. After school, he graduated from the Sergo Ordzhonikidze State University of Management.\nFrom 1998 to 2006, Vitaliy Komarov headed his own company. Then he worked for 5 years as a manager for the development of tourism and recreation in the regions of Russia. Since 2011, he worked as the head of the department of the Moscow branch of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network. Vitaliy has several state awards, including the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree. Before the criminal prosecution, Vitaliy was fond of beekeeping.\nIn 1999, Vitaliy married Yelena, an accountant by education. The couple have two sons. Relatives and friends are sure that the persecution of Vitaliy is a huge mistake. Addressing the court with his last plea, the believer said: \u0026quot;My sincere desire, as well as that of my fellow believers, is to lead a quiet, peaceful life and to worship Jehovah God as he desires.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-01-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/komarov/photo_hu_938adc7e8dbb7f17.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/komarov/photo_hu_8aedc9bc7922858.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/komarov/photo_hu_598cac8e767edd89.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/komarov/photo_hu_32df36b44c8cdcd4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/komarov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Komarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On the morning of April 3, 2019, in the city of Porkhov (Pskov region), FSB officers broke into the apartment of peaceful believers. The operation was accompanied by searches, interrogations, confiscation of personal belongings, hacking of Internet resources. Its victims were the spouses Sergey and Svetlana Komissarov, whom the investigation suspects of \"spreading the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in the territory of the city of Porkhov.\" What do we know about Sergey?\nSergey was born in 1966 in the city of Plunge (Lithuania), and his parents are from the Smolensk region. His father was a military man, his mother was a philologist and teacher. The only son of his parents. As a child, he was fond of rugby and canoeing. Later the family moved to Smolensk. At the age of 15 he became interested in tourism, was a member of a tourist club.\nSergey graduated from a vocational school and a construction college, having mastered the professions of an electrician and foreman. Later, he independently acquired the skills of a carpenter, tiler, painter-plasterer. In his student years, he participated in amateur performances, playing guitar and banjo as part of a jazz band. In his free time, he likes to play volleyball with friends, go out of town with tents, take pictures of nature, travel and read books, discovering something new. He has an adult daughter from his first marriage.\nEven at an early age, Sergey was tormented by questions about God: why are there so many religions? Why are they so different? Is there a standard for proper worship of God? After talking about this with a believing grandmother, I firmly decided to find and read the Bible. He was convinced of the truth of the Holy Book by the clarity and comprehensibility of the description of the future. He also admired the love, sincerity and openness of his new Christian friends.\nSoon Sergey married Svetlana. In 2014, the couple moved to Porkhov and led a quiet life there until the family was hit by misfortune - criminal prosecution because of their faith.\nSergey worries about his elderly parents and fears that the news of his persecution will worsen their already difficult health condition.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/komissarov/photo_hu_73c28df087eff9c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/komissarov/photo_hu_91e5558279dbce92.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/komissarov/photo_hu_f8694b5b49b01ac6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/komissarov/photo_hu_c1a1aaa3dd2a0d55.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/komissarov.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Komissarov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), a year after the mass searches, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against 8 civilians, including 57-year-old Nadezhda Konkova.\nNadezhda was born in 1962 in the village of Ukhtuy, Ziminsky District, Irkutsk Region. She grew up in a large family - her parents raised six children. There were many losses in Nadezhda's life, only her older sister survived. As a child, Nadezhda liked to work on the land - planting plants, harvesting.\nAfter school, Nadezhda graduated from the Irkutsk Technological College, receiving the specialty of an accountant, which she worked all her life. In her free time, Nadezhda likes to go to the mountains, take care of her pet.\nNadezhda's love for the Bible was instilled in her father, who himself learned about this book as a teenager. She was also encouraged by the example of her uncle, who was a deeply religious man. The biblical message prompted Nadezhda to embark on the path of Christianity at the age of 15.\nSoviet society perceived this step as a challenge to the system. For refusing to attend military training classes, Nadezhda was publicly expelled from school. Teachers, school and city authorities, and later her superiors at work urged Nadezhda to renounce her faith. Security officers repeatedly threatened the woman with dismissal.\nOver time, Nadezhda met Oleg, who shared her values. Peaceful convictions did not allow him to serve in the army. At that time, the USSR did not provide for alternative civilian service, Oleg was imprisoned for 3 years. After Oleg's release, they got married.\nIn 1984, the young family moved to the city of Tyrnyauz (Kabardino-Balkaria), and later settled in Nevinnomyssk to be closer to their relatives. In 2018, after 38 years of marriage with Oleg, Nadezhda was widowed.\nThe search was a severe shock for Nadezhda and undermined her health. Due to heart problems, she was hospitalized. A year later, Nadezhda was still undergoing treatment. The story of repression for Nadezhda repeats itself: as in Soviet times, she is again forced to renounce her faith. Relatives and friends are very worried about Nadezhda, try to support her and are perplexed about the persecution of this peace-loving woman.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_cca0a0b69f65c8f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/konkova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_24635f63db9127f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/konkova/photo_hu_7c7489289724a802.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/konkova.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Konkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Kononenko became a defendant in the criminal case in 2022, a year and a half after his co-religionists from the Khabarovsk Territory. For his convictions, the man was sentenced to 6 years suspended sentence.\nNikolay was born in January 1982 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. His mother raised him alone. She, like her father, is no longer alive. In court, the believer said: \u0026quot;Since childhood, it has been unacceptable for me when a person or an animal is beaten or abused, which, unfortunately, has become commonplace in our time. My mother, although she raised me alone, was able to cultivate in me qualities that helped me to maintain a clear conscience. And I try to raise my children in the same way.\u0026quot;\nIn his youth, Nikolay was fond of chess and radio electronics, a hobby he has retained to this day. He studied at the Technical University. He worked as an electrician, and later as a dispatcher. In his free time, a man likes to go to the gym.\nIn 1998, Nikolay and his mother became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. When the young man was 18, he was drafted into the army. He defended his right to alternative civilian service in court, guided by peaceful views.\nIn 2017, Nikolay met his future wife Olesya. They got married two years later. The couple has a teenage son and a young daughter.\nAccording to the believer, the criminal prosecution undermined his emotional state and physical health. He developed a serious illness. Relatives and friends worry about the Kononenko family and consider the sentence unfair.\nSpeaking in court with the last plea, Nikolay noted: \u0026quot;When my superiors found out that I was being tried, they did not change their attitude towards me, because they know me as a respectable and law-abiding person. And I can also look him in the eye with a clear conscience. Because conscience is not just a word for me.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-11-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kononenko/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kononenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kononenko/photo_hu_83d9c5680d0b35c9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kononenko/photo_hu_83d9c5680d0b35c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kononenko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Kononenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in several towns in the Nizhny Novgorod region. In total, 35 searches were conducted, and at least 11 people are involved in the criminal case. One of them is Oleg Konshin. Who is he?\nOleg was born in the city of Luga, Leningrad Region, in 1971; his sister was born not long after. The family then moved north to the city of Zapolyarny, Murmansk Region, where Oleg spent his childhood and youth. After graduating, he went to a technical school to study automotive repair. In 1991 Oleg received a diploma and in the same year married Irina, whom he had met in drama class. Later, the couple decided to move south and settled in Nizhny Novgorod.\nOne day, Oleg's mother shared with her daughter and son-in-law what she had learned from the Bible, and it interested them. When Oleg and Irina became parents of two sons, they tried to raise them from birth in accordance with biblical commandments. Today they have a warm close-knit family that loves to spend time together, ride bicycles, play football, travel, and go to the theater.\nOleg works at a car repair shop in Nizhny Novgorod. He loves his profession, but he especially enjoys helping his friends with car repairs. Oleg's employer was very considerate; she allowed him to come to work later than usual because, due to his criminal prosecution, he cannot leave his home before 9 a.m. She was very surprised to learn that her employee was accused of extremism.\nWhen Oleg's relatives heard about the criminal prosecution, they could not believe that this peaceful family man would do something unlawful. They sincerely hope that this unjust situation will be resolved.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/konshin/photo_hu_94295cb66af09e6c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/konshin/photo_hu_eb77394c4bd53523.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/konshin/photo_hu_7b2f5fe125ed8338.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/konshin/photo_hu_d864a1f16e5e4141.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/konshin.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Konshin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The usual way of life of one of the families in Kaliningrad was violated when in the summer of 2020 the armed forces knocked on their door. The authorities suspected former sailor Mikhail Kopytov of extremist activities only because of his religious beliefs.\nMikhail was born in November 1967 in Krasny Hill (Tver region). He has a sister. As a child, he liked moving games. He liked to ride a bicycle, and was also fond of motorcycles. After school, he entered the Higher Naval School. Until 1996, he served in the Navy.\nMikhail met his future wife Olga as a student in 1989, and a year later they got married. 5 years later Olga discovered the simplicity and logic of biblical truths. She told her husband what she learned. The practicality and relevance of the biblical advice prompted Mikhail to become a Christian too. In 1996, he left the service and dedicated his life to serving God.\nThe spouses have a daughter. Like her mother, she works to maintain cleanliness and order in the streets of the city. She is fond of learning foreign languages. The family loves to spend time together, especially in nature. Mikhail likes to pick mushrooms, to fish, to go hiking.\nIn the summer of 2020, the family experienced severe stress when their home was searched. Their impeccable reputation among their neighbors was damaged because of what happened, and their relatives do not understand why they pursue these peaceful hardworking people. Mikhail and his relatives do not leave feeling that they are constantly being watched and overheard.\n","date":"2020-11-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kopytov/photo_hu_c8c8ee67d9058fba.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kopytov/photo_hu_f17fd7cf952bf744.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kopytov/photo_hu_849f54af53381666.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kopytov/photo_hu_3c2068664c5d564d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kopytov.html","regions":["kaliningrad"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Kopytov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Korobeynikov is a pensioner who takes care of his wife Olga, who practically does not get out of bed due to illness, and daughter Nina is a disabled person of group I. In 2018, this peaceful resident of Kirov was accused of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nVladimir was born in 1952 on Dikson Island in the northern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. His father was a polar explorer and oceanographer. Vladimir has two sisters. As a child, he was fond of aircraft and ship modeling.\nVladimir worked as a turner, locksmith and EDM. Currently retired, in his spare time he likes to go fishing or make something.\nIn the early 1990s, Vladimir and his wife Olga began to study the Bible. Vladimir was particularly impressed by biblical prophecies, which accurately predicted both past events and contemporary reality. In addition, applying wise counsel from Scripture helped them build relationships in a family that was close to breaking up. Since then, it has been a close-knit family, they have an adult daughter and a son.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_58dcd1dcde8e5d02.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_1ff14ecfb4fe1ab2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korobeinikov/photo_hu_712ed8717cbd3f77.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korobeinikov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Korobeynikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korochko is a peaceful pensioner from Mykolaivsk-on-Amur. In the fall of 2021, security forces searched her home. Because of the talk about God, the believer was suspected of extremist activity.\nNadezhda was born in August 1943 in the town of Shakhty (Rostov Region). Her father worked as a machinist, and her mother ran a household. The family had 9 children: 3 girls and 6 boys. Due to financial difficulties, the family was forced to move to Okhotsk (Khabarovsk Territory). Nadezhda’s parents, six brothers, as well as one sister are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Nadezhda was fond of sports: gymnastics, volleyball, basketball, skiing. She loved to draw and go fishing with her father.\nNadezhda graduated from the Novosibirsk Institute of Water Transport Engineers with a specialization in hydraulic engineering of waterways and ports. She worked as the chief accountant of the Mobile Mechanized Column in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. In 1990, she was invited to Khabarovsk in the construction department. In 1994, Nadezhda had a heart attack, after which she returned to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. There, until 2021, she worked as an accountant for private entrepreneurs.\nNadezhda still enjoys fishing, even in winter. She is fond of knitting and, despite her age, still goes in for sports to keep fit.\nNadezhda was a believer. She recalls: “I rode a tram and faced violence there. When I left, I turned to God: 'Why do you allow all this to happen?'” Soon after this incident, Nadezhda began to get to know the Bible better and found answers to this and other questions in it. She was so impressed by the high moral standards and laws set out in this book that she firmly decided to live by them. This was in 1996.\nNadezhda was married twice. With her second husband, they raised four children — Nadezhda's daughter from her first marriage, two children of her husband and a common daughter. The head of the family worked as a neurologist, taught at a medical school. In 1988 he was gone.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Nadezhda's health deteriorated. She noted: \"Before the criminal prosecution, I had a hypertensive crisis, and the searches and interrogations worsened my health.\" Thanks to the help of her children and friends, her condition returned to normal to some extent. Children do not share Nadezhda's religious views, but they support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-12-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_88dca68bf374e7a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_20d4c825d23d25e2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korobochko/photo_hu_de4acb849aff7a00.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korobochko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nadezhda Korobochko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, security forces conducted a massive raid against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the Voronezh region. There were searches at more than 80 addresses, dozens of civilians were detained and taken to interrogations. One of them was Aleksandr Korol, who was beaten and tortured. 10 months after his arrest, the case against him was dropped.\nAleksandr was born in a religious family in 1991 in the village of Krasnoselsky, Krasnodar Territory. His father, Nikolay, works as a slinger; together with his wife Olga and daughter Yelena, he grows vegetables in the greenhouse.\nAs a child, Aleksandr loved to study mechanisms, make wood, fish and ride a bike. After school, he tried himself in different professions: upholsterer of furniture, edger and assembler of cabinet furniture. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as a janitor in a kindergarten, in his spare time he is engaged in the repair of digital equipment.\nAleksander\u0026#39;s paternal grandparents were exiled to Siberia. There they became acquainted with the Bible and began to instill Christian principles in their children and later in their grandchildren. His grandmother took the Christian path back in 1975. Aleksandr became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 2006.\nIn 2010, Aleksandr married Polina, who from early childhood was interested in spiritual issues. Together spouses love to spend time with friends, relax in nature, ride bikes, collect puzzles, cook, play board games. Polina works at a children\u0026#39;s creativity center and is fond of photography. Aleksandr learns to play the piano, loves to sing.\nAfter the search, the spouses had to move, as it was emotionally difficult to stay in the same place of residence.\n","date":"2020-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korol/photo_hu_74f16ed4eab53da9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korol/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korol/photo_hu_992a9b19b3ea68c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korol/photo_hu_d07c753c2049f0f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korol.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Korol","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory), Sergey Korolchuk became a new target of criminal prosecution for his faith. What do we know about him?\nSergey was born in 1967 in Vladivostok. He has an elder sister, parents and a brother are deceased. In his youth he was fond of various sports, drawing and fishing. He graduated from the Higher Military School and served in the KGB troops of the USSR. After his discharge from the army, he worked as a loader and machine operator in the furniture industry. In recent years, Sergey was a janitor. In his free time he likes to play football and volleyball, go fishing, breeds rabbits.\nIn 1989, Sergey married Elena. For some time they lived in Ukraine and Germany, but later decided to return to Primorsky Krai, where they lived before. The couple raised a daughter and a son, they have a little granddaughter. They have been studying the Bible for many years and have instilled a love for it in their children. Sergey appreciates the fact that this book simply and clearly explains what is happening in the world and gives reasonable hope for the future.\nThe persecution had a profound impact on the lives of Sergey and his family. He lost his job. Colleagues, friends and relatives are perplexed why this peaceful, decent person can be persecuted. Acquaintances and neighbors characterize it only on the positive side. Sergey and his family are trying to remain optimistic and hope that the unjust persecution will stop.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korolchuk/photo_hu_d350485bfc49b1bf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korolchuk/photo_hu_5b0f7c1e00ef28d9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korolchuk/photo_hu_7cd6416f4d175e7d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korolchuk/photo_hu_6c08ad17b687ef65.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korolchuk.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Korolchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, Ruslan Korolev was among the accused in a criminal case. He spent about 4 months in a pre-trial detention center. In 2021, the court sentenced the believer to 6.5 years of probation.\nRuslan was born in 1982 in Smolensk, where he lives all his life. He has a younger sister. As a child, Ruslan was fond of technology - he loved to disassemble and assemble televisions, radios, various electrical appliances. After graduating from school, he received the profession of an auto mechanic.\nFriends know Ruslan as a modest and sympathetic person. He takes care of his mother, is always ready to help others and especially the elderly, with whom he easily finds a common language.\nWhile serving in the army, Ruslan often became a victim of cruel and unfair treatment. He found solace in the Bible and in fellowship with Christians. The turning point in his life was 2004, when he decided to become a Christian.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Ruslan again had to face injustice, now on the part of the state. Ruslan's mother, his sister and her husband are outraged by the verdict and support it as best they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korolev/photo_hu_a0902b697f695c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korolev/photo_hu_563efc19cca78f29.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korolev/photo_hu_2baefed84963c0e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korolev/photo_hu_457d73d83e31a752.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korolev.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Ruslan Korolev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The calm way of life of the peaceful believer Sergey Korolev from Akhtubinsk was disturbed when law enforcement officers came to search his home. They considered conversations about God to be extremist activity and sent him to a detention center. In April 2023, the court sentenced the believer to seven years in a penal colony for his beliefs.\nSergey was born in 1973 in the city of Penza. He has a younger brother who is a hunter and fisherman. Their mother is retired. As a child, Sergey was fond of photography, loved to make something with his own hands and was inspired by the a magazine called \"Yunyy Tekhnik\" which his mother used to order for her sons.\nSergey received a vocational education. He likes to work with his own hands: he worked in furniture making, shoe repair and with photographic equipment. So, his childhood hobbies became his favorite work.\nSergey lived for some time in the towns of Kuznetsk (Penza Region), Ulyanovsk, and later settled in the town of Akhtubinsk, which is not far from Volgograd, where his wife's parents live.\nIn his free time, Sergey is still keen on photography and technology; he loves to listen to music and spends time with friends. He doesn't neglect his health by doing weight training, jogging and attending sauna.\nSince his youth Sergey loved reading and one day he came across a book that talked about the origin of life and that man was created to live forever. Reading this book and getting to know Jehovah's Witnesses motivated him to study the Bible and he gained purpose in his life. In 1996, Sergey became a Christian.\nIn 2006, Sergey married Yekaterina. From childhood she also wondered about the purpose of life and read a lot—from Dale Carnegie to the Bhagavad Gita. When she began to study the Bible, she was impressed by the book's logic and the practical advice and principles it contained. Yekaterina and her husband love to sing, to take walks and to travel.\nSudden prosecution for their faith separated close and strong family. Plans to visit Sergey's mother, whom he had not seen for two years, had to be cancelled. When she found out that a criminal case had been initiated against her son, she experienced severe stress, which made her chronic illneses worse. Although she does not share her son's religious beliefs, she considers him decent, modest and caring.\nThe mother is worried about the harsh sentence imposed on Sergey. Yekaterina supports her husband and trying to maintain a positive attitude, despite the difficulties.\n","date":"2021-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korolevs/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korolevs/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korolevs/photo_hu_b6ad00e78dbac543.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korolevs/photo_hu_b6ad00e78dbac543.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korolevs.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Korolev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2020, Yevgeniy Korotun, the father of a minor child, was charged with extremism and taken into custody. Relatives and friends of the believer wonder how this law-abiding and peaceful citizen found himself under the yoke of criminal prosecution.\nYevgeniy was born in April 1970 into a family of workers at the Siberian Chemical Plant in Seversk. He has a younger sister, Oksana, a teacher by profession. Yevgeniy studied at an art school, from the age of 12 he was fond of photography, read a lot. After receiving secondary education, he got a job as an equipment operator at the plant and worked there for 15 years. Later, the man was engaged in the manufacture of furniture, coating walls with decorative plaster, and in recent years he worked as a plumber. He retired in April 2020.\nEugene scrupulously studied the Bible for 10 years. He became convinced that this was a book from God, and in 2008 he embarked on the Christian path of life. Evgenia, the wife of a persecuted for faith, shares not only his religious beliefs, but also her husband's many hobbies: cycling, ice skating, family outdoor recreation, reading and drawing. She is a chemist-technologist by profession, as a child she studied in circus and theater studios, graduated from art school. The couple have a son, Alexander, who is fond of music, dancing, sports and reading. Yevgeniy also has an adult daughter from his first marriage.\n","date":"2021-01-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/korotun/photo_hu_2d7ff463d1ff76d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/korotun/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/korotun/photo_hu_d77a77b9f47cee16.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/korotun/photo_hu_72aaed6e50bf0a96.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/korotun.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Korotun","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kostenko.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kostenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early October morning of 2021, special forces soldiers broke into the apartment of 61-year-old Sergey Kosteyev, breaking a window. After that security forces put him behind bars for his faith in Jehovah God. Stress contributed to the exacerbation of Sergey's hypertension, and he was admitted to a hospital cell for 20 days.\nSergey was born in May 1960 in the city of Korkino (Chelyabinsk region). His father died when Sergey was a teenager. Then, together with his mother, he moved to Irkutsk. He has a younger sister.\nSergey graduated from a vocational school as an electrician, but later changed his profession and has been working as a driver for about 30 years. His hobbies include fishing and photography.\nIn the early 1990s, Sergey's mother and sister met Jehovah's Witnesses and eventually embarked on the Christian path. The changes in the lives of family and friends sparked an interest in the Bible in Sergei as well. In 1996, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSince 1994 Sergey has been divorced. He has two grown children and already four grandchildren. Although the children do not share his religious convictions, the criminal prosecution of his father caused a great shock to them, the elderly mother and other relatives. They all know Sergey as a peaceful and kind person who has not committed any crimes, and they consider the criminal prosecution to be complete absurdity.\n","date":"2021-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_8f7b839cecadfd68.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_6f9309f4830d648e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosteyev/photo_hu_3d4e4fcabf9eb1a9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosteyev.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Kosteyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 3, 2019, in Lipetsk, three civilians were imprisoned because of their religious views. One of them is Alexander Kostrov. What do we know about this man?\nAlexander was born in 1961 in the city of Sortavala (Karelia). She has an older sister. In 1963, due to the harsh climate of Karelia, the family moved to Lipetsk. As a child, Alexander was fond of swimming and wrestling.\nAfter school, he completed a pilot training course, graduated from the metallurgical college, courses for gas electric welders and electricians. He worked as a specialist in installation, repair and maintenance of electrical equipment and electrical circuits. Then he retired. In his spare time he likes to fish.\nAlready in adulthood, Alexander began to seriously study the ancient book - the Bible. The knowledge gained convinced him of the need to firmly adhere to the Christian path of life.\nIn 1997 he married Larisa. The family has two children: son Sergey and daughter Anna. Spouses love to spend time together in nature.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksandr had a detrimental effect on the emotional and material state of the family. The relatives of the spouses sincerely empathize with them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_64d13cfc8d2c8fcc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_4eb25553e969faf7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_1664cca4201df90d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kostrov/photo_hu_2fb049810e1ca626.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kostrov.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Kostrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Kosyanenko is a peaceful believer from the town of Znamensk. He is an international master of sport and a record holder and multiple winner of all-Russian and international tournaments in weight lifting. In the fall of 2021, security forces raided his home and conducted a search. Sergey was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sent to a pre-trial detention center. The court sentenced him to seven years in prison because of his love for the Bible.\nSergey was born in June 1961 in the urban-type settlement of Elani, Volgograd Region. He is the oldest of three children. Since early childhood, Sergey has loved sports; he played football and hockey and was also fond of collecting stamps. At the age of 13, he entered the Kosovo Art College, where he became a master of artistic woodworking.\nSergey has a rich history of professional activity. He worked as a graphic designer, served as an ensign in a marine brigade in the Baltic Fleet, and worked as a teacher in a secondary school and gymnasium, as well as in a youth sports school.\nSergey has been kettlebell lifting for many years. He set two Russian records in the weight category up to 65 kg and developed a training method that prepared many winners, including women.\nUntil his criminal prosecution, Sergey lived in the town of Znamensk, Astrakhan Region, and worked as a sports instructor, promoted sports among young people, and organized soccer tournaments. In his free time, he composed poetry and music, played the guitar, wrote and published prose on literary websites, played soccer, volleyball, and chess, and participated in weightlifting competitions among veterans; he also enjoyed solving Japanese crosswords and going fishing.\nIn the early 2000s, while serving in the military, Sergey began to study the Bible in depth. He was impressed by its internal harmony, its historical accuracy, and its fulfilled prophecies. He decided to leave the military two years before retirement. In May 2002, Sergey became a Christian.\nThe changes in his personality deeply impressed his wife, Olga, to whom Sergey has been married since 1983, and in 2003 she also became a Christian. Olga is fond of sewing and cooking. Together, the couple raised a son and a daughter who share their outlook on life. Sergey and Olga love spending time with their children and grandchildren—watching movies together, playing board games, and relaxing in nature.\nSergey's relatives are outraged by his unfair persecution and harsh sentence. They are worried about his future.\n","date":"2021-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_a07fd7b6b4ea33c2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_55e7fd463f8d8ee1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_4e0f658b00fa91ce.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kosyanenko/photo_hu_6a9c6c9a675f9228.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kosyanenko.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Kosyanenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 11, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Surgut against 21 Jehovah's Witnesses. The local Investigation Department believes that their religion is wrong. Among the suspects was Yevgeny Kozak. What do we know about this man?\nYevgeniy was born in 1994 in Surgut. He has two brothers. As a child, he was fond of music and football. He received secondary vocational education in two specialties at once: a programmer-technician and a pianist. Most recently he worked as a web programmer. As in childhood, he is fond of football, music, computers, loves to travel.\nAlready at the age of 12 he was a deeply reflective person. Reading the Bible, I began to think a lot about how wisely our world works. He consciously came to Christianity.\nIn 2013, Yevgeniy married Anastasia. In a happy marriage, they had three children: a daughter and two sons. Spouses are united by their common faith in God.\nRelatives on his wife's side, who do not share the religious views of the family, are outraged by the brutal persecution of innocent Russian citizens. Anastasia's health problems worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kozak/photo_hu_a8690fb9e356acc6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kozak/photo_hu_674022d96eb10375.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kozak/photo_hu_1aedbbf50062be8f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kozak/photo_hu_736f184375defcab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kozak.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Kozak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Back in the spring of 2019, a criminal case was opened against Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk resident Alexander Kozlitin, who is suspected, in particular, of publicly reading passages from the Bible. What is known about him?\nAlexander was born in 1975 in the city of Nevelsk on Sakhalin. Alexander's older brother went missing in the 1990s. His mother is a pensioner.\nIn his youth, he was professionally engaged in martial arts. Sometimes he replaced the coach and conducted training sessions himself. He graduated from the school as a motorist-sailor. Alexander received a deferment from military service, as he was the only breadwinner in the family.\nIn recent years, Alexandr worked as a driver. In his spare time, he likes to build models of cars, ships and airplanes.\nEven in his youth, Alexandr was worried about serious life questions, the answers to which he found in the second half of the 1990s, when he first got acquainted with the Bible. Applying what he learned from it, he felt God's support in his life, and this prompted him to become a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution brought anxiety and anxiety into Alexander's life. At work, he was given to understand that because of his religion, he could be fired at any time. In addition, Alexander's elderly mother is very worried about her son, but, according to him, \"she is mentally prepared that the times have come when people are imprisoned just because someone does not like their religion.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kozlitin/photo_hu_56f75c1518fa60b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kozlitin/photo_hu_11ffa628eeab972b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kozlitin/photo_hu_f5c202da2a0c0da2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kozlitin/photo_hu_506bf837b5f0b0ec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kozlitin.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kozlitin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krasnolutskiy.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Krasnolutskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A respectable family man and a peaceful worker from the city of Gryazi, Lipetsk region, Sergey Kretov has been living according to Christian principles for many years. In November 2020, his home was searched for 14 hours, the man was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center because of his faith.\nSergey was born in 1978 in Grozny (the Chechen Republic). He has 2 brothers and a sister. Their father was a military man, their mother worked as a teacher in a kindergarten, and later in oil and grain refineries.\nSergey graduated from a music school in the accordion class. He also attended a Morse code study club, and as a teenager he was engaged in kickboxing. Due to the unstable political and military situation in Chechnya, the family left their home and moved to the village of Nezlobnaya, Stavropol Territory. After the divorce of his parents and the departure of his elder brother, Sergey had to take care of the family. In the 1990s, as a teenager, he worked part-time to help his mother.\nAfter school, Sergey graduated from the university with a degree in engineering and stayed there as a teacher. Later, he worked as a computer repair engineer and instrumentation engineer. In his spare time, he studies psychology and neural networks.\nFrom a young age, Sergey wanted to learn more about God. He prayed to understand what the Bible says. After studying the Scriptures, he was struck by the clarity and simplicity of the Bible\u0026#39;s teachings, as well as the fact that God has a personal name. Sergey decided to take the Christian path in 1997.\nIn 2004, Sergey married Marina, who shared his life values. In her spare time, she enjoys tending the garden, cooking and reading. After the wedding, the Kretovs lived in Georgiyevsk (Stavropol Territory), and in 2007 the family moved to the city of Gryazi (Lipetsk region). The couple raised a daughter, Liza. The whole family loves to watch interesting movies in the evenings, play board games, solve puzzles on biblical themes.\nThe arrest, the criminal case and the trial were a blow to the whole family. Sergey said: \u0026quot;For 17 years of family life, the time spent in the pre-trial detention center, in which I was 8 months, was the longest parting with Marina. Under these conditions, we learned to take care of each other in a new way.\u0026quot;\nDue to criminal prosecution, Sergey lost his job, but later, having been released from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance, he was able to find work in his specialty again in a private company.\n","date":"2020-12-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kretov/photo_hu_b0b442a2ac3cf25f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kretov/photo_hu_d09759de57b7bb04.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kretov/photo_hu_421e104e7030f57a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kretov/photo_hu_69779193757196c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kretov.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Kretov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2018, Valeriy Krieger was searched. Then the believer learned that a criminal case had been opened against him and accused of extremism. Later, in February 2020, his wife Natalya became the accused. In July 2021, the court sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation.\nValeriy was born in January 1968. Since childhood, he attended the sports section, mastered the master of sports program in jumping acrobatics, participated in competitions and demonstration performances in pair and group acrobatics.\nAfter school, Valeriy entered the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports of the Khabarovsk Pedagogical Institute. In his senior years, he was fascinated by recreational activities, he graduated from massage courses at the department of the Institute of Physical Education in Khabarovsk. After graduation, Valeriy worked as a massage therapist in a polyclinic, and since 2000 he has his own massage room.\nIn 2017, Valeriy married Nataliya, a close-minded person. As a child, Nataliya, after the death of her mother, ended up in an orphanage. From there she was taken by her grandmother, who raised her. She helped Nataliya understand the value of Bible advice and principles. Nataliya and Valeriy took care of their bedridden grandmother for 6 years, until her death in February 2020.\nThe couple love to spend time with friends, play volleyball, and are fond of rafting down the river on boats.\nValeriy's parents, although they do not share the religious views of their son, treat them with respect. They, the adult daughter of Valeriy from his first marriage, colleagues and patients do not hide their excitement because of his criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kriger/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kriger/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kriger/photo_hu_b27f269f331c21b1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kriger/photo_hu_b27f269f331c21b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kriger.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","disability"],"title":"Valeriy Kriger","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2018, the Krieger spouses were searched, shortly after which a criminal case was opened against Valeriy. In February 2020, a case was initiated for her faith against Nataliya. In July 2021, the court found the believer guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation.\nNataliya was born in April 1978 in Khabarovsk. When the girl was only a year old, her mother died, and Nataliya ended up in an orphanage. At the age of 6, her own grandmother took little Nataliya to live with her in the city of Amurzet. Along with her grandmother, Nataliya was raised by her aunt and cousin, who surrounded the girl with care and instilled respect for biblical principles.\nAs a child, Nataliya loved to dance, she was especially fond of Indian dances. As a teenager, she took first places in city competitions. After school, Nataliya graduated from a college, and then a technical school of light industry in Birobidzhan. She worked as a social worker, helping the elderly. In recent years, she has been a station worker.\nDue to a hip fracture, Nataliya’s grandmother stopped walking. Nataliya took care of the elderly woman for several years, until her death in February 2020.\nIn 2017, Nataliya married Valeriy. They are known as a close-knit family. The spouses spend a lot of time together, they love to dance, go to the mountains, raft down the river on boats. They support each other in the hardships they face because of their faith in Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krigern/photo_hu_f90b8b0a1fd917c8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krigern/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krigern/photo_hu_78f0cf098ed0ecb3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krigern/photo_hu_b3108c26864003d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krigern.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Nataliya Kriger","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The Kruglyakovs became one of 14 families in Syktyvkar whose homes were searched simply because they are Jehovah's Witnesses. Alexandr was accused of extremism and taken into custody.\nThe believer was born in 1979 in Ukhta (Komi Republic). He has a younger brother. As a child, Alexandr was fond of fishing, as well as sports: boxing and karate. After school, he graduated from the Russian State Geological Prospecting University named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze in Moscow, where he received a degree in mining engineer. Alexandr worked as a geologist and then, up to criminal prosecution, as a real estate agent.\nIn his free time, Alexandr loves to travel the world. He is fond of hiking and mountain tourism and plays football. In 2005, Alexandr married Tatyana, who shares her husband's religious beliefs. She has many hobbies: playing the piano, reading classical literature, and also going in for sports. Tatyana works in a cleaning company.\nA study of the ancient book of the Bible convinced Alexandr that it was the Word of God, and everything written in it was the truth. Fulfilled Bible prophecies touched his heart and prompted him to become a Christian more than 20 years ago.\nThe criminal prosecution seriously affected the Kruglyakovs' family. When Alexandr was placed in a pre-trial detention center, Tatyana lost the necessary support, as she was used to sharing joys and difficulties with him. She developed insomnia. Alexandr's mother is also very worried about her son and daughter-in-law, although she does not share their faith.\n","date":"2021-04-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kruglyakov/photo_hu_e3ab384272d7ba57.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kruglyakov/photo_hu_8f3da54c1a2c8d0f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kruglyakov/photo_hu_5aa89766ef961a88.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kruglyakov/photo_hu_437f8627a3a3531b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kruglyakov.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kruglyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, Petr Krupnov and his wife Maya became defendants in a criminal case. After 3 months, the court sentenced them to 2 years suspended. After serving the main sentence and not waiting for the end of the additional restrictions, Petr died in November 2024 as a result of a rapidly progressing oncological disease.\nPetr Krupnov was born in July 1963 in the village of Akhmatovka, Penza region. He was an only child. In 1981, the family moved to Nikolsk. Mother worked in a glass factory, now she is retired. The father is no longer alive.\nAfter school, Petr received a secondary specialized education as a diamond grinder for the processing of glass products. In his youth, he loved to spend time with friends, ride a moped and a motorcycle. For some time, he worked at a factory as a semi-automatic machine adjuster, then as a steam boiler repairman and a plumber.\nPetr was fond of auto and radio engineering, loved music and trips to nature. He has an adult daughter.\nIn 2002, the man decided to live according to biblical principles. He was touched by what he learned from the Holy Scriptures about the Creator and the future that he had prepared for people. In 2008, Petr married Maya, who supported him in everything.\nAccording to family and friends, Petr did not lose heart until the last minute of his life and was a support for others.\n","date":"2022-02-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_610305b83b488c9d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_a69dc2dfc7da9fc4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_f998cf9571714793.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krupnov/photo_hu_eb62a10c57ac47c8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krupnov.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["families","elderly","died"],"title":"Petr Krupnov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The year 2020 was the beginning of a series of trials for Maya Krupnova—she lost her daughter, a year later, together with her husband Petr, they faced criminal prosecution for their faith and were sentenced to two years suspended. The death of her beloved husband in 2024 was another heavy blow for the believer.\nMaya was born in May 1957 in the village of Atasu, Karaganda region (Kazakhstan). She is the eldest of four sisters. Their mother died at the age of 66.\nAs a child, Maya had many-sided interests: she did gymnastics, football, sang in the choir. After school, she immediately went to work. She worked on the plantation, was a milkmaid, a calf, later—a pastry chef, accountant and salesman. Now Maya is retired, loves to take care of the garden and plant flowers.\nThe first in the family to get acquainted with the Bible was Anna, one of Maya\u0026#39;s three daughters. In 2001, mother and daughter decided to embark on the Christian path together. Maya could not come to terms with the death of people, so she was touched by the biblical promise of eternal life in paradise on earth. She was also glad to learn from the Bible the personal name of God—Jehovah.\nOver time, Maya and Anna moved to Nikolsk, where the family was offered a job. There she met Peter, whom she later married. He worked as a plumber, was fond of music, and loved to go out into nature with his family.\nMaya says about the criminal prosecution: \u0026quot;I am honored to go through this.\u0026quot; Knowing about the religious persecution of peaceful believers in Russia, she understood that this could affect her family as well. Therefore, the search and interrogations were not a surprise for her, but nevertheless it turned out to be great experiences for Maya. The family supports the believer in every possible way, and her daughter Anna says that she is proud of her mother.\n","date":"2021-05-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krupnova/photo_hu_af0dcd9be29e4084.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krupnova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krupnova/photo_hu_6ae9638ad8395abe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krupnova/photo_hu_227aafddf57ebab6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krupnova.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Maya Krupnova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 5, 2020, Yuriy Krutyakov, a peaceful believer from the city of Chekhov, was sent to a pre-trial detention center. Because of a conversation with a man who portrayed an interest in the Bible, he spent more than a year behind bars. There, Yuri's eyesight deteriorated sharply. In May 2021, the court found the believer guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 5 years. His wife Zinaida, who was a defendant in the same criminal case, was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\nYuri was born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1952 in a working-class family. He studied at the evening department of the Gorky Civil Engineering Institute (Faculty of Industrial and Civil Construction). He worked at the design institute as a draftsman of the design department, in several construction and installation departments in various positions - from the foreman to the head of the production and technical department. Recently, he worked as a finisher of premises.\nSince childhood, Yuri had an inquisitive mind, loved to learn something new and deepen his knowledge in various fields. For a long time I was looking for the meaning of life, but nowhere did I find sufficiently convincing and logical answers to my questions.\nAcquaintance with biblical truth occurred in 1996. \"I finally saw the perspective that God opens through his Word, the Bible,\" says Yuri. Two years later, he made a firm decision to become a follower of Christ.\nYuri led an active lifestyle, often moved to different cities, and in 2010 settled in Chekhov. In 2012, he married Zinaida, who shares his religious beliefs. The wife loves to cook, listens to classical and folk music. Since October 3, 2019, Zinaida has been under house arrest as a defendant in the same criminal case.\nDue to criminal prosecution and stress, Yuriy's health deteriorated. There are not enough funds to support the family. Family and friends are deeply saddened by the unfair persecution of the couple.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo_hu_f092bb90bd372e9e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krutyakov/photo_hu_f092bb90bd372e9e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krutyakov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Yuriy Krutyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019, Zinaida Krutyakova, following her husband, became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism because of a conversation with a man who pretended to be interested in the Bible. More than a year later, the court found the believers guilty, and sentenced Zinaida to 2 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years. The court sentenced her husband Yuriy to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years.\nZinaida was born in 1958 in the village of Nizhnedevitsk, Voronezh Region. She has an elder sister. Together they graduated from the Voronezh Civil Engineering Institute with a degree in technologist for the production of ceramics and refractories.\nZinaida moved to Chekhov with her first husband, where she worked for more than thirty years at the city-forming enterprise. She was in charge of the factory laboratory. He is now retired.\nZinaida single-handedly raised her daughter Irina, trying to instill in her high standards of morality. She worked hard to give her daughter a good education. In 2012 she got married for the second time. She loves classical and folk music, walks in the woods, and enjoys preparing delicious meals for loved ones.\nZinaida was always concerned about why there was so much injustice in the world, and the biblical idea that God would bring order to the earth immediately resonated in her heart. Because of her Christian beliefs, a criminal case was initiated against her. It is difficult for Zinaida's family and friends to understand why peace-loving people like her are being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_7c8211f787c95620.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_5e3fa90751bcd341.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_c05fe009f6d01fcd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/krutyakova/photo_hu_529a0fab1b856f1b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/krutyakova.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Zinaida Krutyakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, the FSB opened a criminal case against a peaceful family man Viktor Kuchkov. For more than three years, together with 4 other believers from Perm, he defended his good name in the courts. In 2021, the court found Viktor guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation.\nViktor was born in 1967 in the village of Svetlitsa (Perm Territory). Since childhood, he loves wood carving. Viktor is a metalworking technologist by profession. He worked as a design engineer at a Perm plant. In his free time, Viktor loves to fish, play volleyball.\nFor more than 30 years, Viktor has been interested in spiritual matters and tries to live according to biblical principles. About God, he says: “His love and care is visible in what he gave us in his Word, the Bible, laws and principles. If we apply them, our lives can improve dramatically. I was convinced of this from my own experience. \"\nIn 1988, Viktor married Tatyana, they had a daughter. Now she is an artist of one of the most significant theaters in the European part of Russia. In court about his loved ones, Viktor said: \"Although they do not share my religious beliefs, these trials have further united our family and strengthened our feelings for each other.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuchkov/photo_hu_56c957a6ac4720ba.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuchkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuchkov/photo_hu_83e4123e69adb4af.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuchkov/photo_hu_939935be1a56da73.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuchkov.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Kuchkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For more than 30 years, Viktor Kudinov worked as a bus driver in Sevastopol and was awarded the medal \u0026quot;The Best Driver of the City\u0026quot;. In August 2022, this respectable citizen was accused of extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God, and in January 2025, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\nViktor was born in January 1969 in Budapest. When he was 4, the family returned to Crimea. Soon the parents divorced, and the upbringing of the boy and his older sister fell on the shoulders of his grandmother. From an early age, Victor helped her with the housework and worked part-time at the state farm during the holidays. He grew up friendly and kind and loved hiking and playing sports. He was fond of photography; in high school he led a photography hobby group.\nAt the age of 15, Victor thought about entering a theological seminary, but his uncle dissuaded him. After school, Victor studied at college as a car repairman. At the same time, he was trained as a driver. Viktor worked at Sevastopol Avtodor. He has many certificates and letters of thanks from various enterprises and the city administration, as well as the above-mentioned medal for professional activity.\nIn 1990, while working as a bus driver, Viktor met Svetlana, and a year later they got married. The Kudinovs have two children, a daughter and a son.\nSvetlana was the first to study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Victor joined her when he saw that thanks to the new knowledge, their family became happier, and the relationship in marriage strengthened. In 2010, he embarked on the path of a Christian.\nThe couple love to relax with family and friends at sea, as well as travel around the Crimea. They have a good relationship with their children and grandchildren.\nNeighbors and colleagues know Victor as a kind, hospitable, hardworking and cheerful person. All of them are worried about his criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2022-11-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kudinov/photo_hu_9682161205102eb1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kudinov/photo_hu_35216b6633816fb4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kudinov/photo_hu_20acbf64afe7e852.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kudinov/photo_hu_f3cd10a7ca0f093d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kudinov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Kudinov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kugukova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Kugukova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, Sergey Kulakov was suspected of extremism. In January 2021, he and his wife, Tatiana , were put on trial solely because of their faith. All this seriously affected the health of the Kulakovs.\nSergey was born in 1961 in Nevelsk. When he was 14 years old, his parents were deprived of parental rights, and he ended up in a boarding school. Later, his parents died. Sergey has two sisters. As a child, he was fond of football and chess, later graduated from SPTU and received the specialty of a ship repairman. He is now retired.\nIn the 2000s, Sergey and his wife Tatyana decided that the main thing in their lives would be the spiritual: God and his commandments. Sergey was greatly affected by the genuine brotherly love among the Christians he met.\nThe couple raised two sons, one of whom needs special care due to disability. The couple say that their son's illness has become a real test for them, but they do not give up. Both parents and children love to play outdoor games and enjoy reading the Bible together.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kulakov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kulakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kulakov/photo_hu_e28f090549eff77f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kulakov/photo_hu_e28f090549eff77f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kulakov.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Kulakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2020, Tatyana Kulakova, following her husband, became a victim of criminal prosecution for her faith, and later they both appeared in court. This seriously affected the health of both spouses.\nTatyana was born in 1973 in Nevelsk (Sakhalin Region). As a child, she loved music, drawing, read a lot. Tatiana has a younger brother. After school, she moved to the regional center to study plasterer-painter. For several years she worked in her specialty, and then in the field of cleaning.\nIn 1996, Tatyana married Sergey. The spouses were brought together by a love of reading and sports. Tatyana admits that she was quick-tempered and tough, so family life did not go well for a long time.\nAfter the birth of their second son, the couple firmly decided to improve their relationship. At that time, they met people who offered to find out what is written in the Bible. Tatyana was especially interested in learning from the Holy Scriptures what God's plan is for the earth and people, as well as what happens after death. This question worried her since childhood, after the death of her beloved grandfather. Bible study had a good effect on the relationship between the spouses. They learned to value their marriage more. Now the family loves to spend time together, play tennis. Tatiana loves to paint and bake for guests.\nThe eldest son of the Kulakovs is an auto mechanic. He is on disability but loves to play sports. The youngest son is studying to be a machinist on mountain roads, he is fond of drawing, tennis and music. He had to defend in court his right to alternative civilian service.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the entire family. Tatyana is visually impaired, she was diagnosed with a heart disease. Sergey lost his job and his bank accounts were blocked.\nParents, acquaintances and neighbors are surprised that the Kulakovs were classified as extremists.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kulakova/photo_hu_906522d0f31b1215.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kulakova/photo_hu_81e5e4a1c07b46de.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kulakova/photo_hu_1025e22d06a0ef72.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kulakova/photo_hu_b3619246637596db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kulakova.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Tatyana Kulakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 15, 2018, as a result of mass raids on believers in Penza, several people, including Vladimir Kulyasov, were detained. He spent two days in a temporary detention center and was then placed under house arrest. What is really known about this man?\nVladimir Kulyasov was born in 1974 in the city of Insar (Mordovia). Since childhood, he loves technology and cars, which predetermined his professional choice - after graduating from SPTU, he became a car mechanic. Since 1994 he has been working as a driver. In the Penza Design and Technology Bureau of Valve Engineering, where Vladimir worked, he was recognized as the best employee of the year. Vladimir received a diploma, a prize and a medal, his photo was placed on the honor board.\nIn 2006 he got married. After living in Moscow for several years, the couple returned to Penza in 2010. His wife Snezhana interested Vladimir in the Holy Scriptures. He was amazed that everything predicted in this book was coming true. It so happened that the Bible was the first book that he read to the end. Spouses value the Bible very much and successfully use it to strengthen their family and raise a child. They are convinced that the absurd accusations of extremism completely contradict Vladimir's peace-loving life principles.\nDespite this, on December 13, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, Roman Tanchenko, sentenced Vladimir Kulyasov to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The believer intends to seek a review of the court's decision.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuliasov/photo_hu_7b0bdab140742e7d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuliasov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuliasov/photo_hu_ef965d61cc120ca7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuliasov/photo_hu_2d39f55081126f59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuliasov.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Kulyasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On the eve of the long-awaited vacation, security forces broke into Aleksey Kulikov, the father of five children, with a search. The plans of the family suddenly collapsed, a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety appeared. A peaceful believer faced criminal prosecution for his love of the Bible.\nAleksey was born in June 1979 in the city of Rostov-on-Don. His father worked most of his life as an electrician, and his mother as a boiler room operator. Aleksey has a younger brother and sister.\nAs a child, Aleksey took over his father's passion for photography and enrolled in a photo club. In high school, he became interested in woodworking and after school he entered a vocational school, where he acquired the profession of a manufacturer of artistic wood products.\nThanks to the acquired knowledge about the structure of the tree, the young man successfully worked at a private woodworking enterprise. In 2011, it closed, Aleksey got a job as an electrician and since then he has been servicing power lines.\nIn the early 1990s, Kulikov's parents met Jehovah's Witnesses and began to study the Bible. Aleksey recalls: “Seeing how many interesting and useful things my parents tell me, I gradually began to notice the love of our Creator in his promises and creations that surround us. Later, this love grew along with the knowledge that I began to receive more and more consciously”. As a result, Aleksey embarked on the Christian path.\nAleksey has three children from his first marriage, who remained under his care. The eldest son Dmitriy defended the right to alternative civilian service and is doing it in the hospital's catering unit. He is fond of drawing, independently studies the structure of computers, telephones and repairs them.\nIn 2014, Aleksey got married again. His wife Lidiya shares his outlook on life. She is fond of weaving paper vines. Together, the Kulikovs like to collect pictures from mosaics. In 2019 and 2022, two more sons were born to the Kulikovs.\nAfter the search in mid-April 2022, Aleksey began to worry about hypertension and worries about the future. He said: “My wife and I still can’t move away from the invasion of our home. Despite all the courtesy of the authorities, the sediment remained due to such an attitude towards us.”\n","date":"2022-05-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kulikov/photo_hu_6748cc40e48577dc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kulikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kulikov/photo_hu_730fbc8a78818c4e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kulikov/photo_hu_8ec335ce3b3ad967.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kulikov.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Kulikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The security forces came to the house of Aleksey Kupriyanov twice — in February and July 2021. After the July search, the peaceful believer was arrested. He ended up in jail only because of his convictions. Aleksey’s mother, a disabled person of group II, was left without the necessary support of her son after the stroke. Due to the worries, her condition deteriorated critically.\nAleksey was born in 1973 in Kovrov (Vladimir region). He grew up in a close-knit family. His father often went fishing, boating and cycling. From childhood, Aleksey loved to read books, sometimes reading them until late at night. He was also fond of collecting stamps, was engaged in martial arts.\nAleksey graduated from the Ivanovo Textile Academy, where he acquired the profession of an engineer-economist. Later he worked for 3 years at the institute as a teacher of economics and law, then for 12 years — in the tax inspectorate. For the last 10 years, he worked as an individual entrepreneur in the field of accounting services. When Aleksey was placed in a pre-trial detention center, it became impossible to fulfill his obligations to clients, which led to the termination of labor contracts.\nOnce on the train, Aleksey struck up a long and fascinating conversation with his fellow traveler, who turned out to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. What he heard prompted Aleksey to think more deeply about how wisely the Creator created everything that exists. He began a Bible study. In the study of the Holy Scriptures, his future wife Yelena joined him later. The Bible's promise to restore paradise on earth prompted young people to become Christians in 1994.\nIn 1993 Aleksey and Yelena got married. After 5 years, the couple with their young son moved to Kovrov to take care of Aleksey’s seriously ill parents. In 2012, his father died after a serious illness. An elderly mother with a stroke needs constant special care.\nThe couple love to travel by car, are fond of Scandinavian walking. Yelena is also fond of sewing, by profession she is an engineer-technologist of garments.\nRelatives and friends, neighbors and work colleagues know Aleksey as a responsible and law-abiding person. They are convinced that the accusations against him have nothing to do with reality.\n","date":"2021-08-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kupriyanov/photo_hu_7d8293cee007c2c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kupriyanov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kupriyanov/photo_hu_b47c99b62f28cb8f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kupriyanov/photo_hu_739adaaf8530a96e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kupriyanov.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Kupriyanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A top-class gas electric welder, Alexandr Kutin from Izhevsk, has benefited society for many years. During the coronavirus pandemic, he was involved in the installation and maintenance of oxygen systems in hospitals in Udmurtia, and now he is being persecuted for believing in God. After a search in his house, the believer spent 2 weeks in a pre-trial detention center, after which he was released.\nAlexandr was born in July 1982 in Izhevsk. He has an older sister. Mom worked in a kindergarten as a teacher, now she is retired. In 2017, she became a widow.\nAs a child, Alexandr loved to ski, read science fiction, visit a photo club and play checkers. The boy studied well, for which he repeatedly received praise from teachers.\nIn 2000, Alexandr entered the Izhevsk Machine-Building Lyceum No. 8, where he received the profession of \"electric and gas welder\", and after 2 years he received a diploma of a welder. In 2017 and 2020, he completed advanced training under the program \"Training and certification of personnel serving vessels operating under overpressure.\" He worked as a gas electric welder of the 6th grade.\nAlexandr's mother was the first to get acquainted with the Bible, she tried to instill high moral values in her son. Especially the young man was touched by the words from the Bible about the wonderful future that awaits people. After reading a book about Jesus and inspired by the example of his life, in 2002 Alexandr decided to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2018, Alexandr met Guzel, with whom he started a family a year later. She, like him, deeply values the Bible and loves God. Guzel models, designs and sews clothes. She also completed hairdressing courses. Alexandr is very fond of fishing and smokes the catch himself. The spouses like to walk together, relax in nature, do handicrafts and equip the house that Alexandr built with his father.\nAlexander's arrest came as a complete surprise to many. Relatives, especially the spouse, are very worried. The mother had a stroke on the eve of these events, so it is very difficult for her to endure the unfair criminal prosecution of her son. Guzel now has to adapt to new circumstances, since Alexander was the only breadwinner of the family. Acquaintances, neighbors and colleagues are shocked by the arrest, because at work he is known as a kind and decent person.\n","date":"2021-05-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kutin/photo_hu_c6352d21a1580628.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kutin/photo_hu_238b448b0fea38fd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kutin/photo_hu_154934165d33a68a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kutin/photo_hu_84db7e54446df14c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kutin.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Kutin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 10, 2020, a massive raid on civilians in Chita, as well as in other cities and towns of the Trans-Baikal Territory, took place. On this day, a total of 50 searches were carried out in the homes of believers - with threats, beatings and interrogations. Officers of one of the law enforcement agencies handcuffed Vadim Kutsenko, closed his eyes and tortured him, taking him to an unknown destination in an official car. Thus, they tried to no avail to force him to give false testimony against his fellow believers. What is known about him?\nVadim was born in January 1989 in Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory). His mother is a believer, she raised her son, instilling in him Christian qualities and love for God.\nAs a child, Vadim was fond of wood burning, went to art school, and participated in chess competitions. He received a secondary specialized education and acquired the profession of an auto mechanic. He worked at a furniture factory, was engaged in dry cleaning of upholstered furniture, worked as a computer technician.\nDespite the fact that he grew up in a religious family, he made the decision to serve God on his own. This happened in 2009. Vadim was convinced that he had chosen the right path of life by clear biblical answers to all the questions that arose in his mind.\nFor some time he lived in Usolye-Sibirskoye. I met Catherine, who is also familiar with the Bible since childhood. In 2017, the couple got married, and they moved to Chita, where his wife lived. Ekaterina works as a manicurist. Vadim and his wife love to relax in nature, take walks, travel.\nAfter the sad events of February 2020, Vadim was fired from his job. Health has also deteriorated, which is why the wife is very worried. Relatives and friends are outraged by such cruel, inhuman and unlawful treatment that Vadim experienced.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kutsenko/photo_hu_f2031edbfae685b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kutsenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kutsenko/photo_hu_d2099f1ff1306912.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kutsenko/photo_hu_9b2faeadab3bb2d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kutsenko.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Vadim Kutsenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anton Kuzhelkov's convictions prompted him to exercise his right to alternative civilian service in 2011. He passed it in the veterans' home and was there in good standing. However, because of his Christian views, the young man became accused of organizing extremist activities and ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nAnton was born in April 1993 in the Karelian town of Sortavala on the picturesque coast of Ladoga. He has two younger brothers. The boys were brought up in a very religious family. As a child, Anton liked fishing and riding a snowboard.\nThe young man followed in his father's footsteps and worked for some time in the construction industry. He also acquired the skills of a plumber and gas boiler maintenance specialist. In his free time, he likes to draw, make bow ties from wood, take photographs and model out of paper.\nIn 2015, Anton married Alyona, a girl who shares his Christian views. Alyona is a professional violinist. The couple love to play board games, travel, go hiking.\nAlyona really hopes that soon peace and tranquility will return to their home. They worry about Anton and his family, including those who do not share the Kuzhelkovs' religious beliefs. They are shocked by the unfair treatment of a respectable young man.\n","date":"2021-01-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzhelkov/photo_hu_7314292e8d2100f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzhelkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzhelkov/photo_hu_b9221d77723ee5a4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzhelkov/photo_hu_ed3ca36184b073d8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzhelkov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Kuzhelkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 10, 2019, groups of armed special forces broke down doors, broke through a balcony and searched the apartments of dozens of Sochi residents. Thus, the security forces from the Rostov and Volgograd regions acted against those who believe in God differently from others. As a result of the raid, Nikolay Kuzichkin was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. He spent more than six months behind bars, which critically affected his already poor health.\nNikolay was born in 1951 in the Kostroma region. As a child, he loved to play hockey. After school, he graduated from a music school and began working as a piano tuner. In addition to his main job, he is fond of breeding bees.\nNikolay lived in St. Petersburg and Sochi. His wife's name is Olga, they raised three sons together.\nSince the early 1990s, Nikolay has become seriously interested in the Bible and has developed a deep respect for this book. He was impressed by the Bible prophecies, the fulfillment of which he could witness with his own eyes.\nRelatives and friends of Nicholas still cannot believe what happened. The wife does not share his beliefs, but does not understand how a peaceful person can be persecuted. Despite the absence of victims and real evidence of guilt, on December 18, 2020, the court sentenced Nikolai to imprisonment for 1 year and 1 month. Since the believer had already served this term in a pre-trial detention center, he was released on the day of the sentence.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_11745bf913a26eda.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_56e49252b826cbbd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_b6c76e2675987746.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzichkin/photo_hu_41b2e0542f8e99ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzichkin.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Kuzichkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kaluga were searched, and two peaceful believers ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nDmitriy Kuzin was born in Kaluga. He has a younger brother. Their father worked as the director of the Museum of Cosmonautics, and their mother oversaw the school library. Dmitriy grew up as a versatile child: he went to a music school, played the accordion, was fond of skiing and sports dancing, played football and hockey.\nAfter school, Dmitriy graduated from the Kaluga branch of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University with a degree in turbine engineering. He worked by profession for many years at various enterprises, and before the criminal prosecution, together with his wife, he was engaged in cleaning the premises of the Kaluga Museum of Cosmonautics.\nDmitriy learned Bible teachings from his first wife, who was the first to become interested in this book. According to him, this is what saved their marriage. In 2000, Dmitriy was widowed. Later, he met Svetlana, whom he married in 2013. She is a primary school teacher by education, and worked as a tutor for some time.\nThe couple appreciate the support of friends who came to their aid during the persecution. Dmitriy\u0026#39;s mother, a disabled person of group II, is completely dependent on his support — the father passed away in 2024. The elderly woman does not share his religious beliefs, but she worries about her son.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_2a9829d48e01f039.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_19b281443f8aa172.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_589662a037f9d884.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzin/photo_hu_e3439a504918b34f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzin.html","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Dmitriy Kuzin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory), the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two \"extremist\" articles against 9 elderly believers. One of the victims of the harassment was a man with a disability of the first group - 60-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov.\nSergey was born in 1959 in the village of Agadyr, Dzhezkazgan (today Karaganda) region of Kazakhstan. His father worked as a crane operator on the railway, his mother as a laundress and a cook in a kindergarten. Sergey was the only child in the family. As a child, he enjoyed playing football and hockey, as well as cycling with friends. Sergey has two adult daughters.\nAfter graduating from school, Sergey worked as a shift supervisor at a 500 kV substation. However, he had to quit his job when he was diagnosed with a severe brain disease in 1988. His eyesight deteriorated sharply and later underwent two major surgeries. In 1991 he received the first group of disability.\nThen Sergey began to think about the meaning of life, asking himself the question: \"If I suffered here and will still suffer in hell, then why such a life?\"\nHe soon found answers to his questions in the Bible. From this book, he learned that God is good and loves people. The biblical words \"dust you are and to dust you will return\" gave him confidence that God does not torment anyone after death. Out of gratitude to the Creator, Sergey decided to become a Christian.\nIn 1990, due to deteriorating health, Sergey and his family moved to Vladikavkaz, and then to Neftekumsk. In 1996, he underwent another operation in Stavropol. Since 2006, Sergey has been living in Nevinnomyssk, where his two daughters help provide their father with proper care.\nThe criminal prosecution further undermined the man's already poor health: his eyesight deteriorated even more, insomnia began, and he can move around the apartment only by holding on to the walls. According to him, he lives only because of the power of God.\nSergey's relatives, relatives and friends wonder how it is possible to accuse a disabled person of the first group, who has problems with vision, hearing and is barely able to move, of extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsov/photo_hu_dbe00c0a991195ac.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsov/photo_hu_d09da58c440b1d65.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsov/photo_hu_5174acc5ca43a65a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsov/photo_hu_b26f52d7b5088ed8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsov.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Kuznetsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Spouses Mariya and Alexandr were among the first victims of criminal prosecution for their faith in the Yaroslavl region. After the searches, they were placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 3 months. Believers are accused of participating in extremist activities.\nMariya was born in April 1988 in the city of Chernenko (now Sharypovo), Krasnoyarsk Territory. Over time, the family moved to Voronezh. Mariya grew up with two older sisters and a younger brother. Their mother is now retired, and their father works at a diesel locomotive repair plant. As a child, Mariya loved to deal with plants, knit. The family always had pets, which the girl helped to look after.\nAfter school, Mariya learned to be a computer operator. She worked in cleaning services, and later as a depilation master.\nMariya lived in different cities: Kansk, Voronezh, Salekhard. In 2016, she moved to Yaroslavl, where her future husband Alexandr lived. They got married in 2017. In their free time, Mariya and Alexandr love to be outdoors, travel, play chess, chat with friends.\nFrom childhood, Mariya's parents instilled in her high moral standards, taught her to love God and people. She loved learning about God and reflecting on what she read in the Bible. In 2002, she consciously decided to embark on the Christian path of life.\nThe unfair accusations that fell on the young family affected Mariya's emotional health. She says: “Because of the criminal prosecution, my husband and I really missed each other. The arrest made it impossible to earn a living. \" Relatives and friends are very worried about Mariya and support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-07-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsova/photo_hu_f458abd4698d9d2a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsova/photo_hu_67931299b527d9f4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsova/photo_hu_38c3469e3b50056b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsova/photo_hu_f7159f2c47087b09.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsova.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Mariya Kuznetsova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"April morning 2021 was a turning point for Aleksandr Kuznetsov and his wife Mariya. Civilians in Yaroslavl were accused of extremism and sent to a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 3 months.\nAleksandr was born in October 1982 in Moscow. Childhood of Aleksandr and his younger brother passed in Yalta, where the family lived later. After the divorce of his parents, Aleksandr moved to Yaroslavl. After graduating from school, he entered the Agricultural Academy. He has worked as an English and mathematics tutor and swimming coach. Recently, he was engaged in disinfection of premises.\nIn 2016, Aleksandr met Mariya, who became his wife a year later. They are known as a very friendly couple who does everything together. Aleksandr loves to play chess since childhood, and Mariya shares his passion. The spouses have many friends who speak very warmly of Aleksandr: “He is cheerful and loving. A devoted friend. Grateful, generous and hospitable! \"\nAleksandr takes care of his mother, regularly visiting her in Crimea. According to her, he is a very kind and calm person. Although Aleksandr’s mother does not share his religious views, what happened was a shock for her and the rest of her family.\n","date":"2021-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsoval/photo_hu_c537b40bdf904a6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsoval/photo_hu_7e69741f9a515fe8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsoval/photo_hu_6bfca4a659742ccd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsoval/photo_hu_9084121cdcc61dab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsoval.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Kuznetsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A criminal case was opened against Sergey Kuznetsov after his nephew, Yegor Baranov. The peaceful Christian was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, and in December 2022, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years suspended sentence just because of his faith.\nSergey was born in 1991 in the small village of Alonka (Khabarovsk Territory). He has two older sisters. Sergey's mother worked as a cook in a village kindergarten, and his father worked as a railway fitter. Sergey was a versatile child: he attended a local history club, a knitting and crocheting club, went skiing, practiced the Chinese martial art of kung fu, and also went to volleyball and basketball clubs.\nAfter school, Sergey trained as an electric locomotive driver assistant at the Khabarovsk College. A year later, he returned to his native village of Alonka, and the next year he continued his studies at the Transbaikal College, located in Chernyshevsk (Chita Region). Having received a qualification, Sergey, together with his relatives, moved to the city of Vyazemsky, where he still lives.\nWhile training in Khabarovsk, Sergey began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the accuracy of the prophecies from the Holy Scriptures, which are being fulfilled in our time. He became convinced of the existence of the Creator, and in 2014 he firmly decided to become a Christian.\nIn 2016, Sergey started his alternative civilian service. His convictions which do not allow him to take up arms motivated him to do so. For almost two years he worked in a psychiatric hospital.\nSergey worked as a cook, waiter, sales assistant, carpenter's assistant and janitor. Also in his life there is a place for his favorite activities—playing the ukulele and electric guitar. In addition, he is fond of photography and keeps in shape with workouts on the pull-up bar and parallel bars.\nSergey lost his job because of the criminal prosecution. His relatives do not understand how in our time peaceful Christians can be prosecuted, accusing them of extremism.\n","date":"2021-04-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_ae90476858ea0a5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_a31e93c5e31a08e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuznetsovs/photo_hu_fa465ef5b55072f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuznetsovs.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","disability","health-risk"],"title":"Sergey Kuznetsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the spring of 2021, the aw enforcement officers came with a search to Darya Kuzo, a mother of two young children. Her husband, Taras, was put under house arrest, and in the summer of that year and Darya herself became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith.\nDarya was born in March 1982 in the city of Voronezh in a large family. She has two elder brothers, one of whom has been disabled since childhood, and a twin sister. At the age of four, Darya moved with her parents to Transcarpathia, and ten years later to Crimea. As a child, she loved to draw and to go to the mountains for mushroom and berries gathering or mushroom hunting.\nIn her 4th and 5th year's of studying in college while majoring in philology of the Ukrainian language and literature, Darya worked as a teacher in one of the schools in the city of Simferopol. After graduating from college, she moved to the city of Yalta, where she later worked as an administrator in a hotel. After some time, Darya graduated from hairdressing courses and worked at this job for several years. Since 2016, she has been selling professional cosmetics as an individual entrepreneur.\nIn Yalta, Darya met her future husband, Taras. In 2008 they got married. The family brings up a son and a daughter (at the time of the search they were 9 and 6 years old). Spouses love to go to the mountains, swim in the sea, play football.\nDarya was introduced to the Bible at a young age. She was surprised at the practical advice contained in this book and the exact fulfillment of the prophecies. This prompted Darya, as well as her sister became Christian. At that time Darya was eighteen years old.\nThe persecution changed the life of the Kuzo family. The stress that they've experienced negatively affected the children. They are really looking forward to when their dad can go out with them again and they don’t understand why he was put behind bars.\nAlthough the relatives do not share Darya's beliefs, it is not clear to them why this close neat couple is being persecuted. Even the neighbors are perplexed that this happened to a family known for its decency.\n","date":"2021-09-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzod/photo_hu_6be7aecdd74b0539.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzod/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzod/photo_hu_fefcc2d598ac6899.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzod/photo_hu_f59e91afb6990868.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzod.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Darya Kuzo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since Denis Kuzyanin was placed behind bars, his wife has been forced to take care of her little daughter alone. The believer was named an extremist and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment only because of his beliefs.\nDenis was born in September 1984 in the northern city of Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He has an elder sister.\nAs a child, Denis was fond of sports and cars. After graduating from a vocational technical school, he worked as a signalman, and before his arrest he was an individual entrepreneur.\nDenis\u0026#39;s elder sister was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible, followed by his mother and Denis himself. He was particularly impressed by the accuracy of the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in this book. In 2001, Denis embarked on the Christian path.\nDriven by his peaceful convictions, Denis exercised his right to substitute alternative civilian service for military service. He served in Khabarovsk for three years.\nAt the invitation of a friend, Denis moved to Samara, where he met his future wife, Yelena. They got married in 2012. Yelena shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious views. She works as a salesperson and loves to sew in her free time. Denis likes to travel and play sports. The couple are raising a daughter.\nForced separation is not easy for the Kuzyanins. Relatives and friends of the family do not understand why this believer, who did not commit any crime, was sent to a penal colony for 7 years.\n","date":"2022-01-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzyanin/photo_hu_8f8e197fbfb13dfa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzyanin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzyanin/photo_hu_8b9ef11193bab7b8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzyanin/photo_hu_51b73bbdef986acf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzyanin.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Kuzyanin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, a civilian resident of the city of Yalta, Taras Kuzo, became a victim of persecution for his faith. Law enforcement officers considered the father of two minor children guilty of a particularly serious crime of extremist orientation.\nTaras was born in 1978 in Yalta in a family of engineers. He spent all his life in this Crimean city, graduated from school with a gold medal. By profession he is a manager-economist, also engaged in carpentry production.\nTaras loves sports, especially team games: football, volleyball and basketball. He also loves mathematics and everything related to numbers. As a child, Taras read the Bible, but he consciously came to faith in God as an adult. Because of his peaceful Christian convictions, he asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian service, which he successfully completed from 2001 to 2003, which was even mentioned in the local newspaper. In 2008, Taras married Darya, a teacher by profession.\nTaras's mother and sister do not share his religious beliefs, but they sincerely wonder why a peaceful and kind person is accused of extremism.\n","date":"2021-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/kuzyo/photo_hu_ee443524b374b047.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/kuzyo/photo_hu_139ff412a8b5a03e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/kuzyo/photo_hu_909b304affb081ce.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/kuzyo/photo_hu_a412d128e7f10afa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/kuzyo.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Taras Kuzo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2021, law enforcement officers of the Tula region raided Jehovah's Witnesses. Several believers, including 2 women, were thrown into jail. Gurami Labadze, one of the defendants in the criminal case, was placed under house arrest. On the day of the search and interrogation, Gurami's blood pressure and blood sugar rose, and the operatives even had to call an ambulance.\nGurami was born in December 1962 in the Georgian village of Nigvzara. The large family had 2 sons and 2 daughters, but brother Gurami died in infancy. As a child, Gurami was very fond of reading, so some librarians, knowing this, left interesting books for him. He regrets that among those books he never came across the Bible, because even then he was interested in the origin of life.\nGurami studied first at a vocational school in Tbilisi, then at the Tbilisi Technical School of Railway Transport, and then graduated from the Tula Polytechnic Institute. After graduation he was sent to serve in the army in the construction battalion.\nUpon his return, Gurami worked as a foreman at a plant in Tula, a car repair mechanic, and a senior mechanic. Later he went into business, then became a carpenter, and from 2015 until his arrest he worked as a taxi driver.\nIn the mid-90s, Gurami took up seriously reading and studying the Bible. Thanks to this ancient book, he found answers to questions that have worried him for many years. Reflecting on God's standards and applying them in life helped Gurami to quit smoking and using drugs. He was also impressed by the behavior of believers and their attitude towards each other. All this prompted him to devote his life to serving God.\nIn 1995, he married Galina, whom he met at work. A son was born in the marriage. Together with family and friends, Gurami loves to spend time in nature: picking mushrooms in the forest and having picnics.\nCriminal prosecution has robbed Gurami of his job. He is prohibited from associating with anyone, including his own family. He shares: “It is very difficult without communication with your wife, son, relatives and friends. As if a part of my body had been torn off. \"\n","date":"2021-05-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_ff75632756aa18bb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_a091b4f15d1e659d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_3699589a9f168fed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/labadze/photo_hu_d246e7e8d2ceb9de.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/labadze.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gurami Labadze","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2020, Sergey Ledenyov from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was sentenced to 2 years of probation just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1974 in the village of Ossora (Kamchatka Territory). One of six children. Since childhood, he likes to design models of various types of equipment, as well as draw and photograph. After graduating from school, he mastered the specialties of a bricklayer, carpenter and tiler-facing.\nAt one time, Sergey considered the Bible an outdated and unscientific book, but changed his mind when he got to know it better. The study of the Scriptures prompted Sergey to change his life. \"My previous lifestyle was far from biblical norms,\" he says.\nSergey's second wife, Anna, whom he married in 2017, says of him: \"Sergey is a very kind, very calm person, a loving and caring husband. This does not correspond in any way to what they are trying to accuse him of!\" The couple love to ski and go rafting on the rivers of Kamchatka. Sergey has an adult daughter from his first marriage.\nSergey's relatives, who do not share his religious views, do not understand why he is being persecuted. Daughter Lera, as a result of his criminal prosecution, began to communicate more often with her father, considers him her example.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ledenyov/photo_hu_ee107e14bd87ac01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ledenyov/photo_hu_ee107e14bd87ac01.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ledenyov/photo_hu_5f1bab693b5809c2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ledenyov/photo_hu_5f1bab693b5809c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ledenyov.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Ledenyov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, the life of Andrey Ledyaykin, a peaceful believer from Seversk, changed dramatically: his house was searched, and later he became a defendant in a criminal case.\nAndrey was born in September 1988 in the city of Seversk (Tomsk Region). He has an older brother. As a child, Andrey studied in several sections at once: shooting, wrestling and table tennis.\nIn 2010, Andrey graduated from the National Research Nuclear University (MEPhI) with a degree in Applied Informatics in Economics. After graduating from university, he worked as a driver for several months, and in 2011 got a job as an accountant in a construction company. In his free time he likes to ski and ice skate, swim, as well as walk in nature, pick mushrooms.\nBy the time Andrey first met Jehovah's Witnesses, he had accumulated many questions that had arisen over the years. Having grieved the loss of his beloved grandfather, Andrey longed to find out: what happens after death? Does God Really Torment People in Hell? Who really is God and who was Jesus Christ? These and other questions haunted Andrey. After learning the answers from the Bible, he was so amazed that he decided to devote his life to serving God.\nAndrey, who lives with his mother, shares that the criminal prosecution turned their measured life into a real nightmare. Now, every time they ring the intercom or knock on the door, they shudder, and when they see police cars in the yard, they immediately think if they have come to them to search them again. Andrey also notes that the persecution for believing in God wore him out both physically and emotionally. Nervous stress caused his health to deteriorate: he started having headaches, pressure surges, and disturbed sleep.\nIn addition, due to criminal prosecution, Andrey lost his job at the mayor's office of the city of Seversk. On July 14, 2020, officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee, accompanied by 2 riot policemen, arrived directly at his workplace, from where he was taken for a search, which lasted a total of 12 hours. After it became known about the initiation of a criminal case, the believer was summoned for a conversation with the Seversk Administration and subsequently dismissed. Andrey is in a difficult position, as it is very hard to find another job in a small closed town.\n","date":"2021-05-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ledyaykin/photo_hu_3ff2c485d76a55b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ledyaykin/photo_hu_169a3fa612c53345.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ledyaykin/photo_hu_81a582767c79dbb8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ledyaykin/photo_hu_113d1702c7284268.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ledyaykin.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Andrey Ledyaykin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 14, 2018, a criminal case was opened in Orenburg under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Pavel Lekontsev. For reading the Bible with friends, he is charged with \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" What is really known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nPavel was born in 1981 in the village of Kytat, Krasnoyarsk Territory, in a family of indigenous Siberians. He was the eldest of three children. From childhood, his father instilled in children a love of nature, so Pavel's hobbies are still connected with nature: hiking, fishing, mushroom picking.\nPavel received the profession of a social pedagogue, although he did not work by profession, preferring various construction and working specialties. He lived in Achinsk and some other cities of Eastern and Western Siberia, changed many jobs.\nIn the late 1990s, Paul decided to inquire about what the Bible said, and he was struck by the wisdom, honesty, and historical accuracy of the book. Soon he knew that the key to happiness was living up to high Christian standards. In 2017, Pavel married Oksana, who works as a nanny.\nPavel's parents do not share his religious views, but they respect them. They are outraged that their son is being persecuted for crimes he never committed.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lekontsev/photo_hu_528f0925f53ee1e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lekontsev/photo_hu_528f0925f53ee1e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lekontsev/photo_hu_5af7c0bfcad54099.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lekontsev/photo_hu_5af7c0bfcad54099.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lekontsev.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Lekontsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For a long time, the security forces followed the peaceful life of Aleksey Lelikov, a pianist-teacher from Krasnodar. As a result, he was accused of extremism because of his religion.\nAleksey was born in August 1960 in Krasnodar. His father was a musician-vocalist, and his mother was a film engineer. When Aleksey was 21 and his younger brother was only 12, their father died.\nAt the age of 8, Aleksey began learning to play the piano. In 1977, he graduated with honors from the music school for children. Also, from the age of 12, he began to play football at the youth sports school and for 5 years he played for the city team. Aleksey was fond of fishing since childhood and loved to read.\nAfter he finished school, Lelikov entered the piano department of the Krasnodar Musical College named after N. A. Rimskiy-Korsakov. A year later, he was drafted into the army. Upon his return, he became a member of the Communist Party, since in the party charter he was attracted by the ideas of universal brotherhood and peace on earth. Aleksey continued his studies in music and, having received the specialty of a piano teacher, entered the music and pedagogical department of the Krasnodar State Institute of Culture, from which he graduated with honors with a degree in music teaching. He was a Lenin Scholar and winner of the interuniversity competition \u0026quot;Profession—Music Teacher\u0026quot;.\nAleksey got acquainted with his future wife, Irina, in his youth—they lived in the neighborhood. In April 1979, they got married. Irina is a weaving production technician by profession. She likes to cook, bake pies, listen to music and go to the theater, go to the forest, pick mushrooms and enjoy nature as much as her health allows (Irina has a visual disability of group II, Aleksey was also assigned a disability group II in April 2022 due to impaired motor functions). The Lelikovs enjoy daily walks around the neighborhood of their rural territory partnership: they watch plants and animals, listen to birdsong and take care of pets. The Lelikovs have two adult children and a granddaughter.\nAleksey worked by profession for a long time in various educational institutions: he was an accompanist, piano teacher, head of a choir circle, teacher of music and world art culture, artist-vocalist of a chamber choir. In 1994 he became a finalist in the competition \u0026quot;Teacher of the Year\u0026quot; in Krasnodar. At the same time, he was a soloist of the folklore ensemble \u0026quot;Krinitsa\u0026quot;, which in 1994 became a laureate of the All-Russian competition \u0026quot;Young Voices of Russia\u0026quot;. Also in the early 1990s, Lelikov, together with his daughter, toured with a vocal ensemble of folk art. In recent years, Aleksey has been teaching singing, as well as playing the piano.\nUntil the age of 33, he played in the football team for the championship of the city and the region. But due to the progressive disease of the joints, this hobby had to be abandoned.\nAleksey and Irina met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1993 through friends. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;My wife and I were in search of happiness, peace in the family and the meaning of life, but we did not find answers. At that time, having read a lot of books, I was very disappointed in philosophers. The opinion of some person for me was no longer authority. Therefore, it was very touching that Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses answered all the many questions only with the help of the Bible.\u0026quot; According to Lelikov, thanks to knowledge from the Holy Scriptures, relations in their family have strengthened, and \u0026quot;life has gained real meaning.\u0026quot; In 1994 Aleksey and Irina became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nThe Lelikovs lived in different cities of Russia: in Omsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Volgodonsk. In 2015, they had to return to Krasnodar, where Aleksey cared for his seriously ill mother until her death.\nIn January 2022, Aleksey faced persecution for his faith. He said: \u0026quot;All the investigative measures disrupted the usual way of life of each family member. We got sleep disorder, headaches became more frequent from tension and frequent calls from the investigator demanding this or that... eavesdrop and spy on your family\u0026#39;s life 24 hours a day.\u0026quot;\nRelatives of the Lelikovs, including those who do not share their beliefs, worry about them. Aleksey said: \u0026quot;They cannot believe that I am accused of crimes, and even more so of such a serious one. They cannot understand what kind of extremism they are talking about and what relation to extremism their loved one has, with whom they have excellent relations. What is happening is perceived as complete absurdity and injustice.\n","date":"2022-07-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_c8f0272af326954c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_7817634c15f472aa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_2c89ab108152dd75.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lelikov/photo_hu_66d4314ad74c5487.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lelikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability","elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Lelikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 18, 2018, in the city of Dyurtyuli (Republic of Bashkortostan), law enforcement agencies conducted at least 11 searches in the homes of citizens because of their religion. According to investigators, Anton Lemeshev organized a religious service in a private apartment. A criminal case was opened against him, he spent two weeks in a pre-trial detention center. What do we know about this man?\nAnton was born in 1987 in Asha (Chelyabinsk region). By profession he is a cook and technician-technologist of pasta and bakery products. He also ran a shoe repair shop, and recently he has been working in a taxi.\nAnton's parents divorced when he was still a child, but he still maintains a warm relationship with both parents. Anton has an older sister. Since childhood he loves sports: athletics and weightlifting, alpine skiing, basketball.\nAt a young age, thanks to his mother, Anton discovered the beauty of biblical teachings. \"I saw that there was a different life, people who were very different from my previous social circle,\" he says. \"As a result, I personally came to know and love God.\" Because of his peace-loving Christian convictions, he did alternative civilian service instead of military service.\nIn 2011, Anton married Elina, an economist by profession, and sees her as a blessing from God. The couple love to spend time in nature with friends.\nAnton's relatives are genuinely perplexed as they watch the criminal prosecution unfold against him. Some defend it in front of others. Anton's father, who does not share his religious views, is convinced that the accusations against his son are far-fetched and he did nothing illegal.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lemeshev/photo_hu_fb6fa7d756b99ae0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lemeshev/photo_hu_b322fdd8d2d51236.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lemeshev/photo_hu_d34bd3c4946b92a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lemeshev/photo_hu_25bf5ab5b2cf698b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lemeshev.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Lemeshev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 31, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Karelia. Three criminal cases were initiated at once, including against 57-year-old Nikolai Leshchenko. What do we know about this man?\nNikolay was born in 1962 in the Ukrainian city of Poltava. His mother worked as an accountant and his father as a driver. Nikolay has a younger sister, Valentina. As a child, he loved hockey and fishing, was fond of technology.\nIn 1981, Nikolay graduated from a technical school with a degree in road technician. He entered the Higher Military School in Riga (Latvia). In 1987 he was promoted to the rank of officer. He served near the city of Stargard-Szczecinski in Poland, where he was engaged in the maintenance and repair of aircraft. There he also became interested in the Bible, seeing how strikingly different people are who apply the advice from this book in their lives. He wanted to be like them.\nIn Riga, Nikolay met his future wife Svetlana, and in 1984 they registered their marriage. In 1992 we moved to Petrozavodsk.\nSvetlana mastered different professions: she worked in a dry cleaner, as a computer operator in a design bureau, as a nanny in a kindergarten. She is caring for an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease.\nAfter his discharge from the army, Nikolay worked as a bus driver in a construction organization, repaired apartments, and helped his friends with car repairs. Since April 2019, he has been working as chairman of the board of the HOA in his house. He still loves fishing, traveling and hiking with tents with his wife and friends.\nStress greatly affected the health of the spouses. \"The criminal prosecution deprived me of my usual way of life,\" says Nikolay. \"The dream ran away, thinking, 'What's next?'\"\nRelatives, although they do not share the religious beliefs of Nikolai and Svetlana, worry about them and are concerned about the current situation.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo_hu_b8d62231c9584efc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/leshchenko/photo_hu_b8d62231c9584efc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/leshchenko.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Leshchеnko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After the storming of the houses of believers in July 2018, Vadim Levchuk ended up in a pre-trial detention center, where he ended up spending almost 2 years. The man was tried and found guilty of \"organizing extremist activities\" and sentenced to 4 years in a general regime colony. In March 2021, he was taken to a Novosibirsk colony.\nAt the age of 20, Vadim believed in God and began to carefully study the Bible. After moving to the city of Berezovsky (Kemerovo region), he worked as a miner for 14 years, and later continued to work at the enterprise as a facing. In 2017, he received a commendation for his conscientious attitude to work.\nSince 1997, Vadim has been married to Tatyana, they have two sons. The elder one works at the mine, the younger one studies, a scholar in connection with the victory in the municipal stage of the All-Russian Olympiad in Geography. The whole family respects the Bible, leads a healthy lifestyle, is fond of sports, loves to relax in nature.\nVadim's conviction by the court came as a shock to his family. Friends and family are shocked that the believer was given a real prison term just because he peacefully studied the Bible at home.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/levchuk/photo_hu_170d543c814c1d15.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/levchuk/photo_hu_d9292d689575005e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/levchuk/photo_hu_c5af5197bfcedb63.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/levchuk/photo_hu_ee7d8c425f4da6e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/levchuk.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Vadim Levchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early morning of May 2020, during searches of believers in Khabarovsk and Vyazemsky, FSB officers invaded the 68-year-old Yen Sen Li, suspecting him of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nYen Sen was born in March 1952 in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur in a large family: he was the middle of 5 children. As a child, he was fond of boxing, had the first sports category. He received a higher technical education as an electrical engineer. He worked as a chief power engineer, later as a chief electrician. He managed to live in different cities: in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk, Tashkent, Bekabad, Obluchye, Yakutsk. He lived in Lithuania for a while.\nIn his spare time, he liked to play chess and go for walks.\nIn 1991 he married Olga, with whom his son Nikolay was born.\nYen Sen became interested in the Bible when he learned what the book had to say about the future. Together with his wife, he was determined to bring life in harmony with Christian values.\nThe criminal prosecution had a tragic impact on the health of the elderly: when detained, Yen Sen was treated inhumanely, as a result of which his wife Olga lost consciousness and was hospitalized. Doctors diagnosed her with a myocardial infarction. Because of this situation, Yen Sen experienced severe stress, he developed insomnia. He had to work overtime due to the fact that it was necessary to be present often at exhausting interrogations.\nIn January 2022, Yen Sen Lee died in hospital from COVID-19, never having had time to restore his good name in court.\n","date":"2020-06-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_86249c6759e9a289.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_1b7f7df96a5cf5f8.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_11842875873729a2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/li/photo_hu_2db14925727745e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/li.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Yen Sen Li","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Foreign language teacher Anatoliy Lee from Ussuriysk, unexpectedly for himself and his relatives, became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism and ended up in a pre-trial detention center. This happened to him because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAnatoliy was born in the city of Gagarin (Uzbekistan) in 1985. When he was 9, he moved to Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory) with his older brother and mother, who raised her sons alone.\nAs a child, Anatoliy was interested in foreign languages, he especially liked English. Later, he was fond of computer games, successfully participated in local team competitions. Anatoliy also paid attention to sports—he was engaged in taekwondo.\nAfter school, Anatoliy studied at the Pedagogical Institute as a teacher of English and Korean and worked as a tutor before the criminal prosecution, constantly improving his skills. In addition, during his life he managed to work as a janitor, a telephone repairman, a logistician in a Canadian trading company.\nEven in his youth, Anatoliy, together with his friends, was interested in religions, visited different churches, but did not acquire firm convictions, since he did not find evidence for himself to believe in God. The \"just believe\" explanation didn't sit well with him. Therefore, when he was given the opportunity to study the Bible, Anatoliy gladly took advantage of it. After reading this book, he was delighted that the Bible provided the very evidence he needed. He also learned that God has a personal name, Jehovah.\nIn 2008, Anatoliy was drafted into the army, but peaceful views did not allow him to take up arms. He applied to the court to give him the opportunity to perform alternative civilian service. The believer defended his legal right and worked at the post office for 1 year and 9 months. In 2010, he embarked on the Christian path.\nIn February 2011, Anatoliy married Raisa, who shares his life and religious values. In her free time, Raisa enjoys playing volleyball and painting with watercolors. Anatoliy is also a creative person: he plays the guitar and harmonica, dances and sings.\nAnatoliy's mother and brother do not share his beliefs—they are atheists —but this does not prevent them from maintaining close family relationships. Everyone who knows Anatoliy is shocked that such a kind and honest person was accused of extremism.\n","date":"2022-11-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lia/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lia/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lia/photo_hu_b9cb0b4f2b9ea548.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lia/photo_hu_b9cb0b4f2b9ea548.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lia.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Li","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk, a pensioner from Crimea, raised a son and worked for many years at state-owned companies and factories. In 2021, law enforcement officers accused him of extremism merely for believing in Jehovah God. In the winter of 2022, the court sentenced the believer to six years in a penal colony.\nAleksandr was born in November 1960 in the village of Amangeldy (Kazakhstan), where his parents moved soon after their wedding. Aleksandr has an older brother and a younger sister.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of boxing, playing checkers and wood carving—his work was once even exhibited in the regional event center. After school, he graduated from a vocational school, where he learned to be a chemical production mechanic. He worked at the Khimprom plant in the city of Sumy, Ukraine. Then he moved to Crimea, where he continued to work in his profession at various companies. Before retiring, he worked for eight years as a welder in the city of Armyansk at the Titan plant.\nIn the autumn of 1979, Aleksandr married Nadezhda. They have an adult son named Sergey. Nadezhda loves to grow indoor flowers, and Aleksandr is learning the art of decorative plaster and enjoys making wooden furniture.\nIn 1993, in Kyiv, the couple began their Christian life together. Alexander has been interested in spiritual things since childhood. When he was six years old, he heard adults conversing about the \"end of the world\", which made a strong impression on him. Over the years, Aleksandr had more and more questions, for example: if God is good, then why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? Such questions remained unanswered until Aleksandr and Nadezhda began to study the Bible.\nThe search of their home and the criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of this married couple. The invasion of their home by law enforcement officers in August 2021 was a very difficult experience for them. It left them feeling humiliated and defenseless. Nadezhda's chronic illnesses worsened. Aleksandr and Nadezhda's son worries about his parents and supports them in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-09-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_394671b0f837a1b5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_e4e409ad35a5a29.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_8466d10a4dea28e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/litvinyuk/photo_hu_45a241b45230209d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/litvinyuk.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive actions of intimidation of believers at that time took place in Surgut (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). Security forces broke into the homes of local residents throughout the city, some were tortured, and criminal cases were initiated against 19 people. One of them is Sergey Loginov. He reported that he was tortured in the building of the Investigative Committee of Surgut, after which he was sent to a pre-trial detention center. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1961 in Bashkiria. He was left without both parents early, for many years he cared for his aunt until her death. Since childhood, he has been accustomed to cultivating the land. Later he received the specialty of an energy engineer. He has lived in Surgut for the last 30 years, most of whom have been studying the Bible. Single.\nSince 2010, Sergey has been working at TyumenEnergo JSC, where he has the most positive characteristics. He received awards from the Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Russia.\n\"He has established himself as a competent, proactive and competent employee,\" says Sergey's description from his place of work. - He made a huge contribution to the development of the energy sector of the Northern region. With his direct participation, more than 60 substations were put into operation. He proved to be a talented mentor of young people. He has prepared more than one generation of power engineers for work. He has not lost his working enthusiasm and now, with redoubled energy, passes on theoretical and practical knowledge to the younger generation of specialists engaged in high-frequency relay protection, passing on to them his rich experience and professional knowledge in the field of design features of equipment for distribution networks and substations, in conducting emergency and fire drills. For many years it has been working without accidents and does not allow injuries. His work was repeatedly noted by orders for fruitful work. Excellent at qualification exams. In the team, he enjoys well-deserved respect for his conscientiousness, responsiveness and cordial attitude towards colleagues.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_38eb4e758deb4234.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_38eb4e758deb4234.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_6b7447afe0d9270a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/loginov/photo_hu_6b7447afe0d9270a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loginov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Logins","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Loginskiy, who has been a construction worker all his life, was accused of extremism and placed under house arrest in March 2021 solely because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nYuriy was born in May 1966 in Sochi and has lived there all his life. His father was a builder and his mother was a teacher. Yuri and his older sister followed in the footsteps of their parents: he received the specialty of a tiler and mosaicist, and his sister became a teacher.\nYuriy met his future wife, Svetlana, when she was in Sochi on vacation. They got married in the summer of 1987. In 1988, their son Dmitriy was born. After school, he received a higher education in the field of construction and works in his specialty. The family loves to spend time with friends in nature, and Yuriy cooks for them with pleasure.\nYuriy and Svetlana became acquainted with Bible teachings a few years after their marriage and began to study the Holy Scriptures together. Having received convincing answers to vital questions and having examined strong evidence of the authenticity of the Bible, in 1996 the Loginskiys made the decision to embark on the Christian path one day. In raising their son, the couple adhered to biblical principles. The exact fulfillment of the prophecies and the wisdom of the advice in this book prompted Dmitriy to become a Christian too.\nUnfair criminal prosecution and long months of house arrest affected Yuriy's health. In addition, the prohibition to leave the home deprived him of the opportunity to provide for his family. All this depresses the believer, so he is grateful to his relatives for their support.\n","date":"2022-01-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/loginskiy/photo_hu_4d7525ec9ee3cab1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/loginskiy/photo_hu_c369da61f5ed7109.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/loginskiy/photo_hu_8dbd7ad0bb522253.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/loginskiy/photo_hu_edf956e5e379b98e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loginskiy.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Loginskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 14, 2018, a criminal case was opened in Orenburg under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Logunov. For reading the Bible with friends, he is charged with \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" What is really known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nSergey was born in 1962 in Orenburg and has lived in this city all his life. As a child, his mother worked hard to support the family. After school, Sergey received the specialty of a milling machine, but after serving in the army he acquired the profession of a photographer. I worked on it for several years, but in the mid-1990s it became difficult to find orders. Sergey began to take on any job, and in recent years he has been working as a gardener in an oncological hospital. However, he continues to take pictures for himself and friends with pleasure, and plays the guitar in his free time.\nIn the early 1990s, Sergey immersed himself in reading the New Testament, and he was impressed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1994 he married Larisa. It so happened that her brother is now also being persecuted for his faith. The parents of Sergey and Larisa, although they do not share their religious views, are very worried about their persecuted loved ones.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_b75ea2adebac5bf1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_b75ea2adebac5bf1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_b5118dce53dfea4f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/logunov/photo_hu_b5118dce53dfea4f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/logunov.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Logunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, the FSB opened a criminal case against a civilian resident of Birobidzhan, Artur Lokhvitsky, and about a year later, his mother Irina and wife Anna were accused of extremism. In July 2021, the court found Anna guilty and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation for her faith.\nAnna was born in 1993 in the city of Obluchye (Jewish Autonomous Region). Mother alone raised two daughters and instilled in them biblical values, set an example of an honest and kind person. Vera helped Anna to be a thoughtful, reasonable, and successful student. Together with her sister, she attended various arts and crafts clubs, spent time in nature and playing with friends.\nAnna was educated as a sewing technician. She worked in an atelier. The girl was surrounded by cheerful, happy friends and family who appreciate biblical principles.\nIn 2018, Anna and Arthur got married. The moral standards laid down since childhood help the couple keep their marriage strong and happy. They love to fish, travel, play volleyball together, meet new people.\nThe criminal prosecution radically changed the life of the family: a written undertaking not to leave the place was taken from the spouses, access to bank cards was blocked, and access to public services was limited. A lot of effort was spent on researching legal and financial issues. Relatives and friends worry about Anna and consider such an attitude towards her unfair and unreasonable.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lokhvitskaya/photo_hu_1f31e0b04a2ab35a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskaya/photo_hu_9a4e004090f97267.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lokhvitskaya/photo_hu_194bd1c4829ac3a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskaya/photo_hu_62f3e4013e00e585.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lokhvitskaya.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anna Lokhvitskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, FSB investigator D. Yankin opened 6 criminal cases at once under an \"extremist\" article against peaceful and law-abiding residents of Birobidzhan. Among them is Irina Lokhvitskaya. She was accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Six months later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Irina was found guilty and given a 2.5-year suspended sentence for her faith in Jehovah.\nIrina was born in 1962 in the village of Izvestkovoe, Jewish Autonomous Region. She has an older brother and a younger sister. When Irina was 6 years old, her father died. Mom was a kind and religious person. At home, Irina often found handwritten prayers, and this raised many questions. Irina wondered why she should pray and who God was.\nShe read a lot, looking for answers to her questions in books. She dreamed of becoming an actress, as she played in school plays, or an investigator, because she read detectives. She had many hobbies: she played basketball and volleyball, attended a dance, theater studio and a knitting club. In the school description it is written: has a sense of humor.\nAfter school, she entered the Birobidzhan Pedagogical School. Then she worked in the village of Belgorod as a kindergarten teacher, for several years as the head, and part-time as the artistic director of the club. She led a dance circle, held rural holidays. There she married and gave birth to a son, Arthur.\nIrina always remembered her mother's stories about how much her father loved her. For many years, she was not left with a sense of injustice due to the fact that good people die so early. In 1991, in Khabarovsk, I met those who knew the Bible well. Finally, she found answers to all the questions that she had been asking herself since childhood. \"Biblical truth struck me in the heart,\" Irina recalls. \"When I heard that there is hope for the resurrection for the dead, I realized that there is justice! It's great that all good dads will be resurrected, including mine. I'll hug him...\" Since then, Irina has never ceased to share with others the Bible teachings that give such wonderful hope. After 2 years, she was baptized.\nSeven months later, a tragedy occurred - her husband died. Irina was left alone with a seven-year-old child. There was no work in the village, they lived on survivor's benefits. During these years, in order not to dwell on the mountain, she helped many to understand the Bible, to see the wisdom of God's laws. When my son was 11 years old, he consciously chose the Christian path of life for himself. A few years later, the family moved to Birobidzhan.\nIrina retired in 2016. Prior to that, she worked as an administrator at a hotel. He has certificates and cash awards for good work and work with people. Irina is still full of strength, energy, desire to share the biblical reliable with others. He likes to organize themed evenings for friends, writes poetry, and holds weddings for those closest to him. Every year they raft down the river with family and friends. A new hobby is making flowers out of corrugated paper and creating compositions from them. With great pleasure he gives them to friends.\nThe persecution for her faith seriously affected Irina's physical and emotional well-being. Adding to her concerns was the fact that her son Arthur, as well as his wife, Anna, received the same suspended sentences of 2.5 years each. The support of numerous friends from different cities and family cohesion helps to survive this stress. Irina's sister, who is interested in Bible teachings, is completely perplexed by what is happening.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_f11069da119abb28.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_c070717b34075f0f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskayai/photo_hu_502ef9b6d7b6d821.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lokhvitskayai.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Irina Lokhvitskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Artur Lokhvitsky is known as a respectable citizen and a diligent worker who has a diploma for conscientious work. However, for his peace-loving views and faith in God, he was subjected to religious persecution along with his wife, mother and other believers from Birobidzhan.\nArtur was born in 1986 in the village of Belgorodskoye (Jewish Autonomous Region). As a child, he was fond of sports and fishing. He received the specialty of an electrician, in recent years he worked in the fire department.\nArthur became interested in the Bible in his youth. He found convincing evidence for the existence of God and believed in him deeply. In 2018, he married Anna. The couple love to travel, spend time in nature, communicate with friends and play sports.\nCriminal prosecution had a negative impact on all spheres of life of the young family. Anna suffered emotional trauma and is forced to undergo expensive medical treatment. At work, Arthur is threatened with dismissal, his bank card is blocked. He had to look for additional income to provide for his family.\nArthur's family and friends are very worried about the unfair persecution of this peaceful, law-abiding person. Despite the absence of victims and real evidence of the believer's guilt, in February 2021, the verdict was announced: 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. On April 8, the regional court upheld the verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lokhvitskiy/photo_hu_2545dda9c1ec5e35.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskiy/photo_hu_bbf5b717847eb13f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lokhvitskiy/photo_hu_50e4c4f172385e39.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lokhvitskiy/photo_hu_339ab89fdd4ef4d1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lokhvitskiy.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Artur Lokhvitskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, Igor Lonchakov from Vladivostok became another victim of law enforcement officers. Their threats turned for a peaceful believer who is struggling with a chronic disease and two months of hospitalization. Immediately after being discharged from the hospital, he was taken under escort to the Investigative Committee and charged with extremism. In January 2025, the court sentenced the man to 7 years in a penal colony.\nIgor was born in December 1977 in Saratov, and 5 years later moved with his parents to Vladivostok. He grew up as an active child: he loved to play football and hockey. After high school, he entered law school. During this period, his mother began to study the Bible, and her son joined her in this one 12 years later.\nIn 2006, Igor faced serious problems and began to turn to God for help. Seeing the answers to his prayers, he wanted to learn more about the Creator, got rid of bad habits and broke with bad company. In 2008, Igor became a Christian. \u0026quot;I realized that life has meaning, and our Creator tells us about it,\u0026quot; Igor shared. \u0026quot;Now I live happily, in harmony with God\u0026#39;s advice.\u0026quot;\nAfter college, having obtained the specialty of lawyer-jurist, Igor for some time worked as a district police inspector in the Department of Internal Affairs. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as a 1st class specialist at the Russian Post. In his spare time, he likes to explore the world around him, spend time in nature, and communicate with friends. Igor is not married. He has two children. The youngest minor daughter is his dependant.\nAccording to Igor, knowledge from the Bible helps him cope with his worries. His elderly parents try to support his son, who is on disability group III.\n","date":"2020-10-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lonchakov/photo_hu_f83501e8a168cd44.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lonchakov/photo_hu_3942deeb7fc87686.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lonchakov/photo_hu_d8f6907893d659b4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lonchakov/photo_hu_30e9a50950f4f67a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lonchakov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Igor Lonchakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lonshakov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Lonshakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 10, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted 50 searches in Transbaikalia. This also affected the family of Alexei Loskutov. What do we know about him?\nAlexey was born in 1978 in Chita. He has a younger sister. Like many children, he loved to ride a bicycle and was fond of volleyball during his school years. From childhood, his parents instilled in him a love of knowledge, and he graduated from school with a gold medal.\nIn 2000, he graduated with honors from Chita State University and entered graduate school to get a degree. He worked as a teacher at the Trans-Baikal Institute of Railway Transport, and more recently as a technologist at Russian Railways.\nIn 1999 he married Elena, whom he had known since childhood. The couple have two daughters. The eldest graduated from school with two gold medals and is now mastering the profession of interior designer. The youngest daughter is also an excellent student. In addition to her main studies, she attends an art school and dreams of becoming a photographer. The family loves to spend time with friends and travel.\nSince 2003, Elena has been interested in Bible teachings. Later, Alexei joined her in studying this book. They recall how it had a positive effect on the atmosphere in their family: \"It was then that we began to treat each other in a special way.\" Alexei was convinced of the reliability of the Bible by the amazing honesty of its writers - they frankly wrote not only about their own mistakes, but also about the sad experience of their people.\nFaced with a search and criminal prosecution, the whole family feels vulnerable. They had a fear of re-intrusion into the home. Due to the stress experienced, it became difficult for Elena to perform even simple chores around the house. They, along with their eldest daughter, are forced to take sedatives.\nAlexey's parents do not share his religious beliefs, but they love him, his daughter-in-law and grandchildren very much. They are frightened and very worried about the unfair persecution of these peaceful, kind people.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/loskutov/photo_hu_85d2878bea87c84d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/loskutov/photo_hu_2a63c9b532d6c7fc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/loskutov/photo_hu_410ef4ffdec99bc6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/loskutov/photo_hu_951e527cba16d1f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/loskutov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Loskutov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, Aleksandr Lubin, a disabled person of group II, was searched, and then he was sent to a pre-trial detention center, endangering the life of an elderly man. Due to the harsh conditions of detention, the condition of the believer became critical. After 20 days, at the request of the ECHR, he was released from custody. Shortly after his conviction, on November 11, 2024, at the age of 68, he passed away.\nAleksandr was born in 1956 in the village of Ogonyok (Kurgan region). In his youth, he was fond of sports: Greco-Roman wrestling and skiing. He also loved fishing.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Kurgan Engineering Institute. For 25 years, he worked as an occupational safety engineer at the Siberian-Ural Energy Company of Shadrinsk.\nAleksandr married Tatyana in August 2001. For almost 25 years she worked as a stamping operator at the Shadrinsk Automobile Unit Plant. In the 1990s, she had to work three jobs to clothe and feed two children. Tatiana loves to knit, sing and dance.\nLife difficulties, poor health, as well as Tatyana\u0026#39;s physical condition prompted Aleksandr to start reading the Bible for his wife, as she could not do it on her own—the woman had suffered several strokes. Biblical truths interested him in their logic. The knowledge gained from this book helped both spouses to free themselves from despair caused by adversity and change their outlook on life. In 2003, they decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nLubin had a serious vascular disease, hypertension, as well as an autoimmune disease that affected various organs. He needed humidified oxygen for 16 hours daily. It was difficult for the believer to walk, and in the event of a fall, he could not get up without assistance. Due to criminal prosecution, Aleksandr lost the opportunity to receive planned medical treatment, which he underwent several times a year: in 2020 alone, he was hospitalized 8 times.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s arrest also affected the poor health of his wife Tatyana: during the search, she suffered a fourth stroke. A woman\u0026#39;s blood pressure often rises, heart and speech problems begin, and her legs begin to fail.\nRelatives, neighbors and former colleagues believe they were outraged by the abuse of the elderly man. Many people knew Aleksandr as a peace-loving, kind person, always ready to help others.\n","date":"2021-08-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_ff5ac903be6cc7ed.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_7f1c8eba6cb97c98.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_937ea85434f1f6ae.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lubin/photo_hu_9be3c28089e3b6ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lubin.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability","elderly","health-risk","died","echr"],"title":"Aleksandr Lubin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 11, 2020, despite the self-isolation regime introduced in Russia in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, the security forces searched the apartment of Anatoly Lyamo. A peaceful believer became one of four accused under the \"extremist\" article.\nAnatoliy was born in the urban-type settlement of Pogar (Bryansk region) in 1963. At the age of 3.5, he was adopted by a family from neighboring Klimov. Anatoly's parents were disabled from childhood. His mother worked as a seamstress, his father as a shoemaker. My father died early.\nSince childhood, Anatoliy loved to draw. After school, he entered an art school in Bobruisk (Belarus), where he received a specialty as a facing in artistic mosaic and tile works.\nAnatoliy did his military service in Pereslavl Zalessky, worked for some time in the metro construction of the city of Kiev (Ukraine), and later participated in various construction projects.\nIn Teikovo, Anatoly continued his extra-urgent military service. Here he met his future wife Galina. In 1993 they got married. Galina is a mathematics teacher by profession, but she has worked in a pharmacy for most of her life.\nThe couple have two adult children and two grandchildren. They love to spend time in the country with the whole family.\nAnatoliy has always been interested in what is written in the Bible and in 1994 he seriously took up its study. He was impressed by the consistency of the Bible's teachings. His family noticed significant changes in Anatoly's character - he became calm and law-abiding. The positive changes that Galina saw in her husband prompted her to give the Bible a chance too.\nFor Anatoly's relatives, the searches and criminal prosecution came as a complete surprise. They wonder how reading a book that motivated their father, husband and son to become better people could be accused of extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_7c2ed6feee9c930c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_b6b640136ae01b7b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_4abfa8912bc18935.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lyamo/photo_hu_74bc13f13c00dc67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lyamo.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Lyamo","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Lyulin was detained by law enforcers in August 2021. He was put into a minibus, handcuffed to handrails under the ceiling of the cabin, and his legs were taped to the seat and taken for 16 hours to the Simferopol pre-trial detention center, where he spent 203 days. Later, he was under house arrest for more than 4 months. In March 2023, the believer was convicted and taken into custody in the courtroom. A year later, this decision was overturned and the case was sent for review.\nSergey was born in September 1984 in Yalta (Crimea), where he still lives. His parents are retired, and his elder brother died in 2013.\nSergey has been interested in the Bible since childhood. He said: \u0026quot;Studying the Holy Scriptures, I realized that only the Creator has the right to establish the norms of good and evil. If you adhere to them, you will experience only happiness and joy. This prompted me to continue to learn about the Creator and develop a close relationship with him. Knowledge from the Bible has helped me avoid many mistakes, get satisfaction from life and make family relationships great.\u0026quot; Sergey and his father followed the example of their mother and elder brother by becoming Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nFor some time Sergey worked as a carpenter. In 2010, he married Darya, whom they had known since childhood. Before the criminal prosecution, the couple worked together as gardeners. Darya is a florist by profession. She loves to bake, draw, play active sports. Darya loved God from early childhood. In the Bible, she was especially touched by the fact that he accepts people from any nation, regardless of the position in society, material condition and external factors.\nSergey loves active sports: football, badminton and volleyball. Together with his wife, they go hiking with tents in the forest and mountains, spend time with friends. In addition, Sergey likes to take a steam bath.\nStress and worries due to criminal prosecution undermined the health of the whole family, Daria had to adapt to new circumstances and alone for a long time perform duties that previously lay on the shoulders of her husband. However, in his last speech, Sergey noted: \u0026quot;Throughout the process, my wife maintained a positive attitude, showed love, which helped me not to lose heart. She is a real helper. And I am glad that it was the knowledge from the Bible that helped me achieve such a relationship with my beautiful wife, who is a priceless pearl for me.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2022-05-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/lyulin/photo_hu_ec4fca79032d5af9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/lyulin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/lyulin/photo_hu_af43431b02cc4f63.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/lyulin/photo_hu_48754a663f846125.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/lyulin.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Lyulin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Magliv was born in 1984 in Serdobsk (Penza region). Sole proprietorship. Since childhood he loves to draw, studied at an art school. In 2006 he graduated from the Saratov Agrarian University, where he began to think for the first time about God and the spiritual, about the injustice taking place in the world.\nLater he moved to Penza, where he worked as a store administrator, pastry chef, computer repairman and bath restorer. In 2012 he married Natalia. The couple love to spend time cycling and skiing, playing table tennis. Together, they help take care of Natalia's sick mother, who cannot leave the house.\nIn the summer of 2018, armed masked men broke into the apartment where Andrey was staying with several friends and arrested him on charges of extremist activities. For Andrey's relatives, who know him as a peace-loving person, this was a real shock. Even those who do not share his Christian beliefs do not understand how such a thing can happen in a country with freedom of religion.\nDespite the convincing arguments of the defense, on December 13, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, Roman Tanchenko, sentenced Andrey Magliv to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The lawyers appealed to the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Penza Regional Court.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/magliv/photo_hu_53f36076aadd78b8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/magliv/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/magliv/photo_hu_3d1490571e4825b9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/magliv/photo_hu_9f59876b5d3645e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/magliv.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Magliv","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 21, 2020, Belarusian law enforcement officers detained 36-year-old Russian Nikolai Makhalichev. As it turned out, he was put on the interstate wanted list due to the fact that he allegedly professes a religion banned in Russia. What is known about him?\nNikolay was born in 1984 in the city of Cherepovets (Vologda region) in a family of school teachers. Later, a daughter appeared in the family. As a child, while studying in elementary school, he helped his father in the construction of a summer house, together with his sister he was engaged in ballroom dancing and equestrian sports, and studied at an art school. He graduated from the Academy with a degree in jurisprudence. Later he acquired a number of construction and finishing skills.\nNikolay's hobbies include hiking, hockey, playing the guitar and singing. But most of all, Nikolay loves to help others.\nNicholas was brought up from childhood according to biblical standards. Even in botany lessons, I admired how amazingly nature was created. Later, while studying in a specialized medical class, he was struck by the structure of the human body. This, as well as the benefits of applying the Bible commandments in his daily life, prompted him to become a Christian at a young age.\nNikolay lived in different cities, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug) and Krasnoyarsk.\nIn connection with the criminal prosecution of Nikolay, his mother began to have sleep and eating disorders. In addition, fearing for the poor health of Nikolai's 82-year-old grandmother, the family decided not to inform her about the incident yet.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mahalichev/photo_hu_8b5cd7fead5a8e0a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mahalichev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mahalichev/photo_hu_8966e88f658abb5a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mahalichev/photo_hu_d17c8899542b325.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mahalichev.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Makhalichev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Felix Makhammadiev was born in 1984 in the city of Karshi (Uzbekistan) in a family of law enforcement officers. Since childhood, Felix loves to draw, write poems and songs, and program. In his youth, he was seriously involved in sports and played KVN. For many years he worked as a hairdresser, conducted seminars on hairdressing, was the art director of a beauty salon.\nFelix's parents divorced early, and in 2002 he and his mother moved to Saratov. There Felix became acquainted with the teachings of the Bible. He was keenly interested in the doctrine that God wants to put an end to evil and injustice. In 2011 he got married, his wife Eugenia shares his love for painting. Together they also learn foreign languages and participate in cycling trips.\nFelix's family and friends, who do not even share his Christian beliefs, are shocked that such a meek man was labeled an extremist.\nIn September 2019, the Leninsky District Court of Saratov sentenced Felix Makhammadiyev to 3 years in prison. The unfair decision of the court, as well as the prosecution itself, hurt the well-being of the family - Felix's wife Evgenia was left without a beloved husband and a reliable defender.\nOn December 31, 2020, Felix served his sentence, but was immediately placed in a deportation center due to his lack of Russian citizenship. On January 21, 2021, he was reunited with his wife in Tashkent.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/makhammadiev/photo_hu_b1208c43bada6092.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/makhammadiev/photo_hu_97dc61f972a0214c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/makhammadiev/photo_hu_5724058156782095.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/makhammadiev/photo_hu_646965b7e2586398.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/makhammadiev.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Feliks Makhammadiyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kaluga. One of them, Roman Makhnev, was placed in a pre-trial detention center. During this period, the believer lost his father, and the care of a country house with stove heating fell entirely on the shoulders of two women—a 93-year-old grandmother and Roman\u0026#39;s retired mother, Nataliya. When her son was in jail, the woman\u0026#39;s house burned down.\nRoman was born in the Ural mining town of Gubakha (Perm Territory). He has a younger sister. Their mother has worked all her life in the field of education, has the title of Honored Teacher and Excellence in Public Education. In 1988, the family moved to the Kaluga region, to the village of Luzhnoye.\nIn his youth, Roman was a radio amateur, and was also fond of modeling aircraft and ships and was engaged in the repair of household appliances. During his school years, he liked the work of an electrician, and from time to time he worked in this field. After school, Roman entered the Bauman Moscow State Technical University in Kaluga and in 1999 successfully graduated from it, receiving the specialty of designer-technologist for the design and production of electronic equipment.\nIn 2002, Roman married Anna. A few years later, their daughter Darya was born. All together they love to go fishing and travel. The head of the family helps others in his spare time in repairing electrical equipment and maintaining cars. Before his arrest, he worked as a telecommunications engineer.\nEven before marriage, Roman became interested in the Bible. He was amazed at the accuracy of her prophecies and realized that he wanted to act in accordance with the Christian knowledge he had received.\nIn August 2019, while Roman was behind bars, his father died. He had cancer, and the stress of the criminal prosecution of his son aggravated his condition. The believer was unable to attend the funeral.\nFriends helped Roman and his family cope with numerous difficulties. In his final plea, he said: \u0026quot;Thank you for your invaluable help to my family. You wrote letters of support, came to court hearings, always helped both in word and deed. Words cannot express my gratitude for helping my mother when her house burned down and I was in jail at that time. You took care of her and restored the house.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/makhnev/photo_hu_9dab4f059c38f9fe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/makhnev/photo_hu_86b07f59874575dc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/makhnev/photo_hu_9676effcb954c6b3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/makhnev/photo_hu_8e64a1f72a59f3a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/makhnev.html","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Makhnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Region), searches and detentions of civilians on the basis of religion took place. One of the defendants in the criminal case was 24-year-old Andrei Maksimovich. What do we know about him?\nAndrey was born in 1995 in the village of Belorechensky, Irkutsk Region. The youngest of four children in the family. As a child, he was fond of computers, was engaged in ballroom dancing, loved to play chess with his father.\nAfter graduating from a medical college, Andrey received the specialty of a paramedic. Even then, he had Christian convictions. \"I was interested in many religions and movements, but there were no clear beliefs, everything was mixed,\" he says. \"When I began to study the Bible, I saw exactly what I had always been looking for, because all the Bible teachings turned out to be logical and real.\" Because of Andrey's peace-loving convictions, he was granted the right to perform alternative civilian service instead of military service. It was held in the post office of Severodvinsk.\nIn 2014, Andrey married Valentina, whom he met while studying at a technical school. The couple are raising a three-year-old son. Andrey's parents are concerned about the persecution on charges of extremism of a man who has already proved his peace-loving character to the state.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maksimovich/photo_hu_3ebafa1b916f970a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maksimovich/photo_hu_f629b79c414c59d5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maksimovich/photo_hu_4af01fc44bcd13e4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maksimovich/photo_hu_844f3b463691a327.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maksimovich.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Maksimovich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"An exemplary family man, talented mechanic, peaceful Christian Vladimir Maladyka found himself behind bars after the raid on believers by security forces in October 2020. Then he spent six months in jail. Later, in October 2022, the court sentenced Vladimir to 6 years in prison.\nVladimir was born in July 1963 in the city of Yenakievo (Donetsk region) in the family of a miner. After graduating from school, he learned to be a cook. Later, he studied at the School of Naval Aviation Technicians in Kaliningrad, where he received a specialty \"Technical Operation of Aircraft and Engines\". He served as a technician in the village of Kacha (Sevastopol, Crimea).\nVladimir has always been fond of cars, especially body welding. Once, he assembled a full-fledged car from the old GAZ-21 body and registered it with the traffic police.\nIn 1986, Vladimir married Natalya, with whom they had been together for more than 30 years. In the early 1990s, the family faced difficulties. During this period, his brother and his wife came to him and offered to find out what was written in the Bible. After a long in-depth study of the Holy Scriptures, the family decided to become Christians and live by biblical standards.\nPeople around know Vladimir as a hospitable and sympathetic person, always ready to help. However, the authorities considered him a criminal only because of his convictions.\n","date":"2020-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_7a4dd709f4feb088.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_8e92ed7985a615cf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_347872417f4b69f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maladyka/photo_hu_90569713f03a6a29.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maladyka.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Maladyka","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, a criminal case was opened against Valeriy Maletskov from Novosibirsk under an extremist article for reading the Bible and praying to Jehovah God. His house was searched, after which the man was under house arrest for six months. After almost two years of trials, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in prison.\nValeriy was born in 1974 in Novosibirsk, where he lived all his life. He was the only child in the family. As a child, he had many hobbies: radio engineering, playing the guitar, photography, chess, as well as several sports, the main of which was fencing in which he received a sports category.\nAs a teenager, Valeriy became seriously interested in the spiritual. In particular, he wanted to know why there were so many religions in the world. As a result of active searches, he found answers to all his questions in the Bible, which became a reference book for him.\nValeriy worked as a finisher, carpenter-furniture maker, and immediately before the criminal prosecution in the service sector of the territory of the business center.\nIn 2004, Valeriy married Marina, they had a son, Rostislav. The couple repeatedly received thanks for raising their son. Rostislav has medals and certificates for sports achievements. The whole family loves spearfishing, and Marina pleases her friends by playing the piano.\nValeriy\u0026#39;s relatives and friends are outraged by the way armed police officers break into houses where people simply read the Bible. Due to the persecution of Valeriy, his family was left without a breadwinner, and worries about urgent needs fell on the shoulders of his wife and disabled mother.\n\u0026quot;Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, as they were peace-loving and law-abiding people, remain so,\u0026quot; Valery said in court. \u0026quot;Our position as sincere believers is simple: we want to be faithful to our God Jehovah in everything. There is absolutely no malicious intent in this, the destruction of the constitutional order, and even more so a crime. It\u0026#39;s a constitutional right, and a right can\u0026#39;t be a crime.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maletskov/photo_hu_ddcb0567555640b6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maletskov/photo_hu_f34fa229575964a5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maletskov/photo_hu_543c29827e34d67c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maletskov/photo_hu_ae8426cebd142374.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maletskov.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Maletskov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, authorities conducted a series of searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalny, Primorye Territory. Dmytro Malevaniy was detained. After several years of investigation and trial, the court sentenced him to 7 years in prison only because of his faith.\nDmitry was born in 1990 in Spassk-Dalny, where he has lived all his life. By education, he is a specialist in the field of applied informatics in economics, and all the time, from studying at a university and up to criminal prosecution, he worked in one place - he taught programming in college.\nAs a teenager, Dmitry was convinced that the Bible gives clear and logical answers to questions, and life according to high biblical standards makes people better and happier. This prompted him to embark on the Christian path. Dmitry is married to his peer Ulyana, a graduate of an art school.\nFriends and family do not understand why this peaceful man was thrown behind bars just because of his beliefs. Dmitry's colleagues, who do not share his religious views, support him and urge him not to give up in this difficult situation.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malevanyi/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malevanyi/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malevanyi/photo_hu_ea38bbb3d539191c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malevanyi/photo_hu_ea38bbb3d539191c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malevanyi.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Malevaniy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 26, 2019, arrests of citizens for religious views resumed in Smolensk, the total number of detainees reached 5. One of them was Viktor Malkov.\nViktor was born in 1959 in Smolensk. As a child, he was actively involved in football, played in the team of the plant. He mastered several working specialties: locksmith, carpenter, roofer. Before his arrest, he worked as a driver. He loved to work in the country and pick mushrooms. In 1992, Victor married Vera, whom he met at work.\nBefore getting acquainted with the Bible, Victor knew the ups and downs. He had been in prison for seven years for a fight, and his marriage was on the verge of divorce. But faith in God helped him become a new man. Victor became a peaceful and law-abiding citizen, and his marriage could be called exemplary. When they came to arrest Victor, he said: \"I served seven years for a fight, became a believer, and now you want to imprison me for preaching the good news for almost the same period?\"\nOn April 26, 2020, Viktor Malkov died suddenly. The stresses of the criminal prosecution worsened his already poor health.\nVictor's relatives knew him as a sympathetic person. All his life, Victor helped his brother, a visually impaired person of the first group. For many years he also supported his mother, who needs help due to age and poor health.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_e2a65df59cc627c3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_8dfe90a05b42472.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_55d04812159b2499.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malkov/photo_hu_77b8a3aaab629d5e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malkov.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Viktor Malkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, Rosfinmonitoring included 51-year-old Liya Maltseva from Partizansk ( Primorye Territory) in the list of terrorists and extremists. Subsequently, FSB officers searched the woman and opened a criminal case against her for her belief in God.\nLiya was born in May 1969 in Angero-Sudzhensk (Kemerovo region). During her school years, she was fond of dancing. Together with her family, she often moved from city to city. She has a secondary special education by profession \"cook\". She loves nature, she likes to go hiking, to the mountains and the sea, to discover new beautiful places in Primorye.\nWith what is written in the ancient book of the Bible, Liya was introduced by her parents. As an adult, Liya realized that she wanted to live in harmony with Christian teachings.\nIn 2007, she moved to Partisansk, where she still lives. In 2001, when she was 32 years old, she received the second disability group.\nThe criminal prosecution had a very negative impact on Liya's health: the number of attacks increased, and chronic diseases became more acute due to the stress experienced.\n","date":"2020-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maltseva/photo_hu_6207a5969ad36cc6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maltseva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maltseva/photo_hu_6aff169b6c718b16.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maltseva/photo_hu_1b981677e15d7650.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maltseva.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Liya Maltseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, mass searches were carried out at the apartments of believers in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A total of 35 searches were conducted, and at least 11 people are involved in the criminal case. One of the accused is Sergey Malyanov. What is known about this man?\nSergey was born in 1969 in Gorky (today Nizhny Novgorod). Since childhood, he was actively engaged in dancing and figure skating. After school he entered the Institute of Physical Culture, in 1991 he received a diploma in physical education. He has the title of Master of Sports of the USSR. He worked in the Moscow Circus on Ice as an acrobat, toured with performances in Russia and other countries. Recently, he has been engaged in interior decoration, but tries not to lose physical shape, plays football and hockey, goes to the skating rink.\nSergey has an adult daughter who works as a French teacher in a private school. Sergey himself takes care of his mother of retirement age, who is a disabled person of the second group.\nThe search for the meaning of life led Sergey to study the Bible, in which he found answers to his questions. He is convinced that the Bible is a book of valuable advice and reliable prophecies. The result of the spiritual quest was criminal prosecution for faith.\nReligious persecution of Sergei severely undermined the health of his mother. \"It's such a blow when a kind and caring son, without whom I can't live, is considered a criminal,\" she complains. \"This pain is like a knife in the heart.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malyanov/photo_hu_c7920a7be23acf09.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malyanov/photo_hu_53003a6a707b9084.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malyanov/photo_hu_a33b7ae5c5c29455.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malyanov/photo_hu_a6309aebc4a845b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malyanov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Malyanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Svetlana Malyanova, a young teacher from Nizhny Novgorod, like her father, Sergey Malyanov , became a defendant in one of the many criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nSvetlana was born in 1996 in Nizhny Novgorod in the family of an athlete and a teacher of foreign languages. Since childhood, she loved to read, wrote poetry and sang in a choir. The girl followed in the footsteps of her mother and after graduating from the institute, began teaching English and French. Svetlana has always lived in Nizhny Novgorod. In her free time, she goes in for sports and creativity. Recently, she has found a new hobby - playing the guitar.\nLike her father, Svetlana was personally convinced that the Bible is trustworthy. The logic and harmony of this book, as well as fulfilling prophecies, did not leave the girl indifferent. She was also impressed by the worldwide preaching activity of modern Christians. At the age of 20, Svetlana decided to dedicate her life to God.\nDuring the investigation and trials, pleasant changes also happened in Svetlana's personal life—she married Aleksandr. His mother Galina, was given a 6-year suspended sentence by the court in May 2022 because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nUnfair criminal prosecution has disrupted the normal way of life for the whole family. Svetlana's mother and grandmother are very worried and do not understand how it is possible to treat their relatives – peaceful, law-abiding people – so unfairly.\n","date":"2020-12-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/malyanova/photo_hu_ebd4d89f654bbbde.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/malyanova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/malyanova/photo_hu_6411509ce5922220.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/malyanova/photo_hu_f7eb509d7668f7b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/malyanova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Svetlana Malyanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 10, 2020, a wave of raids swept across Transbaikalia. Representatives of the authorities searched 50 houses of believers, as a result of which Pavel Mamalimov was sent to a temporary detention center for 5 days and later released.\nPavel was born in 1987 in the village of Mankovo (Chita region). Later, the family moved to Buryatia, then to Chita. There is an elder brother Igor, the elder sister is no longer alive. As a child, Pavel was fond of sports, studied diligently, helped his parents in housekeeping.\nPavel graduated from the Irkutsk University of Railways, and later from the school of machinists. Since 2010 he has been working as an assistant locomotive driver.\nAfter learning how faithfully Bible prophecies were fulfilled, Paul became convinced of the existence of God. He liked the fact that applying Bible principles in his life was of practical benefit to him. In the study of the Scriptures, he was later joined by his elder brother Igor.\nIn 2012, Pavel met his future wife Lyubov, whose parents instilled in her a craving for biblical truths from childhood. After 2 years, they got married, and in 2017 they had a daughter, whom the couple are raising with the help of principles from God's Word.\nPavel's parents do not share his religious views, but are perplexed by the persecution of their son. A short stay in the temporary detention center undermined Pavel's health, and he became seriously ill. Relatives and friends of the believer hope that the authorities will sort everything out and stop the criminal case against him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamalimov.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Pavel Mamalimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 10, 2020, one of the most massive raids on the homes of civilians took place in Chita and several districts of the Trans-Baikal Territory. On that day, security forces raided 50 houses of believers. Among them is the family of Igor Mamalimov.\nIgor was born in 1976 in the Ilishevsky district of Bashkortostan. A year later, a daughter appeared in the family, and later the youngest son, Pavel, was born. Parents kept a large farm, so children from an early age helped to cultivate the land and take care of livestock. In winter, Igor liked to ski or skate. Thanks to his grandfather, he fell in love with music and mastered playing the accordion himself.\nAfter school, Igor entered the Chita Industrial and Pedagogical College, but after a year of study he was drafted into the army. After completing the service, he completed his studies, having received the specialties of a mechanic, turner, locksmith, acquired the rights of a tractor driver. Later he received a work permit in security and worked as a security guard for some time. He also worked in the field of cargo transportation. Recently, he worked part-time as a stove-mason and was engaged in car repair.\nIn the early 2000s, Igor became seriously ill, around the same time his younger sister died in a car accident. These events prompted him to think about God and matters of life and death. Igor prayed to God and found answers to these questions in the Bible. Studying this book also helped him overcome bad habits.\nIn 2007, Igor married Natalya, who shared his newfound values. Over time, the couple had three children. Natalia devotes a lot of time to their upbringing, so Igor is the sole breadwinner of the family.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the emotional and physical state of the family: during the search, the children were very frightened and very worried about their father, there was fear and distrust of people. Therefore, Igor and Natalia try to pay more attention to them. Igor's mother is very worried about her son, these experiences affected her health.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mamalimovi/photo_hu_d7ce4ecce522eb33.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mamalimovi/photo_hu_24905b53757ecb10.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mamalimovi/photo_hu_e499a3519ca1d56d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mamalimovi/photo_hu_535692e41bd5fb34.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamalimovi.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["health-risk","families"],"title":"Igor Mamalimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Eldar Mamedov's father was recovering from heart surgery when his son was searched in the spring of 2019. Later, a criminal case was opened against the young man because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nEldar was born in November 1987 in the city of Sharypovo, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He has a younger brother. Their mother, an economist and financier, began studying the Bible in 1995. Her father, a driver by profession, had a negative attitude towards her beliefs for a long time, but later his attitude softened.\nAs a child, Eldar attended various circles and sections, loved designers, was fond of reading books about geology, astronomy and chemistry, and is still interested in these sciences. He has a higher education in chemistry.\nEldar has tried many professions in his life. He was engaged in repair and finishing works, worked as a chemist in a laboratory, a PC maintenance specialist, a CNC machine operator (products in the field of outdoor advertising), a foreman in a fish farm, an assistant to a production manager. Now she works in several areas: as a distance tutor in mathematics, chemistry and physics and as a marketer. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and making furniture herself.\nThe beauty and complexity of the world around him convinced Eldar of the existence of the Creator. He said: \"A deep study of the Bible helped to find those who want to do the will of the Creator and developed a desire to become one of them.\" Eldar embarked on the Christian path in 2006. Two years later, driven by his peace-loving convictions, he completed alternative civilian service in the Tomsk region. It was there that he first met Alena, not even suspecting that 8 years later, in January 2017, she would become his wife.\nAlena shares her husband's views on life. She works as a hairdresser. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and playing the guitar. Together, the spouses play chess and backgammon, go skiing, and relax on the lakes in the summer. They love to cook delicious meals together and chat with friends.\nIn 2020, the couple moved to the village of Emelyanovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), closer to Alena's relatives. Now Eldar has to travel 300 km from home for interrogations. At his main job, this is treated with understanding and they give him days off to travel to Sharypovo.\nThe Mamedovs feel the burden of criminal prosecution. Eldar says: “There is uncertainty, anxiety about the future: how will the spouse cope with financial issues? Alena worries about my health if I end up in prison. We spend a lot of time together, so the thought of breaking up is troubling.” The relatives of the spouses are worried about them.\n","date":"2022-02-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mamedov/photo_hu_5289925305efefc5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mamedov/photo_hu_9213ecdaa77b6586.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mamedov/photo_hu_fc75979f78797bca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mamedov/photo_hu_b37451ced1dd6a19.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamedov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Eldar Mamedov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, a criminal case was opened in Arkhangelsk against Kaleriya Mamykina. The investigating authorities conducted surveillance on her for more than a year and established the \u0026quot;corpus delicti\u0026quot;—conversations about religion with friends. After 7 months, the charges against her were dropped. In June 2021, without waiting for her good name to be restored, Kaleriya died of covid.\nKaleriya Fyodorovna was born in 1941 in the village of Devyatiny, Vologda Region, in a family of rural workers. Her mother worked on a collective farm, her father was a blacksmith. The family had 8 children, of which Kareliya was the only daughter.\nAfter graduating from school, Kaleriya entered the Trade and Economic College of Petrozavodsk, after which she worked as a chief accountant. For some time she lived in Petrozavodsk and Belomorsk (Karelia). After retirement, she loved caring for plants and flowers, raising chickens and sheep. She tried to lead an active lifestyle, walked and walked a lot, read books.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_4aaebf790485cca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_3395ef42cc1bbbf3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_5bb3c67658dc362b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mamykina/photo_hu_43fa306e10b38584.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mamykina.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Kaleriya Mamykina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A resident of Yalta, an apartment repairman, Tadevos Manukyan, did not expect that one day he would be under investigation for reading the Bible. In 2021, he was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, despite the fact that his religious beliefs have always been peaceful.\nTadevos was born in October 1981 in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. He grew up in a large family: he has three older sisters and a brother. The parents are no longer alive. As a child, Tadevos was fond of drawing. When he was 9 years old, the family moved from his native Yerevan to Artashat (Armenia), and 4 years later to the Kherson region (Ukraine). Since 2000, Tadevos lived in Yalta.\nOne of Tadevos\u0026#39; elder sisters was the first in the Manukyan family to become interested in the Bible. Later, he also decided to research this book. The fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in it and the practical value of the Bible impressed Tadevos, and in 2012 he embarked on the Christian path.\nTadevos is engaged in the repair of houses and apartments. In his free time, he likes to chat with friends, go hiking in the mountains overnight, cook over a fire, and pick mushrooms. He is also fond of playing chess.\nBecause of the criminal case, Tadevos was forced to leave his usual life, friends and work. His family cannot understand why this peaceful believer is being persecuted.\n","date":"2022-05-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/manukyan/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/manukyan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/manukyan/photo_hu_4c268c33c873e6eb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/manukyan/photo_hu_4c268c33c873e6eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/manukyan.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Tadevos Manukyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Manushakyan became a defendant in a criminal case for extremism in the summer of 2019. This happened to him only because of his religion. On December 13, 2022, he died while the investigation was ongoing.\nVladimir was born in 1970 in the village of Bezhano, Akhalkalaki Region of Georgia. He had a younger brother. As a child, Vladimir was fond of boxing and bodybuilding, loved football, played in football clubs in Moscow (teams “Zavod ‘Fraser’\" and \"Podshipnik\").\nVladimir was fond of drawing and making items from polymer clay; he liked to make gifts for friends. He graduated from a vocational college as a milling machine operator. Vladimir loved spending time with his wife, Irina, whom he married in 2000. Friends knew him as a sociable and friendly person.\nDeciding to study the Bible, Vladimir was surprised at the positive results of applying Bible knowledge. For more than two decades, for Vladimir the Bible was not just a book, but an instruction for life from a loving Creator.\n","date":"2022-12-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/manushakyan/photo_hu_cc4b9dde35a638f0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/manushakyan/photo_hu_81d4f5f215ce54df.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/manushakyan/photo_hu_ab0bae23d9818a20.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/manushakyan/photo_hu_81cb436f49e30e46.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/manushakyan.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["died"],"title":"Vladimir Manushakyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2021, security forces searched the home of 39-year-old Tuvan resident Vitaliy Manzyrykchi, after which they took him for interrogation and sent him to a detention center. After 2 days, the believer was released under house arrest.\nVitaliy was born in November 1981 in the village of Khovu-Aksy, Republic of Tuva. Vitaliy's family, when he was a child, moved to the city of Kyzyl. Parents soon died, the boy was raised by his grandmother.\nAs a child, Vitaliy loved to read and was fond of computers. After school, he received the profession of a cook. For many years he worked as a seller in the car market. He is fond of photography, likes to relax in nature with friends.\nIn the late 1990s, Vitaliy began to study the Bible. He was inspired by the way the prophecies in this book are fulfilled. Love among Jehovah's Witnesses touched his heart, and in 2000 he was baptized as a Christian.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Vitaliy lost the opportunity to earn a living. During the search, a camera and a computer were seized from him. Vitaly's aunt, his only relative, was worried that her nephew faced criminal prosecution only for his belief in Jehovah God. In January 2022, all charges against the believer were dropped.\n","date":"2021-03-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/manzyrykchi/photo_hu_84f7a91b34016a28.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/manzyrykchi/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/manzyrykchi/photo_hu_b250fb1778e244c2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/manzyrykchi/photo_hu_2803b3ab6da9c00e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/manzyrykchi.html","regions":["tyva"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Manzyrykchi","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Mareyev, a peaceful believer from Moscow, who takes care of elderly parents with disabilities, learned in October 2021 that a criminal case had been opened against him. The reason for the persecution was his faith in Jehovah God. His home was searched, after which he was thrown behind bars.\nRoman was born in June 1978 in Moscow. He has a younger sister who lives in another city. The believer's mother has a third group of disabilities, and his father has a second, since he had two heart attacks and can only walk on crutches.\nAs a child, Roman was a calm, obedient child, loved to learn. Teachers praised him for his exemplary behavior and good academic performance. Roman graduated from the Russian State Open Technical University with a degree in national economics. After that, he worked as a machinist, and later as an engineer in the electric depot of the Moscow Metro. Roman enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.\nWhen Roman began reading the Bible, he was moved by the prophecies in the book of Daniel. They strengthened his confidence in God's promises of a wonderful future. Upon learning that Roman had begun to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, his parents were vehemently opposed. However, later their attitude changed when they saw the rationality and consistency of the biblical teachings. At 24, Roman embarked on the Christian path.\nDue to criminal prosecution, the believer cannot take care of the mother and father. His elderly parents are worried, complaining of panic attacks and hypertension, they say that in the morning it seems to them that someone is knocking on the door again. They say with bitterness: \"We are sitting, figuratively speaking, with him in prison.\" Parents are looking forward to Roman's return home. Everyone who knows him is perplexed, expresses sympathy and hopes for a fair outcome of the case.\n","date":"2021-11-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mareyev/photo_hu_a2a4258e9f84725d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mareyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mareyev/photo_hu_454c81e7c0ddf8e3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mareyev/photo_hu_8d8c8a03855c8e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mareyev.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Mareyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Nikolaevich Markin was born in 1974 in the city of Znamenka (Ukraine). At the age of two, he moved with his parents to the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). He studied in Veliky Ustyug (Vologda region).\nRoman is a creative person and a versatile personality. He had to work as a mukosei and hairdresser, a high-altitude roofer and an auto mechanic, a specialist in interior decoration and a portrait photographer. He is fond of drawing, reading, playing the piano, saxophone, violin, balalaika and guitar.\nRoman met his future wife Svetlana in the North. They got married on November 23, 2001. Svetlana was educated as a choreographer, make-up artist, baker, cook. The eldest daughter Marina is a future veterinarian, she loves animals and is fond of horseback riding. The 16-year-old youngest daughter Violetta has been studying letters and numbers from the Bible since she was 1.5 years old, since the whole family is deeply religious. Svetlana and Roman began studying the Bible in 2002 and later became Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe friendly Markin family is fond of skating and skiing, swimming, intellectual and board games, singing, dancing, and communicating with fellow believers.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/markin/photo_hu_6045802a9a9fcfcb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/markin/photo_hu_f3fc5a23734ccf18.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/markin/photo_hu_c75f9ab8cfe60446.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/markin/photo_hu_e5c7fab1a8bca5a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/markin.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Markin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After searches in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur in October 2021, a peaceful believer Vladislav Markov learned that a criminal case was initiated against him under an extremist article.\nVladislav was born in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur in September 1983. He has 4 brothers and a sister. For some time he studied to be a bricklayer-stove-maker, and later received the profession of an electrician. Vladislav worked at the shipbuilding plant in Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, most recently as a boiler operator.\nAlready in childhood, Vladislav was interested in spiritual issues: what is the meaning of life? what happens to a person after death? Having met Jehovah's Witnesses, Vladislav received answers to his questions from the Bible and in August 2005 he embarked on the Christian path.\nVladislav married Yana in 2009. They met through a common outlook on life. The spouses like to watch tennis together and relax in nature. Vladislav is also interested in computers, likes to drive and rides a bicycle.\nThe criminal prosecution caused additional stress and anxiety for the family. Due to the restrictions imposed by the court, Vladislav had difficulties with his work. Relatives of the believer, who do not share his religious convictions, consider everything that happens to be absurd.\n","date":"2021-11-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/markov/photo_hu_70d647965b6f1678.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/markov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/markov/photo_hu_30ef0ebfef301083.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/markov/photo_hu_f13f5785d6c0b9a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/markov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladislav Markov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After a series of searches in Irkutsk in October 2021, 63-year-old Nikolay Martynov was detained for his faith. For 20 years he practiced a religion that the authorities recognized as peaceful and legal, but later declared \"extremist.\"\nNikolay was born in 1958 into a large family: he has six brothers and sisters. The family lived in the village of Bandarka (Irkutsk region). As a child, Nikolay often went fishing with his father. After school, he studied at a vocational school as a combine operator and driver, which he worked for all his life.\nIn 1982, Nikolay married Irina. She is a cook by profession and worked in a kindergarten. Now Irina is retired and loves to bake homemade bread. In 1997, she met believers and began reading the Bible. New knowledge prompted Irina to leave the position in which she was forced to act dishonestly. Soon his husband also showed interest in the Bible: the fulfilling Bible prophecies convinced Nikolay that this book can be trusted. The couple later became Christians together.\nNikolay and Irina have two adult children, whom they raised in accordance with the principles from the Holy Scriptures. The son is an individual entrepreneur. In his leisure time, he enjoys snowboarding. The daughter works as a laboratory assistant at the university. The family enjoys spending time in nature. Nikolay still loves fishing, and also pleases loved ones by playing the accordion.\nThe life of a friendly family, whose members are used to doing everything together, has changed a lot after Nikolay's detention. His health deteriorated, a chronic illness worsened, which made it difficult for him to speak. Relatives who do not share Nikolay's convictions are concerned about his unfair persecution.\n","date":"2021-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_68832bb3b8cf4b6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_a186c68c2613d34d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_36ddc1a4969cda48.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynov/photo_hu_ad25bde65778a9b1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynov.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nikolay Martynov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, the house of Nina Martynova and her husband Andrey was searched. The reason was the Christian beliefs of the spouses. The peaceful believer, like her husband, was accused of extremism.\nNina was born in August 1958 in the village of Pervomaisky, located near the city of Alatyr (Chuvashia). She grew up in a large family—she has two elder brothers and three sisters. In her school years, Nina was involved in athletics and participated in competitions.\nAfter graduating from a pedagogical school, Nina worked as a kindergarten teacher. She is now retired. In the summer he works in the garden, in the winter he knits and strengthens his physical health.\nLiving in Kamchatka, Nina met Andrey. In 1991, they moved together to the Moscow region, where they lived for 6 years. In 1992 they registered their marriage. Together, the couple raised two daughters, one of whom has been a disabled person of group I since childhood.\nIn the early 1990s, Nina and Andrey began to study the Bible with interest. Nina was especially encouraged by the thought that God does not punish children for the fault of their parents, as she had been told before. She was also struck by the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In 1992, the couple decided to become Christians, and in 1998 they moved to Nina's homeland—to the village of Pervomaisky.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the health of the believer. She experiences anxiety, sleep problems. Nina's husband, Andrey, is also a defendant in the criminal case. Relatives and neighbors of the Martynovs are outraged by the actions of the security forces and consider it unfair to persecute these peaceful people only for their faith in God.\n","date":"2022-06-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_2836d59a4195c4e3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_749dc90ce64ab286.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_6ffeb12dfd9f58bc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynova/photo_hu_aebf8b4f082fbabb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynova.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Nina Martynova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Knowledge from the Bible helped Andrey Martynov find the meaning of life and strengthen his marriage. However, in the fall of 2021, because of his love for this book and the desire to share the knowledge he gained, the believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAndrey was born in August 1964 in Barnaul (Altai Territory). He has a younger brother. When Andrey was 2 years old, the family moved to Kashira, Moscow region. Parents are already retired. As a child, Andrey attended various sections: he played football, boxing, went to parachute and car clubs.\nWhen Andrey graduated from high school, the family moved to Kamchatka. Andrei went to work immediately after school and worked as a carpenter before being drafted into the army. After demobilization, he worked as a compressor driver, while studying at a driving school. Then he became a driver.\nAndrey met his wife Nina while still living in Kamchatka. In 1991, they moved to the Moscow region, where they lived for 6 years, and in 1992 they registered their marriage. Together, the couple raised two daughters, one of them is disabled.\nIn the early 1990s, the Martynovs began to seriously study the Bible. Its simplicity and consistency impressed Andrey. The knowledge gained helped him find meaning in life. Nina was especially moved by the idea that the suffering of children is not a punishment for the guilt of the parents. In 1992, Andrey and Nina embarked on the Christian path together.\nLiving near Moscow, Andrey renovated apartments and worked for some time in the Moscow metro. In 1997, the Martynovs moved to the village of Pervomaiskiy (Chuvashia), where they have been living ever since. Over the past 25 years, the believer has worked as a driver and fireman in the boiler room of a village club. He also had to do the work of a cattleman — a cow, gobies, pigs, geese and chickens were kept in the household. Currently Andrey is taking care of the vegetable garden and the old village house, which requires maintenance and repair.\nFaced with repression for his faith, Andrey tries to maintain a positive attitude. He shares: “From the moment of the search and interrogation, you are always in tension. Little pleasant, but if this is perceived as part of the Christian path in this world, then you understand that this is another opportunity to glorify our God Jehovah, and this sets us up for a positive. \"\n","date":"2021-12-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_814981c8a13b865c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_2a478d7595090160.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_6b18316ab76abbf1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/martynovan/photo_hu_5dc784f8380ff454.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/martynovan.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Andrey Martynov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Search, detention, criminal case for faith—all this happened to Anatoliy Marunov in October 2021. A peaceful believer from Moscow, an exemplary family man, married for almost half a century and having two grown-up sons, suddenly found himself accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAnatoliy was born in November 1953 in the city of Izmail (Ukraine) and was the only child in the officer\u0026#39;s family. During his school years he was engaged in ship modeling, and also studied at a music school, accordion class. For some time Anatoliy lived in Tallinn.\nAfter the army, in 1973, Anatoliy moved from Tallinn to Moscow and entered the philological faculty of Moscow State University. After studying there for 3 years, he was forced to leave school to take care of his family. For almost 40 years, Anatoliy worked in the publishing house and printing house of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, which for a long time was the central printed organ of the USSR and Russian Federation Ministry of Defense. Anatoliy\u0026#39;s responsibilities included prepress—typesetting and layout of text, processing of illustrations. He is now retired. In his spare time, he likes to do car maintenance himself.\nWhile studying at Moscow State University, Anatoly met Alfiya, who in 1975 became his wife. Three years before the birth of her children, she worked in the housing department of the Moscow executive committee, and in the last more than 10 years as a tutor in Russian language and literature. Alfiya is also fond of theater and music. The couple raised two sons. One of them graduated from the Academy of Choral Art, and the second from the Moscow Polygraphic College.\nAlfiya has always been interested in religion, and by starting to study the Bible, she found answers to important questions for her. In 1994, she embarked on the Christian path. Anatoliy joined her 5 years later—in 1999. He was impressed by the consistency and consistency of the Bible, as well as the accuracy of the prophecies being fulfilled.\nThe criminal prosecution completely changed the life of the Marunovs couple. Relatives are perplexed about the charges brought against Anatoliy. As far as they can, they support the Marunovs emotionally and financially.\n","date":"2021-11-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_533d0accb93cfe0f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/marunov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_6dcc7b213b392023.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/marunov/photo_hu_a3561eef27b9e212.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/marunov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","disability"],"title":"Anatoliy Marunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitry Maslov is the owner of one of the most unusual and, perhaps, the most peaceful professions: he is a beekeeper by profession. He never even thought of committing any illegal acts. Peaceful views prompted him to do alternative civilian service instead of military service. At the same time, law enforcement officers regarded the hike organized by Dmitry with friends in the mountains as a continuation of extremist activity.\nDmitry was born in 1976 in the Siberian city of Minusinsk, located on the banks of the Yenisei. He has a younger sister and brother, and his mother raised children alone. As a child, he played the accordion and practiced martial arts. He graduated from a vocational school with a degree in beekeeping. He learned to work on a tractor. Now he is a plumber. In his spare time, he likes to ride a bicycle and go scuba diving.\nAlready at a young age, Dmitry was worried about serious life issues. He found convincing answers to them while studying the Bible. He was convinced of the reliability of the Bible's teachings by the clarity, simplicity of presentation, historical accuracy of the Holy Scriptures, and fulfilled prophecies. After receiving a summons from the military registration and enlistment office, Dmitry asked for alternative civilian service.\nIn 1997, he married Julia. The couple love to spend time together, walk in the mountains, pick mushrooms, berries and herbs, bake pies, make homemade wine and receive guests.\n\"Criminal prosecution creates the feeling of a sword hanging over you and keeps you in constant tension. There is no sense of security either at home or outside it,\" says the believer. Against the background of stress, Julia's health deteriorated. The family began to have financial difficulties, as the accounts were arrested and bank cards were blocked.\nDmitriy's mother, who does not share his religious beliefs, considers her son's criminal prosecution unjustified and undeserved. She is convinced that her son professes \"the most peaceful religion.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/maslov/photo_hu_9b624d5212d02e18.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/maslov/photo_hu_2dbb1f36f07d533d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/maslov/photo_hu_43b5a76ec88fd800.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/maslov/photo_hu_4f1894942a1e5736.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/maslov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Maslov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Konstantin Viktorovich Matrashov was born in 1988 in Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo region). When he was about 8 years old, his mother chose the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the future, she tried to instill biblical values in her sons who were left without a father: he died in the mid-1990s. Having already matured, having gone through life's difficulties, Konstantin began to take a serious interest in the Bible.\nBefore his sudden arrest, Konstantin studied by correspondence at the University of Management \"TISBI\" and worked as a mechanic at a factory to support his mother. Since childhood he is fond of sports and fishing. He has a younger brother who does not share the views of Jehovah's Witnesses, but worries about Konstantin and understands well the injustice of criminal prosecution for believing in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/matrashov/photo_hu_a783ae4805bb827f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/matrashov/photo_hu_178c5ee1891ab1f4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/matrashov/photo_hu_cab944b591674041.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/matrashov/photo_hu_f0138aced05f15e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/matrashov.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantin Matrashov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 14, 2018, a criminal case was opened in Orenburg under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Aleksey Matveev. For reading the Bible with friends, he is charged with \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" What is really known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nAlexey was born in 1983 in Uzhur, Krasnoyarsk Territory. The only child in the family. Since childhood he is fond of basketball, volleyball, running and swimming. He changed a number of professions: a furniture assembler, a seller of auto parts, a builder-finisher, etc.\nBack in the 1990s, Alexei and his parents got acquainted with the Bible. Alexei, then still a teenager, was deeply impressed by the brotherly love and mutual assistance that reigned among people who sought to live according to the biblical commandments. Once, together with his father, Alexei set out to find a contradiction or an unanswered question in the Bible, but as a result, only a few months later, both were baptized as Christians.\nIn 2004, Alexei, by virtue of his peace-loving Christian convictions, asked for the replacement of military service with alternative civilian service. His request was granted, and for 3.5 years he worked as an instructor in one of the correctional colonies of Orenburg.\nIn 2008, Alexey married Oksana, a hairdresser-stylist by profession. The couple have a daughter, Ksenia, who at the age of 5 is good at drawing and playing chess. The whole family loves to walk together, collect puzzles, ski, swim, go to nature, build huts.\nRelatives and friends of Aleksey are concerned about his criminal prosecution, searches and all kinds of examinations. They consider the case to be illegal and unfounded.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/matveyev/photo_hu_4110aea69839b2eb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/matveyev/photo_hu_2713ab2cf35a5671.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/matveyev/photo_hu_938728158d3436ad.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/matveyev/photo_hu_e767ee9446c69611.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/matveyev.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Matveev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On a March evening in 2022, law enforcement officers unexpectedly invaded the house of a peaceful believer, Vladimir Mavrin, and his wife. He learned that he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After the search, Vladimir was taken for interrogation and soon placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nVladimir was born in July 1962 in the village of Kamyshovka, Saratov Region, on the left bank of the Alai River. He has two sisters. As a child, Vladimir was a versatile person: he was fond of football, hockey and loved to play the accordion and the guitar. He cultivated cheerful attitude since early childhood.\nAfter school, Vladimir graduated from the Volsk Technological College and received the profession of mechanical technician. He worked as a technician at an Industrial rubber car parts plant. Most recently he worked in the field of construction and interior finishing works.\nIn 2004, Vladimir became a widower, and he had to raise his teenage son alone. Nine years later, Vladimir got married again. His wife, Irina, worked as an accountant and is now retired. The couple loves to spend time together and travel. Vladimir is keen on fishing, and Irina plants flowers at home.\nIn 1994, Vladimir became a Jehovah's Witness. His wife shares Vladimir's religious beliefs.\nVladimir is known as a kind and sympathetic person, ready to help in times of need. Therefore, relatives and friends consider the criminal prosecution of a believer to be unfair and illegal.\n","date":"2022-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_163fd8329a1ec38b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_e6bc5081522d9c40.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mavrin/photo_hu_1f247dfcb48333f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mavrin.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Mavrin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early April morning, security forces raided the house of civilians in the village of Kholmskaya, 60-year-old Vasiliy Meleshko and his wife. Vasiliy was informed that he was accused of extremism for talking about the Bible. In August 2021, in just two sessions, the court considered Meleshko's case and sentenced him to 3 years in prison.\nVasiliy was born in 1961 in the village of Mikhailovskiy (Krasnodar Territory). His father worked on a livestock farm, his mother — in the production of tobacco. In his youth, Vasiliy was fond of radio business. After school he graduated from courses in radio engineering, driver and crane operator. He lived in the villages of Ilskiy and Akhtyrskiy, Krasnodar Territory.\nVasiliy married Zoya in 1981. After about 8 years, the couple began to study the Bible. Zoya became a Christian in 1991. A year later, Vasiliy joined her. What impressed him most was the biblical teaching on the resurrection of the dead.\nThe spouses have grown-up children — a son and a daughter — who already have their own families. They, like their parents, love Bible truths and live by Christian standards. Family hobbies are fishing and walking in the woods.\nSearches in the house of Vasiliy and Zoya and a sudden sentence shook the health of the spouses. Due to constant anxiety and stress, their sleep was disrupted and chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"2021-08-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_94ade332c15c8e34.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_ab9a41d3abeb1a23.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_b280b5c87df8f5cc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/meleshko/photo_hu_7b2c65b4acaac9ff.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/meleshko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Vasiliy Meleshko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, a court in Volgograd sentenced four civilians to real prison terms for their faith in Jehovah God. One of them is Sergey Melnik. In December 2025, he was released, having completely served his term.\nSergey was born in 1972 in Volgograd. He is the oldest child in a large family—he has 2 brothers and a sister. After school, the young man graduated from a vocational technical school as a driver-car mechanic. Later he mastered the professions of slinger and roofer. For some time, he worked in the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Penitentiary Service.\nIn 1993, Sergey married Anna, they had three sons. Before the criminal prosecution, the whole family loved to go hiking, go out into nature, and also go to football matches. Anna was the first in the family to become interested in the Bible. Sergey, seeing the beneficial effect of this book on her, also immersed himself in its study. Today he is convinced that the Bible is a source of divine wisdom and valuable advice for life.\nAfter the arrest of her wife, Anna was left alone with many worries. In recent years, she did not work, taking care of the children and caring for her mother and disabled sister. Sergey was the only breadwinner and support of this large family.\nMany Sergey\u0026#39;s relatives don\u0026#39;t share his religious views, but they are all outraged by his criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/melnik/photo_hu_dabadb1454720c42.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/melnik/photo_hu_f093ac0ceef9f1d2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/melnik/photo_hu_c5603e7658cc299.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/melnik/photo_hu_de30fbf162f1cd19.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/melnik.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Melnik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Melnikov has been in custody in Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory) since June 5, 2019.\nHe was born in 1973 in the village of Terney, located near the Sea of Japan (Primorsky Krai). He has an older sister. As a child, he loved to play hockey and volleyball. He worked in various specialties: a carpenter-machine operator, a firefighter, a sailor of the fishing fleet, a janitor. Actively engaged in fitness.\nIn addition to his native Terney, he lived in Vladivostok for some time, and in 2003 his spiritual quest led him to Ussuriysk. There, Sergey deeply engaged in the study of the Bible and since then has been striving to live in accordance with its commandments.\nIn 2019, Sergey ended up behind bars because of his religious beliefs. He was detained right during a conversation on biblical topics.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/melnikov/photo_hu_9456631229c0352a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/melnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/melnikov/photo_hu_e9e663df841ff17c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/melnikov/photo_hu_8a3b815caa58e6fd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/melnikov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Melnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A former officer and father of three daughters, Vladimir Melnik became a staunch Christian almost 30 years ago. However, in December 2020, he unexpectedly ended up in the Oryol pre-trial detention center for his faith. This law-abiding man became accused under an \u0026quot;extremist\u0026quot; article.\nVladimir was born in December 1965 in Donetsk (Ukrainian SSR). His father was a photographer, his mother worked in a factory. Vladimir has an elder sister. As a child, he was fond of athletics, swimming, electronics and photography, and raised rabbits. He graduated from the Kiev Suvorov Military School and with honors the Oryol Higher Military Command School of Communications named after M. I. Kalinin of the KGB of the USSR (now the Academy of the FSO), where he received the specialty \u0026quot;engineer of radio relay and tropospheric communication lines.\u0026quot; After completing military service, he worked as an engineer, manager, finisher, and electrician.\nFrom 1983 to 1987, Vladimir lived in Oryol, where he met his future wife Irina at a friend\u0026#39;s wedding. Later, he was transferred to Poland, from where in 1994 the family decided to return to Oryol. Now Irina is a housewife. She likes to read, draw, sing, write poetry, make decorative cards, knit and sew clothes for dolls. The Melnik family has three adult daughters. Mariya works as a translator, Anastasiya is a specialist in information technology, the youngest daughter Yekaterina graduated from high school with a gold medal and works as a tutor in mathematics and computer science.\nSince childhood, Vladimir was an atheist, but one day he came across a book about the life of Jesus Christ. According to him, she \u0026quot;turned his mind.\u0026quot; After some time, both spouses became Christians. They worked hard to educate children based on the biblical commandments.\nAfter the search, Irina\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened. Due to the criminal prosecution, the family was left without a breadwinner for a long time, whom they really lack. In October 2023, the court sentenced Vladimir to 6 years in a penal colony. In April 2025, he was released, having served his term in full, taking into account his stay in a pre-trial detention center.\n","date":"2021-01-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/melnikvl/photo_hu_9fc56a4a670bc101.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/melnikvl/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/melnikvl/photo_hu_df86806177a5bbfe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/melnikvl/photo_hu_b041f56a1ffdd234.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/melnikvl.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Melnik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Menchikova had many hardships in her life: she grew up in an orphanage, worked on the construction of a nuclear power plant, which damaged her health, and in November 2020 she was charged with an “extremist” article. The FSB interprets Yelena’s meetings with friends and peaceful talks about the Bible as \"inciting religious hatred\" and \"recruiting conversations.\"\nYelena was born in 1964 in the city of Zaporozhye (Ukraine). As a child, she loved drawing and playing volleyball, swimming, cycling and gymnastics. Yelena studied at the boarding school, then got a job in a project organization as a surveyor. In 1984 she moved to the Ukrainian city of Energodar to work there on the construction of a nuclear power plant. A year later, Yelena graduated from the Kharkov Civil Engineering Institute with a degree in architecture. After graduation, she was assigned to Karachay-Cherkessia to work as a design engineer at a cement plant. In 1993, Yelena received the II group of disability. Since 2003 she has been working as an architect.\nOnce Yelena was an atheist, but the Bible, which was once shown to students by a teacher of scientific communism, aroused her burning interest. In 1993, Yelena’s dream came true - she was able to find this book. At first, Yelena found it difficult to understand it, but later, through thoughtful research, Bible truths became clearer to her. This ancient book answered many of Yelena’s questions: what is the meaning of life? What happens after death? Why is there so much suffering and pain in the world? Yelena also made many new friends among fellow believers.\nIn her free time, Yelena, as far as her health allows, goes in for sports: swimming, walking in nature. Just like in childhood, she continues to draw. But Yelena’s favorite hobby is reading the Bible and meditating on what she read.\nCriminal prosecution has become a heavy burden for the believer, since any stress is contraindicated for her as a disabled person. But, despite the trials, she tries to maintain a positive attitude. An adult daughter and friends are very worried about Yelena, sincerely not understanding why peaceful people in Russia are considered extremists.\n","date":"2021-02-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo_hu_2dd3673a574d40a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/menchikova/photo_hu_2dd3673a574d40a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/menchikova.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yelena Menchikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Eduard Merinkov was born in January 1975 in Pechora (Komi Republic). He has a younger sister. Since childhood, he loves to relax and walk in nature. Especially he was drawn to the river Pechora, on which stands the city of the same name. He was fond of modeling sailing ships.\nEduard graduated from vocational school as a crane driver, but most of his life he worked on railway transport in various specialties. Last time works as the compiler of trains. In 1997 he married Valentina. The spouses are bringing up daughter Iolanta.\nSince 1992, Eduard is very interested in the spiritual. Reflections on the Bible led him to the idea that there should be a loving Creator. By the second half of the 1990s, both spouses were convinced Christians.\nAt first, it was difficult for Eduard and Valentina to adapt to life under pressure from the state because of their faith. However, the family was not discouraged and maintained a positive attitude.\n","date":"2020-12-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/merinkov/photo_hu_5eb985757c8a119c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/merinkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/merinkov/photo_hu_b1397c376c340bbd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/merinkov/photo_hu_65ed32544576d299.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/merinkov.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Eduard Merinkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/merinov/photo_hu_cbfe6a32ec1374a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/merinov/photo_hu_333b4cef5dcd8b97.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/merinov/photo_hu_9cacd36af7911e7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/merinov/photo_hu_dc7a8a5e4a255081.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/merinov.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Merinov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, during a mass raid against believers in the Murmansk region, security forces invaded the apartment of Denis Merkulov and his wife Nataliya, breaking open the iron front door and knocking out a double-glazed window. Law enforcers seized bank cards and thereby deprived the family of their livelihood. The peaceful believer was accused of organizing extremist activities.\nDenis was born in March 1976 in Kirovsk (Murmansk region). When he was 4 years old, the family moved to Apatity, where Denis lives to this day.\nDenis grew up as an athletic child: he was engaged in running, swimming, skiing. Football has occupied a special place in his life since the age of 7. Denis often performed at regional, regional and international tournaments, dreamed of getting into the national team.\nAfter school, Denis graduated from a vocational school and received an advanced diploma for good studies. For the last 15 years he worked as a welder at the Apatity TPP. Later he received an additional specialty as an electrical fitter for the repair and maintenance of electrical equipment.\n“Since childhood, I have been bothered by questions about the meaning of life, about the inevitability of death, about the causes of evil and suffering on earth,” recalls Denis. He found the answers to them in the Bible. Since 1995, he has been leading a Christian lifestyle.\nIn 1998, Denis married Nataliya. She shares his views on life and, like her husband, leads an active lifestyle. The couple walk together a lot on foot and ride bicycles, travel when there is such an opportunity. Nataliya also loves to knit in her free time, and Denis — to play football, table tennis, chess, swim and cross-country and downhill skiing.\nCriminal prosecution has become a great stress for the Merkulovs. They have elderly widowed mothers in their 70s and 80s who need help. The reputation of the couple as honest and law-abiding citizens has been seriously affected.\n","date":"2021-08-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/merkulov/photo_hu_78b7bc6cde59f588.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/merkulov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/merkulov/photo_hu_ab9aa31c4488966a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/merkulov/photo_hu_acd80811b6f31458.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/merkulov.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Merkulov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 25, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Perm against Aleksey Metzger under the article for participation in extremist activities. What do we know about this man?\nAlexey was born in 1975 in Krasnodar. He has a younger sister. In his youth, he was seriously engaged in basketball and tourism, especially loved hiking. He has the title of \"tourist of the USSR\".\nAlexey's parents took faith in God seriously and instilled in their son a love of reading the Bible, drawing attention to the benefits of living according to its commandments. Growing up, he was able to see this for himself. Living according to the teachings of the Bible helped him get rid of bad habits: he quit smoking, alcohol abuse and use profanity.\nHe graduated from the Kuban State Technical University and received a degree in civil engineering. He worked by profession, living in different cities: Krasnodar, Korenovsk, Ryazan, Perm.\nSince 2000 he has been married to Irina. Spouses are happily married, sharing each other's interests, life principles and dreams. The family loves to relax on the sea and in the mountains - together they travel to the most beautiful places of their native country, dream of visiting Lake Baikal and seeing the northern lights. Irina runs the household, and Alexey worked as a senior manager for a long time, until, due to criminal prosecution, the family had to move from Krasnodar to Perm, where Alexey got a job in a taxi.\nAlexey's wife and relatives are very worried about the unfair treatment of him. They were surprised that the law on extremism can be applied to civilians who never take up arms.\nOn November 14, 2019, the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm, chaired by Svetlana Chereneva issued its verdict in the case of Alexei Metzger. The judge did not support the prosecutor's demand for a three-year prison term and sentenced the peaceful believer to a fine of 350,000 rubles.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/metsger/photo_hu_1cea9d8c8d5bc569.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/metsger/photo_hu_9180e5cd6bd24a9d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/metsger/photo_hu_74ad02c2e67aa9f8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/metsger/photo_hu_fa1506724ea6cc4a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/metsger.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Metsger","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 27, 2018, in Naberezhnye Chelny (Tatarstan), Vladimir Myakushin was arrested during mass searches in the apartments of believers. Later, after 170 days in jail, he was transferred to house arrest. He is charged under Article 282.2. (Parts 1, 1.1 and 2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in connection with \"extremist activity\". What is known about this man?\nVladimir Myakushin was born in 1987. He is fond of basketball, winter sports and wood carving. He graduated with honors from the Kama State Automotive Technical School, and later from the Kama State Academy of Engineering and Economics. Until his arrest, he worked as a leading engineer at a plant for the production of electrical equipment for cars.\nIn 2013, I decided to live according to the teachings of the Bible, in which I found wisdom, clarity, logical answers to questions and guidance for life. In 2017, he married Svetlana, an accountant by profession. The spouses diligently try to live according to the peace-loving commandments of the Bible. That is why Vladimir's relatives and friends, even those who do not share his religious beliefs, are perplexed by his criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/miakushin/photo_hu_903a37b9990b4c77.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/miakushin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/miakushin/photo_hu_3efc9cd77ee87133.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/miakushin/photo_hu_79c93bc5e0524c02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/miakushin.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Myakushin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitry Mikhailov was born on October 25, 1977 in the village of Kupchanovka (Akmola region, Kazakhstan). He lives in Shuya (Ivanovo region, Russia). He grew up in the family of a doctor - his mother was a dermatologist-venereologist. He studied at the Ivanovo State Power Engineering University with a degree in industrial electronics. He worked as a system administrator, repaired computers, and is also fond of photography and video editing.\nDmitry was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1993 at the age of 16, when he discovered the clarity, harmony and consistency of the Bible, the beauty of knowledge about God. In 2003 he got married, his wife Elena teaches mathematics and physics. Since then, the two of them have devoted a lot of time to improving people's lives through biblical education.\nIn 2018, Dmitriy and Yelena learned that for several months their phones had been tapped and hidden video was being filmed behind them. On May 29, Dmitriy was detained on absurd charges and placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pre-trial detention center. His mother, who did not share her son's religious beliefs, exclaimed when she was arrested: \"Instead of persecuting honest people, it would be better to catch criminals!\"\nThe Mikhailovs' neighbors submitted to the court a characterization according to which Dmitry \"has established himself as a caring husband and son ... Dmitry is responsive, sociable, polite, responsible, without bad habits ... always has a neat appearance and is ready to help ... takes care of her elderly mother, born in 1939, provides her with medicines and care ... Her only son.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mikhailov/photo_hu_9ce08ab8713f75a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mikhailov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mikhailov/photo_hu_13414b0bbef7eac3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mikhailov/photo_hu_cedb122821cb1fac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mikhailov.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Mikhaylov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, Irina Mikhailenko, the director of the law firm, was searched, after which the Investigative Committee questioned her, as well as her relatives who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason for the attention of the operatives was not any crimes, but faith in God.\nIrina was born in February 1969 in Chelyabinsk. Her mother is now retired and her father died in 2005. She has a younger brother.\nAs a child, Irina was involved in athletics. Irina graduated from the Ural State Law Academy. She worked in the field of jurisprudence: assistant notary, head of the state notary's office, head of the legal department of a housing organization. She now works as a director and co-founder of a law firm.\nStarting a Bible study, Irina came to the conclusion that this book is accurate and convincing, and also contains principles that help in various life situations. In 1997, she made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nIn 2002, Irina married Dmitry. The couple have two adult sons. In her free time, Irina likes to organize holidays, grow flowers on the \"alpine slides\" and pick wild berries.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Irina's life: chronic diseases worsened, sleep was disturbed. Relatives who do not share Irina's convictions, as well as her work colleagues, consider the persecution of the believer unreasonable.\n","date":"2021-11-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mikhaylenko/photo_hu_cf9aece2e830358d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mikhaylenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mikhaylenko/photo_hu_3fba974fece927f2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mikhaylenko/photo_hu_e84c54054cbd09a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mikhaylenko.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Irina Mikhaylenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Zinaida Minenko, a visually impaired with a disability of group I, became a widow in January 2020. In November 2021, she faced a new challenge — religious repression for her faith in Jehovah God.\nZinaida was born in January 1940 in the city of Kiselevsk (Kemerovo region). Her father was a miner, and her mother served railway tracks and turnouts. The family had 4 children — 2 boys and 2 girls. When Zinaida was 1.5 years old, her mother died of typhoid fever, and at the age of 17, the girl lost her father.\nAs a child, Zinaida liked to sing and go in for athletics. She graduated from the Krasnoyarsk technical school with a degree in state insurance. From the age of 15 she worked at a bakery. Most of her career, Zinaida was a tower crane operator and for 6 years she participated in the construction of a hydroelectric power plant — she was awarded the \"Builder of the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant\" badge. Her total work experience is 40 years.\nIn 1980, Zinaida married a military man, they had a son. After his dismissal from service, her husband worked as a driver.\nIn addition to her hometown, Zinaida lived in Belovo, Bratsk, Khabarovsk, Usolye-Sibirskoye, in the village of Aleksandrovskoye (Stavropol Territory). After Zinaida had a kidney surgery, the family moved to Stavropol Territory. Since the 2000s, the Minenkos have been living in Zheleznovodsk.\nIn 1998, Zinaida's sister began to study the Bible. She shared her knowledge with her younger sister. Although from childhood Zinaida believed in God and tried to live by his laws, she did not know his name. “I read in the Bible that Jehovah is the true God, that all his prophecies are being fulfilled before my eyes. Everything that I read in the Bible was in harmony with my heart, ” recalls Zinaida. She embarked on the Christian path in 2004, and a year later her husband joined her. Zinaida loves listening to an audio recording of the Bible and walking in the fresh air.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Zinaida is anxious, she has unstable blood pressure, headaches and insomnia. The believer shares: “Every day I check my mail — I am worried about the next interrogation. My relatives are worried about my health. \"\n","date":"2022-01-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_14151ae9a5e9d6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_9b2a0a6242831368.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_5a8a191e68613332.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/minenko/photo_hu_b1339d13033773ee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/minenko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zinaida Minenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, a series of unpleasant events took place in the life of Valeriy Minsafin from Kurgan: he was searched, the man was interrogated and detained for two days on suspicion of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Against the backdrop of what happened, the believer\u0026#39;s elderly mother had a heart attack.\nValeriy was born in October 1971 in Kurgan. He has an elder sister. The younger brother tragically died at a construction site when he was about thirty years old.\nSince childhood, Valeriy was fond of sports, including wrestling and clay shooting. After graduating from school, he immediately went to work at the factory. Valeriy worked as a driver, and recently he has been working in the construction industry and performs roofing and installation work.\nIn 1996, Valeriy married Galina, whom he met at work. By profession, she is a quality controller. The couple raised two children: a son and a daughter. The Minsafins have a grandson.\nGalina became interested in Bible teachings, and later her husband joined her in her Bible study. In 1998, Valeriy and his wife embarked on the Christian path. According to him, this was prompted by the knowledge gained about biblical prophecy, the qualities of God and his plans.\nThe persecution has affected Valeriy\u0026#39;s health: he and Galina suffer from hypertension. The believer said: \u0026quot;My wife\u0026#39;s blood pressure is sometimes critical.\u0026quot; Relatives do not understand why this peaceful man was under trial.\n","date":"2022-03-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/minsafin/photo_hu_2eaf2ddf8df15cd8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/minsafin/photo_hu_99ad1097666e78e3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/minsafin/photo_hu_9d75142e8dd446e7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/minsafin/photo_hu_87be9a9f0f22c009.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/minsafin.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Minsafin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, a series of unpleasant events took place in the life of Valeriy Minsafin from Kurgan: he was searched, the man was interrogated and detained for two days on suspicion of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Against the backdrop of what happened, the believer\u0026#39;s elderly mother had a heart attack.\nValeriy was born in October 1971 in Kurgan. He has an elder sister. The younger brother tragically died at a construction site when he was about thirty years old.\nSince childhood, Valeriy was fond of sports, including wrestling and clay shooting. After graduating from school, he immediately went to work at the factory. Valeriy worked as a driver, and recently he has been working in the construction industry and performs roofing and installation work.\nIn 1996, Valeriy married Galina, whom he met at work. By profession, she is a quality controller. The couple raised two children: a son and a daughter. The Minsafins have a grandson.\nGalina became interested in Bible teachings, and later her husband joined her in her Bible study. In 1998, Valeriy and his wife embarked on the Christian path. According to him, this was prompted by the knowledge gained about biblical prophecy, the qualities of God and his plans.\nThe persecution has affected Valeriy\u0026#39;s health: he and Galina suffer from hypertension. The believer said: \u0026quot;My wife\u0026#39;s blood pressure is sometimes critical.\u0026quot; Relatives do not understand why this peaceful man was under trial.\n","date":"2022-03-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/minsafin2/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/minsafin2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/minsafin2/photo_hu_28a6c78bf31fdb4e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/minsafin2/photo_hu_28a6c78bf31fdb4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/minsafin2.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Minsafin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor Aleksey Miretskiy is one of six Saratov residents who served a prison sentence for their faith in a colony. On August 3, 2021, he left the place of detention.\nAleksey was born in 1975 in Pskov. He has an elder sister. Their father was an airborne colonel, and their mother worked as an accountant. In connection with the military service of his father, the family often changed their place of residence: Pskov, Vitebsk, Minsk (Belarus), Kalvaria (Lithuania). Since 1993, Aleksey has been living permanently in Saratov.\nAs a child, Aleksey had many hobbies: running, wrestling, boxing, dancing, table tennis, collecting stamps and coins, photography, theater. He also wrote poetry. Aleksey graduated from school with a gold medal.\nAfter graduating from the University of Economics with honors in 1997, Aleksey received a specialty in banking, and taught banking at the university for several years. At the same time, he worked in a bank in the field of marketing and personnel, and later in a large retail network. In total, he worked in the banking sector for 13 years.\nIn the early 1990s, Aleksey\u0026#39;s fiancee introduced him to Bible teachings. Both of them were still students. Aleksey\u0026#39;s heart was touched by high moral standards and biblical principles regarding family life. \u0026quot;Unlike young people at the university, Christian youth lived according to the moral standards that were instilled in me from childhood and which most people rejected with the collapse of the USSR. Unlike the confusing human philosophies I studied at university, biblical truth is very simple and beautiful,\u0026quot; he says.\nAleksey had to quit his job under pressure from his superiors, who feared threats from the FSB because of the employee\u0026#39;s religious views. Having turned out to be a defendant in a criminal case for his faith, Aleksey could not find a job for several months, despite his rich knowledge and experience. Wherever he worked, he received gratitude for his conscientious and hard work. A lie detector test was carried out at the bank, and the conclusion was written: \u0026quot;pathologically honest.\u0026quot;\nAleksey\u0026#39;s wife Yuliya also graduated from the University of Economics. They got married in 1996. Yuliya devoted most of her life to raising her daughter and taking care of her family. The spouses take care of the personal plot and often relax on it with friends. Aleksey reads a lot, loves to walk in nature, ride a horse, pick mushrooms, ski, play educational games with family and friends of different ages. Aleksey\u0026#39;s family traveled a lot until he ended up under recognizance not to leave, and then behind bars because of his religion.\nThe couple raised their daughter Mariya, who graduated with honors from high school and the College of Culinary Arts. Mariya is a florist by profession, knows three languages, writes poetry and stories, and is engaged in painting. Her photo is posted on the district honor board. Mariya lives separately from her parents. \u0026quot;My daughter and I have always spent a lot of time together and are very attached to each other,\u0026quot; says Aleksey. \u0026quot;The search and recognizance not to leave made it impossible for me to see my daughter, to whom I was planning to fly to visit.\u0026quot;\nAleksey\u0026#39;s colleagues were shocked by his criminal prosecution due to charges of extremism. The company\u0026#39;s management was unhappy with the loss of a valuable employee. Aleksey\u0026#39;s mother, who does not share his religious views, sent the question to the direct line of the President of the Russian Federation about what exactly is the \u0026quot;extremism\u0026quot; of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nDespite the absurdity of the charges, in September 2019, Aleksey was sent to a colony for 2 years. In his final statement, he stressed: \u0026quot;I am happy that I have been given the opportunity to speak out in my defense, as well as in defense in our country of freedom of religion in general and freedom to worship Jehovah God in particular.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/miretskiy/photo_hu_e4be3b376b051d16.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/miretskiy/photo_hu_1b407759d10827f6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/miretskiy/photo_hu_d0b76dd1525be436.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/miretskiy/photo_hu_4e2da0fe269137cd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/miretskiy.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"title":"Aleksey Miretskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Why can a respectable woman, a mother of two children, be persecuted in modern Russia? Olga Mirgorodskaya was suspected of extremism only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nOlga was born in 1982 in Severobaikalsk, a small picturesque town on the shores of Lake Baikal. She has a younger sister. In 1987, the family moved to the village of Lermontovka (Khabarovsk Territory) on the border with China, where Olga lives to this day.\nAs a child, Olga was fond of sewing dresses for dolls and read a lot. She loves all this now, too. She also knits and needlepoints in her free time and has recently mastered hairdressing.\nAfter school, Olga acquired two specialties at the vocational school: a driver and a car mechanic. She worked in a school cafeteria, as a librarian, a secretary in a correctional school, a postman, and more recently as a nanny.\nIn the 2000s, Olga became interested in the Bible. She found there the answer to the question that worried her: what is the meaning of life? The practical value of this ancient book motivated her to become a Christian.\nOlga is married and has two children. The 20-year-old daughter is already living separately. Olga and her husband are raising a 9-year-old son. At 6 a.m. on December 21, 2020, the security forces broke into their home and searched the apartment for 4.5 hours in the presence of the child. Because of this, the believer experienced great stress. She unexpectedly became one of the many believers against whom a criminal case was opened under an “extremist” article.\n","date":"2021-01-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mirgorodskaya/photo_hu_90027ab09d3e67cc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mirgorodskaya/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mirgorodskaya/photo_hu_c37e8503aef485e9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mirgorodskaya/photo_hu_7fb5456805f612a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mirgorodskaya.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Mirgorodskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mironchik.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Mironchik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alexandr Miroshnichenko found answers to questions that had worried him since childhood thanks to the study of the Bible. However, in 2019, because of his love for this book and faith in Jehovah God, he was persecuted: his house was searched, and two years later, a criminal case was opened against this peace-loving man.\nAlexandr was born in December 1964 in the city of Abakan (Khakassia). He has a younger brother. As a child, Alexandr was fond of music: he played the piano and guitar.\nAfter school, Alexandr graduated from the railway technical school, then served in the army. After that, he worked on the railway as an assistant driver in the city of Krasnoyarsk.\nWith his future wife, Nataliya, Alexandr met at school. In 1986 they got married. After some time, the Miroshnichenkos moved to Sharypovo, where Alexandr worked as a repairman at the construction of Berezovskaya state district power plant.\nNataliya graduated from the Music and Pedagogical College, after which she worked as a music director in a kindergarten. In recent years, she has been working in the service industry. Alexandr works as a tourism manager.\nAlexandr and Nataliya raised two daughters. In their spare time, the couple enjoy traveling, skiing and spending time with their granddaughter.\nAs a child, Alexandr thought about the meaning of life. Years later, he was given a Bible. Alexandr repeatedly tried to read this book, but it was difficult for him to understand it. Subsequently, Nataliya began to study the Holy Scriptures deeply. Her husband joined her in this activity and found answers to his questions. In 2003, he consciously embarked on the Christian path.\nSearches and interrogations had a negative impact on the life and health of the entire family. The support of friends and relatives helps them cope with what is happening.\n","date":"2022-02-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_6eef96e4f468c4c9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_b5de7197a291f557.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_5856dcc9beeb9ddb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/miroshnichenko/photo_hu_fba12454d1ba801.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/miroshnichenko.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Miroshnichenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, in the city of Zeya (Amur Region), mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers. A criminal case was opened against one of them, Konstantin Moiseyenko, for his faith. In July 2021, the believer was found guilty of organizing extremist activities and sentenced to 6 years of suspended sentence.\nKonstantin was born in 1976 in Abakan (Khakassia). His father died more than 10 years ago, his mother is retired. Konstantin also has two younger twin brothers. As a child, he was fond of hockey, rock climbing, martial arts and model building.\nKonstantin is a systems engineer by education, graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Technical School of Informatics and Computer Engineering and the Krasnoyarsk State Technical University. He worked as a system administrator and service engineer. He studies English on his own, is actively engaged in physical education and athletics.\nIn 1998, Konstantin married Margarita, a fashion designer of outerwear. The spouses are united by a passion for the English language. Since the early 2000s, Konstantin has been keenly interested in the Bible. He was deeply impressed by the accuracy and consistency of this book with history and science. The couple decided that love for God and neighbor would become their top priority in life.\nKonstantin and Margarita travel a lot and like to communicate with many friends. Until 2016, they lived in the village of Minderla, Krasnoyarsk Territory, where they took care of Konstantin\u0026#39;s blind grandmother for 6 years until her death. Now they live in Zeya. Konstantin\u0026#39;s friends and relatives are well aware that he was the victim of persecution for his faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moiseyenko/photo_hu_f6ba77f61c04c328.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenko/photo_hu_1a24f31def54429b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moiseyenko/photo_hu_27a79801ea7db9e7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenko/photo_hu_bc08e20a5d6f632d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moiseyenko.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Konstantin Moiseyenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2022, Margarita Moise‌yenko, a civilian resident of the city of Zeya, was accused of participating in extremist activities. Seven months earlier, her husband Konstantin had been convicted under the same criminal article. Their belief in Jehovah God was the reason for the criminal prosecution.\nMargarita was born in Krasnoyarsk in December 1978. She has an elder sister. Her father worked as a welder in an aluminum factory. Mother — a teacher and artist — from childhood instilled in Margarita a love of art and reading. The girl learned to read early, loved to draw, was fond of embroidery and making crafts. She graduated from art school.\nMargarita went to college and studied to be a fashion designer. Later, she graduated from the Institute of Trade and Economics with a degree in management. After working for three years in the atelier, Margarita decided to open her own business for individual tailoring. This is what she is still doing.\nThe love of reading prompted Margarita to pick up the Bible at a young age. She recalls: “Many things were not clear, I treated this book as ancient myths. But later, after the tragic death of a relative, I thought about the meaning of life and at the age of 18 I decided to explore this book more deeply. To her surprise, Margarita found that the Bible was scientifically and historically accurate. Fulfilled Bible prophecies strengthened trust in God and the Bible, and in 2001 Margarita embarked on the Christian path.\nShe met her future husband Konstantin while still at school. He is was educated as a systems engineer. They got married in 1998. When Konstantin's blind grandmother needed help, the couple moved in with her in the village of Minderla, Krasnoyarsk Territory, where they took care of the elderly woman for the last six years of her life. Since 2016, the Moiseyenkos have been living in the city of Zeya.\nMargarita still loves to read. She is a sociable person, she has many friends. She and her husband also love to travel and visit, study English together.\nWith the beginning of the criminal prosecution in the family, anxiety increased, Margarita's sleep was disturbed. Parents are alarmed, try to help her and Konstantin. Friends and acquaintances of the spouses are worried, realizing that the criminal prosecution of believers is unfounded.\n","date":"2022-03-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moiseyenkom/photo_hu_7312bceebd61f015.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenkom/photo_hu_7d586de4dda5e1b5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moiseyenkom/photo_hu_4d6758d0aa8c9011.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moiseyenkom/photo_hu_8ede0851a5e913e9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moiseyenkom.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Margarita Moiseyenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikita Moiseyev, a resident of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, a repairman of washing machines and refrigerators, has gained a reputation among others, including neighbors and customers, as a kind, calm, sympathetic person. The sudden criminal prosecution of the young man for his faith caused them great bewilderment. Nikita was born in 1990 in the village of Dinskaya, Krasnodar Territory. As a child, he was fond of football and playing musical instruments, especially the guitar. Having received a secondary technical education, he worked for some time as an electrician, and was also engaged in the construction of frame houses. At a young age, Nikita began to study the Bible and made a conscious decision to worship God. In 2010, he opted for alternative civilian service instead of military service. The believer was sent to Gelendzhik, where he worked for two years as an electrician in a children's sanatorium. Later he moved to the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. One of Nikita's relatives, who did not share his religious views, was agitated and dejected by what had happened and provided him with all possible support. Nikita's clients did the same. ","date":"2020-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moiseyev/photo_hu_5528b5aba9dd4f01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moiseyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moiseyev/photo_hu_4948d9643eaf2903.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moiseyev/photo_hu_46223ac801b64fbd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moiseyev.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikita Moiseyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Svetlana Monis, similar to her husband, Alam Aliyev, became a victim of criminal prosecution for her faith. For several years, she and her husband were forced to defend their right to freedom of religion and yet Svetlana received a 2.5-year suspended sentence, and the court sent Alam to a penal colony for 6.5 years.\nSvetlana was born in 1977 in the city of Lesozavodsk (Primorye Territory) in a simple family. She has a younger brother. Due to her progressive myopia, sports and needlework were not for her, but still she found something she liked—learning foreign languages (German and English).\nAfter leaving school, Svetlana moved to Birobidzhan and entered the Birobidzhan Teaching Institute at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, where she studied Chinese. In the third year, she gave birth to a son, so she failed to finish the university. Svetlana decided to become an entrepreneur, opened a Chinese cafe, and later engaged in foreign economic activity. She also cared for her elderly grandmother.\nEven as a teenager, Svetlana was interested in spiritual topics. “There was an incomplete Bible in the house that I read,” she says. “Even then, I was thinking about what is the purpose of human existence, if everything ends with death, and why is there so much injustice in the world.” Svetlana received answers to her questions by deeply researching the Scriptures. Applying Bible teachings helped her raise her son, which she did on her own from when he was four. It made her life more meaningful and happy and she made many friends.\nIn 2015, Svetlana married Alam. Despite difficulties and the prosecution, the couple try to find positive aspects in everything.\nAt first Svetlana's parents did not approve of their daughter's religious choice, but over time their attitude changed. Today they empathize with their daughter and son-in-law and cannot understand why this happened to them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/monis/photo_hu_b888e907939fba10.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/monis/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/monis/photo_hu_bb1331de9581c9fe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/monis/photo_hu_f67fb3ad46251628.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/monis.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Svetlana Monis","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Applying Bible teachings helped Tatiana Morlang from Gryazi to improve relations with her family and reunite with her husband several years after the divorce. However, in November 2020, a criminal case was opened against her under an \"extremist\" article only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nTatyana was born in May 1957 in a family of ordinary workers. Mom was a quiet, wise woman, she believed in God. Father, on the contrary, was a staunch atheist. After school, Tatyana left her father's house and went to her aunt in Vladivostok, where she studied and got married. There she had a son and a daughter.\nAfter 20 years, the whole family returned to their parents' home. Then the son became actively interested in the Bible. Tatyana and her husband did not approve of this activity, demanding even to throw out the Bible. At the same time, they noticed positive changes in their son: he became more obedient, more balanced, abandoned bad habits, changed his social circle, began to dress beautifully and neatly. The grandmother defended her grandson, advising Tatyana not to scold him, but to figure out what he believed in. Later, an elderly woman joined her grandson in a study of the Scriptures.\nTime passed, and Tatiana was left completely alone: the son left and later married, her father and mother died, the daughter got married, and Tatiana herself divorced her husband on her own initiative. After a while, she came across religious literature that her son had left. What she read there deeply affected her, and for the next 6 years she carefully researched the Holy Scriptures. Especially in her heart the knowledge about the role of wife and mother resonated. This helped her reconcile with her husband and marry him again in 2016. The husband supports Tatiana in everything, and they are very happy together. Subsequently, the daughter also became interested in the Bible.\nUnfortunately, on November 16, 2020, at 6 a.m., the peace of the Morlangs was disturbed: seven security officials, two of whom were with machine guns, broke into their house. After the search, Tatyana spent 2 days in a temporary detention center. However, the incident did not embitter the believer. She and all her relatives hope for a fair resolution of the situation.\n","date":"2020-12-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/morlang/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/morlang/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/morlang/photo_hu_a1d276d8413f9b6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/morlang/photo_hu_a1d276d8413f9b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/morlang.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Morlang","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, peaceful believer Maksim Morozov was sent to jail. For his religious beliefs, he was charged under an extremist article. In August 2023, the court sentenced him to 3 years in prison, which he considered served, and the believer was released.\nMaksim was born in August 1983 in Volgograd. He has an older sister. As a child, the boy was interested in technology, especially the device of a bicycle, moped and car. He was also fond of swimming and baking.\nAfter school, Maxim entered the Volgograd Medical and Environmental Technical School, where he received the specialty of a catering technologist. After that, he served in the army - in the parachute troops, participated in the second Chechen campaign. Then he was engaged in long-distance cargo transportation. In addition to his hometown, he lived in Mednogorsk and Tolyatti, as well as in the Leningrad region.\nMaksim made a conscious decision to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses at the age of 26. His parents and sister share his views on life.\nMaxim loves to travel, ski and bike. During the coronavirus pandemic, he had a new hobby — drawing.\nMaksim's parents and relatives consider his criminal prosecution unjustified: \"Such injustice discourages and knocks the ground out from under your feet.\"\n","date":"2022-02-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/morozov/photo_hu_31a59a5358b5bc44.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/morozov/photo_hu_131f6ae873d759c6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/morozov/photo_hu_26d7844f0331e951.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/morozov/photo_hu_257c5bd4cdac4a54.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/morozov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Morozov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valery Moskalenko was detained on August 2, 2018 in Khabarovsk as a result of searches in at least four houses of civilians. He was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent more than a year just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nValery was born in Khabarovsk in 1967. By profession, he is an assistant driver of an electric locomotive. Since childhood, the boy felt an urgent need for justice, which is why at an older age he began to seek God. Since the early 1990s, faith in God has become an important part of his life.\nValery loves to travel, listen to music and even play the trumpet himself. His many friends say that he is responsive and always ready to help. Before his imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, Valery lived with his elderly mother and provided her with daily care, which she desperately needed. During his arrest, she became ill and had to call an ambulance. Everyone who knows Valeriy is shocked that he was convicted on an absurd charge. The believer does not agree with the verdict and will appeal it to the European Court.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moskalenko/photo_hu_bac0193934176cba.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moskalenko/photo_hu_8b6091d78b3b64f0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moskalenko/photo_hu_1efa002ca0904f50.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moskalenko/photo_hu_9874c355bdab87f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moskalenko.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Moskalenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Moskalev is an family man who was subjected to criminal prosecution only because of his faith in Jehovah God. In March 2021, he was accused of extremism and placed under house arrest. Because of this, he lost his job.\nYuriy was born in July 1964 in the small village of Yeginsu (Kazakhstan). The parents worked on the farm. His father died when Yuriy was 6 years old, and his elder brother was 18. Yuri's mother and brother are also no longer alive.\nAs a child, Yuriy had heart problems, so he began to play hockey, and also participated in regional athletics competitions. He showed himself in chess, won prizes in tournaments.\nAfter graduating from school, Yuriy served in the army in the internal troops and moved to Sochi to relatives. He worked for the police for three years. In the future, he mastered such professions as a builder, electric and gas welder, tractor driver.\nYuriy's wife, Nadezhda, was born in the city of Gulkevichi (Krasnodar Territory). She met Yuriy in Sochi. The Moskalevs got married in January 1987 and have not parted since. Nadezhda is a cook by profession. The couple has a daughter. The family loves to relax in nature, go to the mountains and travel.\nThe couple were religious people, and having become better acquainted with biblical teachings, they gradually got rid of bad habits. God's promises about future events on earth made an indelible impression on both. As a result, they embarked on the Christian path—in 2005, Yuriy, and a year later, Nadezhda.\nThe unjustified criminal prosecution of Yuriy divided his life into before and after, limiting his movement and the ability to take care of his family. His family and friends are worried about him.\n","date":"2022-01-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_99a6f9d2d20733ba.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_473e1ec7bde7f8b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moskalev/photo_hu_ff6b4befd71a82e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moskalev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Moskalev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The search of Mikhail Moish's house began early in the morning. The whole family was still asleep. The sudden invasion of the security forces shocked his wife and children. The eldest son at that time was 11 years old, and the youngest was only six months old. After the search and arrest of his father, they had health problems, the youngest even ended up in the hospital.\nMichael is a third-generation Jehovah's Witness. His grandfather practiced this religion from a young age, although it was banned in the Soviet Union. Mikhail's parents became Jehovah's Witnesses in the 70s, and he remembers the times when his family was forced to meet with fellow believers late at night to avoid arrest.\nMikhail and his twin brother Vasil were born in August 1987 in Transcarpathia (Ukraine), in the village Glubokiy Potok. By this time, the family already had 7 children: 4 boys and 3 girls. Parents ran a farm, and Mikhail helped them with his brothers and sisters.\nMikhail graduated from the 9th grade and from the age of 16 he began to work. He worked in many cities of Russia and Ukraine: Kiev, Kherson, Vinnitsa, Moscow, Kaluga. He independently mastered several professions, such as a tiler, a finisher, an electrician, and a plasterer-painter. In recent years, Mikhail has been an individual entrepreneur in the field of trade.\nMikhail met his future wife, Yelena, at home, in Transcarpathia. They got married in March 2009. A few years later, their first child was born, and in March 2021, their second son was born. The family enjoys spending time in nature. Mikhail loves fishing and introduces his eldest son to his hobby.\nAs a child, Mikhail, like his wife, attended Christian meetings with his parents. He believed that the Bible's teachings were true, but he hesitated to become a Christian. Already an adult family man, he attended a service of Jehovah's Witnesses and after that took up a serious study of the Bible. As a result, in 2016, Mikhail embarked on the Christian path. His wife had become Jehovah's Witness six years earlier.\nNow the couple live in Irkutsk, where they moved from Transcarpathia to help Yelena's parents. After the arrest of Mikhail, Yelena, who was on parental leave, had to go to work instead of her husband. She took care of the whole family on her shoulders. In addition, she is forced to spend a lot of time and effort on cases related to the criminal prosecution of Mikhail. At first, Yelena asked her friends for help, and now her father is helping her, who came specially for this from Ukraine.\nDespite the difficulties, Yelena does not lose her presence of mind. She says: \"It is difficult to realize that now my half is in custody, but I am glad that not for some crime, but for faith in our Father.\" Mikhail's brothers and sisters, most of whom share his convictions, are confident that justice will soon be restored.\n","date":"2021-12-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/moysh/photo_hu_cb55d392556e80c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/moysh/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/moysh/photo_hu_4fed4954aa878f73.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/moysh/photo_hu_b58c7f9c74886d47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/moysh.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Moysh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Murych is one of 5 residents of Balakovo sent to a pre-trial detention center after searches of believers. He is a decent family man with a reputation as an honest worker and a reliable person, who was followed by the security forces. Andrey was accused of extremism and sent to prison only because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nAndrey was born in 1991 in the city of Balakovo (Saratov region). He is the only child in the family. His parents are retired, but his father still works at the factory. As a child, Andrey played football and judo.\nAfter graduating from school, Andrey immediately went to work. He worked as a loader, storekeeper, sales representative. Because of his peace-loving Christian convictions, Andrey at one time asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one. Prior to his arrest, he worked as a metallurgist.\nAndrey first heard about the Bible from his grandmother. While examining this ancient book, he was impressed by the prophecies recorded in it. In 2007 Andrey decided to become a Christian and devoted his life to serving God.\nAndrey met his future wife Anastasiya in a circle of friends. They got married in the summer of 2009. Anastasiya shares her husband's religious views. In his free time, Andrey likes to play football, basketball and volleyball. Anastasiya is fond of winter sports. The couple have a young daughter. Family hobby is travelling.\nRelatives and friends are worried about what happened, because they cannot understand why such a decent person could be put in jail.\n","date":"2022-05-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/murych/photo_hu_33aab1ac6449e245.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/murych/photo_hu_ffa499683dcb4d08.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/murych/photo_hu_485d82b24814dfca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/murych/photo_hu_6257fc3a9b736093.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/murych.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Murych","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in Ulyanovsk, criminal cases were initiated against several civilians in connection with their faith. One of them, Sergey Mysin, was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center. He is accused of organizing extremist activities. At the same time, his wife Nataliya was placed under house arrest.\nSergey was born in 1965 in Kulebaki (Nizhny Novgorod region). As a child, he moved with his parents and younger sister to Ulyanovsk, where they live to this day.\nSergey is an engineer by education. As a child, he was actively involved in sports - bandy and weightlifting. He has always been drawn to the spiritual, and for the last twenty years he has been studying the Bible in depth with his wife Natalia, with whom he married in 1991. They have two adult children. The whole family loves to spend time together, travels a lot.\nRelatives and friends of Sergey and Natalia are worried about the absurd accusation of extremism, which fell like snow on the head of this married couple. Everyone is trying to help as much as they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_1e8b064dfab8d734.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_1e8b064dfab8d734.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_6863f59068056d94.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mysin/photo_hu_6863f59068056d94.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mysin.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Mysin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in Ulyanovsk, criminal cases were initiated against several civilians in connection with their faith. One of them, Natalia Mysina, was placed under house arrest. At the same time, her husband Sergey ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nNatalia was born in 1971 in Leningrad in a military family. She has a younger sister. For some time she lived in Germany, but most of her life she lives in Ulyanovsk, where she graduated from college with a degree in pharmacy. There she also met Sergey, whom she married in 1991.\nIn the 1990s, Nataliya became exposed to the teachings of the Bible that touched her heart. A common faith united the spouses. The couple has two adult children.\nNataliya loves to cook, especially bake, and happily treats family and friends. This close-knit family often gathers together, travels a lot.\nRelatives of Natalia and Sergey are worried about them, not understanding why civilians are accused of extremism only because of their religion. Natalia's own sister, who does not share her religious views, came from another city with her husband to attend the appeal hearing in Sergey's case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/mysina/photo_hu_22c66cc67fd94abd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/mysina/photo_hu_22c66cc67fd94abd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/mysina/photo_hu_a7c7801b1b77c79a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/mysina/photo_hu_a7c7801b1b77c79a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/mysina.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Nataliya Mysina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his youth, Sergey Naumenko was fascinated by the stories of Christians about faith and endurance. Their stories helped him to defend his right to alternative civilian service at a draft age. Years later, in June 2021, law enforcement officers opened a criminal case against Sergey on an extremist article because of conversations with friends about God and the Bible. The believer was searched, after which he was placed on recognizance not to leave.\nSergey was born in May 1987 in the Krasnodar Territory, the city of Armavir. He has a younger brother. Raising her sons, their mother instilled in them high moral standards. As a child, Sergey went in for sports, participated in running competitions. In his youth, he was carried away by weightlifting and to this day regularly visits the gym.\nSergey spoke with elderly Jehovah's Witnesses who have experienced repression and exile for their beliefs. He admired their strong faith. Therefore, when at the age of 19 he had to appear before the draft board, he justified the Bible's refusal to take up arms because of his peace-loving convictions. Sergey spent 3.5 years in alternative civilian service 1,500 kilometers from home. There he met his future wife Galina, and in 2008 they started a family. In 2023, the couple had their eldest daughter, and in the fall of 2024, the youngest.\nSergey has always loved to drive, he received the rights of all categories and worked as a driver for some time. He likes to learn new things and master different types of activities. He opened his own small business in the field of disinfection and dry cleaning. Colleagues and acquaintances speak of Sergey as an honest, sociable and ready to help person.\nIn their free time, the Naumenko spouses read a lot, Sergey's favorite writer is Victor Hugo. Galina is fond of drawing and plays the piano and accordion. The family enjoys traveling together, meeting friends and being outdoors.\nParents and other relatives are very worried about Sergey in connection with his criminal prosecution for believing in Jehovah God. Against the background of stress, they lost sleep for some time and exacerbated chronic diseases.\n","date":"2021-09-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/naumenko/photo_hu_2d7a8bb76ab70e8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/naumenko/photo_hu_793bf4accfc83ee0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/naumenko/photo_hu_2bc48411e986d4e0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/naumenko/photo_hu_c4f7e11e9627202.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/naumenko.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Naumenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Lydiya Nekrasova, a peaceful pensioner from Syktyvkar, under an extremist article only because she is a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness.\nLydiya was born in January 1953 into a family of believing parents. Her elder brother was then 18. The girl was taught to be hardworking. From the 5th grade, together with the workers, she mowed the grass at the state farm, raked hay, and helped with everything that was asked.\nSince childhood, Lydiya loved to ski and play outdoor games, especially volleyball. After graduation, she worked for some time as a primary school teacher, and later as a nurse, until her retirement. Lydiya has three adult sons. Her husband passed away in February 2024.\nLydiya began to study the Bible in the early 1990s after being shown in this book the qualities of God: \u0026quot;merciful, compassionate, patient, reliable, and devoted to love.\u0026quot; In the Bible, she found convincing answers to her questions. She said: \u0026quot;I learned to consider my husband\u0026#39;s feelings and treat him with respect. As a result, we were able to resolve conflict situations without raising our voices or scandals. Our family relationship only grew stronger. And when talking to children, I apply the advice: \u0026quot;Everyone needs to be willing to listen, not to be in a hurry to speak, and not to be angry.\u0026quot; As a result, they understand that I love them and feel secure and happy.\u0026quot;\nThe criminal prosecution had a serious impact on the health of an elderly woman. Relatives are worried about Lydiya.\n","date":"2021-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_52cd1f924c09f139.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_daa1d40c4eda2b16.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_4ffa00c55f3fb0d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nekrasova/photo_hu_ae4e34d909aeac0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nekrasova.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lidiya Nekrasova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy was born in 1979 in the city of Pavlodar (Kazakhstan). As a child, he loved to assemble models of airplanes, draw, and sculpt from plasticine. In 2007, Vitaliy graduated from Voronezh State Technical University with a degree in electrical engineering. Before his arrest, he worked in the field of repair and decoration of premises.\nParents from a young age instilled in Vitaliy respect for the Bible. The love and unity he felt among Christians helped the young man to become a convinced Christian.\nIn 2016, Vitaliy married Aleksandra, a girl who shared his beliefs. She works as a seamstress, is fond of needlework and household management. In his spare time, Vitaliy takes up photography and fishing. Together the couple love to travel, especially in the mountains.\nDespite the stress of criminal prosecution and severe verdict—6 years in a penal colony—Vitaliy and Aleksandra try to maintain a positive attitude.\n","date":"2020-08-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nerush/photo_hu_ff7603cbb0de1e0e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nerush/photo_hu_a5c4cbde857e3afd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nerush/photo_hu_b99d8c0d1375ee33.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nerush/photo_hu_4c68c5e8b470547b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nerush.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Nerush","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, law enforcement authorities began the criminal prosecution of Elena Nesterova, an accountant from Komsomolsk-on-Amur. This became a new hardship in her already difficult life. The believer was charged under two articles merely for talking about the Bible.\nElena was born in March 1967 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Territory, in a working-class family. Eight years later, her brother was born. When Elena was 18, her father passed away.\nElena's hobbies in childhood were dancing and athletics. Later, her taste changed drastically: instead of dancing, she enjoyed motorcycles, cars, and music. Elena worked in a payroll accounting department and later as a merchandiser. After her divorce, she learned to be a manicurist, but she developed an allergy to gel and varnishes, so she had to find other work. Prior to her retirement in 2020, Elena worked in the cleaning industry at Gorvodokanal. Her current hobbies are painting and swimming. Elena knows Russian sign language.\nAfter getting to know Jehovah's Witnesses, Elena was drawn to their honesty and their organized approach to things. As she studied the Bible with them, she was surprised at its logical and simple explanation of the prospect of living forever. Love for God and gratitude to him prompted Elena to join this religion in 1997. Elena's mother does not share her daughter's beliefs, but she respects her choice. They often read the Bible together.\nElena has two daughters. The younger daughter lives in another city; she has her own family. The older daughter died tragically in 1998. Elena says that the hope of an earthly resurrection became even more valuable to her at that time and supports her to this day.\nThe unexpected criminal prosecution, which Elena considers completely groundless, left a deep imprint on the daily life of this believer. “I shudder from every rustle in the entrance, from any car that slows down outside my window. Problems with my spine have worsened,” said Elena. “My family still can’t believe that I'm a ‘criminal.’ They are very supportive, and they assure me that everything will be fine.”\n","date":"2023-02-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nesterova/photo_hu_7aa6a9058ccd56e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nesterova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nesterova/photo_hu_1a1130ac1fe06ad6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nesterova/photo_hu_9ce4186670c3c535.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nesterova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Elena Nesterova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 3, 2019, in Lipetsk, three civilians were imprisoned because of their religious views. One of them is Arthur Netreba. What do we know about this man?\nArtur was born in 1978 in the city of Glodeni (Moldova) in a family of builders. Arthur is the middle child in the family, he has an older sister and a younger brother.\nBy profession, Arthur is a sugar production operator, part-time mechanic of the second category. In this position, he worked at a sugar factory for more than 10 years.\nArtur knew his future wife Svetlana from school, and in 1995 they tied the knot. Soon their daughter Valeria was born. In Glodeni, Svetlana worked as a technologist and quality controller of tailoring at a garment factory. Later, the couple decided to move to Lipetsk in search of work. Here Arthur mastered the profession of a sales manager, Svetlana got a job as an administrator, Valeria also found a job after graduating from school.\nOne day, Arthur became interested in the Bible and realized that life takes on real meaning if you live according to the laws of God. At that time, Arthur could not have imagined that a spiritual quest would lead him to the dock on charges of a serious crime.\nIn connection with the criminal prosecution and imprisonment of Artur in a pre-trial detention center, financial difficulties began in the family, because he is the main breadwinner, and Svetlana cannot work for health reasons. The relatives of the spouses are very worried and perplexed how religion can cause a criminal case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/netreba/photo_hu_abf5c6f5e2a14072.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/netreba/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/netreba/photo_hu_c5297ddae6036d4d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/netreba/photo_hu_3a247aff730c42b6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/netreba.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Artur Netreba","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"At a young age, Ivan Neverov, following the example of his parents, became a Christian and has remained loyal to his decision despite being persecuted for his faith.\nIvan was born in April 1986 in the city of Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol Territory. He has an elder sister. Their father was a builder, and their mother was a footwear technologist. Parents instilled in their children a love for work and the Bible. Ivan spent his free time with friends who were also raised with high moral standards. He is still friends with many of them to this day.\nIvan\u0026#39;s family had difficulties: his father abused alcohol, and his mother was already thinking about divorce. Everything changed when, at a construction site where the man worked, a woman entered a construction booth and told about the Bible. Ivan\u0026#39;s father was interested, and he said to her: \u0026quot;Come to us and explain to my wife that divorce is not allowed.\u0026quot; Bible study began, the father broke with bad habits and kept the family together. The son was baptized at the age of 12, in 1998.\nAfter school, Ivan went to college and graduated as an auto mechanic. The young man gained a good reputation and was invited to serve in the Presidential Regiment. Guided by peaceful Christian principles, Ivan refused military service and instead performed alternative civilian service (ACS) for three and a half years at a psychoneurological boarding school 1,500 km from home. The believer humorously recalls that at first, he had to sleep in the treatment room on a gurney, and that his salary was 2,000 rubles a month, despite having to pay 2,200 rubles just for food in the dining room.\nAfter the ACS, Ivan worked as a builder and also helped his parents in solving household issues. Gradually, he mastered new skills: painting and plumbing work, tiling. Clients and colleagues spoke of him as an honest, diligent person and a qualified specialist.\nIn 2013, at a friend\u0026#39;s wedding, Ivan met his future wife, Tatyana. A year later they got married. In the same year, Ivan lost his mother, and in 2022, his father.\nSince 2015, the couple have been living in Saransk, where Ivan continued to work in the field of repair and construction. Tatyana works as a hairdresser; regular advanced training courses have helped her become a sought-after master.\nSearches of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Saransk began in 2016. Among the first to have them was Vladimir Atryakhin, Ivan\u0026#39;s half-brother.\nFrom 2020 to 2022, covert surveillance was conducted in the apartment of the couple Neverovs. \u0026quot;Later we realized that we were listened to not only during meetings for worship—there was a wiretapping in the apartment, and they heard our entire personal life. It was unpleasant,\u0026quot; Ivan shared.\nRelatives and friends were worried about the arrest of the believer and wondered how it was possible to send such a person to a pre-trial detention center. Ivan recalls: \u0026quot;Tatyana and I already understood that this would happen, we were preparing. Most of all, I was worried that we would be apart, and how it would all affect her.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2023-03-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/neverov/photo_hu_abfbe87adbb73151.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/neverov/photo_hu_20a398799e2950e9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/neverov/photo_hu_ad7ccaa2a10e06a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/neverov/photo_hu_b4154dd280d4406a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/neverov.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance","families"],"title":"Ivan Neverov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, civilians in Chekhov near Moscow faced persecution for their faith: searches were carried out at several addresses, and a criminal case was opened against Vitaliy Nikiforov. On May 24, 2021, the court found the believer guilty and sentenced him to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years.\nVitaliy was born in 1968 in the city of Nevel, Pskov region, in a family of ordinary workers. He has an older and a younger brother. At school, Vitaliy was especially good at exact sciences. He always liked mathematics, participated in school Olympiads. He was also fond of volleyball, received the first adult category in this sport.\nAfter school, Vitaliy entered the Military Aviation Technical School in Kaliningrad, after which he served as an aircraft technician in the Russian Air Force in various regions, including the Arctic Circle. He took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, has a certificate of a combat veteran.\nIn 1990, Vitaliy started a family, and a year later the couple had a daughter.\nIn 2005, when Vitaliy first got acquainted with the Bible, he realized the need for changes in his life. He was determined to become a faithful husband for his wife again, to stop swearing and to overcome alcohol addiction. It was not easy to change, but over time he succeeded.\nIn 2007, he retired and retired from the army. For some time he lived with his family in Pskov, Smolensk and St. Petersburg, then moved to Chekhov, where they received departmental housing. He got a job as an electronics engineer in neighboring Podolsk. A keen radio and car enthusiast, he also loves fishing.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nikiforov/photo_hu_17b63676898e6d2f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nikiforov/photo_hu_b3da958e91653ac5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nikiforov/photo_hu_1bf353a877ea5e7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nikiforov/photo_hu_7c191b8d92ec376f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nikiforov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Nikiforov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful family man from the village of Kholmskaya, the father of five children, Aleksandr Nikolayev, was prosecuted for his love of the Bible. The believer had to spend 2.5 years in a penal colony because of his beliefs. He was released in September 2023.\nAleksandr was born in August 1973 in the city of Salavat, one of the largest industrial centers of the Republic of Bashkortostan. He has an elder brother.\nAs a child, Aleksandr attended sports sections and played chess. After graduating from a technical school, he received the specialty of an electrician for the repair of household appliances, then worked in metallurgy as a slinger. At the age of 18, Aleksandr was called to serve in the Northern Fleet.\nIn the mid-1990s, he began reading the Bible, from which he learned that God has a personal name, Jehovah. This impressed Aleksandr, and in 1996 he decided to become a Christian.\nAt the age of 24, Aleksandr married Yevgeniya from the village of Kholmskaya. She shares his life values. Yevgeniya works as a crane operator in a metallurgical production facility, and in her spare time she is engaged in aquarium management. The large family has three adult sons and two minor adopted daughters. The whole family of the Nikolayevs love to go to the sea and walk in the forest, as well as go scuba diving.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s parents, who do not share his religious beliefs, experienced a lot of unrest and still do not understand why their son was convicted.\n","date":"2021-07-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nikolayev/photo_hu_bee7d16c39979055.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nikolayev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nikolayev/photo_hu_ffb0b6eb2a406250.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nikolayev/photo_hu_65c149b74fc7984f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nikolayev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Nikolayev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several residents of Saransk, including Elena Nikulina and her husband, Georgiy, were prosecuted for their faith. Law enforcers considered the conversations about the Bible to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nElena was born in 1968 in the village of Monastyrskoe (Mordovia). She has a younger sister. The parents are long dead. As a child, Elena was fond of cross-country skiing and sewing.\nAfter school, Elena studied to be a dressmaker and cutter. In search of work, she moved to Saransk and Tolyatti. She worked as a seamstress at various enterprises, was engaged in cleaning the premises. In his spare time, he likes to sew, take care of cats and be in nature.\nIn 2016, Yelena married Georgiy, whom she calls a “jack of all trades”—he has 9 specialties as a handyman. According to Yelena, they lived for 13 years without registering a marriage, until they learned from the Bible how important it was. In this book, they also liked the fact that God is not indifferent to the suffering of people.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, the Nikulins lost their jobs and lost their livelihood. Relatives cannot understand why these peaceful and law-abiding people were sentenced to real terms of imprisonment. In court, Elena emphasized: “We . . . do not pose a danger either to the state and authorities, or to others. We respect the laws and rules established by the authorities, we try to work honestly and conscientiously.”\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/nikulina/photo_hu_67ac98914da3db3f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/nikulina/photo_hu_8f63428d47e94ce6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/nikulina/photo_hu_35867c5c9b5f932a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/nikulina/photo_hu_cd9597a9c4a0cb16.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/nikulina.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Elena Nikulina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2020, law enforcement officers detained 15 of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kazan. One of them, Tatyana Obizhestvit, spent 24 hours in a temporary detention center and was later placed under house arrest. In February 2023, the court gave her a two-year suspended sentence merely because of her faith.\nTatyana was born in January 1962 in the city of Kazan. As a child, she was fond of cutting and sewing clothes. She graduated from culinary school. She worked as a cook in a kindergarten and in a factory as a seamstress; before the criminal prosecution, she worked as a nurse in a hospital for more than 20 years. She retired but continued to work to support herself financially.\nTatyana's search for the source of happiness led her to study the Bible on her own, and she eventually decided to become a Christian.\nTatyana and her husband Aleksandr raised two daughters. The family enjoyed cooking together. Aleksandr died in 2010.\nTatyana studied a foreign language, devoted a lot of time to communicating with her granddaughter, and loved to travel. Criminal prosecution radically changed her life. Due to house arrest, she had to quit her job. The stress has caused her illnesses to worsen. Cheerfulness and optimism help her cope with what is happening.\nRelatives and colleagues do not understand how Tatyana, who is such a peaceful and kind person, can be considered an extremist simply for praying and reading the Bible.\n","date":"2020-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_178c2fb1a99c766c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_89b95a4c96ce96af.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_6a1329f418d59d7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/obizhestvit/photo_hu_56158110b16bcd5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/obizhestvit.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Obizhestvit","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2020, 33-year-old husband and father Sergey Oganyan was arrested and sent to prison for 3 days due to his religion.\nFaith in God Jehovah came to Sergey's family in 1991. Six years later, Sergey took the Christian path. When he was drafted, he defended his right to alternative civil service, but was released for health reasons.\nAs a child, Sergey studied at an art school in Moscow, now as a hobby he paints and writes fiction. In 2016, his first book was published in Moscow. Sergey also plays the piano and in 2017 published a music album.\nSergey mainly works as a dental technician and gives lectures in this profession.\nSergey met his future wife, Catherine, at a literary evening with friends. She works as a hairdresser, makes jewelry as a hobby. The spouses are united by faith in God, love of travel and photography. Together they are fond of designing houses, making short films. They have a daughter who plays glucophone (percussion instrument), loves to dance, to draw and is fond of pyrography.\nAlthough after 3 days of detention Sergey was released under house arrest, the criminal prosecution was a blow to his family and deprived him of the opportunity to work in his profession. Sergey's health deteriorated.\nAlthough Sergey Ohanyan's father did not fully share his son's religious beliefs during all these years, what happened prompted him to pray for the young family.\n","date":"2020-06-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/oganyan/photo_hu_a6f5624708d00bda.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/oganyan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/oganyan/photo_hu_21a1a03777848309.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/oganyan/photo_hu_2a06d8b78bda1443.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/oganyan.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Oganyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Programmer and physics teacher Andrey Okhapkin was personally convinced of the historical and mathematical accuracy of biblical prophecies. However, in the fall of 2021, because of his love for the Bible, he was prosecuted — the believer was searched, after which he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAndrey was born in May 1962 in the city of Zavolzhsk (Ivanovo region). He has an elder sister, his parents are already dead. Since childhood, Andrey was fond of football, loved to read, solved mathematical problems.\nAndrey graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics of St. Petersburg State University. During his studies, he met Irina, and in 1987 they got married.\nIn the same year, the couple moved to Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region), where their daughter was born. Andrey returned to his homeland — to Zavolzhsk — with his family in 1998 to take care of his elderly father, which he did until his death. The Okhapkins lived in Kostroma for some time, and then settled in Kineshma (Ivanovo region).\nIn 1994, Irina became acquainted with Bible teachings. She was convinced that the advice from the Bible helps to build a happy family life and properly raise her daughter. Later Andrey also began to read the Bible. He noted: \"I made sure that there is a Creator, and life has meaning.\" He was also convinced of the truth of the Holy Scriptures by precisely fulfilled Bible prophecies. The daughter of the Okhapkins, like her parents, later also embarked on the Christian path.\nAndrey worked as a programmer for 24 years and then taught physics in college. He enjoys studying the stars, watching football, solving Sudoku. Together with his wife, they love to be in nature, are engaged in Scandinavian walking. Irina is fond of patchwork sewing and making soft toys.\nThe criminal prosecution destroyed the Okhapkins' habitual way of life. After his arrest, Andrey lost his job, the family lost their main source of income. Irina is concerned about the state of health of her husband, from whom she was separated: on the eve of his arrest, he suffered COVID-19 in a serious form and did not have time to recover. He also suffers from serious chronic diseases.\nAndrey's relatives consider his persecution and arrest a violation of human rights to freedom of religion.\n","date":"2021-12-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_a8057529a4681574.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_8bcb01a039fea026.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_b75fc44377280a26.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/okhapkin/photo_hu_eb6802fd7ce8d1a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/okhapkin.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Andrey Okhapkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, security officials wearing masks and body armor invaded Andrey Okhrimchuk from Rostov-on-Don. They conducted a search in the presence of their young daughter. He was charged with two \"extremist\" articles at once only because he believes in Jehovah God.\nAndrey was born in 1979 in the city of Korosten (Ukraine). His parents are retired. There is a younger brother. When the boy was 10 years old, the family moved to live in the Rostov region. As a child, Andrey attended the freestyle wrestling section. After school, he was educated as an electrical technician in Novocherkassk. After serving in the army, he moved to Rostov-on-Don. He worked in the field of water transport.\nSince childhood, Andrey had a strong craving for the spiritual. The first acquaintance with the Bible began from the moment when his aunt gave him a book to read about the life of Jesus Christ. The young man read it over and over again. He was impressed by the Bible prophecies and their accurate fulfillment. Subsequently, Andrey made the decision to become a Christian.\nAndrey met his future wife, Yekaterina, thanks to his general passion for water-motor sports. Ekaterina sews awnings and covers for boats and motor boats. Out of respect for biblical morality, Andrey and Yekaterina decided to legalize their marriage, and in December 2006 they got married. The spouses are raising a schoolgirl daughter. Their common family hobby is fishing.\nWhen they came to Andrey’s apartment with a search, the family experienced a tremendous shock. Yekaterina had to seek help from a specialist and undergo treatment for several months. Andrey is also very worried about how what is happening will affect the health of his parents - his father has a bad heart.\nAndrey's brother, Yekaterina’s relatives and friends of the family are shocked that this peace-loving man was sentenced to 4 years of probation only for talking about the Bible and consider this attitude towards believers unfair.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/okhrimchuk/photo_hu_aea7491eedf61d0c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/okhrimchuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/okhrimchuk/photo_hu_edb95e3793b410b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/okhrimchuk/photo_hu_ae55d46669b34cfc.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/okhrimchuk.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Okhrimchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"This is not the first time Ilya Olenin has faced religious persecution. In 2017, representatives of the FSB and the police broke into the building where the worship service was held. An administrative case was opened against the believer for carrying out missionary activities, but soon the proceedings were dismissed. Since November 2020, Olenin has been persecuted again for believing in Jehovah God.\nIlya was born in April 1977 in the city of Chelyabinsk. His father was engaged in construction and commerce, his mother taught Russian language and literature.\nParents divorced when Ilya was 6 years old, and his younger sister had just been born. In 2012, Ilya's father had a stroke, and now he is a disabled person of group I. Since he was declared legally incompetent by the court, Ilya took custody of him. In 2019, Olenin's mother retired to take care of her elderly parents, who live in a remote village. Her father is a veteran of World War II, after the operation he needs constant care.\nDuring his school years, Ilya was engaged in tennis, karting, swimming, martial arts and learned to play the guitar. In 1993, the whole family had a serious accident, as a result of which Ilya received a dislocated leg and a fracture of the pelvic bones. He spent almost the entire next school year in the hospital. During the operation, his sciatic nerve was damaged, which caused paresis of his left foot. Due to the destruction of the hip joint, he was given an endoprosthesis in 2018.\nAfter school, Ilya entered the Aerospace Faculty of the Chelyabinsk Polytechnic Institute and graduated with honors. After that, he was invited to the city of Snezhinsk, where he still works as a designer as a leading engineer.\nFrom an early age, Ilya thought about the meaning of life. The accident was a turning point for him - it was then that he realized that life could end in an instant. The young man began to read the New Testament because he did not have a complete Bible. In 1998, he began studying the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses. He was touched by the consistency of this book and how accurately it describes the origin of the world. He concluded that the Bible is the best guide for life. In 2006, Ilya embarked on the Christian path.\nIlya met his current wife Natalia in 2008. At that time she lived in the city of Ozyorsk, located 40 km from Snezhinsk. After 7 years, they got married. Ilya has a daughter from her first marriage, and Natalia has two sons. She graduated from music school and shares Ilya's love for music. Spouses like to relax in nature in the company of friends. Natalya believed in God, and began to study the Bible thanks to her own sister. She was attracted by the benevolent attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses, who helped her find answers to her questions with the help of the Holy Scriptures.\nDue to criminal prosecution and uncertainty about the future, the spouses experience emotional strain and anxiety. Ilya had heart problems.\nRelatives know Ilya as a decent and kind person and do not understand how in a state governed by the rule of law a person can be persecuted only for his faith in God.\n","date":"2021-12-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/olenin/photo_hu_713f39fb9861086.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/olenin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/olenin/photo_hu_620b63e707c87b71.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/olenin/photo_hu_69652b19d1951448.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/olenin.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Ilya Olenin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Having moved to Novosibirsk in 1983, Tatyana Oleynik had no idea that many years later she would face criminal prosecution in this city because of her faith. In the fall of 2021, the security forces came to her with a search. For the woman, this was a shock: “I do not feel safe: the constant feeling that someone is eavesdropping or peeping. I am always on the alert, because at any moment they can break into me again. ”\nTatyana was born in February 1952 in the village of Khrushchevo, Tula Region. She has a younger sister. Their mother died when Tatiana was five years old.\nTatyana's independent life began when she left home at the age of fifteen. The girl graduated from a school at a meat processing plant, and later received a profession that became her life's work—Tatyana worked as a crane operator for 41 years. Now she is retired.\nTatyana is an active person. In her youth, she danced in an ensemble of Moldovan folk dances. Now he likes to get out in the Altai in the summer, go hiking in the mountains.\nTatyana loves to read since childhood. She recalls: \"This hobby was a salvation from a difficult situation in the family.\" When Tatyana was already in adulthood, the Bible attracted her attention. She recalls the day she was given the book: “That same evening, after putting the children to bed, I sat down to read, opened it right in the middle, and I came across the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. I spent the whole night rereading them and realized how wrong I was living”. Thanks to the Bible, much has changed for the better in Tatyana's life. In 2001, she embarked on the Christian path.\nTatyana moved several times—as a child she lived in Volgograd, then in Yekaterinburg and in the Crimea. In 1983, she moved with her children to Novosibirsk, where she had the opportunity to get a decent education. Tatyana raised a son and a daughter.\nAfter the searches, Tatyana was left without electronic devices, as law enforcement officers confiscated them. The believer had to look for a part-time job. Her bank card was blocked, and for some time she had difficulty receiving her pension.\nAlthough the children do not share Tatyana's religious views, they wonder why this peaceful woman is considered a criminal.\n","date":"2022-01-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_34919851ef2ab86f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_b31d8ee125a30464.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_e7a64820fa8b229.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/oleynik/photo_hu_9bc1cef39ee92ab1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/oleynik.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Oleynik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 11, 2018, a criminal case was opened against a civilian resident of Penza, Galiya Olkhova, on charges of extremism. The investigation considered it a crime that Galia participated in religious services. What do we know about her?\nGaliya was born in 1970 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) in a family with four children. She graduated from the printing college and got married in 1991. To pay attention to her husband and children, she tried to look for a part-time job. In 1994, the family moved to Russia, in the city of Rtishchevo (Saratov region), and in 2010 - to Penza.\nGalia was keenly interested in spiritual things, sought God, asked questions to her acquaintances. She was struck by the fulfillment of the prophecies from the biblical book of Daniel. Husband Vadim does not share his wife's religious beliefs, but he saw that they have strengthened their marriage and supports her.\nGalia says: \"I just like to sit at home with my husband, pamper him with cakes - their pastries have become my hobby.\" Her other hobbies are knitting and walking with friends in nature. The couple have two adult children.\nGaliya's relatives cannot understand how people can be persecuted in our time just because they believe in God.\nThe guilty verdict handed down by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, Roman Tanchenko, on December 13, 2019, came as a shock to Galiya, her family and friends.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/olkhova/photo_hu_eefd1553787bc538.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/olkhova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/olkhova/photo_hu_4fc247344360da1b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/olkhova/photo_hu_e925c1633ed4f9cd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/olkhova.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Galiya Olkhova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yekaterina Olshevskaya, a pharmacist from Blagoveshchensk, has been raising a small child alone since December 2022—the court sent her husband Anton to a penal colony for more than 6 years because of his faith in Jehovah God. Yekaterina\u0026#39;s father, Sergei, is also in a penal colony—he was sentenced to 6.5 years for his beliefs.\nYekaterina was born in August 1984 in the city of Blagoveshchensk, Amur Region. She has a younger brother and sister. The whole family loved to go out into nature and fish.\nAs a child, Yekaterina attended sports sections, was fond of athletics. After school, she qualified as a pharmacist and worked in her specialty.\nFrom a young age, her parents instilled high moral values in Yekaterina. She was deeply moved by the Bible\u0026#39;s promise that God\u0026#39;s government would bring justice to all the earth. In 2000, the girl became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2010, Yekaterina married Anton Olshevskiy. 10 years later, they had a son. The couple love to ride bicycles, play sports, play volleyball with friends, go to the forest for mushrooms and berries, sit by the fire and admire the starry sky. Together with her son, Yekaterina likes to make something with their own hands.\nIn 2018, the Olshevskiy family faced persecution for their faith when their house was unexpectedly searched. Later, Anton was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Two years later, a criminal case was opened on similar charges against Yekaterina.\nPreparing for court hearings and taking care of the husband\u0026#39;s needs takes a lot of time and effort. Yekaterina shared: \u0026quot;Since my husband is in a penal colony for his religious beliefs, the entire burden of raising and financially supporting my son fell on me. But the hardest thing for us is the threat of my real imprisonment, because of which our little son may be left without parents. After all, even now he does not receive the necessary paternal attention and upbringing.\u0026quot;\nRelatives of the spouses are perplexed what the Olshevskiys can have to do with extremism. Friends try to support Yekaterina and take care of the needs of her family.\n","date":"2024-11-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/olshevskaya/photo_hu_84d2335f9a47865b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/olshevskaya/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/olshevskaya/photo_hu_e31eba0d10002c83.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/olshevskaya/photo_hu_8c99c697e0c7db4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/olshevskaya.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yekaterina Olshevskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019 in the city of Blagoveshchensk, a criminal case was initiated against Anton Olshevsky because of his faith. Later, his father-in-law, Sergei Afanasiev, became a defendant in the case. In July 2021, Anton's wife, Ekaterina, was also accused of extremism. In the winter of 2022, the court sentenced Anton and Sergey to terms of actual imprisonment merely because of their religion.\nAnton was born in 1987 in the village of Chulman (Sakha, Yakutia). He is the second of five children. His parents took their responsibilities seriously and sought reliable guidance for raising their children. They were interested in what was written in the Bible. They decided to study this authoritative book in depth.\nAnton was also impressed by the wisdom of the Bible. “I clearly saw the difference between people who lived by Bible principles and people who didn't,” he said. “I set out to find hard evidence that the Bible can be trusted. I was particularly convinced by its fulfilled prophecies and its scientific credibility.”\nAfter school, Anton entered a university and studied electric drive and automation of industrial enterprises and technological complexes. He studied well and was given an increased scholarship, but after a year and a half, he decided to leave the university. In 2007 he asked the military registration and enlistment office for alternative civilian service (ACS). He spent his civilian service at the Amur Regional Drama Theater, where he worked as a stage setter. The local newspaper wrote about the first person who served as an \"alternativist\" in the city of Blagoveshchensk.\nIn 2010 Anton married Yekaterina. They have a lot in common: both lead an active lifestyle, enjoy sports, and love camping and outdoor recreation. A year after finishing alternative civilian service, the couple moved to the city of Ulan-Ude. There Anton became an electrician and made many friends. Later, the family moved to the city of Chita, but due to health reasons, they could not live there. For some time they went to Pattaya, Thailand, where Yekaterina's relatives lived, and tried a new business—visualization of interiors and support of design renovation. Six months later, they returned to the city of Blagoveshchensk and opened their own business—an electronics pawnshop. Later, they lived in the cities of Irkutsk and Blagoveshchensk. They have a son.\nThe criminal prosecution of the family had a negative impact on their emotional and physical health. Relatives were in disbelief when they found out about Anton's criminal prosecution. Acquaintances and former colleagues do not understand how a peaceful and law-abiding person can be listed among extremists.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/olshevskiy/photo_hu_2632dc0e914f698b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/olshevskiy/photo_hu_463211883f1dd848.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/olshevskiy/photo_hu_4e705a517c7c6a6a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/olshevskiy/photo_hu_bb2cc4b7b125e156.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/olshevskiy.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anton Olshevskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Omelchenko is a peaceful believer who was accused of extremism only because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nVitaliy was born in 1979 in the village of Roslyakovo (Murmansk region), where his family settled because of his father's work—he was a soldier in the border troops that were part of the KGB. Vitaliy has a younger sister.\nAs a child, Vitaliy went in for judo, kickboxing, biathlon and ballroom dancing, loved skiing and skating, and sang in the choir. Graduated with honors from shorthand courses.\nVitaliy helped his parents in the family business, working as a salesman until he was drafted into the army for two years. Upon his return, he worked in the field of printing and cleaning.\nIn 2001, Vitaliy firmly decided to lead a Christian lifestyle, having learned about God's commandments and seeing the benefits of applying them to other Christians.\nIn 2013, Vitaliy married Nataliya, who shared his views on life. Unfortunately, just a year later she became seriously ill, and she was assigned a III disability group. The couple enjoy spending time outdoors with friends and playing board games. Nataliya has two adult daughters.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the life of the whole family. Due to the stress, Natalia began to experience sleep problems. Vitaly's mother and sister are outraged by what is happening, as they do not understand why they are persecuting this peace-loving man.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/omelchenko/photo_hu_b9935603be9b77ee.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/omelchenko/photo_hu_32fed0cca8da1357.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/omelchenko/photo_hu_3db3002eee36b4e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/omelchenko/photo_hu_779b5334a8ff80ce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/omelchenko.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Omelchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Polish citizen Andrzej Onishchuk was arrested and detained in October 2018 after a roundup of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kirov just because of his faith.\nAndrzej was born in 1968 in Bialystok (Poland). In his youth, he was fond of football and weightlifting. After school, he received the profession of a turner and worked in Poland in this specialty.\nIn 1997, Andrzej moved to Russia, where he lived and worked as an individual entrepreneur in Kirov. Here he met Anna, whom he married in 2002.\nAndrzej and Anna love being in nature, picking mushrooms, playing football. Andrzej loves Russian literature and enjoys reading Tolstoy, Solzhenitsyn, Pasternak.\nRelatives and friends of Andrzej, according to the believer, “cannot believe that in our time, in the 21st century, people are accused of religious beliefs.”\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/onischuk/photo_hu_a55246f7112c6845.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/onischuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/onischuk/photo_hu_d8c68983c2c5f013.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/onischuk/photo_hu_4f13953e79c9e4cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/onischuk.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrzej Oniszczuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Due to the stress caused by the criminal prosecution, Olga Opaleva suffered a stroke and a heart attack. For several years, she was forced to defend her good name, despite serious health problems, after which the court sentenced her to 5 years probation. Olga's son, Vitaly Ilyinykh, was also convicted for his faith.\nOlga was born in 1952 in Spassk-Dalniy in a family with three children. From childhood she loved music and singing.\nFor a long time Olga believed in God, but she was not interested in the Bible and its teachings. After experiencing the death of her 22-year-old daughter, she began to seriously reflect on the Bible's doctrine of the resurrection and decided to get to know the Bible better. “From that moment my new life began,” says the believer. Olga sincerely wishes that all people have the same firm hope that she has.\nOlga's relatives, friends and relatives do not understand how this peaceful elderly woman could be condemned for extremism. They support her the best they can.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/opaleva/photo_hu_210c678e7ab13b45.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/opaleva/photo_hu_346b38b6b8149622.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/opaleva/photo_hu_61b88a028f5ed48e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/opaleva/photo_hu_b503aaa3f98788e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/opaleva.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Olga Opaleva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, 2019, mass searches and detentions of civilians on the basis of religion took place in the Nizhny Novgorod region. At least 11 people were detained. Two believers were thrown into jail for talking about religious topics, which law enforcement agencies interpret as extremism. What do we know about one of them, Alexei Oreshkov?\nAlexey was born in 1971 in Pavlov. As a child, he was fond of table tennis. Later he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Music College named after M. A. Balakirev in the class of wind instruments. He also worked in the internal affairs bodies (the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region). Now he is a seniority pensioner. Before his arrest, he took care of his elderly mother for several years, who needs constant care. He has an adult son and a young granddaughter.\nSince 2011, Aleksey has been a committed Christian. His family and friends are very perplexed by his arrest on charges of extremism. In their opinion, his lifestyle is completely at odds with what he is accused of.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/oreshkov/photo_hu_58fddc57da3fddc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/oreshkov/photo_hu_47c93e747715789b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/oreshkov/photo_hu_b88df60840709ef7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/oreshkov/photo_hu_cbdb0f9242ea5c22.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/oreshkov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Oreshkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pensioner Zareta Ortanova faces criminal prosecution because of her faith. The search and interrogations undermined the health of the believer.\nZareta was born in April 1960 in the village of Khamidiye in the Terek district of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. Her father died when she was 28 years old. At first, the mother was against her daughter's religious views, but later relented and began to treat them with respect, just like Zareta's older brother and sister.\nDuring her school years, Zareta played in the volleyball team. Since childhood, she loves to read. Zareta graduated from the Nalchik vocational school with a degree in cook-waiter and has the 4th category. She also took courses as a telecom operator, after which she worked at the Main Post Office in her specialty. Later, Zareta worked as a painter at a factory and as a cleaner of the offices of the Maisky RUS (district communications center), where she met her husband.\nIn 1983, Zareta got married. Her husband has been working as a cable solder at Maysky RUS for over 40 years. He loves fishing and building houses. In a happy marriage, the couple raised three children - two sons and a daughter, who now lives with her family in another city. The children respect their mother's religious views.\nZareta was touched by what the Bible says about the resurrection of the dead, about the meaning of life and about paradise conditions on earth in the future. In August 1996, she was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution and search had a negative impact on Zareta's health: she suffers from insomnia, she lost her appetite, and she even had to take specialized drugs.\nZareta's relatives are genuinely perplexed why they are persecuting honest and decent people. They add, \"What did they do?\"\n","date":"2021-06-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_e1aaa4fe72e51a1c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_8c7e8d439437f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_4664cced0787ac7c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ortanova/photo_hu_a83f026e7ea59dc5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ortanova.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zareta Ortanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, Valentin Osadchuk was involved in a criminal case on extremism only because of his faith. Later, 6 elderly residents of Vladivostok became accused. Five of them had to defend their good name in court together with Valentin. In June 2022, the court convicted them.\nValentin was born in March 1976 in the village of Torgovitsa (Kirovograd region, Ukraine). He takes care of his elderly mother living in Ukraine and supports her financially.\nValentin worked as a sales manager, established himself as an honest, proactive and hardworking employee. Later he became an individual entrepreneur.\nIn his free time, Valentin likes to read professional literature for the purpose of self-improvement. Her favorite type of recreation is in nature.\nValentin embarked on the Christian path in 1998. During the criminal prosecution, he started a family - he married Nadezhda, who has also been a Christian since 2010.\nValentin's sister and her husband, although they do not share his religious beliefs, were the first to come to the aid of the believer in his arrest and hired a lawyer. Relatives and friends do not understand why this peace-loving man was sentenced to a suspended prison term only because of his convictions.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/osadchuk/photo_hu_5efa838b09334032.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/osadchuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/osadchuk/photo_hu_4d3c7412672cbf34.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/osadchuk/photo_hu_b1a516e89d7bb5df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/osadchuk.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Valentin Osadchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner Vladimir Osintsev faced criminal prosecution — an elderly man was accused of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nVladimir was born in April 1950 in the city of Bogdanovich (Sverdlovsk region). He grew up with his sister, who is 2 years older than him. In his youth, he was fond of sports and music, interest in music has not faded until now. Vladimir graduated from a construction technical school, after which he worked in the field of construction.\nFrom the Bible, Vladimir learned that God has a personal name and a plan for the Earth. In 2003, together with his eldest son, he chose the Christian path and was baptized. Although the youngest son does not share his father's religious views, he supports him in everything. Vladimir's wife passed away in 2012.\nPersecution for his faith had a negative impact on Vladimir's health. Relatives worry about the believer, support him as best they can.\n","date":"2022-02-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_2143222f79e687a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_90bc6c032dc2aee1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_7ba1340b2cbc4e69.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/osintsev/photo_hu_bc43faa9eed45012.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/osintsev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Osintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 19, 2019, in the city of Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), mass searches and interrogations of citizens whom the authorities consider to be participants in Jehovah's Witnesses worship services took place. Anton Ostapenko was detained as the organizer of such worship services, and the authorities obtained audio recordings of him talking to others on biblical topics. By a court decision, Anton was placed in a pre-trial detention center for at least two months. What is known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nAnton was born in 1991 in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan. He has an elder sister, and both of them were introduced to the commandments of the Bible as teenagers from their mother. This had a positive effect on the behavior and performance at school, both children repeatedly received certificates and thanks from teachers. Anton was keenly interested in computer science, playing the guitar, attended a circus studio, went hiking.\nIn 2012, Anton received a diploma from the Siberian Federal University with a degree in thermal power plants, and in the same year he got a job at the Berezovskaya power plant as a crawler of the boiler and turbine shop. However, from 2012 to 2014, he did alternative civilian service in a nursing home for the elderly and disabled, since Christian beliefs did not allow Anton to take up arms. In this institution, he also received the gratitude of the management for conscientious work and personal contribution to the development of the institution.\nIn 2015, Anton married Nataliya. The couple love to be in nature, and in winter to ski and snowboard. Anton enjoys fishing and playing tennis with friends.\nAnton's colleagues at Berezovskaya GRES are amazed by the criminal case initiated against him for their faith, because they know him as a decent person and a responsible employee. Anton's father, who does not share his faith, is outraged by what is happening. \"It's lawlessness when believers who have not caused any harm to the state are grabbed,\" he says. Both parents' chronic diseases worsened due to the persecution of their son, and his mother needed medical attention.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ostapenko/photo_hu_b61e1f6e9631ff60.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ostapenko/photo_hu_44e4031b5662ff44.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ostapenko/photo_hu_14c72da84e8aa84b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ostapenko/photo_hu_6ff4cd8d289b19bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ostapenko.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Ostapenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 20, 2020, criminal proceedings were instituted against a 33-year-old father of two young children, Roman Ostapenko, for his faith. What is known about him?\nRoman's great grandfather became a Jehovah's Witness back in 1938. In 1951, the whole family was repressed and exiled from Ukraine to Siberia. His mother was already born there.\nRoman was born in 1986 in Abakan. He has an older sister and a younger brother. During his school years, Roman attended a drama club and an art school, and studied at a tiler-decorator. Later he studied in college as a construction technician, additionally graduated from the courses of designer, now he is mastering 3D modeling.\nFollowing his religious beliefs, Roman once asked for the replacement of military service by an alternative civil service (ACS). From 2008 to 2010, he underwent ACS in an ophthalmology hospital.\nRoman has been married since 2006. He and his wife, Ekaterina, have two sons.\nThe family has many hobbies. Catherine, among other things, is fond of drawing on glass. The whole family goes skiing, hiking, traveling.\nCriminal prosecution has broken the peaceful way of life of the Ostapenko family. His health has deteriorated. The family considers Roman's persecution for his faith unfair.\n","date":"2020-06-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ostapenkor/photo_hu_2edbec605fcc2bb5.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ostapenkor/photo.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/ostapenkor/photo_hu_5a3fc9d56b930fc1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ostapenkor/photo_hu_69939b692d995699.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ostapenkor.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Ostapenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ovchinnikov.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Ovchinnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2022, labor veteran Lyubov Ovchinnikova, who worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years, faced religious persecution. A criminal case was opened against an elderly widow for talking about the Bible.\nLyubov was born in 1958 in the village of Shchelkonogovsky (Sverdlovsk region) in a large family. When she was 6, they moved to live in the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye (Khabarovsk Territory). Her parents and three brothers are no longer alive, only two elder sisters remain. From a young age, Lyubov was fond of sewing.\nHaving received a secondary specialized education, Lyubov worked as a kindergarten teacher for about 30 years until her retirement. In retirement, she worked part-time as a cleaner. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, sewing, making various fabric crafts and cooking.\nLyubov got married in 1978 and moved with her husband to live in the village of Miassky (Chelyabinsk region). Later, due to the lack of their own home, the family came back to Knyaze-Volkonskoye. The couple had two sons and a daughter. When Lyubov was 38, she became a widow, and 5 years later, at the age of 21, her eldest son died of a serious illness.\nIn 1997, Lyubov, carefully studying the Bible, decided to devote her life to serving God. She found solace in the Bible\u0026#39;s promises of the resurrection of the dead to life on earth. At that time, she did not even think that 25 years later she would be prosecuted for her faith.\nBecause of the trial, Lyubov is forced to live in Khabarovsk. The woman began to have health problems. Her relatives worry about her and support her as best they can.\n","date":"2023-07-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_12b805669ea6024a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_5937da18fbf9159b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_f1ef58b9c8f18d7e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ovchinnikova/photo_hu_6e95853ea6b9f330.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ovchinnikova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyubov Ovchinnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2022, the life of the Ovechkin couple was divided into before and after—a criminal case was initiated against Oleg for his faith. The reason for this was that he is one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOleg was born in December 1974 in the city of Zarinsk, Altay Territory. As a child, he was fond of drawing and chess and loved fishing. After school, Oleg graduated from college with a degree in physical education, was engaged in weightlifting, kettlebell lifting and basketball. Oleg also mastered a number of professions: he worked as a janitor, a carpenter, a technician at a dairy plant, and a plumber.\nFrom his youth, Oleg searched for the real meaning of life. With this in mind, he began studying the Bible, which helped him find the long-awaited answer. Associating with Jehovah's Witnesses strengthened Oleg's desire to become a Christian, which he did in 1997.\nIn April 2004 Oleg started a family. His wife Yuliya works as an insurance agent, in her spare time she sews and learns English. In 2010, the couple moved to Barnaul. They love to spend time in nature and travel with friends around their native places.\nThe criminal prosecution came as a surprise to Oleg and his family. He said: “All the plans that we had had to be changed and now we have to live with the idea that at any moment they can put me in prison for a crime that I did not commit. I never thought this could happen in my life\".\nOleg's parents raised him to be an honest and respectable person. They wonder how anyone can be prosecuted just for believing in God and reading the Bible. Concern for their son had a negative impact on their health.\n","date":"2022-11-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ovechkin/photo_hu_13fa7dcc35c165e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ovechkin/photo_hu_c40dcb19831b2ba6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ovechkin/photo_hu_fcf2871f651991f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ovechkin/photo_hu_ad0fcd1ffd9b063a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ovechkin.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Ovechkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, authorities conducted a series of searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Spassk-Dalny. Olga Panyuta was detained. After several years of investigation and trial, the court found the woman guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 4.5 years in prison just because of her faith.\nOlga was born in 1959 in Nizhny Novgorod, later lived in several cities, after which she moved to Spassk-Dalniy. Olga graduated from a technical school, worked as a kindergarten teacher and social worker, now retired.\nIn 1982, Olga married Vladimir. He worked for the railroad for many years. The couple have two adult daughters and a son.\nWhen Olga began to study the Bible in depth, she liked the teachings about God and his Son, Jesus Christ. She could not even imagine that one day, because of her faith, she would be behind bars.\nRelatives and friends worry about the believer, understanding the absurdity of the sentence. “My husband saw how much stress I suffered because of the arrest, the rude words of the investigator, the humiliation during the imprisonment. And he realized that everything that we, Jehovah's Witnesses, are accused of is a lie,” Olga said, speaking with the last word before the court.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_5f5f56485514ba8a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_76046bc74b4b305f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/paniuta/photo_hu_2e31d239783e3f5a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/paniuta.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Olga Panyuta","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Stepan Pankratov became one of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sent to a detention center after a large-scale raid on Voronezh Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the summer of 2020. After 5.5 years of criminal prosecution, the court sent the believer to a penal colony for 6 years, considering his guilt in extremism proven.\nStepan expressed his opinion about this at the final stage of the trial: \u0026quot;All that has been proven is that I am a believer, a Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. Only no one hid it, I openly spoke about it on the day when they came to me with a search, when a restriction measure was being chosen. I do not hide the fact that I adhere to the views of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, known for their peacefulness throughout the world.\u0026quot;\nStepan was born in 1995 in Voronezh in a large family. He has a sister and three brothers. Stepan is the youngest of the children. Since childhood, he has been fond of various sports such as volleyball, basketball, and tennis.\nFrom a young age, when he was in high school, Stepan started working as a part-time employee. He mastered the profession of plastering and tiling. Due to his peaceful views, the young man underwent alternative civilian service, working as an orderly in a psychoneurological dispensary. He remained on friendly terms with all his colleagues. They still remember Stepan with warm words.\nFrom early childhood, the young man heard about God from his parents. The biblical knowledge he received prompted him to make a serious independent decision in the future—to take the Christian path.\nStepan met his future wife Darya in his hometown. She is a design engineer by profession. The spouses love to play sports together and spend time with friends and relatives.\nRelatives and friends consider the oppression of a peaceful person unfair.\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pankratov/photo_hu_9b4e453377c8ecdb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pankratov/photo_hu_b3d8371c8153abd2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pankratov/photo_hu_8c928a434ecf8505.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pankratov/photo_hu_194f04264c600907.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pankratov.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Stepan Pankratov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, in Nevinnomyssk, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases under two extremist articles against 9 elderly believers. One of the victims of persecution was Georgiy Parfentyev, an amateur gardener. All charges were later dropped from him. In July 2023, the elderly man passed away.\nGeorgiy was born in 1946 in the village of Stepanchikovo, Yaroslavl region. His mother was a milkmaid, and the man did not remember his father. His childhood was active: he went skiing with friends and every day overcame 5 kilometres, going to school through marshland.\nAfter school, Georgiy entered the railway school, where he studied as a locksmith for the repair of wagons and brakes. He worked as a grinder at a factory—first in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, then in Yaroslavl, where he moved to take care of his disabled mother, and from 1992 until retirement—in Nevinnomyssk. In retirement, an elderly man was doing what he loved—growing plants on his land and harvesting for the whole family.\nIn 1970, Georgiy met his future wife. Tatyana is a kindergarten teacher by profession. Together the spouses led an active lifestyle: skiing, skating and dreaming of a brighter future. The couple raised and educated their three children—their daughter graduated from a music school, their eldest son graduated from a construction institute, and the youngest received a degree in mechanical engineering.\nIn the early 1990s, the couple became interested in the Bible. “The Bible has answers to all questions that help me be happy,” Georgiy said.\nThe criminal prosecution greatly overshadowed the life of Georgy and his wife, and also hit their health, leading to an exacerbation of long-standing illnesses. The children considered the accusations of extremism to be unfair and meaningless.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_d889b5718803150c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_1bae1be6d0d232da.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_4acf16ea82f92110.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parfentyev/photo_hu_4e64b10751c7895d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parfentyev.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["died","elderly","families"],"title":"Georgiy Parfentyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2019, the Investigative Committee opened 9 criminal cases in Nevinnomyssk. This time, mostly people of venerable age fell into the category of \"extremists\". Pensioners were summoned for interrogations, during which some of them had high blood pressure, and searches took place for many hours in their homes. Among the defendants is a respectable married couple of the Parfentievs, each of whom is already over 70. What is known about Tatyana Parfentieva?\nTatiana was born in Yaroslavl in March 1947. The family is the only child, the mother raised her daughter alone. After graduating from school, Tatyana studied at a technical school of preschool education, worked as a kindergarten teacher, and later worked at home as a knitter.\nIn 1970 she married Georgy. Together we moved from Yaroslavl to the south, to Nevinnomyssk. The spouses are happy to engage in agriculture. Tatiana tries not to leave sports activities and continues to roller skate, visits the pool. The couple have three adult children.\nGeorge was the first in the family to become interested in Bible teachings. At this time, he moved to Nevinnomyssk, and Tatyana remained in Yaroslavl for some time. In his letters, he shared valuable insights from the Bible with his wife. Later, Tatiana joined her husband, and for more than 20 years she has remained faithful to her dedication to God. She is looking forward to the time when, according to the promise of the Creator, the resurrection of the dead will take place. \"When I found out about this,\" says Tatiana, \"I immediately thought of my mother-in-law. After all, she will also be resurrected! I wanted so much to ask her for forgiveness...\"\nDue to criminal prosecution, Tatyana's chronic diseases have seriously worsened, and most of her modest income is spent on treatment. A 7-hour search had a particularly negative impact on physical and emotional health, during which the spouses lost 10 thousand rubles - the pension they had just received. The children of Tatiana and Georgy are very worried about their elderly parents.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo_hu_8646bf66aff0fc0a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parfentyeva/photo_hu_8646bf66aff0fc0a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parfentyeva.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Parfentyeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Parfyonovich, father of six, became another victim of criminal prosecution in September 2022 after a series of searches in the homes of Crimean Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The court sent him to a penal colony because of his faith.\nSergey was born in May 1972 in the village of Mirnoye (Crimea). His mother and father, who is visually impaired, are already retired. Sergey has two sisters. As a child, he was fond of playing football.\nAfter school, Sergey graduated from a vocational school as an electrician for the repair of electrical equipment. During his life, he managed to work at a bakery plant, as a furniture maker, a cleaner on the territory of a sports complex, at a construction site. From January 2020 until his imprisonment, he cared for his sick father.\nSergey found meaning in life when he learned about God and Jesus from the Bible. He was amazed and comforted that, according to this book, in the future there will be paradise on earth and that people will live forever. This knowledge and appreciation for God prompted him to become a Christian in 1993.\nIn 1997, Sergey married Marina, a primary school teacher, with whom four sons and two daughters were born. Marina is now retired. She and their six children share Sergey\u0026#39;s beliefs and support him during this difficult situation in life. The couple loves spending time together with their children and families, as well as having friends around.\nSergey is still fond of football and often plays it with his sons and friends. He also loves to play chess and enjoy nature in the mountains and the sea.\nBecause of criminal prosecution, the life of a large family has changed a lot. Since the four older children live separately, Sergey\u0026#39;s responsibilities fell on the shoulders of the couple and younger children. Marina has serious heart problems, and other chronic illnesses have worsened due to stress.\nThe difficulties associated with the criminal prosecution brought the family closer together than ever. Everyone is trying not to lose cheerfulness and a positive attitude.\n","date":"2022-11-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parfyonovich/photo_hu_7dd2d5eca11d5554.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parfyonovich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parfyonovich/photo_hu_d30883dc190ca068.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parfyonovich/photo_hu_e9f21e302141d900.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parfyonovich.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Parfenovich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, Aleksandr Parkov was detained and placed in custody. A criminal case was also opened against the believer's wife, Galina. In January 2021, the court sentenced her to 2 years and 3 months on probation, and in July 2021, Aleksandr himself received 6.5 years of real imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in 1967 in the village of Spassk (Kemerovo Region). He has three siblings, their sister died. A large family lived in the village, and Aleksandr got used to work from an early age: he carried hay, grazed cattle, and later mastered the professions of a tractor driver and a bulldozer driver.\nIn 1990, Aleksandr married Galina, a primary school teacher. Recently, Galina has taught Chinese. Soon after the wedding, the Parkovs became keenly interested in the Bible and carried their love for this book throughout their lives. The couple have three children and already have grandchildren.\nIn 1999, Aleksandr moved his family to Mineralnye Vody and mastered a new business for himself — artistic copper forging. For some time the family lived in Yekaterinburg, and since 2016 Rostov-on-Don became their home.\nThe eldest daughter, Aleksandra, was expecting a child when her father was arrested. She had complications due to the stress. Not all of Aleksandr's relatives share his religious convictions, but everyone is outraged by the unfair treatment of him. The harsh verdict of the court came as a complete surprise to them.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parkov/photo_hu_93da4af6367bcaca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parkov/photo_hu_199c3b0a33ec1d3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parkov/photo_hu_5b480634709d19eb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parkov/photo_hu_f6e1bbbe926ccd9d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parkov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Parkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, in Rostov-on-Don, criminal cases were opened against Alexander and Galina Parkov. On January 26, 2021, the court sentenced Galina to 2 years and 3 months on probation. On March 22, the appellate instance upheld the verdict.\nGalina was born in 1970 in the city of Kaltan, Kemerovo Region. Her childhood was difficult - she drank injustice and violence in her own family, worked hard in the garden, cared for livestock, took care of her three younger brothers and sisters. Despite all this, Galina was a creative child – she loved to sing and draw. But due to the ongoing domestic violence at the age of 13, she decided to leave home and enrolled in a pedagogical college. Recently she worked as a tutor of the Chinese language.\nIn 1990, Galina met her future husband Alexander, and in the same year they got married. They have three daughters and two grandchildren. Due to health problems, the whole family decided to move to the city of Rostov-on-Don. Before that, we lived in Yekaterinburg for a year.\nSince childhood, Galina struggled with the feeling of uselessness and worthlessness, and a great support for her was the knowledge that God cares about everyone, and the secret of family happiness is in the application of His laws in her life. Advice from the Bible helped a lot in raising children.\nThe criminal case against Aleksandr was opened on May 20, 2019, and on the same day he was sent to a pre-trial detention center. A few days later, on June 6, a separate case was opened against Galina herself. She is forced to do odd jobs in order to support herself and help her husband in prison. I had to quit my previous job, as the bank card to which the salary was transferred was blocked. Relatives wonder why their mother, grandmother and daughter were labeled an extremist.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/parkova/photo_hu_7cb35fcfd7e5a730.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/parkova/photo_hu_eba9a6373ef5006d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/parkova/photo_hu_6941a3ec274f39ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/parkova/photo_hu_a8b98ed547bb93a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/parkova.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Galina Parkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2021, the house of Aleksey Pasynkov and his wife Yuliya, who live in Stavropol and are raising a disabled son, was invaded by security forces. The head of the family was suspected of extremism only because of his faith in Jehovah God. At the same time, searches were carried out at the homes of Aleksey\u0026#39;s brothers in Karachay-Cherkessia. Later, in the summer of 2024, criminal cases on similar charges were opened against Aleksey\u0026#39;s wife, Yuliya, and his mother, Tatyana.\nAleksey was born in February 1988 in Moscow. In 1989, he moved with his parents from Moscow to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), then the family lived for some time in Kazakhstan, and in 1998, Tatyana and her two sons moved to their parents in Karachay-Cherkessia, where Aleksey\u0026#39;s younger brother was soon born. The mother raised her sons alone, as the father left the family when the woman was pregnant with her third child. Her middle son was then only 1.5 years old, and Aleksey was 10.\nAs a child, Aleksey was fond of basketball and played table tennis. Right after high school, he got a job. He works as a plumber and is engaged in the decoration of houses and apartments.\nMother was the first in the family to start studying the Bible in 1997 in Kazakhstan. Three years later, she made the decision to live according to Bible principles. Soon Aleksey also embarked on the Christian path. He recalls: \u0026quot;I was impressed by how kind Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses were to each other.\u0026quot;\nAleksey lived for 6 years in Sol-Iletsk (Orenburg region), and now lives with his wife and son in Stavropol. Since November 2013, he has been married to Yuliya, who shares his views on life. She is a master of manicure by profession, but now she devotes all her time to caring for a disabled child, who is completely dependent on the help of her parents.\nThe persecution seriously affected the already difficult life of the Pasynkov family. Since they live in Stavropol, and the criminal case was initiated in Karachay-Cherkessia, trips to another region take time and money from Aleksey. He fails to carry out enough orders at work, as the investigator can call him at any time. The couple are also worried about how the criminal prosecution will affect their child\u0026#39;s life. Going to the store, clinic or any institution for a boy is possible only in the presence of one of the parents.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s relatives are also concerned about what is happening, they are especially worried that depending on what the persecution of the Pasynkovs will result in, the child may grow up without the support of his parents.\n","date":"2023-03-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pasynkov/photo_hu_f4b303ba7fc57c49.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pasynkov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pasynkov/photo_hu_3f88217d0b33817a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pasynkov/photo_hu_1ec343ec5d665e98.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pasynkov.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksey Pasynkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Zoya Pavlova, a civilian resident of the city of Alatyr, was accused of extremism only because she professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nZoya was born in 1965 in the village of Ibresi, Chuvash ASSR. When she was 2 years old, and her older sister was 7 years old, the girls were left orphans - their parents died.\nZoya graduated from the courses of a secretary-typist, and also mastered cooking. At the age of 19, she went to Kamchatka and got a job at a fish cannery. Zoya lived for some time in Cheboksary and Kanash. In 1989, she moved to Alatyr (Chuvashia), closer to her sister. Here she worked at the Alatyr Mechanical Plant, and then in the housing and communal services sector. Zoya has an adult daughter and a granddaughter, they live in Tatarstan.\nIn 2016, Zoe became interested in the Bible and its teachings. From this book she began to learn about God. She was particularly moved by the description of the Creator's love and compassion for people. As she continued her Bible study, Zoe also learned about Bible prophecies being fulfilled in our time. All this prompted her to embark on the Christian path in 2018.\nThe unfair criminal prosecution brought emotional distress to the peaceful believer. She will have to defend her right to freedom of religion in court.\n","date":"2022-06-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_4be3102f4c8944fa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_60b707956dcde317.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pavlova/photo_hu_657d590d92e8b6fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pavlova.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Zoya Pavlova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2021, another believer from Magadan, Galina Pechko, was accused of extremism. The criminal case against the pensioner turned out to be a source of stress for her and her family.\nGalina was born in March 1954 in the village of Orlovsky on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk (Khabarovsk Territory), whose inhabitants were later relocated to the neighboring village of Novaya Inya. Galina is the eldest of four children. Parents taught them kindness and hard work, the family often spent time together in nature. As a child, Galina was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, sang and danced. At the age of 16, Galina went to Khabarovsk and graduated from a trade school there. In 1971 she married and gave birth to two sons. Later, the family moved to Chukotka in the city of Bilibino. She retired in 2004, and the children had started their own families by then. Now Galina already has two grandchildren. In 2006, she remarried, and the couple moved to Magadan.\nFrom childhood, Galina wanted to learn more about God, but in the atheistic Soviet Union she did not succeed. Later, when more churches began to appear in the country, she began to visit various temples. However, she did not manage to get answers to questions about the Creator. In 2009, the woman began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. According to her, this not only satisfied her needs for spiritual information, but also helped to save the marriage, which was on the verge of collapse.\nGalina loves to spend time with her husband Victor, who also changed a lot after he learned biblical principles and began to apply them in life. The couple go fishing, go to the forest for barbecue.\n","date":"2021-04-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_36a85625ab53073a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pechko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_2f71fd26523d06cd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pechko/photo_hu_3c62f8ee175afa11.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pechko.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Pechko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yekaterina Pegasheva was arrested in October 2019 for talking about the Bible. The young woman was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. She spent several months in a pre-trial detention center, and then another 500 days under house arrest. In May 2021, the court sentenced the believer to six and a half years suspended sentence with four years of probation. The appeal upheld this decision.\nYekaterina was born in 1989 in the village of Gaintsy (Kirov region). She was the only child in the family. Yekaterina's father is no longer alive. The mother takes care of Yekaterina’s elderly grandmother, who cannot take care of herself.\nSince childhood, Yekaterina had a strong desire for knowledge and a creative mind - she still loves to read, as well as write poetry and sing. After school, she graduated from the Kirov Technological College, and later learned the Mari language.\nYekaterina managed to live in different cities, including Kirov, Kozmodemyansk, Kotelnich, Sovetsk and Yoshkar-Ola. She supported herself by working in the cleaning and organizing business, and readily took on other work.\nDue to criminal prosecution for religious beliefs, Yekaterina lost her job, which deprived her of the opportunity to help her loved ones. The search, detention, investigation and trials affected her health and the health of her loved ones. Yekaterina’s chronic illneseses have worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pegasheva/photo_hu_ca73f249a202d7c0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pegasheva/photo_hu_ca9cd8fcc2a5474b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pegasheva/photo_hu_3c11a9e239bd220c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pegasheva/photo_hu_4b8bfc6689b5dfee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pegasheva.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Yekaterina Pegasheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The mother of two sons, caring for her elderly mother, Irina Perefileva, for many years combined caring for the family with the work of a janitor. In 2021, she was under investigation for her peaceful religious beliefs - she was suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nIrina was born in March 1965 in the city of Verkhnyaya Pyshma, Sverdlovsk Region. Her father worked as a miner, and her mother worked in the trade. Irina has an elder brother. When she was 9 years old, the family moved to the village of Mednogorsky (Karachay-Cherkessia).\nAfter graduating from a technical school with a degree in road construction, Irina worked by profession in the city of Valuiki, Belgorod Region. Later, she had to change her occupation to take care of her disabled son. For more than 20 years she has been working as a janitor. In her free time, she is engaged in sewing.\nIn the early 2000s, experiencing personal difficulties and inner emptiness, Irina began to look for answers to important life questions. In 2003, she made the decision to follow Bible principles, finding comfort and support in the Scriptures.\n\u0026quot;By accepting the views for which I am being judged, I got rid of foul language, irascibility and touchiness,\u0026quot; Irina said in court. \u0026quot;Instead, I began to develop patience and self-control.\u0026quot;\nIn 2023, the court found Irina guilty and sentenced her to 5.5 years of probation. According to her, against the background of stress due to criminal prosecution, her health deteriorated.\n","date":"2022-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_6890eb54b24bc499.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_9b5768e25c10390a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_85f28a0ceb76fe26.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/perefileva/photo_hu_b87d9f2f083d457.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/perefileva.html","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Irina Perefileva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy had to spend 2 days in a temporary detention center after a raid by security forces in the town of Gryazi. The search and criminal prosecution came as a complete surprise to the believer. For three decades, she was a Christian and peacefully shared her religious views with others. But now she has to defend her right to freedom of religion.\nNatalya was born in 1953. Since childhood, she reflected on the beauty of nature, loved to draw. Having matured, the girl began to think about the meaning of life. But at that time she could not find answers to her questions, since the school instilled atheistic views. Living in Abkhazia, Natalya, together with her husband, raised three children, taught commodity science. In 1993, the woman was widowed.\nNatalya was always worried about injustice. Having got acquainted with the Bible, she received answers to her questions. Understanding the causes of people's suffering and applying wise advice from the Holy Scriptures helped the believer to relate more calmly to what is happening in the world.\nDespite the persecution, Natalya tries not to lose heart. She finds joy in her favorite hobbies — calm music and outdoor recreation. The believer notes that she has no grudge against people who suspect her of extremism.\n","date":"2020-12-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_86cd83f8b8610af6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_29bbb3468b5e1550.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_c1ffb3b8529bc622.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/perekatiy/photo_hu_f555c1168437947f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/perekatiy.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Natalya Perekatiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2020, Denis Peresunko lost his wife Olga who had the same views. She died from the aftereffects of the coronavirus. This tragedy took place against the backdrop of a criminal prosecution against a believer that began in 2019.\nDenis was born in March 1978 in Volgograd. He has a younger sister. Denis received the profession of a turner.\nPrior to his acquaintance with Bible teachings, Denis had problems with alcohol. At some point, he prayed to God for help. Two days later, Jehovah's Witnesses came to him. His Bible study, which he began with their help, was, in his conviction, the answer to prayer: he was able to cope with his addiction and change his lifestyle.\nNow Denis is on disability: he suffered a spinal injury and also suffers from several chronic diseases. The death of his wife exacerbated the stress of the criminal prosecution, which worsened Denis's illness. Relatives who do not share his faith consider the sentence imposed on Denis for his religious views as unmotivated.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/peresunko/photo_hu_36b0e16086331611.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/peresunko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/peresunko/photo_hu_a6f9de2aec7dbbeb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/peresunko/photo_hu_3d9c5b4d5acf0ed9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/peresunko.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Denis Peresunko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Perminov, who was confined to a wheelchair from his youth, lost his father in 2021, who died of coronavirus at the age of 93. Another shock was that law enforcement officers considered Andrey a dangerous criminal because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAndrey was born in May 1972 in the city of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region. One of his two elder brothers died tragically before the birth of Andrey. The whole family felt the bitterness of loss for many years.\nAs a child, Andrey loved to read books, went to the volleyball, wrestling and skiing sections. However, he had to leave the sport due to an illness that confined him to a wheelchair.\nIn 2000 Andrey graduated from Chelyabinsk State University with a degree in Accounting and Auditing. He worked as an accountant and assistant auditor for the city's disabled society, then became a website administrator and programmer.\nAndrey was worried about the future, the development of technologies, improving the living conditions of people. Since childhood, he deeply thought about the meaning and transience of life. In 1995, Andrey began to study the Bible with his parents, and in 1999 he embarked on the Christian path. Although the parents did not end up joining their son, they approved of his views. Father even took Andrey to church services in a wheelchair.\nIn the same period, in 1995, Andrey met Natalya, who, like him, appreciated biblical principles. He liked her for her kindness, attention and compassion for people. In June 2015, Andrey and Natalya got married. They love to spend time together and, if possible, are in nature. Andrey is also interested in programming languages and loves to watch videos on the construction of roads and bridges, and Natalya takes care of the garden in her free time.\nThe search and criminal prosecution disrupted the usual rhythm of the life of believers. The attitude of law enforcement officers to them as to criminals is very unpleasant for the Perminovs. Any knock on the door or the sound of an approaching car now triggers an alarm.\nRelatives and friends of the Perminovs are surprised that just because of reading the Bible, one could be accused of a serious crime. Andrey's elderly mother is sick and knows nothing about the criminal case, as it would become a serious stress for her.\n","date":"2021-12-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/perminov/photo_hu_5f8f166e1581bba3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/perminov/photo_hu_b5871ea2c71a77ea.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/perminov/photo_hu_491c908cdb3ab7bc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/perminov/photo_hu_7e7ba6033fa5eb86.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/perminov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Andrey Perminov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valery Petrenko was born in the city of Berezniki, Perm Territory, in 1962. Since childhood he is fond of radio electronics, loves to fish, play the guitar and harmonica, as well as travel. After school, he entered the branch of the Perm Polytechnic Institute in Berezniki, received the specialty of an automation engineer. He worked as a locksmith and foreman in instrumentation and automation. He is now retired.\nValery met his future wife Galina before studying at the institute, in 1985 they got married. Galina worked as a computer operator, and later as a software engineer. The couple love to go fishing and pick mushrooms and berries. They have two sons who live separately but maintain a good relationship with their parents.\nSince childhood, Valery wondered: what awaits after death? What is the \"end of the world\"? Starting to read the Bible, he found answers to all his questions, learned about Jesus Christ, his Father and what kind of future he had prepared for people. At that time, it was difficult for him to imagine that he would be overtaken by criminal prosecution for his faith.\nThe Petrenko family still feels the consequences of searches and interrogations. Valeriy's bank cards are blocked, so he cannot get an additional job, and Galina suffers from heart problems and needs constant medication.\nValeriy's family and friends know him as a peaceful and non-confrontational person, which completely contradicts the label of an extremist that has been hung on him. Valery decided not to devote his relatives to the details of the criminal prosecution. But, as one of his relatives once put it when he learned about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"I wish I had more such extremist relatives.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_dd0308c2212cd3cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_39f3aeffd4fc1132.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrenko/photo_hu_17c19920c4f181cd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrenko.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Petrenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Petrenko, like other Jehovah's Witnesses in the Altai Territory, felt the hardship of criminal prosecution in January 2022, when a wave of searches of the homes of peaceful believers swept through the city of Gorno-Altaisk. Sergey's home was one of those searched. In July 2022, a criminal case was initiated against him merely because of his religion and peaceful conversations about the Bible with friends. As soon as the case went to court in December 2022, Sergey was asked to resign from the state institution.\nSergey was born in April 1979 in the city of Ulan-Ude, Buryatia. At the age of six, he moved to the city of Bratsk, Irkutsk Region, with his parents and older sister. During his teenage years he was fond of chess and soccer and loved to fish.\nIn 1994 Sergey went to a vocational school and became a gas and electric welder. After graduation he worked at an automobile repair plant. Before the trial for his faith started, Sergey worked as a laborer. He is also a poultry farmer.\nOne day at school, Sergey's older sister heard a speech on a Bible topic. What she learned impressed her. After a while, the whole family began to study the Bible. Sergey was touched by the Bible's hope of the resurrection and God's promise to turn the earth into a paradise. In 1996, five years after his sister and mother, he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt the age of 18, Sergey had to make a decision about military service. Since there was no law on alternative civilian service, for eight years this young man was called every six months to the military registration and enlistment office.\nIn 2012 Sergey moved to the city of Gorno-Altaisk, where he met his future wife, Ulyana. In September 2013, they got married. Ulyana leads an active lifestyle; she goes to the mountains with her dog, loves swimming, and enjoys making confectionary. She learned about God from her family and was touched by the Bible's hope that in the future, everyone will live in peace and security. In 2009 she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe search of their home negatively affected the health of the Petrenko family. Relatives and friends do not understand why this happened, and they worry about Sergey and his family.\n","date":"2023-01-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrenkos/photo_hu_48a009fab3a53fd7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrenkos/photo_hu_a96fded91e8e1d35.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrenkos/photo_hu_35e88384f0361bd6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrenkos/photo_hu_18ab94db35a0b0ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrenkos.html","regions":["altai"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Petrenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A year after the wedding, Konstantin Petrov was unexpectedly arrested, spent 64 days in a pre-trial detention center, after which he was transferred to house arrest. For several years, he was forced to prove his right to freedom of religion in court.\nKonstantin was born in 1986 in Nizhnevartovsk (Tyumen region). As a child, he was fond of playing the guitar and attended a theater club, with which he went on tour to other cities. For several years he was engaged in judo. When he was 8, his father died, and mother raised the children alone. Konstantin has an elder brother.\nIn high school, Konstantin mastered the profession of an electrician. He was also engaged in the repair of household appliances, electronics and the repair and decoration of apartments. He worked as a specialist in the repair of washing machines and other electrical equipment.\nAs a child, Konstantin wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ. At the age of 13, he read a book about him that impressed him. Later, he and his brother met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, who helped them better understand the Bible. For 3.5 years, Konstantin did alternative civilian service at a chemical plant in Kazan, since his peace-loving Christian convictions did not allow him to take up arms.\nKonstantin lived in Kazan for some time, then moved to Bryansk, and since 2015 he has been living in Magadan. In 2017, he married Tatyana, a girl close to him in spirit. She worked as a seamstress and cleaned the premises. Tatyana was among the wives who sent a collective letter to the Council under the President of the Russian Federation.\nThe couple loves to spend time together—cooking and baking cakes, playing musical instruments and singing, being in nature and hiking with friends.\nAll relatives, including the mothers of Konstantin and Tatyana, are worried about criminal prosecution and do not understand how peaceful good people can be accused of a serious crime. For several years now, they have not had the opportunity to see each other in person due to restrictions related to the criminal case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/petrov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/petrov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/petrov/photo_hu_9f7acbca0ee401d7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/petrov/photo_hu_9f7acbca0ee401d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/petrov.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantin Petrov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sean Pike, a former employee of the Ministry of Transport of Guyana, has been living in Russia for more than 20 years. He is known as a responsible professional in the field of building design, as well as a peaceful believer, Jehovah's Witness. It was because of this belief that he was detained and thrown into a pre-trial detention center, accused of extremism.\nSean was born in 1971 in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. His parents divorced, but his father maintained good relations with his son and took him to his place on weekends and holidays. Sean's mother, Juliet, married a second time and soon the boy had a younger brother and sister. Juliet worked as a cook, the family lived poorly, and the children from an early age understood that they needed to work hard. The woman belonged to one of the Christian denominations and tried to instill in all her children faith in God.\nSince childhood, Sean read a lot and studied well. For good academic performance, he was assigned to one of the most prestigious schools. Sean graduated with honors and entered the hundred best students in the country. He was offered to continue his education at a university abroad. There were several countries to choose from, and the young man chose Russia, about which he had heard a lot and wanted to go there. Sean entered the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia at the Faculty of Industrial and Civil Engineering, graduated with honors from the magistracy.\nIn the late 1990s, Sean began to study the Bible seriously. He was particularly touched by the depth and wisdom of the biblical counsel, as well as the good qualities of the people who applied it to their lives. In 1997, Sean was determined to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2001, Sean married a Russian girl, Tatiana. The young family settled in Guyana, in Georgetown. There, Sean worked in the Ministry of Transport in the state program for the construction and repair of roads, and also underwent additional training in his specialty in Trinidad, Brazil, Japan and other countries.\nIn 2008, the couple decided to return to Russia, to Moscow. In the same year, their eldest daughter was born, and in 2014, the youngest. Since 2012, Sean has worked for an international construction company, and in recent years as a senior project team leader. The company's management appreciates him as a conscientious and responsible employee and has repeatedly sent him letters of thanks.\nWhen the eldest daughter of Sean and Tatiana was 5 years old, she fell ill, she was assigned the II disability group. Despite the girl's illness, the couple try to maintain a cheerful mood of both daughters. The sisters play music, participate in school events, city competitions, and in the evenings like to read with their dad. The family's favorite pastime is trips to the sights of Moscow and the Moscow region. Sean and Tatiana like to find new beautiful places, parks and spend time there with the whole family.\nThe arrest of Sean Pike turned the family's life upside down and shocked everyone who knows him. His bank accounts were blocked. Sean's father, brother and uncles wrote letters to all sorts of authorities, hoping for justice. The management of the company where Sean worked before his arrest is also worried about his highly qualified employee and expresses support for his wife. Taking care of the material needs of the family fell entirely on the shoulders of Tatiana.\n","date":"2021-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pike/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pike/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pike/photo_hu_96772816fe1b3bab.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pike/photo_hu_96772816fe1b3bab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pike.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Sean Antonio Pike","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Piskarev is one of three civilians in Oryol who ended up behind bars because of their faith in Jehovah God in December 2020. The pre-trial detention center in which believers were placed, once known as the Oryol Central, is one of the oldest institutions in the Russian penal system. At one time, political prisoners of the Stalinist regime were placed there, so a monument to the victims of political repression was erected there. About 3 years later, Vladimir was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony for his beliefs.\nVladimir was born in 1956 in the city of Karpinsk (Sverdlovsk region). He has a younger brother. Their mother and father are no longer alive. As a child, the boy was fond of music, played the button accordion. He was also a radio amateur, collected stamps, skied and skates, was engaged in wood carving and painting.\nAfter school, Vladimir graduated from a technical school, where he received the profession of an electromechanic. He worked as an electrician, signalman, power engineer, engineer. He is now retired.\nIn 1976, Vladimir married Tatyana, who was also prosecuted for faith about a year after Vladimir was taken into custody. The couple raised two children—a son and a daughter. When the children lived with them, they loved to go to the forest with the whole family to pick mushrooms, as well as visit the theater. In 1990, the family moved from Stary Oskol (Belgorod region) to the Caucasus, closer to their parents. They lived there for 10 years, and later settled in Oryol.\nVladimir loves justice and honesty. He wanted to find decent people living according to the commandments of Jesus Christ. Having met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the early 1990s, he eventually made a decision to become a Christian too, which he did in 1995.\nThe criminal prosecution was a serious shock. Behind bars Vladimir had an acute attack of gallbladder disease, due to which he was hospitalized. There he also repeatedly suffered hypertensive crises and stroke. Piskarev said: \u0026quot;Why did this happen? Because in the pre-trial detention center they simply did not give me medicines, although they were there. The medications were given by my beloved wife, because I had to take them literally every day. Even when they started giving it out, they gave me literally one or two pills a week.\u0026quot; The believer was released in April 2025, having served his sentence in full.\n","date":"2021-01-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo_hu_f7d7e7c38d1004ff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/piskarev/photo_hu_f7d7e7c38d1004ff.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/piskarev.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","families"],"title":"Vladimir Piskarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Piskareva was prosecuted for her faith about a year after her husband, Vladimir, was jailed on charges of extremism.\nTatyana was born in 1956 in the village of Belenikhino (Belgorod Region). She has a younger sister. The parents are no longer alive. As a child, Tatyana loved skiing, listening to music, dancing, singing and writing poetry.\nAfter school, Tatyana completed accounting courses and worked in her specialty, she also worked in the technical control department of the repair shop.\nTatyana was introduced to the Bible and its teachings by a neighbor. The woman was impressed that the truths of this book were simple and clear. The warm attitude of other believers towards her strengthened Tatyana's faith and prompted her to embark on the Christian path in 1995.\nTatyana met her future husband Vladimir while visiting a friend. They got married in 1976. The couple raised two children: a son and a daughter. The whole family loved to go fishing.\nTatyana is a sociable person. She enjoys spending time with friends, as well as visiting beautiful places, playing billiards and table tennis.\nThe Piskarevs moved around a lot. They managed to visit many cities and regions of Russia—from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Rostov-on-Don. For some time they lived in Armenia. Later they settled in Orel.\nDue to the persecution, Tatyana's health deteriorated, now she needs to take medication regularly. Relatives worry about Tatiana and Vladimir and support them.\n","date":"2022-02-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_ff35cc22492692ef.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_8758696188b73234.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_5255194f39d3cbe8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/piskareva/photo_hu_fb0cce232e108b7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/piskareva.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Piskareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, Aleksey Plekhov reported torture. What is known about him?\nAlexey was born in 1977 in Surgut. He has a younger brother. From a young age he was interested in spiritual questions about the Creator, the Bible, etc. Subsequently, he found convincing answers to them in the Bible. At first, parents were against their son's spiritual search, but then they saw that the Bible was making him better, while the children of many acquaintances died from drug use or went to prison for drug trafficking - then Surgut was covered by a wave of drug addiction. This changed the attitude of his parents to Alexei's religious choice, and they realized that living according to high moral standards is beneficial.\nAlexey has mastered the profession of a welder and successfully works in it. In 2013, he married Anna, who worked as an accountant. Soon after the wedding, the newlyweds moved to Megion (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), but two years later they returned to Surgut. There they had two daughters.\nAlexei's relatives and colleagues do not understand the reasons for his persecution, because they know his family as decent and honest people. Alexei's mother, who does not share his religious views, is outraged by what is happening and wonders: \"Why was it allowed for so many years, and now suddenly it is impossible?\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/plekhov/photo_hu_17fa8caa01b4e9b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/plekhov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/plekhov/photo_hu_f30834e6ead0f056.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/plekhov/photo_hu_6e6c17186078d5e8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/plekhov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Plekhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2022, Yevgeniy Plotnikov, a civilian resident of Yoshkar-Ola, was subjected to criminal prosecution only because of his beliefs —the security forces aggressively invaded the believer. After a search, he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center.\nYevgeniy was born in 1982 in the village of Dalniy (Altai Territory). He has an elder brother. Their parents are retired. As a child, Yevgeniy was fond of clay modeling and drawing.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy acquired the profession of an electrician of the fourth category. He worked in the Surgut communications and radio navigation center. Later he worked as a watchman on duty at the Center for Humanitarian Education, as well as at in construction.\nIn his free time, Yevgeniy, like in childhood, loves to draw and sculpt. He also goes hiking in the mountains and snowboarding.\nIn 2001, Yevgeniy, following the example of his mother, decided to become a Christian. Because of his peace-loving convictions, he did not want to learn to fight, so he asked for the opportunity to do an alternative civilian service, which he was never given due to frequent moves—he led an active lifestyle and visited Surgut, Shadrinsk, Khanty-Mansiysk and many other cities.\nThe criminal persecution for faith causes concern for Yevgeniy's mother and brother.\n","date":"2022-05-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/plotnikov/photo_hu_e629e1df29c7607f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/plotnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/plotnikov/photo_hu_79932c1f1bf60149.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/plotnikov/photo_hu_2b8bca6397c6fbd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/plotnikov.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Plotnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Studying the Bible helped Aleksandr Podolin from the Lipetsk region to get rid of bad habits. He quit smoking and abusing alcohol, started a family and became a truly happy person. However, law enforcement agencies considered his religion dangerous for the state and opened a criminal case against Aleksandr and 7 of his co-religionists.\nAleksandr was born in September 1970 in the Lipetsk region. He was the youngest of eight children in the family.\nAfter graduating from the 8th grade of the school, Aleksandr left for Moscow. There he studied at the engine department of the Polytechnic and then worked as a mechanic on the railway.\nAleksandr’s grandmother was a believer, she read the Gospel every day. She often talked about God, and the young man wanted to get to know the Bible better, but in the hustle and bustle of life there was not enough time for this activity.\nIn his youth, according to Aleksandr, he wanted to take everything from life, so he went headlong into sports and entertainment, but this did not bring much joy. “On the contrary,” he says, “there were many problems, disappointments, and a sense of emptiness.”\nWhen Aleksandr was 24 years old, he met Jehovah's Witnesses. They helped him find answers to his questions in the Bible. As he read and meditated on the Holy Scriptures, Aleksandr became more and more eager to get rid of bad habits and develop good qualities. It was not easy, but gradually, over the course of 13 years, he was able to achieve his goal. In 2009, he completely did away with the old way of life.\nIn 2014, Aleksandr married Svetlana. His parents lived a long life, and since 2000, as a loving son, he looked after them until their death. Many of Aleksandr’s relatives appreciated the positive changes that had taken place in him. Despite the fact that the authorities have accused him of extremism, his relatives continue to give him their support.\n","date":"2022-03-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/podolin/photo_hu_6f0eee0eb744ae21.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/podolin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/podolin/photo_hu_b3d75b915f10bc4f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/podolin/photo_hu_1ce75c4c732737b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/podolin.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Podolin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2024, Nikolay Polevodov, a peaceful electrician from Khabarovsk, received a harsh sentence in the region for his faith. The court sentenced him to 8.5 years in a penal colony. He had previously received a two-year suspended sentence on similar charges in another court.\nNikolay was born in 1970. As a child, he loved to read, especially history books. After graduating from school, he was educated as an electrician and worked by profession for a long time.\nNikolay, who grew up in a non-religious family, considered himself a staunch atheist, but was keenly interested in the question of the origin of life. One day, he learned from a school friend that there was evidence for the existence of God and the validity of the Bible. Thoughtful reading of this book prompted the man to reconsider his views on life and devote his life to serving God.\nPolevodov said: \u0026quot;I remember how for a long time I felt an inner emptiness from the fact that I did not know what the meaning of life was. I had a job, friends, health, and a roof over my head, but none of this filled the inner emptiness. And when I got acquainted with the Bible, everything fell into place. I realized that there is a loving Creator. I completely changed my life: I got rid of the habits that were ruining my health and ruining my relationships with others. Thanks to my religious beliefs, I have no enemies and I myself do not hate anyone.\u0026quot;\nIn 1995, Nikolay married Tatyana, who worked as a teacher. They had a son, Ilya. Nikolay and Tatyana love to sing with the guitar, play sports in the open air, travel.\nNikolay is known as a kind and sympathetic person, always ready to help in word and deed. His verdict was a real shock not only for the family, but also for friends and colleagues. They cannot understand what extremist things he has committed.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polevodov/photo_hu_d948793e26b42dac.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polevodov/photo_hu_ccaa0e684c07e1fa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polevodov/photo_hu_ee43498a2dfc93f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polevodov/photo_hu_27a3249275c3d293.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polevodov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Polevodov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2024, Nikolay Polevodov, a peaceful electrician from Khabarovsk, received a harsh sentence in the region for his faith. The court sentenced him to 8.5 years in a penal colony. He had previously received a two-year suspended sentence on similar charges in another court.\nNikolay was born in 1970. As a child, he loved to read, especially history books. After graduating from school, he was educated as an electrician and worked by profession for a long time.\nNikolay, who grew up in a non-religious family, considered himself a staunch atheist, but was keenly interested in the question of the origin of life. One day, he learned from a school friend that there was evidence for the existence of God and the validity of the Bible. Thoughtful reading of this book prompted the man to reconsider his views on life and devote his life to serving God.\nPolevodov said: \u0026quot;I remember how for a long time I felt an inner emptiness from the fact that I did not know what the meaning of life was. I had a job, friends, health, and a roof over my head, but none of this filled the inner emptiness. And when I got acquainted with the Bible, everything fell into place. I realized that there is a loving Creator. I completely changed my life: I got rid of the habits that were ruining my health and ruining my relationships with others. Thanks to my religious beliefs, I have no enemies and I myself do not hate anyone.\u0026quot;\nIn 1995, Nikolay married Tatyana, who worked as a teacher. They had a son, Ilya. Nikolay and Tatyana love to sing with the guitar, play sports in the open air, travel.\nNikolay is known as a kind and sympathetic person, always ready to help in word and deed. His verdict was a real shock not only for the family, but also for friends and colleagues. They cannot understand what extremist things he has committed.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polevodov2/photo_hu_d948793e26b42dac.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polevodov2/photo_hu_ccaa0e684c07e1fa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polevodov2/photo_hu_ee43498a2dfc93f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polevodov2/photo_hu_27a3249275c3d293.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polevodov2.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Polevodov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2018, security officials raided Sergey Polyakov and his wife Anastasiya with a search. Masked men beat the believer, and then he and Anastasiya were placed in solitary confinement for 5 months. The reason for this was the religion of the spouses. In November 2020, the court found Sergey guilty of extremism and sentenced him to 3 years in a penal colony. Anastasiya was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended sentence.\nSergey was born in 1972 in the Murmansk region. From childhood he had an inquisitive mind. Sergey was fond of reading. After graduating from school, he received an engineering education as a radiophysicist-researcher, speaks English.\nIn the early 2000s, Sergei met Anastasiya, who became his reliable life companion. Together they traveled a lot. They have common hobbies: both are fluent in Serbian, Kazakh and Chinese, and can express themselves in sign language.\nNumerous friends of the Polyakovs consider it outrageous that Sergey, a peaceful believer, was thrown into jail only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/poliakov/photo_hu_d340a37e8eeb40e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/poliakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/poliakov/photo_hu_46f66cdcd34bd9df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/poliakov/photo_hu_becb243990e5dfbd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/poliakov.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Polyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2018, security forces raided Anastasiya Polyakova and her husband Sergey. Masked men beat the believer, and then he and Anastasiya were placed in solitary confinement for 5 months. The reason for this was the religion of the spouses. In November 2020, the court found Anastasiya guilty of extremism and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation. The court sent Sergey to a correctional colony for 3 years.\nAnastasiya was born in 1984 in the Murmansk region. She has a secondary specialized legal education. In 2003 she married Sergey. The couple traveled a lot, together they were fond of studying Serbian, Kazakh, Chinese and Russian sign languages.\nNumerous friends of the Polyakovs cannot believe that the couple were condemned as extremists only because of their faith in Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/poliakova/photo_hu_cb503a8a70c8b64a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/poliakova/photo_hu_9abb225cc7c94b79.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/poliakova/photo_hu_98d0a9d5ad616431.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/poliakova/photo_hu_f4a0746598bdfe4e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/poliakova.html","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Polyakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Polosenko is a civilian resident of Samara, who, because of his faith in Jehovah God, was considered an extremist by law enforcement officers. After the search, the man was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for more than a year. The court sentenced him to 7 years of imprisonment. The appeal approved this decision, and the believer was sent to a penal colony in Mordovia to serve his sentence.\nSergey was born in 1968 in the city of Angren (Uzbekistan) in a large family—his parents raised 10 children. Three years after Sergey was born, the family moved to Petrozavodsk (Karelia), and later, in 1976, to Chapaevsk (Samara Region). Sergey\u0026#39;s parents and two sisters are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Sergey was a versatile child: he played hockey, went in for cycling, loved to play the guitar, was fond of photography. After school, he studied as a bricklayer, and then entered a school in Kuibyshev, where he received the profession of a train electrician of the fifth category. In 1998, after graduating from the Samara Institute of Railway Transport Engineers, he acquired another specialty—an engineer-economist.\nSergey worked as a bricklayer, a train electrician, later as a head of a train on the Samara-Moscow route, and from 2009 until his arrest he was the director of a beauty salon.\nSergey\u0026#39;s interest in the spiritual was instilled in him by his mother from childhood. Love for God and the Bible prompted him to become a Christian at a young age.\nSergey met his future wife Lidiya in childhood—he was friends with her brother. Spiritual guidance received from her mother, as well as a deep personal study of the Bible, motivated Lydia to embark on the Christian path. She married Sergey in 1993. She is a self-employed hairdresser. Her hobbies are creating hairstyles, improving her professional skills, reading books and learning new things. Also, Lidiya loves to travel the world, walk in the fresh air, play educational board games with friends and sing songs with a guitar.\nThe criminal prosecution of Sergey caused bewilderment and indignation among his relatives and colleagues. Employees and clients of the beauty salon are outraged by what is happening, as they respect Sergey and know him well as a fair leader and a respectable family man.\n","date":"2022-01-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polosenko/photo_hu_c98e43ee15f78c16.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polosenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polosenko/photo_hu_b04add7c0480904.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polosenko/photo_hu_3338b5e05c3dd229.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polosenko.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Polosenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"After two groups of special forces surrounded the camp site in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) on October 20, 2019 and blocked more than 50 believers, searches and interrogations began. 49-year-old Alexander Polozov ended up in a pre-trial detention center. What do we know about this man?\nAlexander was born in 1970 in the city of Torzhok (Tver region). He has a younger sister.The family moved to live in Norilsk when he was two years old. In his youth, he was seriously engaged in hockey, swimming and boxing.\nAfter school, he graduated from a vocational school, where he received the specialty of an electrician. In recent years, he worked as a rescuer in the gas rescue service of Norilsk. Back in the 1990s, he decided to live according to the biblical commandments, becoming seriously interested in Christianity. Since 1998 he has been married to Svetlana. The couple love to ride and travel together.\nAleksandr's health failed him on the ill-fated day of his arrest - it was on October 24, 2019 that he went to the doctor complaining of high fever and blood pressure problems, in connection with which he received a sick leave. Despite the above symptoms, he was taken to a pre-trial detention center, where only a week later he was able to transfer the medicines he needed. Alexander's mother is painfully experiencing the arrest of her son, she often has to call an ambulance.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polozov/photo_hu_a3e07f0cad671c7b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polozov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polozov/photo_hu_5fa02a523b62501c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polozov/photo_hu_557f72a414a44efb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polozov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Polozov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful citizen of Solikamsk Vladimir Poltoradnev worked in the field of cleanliness. In July 2020, law enforcers searched his home, and the believer was placed in an isolation ward for 4 days. Now the man will have to defend his right to freedom of religion in court.\nVladimir was born in 1962 in the village of Krasnoschekovo, Orenburg region, in a family of ordinary toilers. He has three elder sisters. As a child he was engaged in various active sports: athletics, basketball, skiing. In 1982, after military service with his parents, he moved to Orsk, later to Kuvandyk, and then settled in Solikamsk (Perm region).\nVladimir graduated from the Russian Correspondence Institute of Textile and Light Industry in Moscow, where he became a mechanical engineer for sewing equipment. He was an individual entrepreneur for 18 years.\nIn 1999, Vladimir got acquainted with the Bible. This ancient book made an indelible impression on him. He was especially surprised by the fact that biblical prophecies are fulfilled in our time. Vladimir was so glad that he found answers to serious questions about life that in 2001 he decided to take the Christian path. Inspired by the example of the father, his two daughters joined him in a study of the Holy Scriptures.\nVladimir leads an active lifestyle: he likes running, swimming, skiing and skating. Due to house arrest, he was deprived for some time of the opportunity to support himself and go out into the fresh air, which made him feel worse. Relatives of the believer think that criminal prosecution is unfair and illegal.\n","date":"2020-11-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_ae0e959bb851cf26.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_da63538c0f7106f1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_b9380349be47cd46.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/poltoradnev/photo_hu_32cf4dcda48818c0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/poltoradnev.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Poltoradnev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 28, 2020, Gennady Polyakevich was imprisoned in Pechora (Komi Republic) as a result of mass searches in the homes of civilians.\nGennadiy was born in 1959 in the village of Irayol, Komi Republic, in a family of ordinary villagers. His father, Joseph, worked as a driver, and his mother, Augustine, worked as a cleaner at school. Gennady was the eldest of two brothers in the family. Childhood was not easy, the family was not rich, often toys for children were replaced by planks, bricks and a rich imagination.\nAfter graduating from school and serving in the army, Gennady worked for a short time as a bricklayer at a construction site, and then graduated from the technical school of communications and got a job in his specialty in Pechora. Later he studied in absentia at the Leningrad Institute named after Bonch-Bruevich. Gennadiy worked at the communications enterprise for more than 30 years, received the title of veteran of labor and master of communications.\nAccording to the stories of Gennady, at an early age, looking at the stars, he thought about their creator. His parents were the first to get acquainted with the Bible, and later Gennady also decided to learn more about what was written in this book. New knowledge prompted him to embark on the path of a Christian, which he did in 1994.\nAround this time, Gennady met Elvira, who shared his newfound values. He married her in 1996 and adopted her young child. In 2003, the couple had a daughter, Elina. Elvira has been working in one of the pharmacies in Pechora for many years and, like her husband, has a good reputation among her colleagues.\nAccording to Gennadiy's relatives, he always devoted a lot of time to helping friends and acquaintances. Criminal prosecution in one day destroyed the calm happy life of the family. Sleepless nights and fear followed at every knock on the door. At the same time, family members are determined to respond to events in a Christian way and continue to rely on God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_4b729d34fd27196a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_ff70283913763eae.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/polyakevich/photo_hu_c181c81fa530797b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/polyakevich.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Polyakevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, Lyudmila Ponomarenko, a pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, was searched. Later, the believer was accused of participating in extremist activities. In May 20201, the court found her guilty and sentenced her to 2 years of probation.\nLyudmila was born in 1950 in the village of Ola (Magadan Region), but has been living in Rostov-on-Don since the age of 9. His mother was a believer and worked as an accountant in a garment factory. She was able to instill faith in her two daughters.\nAs a child, Lyudmila was engaged in rhythmic gymnastics, read a lot and often visited the library. She graduated from high school and construction college. After receiving a diploma of secondary technical education, she got a job as an economist in the construction department, and later worked at the plant as an electrician.\nFor more than 20 years, Lyudmila has been leading a Christian lifestyle. For many years she had a desire to know the Bible and understand what was written in it. She was greatly impressed by the personal name of the Creator, which she saw in the Bible. She was also struck by the fact that from this book you can learn about God's plans. Knowing God's laws and applying them in life helped to preserve the marriage, improve family relationships, and raise two daughters.\nNow Lyudmila is retired, she has two grandchildren. She is engaged in household chores, caring for her husband, who is seriously ill. She devotes her free time to reading and crocheting toys.\nThe difficult circumstances in which Lyudmila found herself affected the whole family. Although her relatives do not share her religious beliefs, they sincerely do not understand why their wife, mother, and grandmother were convicted. The daughters are concerned about the health of their parents, since after the search, interrogations, investigation and trial, both of them were seriously shaken.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_504d0a05225af561.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_753f5c0b9ce88b66.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenko/photo_hu_a233d4efa821938e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ponomarenko.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyudmila Ponomarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Ponomarenko, an electrician from the Primorsky Territory, faced criminal prosecution for believing in God. He underwent several searches, the believer was placed under recognizance agreement and included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nYuriy was born in September 1958 in the city of Ussuriysk (Primorsky Territory), since 1970 he has been living in the Pozharsky District of the Primorsky Territory.\nAs a child, Yuriy attended a local history circle, led a school vocal and instrumental ensemble. After school he worked as a car electrician, then after the army he received a special education and became a driver. In recent years, Yuriy has been working as an auto electrician at the Primorskaya hydroelectric power plant. In his free time he likes to pick mushrooms and work in the country.\nWith his wife Lyubov, Yuriy has been married for over 35 years. The couple love to meet with friends, go to the forest together.\nYuriy always watched the creations and came to the conclusion that everything could not appear by itself. His wife started reading the Bible. In this book, Yuriy found answers to his questions and in 1995, together with Love, embarked on the Christian path.\nYuriy says: “After the searches, the feeling that you are constantly under surveillance does not leave. Due to constant stress, health has deteriorated, chronic diseases have worsened, because of the blocking of bank cards, there have been difficulties with receiving a salary. \"\nRelatives, colleagues and acquaintances of Yuriy do not understand why this hard-working elderly man is being persecuted.\n","date":"2021-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_cc1e5df3bf4d228.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_fc832ddba5655045.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_9c480a602c4ce92e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu/photo_hu_3cae9c4e9b12e710.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ponomarenkoyu.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Ponomarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution of Olga Ponomareva, a foreign language teacher, which began in March 2021, affected her poor health. Her elderly mother, who lives with her, is extremely outraged that her daughter is accused of extremism.\nOlga was born in the village of Lesnikovo, Kurgan Region, in December 1974. Her father died when her daughter was 20 years old. Later, she lost her older brother.\nSince childhood, Olga read a lot, loved to travel to different cities, visiting museums and sightseeing. Interest in foreign languages was added to these preferences. After school, Olga graduated from Kurgan State University, having mastered German and English. For about three years she worked at school as a teacher of foreign languages, and now she is engaged in tutoring. Olga loves animals.\nDespite the fact that Olga grew up in a family far from religion, her heart was touched by the fact that God has a name. In addition, the Bible's accuracy in matters of science convinced her that the book was inspired by God. She began to study the Bible diligently and received answers to questions about injustice and human suffering. In 1993, Olga embarked on the Christian path.\nDuring her life, Olga moved more than once. She lived in Khanty-Mansiysk and Nizhnevartovsk, as well as in the Saratov and Chita regions. In January 2010, she was diagnosed with an incurable disease. After several surgeries to change the climate, she and her mother moved to the village of Kholmskaya, Krasnodar Territory, where, because of her faith in God, she was accused of involvement in the activities of a banned organization.\n","date":"2021-06-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ponomareva/photo_hu_6b8f74c5c21d5698.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ponomareva/photo_hu_7a38d6a943880bf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ponomareva/photo_hu_63df9b5674227d0d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ponomareva/photo_hu_e836c320293181b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ponomareva.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Ponomareva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Yuliya Popkova was not easy from childhood. She grew up in an incomplete and dysfunctional family. Mom died early, so the girl's fragile shoulders took care of her autistic younger sister until her death in 2009. In April 2021, Yuliya faced another serious test - because of her faith in Jehovah, she ended up in a pre-trial detention center.\nYuliya was born in the city of Bogoroditsk (Tula region) in December 1978. She had a younger sister as well as a half-brother and sister. As a child, she loved to draw, was actively involved in sports - volleyball, basketball, played for the school team. She loved to read, especially Russian classics, enjoyed learning something new.\nAfter studying to be an accountant, Yuliya worked as a seamstress, a dough sheeter operator in a confectionery shop, a shoe uppers at a factory and a nanny in a kindergarten. The children loved her very much, and the management often asked for help as a talented graphic designer. Recently she worked in a cleaning company, where she has established herself as a decent, responsible and accurate employee.\nAs before, Yuliya loves reading, listening to audiobooks, cycling, playing tennis and doing Pilates. She enjoys spending time with her friends in nature.\nYuliya never had a loving family, she did not feel parental care, so she could not believe that someone could really love and appreciate her. The knowledge of the Creator from the Bible melted her heart and helped to get answers to her questions about the meaning of life. In 1999, she became a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Yuliya's health. Friends are worried and worried about her, because they do not understand why a decent and honest person, always ready to help, is accused of extremism.\n","date":"2021-05-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popkova/photo_hu_8df9aa7622aa3cfa.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popkova/photo_hu_c4bc33ba65fa2923.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popkova/photo_hu_10c047d29c1e83cd.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popkova/photo_hu_b86334b5e3149f63.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popkova.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuliya Popkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mikhail Popov was arrested for his faith on July 30, 2018, together with his wife Yelena in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka region), spent several days in a pre-trial detention center. What is known about him?\nMikhail was born in 1962 in Leningrad, but as a child he lived for many years in Kamchatka in connection with his father's work. Entrepreneur, owned a number of small firms. Since childhood he is fond of music, graduated from a music school, created his own musical group. He has been married since 1985 and has a son and a daughter.\nMikhail first learned about the teachings of the Bible in the early 1990s, and they touched his heart vividly. The Bible gave reasonable answers to exciting questions, gave life meaning. Mikhail and Elena decided to build their family life on biblical principles, and today it is a close-knit, close-knit family.\nAlthough not all of Mikhail's relatives share his Christian beliefs, they were all very sensitive to the events of the summer of 2018, when Mikhail and Yelena were thrown behind bars on false accusations. Both of them have nothing to do with extremism and violence.\nAfter 22 months, the criminal prosecution lasted, the believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced to a large fine. The verdict came into force on May 19, 2020, when the Kamchatka Regional Court issued an appeal ruling on their complaint.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popov/photo_hu_cc95d8acab92930b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popov/photo_hu_4a85d18ff3eec277.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popov/photo_hu_aae6b6b3e49e20fa.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popov.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Mikhail Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Popova was arrested on July 30, 2018 in Kamchatka together with her husband Mikhail, spent several days in a temporary detention center and under house arrest. He is charged under Article 282.2 (parts 1, 1.1) related to \"extremist activity\". What do we know about her?\nElena was born in 1963 in Aleksin (Tula region). As a child, she studied piano at a music school, was fond of photography and sewing clothes. In 1972, together with her parents, she moved to Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka Territory). Later she met Mikhail there, whom she married in 1985. Mikhail was a talented musician, performed in a vocal and instrumental ensemble. In the following years, they had two children. All members of the Popov family love to relax together, play musical instruments, be in nature and communicate on spiritual topics.\nIn the mid-1990s, both Elena and Mikhail became keenly interested in the teachings of the Bible and in the future always sought to adhere to the norms of behavior and attitude towards people that it prescribes in their lives. \"Love and harmony should reign in all families, around the world. This is what the Bible teaches, and what my husband and I strive for, \"says Elena. Yelena's relatives and neighbors, who do not even share her religious views, were very surprised to learn about the arrest. They wonder how the \"extremist\" Article 282.2 can be applied to such a peace-loving and decent person.\nAfter 22 months, the criminal prosecution lasted, the believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced to a large fine. The verdict came into force on May 19, 2020, when the Kamchatka Regional Court issued an appeal ruling on their complaint.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popova/photo_hu_72fdd2a59811a41b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popova/photo_hu_72fdd2a59811a41b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popova.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yelena Popova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Igor Popov is one of the Irkutsk believers who ended up in jail after the raid by security forces in October 2021. After the searches, he learned that he was charged with a serious crime just because of talking about the Bible.\nIgor was born in September 1987 in the village of Uzun-Agach (Kazakhstan) in a large family. His father died in 1998, and his mother had to raise 8 children on her own.\nDuring his school years, Igor was fond of skiing and volleyball, participated in competitions. Later, he took up running, strength training, and playing the harmonica.\nAfter school, Igor moved to Omsk, where he immediately got a job. He worked as a janitor, plumber, and was engaged in finishing work.\nWhen Igor's parents became interested in the Bible and began to study this book in the early 1990s, they were happy to share new knowledge with their children: they talked about Bible teachings about the resurrection of the dead and a wonderful future. At the age of 18, Igor himself took up seriously studying the Bible and a year later embarked on the Christian path.\nIn the Omsk region, Igor met his future wife, Mangira. They got married in 2013. Igor's wife is a hairdresser. She is fond of drawing and sewing.\nThe persecution Igor faced was a blow to his entire family. Relatives, including those who do not share his beliefs, do not understand how such a meek and kind person was equated with criminals.\n","date":"2021-12-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popovig/photo_hu_de62e0f05f3d68f3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popovig/photo_hu_1b2ff7fbcfe7edea.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popovig/photo_hu_14246fc1345bca65.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popovig/photo_hu_660b56be63711bbe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popovig.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Pavel Popov from the Chelyabinsk region grew up in a dysfunctional family and was a difficult teenager. With the help of the Bible, he managed to radically change his life. Today, this decent man is accused of extremism because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nPavel was born in March 1977 in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region). The family had five children. The parents are no longer alive. Father died when Pavel was 15 years old.\nThe boy found it difficult to study at school, in the first grade he began to smoke, and in the fifth grade he became addicted to alcohol. Pavel was registered in the children's room of the police for frequent fights and theft. He shares: \"In the yard they knew me as a bully for whom the prison is waiting.\"\nAfter graduating from college, Pavel got the profession of a car mechanic of the 4th grade, and later learned to be a gas electric welder of the 5th grade. He worked at a factory, as a janitor in a kindergarten, as a loader at a bakery, as a welder. Since 2005 he has been working in the construction industry.\nIn his youth, Pavel learned that the Bible contains answers to his questions: why is there so much evil in the world, and what is the meaning of life? He recalls: \"I was fascinated that the Bible openly discusses scientific facts about the shape of the earth, medical views, quarantine, and the internal consistency of the Bible and fulfilled prophecies.\"\nPavel liked that Jehovah's Witnesses, who introduced him to Bible truths, lived by high moral standards. After the second meeting with them, the young man quit smoking, and six months later, at the age of 18, he embarked on the Christian path.\nThe knowledge gained from the Bible did not allow the young man to take up arms. “10 times I was in the military registration and enlistment office and each time I wrote a statement about alternative service, but since it was not in the country, I was again drafted into the army, and again I had to go through a commission,” Pavel recalls.\nPavel met his future wife Yelena in 1995. She shared his views on life. In the Bible, Yelena was attracted by the fact that God has a wonderful plan for obedient people: to give them eternal life in paradise on earth. In 2003, young people got married. Together they moved to the village of Krasnogorsk (Chelyabinsk region), and since 2007 the couple have been living in the city of Yemanzhelinsk. Yelena is very fond of reading, singing and dancing, and together with her husband she likes to go to the forest for mushrooms and berries. A schoolgirl daughter is growing up in the family.\nDuring the first search in 2019, family albums with photographs and videos were taken from the Popovs. “For several weeks we were under stress and, seeing any police officer, we were alarmed,” the spouses say. The criminal prosecution also affected Pavel's work — the contractor refused to pay for his work at three sites in connection with the summons to interrogation to the investigator Chepenko. Pavel lost a significant income. Relatives and acquaintances of the Popovs, including those who do not share the religious beliefs of the spouses, wonder why they are persecuting this law-abiding person.\n","date":"2021-07-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popovp/photo_hu_f9e11a927181d1ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popovp/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popovp/photo_hu_461e71d818e5e2b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popovp/photo_hu_e3a12d94f8b44ca2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popovp.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Pavel Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2020, in the city of Zverevo, security forces detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center the father of three children, Vladimir Popov. In September 2022, the court sentenced him to 7 years in prison just because of his faith.\nVladimir was born in 1967 in the town of Shakhty, Rostov Region. His father worked as a miner, and his mother worked as a salesman, bath attendant, and laundress. Vladimir has a younger sister. He lived in different settlements of the Rostov region: Gukovo, Zverevo, Dubovskшy district.\nAs a child, Vladimir was fond of designing, he made toy clockwork cars, and in his school years he assembled a bicycle and a moped. In high school, he attended a radio club.\nAfter graduating from the courses of an electric and gas welder, Vladimir worked in the housing office. In the mid-1990s, he took up entrepreneurial activities—he opened a car repair shop and worked in this area before being taken into custody. Before the criminal prosecution, Vladimir was engaged in beekeeping, owned an apiary. He loves to have fun with friends and family.\nVladimir met his future wife back in school, and in 1985 they got married. By education, Irina is a seamstress, but after the birth of her children she was engaged in their upbringing and household management. In her spare time, she knits and learns English.\nVladimir and Irina began studying the Bible in the mid-1980s and embarked on the Christian path together in the summer of 1985. Vladimir was worried about the injustice in the world, and he was especially touched by the promise of God to solve this problem. Irina, who had previously been a convinced atheist, was impressed by the logical biblical explanations about the origin of life and the existence of the Creator. The couple instilled biblical values in their children: sons Mikhail and Dmitriy and daughter Mariya. Michael, in turn, brings up his two sons according to Christian standards.\nOnce behind bars, Vladimir lost his business and clients, the bee apiary was left unattended, and his wife, who has been caring for her paralyzed mother (disabled group I) since 2003, was left without collateral. Due to stress, Irina partially lost her sight, which required expensive treatment.\nVladimir's neighbors and relatives, who do not share his convictions, cannot believe that such persecution for their faith is possible in our time.\n","date":"2020-10-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popovvla/photo_hu_48c69327d95da135.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popovvla/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popovvla/photo_hu_741d1cfbfc379e08.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popovvla/photo_hu_88e283212b398bce.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popovvla.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Popras is a peaceful Christian, loving husband, father and grandfather. In June 2021, he was detained and sent to the detention centre. The believer was soon released, but he learned that a criminal case was opened against him under an “extremist” article only because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in June 1967 in Bratsk, Irkutsk Region. As a child, he loved to fish with his father and older brother, pick mushrooms and berries in the forest. After graduating from college and receiving an electrician diploma, Aleksandr went to the army, where he served as a signalman for 2 years. After the army, he worked as a driver, and since 2012 has been working at a service station.\nIn 1988, Aleksandr met Yelena, and a year later they got married. Aleksandr's wife is from Kyrgyzstan, where she spent her childhood and youth. Yelena received a medical degree, works as a radiologist. In the marriage, the couple had two children: first a daughter, and later a son. The children have grown up, and now Aleksandr and Yelena have four grandchildren. Severe Siberian frosts negatively affected the well-being of the wife, and in 2017 the family decided to move to the city of Gryazi, Lipetsk region.\nWhen the children were still young, Yelena met Jehovah's Witnesses, who showed her the name of God in the Bible. Aleksandr also became interested in the Holy Scriptures. Although his parents were atheists, he wondered about the existence of God. With the help of the Bible, he came to the conclusion that life did not arise through evolution, but through creation. Subsequently, the daughter joined the parents in researching this ancient book.\nAfter the searches in November 2020, the feeling of alarm did not leave Aleksandr. Although the son and elder brother did not share the views of the believer, they were outraged that he was searched and detained.\n","date":"2021-07-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/popras/photo_hu_6fd8a90139ab6dc0.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/popras/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/popras/photo_hu_4e7e5c3f604febe5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/popras/photo_hu_f931b1f853c68270.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/popras.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Popras","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, unexpected changes took place in the life of 27-year-old Mariya Portnyagina (Myasnikova) from Blagoveshchensk. The excitement and joy of the upcoming marriage were clouded by criminal prosecutions for believing in Jehovah God.\nMariya was born in January 1994 in the village of Chernigovka (Amur Region) in a large family. She has an elder brother, a twin sister and a younger sister. Parents, despite their retirement age, continue to work. As a child, Mariya was engaged in choreography and dancing, loved to play football. During her school years she lived in the city of Svobodny (Amur Region), and later moved to study in Blagoveshchensk, where she remained to live.\nAs a child, Mariya liked to do hairstyles, so after graduating from school she entered the lyceum, where she received the specialty of a universal hairdresser. She worked as a hairdresser, later as a nurse in a polyclinic. Recently she worked as a housekeeper and office manager. In her free time, Mariya enjoys playing sports ball games, as well as writing poetry and singing.\nMariya's mother tried to instill in her daughter a love of the Bible from infancy. Therefore, even in her youth, the girl made a conscious decision to embark on the Christian path. She was touched by biblical prophecies and their exact fulfillment, as well as the biblical promise of eternal life on a paradise earth.\nOn September 21, 2021, Maria married Nikolay Myasnikov. Nikolay shares his wife's religious beliefs. He loves to learn languages.\nThe criminal prosecution did not break Mariya's spirit, but it affected her emotional state. Due to the stress she has experienced, she has to deal with feelings of anxiety. Relatives worry about the girl and are outraged by the unjustified attitude of the authorities towards peaceful believers.\n","date":"2021-09-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/portnyagina/photo_hu_2846b3c5b9f5ac6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/portnyagina/photo_hu_677fac0b378a691e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/portnyagina/photo_hu_a1c84e4265102eb1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/portnyagina/photo_hu_520a63cad3849c61.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/portnyagina.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Mariya Myasnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov was born in 1965 in the city of Vyazemskiy (Khabarovsk Territory). He spent his childhood and youth in Khabarovsk. During his school years, he was engaged in sports and design, as well as collecting stamps and badges. After school, he received the specialty of an assistant locomotive driver. For some time he was fond of sailing.\nSince childhood, he read many books of different genres: from detective stories to astronomy textbooks. Reading encouraged me to think about the past, the future, and ask questions: why do people fail to achieve peace? Why do people destroy the earth? Are we alone in the vast universe and what is the meaning of life?\nBy the age of 18, Oleg was addicted to alcohol and drugs, got into a hooligan group, was soon arrested and ended up in prison. After a while, Oleg met people studying the Bible. They surprised him with their desire to live according to high moral standards, provided evidence of the existence of the Creator, and soon Oleg changed his outlook on life, quit smoking and stopped swearing. After his release in 1986, he continued to lead a meaningful life and develop friendship with God.\nIn 1989, Oleg married Agnessa, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. Oleg has several specialties, the last 15 years he worked as a plumber. He is fond of astronomy and biology, reads a lot about discoveries and research in these areas. The spouses love to spend time in nature, go hiking.\nThe prolonged criminal prosecution has had a negative impact on the physical and emotional state of the family. In court, Postnikov said: \u0026quot;Now, when there is so much talk in the country about the need to strengthen family ties, about traditional family values . . . I just can\u0026#39;t believe it: does the state really need to destroy my family in order to punish me for my faith?\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_deac10849414867c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_2a7197286160f55d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikov/photo_hu_7d86ddb9f9168356.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikov.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Oleg Postnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov was born in 1965 in the city of Vyazemsky (Khabarovsk Territory). He spent his childhood and youth in Khabarovsk. During his school years, he was engaged in sports and design, as well as collecting stamps and badges. After school, he received the specialty of an assistant locomotive driver. For some time he was fond of sailing.\nSince childhood, he read many books of different genres: from detective stories to astronomy textbooks. Reading encouraged me to think about the past, the future, and ask questions: why do people fail to achieve peace? Why do people destroy the earth? Are we alone in the vast universe and what is the meaning of life?\nBy the age of 18, Oleg was addicted to alcohol and drugs, got into a hooligan group, was soon arrested and ended up in prison. After a while, Oleg met people studying the Bible. They surprised him with their desire to live according to high moral standards, provided evidence of the existence of the Creator, and soon Oleg changed his outlook on life, quit smoking and stopped swearing. After his release in 1986, he continued to lead a meaningful life and develop friendship with God.\nIn 1989, Oleg married Agnes, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. Oleg has several specialties, the last 15 years he worked as a plumber. He is fond of astronomy and biology, reads a lot about discoveries and research in these areas. The spouses love to spend time in nature, go hiking.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the physical and emotional state of the family: there was a fear of wiretapping and surveillance, sleep was lost, and Agnesa's chronic diseases worsened.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_deac10849414867c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_2a7197286160f55d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikov2/photo_hu_7d86ddb9f9168356.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikov2.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Oleg Postnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early 1980s, the large family in which Agnessa Postnikova grew up was persecuted by the authorities for practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. They came to them with a search, their mother was summoned for talks in the KGB, the father and one of Agnessa's brothers were fined, and the other was imprisoned for a year and a half for refusing to cooperate with the special services. Today, the believer is again facing persecution: a criminal case for extremism has been opened against her and her husband.\nAgnes was born in 1963 in Kazakhstan. She is the fifth of seven children in the family: she has 4 older brothers and 2 younger sisters. Parents worked hard to provide the children with everything they needed. They believed in God and instilled this faith in their children, but it was not easy - the school brought them up in the spirit of atheism.\nAs a child, Agnessa attended dance and theater classes. She loved skiing and skating. In summer they fished on the river, went hiking. After school, she graduated from courses in cutting and sewing, worked in a tailor shop.\nWhen Agnessa was in high school, the whole family became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses. Their logical reasoning during discussions on religious topics convinced Agnes and her brothers of the existence of a Creator. It was then that she first heard the name of God - Jehovah. She was especially touched by the Creator's promise to resurrect the dead (Agnessa never saw her grandparents, and she really missed them). As a result, all family members became Christians.\nFrom Kazakhstan, Agnessa moved to the Far East, to Khabarovsk. After a while, all the other family members moved to her. In 1989 she married Oleg. Immediately after the wedding, the couple moved to Birobidzhan. They raised two children. The family loves to spend time in the country, take care of flowers, go hiking.\nThe persecution fundamentally changed the life of the married couple and badly affected the poor health of Agnessa, who had previously undergone three surgeries. The spouses now live in constant stress, waiting for the next search.\n","date":"2021-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_2a5c0afa72ecf0a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_4623a88f0e88f9a1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_5a431c2a18527f46.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/postnikova/photo_hu_8f607ce3d41128ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/postnikova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families","elderly"],"title":"Agnessa Postnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2021, security forces came to the home of 42-year-old Mikhail Potapov and his wife to conduct a search. The head of the family was handcuffed, taken away for interrogation, and then placed in a pre-trial detention center. The investigation considered the religious beliefs of a peaceful believer to be a serious crime.\nMikhail was born in April 1978 in the village of Kepa (Karelia). His older sister, disabled since childhood, lives with her mother. His father died in 2006. As a child, Mikhail loved reading, hiking, fishing with his father, listening to music.\nAfter school, Mikhail learned to be a carpenter, worked in this specialty at the local House of Culture and at a machine-building plant. Recently, he worked as a repair technician for refueling and servicing office equipment.\nMikhail was always interested in spiritual matters. He even looked for courses in the study of the Scriptures, but did not find any and began to read the Bible with a friend. Having received answers to his questions, in 2003 he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2011, Mikhail married Tamara, a girl who shares his views on life. She works as a manicure master, loves to knit. The couple enjoys traveling together. They visited many picturesque places in Russia: in Karelia, the Arkhangelsk region, in the Urals.\nDespite the fact that Mikhail's family does not share his religious views, they are shocked by the accusations of extremism brought against him. The believer's elderly mother could not hold back her tears after learning about the persecution of her son.\n","date":"2021-03-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/potapov/photo_hu_55c8ede863b9426d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/potapov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/potapov/photo_hu_398c6c1a3bb62294.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/potapov/photo_hu_8a41c03572bd7ad.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/potapov.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Potapov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, at least seven civilians were searched in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region) because of their beliefs. The investigation suspects that one of them, Sergey Potylitsyn, participated in religious services. What is known about this man?\nSergey was born in 1981 in Severodvinsk, a mechanic-repairman for the repair of industrial equipment by profession. He has two brothers and a sister. He likes to go to nature, pick mushrooms and berries, fish.\nOne day, Sergey learned from his relatives that the Bible convincingly explains where everything came from, as well as why there is so much injustice in the world. This prompted him to delve deeper into this book and change his life. Paradoxically, this attracted the attention of law enforcement agencies of Severodvinsk. \"The family is friendly, everyone is worried about each other,\" says Sergey about his family's reaction.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/potylitsyn/photo_hu_adabb12f6127063c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/potylitsyn/photo_hu_adabb12f6127063c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/potylitsyn/photo_hu_be1f46a8f1d157c2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/potylitsyn/photo_hu_be1f46a8f1d157c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/potylitsyn.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Potylitsyn","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2018, Aleksandr Pryanikov was arrested by the police while talking on biblical topics. A month later, a criminal case was opened against the peaceful believer, accusing him of participating in the activities of a banned organization. More than a year later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Pryanikov was found guilty and sentenced to 2.5 years of probation. A second criminal case was also initiated against the believer, which is pending before another judge.\nAleksandr was born in 1987 in the village of Udinsk (Khabarovsk Territory). He has two sisters. Mom is retired now, father works on a watch. Back in the early 1990s, Aleksandr's family moved to Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), and in the summer of 1997 — to the city of Nazarovo, where his parents still live. From childhood, Aleksandr was fond of music: he studied at the music school in the accordion class, participated in competitions, in which he often took first places. For some time he was engaged in weightlifting.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Nazarov Power Engineering College with a degree in Power Plants, Networks and Systems. He worked as an electrician at a factory of reinforced concrete structures.\nFrom childhood, Aleksandr sincerely believed in the existence of God and read the Bible. His heart was deeply moved by God's promise that people would never die again. Due to his Christian beliefs, which did not allow taking up arms, he underwent alternative civilian service in a boarding house for the elderly and disabled in Kemerovo.\nAleksandr does not work in his specialty, but is engaged in a small-income business — the manufacture of decorative tiles for sale. In his free time, he tries to keep himself in physical shape and learns to repair computer equipment.\nAleksandr met his future wife Anastasiya in Kemerovo, when he was doing alternative civilian service there. They got married in 2011. Anastasiya is a seamstress by profession. He loves making various souvenirs, postcards and gifts with his own hands. In May 2020, Anastasiya also became accused in a criminal case of extremism — already the second in which her husband appears.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prianikov/photo_hu_77a42442ddd6c01d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prianikov/photo_hu_4ad82f723cde7c13.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prianikov/photo_hu_aebcf35057ad01a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prianikov/photo_hu_7c119eef7dde7ac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prianikov.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Prianikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2018, Aleksandr Pryanikov was detained by the police while talking about Bible topics. A month later, a criminal case was opened against the peaceful believer, accusing him of participating in the activities of a banned organization. More than a year later, the case went to court. In July 2021, Pryanikov was found guilty and sentenced to 2.5 years of probation. A second criminal case has also been initiated against the believer, which is under consideration by another judge.\nAleksandr was born in 1987 in the village of Udinsk (Khabarovsk Territory). He has two sisters. Mom is retired now, father works on a watch. Back in the early 1990s, Aleksandr's family moved to Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), and in the summer of 1997 — to the city of Nazarovo, where his parents still live. From childhood, Aleksandr was fond of music: he studied at the music school in the accordion class, participated in competitions, in which he often took first places. For some time he was engaged in weightlifting.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Nazarov Power Engineering College with a degree in Power Plants, Networks and Systems. He worked as an electrician at a factory of reinforced concrete structures.\nFrom childhood, Aleksandr sincerely believed in the existence of God and read the Bible. His heart was deeply moved by God's promise that people would never die again. Due to his Christian beliefs, which did not allow taking up arms, he underwent alternative civilian service in a boarding house for the elderly and disabled in Kemerovo.\nAleksandr does not work in his specialty, but is engaged in a small-income business — the manufacture of decorative tiles for sale. In his free time, he tries to keep himself in physical shape and learns to repair computer equipment.\nAlexander met his future wife Anastasia in Kemerovo, when he was doing alternative civilian service there. In 2011 they got married. Anastasia is a seamstress by profession. He likes to make various souvenirs, postcards and gifts with his own hands. In May 2020, Anastasia also became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism, the second one, in which her husband appears.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prianikov2/photo_hu_77a42442ddd6c01d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prianikov2/photo_hu_4ad82f723cde7c13.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prianikov2/photo_hu_aebcf35057ad01a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prianikov2/photo_hu_7c119eef7dde7ac3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prianikov2.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Prianikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Prilepskiy's father survived political repression in the 1930s and was exiled to the north of the country with his parents and his brothers and sisters during the dispossession process. In January 2020, a criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr on suspicion of extremist activity. On December 31, 2022, the believer died in the hospital from complications of COVID-19 before he could restore his good name in court.\nAleksandr's family has gone through a lot. His grandfather was exiled to the north of the country, where he died. His little daughter (Aleksandr's mother) had to leave school in order to start working to support the family. Aleksandr was born in August 1964 in the town of Pechora. He had a sister. His parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Aleksandr loved playing tennis and spending time in nature. As an adult, he liked to play the guitar and listen to music in his free time.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from college with a degree as an electrician. He worked in that profession for some time and later worked as a plumber. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as a janitor. However, the incident had a negative impact on Aleksandr's health, and he had to quit.\nIn 1990, Aleksandr married Vera, whom he met at work. After some time, the man began to seriously study the Holy Scriptures, and a year later, his wife joined him. Recognizing how Bible principles can change a person's life for the better, in 1994 Aleksandr decided to become a Christian. Vera began her journey as a Christian in 2005.\nThe couple raised a daughter, Anna, and they had two grandchildren. Vera and Anna were worried about the criminal case. They tried their best to support the person dearest to them. Aleksandr believed that the Christian view of unjust persecution helped him endure.\n","date":"2023-01-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prilepskiy/photo_hu_e8af4972fa2fcad8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prilepskiy/photo_hu_b6ec825f2cf417b4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prilepskiy/photo_hu_8882b60adc1a72ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prilepskiy/photo_hu_cd40bb76093e97d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prilepskiy.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["died"],"title":"Aleksandr Prilepskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"December 2020 was a particularly difficult period in the life of Nikolay Prokhorov: he lost his mother, and 10 days later his house was searched. In his youth, Nikolay dreamed of a just world and believed in the ideals of communism, in which he soon became disillusioned, but later found a firm hope for the future thanks to the Bible. Paradoxically, it was precisely because of his love for the Holy Scriptures that the believer found himself under investigation.\nNikolaiy was born in March 1964 in the village of Morshan in the Kirsanovsky District of the Tambov Region into a simple working-class family. In 1985 he graduated from the Nizhny Novgorod Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School of Air Defense and entered the army. He served in the Moscow region and in the Far North. In 1993 he quit his job and moved to Sevastopol, where he took up business.\nIn 2000, Nikolay met his future wife Yelena, who worked in an atelier. In 2005, they moved to Kirsanov to care for Nikolay's mother, and in 2008 they got married after learning about Bible norms regarding marriage. “I began to study the Bible because of the behavior of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was very different from what I had experienced before. I realized that I had found the truth, ”says Nikolay. Since 2008 he has been a committed Christian.\nThe couple raised two children: son Vasiliy and daughter Alyona, who already live separately. The daughter works in a web design studio, the son is in college. Nikolay is fond of swimming and making herbal preparations, Yelena loves to cook. Also, the spouses travel with pleasure and watch biathlon competitions.\nBecause of the criminal case, Nikolay lost his job, and the family was left without the main income. The man worked for 16 years at the Kirsanov Electric Networks enterprise, from where he was dismissed the next day after the search. Colleagues wonder why a peaceful, responsible employee is accused of organizing extremist activities only because of his convictions. Nikolay's relatives are also outraged by the unfair accusations against him.\n","date":"2021-01-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_d85f9eef3cbce513.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_401d8527701d2f4e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/prokhorov/photo_hu_f077c00b9dba7a54.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/prokhorov.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Nikolay Prokhorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 19, 2020 in the city of Karpinsk, Sverdlovsk region, a criminal case was opened against three more local residents on charges of extremism. One of them is Anastasia Pryanikova.\nAnastasia was born in 1987 in Kemerovo. She grew up with her older brother. Her mother brought them up alone. Nastia studied at a music school, sang folk songs and attended an art club. After the 11th grade she entered a sewing school and finished it with a red diploma.\nIn 2011, Anastasia married Aleksandr. Soon they moved to the city of Tarko-Sale, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. A year and a half later, she moved to the city of Karpinsk in the Sverdlovsk region. At the moment, the spouses live in the neighbouring town of Volchansk.\nWhen Nastia was 10 years old, her mother started studying the Bible. The girl was touched by the promises of a peaceful future for humanity recorded in this book. Later, when she became a teenager, she was able to appreciate the wisdom and practicality of biblical advice. Their application helped to avoid the mistakes of her peers.\nNow Anastasia is studying at a hairdresser and a driving school.\nHer favorite activities are growing vegetables, making cards for friends, sewing and embroidery with her own hands. Anastasia is also fond of making costume jewellery from polymer clay.\nIn 2018, the first criminal case was initiated against Anastasia's husband, Aleksandr, on charges of extremism. The ensuing search, the trial and the court verdic concerning her husband caused Anastasia a lot of stress. She fell ill with panic attacks and had to take medication. In February 2020, investigators opened one more case gegen Alexander against Aleksandr. And in May, Anastasia herself was also under investigation.\nNastia's friends and relatives are outraged by the fact that ordinary decent citizens are prosecuted.\n","date":"2020-06-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/pryanikova/photo_hu_bdc78655646e3af4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/pryanikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/pryanikova/photo_hu_44cb1dcffc5bcaed.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/pryanikova/photo_hu_710c519915e79a7f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/pryanikova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Anastasiya Pryanikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Ivan Grigorievich Puida was born in 1978 in the village of Kvitok (Irkutsk region) in a large believing family. Ivan has six younger brothers and a sister.\nAs a child, Ivan loved to read, played the accordion, dreamed of traveling. After graduating from school, he began working as a driver, lived and worked in different places: in Nizhneudinsk (Irkutsk region), Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Khabarovsk.\nIn Krasnoyarsk, Ivan met a girl named Anastasia, a dentist by education. They got married in 2005. Ivan and Anastasia love to travel, play board games, spend time together. Ivan's wife and other relatives are shocked that in a civilized country, peace-loving citizens are thrown behind bars as \"extremists\".\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/puida/photo_hu_bb7be265e4293b66.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/puida/photo_hu_211b78ea9a81ad0b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/puida/photo_hu_81fa96a1231adab0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/puida/photo_hu_6270e97bf9d49dc5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/puida.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Ivan Puyda","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nina Purge is one of the elderly residents of Vladivostok accused of extremism because of her love for the Bible.\nNina was born in July 1940 in the village of Pesochek (Pskov region). She has a younger brother. Their childhood took place in wartime and was difficult. When the village was occupied by German soldiers in 1942, Nina miraculously escaped death.\nNina received the profession of livestock specialist and worked in it, and later she was engaged in cleaning in preschool educational institutions. After graduating from the Tallinn Naval School, Nina's husband was assigned to Vladivostok and since then they have been living in this city. The couple raised two children.\nNina became interested in Bible teachings in the late 1990s. Bible advice helped her change her life for the better.\nThe criminal prosecution had a serious impact on the health of an elderly woman.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_562b97edce15ee59.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_7c195edaefae4555.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_3188dce1d6eacdff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/purge/photo_hu_dc8dfdcd329f33a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/purge.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Nina Purge","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Putintsev, a peaceful believer from Chita, was among the defendants in a criminal case after a large-scale raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in 2020, which involved more than 30 investigative teams.\nAleksandr was born in 1974 in the village of Verkhnyaya Khila in Transbaikalia and was the only child in the family. Since childhood, he loved to read and was fond of photography. Aleksandr received a secondary technical education and went into business, later working with his wife.\nAcquaintance with the Bible in the late 1990s turned Alexander's life upside down. The principles in this book helped save a family that was falling apart at the time. At that time, Aleksandr abused alcohol, was cocky and tough. But everything changed when he began to apply the advice recorded in the Bible in his life. His wife, Galina, with whom he married in 1994, decided to follow the Christian path, like her husband.\nThe Putintsevs have a son. The family loves to relax in nature. Galina cooks well.\nThe criminal prosecution did not go painlessly for the family - both Aleksandr and Galina suffered emotionally. “For a long time, we couldn’t start putting the house in order and put back the things scattered by law enforcement officers during the raid,” they said after the search. “There is an internal anxiety: you expect that they will again break through the door, break into the apartment, put them face down on the floor and handcuff them behind.”\nRelatives and friends consider the sentence illogical and unfair.\n","date":"2020-06-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/putintsev/photo_hu_a2e4c0dd377d42d2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/putintsev/photo_hu_d04955e105e317cd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/putintsev/photo_hu_b79733cc11bf8f1f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/putintsev/photo_hu_3b602dc7e554ee36.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/putintsev.html","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Putintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev didn\u0026#39;t trust any religion, but his acquaintance with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses changed his life for the better—he made loyal friends and learned to apply Bible principles in his life. However, a criminal case was opened against him for his love of the Bible and he was sent to a pre-trial detention centre in December 2020.\nArtur was born in Chita (Trans-Baikal Territory) in March 1970. He grew up in a large family and was the eldest of six children. As a child, he loved to go fishing and ride a motorcycle.\nThe family moved several times. Artur graduated from a vocational technical school in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky (Rostov region) and received a specialty as an electrician. He worked by profession at a factory. After serving in the army in 1991 he moved to the village of Buninskiy (Oryol region) and got a job at a state farm. There he met Lyudmila, and in 1993 they got married. After the wedding, Artur started his own business, and for the last two years before his arrest he worked in a taxi.\nIn 2005, Artur, after carefully studying the Bible, embarked on the Christian path. A year later, his mother joined him, and two years later, his wife. The couple love to travel and ski. Artur is also fond of beekeeping and the design of machines and other mechanisms.\nCriminal prosecution and a long stay in a pre-trial detention center and colony away from his family negatively affected the health of the believer—Artur suffers from hypertension. Lyudmila lost her husband\u0026#39;s support and care for a long time. Friends and relatives do not understand that he was prosecuted for this calm and peaceful person. In April 2025, Putintsev was released after serving his sentence.\n","date":"2022-01-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/putintsevar/photo_hu_5c5b71409ed95c61.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/putintsevar/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/putintsevar/photo_hu_b4162f86a8735009.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/putintsevar/photo_hu_7497e856752ad48b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/putintsevar.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Artur Putintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Not having time to recover from a serious operation, Anzhela Putivskaya, a physician by profession, ended up in a pre-trial detention center. After mass searches, she, along with other believers, was accused of organizing extremist activities.\nAnzhela was born in the spring of 1982 in the village of Stavropolka (Kazakhstan). Since the girl was 8 years old, her mother raised her alone. After graduating from high school, Angela graduated from the medical college in Omsk. She went to work in the Krasnodar Territory, but after a while for health reasons she moved to the small town of Kireevsk in the Tula Region, and then to Tula.\nAnzhela worked as a laboratory assistant, pharmacist in a pharmacy, and until her arrest - as a cosmetologist-aesthetic in a beauty salon. Her hobbies include caring for pets and birds, and growing flowers. She is not afraid to learn something new, and for some time now she has been studying the Gypsy language.\nAnzhela's mother, who does not share her religious views, cannot understand why her daughter was arrested: \"She did nothing wrong, it is unfair!\"\n","date":"2021-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/putivskaya/photo_hu_68bcc24cfc3bc9a5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/putivskaya/photo_hu_ad202d7b01fb674a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/putivskaya/photo_hu_1fccb7026048ccc5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/putivskaya/photo_hu_9e87e0e12d41ee25.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/putivskaya.html","regions":["tula"],"tags":[],"title":"Anzhela Putivskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Rabota ended up in a pre-trial detention center after searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Khabarovsk Territory in the spring of 2022. During the months spent in detention, the believer's chronic illnesses worsened, and he later suffered a stroke while under house arrest.\nValeriy was born in October 1961 in the city of Tatarbunary (Ukraine). He has a younger half-sister thru his mother. His parents did subsistence farming and beekeeping. The stepfather passed away in 2008, and the mother passed away from Covid in the summer of 2021.\nValeriy grew up as an active child: he played soccer on the youth team, did track and field, and later kettlebell lifting and sports shooting, and took part in combined events.\nAfter school, Valeriy entered the Odessa Cultural and Educational College, but did not finish his studies because he was drafted into the army in his third year. Then he graduated from the school for ensign with a degree in engineer in anti-explosives and served in this rank for ten years.\nValeriy moved several times. He lived in the cities like Odessa and Moscow and served in Germany and a city of Khabarovsk. After leaving the army, he worked as an individual entrepreneur, a taxi driver, and more recently as a freight deliverer.\nValeriy's hobby is fishing. Since he lives by the river, he enjoys motorboating with family and friends. In addition, he likes to work in the garden, do repair work, and also play the button accordion and synthesizer.\nSince childhood, Valeriy had questions about the meaning of life. After learning that God has a personal name, he studied the Bible more deeply. In 1995, he became a Christian. His religious views were shared by his stepfather and mother, who introduced him to the Holy Scriptures.\nValeriy has three adult children from his first marriage. He met his wife Elvira in 2018 and they got married the same year. Elvira is an expert in the repair and tailoring of outerwear and the restoration of fur coats. She enjoys fishing, loves to spend time in nature and to go camping. Elvira, like Valeriy, was interested in spiritual things since childhood. In 1994 she began to study the Bible, and in 1996 she became a Christian.\nValeriy's relatives know him as a sympathetic, respectable person and do not understand how faith in God could become a reason for criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2022-03-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_d71414a150e263e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_6c222ef7696cf57.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_9549292163dfecd9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rabota/photo_hu_c05cf35aa56f9034.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rabota.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Rabota","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rakovskiy is a native of Pavlovo, a city located on the bank of the Oka river in Nizhny Novgorod region. He is a caring father of little son and daughter, IT-specialist by profession. In September 2020, Aleksandr was brought as a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in God.\nAleksandr was born in 1980. He never left his beloved home for a long time, except to study at Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod State University, where he graduated from the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics.\nIn his childhood, Aleksandr was involved in track and field athletics, and in his youth, he learned to play guitar and played in a music group. Even now he plays acoustic and bass guitar in his spare time, pleasing his family and friends with music.\nIn 2005, Aleksandr married Tatyana. She works as a secretary in a music school. In her spare time she likes to ride a bicycle and take pictures. A few years after the wedding the couple were interested in biblical teachings. From the Holy Scriptures they learned about the wonderful hope for the future and together in 2009 decided to become Christians.\nIn 2020, Aleksandr and Tatyana had a daughter. The difficult environment in which loving parents have to raise their children (a pandemic and unfair criminal prosecution) is a serious concern for them. Close ones are also concerned about what happened and try to help them in every way.\n","date":"2020-11-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rakovskiy/photo_hu_c775ed00f301fe25.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rakovskiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rakovskiy/photo_hu_9309248afcb96135.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rakovskiy/photo_hu_afef37817b3b9bc1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rakovskiy.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Rakovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Petrozavodsk (Karelia), civilians continue to be persecuted for their \"wrong\" faith. On September 20, 2019, Dmitry Ravnushkin was interrogated, became a defendant in a criminal case and lost his job. What is known about this man?\nDmitry was born in 1975 in Petrozavodsk, he has a younger brother. The guys grew up in an ordinary family, but were left without parents early. Among Dmitry's hobbies were judo, football and fishing. And today he enjoys fishing in his spare time.\nAfter school, Dmitry received a technical education and began working in the energy sector. At the last place of work, from where he was dismissed after interrogation by the FSB, he held the position of chief power engineer.\nEven in his youth, Dmitry thought about his life and future. In search of answers, he turned to the Bible. What he learned from this book made him a peace-loving man - having received a summons to the army, he asked for alternative civilian service. Because of this, the military registration and enlistment office opened a criminal case against him four times, but each time it was closed due to the lack of corpus delicti.\nIn 1997, Dmitry married Alyona. She loves needlework, recently working as a stationery salesman. The couple have a daughter - \"creative nature\", as Dmitry calls her. The family loves to go out into nature, chat with friends, and just spend evenings together.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the emotional and physical health of Dmitriy and his loved ones, but at the same time it united the whole family and made them appreciate the time spent together even more. Relatives who do not share Dmitry's convictions are outraged by what is happening and try to support him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ravnushkin/photo_hu_657ef3fe65dcfc94.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ravnushkin/photo_hu_58ff97b094469356.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ravnushkin/photo_hu_43560eb92789c6e8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ravnushkin/photo_hu_57159fa28ddb9934.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ravnushkin.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Ravnushkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2020, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers in the Rostov region. As a result, several men were sent to a pre-trial detention center. Among them was Yevgeniy Razumov. In September 2022, the court sentenced him to 7 years in prison for believing in Jehovah God.\nYevgeniy was born in 1979 in the city of Gukovo (Rostov Region) in a large family. He has a half sister and two brothers. Their mother is retired.\nAs a child, Yevgeniy liked hockey. From the age of 14, in order to help the family, he began to earn extra money: he was a carpenter\u0026#39;s apprentice, learned to lay ceramic tiles. Prior to the criminal prosecution, Yevgeniy was mainly engaged in drilling wells and plumbing work.\nYevgeniy is a versatile person. He enjoys exact sciences such as fractal geometry and mathematics, he also enjoys playing chess and cooking.\nSince 2005, Yevgeniy has been married to Nataliya. She is fond of psychology, plant growing, needlework, loves animals. Spouses like culinary experiments. But most of all they are united by their love for the Bible, the advice from which they try to apply in their family life. Holy Scripture helped Yevgeniy to stop smoking and using drugs.\nThe criminal prosecution and arrest of the breadwinner had a negative impact on the family\u0026#39;s financial situation. Nataliya\u0026#39;s health condition deteriorated, and her chronic diseases worsened because of of stress. Shortly after Yevgeniy was transferred to the colony, the woman suffered a stroke.\nRelatives and neighbors of Yevgeniy wonder how this kind, attentive and hardworking man ended up behind bars just because of his faith.\n","date":"2020-10-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/razumov/photo_hu_856b72868c0d93cf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/razumov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/razumov/photo_hu_cf26e61e834d1c25.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/razumov/photo_hu_f63b8e31bbe008ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/razumov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Razumov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"When Yuriy Redozubov, a painter from the Far East, found out about the accusation of extremism, he said: \u0026quot;I did not think that reading and carefully studying the Bible is illegal.\u0026quot; The unexpected intrusion into the house of law enforcement officers with machine guns caused great stress for the whole family.\nYuriy was born in February 1972 in the Far East, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He lost his father when he was 16 years old. As a child, Yuriy loved to read and was fond of drawing, which helped him develop his creative abilities. He studied at the Vladivostok Art School and then graduated from the Far Eastern State Institute of Arts, receiving the profession of painter.\nFor some time, Yuriy taught at an art school and continues to collaborate with art salons. Yuriy\u0026#39;s other hobbies include swimming and fishing. He is also engaged in beekeeping, working in an apiary.\nIn 1998, Yuriy married Anastasiya. They have a lot in common—she is also a creative person; she studied to be an artist and, like Yuriy, loves fishing and outdoor recreation. Both were always interested in spiritual matters, and after they met, they began to read the Bible together every day to understand it. Some time later, the couple met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and began a Bible study. They were particularly moved by the Bible\u0026#39;s representation of the almighty God as good and loving.\nYuriy and Anastasiya have three daughters. They all love art, especially music and painting. Since childhood, their parents instilled in them a love of nature and taught them to take care of it. The eldest daughter is already married, and the youngest has recently gone to school. The whole Redozubov family loves to travel, relax in tents, and observe the beauty of the surrounding world.\nDue to the worries caused by the criminal prosecution, the health of Anastasiya, who has the third disability group, deteriorated. After the announcement of the verdict to her husband, she has to take care of her daughters and bedridden mother alone. Yuriy\u0026#39;s neighbors, as well as relatives who do not share his religious convictions, know their whole family as kind and sympathetic people and do not understand why the believer was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\n","date":"2021-09-13","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/redozubov/photo_hu_79bac95f927cd644.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/redozubov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/redozubov/photo_hu_49a5be5ef01aea38.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/redozubov/photo_hu_e6c621c9f08635c3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/redozubov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Redozubov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Reshetnikov has been living in the town of Gryazi for over 20 years and has been a convinced Christian for most of his life. However, in November 2020, he ended up in jail only for his faith in Jehovah God. This law-abiding man is accused of extremist activities.\nYevgeniy was born in 1974 in the south of Kazakhstan, in Shymkent, the third most populous city in the republic. He was the only child in the family. Since childhood, the boy was fond of photography and radio engineering. After school he graduated from electrician courses and worked in this specialty.\nAt 22, Yevgeniy moved to Lipetsk, and a year later - to Gryazi, a town on the Matyr River, 20 kilometers from the administrative center. In 1998, the young man met Marina, a girl who shared his religious views, and a few years later they got married.\nFrom a young age, Yevgeniy was outraged by injustice. He even wanted to write a book about it and turned to a teacher for advice, from whom he learned that a book on justice had already been written - this is the Bible. The young man did not believe that God is a person, but the theory of evolution also seemed unconvincing to him. He decided to research the Holy Scriptures, and in 1993 he consciously became a Christian. Biblical knowledge helps Yevgeniy to remain confident that the Creator will surely restore justice soon.\n","date":"2020-12-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reshetnikov/photo_hu_5d77b282d926d965.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reshetnikov/photo_hu_bc61e9a0de1c0f3b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikov/photo_hu_8a7af138f5382df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reshetnikov.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Reshetnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner from Barnaul Mikhail Reshetnikov — a professional driver with 50 years of experience — can go to jail because of his religion. In May 2021, the believer was accused of extremism. In 2024, the court gave him a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months.\nMikhail was born in June 1949 in the village of Maksiner, Kirov region. He is the eldest of seven children. His father worked in the timber industry, so the family often moved from place to place across the vast expanses of Siberia.\nSince childhood, Mikhail is fond of radio business and loves fishing. After school he learned to be a 1st class driver. For 50 years he drove trucks, cars and buses. Mikhail was distinguished by an engineering mindset and a thirst for knowledge. He mastered radio engineering, cinematography and radio mechanics, worked as a cinematographer, and later as a television technician. In 2010 he received the rights to operate small boats. Now, being retired, Mikhail is still fond of fishing and cars.\nIn the late 1990s, Mikhail met Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. He was touched by the fact that they helped him sort out questions that remained unanswered for a long time. In 2000 he became a Christian.\nMikhail got married for the first time in 1971, and after the wedding the family settled in Barnaul. The couple raised two children. Mikhail\u0026#39;s wife died of cancer. Although they had different views on spiritual matters, they respected each other\u0026#39;s religious choices.\nIn January 2021, Mikhail married for the second time. Together with Antonina, they enthusiastically study the Bible, enjoy communicating with friends, and go fishing in their free time.\nThe criminal prosecution did not discourage Mikhail, he accepted everything that was happening calmly. Relatives, including adult children, who respect Mikhail\u0026#39;s religious beliefs, worry about him and help in word and deed. The support of those close to him helps Mikhail to endure all difficulties.\n\u0026quot;Love for Jehovah and the examples of my dear brothers and sisters, who, being in prison, sanctify the name of God with their steadfastness and behavior, help me not to give up further,\u0026quot; Mikhail said in his final statement.\n","date":"2021-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_fe48ea0893f35653.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_93dcb7cf69cf0590.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reshetnikovm/photo_hu_4140c72967fc50d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reshetnikovm.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Reshetnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Viktor Revyakin became a new defendant in the criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that he participated in worship services. What do we know about Victor? Viktor was born in 1957 in Novosibirsk. His parents are no longer alive, as well as his relatives in general. Early accustomed to an independent life. In his youth, he attended sports sections, was especially fond of athletics. He graduated from the Kiev State Institute of Physical Culture. The first place of work is the regional sports committee of Magadan. He devoted most of his life to teaching: he worked as an athletics coach and head teacher at a children's youth sports school. Today he teaches physical education at the Magadan Polytechnic College. Viktor has been living in Magadan since 1966, he came to the city immediately after the institute. It was here that his acquaintance with the Bible took place. Before that, he had never read it or even held it in his hands. His knowledge of the Scriptures convinced him that the Bible was the source of truth. In 2011, in Novosibirsk (where his father lived), Viktor met his future wife Natalia, and two years later they got married. For both, this is a remarriage. The children are already adults and live separately with their families. The couple love to walk in nature in their free time, as well as sit together at home and taste the local fish. For most of her life, Natalia worked as a leading specialist in the client service of the Novosibirsk Pension Fund. It is difficult for acquaintances of Viktor and Natalia to understand what a threat this law-abiding family can pose to society. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_f9dfeb2ab368d2f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_a387b6c70fdaffac.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_2f5431a646b58160.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/revyakin/photo_hu_7d73be267323f6b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/revyakin.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Revyakin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Birobidzhan, more than 20 criminal cases were initiated for their faith. Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova was among the accused of extremism. The investigation lasted more than 5 months, and then the believer was forced to defend her good name in court for almost a year. In February 2021, Yelena was found guilty and sentenced to a monetary fine, and on April 22, the appellate court toughened the sentence, replacing it with 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restraint of liberty.\nElena was born in the village of Maloy (Irkutsk region) in 1968. She has an elder sister and younger twin brothers. Parents are full orphans. Grandfather was shot in 1938 as an enemy, and later rehabilitated. “They called us fascists, set the house on fire, threatened to kill my father, so we had to change several places of residence,” says Yelena. For the same reason, in 1985, the family had to leave for the Far East.\nMusic was always heard in Yelena’s house, parents from childhood instilled in children a love of creativity, sports and work. Yelena was an active pioneer and Komsomol member, studied well at school. In 1986, in Khabarovsk, she received the profession of a tailor, a year later she got married and gave birth to a son. She served in the army under a contract. Later she received two more diplomas - an accountant-economist and a manager of the state municipal service. She worked as an accountant at a state farm and chief accountant of the administration of a rural settlement.\nIn 2007, Yelena and her family moved to Birobidzhan, where she received the position of deputy head of the financial department and chief accountant of the district administration. Later she worked in the financial department of the Government of the Jewish Autonomous Region. In both cases, employers terminated contracts with her at the insistence of the FSB. Since February 2017, Yelena has been working as a leading accountant and part-time as a sports administrator in the department of physical culture and sports.\nIn the 90s, while serving in the army, Yelena got acquainted with the Bible. She found out God's point of view on military service and divorce, so she broke off the contract with the military unit and registered a marriage with her ex-husband, with whom she had divorced by that time. Today it is a happy family, the couple have been together for more than one decade. “When I began to deeply study the Bible, I was amazed that in it one could find answers to absolutely all vital questions,” Yelena recalls. - And the promise of Jesus: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” was a great relief for me. Everything that burdened me like a stone fell from my shoulders! \"\nThe husband supports his wife in her life choice , although he is not a Christian himself. He acknowledges that the Bible gave his son a good upbringing. “The situation in which I found myself because of my faith affected my husband's health - he had a third heart attack,” says Yelena. - Mom also has serious heart problems. She lives alone in the village, and there is no one else to take care of her except me. \" Despite the difficulties, Yelena remains optimistic. She enjoys playing football and volleyball and doing manual labor.\nYelena values very much her friends and colleagues who support her and are ready to help her in difficult times. In her appeal to the court, Yelena quoted the words of Henry Brooks Adams, a poet-historian: “One friend for life is already a lot; two friends are a lot; three friends is hardly possible. \" The believer noted: “Through the Bible's counsel and friendship with Jehovah, [I] have made many friends, and all over the world. […] My friends support me and pray for me so that I can withstand all unfair persecution with honor, that I remain joyful, have a positive attitude, no matter what. And I am very grateful to them for that! \"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reyno-chernyshova/photo_hu_394a5bc9db46b3c5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reyno-chernyshova/photo_hu_271733b29327c1eb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reyno-chernyshova/photo_hu_34f011269572774f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reyno-chernyshova/photo_hu_c0f1c339aef8dbca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reyno-chernyshova.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was initiated in Zeya against the peaceful pensioner Vasiliy Reznichenko. The labor veteran was put on trial only because of his faith in Jehovah God. In June 2021, the court found the believer guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced him to 2 years of probation. A month later, the appellate court upheld the verdict.\nVasiliy was born in 1942 in the village of Murovka, Primorskiy Territory, into a large family of collective farmers. He was the youngest of five children. After school he graduated from the Dalnerechensk school and received the profession of a tractor driver-machinist of a wide profile. In the army, he continued his studies at the evening school, and then — at the river school in Blagoveshchensk, specializing in \"navigator-mechanic\".\nHaving moved to Zeya, Vasiliy got a job as the second navigator of a motor ship in the Zeya river port. A year later he was appointed captain of the ship. In this position, he conscientiously worked until 1991, received the title of \"veteran of labor of the USSR.\" Later he worked as a caretaker in a kindergarten, now he is on a well-deserved rest. Vasiliy still leads an active lifestyle, he is engaged in Scandinavian walking.\nVasiliy met his future wife Valentina in 1966, three years later they got married. The wife worked as an accountant in the district committee of the Komsomol of Blagoveshchensk. Together we moved to Zeya, where Valentina continued to work in her specialty in the local city council. When the children appeared, she completely occupied herself with the household, raising three sons. Unfortunately, in 2016, Valentina passed away.\nIn the mid-1990s, Valentina was the first to show an interest in the Bible. Soon Vasiliy also became interested in biblical teachings. He was especially impressed by the biblical teaching on paradise on earth. “Before that, I had heard the widespread opinion that all good people go to heaven after death,” he says. “It was not clear to me why the earth was needed then. Having learned from the Holy Scriptures that the righteous will inherit the earth and will live on it forever, I accepted this truth with all my heart and began to tell others about it.\" Every year Vasiliy tries to completely read the Bible, and he has managed to do this many times.\nSeveral years of criminal prosecution affected the believer's health. In November 2019, Vasiliy was included in the Rosfinmonitoring List of Terrorists and Extremists, and 170,000 rubles were blocked in his bank account, which was a significant amount for him. The support of relatives and fellow believers helped Vasiliy survive all the difficulties.\nThe sons, although they do not share the religious beliefs of their father, are very worried about him and consider the court's decision absolutely unfounded.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_96193d31e3bc918d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_857fc523d870d82b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_e74e21dc3dcace2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/reznichenko/photo_hu_e042db6cf14f017e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/reznichenko.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vasiliy Reznichenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2019, a court sent four peaceful Volgograd citizens behind bars, all the \u0026quot;guilt\u0026quot; of which was to confess the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. One of them is a former military pilot, Valeriy Rogozin. The 7.5 months he spent in the pre-trial detention center undermined his health so that he needed long-term treatment.\nIn September 2021, four civilians were sentenced to real prison terms for their faith in Jehovah God. Valeriy was released in April 2026.\nValeriy was born in 1962 in the city of Krasnokamsk (Perm Territory). As a child, he liked to go camping in the taiga overnight, went in for sports.\nAfter graduating from school, he entered the Kacha Higher Military Aviation School in Volgograd. Thus began a new page in Valeriy\u0026#39;s life, which connected him with this city. He served as a military pilot. After 12 years in the army, he worked for many years as a design engineer.\nIn 1984, Valeriy married Marina, a teacher by profession. The couple raised two sons. In his spare time, Valeriy likes to do landscape design and repair work around the house. In the 1990s, Valeriy discovered the wisdom of the Bible and since then has tried to live up to its high moral standards.\nIn court, Rogozin emphasized: \u0026quot;I am a law-abiding citizen. I am a peaceful believer who has been practicing his religion for over 20 years. I do it in the way it happens all over the world. I join others in praying to Jehovah God, singing songs of praise to our heavenly Father. I read the Bible and discuss articles based on the Bible with other believers.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_e8ba0c305091b4cf.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_441451abc454533c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_80ff712e943c05a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rogozin/photo_hu_4f448b9bdee1d89f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rogozin.html","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valeriy Rogozin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. Among them are the spouses Pavel Romashov and Viola Shepel. What do we know about Paul? Pavel was born in 1974 in Tomsk. He was brought up without a father. Mom is a master of the radio editing section, currently retired. There are two more siblings. As a child, he was fond of sports, in particular, hockey and hand-to-hand combat. He graduated from college, having received the professions of a bricklayer, installer and electric welder. After serving in the army, he worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Later he moved to Surgut to live with relatives, where he worked for some time in an armed guard until he became acquainted with the truths from the Bible. Currently, he is a building repair and maintenance worker at Surgutneftegaz. He met his future wife Viola in Tomsk, and the marriage was registered in Surgut in 2003. Viola works as a district nurse in the pediatric department. About a year after the wedding, the couple, observing how biblical truths have a beneficial effect on their family, made a conscious decision to live according to the commandments of Christ. They were deeply touched by the love and friendship that prevails among those who truly love God. Pavel and Viola have a teenage daughter. The whole family loves to be in nature and travel together by car. Often organize holidays for friends and family. Pavel's mother, his sister and friends are very worried about the spouses, watching with fear the injustice that is happening to them. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/romashov/photo_hu_7c7be33c54da1376.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/romashov/photo_hu_d270cbcefb561c8c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/romashov/photo_hu_d2d8a9d72e56545b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/romashov/photo_hu_c0aaf55d16136998.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/romashov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Paul Romashov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Peaceful Muscovite Alexander Rumyantsev became another victim of criminal prosecution for his belief in Jehovah God. In August 2021, the apartment where he lives with his mother, a disabled person of group II, was searched, after which the believer was sent to jail.\nAlexander was born in March 1977 in Moscow, where he still lives. He has an elder brother. Their mother is retired, their father is no longer alive.\nAleksandr worked as a collector, and recently, before his arrest, as a personal driver for the head of a large construction company. According to the boss, Rumyantsev \"during his work proved to be a responsible and conscientious worker. In the team, he is tactful, polite and attentive, enjoys the well-deserved respect of all employees of the company.\nAlexander leads an active lifestyle: he goes hiking, is fond of mountain tourism, rides a bicycle. He also likes to collect ship models.\nWhen Alexander began to read the Bible, he wanted to better understand the Bible's teachings. In July 2006, he consciously embarked on the Christian path.\nRelatives and friends know Alexander as a kind, sympathetic and generous person, always ready to help. They wonder why their son, brother and friend, who tries to lead a highly moral lifestyle, is persecuted for his faith in God and considered an extremist.\n","date":"2022-02-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rumyantsev/photo_hu_1d0477f626434dfd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rumyantsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rumyantsev/photo_hu_7661c126cf965f7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rumyantsev/photo_hu_e2e7208d4cabcd77.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rumyantsev.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Ryshkov was born in 1987 in the city of Kursk. He has a sister Natalia. His father passed away early, so from the age of 12 the boy's upbringing fell on the shoulders of his grandfather, who loved him very much. The mother had to work two jobs to somehow feed the children. As a child, Andrey was fond of various types of wrestling, aircraft construction and drawing. He dreamed of becoming a designer.\nAfter school, Andrey graduated from the Industrial Institute of Kursk at the Faculty of Informatics and Computer Engineering. To pay for his studies, Andrey had to work at night. While studying at the institute, he began to earn extra money in the field of apartment renovation and still continues to work in this direction. Because of his peaceful Christian convictions, he did alternative civilian service, working as a postman.\nIn his free time, as in childhood, he likes to draw, skate, is fond of rock climbing and reading books. He loves nature, so he goes hiking, especially in the mountains.\nAndrei first heard about the Bible and its teachings from the relatives of his first wife, and became interested. Studying this ancient book, he began to find logical answers to questions that had worried him for many years. This, as well as the ardent love of friends living by high biblical standards, prompted him to become a follower of Christ.\nIn November 2015, Andrey met Marina, and a year later they got married. Since childhood, Marina has had a deep reverence for God and shares her husband's beliefs. She loves to read and draw, is fond of photography and psychology. The spouses love to spend time together: travel, go to exhibitions of fine arts, study the history of Russia and other countries.\nAndrey's criminal prosecution hit the usual course of life of his family, relatives and friends. Andrey lost orders and clients, and Marina did not appear at work for some time, trying to somehow support her husband and provide him with the most necessary things in the pre-trial detention center. Against the background of the stress experienced, her chronic diseases, as well as those of her mother, worsened. Andrey's grandfather, because of the grief experienced, refused to eat and take medication for several days, for the mother the criminal prosecution of her son also turned into strong feelings and tears.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ryshkov/photo_hu_a91e818454a18d4f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ryshkov/photo_hu_299391522e303272.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ryshkov/photo_hu_9c8bb6bb643ef935.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ryshkov/photo_hu_659c16077308a763.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ryshkov.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Ryshkov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Leonid Rysikov. What do we know about him? Leonid was born in 1950 in the village of Sredniye Mangareki (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He grew up in a large family. He has three brothers and four sisters, and one brother died when he was a child. His mother was a milkmaid, his father was a grain grower and blacksmith. As a child, he was fond of athletics. Leonid graduated from the Krasnoyarsk vocational school with a degree in electrician. He worked as an electrician and mechanic. Due to the difficult economic situation, he was forced to move to work in Surgut with his sister. He has been retired since 2005. He likes to fish, walk in the woods and play chess. Leonid met his future wife Evgenia on a business trip to an oil and gas field. They got married in 1982. Evgenia is a very cheerful person, loves songs and dances. The couple raised two sons, already have granddaughters. In the early 1990s, Evgenia became acquainted with Bible teachings, determined to act and live in harmony with what she learned. A few years later, Leonid joined her. Both of them were convinced by the truthfulness and consistency of the Bible, as well as God's assurances of a wonderful future. Relatives have a negative attitude towards the criminal prosecution of Leonid. Almost every day they call, support his family and really hope that the authorities will come to their senses and finally stop the persecution for their faith. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_93e10dad251e9258.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_3b436166757a11d0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_a436c9ab18a396eb.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/rysikov/photo_hu_c60fdd572acb7ee7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/rysikov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Leonid Rysikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Svetlana Ryzhkova, a resident of Shuya (Ivanovo region), was prosecuted for her religion. What do we know about this woman?\nSvetlana was born in the village of Aristovo, Shuisky District, Ivanovo Region, in 1953. He has a sister and two sons. Svetlana's parents have always been conscientious about work. His father worked as a carpenter in a factory, and later as a foreman on a collective farm, and his mother worked as a weaver all her life. They also instilled a love of work in their daughters. Svetlana received the profession of a nurse and has been working in this field for several decades.\nSvetlana's childhood was spent in the village, she loves nature very much. With her friends, she often disappeared on the river, picked mushrooms and berries. Svetlana has always loved gardening, and to this day she spends her free time in her garden, planting and watering.\nAfter school, Svetlana and her whole family moved to the city of Shuya, where she graduated from a medical college. For some time she lived in St. Petersburg.\nIn the mid-2000s, Svetlana became interested in the Bible, which unexpectedly and paradoxically led to criminal prosecution. She experienced a strong shock on April 19, 2018, when they came to her house with a search. To preserve the feelings of relatives and friends, she decided not to devote them to the details of the criminal case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_fbb2dbfe4ba496e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_7ad0aab88f5b3045.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_46507c70099c95d1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ryzhkova/photo_hu_94232c07b19bf065.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ryzhkova.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Ryzhkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 12, 2019, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases against 9 believers in Nevinnomyssk (Stavropol Territory). The youngest among them was Karina Sahakyan.\nKarina was born in October 1965 in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait. She has an elder brother and sister. Of Karina's parents, only her mother shared Karina's religious beliefs. Today, she, like her father, is no longer alive.\nSince childhood, Karina loves to go to the mountains, is fond of knitting and growing roses. She worked as an announcer at the bus station, and for the last few years as a fitter at a measuring instrument factory.\nIn 1988, when the infamous Sumgait pogrom began, Karina's family had to flee to Kapan (Armenia), from where in 1993 due to military raids they left for Nevinnomyssk, where they still live.\nIn 1996, while studying the Bible with her sister, Karina learned that in the future there would be no wars and people would live in peace. This promise of God found a special response in her heart.\nToday, Karina faces criminal prosecution for her hope. As a result, she began to have health problems - tormented by headaches and insomnia.\nRelatives are very worried about Karina and live with a constant sense of anxiety, since her fellow believers in Russia are imprisoned for their religious beliefs. \"A little noise outside the door makes you shudder. No one understands why this is happening to me, \"says Karina herself.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_68fa17ff3696eb28.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_ef42153588a97873.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_83ccf1e35d178736.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/saakyan/photo_hu_b0a34522e49af0d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/saakyan.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Karina Saakyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, representatives of the FSB disrupted the quiet life of Anna Safronova, a 55-year-old resident of Astrakhan, when they raided her house, where she lives with her 81-year-old mother.\nAnna was born in July 1965 in Volgograd. As a child, she studied music — she sang in a choir, performed in an ensemble, graduated from a music school in the violin class.\nAfter school, Anna entered the Volgograd Polytechnic Institute and graduated in 1987 with a degree in foundry mechanical engineer. She worked as a design engineer at the Kherson Combine Plant named after G. I. Petrovsky (Ukraine), where she and her husband were sent for distribution as young specialists. Later, Anna had to master different professions: she was a worker, a storekeeper and a senior accountant at the Slavyanka confectionery factory, an operator at a news agency, and a cleaner.\nIn 1998, Anna was widowed. Her son was 11 years old at the time. A boy from adolescence tried to earn extra money every vacation to help his mother. After school, he graduated from the Volgograd Construction College.\nAnna writes poetry, she especially likes to make friendly cartoons in poetry for her friends.\nIn 1994, Anna began to study the Bible. In this book, she especially liked the fact that God wants to unite people of different nationalities, cultures and social status into one big spiritual family. This deeply touched her heart, and in 1996 she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2014, Anna moved to Astrakhan. She has been out of work since November 2020, as she is caring for an elderly mother.\nThe criminal prosecution left an imprint on the emotional state of both women. Anna and her mother experienced especially severe stress during the first search, when they suddenly heard loud knocks with their fists and feet on their door.\nAnna's relatives worry about her, although everyone is firmly convinced of her innocence in the crime imputed to her. They understand that Anna, like many other Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, is being persecuted only for their faith in Jehovah God.\n","date":"2021-07-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/safronova/photo_hu_d3efa5b03994298.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/safronova/photo_hu_2a1530f0a2e9a03d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/safronova/photo_hu_791e4e294ab379a7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/safronova/photo_hu_2caf6249331380a1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/safronova.html","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Anna Safronova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 9, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Viktor Sagin for his faith, several editions of the Bible and the New Testament were seized from him. What do we know about this man?\nViktor was born in the village of Zimovye, Sverdlovsk Region, in 1957, but grew up in the city of Nazarov, Krasnoyarsk Territory. His father, a participant in World War II, worked all his life as a mechanic for the repair of vehicles. His mother was a veteran of labor of the RSFSR. Victor grew up in a large family with a sister and six brothers. He received a secondary education. The financial situation was difficult, and from the age of 15 he began to work to help his parents.\nAt school, Victor could not come to terms with the theory of evolution. When he discovered the Bible, he marveled at how simple, logical and at the same time beautiful this book answered all his questions. Together with his parents and three brothers, he was determined to live as it is written in the Bible.\nIn 1975, heeding Christ's call not to take up arms, Victor refused to serve in the army, for which he was sentenced to 3 years in prison. \"The conditions of detention were extremely difficult,\" Viktor recalls. \"Exhausting work on timber processing, sometimes up to 20 hours a day.\" Prisoners often asked: \"What are you imprisoned for?\" The peace-loving views of this young man aroused their interest and respect.\nIn 1977, Victor married Lyubov, a girl close to him in spirit and beliefs. The family settled in Achinsk, where they still live. They have two adult daughters who already have their own families. There are grandchildren. Victor is happy to take part in their upbringing, loves gardening and communication with family and friends.\nAll his life, Victor worked as a driver. At first, he drove a city bus in Achinsk, and for the last 35 years he worked as an electrician driver in the Krasnoyarsk electric grid company. For many years of conscientious work, he received certificates and thanks from the management of the enterprise and even personally from the Minister of Energy of Russia A.V. Novak. Viktor is also a labor veteran of his company and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\nViktor's relatives and acquaintances know that he has already had to endure imprisonment for his faith in the Soviet years. Imagine their astonishment when they learned that in modern Russia he again faces a prison term for his religious beliefs!\nVictor's daughters are very worried about their father. He has high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus of the second type, and the first time after the searches he was tormented by insomnia.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sagin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sagin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sagin/photo_hu_5022eeeb80e178e6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sagin/photo_hu_5022eeeb80e178e6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sagin.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Sagin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The raid on civilians in Sevastopol in October 2020 divided the lives of believers into before and after. Among the men who ended up in jail just because they believe in Jehovah God was Vladimir Sakada. Then he spent six months behind bars. Later, in October 2022, the court sentenced Vladimir to 6 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nVladimir was born in October 1970 in Kyiv. He is a turner by profession. Although Vladimir grew up in an atheistic family, after returning from the army, he became interested in the Bible. The man was amazed at how wise and practical this book turned out to be. He had a desire to help other people to see the value of the Christian teachings.\nIn 2005, Vladimir married Svetlana, who became his faithful companion and helper. Soon after the wedding, the couple moved to Sevastopol, and 5 years later Svetlana's mother came closer to the children. Spouses love to spend time together and travel.\nPrior to his conviction, Vladimir worked as a builder, providing for his family. He is a kind and sympathetic person, he has many friends. Applying biblical truths in practice helps him to improve the quality of his personality, to be a good family man and friend.\n","date":"2020-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sakada/photo_hu_acab1bcf5e808cda.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sakada/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sakada/photo_hu_4e773997a720f67d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sakada/photo_hu_3027dcfa6273c28f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sakada.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Sakada","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Since the end of 2020, Lyudmila Salikova, a Jehovah's Witness from Snezhinsk, has been hit by misfortunes one after another—searches at work and at home, dismissal due to persecution for her faith, and the death of her younger sister. A criminal case was opened against the veteran of labor and the nuclear industry, accusing her of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nLyudmila was born in May 1951 in Sysert (Sverdlovsk region). She spent her childhood nearby, in Asbest, located 20 km from her hometown, where her father, who was wounded in the war, was sent. He worked in an asbestos mining factory. The large family had 2 sons and 3 daughters, so the mother did not work and was engaged in raising children. She taught Lyudmila to sew and knit, which she did for many years. The whole family loved to go picking mushrooms and berries.\nAfter school, Lyudmila worked as a teacher of biology and drawing in the village school. At the Sverdlovsk Electrotechnical College of Communications in Yekaterinburg, she received a degree in wire communications electrical technician. In 1972, she moved to Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk region), where she still lives. There, Lyudmila was engaged in the design of electrical documentation, later worked as an electrical engineer in the technical department, then as a leading specialist in the energy department of the city administration. From 1993 to November 2020, she worked as an energy engineer at the City Administration. Due to religious persecution, she was forced to write a letter of resignation and retire.\nWhile studying at the technical school, Lyudmila met Yuriy, and in 1971 they got married. The couple raised three sons, who now have their own families. Yuriy died in 2009.\nLyudmila likes to travel, she has visited many southern cities of Russia and the Baltic states. She was an athletic person: she participated in volleyball and cross-country skiing competitions, was engaged in tourism, climbing the peaks of the Ural Mountains. Recently she liked riding a bicycle.\nIn 1999, Lyudmila's elder sister began to read the Bible regularly, six months later Lyudmila herself joined her, and five years later, their younger sister. In the Bible, Lyudmila found answers to questions about the meaning of life and why there is a lot of injustice, violence and war in the world. In 2002, she became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nLyudmila's relatives, who do not share her religious convictions, consider the criminal prosecution of the believer to be unjustified repressions.\n","date":"2021-09-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_3a04c6b479a8e209.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/salikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_216230258e15bef2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/salikova/photo_hu_4958a4cbab5e0a87.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/salikova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lyudmila Salikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/salmanov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Salmanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2022, Yevgenya Samoilova, a group III disabled person, was suspected of extremist activity. The reason was her religious beliefs: the woman is a Jehovah's Witness. The second defendant in the criminal case was her daughter, Olga Golovacheva.\nYevgenya was born in October 1955 in the village of Pozharishche (Vologda Region). She grew up with her sister, who is a year older than her. The girls were raised by their mother alone.\nAt the age of 3, Yevgenya was diagnosed with a serious joint disease, due to which she had to spend the next years of her life—up to 16 years old—in a specialized sanatorium. The disease did not allow Yevgenya to move much, she could only watch the games of her peers in the yard and imagine herself with them. She loved to read, studied well and with pleasure.\nAfter graduating from school, Yevgenya moved to Rybinsk, where she worked as a laboratory assistant at a flour mill until 2005.\nIn 1975, Yevgenya got married, a year later her daughter Olga was born. Family life was not easy, and after 9 years the marriage broke up.\nIn 2008, the daughter, and later Yevgenya herself, became interested in the Bible. They began to study this book and in 2014 embarked on the Christian path together.\nIn 2003, Yevgenya received the III group of disability. Now she is at home most of the time, as it is difficult for her to move.\nThe criminal prosecution has affected the life of the woman and her family: they are worried about the possible invasion of law enforcement officers and a second search. Relatives and friends worry about Yevgenya and support her in every possible way.\n","date":"2022-09-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_e3e12e2f170f3ddb.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_854918fcbc5a44d4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/samoylova/photo_hu_38a0664ba11a8d02.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/samoylova.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yevgenya Samoylova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2018, in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory), three believers were arrested during mass searches in the apartments of civilians. Among them is Konstantin Samsonov. What is known about him?\nKonstantin was born in 1977 in Neftekumsk. He has two siblings. As a child, he was fond of chess, wood carving and computer technology. He graduated with honors from Novocherkassk University, works as a leading systems engineer at the Neftekumsk Central District Hospital.\nWhile still in the 4th grade of school, Konstantin met Svetlana, who later became his wife. Together they began to be interested in spiritual things, studied the Bible. In 2001, the couple had a son, Vyacheslav.\nRelatives and friends were shocked by the news of Konstantin's arrest. His retired mother, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, sincerely cannot understand how a person who studies the Bible and does not take up arms can be an \"extremist.\" Konstantin is sorely missed at work in the local hospital, as some types of work could only be performed by him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/samsonov/photo_hu_1ac23be82f02a798.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/samsonov/photo_hu_7c87213fe00390c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/samsonov/photo_hu_aca7cd4a93d9b988.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/samsonov/photo_hu_f67c59d7cd20739.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/samsonov.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantin Samsonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valentina Samus spent her whole life in the picturesque ancient city of Kostroma. At the age of 72, she was prosecuted for believing in God.\nValentina was born in September 1949. As a child, she was fond of drawing and learned to sew. After school, she entered medical school and studied to be a paramedic. Now the woman is retired.\nFor more than 50 years, Valentina has been married to Ivan - they got married in 1970. The couple raised a son and a daughter. They love walks in the woods, take care of the cottage together. To this day, Valentina has retained her love of drawing and reading.\nIn 2007, Valentina embarked on the Christian path. Studying the Bible, she found the answer to the question of what is the meaning of life. Also from this book, the woman learned about the hope for the resurrection of the dead. This biblical teaching sustained Valentina when she lost her daughter.\nThe sudden criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the health of the elderly woman.\n","date":"2023-02-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_f621a97f2aa2e95f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_2e70433eeba0caaf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_4f7f8e0d96d167da.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/samus/photo_hu_55417ac7d8822ed1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/samus.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Samus","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2020, a criminal case was opened in Kazan against a peaceful believer, Konstantin Sannikov, under an extremist article only because of his faith. Two days later, he was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center. In February 2023, the court sentenced the believer to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nKonstantin was born in September 1970 in Kazan. As a child, he went in for swimming, then became interested in fencing. He liked to play chess.\nAfter graduating from school, Konstantin entered the medical college, and then the Kazan State Medical Institute. After graduating from the institute, he was hired as a pathologist at the Children's Republican Clinical Hospital. He also worked as a neuropsychiatrist in the city narcological dispensary. In 2003, he was hired as a doctor and forensic expert of the forensic department at the Republican Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination, where he worked until his arrest.\nFor high performance in his work, Konstantin was awarded the badge of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, as well as a certificate of honor and gratitude from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan.\nIn 1992, Konstantin married Irina, with whom he studied at college. They had four children in the marriage. The family loves to spend time together: cooking, going out with friends and having picnics.\nKonstantin knew that one of his father's hobbies was reading the Bible. That is why, when he had the opportunity to find out what this book was about, he gladly began to study it. After some time, he and his wife decided to live according to Christian principles.\nThe criminal prosecution of Konstantin affected both his physical and emotional state, as well as the condition of his wife and children, who suffered stress during the search. Konstantin's chronic diseases worsened. But despite the difficulties, the family tries to maintain a positive attitude.\nKonstantin's relatives, as well as work colleagues who do not share his religious views, do not understand how this peaceful man could be condemned as an extremist just because he prays and reads the Bible.\n","date":"2020-09-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sannikov/photo_hu_c0847a40358f2f18.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sannikov/photo.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/sannikov/photo_hu_2f9bb9b3e1ec93ae.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sannikov/photo_hu_11f97b8e9c5408c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sannikov.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Konstantin Sannikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2022, the life of the close-knit Saparov family changed dramatically when its head, Nikolay, was arrested for believing in Jehovah God. He was put behind bars, and his wife lost the support of her beloved husband and best friend, and his minor daughter lost \"the best dad in the world.\"\nNikolay was born in December 1981 in St. Petersburg. He has two brothers. From a young age, Nikolay is fond of various sports: hockey, tennis, basketball, football, volleyball.\nNikolay graduated with honors from the St. Petersburg College of Economics and Technology with a degree in Economics and Accounting. After that, he studied at the St. Petersburg State University of Water Communications. Later Nikolay moved to Nizhny Novgorod and then to Maykop. Most recently he worked as a supervisor in a trading company.\nNikolai's mother was the first in the family to study the Bible. Over time, in 1997, he made the decision to devote his life to serving God. In 2004, Nikolay married Nataliya, whom he met through common religious values. At one time, she was touched by the biblical teaching about eternal life in paradise on earth. Natalia works as a hairdresser, is fond of cooking, sewing and knitting.\nIn 2005, the couple had a daughter. She studies at a gymnasium and an art school, and is engaged in athletics. Before Nikolay was arrested, the family often spent time together, and the daughter especially enjoyed playing volleyball with her father.\n","date":"2022-06-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/saparov/photo_hu_85400f0614cca26d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/saparov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/saparov/photo_hu_3c374d0845dc7c6c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/saparov/photo_hu_967c275aca52f6bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/saparov.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Saparov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2021, security forces searched the home of Denis Sarazhakov, who lived with his wife in the village of Askiz (Republic of Khakassia). He was arrested and taken to Irkutsk - 1500 kilometers from home. Because of his faith in Jehovah God, he was thrown into a pre-trial detention center.\nDenis was born in May 1988 in the city of Sayanogorsk (Republic of Khakassia). The parents raised five children: 4 boys and a girl. Now his mother and father are retired.\nAt school, Denis studied excellently and finished it with a silver medal. He also attended several sports sections and was fond of stone carving.\nDenis graduated from the Polytechnic College with honors. There he got the profession of a technician for the maintenance and repair of cars, but worked in other fields - a master of finishing works, and then an advertising manager.\nAlready from his school years, Denis was familiar with the Bible and was drawn to the spiritual. Over the years, he gained the confidence to live in harmony with Bible principles and decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Later, driven by peace-loving Christian convictions, Denis defended his right to alternative service, but did not have to undergo it for health reasons.\nDenis met his future wife Olesya in his youth. From childhood, she was attracted by the biblical promises of a wonderful future and an understandable description of the qualities of God. In 2007, Denis and Olesya got married. She works as a manicurist. The couple share a love for sports, go hiking, ride bicycles. Denis is also fond of football. The Sarazhakovs love to cook together and spend time with friends.\nAfter the arrest of Denis, Olesya had to leave her home, friends and go to distant Irkutsk to take care of her husband. Against the background of stress after the arrest of her son, Denis's mother had a microstroke, and she was hospitalized.\nDenis has a good reputation and is respected by his colleagues. Relatives and friends, as well as everyone who knows him, consider it absurd that this kind, responsible and sympathetic young man was branded an \"extremist\".\n","date":"2022-01-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sarazhakov/photo_hu_9cfa3b6e406984cd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sarazhakov/photo_hu_fa866f7781a37b2f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sarazhakov/photo_hu_e46ba24a2f9d384b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sarazhakov/photo_hu_8a3e080761890330.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sarazhakov.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Sarazhakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Sarychev, a retired artist, was the victim of criminal prosecution when he was accused of extremism in October 2022 for talking about the Bible.\nAnatoliy was born in November 1949 in the village of Karpovo (Altai Territory). He has a younger sister, an elder brother has passed away. As a child, Anatoliy was fond of various sports: football, hockey, table tennis. He also liked to take pictures and draw.\nAnatoly graduated from the courses of graphic designers. He worked in his specialty in the bureau of aesthetics. Now he is retired.\nAnatoliy moved to the city of Barnaul from the State Farm named after Gorkiy in 1972. Then he got married. Two children from his first marriage died, because of which Anatoliy was depressed.\nIn 1990, Anatoliy married again. His wife's name is Nadezhda. A year later, the Sarychevs had a son. In their free time, the couple likes to walk, go to the forest and garden.\nAnatoliy met Jehovah's Witnesses in 1997, and in 2002 he himself decided to take the Christian path. He said, “I had no doubt that I had found the truth. I immediately began to do everything possible for God and experienced the joy of finding a spiritual family.” The wife shares the religious views of Anatoliy.\n“I do not agree with the accusations of extremism,” Anatoliy said. “My wife and I have a positive attitude, but there are health problems, as age takes its toll.”\n","date":"2022-11-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_8af75dcead20644b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_83587413284c759e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_4c83bde713e74d3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sarychev/photo_hu_44bec0be593a0281.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sarychev.html","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Sarychev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2018, mass raids on believers took place in Novosibirsk. Peaceful pensioner Yuriy Savelyev was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center. He was released only in July 2023, having fully served his sentence.\nYuriy was born in 1954 in the village of Krokhalevka (Novosibirsk region). His mother died when the boy was only a month old, so his older sister played an important role in his upbringing. After school, Yuriy received the profession of a plumber, worked at a metallurgical plant. He was engaged in hardening.\nYuriy had two adult children from his first marriage. Unfortunately, one of them passed away in the fall of 2021, when the believer was behind bars. Yuriy's second wife died suddenly after two days of illness, and this greatly influenced the man. Then, realizing the fallacy of seeking solace in alcohol, he became interested in religion and found that the Bible provides logical answers to his questions. In 1996, he decided to embark on the Christian path.\nAlthough none of Yuriy's relatives share his religious views, they are all outraged by what happened to him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_c05c9a4a7dd28405.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_8539213603a2b551.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_79b561772a62cd2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/savelev/photo_hu_326828ee959f12f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/savelev.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Savelyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2019, Andrey Sazonov faced criminal prosecution for his faith. He was under trial three times, accused of extremism. In the fall of 2025, the court imposed a large fine on him.\nAndrey was born in 1980 in Moscow. He has a sister. The young man graduated from the Moscow State Textile University with a degree in engineering in the field of industrial heat and power engineering.\nIn 2002, Andrey married Viktoria, and the couple decided to move to Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area). There, the man got a job at the \u0026quot;Urayteploenergia\u0026quot; enterprise as a mechanic and still works there. The management characterizes Andrey Sazonov positively. He is a peaceful, non-confrontational person, and gets along well with employees.\nSince childhood, Andrey was fond of football and hockey, so he often played in local mini-football competitions, as well as for the Urai hockey team. His wife, Viktoria, is a translator and teacher of English. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s passion for hockey. A son and a daughter were born in the marriage.\nBack in the 1990s, Andrey decided that faith in God would occupy an important place in his life and the life of his family. Spouses are happy to invite friends to visit to sing and dance together. Andrey\u0026#39;s friends and colleagues consider the accusations of extremism absurd.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sazonov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sazonov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sazonov/photo_hu_cf0c277f027b3c2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sazonov/photo_hu_cf0c277f027b3c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sazonov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Sazonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Spouses Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov were detained on August 19, 2018 in the town of Yelizovo. After long legal proceedings, the spouses were sentenced to 2 years probation for extremism.\nSnezhana Bazhenova was born in 1977 in the village of Krabozavodskoye on Shikotan Island (Sakhalin Region). She was left without a father early, and her mother raised her alone, taking on any job so that her daughter had everything she needed. Snezhana's faith was instilled in her by her grandmother as a child, who told her about the Creator and prayed with her. This determined the future life and views of Snezhana.\nSince childhood, Snezhana is a creative person, loves children. She is a primary school teacher by profession. However, due to the fact that she was unreasonably included in the list of extremists, she cannot work in her specialty. In any children's institution, she will not even be able to get a job as a cleaner.\nIn 2001, Snezhana married Konstantin, they had a daughter, Elizaveta. At school, she was an exemplary student, received awards and commendations. This is a close-knit family, they often invite guests or are with them in nature. Konstantin and Elizaveta love to ride a motorcycle.\nRelatives of Snezhana and Konstantin were shocked by the news of their criminal prosecution. Even those of them who do not share their religious views are outraged by what is happening and try to help in any way they can. \"They had to go through a strong shock,\" says Snezhana, adding that she is grateful to her loved ones for their support and love.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sbazhenova/photo_hu_361ebd4a7939c338.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sbazhenova/photo_hu_48a3f7d31fba82eb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sbazhenova/photo_hu_8d7d9a03a2881e8d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sbazhenova/photo_hu_b50348817435e019.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sbazhenova.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Snezhana Bazhenova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Shitts, a descendant of repressed Germans from the Volga region, was prosecuted in November 2021 for his belief in Jehovah God.\nValeriy was born in January 1966 in the urban-type settlement of Bolshaya Murta (Krasnoyarsk Territory) into a family of workers. He has an elder brother. The parents are no longer alive.\nValeriy was a versatile child: he went in for sports and needlework, during his school years he repeatedly received awards. From the age of 17, he began to help his family earn a living, so he was forced to leave his studies at the university. Later he served in the Navy.\nAll his life, Valeriy worked at a construction site, and was also engaged in the decoration of residential premises. Currently not working due to spinal disease. Valeriy loves to pick mushrooms and berries, walk in the woods and go fishing.\nIn 1987, Valeriy married Irina. After the wedding, they moved to the city of Lesosibirsk, where Irina was assigned to work after she received a higher economic education. The couple raised two sons, they already have their own families.\nThe first in the family to become interested in the Bible was Irina, who knew from her grandmother that this book contains the personal name of God—Jehovah. Later, Valeriy joined her in the study of the Holy Scriptures. He was touched that the prophecies recorded in this book are embodied in specific historical events, and the Bible's advice helps to improve the life of the family and society. In 1998, Valeriy embarked on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution disrupted the usual way of life of the family. Due to a sudden search, interrogations and a criminal case, Valeriy's chronic illnesses worsened, Irina experienced severe stress. Relatives and acquaintances are perplexed why peaceful believers are subjected to repressions for their religious beliefs.\n","date":"2022-02-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/schitz/photo_hu_e31c6b40828ca76.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/schitz/photo_hu_cbc56be34a173baa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/schitz/photo_hu_9059e65944f48355.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/schitz/photo_hu_548c2980dad371b0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/schitz.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Schitz","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 10, 2018, in Khabarovsk, 30 riot policemen broke into a café where a friendly party was taking place. After breaking down the doors, they staged hours of mass interrogation of those present, including minors, with the seizure of personal property and fingerprinting. Criminal cases were opened against several party participants in connection with their religion. Among them was 49-year-old Svetlana Sedova. What do we know about her? Svetlana was born in 1969 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She has a younger brother. Her father died when Svetlana was only 3 years old, she lost her mother at the age of 14. Such an early death of both parents did not break the girl - immediately after school she went to work at a garment factory and three years later was considered the best young worker. Later she was engaged in cleaning offices, mastered the skills of a housekeeper. Even as a teenager, Svetlana came to the realization that our planet and the Universe should have an intelligent Creator. Svetlana's husband passed away early, but she did not despair because of the next death of a loved one. She raised two sons and a daughter alone. The eldest daughter Julia works as a hairdresser and draws portraits well. Teenage sons love to ride bicycles. Often the whole family can go on a trip and enjoy joint communication. Svetlana's favorite hobby is flower growing. Svetlana's children are very worried about her criminal prosecution for their faith. Her brother, who does not share her religious views, is trying to understand what is happening. \"Why are decent people persecuted?\" he wonders. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sedova/photo_hu_5f43a0d741813bd3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sedova/photo_hu_9f35c9af861ee29d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sedova/photo_hu_18d943534c5d84a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sedova/photo_hu_853f0fc3f3a64e16.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sedova.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Svetlana Sedova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2021, the court found Rustam Seidkuliev guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison for his faith. Later, the court of appeal reduced this period by 2 months.\nRustam was born in 1977 in Ashgabat (former Turkmen SSR). As a child, he was engaged in freestyle wrestling, martial arts. He graduated from college and acquired the profession of a telephone master. He worked as a finisher. In his free time he was fond of music — he played the guitar.\nIn 1993, Rustam became interested in Bible teachings, and after 2 years his mother joined him. He was impressed by the inner consistency of the Bible, its life-saving advice and fulfilling prophecies.\nRustam's religious convictions do not allow taking up arms, so he refused to do military service. For refusing to join the army, he was twice convicted (in 1995 and 1996) and spent 1 year and 8 months in a general regime colony.\nIn 2000, the family moved from Turkmenistan to Saratov, as Rustam's stepfather was deported from the country because of his religion.\nA year after the move, Rustam met his future wife Yuliya, who at that time had already been a Christian for 8 years. She is a seamstress by profession, loves music and plays the piano. Yuliya is a housewife. The couple like movies, picnics, table tennis, bowling.\nThe severe stress after the arrest of her husband undermined Yuliya's health. Relatives, friends and clients of Rustam are outraged that a peace-loving person was thrown behind bars only because of his faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/seidkuliev/photo_hu_c5ffeee944f88288.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/seidkuliev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/seidkuliev/photo_hu_38b1ca617cf33bad.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/seidkuliev/photo_hu_546c6af7971ef435.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/seidkuliev.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"title":"Rustam Seidkuliev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitriy Semenov, who acted as a witness in the case against another believer, after a while he himself found himself under investigation. According to law enforcement officers, Dmitriy and his wife Nadezhda \u0026quot;inclined\u0026quot; the residents of their city to study the Bible.\nDmitriy was born in 1984 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Kamchatska Territory). He has a younger sister. Their parents are retired. As a child, Dmitriy was fond of sailing, modeling, collecting foreign coins, and loved to go hiking.\nAfter school, Dmitriy graduated from the Kamchatka State University named after Vitus Bering, where he received a degree in applied mathematics and computer science.\nDmitriy\u0026#39;s parents from early childhood instilled in the boy a love of reading the Bible. But faith in God in his heart was strengthened during his studies at the university. There the theory of evolution was taught as a proven fact. Dmitriy, however, recalls: \u0026quot;When we built various models, for example, the development of animal populations, I saw how everything is interconnected, that this could not be the result of evolution.\u0026quot; After graduating from university, Dmitriy decided to take the Christian path.\nGuided by peace-loving Christian convictions, Dmitriy took advantage of the right to undergo alternative civilian service instead of military service. He worked in Yekaterinburg at the Uraltransmash plant. The first months — as a system administrator, and then transferred to the design bureau of general civil production, to the department of engineering calculations, where he could work in his specialty and took part in the design of trams.\nIn Yekaterinburg, Dmitriy met his future wife, Nadezhda. They got married in 2010. The couple loves to cook, walk and ride bikes together. Dmitriy works as a programmer, and Nadezhda works as a merchandiser in a chain of stores. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, playing the guitar and, as before, loves to go hiking.\n\u0026quot;The very fact of criminal prosecution and everything that was associated with it caused us great emotional harm,\u0026quot; Dmitriy said in his final statement in court. In July 2025, the court found Dmitriy guilty and sentenced him to four years suspended.\n","date":"2022-02-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/semenov/photo_hu_1cf4be1cc840f779.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/semenov/photo_hu_6bb3aa9e35b28ba7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/semenov/photo_hu_a33b4cfc328be053.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/semenov/photo_hu_21cf3872ecd764a6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/semenov.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Semenov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution disrupted the quiet life of Nadezhda Semenova and her husband Dmitriy. The religion of the spouses was the reason for the search and charges of extremism.\nNadezhda was born in June 1985 in Yekaterinburg. She has two elder sisters, one of whom was born in her father's first marriage. He was a jack of all trades, his mother mainly took care of the house and daughters, from time to time worked as a cleaner and nanny. Now she is retired, and her father is no longer alive.\nNadezhda was a versatile child: she sang in the school choir, danced, read a lot. She especially enjoyed reading the Bible with her mother and sister. They were inspired by the biblical promise to bring their dead loved ones back to life on earth. Even at a young age, Nadezhda embarked on the Christian path.\nAfter school, the girl immediately went to work. She was a nanny for many years, worked in a private kindergarten, prepared children for school. For a while, Nadezhda worked at a medical services center.\nIn 2010, Nadezhda married Dmitriy, who shares her views on life. For some time they lived in the city of Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk Region, then they moved to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Dmitriy's hometown. Nadezhda works as a merchandiser in a chain of stores, and her husband works as a programmer. Spouses love to spend time together: ride bicycles, play the guitar.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the life of the family. Nadezhda says: “It has become more difficult to plan any cases due to the fact that they can be called to the investigation department or suddenly come to work.” Relatives worry about the spouses, considering the accusation of extremism to be groundless.\n","date":"2022-02-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/semenova/photo_hu_b32cd27ce31f2538.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/semenova/photo_hu_7b3550621a3d13c5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/semenova/photo_hu_609c3c9823072c14.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/semenova/photo_hu_9aceac6edfb017d4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/semenova.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Nadezhda Semenova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/semenyuk.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Semenyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Senin from childhood thought about spiritual issues. Over time, he became a Jehovah's Witness and, because of his faith, found himself involved in a criminal case on extremism.\nAnatoliy was born in August 1979 in Norilsk, later the family moved to Sayanogorsk (Khakassia). As a child, he was fond of table tennis and badminton. After school, he graduated from a vocational school and received the specialty of a car mechanic, and later studied at a construction college as an electrician.\nAnatoliy worked for several years at the RUSAL aluminum plant. His hard work was marked by letters of commendation and gratitude. Then he got a job as a locksmith in a water utility, in recent years he was engaged in plumbing and electrical work.\nNow he lives in the city of Kyzyl, where he met his future wife Anastasiya. They got married in 2013. Anastasiya works as an operator at a water utility. She also moonlights as a manicure master. The spouses love to travel around Tyva, as well as show sights and tell others about the republic.\nDue to house arrest, Anatoliy cannot provide for his family, so the concern for the material fell on the shoulders of his wife. Anastasiya often notices herself being followed, which is why she experiences stress and anxiety for those with whom she comes into contact. Both spouses have worsening heart diseases.\n","date":"2021-03-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/senin/photo_hu_2a56efe3d7be80d8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/senin/photo_hu_11e2ecaf3a7de53.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/senin/photo_hu_df71bd4af7a1150b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/senin/photo_hu_21a6c9a2453d879e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/senin.html","regions":["tyva"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Senin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The Serebryakov family was separated twice in connection with persecution for their faith. First, Aleksandr was arrested and given a 6-year suspended sentence. Two years later, after a second search, he was again deprived of liberty. Subsequently, the court sentenced him to 5 years in prison, in fact, twice convicted him for the same thing.\nAleksandr was born in April 1977 in the city of Chekhov (Moscow region). His father, a military ensign, died when Aleksandr was 15 years old. Her mother worked in the military registration and enlistment office, but now she is retired. Three sons grew up in the family, Aleksandr is the youngest. The middle brother died in 2014.\nIn kindergarten and school, Aleksandr actively participated in art and sports events—not a single holiday was complete without his participation. He also played for the city\u0026#39;s hockey team.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s family often moved: at first, they lived in Ukraine, then in Kazakhstan, and later settled in Chekhov near Moscow.\nAfter the first year of law school, Aleksandr left his studies and began working: first as a carpenter, then as a security guard.\nAleksandr learned about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from one of his brothers. He was especially touched by how warmly the believers treat each other and show love. In 1996, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and a year later his mother was baptized as well.\nIn 2006, Aleksandr married Irina, who shares his religious beliefs. At one time, she especially liked God\u0026#39;s promise to change the world for the better and the fact that he shares his plan with people through the Bible. Irina loves animals, is fond of sewing and enjoys making electronic cards for friends.\nAleksandr is interested in construction technologies and the interior of residential buildings. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends, as well as walking in the forest. Aleksandr is known as a friendly, sympathetic person, always ready to help.\nSeparation became a difficult test for the couple. Irina says: \u0026quot;There is no opportunity to see the closest person on earth! We cannot communicate, do things that we are used to doing together, and support each other in difficulties. If it were not for true friends, I would not even have the means to live.\u0026quot; The worries were added by the fact that Irina\u0026#39;s mother and her husband were persecuted and convicted for their faith in God.\n","date":"2021-06-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/serebryakov/photo_hu_8b97c03033f57945.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/serebryakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/serebryakov/photo_hu_37952f90a2f840cc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/serebryakov/photo_hu_84e9cd1c989a49a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/serebryakov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Serebryakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The Serebryakov family was separated twice in connection with persecution for their faith. First, Aleksandr was arrested and given a 6-year suspended sentence. Two years later, after a second search, he was again deprived of liberty. Subsequently, the court sentenced him to 5 years in prison, in fact, twice convicted him for the same thing.\nAleksandr was born in April 1977 in the city of Chekhov (Moscow region). His father, a military ensign, died when Aleksandr was 15 years old. Her mother worked in the military registration and enlistment office, but now she is retired. Three sons grew up in the family, Aleksandr is the youngest. The middle brother died in 2014.\nIn kindergarten and school, Aleksandr actively participated in art and sports events—not a single holiday was complete without his participation. He also played for the city\u0026#39;s hockey team.\nAleksandr\u0026#39;s family often moved: at first, they lived in Ukraine, then in Kazakhstan, and later settled in Chekhov near Moscow.\nAfter the first year of law school, Aleksandr left his studies and began working: first as a carpenter, then as a security guard.\nAleksandr learned about Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses from one of his brothers. He was especially touched by how warmly the believers treat each other and show love. In 1996, he was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and a year later his mother was baptized as well.\nIn 2006, Aleksandr married Irina, who shares his religious beliefs. At one time, she especially liked God\u0026#39;s promise to change the world for the better and the fact that he shares his plan with people through the Bible. Irina loves animals, is fond of sewing and enjoys making electronic cards for friends.\nAleksandr is interested in construction technologies and the interior of residential buildings. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends, as well as walking in the forest. Aleksandr is known as a friendly, sympathetic person, always ready to help.\nSeparation became a difficult test for the couple. Irina says: \u0026quot;There is no opportunity to see the closest person on earth! We cannot communicate, do things that we are used to doing together, and support each other in difficulties. If it were not for true friends, I would not even have the means to live.\u0026quot; The worries were added by the fact that Irina\u0026#39;s mother and her husband were persecuted and convicted for their faith in God.\n","date":"2021-06-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/serebryakov2/photo_hu_8b97c03033f57945.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/serebryakov2/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/serebryakov2/photo_hu_37952f90a2f840cc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/serebryakov2/photo_hu_84e9cd1c989a49a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/serebryakov2.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Serebryakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A widow from Novokuznetsk, Lubov Serebryakova, suffered two heart attacks. The pensioner\u0026#39;s health condition worsened because of criminal prosecution for talking about God in a circle of friends. In 2023, she was given a 4-year suspended sentence because of her religion. Speaking in court, the believer said: \u0026quot;The motive of all my actions is related to religious beliefs based solely on peacefully following the example of Jesus Christ.\u0026quot;\nLubov was born in December 1950 in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region). She grew up in a large family—she was the fourth of five children. One brother and sister are no longer alive. As a child, Lubov was engaged in speed skating, basketball and volleyball.\nAfter graduating from the All-Union Institute of Finance and Economics, Lubov began working as an economist in the material and technical supply department of the Gidrougol association. She retired in 2005. Lubov\u0026#39;s husband died in 1999. The woman has two sons and four grandchildren.\nIn 2001, Lubov began to study the Bible and 9 months later decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nLubov told how the criminal prosecution affected her life: \u0026quot;The investigation, familiarization with the case materials and 21 court hearings could not but affect my health. In August 2022, I was in the hospital for 8 days in the emergency cardiology department.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2024-10-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_69f91c2a1a49a7b9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_537de079a2deab2e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_28a2297e0a638835.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/serebryakova/photo_hu_e335191cb46935c6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/serebryakova.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Lubov Serebryakova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2019, in Novosibirsk, FSB officers invaded the homes of 12 citizens to stop the \u0026quot;activities of an extremist organization\u0026quot;—reading the Bible and praying. Aleksandr Seredkin was accused of organizing this activity, and in November 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony. After 3 years, the believer was released due to a life-threatening illness.\nAleksandr was born in 1954 in the village of Verkhniy Naimangut (Irkutsk Region) in a family of simple rural workers. His father worked as a combine operator and his mother worked as an assistant to a tractor driver. Aleksandr has a younger brother and sister. The family lost another daughter when she was only seven. Later, they moved to the city of Usolye-Sibirskoye.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was active—he played soccer, painted, read a lot and was interested in science. After graduating from the vocational technical college, he continued the family tradition and became a combine tractor operator. Later he worked as a driver.\nThe name of Aleksandr\u0026#39;s wife is Svetlana. When the Seredkins retired, they decided to move to Novosibirsk. They raised two sons who became worthy members of society.\nSince childhood, Aleksandr was interested in questions like: where did people come from? what is the purpose of life? what is the future of humankind? He found convincing answers in the Bible, and for nearly 30 years along with his wife, has been living according to the commandments of this book.\nRelatives and friends of Aleksandr are shocked by his criminal prosecution for his faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_df64f348764f68e7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_dc2444a3f443a8fa.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_acdda4a7feb63b47.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/seredkin/photo_hu_e85f575ad44c5498.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/seredkin.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Seredkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 17, 2019, mass interrogations and detentions of citizens for their faith took place in the village of Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory). Two days later, the court ruled to send two local believers to the pre-trial detention center. One of them is Sergey Sergeev. What do we know about him?\nSergey was born in 1955 in the village of Dukhovnitskoye, Saratov Region. Together with his sister and parents he lived in a private house in the countryside, so from childhood he was used to working on the farm. Later he mastered the profession of a milling machine operator and machinist of mining and quarry excavators and until his retirement he worked in a coal mine on excavators of various types. After retirement, he continued to work as a watchman.\nIn addition to his native village, in different years Sergey lived in Saratov and Vladivostok, and later moved to Luchegorsk, which attracted him by the lack of city bustle. His wife's relatives also live in Luchegorsk.\nIn 1991, Sergey married Nelly. The couple raised two daughters and a son. Both spouses are united by a love of dogs.\nSoon after the wedding, Sergey and Nelly began to study the Holy Scriptures. The validity of the Bible's teachings and the accuracy of the prophecies convinced both that they had found the truth.\nSergey's relatives are perplexed by the fact that citizens of the country are imprisoned for their faith. They do not understand how to practice their faith with impunity for more than 20 years and suddenly become a \"criminal\" overnight.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sergeyev/photo_hu_c30818f71820a8c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sergeyev/photo_hu_2d91c1eabd22c487.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sergeyev/photo_hu_d5023f08df605101.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sergeyev/photo_hu_3f9bb6d2cde14c67.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sergeyev.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Sergeyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2021, Oleg Sergeyev became a target of law enforcement officers. Two years earlier, his father, Sergey, had also been persecuted. The only reason for these unpleasant events is faith in Jehovah God.\nOleg was born in January 1984 in Vladivostok. When Oleg was still a child, his parents began to study the Holy Scriptures and instill biblical values in him and his younger sister. Later, Oleg decided to understand the religious teachings himself. A thorough study of the Bible subsequently prompted him to embark on the Christian path.\nIn his youth, Oleg was fond of fishing and car maintenance. After school, he studied in Lesozavodsk (Primorye Territory) as a technician of thermal and power plants and networks. Oleg serviced security systems, worked at various enterprises in the energy industry, and since 2016 he has been working as an electrician for the repair of substations.\nOleg had known his wife Anastasiya since his school years—the last two years of study they sat at the same desk. Anastasiya, like Oleg, loved Christian values since youth. In 2010, the young people got married. Oleg likes to listen to guitar melodies, he has plans to master this musical instrument. Anastasiya loved to embroider and make handicrafts with her children. Unfortunately, at the end of 2023, Anastasiya died in an accident, and three young children were left in the care of their father.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the life of the Sergeyev family. Oleg says: \u0026quot;Because of the uncertainty, I live constantly in anticipation of the next stress.\u0026quot; Relatives and friends of the Sergeyevs are perplexed why peaceful people are persecuted only for their religion.\n","date":"2022-02-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sergeyevo/photo_hu_e8372b02ddfee03c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sergeyevo/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sergeyevo/photo_hu_f8741f987c092cc5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sergeyevo/photo_hu_12dc1b272bda3443.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sergeyevo.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Oleg Sergeyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive actions of intimidation of believers at that time took place in Surgut. Security forces broke into the homes of local residents throughout the city, some were tortured, and criminal cases were initiated against 19 people. One of them is Artur Severinchik. What is known about him?\nArtur was born in 1968 in Vladivostok. He is a crane operator by profession, he is fond of fishing and amateur radio. As a child, he often fished with his father on a boat. Recently, he has been taking care of the garden and vegetable garden, repairing television equipment and other equipment.\nSince 1990, Artur has been married to Irina, a preschool teacher and easel painter and graphic artist. A few years after the wedding, the couple made a conscious decision to live according to the precepts of Christ. According to Arthur, he always had faith in God, but he had no knowledge. Bible study helped both spouses strengthen their faith and see God's support in their lives. The family has four adult children, and at times they get together to go out into nature or go fishing together.\nFor the whole family, Arthur's imprisonment was a great shock. They were hurt by the cruelty and humiliation that believers face today. Many of Arthur's relatives and colleagues, who do not share his religious views, cannot understand what the authorities saw as extremist in his religion.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/severinchik/photo_hu_6f379465dc553c59.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/severinchik/photo_hu_6f379465dc553c59.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/severinchik/photo_hu_6e35a415fe5967a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/severinchik/photo_hu_6e35a415fe5967a3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/severinchik.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Arthur Severinchik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2020, the young Shabliys family survived an assault on their home, during which their eldest child, a 4-year-old boy, cut his legs on the shards of broken windows. After the search, Artem, the head of the family, spent three days in a temporary detention center. Because of the incident, the believer had problems with his work, and his health deteriorated against the background of the stress experienced.\nIn Kerch (Crimea) in November 1990, Artem was born together with his twin sister, who was named Victoria. As a child, the boy loved sports games, but chose a profession not related to sports. Artem became a builder, and went to work immediately after finishing 9th grade. In addition to work, he is fond of football, table tennis and chess.\nArtem's mother raised her children using biblical principles. As a result, the son and daughter made an informed choice and became Christians. According to Artem, the decisive role in this was played by the genuine love of fellow believers for each other and for other people - exactly the kind of love that is written about in the Bible.\nArtem met his future wife Svetlana at a young age. They got married in 2013 and are now raising two young sons. The spouse fully shares her husband's religious views. She is a master of manicure by profession, loves to read books and be with her family in nature. Artem and Svetlana especially enjoy the beauty of the Crimean night sky.\nThe relatives of the spouses consider the suspicions against Artyom to be unfounded and hope for a fair court decision. The believer himself also dreams of returning to normal life as soon as possible, forgetting about the fears of a second search.\n","date":"2020-12-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shabliy/photo_hu_ee56184a1b1b54f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shabliy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shabliy/photo_hu_34af8df45de6e016.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shabliy/photo_hu_97d16ce2fae24548.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shabliy.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Artem Shabliy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valery Shalev is one of 5 Smolensk believers who ended up behind bars in April 2019 because of their religious views. The criminal prosecution lasted almost 2 years. During this time, Ruslan spent about 8 months in a pre-trial detention center and 3 months under house arrest. After a year of legal proceedings, the believer was found guilty. In April 2021, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of liberty and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years. Valery was born in 1977 in Yartsevo (Smolensk region). Since childhood, he read a lot, studied English, loved popular science TV shows, and also went in for sports. He graduated from the Yaroslavl Military Institute of Finance and Economics and went to the Far East to work as a military financier.\nWhile studying at the university, Valeriy's mother shared biblical knowledge with her son. At first, Valery tried to prove them wrong, but later realized that his mother was right: the Bible is the truth. Thus began Valery's acquaintance with the Holy Book.\nIn 1999, Valery married Svetlana, whom he met while still a student, and adopted her 4-year-old son. For some time the family lived in Khabarovsk, where Valery did his military service. After his discharge from the army, he worked as a chief accountant for several companies, and more recently as a financial consultant and hiring specialist. Valeriy is still actively involved in football and running, improving his knowledge of the English language. Svetlana works as a manicure instructor, and in her free time she likes to make gifts for friends.\nValeriy's relatives and friends are perplexed by the fact that such law-abiding and decent people like him have begun to be persecuted in Russia. They sincerely hope for a positive outcome of the case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shalev/photo_hu_a7d98783614eb60c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shalev/photo_hu_6ed92774a94ada01.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shalev/photo_hu_9217c7bc08e227a6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shalev/photo_hu_9631f748f87fac3d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shalev.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Shalev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoly Chaliapin was born in the Far East, in Primorsky Krai. Before her retirement, his mother was a health worker - a rural doctor, therapist, paramedic in intensive care. My father worked as a driver all his life. Anatoliy grew up on stories from the Bible because his family — parents and older brothers — became acquainted with the contents of the Bible and studied it with Jehovah's Witnesses even before he was born. Already at the age of 12, he made a conscious decision to live as a believer, deeply respecting the commandments of the Bible.\nAnatoly was fond of football as a child, for some time he played for the team of his city. After graduating from school, he received a secondary law education. His hobbies, in addition to sports, are computer equipment, English, and guitar.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shaliapin/photo_hu_70ffa0bce5cef01f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shaliapin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shaliapin/photo_hu_1ff00b5a90f1152.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shaliapin/photo_hu_e69e3a707ecf7db5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shaliapin.html","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Shalyapin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against peaceful believers, searches were carried out. One of the accused was Aleksandr Shamov. The investigation lasted more than a year, then the case went to court. In July 2021, despite the absence of victims in the case, Shamov was found guilty of organizing extremist activity as well as financing it and sentenced to a large fine of 420,000 rubles just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAleksandr was born in 1960 in the village of Komarovo (Kirov region). The family had six children, Aleksandr's parents died early. From an early age he was accustomed to working in the field: already at the age of 6 he helped in haymaking, and as he grew older, he helped combine harvesters, milked cows, and procured forage. At the same time, the children managed to find time for games, and Aleksandr voraciously read books. He had to travel to school several kilometers away - by bike in summer, by ski in winter.\nAfter leaving school, Aleksandr went to his relatives in Perm, where he graduated from a radio engineering school, after which he moved to the regional center of Kirov and got a job as a TV master. Now she is on a disability pension, recovering from a heart attack and heart surgery. It has become more difficult to play volleyball with friends, although he still tries to lead an active lifestyle.\nIn 1986, Aleksandr married Nadezhda, a clothing cutter by profession. In the 1990s, the couple became acquainted with Bible teachings that touched both of them vividly. They have an adult daughter, Anna.\nAccording to Aleksandr, the news of his criminal prosecution came as a shock to his loved ones, from which they still cannot come to their senses. Former colleagues at work cannot believe that people are persecuted for their faith in our time.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_caae4d2f3cb3ea8f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_664a7265e024f4c2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_982e294996526a13.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shamov/photo_hu_5dcc1818dfef7a1e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shamov.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Shamov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva, a teacher of economics by education, was convicted under an \"extremist\" article in September 2020 only for her faith in God Jehovah. Her long stay in the pre-trial detention center, the trial itself and the conviction affected her health: her chronic diseases worsened.\nTatyana was born in 1977 in Cherepovets (Vologda region). She grew up and was brought up in her parents' hometown - St. Petersburg, the cultural capital of Russia. Since childhood she loved visiting museums, theaters and historical places, as well as choreography and sewing. Tatyana graduated with honors from the Russian State Pedagogical University. Tatyana graduated with honors from Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. Then for many years she had been teaching accounting, economics and law, and worked as an accountant.\nSince 1993, Tatyana has been learning what the Bible teaches. Her mother shared her interest in the spiritual. Over time, they found the answers to their questions and found real meaning in life. Tatyana was especially touched by the fact that God has a personal name, and the whole story in the Bible is logical.\nIn 2010, Tatyana moved to Novozybkov, Bryansk region, and later to Bryansk, where after the trial she is serving a sentence of restriction of liberty. She still keeps her head, loves to spend time with friends, take pictures and make handicrafts from paper, fabric and other materials. She dreams of learning to paint landscapes and play the guitar.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shamsheva/photo_hu_d793cfded4947.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shamsheva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shamsheva/photo_hu_5434ee2a9582fc18.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shamsheva/photo_hu_96169a77b841984c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shamsheva.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Shamsheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the fall of 2022, Natalya Sharapova was searched, detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. She was accused of extremism for no other reason than her beliefs.\nNatalya was born in 1972 in the city of Novy Uzen (Kazakhstan). She has an older brother and a younger sister. As a child, Natalya studied music. Now, in her free time, Natalya likes to make topiary (mini-trees placed in a pot as decoration) and beaded jewelry, and she likes to knit.\nAfter graduating from school, Natalya started working in a stockroom at a garment factory. Later, after being laid off at the factory, she worked as manicurist.\nNatalya learned the Bible through her mother. Studying the prophecies written in the Holy Scriptures and the fact that they are fulfilled in the smallest detail touched her heart the most. In 2012, Natalya decided to become a Christian.\nNatalya has lived in Kazakhstan and in the Primorsky and the Krasnoyarsk Territory of Russia. She has two daughters. The older one is an engineer-geophysicist, and the younger one is a nurse. They do not share Natalya's religious views, but they understand and respect her beliefs.\nDespite the fact that Natalya has health problems, law enforcement officers imprisoned her. Her relatives actively support her and take care of her financially. Although she is a peaceful believer, they had to hire a lawyer for her.\n","date":"2022-11-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sharapova/photo_hu_8f1376983248eda7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sharapova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sharapova/photo_hu_2e36ab62bace9358.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sharapova/photo_hu_74290d01aa39b578.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sharapova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Nataliya Sharapova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"ьгкIn November 2020, Sergey Shatalov, who was undergoing treatment in Moscow, was unexpectedly arrested and subsequently sentenced to a long prison term because of his faith.\nSergey was born in September 1969 in Stavropol. His father died when the boy was 10, and his mother raised him alone. In his youth he was fond of chess, played table tennis, volleyball, billiards.\nSergey studied at a nautical school, then served in the army. During his service in the Navy, he was injured and subsequently disabled, so he mastered a new specialty - a commodity expert. Sergey often had to change his occupation: he worked in the field of trade, as a stage machinist in a theater, a parquet operator, a supplier, a courier.\nSergey met his future wife Yelena immediately after the army. In 1995 they got married. Yelena has several professions, is fond of preparing wedding decoration.\nThe search, detention and house arrest radically changed the life of the spouses. Sergey had to interrupt the necessary treatment. He and his wife had to live separately for some time, as Yelena was a witness in a criminal case against her husband. Due to being in a pre-trial detention center after the verdict, Sergey could not say goodbye to his mother, who died in summer 2023.\nRelatives of Sergey and Yelena are outraged and confused, because they know the couple only from the good side. They are sure that the accusations of extremism are groundless.\n","date":"2021-01-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shatalov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shatalov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shatalov/photo_hu_6d8e332aef067aac.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shatalov/photo_hu_6d8e332aef067aac.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shatalov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Shatalov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Shayapov is another Jehovah's Witness from the Penza region, where believers are subjected to criminal prosecution.\nViktor was born in December 1989 in the village of Kamenka (Moscow region). His father is a driver and his mother is an accountant. Viktor had a brother who died due to medical error when he was only 21 years old.\nAs a child, Viktor was involved in weightlifting, football and boxing. After school he got the profession of an auto mechanic. He worked as a logistics manager.\nHis aversion to violence did not allow Viktor to learn how to fight, so he did alternative civilian service, working as a postal operator from 2011 to 2013.\nWhen Viktor met his future wife, Yekaterina, she took a keen interest in the Bible and discussed it with Jehovah's Witnesses. Viktor was worried about the causes of suffering and death, so he joined Yekaterina in reading the Holy Scriptures. Logical and convincing answers from the Bible, as well as a lifestyle of believers that was consistent with what they teach, prompted Viktor and Yekaterina to embark on the Christian path on the same day in 2008. They got married in August 2010.\nViktor loves football and fishing, is fond of repairs and construction. His wife Yekaterina is a creative person, a fashion designer by profession. She loves to knit and work with leather, and is fond of photography.\nThe groundless criminal prosecution added a lot of concern to the Shayapov couple. Due to the worries and uncertainty, Viktor and Yekaterina began to have trouble sleeping. The spouses' relatives are worried about their future.\n","date":"2021-10-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shayapov/photo_hu_a8d3e4015f6a973b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shayapov/photo_hu_43bc47747d0d47cf.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shayapov/photo_hu_965bc7765335a7dc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shayapov/photo_hu_d4c3f17c49a6aeec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shayapov.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Shayapov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2020, at the height of the pandemic, FSB officers with representatives of the Cossacks broke into the homes of civilians in two villages of the Krasnodar Territory, conducted searches and interrogations of believers. Lyudmila Shchekoldina from the village of Pavlovskaya was suspected by law enforcement officers of being an \u0026quot;adherent of a banned organization.\u0026quot; A criminal case was initiated against her, and in 2022 the court sent her to a penal colony. She was released in April 2026.\nLyudmila was born in the village of Aleksandrovka (Krasnodar Territory). She has an elder sister and a brother. Their father is already dead; their mother is retired. As a child, Lyudmila learned to play the piano and was fond of macramé weaving.\nAfter graduating from Oryol State University, Lyudmila received the specialty \u0026quot;primary school teacher with the right to teach Russian language and literature in secondary school.\u0026quot; In her native village, she worked with pensioners, disabled people, orphans as a specialist of the social protection service. In 2007, she moved to the village of Pavlovskaya, where she worked as a plasterer, housekeeper, and before the criminal prosecution—as a janitor at a sports school. Employees respected Lyudmila, and the employer appreciated her conscientious attitude to work, which is confirmed by letters of thanks addressed to her.\nAs a child, Lyudmila thought about the meaning of life and the causes of evil and injustice in the world. She was especially worried about the question of what happens to a person after death. In the mid-1990s, Lyudmila became acquainted with Bible teachings and received satisfying answers to her questions. As a result, the woman took the Christian path.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Lyudmila\u0026#39;s chronic illnesses worsened due to nervousness. In the colony, she underwent a planned operation, which did not take place due to her arrest. Lyudmila\u0026#39;s nephew, Aleksandr Davydenko, was also behind bars on similar charges. In January 2025, he sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony.\n","date":"2020-05-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shchekoldina/photo_hu_978920c7de4ece4c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shchekoldina/photo_hu_264aaa5b89473012.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shchekoldina/photo_hu_4c96e005e06d769d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shchekoldina/photo_hu_708750743da7f2e3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shchekoldina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against peaceful believers, searches were carried out. One of the accused was Andrey Shchepin. The investigation lasted more than a year, then the case went to court. In July 2021, despite the absence of victims in the case, Shchepin was found guilty of organizing extremist activity as well as financing it and sentenced to a large fine of 500,000 rubles just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAndrey was born in 1991 in Kaliningrad, Moscow region, which today is called Korolev. Andrey has an elder sister and a younger brother. From childhood, my mother instilled in children high moral standards based on the Bible, and my father taught them to work with their hands. Thanks to such upbringing, Andrey never had bad habits and since childhood he is well versed in technology, physics, modeling, and is also fond of photography. After graduating with honors from the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Andrey received a degree in mechanization and construction automation.\nAndrey respected the Bible for its scientific accuracy and beneficial effect on humans. At 23, he asked for the opportunity to undergo alternative civilian service in order to repay his debt to society, although studying at the university allowed him to go through military training in just 1 month. As a result, Andrey served 21 months instead of one, working as a postal operator at the Russian Post.\nIn 2015, Andrey married Ksenia, who is also a building engineer. To support the mother of Ksenia, a disabled person of group I, who required care, the newlyweds decided to move to Kirov. Unfortunately, the woman passed away even before the verdict was passed on her son-in-law.\nAndrey’s relatives and friends do not understand how the court could have passed a guilty verdict on this respectable citizen.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shchepin/photo_hu_2b63d1aa81f56935.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shchepin/photo_hu_ec15104e6bfbd892.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shchepin/photo_hu_c693bac0ab137396.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shchepin/photo_hu_7b01909687ca335e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shchepin.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Shchepin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shcherbina from the Krasnodar Territory faced criminal prosecution in December 2020 because of his faith. Two searches and interrogations disrupted the usual way of life of the master of finishing works.\nAleksandr was born in March 1976. His father worked on a tractor, and his mother worked in a kindergarten. Both parents are no longer alive. As a child, Aleksandr played football, basketball and martial arts. After school, he learned to be a driver and a car mechanic. Then Aleksandr served for two years in the border troops in the North Caucasus. In addition to Kholmskaya and Abinsk, he lived in Abkhazia for some time. He worked in the construction industry, is fond of playing chess online.\nIn 1999, Aleksandr got acquainted with the Bible, became convinced of its reliability and practicality. The fulfillment of the prophecies from Scripture prompted him to become a Christian that same year.\nUnfortunately, due to Bible discussions in April 2021, Aleksandr was sentenced to 3 years in prison. In his last plea, the believer said: \u0026quot;Being in any way connected with hatred and violence is out of the question. I am a peaceful Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness and will continue to be so.\u0026quot; In February 2023, Aleksandr was released after serving his sentence in full.\n","date":"2021-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shcherbina/photo_hu_888b428a5027bff7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shcherbina/photo_hu_2ff3fbd49985e1fd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shcherbina/photo_hu_ae0807ef87cf218.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shcherbina/photo_hu_e1e9c4ed7244c3e1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shcherbina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Shcherbina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2019, one of the most massive and inhumane operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Viola Shepel.\nViola was born in 1976 in the city of Stepnogorsk (Kazakhstan). She has a brother. Their father is an engineer, their mother is a computer operator of an instrument factory. Viola herself chose the medical path and graduated from the Tomsk Basic Medical College. She worked for 8 years in the oncology department of the clinic, and recently she has been working as a district nurse in the pediatric department.\nWhen Viola was 3 years old, her family moved to Tomsk, Russia. In 2003, she got married and moved in with her husband in Surgut. Around the same time, she found in the Bible reasonable answers to her questions about the existence of God, the meaning of life, and relationships between people.\nViola and her husband Pavel have a daughter. The whole family loves to be in nature and travel, often organize holidays for friends.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shepel/photo_hu_f419979eb130211e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shepel/photo_hu_cd17497a6041e43.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shepel/photo_hu_156ef56852f031f3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shepel/photo_hu_68f93ef17b89438b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shepel.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Viola Shepel","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, several residents of Saransk, including Aleksandr Shevchuk, were prosecuted for their faith. Law enforcers considered the conversations about the Bible to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. As a result, the court sentenced the believer to 2 years in a penal colony.\nAleksandr was born in 1989 in Pyatigorsk (Stavropol Territory). He has an elder brother, Mikhail. Since childhood, Aleksandr was a responsible person, he studied excellently at school, and then received a specialty in the field of garden and park construction. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, especially playing basketball and table tennis.\nAleksandr grew up in a family of believers, many of his relatives survived repression during the Soviet years. His great-grandparents were exiled to Siberia in 1951 for their Christian faith. There, in exile, his father and mother were born.\nSince Aleksandr adheres to the principles of Christian neutrality, he asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one and did it in Khimki near Moscow.\nLater, Aleksandr moved to Saransk, where he worked in the furniture industry. Among his friends, he has a reputation as someone who will readily come to the rescue at any time of the day or night.\nIn February 2024, after his release from the penal colony, Aleksandr married Irina, who shares her husband\u0026#39;s views. The couple loves to travel, play sports together and go hiking with friends.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shevchuk/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shevchuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shevchuk/photo_hu_5a12953169d59ca2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shevchuk/photo_hu_5a12953169d59ca2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shevchuk.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Aleksandr Shevchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk is a fourth-generation Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. He and his younger brother Aleksandr were persecuted for their Christian beliefs, just like their ancestors who were exiled to Siberia for their faith.\nMikhail was born in November 1986 in the village of Goryachevodskiy, Stavropol Territory. From early childhood, he was a sympathetic and hardworking child. In his teenage years, he helped his mother sew clothes for sale. In 2005, he graduated with honors from the College of the Pyatigorsk Institute of the North Caucasus Federal University with a degree in sewing technology.\nIn 2006, Mikhail moved to Saransk, where he worked in the furniture industry—first as an assembler, and later as a designer. He is creative in his work and likes to solve non-standard tasks. In his free time, he reads, chats with friends, relaxes in nature, plays chess and sometimes bakes cakes for family and friends.\nIn 2013, Mikhail married Yaroslavna. They have a strong marriage, and, according to the couple, they do everything together. Yaroslavna told what she felt when Mikhail was arrested: \u0026quot;We have a very strong, close bond. And when it is destroyed, it feels like the heart is being torn apart.\u0026quot;\nMikhail\u0026#39;s great-great-grandmother was the first in the Shevchuk family to start studying the Bible in 1936. Parents instilled moral values in their children, and at a young age they embarked on the Christian path. Love for people and the desire to remain a peaceful person prompted Mikhail to ask for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one, but he was exempted from conscription for health reasons.\nFor several years, the couple Shevchuk took care of Yaroslavna\u0026#39;s seriously ill grandmother, and at the time of the search she lived with them. Yaroslavna talks about the sad consequences of what happened: \u0026quot;My grandmother experienced a lot of stress during the search. She was almost 91. She could not calm down in the last six months. My heart could not stand it.\u0026quot;\nIn 2017, when the ruling to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses was issued, Mikhail and his wife personally attended the court session at the Supreme Court and heard the statement that the decision would not affect in any way the right of believers to practice their religion. However, he was later prosecuted for not renouncing his Christian views.\n","date":"2023-03-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shevchukm/photo_hu_e2c7eeb1f6e96366.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shevchukm/photo_hu_8bc9b8558515c4a9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shevchukm/photo_hu_5a1d837134cedf2f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shevchukm/photo_hu_bf812b21fe053c85.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shevchukm.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Mikhail Shevchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Law enforcement agencies accused Stepan Shevelev, a peaceful believer from Norilsk, of \u0026quot;taking part in the discussion of literature and videos of a religious nature,\u0026quot; as well as praying. The authorities regarded this as organizing extremist activities.\nStepan was born in September 1982 in the village of Maslyanino (Novosibirsk region). When the boy was 2, the family decided to move to Norilsk. In 1986, Stepan\u0026#39;s younger sister was born.\nSince childhood, Stepan had many friends. He was fond of tourism, reading books, board games. After school, he graduated from college, received the profession of \u0026quot;cable-solder\u0026quot;. After graduation, he worked in his specialty.\nIn 1996, my mother became interested in the Bible. But later, only Stepan continued the study of the Holy Scriptures. According to him, he realized that \u0026quot;the teachings of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses do not contradict the Bible.\u0026quot; Moreover, he saw how the Bible changes people\u0026#39;s lives for the better. Stepan became a Christian in 2001, when he was 18.\nStepan got married in December 2013. His wife Oksana is an English language teacher. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball and, like Stepan, reading, traveling and playing video games with him. Since childhood, her mother instilled in her respect for the Bible. Oksana always empathized with people and wanted to help them, dreamed of becoming a doctor. When she learned from the Bible that suffering would come to an end, she joyfully began to share that hope with others.\nStepan says: \u0026quot;The criminal case only strengthened the faith.\u0026quot; The family sees support and care from fellow believers.\nAlthough Stepan\u0026#39;s parents and sister do not share his beliefs, they have a good relationship. Stepan said that employees at work and relatives do not understand why such accusations were made against him. \u0026quot;They never noticed any signs of extremism in my behavior. We are ready to support if necessary,\u0026quot; Stepan shared.\n","date":"2021-06-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shevelev/photo_hu_9aabeb3f2b4de39f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shevelev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shevelev/photo_hu_1a5ff578de380b13.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shevelev/photo_hu_a1bf103bd0ce341f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shevelev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Stepan Shevelev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Oleg Shidlovskiy is a school physical education teacher from the city of Gukovo. Colleagues and neighbors know him as a decent family man and a law-abiding citizen. However, in August 2020, he was arrested and sent to a pre-trial detention center only because of his faith in Jehovah God. In September 2022, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in a penal colony.\nOleg was born in 1969 in the village of Gornyatskiy (Rostov Region). He has a younger brother. Throughout his childhood and youth, Oleg was fond of sports, especially basketball. He studied at a sports school and successfully participated in many competitions and tournaments.\nAfter school, Oleg graduated from the Pedagogical Institute, having received the specialty of a physical education teacher. Since 1992, he has worked as a teacher at the Gukovo school.\nWhile still a student, Oleg got acquainted with the Holy Scriptures. He liked the simple and straightforward teachings of the Bible and decided to live up to what he learned.\nIn 1998, Oleg married Nataliya, who shares his love for God and biblical principles. The couple had two daughters.\nAfter the arrest of his father, the family was left without a breadwinner. The stress experienced during the search had a serious impact on Nataliya\u0026#39;s health. The parents of the couple were depressed because the believer had been unfairly persecuted. In November 2025, Oleg Shidlovskiy was released after almost 5.5 years behind bars.\n","date":"2020-11-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shidlovskiy/photo_hu_cfd96f85f547b312.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shidlovskiy/photo_hu_46da354a05c3567c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shidlovskiy/photo_hu_6f7f425a677673e9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shidlovskiy/photo_hu_bdc8c78a91720c6d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shidlovskiy.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Oleg Shidlovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In Shuya (Ivanovo region), a criminal case was opened against the mother of two children, Svetlana Shishina. Law enforcement agencies consider her religion illegal. What do we know about this woman?\nSvetlana was born in 1975 in Orenburg. His parents are military pensioners. My brother passed away in 2018, when he was 45 years old. The family lived for some time in garrisons in the Far East near Blagoveshchensk, later in Czechoslovakia, and then her father was transferred to Shuya, where Svetlana lives to this day. As a child, she was fond of drawing, needlework, rhythmic gymnastics, singing and dancing.\nAfter school, she graduated from the Shuya Medical School with a degree in nursing. Later she mastered the profession of an economist-accountant and worked in the Shuisky Central District Hospital. Later she graduated from advanced training courses on the topic \"nursing cosmetology\" and now works as a cosmetologist.\nThroughout her life, Svetlana carried warm memories of the book, which she accidentally saw while visiting a friend. It was a children's picture Bible. She made a great impression on a six-year-old girl from a family of members of the CPSU, where it was not customary to talk about faith in God. Years later, she learned that God had a name, and later decided to study the Holy Scriptures deeply. The most important thing is that the Bible answers all vital questions.\nSvetlana has been married since 1995. My husband works in the construction industry. The couple have two children — a son and a daughter. The son graduated well from general education, art and music schools. The 12-year-old daughter also studies at a music school, where she has repeatedly participated in competitions and won prizes.\nJune 26, 2018 divided the life of Svetlana's family into before and after. The search in the early morning plunged the whole family into a state of stress and shock, the consequences of which - emotional, mental and physical - they still feel. Svetlana is especially worried about her daughter, who has developed a fear of being left without a mother. And this fear is not unfounded - the investigator has already threatened to deprive Svetlana of parental rights.\nRelatives, friends, work colleagues, as well as school teachers of Svetlana's children are outraged by the injustice that has befallen this exemplary family. They cannot come to terms with the idea that the time, effort and money of the state are spent on fighting respectable people.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shishina/photo_hu_2ce9bf34ef715f53.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shishina/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shishina/photo_hu_5f4569da299a0d1d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shishina/photo_hu_485496de7916166c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shishina.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Svetlana Shishina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Friends, neighbors and acquaintances know Igor Schmidt from Sevastopol as a man with impeccable reputation, loyal friend, responsible person, always ready to help. However, the usual way of life of a peaceful Christian was violated by a search and arrest. He was accused of extremist activity and was imprisoned on October 1, 2020.\nIgor was born in 1972 in Lariak village (Tyumen region). He has a sister who currently lives abroad. After school, Igor graduated from a technical school in Nizhnevartovsk. He worked as an individual entrepreneur. In 2001, he moved to Sevastopol. In his spare time, Igor likes to go to nature, by the sea, go to picturesque places of Crimea.\nIgor learned about the Bible from his mother. He was impressed by how knowledge from this book changed her life. It became more cheerful, and communication with fellow believers had a beneficial effect on it. Such changes in her mother prompted Igor to get acquainted closer with the Holy Scriptures. He decided to become a Christian and never regretted the choice made.\nIgor's sister, friends and acquaintances do not understand why this peaceful man suddenly began to be considered a dangerous criminal and was imprisoned only because he believes in God Jehovah.\n","date":"2020-10-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shmidt/photo_hu_e7a0c57f63b2bc89.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shmidt/photo_hu_45cb81579bc6e7c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shmidt/photo_hu_6079cf95e906e4ba.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shmidt/photo_hu_c8f72a3323f4318c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shmidt.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Shmidt","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, six criminal cases against civilians of the city were initiated in Birobidzhan at once. They were accused of participating in extremist activities only because the women are Jehovah's Witnesses. Among them was Tatyana Sholner.\nTatyana was born in September 1993 in Birobidzhan. When she was very young, a tragedy occurred in the family - her father was killed. The mother had to raise her daughter and eldest son alone.\nTatiana grew up as an inquisitive, active child. After graduating from school, she entered a technical school with a degree in sewing technician. One of the classmates took the Bible seriously, lived according to its principles and laws. Tatiana was also interested in the Holy Scriptures, she began to read it carefully and discover its depth and wisdom. \"I was especially touched by the teaching on the resurrection of the dead, because in 2014 I experienced a strong emotional shock when my 12-year-old cousin died,\" says Tatiana.\nTatyana works in a pharmacy, is fond of sports: she likes to skate, bike, play volleyball.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Tatyana's emotional state. The court hearings in her case lasted about a year. On June 25, 2021, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Yulia Tsykina, sentenced the 27-year-old believer to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment for her faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sholner/photo_hu_c67d8c09d32b8901.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sholner/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sholner/photo_hu_6c5434627b109877.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sholner/photo_hu_a0506894ef3727.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sholner.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Sholner","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Gennadiy Valerianovich Shpakovskiy was born in 1958 in the village. Krasny Yar (Volgograd region). He grew up in Sumgait (Azerbaijan), where his mother and younger brother still live.\nGennadiy was the eldest child in the family. His life was normal for a teenager in those years. He was actively involved in sports, especially volleyball. When he turned 14, he entered the Nevinomyssk Chemical and Mechanical College. Having received a working profession, he successfully worked as an apparatus operator for oxidative roasting at one of the chemical plants of the Krasnodar Territory. And in 1984 he moved to the Murmansk region. There, in Snezhnogorsk, he worked as a mechanic-repairman and electric and gas welder. From 2003 to the present, Gennadiy Valerianovich is an electric and gas welder. Until now, his hobbies include sports, primarily chess.\nGennadiy is married. They have been married to Tatiana for more than a quarter of a century. They met in the distant 1990s in Severomorsk due to their common passion for sports. Tatiana graduated from the Irkutsk College of Physical Education, then continued her education in her specialty at the Krasnodar Institute of Physical Education. She worked as a trainer, physical education teacher, was the chairman of the Severomorsk city council of the DSO trade unions. And for the soul, she was successfully engaged in drawing, so she can be safely called an amateur artist. Since January 26, 1991 (this is the date of their marriage), Tatyana and Gennadiy are always together.\n“My wife and I fell in love with the Bible at the same time,” says Gennadiy Shpakovskiy. “The most convincing thing for me was the logical explanation of all life processes. And Tanya was looking for the truth for a long time, and the teachings set forth in this book were able to provide answers to exciting and vital questions. \"\nGennadiy and Tatiana have a daughter, Maria. This is a sociable, kind and creative nature. She loves to dance, sing, paint, make gifts with her own hands. From an early age Masha absorbed the love of her parents for the Bible. \"Since childhood, I have seen the sincere love and support of fellow believers, I saw the example of my parents and I was convinced that the Bible can really help in solving any problems.\"\nIn 2011, after his younger sister died, Gennadiy moved with his family closer to the south to Pskov. In 2018, with the support of the armed Rosgvardia, a series of searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful Pskov residents, including Gennadiy's. Two years later, a believer was sentenced to a record-breaking at that time 6.5-year prison sentence for extremism . However, a higher court softened the sentence and replaced it with a suspended sentence.\n\"Such persecution was expected,\" Tatyana says, \"but it happened suddenly for us anyway... We try to support each other, and we are grateful to our brothers and sisters in faith, who encourage us\".\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_35eb1c84bb416310.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_919a2ebbf88650f7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_cbeef9404f40df87.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shpakovskii/photo_hu_3c712d6814954fcf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shpakovskii.html","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Shpakovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksey Shubnikov is a group I disabled person who has been confined to a wheelchair since the age of 16. However, this did not prevent law enforcement officers from suspecting him of extremism and starting a criminal case.\nAleksey was born in June 1982 in Nizhnevartovsk, Tyumen region. He has a younger brother and sister. For some time, the family lived in the city of Langepas (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area), and in the early 2000s they moved to the Krasnodar Territory and settled in the village of Vyselki.\nAs a child, Aleksey was an active child. He loved skiing, went to a wood carving circle, often went to nature with his parents, went fishing, went to the forest for berries and mushrooms. The family spent the whole summer in the country house. But then a tragedy happened: the young man fell from a tree and received a serious spinal injury. This influenced the rest of his life. Yet, despite his physical limitations, he was able to earn a degree in accounting and economics. Being on disability, Aleksey does not work. He lives with his parents and still loves to fish, to be in nature, to discover new places.\nIn the mid-2000s, Aleksey began his acquaintance with biblical teachings. He recalls: \u0026quot;I was always worried about the questions: what happens to a person when he dies? Will we ever see our dead loved ones? When I learned that soon everyone would be healthy, that I would be able to run again, it affected me greatly. Before, I didn\u0026#39;t even hope to walk again, I thought that my life was over and had no meaning. Aleksey was impressed by the logical and simple answers from the Bible to his questions, and he was also touched by the friendliness and attention paid to him by other Christians. In 2008, Aleksey himself decided to embark on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution made life difficult for Aleksey. He says: \u0026quot;For the first days after the search, I was in constant tension, I had problems sleeping and lost my appetite. After a while, I began to come to my senses, there was inner peace. But still, every call at the door or on the phone causes tension. Due to the restrictions imposed by the court, the already difficult life of Aleksey became even more difficult.\nAleksey\u0026#39;s relatives are worried about him. The father\u0026#39;s health has deteriorated; the mother worries about the future of her son.\n","date":"2022-03-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shubnikov/photo_hu_2cb3bb4623e86a48.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shubnikov/photo_hu_50cab17f26418bbd.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shubnikov/photo_hu_a618b8a926a03ecf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shubnikov/photo_hu_4e3f289168cafe42.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shubnikov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Aleksey Shubnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Olga Shulgina became one of 5 women in the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), against whom investigator A. Yakhtanigov opened a criminal case under an extremist article. Olga was born in 1961 in the village of Maralikha (Altai Territory). She has an older brother and a younger sister. Olga's mother worked for many years as the head of the laboratory at the poultry farm. Now she is at an advanced age and needs constant care. Her father also worked as a deputy chief accountant at a poultry farm in the city of Maysky, where the family moved when Olga was about three years old. He died in 2016. As a child, Olga loved to cook, bake and sew. After school, she graduated from a sewing school. She worked in a garment factory and in a garment cooperative. Later, she worked for many years at the May X-ray equipment plant \"Sevkavrentgen\" as a copyist, and also baked cakes and pastries to order. Olga is now retired. Cooking is still her hobby. In 1980, Olga married Alexander, two children were born in marriage - a daughter and a son. In the 2000s, Olga became interested in Bible teachings. She was struck by how accurately the prophecies recorded in the ancient book came true. This led her to the idea that all the promises of God would be fulfilled, and no one could stop it. Olga decided to become a Christian, and in 2009 she dedicated her life to serving God. Relatives do not share Olga's religious beliefs.\nCriminal prosecution is not easy for Olga: she has lost a lot of weight from stress, her health has weakened. She still has to take care of her sick mother, which in itself is a heavy burden for the believer, but she tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","date":"2021-06-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_c5f94341d846f936.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_6af73239db4643cc.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_682e31dddd5f73da.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shulgina/photo_hu_d9a380c2c207f9ef.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shulgina.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Shulgina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 17, 2018, a massive raid on Jehovah's Witnesses took place in the city of Birobidzhan. The operation, code-named \"Judgment Day\", involved 150 security officials. One of the believers, Sergey Shulyarenko, was accused of collecting donations for worship services. Four and a half years later, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to seven years in a penal colony.\nSergey was born in 1984 in the city of Khabarovsk. He has two older brothers. For some time, Sergey lived with his parents in Turkmenistan; his father was in the military. Later, the family returned to the Far East region of Russia and settled in the small village of Budukan, Jewish Autonomous Region. As a child, Sergey learned Christian values from his mother.\nSergey entered the medical college of Birobidzhan but did not graduate due to an injury and disability. Later, he graduated from a vocational school as a machinist in opencast mining and worked as an assistant machinist. In 2009 he returned to Birobidzhan because of deteriorating health.\nIn his free time, Sergey loves to draw portraits in pencil. He also enjoys foreign languages.\nIn September 2023, when Sergey was already in the penal colony, where he was placed to serve his sentence, his wedding took place—he married Marina. The girl supports her husband in everything and waits for his release.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shulyarenko/photo_hu_71650af08567b7e2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shulyarenko/photo_hu_c7f7ec0d466c6e16.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shulyarenko/photo_hu_b24c77bfce8fcb1d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shulyarenko/photo_hu_b7cb5675031400ed.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shulyarenko.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Shulyarenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The family of Ivan Shulyuk, a native of a small Siberian town, has been facing repression for faith for several generations. In the 1940s, his grandfather was thrown into prison for refusing to take up arms. He never returned from there. Ivan\u0026#39;s grandmother was exiled to Siberia in 1951 only for faith in God Jehovah. Their grandson, a peaceful Christian, was also declared an extremist on the same grounds.\nIvan Shulyuk was born in September 1976 in Nazarovo (Krasnoyarsk region), where he lived all his life. He has two older brothers. His parents are no longer alive. Since childhood, Ivan was aactive and curious: he was fond of fishing and working with radio equipment, read travel magazines, went skiing, lived running and playing hockey.\nAfter school, Ivan graduated from the Nazarovo Power Engineering Technical School. Having trained as a mechanic of transport, construction, road machinery and equipment, he worked for over 20 years as an apartment building maintenance technician. For his work, he received letters of gratitude and certificates.\nEven in his youth Ivan became convinced of the authenticity of biblical prophecies and at 18 years of age consciously took the Christian path. He realized that service to God brings him real joy in life.\nIn 2002, Ivan married Yuliya, a secondary‑school German teacher. Later, she completed professional retraining and now works as a counseling psychologist. She shares her husband\u0026#39;s religious beliefs.\nYuliya enjoys playing the piano, learning foreign languages, reading popular science literature, exercising, and growing flowers. Ivan is interested in local history and numismatics. He also likes spending time in nature, gathering mushrooms, and fishing. The couple enjoys traveling and spending time with friends.\nThe Shulyuk family\u0026#39;s usual way of life was disrupted in June 2020, when an armed law‑enforcement unit burst into their apartment. Ivan was detained and placed in a pre‑trial detention center for a month.\nThe couple\u0026#39;s relatives, their neighbors, and acquaintances—including those who do not share their religious beliefs—were shocked by what happened. The stress took a toll on the already fragile health of Yuliya\u0026#39;s mother and grandmother.\n","date":"2020-11-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shulyuk/photo_hu_ab947167106140e9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shulyuk/photo_hu_37cbb16758d0a3e8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shulyuk/photo_hu_deb5737c634f09e5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shulyuk/photo_hu_c955b12c5ae4f254.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shulyuk.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Ivan Shulyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut, a widow and disabled person of group II, faced repression for her faith in 2019, when she was 72. First, she was interrogated in the case of a fellow believer and then accused of extremism.\nLyudmila was born in 1947 in the city of Makarov on Sakhalin. At an early age, the girl was left without a father. Growing up, she, as the eldest child in the family, helped her mother take care of her three sisters and brother. In her free time, Lyudmila liked skiing and horseback riding.\nAfter school, the girl went to work, changing several professions during her long working life: she was a turner, milkmaid, foreman of a tractor-field brigade and manager of a state farm, and managed a warehouse. Lyudmila was married, raised three children and became a grandmother.\nThe woman got acquainted with the Bible in the early 2000s. She was especially moved by Bible prophecies, which have already come true, and God\u0026#39;s promises about the future. In December 2003, she became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nYears later, peaceful Lyudmila had to defend her faith in court. In her final statement, she said: \u0026quot;I have suffered many misfortunes in my life. I can hardly move on crutches, so as not to be a burden to anyone. After the search in my apartment on July 19, 2018, and to this day, I am stressed. My health condition has deteriorated.\u0026quot; The youngest daughter, son and friends provided the believer with the necessary support during the criminal prosecution. Lyudmila died in the summer of 2025 because of a heart attack.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_e96e9199bb6b4451.JPG","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_102352de09c04058.JPG","webp":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_1465438424e78060.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shut/photo_hu_21f58f7a8870e7f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shut.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","disability","died"],"title":"Lyudmila Shut","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, the life of peaceful pensioner Alexandr Shutov changed dramatically — his house and his wife were searched, and the believer learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlexandr was born in December 1952 in the village of Pionersky, Irkutsk Region. He has a sister.\nAlexandr graduated from five classes of school, and from the age of 15 he worked on a collective farm. Later he worked as a driver and handyman.\nFrom childhood, his parents instilled in Alexandr a love for biblical truths. He himself embarked on the Christian path when he was 23 years old.\nAlexandr lived in Alma-Ata (Kazakhstan), Usolye-Sibirsky (Irkutsk Region) and Partizansk (Primorsky Territory). Later, he settled in the village of Kotikovo, Vyazemsky district, Khabarovsk Territory.\nIn 1973 Alexandr married Rosa. His wife shares his views on life. They have adult children.\nRegarding the criminal case, Alexandr says: “Persecution is an unpleasant feeling if you are not guilty of anything.” Relatives are outraged that this decent man was equated with extremists.\n","date":"2022-01-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_346d105893a4096e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_c5623dcf27a73f85.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_5ff8b93f3087d803.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/shutov/photo_hu_f0f2fe1dda70839b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/shutov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Shutov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2022, the family of Pavel Sidorenko, a hardworking pensioner from Kuban, suffered when law enforcement officers raided his home with a search. Because of his religious beliefs, the believer had to face persecution.\nPavel was born in 1958 in Krymsk, Krasnodar Territory. His father was a worker at a sawmill, his mother worked in an atelier. The family had three sons, of whom Paul was the middle. Parents and elder brother are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Pavel was fond of athletics, loved to play football, volleyball and chess, draw and take pictures. After school, he graduated from the Krasnodar Polytechnic Institute, where he received the specialty of a technologist for the production of bread, bakery, confectionery and pasta.\nPavel worked at the bakery as a process engineer, as well as a mechanic. Later he worked as an engineer in the field of housing and communal services, also as a pumping unit operator and boiler operator of the Southern Research and Production Association for Marine Geological Exploration. He was also engaged in the renovation of premises. He is now retired.\nPavel met his future wife Marina at the institute. In 1981 they got married. Marina is a winemaking technologist by profession. She worked as a microbiologist at a winery and as a laboratory chemist in a boiler room. She loves needlework, growing flowers, especially roses, cooking healthy food and receiving guests. The couple raised a daughter who was fond of playing the violin as a child. She is a hairdresser, loves to learn foreign languages and travel. He lives with his parents.\nThe family lived in Gelendzhik, Goryachy Klyuch, and later moved to the suburbs of Krasnodar. They love to spend time together, be in nature with friends, learn songs and sing to the accompaniment of a synthesizer.\nPaul was worried about the questions: how did the universe come into being? How did life originate on Earth? Is there a God? Who was Jesus Christ? His wife was also interested in this. At first, Paul was skeptical about the Bible. However, later, when he met Jehovah's Witnesses, who showed him logical answers to his questions in the Scriptures, he changed his attitude. He was struck by the exact fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the prospect of a better life. In 1991, Pavel and Marina decided to embark on the Christian path together.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the physical and emotional state of his entire family. The stress of the search had a negative impact on her daughter's health. Despite this, Pavel tries to look at what is happening with optimism. He shares: \"Relatives and friends are a great help. The criminal prosecution has brought our family closer together and made us appreciate the time we spent together even more.\"\n","date":"2023-05-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_d19cbcb8e4b3f937.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_e56d58eff216e6ad.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_c05ab373ed4f4be0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sidorenko/photo_hu_3fa79f7874395367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sidorenko.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Pavel Sidorenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 20, 2020, the security forces of Khakassia opened a criminal case, accusing 44-year-old Irina Sidorova of extremist activities just because she believes in Jehovah God. On July 17, 2020, Irina died in the hospital after undergoing two surgeries.\nIrina was born in 1976 in the village of Uybat (Republic of Khakassia). Her parents are dead. Two of the four children in this family also died early.\nIrina grew up as a versatile child: she did gymnastics, sang in the choir, attended a theater studio and an art circle. After graduating from school, Irina changed several professions: a gas station operator, a nurse, a spinner, a cleaner, etc. Irina was divorced, she has two children, one of them is a minor.\nIn addition to Uybat, Irina lived in the village of Raikov and the city of Chernogorsk, and until her death she lived in the village of Sapogov.\nOne day, Irina decided to find out why Jesus Christ allowed herself to be executed. The answer from the Bible convinced her that this book could be trusted. In 2017, Irina was baptized as a Christian. Relatives, neighbors, and work colleagues considered the criminal prosecution of this hardworking woman unjustified.\n","date":"2020-06-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sidorova/photo_hu_9fca91a505ff925d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sidorova/photo_hu_9fca91a505ff925d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sidorova/photo_hu_e93eccd1e06157ec.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sidorova/photo_hu_e93eccd1e06157ec.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sidorova.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["died"],"title":"Irina Sidorova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 11, 2019 law enforcers in the Bryansk region conducted a large-scale operation against believers. As a result, a resident of Novozybkov Olga Silayeva was placed in a detention center, where she spent 8 months. Later, she was convicted along with three other believers under an extremist article. After the verdict came into force on 28 October 2020, Olga had to stay in Bryansk for six months due to restriction of her freedom.\nOlga was born in 1988 in the village of Davydovo, Moscow region. She has two older brothers. As a child, she went to a theater club. She graduated with honors from a technical school as a heat engineer and worked as an engineer in the production and technical department.\nSince childhood, Olga loves reading, active recreation, soccer, volleyball, making handicrafts and gifts with her own hands, inventing contests and games for children. Olga learns to draw.\nOlga first heard about the Bible from her mother. Reading the Holy Scriptures convinced the girl that she had finally found the truth. \"In my young years, the authority of the Bible was not questioned,\" says Olga. \"For me, all basic truths were clear and logical. Since 2000, she decided to live by biblical standards together with her mother and brother.\nAfter the searches, Olga had a fear. She says: \"Now I live with the thought that at any moment everything can be repeated again\". Staying in the detention center has seriously affected her emotional and physical health. Relatives cannot understand why a law-abiding girl, from whom there is no threat, was found guilty of extremist activities. After the verdict of conviction came into legal force on October 28, 2020 Olga had to stay in Bryansk for at least six months due to restriction of her freedom.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/silayeva/photo_hu_290d144174a9c93d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/silayeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/silayeva/photo_hu_a84ed50783f2eeea.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/silayeva/photo_hu_61584212f3ea6248.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/silayeva.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Olga Silayeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Boris Simonenko devoted 23 years of his life to hard work in a mine in the north of Russia, for which the Ministry of the Coal Industry of the USSR awarded him medals. But in February 2021, the state considered the pensioner a criminal because of the \"wrong\" belief: he was searched and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nBoris is from Ukraine, he was born in the village of Novaya Sech, Sumy region in March 1955. As a child, he helped raise his younger brother, as his parents worked hard. He also has an elder sister. After school, Boris received a secondary specialized education and worked as an electrician.\nAt the age of 23, Boris left for Vorkuta, where he worked in a mine as a foreman-miner of a clearing face. He even had to find himself under the rubble. Later he moved to Kovrov, having received an apartment under the program of resettlement of northerners.\nBack in Vorkuta, Boris met his future wife Ida, and in 1978 they got married. They have a son, Alexey, who followed in his father's footsteps and became a miner. Ida is a primary school teacher and loves sports. A few years after the wedding, she became interested in Bible teachings, and later her husband joined her. For more than 20 years Boris and Ida have been studying the Bible together and trying to lead a Christian lifestyle. The benefits of applying biblical principles at one time convinced Boris of the truth of what he had learned.\nBoris has problems with vision and hearing, he suffered a pre-stroke condition, which is why he underwent long-term treatment. Now the believer is forced to regularly take medications to maintain his health.\n","date":"2021-03-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_ea5e72231256e3ae.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_c2c3e33a19aa6278.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/simonenko/photo_hu_98a9b6f5a86ce907.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/simonenko.html","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Boris Simonenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The knowledge gained through Bible study brought Oleg Sirotkin\u0026#39;s family together and helped him and his wife raise their daughters. However, for his peaceful religious views, he was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.\nOleg was born in June 1964 in Yaroslavl. He has a younger sister. As a child, Oleg was an active child, sports were an integral part of his life: he was engaged in artistic and athletic gymnastics, cycling, sambo, skiing. Oleg also loved to read; regularly attended libraries.\nAfter school, Oleg entered the Yaroslavl Technical University, where he studied as a chemist-technologist, and then, many years later, he underwent retraining and received a diploma in marketing. Oleg started his career as an engineer for commissioning and commissioning of chemical production equipment, then worked as a shift foreman and deputy shop manager. Recently, he was a sales manager for paints and varnishes at a chemical plant.\nIn 1997 Oleg moved to Tambov for work. Prior to that, he lived for some time in the city of Volzhskiy, Volgograd Region.\nOleg has an adult daughter from his first marriage. In 2000, he married Natalya, whom he met at the Tambov theater. She is a fashion designer by profession, while independently mastering the restoration of shoes. Her hobbies include fashion illustration, video editing, cooking, and dancing. Natalya also likes to help her husband with plastering and tiling. Oleg loves to make something with his own hands for the home and dreams of mastering welding.\nOleg and Natalya raised two daughters from her first marriage. Both girls are already adults and live separately. Darya promotes websites, plays the ukulele, and takes pictures. Iraida is a web designer who loves to travel, do home improvement and gardening with her husband.\nOleg began his acquaintance with the Bible in 2000. He was shocked that this book did not support the doctrine of hell. He was also impressed by the wisdom of the biblical counsel. In 2007, Oleg and Natalya together decided to become Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nOleg says: \u0026quot;Natalya\u0026#39;s daughters became my family thanks to the fact that before going to bed I read to them about Jesus. We talked a lot, and communication led to a trusting relationship.\u0026quot; When the girls grew up, they also decided to live according to biblical principles. The whole family of the Sirotkins loved to go out of town, ski, and spend evenings with friends.\nThe persecution of Oleg had a negative impact on the health of the couple. Natalya is on disability group III after a major operation, and the criminal case against her husband has only increased stress and emotional strain. Oleg\u0026#39;s mother, who shares his views on life, as well as relatives and friends, sympathizes with the believer and provides him with support.\n","date":"2022-01-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_6337ae5dd618bc51.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_81e489c03fb48bdc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sirotkin/photo_hu_aa89e8eeb5863d9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sirotkin.html","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Oleg Sirotkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, law enforcement agencies considered the peaceful religious activities of Inver Siyukhov from Maykop to be extremism. He was sent to a pre-trial detention center, and later the court sentenced the believer to a long term of imprisonment in a penal colony. At the end of April 2025, he was released from the premises operating as a pre-trial detention center at a maximum security penal colony, where he eventually served all the sentences imposed.\nInver was born in 1974 in Maikop (Republic of Adygea). He has an elder sister. They spent their childhood in the Georgian city of Gori, later the family returned to Maykop. Parents are retired. The father was diagnosed with cancer, and he was especially the persecution of his son, as he was afraid that he might not live to see his release.\nDuring his school years, Inver was fond of football, collecting scale models of cars. After school, he moved to study in Krasnodar, where he graduated with a degree in accounting and auditing. Inver worked as a cashier-operator in a branch of Sberbank of Russia, later as a chief accountant in a private company, and before the criminal prosecution he was engaged in entrepreneurial activities.\nIn the early 1990s, Inver became deeply interested in religion. As he studied the Scriptures, he learned a great deal about the Creator and his qualities, such as love, wisdom, justice, and sensitivity. At a young age, he firmly decided to become a Christian and devote his life to serving God.\nInver\u0026#39;s criminal prosecution brought fear, anxiety and emptiness to the family, where laughter was often heard, parents were proud of their children, and sister and brother doted on each other. This sad event turned everyone\u0026#39;s life upside down. During the search, Inver\u0026#39;s father asked the investigator: \u0026quot;Do you know what \u0026#39;happy old age\u0026#39; means? This is when you can be proud of your children, and I am proud of my son! I am sure that he is not guilty of what he is accused of!\u0026quot; Inver\u0026#39;s mother added: \u0026quot;Although in our culture it is not customary to praise your children in front of someone, God grant such children to everyone!\u0026quot;\nInver\u0026#39;s sister said after his arrest: \u0026quot;Because of the baseless accusation, I suffer a double loss—I have been separated from my dear brother and friend. I note with regret that in our country the label \u0026quot;extremist\u0026quot; can easily be hung on the most peace-loving people, whose basic inner law is love for God and neighbor. Despite the pain of my parents\u0026#39; suffering and separation from my brother, I am proud of his dedication and courage.\u0026quot;\nSpeaking with his final plea in court, Inver described how the support of family and friends helped him cope with all his trials: \u0026quot;My friends, most of whom are not representatives of my culture, became sons and daughters to my parents during my forced absence, taking care of their physical and emotional needs. They also worried about me, coming to each hearing, and stayed near the courthouse for several hours in any weather, as they could not get to the hearing due to quarantine restrictions . . . I can\u0026#39;t help but note the support of my loved ones. My parents, despite their advanced age, were present at every court hearing and supported me emotionally. My dear son-in-law Aleksandr and my sister Zarieta left all their affairs and regularly came to the pre-trial detention center, taking care of my needs, although they themselves live in another city. Zarieta was not only a close friend to me, but also a protector.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-05-06T03:00:00+03:00","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/siyukhov/photo_hu_8dcaadda5bea548.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/siyukhov/photo_hu_89b47eda3949f6e1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/siyukhov/photo_hu_b05cfac858ba1f67.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/siyukhov/photo_hu_970a4c3843230d23.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/siyukhov.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"Inver Siyukhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his youth, Vladimir Skachidub had to experience many difficulties. At the age of 25, after the death of his parents, he became the guardian of his 15-year-old sister, and in 2003 she died of leukemia. In 2020, a criminal case was opened against him for believing in God, thanks to whom he put his life in order.\nVladimir was born in December 1961 in the village of Pavlovskaya. Even as a child, his mother wanted to instill in her son a love of music and sent him to a music school in the accordion class. Musical education was not in vain, and he independently mastered the guitar. Even at school he was fond of photography.\nAfter graduating from school, Vladimir got a job as an apprentice of a turner at the Pavlovsky automobile plant and received the specialty of a turner of the 2nd category. After serving in the army, he entered the Taganrog Radio Engineering Institute, but the riotous student life did not lead to anything good - Vladimir was expelled on the second year. He had to get a job as a turner at the Taganrog plant \"Vibropribor\". The plans were to continue studying at the correspondence department, but the death of his parents changed everything. After the tragedy, he had to return to his native village, to his sister. There he again got a job as a turner at the Pavlovsky car repair plant (now the Pavlovsky Experimental Plant LLC).\nFor the first time, Vladimir heard about the Bible from his future wife Galina, who he met with the help of his sister Natalia. The women then became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses and began to study the Bible more deeply. Vladimir often asked his sister about the teachings from this book. He was impressed by the way the Bible explains creation. In the past, Vladimir and Galina were fond of drinking alcoholic beverages and tobacco smoking, studying the Bible, they realized that they needed to change. In 1997, the couple legalized their relationship by getting married. Later, in the late 90s, Vladimir dedicated his life to God, and Galina joined her husband in 2016, when she was able to completely overcome bad habits.\nGalina is a sociable person, she loves to cultivate flowers. She worked as a cheese maker. Vladimir likes to read the Bible and play the guitar in his free time. Vladimir is a disabled person of the III group, and Galina has disability of II group. Persecution for the faith aggravates the health of the spouses, but they try not to lose heart: \"Without the Bible, we would not only be able to overcome everything, but we would hardly be alive at all.\"\n","date":"2021-06-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_99dd02614b20833e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_ad642098a9119a9e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skachidub/photo_hu_6026f269703b232.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skachidub.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["disability","elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Skachidub","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Skrynnikov is the second Jehovah's Witness in the city of Oryol to be prosecuted for his faith. Sergey told what helped him not to give up, what was his path to faith, how he feels about the repressions. When did Sergey first meet Jehovah's Witnesses? \"It happened in 1973, when I was 11 years old. We lived in a small village in eastern Ukraine. In the context of Soviet anti-religious propaganda, my mother began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. It was from her that I first heard about God, his Son, and his good news. I have never doubted the truth of God's word, and this knowledge is deeply embedded in my heart. But the knowledge of the truth obliged to build one's life in accordance with the morality of the Gospel. I was not ready for this then, and my life went according to a bad scenario. At the age of 25, I was already abusing alcohol, lost my job, lost my family and decided to return to my mother in my native village, in Manuylovka. How did Sergey come to real faith? \"My mother had literature, and she specially left it for me in prominent places in the house. I gradually rethought my life. I realized that I heard what the Creator was saying to me, but I didn't listen to him. He began to study the Bible intensively. I suggested that my mother move somewhere far away from my drinking buddies. We sold our house and moved to Torez, where there was a community of Jehovah's Witnesses. By comparing biblical truth with my negative experiences, I realized where the truth was. In 1989, after a long search, I was baptized into the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" How has Sergey's life changed? \"I mentioned that because of my riotous lifestyle, my marriage broke up, Nina and I divorced and ran away. After a while, Nina learned from a friend that I had become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and she couldn't believe it. Still, she decided to write me a letter. This was the first step. Nina and I already had a daughter who went to first grade without me. During the holidays, they came to me. Nina became interested in the gospel good news. We decided to restore the marriage because Jehovah hates divorce. They re-signed, lived in Torez. So the Bible saved not only me, but also our marriage.\" How did the future life of the family develop? \"I am a physical education teacher by profession, I graduated from the Bolkhov Pedagogical School. He worked by profession, including here, in the Oryol region. Nina is also a teacher by profession. Once, her child was injured at work. Due to severe stress, Nina was paralyzed, she did not get out of bed for 1 year and 4 months. It was a difficult time. One day, Nina suddenly says, \"I want to go with you to the field ministry.\" I dissuade her, but she insists on her own. There was nothing to do, he dressed her, picked her up in his arms and carried her. So we walked about 20 meters to the neighbors, where I put her on a bench, and she started talking about the Bible with the neighbor. After 15 minutes we returned home. The next day, in the same way - 30 minutes. Then an hour. And so, over time, she began to walk. All thanks to the ministry. Now Nina is struggling with melanoma. He is observed by an oncologist and enjoys every day he lives. Does the Skrynnikovs' daughter share her parents' beliefs? Olesya also believes in God. \"When we moved to Oryol to take care of my wife's parents, Olesya and her family also moved with us. Four of her five children were born in Orel. We are helping to raise our five grandchildren. My Nina is a devoted friend, her support is very important to me. She knows from her own experience that Jehovah God is a caring and loving heavenly Father.\" How did the family react to the criminal case against Sergey? \"When it all started, we were ready. Because of Jehovah's care, we were not taken by surprise. The whole family quickly rebuilt and began to adapt to new circumstances. No one goes to extremes. True, sometimes deep down you feel like a leper. You can't talk to anyone on the phone because of possible wiretapping. You can't go on a visit because of possible surveillance. You can't even show up somewhere near your friends - they will take a picture together, then they will have problems. Thoughts of the Skrynnikovs on the eve of the verdict. \"We are all in the mood to welcome what Jehovah will allow. If he allows me to be imprisoned, then this is his will and a new appointment for me. There are millions of people in the colonies who have not heard the Word of God. As Jesus Christ said, \"The fields are white and ready for harvest.\" I am ready for anything and I believe that my beloved God Jehovah will not leave me. Every day he fills my heart with peace and joy, and it always will be.\"\nOn April 1, 2019, Gleb Noskov, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, found Sergey Skrynnikov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to a fine of 350 thousand rubles.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_9ab4b03aa30b7365.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_f1b6eb8b07b6f7c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skrynnikov/photo_hu_21cf924f0efe6fd8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skrynnikov.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Skrynnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In mid-July 2021, searches were carried out in Sergey Skudaev\u0026#39;s apartment and country house, after which he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. A criminal case was opened against the man for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1978 in Kurgan. He has an elder sister. Their father worked as an installer for a construction company, and their mother worked as a rabbit breeder at a local enterprise.\nAs a child, Sergey was engaged in sambo. After school, he acquired the profession of an electric and gas welder, and then a commodity expert, receiving a secondary specialized education. For some time, Sergey was engaged in welding work, worked as a driver, then as a manager in the trade sector, and also held the position of head of the sales department.\nSince childhood, Sergey was eager to learn more about God. He prayed to him as best he could. In the 1990s, his mother began to study the Bible with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. Sergey was impressed by their behavior and appearance. A few years later, he tracked down Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and asked for a Bible study. After learning about God and his plan for people, the young man decided to become a Christian.\nIn March 2007, Sergey married Irina. By profession, she is a master of construction and installation work. Like her husband, she loves God and values the Bible. Irina\u0026#39;s hobby is growing indoor and garden flowers. The couple love to go to the bathhouse, ride bicycles in the summer and ski in the winter. Sergey has an adult daughter from his first marriage.\nAfter the search and arrest of Sergey, his wife felt anxious for a long time, and she had to take medication to maintain her health. The relatives of the spouses respect Sergey\u0026#39;s beliefs and are disappointed at the unfair treatment of him by law enforcement agencies. His employer was sympathetic to what was happening and did not fire him.\n","date":"2021-08-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skudaev/photo_hu_f73ea11c2d4c624a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skudaev/photo_hu_d11578e509f8575f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skudaev/photo_hu_f23f67fc3e4aa035.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skudaev/photo_hu_9ea43fc3e1e62241.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skudaev.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Skudaev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 28, 2020, mass searches were carried out in Pechora on the basis of a criminal case. One of the detainees was Gennady Skutelyets.\nGennadiy was born in 1976 in Pechora. As a child, he was fidgety. In his youth, he was engaged in freestyle wrestling, karate and boxing.\nGennady loves to work with his own hands, to make and build something, as well as to walk in the woods, where he can reflect on the Creator.\nGennadiy received an incomplete secondary education. He worked as an oil production operator at the Booster Pumping Station in Usinsk. For some time he lived in Salekhard. In Pechora, Gennady worked as a janitor, where he earned a reputation as a hardworking and conscientious person.\nBack in the early 90s, the Bible attracted his attention, but he began to study it seriously in the 2000s. He was impressed that today he can witness the fulfillment of Bible prophecy with his own eyes. Thanks to this book, he managed to overcome bad habits and become more balanced, treat people kindly and with respect and come to their aid when necessary.\nNumerous relatives, as well as Gennady's mother, are concerned about the criminal prosecution of a respectable Christian. Gennady himself tries to remain calm and not lose optimism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skutelets/photo_hu_ad1cf5a0a92f6234.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skutelets/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skutelets/photo_hu_764dd38c7d9c025c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skutelets/photo_hu_207d0decd01456f8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skutelets.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Gennadiy Skutelets","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov knows firsthand what criminal prosecution for faith is. In 2011, a criminal case was initiated against him and 15 other residents of Taganrog because they did not stop reading the Bible and attending meetings for worship. After several years of legal proceedings, Aleksandr was found guilty and given a 5.5-year suspended sentence. After serving this sentence, in March 2021, he again became a victim of repression by Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Russia. In June 2023, the believer was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony.\nAleksandr was born in 1962 in Taganrog (Rostov region). He has a younger brother. Their mother is already over 80. In his youth, Aleksandr was engaged in artistic gymnastics. He grew up to be a hardworking man. He especially likes to work with his own hands.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the Polytechnic College, where he received the profession of a welder and worked at the plant for many years. Employees at work appreciated him, considering him a reliable person and a master of his craft.\nIn 1983, Aleksandr married Larisa. They had two daughters, Yelena and Darya, whom they lovingly raised in the spirit of Christian values. Both are married, the eldest has a daughter.\nIn the 1990s, when Aleksandr, following his wife, began to study the Bible, he was interested in the picture of the future described in this book: soon there will be no injustice in the world. Thanks to the knowledge gained, Aleksandr found a real meaning in life. In 1996, Larisa became one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, and a year later her husband joined her.\nIn his youth, Aleksandr was fond of fishing and wrote poetry. In retirement, he enjoys taking care of the garden and beekeeping, which has become his favorite business. He is always happy to share honey with friends and family. The Skvortsovs love to travel and, looking at nature, think about the Creator.\nA new search, arrest, trial and harsh sentence for Aleksandr were a shock for the whole family, especially for his wife, who suffers from cancer. In March 2025, due to stress, Larisa had a relapse, and she was operated on. Aleksandr himself has a sick heart.\nNeighbors and friends speak of Aleksandr as an exceptionally peaceful person, always ready to help. They are convinced that the believer was condemned innocently.\n","date":"2021-12-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_24e0685e49f90f9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_b91733d5442855db.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_6bfe07d031533a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/skvortsov/photo_hu_ba0435aa404d1efe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/skvortsov.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Skvortsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers of the Amur region involved two task forces from Blagoveshchensk to search the homes of civilians from Tynda. In November 2019, Valeriy Slashchev was under investigation on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAbout the early years of his life, Valeriy said: “I always thought that I was born in Tynda, but they say that I was born in Blagoveshchensk. At the age of 16, I found out that I was adopted. When I was 7 years old, my mother died, by that time my father was living with another woman. I was raised by my aunt, my mother's sister, and her husband.\" As a child, Valeriy was fond of collecting stamps.\nAfter school, Valeriy graduated from the railway technical school with a degree in track and track construction. He worked as a track fitter in the villages of Mogot, Berkakit, Zolotinka, and later as a driver and adjuster of the KIP, head of the base of the KAMAZ auto center.\nValeriy knew his future wife Tatyana from school. Tatyana was waiting for him from the army, endured an explosive temper and frequent attacks of aggression, forgave him a lot. He realized that this was due to the knowledge that the girl drew from the Bible. Valeriy was also interested in spiritual searches. “For three days I compared different translations of the Bible,” he recalls, “and realized that they were the same! This is how I became interested in this wise book, which can give an answer to any question . . . Since childhood, I was afraid of the dead, but the Bible freed me from this fear. I practiced magic, I was terribly superstitious. But the Bible delivered me from all prejudices, fears and restrictions”.\nValeriy and Tatyana got married in 2003. Spouses are happy to learn foreign languages, love to draw, swim, give gifts and travel.\nThe criminal prosecution of Valeriy affected the health of his mother-in-law: due to worries and worries, her chronic illness worsened. His brother is confused too. Before his eyes, from a rude and quick-tempered man, Valeriy turned into a peaceful Christian, and he does not understand why he is being persecuted.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/slashchev/photo_hu_436422b742524930.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/slashchev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/slashchev/photo_hu_6e77a6e1ce39be72.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/slashchev/photo_hu_5a887e51553ea666.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/slashchev.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Slashchev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 31, 2019, FSB officers in the cities of Petrozavodsk and Kondopoga conducted mass searches in the homes and workplaces of civilians only because of their religion. A criminal case has been initiated against 44-year-old Alexei Smelov, and a written undertaking not to leave has been taken. What is known about him? Alexey was born in 1974 in Kondopoga (Republic of Karelia). His parents are no longer alive, but he has an older brother. As a child, until the age of 18, he was actively engaged in swimming and playing hockey. There are certificates for achievements in these sports. Graduated from the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers. For many years he worked as a repairman at the Kondopoga Pulp and Paper Mill. For the past few years, he has been working as a mechanical engineer. For a long time, Alexei was worried about what happens after death and whether there is any hope for those who have died. When he learned from the Bible that the resurrection awaited the dead, he was comforted and began to become more deeply acquainted with this ancient book. There was a desire to bring my life into harmony with the Christian commandments. He met his future wife Irina in 1993, and two years later they got married. Irina worked as a kindergarten teacher, at the moment she runs the household. The couple have three children: two daughters and a son. In their free time, they like to relax with friends and go fishing together. The news of the criminal prosecution of Alexei, the sole breadwinner, shocked his entire family. His wife and children endured severe stress, fearing that they would no longer see their loved one. Because of the incident, the question of the financial situation of the family arose. Relatives, friends and even work colleagues who love and appreciate Alexei are perplexed because of such an unfair attitude towards him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/smelov/photo_hu_b4fdca4856e8e32a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/smelov/photo_hu_a44ed3c9be9412df.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/smelov/photo_hu_d256efc858a1e076.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/smelov/photo_hu_611e8c31cc98e5eb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/smelov.html","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Smelov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A total of 35 searches were conducted, and at least 11 people are involved in the criminal case. One of them is Eduard Smirnov. What is known about this man?\nEduard was born in 1988 in the village of Kanevskaya, Krasnodar Territory. He received a secondary special education as a software technician. He worked as a web designer for 10 years.\nEduard's mother tried to raise her son in accordance with the high moral standards of the Bible. Later, the Bible became a reference book for him, and he became convinced that acquaintance with it at a young age is of great benefit.\nHe met his future wife Veronika in Saransk, where he moved to live. In 2014, Eduard and Veronica got married. The wife works in the field of beauty. After the wedding, the newlyweds moved to Nizhny Novgorod. Together they are fond of the culture of other peoples, expanding their horizons. Eduard is studying the Tatar language.\nEduard's relatives are perplexed by what happened. They do not understand why a law-abiding citizen is classified as a criminal just because he reads the Bible and lives in harmony with it. They consider it absurd to write down as extremists a person who cannot offend even with a word.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/smirnov/photo_hu_db869f698779ee2d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/smirnov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/smirnov/photo_hu_a4ef9059641943a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/smirnov/photo_hu_4b4a26882296f465.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/smirnov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Eduard Smirnov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 13, 2020 law enforcement agencies of the Voronezh region held the largest special operation against Jehovah's Witnesses in modern Russia. Among the victims of the actions of the operatives was Yevgeny Sokolov, who was sent after a search in the pre-trial detention center.\nYevgeny was born in 1976 in Prokopievsk (Kemerovo Region). He has two brothers in his family. As a child, he went fishing with his father. He loved to read books.\nAfter school Yevgeny graduated from a mining school. He worked as an underground electrician in a mine, as well as an electrician in a hotel and an evening school. He lived in different cities: Tashtagol, Osinniki, Khanty-Mansiysk, Far East, Saratov and Voronezh regions.\nIn the early 90's Eugene began to study deeply the Holy Scriptures. He was impressed by the consistency of this ancient book, as well as the accuracy of the prophecies fulfilled, and decided to become a Christian.\nIn 1995, Eugene married Alesya. They love to spend time together in the countryside and in the mountains.\nFamily and friends are shocked by Yevgeny's arrest and worried that decent people can go to prison because of their faith in God and reading the Bible.\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sokolov/photo_hu_ac41c78e02b4cc7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sokolov/photo_hu_c8f1ea55a692e226.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sokolov/photo_hu_2d6e63d2289cd108.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sokolov/photo_hu_78c4dfdc4e5403f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sokolov.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Sokolov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Sokolov is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses who has already faced persecution for his faith twice. In the Amur Region, the court gave him a three-year suspended sentence, and in Voronezh, the court sent him to a penal colony for seven years on similar charges. In both cases, peaceful Christian activity was considered extremism.\nYevgeniy was born in 1976 in the city of Prokopyevsk (Kemerovo Region). He has two siblings. As a child, he went fishing with his father and loved to read.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy graduated from a mining school. He worked as an underground electrician in a mine, as well as an electrician in a hotel and an evening school. At various times, he lived in the Far East, in the Kemerovo, Saratov and Voronezh regions, in Khanty-Mansiysk.\nIn the early 1990s, Yevgeniy began to study the Bible. He was impressed by the consistency of this ancient book, as well as the accuracy of the prophecies fulfilled, and decided to become a Christian.\nIn 1995, Yevgeniy married Alesya. They love to spend time together in nature, especially in the mountains.\nFamily and friends are shocked by Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s arrest and worried that this respectable man was put behind bars because of reading the Bible.\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sokolov2/photo_hu_ac41c78e02b4cc7f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sokolov2/photo_hu_c8f1ea55a692e226.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sokolov2/photo_hu_2d6e63d2289cd108.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sokolov2/photo_hu_78c4dfdc4e5403f9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sokolov2.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Sokolov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Jehovah's Witnesses living in Irkutsk have been persecuted for their peaceful confession of religion since the time of Operation \"North\". It seemed that these shameful pages of history were in the past, as the believers were rehabilitated. However, in October 2021, Aleksey Solnechny and six more Jehovah's Witnesses became new victims of religious persecution.\nAleksey was born in 1976 in the city of Abakan (Krasnoyarsk Territory). His mother and two younger sisters share his views on life. As a child, Aleksey was fond of playing the guitar, drawing, wood burning and reading books. Graduated from vocational technical school.\nAleksey worked in various fields: a carpenter at a school, a gas station operator. Now he is engaged in electrical installation. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books and writing poetry.\nAleksey pondered about the evidence for the existence of the Creator. Returning from the army, he engaged himself in a thorough study of the Bible. At that time, his mother was already talking about the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. Although at first Aleksey was skeptical, over time, after examining the prophecies from the Holy Scriptures, he decided to live according to biblical principles.\nFrom childhood, Aleksey lived in the Irkutsk region, mainly in the villages. After getting married in 2011, he and his wife, Alyona, moved to the village of Ust-Ordynsky (Buryat autonomous region).\nAlyona loves nature and animals. The spouses like to spend time together, especially in the fresh air: to have picnics with their relatives around the fire, sing songs, communicate. Alyona works with children. Although it takes a lot of effort and time, she loves doing household chores, especially cooking and baking. The family has a common dream — to travel all over the world.\nCriminal prosecution for his faith brought with it a lot of troubles: it separated Aleksey from his wife and family, deprived him of his job, and with her the ability to provide for his family, undermined Aleksey's reputation as a law-abiding citizen. After the searches, Alyona finds it difficult to come to her senses. She experiences tension, anxiety is caused by any unexpected knock on the door. Alyona shares: “It is emotionally very difficult to be at a distance from her husband. I miss him very much, miss him very much. Almost every night I shudder at the thought that everything will happen again.\"\nIts employees say that it is unacceptable to initiate a criminal case solely on the basis of religious affiliation.\nThose close to Aleksey, as well as his acquaintances, who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, also do not understand the reason for the unfair treatment of believers. In their opinion, Aleksey and extremism are absolutely incompatible concepts.\n","date":"2021-11-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solnechny/photo_hu_2abc0b88fb296e6f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solnechny/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solnechny/photo_hu_79800c62470a1f27.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solnechny/photo_hu_22b67646293aa245.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solnechny.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Solnechny","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Spouses Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev became new defendants in a criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that they participated in worship services. What do we know about Michael? Mikhail was born in Novosibirsk in 1962, and a year later he moved to Magadan with his parents. Since childhood he was fond of sports (hockey, football, swimming, skiing). The family often spent weekends in nature: they went hiking, skiing in winter, fishing all year round. In 1982, Mikhail graduated from the Riga Civil Aviation Flight Technical School and worked as an air traffic controller at Magadan Airport. In 2008, he graduated from the St. Petersburg State University of Civil Aviation with a degree in air traffic control. Since that time, he has been working as a full-time dispatcher-instructor, training young professionals. He is still fond of fishing and enjoys going out into nature, but with his family. He and his wife Oksana have been together for over 30 years. Oksana was the first in the family to show interest in the Bible, and it became noticeable. \"For a long time I did not understand this passion,\" admits Mikhail. \"But my wife's behavior, which was changing for the better, and communication with fellow believers aroused interest in me as well. I also decided to study the Holy Scriptures. It brought me closer to God.\" The couple raised a daughter who lives with her family in St. Petersburg. Now Mikhail and Oksana are raising an 8-year-old son. The criminal prosecution of Mikhail and Oksana was a big blow to the whole family, ruined various plans. Oksana wanted to move to Taganrog to take care of her sick parents, but the recognizance not to leave for both spouses did not allow this. Mikhail hoped to finalize it by the end of the year in order to go on a well-deserved rest, but, being under recognizance not to leave, he could not go to Khabarovsk to get an attestation conclusion. He is unable to continue to work and provide for his family. A law-abiding family does not have the opportunity to lead a normal life. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_f31dbce7752640f6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_c21570c050de86d0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solntsev/photo_hu_1a43bdcffcd3c92a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solntsev.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Mikhail Solntsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 20, 2019, searches and interrogations of citizens in connection with their Christian beliefs resumed in Magadan. Spouses Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev became new defendants in a criminal case against believers in Magadan, who by this time had already become 13. The investigation believes that they participated in worship services. What do we know about Oksana?\nOksana was born in 1966 in Yenakievo, Donetsk region of Ukraine. When she was 6 years old, the whole family moved to the Magadan region, the village of Ust-Taskan, where Oksana spent her childhood. From a young age, she admired the beauty of nature, loved to paint landscapes and people. Her other passion was the exact sciences, which eventually led her to the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Magadan Pedagogical Institute. After graduating from it, she worked as a programmer in various institutions, including the Department of Internal Affairs of the Magadan Region. While studying at the institute, she met her future husband Mikhail.\nBack in the early 1990s, Oksana was surprised to learn from the Bible that God had conceived a paradise on Earth and did not torment people in hell. Since then, the Bible has been the main guide for her life. Little did she know that one day it would lead her to the dock. According to Oksana, the criminal prosecution has become a great stress for her entire family and deprived her of the opportunity to take care of her sick parents.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solntseva/photo_hu_bce1fadbe8d0163.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solntseva/photo_hu_7091bb6c8250c830.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solntseva/photo_hu_b663be3ad04b3697.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solntseva/photo_hu_c1bffa10d5f59c4d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solntseva.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Oksana Solntseva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The wife and children of Gennadiy Solomentsev did not expect that a peaceful pensioner would be prosecuted because of his religious beliefs. The believer said: “I couldn’t understand how it was possible to come to peaceful people with children in such a crowd with machine guns . . . Everything fell at the same time: our whole family had been ill with COVID-19, I was in a covid hospital. There is no strength after the illness, my hands are shaking. And you need to go again several hundred kilometers for interrogation in Sharypovo.\nGennadiy was born in November 1949 in the village of Bolshoi Izyrak, Novosibirsk Region, into a large family—he had two elder brothers and a sister. One of the brothers taught Gennadiy to fish and since then fishing has become his hobby. His father was the head of a mechanized detachment, and his mother was engaged in farming. Parents, brothers and sisters of Gennadiy are no longer alive.\nAfter school, Gennadiy went to Novosibirsk, where he graduated from the electrical school. Later, he took courses and got a job as a driver in the village of Maslyanino (Novosibirsk region). After moving to Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory), for some time he worked as an electrician. In 2010, Gennadiy retired.\nIn 1973, Gennadiy married Nadezhda. She has been a nurse all her life and is now retired. Having gone on a well-deserved rest, Gennadiy became interested in construction—he gradually equipped a country house, and Nadezhda was engaged in a garden.\nThe couple raised three children. The daughter works as a technologist at a sewing enterprise, the sons work in the field of cargo transportation. For health reasons, Gennadiy and Nadezhda decided to move from the Krasnoyarsk Territory closer to the children who live in Novosibirsk.\n“Even in my youth, I had a dream to read the Bible,” says Gennadiy, “but in Soviet times it was impossible to get it. In the 1990s, many different religions appeared, and I wanted to figure out which one was correct. So I wanted to read the Bible myself.” In 1995, Gennadiy began to research this book, and a year later he decided to take the Christian path. His wife, daughter and eldest son share his religious views.\nBecause of the search, the Solomentsevs experienced severe stress. “This situation outraged all the relatives,” said the believer.\n","date":"2022-02-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_f35001d5df418c4e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_7bf5898fef6eccb5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solomentsev/photo_hu_bcdbc843b75f3f47.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solomentsev.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Gennadiy Solomentsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alexander Solovyov was born in 1970 in the village of Kazarma (Perm Territory). Since childhood, he was fond of sports, fantastic literature and the history of the ancient world. Alexander's parents passed away early: his father when his son was only a year old, his mother when he was 18. After the death of his mother, he left his studies at the Polytechnic Institute and served in the army. He worked as an assistant driver of an electric locomotive and an inspector of technical supervision of the communications service. Later, Alexandr moved to Perm and there became better acquainted with the teachings of the Bible. Although he did not believe in God, he thought a lot about the origin and meaning of life. With the help of a childhood friend, Alexander was surprised to discover that the Bible is not a \"collection of prayers for grandmothers\", but a logical book that gives clear answers to questions. In 2001 he married Anna, whose work is related to music. Through joint Bible study, they have a strong family. They play music together, play sports and love to help friends organize weddings. Relatives and friends of Alexander, even those who do not share his religious views, are completely perplexed by the criminal case against him. They are well aware that Aleksandr has nothing to do with extremism. On July 4, 2019, the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm convicted Solovyov and imposed a fine of 300,000 rubles instead of the 3.5 years in prison requested by the prosecutor. The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/solovev/photo_hu_f747eae712eb7e50.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/solovev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/solovev/photo_hu_d7b1691af41418e3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/solovev/photo_hu_db73bfea79eae051.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solovev.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Solovyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/solovevs.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Solovyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sorokin.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Ivan Sorokin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 7, 2018, a group of FSB officers and SOBR fighters arrested Natalia Sorokina, a civilian resident of the city of Sychevka (Smolensk region). She was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where she spent more than 6 months. Then, after more than a year of investigation and 16 months of trials, the believer was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years of probation just because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nNatalia Sorokina was born in 1975 in Dresden (Germany). Later she lived in St. Petersburg, and in recent years she has been living in Sychevka. As a child, she was fond of sports. She received a professional education as a nurse and hairdresser, successfully worked in these areas. He loves needlework, enjoys learning foreign languages.\nAs a health worker, Natalia was impressed by what she once learned from the Bible about the creation of man, life on Earth and human life. This developed in her a craving for the spiritual, which only intensified over the years. It is difficult for Natalia and her friends to understand the reasons for the criminal prosecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sorokina/photo_hu_667edbf1a649248.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sorokina/photo_hu_58de8cf90cdf8628.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sorokina/photo_hu_20231a990a7d59d1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sorokina/photo_hu_20100433039ef8a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sorokina.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Nataliya Sorokina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 30, 2020 it became known about a new criminal case in Khakassia, in which six believers become defendants. This case was separated from the one previously filed against Roman and Valentina Baranovsky. Among the new suspects is Matryona Spiriadi. What do we know about her?\nMatryona was born in November 1953 in the village of Borodino (Turukhansky District of Krasnoyarsk Territory). She was the youngest of 11 children in the family. There's only one brother left alive today.\nAs a child, Matryona was fond of gymnastics and volleyball. In 1959, the family moved south to Abakan. That's where she helped the family run the farm. After high school, she worked in a garment factory. Matryona Spiriadi is now retired and is the guardian of her disabled grandchild.\nIn her spare time Matryona likes to grow flowers and receive guests.\nAfter her mother's death, Matryona Spiriadi could not accept the loss for a long time, but soon found hope when she learned that the Bible speaks of resurrection. It prompted her to take the Christian path.\nOn April 10, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a search of Matryona Spiriadi's house, which, she said, \"split life into before and after\". From a nervous shock an elderly woman who is suffering from hyperglycemia, blood sugar rose to critical levels. Now she has to take a lot of medication.\nMatryona Spiriadi's relatives consider her criminal prosecution unfounded and are perplexed by the fact that in Russia it is possible to become a defendant in a criminal case only because of faith in God.\n","date":"2020-06-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_ecbae8fba2d51738.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_271cdcedfa8d89ab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_45191715e3d3e291.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spiriadi/photo_hu_80a276e7318c73ab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spiriadi.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Matrena Spiriadi","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeny Spirin was arrested on January 27, 2019 in the city of Furmanov (Ivanovo region) during searches in the apartments of believers. What is known about him?\nYevgeny was born in 1986 in Ivanovo. As a child, he was fond of drawing and skiing, studied well, and after graduating from school he joined his father at work in a car service. He has a younger brother.\nEugene was introduced to Bible teachings from his parents and as a teenager made an independent decision to serve God. Because of his peace-loving Christian convictions, he chose to serve for the good of society, carrying out alternative civilian service instead of military service. In 2014 he married Nataliya.\nIt is hard for Yevgeny's relatives to see how a man who did nothing wrong was labeled an extremist and sentenced to a large fine just for believing in Jehovah God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spirin/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spirin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spirin/photo_hu_7012fbbd5248389c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spirin/photo_hu_7012fbbd5248389c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spirin.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Spirin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On April 11, 2020, the usual way of life of Vladimir Spivak's family was violated. Security forces broke into his house with a search. They were not hindered by the regime of self-isolation, nor by the considerable age of the believer, nor by the illness of his wife.\nVladimir was born on October 21, 1955 in the urban-type settlement of Litin, Vinnytsia region (Ukraine). Since childhood, he was fond of sports, especially football. After school, Vladimir received the specialty of an electrician. He devoted the rest of his life to military affairs: he served in military service, graduated from the school of warrant officers, served in the missile forces in the Chita region.\nVladimir met his future wife Nelly on vacation, and in 1979 they got married. In 1983, the couple moved to the city of Teikovo, Ivanovo region.\nIn the 90s, Nelly began to be interested in the Bible. After a while, Vladimir, reading the Bible, realized that he had found the truth. Striving for a peaceful life, he retired from the armed forces and became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nVladimir faced his first persecution for his faith in 2015-2017. The investigator opened 4 administrative cases and planned a criminal one, but it was not possible to convict the believer. Today, Vladimir is again accused of his religion, calling him an \"extremist.\"\nVladimir's unfair persecution takes a toll on his wife's physical and emotional health, especially given that she underwent surgery. As a result of stress, Nelly's chronic diseases worsened. Relatives and friends worry about Vladimir's family and support the spouses in every possible way.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_5eef466f2ff1897e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_8b7d9fcd63a259a6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_5c716422e08b53b1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/spivak/photo_hu_f8f1970b5224e121.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/spivak.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Spivak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2018, law enforcement officers, accompanied by riot police, using crowbars, broke into Sergey Rayman\u0026#39;s apartment at gunpoint. The young man learned that a criminal case had been opened against him for his faith, he was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Court reduced this term to 3 years suspended.\nSergey was born in October 1996 in the city of Kineshma (Ivanovo region). As a child, he was fond of skiing. After school, he entered a construction college, became a specialist in the field of interior decoration. His hobby is video filming. In addition, he loves to cook unusual food for family and friends. Sergey took over love and respect for the Bible from his grandmother.\nAfter the investigation, the return of the case to the prosecutor and court proceedings in October 2020, Sergey was sentenced to 8 years of suspended sentence, but on February 26, 2021, the Kostroma Regional\nThe criminal prosecution had a profound effect on the believer\u0026#39;s emotional and physical well-being, but he endured all the hardships. \u0026quot;I am not ashamed of my convictions, which helped me become a worthy person,\u0026quot; Sergey said in his final plea to the court.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sraiman/photo_hu_c1cbcf62bc2893e8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sraiman/photo_hu_ed55906556d2b903.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sraiman/photo_hu_d48c076866fb2041.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sraiman/photo_hu_b0f17b7f6e15b22d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sraiman.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Rayman","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, the home of civil aviation pilot Aleksandr Starikov was searched and he was charged with extremism for discussing thoughts from the Bible via video link with friends. Already, unfair persecution prevented the believer from fully caring for his father, 95 at that moment, with progressive dementia.\nAleksandr was born in the city of Ivanovo (Ivanovo Region) in April 1960. Together with his older sister Galina, he grew up in the family of a military man and a school teacher. His mother died in 2008, and in 2009 his sister was gone.\nAleksandr was a versatile child: he played football and ice hockey, went in for swimming,learned to play musical instruments: accordion, piano and guitar.\nAfter school, Aleksandr graduated from the civil aviation flight school. Then he continued his studies at the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation, after which he worked as a pilot on various types of aircraft.\nIn the 1990s, Aleksandr read a lot, the Bible attracted his attention. His acquaintance with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses helped him find simple and understandable answers to vital questions in this book. In 1998 he became a Christian, and 5 years later his mother joined him.\nAleksandr was fond of studying English, but lately he had no time for a hobby. He was caring for his elderly father, who could not do without outside help—he could not see and hear well, and his brain disease was progressing. During the criminal prosecution, the elderly man passed away.\nThe believer was forced to travel to Tver 450 kilometers from home to conduct investigative actions and go to court. At one of the hearings, Aleksandr said: \u0026quot;Despite the difficulties, none of us has negative feelings, we are learning understanding and love.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-09-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_969208cd9d1c307d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_894bc657432bbdf5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_13cbcfa89eb70ef0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/starikov/photo_hu_910d6dcc585cc58b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/starikov.html","regions":["tver"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Starikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 4, 2019, during a raid on believers in Sevastopol, Viktor Stashevskiy was detained. He was charged with organizing extremist activities only because of his religion. On March 29, 2021, the court sentenced him to six and a half years in a general regime colony.\nViktor was born in 1966 in the city of Kansk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He has a twin brother. In 1967, the whole family moved first to Vilnius (Lithuania), and then to Feodosia (Crimea). Viktor's father was an ambulance doctor, and his mother worked for an airline. As a child, Viktor was fond of gliding.\nIn 1983, Viktor moved to Sevastopol, where he graduated from the Black Sea higher naval school named after P. S. Nakhimov. Until 1993, he served in the navy in the city of Polyarny, Murmansk region. In 1996, Viktor met his future wife Larisa. In 2002, they got married. Larisa is fond of onomastics (the science of proper names), history, loves sewing and knitting. The couple have two daughters, one of them was born in Larisa's first marriage.\nViktor was interested in questions of the universe, he was impressed by the complexity and orderliness of the universe. This prompted him to learn more about his Creator, and so he began to study the Bible. The man was amazed at the wisdom, simplicity and power of this book. According to the believer, the study of the Scriptures gave his life more meaning.\nNot all of Viktor's relatives share his religious beliefs, but they are all shocked that the believer was convicted only because of his beliefs.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stashevskiy/photo_hu_68be84bad581ded8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stashevskiy/photo_hu_beb00842f858110f.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stashevskiy/photo_hu_fdd7dd7a3e565257.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stashevskiy/photo_hu_fe7cf4f5ff141fe9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stashevskiy.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Stashevskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The Stefanidin family was subjected to searches twice, in 2021 and 2022, because of their religion as Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. The stress experienced unexpectedly undermined the health of the young head of the family, resulting in a disability.\nYevgeniy Stefanidin was born in July 1989 in the city of Izhevsk (Udmurtia). From childhood he was fond of active sports; he played football and hockey. Yevgeniy loves fishing and football to this day. After school, Stefanidin qualified as a tiler. At first he worked in construction, and later moved into commercial real estate.\nFrom childhood, Yevgeniy showed an interest in reading the Bible. When he became acquainted with the Holy Scriptures, he was impressed by the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecies. At the age of 17, Yevgeniy was baptized as one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2011, Yevgeniy married Marina. His wife is a tailor-cutter by profession, and in her spare time she knits and draws. In 2013, the couple had a daughter. She loves to draw, make cards and other handcrafts.\nIn April 2021, law enforcement officers searched Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s home. The incident greatly frightened the couple\u0026#39;s daughter. To this day, the Stefanidins react anxiously to every knock on the door. The stress he experienced caused the believer to have problems sleeping, and two months later, Yevgeniy began to have difficulty breathing. During an examination, doctors discovered a tumor in his chest. His state of health continued to deteriorate, and in the fall of 2022, Yevgeniy was categorized as disabled. According to doctors, the malignant tumor that has rapidly grown since the summer of 2021 could be the result of an emotional shock.\nThe believer was on sick leave until mid-December 2022. One morning, when he was about to go to work, the law enforcement officers again came to him, conducted a search and took him for interrogation. His employer appreciates Yevgeniy for his honesty and conscientious work. Despite the criminal prosecution, the believer did not lose his job.\nRelatives and friends are worried about Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s health. His father, although he does not share his religious beliefs, does not understand how an innocent and at the same time seriously ill person could be thrown behind bars just because he does not want to give up his faith in God. Adding to the worries is the fact that Yevgeniy\u0026#39;s brother, Aleksandr, is being prosecuted on similar charges.\n","date":"2023-02-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stefanidin/photo_hu_b18998e1898df8c7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stefanidin/photo_hu_f31b39e33ccb52ab.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stefanidin/photo_hu_b77728f1f327a1bc.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stefanidin/photo_hu_965fd27e91db20f1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stefanidin.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["disability","families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Nikolay Stepanov was accused in a criminal case of extremism only because of his faith in 2019. In the fall of 2022, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to 4 years in prison.\nNikolay was born in 1974 in Vologda. He has two younger sisters. Their mother is no longer alive. As a child, Nikolay was fond of skiing. After school, he received the specialty of a turner. After serving in the army, he worked by profession, for some time he was engaged in decorating apartments.\nAs a child, Nikolay was fond of skiing. After school, he received the specialty of a turner. After serving in the army, he worked by profession, for some time he was engaged in decorating apartments.\nAccording to Nikolay himself, he was an atheist, but he thought about how complex the human body is. In the mid-1990s, Nikolay met Alla, and she shared with him the Bible knowledge she had recently acquired with the help of her mother. Young people were convinced of the existence of God, and decided to take the Christian path.\nIn 1997, Nikolay and Alla got married. They raised their son Vyacheslav. The family loves camping together in nature, fishing, and skiing in winter. Alla takes care of the garden with pleasure.\nRelatives of Nikolay, including his father, are at a loss because of what happened to a peaceful believer. Nikolay is known as a compliant, self-possessed person, always ready to help others. He himself emphasized in court: “Since I became a Christian, the meaning of my life has been to please God, whose name is Jehovah, and to help people recognize him. What I am accused of ascribing bad motives is completely at variance with both the beliefs of my religion and with my inner self\".\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stepanovn/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stepanovn/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stepanovn/photo_hu_3c4bf651f45e38.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stepanovn/photo_hu_3c4bf651f45e38.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stepanovn.html","regions":["vologda"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Stepanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2018, Andrey Stupnikov was detained at the Krasnoyarsk airport. He was taken into custody on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After 3 years, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a penal colony. He was released in December 2025, having served his term in full.\nAndrey was born in 1973 in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), at the age of 5 he moved with his parents to the city of Grozny (Chechnya). Later he lived in Stavropol and Krasnoyarsk. He has a younger sister. As a child, Andrey was actively involved in sports and attended a theater club. The young man graduated with a degree in oil and gas drilling engineering.\nEven in his youth, Andrey began to think about God. His family lived in Grozny during the hostilities of 1994--1996. As he watched these events, he began to ponder the questions of why this was happening and what to do to receive protection from God. He realized that today the prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled, and the advice in this book provides the best guidance in any situation.\nIn 1993, Andrey married Olga, whom he met in a hospital in Grozny, where she worked as a nurse. The spouses love art, history, and theater, and are often in nature.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/stupnikov/photo_hu_979a7cd68bd51f3f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/stupnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/stupnikov/photo_hu_fdb6f9ba5d9f6a70.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/stupnikov/photo_hu_e47c22fd5fb977c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/stupnikov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Stupnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In his youth, father of many children, Vitaliy Sukhov, changed his life for the better thanks to his Bible study, but in 2021 he was put on trial for his convictions.\nVitaliy was born in February 1967 in the city of Krasnoyarsk in the family of a civil engineer and bookbinder. He has an elder brother.\nDuring his school years, Vitaliy played in the local football team, and was also fond of tourism. He graduated from a vocational school and received a specialty as a crane operator. Subsequently, he worked as a locksmith of woodworking machines, a forklift driver and a janitor. Vitaliy has over 35 years of experience.\nIn 1990, Vitaliy married Yelena. Two years later, the Sukhovs decided to study the Bible. The head of the family was especially impressed by the prophecies recorded in this book and their fulfillment. Convinced of the benefits of applying the knowledge gained, the couple decided to embark on the Christian path.\nThe Sukhovs are a large family, they have 8 children, three of whom are minors. The head of the family is fond of poultry farming and tourism, and his wife is fond of caring for the garden and vegetable garden. The couple raise children, instilling in them a love of art and the world around them.\nThe whole family is shocked that Vitaliy is being repressed for his faith. They try to adapt to new circumstances, despite the experience.\n","date":"2021-12-20","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sukhov/photo_hu_b2f95b7bd61f286.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sukhov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sukhov/photo_hu_8dceea17ace43059.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sukhov/photo_hu_3382c7936fa8cd10.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sukhov.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Sukhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2018, in Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory), three believers were arrested during mass searches in the apartments of civilians. Among them is Shamil Sultanov. What is known about him?\nShamil was born in 1977 in the village of Mahmud-Mekteb, Neftekumsky district. He has an older brother and sister. As a child, he herded sheep and was fond of boxing. He works as a specialist in complex maintenance and repair of buildings. He likes to work in the garden.\nIn the early 2000s, Shamil became interested in the Bible and its clear teachings. Later he moved to Neftekumsk with his mother. In 2004, he married Elena, who works as a consultant in cosmetics and perfumery. Shamil actively helped in raising a child from his wife's first marriage, took care of his mother and mother-in-law.\nShamil's family and acquaintances are very worried about him. They are surprised that such a kind, caring and humble person is under arrest.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sultanov/photo_hu_e618093398be4e29.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sultanov/photo_hu_2043286fc4dfc4b2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sultanov/photo_hu_934f8320ecaf3aa2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sultanov/photo_hu_20f93c4b3fafdf1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sultanov.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Shamil Sultanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A peaceful pensioner and labor veteran from Novokuznetsk, 64-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov, faced persecution for his faith in June 2021. His house was searched, the believer himself was accused of extremism and a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him.\nSergey was born in January 1957 in the city of Korkino, Chelyabinsk Region. As a child, he was fond of various sports. He was the champion of the city among schoolchildren in athletics, basketball, volleyball and table tennis.\nSergey graduated from the Korkinsky Mining and Construction College with honors. He worked as a mechanic in the housing and communal services, a foreman and head of the district boiler house, a grinder at the plant. After retiring, he worked as a janitor until 2019. He was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor and cash prizes for conscientious work and received the honorary title of veteran of labor.\nIn 1979, Sergey married Tatiana, whom he met while studying at a technical school. After the wedding, the couple moved to Novokuznetsk for distribution. Sergey and Tatyana raised two daughters. Now both are married and have children. The Sushilnikovs love to walk in nature, pick mushrooms, do housework and receive guests.\nIn 1995, Sergey bought a Bible and began reading it out of curiosity. Sergey's relative, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, helped him better understand this book. Thanks to thoughtful reading of the Bible, Sergey quit smoking and swearing. Inner consistency and the fulfilling prophecies in this book soon prompted him to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. His wife, Tatiana, liked God's promises about the future. As a result, she became a Christian.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the financial situation of the Sushilnikovs - Sergey's bank accounts were blocked, and the apartment requires repair, since during the search the security forces damaged the property. In addition, the persecution affected their emotional state. Sergey says: \"We still feel anxious, we shudder at every doorbell. When we are summoned to the investigator, to the court, we experience stress - blood pressure rises, headaches begin. The daughters of Sergey and Tatiana worry about their parents, regularly calling them, asking if they have come to them with a new search.\n","date":"2021-09-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_31a565b6a01350ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_e3cf57adcc5f08c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikov/photo_hu_8c647eee6cd4c9bf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sushilnikov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Sergey Sushilnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Tatyana Sushilnikova changed dramatically in 2021: a criminal case was opened against her husband, Sergey under an extremist article. A year later, Tatyana herself faced criminal prosecution for faith.\nTatyana was born in June 1959 in the city of Korkino (Chelyabinsk region). She was the youngest of three children. Her father worked as an auto mechanic, and her mother worked as a cashier. Parents and one of the brothers are no longer alive.\nDuring her school years, Tatyana attended the section of speleologists, explored the caves of the Urals. She also loved to read and skate.\nTatyana graduated from the Korkinsky Mining and Construction College. She worked as a plasterer, safety engineer, factory foreman and janitor. She is now retired.\nIn 1979, Tatyana married Sergey, whom she met while studying at a technical school. The couple moved to Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region). They raised two daughters who already have families of their own.\nIn the mid-1990s, the couple learned about God's promises recorded in the Bible. In 1996, after carefully researching this book, they embarked on the Christian path together.\nSergey and Tatyana love to do everything together: solve everyday problems, walk in nature, pick mushrooms and berries. They like to receive guests, make gifts and help friends.\nCriminal prosecution negatively affects the emotional state of spouses. Relatives of Sergey and Tatyana are worried about them.\n","date":"2022-08-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_c76e8a2bf245df01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_41027ac27dcbf688.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sushilnikova/photo_hu_b4625234f1ee1cbb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sushilnikova.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Tatyana Sushilnikova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Alexander Suvorov was born in 1980 in Shymkent (Kazakhstan), as a child he moved to Orenburg with his parents. He graduated from the pedagogical college as a physical education teacher.\nFrom a young age, Alexandr was interested in deep spiritual issues, together with his mother and sister he seriously studied the Bible. In 1999, he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Alexander was the first in the Orenburg region to achieve for himself the realization of the constitutional right to replace military service with alternative civilian service: because of his peace-loving convictions based on the Bible, Alexander could not take up arms.\nAlexander met a girl who shared his religious views. In 2002, he and Natalia got married, after 3 years they had a daughter, Anastasia, to whom they also instill high Christian standards of morality, respect for people of different views. Nastya masters the flute, loves to read. As a family, they found time to skate, depending on the season, rollerblading or skating. Together they dreamed of getting a four-legged friend.\nAlexander's entire family, including his brothers who do not profess his religion, are in acute pain because of the unfair arrest. \"You're the best dad in the world,\" his daughter wrote in a letter addressed to the jail. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorov/photo_hu_6b58bba6b8f2bfe6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorov/photo_hu_6b58bba6b8f2bfe6.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorov.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Suvorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On December 5, 2019, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova from Chelyabinsk was charged in a criminal case for her faith. A few months later, her husband Vladimir was also accused of extremist activities. The believer, despite her health problems, defended her good name in court for more than a year. However, on March 11, 2021, the court found her guilty for singing songs and prayers to Jehovah. Valentina Suvorova was sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months with a probation period of 1 year.\nValentina was born in January 1948 in the village of Sorovskoye (Kurgan region). Parents had to work very hard to raise three daughters. Later, the family moved to the neighboring town of Shadrinsk. As a child, Valentina was fond of dancing, music and vocals, loved to skate. She graduated from music school. Her love for music led her to a music school in Kurgan, after which she received the specialty of a music teacher and choir conductor.\nSince 1972, for more than 30 years, Valentina Suvorova worked as a teacher in one of the schools in Chelyabinsk. She received the honorary title of \"Veteran of Labor\". Now he is on a well-deserved rest, he is fond of design and gardening. In 1973, Valentina married Vladimir, a talented artist of the Philharmonic. In a happy marriage, a son, Igor, was born. The couple have been living together for more than 50 years, they love to go to nature, attend concerts, theaters, chat with friends.\nAll her life, Valentina was interested in life questions that could not be answered anywhere: neither in the public library, nor in philosophical teachings, nor in various churches and temples. The thirst for knowledge was quenched only thanks to an ancient book - the Bible. It was then that she firmly decided to embark on the Christian path, in which her husband supported her.\nA few years ago, this friendly family suffered a series of tragedies: the beloved and only son Igor died of blood cancer, Valentina's mother died 2 years later, and then her sister died. The younger sister lost her husband, and she herself was paralyzed after a stroke. Before the Suvorov family had time to recover from these terrible shocks, another thing happened: they came to the house of an elderly married couple with a search.\nThe criminal prosecution had a bad effect on Valentina's health. She said the search caused her \"incurable emotional trauma, additional stress and deteriorating health.\" Sleep was disturbed, there was a constant feeling of anxiety and tachycardia. I had to register with a neurologist and a nephrologist. Valentina's relatives also suffered - the already poor health of her younger sister worsened, and the widow of her deceased son and her daughter also faced a humiliating search procedure in their own home.\nRelatives and friends of Valentina and Vladimir are outraged by what is happening. No one can believe that in modern Russia such peace-loving people can be judged only because of their religious beliefs, without taking into account their venerable age and merits to society.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_8df9d9e0b529d66c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_87124225b1fb4b93.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_80ff8b0b06ffe5c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorova/photo_hu_f33556884a007fab.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorova.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Valentina Suvorova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Searches at homes of believers in Sochi in August 2021 changed Danil Suvorov\u0026#39;s life overnight. A peaceful young man was thrown behind bars—he was accused of extremism because of talking about the Bible.\nDanil was born in 1995 in the city of Almetyevsk (Tatarstan). He has an older brother. After a while, the family decided to move to Sochi (Krasnodar Territory).\nSince childhood, Danil has been fond of active sports: football, hockey, and tennis. He retained these hobbies to this day. After school, Danil graduated from the technical school, where he received the specialty of a mechanic. Before the criminal prosecution, he worked as a salesman in a tool shop.\nIn the early 2000s, Danil\u0026#39;s mother became acquainted with Bible teachings. The knowledge she acquired helped in the upbringing of two sons. The example of the mother and the unity among her fellow believers touched Danil\u0026#39;s heart and prompted him to embark on the Christian path.\nDescribing his life principles to the court, Danil denied the accusation of extremism brought against him: \u0026quot;I do not take up arms and oppose all kinds of violence, therefore, at one time I used the right provided for by the law on alternative civil service.\u0026quot; Despite peaceful views, the young man ended up behind bars. He was released in April 2026.\n","date":"2021-08-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorovd/photo_hu_4d0e56dea81181dd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorovd/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorovd/photo_hu_d51fd92615033265.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorovd/photo_hu_3e970aca1641df92.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorovd.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Danil Suvorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, Denis Suvorov's younger brother, Danil, was detained because of his belief in Jehovah God. Six months later, Denis also became a suspect in a criminal case on extremism because of his peaceful religious beliefs.\nDenis was born in November 1991 in the city of Almetyevsk (Tatarstan). From childhood to this day, he loves hockey, football and tennis. After school he graduated from the Almetyevsk Polytechnic College and received the profession of a mechanic. He worked in his specialty, repairing oil equipment.\nDenis's mother instilled high moral standards in her sons from childhood. At the age of 18, Denis embarked on the Christian path. He was impressed by the biblical promises that there would be no more injustice.\nAfter studying, Denis asked for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian one. He served as a postman in his hometown.\nIn 2017, Denis moved to Sochi, where he repaired refrigeration equipment. At a new place, he met Anastasiya, and in October 2021 they got married. Anastasiya worked as a confectioner. He is fond of activities related to creativity—sewing, needlework, drawing, cooking. The couple loves to go for walks and picnics together.\nThe father of Denis and Danil, who has different religious beliefs, wonders why peaceful people who do no harm to anyone are subjected to criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2022-04-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorovden/photo_hu_982ca027e2a7f727.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorovden/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorovden/photo_hu_ac612589e31148d8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorovden/photo_hu_6a712cbfa4ab1809.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorovden.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Denis Suvorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 16, 2020, in Chelyabinsk, a criminal case was opened against a 74-year-old peaceful believer, former artist Vladimir Suvorov. He was accused of organizing worship services consisting of singing songs, praying and discussing the Bible.\nVladimir was born in January 1946 in Chelyabinsk. His mother raised him alone. Since childhood, he has been professionally fond of skiing. At the age of 17 he got a job at a factory as a turner. But his heart gravitated towards the theater. Overcoming constraint and enslavement, Vladimir became the leading soloist of the folk theater of the pantomime \"Masks\". Has performed in Russia and abroad.\nLater, after graduating from the University of Marxism-Leninism, Vladimir worked as deputy director at the Palace of Culture of Railway Workers. In his spare time, Vladimir likes to compose songs and perform them with a guitar.\nIn 1973, Vladimir married Valentina. The couple had a son, Igor. In 2014, a close-knit family suffered a tragedy: Igor died of a serious illness, he left a wife and a daughter. The couple did not have time to move away from one misfortune, as they suffered another. On December 5, 2019, 71-year-old Valentina was charged in a criminal case for her faith. Vladimir's health deteriorated sharply. At the request of the cardiologist, he was hospitalized.\nVladimir chose the Christian path for himself back in 1993, wanting to follow the example of Jesus described in the Bible. He was joined by his wife and son. 27 years later, he had to defend his peaceful convictions in court. On July 1, 2021, Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, found the elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization. She sentenced Vladimir Suvorov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_bb7c5be850f85edc.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_eeddded43832a23d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_7744108eb399a5f1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/suvorovv/photo_hu_4b7a0c20a51f855e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/suvorovv.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"title":"Vladimir Suvorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, the family of Adam Svarichevskiy was subjected to surveillance, search and interrogation because of their beliefs. The incident seriously affected the health of Adam's wife and 2 adult sons. His parents, being Jehovah's Witnesses, survived the Stalinist repressions. Now Adam was convicted and sent to a penal colony for 6 years and 3 months because of his religion.\nAdam was born in September 1963 in the Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ukraine). He has an elder sister and a younger brother, another elder sister is no longer alive. The children grew up in a deeply religious family. Their parents were exiled to Stalin's camps for many years for their beliefs.\nAs a child, Adam learned to play the accordion, bayan, and cymbals. After graduating, he became a tractor driver. He worked as a cement mason and as a slinger, but after an injury in 1987, he was considered disabled and worked as a janitor.\nAdam recalls: “When I had to decide between listening to Jehovah God and learning to fight, I chose to refuse military service because of my religious beliefs. I remember how I was pressured in college. The teacher of military lessons told me that I would be sentenced to three years in prison for refusing to serve in the army, the deputy director told me five years, and the director told me seven years. But I did not give in to fear, because I loved Jehovah God and people. I refused to serve in the army, so I was sentenced to three years in a general regime penal colony.”\nThroughout his imprisonment, Adam received letters of support from Galina, his future wife. In 1986 they got married and moved from Ukraine to the city of Khabarovsk. Galina was also raised by believing parents who were convicted during the era of Stalin because of their beliefs. As a young woman, she examined evidence of the existence of God and became a believer. Galina is now retired. She enjoys needlework, photography, playing musical instruments, and growing flowers.\nThe couple raised two sons. Mark became a radio mechanic, and Vyacheslav mastered the professions of finisher and driver. Currently, both sons work in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order on the streets of the city. They like to listen to instrumental music, work with wood, ride bicycles, and repair them. They like the practicality of Bible principles.\nGalina's chronic illnesses worsened as a result of the criminal prosecution. After the search, she experienced severe stress and spent a month in the hospital; she had to take medication for a long time. The relatives of the Svarichevskys are outraged that a peaceful person is being persecuted merely for his faith in Jehovah.\n","date":"2020-11-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_8b60b96dcae869e4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_ee20ea7b2c8c02e9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/svarichevskiy/photo_hu_7507a0261b80e36d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/svarichevskiy.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Adam Svarichevskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/svetonosov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Svetonosov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, a peaceful believer Eduard Sviridov was searched, detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The reason was the conversations about the Bible, which law enforcement agencies regard as organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nEduard was born in June 1964 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in a simple family: his father worked as a truck driver, and his mother worked in a weaving factory. His father died early, and Eduard became the only support for his mother. From a young age, he loves to play sports. He also independently learned the basics of working with a computer, is well versed in computing.\nAfter school, Eduard graduated from a vocational school and worked as a tractor driver. Then he served in the army in Afghanistan. In the early 1980s, he moved to Moscow.\nIn 1995, Eduard met Jehovah's Witnesses. What they were talking about interested him, since he had already read the Bible before. In February 1997, Eduard got married, and in November 1999, he and his wife embarked on the Christian path.\n","date":"2021-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_2a582382ec27ab44.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_35f17c66b0bd381d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sviridov/photo_hu_3797dbec52bd6fcf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sviridov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Eduard Sviridov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, Tatyana Svoboda, a widow who had lost both her husband and son, was rushed in with a search by the security forces. A criminal case was opened against the pensioner under an extremist article only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nTatyana was born in December 1959 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. She has lived in this city all her life. His father was a locksmith, and his mother worked as a storekeeper in a kindergarten. Tatyana has an elder brother.\nAs a child, Tatyana loved to read: she could not pass by the library. After school, she graduated from a technical school and received the profession of a merchandiser.\nTatyana worked as a storekeeper in trade for 10 years and as a warehouse manager in a construction company for 30 years. Now she is retired. She likes to travel and visit picturesque places in Russia.\nIn 2001, Tatiana decided to embark on the Christian path. After reading the Bible, she was impressed by the clarity and consistency of its teachings.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Tatyana's health. The believer says: “There were worries, because of this I could not eat and sleep.”\nTatyana's relatives are outraged by the criminal prosecution of a peaceful woman.\n","date":"2022-01-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_f3a4c197bea98ba6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_1c79fb40984e0def.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_ef9eda73f6c1ad4e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/svoboda/photo_hu_21db3d032c9bd0c7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/svoboda.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Tatyana Svoboda","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anastasia Sycheva, a peaceful believer from the town of Obluchye, fought for her right to freedom of religion for a year. However, on March 11, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the sentence handed down to her by a lower court in January only because of her faith in Jehovah God: 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period and 6 months of restriction of liberty.\nAnastasia was born in 1977 in the village of Teploozersk (Jewish Autonomous Region). She was the fourth of five children in the family. My father worked all his life at a cement plant, had many awards as an honorary cement worker. Nastya grew up shy and silent. She loved books - the whole family was reading, parents instilled in children a love of literature. From an early age, the girl spent a lot of time knitting, was fond of singing.\nAfter school, Anastasia graduated from medical college and received the specialty of a nurse. For a long time she worked in a dental office, then got a job as a district nurse in a psychiatric hospital.\nWhen her older sister died of cancer at the age of 33, Anastasia took custody of her two young children, who at that time were 9 years old and 3 years old. \"There were a lot of challenges in raising children alone,\" she says. \"But I tried to apply Bible principles. Mom undermined her health by caring for her sick sister and died. In the same year, a month earlier, the middle brother passed away.\nEven in her teenage years, Anastasia thought about life and death. \"I was haunted by the thought that a person's life could end so suddenly,\" she recalls. \"The question arose: then what is the meaning of man's existence on earth?\" In the last year of school, she became interested in the Bible. In it, Anastasia found answers to her questions and found hope for the resurrection of the dead to life on earth, which gave her the strength to survive numerous losses without losing her presence of mind.\nIn September 2019, a criminal case was opened against Anastasia under an \"extremist\" article. This was an unexpected shock for her. During the same period, the believer underwent eye surgery, and she still has to take care of her elderly father, who suffered a hip injury.\nEverything that happened could not deprive the believer of her love of life. Anastasia enthusiastically learns English on her own, loves to meet old friends, make new acquaintances, spend time in nature, dance and listen to music, travel.\nNumerous friends support Anastasia in difficulties. The believer noted: \"True love is manifested in deeds. And my friends show that kind of love.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/sycheva/photo_hu_24ef1ad5250c7a3f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/sycheva/photo_hu_99720aba0fb9d9e5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/sycheva/photo_hu_fbac47cb38207cb9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/sycheva/photo_hu_36916e4e8c2e9270.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/sycheva.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Anastasiya Sycheva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The city of Kaltan has become another hotbed of religious persecution of peaceful believers. In early May 2021, local residents were searched with the participation of riot police, FSB officers and the Center for Countering Extremism. Vitaliy Syrykh was taken away for interrogation 250 km from his home, placed in a temporary detention facility, and then placed under house arrest.\nVitaliy was born in 1971 in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region). He has a younger brother. Their father was a miner, their mother worked in a furniture factory. Parents have been dead for a long time. As a child, Vitaliy was fond of sports, especially football.\nAfter school, Vitaliy studied at an institution of secondary vocational education as an underground electrical fitter, he worked at a mine.\nIn 1990, Vitaliy married Nadezhda, with whom two children were born. Nadezhda works as a hairdresser. A married couple loves to spend time together at home. In 2008, the couple moved to Kaltan.\nIn the Bible, Vitaliy was attracted by the hope of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life on a paradise earth. He was also struck by the fact that God has a personal name, and of course, the good behavior of his spouse, which changed for the better under the influence of biblical norms and principles, did not go unnoticed for him. All this prompted him to become a Christian in 1997.\nThe criminal prosecution caused a lot of stress on the family. Vitaliy\u0026#39;s health deteriorated and he had to quit his job. Relatives are outraged by the unjustified criminal persecution of this peaceful person.\n","date":"2021-06-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/syrykh/photo_hu_e086c4448d499b7a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/syrykh/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/syrykh/photo_hu_412dbebaafc8f043.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/syrykh/photo_hu_d804a49b319a5f93.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/syrykh.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Syrykh","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 28, 2019, in Ulyanovsk, criminal cases were initiated against several civilians in connection with their faith. One of them, Andrey Tabakov, was placed under house arrest. What is known about him?\nAndrey was born in 1973 in Minsk. Since his father was a soldier, the family often moved from place to place, and Andrei saw many cities. Later, the family settled in Ulyanovsk, the hometown of Andrey's parents.\nSince childhood, Andrey was fond of technology, radio electronics and computers, and after graduating from the institute he began to work in the field of information technology. At work, he met Marina, who worked as a programmer and studied the Bible. In 2006, they got married and are trying to build a family life according to the precepts of this holy book.\nRelatives are very worried about Andrey in connection with his prosecution for crimes that he did not commit. They try to support him emotionally.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tabakov/photo_hu_20da80f5dea4afdd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tabakov/photo_hu_fa700dac8831c6e2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tabakov/photo_hu_efa468c3f3865b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tabakov/photo_hu_5e1aae2dbe507b71.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tabakov.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Tabakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov, a respectable family man and father of three sons, ended up behind bars only because of his faith in God. \"Work has stopped, business has collapsed, and chronic diseases worsened\", — Alla, his wife, shared. Because of the stress and difficult conditions in the detention center her husband developed a cancer disease.\nYuriy was born in July 1977 in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) in a family of railway workers. His father was a locomotive engineer, and his mother was an accountant at a locomotive depot. Yuriy has a brother and sister. As a child he was involved in judo and soccer, and studied music school.\nFor a while, Yuriy worked as a printing press engineer and was appointed administrative director for his conscientious attitude to work. Lately he has been involved in tax consulting. In addition to Samarkand, Yuriy has lived in Tashkent, Bukhara, the Tver region and Moscow.\nYuriy met Alla in the 1990s. She works as a hairdresser, loves art and poetry. Yuriy is fond of photography, diving, music and cars, he studies foreign languages. At the end of the 1990s, Yuriy and Alla made the decision to devote their lives to serving God.\nTemirbulatov's family and friends wonder why such a decent and deeply religious man was accused of extremism.\n","date":"2022-03-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/temirbulatov/photo_hu_d9c747d94c48dc37.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/temirbulatov/photo_hu_6860822a4580c61c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/temirbulatov/photo_hu_4b292c99d7c8ca51.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/temirbulatov/photo_hu_6ae9abc3fe86056b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/temirbulatov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Temirbulatov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2018, Dmitriy Terebilov became another victim of criminal prosecution. Despite the fact that thanks to the Bible he got out of prison early, left his old way of life and became a Christian, he was again thrown behind bars — now because of his faith.\nDmitriy was born in 1980 in Kostroma. The only child in the family, he lost his mother early. As a child, Dmitriy was fond of freestyle wrestling and boxing, spent a lot of time on the street with friends. Later, he acquired several specialties: he learned to be a locksmith, cook, sewing master. For some time Dmitriy made his living by sewing clothes, then he worked as a janitor.\nDmitriy had a difficult period in his life — he had several criminal convictions. While behind bars, he decided to read the Bible for the first time. Dmitriy was surprised to discover that this book was different from his ideas about it. He decided to immediately apply what he learned. The positive changes in the prisoner impressed the administration of the correctional institution so much that they petitioned for his early release.\nDmitriy recalls: “Once the Bible changed my life: from an unnecessary criminal, I became a God-fearing person and a useful member of society. I will not be able to remain silent about this, I cannot but thank Jehovah God for such changes, the real meaning of life and hope for the future.\"\nIn 2015, Dmitriy married Irina, who shares his views on life. The spouses try to do everything together, they like to go hiking, ride bicycles. Irina likes to embroider.\nDmitriy's criminal prosecution brought anxiety to the daily life of the family and affected Irina's health. Dmitriy's father does not share his son's convictions, but was outraged by the sentence passed on him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/terebilov/photo_hu_114253934abf56d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/terebilov/photo_hu_ca04ad74ceb4439a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/terebilov/photo_hu_db68d7e0f21ede20.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/terebilov/photo_hu_d4c4d47af0ef113.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/terebilov.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the summer of 2018, Dmitriy Terebilov became another victim of criminal prosecution. Despite the fact that thanks to the Bible he got out of prison early, left his old way of life and became a Christian, he was again thrown behind bars — now because of his faith.\nDmitriy was born in 1980 in Kostroma. The only child in the family, he lost his mother early. As a child, Dmitriy was fond of freestyle wrestling and boxing, spent a lot of time on the street with friends. Later, he acquired several specialties: he learned to be a locksmith, cook, sewing master. For some time Dmitriy made his living by sewing clothes, then he worked as a janitor.\nDmitriy had a difficult period in his life — he had several criminal convictions. While behind bars, he decided to read the Bible for the first time. Dmitriy was surprised to discover that this book was different from his ideas about it. He decided to immediately apply what he learned. The positive changes in the prisoner impressed the administration of the correctional institution so much that they petitioned for his early release.\nDmitriy recalls: “Once the Bible changed my life: from an unnecessary criminal, I became a God-fearing person and a useful member of society. I will not be able to remain silent about this, I cannot but thank Jehovah God for such changes, the real meaning of life and hope for the future.\"\nIn 2015, Dmitriy married Irina, who shares his views on life. The spouses try to do everything together, they like to go hiking, ride bicycles. Irina likes to embroider.\nDmitriy's criminal prosecution brought anxiety to the daily life of the family and affected Irina's health. Dmitriy's father does not share his son's convictions, but was outraged by the sentence passed on him.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/terebilov2/photo_hu_114253934abf56d1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/terebilov2/photo_hu_ca04ad74ceb4439a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/terebilov2/photo_hu_db68d7e0f21ede20.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/terebilov2/photo_hu_d4c4d47af0ef113.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/terebilov2.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Terebilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On March 13, 2019, at least seven civilians were searched in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region) because of their beliefs. The investigation suspects that one of them, Vladimir Teterin, participated in religious services.\nVladimir was born in 1957 in Berezniki (present-day Perm region). He has siblings, and both parents are no longer alive. In his youth he was fond of martial arts and kettlebell lifting. For some time, the family lived in Tatarstan before moving to Severodvinsk.\nVladimir received the profession of a welding engineer-technologist, in the early 2000s he took first places in the regional and all-Russian competitions of professional skills among masters of industrial training. He is now retired.\nIn the 1990s, Vladimir began to research the Bible and discovered its historical and scientific accuracy, as well as the honesty of its writers. However, the desire to live according to the biblical commandments eventually led to the initiation of a criminal case.\nVladimir\u0026#39;s wife, children and other relatives do not share his religious views but are extremely perplexed by the fact that peace-loving people are massively accused of extremism. The children were worried that their sick retired father could have been imprisoned.\nIn June 2022, the criminal case was terminated due to the lack of corpus delicti, the arrest was lifted from the money and the car.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_3d7f0205d81de39d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_73fa29b79b327b34.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_d0c3d48b133222df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/teterin/photo_hu_e8928b93bacf0b7e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/teterin.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Teterin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 15, 2018, several detachments of law enforcement officers invaded the apartments of believers in Penza and detained several people. One of them, Denis Timoshin, spent two days in a temporary detention center, then was placed under house arrest. He is charged with participation in extremist activities. What is known about him?\nDenis was born in 1980 in the city of Volzhsky (Volgograd region). As a child, he was fond of mathematics, computers and sports. For many years he worked in the field of repair of household appliances.\nWhile still a teenager, Denis discovered amazing facts about the origin of life and the complexity of living organisms. This convinced him that all living things have an intelligent Creator and aroused his interest in the Bible. From it he learned that Jesus Christ taught to love one's neighbor as oneself. Denis strives to adhere to this commandment to this day. It was for this reason that he asked to replace military service with alternative civilian service.\nIn 2004, Denis married Victoria, in 2006 the young family moved to Penza. The Timoshin family is known as cheerful and hospitable people who love sports, fishing and outdoor activities. Victoria makes jewelry, is engaged in interior design.\nAlthough Denis's relatives do not share his religious beliefs, they are concerned about the criminal prosecution of this peace-loving man and hoped that the unfortunate legal error would be corrected.\nNevertheless, on December 13, 2019, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Penza, Roman Tanchenko, sentenced Denis Timoshin to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. The lawyers appealed the verdict.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/timoshin/photo_hu_b2044ef417fbe01.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/timoshin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/timoshin/photo_hu_18ab9121985565e3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/timoshin/photo_hu_65208d6c18007c5b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/timoshin.html","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Timoshin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Timoshkin was born in Solikamsk, Perm region, in November 1968. As a child he loved active games, skiing and equipment. His last hobby grew into something more, and after graduating from technical school Vladimir got a job in the laboratory of technical diagnostics of equipment. He has been working there for over 30 years.\nVladimir began studying the Bible to prove his wife that Jehovah's Witnesses are wrong, and the only true faith is Orthodoxy. However, while carefully studying the Scriptures, he eventually became convinced that Jehovah's Witnesses explained the Bible correctly. This led to the fact that in 1997 Vladimir was consecrated to God and baptized as a Jehovah's Witness.\nRecent events have dramatically changed the life of the believer. \"Suddenly I, a peaceful citizen who never hid, did not change my place of work or even my phone number, became, in the opinion of authorities, an extremist,\" says Vladimir. He adds that at work he is still appreciated and even was granted leave for the three months which he spent under house arrest. Those who know him are surprised that such a thing is possible in our country.\n\"The criminal prosecution and the upcoming trial are very disturbing to my family... But I am sure that this will not always be the case. Injustice together with crime will become a matter of the past, long past years,\" Vladimir said.\n","date":"2020-12-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/timoshkin/photo_hu_ef7507d52df76c1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/timoshkin/photo_hu_1fd0f8cce3ce40c9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/timoshkin/photo_hu_5b7b5c484814bdf4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/timoshkin/photo_hu_5885bf6cddc28144.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/timoshkin.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Vladimir Timoshkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 18, 2019, in Ussuriysk (Primorye Territory), security forces searched the apartment of a local resident, Dmitry Tishchenko, who was charged under a criminal article based on religion. The investigation found out that he met with friends in a café and talked there about the Bible. What do we know about this man?\nDmitry was born in 1984 in Ussuriysk. His grandmother and parents were believers, so they sought to instill biblical canons and commandments in their children - Dmitry and his older sister Elena.\nAfter graduating from school, Dmitry entered a technical school, graduated with honors and received the specialty \"technician-merchant\", but recently he worked as a janitor. He likes to travel.\nIn 2003 he met Anastasia, a year later they got married. The wife was also always drawn to God, looking for the truth in different churches.\nAfter the search, it is psychologically difficult for Dmitry and Anastasia to return home every time. Because of the recognizance not to leave, it became impossible to make plans. Dmitry's parents are worried that their son may end up behind bars, and his acquaintances cannot understand what exactly he is guilty of.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tishchenko/photo_hu_a9968c11b9a106fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tishchenko/photo_hu_c8e2a77cbe89b90c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tishchenko/photo_hu_fc4d1390143357b5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tishchenko/photo_hu_55bf5de84f4cd647.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tishchenko.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Dmitriy Tishchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":" In May 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against Anatoly Tokarev. His apartment was raided and searched, and later the believer was officially charged with organizing extremist activities. After several months of court hearings, the believer was found guilty. He was sentenced to a fine of 500,000 rubles.\nAnatoliy was born in 1958 in the village of Baranovskaya, Kirov region, although his childhood was spent in the village of Russkoye. He was brought up by one mother. He liked to play chess, was fond of photography and playing the accordion. In 1979, while still a student, he married Margarita, with whom he graduated from the Faculty of Physics of Gorky State University in 1982. Then the couple worked together as engineers in Nizhny Novgorod. Later they moved to Kirov, where Anatoliy continued to work as a software engineer, and Margarita got a job as an accountant in a medical institution. Son Andrey decided to follow in his father's footsteps and also became a programmer, and daughter Ekaterina mastered the profession of an accountant. Until about 27 years of age, Anatoliy was a staunch atheist, but then his worldview began to change under the influence of facts that he learned by reading popular science publications in his free time. He stopped being aggressive towards religion and decided to study the Bible on his own. From his own experience, Anatoliy realized that the scientific mindset does not exclude Christian beliefs and values. Today Anatoliy is retired, but continues to work as a janitor in a kindergarten. In his spare time, he acquires construction skills by building a house in the garden. Margarita is fond of gardening, loves to plant roses and take care of them. Anatoly's entire family was shocked when the police raided the apartment with a search and announced the initiation of a criminal case. Relatives and friends consider the very fact of accusing Anatoliy of extremism to be contrary to common sense. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_9fa6828e91e19713.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_cd6f1b486e57ce0a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_f88031673f806105.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tokarev/photo_hu_aa065d6ff6c6c9c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tokarev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Anatoliy Tokarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2021, Andrey Tolmachev faced criminal prosecution for believing in God. He is the only son of retired parents who were left without his help — everything in the house was on Andrey’s shoulders. During the search, the believer was beaten in front of his parents until he lost consciousness, and then he was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center.\nAndrey was born in 1975. He grew up as an athletic child, was engaged in boxing, weightlifting. Received the profession of a general driver.\nAt the age of 27, Andrew became acquainted with Bible teachings. Thanks to this, he got rid of bad habits and stopped engaging in aggressive sports.\nBefore his arrest, Andrey worked in the field of cargo transportation. Colleagues and friends speak of him as a fair and compassionate person who is always ready to help. “Andrey is sociable and knows how to find a common language with different people,”— they say.\nAndrey's neighbors know him as a believer and a loving son who takes care of his disabled father. They do not understand why he was thrown into jail. Andrey's parents, although they do not share the religious beliefs of their son, are proud of him and wait for justice to prevail.\nThe criminal prosecution did not break Andrey — even with a chronic illness, he does not lose heart and maintains a positive attitude.\n","date":"2021-12-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolmachev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolmachev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolmachev/photo_hu_d14d4219d1f14a4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolmachev/photo_hu_d14d4219d1f14a4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolmachev.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Tolmachev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"A native Muscovite Sergey Tolokonnikov worked for many years as a security guard. After becoming a Christian, he refused to carry weapons and use violence against others. Despite this, in October 2021, the authorities considered him a dangerous criminal, charging him under two extremist articles at once for his faith.\nSergey was born in Moscow in 1972. His parents divorced when he was 4. Since childhood, Sergey was fond of reading, music and football, and studied well. He entered a technical university but did not graduate from it.\nIn 1995, Sergey met Mariya, who was raising a two-year-old son from her first marriage. Young people decided to live together. In 2003, Mariya began studying the Bible because she wanted to learn more about Christian teachings. Later, Sergey joined her. He was amazed that the Scriptures provide an answer to any vital question, and the advice in this book is still relevant today.\nThe Bible prompted the couple to change. When they read that living together without being in a legal marriage from the point of view of the state is a sin in the eyes of God, they decided to register their relationship. Also, thanks to the knowledge gained, Mariya was able to overcome the bad habit—for 16 years she was an avid smoker. The changes also affected the professional sphere. Sergey, for example, refused to carry weapons at work, and Mariya made the difficult decision to leave the highly paid position of an accountant, where her activities were fraught with lies and violation of the law. She is now a cleaning professional. In 2005, the couple became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nSergey and Mariya love to travel. This hobby gave them not only a lot of interesting memories and impressions, but also many friends around the world.\nThe search and arrest of Sergey had a serious impact on the life of the family. Once in jail for his faith, Sergey lost his job, where he received encouragement from his superiors for responsible work. On the shoulders of Mary lay material obligations. The security forces took not only the money of the spouses, but also the bank card of Sergey\u0026#39;s mother-in-law, where the pension was accrued, as well as her Muscovite card for moving around the city.\nFellow believers did not leave Mariya without support during this difficult period. Relatives who did not share the religious beliefs of the couple were outraged by the sentence imposed on Sergey.\nIn the spring of 2025, a criminal case was also opened against Mariya under an extremist article. In the summer of the same year, Sergey was released, having served his term in full, and 5 months later the court sentenced Mariya to a large fine. The day before, Sergey\u0026#39;s mother passed away.\n","date":"2021-11-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolokonnikov/photo_hu_8cd9e2a6708ace96.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolokonnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolokonnikov/photo_hu_29e947d720413f4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolokonnikov/photo_hu_3ee3a966d144f86e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolokonnikov.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Tolokonnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 2, 2019, a criminal case was opened in Krasnoyarsk against 61-year-old Sergey Tolstonozhenko. He is accused of extremist activity because of a conversation at a bus stop about believing in God. What is known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nSergey was born in 1957 in Krasnoyarsk. The father is no longer alive, the mother is retired. He has a younger brother. As a child, he was fond of reading books and sports. He attended sections of classical wrestling, sambo, was fond of alpine skiing. He dreamed of becoming a pilot, read books about them and admired their exploits, but due to poor eyesight, he never managed to realize his dream.\nAfter school, he graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Institute of Technology, where he received a degree in engineering in the field of chemical and technological processes. After serving in the army, he got a job at the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant as an apprentice turner. Over time, he received the fifth category of this profession. Health problems imposed restrictions on sports, but Sergey's love for reading did not fade.\nHe met his future wife Nina at the institute, where they studied in the same group. They got married in 1982, when both were in their fourth year. Nina is now retired. The couple have an adult son, Dmitry, who works as an engineer for the repair and maintenance of office equipment.\nSergey became interested in the teachings of the Bible when he saw how they had a beneficial effect on his wife. Later, he was impressed by the simplicity and accuracy of the answers that this book gives on important life issues. Sergey noted that thanks to the Bible, his marriage was strengthened, his health improved, and his reputation changed for the better in the eyes of people who previously knew him not from the best side.\nThe criminal prosecution knocked the family out of their usual life routine. A search of the apartment with the seizure of personal belongings turned out to be a great stress. Against this background, diseases of the stomach, lungs and other health problems worsened. Sergey, who has always liked to show hospitality, feels depressed due to the lack of communication with friends. In addition, the investigator who conducted the search threatened him with dismissal from his job.\nAll Sergey's relatives, including people with a variety of beliefs, are extremely outraged by the arbitrariness of the authorities in relation to believers. They sincerely sympathize with Sergey, try to support and encourage in difficult times.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_945ba2ff28323701.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_78a076845088fd64.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_ec53af15e68766af.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tolstonozhenko/photo_hu_a4042581c98adaa4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tolstonozhenko.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Tolstonozhenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2020, a 29-year-old native of Vladivostok, Yekaterina Treguba, joined the list of more than 30 Primorye residents accused of extremism for their faith. Interrogations, searches and court testimonies became part of her daily life.\nYekaterina was born in February 1991. She has a younger brother and sister. As a child she was fond of studying English, dancing, basketball and sambo. After school, she graduated from the Academic College of Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. Now Yekaterina teaches English. In her spare time, she likes to go jogging, which helps her cope with stress.\nKatya's interest in the Bible came from childhood when her grandmother read her interesting stories from Scriptures. Especially the girl was affected by the fact that people will never grow old again. Later, Yekaterina became personally convinced of the love and care of the Creator\u0026 In 2008 she became a Christian.\nAlthough parents do not share Yekaterina’s religious beliefs, their daughter's criminal prosecution is a source of serious concern and perplexity. The believer herself tries not to succumb to fear and unnecessary stress. \"This experience has made me stronger,\" she says.\n","date":"2020-11-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/treguba/photo_hu_930d1daa353e21a2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/treguba/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/treguba/photo_hu_ed89976d5f8206c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/treguba/photo_hu_dbdcceb29dbd8931.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/treguba.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yekaterina Treguba","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the most massive and inhuman operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. More than 20 people were involved in criminal cases, 7 people reported torture, 3 people were in custody for a long time, at least one was dismissed from work - Igor Trifonov. What do we know about him?\nIgor was born in 1969 in the village of Serebryansky, Murmansk region. He has a younger brother. Since childhood, he was fond of sports and electrical engineering. When Igor was 6 years old, his family moved to Belarus, near Mogilev. Later, Igor moved to Russian Surgut as an adult. After college, he received the profession of a mechanic. At first he worked as a driver and metalworker, but then he worked as a firefighter for 22 years in a row. He received only positive references at work, until everything suddenly changed in February 2019 - it turned out that because of his religious views and the criminal case opened, Igor could no longer work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations.\nIgor has been a committed Christian and Bible student for over twenty years. Since 1997 he has been married to Olga. Friends know her as a caring mother and housewife, she bakes delicious pancakes. After losing his job, it became more difficult for Igor to take care of three minor children, one of whom is an infant.\nFor two weeks after the search and interrogation, Olga was in a state of shock, constantly crying. Igor draws comfort from the Bible: \"Jesus was also persecuted. And for what? For the truth? He didn't do anything wrong either.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/trifonov/photo_hu_b186c9a7d5835c6b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/trifonov/photo_hu_592ccca58c82e7ea.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/trifonov/photo_hu_22f8ffb7799fc427.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/trifonov/photo_hu_e6b7294032d2ae99.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/trifonov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Trifonov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktor Fyodorovich Trofimov was born in 1957 in Arkhangelsk region. In search of work and family improvement, he moved to the Murmansk region. In Polyarny he worked for many years as a cemetery keeper, later he got a job at the shipyard in Snezhnogorsk, where he worked as a gas welder.\nIn 1980 Viktor married Ulyana, they have three children. In 1995 Victor met Jehovah's Witnesses, got acquainted with the content of the Bible and saw the clarity and simplicity of God's requirements to people. None of Victor's family members accepted his religious views, but their family is filled with love, mutual respect and support. For Viktor and Ulyana it was especially important when they had to survive the death of their son.\nNow Viktor Trofimov is already a grandfather who helps to bring up grandchildren. He is a life loving person far from extremism. He likes to relax in the countryside among friends. In 2018, law enforcement officers raided the apartments of believers in the city of Polyarny (Murmansk region). Viktor was detained and placed in a detention center, where he spent almost six months. In January 2020, a believer was sentenced to a fine of 350,000 rubles for his extremist activities.\nRelatives believe that neither Viktor nor Jehovah's Witnesses in general pose a threat to society. Ulyana joined the appeal of the wives of the arrested believers to the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, which spoke of a massive campaign of persecution of respectable citizens throughout the country\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_178fd4ce47b8c0fd.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_49ece6300ce45222.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/trofimov/photo_hu_e0d1cb56443034c0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/trofimov.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Viktor Trofimov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 7, 2018, a group of FSB officers and SOBR fighters arrested Maria Troshina, a civilian resident of the city of Sychevka. She was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where she spent more than 6 months. Then, after more than a year of investigation and 16 months of trials, the believer was found guilty and sentenced to 6 years of probation just because of her faith in Jehovah God. Maria Troshina was born in 1977 in St. Petersburg. He has a brother who still lives in the \"cultural capital\". Since childhood, she has been fond of history, and in her school years she even worked as a guide. She learns foreign languages on her own.\nIt was her love of history that made Mary interested in the authenticity of the Bible from a historical and scientific point of view. Although both of Maria's parents are no longer alive, her mother shared her daughter's craving for the spiritual. Both mother and daughter decided to devote their lives to serving God over the years, which eventually led to ridiculous accusations of extremism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/troshina/photo_hu_4384854faf8b67ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/troshina/photo_hu_8bffb41d40f965b9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/troshina/photo_hu_d64df88d13cdeac9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/troshina/photo_hu_a01d8455dbe756d5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/troshina.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Mariya Troshina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A total of 35 searches were conducted, and at least 11 people are involved in the criminal case. One of them is Denis Tsarev. What do we know about him?\nDenis was born in 1983 in Moscow. A year and a half later, the family was replenished with two twin boys. Denis grew up as an active and friendly child. Since childhood, he went in for sports, played football. The children lost their father when they were still very young.\nAfter graduating from school, wanting to help his mother and brothers, Denis chose the profession of a cook - a business that was interesting to him and could bring the necessary income. The love of cooking, combined with the acquired skills, made it possible to find a job in Moscow restaurants. At the same time, Denis did not abandon sports. Recently he worked as an exterminator.\nSince the early 2000s, Denis has been actively interested in the Bible. He was very impressed by the sincere love that reigns among those who live according to his commandments. He wanted to be like them. In 2008, he married Lyubov, with whom he shares a common hobby - learning the Uzbek language.\nLater, the couple moved to Nizhny Novgorod, not expecting that a real hunt for Jehovah's Witnesses would unfold there.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tsarev/photo_hu_70df35a60d9ff02f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tsarev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tsarev/photo_hu_cf987dffa6777f93.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tsarev/photo_hu_8312e77f30a572f7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tsarev.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Denis Tsarev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Tsikunov, a civil engineer and former head of the Kaltan State Construction Supervision Inspectorate, was searched and detained only because he is one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nAleksandr was born in November 1967 in the city of Kaltan in a family of doctors. As a child, the boy was fond of collecting stamps. He has an elder sister. She followed in her parents\u0026#39; footsteps and became a medical professional. The sister shares Aleksandr\u0026#39;s religious beliefs.\nAleksandr graduated with a degree in civil engineering. He worked as the head of the inspectorate of state architectural and construction supervision of the Kaltan administration, and then at South Kuzbass GRES as an engineer of the capital construction department until his arrest in May 2021. In his free time, Aleksandr likes to walk in the forest, pick mushrooms, and visit a Russian bathhouse.\nAleksandr enjoyed reading and studying the Bible, and the truths of this ancient book seemed surprisingly simple and clear to him. Therefore, in 1997, he made a conscious decision to become a Christian and dedicated his life to God.\nIn 1989, Aleksandr married Yelena, whom he had known since childhood. The wife noticed that the study of the Bible had a positive effect on Aleksandr\u0026#39;s character, so she became interested in this book herself. After some time, she supported her husband in his religious choice and became a Christian.\nFaced with criminal prosecution, Aleksandr experienced a nervous shock. During the court hearings, the believer underwent heart surgery.\nHis relatives, even those who do not share his religious beliefs, are completely on Aleksandr\u0026#39;s side. They try to support him in every possible way.\n","date":"2021-06-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tsikunov/photo_hu_bb421ab42c003000.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tsikunov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tsikunov/photo_hu_777e06b26462be66.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tsikunov/photo_hu_c11a49c7793618a8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tsikunov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Aleksandr Tsikunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 9, 2019, in Vladivostok, armed law enforcement officers in masks conducted a series of searches in the homes of civilians. The victims were 6 families of believers. A few days earlier, six of the victims were surprised to find their names on the list of \"extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring. Among them was 47-year-old Elena Tsorn, against whom, as it turned out, a criminal case was initiated.\nElena was born in October 1972 in Vladivostok. She has an older sister. As a child, she was fond of knitting, wrote poetry.\nElena graduated from the Pedagogical Institute in Ussuriysk. She worked at a school for 18 years, then organized a children's development center, in which she was a director and teacher.\nIn 1994, Elena married Yevgeny, in marriage they had a daughter.\nElena has always been very interested in stories about Jesus Christ, so she was very happy to learn that her neighbor was studying the Bible. Years later, Elena Zorn made a conscious decision to become a Christian.\nIn her free time, the believer embroiders with beads and ribbons, paints oil paintings, plays the guitar, loves to cook, and is interested in landscape design.\nYelena's family is very worried about her criminal prosecution, which also affected her husband, Yevgeny. Since it all began, he has been summoned for questioning twice and offered a deal with his conscience - cooperation with the investigation or dismissal from his job. Due to nervous stress, family members began to have health problems. Elena's husband and daughter support her during this difficult time.\n","date":"2020-08-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tsorn/photo_hu_500ae1a40fa54dc3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tsorn/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tsorn/photo_hu_f9155340293e7726.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tsorn/photo_hu_8c387621d8a8a000.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tsorn.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Tsorn","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2018, a peaceful family man Igor Turik was detained in Perm. He was accused of 2 extremist articles at once only because of his faith in Jehovah God. For more than 3 years, he defended his good name in the courts, but in May 2021 he was found guilty and sentenced to 7 years of suspended imprisonment.\nIgor was born in 1968 in Nelidovo (Tver region). He has a younger brother. Since childhood, Igor has been fond of photography and videography, as well as radio electronics. Later, he mastered the professions of photographer and architectural designer and successfully worked in these areas. For some time he lived in Anapa and Naberezhnye Chelny, and later settled in Perm. For 18 years, Igor has designed and built about 40 objects for various purposes in Perm and the Perm Territory, including shopping centers. Even while he was under investigation, he managed to improve the square, the embankment and the whole street near the local history museum in Dobryanka.\nIn the 1990s, Igor got acquainted with the Bible. He was impressed by its inner consistency and fulfilled prophecies. This prompted him to become a Christian. Speaking in court, Igor said: \u0026quot;You would have known what I was 25 years ago, before I became Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness. That\u0026#39;s when I needed to be held accountable. I have completely changed because of my relationship with God. Previously, in my hometown, neighbors were shocked only when they saw me. Until recently, they were shocked that the truth can change a person for the better. And now they are shocked that I face such a monstrous sentence, as if I were an incorrigible useless person.\nIn 2002, Igor got married, he has a son and a daughter of school age. In court, the believer emphasized: \u0026quot;I have always taught my children to be kind, to be honest, to respect the views of other people, they grow up to be excellent citizens, they have deep respect for parents and society.\u0026quot;\nIgor\u0026#39;s relatives, friends and colleagues hoped to the last that the believer would be acquitted. The guilty verdict came as a surprise to them.\n\u0026quot;Is it possible to ruthlessly break a completely peaceful life? This completely undermines trust in the legal system! Igor said in his final statement. \u0026quot;I love harmony and beauty. I hate violence and meanness. I condemn extremism and perfidy.\u0026quot;\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/turik/photo_hu_aaa847f6f0a9f42e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/turik/photo_hu_4df24ce1a435f19d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/turik/photo_hu_4d7e6f6f7ac9c596.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/turik/photo_hu_93d5b9b15e593477.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/turik.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Igor Turik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Tyurin was sent to a pre-trial detention center for peaceful religious beliefs, along with 4 other believers from Balakovo. The law enforcement agencies followed them and considered their joint discussion of biblical teachings as extremism.\nSergey was born in 1994 in the city of Balakovo (Saratov region). His mother has two professions—a ship's cook and a designer, she devoted her youth to raising children. She currently works as a cleaner. Father is a mechanical engineer, works as a locksmith of the 6th category. Sergey has two younger brothers.\nAs a child, Sergey was inquisitive and sociable, attended various sports sections. At the age of 7 he began to learn to play the piano, and later moved to the guitar class.\nSergey graduated from school with a silver medal, after which he received the specialty of an electrician in secondary circuits. Because of his peaceful Christian convictions, he served as an alternative service in the Balakovo boarding house for the elderly and disabled as a bath attendant. He has a letter of thanks for good service. Sergey worked as a janitor, and before his arrest, as a courier.\nSergey's grandmother was the first in Sergey's family to start getting acquainted with the Bible. Later, his mother became interested in the Holy Scriptures, and in 2012 he made a conscious decision to become a Christian. He was attracted by the kindness, sincerity, and love of those who lived according to biblical standards. The detailed prophecies in this ancient book convinced him that it was from God.\nSergey met his future wife Elizaveta when they were both teenagers, and they got married in 2018. Elizabeth shares her husband's religious views. She is engaged in photo retouching, loves to read. Sergey plays the guitar and is fond of learning foreign languages - he is fluent in English and a little French. Spouses love outdoor activities, meetings with friends and learning new things together.\nSergey and Yelizaveta experienced stress when law enforcement officers came to them with a search. This affected their health. Sergey's father, although he does not share his views, fundamentally disagrees with the criminal prosecution of his son, because he knows that he did not do anything illegal. Sergey's mother is hurt by the fact that because of the accusation of extremism, their son is suffering hardships.\n","date":"2022-05-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tyurin/photo_hu_861dcd7ef64df94c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tyurin/photo_hu_e2eb48b620c790f1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tyurin/photo_hu_75b02c17ddfe9752.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tyurin/photo_hu_8f98ac57de495cba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tyurin.html","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Tyurin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On November 10, 2018, in Khabarovsk, 30 riot policemen broke into a café where a friendly party was taking place. After breaking down the doors, they staged hours of mass interrogation of those present, including minors, with the seizure of personal property and fingerprinting. Criminal cases were opened against several party participants in connection with their religion. Among them were the spouses Vitaly and Tatyana Zhuk. What do we know about Tatiana? Tatyana was born in 1973 in Khabarovsk. She has an elder brother. As a child, she played basketball and music - she played the accordion and balalaika. After graduating from high school and pedagogical college, she worked as a kindergarten teacher. Later she mastered the profession of a housekeeper. At the age of 19, Tatiana became keenly interested in the Bible. Her mother was initially concerned about this, but when she saw that Bible education had a beneficial effect on her daughter, she softened the attitude towards her choice. \"This is what helped me fill the void,\" says Tatiana. \"The Bible helped me find answers to all my questions.\" Tatyana has lived all her life in her native Khabarovsk. Here she also met her future husband Vitaly, a gas electric welder by profession. The couple raised daughters Dina and Polina. Both of them work in the catering industry, and Polina graduated with honors from the College of Technology. The whole family loves to spend time in nature. Tatiana still can't imagine herself without music and masters the guitar on her own. Relatives and friends of the Zhuk spouses cannot understand why they are being persecuted, and consider what is happening to be complete absurdity. ","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/tzhuk/photo_hu_5bf4ec4505e985f8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/tzhuk/photo_hu_9f74fd0c91171a9e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/tzhuk/photo_hu_95786dd17182f8ba.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/tzhuk/photo_hu_db094b0ecc6acd9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/tzhuk.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Tatyana Zhuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2019, a criminal case was opened in Kirov against peaceful believers, searches were carried out. One of the accused was Yevgeniy Udintsev. The investigation lasted more than a year, then the case went to court. In July 2021, despite the absence of victims in the case, Udintsev was found guilty of organizing extremist activities and sentenced to a fine of 200,000 rubles just because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nYevgeniy was born in 1949 in Kirov, where he has lived all his life. As a child, he suffered from heart disease, but learned to cope with this disease through physical education. Yevgeniy mastered the professions of a civil engineer and a metalworking technician, although in addition to the main professions, he had to sweep the floors and do business.\nSince 1970, Yevgeniy has been married to Yelizaveta, whose sister introduced both spouses to the Bible. This happened in 1991. The knowledge gained deeply affected them, although this did not happen immediately. Under the influence of the Bible, Yevgeniy gradually got rid of bad habits, quit smoking and alcohol abuse. Today Yevgeniy, Yelizaveta and their daughter Olga are a close-knit Christian family. Yelizaveta is a disabled person of the II group, she is limited in movement. Yevgeniy lovingly takes care of his wife.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_887cb071090e749f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_176df5689cc137de.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/udintsev/photo_hu_1c9e98f311fa1435.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/udintsev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Yevgeniy Udintsev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksey Ukhov from Sovetskaya Gavan has gained a reputation as a conscientious employee and being active in the community. At work, due to his exemplary appearance, a dress code was introduced, and the city authorities awarded him a certificate for his help in improving the city. However, in October 2020, the FSB considered the believer a “dangerous extremist”: he was placed in a detention center and sent for a forced psychiatric examination.\nAleksey was born in May 1980 in the Far Eastern industrial village of Lososina on the coast of the Strait of Tatary. He is the middle child in the family of a ship's electrician and a kindergarten teacher. After the death of both parents in 2004, Aleksey became the guardian of his younger teenage brother. The believer has a wonderful relationship with his brothers, although they do not share his beliefs.\nIn addition to the usual hobbies and games for children, from childhood Aleksey had a spiritual interest and tried to understand the Bible. At a young age, he seriously took up studying this book and decided to become a Christian. Aleksey stopped indulging in spiritism and cut off his long hair, which very much surprised everyone who knew him. At the age of 18, the young man had to defend his right in court to not take up arms, based on his peace-loving views and he was relieved from military conscription.\nIn 2003, Aleksey married Liliya who shares his Christian views on life. She works as an radiographer, and he works as a graphic artist. Together they enjoy spending time outdoors, playing board games with friends and photography.\nThe criminal prosecution of Aleksey Ukhov shocked not only relatives and friends, but also colleagues. For more than 20 years he has been known as a responsible, hardworking and helpful worker. But now the court has sentenced the believer, whom the Bible has changed for the better, to 6.5 years in a penal colony for his beliefs.\n","date":"2020-11-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ukhov/photo_hu_7f43bb4b6a8b8140.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ukhov/photo_hu_51e8d46ec6c82c51.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ukhov/photo_hu_5957b99315c76696.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ukhov/photo_hu_1a8a84e41ab05ba2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ukhov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Ukhov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Ildar Urazbakhtin became another victim of criminal prosecution for his faith. After security forces conducted a series of searches in Kodinsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory) in July 2021 and placed the believer under house arrest, he lost his job. His accounts were blocked, depriving him of the opportunity to provide for his family.\nIldar was born in May 1963 in the city of Bratsk (Irkutsk region). He grew up with a twin brother, an older sister and a younger brother. His father worked as a driver, his mother as a cook. The parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Ildar was engaged in ship modeling, collected badges, old coins, was fond of photography and fishing. After graduating from school, he learned to be a turner of the 4th category. After serving in the army, Ildar graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. He worked as a turner, electrician-lineman, electrician and foreman of the substation service, leading engineer of the construction control department. Recently, he served as a state inspector of the Rostekhnadzor department.\nIn 1987, Ildar married Gulnora, a girl distinguished by hospitality and love of flowers. She received the profession of a pastry chef, worked as a knitter, and later worked for many years as a nurse in the gynecological department.\nWhen the couple had a daughter, they decided to move to a more environmentally friendly area. Their choice fell on Kodinsk, a city in the taiga. In addition, the construction of the Boguchanskaya hydroelectric power station was then carried out in this beautiful city, and young specialists were provided with housing.\nIn 1996, Ildar became interested in the Bible. He was touched by the sincere interest of Jehovah's Witnesses in him personally. He fell in love with the Holy Scriptures and embarked on the Christian path in 1999. Gulnora, convinced of the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, joined her husband in 2006.\nThe Urazbakhtins have two adult children and three granddaughters. They usually spend the summer in the country. Ildar likes to read classical literature, is fond of fishing and car repair.\nWorries about her husband in connection with the criminal prosecution for his faith provoked the progression of eye disease in Gulnora, a disabled person of group III. For two months, Ildar could not provide for his family, as he was under house arrest. All relatives are worried about Ildar and his wife and hope for a fair sentence.\n","date":"2022-07-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_9e45967add0ff377.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_3ae8f5713fc52018.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/urazbakhtin/photo_hu_4a5114f426aa0c9f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/urazbakhtin.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Ildar Urazbakhtin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, Yuriy Usanov planned to start a family with his bride Irina. However, the plans of the young couple collapsed overnight, as Yuri ended up in jail for believing in God. In September 2021, the believer registered his marriage right there. The administration of the pre-trial detention center gave the newlyweds 5 minutes to communicate after the registration of the marriage, after which Yuriy's wife, Irina, did not receive visits with her husband for about a year. In August 2023, the believer was released.\nYuri was born in August 1991 in the small village of Gorno-Chuisky, Irkutsk region. At the age of one, he moved with his parents to the city of Bratsk. Yuriy has two brothers and a sister. Parents, already retired, still work: his father is a foundry worker at an aluminum plant, and his mother is a therapist in a district clinic.\nAs a child, the boy was fond of floristry, robotics, playing the guitar. After school at a vocational lyceum, he received a specialty as an electrician and welder. For some time he worked in his specialty, and later participated in construction projects.\nAs in his childhood, Yuri loves to play the guitar, and he also enjoys skiing and traveling.\nIn the mid-1990s, Yuriy's mother began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. From an early age, the boy shared his mother's craving for the spiritual; according to his memoirs, even then he had faith in God. At a young age, he made the decision to embark on the Christian path.\nYuriy applied for the replacement of military service with an alternative civilian service on religious grounds, but was declared unfit for health reasons.\nYuri met his future wife Irina in the company of friends. She also, like him, is familiar with biblical truths from childhood. Irina works as a hairdresser, loves spending time with friends, traveling, skiing and skating.\nYuriy's relatives and friends were agitated by the criminal prosecution of a peaceful believer. Even acquaintances who did not share Yuriy's confessions began to ask questions: why are Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted in Russia, and how can they be extremists if they do not take up arms?\n","date":"2021-05-04","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/usanov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/usanov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/usanov/photo_hu_2127e5956ff53361.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/usanov/photo_hu_2127e5956ff53361.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/usanov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Usanov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Raisa Usanova is one of the elderly residents of Vladivostok, who were accused of extremism only because of their religion.\nRaisa was born in 1947 in the village of Kuznetsovo (Chita Region) in a large family—she had three brothers and a sister. After school, Raisa went to study in Vladivostok and subsequently stayed there to live. There she met her future husband, together they raised two daughters.\nBy profession, Raisa is a railway transport technician. For 25 years she worked as a trolley bus driver. Now she is retired.\nIn 2000, having lost her mother, brothers and sister, Raisa began to ask questions: why do people die and is there hope for the dead? In the Bible, she found an answer that seemed logical and convincing to her. However, Raisa did not expect that the study of the Bible would lead her to the dock.\nCriminal prosecution worsened elderly woman’s chronic diseases. But despite the unfair persecution for her faith, she tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_d051223895132bf9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_58973e2767f2a7c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_73438c537dd48a7e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/usanova/photo_hu_9bdeaeda28acc3b2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/usanova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Raisa Usanova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2022, Vladimir Usenko was accused of extremism merely because of his belief in Jehovah God. He has a class-three disability, and the criminal prosecution has had a negative impact on his health.\nVladimir was born in the city of Yoshkar-Ola in September 1955. He and his younger sister grew up in a family of engineers. Their parents are no longer alive.\nAs a child, Vladimir was fond of music and soccer. He studied at the Kazan Institute of Physical Education at the Department of Football and Hockey. At the age of 19, Vladimir interrupted his studies and began to play in the soccer teams of the cities of Yoshkar-Ola and Kazan.\nAfter the end of his soccer career, Vladimir returned to his hometown, where he got a job as a grinder at a factory and then as a boiler house operator at a thermal power plant. He is now retired and is still interested in music and soccer, but as a spectator.\nIn 1986 Vladimir married Nelly, a coworker at the plant. Now she is retired. The couple has two adult children—a son and a daughter.\nIn his youth, Vladimir was not a believer, but he was interested in the life of Jesus Christ. As he became acquainted with Jehovah's Witnesses, he learned that Bible prophecy is being fulfilled with accuracy. He was surprised by the logic of Bible teachings, and in 1997 he began his journey as a Christian.\nDuring the search, Vladimir's wife, who does not share his religious views, experienced severe stress. Vladimir's serious chronic illnesses were also aggravated due to the anxiety caused by the criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2023-01-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_4693034b7db2fad2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/usenko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_4ba9bf7822c766e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/usenko/photo_hu_907b058356c46bb8.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/usenko.html","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["elderly","disability"],"title":"Vladimir Usenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2021, searches were carried out in the homes of residents in Syktyvkar. Sergey Ushakhin, a group II disabled person who sufferes from insulin-dependent diabetes, was detained and later released under recognizance agreement. The criminal prosecution seriously affected the health of his wife Natalya, as well as his own. In August 2023, his condition deteriorated dramatically and he passed away.\nSergey was born in September 1961 in the urban-type settlement of Pinyug (Kirov region). The family moved to Syktyvkar when he was two years old and lived here all his life.\nIn his youth, Sergey was a weightlifter. After school, he received a secondary technical education. From 1980 to 1982 he served in the army. Sergey worked as a chauffeur, locksmith, turner, apparatus operator for the preparation of raw materials at the Syktyvkar timber industry complex.\nIn 1987, Sergey married Natalya. They raised two children—son Ruslan and daughter Tatyana. Together with his wife, Sergey began to study the Bible many years ago. They became Christians and instilled an interest in the spiritual things in their children. Natalya, Ruslan and Tatyana are outraged that the authorities accused a peaceful person of a serious crime.\n","date":"2021-04-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_fc7d57759af21ac6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_572d18bfaa8b5d49.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_95f071ff8a383f82.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ushakhin/photo_hu_4ed86ec702a4b35e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ushakhin.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":["died","disability","elderly"],"title":"Sergey Ushakhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ushakov grew up without a father. Faith in Jehovah God helped him fill this void in his life. But in 2022, the man was prosecuted for beliefs dear to his heart. Two years later, his wife, Irina, was also accused of extremism.\nVitaliy was born in July 1980 in the village of Khatukai (Adygea). He has a brother and sister. As a child, Vitaliy was fond of playing the button accordion.\nThe hardworking young man went to work right after school - at first he was engaged in interior decoration, roofing work, and more recently - car repair.\nVitaly\u0026#39;s mother was the first in the family to study the Bible. Her son liked the biblical promise that people would live happily in the future.\nAlready being one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, Vitaly defended a peace-loving Christian position and unwillingness to take up arms. Since there was no law on alternative civilian service at that time, he was threatened with criminal prosecution. As a result, he was released from the draft for health reasons.\nIn 2006, Vitaliy married Irina, who raised her son alone. A year later, they had another boy. Irina shares her husband\u0026#39;s views on life. She enjoys confectionery and gardening, and her youngest son plays the guitar.\nThe criminal prosecution of Vitaliy poses a threat to Irina\u0026#39;s poor health: she is registered at the cancer center. Despite the difficult circumstances, she maintains a positive attitude and feels good. Relatives and friends support the Ushakovs in every possible way. They do not understand why they are persecuting Vitaliy.\n","date":"2022-03-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ushakov/photo_hu_90268dfc59c2ae1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ushakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ushakov/photo_hu_2d840bd5e22c4bd3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ushakov/photo_hu_f9212fc9dc452043.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ushakov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vitaliy Ushakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Vaag is a peaceful family man from Perm who had to defend his good name in the courts along with 4 other believers. In May 2021, he was found guilty of participation in the activities of an extremist organization and the court sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation.\nYuriy was born in 1975 in the city of Lesosibirsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), where his parents were exiled because of their nationality during the Second World War. They were later rehabilitated. Yuriy has an elder sister.\nAs a child, Yuriy was fond of photography of landscapes and portraits, cycling and the construction of auto and aircraft models. After school, he mastered the specialty of a crane operator and took courses in electricians. He worked in his specialty, and also served buildings, first in Lesosibirsk, and then in Perm, where he moved.\nWhen Yuri served in the army, his own sister shared with him what she learned from the Bible. He was deeply touched by this wise book, and the fact that it changes people's lives for the better.\nIn 1996, Yuriy married Svetlana, with whom they raised a son and daughter in accordance with Christian commandments. The children already have their own families. The spouses love to spend time in nature, receive guests, go to the theater.\nSpeaking in court, Yuriy emphasized : \"We have never been extremists, because we learn from the Bible, and the Bible teaches truth, love and kindness... I have not done anything reprehensible either against God or against the people around me.\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vaag/photo_hu_3ef910052b57ce1d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vaag/photo_hu_93e09fbe8dabbf6e.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vaag/photo_hu_3cbf7682d7b1be8a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vaag/photo_hu_561eb0d14693c298.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vaag.html","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Vaag","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Rimma Mikhailovna Vashchenko was the oldest Russian woman, persecuted by the authorities only because of her faith in Jehovah God. In 2019, she was under investigation and on the official list of Rosfinmonitoring as an “extremist”. Unfortunately, the peaceful believer did not live to see rehabilitation: she died in January 2021 at the age of 90.\nRimma was born in 1930 in the village of Trushnikovo (Kazakhstan). Father worked as an accountant, mother as a cook. They raised three children together, but their father passed away early. Rimma's childhood came in the war years. The family lived very poorly, and when the eldest son went to the army, it became even more difficult.\nAfter the war, Rimma entered the Physics and Mathematics Faculty of the Semipalatinsk Pedagogical Institute. Throughout her working life, she has always worked as a Physics and Maths teacher, receiving numerous awards. Rimma got married and raised two children.\nHaving retired in 1985, Rimma Mikhailovna came to live in Nevinnomyssk, where in summer there is a lot of greenery and it is very warm. Living here, she began to think about how to understand the Bible better. As she studied this ancient book, she found the loving, just, and merciful God she had been looking for for so long. Rimma Mikhailovna has repeatedly said that she never regretted it.\nCriminal prosecution has become an ordeal for the elderly woman. Rimma Mikhailovna bitterly shared her feelings: “I somehow do not fully understand what is happening to me. Can you imagine that at my age I am an extremist? I have diplomas as a teacher of physics and mathematics, but I do not understand who are the extremists? \" Shortly before the believer was interrogated, doctors diagnosed her with a progressive brain disease.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_ccc8cfd35c8de305.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_692dab9f8fc98c7b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_17bb13c4d4191f77.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vashchenko/photo_hu_2962ff9f541968fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vashchenko.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Rimma Vashchenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning of April 11, 2020, in the city of Teikovo, Ivanovo region, searches were carried out in the apartments of four families of believers. Among the victims of criminal prosecution was 50-year-old Alexander Vasichkin.\nAlexander was born in 1969 in Bryansk. He has a younger sister. As a child, he was engaged in acrobatics, played hockey, loved to make models of ships and airplanes. Alexander's father died at the age of 52.\nAfter completing his military service, Alexander remained in the army with the rank of ensign. He graduated from a military technical school with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also has a welder's specialty. After studying at a technical school, Alexander was assigned to the military unit of the city of Teikovo. Recently he worked as a janitor. In his spare time, he is engaged in breeding bees, designing wind turbines, and in the summer he likes to go hiking with family and friends.\nAlexander met his future wife Natalia in Teikovo. They got married in December 1993.\nNatalia has always been convinced that the Bible is from God, so soon after the wedding, the couple began a deep study of this ancient book together. Alexander was deeply touched by the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the person God appears in the Bible.\nBecoming a Christian, Alexander retired from the army. This decision was not easy for him, because in the mid-90s it was difficult to find a new job. In addition, his wife was expecting a child.\nThe couple raised two children, a son and a daughter. Now they are adults. A family hobby is active tourism.\nWhen Alexander's daughter was 12 years old, the family faced a serious test: the girl was diagnosed with acute leukemia. At the moment, the disease is in remission.\nAlexander and his family went through a difficult time, but did not suspect that another test awaited them ahead - criminal prosecution for believing in God. Alexander's mother, who does not share his beliefs, is very worried about him and tries to encourage her son with the words: \"Sasha, well, you pray!\"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasichkin/photo_hu_f4f189a7e98b9df.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasichkin/photo_hu_eb1c3c7a7b51cb4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasichkin/photo_hu_165980b9d669cdb0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasichkin/photo_hu_fc3ea78048d7367.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasichkin.html","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vasichkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Programmer and musician Nikolay Vasiliyev was considered an extremist by Samara law enforcement officers only because of his faith in Jehovah God. They broke into his home with a search, threatened him with firearms and beat him, and then threw him behind bars.\nNikolay was born in 1984 in the village of Aisha (Tatarstan). He has an elder brother. Their mother works as a maid in a hotel. The father is no longer alive. From childhood, Nikolay was interested in computer technology. In high school, he took up playing the guitar and began to perform as part of a rock band. Nikolay received a gold medal for outstanding academic achievement.\nAfter graduating from Kazan Federal University, Nikolay worked as a programmer at a medical college, and after moving to Samara, as a system administrator in a beauty salon. Before his arrest, he worked as a self-employed, automating the work of the websites of beauty salons and private medical organizations.\nIn his free time, Nikolay still loves to play the guitar. Another passion in the field of music for him is DJing. Nikolay also likes to organize concerts, trips with friends to nature and other recreational activities.\nWhen Nikolay began to study the Bible, he learned from it that nature and people are the creations of God, and not the result of natural selection. This deeply affected him and prompted him to become a Christian in 2005.\nThe criminal prosecution deprived Nikolay of clients, and his reputation suffered. The believer\u0026#39;s mother is worried about what happened and does not understand why her son was sent to a penal colony for 7 years.\n","date":"2022-01-17","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasiliyevn/photo_hu_df5ab25a040f06f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasiliyevn/photo_hu_b64275118c1d4ee2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasiliyevn/photo_hu_1dfc9b79a0cd5983.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasiliyevn/photo_hu_7cedf4636d32d88c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasiliyevn.html","regions":["samara"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Nikolay Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vladimir Vasiliyev was accused in a criminal case on extremism in 2018, along with 6 other Jehovah's Witnesses from Kirov.\nVladimir was born in 1956 in Perm. As a child, he was fond of football, played for a local club. After school, he graduated from college as a plumber, and later - driver courses in several categories. In subsequent years, Vladimir worked in both specialties, and now he is retired.\nIn 1978, Vladimir married Nadezhda, who at that time worked as a seamstress-minder in an atelier. Soon the couple had a son, Yuri, and a few years later the family moved to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). Due to the unrest that began in 2000, the family had to return to Russia. This time they settled in Nadezhda's hometown of Kirov.\nThe couple became interested in the Bible in the early 1990s. Vladimir was impressed to discover the world of biblical archeology. He was struck by the accuracy with which archaeological finds and history corroborated the biblical accounts.\nVladimir and Nadezhda have preserved their love for this ancient book to this day. In it, they draw strength and consolation when faced with unfair criminal prosecution. Because of the criminal case, Vladimir lost his job, as he was forced to quit - the stress experienced affected his health. The spouses, however, try not to lose optimism.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_bcf8293b0596a1ad.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_cd3c35638bfce7c3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilyev/photo_hu_fbb34b4a9ac16897.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilyev.html","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Vladimir Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2021, a criminal case was opened against Sergey Vasiliyev, a pensioner who participated in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline, only because of his belief in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in Irkutsk in May 1951 into a family of musical theater artists. In 1955, they gave their son to be raised by their maternal grandparents. As a child, Sergey had many hobbies: fishing, hiking, collecting wild useful plants, cycling, as well as chess, skating, skiing, tennis, judo.\nImmediately after school, Sergey got a job at a reinforced concrete products plant as a reinforcement worker. Upon his return from the army, where he served as a tanker, he acquired many professions: a car mechanic, a driver, an electrician, a slinger, a commodity expert of fur raw materials. He has certificates and gratitude. For the last 23 years he worked in an Irkutsk pharmacy, and in 2018 he retired.\nSergey began to study the Bible in 1993. About this time he said: “I have been looking for the meaning of life for a long time. When young and healthy, there is neither experience nor skills in work. Acquired both that, and another—there are neither forces, nor health. Nonsense. With Bible study, everything fell into place.” Having found answers to his questions, in 2002 Sergey embarked on the Christian path.\nSergey's hobbies include cycling, boating, fishing, hiking in the forest. Having lived in different regions of Russia, as well as in Latvia, Ukraine, Egypt and Thailand, he returned to his historical homeland.\nNone of Sergey's close relatives survived. He was married twice. The first wife died in 2008, the second did not become in 2020. Friends support the believer and consider criminal prosecution unfair.\n","date":"2022-03-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_e3e792bfd682c76e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_2eac69be48c12f70.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vasilyevs/photo_hu_7fdcd09d67f0be38.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vasilyevs.html","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Vasiliyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, 2019, mass searches and detentions of civilians on the basis of religion took place in the Nizhny Novgorod region. At least 11 people were detained. Two believers were thrown into jail for talking about religious topics, which law enforcement agencies interpret as extremism. What do we know about one of them, Alexander Vavilov?\nAlexander was born in 1967 in the city of Kropotkin (Krasnodar Territory). When he was two years old, his family moved to live in Kamchatka. His father worked as a carpenter. Alexander grew up as a versatile child: he painted portraits, was actively involved in sports - running, swimming, skiing. He also liked hairdressing.\nAfter serving in the army, he entered the Khabarovsk State Institute of Physical Culture in the direction of \"boxing\". In the last year, I realized that I did not want to connect my life with such a dangerous sport, and began to attend hairdressing courses. Then he worked in this profession. Customers appreciated him very much for his responsible attitude towards them and practical advice.\nIn 1994, Alexander married Elena and adopted her two children. Even before the wedding, the couple began to be interested in Christian teachings and jointly search the Bible for answers to questions. For many years, they have been putting into practice what they have learned from this book. They are convinced that this has made their family stronger and more united.\nIn 2015, the family moved to Pavlovo. Alexander and Elena like to spend their free time together, go to the forest, pick mushrooms and berries. They have many friends in different cities.\nAlthough the mother and relatives do not share Alexander's religious choice, they have peace and harmony in their relationship. All relatives are perplexed because of the unfair persecution of an honest person.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vavilov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vavilov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vavilov/photo_hu_f872e5c6ec6883b7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vavilov/photo_hu_f872e5c6ec6883b7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vavilov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vavilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The father of many children, Valeriy Vechkayev, a musician and builder-finisher, found out that he was suspected of extremism only because of his faith, when his house was searched in his absence.\nValeriy was born in October 1973 in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, where he lived most of his life. He has a maternal half-brother.\nValeriy was a versatile child: he played handball, participated in amateur performances, went to a theater group. From childhood he loved music: he graduated with honors from a music school in the bayan class, sang and played the bass guitar and drums in a vocal and instrumental ensemble.\nAfter school, Valeriy continued his education at the Krasnodar Institute of Culture at the faculty of the scenic folk ensemble, and then museum studies. Valeriy worked for some time as a security guard, later as an accordion player in the regional house of culture, collaborating with choreographers of children's folk dance, wrote phonograms for children's concerts. Having mastered construction skills, he has been working in the field of interior finishing for the last twenty years.\nIn the 1990s, Valeriy discovered the Bible for himself. He was impressed by the fulfilled prophecies in this book. He also liked that the Jehovah's Witnesses he met lived up to high moral standards. In 1999, Valery decided to take the Christian path.\nValeriy met Irina in 1994, and 2 years later they got married. His wife shares his hobbies—in her youth, Irina played percussion instruments in a vocal and instrumental ensemble. She also loves to knit. Irina works at the hospital reception.\nThe couple have two adult sons and a teenage daughter, all of them creative natures. The eldest son works as a hairdresser in a barbershop, the youngest studies at an art school, paints. My daughter is fond of design and tailoring, studies at an art school, and also attends a journalism club.\nValeriy and Irina love to spend time with children: the whole family goes to the sea, walks in the picturesque places of Krasnodar, and goes skating. Irina shares her husband's religious views and his attitude to family values. “We instilled high moral standards in all children so that they would become worthy members of society,” the couple say.\nIn his free time, Valeryi is still engaged in music, plays the button accordion, guitar and piano. He also maintains his health: every morning he does breathing exercises and physical exercises, he likes to play table tennis.\nThe criminal prosecution has changed the usual life of the family. Valeriy says: “The wife feels tense. Frequent calls to court and to the investigator affect the work schedule.” The believer himself tries to remain calm, but worries about relatives and fellow believers who, like him, face persecution because of their faith. Relatives of the Vechkaevs are perplexed why their relatives—calm and peaceful people—are being persecuted.\n","date":"2022-03-30","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vechkayev/photo_hu_4b23a19bee1861b2.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vechkayev/photo_hu_801cd7ce6deefbd0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vechkayev/photo_hu_6a7821cc18b6945a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vechkayev/photo_hu_14860e2db389e7ba.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vechkayev.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Vechkayev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In February 2023, a second wave of searches took place in the homes of local Jehovah's Witnesses in Saransk. As a result, Artem Velichko ended up in the detention center only because of his faith.\nArtem was born in June 1990 in the town of Mikhaylovka, Volgograd Region. Shortly after his birth, his mother began to study the Bible and immediately began to instill a love for Bible principles in Artem, and later in his younger brother. Watching his mother, Artem saw how much joy the Christian way of life brings to her. Therefore, already at a young age, he also decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. A few years later, Artem's father left the family. To help his mother, the young man began to work while he was studying: he decorated and renovated apartments.\nIn recent years, Artem lived in Saransk. There he met Olga, who had moved to Mordovia from Ukraine. In 2020, they got married. To provide for his family, Artem readily took on any job. He worked as a janitor, roofer, decorator, and also learned how to repair household appliances.\nPeople who know Artem, speak of him as a good specialist and an honest, decent person, who is always ready to help. He learned sign language by himself to help deaf people. The criminal prosecution causes bewilderment and concern among his relatives and friends.\n","date":"2023-03-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/velichko/photo_hu_e4a7e03105379247.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/velichko/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/velichko/photo_hu_b9c837641863d288.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/velichko/photo_hu_23a585a4f6772202.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/velichko.html","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"Artem Velichko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the spring of 2021, a peaceful resident of Sochi, Tatyana Velizhanina, faced criminal prosecution for her faith. She was arrested and thrown into jail for talking about God. Health problems were added to the emotional shock — the believer underwent covid in the pre-trial detention center.\nTatyana was born in November 1972 in Tyumen. She has a brother. As a creative person, Tatyana from childhood participated in amateur performances, performed in an ensemble, and studied ballet.\nAfter school, Tatyana graduated from specialized school, where she received the specialty of a seller of industrial goods, and then studied to be an accountant at a technical school. She graduated from both educational institutions with honors. For family reasons, Tatyana moved to the city of Megion (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area), and then to Sochi. Later she was an entrepreneur, worked as a maid, and recently, before her arrest, she drove a taxi.\nFor a long time, Tatyana asked questions about the meaning of life, looking for answers to them. She found them by studying the Bible. In 2004, her mother embarked on the Christian path, Tatiana followed her example and became a Christian in 2011.\nTatyana has an adult daughter who regularly comes to court hearings to support her mother. She, like Tatyana's father, does not share the religious beliefs of her mother, but does not understand the reasons for the persecution of a peaceful woman.\n","date":"2022-01-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/velizhanina/photo_hu_82a81360067d8937.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/velizhanina/photo_hu_a787804d0f373a2c.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/velizhanina/photo_hu_acb665d9cc4755df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/velizhanina/photo_hu_93c23755a703faf0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/velizhanina.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Tatyana Velizhanina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"April 20, 2020, a criminal case was initiated against 22-year-old Alexander Vergunov and five other residents of Khakassia, based on charges of extremism. The charges were related to the young man's religious beliefs.\nAlexander was born in Abakan in 1997. At that time his mother had been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for over 6 years. Alexander has a younger brother.\nIn his school years, Alexander was fond of web design, hockey. In 2018 he graduated from college and became an information systems technician. In his leisure time he is engaged in web development and swimming.\nFrom a young age Alexander's mother inculcated Christian values in him. Growing up, he saw for himself the validity of the Bible.\nAt the time of initiation of the criminal case Alexander was doing alternative civil service in the medical center for newborns. The draft board took into account Alexander's firm convictions, which did not allow him to take up arms. Against this background, the accusation of a believer in extremism looks absurd. The criminal prosecution came as a surprise to Alexander's family and friends.\n","date":"2020-06-29","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_male.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_male_hu_f7ee63da6ace879b.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vergunov.html","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vergunov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Verhoturov is one of the believers who became accused under an \"extremist\" article after mass searches in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. On March 5, 2021, the court found him guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and sentenced the believer to 6 years of probation with a probationary period of 4 years only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1974 in Baikalsk (Irkutsk region) and became the second child in a family where a 2-year-old daughter was already growing. The children were brought up in an atmosphere of love, their parents tried to give them a good education. Sergey loved sports, was engaged in the boxing section.\nImmediately after school, the young man got a job and entered the correspondence department at the Bratsk State Technical University, where he graduated with a degree of an electrical engineer. He worked in the profession for 10 years. Then, having received a second higher education, Sergey got a job as a legal advisor at one of the industrial enterprises of the Irkutsk region. After moving to Nizhny Novgorod, he mastered several more professions, recently he worked as a master finisher in the construction industry.\nThe truths from the Bible touched Sergey as a child, when he heard them from a peer. However, in his youth, he saw the meaning of life in making money and spending it on entertainment. In the 90s, Sergey, like many people around him, became Orthodox. “At that moment I was ready to beat all sectarians, that is, all believers, but not Orthodox,” he says. Years later, a fundamental change in the lifestyle of a colleague and friend who began studying the Bible prompted him to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Sergey thought: \"Who is more like a true Christian - he or me?\" He began to study the Bible and was amazed at the logic, simplicity, and beauty of the Bible's teachings.\nIn 2001, Sergey married Viktoria. After a while, the couple decided to move from Eastern Siberia to Nizhny Novgorod.\nSergey’s relatives do not share his beliefs, but all members of this large family are very worried about him. They are shocked that this \"very good person\", as they say, faced persecution just because of his faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/verhoturov/photo_hu_57b3784725fc8d45.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/verhoturov/photo_hu_662162d1545189c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/verhoturov/photo_hu_73eeab0d4f50b97.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/verhoturov/photo_hu_75172ac92030ff2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/verhoturov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Verhoturov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Sergey Verhoturov is one of the believers who became accused under an \"extremist\" article after mass searches in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. On March 5, 2021, the court found him guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and sentenced the believer to 6 years of probation with a probationary period of 4 years only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1974 in Baikalsk (Irkutsk region) and became the second child in a family where a 2-year-old daughter was already growing. The children were brought up in an atmosphere of love, their parents tried to give them a good education. Sergey loved sports, was engaged in the boxing section.\nImmediately after school, the young man got a job and entered the correspondence department at the Bratsk State Technical University, where he graduated with a degree of an electrical engineer. He worked in the profession for 10 years. Then, having received a second higher education, Sergey got a job as a legal advisor at one of the industrial enterprises of the Irkutsk region. After moving to Nizhny Novgorod, he mastered several more professions, recently he worked as a master finisher in the construction industry.\nThe truths from the Bible touched Sergey as a child, when he heard them from a peer. However, in his youth, he saw the meaning of life in making money and spending it on entertainment. In the 90s, Sergey, like many people around him, became Orthodox. “At that moment I was ready to beat all sectarians, that is, all believers, but not Orthodox,” he says. Years later, a fundamental change in the lifestyle of a colleague and friend who began studying the Bible prompted him to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Sergey thought: \"Who is more like a true Christian - he or me?\" He began to study the Bible and was amazed at the logic, simplicity, and beauty of the Bible's teachings.\nIn 2001, Sergey married Viktoria. After a while, the couple decided to move from Eastern Siberia to Nizhny Novgorod.\nSergey’s relatives do not share his beliefs, but all members of this large family are very worried about him. They are shocked that this \"very good person\", as they say, faced persecution just because of his faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/verhoturov2/photo_hu_57b3784725fc8d45.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/verhoturov2/photo_hu_662162d1545189c4.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/verhoturov2/photo_hu_73eeab0d4f50b97.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/verhoturov2/photo_hu_75172ac92030ff2a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/verhoturov2.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Verhoturov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Viktoriya Verhoturova and her husband Sergey did not even suspect that because of their faith in God, law enforcement agencies would consider them \"dangerous criminals.\" For a long time phones had been tapped in the family and hidden video had been filmed. During the search, the operatives intimidated Viktoriya because of her refusal to help the investigation.\nVictoria was born in 1976 in Uzbekistan. She is the youngest of three daughters. As a child, Victoria was a very energetic child, she was fond of puppet theater, sports, loved to go to the mountains. After school, Victoria learned to be a nurse and to this day she works in her specialty. In his free time, he is actively involved in sports, loves to swim.\nFrom the very childhood, Viktoriya could not accept the fact that life is so fleeting. The very thought of death frightened her and seemed unnatural. As an adult, she saw an illustration of paradise and read the biblical assurance that there would be no more death. Viktoriya realized that this was exactly what she had been looking for for so long. Studying the Bible, she became convinced that this was the word of God, and this book could be trusted. This prompted the woman to become a Christian.\nIn 2001, Viktoriya married Sergey, who shared her Christian views. Now they live in Nizhny Novgorod. The spouses love to chat with friends, receive guests and walk together in the park.\nViktoriya and her husband experienced severe stress in connection with the criminal prosecution. Due to the preventive measure chosen by the court, the spouses cannot fully communicate with family and friends, and this has always served as a great support for them. Viktoriya’s parents and her elder sisters are very worried about the situation.\n","date":"2021-02-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/verhoturova/photo_hu_9c2d69712c3ada85.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/verhoturova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/verhoturova/photo_hu_6a9a1a20a674a233.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/verhoturova/photo_hu_62355786dc74212.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/verhoturova.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Viktoriya Verhoturova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 9, 2020, a wave of searches took place in Vladivostok. One of the victims of law enforcement became Roman Verigin.\nHe was born in 1991 in Kamenka village (Primorye Region). He grew up in a large family with three younger sisters. In 1996, the family moved to Vladivostok. Since childhood Roman is fond of reading and playing volleyball. He graduated with honours from college with a specialization in construction and operation of buildings and structures. Now Roman works as a locksmith.\nAt a young age, he was interested in the issues of origin and meaning of life. The young man found convincing answers in the Bible. \"Studying the laws of nature, I became convinced of the existence of a reasonable Creator,\" shares Roman. Christian conviction prompted him in 2010 to seek through the court to replace military service with alternative civilian service.\nIn 2016, Roman met his future wife, Violetta, an English teacher. In her spare time, she likes to do sports and travel around Russia.\nReligious persecution has resulted in financial difficulties for the family: their bank accounts are blocked, their freedom of movement is restricted due to a recognizance agreement, and the believer has to often leave work due to investigative actions. Parents support haen couple and worry about their criminal prosecution.\n","date":"2020-08-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/verigin/photo_hu_fe8a7af848f138df.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/verigin/photo_hu_f44c5ff0c3e7a513.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/verigin/photo_hu_c1421a3e9623014d.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/verigin/photo_hu_118012b1b8b1fb64.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/verigin.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Roman Verigin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2020, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of peaceful believers in Vladivostok. Among the victims was Violetta Verigina.\nVioletta was born in Syktyvkar in 1985. Her father was a military man, her mother worked in a diagnostic center. As a child, she was fond of gymnastics, aerobics, dancing and studied English. After school, she graduated from the Komi State Pedagogical Institute as a teacher of English and French. She also received an additional specialty \"translator in the field of professional communication\".\nFor some time she worked as an administrator in a hotel, and then - and until now - as an English teacher. Violetta still enjoys playing sports. She also loves to travel around Russia, visit theaters, watch movies and listen to pop music.\nAs a child, Violetta began to realize her need for spiritual development, and with the help of her grandmother, she was able to satisfy it, finding answers to her questions in the Bible. In 2016, Violetta met Roman, a man who shares her life values and spiritual interests. They got married and settled in Vladivostok.\nUnjustified criminal prosecution and the associated stress caused Violetta's health to deteriorate. The Verigins also suffered financially: their bank accounts are blocked, the spouses constantly have to leave work in connection with the trial.\nVioletta's parents, who do not share her religious beliefs, are outraged by the persecution of their daughter and deny her involvement in extremist activities.\n","date":"2020-08-07","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/verigina/photo_hu_bffc4a1d31cbc1f5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/verigina/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/verigina/photo_hu_18684bb0638c88d2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/verigina/photo_hu_70d558e6204718a7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/verigina.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Violetta Verigina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\u0026quot;When I began to study his laws, I stopped doing what God condemns—I quit smoking, abusing alcohol, using foul language and leading a riotous lifestyle,\u0026quot; Mikhail Veselov said when he was in the court for his faith. Nevertheless, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\nMikhail was born in 1968 in Komsomolsk (Ivanovo region). He has a younger brother. As a child, Mikhail was fond of radio electronics, basketball, and fishing. After school, he graduated from university as an engineer. Worked by profession, and before the persecution in the field of construction. In his free time, he likes fishing and gardening.\nIn 1995, Mikhail married Olga. A month after the wedding, the newlyweds were interested in biblical teachings, which they were told about by a relative. The young man was impressed by the consistency of Scripture with science, and his wife had never doubted the existence of God before. In 1996, the couple embarked on the Christian path. For some time, the family lived in Lugansk, and they moved to Voronezh in 2014.\nOlga is a housewife, taking care of her elderly mother. She is fond of learning French. The Veselovs have an adult daughter, Yuliya. Her parents instilled in her a love for the Bible from birth, and she still draws guidance from it to this day. Julia is fond of volleyball, cooking, and writing poems.\n\u0026quot;Now there is no sense of security that has always been when my husband was here,\u0026quot; Olga said after her husband was arrested. All concerns about the family\u0026#39;s material needs, including payment for rented housing, lay on Mikhail\u0026#39;s shoulders.\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/veselov/photo_hu_65b211ba3817ef8c.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/veselov/photo_hu_9d7e7700356b21a0.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/veselov/photo_hu_96c301371526453e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/veselov/photo_hu_d377d7806f947392.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/veselov.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Mikhail Veselov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the spring of 2019, the joyful time of Maksim Vigul's preparations for the wedding was overshadowed by an unexpected invasion of the security forces into a number of houses of his friends and fellow believers. After 2 years, a criminal case was opened against the young head of the family only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nMaksim was born in November 1990 in Sharypovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory). The parents divorced, and the mother raised three sons alone, provided for the family by working as a nurse.\nDuring his school years, Maksim was engaged in acrobatics, drawing and applied arts. In his spare time he played board games, read books and went hiking.\nMaksim began distance learning at the Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, but after a while he interrupted it due to family circumstances.\nThe first job was the Sharypov city newspaper, where Maksim was an advertising manager. After that he worked as a janitor and system administrator in a psycho-neurological boarding school. For the past few years, he has been working as an Internet network installer\nMaksim was introduced to the Bible by his mother, who began to study this book back in the 1980s. He recalls: “Faith was built gradually, brick by brick. There are several particularly memorable aspects. For example, evidence for the authenticity of the biblical story of the Flood, and a wealth of archaeological evidence for the authenticity of the Bible. The existence of the Creator was convinced by the amazing complexity of the structure of the cell and the DNA code, which simply could not appear on their own. As a result, Maksim decided to take the Christian path.\nIn 2018, Maksim met Yuliya, a cutter by profession. From a young age, she appreciates Christian norms. In May 2019, young people got married.\nNow Maksim, like in childhood, loves to read and play board games, and Yuliya is fond of photography. Together they often go to nature, play volleyball, table tennis with friends, and go skiing and skating.\nThe criminal prosecution affected the whole family: Yuliya sometimes wakes up at night or early in the morning waiting for the next search, Maksim's mother is also anxious. His father, although he does not share his son's religious views, was outraged to learn that Maksim was being persecuted for his faith. Colleagues and superiors are perplexed as to why this peaceful and hardworking person deserved such an attitude from the authorities.\n","date":"2022-02-24","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vigul/photo_hu_fc79eaae49faa07a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vigul/photo_hu_67aa7d2e239dd26.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vigul/photo_hu_48bd0fa97c894c5f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vigul/photo_hu_5783b026045ad0cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vigul.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Vigul","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"\"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... are thrown behind bars on suspicion that ... they read the commandments of the Bible and prayed to God\" - these are the words that start an open collective letter to the Head and all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The authors of this letter are wives of Russian believers persecuted for their faith. Unfortunately, this step did not stop the criminal prosecution. Anatoliy Vilitkevich is one of those who found himself in the status of the defendant under the \"extremist\" article.\nAnatoliy was born in 1986 in Khabarovsk. He has an older sister. Parents developed respect for the Creator in their children. The boy was affected by the Creator's promise about the time when people and animals would live in peace with each other. Therefore, at a young age, he decided to become a Christian.\nSince childhood Anatoliy likes sports games: table tennis, basketball and volleyball. After school he entered a construction technical school, but after 2 years he had to quit his studies: his vision began to deteriorate because of working with drawings. Nevertheless, the man works in construction: he performs finishing works.\nIn 2008, Anatoliy married Alyona, a girl who shares his Christian values. She got acquainted with the Bible as a teenager, and at the age of 20 she consciously became a Christian. Alyona realized that only the moral norms of God bring true happiness. She was also affected by the fact that prophecies written in the Bible are fulfilled before her eyes.\nIn 2010, a young family moved to Ufa - the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The spouses love to go hiking with tents and enjoy the nature of Bashkiria.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vilitkevich/photo_hu_9731013a15b6a15d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vilitkevich/photo_hu_607ca9dfdf02be14.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vilitkevich/photo_hu_1e1e9767a65c0be8.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vilitkevich/photo_hu_34ba38edb2f28e7d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vilitkevich.html","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On January 20, 2020, a criminal case was opened against Dmitry Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk. The reason for this was his religion.\nDmitry was born in 1963 in Chelyabinsk. His father went through the war, later worked as an accumulator in a railway depot, and his mother was the head of a savings bank. He has an older brother.\nFor some time after the divorce of his parents, Dmitry lived with his mother in the village of Kargapole (Kurgan region). He studied first in Chelyabinsk, then in Moscow. Later he returned to his hometown.\nDmitry grew up as an active child - he was engaged in skiing, wrestling. He liked to read a lot. His passion for chess later grew into a profession: in 1985 he graduated from the chess department of the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Physical Education and since then has worked as a coach, and later as a senior coach at the children's and youth school of the Olympic reserve.\nIn 1997 he became a highly qualified coach and worked as a director of a chess club. Dmitry is a FIDE (International Chess Federation) chess master, winner of all-Union and international tournaments.\nDmitry holds a degree in management from the Open University of Great Britain. He worked in a large retail chain, was a member of the Board of Directors.\nRecently, Dmitry taught at a private chess school. His students have repeatedly won various competitions.\nDmitry met his future wife Zhanargul in Orsk (Orenburg region). In 1990 they got married.\nThe family has four children. Dmitry's older children received higher and secondary technical education. The younger ones are happy to study at a music school along with a general education school.\nSeriously interested in the Bible, Dmitry began to study it deeply and in 2014 became a Christian. In the Holy Scriptures, Dmitry found the answer to the question: why reasonable people destroy the planet, harm others, including their children, and also learned what the future holds for humanity.\nAs a result of the searches that took place at Dmitry's workplace, he lost his chess file, on which he worked for many years, as well as some students who stopped attending his section. In addition, Dmitry's eyesight has dropped significantly, although he had never used glasses before.\nEvery time the doorbell rings, Dmitry involuntarily asks the question: \"Are the machine gunners going to rummage through [the belongings] of my schoolgirl daughters again?\" Yet he tries to remain calm, and in this he is helped by the support of friends and relatives.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_52dfc5bd2dfe79a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_d79a241a73b6d87d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_a6dba40299860618.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vinogradov/photo_hu_a2e64a53979f60b9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vinogradov.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Dmitriy Vinogradov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"One of the May days of 2019 began for 63-year-old (at that time) Valentina Vladimirova with a search and detention. The pensioner was interrogated for about 14 hours, which increased her blood pressure. She became so ill that she had to call an ambulance. This did not prevent law enforcement officers from sending Valentina to a temporary detention center, and later to a pre-trial detention center, where the believer spent six months.\nValentina was born in 1956 in the city of Demidov (Smolensk region). In her youth, she was fond of sports - she played volleyball, and also loved to sing and read. After school there, in Demidov, she graduated from the \u0026quot;Technical School of Industry Technologies\u0026quot; and received the specialty \u0026quot;hydraulic technician\u0026quot;. She worked in the technical departments of the Central Bank, Agroprombank and Rosselkhozbank in Smolensk, carried out audits of construction organizations.\nGod\u0026#39;s promises to restore paradise on earth, which Valentina learned from the Holy Scriptures, deeply touched her and prompted her to become a Christian.\nNow Valentina is on a well-deserved rest and lives in Smolensk. She has two adult children, a daughter and a son. Criminal prosecution, detention, house arrest — all this shattered the already poor health of the believer. Her chronic diseases worsened and hypertensive crises became more frequent.\n","date":"2021-06-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo_hu_c1824996f17ba562.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vladimirova/photo_hu_c1824996f17ba562.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vladimirova.html","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Valentina Vladimirova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov is a civilian resident of Prokopievsk, whom the court sentenced to 7 years in colony only because of his faith, despite his serious illness.\nAndrey was born in 1968 in Prokopyevsk. As a child, he was fond of car and aircraft modeling, drawing, went to a radio circle, played in a brass band on the clarinet, saxophone and viola.\nAndrey has been limping since childhood, as long as he can remember. With age, his illness worsened. Back in the 1990s, he could ski and bike. Andrey became disabled at an older age, when it became difficult to work due to deforming arthrosis of the hip joints.\nAndrey studied at the Siberian Metallurgical Institute in Novokuznetsk as a mechanical engineer of metal forming. Later, he received an additional specialty \u0026quot;computer operator\u0026quot;. He worked as a loader, sorter of wood, watchman, recently, before criminal prosecution, he had a photo studio, which had to be closed.\nFor about 30 years, Andrey has been living in harmony with the biblical principles that his younger brother introduced him to. Andrey was especially impressed by the fact that the biblical prophecy of Daniel, expressed about 2500 years ago, is being fulfilled before his eyes.\nIn 2003, Andrey married Nataliya. Together they raised her son from her first marriage. Nataliya works as a hairdresser, is fond of needlework, loves to cook. Andrey also likes to draw, knit, embroider in his spare time. Before the criminal prosecution, the couple traveled with pleasure. They also like to meet friends and sing songs together with guitar and accordion.\nThe persecution radically changed the life of the Vlasovs. Due to house arrest, Andrey was deprived of the opportunity to communicate with others and provide for his family. All worries about material needs fell on the shoulders of Nataliya. The stress seriously affected the health of Andrey, who has a II disability group.\nAndrey\u0026#39;s parents did not live to see such a dramatic turn in his life. The adult son of Andrey and Nataliya, their relatives, friends and neighbors cannot understand what the Vlasovs family has to do with extremism.\nIn his final statement, Andrey said: \u0026quot;What does the prosecution expect from me? For me to renounce my faith? So, it was faith in Jehovah that helped me to reform and become a worthy citizen of Russia. I am grateful to God that he helps strengthen our marriage and improve our lives. Thanks to Jehovah, I found real meaning in life and confidence in a wonderful future. A close relationship with Jehovah God is the most valuable thing I have. And I value my friendship with him, no matter what I am accused of in vain.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2020-07-21","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vlasov/photo_hu_c00cb525d2f424d4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vlasov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vlasov/photo_hu_5730d60dce05f3a3.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vlasov/photo_hu_a39208d82e24bed2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vlasov.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["disability","health-risk"],"title":"Andrey Vlasov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 7, 2018, in Belgorod, law enforcement agencies conducted searches in the homes of at least 17 civilians, dozens of people were detained and interrogated. Several criminal cases were initiated, including against Sergey Voikov. What is known about him?\nSergey Voikov was born in Yakutsk. As a child, he was actively engaged in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, won prizes at all-Union tournaments, was a repeated champion of Yakutsk. However, due to illness, he was forced to leave the sport. At the age of 16, he fell under a bad influence, spent some time in prison on charges of theft.\nIn the meantime, his family became acquainted with the Bible, and he found in it convincing answers to his questions about the meaning of life. His newfound faith helped Sergey break with the underworld and become an honest member of society. In 2001, Sergey was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey has two specialties: a car mechanic and a welder. Since 1994 he has been living in Belgorod. In 2011, Sergey married Natalia. He still enjoys sports, especially volleyball, which he regularly plays with friends.\nCriminal prosecution for faith causes extreme bewilderment among everyone who knows Sergey. Even Sergey and Natalia's relatives, who do not share their religious views, now defend them in front of acquaintances, and Sergey's grandmother began to pray to Jehovah, asking him to restore justice.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voikov/photo_hu_fcd66b724937b9ca.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voikov/photo_hu_f1fd93ccf5bf63d6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voikov/photo_hu_c7cd8ee6ccbb3c1d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voikov.html","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Voykov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2022, law enforcement officers broke into the house of pensioner Nikolay Voishchev. His house was searched; he was sent to a detention center and later sentenced to imprisonment for practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. As a result, the believer spent more than 900 days behind bars: a little less than a year in a pre-trial detention center, and the rest of the time in a penal colony. In April 2025, he was released, having served his sentence in full. Less than a year later, he died.\nNikolay was born in September 1955 in the city of Kandalaksha, Murmansk region. Soon after his birth, the family moved to Bratsk. Nikolay had a brother and an adult son who live far away.\nNikolay was introduced to the Bible by his parents. For some time, he lived with them in Belarus. There, the young man graduated from a technical school, becoming a specialist in gas equipment.\nHaving met his future wife Tatyana, in 1980 Nikolay moved to her place of residence, to Maykop (Adygea), where they soon got married. In 1986, the couple had a son. Nikolay worked as a watch repairman. When Tatyana fell seriously ill in 1995, he cared for her for many years. After her death in 2014, the man stayed in Maykop and worked as a plumber until his arrest.\nNikolay loved nature, traveling, and people. He was always ready to help solve difficult issues or some everyday problems. Nikolay\u0026#39;s acquaintances remember him as a kind, modest, and cheerful person.\nImprisonment for his faith was a difficult test for Nikolay. Speaking in court with the final plea, he said: \u0026quot;The first few weeks of my arrest were a stressful situation for me—there were panic attacks. There was not enough air, I was suffocating; The closed space pressed on me from all sides. Then I would lie down on my bed, close my eyes, and begin to pray. Gradually, my heart calmed down.\u0026quot; According to Voishchev, faith helped him cope with what was happening: \u0026quot;For me, Jehovah became a God of consolation, tranquility, and I saw an opportunity to look at my life circumstances positively.\u0026quot;\nIn the summer of 2025, Nikolay married Irina. In November, the man was diagnosed with a progressive brain disease. In February 2026, at the age of 70, the believer died. Until the last day, Irina was there, supporting her husband.\n","date":"2022-11-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_c08ab3d14f901876.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_88e8eefd46e510d9.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_fbf64270be04e402.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voishchev/photo_hu_1f7f3d498829adde.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voishchev.html","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["elderly","died"],"title":"Nikolay Voishchev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Surgut. This was followed by beatings and torture of at least 7 believers. Among others, the torture was reported by Sergei Volosnikov. What is known about him?\nSergey was born in 1977 in Magnitogorsk (Chelyabinsk region). The youngest of three children in the family. As a child, he was actively fond of sports, attended football, hockey and judo sections. When Sergey was 10 years old, his family moved to Surgut, where he still lives. He works as a driver and enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends on weekends. For more than a dozen years he has been trying to adhere to the commandments of the Bible in his life.\nIn 2004, Sergey married Svetlana, who works as a clerk at the university. The couple are raising their son George, they love to spend time in nature.\nSergey tries not to spread even among close relatives about the criminal case and torture, sparing their feelings. But those who are aware of what is happening are worried and try to understand why civilians are subjected to such atrocities.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/volosnikov/photo_hu_6c4d26043f3def21.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/volosnikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/volosnikov/photo_hu_94817ce7c13228df.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/volosnikov/photo_hu_341c8bdacec011d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/volosnikov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Volosnikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Voronchikhin became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, when believers were repressed by the authorities. Today, after a short-lived freedom of religion, he again faces persecution.\nAleksandr was born in 1965 in the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region. As a child, he was fond of competitive orienteering. After finishing school, he served in the army, after which he graduated from an industrial technical school with a degree in steel production. After the deaths of his father and stepfather, Aleksandr invited his mother to live with him; she is now retired.\nAt various times, Aleksandr worked as an assistant steelworker, a boiler room mechanic and a communications electrician. Now he works as a cable-splicer of linear-cable lines. In his free time, he likes to watch soccer and to do crossword puzzles.\nAleksandr met his future wife, Galina, in 1982, and in 1985 they got married. The couple raised a daughter—Irina. She shares the religious beliefs of her parents. In 2008 the family moved to the city of Simferopol. Galina works as a nurse.\nAlong with his wife, Aleksandr became Jehovah's Witnesses in 1990. Aleksandr recalls that he always thought that everything surrounding him must have been created by someone. Thanks to knowledge from the Holy Scriptures, he found a reasonable and logical explanation for the emergence of all life on earth.\nThe Voronchikhins maintain a positive attitude. Aleksander and Galina's friends and relatives support them in every possible way.\n","date":"2023-01-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_45d0c7c8dbe12dac.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_51f8b0e0eb2dadb4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voronchikhin/photo_hu_284ddc2e3f6a32a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voronchikhin.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksandr Voronchikhin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"All his life Alexandr Vorontsov lived in Pechora (Komi Republic), where he was born in December 1984. By that time the family already had its eldest daughter Catherine, and a few more years later, Alexander had a younger sister, Lyubov, who was named after his mother.\nAlexandr recalls with warmth how as a child he closely communicated with children from faithful families: there were tea drinks, holidays and biblical quizzes. Later, when he was already in his 20s, he felt the love of the Christian brotherhood even more when he attended a large worship meeting. The biblical knowledge he had received, as well as the example of a believing mother, had good result and in 2012 Alexandr decided to devote his life to serving God.\nAlexandr is a third class carpenter. He also completed courses in accounting and computer skills. Lately he has been working in the field of keeping clean and order, but he is very interested in computers.\nIn 2016, Alexandr married Yelena, a lawyer by education. The spouses love to travel, ride bikes and ski.\nBecause of criminal prosecution and religious discrimination, Alexandr and Yelena live in an atmosphere of discomfort and anxiety because of the unknown. Sleep disappears at times. In spite of everything, they are determined to remain faithful to God. His relatives, especially Alexandr's parents and sisters, are very worried about him.\n","date":"2020-12-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vorontsov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vorontsov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vorontsov/photo_hu_8ad6f8f0a922046a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vorontsov/photo_hu_8ad6f8f0a922046a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vorontsov.html","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vorontsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the fall of 2022, Natalya Voropaeva, a hairdresser from Krasnoyarsk, found herself involved in a criminal case for believing in God.\nNatalia was born in May 1971 in Krasnoyarsk, was the only child in the family. Her mother worked as a quality control master at a combine plant, her father was engaged in the repair of televisions. Over time, their marriage broke up. When the girl was 9 years old, her mother remarried. According to Natalia, due to the rude attitude of her father and stepfather, she grew up insecure and shy.\nMom took Natalia to the ballet studio for classical dance classes. The girl loved to draw and read a lot, was also fond of athletics, but because of shyness she left the sport. For the same reason, she could not enter the 10th grade - she was afraid of exams. At the age of 16, Natalia found her job: she graduated from the courses of universal hairdressers at the training and production plant. She has been working in this specialty all her life.\nSince childhood, Natalia has been asking questions: why is everything so beautiful in nature, and there is so much injustice and suffering in the world? What does a person live for? Why do people die? Growing up, she began to look for answers to these questions in different religions. In 1994, Nataliya met Jehovah's Witnesses. They showed her in the Bible that death was never God's plan and that paradise would be on earth. \"I then exclaimed: 'Here it is, the truth!'\" recalls Natalia. - Although the situation in the family remained the same, from that moment on, my attitude to life changed dramatically. Despair and hopelessness are gone, every day sparkled with bright colors,\" she said. In 1996, Nataliya decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses. After a while, her mother also began to study the Bible, but, unfortunately, the woman's life was tragically cut short.\nNatalia noted that thanks to Bible teaching, she gained self-confidence, and at the same time her creative abilities were revealed - she began to write poetry, graduated from art photography courses. Natalya loves to observe nature through the camera lens and give her friends her work. During the pandemic, she began to master the impasto technique in painting and restore furniture.\nIn 2018, Nataliya's house was searched for the first time, and later she was interrogated as a witness in the case of her co-religionist Andrey Stupnikov. After that, her health deteriorated.\nRelatives, friends and clients of the believer are perplexed by the criminal prosecution she has faced and consider it unfair. They do not understand why such a peaceful and calm woman, who loves to create and give beauty to others, is credited with criminal intent.\n","date":"2022-10-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/voropaeva/photo_hu_66e469a512a6eea7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/voropaeva/photo_hu_808dea986c70569b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/voropaeva/photo_hu_b727041e5ac72667.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/voropaeva/photo_hu_bdd50c348847e9d2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/voropaeva.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Natalya Voropaeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On June 3, 2021, the court sentenced Alexandr Vospitanyuk, the father of three young children, to 2 years of probation due to his faith in Jehovah God.\nAlexandr was born in November 1979 in the city of Margilan (Uzbekistan). He has 2 elder brothers. The parents are already retired. His father worked as a machine operator, and his mother was a doctor.\nAs a child, Alexandr was fond of karate-do and cycling. After school, he mastered the profession of an electric and gas welder. His labor activity is connected with metal welding and roofing works.\nWhile studying the Bible, Alexandr attended a major worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses with 2,000 believers, prompting him to devote more time to reading the Holy Scriptures. In 2002, 2 years after the family moved to the Kursk region, he embarked on the Christian path.\nAlexandr met his future wife Yulia in 2007 in Kursk. They got married 2 years later. The couple are raising three children: the eldest daughter graduated from the 1st grade, the middle son is preparing for school, and the youngest daughter was born a week before the verdict. In his free time, Alexandr likes to work in the garden at the dacha.\nSearches and interrogations affected the health of the spouses. All relatives are shocked that a large family father was convicted for believing in God.\n","date":"2021-06-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vospitanyuk/photo_hu_68a54c92b96550a1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vospitanyuk/photo_hu_22b772824360e22.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vospitanyuk/photo_hu_8693721f631f8802.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vospitanyuk/photo_hu_5a15c8dfddc9a8cf.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vospitanyuk.html","regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Vospitanyuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov, a builder from Izhevsk, to his surprise, found out in the winter of 2022 that he was accused of extremism. The believer was searched and placed under house arrest. The reason for the criminal prosecution was his love for the Bible and its prophecies.\nAleksandr was born in Izhevsk in November 1973. He has a younger brother, their mother is already retired. Both are far from religion.\nAs a child, Aleksandr was fond of checkers. After school, he decided to become a worker and entered a vocational school, where he received the profession of a modeler. He applies the acquired skills in construction. In his free time, Aleksandr loves to be in nature and spend time with his wife and friends.\nIn 2006, his wife helped him to embark on the Christian path, who was the first in the family to become interested in Bible teachings. Aleksandr was amazed by the prophecies written in the Holy Scriptures hundreds of years ago and being fulfilled before his eyes.\nCriminal prosecution and house arrest deprived the believer of the opportunity to take care of loved ones and communicate with friends. The Court of Appeal later replaced the suspended sentence with a real term. Relatives are at a loss and cannot understand why this decent man was thrown behind bars.\n","date":"2023-01-06","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/votyakov/photo_hu_ffcc395e6b189a54.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/votyakov/photo_hu_7e74f31e7551122a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/votyakov/photo_hu_2d487a33bb8f0ad1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/votyakov/photo_hu_9966983573be4e0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/votyakov.html","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandr Votyakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Due to criminal prosecution, a civilian resident of Novosibirsk, Vitaliy Popov, lost his job. After two years of investigation and trial, in May 2021, the court sentenced the believer to 3 years of probation. Two months later, the appellate court upheld the verdict.\nVitaliy was born in 1967 in Novosibirsk. He grew up in a large family. He had 2 sisters and 2 brothers, but a younger brother died when he was only a year old. Later, before reaching the age of 23, the elder brother and sister died tragically. There is only one younger sister, Svetlana.\nAs a child, Vitaliy loved to sing, was fond of football, hockey. In winter, he went skiing, took part in competitions and received categories.\nAfter leaving school, Vitaliy received the specialty of an electrician. Later, already in another educational institution, Vitaliy trained as a welder. He worked at the factory first as an electrician, then, after returning from the army, got a job as a galvanist and grinder at a machine-building enterprise. As in his childhood, in his free time Vitaliy loves to ski, play football and volleyball and sing.\nFor a long time, Vitaliy could not recover after the tragic death of his brother and sister. He asked questions: why do people die? what happens at death? He found the answers in the Bible. He was also attracted by the love, respect, and mutual assistance among Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn 2011, Vitaliy married Nataliya. She loves to knit, play sports and dance.\nAfter a call from law enforcement officers to Vitaliy's employer, the believer was forced to write a letter of resignation of his own free will. As Vitaliy was told, \"there is no place for an extremist in an educational institution.\" Relatives and friends of the spouses find the accusations ridiculous.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vpopov/photo_hu_9e41e17ebfd2cfb7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vpopov/photo_hu_6bd76e966f28f0d8.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vpopov/photo_hu_e72bfb4fa17f0aaf.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vpopov/photo_hu_70cbe5a2e7cd8c27.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vpopov.html","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Vitaliy Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2018, security forces, accompanied by riot police, using crowbars, broke into the apartment of Valeriya and her husband Sergey with television cameras. The young couple learned that a criminal case was opened against them for their faith. Both were detained, Sergey was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months, and Valeriya, after 2 days in an isolation ward, was placed under house arrest. After the investigation, the return of the case to the prosecutor and court proceedings in October 2020, Sergey and Valeriya were sentenced to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively, but on February 26, 2021, the Kostroma Regional Court reduced the terms to 3 and 2 years probation.\nValeriya was born in May 1993. When she was only 10 years old, her father died. Since childhood, she studied music, played the violin and studied vocals. As a teenager, she graduated from the courses of a stylist-make-up artist, and after school she studied at the college as a hairdresser. He loves stove, is fond of making interior items from concrete.\nMom raised her daughter on stories from the Bible, and Valeriya loved this wise book. “It helped me grow up to be a decent, responsible and honest person,” she says.\nIn 2015, Valeriya married Sergey and they settled in Kostroma. The criminal prosecution had a profound effect on the spouses' emotional and physical well-being. Valeriya notes: “For more than two years now we have been living under constant stress and anxiety. And all this is due to the unfair accusation of extremism. \"\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vraiman/photo_hu_c8c319b300eaebc5.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vraiman/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vraiman/photo_hu_c704e83eaf395273.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vraiman/photo_hu_bd70d6e6f3166822.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vraiman.html","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Valeriya Rayman","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In December 2021, during a raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Taganrog, the security forces aggressively broke into Valeriy Tibiy and his family. A peaceful believer, who had recently undergone heart surgery, was thrown to the floor. As he fell, he hit his head. Four months later, Valeriy found his name on the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, and in May 2022 he was detained and sent to jail.\nValeriy was born in 1977 in the village of Novopokrovka (Crimea). He has an elder sister and a twin brother. Their father is no longer alive, their mother is retired. During his school years, Valeriy liked to collect stamps and badges, play checkers, read books, and also go hiking with his class.\nValeriy graduated with honors from the college, where he mastered the profession of parquet flooring—a specialist in the artistic laying of flooring. After the army, Valeriy worked in the Crimean anti-hail service (service for protection from bad weather), and later as a driver and watchman on a farm.\nValeriy was a believer and prayed to God in difficult moments of his life. He even memorized the 90th Psalm. In 2003, Valeriy learned that God has a name. He began to study the Bible and a year later he decided to become a Christian and devote his life to the service of God. Valeriy says: “For me, the most important thing is to love, endure and forgive.”\nIn 2012, Valeriy met Kristina, and in the same year, 5 months later, they got married. The wife shares the religious views of Valeriy and supports him in everything. Kristina is a hairdresser. In her free time, she enjoys sewing, crocheting, and gifting her products to loved ones. Spouses like to receive guests and spend time with friends.\nAfter the operation, Valeriy began to apply for disability, but did not have time to do this due to criminal prosecution. Due to his health condition, he needs daily medication. Valeriy's family and friends are concerned that this peaceful man ended up behind bars only because of talking about the Bible and believing in Jehovah God.\n","date":"2022-05-26","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vtibiy/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vtibiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vtibiy/photo_hu_984728f65e831fff.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vtibiy/photo_hu_984728f65e831fff.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vtibiy.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Valeriy Tibiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov from Sochi ended up in jail after a mass raid on believers on October 10, 2019. Despite the absence of victims and real evidence of guilt in the criminal case, on December 18, 2020, the court sentenced Vyacheslav to imprisonment for 1 year and 10 months. Since the believer had already served this term in a pre-trial detention center, he was released on December 29, 2020. In general, he spent almost 1 year and 3 months in prison.\nVyacheslav was born in 1974, his hometown is Tomsk, where he was born and raised. Parents worked in a factory. Vyacheslav has an older sister Lyudmila. Since childhood, Vyacheslav was fond of drawing, graduated from art school, and when in the early 90s many people had computers, he began to master them with enthusiasm. He graduated from the Tomsk University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, later worked as a designer-architect. Extremely positively characterized by leadership at work.\nHe is fond of swimming, sailing, kayaking and snowboarding, loves to go to the forest and go to the mountains. Despite the fact that many of his peers were addicted to alcohol and involved in crime, Vyacheslav always tried to do what had a good effect on him.\nWith his future wife Yulia, Vyacheslav studied at the same school, and in 1998 they got married. Over time, children appeared in the family: the eldest daughter and two sons. In 2010, Vyacheslav moved his family to Sochi, where there was a more suitable climate.\nVyacheslav's wife Yulia was the first to become interested in the Bible. In it, she found answers to questions that had long worried her: who is God? Why so much injustice? Why do people die? Over time, Vyacheslav also decided to get acquainted with the Holy Scriptures. After his father's death, he drew comfort and support from the biblical hope of the resurrection of the dead.\nVyacheslav has a close-knit family, the eldest daughter helps her father work with design, the youngest son also likes to build houses, while toys. The whole family loves skiing and boat trips.\nVyacheslav is the only breadwinner in the family, so after his arrest the family was left without a livelihood. The children are shocked by what is happening, the wife has to take sedatives to cope with stress. The relatives of the family cannot understand how decent people can be persecuted simply because of their faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vyapopov/photo_hu_703e5361b3ff3275.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vyapopov/photo_hu_fa1bc7605865b209.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vyapopov/photo_hu_933fe5cd8b2f13a6.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vyapopov/photo_hu_1cba9dc220ce99e4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vyapopov.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Vyacheslav Popov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Valeriy Vyaznikov from Luchegorsk devoted most of his life to the hard work of mining. Now he is being persecuted by law enforcement agencies merely for his love for people and the Bible.\nValeriy was born in 1963 in the village of Sredny Urgal, Khabarovsk Territory. He grew up in a large family. His parents worked at a fur farm. As a child, Valeriy was fond of hockey, loved nature, and spent a lot of time in the forest and on the river. After he finished school, he went to work as a full-time hunter, and later he worked at the mine.\nIn 1990 Valeriy met his future wife, Marina, and later they moved to Luchegorsk. He worked at the Luchegorsk coal mine and then at the Primorskaya State District Power Plant.\nIn 1993 the couple began to study the Bible. They were interested in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy and the hope of a brighter future. In 1994 they became Christians. In 2000 the family moved to the village of Chegdomyn.\nThe Vyaznikovs have four children, two of whom are adults. In their free time, the family enjoys being in nature, picking mushrooms and berries and getting together with friends. Although Valeriy's relatives do not share his religious beliefs, they consider his persecution unjust.\n","date":"2023-02-23","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vyaznikov/photo_hu_6f9b2d5e49caf509.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vyaznikov/photo_hu_cdb0864f8725aea1.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vyaznikov/photo_hu_b6c2a4fab4eff18f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vyaznikov/photo_hu_8a363eb9ca823fa1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vyaznikov.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Vyaznikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Svetlana Vyrezkova from the town of Gryazi changed dramatically when representatives of the authorities knocked on her door early in the morning. After 6 hours of search and 13 hours in the Investigative Committee, the believer was detained and spent two days in the isolation ward. Later she was released on recognizance agreement. In fact, the woman is accused of believing in Jehovah God.\nSvetlana was born in 1971 in sunny Turkmenistan. Her happy, carefree childhood passed there. When the girl was 16 years old, the family moved to Siberia, to the city of Ust-Ilimsk. It was difficult for Svetlana to get used to the local harsh climate. After graduating from school, the girl went to study in Khabarovsk.\nSvetlana got married at the age of 19. She has been married for 31 years. Together with her husband, they raised two daughters. In 2005, the family left Siberia, moving to the city of Gryazi. Spouses love to receive guests, they have a lot of friends.\nFrom childhood, Svetlana's mother tried to give her daughter a religious upbringing, encouraging her to repeat the prayer \"Our Father\". But the girl only had even more questions, to which she could not find answers. In 1998, she met Jehovah's Witnesses, who helped her find answers in the Bible to questions that had troubled her since childhood. From that moment on, she firmly decided to live according to Christian principles. Svetlana's husband does not share her faith, but always shows great respect for her.\nOn November 16, 2020, there was a knock on the door: Svetlana's husband immediately realized that the security forces had come for his wife. The believer says that she managed to stay calm, but her husband, on the contrary, had to get nervous. Svetlana says that despite the unfair criminal prosecution, she tries to stay firm, maintains a positive attitude and believes that God will never leave her.\n","date":"2020-12-29","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vyrezkova/photo_hu_b7fb92c102a8638b.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vyrezkova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vyrezkova/photo_hu_17cb58759978e981.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vyrezkova/photo_hu_cb5aafb2a3ce8ab4.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vyrezkova.html","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Svetlana Vyrezkova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Vyushin, the father of a little child caring og an elderly disabled mother, was subjected to religious discrimination in April 2021 because of his faith in God. A criminal case was opened against him and, having been thrown behind bars, he was separated from his family for three months.\nAndrey was born in September 1975 in Yaroslavl. His parents divorced when he was about 5 years old. The mother and grandmother took up the upbringing of the only child in the family. As a child, Andrey was fond of ship modeling. He has a good ear for music, he learned to play the button accordion.\nAfter school with in-depth study of mathematics, Andrey graduated from the Yaroslavl State Technical University. For some time he worked at a local motor plant, and then for more than 15 years as a system administrator in one of the local companies. He mastered the administration of automation systems for the restaurant and hotel business, and is an individual entrepreneur in this area. Vyushin is described as an honest person, a professional in his field, capable of solving difficult problems.\nAfter retirement, Andrey\u0026#39;s mother fell ill and received a group I disability. She does not move independently and needs constant care, for more than 20 years she has been fully taken care of by her son.\nWhen Andrey was young his friend died tragically, so the biblical hope for the resurrection of the dead acquired a special meaning for him. Convinced of the consistency of the Bible, Andrey decided to take the Christian path. He has found loyal friends among Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and values them for their willingness to support him in difficult times.\nAndrey met his future wife Anastasiya in 2012, and in September 2013 they got married. After 2 years, they had a daughter. As a child, Anastasiya lost many relatives, so she, like Andrey, was especially impressed by the biblical teaching on the resurrection of the dead. The knowledge of God gave her peace and consolation. Anastasiya is a pastry chef by profession, but for the past few years she has not been working, raising her daughter. Anastasiya loves to cook, sew, knit, and plant indoor flowers.\nAndrey has lived all his life in his beloved city of Yaroslavl. In summer, the whole family goes picking mushrooms and berries, and in winter they go skiing. Among the hobbies of the Vyushins are watching cartoons, collecting puzzles, traveling and hiking.\nThe search and arrest of Andrey affected all members of the Vyushin family — they lost their breadwinner. Anastasiya\u0026#39;s physical health was also shaken, she began to worry about dizziness, fainting and insomnia. \u0026quot;The child did not fall asleep well, often asked about dad when we would see you,\u0026quot; Anastasiya recalls about the time when Andrey was behind bars.\nIn his final statement, Andrey said: \u0026quot;If I am convinced of something and am sure of it, you should not give up your beliefs immediately at the first test. After all, trials do not make beliefs erroneous.\u0026quot;\nAndrey\u0026#39;s mother was afraid of being left alone in the apartment for a long time. Although she does not share her son\u0026#39;s religious beliefs, she finds it difficult to believe that reading the Bible he was sentenced to two and a half years suspended.\nTalking about her wife, Anastasiya shares: \u0026quot;He is by nature very kind, calm, patient and tactful. As his friends say, \u0026quot;a teddy bear\u0026quot; who could not commit anything extremist.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-08-18","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/vyushin/photo_hu_3f899c3c6bd3b0a9.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/vyushin/photo_hu_c4f444e89dc3faf2.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/vyushin/photo_hu_11eec5286ad5e4b2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/vyushin/photo_hu_ceb3da6511edd6d7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/vyushin.html","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Vyushin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In early June 2021 the Yagovitovs — Boris and Nataliya — were suddenly stopped by the police. As it turned out, a criminal case was opened against Boris, he was accused of participating in a banned organization and recruiting into the ranks of extremists. He was detained and sent to jail for 2 days.\nBoris shares: “I was treated like a dangerous criminal: I was driven in a special vehicle in a confined space, with a small eye for observation. I was very humiliated that in the detention centre I was stripped 3 times for checking, 2 times fingerprinted ”.\nBoris was born in 1972 in the city of Kurgan. He has a sister who is 4 years older than him. The children grew up without a father, mother herself was engaged in their upbringing. To provide her family with everything she needed, she had to work hard. After the 8th grade, Boris entered a school at the plant — he wanted to quickly get a profession and help the family financially. During his school years, he was engaged in various sports, and also graduated from a music school in the domra class, so he did not have free time.\nAfter school, Boris received the specialty of an adjuster of numerically controlled machines, as well as a repairman. While studying at the school, he played in a vocal and instrumental ensemble.\nLater Boris served in the army, and then worked for 10 years in a carriage depot as a hand-forged blacksmith. At this time, he received a higher education by correspondence with a degree in civil engineer.\nIn 1995, Boris met Nataliya, in 1996 they got married. The young family was united by a common passion for the Bible. In 1997, they became Jehovah's Witnesses together. A few years later, Boris's mother also became a believer.\nBoris says about his faith: “I saw how accurate the Bible is in matters of science, history, and how accurate Bible prophecies are. I saw kind, open, honest people. All this convinced me that I had found the truth. \" According to Boris, through the application of Bible teachings in his life, he learned to make his own decisions and take responsibility for them.\nAfter 2006, the family lived in Perm, in Yaroslavl, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. By the time the criminal prosecution began, the couple had already lived for several years in the village of Solnechniy, Khabarovsk Territory.\nIn childhood and adolescence, Nataliya went in for sports. She loves making accessories and sewing clothes. Nataliya is a psychologist and teacher of physical education by education. For some time she worked in her specialty in kindergarten and school. Later — in the service sector with part-time employment.\nBoris is a jack of all trades. He knows how to fix cars, decorate apartments and repair electronics. He also likes culinary experiments, for many years he has been baking homemade bread according to an old recipe. He likes hiking in the forest and by the river, and plays the guitar in his free time.\nThe criminal prosecution was an emotional shock for the family. Reading the Bible helps them cope with discouragement, they say, especially the passages that describe the feelings of those facing injustice.\n","date":"2021-08-10","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yagovitov/photo_hu_b2363c5bbc2d1010.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yagovitov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yagovitov/photo_hu_8abaa6191882904e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yagovitov/photo_hu_1990ec4ddc9da6b3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yagovitov.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Boris Yagovitov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anatoliy Yagupov became one of 10 Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses sent to a detention center after a large-scale raid on Voronezh Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in the summer of 2020. After 5.5 years of criminal prosecution, the court sent the believer to a penal colony for 6 years, considering his guilt in extremism proven.\nAnatoliy was born in October 1968 in Voronezh. As a child, he was fond of radio engineering. After graduating from school, he worked on milling machines, and more recently in the field of cleaning. The man loves construction and fishing; He built his own house.\nIn 1996, Anatoliy married Larisa. The couple has a daughter.\nFor a long time, Anatoliy was worried about the future. He found the answers to them in the Bible, and this prompted him to become a Christian in 2004. The wife supports the spouse in this choice.\nAnatoliy\u0026#39;s criminal prosecution led to the loss of his job and a sharp deterioration in his health—his chronic illnesses worsened.\nAddressing the court with the final plea, the believer emphasized: \u0026quot;It is unthinkable for me to renounce my God and recognize serving him as extremism and illegal actions.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2020-08-19","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yagupov/photo_hu_cd19c5eb8bd71eb8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yagupov/photo_hu_7732dc2a0449e540.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yagupov/photo_hu_b6568cca703d473a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yagupov/photo_hu_a469599df8e7ac1.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yagupov.html","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"Anatoliy Yagupov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, the security forces came with a search to a peaceful believer from Arkhangelsk, Yevgeniy Yakku. The investigative actions lasted for about a year, then the court hearings began. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 7.5 years in a general regime colony for the believer. In July 2021, the court found Yevgeniy guilty and ordered him to pay 850,000 rubles for Bible talks. All these events had a serious impact on the life of Yevgeniy and his family.\nYevgeniy was born in 1980 in the village of Sosnovets (Republic of Karelia). He has a younger sister. As a child, he was fond of tourism and fishing. As a teenager, Yevgeniy was impressed by the fulfillment of Bible prophecies. As a result, he decided that he would devote more time to studying the Bible and serving God.\nYevgeniy moved to Arkhangelsk to study and received a specialty as a teacher of labor and entrepreneurship. He worked as a regional sales representative for one of the local companies.\nIn 2007, Yevgeniy married Irina. The spouses love to travel together, they have many friends with whom they are often in nature.\nThe criminal prosecution caused a lot of grief in the Yakku family. Due to constant worries, Yevgeniy’s chronic illness worsened, his sleep was disturbed. Irina's health has deteriorated sharply — she suffers from a serious autoimmune disease. In April 2020, Yevgeniy’s mother suffered a stroke, and in November of the same year, his father died right in his son's arms.\nDue to the investigative measures, the family also faced financial difficulties. Yevgeniy could not go to a new job due to the fact that they came to him with a search. The court arrested two cars of the believer. Later, Yevgeniy got a job as a janitor, but after a while he was fired from there without giving any reason. In April 2019, the believer was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The last 4 months before the verdict, Yevgeniy worked as a janitor for a small salary, and his wife Irina worked as a cleaner to help her husband support the family financially.\nDespite all these events, the Yakku couple try to maintain a positive attitude. They greatly appreciate the help and support that co-religionists have provided them throughout the persecution.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yakku/photo_hu_b2804f3617091dc8.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yakku/photo_hu_4b5799b8505c9966.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yakku/photo_hu_bbe8e4c4d4ba3aa7.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yakku/photo_hu_a14954e478ae71e7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yakku.html","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Yakku","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The father of many children, Valeriy Yakovlev, was prosecuted for his religious beliefs, which seriously affected his health - the believer's chronic illness worsened.\nValeriy Yakovlev was born on March 10, 1968 in the village of Vurmankas-Yadrino (Chuvashia). He has a younger sister. As a child, Valeriy played the guitar in a school ensemble, and also went in for sports: he played football, basketball and volleyball, which he loves most of all.\nAfter school, Valeriy studied as a commodity expert at the Cheboksary cooperative technical school. For a long time he worked as a sales assistant in trading companies, and now he works as a plumber.\nWhile studying at the technical school, Valeriy met his future wife Nadezhda, and in 1989 they got married. Three children were born in the marriage - two sons and a daughter. Previously, when health allowed, Valeriy and Nadezhda enjoyed playing volleyball together. As in his school years, Valeriy plays the guitar. Nadezhda is a pastry chef by profession. She is interested in baking: bakes pizza, pies and cakes. She currently works as a lifter.\nWhen his grandmother died, Valeriy began to think about where the dead are after death. He was comforted by the resurrection hope he had read about in the Bible. In addition, he was glad to know that one can approach God. Therefore, in 1996, Valeriy decided to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. His wife shares his views on life. Nadezhda notes that she was very affected by the friendly attitude of other believers, and she saw the manifestation of true love in practice.\n","date":"2021-06-28","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yakovlev/photo_hu_9cb86aae558fb12.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yakovlev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yakovlev/photo_hu_16fc2af3f0a1b5e1.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yakovlev/photo_hu_ae6c252d94b726ea.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yakovlev.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"Valeriy Yakovlev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2022, Yuriy Yakovlev, who is known as a kind and sympathetic person, was accused of extremism. Soon he was placed in a pre-trial detention center and subsequently sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison. Friends and relatives of the believer are discouraged and believe that extremism and Yuriy\u0026#39;s lifestyle are incompatible concepts.\nYuriy was born in June 1966 in the city of Sarapul (Udmurtia). He has an elder brother and a younger sister. Their mother was a road worker, and she was often sent on long business trips, so the family had a chance to live in different cities of the USSR. For several years they settled in Kyrgyzstan, Yuriy remembers this time with warmth. During his school years, he liked to go camping with his classmates. The man did not lose this hobby over the years and from before the criminal prosecution he traveled with friends across the Siberian expanses with pleasure.\nAfter the army, Yuriy went to visit friends in Vladivostok and decided to stay there. To support himself, he began to go to sea. He was fascinated by the beauty and power of the sea. After 15 years, Yuriy moved to Siberia, to the small town of Sosnovoborsk. There he mastered a new specialty and began working as a minced meat compiler. Yuriy likes to cook for himself, his family and friends. He also loves animals: he has two cats.\nYuriy has been familiar with biblical truths since childhood. His mother tried to instill in all her children the love of God. However, at that time, the young man had other interests. Growing up, he began to think about the meaning of life. In 2009, already living in Sosnovoborsk, Yuriy began to seriously study the Bible and soon decided to devote his life to serving God.\nWhen Yuriy\u0026#39;s mother developed serious health problems, he moved her to his place to take care of her. The condition of the elderly woman deteriorated sharply after the search and arrest of her son. She died in July 2023. Yuriy could not attend her funeral, as he was in a pre-trial detention center.\n","date":"2022-05-05","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yakovlevyu/photo_hu_ebf9a42f292a723f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yakovlevyu/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yakovlevyu/photo_hu_e2f61ecc2c6ec3fe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yakovlevyu/photo_hu_da28347284b3f541.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yakovlevyu.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Yuriy Yakovlev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yarchak has been disabled since childhood. In 2020, he was searched and the believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After three years, the court sentenced him to six years of suspended sentence for peaceful religious beliefs.\nDmitriy was born in Nizhnekamsk in February 1984. He has a younger sister. The mother is retired, the father is already dead.\nAfter graduating from school, Dmitriy received the profession of an accountant-economist, worked in his specialty, including an accountant in a rehabilitation center for disabled children. Later he worked as a sales manager in the telecommunications sector.\nFrom childhood, Dmitriy wanted to know what the Bible says, and in his teens he began to study it. He was impressed by what he learned from this book, especially about the person of God. At the age of 18, Dmitriy decided that he would live according to biblical principles and devoted his life to serving God.\nIn 2010 Dmitriy married Svetlana. They have many common interests. She shares his views on life and supports her husband in everything. Dmitriy has good relationships with work colleagues and many friends with whom he loves to spend time.\nAccording to Dmitriy, the criminal prosecution affected the emotional state of the spouses. He says, \u0026quot;Any knock on the door is alarming.\u0026quot; Dmitriy\u0026#39;s mother and sister, as well as Svetlana\u0026#39;s parents, were worried about what happened. They wonder how peaceful believers can be equated with criminals.\n\u0026quot;I am not ashamed of my life, I am not ashamed to look people in the eye,\u0026quot; Dmitriy said in his final statement in court. \u0026quot;I\u0026#39;m here for good deeds. And as we know, good always wins.\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-11-01","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yarchak/photo_hu_68c1a7717ec86370.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yarchak/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yarchak/photo_hu_40e36b91cc1fed7b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yarchak/photo_hu_41b15a7ee57e6dcd.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yarchak.html","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["disability"],"title":"Dmitriy Yarchak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Galina Yatsik, a peaceful pensioner from the city of Zeya, a widow, grandmother of 7 grandchildren, became accused in a criminal case on extremism in February 2022 only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nGalina was born in September 1950 in the village of Belaya, Zeya District, Amur Region. His father was a carpenter in a gold mine, his mother worked at a weather station, and later at a veterinary station. Galina is the youngest of five children in the family. As a child, she loved drawing, poetry, and sang in the choir.\nAfter school, Galina graduated from the Khabarovsk Technical School, where she received the specialty of a construction technician. After graduation, she worked at the airport as an airfield service technician. Then for many years she was an economist-standardizer in the Repair and Construction Department of the city of Zeya.\nGalina met her future husband at work. Valeriy was a builder, served as a foreman. They got married in 1971. The couple raised a daughter and a son. In 1995, Valeriy died.\nDue to her atheistic upbringing and education, Galina did not believe in God. However, in the early 1990s, she began to think about the meaning of life — she was outraged by injustice and war. She began to be interested in what scientists think about faith in God, as well as to study the Bible. The historical and scientific accuracy of this book amazed Galina. In addition, she learned that many scientists believe in God. Reflecting on how complex and diverse the surrounding world is, Galina came to the conclusion that there is a reasonable Creator. In 1994, she embarked on the Christian path.\nGalina still lives in the city of Zeya. She has been retired since 2008 and has 2 granddaughters, 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Galina is engaged in Nordic walking and adaptive physical education, which helps her maintain her health. Likes to listen to classical music.\nCriminal prosecution became stressful for Galina. Her family does not understand why this is happening. Although relatives do not share her religious views, they are sure that the accusations are unfounded.\n","date":"2022-03-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_530f770bbbebf425.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_905f1aa22c16a1d5.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_bc578dcf70a7087f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yatsik/photo_hu_1299ec05517a8859.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yatsik.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Galina Yatsik","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2020, the family of Yelena Yatsyk faced a number of upheavals: first, a criminal case was opened against her younger brother, Yevgeniy Bitusov, because of his belief in Jehovah God, and then the apartment of the believer herself was searched. In February 2022, Yelena was also accused of extremism only because of her religious beliefs.\nYelena was born in May 1971 in the town of Zeya, Amur Region, where she has been living ever since. Mother worked as an accountant. The father was a driver. He died at work when Yelena was 10 years old.\nWhile studying at school, Elena was fond of sports, played volleyball. In her youth, she received the profession of a dressmaker-cutter. Elena earns a living from this business even now. In his spare time, he enjoys knitting.\nYelena’s mother and younger brother were the first in the family to study the Bible. Later, Yelena herself began to study this book. The woman was impressed by its practical value — everything that she learned and applied from the Bible had a positive effect on her life. In 1996, Yelena embarked on the Christian path.\nWith her future husband, Andrey, Yelena met at school — they studied together. They got married in 1994. Andrey works as an electrician, enjoys fishing. The couple raised their daughter, now she lives separately from her parents and works as a home appliance repairman.\nDuring the search in October 2020, Yelena experienced stress. Her relatives, including her husband and daughter, who do not share her religious views, are outraged by the criminal prosecution. Tailoring customers also sympathize with Yelena.\n","date":"2022-03-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yatsyk/photo_hu_31504925b0df5016.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yatsyk/photo_hu_b4c1f5c2aa68d1e7.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yatsyk/photo_hu_74b8de8538cb94c5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yatsyk/photo_hu_83c58512bc0bbfe5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yatsyk.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Yelena Yatsyk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 18, 2019, a new criminal case was opened in the Kemerovo region against peaceful believers. One of them, Sergey Yavushkin, was then under house arrest. Because of this, he lost his job and did not see his children and grandchildren for almost 2 years. The court considered the criminal case for more than a year, and in June 2021 sentenced Yavushkin to 4 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\nSergey was born in 1960 in the city of Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory). Both parents are no longer alive. He has an older sister. As a child, he was actively involved in sports, played the guitar. After graduating from school, he received a secondary technical education related to foundry. Later he received the profession of an electric and gas welder, in which he has been working for more than a decade.\nIn 1990, Sergey married Tatyana, who works as a midwife in the Department of Pregnancy Pathology. The couple raised a son, Alexander, and a daughter, Maria, who already have their own families. For many years, Sergey lived in his native Rubtsovsk, but in 2008, for health reasons, he was forced to move to Kemerovo with his family. When Sergey was about 30 years old, he got acquainted with the Bible and was very impressed by the practicality and relevance of its advice despite its antiquity. Oddly enough, because of his Christian views, Sergey found himself in court as an accused. His large family, consisting of several generations, warmly supports him in the new difficult situation, and Sergey's employer personally called the investigator and asked to let him go to work. According to the employer, Sergey is the best locksmith of the enterprise and is very much needed in the workplace.\nThe criminal prosecution had a strong impact on the health of both spouses. Sergey ended up in the hospital, where the tracking bracelet on his leg made it difficult for doctors to work. The investigator was hardly persuaded to allow the electronic bracelet to be removed in order to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Sergey was treated in the department for stroke patients. His wife was also forced to undergo treatment due to stress.\nSpeaking with his last word in court, Sergey Yavushkin noted: \"My work experience in the profession of an electric and gas welder is more than 35 years, and the total length of my work at state-owned enterprises is 40 years. I could still work in the same place, if not for the arrest and forced dismissal from my place of work.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_edd71972e84bdb58.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_426e9d06e2743c4d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_1d63460152057b3a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yavushkin/photo_hu_f8ac1b846a203a59.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yavushkin.html","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Sergey Yavushkin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"70-year-old Svetlana Yefremova has been adhering to her religious beliefs for about 30 years, so the fact that in April 2021 she was brought in as a defendant in a criminal case came as a surprise to many.\nSvetlana was born in 1950 in Blagoveshchensk (Amur Oblast) in the family of an officer. She has a younger brother. Svetlana's school years were spent in Lesozavodsk (Primorsky Krai). Then she entered the Spassk Pedagogical School and received the specialty \"primary school teacher\". Later, while working at a garment factory, she was simultaneously trained as a process engineer at the Vladivostok Technological Institute of Light Industry. She continued to work at the factory until its closure in 1991. Having gone through years of unemployment, in 1996 Svetlana got a job in the social service, and after 9 years she retired.\nIn 1992, Svetlana started reading the Bible and realized that she wanted to better understand this book. Having become better acquainted with the biblical moral norms, Svetlana decided to follow them in her life. It brought her great joy to develop such Christian qualities as love, meekness, self-control. She still believes that love is the most important quality that must be shown even to her ill-wishers.\nToday, her children are adults, she already has grandchildren. Although Svetlana's children do not share her religious beliefs, they maintain good relations with their mother and help her financially.\n","date":"2021-05-31","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_4aa88bda088e77d6.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_ded9d5ff4ced9d8c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yefremova/photo_hu_216edd5138674138.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yefremova.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Svetlana Yefremova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 17, 2018, mass searches were carried out in the apartments of believers, including Yevgeny Yegorov, in Birobidzhan. A criminal case was opened against him on the basis of religion. Despite the absence of victims in the case, in June 2021, the court found Yevgeniy guilty and sentenced him to 2.5 years probation for believing in God.\nYevgeniy was born in Birobidzhan in 1991. After his parents divorced, he and his mother lived with his grandparents, but always maintained good, friendly relations with his father. After graduating from 9 classes, he acquired the specialty of an electrical technician in absentia. He got a job to pay for tuition and has been working as a repairman for many years. He likes to repair computer equipment, he often helps friends and acquaintances with this.\nSince childhood, Eugene loved to read, and over time he was fascinated by poetry and writing. He even published a novel and a collection of poems. \"Becoming a professional writer is my dream,\" admits Evgeny. During the search, FSB officers seized all of his unpublished electronic manuscripts.\nIn 2018, Yevgeniy met his future wife Ksenia, and in September 2019 they got married. The young family had to cancel their honeymoon because of the recognizance not to leave, under which Eugene was a month before the wedding.\nIn February 2021, Yevgeny's mother, Larisa Artamonova, was sentenced to 2.5 years suspended under the same article as her son - for participating in the activities of a banned organization.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yegorov/photo_hu_3832d8ac4bb22898.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yegorov/photo_hu_9bb4335571c726c3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yegorov/photo_hu_41a3e282bf302abe.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yegorov/photo_hu_3081157e208036b5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yegorov.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Yevgeniy Yegorov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeny Yelin is one of five believers from Sakhalin who were put on trial on charges of extremism solely because of their belief in Jehovah God.\nYevgeny was born in 1974 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. As a child, he was very fond of drawing, especially watercolors, attended art school. He was also fond of bard song and sports - he jumped with a parachute. After graduating from school, he immediately began to work. He worked as a janitor, was engaged in the repair of apartments, worked as an artist-designer of residential premises. Later, he independently mastered the specialties of a tiler, finisher, and acquired construction skills.\nNow Evgeny has his own business in the field of apartment renovation. In addition, he performs work on the design and manufacture of furniture. Eugene is engaged in creativity. Admiring the nature of Sakhalin and Kamchatka, he is fond of photography. He loves sports, goes hiking, has experience of rafting on one of the rivers of Kamchatka. He also enjoys spending time with his family and friends playing board games. Yevgeniy has an older sister and a 78-year-old mother.\nThere were no believers in Yevgeny's family. Nevertheless, even at school, he began to think about the origin of life. In high school, Yevgeniy began to study the Bible. What he learned exhaustively answered his questions about the origin of life, about the reasons for the existence of evil and injustice. Yevgeniy has always been a benevolent and peaceful person, so he really liked the fact that the Bible teaches kindness and compassion for others. When he met Jehovah's Witnesses, he was very impressed that they applied Bible principles in their lives. When in the 90s Yevgeny faced the question of military duty, he followed his convictions and refused to serve in the army. For this, he was sentenced to 2 years in prison (with a deferral of execution of the sentence for 2 years and subsequent amnesty).\nYevgeniy had to visit different cities of the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, where he made many friends. Eventually, he returned to live in his hometown. In Kamchatka, Yevgeny met his future wife Anastasia. They have been married since 2017. Anastasia graduated from medical college. She worked as an ambulance paramedic for nine years. Closely in contact with medicine, I was amazed at how amazingly created man himself, his harmonious and complex DNA system.\nSurveillance, search and initiation of a criminal case against Yevgeniy caused unrest and stress for the spouses and their loved ones. Anastasia is in great tension, knowing that at any moment she can be separated from her husband. In addition, she is concerned that what is happening denigrates the good name of their family. Anastasia's sister and her husband do not understand how a criminal case on extremism can be initiated against such a peaceful and exemplary citizen.\nThe criminal prosecution of her son worried Yevgeny's mother. His father-in-law and mother-in-law were also deeply disturbed that decent and honest people were put on trial just because they believed in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yelin/photo_hu_c17d38a9b2a0e7b1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yelin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yelin/photo_hu_525452dde9f6f59b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yelin/photo_hu_7e71e7bdcfefd69a.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yelin.html","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Yelin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In July 2021, 14 families of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Apatity and Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk region). Aleksey Yeliseyev from Snezhnogorsk was kept in a temporary detention facility for a day, and then placed under recognizance agreement. The believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAlexey was born in the village of Dalniey Zelentsy (Murmansk region) in February 1983. He was the middle of three children in a family. As a child, he often spent time in a nature reserve, where his father worked as an inspector. In his youth, Alexey wrote poetry, learned to play the guitar. Later, he fell in love with fishing in the sea and lakes, riding a bicycle.\nAfter school, Alexey worked as a plumber. After graduating from a technical school in Murmansk, he worked as an electric welder at a shipyard, and more recently in a boiler house.\nIn 2004, Alexey moved to the neighboring town of Snezhnogorsk, where he met Nadezhda. They got married in 2007. Nadezhda loves to knit, is fond of learning English. The couple love to fish together and relax in nature.\nHaving learned that the Bible is understandable and explains itself, Alexei became convinced that this book could be trusted. In 2008, together with Nadezhda, he embarked on the Christian path.\nThe criminal prosecution seriously affected Alexey and Nadezhda. Believers think about the possibility of surveillance and wiretapping of their conversations, which increases stress. Alexey decided not to inform his parents about the criminal case, fearing that this would affect their already poor health.\n","date":"2021-09-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yeliseyev/photo_hu_f69c811882f28c6d.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yeliseyev/photo_hu_d32ddb339c059b67.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yeliseyev/photo_hu_9d7974085f087ca2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yeliseyev/photo_hu_98909368265d2217.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yeliseyev.html","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksey Yeliseyev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Gevorg Yeritsyan is a law-abiding citizen, the father of two minor children, who, after searches in Novocherkassk in the summer of 2022, was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nGevorg was born in April 1987 in Novocherkassk (Rostov region). He has a brother who is 2 years younger than him. Their father is a teacher at a boarding school, and their mother is a math teacher.\nIn his youth, Gevorg was professionally involved in sports, won the title of master of sports in judo. After school, he graduated from the Polytechnic University, where he received a degree in mining engineering. Then he worked for the police for a while. Over time, Gevorg decided to leave the service and, together with his brother, organized a small family business - a cafe.\nGevorg's mother began to read the Bible in the early 1990s and eventually decided to take the Christian path. Gevorg also decided to follow her example, but later - in 2013. While studying the Bible, he switched careers and left the martial arts, continuing to maintain his fitness through home workouts.\nIn 2010, Gevorg married Melina, two children were born in the marriage. Gevorg's wife respects his beliefs, although she does not share them. Spouses love to spend time together and communicate with friends. Gevorg is known as a hospitable person, ready to provide any assistance to those who need it.\nDue to criminal prosecution, relatives have lost the opportunity to see Gevorg, which undoubtedly upsets family and friends. They care about him and support him in every possible way.\n","date":"2022-09-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yeritsyan/photo_hu_fe1b1eef6d7db197.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yeritsyan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yeritsyan/photo_hu_5d3cea5ea97bf944.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yeritsyan/photo_hu_c601f0f84ddd1734.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yeritsyan.html","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Gevorg Yeritsyan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In April 2021, 38-year-old Anna Yermak, the mother of two young children, was searched. For 3 hours the security forces tried to find items and documents confirming her involvement in “extremism”.\nAnna was born in 1982 in the village of Kholmskaya (Krasnodar Krai). Her father worked in the oil industry, her mother is a graphic designer, currently retired. As a child, Anna was fond of drawing, gymnastics, and loved to skate.\nAfter school, Anna graduated from the Kuban State University, where she received a degree in accounting, analysis and auditing. She lived in different cities: in Strezhevoy (Tomsk region), Krasnodar and others. Later she decided to move closer to her elderly mother and grandmother.\nAlready in adolescence, Anna thought about the transience and meaning of life. She was also worried about the turbulent world and the suffering of the people. After getting acquainted with the Bible, Anna learned that death and suffering were not part of the Creator's plan. She was impressed that God is not indifferent to what is happening on earth. “The realization that God had everything under control brought me peace of mind,” she recalls.\nAnna met her future husband Maksim in 2000 in Krasnodar. They got married two years later. Maxim is a professional football player, works as a deputy director of a sports complex and a children's football coach. The couple loves listening to music, gardening, playing sports and traveling. Anna is also fond of handicrafts. The family brings up two sons: the elder is 12 years old, and the younger is 10 months old.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Anna's health: due to constant stress, her chronic illness worsened. The believer often has to leave a nursing child without maternal attention and care in order to deal with matters related to the investigation.\nAnna's relatives are very worried about her. Mother and 95-year-old grandmother often cry and cannot believe that this could happen. Anna's spouse is outraged by the incident and considers this persecution a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of religion.\n","date":"2021-06-03","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yermak/photo_hu_94dcbd70c7002ce.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yermak/photo_hu_530e58547b2578d6.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yermak/photo_hu_e0fc8e5e94076748.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yermak/photo_hu_e392796c62bbfb4f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yermak.html","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Anna Yermak","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2021, a civilian resident of the small town of Alatyr in the middle Volga region faced groundless persecution for his belief in Jehovah God. A criminal case was initiated against Mikhail Yermakov under an extremist article.\nMikhail was born in October 1962 in Alatyr (Chuvashia). He has an older sister. His mother is a disabled person of group I, his father is no longer alive. As a child, Mikhail loved to be in nature, pick mushrooms, fish.\nMikhail graduated from the Alatyr Technological College. He worked as an installer of steel and reinforced concrete structures, and then as a 5th category blower in the wood chemical industry.\nIn 1990, Mikhail moved to Stavropol, where he worked at the Analogue electronic materials and devices plant. For some time he lived in Novocheboksarsk and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky.\nIn 1996, Mikhail embarked on the Christian path. In the Bible, he was impressed by the logic of the presentation of events, the fulfillment of prophecies, and the scientific accuracy of this book.\nIn 2007, Mikhail returned to Alatyr to take care of his elderly father and help him with the housework, got a job as a janitor. Mikhail loves to grow flowers, berries, vegetables and pick mushrooms.\nThe criminal prosecution affected Mikhail's health: due to unfounded accusations and threats from the security forces, his heart disease worsened. Also, the believer faces financial difficulties, because due to calls to the investigator during working hours, he loses part of his salary.\nMikhail's relatives worry about him and consider the criminal prosecution groundless and unfair.\n","date":"2022-06-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_55d52dabcd176286.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_3ba8b650c2cfc36.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yermakov/photo_hu_51699d6f1705e5f3.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yermakov.html","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Yermakov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In October 2019, a criminal case was opened in Blagoveshchensk for faith against Sergey Yermilov, and in July 2021, his wife, Valentina, was also accused of extremism.\nSergey was born in 1967 in the Kurgan region. He has a brother and an elderly mother, his father has already died. Since childhood, Sergey loves sports, so he entered a physical education college. After graduation, he worked for some time as a school teacher.\nFrom 1985 to 2012, Sergey served as a senior warrant officer of the border troops of the FSB of the Russian Federation. He lived in the city of Shimanovsk, Amur Region, then moved to Blagoveshchensk, where he received an apartment. Since 2012, he has been a military pensioner by seniority.\nSince 1995, Sergey has been married to Valentina, they have a son, Anton. Valentina was the first to become interested in the Bible, having learned from it that God loves people. Over time, Sergey was also fascinated by this book, especially the hope for a wonderful future contained in it. In 2013, he firmly decided to live in harmony with the Christian commandments.\nCriminal prosecution has a negative impact on the life of this peaceful family. Valentina is forced to take medication to cope with stress. All bank cards of the family, including the one through which Sergey received his pension, are blocked.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yermilov/photo_hu_7ec9c1328e382f87.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yermilov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yermilov/photo_hu_8b4ba4e118efd71c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yermilov/photo_hu_7301c5d51eed7855.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yermilov.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Sergey Yermilov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In 2019, law enforcement officers opened a criminal case against Sergey Yermilov, a military pensioner of the FSB. In the summer of 2021, his wife, 50-year-old Valentina, was also accused of extremism only because of her faith in Jehovah God.\nValentina was born in November 1970 in the city of Shimanovsk (Amur Region). As a child, she went in for sports — played basketball. She has a younger sister, Olga.\nAfter school, Valentina graduated from a vocational school. She worked as a laboratory assistant, court clerk, telephone operator.\nIn 2009, following her sister, Valentina and her mother embarked on the Christian path. Valentina was prompted to make this decision by studying the Bible, namely, that what is written in it gives hope for a wonderful future. She was also touched by God's promise to resurrect those who have died. Unfortunately, during the investigation against Valentina, her mother fell ill with COVID-19 and died from complications.\nIn 1995, Valentina married Sergey. They have an adult son who already has his own family. The spouses have a lot in common: Sergey not only shares Valentina's religious beliefs, but, like her, loves sports. Both spouses are fond of cooking. In their free time, the spouses like to travel and relax in nature.\nDue to the criminal prosecution, Valentina's health deteriorated and she is forced to take medications. In addition, her husband is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, so his bank cards are blocked, which greatly complicates the life of the family. “Before the initiation of the criminal case, we could have gone somewhere together, but now it’s impossible,” says Valentina with regret.\n","date":"2021-09-09","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yermilova/photo_hu_338055f0e588408f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yermilova/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yermilova/photo_hu_5a1d4c2253af7009.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yermilova/photo_hu_13638752e15c07c9.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yermilova.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Valentina Yermilova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The quiet, measured life of the family of Aleksey Yershov, a retired engineer and teacher, completely changed when in the summer of 2020 security forces raided the believers' apartment with a search. A criminal case was initiated against a peaceful pensioner and later the court sentenced him to imprisonment.\nAlexey was born in February 1953 in the city of Seversk (Tomsk Region) into a family of workers. In the same year, his father died tragically. Then Alexey’s elder sister was only five years old. Mother had to raise five weather children alone. Alexey's mom and elder sister are no longer alive.\nFrom early childhood, Alexey collected postage stamps, matchsticks, coins, bonds (paper banknotes), postcards and envelopes. He attended various sports sections.\nAfter graduating from 8 classes, Alexey studied at a technical school, and then at the University of Marxism-Leninism. He worked as a technician, senior engineer and mechanic, taught at a vocational school. He is now retired.\nIn 1973, Alexey met his future wife Lyudmila, and after 3 years they got married. Lyudmila worked as a preschool teacher. She loves to paint, read and plant houseplants. The couple raised two children — a son and a daughter.\nThe practical benefits of biblical truths, as well as the hope for the resurrection of his beloved relatives, prompted Alexey to devote his life to serving God. Together with his wife, in 1994, they embarked on the Christian path. Their adult daughter Olga shares the spiritual and moral values of her parents. She is an amateur photographer.\nIn his free time, Alexey continues to do collecting, tries to keep himself in good physical shape — he goes skiing, is engaged in Scandinavian walking. Likes to grow vegetables and berries in a garden plot.\nThe criminal prosecution and searches had a negative impact on the health of Lyudmila and Olga. The family lives in constant stress, waiting for new searches and interrogations, but despite this they try to encourage each other. Alexei shares: \"This challenge brought us together as a family. Friends are surprised that in Russia they can be persecuted for their faith, and they support us in every possible way, for which we are very grateful to them.\"\n","date":"2021-05-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_22f104ba8298ce58.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yershov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_e2f45db5cdbbdb26.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yershov/photo_hu_5ab1a3e298721f5d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yershov.html","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Aleksey Yershov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Search, detention, interrogation, temporary detention center, accusation of extremism, subsequent dismissal from work — what Ilya Yershov had to face in the summer of 2021. The reason for his oppression was his faith in Jehovah God.\nIlya was born in December 1986 in Shadrinsk. His mother worked as a primary school teacher, his father was a truck driver. The family has three children, Ilya has two sisters. During his school years, he played volleyball and dancing, read a lot.\nAfter school, Ilya graduated from the Polytechnic College, graduated as a civil engineer and worked by profession for 8 years. For the past few years, he has been the Deputy Head of Administration for the Outpatient Dialysis Center. After the search and detention, he was asked to resign.\nIn 2011, Ilya married Yelizaveta, who shared his views on life. She works as a technician at an online school, doing handicrafts in her spare time. The spouses love to go out, spend time with friends, play board games.\nIlya grew up in a religious family. Mom tried to instill in him moral values, and in his teenage years he began to study the Bible. “All questions were given clear answers from the Bible, there was no fog and omissions,” the believer shares. In 2002, he became a Jehovah's Witness.\nThe criminal prosecution seriously affected the life of the Yershovs. “It was anxious to be at home. With any knock on the door or window, it seems that the search could be repeated again,” says Ilya. The couple try not to lose heart. Friends and family support Ilya and Yelizaveta during this difficult time for them.\n","date":"2021-08-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yershovi/photo_hu_ec285b3b7954f538.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yershovi/photo_hu_a80671f5a6f9d7ee.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yershovi/photo_hu_93a3518aeb2ee805.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yershovi/photo_hu_64bf7dd4191f5ab5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yershovi.html","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Ilya Yershov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Spouses Kirill and Anastasiya faced criminal prosecution for their faith. In the summer of 2019, their home was searched, and a year later a criminal case was opened against the head of the family.\nKirill Yevstigneev was born in December 1979 in Nizhny Novgorod. He has a younger brother, Oleg. Kirill grew up as a sports child, he loved to play football.\nAfter graduating from school, Kirill worked for 6 years as a grocery procurement manager, then for 2 years as a janitor, and recently he was a compressor operator.\nIn 2002, Kirill married Anastasiya, who shares his life values. The couple love to spend time with friends and organize theatrical and musical parties. Kirill also enjoys volleyball, football and table tennis.\nAs a teenager, Kirill became acquainted with Bible teachings through his mother. This knowledge, as well as the good qualities that those who live by the biblical laws learn to display, prompted him to consciously embark on the Christian path at the age of 19. Kirill’s brother also became a Christian.\nThe search and subsequent criminal prosecution did not pass without a trace for the couple. Kirill and Anastasiya say: “After the search, we feel tension when someone rings the doorbell. But we try to remain calm, joyful and positive. \"\nKirill's mother and brother consider the criminal prosecution to be unfair. According to them, they could not even imagine that their loved one could be prosecuted as a criminal accused only because of their belief in God.\n","date":"2021-11-11","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yevstigneev/photo_hu_33df76da061245e1.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yevstigneev/photo_hu_63f34589f9913afb.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yevstigneev/photo_hu_bf760bcefc167101.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yevstigneev/photo_hu_13bd52693f922e7c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yevstigneev.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Kirill Yevstigneev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the fall of 2019, civilians were searched in Tynda, after which Sergey Yuferov became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism only because of his faith.\nSergey was born in 1975 in Tashkent (Uzbekistan). He has a younger brother. From childhood, Sergey was fond of music and photography, played in a brass band. He graduated from a technical school in his native city with a degree in electrical engineering. Since 1994 he has been working in his specialty. In her free time, she likes to watch historical documentaries.\nFor a long time, Sergey searched in vain for answers to serious questions about life in various sources. In the early 1990s, Sergey began to study the Bible and firmly decided to take the path of a Christian. He said: “Biblical moral principles began to influence my life: I got rid of nicotine addiction, stopped smoking plant drugs, communicating with questionable friends, using obscene language. Life has meaning.\"\nIn 1994, due to religious beliefs, Sergey refused to serve in the army, for which he was convicted. At the age of 27, he was commissioned by age.\nIn 1997, Sergey married Nataliya, they had two children—a son and a daughter. Due to the state of health of Nataliya, the family moved to live in Tynda.\nThe criminal prosecution of the head of the family shocked the whole family. In court, Sergey emphasized: “The Word of God, the Bible, in all translations and editions of any age, encourages us to be law-abiding citizens . . . If Jesus never taught extremism, then can the activity under his leadership be called extremist?”\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/yuferov/photo_hu_b4fa7b9877112ac7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/yuferov/photo_hu_e144501745144c52.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/yuferov/photo_hu_91bba334f0a5b7c0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/yuferov/photo_hu_a282d3b82c06d13d.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/yuferov.html","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Yuferov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In May 2018, a mass raid on peaceful believers took place in Birobidzhan. The operation, codenamed \u0026quot;Judgment Day\u0026quot;, involved 150 law enforcement personnel. Dmitriy Zagulin was accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization. Four and a half years later, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to three and a half years in prison merely because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nDmitriy was born in 1973 in Khabarovsk. He has a younger brother. As a child, Dmitriy wanted to join the army, so he engaged in martial arts and parachuting.\nIn 1991, Dmitriy began to study the Bible. This prompted him to reconsider his outlook on life. Soon he wrote an application to replace military service with alternative civilian service. At that time, refusal to serve in the army could lead to criminal prosecution, but the unexpected happened: the inspector of the military registration and enlistment office made a note in his personal file: \u0026quot;suspend until the ACS [alternative civilian service] law is passed.\u0026quot; Dmitriy recalls that, perhaps, then he was not yet ready for imprisonment, and considers what happened a real miracle.\nDmitriy graduated from the Railway Transport College and worked for the Russian Railways company for many years. He was considered a valuable employee of the department, which was confirmed by numerous awards and gifts. After the searches in May 2018, the boss told Dmitriy that FSB had come to him and demanded that he dismiss the believer, but the boss vouched for him. However, in November 2021, Zagulin was fired in connection with the lawsuit, explaining this by the request of the FSB.\nIn 1998, Dmitriy moved to Birobidzhan for family reasons, where he lives up to this day. In 2012, he married Tatyana.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zagulin/photo_hu_8c8702d813253293.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zagulin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zagulin/photo_hu_6dd2c2db9f5cd541.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zagulin/photo_hu_6c391ba7d84c57bb.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zagulin.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Dmitriy Zagulin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 6, 2020, in Birobidzhan (Jewish Autonomous Region), the leader in the number of criminal cases for faith among other cities in Russia, six more cases were initiated against six women. Among them was 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina. On April 1, 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court sentenced the believer to 2 years and 6 months of probation and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\nTatyana was born in 1984 in the village of Selection, Chita Region. He has a younger sister. When Tatyana was seven years old, the family moved to the village of Dubovoye. Parents have worked all their lives in the field of animal husbandry. My father recently worked in Yakutia on a rotational basis.\nDuring her school years, Tatiana was fond of volleyball, table tennis, ballroom and folk dancing, knitting and macrame. After school, she came to Birobidzhan, where she graduated from a technical school with a degree in fashion design. For some time, Tatyana worked in a store, moonlighting as a restorer of wedding dresses. Later she mastered the skill of manicure.\nTatyana says that since childhood she liked to look at everything that surrounded her, she admired how amazingly and wisely everything was created. She could not believe that all this had arisen by accident and, feeling that there was a God, tried to turn to him. During her teenage years, Tatiana began to have questions, the answers to which she searched for in different religions, and later found it through the study of the Bible.\nSince 2012, Tatyana has been married to Dmitry, who is also persecuted by the authorities for his faith. Together they are raising their son Tatiana, who goes to school and, like his mother, is fond of sports, plays the guitar and sings. Tatiana tries to lead an active lifestyle by playing sports. In winter, he likes to skate with friends and family, and in summer, he likes to ride bicycles. He is fond of drawing.\nRelatives and friends of Tatyana and Dmitriy do not understand why they were accused of extremism. They consider it unfair, knowing full well that they have done nothing wrong.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zagulina/photo_hu_da24dd0a5738048a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zagulina/photo_hu_3d30bb2eecfcd893.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zagulina/photo_hu_d7c321bf56adba98.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zagulina/photo_hu_17e2726a9ce6f957.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zagulina.html","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Tatyana Zagulina","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In November 2020, security forces broke into the apartments of peaceful Muscovites with searches. Vardan Zakaryan was seriously injured during the raid. From a blow to the head with a butt, he received a head injury and was hospitalized.\nVardan Zakaryan was born in 1971 in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan. He is the eldest of three brothers. As a child, he was engaged in sambo. Vardan also liked to help his grandmother take care of the garden. Later, it helped him in his life—he worked as a florist for more than 12 years and had his own small flower business.\nIn 1991, when Vardan was already living in Russia, he was the first of his family to associate with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses and became interested in Bible teachings. He began to treat the Bible in a special way when he read it in Armenian and became convinced that the name of God, Jehovah, occurs there more than 7000 times. Later, his mother joined him in the study of Holy Scriptures.\nIn 2000, Vardan got married. The couple raised two children. At the time of the search, their daughter was studying at the university, and their son was in high school. Vardan is a tailor by profession; he has been working in an atelier for the last 30 years.\nVardan\u0026#39;s relatives were shocked by the cruelty of the law enforcement officers during the search. They wonder why the court considered him a dangerous criminal and sentenced him to 4 years in a penal colony only because of his faith. In October, the believer left the penal colony and after 3 days was deported to Armenia.\n","date":"2021-03-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zakaryan/photo_hu_dd73e91866f5c9b3.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zakaryan/photo_hu_6a72977760dbc539.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zakaryan/photo_hu_decd85866df5d8c.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zakaryan/photo_hu_52f45e9d604a8b3c.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zakaryan.html","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Vardan Zakaryan","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In September 2021, peaceful believer Aleksandra Zakharova was prosecuted as a defendant in the case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Berezovsky.\nAleksandra was born in October 1990 in Novosibirsk. She grew up as a versatile and inquisitive girl: she attended choreography and swimming classes, went to the art studio and sang in the choir, and also organized themed holidays for family and friends.\nAs a child, Aleksandra wondered why people die. From the Bible, she learned that death is unnatural for a person and in the future it will not. She also came to the conclusion that world history confirms the fulfillment of the prophecies recorded in this book. All this prompted her to embark on the Christian path.\nAleksandra is married. She and her husband enjoy going to theaters and museums, traveling, and meeting friends. She also reads a lot, loves to cook, give gifts, listen to music and take care of animals.\nThe criminal prosecution was a great shock for Aleksandra. Now every knock on the door makes her deeply anxious. Relatives of a believer consider it unfair that a respectable girl could face a prison sentence for reading the Bible.\n","date":"2021-10-20","image":{"jpg":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","jpg2x":"/person_placeholder_female.jpg","webp":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp","webp2x":"/person_placeholder_female_hu_d97a9e9b84349748.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zakharova.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Aleksandra Zakharova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yuriy Zalipayev was born in 1962 in Kuibyshev (now Samara). Seven years later, he and his parents moved to the Magadan region. In 1983, he married his former classmate Natalya and moved with her to the city of Mayskiy (Kabardino-Balkaria). Here Yuriy worked as a driver, a caretaker of a children\u0026#39;s sports school and a welder. He is fond of poetry and airbrushing, loves hiking in the mountains.\nYuriy and Natalya began studying the Bible together with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in 1993, and a year later they were baptized as followers of this religion on the same day. The couple raised their three children according to the teachings and commandments of the Bible.\nIn August 2017, a criminal case was opened against this peaceful, deeply religious man under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — \u0026quot;incitement to hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity.\u0026quot; Investigators suggested that Yuriy allegedly publicly called on Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses to \u0026quot;beat Orthodox Christians and Muslims.\u0026quot; This accusation not only did not correspond to reality, but contradicted all common sense, as well as well-known facts: the non-violence for Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses is so categorical that tens of thousands of believers of this religion preferred imprisonment, and sometimes certain death, refusing to serve in the armed forces of different countries.\nOn October 7, 2020, Нуlena Kudryavtseva, judge of the Mayskiy District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria, fully acquitted Yuriy Zalipayev. In February 2021, the prosecutor\u0026#39;s office officially apologized to the believer for the erroneously initiated case.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo_hu_1ec670aee2c960a5.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zalipaev/photo_hu_1ec670aee2c960a5.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zalipaev.html","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["prosecutor-apology","elderly"],"title":"Yuriy Zalipayev","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In March 2020, as part of the investigation of the criminal case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk, searches were conducted in the family of Ruslan and Svetlana Zalyayev. Later they were included in the list of suspects under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. Subscriptions were taken from them on their failure to leave and proper conduct.\nSvetlana was born in May 1975 in Volchansk (Sverdlovsk region). Her parents worked hard at the factory to provide her three daughters with everything they needed. Svetlana's mother died when the girl went to the first grade of school. Her middle sister, Elena, died of illness several years ago.\nAs a child, Svetlana led an active lifestyle, went in for sports: she played hockey. When she got older, she headed a sports section on volleyball, was a member of the youth communist organization, was chairman of the council of the squad.\nSvetlana graduated from technical school. She worked as a cook in a kindergarten and then on a coal mine for 15 years. Now she is on a well-deserved pension.\nSvetlana began to take the Bible seriously, being convinced of its historical authenticity and accuracy of prophecies. Soon she had a desire to change her life in harmony with Christian values.\nIn 2003, Svetlana married Ruslan, with whom they had four children, two of whom are still minors. The family loves to go to the forest, fishing and working in the garden.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on the life of the believer: she was fired from her job, many friends and relatives stopped communicating with her. Because of the stress experienced, the woman's health suffered.\n","date":"2020-06-12","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zalyaeva/photo_hu_40a496eb94ae564.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zalyaeva/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zalyaeva/photo_hu_c55f1442b3ba090e.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zalyaeva/photo_hu_cdc1e65174cccec7.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zalyaeva.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Svetlana Zalyaeva","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On July 16 and 17, mass searches were carried out in the homes of believers in several settlements of the Nizhny Novgorod region. A total of 35 searches were conducted, and at least 11 people are involved in the criminal case. One of them is Maxim Zavrazhnov. What is known about him?\nMaxim was born in 1981 in Nizhny Novgorod (at that time - Gorky) and became the youngest son in the family of an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As a child, he was fond of sports and music, graduated from a music school in piano and taught himself to play the guitar. After school, he entered the river school and graduated with a diploma in radio mechanics. He worked as a driver, a builder, now he works as a builder-electrician.\nIn 2008, Maksim married Nadezhda, a lawyer by education. She shares her husband's love for music, like him, graduated from music school in piano. He is interested in design, sometimes helps Maxim in his work on construction sites.\nThanks to the influence of his mother, Maxim has been familiar with the Bible since childhood. It is noteworthy that he became the first in the Nizhny Novgorod region to whom the law on alternative civilian service (ACS) was applied. During that difficult period of his life, the young man faced severe pressure from the staff of the military registration and enlistment office, who tried to force him to give up his legal right to undergo the ACS due to peace-loving religious beliefs. Maksim became the object of harassment by the local media. Due to the unbearable conditions at the place of service, he asked to be transferred to another place, but instead he was tried and given a suspended sentence. And now history repeats itself, only now the state has decided to incriminate Maxim with extremism.\nMaksim's relatives are extremely outraged by the unfair and groundless persecution for the faith of this man, who is alien to violence in any form and which the state has already recognized. They are deeply worried about him and provide him with all possible support.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zavrazhnov/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zavrazhnov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zavrazhnov/photo_hu_dee8b3658a383c37.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zavrazhnov/photo_hu_dee8b3658a383c37.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zavrazhnov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Maksim Zavrazhnov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yelena Zaishchuk was accused of extremism along with five other elderly residents of Vladivostok just because of her religion. Later, in February 2021, criminal proceedings against Zayshchuk were suspended due to her poor health.\nYelena was born in 1934 and until the age of 16 she was brought up in one of the orphanages of the Mari ASSR. She does not remember her parents. Childhood was harsh, post-war—no time for entertainment.\nYelena graduated from a vocational school and received the profession of a turner. According to the distribution, she moved to Vladivostok, where she has been living since then. From the age of 17, Yelena worked in the Primorye regional crab flotilla. She graduated from the Maritime School in absentia with a degree in technologist for the processing of fish products. Yelena is now retired. She raised her daughter. The elderly woman loves animals and takes care of them.\nIn the late 1990s, after undergoing a major operation, Yelena got acquainted with the Bible. From this book, she received answers to questions that she had been asking herself and others for a long time. In particular, she was worried about why such a terrible and bloody World War II took place, in which so many innocent people died. Bible advice helped to cope with life's difficulties and problems.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution, Yelena's health worsened even more, and the consequences of the operation were exacerbated. The daughter and grandson worried about her, not understanding why they were persecuting an elderly and sick peaceful woman who had done nothing wrong to anyone.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_c24ccf172c3fe659.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_fbcb5851e51c00d2.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zayshchuk/photo_hu_8475594cdb79e19f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zayshchuk.html","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"title":"Yelena Zayshchuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Early in the morning in February 2019, FSB officers broke into the house of Mikhail Zelenskiy in Syzran, searched and took him to a temporary detention center. The believer was accused of extremism, and in October 2020, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation only because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nMikhail was born in 1960 in the village of Bulaeshti (Moldova). He has two brothers and a sister. In his youth, he was fond of motorcycles, was a biker. He changed several professions, from a sailor to a driver. Since 1989 he has been married, has a son and grandchildren.\nIn the early 1990s, Mikhail was surprised to discover that the Bible does not support the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. This prompted him to study this book more closely. As a result, he and his wife became deeply religious people.\nEveryone who knows Mikhail is outraged by the conviction that the court passed on this peaceful believer.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo_hu_9a5d004d2aa4f9ca.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zelenskii/photo_hu_9a5d004d2aa4f9ca.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zelenskii.html","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Mikhail Zelenskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In August 2021, a criminal case was opened against Olga Zhelavskaya from Chelyabinsk for her faith. In October, the security forces wanted to search her home, but they were prevented by the fact that the believer was in the hospital after suffering covid and a stroke.\nOlga was born in February 1962 in the village of Potapovo (Chelyabinsk region) in a large family - she has two older sisters, their brother died.\nAs a child, Olga was involved in athletics. After graduating from college in the city of Chebarkul (Chelyabinsk region), she worked as a passport officer in the housing and maintenance department. Later, Olga moved to Chelyabinsk, where she worked as a dispatcher of the elevator section.\nWhile studying the Bible, Olga became convinced of the existence of God and in 2012 became one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe criminal prosecution had a negative impact on Olga's health and on her life in general, as the believer was fired from her job. Olga's daughter and sisters do not share her religious beliefs. Despite this, the daughter was summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee.\n","date":"2021-11-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_395415c3efdce35a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_8e6176819099aee3.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_910f727c7e5e1c3f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhelavskaya/photo_hu_6fbc5204aa3ccbf0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhelavskaya.html","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"title":"Olga Zhelavskaya","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 3, 2019, civilians in Chekhov near Moscow faced persecution for their faith: searches were carried out at several addresses, and a criminal case was opened against Konstantin Zherebtsov. On May 24, 2021, the court found the believer guilty and sentenced him to 2 years and 2 months of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years.\nKonstantin was born in 1973 in the city of Mary (Turkmenistan). His father worked as a driver and his mother worked as a factory worker. Konstantin has two older brothers and a sister. In his youth, Konstantin was fond of weightlifting and collected stamps.\nHe graduated from a technical school with a degree in instrumentation and automation. For some time he worked as an electrician, and since 2003 he has been working at the ZiO-Podolsk Machine-Building Plant. Konstantin took part in the work with key state orders for the Kursk, Leningrad, Beloyarsk nuclear power plants and other enterprises of the energy complex. He has numerous certificates for success in his work from the administration of the plant, as well as letters of thanks from the Russian government. In his spare time, Konstantin is engaged in housekeeping.\nKonstantin met his future wife in his hometown. They got married in 1994. Later they moved to Chekhov near Moscow. Natalia works as a nurse and is fond of gardening. The couple have two children.\nNatalia was the first to become interested in the Bible. Constantine decided to join her, having learned from the Holy Scriptures that God loved him.\nThe criminal prosecution dramatically changed the usual way of life of Konstantin and his family. Due to the restrictions imposed on him, he cannot financially support his family. In October 2019, due to worries and stress, his heart problems worsened.\nRelatives and friends wonder how a law-abiding, hardworking and honest person can be enrolled in the ranks of dangerous criminals only for his faith. The same opinion is shared by the management of the plant where Konstantin worked. His workplace is still assigned to him.\n","date":"2020-05-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zherebtsov/photo_hu_8f8053dbd06c7304.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zherebtsov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zherebtsov/photo_hu_c3c15d4c58552c3a.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zherebtsov/photo_hu_f31115fc48390130.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zherebtsov.html","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantin Zherebtsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Back in 2019, Sergey Zhigalov\u0026#39;s family was searched for the first time in the case against his co-religionist. Three years later, Sergey was searched again and a criminal case was opened against him because of his faith and accused of extremism. In January 2025, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\nSergey was born in the mining town of Snezhnoye, Donetsk region, Ukraine, in March 1971 in a family of workers. He has a younger brother. As a child, Sergey was fond of breeding aquarium fish, loved to work on the horizontal bars and play football. Even then, the boy was interested in spiritual topics, he persuaded his grandmother, who was a devout woman, to take him to church with her.\nAfter serving in the army, Sergey worked at the mine for 6 years, graduated from the institute in absentia with a degree in Accounting and Audit. Since 1997, he has been working as a plumber.\nFor the first time the Bible fell into the hands of Sergey in 1994. He was impressed by the accuracy of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, the logic of this book and the wisdom of the advice recorded in it. Applying principles from the Scriptures helped him break bad habits. After two years of careful study of the Bible, the young man made the decision to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nIn 2000, Sergey moved to live in Crimea, where he met Olga, who in 2007 became his wife. She works as a real estate lawyer. The spouses have common religious views. Sergey and Olga do not miss the opportunity to enjoy the nature of the peninsula and periodically go to the sea with tents. They love to cook delicious meals for friends and spend time in their company.\nThe criminal prosecution of Sergey brought with it many difficulties for the whole family. The couple had to change their place of residence, they faced problems at work. Olga has health problems from stress. Experiences also added a search of her mother, who suffers from an incurable disease.\nRelatives, friends, neighbors and clients of Sergey do not understand why he is being persecuted, because they know him as a decent, friendly and non-confrontational person. Many of them, on their own initiative, provided positive references to the believer.\nSergey and his parents have different religious views, but they are confident in their son\u0026#39;s innocence. They consider the verdict unfair and the charges far-fetched.\n","date":"2022-11-14","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhigalov/photo_hu_565afb7cdfd5560a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhigalov/photo_hu_121add6dfb102028.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhigalov/photo_hu_e41836e9cf7c97f.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhigalov/photo_hu_b06a7bf23967c8a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhigalov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Sergey Zhigalov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Petr Zhiltsov was a witness in the criminal case against Taras Kuzo. In July 2021, he himself was detained, spent two days in a temporary detention facility and almost a year under house arrest. In March 2023, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in prison and taken into custody in the courtroom. A year later, the cort of appeal overturned the verdict, sending the case back for a new trial.\nPetr was born in August 1987 in Yalta (Crimea). He has an elder sister. Their mother has worked all her life at a construction site and is already retired.\nAs a child, Petr was fond of football. After school, he got a job in a carpentry shop, and later worked as a laborer at a music school. Up to criminal prosecution, he worked as a repairman at Yalta Heating Networks. In his free time, he likes to walk in the forest and by the sea.\nPetr believed in God from childhood and during his studies at school he could not agree with the theory of evolution. He recalls, \u0026quot;The first thing I liked about the Bible was the beautiful promises of God and the prophecies that I saw fulfilled.\u0026quot; As he began to associate with Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses, he noticed that they treated each other with genuine love. At divine services, he met many of his acquaintances who previously led an asocial lifestyle, but with the help of the Bible they were able to completely change. This convinced Petr of the validity of Bible principles. At the age of 18, he decided to become one of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses.\nDue to criminal prosecution, Petr\u0026#39;s mother lost her son\u0026#39;s care and support for a long time. Additional responsibilities fell on her shoulders, which undermined the woman\u0026#39;s health. Relatives who did not share Petr\u0026#39;s religious beliefs empathized with the believer.\nIn his final statement in court, Petr asked: \u0026quot;I am accused of continuing activities common to all Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. But if this activity is purely religious, then why are my friends and I being persecuted for it?\u0026quot;\n","date":"2021-09-22","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhiltsov/photo_hu_26560ebee945debe.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhiltsov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhiltsov/photo_hu_5853ab57b9b5636b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhiltsov/photo_hu_2eb009bf4775d3df.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhiltsov.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Petr Zhiltsov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On October 24, 2019, in Novozybkov, law enforcers threw two believers into a pre-trial detention center just because of their religion. The wife of 48-year-old Eduard Zhinzhikov lost her unborn child due to stress. What do we know about Eduard and his family?\nEduard was born in 1971 in the village of Zadnya, Kletnyansky District, Bryansk Region, but lived most of his life in Novozybkov. He has a younger sister.\nAs a child, Eduard wrote poetry and was fond of playing the guitar. He loves fishing and is interested in snooker. He is a welder by profession, he also worked in the police and as a watchman.\nThanks to music, he met his future wife Tatiana (they played in the same instrumental group). Eduard and Tatiana got married in 1993. Tatiana is a tailor by profession. The couple have an adult daughter, the family loves to spend time in the country.\nIn the 90s, Eduard became interested in the Bible, in which he found answers to his questions. The newfound knowledge from this book prompted him to get rid of bad habits, to devote more time to his family. This had a positive effect on the life of the whole family, Tatiana also became interested in the Holy Scriptures.\nEarly in the morning of October 24, 2019, security forces with machine guns and helmets broke into the Zhinzhikovs' home. After knocking Eduard to the floor face down, they read him a search warrant, filming it all. The security forces demanded that they be provided with the journals of Jehovah's Witnesses. During the search, Eduard was kept against the wall for three hours under the supervision of a machine gunner.\nPolice officers from the accounting department were invited as witnesses. Not finding any literature, the security forces seized electronic devices, a camera, flash drives and all bank cards. The security forces broke the wardrobe where the underwear lay.\nAfter the search, Eduard was arrested, as a result, he spent almost a year behind bars. The stress experienced led to a tragedy in the family: Tatiana had a miscarriage. Relatives and friends support the spouses and do not understand how it was possible to condemn a person only for his faith in God.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhinzhikov/photo_hu_709359d02d8f3f12.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhinzhikov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhinzhikov/photo_hu_ac4ea8725f601865.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhinzhikov/photo_hu_9bc8b90518845776.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhinzhikov.html","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Eduard Zhinzhikov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Roman Zhivolupov was born in April 1997 in Norilsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He has two sisters. Their mother is a nurse and their father is a welder. Since childhood, Roman loves to play football and volleyball.\nAfter school, Roman studied as an electrical technician, worked at a factory, and more recently as a sales manager.\nReading the Bible and meditating on this book, Roman became convinced of its logic and consistency. He was impressed by the good attitude of believers to each other, as well as the fact that the prophecies recorded in the Bible are being fulfilled, and in 2015 Roman decided to live in accordance with the biblical commandments. Biblically based peace-loving views prompted the believer to use the right to alternative civilian service instead of military service. He passed it while working in a hospital.\nBecause of the criminal prosecution for his faith, Roman faced new difficulties. He was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which made it difficult for the believer to receive a salary. Relatives and friends worry about him and try to help in every possible way.\n","date":"2022-02-08","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhivolupov/photo_hu_d98951a458285ed7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhivolupov/photo_hu_dbc9375abf2923df.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhivolupov/photo_hu_b060fbce1c641384.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhivolupov/photo_hu_c36c217f160350db.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhivolupov.html","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Roman Zhivolupov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On May 14, 2018, a criminal case was opened in Orenburg under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Nikolai Zhugin. For reading the Bible with friends, he is charged with \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" What is really known about this supposedly dangerous criminal?\nNikolay Zhugin was born in the village of Terentyevka, Karabalyk district of Kazakhstan in 1976, a gas electric welder by profession. As a child, he liked to spend time in the village, went in for sports. He has an elder brother and sister. Nikolai's father died twenty years ago from the effects of radiation - he was the liquidator of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.\nSince the mid-1990s, Nikolay has been a deeply religious person. From the Bible, he learned that physical laws have a lawgiver, God, and Bible prophecies are always fulfilled.\nFor many years, Nikolay has been married to Galina. Although she does not share her husband's religious beliefs, she is a happy family that is raising a son and a daughter. Not so long ago, my son graduated from school with a red certificate. The whole family loves to spend time in nature with friends, fishing.\nNikolay's relatives cannot understand why he is being persecuted. \"Until recent events, I did not understand how my Orthodox relatives feel about the truth, but when the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia began, I saw that they were all sincerely worried about me, my family and my future,\" he says.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhugin/photo_hu_12ef3368beb214af.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhugin/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhugin/photo_hu_59ff2bc36af59b0b.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhugin/photo_hu_f936d063d6ba808e.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhugin.html","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Nikolay Zhugin","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In June 2024, Vitaliy Zhuk received a harsh sentence for his faith in Jehovah God. A hard-working family man from Khabarovsk was sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in a penal colony.\nVitaliy Zhuk was born in 1972 in Khabarovsk, but spent his childhood in the village of Krasnorechenskoye (Khabarovsk Territory). Five children were born in the family, of which Vitaliy was the third. He loved to spend time in nature and go to the field, the river and the forest with his father.\nFrom the age of 17 until his arrest, Vitaliy worked as a welder, at work he was valued for his experience and responsibility. He is married to Tatyana, convicted on similar charges. The couple have two daughters.\nWhen Vitaliy was about 20, he became very ill and was hospitalized. This event made him think seriously about the meaning of life. His spiritual quest led him to a Bible study, where he discovered convincing answers to his questions. Since then, faith in God has played an important role in his life.\nVitaliy said: \u0026quot;I have not always been a Christian. There was a time when I was very skeptical of everything I heard, especially beautiful promises. I looked for various tricks in them so as not to be deceived. But with regard to Bible promises, I have found many reasons why they can be trusted. In addition, thanks to the Bible, I was able to change my lifethinking, speaking, behaving. I got rid of bad habits and acquired useful ones. I learned to peacefully solve problems in relationships with other people.\u0026quot;\nVitaliy\u0026#39;s relatives know him as a kind, modest and sympathetic person. They see that Bible study has a beneficial effect on his whole family, and they cannot understand why he is behind bars.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhuk/photo_hu_df8ec0c2cc4d3cb4.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhuk/photo_hu_e092130341a9f23b.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhuk/photo_hu_1c8c91a2f31dbd4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhuk/photo_hu_663824e72dfff3c2.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhuk.html","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["families"],"title":"Vitaliy Zhuk","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"On February 15, 2019, one of the largest and most brutal operations against believers took place in Surgut and several other cities of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Seven people were tortured, three were sent to a pre-trial detention center (two of them spent 56 days behind bars), and the total number of defendants in criminal cases exceeded 20. One of them is Timofey Zhukov. What is known about him? Timofey was born in 1979 in the city of Revda (Sverdlovsk region). When the boy was three years old, due to a difficult situation in the family, his mother was forced to take her son and move to Surgut. Timothy is the eldest of four brothers in the family. As a child, he was fond of chess, choreography, dance plasticity, as well as martial arts. Timofey graduated with a degree in jurisprudence, then, after graduating from graduate school, he worked as an assistant prosecutor in the Surgut City Prosecutor's Office and as a leading legal adviser in some large institutions of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. In 2003, he married Natalia, who also works in the field of jurisprudence. In his spare time, he likes to play football, volleyball, skiing and traveling. Timothy always respected Scripture and wanted to live as Jesus Christ taught. When he was 28 years old, he consciously embarked on the path of a Christian. A few years later, he was joined in this by his wife, who was deeply touched by the love and unity that reigns among their fellow believers. Timofey's mother is shocked by what is happening and claims that the persecution of her son is a ridiculous mistake of law enforcement agencies. My wife's sister is perplexed by what is happening and is very surprised that in our time you can be behind bars because of your faith.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhukov/photo_hu_6f6a6c6cbbd2f5a.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhukov/photo_hu_165f8ffdf3162b9d.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhukov/photo_hu_1fcfb29d56ad3626.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhukov/photo_hu_3763742f241d121f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhukov.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Timofey Zhukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Andrey Zhukov, a resident of Yugorsk, is an aircraft engineer by education, who in recent years has taken care of the cleanliness of courtyards and streets in the territory entrusted to him. In the summer of 2020, the security forces suspected extremism in his peaceful religious activities.\nAndrey was born in 1972 in Chelyabinsk. During his school years, he was engaged in sambo and hockey. Andrey was also fascinated by aviation and astronautics. He read many books on the subject and collected aircraft models. For two years he attended an flying club, where he flew a sports plane, jumped with a parachute.\nAfter school, Andrey worked as a repairman at an iron foundry. Later he was drafted into the army, where he served 2 years in the Airborne Forces. He graduated from the Troitsk Aviation Technical College with a degree in mechanical engineering, then the Samara Aerospace University and the Ural Forest Engineering University. Has a specialty \"Construction of roads and airfields\".\nAfter studying in college, Andrey worked as an aircraft technician on helicopters for 5 years. Later he got a job as a valve hydraulic press at the plant. For 13 years Andrey worked in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order in the yards and on the streets. He also professionally created advertising and presentation texts, but in 2019 he was fired due to staff reduction.\nAndrey loves sports: he plays hockey in one of the city teams, rollerblades and bikes, runs, and is fond of strength training. He also enjoys playing chess, reading and spending time with his family.\nIn the early 2000s, Andrey decided to take the Christian path. He liked the logic, reasonableness, and simplicity of biblical truths, and the fact that everything in the Bible is interconnected.\nIn 2006 Andrey married Svetlana. The spouses have a son and a daughter, whom they instill high moral standards from childhood. The family loves nature: in winter they build birdhouses and feed birds, and in summer they gather mushrooms. Another family hobby is making wooden model airplanes as gifts for friends.\nThe persecution of the head of the family affected the health of his then-pregnant wife Svetlana. To the delight of the whole family, in August 2023 Andrey was fully acquitted by the court.\n","date":"2020-10-15","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhukovan/photo_hu_5caec5ea6562a82e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhukovan/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhukovan/photo_hu_4d76429c95058f72.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhukovan/photo_hu_8320b7bffef699f.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhukovan.html","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Andrey Zhukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov\u0026#39;s family was suddenly deprived of the support and care they needed when the peaceful believer was put behind bars in October 2020 on charges of extremist activity. Then he spent more than 7 months in a pre-trial detention center, and in October 2022, the court sentenced Zhukov to 6 years in a penal colony only because of his faith. In July 2024, the marriage of Yevgeniy and Tatyana was registered in the penal colony.\nYevgeniy was born in a large family in 1969. At the age of 14, he lost his father. As a child, Yevgeniy studied piano at a music school. After school, he graduated from college and received the profession of a ship pipe bender. He worked at the plant by profession.\nAfter serving in the army in Kazakhstan, Yevgeniy returned to work at the plant. During this period, he began to think about the meaning of life. Then his mother introduced him to the Bible. Carefully studying the Holy Scriptures, he found convincing answers to his questions, and to this day he is sure that he is on the right Christian path.\nYevgeniy was a soloist in a vocal and instrumental ensemble. He later retired from his musical career, but still loves to sing. In his free time, he likes to receive guests, go out into nature, ride an ATV. He is always ready to help those who need it.\nIn the early 1990s, Yevgeniy acquired the specialty of a builder-finisher. This allowed him to take care of his mother, sister and nephew, whom he raised as his own son. After the death of his mother, Yevgeniy continues to take care of his sister and his older disabled brother, who lost his wife in the summer of 2020.\nFriends love Yevgeniy because it is easy and reliable with him. Relatives and friends do not understand why this peace-loving man ended up behind bars and are looking forward to his return home.\n","date":"2020-10-16","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhukovye/photo_hu_2e45441c09546c2f.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhukovye/photo_hu_eac74a03f29d3380.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhukovye/photo_hu_171e9d27e79e6a88.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhukovye/photo_hu_ffbeb944fb0d08fe.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhukovye.html","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Zhukov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Anton Zhurbenko from Oryol faced criminal prosecution for his faith in October 2021. His house was searched, he was included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring.\nAnton was born in October 1990 in Kerch (Crimea), he was the only child in the family. His mother taught drawing at school.\nAs a child, Anton loved to study, so he spent a lot of time doing school assignments. In addition, he played chess, rode a bicycle. Anton has retained his love for learning for many years—he likes to read educational literature and attend various courses.\nAnton graduated from the Oryol Restoration and Construction College with a degree in joinery, carpentry and parquet work. He worked as a carpenter, finisher, fitter, electric and gas tool repairman. Recently, he has been a key maker.\nMother from childhood instilled in Anton a love for God and taught him to act according to biblical principles. He himself felt the benefits of their use. Anton became one of the first Jehovah's Witnesses in Oryol to complete alternative civilian service.\nIn 2011, Anton married Tatyana, who shares his Christian beliefs. Together, the couple love to be in nature and fishing. Tatyana helps her husband take care of his grandmother, who lives with them.\nDue to the criminal prosecution of the believer, his wife's chronic illness worsened on a nervous basis. Tatyana had to leave her job as a merchandiser. The family's financial situation worsened. Anton and Tatyana say that they are not left with a feeling of anxiety, they live with the thought that they can again come to them with a search and arrest.\nRelatives and friends worry about their spouses and do not understand why this happens to good people.\n","date":"2022-06-02","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zhurbenko/photo_hu_9d3db7000064f18e.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zhurbenko/photo_hu_2c6cc213145db47a.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zhurbenko/photo_hu_69ae039579067413.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zhurbenko/photo_hu_bd17f04c89bb4654.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zhurbenko.html","regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Anton Zhurbenko","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Yevgeny Zyablov ended up in jail in 2018 because of his faith. For several years he was forced to fight for his right to freedom of religion in court.\nYevgeny was born in March 1977 in Magadan. Since childhood, he loves sports - he was engaged in skiing, wrestling and bodybuilding. He has many awards and certificates for sports achievements. His hobby is going to the gym.\nAfter school, Yevgeniy received the profession of an auto mechanic. He works as a driver in an orphanage.\nSince childhood, Eugene thought about the life of death, dreaming that mom and dad always remained young and did not die. So when he began to study the Bible, he was impressed by the teaching that heaven would be on earth and no one would die. Eugene began his active spiritual quest after serving in the army, when he consciously came to faith in the Creator. In 2004, he embarked on the Christian path.\nIn 2017, Yevgeniy married Anna, whom he had known for more than ten years. During the criminal prosecution, they had a son with special needs. Yevgeniy also has an adult daughter, with whom he maintains a warm relationship, despite the fact that she does not share his religious views.\nYevgeny's relatives, friends and employees at work are shocked by the criminal prosecution, because they know him only from the positive side and do not understand how a person can be judged for reading the Bible.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/ziablov/photo_hu_cb965a1179a91ac7.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/ziablov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/ziablov/photo_hu_3d6b97f67844cd75.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/ziablov/photo_hu_76997af783fc70a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/ziablov.html","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"title":"Yevgeniy Zyablov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In January 2020, peaceful believer Viktor Zimovskiy was summoned for interrogation, detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for two months. Three months earlier, his home had been searched. In November 2022, the court sentenced this disabled father of three children to six years and two months in a penal colony.\nViktor was born in 1969 in the town of Georgievsk. His parents passed away, leaving the thirteen-year-old boy an orphan. The only relative that remained was his older sister, Yelena.\nAs a child, Viktor was fond of soccer, and he collected stamps and coins. After graduating eighth grade, he transferred to an evening school so he could earn extra money as a loader during the day. Viktor also worked as a mechanic and as a builder, and he finished apartments.\nHis older sister, Yelena, was the first to get acquainted with the Bible, and later Viktor joined her. While studying this book, he found the answer to the question that concerned him: What is the meaning of life? Viktor realized that death is not the end, and people have the hope of living forever in a paradise on earth.\nViktor met his wife, Nadezhda, in Georgievsk. In July 2006 they got married. Nadezhda worked as a manager in a computer equipment store and at the same time studied by correspondence at a university Department of Psychology. Now she takes care of her home; she likes to work in the garden and to take care of the plants, and she knits and embroiders. At the time of Viktor's arrest, their sons were aged twelve and five and Nadezhda was expecting their third child.\nThe family loves to spend time together, visit the sights of the Caucasus area, and take care of their garden.\nViktor's criminal prosecution divided the life of his family into \"before\" and \"after.\" Since the search, the family has been under great stress.\nViktor has a disability, and he underwent heart surgery. His already fragile health suffered. A few days after the search, Viktor was hospitalized in the cardiology department for a serious condition, and Nadezhda was admitted to the hospital with a risk of miscarriage in the fifth month of pregnancy.\nThe children are sure that their father did nothing wrong. They don't understand why he is being treated like a criminal.\nViktor's relatives, friends, and colleagues, are very concerned about what is happening. They all know the Zimovskiys as law-abiding, respectable, and honest people, and they wonder how such unjust persecution is possible in modern society.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zimovskiy/photo_hu_1f4c13556b490add.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zimovskiy/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zimovskiy/photo_hu_91e21cb093dfb7a4.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zimovskiy/photo_hu_7ba93f3c04284eee.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zimovskiy.html","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Viktor Zimovskiy","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"The life of Yevgeny Zinich's parents from Krasnoyarsk was not easy: in 1951, Yevgeny's mother and her parents were exiled to Khakassia as part of Operation North, and his father was sentenced to 10 years for transporting religious literature, but 2 years later, after Stalin's death, he was released. Many years later, history repeats itself - for their faith in Jehovah God, their son is persecuted.\nYevgeny was born in April 1966 in the city of Nazarovo (Krasnoyarsk Territory). He has an older brother and a younger sister. My father worked as a coppersmith in an auto repair shop, passed away in 1986. His mother worked as a seamstress in a factory. As a child, Yevgeniy was fond of playing chess, attended a radio circle, loved to read, often and for a long time talked with classmates and teachers on the topic of religion. These conversations helped him to better understand Bible teachings and to ensure that his parents' religion had a solid Bible foundation. In 1982 he made the decision to become a Christian.\nDue to his peaceful convictions, Yevgeniy could not attend the lessons of basic military training and for this reason was forced to leave his studies in the ninth grade. For secondary education, he graduated from an evening school in Krasnoyarsk, where he moved in 1984. Then Yevgeniy took courses on the repair of commercial equipment, worked as a cash register repairman, and also received the profession of a fitter for the installation, repair and maintenance of industrial ventilation. Since 1989 he worked as a plumber, a home appliance repairman, and then a technical director in a commercial firm. In 1998 he opened his own business. In his free time, Yevgeniy goes in for walking and swimming, reads a lot, including books on history, business, psychology and medicine.\nIn 1986, Yevgeniy met Maria from the city of Zima (Irkutsk region). Her family also suffered from the Stalinist repression and was exiled to Siberia for their faith. After 2 years, Yevgeniy and Maria got married and moved to Krasnoyarsk, where their daughter was born. Unfortunately, Maria, a disabled person of group II, died of a serious illness during the criminal prosecution.\nYevgeniy and his relatives could not imagine that after so many years they would have to remember the events of 1951 and go through what his parents faced at that time. The criminal prosecution for his faith seriously affected Yevgeniy's health: he had to seek medical help due to high blood pressure. Yevgeny's relatives and friends are worried about him and are deeply experiencing the unfair oppression of a believer.\n","date":"2021-04-27","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zinich/photo_hu_74404b4271798d36.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zinich/photo_hu_97000dbf77ca2546.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zinich/photo_hu_996e305acd9268ef.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zinich/photo_hu_95c7e02d78705259.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zinich.html","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"title":"Yevgeniy Zinich","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"Vera Zolotova was detained in August 2018 in Yelizovo (Kamchatka Territory). The peaceful pensioner was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and, after long trials, was given a 2-year suspended sentence.\nVera was born in Yelizovo in 1946 in a large family with six children. As a child, she loved skating and skiing, often went hiking in the picturesque places of Kamchatka. She worked as a turner and accountant, now she is retired. Vera loved to spend time with friends, to be in nature, and to grow indoor plants. Almost all her life she lived in her native Yelizovo, although she lived in Belarus for two years.\nVera has been looking for God for a long time, getting acquainted with different religions. From the Bible, she learned that God is just and loves people. She was glad that she could address him in her own words, from the heart.\nIn 1966, Vera married Yuriy. They had a son and a daughter. Yuriy is no longer alive, but during his lifetime he was impressed by the positive changes that took place in his wife under the influence of the Bible.\nThe daughter took care of Vera until her death due to heart disease in March 2026.\n","date":"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_1ede8eee6ec70c02.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_1ede8eee6ec70c02.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_e78aa98d8160b7a0.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zolotova/photo_hu_e78aa98d8160b7a0.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zolotova.html","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"title":"Vera Zolotova","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"In the early 2000s, Konstantin Zotov served in hot spots and was actively involved in counter-terrorist operations in Chechnya and Ingushetia. However, today he was equated with extremists and was charged with a criminal case for believing in God.\nKonstantin was born in April 1982 in the mountainous Ural city of Zlatoust (Chelyabinsk region). He has a younger brother. As a child, Kostya was fond of soccer and skiing. After school, he graduated from the school as a car mechanic. Recently, he has been working in the field of maintaining cleanliness and order in the streets of the city and is working as a courier. At leisure, he writes poems, reads books and communicates with friends.\nKonstantin first heard about the Bible as a child from his father and grandmother. They were touched by the logic of the Bible teachings and the opportunity to develop friendship with God. However, the boy did not join his relatives, who took the Christian way in 1993. He liked to communicate with people who do not share high moral values. He developed bad habits, and later decided to join the army in an effort to fight.\nBefore leaving for a hot spot in Vladikavkaz, Konstantin had a conversation with Jehovah's Witnesses. It excited him with warm memories of how God had answered his prayers and helped him. \"I decided that if I return alive, I will definitely resume Bible study and get my life in order: I will quit smoking and other bad habits to please my God. That's exactly what happened,\" remembers the believer.\nIn the Altai, Konstantin met his future wife Victoria, who shares his spiritual values. In 2013 they got married and moved to the city of Beryozovsky, Sverdlovsk region, to take care of Konstantin’s sick mother, who has the 3rd group of disability. Victoria works as a massage therapist. She loves to cook and play the guitar.\nCriminal prosecution severely undermined the health of the spouses. There were many shocks in Konstantin's life already. In the early 90's, armed bandits broke into the relatives where he was visiting. A 10-year-old boy was held hostage at gunpoint while the owners were writing off the apartment to the raiders. His participation in the hostilities, and later the severe accident, seriously affected his emotional and physical condition. Zotov's parents experienced another shock: this time due to unfair charge.\nThe search, interrogation, and criminal case destroyed Konstantin's reputation as a good and responsive colleague. At work, the attitude towards him has changed dramatically: he feels cold and distrust in the team. But Konstantin is sure that he will overcome everything with God's support.\n","date":"2020-11-25","image":{"jpg":"/prisoners/zotov/photo_hu_38ea21c8db0f2087.jpg","jpg2x":"/prisoners/zotov/photo.jpg","webp":"/prisoners/zotov/photo_hu_ec3bcd43ea3aaec9.webp","webp2x":"/prisoners/zotov/photo_hu_354d94bca45d85ff.webp"},"permalink":"/en/prisoners/zotov.html","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Konstantin Zotov","type":"prisoners"},{"body":"For several months, intelligence agent Kira Klisheva, who portrayed an interest in the Bible, kept covert video recordings of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses worship services in Seversk. She transmitted the data to the FSB. In July 2020, employees of the Investigative Committee invaded with a search of a peaceful family man Sergey Belousov. In March 2021, the Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Seversk opened a criminal case against the believer, separating him from the case of Yevgeny Korotun. Belousov was accused of extremism, which, according to the investigation, was expressed in participation in worship services, the performance of religious songs and prayers. In July 2021, the case was submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. It was considered by judge Ekaterina Soldatenko. On April 14, 2022, Belousov was sentenced to 3 years of probation with restriction of liberty for 1 year. In June 2022, the appellate court upheld this decision.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html","prisoners":["belousov"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Belousov's case in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court approves the verdict to Sergey Belousov.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220630","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Soldatenko finds Sergey Belousov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 3 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-04-14T16:11:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220414","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant delivers the last word. The verdict will be announced on April 14.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220413","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Sergey Belousov a sentence of 5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220324","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the 25-degree frost, 67 people come to the courthouse to support Sergey Belousov. Only the defendant's wife is allowed into the courtroom.\nJudge Ekaterina Soldatenko attaches documents in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kamchatka - Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova. On January 18, 2022, the Kamchatka Regional Court acquitted the believers accused under the same article as Sergey Belousov (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). However, Soldatenko says that when sentencing Belousov, the court will make its own decision.\nThe application for the exclusion of irrelevant material evidence shall be rejected.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220211","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the courtroom, in addition to the participants in the trial, the defendant's wife and daughter are present. The court rejects the motion to dismiss the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220131","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearing, despite the objection of the prosecutor Sidorenko, Judge Ekaterina Soldatenko agrees to view a fragment of the videoconference of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated October 28, 2021. Sergey Belousov notes that, according to the decision of the Plenum, the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses do not in themselves constitute corpus delicti.\nVideo recordings of 5 worship services are played, which, as the believer explains, are not meetings of members of the banned LRO.\nA defense witness who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses is being questioned. He characterizes Sergey Belousov as someone who has a decent reputation among the residents of Seversk. \"The person is sympathetic, good. [...] If he was a bad person, then so many people would not worry about him,\" the witness notes.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220120","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the severe frost, 18 people come to the courthouse to support the defendant.\nThe court reads out Belousov's characteristics from the place of work, from neighbors, as well as letters of thanks from the school for the good upbringing of his daughter.\nA defense witness who has known the defendant for more than 10 years is being interrogated. He notes: \"Sergey is a respectable, modest, educated person, ready to support in difficult times. A friend, in short. You can always talk to him about something, on any topic. Fun enough.\"\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20220114","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor finishes reading 6 volumes of the case. Among the materials are biblical speeches and articles on the topics: \"Conquer evil with good\", \"Take your eyes away from the unworthy\", \"You can become a support for others\" and \"Love strengthens\".\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20211210","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings begin in the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. Only Sergey Belousov's wife and daughter are allowed into the hall as listeners.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendant expresses his disagreement with the charges against him.\nThe judge refuses to read out the written testimony of the prosecution witness to the prosecutor and asks him to be summoned to the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20210713","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Sergey Belousov is submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region, it will be considered by Judge Ekaterina Soldatenko.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20210622","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is formally charged on the basis of video recordings of worship services made by K. E. Klisheva from her home computer. The woman pretended to be interested in the Bible for about a year, collaborating with the FSB.\nSergey Belousov is accused of taking part in ... religious worship\", as well as in \"singing songs\" and \"prayers to Jehovah God\" (from the indictment).\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20210330","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for Seversk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 43-year-old Sergey Belousov. The criminal case was separated from the case against Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Belousov's case in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk2/index.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2019-06-27","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk4/index.html","prisoners":["eremeev"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case Eremeev in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Defendant Popov pleaded not guilty.\nExpressing his attitude to the charges, he notes that the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.17 liquidated legal entities, but did not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives all citizens of Russia the right to practice any religion.\n\"It follows from the charges that I face imprisonment just because I exercised my right to practice religion,\" Popov said. Then he adds, turning to the judge: \"You, as a lawyer and a person, will be aware of the striking difference between Christian service to God, which I intend to carry out all my life, and extremism, which is absolutely opposite and alien to me.\"\nThe defendant submits motions to refuse a free lawyer and to include the views of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in the case file. The Court grants the request to refuse a free lawyer, but refuses to admit the opinion of the UN Working Group, since it cannot establish the source of his origin.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for August 13, 15:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk4/index.html#20200804","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Popov to the Investigative Committee for charge and interrogation. Vitaliy pleaded not guilty. He considers this criminal case to be repression for his faith, since his religion is the only reason for the persecution.\nThe investigator exerts pressure on Vitaliy, insisting that the believer familiarize himself with the 21 volumes of the criminal case within a week (about 5,000 pages).\n","caseTitle":"Case Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk4/index.html#20200513","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the home of Vitaly Popov, law enforcement officers appear without a summons and ask to go with them to the investigative department for interrogation. One of them presents a certificate in the name of Roman Logvenkov.\nVitaliy is interrogated for more than 4 hours by the investigator for especially important cases A. Bryuzgin. He is trying to provoke Popov to self-incrimination. Bryuzgin presents the believer with the transcripts of the services.\nVitaliy refuses to testify. Bryuzgin charges him in a criminal case. Vitaliy disagrees and does not admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"Case Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk4/index.html#20200409","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, \"they participated in conducting collective religious services, teaching the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, methods and methods of disseminating the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses among citizens, and collected funds in the form of donations.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Vitaly Popov (born in 1967), Maxim Eremeev (born in 1987).\n","caseTitle":"Case Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk4/index.html#20190627","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of February 2023, 7 searches were carried out in the cities of Kingisepp and Slantsy (Leningrad Region). The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Kirill Khabrik, Igor Zhmyrev and other unidentified persons under an extremist article. Charges were also brought against Andrey Morozov, Sergey Ryabokon and Yevgeniy Poveschenko. The latter was chosen a restriction measure in the form of a recognizance agreement, and the rest were placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent from 9 to 11 months. At the end of March, searches were again carried out in Kingisepp. Eleven other believers were interrogated. Five more people became defendants in the criminal case: Miroslav Sabodash, Igor Shevlyuga, Tatyana Stepanova, Aleksandr Vaganov and Konstantsiya Vovk. They were placed in a temporary detention center, but soon released all but Igor Shevlyuga, who spent a month in the pre-trial detention center. In May 2024, the case went to court, and in December 2025 it was returned to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office to eliminate procedural errors.","date":"2023-02-19","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html","prisoners":["sabodash","shevlyuga","stepanova","vaganov","vovk","khabrik","morozova","poveshchenko","ryabokon","zhmyrev"],"regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Case in Kingisepp","type":"cases"},{"body":"The charge against the believers has been changed: Sergey Ryabokon, Igor Zhmyrev, Andrey Morozov, Kirill Khabrik — under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC, the rest — under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20260330","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge returns the case to the prosecutor to remedy the procedural deficiencies.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251208","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two defense witnesses - colleagues Ryabokon and Vaganov. Both employees of the kindergarten characterize the believers only positively. The head says that both Aleksandr and Sergey are \"polite and courteous guys.\" She notes that it was always possible to turn to them for help, they did their work efficiently.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251201","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Vaganov draws attention to the fact that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit citizens from spreading their religious beliefs and gathering for meetings for worship.\nKonstantsiya Vovk and Tatyana Stepanova describe the characters of the other defendants. They describe them as kind people who have a good reputation in society and care for their family members, even if they do not share their religious views.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251020","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert religious scholar Mikhail Seleznev, Doctor of Philology and Bible scholar, gives a statement. He is interrogated via video conferencing. He says that he was surprised by the expert study, based on which the translation of the Bible made by Jehovah's Witnesses was recognized as extremist in 2017. Seleznev disagrees with the conclusion that the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is not the Bible. He was one of 27 specialists who wrote a review of this expert study. Among other things, the review states that the authors of the expert study are not Bible scholars.\nThe scholar also compares passages from several editions of the Holy Scriptures and states: \"The translation of Jehovah's Witnesses is consistent with a number of other Russian translations of the Bible and can rightly be called the Bible exactly as the Synodal translation or the translation of the Bible of the Russian Bible Society.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251015","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","bible-ban"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Poveshchenko is interrogated, and then his wife. She declares: \"We have different religions, I am Orthodox, but this does not prevent us from living in peace and love.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251014","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov and Kirill Khabrik explain that they simply profess their faith as private individuals. According to them, peaceful religious practice is mistakenly interpreted as a crime.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251003","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Testimony is given by Sergey Ryabokon, Igor Zhmyrev and Miroslav Sabodash. They emphasize that they are not representatives of any legal entity, and the motivating factor of all their actions was love for people, and not the desire to incite religious hatred or undermine the constitutional order.\nAbout 35 caring people from different cities come to the meeting to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20251002","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist Galina Sergeevna Ivanenko, PhD in philology, speaks at the hearing. She talks about a linguistic analysis of the New World Translation in comparison with the Synodal Translation. The expert says: \"I can confidently say that there are no differences.\" She emphasizes that the New World Translation is a Bible, and there are no linguistic signs of extremism in its text.\nNext, the wife of one of the defendants, Sergey Ryabokon, is interrogated. She says that the believer respects others and is always ready to help them: \"My husband is a law-abiding, decent and honest person. It's his way of life.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20250826","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two witnesses in the case. One of them has never attended meetings of believers in Kingisepp and does not know the defendants personally. The second witness retracted part of the testimony given to the investigator earlier. He explained this by the fact that he was not ready for the interrogation and was taken by surprise, and much in the affidavit was taken out of context and attributed to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20250319","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case of ten believers in Kingisepp are beginning.\nThe judge refuses to satisfy the defendants' petitions for their refusal of appointed lawyers, in connection with which the latter continue their participation in the consideration of the case.\nThe judge rejects the petition of one of the lawyers to demand from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation information proving that the defendants were not the founders of the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and were not members of this legal entity. Also denied was the defense's petition to involve specialists and attach written evidence confirming that the Holy Scriptures are the Bible.\nThe court granted the motion to remove from the courtroom FSB officer Fedorov, who was declared as a witness for the prosecution.\nThe judge requires the defendants to answer whether they admit their guilt or not, not allowing them to express their attitude to the prosecution and even briefly explain their position.\nThe first volume of the case is read out – the phonogram of the meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240918","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is submitted to the Kingisepp City Court of the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240522","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants are served with an indictment at the Kingisepp prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240514","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigating authorities complete the investigation of the criminal case and approve the indictment. The case is sent to the court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240404","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky District Court of St. Petersburg changes Kirill Khabrik's preventive measure to a ban on certain actions. The believer is forbidden to communicate with the defendants in the case, use telephone communications and the Internet, as well as attend public events.\nThe court extends the ban on certain actions for Sergei Ryabokon, but lifts the ban on leaving the house from 21:00 to 07:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240214","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Sergey Ryabokon from the pre-trial detention center, changing his measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions. Kirill Khabrik's house arrest is extended until February 18, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240119","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Although Sergey Ryabokon has been in jail for almost a year, he tries to find the positive in everything. There is hot water in the cell, each prisoner has his own sleeping place. Cellmates try to smoke in the toilet. Relations with them and the administration are respectful.\nThe believer regularly receives parcels. He is supported by phone calls, visits with loved ones, and letters, to which he tries to answer.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2024-01-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20240106","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov and Sergey Ryabokon do not experience significant health problems. They regularly receive parcels and letters. Andrey has already received about 500 letters, and Sergey has received about 1000. Both have the opportunity to read the Bible.\nAndrey worries about his wife, who is hard to bear separation from him. He did not receive a response to the application for a non-smoking cell.\nSergey, after being transferred to another cell, rejoices in the opportunity to watch sunsets from the window. He tries to play sports: he runs, does push-ups. He says that he feels better that way.\nOn August 9 and 30, Ryabokon and Morozov, respectively, underwent a psychological and psychiatric examination, previously appointed by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230831","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Zhmyrev is kept in a 6-bed cell, he has his own bed, relations with his cellmates are normal. They are surprised by the number of letters Igor receives, especially from strangers. He has already received about 400 letters, and he also has a Bible.\nIgor has been diagnosed with thyroid and stomach diseases, needs a thorough examination and is worried about sudden weight loss (he has lost 15 kg since March 2023). He has repeatedly written applications to the therapist for the provision of special meals, but while the therapist is on vacation, special meals are not provided to him. He is rescued by parcels that his wife gives him twice a month, but this is still not enough.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230830","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal overturns the court's decision to arrest Sergei Ryabokon and sends it for review to the Primorsky District Court of St. Petersburg.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230811","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov and Sergey Ryabokon are transferred to the Kresty pre-trial detention center (Kolpino) for psychological examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230807","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Kirill Khabrik from the pre-trial detention center and sends him under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230516","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Igor Shevlyuga from the pre-trial detention center under a ban on certain actions. The believer spent 26 days in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230419","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Zhmyrev is being held in a 6-bed cell. Due to his poor health, Igor needs regular medication. Other prisoners smoke constantly, because of this, the believer's allergy to tobacco smoke has worsened. Zhmyrev twice wrote applications asking to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but he never received a response. Although Igor receives many letters, they are not given to him.\nKirill Khabrik, once in jail, fell ill, but soon recovered. In general, his condition is normal. He is being held in a large cell for 60 people. The believer receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230327","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vovk, Sabodash, Stepanova and Vaganov are banned from certain actions, and Shevlyuga is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230324","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces conduct 6 new searches in Kingisepp, after which 11 believers are taken for interrogation. Igor Shevlyuga, Miroslav Sabodash, Konstance Vovk, Tatyana Stepanova and Aleksandr Vaganov are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230322","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Igor Zhmyrev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 \"Kresty\" in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. He was arrested on February 21.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230313","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Morozov, Sergey Ryabokon and Kirill Khabrik are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 6 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case in Kingisepp","date":"2023-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kingisepp/index.html#20230221","regions":["leningrad_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The life of Anna Lokhvitskaya, a garment production technologist, changed dramatically in the summer of 2019 when her husband, Artur, was criminally prosecuted for discussing the Bible among friends. On February 6, 2020, FSB Investigator Dmitry Yankin initiated criminal cases against Anna and five other residents of Birobidzhan on suspicion of participating in extremist activities. The believer was charged with \u0026ldquo;studying the Bible with others on Skype.\u0026rdquo; The hearings in the Birobidzhan District Court were held behind closed doors. During the arguments, the prosecutor requested that Anna be sentenced to four years in a general regime penal colony with subsequent restrictions for another two years. On July 20, 2021, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskih, who also heard cases against three other believers (among them Anna\u0026rsquo;s mother-in-law), gave Lokhvitskaya a two-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence. On December 16, 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld this verdict.","date":"2020-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html","prisoners":["lokhvitskaya"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is considering the appeal of Anna Lokhvitskaya. The panel of judges chaired by Elena Pyshkina approves the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20211216","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Lokhvitskaya and her lawyer speak in the debate. On July 19, Anna will say the last word. On the same day, the court may announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210715","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The state prosecutor states that \"the correction of Anna Alexandrovna Lokhvitskaya is impossible without isolation from society.\" He requests for her 4 years of serving a sentence in a general regime colony, followed by restrictions for 2 years: not to change her permanent place of residence without the permission of a specialized body, to appear at the criminal inspectorate 2 times a month to monitor her behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210531","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Lokhvitskaya files a motion to declare inadmissible the testimony of the witness Zvereva, given during interrogation by the investigator. The judge states that he will take this petition into account when sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210519","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court attaches to the case file the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the non-enforcement of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights.\nA prosecution witness, police officer Yulia Zvereva, who attended the worship building and meetings of believers in Birobidzhan even before the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017, is being questioned. When asked by Lokhvitskaya about where Zvereva was on the dates of the events imputed to the believer, the witness says that she was at work. Zvereva also explains that she only watched videos of joint meetings of believers in the FSB department. She admits that she has not heard from Lokhvitskaya calls for genocide or violence on religious grounds, as well as allegations of the superiority of one person over another depending on his religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210428","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court considers video and audio recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. Anna Lokhvitskaya explains to the court that the video shows ordinary religious activity, where believers sing songs, pray, study the Bible, learn to reflect and plan time correctly. \"The prosecutor wants to present [these videos] as evidence for the prosecution, but in fact it exonerates me,\" says the believer. She also draws the judge's attention to the fact that all recordings are polite, there are no curses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20210406","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them tells the court that a believer in another criminal case ordered her to hold a wedding and a friendly meeting. When asked by Anna Lokhvitskaya what she can say about the dates imputed to the defendant, and personally about her, the witness answers: \"Nothing, I don't even know you.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20201028","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment, after which Anna Lokhvitskaya expresses her disagreement with it. The judge attaches the attitude to the accusation of the defendant to the case file.\nThe questioning of witnesses begins. The testimony is given by a soldier who participated as a witness in searches of other believers from Birobidzhan. He explains that the searches were peaceful and calm, he personally participated in the search of an elderly married couple.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20201019","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Vasilina Bezotecheskikh. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya Street, 32).\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20201019","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge adjourns until 19.10.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200929","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, without the participation of the parties, makes a decision on the appointment of a closed court hearing in the criminal case of Anna Lokhvitskaya. It is noteworthy that on the same day the same judge makes similar decisions in the cases of three other women. Among them are Irina Lokhvitskaya, Anna's mother-in-law, as well as Natalia Kriger and Anastasia Guzeva. All four women are close relatives (wife or mother) of believing men who are accused under a similar article of the Criminal Code and whose cases are being considered in parallel in the same court.\nAnna's case will be considered behind closed doors, i.e. without the participation of the media, listeners and relatives. According to the judge, an open hearing of the case may lead to the disclosure of secrets protected by law - personal data of persons, including minors, whose data appear in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Birobidzhansky District Court receives materials from the criminal case against Anna Lokhvitskaya.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200819","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior forensic investigator D. S. Yankin charges Anna Lokhvitskaya with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A measure of restraint is chosen for the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200218","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region D. Yankin signs a decree on bringing Anna Lokhvitskaya as a defendant in criminal case No. 12007990001000002. The ruling notes that Lokhvitskaya was active in religious activities, \"took a direct active part in the illegal religious event of Jehovah's Witnesses in the form of a meeting of the congregation\" and studied the Bible together with others, using the Skype program for this purpose.\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200217","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin is initiating another case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 6 criminal cases for faith against 6 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Nataliya Kriger . All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of A. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan12/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, the homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were searched in four cities of Dagestan. Two religious brochures on the list of extremist materials were planted in one of the homes. Prior to this, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Arsen Abdullaev, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Mariya Karpova, accusing them of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Additionally, the three men were charged with financing a banned organization, while the woman was charged with involving others in it. All four were put on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists. The believers spent 362 days in pre-trial detention, after which they were placed under house arrest. In 2020, the cassation court declared that their detention in a pre-trial detention center for 8 out of 12 months was unlawful. In March 2021, the consideration of the case on the merits began. In November 2022, the court gave Abdullayev, Abdulgalimov and Dergalev 6.5 year suspended sentences and gave Karpova a 6 year suspended sentence.","date":"2019-05-27","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html","prisoners":["abdulgalimov","abdullaev","dergalev","karpova"],"regions":["dagestan"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","type":"cases"},{"body":"Maria Karpova and Arsen Abdullaev deliver their closing remarks. Believers emphasize that they are alien to the extremism of which they are accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-11-18T00:09:12+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20221118","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marat Abdulgalimov and Anton Dergalev pronounce the last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20221108","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking during the debate, the prosecutor requests 7 years and 6 months in a penal colony for Arsen Abdullaev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Anton Dergalev, and 6 years and 6 months in a penal colony for Maria Karpova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20221018","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defendants' request for re-examination. The process proceeds to the stage of debate of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220913","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the court attaches the decision of the ECHR of June 7, 2022. The defense also petitions for a second forensic complex psychological, linguistic and religious examination to establish whether there was a motive of hatred (a necessary condition for prosecution under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). A decision on this matter shall be postponed to the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220906","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Dergalev testifies. He says, \"I'm a fourth-generation believer. I think if my grandmother and great-grandmother were alive, they would be very surprised and upset that their grandson is being tried as an extremist.\" He continues: \"My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love of God and love of people. Therefore, my beliefs are directly opposite to what is called extremism. The materials of the criminal case do not prove the opposite.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220830","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maria Karpova is being interrogated. The believer says that her religious beliefs are exclusively peaceful, and after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, her views have not changed. Karpova says: \"The only intention I have is to remain a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, to show love and respect for all people, regardless of their nationality, skin color and attitude to religion.\" Speaking of the name Jehovah, she adds: \"No court decision has forbidden the use of this name. And I don't understand why my use of God's name is cited as evidence of guilt in continuing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220809","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marat Abdulgalimov testifies on each count of the accusation and declares his innocence: \"I cannot commit violence against anyone, and even more so against the state, and I do not do this primarily because I do not want to upset my God Jehovah. By such actions, I would violate the laws of the Russian Federation, and if I violate the laws of the Russian Federation, accordingly, I violate the law of God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220802","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge attaches a package of documents to the case. Among them are positive characteristics of the defendants, including those from the Makhachkala pre-trial detention center No. 1, the decision of the Court of Cassation to recognize the defendants as illegal in custody for 8 months (please clarify: the info in the report on the SZ is at odds with the one published on the website; judging by the report, it was declared illegal several times), various decisions of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts on religious freedom, decisions of the ECHR on the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses and the conclusion of a religious examination.\nThe court proceeds to the interrogation of the defendants. Arsen Abdullayev states that he has never had anything to do with extremism and that his \"way of life over the past 22 years reflects peacefulness and philanthropy.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220719","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of material evidence continues. During the inspection of the laptop seized from one of the believers, Dergalev and Abdulgalimov draw attention to the fact that, contrary to the allegations of the prosecution, there are no prohibited sites in the browser history.\nThe court watches videos on the following topics: \"How the Bible study is going\", \"What is the condition of the dead\", \"How to communicate with parents\".\nTwo audio files are examined: the first refers to Jehovah's Witnesses' rejection of violence, and the second talks about a Muslim scholar and Islamic rituals, but does not contain any negative assessments.\nThe book \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\" by religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko is studied in detail. The judge's attention is drawn to the fact that in the event of natural disasters, Jehovah's Witnesses distribute humanitarian aid not only to fellow believers, but also to other people.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220628","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, the owner of the apartment that Maria Karpova rented for 10 years, is being interrogated. The woman says that the believer never delayed payment, maintained cleanliness and had good relations with her neighbors. The Witness never heard from Mary any derogatory remarks, criticism of state authority, or calls for rebellion. The fact that Mary believed in Jehovah God, the witness learned only from the investigator.\nThe court examines material evidence - religious studies about Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as publications of this denomination. Among them are two magazines that were planted on Abdullayev during the search (both publications are not included in the FSEM). The believer draws attention to the topics of magazine articles: parenting, the importance of forgiveness and honesty, historical evidence that Jesus was a real person. Arsen's biblical lecture notes are also examined: \"Be merciful, as your Father is merciful\"; \"The congregation of true Christians is known by love\"; \"A message of hope in a world of cruelty.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220621","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is studying the protocol of the search in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Makhachkala, as well as an information article about the abduction and torture of Arsen Abdullayev as part of a falsified criminal case against him for his faith. Both events took place in 2015, when the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses were still registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\nThe court is also examining Marat Abdulgalimov's application for alternative civilian service, which he filed in connection with his peace-loving views.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220607","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants ask the court to change the measure of restraint from house arrest to recognizance not to leave. The court refuses, but lifts the ban on visiting public places and using telephones (except for calls to witnesses in this criminal case).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220426","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Transcripts of hidden audio recordings made at Maria Karpova's place of residence are announced. Those present at the meeting listen to how Maria and her flatmate do household chores, pray and talk about God and the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-04-12T13:55:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220412","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For 5 sessions, the court examines the transcripts of 7 divine services recorded during the operational-search activities. At them, believers discuss the importance of maintaining a clear conscience, following high moral standards, obedience to state authorities and an unbiased attitude towards others.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220301","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the written materials of the case continues. They include protocols of inspection of objects and documents seized from Maria Karpova, reference notes on the names Jehovah and Jesus, articles on raising children and a positive attitude. The court also considers screenshots of correspondence in the WhatsAapp messenger. Maria explains that the screenshots show that she did not involve anyone in any organization, but only shared the tips she liked.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220215","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, the protocol of the search of the defendant Maria Karpova is read out. Then the court proceeds to the examination of material evidence and documents.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220208","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the house arrest of believers until April 26, 2022.\nMarat Abdulgalimov, Maria Karpova and one of the defenders do not appear at the hearing due to illness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2022-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20220125","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the announcement of the case materials, Marat Abdulgalimov claims violations committed during the search: the investigator did not acquaint him with the decision to conduct investigative actions; When asked to show his ID, he was handcuffed and put facing the wall. The believer spent the rest of the search in a police car, as he objected to the interrogation of his minor brother. The defendant also claims that two religious publications were planted on him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20211012","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The protocols of inspection of items seized from Arsen Abdullayev during the search are announced. The defendant draws attention to the fact that most of the seized photographs are dated before April 20, 2017 and are not relevant to the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20211002","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The results of the handwriting examination conducted by Anna Belova, an employee of the expert unit of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Dagestan, are announced. Maria Karpova voices comments on the results of this examination, which does not meet the established requirements.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210921","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The result of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious forensic examination conducted by specialists N. Rohatin, E. Palekha and R. Galieva is announced. Experts point out that the materials under study do not contain negative statements by believers on the basis of gender, race, language, nationality, calls for violence and harm to anyone.\nAt the same time, experts use negative language in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses, with which the defendants do not agree. They point out to the court the distortion of information, inconsistency, unreasonableness and confusion of some of the conclusions, cast doubt on the independence of experts from the investigating authorities and their impartiality. They apply for an expert examination in another expert institution. The court rejects the request.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210914","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file the defendants' comments to the conclusion of experts A. Khokhlov, R. O. Galiyeva and E. Palekhi dated 23.11.2008. In their remarks, they point to the unreliability of the facts and the distortion of information by experts.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210907","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During interrogation, a minor prosecution witness retracts his preliminary testimony. He reports that he gave them under pressure and threats to \"imprison\" him and his mother.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210824","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning 4 witnesses for the prosecution. They confirm that the defendants did not participate in rallies, protests and pickets against the state, racism or nationalism is unacceptable for them.\nThree of the witnesses state that the investigation exerted psychological and moral pressure on them. One of them, guided by delusions and propaganda against Jehovah's Witnesses, was called a \"spy\" and an \"American intelligence officer.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210803","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning a prosecution witness who has known the defendants for more than 12 years. She reports that they never coerced, intimidated or threatened her with anything. \"They are kind, sincere, decent guys,\" says the woman. She also reports that the investigation put pressure on her, resorted to threats, did not give her the opportunity to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows her not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210727","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning 5 witnesses for the prosecution. They say that they have never heard calls against the overthrow of the government and the existing system from any of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210608","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall not allow public defenders to participate in the hearing.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. FSB officer Ignatiev, who conducted operational-search activities (ORM), cannot explain to the court for what actions local religious associations of believers were banned. He learned about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Internet, did not check the accuracy of the information, since this was not part of his duties.\nV. B. Israpilov, an employee of the Center for Countering Extremism in the Republic of Dagestan, not being an expert in the field of phonoscopy, insists that the voices of the defendants are heard on the audio recording provided in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210323","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nThe court rejects the believers' petitions to refuse appointed lawyers and public defenders.\nAll the defendants claim their innocence. They emphasize that they are peaceful people and their actions have never been aimed at inciting hatred, enmity and humiliation of human dignity. \"I don't conflict with people. I have no enemies. My views are directly opposite to what is called extremism,\" explains one of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210316","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The court rejects the believers' petitions to refuse appointed lawyers and public defenders.\nAll the defendants claim their innocence. They emphasize that they are peaceful people and their actions have never been aimed at inciting hatred, enmity and humiliation of human dignity. \"I don't conflict with people. I have no enemies. My views are directly opposite to what is called extremism,\" explains one of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210316","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Makhachkala, Amir Amirov, refuses to satisfy the request to return the criminal case to the prosecutor against four believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210309","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Kirovsky District Court of Makhachkala for consideration by Judge Amir Amirov with the participation of prosecutor Magomed Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20210118","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk ruled that the detention of Karpova, Dergalev, Abdulgalimov and Abdullaev in the pre-trial detention center was illegal. The court declares illegal the extension of their preventive measure from January 27 to May 27, 2020. (Previously, this court of cassation had already granted a complaint about the extension of their arrest, and after 2.5 months they were released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200921","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Dagestan decides to release Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev from the pre-trial detention center and send them under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200527","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers are charged in the final version. Maria Karpova is charged under Article 282.2 (1) and Article 282.2 (1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Anton Dergalev, Arsen Abdullaev and Marat Abdulgalimov were charged under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200430","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Dagestan rejects the appeals of four defendants about the illegal extension of their arrest.\nThe court also refuses the defense's request to attach to the materials the ruling of the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk dated March 4, 2020. The ruling, among other things, noted that the court of first instance did not provide strong reasons for extending the arrest of each of the accused and committed \"significant violations of the criminal procedure law\", which the court of appeal did not eliminate. The Court of Cassation considered these violations to infringe on the rights of the accused to liberty and security of person, guaranteed to them by Article 22 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nExcept for the direct participants in the process, no one else is allowed to attend the hearing. Relatives and close friends of the accused cannot be in the courtroom, even while wearing medical masks.\nRelatives of believers report that they managed to get permission from the investigator for visits. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, quarantine has been declared in the pre-trial detention center, and all visits are prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200320","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk upholds the complaint about the repeated extension of the arrest of Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev, Marat Abdulgalimov and Arsen Abdullaev, thus recognizing their detention as illegal.\nHowever, this does not mean that they will be released. Believers have repeatedly appealed to the Supreme Court of Dagestan, challenging the decision to extend the arrest, and the Court of Cassation considered only one of its decisions, issued in October 2019. After that, the arrest was extended several more times, and these decisions have not been canceled.\nNevertheless, the Supreme Court of Dagestan, when considering the next appeals against the extension of the arrest, will have to take into account the cassation ruling issued on March 4.\nMore than 500 people come to support the believers, but only 15 of them get into the hall, like last time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200304","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 10.30 a.m., it is planned to consider the cassation appeal of Maria Karpova and the other three accused. About 400 people gather outside the Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk to support four fellow believers, despite the fact that a day earlier many of them were handed summonses for interrogation by the FSB, including a minor. According to the teenager's mother, the investigator threatened to imprison him next year.\nAbout 15 people are allowed into the small courtroom. There are no lawyers for the accused at the trial, only three judges and a prosecutor are present. After many hours of waiting, court officials report that it is not possible to establish contact with the Makhachkala detention center, where the accused are located.\nThe court adjourned the hearing to March 4, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200226","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala extends until March 27, 2020 the period of stay in the pre-trial detention center of four arrested for their faith.\nIn addition to lawyers, about 10 friends and relatives come to support believers in court - not all of them who wanted to be at the hearing. According to the wife of one of the arrested, their relatives were not informed about the date of the court hearings, so many went to Pyatigorsk, where on February 26 a meeting of the cassation instance on complaints about the arrest of Maria Karpova and other detainees was to be held.\nBefore the trial begins, an FSB operative named Ignatiev does not let anyone inside until he receives a copy of his passport and issues a summons for interrogation. Those who come file complaints about these actions with the chairman of the court and the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200225","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Dagestan cancels the decision of the Sovetsky District Court to extend the detention until March 27, 2020. At the same time, the court does not release believers from custody, extending the term of imprisonment by 2 weeks (until February 27), and sends the case for a new trial in a different composition of the court.\nOn February 26, at 10:30 a.m., the Fifth Court of Cassation of Pyatigorsk will consider a cassation appeal against previous decisions of the Supreme Court of Dagestan. Earlier, the prisoners received a response from the judge of the Court of Cassation, which said that the court found a number of serious violations in their case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200213","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four was extended until March 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20200124","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four was extended until January 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20191127","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The imprisonment of all four has been extended until November 27, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190927","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dalgat Hajiyev, judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala, orders to extend the imprisonment of all four believers for 2 months, until September 27.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190727","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Dagestan conducts searches in Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, and Derbent in 10 houses of law-abiding local residents who are accused of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190601","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB initiates criminal proceedings for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, several local residents \"organized religious gatherings, the so-called 'meetings,' during which they conducted a study of printed materials of the banned organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' with the participation of residents of the Republic of Dagestan.\" Arsen Abdullaev, Maria Karpova, Anton Dergalev and Marat Abdulgalimov become innocent victims of law enforcement officers. The Sovetsky District Court of Makhachkala sent them to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abdullaev and Others in Makhachkala","date":"2019-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/makhachkala/index.html#20190527","regions":["dagestan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, Nizhny Novgorod security forces came with searches to 35 homes of peaceful believers, and several criminal cases were initiated. One of them is against the widow Galina Abrosimova and two other believers (their case is separated into separate proceedings). As it turned out later, local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were under covert video surveillance, their telephone conversations were tapped. Oleg Makerov, an investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Nizhny Novgorod region, accused Galina of organizing the activities of an extremist organization because of her religion. The believer spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, after which they took a written undertaking not to leave her place. In September 2021, the criminal case went to court. The prosecutor requested that Abrosimova be sentenced to 7 years in prison. In May 2022, the court sentenced her to 6 years probation, and in August of the same year, the appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2019-06-04","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html","prisoners":["abrosimova"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court approves the decision of the lower court. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220811","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ivan Karnavsky sentences Galina Abrosimova to a 6-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220506","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks for a sentence of 7 years in prison for Galina Abrosimova. The announcement of the last word and verdict is expected on April 20.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220407","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness on the part of the defense, the son of Galina Abrosimova, speaks. He gives his mother a positive characterization and says that she is \"loving, sympathetic, hardworking, always ready to help.\" He also says that after she began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, she changed (\"stopped abusing alcohol, her upbringing began to go softer ... all the conflicts that took place were resolved without shouting, without swearing\"). The witness also says: \"[She] taught to treat the authorities with respect, taught to obey the current laws that are in the legislation. She also taught to always respect the views of others, because every person in our country has the right to his own opinion.\nGalina Abrosimova testifies. She tells how much her life changed after she began to study the Bible. For example, she says, \"I saw mistakes in my children's upbringing and tried to correct them.\" Talking about her faith, Galina explains: \"When I was baptized, I did not become a member of the Administrative Center, but became one of Jehovah's Witnesses by conviction, just as people become Orthodox or Buddhists.\" She adds, \"My faith did not and does not depend on whether there is a legal seal or not.\"\nThe judge interrupts Galina, saying that she should testify, not give a lecture.\nThe believer notes: \"My goal has always been and is good intentions - to help people learn about a loving Creator who wants to give all good people a happy eternal life without wars, hunger, injustice, disease, death. [...] Extremism implies hatred, enmity, violence, which fundamentally contradicts the law of God's love, contradicts my conscience and my faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220328","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, the believer reads out a petition to attach to the case file the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the letter of Yakku I.V . The judge grants this petition.\nThe court insists on interrogating the believer, but the prosecutor agrees to give her time to prepare.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220318","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who failed to appear in court several times is being questioned. She explains that she is personally acquainted with the defendant, they worked together in the hospital. The witness says that she cannot say anything bad about Galina Abrosimova, she has never heard extremist appeals from her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220301","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ivan Karnavsky rejects Galina Abrosimova's petitions to declassify secret witnesses. The interrogation of \"I. A. Verkhoturov\" and \"I. I. Ivanov\" takes place online.\nThe witness \"Verkhoturov\", according to him, is a Jehovah's Witness, but does not know what role the defendant played at the services.\nWitness \"Ivanov\" says that he is familiar with the defendant in connection with his work to suppress the activities of extremist organizations. He participated in the conduct of the ORM, including at the address where the defendant lived. Ivanov claims that Abrosimova \"organized\" worship services at home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20220208","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The witness again fails to appear in court. The prosecutor begins to read out the case materials, including a transcript of a hidden audio recording of the worship service.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211228","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three witnesses do not appear in court, so the testimony of two of them is announced, and the defendant insists on the appearance of the third witness. The prosecutor does not object and proposes to interrogate classified witnesses at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211208","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Abrosimova was provided with a lawyer by appointment.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The believer reads out her attitude to the accusation, in which she expresses her disagreement with it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211130","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of Tsarev and Smirnov was separated into separate proceedings from the case of Abrosimova. It is assigned a 42101220089000296 number.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211118","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to release Abrosimova's defender from further participation in the process. At the same time, the court adjourns the hearing so that the believer can find another lawyer. Otherwise, she will be provided with a public defender. According to the judge, the participation of a lawyer will allow the believer to fully exercise her right to defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211117","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court granted two petitions of the defendant - to make an audio recording of the meeting, as well as to familiarize herself with the list of case materials, since the investigator did not allow her to do this earlier. Judge Karnavsky attaches to the case copies of medical certificates confirming that the believer has serious chronic diseases.\nThe defendant petitions for the refusal of a lawyer by appointment, since she intends to defend herself.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211112","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the criminal case against Galina Abrosimova begin. The defense and the prosecution will learn about the hearing 20 minutes before it starts. In this regard, the judge grants the lawyer's request to postpone the hearing.\nJudge Karnavsky announces that the trial will be held behind closed doors. He refuses to allow the believer to record the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20211019","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Galina Abrosimova, Eduard Smirnov and Denis Tsarev is submitted to the Sovetsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. It will be considered by judge Ivan Karnavsky.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20210910","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Nizhny Novgorod and the region, searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, equipment is being seized. Peaceful believers Denis Tsarev (born in 1983), Eduard Smirnov (born in 1988) and Galina Abrosimova (born in 1966) become defendants in criminal case No. 11901220089000239.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates criminal case No. 11901220089000239 for faith against unidentified persons, \"in whose act signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are seen.\" According to the investigation, they \"held meetings, collected donations for the needs of a religious organization, and improved their missionary skills.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Abrosimova and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod3/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 31, 2020, the investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region, Y. Kobylyatsky, opened a criminal case against Stepan Adamov for interpreting the Bible, praying to Jehovah God and telling others about it. The case of Stepan Adamov was separated from the criminal case of other believers from Chekhov near Moscow.","date":"2020-08-25","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov2/index.html","prisoners":["adamov"],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Adamov in Chekhov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Y. Kobylyatsky makes a decision on the separation of the criminal case against Adamov into a separate proceeding. It is assigned a new number: 42002460043000109.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Adamov in Chekhov","date":"2020-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov2/index.html#20200825","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Stepan Adamov is combined with the criminal case initiated in September 2019 against believers from Chekhov: Yuri and Zinaida Krutyakov, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaly Nikiforov, accused of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Adamov in Chekhov","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov2/index.html#20200218","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the first investigation department of the second department for the investigation of especially important cases (crimes against state power and in the sphere of economy) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region Kobylyatsky Y. I. initiates a criminal case against 67-year-old Stepan Adamov on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe ruling states that the believer, \"while in the car, [...] assisted in teaching, interpreted the Bible and read a prayer to Jehovah God, explaining the religious concepts of the religious movement of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, giving examples from life.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Adamov in Chekhov","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov2/index.html#20200131","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the late 1980s, Arkadya Hakobyan, his wife and three children fled ethnic cleansing in Azerbaijan. More than 25 years later, as a peaceful elderly man, Arkadia became a victim of religious repression. In June 2016, a criminal case was opened against him for a public speech in which he allegedly humiliated the dignity of followers of other religions. In May 2017, hearings began in the Prokhladnensky District Court, during which it turned out that the testimony of witnesses underlying the case was false, and the expert\u0026rsquo;s opinion was replete with errors. The prosecutor demanded 3 years of probation for the believer. In December 2018, Judge Oleg Golovashko sentenced the believer to 120 hours of compulsory labor. In March 2019, the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic overturned the conviction. Hakobyan was cleared of all charges.","date":"2016-06-11","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html","prisoners":["akopian"],"regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria overturns the conviction. The case was dismissed. Arkady Hakobyan is considered not to have a criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2019-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20190301","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal","case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three appeals against the verdict of the Prokhladnensky District Court were filed with the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic - from Arkadi Hakobyan himself and his lawyers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20181229","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Oleg Golovashko finds the believer guilty and sentences the 70-year-old pensioner to 120 hours of compulsory labor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20181227","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["sentence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Prokhladnensky District Court, the debate of the parties began. The prosecutor's office demands a 3-year suspended sentence for the believer. After Arkady Hakobyan made his last speech, the court retires for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20181221","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the expert Irina Balova, whose conclusion is the basis of the charges. The court identifies significant shortcomings in this conclusion and decides to appoint a new examination, despite the objections of the state prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20180514","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense presents its evidence to the court, which refutes all the testimony of prosecution witnesses. The lawyer interrogates Hakobyan's wife, who is not a baptized Jehovah's Witness, who characterizes her husband as a kind, sympathetic person who respects people of different nationalities, cultures and religions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2018-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20180111","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prokhladnensky District Court is starting to consider the criminal case. 9 volumes of the case were announced. The accusation is based on the testimony of 5 witnesses who, confused in their testimonies, claim that Arkadya Hakobyan instructed them to massively distribute the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, although they attended only a few services, and they themselves were not Jehovah's Witnesses. They also state that Hakobyan criticized other religions in his speech at the service.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2017-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20170615","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The city court of the city of Prokhladny (Kabardino-Balkaria) begins consideration of the case on charges of Arkadi Hakobyan of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is charged with humiliating the dignity of persons of other religions and distributing religious literature among fellow believers. The preliminary hearings were held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Akopyan in Prokhladny","date":"2017-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokhladny/index.html#20170516","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Aksyonov is the father of two minor children, an employee of the Khabarovsk water utility. In April 2018, he gave a speech in a conference room about faith in Jehovah and the value of the Bible\u0026rsquo;s commandments to strengthen marriage. The investigation considered it a \u0026ldquo;socially dangerous crime.\u0026rdquo; The experts involved found in Aksyonov\u0026rsquo;s words signs that he was one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses, which the believer never hid. The case is based on the testimony of a secret witness, as well as a video recording of the worship service. Despite the fact that there is not a single victim in the case, on February 18, 2020, Judge Tatyana Kalganova from the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 6 months. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-07-24","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html","prisoners":["aksenov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation, composed of the presiding judge Galina Dezhurnaya, judges Alexei Vasilyev and Elena Nikolaenko, is considering the complaint of Yevgeny Aksyonov.\nSpeaking before the court, the believer draws attention to the previous violation of international law, including Articles 9, 11 and 14 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. He also emphasizes that earlier the court in the verdict did not indicate on what basis the peaceful expression of faith in God was regarded as a crime.\nHowever, according to the panel of judges, there were no serious violations of the criminal or criminal procedure law that entailed the cancellation or modification of the sentence against Aksyonov. The complaint was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20211019","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court Maksim Vergasov upholds the conviction of Yevgeny Aksyonov - a sentence of 2 years of suspended imprisonment and restriction of liberty for another 6 months, during which the believer cannot leave his home at night. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200526","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court postpones the date of the appeal hearing to May 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200409","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Kalganova, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, declares Yevgeny Aksyonov guilty of extremist activities because of his religion. He was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. In addition, he was sentenced to restriction of liberty for another 6 months, during which he cannot leave his home at night. Aksyonov himself insists on his innocence, considers the accusation false, and the court's decision unjust, and prepares an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200218","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Aksyonov gives his last word. In an appeal to Judge Tatyana Kalganova, he poetically tells that he has become a law-abiding citizen and a good family man. Yevgeniy also shows the reasons for his faith, emphasizing that the teachings from the Bible shared by Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and are filled with love for people. Aksyonov does not admit his guilt and asks the judge to acquit him. The sentencing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 18.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200214","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 3 years of imprisonment for Yevgeniy Aksyonov to be served in a penal colony, despite the fact that he is raising two minor children. On February 14, 2020, at 11:30 a.m., Aksyonov will deliver his final speech; Perhaps the verdict will be handed down on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20200206","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another employee of the conference room was questioned. He explained that some kind of religious event was taking place in the conference hall. He does not know Aksyonov. After that, the prosecutor begins to read out written documents, in particular, the conclusions of 4 expert opinions: religious scholar Averina O.D., psychologist Paevshchik A.A., linguist Merzlikina M.S. and sociologist Berezutsky Y.V., according to whom songs and prayers to Jehovah God were sung in the conference hall, the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses was spread and the Bible was used in the New World Translation, which, according to experts, is \"a continuation of the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The next court hearing is scheduled for November 29, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. It is planned to interrogate a \"secret\" witness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20191118","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, a man who formerly practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, continues to be questioned again. The court shows him a secretly made video recording of the worship service, and the witness states that he identifies Aksyonov in the video footage. He also admits that on his own initiative he turned to the FSB and voluntarily testified against his former co-religionists in two criminal cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20191112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, a man who formerly practiced the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, continues to be questioned. He explained that since 2017 he has ceased to share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, so he has no information about their activities in the period after 2017. The questioning of the witness was not completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20191106","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Aksyonov expresses his attitude to the charges. He believes that in fact he is accused not of extremism, but of faith in God, because he did not commit any socially dangerous actions. He recalls that the Supreme Court banned the activities of a legal entity. Being a believer and reading the Bible is not a crime. Freedom of religious activity is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe prosecution begins to present its evidence. An employee of the conference room, where, according to investigators, the Bible was discussed, is being interrogated. The witness explains that Aksyonova does not know. The interrogation of the second witness begins, a man who in the past professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and knows Aksyonov personally.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20191028","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk is hosting the first hearing in the case of Yevgeny Aksyonov, chaired by Judge Tatyana Kalganova. 15 people come to support him. Despite the fact that Russian law encourages the publicity of legal proceedings, they are not allowed into the courtroom. The judge grants the lawyer's request to postpone the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20191021","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk for consideration on the merits. Judge Tatyana Fedorovna Kalganova will be considered.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20190911","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny is again interrogated, this time as accused of extremism. The believer does not admit guilt.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20190821","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the evening, the FSB searches the apartment of Yevgeniy and his family, and the security forces seize the computer's hard drive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20190806","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny is charged with taking part in the activities of a banned religious organization, quoting a translation of the Bible banned in Russia, while acting \"deliberately\", wanting \"socially dangerous consequences.\" Aksyonov tells investigators that he is alien to the ideas of extremism. Aksyonov is taken to sign a not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20190724","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators are interrogating Yevgeny — so far as a witness — to find out whether he was a member of a local religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20190626","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, Yevgeny Aksyonov, along with friends and acquaintances, gathers in one of the Khabarovsk conference rooms for joint reading and discussion of the Bible, chants and prayers. Investigators claim that at this event Aksyonov makes a speech on the topic of strengthening the family.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aksenov in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk3/index.html#20180421","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2026-04-28","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy3/index.html","prisoners":["ursua"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Aleksandr Ursu in Dzhankoy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Grankov charges Aleksandr Ursu for reading and discussing the Bible with friends.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aleksandr Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy3/index.html#20260508","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grankov requests the Dzhankoy District Court place Aleksandr Ursu under house arrest.\nThe lawyer requests a more lenient preventive measure — a ban on certain actions. He explains that Ursu's wife has serious health problems and Aleksandr is responsibile for all household issues.\nThe court agrees with the position of the defense. Aleksandr is forbidden to leave his apartment in the period from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the next day, to leave Dzhankoy, to use communications and the Internet. The elderly believer is fitted with a tracking bracelet.\nOn the same day, Aleksandr was summoned for interrogation to the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. The believer spends about 8 hours there.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aleksandr Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy3/index.html#20260429","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice Daniil Grankov, Deputy Head of the Investigative Department, initiates a criminal case on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\nApart from Aleksandr Ursu, the searches affected two more believers from Dzhankoy. Force was used against them in order to gain access to their electronic devices.\nDuring the interrogation, Aleksandr Ursu uses his right to not testify against himself and his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Aleksandr Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy3/index.html#20260428","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","interrogation","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, searches were carried out in Penza and criminal cases were initiated against 6 local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. It turned out that since the fall of 2017, the believers had been under covert surveillance. Vladimir Alushkin spent six months in a pre-trial detention center. The UN Working Group officially recognized his arrest as arbitrary. In the summer of 2019, the case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Penza. During the hearings, it turned out that the protocols of the witnesses\u0026rsquo; interrogations were partially falsified by the investigation, and one of the witnesses told the court that she had testified under pressure. In December 2019, Judge Roman Tanchenko sentenced Vladimir Alushkin to 6 years in prison, and Tatyana Alushkina, Galia Olkhova, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin to 2 years suspended. In September 2020, the Penza Regional Court commuted the sentence of Vladimir Alushkin, replacing 6 years in prison with 4 years probation. For the rest, the court upheld the sentence - 2 years suspended. On December 9, 2021, the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-07-11","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html","prisoners":["alushkin","alushkina","kuliasov","magliv","olkhova","timoshin"],"regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","type":"cases"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Saratov, leaves the decision of the Court of Appeal against 6 believers unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2021-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20211209","regions":["penza"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The new composition of the judicial board of the Penza Regional Court mitigates the conviction in the case of Vladimir and Tatyana Alushkin, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv, Galiya Olkhova and Denis Timoshin. Vladimir Alushkin was sentenced to 4 years of suspended sentence, the rest of the court gives 2 years of probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200916","regions":["penza"],"tags":["appeal","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Penza Regional Court begins the appeal hearing. The case is heard by a panel of 3 judges: Oksana Akimova, Olga Potapova, Albina Mikhailenko. The verdict introduced by the Leninsky District Court on December 13, 2019 is being appealed. The case was returned to the appellate stage by the Court of Cassation. During the hearing, prosecutor D. R. Almakaev filed a motion to view video recordings from the case materials. In this regard, the judicial board postpones the hearing to September 16, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200909","regions":["penza"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov is considering a complaint from the prosecutor's office to overturn a conviction against a believer. Judges Elena Batulina (rapporteur), Andrey Savelyev and Valentina Komissarova return the case of Alushkin and 5 of his fellow believers for a new appeal hearing to the Penza Regional Court. The measure of restraint chosen by the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200709","regions":["penza"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the motion of the defense and prosecution to suspend the case against Vladimir Alushkin, as well as other believers, for an indefinite period. The reason for this is the deteriorating epidemiological situation in the country. All believers remain under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200514","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five days after the verdict was overturned, Vladimir Alushkin was released from the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200330","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Penza Regional Court decides: \"The verdict of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Penza of December 13, 2019 [...] cancel, transfer the criminal case for a new trial to the same court by a different composition of the court, change the measure of restraint to Alushkin - detention - to recognizance not to leave and proper behavior, to release him from custody. The measure of restraint for Magliv, Kulyasov, Timoshin, Alushkina and Olkhova should remain the same - a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. Vladimir Alushkin, sentenced to 6 years in prison, is currently imprisoned in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Mordovian village of Ruzaevka. Until the appellate ruling reaches the place of detention, the believer will remain in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200325","regions":["penza"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin was transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Penza region to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ruzaevka, Republic of Mordovia. This happened before the appeal hearings and the entry into force of the verdict. Vladimir's new place of residence is located about 100 km from the previous one, which may make it difficult for his lawyer and relatives to access him, and also limits Vladimir's ability to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. The reasons for the transfer are being clarified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20200219","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the entrance of a residential building, two young women were detained under the pretext of searching for fraudsters. At the police station, the real reason for their detention is found out - religious beliefs. Among other things, the women are interrogated about their acquaintance with Vladimir Alushkin, who was previously convicted of his faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191227","regions":["penza"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Roman Tanchenko announces the verdict. All six believers were found guilty. Vladimir Alushkin will go to a colony for 6 years, his wife, Tatyana, was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Galia Olkhova, Denis Timoshin, Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov were also sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Lawyers intend to appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191213","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All six Jehovah's Witnesses address the court with their last word. The court retires to the deliberation room. The verdict will be announced on December 13 at 10:30 a.m. in the Leninsky District Court of Penza at 36 Volodarsky Street.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191212","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense in the debate demands that the court fully acquit all six in connection with their non-involvement in any extremist activity. Judge Roman Tanchenko announces that on December 12, the defendants will make their last speech, after which the verdict will be announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191210","regions":["penza"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks Vladimir Alushkin for 7 years of real prison! Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov, Denis Timoshin were sentenced to 4 years in prison, and Tatyana Alushkina and Galiya Olkhova were sentenced to 3 years each. Everyone except Vladimir Alushkin is asked by the prosecutor to replace the prison with forced labor.\nThe continuation of the debate is scheduled for 10.12.2019. There will be a defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191205","regions":["penza"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to postpone the debate scheduled for this day, because he wants to view in court a hidden video of the divine service in which the defendants participated. During the screening, the defendants and defense lawyers draw the court's attention to important contradictions between the recording itself and how it was recorded by the investigation. For example, the investigator added to the protocol the phrases \"LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses Arbekovo, Penza\", \"Administrative Center\" and others, although such words were not heard at the service. The prosecutor brushed it off, paying attention only to who exactly participated in the service. The hearings will continue on 05.12.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191203","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of material evidence - files from the computer of Vladimir Alushkin - continues. Two files were examined, which, according to the investigation, promote \"renunciation of the world, media and television,\" as well as \"the superiority of the teachings and lifestyle of Jehovah's Witnesses over others.\" In the course of the full disclosure of these documents, it becomes clear that there is no hint of something like that.\nThe believers were touched by the fact that Judge Roman Tanchenko, who is usually against the postponement of the hearings, himself noticed that one of the defendants was suffering from a migraine attack, became worried, offered to call an ambulance and postponed the hearing until November 26.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191122","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits motions to exclude the protocols of the search and inspection of the seized items. During the examination of material evidence, the court cannot find Vladimir Alushkin's laptop. Alushkin reads and comments on the songs, the singing of which he is accused of. Among them is a song about the fact that life is a wonderful gift. The next hearing is scheduled for 22.11.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191119","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to exclude the results of psychological and linguistic examinations and asks for a second religious examination. The petitions were denied.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191115","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reviews audio and video materials, while watching, believers pay attention to how the recordings refute the arguments of the prosecution. It becomes obvious that the investigator falsified the protocols of the examination of these materials, used in court as evidence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191112","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defence counsel has filed several motions. The judge refuses to include in the case an examination of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, carried out by the Expert Council under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, referring to the fact that it dates back to 1999.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191107","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned at the trial. One of them states that extremism is not inherent in the defendants, and will be glad if the future turns out to be Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe hearing was postponed until November 7 due to the injury of one of the defendants.\nThe next court hearings are scheduled for November 7 and 8, as well as November 12, 14 and 15.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20191010","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is questioning witnesses. From their contradictory testimonies, it becomes obvious that the protocols with previous testimonies were partially falsified by the investigation.\nOne of the witnesses informs the court that she gave preliminary testimony under pressure from the security forces. Another states that she did not hear a single call to extremism during the services.\nThe court extends the house arrest of the four defendants for three months.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for 8, 10 and 11 October.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190920","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The main witness for the prosecution, a former Jehovah's Witnesses woman, is being questioned. The prosecutor's questions relate to creeds and prayer. The witness cannot confirm that extremism is present in the actions of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190913","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense counsel questioning prosecution witnesses.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for September 11.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190905","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense counsel questioning prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190828","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court has completed the study of written materials. The hearing is scheduled to continue on August 28, 2019. The questioning of prosecution witnesses will begin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190820","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the petitions of the accused believers to exclude evidence from the case, including a number of unscrupulous examinations. Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin ask the court to schedule a preliminary hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190723","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Tanchenko, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Penza, accepts the criminal case for proceedings. At the same time, he extends the detention of Vladimir Alushkin, Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin under house arrest until 01.10.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190710","regions":["penza"],"tags":["to-court","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation sends the final indictment to the prosecutor's office for approval.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190614","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of house arrest for four believers is once again extended until 13.05.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190506","regions":["penza"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin receives a notification about the end of the investigation and asks for the opportunity to familiarize himself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190403","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extended the house arrest of the four defendants for two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190311","regions":["penza"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"New defendants appear in the case - Galiya Olkhova and Vladimir Alushkin's wife, Tatiana. The women are interrogated, and both are given recognizance agreements.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190228","regions":["penza"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Penza Regional Court leaves Andrey Magliv and Vladimir Kulyasov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190201","regions":["penza"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court unexpectedly releases 54-year-old Vladimir Alushkin from the pre-trial detention center and transfers him to house arrest. The court leaves the same measure of restraint for Vladimir Kulyasov, Andrey Magliv and Denis Timoshin. Now all four believers accused of extremism are imprisoned in their own homes for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2019-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20190114","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of believers who are in the status of witnesses are resumed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20181201","regions":["penza"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator asks the court to extend the measure of restraint for four believers for another two months. Vladimir Alushkin remains in a pre-trial detention center, while three other believers are under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20181112","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces invade the house of a civilian resident of Penza, Galiya Olkhova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20181031","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court allows a search in the apartment of Galiya Olkhova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20181024","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Vladimir Alushkin in a pre-trial detention center, and Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin under house arrest for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180911","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators are interrogating about 40 believers called in as witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180719","regions":["penza"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of believers accused of extremism continue.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180718","regions":["penza"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin is placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Andrey Magliv, Vladimir Kulyasov and Denis Timoshin, who are under house arrest, become accused in the same criminal case and are placed under house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180717","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Alushkin has been charged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180716","regions":["penza"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Groups of law enforcement officers under the leadership of Major Alexander Bukov simultaneously break into the apartments of Penza civilians Vladimir Alushkin, Andrey Magliv, Denis Timoshin, G. Chuvilina and Vladimir Kulyasov. At the same time, a search was being conducted in the house of Sergey Bozgalov, 90 kilometers from Penza. Many have been interrogated, four are behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180715","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Decision to initiate two criminal cases at once under the \"extremist\" article 282. The court allows a search in the homes of believers in Penza.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180711","regions":["penza"],"tags":["new-case","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The apartments of six families of believers are under covert surveillance, which lasts up to 4 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2018-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20180201","regions":["penza"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures begin in relation to Penza Jehovah's Witnesses, including Vladimir Alushkin, Galiya Olkhova, Andrey Magliv and some others. It was concluded that they were allegedly \"active participants in the meeting.\" The investigation later recognizes one of them as the organizer, and five more participants in the activities of the banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20170901","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referring to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation orders the termination of the activities of two local religious organizations (LROs) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Penza.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alushkin and Others in Penza","date":"2017-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/penza/index.html#20170428","regions":["penza"],"tags":["mro"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Alyev, a native of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, spent about 1.5 years under house arrest while the First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation conducted an investigation into how he prayed, read the Bible and talked with his wife and friends about their common faith. Alyev was accused of participating in extremist activities. Among the evidence against Ruslan was the testimony of a secret witness, whose words were accepted by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of the Rostov Region, Vladimir Strokov, even without questioning. The court also did not give the defense the opportunity to question a secret witness. In December 2020, Ruslan Alyev was found guilty. On March 1, 2021, the Rostov Regional Court, by an appeal decision, upheld the sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment imposed on him. The court of cassation did not satisfy the believer\u0026rsquo;s appeal against the appeal decision.","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html","prisoners":["alyev"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction is holding a hearing via videoconferencing on Ruslan Alyyev's complaint against the appeal ruling upholding the believer's conviction.\nThe presiding judge Skachkov, with the participation of judges Maslova and Ermakova, establish the identity of the convicted person and those present, read out excerpts from the complaint. The lawyer explains why he considers the verdict illegal, unjustified and refers to additions to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia dated October 28, 2021.\nThe panel of judges retires to the deliberation room for a few minutes, after which it announces the decision to leave the complaint without satisfaction. Ruslan intends to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20211124","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court is considering Ruslan Alyyev's appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance, which on December 17, 2020 found him guilty of extremism. The defense once again explains that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. By participating in worship services and talking to people about his faith, Ruslan Alyev exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion. Thus, although the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 did not oblige the defendant to renounce his faith in God, the actual purpose of the court verdict is to force him to change his religion or leave the Russian Federation under pain of criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20210301","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal hearing is adjourned. It will be held in the Rostov Regional Court (Rostov-on-Don, Sotsialisticheskaya str., 164/35, letter A) on March 1, 2021 at 16:30. State prosecutors: Napalkova I.V. and Chebrikov A.P.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20210215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court Vladimir Strokov announces the verdict: to find Ruslan Alyev guilty, to impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment plus a probationary period of 2.5 years with the obligation to appear for registration once a month. The verdict has not entered into force and will be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201217","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, the prosecutor demands 3 years of suspended sentence for Ruslan Alyev with a probation period of 4 years. The verdict is scheduled for December 17.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201214","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vladimir Strokov reads out the 8th volume of the materials of the criminal case and satisfies the request for interrogation of Ruslan Alyyev. The defendant gives explanations regarding the charge: \"Extremism in any form contradicts my religious and personal beliefs. Over the years of studying the Bible and Bible principles, I have acquired a negative view of violence and any manifestation of disrespect for authority.\" He explains that his parents are of different nationalities and religions, so since childhood he respected different views and cultures.\nAlyev also read out several statements by the Russian authorities that by the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017, they \"do not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\" He further noted that in order to exercise his constitutional right to freedom of religion, he did not need a legal entity, either active or liquidated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201204","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don.\nThe testimony of a secret prosecution witness who never appeared at the hearing is being announced. The testimony of Semyon Baibak, who was declared as a witness for the prosecution, is not disclosed, since he used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nA witness for the defense, the founder and former member of the board of the liquidated LRO, says that Aliyev was never a member of the LRO. When asked about the reasons for the creation of this legal body, the witness replies that the main purpose was the construction of a worship building in Rostov-on-Don and the import of literature. According to the witness, after the liquidation of the LRO, he holds worship services at home with his wife and does not meet with fellow believers, fearing that because of him they may face criminal prosecution. Pointing to Alyyev, the witness explains: \"Even if people who are not associated with the LRO are tried, then what can the former founders expect?\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201127","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned in the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don. During the interrogation, the state prosecutor uses pressure tactics, including forcing the witness to disclose information about his religious affiliation and beliefs. Judge Vladimir Strokov ignores the protest from the defense and also asks questions about the convictions of the witness. He speaks negatively about the religious views of the interrogated in a raised voice and erroneously claims that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has banned Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe judge admits comparing religious groups of Jehovah's Witnesses with a terrorist organization, although the international community considers this denomination to be exclusively peaceful and condemns the repression of believers.\nThe defendant and the defense counsel regard the judge's behavior as an undisguised bias towards the religious views of Ruslan Alyyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20201012","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don continues to consider the criminal case of Ruslan Alyyev. During the court session, a religious scholar engaged by the investigator is interrogated. The state prosecutor asks the specialist questions about the structure of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor is interested in whether it is common for believers to be intolerant towards other people, to incite discord, to oppose the state and to treat state power with disrespect. The specialist answers these questions in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200922","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Vladimir Strokov. Leninsky District Court of the Rostov Region (Rostov-on-Don, Pushkinskaya Street, 9).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200908","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, hearings on the merits of the case against Ruslan Alyev begin. Judge Vladimir Strokov extends Ruslan Alyyev's house arrest until December 2020. As a result, the total term of house arrest of Alyev will be about 1.5 years. The hearing was interrupted by a request for evacuation due to information received about the presence of explosive devices in several city courthouses. The next meetings are scheduled for 8 and 9 September 2020. The prosecutor will continue to announce the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200812","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Rostov Regional Court is considering the petitions of the investigator of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Kalnitsky to extend the house arrest of Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak. The petitions are supported by the prosecutor of the department of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation Levchenko.\nAs a result, Judge Ruslan Bakulev extends the term of house arrest for Baybak by 1 month and 10 days, i.e. until 07/19/2020, and Judge Boris Grigorov extends the term of house arrest for Ruslan Alyev by 2 months and 28 days until 09/05/2020. As a result, the total term of house arrest for Alyev will be 14 months 28 days, and for Baybak - 13 months and 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200605","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak are charged with committing a crime (in the final version) - participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In addition, Semyon Baybak was also charged with financing an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200508","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the house arrest of Ruslan Alyev and Semyon Baibak until June 5, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200429","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Strokov extends the term of house arrest of Ruslan Alyev for another 3 months - until May 5, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20200204","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court again does not allow listeners to attend the meeting, about 50 people are forced to wait for the decision of Ruslan's fate on the street. The court considered the arguments of the parties in no more than 10 minutes and extended house arrest until February 5, 2020. In the meantime, according to Ruslan Alyyev's relatives, dental problems are progressing against the background of stress.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20191231","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 relatives, friends and fellow believers come to the Rostov Regional Court to consider the appeal about the arrest of Alyyev, only half of those who wish to enter the hall. The lawyer claims that there is no evidence in the case of Alyyev's guilt in a serious crime. He is judged only for his faith. However, the judge refuses to let Ruslan go.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20191127","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky district court of Rostov-on-Don, a hearing is being held to extend the measure of restraint. Judge Snezhana Fedorova closes the hearing and does not allow the support group and the only journalist who came to cover the trial to the hearing. The court extends the term of house arrest for Alyev by two months. The lawyer is determined to appeal the decision. At the exit from the courthouse, relatives and fellow believers greet Ruslan with applause and shouts: \"Ruslan, we are with you!\".\nOn the same day, the court extends the house arrest of Semyon Baybak until February 6, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20191119","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court places house arrest on Alyev and Baibak. They leave the pre-trial detention center after spending a day behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20190611","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Alyev is detained in Rostov-on-Don. A few hours later, it became known about the detention of 22-year-old Rostov resident Semyon Baibak.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20190610","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (located in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates a criminal case, accusing Ruslan Alyev of participating in religious meetings and campaigning among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Alyev in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don6/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2019, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Andrey Andreyev, Artem Bagratyan and his wife Alevtina. Andreyev was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, while the others were accused of participating in it. They were placed in a detention center. Later, another believer, Andrey Ryshkov, was arrested. At the end of 2020, Alevtina Bagratyan was transferred to house arrest. Artem Bagratyan suffers from diabetes and other chronic diseases; his condition required inpatient treatment, which he was denied by the management of the detention center. In June 2021, the court sentenced: Andrey Andreyev to 4.5 years in a penal colony, Andrey Ryshkov - 3 years in a penal colony, Artem Bagratyan - 2.5 years in a penal colony and his wife, Alevtina - 2 years in a penal colony. Aleksandr Vospitanyuk was given a 2-year suspended sentence. In January 2022, the court of appeal, and a year later, the court of cassation, upheld this decision. All of the believers have already served their terms.","date":"2019-09-12","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html","prisoners":["abagratyan","andreyev","bagratyan","ryshkov","vospitanyuk"],"regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Oleksandr Vospitanyuk served his main sentence — a suspended sentence of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20230602","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Andreev in Penal colony No. 2 in Lipetsk. The believer was transported for 2 weeks along the route Kursk – Voronezh – Lipetsk.\nThe conditions of detention in the detachment are normal: there is a shower with hot water, a refrigerator, a microwave and a TV. Andrey regularly communicates with his wife Svetlana via a payphone. Maintains a positive attitude, is in good physical shape. The prisoners treat him with respect.\nAndrey regularly, albeit less than in pre-trial detention, receives letters of support from Russia and other countries. First of all, he tries to respond to children, while often supplementing letters with his own drawings. Inmates and employees of the colony also show interest in correspondence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20220405","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Andrey Andreev is in correctional colony No. 2 in Lipetsk. Probably, he will serve his sentence there. You can send him letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20220317","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kursk Regional Court denies Andrey Andreyev, Andrey Ryshkov, Aleksandr Vospitanyuk, and Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan their appeals against their convictions. It comes into force.\nOn the same day, Andrey Ryshkov leaves the pre-trial detention center, having served his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20220120","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["appeal","release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Ryshkov and Andrey Andreev in the pre-trial detention center, who are awaiting consideration of the appeal against the verdict.\nAndreyev is being held in a six-bed cell without a refrigerator or a TV. He had presumably been ill with COVID-19, and also suffered a flux. The believer notes that the 15,000 letters of support he received prompted the administration of the pre-trial detention center to treat him with more respect. Andrey has a Bible, which he was able to get only after several appeals to the administration. Andreev tries to keep himself in good physical shape.\nRyshkov is being held in a newly renovated cell. He receives letters of support, the number of which surprises the staff of the pre-trial detention center and cellmates. The believer also managed to get a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210715","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Bagratyan is released from the pre-trial detention center. He served his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-06-15T18:45:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210615","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Ivanova, judge of the Industrial District Court of Kursk, finds all four believers guilty of violating extremist articles of the Criminal Code. Andrey Andreev was sentenced to 4.5 years in a penal colony, Andrey Ryshkov in the form of 3 years in a colony, Artem Bagratyan in the form of 2.5 years in a colony, his wife, Alevtina, in the form of 2 years in a colony. Their co-religionist Oleksandr Vospitanyuk received a 2-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210603","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a punishment for believers in the form of real terms of imprisonment: for Andrey Andreev - 7.5 years, for Andrey Ryshkov - 4.5 years, for Alevtina Bagratyan - 4 years, for Artem Bagratyan - 3.5 years, for Alexander Vospitaniuk - 3.5 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210518","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge does not allow listeners, including relatives of the defendants, to be present in the courtroom.\nDespite the defendants' requests for mitigation of the measure of restraint, the judge extends the believers' detention for another 3 months, until August 10, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210507","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Spouses Ryshkova and Andreeva are allowed into the courtroom as listeners.\nAt the meeting, a video recording of the worship service is viewed, two witnesses are interrogated. Both claim that the date of worship is not true. Andrey Andreyev testifies, resolutely denying guilt in extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210412","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people, including nonresidents, come to the court session to morally support the defendants. Marina Ryshkova and Svetlana Andreeva are allowed into the hall, allowing them to approach the cage in which their husbands are.\nThe judge rejects several defense motions, including two repeated linguistic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210405","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Once again, the state prosecutor is changing.\nAt the meeting, the letters of Andrey Ryshkov's wife to the pre-trial detention center are being examined. They are mainly about everyday topics, but biblical texts are mentioned. Although the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited in Russia, the investigator concludes: \"The letters testify to the authors' attitude towards the religious organization and denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" which, according to law enforcement officers, proves Ryshkov's guilt.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210301","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Oksana Ivanova satisfies the repeated request to request the details of Alevtina Bagratyan's telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210224","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During interrogation in the courtroom, the witness retracts the testimony in the case. A video recording of his additional interrogation is being watched, in which the witness practically does not say anything. However, the record of this interrogation contains information that the witness did not report.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210216","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are being questioned in court. One of them states that the interrogation during the preliminary investigation was conducted under pressure and retracts his testimony.\nThe lawyer asks to soften the measure of restraint for the defendants, providing several addresses where they could be under house arrest. He also reminds the court of the norms of international law and asks that the Third Opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe be attached to the case file. Nevertheless, the judge grants the prosecutor's request to extend the detention of the defendants in the pre-trial detention center until May 10, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210202","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimonies of three witnesses who did not appear at the hearing are announced.\nThe lawyer objects to watching the video of the service, since it took place on May 5, 2017, when the decision of the Supreme Court had not yet entered into force. The prosecutor and the judge agree.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210126","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Oksana Ivanova partially satisfies the petition of Alevtina Bagratyan: she is allowed to communicate with her mother, but walks are still prohibited.\nInterrogation of a witness. When asked by her lawyer if she was aware of any cases where Jehovah's Witnesses had been prosecuted for committing violent crimes, she replied: \"I am not aware, I believe that Jehovah's Witnesses have solved the problem of crime in their midst.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210125","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first volume of the case materials is being examined. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation reveals the definition of extremism, and the prosecution clearly goes beyond this definition.\nAndrey Andreyev emphasizes that it is impossible to equate the LRO and a group of believers, citing the act of inspection of the LRO by the Ministry of Justice as evidence. The document states that the council of the organization has been convened only 11 times in three years, while meetings of believers are held regularly - 2 times a week.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20210121","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kursk Regional Court is considering the appeal of Andrey Andreev, Andrey Ryshkov and spouses Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan against the measure of restraint. Alevtina Bagratyan is released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest, the rest remain in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20201217","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Kursk is holding a hearing in the case of Andreev and others. Two dozen people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nAssistant Prosecutor of the Seimas District O.A. Pikalova announces the charge. The defendants express their attitude towards him. Alevtina Bagratyan draws attention to the difference between Christian service to God and extremism. Andrei Ryshkov's lawyer calls what is happening \"political repression.\" Andrey Andreyev explains to the court: \"Is it possible to officially register an organization headed by God? Faith is not a company that needs to be registered, it cannot be put on paper.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200921","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Kursk receives a criminal case against believers Andrey Andreev, spouses Bagratyan and Andrey Ryshkov and Alexander Vospitanyuk. Within 14 days, Judge Oksana Ivanova must schedule a preliminary hearing or court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200811","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk Tatyana Pozdnyakova again extends the period of detention of believers. Andrey Andreev, Artem Bagratyan and Alevtina Bagratyan will remain in the pre-trial detention center at least until September 11, 2020, Andrey Ryshkov - until September 9.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200707","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Kursk Tatyana Pozdnyakova, at the request of FSB investigator Maxim Zaitsev, decides to extend the detention of the believer until July 11, 2020. By this time, the total period of Artem's stay in the pre-trial detention center will be almost 9 months. The investigator submits to the court the decision to bring Bagratyan as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200430","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects Alevtina Bagratyan's petition to request details of her telephone conversations. Thus, the believer wants to prove that during the period imputed to her she lived in another city and could not have been involved in the \"crime\".\nThe materials of religious, linguistic and other examinations are studied. Their findings show that the believers did not speak negatively about the authorities or law enforcement agencies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200215","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman is being interrogated who, pretending to be interested in the Bible, kept a record of conversations with Alevtina and passed information to FSB officers. The agent gives contradictory testimony, saying that she was \"disappointed\" in some of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and at the same time would be ready to continue to communicate with them on religious topics.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200212","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Kursk elects a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Andrey Ryshkov, and a written undertaking not to leave for Alexander Vospitanyuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200123","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two believers were detained: Andrey Ryshkov, 32, and Aleksandr Vospitaniuk, 41. They are interrogated, prosecuted and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200121","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Maksim Zaitsev initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Vospitanyuk (born in 1979), the father of two minor children, under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200117","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Maksim Zaitsev initiates a criminal case against Andrey Ryshkov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20200116","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing on the measure of restraint for Bagratyan. He becomes ill right during the trial. Artem calls an ambulance. Despite the defendant's well-being, Judge Pozdnyakova extends his arrest until March 11, 2020\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191227","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Artem Bagratyan in the pre-trial detention center. His condition is depressing. Doctors forbid him to take effective medicines, prescribing ineffective analogues.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191226","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches and interrogations of believers are underway in Kursk. Early in the morning, the security forces come to the homes of Oleksandr Vospitanyuk, Andrey Ryshkov, the Bagratyans couple and Andrey Andreev. Believers are taken away for interrogation.\nAndrey Andreyev, as well as spouses Artem and Alevtina Bagratyan were arrested. The believers were remanded in custody until November 11, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20191016","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Demidov, head of the SO of the FSB Directorate for the Kursk Region, combines criminal cases against three believers into one.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20190920","regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Zaitsev, Senior Investigator of the Kursk Region FSB Directorate of the Kursk Region of the Russian Federal Security Service initiates criminal cases for faith under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (2). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Andreev Andrey (born in 1976), Bagratyan Artyom (born in 1972), Bagratyan Alevtina (born in 1977).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Andreyev and Others in Kursk","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk/index.html#20190912","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the life of Larisa Artamonova, a native of Birobidzhan, there were many difficulties: children\u0026rsquo;s psychological trauma due to the violent death of her father, the child\u0026rsquo;s illness, her own health problems. In September 2019, she faced reprisals because of her belief in Jehovah God — investigator D. Yankin opened a criminal case against Larisa under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He believed that the woman had worked with others to spread the teachings of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The case in the Birobidzhan District Court was considered by Vladimir Mikhalev. He sentenced Artamonova to a fine of 10,000 rubles. Deputy Prosecutor A. Vyalkov filed an appeal with the court with a request to toughen the sentence and send the believer to a colony for 4 years. In February 2021, the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, having toughened the sentence, imposed a sentence of 2.5 years probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The cassation court upheld this decision. In June 2022, the believer\u0026rsquo;s punishment was canceled and her conviction was cleared.","date":"2019-09-25","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html","prisoners":["artamonova"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is considering the petition of Larisa Artamonova to cancel the suspended sentence and remove the criminal record.\nThe inspector and the prosecutor confirm that there were no violations on the part of the believer and they are not against the removal of the criminal record. From the place of work, Artamonova was provided with a positive characteristic.\nJudge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh grants the believer's petition without any additional questions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20220614","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["criminal-record-removal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction. Larisa Artamonova arrives in Vladivostok to personally speak before the panel of judges chaired by Yevgeny Zheleznov.\nThe believer draws attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of Russia, adopted on October 28, 2021, which explains that when considering a criminal case on a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it is necessary to establish specific illegal actions, what is their significance for the continuation or resumption of the activities of an extremist organization and what motives guided the person.\nIn her speech, Artamonova emphasizes that only bare legal constructions appear in the case materials, such as \"deliberately ... aware of the public danger... took part in an illegal religious event,\" etc.\nShe continues: \"No evidence confirms the extremist nature of my actions or motives. Neither the verdict nor the appellate ruling states what my extremism was, or whether my actions (and what exactly) were significant for the continuation of the extremist activities of the liquidated organizations. [...] Was it enough to prove the fact of any participation in the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses to establish the event and corpus delicti? As the law indicates, no! If there are no extremist actions, there is no corpus delicti.\"\nAfter hearing the believer's speech and not asking her a single question, the judges decide to leave Larisa Artamonova's complaint dismissed, and the verdict in the appellate instance — 2.5 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of freedom — unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20211206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Having considered the appeal against the verdict of Larisa Artamonova, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region decided to sentence the believer to 2.5 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The verdict comes into force immediately, but can be appealed in cassation and international instances.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20210420","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor A.A. Vyalkov is filing an appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court. The state prosecutor believes that the punishment in the form of a fine of 10,000 rubles is excessively lenient and does not correspond to the \"degree of public danger of the crime.\"\nThe state prosecutor asks to assign Larisa Artamonova a severe punishment - 4 years of imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime, followed by restriction of freedom for a period of 2 years (not to change her permanent place of residence and not to leave the municipality without notifying the specialized body, to appear twice a month to report on her behavior). The prosecutor demands that the believer be taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20210224","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Vladimir Mikhalev. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Pionerskaya Street, 32). The verdict is announced: to find Larisa Artamonova guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). With reference to Article 64 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the court sentenced her to a fine of 10,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20210212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Debates are being held in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The prosecutor requests 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and 1 year of probation for Larisa Artamonova with the obligation to report to the police once a month.\nIn her appeal to the court, Larisa Artamonova draws attention to the fact that she became a Jehovah's Witness long before the appearance of a legal entity, a local religious organization, in which she is charged with participating. \"My faith did not depend and does not depend on whether there is a legal seal or not. \"At the time when I was, as the investigator says, attached to a religious denomination, Jehovah's Witnesses had already been rehabilitated as victims of political repression. They were allowed to gather together for prayers, chants, and Bible study. And before the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017, I was a peaceful believer who did not attract any attention to myself, and there were no complaints from law enforcement agencies against me.\"\nIt states that it has nothing to do with extremism, and the charge encroaches on religious freedom enshrined in the Russian Constitution.\nLarisa Artamonova plans to give her last speech on February 12. On the same day, the verdict may be announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20210211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The proceedings have been suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20200507","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20200413","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are transferred to the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vladimir Mikhalev. A preliminary hearing in the court of first instance is scheduled for April 13, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20200402","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20200303","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Senior Counselor of Justice Andrey Kolesnikov approves the indictment against Larisa Artamonova. The document cites the woman's active participation in religious events and meetings \"for the purpose of spreading the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses ... by improving the skills of the field ministry.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20200226","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Artamonova is charged with a new crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, she \"took a direct active part in the illegal religious event of Jehovah's Witnesses in the form of a congregation meeting.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20191127","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Artamonova is officially charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20191002","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. S. Yankin, investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Larisa Artamonova (born in 1970).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Artamonova in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan2/index.html#20190925","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Bagiyan was detained in Moscow in April 2024 as a defendant in a criminal case under an extremist article. He spent three days in the detention center, then he was transported to Saratov and placed under house arrest. A year later, the court changed the restriction measure to a ban on certain actions. In July 2025, the case against Bagiyan was separated into a separate proceeding.","date":"2023-10-31","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov4/index.html","prisoners":["bagiyan"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Bagiyan in Saratov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case is separated from the case of other believers in Saratov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bagiyan in Saratov","date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov4/index.html#20250701","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the restriction measure for Sergey Bagiyan, who was under house arrest for 11 months. A ban on certain actions has been established in relation to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bagiyan in Saratov","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov4/index.html#20250326","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Bagiyan was detained in Moscow and told that he was wanted in connection with a criminal case under an extremist article. The man is taken to the police station and placed in a temporary detention facility for 3 days. Baghiyan's wife is allowed to bring food to Baghiyan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bagiyan in Saratov","date":"2024-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov4/index.html#20240421","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case","282","ivs","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2026, the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were searched in Dimitrovgrad. Igor Popov was injured at his home and in the FSB department; he was later hospitalized. He was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, and Igor Balashov was accused of organizing it. His health also suffered during the investigative actions. Both men were placed under house arrest.","date":"2026-02-03","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html","prisoners":["balashov","popovis"],"regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Balashov and Popov in Dimitrovgrad","type":"cases"},{"body":"Rakhmanov, acting head of the FSB's internal security unit, responds to a complaint from Igor Popov's wife, who claimed that her husband was tortured: \"No violations of the current legislation of the Russian Federation have been established in the actions of the FSB officers.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Popov in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260327","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk Sergey Maksimov issued a ruling on the election of a restriction measure for Igor Balashov and Igor Popov - house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Popov in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260205","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator handed Balashov and Popov orders to bring them as accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Popov in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260203","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant D. B. Alushin, investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ulyanovsk region, initiates a criminal case. Igor Balashov is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, Igor Popov is suspected of participating in it. Unlawful actions, according to the investigation, were expressed in \"convening conspiratorial meetings, organizing religious speeches and meetings for worship.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Balashov and Popov in Dimitrovgrad","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dimitrovgrad/index.html#20260202","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yen Sen Li became a victim of religious repression in May 2020. The old age of the believer did not deter the security forces from displaying inhumane treatment: during the search, the elderly Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness was hit in the stomach and his arms were twisted behind his back; afterward, he was kept for 13 hours in the FSB Directorate building in the Khabarovsk Territory. On the same day, student Yegor Baranov was detained. The court sent him to a pre-trial detention center, where he was kept for six months. While in detention, Baranov was deprived of the right to send and receive letters. Later on, the court seized Li\u0026rsquo;s car. In January 2021, the case went to trial. A year later, Yen Sen Li died of covid, never having restored his good name. In April 2022, the prosecutor requested six years in a penal colony for Yegor Baranov. In June 2022, the court gave the believer a five-year suspended sentence, and an appeal reduced this term to four and a half years.","date":"2020-05-26","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html","prisoners":["baranovye","li"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory for reconsideration. Judge Tatyana Chistova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20221226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ksenia Matviyevskaya sentences Yegor Baranov and sentences him to 5 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-06-06T16:47:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220606","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Yegor Baranov 6 years in a general regime colony and a year and a half of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220413","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense asks the judge to exclude inadmissible evidence and challenges the judge. The court rejects both requests.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220321","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of three sessions, the court examines the audio recordings attached to the case. The testimony of the deceased Yen Sen Lee is announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220207","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal proceedings against Yen Sen Lee in connection with the death of the believer are terminated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220131","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that at about 11:00 Yen Sen Lee died in the hospital from COVID-19, and did not have time to restore his good name. He would have turned 70 in March.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2022-01-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20220103","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Petrov I.S.\" is being interrogated. Yen Sen Lee confidently declares that this secret witness is Alexei Bessonov, who is familiar to him. In his testimony, the witness voices the untrue assumption that all those who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are part of a legal entity (the Administrative Center and the LRO). At the same time, he recognizes the difference between a worship service and a meeting of representatives of a legal entity. At the same time, the witness voices the delusion that the Supreme Court forbade Jehovah's Witnesses to read the Bible, pray, sing religious songs, and talk about God and his commandments. Although the Russian authorities and the Plenum of the Supreme Court explained that Jehovah's Witnesses are not forbidden to practice their religion personally and jointly.\nDuring the interrogation, \"Petrov\" repeatedly takes long pauses to think about the answers. Once in the room where he is located, an extraneous voice is heard. The court does not answer the question of the defense whether the witness is alone in the room.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20211115","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates psychologist E. Bessonova and linguist E. Kradozhen-Mazurov, who conducted the examination.\nFrom their speech, it becomes obvious that someone after the fact changed the expert opinion, which is already among the case materials. The judge attached to the case only an excerpt from the original version of the conclusion, which the experts brought with them to the court, but did not exclude the false text from the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20211025","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of religious scholar Olga Averina is underway. The specialist reports that she did not participate in the inspection of the objects and documents of the case, but simply put her signatures in the protocols.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20211011","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines a number of passages from the Bible on how to build relationships with others, strengthen the family and show respect for the authorities.\nA homemade board game on a biblical theme seized during the search is being investigated. The defense petitions that at the next court hearing all together play this game to establish whether it incites hatred and enmity.\nThe court does not satisfy this request.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210913","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A study of the audio recordings attached to the case is underway.\nIn the presence of witness Ilya Degtyarenko , the video recording of his interrogation during the preliminary investigation is examined. He refutes the testimony, pointing to the threats and strong psychological pressure exerted on him by the FSB officer and the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210621","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning two more prosecution witnesses. One of them enjoys the right not to testify against himself, and also refuses to testify earlier. Another states that he did not sign the interrogation protocol due to distortion of facts, and some of the signatures in the document and the phrase \"from my words it is written correctly\" do not belong to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210511","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a follow-up to the previous hearing, the court reads out the written testimony of the prosecution witness. He explains that the investigator changed the wording of his words during the interrogation. Therefore, it is not clear from the testimony whether the witness is referring to legal entities or to a religious organization in the cult sense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210426","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning another prosecution witness. He speaks negatively about those who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, he points out that Jehovah's Witnesses continue only those activities that are not related to legal entities. He also notes that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210406","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the initiative of the prosecutor, the court interrogates the FSB investigator Stanislav Kuznetsov, who conducted the investigative actions. He cannot explain why the testimony of witness Ekaterina Leičunas, which he compiled at different times, is absolutely identical, but at the same time contradicts the video recordings. He also claims that he conducted the interrogation alone.\nA colleague of the investigator, FSB officer Andrei Kusov, is invited to the courtroom. He refutes the testimony of investigator Kuznetsov and states that in reality two people were present at the interrogation of Leichunas: Kuznetsov and the head of the FSB department, Alexei Svetachev. Kusov also explains that the investigation was carried out against Leichunas only because she professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nWitness Leičunas also adds that during the interrogation, investigator Kuznetsov raised his voice at her and held in front of her a piece of paper with ready-made answers that she had to read on camera.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210315","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The key witness for the prosecution, Ekaterina Leichunas, is being questioned. She completely refutes the testimony signed during the preliminary investigation. According to her, she gave them under pressure: investigator Kuznetsov and FSB officer Alexei Svetachev threatened her with deprivation of parental rights.\nCatherine points out that neither she nor the defendants had anything to do with the activities of the banned organization, but simply professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses together.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210301","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of witnesses are ongoing. One of them declares that he has a negative attitude towards any religion. However, he has a positive characterization of Jehovah's Witnesses because they helped him get rid of foul language and smoking.\nAnother witness for the prosecution expresses an extremely negative attitude towards the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and confirms that he is interested in stopping their activities. According to him, he works closely with the FSB.\nWhen other witnesses are questioned, it is found that their written testimony is either wholly or partially untrue, it was compiled by the investigator. At the same time, they point to strong psychological pressure and threats from law enforcement officers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210216","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judicial interrogation of the neighbors of the believer, in whose apartment the services were held, is underway. One of the neighbors indicates that she cannot fully confirm the written testimony drawn up earlier by the investigator.\nThe court interrogates a witness who once attended worship services. Despite the fact that she does not agree with the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, the witness characterizes them positively. She also explains to the court that the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses have a biblical basis.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to court for consideration by Judge Ksenia Matviyevskaya, prosecutor Natalia Ozhogina participates in the process. The hearing was postponed due to the absence of lawyer Yen Sen Lee.\nAccording to the materials of the criminal case, Baranov professes a \"manipulative creed,\" which consists in \"replacing the state in the future with the kingdom of Jehovah.\" \"Realizing his criminal intent,\" the indictment continues, \"Baranov E. A. ... through the rite of baptism he became a member of the congregation in the city of Vyazemsky. At worship meetings, he \"initiated ... reading prayers and singing songs,\" and \"read, quoted, and used the religious edition of the Holy Scriptures.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20210202","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the petition of the FSB investigator Nemtsev to extend the detention of Yegor Baranov, the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk changes the measure of restraint for the believer. Instead of being held in custody, he was ordered to prohibit certain actions. Yegor Baranov spent 177 days in pre-trial detention. All this time, he did not have the opportunity to receive letters of support. Even before it became known about the intention of investigator Nemtsev to seize all incoming correspondence, in the first 10 days, 400 letters were addressed to Yegor Baranov in the pre-trial detention center. After 4 months, it became known that the number of letters had already reached 1200. Shortly before his release, Yegor Baranov received a box with 400 letters that he could read while at home. The rest of the letters are still being studied by the investigator, hoping to find grounds to attach them to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20201120","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator S. V. Nemtsev, on the basis of a court order dated 15.10.2020, draws up a protocol for the seizure of property. The vehicle remains in custody with the accused Yen Sen Lee.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20201019","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, Chizhova N.A., is considering a repeated petition of the investigator to seize Yen Sen Lee's car, in connection with the expiration of the previous restriction.\nDespite the instructions of the higher court, the judge, without specifying the duration of the new ban, again seizes the car, prohibiting it from disposing of the vehicle.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20201015","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court partially satisfies the appeal of Yen Sen Lee, filed by him for the arrest of a personal vehicle. The appellate court clarifies that the accused is prohibited from disposing of the car (selling, etc.) until September 26, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200924","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk Sergey Nakonechny extends Yegor Baranov's detention in the pre-trial detention center until November 25, 2020. During the hearing, he satisfies the motions of the defense and attaches to the case the opinions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, as well as the letters and positive characteristics of the accused.\nInvestigator S. V. Nemtsev reports that by mid-September Baranov received 1269 letters. However, they are not handed over to the believer in connection with the imposed ban on correspondence, but are sent to the investigator for study.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200921","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Khabarovsk satisfies the petition of the investigator of the investigative department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory Nemtsev S.V. and seizes the 1998 Nissan car owned by Yen Sen Li. The believer plans to appeal against the judge's illegal ruling.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200826","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk Yulia Yudakova extends the detention of Yegor Baranov until September 25 inclusive. The defense is appealing against this court ruling.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200717","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Representatives of the juvenile division come to the witness in the case of Baranov and Lee and ask how well she takes care of her children. Earlier, an FSB officer threatened her with such a development of events. She worries about her health and the safety of the children she brings up alone. A day earlier, another witness in the same case had been searched.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200708","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 8:00 a.m., FSB officers with witnesses come to the home of a married couple of pensioners living in the city of Vyazemsky and present a decision to conduct a survey of the premises. Despite the coronavirus epidemic, those who come do not use masks, thereby endangering the elderly. From the stress received, the head of the family has a high blood pressure to a critical level. Frightened people are asked if they know Yen Sen Lee and Yegor Baranov, who had also been searched before.\nAt 12:00 p.m., security forces examine the home of a 64-year-old local resident. However, in fact, searches are carried out in the homes of believers, during which telephones, electronic devices, and various translations of the Bible are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200707","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the FSB investigator for the Khabarovsk Territory, Nemtsev S.V., achieved an unlawful ban on receiving and sending letters for Yegor Baranov, who is sitting in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. According to the law \"On the detention of suspects and accused\", they \"are allowed to correspond with relatives and other persons without limiting the number of telegrams and letters received and sent.\" The defense believes that this is a way to influence the arrested person in order to force him to give the testimony necessary for the investigation, and will appeal the relevant decision. ","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200624","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Khabarovsk Regional Court (155 Pacificskaya Street). The decision to detain Yegor Baranov remains in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200611","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court begins hearing on the appeal in the case of Yegor Baranov. The defense files a motion for the examination of witnesses. The court satisfies this petition and postpones the hearing for a day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200610","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk City Court, Alexei Shatilov, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Yegor Baranov in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, until July 26, 2020. The reason for the harsh decision regarding the only son of a single mother, according to the judge's wording, is that 19-year-old Yegor \"has established stable religious views, is one of the leaders of this religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal cases No. 12007080001000035 and No. 12007080001000037 are combined in one proceeding. The new case is assigned the number No. 12007080001000035.\nEarly in the morning, armed FSB officers aggressively invaded the home of 68-year-old Yen Sen Lee. An armed, masked operative hits Yen Sen in the side, wringing his hands and handcuffing him. From such inhuman treatment of an elderly man, his wife loses consciousness. The handcuffs of Yen Sen are removed only after the search. Then he is taken away for interrogation to the FSB in the Khabarovsk Territory, where they offer a deal with the investigation, involving self-incrimination. He was released home only at 9:00 p.m., after 13 hours of detention. A measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave is chosen for the believer.\nA search is also taking place at the home of 19-year-old Yegor Baranov, a student at a forestry technical school. He was detained for 48 hours.\nInvestigator S. V. Nemtsev interrogates Yen Sen Lee as an accused in the presence of lawyer V. V. Zhigalov and prosecutes him under two articles at once - \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" and \"involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization\" (respectively 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAccording to the investigator's ruling, Yen Sen Lee quoted sources containing information that \"incites religious discord\" and, at the same time, \"called for religious unity.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200527","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory is initiating criminal case No. 12007080001000035 against Yen Sen Li and Yegor Baranov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and No. 12007080001000037 under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranov and Li in Vyazemskiy","date":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy/index.html#20200526","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2019, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. Pachuev opened a criminal case against Roman Baranovsky and his mother, Valentina. At the same time, armed law enforcement officers searched their house. Believers from Abakan were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. In the summer of 2020, the case was submitted to the Abakan City Court. Against the background of severe stress, Valentina had a stroke. In February 2021, Judge Yelena Shcherbakova found the believers guilty and sentenced Roman to six years in prison and Valentina to 2 years. The 70-year-old believer became the first woman Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness in Russia to be sentenced to actual imprisonment. The Supreme Court of Khakassia upheld this decision. In the fall of 2021, despite Valentina\u0026rsquo;s serious illnesses, the court denied her early release. Her repeated petition was granted, and on May 4, 2022, Valentina was released. Roman continues to serve his sentence in a penal colony.","date":"2019-04-10","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html","prisoners":["baranovskaya","baranovskiy"],"regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Roman Baranovsky is kept in a barracks, in which, in addition to him, there are about 80 other prisoners. His relationship with the administration and other prisoners is neutral. In the colony, the believer even received dental care.\nRoman tries not to lose heart, but he worries about his 73-year-old mother, who has to travel 2500 km to see her son.\nThe believer took part in a professional skill competition and won first place in the profession of a tailor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20240613","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Roman Baranovsky in the colony. The believer remains positive, but he is very worried about his mother and really wants to see her. She tries to help him as much as she can.\n5 days a week, Roman works in a sewing workshop where medical overalls are sewn. Roman gets great joy from reading the Bible and letters of support and looks forward to new ones.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20220621","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia does not satisfy the prosecutor's appeal against the court's decision of February 22, 2022. The believer receives parole. Valentina Baranovskaya is released.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20220504","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["release","life-in-prison","mitigation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valentina Baranovskaya in the penal colony. The woman continues to struggle with the progressive disease, in addition, she feels the pressure from the institution. For example, the administration of the colony took away from her the Bible in the Synodal translation of the Orthodox publishing house, referring to a certain explanation of the priest serving at the colony. A lawyer's request was sent to the administration of the colony on this fact.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20220318","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Assistant to the Abakan prosecutor V. Hasan appealed against the parole of 70-year-old believer Valentina Baranovskaya. She remains in the penal colony at least until the appeal decision. Hasan continues to insist that since the believer did not renounce her faith in Jehovah, then she did not repent of the crime committed. Valentina Baranovskaya insists that she did not take part in extremist activities and did not resume the activities of a banned organization, but simply exercises her right to freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20220304","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ust-Abakan District Court Maria Zablotskaya satisfies Valentina Baranovskaya's petition for parole. This decision was opposed by the prosecutor and the administration of Correctional Colony No. 28, arguing that Valentina \"did not repent\" because she did not stop professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Within 10 days, the prosecutor's office may appeal the court decision. The elderly woman has been behind bars for a year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2022-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20220222","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","mitigation","release","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ust-Abakan District Court denies Valentina Baranovskaya early release from the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20211018","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["mitigation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valentina in the colony. He notes her positive attitude. Despite her serious health problems, she helps other prisoners with cleaning, and this has a positive effect on her relationships with others.\nIn the colony, Valentina was visited by a doctor who confirmed her earlier diagnosis. The administration and medical staff of the colony listened to the expert's opinion, thanks to which Valentina was able to receive the necessary daily treatment. This had a beneficial effect on the health of the elderly believer.\nValentina intends to apply for parole and is already trying to do everything possible to avoid complaints from the administration. But in case of refusal, the believer is ready to serve her term in full.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210909","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Roman Baranovsky was taken to correctional colony No. 3 in Chita, where he will serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-07-23T15:20:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210723","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Roman Baranovsky left the pre-trial detention center in Abakan. He is in the process of moving to one of the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Trans-Baikal Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210705","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya is transferred to correctional colony No. 28 (Ust-Abakan, Podgorny Kvartal, 13).\nHer son, Roman Baranovsky, is still in the Abakan pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210610","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia rejects Valentina and Roman Baranovsky in satisfying their appeals against the unprecedentedly cruel sentence of a lower court. 70-year-old Valentina Baranovskaya will go to the colony for 2 years, her son - for 6 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210524","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Shcherbakova announces the verdict: Valentina Baranovskaya is found guilty under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 2 years in prison in a penal colony. Roman Baranovsky was found guilty under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nIn the history of the latest repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses, the sentence has no precedent in 2 respects: for the first time the sentence of imprisonment was imposed on a woman and for the first time the sentence of imprisonment was imposed under the milder part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in a banned organization).\nThe verdict has not entered into force. It will be appealed.\nValentina and Roman Baranovsky were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Khakassia (Molodezhny Square, 22B, Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, 655017).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210224","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Baranovsky speaks in the debate. He draws the court's attention to the fact that in this trial the prosecution was unable to provide any evidence of his guilt either in promoting the superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions, or in organizing money collections, or in mass distribution of prohibited literature, or in any other crime. \"The prosecution did not cite a single specific extremist statement or act on my part, and this is not surprising, since there are no such statements in the case materials,\" the believer notes, \"I see that the prosecution used a certain template against me, which is often heard in the media, to indiscriminately defame those they do not like.\" From the materials considered by the court, it is obvious that the defendant discussed biblical principles directly opposite to what he is charged with, such as \"do not give up, doing good\", \"forgive your enemies\", \"let us do good to all\".\nRoman Baranovsky draws the court's attention to the bias and incompetence of the experts who gave opinions in the criminal case, as well as prosecution witnesses, one of whom stated in her testimony that she \"does not like ... [Baranovskiy] because they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAt the end of his speech, the believer says that in the end, \"his confession of the unforbidden faith of Jehovah's Witnesses by unforbidden means in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation\" was proved.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210211","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya speaks in the debate in the Abakan City Court.\nShe notes that the 5 years in prison requested by the prosecutor for her and 8 years for Roman is a record cruel punishment. At the same time, neither the case materials nor witness testimony confirm that the defendants committed actions or appeals of an extremist nature.\nValentina says: \"It does not follow from the content of my conversations presented in the materials of the criminal case that I had an intent to commit extremist actions ... My only intention is to remain a Christian.\"\nShe also notes that the investigation did not find a single copy of banned literature in her house, and the fact of mass distribution of any materials from the FSEM list was not established.\nIn her speech, Valentina emphasizes that her religious views are based on the Bible and are expressed in love for people, which is the exact opposite of what is called extremism. According to the believer, in fact, she is accused of believing in God and talking about it with her family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210208","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate begins in the Abakan City Court. Prosecutor Svetlana Shestakova requests for Roman Baranovsky 8 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, 1 year of restriction of liberty and 3 years of ban on holding senior positions in public organizations. The prosecutor demands that Valentina Baranovskaya be sentenced to 5 years in prison in compliance with similar restrictions.\nThe believers are scheduled to speak at the debate on February 8, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210201","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya testifies in the Abakan City Court.\nShe emphasizes that, despite the ban of a legal entity — the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abakan (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017) — everyone has the full right to practice their religion in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The defendant adds: \"From the point of view of the Supreme Court and the authorities of our country, believing in God, reading the Bible, singing songs of praise to God is not extremism, this is normal, this is the ordinary life of a believer.\" Further, Valentina explains the difference between a legal entity and ordinary believers with an example: if a chess club ceases to exist, then an amateur chess player does not stop playing chess. It clarifies that the term \"Jehovah's organization\" is not a legal, but a spiritual confessional one, and does not refer to a legal entity, but to all believers in the world who live according to the order established by God.\nTo the accusations of believers of \"harming people and the state,\" Valentina replies that thanks to the Bible she became peaceful, fair, loving people and God, and learned to respect the authorities and their laws. \"And if I hadn't done that, I couldn't have been called one of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" she says, wondering: \"What is my crime? That I believe in a God whose name is Jehovah?\"\nThe court attaches Baranovskaya's medical documents to the case. The believer claims that the unfair accusation led to serious health problems: in the summer of 2020, she was diagnosed with an ischemic stroke. She needs constant supervision and help. \"If my son is imprisoned, how will I be left alone? I have only one son, and it is he who is my support, support and helper.\"\nJudge Elena Shcherbakova schedules the arguments of the parties for February 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20210120","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits are resumed in the Abakan City Court. Nikolai Stepanovich Volkov, a candidate of philosophical sciences, a religious scholar, is being interrogated as a specialist. In response to the prosecutor's request to describe the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, Volkov notes: \"They preach, of course, the Gospel. [...] In fact, their sermons are nothing illegal. [...] Morally, they are ordinary, deeply decent people.\"\nAt the same time, Volkov is biased about the printed publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, ironically at the fact that the illustrations depict representatives of different, including non-Slavic, peoples.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20201214","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is in the hospital in a state of moderate severity, according to doctors. The court postpones the hearing to July 27 to find out whether she will be able to participate in the trial for health reasons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200723","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya is taken to the hospital with a diagnosis of stroke.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200720","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the trial, the prosecutor voices the charges. Roman spoke with an attitude to the accusation. Valentina, due to poor health, could not speak and simply attached her attitude to the accusation. The next meeting is scheduled for July 23, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200709","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing on the merits of the case begins. It becomes known that in the morning Valentina Baranovskaya felt bad. The believer is called by a medical team. The ambulance doctor sends her to the hospital for examination and prescribes treatment in the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200708","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers were notified of the end of the investigation and given an indictment. The measure of procedural coercion remained the same - the obligation to appear. There are still no victims in the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200608","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment revealed violations of the requirements of criminal procedure legislation, which prevent the case from being transferred to the court for consideration on the merits.\nFirst Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic of Khakassia, Senior Counselor of Justice Andrei Mondokhonov decides to return the criminal case to the investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee for the city of Abakan of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia Ermakova O. M. for \"rewriting the indictment and eliminating the identified violations.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200414","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Baranovskaya was charged under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Valentina pleaded not guilty and considers the charge unlawful because she did not commit any crimes, but only exercised her right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200220","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20200219","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Abakan of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Khakassia A.V. Pachuev initiates a criminal case against 44-year-old Baranovsky Roman and his mother Valentina under Article 282.2 Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"organization of activities of a banned organization\"). Later, Valentina was commuted to Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"participation in the activities of a liquidated organization\").\nArmed law enforcement officers are conducting searches at four addresses. Bibles, personal records, electronic devices and various media are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20190410","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case","search","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Khakassia sends a report to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Khakassia to the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Khakassia \"on the detection of signs of a crime\" in relation to Valentina Baranovskaya and Roman Baranovskiy.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baranovskiy in Abakan","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan/index.html#20190321","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2019, the FSB opened a criminal case against Albert Batchaev for believing in God. After the raid of law enforcement officers, he spent more than 3 months in a pre-trial detention center, and then was placed under house arrest. He was accused of \u0026ldquo;singing songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and praying to Jehovah God.\u0026rdquo; Due to the stress, the believer\u0026rsquo;s chronic diseases worsened, and heart problems began. In September 2020, the Batchaev case was transferred to the Cherkessk City Court. Although the prosecution witnesses did not know the defendant personally, they gave false testimony against him. Since June 2021, Albert has been under house arrest. At this time, he had a daughter. During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of freedom for the believer. On December 6, 2021, Judge Rustam Atayev found him guilty and sentenced him to 6 years of probation.","date":"2019-12-11","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html","prisoners":["batchaev"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"About 100 people come to the believer's courthouse to support. Judge Rustam Atayev sentences Batchayev to 6 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-06T11:44:04+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20211206","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Albert Batchaev to 6 years of real imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of freedom.\nAlbert Batchaev makes his last word without preparation, as the judge refuses to give extra time for this. The believer manages to read out his appeal to the court only partially, as Judge Rustam Atayev interrupts his speech.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20211203","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's petition to declare the religious examination inadmissible.\nThe defendant is being interrogated. Batchaev gives explanations about the accusations against him. He comments on one of the songs: \"The lyrics of this song teach me to treat all people with respect, to be merciful, humble, to forgive sincerely from the heart, to show compassion.\"\nHe further says: \"I am not a representative of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, liquidated in the Russian Federation for extremist activities. It may be hard for the prosecution to believe it, but I do not have the status of a legal entity! And in order to believe in God, I don't need any permissions! Through the Bible, God tells how to worship him. And I participated in peaceful worship not at the behest of any organization, but of my own free will.\"\nRegarding the letters of support attached to the case file as physical evidence, Albert explains: \"They do not prove that I am some kind of spiritual leader and have great authority among Jehovah's Witnesses. These letters are living proof of sincere and unselfish Christian love.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20211202","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a linguist and a religious scholar. When asked whether, in the opinion of the linguist, Jehovah's Witnesses are a legal entity or a community of people, she cannot answer and states that this is beyond her competence.\nThe defense finds out that the religious scholar does not have a special education. In her conclusion, she relies on the works of anti-cultists A. N. Syrovatkin and A. L. Dvorkin, who criticize the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He agrees with the lawyer that it was possible to use the works of recognized religious scholars S. I. Ivanenko, N. S. Gordienko, M. I. Odintsov.\nIn his conclusion, the religious scholar concludes that Jehovah's Witnesses are trying to circumvent the decision of the Supreme Court by acting as a legal entity. When asked by the lawyer what justified such a statement, the expert replies that this is his personal opinion, and confirms that he has gone beyond his competence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20211119","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["studies-violations","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing video recordings of three worship services. Due to technical problems with the sound, Albert explains to the court what is happening at these meetings and what Jehovah's Witnesses believe: \"We believe in one God and trust only the message from the Bible, as it is the Word of God.\" He adds: \"Today's Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, are organized along the lines of first-century C.E. Christians.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210806","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The examination of the material evidence seized during the search of Albert's home continues - old photographs, personal notes and letters of support from friends of the defendant. During the third session, the court reads out excerpts from the letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Rustam Atayev, with the participation of prosecutor R. B. Dzyba, decides to soften the measure of restraint for Albert Batchaev. The believer was released in the courtroom on his own recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210621","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Matusevich, who attended religious services for about two years before the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to Batchaev, the witness gives false testimony against him.\n\"I don't know Matusevich, I've never seen him, and he doesn't know me and he's never seen me,\" Albert explains, \"I completely disagree with Matusevich's testimony.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210616","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is underway regarding the extension of house arrest. Albert Batchaev describes the circumstances of his family: he and his wife are expecting the birth of a child, his 87-year-old father needs care, the health of the believer himself requires medical attention.\nThe court takes into account all the circumstances and extends Albert's house arrest until June 25.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210324","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Piskunov, whose wife, who died in 2018, was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, is being questioned. He cannot say anything specific about the circumstances of the criminal case and cannot even say with certainty whether he has ever seen Albert Batchaev.\nWitness Ogareva, who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past and now professes Orthodoxy, answers when asked about the differences between these two confessions: \"There [Jehovah's Witnesses] do not hang icons, they are not baptized there, they believe in the resurrection of the dead on earth, Jesus is considered the son of God who came to earth to take sins upon himself.\" She admits that she does not have the latest information, since in 2013 she stopped communicating with Jehovah's Witnesses. Albert Batchaev expresses complete disagreement with the testimony of the witness Ogareva, stating that he does not know her. He notes that Ogareva did not bring a single fact or evidence of his \"guilt\".\nAnother witness for the prosecution, Sereda, among other things, says: \"As far as I know, all Jehovah's Witnesses are equal before each other, there is absolutely no headship there, as in Orthodoxy. Elders too, there is no such thing: you are the chief elder, you are the secondary elder.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20210217","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Rustam Atayev, taking the side of the prosecution, refuses to terminate the criminal case, not taking into account the decision of the Council of Ministers of Europe. The document states \"serious concerns about the total ban of 2017 ... as a result of this ban, Jehovah's Witnesses continue to be arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned simply for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs.\"\nAlbert reads out his attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20201124","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is held behind closed doors. The prosecutor insists on extending the measure of restraint against Albert Batchaev, arguing that the accused, \"remaining at large and fearing the severity of the punishment, can hide from the court.\" The believer claims that suffering for the Christian faith is an honor, and the severity of punishment for him is not a reason to hide.\nJudge Rustam Atayev extends Batchayev's house arrest for another 6 months, until March 25, 2021. By this date, the total term of restraint will be 368 days. At the moment, the believer has already been under house arrest for six months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20201009","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Rustam Atayev. Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic (24 Voroshilov St., Cherkessk).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20201006","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the indictment, the investigator gathered \"sufficient evidence to bring charges.\" Despite the end of the investigation, the defense has to persistently ensure that the believer is provided with material evidence and copies of the criminal case materials for review.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200915","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tazhikenov issues a decision to bring Albert Batchaev as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer is accused of having \"an advantage in determining the course of worship ... containing statements... about the inducement to break kinship, family and friendships ... refusal of medical intervention ... negative assessment of persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Batchaev claims that he did not encourage anyone to do anything like that.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200914","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic is considering an appeal on a measure of restraint. The court leaves him under house arrest. At the same time, Batchaev is now allowed to take two-hour walks (from 7 to 9 in the morning) within a radius of 500 meters from the house. He can also communicate with those who are not involved in this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200713","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic Shukurov N.I. chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for a period of 2 months - until June 4, 2020 against Albert Batchaev. The punishment provides for certain restrictions, but allows cohabitation with the spouse. The accused shall be released from custody in the courtroom.\nSuch a decision is made by the court at the request of the senior investigator of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, R. N. Tazhikenov. The petition for mitigation of the punishment is supported by the prosecution in the person of T. T. Konov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200404","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearings on the measure of restraint against Batchaev are not completed in his favor. The Supreme Court of Karachay-Cherkessia returns the believer back to the pre-trial detention center, overturning the decision of the previous court, which sent Albert under house arrest. The defense considers the decision unfair and unreasonable.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200217","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Albert from custody, changing the measure of restraint from detention to house arrest. Batchaev spent almost two months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20200206","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Karachay-Cherkessia does not heed the arguments of Albert's defense and rejects the appeal against the believer's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20191230","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the arrest of the believer until February 11, 2020. About 25 people come to the meeting to support Albert, which pleasantly surprises relatives who are not Batchaev's fellow believers. He himself is transferred to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20191221","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Batchaev in a temporary detention facility for another 72 hours. Meanwhile, Albert's acquaintances report that they are under surveillance. One of the believers reported pressure on her minor son — unknown persons harass him and emphatically openly photograph him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20191218","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["ivs","minors","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Cherkessk, the local FSB conducts 12 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses. Security forces are detaining and interrogating about 10 people. A day later, all the believers, with the exception of Albert Batchaev, were released. A criminal case was opened against Batchaev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for organizing \"the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God\" and similar actions. Behind the persecution of believers is an FSB investigator, Major of Justice M. Sapronov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Batchaev in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk/index.html#20191216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Semyon Baibak from Rostov-on-Don spent more than 1.5 years under house arrest. The criminal case against the 22-year-old believer has been under investigation since June 2019. Investigator Kalnitsky accused him of participating in and financing extremist activities. According to investigators, Semyon participated in religious meetings, made donations, and talked about God with those who were not Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The believer spent a day in a temporary detention center, after which the court sent him under house arrest. Court hearings began in September 2020. It took the judge three months to consider the criminal case of Semyon Baibak. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years of suspended imprisonment and 5 years of probation. On June 21, 2020, the Leninskiy District Court found him guilty under both articles and sentenced him to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4.5 years. The appeal and cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html","prisoners":["baybak"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar is considering the complaint of Semyon Baibak.\nThe believer draws the attention of the panel of judges to the contradictions in the written and oral testimony of the key prosecution witness. After that, he notes: \"The video recordings [of the services] last about 40 hours, but, as it turned out, the two interrogations [of the witness] lasted an hour and a half. The question arises: how was he able to watch 40 hours of video in three hours? The interpreter answered this question: she said bluntly that the investigator turned on the video recordings at the right moment so that the witness could identify my voice. Semyon concludes: \"It's like bringing a person for identification, pointing your finger at one of the people and saying, 'This is the person you need to point to.'\"\nThe defense draws attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court (dated October 28, 2021), noting that the mere fact of participation in worship services is not enough to qualify the actions of a believer as criminal.\nDespite this, the court leaves the sentence of Baybak unchanged: 3.5 years suspended. Semyon is determined to continue to seek rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20220112","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court, by its appellate decision, upholds the verdict against Semyon Baybak.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20210329","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Judge Vladimir Barvin announces the verdict: to find Semyon Baybak guilty under Articles 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer was sentenced to 3.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4.5 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom, namely: it is forbidden to leave home from 22:00 to 6:00, it is forbidden to visit institutions where alcoholic beverages are sold, it is forbidden to travel outside Rostov-on-Don, change the place of residence and place of work, it is ordered to appear 2 times a month in the supervisory authority for registration. The believer must be immediately released from the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20201221","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, the defendant delivers his last word. Judge Vladimir Barvin sets the date for the announcement of the verdict on December 21, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20201218","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, the debate of the parties in the case of Semyon Baibak is taking place. The prosecutor demands a sentence for the believer in the form of 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years.\nDuring the debate, Semyon reminds the court on what material evidence the charges against him are based. These are electronic devices that do not belong to him and do not contain anything prohibited; badges in the names of other people; video recordings of events at which he was not present; notebooks with notes in a foreign language, the contents of which have not been examined.\nIn addition to this, the defendant shows the court the minutes of the meetings of the members of the LRO. His name is not there, as he was never part of a legal entity. \"I am innocent. And I do not think that my guilt has been proven in any way,\" the believer concludes his speech in the debate with these words.\nThe meeting is postponed to December 18, 2020. On this day, Semyon should make his last speech. At the same time, the court may announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20201120","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the case of Semyon Baybak is being held in the Leninsky District Court. A prosecution witness is being questioned. He says that he has known Semyon for about 13 years, they read the Bible together, but were not in any legal entity.\nThe witness explains that the donated funds were used to help fellow believers, and not to finance a banned organization and the needs of a legal entity.\nThe witness retracts some of the preliminary statements, stating that the investigator entered the wording in them at his discretion. According to him, the term \"organization\" appears several times in the protocol, although he did not use it during the interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20200915","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Baybak's criminal case is transferred to the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don to Judge Vladimir Barvin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20200727","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don Strokov extended the term of house arrest of Baybak for 3 months - until May 5, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20200404","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major Kalnitsky, Deputy Head of the First Investigation Department of the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, is initiating another criminal case against 22-year-old Semyon Baybak under Part 1 of Article 282.3. Semyon is accused of collecting donations to rent a room for meetings of fellow believers. In this, the investigator sees the financing of an extremist organization banned by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20191105","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (located in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, he participated in religious meetings, including religious services; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Baibak Semyon (born in 1997).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Baybak in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don2/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2019, Judge Dmitry Larin immediately sent 6 Saratov residents to prison for a term of 2 to 3.5 years just for reading the Bible, singing songs and praying. Since 2017, security forces have been conducting covert surveillance of believers. In the summer of 2018, their homes were searched with banned literature planted. While the investigation was underway, they had to go to a pre-trial detention center, under house arrest and under recognizance not to leave. A year later, despite the absence of victims in the case, the believers were found guilty. Upon arrival at the Orenburg colony, 5 out of 6 convicted believers were beaten by the staff of the institution. Mahammadiev was hospitalized, and the rest were placed in a punishment cell for a while. Saratov prisoners of conscience have mastered various professions in prison. In May 2020, Mahammadiev and Bazhenov were stripped of their Russian citizenship and, after their release, deported from Russia. All 6 believers have already served their sentences. In September 2022, the cassation court dismissed the complaint, and the verdict and the appellate ruling were unchanged.","date":"2018-06-09","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html","prisoners":["bazhenov","budenchuk","ggerman","gridasov","makhammadiev","miretskiy"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The hearing in the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov is postponed, as the judicial board satisfies the petition for the recusal of 2 judges - they previously participated in the consideration of the case of another believer, Rustam Seidkuliev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20220902","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Miretskiy is released after serving the 2 years in prison assigned to him by the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210803","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gennady German and Roman Gridasov are released, having fully served the 2 years assigned to them. At the entrance to the Orenburg colony, they are greeted by family members, friends and acquaintances who came from Saratov 800 kilometers away.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210729","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Budenchuk is leaving a penal colony in Orenburg after more than 3 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210706","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov, expelled from Russia, together with his wife Irina, arrive on the territory of Ukraine, in the city of Kramatorsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210519","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov leaves the colony in Dimitrovgrad ahead of schedule after more than 3 years of imprisonment, but law enforcement officers again detain the believer. Bazhenov is sent to a deportation center because his Russian citizenship has been revoked due to criminal prosecution. The believer will be deported to the territory of Ukraine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210505","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Dimitrovgrad City Court of the Ulyanovsk Region satisfies Konstantin Bazhenov's repeated petition for parole.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210422","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov has a 3-day long meeting with his wife, whom he has not seen for 13 months. She says that in the store on the territory of the colony where Konstantin works, he is very much appreciated as a hardworking, responsible and honest person. The employees of the store are impressed that he does not steal the goods. \"We've never had anything like this,\" they share.\nKonstantin's prison term ends approximately in June 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210325","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region writes out the eighth incentive to Konstantin Bazhenov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210323","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Orenburg Regional Court refuses to satisfy the appeal against the decision of the Central District Court of Orenburg, which did not agree to replace the believer's unserved part of the sentence with a fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210226","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Orenburg Regional Court Tatyana Pazhdina leaves unchanged the decision of the court of first instance on the refusal of Roman Gridasov to replace the unserved part of the term with a fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210224","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region writes out another incentive to Konstantin Bazhenov, which becomes the seventh - for active participation in the life of the institution and work on the improvement of its territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210209","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After leaving the deportation center in the Orenburg region, Feliks Makhammadiev arrives in Tashkent, where his wife is already waiting for him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-01-21T19:06:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210121","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Belyaevsky District Court of the Orenburg Region decides to leave Felix Makhammadiyev in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons until February 28, 2021. During this time, documents must be prepared for his deportation from Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2021-01-04T17:20:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20210104","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After serving his full sentence, Felix Makhammadiev leaves penal colony No. 1 in Orenburg. He is placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons, located in the village of Alabaytal (Orenburg Region), because after the verdict his Russian citizenship was revoked and he is subject to return to his country of birth. This happened due to the fact that for his faith he was found guilty under an \"extremist\" article.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201231","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","release","deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After serving his full sentence, Feliks Makhammadiev leaves penal colony No. 1 in Orenburg. Friends sewed him a purple heart from fabric as a gift.\nFelix is placed in the Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons, located in the village of Alabaytal (Orenburg Region), because after the verdict his Russian citizenship was revoked, and he is subject to return to his country of birth. This happened due to the fact that for his faith he was found guilty under an \"extremist\" article.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201231","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["release","deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, communication with prisoners takes place by phone through a glass partition. Previously, they lived in one barracks, but recently Roman and Gennady were transferred to another, with worse conditions of detention. Everyone has good relations with the prisoners of the colony. They are unable to communicate with their wives as often as they would like due to problems with payphones.\nAll believers suffered from viral diseases. Gennadiy has been missing his sense of smell and taste for more than a month. Alexey Budenchuk is worried about his family, who are faced with a series of life troubles.\nLetters of support help believers maintain a positive attitude. Due to the tight schedule, it is not always possible to respond quickly to letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201228","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings on replacing Gennady German's unserved part of the sentence with a fine were postponed to January 18, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201217","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ulyanovsk Regional Court, having considered the appeal against the refusal to replace the unserved part of the sentence to Konstantin Bazhenov with a fine, confirms the decision of the previous court, the believer will remain in the colony for the time being. Bazhenov's court-appointed prison term expires in June 2021.\nOn the same day, the administration of the Orenburg colony No. 1 transferred Gennady German and Roman Gridasov to a detachment with more difficult conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201216","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Orenburg refuses to satisfy the petition of the defense of Alexei Miretsky to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine. This decision will be appealed because Aleksey meets the necessary requirements for release. Despite the exemplary behavior of the believer, the administration of the colony does not apply incentives to him, which the court usually takes into account in favor of the prisoner. Alexei also has job guarantees in case of release.\nMeanwhile, the believer's health is deteriorating in prison - problems with the musculoskeletal system have worsened.\nIt will be possible to file another petition for mitigation of punishment for Aleksey Miretskiy no earlier than six months, two months before the expiration of his imprisonment in the colony.\nCourt hearings on a similar petition against Alexei Budenchuk are postponed indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201215","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Orenburg refuses to replace Roman Gridasov's unserved part of his sentence with a fine. The defense considers the court's decision unfounded and intends to appeal it. The right to re-apply for mitigation of punishment for a believer will appear no earlier than six months later, at the end of June 2021, that is, two months before the end of the term of Roman Gridasov's imprisonment in a colony appointed by the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201210","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the penal colony, Budenchuk and Miretsky are forced to work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day, in the sewing industry. Stress, hard work and conditions in the colony lead to an exacerbation of chronic diseases.\nThe lawyer reports that they take part in various sports and cultural events in the colony, including table tennis and football tournaments.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201103","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Payphones stopped working in the colony. Now spouses cannot communicate with their husbands. Prisoners use rare opportunities to contact their wives through calls and letters to support their loved ones.\nWives have a hard time with separation. In addition to emotional experiences, they had to face the need to resolve everyday problems. Stress also has a negative impact on their health.\nAccording to the wives, the lack of information about the epidemiological situation in the colony adds to the concerns. Many prisoners are sick, but there is no exact information about the nature of the diseases and the condition of the believers.\nRelatives of believers constantly take care of the delivery of parcels to the colony 1000 km from home. Some relatives of the convicts had to get additional work. Friends and relatives try to provide all possible assistance to the families of prisoners of conscience.\nGennady German has been working in the packing department for a month and a half. Due to the lack of air and light in the workplace, his health deteriorates and he asks for a transfer.\nRoman Gridasov notes that the working conditions in the sewing workshop have improved: glass has been put in the windows, the working week has been reduced to five days. Talking about living conditions, he says that there is no hot water in the barracks, and cold water is not always there, the bed is \"sagging like a hammock.\"\nAfter the colony became aware of the submission of documents to the court to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine, Alexei Miretsky receives a penalty from the administration of the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201103","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Dimitrovgrad City Court Dmitry Russky refuses to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine for Konstantin Bazhenov. The defense is preparing to appeal this decision.\n\"Unfortunately, for Kostya and me, such a decision was to some extent expected,\" Irina Bazhenova, Konstantin's wife, said after the trial, implying that under conditions of repression against Russian Jehovah's Witnesses, courts can easily ignore the exemplary behavior of believers in places of detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201028","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings on the petitions of Gennady German and Roman Gridasov to replace the unserved part of the term with a milder form of punishment, scheduled for this day in the Central District Court of Orenburg (Orenburg, Montazhnikov St., 9), were postponed. A review date will be set at a later date.\nShortly after filing a petition to replace the unserved part of the sentence with a fine, Herman was reprimanded for allegedly not greeting the colony staff. This allows the administration of the institution to provide the court with a negative characteristic, which may affect the judge's decision.\nIn the run-up to the trial, believers maintain a positive attitude, thanks to the support of Orenburg's close and sympathetic residents. Letters from dozens of different countries also keep those convicted of faith from drowning in their spirits.\nIn the colony, German and Gridasov work in the sewing industry. Roman also mastered the profession of a cook.\n\"Believers are forced to work from morning to evening. After a hard day's work, they often only have time to wash and wash things. Conditions in the colony are poor. Prisoners are provided with only a small bedside table for storing their belongings. The clothes are of poor quality. According to those who have been kept in the colony for a long time, in summer it is very difficult to get permission to take off thick clothes, when due to hot weather the body gets very hot and you have to work in the literal sense of your own sweat. Their health condition has deteriorated, they have lost weight, their chronic diseases have worsened,\" says the lawyer of the believers who visited them in prison back in the spring. After his departure from the pre-trial detention center, a quarantine was declared there in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, visits by the defender are not yet possible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201021","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["mitigation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The third meeting of believers with their spouses takes place a few days before the colony is completely quarantined. Miretsky's wife notes that Alexei \"generally feels tolerant, although there are periods of exacerbation of [chronic] diseases.\"\nThe wife of Felix Makhammadiyeva says that her husband often catches a cold and has problems with the gastrointestinal tract due to the inability to follow a diet. Since October, prisoners have not been able to receive letters and have been banned from receiving visits and parcels.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201009","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin has the opportunity to go to the gym, use the library, which contains several copies of Bibles.\nFrom 25 to 30 people live in the barracks with Bazhenov, which is 2 times less than it was when he arrived.\nKonstantin is in good standing with the administration of the colony, he has four incentives, and he has been transferred to easier conditions of detention. The believer receives many letters of support and calls his wife every day. Relatives who do not share his beliefs also write to him, encouraging him not to lose heart.\n5 days a week, Bazhenov works in a shop on the territory of the colony. His responsibilities include unloading goods, cleaning and other work.\nKonstantin began to worry about heart problems, back pain, and his eyesight deteriorated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20201001","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer of Herman and Gridasov sends a petition to the court to mitigate the believers' punishment and replace the remaining term of imprisonment with a fine.\nA similar petition to the Central District Court of Orenburg is also filed against Miretsky and Budenchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200921","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov receives a positive response from the FKP of educational institution No. 125. The master describes the believer as \"an accurate, ready to help others, proactive and attentive student.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200824","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region transfers Konstantin Bazhenov to easier conditions of detention.\nAt the Federal State Vocational Educational Institution No. 125, Konstantin receives the specialty \"painter\". He is also trained as a master of carpentry and parquet work.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200814","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to quarantine, believers have to wait almost six months for a second date with their wives. In a pandemic, communication takes place in masks for two hours. Felix Makhammadiev, Gennady German, Aleksey Miretsky and Roman Gridasov, according to their wives, look good and try to support their families emotionally despite being taken into custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200807","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Makhammadiev gets a job as an orderly. During the day, he works in the medical unit, and in the evening and on weekends he returns to the barracks. Prior to that, he helped cut prisoners and learned to work in the sewing industry.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200622","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Felix Makhammadiyev, who had a damaged lung, is recovering in a prison hospital, the threat to his life has passed. Believers Budenchuk, Miretsky, Gridasov and Herman are also feeling better. They are forced to work 10 hours a day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200504","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the letters that came to the colony for Konstantin Bazhenov are redirected to the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200401","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In a joint statement , 27 European states that are members of the European Union (EU), as well as 6 other non-EU countries, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), call for an investigation into the report that on February 6, 2020, in Orenburg, employees of correctional colony No. 1 beat five citizens (Alexei Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Mahammadiev and Alexei Miretsky). All of them suffered serious injuries, and one of them required hospitalization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200312","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The spouses of all 5 prisoners are seeking a short visit from their husbands. Friends give them letters, gifts, food. A large support group spends all day with the wives of believers in the colony.\nAs a result of the meeting, it becomes known that Alexei Miretsky's health worsened after the beating, the question of surgical intervention arose, but it was postponed for now.\nGennady German, according to his wife's observations, \"was in a good mood, his eyes shone with love, and it was clear that he was collected and calm, did not complain about anything, looked decent.\"\nThe wife of Roman Gridasov reports that he \"has noticeably lost weight, there is a strong internal tension, but he is holding on.\"\nKonstantin Bazhenov gets a long date with his wife. The spouses spend 3 days together. According to Irina, her husband is \"in great spiritual and emotional shape.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200224","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov was transferred to correctional colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk region (see the address in his profile).\nAlexey Budenchuk, Gennady German, Roman Gridasov, Felix Makhammadiev and Aleksey Miretsky were transferred to correctional colony No. 1 in the Orenburg region (see addresses in their profiles).\nShortly before Alexei was sent to the colony, the Budenchuk family's house completely burned down, Tatyana and the children miraculously escape, having managed to take only documents with them. Friends and fellow believers help to build new modest housing for the family.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20200204","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Saratov Regional Court is holding an appeal hearing on the appeal against the verdict against the verdict of Saratov believers Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, Alexei Miretsky, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German. The harsh sentence of the lower court remains in force. Believers intend to seek its abolition in Russian and international instances.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20191220","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 11:00 a.m., an appeal against the verdict was scheduled in the Saratov Regional Court. About 150 people come to the hearing, but only 40 are allowed into the hall. It turns out that the lawyer of one of the accused did not appear, so a new one is appointed to him. The court postpones the hearing until December 20 so that the new defender can familiarize herself with the case materials and the complaint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20191212","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge announces the verdict: to sentence Konstantin Bazhenov and Aleksey Budenchuk to 3 years and 6 months in prison, Felix Makhammadiyev - to 3 years, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German and Alexei Miretskiy - to 2 years. Also, all were additionally sentenced to a ban on holding senior positions in public organizations for a period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year. The defendants are taken into custody in the courtroom. The defense is planning an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190919","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate begins. The prosecutor asks for 7 years in prison for the defendants Bazhenov, Makhamaddiyev and Budenchuk, 6 years for Miretsky, Gridasov and Herman, as well as 1 year of restriction of freedom plus 5 years of deprivation of the right to hold senior positions in public organizations.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not prohibit the practice of faith and did not give it an assessment. The whole accusation boiled down to proving that the defendants were civilians simply with certain religious views. There are no signs of extremism in their actions, they have never been members of legal entities. The defender draws attention to numerous violations committed during the investigation. The experts whose conclusions form the basis of the criminal case are not religious scholars and go beyond their competence in their assessments.\nIn their final statement, the defendants wonder why they are accused of believing in God, reading the Bible, singing spiritual songs and praying. They didn't hurt anyone. The unjust persecution has only caused suffering to them and their families. However, they unanimously thank the court and investigation staff. They are glad that Bible prophecies are being fulfilled because of this situation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190918","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge does not object to the petition for the study of the positive characteristics of Roman Gridasov and Gennady German.\nInterrogation of defendants by lawyers. The defendants do not admit guilt, explaining that they are deeply religious people and base their beliefs on the Bible, and not on the charters of any local religious organizations. It is explained that the term \"Jehovah's organization\" is not legal, but spiritual (confessional) and does not refer to the organization in the sense of a legal entity, but to all believers in the world who live according to the order established by God in the form of spiritual institutions; joint meetings and confession of religion of individuals are not related to the activities of local religious organizations, but are the realization of their constitutional right to freedom of religion; they cannot worship God separately from their fellow believers, as the Bible requires it (a religious scholar previously questioned in court explained that all religions assume a collective beginning); the courts did not evaluate or prohibit the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses; investigators mistakenly consider all Jehovah's Witnesses to be members of a local religious organization; explain some of the canonical terms adopted by Jehovah's Witnesses, which are common to Christianity and are used in other religions.\nThe defendants are interrogated about their attitude to the state, military service, and medical intervention. All questions are quoted from the Synodal translation of the Bible. They explain the doctrinal provisions on the need to respect secular power, value life and not refuse medical care, and be peaceful. They explain that if they were somehow connected with extremism, they could not be considered followers of Jesus Christ.\nThe next meeting will be held on September 18, 2019 at 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190911","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal against the measure of restraint. Judge of the Saratov Regional Court Tatyana Strebkova does not satisfy the complaint of the three defendants about the prohibition of certain actions. They argued that the ban on communication was no longer relevant due to the fact that they had already been interrogated, and Bazhenov had filed a complaint with the ECHR and should get in touch with this body.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190905","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines a book and film published by Jehovah's Witnesses, lawyers give explanations about the persecution of Witnesses in Germany and the USSR. Biblical commentaries from other publications on the need to respect authority and others are also considered. The court fully or partially satisfies all requests of lawyers to attach medical documents, personal characteristics, certificates, letters of thanks, diplomas of the defendants to the case.\nDoctor of Philosophy, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko speaks at the trial. Explains that Jehovah's Witnesses are an internationally recognized Christian denomination whose members strive to live according to the biblical commandments. Explains the features of the internal structure. Affirms that believers do not need to belong to legal entities.\nThe next hearing on the merits of the case is scheduled for September 11.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190904","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects requests to return the case to the prosecutor. The court granted the defense's request to examine the material evidence on which the charges were based, including the book \"Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses for 2008\" and the film \"Courage in the Face of Nazism\". This allows us to better understand the position of Jehovah's Witnesses both in the past and in the present period.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190828","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits of the case has begun.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190710","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing on the criminal case was held in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov. The case was submitted to the proceedings of Judge Larin Dmitry Alexandrovich.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190702","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 15, 21, court hearings on the merits are held in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov. The next court hearing is scheduled for 28.08.2019\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190701","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Familiarization with the materials of the criminal case, after which Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German, Aleksey Miretsky are handed an indictment for committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190522","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov, Igor Dyuzhakov , releases Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev from custody in the courtroom, changing their measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190520","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on April 11, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190429","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190412","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev in the form of detention for 2 months, and in total up to 12 months, that is, until June 12, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2019-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20190411","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on December 11, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181225","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal was filed against the decision to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention to Aleksey Budenchuk\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181212","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181211","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiev in the form of detention for 4 months, and in total up to 10 months, that is, until April 12, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181210","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a cassation appeal against the decision of the Frunzensky District Court of August 7, 2018 and the appeal decision of the Saratov Regional Court of August 23, 2018 on the extension of the preventive measure in the form of detention to Konstantin Bazhenov. Later, the cassation appeal was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181024","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a cassation appeal against the decision of the Frunzensky District Court of August 7, 2018 and the appeal decision of the Saratov Regional Court of August 23, 2018 on the extension of the preventive measure in the form of detention of Alexey Budenchuk. Later, the cassation appeal was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20181015","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiyev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on August 7, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180823","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator submits a petition to the court to extend the measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev.\nThe court extends each measure of restraint in the form of detention for 4 months, and in total up to 6 months, that is, until December 12, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180807","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals against decisions on the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention of Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Felix Makhammadiev, issued by the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov on June 14, 2018, were considered. The rulings were upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180625","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Aleksey Miretskiy, Feliks Makhammadiyev, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German were charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180621","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeals have been filed against the decisions on the election of a measure of restraint to Konstantin Bazhenov and Felix Makhammadiev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180617","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal has been filed against the decision to impose a preventive measure on Alexei Budenchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180615","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Gogoleva, judge of the Frunzensky District Court of Saratov, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of 2 months of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev, that is, until August 12, 2018.\nAleksey Gridasov and Gennady German were chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180614","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator submits a petition for the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention in relation to Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk and Felix Makhammadiyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180613","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"7 searches were carried out in the homes of believers, including Roman Gridasov, Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Aleksey Miretskiy, Gennadiy German and Felix Makhammadiyev. During two searches, prohibited materials were planted on believers.\nRoman Gridasov, Konstantin Bazhenov, Aleksey Budenchuk, Gennady German and Felix Makhammadiev were detained on suspicion of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nWith regard to Miretsky Alexei, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180612","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search","plant","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Saratov region initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2018-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20180609","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Covert surveillance, including audio and video recordings, is being conducted in order to collect information regarding Konstantin Bazhenov, Alexey Budenchuk, Alexey Miretsky, Felix Makhammadiyev, Roman Gridasov, Gennady German.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bazhenov and Others in Saratov","date":"2017-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov/index.html#20170717","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, the house of Anna Bochko, a resident of the village of Buzinovskaya, was searched. Her husband, Yevgeniy, was accused of extremism. Four years later, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against Anna for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. She was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.","date":"2026-03-27","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki15/index.html","prisoners":["bochkoan"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Bochko in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer is charged and interrogated. According to investigator O. I. Kurbanov, she \"conducted and listened to lectures based on the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses... emphasizing that these books contain correct knowledge about God.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bochko in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki15/index.html#20260413","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator N. V. Pashchenko opens a criminal case against Anna Bochko, a resident of the village of Buzinovskaya.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Bochko in Vyselki","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki15/index.html#20260327","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2022, while admiring the beauty of the national park “Land of the Leopard” with friends, Viktor Chernov, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from the village of Tavrichanka, learned that his home was searched. The next day he and his son, who is not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, were summoned to a neighboring village to be interrogated by the Investigative Committee. There he learned that a criminal case had been initiated against him on charges of extremism. His son was released, but Viktor was detained and placed in a temporary detention center for one day. On the following day, the court placed the believer under house arrest, which lasted until March 2023. Chernov was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, and all his accounts were blocked. Due to the restrictions imposed on him, the believer could not pay for medical treatment or visit doctors, so his health deteriorated. In June 2023, the believer was placed under a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in March 2025, the year after Viktor was sentenced to 3 years suspended.","date":"2022-11-16","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html","prisoners":["chernov"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","type":"cases"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov delivers his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20260522","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov insists on his innocence. \"I am a peaceful person, and neither my position nor my words have harmed anyone. The prosecution has not presented a single piece of evidence of my guilt,\" the believer asserts.\nHe also notes that being under investigation has had a negative impact on his physical health. In addition to stomach ulcers and hypertension, Chernov has suffered two heart attacks. He has also undergone surgery and requires another operation, but due to heart problems, it is being postponed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20260515","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov is being questioned in court. The believer notes: “Not a single piece of evidence was presented to prove my guilt as an extremist. Everything I talked about was love, good deeds, how to respect one another and live according to the laws of the state.”\nThe court adds information about Viktor’s state of health to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20260505","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court suspends proceedings in the case due to the defendant's illness - Chernov had a heart attack, he underwent surgery.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20260126","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Pak is being questioned. He says that he has not attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses for a long time. According to him, no one was forced to participate in meetings or join any organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20251022","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The son and daughter-in-law of Viktor Chernov are questioned. The son reports that he is not very familiar with his father's religious views. According to him, Viktor Chernov works in landscape design and leads a law-abiding life. \"He raised me; I have never seen him in an unstable state, drunk or angry,\" the witness says. In response to questions from the prosecution, he adds that his father always leaves him the right to choose — whether to listen about God or not.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2025-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20250801","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov's case is being submitted to the Nadezhdinsky District Court, it will be considered by Judge Marina Sinitsyna.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20250314","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nadezhdinskiy District Court lifts the ban on certain actions from Viktor Chernov and chooses a new measure of restraint for him - a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20230614","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov is experiencing difficulties due to the restrictions imposed on him: he cannot receive timely medical care. The believer suffers from a number of serious diseases, including diabetes mellitus and a tumor in the abdominal cavity, he recently injured his knee. To receive proper treatment, he needs to travel outside the village, but the investigator does not always satisfy Victor's requests. Complaints about these actions are also rejected. Chernov's health is deteriorating. In addition, visits to doctors and treatment are expensive, but since Viktor was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list, all his bank cards are blocked, and he is unable to work.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2023-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20230508","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","medical-rights","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Viktor Chernov from house arrest and imposes a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20230315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator and the prosecutor petition for Viktor's detention. Judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court Diana Merzlyakova sends Chernov under house arrest for 1 month and 27 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2022-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20221120","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Chernov comes on a summons to the Investigative Committee in the village of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye. He was detained and taken to the temporary detention center in the city of Artyom. Victor's son is also being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2022-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20221119","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chernov case is separated from the Lonshakov case. Viktor is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20221116","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces begin operational-search measures against Viktor Chernov and several other Jehovah's Witnesses - an audio recording of the services is being made.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Chernov in Tavrichanka","date":"2018-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka2/index.html#20181202","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen is the first Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness in modern Russia to be imprisoned only because of his faith. He was arrested in May 2017. The FSB accused the believer of organizing the activities of a banned organization on the basis of the testimony of a secret witness, theologian Oleg Kurdyumov from a local university, who kept covert audio and video recordings of conversations with Christensen about faith. There are no extremist statements or victims in the case. In 2019, the court sentenced Christensen to 6 years in prison. The believer was serving time in the Lgov colony. He repeatedly asked for the replacement of part of the unserved term with a fine. For the first time, the court granted the request, but the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office appealed this decision, and the prison administration threw the believer into a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. Christensen developed illnesses that prevented him from working in prison. On May 24, 2022, the believer was released after serving his sentence and was immediately deported to his homeland, Denmark.","date":"2017-05-23","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html","prisoners":["christensen"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"After his release from prison and extradition, Dennis Christensen arrives in Denmark. The Russian authorities revoked his residence permit in the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2022-05-25T09:21:59+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20220525","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["release","deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a month spent in the hospital for examination, Dennis Christensen returns to colony No. 3 in the city of Lgov. He feels satisfied. The believer must serve in the colony for another 10 months.\nAs the number of prisoners in the colony has decreased, even in strict conditions of detention, Dennis has more personal space - instead of 12, 7-8 people now live with him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210728","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen was transferred to penal colony No. 2 in Kosinovo, Kursk region, for a routine medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210628","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that a computer program for translating texts from foreign languages has been installed in the colony. Dennis can now receive letters of support from fellow believers in English and Danish.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210318","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The press service of the Kursk Regional Court reports that \"the decisions of the administration [of Lgov correctional colony No. 3] on the imposition of disciplinary sanctions on Christensen in connection with the violation of the procedure for bringing to justice were declared illegal and canceled.\"\nIf the colony authorities stop disciplining Dennis on flimsy grounds and move him from strict to normal conditions, this will give him the opportunity to keep in touch with his wife by phone and receive additional packages and visits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210311","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen's short-term 4-hour date with his wife Irina takes place. Since October 15, 2020, he has been held in strict conditions of serving his sentence (SUON), which limits his ability to call and see loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210213","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kursk Regional Court, having considered the believer's appeal, upholds the decision of the Lgovsky District Court of October 26, 2020, which refused to replace Dennis Christensen's unserved part of his prison term with a fine.\nThe appeal notes that Lgov penal colony No. 3 deliberately provided the court with a negative characterization of Christensen. In the colony, penalties were systematically imposed on him so that he could not receive a lighter punishment, and also such types of work were chosen that would cause him physical suffering and exacerbation of the neurological diseases diagnosed with him. He regularly hears threats and insults from the colony staff because of his religion.\n\"Under the threat of writing a report and reprimanding, I am forced to attend mass events in the club containing scenes of violence and immorality, which is contrary to my Christian conscience,\" the believer also notes.\nAs of February 10, 2021, Dennis Christensen has been behind bars for 1357 days (3 years, 8 months and 16 days).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20210210","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lgov District Court of the Kursk Region refuses to replace Christensen's unserved part of his prison term with a fine. The court refers to Christensen's opposition to work in prison, although such work is contraindicated to him for health reasons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20201026","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new hearing begins in the Lgov District Court on Dennis Christensen's motion to replace the remaining prison term with a fine. At 5:00 p.m., the court adjourned the hearings until October 26.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20201023","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For health reasons, Dennis is shown easy work, he applies for training in a new specialty, but is refused. He cannot perform the work provided in the colony, which is regarded by the administration as a violation. Christensen is placed in a strict prison setting (OHSS), where he is being held at the same time as 12 other prisoners.\nAt SWON, bedrooms are closed during the daytime, and Dennis can't lie down if he gets sick. Walks on the territory of the colony are prohibited, so every day he walks for an hour and a half in the courtyard. He has to write letters and read in the TV room, so he plugs his ears.\nDennis and his wife had two three-day dates in 2020. For a long time, the colony was closed to visitors for quarantine. Now Irina cannot call her husband, as he is being held in the SWON. Dating is also not possible at this time.\nDespite the pressure and threats, the believer respects the staff of the colony. And they, in turn, are surprised by Christensen's optimism and unfailing smile. In his letters to his wife, he writes: \"Now, as the Bible says, love has grown cold in many, but I do not want this to happen to me, so I try to be grateful for everything that God does for us. Gratitude will help me to be joyful and appreciate what I have. I want to stay calm and trust God further. I know that our path is long and there will be no victory yet... So long. But, in the end, we will win, of this I am one hundred percent sure!\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20201001","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is released from the punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200919","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 days after the verdict of the Kursk Regional Court, which returned Christensen to the colony, the prison authorities for the third time placed the believer in a punishment cell: they force him to perform work that is contraindicated for him for medical reasons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200909","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kursk Regional Court Vladimir Olovnikov reverses the court's decision to release Dennis Christensen and sends the case of Jehovah's Witness from Denmark for a new trial to the Lgov District Court of the Kursk Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200904","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Christensen leaves the punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200727","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of the colony extends Christensen's stay in the punishment cell for 7 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200720","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of the colony again puts Christensen in a punishment cell - for 5 days. The formal reason is the refusal of the believer to work, which is contraindicated to him for health reasons. On the eve of the leadership of the colony calls doctors who cooperate with the penal system. They examine Christensen and conclude that he can work with breaks for rest and gymnastics. Previously, an independent doctor had concluded that working in a prison garment factory was contraindicated for him.\nSHIZO is a prison inside a prison with harsh conditions. Prisoners are prohibited from purchasing food, receiving visits, telephone calls, receiving parcels and parcels. Although by law prisoners in the punishment cell have the right to invite a clergyman, Dennis Christensen does not have this opportunity, since Jehovah's Witnesses are deprived of official registration in Russia.\nThe administration of the colony extends Christensen's stay in the punishment cell for 7 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200715","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Tatiana Ignatieva of the Lgov District Court dismisses Christensen's lawsuit, in which he asks to declare his placement in a punishment cell illegal. The Court refers to the lack of translation of documents into Danish, the absence of appealed decisions of the penal colony and other non-legal reasons. (Translation of the documents is not required, as Christensen is the submitter himself; the appealed documents cannot be provided because they are not issued by the prison administration, and among other things, the oral reprimand issued to Christensen on April 20, 2020 is being appealed.) According to statistics on the website of the Lgov District Court, this court returns about two-thirds of all complaints about violations of the rights of prisoners in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200713","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dennis Christensen has been released from a punishment cell after 15 days of special detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200711","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of the colony extends Christensen's detention in the punishment cell, once again fabricating charges of violations: late rise and conversations with prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200706","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Christensen is placed in a punishment cell for 10 days (Christensen initially concludes that he was placed in the EPKT). According to the administration of the colony, Dennis deserves such treatment for the fact that on June 25 he enters the food room at the wrong time and is in the barracks in a T-shirt, without a jacket. On this formal basis, two reports of gross violations are drawn up against Dennis. According to lawyers, such actions are designed to prevent a believer from being released by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200626","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Shatunov, prosecutor of the Kursk Prosecutor's Office for the Supervision of Correctional Institutions, states that the decision of the Lgov District Court to mitigate Christensen's sentence is illegal, demands that it be canceled and the material sent for a new trial. In his submission, Shatunov refers to the administration of the Lgov colony, which, according to him, characterizes the convict unsatisfactorily: \"Due to the lack of positive activity in labor and public life of the correctional institution.\" The same arguments were voiced by the colony staff during the trial on June 23, but the Lgov District Court found them untenable. It is noteworthy that at the same court hearing, Artem Kofanov, the prosecutor of the same prosecutor's office, supported the decision to mitigate Christensen's sentence.\nThe issue of Christensen's petitions for mitigation of punishment, which the Lgov court in December 2019 refused to consider on formal grounds, is getting an unexpected development. Although for the 4th time the court nevertheless accepted the petition and has already considered it, on June 25, 2020, the First Court of Cassation in Saratov declared one of the 3 refusals of the court illegal and returned the case to the Lgovsky District Court for reconsideration. Since Christensen's case has already been considered on the merits, the proceedings on the motion are likely to be suspended. \"Although this decision does not affect the issue of Christensen's release, it shows that he is being treated unfairly,\" explains the believer's lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200625","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lgov District Court of the Kursk Region Galina Petlitsa decides to replace Christensen's unserved part of the sentence with a fine of 400,000 rubles. Dennis spent 1128 days in custody and will be released after the court decision takes effect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20200623","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the presence of journalists, diplomats, friends and fellow believers of Dennis Christensen, in a packed hall designed for 80 people, Dennis Christensen addressed the court in his last statement to the defendant. He disagreed with the decision of the court of first instance. He warmly thanked his wife, friends, employees of the Danish diplomatic mission, as well as everyone who sent him letters of support in prison for their support. He is especially grateful to Jehovah God, who gives him the strength to endure all the torment and smile. Dennis said he was proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court retired to the deliberation room and soon returned to announce the decision: the verdict of the court of first instance to uphold, the sentence imposed on Dennis Christensen was unchanged. ","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190523","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutors and defence counsel, as well as Dennis Christensen himself, spoke in the debate. The hearing was attended by foreign diplomats, journalists, as well as numerous members of the public. On May 23 at 10:00 a.m., the defendant's last speech is scheduled, after which the court will retire to decide the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190516","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal went through the stage of judicial investigation, rejecting all the petitions of lawyers. For example, the court did not satisfy the petition to verify the evidence that formed the basis of the unfair sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190508","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal hearing began with a full house. The case is heard by a panel of judges Olga Zuenko (chairman), Alexander Bukhtiyarov and Andrey Rogachev. Dennis Christensen's family and friends, journalists, human rights activists, diplomats from different countries, including representatives of the Kingdom of Denmark, are present. Only a fraction of the approximately 70 listeners who came to court were able to enter the courtroom. A break was announced, after which the hearings continue in a larger hall No. 8.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190507","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed an additional appeal in connection with the full acquaintance with the minutes of the court session. (Filing an additional complaint is provided for in Part 4 of Article 389.8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190318","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190218","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 11:00 a.m., Judge Alexei Rudnev began announcing the verdict. There is a large crowd of people in the courthouse, including reporters.\nAn hour later, the court proclaimed: found guilty, impose a sentence of 6 years in prison with serving in a penal colony. The decision did not come into force. ","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190206","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 30, 2019, lawyer Irina Krasnikova and Dennis Christensen himself spoke in the debate (the text of his speech was published). Christensen was then given the defendant's last word (also published). ","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190130","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The representative of the prosecutor's office of the Oryol region, Ivan Fomin, speaking in the debate, asked the court to sentence Dennis Christensen to 6 and a half years in a general regime colony. Lawyer Anton Bogdanov spoke during the debate. The continuation of the debate was postponed to Monday, 28 January 2019, and later postponed to 30 January 2019. Defender's Irina Krasnikova and Dennis Christensen's last word are expected to speak.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190123","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 15 and 16, 2019, Dennis Christensen, who is accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), presented his explanations to the court. He confirmed that he professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, analyzed the motives attributed to him by the investigation, revealed inconsistencies in the charges, openly exposed the secret witness for the prosecution and declared his complete innocence. On January 16, 2019, the court almost completed the judicial investigation of the case. The defense party filed petitions, the resolution of which was postponed until January 21, 2019. The parties confirmed to the court that they were ready to speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2019-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20190115","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A technician was questioned due to traces of editing on DVDs, but he was unable to clarify to the court the reason for the inconsistencies in the video recordings testifying to the editing.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for January 14-16, 2019. ","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181226","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court admitted as evidence in the case a disc with the documentary film \"Alternatives to Blood Transfusion - Simple, Safe, Effective\". The disc was discovered during searches in a case that had nothing to do with Christensen's. The film was watched in its entirety during the meeting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181225","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attached to the case information from lawyers that a number of Jehovah's Witnesses publications found on electronic media during the search were not included in the list of extremist materials during the period when Christensen could use them.\nThe court also decided to conduct an examination of DVDs with video recordings of operational actions dated February 19 and 26, 2017 for traces of editing.\nIn addition, Christensen's lawyer read out the analysis of the linguist, Ph.D. Ivanenko, an interview with a religious scholar, Ph.D. Vovchenko, who calls Jehovah's Witnesses unsafe for society, attached to the case. According to Ivanenko's expertise, Vovchenko deliberately and thoughtfully resorts to a strategy of discrediting Jehovah's Witnesses without conducting proper research and without citing facts.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181224","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of witness Vladimir Melnik continued. He said that the meetings of the LRO are different from other religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses - they have a much larger number of attendees and last about 6 hours.\nThe prosecutor tried to prove the connection between the LRO and the Administrative Center by quoting various clauses of the statutes. The witness explained that the connection between the two organizations is canonical, in doctrine. Legally, these are different organizations.\nRecall that the Supreme Court of Russia banned most of the local organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses only on the grounds that it considered them \"branches\" of the Administrative Center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181107","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the defense witness of the former chairman of the local religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses, Vladimir Melnik, has begun. It clearly distinguished between the activities of a legal entity (LRO) and religious groups. The LRO basically held only 2-3 services a year - congresses. Before the ban, one of these congresses was disrupted by the security forces, and after the ban they were not held. The rest of the services were conducted by believers on the basis of the law on religious groups. Melnik stressed that the LRO included only a few people, and Christensen was not among them. Melnik also said that the LRO was closed by a court decision after planting banned literature.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181106","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Christensen's defense drew the court's attention to the fact that after the initiation of a criminal case against Dennis, he was not arrested for some time. This means that the investigator himself did not believe that Christensen could go into hiding. Consequently, his detention is unreasonable. In addition, the lawyers identified shortcomings in the examinations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181031","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Trying to prove Christensen's guilt, the prosecution attached to the case a certificate from the military registration and enlistment office about 9 conscripts who \"refused to serve in the army\" for reasons of conscience. The lawyers drew attention to the fact that the conscripts acted according to the law and gave their civic duty to the state, using the right to alternative service. Some, for example, were sent to a gerontological center to take care of the elderly, others to the Russian Post.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181030","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examined the contents of other believers' tablets, electronic files that Christensen had nothing to do with. According to the prosecution, the presence of e-books indicates conspiracy. Lawyers consider this interpretation far-fetched.\nDescribing the files, the investigator unreasonably attributed them as belonging to the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses Oryol, although there was no information about the LRO in the files, which the prosecutor admitted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181029","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court once again extended Christensen's detention for 3 months - until February 1, 2019. The next day, a complaint was filed against this decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181024","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court session, excerpts from electronic religious books found on Dennis Christensen's computer were read out - the motivation to keep peace with people, to strengthen family ties, especially if the life partner has a different religion.\nThe state prosecution paid attention to the requirements for the elders of the Christian congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses as those who \"must be impeccable, sensible, not belligerent ...\" Lawyers noticed that this does not correspond to the appearance of the criminal.\nThe prosecutor asked Christensen if he knew of cases in which Jehovah's Witnesses \"obeyed God more\" than state laws. He cited the example of the German Witnesses who, during World War II, went to concentration camps instead of the front, refusing to kill Russian soldiers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20181008","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continued to examine the files found on the computers and phones seized from believers. On one of the media, a file was found with the text of a dialogue on faith, during which a website included in the FSEM was mentioned. However, it was established that the file was created long before the period imputed to Christensen, in 2013, and was found not in Dennis Christensen, but in another person.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180925","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examined materials found on digital media seized during searches from Dennis and Irina Christensen, as well as from other believers in Orel. Correspondence between the defendants was investigated behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180904","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was devoted to the review of the case materials. Christensen's lawyers drew attention to many violations and misinterpretations made by the investigation during the collection of materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180807","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examined court decisions recognizing extremist literature seized during searches. For these publications, either the date of the court decision or the date of entry into the FSEM refers to the time after the period imputed to Christensen. The audience was revived by the fact that the Bible in the New World Translation was recognized as extremist material on the basis of an examination carried out by a mathematics teacher.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180713","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meetings were held behind closed doors, and telephone conversations between Dennis Christensen and other Jehovah's Witnesses in Orel were examined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180710","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continued to listen to recordings of Christensen's telephone conversations. The defense petitioned for the interrogation of witnesses who left Russia. The court postponed the decision on this issue.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180709","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor examined the documents of the case, from which it follows that the security forces, by court decision, listened to the telephone conversations of Dennis Christensen and four other citizens for six months. Christensen's conversations were tapped even after he was placed in a pre-trial detention center, until January 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180704","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listened behind closed doors to audio recordings of telephone conversations of those who appear in the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180704","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor read out documents showing that the conversation between Kurdyumov and Christensen in the Country Chicken café on May 16, 2017 was secretly recorded on a dictaphone. 9 days after that meeting, Christensen was arrested. The defense pointed out that the printed transcript made by the FSB officers in some places distorts the meaning of what Christensen said during the conversation. The court, at the suggestion of Christensen's lawyers, examined the audio recording behind closed doors. The motives for the meeting between the Orthodox theologian Kurdyumov and Christensen during the secret surveillance of the FSB remained behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180702","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new witness, 55-year-old Sergey Filippov, who has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for 13 years, was questioned. After the outbreak of hostilities in the Donbass, he moved to Russia with his wife and children. In Oryol, he regularly attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and did not notice signs of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180606","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"These days, the trial was held behind closed doors, as video recordings of the services that took place on February 19 and 26, 2017 were examined. The video recordings were made secretly on the instructions of the FSB Directorate for the Oryol Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180605","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The \"secret witness\" gave contradictory testimony and selective answers to questions from the defense. He said that he attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses about 10 times, admitting that the essence of peaceful events was to discuss the Bible, pray, and chant. He described Jehovah's Witnesses as those who maintain \"working relations with the state, but do not serve in the armed forces.\" He also recounted a number of myths about the Witnesses—that believers break off relations with relatives if they practice another religion for fear of \"going to hell,\" although Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe this. Having said that only \"his own\" could get to the meetings of believers, the witness found it difficult to answer how he himself got to them. Christensen was called the \"secret witness\" the main Jehovah's Witness in the Oryol region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180604","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejected the prosecutor's request to restrict journalists' access to the trial. The interrogation of the \"secret witness\" began, whose voice was distorted by the equipment so much that it was impossible to understand his speech. Therefore, the interrogation was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180530","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decided to watch the secret video recording of the service behind closed doors, without listeners. The recording was watched without the permission of those who were recorded on it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180529","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court allowed journalists to cover the trial contrary to the prosecutor's demands and allowed the interrogation of the \"secret witness\". The witness himself did not appear in court, so written documents were read out at the hearing. The state prosecutor read out the decisions on fines and the ban on LRO in Orel. The first, as it turned out, was canceled. And the second did not imply, according to the Supreme Court ruling, a ban on the private practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor also unsuccessfully tried to expose Sberbank's financial transactions with the accounts of the LRO as the activities of the LRO after the ban.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180528","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It was planned to interrogate a secret prosecution witness, who, as the lawyers suspect, is Oleg Kurdyumov, a lecturer at the Department of Humanities and Natural Sciences of Oryol State University, a graduate of the Department of Religious Studies and Theology, a specialist in the field of near-Orthodox heresies. The lawyers petitioned for the court to compare the surname, name and patronymic of the witness in the \"secret envelope\" with similar data in the protocol of Kurdyumov's interrogation. The court denied the petition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180523","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge continued to question the pediatrician with 35 years of experience, asking many questions about blood transfusions. The witness spoke in detail about alternatives to transfusion, and also mentioned the Order of the Ministry of Health No. 363, according to which before using donated blood, the doctor is obliged to inform the patient about the risks and obtain his written consent. At the same time, the doctor does not have the right to ignore the patient's decision or demand an explanation of his will.\nThe judge was particularly interested in who organized the cleaning of the Kingdom Hall, who opened it, who welcomed the guests, and whether it was Christensen. The witness explained that such actions were matters of simple hospitality and etiquette. She herself, if necessary and if possible, participated in the cleaning, driven by a personal impulse.\nThe prosecutors asked the witness to tell about what happened on May 25, 2017, when law enforcement officers came to their service and Christensen was arrested, the woman said that \"I have never seen such a spectacle in my life, it was very scary, like a horror movie.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180521","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court questioned a local resident who lived near the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses. He said that believers went to meetings \"as if on a holiday\" - decently dressed, sober, with children. The yard was cleaned, snow was cleaned in winter, and the lawn was mowed in summer. The witness said he did not see who was in charge of the cleanup. The state prosecution said that the preliminary testimony was different - Christensen was in charge of cleaning. The court decided to read out the witness's previous testimony, but forbade lawyers to ask what the witness said was true. The judge's actions prompted the lawyers to challenge him, but the court rejected it.\nA retired pediatrician who has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for about 25 years also spoke at the trial. She said that Christensen, like herself, read the Bible at worship services. The judge inquired about the witness's attitude to blood transfusions, although this issue is not related to the charges against Christensen. The witness said that, after working as a doctor for many years, she decided to look for alternatives to blood transfusion for medical and religious reasons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180516","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer Pavel Azarenkov continued to testify. He explained that the Oryol Regional Court and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and in Oryol it is allowed to read the Bible, pray and spread their religious beliefs together with others, including on the street.\nChristensen's fellow believer was questioned at the hearing. The judge was keen to know how her religion differed from Orthodoxy. The witness said that after the visit of FSB officers to her work in kindergarten No. 11 in Orel, she was forced to resign. The security forces explained to the head of the institution that Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not have the right to work in kindergartens.\" The court stopped the lawyers' attempt to find out the names of the operatives from the witness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180515","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","work-restrictions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court questioned prosecution witnesses. One of them, district police officer Maxim Ranev, on whose territory the worship building is located, explained that the Supreme Court did not prohibit the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, only a legal body was banned.\nAnother witness, Eduard Gavrikov, said that his mother, with whom he does not live, professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Gavrikov admitted that he treats Jehovah's Witnesses negatively, he never attended their services. According to the witness, Christensen came to his mother's apartment to help her niece get out of the room in which the lock broke.\nFSB operative Pavel Azarenkov told the court that he had been monitoring Christensen at the place of worship and making audio and video recordings using special equipment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180514","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogated a 78-year-old local woman who professes the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses for 2.5 hours. All this time the woman was standing. The believer was asked many questions not only about Christensen, but also about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in general.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180425","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court questioned two witnesses for the prosecution. One of them, an FSB officer, said that he followed Christensen, but did not hear what he was talking about with people. Also, during a search of the home of a family of believers, this operative seized a number of things that were not listed and described anywhere. He explained his actions by the fact that he acted under the direction of his superior.\nAnother prosecution witness, a local resident, said that she attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2013 to December 6, 2015. She was unable to give any testimony about Christensen's activities after the court liquidated the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180424","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the investigative department of the prosecutor's office of the Oryol region, lawyer of the 1st class Ivan Fomin, announced the charge. It is replete with such general phrases that, according to Christensen, he never understood what he was accused of. The defendant's lawyers stressed that the consequences of the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses organizations should not violate a person's right to freedom of religion. The prosecution did not provide a description of the places and times of the alleged crimes, the methods, consequences and other things that are necessary for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180423","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dozens of people gathered for the court hearing, including Dennis' friends and local journalists. Christensen was taken into the courtroom in handcuffs. Judge Alexei Rudnev gave Christensen additional time to familiarize himself with the criminal case, but did not allow him to familiarize himself with the material evidence in more detail: videos, photos and items seized during the searches. After the meeting, those present had a few moments to say words of encouragement to Dennis.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180403","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Oryol has begun a preliminary hearing in the criminal case of Dennis Christensen, one of Jehovah's Witnesses by religion, accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\" The lawyers requested the exclusion of inadmissible evidence from the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Christensen in Oryol","date":"2018-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol/index.html#20180219","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov was searched twice, in April and December 2020, because of his faith in Jehovah God. For the first time, the security forces did not find anything forbidden on the believer, but in November 2020, the FSB opened a criminal case against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for participating in \u0026ldquo;religious teaching and sermons\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;collective discussion of the Bible.\u0026rdquo; The investigation was conducted by O. I. Komissarov, who also handled the case of Alexander Ivshin. On March 23, 2021, the judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Olga Khomchenkova, held the first hearing in the case of Danilov, and on March 29, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 3 years in prison for him. This is the punishment the court imposed on the believer. The Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the verdict. Danilov was placed in a colony in the city of Khadyzhensk, and later transferred to a colony in the village of Akhtarsky, where the administration infringes on his rights and unreasonably applies penalties. In June 2022, the court of cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-11-12","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html","prisoners":["danilov"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov is kept in a single cell room with two prisoners with whom he has developed good relations. So far, the believer receives letters only from relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20231006","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov was taken to correctional colony No. 2, located in the village of Dvubratskoye (Krasnodar Territory).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20230831","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony located in the village of Dvubratskoye, Krasnodar Territory, where he will continue to serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20230818","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov was placed in stricter conditions of detention for three months - a cell-type room (PKT).\nPKT is a special lockable room on the territory of the colony, where convicts live for the entire period for which a penalty is imposed (up to six months). Such premises, as a rule, have more difficult conditions of detention. Previously, the PKT was called BUR, which stood for \"high-security barracks\".\nThe administration has already placed Oleg Danilov in a punishment cell (punishment cell) and a punishment cell (strict conditions of detention).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20230804","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","torture-conditions","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer feels good. Previously, there was no heating in the cell for some time, he suffered a cold. Oleg is experiencing pain in his lower back and knee, and the medication makes him feel better. He also needs dental treatment.\nThe attitude of the cellmates and the administration towards Oleg is good. He is not allowed to make phone calls.\nHe receives letters of support regularly, but there are delays in delivery.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20230505","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction shall uphold the judgment of the first instance and the appellate decision. Oleg Danilov will continue to serve his sentence for his faith in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20220623","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov continues to be held in strict conditions. His state of health is satisfactory. The believer has a Bible, letters come to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20220617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov spent 25 days in the medical unit, where he had a viral disease. After that, he is returned to strict conditions of detention.\nOleg is preparing for a hearing to consider his cassation appeal against the verdict, which was sent to the Fourth Court of Cassation of Krasnodar.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20220221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits Oleg Danilov, who is serving time for his faith. The believer has a Bible, as well as the ability to keep in touch with loved ones by phone.\nDanilov is held in strict conditions, he stayed in the punishment cell for about 2.5 months due to continuous penalties from the colony administration.\nAmong the reasons why he was placed in the punishment cell and in solitary confinement are the failure to perform morning physical exercises, as well as the absence of a badge on his clothes (this badge was not issued to him). He also received penalties for violating his dress code (according to a lawyer's interview, in one case there was no violation, and in another, a colony employee asked Danilov to take off his jacket, while the second officer filmed the believer without a jacket).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20220119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Danilov is discharged from the prison hospital and returned to strict conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20211228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov's detention in the punishment cell is extended for another 12 days. However, on the same day, without any explanation, Danilov was transferred to a medical facility in the colony for examination.\nWhile Natalia Danilova's appeal is under consideration, she still cannot transfer the necessary things and products to her husband.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20211214","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that from September 25 to November 2, 2021, Oleg Danilov was in a punishment cell, after which he was placed in solitary confinement. After November 2, 2021, the believer was transferred to serve his sentence in strict conditions of detention.\nNatalia Danilova sends an appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Krasnodar Territory, Sergey Valentinovich Myshak. The believer's wife asks him to pay attention to the arbitrary toughening of punishment for her husband, which is imposed by the staff of colony No. 11 in the Krasnodar Territory. Nataliya writes: \"A peaceful, kind, conflict-free man, a responsible, honest worker, a wonderful father and a wonderful husband was condemned only because he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. In his case there are no victims, no victims, no damage caused. There are no signs of extremism as such, but only the fact of professing one's faith. But this destroys all confidence in the legal system, kills the sense of security, undermines confidence in the Constitution as a guarantor of rights and freedoms.\"\nNatalia Danilova also notes: \"Immediately after his arrival, while still in quarantine, he was told that he would be sent to the SUS due to the severity of his article ... I wrote a petition for verification to the prosecutor's office for supervision, to which I was told that the detention in the punishment cell was legal and justified. But how can a decision on punishment taken in advance, before the actions committed, be justified?\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20211201","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov was arbitrarily placed in a punishment cell. Later, the believer's detention in the punishment cell was extended for 15 days without explanation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20211010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Oleg Danilov, who is in quarantine after arriving at the colony. The believer is kept in a 13-bed cell. He has good relations with his cellmates. Oleg is allowed to make a phone call to his family.\nIn general, Oleg is healthy, he learned to fight colds with folk remedies. Reading the Bible helps him stay emotionally alert. Letters of support are received by the colony, but they have not yet been handed over to the addressee.\nThe administration of the colony reprimanded him twice. Details are being specified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210917","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov was transferred to correctional colony No. 11 in the Krasnodar Territory. The information is being specified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210910","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"His wife and mother visit Oleg Danilov in the penal colony. They are given the opportunity to communicate for almost 3 hours. According to the believer, he was sick recently, but now he feels better thanks to the care of relatives and friends - they give him food and other necessary things. Despite the requests of the believer, the doctor did not examine him, did not carry out treatment.\nOleg is being held in the same cell with fellow believer Aleksandr Shcherbina and two other prisoners. They are allowed to walk in the fresh air every day for an hour and a half. Oleg has a Bible, although in one of the transit pre-trial detention centers they tried to take it away.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210601","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov was transferred to colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-27T15:47:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Danilov left pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Krasnodar Territory. He was transferred. Relatives are trying to establish where exactly.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-26T17:07:55+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnodar Regional Court upholds the verdict of the court of first instance: 3 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210525","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov speaks in court with the last word: \"I don't know what the prosecutor expected from me: that I would renounce my faith or renounce my friends and my God? For me, this is unthinkable, impossible. I would prefer to remain faithful and free in my beliefs, even if not at large.\"\nJudge Olga Khomchenkova announces the verdict: 3 years in a penal colony. The believer was found guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210330","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Oleg Danilov to imprisonment in a general regime colony for a period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210329","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Abinsk District Court Olga Khomchenkova begins to consider the criminal case against Oleg Danilov. The believer expresses his attitude to the accusation, in which he notes that his religious views are exclusively peaceful in nature and \"directly opposite to what is called extremism.\" He believes that the charges against him do not meet the requirements of the law. \"I am actually accused of believing in God and remaining Jehovah's Witness,\" the believer declares.\nWitnesses for the prosecution are being questioned, including the ataman of the village of Kholmskaya, where Danilov lives, and a district inspector. Both have nothing bad to say about the defendant. FSB officer Bochin cites a poster with biblical quotes and homemade postcards as proof of \"extremism\".\nAbout 50 people come to the courthouse to support Oleg Danilov, whose police officers rewrite their passport data.\nThe final debate of the parties is scheduled for the next meeting, on March 29. Thus, the judge allocated no more than a week for the entire process.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210323","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Abinsk district I. V. Kosolapov approves the indictment in the case of Oleg Danilov. The evidence supporting the accusation is the information obtained in the course of operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210205","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Danilov and his lawyer get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case due to the end of the investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20210104","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 a.m., the security forces conducted a second search in Oleg Danilov's home.\nLieutenant of Justice L. B. Galustyants, with the participation of Captain Stanislav Bochin, senior detective of the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory, and Ivan Lysov, an operative of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Abinsk District, have been looking for SIM cards and bank documents for 6 hours, which, in their opinion, will indicate the involvement of believers in the activities of banned legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. Electronic devices and Bibles, personal records, photographs and documents, postcards with the name of Jehovah God are seized from the Danilovs. In the children's room, law enforcement officers find and seize a sketchbook and diaries. Due to the refusal of a minor child to unlock the phone, the investigator threatens him with problems in the educational institution.\nThen Oleg Danilov was taken to the Investigative District of the Investigative Committee of the Abinsk District, where for an hour he was interrogated by investigator Galustyants as an accused. All investigative actions on this day last 13 hours. The believer is placed on recognizance not to leave. It can only move within the Abinsk district.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20201202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"O. I. Komissarov, investigator of the 2nd branch of the Krasnodar Territory Directorate of the FSB, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Oleg Danilov. The believer is charged with participating \"in religious teaching and sermons ... through information and telecommunication networks, ... entered into discussions in a collective discussion of the Bible, ... read aloud to other participants the religious books \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God ...\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20201112","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The home of 46-year-old Oleg Danilov is being searched. Law enforcement officers do not find anything forbidden. Mobile phones, a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", personal notes, and a yellow envelope are seized from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Danilov in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya2/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, the Khabarovsk Territory FSB opened a criminal case against 29-year-old Ilya Degtyarenko from the city of Vyazemsky for his \u0026ldquo;stable religious views.\u0026rdquo; FSB investigator Nemtsev, head of the local FSB department Alexei Svetachev and armed riot police conducted a rigorous 7-hour search in the apartment of the Degtyarenko spouses, knocking Ilya to the floor and twisting his hands behind his back. The believer was imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center for two weeks. Then, for more than three months, he was under a ban on certain actions and another two years under a written undertaking not to leave. In May 2021, the case was sent to court, and in September 2022, Judge Irina Loginova acquitted Ilya Degtyarenko. However, the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office appealed this decision, and the appeal overturned the verdict, returning the case for a new trial to the same court with a different composition. In August 2023, a guilty verdict was passed in the case - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.","date":"2020-10-28","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html","prisoners":["degtyarenko"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Tatyana Chistova convicts Ilya Degtyarenko and sentences him to 2,5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months. The judge also decided to confiscate the seized equipment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20230828","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory for reconsideration. Judge Tatyana Chistova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20221226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of appeal, on the recommendation of the prosecutor, shall cancel the acquittal and send the criminal case for a new trial to the same court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20221208","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Irina Loginova acquits Ilya Degtyarenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20220919","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","acquittal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory for consideration by Judge Irina Loginova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20210511","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, charges Ilya Degtyarenko with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of a religious organization banned by the court.\nOn the same day, he cancels the believer's measure of restraint in the form of a ban on performing certain actions. Tracking equipment (bracelet) is removed from Degtyarenko. A new measure of restraint has not yet been chosen.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20210226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing continues with the new investigator and prosecutor. The Khabarovsk Regional Court cancels the decision of the lower court on the detention of the believer and releases him from the pre-trial detention center under the prohibition of certain actions. After 14 days in custody, Ilya meets with his family again.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing in the Khabarovsk Regional Court chaired by Irina Koroleva. The judge is interested in whether the religion of the accused is obsessive, whether he is engaged in terrorist activities, whether he incites ethnic hatred. Degtyarenko explains that none of this applies to him, which is confirmed by the investigator. The lawyer reads out the positive characteristics of the accused. It becomes obvious that the accusation is based on a belief in the truth of religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201111","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk Natalia Vladimirova decides to take Ilya Degtyarenko into custody for 1 month and 28 days, that is, until December 28, 2020. The arrest was demanded by the investigation, claiming that the believer could hide only because he had a passport. The believer is placed in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201030","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Vyazemsky, starting at 7 am, a new search is underway. The security forces broke into Ilya Degtyarenko's home, knocked him to the floor, wrung his hands and, stepping on his back with his foot in dirty shoes, read out his rights. Among the 7 operatives are Nemtsev, the head of the FSB department in the Vyazemsky district Alexei Svetachev, two armed riot policemen, as well as the prosecutor of the Vyazemsky district Ilya Bludov.\nWithin 9 hours, law enforcement officers seize electronic devices, documents and bank cards. The search is accompanied by vulgar statements and foul language on the part of one of the security officials against the religious beliefs of the owners of the apartment.\nIlya Degtyarenko was detained and placed in a temporary detention center in Khabarovsk. He is suspected of participating in religious meetings with fellow believers. Ilya's wife was given a summons for interrogation as a witness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201029","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory S. Nemtsev initiates a criminal case against a 29-year-old resident of the city of Vyazemsky Ilya Degtyarenko under Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation in a banned organization). The investigation calls Degtyarenko's meetings with fellow believers and his \"stable religious views\" a \"crime.\" All this, according to the investigator, indicates that the believer is a member of a prohibited legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Degtyarenko in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy2/index.html#20201028","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2021, the FSB opened a criminal case against Crimeans Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Alexa Aleksandr Dubovenko, accusing them of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. A few days later, their homes were searched. Litvinyuk was detained and interrogated. Dubovenko, who was absent on the day of the search, was later also detained. His home was searched again. The believers spent more than a year under house arrest. The case went to court in March 2022. It was based on the testimony of a secret witness, the declassification of which the judge rejected. During the trial, she repeatedly denied pensioner Litvinyuk a visit to a doctor, as well as 27 documents as evidence of the defendants\u0026rsquo; innocence. In addition, during the interrogation of defense witnesses, she interrupted them and expressed her negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. In December 2022, the court sentenced the believers to 6 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2021-08-02","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html","prisoners":["dubovenko","litvinyuk"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk takes his work seriously and shows initiative. Sometimes, he stayed in the workshop after hours to redo faulty work, which the administration of the institution noticed.\nPrisoners say kindly that \"his presence eases the hardships of their lives.\" In his free time, he replies to letters of support.\nRecently, he had an extended visit from his wife and son. Aleksandr is still waiting for a dentist's appointment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20250804","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk lives in barracks which hold about 50 people. There is a washing machine, microwave and a small refrigerator. He regularly keeps in touch with his relatives through the phone of the penal colony.\nHe is very well-known for his kindness, and therefore, some prisoners sincerely invite him to visit them after his release. One of them, leaving the penal colony, said: \"I saw your positive, joyful attitude — it helped me not to give up and not to lose hope.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20250729","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Dubovenko was placed in a punishment cell for 15 days. However, he does not lose his cheerful disposition. He often speaks to his wife over the phone. Dubovenko has a Bible; letters are passed on to him, but only 1-2 a week. He also receives parcels and packages.\nAleksandr works in the sewing workshop. Relations with other prisoners are good. The barracks where he is, are warm; there is a refrigerator and a TV.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20250605","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk underwent an ultrasound, which revealed a disease that required treatment. He is also still waiting for dental care.\nThe believer has good relations with his cellmates and colony staff. He is respectfully called Uncle Sasha.\nIn April, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2025-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20250511","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk works conscientiously and has a high rate of output, for which he has already received three awards from the administration of the colony. He also responds to participation in work without pay — he helped in replacing windows in a residential building.\nThe 64-year-old believer often feels tired at the end of the day. Due to the intense work with scissors, his arm hurts, so sometimes he is given painkiller injections. In addition, Aleksandr needs the help of an orthopedic dentist.\nLitvinyuk, along with other prisoners, lives in a three-story non-smoking building. He takes a shower at work, but there is yellow, dirty water flowing in the pipes; Prisoners have to use water from a well.\nAccording to the believer, the food in the colony has improved. At the end of October, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20241230","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Dubovenko works. Although he misses home, he tries not to lose heart. He is supported by reading letters and the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20241111","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar upholds the decision of the Court of Appeal. Dubovenko and Litvinyuk remain in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20241107","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk tries to maintain a positive attitude — reading the Bible helps him in this, and regular exercises and physical activity at work help him to keep himself in good shape.\nThe conditions of detention are satisfactory. The believer has the opportunity to wash and iron clothes, as well as cook his own meals.\nIn June, Litvinyuk underwent a medical examination, but has not yet received its results. He also asked for an MRI of the brain, but was refused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20240723","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Litvinyuk still works in the sewing workshop on accessories, has two incentives. The believer is respected by other prisoners. He is encouraged by the letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20240312","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Litvinyuk is in good physical condition and mood. He works in the production of accessories. The believer regularly receives letters. On the part of the administration, the attitude towards him is benevolent.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230731","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Litvinyuk is in correctional colony No. 6 in the Ivanovo region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230630","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["liberty-deprivation","transfer","letters","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Litvinyuk is transferred to a penal colony in Nizhny Novgorod.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230617","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Dubovenko was taken to a penal colony in Kolomna (Moscow region) to serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230615","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Litvinyuk has been transferred to Correctional Colony No. 2 in the Krasnodar Territory (Dvubratsky village). He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230601","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Dubovenko and Alexander Litvinyuk were transferred from Simferopol to Krasnodar. They are in pre-trial detention center No. 1.\nAnother Jehovah's Witness, Danil Suvorov, is being held in this detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230523","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Dubovenko and Aleksandr Litvinyuk are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. They can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2023-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20230104","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Armenian City Court of the Republic of Crimea Tatyana Fedeneva finds the defendants guilty and sentences them to 6 years in a penal colony. Believers are taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20221201","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Jehovah's Witnesses are useful members of society and do not pose a threat to the countries in which they live,\" says Alexander Dubovenko in his last speech.\n\"I am not being judged for evil deeds, but for my faith,\" Oleksandr Litvinyuk notes in his last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-11-25T01:31:50+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20221125","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting 6 years in prison for Aleksandr Litvinyuk and Aleksandr Dubovenko.\nMeanwhile, an ambulance arrives at Litvinyuk: during the debate he becomes ill.\nThe debate will continue on 23 November.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20221122","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Dubovenko and Oleksandr Litvinyuk testify. Dubovenko petitions for a re-viewing of one of the discs with the video, the court refuses. The judge decides to move to the stage of debate at the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20221116","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last witness for the prosecution, a seriously ill woman who had previously been interested in the Bible, participates in the interrogation. She refutes the testimony recorded on her behalf by the investigator and reports that Dubovenko had never seen the defendant before and did not know him, and also denied the fact of joint participation in worship services. She speaks positively about Jehovah's Witnesses and admits that the Bible inspired and gave her spiritual strength. The prosecutor and the judge try in every possible way to force her to say what they need for the prosecution, but they do not succeed. At the request of the prosecutor, the testimony given during the preliminary investigation shall be read out.\nNext, a witness from the defense, Irina Dubovenko, Alexander's wife, is interrogated. The judge insists that Dubovenko and Litvinyuk give their testimony on October 5 and 6, 2022. The defendants and lawyers object and file a motion to postpone the date of testimony due to Litvinyuk's medical treatment. However, the judge decides that it is time to move on to the debate. The prosecutor asks for time to prepare for the debate, and the judge schedules the next hearing for 10/21/2022 from 13:30 to 16:00. The defendants intend to declare their desire to testify.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20221003","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Litvinyuk and Dubovenko file a motion to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case, in particular, with the testimony of prosecution witnesses, but the judge once again refuses, arguing that such an opportunity will present itself after the verdict.\nThe judge also rejects the previously filed petition to recognize the results of the religious examination as inadmissible evidence due to its obvious falsification. However, a copy of the refusal order shall not be provided to the accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220920","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint for the defendants from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. In the next three months, they will be able to leave the house from 7:00 to 19:00.\nThe court rejects the petitions for the recusal of the judge and for the recognition of the discs with voice samples as illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220908","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym \"Jasmine\" is invited for interrogation. The defendants file two motions - to declassify the witness in accordance with Article 278 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation and to ensure access to justice (so that the secret witness is alone, without means of communication, copies of interrogation protocols, etc.). The judge rejects both motions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220721","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The decision to refuse to satisfy the petition for recusal of the judge of July 14, 2022 is announced.\nTwo witnesses, a man and a woman, are being questioned. They give a positive characterization of the defendants and tell how the study of the Bible has had a positive impact on their lives. The judge tries to interrupt the witnesses and expresses his negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220718","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of operational officers of the FSB Border Directorate Sukhoteplov and Osmanov is underway, about which the defendants were not informed in advance. Answering the question: \"What happened to the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses in Armyansk after the liquidation of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Armyansk?\" - FSB officer Osmanov answers: \"In order not to give the wrong answer, I will refrain from answering.\" Judge Tatyana Fedeneva does not react in any way to the refusal of these witnesses by the prosecution to testify and sometimes even answers for them herself. Many questions on the merits of the case are arbitrarily removed by the judge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220715","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea is holding an appeal hearing on the measure of restraint.\nThe court leaves the defendants under house arrest, but corrects the mistake of the lower court, the Armenian City Court of the Republic of Crimea, which actually forbade the defendants to communicate with their defenders due to the imposed ban on leaving their place of residence around the clock and using any means of communication.\nThe Court of Appeal also corrects the error in calculating the period of detention of defendants under house arrest and reduces it until September 11, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220705","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. The 5th volume and the expert opinion contained therein are read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220616","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, the judge makes a decision to extend the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for three months: to Oleksandr Litvinyuk until August 24, 2022 and to Oleksandr Dubovenko until August 29, 2022.\nIt is noteworthy that at the beginning of August it will be one year since the believers were placed under house arrest, whereas according to Article 109 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the district court does not have the right to extend the arrest for a period of more than 12 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220615","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects a number of motions filed by the defendant Alexander Litvinyuk, in which he asks, among other things, to visit a doctor and carry out the necessary medical research.\nIn addition, the judge once again refuses to return the case to the prosecutor and to attach 27 documents to the case file as evidence of the defendant's innocence. It is noteworthy that these documents strangely disappeared from the case file at the investigation stage.\nNext, the judge proceeds to the study of the case materials - volumes 1 and 2. The judge openly prevents the lawyer from providing legal assistance to Litvinyuk's client.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220429","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea Chumakin A.E. makes a decision to bring Alexander Dubovenko as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20220208","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator V. O. Vlasov is prosecuting Aleksandr Litvinyuk as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20210811","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces detained Aleksandr Dubovenko and took him to Simferopol, to the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. At this time, law enforcement officers are conducting a second search in his home, where only Alexander's wife is located. They again seize electronic devices. Late in the evening, the believer is taken home.\nJudge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol Yevgeny Pronin sends Alexander Dubovenko under house arrest until October 2, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2021-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20210809","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol Andrey Dolgopolov places Alexander Litvinyuk under house arrest until October 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20210806","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Armyansk, a series of searches have been carried out since early morning in at least 8 houses of believers. Security forces arrive in minibuses and cars without license plates. They try to get into one of the apartments by calling representatives of public utilities to block the sewerage.\nAfter 9-hour searches in the homes of Litvinyuk and Dubovenko, who is currently not at home, computers, personal records mentioning the Bible, and title documents for the apartment are seized.\nAleksandr Litvinyuk is detained and taken away 140 km from his home, to Simferopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20210805","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Vlasov, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, is initiating a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against two residents of the Crimean city of Armyansk: 60-year-old Aleksandr Litvinyuk and 48-year-old Aleksandr Dubovenko. The believers are accused of \"using the Zoom video conferencing software\" to \"attract new members of the [banned] organization.\" The case was assigned the number 12107350001000113.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Dubovenko and Litvinyuk in Armyansk","date":"2021-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/armyansk/index.html#20210802","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Ermolaev, Aleksandr Putintsev, Sergey Kirilyuk and Igor Mamalimov faced prosecution for their faith in 2020, when security forces carried out 50 searches in Chita and other cities in Transbaikalia. During the raid, several believers were detained and two, including Vadim Kutsenko, were tortured. Mamalimov, Kirilyuk and Ermolaev were placed in a temporary detention facility, where they spent several days. At some point, Kutsenko and three more believers were suspects in the case, but their criminal prosecution was discontinued. For holding peaceful religious services, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused Ermolaev, Putintsev, Mamalimov and Kirilyuk of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Even though there were no victims in the case and there was no evidence of crimes against the state and the individual, in 2022 the court sentenced Vladimir Ermolaev, Aleksandr Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov to imprisonment in a penal colony for 6 to 6.5 years, and Sergey Kirilyuk - to 6 years suspended. The court of appeal upheld this verdict. The courts of appeal and cassation did not change this verdict. In 2024, the criminal prosecution of Kutsenko resumed.","date":"2020-01-20","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html","prisoners":["ermolaev","kirilyuk","loskutov","mamalimov","mamalimovi","putintsev"],"regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr Putintsev has a reputation as one of the best workers in the sewing workshop. He exercises regularly, which has a positive effect on his health.\nRecently, the believer spent 3 days with his wife Galina and son Andrey.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20260512","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Ermolaev has gained a reputation as an excellent carpenter. The believer regularly participates in cultural and sports events of the institution, including \"Open Day\", \"Kalina Krasnaya\", \"World Without Terror\" and table tennis competitions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20260421","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Putintsev has been placed under general detention conditions. The barracks have heating, but no hot water. Prisoners can use the banya twice a week. For a while, the believer worked in the sewing workshop. He has developed friendly relations with other inmates and staff in the penal colony.\nAleksandr receives many letters of support. He has a Bible. In his free time, he writes poems. This helps him to stay cheerful. Previously, he had surgery around his shoulder. Putintsev is worried about his elderly mother's health and his wife, who is caring for her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2026-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20260118","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Mamalimov continues to receive treatment, but an exact diagnosis has not yet been made. The medical staff tries to maintain his blood pressure within normal limits.\nThe believer is kept in a unit with 60 people, who respect him. Several times, when the prisoners could not watch TV or listen to music due to power outages, Igor brightened up their free time by playing the accordion.\nIgor finds support and encouragement in the Bible. He is also grateful for the letters he receives regularly. Recently, he had a visit from his wife and children.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20250606","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Yermolaev works in a carpentry shop. Despite frequent colds, he remains optimistic - he is happy to see his wife, especially on long dates. The believer has a Bible, he is grateful for regular letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20250513","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that criminal prosecution against Vadim Kutsenko, who was dropped in January 2021 under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, is being resumed . It is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2024-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20241104","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["new-case","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of detention of Aleksandr Putintsev remain strict, despite his deteriorating health due to diabetes. Nevertheless, the believer is not discouraged - other prisoners are surprised at the calmness that Alexander experiences despite the difficulties. The support of his family and friends helps him maintain a positive attitude. The man is happy to receive letters and parcels from them. He can call his family; In April, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20240529","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Mamalimov was transferred to serve his sentence in a medical correctional institution. He suffers from hypertension, so he periodically seeks medical help. A believer works in a furniture shop, has two incentives, one cash prize. He was trained as a cook.\nIn March, Igor is scheduled to have a long meeting with his wife. She does not have the financial opportunity to come on short visits, since she lives in the Trans-Baikal Territory, which is more than 2500 km from the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2024-02-07T13:48:43+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20240207","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Putintsev is still in strict conditions of detention in the colony. He, his wife and son applied to be transferred to a colony closer to home. All applications were rejected in writing. The believer's elderly mother has a chronic illness and is unable to cover a distance of 3,500 kilometers to visit her son.\nDue to the severe form of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Aleksandr had other aggravated diseases: hypertension, deforming arthrosis, retinopathy and polyneuropathy, because of which he could not even walk for some time. A neurologist prescribed him a cane.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20231201","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Wife and son on a date with Aleksandr Putintsev in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20231122","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Mamalimov is transferred to the Medical Correctional Institution No. 34 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Republic of Khakassia. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20230605","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["transfer","prison-treatment","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that after 1.5 months of stay in the hospital, Alexander Putintsev returned to IK-5 of Rubtsovsk for further serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2023-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20230131","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Putintsev in the hospital. The believer says that the conditions of his detention and food are good. Patients can move freely around the 4-storey building, go out into the walking courtyard.\nAlexander has diabetes mellitus, so he was registered with an endocrinologist and provided with all the necessary medicines. The man's health is restored: in six months he lost weight, losing weight by 16 kilograms, and therefore his blood pressure stabilized. The believer maintains good physical shape: every day he does exercises, squats and push-ups.\nPutintsev has a Bible. At times he plays chess with prisoners. Recently, he said, positive emotions increased: prisoners gave him a purple pencil, thereby reminding him of the courage of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany.\nAlexander says that during the transfer, he unexpectedly met Andrei Vlasov on the train. The believers were very happy to get acquainted, and fellow travelers were surprised at such warm communication between people who met for the first time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221216","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Putintsev is transferred from IK-5 to the regional tuberculosis hospital in Barnaul.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221212","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits Igor Mamalimov in the penal colony.\nThe believer is concerned about long-standing heart problems. In the colony, he has access to qualified medical care, diagnostic equipment and medical personnel. Igor's wife prepares the necessary medical documents.\nIgor does not lose heart. He has a Bible from which he draws comforting thoughts. The letters have not yet been handed over to him, explaining this by the fact that the head of the detachment is on vacation.\nHe has good relations with his cellmates and the administration. Igor works - he is engaged in the decoration of premises. He is happy about this, because thanks to busyness, time flies faster. In addition to working on weekdays, the believer works half a day on weekends.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221209","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the punishment cell, Aleksandr Putintsev is transferred to strict conditions of detention (SUS). The representative of the administration explains this by the fact that Alexander is a Jehovah's Witness, and \"due to the gravity of the article, he was put on the preventive record as prone to the spread of extremist ideology.\" He is being held in the SUS along with six other prisoners. The chamber is warm and dry.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221207","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Putintsev is placed in a punishment cell, where he spends a total of 23 days [according to Article 118 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, the maximum period of detention in a punishment cell is 15 days - Ed.]. He received the first penalty for the fact that \"the button was not fastened\", the second - for the fact that \"he did not hold his hand from behind as it should.\" In this regard, Alexander is recognized as a \"malicious violator of the regime.\"\nThe believer receives many letters from fellow believers who support him. He especially likes drawings with biblical scenes.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221115","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Mamalimov was taken to correctional colony No. 35 in the city of Abakan to serve his sentence. He is in quarantine. He can write letters.\nAleksandr Putintsev arrives at Colony No. 5 in Rubtsovsk, where another Jehovah's Witness, Yuriy Savelyev, is already serving a sentence for his faith. In the admission department of the prison, psychological pressure is exerted on him - about twenty employees of the colony force him to write a statement of cooperation with the administration. Alexander refuses. He is placed in quarantine for two weeks.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-11-01T11:33:56+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221101","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Yermolaev is taken to Correctional Colony No. 3 in Chita. He is quarantined. Another Jehovah's Witness, Roman Baranovsky, is serving time in the same colony for his faith.\nIgor Mamalimov and Aleksandr Putintsev are in the process of being moved to places where they are serving their sentences. It is known that Mamalimov will serve his sentence in Abakan (Khakassia), and Putintsev in the Altai Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20221008","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believers sentenced to a real term were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Trans-Baikal Territory, located in Chita.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220608","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court found the believers guilty and sentenced Vladimir Yermolaev, Aleksandr Putintsev and Igor Mamalimov to 6.5 years of actual imprisonment, and Sergey Kirilyuk to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-06-06T16:33:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220606","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing begins with remarks, which the parties have the right to make in accordance with Article 337 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\nAlexander Putintsev, Igor Mamalimov and Sergey Kirilyuk address the court with the last word. The last word of Vladimir Yermolaev is postponed to the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220512","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment in a penal colony for Vladimir Yermolayev and Aleksandr Putintsev, and 6 years of suspended sentence for Sergey Kirilyuk and Igor Mamalimov.\nAt the next hearing, the debate will continue, the defendants will make their last speech. The date of the verdict is expected to be announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220511","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nThe last of the defendants gives his testimony to the court.\nThe judge refuses to satisfy the defense's petitions, including the study of the book \"Tetragrammaton\", the announcement of the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017 and information about the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, about the presence of Yermolaev's wife at the announcement of the verdict. Some of these requests had previously been partially granted by the judge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220330","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the case of Vladimir Yermolayev and three other believers continues. The defense provides its evidence.\nVladimir Yermolaev asks the court to examine the evidence of the prosecution previously attached to the materials of the criminal case as evidence of the defense. However, the court refuses to examine these materials, explaining that it was necessary to declare when the prosecutor examined them, allegedly this is the procedure. (At the same time, on June 25, 2021, the court denied Yermolaev the opportunity to comment on the prosecution's evidence at the stage of examination.) Yermolaev is also denied pages from his passport. These pages show that on a number of dates that are imputed to him, he was absent from the country, and therefore could not have committed these offenses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220216","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four defendants file petitions with the court with a request to exercise their right to provide evidence by the defense, and then proceed to the interrogation of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220207","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor finishes providing evidence from the prosecution.\nJudge Marina Kuklina announces that the court is moving to the stage of interrogation of the defendants, although according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, Part 2 of Article 274 \"... After examining the evidence presented by the prosecution, the evidence presented by the defense is examined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220203","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not satisfy the prosecutor's request to separate the case of Sergey Kirilyuk into a separate proceeding.\nDuring the hearing, three videos from open sources presented to the court as evidence for the prosecution are played, but another 9 files are refused to be viewed for technical reasons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220201","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Mamalimov was hospitalized due to surgery and is not present at the court hearing. The prosecutor asks the court to make a request to the hospital and then choose a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center. He believes that Mamalimov is delaying the process. The court also receives a response from the hospital about the state of health of Sergey Kirilyuk, which says that he also cannot attend the court. In this regard, the prosecutor asks the court to separate the case of Kirilyuk into a separate proceeding. But the court decides to first summon his attending physician for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220126","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The information seized from Igor Mamalimov's phones is being investigated. The prosecutor reads out one of the messages found on the phone in full: \"Igor, thank you for your advice, they are so useful, loving and invaluable.\" Sergey Kirilyuk's petition for full acquaintance with the content of some open-source videos presented to the court as prosecution evidence was also granted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20220118","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believers, 15 people come to the court session. During the hearing, the prosecutor reads out the record of the examination of material evidence, including the contents of the notebook with notes of culinary recipes, which, in the opinion of the prosecutor, are information of interest to the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20211216","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"8 people come to the next hearing. The study of material evidence seized during the search continues. Among others, a printed article is read out: \"How not to hurt each other with words?\"\nAt the next meetings, they will continue to familiarize themselves with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210712","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"12 people are present at the hearing.\nThe court examines the video materials of the case as evidence for the prosecution. At the same time, the judge violates the rights of the defendant Vladimir Ermolaev, not giving him the opportunity to comment on the viewing of one of the videos. Also, the judge does not give the opportunity to watch the video to the end.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210625","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"16 people come to the hearing. The first three volumes of the case materials, which contain telephone conversations of Alexander Putintsev and transcripts of his conversations via video link, are examined.\nThe prosecutor does not read the transcripts in full, but only lists their titles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210615","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the trial, the prosecution witness, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor of the Department of Philosophy of the Trans-Baikal State University Artyom Zhukov is interrogated. Since 2002, he has been involved in the work of the Council on Religious Associations under the Administration of the Chita Region and the Governor of the Trans-Baikal Territory. He believes that the activities of the Chita group are the canonical activities of Jehovah's Witnesses throughout the world.\n\"The life of Jehovah's Witnesses is one of the most dramatic, in Transbaikalia, I mean, and the most dramatic and holistic moments. The existence of the organization itself, I think, is still underestimated at the world level, and their feat will still be appreciated. And, of course, the persecution that they are experiencing today will also be assessed in due time, and in due time everything will be restored to their rights. Because there are no other options in world history. But at the moment, real people are suffering.\" (During the Soviet years, Jehovah's Witnesses were repressed for their faith, exiled, and sent to camps in Siberia, Transbaikalia, and the Far East.)\nRegarding the position of Jehovah's Witnesses regarding the rejection of blood donation, Zhukov notes: \"If a person accepts this as his decision, then I do not think that this contradicts the basic principles of the Constitution.\" He confirms that they do not refuse medical treatment: \"They are normal people, and when medical intervention is necessary, it is quite obvious.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210527","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the illness of one of the defendants, the hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210415","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Putintsev, in the interests of better protection, asks for the possibility of visual contact with the interrogated witnesses, but the judge, without listening to the opinion of the parties, refuses, adding: \"Comfortable conditions can only be at the resort, and we are in the courtroom.\"\nWitness Aleksandr Dzhupina from the Department of Justice explains that the department has not received any negative information regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, and there have been no violations related to extremism. The Charter of the liquidated LRO did not say anything about elders and the council of elders, there was only a \"chairman\". Witness Ilya Barinov, a religious scholar, explains that Jehovah's Witnesses did not call for violence. In the fact that they refuse to serve in the army in favor of the ACS, he does not see a negative attitude towards the authorities. Other religions also refuse the army.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210408","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge warns that listeners will not be allowed into the hall because of covid. The defendants refuse the appointed lawyers, but the court is not satisfied. The Public Prosecutor shall announce the indictment. The defendants express their attitude to the prosecution. For example, Alexander Putintsev, expressing his attitude to the charges, says: \"The main question that arises in my mind: why did I, a believer, need to organize the activities of a legal entity? What spiritual needs as a believer could I not satisfy without the LRO or its structural subdivisions?\" He has a legal, constitutional right to worship God without forming a legal entity, and the charges against him and his friends are illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210316","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Central District Court of Chita.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210217","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Trans-Baikal Territory T. F. Magomedov approves the indictment against Putintsev, Ermolaev, Kirilyuk and Mamalimov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210215","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the investigator sent a criminal case against four Jehovah's Witnesses to the prosecutor's office for signature: Vladimir Yermolaev, Sergey Kirilyuk, Igor Mamalimov, and Alexander Putintsev. They are charged with organizing the activities of a banned organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210202","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zhuravlev terminates the criminal prosecution of Vadim Kutsenko, Aleksey Loskutov, Pavel Mamalimov and another believer due to the absence of corpus delicti in their actions under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of a religious association banned by the court). However, there is still a possibility that believers may be prosecuted for participating in religious activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20210111","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. A. Zhuravlev, an investigator of the second department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Trans-Baikal Territory, from the criminal case of Ermolaev and others in Chita, identifies materials against Vadim Kutsenko, Aleksey Loskutov, Pavel Mamalimov and at least 12 other believers to verify their involvement in the commission of other crimes: participation in the activities of a religious association banned by the court, involvement of other persons in it and financing of extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20201111","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that a 60-year-old local resident Georgy Senotrusov was involved as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200713","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator begins interrogations of the defendants in the case of Vladimir Ermolaev. The first to be interviewed were Vadim Kutsenko, Igor Mamalimov and Alexander Putintsev. Alexei Loskutov was also issued a summons. During interrogations, suspects are asked to provide handwriting and voice samples. Believers are considering the possibility of refusing to provide data on the basis of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200708","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing in the Chita Garrison Military Court, Kutsenko learns that the head of the investigative body canceled the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case on the torture allegation. The cancellation of the ruling means that the pre-investigation check on the allegations of torture continues.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200626","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the investigation considers Vadim Maltsev not as a suspect, but as a witness in a criminal case for faith in Chita. Thus, the total number of believers known to be declared suspects and accused in a criminal case is 7 people. Kutsenko sends a complaint to the Chita Garrison Military Court: \"The inspection is incomplete and one-sided, which is why the decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case was made prematurely and is illegal and unreasonable. Investigator, contrary to the requirements of Part 2. Article 21 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, actions aimed at properly verifying the arguments of the application and capable of refuting or confirming the information contained therein, including those specified in the text of the application, have not been carried out. Kutsenko draws attention to the contradictions in the testimonies of the officers who tortured him, and the selective approach to the evaluation of evidence. Asks to recognize the refusal to initiate a criminal case as illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200622","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An employee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation is interviewing Alexander Karpov, who was beaten by police during a raid on February 10, 2020. The investigator also photographs the crime scene.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200523","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee refuses to satisfy the appeal, arguing that the check did not confirm the fact of torture. The Investigative Committee confined itself to taking explanations from the operatives, who were allegedly forced to use force in response to Kutsenko's resistance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200406","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee refuses to open a criminal case on torture against Kutsenko, arguing that the check did not confirm the facts of the use of violence. At the same time, the investigative committee confines itself to taking explanations from the operatives, who said that they used force in response to Kutsenko's resistance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200406","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service take Vladimir Yermolaev to the investigation department. After 50 days under house arrest, the investigator changes his preventive measure to a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200403","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In a joint statement , 27 European states that are members of the European Union (EU), as well as 6 other non-EU countries, at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), call for an investigation into the report that Vadim Kutsenko, before he was detained, was tortured. Law enforcement officers repeatedly beat and choked him, as well as beat him with electric shocks, demanding information about other Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200312","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["international","osce","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the number of believers in Chita who are prosecuted for their faith under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is nine. Among them are the accused: Vladimir Ermolaev; suspects: Sergey Kirilyuk, Vadim Kutsenko, Alexei Loskutov, Vadim Maltsev, Pavel Mamalimov, Igor Mamalimov, Alexander Putintsev and Alexander Trofimov. It is known that minor children are raised by at least four of these peaceful believers (Kirilyuk, Maltsev, I. Mamalimov, Trofimov).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200220","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 5 days of detention, without charge, believers Vadim Kutsenko, Pavel Mamalimov and Sergey Kirilyuk were released. They remain suspects. The believers were released because the Investigative Committee withdrew the petition for them to be chosen as a measure of restraint. Vladimir Yermolaev remains under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200215","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Kutsenko sends an appeal to the head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Trans-Baikal Territory, Y. S. Rusanov, with a request to initiate a criminal case on the fact of torture and bring the perpetrators to justice.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200214","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ingodinsky District Court of Chita sends Vladimir Ermolaev under house arrest until March 20, 2020. The arrest of Pavel Mamalimov, Sergey Kirilyuk and Vadim Kutsenko was extended for another 72 hours, until February 15 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200212","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["house-arrest","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the day, officers of the FSB and other bodies conduct searches in 50 houses of believers in cities and towns of the Trans-Baikal Territory, namely: Chita (20 searches), Khilok (4 searches), Krasnokamensk (4 searches), Baley (3 searches) and Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky (2 searches), the villages of Yasnogorsk (6 searches), Amazar (4 searches), Duldurga (2 searches), Verkhnyaya Hila (1 search), Kurort-Darasun (1 search) and Pervomaiskoye (1 search), as well as in the villages of Verkh-Chita (1 search), Zasopka (1 search) and Ilya (1 search). (Information about raids against believers in Karymsky and Shilka has not been confirmed.) At least 10 people were detained for interrogation. 31-year-old Vladimir Ermolaev (married), 47-year-old Sergey Kirilyuk (married), Pavel Mamalimov (married, has a young daughter), 31-year-old Vadim Kutsenko (married) remain in custody.\nDuring a search in the home of another family, the security forces beat the minor Alexander Karpov. Law enforcement officers forcibly knocked him to the floor, put his hands behind his head and beat him in front of his mother and younger sister. The young man is forced to \"crawl\" into the living room, where law enforcement officers read out a search warrant. The search lasts 12 hours. (Later, the lawyer in Alexander's interests filed a complaint with the investigation department about the actions of the security forces. The medical expert records the traces of beatings, and a specialist goes to inspect the house, who removes tights with traces of Alexander's blood.)\nAmong others, the search takes place in the house of Olga Polyakova, a 62-year-old resident of Khilka, a disabled person of group III. Although she has difficulty moving, she is taken away for interrogation after the search. In the same city, security forces search the home of the Maltsev family. Both spouses are on disability and are raising a minor daughter. During the search, an ambulance is called for the spouses. Despite this, the head of the family, Vadim, is taken away for interrogation.\nThe Vasilyev spouses, who live in Kurort-Darasun with four minor children, were invaded by law enforcement officers early in the morning. During the search, the head of the family, a disabled person of group III, felt unwell, but he was still taken away for interrogation.\nThe Investigative Committee reports that more than 30 investigative and operational groups were formed before the raids, which simultaneously worked in Chita and the districts of the Trans-Baikal Territory.\n31-year-old Vadim Kutsenko is handcuffed behind his back, his eyes are closed and he is subjected to beatings, strangulation and electric shocks to the lower leg and abdomen in an official car, demanding a confession. During the torture, Vadim Kutsenko refuses to admit guilt or give false testimony against his fellow believers. A company car stops in the forest behind the SibVO stadium. They take off his hat from his eyes and force him to get out of the car and beat him on the legs. After that, he is taken to the investigator, where he immediately declares the torture applied to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20200210","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["torture","siloviks-violence","minors","search","interrogation","health-risk","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While relaxing by the river, next to the tents, Chita believers notice themselves being surveilled: they discover tracking devices and hidden audio recordings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ermolaev and Others in Chita","date":"2019-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita/index.html#20190615","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since March 2020, Kira Klisheva, who portrayed an interest in the Bible, recorded the worship services of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from her computer and handed them over to the FSB. Soon, employees of the Investigative Committee raided the house of Alexei Ershov, a former deputy of the city Council of People\u0026rsquo;s Deputies. In March 2021, the case against the pensioner was separated into a separate proceeding from the case of Yevgeny Korotun. Ershov was accused of participating in worship services, saying prayers and singing religious songs. In July 2021, the case was submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region, it was considered by Judge Yalchin Badalov. The prosecutor suggested that the court consider Yershov as an organizer, not a member of an extremist community, and sentence him to 5 years in prison. In January 2022, the court sentenced Yershov to 3 years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. In April 2022, the court of appeal replaced the sentence with 3 years of probation.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html","prisoners":["yershov"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk, replaces the sentence of Aleksey Ershov from Seversk with a 3-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220407","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal","mitigation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the transfer of Alexei Ershov to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Kolpashevo, which is 270 kilometers from Tomsk, in connection with repairs in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Tomsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220323","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksey Ershov is awaiting an appeal in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Tomsk region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220209","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yalchin Badalov sentenced Ershov to 3 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20220119","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only the wife of Alexei Ershov is allowed to enter the courtroom.\nThe judge attaches copies of certificates of honor and letters of thanks to the defendant to the case file.\nThe court shall proceed to the pleadings of the parties. In his speech, the prosecutor refers to Klisheva's testimony, to her video recordings of worship services and an audio recording of a conversation with Ershov, as well as to materials collected during searches of the defendant's home.\nThe prosecutor proposes to reclassify Ershov's charge from Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). He asks the court to sentence the believer to 5 years in a penal colony.\nThe lawyer in his speech asks to acquit the defendant.\nThe hearing is postponed to November 22, 2021 so that the prosecutor can prepare a remark.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20211027","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears the defense.\nExcerpts from the religious examination of Jehovah's Witnesses' publications are read out. It follows from it that these publications do not contain calls for violence, extremism and intolerance against representatives of other nations or religions.\nThe lawyer also voices responses to the appeals of Jehovah's Witnesses to the ECHR and the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. They indicate that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses comply with the requirements of the European Convention, and the decisions of the courts of individual countries contradict it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210827","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Kira Klisheva is being interrogated, on whose testimony the accusations against 5 more believers from Seversk are based.\nWhen asked on what grounds she determined that Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists, Klisheva gives the answer: \"Because they pronounce the name of God - Jehovah.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210820","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Aleksey Ershov pleaded not guilty to the crime. He says: \"I have never carried out extremist activities. I consider the criminal case to be repression for my faith, since my religion is the only reason for criminal prosecution.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210707","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Aleksey Ershov is submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region for consideration by Judge Yalchin Badalov. The first court hearing is scheduled for July 7.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210622","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is formally charged on the basis of video recordings of worship services made by K. E. Klisheva from her home computer. The woman pretended to be interested in the Bible for about a year, collaborating with the FSB.\nThe investigation accuses Aleksey Ershov of \"taking part in a secret meeting in the form of a collective religious service ... consisting of audio and video playback... sequential singing of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God.\"\nThe believer does not admit guilt and calls the criminal case \"repression for faith, since religion is the only reason for criminal prosecution.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210330","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["interrogation","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Ershov is chosen a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210329","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative District of Seversk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 68-year-old Aleksey Ershov. The criminal case is separated from the case against Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ershov in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk3/index.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the small Far Eastern village of Razdolnoye, several pensioners suddenly found themselves in the spotlight of the Investigative Committee because they profess the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. In 2017, then 74-year-old Vladimir Filippov, a former career military man, talked about his faith with a certain B.N. Ulyankin, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. Since then, the believer has been put under surveillance, searched three times (including without a court order) and even beaten. Due to stress, Vladimir\u0026rsquo;s wife suffered attacks of hypertension. In May 2020, the case was referred to the court, and in December the hearings reached the finish line: the state prosecutor recommended that the court sentence the pensioner to 6.5 years in prison. On March 15, 2021, the judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of the Primorsky Territory, Diana Merzlyakova, sentenced the believer to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 4 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year. The Primorsky Regional Court upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-07-01","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html","prisoners":["filippov"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court in Vladivostok upholds the sentence against Vladimir Filippov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20210514","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Nadezhdinsky District Court of Primorsky Krai Diana Merzlyakova finds 77-year-old Vladimir Filippov guilty of organizing extremist activities and sentences him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. A believer is also deprived of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for a period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20210315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Filippov speaks in court with the last word, proving that he has not committed any crime and is far from extremist aspirations. \"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs. This is not an organization of the activities of an extremist organization,\" the believer declares.\nThe court schedules the announcement of the verdict on March 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20210312","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is postponed to March 12.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20210127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Maria Koval recommends that judge Diana Merzlyakova sentence of imprisonment for a period of 6 years and 6 months in a penal colony sentence to the 77-year-old pensioner. For another 2 years, the prosecutor wants to prohibit him from participating in public organizations, as well as to order him to appear monthly for registration for 1 year, not to leave home at night, not to visit places of public events, not to change his place of residence and not to leave the Nadezhdinsky municipal district without the consent of supervisory bodies.\nA date for announcing the verdict has not yet been set.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20201229","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies to the court. He notes that \"the investigation did not provide any evidence that I committed at least one of the actions listed as extremist in paragraph 1 of Article 1 of the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\". And what is extremist activity? This is an exclusively illegal activity. But praying to God is not a violation of the law. Learning Bible instruction is not breaking the law. Talking to other people who express a desire to speak on spiritual topics is not a violation of the law.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20201214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, a video recording of the Christian meeting from 11/18/2017 is being viewed. Covert footage captured prayers, songs, and a 10-minute talk on how to show kindness, based on the biblical book of Galatians (6:10). The book \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", recognized by the investigator as material evidence of Filippov's guilt, was studied. In it, the author, religious scholar, Professor S. I. Ivanenko explains how Jehovah's Witnesses actually relate to the authorities, family and adherents of other religions, which refutes the speculations of the expert N. A. Oleshkevich, gleaned from the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20201015","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorsky Krai, the defendant gives his testimony in the case. At the next hearing, Judge Diana Merzlyakova appoints the beginning of the debate of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200714","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits of the charges is postponed until July 14, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200622","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorsky Krai.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200519","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer signs the protocol of acquaintance with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200424","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Filippov submits a motion to extend the deadline for familiarization with the case materials until April 14, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200330","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Denis Shevchenko is prosecuting Vladimir Filippov as a defendant in a previously initiated criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. After that, the investigator announces the end of the investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200318","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A series of searches in the villages of Razdolnoye and Timofeevka. Including Vladimir Filippov - for the third time, on the basis of another decision of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of 01/22/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20200122","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the pretext of a \"population census\", senior investigator D. A. Shevchenko comes to the Filippovs' apartment and conducts a second search. Electronic devices were seized again. Due to the rude treatment of the authorities, Vladimir's wife, Lyubov, suffers a hypertensive crisis for the second time and is forced to call an ambulance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20190815","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court issues a new order to allow a search of Vladimir Filippov's home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20190709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Denis Shevchenko initiates a second criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, this time against an \"unidentified person\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20190701","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Nadezhda Oleshkevich prepared the conclusion of a psychological, linguistic and religious examination. In conclusion, a brief description of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, taken by an expert from the Internet, is given. The expert also comes to the unscientific conclusion that \"the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are quite original ... they regard Jesus Christ not as one of the persons of God, but as the first creation of God.\"\nIt concludes with unsubstantiated allegations that Jehovah's Witnesses \"view any state as an instrument of Satan\" and are \"marked by hostility toward all.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20190220","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is being conducted in Vladimir Filippov's apartment and garage with the use of brute physical force. During the assault, law enforcement officers hit 75-year-old Vladimir Filippov in the face. With a cry: \"Lie down!\" his hands are twisted behind his back. The search is conducted by investigator A. A. Sendzyuk. Bibles in various translations, personal publications and electronic equipment were seized. The process takes more than six hours, after which believers Vladimir and Lyubov Filippov, as well as their daughter, are taken for interrogation, which lasts until midnight.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2018-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20180719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator D. A. Shevchenko initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against \"unidentified persons\". Later in this case, the Nadezhdinskiy District Court will convict a local resident, G. G. Bubnov, for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20180716","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist Olga Averina is preparing a religious study, including on the topics that were discussed at the liturgical meeting on November 18, 2017: goodness, honesty and moral purity. In the records of Christian worship, the religious scholar, in particular, finds an incentive to be diligent in studying the Bible and serving God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2018-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20180226","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures begin against Vladimir Filippov and other believers in the village of Razdolnoye (a secret video recording of a divine service, an audio recording of a conversation about the Bible with a certain B.N. Ulyankin, depicting a spiritual interest). Later, on the basis of audio and video recordings, it is concluded that Filippov is allegedly the head of the banned organization, and the other participants are participants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Filippov in Razdolnoye","date":"2017-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye3/index.html#20170818","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ganusha, a peaceful pensioner from Rostov-on-Don, was accused of extremism after officers of the First Investigation Department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee installed hidden video surveillance in her apartment. The operatives filmed peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible. Based on these records, investigator Antipov opened a criminal case in June 2019. The investigation lasted 19 months, then the materials were submitted to the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don. During the hearings, the groundlessness of the accusations became apparent. None of the witnesses, including law enforcement officials, could name a single specific extremist action or appeal on the part of Olga Ganusha. The prosecutor asked the court to give the believer a suspended sentence of 3 years. In July 2021, Judge Viktor Trofimov convicted and sentenced the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. In September, the Court of Appeal, and later, in February 2022, the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html","prisoners":["ganusha"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar leaves the sentence of Olga Ganusha unchanged: 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 1.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20220217","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court upholds the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Viktor Trofimov convicts Olga and sentences her to a suspended sentence of 2 years with a probation period of 1.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-13T10:15:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210713","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210712","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to impose a suspended sentence of 3 years of suspended imprisonment, 3 years of probation and 1 year of restrictions. The next meeting, at which Olga Ganusha is scheduled to deliver her last speech, will be held in a month.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210624","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, material evidence is examined, including video recordings made in the defendant's apartment with the help of secret surveillance. The judge reviews 5 files with video recordings made in the defendant's apartment. The files contain recordings of a worship meeting, as well as recordings of telephone conversations of the defendant on domestic and religious topics with her friends.\nThe judge reviews the notebooks, memos, booklets, literature and Bibles seized from Ganusha in various translations. The text of a short letter presumably written by the defendant on the topic of hope for the future is announced. The text of the letter shows that Ganusha did not call for any action other than a Bible study.\nThe next meeting will be held on April 28, 2021 at 12:00. The defendant is scheduled to testify.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210415","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is filing a motion for interrogation in the courtroom of specialist Astapov, whose testimony was read out earlier. The court refuses, referring to the fact that this proceeding does not consider the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, but only determines the existence of a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210331","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness shall be questioned at the next closed court session. The state prosecutor asks the witness questions about the structure of the organization and hierarchy of Jehovah's Witnesses, printed literature, as well as Olga Ganusha's participation in religious meetings. The witness cannot confirm either the defendant's participation in specific religious meetings or the facts of her \"extremist\" activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210322","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not allow listeners, citing the epidemiological situation.\nThe defender submits a petition for re-interrogation of the detective A. A. Chaikin, the court refuses.\nWitness A. V. Okhrimchuk is invited to the courtroom. After answering some questions, he refuses to testify in accordance with Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The judge threatens the witness with the institution of a criminal case. Ohrimchuk signs a waiver to testify and leaves.\nThe testimonies of prosecution witnesses who did not appear for questioning in the courtroom (a total of 6 people) are announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210315","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, hearings begin in the case of Olga Ganusha. Judge Viktor Trofimov does not allow listeners into the hall due to the epidemiological situation.\nThe indictment is read out, the defendant expresses her attitude to the criminal prosecution and accusation. Ganusha considers this criminal case to be persecution for faith.\nDetective A. A. Chaikin is interrogated as a witness. The witness does not answer the prosecutor's questions about which actions of the defendant were extremist in nature and whether she called for illegal actions, spreading her beliefs.\nWhen asked by Ganusha whether the witness is familiar with the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and what exactly was prohibited by this decision, Chaikin answers in the negative. The witness also reports that his task is to prove her relationship to the banned organization.\nThe prosecutor requests the disclosure of the testimony of the witness Chaikin, since after a while he cannot remember some details. The court ascertains the position of the parties and orders the testimony to be read.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20210304","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kalnitsky separates the cases of Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova into separate proceedings. As a result, the criminal case of each believer will be considered separately in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20200909","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cases of Olga Ganusha, Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova are combined into one proceeding. They choose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. All women are formally charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20200817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against Olga Ganusha (born in 1961), Lyudmila Ponomarenko (born in 1950) and Galina Parkova (born in 1970). According to the investigation, they participated in religious meetings, including religious services; provided living quarters for meetings; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ganusha in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don4/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2023, an investigator of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Gaytur. The elderly man is suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization because of his faith. He was included in the list of Rosfinmonitoring. Previously, Aleksandr was a witness in the case of Anatoliy Isakov. The believer's daughter, Anastasiya, became a defendant in a separate extremism case in May 2024.","date":"2023-09-18","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html","prisoners":["gaytur"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Gaitur was assigned a disability of group II. The diagnosis is multiple myeloma. After a number of courses of treatment in the hospital, his condition and well-being have stabilized, he is being treated at home. Once every three months, she undergoes an examination in a hospital in Kurgan to monitor her condition. The last survey was at the end of March this year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html#20260526","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Gaitur, the daughter of Oleksandr Gaytur, is being searched. The believer himself is also in the apartment at this moment. He is seriously ill and cannot get out of bed. Investigator S.G. Ermolaev conducts the search for more than 4 hours, while personal belongings of believers are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html#20240531","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Captain Kravchenko calls Oleksandr Gaytur to the border department of Petukhovo.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html#20231212","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Gaitur is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html#20231114","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Kravchenko, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case against Alexander Gaitur under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan3/index.html#20230918","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2019, Artyom Gerasimov, a cook by profession, was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. So the investigation called the peaceful conversations of the believer on religious topics and reading the Bible in a close circle, seeing in this a \u0026ldquo;public danger.\u0026rdquo; The apartments of Gerasimov and other believers were searched. A year later, the Yalta City Court sentenced him to a fine of 400 thousand rubles, but on June 4, 2020, the Supreme Court of Crimea toughened the sentence, replacing the fine with 6 years in prison. After Artyom was sent to the colony, the FSB officers began to \u0026ldquo;develop\u0026rdquo; his friends and acquaintances.","date":"2019-03-15","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html","prisoners":["gerasimov"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","type":"cases"},{"body":"Artem Gerasimov works in the workshop which produces metal sponges. There is no hot water in the barracks. His relationship with other prisoners is respectful. The believer finds support by reading the Bible; letters are not given to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2026-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20260517","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Gerasimov is in penal colony No. 12 for the Rostov Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2026-04-08T14:31:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20260408","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Gerasimov feels fine. The conditions of detention are satisfactory: there is hot water, laundry, a place for walking. In his free time, he can play sports and read books.\nThe administration of the colony treats the believer with respect. Relations with cellmates are peaceful.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2024-10-04T18:10:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20241004","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov recently suffered a cold. He still works in the sewing workshop. The believer's relations with his cellmates and administration are neutral.\nArtem has a Bible. Once every two weeks, he is given 20-30 letters and parcels.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2024-01-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20240103","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The attitude of the administration towards Artyom Gerasimov is good. In the colony, he sews medical gowns. In one of the months after the deductions, his salary amounted to 2 rubles 6 kopecks.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20230505","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Artyom Gerasimov was transferred from Penal Colony No. 12 in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky to Penal Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20220228","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Artyom Gerasimov in penal colony No. 12 in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. The believer does not complain about his health. Although he had symptoms of COVID-19 in October 2020, he recovered quickly.\nPrior to the arrival of the lawyer, Artem was not given letters of support from friends and relatives. However, a few days after visiting the lawyer, the believer received a packet of correspondence for the first time.\nArtem works 6 days a week from 7 am to 7:30 pm in the sewing workshop. According to him, it is easier for him to be in production than in a barracks among 20 or more people who are not engaged in active work. For hard work, Artem has already received two awards.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20210520","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov is already in Correctional Colony No. 12 in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region. He is visited by a lawyer. According to Artyom, the defender learns that by the time of their meeting, not a single letter had been handed over to the believer, although the colony, as it turned out, received many of them. In addition, when he entered the colony, the Bible was taken away from Artyom, but later he managed to get the Holy Scriptures in the Synodal translation.\nArtem says that in the colony he is employed in a sewing workshop, where mainly rubberized suits and masks are made. He is forced to work 6 days a week.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200816","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom's acquaintances and friends report calls from the FSB with persistent offers to \"talk\". Two security officials come to one of Artyom's acquaintances right at the workplace. For half an hour, they ask her questions about whether she knows Jehovah's Witnesses and whether her family and friends are believers. She is also asked questions about Gerasimov and the circumstances of their acquaintance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200816","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom's lawyer once again visits the believer in the place of detention. He says that at the time of arrival at the pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Krasnodar, there were 15 people in the cell for 10 beds, so he and 4 other people spent the entire first night without sleep. The next day, the situation changed and everyone was provided with a personal bed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200730","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov is transferred to SIZO-1 in the Krasnodar Territory. On the day of his arrival, 15 people find themselves in a cell designed for 10 places, as a result of which Gerasimov and four other prisoners spend the night without sleep. The next day, 10 people remain in the cell. How long the believer will stay in the pre-trial detention center before being transferred to the colony is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200727","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artyom Gerasimov's lawyer reports on the conditions in which the believer is held in Krasnodar pre-trial detention center No. 1: there are not enough personal cutlery for everyone, so they have to use them in turn with other prisoners; He was allowed to go for a walk only once in a week - in a larger cell with a bars in the ceiling through which he could see the sky.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200606","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Crimea is considering the appeals of the believer, who asked to be found innocent, and the prosecutor's office, which considered the sentence too lenient. The panel of judges toughens the punishment for talking about God: instead of a fine of 400 thousand rubles, Gerasimov was sentenced to 6 years in prison. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200604","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Romanenko, judge of the Yalta City Court, sentences Artyom Gerasimov to a fine of 400,000 rubles for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200305","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Yalta City Court, Artyom Gerasimov makes his last speech. In an interview with reporters, he explains:\n\"I believe that faith is quite natural for a person. I do not intend to betray my faith, to depart from the faith. I will continue to live according to my faith. I hope that the fairest decision will be made. For me, it is the only one - it is a complete justification. Because you cannot, I believe, judge a person for his faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-03-03T01:00:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200303","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 9 a.m., law enforcement agencies are for inspection in the apartment of a resident of Yalta, Taras Kuzo. The security forces intend to open the door with the help of a grinder, but the believer manages to let them into the apartment. The search is led by Lieutenant Gainiev, an operative of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Law enforcement officers read out the court order for inspection, but do not give Taras a copy of the document. Electronic devices and personal records are seized from the believer. A few months ago, the security forces tried to find something forbidden in the believer's house, but to no avail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200213","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the trial of Artyom Gerasimov in Yalta, the state prosecutor requested for him 6.5 years in prison with serving in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of freedom, 3 years of ban on engaging in certain activities. Which one, the prosecutor did not specify.\nThe adjournment of the process was announced until 20.02.2020, when the debate of the parties should continue.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20200210","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). An innocent victim of law enforcement officers becomes: Artyom Gerasimov (born in 1985).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gerasimov in Yalta","date":"2019-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta/index.html#20190315","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don3/index.html","prisoners":["gild"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Gild in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice M. Antipov, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the First Investigation Department of the First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates a criminal case for his faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, he participated in religious meetings, including religious services; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Pavel Gild (born in 1998).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gild in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don3/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Birobidzhan, Yevgeny Golik, a simple welder and truck crane operator with state awards, was prosecuted for his faith. Although the Bible helped him get rid of drug addiction, in July 2019, the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for \u0026ldquo;extremism\u0026rdquo; just because he \u0026ldquo;conducted a study of religious literature.\u0026rdquo; The case was considered by Judge Olga Klyuchikova from the Birobidzhan District Court. At the trial, even the representatives of the police could not explain what exactly Golik\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;crime\u0026rdquo; was, referring only to the discontent of the townspeople with the defendant\u0026rsquo;s religion. The state prosecutor recommended that the court sentence him to 4 years in a penal colony. In January 2021, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years of probation. On March 16, 2021, the appellate court upheld the verdict. On December 6, the Court of Cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2019-07-30","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html","prisoners":["egolik"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction dismisses Yevgeniy's appeals against the court's appeal decision and the verdict, leaving it unchanged. The believer has the right to appeal this verdict to the Supreme Court of Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-06T16:01:09+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20211206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region does not satisfy the appeal of Yevgeny Golik and leaves the sentence unchanged - 2.5 years of suspended sentence. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20210316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, announces the verdict: to find Yevgeny Golik guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, to impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20210120","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Golik pronounces the last word in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. \"I am against extremism, violence and cruelty. I have never felt hatred towards people and have never encouraged anyone to do so. All my actions were presented on video. I studied the Bible with fellow believers, and this was not prohibited by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation,\" the believer says, urging Judge Olga Klyuchikova to make an objective and unbiased decision.\nThe judge schedules the announcement of the verdict on January 20.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20210119","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Birobidzhan district court, the debate on the case begins. Concluding his speech, the state prosecutor recommends that the court sentence Yevgeny Golik to 4 years in prison in a general regime colony for reading the Bible and talking about his faith in Jehovah God with fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20201224","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Golik testifies in court. He says that 25 years ago he participated in hostilities in Chechnya, for which he was awarded by the state. And today the same state accuses him of extremism. The unlawful actions, according to the prosecutor, consist in the fact that Golik took part in religious services, which are regarded by the prosecution as \"illegal religious events of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" However, according to the law, Golik continues, after the liquidation of the LRO, even its former members have the right to worship or worship.\nThe believer also says: \"According to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, the crime imputed to me can only be committed with direct intent and must have a specific purpose. I had no extremist goals. I have not committed any actions of an extremist nature, for example, aimed at inciting hatred or enmity.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20201215","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the case continues in the Birobidzhan District Court. The court skims through videos from worship meetings.\nA witness for the prosecution Zvereva, a police officer who carried out operational-search measures against Yevgeny Golik, speaks. In her testimony, she claims that no banned literature was found in the defendant's possession, and she did not hear extremist slogans at the meetings. When asked why she considers Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremists, Zvereva replies: people are unhappy with the preaching.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20201111","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Olga Klyuchikova. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Pionerskaya Street, 32).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200320","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 11 people present at the hearing. Evgeny Golik maintains a positive attitude. The prosecutor completes the consideration of the case materials, in particular written evidence. At the next meeting on March 20, it is planned to study video materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200311","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Olga Klyuchikova. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya str., 32.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200228","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court session, written evidence is considered. The court rejects the defense's request to connect the criminal cases of Yevgeniy Golik and Artur Lokhvitsky.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing continues. About 20 people come to support the accused. Only 10 are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe next hearing will be held on February 12 at 11.00. A study of material evidence is planned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 10:00 (local time), hearings begin at the address: Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya str., 32.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200204","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing shall be resumed. Golik submits 3 petitions. The court satisfies the request for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case (pre-investigation check) and rejects the petitions for the refusal of counsel and for the consolidation of 10 criminal cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200130","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is adjourned due to the failure of counsel to appear.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20200129","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is referred to Judge Olga Klyuchikova, who is also hearing the case of Artur Lokhvitsky. The criminal case is assigned the number 1-50/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20191224","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, he conducted \"a study among the participants of the collection of religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the publication of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Holy Scripture / New World Translation\". Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Golik Yevgeny (born in 1975).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Golik in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan/index.html#20190730","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case against Andrey Gubin. The believer was accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Since September 2020, the case has been heard in the district court. Gubin himself said at one of the hearings that extremism and terrorism contradict his inner convictions, views and feelings. The Bible helped Andrew become a calm and peaceful man in his youth, but now he is being persecuted for adhering to the teachings of this book. In September 2021, the court sentenced Andrey Gubin to 2.5 years. In 2022, the appellate court upheld the verdict. The believer\u0026rsquo;s appeal to the court of cassation was also rejected.","date":"2020-02-12","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html","prisoners":["gubin"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer reads out the petition for an open hearing, but it is rejected, referring to the practice of the district court. The hearing at the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is held behind closed doors.\nJudge Irina Zhurova reads out the complaint, after which the parties are given the floor. The prosecutor points out that the believers, despite the ban, continued to comply with the provisions of the charter of the LRO. Gubin objected, noting that the court did not consider the charter of the LRO and did not prohibit the worship of God. According to the believer, the court of first instance drew attention to the fact that even former members of the LRO can continue to profess their faith and gather together to worship God. Gubin then delivers his last word.\nThe Court of Appeal shall uphold the decision of the lower court. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20220201","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Tsykina, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, finds Andrey Gubin guilty and sentences him to 2 years and 6 months of probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom for reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-09-09T16:11:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210909","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, the defendant and his lawyer speak. According to Andrey Gubin, the prosecution mistakenly qualified the lawful behavior of the believer as criminal activity. He stresses that he did not disseminate ideas related to any discrimination against others, did not harm anyone. His participation in worship services and his religious beliefs were and are exclusively peaceful in nature and have nothing to do with extremism, the believer emphasizes. He also refers to a number of documents submitted by the Russian Federation to international bodies, according to which the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited in Russia. \"The illegality of my actions during the judicial investigation was not proven,\" the defendant declares.\nThe believer plans to deliver his last word in court on September 8.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210830","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 4 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of freedom for Andrey Gubin. The prosecution claims that the believer used a prohibited translation of the Holy Scriptures, but the video recordings of the services do not confirm this. The prosecution also does not provide evidence of the existence of victims in the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210819","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Gubin submits petitions to attach 16 written documents to the case file, on the basis of which he wants to show that there is no corpus delicti and that he did not take part in extremist activities.\nThe believer explains to the court that an attempt to ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses incites religious hatred in society towards ordinary believers. The facts presented at previous hearings, the studies of religious scholars, their conclusions, in the opinion of the defendant, refute the logic of accusations of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210723","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A defense witness, the defendant's former superior, is being interrogated. Earlier, representatives of law enforcement agencies forced him to dismiss Gubin without giving reasons. According to the witness, Gubin has always had a good reputation. When asked by the prosecutor whether the witness knows what religion Gubin professes, the interrogated replies that they have never talked about this topic. The court attaches all the positive characteristics of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210611","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to recordings of telephone conversations of believers. Gubin notes that he is not among the participants in the conversation, and his phone number does not appear in these case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210220","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The new prosecutor again provides the court with video recordings only partially.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20210118","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yulia Tsykina watches videos of worship services, skipping significant episodes. The believer objected: \"You are trying me for extremism, but how can you find calls for extremism through such squandering of evidence?\" Further, the court reviews the video materials in full, including chants, prayers, speeches on spiritual topics. Gubin comments: \"The doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is not extremist, and you could see this by listening to and watching videos of our meetings.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20201207","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the volumes of the criminal case containing transcripts of telephone conversations of believers. Andrey Gubin draws the court's attention to the fact that he did not participate in them.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. They claim that they do not know the defendant. According to them, before the investigation, law enforcement officers told the witnesses that \"the search will be for peaceful and calm people, so there is no need to take aggressive measures.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20201030","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the trial, the defendant Andrey Gubin thanks the prosecutor for the correct pronunciation of the name of God and voices his attitude to the charges: \"There is religious discrimination based on someone's personal hostility, prejudice and illiterate understanding of the law on extremism. Extremism and terrorism contradict my inner beliefs, views and feelings. Thus, I consider this persecution to be a politically motivated order that contradicts logic and common sense.\"\nThe prosecutor voices objections to the petitions filed by the defendant. The court refuses to exclude the evidence of the prosecution, return the criminal case to the prosecutor and join the criminal cases.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for October 15. The prosecutor will begin presenting evidence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20201013","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first session in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Judge Yulia Viktorovna Tsykina. The defendant, Andrei Gubin, is filing six motions. The judge satisfies two of them: on additional acquaintance with the case and the preparation of the protocol and audio recording of court hearings in parts. The court does not accept Gubin's refusal of the defense counsel assigned to him. For the rest of the motions, the prosecutor will ask for time to prepare objections.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for October 13. The prosecutor will express his opinion on the motions of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20200917","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior criminal investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates another criminal case for his faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - against 46-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A week earlier, on 06.02.2020, investigator D. Yankin opened 6 similar cases at once against 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Natalia Krieger. Even earlier, the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev - became accused under similar articles. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky. A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Gubin in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan18/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2021, the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region sentenced Konstantin Guzev to 2,5 years of suspended imprisonment. A criminal case for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against a law-abiding builder-repairman was opened in May 2018. A similar case was brought against his wife, Anastasia. Since December 2019, his case has been considered by judge Alexei Ivashchenko. At the hearing, the prosecutor called Konstantin\u0026rsquo;s house a \u0026ldquo;crime scene\u0026rdquo; because he was discussing the Bible with friends via video link. The prosecutor requested 4 years in prison for the believer. In May 2021, the appellate court upheld the verdict, but in December 2021, the court of cassation overturned it and returned the case to the appeal stage. In March 2022, the court of the Jewish Autonomous Region in a different composition again approved the conviction. The court of cassation overturned this decision and sent the case for a new appeal. In July 2022, a decision was made to expunge the criminal record.","date":"2019-07-29","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html","prisoners":["guzev"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Birobidzhan District Court removes Konstantin Guzev's criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20220715","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region re-examines the case of Konstantin Guzev and confirms the guilty verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20220314","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok decided to cancel the decision of the appellate instance - 2.5 years of suspended sentence - and send the case against Konstantin Guzev for a new trial to the court of appeal in a new composition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20211223","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region rejected Konstantin Guzev's appeal against the decision of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The verdict of the believer was left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20210513","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Oleksiy Ivashchenko. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Pionerskaya Street, 32). Verdict: Guilty. Verdict: 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment plus a probationary period of 2 years with the obligation to report to the supervisory authority once a month.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20210218","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Guzev speaks in court with the last word. At the very beginning, he says: \"I have not done anything reprehensible: neither against our country, nor against the citizens who live in it, nor against the laws of the state.\"\nThen he quotes the Bible: \"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,\" but Judge Ivashchenko interrupts him, stating that it is necessary to speak on the merits of the accusation. Guzev explains that the arguments and quotes he cites show the absurdity of the accusation against him.- Extremism and Jehovah's Witnesses are incompatible concepts.\nThe believer also tells the court how faith in God changed his life: he became a peace-loving person and got rid of bad habits. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses \"work hard to live up to the high moral standards of Jehovah God. Everyone tries to fight bad inclinations at the level of thoughts and develop qualities pleasing to him [God].\"\nIn conclusion, the believer sums up: \"For twenty years I have been trying to show with my life that it is better to forgive the offender than to take revenge. Understanding all this, I cannot be an extremist in any way, I cannot deliberately incite conflicts, insult and humiliate people. [...] Jehovah's Witnesses should not be persecuted, but should be taken as an example in how all mankind can live in peace and friendship. This is exactly what people crave today, but cannot achieve.\nThe verdict is scheduled to be announced on February 18.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20210217","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, debates are underway. The prosecutor requests for Konstantin Guzev a sentence of 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction with the obligation to report once a month to the regulatory authorities.\nThe believer does not plead guilty to extremism, emphasizing that he did not commit any real crime.\n\"The evidence presented by the prosecutor only confirms that I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In other words, this evidence proves that there was no corpus delicti in my actions,\" says Konstantin Guzev, pointing out that the accusations boil down to the fact that he read the Bible with friends at home via Skype.\nCommenting on the accusations of inciting discord and enmity, the believer notes: \"It is absolutely alien to me to feel hatred or enmity towards anyone, and even more so to commit violent or other illegal acts [...] If I felt hatred for people, and even more so if I called for violence or other illegal actions against someone, then I simply could not become Jehovah's Witness or would cease to be one.\"\nThe court schedules the next hearing for February 17. Konstantin Guzev plans to make his last speech. On the same day, the court may announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20210210","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, the participants in the trial view video materials secretly filmed during religious meetings of believers. Konstantin Guzev comments on them, drawing attention to how biblical teachings improve people's lives and encourage them to do good deeds.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20210203","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Guzev requests that the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which condemns the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, be accepted. The prosecutor believes that this \"clutters up the criminal case.\" Judge Alexei Ivashchenko rejects the defendant's petition, since, in his opinion, \"these documents are a judgment on specific cases of other persons.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20201230","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"2 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them is a police officer Zvereva, who participated in 2015-2016 in the formation of cases of administrative offenses against the Local Religious Organization. Courts found believers guilty of possession of extremist materials, although they were planted on them. She also testified at the hearings in the cases of Evgeny Golik, Anastasia Sycheva and Tatiana Zagulina. Zvereva does not know anything about the episodes imputed to Konstantin Guzev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20201118","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing in the court of first instance. Of the 16 students in the trial, the prosecutor expels three (Aliyev, Golik, Zagulin) because they are accused in similar cases. During the meeting, the case materials (from the 10th to the 24th volume) are announced. During the hearing, the prosecutor officially declared the defendant's house the scene of the crime.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20200221","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing in the court of first instance. At 11:00 (local time), hearings begin at the address: Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya str., 32. About 10 people come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20200204","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. Guzev submits 3 petitions. The court satisfies the request for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case and rejects the petition for the refusal of defense counsel and for the consolidation of 10 criminal cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20200129","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is referred to federal judge Alexei Ivashchenko, who is also considering the case of Yevgeny Egorov and Igor Tsarev. The criminal case is assigned the number 1-49/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20191223","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 3rd criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Konstantin Guzev. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20190729","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" is underway in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20180517","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2), 282.3 (1) against local believers. According to the investigation, together with others, they held worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzev in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan11/index.html#20180514","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, Dmitry Yankin, a forensic investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, opened criminal cases for their faith against six women from Birobidzhan at once. One of them was Anastasia Guzeva, whose husband Konstantin had been under investigation since July 2019. The peaceful believer was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization only on the basis of religion. In September 2020, closed hearings began in the Birobidzhan District Court under the chairmanship of Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh. Prosecution witness Yulia Zvereva, who conducted operational search activities together with the FSB, said that she had not heard any extremist statements from the defendant. On July 23, 2021, the prosecutor requested 4 years of imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of liberty for Anastasia. On August 19, 2021, the court found the believer guilty and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. In December 2021, the appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html","prisoners":["guzeva"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region refuses to satisfy Anastasia Guzeva's appeal against the decision of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The verdict of the believer comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20211202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court found Anastasiya Guzeva guilty and sentenced her to 2.5 years probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom. The court found Anastasiya Guzeva guilty and sentenced her to 2.5 years probation, 2 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-08-19T17:51:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210819","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210818","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, Anstasia Guzeva's lawyer and the believer herself take the floor.\nIn her speech, Guzeva notes that during the court hearings it was proved that there was no crime in the actions that are imputed to her. Anastasia explains why she did not stop professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses and meeting with fellow believers: \"Stop fulfilling the commandments of Christ, who gathered his disciples together and taught them ... means [for me] a renunciation of the faith.\"\nRegarding the video recordings of the services, which the investigation presented as evidence of her guilt, Anastasia states: \"[When watching the videos] it was absolutely clearly established that there were no calls to commit illegal actions against any group of people or against any person. On the contrary, you and I have heard and seen how believers, including myself, have been encouraged to do good to other people.\"\nAt the next meeting, Anastasia is scheduled to deliver her last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210729","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of liberty (a ban on changing her place of residence and leaving the city).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210723","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Guzeva comments on the video fragments of the events imputed to her: \"Nothing extremist took place at religious meetings, but they talk about love and peace.\"\nA defence witness is being questioned. Tatiana expresses her attitude to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as follows: \"I believe that this is everyone's choice. Man believes in God. I also have acquaintances with Muslims. I'm Orthodox.\"\nShe says about Anastasia: \"Kind, non-aggressive, never insulted anyone. I can only describe it on the positive side.\" She also emphasizes that for 20 years of their acquaintance, the defendant has not changed: \"Nastya remained kind, attentive, sympathetic. I've never even heard her raise her voice at anyone.\"\nThe witness confirms that she did not hear from Anastasia any calls for the overthrow of the government or violence, or proposals to change her religion.\nWhen asked by the prosecutor whether Anastasiya is a member of any organization, Tatyana replies: \"She is just a believer, she reads the Bible. I don't even know anything about the organization. Believers, well, believers.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210518","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the very beginning of the court session, Anastasia Guzeva explains to the court the meaning of the name of God \"Jehovah\". All participants in the process listen attentively.\nThe court is reviewing the video materials of the case. Prosecution witness Zvereva, who conducted operational-search activities together with the FSB, is being interrogated. She describes Guzeva \"as a participant [of worship], but not as active.\" The witness also confirms that she did not hear any extremist statements from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20210419","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","video"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing on the merits is underway.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20200929","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, without the participation of the parties, makes a decision on the appointment of a closed court hearing in the criminal case of Irina Lokhvitskaya. On the same day, three other women are being heard before the same judge. Among them are Anna Lokhvitskaya, Irina's daughter-in-law, as well as Natalia Krieger and Anastasia Guzeva.\nThe case will be considered behind closed doors, i.e. without the participation of the media, listeners and relatives. According to the judge, an open hearing of the case may lead to the disclosure of secrets protected by law - the personal data of minors whose data appear in the case file.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20200916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin is initiating another case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 6 criminal cases for faith against 6 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Nataliya Kriger . All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Guzeva in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan16/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ilinykh, a former police officer, overcame bad habits through his study of the Bible. However, for wanting to share his faith with others, he, following his mother, [Olga Opaleva] (/en/prisoners/opaleva.html), found himself under the yoke of criminal prosecution. Searches of the Ilinykhs took place twice: in February and October 2019. The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Primorsky Territory, E. S. Marvanyuk, opened a criminal case against Vitaly Ilyinykh, charging him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later mitigated the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Hearings in the Ussuriysk District Court began in December 2020 under the chairmanship of Judge Tatyana Pavlenko, and 4 months later the case was transferred to Judge Anna Zakharova. In April 2022, the court sentenced Vitaliy Ilinykh to 2.5 years of probation. This decision entered into force on July 28, 2022 after an appeal.","date":"2019-09-18","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html","prisoners":["ilinych"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court approves the sentence of Vitaly Ilinykh - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20220728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Anna Zakharova finds Vitaliy Ilinykh guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment, restriction of liberty for a term of 8 months with a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20220415","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to give Vitaliy Ilinykh a suspended sentence of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-02-21T15:45:34+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20220221","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate scheduled for that day was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20211223","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to Judge Anna Zakharova. The court completes the listening to the audio recordings of the believers' telephone conversations and proceeds to the study of the video recordings of the services.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20210330","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness, a woman who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in order to gather information about believers, is being interrogated. She admits that she has a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses and is interested in them ceasing their \"activities\" in Ussuriysk. At the same time, the woman never heard threats from believers against her, as well as calls for violence, genocide or overthrow of state power.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20210312","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai. Judge Tatyana Pavlenko determines the order of the court session. The prosecutor reads out the indictment, the defendant Vitaly Ilyinykh does not agree with the charges.\nIlinykh filed three motions: to refuse a lawyer; the openness of the meeting; on the study and attachment to the case file of the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of October 1, 2020. The court granted the last two motions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20201208","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Vitaliy Ilyinykh is submitted to the Ussuriysk District Court for consideration by Judge Tatyana Pavlenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20201103","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator reclassifies the charge against Vitaly Ilinykh to a milder article — participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20200617","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ilinykh and his wife, Irina, are being searched again. Vitaliy is taken into custody, but after 2 days the court chooses a preventive measure for him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20191023","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaly Ilyinykh's mother, 67-year-old Olga Opaleva, who is persecuted for her faith in the same way as her son, is not feeling well in the FSIN convoy car on the way to court. She is hospitalized with an ischemic stroke. She desperately needs her son's help.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20191010","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate for the city of Ussuriysk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, he carried out \"organizational actions to disseminate prohibited literature and information, as well as control over the conduct of sermons by members of a local religious organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and its local religious organizations). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Ilyinykh Vitaly (born in 1974).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20190918","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ilinykh's apartment is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20190918","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Vitaliy Ilinykh is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20190729","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ilinykh's house is being searched as part of a criminal case against his mother , Olga Opaleva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ilinych in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk/index.html#20190205","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2019-08-29","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk2/index.html","prisoners":["dkulakov","ivanov"],"regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ivanov and Kulakov in Nevelsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Sakhalin region Melnikov D. S. closes the criminal proceedings for lack of corpus delicti. Based on the results of the examinations, it is impossible to conclude that the believers carried out extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivanov and Kulakov in Nevelsk","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk2/index.html#20200827","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the senior investigator of the city Department of Internal Affairs D. Aimagambetova, the Nevelsk City Court, chaired by Judge Polina Rykova, authorizes a search in the homes of Vyacheslav Ivanov and Dmitry Kulakov. The search is carried out with the support of the prosecutor E. Pomogaeva. Personal notes, notebooks, various translations of the Bible and receipts for electricity are confiscated from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivanov and Kulakov in Nevelsk","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk2/index.html#20191024","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nevelsk Urban District initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2) against Vyacheslav Ivanov and Dmitry Kulakov. According to the investigation, \"by prior conspiracy ... conducted conversations with residents ... at home, trying to impose on them the ideas that were preached by a religious association liquidated by a court decision in connection with extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivanov and Kulakov in Nevelsk","date":"2019-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk2/index.html#20190829","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2018, 22 Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were taken to police stations in Lensk, Yakutia, during mass searches. Operational-search activities were carried out by employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), including investigators Andrey Romanenko and Andrey Myreev. During the interrogations, it turned out that civilians had been under surveillance for more than six months. During this time, the telephone conversations of Igor Ivashin, one of the detainees, were tapped. In addition, audio and video surveillance were conducted in his apartment. As a result, a criminal case was initiated under the article \u0026ldquo;organization of the activities of an extremist organization\u0026rdquo;. The prosecutor requested that Igor Ivashin be sentenced to 7 years in prison, but on April 1, 2020, the judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Zhanna Schmidt, sentenced him to 6 years probation for believing in Jehovah God. The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-06-29","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html","prisoners":["ivashin"],"regions":["sakha"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutsk, Kurashova Street, 25). Hearing on the believer's appeal against the verdict. Ivashin addresses the last word. The court announces the decision: the appeal is dismissed. The sentence for faith comes into force, the sentence of 6 years of imprisonment conditionally remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200521","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The convicted believer submits an additional appeal to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) with a request to examine the \"evidence\" of his guilt in the materials of the criminal case. Igor Ivashin was sentenced to a 6-year suspended sentence on the basis of a telephone conversation with a friend and individual phrases on a piece of paper that, according to the expert, he never uttered. The court's verdict does not specify why legal actions such as reading and discussing the Bible with friends and relatives are regarded as religious hatred and enmity.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200505","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Ivashin appeals against the verdict of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) of April 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200409","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha Zhanna Schmidt sentences Igor Ivashin to 6 years probation with a probationary period. Among other things, the court is convinced of the defendant's guilt by such \"material evidence\" as photographs, postcards and biblical dominoes found in the defendant's home during the search. The believer prepares an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200401","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court postpones the date of announcement of the verdict to April 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200331","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties begins. State prosecutor Oksana Viktorovna Slastina asks the court to sentence Ivashin to 7 years in prison to be served in a penal colony, and also asks to impose an additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to hold a leadership position in religious associations for 6 years. Ivashin addresses the court with the last word. The court retires to the deliberation room. The verdict is scheduled for March 31, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200325","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the judge's employment, the start of the debate is postponed until March 25, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200323","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lensky District Court of the Republic of Sakha continues to hear the criminal case against Igor Ivashin. The defendant testifies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200311","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The main hearing in the case of Igor Ivashin began in the Lensky District Court. Seven witnesses were questioned and the case file (volume I and part of volume II) was read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200217","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lensky District Court is holding a preliminary hearing in the case of Igor Ivashin, charged under Article 282.2(1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The judge in the case is Zhanna Schmidt, the prosecutor is the deputy prosecutor of the Lensky district, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Oksana Slastina. Igor Ivashin's motions to exclude evidence and to request evidence were rejected.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200207","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Yakutsk, the Court of Appeal overturns the decision of the Lensky District Court to return the case for further investigation. Now the case is returned to the court of first instance - to the Lensky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20200109","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["2-appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court makes a decision to return the criminal case against Igor Ivashin to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20191120","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor objects to the motions filed by the accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20191119","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant submits motions for the discovery and exclusion of evidence, for the return of the case to the prosecutor and for the refusal of defense counsel. The court satisfies the last petition of Igor Ivashin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20191118","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Alexandra Alekseeva signs the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20190918","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivashin signs the protocol of acquaintance with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20190601","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivashin has been charged and is being interrogated as an accused. A preventive measure was chosen - a written undertaking not to leave the place. The investigator announces the end of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20190424","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Andrey Myreev conducts an inspection of Natalia Ivashina's apartment \"with the consent of the hostess.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2019-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20190330","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivashin is assigned a measure of procedural coercion in the form of an obligation to appear.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20181009","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By a decision of the Lensky District Court, the searches in the homes of three believers were recognized as legal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180703","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Ivashin was interrogated as an accused. For him, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180702","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of believers continue.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180701","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By order of investigator Andrei Myreev, mass searches are being conducted. Investigators interrogate believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180630","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A decision is made to initiate criminal proceedings against an unidentified circle of persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. An investigation team is appointed, which includes Andrey Myreev, Captain of Justice of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The investigation period is extended until 29.05.2019.\nJudge of the Lensky District Court Ekaterina Azimova orders a search of Ivashin's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180629","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the CPE, Colonel Sergei Ponomarev, writes a report on the identification of a \"criminal group\" led by Igor Ivashin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180521","regions":["sakha"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The acting chairman of the Supreme Court of Yakutia, Alexander Sedalishchev, makes a decision to allow audio and video surveillance at Ivashin's place of residence for a period of 60 days.\nIn April 2018, during the operational-search activities, Ivashin's phones were wiretapped and his house was monitored. Based on religious sayings and conversations with acquaintances, Ivashin is recognized as the leader of a group of 14 people. Operational activities are supervised by detectives from Yakutsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180410","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Allow wiretapping of Igor Ivashin's phone for a period of 180 days. Such a decision is made by the chairman of the Yakutsk city court Ivan Vinokurov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashin in Lensk","date":"2018-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lensk/index.html#20180220","regions":["sakha"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In late November 2025, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Crimea resident Yelena Ivashina. The case had been separated into an independent proceeding from the case of another Jehovah's Witness, Aleksandr Voronchikhin. In December, searches were conducted in Yelena's apartment, after which she was interrogated and placed in a temporary detention facility (IVS). The believer was accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization. The court placed her under house arrest.","date":"2025-12-27","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol4/index.html","prisoners":["ivashina"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ivashina in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Simferopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashina in Simferopol","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol4/index.html#20260313","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Kievskiy District Court of Simferopol chooses a restriction measure for Yelena in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashina in Simferopol","date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol4/index.html#20251212","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, a search is carried out in the apartment of Elena Ivashina in the village. Novofedorovka. Electronic devices, bank cards and hard drive are seized from her.\nInvestigator A. A. Kirov interrogates Ivashina about her religious beliefs. The woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives the right not to testify against herself and her relatives.\nAfter the interrogation, the believer is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashina in Simferopol","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol4/index.html#20251211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["ivs","search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea V. V. Zabiyaka opened a criminal case against Elena Ivashina, accusing her of financing the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe investigator claims that the believer \"transferred money as donations.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ivashina in Simferopol","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol4/index.html#20251127","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2019, the FSB opened a criminal case against Yulia Kaganovich, a resident of Birobidzhan, accusing her of extremism. In April 2020, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vladimir Mikhalev, began considering the case. As evidence, the prosecution provided materials that had nothing to do with the defendant. Nevertheless, in February 2021, the court sentenced Yulia to a fine of 10,000 rubles. In May 2021, the Court of Appeal, at the request of prosecutor Anton Vyalkov, toughened the sentence and sentenced the believer to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 1 year. The Court of Cassation upheld this decision. In July 2022, the judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Natalya Sheremetyeva, canceled Yulia Kaganovich\u0026rsquo;s suspended sentence and expunged her criminal record.","date":"2019-10-10","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html","prisoners":["kaganovich"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Natalia Sheremetyeva cancels the suspended sentence of Yulia Kaganovich ahead of schedule and removes her criminal record. The Court takes into account that the believer served half of her probationary period and did not commit any violations during this time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20220707","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok approves the appeal decision in the case of Yulia Kaganovich.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-20T10:47:34+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20211220","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region satisfies the prosecutor's complaint and imposes a 2.5-year suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210513","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor A. A. Vyalkov will appeal against the verdict of the Birobidzhan District Court against Yulia Kaganovich. He believes that the punishment in the form of a fine of 10 thousand rubles is excessively lenient and does not correspond to the \"degree of public danger of the crime.\"\nThe state prosecutor continues to insist on a strict punishment - 4 years of imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime, followed by restriction of freedom for a period of 2 years. Vyalkov demands that the believer be taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210226","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall read out the testimony of the prosecution witness. The defendant objects, since the testimony of the witness does not relate to the imputed event and, according to the examination, on the specified date there was a friendly meeting, and not a religious one.\nDuring the debate, the prosecutor recommends a sentence of imprisonment for a period of 4 years in a colony and 2 years of restrictions. He asks to be taken into custody in the courtroom.\nYulia Kaganovich speaks with the last word: \"Your honor, by reviewing the case materials and videos, you had the opportunity to make sure that Jehovah's Witnesses learn kindness and love at their meetings. They sing songs that glorify God, read the Bible, and discuss how to apply Bible knowledge in their lives. All of these are legitimate religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses. Everything is decent, there is not even a hint of extremist actions. [...] We are helped by Christian meetings. Through them we learn to love God and continue to do His will. Love each other. Deepen your understanding of God's laws and apply them in your life.\" Further, she reminds the court that the case file contains letters of thanks and documents characterizing her personality: \"In the psychological and psychiatric examination commissioned by the FSB, it is written about me as follows: 'The most pronounced features are empathy with other people, responsiveness, soft-heartedness, rejoicing in other people's successes.' Can a person with such qualities have anything to do with extremism? It's just not possible!\"\nYulia explains the fallacy of applying the law on extremism to Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The FSB investigator has repeatedly stated that if you want to believe, believe within yourself and stay at home. Is this a new law? Where can this law be deducted? Or do we have a new constitution? The prosecution erroneously applies the law on extremism to Jehovah's Witnesses. Misinterprets the decisions of the courts... Now I can't meet my friends, read the Bible and learn good things? If this is evil, then what is good? Doesn't our state need respectable people who live according to their conscience and observe the laws of the country? There is a clear persecution for the faith.\"\nIn conclusion, addressing the court, the defendant says: \"Your Honor, I want to say that there are still victims. It is against me that actions are being taken on the grounds of religious hatred. My rights have been violated. The Federal Security Service... denigrated my reputation, the reputation of my family, and exposed my religious beliefs as criminal. For more than two and a half years, I have been labeled as a criminal. On the Rosfinmonitoring website, I am an \"active extremist terrorist\". It doesn't fit in my head ... My family and I went through a profound upheaval.\"\nThe court announces the verdict: guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. To sentence Yuliya Kaganovich to a fine of 10,000 rubles with a 5-month installment payment. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210216","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Kaganovich submits 2 petitions: on the inadmissibility of the testimony of the prosecution witness - police officer Zvereva; and inadmissible evidence that does not relate to the defendant.\nThe believer testifies and denies the accusations against her. Speaking about the fact that extremist actions, according to the law, are impossible without the motive of hatred or enmity, Yulia Kaganovich tells the court about the peace-loving nature of her faith. She also draws attention to the lack of evidence in the case file that she carried out any illegal actions: \"Neither the court nor the law recognized the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses as illegal. The religious beliefs and corresponding practices of Jehovah's Witnesses were both legal before 2017 and continue to be legal.\"\nA witness for the defense, the spouse of the defendant, speaks. He says that during 30 years of happy family life, Yulia has always been a reliable rear for him and a good mother for their son. \"We have many friends of different religions,\" he continues. \"And I myself do not share my wife's religious views, but we find a great common language.\" When asked if he has ever heard calls for illegal actions from Yulia, the witness replies: \"No, of course not. How can such a person of a broad soul and kindness call for some illegal actions, why does she need it?\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210209","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite Yulia Kaganovich's objections, the Birobidzhan District Court is considering materials and audio recordings that are not related to her case for the fourth time. The prosecutor does not comment on the audio recordings listened to, but explains that the main assessment of the evidence will be given in the debate. The defendant believes that, according to Article 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the prosecutor does not provide the court with concrete evidence of her guilt. According to the defense, the prosecution is delaying the trial.\nJudge Vladimir Mikhalev informs the parties that he will retire in February 2020. In this regard, he plans to end the stage of the judicial investigation on February 17, namely the interrogation of a defense witness, the debate of the parties, during which the prosecutor will announce what punishment he recommends for Yulia Kaganovich, as well as the defendant's speech with the last word. On February 18, the judge plans to announce the verdict.\nAt the next hearing, it is planned to consider the evidence of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vladimir Mikhalev granted the prosecutor's request to listen to the recordings of telephone conversations. Yulia Kaganovich draws the court's attention to the fact that the materials considered at the hearings have nothing to do with her, or with the charges, or with the alleged episodes. For example, the prosecution presents conversations of believers on spiritual topics, discussion of work schedules and leisure activities as evidence of the defendant's participation in extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20210201","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the request to postpone the hearing due to the coronavirus pandemic, but does not satisfy the believer's refusal of the services of a lawyer by appointment.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges, claiming that Yulia Kaganovich, \"being aware of the public danger and the unlawful nature of her actions,\" read and discussed the Bible during religious meetings with fellow believers. The believer herself, expressing her attitude to the accusation, calls it unfair and resolutely rejects the accusations of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20201231","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a 9-month break, a preliminary hearing in the case of Yulia Kaganovich is being held in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Judge Vladimir Mikhalev does not accept the defendant's refusal of the appointed lawyer due to Yulia's lack of legal education. He also rejects several of her requests, including the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor and the inclusion of the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Yulia also asks to exclude the search report from the evidence and return the seized Bibles to her, which she refuses.\nThe defendant asks to postpone the hearing due to her state of health, as the doctor recommended that she observe self-isolation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20201224","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Vladimir Mikhalev. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya St., 32).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20201022","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing was postponed due to Yulia Kaganovich's illness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20201013","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge suspends the criminal proceedings for 5 months due to the impossibility of Yuliya Kaganovich to participate in court due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20200507","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region begins a preliminary hearing against the believer Yulia Kaganovich. The case is being considered by judge Vladimir Mikhalev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20200413","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Yuliya Kaganovich is transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20200303","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2) against 53-year-old Yuliya Kaganovich. According to the investigation, she \"committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kaganovich in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan6/index.html#20191010","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, in Naberezhnye Chelny, security forces invaded 10 apartments of local residents with searches. Ilham Karimov, Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov and Aidar Yulmetyev were detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months, after which they spent 2 to 3 months under house arrest. The reason for the criminal prosecution is faith in Jehovah God and communication with fellow believers. In November 2019, the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court returned the case to the prosecutor for revision due to falsifications on the part of the investigation. The case was not closed, the believers remained under recognizance not to leave. In December 2021, Judge Rustam Khakimov found the men guilty and sentenced them to suspended sentences: Myakushin to 3 years and 1 month, Yulmetyev to 2 years and 9 months, and Matrashov and Karimov to 2.5 years. All were also assigned a probationary period of 2 years. The Court of Appeal upheld this judgment of first instance on September 2, 2022.","date":"2018-05-25","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html","prisoners":["iulmetev","karimov","matrashov","miakushin"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"cases"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Olga Migunova. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan (Kazan, Pushkin Street, 72/2. Presidium Hall).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20220902","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listeners are allowed to attend the meeting. The panel of judges satisfies the petitions for the examination of documents with the data of a secret witness, whose testimony the defense asks to recognize as inadmissible evidence, and for the search for a petition to terminate the criminal case, which has disappeared from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20220607","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Khakimov finds four believers guilty and sentences Myakushin to 3 years and 1 month probation, Matrashov and Karimov to 2.5 years probation, and Yulmetyev to 2 years and 9 months probation. All believers are also assigned a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20211216","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks Vladimir Myakushin to be sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony, and Aidar Yulmetyev, Ilham Karimov and Konstantin Matrashov to 7 years in a penal colony.\nSuch a severe request of the prosecutor is at odds with the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021 that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20211213","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is filing a number of motions. The court rejects the petitions for recognition of the searches as illegal, for the appointment of a comprehensive linguistic and religious examination, for the inclusion of the Protocol of the Public Trial of Jehovah's Witnesses for 1962, the brochure \"The Bible for the Youngest\", video recordings of planting banned publications of Jehovah's Witnesses in their Kingdom Halls.\nThe court satisfies the defense's request to search for the lost documents by the decision to terminate the criminal case, as well as the request to attach the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20211110","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates Myakushin, Matrashov, Yulmetyev and Karimov. They report that they attended worship services on their own initiative, and have no religious hatred towards anyone.\nThe Court examines video and audio recordings of worship services in which those present discuss the importance of tolerating the views and beliefs of others.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210903","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge attaches to the case file a description from Matrashov's place of work, signed by the company's employees.\nIn court, Matrashov's colleague says that Konstantin saved his life: when he had a heart attack, the believer took him to intensive care.\nVladimir Myakushin's neighbor is being interrogated. He positively characterizes the believer and emphasizes that as a university teacher, he communicates a lot with students and sees a striking difference between the highly moral lifestyle of Vladimir and today's youth.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210805","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses personally and attended their services is being interrogated. She says that despite the fact that she professes a different religion, she has never experienced hatred or hostility from Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210804","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the court session, but they are not allowed into the courthouse.\nThe lawyer reads out the characteristics of the defendants. Vladimir Myakushin and Konstantin Matrashov have positive characteristics from the place of work, gratitude from employers for conscientious work, neighbors speak of them as friendly respectable tenants. The employer describes Myakushin: \"He is a peaceful person, he has never noticed statements encouraging violence and other illegal actions against citizens of another faith, he is a reliable comrade, sociable, professional.\"\nMatrashov's employer describes Konstantin as an executive employee: \"He participates in the public life of the enterprise, he has no conflicts with employees, including on religious grounds, he did not call for the destruction of the state system, he did not call for his family. The labor collective treated the arrest of Matrashov as an unfair decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210615","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a secret witness. Answering questions from the defense, he reports that he attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although he and his relatives have not been threatened, he wants to be interrogated as a secret witness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210520","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five co-religionists of the defendants are being interrogated. They report that after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, \"their faith has not gone away,\" they met to pray together, sing songs, study the Bible, and visit each other. One witness says that although her husband does not share her religious beliefs, she was not forced to dissolve the marriage by any of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210519","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates FSB operative A.V. Kharisov, who reports that he is not aware of any evidence that Jehovah's Witnesses have ever been prosecuted for crimes such as drug trafficking, violent acts, and damage to someone else's property.\nThe court continues to study the case materials. It is established that at least 10 examinations of audio and video materials were carried out with the participation of witnesses who were not warned of criminal liability under Articles 307-308 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\nThe Court has rejected a number of defence motions to identify the identity of a secret witness and to question him normally. The participants in the trial believe that he is an FSB agent A. R. Sagiyev, who portrayed an interest in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210408","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutors in the case are E. N. Lizunov and I. N. Davletshin. The court examines the materials of the case.\nS. E. Zheleznyak, an employee of the Episcopal Metochion of the Holy Ascension Cathedral, a graduate of St. Tikhon's University, is interrogated as a witness. He informs the court that he does not personally know the defendants. He claims that the Orthodox faith is true, and the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is false.\nThe former head of Vladimir Myakushin characterizes the defendant as a good worker, an honest and conflict-free person.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210407","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"13 people come to support the believers. Judge Rustam Khakimov rejects the application for their admission due to the epidemiological situation. The court denies Karimov and Yulmetyev the right to defend themselves without appointed lawyers.\nThe Court grants the request to attach the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the complaints of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20210315","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Naberezhnye Chelny City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan is holding the first hearing in the case of four believers. At the request of the investigator and the prosecutor, the judge shall grant his or her challenge. The case will be transferred to another judge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20201222","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment is handed over against receipt to all believers, although some of them are quarantined at home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20201105","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prosecutor of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildus Nafikov approves the indictment against Aidar Yulmetyev, Vladimir Myakushin, Konstantin Matrashov and Ilham Karimov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20201030","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court postpones consideration of objections until June 29 so that the defendants can send the original documents to the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20200622","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the investigator filed motions to limit the time to familiarize himself with the case materials against Myakushin, Matrashov, Karimov and Yulmetyev, which deprives them of the opportunity to prepare well for the defense. Believers prepare and send their objections to the court through the electronic reception.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20200619","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee S. R. Gimadeev decides to bring Ilham Karimov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. There are no victims in the criminal case, and the indictment does not provide factual evidence of the guilt of the accused. The investigation claims that the believers \"participated in agitation, used methods of conspiracy, and promoted their exclusivity.\" Major of Justice A.B. Aldivanov interrogates Ilham Karimov. The accused pleaded not guilty. The believer asks to consider a petition to suspend the preliminary investigation in connection with the coronavirus infection.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20200430","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator S. R. Gimadeev summons all four believers and their defenders to be prosecuted. However, the investigative action is not carried out in connection with the non-arrival of the investigator in Naberezhnye Chelny. Believers are filing petitions to suspend the preliminary investigation in connection with the coronavirus infection.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20200428","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Committee in the Republic of Tatarstan, Colonel of Justice Ramil Bilalov appoints the composition of the investigation team of 9 people in the criminal case of Karimov, Matrashov, Yulmetyev and Myakushin (No. 11802920009000256) under the leadership of senior investigator S. R. Gimadeev. The investigation claims that the believers \"organized the activities of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses and participated in its activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20200427","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Naberezhnye Chelny City Court refuses to consider the case and returns it to the prosecutor of the Republic of Tatarstan. In the ruling, the court draws attention to the fact that the investigators handed the defendants one text of the charge, and presented another to the court with a significantly expanded charge. In addition, the investigation, followed by the prosecutor's office, qualified the actions of believers under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation completely arbitrarily, clearly not understanding what, in fact, their \"crime\" was. Despite the court's bold decision to return the case, the believers remain under recognizance not to leave. The case against them has not been closed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20191127","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All four apply with written applications to the prosecutor of the Republic of Tatarstan with applications for obtaining indictments with obvious violations of the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\nOn 31.10.2019, a preliminary hearing is scheduled in the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court. The first main meeting is scheduled for 07.11.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20191012","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All four receive one copy of the indictment, which is not signed by either the investigator or the prosecutor and does not contain the date of its approval by the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20191009","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulmetyev is ranked among the organizers of the extremist community. He has been charged accordingly.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190619","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Matrashov is accused of being one of the leaders of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190610","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Karimov is accused of organizing a community banned in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190606","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens Yulmetyev, Myakushin and Karimov's measure of restraint, releasing them on their own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190424","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Matrashov gives a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190422","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Tatarstan withdraws the case from the investigators of Naberezhnye Chelny and transfers it to the department for the investigation of especially important cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190226","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Matrashov, Yulmetyev and Karimov have been released from house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2019-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20190222","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Myakushin and Aidar Yulmetyev leave the pre-trial detention center, where they spent 170 days. Matrashov is released later - because of paperwork.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20181113","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Republican Supreme Court decides to release the remaining defendants in the case under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20181109","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Tatarstan orders to release Ilham Karimov under house arrest. He leaves the pre-trial detention center a week after the court decision, having served 160 days in the detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20181102","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All four detainees were charged with participation in an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180605","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court officially detains Yulmetyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180531","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two days after the raids, another young man, Aidar Yulmetyev, was arrested.\nThe court chooses a measure of restraint for Ilham Karimov in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180529","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Naberezhnye Chelny, security forces raided and searched at least 10 apartments of local residents who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Two people were arrested and taken into custody: Vladimir Myakushin and Konstantin Matrashov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180527","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Tatarstan, investigators are opening a criminal case on the participation of several people in the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, considering this to be a continuation of the activities of religious organizations banned in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Karimov and Others in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2018-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnyye-chelny/index.html#20180525","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, Igor Kasabov\u0026rsquo;s apartment was searched. The next day, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him. A pensioner from Tambov was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In February 2024, the case went to court. In May of the same year, the court sentenced him to two years suspended sentence, in July the sentence came into force.","date":"2023-04-12","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html","prisoners":["kasabov"],"regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","type":"cases"},{"body":"By the ruling of the Tambov Regional Court, the verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html#20240711","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned. One of them, an Orthodox priest, talks about the history and teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Other witnesses, colleagues of the accused, give him positive characteristics.\nIgor Kasabov explains to the court that the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 on the liquidation of organizations concerns legal entities, not believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html#20240411","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Tambov. It will be considered by judge Vladimir Chernov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","date":"2024-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html#20240226","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region, P. V. Salnikov, initiates a criminal case against Igor Kasabov. He is accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html#20230412","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Igor Kasabov's apartment is searched. Security forces seize electronic devices and data carriers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kasabov in Tambov","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov2/index.html#20230411","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On September 3, 2020, the Novozybkovsky City Court found Vladimir Khokhlov, Eduard Zhinzhikov, Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva guilty of extremist activities and sentenced them to imprisonment for a term of 12 to 15 months, followed by restriction of freedom and a ban on holding leadership positions. Since the believers had already spent about a year behind bars, they were released right in the courtroom. All of them ended up in jail after mass raids by armed security forces in 2019 in the Bryansk region. The security forces considered the usual communication of believers on religious topics to be a \u0026ldquo;criminal conspiracy\u0026rdquo;. However, during the court session it turned out that \u0026ldquo;information and files relevant to the criminal case were not found.\u0026rdquo; Due to the stress experienced, Vladimir Khokhlov suffered a hypertensive crisis, and Eduard Zhinzhikov and his wife lost an unborn child. In October 2020, the appeal upheld the verdict. In December 2021, this decision was upheld by the Court of Cassation.","date":"2019-10-16","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html","prisoners":["khokhlov","shamsheva","silayeva","zhinzhikov"],"regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in the city of Saratov is considering a complaint in a criminal case against Eduard Zhinzhikov, Vladimir Khokhlov, Olga Silaeva and Tatyana Shamsheva.\n17 listeners come to support the believers. All of them are allowed into the courtroom, and therefore the hearings are held in the plenary hall.\nTatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva argue in favor of their innocence in their speeches. They claim that it is not a crime for them to attend worship services abroad and to talk to people about the Bible. According to believers, this is not a resumption of the activities of the liquidated legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nBoth women conclude that they were prosecuted solely for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion. They also pay attention to the fact that they did not feel hatred or enmity towards anyone. Consequently, they had no motive to commit the crime.\nIn addition, the defendants and their lawyer note that on October 28, 2021, the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation clarified that there was no corpus delicti in such actions, and persecution on religious grounds was characteristic of Nazi Germany and unacceptable for legal states.\nAfter hearing all the arguments, the court decides to leave the verdict and the appeal decision unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2021-12-16T17:02:24+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20211216","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway in the Bryansk Regional Court. The convicted believers are asking to cancel the conviction of the Novozybkovsky City Court and acquit them.\n\"The court considered it a crime that I watched various religious videos, listened to religious songs, and discussed religious topics,\" says Olga Silaeva. \"But when studying these materials in court, it was clearly seen that all this encourages only the manifestation of love, compassion for people, [...], and love is completely opposite to extremism.\" The believer believes that she is being discriminated against on religious grounds.\nTatyana Shamsheva notes: \"The mistake of the investigation is that the concepts of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia do not differ. That is, after the entry into force of the court decision of April 20, 2017, should I cease to be Jehovah's Witness? So, stop reading the Bible, pray, talk to others about your beliefs, change your lifestyle? If I don't pray, read God's Word, what kind of believer am I?\"\nJudges Alexander Sidorenko, Andrey Rossolov and Alexander Ryabukhin confirm the decision of the Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region - the verdict was upheld and unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20201028","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region, believers Vladimir Khokhlov and Tatyana Shamsheva address the court with their last word. They do not plead guilty to extremist crimes.\nJudge Larisa Solovets sentences Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov to 1 year and 3 months in prison and a year of restriction of liberty, and also prohibits them from holding leadership positions for 3 years. The court sentenced Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva to 1 year in prison and another six months of restriction of freedom, prohibiting them from holding a number of positions for 2 years. Since the believers have already served their time in the pre-trial detention center, they are released right in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200903","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region concludes the judicial investigations by attaching to the case documents on the health of the accused and their relatives, indicating that Vladimir Khokhlov suffered a hypertensive crisis after his arrest, and the search and detention of Eduard Zhinzhikov actually led to the death of his unborn child.\nDuring the debate, state prosecutor Yevgeny Dyldin recommends that the court find 4 believers guilty and sentence them to suspended imprisonment: Eduard Zhinzhikov — 7 years and 10 months with a ban on holding leadership positions for 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1.5 years; Vladimir Khokhlov — 7.5 years plus a ban on holding senior positions for 4 years with restriction of freedom for 1 year and 5 months; Tatyana Shamsheva — 3 years and 2 months plus 6 months of restriction of freedom; Olga Silaeva was sentenced to 3 years with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months.\nIn the debate, defender Anton Omelchenko speaks.\nThe accused Eduard Zhinzhikov makes his last speech. Following him, Olga Silaeva addresses with the last word. The court unexpectedly adjourns. The last word of Vladimir Khokhlov and Tatiana Shamsheva will be heard on September 3, 2020.\nDespite the fact that the state prosecutor recommended that the court appoint a suspended sentence, Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov will continue to wait for the verdict in the pre-trial detention center, where they have been held for 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200812","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Larisa Solovets. Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region (Novozybkov, Sovetskaya Street, 2a).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200722","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Larisa Solovets. Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region (Novozybkov, Sovetskaya Street, 2a).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200721","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region continues its hearing in the criminal case against Olga Silaeva, Tatiana Shamsheva, Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov, accused under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nDuring the interrogation, all 5 witnesses state that they have never talked to the defendants about religion, and three that they do not know the defendants. They also report that the investigator provided them with poor-quality photographs of unknown people who vaguely resembled those with whom they allegedly once communicated. But, having seen the accused, witnesses confidently answer that other people are represented in the photo.\nIn fact, only one interrogated witness states that he is familiar with Vladimir Khokhlov, since he was his colleague at work. He characterizes Vladimir as someone who respects others and behaves tactfully. The witness notes that during their joint work, Vladimir never allowed himself to speak rudely. In the end, the witness adds that Khokhlov's religious beliefs did not harm the working relationship.\nIn view of the absence of other witnesses, the public prosecutor proceeds to read out the case materials, the essence of which often boils down to the phrase \"information and files relevant to the criminal case have not been found\".\nThe court will continue consideration of the criminal case on July 2, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200625","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region is starting to consider the merits of the criminal case. It is noteworthy that four of the accused are registered in four different regions of the Russian Federation. Witnesses in the case are persons living in a dozen settlements in the Bryansk region and St. Petersburg - all of them are forced to come to court, despite the coronavirus pandemic.\nThe defense calls on the court to implement the decision of the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and release the believers from their cage during the trial. The petition is supported by state prosecutor Yevgeny Dudin. Judge Lyudmila Solovets at first agrees, but after the intervention of the convoy, she still refuses the defense. It does, however, include the Working Group's opinion in the case file.\nAfter the indictment is announced, the believers declare that the charges are deliberately false and ask for the opportunity to immediately testify in their defense. However, the court first examines four prosecution witnesses who testify in favor of the accused, drawing attention to their politeness, lack of aggression and cultural behavior. They state that they did not and could not give the testimony recorded in the trial transcript because they did not know this information. Some information was reported to them by the police officers themselves.\nThe court proceeds to the interrogation of the accused. Tatiana Shamsheva claims that she is being persecuted for following biblical commandments such as \"thou shalt not kill\" and \"thou shalt not steal.\"\nAccording to Olga Silaeva, her motives are similar to those of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who want to help people and therefore warn them about the dangers.\nEduard Zhinzhikov notes that the accusations of extremist activity were invented by the investigation. For example, the prosecution uses a covert recording of the prayer of believers before meals and claims that this threatens the foundations of the constitutional order of the state and the security of the country.\nVladimir Khokhlov explains that, in fact, he is being tried for the fact that he simply paid utility bills for his house and took care of it, fulfilling his constitutional duties. He concludes by saying: \"I am treated like in Nazi Germany, where every Jehovah's Witness found was imprisoned.\"\nThe hearing will continue on June 25, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200609","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court extended the detention of Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until August 9, 2020.\nThe judge denied Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva the opportunity to attend the hearing, file motions, express arguments, despite the fact that they are accused in the case, and this right is guaranteed by law. The court did not even let them enter the threshold of the courthouse. An appeal to the chairman of the court did not correct the situation. The court did not allow the defendants to personally file reasoned motions, did not allow them to be transferred to the judge through the office and even through lawyers.\nIn addition, the court did not ensure the appearance of defense counsel Valery Svitelsky, the only defender who was acquainted with the case materials. Instead, the judge invited two new lawyers who were not familiar with the case and who refused to support the arguments prepared by the defense. They simply stayed in the courthouse until the judge retired to the deliberation room, after which they themselves safely retired without hearing the announcement of the decision. This is a gross violation of the Code of Lawyer Ethics.\nAlthough Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov were able to observe the hearings via videoconference, they could not get advice from a lawyer, prepare and file motions on the merits.\nIt becomes known that Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov were again returned to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Novozybkov. Accordingly, the address for correspondence has changed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200420","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case was transferred to the Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region. The case is being considered by judge Larisa Solovets.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200413","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator R. Bogatyrev draws up an indictment against Shamsheva, Silaeva, Zhinzhikov and Khokhlov. The materials of the criminal case include 13 volumes, are sent to the prosecutor's office of the Bryansk region.\nThe investigator builds evidence confirming the accusation of believers on the testimony of witnesses. It is noteworthy that the testimonies of many people coincide word for word.\nThe indictment contains a response from the Ministry of Justice for the Bryansk region, according to which Zhinzhikov, Khokhlov, Silayeva and Shamsheva were not founders of religious organizations or groups.\nFrom telephone conversations and recordings from the believers' apartment, the investigation established that they \"contain a set of linguistic and psychological signs of motivation for action: to communicate on religious topics and an incentive to pray to Jehovah.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200330","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the term of detention of Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until April 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200327","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva were elected a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. The defendants are charged in the final version: Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200305","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Bryansk Regional Court cancels the decision of the Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk and releases Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva from custody on the same day. Both women were imprisoned for almost 8 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200210","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"R. Bogatyrev prosecutes Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (\"collection of funds knowingly intended to support the activities of an extremist organization\").\nThe investigation interprets everyday communication on religious topics as \"a criminal conspiracy to continue participating in the activities of the 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses.'\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200206","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extends the term of detention for Tatyana Shamsheva, now until April 5, 2020, and for Olga Silaeva, Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov until April 4.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20200130","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the period of detention for Zhinzhikov and Khokhlov for another 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191202","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Bryansk extends the period of detention for Silayeva and Shamsheva for another 2 months, that is, until February 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191129","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov were transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Bryansk region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191118","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court sends Vladimir Khokhlov and Eduard Zhinzhikov to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Bryansk region. Appeals have been filed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191024","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Repeated searches are being carried out in the apartments of Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov. Security forces search linen cabinets, bedding, bathrooms and even refrigerators.\nInvestigators come to Zhinzhikov's wife Tatyana at work, which puts the innocent woman in an awkward position in front of her colleagues.\nEduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191023","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department combines the criminal cases of Shamsheva, Silayeva and Zhinzhikov, Khokhlov into one proceeding. The investigation is conducted by Captain of Justice R. Y. Bogatyrev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191017","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Postevoy, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Bryansk Region, initiates a criminal case against 42-year-old Vladimir Khokhlov and 47-year-old Eduard Zhinzhikov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20191016","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva are extended their detention for another 2 months, until December 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190930","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Tatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva until October 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190801","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court decides to detain Olga Silaeva until August 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190615","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novozybkovsky City Court of the Bryansk Region chooses a measure of restraint for Tatyana Shamsheva in the form of detention for a period of 1 month and 24 days, that is, until August 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190613","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the cities of Uneche, Novozybkov, village. Mass searches in the homes of believers are taking place in Klimovo. Eduard Zhinzhikov and Vladimir Khokhlov are taken away for interrogation to the Investigative Committee.\nA few hours later, the investigator for especially important cases, R. Y. Bogatyrev, opened a criminal case against Olga Silaeva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He points out that the believer \"in collusion with T. V. Shamsheva spreads the ideology of the religious organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" by conducting conversations with residents of Novozybkov and Klimovo,\" although the believers are not related to any banned legal entity.\nTatyana Shamsheva and Olga Silaeva were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190611","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["search","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Postevoy, investigator of the Novozybkovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Bryansk Region, initiates a criminal case against Tatyana Shamsheva on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigator rules that the believer disseminates \"the ideology of the religious organization\" Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia \"and its local organizations by conducting conversations with residents of Novozybkov and Klimov.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khokhlov and Zhinzhikov in Novozybkov","date":"2019-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novozybkov/index.html#20190605","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2019, after a series of searches in Surgut, accompanied by torture and beatings, Yevgeniy Kozak became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith. He was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing. Later, as part of the criminal case, law enforcement officers conducted several more searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The case of Kozak and the case of 18 other believers were separated into separate proceedings. In July 2023, Valentina Alekseeva and Kirill Severinchik were also prosecuted under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization, and Yuriy and Roman Khorikov were accused of organizing and financing its activities. In February 2025, the case went to court, the hearings are being held behind closed doors.","date":"2019-02-11","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html","prisoners":["alekseyeva","khorikov","khorikovy","severinchikk"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting actual prison terms for the believers: Yuriy Khorikov — 8 years, Roman Khorikov — 7.5 years, Kirill Severinchik — 6 years, and for 68-year-old Valentina Alekseeva — 5 years in a general regime penal colony. The woman has a son with a disability from childhood, who requires constant care and is dependent on her; there is no one else to look after him. For Yuriy, the prosecutor is also requesting an additional fine of 900,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20260603","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-3","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Aleksey Koryakin announces that the trial will be held behind closed doors. The prosecutor begins to announce the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20250224","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Surgut City Court and is transferred to Judge Alexei Koryakin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20250213","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["to-court","indictment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Yevgeny Kozak is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20240201","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Rumyantsev prosecutes Kirill Severinchik as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, Kirill, together with his fellow believers, \"with the help of verbal forms of manipulation of consciousness\" of a certain \"Mironov A.E.\", tried to attract him to their faith. By \"verbal manipulation,\" the investigator means \"prayer reading,\" \"Bible study,\" and \"rhetorical questions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20230720","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. N. Rumyantsev, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the First Investigation Department of the Fourth Investigation Department (located in the city of Yekaterinburg), makes decisions on the involvement of Valentina Alekseeva, Yuri and Roman Khorikov as accused. The rulings state that believers, \"acting on the grounds of religious hatred, intolerance and discord, with the aim of promoting the exclusivity, superiority of the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and the inferiority of other citizens on the basis of their attitude to religion, made a joint and agreed decision to commit ... the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20230705","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Alekseeva and other believers are being searched.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20220707","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg, Irina Tsybulskaya, makes a decision to allow a search in the home of 65-year-old Valentina Alekseeva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20220701","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the case of Yevgeny Kozak, the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg ordered a search of a family of Jehovah's Witnesses in Maikop (Republic of Adygea). Then the spouses are taken for interrogation and released in the evening.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20210406","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel A. V. Guselnikov, investigator for particularly important cases of the First Investigation Department of the Fourth Investigative Directorate located in Yekaterinburg of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, issued a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code against Aminzhanov, Boronos, Burenescu, Gargalyk, Zhukov, Kayryak, Kim, Kobotov, Kozak, Loginov, Petrov, Plekhov, Romashov, Rysikov, Trifonov and Fefilov. The case is combined into one proceeding with the one initiated earlier under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20200708","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is accepted for proceedings by the investigator for especially important cases of the 1st Investigative Directorate of the 4th Investigative Directorate in Yekaterinburg of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Guselnikov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20190917","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Stepan Tkach initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Yevgeny Kozak, Artur Severinchik, Sergey Loginov, Evgeny Fedin, Yevgeny Kayryak, Vyacheslav Boronos, Artem Kim, Alexey Plekhov, Savely Gargalyk, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Trifonov, Viktor Fefilov, Timofey Zhukov, Leonid Rysikov, Igor Kobotov, Grigory Ozhiganov, Pavel Romashov, Vasily Burenescu, Viola Shepel, Ilhom Aminzhanov, Igor Petrov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Khorikov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut2/index.html#20190211","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, in Lesozavodsk, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB conducted searches in 4 dwellings of believers, including Galina Kobeleva. Law enforcement officers opened a criminal case against Yevgeniy Grinenko. Soon Galina and her son Sergey became his defendants. The woman was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The accusation was based on the testimony of an embedded FSB agent Vladislav Mrachko, who communicated with Kobeleva, pretending to be interested in the Bible. In March 2021, the case of the believer was separated into separate proceedings in connection with her serious illness, and 7 months later it went to court. Despite the fact that the testimonies of 20 witnesses did not confirm the charges, and the examination was biased, in October 2022, the court found Galina guilty and sentenced her to 6 years of probation, which is exactly the punishment the prosecutor requested. The appellate court upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-05-12","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html","prisoners":["kobeleva"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Lesozavodsky District Court of Primorsky Krai increases Galina's probationary period by 1 month.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20230306","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the arguments of the parties are held. The prosecutor requests a suspended sentence of 6 years for the defendant, with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations for a period of 3 years, and restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year.\nGalina Kobeleva gives her last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20221018","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Elena Palagina reads out the materials of the case: Kobelev's correspondence with her daughter in instant messengers, as well as with Yevgeniy Grinenko by e-mail. The court examines the protocol of the search in the defendant's house and information about operational-search activities with the participation of the embedded FSB agent Vladislav Mrachko.\nThe defendant testifies and reads out her written notes.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220615","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the criminal case, including the content of Galina Kobeleva's telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220519","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Roman Oleshkevich reads out the case materials. Protocols of searches, protocols of inspection of objects, including correspondence in instant messengers and by e-mail, are examined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220418","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case are being announced, including the documentation of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses (LRO Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesozavodsk), which ceased to exist in 2017, long before the events imputed to Galina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220406","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is questioned, and the testimony of witnesses who did not appear in court and of a woman who has already died is read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220405","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Detective Severin testifies. He explains to the court that the operative actions against Kobeleva were carried out in connection with her involvement in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Yevgeniy Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Efremova. All of them are accused in the same criminal case, from which the case of Galina Kobeleva was eventually separated. All witnesses use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220114","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness for the prosecution is a woman who is interested in the Bible. To all questions, including about the defendant's role in the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, she answers: \"I don't know.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20220113","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"December 8-9, 2021\nThe case is being considered by Judge Sergei Galayuda. He asks Galina Kobeleva about her religious views. He is interested in whether she venerates icons, whether she wears a cross, how her religion differs from Orthodoxy, and what kind of Bible she reads.\nGalina Kobeleva expresses her attitude to the charges. The investigation accuses the believer of \"assisting E. A. Grinenko in organizing meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesozavodsk, acting as a coordinator.\" In particular, she is accused of maintaining the accounting document flow of the LRO.\nGalina replies that after the liquidation of the LRO, there was no need for such work. She also says: \"Since 2017, there have been no meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesozavodsk. Worship meetings were held—meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have never assisted or coordinated these worship meetings, because according to the Bible, these are supposed to be done by men. These were meetings of fellow believers or worship services, which are in every denomination and are the right to profess any religion together with others - a right enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer draws the court's attention to the actions of the infiltrated FSB agent Mrachko, whose testimony largely formed the basis of the accusation. She emphasizes that he himself took the initiative and asked to study the Bible with him, and also repeatedly said that he wanted to attend worship services.\nKobeleva also refers to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 10/28/2021: \"Given [his] explanations, it cannot be considered a crime to read the Bible and spiritual literature, talk about one's faith, convene fellow believers for a peaceful, joint confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, when they gather together with others for worship.\"\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned, including two FSB officers and two elderly parents of one of the defendants in the case, Yevgeny Grinenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20211208","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kobelev's case goes to the Lesozavodsky District Court of Primorsky Krai.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20211029","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the temporary serious illness of Galina Kobelev, her case is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20210805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Kobeleva is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, in the final version.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20210507","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. V. Belyakova, Acting Head of the Investigation Department for Lesozavodsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, chooses a preventive measure against Galina Kobeleva in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20210407","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Kobeleva is included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20210323","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Head of the Investigation Department for Lesozavodsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation O. V. Belyakova initiates a criminal case against Galina Kobeleva under Part 1 (organization), Part 1.1 (recruitment) and Part 2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the same day, it is merged with the case of Yevhen Grinenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20210308","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of the FSB, conduct searches in the homes of local believers at at least four addresses. Among the victims are Galina Kobeleva and her son Sergey.\nOperational and investigative measures are being carried out within the framework of the criminal case against Yevgeniy Grinenko, who is sent under arrest on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kobeleva in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk2/index.html#20200512","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2025, law enforcement authorities in Birobidzhan conducted a search at the home of Natalya Kocheva. The elderly woman learned that a criminal case had been opened against her on suspicion of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Previously, the believer had been a witness in the case of Oleg Postnikov. The case went to court 5 months later.","date":"2025-10-03","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html","prisoners":["kocheva"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The first court session in the case. In response to the arguments of the prosecution, the believer states that her right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is guaranteed by the RF Constitution. According to her, the Bible and materials based on it are freely available and cannot be considered extremist, which means they cannot serve as a basis for criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html#20260428","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Natalia Kocheva was transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court. It will be considered by Judge Yulia Tsykina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html#20260320","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Natalia is detained at her workplace and taken home. Within 20 minutes, three FSB officers conducted a search in the presence of a lawyer. A tablet, several phones and a Bible were seized from Natalia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html#20251009","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Natalya Kocheva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigation believes that Natalya continued the activities of \"an extremist organization in the course of many (at least four) conspiratorial meetings ... in the form of a collective religious assembly... consisting of a public study of various extremist materials, the performance of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, prayers, sermons.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html#20251003","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, interrogates Natalia Kocheva as a witness in the case of Oleg Postnikov. The investigator threatens the believer with prosecution under the article on refusal to testify due to the fact that the woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kocheva in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan28/index.html#20250409","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 2.5 years of criminal litigation, Khasan Kogut from the town of Beryozovsky was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. July 2018 was the starting point of the persecution of the believer: an FSB investigator conducted a 4-hour search in Khasan\u0026rsquo;s apartment in the presence of his 5-year-old son. The following interrogation lasted the same amount of time. Six months later Kogut was prosecuted under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code, placed under house arrest, and subjected to psychiatric evaluation. At the hearing in the Beryozovsky Town Court, the invited expert noted that he did not see any calls to extremism in the case materials and that \u0026ldquo;Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses closely adhere to the Bible.\u0026rdquo; Nevertheless, the prosecutor requested 2 years in prison for Kogut, stating that Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses invented the doctrine of fiery hell, thus revealing her incompetence. Judge Elena Bigeza found Khasan Kogut guilty of extremism, essentially for meeting with fellow believers. The appellate court upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html","prisoners":["kogut"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court is considering an appeal against the conviction of the Berezovsky City Court. Judge Irina Gulyaeva dismisses the appeal and upholds the verdict against Hasan Kogut. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-12-23T10:26:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20201223","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hassan Kogut addresses the court with the last word, not admitting guilt in extremism. Judge Elena Begeza sentences him to 2.5 years of probation with a probation period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200910","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","sentence","suspended","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial of Hasan Kogut in the criminal case of Hasan Kogut is coming to an end in the Berezovsky City Court. About 25 people come to support the believer, but only six are allowed into the meeting room. The prosecution, the lawyer and the defendant make remarks. The prosecutor emphasizes that Kogut did not plead guilty, therefore he deserves a sentence.\nThe judge schedules Hassan Kogut's final speech for September 10, 2020. On the same day, the court may issue a verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200831","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate continues in court, the defendant speaks, as well as the defense. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the local religious organization was liquidated on April 17, 2017, so the defendant's participation in it is impossible. The lawyer also notes that the prosecutor's office does not separate the concepts of \"assembly\" and \"LRO\", and the fact of propaganda of the exclusivity of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has not been proven.\nHassan Kogut's last word is scheduled for August 31, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200820","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A debate is underway in the Berezovsky City Court, during which the prosecutor requests 2 years in a general regime colony for Hasan Kogut. The prosecutor clearly did not understand the essence of the case: in her speech, the state prosecutor stated that Jehovah's Witnesses invented the doctrine of fiery hell (in fact, among Christian religions, it is the creeds of Jehovah's Witnesses that are distinguished by the denial of fiery hell).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200818","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region Elena Bigeza refuses to admit to Hasan Kogut Opinion No. 10/2020, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. The judge and the prosecutor argue that the Russian Government has not yet taken any decisions in connection with this resolution. In addition, the application does not indicate the source of the document. The Prosecutor states that the decisions of an international body are not evidence, but superfluous information.\nThe lawyer files a motion to exclude Hassan's testimony, which he gave during the interrogation as a witness, since the prosecutor uses it in the prosecution. The prosecutor asks for time to prepare his position on the petition.\nThe court hearing was postponed for the period of the judge's vacation until August 4, 2020. The Prosecutor stands ready to speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200618","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office of the Kemerovo region responds in writing to Hasan Kogut's request to drop the charge in court. The answer is limited to quoting the law, which states that such a refusal is possible if the prosecutor \"comes to the conclusion that the evidence presented does not support the accusation against the defendant.\" However, it does not appear from the letter received whether the prosecutor came to this conviction or not.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200615","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, the court is interrogating FSB investigator M. Beloglazov, who searched Hasan Kogut's apartment and interrogated him at the police station.\nThe accused draws attention to the fact that the search in his home took place in the presence of a 5-year-old child for 4 hours. This was followed by a 4-hour police interrogation. Hassan regards this as psychological pressure. The judge decides that there were no violations on the part of the investigator.\nAfter the break, at the request of the defense, an audio recording of the interrogation of a classified witness is listened to. Due to extraneous noise, the recording of speech cannot be understood, but the judge does not exclude these materials from the case.\nThe proceedings shall proceed to the stage of debate of the parties. They are scheduled for June 18, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing in the Berezovsky City Court, Hasan Kogut testifies and asks to attach written notes to the materials of the criminal case. The believer does not admit his guilt. He points out: \"I am accused today of believing in a God whose name is Jehovah, who is our Creator. They are being judged for my beliefs. If I had not been a Jehovah's Witness, I would not have been tried, although this religion is not prohibited in Russia.\"\nThe believer also declares to the court that during the preliminary investigation in the case of Britvin and Levchuk he was interrogated under pressure from law enforcement officers and in the absence of a lawyer, and the incorrect wording of the investigator used during the interrogation may be used against him in the future. The prosecutor insists on their disclosure and submits a motion to summon for questioning at the court session the FSB investigator M. Beloglazov, who conducted the interrogation of Kogut, as a witness.\nThe defense requests the exclusion of evidence, the testimony of a classified witness, and requests time to prepare a motion to declare Kogut's testimony inadmissible in the case during the preliminary investigation on the basis of Article 75 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\nThe next court hearing will be held on June 1 at 10:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200514","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Vadim Shiller from the Center for Ethno-Confessional Research, Prevention of Extremism and Countering the Ideology of Terrorism was interrogated.\nHasan Kogut asks the expert clarifying questions, but the judge Elena Bigeza interrupts him. Analyzing the provided operational materials, Vadim Shiller notes that there are no extremist appeals and statements in them. The expert draws attention to the fact that: \"They [Jehovah's Witnesses] literally and closely adhere to the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200303","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing, scheduled for 15:00, begins with a long delay on the part of the judge. The hearing is postponed to the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200302","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kogut H. applies for the connection of his criminal case with the case of Levchuk and Britvin. The court rejects the petition, arguing that such petitions should be filed at the beginning of the trial, and not when it is almost completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20200123","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits. Defense witnesses were questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20191209","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20191007","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits. Three prosecution witnesses were questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190918","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court on appeal ruled to cancel the decision of the Berezovsky City Court to extend the term of house arrest and to change the measure of restraint to a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190826","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, A.V. Dontsov, makes a decision to extend the period of detention under house arrest of Kogutu H. for 2 months 00 days, i.e. until August 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190530","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, N. M. Naumova, makes a decision to extend the period of detention under house arrest of Kogutu H. for 2 months 00 days, and up to 4 months in total, i.e. until June 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190402","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appellate hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190315","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A psychiatric examination of the accused was carried out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190313","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against house arrest has been filed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190211","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Kemerovo, composed of the presiding judge Rodina E. B. makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190208","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo Region, Major of Justice Efimov M.I. makes a decision to petition the Central District Court of Kemerovo to elect a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest against Kogut H. for 2 months, that is, until 06.04.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190207","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Kemerovo Region, Major of Justice Efimov M. I. makes a decision to initiate a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Kogut Kh., and to accept it for proceedings. He was prosecuted as a defendant in case No. 1190732000100083.\nKogut Hasan was summoned to the FSB SO to pick up the seized laptop, but as a result he was detained. Protocols of interrogation and detention have been drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190206","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region, Major of Justice Efimov M. I. makes a decision to separate the case of Kogut from criminal case No. 11807320001000380 (Levchuk and Britvin) into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20190131","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the search has been filed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20180730","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kogut is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20180722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, N. M. Naumova, makes a decision to allow a search in the apartment of Hasan Kogut in criminal case No. 11807320001000380 (the case of Levchuk and Britvin).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kogut in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky/index.html#20180720","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andriy Kolesnichenko was accused of \u0026ldquo;participating in a closed secret meeting in the form of a collective religious service.\u0026rdquo; This is how the investigating authorities called the peaceful meeting of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Seversk. In July 2020, FSB officers detained the believer right at his workplace, after which his house was searched. In March 2021, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Tomsk Region opened a criminal case against Kolesnichenko for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. After 3 months, it was submitted to the Seversky City Court. The accusation was based on the testimony of an informant who pretended to be interested in the Bible, recorded the services on video and handed them over to the FSB. The prosecutor requested that the believer be sentenced to 5 years in prison. In January 2022, Judge Yalchin Badalov sentenced Andrey to 4 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of additional restriction of freedom. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. In June 2022, the appellate court commuted the sentence, replacing it with 4 years of suspended sentence.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html","prisoners":["kolesnichenko"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court, chaired by Andrey Kaplyuk, appoints Andrey Kolesnichenko 4 years of suspended sentence instead of real imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220630","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kolesnichenko states that to date he has not been provided with an audio recording of the court session of the Seversky City Court, although he filed a petition to this effect immediately after the verdict. In this regard, the Tomsk Regional Court adjourns the hearing and decides to acquaint the believer with the audio recording of the court session.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220328","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the transfer of Andrey Kolesnichenko to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Kolpashevo, which is 270 kilometers from Tomsk, in connection with repairs in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Tomsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220323","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Andrey Kolesnichenko is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Tomsk. Letters of support can be sent by both regular mail and e-mail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220209","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yalchin Badalov sentences Andrey Kolesnichenko to 4 years in a general regime colony with additional restrictions for a period of 1 year (after serving the term, a believer during this period will not be able to visit places of mass, sports, cultural and entertainment events and participate in them, change his place of residence and leave it at night).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2022-01-20T14:05:51+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20220120","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the courthouse to support Andriy Kolisnichenko. Only the defendant's wife and son are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe court granted the request for video filming during the announcement of the verdict, which is expected on January 19.\nSpeaking in the debate, Kolesnichenko draws attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 28.06.2011 (as amended on 28.10.2021): \"The prosecution in this criminal case made its own portrait of an \"extremist\", ignoring the fact that to be or not to be a believer, to celebrate holidays or not to celebrate them, to transfuse blood or not, is, firstly, a right, and not an obligation of a citizen, and, secondly, does not constitute an offence.\"\nThen Kolesnichenko asks questions: \"If the Constitution of the Russian Federation allows me to be a believer, if the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has not banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, if the Government of the Russian Federation publicly declares that believers in Russia have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017, and even if the President of the Russian Federation does not understand why Jehovah's Witnesses are being persecuted, then was I obliged to understand my religious rights in any other way, enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation? Then why do they ascribe criminal motives to me? Thus, this criminal case is absolutely unpredictable and illogical for me, given that I did not commit anything criminal or unusual.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20211206","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Seversky City Court, the debate of the parties begins. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 5 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restrictions for Kolesnichenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20211121","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Video recordings of liturgical meetings are examined. The judge asks to show only those video fragments of meetings in which the defendant directly participated. At the same time, while watching the video, both the judge and the prosecutor go about their business without delving into the essence of the recordings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210915","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer sets out the position of the defense, reading excerpts from the decisions of the courts in the cases of Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the opinions of experts, which boil down to the fact that the religious practices of Jehovah's Witnesses do not pose a threat to public or state security.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210825","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness K. E. Klisheva is being questioned. Judge Yalchin Badalov explains to the believer the nuances of interrogating a witness, explains how to ask questions correctly, suggests taking his time and allows him to ask the witness as many questions as Kolesnichenko sees fit.\nAnswering the defendant's questions, K.E. Klisheva explains that the materials that were discussed during the liturgical meetings did not encourage anything bad, they were \"useful and good.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210818","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"22 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. They do not enter the courtroom due to the high alert regime introduced in the region in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210804","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 listeners come to the first court hearing on the merits. The bailiffs let only four of them into the hall.\nThe prosecutor reads out the accusation and excerpts from the case file on the role of Andrey Kolesnichenko in peaceful worship: \"offered to sing the song \"Encourage each other\", \"there was communication with the members of the group on the topic of Jehovah\", \"offered to pray\". Among other things, the prosecutor accuses the believer of calling for \"service to Jehovah.\"\nThe defendant announces his attitude towards him, rejecting the assumption that he committed a crime of extremist or any other nature. The believer declares: \"There is not a single victim and not a single victim in my case. Can a far-fetched or imagined threat be the basis for my accusation? Hatred and incitement to religious hatred are alien to me. It pains me to see how people suffer, and I am accused of wishing them harm, destroying families, urging them to refuse medical intervention and calling people Satanists. Such a description is the exact opposite of who I really am... Even Jesus Christ was accused of \"calling the people to rebellion, forbidding Caesar to pay taxes,\" and Paul was said to be \"worse than any contagion, the instigator of rebellions among the Jews throughout the land, and the leader of the sect of the Nazarenes.\" I believe that you need to be very careful when accusing believers of extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-07-07T11:01:54+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210707","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Case No. 12102690003000020 is submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. The first hearing is scheduled for July 7, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210622","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andriy Kolesnichenko receives an indictment stating that he \"took part in a closed secret meeting in the form of a collective religious service, consisting of the playback of audio and video recordings ... sequential singing of songs from a special collection of religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and prayers to Jehovah God.\"\nThe accusation is based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017, the testimony of the witness Klisheva, as well as on the secret operational-search activities \"Observation\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210501","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator refuses to terminate the criminal case against Andrey Kolesnichenko because \"the guilt of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is confirmed by the totality of the evidence collected in the criminal case.\" However, the investigator attaches documents that the believer cites as evidence of his innocence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210429","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Seversk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 51-year-old Andrey Kolesnichenko. The case was separated into a separate proceeding from the materials of the case of Yevgeny Korotun. The believer is suspected of \"committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kolesnichenko in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk4/index.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 3, 2019, in the city of Porkhov, FSB officers conducted an \u0026ldquo;operation of the FSB of the city of Pskov.\u0026rdquo; They broke into the apartments of local believers, conducting searches and interrogations. When they came to Sergei Komissarov, they threw him to the floor. The believer learned that the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region opened a criminal case against him and Aleksey Khabarov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, accusing the believers of \u0026ldquo;participating in religious meetings\u0026rdquo; where they \u0026ldquo;talked about their faith, read the Bible, discussed issues related to this scripture, and sang religious songs.\u0026rdquo; On March 16, 2020, Komissarov\u0026rsquo;s case was separated into separate proceedings. The believer made a written request for help to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pskov Region Dmitry Shakhov.","date":"2019-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html","prisoners":["komissarov"],"regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Sergey Komissarov is separated into a separate proceeding from the case of Alexei Khabarov. The case is assigned No. 42007580001000012.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20200316","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his response to Komissarov's request, the Pskov Region Human Rights Ombudsman explains that \"current Russian legislation ... does not establish legal responsibility for thoughts, beliefs, views, views.\" In addition, \"the internal, spiritual freedom of a person, including freedom of religion, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is not limited by legislative acts.\" In other words, \"the spiritual realm . . . is free, both from any interference and from legal regulation.\" At the same time, he asserts that \"the confession of the doctrine of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses should not be expressed in behavior that violates the prohibitions established by law\" (emphasis added).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20190618","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Khabarov and Sergey Komissarov write to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pskov Region, Dmitry Shakhov.\n\"I am not a criminal, a murderer, a thief. My faith warns against all this. I try to behave honestly in everything and help others, \"writes Khabarov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20190524","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Khabarov and Komissarov were summoned for questioning at the FSB of the city of Pskov. Both have an obligation to appear. The investigator insists that the believers inform her about their movements.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20190522","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The \"operation of the FSB of the city of Pskov\" begins, during which searches are carried out in two houses of believers. Breaking into one of them, the security forces attack 52-year-old Sergei Komissarov, striking him on the head. Sergey, his wife, as well as 44-year-old Alexei Khabarov were taken for interrogation to the regional center - to the main Directorate of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region. The men were taken on their own recognizance, they turn out to be suspects in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20190403","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Pravdivtseva, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region, is initiating a criminal case for faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against believers in the city of Porkhov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Komissarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov2/index.html#20190328","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2024, FSB officers searched the Kopatskys’ apartment in the village of Amurzet (Jewish Autonomous Region). Yelena Kopatskaya, her husband and son were interrogated as witnesses. In early October 2025, a criminal case was opened against the believer for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Her bank accounts were blocked; she was placed under a recognizance agreement.","date":"2025-10-07","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html","prisoners":["kopatskaya"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Dmitry Yankin takes Elena Kopatskaya on her recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20260316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Kopatskaya's accounts were blocked, she was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20251021","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Captain of Justice Dmitry Yankin opens a criminal case against Yelena Kopatskaya for participating in religious meetings, expressed in joint discussion of the Bible, singing songs and praying.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2025-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20251007","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator interrogates Yelena Kopatskaya, her husband and eldest son as witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20240221","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Amurzet, the Kopatsky family is undergoing a five-hour search. FSB officers seize laptops, phones, tablets, flash cards, DVDs, notebooks and Bibles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Nenko, an investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Birobidzhan of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, opens a criminal case\nagainst unidentified persons under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of other persons in the activities of an extremist organization). A year later, it was merged with the case of Krushevsky and Artamonov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kopatskaya in Birobidzan","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzan25/index.html#20240124","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2018, searches were carried out in Kirov on the basis of professing the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Seven people, including Vladimir Korobeynikov, were under investigation. They were charged with \u0026ldquo;singing biblical songs together \u0026hellip; study of religious literature, the so-called Holy Scripture.\u0026rdquo; Korobeinikov and four of his co-religionists ended up behind bars. He spent 73 days in a temporary detention center and another 284 days under house arrest. Later, the case was referred to Judge Timur Yusupov for consideration in the Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov. In December 2020, Korobeynikov\u0026rsquo;s case was separated into a separate proceeding and suspended due to the fact that due to his age he is in self-isolation due to the covid pandemic. Korobeynikov\u0026rsquo;s wife and daughter are in dire need of his help due to their disability.","date":"2018-10-03","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html","prisoners":[],"regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court decides to separate the charges against Vladimir Korobeynikov from the criminal case, after which it suspends the proceedings in this separated case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20201209","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Korobeynikov does not appear at the hearing, observing self-isolation due to age, about which he sends a notification to the court. The judge is considering two motions of the defendant: to terminate the proceedings in the case and to postpone the hearing due to the inability to attend. The prosecutor supports Korobeynikov's petitions. The judge also proposes to separate his case into separate proceedings.\nAll the defendants and their lawyers support Korobeynikov's petitions, but object to his separation into separate proceedings for the following reasons:\neveryone has the same accusation;\npossible violation of Vladimir's rights: the common cause may establish negative factors for his case. He will no longer be able to dispute the event of the crime if it is proved in a common case;\nother defendants will be deprived of Korobeynikov's testimony, which can serve as evidence for their defense;\nprocedural burden on the court (copying more than forty volumes of the case);\nSomeone in the case will not have physical evidence that can be used for defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20201203","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pervomaisky District Judge Aleksey Zhizhin releases Korobeynikov and two other believers from house arrest, believing that they will not be able to interfere with the criminal proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2019-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20190930","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirov Regional Court releases Vladimir Korobeynikov under house arrest due to the illness of his wife and daughter, who have no one to take care of.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20181020","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly","disabled"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to detain Korobeynikov and two of his co-religionists. A day earlier, two more were sent to the pre-trial detention center, the rest remain at large.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20181012","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of believers, during which all electronic devices are seized, including those belonging to relatives who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vladimir Korobeynikov and four other believers were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20181009","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region initiates a criminal case for faith against seven Jehovah's Witnesses, including Vladimir Korobeynikov (born in 1952).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Korobeynikov in Kirov","date":"2018-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov4/index.html#20181003","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2020-09-30","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol4/index.html","prisoners":["kostenko"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kostenko in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksandr Kostenko is separated from the case of other believers in Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kostenko in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol4/index.html#20210326","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2019-02-11","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut3/index.html","prisoners":["kozak"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kozak in Surgut","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Yevgeniy Kozak is separated from the case of other believers in Surgut\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kozak in Surgut","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut3/index.html#20240201","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2026, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Valentina Krivulya, a resident of the village of Berezanskaya. Two weeks later, she was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.","date":"2026-03-27","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki14/index.html","prisoners":["krivulya"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Krivulya in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator O. I. Kurbanova charged Valentina Krivula and then interrogated her. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives her the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Krivulya in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki14/index.html#20260413","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator, Senior Lieutenant N. V. Pashchenko, initiates a criminal case against Valentina Krivulya. She is accused of \"participating in the discussion of the content of the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the so-called Holy Scripture (Bible)\" in the period from 07/31/2020 to 02/13/2022.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Krivulya in Vyselki","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki14/index.html#20260327","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2019, at least 11 searches were carried out at the homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in three Sakhalin settlements. The criminal case  against the couple Sergey and Tatyana Kulakov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Yevgeniy Yelin and Alexandr Kozlitin for their faith, was investigated by the FSB in the Sakhalin Region. In January 2021, the trial began in court, and a year later a verdict was issued: Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeniy Yelin were given a 6.5 year suspended sentence, and Tatyana Kulakova, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Alexandr Kozlitin were given a 2 year suspended sentence. The appellate and cassation courts upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-12-24","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html","prisoners":["ivanov2","kozlitin","kulakov","kulakova","yelin"],"regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court finds all 5 believers guilty of the activities of an extremist organization. Sergey Kulakov and Yevgeny Yelin, who are accused of organizing activities, were sentenced to 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment. Tatyana Kulakova, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Aleksandr Kozlitin were sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence on the milder part of the article. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed. Believers insist on their complete innocence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20220131","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five of the defendants deliver their final statements.\nThe court retires to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20220128","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall proceed to the pleadings of the parties. The prosecutor requests a suspended sentence for all five defendants: Yevgeny Yelin - 6.5 years with a probationary period of 5 years; Sergey Kulakov — 6 years with a probationary period of 4.5 years; Vyacheslav Ivanov — 5 years with a probationary period of 4 years; Alexander Kozlitin — 4 years with a probationary period of 3 years; Tatyana Kulakova — 3.5 years with a probationary period of 3 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20220121","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate was postponed again, but this time due to the deteriorating state of health of Sergei Kulakov. He is so weak that he cannot read out the motion to postpone the hearing on his own, so a lawyer does it instead.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-11-29T09:19:22+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20211129","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session, at which the debate of the parties was to take place, was postponed due to the state of health of the defendants Kulakovs. The day before, Tatyana was discharged from the hospital, where she was in connection with COVID-19.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20211028","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Vyacheslav Ivanov, Tatyana Kulakova and Alexander Kozlitin testify.\nVyacheslav Ivanov declares: \"All that the investigation is trying to prove is my belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses, that is, my religion. However, the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 28, gives me and my friends the right to practice any religion, as well as to live and act in harmony with it.\nTatyana Kulakova says: \"My religious views are in no way compatible with extremism. I have no sense of superiority over adherents of other religions, over people of other nationalities. I have worked with Muslims, my neighbors are Orthodox, we have very good relations, I have no prejudice or hostility towards them. I respect the state in which I live: I pay taxes on time, I comply with the laws.\"\nAlexander Kozlitin notes: \"The fact that I discuss biblical thoughts with my friends is a part of my life, independent of the existence of an organization or legal entity ... My attempt to express my religious beliefs, which no court has banned, is a crime from the point of view of the prosecution.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20210826","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendants Yevgeny Elin and Sergey Kulakov testify.\nEugene says: \"One of Jehovah's Witnesses' publications says: 'Avoid words that might hurt someone's feelings. Don't make derogatory remarks about people of another religion or what they genuinely believe.\" Don't allow yourself to speak derogatory! As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I am learning not to hurt even my feelings. Moreover, I cannot and do not know how to incite discord.\nSergey draws attention to the following: \"None of the actions imputed to me falls under the definition of 'extremism' ... And actions aimed at a deep and thoughtful study of religious texts are a common religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Bible is a book from God and requires serious attention.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20210810","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, the defense reads out documents confirming that Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia have the right to practice their religion. The court also examines the characteristics of the defendants from their place of work.\nYevgeny Yelin is described as an honest, decent, benevolent and non-confrontational person who discusses work issues with dignity and respect.\nWith regard to Alexander Kozlitin, employers note: \"A disciplined, responsible employee who conscientiously copes with his duties ... Always ready for a peaceful solution [of problems], conflict-free.\"\nPositive characteristics are given to Alexander Kulakov and his wife Tatiana. They are marked by gratitude for the upbringing of children, and Alexander is in good standing with the employer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20210805","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nevelsk City Court, presided over by Judge Nikita Kucherov, begins to consider the case of Yevgeny Yelin, Sergey Kulakov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Alexander Kozlitin and Tatyana Kulakova.\nDue to the failure of one of the defendants to appear due to his illness, a break is announced until February 8.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20210121","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Melnikov re-orders to prosecute Yevgeny Yelin and Sergey Kulakov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of activities of a banned organization), Tatyana Kulakova, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Aleksandr Kolzitin under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of a banned organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20201008","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Melnikov begins to acquaint Yevgeny Yelin, Sergey and Tatyana Kulakov, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Alexander Kozlitin with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200908","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kulakov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of a banned organization). Tatyana Kulakova was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of a banned organization). The spouses are under recognizance not to leave. Sergey and Tatiana file a motion to include the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to dismiss the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200715","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Melnikov issues a decision to bring Vyacheslav Ivanov as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Ivanov, \"realizing a criminal intent aimed at continuing to participate in the activities of a local religious organization recognized as extremist [...] assisted Sergey Kulakov by carrying out his instructions [...] and, on his or Yelin's instructions, kept the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses in both paper and electronic form for mass distribution [...] At the direction of Kulakov or Yelin, together with the Kulakovs and Kozlitin, they carried out psychological processing of the residents of the city of Nevelsk in order to involve them in the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization.\"\nIvanov is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. It is noteworthy that another department (the Ministry of Internal Affairs) initiated exactly the same criminal case against him, under the same part of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAleksandr Kozlitin is also charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200714","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cases of Yevgeny Yelin, Aleksandr Kozlitin, Sergey Kulakov and Tatyana Kulakova are merged into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200601","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. S. Melnikov makes a decision to bring Yevgeny Yelin to him as an accused. He is charged with Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200402","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. S. Melnikov, investigator of the FSB Investigative Directorate, initiates a criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Tatyana Kulakova. The criminal case was assigned the number 12007640001000006.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200320","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Metelsky, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor of the Sakhalin Region for Supervision of the Implementation of Laws on Federal Security, Interethnic Relations and Countering Extremism and Terrorism, refuses to satisfy Vyacheslav Ivanov's complaint about the illegal actions of the investigating authorities in the initiation and investigation of criminal cases No. 11901640016000206 and 11907640001000031, recognizing the investigator's decision as lawful and reasonable. A. Metelsky finds no reason to connect the two criminal cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2020-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20200110","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Sakhalin Region D. S. Melnikov initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 against Yevgeny Yelin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20191210","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the next few months, the cases of Yevgeny Yelin, Alexander Kozlitin, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Sergey Kulakov and Tatyana Kulakova were combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20191201","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Sakhalin Oblast Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Senior Lieutenant D. S. Melnikov, initiates and accepts for proceedings a criminal case against Vyacheslav Ivanov on the basis of a report from an operational officer, according to which the believer \"is an active participant in a religious association [...] Jehovah's Witnesses\" and \"involved [new individuals in the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses\"]. The criminal case is assigned No. 11907640001000031.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20191014","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Sakhalin Region D. S. Melnikov initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against Alexander Kozlitin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20190405","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB is conducting a series of searches in at least 11 homes of local residents in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Nevelsk and the village of Nogliki (Sakhalin Oblast). Employees behave aggressively, interrogate believers and their minor children.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20190120","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court Elena Masterkova, in response to a request from the FSB, signs orders for searches in the homes of local citizens.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2019-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20190117","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sakhalin Oblast Investigative Directorate of the FSB is initiating a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1). According to investigators, in the fall of 2017, Sergey Kulakov \"led a religious group consisting of residents of Nevelsk professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, provided material and other support for the group's activities, convened appropriate meetings, religion, ensuring the performance of religious rites and ceremonies, teaching religion and religious education.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kulakovs and Others in Nevelsk","date":"2018-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevelsk3/index.html#20181224","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, the FSB conducted mass searches of Jehovah's Witnesses from Chita and neighboring locations as part of a case against local believers. One of the believers, Vadim Kutsenko, faced torture and violence from law enforcement officers, and also spent 5 days in a temporary detention facility. The Investigative Committee for the Trans-Baikal Territory refused to initiate a case of torture, despite the call of the OSCE. Later, the refusal was canceled, and the check resumed. In January 202, the Investigative Committee terminated the case against Vadim for lack of corpus delicti. In November 2024, it became known that the believer was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list, and his criminal prosecution was resumed.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html","prisoners":["kutsenko"],"regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that criminal prosecution is being resumed against Vadim Kutsenko, who was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in January 2021. It is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2024-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20241104","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["new-case","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zhuravlev terminates the criminal prosecution of Vadim Kutsenko due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20210111","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing in the Chita Garrison Military Court, Kutsenko learns that the Investigative Committee overturned the decision not to initiate a case. This means that the pre-investigation check on his claim of torture continues.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200626","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["complaints","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200622","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["complaints","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, 27 European Union countries, as well as 6 other non-EU states, in a joint statement called for an investigation into allegations of torture of Vadim Kutsenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200312","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["international","osce","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kutsenko was released after 5 days in the temporary detention facility, but remains in the status of a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200215","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Kutsenko sends an appeal to the head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Trans-Baikal Territory, Y.S. Rusanov, with a request to initiate a criminal case on the fact of torture and bring the perpetrators to justice.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200214","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["complaints","torture","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Kutsenko's house is being searched as part of a special operation against Chita's Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, he is tortured and detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200210","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["search","torture","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Trans-Baikal Territory is initiating a case of extremism against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kutsenko in Chita","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita2/index.html#20200120","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2019, special services conducted 36 raids in the Krasnodar Territory, during which Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov were detained. Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory accuses believers of convening and conducting worship services. Judge Nikolay Shevelev decided to detain both men for their convictions. Despite the rapidly deteriorating health, elderly Nikolay Kuzichkin was left in a pre-trial detention center, which was a serious threat to his life for six months. Vyacheslav\u0026rsquo;s large family was also going through difficult times when the head of the family was in custody and could not take care of his relatives. Judge of the Khostinsky District Court of Sochi, Yuriy Pilipenko, found the believers guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced Nikolay to imprisonment for 1 year and 1 month, and Vyacheslav — 1 year and 10 months. Since the believers had already served these terms in a pre-trial detention center, they were released on December 18 and 29, 2020, respectively.","date":"2019-09-24","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html","prisoners":["kuzichkin","vyapopov"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov is released from the pre-trial detention center, where he was held before and after the verdict until his release. In general, the believer spent almost 1 year and 3 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20201229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Pilipenko, a judge of the Khostinsky District Court of Sochi, issues a verdict: to find Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolai Kuzichkin guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and to impose a sentence of 1 year and 1 month in prison for Kuzichkin and 1 year and 10 months for Popov. Release in connection with the actual serving of his sentence (Vyacheslav Popov stayed in the pre-trial detention center for 1 year and 2 months, and Nikolai Kuzichkin spent 6.5 months in the pre-trial detention center plus 8 months under house arrest.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20201218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","sentence","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov is appealing to a higher court against another decision to extend his detention. The hearing in the Krasnodar Regional Court is held behind closed doors due to the epidemiological situation. The believer defends his right to freedom of religion. The defense asks the court to take into account the opinion of the UN Working Group, as well as the fact that a long stay in the pre-trial detention center affects Vyacheslav's health. Nevertheless, the court upholds the chosen measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200706","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kuzichkin leaves the pre-trial detention center in an extremely weakened state, barely able to stand on his feet. He will continue to await trial under house arrest in Sochi. He is forbidden to correspond and contact with other people. The mitigation of the measure of restraint will allow the believer to undergo high-quality examination and treatment, which was excluded in the isolation ward.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200422","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["house-arrest","medical-rights","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnodar Regional Court decides to release Nikolai Kuzichkin from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200416","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About two dozen people gather near the building of the Khostinsky District Court to support Vyacheslav Popov.\nThis court is considering a complaint filed by Popov's lawyer to extend his detention until March 24 via videoconferencing with the Krasnodar Regional Court. The court session shall be held in an open mode. During the debate, the prosecutor asks to leave the decision of the Sochi court unchanged. Vyacheslav Popov and his lawyer ask to satisfy the complaint and replace the measure of restraint from arrest to a milder one, for example, house arrest. \"Due to the existing violations\", the judge of the regional court cancels the decision of the court of first instance, and decides to return for a new consideration to the court of first instance the materials of the case on the extension of Vyacheslav Popov's detention. At the same time, at the time of the new trial, the court decides to leave Popov in custody until March 22.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200310","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Popov and Nikolay Kuzichkin were taken from the Armavir pre-trial detention center in Sochi for investigative actions. Their spouses try to give them homemade food and vitamins, but are refused. They also complain that they are denied a visit, despite their numerous requests.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200307","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people gather near the court building before the start of the hearing, they came to support the believers. But they are not allowed into the hall - the hearings are held behind closed doors.\nNikolay Kuzichkin has a new lawyer by appointment, who did not have time to properly familiarize himself with the case materials. The lawyer is suspended from Kuzichkin's defense by agreement, but continues to defend Popov. The court had previously forbidden the lawyer to represent the interests of both believers at the same time, baselessly arguing that the interests of Popov and Kuzichkin contradict each other. The lawyer himself considers this motivation ridiculous.\nJudge Valery Butyaev makes a private decision, recognizing the investigation of the criminal case of Kuzichkin and Popov, which has been going on for the fifth month, ineffective. Despite the fact that the ineffective organization of the investigation is one of the grounds for refusing to extend the detention, the judge for the fourth time extends the period of detention of Kuzichkin and Popov until March 24, 2020.\nKuzichkin's wife claims that she is denied visits with her husband.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the results of the inspection conducted by the Prosecutor's Office of the Krasnodar Territory, the facts are confirmed that the believer was not provided with timely medical assistance in the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2, and there were also violations during his escort.\nThe prosecutor makes a submission to the head of the medical unit on the violations identified, including the failure to provide information on the merits of the issue.\nBack in December 2019, Kuzichkin's lawyer sent a statement about the failure to provide him with medical assistance, to which he did not receive a specific answer. At the end of December 2019, Kuzichkin nevertheless underwent a medical examination, but the doctors of the Clinical Oncology Center No. 1 of Krasnodar came to the conclusion that Kuzichkin's diseases are not included in the \"list of diseases that prevent detention.\"\nNikolay Kuzichkin is transferred from the pre-trial detention center in Armavir to a temporary detention center in Sochi. On February 24, the term of arrest of the believer expires. Up to and including this date, a hearing should be held in the Sochi District Court on the further measure of restraint for Kuzichkin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200217","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing on the measure of restraint for Popov. About 50 people come to support the believer, but few are allowed into the hall. The rest are waiting for the end of the meeting on the street in the rain. During the hearings, Popov states that the investigator is delaying the process. For all the time, only 12 witnesses were interviewed. The investigator, in turn, claims that Nikolay can hide from the investigation and petitions for an extension of his arrest. The judge grants the petition, Popov remains in custody for at least another month - until February 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By decision of the Sochi District Court, Nikolay Kuzichkin was left in custody until February 24, 2020. About 70 friends and acquaintances of Nikolay gather before the court session to support his fellow believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20200121","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal leaves Nikolay Kuzichkin in custody, despite his state of health.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191230","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Martynenko, judge of the Sochi Central District Court, extends the period of detention of both believers by 1 month, until December 24, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191120","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kuzichkin's lawyer appeals to the head of the pre-trial detention center, Maxim Tereshchenko, with a request for his medical examination. After a week of deliberation, Tereshchenko rejects the petition. The head of the medical unit, Sidelnikov, also refuses Kuzichkin medical examination and treatment, referring to the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nKuzichkin's health is rapidly deteriorating due to the conditions of his detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191030","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Sochi Nikolay Shevelev sends both believers to the pre-trial detention center until November 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191011","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Armed security officers conduct a record 36 searches in a single day, from the Lazarevskoye neighborhood to the village of Krasnaya Polyana in the mountains and the village of Veseloye near the border with Abkhazia. During the searches, 68-year-old Nikolai Kuzichkin and 45-year-old Vyacheslav Popov were detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20191010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1) against Nikolay Kuzichkin and Vyacheslav Popov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Kuzichkin and Popov in Sochi","date":"2019-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi/index.html#20190924","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\u0026ldquo;They liquidated a legal entity, but they are persecuting an individual. If a hospital is closed, doctors are not judged for being doctors.\u0026rdquo; So a peaceful believer from Kamchatka, Sergey Ledenyov, had to explain the obvious in court. In December 2018, a criminal case was opened against him under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator accused Ledenyov of organizing extremist activities, imputing \u0026ldquo;planned training in the postulates of the religious association Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses.\u0026rdquo; At a preliminary hearing, the court returned the case to the prosecutor, but the supervisory authority eventually insisted that the case be considered in court. At the hearings in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, chaired by Natalia Lychkova, witnesses, a religious scholar, and the defendant himself repeatedly emphasized the peacefulness of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and their incompatibility with extremism. Nevertheless, the prosecutor demanded that the court imprison Ledenyov for 6 years in a colony. In November 2020, the court sentenced him to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. On January 19, 2021, the appellate court upheld the verdict. On August 19, 2022, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court expunged Sergey\u0026rsquo;s criminal record ahead of schedule.","date":"2018-12-02","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html","prisoners":["ledenyov"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court of the Kamchatka Territory prematurely removes the criminal record from Sergey Ledenev. The court decision canceled the suspended sentence handed down on November 24, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20220819","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court is considering Sergey Ledenev's appeal against the verdict of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, which nailed the believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years. Addressing the court of appeal with the defendant's last word, Ledenyov argues: \"There was no connection with the activities of a legal entity in my dedication to God and baptism as a Jehovah's Witness. Legal entities have been liquidated, but I remain a believer. Jehovah is not the name of an organization, but the name of God, and it is impossible to forbid Him. People who believe in him, like me, and bear witness to him, are also not forbidden. It is also not forbidden to read the Bible, pray and sing songs - these are all things that were captured in [operational-search] materials.\"\nReturning from the deliberation room, Judge Valentina Goltsova announces the ruling: the verdict of the first instance should be left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20210119","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court. Judge Natalia Lychkova announces the verdict: to find him guilty of the activities of an extremist organization, reclassifying the actions from part 1 (organization) to part 2 (participation) of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Assign 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20201124","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ledenyov speaks in court with his last word. He rejects the accusations of extremism, explaining that his Christian faith is not banned in Russia by any court and there are no victims in his case. The verdict is scheduled to be announced on November 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20201111","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor filed a motion to resume the judicial investigation and summon for questioning historian Maria Serdyuk, who conducted a religious examination of the case. Earlier during the debate, Ledenyov presented to the judge arguments indicating that the examination was carried out with violations, and the expert's position was openly biased against Jehovah's Witnesses. The trial will continue on November 11.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20201110","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, the prosecutor demands that 46-year-old Sergey Ledenyov be imprisoned in a general regime colony for 6 years, followed by restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20201109","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a break due to the coronavirus pandemic, hearings resume in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court in the case of Sergey Ledenev. 3 people were allowed to attend the hearing.\nIn his testimony, Sergey explains in detail the totality of the Bible's teachings and how they positively influenced his life.\nSergey does not understand what he is accused of, since he does not and did not have any connection with a legal entity that was banned by the Supreme Court. He says: \"It turns out that they liquidated a legal entity, but they are persecuting an individual. If a hospital is closed, doctors are not judged for being doctors.\"\nLedenyov recalls that no court can recognize religion as illegal activity, and complains that the prosecution misleads the court by mixing his personal life and the activities of banned organizations.\nHe also recalls that the President of the Russian Federation questioned the legality of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200928","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court suspends consideration of the criminal case of Ledenev. Judge Natalia Lychkova has not yet set a date for the next court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200507","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting is postponed to May 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200420","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the prosecution presents written evidence in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200317","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the court of first instance is ongoing. The session is held under the presiding judge Natalia Lychkova and the state prosecutor T. M. Khachaturyan. A prosecution witness and a religious scholar are being questioned. He explains to the court that it is necessary to separate the activities of a legal entity and the religious activities of citizens. The specialist also notes that non-violence is the most important postulate of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200303","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court, the judicial investigation continues. Witness Anna Ledeneva (wife of the defendant) and Svetlana Bazhutina, whose house was searched on December 2, 2018 and who had already used Article 51 of the Constitution during the preliminary investigation, were questioned. When Judge Natalya Lychkova hears that women are again refusing to testify using Article 51, she and the prosecutor exert strong emotional pressure on them. After the break, the protocols of the interrogations of the remaining witnesses are read out, and the prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200227","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The main hearing in the criminal case of Sergey Ledenev is being held in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendant disagrees with the charges.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200219","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is registered under number 1-197/2020 and transferred to Judge Natalia Lychkova for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200210","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court cancels the decision of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court to return the case to the prosecutor. This means that the criminal case against 45-year-old Sergey Ledenev is again transferred to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20200204","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing. The court returns the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20191212","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court for consideration on the merits, presided over by Judge Sergey Lubnin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20191128","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ledenyov is handed the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2019-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20191101","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ledenyov is obliged to appear.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2018-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20181220","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court retroactively recognizes the legality of the search conducted at the homes of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2018-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20181205","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Without a court sanction, employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory Sunchaliev D. and Smirnov D.A., accompanied by FSB officers Prokopenko A.V., Filimonov P.D., Yakovlev S.A. and police officer Lykov I.A. invade with searches in 2 apartments of believers of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Investigator D. Sunchaliev initiated a criminal case against Sergey Ledenev under Part 1 of Article 282.2. A written undertaking not to leave is taken from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledenyov in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2018-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy/index.html#20181202","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2020, FSB and Investigative Committee officers, accompanied by two riot policemen, arrived at Andrey Ledyaikin\u0026rsquo;s place of work, the administration of Seversk, to pick up the believer for a search of his home. After in March 2021, the Investigation Department for ZATO Seversk opened a criminal case against Ledyaykin, he was forced to resign. Three days later, the court chose a measure of restraint for him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. In June 2021, Ledyaykin\u0026rsquo;s case was submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. It was considered by judge Ekaterina Soldatenko. The accusation is based on the testimony of FSB agent Kira Klisheva, who testified against 5 other Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Seversk. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a general regime colony for the believer. In April 2022, the court sentenced Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in a penal colony, and on July 14, the Tomsk Regional Court replaced this term with a suspended sentence.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html","prisoners":["ledyaykin"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Collegium of the Tomsk Regional Court mitigates the sentence of Andrey Ledyaykin, replacing 2 years and 2 months in prison with a similar suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Ledyaykin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is in a double cell with another prisoner. Andrey's relations with his cellmate and the administration are normal. Sometimes there are bouts of chronic disease (high blood pressure), which is why you have to take medication.\nAndrey says that because of the arrest he had to postpone the wedding, and now he is forced to communicate with his bride only by correspondence. However, letters from her and from friends serve as a great support to him. He has already received about 600 letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region Ekaterina Soldatenko sentences Andrey Ledyaykin to 2 years and 2 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220426","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Andrei Ledyaykin speaks in the debate. In response to accusations of incitement to religious hatred, he stresses that no one was injured in this case, except for him and his family. The believer draws the court's attention: \"In the present case, the charge against me is based on the principle of criminalizing human actions depending on the religion I profess. The usual actions for every believer: participation in worship services and so on become, in the opinion of the state prosecutor, a crime ... It is obvious to me that the prosecution sees participation in the activities of an extremist organization in singing songs, praying, studying the Bible. That is why, in my testimony in the present case, I have consistently maintained that I do not fully admit my guilt.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220415","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 4.5 years in prison for Andrey Ledyaikin with serving in a general regime colony and subsequent restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year. The prosecutor also asks to prohibit the believer from posting information on the Internet for 5 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220330","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer concludes with written notes and says: \"I did not commit a crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah God and live in harmony with my religious beliefs. And this was not a continuation of the activities of the liquidated \"extremist\" organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220324","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of Andrey Ledyaykin, a video recording of the divine service with his participation is played and a religious song is listened to. After that, the defendant gives explanations to the material viewed. Ledyaykin draws the court's attention to the fact that \"the video does not contain a single call to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and state security,\" that the material under discussion \"encourages one to be determined to support others, no matter what circumstances they find themselves in.\"\nThe believer consistently refutes all the accusations contained in the case file against him and argues why extremism is incompatible with his worldview. Andrey Ledyaykin also quotes many statements by the Russian government confirming that Jehovah's Witnesses can worship God without hindrance. Among other things, he says: \"If I did not recognize state authorities and local self-government bodies, I would not work in the administration of the city of Seversk. And I worked for exactly 10 years, until I was asked to resign because of this criminal prosecution.\nThe believer also explains: \"Given the constitutional principle of separation of church and state (Article 14 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation), the law does not establish norms regarding which forms of religion are correct and which are not. Therefore, in each religion they are different.\nThe Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid me to discuss biblical issues with my friends. And this constitutional right does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220322","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only participants in the process are present at the meeting. Listeners are not allowed into the courtroom.\nA response from the Investigative Committee on the location of disks with recordings of worship services that relate to the case against Korotun is announced, and the Ledyaykin case contains a transcript of these recordings. The judge rejects the lawyer's request to exclude these records from the case file, but acknowledges positive court practice in similar cases against believers who were suspected of violating Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, but were later acquitted.\nThe defendant reads excerpts from the Opinions of the Government of the Russian Federation in the reports of the Working Group of the UN Human Rights Council, as well as from the appellate ruling of the Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 17.07.2017: \"The court of first instance did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways of expressing them, checking only the legality of the actions performed by the Organization in accordance with the law \"On Countering Extremist Activities\".\nLedyaykin also quotes the comment of the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE A. K. Lukashevich at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on February 14, 2019: \"We emphasize again that nothing prevents Jehovah's Witnesses from freely practicing their faith in Russia, since no formal permission is required for prayers.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220316","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant refers to Federal Law No. 114 \"On Countering Extremist Activity\" and draws the court's attention to the fact that \"the Bible ... Its content and quotations cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\"\nThe defense petitions for viewing video recordings of meetings with the participation of the defendant. Since the disc with the video recordings was not found, the lawyer petitions for the recovery of the discs from the investigation department.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220208","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Ledyaykin reads aloud the letters seized from him, drawing the court's attention to the fact that they do not contain any calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and state security. He explains to the court that they contain information based on the Bible; tells of God's promises about the future; On the basis of biblical prophecy, events that are taking place in the world today and other things are explained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220203","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ekaterina Soldatenko grants the petition to view the session of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021 and attaches the transcript of the Plenum to the case file. The believer explains: \"Your Honor, as you can see, the criminal liability of persons in respect of whom it has not been established what specific actions related to the resumption or continuation of the activities of an extremist organization they have committed, and what motives they were guided by in doing so, is excluded.\"\nHe further adds: \"Based on the materials of the criminal case, the actions and motives that are attributed to me have no basis. And such phrases recorded in the indictment as \"having intent\", \"realizing\", \"wanting it\", \"acting out of extremist motives\" are nothing more than someone's speculation.\nLedyaykin clarifies: \"I was exercising my right to freedom of religion when I was present with my fellow believers at worship services.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20220124","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"22 people come to the courthouse to support the believer, but none of them are allowed into the courtroom.\nAt the hearing, the characteristics of the defendant, his certificates and letters of thanks from the heads of various departments are read out.\nThe judge attaches to the case the defendant's appeal to the Ministry of Justice and the response of the Ministry.\nAndrey Ledyaykin's immediate supervisor from his last place of work is being interrogated. He characterizes the defendant as \"an exceptionally decent, responsible person, a professional in his field.\" He also says that Ledyaykin, when he learned about the criminal case, voluntarily wrote a letter of resignation, although the management discouraged him from doing so, and adds: \"When he left, many cried.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20211229","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing lasts 5 minutes due to another failure of the prosecution witness Klisheva. The state prosecutor files a motion to voice her testimony from the case file. The lawyer opposes this and insists on the personal presence of the witness. The judge supports the defense side and urges the state prosecutor to ensure Klisheva's appearance in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20211130","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By order of Judge Ekaterina Soldatenko, the hearing is held without the presence of listeners. The court rejects the lawyer's request to return the case file to the prosecutor.\nThe state prosecutor reads out the decision to bring Andrei Ledyaikin as an accused.\nThe defendant informs the court that he does not agree with the prosecution and explains: \"The accusation against me contains expressions of the subjective opinion of the witness in the case and the investigator, not confirmed by the opinions of specialists in religious, linguistic and psychological examinations.\"\nIn his appeal to the court, Ledyaykin emphasizes that the accusation \"is absolutely groundless, since there is no evidence of the incriminated act, and this criminal prosecution contradicts the norms of the current Russian legislation.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20210712","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Andrey Ledyaykin is submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region. It will be considered by judge Ekaterina Soldatenko. The first court hearing is scheduled for July 12, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20210622","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Ledyaykin is charged with participation in extremist activities. It is based on video recordings of worship services made by Agent Klisheva.\nLedyaykin does not admit guilt in committing the incriminated crime. According to him, he has never taken part in the activities of extremist organizations and in his life is guided by principles that do not allow violence. \"I consider the criminal prosecution to be repressions that violate national and international law,\" the believer declares.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20210330","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A measure of restraint is chosen in relation to the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20210329","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. G. Kolpakov, an investigator of the Investigation Department for the Closed Administrative Territory of Seversk, initiates a criminal case against Andrey Ledyaykin under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB agent Kira Klisheva, pretending to be interested in the Bible, keeps covert video recordings of conversations about God over the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ledyaykin in Seversk","date":"2020-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk/index.html#20200315","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2018-09-20","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html","prisoners":["lemeshev"],"regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","type":"cases"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Bashkortostan instructs a group consisting of four investigators to conduct a preliminary investigation in a criminal case. As stated in the resolution, this is due to the fact that the investigation of a criminal case is particularly complex and requires a large number of investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2019-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20190312","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again softens the measure of restraint for Lemeshev from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2019-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20190215","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan softens the measure of restraint for Anton Lemeshev. He is transferred to house arrest after 14 days spent in pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. The court prohibits him from correspondence and telephone conversations, as well as communication with people involved in his criminal case as witnesses or suspects.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2018-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20181031","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Dyurtyuli (Bashkortostan), at least 11 searches are carried out in the homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. 31-year-old Anton Lemeshev was arrested, he is sent to the pre-trial detention center until November 20, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2018-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20181018","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dyurtyulinsky Investigative Division of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Bashkortostan initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); \"Continuation of the illegal activities of the banned organization [the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses Ufa], including the convening of meetings, the organization of the recruitment of new members\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case). Anton Lemeshev (born in 1987) becomes an innocent victim of law enforcement officers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lemeshev in Dyurtyuli","date":"2018-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dyurtyuli/index.html#20180920","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2021, the sentence came into force for two miners from the city of Berezovsky - 4 years each in a general regime colony due to the fact that they profess the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Both have families. At the time of Vadim Levchuk\u0026rsquo;s arrest, his son was a minor. Sergey Britvin has a disability group II. The persecution began in July 2018, when a wave of searches took place in the city, after which the Central District Court of Kemerovo placed both in a pre-trial detention center. While the investigation and trial were going on, the believers spent almost 2 years in prison. The case of Britvin and Levchuk was investigated by the FSB. No casualties or damage were identified. The believers were found guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because they communicated with friends on spiritual topics. The state prosecutor recommended that the court appoint 6.5 years in prison for each. The believers pleaded not guilty, insisting that practicing their religion is not prohibited by law. On December 30, 2021, they were released from the colony, having served their sentence in full.","date":"2018-07-19","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html","prisoners":["britvin","levchuk"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"13 friends and relatives of the defendants were allowed into the courtroom, 4 more remained in the corridor. The case is considered by judges I.V. Pavlova, I.G. Karimova and I.A. Rubanov, who are respectfully listened to by all parties. In their speeches, Britvin and Levchuk exude confidence and a kind attitude towards the court, behave with dignity, speak confidently and in no way resemble people who have just served their sentences in a colony. After the meeting, the judges announce the ruling: to refuse to satisfy the cassation appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20220201","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk are released after serving the full 4 years in prison assigned to them by the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20211230","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","release","letters","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Levchuk is transferred to strict conditions of serving a sentence (SUON), since he was previously unreasonably recognized as a malicious violator of the order.\nThe premises of the SWAN are designed for 40 people, but are not fully filled. There is a sports ground, a place to relax, to watch TV and to eat. It is very cold indoors before the start of the heating season. The food is satisfactory.\nVadim tries not to lose courage and focus on the positive, and he also maintains good relations with his cellmates. Levchuk and Britvin have about 3 months left before the end of their prison term.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210920","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Levchuk does not go to work in the canteen, citing his state of health, which is confirmed by medical documents, and asks to provide him with another job. The administration of the colony replies that there is no other work for him. By the decision of the commission, the believer was sent to a punishment cell (SHIZO) for three days, allegedly because of his refusal to work. This is the second disciplinary \"violation\" that he is unreasonably charged with: he was previously reprimanded for allegedly \"storing food in a bedside table\", which was used by two prisoners. Levchuk learns about the penalty imposed on him only a few months later. In fact, the inspection revealed that the food in the bedside table was stored by another prisoner, but the penalty imposed on Levchuk was not canceled.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210917","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For health reasons, Sergey Britvin cannot lift more than two kilograms, so other prisoners help him cope with everyday chores - wash clothes, heat water.\nVadim Levchuk and Sergey Britvin have a good reputation among other prisoners, they respect their faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210915","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the transfer of Vadim Levchuk from SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk to correctional colony No. 3 of the general regime, where Sergey Britvin was transferred in early March. Vadim's term of imprisonment ends approximately at the end of December 2021 - the beginning of January 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210311","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergei Britvin is being transferred to penal colony No. 3 of the general regime. IK-3 is located within the city of Novosibirsk and is intended for convicts serving their sentences for the first time. The colony has its own diversified production, which includes woodworking and metalworking workshops, furniture production, and a sewing section.\nSergey's term of imprisonment ends approximately in December 2021.\nVadim Levchuk remains in SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210308","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":" Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk from Anzhero-Sudzhensk are transferred more than 200 kilometers away - to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Novosibirsk. It is not yet known where the believers will serve their sentences.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210215","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court rejects the appeal of believers Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk against the verdict of the Berezovsky City Court, by which men were sent to a penal colony in September for their faith. At the time of the entry into force of the verdict, both had spent 1 year and 10 months plus 8 months under house arrest in pre-trial detention in a pre-trial detention center. This means that they have de jure already served more than 3 of the 4 years assigned to them in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20210119","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are more than 30 listeners in the hall of the Berezovsky City Court. Sergey Britvin addresses the court with the last word of the defendant. Following him, Vadim Levchuk speaks with the last word . The court retires to the deliberation room. Judge Irina Vorobyova announces the verdict: to find them guilty and sentence them to 4 years in prison in a penal colony. In addition, they will be subject to another 1 year of restriction of freedom and they will be banned from holding certain positions for another 3 years. The court's decision has not entered into force. Believers will appeal against it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200902","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","courtroom","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","video"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is postponed to September 2, 2020. On this day, the court may announce the verdict to Levchuk and Britvin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200818","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking during the debate in the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region, the state prosecutor recommends that the judge appoint Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk to 6.5 years in a general regime colony plus restriction of liberty for one year in accordance with Article 53 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Also, the state prosecutor asks to set off as punishment the term of imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, where each of them spent 524 days, as well as the term of house arrest. Believers deny any involvement in extremism. They are scheduled to speak in the debate on 18 and 19 August 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200728","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The arguments of the parties shall be adjourned due to the leave of the judge. The prosecutor's speech will take place on July 28, and the defense will take place on August 18 and, if necessary, on August 19.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200703","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the prosecutor's request to extend the period of detention of believers Britvin and Levchuk under house arrest. The preventive measure remains until September 3, 2020.\nOn July 2, 2020, the debate of the parties is scheduled.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200617","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, the judge admits four listeners to the hall, provided that they maintain social distance.\nThe court interrogates a defense witness - the general director of the enterprise where Vadim Levchuk previously worked. He characterizes the defendant as a responsible, executive, non-confrontational employee who has never tried to impose his beliefs on others. He also expresses his conviction that Vadim does not pose any threat to society and the state.\nFurther, the court interrogates the last witness for the defense, Vadim Levchuk's daughter-in-law. She speaks warmly of the defendant, talks about family traditions and notes that, despite differences in religious views, they have never had conflicts on this basis. According to the witness, she is not afraid to leave her young daughter with Vadim and his wife, knowing that they will not cause any harm to the child.\nThe judge grants Levchuk's petition for a partial viewing of the video recording of the service. The shooting was previously stated as material evidence of the guilt of the defendants in organizing the activities of the banned LRO.\nIrina Vorobyova rejects the repeated petition to declassify the identity of Dmitry Vasin and interrogate him in the courtroom. The meeting was adjourned to the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200616","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Berezovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region, prosecution witnesses are being questioned - FSB investigators who personally participated in searches, interrogations and other investigative actions. Sergey Britvin, Vadim Levchuk and their lawyers object and ask to postpone the hearing in order to prepare questions for the investigators. Judge Irina Vorobyova refuses.\nThe FSB investigators claim in their testimony that the interrogations and searches were carried out \"very humanely and kindly.\"\nThe court also summons prosecution witness Yevgeny Gomoyunov (he was previously questioned as secret witness Dmitry Vasin). He repeats the testimony given at the meeting on August 20, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court is considering appeals against the extension of the terms of house arrest of Britvin and Levchuk and leaves unchanged the decision of the Berezovsky City Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Kemerovo, an appeal hearing is being held on a complaint against the refusal to change the prohibitions and restrictions on house arrest. The court upheld the chosen measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200312","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the fact that the criminal case against Britvin and Levchuk \"is particularly difficult due to the large number of volumes (20) of the case, witnesses for the prosecution and defense,\" the judge issues a decision to extend the house arrest of believers \"with previously established prohibitions\" until June 3.\nThree other defence witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200227","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of defense witnesses begins. The first to testify are the 80-year-old mother and sons of Vadim Levchuk, then the brother of Sergey Britvin. Relatives who do not share the views of Jehovah's Witnesses explain that they never noticed any extremist manifestations in the actions and words of Vadim and Sergey, nor did they hear negative statements about people of other faiths.\nThe defense summons three more witnesses who distinguish between the concepts of \"meeting\" and \"LRO\", and also convincingly show that since February 2017 and, especially, after the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, no activity has been carried out by the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mr. Berezovsky.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200128","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin is being interrogated. In his talk, he talks about how, thanks to the Bible, he turned from a street boxer and drinker leading an immoral lifestyle into a decent person. Sergey also shares how advice from the Bible and communication with Jehovah's Witnesses helped him save his marriage, which was on the verge of collapse. The believer emphasizes that he did not call for the severance of family and family relations with people who do not share the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses, as the investigation claims.\nThe defense is petitioning for changes in the conditions of detention of Britvin and Levchuk under house arrest. The court partially satisfies the petitions: Sergey Britvin is allowed daily hourly walks in the daytime. Also, both believers can now use the means of communication to communicate with lawyers.\nMore than 40 people attended the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200127","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Meeting in the Kemerovo Regional Court to consider an appeal against the extension of the period of detention until 03.12.2019 after the return of the case from the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the 8th Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction. The decision of the court of first instance to extend the detention was canceled, the proceedings on the appeal were terminated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200117","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing in the Berezovsky City Court. Vadim Levchuk testified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20200116","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Late in the evening, Levchuk and Britvin are released from the pre-trial detention center. They are placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191225","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court changes the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 27.11.2019 (on a 3-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and assigns them house arrest. On the same day, the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction cancels the appeal decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019 (on a 6-month extension of the period of detention of believers) and returns the case to the Kemerovo Regional Court for the appeal stage.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191223","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 27.11.2019 to extend the period of detention for Britvin and Levchuk until March 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191202","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Berezovsky City Court extends the period of detention of Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk for another 3 months, that is, until March 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191127","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation satisfies the cassation appeal against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 and the decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019 (on the measure of restraint). Judge of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vasily Zykin, having studied the circumstances of the case, notes that the decision on the 6-month extension of the period of detention of Kemerovo residents Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk \"cannot be recognized as lawful and justified.\" The Supreme Court refers the cassation appeal for consideration to the newly created Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (located in the city of Kemerovo).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20191112","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not appear at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190918","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A motion is filed to merge the criminal cases of Britvin and Levchuk with the criminal case of Hasan Kogut, which is currently being considered by the same court. The court rejects this request. Interrogation of prosecution witnesses, as well as Kogut himself. Actively quotes the Bible during interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190917","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer submits a cassation appeal against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 and the decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019 (on the measure of restraint) to the higher Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190912","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses, including senior media relations specialist of the Berezovsky police department Onischuk S.V. and neighbors of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190904","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190821","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned, including secret witness Dmitry Vasin (in reality: Yevgeny Denisovich Gomoyunov), as well as FSB operative Zadorin. A petition for the interrogation of a secret witness in accordance with the general procedure shall be filed. The court refuses, the witness is interrogated in a separate room with a changed voice.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190820","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court refuses to transfer the cassation appeal dated 30.07.2019 to the Presidium of the Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the convoy refuses to obey the judge's order and release the defendants Britvin and Levchuk from the cage. As a result, the defendants remain in the cage despite the court order that has entered into force on their release from it for the entire duration of the trial. Six prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190814","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vorobyova I. Y. satisfies the petition for the release of the defendants from the cage for the duration of the trial. The public prosecutor issues an indictment. The order of examination of evidence is determined. The questioning of prosecution witnesses has begun.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190813","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits begins in the Berezovsky City Court. The meeting was postponed due to Britvin's presence in a medical facility.\nThe lawyer submits a cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 and the decision of the Kemerovo Regional Court of 19.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190730","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Britvin and Levchuk were charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190727","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint. The measure of restraint was upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190719","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint. It was postponed due to poor video conferencing with the pre-trial detention center where the accused are being held.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190715","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint. The court shall issue a ruling on the adjournment of the court session due to untimely notification of the accused about the court session. The hearing was postponed until July 15, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190712","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits. The hearing in the Berezovsky City Court was postponed due to the fact that Sergey Britvin was sent for a medical examination to a correctional colony. The meeting was postponed to July 30, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190709","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer is filing an appeal with the Kemerovo Regional Court against the decision of the Berezovsky City Court of 13.06.2019 to extend the period of detention for Britvin and Levchuk until December 3, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190617","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyer Vitaliy Svintsov receives an indictment dated 31.05.2019 on charges of Britvin and Levchuk. An appeal against the decision of the Central District Court of Kemerovo to dismiss the appeal against the challenge of defense counsel is being considered.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190607","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the extension of custody. The measure of restraint was upheld.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190530","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A protocol on familiarization with the materials of the criminal case was signed. When signing, petitions were filed: to terminate the criminal case; on the admission of written documents as evidence in a criminal case; on the delivery of a copy of the indictment to the defense counsel; on changing the measure of restraint for the accused Britvin; on the inclusion in the indictment of the list of persons to be summoned to the court session as witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190517","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo Elena Lapina orders to extend the period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until July 19, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190514","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The decision to extend the measure of restraint was left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190403","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ivanova makes a decision to extend the fourth term of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until 19.05.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190312","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Irina Bilograd upholds the decision to extend Britvin's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190208","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Elena Volkova upholds the decision to extend the period of Levchuk's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190206","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Familiarization of the accused with the materials of the case begins.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190205","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. Efimov, senior investigator of the Kemerovo Region Directorate of the FSB, decides to re-charge Britvin with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190129","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Kemerovo Region E. Efimov decides to re-charge Levchuk with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190128","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Alexander Vyalov, makes a decision to extend the third term of detention of Britvin and Levchuk for 2 months, i.e. until 19.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190116","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Kemerovo Region E. Efimov decides to re-charge Levchuk and Britvin with committing a crime, reclassifying it from part 2 to part 1 of article 282.2.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2019-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20190109","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Vera Slesareva makes a decision to leave unchanged the second decision on the extension of Levchuk's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181205","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court, Alina Lazareva, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend Britvin's second custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181130","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chairman of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Inna Mikhailenko, makes a decision to extend the second period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk in custody for 2 months, i.e. until 19.01.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181114","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Olga Plastinina upholds the decision to extend the first term of Britvin's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181018","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge S. Zarina of the Kemerovo Regional Court makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the first period of detention of Levchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20181010","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Irina Ivanova, makes a decision to extend the period of detention of Britvin and Levchuk in custody for another 2 months, i.e. until 19.11.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180917","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Irina Karimova decides to leave the measure of restraint for Britvin unchanged. Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court Elena Tiunova decides to leave unchanged the measure of restraint for Levchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180810","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Naumova from the Central District Court of Kemerovo makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Britvin and Levchuk for 1 month and 28 days, i.e. until 19.09.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180724","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk were detained. Detention protocols have been drawn up. Both were questioned as suspects. Interrogation protocols have been drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180723","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Britvin was searched and taken to a pre-trial detention center.\nVadim Levchuk was detained and taken to his home. He was searched. A search report has been drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Irina Ivanova, makes a decision to allow a search of Levchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180720","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice E. Suspitsyn, having considered the report of the crime, decides to initiate a criminal case under Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Levchuk and Britvin in Beryozovsky","date":"2018-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky2/index.html#20180719","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, the Federal Security Service of the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 33-year-old Artur Lokhvitsky from Birobidzhan. Arthur was followed by his wife, Anna, and mother, Irina. During the debate in the Birobidzhan District Court, the prosecutor admitted that he did not find anything extremist in the video recordings of the services with the participation of the accused, but he still considered them to be evidence of the continuation of the activities of the banned organization. The prosecutor also admitted that the testimony of prosecution witnesses did not confirm Lokhvitsky\u0026rsquo;s guilt, but nevertheless they could be used as evidence of the continuation of socially dangerous activities. The prosecution demanded 4 years in a general regime colony for a peaceful believer. In February 2021, Judge Olga Klyuchikova handed down a sentence: 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. The regional court held in April 2021, as well as the court of cassation held in December, upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-07-31","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html","prisoners":["lokhvitskiy"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction is holding a hearing of the case of Artur Lokhvitsky via videoconference. The believer continues to insist on his innocence, but the panel of judges chaired by Vera Gorenko upholds the decision of the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20211206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region does not satisfy the appeal of Artur Lokhvitsky, the verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20210408","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, announces the verdict: guilty. The court sentences 35-year-old Artur Lokhvitskiy to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a 3-year probation period and the obligation to report to the police once a month. The verdict has not entered into force and can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20210202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, the prosecutor shall apply for the resumption of investigative actions. Despite the objections of the defense and the defendant, Judge Olga Klyuchikova supports the motion. The court additionally examines 6 of the 25 volumes of the criminal case of Artur Lokhvitsky (recordings of telephone conversations of believers, conclusions of technical and religious examinations). On this basis, she concludes that the believer participated in the activities of an extremist organization, although the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nThe debate of the parties was resumed. The prosecutor repeats the earlier charge for Artur Lokhvitsky - 4 years in prison. The defense argues that the accusation has not been proven and asks the court to acquit the believer.\nThe believer's final speech is scheduled for February 2, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20210121","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the prosecutor admits that nothing extremist was committed during the religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses with the participation of Artur Lokhvitsky. Immediately, the prosecutor interprets the believer's speeches to fellow believers as a continuation of the activities of a banned legal entity, which, in her opinion, indicates the \"public danger and severity\" of his actions by Artur Lokhvitsky.\nThe prosecutor is forced to admit that the prosecution witnesses did not provide any evidence of Lokhvitsky's guilt on the charges against him, but immediately reports that their testimony can be interpreted as confirmation of the continuation of socially dangerous activities.\nAs a punishment for Artur Lokhvitskiy, the prosecutor requests 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of freedom with the obligation to report twice a month to register with the police.\n\"Draconian\" calls the demands of the prosecutor the lawyer of the believer. Speaking in the debate of the parties, he recalled the Russian Constitution, which guarantees citizens freedom of religion, namely the right to communicate with other people on religious topics. During religious meetings, believers did not use forbidden literature, the lawyer emphasizes.\n\"What to punish for? For believing in God? For coming together? They're friends. Who else should they gather with? Their whole life is based on the gospel. Artur Lokhvitsky is not guilty,\" the lawyer declares and asks the court to acquit the believer.\nArtur Lokhvitsky's last speech is scheduled for January 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20201229","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing video recordings of the services that underlie the charges against Lokhvitsky. One of the records mentions the importance of maintaining spiritual, moral and physical purity. The defendant emphasizes that there is nothing in the video that confirms his extremist activities, with which even the prosecutor agrees.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for December 22 at 2:30 p.m. It is planned to continue watching the video and hear the testimony of the defendant. If they are not, the court will immediately proceed to the debate.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20201215","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 10 people in the hall. The court is reviewing discs with recordings of worship services that took place in 2017.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200313","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 listeners come to the hearings. The prosecutor reads out the evidence of the prosecution: materials from the criminal case. Among them is correspondence between believers, in particular, that it is necessary to rely not on the justice of the judicial system, but on Jehovah. The prosecutor also reads out passages from the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200306","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"18 people come to the preliminary hearing. The prosecutor asks the court to remove three from the courtroom as potential witnesses in the case, to which the lawyer objects. He writes down their names in order to appeal this decision, unless these people are later called as witnesses.\nLokhvitsyky re-submits a petition to attach to the case the characteristics - the gratitude issued to him. The judge attaches them to the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200226","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next meeting is attended by 15 listeners. The court refused to satisfy a number of petitions, including the connection of cases and the attachment of characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is hosting the first hearing in the criminal case for faith against Artur Lokhvitsky. About 25 people come to the courtroom to support the believer. The case is being heard by Judge Olga Klyuchikova, the state prosecutor is being heard by N.N. Breycher.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200204","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is ongoing. Lokhvitsky submits 3 petitions. A court-appointed lawyer supports the accused and assists him during the hearing. The court satisfies the request for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case and rejects the petitions for the disqualification of a lawyer and the consolidation of 10 criminal cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200130","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing of the case was postponed due to the failure of the lawyer to appear.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20200129","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is referred to Judge Olga Klyuchikova, who is also hearing the case of Yevgeny Golik. The criminal case is assigned the number 1-51/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20191224","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case against 33-year-old Artur Lokhvitsky for his faith under Article 282.2 (2). According to the investigation, \"in order to disseminate the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses by improving the skills of preaching and other religious activities, a study was carried out ... the publication of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\", recognized as extremist.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lokhvitskiy in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan7/index.html#20190731","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Lonshakov from Russia received a residence permit in Belarus and lived in Brest. On September 29, 2021, security forces came to his apartment and arrested him. The believer was placed in a temporary detention center for 2 days, after which he was sent to a pre-trial detention center until November 8. He learned from Belarusian law enforcement officers that Russia had opened a criminal case against him for extremism and put him on the interstate wanted list. On October 14, 2021, the Prosecutor General\u0026rsquo;s Office of Belarus refused to extradite Lonshakov to the Russian authorities and released him.","date":"2020-05-28","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka/index.html","prisoners":["lonshakov"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Lonshakov in Tavrichanka","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus refuses to extradite Oleg Lonshakov to the Russian authorities. The believer's preventive measure is revoked and released.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lonshakov in Tavrichanka","date":"2021-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka/index.html#20211014","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the city of Brest E. A. Pashkevich makes a decision on the detention of Oleg Lonshakov until November 8, 2021. He was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 7 of the UDIN of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus in the Brest region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lonshakov in Tavrichanka","date":"2021-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka/index.html#20211001","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Belarusian security forces detain Oleg Lonshakov in Brest. From them, the believer learns that in his homeland he is put on the interstate wanted list. The believer is placed in a temporary detention facility for 2 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lonshakov in Tavrichanka","date":"2021-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka/index.html#20210929","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Russian authorities are opening a criminal case against 44-year-old Oleg Lonshakov. He is suspected of organizing extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Lonshakov in Tavrichanka","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tavrichanka/index.html#20200528","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2019, the Investigative Committee for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area opened a case against Nikolay Makhalichev. He was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The Prosecutor General\u0026rsquo;s Office put him on the wanted list. In February 2020, Makhalichev was detained in Belarus, the first time that a Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness persecuted in Russia for his faith was arrested in that country. The Russian authorities sent a request for extradition, but in April the Belarusian side refused to extradite. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations called for Makhalichev not to be handed over, stressing the religious nature of the persecution.","date":"2019-01-31","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html","prisoners":["mahalichev"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Belarus decides to refuse to extradite Nikolai Makhalichev to Russia. He is released from custody on the same day, a few hours before the start of the Lord's Supper, the only celebration among Jehovah's Witnesses that in 2020 was celebrated on April 7 after sunset.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200407","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prosecutor General's Office of Russia sends a request to Belarus for the extradition of Nikolai Makhalichev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200316","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"International and Belarusian human rights activists issue a statement that the extradition of Nikolai Makhalichev to Russia and even his detention in a pre-trial detention center simply because of his religious beliefs violate Belarusian legislation. \"Nikolay Makhalichev has not committed any internationally recognized criminal offence or other offence that is classified as a crime under Belarusian law,\" Amnesty International said in an urgent statement. \"He is being persecuted only because of his exercise of his right to freedom of religion and must be immediately and unconditionally released from detention.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200316","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Gorodok District, Junior Counselor of Justice Zaikin A.N. sends Nikolai Makhalichev into custody with serving in SIZO-2 of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee. In his ruling, the Belarusian prosecutor, referring to the Russian court, claims that Makhalichev acted \"deliberately, motivated by religious intolerance, from extremist motives, expressed in the propaganda of the advantage of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses over other persons ...\", and was also engaged in \"confession and dissemination of ideology and faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200224","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Belarus, law enforcement officers detained 36-year-old Russian Nikolai Makhalichev. He was informed that Russia had put him on the interstate wanted list as part of a case initiated in Urai.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200221","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area), searches are being conducted in 8 homes of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Andrey Sazonov, 38, was arrested.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20200206","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2); religious affiliation is interpreted as \"organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the court decision to liquidate the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Andrey Sazonov (born in 1980) and Nikolai Makhalichev (born in 1984). Previously, believers noticed spying on themselves from cars with tinted windows, so they even had to file a complaint with the police on the helpline.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhalichev in Uray","date":"2019-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray2/index.html#20190131","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2019, searches were carried out in Kaluga at several homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including those of the families of Roman Makhnev and Dmitriy Kuzin. The men were detained and soon sent to a pre‑trial detention center. Both spent six months behind bars, followed by two more months under house arrest. The FSB opened a criminal case on extremism against them as well as another believer. In November 2020, the investigation was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. In March 2024, the investigative actions resumed, and nine months later the case went to court. In the spring of 2026, a verdict was handed down—six and a half years in a general‑regime penal colony each.","date":"2019-06-26","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html","prisoners":["kuzin","makhnev"],"regions":["kaluga"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitriy Kuzin is transferred to another cell, where there are three more prisoners with him. There are a lot of cockroaches in the room, so at night the prisoners leave the lights on. Due to sleep disturbances, the believer developed an arrhythmia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260531","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Makhnev receives letters with a delay. Only the Zonatelecom system is available in the pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260430","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office submits an appeal to the Kaluga Regional Court and asks to toughen the sentence imposed on the believers to 7.5 years in a penal colony. According to the office, the term given — 6.5 years — is too lenient.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260330","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to quarantine, Dmitriy is in the cell alone. Since it is cool there, he dresses warmly and sleeps in his clothes. A man does physical exercises and writes poetry. The believer has a Bible, letters are given to him. Recently, he had a date with his wife and mother.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260322","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman is kept alone in a two-person cell, where round-the-clock video surveillance is conducted. Upon arrival, his Bible was confiscated for inspection. He receives letters and dates.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260321","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Kuzin and Roman Makhnev are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kaluga Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-19T14:51:40+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260319","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Kuzin makes his final statement in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260312","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Makhnev makes his final statement in court. About 50 people attend the hearing, but only 18 of them are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260205","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the closing arguments, Dmitriy Kuzin says that he has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for almost 30 years and gives a reminder: the RF Supreme Court did not evaluate their doctrine and did not ban it.\nThe defendant notes that the illegal actions he is charged with have not been proven, but \"only merely listed in the indictment without supporting evidence.\"\nFor the hearing 45 people turned up, but only 19 are allowed into the hall.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20260122","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Makhnev emphasizes the absence of victims and evidence of illegal activity.\nThe defendant comments on the charge of undermining the constitutional order brought against him as follows: \"I try to live according to Bible commandments, including obeying the laws of the state: I pay taxes, officially registered my marriage, and lead a peaceful life. It means that I am strengthening the foundations of the constitutional system and do not pose a threat to the security of the state.\"\nThe believer draws attention to the fact that witnesses in the case described him positively: \"Not one of them could remember a situation when I or the other defendants physically harmed or insulted anyone.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20251225","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence Kuzin and Makhnev to 7.5 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20251216","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin testify to the court.\n\"For me, as a Christian, extremism, humiliation of human dignity, undermining of the foundations of the constitutional order are unacceptable,\" Roman emphasizes, noting that he has been adhering to this position for more than 30 years.\nThe man talks about violations during the search. \"The operative almost without looking put his hand under the sofa and took out a pack,\" Makhnev notes, recalling the act of planting banned literature. He also describes the harsh treatment he faced: the handcuffs on his hands were tightened so tightly that bruises remained, and he was taken at night to the FSB building, where he was strapped to a heating radiator and left in this position until morning. \"I was chained like a dog,\" he recalls.\nKuzin states that the prosecution witness avoided direct questions and gave false information about the defendants. \"I have never seen her, met her anywhere, and have not talked about anything,\" he emphasizes.\nDmitriy also talks about his position: he loves relatives who do not share his beliefs, maintains good relations with people regardless of their nationality, race or faith. \"I am a non-conflict person and willingly communicate on various topics, so I have no enemies,\" he says. According to him, the Bible teaches to love all people, and he follows this principle. Kuzin mentions that neighbors, colleagues and even the district police officer gave him positive characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20251209","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, Svetlana Kuzina says about her husband, Dmitriy: \"He is a very kind, sympathetic person, honest and absolutely respectable.\" She also states that the believers, on their own initiative, supported the authorities by participating in community clean-up days.\nThe defense motions to exclude the expert study from the evidence. It was conducted by a theologian who graduated from Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University of Humanities. The qualification of the specialist raises doubts about his impartiality in the defense. Furthermore, the expert arbitrarily changed the amount and the wording of the questions put to him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20251119","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kuzin's 88-year-old mother is interrogated. She says: \"Dima is an exemplary son for me, whom one can only dream of, attentive, ready to do everything for me. After a major operation, I became a disabled person of group II, I have many chronic illnesses, and I have a very big memory problem. All this only worsened after suffering from covid twice. For health reasons, I need care, Dima visits me every day, does everything around the house, goes to the store, takes me to the doctors. And all year round after work, he goes every day to the village, where we have a house, a garden, chickens, and he does all this alone. The criminal case against my son was a tragedy for me and for my husband. My husband could not survive this and died last year.\"\nRegarding her son's religious beliefs, the woman says: \"Even under torture, I will never say that he made me believe something.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250925","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the objections of the defense, the court reads out the testimony of two prosecution witnesses who are no longer alive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250528","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of prosecution witnesses continues. The woman says that she was not allowed to tell her relatives where she was: \"I came home [from the interrogation] at 4 am, my relatives called the ambulance, the police, and whatever they could.\"\nAnother woman characterizes Roman Makhnev as a sympathetic person: \"My sockets sparkled, I could not use electrical appliances. I asked him, and he did everything.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250506","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A 70-year-old prosecution witness is interrogated, who tells how the night interrogation in the FSB went. \"My blood pressure rose, the letters blurred,\" the man recalls. \"One asks, the other walks, handcuffs him over his head and says: 'Stop messing with him, pack him up and take him, there he will tell you everything - what is necessary and what is not necessary.'\"\nThe court asks the witness to characterize the accused. He answers: \"In my life, I have met very few such people. They are highly moral people. I know very well how they treat their parents, how they take care of their families. This is rare.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250224","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses who are familiar with the religious beliefs of the defendants are being questioned. They emphasize the fundamental difference between the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and its legal form, LRO, insisting that the religion is not associated with an organization recognized as extremist and does not contain any calls for violence or violation of the law.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses characterizes the defendants as follows: \"They are sympathetic people, law-abiding, always ready to help.\" Two witnesses retract their testimony given during the investigation, citing severe stress during the interrogation. One of them declares: \"Now I am speaking in my right mind and clear memory - this is the truth.\"\n40 people came to support the believers, but 13 are allowed into the courtroom. Court staff are surprised by the size of the support group.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250211","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Defendants Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin do not admit guilt and express their attitude to the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250204","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned in court for several sessions. The testimonies of two more people are read out, since they have already died. Many of those interrogated have known Roman and Dmitriy for more than 20 years and have never heard extremist statements from them. In particular, one of the witnesses characterizes the defendants as decent, benevolent and moral people without bad habits.\nAnother witness states that he does not know Makhnev and Kuzin, and during the search, law enforcement officers at gunpoint forced him to sign blank forms of the interrogation protocol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2025-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20250201","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge changes the measure of restraint for Dmitry Kuzin - from a ban on certain actions to a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20241226","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 5 and a half years of preliminary investigation, the case is submitted to the Kaluga District Court for consideration by Irina Tarelicheva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2024-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20241210","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the investigation into the case of Makhnev and Kuzin has been resumed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20240311","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Kaluga region, Major of Justice E. G. Pavshenko decides to suspend the preliminary investigation of the criminal case due to the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in the region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2020-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20201113","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With regard to Dmitry Kuzin, the ban on leaving the house at night (from 22:00 to 6:00) ceases. The remaining restrictions remain in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20200420","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the judge of the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region, Viktor Potapeiko, house arrest for Dmitry Kuzin is replaced by a ban on certain actions. The initiative to change Kuzin's measure of restraint is made by senior investigator E. Pavshenko. The reason for this is the deteriorating health of the accused, as well as the elderly age of the parents who need care. The investigator also claims that Kuzin does not violate the restrictions imposed on him and is \"characterized satisfactorily.\"\nNow he is forbidden to leave the house at night, communicate with other defendants in the criminal case (with the exception of Dmitry's wife and mother), use communications and the Internet, as well as send and receive postal and telegraph items.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20200220","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department of the FSB extends the term of the preliminary investigation of the case until 04/26/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20200214","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kaluga District Court releases Roman Makhnev from the pre-trial detention center, sending him to house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191225","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kaluga District Court of the Kaluga Region Olga Alabugina releases Dmitry Kuzin from the pre-trial detention center at a closed session, sending him under house arrest for 2 months. The believer spent 182 days in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191224","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 believers are helping the family of Roman Makhnev, eliminating the consequences of a fire in his mother's house.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191215","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["help-providing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of believers until 26.12.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20191026","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kaluga Regional Court acknowledges that during the hearing on 26.08.2019, the lower court did not allow the believers to defend themselves and actually mocked them. For example, according to the audio recording of the hearing, Judge Galina Gobrusenko told Kuzin: \"You are not a prisoner of conscience and have nothing to do with the first Christians, you are not called to gladiatorial fights. And as a follower of Jehovah, you also raise many questions.\" The Court of Appeal notes: \"With such data, it is impossible to talk about the objectivity of the presiding judge.\" The court decided to return the case to the same court for a new trial, but with a different composition. Believers remain in detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190909","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["appeal","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers who are being held in pre-trial detention are writing an open letter to the governor of the Kaluga region, Anatoly Artamonov. Dmitry Kuzin in his letter reports on abuses by FSB officer E. Beijing, who led the search in his apartment.\nRoman Makhnev informs the governor that printed publications were planted in his house, that he demanded to conduct a sweat study of these publications (to identify fingerprints) in order to prove that he or his relatives were not involved in them, but this was not done by the investigation. In addition, Roman Makhnev reports that during the search, which lasted until half past three at night, he was constantly handcuffed, and in the FSB building he was handcuffed to a radiator until the morning and was not fed for two days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190828","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","plant","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Gobrusenko, judge of the Kaluga District Court, extends the arrest of believers for another 2 months. At the same time, the judge commits gross violations and reveals a biased attitude towards believers. The decision is appealed to the Kaluga Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190826","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Kuzin and Roman Makhnev are charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190703","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kaluga District Court elects Roman Makhnev and Dmitry Kuzin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The court stubbornly ignores the atrocities committed by the FSB and evades assessing the circumstances of the detention of believers. It becomes known that 53-year-old Eduard Petrushin became another defendant in the criminal case for his faith; No preventive measure was chosen against him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190628","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["sizo","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a sleepless night, Roman Makhnev is subjected to investigative actions. Neither on June 26, nor on June 27, nor on June 28, he was presented with any food. It was not until June 29 that he was fed breakfast for the first time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190627","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A group of armed masked militants invades the apartment of 87-year-old believer Olga Verevkina. In Kaluga, the FSB raids at least 6 apartments until late at night. Electronic devices, Bibles, scientific books on religious studies are seized from Kaluga residents.\n43-year-old Roman Makhnev claims that banned literature was planted in his house, his 15-year-old daughter is taken outside and forced to stand barefoot in the rain while the house is searched. Roman Makhnev was taken to the FSB building, where he was handcuffed to a pipe and left in this position until the next morning.\nIt becomes known that the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Kaluga Region is initiating a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1) against local Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Makhnev and Kuzin in Kaluga","date":"2019-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaluga/index.html#20190626","regions":["kaluga"],"tags":["search","plant","siloviks-violence","torture","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kaleriya Mamykina, a former chief accountant, peacefully professed the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Officers of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation have been tracking her for more than a year. In May 2019, a criminal case was initiated against the 78-year-old pensioner, the \u0026ldquo;corpus delicti\u0026rdquo; of which is talking about religion with friends whom she invited to her home. It took 7 months of investigation for Lieutenant Colonel Roman Shagarov and other investigators to be convinced that there was no corpus delicti in the actions of the believer. The criminal case was closed. Kaleriya began to seek the rehabilitation of her good name in connection with the illegal criminal prosecution, but in June 2021 she contracted the coronavirus and died.","date":"2019-05-07","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk/index.html","prisoners":[],"regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Mamykina in Arkhangelsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that Kaleria Mamykina died from complications caused by COVID-19. She did not wait for the results of her rehabilitation, which would have included an official apology from the prosecutor, compensation for material and moral damage.\nIn November 2019, senior investigator Lieutenant Colonel Roman Shagarov dismissed the criminal case against the believer on rehabilitative grounds, considering that she \"exercised her constitutional right to freedom of religion, and they [the investigators] did not find corpus delicti under the extremist article.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mamykina in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-06-18T14:47:57+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk/index.html#20210618","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator R. Shagarov terminates the criminal case against Kaleria Mamykina, arguing that she \"exercised her right to freedom of religion\" provided for by the Constitution. Receiving fellow believers in her home, Mamykina \"had no intention of participating in the activities of a [banned] religious organization.\" Thus, the woman's actions do not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mamykina in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk/index.html#20191127","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, she continued the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Mamykina Kaleria (born in 1941).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mamykina in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk/index.html#20190507","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Taras Kuzio from Yalta, the father of two minor children, suspecting him of financing an extremist organization. A series of searches and the arrest of Kuzio followed. In July of the same year, a criminal case was opened against his wife Daria Kuzo, as well as Petr Zhiltsov, Sergey Lyulin and Tadevos Manukyan. Later, Manukyan's case was separated into separate proceedings.","date":"2021-07-29","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta4/index.html","prisoners":["manukyan"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Manukyan in Yalta","type":"cases"},{"body":"In April 2017, the families of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses came to the attention of the FSB officers in the Murmansk region. A year later, a series of searches took place in Polyarny, after which 13 citizens, including the minor Violetta Markina, were taken for interrogations, which lasted until 6 a.m. the next day. Investigator A. V. Gulin considered prayers and reading the Bible dangerous acts for the state. Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. They spent another 4 months under house arrest. After 20 court hearings, the prosecutor requested 6 years in prison for Roman Markin and 6 years and 5 months for Viktor Trofimov. On January 24, 2020, Viktoriya Loginova, a judge of the Polyarny District Court, sentenced the believers to fines: Viktor Trofimov in the amount of 350,000 rubles, and Roman Markin - 300,000 rubles. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-04-12","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html","prisoners":["markin","trofimov"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Third Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in St. Petersburg, Denis Savelyev, leaves the verdict and the appeal ruling against Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20211216","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway in the Murmansk City Court. Judge Roman Goraskov leaves the verdict of the Polar City Court unchanged - to recover fines from Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin in the amount of 350,000 and 300,000 rubles, respectively.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2020-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20200525","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal of Markin and Trofimov was accepted in the Murmansk Regional Court. Case No. 22-339/2020 is referred to Judge Roman Goraskov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20200227","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Polyarny, believers Markin and Trofimov are filing an appeal against a conviction handed down to them for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2020-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20200203","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktoriya Loginova, judge of the Polyarny District Court, announces the verdict. Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were found guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Viktor Trofimov was sentenced to a fine of 350,000 rubles, Roman Markin - 300,000 rubles. (The court took into account that the believers spent six months in pre-trial detention, so it reduced the fine imposed on them from 650,000 and 600,000 rubles to 350,000 and 300,000 rubles, respectively.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20200124","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks the court to sentence Roman Markin to 6 years in prison, and Viktor Trofimov to 6 years and 5 months in prison. In turn, in the last word, the believers ask the court to fully acquit them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2020-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20200115","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case begin. Further hearings are held on 17.07.2019, 18.07.2019, 24.07.2019, 01.08.2019, 07.08.2019, 14.08.2019, 21.08.2019, 04.09.2019, 11.09.2019, 16.09.2019, 26.09.2019, 02.10.2019, 11.11.2019, 13.11.2019, 19.11.2019, 26.11.2019, 02.12.2019, 12.12.2019 and 26.12.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190709","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190528","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Polyarny District Court and referred to Judge Victoria Loginova for consideration. The case is assigned the number 1-23/2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190527","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov were indicted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190517","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office of the Kola district of the Murmansk region signs the indictment, the final document in which the investigators had to justify their attacks on peaceful law-abiding believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190402","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator notifies the believers of the completion of the investigative actions and the transition to the stage of familiarizing the accused with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190319","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court cancels the house arrest of Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov. The investigator chooses a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2019-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20190207","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Polyarny District Court extends the house arrest of Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov for 2 months, until 11.02.2019\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20181207","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court puts Roman Markin and Viktor Trofimov under house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20181010","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Viktor Trofimov's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180705","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Roman Markin's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180625","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court extends the arrest of Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin for 5 months and 24 days at once.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180608","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is transferred to the investigator Gulin A.V. for development.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180518","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Roman Markin's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180507","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not satisfy Viktor Trofimov's complaint against the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180430","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Polyarny District Court sent Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180423","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Local residents Viktor Trofimov and Roman Markin were charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. They were detained for 48 hours, then for another 72 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180419","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 19:00, simultaneous searches begin in 7 houses, the last of them ends at 4 am. The interrogations of 13 people continue throughout the night until 6 am.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180418","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region initiates a criminal case against Viktor Trofimov and other unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180412","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB declares the \"discovery of a crime\" and transfers the case for investigation to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region. Joint prayers and Bible readings are interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2018-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20180329","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hidden video cameras are installed in the apartments of the residents of Polyarny, whom the FSB considers Jehovah's Witnesses. Surveillance at the request of the FSB is authorized by the Northern Naval Military Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Markin and Trofimov in Polyarny","date":"2017-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/polyarny/index.html#20171101","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 19, 2019, the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia opened a criminal case against Dmitry Maslov from Minusinsk, accusing him of organizing extremist activities. The basis for the accusation was that the believer organized a hike in the mountains for his friends. Investigator Viktor Kolenichenko authorized and conducted searches of Dmitry himself and other Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Minusinka. In December 2019, the criminal case was submitted to the Minusinsk City Court, it was considered by Judge Viktor Fomichev. During the trial, none of the interrogated witnesses confirmed Maslov\u0026rsquo;s guilt, however, in June 2021, the court imposed a fine of 450,000 rubles on the believer. In October of the same year, the appeal upheld the verdict, and in June 2022 it was finally approved by the Court of Cassation.","date":"2019-04-19","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html","prisoners":["maslov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Kemerovo), chaired by Sergey Pelevin, leaves unchanged the verdict and the appeal ruling against Dmitry Maslov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20220615","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, chaired by Vladimir Granenkin, refuses to satisfy Dmitry Maslov's appeal. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20211005","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict is announced: to find Dmitry Maslov guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a fine of 450,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20210602","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court postpones the announcement of the verdict until June 2.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20210528","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing is postponed to May 28.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2021-05-21T15:54:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20210521","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Minusinsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6 years in prison for Dmitry Maslov in a general regime colony.\nThe next court session, at which the believer may deliver his last word, is scheduled for March 29. On the same day, the court may issue a verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20210316","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is being interrogated. Dmitry Maslov draws attention to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, which did not assess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but banned the activities of legal entities. But discussing the Bible with other people, praying to God together, and singing songs are not extremist. I lead a peaceful life, respect the law and authority.\"\nHe explains that the prosecution mistakenly interprets the ordinary life of a believer as illegal actions. Unlike the local religious organization as a legal entity that was engaged in economic activities in Minusinsk, Dmitry Maslov, as a private person, exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20201229","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings continue in the Minusinsk City Court. Dmitry Maslov petitions for the termination of the criminal case on the basis of the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as well as for a review of some of the material evidence seized during the search: the film \"The Courage of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Face of Nazism\" and the book about Jehovah's Witnesses by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko. Judge Viktor Fomichev rejects the first motion and allows the defendant to use only the seized book.\nThe court is interrogating 3 defense witnesses who have known Dmitry for a long time (some have known him for more than 10 years). They state that the defendant never imposed his beliefs on them, did not introduce himself as a member of the Local Religious Organization, did not invite them to its meetings and did not offer them any literature. Also, they did not hear from Dmitry any criticism of the state authorities or other faiths. Although the witnesses for the defense profess other religions, they speak of the believer as an honest, kind, sociable, punctual person and an impeccable worker.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20201215","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Minusinsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (Minusinsk, Gogol St., 66 A).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2020-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20200522","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was postponed to May 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20200416","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Minusinsk District Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to investigators, he organized religious performances at a religious service. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Dmitry Maslov (born in 1976).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Maslov in Minusinsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/minusinsk/index.html#20190419","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Intelligence officers gained access to telephone conversations of Sergey Melnikov from Ussuriysk, which he conducted from April to June 2018. Later, they introduced agent provocateur Konstantin Belousov, who asked Sergey to tell him about the Bible. In June 2019, the believer was detained in his own car. Investigator E. S. Marvanyuk charged him with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later investigator V. V. Golsky reclassified the charge to participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer spent 122 days in a pre-trial detention center, 145 days under house arrest and then was placed under recognizance agreement. The prosecutor returned the case for further investigation. In the summer of 2020, the case was submitted to the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai. On February 3, 2022, Judge Dmitry Babushkin sentenced Sergey Melnikov to 3 years of suspended sentence. The appellate court upheld this verdict in May 2022. In December of the same year, the Court of Cassation of Ussuriysk upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-06-05","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html","prisoners":["melnikov"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Court of Cassation in Ussuriysk upheld the sentence to Sergey Melnikov - 3 years of suspended imprisonment. Earlier, such a sentence was passed on the believer by the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20221213","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court in Vladivostok approves the verdict to Sergei Melnikov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20220512","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer delivers the last word.\nThe judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai, Dmitry Babushkin, finds Sergey Melnikov guilty and sentences him to 3 years probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20220203","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor requests a 4-year suspended sentence for Sergey Melnikov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20211116","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearings, at which the debate was to begin, did not take place due to the illness of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20210915","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Babushkin. Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai (95 Frunze St., Ussuriysk).\nThe judge, at the request of the defence, attaches the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20210517","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Babushkin. Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai (95 Frunze St., Ussuriysk).\nThe court listens to audio recordings of Sergey's conversations with Konstantin Belousov (FSB agent) on biblical topics. The files were obtained during operational search activities called \"Operational Experiment\", conducted from December 2018 to June 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20210204","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Babushkin. Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai (95 Frunze St., Ussuriysk).\nThe prosecutor states that the remaining prosecution witnesses will not be questioned, as they are not witnesses to the events.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20201204","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Babushkin. Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai (95 Frunze St., Ussuriysk).\nThe first court hearing is held. The judge granted Sergey Melnikov's request to include the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\nThe motion to terminate the criminal prosecution and to refuse a lawyer shall be rejected. The prosecutor announces the charges. The defendant expresses his attitude to the charge.\nSergey says that after becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he became a member of an international theocratic religious organization: \"An international religious organization is not a legal organization. This is the general canonical name adopted in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which means all the inhabitants of the earth who are servants of Jehovah God ... This organization is engaged in worldwide biblical educational activities... This preaching campaign was started by Jesus Christ in the first century A.D.\"\nSergey recalls that earlier in his testimony, Konstantin Belousov confirmed that Sergey did not impose on him conversations about the Bible and did not encourage him to become Jehovah's Witness. Defendant Melnikov explains: \"This accusation is puzzling, to say the least. The investigator accuses me of teaching K.E. Belousov the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not actually prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20200722","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Babushkin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20200611","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnikov and his lawyer receive the indictment for review.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20200608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the prosecutor's office returned the case of Sergei Melnikov for further investigation. The Investigative Committee should conduct a linguistic examination of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20200327","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory V.V. Golsky reclassifies the charge from Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe measure of restraint for Sergei Melnikov was changed from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20200225","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ussuriysk District Court Galina Lazareva changes the measure of restraint for Sergey Melnikov from detention to house arrest. The case against the peaceful believer has not been closed, he still faces up to 10 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20191004","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnikov is detained in his own car during a conversation with a man whom he met over the past year and who, together with his two friends, took him out to talk about faith. After the arrest, Sergey's house is searched, his laptop and phones are seized. The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention. He was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ussuriysk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20190605","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Ussuriysk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory Marvanyuk E.S. initiates a criminal case against Sergey Melnikov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Melnikov in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk3/index.html#20190508","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 25, 2019, A. E. Leontiev, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Perm Territory, opened a criminal case against 43-year-old Aleksey Metzger for participation in extremist activities (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) solely on the basis that he professes the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. It is based on audio recordings of peaceful discussion of biblical teachings by believers. Aleksey\u0026rsquo;s case was separated from the criminal case of Aleksandr Solovyov, another believer from Perm. Thanks to his faith, Alexey was able to get rid of bad habits and create a strong family. Despite all this, the investigation charged a simple civil engineer with a serious criminal article. On November 14, 2019, Judge Svetlana Chereneva from the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm found the believer guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 350 thousand rubles. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation dismissed the appeal against the decision of the lower court.","date":"2019-06-10","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html","prisoners":["metsger"],"regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Metsger in Perm","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk, chaired by Judge Dmitry Kurin, leaves unchanged the verdict and the appellate ruling to Alexei Metzger.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20210421","regions":["perm"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Perm Regional Court upholds the verdict of the lower court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2020-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20200113","regions":["perm"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court announced the guilty verdict: to appoint Alexei Metzger a fine of 350 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191114","regions":["perm"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant delivers the last word.\nThe announcement of the verdict is scheduled for November 14, 13:00 Moscow time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191112","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judicial pleadings. The prosecutor requests 3 years of imprisonment for the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191105","regions":["perm"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to satisfy the motions of the defense to return the criminal case to the prosecutor and terminate the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191030","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The new prosecutor is reprimanded by the judge for being 30 minutes late. The court finishes listening to the audio recording of the liturgical meeting. An audio recording of a conversation on a spiritual topic that took place between Sherstobitov, Metzger and Solovyov in the apartment of the former is also heard. The lawyer notes in the debate that the purpose of the conversation was to help the Sherstobitov family.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191029","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins listening to the audio recording of the liturgical meeting held in the House of Culture. Listeners follow the reading of passages from the Bible on their electronic devices.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191028","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge examines positive references from Metzger's place of work and neighbors, as well as material evidence (books, brochures, personal notes). The decision of the ECHR in the case of the Moscow community is read out. The judge granted the request to listen to two audio recordings - according to the investigation, these are recordings of divine services.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for October 28 and 29. The debate of the parties will be held on November 5.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191025","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three witnesses were interrogated - Metzger's fellow believer, including Alexander Solovyov, who had previously been convicted in a similar case. The court attaches documents that neither Metzger nor the prosecution witnesses were ever members of the LRO, and a copy of the brochure that the believers discussed on 17.12.2017. Metzger summarizes the content of the article. The court attaches a response from the Ministry of Justice that this brochure is not included in the list of extremist materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191024","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Replacement of the State Advocate. 5 people from the prosecution were interrogated, including the chief accountant of the house of culture, where, according to the investigation, the service of the members of the LRO took place. The accountant reports that she has never seen the accused. The other four witnesses questioned in the case are former Jehovah's Witnesses. They confirm that neither they nor Alexei Metzger were members of the LRO. None of them had ever heard Metzger call for extremist action.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191022","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the delay of the public defender, the meeting is postponed to October 22, 11:00 local time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191017","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of the three prosecution witnesses testified, none appears in court. The prosecution asks to read out their testimony without personal presence, the defense does not agree and asks to ensure their forced appearance. The judge grants the request. The prosecution selectively reads out 6 volumes of the criminal case.\nThe hearing will continue on October 17 at 10:30 a.m., if the prosecution ensures the appearance of its witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191015","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge does not grant the defendant's request to refuse the state lawyer. The interests of Alexei Metzger are represented by lawyer Chernykh A.V. The defense files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor due to gross technical errors, falsifications and other violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\nAt the initiative of the prosecution, former Jehovah's Witness Alexander Sherstobitov is being questioned. During the interrogation, curious situations arise in which the distortion of information on the part of the witness becomes obvious. Sherstobitov accuses Jehovah's Witnesses of threatening him by reading the Bible and demanding that they \"bring money to the LRO.\" In the hall, sometimes the laughter of listeners is heard, realizing the absurdity of such testimony. One of the listeners even leaves the hall as a sign of indignation. Prosecutor A.V. Tyutikova briefly announces the indictment. Representatives of the press, including federal media, are present in the hall.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191014","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing in the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm. Judge Svetlana Chereneva rejects the motion to exclude evidence.\nThe main hearing in the case is scheduled for October 14 at 14:00 local time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20191001","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor signs and hands the indictment to Alexei Metzger. The case goes to court. A date for a preliminary hearing has not yet been set.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190919","regions":["perm"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Metzger was officially charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190822","regions":["perm"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Perm Regional Court upholds the verdict against Solovyov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190805","regions":["perm"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm found Aleksandr Solovyov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to a fine of 300,000 rubles instead of the 3.5 years in prison requested by the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190704","regions":["perm"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. Leontiev, an investigator for especially important cases, initiates a criminal case against Alexei Metzger under Part 2 of Article 282.2.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190425","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexei Metzger is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20190326","regions":["perm"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who had previously attended such meetings comes to the Chekhov Palace of Culture for worship of a religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses. Using a recording device issued by an operational officer, he makes an audio recording of the peaceful discussion of biblical teachings and prophecies by believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2017-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20171217","regions":["perm"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A married couple who previously attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, secretly using dictaphones, conducts conversations with Solovyov and Metzger on religious topics at home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Metsger in Perm","date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm/index.html#20171214","regions":["perm"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2022, Yelena Mironova was searched as part of a criminal case against Yevgeniy Bushev. In March 2025, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the woman accusing her in extremism. She was placed under a recognizance agreement and later included on Rosfinmonitoring list. In October 2025, a second criminal case was initiated against Yelena — for financing extremist activity. The case was sent to court in February 2026.","date":"2025-03-14","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html","prisoners":["mironova"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Witness Denis Polikarpov, who had previously attended meetings for worship and feigned interest in the Bible, was questioned at the court hearing. During the interrogation, it turns out that his testimony differs from his earlier answers at the preliminary investigation. More than 10 people come to court to support Elena Mironova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20260420","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge. The judge denies the believer the right to announce her attitude towards him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20260408","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Mironova's case was submitted to the Sovetsky District Court of Chelyabinsk and transferred to Judge Valery Myagotin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20260217","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena is charged under two articles at once. The investigator takes from the believer a recognizance agreement and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20251114","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Baltachev opened a second criminal case against Yelena, this time under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The ruling alleges that she \"deliberately financed extremist activities ... by placing at the disposal of participants in illegal extremist activities an apartment at their place of residence.\" This is how the investigation interprets the friendly communication of fellow believers in her house.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20251008","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Mironova is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring - her bank accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20250331","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Baltachev presents Elena Mironova with a decision to initiate a criminal case, interrogates her as a suspect and takes her on her recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20250318","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice V. E. Baltachev, Senior Investigator of the Third Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against Elena Mironova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the woman \"took part ... in religious meetings and gatherings... holding conversations with residents of Chelyabinsk, watching educational videos.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20250314","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Mironova is interrogated and released.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20220909","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Mironova is being searched as part of a criminal case against Yevgeniy Bushev. Law enforcement officers break down the front door to the apartment and film the search.\nThe believer's laptop, phone, hard drives, personal records and passport were confiscated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Mironova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk12/index.html#20220908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2019, V. Obukhov, an investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, opened a criminal case against Konstantin Moiseenko, accusing him of \u0026ldquo;organizing a meeting of followers \u0026hellip; of a religious organization.\u0026rdquo; A few days later, the believer was searched and placed on recognizance not to leave. The prosecution relied on data obtained by an embedded FSB agent: the woman took notes of worship services. In August 2020, the case was submitted to the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region for consideration by Judge Alexander Kozlov. In October of the same year, searches were carried out in Zeya of believers who were witnesses in the Moiseenko case, and a separate criminal case was initiated against two of them. In July 2021, the court convicted Konstantin Moiseenko. Two months later, the court of appeal upheld it - 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year. In February 2022, the Court of Cassation also upheld this decision.","date":"2019-03-11","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html","prisoners":["moiseyenko"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upholds the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20220215","regions":["amur"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Amur Regional Court of Blagoveshchensk leaves the guilty verdict unchanged: Konstantin Moiseenko was sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years and an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20210909","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6 years in a penal colony for Konstantin Moiseenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2021-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20210702","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Moiseyenko testifies in his defense.\nA petition is filed to study the decisions of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, the Opinions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the working group on arbitrary meetings of the UN, the conclusions of various expert institutions on the absence of extremism in the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses and refuting the arguments of the prosecution about the danger to the state of the practice of religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe defendant also draws the court's attention to the opinion of the Government of the Russian Federation that the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017 does not contain a ban on professing the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe positive characteristics of the defendant, which were provided by relatives and neighbors, are attached to the case.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for July 2, 2021 at 09:00. Debates of the parties are planned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2021-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20210623","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new state prosecutor, Timur Khvaleev, enters the process.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20210513","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, senior FSB operative Nikolai Korendov, is being interrogated.\nHe reports that the operational-search measures were carried out with the involvement of an agent, who was equipped with special equipment for audio and video recordings at the place of religious meetings, which made it possible to collect additional certificates and conduct searches.\nKorendov explains that the gatherings of Jehovah's Witnesses consist of chants and Bible reading. The witness confirms that the decision of the Supreme Court of the year does not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nHe also says that Jehovah's Witnesses are known to him for not resorting to violence in resolving conflicts and for adhering to high moral standards.\nThe witness confirms that he never heard from the defendant calls for the overthrow of state power, any violence or aggression against representatives of other religions or nationalities.\nIn addition, the witness knows that according to the law, the Bible, its content and quotations taken from this book cannot be considered extremist.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20210421","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court announces the results of a religious study by expert Olga Averina. Contrary to official statements by the Russian authorities that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion in groups, she claims: \"The very fact that meetings of followers of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses are held is evidence of the continuation of the activities of the [banned] organization.\" However, the defendant clarifies that in such an opinion lies a misleading error, since the concept of \"cult\" or \"confession\", which the Supreme Court did not prohibit, is confused with the concept of \"legal entity\". After all, the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation concerned the ban on only 396 legal entities registered in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20201208","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the request to dismiss the criminal case, but attaches to the materials the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the implementation of the judgments of the European Court in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20201124","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, only participants in the trial are allowed into the courtroom. As an exception, the judge allows the defendant's wife to attend this and all subsequent hearings.\nThe court refuses to merge the cases of Konstantin Moiseenko and Vasily Reznichenko into one. At the meeting, transcripts of video recordings of worship services are announced. On the instructions of the FSB, they were made by a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible.\nA witness is being questioned by the prosecution. He confirms that Konstantin Moiseyenko never advocated the overthrow of state power or violent change of the constitutional order, did not call for genocide and deportation of citizens on religious grounds, and did not call for any other illegal actions against them. The witness also says that the defendant never claimed the natural, biological superiority or inferiority of a person in connection with his social, racial, national, religious or linguistic affiliation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20201027","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At least 8 searches are taking place in Zeya. According to preliminary information, criminal cases were initiated against 2 local residents for not giving up their religion. Phones and laptops are seized from believers.\nAt least some of those searched are witnesses in the criminal case of Konstantin Moiseenko.\nInvestigative actions are supervised by Konstantin Senin, senior investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20201013","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 volumes of criminal case No. 1190710000100016 against Konstantin Moiseenko under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are sent to the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region. Judge Alexander Kozlov scheduled the hearing for 10:00 on September 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20200825","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. S. Obukhov re-charges Moiseenko under the same article (part 1 of article 282.2).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20200708","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the home of Moiseenko and several other believers. Laptops, phones, personal records were seized. Moiseenko was brought in as an accused, he was taken on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20190321","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, an investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 42-year-old Konstantin Moiseenko. According to investigators, he \"organized meetings of followers ... of a religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moiseyenko in Zeya","date":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya2/index.html#20190311","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On November 5, 2019, the Khabarovsk Regional Court handed down the final verdict in the case of Valeriy Moskalenko - a fine of 500,000 rubles. Previously, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court sentenced the peaceful believer to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom. The believer was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code on the grounds that on April 21, 2018, he, \u0026ldquo;acting intentionally\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;with observance of conspiracy measures\u0026rdquo;, participated in a worship service of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The believer was thrown behind bars in August 2018 after the Khabarovsk FSB searched Valeriy\u0026rsquo;s home in his absence. For more than a year, the elderly single mother was deprived of her son\u0026rsquo;s support. In court, the expert stated that the words from Christ\u0026rsquo;s Sermon on the Mount, which Moskalenko discussed among fellow believers, \u0026ldquo;are evidence of exclusivity propaganda and a call to continue the activities of a banned organization.\u0026rdquo; The prosecution also relied on the testimony of a witness, who stated in court that he did not know Valeriy and did not sign the interrogation protocol. The believer does not agree with the verdict and is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.","date":"2018-08-01","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html","prisoners":["moskalenko"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court commutes the sentence of Valery Moskalenko, replacing forced labor with a fine of 500 thousand rubles for reading an excerpt from Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Taking into account 396 days in the pre-trial detention center, the court exempts him from paying this fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20191105","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 16:00, the Khabarovsk Regional Court began hearing on the appeal against the verdict against Valery Moskalenko. The defense filed motions, after which the court announced a break due to the end of working hours. ","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20191010","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ivan Belykh orders that Moskalenko be sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of forced labor and 6 months of restricted freedom. The defense intends to appeal the verdict. ","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190902","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor said he was not ready for the debate. But he brought a religious scholar to the hearing, and the court agreed with the prosecutor's request for his interrogation. At the same time, the court denied both requests to the defense. First, the lawyers asked the court to attach to the case copies from various translations of the Bible, certified by the Khabarovsk library, proving that the words from the Gospel that Moskalenko quoted from the \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" are in all translations of the Bible. Secondly, the lawyers unsuccessfully requested that an extract from the Federal List of Extremist Materials (FSEM) be attached to the case, clearly showing that the \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" was included in the FSEM on July 27, 2018 (and the action imputed to Moskalenko took place in April of the same year).\nThe beginning of the debate in the case was postponed to August 30, 2019 at 14:00 (local time). During the debate, the prosecutor will announce what, in the opinion of the prosecutors, Valery Moskalenko deserves punishment for reading the Gospel. Probably, on the same day, Valery Moskalenko will address the court with the last word of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190828","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session began with the fact that the defense filed a motion to exclude evidence as inadmissible, namely examinations that were carried out with gross violations of the law. The court rejected the application. Then Moskalenko testified and explained to the court that his performance in the hotel complex \"Yerofey\" was peaceful. He discussed what Jesus Christ taught in the Sermon on the Mount. The next hearing is scheduled for August 28, 2019. The debate of the parties is expected to begin, during which it will become clear what punishment the prosecutor's office will request for Valery Moskalenko\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190815","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing is devoted to the interrogation of prosecution witness Alena Paevshchik, an expert psychologist of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, who conducted a psychological and linguistic examination of video recordings of conversations about the Bible that Moskalenko conducted in April 2018. She considered that the words of Jesus Christ quoted by Valery Moskalenko from the Sermon on the Mount are proof of propaganda of exclusivity and calls for the continuation of the activities of the banned organization. In addition, Valeria Moskalenko's sister acted as a witness for the defense. In court, she explained that he was an example for her. She noticed that his faith had a positive effect on his brother.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for August 15, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190813","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is devoted to the questioning of prosecution witnesses who were supposed to recall that Valery Moskalenko used the rented premises in the spring of 2018 to conduct talks about the Bible. Witnesses gave contradictory testimony.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for August 13, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is devoted to the questioning of prosecution witnesses. The state prosecutor was replaced, the prosecution was supported by A. Grigorenko. During the interrogation of one of the witnesses, the latter told the court that he had not testified against V. Moskalenko and did not know him at all. He told the court that he did not sign the record of the interrogation of the witness. It is worth noting that on the basis of his alleged testimony, Moskalenko has been held in a pre-trial detention center for almost a year. Then, at the request of the prosecutor, the court viewed a video of a Bible study with believers in the Yerofey hotel complex.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190724","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is devoted to the announcement of the charges by the state prosecutor A. Uvarova. After that, the state prosecutor proposed to interrogate a secret witness who, in the opinion of the investigation, could tell about the continuation of V. Moskalenko's activities in an extremist organization. The witness testified that the concept of a local religious organization first appeared after April 21, 2017, this concept had never existed before and Jehovah's Witnesses were considered a worldwide religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190718","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits of the charges begin in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court. A preliminary hearing is being held under the chairmanship of Judge I. Belykh.\nThe court rejected all the motions of the defense and extended the term of detention of V. Moskalenko for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190708","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court I. Belykh makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 07/31/2019. Valery Moskalenko will be in custody for almost a year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190528","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. Pozdnyakov makes a decision to bring Valery Moskalenko as an accused. He was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190429","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Alexander Ermolaev, issues a decree on the seizure of postal items and electronic messages addressed to Moskalenko and the production of their inspection.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190404","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Ivan Belykh, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 05/31/2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190328","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kirovsky district court Babiy makes a decision on the restoration of the procedural period for appealing the decision to seize and inspect postal and electronic items in the name of Moskalenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A petition was filed to restore the deadline for filing an appeal against the arrest of Moskalenko's correspondence.\nAn appeal was filed against the decision to seize and inspect postal and electronic items in the name of Moskalenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190225","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk, Sergey Babiy, issues a decree on the seizure and inspection of postal and electronic items in the name of Moskalenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190128","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Tatyana Toropenko, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.04.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20190122","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The complaint \"Moskalenko v. Russia\" was sent to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to consider it as a priority in accordance with the policy of the Strasbourg Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181218","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["echr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court Maxim Vergasov makes a decision to cancel the decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk to extend the period of detention by 2 months, i.e. until 01.02.2018 and to make a new decision to extend the period by 2 months, and in total up to 5 months 29 days, i.e. until 01.02.2018 (the measure of restraint is the same).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181203","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Aleksey Gorlach, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.02.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181123","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Valentina Nem, makes a decision to cancel the decision of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk dated 09/26/2018 and to make a new decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 12/01/2018 (the preventive measure is the same).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20181008","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, Natalia Taranushchenko, makes a decision to extend the period of detention for 2 months, i.e. until 01.12.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180926","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Lyubov Volkova, decides to leave the measure of restraint unchanged, the complaints of lawyers - without satisfaction.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180820","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway at the home of a family of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180816","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Railway Court of Khabarovsk Natalia Firsova makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint for Valery Moiseenko in the form of detention for a period of 1 month 29 days, i.e. until 01.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180803","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 11:00 a.m., a search of Moskalenko's apartment begins in his absence. Valery himself comes home at about 12:00, after which the search continues until about 16:00. Then he was detained, taken to the investigation department, interrogated as a suspect. Protocols of detention and interrogation have been drawn up.\nInvestigator D. Pozdnyakov makes a decision to bring Moskalenko as an accused and obtain voice samples from him. He was questioned as an accused. A record of the interrogation of the accused has been drawn up.\nSearches are being conducted at five addresses where believers live.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180802","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Pozdnyakov, having considered the report of the crime, decides to initiate a criminal case against Valery Moskalenko on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe deputy head of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Captain of Justice M. Eremin, entrusts the production to an investigation team headed by a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Pozdnyakov.\nJudge of the Railway Court of Khabarovsk Svetlana Zherebtsova makes a decision to allow a search of Moskalenko's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Moskalenko in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk5/index.html#20180801","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2024, Igor Muravyov, a resident of St. Petersburg, was searched. Four months earlier, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him under charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization for holding conversations on biblical topics. Immediately after the search, Igor was detained and placed in custody. In August 2024, the believer was charged under Articles 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, in September the case went to court, and in October it was returned to the prosecutor. In February, the case went to court again, and in June 2025, a fine of 600,000 rubles was passed.","date":"2023-12-07","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html","prisoners":["muravyov"],"regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge Dmitriy Sivenkov finds Muravyov guilty and imposes a fine of 600,000 rubles on him. He is released from the detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20250611","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Muravyov is being held in a double cell. It is warm and the conditions are normal. Igor is still in dire need of medical attention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20241101","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge returns the case of Igor Muravyov to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20241028","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kalininskiy District Court of St. Petersburg. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Sivenkov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240916","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives sent Igor a Bible in a parcel, but they do not give it to him. Only after several months in the pre-trial detention center, the believer was able to get a Bible in the library of the pre-trial detention center. The man is supported by letters from different countries.\nIgor suffers from a number of serious chronic illnesses, but he does not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe investigator charges the believer under Articles 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240826","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"60-year-old Igor Muravyov is chosen as a restriction measure - detention. The believer is placed in the Kresty pre-trial detention center in St. Petersburg.\nIgor's state of health is bad. He is not given any medication and is not provided with the dietary food he needs. The application to the medical unit for assistance has not yet been answered.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240405","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In St. Petersburg, Igor Muravyov's house is searched, he is detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240402","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator initiates a second criminal case against Igor Muravyov, this time under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and merges it with the first.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20240206","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is opened against Igor Muravyov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20231207","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The man communicates with Igor Muravyov and other believers on biblical topics via video conferencing, recording their conversations on video.\nHe then hands over the discs with the recordings of the conversations to the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Muravyov in Saint Petersburg","date":"2022-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk2/index.html#20220101","regions":["stpetersburg"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2024, at least 8 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched in Moscow and Lyubertsy near Moscow. The day before, the Moscow Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Oksana Ivanova, Larisa Kislaya, Liliana Korol, Darya Petrochenko and Zaur Murtuzov. The reason was the conversations of believers about the Bible with Olga Grigoriyeva, who imitated an interest in this book. Five Jehovah’s Witnesses were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. Later, Murtuzov, Korol and Petrochenko were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and Kislaya and Ivanova were placed under house arrest. In May 2025, Tatyana Levitskaya’s house was searched as part of the case. She was detained and placed under house arrest. In October, Liliana Korol was transferred to house arrest. The case of six believers went to court in December.","date":"2024-12-04","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html","prisoners":["levitskaya","ivanovao","kislaya","koroll","murtuzov","petrochenko"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"The interrogation of Olga Grigorieva, witness for the prosecution, continues. When asked by the lawyer whether any of the defendants involved her in an extremist organization, she answers in the negative.\nAbout 45 people come to the hearing to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-05-15T14:16:01+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260515","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to an audio recording of a conversation between Oksana Ivanova and Daria Petrochenko, made during the operational investigative measures. The believers talk about Bible topics, and also discuss relationships in marriage. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the defendants' reflection on their own religious path does not constitute a crime.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-05-01T15:24:33+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260501","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, an audio recording of a conversation between Liliana Korol and Daria Petrochenko is listened to, in which the believers discuss how to make Bible reading more exciting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260430","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense objects to the reading out of the testimony of witness Grigorieva, pointing out that in the court session she was declared under a different name - \"Gromykina\".\nDuring the interrogation, Daria asks the witness whether the date of issue of the passport in the name of \"Grigorieva\" is true. The witness confirms the specified date. This episode is of significant importance, since the passport was issued long before the witness's meeting with Daria, which may indicate a possible preliminary preparation of the witness for provocative actions.\nThe judge summons investigator Y. Shumilova to find out who was interrogated during the preliminary investigation - Gromykin or Grigoriev. The investigator explains that the prosecution witness Gromykina was introduced to her by an FSB officer as Grigorieva and presented a passport in this name.\nDaria Petrochenko asks the prosecution witness: what seemed illegal to her in their correspondence and prompted her to contact the FSB? Grigorieva replies that the reason was the name Jehovah. Daria asks if this name is banned. The witness cannot answer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260326","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The key witness for the prosecution, Olga Grigorieva, is being interrogated. It turns out that this is not her real name and she reported to law enforcement agencies about the crime allegedly committed by Daria Petrochenko even before she personally met Petrochenko.\nThe witness tells the story of his acquaintance with Daria. The defendant left a postcard at the cemetery with comforting words and her contacts. Olga, who came there with a friend, was touched by the words from this card, and she contacted Daria. According to the witness, she took the loss of a loved one hard, and the defendant supported her. After that, they communicated for another two years, and the witness recorded these conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260312","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the prosecutor's office of the Southern Administrative District of Moscow is conducting an internal check on the issue of falsification of the indictment. The judge is awaiting its results and has not yet returned the case to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260224","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the first time in over a year of her stay in the pretrial detention center, Darya is granted a long-awaited visit from her mother.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260125","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearings begin. About 40 people come to support the believers. Half of them fit in the hall, the rest listen from the corridor.\nThe defense filed motions to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, since the text of the charge was not actually made available to the accused, which is a gross violation on the part of the investigator.\nMurtuzov motioned to refuse the services of a lawyer in order to personally defend himself. Petrochenko's interests will now be represented by a public defender. The court also gives Darya permission to make phone calls to her loved ones.\nOn January 27, the court hearing did not take place due to the emergency hospitalization of Liliana Korol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20260120","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov is in pretrial detention center No. 2 for Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-26T11:20:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20251226","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator hands Darya Petrochenko the indictment. She receives less letters of support than previously. The believer is worried about her mother, whom she cannot see at the moment. Despite the difficulties, she finds comfort in reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20251210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is submitted to the Simonovsky District Court (Southern Administrative District of Moscow) for consideration by Judge Dmitry Merzlyakov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20251204","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chertanovsky District Court released Liliana Korol from the pre-trial detention center and placed her under house arrest. \"The gravity of the charges,\" the court points out, \"is not an unconditional and sufficient basis for the continuation of detention.\"\nAt the meeting on the extension of the restriction measure for Korol, her relatives and friends are present - the hall is full.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20251002","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov tries to exercise and follow a good diet as much as the conditions of the detention center allow. He helps his cellmates in a practical way.\nHe regularly receives letters from all over Russia.\nZaur requested medical care (ophthalmologist and doctor), but so far to no avail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250729","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June, Darya Petrochenko had acute pain in the area of her stomach, chest and upper back. Her temperature rose. She felt some relief after taking medication she was given in the medical unit.\nLiliana Korol is awaiting transfer to pretrial detention center \"Matrosskaya Tishina\", where she will undergo an examination of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as additional examinations on the referral of a doctor.\nBoth women are still not allowed visits and telephone conversations with loved ones. Liliana especially misses her daughter. Darya was not given the parcel that her relatives sent her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250719","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation of the criminal case is transferred to Investigator Aleksandr Krotov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250701","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liliana has received over 500 letters of support and tries to respond to everyone. Her eyesight is deteriorating, she is awaiting an examination by an ophthalmologist. Liliana was recently prescribed and given several injections for back pain. The therapist of the pretrial detention center also put her on the waiting list for a gastroenterological examination. Liliana has a respectful relationship with the administration of the institution. They pass on medications to her.\nDarya is experiencing difficulties due to insomnia. She is being held in a cell with three women, none of whom smoke. The conditions of detention and relations with cellmates are fine. The prisoners are taken to shower twice a week.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250625","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends for all accused persons the terms of house arrest and pretrial detention until August 4, 2025.\nLiliana Korol suffers from neck pain. Letters of support practically do not reach her or are delayed by 1-2 months. Despite the difficulties, Liliana tries not to lose her sense of humor.\nDarya Petrochenko also does not receive most of her letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250602","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Levitskaya is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250528","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Moscow, as part of this criminal case, a search is carried out in the morning in the apartment of a 71-year-old believer. The law enforcement officers seize electronic devices from her and question her about all the defendants in the case. She is taken for interrogation, after which she is released.\nIn the afternoon of the same day, law enforcement officers detain another believer, Tatyana Levitskaya, after a search. She is in a temporary detention facility awaiting a court decision on a preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250527","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov is being held in a cell with three other prisoners. One of them, saying goodbye before being transferred to the colony, noted that Zaur was a worthy person who had a positive influence on him and helped him quit smoking.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250428","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daria Petrochenko is being held in a 4-bed cell. The investigator does not allow visits with relatives. She could see them only in the Moscow City Court during the hearing on the restriction measure. Daria wrote an application for an appointment with a therapist several times in connection with chronic illnesses, but there were no answers. The believer has a Bible.\nLiliana Korol has a good relationship with her cellmates: they cook food together, share food and things. Liliana does not go for walks, as the sun is not visible in the walking yard and it is very dusty.\nDue to health problems, she almost does not eat local food, so she is very grateful to those who give her the necessary products.\nThe believer has received many letters of support and responds to them as much as possible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250314","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another 9 people are being held in the cell of the pre-trial detention center together with Zaur Murtuzov. For the first few days after being transferred from another detention center, the believer had to sleep on a bed with holes, but later one of the prisoners gave him a mattress.\nZaur's relations with the prisoners and the administration are respectful. The believer does not lose positivity. He has a Bible. He also draws encouragement from letters that caring people send from different regions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20250218","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Darya Petrochenko is being held in a double cell. The food is good, it is possible to buy food in the store of the pre-trial detention center. Daily one-hour walks are provided.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241229","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While in jail, Liliana Korol remains calm. She is praised for her obedience and cleanliness in the room. The believer tries to combine physical labor with maintaining order — according to her, during 2 days in the temporary detention center, she washed the wall of the cell so that \"the employees of the isolation ward were amazed.\"\nThe food in the pre-trial detention center is normal. Since Liliana suffers from diabetes, she does not eat flour and sweets. The woman has a number of other serious chronic diseases.\nIn the 4-bed cell, where the believer is kept, it is warm, there is hot water. Relations with cellmates are good. Liliana has a Synodal translation of the Bible. She enjoys letters of support, especially those with pictures.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaur Murtuzov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-18T10:54:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241218","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All defendants are included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241216","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Initially, Darya is placed in a cell without a bed and with a mattress on the floor, but later she is transferred to a cell in which the conditions are much better. The believer tries to take care of her health, does exercises. According to her, the food in the detention center is good, but she does not receive the vitamins that she needs due to her pre-diabetes condition. Darya tries to maintain a positive attitude and draws solace from the Bible, which she borrowed from the library of the pre-trial detention center.\nThere are bedbugs in the cell where Zaur Murtuzov is kept, the believer is allergic to their bites. Other than that, the conditions of detention are satisfactory. Two other prisoners are being held in the cell with Zaur. Cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center treat Murtuzov with respect. Zaur has already received the first letters of support. According to him, they are like a breath of fresh air. He doesn't have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Murtuzov, Korol and Petrochenko to a pre-trial detention center, and Kislaya and Ivanova to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241207","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Ivanova, Larisa Kisla, Liliana Korol, Darya Petrochenko and Zaur Murtuzov are charged under \"extremist\" articles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241205","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Southern Administrative District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Moscow, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Y. Shumilova initiates a criminal case on participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement of third parties in it.\nThe reason for the criminal prosecution was the conversations of Petrochenko and her co-religionists with Olga Grigorieva, who feigned an interest in the Bible. The believers met with the woman in one of the Moscow shopping centers from September 2022 to April 2024.\nThe case contains a study by specialists of the ANO \"Center for Socio-Cultural Expertise\" — Natalia Kryukova, A. Tarasov and V. Kotelnikov. These experts are known to be extremely biased against Jehovah's Witnesses. They appeared in the cases of other believers, as well as in the process of liquidation of legal entities of this denomination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Murtuzov and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow6/index.html#20241204","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, Sergey Naumenko and four of his fellow believers became defendants in a criminal case because of their faith. The man was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Naumenko\u0026rsquo;s house was searched, he was included in the list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. In March 2025, his case was separated into a separate proceeding and suspended. In December of the same year, Naumenko was arrested and placed in a pre-trial detention center, and the criminal case against him went to court.","date":"2021-06-17","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html","prisoners":["naumenko"],"regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"In the pretrial detention center, where Sergey Naumenko is kept, it is warm, the food is fine, it is possible to go for walks and visit the banya. He has a Bible. He also receives letters from family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20260119","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Naumenko's case goes to court. It will be considered by Judge Roman Sinyukhin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20251208","regions":["tver"],"tags":["to-court","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Naumenko is in the Tver pre-trial detention center No 1.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20251206","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\nThe judge pronounces sentence on four believers. She separates the case against Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspends it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20250327","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment: for Shchetinin, Kuznetsov, Katamov and Starikov - 8 years in a general regime colony with restriction of freedom for a term of 1 year 6 months, for Sergey Naumenko - 7 years in a colony with restriction of freedom for a term of 1 year.\nAfter that, the defense takes the floor in the debate. \"What did we see and hear at this trial? The lawyer asks. - What words were most often heard from the lips of the defendants themselves, witnesses, on audio recordings of conversations and meetings for worship? \"Bible\", \"God\", \"Jehovah\", \"love\", \"kindness\", \"gratitude\". Why is there nothing extremist in the case on charges of extremism?\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20250206","regions":["tver"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20240201","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the indictment, the accused express their attitude to it. Aleksandr Shchetinin and Oleg Katamov say that extremism is absolutely unacceptable for them and that for years they have been peacefully professing a faith based on love for God and neighbor.\nKatamov adds: \"I have the impression that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing but discrimination.\"\nSergey Naumenko says: \"I have never had and could never have had a motive of hatred or enmity. Moreover, in his youth... I asked to replace military service with alternative civilian service, since my conscience does not allow me to even \"learn to fight\". For three and a half years I worked in a psychiatric hospital as a ward orderly. I wonder how a person can be called an extremist just because of his religious beliefs.\"\nAleksandr Starikov notes: \"Joint discussion of the Bible and prayer are an expression of my faith and love for God, not extremism ... Therefore, I was deeply shocked by the accusation of extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20231214","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Konakovo City Court of the Tver Region and is transferred to Judge Yekaterina Vershinina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20231018","regions":["tver"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Erofeev charges Starikov, Naumenko, Kuznetsov, Katarov and Shchetinin. The ruling states that between 2018 and 2021, the men \"discussed issues of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses ... conducted a study of religious materials.\" The investigation considers these actions \"aimed at involving Jehovah's Witnesses in an extremist organization.\" All men are interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20230621","regions":["tver"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Starikova and Naumenko are included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, their personal accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20210813","regions":["tver"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security Forces Search Jehovah's Witnesses in Konakovo. Among them are the families of Kuznetsov and Naumenko. At 8 am, people in firefighters' clothes knock on Sergey Naumenko's door under the pretext that the neighbors had an emergency. As a result, investigator Aleksey Korshunov, district police officer Medvedev with a weapon and two testifying witnesses enter the apartment. The security forces say that they \"try to act according to the law,\" but in response to Sergey's refusal to give them the phone, they threaten to use force.\nOperatives are also conducting a search of Aleksandr Starikov in Ivanovo. He moved there from Konakovo to take care of his 95-year-old father. FSB officers Sergey Erofeev, Aleksandr Blinov and Vladislav Motorkin participate in the search. They take into account the request of the believer not to frighten or disturb his elderly father and conduct a search without any violence or pressure.\nElectronic equipment and storage media, bank cards, personal records are confiscated from believers, and even school diaries are being confiscated from Naumenko. Aleksandr and Sergey are taken away for interrogation. They are charged and released on recognizance agreement.\nOn the same day, law enforcement officers search the garage and car of Aleksandr Starikov. In total, investigative measures against the believer last about 8 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20210706","regions":["tver"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation","search","new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Erofeev, senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Tver region, opens a criminal case against Aleksandr Starikov for discussing the Bible with fellow believers via videoconferencing, and also talking about Bible teachings to the residents of Konakovo district.\nA similar case is being initiated against Sergey Naumenko. Subsequently, both cases are merged into one.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Naumenko in Konakovo","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo2/index.html#20210617","regions":["tver"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022 and again in December 2024, police officers carried out searches at the home of Sergey Nazarov while his son with a disability was present. Following the second search, the believer was charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In September 2025, the case was brought before the court.","date":"2024-09-16","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html","prisoners":["nazarov"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"The protocols of interrogations, including those of a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor, as well as the conclusions of experts, are read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20260113","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge. The defendant does not admit his guilt and draws attention to the fact that there are no victims in the case and he is being tried solely for his religious beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20251202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20250902","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Korenovsk Interdistrict Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory D. S. Fomenko attracts Sergey Nazarov as a defendant in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the ruling, Sergey \"took a direct part in religious sermons, during which ... conducted and listened to lectures based on the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20241223","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers again come to search the Nazarov family. Employees enter the local area, open the gates and wake up the family with a loud knock on the windows and doors. This time the search takes place in a calmer atmosphere, nothing is seized from Sergey and his family.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20241219","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Korenovsk Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory initiates a criminal case against Sergey Nazarov for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2024-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20240916","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Nazarov's house is being searched, which lasts more than 3 hours. Despite the request to hold it quietly — the couple are caring for a son with a disability — the officers act without much delicacy (they throw things on the floor and force Nazarov to pick them up, they use rude language).\nAfter the search, the believer and his wife are interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nazarov in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki13/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2019, three peaceful residents from Lipetsk - Artur Netreba, Alexandr Kostrov and Viktor Bachurin - ended up behind bars, where they spent almost a year. The FSB investigator considered conducting \u0026ldquo;religious meetings\u0026rdquo;, resolving \u0026ldquo;issues of a religious nature\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;pastoral service\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;a grave crime against the constitutional order.\u0026rdquo; The believers were accused of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In December 2020, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony and 8 months restriction of freedom for the believers. In November 2021, the court found them guilty and imposed a fine of 500 thousand rubles on all three, which was reduced to 300 thousand rubles, since the defendants spent almost a year in pre-trial detention. The court of appeal, and later the court of cassation, upheld this verdict.","date":"2019-12-02","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html","prisoners":["bachurin","kostrov","netreba"],"regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"An appeal in Lipetsk upholds the verdict against Artur Netreba, Aleksandr Kostrov and Viktor Bachurin\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20220120","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Aleksandr Ustinov found the believers guilty and sentenced them to a fine of 500,000 rubles, but reduced it to 300,000 rubles, since the men spent almost a year in jail during the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20211124","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the building of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk to support believers, but due to covid restrictions, half of them are removed from the court by the guards, and another half by the judge.\nSpeaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks to appoint Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba to 4 years in prison and 8 months of restriction of freedom. The debate will continue on October 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210922","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Testimony is given by the defendants, who draw the court's attention to the discrepancy between the evidence presented by the investigation and the charges. They also explain the difference between the Constitution's right to profess religious beliefs and the activities of legal education.\nThe court schedules the arguments of the parties on September 15.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210830","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants agree to hold a meeting in the judge's office, although this causes them some inconvenience.\nWitness \"Ivanov\" is again absent from the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210616","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Vorobyov. Answering questions about how he got to know the defendants and whether their meetings were friendly or within the framework of religion, the witness refers to the results of the examinations or to his forgetfulness. The prosecutor considers the oral answers inappropriate and requests that the written testimony of the witness be read.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210523","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness \"Ivanov\" is being questioned, whose voice has been changed. The prosecutor petitions for the disclosure of the witness's written testimony, seeing inconsistencies in Ivanov's answers. The judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210514","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Vorobyov. He cannot explain how he met the defendants, whether their meetings were of a friendly or purely religious nature. The witness explains his answers by forgetfulness. The prosecutor considers the oral answers to be untrue and requests that the written testimony of the witness be read.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210423","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Martynov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210217","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witnesses Kravchenko and Gavrilenko. Kravchenko's answers are of a general nature, in some cases he does not know what to answer. Gavrilenko's testimony at the trial is at odds with his written testimony from the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210205","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In addition to the participants in the process, two people are present at the meeting as listeners. Defendants refuse to be assigned counsel.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20210125","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Alexander Ustinov. Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk (Lipetsk, Krainaya Street, 6).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20201228","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are received by the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk and transferred to Judge Alexander Ustinov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20201207","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba are released from the pre-trial detention center on their own recognizance. The believers spent 331 days behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20201029","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tishkov is summoned for questioning to the FSB department in Lipetsk as a witness.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200907","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Yelets, Lipetsk region, 6 law enforcement officers invade the home of 53-year-old Sergey Tishkov, who lives with his wife and two adult children. The security forces present a court order to search the house, look through the electronic devices of believers and copy data from the computer's hard drive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200904","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200821","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba until October 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200730","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court refuses to transfer the consideration of the cassation appeal against the decision of the Lipetsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200723","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Cassation appeals are filed against decisions to extend the measure of restraint. Complaints remain without consideration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200601","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lipetsk Regional Court dismisses the appeal against the extension of the detention of Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200514","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the threat of coronavirus infection, the judge extends the term of imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center for all three believers until August 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200427","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four more local residents receive summons for interrogations by mail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200301","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lipetsk Regional Court V. A. Shalnev upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of all three believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200212","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During closed hearings, the court recognized as lawful searches of believers, against which they had previously filed a complaint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200211","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 100 people come to the meeting of the Sovetsky District Court in Lipetsk to support believers. At the entrance, their passports are taken away and summonses are issued for interrogation to FSB investigator Yakushev. The subpoenas are presented by A. M. Puzanov and Lieutenant Colonel D. V. Kravchenko.\nThe court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba until May 2, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20200129","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Lipetsk, Ekaterina Ferapontova, orders the seizure of Alexander Kostrov's property in the amount of more than 760 thousand rubles. The court does not consider it necessary to notify the accused of the hearing and makes a decision in his absence.\nThis court decision is made on the basis of the petition of investigator Yakushev. In his opinion, the seizure of the believer's property will ensure the payment of the fine provided as a punishment under the \"extremist\" article in the event of a guilty verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191231","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lipetsk Regional Court is holding appeal hearings on complaints about the detention of Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netreba. Believers participate in meetings remotely via video link from the pre-trial detention center. Both sessions are attended by about 55 attendees.\nThe court rejects petitions to change the measure of restraint to house arrest and leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191220","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The regional court is holding an appeal hearing on the complaint of Alexander Kostrov for detention. Dozens of listeners come to the court, court employees provide additional seats. The believer participates in the hearing via video link from the pre-trial detention center. The court dismisses the complaint.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191213","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Without notifying the relatives, the court sends Aleksandr Kostrov, Viktor Bachurin and Artur Netrebr to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. Relatives manage to find out that investigator Yakushev insisted on this measure of restraint. The men are being held in a temporary detention center, and later it is planned to transfer them to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Lipetsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191204","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Lipetsk region Y. V. Yakushev initiates a criminal case against 58-year-old Alexander Kostrov, 57-year-old Viktor Bachurin and 41-year-old Artur Netreba under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Within an hour and a half, searches begin in 7 houses of Lipetsk residents.\nA group of FSB officers breaks into the apartment of Sergei Antonov, who receives guests. They knock down the mistress of the house, so that she hits her head hard. All the men, including Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba, are handcuffed and forced to lie on the floor. By midnight, 8 people were taken to the FSB department for interrogation. Kostrov, Bachurin and Netreba are placed in a temporary detention facility, the rest are released 5 hours later with a summons for re-interrogation on December 5, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Netreba and Others in Lipetsk","date":"2019-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lipetsk/index.html#20191202","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case initiated in September 2019 against Chekhov residents Yuri and Zinaida Krutyakov, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaly Nikiforov was based on the testimony of an FSB officer who pretended to be interested in the Bible. On the night of October 3, 2019, security forces raided the believers\u0026rsquo; homes with searches. Zherebtsov, Nikiforov and Krutyakova were placed under house arrest. Later, Yuriy was taken to the pre-trial detention center. There he stayed for 445 days; His eyesight deteriorated sharply. In January 2021, hearings began in the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region. The prosecutor requested a suspended sentence of 2 to 6 years for the four defendants. On May 24, Judge Iryna Pantela gave the believers a suspended sentence: Yuriy — 6 years, Zinaida — 2 years and 3 months, Konstantin — 2 years and 2 months, Vitaliy — 2 years. All were also given various probationary periods. On July 20, 2021, the Moscow Regional Court upheld the verdict, and on January 13, 2022, the cassation court did not satisfy the believers\u0026rsquo; appeal.","date":"2019-09-30","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html","prisoners":["krutyakov","krutyakova","nikiforov","zherebtsov"],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaliy Nikiforov served their main sentences - 2 years and 3 months, 2 years and 2 months, 2 years of suspended sentence, respectively.\nZinaida's husband Yuriy Krutyakov will continue to serve his suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20230524","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Saratov, is considering the cassation appeal of four believers. Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaliy Nikiforov are present in the courtroom, while Yuriy and Zinaida Krutyakov participate in the hearing via video link.\nTheir fellow believers living in Saratov come to the courthouse to support the accused. After hearing all the participants in the process, the panel of judges leaves the cassation appeal of the believers unsatisfied.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20220113","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region Irina Pantela convicts four believers: Yuriy Krutyakov — 6 years with a probationary period of 5 years; Zinaida Krutyakova — 2 years and 3 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Konstantin Zherebtsov — 2 years and 2 months with a probationary period of 2 years, Vitaliy Nikiforov — 2 years with the same probationary period.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210524","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sentence","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region, during the debate, the prosecutor requests punishment for four believers: Yuri Krutyakov - 6 years probation, his wife Zinaida and Konstantin Zherebtsov - 2 years probation, Vitaly Nikiforov - 2 years and 3 months probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210519","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Physical evidence is examined, including four Bibles in three different translations. It turns out that none of them is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe measure of restraint for believers has been extended until August 17, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210426","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Kuznetsky speaks. He testifies from the next room, the door to which is ajar. Among other things, Kuznetsky says that \"by the timbre of his voice he determined the hierarchy in the organization.\" To the question of Yuri Krutyakov: \"What wrong have I done to you?\" the witness cannot answer anything.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210331","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer is requesting a psychological and psychiatric examination of the key prosecution witness Stanislav Kuznetsky, an FSB officer who portrayed interest in the Bible, whose testimony formed the basis of the criminal case against the believers. Prior to this, two witnesses expressed doubts about Kuznetsky's mental health. The judge refuses to conduct an examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210318","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Testimony is given by investigators Belov and Golovanov, who carried out operational-search measures against believers. Belov states: \"We analyzed the accounts of the defendants, and I want to note that there were no receipts from abroad ... I personally went to the address [of the worship building] for visual inspection about 5 times, there is no activity there, I have never seen people there, everything is closed.\" Golovanov acknowledges that according to the laws of the Russian Federation, the Bible cannot be recognized as extremist material, so Jehovah's Witnesses can read and discuss it together with others.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210316","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is being considered by a new judge, Irina Pantela. Witnesses in the case positively characterize Yuriy and Zinaida Krutyakov. A neighbor on the landing speaks of this family as quiet, friendly people.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210304","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings begin in the Chekhov City Court of the Moscow Region. Judge Alla Blinova partially satisfies the petitions of Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaly Nikiforov, who recently broke his arm. Believers are allowed to visit doctors and the time of walks has been increased.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20210114","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to the FKU SIZO-3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Moscow Region. Now he is in a common cell, his quarantine has been lifted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201226","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The management of SIZO-2 ignores Yuriy's complaints about the rapid loss of vision, without even recording the facts of the appeal. Considering that the believer has not received proper medical care before, he has not been able to receive the necessary treatment for almost 9 months, during which he has been in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201126","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to the FKU SIZO-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Moscow, the so-called \"Butyrka\" (Address: 45 Novoslobodskaya Street, Moscow, Russia, 127055). In addition to Yuri, 20 other people are being held in the cell.\nRecently, Yuriy's eyesight has deteriorated sharply. In fact, he goes blind. However, numerous appeals about proper medical examination and treatment, which Yuri sent to the management of SIZO-7, where he was held until his transfer to a new place, remained unanswered. Yuriy hopes that the administration and employees of the medical unit of SIZO-2 will be able to ensure his right to treatment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201017","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the 1st investigation department of the 2nd department for investigation of especially important cases of the Main Investigative Directorate for the Moscow Region Kobylyatsky Y. I. charges Konstantin Zherebtsov with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of a religious association liquidated by the court on \"extremist grounds\".\nThe investigator interprets the usual conversations of two believers in the car with S.V. Kuznetsky, who, on the instructions of the FSB, imitated interest in biblical teachings, as a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Constitution of the Russian Federation and other laws.\nAccording to the investigation, the accused took active actions \"in the form of a church-preaching discourse, manifested in a special set and specificity of the functioning of lexical units correlated with doctrinal and moralizing concepts, within the framework of this religious direction and an appeal to those present to conduct Bible study classes.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20201005","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Krutyakov is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow. It is kept in a chamber without hot water and a refrigerator, so it cannot receive perishable food.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200920","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Moscow Region, Y. I. Kobylyatsky, singles out the criminal case against Stepan Adamov in a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200825","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is holding an appeal hearing to extend the house arrest of Zinaida Krutyakova, Konstantin Zherebtsov and Vitaly Nikiforov.\nOnly before the start of the hearing, the accused are provided with a copy of the additional appeal of the lawyer. They don't have time to read it.\nZinaida Krutyakova reads out to the court information about the state of her health and asks to attach a discharge summary to the case. The accused tells the court what she believes. During the debate, Zinaida's lawyer says that his client is \"an example of a positive lifestyle.\" He also draws the court's attention to her state of health, which means that she needs to spend more time outdoors. Further, the lawyer draws attention to the fact that in the testimony of the witness Kuznetsky there is no evidence of Krutyakova's involvement in the charges.\nThe judge allows Konstantin Zherebtsov to present his religious views.\nVitaliy Nikiforov's lawyer expresses the opinion that the investigation is conducted biasedly, with prejudice, and the extension of house arrest is one of the measures to delay the process. Disagreeing with the chosen measure of restraint, she also says: \"All three are adherents of a peaceful religion, [...] They live by the principle of 'love thy neighbor as thyself.'\"\nThe Moscow City Court dismisses the appeal. Krutyakova, Zherebtsov and Nikiforov remain under house arrest until at least July 29, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200616","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court upholds the decision of the lower court on appeal.\nYuriy Krutyakov has been put on preventive registration as a person prone to extremism. The fact of studying, confessing and disseminating \"extremist ideology\" by believers is indicated as the basis for registration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200609","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is filing an appeal against the extension of the period of detention of Yuri Krutyakov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200430","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the current measure of restraint for all believers until July 29, 2020. Zinaida Krutyakova's health condition is deteriorating sharply, she needs a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200429","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering the appeal against Yuriy Krutyakov and leaves the decision to keep the believer in custody until April 30, 2020 unchanged. The case is transferred back to the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow.\nThe judge makes this decision despite the fact that the prisoner began to have health problems, including internal organs. Yuriy sends complaints, but so far he has been denied an examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200416","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow is holding an open court session, which brings together more than 60 listeners who want to support 67-year-old Yuri Krutyakov. He is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it (Part 1, Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nJudge Natalia Kurysheva, at the request of the investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region I. Vladimirov, decides to detain Yuri for a period of 1 month and 26 days (until April 30, 2020). This happens despite the fact that the elderly believer voluntarily came to the Investigative Committee, which means that he has no intention of hiding from the investigation. Yuriy's wife Zinaida Krutyakova is already under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200305","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the eve of the court session, investigator Kabylyatsky warns Zinaida Krutyakova that she will be sent to a pre-trial detention center, so she comes to court the next day with her belongings.\nBy 10:00 a.m., more than 100 people gather here to support their fellow believers, but the meeting is postponed until 3:00 p.m. As a result of the hearings, Judge Kurysheva extends the term of house arrest of Krutyakova, Zherebtsov and Nikiforov for two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200228","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Stepan Adamov shall be combined into one proceeding with this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200218","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is being initiated against 66-year-old Stepan Adamov from Chekhov near Moscow. Thus, Adamov becomes the sixth believer in this city, persecuted for his beliefs.\nThe case is being conducted by the investigator for especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Y. Kobylyatsky. He believes that a sufficient reason for initiating a criminal case against Adamov is that the believer \"interpreted the Bible, read a prayer to Jehovah God, explaining religious concepts [...], citing examples from life.\" The investigator interprets Adamov's actions as a continuation of the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20200131","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 100 people come to the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow for a hearing on the extension of house arrest for believers from Chekhov near Moscow. Unexpectedly, the court extends the house arrest of Konstantin Zherebtsov, Zinaida Krutyakova, Vitaly Nikiforov for more than 3 months. Another older believer was seen among the defendants in the case, but the investigator and the man's relatives prevent the rest of the believers from contacting him in any way. None of his fellow believers were allowed to attend the hearing on his case. It is known that a milder measure of restraint was chosen for him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191128","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court on appeal supports the decision of the Babushkinsky District Court to send three believers under house arrest - Vitaly Nikiforov, Zinaida Krutyakova and Konstantin Zherebtsov. Dozens of observers, including foreign diplomats, came to court. Obviously, the ambiguous role of the FSB officer in this case attracted public attention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191107","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Z. Krutyakova filed an appeal against the decision on house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191007","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zherebtsov K. and Nikiforov V. filed an appeal against the decision on house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191006","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers from the temporary detention facility in handcuffs are taken to the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow, which chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Zherebtsov K., Krutyakova Z., Nikiforov V., Yakovlev N. until 29.11.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191004","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the night of October 3, a search was conducted at Zherebtsov K., Zherebtsov P., Krutyakov Y. and Krutyakova Z., Nikiforov V., Yakovlev N. During the searches, money and tools were stolen, after the detention people were not fed until 36 hours, one of the relatives was broken by the security forces. The night searches were followed by many hours of interrogations in the Main Investigation Department for the Moscow Region (at 38/2 Komintern Street in Moscow). By the evening of the next day, at least three believers were sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191003","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bringing Z. Krutyakova as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191003","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information in the media about the initiation of 5 criminal cases under Part 2 of Article 282.2 by the Chief Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia of the Moscow Region, including against Yuri Krutyakov, who, according to the investigation, was previously one of the founders of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Podolsk. The investigation believes that he attracted his wife and three other residents of the Moscow region to the faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20191001","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Surveillance of Zherebtsov K. was noticed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190927","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Surveillance and wiretapping of the phone of one of the believers was noticed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190922","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, believer Konstantin Zherebtsov, sitting in a car, \"organized a meeting with [FSB officer] S.V. Kuznetsky, taught him how to pray to Jehovah God, explained the provisions and interpretation of the chapters of the Bible, John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:13, Acts 24:15, showing them on a tablet belonging to S.V. Kuznetsky.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190805","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, on Vokzalnaya Square in Chekhov, believer Zinaida Krutyakova \"interviewed [FSB officer] S.V. Kuznetsky about how he did his homework to study the chapters of the Bible with the subsequent interpretation of its provisions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190404","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, on Station Square in Chekhov, believer Zinaida Krutyakova \"in the cabin of a car belonging to S.V. Kuznetsky, explained to him the provisions and interpretations of the chapters of unidentified religious literature with the ideology of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190321","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, believer Vitaly Nikiforov met with Stanislav Kuznetsky and, sitting in the car, \"discussed the issue of buying a tablet by Kuznetsky for the subsequent download of prohibited literature,\" and also \"reported the circumstances of his acceptance of this faith.\" (In fact, Nikiforov, as a technician, only shared his experience of which technique worked best. He did not discuss with him what exactly Kuznetsky intended to download from the Internet.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2019-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20190111","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, a 67-year-old resident of Chekhov near Moscow, Yuri Krutyakov, while waiting for a train at the station, got into a conversation with Stanislav Kuznetsky. Hiding that he worked for the FSB, Stanislav asked the believer to help him understand the Bible. Later, he called the believer, complained about family troubles, asked for Bible advice and asked the believer about his like-minded people.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Nikiforov and Others in Chekhov","date":"2018-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chekhov/index.html#20180601","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2026, several civilians from Vyselki became defendants in yet another criminal case for their faith. Galina Novikova from the village of Berezanskaya was summoned for interrogation by the Investigative Committee. There she learned that shortly before that, a criminal case had been opened against her for participation in extremist activities.","date":"2026-03-27","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki16/index.html","prisoners":["novikovag"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Novikova in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Galina is summoned to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, which lasts 20 minutes. Among other things, investigator O. Kurbanova is interested in whether Novikova considers herself a follower of the religious movement of Jehovah's Witnesses. The woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. After that, she is brought in as an accused, and then interrogated again in her new status.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Novikova in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki16/index.html#20260413","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee N.V. Pashchenko initiates a criminal case against Galina Novikova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Novikova in Vyselki","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki16/index.html#20260327","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2020, searches were carried out in 5 homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the village of Vlasikha. One of the believers, artist and writer Sergey Ohanyan, was detained. In May, investigator Yevgeny Dymchenko opened a criminal case against the believer under 3 articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: organization of the activities of an extremist organization, involvement of other persons in this activity and participation in it. Sergey spent 3 days behind bars, after which he was placed under house arrest, and 10 months later - on his own recognizance. In addition, Sergey had to undergo a psychiatric examination, during which he was pressured to be involuntarily hospitalized for refusing to answer questions about his attitude towards representatives of other religions. In October 2021, the investigation excluded Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the charges.","date":"2020-05-28","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html","prisoners":["oganyan"],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization) was excluded from the charge against Sergey Oganyan. Now he is charged with a crime under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. It is noteworthy that Sergey has never been a member of organizations that were banned by the Supreme Court of Russia in April 2017, unreasonably recognizing them as extremist.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2021-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20211021","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice A.V. Kovyazin, investigator for especially important cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, makes a decision to replace Sergey Ohanyan's preventive measure with a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior. The believer spent almost 10 months under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2021-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20210326","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central Clinical Psychiatric Hospital (Moscow, 8 Marta Street) conducts a psychological and psychiatric examination of Sergey Oganyan's condition. He is asked questions not concerning his health, but his personal life, his religious beliefs, his attitude to the criminal case and to the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses. In addition to doctors, a man in civilian clothes is present at the examination. He is interested in how Ohanyan feels about the initiative of the Ministry of Justice to ban Jehovah's Witnesses, what he thinks about the Russian Orthodox Church and whether he held religious meetings at home. When a believer refuses to answer provocative questions, doctors exert psychological pressure on him by shouting and threatening to forcibly hospitalize him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200724","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Babinova is considering the investigator's request to place Sergey Oganyan in a pre-trial detention center. According to the investigator, being at large, Sergey can hide from the investigating authorities and the court, put pressure on the participants in the criminal process.\nThe prosecutor asks the court to refuse the investigator and choose a measure of restraint against the believer in the form of house arrest at his place of residence, since his young daughter lives there.\nThe judge chooses a measure of restraint for the accused in the form of house arrest for 1 month and 23 days, that is, until July 27, 2020. Sergey is forbidden to leave the home, communicate with witnesses in the case and use means of communication.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200605","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow, Evgenia Babinova, is considering the investigator's petition to detain Sergey Oganyan and recognizes this measure as legal. The term of Sergey's arrest has been extended to 72 hours from the moment of his detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200603","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Vlasikha near Moscow, searches are being conducted in five houses of local believers. The security forces take Sergey Oganyan to the Mytishchinskoye police station and preliminarily detain him for 48 hours. Two more women and one man are taken away for interrogation.\nInvestigator Yevgeny Dymchenko charges Sergey Oganyan with committing crimes under parts 1, 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, Sergey participated in undermining the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and the security of the state - \"carried out deliberate actions of an organizational nature aimed at convening meetings, meetings and holding them.\" Ohanyan is also charged with \"recruiting new members\" to the organization. The resolution features Borhan Askar, whose real name law enforcement officers are hiding. According to the investigator, Sergey Oganyan persuaded this man to join the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Odintsovo district.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200602","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Main Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Moscow Region Yevgeny Dymchenko initiates a criminal case against Sergey Oganyan. He charges the believer with a crime under three articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Part 1 of Article 282.2, Part 1.1, Article 282.2 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 (organization, involvement and participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ohanyan in Vlasikha","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vlasikha/index.html#20200528","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2019, security forces searched the home and car of Rostov resident Andrey Okhrimchuk in the presence of his 11-year-old daughter. After that, the believer was taken for interrogation to the Center for Countering Extremism. Investigator I. A. Kalnitsky accused him of participating in the activities of a banned organization and its financing. Andrey was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring and placed on recognizance not to leave. In February 2021, the Okhrimchuk case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don and was appointed to judge Olga Borokhova. In August 2021, she sentenced Andriy Okhrimchuk to 4 years of probation, which is exactly the term requested by the prosecutor for the believer. After 2 months, the Rostov Regional Court approved the conviction. After 4 months, the Court of Cassation in Krasnodar dismissed the believer\u0026rsquo;s complaint.","date":"2020-10-29","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html","prisoners":["okhrimchuk"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Krasnodar, presided over by Judge Roman Podolsky, dismisses Andrey Okhrimchuk's appeal. The verdict — 4 years of suspended sentence and 1 year of restriction of freedom — remains in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20220203","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal in the Rostov Regional Court upholds the conviction of Andrey Okhrimchuk and leaves the sentence unchanged: 4 years suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20211004","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years of suspended imprisonment and restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year for Andriy Okhrimchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210729","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Andriy Okhrimchuk. When asked by the lawyer whether the defendant called for the justification of terrorism, racial and national hatred and other violations of the rights of citizens, the believer answers: \"No, and never did it.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210712","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by prosecutor I. V. Napalkova, who was the state prosecutor in the trials of other Jehovah's Witnesses. She tells other prosecutors how to conduct interrogations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-21T08:22:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210521","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating professor, specialist in the field of religious studies and philosophy of religion S. N. Astapov. He is confused in his testimony, has outdated information about Jehovah's Witnesses, and declares that their worship services are banned, although no court in Russia has banned this belief.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-04-16T08:21:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210416","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment is read out in court and the protocols of the interrogation of two witnesses, one of whom is an operative of the Department of Economic Affairs, are read out.\nAndriy Okhrimchuk expresses his attitude to the charges: \"I did not and could not have a motive of hatred or enmity. My life, as well as the actions that I am accused of, are exclusively peaceful.\" The believer continues: \"I am a Christian. My religious views are based on the Bible and are expressed in two basic commandments: love of God and love of people. Therefore, they are the exact opposite of what is called extremism. The materials of the criminal case do not prove the opposite. [...] I want to state that I do not plead guilty and believe that the charge against me is illegal.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210405","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don and appointed to Judge Olga Borokhova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210225","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is formally charged with committing crimes under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20210125","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Okhrimchuk is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, his bank accounts are blocked. Earlier, investigator Kalnitsky chose a preventive measure against him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20201127","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andriy Okhrimchuk is elected a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20201102","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases, Major I. A. Kalnitsky, initiates a criminal case against Andrey Okhrimchuk under two articles - participation in the activities of a banned organization and its financing - respectively Article 282.2 (2) and Article 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is accused of \"taking part in an illegal religious meeting ... including under the leadership of A.M. Parkov, in respect of whom a criminal case was [initiated].\" The investigation also found that money transfers were made from Okhrimchuk's bank card to the cards of Semyon Baibak and Arsen Avanesov. According to the investigator, the funds were intended to pay for the rent of the premises, the purchase of computer equipment, as well as stationery and household supplies \"to ensure the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20201029","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, security forces in masks and bulletproof vests under the leadership of A. A. Chaikin invaded the apartment of Andrey Okhrimchuk and conducted a search in the presence of his 11-year-old daughter. The believer is not allowed to observe the search, which takes place simultaneously in all rooms. Electronic devices and Bibles are seized from the spouses. In addition to the apartment, Andrey's car is also searched. All family members are under a lot of stress. The believer's wife subsequently has to seek medical help and undergo treatment.\nAbout 3 hours later, Ohrimchuk was taken for interrogation to the Center for Countering Extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Okhrimchuk in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don9/index.html#20190522","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Olenin, a design engineer from Snezhinsk, was searched twice: in November 2020 as part of the case against Lyudmila Salikova and in October 2021 as part of the case against Olenin himself. Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Dmitry Zykov opened a criminal case against the believer for organizing the activities of an extremist organization because of talking about the Bible with neighbors and fellow believers. In addition, the charges are based on the testimony of V. Kotelnikova, who, on the instructions of the FSB, pretended to be interested in the Bible and kept a secret record of conversations with Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and their worship services. Olenin was under recognizance not to leave for 4.5 months. In May 2022, the case was submitted to the Snezhinskiy City Court. Three months later, Judge Oleg Klementyev found the believer guilty and fined him 500,000 rubles. In September 2022, the appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-09-08","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html","prisoners":["olenin"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge Oleg Klementyev finds Ilya Olenin guilty and imposes a fine of 500,000 rubles on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-07-26T15:59:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220726","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the defendant's request, the court is reviewing a documentary about Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR and a fragment of a film about believers in Nazi Germany. After that, Ilya Olenin testifies. He says that extremism contradicts his beliefs: \"My grandfather, who worked as the chief prosecutor of Chelyabinsk, said an important idea: 'The main thing in our business is to keep a clear conscience.' It became my life credo.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220609","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","ussr","nazi-germany"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of the women claims that Olenin talked to her only on everyday topics.\nAnother witness explains that the believer did not force her to break the laws and introduce Jehovah's Witnesses to the religion. It turns out that Olenin talked to this woman about the Bible back in 2016, a year before the Supreme Court's decision to liquidate Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities.\nThe court proceeds to examine the materials of the case, including watching video recordings of liturgical meetings. The defendant notes that one of them does not have his voice.\nThe judge, at the request of the defendant, reads out the brochure seized during the search, as well as the Bible passages contained therein.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220608","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Ilya Olenin speaks with an attitude to the prosecution and does not admit guilt in extremism.\nThe court is questioning three witnesses for the prosecution. One of them reports that at meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses he did not hear calls for violence and violation of the laws of the Russian Federation. Another witness cannot identify the believer.\nThe third witness is the informant V. Kotelnikova, who, on the instructions of the FSB, collected information about believers in Snezhinsk. The defense draws attention to the discrepancy between the testimony of the witness and what is recorded on the recordings of the services made by her. The woman admits that, on the initiative of the investigator, she familiarized herself with the case file, although she did not have the right to do so under the law.\nThe defendant's superior acts as a witness for the defense. He gives Olenin a positive characterization and says: \"He is a good worker. Such people should be rewarded, not judged.\"\nAt the request of the defendant, the court gets acquainted with excerpts from the Bible Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus, which refers to the use of the name \"Jehovah\" in the Bible and its replacement with the title \"Lord\".\nThe court also attaches to the case documents confirming Olenin's guardianship over his father, a disabled person of group I.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220606","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first meeting is being held behind closed doors. Ilya Olenin makes motions for the discovery of evidence, for the return of the case to the prosecutor, as well as for the admission of a lawyer. In his petitions, Olenin draws attention to the official statements of the European Court of Human Rights, the Supreme Court and the Government of the Russian Federation.\nThe court rejects all three motions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220523","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reports that the investigation of the case has been completed and it is being transferred to the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220504","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Ilya Olenin goes to the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region. It will be considered by judge Oleg Klementyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220504","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Olenin receives an indictment. He is accused of organizing meetings with fellow believers, which \"were held in the form of collective religious services, consisting of sequential performances of songs from a special collection of religious teachings, study and discussion of articles and religious literature.\" As evidence of the believer's guilt, objects and information obtained during the investigation of the case against Lyudmila Salikova are used.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220428","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Zykov, an investigator for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, brings charges against Ilya Olenin of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, peaceful meetings with fellow believers and discussion of texts based on the Holy Scriptures can lead to undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220323","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An additional comprehensive religious, psychological and linguistic forensic examination of liturgical meetings is underway. Experts come to the conclusion that Ilya Olenin participates in discussions on religious topics, \"plays a communicative role of leader\" and encourages reading the Holy Scriptures.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20220225","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers summon Olenin for interrogation, come to pick him up at work, but take him home for a second search, authorized by investigator Zykov. During a three-hour search, a tablet and 3 postcards were seized from the believer. Then Olenin is taken for interrogation, which lasts 1.5 hours. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nIlya Olenin is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20211027","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Zykov, Senior Investigator for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against 44-year-old Ilya Olenin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activities). According to the investigation, \"I.V. Olenin organized preaching activities, that is, conducting conversations with residents of the city of Snezhinsk, in order to promote the activities of the banned organization and involve citizens in the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20210908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A comprehensive religious, psychological and linguistic forensic examination of records of worship services is underway. Experts conclude that the recordings contain conversations of Jehovah's Witnesses. They are united among themselves, united by common values and interests.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20210421","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who feigned interest in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and collaborated with the FSB is being interrogated. She reports how the services of Jehovah's Witnesses were held and calls Ilya Olenin a \"leader.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20201202","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Snezhinsk, searches are being carried out at 4 families of believers, as well as at the home of an elderly woman. The search in the apartment of Ilya and Natalia Olenin is led by FSB officer Alexander Teplyakov. The Tatar Bible, calendars, notebooks, postcards, electronic devices, CDs and other personal items are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Olenin in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk2/index.html#20201130","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of December 2019, law enforcement officers in Murmansk raided the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Vitaliy Omelchenko for organizing the activities of an extremist organization merely because he said prayers and conducted worship services. A month later, the security forces detained the believer near his house and sent him to a temporary detention center; two days later the court released him but imposed a ban on certain actions. In early 2021, the case went to court. The prosecution appointed as experts Tarasov, Kotelnikov and Kryukova, who are known for their prejudiced attitude towards Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. In September 2022, the prosecutor requested six years in a general regime penal colony for the believer, but the court sentenced him to a fine of 580,000 rubles. The appellate court upheld that verdict.","date":"2019-12-23","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html","prisoners":["omelchenko"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vitaliy Omelchenko makes his final statement. \"Undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and non-recognition of the authorities is definitely not about Jehovah's Witnesses,\" the believer emphasizes. \"The preaching of Jehovah's Witnesses benefits society not only spiritually, but also literally, and even saves lives.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-09-22T00:36:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220922","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer submits a petition for the introduction of positive characteristics from the defendant's employers.\nThe debate of the parties begins. The prosecutor requests 6 years in a general regime colony for Vitaliy Omelchenko.\nThe defense draws attention to the fact that this prosecution is discrimination on religious grounds and the state prosecutor must provide evidence of Omelchenko's criminal intent.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220907","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to listen to audio recordings, including a conversation between two of the defendant's fellow believers. The lawyer points out that Vitaliy has nothing to do with this dialogue. However, the prosecutor states that since Omelchenko is accused of organizing worship services, it means that he is also related to these conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220519","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several court hearings are taking place. One of them listens to audio recordings from a hidden device that was installed in the apartment of another family of believers. The recordings include saying a prayer, singing a song, and discussing biblical teachings. The lawyer explains to the judge that the presenter only invites those who wish to comment on what they read, and does not appoint those who should do it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220201","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to recordings of telephone conversations made as a result of operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220120","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of religious scholar L. S. Astakhova, who conducted religious studies and sociological-religious examinations, is being held via video conferencing.\nShe explains that the confession of faith by Jehovah's Witnesses did not change after 2017 and remained a simple expression of their religious views, and did not become the activity of a legal entity. The judge interrupts the expert several times and asks him to testify only on the merits of the charges against Vitaliy Omelchenko, and not about Jehovah's Witnesses in general, and also to take into account the latest clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court.\nThe defendant's wife and two of his co-religionists are invited for interrogation. All of them characterize Vitaliy Omelchenko positively. They also tell the court that they have never heard it call for violence or incitement to hatred, or to refuse medical intervention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20220112","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Polonsky\" is being interrogated. Most of the witness's testimony relates to the time period up to April 20, 2017.\n\"Polonsky\" says that preaching is not forbidden in Russia. At the same time, the witness speaks negatively about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and expresses his personal opinion about the reasons for the liquidation of their legal entities in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20211011","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, senior FSB operative Captain A.S. Romanov, who was directly involved in operational-search activities and searches in 2018 and 2019, is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210720","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the request to hold hearings in public mode, citing a desire to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection.\nThe prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case: a description of material evidence, a description of Vitaliy Omelchenko's place of work, as well as information that his wife has a III disability group.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210701","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. The prosecutor reads out the conclusions of the experts Tarasov, Kotelnikov and Kryukova. The lawyer declares that there are no seals that should certify the answers to the questions posed to the experts by the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210517","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defense's request to return the case to the prosecutor.\nThe state prosecutor proceeds to the announcement of the case materials and begins with recordings of the defendant's telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210407","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courthouse to support Vitaliy Omelchenko. They are not allowed into the hall, citing the epidemiological situation.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. The defendant expresses his attitude towards him, drawing attention to the fact that he is being tried for believing in God. He recalls that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees him freedom of religion. When Omelchenko voices the essence of his religious beliefs, Judge Roman Girich interrupts the believer's speech.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210316","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Murmansk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210203","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region sends to the court the materials of the criminal case against Vitaly Omelchenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20210129","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Department for the Investigation of Especially Important Cases, Major of Justice Yaroslav Pecherkin, summons a group of believers for interrogation. The subpoenas do not indicate which case they are witnesses in. The interrogation protocol is not given to them.\nAmong other things, the investigator asks whether the interrogated are familiar with Vitaliy Omelchenko, how the local congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is organized and managed, and whether funds are collected.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20200601","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two days of keeping the believer behind bars, the court chooses a measure of restraint for him: a ban on certain actions. Vitaliy Omelchenko is forbidden to communicate with witnesses in the case and use means of communication, including the Internet. The case is being considered in a closed court session, none of Omelchenko's many friends and relatives are allowed into the courtroom.\nAccording to the decision of the judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Murmansk, Igor Busorgin, \"Omelchenko is suspected of committing a serious crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state, characterized by a high degree of public danger, the sanction for which provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of more than 3 years.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2020-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20200122","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement agencies detain Vitaliy Omelchenko. Authorities suspect that the man believes in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20200120","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Murmansk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. Sokolova, issues a decision to initiate a \"criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against an unidentified person.\"\nAccording to the investigator's report, an unidentified person, \"acting intentionally and in concert in a group of persons, illegally organized in residential premises, as well as in other places, the activities of a local religious organization by holding meetings ... personal ascension of sermons... involvement of new persons, as well as other actions of an organizational nature.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Omelchenko in Murmansk","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk/index.html#20191223","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2018, searches of believers were carried out in Kirov. A criminal case under extremist articles was initiated against seven local residents, five of them were taken into custody, including Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk, who had been in captivity for almost a year. His fellow believers spent 3 to 11 months in jail and another 6 to 9 months under house arrest. The men were included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. One of the accused, Yuriy Geraskov, died of a long illness a week before the trial. In January 2021, court hearings began. In June 2022, the believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 years. Yuriy Geraskov was also found guilty of extremism, but the criminal case was dismissed due to his death. The appellate court upheld the verdict against the believers.","date":"2018-10-03","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html","prisoners":["asuvorkov","esuvorkov","geraskov","khalturin","korobeinikov","onischuk","vasilyev"],"regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge Timur Yusupov finds all the defendants guilty and imposes suspended sentences. Andrzej Oniszczuk is sentenced to 6 years and 6 months; Andrey and Evgeny Suvorkov receive 6 years and 3 months each; Maxim Khalturin — 6 years and 2 months; Vladimir Korobeynikov was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months, and Vladimir Vasilyev to 2 years and 6 months. Yuriy Geraskov was also found guilty of extremism, but the criminal case was dismissed due to his death.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-06-03T15:01:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220603","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Timur Yusupov begins the announcement of the decision to terminate the criminal case against Yuri Geraskov. The volume of the document is 120 sheets. The announcement of the verdict will continue on June 3.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220602","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All the defendants make their final statements. The court retires to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-05-23T11:25:46+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220523","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of imprisonment in a colony for five believers: Andrzej Oniszczuk 6.5 years, Yevgeniy Suvorkov, Andrey Suvorkov and Maksim Khalturin 6 years and 3 months each, Vladimir Korobeynikov 3 years and 3 months. In addition, the prosecutor asks the believer Vladimir Vasilyev to impose a fine of 900,000 rubles.\nThe prosecutor asks Yuriy Geraskov, who died in April 2020, to be found guilty and to terminate the criminal case against him in connection with his death.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220520","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court receives the conclusion of a repeated handwriting forensic examination. It confirms that the signatures on copies of bank receipts belong to the defendants. However, the prosecution cannot provide the original documents, and a computer examination of the authenticity of copies of receipts was not carried out.\nThe court grants the prosecutor's request to include in the case file two sentences of Jehovah's Witnesses from Kirov - in the cases of Tokarev and Shamov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220505","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor petitions for a handwriting examination in the forensic center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.\nMaterial evidence is examined, such as brochures on the topics: \"Wise Instruction to Married Couples\", \"Walk the Path of Kindness\", \"Wives, Deeply Respect Husbands\", \"The Name of God in Russian Music\", etc.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220304","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko is being interrogated. He explains the difference between the activities of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which ceased to exist in 2017, and the practice of religion by ordinary believers.\nHe also says that the Supreme Court decision of 20.04.2017 did not prohibit the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey Ivanenko explains that religious groups of Jehovah's Witnesses do not deal with issues of legal entities, so it cannot be assumed that they continue their prohibited activities.\nHe goes on to say that from the point of view of religious studies, Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian denomination whose followers turn to God by the name of Jehovah, base their doctrine solely on the Bible, and live by Christian standards.\nHe cites the results of research: the principles used by Jehovah's Witnesses contribute to strengthening the family, not to rupture; Witnesses learn to respect the authorities, do not take part in strikes, protests, terrorist acts, do not refuse treatment, adhere to the commandment not to learn to fight and not to take up arms, go to alternative service.\nWhen asked who is in charge of the religious denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ivanenko explains: \"God is in charge. There is a Governing Body on earth, which is a purely canonical institution. Jehovah's Witnesses have no leaders on earth.\"\nSergey Ivanenko is asked: \"Can it be said that Jehovah's Witnesses are sectarians?\" He answers: \"This term is often used to defame, but the concept itself means 'a split from a larger faith.' However, Jehovah's Witnesses did not break away, but emerged as a new Bible study circle. The sect is also closed, and Jehovah's Witnesses are open, they preach... In addition, according to the law, in order to recognize a community as traditional, it is necessary that it exists for 50 years. Formally, in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, more than a hundred years have passed... Simeon Kozlitsky was the first follower of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Empire at the end of the nineteenth century.\"\nAfter the interrogation, Sergey Ivanenko's religious research is attached to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220210","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the period from July 22, 2021 to February 8, 2022, more than 20 court hearings are held, at which the case materials are studied, prosecution witnesses and secret witness \"Ivanov\" are interrogated, material evidence is examined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20220208","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning prosecution witness Alexei Maslov, head of the CPE department. He says that his department began to take an interest in the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2012. Maslov informs the court of information without indicating the source of his knowledge. He also has no evidence that the defendants kept banned literature for distribution. Neither discrimination on religious grounds nor religious hatred on the part of Jehovah's Witnesses was found by the CPE employee. Maslov did not hear calls for violent actions from the defendants. He confirms that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20210721","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the consolidation of the cases, the trial of the six believers begins anew. The hearing is adjourned due to the failure of counsel to appear. The next meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20210129","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov, Nikolai Fufachev, rejects the motion to suspend the proceedings in the case of Vladimir Korobeynikov in connection with the pandemic. The court satisfies the petitions of the prosecutor Opaleva and the defendant Korobeynikov to unite the criminal cases and again joins the case of the believer to the case of Onischuk and others.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20210128","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to separate the charges against Vladimir Korobeynikov from the criminal case, after which it suspends the proceedings in this separated case.\nThe hearing in the original criminal case, in which the charges against A. Onischuk, E. Suvorkov, A. Suvorkov, M. Khalturin and V. Vasilyev remain, is scheduled for December 21 and 30, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20201209","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a long illness, 64-year-old Yuriy Geraskov died. The investigator knew about the state of his health, but did not stop the criminal case, although he chose a relatively mild measure of restraint for Yuri - a written undertaking not to leave the place. The stress of being persecuted for his faith had a negative impact on Yuriy's health.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20200424","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is submitted to the Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20200317","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pervomaisky District Judge Alexei Zhizhin releases Yevgeny Suvorkov, Vladimir Korobeynikov and Maxim Khalturin from house arrest. The judge believes that they will not be able to interfere with the criminal proceedings, so it is inappropriate to continue to keep believers under house arrest. The court also once again rejects the investigator's argument that the defendants \"may continue to engage in criminal activity.\" The defendants themselves did not admit guilt because they had not committed any crimes and freedom of religion was guaranteed by the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190930","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirov Regional Court Alexander Moseev satisfies the appeal of Andrzej Oniszczuk and lets him go home on his own recognizance. Onischuk stayed in captivity for almost a year (3 days in the temporary detention center and 327 days in the pre-trial detention center-1 in the Kirov region), not being able to communicate with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190903","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["appeal","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge cancels the house arrest of Andrei Suvorkov, softening his measure of restraint until he recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190813","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Andrzej Oniszczuk's stay in the pre-trial detention center until October 2, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190731","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervomaisky District Court of Kirov refuses to extend the period of detention of Yevgeny Suvorkov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Kirov Region. The court imposes on him a milder measure of restraint - house arrest. Only Polish citizen Andrzej Oniszczuk is left in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190328","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint in relation to Andrey Suvorkov and Maxim Khalturin, replacing detention with house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20190131","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirov Regional Court is considering the appeal of five detained believers to change the measure of restraint. The court releases Vladimir Korobeynikov under house arrest due to the illness of his wife and daughter, who have no one to take care of.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181220","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By court decision, Onischuk, Korobeynikov and Yevgeny Suvorkov are also sent to the pre-trial detention center. Yuriy Geraskov and Vladimir Vasilyev are in the status of defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181012","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to detain Andrey Suvorkov and Maksim Khalturin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181011","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of believers. 5 people were detained: Onischuk, Korobeynikov, Khalturin, Andrey Suvorkov and Yevgeny. During the searches, all electronic devices are seized, including those belonging to relatives who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181009","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2), 282.3 (1); According to the investigation, \"they organized meetings of followers and members of the said association [of Jehovah's Witnesses] in various apartments in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs, improving the skills of missionary activity, studying religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials Containing the Doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Andrzej Onischuk (born in 1968), Vladimir Korobeynikov (born in 1952), Andrey Suvorkov (born in 1993), Yevgeny Suvorkov (born in 1978), Maxim Khalturin (born in 1974), Yuri Geraskov (born in 1956), Vladimir Vasilyev (born in 1956).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Oniszczuk and Others in Kirov","date":"2018-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov3/index.html#20181003","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Vladivostok. Believers were searched. Valentyn Osadchuk spent 9 months in pre-trial detention and 77 days under house arrest. In April 2019, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and 6 elderly women — Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purga, Nadezhda Anoykina, Raisa Usanova and Yelena Zayshchuk — were accused of participating in it. Soon the case was received by the Leninsky District Court, but a month later the judge returned it to the prosecutor. This decision was upheld twice by the appellate court. Since January 2021, the case has been re-examined in the same court by Maksim Anufriev. With regard to Zayshchuk, the case was suspended due to her advanced age and state of health. In May 2022, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6.5 years in prison for Valentin Osadchuk, and a 5-year suspended sentence for women. In June, the court sentenced the believers to suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 6 years. In September 2022, the appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-04-09","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html","prisoners":["anoykina","galaktionova","kogay","osadchuk","purge","usanova"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok sentences the believers: Valentin Osadchuk is sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of liberty. Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purge, Nadezhda Anoykina and Raisa Usanova receive 2 years suspended and 9 months of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20220601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution and one of the lawyers make remarks (in accordance with article 337 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20220523","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Valentin Osadchuk to 6.5 years in prison, and Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogai, Nina Purga, Nadezhda Anoykina and Raisa Usanova to 5 years suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20220504","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor submits a motion for the examination of previously unexamined memorandums. During the announcement of one of them, the prosecutor skips fragments indicating the religious nature of the meeting of believers (discussion of biblical verses, religious teachings), explaining that \"the prosecution is not interested in religious provisions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20220114","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a statement about the discrepancy between the list of seized items and the protocols of searches and inspections.\nDuring a number of sessions, the defendants are interrogated. They read out their written notes. Answering the questions of the prosecutor and the judge, believers use Article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20211216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galaktionova is in the hospital where she is undergoing treatment for coronavirus. The hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210914","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to examine the material evidence seized during the search of believers. When reviewing religious publications, the prosecutor repeatedly points out that they contain references to Jehovah.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210727","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins listening to audio recordings of worship services held in 2017-18.\nThe judge asks the witness Petrova questions: who owns the voices on the audio recording; What is at stake in the fragments for which there is a discrepancy between the audio recording and the investigator's memorandum.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210629","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses from the defense are being interrogated: Valentin Osadchuk's sister, her husband and the believer's employer. They characterize Valentin as a kind, sympathetic, responsible and law-abiding person who can be relied upon. His sister says that she used to have a very negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses; After her brother's arrest, she decided to learn more about this religion and changed her mind.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210518","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witnesses is underway - detective Y. N. Gaifullin and embedded agent E. A. Petrova.\nThe witnesses repeat the testimonies given during the preliminary investigation. They allege that the defendants secretly continued the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Vladivostok. Petrova does not hide her negative attitude towards believers because of their religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210413","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the serious illness of Elena Zayshchuk, the case against her was suspended.\nThe prosecutor reads the charge to the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210219","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Valentin Osadchuk and 6 elderly believers is transferred to the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok and appointed to Judge Maxim Anufriev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20210119","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok, chaired by Judge Natalia Khromina, satisfies the prosecutor's request to return the case to the prosecutor's office. The case of Osadchuk and others is referred to the court of first instance for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20201216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is being held in the Primorsky Regional Court. Prosecutor V. A. Tymoshenko speaks on behalf of the prosecution. The Court refuses to accept the decision of the UN Working Group on the detention of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses and points out that it would be more appropriate to use it in the court of first instance when considering the case on the merits.\nThe court shall issue a decision to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20200629","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction Yevgeny Zheleznov cancels the appeal decision in the case of Osadchuk and others and sends the case for a new appeal to the Primorsky Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the self-isolation regime caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ninth Court of Cassation postpones the consideration of the complaint of the prosecutor's office to June 1, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20200513","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Vladivostok, postpones the consideration of the cassation appeal of the prosecutor's office against the refusal of the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok to consider the merits of the case of Osadchuk and others and to return the case to the prosecutor's office. The meeting is postponed to May 13, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20200420","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court upholds the decision of the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok to return the criminal case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20200127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the motion of the defense. The criminal case is returned to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20191112","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution submits its objections to the return of the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20191024","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok, the preliminary hearing in the case of Osadchuk and others continues.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20191023","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six more women aged 61 to 84 were charged with extremism in this case, namely Nadezhda Anoykina, Lyubov Galaktionova, Yelena Zaishchuk, Naila Kogai, Nina Purga, Raisa Usanova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20191001","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court seizes the property of Valentin Osadchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190416","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigative actions are being completed. The next stage is to familiarize all the accused with the materials of the criminal case and transfer the case to the prosecutor for approval of the indictment and referral to the court.\n\nThe court seizes the property of Valentin Osadchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190416","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the Primorsky Territory Tunyk softens the measure of restraint for Osadchuk from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190405","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tunyk, a senior investigator of the Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Primorsky Territory, changes the charge - now Osadchuk is charged not with participation, but with organizing the activities of a banned community.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190401","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court extends the term of Osadchuk's house arrest for a month, that is, until April 9. The court also relaxed a number of prohibitions, allowing Valentin a 2-hour walk and allowing him to see some relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190304","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court softens the measure of restraint and transfers Osadchuk to house arrest until March 9, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20190118","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentin Osadchuk was charged with participation in the activities of an organization banned by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20180427","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok sends Valentin Osadchuk to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20180423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, a series of searches are taking place in Vladivostok, during which FSB officers interrogate 83-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 66-year-old Nailya Kogay and 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk. Law enforcement officers take a written undertaking not to leave the place from elderly women, and Osadchuk was detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20180419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","elderly","interrogation","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Primorsky Territory is initiating a criminal case on extremism. One of the defendants is Valentin Osadchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Osadchuk and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok3/index.html#20180409","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2019, investigator Yulia Fedynyak opened a criminal case against the power plant driver Anton Ostapenko. Talking about the Bible was equated with organizing extremist activities. Ostapenko was sent to a pre-trial detention center for six months, after which he was transferred to house arrest, and later to recognizance not to leave. After 1 year and 9 months, the case was transferred to the Sharypovsky City Court for consideration by judge Inga Gavritskaya. During the hearings, transcripts of Anton\u0026rsquo;s prayers were read out, which formed the basis of his accusation. The secret witness for the prosecution \u0026ldquo;Ivanov\u0026rdquo; stated that he did not know the defendant personally, and at the services the believers \u0026ldquo;just gather and sing songs.\u0026rdquo; The prosecutor asked the court to sentence the believer to 8 years in a penal colony. In October 2021, the court found Ostapenko guilty and sentenced him to 6 years and 3 months of probation with a probation period of 4 years and 1.5 years of additional restrictions. In April 2022, the appellate court upheld this decision.","date":"2019-04-19","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html","prisoners":["ostapenko"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court approves the verdict against Anton Ostapenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20220407","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Inga Gavritskaya finds Anton Ostapenko guilty and sentences him to 6 years and 3 months of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 4 years and 1.5 years of additional restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-10-25T15:04:15+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20211025","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Anton Ostapenko to 8 years in prison in a penal colony.\nThe believer addresses the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-10-14T15:34:57+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20211014","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to support the believer. Only Anton's sister is allowed to be present in the courtroom.\nThe judge admits religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko to participate in the trial.\nThe defendant Ostapenko is being interrogated. He tells the court: \"I don't understand this [charge] because what I was doing was peaceful religious activity. And I don't understand why... I am equated with an extremist.\" Anton explains that his religion is expressed in reading the Bible together, singing songs, and studying the Scriptures.\nWhen asked by the court whether his religion prohibits him from communicating with people of other faiths, Anton explains that there is no such ban, and this proves his friendly and respectful communication with colleagues with different religious views.\nThe believer informs the court that during his detention he was subjected to pressure of various kinds. Also, according to Anton Ostapenko, he received threats to the health and safety of his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210715","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 20 people come to support Ostapenko. Only three people are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe court examines the witness. He confirms that the Bible was discussed at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses he previously attended. Believers, including Ostapenko, respect the state authorities and do not disregard the laws of the country.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210702","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness for the prosecution, \"Ivanov Vasily Sergeyevich\", is being questioned, who says that he does not know the defendant personally. About the services that Ostapenko is accused of organizing, he knows that \"people just gathered, sang songs.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210603","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Olga Finogenko, a senior state linguistic expert. The witness reports that, according to her examination of telephone conversations, no calls or motives for prohibited and extremist actions were found in the defendant's statements.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210601","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support Ostapenko. Only one person is allowed into the courtroom. The protocols of the search, as well as philological and linguistic examinations are read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210428","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the case materials, including the transcript of prayers obtained using a listening device.\nThe court interrogates a prosecution witness, FSB officer Andrei Fedorov, who led the investigation into the case. In his testimony, he denies that Ostapenko called on anyone to violent actions against the state and extremism, to rallies, to create armed formations, to promote Nazi paraphernalia, as well as to incite national and religious hatred.\nThe court rejects the petition to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210419","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first meeting on the merits is taking place. About 30 people come to support the defendant. Only the believer's sister is allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. Ostapenko expresses his disagreement with the accusation and informs the court that he does not understand it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210218","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Anton Ostapenko is submitted to the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for consideration by Judge Inga Gavritskaya.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20210126","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the second department of the control and investigation department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, I. N. Soprun, asks the acting head of the SO for the Sharypovsky district, S. A. Baev, to accept a criminal case for his production to organize an additional investigation and eliminate deficiencies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200728","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Vitaly Stepanov returns the criminal case against Ostapenko to the head of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia A.E. Potapov for additional investigation and elimination of identified violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200717","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sharypovsky interdistrict prosecutor Vyacheslav Voroshilov makes a decision to return the criminal case for additional investigation. According to the ruling, the accusation against Anton Ostapenko \"does not meet the requirements, is not specified, there are significant contradictions ... A number of circumstances... is not confirmed by the materials of the criminal case. In the course of the preliminary investigation, a large number of procedural violations were committed.\" For example, \"the indictment does not indicate the place, time and circumstances under which A. Ostapenko joined the structural unit of the LRO \"Jehovah's Witnesses of Sharypov\".\nThe criminal case is returned to the senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Divnogorsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, seconded to the Main Investigative Directorate for the Sharypovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, A. A. Milovanova, for additional investigation and elimination of the identified deficiencies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200702","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator A. M. Kunko makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Anton Ostapenko in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200313","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Ostapenko is released from house arrest. After 62 days, the believer can leave his home again.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200220","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Sharypovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Inga Gavritskaya refuses to extend Anton's detention under house arrest. The judge considers the investigator's arguments to be unfounded, since the believer complied with all the restrictions imposed on him. Ostapenko's house arrest expires on February 19, 2020. After that, presumably, a different measure of restraint will be chosen.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200214","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator A.M. Kunko, seconded from Lesosibirsk, petitions for the extension of Ostapenko's house arrest. He believes that Anton can hide from the investigation and put pressure on witnesses. In his petition, Kunko reports that 11 searches were carried out in the case, during which 30 phones, 11 tablets, 1 laptop, 2 system units and other electronic equipment, as well as 95 thousand rubles, were seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2020-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20200205","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Ostapenko was released after 246 days in jail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20191220","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sharypovsky City Court softens the measure of restraint for Anton Ostapenko from detention to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20191217","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers detain Ostapenko and place him in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20190420","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate for the Sharypovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, he was active in holding meetings, expressed in public speaking, discussion of biblical scriptures, and prayers. Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Ostapenko Anton (born in 1991).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ostapenko in Sharypovo","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo/index.html#20190419","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2021-05-25","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul3/index.html","prisoners":["ovechkin"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ovechkin in Barnaul","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Oleg Ovechkin stands out from the case of other believers in Barnaul.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ovechkin in Barnaul","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul3/index.html#20221114","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Parkova, a Chinese tutor from Rostov-on-Don, followed her husband under the yoke of criminal prosecution. Peaceful meetings, at which she discussed the Bible with friends, were mistaken for extremism by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. On June 6, 2019, a criminal case was opened against her under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Galina spent more than one month under recognizance not to leave. The prosecution was based, among other things, on the testimony of a secret witness who saw the defendant only twice and talked with her on topics unrelated to the teachings of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. In October 2020, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested a 3-year suspended sentence for the believer. In January 2021, a judge sentenced Parkova to 2 years and 3 months on probation. In March 2021, the appellate instance upheld the verdict, and in December the court of cassation approved this decision. Galina served her main sentence on April 26, 2023.","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html","prisoners":["parkova"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"Galina Parkova served the main sentence — a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20230426","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 4th Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar upholds the verdict and appeal decision in the case of Galina Parkova from Rostov-on-Don\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20211215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court upholds the conviction of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don against Galina Parkova. The verdict shall take effect immediately.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210322","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don Snezhana Fedorova sentences Galina Parkova to 2 years and 3 months of probation with a probation period of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210126","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Parkova speaks in court with her last word, drawing attention to the absence of actions of an extremist nature and the fact that there are no victims in the case. The believer also explains to the judge the fallacy of the logic of the accusation, which unreasonably confuses the concepts of a banned organization and a permitted religion.\n\"Your Honor! I ask you to make a fair decision in my case and pass an acquittal. I have not and have never had anything to do with extremism. And forbidding believing is like forbidding breathing. Unthinkable and impossible!\" the believer declares.\nJudge Snezhana Fedorova begins to announce the verdict, but takes a break, postponing the announcement to the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210125","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 3 years of probation, 1 year of restriction of freedom with a 4-year probationary period for Galina Parkova.\nThe court schedules the believer's last speech on January 25. On the same day, the verdict may be announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210119","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court is holding a hearing in the case of Galina Parkova. Investigator Mikhail Antipov, who, according to witnesses Andrey Okhrimchuk and his wife Ekaterina, falsified their testimony in the cases of other Jehovah's Witnesses accused of extremism, is being questioned as a witness.\nA secret witness \"Andrew\" is being interrogated. He says that he saw the defendant only 2 times and they talked on abstract topics not related to the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDuring interrogation, Galina Parkova notes that she has nothing to do with the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Rostov-on-Don, and denies using the banned publication.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20210112","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Parkova is being interrogated at the next court hearing. The believer tells the court how the Bible has changed her life for the better, and how she herself manages to maintain good relations with relatives who do not share her beliefs. She also informs the court that she is unable to use a bank card, and because of this, she lost her job.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20201223","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A religious scholar from the Department of Religious Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Southern Federal University is being interrogated. He emphasizes that the propaganda of religious superiority is inherent in any religion that considers its teachings to be true. Regarding military service, he said that \"Jehovah's Witnesses are consistent pacifists, but they do not refuse alternative service.\" The specialist declares that violence is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses. On the contrary, they are focused on good deeds.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20201208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court judge Snezhana Fedorova interrogates a prosecution witness. He explains that none of the believers used the forbidden literature. Monetary donations are only voluntary.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20201125","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Galina Parkova was separated into a separate proceeding. As a result, the criminal case of each believer will be considered separately.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20201010","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kalnitsky singles out the case of Lyudmila Ponomarenko in a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20200909","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cases of Olga Ganusha, Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova are combined into one proceeding. All women are formally charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20200817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Parkova is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20190617","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against Olga Ganusha (born in 1961), Lyudmila Ponomarenko (born in 1950) and Galina Parkova (born in 1970). According to the investigation, they participated in religious meetings, including religious services; provided living quarters for meetings; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Parkova in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don5/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"30-year-old Yekaterina Pegasheva from Mari El was under investigation for “conducting conversations with unidentified persons” and “participating in events” - meetings and discussions of the Bible with fellow believers. Yekaterina helped local residents learn about God from the Bible. According to law enforcement officers, by doing this the believer committed “a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.” After the arrest, the woman immediately ended up in a pre-trial detention center. The house of her mother, who lives in the village and by herself takes care of Yekaterina’s elderly grandmother, was raided and searched. After spending about four months behind bars, Yekaterina lost her job and her health suffered. She was under house arrest for 500 days. The prosecutor requested seven years in prison for the believer. On May 31, 2021, Judge of the Gornomarisky District Court of the Republic of Mari El, Nikolai Ayplatov, sentenced Yekaterina to six and a half years of suspended sentence with a probationary period of four years. The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El upheld the decision of the court of first instance. The court of cassation followed the same path.","date":"2019-09-26","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html","prisoners":["pegasheva"],"regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara leaves the verdict and the appeal decision in the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20220331","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mari El rejects Ekaterina Pegasheva's appeal. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210804","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Gornomariyskiy District Court of the Republic of Mari El, Nikolay Aiplatov, finds Ekaterina Pegasheva guilty because of her religion and sentences her to 6 and a half years of probation with a probation period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210531","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina delivers her last word, in which she provides evidence of her innocence of extremism and asks the court to acquit her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210506","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor requests a sentence of 7 years in prison for the believer to be served in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210505","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["punishment-request","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to information on the official website of the court, 27 court hearings in the criminal case have already taken place. At the next hearing, the beginning of the judicial debate is expected, during which the state prosecutor will recommend to the court a punishment for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210423","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the defendant explains that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by the court and meetings of believers are allowed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Ekaterina also points out: \"In my conversations there are no calls for violence, enmity or disobedience to the laws. I didn't have any extremist motives, I don't have them and I can't have them, because I'm a Christian.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210324","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a secret witness \"Petrova\", who believes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is prohibited. According to her, peaceful topics were considered at the services, and Pegasheva did not call anyone to illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2021-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20210113","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witnesses. They talk about discussing religious issues with the defendant. \"She was talking about good things, she was talking about God,\" one said. Another witness could not recognize Pegasheva as the woman with whom she had communicated earlier. The third witness rents an apartment to the defendant. \"I like Katya. She is disciplined, she pays for everything, there were no complaints from her neighbors, \"she says.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20201119","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines prosecution witnesses. According to one of them, at the services she attended, people \"talked about God\" and Pegasheva never called on those present to \"commit violent acts, overthrow state power and change the constitutional order.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20201103","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Gornomariyskiy District Court of the Republic of Mari El, hearings on the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva begin. The presiding judge is Nikolay Aiplatov. The believer expresses her attitude to the accusation before the court, calling it illegal. She emphasizes that extremism is alien to her, and she faces imprisonment, in fact, for exercising her legal right to practice her religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20201012","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Yoshkar-Ola City Court Oksana Ershova is considering the petition of investigator Alexei Marushin to extend house arrest for Ekaterina Pegasheva for 2 months, that is, until July 26, 2020. By this time, in total, taking into account the stay in the pre-trial detention center, the period of restriction of freedom will be 297 days.\nThe accused and the defense counsel do not agree with the investigator's petition and appeal to the court to mitigate the measure of restraint - in the form of a written undertaking not to leave or prohibit certain actions.\nThe court, having heard all the parties, decides to dismiss the believer's petition, taking into account the investigator's arguments that Catherine committed \"a grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\"\nShe is banned from correspondence, the use of communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20200519","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Head of the Investigation Department of the FSB V. Tseberganov extends the term of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case of Ekaterina Pegasheva to 10 months, that is, until July 26, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20200518","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is underway to extend the house arrest of Ekaterina Pegasheva. Of those who came to support the believer, only six are allowed into the courthouse. At the entrance, an FSB officer writes them summons for interrogation on March 24 to the deputy head of the investigation department of the FSB Marushin A.N. Nevertheless, listeners are not allowed into the courtroom.\nWith the consent of the head of the investigation department of the FSB in the Republic of Mari El, Tseberganov V. Y., investigator Marushin petitions for the extension of the house arrest of Ekaterina Pegasheva. Prosecutor M. M. Shakhnavazov supports the investigator's petition.\nThe accused and the defense counsel object, considering the investigator's arguments unfounded.\nJudge Mayorova S.M. decides to extend Pegasheva's house arrest until May 26, 2020, explaining this by the purpose of \"obtaining the results of psychological, linguistic, religious, phonoscopic forensic examinations.\"\nFor the period of the preventive measure, a ban has been imposed on the receipt and sending of correspondence, the use of means of communication and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20200318","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yoshkar-Ola City Court softens the measure of restraint for Ekaterina Pegasheva and determines to transfer her to house arrest. For 3.5 months in the pre-trial detention center, she received more than 700 letters of support from 15 countries.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2020-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20200117","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yoshkar-Ola City Court extends the detention of Ekaterina Pegasheva in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191118","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Pegasheva is charged with committing a crime under Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191009","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention in relation to Ekaterina Pegasheva. She is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mari El.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191004","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the case of Ekaterina Pegasheva, two searches are underway in Yoshkar-Ola and one search in the village of Pirogovo (Kirov region), where her mother lives. During the searches, books and videos, electronic devices, personal letters and documents are seized, including even a school certificate and a certificate of passing the exam.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20191003","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Mari El initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, she \"deliberately continued illegal activities ... by conducting interviews with unidentified persons in order to promote the activities of the banned religious extremist organization Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as by directly participating in events held by the banned organization.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Ekaterina Pegasheva (born in 1989).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Pegasheva in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2019-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola/index.html#20190926","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, searches and interrogations of local believers were carried out in the cities of Asha and Minyar, who were suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Two days before the raids, a criminal case had been initiated against unidentified persons for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. As a result, Andrey Perminov, a disabled person of group I, was charged. In November 2021, the believer was placed under house arrest. Six months later, the case went to court, and in November 2022, Andrey Perminov, chained to a wheelchair, was sentenced to 6 years of probation. In March 2023, an appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-06-09","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html","prisoners":["perminov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Perminov in Asha","type":"cases"},{"body":"In his last speech, Andrey Perminov, a disabled person of group I, explains to the court the inconsistency of the charges against him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20221117","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ravil Nusratov. Ashinsky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region (Asha, Lenin St., 1).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20221103","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecution is requesting 6 years of suspended imprisonment for Andrey Perminov with a probationary period of 4 years and a one-year ban on leaving the area of residence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20221026","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to conduct a repeated comprehensive religious psychological and linguistic examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20221013","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next hearing, the court reviews a 40-minute recording of a Bible-based report on the topic \"The Love That Never Passes.\" After watching it, Andrey Perminov explains to the court that he tries to live in harmony with the biblical norms voiced in the video and show similar love for others.\nThe court accepts the defendant's petition to listen to the audio recording of his conversation with his wife on the topic \"It is important to forgive others.\"\nThe court rejects the petition for the attachment of the ECHR ruling in the case of the LRO of Taganrog and Others v. Russia.\nAndrey Perminov again submits a petition for a second comprehensive religious psychological and linguistic examination. The court takes time to resolve the petition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20221012","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Perminov submits a petition for a repeated comprehensive religious psychological and linguistic examination in a state institution. The court rejects it, and also does not accept the arguments of the defense about the disqualification of experts from Chelyabinsk State University. The lawyer reads out the positive characteristics of Andrey Perminov from the district and local public organization of the disabled.\nThe defense proposes to partially investigate the telephone conversations recorded during the ORM: according to the lawyer, some points are deciphered incorrectly, which is why the experts drew the wrong conclusions. The court postpones the examination of the records to the next hearing.\nFurther, the lawyer submits a petition to attach to the case file the decision of the ECHR \"LRO of Taganrog and Others v. Russia\". The prosecutor asks for time to familiarize himself with this voluminous document.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20220921","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","echr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned at the hearing. One of them does not know anything on the merits of the case.\nFurther, the expert Elizaveta Shchetinina, associate professor at Chelyabinsk State University, who conducted a comprehensive religious study of the records of worship, is interrogated. She states: \"[On the materials presented] we see a gathering of believers who realize a spiritual need in the context of prayer, the study of the Holy Scriptures. There were no calls for violence, overthrow of the state system in these materials.\" The expert concludes that the goals of Jehovah's Witnesses' worship services are \"joint confession of religion, satisfaction of spiritual needs, service to God on the basis of the Holy Scriptures, teaching religion, including in the format of meetings, cult and prayer practice, analysis of the Holy Scriptures.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20220805","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"12 listeners are allowed to attend the court session. Prosecution witnesses in the Perminov case are being questioned.\nThe first to testify is the FSB officer M. E. Kozlov, who carried out operational-search activities. From his point of view, the actions of the defendant were of a religious nature, they did not contain calls for violence and incitement of hatred on any grounds.\nAccording to witnesses, wiretapping was installed in Perminov's apartment, and some telephone conversations of believers were recorded.\nDuring the interrogation, the former Jehovah's Witness confirms that Perminov did not organize a criminal community and that he read excerpts from the Bible at worship services. The people with whom the defendant discussed the biblical canons themselves expressed a desire to talk with him, and the main thing at the services was not Perminov, but Jesus Christ. The witness states that he has never heard calls for violence and hatred from believers.\nSeveral prosecution witnesses claim that Perminov did not declare the superiority of his religion over others and did not voice calls for violent actions.\nOne of the witnesses in his testimony says that the defendant did not call for his ex-wife to divorce. Also, in the audio recordings that he listened to, there were no calls for violent actions on the part of Perminov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20220606","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Ashinsky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region. Ravil Nusratov is appointed as a judge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2022-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20220506","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. V. Chepenko places Andrey Perminov under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20211110","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the town of Asha, Chelyabinsk Region, and neighboring Minyar, searches are being conducted at the homes of 5 families of Jehovah's Witnesses. A search warrant for a disabled person of group I, 49-year-old Andrey Perminov, was issued by the judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Oksana Makarenko. Operational activities are supervised by investigator Dolgaev.\nElectronic devices, storage media, bank cards, notebooks with personal notes, a Bible, a homemade Bible game, walkie-talkies, in one case a tape recorder and a CD with songs are seized from believers. During the searches, video is being filmed. Then the believers are interrogated by the Investigative Committee.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20210611","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","disability","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, Major of Justice Yevgeny Dolgaev, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Perminov in Asha","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha/index.html#20210609","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2018, as part of the criminal case of Igor Turik, a search was carried out in the apartment and car of engineer Valeriy Petrenko. Less than two weeks later, a criminal case was opened against him. The investigation considered his participation in a religious service, at which he discussed the topic \u0026quot;What is the Kingdom of God,\u0026quot; to be extremism? During one of the interrogations, the believer learned that he was under covert audio and video surveillance. In May 2024, the case against Valeriy Petrenko was dropped.","date":"2018-09-26","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html","prisoners":["petrenko"],"regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Redozubov issues a decision to terminate the criminal case against Valeriy Petrenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20240521","regions":["perm"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. S. Redozubov summons Petrenko for interrogation as a suspect. During interrogation, he learns that he was under covert audio and video surveillance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20190920","regions":["perm"],"tags":["interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six witnesses in the case, including Valery's wife, Galina Petrenko, are being questioned. They are asked questions about the defendants in the Turik case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2019-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20190916","regions":["perm"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case against Valeriy Petrenko is extended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2018-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20181126","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Perm Territory, Major of Justice S. A. Vodianenko initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Valery Petrenko. The reason for the initiation is the report of Abramov's employee on the detection of signs of a crime in the actions of the believer.\nAccording to the investigation, he \"deliberately took an active part in the meeting of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses ... which was expressed in the coverage and discussion of issues on topics recommended by higher organizations in the structure of the world organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, discussed with those present the topic: \"What is the kingdom of God?\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2018-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20180926","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Igor Turik, officers of the FSB Directorate for the Perm Territory A. Abramov, V. V. Naumov and V. S. Skosyrev search the apartment and car of Valery Petrenko. The witnesses are 2 employees of the rapid response team - Maxim Spirin and Sergey Borodulya.\nReligious literature, several copies of the Bible, bank cards, electronic devices, CDs, a media player, storage media, a system unit, and personal records are seized from the believer.\nPetrenko is being interrogated at the FSB office in Berezniki by the same officers who conducted the search. They ask Petrenko questions about why and when he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, whether he knows Igor Turik, where the meetings of believers were held, and who is their leader.\nThe investigation blames Valery Petrenko for conducting divine services and the rite of baptism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2018-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20180917","regions":["perm"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders a search in the apartment and car of Valery Petrenko, who lives in the city of Berezniki.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Petrenko in Berezniki","date":"2018-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/berezniki/index.html#20180914","regions":["perm"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2019, the case of Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim was separated from the criminal case against Valery Moskalenko, one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Khabarovsk. Investigator Pozdnyakov accused the believers of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. For 5 months, prosecution witnesses, including a classified witness, were interrogated in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk. However, the essence of the accusation did not become clear to the defendants. In February 2020, Judge Natalia Firsova found the believers guilty and sentenced them to 2 years of suspended imprisonment. Due to the pandemic, the appeal hearing did not take place until six months later. The Khabarovsk Regional Court upheld the verdict. Kim and Polevodov are defendants in yet another criminal case for their faith and were forced to defend their beliefs in another court at the same time.","date":"2019-05-06","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html","prisoners":["kim2","polevodov2"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Khabarovsk Regional Court (Khabarovsk, Pacificskaya Street, 155). The appellate ruling upheld the verdict of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk dated February 4, 2020, by which Stanislav Kim and Nikolay Polevodov were found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for their faith and sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years. The believers consider themselves innocent and intend to seek the cancellation of the sentence that has entered into force.\n(In addition, Kim and Polevodov are tried in another court for their faith, but under part 1 of p. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200702","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in connection with the epidemic, the Khabarovsk Regional Court (Khabarovsk, 155 Pacificskaya Street) cancels the hearing scheduled for May 21, 2020 and postpones the hearing indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200520","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court postpones the appeal hearing to May 21, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200507","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court postpones the appeal hearing to May 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200414","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Firsova, judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, announces the verdict. Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim were found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. They were sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years. The believers consider themselves innocent and intend to appeal the verdict.\n(In addition, Kim and Polevodov are tried in another court for their faith, but under part 1 of p. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200204","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, the prosecutor's office asks the court to find Kim and Polevodov guilty and impose a sentence of 3 years in prison with 1 year of restriction of liberty on each of them. The believers themselves do not admit guilt and ask the court to fully acquit them.\nThe sentencing is scheduled for 04.02.2020 at 15:00 (local time) in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk. The court is located at the address: Khabarovsk, Suvorov str., 73.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20200131","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of secret witness Smirnov. According to him, he communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses until April 2017. Polevodov demands that Smirnov be declassified, but the judge refuses. In his testimony, Smirnov states that he knows the defendants, but does not know whether they have any status in a religious organization. On April 21, 2018, the witness was present at the meeting in the café. Smirnov at first declares that the believers were conspiring, but it turns out that he went there completely freely, no one checked his identity. According to him, everyone present knew about the ban. How he knows this, he is not able to explain. Smirnov claims that both defendants used extremist literature at the meeting, but he does not know which one. The witness also finds it difficult to explain which statements by Polevodov and Kim should be understood as calls for extremism. On two occasions, he states that there were children at the meeting, although no children are seen in the video recording of the meeting made by the operational staff. Smirnov refuses to answer most of the questions, explaining that he does not want to reveal his identity.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for January 9, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191212","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor cancels the examination of one of the witnesses and reads out the written evidence. The prosecutor reads out the text of the statutory documents of the LRO, the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding the religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses and the decisions of the appellate instances. The prosecutor also declassifies the results of operational-search activities in relation to Polevodov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191205","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Watching a video from one of the religious meetings. Gnilokostov's lawyer draws attention to the discrepancy between the date of the video recording and the date indicated on the video disc provided by the operatives. She also emphasizes that none of the speakers mentions the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses or the LRO. Those present do not comply with conspiracy measures, sound amplification equipment is used, everyone calmly communicates with each other. Judging by the nature of the shooting, it was made by operatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the documents substantiating the accusation and the characteristics of Polevodov and Kim. Expert opinions are announced. The prosecutor cannot explain to the lawyers for what period of time the experts examined the materials, and promises to prepare for the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191118","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness, who was present in the café building, is being interrogated. From her answer it is clear that she does not know the defendants, she did not enter the hall where the meeting of the group of people took place.\nAnother witness by the name of Sugak, who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2016, reports that he knows Polevodov and Kim. He does not know whether the believers were part of the legal entity that was banned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191114","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Polevodov and Kim disagree with the accusation of extremism.\nThe court is questioning two witnesses — Zverev, a security guard at the café, and Rudenko, the administrator of the facility where security officials believe the defendants participated in a religious meeting. Both state that they do not know the defendants and cannot say whether they were present at the café on April 21, 2018. Witnesses inform the court that a meeting was held that day, but they did not see anything illegal in the behavior of those present on the recordings of video cameras installed in the room.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191031","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk. Judge Natalia Firsova rejects the defense's motion to return the case to the prosecutor and to challenge the forensic examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20191017","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20190909","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. Pozdnyakov makes a decision to separate a new criminal case from the criminal case against Valery Moskalenko - against Stanislav Kim and Nikolai Polevodov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20190530","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Pozdnyakov, having considered the report of the crime, decides to initiate a criminal case against Valery Moskalenko on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Polevodov and Kim in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk/index.html#20180801","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the age of 70, Lyudmila Ponomarenko from Rostov-on-Don unexpectedly found herself in the dock on charges of extremist activity. In the spring of 2019, law enforcement officers came to the apartment of a pensioner caring for her seriously ill husband with a search. The First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code for participation in worship services and preaching. In the fall of 2020, hearings began in the Leninsky District Court under the chairmanship of Judge Alexander Osipov. During the hearing, one of the prosecution witnesses stated that his testimony had been falsified and that investigator A. A. Chaikin had made threats. On May 18, 2021, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Alexander Osipov, sentenced the elderly believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.","date":"2019-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html","prisoners":["ponomarenko"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, Alexander Osipov, sentences Lyudmila Ponomarenko to be found guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20210518","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the stage of deliberations. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 2 years probation and 1 year of probation for the elderly believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20210514","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Lyudmila Ponomarenko's petition for publicity of the trial.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20210220","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the witness E. A. Bakulina, who says that the defendant is \"a wonderful mother, a caring wife, one raises a sick husband, a wonderful comrade.\" According to the witness, Lyudmila Ponomarenko never called anyone to extremist actions, religious hatred or refusal of medical treatment. \"It's hard to imagine,\" she adds.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20210120","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating detective Aleksandr Chaikin, an employee of the Center for Countering Extremism, who participated in hidden ORMs from November 2017 to May 2019. During the observation of believers, it was established that Lyudmila Ponomarenko was present at divine services, discussed the Bible with fellow believers, sang songs and prayed. An employee of the Center for Counteracting Extremism cannot cite any specific facts of the unlawful activity of the believer.\nChaikin explains to the court that, in his opinion, prayers, singing psalms and reading the Bible are forms of participation in an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20210115","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, a petition for attaching a resolution to the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is considered, and witness Andriy Okhrimchuk is also being interrogated. He states that he refuses the testimony that he had previously given during the interrogation, explaining this by the state of shock and the fact that the investigator put pressure on him. The witness claims that his testimony was falsified (for example, about an \"organization\" that he did not even mention). Interestingly, a similar situation was described by Okhrimchuk's wife, acting as a witness in another criminal case against believers.\nWhen asked by the judge about the pressure exerted, the witness explains that investigator Antipov, as well as operative Chaikin, threatened him and instilled a sense of guilt in him.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for January 14, 2021 at 14:00. It is planned to interrogate prosecution witnesses and examine material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20201225","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the prosecution witness. The witness explains that all the time she attended the services, she did not hear anything about the legal entity or its activities. At religious meetings, believers discussed the Bible, not the activities of a legal entity. The presence was voluntary and was not controlled by anyone. When asked by the prosecutor whether anyone had established prohibitions for believers, she replied that each Jehovah's Witness determines for himself how to take care of himself in terms of health and what decisions to make in other areas of life.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20201201","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kalnitsky singles out the case of Lyudmila Ponomarenko in a separate proceeding. In the relevant ruling, he points to the \"guilt\" of the believer: she communicated with fellow believers, \"participated in reading prayers, discussing them, singing,\" which is allegedly propaganda of the superiority of religion at the expense of humiliating other religions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20200909","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cases of Olga Ganush, Lyudmila Ponomarenko and Galina Parkova are combined into one proceeding. They choose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. All women are formally charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20200817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Ponomarenko is being interrogated, at which she is present with her lawyer. The rights and obligations are explained to her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20200620","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Investigation Department (based in Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates criminal cases for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against Olga Ganush (born in 1961), Lyudmila Ponomarenko (born in 1950) and Galina Parkova (born in 1970). According to the investigation, they participated in religious meetings, including religious services; provided living quarters for meetings; made donations; engaged in agitation among persons who are not followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The reason for initiating a criminal case against Lyudmila Ponomarenko is the report of the head of the CPE of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Arthur Metzger. According to Mikhail Antipov, a senior investigator for especially important cases, the believer \"had the intent to participate in the activities of an extremist organization ... bringing to the attention of the population of Rostov-on-Don the content of religious literature.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20190606","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, in the apartment of Lyudmila Ponomarenko, on the basis of a court order, a search is carried out under the direction of police major A. Y. Nikolaenko. During the search, law enforcement officers seized a mobile phone, a tablet, Bibles in various translations, as well as a Bible dictionary, a Bible reference book and a religious studies monograph.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20190522","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders a search of the home of 70-year-old Lyudmila Ponomarenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomarenko in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don8/index.html#20190521","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, Olga Ponomareva, a disabled person of group II, and Anna Yermak, the mother of two young children, were searched as part of a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. Investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory Lev Galustyants accused Olga and Anna of involving persons in a banned organization by prior conspiracy. Olga Ponomareva, who has an elderly disabled mother in her care, and Anna Yermak face imprisonment for up to 8 years for peacefully practicing their religion. The case involved the testimony of a woman who feigned an interest in the Bible. According to the investigation, it was her that Ponomareva and Yermak \u0026ldquo;involved\u0026rdquo; in their faith. Both believers were given recognizance not to leave. In October 2021, the case was submitted to the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. Soon, on December 2, the court sentenced Ponomareva in absentia to 5, and Yermak to 4.5 years in prison.","date":"2021-03-03","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html","prisoners":["ponomareva","yermak"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Abinsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory Nikolay Surmach sentences Anna Yermak and Olga Ponomareva in absentia. Ponomareva was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, and Yermak was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20211202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of all the witnesses for the prosecution, only the district police officer is in court. Anna Yermak says she first saw him on April 7, 2021, during a search of her home. However, the interrogation, in which the witness testified against the believer and identified her voice on audio recordings, was dated a month earlier, on March 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210812","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nThe prosecutor reads out the prosecution and the testimony of some witnesses. Anna's husband Yermak is being interrogated. When asked what his wife did and whether she was a member of any organization, he replies that his wife read the Bible.\nThe judge does not give Ponomareva and Yermak the opportunity to express their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210803","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Olga Ponomareva and Anna Yermak is submitted to the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory for consideration by Judge Nikolay Surmach, who is also hearing the case of Alexander Nikolaev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210716","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Abinsk district, I. V. Kosolapov, approves the indictment against the believers.\nThe accusation against Olga Ponomareva and Anna Yermak is based on the testimony of FSB officer Bochin, who considers the women guilty of singing biblical songs and studying religious literature recognized as extremist in Russia under the leadership of Aleksandr Ivshin, whom the court sent to a colony for 7.5 years.\nThe accusation is also based on the testimony of J. B. Broyan, who since 2012 has communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses, pretending to be interested in the Bible. As follows from the indictment, it was her that Ponomareva and Yermak allegedly \"involved\" in their faith. The woman herself explains in her testimony that she went to worship services voluntarily.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210609","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galustyants officially prosecutes Anna Yermak as a defendant under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210430","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Lev Galustyants officially attracts Olga Ponomareva as accused of committing \"a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" She is charged with committing a crime under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, Olga Ponomareva, together with Anna Yermak and other unidentified persons, \"resumed and continued her participation in the activities of an extremist organization ... spread the ideology of the extremist organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", conducted and listened to lectures ... read religious books aloud to other participants.\" Such language is used in the case file despite the authorities' explanations that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, as part of a new criminal case, searches are being carried out in the homes of at least 4 peaceful believers in the village of Kholmskaya.\nThe FSB detective, Lieutenant I.V. Govorukhin, together with the district police officer, two detectives and two witnesses, searches the house of Anna Yermak and her family. There are two children at the site of the special events, one of them is an infant. Law enforcement officers seize children's coloring books, as well as electronic media belonging to Anna's husband, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The whole family, especially the older child, is under a lot of stress. After the search, Anna and her husband are summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee.\nInvestigator Vitaliy Kuzmin arrives at Olga Ponomareva's house at 6:30 a.m., accompanied by 2 armed security officers in uniforms with FSB patches and masks, as well as 2 Cossacks and 2 witnesses. They are conducting a search authorized by Judge Aleksandr Kholoshin. The believer lives with her 70-year-old disabled mother, who, as a result of the visit of law enforcement officers, becomes ill with her heart.\nDuring the search, investigator Vitaliy Kuzmin checks the believer's laptop, opens the Zoom application, which Olga uses for work, and asks to see the last conference. Investigator Kuzmin searches for \"American books\" in the house, turning over the mattress and throwing things out of the closets on the floor. Operatives also search the veranda, car, bathhouse and greenhouses in the garden. They search for everything \"about Jehovah\" from the believer, seize her laptop and notebooks with quotes from the Bible, citing the fact that she has \"her own Bible.\" The investigator calls peaceful Bible discussions with other believers meetings of a \"forbidden group\" that the woman \"joined.\"\nA few hours later, Olga Ponomareva is taken away for interrogation to the Investigative Committee in Abinsk. The head of the investigation team is Lev Galustyants. Investigator Kuzmin also participates in the interrogations, who cannot explain to the believer what exactly her guilt is. Olga uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows citizens not to testify against themselves if they fear that the voiced information will be illegally used against them.\nDespite the fact that the believer has an incurable disease and has undergone several operations, the investigator threatens to send her to a pre-trial detention center, interpreting her position as a refusal to testify. Later, Olga is allowed to go home on her own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210407","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Abinsk District for the Krasnodar Territory is initiating a criminal case against 38-year-old Anna Yermak, mother of two young children, and 46-year-old Olga Ponomareva, a disabled person of group II. The case is assigned No. 12107030001000022. For the fact that believers discussed the Bible, they are suspected of committing \"a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\" They are charged with Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Ponomareva and Yermak in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya4/index.html#20210303","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2019, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Vitaly Popov, an electrician and welder from Novosibirsk, accusing him of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and collecting donations. During the interrogation, the investigator for especially important cases Bryuzgin tried to force Popov to self-incrimination. After a call from law enforcement officers to Vitaliy\u0026rsquo;s employer, he was forced to write a letter of resignation. According to the director, she was told that \u0026ldquo;there is no place for an extremist in an educational institution.\u0026rdquo; Since May 2020, Vitaliy has been under recognizance not to leave. Since July 2020, the believer has been defending his religious beliefs in the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk. Prosecution witnesses characterized Popov positively. The prosecutor asked for a punishment of 6 years in prison for the believer. In May 2021, Judge Natalia Devyatko sentenced Vitaliy Popov to 3 years probation. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-06-27","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html","prisoners":["vpopov"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction.\nSpeaking before the panel of judges, Popov refers to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 32 of October 28, 2021. The believer also emphasizes that the Christian doctrine and worship of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited: \"Joint confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is a legitimate way of expressing religious beliefs in practice. And this right is directly enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution.\" The appointed defender supports the position of the believer.\nAfter spending a few minutes in the deliberation room, the court upholds the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20220216","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Novosibirsk Regional Court (Novosibirsk, Pisareva str., 35). The court upholds the verdict of the court of first instance against Vitaliy Popov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210723","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The prosecutor requests a punishment for Vitaliy Popov for believing in God: 6 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold public service positions related to the exercise of the function of a representative of the authorities or the performance of organizational, administrative, administrative and economic functions for a term of 3 years with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year. The state prosecutor also asks to change the measure of restraint for Vitaly to detention.\nNext, the lawyer speaks. She draws the attention of the participants in the process to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation - holding joint worship services, reading and discussing religious literature, observing religious rites and ceremonies, singing spiritual songs is a form of lawful behavior, which is part of freedom of conscience and religion. The lawyer recalls that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 does not contain a ban on professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as restrictions on the ways of expressing the beliefs of believers.\nThe defense believes that Popov did not commit socially dangerous acts and did not cause damage to the constitutional order and security of the country by his actions. Moreover, all the interrogated witnesses had not previously said anything bad about Vitaliy Popov, but know him \"as a peaceful, hardworking, always ready to help person.\"\nThe lawyer asks the court to treat the testimony of the specialist Zaev critically, since he does not have a special education as a religious scholar, he did not hide the fact that he professes Orthodoxy, and has a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAttention is also drawn to the fact that during the consideration of the case, the adversarial principle was violated and the defense was deprived of the opportunity to ask questions to a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Natalia Ivanova\".\nThe defense emphasizes that Popov was not present at the religious meetings recorded in the operational-search materials. In his speech, the prosecutor referred to the expert's opinion and the case materials against another resident of Novosibirsk, Yuri Savelyev, convicted for his faith, and not Popov.\nThe defendant Vitaly Popov speaks in the debate. He says: \"I can't understand why I'm a member of the Local Christian Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses 'Zarechnoye, Novosibirsk.' I never belonged to Zarechnoye, Novosibirsk. That's what surprises me. I want to draw your attention to the fact that I am a simple, peaceful person, I have always worked honestly. Please acquit me. I haven't committed any crimes.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210426","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is watching the film \"The Faithful in the Trial. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union\".\nAfter watching, the lawyer asks the defendant the question: \"Why did we watch this film, what did you want to explain?\" Vitaliy answers: \"I wanted to show that Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian organization, are alien to extremism, absolutely alien to any violence, intolerance. And here it is just shown what it cost them that, for example, with their peacefulness, they did not take up arms, and as a result they were repressed and brutally persecuted. And yet, they did not hate even their persecutors.\"\nDespite the prosecutor's objections, the judge grants the defendant's request to include the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in the case file.\nPopov also submits a petition for the attachment of the letter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and answers the court's question about the expediency of such a petition: \"In order that Jehovah's Witnesses are not forbidden to gather in small groups to satisfy their spiritual needs.\" The prosecutor does not object, the judge satisfies the petition and attaches the documents to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210322","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses are being questioned.\nThe first to be interviewed is the head of the canteen of the gymnasium where the defendant worked. She has known him for five years, since she got a job. The witness describes Vitaliy Popov as \"a kind and sympathetic person, he never spoke negatively about the state authorities, representatives of other religions, never adhered to any extremist views, never called for undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" To the lawyer's question, he adds: \"A good person. With a capital letter \"Good\". There are simply none, in fact. Without any falsehood. A kind man...\".\nFurther, Vitaly Popov's neighbor, who previously worked as a farm manager in the same organization with him, speaks in court. She calls him a modest, hardworking and benevolent person: \"The team always respected him, the gymnasium under him was one of the best ... He never imposed his views.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210317","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer submits a petition to attach to the case the characteristics from the place of work of Vitaly Popov, information from the work book on incentives and gratitude, copies of medical documents on his wife's chronic diseases. Judge Natalia Devyatko satisfies the petition and reads out the description from the place of work.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210311","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the testimony of the secret witness N. Ivanova, who for health reasons cannot attend the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210126","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, specialist Zaev, does not get in touch, and the court attaches to the case his written testimony, which is read out at the hearing. Vitaliy Popov declares that Zaev's testimony about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is false, and cites as an example the religious scholar Ivanenko, who wrote two books about Jehovah's Witnesses, which say the exact opposite about them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20210118","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The transcript of the service is examined. Vitaliy comments: \"A peaceful religious meeting is taking place, not a meeting of the founders of the LRO, no protocol is drawn up and only the biblical topic is discussed. And at this meeting there are no signs of extremism, of which I am accused. For example, calls for violent change in the foundations of the constitutional order, justification of terrorist activities, propaganda of exclusivity. Well, plus, I was not present at this meeting at all.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201222","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court is questioning a prosecution witness who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services more than 20 years ago. He explains that Vitaly Popov did not hold any special position, there were no appeals or agitation from him. With regard to funding, the witness points out that the literature was free of charge and all expenses were covered exclusively by voluntary donations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201217","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness says that she does not know the defendant and sees him for the first time. The prosecutor interrogates her about renting an apartment, finding out facts that have nothing to do with the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201210","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Shevtsov, who does not agree with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, testifies. He, however, characterizes Vitaly Popov on the positive side \"as a kind, sympathetic person, ready to help.\" Shevtsov in his answers distinguishes between the concepts of the LRO and the Christian congregation. He tells what Jehovah's Witnesses preach, that \"since 1914, Jesus began to reign in heaven as a king, is an invisible, spiritual person. People, if they obey God, will live forever in paradise on earth. The rest of the people will perish in Armageddon, who are disobedient to God.\" Shevtsov also mentions that donations have always been voluntary, and \"in this Jehovah's Witnesses imitate Christ and the early Christians.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201208","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness V. Urakov answers the questions. He speaks positively of Jehovah's Witnesses, noting that their teachings are based on love for one's neighbor and the meetings he once attended called only for good deeds. He also mentions that there was no pressure on him, the literature was useful, the donations were voluntary, no one forced anyone: \"There was just an urn for a voluntary donation. We did not pay any specific amount. If I have money, I could voluntarily put it there, if not, well, I came and listened to the report and left, goodbye. Therefore, the donations were voluntary.\" In addition, he gives a positive description of Vitaly Popov.\nProsecution witness Lyudmila Timshina is next. She speaks positively of the Christian meetings, where, she says, \"there was good communication, quiet, calm, there were no conflict situations.\" She also speaks of the defendant as \"a good person who always gave useful advice, very kind, qualified, very rarely there are such people.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201203","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony is given by the spouse of the accused. She notes the positive qualities of Vitaly as a husband and employee, which were appreciated by everyone around him: \"When he quit his job - he was forced to quit there - the employees at work cried that he was leaving, because they could always rely on him, he would never steal anything from them, he would always fulfill all their wishes for work. He was very conscientious.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201015","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning another prosecution witness who speaks positively of Vitaly, describing him as an honest and decent person. Although he did not communicate with the defendant for several years, he remembers him as a peaceful, hardworking man, always ready to help.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20201009","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, an 83-year-old believer, is being questioned in the Leninsky District Court. She points out that the defendant never called for extremism or violent change of the constitutional order. \"It's just a fiction, how can a Christian call for bad things,\" she says. An elderly woman characterizes Vitaly Popov as a kind person, always ready to help. The witness also explains that the record of her interrogation contains corrections made by the investigator, and this is the first time she has heard much of the record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200929","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Devyatko attaches to the case all appendices on the opinions of international organizations regarding the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as the opinions of Russian human rights defenders .\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200915","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor challenges Judge Irina Tsygankova on the grounds that earlier court decisions were made under her chairmanship in the criminal case of Yuri Savelyev. The defense supports the challenge. The Court decides to grant the request for recusal of Judge Irina Tsygankova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200813","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Defendant Popov pleaded not guilty.\nExpressing his attitude to the charges, he notes that the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.17 liquidated legal entities, but did not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives all citizens of Russia the right to practice any religion.\n\"It follows from the charges that I face imprisonment just because I exercised my right to practice religion,\" Popov said. Then he adds, turning to the judge: \"You, as a lawyer and a person, will be aware of the striking difference between Christian service to God, which I intend to carry out all my life, and extremism, which is absolutely opposite and alien to me.\"\nThe defendant submits motions to refuse a free lawyer and to include the views of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in the case file. The Court grants the request to refuse a free lawyer, but refuses to admit the opinion of the UN Working Group, since it cannot establish the source of his origin.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for August 13, 15:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200804","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Popov to the Investigative Committee for charge and interrogation. Vitaliy pleaded not guilty. He considers this criminal case to be repression for his faith, since his religion is the only reason for the persecution.\nThe investigator exerts pressure on Vitaliy, insisting that the believer familiarize himself with the 21 volumes of the criminal case within a week (about 5,000 pages).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200513","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the home of Vitaly Popov, law enforcement officers appear without a summons and ask to go with them to the investigative department for interrogation. One of them presents a certificate in the name of Roman Logvenkov.\nVitaliy is interrogated for more than 4 hours by the investigator for especially important cases A. Bryuzgin. He is trying to provoke Popov to self-incrimination. Bryuzgin presents the believer with the transcripts of the services.\nVitaliy refuses to testify. Bryuzgin charges him in a criminal case. Vitaliy disagrees and does not admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20200409","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, \"they participated in conducting collective religious services, teaching the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, methods and methods of disseminating the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses among citizens, and collected funds in the form of donations.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Vitaly Popov (born in 1967), Maxim Eremeev (born in 1987).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Popov and Eremeev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk/index.html#20190627","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In late 2020, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Nikolay Prokhorov and Anton Kuzhelkov in the town of Kirsanov, Tambov Region. Prokhorov was made to sign a recognizance not to leave. During the court proceedings, a serious illness was diagnosed in Prokhorov, and as a result, the proceedings in his case were suspended. The believer was granted disability status. In late October 2025, the proceedings resumed—now in the case that had been severed from the joint case with Kuzhelkov. Kuzhelkov, for his part, had been sentenced to a suspended term of six and a half years several months earlier.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html","prisoners":["prokhorov"],"regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court grants the prosecutor's request and transfers the consideration of the case to an open mode.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260506","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio and video recordings of covert surveillance of Nikolai Prokhorov are played. At them, the believer, together with friends, sings songs, says prayers, and discusses biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260417","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining an audio recording of a conversation between a married couple of believers, made with the help of listening equipment. The couple mention an elder of a religious group named Nikolai. On the basis of this recording, the investigation concluded that it was Nikolai Prokhorov, and based the accusation against him on this assumption. However, elder is a canonical term that has nothing to do with legal entities. Moreover, Prokhorov was not an elder at that time, of which the court was duly informed during the study of the tenth volume of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260409","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Prokhorov files a petition for the appointment of his wife Elena Prokhorova as a public defender. The court has no objections.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260331","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, FSB officer Tsyplakov, is being interrogated. At the center of the discussion is the question of whether Prokhorov was the organizer of the meetings for worship. Tsyplakov cannot confirm this and relies on his own opinion. He does not remember the details of the case, since about 7 years have passed.\nAfter the interrogation, the prosecutor begins to read out the written evidence.\nProkhorov becomes ill, and the hearing is postponed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260319","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a witness for the prosecution, the Orthodox priest Shcherbakov is interrogated. His testimony amounts to a retelling of the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, their teachings and structure. Shcherbakov admits that since 2017, legal entities of this confession have been banned, but not the faith. He does not cite any facts proving Prokhorov's guilt.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260312","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolai Prokhorov refuses a lawyer and declares: \"I am on trial for my faith. No one knows my beliefs better than me.\" The judge considers the participation of a defense lawyer to be mandatory as Prokhorov is severely disabled.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2026-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20260127","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the trial in the case of 61-year-old Nikolai Prokhorov will now be conducted by Judge Yuri Makashov, since Elena Shubakina, who sentenced Kuzhelkov, recused herself.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20251120","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceedings in the case of Nikolay Prokhorov are resumed and separated into a separate proceeding from the case of Anton Kuzhelkov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20251030","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirsanovskiy District Court finds Anton Kuzhelkov, with whom Prokhorov had previously been involved in the same case, guilty of extremism and sentences him to 6.5 years suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20250527","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court suspends proceedings in the case against Nikolay Prokhorov until he recovers due to cancer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20250212","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Aseeva's religious study was re-announced in court. The defense again draws attention to the fact that at the time of the examination, Aseyeva did not have the appropriate education.\nAt the request of the lawyer, the testimony of religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko, which he gave in 2022, is read out. Commenting on Aseeva's study, Ivanenko noted that at the time of the examination she worked as a neurologist, was the founder of the LRO \"Heritage of Islam\", but did not have scientific works in the field of religious studies. In addition, although Aseyeva described the methodology for conducting the examination, she did not apply it in her conclusions.\nIvanenko drew attention to the fact that there are no \"materials in the case where the defendants would talk about their hostility to other religions, that it is necessary to somehow suppress these religions, to infringe on the rights of their followers.\" Ivanenko also explained that holding meetings for worship by Jehovah's Witnesses and spreading their religious views is \"a canonical activity aimed at studying the Bible and biblical literature.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20240801","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer comments on the conclusions of the comprehensive examination and points out that the experts made a false conclusion about the alleged ban on the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Then he refutes the allegation that Prokhorov and Kuzhelkov distributed banned literature: they are not accused of this, so such a conclusion of experts looks like an attempt to complicate the situation of the defendants.\nIn addition, the lawyer emphasizes that neither the expert nor the expert organization notified the defense about the start of the examination. Thus, the court order was violated, which gave the defendants the right to be present during the examination and give their explanations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20240703","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that none of the documents submitted by the prosecution contains evidence of the unlawful activities of the believers. These materials either date from before 2017 or are not dated at all, and it is therefore impossible to establish how they relate to the case. All of them only confirm that the defendants belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which they do not hide anyway.\nThe defense emphasizes that the gathering of believers in Kirsanov does not belong to the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, liquidated by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017. Consequently, the activities of such religious groups remain legal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20240318","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is interrogating religious scholar, associate professor of the Department of History and Philosophy of Tambov State University Yana Chernova. She talks about Jehovah's Witnesses and draws the court's attention to the fact that their beliefs are based on the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20240228","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new judge, Elena Shubakina, begins to consider the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20231228","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation Sergey Ivanenko, who explains that the individual spiritual activity of Jehovah's Witnesses is carried out according to the model left by Christians of the first century. The meeting, according to Ivanenko, is a religious group, not a legal entity (LRO).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20220621","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Prokhorov is undergoing inpatient treatment in the radiotherapy department. The Kirsanov District Court suspends the proceedings in the criminal case until the defendant recovers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20220331","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being questioned at the hearing, including Shcherbakov, a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, who was involved in the case as an expert. He retells the history of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and explains that the form of this name is in the Synodal translation of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20220202","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates FSB officer Tsyplakov. According to him, investigative measures against Prokhorov were carried out because he has been a Jehovah's Witness for a long time. Another reason is that in the videos provided by an undercover FSB informant, Nikolai Prokhorov performs songs of Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, he notes that during the meetings for worship \"no one was hurt ... There was nothing life-threatening there.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20211208","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Questioning of prosecution witnesses, one of whom refuses to testify. The prosecutor requested that his testimony be made public, but the court refused, supporting the objection of the defense.\nAnother witness, Nikolai Prokhorov's boss, gives him a positive characteristic. He notes that during the ten years of joint work he often and willingly talked with Nikolai about the Bible on his own initiative and that he never agitated him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20211111","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first open court hearing in the criminal case is taking place. Nikolai Prokhorov expresses his attitude to the accusation brought by the prosecutor. The believer does not admit guilt, drawing the court's attention to the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20210922","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Nikolay Glistin refuses to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, although, in the opinion of the defense, inadmissible evidence of the prosecution appears in the case, for example, the conclusion of the expert Yulia Aseeva: she does not have a specialized education; answering the questions posed by the investigator, she went beyond her competence; in addition, Aseyeva is the founder of one of the local Islamic religious organizations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20210910","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Nikolay Prokhorov and Anton Kuzhelkov is being submitted to the Kirsanovsky District Court of the Tambov Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20210907","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The home of Nikolai Prokhorov's mother is being inspected.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20210331","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a business trip, Nikolay Prokhorov is detained and taken to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tambov, where he is interrogated. Kuzhelkov is asked, among other things, about how the meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses are held. According to the believer, the law enforcement officers threaten to arrange for him to be dismissed from work and taken into custody.\nThen Prokhorov was taken to the Investigative Committee, where his mobile phone and laptop were seized from him in the presence of testifying witnesses and a lawyer. Nikolay is released on recognizance agreement and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20201224","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Kirsanov Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Tambov Region, Askar Bupegaliev, opens a criminal case against 56-year-old Nikolai Prokhorov.\nThe cases against Prokhorov and his fellow believer Kuzhelkov are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov2/index.html#20201221","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A civilian resident of Birobidzhan, Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova, was accused of a serious crime - extremism - on the basis of religion. In September 2019, the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case against her for her faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Yelena \u0026ldquo;committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan.\u0026rdquo; The case was considered by the Deputy Chairman of the Birobidzhan District Court Vladimir Mikhalev. In February 2021, the believer was found guilty and fined. Two months later, the Court of Appeal toughened the sentence to 2.5 years of probation. On June 21, 2022, the believer\u0026rsquo;s suspended sentence was canceled ahead of schedule, and her criminal record was cleared.","date":"2019-09-29","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html","prisoners":["reyno-chernyshova"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, cancels the suspended sentence and removes the criminal record from Elena Reyno-Chernyshova, satisfying the petition of the head of the penitentiary inspectorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region, Daria Dushutina.\nThe court motivates its decision by the fact that the believer has served more than half of the probationary period, the additional punishment in the form of restriction of liberty has also been served in full, Yelena did not violate the imposed restrictions and has a positive response from the inspection.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20220621","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region refuses to satisfy the appeal of Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova, but satisfies the appeal of the prosecutor. The sentence was toughened: instead of a fine of 10,000 rubles, the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210422","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Vladimir Mikhalev. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya St., 32).\nSpeaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks for a sentence of 4 years in prison.\nThe believer addresses the court with the last word.\nThe court announces the verdict: to find Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned organization), to impose a fine of 10,000 rubles.\nThe verdict can be appealed, it has not entered into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210217","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness whose appearance the prosecutor insists on appearing does not appear in court. The debate is adjourned to 17 February 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210204","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vladimir Mikhalev grants the prosecutor's request to resume the judicial investigation.\nAt the next hearing, it is planned to interrogate another prosecution witness and debate the parties.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210129","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A defense witness who has known the defendant's family for more than 15 years is being questioned. He testifies that he has never heard extremist appeals from Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova. According to him, Yelena is a cheerful and sociable person, always ready to help people regardless of their religion and distinguished by decent behavior and speech. A witness for the defense, who does not share the convictions of Jehovah's Witnesses, notes that while working in a penal colony, he saw how convicted criminals changed, starting to study the Bible there, and were released as completely different people.\nYelena reads out her written notes, as well as the speech of lawyer Omelchenko. It is clear from the speech that not all lawyers in Russia are incorrectly applying anti-extremist legislation. Further, the defendant refers to the response of the President of the Russian Federation to his letter and to the direct line, where the president said that in Russia \"there were no repressions for religious reasons ... There was no selective persecution for any particular religion.\" At the same time, Jehovah's Witnesses are now being persecuted throughout the country for their religious beliefs, not for crimes.\nAfter 8 court hearings on the merits, the judge sets the date of the final stage of the trial, the debate, on January 29.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210120","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova petitions for the examination of the evidence of the defense, the inclusion of the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the questioning of witnesses. Judge Vladimir Mikhalev satisfies and attaches all motions and applications of the defense.\nTalking about what happened at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, Elena shows and comments on three videos. Then she reads out a letter that she sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and some of the attached evidence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20210114","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits begin in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20201019","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing in the case of Reyno-Chernyshova has been postponed indefinitely due to the epidemiological situation in the country.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20200506","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing in the Reyno-Chernyshova case is scheduled for May 7. Due to the epidemiological situation in the country, she needs to have a mask and gloves with her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20200428","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing in the court of first instance was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20200413","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Reyno-Chernyshova case was transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (32 Pionerskaya Street). Referee: Vladimir Mikhalev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20200303","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case proceeds to the stage of familiarization of the accused with the case materials in accordance with Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20200205","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation chooses a preventive measure for Reyno-Chernyshova in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20191001","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Yankin, investigator of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Elena Reyno-Chernyshova. The case is separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reyno-Chernyshova in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan5/index.html#20190925","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2019, in Zeya, Amur Region, searches were carried out in the homes of believers with the seizure of electronic devices and personal records from them. Vasily Reznichenko, a former river captain, was prosecuted by FSB investigator V.S. Obukhov for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Among the evidence of the believer\u0026rsquo;s guilt in the case file are hidden video recordings of worship services. Since March 21, 2019, Vasiliy Reznichenko has been under house arrest, and in November 2019 he was included in the List of Terrorists and Extremists. On this basis, the bank blocked all his personal savings. Also, at the request of the investigator, the believer was sent for a medical examination. On April 12, 2021, the prosecutor requested a 2-year suspended sentence for the 78-year-old believer with a probationary period of 8 months. In June 2021, Judge Oksana Brylyova convicted Vasily Reznichenko, imposing exactly the punishment requested by the prosecutor. On July 29, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-03-11","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html","prisoners":["reznichenko"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict. The Amur Regional Court upheld the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20210729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region Oksana Brylyova sentences 78-year-old Vasily Reznichenko and finds him guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist association. The believer was sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 8 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20210602","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find 78-year-old Vasily Reznichenko guilty of participating in extremist activities and to sentence the elderly believer to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 8 months, taking into account his advanced age and state of health. The defense asks to fully acquit Reznichenko for lack of corpus delicti.\nVasily Reznichenko speaks in the debate of the parties. He notes: \"The lawful conduct of a person who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has been wrongly interpreted as a criminal offense.\" Meetings with fellow believers to worship God \"do not mean the continuation or resumption of the illegal activities of the liquidated organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20210412","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last, 9th volume of the materials of the criminal case is read out: characteristics and thanks from the place of work of Vasily Reznichenko, a veteran of labor of the USSR, a characteristic from the district police officer and the conclusion of the medical commission on various chronic diseases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20210304","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not appear at the hearing. In this regard, the judge reads out the protocols of their interrogations made during the preliminary investigation, as well as the protocols of searches and examinations of material evidence from the defendant and witnesses in the case. The judge also reads out transcripts of wiretapping witnesses in the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2021-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20210112","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the transcripts of the liturgical meetings held in 2018, Judge Oksana Brylyova reads out the defendant's words: two prayers and several comments.\nAlso, the judge announces a religious study carried out by specialist Olga Averina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20201203","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned. To each of them, the judge, among other things, asks the question: \"You did not quarrel with him [the defendant], did not swear, do not experience hostile relations?\" All three answer in the negative.\nThe judge reads out the testimonies of witnesses who did not appear from the interrogation protocols.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20201130","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the interrogation protocols, the judge reads out the testimony of witnesses who did not appear, including an FSB officer. However, counsel draws attention to the fact that the defendant is not mentioned in these protocols. The judge reads out the transcripts of the worship meetings made by a hidden camera. Vasiliy Reznichenko expresses his attitude to the accusation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20201111","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred for consideration on the merits to the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2020-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20200911","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasily Reznichenko was indicted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2020-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20200904","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An outpatient psychological and psychiatric examination is carried out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20191216","regions":["amur"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasiliy Reznichenko is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The authorities are blocking his accounts and restricting his financial opportunities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20191106","regions":["amur"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. Obukhov sends a request for a medical examination of Vasily Reznichenko to the Zeya Hospital in order to identify \"the presence (absence) of diseases that prevent the serving of a sentence of imprisonment.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20191031","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of Reznichenko and several other believers. Laptops, phones, personal records were seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20190321","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, investigator of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur Region, initiates a criminal case for his faith under Article 282.2 (2) against 76-year-old Vasily Reznichenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Reznichenko in Zeya","date":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya/index.html#20190311","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2020-01-09","permalink":"/en/cases/achinsk/index.html","prisoners":["sagin"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Sagin in Achinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The investigator calls Sagin for the voice identification procedure.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sagin in Achinsk","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/achinsk/index.html#20200610","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Sagin receives a notification that the funds in his account in the pension fund are blocked in connection with criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sagin in Achinsk","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/achinsk/index.html#20200316","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been opened against Viktor Sagin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in connection with his religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sagin in Achinsk","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/achinsk/index.html#20200109","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass interrogations of believers and searches in their apartments are taking place in Achinsk. Various editions of the Bible and the New Testament were seized from several people.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sagin in Achinsk","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/achinsk/index.html#20191114","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Salikova, the leading engineer of the Snezhinsk Municipal Administration, had to resign due to criminal prosecution for her faith in Jehovah God. In November 2020, security forces came to her for a search, but the case was not immediately initiated. In August 2021, the investigator of the Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Chepenko, charged the believer with organizing the activities of an extremist organization and had her sign a recognizance agreement. The accusation was based on the testimony of a woman recruited by the FSB to make audio and video recordings of conversations with Salikova. In the fall of 2021, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested that the court sentence the believer to six and a half years in a penal colony. In January 2022, the court gave Lyudmila Salikova a six-year suspended sentence for professing her faith. The appellate court upheld this decision, but in January 2023, the cassation court returned the case to the appellate stage, which this time reduced the suspended sentence imposed on the believer to two and a half years.","date":"2020-11-09","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html","prisoners":["salikova"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court, chaired by Alexander Rozhnov, approves the verdict to Lyudmila Salikova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20220317","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Snezhinskiy City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Timofey Smolyuk convicts 70-year-old Lyudmila Salikova: 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20220120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses are being questioned. They characterize Lyudmila as a sympathetic and generous person who leads a decent lifestyle and goes in for sports. Colleagues at work note that she enjoys great respect in the team, does not conflict with people, does not show prejudice against representatives of other religions.\nAn FSB officer who was present in the courtroom throughout the hearings is being questioned as a witness. Since the case file does not contain a court order to search Salikova's home, the lawyer asks the witness on what basis the operational-search measures were carried out. The FSB officer says that this was done by the decision of his superiors.\nThe court is examining the materials of Salikova's case - her personal notes, postcards, as well as one of the editions of the Bible. After reading a magazine clipping titled \"12 Reasons to Be Happy,\" the judge notes that \"you can't argue with that.\"\nThe judge learns that the defendant's work experience is 30 years, and attaches her certificate of Veteran of Labor and Veteran of the Nuclear Industry to the case file.\nThe lawyer points out that there is not a single fact of the defendant committing extremist actions in the case file and asks for an acquittal.\nThe prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer in the form of 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\nLyudmila addresses the court with her last word. She does not admit guilt in extremism, emphasizing: \"The goals of Jehovah's Witnesses are the most peaceful, and I am guided in my life exclusively by the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20220118","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio and video recordings of conversations about the Bible secretly made by the agent are played. Among them is an accidentally recorded briefing of agent Kotelnikova by an FSB officer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20211209","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 listeners are allowed into the courtroom. At the meeting, the materials of 8 volumes of the criminal case are announced.\nProsecution witnesses, including an embedded FSB agent, are being questioned. Witnesses answer the lawyer's questions about whether the defendant called for the overthrow of the constitutional order, whether she promoted the exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of a person on the basis of his nationality, religion, social status - witnesses answer in the negative. Also, all of them, except for the female agent, characterize Lyudmila Salikova positively.\nThe believer reads out her attitude to the charge. She states: \"I consider the criminal prosecutions to be politically motivated repressions for faith. Extremism is alien to me. I was just exercising my right to profess religion. The investigator unreasonably replaced the concept of exercising the right of citizens to freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, with the concept of \"carrying out criminal activity.\" She continues: \"During the investigation, the investigator collected a lot of evidence that I am a believer. Eight volumes of evidence that I prayed, sang songs, talked about Jehovah God, read the Bible, that is, participated in worship services. I have never denied that I profess the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20211208","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko is prosecuting 70-year-old Lyudmila Salikova as a defendant under a more serious article - organizing the activities of a banned organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, Lyudmila Salikova, \"using her authority as an experienced follower of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, organized the admission of new members to the Religious Organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' ... imported and imported into the Russian Federation for subsequent illegal mass distribution of religious information materials included in the federal list of extremist materials\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20210826","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are carried out in four houses of Snezhinsk residents early in the morning. Investigator Chepenko comes to Lyudmila Salikova, accompanied by riot police, a technical specialist and witnesses.\nDuring a 3-hour search of the apartment, the security forces seized electronic devices, the Bible, personal records, postcards and photographs. They then search the believer's garage and workplace. Lyudmila's colleagues are asked if she has talked to them about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20201130","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Leonid Bobrov, orders a search in the apartment of pensioner Lyudmila Salikova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20201120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Salikova in Snezhinsk","date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhinsk/index.html#20201109","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2017, security forces conducted a raid on believers from Neftekumsk during a picnic. More than half of the 18 detained persons were children, the elderly and disabled persons. In December 2018, the FSB initiated a criminal case for extremism. Homes of local believers were searched. Shamil Sultanov, Konstantin Samsonov and Aleksandr Akopov spent about a year in a detention center. The prosecution repeatedly called convicted persons as witnesses. Some of them did not know the defendants. The defense pointed to the fabrication of the case materials. In March 2022, the prosecutor requested 9 years in a penal colony for Samsonov and 8 years each for Akopov and Sultanov. In April 2022, the court sentenced Samsonov to 7.5 years in a penal colony, Akopov and Sultanov each received a fine of 500,000 rubles. Following the results of the appeal, in August 2022, Samsonov paid a fine of 400,000 rubles taking into account the time served in the detention center, while Akopov and Sultanov paid 250,000 rubles each. This decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2018-12-07","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html","prisoners":["akopov","samsonov","sultanov"],"regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Aleksey Shcherbich is detained. The next day, he reports that he is in the FSB department in Stavropol.\nIt is already known that the believer's case has been separated into separate proceedings and he has been charged with organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the court's decision, Shcherbich is placed in the Stavropol pre-trial detention center.\nYou can write letters of support to Alexey, indicating on the envelope: \"Shcherbich Alexei Gennadievich, born in 1972, pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Stavropol Territory, Vorovskogo Square, 6, Stavropol, 355002\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20240611","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Konstantin Samsonov is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-04-22T15:28:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220422","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Maksim Mazikin sentences Konstantin Samsonov to 7.5 years in prison, he is taken into custody right in the courtroom. Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov each receive a fine of 500,000 rubles, which has already been paid off on account of the time served in the pre-trial detention center. They choose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220419","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the believers. The judge rejects the petition to change the measure of restraint for the believer.\nThe prosecutor asks for harsh sentences: 9 years of real imprisonment for Konstantin Samsonov and 8 years of imprisonment for Aleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The characteristics of the defendants are read out. All previously filed and postponed motions by the defense, including inconsistencies and inconsistencies in the case materials, are rejected. The judicial investigation is coming to an end.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220324","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge does not allow the defendant to go to see a cardiologist. An ambulance is called a second time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220310","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, one of the defendants becomes ill, an ambulance is called for him. The referee adjourns.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220309","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samsonov draws the court's attention to the discrepancy between what is written in the indictment and in the inspection reports with what is actually in the material evidence. He files a motion to exclude evidence.\nShamil Sultanov asks the court to consider the documents contained in his laptop. Contrary to what is stated in the inspection report, it becomes obvious that the files do not contain anything prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220303","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"19 people come to support the believers, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.\nA petition is filed to exclude the search protocol, which was carried out at night, which is a violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n3 discs are considered; They do not coincide with the description made when they were received: different serial numbers, inscriptions and their color.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220224","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing was postponed due to the hospitalization of Aleksandr Akopov. The judge allows him to call his mother, and also extends his stay in the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220119","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samsonov draws the court's attention to the fact that the disc being viewed does not have the number indicated in the protocol, and the dates do not match. He adds that religious expertise found no signs of extremism on these discs.\nAleksandr Akopov explains to the court that worship meetings are not meetings of members of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20220112","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Samsonov files a protest against the reading of the materials of operational-search activities, since they indicate financial transactions that were not confirmed by the bank.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20211202","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Samsonov is represented by a new lawyer by appointment, who entered the case due to the illness of the previous one. The believer applies for a five-week period for the lawyer to familiarize himself with the case materials. The judge allocates only a week for this, although the case has almost 30 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20211117","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the minutes of viewing records of worship meetings, which include prayers to Jehovah God and discussions of Bible verses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210923","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Samsonov submits a petition for the court to pay attention to the discrepancy between the wording from the indictment and the protocols read out. For example, the indictment mentions \"Holy Scripture. New World Translation\" of the 2014 edition, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. However, it was not confiscated from any of the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210902","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the materials of the case. Among other things, the description of the videos on the importance of mutual respect for spouses with different religious views is read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210825","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness explains that he knows the defendants, is friends with them, does not profess any religion himself, but in the past he read the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses. He explains that he has never heard calls for violence or refusal to communicate with relatives. I didn't feel discrimination myself. According to him, believers follow the commandment to love one another.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210512","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks the defendants questions about their attitude to the testimony of a secret witness. Konstantin Samsonov points out that the witness has incorrect ideas about the structure of the Christian congregation and legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and therefore makes erroneous conclusions.\nA woman who does not know any of the defendants is being questioned as a witness. Her words significantly contradict the testimony she gave during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210414","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An online interrogation of the secret witness \"Agafonov\" is underway. The defense's motion to disclose the identity of the witness was denied.\nThe Witness reports that he has been one of Jehovah's Witnesses for several years and talks about his understanding of the beliefs and lifestyle of the followers of this denomination, as well as what he disagrees with them. For example, he blames Jehovah's Witnesses for disapproving of divorce, not participating in hostilities, and not engaging in combat sports. The witness admits that none of the defendants threatened or used violence against him or any other believers. From the testimony of the witness \"Agafonov\" it becomes clear that he confuses legal terms and canonical concepts.\nAt the end of the interrogation, Konstantin Samsonov addresses the witness, calling him Lyudmila Mikhailovna. It becomes obvious that the defendants are familiar with the witness. Nevertheless, the prosecutor and the judge require the use of a pseudonym.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210408","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness is being questioned who is a police officer at the administrative station where the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses was located. He, like his colleague, informs the court that there have been no complaints of violation of order at the address of the worship building.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210407","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness speaks, who is not familiar with the defendants and cannot explain anything specific about the circumstances of the case. After that, the lawyer asks the court to remind the prosecutor of the need to present only the evidence that is relevant to the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210401","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall attach to the case the sentences handed down to two previously convicted prosecution witnesses on several occasions.\nSeveral other witnesses are being questioned, one of whom is not familiar with the defendants and cannot explain anything on the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210331","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One of them cannot explain anything about the defendants, as he has never met them. Another witness, a police officer, said that prior to the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities, he, as a district police officer, received complaints from residents whose homes were visited by Jehovah's Witnesses to talk about the Bible. He explains that no action was required on these complaints, since it is the right of citizens to come to others. According to the policeman, there were no complaints or reports of disorderly disturbances from neighbors at the Kingdom Hall (the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nAnother witness is a woman convicted of theft twice. According to her, her ex-husband, whom she divorced in 2011 and who has already died, once came to religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and representatives of other faiths, and, according to her, from time to time communicated with Sultanov. The woman does not hide her negative attitude towards believers, is confused about the dates and, not being an eyewitness, testifies allegedly on the basis of the words of her deceased husband and other, unnamed persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210326","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives of the defendants are present in the courtroom. Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them has been convicted four times. A number of witnesses state that they do not know the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210316","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 friends and acquaintances from Neftekumsk and Stavropol come to the courthouse to support the believers. Due to epidemiological restrictions, they do not enter the courtroom.\nThe court satisfies two of the five petitions of the defendants and their lawyers - it allows Alexander Akopov an online consultation with a doctor and allows the defendants to express their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210309","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Maksim Mazikin proceeds to the consideration of the case. He granted the lawyer's request for time to familiarize himself with the case file. The wives of Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov, as well as the mother of Alexander Akopov, are present at the hearing.\nAkopov and Sultanov still have health problems after their release from the pre-trial detention center. In addition, Sultanov's mother died, and his wife needs treatment. All three believers have had problems with their work and are experiencing financial difficulties due to their prolonged arrest. However, shortly before the start of the hearings, Sultanov was taken to his former place of work.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210217","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants were notified of the preliminary hearing in the case in the Neftekumsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory, which will be held on February 5 at 10:30.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2021-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20210125","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Stavropol Territory, Major of Justice A. Astakhov attracts Konstantin Samsonov as a defendant in committing crimes under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This means that the criminal case initiated against the believers on June 5 has been joined in the proceedings with this criminal case.\nAccording to the investigation, \"using his authority as a spiritual leader of the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Samsonov in 2017-2018 \"organized collective worship services consisting of singing songs, praying to God and studying articles of religious content.\"\nFrom the decision it becomes known that the funds that law enforcement officers seized on December 9, 2018, according to the investigation, were intended for the needs of an allegedly extremist organization.\nAleksandr Akopov and Shamil Sultanov receive similar orders to prosecute. They are also accused of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Akopov, Samsonov and Sultanov, \"acting according to criminal roles ... managed the property of the banned LRO ... held meetings... organized a fundraiser to finance the LRO.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20200729","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Stavropol Territory, Major of Justice Astakhov A.V. initiates a new criminal case against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Alexei Shcherbich. All of them are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.3 (collection of funds for the needs of an extremist organization).\nAccording to the ruling, the defendants \"were aware that the money would be intended as to support the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nThis new criminal case has been separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20200605","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another search in Zaterechne. It becomes a continuation of the raid launched the day before.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20191219","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Neftekumsk and the village of Zaterechnoye, searches are being conducted in the homes of nine local residents. Security forces are looking for evidence of extremism and seizing Bibles. After the searches, six are taken away for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20191218","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Neftekumskiy District Court Oleg Kuts releases Aleksandr Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov from custody right in the courtroom. They were assigned a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions (a ban on using mail, telephone and the Internet, communicating with witnesses in the case and changing their place of residence). By that time, Sultanov and Samsonov had spent 362 days in the pre-trial detention center, and Akopov had spent 359 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20191205","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Nevinnomyssk, FSB officers summon a local resident, Yuri Savitsky, for questioning. In the cities of Neftekumsk and Blagodarny, as well as in the villages of Urozhaynoye and Velichayevskoye, searches have recently been carried out in the homes of believers, followed by interrogations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20191108","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Velichayevskoye, Levokumsky district, a search is being conducted at the home of a local resident, Anna Abdulkadyrova, which is carried out by investigator A. Astakhov, police lieutenant V. Vatsenko and detective of the FSB department in Neftekumsk A. Prokhorov. Personal notes, including a will, and a program of worship for 1998 were seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20191102","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extended the detention of Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov until June 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190405","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extended the detention of Aleksandr Akopov. This time until June 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190403","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejected the arguments of the appeal against the measure of restraint to Konstantin Samsonov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksandr Akopov and left them in custody until April 7, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190301","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court extended the detention of Samsonov, Sultanov and Akopov. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190204","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decided to conduct several more searches in Neftekumsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2019-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20190131","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov were transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Stavropol Territory. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181215","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decided to keep Akopov in custody until February 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181213","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Search of the city of Blagodarny (Stavropol region). A resident of Neftekumsk, Aleksandr Akopov, was detained.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181212","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Neftekumskiy District Court decided to arrest the detainees Samsonov and Sultanov for two months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181211","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Neftekumsk and the village of Achikulak, a series of searches were carried out in apartments, private houses and non-residential premises of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Immediately after the searches, two local residents, Shamil Sultanov and Konstantin Samsonov, were detained. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181209","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Neftekumsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory, A.N. Khodus, decided to carry out operational-search measures in relation to a local resident Alexander Akopov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181208","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the FSB Directorate of the Stavropol Territory Astakhov A.V. decided to initiate a criminal case on extremist activity in Neftekumsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181207","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Residents of Neftekumsk have repeatedly faced surveillance. Unknown persons found out information about believers at their place of work, from their children and other relatives. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20181001","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Local believers began to notice themselves being followed. Police officers came to one of them and inquired about family members.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20180328","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Konstantin Samsonov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2017-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20171128","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Samsonov's house was searched, two tablets and a laptop were seized from him. Later, the equipment was returned to the owner.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2017-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20171125","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Armed law enforcement officers detained 18 people who were resting on the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Neftekumsk. More than half of the detainees are children, the elderly and the disabled. The detainees were taken for interrogation - they were asked about their attitude to religion. The children were interrogated despite the protests of their parents. ","caseTitle":"Case of Samsonov and Others in Neftekumsk","date":"2017-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk/index.html#20170826","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation","minors","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, investigator A. G. Kolpakov opened a criminal case against Elena Savelyeva, a teacher with 40 years of experience, accusing the elderly woman of recruiting and involving others in the activities of an extremist organization. The case was based on the testimony of the FSB agent Klisheva and the employee of the Russian Guard Studenova, who pretended to be interested in the Bible - the women kept hidden audio and video recordings of conversations and worship. In June 2021, the case was transferred to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region for consideration by Judge Svetlana Chebotareva. In October 2021, the prosecutor requested a fine of half a million rubles for Savelyeva. A month later, the court found the 80-year-old woman guilty and sentenced her to 4 years of probation. The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict in February 2022. The conviction of the believer was cleared by the end of 2024.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html","prisoners":["esavelyeva"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court grants Elena Saveliyeva's petition to expunge her criminal record. The decision was made on the basis of positive characteristics and full performance of the duties imposed by the court, as well as serving more than half of the probationary period. The 83-year-old believer can continue her life without restrictions related to a criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20241009","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["clearing","elderly","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tomsk Regional Court upheld the decision of the lower court. The verdict has entered into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20220214","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Savelyeva speaks in the Court of Appeal with her last word. The judge interrupts it and postpones the hearing to February 14.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20220207","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Savelyeva gives her last word.\nOn the same day, Judge Svetlana Chebotareva pronounces a sentence: 4 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20211117","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting a fine of 500,000 rubles for 80-year-old Elena Savelyeva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-10-12T09:33:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20211012","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"None of the listeners are allowed into the courtroom due to the epidemiological situation.\nCertificates and letters of thanks received by Elena over the years of work are attached to the case. The court rejects the motion to adjourn the hearing and call defense witnesses and proceeds to the interrogation of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20210824","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Elena Savelyeva is being submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region for consideration by Judge Svetlana Chebotareva, who is also hearing the case against another believer from Seversk, Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20210622","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. G. Kolpakov initiates a criminal case for faith against 79-year-old Elena Savelyeva. The investigation believes that the elderly woman committed \"inducement, recruitment and other involvement of persons in the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe basis for initiating a criminal case against the believer was the testimony of FSB agent Kira Klisheva and Rosgvardia officer Yelena Studenova, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. The latter recorded conversations with Elena on biblical topics. Later, Studenova collected data on Elena Savelyeva's fellow believers and passed the information received to law enforcement agencies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Saveliyeva in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/seversk5/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six years in a penal colony—this was the harsh sentence that 66-year-old Yuri Savelyev from the city of Novosibirsk received for his faith. The man was arrested in November 2018 during searches in the homes of believers. He was in pre-trial detention until his sentencing in December 2020. The appellate court, and later the cassation court, upheld the verdict. In May 2021, Yuriy Savelyev was transferred to Penal Colony No. 5 in the city of Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory. In the colony, the administration, with no legitimate basis, tried to force the believer into treatment for alcoholism. On far-fetched grounds, the elderly man spent about nine months in harsh conditions of detention. Yuriy was released in July 2023.","date":"2018-11-07","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html","prisoners":["savelev"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Penal colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory (23 Traktornaya Street, Rubtsovsk, Altai Territory).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20230719","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["release"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy is still in strict conditions of detention. Despite this, his emotional state is good, he is looking forward to his imminent release. The believer has the opportunity to walk for two hours a day in the courtyard with a length of about 100 meters.\nIn the spring, Yuri had a severe form of pneumonia. He was placed in a hospital isolated from the rest of the prisoners because of the article under which he was convicted. Now the believer feels good, he has no complications.\nYuriy receives letters regularly, every day he writes answers. During the entire period of detention, he received 19781 letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20230529","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy in the colony. The believer reports that he submitted an application to the administration to be allowed telephone conversations with his relatives, but was refused.\nOptimism helps Savelyev cope with numerous difficulties. He says: \"I try to focus on the positive, I pray a lot to Jehovah, I sing songs, I read letters, I answer them.\" To date, the believer has already received 19,221 letters from all over the world (an average of 392 letters per month).\nSeeing that Yuriy communicates with everyone in the colony tactfully and politely, some employees and prisoners are imbued with great respect for him and are perplexed: \"Yuri Prokopievich, in general, why are you sitting here?\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20221216","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the commission, Yuriy Savelyev was transferred from strict conditions of detention for 2 months to even stricter ones - to the PKT (chamber-type room). \"This is a gloomy cell with a small window under the ceiling, the prisoners call it a punishment cell,\" says the believer. The cell is cold, but when a neighbor is moved to Savelyev, they close up all the cracks and it becomes warmer. Yuri is now allowed to walk only 1 hour a day in a small courtyard.\nSavelyev reports that he received a response from the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, to his appeal in connection with the violation of his rights and the imposition of illegal penalties: according to the results of the inspection of the Rubtsovsk prosecutor's office, it was revealed that \"there were no violations on the part of the administration of the colony in relation to Yuri.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20221124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy is transferred to the SUS, where 50 prisoners are kept. According to him, order and discipline reign here, living conditions are good, and the premises have recently been renovated. The prisoners treat Yuri with respect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220922","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev is summoned to the disciplinary commission, where he is informed that he is recognized as a \"malicious violator of the regime.\" The reason is violations of internal regulations (he did not keep his hands behind his back when, in the opinion of the commission, he should have done so; he did not introduce himself in the form established in the colony; he did not sew a badge that was not issued to him; before going to bed, he took off his jacket 10 minutes ahead of schedule; violated the uniform in the daytime). The Commission extends Savelyev's detention in a punishment cell for 14 days, after which he must be transferred to strict conditions of serving his sentence (SUS).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220908","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in IK-5 in Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory). It turns out that in the process of being transferred to the colony, the believer was sent to the punishment cell for six days without explanation as a \"violator\". Yuriy manages to maintain a positive attitude, despite the difficulties that arise.\nSavelyev consistently receives letters of support. As he reports, their number reached 18215. Yuriy is especially encouraged by letters from those who have also been prosecuted for their faith, visited a pre-trial detention center or served their sentences. So, Valentina Baranovskaya supports the believer with her letters.\nThe believer also informs the lawyer that a new plaque has been attached to the headboard of his bed, on which, in addition to his full name and the article for which he is convicted, it is written in rather large letters: \"Inclined to study and spread extremist ideology.\" He explains that he is still on the preventive register as \"prone to extremism.\" But, according to him, everyone in the detachment is already well aware that his peace-loving views have nothing to do with extremism.\nA new trial of the case of Yuri Savelyev in the Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo is scheduled for August 10.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220707","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Savelyev left the pre-trial detention center in Novosibirsk. He is transferred to a colony to serve the remainder of his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220310","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Savelyev from the Novosibirsk pre-trial detention center is transferred back to correctional colony No. 5 in the city of Rubtsovsk to serve the rest of his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220310","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court upholds the verdict of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk - 6 years in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of freedom, a ban on engaging in activities related to leadership and participation in public and religious organizations for a period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220207","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal","2-appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev is taken to SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk. He can receive letters again\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220117","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in Barnaul Detention Center No. 1, where the believer is awaiting transfer to Novosibirsk. Unlike the last trip, when he was transported in a crowded car, this time there were only two people in the compartment: Yuri and another prisoner, and no one smoked in the car. The fact that Yuri was being taken to Barnaul, he learned only on the train.\nUpon arrival at the pre-trial detention center, the reception of prisoners was delayed until 5 o'clock in the morning. All this time, Savelyev stayed in a cold, damp and dirty basement, where there was no opportunity to rest.\nYuri and several other prisoners are placed in a warm, bright cell intended for transit convicts.\nSavelyev feels good, chronic diseases do not bother him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220111","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appellate hearing scheduled for January 10, 2022 in the Savelyev case is presumably postponed to early February. Yuriy is planned to be transferred from the Rubtsovsk correctional colony No. 5 to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Barnaul, and then transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20220110","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal","2-appeal","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Savelyev in Correctional Colony No. 5 in the town of Rubtsovsk. The prisoners treat him with respect and call him by his first name and patronymic: Yuri Prokopievich. Some are interested in his religious views.\nDuring his imprisonment, the believer has already received more than 17,000 letters. Some cellmates ask them to read them. The prisoners are impressed by the warmth and love with which they are written. Yuriy writes from 3 to 10 response letters per day.\nLiving conditions in the colony have deteriorated: the water in the shower flows in a thin stream. In such conditions, prisoners do not have time to wash themselves in the allotted time. Yuriy also says that the food in the dining room does not correspond to the stated menu. Because of the conversations and noise, it is impossible to get enough sleep at night, so during the day he feels tired and overwhelmed. Yuriy rarely goes for walks, as many people smoke there. Like other prisoners, Yuriy had a respiratory illness.\nDespite the difficulties, Yuriy Savelyev maintains a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20211228","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev's case is being submitted to the Novosibirsk Regional Court for a new appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20211217","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (located in Kemerovo), composed of E. V. Starchikova, E. V. Volkova and O. V. Plastinina, considers the complaint of the prosecutor and returns the criminal case for a new appeal hearing. Thus, the sentence is now considered not to have entered into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20211124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy in the colony. Savelyev talks about how he was transported from the medical correctional facility: \"We were loaded into a paddy wagon. On the way, we stopped at a tuberculosis hospital, from where other prisoners were taken. We drove, got acquainted: who is who and for what is imprisoned. When I told him why I was in prison, one of my fellow travelers literally jumped up from his seat and began to shake my hand. He said that he was glad to meet Jehovah's Witness in person, that he had read a lot about the Witnesses and dreamed of talking to them. The man said that, despite a lot of negative information, he is always on our side. All the way, 8 hours, from Barnaul to Rubtsovsk, he asked me questions about faith.\nThe lawyer says that Yuriy feels good both physically and emotionally. And although the conditions of detention in LIU-1 were much better than in the colony, the believer refused to undergo any treatment, as well as psychological and psychiatric training.\nIt also becomes known that for more than 4 months Savelyev could not call his relatives due to the lack of a payphone card \"Zonatelecom\". This problem has now been resolved.\nSo far, the believer has already received 16,252 letters of support from 83 countries. He is sensitive to each letter and tries to answer many of them.\nBecause of his age, strong faith and decency, Yuriy won the respect of prisoners and colony staff. In the detachment, which has at least 50 people, Savelyev was put first in the ranks, and in the dining room they do not begin to distribute food without him.\nOn November 24, it is planned to consider the case of Savelyev's early release in the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo. The believer does not lose hope for early release. His prison term ends in August 2023.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20211012","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of IK-5 again offer Yuri to sign a document on consent to treatment in LIU-1 in Barnaul. Of the number of requests and appeals submitted by the lawyer in connection with the transfer of Savelyev to LIU-1, at the moment the answer has been received only from the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Altai Territory. It says that according to the results of the examination on August 18, 2021, Savelyev was allegedly diagnosed with a preliminary diagnosis: \"harmful use of alcohol.\" This \"diagnosis\" is not true and is not based on anything.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210924","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev is transferred from LIU-1 back to Correctional Colony No. 5 in Rubtsovsk.\nAn FSB officer comes to the believer in the colony and asks about his views on life and plans for the future.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210916","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reports that Yuri has a cold, but has not yet sought medical help.\nAbout his mood and emotional state, Yuri says that it is \"on top\". He has good relations with convicts and employees of the institution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210914","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the operational department, Popov, notifies Yuriy that compulsory treatment will not be prescribed to the believer.\nThe lawyer visits Savelyev. He says that above the believer's bed were hung photos of him with the caption \"prone to extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210910","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The doctor calls Yuri to discuss treatment and medical procedures. On the table, the believer notices a copy of the form \"Consent to treatment\", which he was given to sign in IK-5 of Rubtsovsk, and he expressed his disagreement in it. Savelyev is struck by two worn spots in front of the word \"agree\" and his signature. The doctor asks if Yuri is ready for treatment. He categorically refuses, explaining that he does not suffer from drug addiction or alcoholism. Regarding the situation, the doctor consults with the deputy head of the medical unit, Yevgeny Evdokimov, who orders nothing to do and send Yuri back to the department.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210909","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of quarantine, Yuriy Savelyev is transferred to the narcological department. The conditions of detention there are good, Yuriy feels good physically and emotionally.\nThe head of the operational department, Dmitry Popov, summons Savelyev and returns to him the documents and the Bible previously seized from him. However, he is not given a notebook, where he entered important information for himself for three years.\nYuri receives a parcel with warm clothes, and he is also given new glasses and letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210907","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev at a new place, in LIU-1. The believer feels good. He tells how he manages to cope with all the difficulties and injustices: \"Thanks to frequent sincere prayers to Jehovah God, I feel his support. In addition, reading the letters of fellow believers, in which there are many interesting encouraging thoughts and news, I seem to be immersed in another world. Then time flies much faster, and I have no time to think about sad things. During the years of imprisonment, Yuri has already received more than 16,000 letters from 80 countries of the world.\nAt the new place, Savelyev has a calm relationship with the prisoners. Yuri is glad that now, while walking, he can admire the beauty of the sky \"not in a cell\".\nIn a conversation with a lawyer, the head of LIU-1 and the doctor of the medical unit claim that they do not carry out compulsory treatment, and Savelyev's rights will not be violated. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that Yuriy is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and therefore does not suffer from alcoholism or drug addiction and does not need treatment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210901","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Yuriy Savelyev is notified of his transfer to Barnaul, 295 km away, to medical correctional facility No. 1, specializing in \"the treatment of convicts with alcoholism and drug addiction.\" He is informed that this is still for six months.\nAs it became known, in early August, Yuri was summoned several times by the acting head of colony No. 5, Pyotr Safonov, and offered to sign a blank consent form for treatment. Yuri refused, citing the fact that nothing bothered him. He also drew attention to the fact that the document did not contain the conclusion of the doctor of the medical unit on the need for treatment. Savelyev was asked to sign the form, indicating his disagreement in it, which he did.\nDuring the conversation, the chief mentioned that the believer receives \"too many letters, in connection with which the colony staff has much more work.\"\nOn August 24, at about noon, Yuri Savelyev was transferred to the Medical Correctional Institution No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Altai Territory. According to him, the reception was accompanied by rude statements. They took away from the believer a thick notebook with personal notes, a large stack of letters, which he was handed upon his departure from IK-5. Documents and things, including the Bible, were thrown into one bag after checking. He hopes that all this will be returned to him after the quarantine that he takes place in a cell with 12 other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210824","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","forced-hospitalization","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Savelyev in the colony. The believer says that during his time in prison he has already received more than 15,000 letters of support.\nYuriy has no critical health problems, but he is worried about back pain.\nYuriy was allowed to borrow a Bible from the colony's library, but his glasses for permanent wear broke.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210801","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Novosibirsk Region M. I. Askerov submits a submission against the appeal decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court dated 05.04.2021. He asks to return to the sentence an additional punishment, which was canceled by the appellate court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210721","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Savelyev was transferred from SIZO-1 in the Altai Territory (Barnaul) to Correctional Colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory (Rubtsovsk) to serve his sentence.\nIt is not possible to write letters to this colony through the Federal Penitentiary Service, but it is possible to write letters to Yuri through the Zonatelecom service.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210528","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court upholds the verdict against Yuri Savelyev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210405","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo satisfies the last of 4 cassation appeals of Yuriy Savelyev's defense to extend the period of his detention while the case is being considered by the court of first instance. Thus, Savelyev's detention from 22.10.2019 to 16.12.2020 is recognized as illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20210310","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Ekaterina Kashina sentences Yuri Savelyev to 6 years in a general regime colony. The believer intends to appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20201216","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, the prosecutor requests for Yuri Savelyev, who has been in jail for the third year, a sentence of 8 years in a colony.\nThe believer, addressing the court with the last word, declares that he is being judged for believing in God.\n\"Today is the time to fight for our right to practice our religion and worship our God. This right is given to me by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. And this right is not considered by the state as a prohibited activity,\" Savelyev stressed.\nHe called the charges trumped up and called himself a victim. \"I have been in prison for two years, I lost my health, I lost my property, my reputation suffered, and now I bear the shameful stigma of a 'criminal,'\" the believer said.\nAccording to Yuriy, he \"has no enemies.\" \"For my 66 years, I have never been brought to administrative or criminal responsibility. I am against any form of violence: whether verbal, psychological or physical. For 40 years of work experience, he was repeatedly awarded prizes, diplomas, was on the honor board of the workshop and the plant. I have positive references from relatives, neighbors and friends.\"\nAlthough he is accused of lack of social ties, during his imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center he has already received about 11,000 letters from relatives, friends and acquaintances.\nYuriy Savelyev tells the judge about his religious beliefs, emphasizes that he poses no threat to either the state or society, resolutely rejects accusations of extremism and expresses hope for an acquittal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20201209","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecution again failed to ensure the appearance in court of an anonymous witness whose name, face and voice were unreasonably classified, which violates the believer's right to full defense. Judge Kashina issues a private ruling against the prosecutor in connection with the abuse of procedural rights and the delay in the consideration of the case. However, at the same time, the judge satisfies the request of the state prosecutor to read out the testimony of an anonymous witness from the case file. The defendant and his lawyer object, since the testimony of the secret witness \"Ivanova\", given at the preliminary investigation, is the main evidence of the prosecution, and Yuri Savelyev cannot even ask this witness any clarifying questions. All this grossly violates his right to a fair trial. The defense challenges Judge Ekaterina Kashina. The judge rejects the challenge and accepts the written testimony of the classified witness.\nAfter the break, the court interrogates the \"specialist\" Oleg Zaev via conference call. He speaks on behalf of the anti-cultist center by proxy signed by Alexander Dvorkin. The defense draws attention to the fact that Zaev does not have a special education, but at the same time he was a teacher of the discipline \"sectology\" at the Novosibirsk St. Makariev's Orthodox Theological Institute (the institute closed in 2019). The specialist does not hide the fact that he professes Orthodoxy, treats Jehovah's Witnesses deliberately negatively, considering them a priori dangerous for the Russian constitutional system and state power.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200916","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing of the case continues in the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, chaired by Judge Ekaterina Kashina.\nThe state prosecutor postpones the planned interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Natalia Ivanova. The judge points out that September 16, 2020 is the deadline for questioning a secret witness. The state prosecutor declares that he will provide information about the readiness of \"Ivanova\" at the next meeting.\nIn connection with the cassation decision of September 9 on the illegality of the penultimate imposition of a preventive measure in the form of Savelyev's detention, the lawyer submits a motion to change the measure of restraint from the pre-trial detention center to a milder one. Judge Ekaterina Kashina refuses. At the moment, the 66-year-old believer has been behind bars for 677 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200915","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction of Kemerovo cancels the decision of the court of first instance and the appeal decision of the Novosibirsk Regional Court on the extension of Yuri Savelyev's detention until April 22, 2020. Savelyev is still in custody, which was extended until October 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200909","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of specialist Zaev once again does not take place due to the fact that he forgets about the meeting. Also, the prosecutor's office again does not ensure the interrogation of a secret witness. The prosecutor explains this by saying that another member of the prosecutor's office is responsible for questioning the secret witness, but he is on leave. The court completes the examination of the written materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200826","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The witness is being interrogated by L. Timshina via video-conferencing. The lawyer draws attention to the circumstances of the investigative actions - a search in her home and subsequent interrogation at night. The witness explains that at about 11:00 p.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the police came to her work, picked her up from work and took her to her home, where a search was carried out, which lasted until 1 a.m., after which she was taken to the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where she was interrogated, the interrogation continued until about 5 a.m. The witness reports that she was under extreme stress, was frightened, and had difficulty understanding what she was signing, including her testimony. The witness says that the liturgical literature she read encouraged her to show love and respect for people, to respect authority, to be honest and law-abiding. She also explains how she began attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that she did so voluntarily, of her own free will, without coercion. She does not know what the Zarechnaya Novosibirsk MRO of Jehovah's Witnesses is. The witness gives a positive description of the accused Savelyev and confirms that she has never heard from him statements that incite hatred or enmity towards other people, or statements against state power. She never noticed any manifestations of extremism behind him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200813","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk, the study of written evidence in the case by the prosecution continues. In the course of the study of the materials, the judge reads out the protocols of the examination of objects, one of which contains a transcript of a meeting of the congregation of believers, where issues related to love for one's neighbor were discussed, the importance of forgiveness and mercy was discussed. The defense draws the court's attention to the absence of any manifestation of extremism in the actions of both the defendant himself and in the actions of other attendees and in the meeting itself.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200812","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court rejected the appeals against Yuriy's detention, leaving him in a pre-trial detention center until October 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200710","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five listeners are allowed to attend the meeting of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk in the case of Yuri Savelyev in compliance with anti-epidemic measures. The beginning of the hearing was delayed by 40 minutes due to the delay of the prosecutor.\nThe court continues to examine the written evidence of the prosecution: search protocols, transcripts of several religious meetings of believers, including lyrics of songs and prayers, are read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200630","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk is holding a hearing in the case of Yuri Savelyev - the first after the end of quarantine in a pre-trial detention center, where the 66-year-old believer has been held for more than a year and a half.\nInitially, the court dismissed the request for Yuriy's release. Although the current preventive measure expires only on July 22, the detention of the believer is extended for another three months, that is, until October 22, 2020.\nThe court allows three listeners to be present in the hall, but only in masks and with social distance.\nThe court continues to examine the written evidence in the case. The protocols of the searches are read out, as well as a detailed transcript of conversations about the Bible, prayers and religious songs that are imputed to Savelyev. For about an hour, those present listen to discussions of biblical texts, including examples from the life of Jesus Christ.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200618","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ekaterina Kashina. Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk (159 Svyazistov Street).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200427","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Ekaterina Kashina extends Yuri's preventive measure in the form of detention until July 22, 2020.\nThe court session is held without listeners using the videoconferencing system between the courtroom and the pre-trial detention center.\nYuriy draws the court's attention to the unfavorable sanitary and epidemiological situation in the pre-trial detention center in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, one of his cellmates performs work in a pre-trial detention center that involves contact with a large number of people. But at the same time, he does not use a mask, gloves, or shoe covers. This creates conditions for a high risk of infection of others.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for April 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200416","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Kashina. Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk (159 Svyazistov Street).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200311","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people gather in the building of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk to support the defendant. Four more interrogated witnesses speak about Yuriy Savelyev as a kind, sympathetic and law-abiding person who has never been associated with extremism. They also explain that worship services are not the activities of any legal entity; the right of believers to assemble together is protected by the Constitution; An elder is not a position, but a spiritual attribute; Donations are entirely voluntary, and they do not involve funding anyone or anything illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200123","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four witnesses give positive characteristics of the defendant, and also explain the difference between a legal entity and a group of believers. They explain that Yuriy Savelyev has never been the head of any banned legal entity, did not organize or continue the activities of any extremist organizations. The next hearings are scheduled for January 23 and 30.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20200113","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness, 82-year-old Galina Borgerdt, was planned to be questioned, but she does not appear in court due to poor health. The judge rejects the request to release the defendant from the protective booth for the duration of the hearing, because of this, he cannot hear what is happening in the courtroom.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for December 26 at 11:00 and January 13, 2020 at 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20191213","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge E. V. Kashina refuses to satisfy the request to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, but draws the prosecutor's attention to the fact that \"the indictment does not indicate the evidence of the defense and does not provide a summary of it.\" The prosecutor objects.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20191212","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for another 6 months. At the same time, it turns out that Yuriy was placed in a punishment cell for 14 days in a pre-trial detention center without explanation.\nAs of October 30, 2019, in just under a year in the pre-trial detention center, Yuriy received a total of 2542 letters of support from fellow believers around the world.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20191030","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation of the criminal case against Savelyev is over, the accused and lawyers are getting acquainted with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190801","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Novosibirsk, another wave of police raids on the apartments of believers is taking place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190729","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk Regional Court, having considered the appeal, decides to reduce the period of his detention by 2 days, namely until September 5, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190717","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninskiy District Court extends Savelyev's detention for another 2 months until 07.09.2019\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190703","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeals and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190521","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Thor K.G. extends Savelyeva's detention for another 2 months until 07.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190430","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court releases Valery Maletskov and Alexander Seredkin under house arrest, but Yuriy Savelyev remains in the pre-trial detention center. Chaplykina signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190421","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Novosibirsk, new searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, a total of 12 addresses. It becomes known that the FSB opened a new criminal case against Marina Chaplykina, Valery Maletskov, Alexander Seredkin. They are placed in an isolation ward.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["search","new-case","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Novosibirsk Regional Court I.V. Pavlova rejects the appeals and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190322","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Lukash E.V. extends the detention of Savelyev for another 2 months until 07.05.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190304","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Samulin of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeal and supports the extension of Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190121","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Savelyev is included in the List of individuals associated with extremism of Rosfinmonitoring. He is deprived of the opportunity to receive a pension and use bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20190101","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Tsygankova I.V. extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for another 2 months, that is, until 07.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181229","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judge of the Novosibirsk Regional Court recognizes as lawful the search conducted at Savelyev's house during his detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181224","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Zykin of the Novosibirsk Regional Court rejects the appeals and supports Savelyev's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181121","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["complaints","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Novosibirsk M.A. Shishkina makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Savelyev in the form of detention for 1 month 29 days, that is, until 07.01.2019. On the same day, Savelyev was placed in SIZO-1.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181110","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk Y.G. Korneva issues a search warrant in Savelyev's home.\nSavelyev's apartment was searched, and he himself was actually detained.\nFrom the evening until the morning of the next day, searches are carried out in the homes of Novosibirsk believers at 10 addresses. Savelyev was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181108","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["search","282.2-1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region A. N. Bryuzgin initiates a criminal case against Yuri Savelyev and other unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20181107","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Covert video surveillance is being conducted in Savelyev's apartment in an attempt to record his practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2018-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20180804","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation concludes that Yuri Savelyev decided to re-organize the activities of the liquidated LRO in Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savelyev in Novosibirsk","date":"2017-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk3/index.html#20170701","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2025, Irina Savkina served as a witness in the criminal case against Jehovah’s Witness Postnikov, and two months later a similar charge was brought against her—continuing the activities of an extremist organization. That same month, Irina, a single mother, was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan26/index.html","prisoners":["savkina"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Savkina in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The consideration of the case on its merits begins. Irina Savkina, expressing her attitude to the charges, notes that there is not a single quote from her statements in the case, \"which could indicate the presence of hateful motives and extremist goals.\" Also, the believer wants to defend herself – the court accepts her refusal of an appointed lawyer. The judge grants her motion. The prosecutor reads out the transcript of a meeting for worship discussing Bible questions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savkina in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-05-12T09:13:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan26/index.html#20260512","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Irina Savkina goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is assigned to Judge Olga Klyuchikova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savkina in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan26/index.html#20260403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Savkina is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savkina in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan26/index.html#20251021","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Dmitry Yankin initiates a criminal case against Irina Savkina under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The ruling states that Savkina, \"realizing her belonging to [the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses], continued the activities of an extremist organization in the course of many (at least four) secret meetings held on the Internet ... in the form of a collective religious assembly.\"\nThe investigation considers illegal the discussion of religious materials, the singing of songs and joint prayers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Savkina in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan26/index.html#20251007","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There were many upheavals in the life of Tatyana Sholner from Birobidzhan: the death of her father, the death of her 12-year-old cousin, and then also criminal prosecution for her faith. In February 2020, the Federal Security Service for the Jewish Autonomous Region opened criminal cases against Tatyana and 5 other women for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, the believers \u0026ldquo;resumed the activities of the local religious organization liquidated in 2016 \u0026hellip; as well as the \u0026ldquo;Administrative Center of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Russia.\u0026rdquo; This is how the investigator interpreted the usual ways of expressing faith: singing songs, praying, and discussing the Bible. In June 2021, the court sentenced Tatyana Sholner to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. The Court of Appeal and Cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2020-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html","prisoners":["sholner"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region approves the decision of the lower court. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20211216","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Yulia Tsykina. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya St., 32).\nThe verdict is announced: 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years and an additional 1 year of restriction of freedom. The verdict is announced: 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years and an additional 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210625","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatiana Sholner speaks in the debate. She draws the court's attention to the fact that, under the European Convention, a State does not have the right to decide which beliefs may or may not be taught.\nAccording to the defendant, the state prosecution focused on proving the existence of some kind of organization among believers and their belonging to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses instead of specifying specific facts of criminal activity. Therefore, Tatyana emphasizes: \"All the actions imputed to me are fully consistent with the constitutional norm: 'everyone is guaranteed... the right to profess... together with others... religion.\" And my actions were legitimate... I did not disseminate extremist materials, did not call for violence, aggression, discord, hatred, enmity.\"\nTatyana also mentions that prosecution witness Yulia Zvereva, who participates in many trials of Birobidzhan believers, gave false testimony. For example, she said that she had known Scholner since 2015, but Tatiana became one of Jehovah's Witnesses only in 2017 and saw Zvereva for the first time in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210617","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requests for Tatyana Sholner a sentence of 4 years in prison to be served in a penal colony of general regime, followed by restriction of freedom for a period of 2 years and other restrictions (not to change the place of residence without notifying the specialized body, not to travel outside the municipality, twice a month to appear in a specialized body for registration and report on their behavior).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210603","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatiana shows the court a video of a liturgical meeting, during which believers pray, sing a song, discuss the Gospel of Mark and listen to a speech on the topic of forgiveness. She comments: \"We have just seen how the meeting begins. It begins with a song called \"Forgive Each Other.\" It is based on the Bible and sets our minds and hearts to imitate God and forgive. And prayer encourages us to strengthen our faith and help each other in this. From the speech, we saw the motivation not to hold a grudge.\nTatiana testifies in court. She says: \"As a believer, extremism is alien to me, as well as any manifestation of hatred or enmity. [...] My life in general, as well as the actions that I am charged with, were exclusively peaceful and exclusively religious in nature. [...] Thanks to all that I have learned from the Bible, I try to treat people with kindness, I learn to forgive. Biblical principles encourage me to treat my work conscientiously, to treat my employer with respect. Therefore, I do not understand what socially dangerous nature of my actions is attributed to me. [...] In fact, I am accused of believing in God, reading and discussing the Bible with my friends. [...] The courts in Russia did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. All the videos show that it is the worship service of believers that is taking place, and not some extremist action. Any Christian religion practices joint worship. [...] It is impossible to profess the Christian faith and not gather together with fellow believers.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210526","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution finishes presenting material evidence, most of which is video recordings of believers discussing the Bible, praying and singing religious chants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210311","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, police officer Yulia Zvereva, is being questioned in court. She cannot say anything about the services, participation in which is imputed to Tatiana Scholner, since on these dates she was at work or on vacation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20210119","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Referee: Yulia Tsykina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20200819","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Prosecutor of the Jewish Autonomous Region Andrei Kolesnikov approves the indictment against Tatyana Sholner. The believer is charged with attending peaceful services.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20200812","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. Yankin informs Tatyana Sholner about the resumption of proceedings in her criminal case. After a phone call, he calls Tatiana to his office the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20200615","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region of the FSB of Russia, by his decision, suspended the preliminary investigation in the criminal case against Tatyana Sholner. (The suspension of the preliminary investigation is a necessary measure due to the inability to complete the preliminary investigation without the participation of the accused or suspect due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus infection.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20200406","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 6 criminal cases for faith against 6 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Nataliya Kriger . All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Scholner in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan13/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2026, a series of searches was carried out in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the city of Novoaltaysk, the settlement of Talmenka, and the village of Sannikovo (Altai Territory). Sergey Petrov was charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The following day, a court placed the believer in custody. The charges were based on the testimony of a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible and recorded her conversations with the believers.","date":"2026-02-03","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html","prisoners":["petrovs"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Petrov is in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Altai Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-04-10T15:23:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260410","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a cell. He does not have all the necessary medication that he was taking daily, which affects his general well-being.\nPetrov has already received one parcel and several letters. He does not have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260226","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Sergey Petrov to a pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260213","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Pertseva, senior investigator of the Novoaltaysk Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory, charges Sergey Petrov under Article 282.2(2) of the RF CrC.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260212","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novoaltaisk Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory initiates a criminal case against 63-year-old Sergey Petrov for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergey Petrov in Talmenka","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/talmenka/index.html#20260203","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2019, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for their faith against Yuriy Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev from the village of Luchegorsk. They were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The investigation considered that the men were in a \u0026ldquo;criminal conspiracy\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;study and discuss religious material on topics about Jehovah.\u0026rdquo; Later, operatives searched their homes. The believers spent more than six months in a pre-trial detention center, and then another 5 months under house arrest. In June 2020, court hearings began, and a year and a half later, Belosludtsev and Sergeyev were sentenced to 6 years probation. The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 5.5 and 5 years in prison, respectively. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the conviction.","date":"2019-03-11","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html","prisoners":["belosludtsev","sergeyev"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court in Vladivostok approves the verdict to Yuri Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev - 6 years suspended each.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20220421","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai Yevgeny Stefanyuk convicts Sergey Sergeyev and Yuriy Belosludtsev - 6 years probation each with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year and 9 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-01-31T10:13:21+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20220131","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session at which the verdict was scheduled to be announced is postponed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20220126","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Yevhen Stefaniuk. Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai (Luchegorsk, microdistrict 4, 2).\nThe next court hearing in the case of Sergeev and Belosludtsev is taking place. In connection with the decision to resume the judicial investigation, the judge tries to interrogate the believers again, but they refuse to answer questions, since they have already given the court all the necessary explanations at previous hearings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One step before the verdict is announced, the court decides to resume the judicial investigation. Sentencing is therefore postponed indefinitely. The next hearing is scheduled for July 19.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210630","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court retires to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210628","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the pleadings, the prosecutor requests 5 and a half years in prison for Yuriy Belosludtsev, and 5 years in prison for Sergey Sergeyev.\nLawyers and believers themselves also speak in the debates, proving to the court that the defendants' beliefs are incompatible with extremism, and the accusations of crimes are groundless.\nOn June 28, Sergeev and Belosludtsev will make their final speech. On the same day, the court may issue a verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers testify. Sergey Sergeyev says: \"The fact that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be regarded as a sign of a crime. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians. My beliefs are based on the commandments of God, the norms and principles of love and justice of Jehovah God. Therefore, for me, being an extremist and a terrorist is simply unthinkable.\nYuriy Belosludtsev explains: \"I never had any intention to commit a crime, including the continuation of the activities of a liquidated religious association. I have only one intention: to remain a Christian. [...] Learning about what the Bible says is an increase in a person's personal education and cultural level, not a crime. [...] The prosecution confuses legal and canonical concepts, does not distinguish between the economic activity of a legal entity (LRO) and the religion of individuals. According to him, if a believer discusses God with relatives or acquaintances, he does not continue the activities of any banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210330","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB operative Prokhor Vasin, who participated in the ORM, is being questioned as a witness for the prosecution. Pretending to be interested in the Bible, he secretly filmed conversations with the defendants.\nAccording to the prosecution witness, the \"extremism\" of the believers lies in the fact that they discussed the Bible with him. At the same time, for such conversations, he safely let home strangers who came with one of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210302","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. Sergey Sergeyev's former boss describes him as a good, executive worker. The testimonies of 2 more witnesses interrogated during the investigation are being announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210129","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yevhen Stefaniuk interrogates 3 witnesses in the criminal case. One of them, a former colleague of Sergeev, gives him a positive characterization and calls him a responsible employee.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20210128","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Sergey Sergeyev and Yuri Belosludtsev is taking place after an almost 5-month break.\nSergeyev is filing a motion to suspend the criminal proceedings in connection with COVID-19, as he is at risk due to his age and a number of diseases. The judge refuses.\nState prosecutor Roman Chervonopraporny announces the text of the charges.\nBelievers plead not guilty. Belosludtsev notes: \"I think that the accusation is far-fetched. It is written in a way that is beneficial to the prosecution, does not correspond to reality and the requirements of the law. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for liability for committing extremist actions, and in fact I am accused of believing in God and remaining a Jehovah's Witness.\"\nThe defendants apply for a change in the measure of restraint. The court refuses - the believers remain under recognizance not to leave.\nSergeyev and Belosludtsev file a motion to dismiss the case and attach the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD). The petition was partially satisfied: the court attaches the decision of the WGP, but refuses to terminate the criminal case or return it to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2020-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20201023","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai is holding the first hearing on the merits in the criminal case against believers Yuri Belosludtsev and Sergey Sergeyev. The case is being considered by judge Yevgeny Stefanyuk, the state prosecutor is the prosecutor of the Pozharsky district Nikolai Trapeznikov.\nDue to the difficult epidemiological situation, students are not allowed into the courtroom. Sergey Sergeyev files a motion to suspend the criminal proceedings. One of the reasons is the impossibility, due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic, to ensure the publicity of the trial. The court shall adjourn the consideration of the case. The next court hearing is scheduled for June 24, 2020 at 2:15 p.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20200609","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite written requests to postpone investigative actions due to the threat of coronavirus infection, believers Belosludtsev and Sergeyev are forced to go to the investigative department, located 80 kilometers from their home in the city of Dalnerechensk, to receive an indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2020-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20200421","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice, investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Department for the city of Dalnerechensk P. Kim is prosecuting Sergey Sergeyev and Yuri Belosludtsev as defendants under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believers are accused of \"criminal conspiracy\" to \"study and discuss religious material on topics about Jehovah.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20200417","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of 5 believers. At 7 a.m., law enforcement officers appear in the apartments of Yuriy Ponomarenko and Sergey Sergeyev. In both cases, the security forces, in the presence of witnesses, seized their electronic devices. The decision for the inspection and seizure of technical equipment was issued by the head of the FSB department in the village of Luchegorsk. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., investigators come to the homes of Mykola Dikhtyar, Vitaliy Lazarenko and Yelena Belosludtseva with a ruling from the Pozharsky District Court. The security forces inspect the homes for printed publications and Bibles, but find nothing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2020-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20200324","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers conduct searches in the homes of believers in Luchegorsk (Primorye Territory). In some places, searches and interrogations last for 7 hours. Two believers, 55-year-old Yuriy Belosludtsev and 63-year-old Sergey Sergeyev, were detained and taken to Dalnerechensk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2019-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20190317","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1) and 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, \"conducted conversations aimed at explaining the norms, foundations, rules and restrictions, in order to promote the activities of the banned organization [Jehovah's Witnesses] and took a direct part in the meetings.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sergeyev and Belosludtsev in Luchegorsk","date":"2019-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk/index.html#20190311","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Shabliy, the father of two young children, became accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization because of his faith in Jehovah God. The criminal case was initiated by investigator Valery Zarubin. He blamed the believer for talking about the Bible with a certain I. Dukhanin, who pretended to be interested in the Bible. In May 2020, security forces searched Shabliy\u0026rsquo;s house, during which his young child cut his legs on the shards of broken windows. After the search, Artem spent three days in a temporary detention center, after which a written undertaking not to leave was taken from him. Since April 2021, the case has been considered in the Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea by Judge Irina Altanets. On February 16, 2022, Artem Shabliy was sentenced to 2 years probation with a probation period of 3 years, essentially for talking about the Bible.","date":"2020-05-26","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html","prisoners":["shabliy"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Kerch City Court of the Republic of Crimea Irina Altanets sentences Artem Shabliy to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2022-02-16T10:36:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20220216","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in the debate, the state prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years in prison with restriction of liberty for 1 year for Artem Shabliy. On the basis of article 73 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, she asks that this punishment be considered suspended with a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20220215","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2022-02-14T13:23:59+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20220214","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Provocateur Dukhanin again does not appear at the hearing. The court proceeds to watch the video that he made during the conversation with the believers. After 30 minutes of watching conversations on everyday topics, the judge stops the recording and asks the prosecutor to prepare specific information for the next hearing to support the prosecution's arguments.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2021-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20210916","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before the start of the hearing, Artem Shabliy makes a statement, from which it follows that the defendant, \"expressing his attitude to the charge, only once tried to quote the Bible, and at the same time was interrupted by the judge.\" He was not allowed to refer to the Holy Scriptures. Moreover, the court stated that it would regard \"the justification of his [Shabliy's] innocence by references to the Bible as propaganda.\" The defendant regards this as a threat and pressure from the court.\nTurning to the judge, he says: \"I ask you not to prevent me from basing my arguments on the Bible for my defense in the present case. Otherwise, this trial will lose all meaning and will be like the court of the medieval Inquisition.\nThe judge allows Artem Shabliy to use the Bible, but without specifying a specific passage of Scripture.\nThe court examines the results of the linguistic examination, the protocols of the inspection of the scene of the incident, disks with ORM and material evidence. A video of the meeting with the provocateur Dukhanin was also viewed.\nThe defendant briefly explains that all the facts confirm only his personal religious activities, while the discussion of the Bible was initiated by Dukhanin himself, who \"asked to come to his house with questions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20210803","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case has been transferred to Judge Irina Altanets.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20210716","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people gather outside the courthouse to support Artem Shabliy, but they are not allowed into the courtroom. The police officers who arrived at the scene rewrite the data of the passports of those present and declare that it is forbidden to be near the courthouse, since this is a \"public place\" and a \"specially protected security facility\".\nCourt hearings begin. The defense draws attention to the fact that the prosecution uses the testimony of the provocateur I. Dukhanin, who in 2014 was convicted of inciting ethnic hatred.\nThe prosecutor announces the essence of the charge.\nThe defendant voices his attitude to the charge, which he considers illegal and containing \"signs of discrimination and genocide.\" Shabliy claims a provocation on the part of the employees of the local department of the FSB and that some of the evidence in the case is fabricated and knowingly false. \"It is me and my family in this criminal case who are actually victims of extremist actions directed against us. On the part of the investigator, my wife and I were repeatedly insulted and humiliated our human dignity on the basis of our religion, as well as education,\" says the believer.\nHe continues: \"The text [of the document] is replete with many grammatical and semantic errors, excluding in some places the very possibility of understanding its meaning. For example, I am accused of \"discussing followers ... of this religious organization.\" How to understand such an accusation, it seems impossible to me.\nShabliy wonders why his belief in God is seen as an extremist activity: \"This is my personal religious activity, carried out by me since the age of four. My good deeds as a respectable, law-abiding Christian and citizen of my state... are presented in the present case as evil and criminal.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20210524","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shabliy's case is referred to the Kerch City Court for consideration by Judge Evgenia Romanenkova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20210414","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Supreme Court of Crimea Oleg Lebed withdraws from consideration the appeal of Artem Shabliy about the legality of the search in his home. The cause is unknown.\nA day earlier, Judge Elena Spasenova made a similar decision regarding another believer, who is being held as a witness in the Shabliy case and also appealed against the search in her house.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200630","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Shabliy makes a new attempt to get acquainted with the materials of the case in court, but again receives a refusal signed by the acting chairman of the city court Elena Kuzmina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200615","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Shabliy, referring to Article 24 (part 2) of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, as well as Articles 19, 123, 127, 165 and 355 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, appeals to the Kerch City Court with an application for familiarization with the case materials, on the basis of which the court recognized the search in his house as legal. Despite the fact that the state authorities are obliged to provide everyone with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with documents and materials that directly affect their rights and freedoms, the court refuses Shabliy.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200609","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the judge of the Kerch City Court, Inessa Grigorievskaya, the search in Shabliy's home is recognized as legal. In the evening, Artem Shabliy is released from the temporary detention facility under the obligation to appear as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200528","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 a.m., Valery Zarubin, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Kerch Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, opens a criminal case against Artem Shabliy under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The reason for the initiation of the case is the report from the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.\nSearches are being carried out at five addresses where local believers live. One of them is in the house of Artem Shabliy. During the 3-hour special events, the believer is not allowed to get dressed, as a result, he falls ill. Artyom's 4-year-old son injures his legs on shards of window pane that the security forces knocked out during the assault. Artem is detained and placed in an isolation ward.\nSix believers, including the elderly, are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200526","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","search","ivs","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Shabliy is officially charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shabliy in Kerch","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch/index.html#20200304","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2019, Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Smolensk—Ruslan Korolev, Valery Shalev, and Viktor Malkov—were sent to jail. The day before, searches were carried out in their homes. Yevgeny Deshko was detained in Dagomys (Krasnodar Territory) as the fourth suspect in this criminal case. The believers spent 4 to 8 months in jail and another 3 to 7 months under house arrest. Due to the stress and conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center, Viktor\u0026rsquo;s heart problems worsened, and he died without waiting for the trial. The criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was investigated by the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk Region. In the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, the prosecutor asked Judge Marina Masalskaya to send Shalev and Deshko to jail for 8 years, and Korolev for 9 years for discussing Christian teachings. In April 2021, a judge found them guilty, but sentenced them to suspended imprisonment ranging from 6 to 6.5 years. In August 2021, the Court of Appeal approved the punishment for the believers. The cassation court upheld the decisions of the lower courts.","date":"2019-04-25","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html","prisoners":["dechko","korolev","malkov","shalev"],"regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"At a meeting of the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, the believers' complaint against the court verdict is being considered. They believe that the decision was made in violation of national and international law.\nRuslan Korolev, Valery Shalev and the representative of the deceased Viktor Malkov emphasize that law enforcement agencies have not established a single fact of extremist actions committed by convicts. As arguments about the illegality of the verdict, believers cite the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the ECHR rulings regarding Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Judicial Collegium, composed of the presiding judge Natalia Vlasenko, as well as judges Pavel Kolegov and Igor Chaplygin, leaves the verdict and the appellate ruling unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20220607","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Smolensk Regional Court upholds the verdict of the three believers. 32-year-old Yevgeniy Deshko was sentenced to 6 years probation with a probation period of 4 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years, 43-year-old Valery Shalev and 42-year-old Ruslan Korolev — 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20210831","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court postpones the appeal decision until August 31. When checking the attendance of participants at the beginning of the meeting, it turned out that a lawyer had not been appointed for Vera Malkova, who represents the interests of Viktor Malkov's deceased husband in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20210706","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, Marina Masalskaya, finds the believers guilty of extremism and imposes 6.5 years of suspended imprisonment on Valeriy Shalev and Ruslan Korolev with a probationary period of 5 years, 1 year of restriction of liberty and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 4 years; Yevgeniy Deshko was sentenced to 6 years probation with a probationary period of 4 years, 1 year of restriction of freedom and a ban on holding positions in religious organizations for a period of 3 years. Viktor Malkov was also found guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2, his case was dismissed due to his death.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20210423","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a meeting of the Industrial District Court of Smolensk, the prosecutor asks to send to jail 31-year-old Yevgeny Deshko and 38-year-old Ruslan Korolev for 9 years, and 43-year-old Valery Shalev for 8 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20210322","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Malkov died. He had a sick heart. Viktor's health was largely affected by the poor conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center and the stress associated with criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2020-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20200426","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Smolensk Region, G. P. Bezrukov, decides to soften the measure of restraint for four believers (Yevgeny Deshko, Ruslan Korolev, Viktor Malkov and Valery Shalev) and replaces house arrest with a written undertaking not to leave.\nHe argues the ruling by the fact that the believers have positive characteristics from their places of work, study and residence, and also did not interfere with the investigation of the case during additional interrogations. In view of this, he concludes that the preliminary investigation authorities have no reason to believe that the accused may obstruct further investigation of the case or abscond from the investigation.\nHowever, investigator G.P. Bezrukov also mentions that believers are still accused of committing a serious crime. In other words, the mitigation of the measure of restraint does not mean that the charges against them are dropped.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20200317","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Smolensk Regional Court on appeal reduces the period of Shalev's detention under house arrest until March 23, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191230","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A decision is made to release Valery Shalev from the pre-trial detention center. After spending 240 days behind bars, he will languish under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191221","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Nikishov, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, releases Viktor Malkov from custody in the courtroom. He was placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191220","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Smolensk extends Korolev's measure of restraint in the form of house arrest until March 25, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191218","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 207 days in the pre-trial detention center, Yevgeny Deshko was transferred to house arrest. Of the defendants in this case, Valery Shalev and Viktor Malkov remain in the pre-trial detention center. On the same day, security forces searched the house of a local resident, Irina Marusova. The woman was summoned for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191122","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest","search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bezrukov deceives 81-year-old Alexandra Ulyanova out of a sanatorium in the suburbs of Smolensk, interrogates her to the FSB for 6 hours. He tells the woman that he \"wants to figure it out\" and make sure that her friends and acquaintances are innocent. After interrogation, he takes her home and soon arrives to search her house.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191121","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["interrogation","search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes Deshko's measure of restraint from detention to house arrest until December 25, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20191120","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Korolev was released from the pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost four months. Now the believer will be under house arrest, but three more men and two women remain imprisoned in the Smolensk pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190814","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court in Smolensk sends Yevgeniy Deshko, who is suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to prison for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190501","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Dagomys (Krasnodar Territory), 30-year-old Smolensk resident Yevgeny Deshko, the fourth suspect in this criminal case, was detained and taken to Smolensk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190429","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court of Smolensk is imprisoning three local believers, Ruslan Korolev, 36, Valery Shalev, 41, and Viktor Malkov, 60.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190426","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The homes of believers in Smolensk are searched, and they are taken by the security forces for interrogation to the Investigative Department of the FSB, from where they never leave. It becomes known that a criminal case has been initiated under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2019-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20190425","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the initiation of the first criminal case in the region for faith. The FSB, together with the CPE and SOBR, conducts searches in the homes of believers . The court sends Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina to jail.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2018-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20181007","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["new-case","search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 armed riot police, investigators, and police officers entered the Jehovah's Witnesses worship building on Pushkin Street in Smolensk while a service was being held there with about 60 believers. Law enforcement officers purposefully go to the toilet and pretend to have found a brochure included in the list of extremist materials. (By that time, evidence had already accumulated that law enforcement officers and persons cooperating with them systematically planted prohibited items on believers.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shalev and Others in Smolensk","date":"2016-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk2/index.html#20161218","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["meetings-disruption","plant","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2019, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region opened a criminal case for their faith against Alexander Shamov, Andrey Shchepin and Yevgeny Udintsev. The investigation interpreted joint worship services as organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The accusation was based on recordings of meetings of believers made by the FSB agent \u0026ldquo;Plastin\u0026rdquo;, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. Shchepin spent 2 days in the temporary detention center and more than 2 years under the ban on certain actions. Later, he, as well as Udintsev and Shamov, took a written undertaking not to leave. In June 2020, the case went to court. The prosecutor asked to appoint Shchepin and Shamov from 2 to 4 years in prison, and Udintsev - a large fine. In July 2021, the court imposed a monetary penalty on all three in the amount of 200,000 to 500,000 rubles. The appellate court, and then the cassation, upheld the verdict against the peaceful believers.","date":"2019-03-26","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html","prisoners":["shamov","shchepin","udintsev"],"regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Samara) upholds the conviction of the believers.\nIn their complaint, Shchepin, Shamov and Udintsev describe in detail the procedural errors of the prosecution and the court, point to the manipulation of evidence and contradictory witness testimony.\nThe believers insist on their innocence and note: \"The court did not explain how the joint singing of religious songs and prayers by women and men, including many elderly people, endangered the security of an entire state.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20220616","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirov Regional Court approves the decision of the lower court. The verdict against the three believers comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20211202","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements. The verdict is scheduled for July 19.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210709","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requests punishment for believers:\nAndrey Shchepin was recommended to appoint 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, Alexander Shamov - 2 years in a colony, Yevgeny Udintsev - a fine of 600 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210706","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrei Shchepin explains in his testimony: \"It is strange to ask if you are an elder. It's like asking, 'Are you a gentleman?'\" The requirements for elders are written in the Bible: do not drink, do not make drunken scandals, etc. This is not an instruction from a legal entity with requirements, but the text of the Bible. To appoint a judge, you need an order from the president himself, and no documents are issued to believers. The elders were in the Soviet Union, before the advent of the UC and LRO.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210629","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants are being interrogated. Believers explain that they did not raise funds for any extremist purposes, but followed the Bible, which teaches to live according to the principle of \"love your neighbor.\" The defendants are being interrogated. Believers explain that they did not raise funds for any extremist purposes, but followed the Bible, which teaches to live according to the principle of \"love your neighbor.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210624","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws attention to violations in the case materials: the numbers in the transcripts are constantly changing; on requests to cellular companies, dates are corrected with a bar corrector; The materials indicate the addresses of apartments that do not belong to the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210622","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The request to include in the case file the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to a believer from Arkhangelsk and the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention is granted.\nAlexander Shamov declares the introduction of the characteristics issued to him by the head of the city.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210610","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants read excerpts from publications of Jehovah's Witnesses that deal with the topics of child protection, health care, and obedience to authority. The defendants also consider the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, noting that they existed and professed their faith even before the revolution of 1917, when they did not have any legal entities.\nBelievers claim that attending worship services is not some instruction from a legal entity, but a direct instruction from the Bible, which Jehovah's Witnesses follow voluntarily. Since the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid their beliefs, it means that they can also gather for meetings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210603","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the secret witness is being prepared. Bailiffs and CPE officers block the corridor, blocking access to the courtroom so that no one can reveal the identity of the secret witness.\nThe defense objects and files a motion to disclose the identity of the witness. The basis for concealment can only be a real threat to life. The case file does not confirm the existence of any threats on the part of the defendants.\nThe court decides to question the witness without the possibility of visual observation, his voice is changed. By the way the witness formulates phrases, the defense has the impression that he is a law enforcement officer. A secret witness claims to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses himself. However, the literature he names has not been used by believers for more than four years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210525","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony is given by the prosecution witness Plastin, an embedded FSB agent who portrayed an interest in the Bible. He declares that Jehovah's Witnesses avoid associating with other faiths, although he immediately admits that although he is not a Jehovah's Witness, none of the believers have avoided communion with him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210506","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Shikhov states that he did not give the first two sheets of testimony contained in the interrogation protocol, they were entered by the investigator. He adds that the interrogation lasted 3.5 hours and his blood pressure rose, it became bad, so he was ready to sign any documents, just to leave as soon as possible.\nZlobin's prosecution witness, a neighbor of Yevgeny Udintseva, also explains that a lot of things were added to her testimony that she did not say. For example, the fact that people went to Udintsev, he printed literature and received some boxes. Zlobina refutes these claims and says that Jehovah's Witnesses are good, smiling people. She would like everyone to be like that.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210413","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the employee of the CPE Potekhin continues. He cannot explain why, during the investigation phase, copied paragraphs from Wikipedia were included in his interrogation protocol.\nPotekhin also talks in detail about the work of an agent named Plastin, introduced by the special services, who recorded and provided information about what was happening at the services.\nLater it becomes known that Plastinov petitioned for the application of state protection measures against him as a witness for the prosecution. On this fact, Andrei Shchepin declares: \"From the materials of the case, in principle, it is clear that we do not have any victims ... There can be no real threat from us.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210316","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volumes 21--23 of the case are heard. The judge reads out the positive characteristics of the defendants. Andrey Shchepin received references from the gymnasium, from the place of alternative civilian service, from work and from the senior housekeeper. \"Andrey is a person who is always ready to help, non-conflicting, non-aggressive, sociable,\" says one of the characteristics.\nWitnesses for the prosecution of Bratukhin, an operative who participated in the fabrication of cases against believers, and an employee of the CPE Potekhin, are being interrogated. The latter explains that he has already retired. He answers the prosecutor's questions vaguely, vaguely, saying that he has already forgotten many details. He emphasizes that Jehovah's Witnesses take great care of the elderly, are ready to take them by car to the hospital, bring food, and much more.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210310","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants file a motion to challenge prosecutor Kolosova. They believe that it endangers their lives and health by insisting on continuing meetings in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Despite doctors' recommendations to stay at home, elderly believers are forced to attend hearings. Judge Sergei Schweitzer rejects the motions to challenge the prosecutor and to suspend the court proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20210128","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Kirov, the study of the case materials continues, the list of things seized during the search is read out.\nThe judge refuses the defense to attach to the case the statement of 30 OSCE member states, which on July 23, 2020 harshly criticized the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses unleashed by the Russian authorities.\nUsing the example of his alternative service, the believer proves that the accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses about inciting religious discord, calls for violence and disobedience to the authorities are unfounded. In particular, he explains that, wishing to remain honest in the eyes of both God and the state, he did alternative civilian service for 21 months, although he had the opportunity to receive a military ID if he agreed to participate in military training for only a month. Thus, Andrey proved that he respects the laws of the country and does not try to evade the fulfillment of his civic duty to society.\nThe trial will continue on November 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200924","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Kirov, the study of transcripts of telephone conversations of Andrei Shchepin continues. The defendants give explanations that refute the false accusations of 1) refusing treatment, 2) negatively assessing people who do not share their views, 3) destroying families, and 4) disobeying the authorities. From the telephone conversations recorded during the MPA, it is obvious that they turn to doctors for medical help and buy medicines. During the year of listening, the investigation did not record a single rude word addressed to non-Witnesses, on the contrary, believers support them and help in everyday matters: Shchepin helped a homeless man, paying his expenses for communication services and selecting vacancies. Shchepin draws attention to the content of conversations with his father and grandmother, which do not share his beliefs: the believer maintains warm relations with relatives. Talk about the need to be careful on the road and comply with traffic rules testify to law-abiding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200901","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of the city of Kirov, the hearing in the case of Shchepin and others continues. Volume No. 7, which includes transcripts of the believer's telephone conversations, is read out.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200827","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Kirov, the study of the case materials continues. The prosecutor reads out three volumes of the criminal case, including transcripts of telephone conversations. The defendant submits a motion to exclude acts of inspections of the Internet site in connection with suspicion of their falsification. Judge Sergei Schweitzer postpones the consideration of this petition and decides to call the detective who drew up the dubious acts. The court hearing is adjourned due to a false report about the mining of the courthouse.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200818","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines religious literature with the headings \"Do good\", \"Forgive generously\" and the like.\nThe defense continues to announce motions to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the law. Among others, the defense petitions for the exclusion of the protocol of the interrogation of the prosecution witness Potekhin, an employee of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE). About half of his testimony recorded in the protocol by the investigator coincides with the Wikipedia article on Jehovah's Witnesses, along with its typos and errors. Judge Sergei Schweitzer attaches an article from the Internet encyclopedia and the results of the check by the Anti-Plagiarism system, but refuses to exclude the protocol from the evidence.\nThe prosecutor announces the charge and reads out the materials from the three volumes of the criminal case. The defendants do not agree with the prosecution. The trial lasts about 8 hours. The next hearing is scheduled for August 14. It is planned to examine the written materials from the remaining 19 volumes, to interrogate prosecution witnesses and defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200715","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held behind closed doors. Andrey Shchepin submits 4 motions: to suspend the proceedings due to the epidemiological situation, to terminate the case on the basis of the Opinion of the UN Working Group, to exclude acts of inspection of the site due to violations in its preparation, and to exclude search protocols conducted with procedural violations. Judge Sergei Schweitzer rejects all motions. The hearings will continue despite the continuing risk of coronavirus infection (70-year-old defendant Yevgeny Udintsev is at risk).\nThe next meeting will be held on July 15, 2020. The defense plans to file several more motions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200706","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Kirov begins consideration of the case on the merits against Yevgeny Udintsev, Alexander Shamov and Andrey Shchepin. The believers file petitions to adjourn the hearing, to suspend the criminal proceedings, and to return the case to the prosecutor. Judge S. W. Schweitzer rejects all the defendants' motions.\nAfter the break, 71-year-old Yevgeny Udintsev leaves the meeting due to poor health. The hearing is postponed until June 25.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2020-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20200604","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Georgy Malykh, notifies the defendants of the completion of investigative actions. Yevgeny Udintsev, Alexander Shamov, Andrey Shchepin and their lawyer begin to get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20191230","regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Georgy Malykh charges Yevgeny Udintsev with organizing the activities of an \"extremist organization.\" The 70-year-old believer faces up to 10 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20191213","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Kirov Region initiates criminal proceedings for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Andrey Shchepin (born in 1991), Alexander Shamov (born in 1960), Yevgeny Udintsev (born in 1949).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shchepin and Others in Kirov","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov2/index.html#20190326","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2020, Aleksandr Shcherbina was subjected to a search and was summoned for interrogation as a witness in a criminal case against his fellow believer Aleksandr Ivshin. Six months later, FSB investigator Komissarov initiated a criminal case for \u0026ldquo;participation in the activity of an extremist organization\u0026rdquo; against Shcherbina himself. Law enforcement officers secretly videotaped Bible discussions and considered such conversations to be a continuation of the activity of a banned organization. In December, Aleksandr\u0026rsquo;s house was searched again. In April 2021, the Abinsk District Court sentenced the believer to 3 years in a penal colony. In June 2021, a court of appeal reduced the sentence to 2 years imprisonment. The believer filed a cassation appeal against the verdict, but the court left it unsatisfied. On February 22, 2023, Shcherbina was released after serving his main sentence.","date":"2020-11-12","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html","prisoners":["shcherbina"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar, presided over by Judge Omar Omarov, upholds the verdict and the appeal ruling against Alexander Shcherbina. The believer will be kept in a general regime colony, presumably until February 2023.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20220726","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Shcherbina in correctional colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don. The believer says that the conditions of his detention are normal, his health is satisfactory. He has a Bible and receives regular letters of support. For the entire time of imprisonment, he received about 3000 of them.\nThe administration and cellmates treat the believer with respect. In the colony, Aleksandr learned to be an auto mechanic, and plans to start working soon.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20220616","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Shcherbina was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20220228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Shcherbina was again placed in the punishment cell of the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky penal colony. The reason and duration of the sentence are unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20211101","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Shcherbina in the penal colony. The convict looks thinner, but does not complain about his health.\nIt turns out that after 14 days of quarantine, the believer was unreasonably placed in a punishment cell for two weeks. The decision on placement in the punishment cell indicates a far-fetched reason: \"swore obscenities.\" (For Jehovah's Witnesses, the use of abusive language is unacceptable on religious grounds.)\nThe administration of the colony has not yet handed over to Aleksandr the letters that come to him in the colony. Requests for a Bible remain unanswered. Nevertheless, he tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20211011","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The whereabouts of Aleksandr Shcherbina become known: he was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 12 in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky (Rostov Region). He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-30T16:21:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210930","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shcherbina was transferred from colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk to a penal colony in the Rostov region. His exact whereabouts are still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210910","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court Vadim Kuksa does not satisfy the appeal of the believer and mitigates the sentence of the lower court — the believer is imprisoned for 2 years instead of 3. The verdict shall take effect immediately.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210624","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearings begin in the Krasnodar Regional Court. Aleksandr Shcherbina's appeal speech with the last word and the possible announcement of the verdict were postponed until June 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Shcherbina in the colony. Aleksandr is being held in the same cell with fellow believer Oleg Danilov and two other prisoners. The believer was sick recently, but now he feels better, takes walks in the fresh air. He is grateful to his friends for letters and parcels.\nAleksandr hopes that the appellate court will find him not guilty.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Shcherbina was transferred to colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-25T15:48:02+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210525","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory Sergey Mikhin sentences Aleksandr Shcherbina to 3 years in a general regime colony. The believer can appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210406","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, the prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years in a general regime colony for Aleksandr Shcherbina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210405","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings begin in the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, chaired by Sergey Mikhin.\nAleksandr Shcherbina expresses his attitude to the charge of participation in extremist activities: \"I do not plead guilty and believe that the charge against me is illegal. [...] In fact, I am accused of believing in God and remaining a Jehovah's Witness, that is, using the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. [...] My religious views are based on the Bible, so they are the exact opposite of what is called extremism. The materials of the criminal case do not prove the opposite. [...] [I] am being prosecuted solely for my peaceful religious activities.\" The believer also refers to the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which called for the termination of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court interrogates the prosecution witness, FSB operative Stanislav Bochin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20210317","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6:30 a.m., the security forces conducted a second search in the home of Aleksandr Shcherbina. The search lasts 2 hours. Bibles in various translations and electronic devices are seized from the believer. Copies of the decisions are not provided to him.\nThen he was brought to the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Abinsk District in the Krasnodar Territory for interrogation by the senior investigator, Major of Justice G. G. Gulmagomedov. Aleksandr Shcherbina is interrogated in the status of the accused. The interrogation lasts 20 minutes. They take a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20201202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"O. I. Komissarov, investigator of the 2nd branch of the Krasnodar Territory Directorate of the FSB, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 44-year-old Alexander Shcherbina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20201112","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The home of Alexander Shcherbina is being searched by order of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar. It becomes known that law enforcement officers have records of how believers read and discussed the Bible via the Internet. After the search, Aleksandr Shcherbina is interrogated as a witness in the criminal case against Aleksandr Ivshin.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shcherbina in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya3/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Shishenko, a resident of Birobidzhan, faced persecution for his religious views in May 2018. Then the believer and his wife became victims of a raid on Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from the Jewish Autonomous Region. In February 2020, the FSB opened a case against Pavel for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Soon the believer was put on the federal wanted list.","date":"2020-02-12","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan29/index.html","prisoners":["shishenko"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shishenko in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Pavel receives a photo of the summons for interrogation from the investigator. Later, the believer learns from the Birobidzhan media that he has been put on the federal wanted list. In the same year, it was included in the \"List of organizations and individuals in respect of which there is information about their involvement in extremist activities or terrorism\" (Rosfinmonitoring list).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishenko in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan29/index.html#20200901","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator I. K. Fedorov opened a criminal case against Shishenko under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishenko in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan29/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the large-scale operation \"Judgment Day\" against Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, the couple Shishenko are searched, which is led by senior FSB operative Zakhar Konstantinov. It starts at seven in the morning and lasts about six hours. The security forces accompany their actions with humiliation and threats, they are interested in everything related to the religious activities of believers. The Bible, personal records, passports and electronic devices were seized from Pavel and his wife Yelena.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishenko in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan29/index.html#20180517","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region Marina Tsimarno authorized a search in the apartment of Pavel Shishenko as part of a criminal case against another believer from Birobidzhan, Alam Aliyev and other unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishenko in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan29/index.html#20180515","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A resident of Prokopyevsk, Irina Shishkina, was prosecuted after her husband, Vasiliy. In January 2025, their home was searched, and Vasiliy was placed under house arrest. A year later, the Investigative Committee accused Irina of extremism for reading and discussing the Bible with friends. The woman was taken to sign a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in late February 2026.","date":"2025-12-18","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html","prisoners":["shishkina"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court is questioning a witness for the prosecution, operative officer of the Federal Security Service Directorate, Valentin Karpov. He states that he did not hear any extremist statements from Shishkina and cannot explain what role she played in the banned organization. Karpov also expresses the opinion that setting a password on a personal electronic device may indicate an intention to conceal criminal activity.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260520","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Again FSB officer Valentin Karpov does not appear for interrogation. The judge proposes to summon him again.\nThe prosecutor reads out case materials selectively from all volumes. The defense points out that the search protocols contain inaccuracies. For example, a souvenir magnet from the refrigerator and a postcard seized from the believer are called religious literature in the protocol. A book about Jesus Christ, found in the possession of an Orthodox woman (given to her 20 years ago), later appears as having been seized from where Irina's husband is under house arrest.\nThe prosecutor draws attention to the positive character references of Irina Shishkina from her place of work and from her neighbors, as well as to awards she received.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260505","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, FSB operative Valentin Karpov, does not appear for questioning. The prosecutor proposes to read out his testimony, the lawyer objects and asks to ensure the appearance of the witness at the next hearing. The court grants the petition.\nThe prosecutor reads out at least 24 FSB memoranda certificates from the first volume of the case. The total volume of documents is more than 200 pages.\nThe defense notes that in many cases the information is not true.\nFor example, in one of the memoranda, communication with visiting friends is described as a religious meeting. In several documents, Irina is described as an active participant in the video conference, who is at home, but in fact she was at work at that time, which is confirmed by the timesheet. Irina is also credited with the intention to call the convicted Andrey Vlasov, since only the name \"Andrey\" appears in the conversation. According to the believer, it was about her son, whose name is also Andrey.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260422","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shishkin, Irina's brother-in-law, is being interrogated. According to the man, differences in religious views did not spoil his relationship with the couple Shishkins. He was not interested in religion, and Vasily and Irina respected his position: \"We always communicate in the same way, we did not break the connection, everything was fine.\" Aleksandr characterizes Irina as a decent, kind and hospitable woman.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260415","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Shishkina's case is submitted to the Rudnichny District Court of Prokopyevsk. It will be considered by Judge Eduard Furs.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260227","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shishkina is brought in as an accused and takes a recognizance agreement from her.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260126","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Platonova interrogates Irina Shishkina. The woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. It turns out that the believer is in the status of a suspect in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20260114","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee Y. G. Platonova initiates a criminal case under an extremist article against several residents of Prokopyevsk. In her opinion, they \"committed deliberate actions aimed at participating in the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court ... a decision has been made to liquidate it.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20251218","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Vasiliy and Irina Shishkin's homes are searched. They are told that they have been followed for two years, as a wiretapping was installed in their house. After that, believers are taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shishkina in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk5/index.html#20250121","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, security forces searched the homes of local believers in Sevastopol. The next day, the court sent four of them, including Igor Schmidt, to the pre-trial detention center. He was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of his faith. Schmidt spent six months in a pre-trial detention center, after which he was transferred to house arrest. In April 2021, the judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Lyudmila Tumaykina, began consideration of the case. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a general regime colony for Igor Schmidt. In October 2021, the court sentenced him to 6 years in prison, and in January 2022, the appeal upheld this decision. The believer is serving time in a colony.","date":"2020-09-24","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html","prisoners":["shmidt"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Igor Schmidt is held in a barrack with about 30 people. His relationship with others is friendly. He can use the banya several times a week. The believer has a Bible. He does not receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2026-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20260516","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Schmidt is in penal colony No. 12 for the Rostov Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2026-04-08T14:44:29+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20260408","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Schmidt helps prisoners not to lose heart and find advantages in everything. For example, he encouraged one young man to take advantage of the opportunity to get a profession in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2024-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20241203","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"90 people live in the barracks where Igor Schmidt is kept. The believer has the opportunity to take walks in the fresh air. Lately, he has not received e-mails, and paper ones arrive with a delay and in small quantities. Igor tries not to lose his positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2024-09-26T09:03:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20240926","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor is transferred to a new sewing workshop. There are good sanitary conditions and better food. The attitude of the employees at work to him is respectful.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20240527","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Schmidt is being held in satisfactory conditions. The room is warm, but the believer suffers from cigarette smoke, as he has a bronchial disease.\nSchmidt regularly receives parcels and letters. He has a Bible. He has a neutral relationship with the administration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2024-01-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20240103","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, Igor sews medical gowns. The administration treats him well. The believer regularly receives parcels from his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20230505","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar leaves the verdict against Igor Schmidt unchanged. The believer is grateful to his fellow believers from Krasnodar who came to support him. After the announcement of the decision, he was able to chat with friends, which especially touched him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20230302","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Igor Schmidt and Alexander Ivshin at Penal Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don. They feel good and maintain a positive attitude.\nAt the moment, four more Jehovah's Witnesses are serving their sentences in the same colony: Aleksandr Parkov, Sergey Filatov, Artem Gerasimov , and Aleksandr Shcherbina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20220304","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Igor Schmidt arrived at the Correctional Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don. He is in quarantine.\nTwo more believers, Aleksandr Ivshin and Aleksandr Parkov, are serving their sentences in the same colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20220221","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Schmidt was sent to Krasnodar for further transfer to the colony. It is still unknown where the believer will serve his sentence for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20220131","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal in Sevastopol rejects Igor Schmidt's appeal against the verdict handed down by the Gagarinsky District Court. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20220113","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Lyudmila Tumaykina found the believer guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in prison in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20211022","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Gagarinsky District Court, the debate of the parties begins. Igor Schmidt speaks about the prosecution witness Sergey Korkushko, who previously testified against Viktor Stashevskiy, who was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison: \"[He] is not known to me or to other witnesses as a person who has ever attended Christian services of Jehovah's Witnesses, but he is known as a provocateur who is used by the FSB to illegally and shamefully persecute Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol. This witness gives knowingly false and contradictory testimony. Also, these testimonies are word for word identical to the testimony of FSB officer Dmitrienko, which indicates their falsification.\n\"All the materials in the case prove exclusively that I belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has not been banned in Russia by any court,\" Schmidt adds.\nThe prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20211019","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning two witnesses. None of them can confirm that Jehovah's Witnesses voiced calls inciting religious hatred against other religions. They have never heard believers urge them to disobey the authorities or to refuse to perform their civic duties. The men interrogated by the court admit that the believers did not force them to attend services or to make donations. When asked whether they noticed any aggression or bitterness at meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, the interrogated respondents reply that the believers, on the contrary, \"treated each other humanly, with understanding.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20210628","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Igor Schmidt is underway. Listeners who come to support the believer are allowed into the hall.\nJudge Lyudmila Tumaykina rejects the accused's petition to mitigate the measure of restraint from house arrest to prohibition of certain actions and satisfies the request to familiarize herself with the materials of the criminal case. Schmidt remains under house arrest until at least September 30, 2021 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20210422","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case of Igor Schmidt are received by the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20210330","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal changes the measure of restraint for a believer to house arrest. He spent about 6 months in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20210323","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sends Igor Schmidt to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20201002","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol S. A. Bosiyev initiates a criminal case against Igor Schmidt on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20200924","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer A. A. Dmitrienko makes inquiries and establishes that Igor Schmidt, together with other believers, takes part in religious services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of a banned religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shmidt in Sevastopol","date":"2019-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol3/index.html#20190623","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the beginning of 2018, 60-year-old Gennady Shpakovsky has been under surveillance. In the summer of the same year, the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Pskov Region opened a criminal case against a peaceful believer. In June, the Pskov FSB, with the support of the armed National Guard, conducted a series of searches of local believers, including Gennady. He was accused of organizing and financing extremist activities. After 2 years of investigations and trials, the judge of the Pskov City Court, Galina Belik, sentenced Shpakovsky to 6.5 years in prison, although there were no victims in the case. One of the prosecution witnesses appealed to the judge with a request: \u0026ldquo;Please do not punish him severely, because he is not guilty of anything!\u0026rdquo; On August 3, 2020, the Court of Appeal replaced the prison term with a suspended sentence.","date":"2018-05-31","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html","prisoners":["shpakovskii"],"regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Pskov Regional Court replaces Gennady Shpakovsky's prison sentence with a 6.5-year suspended sentence. On the same day, the believer is released from the pre-trial detention center, but the unfair conviction is considered to have entered into force. It can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200803","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["appeal","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is being held in the Pskov Regional Court. The defendant speaks via video conferencing from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Pskov. The court announces that the appellate ruling will be announced on August 3, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200730","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Galina Belik sentences Shpakovsky to 6.5 years in a penal colony, ignoring the fact that there are no real crimes and no victims in the believer's case. The decision will be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200609","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Pskov City Court, to which listeners are not allowed due to the epidemiological situation. As an exception, the court allows the daughter of the accused to be present at the hearing.\nJudge Galina Belik does not find the decision of the UN working group a sufficient reason to terminate the criminal case, but attaches the defendant's petition to the case file.\nThe prosecutor concludes the presentation of evidence. The court shall proceed to the pleadings of the parties. The state prosecutor considers Gennadiy's guilt fully proven and asks the court to impose a sentence of 7.5 years in prison in a general regime colony. The defendant delivers the last word. He does not admit his guilt and does not agree with the charges.\nThe court retires to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200601","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gennadiy Shpakovskiy submits an application to the prosecutor's office and the court to drop the charges against him on the basis of the decisions of the UN Working Group against 18 Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200528","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The session lasts only 6 minutes. The judge informs about the motion of the prosecution to postpone the hearing in connection with the summoning of a specialist from the Moscow State Linguistic University. At the same time, the judge does not name the expert.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200312","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense attaches to the case a number of documents explaining the difference between the activities of the LRO and religious groups.\nThe prosecution presents audio recordings of meetings of believers, at which excerpts from the Bible are read out as evidence of Shpakovsky's guilt. The court compares the different translations and concludes that the Bible was used in the New World Translation, which was allegedly banned at the time. Contrary to the decision of the authorities on the inadmissibility of the ban on sacred books, the Holy Scriptures in the New World Translation were indeed included in the register of prohibited materials, but much later - on July 5, 2018. Thus, according to lawyer A. Chemirov, Shpakovsky did not commit any violation, let alone a crime.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200218","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyer, and then prosecutor and judge Galina Belik interrogate Gennadiy Shpakovskiy. The prosecutor asks questions about the LRO of Pskov, is interested in Shpakovsky's attitude towards representatives of other faiths.\nThe judge's questions revolve around the activities of the Pskov LRO, as well as literature included in the list of extremist materials and blood transfusions. The judge wonders why Shpakovsky kept copies of the Bible in the New World Translation instead of destroying them. To this, the believer replies that his hand did not rise to destroy the Word of God.\nJudge Belik's questions to Shpakovsky reveal that she is influenced by prejudice. Addressing the defendant, the judge says, as he understands his actions: \"You say: (...) \" They will send papers from Brooklyn, I will gather everyone, and we will again learn the Bible the way they want. Not as the state calling itself the Russian Federation wants, but as the state calling itself the United States of America wants\" (In fact, the believer only enjoys the inalienable right to freedom of religion, which is guaranteed to everyone by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.).\nThe next meeting is scheduled for 10:30 on 18.02.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200213","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Re-interrogation of the prosecution witness, Ivan Kalyt, the FSB officer who directly conducted the search.\nThe next hearings are scheduled for 29 January, 13 and 18 February.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200123","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to present written, audio and video evidence. The court pays special attention to recordings of Shpakovsky's prayers, as well as screenshots of personal letters and documents from his computer desktop.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2020-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20200122","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the prosecution witness. The witness, a woman, appeals to the judge with a request: \"Please do not punish him severely, because he is not guilty of anything!\"\nParticipants in the hearings get acquainted with video and audio materials. Due to the poor quality of the recording, the judge interrupts the playback and insists on providing better quality recordings or evidence that directly indicates the corpus delicti.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20191223","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings were postponed due to the absence of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20191209","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not appear for questioning. The prosecution begins to present the evidence set forth in 7 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20191118","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was attended by about 40 listeners, including media representatives. However, the hall accommodated only half of those who came.\nGennady Shpakovskiy said that he would testify at the end of the trial in order to comment on all the nuances of the charges at once.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20191114","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing was held in the Pskov City Court. Judge Galina Belik presides.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20191105","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case has been opened against Shpakovsky on the financing of an extremist organization. Allegedly, Shpakovsky collected donations for the needs of the liquidated organization. On the same day, the new business is merged with the old one.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20190821","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gennadiy was charged with organizing the activities of a banned community. After about 4 months, the charges are clarified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2019-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20190319","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["282.2-1","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass raid of armed soldiers of the Russian Guard on believers in Pskov. Among the detainees is Gennady Shpakovsky. The court chooses him as a measure of restraint on his own recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2018-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20180603","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB of Russia in the Pskov region initiates a criminal case against Gennady Shpakovsky and unidentified persons. Before that, the security forces have been following Gennady for several months, collecting \"evidence\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shpakovskiy in Pskov","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pskov/index.html#20180531","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Lyudmila Shut, a disabled person of group II from the village of Razdolnoye in the Primorsky Territory. The believer, aged 72, was charged with extremism. During the hearings in court, witnesses confirmed that they had never heard extremist statements from the defendant. After 5 months of proceedings in the case, the judge was changed, and the believer was forced to go through all stages of the trial anew. In May 2021, Lyudmila was sentenced to 4 years of probation. The appeal left the punishment unchanged. In August 2025, at the age of 77, the believer died as a result of a heart attack.","date":"2020-02-10","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html","prisoners":["shut"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that 77-year-old Lyudmila Shut died as a result of a heart attack.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20250821","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of three judges of the Primorsky Krai Court, headed by Svetlana Gumenchuk, leaves the verdict for faith unchanged. 73-year-old Lyudmila Shut is still at large.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20210825","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the appeal of Lyudmila Shut is postponed again due to the fact that the believer continues treatment for pneumonia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20210728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Consideration of the appeal in the Primorsky Regional Court is postponed to July 28 due to the illness of Lyudmila Shut.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20210707","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Nadezhdinskiy District Court of Primorsky Krai Lyudmila Setrakova finds believer Lyudmila Shut guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist community and sentences her to 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20210519","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks for Lyudmila Shut to be sentenced to 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year. The state prosecutor also asks to deprive the believer of the right to engage in activities related to participation in public organizations for 4 years. The verdict is scheduled to be announced on May 13.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20210429","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor recuses the presiding judge Natalia Derevyagina, pointing out that she had previously considered a criminal case against another believer, finding him guilty. As part of the previous proceedings, Lyudmila Shut acted as a witness, the judge in the verdict gave an assessment of her actions, and therefore, in the prosecutor's opinion, cannot be impartial in the present case.\nThe court satisfies the prosecutor's application. This decision means that the judge entering the case must directly hear witnesses, examine video materials and written evidence. In fact, the process begins anew, and an elderly believer who comes to court on crutches will have to go through all the stages of the trial again.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200923","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are interrogated, one of whom is a neighbor of the believer. He speaks of Shut as an affable and conflict-free woman.\nThe judge emphasizes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nThe defense filed motions to exclude inadmissible evidence: protocols of interrogation of believers who are actual suspects due to their criminal prosecution, but who were interrogated without a lawyer and were subjected to pressure from the security forces; conclusions of psychological, linguistic and religious expertise due to the fact that the expert answered legal questions that are beyond his competence; the results of the ORM, since the decision to hold secret measures against believers was made in violation of the rules of jurisdiction.\nThe prosecutor takes time to familiarize himself with the motions filed and to prepare objections.\nThe court grants the defense's request for publicity. Subject to social distancing, 5 masked and gloved listeners may be present in the courtroom.\nThe next court hearing will be held on September 23, the court plans to move on to the debate of the parties, the prosecutor may request punishment for Lyudmila Shut.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200921","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Derevyagina granted the prosecutor's request to bring the prosecution witnesses who did not appear.\nIn the course of the examination of evidence, it was established that during the search of Lyudmila Shut's home, no publications from the Federal List of Extremist Materials were found.\nThe judge attaches to the case file the evidence presented by the defense: excerpts from scientific papers, documents with the position of international bodies, the Government of the Russian Federation and the President of the Russian Federation on the situation with Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nAt the same time, the judge refuses to attach to the case some expert opinions, the practice of the ECHR, the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation, indicating that the documents are not related to this case and are in the public domain. Also, the defense refused to summon investigator Shevchenko and expert Oleshkevich to court.\nAt the request of the defense, video recordings of religious meetings are viewed. The participants in the trial are convinced that during the services the believers did not speak about the superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses over others, as the prosecutor had previously claimed.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on September 21, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200911","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses and the defendant continues. Written materials are examined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200901","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned in the Nadezhdinskiy District Court. They give a positive description of Lyudmila Shut and say that they have never heard extremist statements from her. They confirm that the Administrative Center and the local religious organization did not exist in the village of Razdolnoye, and the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses were not prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200827","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held behind closed doors due to the epidemiological situation. The court rejects the motions for the preparation of the record of the court session in parts and for the termination of the case. Judge Natalia Derevyagina attaches to the case the Opinion of the UN Working Group and grants the request to exclude inadmissible evidence (protocols of interrogations of Lyudmila in the absence of a lawyer).\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. The defendant and her counsel express their disagreement with the charges. The next meetings will be held on August 27, 31 and September 1, 2020. It is planned to interview witnesses and study the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Lyudmila Shut (No. 1-121/2020) is submitted to the Nadezhdinskiy District Court for consideration by Judge Natalia Derevyagina. A hearing on the merits shall be scheduled.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200428","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is handed an indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200427","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut signs a protocol on familiarization with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200420","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Shevchenko, investigator of the Nadezhdinsky District Investigation Department, issues a decision to prosecute Lyudmila Shut as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200320","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut is summoned for interrogation on summons. Investigator Denis Shevchenko charges Lyudmila under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and chooses a preventive measure against her in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior. After that, the investigator announces the end of the investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200318","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Denis Shevchenko initiates a criminal case against Lyudmila Shut on the basis of suspicions of her participation in an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Lyudmila is a disabled person of the II group. For health reasons, she can move only with the help of others or on crutches.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20200210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Vladimir Filippov and other believers, including Lyudmila Shut, is divided into separate proceedings. They are suspected under various articles: Filippov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the others under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20190423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shut, a 72-year-old believer, is being involved as a witness in a criminal case on extremism. The woman is interrogated right at her home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20190419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures begin against believers in the village of Razdolnoye (secret video recording of the service). Later, on the basis of the video, it was concluded that some believers were allegedly the leaders of the banned organization, while others were participants. Among them is Lyudmila Shut.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Shut in Razdolnoye","date":"2017-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volno-nadezhdinskoye2/index.html#20171109","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The second Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness in Oryol to be prosecuted after Dane Dennis Christensen was a school physical education teacher, Sergey Skrynnikov. In February 2018, the investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Oryol Region, A.O. Kompaniets, opened a criminal case against the believer for \u0026ldquo;participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\u0026rdquo; Later, an inspection was carried out in his house, during which law enforcement officers did not find anything prohibited. Having neither evidence of guilt nor victims in the case, the prosecutor Naumova requested 3 years in a general regime colony for Sergey. On April 1, 2019, Gleb Noskov, a judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Orel, found the believer guilty and sentenced him to pay a fine of 350,000 rubles. The appellate instance did not change this decision. On October 9, 2019, a complaint was filed with the ECHR in the Skrynnikov case.","date":"2018-02-20","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html","prisoners":["skrynnikov"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"A panel of three judges of the Oryol Regional Court upholds the verdict of the district court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20190613","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is found guilty under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to a fine in the amount of 350 thousand rubles. The defense is preparing an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20190401","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skrynnikov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20190328","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial proceeds to the stage of debate. Prosecutor Naumov asks the court to sentence the believer to a real prison term — 3 years in a penal colony plus 1 year of restriction of movement. The defense insists on the absolute innocence of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2019-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20190318","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Orlovsky District Court is conducting a judicial investigation into the Skrynnikov case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2018-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20180530","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Oryol, the preliminary investigation of the criminal case has been completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20180529","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skrynnikov was brought in as an accused and interrogated. A preventive measure was chosen - a written undertaking not to leave the place. An inspection was carried out in Skrynnikov's house, which did not reveal a single item prohibited by law. A number of \"evidence\" in his case is separated from the Christensen case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2018-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20180508","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Kompaniets initiates a case against Sergey Skrynnikov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Skrynnikov in Oryol","date":"2018-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol2/index.html#20180220","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, the deputy head of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Karelia, M. Golubenko, opened a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization against Alexei Smelov, a father of three children. The basis for this was the report of FSB Lieutenant Usoltsev, who portrayed interest in the Bible and kept hidden audio recordings of divine services and conversations with believers. The house of Smelov and 16 other families of civilians in Kondopoga and Petrozavodsk were searched. Aleksey was interrogated twice, after which they took a written undertaking not to leave the place. In April 2021, Smelov\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. It was considered by Judge Alexander Ivanov. Although the prosecution did not provide facts of extremist calls or actions, the prosecutor requested a fine of 500 thousand rubles for him. After the debate, the court decided to continue the proceedings. As a result, Alexey Smely was fined 400,000 rubles in April 2022. The appellate court upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-07-31","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html","prisoners":["smelov"],"regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court found Aleksey Smelov guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 400,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20220421","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, the defense takes the floor. Judge Ivanov decides to resume the judicial investigation in the case of Smelov.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for February 14 and 15.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20220127","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to an audio recording of the worship service. Alexei Smelov testifies.\nConnecting each part of his speech with the points of accusation, Alexei talks about the biblical principles that guide him in his life. The defense compares passages from different translations of the Gospel, and also cites excerpts from secular sources and expert opinions regarding the name of God, the good reputation of Jehovah's Witnesses and their creeds.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20220126","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a fine of 500 thousand rubles for Alexei Smelov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20220124","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the study of written materials, dozens of letters of gratitude of the Smelovs' children and letters of thanks to their parents for their upbringing are read out, where such qualities of children as kindness and responsiveness are emphasized. The characteristics of Alexei from the place of work are also announced. The prosecutor notes that it is \"extremely positive.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20211110","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing photographs of Aleksey Smelov and his family taken at the service. The photo depicts peaceful, intelligent, open people.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20211028","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Excerpts from the liturgical materials of Jehovah's Witnesses are read out, in particular about respect for the authorities and the importance of a peaceful attitude towards people. Judge Ivanov acknowledges that the case concerns the defendant's religious life exclusively, and he is impressed by the good organization of worship services for Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20211005","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearing, the assistant prosecutor reads the entire transcript of the service, which is devoted mainly to the development of such qualities as meekness and humility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210930","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses in paper and electronic form, which speaks of who they are and what they believe. An excerpt from the biographical book is also read, which tells us that Jehovah's Witnesses even treated the guards in the concentration camps with respect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210928","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates investigator Grigoriev and operational officer Usoltsev. Their testimonies differ as to the dates of the operational-search activities. According to Grigoriev, the date indicated in the protocol is correct. However, Usoltsev points to the error, explaining it by improper configuration of technical equipment. He says he videotaped and audio the Bible talks on April 19 and 21, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210908","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The written materials of the case shall be announced. The prosecutor draws attention to the protocol, which indicates that the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses are part of their worldwide educational activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210825","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the secret witness \"Mikhailov\". Answering questions from the defense or the court, he refers to his own conclusions or to a source that he refuses to name.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210824","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses. One of them reports that at the first meeting with the FSB officer Usoltsev, he himself asked for her phone number and called her, pretending to be interested in the Bible. The witness herself did not impose her views on him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210823","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution reads out the reports of the FSB operative officer Usoltsev, transcripts of his conversations about the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses - he kept notes of discussions, pretending to be interested in the Bible.\nThe defendant Smelov expresses his attitude to the prosecution and declares his disagreement with it, considering it persecution for faith. He says: \"The accusation that has been brought against me calls religious worship, preaching, saying prayers and transmitting religious symbols as illegal activities. However, this grossly contradicts the clear provision of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nSmelov continues: \"Someone performs prayers in churches and homes; someone performs namaz, and someone tells others about what he believes in; Some are called a deacon or priest, and some are called an elder. Neither is prohibited and should not give rise to criminal prosecution.\"\nThe defendant asks: \"Should I renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them in order to avoid criminal liability? But this is nothing less than discrimination.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210513","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Kondopoga City Court of the Republic of Karelia. It is referred to Judge Alexander Ivanov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20210405","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation is resumed and accepted for production by investigator S. V. Grigoriev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20200608","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, the preliminary investigation against Smelov is suspended \"to ensure the safety of life and health of the accused.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20200409","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Smelov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2019-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20190807","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 11 o'clock in the morning, law enforcement officers call the Smelovs' doorbell and, posing as plumbers, seek to be allowed inside. Those who entered turn out to be employees of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Karelia: senior investigator Danila Vashchenko, head of the department in Kondopoga Vitaly Abazovik, senior detective B.O. Dudnik and specialist in the field of computer technology O.Y. Dagdanov. The search lasts more than four hours. Family members, especially the 14-year-old daughter, are very frightened. The system unit of the computer, laptop, phones, tablets, flash drives and the Bible are seized from believers. Law enforcement officers are also conducting a search in the car and at the workplace of Alexei Smelov.\nIrina, his wife, is taken to the FSB department in Kondopoga. The interrogation is conducted by investigator Vashchenko. Aleksey is also interrogated in Kondopoga, and then at about 22:00 he is taken to the main department of the FSB in Petrozavodsk. There, another investigator invites him to confess to the crimes. After his fingerprints were taken, he is allowed to go home around 11:30 p.m.\nSenior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Karelia, Major of Justice S. V. Grigoriev chooses Smelov a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20190731","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice M. V. Golubenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Security Service Directorate for the Republic of Karelia, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 44-year-old Aleksey Smelov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The basis for this is the report of the FSB operative, Lieutenant S. A. Usoltsev.\nThe document notes that the believer \"performed organizational, informational and supervisory functions in the local division of the banned religious organization\" Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia \"took measures to intensify the activities and development of this extremist religious organization in Kondopoga by committing actions ... expressed, among other things, in the convening of meetings, the organization of propaganda activities, the attraction of new members.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Smelov in Kondopoga","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kondopoga/index.html#20190723","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, a criminal case was opened against Alexander Solovyov from Perm for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The reason for this was audio recordings made on the instructions of Center \u0026ldquo;E\u0026rdquo; by a man who previously professed the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Lieutenant Colonel Utkin sent these records for examination to the catechist of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Perm Theological Seminary. The indictment collected almost all the common myths about Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses: \u0026ldquo;incitement to hatred\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;calls for the destruction of families\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;refusal of medical care\u0026rdquo; and others. After the search and interrogation, Aleksandr spent six months under house arrest. The prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office asked to send the believer to a colony for 3.5 years. On July 4, 2019, the judge of the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm, Denis Shvetsov, found Solovyov guilty and sentenced him to a fine of 300 thousand rubles.","date":"2018-05-22","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html","prisoners":["solovev"],"regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Perm Regional Court upholds the conviction.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2019-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20190905","regions":["perm"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Perm found Solovyov guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced him to a fine of 300,000 rubles instead of the 3.5 years in prison requested by the prosecutor. The believer plans to appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2019-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20190704","regions":["perm"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Solovyov receives a copy of the indictment. The case should be sent to court. The exact date of the trial is not known.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20190507","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Perm Territory Alexander Deryshov approves the indictment against Solovyov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2019-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20190506","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint has been mitigated, but the prohibition of certain actions remains.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20181119","regions":["perm"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another extension of house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20180917","regions":["perm"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the term of house arrest for another 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20180718","regions":["perm"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Solovyov is placed under house arrest for 2 months. The Sverdlovsk District Court upholds the search conducted on May 22, 2018 in the Solovyovs' apartment as lawful.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20180524","regions":["perm"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Solovyov has been charged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20180523","regions":["perm"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against Alexander Solovyov and unidentified persons on the territory of Perm for participation in an extremist organization. As stated in the resolution, the reason was \"participation in the activities of a religious association\" after July 17, 2017. On the same day, Aleksandr was detained at the Perm railway station. Throughout the night, searches are carried out in their apartment on the basis of an investigator's order, during which all property documents, electronic devices, storage media, a wi-fi router, photographs, and a collection of Bibles were seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2018-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20180522","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","search","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A small group of those who had previously attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, secretly using dictaphones, conduct conversations with Solovyov on religious topics.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2017-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20171214","regions":["perm"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To initiate a criminal case, Lieutenant Colonel K. Utkin from the center \"E\" in the Perm Territory sends the received record of discussions for psychological and linguistic examination. It was entrusted to the expert Alexei Mosin from the Bureau of Forensic Examinations, who, among other things, has a diploma of catechist of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Perm Theological Seminary. As expected, the expert finds in Solovyov's words signs of psychological pressure on the interlocutor and, in his opinion, confirmation that Solovyov continued the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Perm, which was liquidated back in May 2017.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2017-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20171211","regions":["perm"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who in the past professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the instructions of the center \"E\", having received hidden recording equipment from operatives, conducts a discussion with Solovyov about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Solovyev in Perm","date":"2017-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm3/index.html#20171125","regions":["perm"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sychevka is a city of compact residence of followers of the Old Believers. Nurse Natalia Sorokina and tour guide Maria Troshina spent more than six months in jail because they believe in Jehovah God and try to live according to the biblical commandments. In 2018, the FSB accused them of \u0026ldquo;religious hatred\u0026rdquo; and of \u0026ldquo;organizing the activities of a banned organization.\u0026rdquo; At the same time, law enforcement officers cynically mentioned that \u0026ldquo;the state guarantees the equality of human and civil rights and freedoms, regardless of their attitude to religion.\u0026rdquo; Natalia\u0026rsquo;s health deteriorated during the period of her stay in the pre-trial detention center. On April 22, 2021, Arkady Likhachev, judge of the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region, sentenced the believers to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 3 years. In September 2021, the appellate court upheld this decision.","date":"2018-10-07","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html","prisoners":["sorokina","troshina"],"regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Smolensk Regional Court upholds the sentence handed down to Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina by the court of first instance. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210915","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearings are postponed to September 15.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210709","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Arkady Likhachev sentences Sorokina and Troshina to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210422","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region, the debate of the parties begins. The prosecutor asks for a severe punishment for women - imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime: for Maria Troshina - 6 years and 8 months, for Natalia Sorokina - 6 years and 6 months.\nSentencing is possible at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210301","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sychevsky District Court is examining material evidence seized during a search from one of the believers. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the seized literature, included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials, never belonged to the defendants.\nAmong other material \"evidence of extremist activity\", postcards, mobile phone chargers and a router were attached to the case file. Judge Likhachev wonders what these items have to do with the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210204","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the defense draws attention to the fact that in the case file the investigation calls the believers members of a certain \"foreign religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\", which does not exist and, accordingly, which could not be banned by Russian courts.\nThe court examines the expert's report, which confirms the religion of the defendants as Jehovah's Witnesses, and not as members of the Administrative Center (legal entity) banned by the Supreme Court of Russia. The religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited in Russia.\nAccording to the arguments of the investigation, the believers, \"realizing the public danger,\" were hiding from the state. Maria Troshina and Natalia Sorokina refute this, providing the court with letters addressed to the president of the country and the answers received to them.\nThe court listens to audio recordings of religious meetings of believers, at which ideas of respect for people of different nationalities and religious views are heard. As Maria and Natalia explain, these audios prove that their faith is the opposite of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20210114","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Arkady Likhachev. Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region (Sychevka, K. Marx St., 7).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20201111","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region, the hearing on the criminal case continues. The state prosecutor does not ensure the appearance of witnesses for the prosecution. The only witness who is brought to court for questioning is a woman, a disabled person of group I. She says that she was familiar with the defendants, sometimes called them and asked them to explain to her incomprehensible passages in the Bible. She stopped calling because FSB investigators came to her. Answering questions, she explained what, in her opinion, is the difference between individual believers and the organization: \"For example, Masha and Natasha. They can help in a human way: to tell something, and to suggest something, and to convey something. I never associated them with any organization.\" The trial will continue in a month, and a study of the remaining volumes of the criminal case is planned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20201013","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins the interrogation of officers of the FSB of Russia in the Smolensk region. Judge Arkady Likhachev reads out their previous testimony, as they do not remember them. During the subsequent interrogation, FSB officer Vladimir Vanisov states that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has banned the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (which is not true). FSB officer Yuri Amelin gives similar testimony and also does not see the difference between ordinary believers and a legal entity. The head of the local FSB division, Mikhail Dorochenkov, says that all the information is contained in the case file, and it is difficult to answer the question of which organization was banned by the Supreme Court. Judge Arkady Likhachev, however, repeatedly asks the defense not to delay the trial.\nThe next court hearings will be held on October 13-15, 2020. It is planned to bring witnesses who have repeatedly failed to appear in court on summons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20200914","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Arkady Likhachev. Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region (Sychevka, K. Marx St., 7).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20200719","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Arkady Likhachev. Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region (Sychevka, K. Marx St., 7).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20200618","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Arkady Likhachev. Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region (Sychevka, K. Marx St., 7).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2020-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20200518","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings begin in the Sychevsky District Court of the Smolensk Region. The hearings are scheduled for February 26 and 27.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2019-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20191201","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A similar charge was brought against Natalia Sorokina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2019-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20190806","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation of the case has been completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2019-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20190803","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Troshina was additionally charged with organizing the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20190729","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After more than six months of imprisonment, Natalia and Maria are released under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2019-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20190415","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Both women are officially charged, they are sent to the Smolensk pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2018-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20181009","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces conduct a raid in Sychevka, Smolensk region, detaining Natalia Sorokina and Maria Troshina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2018-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20181007","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened on the participation of two female believers in an organization recognized as extremist in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sorokina and Troshina in Sychevka","date":"2018-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sychevka/index.html#20180919","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a series of searches in January 2019 in the city of Furmanov, local resident Yevgeny Spirin was interrogated and sent to a pre-trial detention center for 5 months. The FSB in the Ivanovo region accused him of resuming the activities of a banned organization, although Spirin did not harm anyone, but simply professed his faith. During the court hearings, numerous fabrications of \u0026ldquo;evidence\u0026rdquo; of Spirin\u0026rsquo;s guilt were revealed. Thus, an expert handwriting expert revealed a falsification of the search protocol. A neighbor of the Spirins told the court that she did not give a negative characterization to Yevgeniy, who appears in the case. And the prosecution witness turned out to be an embedded retired law enforcement officer. Nevertheless, in 2020, the court sentenced him to a fine of 700,000 rubles, although, taking into account the time spent by Spirin in custody, the amount payable is 500,000 rubles. The verdict has entered into force.","date":"2019-01-21","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html","prisoners":["spirin"],"regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","type":"cases"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Ivanovo Regional Court, chaired by Yulia Andrianova-Strepetova, upholds the sentence handed down by the Furmanov City Court in July, when the court of first instance imposed a fine of 700,000 rubles on him for \"extremism\" (taking into account the time spent by Spirin in detention, the amount payable is 500,000 rubles).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20201014","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ivanovo Regional Court continues the debate on the case. The prosecutor asks to cancel the verdict of the first instance and sentence Spirin to 7 years in prison. The defense insists on his complete innocence. The Judicial Collegium shall adjourn the hearings. On October 13, the believer will address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200929","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the prosecutor's office appealed the verdict handed down on July 28 to a higher court. This means that the believer still faces imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200811","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yuriy Gnedin of the Furmanovsky City Court of the Ivanovo Region declares Yevgeny Spirin guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and imposes a fine of 700,000 rubles, but taking into account the fact that he spent 160 days in a pre-trial detention center and 167 days under house arrest, the total amount of the fine payable is 500,000 rubles. Although Yevgeniy does not agree with the guilty verdict and intends to appeal it, he himself, his friends and relatives are happy that the punishment is not associated with imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200728","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Spirin addresses the court with his last word. Read the transcript.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200727","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties continues. After the final exchange of remarks, the court adjourned until July 27. On this day, Yevgeny Spirin will address the court with his last word. It is possible that the verdict will be announced on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200722","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, the defendant himself speaks. \"I did not commit illegal acts, did not create illegal organizations and did not violate the law of the Russian Federation, and joint discussion of the Bible with friends is an inalienable right enshrined in the Constitution,\" the believer declares. He draws the court's attention to the fact that the testimony of witnesses at the trial refutes the accusatory position of the prosecutor. The court adjourns until July 21. On this day, Spirin must speak in court with his last word. No date has been set for announcing the verdict, but the court may issue a verdict on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200714","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor requests 7 years in prison for Yevgeny Spirin. The believer reiterates that he did not conduct extremist activities and was not a member of banned organizations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200709","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Yevgeny Spirin. The court is trying to find out whether he is the organizer or participant of the banned Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Spirin states that he has never been neither, but simply professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses; his religious beliefs are based only on the Bible, which he studies on his own with the help of publicly available materials on the Internet; discussed with friends not the creeds of any organization, but thoughts from the Bible; respects representatives of other faiths, respects the right of choice of religion by everyone; I am grateful to the state for granting me the right to alternative civilian service, which I willingly completed despite its duration (3.5 years), as I wanted to help people.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for July 3. The process proceeds to the stage of debate of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200623","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the criminal case of Yevgeny Spirin continues in the Furmanovsky City Court. Only participants in the process are allowed into the hall.\nDefense witnesses, including Spirin's former neighbor, are being questioned. She refutes the information set forth in the negative characteristics of the defendant, allegedly recorded from her words by the district police officer. Witnesses speak positively of the believer. According to them, he never spoke critically about the constitutional order and people of other religions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200622","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is held without listeners due to quarantine. A defense witness says that thanks to the Bible, he quit smoking, swearing, and began to lead a highly moral life. He gives an extremely positive description of Yevgeny Spirin, emphasizing that he encouraged respect for authority and respect for representatives of other religions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200319","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"30 people come to the meeting. Religious scholar T. P. Belova is being interrogated. She baselessly claims that Yevgeny's actions can be attributed to the activities of a banned organization. At the request of the lawyer, the court watches a television report dated April 21, 2014, from which it is obvious that Belova has a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. The court should not take into account the conclusions of biased experts, so the lawyer petitions for the disqualification of specialist Belova. Judge Yuriy Gnedin rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200312","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the hearing. An expert handwriting expert is being interrogated, who confirms that after the search report was drawn up, additions were made in it elsewhere.\nThe court proceeds to the questioning of an expert linguist. At the next meeting, it is planned to interrogate a religious scholar and an expert psychologist.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200311","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the criminal case of Yevgeny Spirin is underway. About 30 people came to support him. The judge, Yuriy Alexandrovich Gnedin, accepts the reference from Yevgeny's place of work and copies of some printouts from the human rights portal Credo.press. Yevgeny files a motion to terminate the criminal case. The judge rejects it, arguing that the petition was filed prematurely and must be submitted again later.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for February 5 and 6, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200203","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the case of Yevgeny Spirin is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on February 3, 2020. They will be held in the Furmanovsky City Court of the Ivanovo Region. Meetings are also due to take place on 4 and 5 February.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20200127","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, releases Yevgeny Spirin from house arrest, where the believer spent 167 days. No other preventive measure has been imposed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20191218","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation has been extended until January 21, 2020. A. Dmitriev, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Ivanovo Region, petitions for the extension of Spirin's house arrest until the same period.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20191213","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ivanovo Regional Court releases Yevgeny Spirin from the pre-trial detention center and transfers him to house arrest. By that time, the believer had spent 160 days in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190705","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the term of Spirin's imprisonment for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190619","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Zubova, judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, sends Spirin to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190128","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB conducts searches in the city of Furmanov in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeny Spirin was detained and interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190127","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region A. Dmitriev initiates a criminal case against 32-year-old Yevgeniy Spirin. According to investigators, he, together with others, conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the court decision to liquidate the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Spirin in Furmanov","date":"2019-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/furmanov/index.html#20190121","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against two Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Vologda. On the same day, searches were conducted in the homes of several believers, and Yuriy Baranov and Nikolay Stepanov were detained. Yuriy spent 1 day in a temporary detention facility and almost 3 months under house arrest; Nikolay spent 4 days in a temporary detention facility, then 8 months in a pre-trial detention center, after which he was placed under house arrest for 43 days. The believers were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, their criminal actions consisted of \u0026ldquo;arranging meetings and organizing religious talks and worship\u0026rdquo;. In January 2022, the case went to court. In September, Baranov was given a 4-year suspended sentence, and Stepanov was sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony. The appeal resulted in a more lenient sentence for Stepanov; his prison term was replaced with a suspended sentence. Baranov\u0026rsquo;s sentence remained unchanged.","date":"2019-12-19","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html","prisoners":["baranov","stepanovn"],"regions":["vologda"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","type":"cases"},{"body":"A hearing on the appeal of Nikolay Stepanov and Yuriy Baranov is underway. 30 people come to support the believers.\nNikolay Stepanov makes his last word, insisting on complete innocence. He says that he was condemned only for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20221109","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolai Stepanov, convicted for his faith, was placed in pre-trial detention center-2 in the city of Vologda. There he will expect the continuation of the transfer to the place of serving the sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20220913","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for punishment: for Nikolai Stepanov - 7 years in prison, for Yuri Baranov - 7 years probation. The defendants make their final statements.\nYuri Baranov says: \"The manifestation of enmity, violence and hatred is incompatible with my views. I respect representatives of other religions and nationalities. I don't understand why I'm accused of committing a crime. Obviously, the only reason is faith.\"\nNikolay Stepanov emphasizes: \"Despite the fact that we [Jehovah's Witnesses] live in different countries, speak different languages, unity reigns among us in the worship of God. We do our best to ensure that there are no social, ethnic and racial divisions among us, we love God and each other.\"\nThe judge agrees to the presence of listeners during the announcement of the verdict, which will be held on September 5.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20220901","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"8 people come to the court hearing to support the believers. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20220407","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against the believers is submitted to the Vologda City Court and later appointed to Judge Yelena Golovanova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20220110","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Nesterov, an investigator for especially important cases, recharges 46-year-old Nikolai Stepanov with a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity) in a new edition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20210208","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda Regional Court is considering the appeal of Nikolay Stepanov against the decision of the Vologda City Court of 15.09.2020, on the basis of which the believer's detention under house arrest was extended until November 18, 2020.\nThe appellate court releases Nikolay from house arrest and changes his measure of restraint to a milder one - a ban on certain actions. The accused is still not entitled to use means of communication. Nikolay spent 43 days under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200925","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["appeal","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda Regional Court softens Nikolai Stepanov's preventive measure. After 238 days in custody, he is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200813","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Petrov of the Vologda City Court extends his detention until 18.09.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200716","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda Regional Court upholds the extension of Stepanov's detention until July 18.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200603","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases, A. A. Nesterov, chooses a milder measure of restraint in relation to Yuri Baranov in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200519","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The ban on certain actions established by the Vologda City Court for Yuri Baranov is expiring.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200518","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Nikolay Stepanov in custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200515","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Vologda City Court Pavel Vorobyov refuses to extend the term of the ban on certain actions to Yuri Baranov, since the prohibitions imposed on him by law are valid until they are canceled by the court. This means that the measure of restraint for Baranov has not been canceled - all restrictions will remain in force until the court cancels them at the request of the investigator, Baranov or on its own initiative.\nThus, the latest court decision does not improve the situation of Yuriy Baranov, whose illnesses have worsened due to criminal prosecution. In April, Baranov was hospitalized, but even after undergoing treatment, his health is still weakened.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200514","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An open court session is being held in the Vologda City Court.\nThe court is considering the petition of the senior investigator A. A. Nesterov to extend the believer's detention under house arrest. He points to \"the gravity of the crime, the ability of the accused to escape, put pressure on witnesses and obstruct the establishment of the truth in a criminal case.\"\nBaranov and his lawyer are petitioning for mitigation of the measure of restraint.\nJudge Alexei Koltakov takes into account the believer's need for treatment and its positive characteristics.\nThe court refuses to satisfy the investigator's petition and chooses a preventive measure for Yuriy in the form of a ban on certain actions until May 18, 2020. Yuri must appear in court in a timely manner, he is forbidden to communicate with persons involved in a criminal case. You can use communication and the Internet only in emergency situations. In order to comply with the regulations, audiovisual and electronic means of control may be used.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200316","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case is extended until May 19, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200312","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda City Court extends Yuriy Baranov's measure of restraint in the form of house arrest until March 18, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20200217","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy is charged with committing a crime under Article 282.2 (1).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2019-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20191225","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends 45-year-old Nikolai Stepanov into custody.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2019-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20191221","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vologda City Court chooses a measure of restraint for Yuriy Baranov in the form of house arrest until February 18, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20191220","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Baranov is detained and interrogated as a suspect. A criminal case has been initiated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Baranov in Vologda","date":"2019-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vologda/index.html#20191219","regions":["vologda"],"tags":["interrogation","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2013-04-09","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html","prisoners":[],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Moscow Regional Court upholds the acquittal of two Jehovah's Witnesses from Sergiev Posad. In order to establish the innocence of Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak, law enforcement agencies and the court took more than seven years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170724","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall pass an acquittal for the second time. Earlier, on March 4, 2016, the court had already found Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak innocent, but at the request of the prosecutor's office, the case was re-examined by another judge. Wishing to justify the long-term illegal persecution of believers, the prosecutor's office will again appeal against the second acquittal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170602","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["acquittal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are underway.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170504","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing is ongoing, scheduled in connection with the analysis of the newly appointed and submitted to the court examination of video recordings and spiritual sermons of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170410","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sergiev Posad City Court continues to consider the criminal case against Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak. Believers are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170125","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Lilia Baranova, who has been assigned to the case, proceeds to its retrial.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2017-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20170109","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the course of the retrial, expert N. Kryukova is interrogated, who admits that she assesses the religious direction of Jehovah's Witnesses negatively and that her assessment of words and expressions depends on the representative of which religious direction pronounces them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2016-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20161121","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow Regional Court, at the request of the prosecutor, cancels the acquittal and sends the case for a new trial to the Sergiev Posad City Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2016-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20160526","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sergiev Posad City Court fully acquits the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2016-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20160304","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["acquittal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By court order, the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation conducts a re-examination of worship services filmed on a hidden camera and concludes that there are no signs of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2016-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20160209","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"ANO \"Laboratory of Applied Linguistics\" gives a review of the expert opinions of N. Kryukova and others. Inversion of generally accepted assessments occurs in cases where the object of evaluation is hostile, negatively assesses the positive qualities of the enemy. In other words, it follows from the text of the examination that it is not Jehovah's Witnesses who are hostile to people, but experts V.S. Kotelnikov, N.N. Kryukova and A.E. Tarasov are hostile to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2015-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20151120","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sivak and Stepanov are included in the official List of terrorists and extremists (No. 5323 and No. 5234) with the publication of their personal data in the \"Rossiyskaya Gazeta\" dated 19.10.2015. As a result, Andriy Sivak, the father of three children, is deprived of employment in a state institution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2015-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20151019","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the Sergiev Posad City Court presided over by Judge Elena Aminova. The interests of believers are represented by lawyers Viktor Zhenkov and Dmitry Kolobov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2015-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20150901","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the third time, the investigator \"put on the wanted list\" and then \"discovers\" Sivak and Stepanov. Both still live at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2015-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20150413","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator again \"puts on the wanted list\", and then \"discovers\" Stepanov and Sivak. Both invariably reside at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2014-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20141228","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert N. Kryukova in collaboration with V. Kotelnikov and A. Tarasov signs another linguistic examination performed in the framework of a criminal case. Each time, the expert detects signs of extremism in the words of believers. According to experts, the defendants incited hatred by saying: \"We do not want to lead an empty life that does not have a great value, like most people. They have no goals and no meaning in life and, unfortunately, are unhappy... They are not interested in the creator of all living things.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2014-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20141207","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator \"puts on the wanted list\" and then \"discovers\" Stepanov and Sivak. Both live at their place of residence and are unaware of the actions of the investigator, who thus artificially prolongs the period of the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2014-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20141008","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert N. Kryukova in collaboration with V. Batov signs another linguistic examination carried out in the framework of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2013-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20131113","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert N. Kryukova (mathematics teacher) in collaboration with V. Batov signs a new linguistic examination performed in the framework of a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2013-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20131028","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Stepanov and Andrey Sivak are charged under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2013-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20130716","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sergiev Posad are being searched.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2013-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20130412","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator M. Dukhovnev issues a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of hatred or enmity committed by an organized group). More than 2 years of preliminary investigation begins.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2013-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20130409","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["new-case","282"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation does not see corpus delicti in the actions of believers, therefore it refuses to initiate a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2011-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20110101","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The results of the secret operation and the Certificate are transferred to the Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation for verification.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2010-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20101018","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert N. Kryukova single-handedly signs the Certificate of Research, in which she reports on signs of extremism in the Bible discussions recorded on camera. The topics of these discussions are noteworthy: \"Conquer evil by restraining anger\" and \"What reputation do you deserve before God.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2010-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20100811","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Following the plan, operatives S. Chumachkov and N. Luchikhin, feigning interest in religion, twice come to peaceful services. They record the Bible program on hidden video cameras mounted in the borsette and items of clothing.\nThe video materials are transferred for \"examination\" to Natalia Nikolaevna Kryukova, a mathematics teacher who collaborates with the Russian Institute of Cultural Studies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2010-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20100801","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the heading \"secret\" in the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for the Moscow Region, a plan of operational-search measures is approved against followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Sergiev Posad district.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Stepanov and Sivak in Sergiyev Posad","date":"2010-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sergiyev-posad/index.html#20100730","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case against 73-year-old Valentina Suvorova, a labor veteran, former choir teacher and conductor, was opened by the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region on March 18, 2019. A few days later, the believer was searched, and 10 months later, a case was opened against her husband [Vladimir] (/en/prisoners/suvorovv.html). The security forces introduced an informant into the Suvorovs\u0026rsquo; entourage - a woman who feigned interest in the Bible. In addition to the betrayal of this man, the couple had to go through a lot in their lives, including the death of their 42-year-old only son. The criminal prosecution caused the believer, according to her, an incurable emotional trauma. Other diseases have worsened. For more than a year, Valentina was under recognizance not to leave. Since February 18, 2020, she has defended her good name in the Metallurgicheskiy District Court, where, for health reasons, she testified while sitting. On March 11, 2021, Judge Grigory Yarygin sentenced her to 2 years probation with restriction of liberty for 6 months with a probation period of 1 year.","date":"2019-03-18","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html","prisoners":["suvorova"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk found Valentina Suvorova guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentenced her to 2 years of suspended sentence with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months with a probationary period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20210311","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","elderly","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial of Valentina Suvorova is entering its final stage - debate. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years in a general regime colony for the elderly believer, calling her guilty of extremism.\n\"In the period from September 6, 2017, the exact date and time have not been established, in an unidentified place on the territory of Chelyabinsk, at Suvorova V.A. ... there was a criminal intent to commit unlawful acts to participate in the continuation of the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", in respect of which the court decided to liquidate,\" the indictment says. According to the prosecutor, Valentina Suvorova \"committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security\" by talking to the townspeople about the Bible-based beliefs held by Jehovah's Witnesses. The course of the trial did not establish any other crime.\nThe believer makes the last word, does not admit guilt and asks her to be acquitted. \"I have never had anything to do with extremists and extremism. And forbidding believing is like forbidding breathing. Unthinkable and impossible!\" says Valentina Suvorova, addressing the court.\nThe court schedules the announcement of the verdict at 16:00 on March 11.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20210310","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the prosecutor reads out the testimony of prosecution witnesses. The witnesses themselves are not present in court, and their whereabouts are unknown.\nValentina Suvorova speaks with her attitude to the accusation. The judge allows her to read out the testimony while sitting, due to her age and poor health. The defendant draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which means that any person living in Russia has the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017 . And this is not a crime.\nThe defendant shows the court the absurdity of what is happening: \"The preliminary investigation bodies incorrectly and arbitrarily interpret the decision of the Supreme Court. And it is their misinterpretation, and not the alleged crime I committed, that is the reason why I am in the dock today.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20210211","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people come to support Valentina (20 are allowed into the hall). The prosecutor reads out the charges. Judge Grigory Yarygin does not invite Valentina to express her attitude to the charges, which is provided for by law. He gives permission to do so only after the lawyer draws attention to the need to comply with this provision. Valentina reads out her attitude to the charges. Prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be questioned at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20200303","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Suvorova's case is transferred to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk. The judge finds no grounds for a preliminary hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20200207","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region charges 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova with continuing the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) only because the woman exercised the right to freedom of religion. They took a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20191205","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Chelyabinsk and Yemanzhelinsk, mass searches are carried out in the homes of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Suvorova in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk/index.html#20190326","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2018, searches were carried out in Khabarovsk at the homes of Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov. According to investigators, a group of believers, including Semenyuk and Svetonosov, gathered in a conference room to read and discuss the Bible, sing and pray together. Both believers were interrogated as witnesses in the case of Valeriy Moskalenko, but soon became accused themselves. The FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory initiated a criminal case. The investigation interprets the discussion of the Bible as a continuation of extremist activities. Semenyuk and Svetonosov were charged in absentia and on the international wanted list. In August 2019, the Zheleznodorozhnyy District Court chose a restriction measure for them in the absence of believers: detention.","date":"2019-08-20","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html","prisoners":["semenyuk","svetonosov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Pozdnyakov decides to separate the criminal case against Semenyuk and Svetonosov into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190820","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Khabarovsk, in the absence of the accused, chooses a measure of restraint for both believers in the form of detention. Now returning to their homeland threatens them with immediate imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190813","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. Pozdnyakov charges Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov in absentia and puts them on the international wanted list. According to investigators, both men are outside of Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190805","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A decision is made to search for Semenyuk and Svetonosov, they are put on the federal wanted list.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Semenyuk and Svetonosov were charged with committing a crime under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190727","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Pozdnyakov, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory, initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Yevgeniy Aksenov, Sergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetonosov. According to investigators, they discussed the Bible with other people, which is interpreted as a continuation of extremist activity.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20190530","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, a group of believers, including Sergey Semenyuk, Sergey Svetonosov, Valery Moskalenko, Yevgeny Aksenov, Nikolai Polevodov and Stanislav Kim, together with friends and acquaintances, gathers in one of the Khabarovsk conference rooms for joint reading and discussion of the Bible, chants and prayers.\nSergey Semenyuk and Sergey Svetnosov were interrogated as witnesses in the criminal case against Valery Moskalenko, their homes are searched, during which objects and documents are seized, which are subsequently used as evidence in the case against them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Svetonosov and Semenyuk in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk2/index.html#20180421","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A trial took place in the city of Obluchye - a modest and law-abiding nurse Anastasia Sycheva, who single-handedly raised two nephews, was found guilty of extremism for her \u0026ldquo;wrong\u0026rdquo; faith and sentenced to 2 years probation. According to the investigation, she \u0026ldquo;committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan.\u0026rdquo; A criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated by the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation for the Jewish Autonomous Region in September 2019. This was preceded by wiretapping of telephone conversations between believers. The hearings, chaired by Olga Afanasyeva, judge of the Obluchensky District Court, lasted more than 10 months. On March 11, 2021, the regional court upheld the verdict. After 8 months, a similar decision was made by the court of cassation. In March 2022, Anastasia\u0026rsquo;s criminal record was cleared.","date":"2019-09-25","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html","prisoners":["sycheva"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Obluchensky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region is considering Anastasia Sycheva's petition to cancel her suspended sentence and remove her criminal record.\nThe representative of the penitentiary inspectorate notes that Anastasia has proven herself on the positive side, she did not commit violations of public order. Assistant Prosecutor K. Ehrlich also speaks in favor of granting the request.\nTaking into account these facts, as well as the fact that Anastasia has served more than half of the probationary period, Judge Natalia Streltsova cancels the suspended sentence and removes the conviction from the believer. This means that after the entry into force of the ruling, all legal consequences associated with a criminal record will be annulled: the believer will be considered unconvicted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20220301","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held in the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction under the chairmanship of Judge Galina Pozner. The court dismissed the cassation appeal and upheld the previous decisions. The believer insists on her innocence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2021-11-29T13:36:45+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20211129","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the verdict of the lower court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20210311","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Afanasyeva, judge of the Obluchensky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, recognizes Anastasiya Sycheva as a member of a banned organization and sentences her to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a 2-year probationary period and 6 months of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20210121","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Sycheva speaks in court with the last word.\n\"Today I am being judged for my faith, for continuing my religious activities, that is, reading the Bible, gathering together with friends to discuss the Holy Scriptures together, singing songs of praise to Jehovah and praying to him,\" Anastasia declares.\nShe emphasizes that during the trial, neither the prosecution nor the witnesses presented evidence of the believer's extremist activities. Anastasia explains in detail what she believes in, and why she is far from the ideas of religious and other hatred of people, therefore she cannot pose a threat to society and the state. The believer also talks about the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses have a reputation for good and responsible citizens, and this is proved by their legal activities in more than 240 countries around the world. According to the believer, in times of life's adversity, it was her co-religionists who came to her aid, who, like her, strive to show love for people.\nAnastasia emphasizes that the unfair criminal prosecution has already had a negative impact on her life, although the court has not yet delivered its verdict: her health has deteriorated, her bank accounts have been blocked, and her life is subject to constant court hearings.\nAt the end of her speech, Anastasia says: \"I ask you to acquit me as a respectable citizen of the Russian Federation and compensate for all the damage caused to me.\"\nThe court schedules the announcement of the verdict on January 21.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2021-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20210115","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor recommends that Anastasia Sycheva be sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years. Judge Olga Afanasyeva sets the continuation of the debate and the last word for January 15, 2021. It is possible that the verdict will be announced on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20201222","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia announces the petition for publicity, but the judge rejects it. The process remains closed.\nA defense witness appears in court. He describes Anastasia as a non-conflicting person: \"Nastya and aggression are incompatible.\" The witness tells the court that after the death of the defendant's sister, Anastasia raised two nephews, cared for her sick mother until her death and is currently taking care of her elderly father, who, for health reasons, can no longer do without outside help.\nThe witness also stated that he had attended religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses several times and had \"not seen anything wrong.\"\nThe court adjourns the debate of the parties until December 22. At the same time, Anastasia will make her last speech.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20201211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Participants in the process continue to watch videos of religious meetings of believers, at which they pray, sing chants and discuss the Bible. After watching it, Anastasia Sycheva explains that, as follows from the video, the meetings did not contain extremist ideas, but appeals to compassion for others. Believers also discussed the Bible, which can help reform those who lead an antisocial lifestyle. The prosecutor could not answer Anastasia's question about which of these he saw as extremism.\nThe trial is entering its final stage. On December 11, the defense will finish presenting its evidence and the parties will proceed to the debate. On the same day, the prosecutor may request punishment for the defendant, and Anastasia will make the last speech.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20201124","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Participants in the trial review recordings of meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses during which the doctrine of Jesus Christ's sacrificial death for all people was discussed, which contradicts the charge of participating in extremist activities, such as inciting hatred.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20201110","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defence submits a motion for publicity as a fundamental principle of judicial proceedings. The judge rejected the motion, arguing that it was done for the \"safety of the listeners.\"\nAnastasia Sycheva provides evidence and emphasizes that the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia did not concern the religious beliefs of this denomination and the ways of expressing them, such as participation in worship services, which was emphasized by the Russian government.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20201106","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, the judge shall make the trial closed. At the hearing, a witness for the prosecution, police officer Zvereva, who knows nothing about the events of which Sycheva is accused, is interrogated. In 2015-2016, Zvereva was involved in the formation of administrative offense cases against the LRO and its leaders, who were found guilty by the courts for possession of extremist materials, although they were planted by believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200924","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Olga Afanasyeva. Obluchensky District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Obluchye, 60 Let Oktyabrya Street, 14).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200715","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held behind closed doors. Anastasia's telephone conversations are tapped, in which, in her opinion, not only are there no signs of extremism, but, on the contrary, the interlocutors' respect for each other is shown. The prosecutors and the judge do not comment on anything, they do not ask any questions. Documents on disks are viewed at an accelerated pace.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200714","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"6 people come to the court session to support Anastasia Sycheva. The judge satisfies the request of the state prosecutor to consider the case in a closed court session. As a result, all those present are removed from the courtroom, and the defendant is forbidden to make audio recordings of the trial. All this unreasonably hinders the principle of publicity of the trial.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the participants in the trial watch a video recording of one of the religious meetings, as well as listen to audio recordings of telephone conversations. The defendant explains that the services teach compassion, mercy, patience and other Christian qualities, encourage them to avoid violence and immorality. \"What kind of extremist are we talking about? I don't understand,\" she emphasizes.\nThe next hearings are scheduled for July 14 and 15 at 11.30 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200710","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is studying the video materials that the believers, according to the prosecution, watched at worship meetings. In one of them, with the help of the Bible, it was explained how the problem of crime would be solved. Three believers who came to support the defendant were allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for July 10, 14 and 15 at 11:30 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200703","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two believers who came to support Anastasia were allowed to attend the meeting. Both use personal protective equipment.\nA new prosecutor is taking part in the hearing. He shows the court the materials of the criminal case, including letters, photographs, as well as videos from the wedding of acquaintances and a friendly meeting in a café.\nThe judge makes a remark to the prosecutor because he reads out the case materials too quickly, some simply list and give few comments on them.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for July 2, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200623","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Obluchensky District Court is holding a hearing on the criminal case against Anastasia Sycheva. 2 listeners are allowed to attend the meeting.\nThe prosecutor reads out the case file. Judge Olga Afanasyeva satisfies the request of the defense to issue audio records of the court session.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for June 23 at 11:00 a.m. It is planned to read the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200615","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed due to the extension of the self-isolation regime in the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200602","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200317","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the preliminary hearing, Judge Olga Afanasyeva grants the believer's petitions to refuse a lawyer and to copy the case materials additionally.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20200311","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2); According to the investigation, she \"committed deliberate actions related to the resumption and continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Birobidzhan\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Anastasia Sycheva (born in 1977).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Sycheva in Obluchye","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan3/index.html#20190925","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2026, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Ufa and conducted searches at 9 addresses. Ruslan Tazyrov ans his wife Roza were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and Sergey Bastayev, Andrey Gubeev, Alfiya Dzhavadova and Mariya Gareeva were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The Tazyrovs were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and the rest of the believers were placed under a ban on certain actions.","date":"2026-02-03","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html","prisoners":["bastaev","dzhavadova","gareeva","gubeev","tazyrov","tazyrova"],"regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","type":"cases"},{"body":"Ruslan and Roza Tazyrov are in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-04-10T15:11:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260410","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosa's relationship with her cellmates is friendly. The believer tries to maintain physical shape: she does exercises every day, does not miss the opportunity to go for walks. She has begun to receive parcels, but there is no Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260310","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan is being held in solitary confinement. He is taken for walks and generally feels satisfactory, but worries about his wife and elderly mother. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260309","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ordzhonikidze District Court of Ufa imposes a ban of certain actions as a preventive measure on Bastaev, Gubeev, Gareeva and Dzhavadova.\nThe court sends the Tazyrovs to pretrial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260213","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Kharasov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Unit for the Investigation of Organized Criminal Activity of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Bashkortostan, initiates a case against Ruslan and Roza Tazyrov under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nWithin the framework of the same case, Andrey Gubeev, Sergey Bastayev, Alfiya Javadova and Maria Gareeva are involved as defendants - they are charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the investigation, the believers \"organized and held meetings in public places through video conferencing ... for the purpose of promoting the activities of a banned organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tazyrov and Others in Ufa","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa2/index.html#20260203","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2019, in Severodvinsk, FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of Sergey Potylitsyn and Vladimir Teterin. Andrey Maksimovich was taken for interrogation from his workplace, then brought home and searched in the presence of his wife and 3-year-old child. Conscript sailors were involved as witnesses. The investigator took a recognizance agreement from Potylitsyn. A criminal case was opened against the believers for organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Law enforcement officers said that their goal was to stop the activities of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Sergey Potylitsyn’s two vehicles were arrested, and the bank accounts of three believers were blocked. In May 2022, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation ruled to terminate the criminal case due to the lack of corpus delicti.","date":"2019-03-13","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html","prisoners":["maksimovich","potylitsyn","teterin"],"regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"By the decision of the Deputy Head of the Second Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Colonel of Justice D.V. Vereshchagin, the criminal case and criminal prosecution No. 11907110001000008 against V.A. Teterin, A.N. Maksimovich and S.A. Potylitsyn were terminated due to the lack of corpus delicti.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2022-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20220517","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator P. A. Yuriev suspends the preliminary investigation in the criminal case against three believers because of the impossibility of their participation in the case (paragraph 3 of part 1 of article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20200406","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Arkhangelsk Regional Court, in two sessions chaired by Judge Alexandra Kocheburova and Judge Alexei Loskutov, rejects Sergey Potylitsyn's appeals against the arrest of his cars and bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191223","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another interrogation of Andrei Maksimovich.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191128","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Teterin was again interrogated as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191125","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Potylitsyn on the call of the investigator comes for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191120","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Arkhangelsk, Sergey Yarmolyuk, seizes two cars of Sergey Potylitsyn. This means that the believer cannot make transactions, such as selling their cars. The judge explains that the purpose of the arrest is to ensure a possible future fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191031","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Arkhangelsk, Yuri Popov, arrests Sergey Potylitsyn's funds to ensure a possible future fine in a criminal case. Bank cards and accounts, to which salaries and pensions were received, were also arrested from Vladimir Teterin and Andrey Maksimovich.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20191019","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Potylitsyn, Andrey Maksimovich and Elena Mishneva come for interrogation at the FSB, where it turns out that the case involves a hidden video recording made in the house of one of the believers at the moment when she had guests. When asked by the lawyer who made the recording, the investigator replies: \"Our employee.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190705","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Sergey Potylitsyn in the Arkhangelsk FSB.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190702","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Yuriev extends the investigation until August 13, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190513","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Potylitsyn on the summons comes to the FSB for interrogation, which is conducted by investigator P. Yuriev. He takes a written undertaking not to leave Potylitsyn.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190314","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Severodvinsk, searches have been carried out since early morning at at least nine addresses: in the homes of Igor Shaman, Sergey Potylitsyn, Sergey Antropov, Oleg Vokhtomin, Vlad Shchegolkov, Viktor Kuznetsov, Alexander Okon, Oleg Novikov and Vladimir Teterin. At another address, the believer is not at home. 24-year-old Andrey Maksimovich is taken from his workplace, after interrogation he is brought home and searched in the presence of his wife and 3-year-old child.\nThe searches are carried out by FSB investigators P. Yuriev, I. Kozodubov, I. Mironov, D. Fedotov and others. About 20 conscripts were involved as witnesses. Believers report the seizure of equipment, personal records, information carriers, Bibles and religious literature; In some cases, operatives break down the doors. The searches were sanctioned by the Severodvinsk City Court.\nSergey Antropov, 34, Sergey Potylitsyn, 37, Vladimir Teterin, 61, Vlad Shchegolkov, 25, and Oleg Novikov, 44, are interrogated by the FSB in Arkhangelsk. There they are directly told that the goal of law enforcement officers is to stop the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, but they do not object to each individually professing his faith.\nA criminal case has been opened under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The suspects are Vladimir Teterin and Sergey Potylitsyn (later another suspect is Andrei Maksimovich).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190313","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the RUFSB in the Arkhangelsk region, Colonel D. Morkovskikh, makes a decision on the inspection of Nikolai Zamyatin's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190312","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Severodvinsk City Court Alexei Brechalov decides to limit the constitutional right of a resident of Severodvinsk, Nikolai Zamyatin, to the inviolability of the home for 90 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Teterin and Others in Severodvinsk","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/severodvinsk/index.html#20190208","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2026, the local department of the Investigative Committee in the closed city of Vilyuchinsk opened a criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses. Sergey Protasov, Mikhail Popov, Aleksandr Bondur, and Vera Bondur are accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believers were placed under travel restrictions. As a result of criminal prosecution, Protasov was suspended from his job. For Mikhail Popov, this is the second criminal case brought against him because of his faith.","date":"2026-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk2/index.html","prisoners":["bondur","bondurve","popov2","protasovs"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the couple Bondur and others in Vilyuchinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Bogdanov brings in Sergey Protasov, Mikhail Popov, Aleksandr and Vera Bondur as defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the couple Bondur and others in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk2/index.html#20260408","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["282.2-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the criminal case, Sergey Protasov is suspended from work in the kindergarten, where he worked as a cleaner of the territory.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the couple Bondur and others in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk2/index.html#20260403","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department, Major Vladislav Bogdanov, opened a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the couple Bondur and others in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk2/index.html#20260325","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2025, law enforcement officers conducted an inspection in the apartment of Nikolay Kosov and ршы цшау Larisa. The believers were interrogated at the Center for Combating Extremism. A few days later, the FSB opened a criminal case against them for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The spouses were placed under a recognizance agreement and proper behavior. In April 2025, another case was opened against Kosov—for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. The case went to court in February 2026.","date":"2025-02-04","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html","prisoners":["kosov","kosova"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"About 20 people are present at the court hearing in the case of Larisa and Nikolay Kosov. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants declare that they do not admit guilt, after which they read out their attitude to the charge.\nWitness E. Oncheva, who had previously communicated with the defendants on biblical topics, is being questioned. She characterizes the Kosovs as ordinary people without bad habits and reports that they did not call her to violence and other illegal activities. According to her, the meetings were informal: \"They just came to drink tea, read the Bible, told something.\"\nDuring the interrogation, contradictions were revealed between her testimony in court and during the preliminary investigation. At the request of the prosecutor, previously given testimony is read out, which Oncheva confirms.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2026-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20260515","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge explains the rights of the defendants. The Kosovs file a motion to refuse the lawyers appointed by the court. Nikolay and Larisa explain that since the case relates to their religious beliefs, no one knows better than them what they believe in. More than 30 people come to support the couple.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20260506","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Cherkessk City Court and is transferred to Judge Oleg Tereshchenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20260219","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator R. Tazhikenov summons Nikolay Kosov for interrogation and hands him a ruling to initiate a new criminal case dated April 13, 2025 — for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20251008","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons the Kosovs for questioning and presents them with a decision to bring them into custody. During the interrogation, the investigator asks if the couple know Albert Batchaev, whom he charged with extremism in 2020. Spouses are released on recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20250320","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice R. N. Tazhikenov, senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, opened a criminal case against Nikolay and Larisa Kosov. They are accused of \"participation in the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court made an enforceable decision to liquidate it in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20250204","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","families","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An inspection of the apartment of Nikolay and Larisa Kosov is underway, in which 5 people participate. Law enforcers confiscate believers' laptops, phones and personal records. At this time, Larisa's daughter is also at home. After that, the three believers are taken for interrogation to the Center for Combating Extremism. They enjoy the right not to testify against themselves and their loved ones. The interrogation is being conducted by investigators Umar Salpogarov and Sergey Dolzhenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Kosovs in Cherkessk","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk6/index.html#20250130","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["inspection","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2018, the Polyakovs were arrested in Omsk. During the arrest, Sergei was beaten and forced to wipe his blood off the floor. The couple spent five months in solitary confinement and three months under house arrest. In 2019, the Investigative Committee again searched the houses of believers, and Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva became defendants in the case. The court considered the case for almost a year. Evidence of guilt was even sought in cartoons seized during the search. In November 2020, Sergey Polyakov was sentenced to three years in a penal colony, and three women were given suspended sentences: Anastasiya Polyakova—two and a half years; Gaukhar Bektemirova—two years and three months; Dinara Dyusekeyeva—two years. In May 2021, the appeal court upheld the verdict, and in June 2022, this verdict was upheld by the cassation court. In November 2022, Sergei Polyakov was released after serving his full term in a penal colony, and in January 2023, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation partially granted Polyakov\u0026rsquo;s appeal regarding the term of his sentence.","date":"2018-06-20","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html","prisoners":["bektemirova","dyusekeyeva","poliakov","poliakova"],"regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Gaukhar Bektemirova served the main sentence in the form of suspended imprisonment for a period of 2 years and 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2023-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20230530","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upholds the sentence of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, as well as Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20220623","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits Sergey Polyakov in a penal colony in Valdai. The transfer of the believer to serve his sentence took almost 2 months: from Omsk to Yekaterinburg, from there to Kirov, then to Yaroslavl, to Veliky Novgorod and, finally, to the city of Valdai in the Novgorod region. At one of the sections in the car, ventilation did not work well, it was hot, and the prisoners often smoked, which made it difficult for Sergey to breathe. In the pre-trial detention center of Veliky Novgorod, the conditions of detention were difficult: the windows were bricked, there was no bed linen, ventilation was not turned on, rats penetrated into the cell from a hole in the sewer pipe.\nIn the Valdai colony, Sergey was placed in an 8-bed barracks, which contains 6 people. Polyakov performs the work of a \"dresser\": he notes the number of prisoners coming to and leaving the industrial zone. He does not receive payment, the administration of the colony has not yet responded to his appeals. The work for Polyakov is feasible, the food is regular, but there is a lack of proteins and fats in the diet, so Sergey sometimes feels weak.\nPolyakov did not receive any penalties. He has no conflicts with other prisoners.\nIn general, Sergey feels satisfied. He had previously been ill with coronavirus, and was already vaccinated in the colony.\nA believer reads the Bible and other books from the colony's library. Sergey is very happy to receive letters of support. According to the staff of the penitentiary institution, he alone receives more letters per day than all the prisoners of the colony, which contains 200-250 people.\nPolyakov has already received 2 visits with his wife: one short-term and one long-term.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20211011","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The whereabouts of Sergey Polyakov are being clarified: he has been transferred to correctional colony No. 4 in the Novgorod Region, which is located in the city of Valdai. According to Anastasia Polyakova, who received the first letter from the colony from her husband, Sergey has already been given overalls and is in quarantine for two weeks. After that, he will begin working at one of the production enterprises of the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20210820","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is being held in the Omsk Regional Court. The judicial collegium upholds the verdict of the lower court. In their final statement, the believers again explain that they are not being judged for a crime, but for their faith in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20210528","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-2","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Omsk Regional Court (Omsk, Suvorov str., 99).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20210402","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk Denis Pershukevich sentences Sergey Polyakov to 3 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. At the same time, the court decides to include 5 months of the believer's stay in a pre-trial detention center and 3 months under house arrest in the served term. The court sentenced Anastasia Polyakova to 2 years and 6 months of probation. Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva also receive suspended sentences of 2 years and 3 months, as well as 2 years, respectively. Believers do not agree with the guilty verdict and will appeal against it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20201130","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Denis Pershukevich in the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk begins, but does not finish, read out the verdict in the case. The announcement of the verdict will continue on Monday, November 30.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20201127","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation","suspended","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is postponed to November 10, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20201021","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Pervomaisky District Court of the city of Omsk, Sergey, Anastasia Polyakovs and Gaukhar Bektemirova speak with the last word. The fourth accused, Dinara Dyusekeyeva, will make her final statement at the next hearing, on October 21. The verdict to the believers must be pronounced on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200924","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk, the debate of the parties begins. The prosecutor requests 6 years and 6 months of real imprisonment for Sergey Polyakov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Anastasia Polyakova, Dinara Dyusekeyeva and Gaukhar Bektemirova (charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) are asked by the state prosecutor to be sentenced to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\nAfter the prosecutor's speech, the believers themselves speak in the debate.\nThe position of the lawyer in the debate will be presented on September 24, 2020. On the same day, the defendants will address the court with the last word, and the judge may announce the date of the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200917","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Testimony is given by two other witnesses who discussed the Bible with the Polyakovs. They indicate that their rights have not been violated, no harm has been caused. The prosecutor reads out the fourth volume of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200219","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates four more witnesses with whom the Polyakovs discussed the Bible. All witnesses confirm that during the interview with the accused, their rights were not violated, and no harm was caused. During the break, it becomes obvious that the interrogated witnesses communicate with the unquestioned, as well as with the CPE officer who accompanied them. In this regard, the defense file a motion for the interrogation of G. M. Skripnikova, who witnessed non-compliance with measures to suppress the communication of witnesses during the trial. The court grants the request and requests information about the employee of the CPE. Further, the court continues to examine the material evidence presented by the disc with cartoons. Another 10 cartoons are played.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200213","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates three witnesses with whom the Polyakovs had conversations about God. They confirm that their rights were not violated during the interview. The court examines the materials of the case, including a disc with cartoons on biblical motifs. The Polyakovs once presented this disc to the witness Zhaurova. The judge grants the lawyer's request to review the contents of the disc. 10 cartoons are played. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the Bible serves as the main material for cartoons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200212","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A mother of many children, who discussed the Bible with the defendant Anastasia Polyakova, was interrogated. She reports that she was not taught anything bad, her rights and freedoms were not violated. Two volumes of the materials of the criminal case were announced, including a discussion of the Bible by phone.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200206","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are ongoing. About 30 people who come to support the defendants are not allowed into the courtroom. The first to be questioned is a specialist from the Ministry of Justice, who informs the court that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nTwo witnesses for the prosecution do not provide any information relevant to the case, but only express personal hostility to the religious views of the defendants. The other two witnesses, one of whom is a mullah of a mosque in Omsk, share their memories of discussing religious issues with the Polyakovs. Both witnesses confirm that these were ordinary conversations about God, their rights were not violated. The mullah complains: \"I didn't like what he was preaching here. [...] This is my village, this is where I preach.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200128","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing. The indictment is announced. All the defendants do not admit guilt and declare that they do not understand the charges. The procedure for examining evidence has been established. The next hearings are scheduled for January 22 and 23.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20200109","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the request to return the case to the prosecutor. The preliminary hearing is over.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191218","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Continuation of the preliminary hearing. The question of the legality of the defense of three defendants by lawyer Kolobov at the same time is discussed. The judge notes that during the preliminary investigation, the defendants Polyakovs testified, but Dyusekeeva did not, which may lead to a conflict of interests in the future. The defense objects, since at the moment there are no contradictions, and the Criminal Procedure Code does not provide for the disqualification of the defender in connection with conflicts of interest in the future, which may not arise in the future.\nThe next meetings will be held on December 18 and 23.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191217","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the defense's petition to send the criminal case to the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk. The exact date of the next meeting is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191120","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held in the Leninsky District Court of Omsk, chaired by Judge Ivan Kargapolov. The defendants filed a motion to transfer the case to the Pervomaisky District Court of Omsk in connection with the territory of jurisdiction, it will be considered on November 20.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191112","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred for consideration on the merits to the Leninsky District Court of Omsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191024","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"First Deputy Prosecutor of the Omsk Region A.A. Lorenz signs the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20191003","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Polyakov was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190822","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was initiated by the investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region D.V. Levchenko against A.V. Karimzhanov, S.V. Polyakov, and I.V. Zhukov under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Combining a criminal case initiated on 20.06.2018 with a new criminal case into one.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190819","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was initiated by the investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Omsk region Levchenko D.V. against Karimzhanov A.V., Polyakov S.V., and Zhukov I.V. under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190819","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dyusekeeva and Bektemirova were charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190730","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An obligation to appear was received from Bektemirova Gaukhar.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190701","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With Dyusekeyeva Dinara, an obligation to appear was received.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190628","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice D.V. Levchenko, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region, having considered the report on the detection of signs of a crime of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation No. 234pr-19 and the materials of the check on the fact of participation in the activities of a religious organization, opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, against Karimzhanov A.Zh., Polyakov S.V., Polyakova A.A., Dyusekeeva D.Kh., Bektemirova G.M. and other persons.\nThe head of the first department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Omsk Region, Colonel of Justice K.M. Martynenko, reviewed the materials of UD No. 11802520007000028 and the materials of UD No. 11902520035000010 decided to combine criminal cases under the number No. 11802520007000028.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190624","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Again searches in the case of the Polyakovs. The raid was sanctioned by Oksana Voltornist, a judge of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190508","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another search of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190415","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court cancels the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Sergey and Anastasia. A preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190304","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of detention of the Polyakovs Sergey and Anastasia under house arrest has been extended until 20.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190218","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kuibyshevsky District Court extends the house arrest of Sergey and Anastasia until February 20, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2019-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20190117","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kuibyshevsky District Court extends the stay under house arrest of Sergey and Anastasia until 20.01.2019, walks are allowed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20181219","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After five months in solitary confinement, the Omsk Regional Court released the Polyakovs from custody under house arrest in one apartment. The case was transferred to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20181205","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court replaces the measure of restraint for Sergey and Anastasia with house arrest until 12/20/2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20181204","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Azov District Court extends the detention of the spouses until 20.12.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20181114","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court leaves Sergey and Anastasia in custody until 20.11.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180925","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Azov District Court extends the detention of the spouses until 20.09.2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180813","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Omsk Regional Court leaves Sergey and Anastasia in custody for 01 month and 16 days, that is, until 08/20/2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180716","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing in the Azov City Court of the Omsk Region as a measure of restraint. Sergey and Anastasia were left in custody in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months until 04.09.2018 by the decision of the chairman of the court Nina Iordan.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180706","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Polyakov and Anastasia were charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180705","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches were conducted at the homes of Sergey and Anastasia Polyakovs, Igor Zhukov, Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva. Polyakovs Sergey and Anastasia were detained. During the arrest, Sergey was severely beaten by masked law enforcement officers. The investigation team is headed by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Omsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180704","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at the homes of Igor Zhukov, Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov, Gaukhar Bektemirova and Dinara Dyusekeyeva. Sergey and Anastasiya Polyakov are detained, and Sergey is severely beaten by masked law enforcement officers. The investigation team is headed by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Omsk region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180704","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Sylnik, senior investigator of the Azov Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region, initiates a criminal case under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey and Anastasia Polyakov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180620","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Sylnik, senior investigator of the Azov Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region, initiates a criminal case under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Polyakovs and Others in Omsk","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk2/index.html#20180620","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, mass searches took place in Kamchatka. Armed FSB officers arrested Mikhail and Yelena Popov from Vilyuchinsk. The couple spent 11 and 5 days in the temporary detention facility, respectively. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the Popovs under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the prosecution, the couple organized the activities of an extremist organization and involved local residents in it. This is how the investigation interpreted participation in worship services and discussion of the Bible with several people who feigned interest in it. The case went to court in September 2019. At one of the hearings, Judge Aleksandr Ishchenko [called] (/en/news/2019/12/1464.html) \u0026ldquo;extremist statements\u0026rdquo; a reference to the fact that in World War II Catholics and Protestants from some European countries shot at their fellow believers from other countries. In February 2020, the court softened the article of the charges and imposed fines on the believers: Mikhail 350 thousand rubles, and Yelena 300 thousand rubles. The appeal reduced the amount to 250 thousand rubles each.","date":"2018-07-25","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html","prisoners":["popov","popova"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court is considering the appeal of Mikhail and Elena Popov against the verdict of the Vilyuchinsky City Court of February 14, 2020. The believers consider the sentence passed on them to be erroneous, they did not commit any crime against the state, all charges are reduced only to their family religion, the freedom of which is proclaimed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. After the debate of the parties and the last word of the defendants, the court retires to the deliberation room and announces its decision: the guilty verdict shall be upheld, and the punishment shall be mitigated. Instead of a fine of 650,000 rubles, the spouses must pay 500,000 rubles to the treasury for their faith. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200519","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court adjourns the hearing until May 13, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200506","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Popovs are filing an appeal against the conviction.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200221","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Vilyuchinsky City Court Aleksandr Ishchenko convicts the Popovs case, mitigating the charge from organizing an extremist community and involving in it (Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) to participating in a banned organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Mikhail is fined 350,000 rubles, and Elena is fined 300,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200214","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the verdict scheduled for this day is postponed to February 14.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-02-13T09:00:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200213","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the debate, the prosecutor asks to impose a penalty on Mikhail Popov in the form of a fine of 550,000 rubles. Elena Popova, the prosecutor asks for a fine of 500,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200210","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge has been challenged. (Earlier, for example, on December 4 and 5, 2020, the defense objected to the actions of Judge Oleksandr Ishchenko). The court does not satisfy the application for recusal of the judge. Defendants Mikhail and Elena Popov testify. The judicial investigation is coming to an end.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200122","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense declares the challenge of the expert (Maria Serdyuk), and also petitions for the appointment of a number of re-examinations, including religious studies, fingerprinting, phonoscopic and the exclusion of evidence. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200121","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation of the expert religious scholar, Judge Alexander Ishchenko does not hide his negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as the following excerpt from the transcript shows:\nJudge: Jehovah's Witnesses are unwilling to obey some of the basic laws of society. They refuse to defend their homeland. Isn't this the opposition of oneself to society? Who, then, should defend the Motherland if the majority become Jehovah's Witnesses? What will happen to the country then? Isn't that a threat to our national security?\nExpert in religious studies (Sergey Ivanenko): If I were in the United States, I would think about this, because there are more than a million Jehovah's Witnesses there.\nJudge: I'm not interested in the United States, I'm interested in Russia.\nReligious Expert: The Number of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia Is Less Than in the United States...\nJudge (interrupts the specialist): Now less, and tomorrow there will be more! You yourself said that there is a tendency to increase their number! What will happen tomorrow if there are a lot of them?\nExpert Religious Scholar: You know...\nJudge (interrupts the specialist): Who will defend the Motherland? [...]\nReligious expert: In America, singing the anthem is a very important part of life. Jehovah's Witnesses show respect for those who sing the hymn, but Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in the singing of the hymn.\nJudge: And in Russia, Jehovah's Witnesses at least sing a hymn, don't you know?\nReligious expert: They don't sing in Russia either.\nJudge: They don't sing... That is, Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize the symbol of state power.\nReligious expert: Jehovah's Witnesses do not honor the flag, but they will not spit on it and will not burn it, this is also a fact. Jehovah's Witnesses will not do this for reasons of principle, but at the same time they respect state symbols. They will not whistle when other people sing the anthem of Russia. They have certain moral attitudes... (The judge sighs heavily, loudly.)\nThe lawyer expresses his objections to the actions of the judge. He points out that the nature of the questions that the judge asked the expert indicates the formed position on the case, the accusatory bias of the judge and the interest in a certain outcome of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200115","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-comments","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Ishchenko, a judge of the Vilyuchinsky City Court, refuses Mikhail and Elena Popov's requests to exclude evidence (digital discs with the results of the \"Wiretapping\" and \"Surveillance\" ORMs, protocols of searches and inspections of objects).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20200114","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A petition has been filed for the admission of evidence and the appointment of a forensic comprehensive computer-technical examination of sound recordings, as well as for the interrogation of a specialist. The court refuses to satisfy them, with the exception of a few documents.\nMotions have been filed to exclude a number of evidence. The prosecutor asks for time to prepare. The next court hearings are scheduled for January 14, 15, 21 and 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191217","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"When examining the book \"The Secret of Family Happiness\" seized from believers, Judge Ishchenko, having learned that the copyright to the book belongs to a legal entity registered in the United States, expresses surprise that such a publication ended up in Vilyuchinsk, a closed territorial entity. (Later, after the defense's objection, the court found that the production of publications abroad is not a sign of extremist activity.)\nWitnesses from the defense, three of whom are business partners of Mikhail Popov, are being interrogated. The next meetings are scheduled for December 17-19, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191205","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the Watch Tower Society's documentaries and feature films seized during searches of believers. Judge Ishchenko's nervous tension reaches its peak when watching a film about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in the twentieth century. The judge loses patience with the words of the announcer (literally): \"In 1939, when World War II broke out, almost every religious group sent its parishioners to war. Catholics from France and America killed Catholics from Germany and Italy, and Protestants from England and America killed Protestants from Germany. Jehovah's Witnesses have made it clear that they do not support this bloodshed.\" Hearing this, Judge Ishchenko, according to the transcript of the hearing, suddenly declares: \"I interrupt the viewing of this film. Criticism of other religions begins, exaltation of one over the other. Interrupt the movie! Write it all down in the protocol. [...] The court stops broadcasting it because it contains obvious extremist statements against other religions!\"\nThe defense makes official objections to the actions of the presiding judge at the court session. (According to the official clarification of the Russian Supreme Court, \"criticism of other religions\" is not extremism.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191204","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to familiarize themselves with the Watch Tower Society's documentaries and feature films seized during searches of believers. The judge repeatedly draws attention to the \"foreign\" origin of the videos, the nationality of the participants in the films, the sounding English speech and geographical locations. When the acquaintance with the film begins, according to the plot of which the father ties balloons on the field so that his children can imagine the size of Noah's ark, Judge Ishchenko worries that he may be accused of promoting the \"American way of life.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191203","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. 6 examinations testifying in favor of the innocence of believers were investigated. The next meetings are scheduled for December 3, 4 and 5.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191127","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. The written materials of the case are examined. A break has been announced.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191126","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. A break has been announced\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191115","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. The meeting was postponed\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191114","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. A break has been announced\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191113","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing. A break has been announced\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191112","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to return the case to the prosecutor. Further meetings are scheduled for 12, 13, 14, 15, 26 and 27 November 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191031","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing was adjourned to familiarize itself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20191015","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Popovs' case was transferred to the Vilyuchinsky City Court for consideration on the merits. The case is being heard by Judge Oleksandr Ishchenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20190903","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers were handed an indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20190812","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Popovs are involved as defendants in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2019-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20190617","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge O. V. Alekseeva recognizes the search of the Popovs' house as lawful.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180925","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kamchatka Regional Court, E. P. Kirillov, makes a decision to cancel the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest to Elena Popova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180810","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"O. V. Alekseeva, a judge of the Kamchatka Regional Court, makes an appeal decision to cancel the measure of restraint in the form of detention to Mikhail Popov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180809","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department, M. A. Kartashev, issues orders to bring the Popov spouses as defendants under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180807","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Vilyuchinsky city court N. M. Khorkhordina chooses for Elena Popova a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for a period of 1 month 26 days (until 24.09.2018).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180803","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Vilyuchinsky City Court N. M. Khorkhordina makes a decision on the election of a measure of restraint for Mikhail Popov in the form of detention for a period of 1 month 26 days (until 24.09.2018), and also extends the period of detention of Elena Popova in custody up to 72 hours (until 04.08.2018).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180801","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Vilyuchinsky city court N. M. Khorkhordina makes a decision on the recognition of unauthorized searches as lawful (carried out in cases of \"urgency\").\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180731","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dozens of armed FSB and CPE officers, under the direction and initiative of investigator Ushakevich, conduct searches in the homes and cars of local residents, some of which were not authorized by the court. Operatives detain and interrogate the Popovs.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180730","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Vilyuchinsky City Court V. M. Voronova authorizes searches in the home of the Popovs and two other residents of Vilyuchinsk. The investigator decides to search the cars as well.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180727","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Initiation of a criminal case against the Popovs under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. 26.07.2018 The case is accepted for proceedings by Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Viktor Ushakevich, acting head of the investigation department.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180725","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer A. S. Konstantinov submits a report on the discovery in the actions of the Popov spouses of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180618","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"K.I. Poltoratsky (husband of Poltoratskaya) agrees to participate in the ORM, dedicated to the observation of the Memorial of the Death of Christ, to which Poltoratsky and Ovchinnikova P.I. are invited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2018-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20180331","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ovchinnikova introduces K. E. Poltoratskaya to E. V. Popova, and they, pretending to be interested in the Bible, begin to talk about God and the Bible. They get acquainted with the spouses. They report their conversations to the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2017-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20171101","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Someone K.I. Ovchinnikova, an acquaintance of E.V. Popova, is allegedly interested in conversations about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Popovs in Vilyuchinsk","date":"2017-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk/index.html#20170101","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, the life of young spouses Sergey and Valeria Rayman was divided into \u0026ldquo;before\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;after\u0026rdquo;. They were accused of extremism under two articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for participating in worship services. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kostroma Region investigated the case for 1.5 years. During this time, the couple survived imprisonment in solitary confinement, a ban on correspondence and reading the Bible, house arrest, and a restriction on communication even with each other. In August 2019, the court began considering their case, but 1.5 months later returned it to the prosecutor for the unfounded accusation. After re-examining the case, the court sentenced Sergey and Valeriya to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively. In February 2021, the regional court reduced the terms to 3 and 2 years, but the cassation returned the case to the appeal stage. Based on the results of the reconsideration in the regional court, Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was excluded from the verdict and the spouses were given 7 and 6.5 years suspended with a probationary period of 2 years. In August 2022, the cassation court finally approved this decision.","date":"2018-07-24","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html","prisoners":["sraiman","vraiman"],"regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, chaired by Judge Komarova, dismisses the prosecutor's cassation submission and the cassation appeals of the Rayman spouses. The verdict of the Kostroma Regional Court remains in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20220809","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kostroma Regional Court excludes Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) from the verdict of the Rayman spouses, as well as an indication that they committed a particularly serious crime. Now Sergey and Valeria are considered guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nTaking into account the sentences previously served by the believers (9 and 6 months of restriction of liberty), the court assigns them suspended sentences: Sergey - 7 years, and Valeria - 6.5 years with a probationary period of 2 years each. During this time, they must appear monthly in a specialized body and not change their place of residence.\nThe court also almost completely exempts spouses from paying procedural costs.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20220330","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Moscow, is considering the prosecutor's submission. After a few minutes in the deliberation room, the court decides to return the case to the appeal stage. The Kostroma Regional Court will consider the case of the Raymans in a new composition of the court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2022-02-10T15:52:09+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20220210","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the appeal hearing, the Kostroma Regional Court excluded Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the charges and commuted the sentences of Sergey and Valeria Rayman to 3 and 2 years of probation, respectively.\nIn the appellate ruling, the court justifies its decision to exclude Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the verdict of the Rayman spouses. The panel of judges defines \"the actions of Sergey and Valeria Rayman under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as identical and homogeneous. The same actions cannot be qualified under two articles at the same time, since the principle of criminal procedure, which prohibits repeated conviction for the same act, enshrined in Part 1 of Article 50 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is violated. In view of the charges, the believers are found guilty only under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In addition, as stated in the document, \"the verdict did not reflect evidence that reliably testifies to the performance by Sergey and Valeria Raymanam of organizational and administrative functions in the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kostroma.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20210226","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kostroma Regional Court finds that the lawyer of the Rayman spouses was not given the opportunity to familiarize himself with the minutes of the hearings in the court of first instance and to submit his comments on it. After this violation is eliminated, the case will be returned again to the regional court immediately at the appeal stage. The date of the appeal hearing will be announced later.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20201208","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Balayev, judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, sentences Sergey and Valeriya Rayman to 8 and 7 years of probation, respectively. At the suggestion of the state prosecutor Ivan Bogomolov, the court found them guilty both of organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization (parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20201009","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeria and Sergey Rayman address the court with their last word. Judge Dmitry Balayev sets the date for the announcement of the verdict - October 9, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-10-05T08:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20201005","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Sverdlovsk District Court, lawyers of the Rayman family speak, proving that the activities of believers were connected exclusively with the peaceful fulfillment of biblical commandments. In addition, the accused believers themselves speak in the debate. The court postpones the appeal of Valeria and Sergey Rayman with the last word until October 5, 2020. It is not known whether the verdict will be passed on that day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200908","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking in the debate in the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, prosecutor Ivan Bogomolov recommends that Judge Dmitry Balayev impose the same punishment on the Rayman spouses - 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years. The defense is scheduled to speak in the debate on September 8.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200827","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case. Spouses Sergey and Valeria Rayman give explanations on emerging issues regarding military service, respect for human rights and freedoms in relation to politics and the choice of treatment methods.\nThe judge refuses to announce to the defendants all petitions with attachments submitted by him at the investigation stage. Despite the fact that the documents set out the position of the defense, the judge argues that \"motions are not evidence.\" For this reason, it was also refused to announce the decision of the Sverdlovsk District Court of the city of Kostroma to return the criminal case to the prosecutor. At the same time, the judicial act states that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses became the basis for initiating a criminal case. Any attempt to read out documents or explanations of the defendants is suppressed by the judge.\nThe judge also refuses to attach the scientific opinion of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation to the Rayman spouses.\nA new prosecutor, Ivan Bogomolov, enters the case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200716","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, hearings on the case of the Rayman spouses continue. Listeners are again not allowed into the hall due to the coronavirus pandemic.\nA specialist invited by the prosecutor is being interrogated - Mayorova Natalia Sergeevna, a historian from Kostroma State University. Answering questions, she admitted that she had not conducted practical research, she was not personally acquainted with the believers of this religion, her knowledge was purely theoretical. She knows that Jehovah's Witnesses are apolitical and peaceful. Military service is not accepted, referring to the Bible. Allow alternative civilian service instead of military service. The veneration of the symbols of power is regarded as idolatry, but they do not show aggression. House-to-house preaching has been a tradition since the time of the apostles. I am aware that in the biblical text there is a mention of the prohibition on the use of blood.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200715","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a long break in the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, the consideration of the criminal case against the Rayman spouses continues. Despite the fact that many people come to support the accused, listeners are not allowed into the hall due to the coronavirus pandemic.\nValeria Rayman refuses the public lawyer assigned to her, and her interests continue to be defended by a lawyer under the agreement.\nA prosecution witness, an employee of the Center for Countering Extremism (CPE), was questioned in court. According to him, Sergey and Valeria studied the Bible, listened to sermons, sang songs. He explains that the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the legal entity does not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion: \"You can believe in anything, we have freedom of religion, practice whatever you want, but only within the law.\" The policeman emphasizes that the defendants did not call for violence, the overthrow of the state system, the rupture of family relations.\nThe court refuses to interrogate the specialist invited by the prosecutor due to the lack of the necessary educational documents. At the request of the prosecutor, the court selectively reviews discs with video recordings.\nA schedule of meetings for July has been drawn up. The next hearing is scheduled for July 15, 2020. It is planned to interrogate a specialist, as well as the presentation of evidence by the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200707","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Balaev. Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma (14 Dolmatova Street).\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200410","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Sverdlovsk District Court of the city of Kostroma, a hearing begins in the case of the Rayman spouses. Judge Dmitry Balayev rejects the motion to challenge state lawyer Valeria Rayman, but attaches to the case the attitude of each defendant to the charge.\nListeners are admitted to the hall only after applying for access to justice. A schedule of hearings has been drawn up and 34 prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be examined. The next hearing is scheduled for March 5.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20200227","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kostroma Regional Court approves the decision of the district court to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office. ","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20191114","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court points out that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited, despite the ban on legal entities - Russian organizations. The court criticizes law enforcement officers for unfounded accusations against believers and returns the case of the Rayman spouses to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190925","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The acquaintance of the accused and their defence counsel with the case file has been completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190409","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation has been extended until April 25, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190325","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator notifies the believers of the completion of the investigative actions and the transition to the stage of familiarizing the accused with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190320","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tsymlyakov N.A. chooses a measure of restraint in relation to both spouses in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190125","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to extend the investigator's preventive measure in the form of a ban on leaving the house at night, using the Internet, telephone, mail and communicating with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\" Sergey and Valeria Rayman are allowed to live together, to use means of communication. Electronic tracking bracelets have been removed from their legs. ","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2019-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20190122","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Rayman was charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20181227","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the restrictions for Sergey and Valeria until January 24, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20181222","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeria Rayman was charged under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation believes that at least 4 meetings were held at their home for biblical discussions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20181220","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Rayman is released from house arrest, having imposed a ban on leaving the house at night, as well as a ban on the Internet, telephone, mail and on communication with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20181024","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, after a 5-hour hearing, changed Sergey Rayman's measure of restraint to house arrest, rejecting the investigator's request to extend his detention. Sergey Rayman was placed under house arrest. Valeria Rayman's preventive measure is left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180921","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Throughout Kostroma, a new wave of searches is taking place in the homes of citizens who are suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Searches are taking place in seven apartments. During the new searches, at least 4 citizens, men and women, were detained and taken for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180920","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appellate court softens the measure of restraint for Valeria Rayman, lifting the ban on communication with her husband.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180807","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court chose a preventive measure for Valeria Rayman in the form of a ban on certain actions (a ban on leaving the house at night, as well as a ban on the Internet, telephone, mail and communication with \"persons professing the teachings of Jehovah\").\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180727","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Rayman in the form of 2-month detention. In the pre-trial detention center, Sergey is placed in a small solitary confinement cell, no letters are missed, it is impossible to have a Bible under the pretext that it contains maps of ancient Palestine that can be used to prepare for escape. Later, however, the situation changes: it is allowed to have a Bible (cards removed) and receive letters that serve as support for the young man.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180726","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, officers of the Investigation Department for the Central District of Kostroma of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of riot police, using crowbars, under the sight of television cameras, storm 3 apartments of local residents who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. All computers, tablets, Bibles are confiscated from citizens. Law enforcement officers Kuropatkin and Malinin are involved in the search, among others. Law enforcement officers accompany their actions with caustic comments regarding the religion of citizens. Young spouses Rayman, Sergey and Valeria were sent to the isolation ward.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180725","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Kostroma is initiating criminal proceedings against unidentified persons under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation due to the fact that, according to investigators, \"at least two meetings\" of Jehovah's Witnesses were held in the city in June 2018.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Raymans in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma2/index.html#20180724","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2021, searches were carried out in Kaltan with the participation of the FSB. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for participation in the activities of an extremist organization against a peaceful believer Vitaliy Syrykh. He was detained, interrogated and placed under house arrest. Soon the measure of restraint was changed to a recognizance agreement. In September 2022, the case was dropped, but in December 2024, the believer was again brought as a defendant, this time in organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The case went to court in August 2025.","date":"2021-04-27","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html","prisoners":["syrykh"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Experts are being interrogated.\nReligious scholar Vadim Shiller says that religious meetings of believers may not have legal status, but, in his opinion, they are still subordinate to a legal entity. Shiller also calls it illegal to read religious teaching materials, although he admits that they are not on the federal list of extremist materials. It turns out that Schiller's expert opinion is not certified by a seal.\nLinguist Elizaveta Kozhevnikova participates in the meeting via video link. She refuses to answer questions regarding LRO and incitement to hatred, referring to the lack of appropriate competence. At the same time, the expert confirms that it follows from the remarks on the audio recordings that Vitaliy Syrykh did not force anyone to do anything, but only used inducement statements.\nThe defense petitions for a more complete listening to the audio recordings. The court agrees.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20260415","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses for the prosecution, Syrykh's colleagues, are being interrogated. Both note that Vitaliy is a kind, non-conflict person and a responsible worker.\nDespite the severe frost, 22 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20260204","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. Two men, acquaintances of Vitaliy Syrykh, change their testimony in court, stating that during the investigation they were pressured.\nThe defendant asks questions of a woman who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2005. Vitaliy wonders if she heard calls for violence, undermining the constitutional order and overthrowing the government during such meetings for worship. The woman answers in the negative.\nKaltan is a small town (population about 21 thousand people), and the Syrykh case is of interest to residents. On the day of the hearing, more than 30 people come to the courthouse, four of them are allowed to enter the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20251008","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Syrykh asks for the recusal of Judge Semerikov, who previously passed a verdict in a similar case in Kaltan. The believer notes that the same testimonies of prosecution witnesses, as well as religious examinations with the same research part and similar conclusions, are used as evidence of his guilt. This, according to Syrykh, casts doubt on the judge's ability to make an objective, impartial decision.\nThe court rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20250916","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Syrykh's case is submitted to the Kaltan District Court of the Kemerovo Region. It will be considered by Judge Aleksey Semerikov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20250811","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"S. A. Murzak, senior investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Department for the city of Osinniki of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region, brings Vitaly Syrykh as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization). According to the ruling, the believer \"took part as an organizer in the activities of the religious organization of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kaltan.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20241226","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"S. S. Tyshchenko, senior investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Department for the city of Osinniki of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region, issues a decision to terminate the criminal case against the Syrykhs, since in his actions \"there are no signs of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which is confirmed by the materials of the criminal case and the conclusions of religious and linguistic examinations.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20220912","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kemerovo Regional Court B. V. Korshunov satisfies the appeal of Vitaly Syrykh against the measure of restraint and releases him from house arrest on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20210520","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kaltan District Court of the Kemerovo Region, Yevgeny Vanyushin, makes a decision on the election of Syrykh as a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. A believer is forbidden to leave the living quarters, to communicate with participants in a criminal case, as well as with other persons without the permission of investigator Tyshchenko, to use the Internet and other means of communication.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20210504","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Syrykh is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20210503","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The house of Vitaliy Syrykh, a resident of the city of Kaltan, Kemerovo Region, is being searched. Electronic devices are seized from the believer. After the search, he is detained and taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20210502","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Department for the city of Osinniki of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region Kilin V.N. initiates a criminal case against Vitaly Syrykh, bringing charges against him of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, \"Vitaliy Yurykh committed a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, namely ... organized the activities of a religious organization and took part in its activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Syrykhs in Kaltan","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan/index.html#20210422","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated the persecution of several believers in Vladivostok, among them spouses Roman Verigin and Violetta Verigina, as well as Alibek Kartayganov. In 2023, the case against them was suspended for 2 years at the trial stage. Believers are accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.","date":"2020-03-24","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html","prisoners":["kartayganov","verigin","verigina"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"It is now known, that the case against Violetta and Roman Verigin and Alibek Kartaiganov has been resumed and made into a separate proceeding at the trial stage.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20260108","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held behind closed doors. The defense files motions to exclude inadmissible evidence and attach the decision of the ECHR dated 07.06.2022 (\"LRO \"Taganrog\" and others v. the Russian Federation\"). The resolution of the motions was postponed until the next hearing.\nThe case against the couple Verigins and Alibek Kartaiganov is suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2023-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20230210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is being held behind closed doors. Assistant prosecutor Anna Kolokoltseva petitions for the case to be considered in the absence of the couple Verigins. Lawyers object. Judge Galina Vasilkevich postpones the hearing to allow the prosecutor's office to provide evidence of the defendants' departure.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20220928","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six families of believers, including the couple Verigins, are being searched in Vladivostok. Law enforcement officers are armed with machine guns, their faces are hidden by masks. Roman and Violetta are chosen a restriction measure in the form of a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20200709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six people find their names on the list of \"extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring. These are Roman and Violetta Verigin, Ludwig and Eva Katanaev, Elena Tsorn, Nina Astvatsaturova. None of them knows that a criminal case has been opened against them. All of them are witnesses in the criminal case against Elena Barmakina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20200702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice G. Y. Tarasenko, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, opens five new criminal cases against 61-year-old Nina Astvatsaturova, 29-year-old Roman Verigin, 34-year-old Violetta Verigina, 53-year-old Ludwiga Katanaeva and 47-year-old Elena Tsorn.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20200608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Vladivostok, operational search measures are being carried out against Jehovah's Witnesses who meet to discuss the Bible, sing songs, pray and communicate with fellow believers from other cities of the Primorsky Territory. According to law enforcement officers, such actions are illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of the Verigins and Kartayganov in Vladivostok","date":"2017-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok15/index.html#20171015","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Timofeyev, a peaceful resident of Petrozavodsk, discussed Bible teachings with friends. In April 2024, his house was searched, after which the believer was taken into custody. A month and a half later, he was released under house arrest. The believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In May 2025, the case went to court.","date":"2024-03-26","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html","prisoners":["timofeyev"],"regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court is interrogating two prosecution witnesses. One of them, a police officer in reserve, says that she does not know Aleksey Timofeev and has never attended a meeting for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. She does not understand why she was searched and invited to court: \"I would like to know myself why I am involved in this case at all.\"\nThe second woman enjoys the right not to testify against herself and her relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20260217","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated. An officer of the Ministry of Justice for Karelia reports that in 2017, three legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses were liquidated in the region, including the one in Petrozavodsk, but the religion itself is not prohibited.\nOne woman, who employed Aleksey to work on her land, says: \"He is missed. I have hired a variety of people, but often they were drunkards and let me down; however, when I worked with the defendant, that didn't happen.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20251208","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two prosecution witnesses.\nOne of them tells the court that at the request of the FSB, he participated in operational-search activities, recorded conversations with Timofeev and another believer. He notes that he did not feel pressure and could have stopped communicating at any time, but continued it on the instructions of the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20251002","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the study of the written materials of the case, Aleksey Timofeev points out that the information about the operational-search measures relates to other persons and to a different period. He notes that his statements do not appear in the transcripts, which can be seen from the designations of the names.\nThe defender draws attention to the need to distinguish between the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are not prohibited, and the activities of a legal entity recognized as extremist. According to him, these concepts are combined in the case materials, which makes it difficult to objectively assess the actions of the defendant. The lawyer also notes that some of the experts' conclusions are based on unverified information.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20250821","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Petrozavodsk City Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20250507","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Karelia Viktor Petrov is conducting a search of a woman who is a witness in the Timofeev case. After the search, the woman is interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20250212","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the restriction measure to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20241023","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia Tatyana Petina changes the measure of restraint for Alexei Timofeev. He was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest until June 25, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240520","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Timofeev is being held in the PFRSI (pre-trial detention facility) at correctional colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk. The believer is in a good mood. He is supported by letters from family and friends. He also has the opportunity to read the Bible. Alexei's relations with his cellmates and administration are conflict-free.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240516","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Petrov asks the Petrozavodsk City Court to choose a measure of restraint for Alexei Timofeev in the form of detention. Judge Ekaterina Kanaeva sends the believer to the pre-trial detention center until May 25, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240403","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the search, the security forces detained and interrogated Alexei Timofeev. On the same day, a decision is made to bring the believer as an accused under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240402","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Viktor Petrov initiates a criminal case under an extremist article against Alexei Timofeev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Timofeyev in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk2/index.html#20240326","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Peaceful pensioner Anatoly Tokarev, a resident of Kirov, was sentenced by the court to a fine of 500 thousand rubles for his faith. The believer filed a complaint with the courts of appeal and cassation, but the verdict remained unchanged. The prosecutor asked to send the believer to a colony for 3.5 years, accusing him of organizing and financing a banned organization. According to him, this was expressed \u0026ldquo;in the joint singing of biblical songs and the study of religious literature,\u0026rdquo; as well as in covering the utility costs of an empty worship building. The persecution of Anatoliy began in May 2019. He was searched, the security forces arrested his apartment and garden, voiced threats to harm his relatives. The believer considers this pressure for refusing to incriminate himself and not admitting guilt in extremism. Judge Skorobogatov ignored the documents submitted by the defendant to international organizations advocating for Anatoly Tokarev\u0026rsquo;s right to freedom of religion. Interrogation of prosecution witnesses during the trial revealed that their testimony was falsified.","date":"2019-05-08","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html","prisoners":["tokarev"],"regions":["kirov"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Samara, leaves the appeal decision unchanged. The verdict in the form of a fine of 500 thousand rubles, already paid by Anatoly Tokarev, remains in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20211130","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties in the Kirov Regional Court, prosecutor Kolosov calls the verdict in the form of a fine of 500 thousand rubles for Anatoly Tokarev justified and asks to leave it in force.\nAnatoly, speaking in the debate, states that the peaceful religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have been criminalized in Russia. He stresses that he did not commit actions of an extremist nature. The Oktyabrskiy District Court considered peaceful prayers, chants and discussions of biblical teachings to be criminal actions, without distinguishing between meetings of ordinary believers, in which Anatoliy participated, and the activities of a banned legal entity in which the believer was not a member.\nThere are no victims in the case of Anatoliy Tokarev, and during the hearings in the court of first instance, not a single statement or action of a believer was cited that would pose a threat to the constitutional order and security of the state.\n\"The court did not explain in any way how men and women, including many elderly people, who come together to pray, sing songs and discuss together, threaten the security of a huge state,\" the believer said.\nAt the end of the debate, Anatoliy asks to cancel the sentence and recognize his right to rehabilitation.\n\"The modern persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses repeats the persecution in Soviet times. Now that brutal terror is condemned. But everything repeats itself again,\" says Anatoly, speaking with the last word.\nThe panel of judges - Mikhail Obukhov, Lyubov Zhuravleva and Roman Bronnikov - despite the lack of evidence of Anatoly's guilt, determines to leave the verdict of the previous instance in force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20210114","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov, Sergey Skorobogaty, announces the verdict: Anatoly Tokarev is guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), he was sentenced to a fine of 500 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20201023","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["sentence","fine","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The prosecutor demands to sentence Anatoliy Tokarev to 3.5 years in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of freedom and 1 year of ban on holding positions in public associations.\nA believer, speaking in debates, does not admit guilt in any crimes. Tokarev considers the accusations of inciting hatred and enmity, as well as organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization to be unproven and ridiculous. According to him, he, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion exclusively by peaceful means.\n\"In the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, not only is it discouraged to have hatred, much less to develop this negative emotion directed at another person, but this would even be an obstacle for such a person to be baptized by water and consecrate to God. Because, firstly, this would violate the commandment for Christians to \"love their neighbor,\" and secondly, having a feeling of hatred and intolerance, it would be impossible to fulfill the fundamental commission of Jesus Christ to bring the good news of salvation to people of all kinds, tribes, languages and creeds. Even if the interlocutor is hostile, the servant of God is not allowed to have or develop a reciprocal feeling of hostility,\" Tokarev said, addressing the court.\nIn his final statement, Anatoliy Tokarev said: \"The threat of prison or even death causes fear for me, like any Jehovah's Witness, and the label of an extremist is a public and unfounded stain on my name. At the same time, Your Honor, I cannot give up God and thereby lose his love.\"\nThe court goes to the deliberation room, the announcement of the verdict is scheduled for October 23.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20201006","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court of Kirov continues to question prosecution witnesses.\nWitness Lobastova says that she participated in operational-search activities, making hidden audio and video recordings of conversations on biblical topics with Tokarev. To do this, police officers provided her with a tablet and a SIM card.\nThe witness explains that Anatoliy did not exert pressure on her, she did not feel a threat to herself. The witness did not hear calls for violence, terrorist attacks or other forms of resistance on the part of the defendant. Tokarev did not see any banned religious publications. Lobastova confirms that attending religious meetings of believers is their voluntary decision.\nThe judge rejects Tokarev's petitions, including the inclusion in the case of opinion 10/2020 of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council, the statement about planting a book from the list of extremist materials in the mailbox and the termination of the criminal case.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for July 24, 2020. It is planned to interrogate witnesses from the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200611","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the prosecution witnesses, who testifies in favor of Tokarev, is being questioned in court. The story of the witness refutes the contradictory testimony given to the investigator earlier, on which the prosecutor insists, but it coincides with the testimony obtained during the confrontation of the witness with Tokarev. The judge asks the prosecution witness to decide on the version, and he \"chooses\" the testimony that the prosecutor insists on. The defendant draws attention to the fact that the witness is poorly informed about his own preliminary testimony, which may indicate fabrication in the case.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on June 11. It is planned to question another witness from the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200601","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a witness for the prosecution, Police Major O. V. Bratukhin, an operative for the Department of Internal Affairs of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Kirov region. Bratukhin voices a number of absurd accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses: they allegedly refuse to work, have children, etc. He assures that this information \"was obtained during operational-search activities.\" The believer asks for evidence of this information, but it is not recorded in the case file.\nAt the next hearing on June 1, 2020, the court plans to question other prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200529","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defense's petition for a second postponement of the trial in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, since he does not find good reasons for this: Tokarev has not reached the age of 65 (he is 61 years old), and formally does not belong to the category of citizens at risk.\nThe hearing is held without listeners, Anatoly's relatives are also not allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor voices the last 5 volumes of the case, lists the video materials and publications seized during the search, including books by religious scholars.\nThe prosecution does not provide any specific words or phrases of Tokarev that would incite hatred or religious enmity. Among the evidence of his guilt are only publications of \"religious content with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Moreover, none of these publications is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for May 29. Prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be questioned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200512","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people are present in the courtroom. The consideration of the written materials of the case continues. Anatoly Tokarev asks the prosecutor A. F. Popov to correctly pronounce the name of Jehovah God. The state prosecutor takes into account the religious feelings of the believer and is corrected.\nThe court examines transcripts of hidden audio and video recordings made by embedded agents. Anatoly Tokarev objects to the compiled transcripts, arguing that the information in them is distorted, and the falsified data exposes him in a negative light.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200305","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the court of first instance begins. Anatoly Tokarev conveys to Judge Sergei Skorobogaty his attitude to the charge, to which he attaches decisions of international organizations such as the ECHR and the UN HRC, confirming the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice religion jointly. The judge accepts only the Attitude, rejecting everything else, including the petition to involve a specialist from the Ministry of Justice.\nTokarev gives brief testimony, answers some of the questions of the prosecutor and the judge. The materials of the case are read out, the judge gives Tokarev the opportunity to comment on them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20200225","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kirov Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1); According to investigators, he \"organized ... including in his apartment... meetings of followers and participants of this meeting in compliance with the actions characteristic of this association, expressed in the joint singing of biblical songs ... study of religious literature, the so-called \"Holy Scripture\" (Bible), which is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials Containing the Doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Tokarev Anatoly (born in 1958).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tokarev in Kirov","date":"2019-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirov/index.html#20190508","regions":["kirov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2018, turner Sergey Tolstonozhenko talked about the Bible with a man whose behavior the believer suspected that he was an informer. In July 2019, officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee conducted a survey, and in fact a search of the believer\u0026rsquo;s home with the seizure of personal property. At the same time, they invaded the tutor Tatyana Feruleva against her consent. The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation and the Investigative Committee conducted an inspection in the apartment of gas welder Eduard Belyaev. In October 2019, the Leninsky District Department of Krasnoyarsk opened a criminal case against the believers, accusing them of involving them in the activities of a banned organization. This is how the investigation interpreted a simple conversation at a bus stop. 10 months later, the criminal case was dismissed due to the absence of a crime event.","date":"2019-10-02","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html","prisoners":["belyaev","feruleva","tolstonozhenko"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against the three believers was terminated due to the absence of a crime.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20200803","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the cases against Feruleva and Belyaev are combined into one proceeding with the case of Tolstonozhenko. The number of this criminal case 11902040004000042. It was initiated on October 2, 2019 under Article 282.2 (1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20200625","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation come to Tolstonozhenko, Feruleva and Belyaev with search warrants issued by Elena Inozemtseva, a judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. Searches are repeated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20200622","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. Belyaev was interrogated as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20191024","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. Kharlamov, Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the Leninsky District of Krasnoyarsk, initiates and accepts for his proceedings a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Eduard Belyaev. The case is based on the following arguments (according to the investigator): \"Being at a public transport stop on Glinka Street in Krasnoyarsk ... [Eduard Belyaev] committed actions of an organizational nature ... expressed in the involvement of new members in the activities of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses Krasnoyarsk\", the distribution among the members of the organization of extremist literature and software intended for distance learning of the basics of religion\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case). It is alleged that he also committed similar actions on June 22 and September 24, 2018, as well as on May 20 and September 10, 2019. (The text of the resolution is copied almost word for word from the decision to initiate a criminal case against Sergey Tolstonozhenko, signed by R. I. Kurbanov, an investigator of the SO for the Leninsky District of Krasnoyarsk.) ","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20191021","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tolstonozhenko S.A. was interrogated as a suspect in this criminal case\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20191004","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Leninsky District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, R.I. Kurbanov, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and accept it for its production.\nWhat did the investigator impute to the believer? \"In the period from 10.09.2018 to 20.05.2019, a more accurate time was not established by the investigation, Tolstonozhenko S.A. at the public transport stop \"Tire Crossroads\" on Glinka Street in Krasnoyarsk ... committed actions of an organizational nature ... expressed in the involvement of new members in the illegal activities of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses Krasnoyarsk\", the distribution among the participants of the organization of extremist literature and software intended for distance learning of the basics of religion\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case).\nAn identical text of the resolution is issued in relation to T. Feruleva: \"In the period from 20.06.2018 to 20.05.2019, a more exact time has not been established by the investigation, T. G. Feruleva, being at the public transport stop \"Tire Crossroads\" on Glinka Street in Krasnoyarsk ... committed actions of an organizational nature ... expressed in the involvement of new members in the illegal activities of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses Krasnoyarsk\", the distribution among the participants of the organization of extremist literature and software intended for distance learning of the basics of religion\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case). ","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20191002","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The department of military unit 3592 of the FSB of Russia transfers the inspection materials to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, from there the case goes to the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20190723","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation and the Investigative Committee in Belyaev's apartment conducted an inspection with the seizure of property - in fact, a search.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20190711","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the FSB and the Investigative Committee are conducting a joint ORM - a survey of the living quarters of Sergey Tolstonozhenko with the seizure of personal property. In addition, FSB officers arrive at Tatyana Feruleva's home in order to conduct an ORM survey of the living quarters. Without obtaining her consent to hold this event, they essentially invade her home and begin an inspection (and in fact a search), independently opening drawers, cabinets, rearranging objects and performing other actions. She is required to hand over electronic devices under threat of their forcible seizure. At the same time, FSB officers refuse to provide a copy of the decision to allow the ORM to be conducted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20190709","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Chairman of the Krasnoyarsk Garrison Military Court Filipenko D.A. gives permission for an operational-search measure - a survey of his living quarters (in fact, a search).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20190705","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The chairman of the Krasnoyarsk Garrison Military Court, A.V. Fartysheva, authorizes operational search measures (ORM) that restrict the constitutional rights of T. Feruleva and E. Belyaev - \"inspection of premises, buildings, structures, terrain and vehicles\" in residential premises (in fact, a search).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20190514","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man named Vladislav, feigning an interest in faith in God, meets with Sergey Tolstonozhenko, asks him questions about his religion. The nature of the questions, as well as the peculiarities of behavior, lead the believer to suspect that the man is an informer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tolstonozhenko in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk3/index.html#20180301","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2021, Igor Tsarev, the father of a minor child, was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence. A believer from Birobidzhan was tried for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The charges were based on video footage obtained by FSB officers during covert filming of a worship service. The criminal case was considered for more than a year by Judge Alexei Ivaschenko in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. Most of the court hearings were held behind closed doors, ostensibly with the aim of \u0026ldquo;securing the participants in the trial so that they do not adopt the religious beliefs of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses.\u0026rdquo; Although in the debate the prosecutor acknowledged the right to freedom of religion, at the same time he claimed that Tsarev was allowed to believe \u0026ldquo;only within himself\u0026rdquo; and recommended a sentence of 4 years in prison. The Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict. In June 2022, Judge Yulia Tsykina overturned the current sentence and expunged the conviction of the believer.","date":"2019-07-30","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html","prisoners":["itsarev"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"A hearing is being held to consider the petition of Igor Tsarev. The prosecutor and the inspector confirm that there were no violations on the part of the convicted person during the probationary period.\nJudge Yulia Tsykina cancels the punishment and removes Igor Tsarev's criminal record. He is now considered unconvicted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20220630","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Tsarev filed a petition with the court to cancel the suspended sentence and remove the criminal record, since he served more than half of the probationary period.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20220601","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Vladivostok, leaves the verdict and the decision of the court of appeal against the believer unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-13T15:45:45+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20211213","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the sentence to Igor Tsarev - 2.5 years of suspended sentence, a year of restriction of freedom with a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20210429","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Oleksiy Ivashchenko. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya Street, 32). The verdict is announced: to find Igor Tsarev guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, to sentence him to imprisonment for a term of 2.5 years conditionally with restriction of liberty for 1 year and with a probation period of 2 years. Until the verdict comes into force, remain under recognizance not to leave. The believer intends to appeal the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20210212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Tsarev speaks in court with the last word, denying guilt in extremist actions and intentions. He tells the court what and why he believes, emphasizing that his religious beliefs do not pose a threat to the state and society.\nThe judge schedules the announcement of the verdict to the believer on February 12, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20210211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Tsarev's defender speaks in the debate. He draws the court's attention to the fact that the investigation did not prove either the fact of the crime or the existence of intent and motive to commit it. The lawyer explains that certain groups of Birobidzhan believers did not violate any laws by attending worship services. Igor Tsarev was never a member of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan and legally exercised his constitutional right to freedom of religion.\nJudge Alexei Ivashchenko gives the floor to Igor Tsarev. The believer explains: \"For me, as a believer, the concept of 'believing within oneself' is unacceptable. Faith, first of all, is confirmed by works. [...] I base my behavior and faith in God on the Bible. And it is a world cultural heritage.\" The defendant was baptized as a Jehovah's Witness in 1997 and does not understand why, after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 - 20 years later - baptism began to be imputed to him. In addition, the prosecution considers the fact that Igor Tsarev, together with his fellow believers, discussed a passage from the Gospel of Matthew as evidence of extremist activity. The defendant concludes: \"The prosecution mistakenly calls the usual religious activities of a believer a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20210202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Tsarev gives his last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20210201","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Consideration of the criminal case of Igor Tsarev in the Birobidzhan District Court is entering the final stage. During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor recognized the right of citizens enshrined in Article 28 of the Russian Constitution \"to profess any religion individually or jointly with others,\" and at the same time argues that Igor Tsarev is allowed to believe \"only within himself\", and it is impossible to participate in biblical discussions with fellow believers. The prosecutor requests 4 years of imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of freedom for the believer.\nIgor Tsarev's lawyer, speaking in the debate, states that the accusation is presumptive, built on the \"substitution of legally significant concepts and facts\", and the evidence has been replaced with \"necessary\" statements. It is a mistake to assume that court decisions on the liquidation of religious organizations in themselves indicate the guilt of a believer. The lawyer refers to the works of S. I. Ivanenko, Doctor of Philosophy: Jehovah's Witnesses \"have a spiritual term religious organization ... is not associated with any secular association (legal entity)\", and \"the rite of baptism testifies to the inclusion of their followers in the world spiritual family.\" Further, the lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that all the evidence collected by the investigation only indicates that his client exercised his constitutional right to religion. He did not commit any illegal actions described in the law as extremism. In this regard, the lawyer asked the court to acquit the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20201231","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next closed session is being held in the Birobidzhan District Court. Igor Tsarev still maintains a positive attitude. He testifies. Judge Alexei Ivashchenko interrupts the defendant, offering to leave this information for debate. The lawyer stands up for the believer, and the court listens to Tsarev to the end.\nThe judge proposes to proceed to the debate. The defense does not object. The prosecutor asks for time to prepare based on what the defendant has said.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20201222","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In violation of the principle of transparency of legal proceedings, the judge satisfies the prosecutor's request for a closed format of hearings. According to the prosecutor, it is necessary to \"secure\" the participants in the trial so that they do not adopt the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court decides that from that day until the end of the trial, the hearings will be held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20200316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session in the Birobidzhan District Court, 19 listeners are present. Everyone is allowed into the hall.\nThe accused filed two motions: for the merger of three criminal cases (his, Konstantin Guzev and Yevgeny Egorov) and for the recusal of the judge. Both are rejected. The prosecutor reads excerpts from the volumes of the case. In particular, the fact that earlier state bodies registered LRO. At the next meeting, the video will be viewed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20200210","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by 17 people.\nDuring the court session, video materials of some worship services are viewed. The recordings were obtained by FSB officers in the course of secret operational-search activities. There are problems with sound while watching.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20200203","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. Tsarev submits 3 petitions. The court satisfies the request for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case (pre-investigation check) and rejects the petitions for the disqualification of a lawyer, for the consolidation of 10 criminal cases and their return to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20200127","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is referred to federal judge Alexei Ivashchenko, who is also hearing the case of Yevgeny Egorov and Konstantin Guzev. The criminal case is assigned the number 1-47/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20191223","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case for faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 against 45-year-old Igor Tsarev. According to the investigation, he \"in order to spread the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses by improving the skills of preaching and other religious activities, he studied ... the publication of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Holy Scripture / New World Translation\", recognized as extremist.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Tsarev in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan8/index.html#20190730","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2018, searches were carried out in the homes of believers in Perm and surrounding cities. After three days in the temporary detention facility, Igor Turik and Viktor Kuchkov were placed under house arrest. Shortly before that, the FSB opened a criminal case against them and Boris Burylov. As it turned out, the special services tapped their phones and conducted covert surveillance. Later, 2 more defendants appeared in the case - Alexander Inozemtsev and Yuri Vaag. Turik and Kuchkov spent more than three months under house arrest. In December 2020, the case was submitted to the Industrial District Court of Perm for consideration by Judge Viktor Podyniglazov. In April 2021, the prosecutor requested 9 years in prison for Turik, 7 years in prison for Burylov and Kuchkov, and 4 years in prison for Vaag and Inozemtsev. In May 2021, the court sentenced the believers to suspended sentences ranging from 2.5 to 7 years. In August 2021, the appeal upheld the verdict, and 9 months later, the cassation approved this decision.","date":"2018-09-07","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html","prisoners":["burylov","inozemtsev","kuchkov","turik","vaag"],"regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk upholds the verdict of the Industrial District Court of Perm against Igor Turik, Boris Burylov, Viktor Kuchkov, Alexander Inozemtsev and Yuri Vaag. The believers were sentenced for their beliefs to terms ranging from 2.5 to 7 years on probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20220512","regions":["perm"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Perm Regional Court upholds the verdict against Jehovah's Witnesses Igor Turik, Aleksandr Inozemtsev, Yuriy Vaag, Viktor Kuchkov and Boris Burylov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210820","regions":["perm"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict is announced: to find Igor Turik guilty under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a sentence of 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 4 years; to reclassify the article of the charge for Boris Burylov and Viktor Kuchkov to a milder one, Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years; To find Aleksandr Inozemtsev and Yuriy Vaag guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years. The verdict can be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-05-12T16:05:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210512","regions":["perm"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Victor Podyniglazov. Industrial District Court of Perm (Perm, Mira St., 17).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210429","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last word of the defendant is addressed to the court by believers Alexander Inozemtsev (text), Viktor Kuchkov (text), Yuri Vaag (text). 80-year-old Boris Burylov also addresses the court with a vivid speech (text).\nIgor Turik's speech is expected on April 29.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210427","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Industrial District Court of Perm, the prosecutor requests 9 years in prison for the 52-year-old father of two minor children, Igor Turik, for 80-year-old Boris Burylov and 53-year-old Viktor Kuchkov, 7 years in prison, for 45-year-old Yuri Vaag and 48-year-old Alexander Inozemtsev, who also has a minor child, 4 years in a general regime colony.\nDespite the fact that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia, the prosecutor baselessly believes that the discussion of the Bible with fellow believers should be considered the organization and continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization.\nOn April 27, the debate will continue, after which the believers will deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210408","regions":["perm"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defence witnesses speak. One of them explains that no one obliged her to attend meetings of believers or make donations; She did not hear any calls for extremism from the accused. Another says that she has never been a member of the LRO and has not met with the defendants since 2017.\nThe debate of the parties is scheduled for April 8.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210331","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning prosecution witnesses who knew the defendants before the Supreme Court banned the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses legal entities in Russia in 2017. All of them then ceased to keep in touch with believers. Witnesses for the prosecution have nothing negative to say about the accused.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210218","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses speak at the court hearing.\nThey give positive characteristics to the defendant Inozemtsev. Witnesses note that the believer is a kind, honest person, a responsible worker, and a caring family man.\nOne of the witnesses explains that the believer Inozemtsev was not the chairman of the LRO after its closure in 2017, and the rest of the believers could not participate in this legal organization, but simply professed their religion.\nJudge Viktor Podyniglazov partially satisfies the petition for consideration of the unexamined materials of the case.\nAt the next hearing, the defendants are scheduled to speak.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210211","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 10 people come to the courthouse to support the believers: Igor Turik, Boris Burylov, Alexander Inozemtsev, Viktor Kuchkov, Yuri Vaag.\nAudio recordings of telephone conversations are listened to at the court session and video recordings of worship services are viewed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20210210","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Turik and others is submitted to the Industrial District Court of the city of Perm.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2020-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20201202","regions":["perm"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Perm Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (1); According to the investigation, together with others, he conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Igor Turik (born in 1968), Viktor Kuchkov (born in 1967), Boris Burylov (born in 1941).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Turik and Others in Perm","date":"2018-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/perm2/index.html#20180907","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, mass searches and detentions of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses took place in Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo. The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region initiated a criminal case on the suspicion that unidentified persons were participating in extremist activity — this is how the investigation classified the worship of believers. The security forces detained Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Vavilov and placed them in pretrial detention for 211 and 241 days, respectively. Later, the FSB added Aleksandr Rakovskiy to the same case as a defendant. In January 2021, the case went to court. Despite fabricated testimonies in the case and the fact that there were no victims, in October 2021 the court imposed a 3-year suspended sentence on the peaceful believers. In January 2022, the regional court, and in December the cassation court, left this sentence unchanged.","date":"2019-07-16","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html","prisoners":["oreshkov","rakovskiy","vavilov"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Olga Epifanova, approves the verdict to Alexei Oreshkov, Alexander Rakovsky and Alexander Vavilov. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20220114","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Pestov finds Aleksey Oreshkov, Aleksandr Rakovsky and Aleksandr Vavilov guilty of participating in extremist activities and sentences them to 3 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20211025","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the case materials from volumes 8 to 13, and also watch videos of worship services.\nThe prosecutor concludes: \"These videos clearly show the organizing and coordinating role of Aleksandr Rakovsky.\" The defendant explains: \"The video shows a common practice, which was long before the appearance of any registered legal entity in Russia, this is the fulfillment of the commandment recorded in the Bible.\" According to him, such activity is the realization of the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210527","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the statement of some witnesses about pressure on them during interviews and interrogations, the prosecutor requests the interrogation of four FSB officers who conducted investigative actions. All of them claim that the witnesses testified voluntarily, signed all the pages of the protocols with their own hands, did not complain about their well-being, and had no comments.\nWritten evidence of the materials of volumes 1 and 2 of the case is examined. The prosecutor quotes the rulings to the video files: \"When examining the video file, it can be understood that the above-mentioned persons sing songs to a phonogram, study the Bible, watch religious videos on a laptop, and discuss what they have studied.\"\nA religious study of these video files, prepared by the Lobachevsky National State University, says that the recordings record the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, there are no negative statements about groups of people on the basis of gender, race, nationality or attitude to religion, no encouragement of hostile actions, no statements about the superiority of any group of people over others.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210401","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another secret witness \"Drozdov\" is summoned for interrogation. With minor omissions, he reads out a large excerpt from the case file. The court refuses to admit the written notes of the witness to the defense.\nFurther, FSB officer Belenkov is interrogated in court. He claims that after the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia were recreated in the city of Pavlovo. For more detailed questions about when and how this happened, he cannot answer specifically: \"In the case file there are studies and examinations of specialists who can explain everything concretely.\" The intelligence officer also repeatedly confirms that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nThe third witness, a woman, states that she signed only one page of the interrogation protocol, she sees all the others for the first time. She did not say the information contained there. She also says that she was pressured during the search and interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210325","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. Five claim that the testimony allegedly belonging to them and read out during the trial is 80% inconsistent with what they said to the investigator earlier. Witnesses characterize the defendants positively. A secret witness \"Novikov\" is also being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210318","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge attaches to the case file certificates on the state of health of the mothers of Alexei Oreshkov and Alexander Vavilov, as well as state awards of the defendants, their characteristics from work and from neighbors, certificates for raising children.\n5 witnesses are interrogated and their testimonies are read out. Four of them state that they did not inform the investigator of the information specified in the protocol. Another witness states that he does not know the defendants at all. A secret witness \"Sergeev\" was also questioned, which the judge refused to declassify.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210311","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case are submitted to the Pavlovsky District Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region for consideration by Judge Dmitry Pestov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2021-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20210113","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Krupinov, senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod region, summons 40-year-old Alexander Rakovsky for questioning. The investigator is involving a peaceful believer as a defendant in criminal case No. 11907220001000025, which has already been investigated since July 2019 against Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Vavilov. Rakovsky is charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as, unusually, Part 2 of Article 35 (\"committing a crime by an organized group\"). He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20200921","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Vavilov is released from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance. Aleksandr was taken into custody on July 17, 2019 and all this time he was in a pre-trial detention center in the village of Druzhny, Nizhny Novgorod Region.\nOn the same day, the investigator changed Alexei Oreshkov's measure of restraint from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2020-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20200313","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appellate instance of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Judge T. Sklyarova, softens the measure of restraint for Alexei Oreshkov. Considering the lawyer's complaint about the extension of the believer's detention until March 15, 2020, Sklyarova decides to change the measure of restraint to house arrest. Aleksey stayed in custody for 211 days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20200212","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces detain and interrogate local residents Aleksey Oreshkov and Aleksandr Vavilov. They are charged under Article 282.2(2).\nThe Pavlovsk City Court of the Nizhny Novgorod Region chooses a measure of restraint for both believers in the form of detention until 15.09.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Captain of Justice S. S. Sosunov initiates a criminal case on the fact that unidentified persons committed a crime under Part 2 of Article 35 (a crime by a group of persons by prior conspiracy who agreed in advance on the joint commission of a crime) and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, \"unidentified persons, realizing a joint criminal intent, acting deliberately, by a group of persons by prior conspiracy ... took active steps aimed at... conducting religious performances and worship services.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vavilov and Oreshkov in Pavlovo","date":"2019-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovo/index.html#20190716","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2023, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Saransk. A month earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a case on organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Several believers, including women, were taken for interrogation to the center for combating extremism. Some of them said that the investigators tried to force them to incriminate themselves and their friends. Artem Velichko, Mikhail Shevchuk and Ivan Neverov were placed in a pre-trial detention center for 2.5 months, and later under house arrest, where they spent more than 3 months. In August 2023, their preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. The case against Artem Velichko was separated into a separate proceeding in October 2024.","date":"2023-01-11","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk3/index.html","prisoners":["velichko"],"regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Velichko in Saransk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case is separated from the case of other believers in Saransk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Velichko in Saransk","date":"2024-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk3/index.html#20241028","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint for the believer from house arrest to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Velichko in Saransk","date":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk3/index.html#20230804","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia, as a result of an appeal against the chosen measure of restraint, transfers Artem Velichko from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest. The believer spent more than 2.5 months behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Velichko in Saransk","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk3/index.html#20230503","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Velichko is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Velichko in Saransk","date":"2023-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk3/index.html#20230220","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2026, a case was initiated against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Nizhegorod region. Security forces searched 18 believers. Yevgeniy Konkov, Anatoliy Chepkasov, Sergey Verkhoturov and Maksim Kalinin were interrogated and placed in pre-trial detention. For Sergey Verkhoturov, this is the second faith case.","date":"2026-03-05","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod12/index.html","prisoners":["chepkasov","kalinin","konkov","verhoturov2"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Verhoturov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Konkov, Anatoly Chepkasov, Sergey Verhoturov and Maxim Kalinin are in quarantine in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Sergey is in a cell with three prisoners, the rest of the believers have two cellmates. All have hot water and a bed.\nThe believers' cellmates smoke a lot right in the cells. Yevgeniy is worried about his health - he has breathing problems. Shortly before his imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center, the believer took tests and planned to visit a pulmonologist.\nLetters began to arrive to the men on the second day of their imprisonment. No one has a Bible yet. The attitude from the administration and cellmates is good.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod12/index.html#20260323","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region is initiating a criminal case against unidentified persons on suspicion of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod12/index.html#20260305","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, security forces in the Nizhny Novgorod region staged mass raids on local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses on the basis of their religion. One of them was Sergey Verkhoturov. A year earlier, his telephone conversations began to be tapped. In June 2019, an investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs opened a criminal case against the believer for organizing the activities of an extremist organization, after he found out that he had discussed texts from the Bible with friends. A few months later, Sergey\u0026rsquo;s wife, Victoria, was also accused of extremism for her faith. In September 2020, the court began considering the Verkhoturov case. The prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for the believer. In March 2021, the court sentenced him to 6 years of probation with a probation period of 4 years. The appeal, and then the cassation, upheld this verdict. In September 2023, Sergey was released on parole.","date":"2019-06-04","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html","prisoners":["verhoturov"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Saratov) approves the verdict against Sergey Verkhoturov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20220519","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court Ksenia Chipiga refuses to satisfy the appeal of the believer. The verdict of the lower court shall enter into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210616","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Prioksky District Court Denis Kiselyov finds Sergey Verkhoturov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and assigns him 6 years of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210305","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Verhoturov makes his last speech. The believer explains to the court that the worship of God as it is set forth in the Bible has nothing to do with the extremism incriminated to him. On the contrary, he has always encouraged and will continue to \"encourage all people to love each other, avoid any violence, strengthen family relationships.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210301","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the fact that Sergey Verhoturov gathered with fellow believers to discuss the Bible and the principles of Christian life, the prosecutor requested for him imprisonment for 7 years and a year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210219","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"25 people come to support Sergey, but no one is allowed to attend the meeting again.\nSergey Verhoturov testifies. He declares that he does not consider himself guilty of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. \"This is an unfounded accusation that insults my dignity,\" says Sergey. The believer tells the court that it was thanks to his acquaintance with Jehovah's Witnesses and the study of the Bible that he became a respectable citizen of his country, abandoned bad habits and stopped showing aggression towards others. \"I am a peacemaker and I am proud of it,\" the defendant emphasizes.\nRegarding the accusation that he allegedly organized the activities of a religious association, the believer explains: \"I became a Jehovah's Witness, and I did not care at all that there was an Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Accordingly, I did not get acquainted with any of the goals and principles of this organization. I was only interested in the teachings of the Bible.\" Sergei continues: \"Divine services were held before the ban, so they were held after the ban and will be held, I assure you, in prison. No one can deprive us of the worship of God. And legal organizations have absolutely nothing to do with it. [...] The fact of being present at worship services does not constitute a crime, but is the exercise of the right given by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nJudge Denis Kiselyov grants the request for the presence of the defendant's wife at subsequent hearings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210212","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the courthouse to support Sergei Verkhoturov, but no one is allowed inside.\nThe court is reviewing fragments of video recordings. One of them is a discussion of the behavior of Christians during ethnic, religious and political conflicts. Believers learn to show love for all people, to obey the authorities, not to repay evil for evil, and to forgive. \"All this is strange for an extremist organization,\" the believer emphasizes.\nThe defendant's objection to the judge's actions is satisfied.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20210203","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the building of the Prioksky District Court for the first hearing in the case of Sergey Verkhoturov, but they do not enter the hall due to the epidemiological situation.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges. Verhoturov objects and notes that he is being judged for believing in God and observing the biblical principle of Hebrews 10:25: \"Let us not forsake our congregation...\"\nThe defendant refuses the services of a lawyer, wanting to defend himself. Judge Denis Kiselev rejects his request.\nThe court is questioning 4 witnesses. The judge wonders if Jehovah's Witnesses really have \"their\" Bible. The defendant and witnesses indicate that they use different translations of the Holy Scriptures, including the Synodal translation, which is widespread among Russians. The judge concludes: \"So the Bible is one, but the translations are different.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20200909","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod receives a criminal case initiated more than a year ago against Sergey Verkhoturov. Within 30 days, Judge Denis Kiselev must schedule a preliminary hearing or a court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20200730","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. V. Makerov, senior investigator of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, brings an official charge against Sergey Verkhoturov of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in criminal case No. 11901220089000242.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20200604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Oleg Makerov initiates a criminal case against Sergey Verkhoturov's wife Victoria under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This criminal case is being investigated separately.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20200326","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal case No. 11901220089000242 against Sergei Verkhoturov is accepted for its proceedings by the senior investigator of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. V. Makerov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20200205","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod District Court of Nizhny Novgorod rejects the investigator's request for the arrest of Sergey Verkhoturov and decides to immediately release him from custody in the courtroom. The court chooses a milder measure of restraint for Sergey - a ban on certain actions. The believer is forbidden to leave the home after 21:00, use means of communication and communicate with other citizens.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20190718","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Nizhny Novgorod and the city of Pavlovo (Nizhny Novgorod region), searches are being conducted in the homes of believers.\nInvestigator in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Lieutenant of Justice Chesebieva Aliya Marsovna detains Sergey Verkhoturov. Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. V. Makerov, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases, issues a decision to bring Sergey Verkhoturov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is explained his rights and obligations, and also reminded of the possibility of cooperation with the investigation, during which he is obliged to expose other \"participants in the crime\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. V. Makerov, senior investigator of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates criminal case No. 11901220089000242 against Sergey Verkhoturov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Verkhoturov, together with other persons, \"deliberately organized and led an autonomous unit of a banned religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court Vedernikov A. A. satisfies the petition of the Deputy Chief of Police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region Yaremchuk V. G. to conduct operational-search measures against Sergei Verkhoturov.\nOn the basis of a court order, the police have the right to listen to the believer's telephone conversations for 90 days, as well as to remove information from technical communication channels - a cell phone and a social network page.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod4/index.html#20180525","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktoriya and Sergey Verkhoturov from Nizhny Novgorod were victims of religious persecution when armed security forces broke into their homes in the summer of 2019. During the search, they threatened Viktoria with \u0026ldquo;terrible conditions in prison, where her psyche would suffer.\u0026rdquo; Earlier, the special services installed a hidden video camera in the believers\u0026rsquo; apartment and listened to Sergey\u0026rsquo;s telephone conversations in order to prove that the couple continued to discuss the Bible with others. As a result, the investigation opened two criminal cases: in June 2019, Sergey became accused under the \u0026ldquo;extremist\u0026rdquo; article, and in March 2020, Victoria. The accusation was based on the recordings of worship services and the perjury of the secret witness \u0026ldquo;Sidorova\u0026rdquo;. In November 2020, Victoria\u0026rsquo;s case was submitted to the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. A year later, judge Viktor Yakovlev sentenced the believer to 4 years of suspended sentence. In May 2022, the appeal upheld the verdict of the believer.","date":"2019-07-22","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html","prisoners":["verhoturova"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Judge Nikolai Kozlov, upholds the verdict of Viktoriya Verkhoturova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20220512","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod Viktor Yakovlev sentences Victoria Verkhoturova to 4 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-29T14:35:39+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20211129","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ivanenko, a religious scholar, doctor of philosophy and state counselor of the Russian Federation, speaks in court. He describes the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia since the late nineteenth century, beginning with Simeon Kozlitsky, a graduate of an Orthodox theological seminary who became the first Bible student (as Jehovah's Witnesses were then called) in the Russian Empire in 1870. Ivanenko also mentions Stalin's repressions, in particular, Operation North, and also talks about the state of affairs among believers today in modern Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20211112","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reviews the video files of the worship service. Among other things, it discusses the question of how to help those who wish to apply the advice from the Bible to fight bad habits, such as smoking. We are also talking about joint religious meetings of the first Christians.\nThe court rejects the request to include the decisions of the ECHR and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation regarding the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20211020","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, the prosecutor questioned witnesses Konshin and Meshcheryakov about their religion, the activities and structure of the religious movement of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as their relationship with the Verkhoturovs, Victoria and Sergey.\nThe state prosecutor reads out Meshcheryakov's testimony, where he reports how he met Jehovah's Witnesses in Tatarstan and asked them to bring him literature. After some time, he stopped smoking, abusing alcohol and began to pay taxes to the state. Meshcheryakov also explains: \"I met with Victoria and Sergey Verkhoturov to discuss biblical principles on marriage. Since I had recently married, I needed the advice of an experienced couple.\" Meshcheryakov states that he has never heard that Victoria Verkhoturova involved anyone in a banned organization. He also reports that, although he met Victoria in the worship building until 2017, he never saw her on stage with any appeals.\nProsecution witness Konshin explains that he never met Viktoria in person. When asked by the prosecutor where he reads the Bible after the ban on the organization, he replies that he does it at home with his family, because he does not need any governing body to read the Holy Scriptures and pray.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20210219","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to support Victoria Verkhoturova.\nThe court is interrogating prosecution witness Glazkova, an operative who participated in the search of the Verkhoturovs' apartment in July 2019. She cannot say what extremist statements were uttered by Victoria.\nWhen asked what extremist literature was found during the search, Glazkova replied that only a notebook and notebooks with personal notes that were not included in the FSEM were seized.\nAccording to the detective, Sergey Verhoturov \"is the organizer of the extremist activities of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" and his wife \"was engaged in involvement.\" At the same time, Glazkova finds it difficult to give facts, how, whom and when Victoria involved somewhere.\nWhen asked by her lawyer what exactly was Victoria's participation in extremist activities, Glazkova answers: \"She sang songs. [...] She did certain rituals: she got up, sat down.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20210208","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins hearings in the case of Victoria.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20210127","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Prioksky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod for consideration by Judge Viktor Yakovlev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20201130","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Makerov interrogates Victoria Verkhoturova. He asks questions about her religion, fellow believers, and participation in worship services after 2017. The believer refuses to answer, using Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20200722","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Oleg Makerov makes a decision on the election of Victoria Verkhoturova as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20200717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Oleg Makerov initiates a criminal case against Viktoriya Verkhoturova under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20200326","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6:30 a.m., A. N. Chestneva, an investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, accompanied by 10 law enforcement officers, searches the apartment of Sergey Verkhoturov in order to \"detect instruments of crime, objects, documents and valuables prohibited in civil circulation, which are important for the criminal case.\" During the 5-hour search, family photos, postcards, a notebook with personal notes, an information booklet of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and electronic devices were seized from believers. During the search, the spouses are kept in different rooms. Law enforcement officers intimidate Victoria with \"terrible conditions in prison, where her psyche will suffer\" if she refuses to cooperate and does not provide logins and passwords for personal accounts.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Prioksky District Court Olga Vorotnikova satisfies the petition of Oleg Makerov, senior investigator for internal affairs of the Main Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, to search the home of Sergey Verkhoturov. Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region S. M. Yakovlev supports the petition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20190712","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against Viktoria Verkhoturova's husband, Sergey, on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is based on the materials of the ORM, including video recordings of a hidden camera installed in the Verkhoturovs' apartment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Kornilov, Acting Head of the Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, transfers the materials of the ORM in relation to the Verkhoturov spouses to the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region to Alena Prigoda.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20190530","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Oleg Kolesnikov, issues another decision on the conduct of operational-search measures \"in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova\": \"observation\", \"inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles\".\nThe investigation considers Victoria Verkhoturova to be involved in the commission of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20181130","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Alexander Vedernikov, issues a new decree on the conduct of operational-search measures \"in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova\": \"observation\", \"inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20181012","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Oleg Kolesnikov, makes a decision to conduct operational-search measures \"in order to document the criminal activities of Victoria Verkhoturova\": \"observation\", \"inspection of premises, buildings and structures, terrain and vehicles\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20180914","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Chief of Police of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region Yaremchuk V.G. petitions for operational search measures against Victoria Verkhoturova's husband, Sergey. The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Alexander Vedernikov, authorizes the conduct of operational-search measures: \"wiretapping of telephone conversations\" using audio recordings, \"removal of information from technical communication channels.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Verhoturova in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod5/index.html#20180525","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Master of the International Chess Federation Dmitry Vinogradov became a defendant in a criminal case in January 2020. Investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksandr Chepenko opened a case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as a result of a provocation by Chelyabinsk law enforcement agencies that sent agents to local believers to ask about the Bible. The security forces entered the Vinogradovs\u0026rsquo; apartment and searched it in the absence of the owners. Also, a search took place at Dmitry\u0026rsquo;s workplace, as a result of which he lost his chess file, on which he worked for many years. During the hearings in the Central District Court of Chelyabinsk, the infiltrated agent \u0026ldquo;Makarenko\u0026rdquo; could not cite a single fact of illegal actions on the part of the believer. Nevertheless, in May 2021, Judge Aleksandr Tabakov sentenced Dmitry Vinogradov to 2 years probation. The appellate court upheld this decision, and in June 2022 it was upheld by the Court of Cassation.","date":"2020-01-20","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html","prisoners":["vinogradov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitry Vinogradov served the main sentence - a term of 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20230607","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Chelyabinsk), chaired by Larisa Gagarina, approves the verdict and the appeal decision against Dmitry Vinogradov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20220609","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal upholds the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20211028","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk Alexander Tabakov announces the verdict to Dmitry Vinogradov. The believer was found guilty of violating Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is conditionally imprisoned for 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210607","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Aleksandr Tabakov. Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk (Chelyabinsk, Commune Street, 87). Courtroom 302.\nThe court session is postponed due to the illness of the lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210528","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties begins. In addition to the participants in the process, 9 listeners are allowed to participate in the court.\nThe prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years of suspended imprisonment for Dmitry Vinogradov with a probationary period of 4 years. It takes into account the presence of minor children in the defendant and the positive characteristics of the case.\nThe court granted the defense's motion to postpone the hearing to prepare a speech in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210512","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is held in the presence of 6 listeners. The court rejects the request for additional comprehensive examination of the defendant's case.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210421","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, an audio recording of a Bible study on the topic \"Who is God?\" is listened to.\nThe court rejects the request to include the Resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210304","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant Vinogradov gives a detailed account of what Jehovah's Witnesses believe. A petition was also filed for an additional comprehensive examination of the only audio recording where his voice is present.\nSergey Makarenko, an agent of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who imitated interest in the Bible in order to denounce believers, is being interrogated. He confirms that the defendant did not incite religious discord, did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, did not encourage the severance of family relations and refusal of medical intervention, did not promote the activities of any organizations.\nVinogradov once again emphasizes that it is not forbidden to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. \"I have my flaws, but I certainly can't be called an extremist,\" he says.- Biblical truth and the example of Jesus Christ help me not to become embittered even now in the current circumstances, when I am unreasonably persecuted and labeled as an extremist.\"\nThe next hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20210208","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defense's motions to admit the listeners to the courtroom.\nInterrogation of prosecution witness Lilia Ruzayeva. She talks about how she first showed an interest in the Bible and was then recruited by law enforcement and given the task of spying on believers. She has never seen Dmitry Vinogradov, she knows about him only from the words of Sergei Makarenko, another embedded agent. I also did not see other believers commit extremist actions or encourage anyone else to do so. Among themselves, believers discussed the Bible, \"sang Bible songs.\"\nThe next hearing is scheduled for August 14. The questioning of prosecution witnesses will continue.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200623","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the trial, the prosecutor read out the indictment. After hearing the accusation, Dmitry Vinogradov said that he did not understand what he was accused of.\nThe next court hearing will be held on 23.06.2020. Prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be heard.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200602","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed to April 22, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200408","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200327","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Dmitry Vinogradov was transferred to the Central District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk for consideration by Judge Alexander Tabakov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200304","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Vinogradov, 56, was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the basis of his religion. A written undertaking not to leave was taken. His criminal case was separated from the case of Valentina Suvorova. It is being investigated by the investigator of the Department for the Investigation of Especially Important Cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Alexander Viktorovich Chepenko.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20200120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, at the request of investigator A. V. Chepenko, allows a search of Dmitry Vinogradov's home.\nThe search takes place later without Vinogradov's participation: the security forces open the apartment, which was under an alarm system.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20190319","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Alexander Chepenko initiates criminal case No. 119027500300000002 on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, against unidentified persons from among the residents of Chelyabinsk and the Chelyabinsk region who participated in religious meetings of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20190318","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator P. A. Madjar submits a report to the head of the Investigative Committee E. Y. Smirnykh on the discovery of \"signs of a crime\" by Dmitry Vinogradov. This comes about two and a half months after the embedded agent \"Sergey Makarenko\" questions Dmitriy about the teachings of the Bible.\nPrior to this, the surveillance of Chelyabinsk believers was carried out by \"Lilia Ruzayeva\", who introduced him as her brother.\nThe investigator points out that \"according to the results of the operational-search activity \"Observation\", P. N. Popov, V. A. Suvorova, V. N. Suvorov are members of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", whose activities are prohibited in Russia.\" The investigation calls the citizen's religion the activities of a legal entity - the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. It is noteworthy that, according to Makarenko, Chelyabinsk Jehovah's Witnesses \"did not force him to this faith, they did not ask for donations.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Vinogradov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk2/index.html#20190218","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, the FSB in Anadyr initiated a criminal case for their faith against Aleksey Volkov, Yuriy Yumashev, and Aleksandr Loshkarev. They were accused first of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and later of participating in it and being involved in it. The names of the believers were included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. There are at least two secret witnesses in the case, the men were under covert surveillance for about two years.","date":"2023-05-05","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr2/index.html","prisoners":["loshkarev","volkov","yumashev"],"regions":["chukotka"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Volkov and Others in Anadyr","type":"cases"},{"body":"The investigation makes the case against Aleksey Volkov, Yuriy Yumashev and Aleksandr Loshkarev into separate proceedings. Now they are charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Volkov and Others in Anadyr","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr2/index.html#20251224","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Tsarapkin, investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, initiates a criminal case under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Sergey Romanov, Aleksey Volkov, Yuri Yumashev and Aleksandr Loshkarev. The decree states that \"from 20.04.2017 ... acting jointly and in concert, [the four believers] by organizing and conducting religious meetings, carrying out missionary and preaching activities... the activities of the unregistered religious group \"Jehovah's Witnesses in Anadyr\" organized the activities of the unregistered religious group \"Jehovah's Witnesses in Anadyr\" on the territory of the city of Anadyr, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.\"\nAccording to the resolution, the basis for initiating a criminal case were two expert opinions dated October 19, 2022 and May 3, 2023. One of them claims that the believers allegedly promoted the exclusivity and superiority of the Jehovah's Witnesses' doctrine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Volkov and Others in Anadyr","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr2/index.html#20230505","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB conducts covert operational-search measures against Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Anadyr. Security officers are trying to recruit people who are interested in the Bible to secretly make audio recordings of meetings with Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Volkov and Others in Anadyr","date":"2020-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr2/index.html#20200126","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2018, police officers, the Interior Ministry Investigative Department, and armed SOBR fighters raided at least 16 homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Belgorod. Peaceful believers were subjected to rough verbal and physical treatment. Dozens of people, including a group of people with hearing disabilities, were forcibly taken to the police for questioning. The last of the interrogated was released only the next morning. Two believers, Anatoliy Chaliapin and Sergey Voikov, were detained for two days and then released on their own recognizance. They are accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization, as the investigation interprets the participation of men in the services of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The criminal case was handled by an investigation team consisting of 12 employees of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Belgorod Region. In August 2019, the investigation of the case was suspended, but a month later the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office overturned this decision, and the case was sent for additional investigation.","date":"2018-02-05","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html","prisoners":["shaliapin","voikov"],"regions":["belgorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office cancels the suspension of the investigation of the case. The case was sent for further investigation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2019-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20190911","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation of the case has been suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2019-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20190817","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Chaliapin and Sergey Voikov were released from custody and sentenced to recognizance not to leave due to suspicion of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2018-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20180209","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the evening, large groups of law enforcement officers, consisting of police officers, the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and armed SOBR fighters, invade the private homes of Belgorod residents who are believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. In some cases, citizens are knocked to the floor, put against the wall, searches are carried out in their homes, which are accompanied by offensive comments. Bibles, all electronic devices and data carriers, passports, money, and in some cases even photographs hanging on the wall are seized from believers.\nAfter the searches, dozens of detainees are taken for interrogation. Among them is a group of deaf people who have gathered for friendly communication. At the police department at 60 Knyaz Trubetskoy Street, passport data is collected from them, fingerprints are taken, summonses are issued to believers, after which most are released. The last of the released leaves at 9 am the next day.\nAnatoliy Chaliapin and Sergey Voikov were taken into custody for 48 hours.\nAn investigation team consisting of 12 employees of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been created.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2018-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20180207","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Belgorod Region is initiating a case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20180205","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major Lyushakov, an employee of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Belgorod Region, submits a report on the discovery of signs of a crime: local residents \"for religious reasons participated in meetings, during which they were engaged in propaganda activities, got acquainted with literature.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Voykov and Shalyapin in Belgorod","date":"2018-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belgorod/index.html#20180110","regions":["belgorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution of Yevgeniy Yakku, an exemplary family man from Arkhangelsk, began in February 2019 - his house was searched, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him. The believer was left without work, his accounts were blocked, cars were arrested. In May, after a year of surveillance of Kaleria Mamykina, a case was opened against her, the \u0026ldquo;corpus delicti\u0026rdquo; of which was talking about religion with friends at her home. After 7 months, the charges against her were dropped, in June 2021, without waiting for the restoration of her good name, Kaleria died of covid. Yakku\u0026rsquo;s case went to court in February 2020. The investigator accused Yevgeniy of allegedly continuing the activities of the LRO of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Arkhangelsk, which was not recognized as extremist. The believer sent complaints to the ECHR, and his wife to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The answer confirmed that Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses have the right to practice their religion in groups. Despite this, in July 2021, the court sentenced the believer to a fine of 780,000 rubles. The Court of Appeal and Cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2019-02-13","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html","prisoners":["mamykina","yakku"],"regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Third Court of Cassation in St. Petersburg leaves the sentence to Yevgeny Yakku unchanged - a fine of 780 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20220407","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210716","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for 7.5 years in prison for Yevgeny, 2.5 years of restriction of freedom, and also asks to transfer both arrested cars and other seized equipment to the state, and destroy everything else, including the seized Bibles. The believer will deliver his last word on July 16. On the same day, the court may announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210622","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Kaleria Mamykina died from complications caused by COVID-19. She did not wait for the results of her rehabilitation, which would have included an official apology from the prosecutor, compensation for material and moral damage, since investigator Roman Shagarov terminated the criminal case against the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210618","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In court, the films \"How to help a patient without violating his rights\" and \"Faithful in the test. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union\". After the screening, the defendant emphasizes that Jehovah's Witnesses are civilians who do not take up arms in any country in the world, and not a single negative comment about the authorities was heard from the people giving interviews.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210421","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","ussr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conclusion and testimony of religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko are attached to the case file.\nThe decision of the Supreme Court is read out, from which it is clear that the LRO \"Central, Arkhangelsk\" is not on the list of liquidated organizations, has never been recognized as extremist by any court. Moreover, this organization was disbanded on the initiative of believers. Nevertheless, Eugene Yakku is accused of organizing its activities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210406","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","supreme-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Yulia Sibirtseva, religious scholar, is being questioned. She submits to the court the results of a comprehensive examination conducted by her according to the methodology of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. In her examination, Sibirtseva gives an overview of the history and doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, and also draws attention to the fact that the followers of the association do not smoke, do not abuse alcohol, and do not use drugs. She notes that Jehovah's Witnesses refrain from participating in political movements, parties, and celebrations of state symbols, and this is their legal right. She also confirms that the Supreme Court did not ban the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their worship services consist of reading and discussing the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210311","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer's family receives a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation to a letter in which the believer's wife, Irina, informed the minister about the criminal prosecution of their family and about the contradiction of what was happening with international law. The response states, among other things: \"Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice a religious cult, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210220","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["mid"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing.\nThe first to be interrogated in the secret room is the secret witness \"Ivan Petrov\".\nThe defendant requests the exclusion of his testimony, as it was taken in violation of the law, namely Part 5 of Article 278 and Part 9 of Article 166 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. According to these articles, the materials of the criminal case must be accompanied by an envelope with the true identity of the secret witness and the judge must open it before interrogation. But the envelope is not in the case file, there is no data about it in the indictment, the defense did not see it, and the judge did not open it in front of everyone. At the hearing, it turns out that the envelope has been found, and the secret witness is interrogated.\n\"Ivan Petrov\" gives a general description of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses and talks about their beliefs, as well as how they conducted divine services. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that \"Ivan Petrov\" is being interrogated not as a specialist, but as a witness, and cannot tell the court anything specific about the case.\nThe second to be interviewed is FSB officer Denisov. He informs the court that he does not know the defendant personally, but saw his name in documents seized during a search of another believer. The lawyer is trying to find out why the witness decided that Yakku is the organizer of the group, because in the documents opposite his name only \"No. 3\" is written and no explanation is given.\nThe last to be interrogated as a witness is the Orthodox priest Theodosius Nesterov. He has never met the defendant, but expresses the opinion that in the magazines published by Jehovah's Witnesses \"there is clearly a motive for inciting intolerance ... especially to Orthodoxy. Although it is not on all pages and encrypted. You have to read between the lines.\"\nThe next meeting will be held on February 26. It is planned to interrogate the linguist Sibirtseva.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210210","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses shall be questioned at the next hearing. They characterize Yevgeny Yakku extremely positively. About the defendant's family, one of them says: \"They are always smiling, good-natured people. People with open hearts.\" Witnesses confirm that they have never heard from Yevgeniy calls for something illegal or for refusal of medical care. One of the witnesses comments on the prosecutor's questions about the refusal of believers from a specific medical manipulation - a blood transfusion as follows: \"Here is a victim of a blood transfusion. In 1986, during an extensive operation, I received a blood transfusion, and I am still registered in the first city [hospital] in the infectious diseases [department].\" Another witness, a medical professional with a higher education, talks about the dangers of blood transfusions, based on scientific research.\nAt the next meeting, it is planned to continue the interrogation of witnesses, including secret ones. The defendant petitions for its declassification. The interrogation is scheduled for February 10.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20210128","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four prosecution witnesses are questioned during the trial. The investigator denies that he exerted pressure on the witness during the interrogation. He confirms that he supervised the examination, according to which the believer allegedly gained access to a prohibited resource through third-party sites. At the request of the lawyer to demonstrate how this is possible, the investigator refuses. According to him, this procedure was carried out by specialists without his direct participation.\nYevgeniy Yakku's wife, Irina, is next to be interrogated. She notes that Jehovah's Witnesses do not refuse medical treatment or call for the overthrow of the constitutional order or the severing of family ties. When asked why they continued to meet after the liquidation of the LRO, Irina cites the example of graduates: even after school, they remain friends and sometimes get together. The witness notes that her husband did not organize official events, but helped to hold friendly meetings without forcing anyone to come to them. \"Even God didn't drag anyone by the hand into Noah's ark,\" adds Irina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20201224","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the trial, the prosecution witness reports pressure from the investigator to fabricate testimony. At the next hearing, the investigator shall be summoned for questioning to clarify the circumstances.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20201217","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the regular hearing of the criminal case against Yevgeniy Yakku in the Solombala District Court, 8 people are present.\nYakku repeatedly emphasizes that he has never been a member of a local religious organization, so he cannot know the details of its activities. He also claims that he does not use literature recognized as extremist. He reminds the court that the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses have not been and cannot be banned, and the choice of religion is a right guaranteed by the Constitution.\nDuring the trial, Yevgeny notes that neither he nor his wife encouraged others to use banned religious literature, and the entire batch of Bibles seized at customs and later recognized as extremist never entered Russia.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20201210","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 people come to the hearing in the Solombala District Court to support Yevgeniy Yakku.\nThe believer reads out his explanations of the charges against him. He notes that he has never been a member of the local religious organization in Arkhangelsk, the continuation of which he is accused of. In addition, the mentioned organization does not appear in the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017, to which the prosecutor refers, since it voluntarily ceased its activities even before this date.\nEugene Yakku comments on the repeated search of his home under the guise of an inspection, considering it illegal and emphasizing the judge's attention that nothing was seized from his apartment that day.\nThe charges in the criminal case include excerpts from printed publications of Jehovah's Witnesses concerning the origins of certain religious holidays. The defendant explains to Judge Nikolai Bakov that these quotes are taken from well-known books and encyclopedias. \"I emphasize once again,\" says Yevgeny, \"that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses was not prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017. Judging by what is attached to the written evidence and read out by the public prosecutor, it refers exclusively to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not in any way to the activities of the LRO. It turns out that I am being judged for believing in Jehovah God.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20201028","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the case of Yakku in the Solombala District Court. Listeners are not allowed in the hall. The defense submits motions for publicity, for the termination of the criminal case and for a change in the measure of restraint. Judge Nikolay Bakov refuses to satisfy the petitions. A break is announced until September 28. The indictment will be read out, after which the defendant will express his attitude to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20200818","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway to transfer the case from the Oktyabrsky District Court to the Solombalsky District Court of territorial jurisdiction. Eugene Yakku declares that he refuses the services of a lawyer at this stage due to his financial situation. \"Thanks to the persecution of the Investigative Committee, I was left without a job, all accounts were blocked, cars were arrested,\" the defendant explains. The court appoints a lawyer to participate in the hearing with the subsequent recovery of costs from the federal budget. Judge Natalia Maksimova grants Yakku's request to include the decision of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council in the case file.\nEugene Yakku expresses the opinion that the judge of the Oktyabrsky Court redirects the case to another court, fearing to take responsibility for making a decision on a case of serious international importance.\nThe defendant's lawyer believes that \"the decision of the Oktyabrsky District Court to change the territorial jurisdiction is illegal and unreasonable.\"\nThe appellate court decides to uphold the decision of the Oktyabrsky District Court to transfer the criminal case to the Solombalsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20200616","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["appeal","work-restrictions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yakku's case is referred to the Solombala District Court of competent jurisdiction. Yakku's lawyer intends to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20200219","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer expresses his disagreement with the charges to the Oktyabrsky Court of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is based on Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which states: \"Everyone is guaranteed freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or in community with others, any religion or not to profess any.\" Yevgeny also draws attention to the fact that the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 to ban religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, on the basis of which the prosecutor bases his accusation, did not address the issue of the rights of individuals to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nYakku also recalls the repeated statements of the Government of the Russian Federation that the decision of the Supreme Court \"does not assess the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, does not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually.\"\nYakku concludes: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, as well as the Government of the Russian Federation, publicly declare that citizens in Russia have the right to continue to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Therefore, it is not completely clear to me on what basis the investigating authorities and the prosecutor in the city of Arkhangelsk accuse me of extremism. The only explanation that I find is that the investigating authorities illegally freely interpret the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20200211","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor approves the indictment in the case of Yakku and then transfers it to the Oktyabrsky Court of Arkhangelsk. Yevgeniy files a complaint with the prosecutor's office about disagreement with the charges. The first and second criminal cases initiated against the believer are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20200210","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Roman Shagarov terminates the criminal case against Kaleria Mamykina, arguing that she \"exercised her right to freedom of religion\" under the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Receiving fellow believers in her home, Mamykina \"had no intention of participating in the activities of a [banned] religious organization.\" Thus, the woman's actions do not constitute a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20191127","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed","clearing","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer will re-appeal against the investigator's decision to refuse to conduct a comprehensive religious examination. The complaint was dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20191126","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator R. Shagarov initiates a new criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Yevgeniy Yakku - now he is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20191125","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Yakku's lawyer submits a petition to recognize the conclusion of this examination as inadmissible evidence and asks to appoint a re-examination at the FBI \"RFTSSE under the Ministry of Justice of Russia\". The application was denied.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20191113","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the criminal case, a commission of religious forensic examination was appointed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20190709","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against 78-year-old Kaleria Mamykina. According to investigators, the pensioner allegedly continued the illegal activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Arkhangelsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20190507","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eugene Yakku complains about unfair accusations to the European Court of Human Rights.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20190305","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["echr","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lomonosov District Court of Arkhangelsk arrests the cars of the Yakku family in order to ensure the execution of a possible sentence, implying a fine in the amount of a 3-year salary or up to 700 thousand rubles. Only the judge and the prosecutor participate in the hearing. Neither Yevgeniy Yakku nor his lawyer is invited to the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20190228","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1.1), 282.2 (2) against Yevgeny Yakku (born in 1980); according to the investigation, he participated in worship services, which is interpreted as participation and involvement in the activities of an \"extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). The case is being investigated by an investigator for especially important cases, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice R. Shagarov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yakku in Arkhangelsk","date":"2019-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/arkhangelsk2/index.html#20190213","regions":["arkhangelsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2018, mass searches were carried out in the homes of civilians in Kemerovo. A year and a half later, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Sergei Yavushkin and Alexander Bondarchuk. They were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and financing it, the reason for which was the conversations of men with people about God and meetings with fellow believers. The believers were sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days, and then under house arrest, where they spent 700 days each. As a result, Sergey and Alexander lost their jobs. Their property was seized. While in the temporary detention facility, Sergey was subjected to psychological pressure and ended up in the hospital with a stroke. In April 2020, the case went to court. The accusation was mainly based on the testimony of a witness who kept a secret record of worship. In June 2021, the court sentenced the believers to 4 years of probation. The appeal and cassation upheld the verdict. In September 2023, Sergey Yavushkin received parole.","date":"2019-07-19","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html","prisoners":["bondarchuk","yavushkin"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of the penitentiary inspectorate for parole. The prosecutor does not object. A believer is considered to have served a suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20230915","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["parole","suspended","282.3-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court upholds the sentence of Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin - 4 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20220216","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Bondarchuk delivers his last word. Sergey Yavushkin will speak at the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210617","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is postponed indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210517","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In addition to the participants in the trial, 20 people are allowed to attend the hearing. Aleksandr Bondarchuk's lawyer takes the floor in the debate. She notes that the prosecution did not provide any evidence that Bondarchuk committed criminal, extremist actions. She also explains that the accusation of the defendant in financing extremist activities is based only on the fact that Bondarchuk and Yavushkin allegedly paid 1,000 rubles for renting a pool for performing the rite of baptism, which in itself is not prohibited by law.\nThe lawyer cites positive characteristics of Bondarchuk from friends and colleagues, and also recalls that he has never been a member of the LRO.\nFurther, Bondarchuk himself enters the debate. He reports that the accusations are based on the testimony of the expert Schiller. Bondarchuk cites a number of proofs that Schiller does not have the necessary professional training to conduct a religious examination, since he is a historian by education, not a religious scholar.\nBondarchuk argues that the expert's conclusions are biased and were initially aimed at a negative assessment of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, although the Supreme Court did not give such an assessment.\nThe next meeting will be held on May 17, 2021 at 10:00. The remarks of the parties, the last word of the defendants, and, possibly, the announcement of the verdict are planned.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210426","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A small hall on the ground floor has been allocated for the court session, so not all those who come to support the believers can be accommodated there.\nIn the debate, a lawyer by appointment speaks. She draws attention to the fact that believers are charged with \"preliminary conspiracy\" to continue the activities of the banned organization, which, according to the investigation, occurred no later than May 27, 2017. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses entered into force only on July 17, 2017. In this regard, she asks the question: \"Can this circumstance confirm the existence of a conspiracy to commit a crime by Yavushkin and Bondarchuk, which does not exist on that date?\"\nFurther, the lawyer points out that there is no evidence of extremist motives of Bondarchuk and Yavushkin in the case materials. The presence of aggression, cruelty and coercion to baptism and acceptance of faith was denied even by prosecution witnesses who appeared before the court.\nThe lawyer notes that the testimonies of key prosecution witnesses Akinyaev and Petrova are \"partly far-fetched, partly false, contradictory, and also distorted by the investigator.\"\nThe lawyer also comments on the videos of the services: \"Not a single recording contained any arguments, expressions, appeals testifying to their extremist orientation ... There was no mention of any exclusivity or superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210419","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"9 people who came to support Sergey Yavushkin and Alexander Bondarchuk are allowed to the meeting.\nThe court is reviewing two videos produced by Jehovah's Witnesses: \"Medicine Without Blood Transfusions\" and \"Faithful in Trials.\" The defendants comment on the films, pointing out that there can be no extremism in the choice of quality treatment and that Jehovah's Witnesses suffer for their beliefs.\nJudge Vera Ulyanyuk grants the believers' request to include the Russian Foreign Ministry's response letter to the case.\nThen the prosecutor participates in the debate, who asks to sentence 60-year-old Sergei Yavushkin and 46-year-old Alexander Bondarchuk to 5 years in prison in a general regime colony.\nBelievers are courageous and maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210412","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 listeners are allowed to attend the meeting. Aleksandr Bondarchuk testifies. He briefly explains what Jehovah's Witnesses believe and shows the incompatibility of these views with extremism: \"For me, as a Christian, offensive speech is unacceptable, especially, as follows from the indictment, 'incitement of religious discord, propaganda of exclusivity.'\"\nBondarchuk draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and adds: \"Therefore, I had no intent to commit a crime, I calmly professed my religion.\" He also cites a federal law that lists extremist acts and draws attention to the lack of evidence in the prosecution that he committed any of them.\nThe defendant shows the absurdity of the accusation and, referring to the words of the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE, A. K. Lukashevich, says: \"Here [he] publicly declares that no formal permission is required for prayers. However, in the indictment, the investigation repeatedly refers to the fact that I read prayers.\"\nIn conclusion, Alexander quotes the words of the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin, said by him on 02.11.2018 in an interview: \"You can't force people to go against their faith, their traditions, family pedigree, in the end against truth, justice and just common sense!\" The defendant agrees with the President: \"It is illegal, under pain of criminal liability, to force me to go against my faith and conscience.\"\nThe next meeting is scheduled for February 24.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210208","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to quarantine measures, only the wives of the defendants are allowed to attend the hearing.\nSergey Yavushkin testifies. The criminal case against the believers is based on the testimony of a prosecution witness who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services since 2016. As it turned out later, since the spring of 2017, the witness had been covertly filming the services, cooperating with the investigating authorities. Sergey Yavushkin draws the court's attention to the fact that most of the witness's testimonies are false and contradict each other. The believer notes: \"The worst thing is that these testimonies had a negative impact on the course of the investigation, and, unfortunately, can negatively affect the court's decision.\"\nSergey Yavushkin draws the court's attention to the fact that he has never been a member of the LRO and has not received any material benefit from his fellow believers. \"I worked for 40 years at state enterprises,\" says the believer, \"I worked as an electric and gas welder, earned a pension, and I can say with confidence that I never lived at the expense of anyone, and did not receive money, except for my earnings at my place of work. [...] I tried to do only good and did not call on anyone to violate the rights and freedoms of others, also tried to work honestly, never took part in protests against the government, did not participate in strikes and did not support such events, and, moreover, did not act against the constitutional order.\nJudge Vera Ulyanyuk grants the defendants' request to watch the film \"Alternatives to Blood Transfusion\", as lawyers believe that it contains information in favor of the clients.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210124","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, Judge Vera Ulyanyuk attaches to the case file the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\nInterrogation of defense witnesses. All 9 people confirm that they have never heard from Bondarchuk and Yavushkin calls for extremism and undermining the constitutional order or negative statements about state power. Also, according to witnesses, the defendants never demonstrated the superiority of their religion and did not force others to talk about biblical topics. \"A person chooses what he wants,\" added one of the witnesses.\nAleksandr Bondarchuk's mother-in-law, who does not adhere to his religious beliefs, refutes the accusation of inciting the severance of family ties. She speaks warmly of her son-in-law and notes the beneficial influence of the Bible on her daughter's family life.\nAn employee of Yavushkin notes: \"I have never met a more loyal and friendly person.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210118","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of defense witnesses. A total of 6 people with different religious views, including colleagues and neighbors, who characterize the defendants exclusively on the positive side, were questioned. They explain that neither Bondarchuk nor Yavushkin spoke insultingly about other religions, did not talk about the superiority of their religion or nationality, did not impose their religion, did not conflict with others, did not call for the severing of family ties, did not speak disrespectfully towards the state, did not refuse medical care and did not call on others to do so.\n\"I can't say a single bad word about your whole family. Very responsive. They always come to the rescue,\" said one of the witnesses in response to a request from Sergei Yavushkin to describe his family.\n\"Oleksandr [Bondarchuk] is very responsible, executive. Relations with colleagues at work are good. I have never noticed any aggression, nothing like that, \"said Bondarchuk's boss.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20210111","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zavodsky District Court of Kemerovo is deciding on the extension of the preventive measure for Alexander Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin. Judge Vera Ulyanyuk extends his house arrest until December 31, 2020. They were denied a request to increase the duration of their walks, but their radius was increased to 300 meters. In addition, from now on they are allowed to communicate with their own children and grandchildren.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200921","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting of the Zavodsky District Court, prosecution witness Vadim Shiller, an expert of the Council for State Religious Expertise of the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region, is being interrogated. Schiller does not agree that the Witnesses' belief in the truth of their religion can be invoked as an accusation, since representatives of other religions hold a similar position. He also notes that he has not seen any calls for extremism in the literature of the Witnesses. A manifestation of extremism, according to the expert, is the use of the Bible by believers in the New World Translation. At the same time, however, he notes that this edition is not fundamentally different from other translations of the Bible. It turns out that the competence of an expert is not enough to see the difference between the meetings of fellow believers and the work of a local religious organization (LRO).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200914","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the examination, doctors find traces of a stroke suffered a year ago in 60-year-old Sergey Yavushkin (at that time he was subjected to psychological pressure from law enforcement officers in the temporary detention facility).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to satisfy the request for mitigation of the measure of restraint on the basis of the decision of the UN working group attached to the case. It states that Jehovah's Witnesses have nothing to do with extremism and calls for an end to criminal prosecution of believers. The defendants intend to appeal the refusal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200709","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 people come to the courthouse to support Sergey Yavushkin and Alexander Bondarchuk. Due to the epidemiological situation, only the wives of the accused are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe court is questioning prosecution witnesses who point to the respectful attitude of Jehovah's Witnesses to the state and note that they have never heard calls against the authorities. They also note that believers did not exert pressure on others to make certain decisions. One witness states that he did not say much of what is stated in the interrogation protocol.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses, Olga Petrova, speaks negatively about the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, while noting that she \"did not really delve into\" what was happening at the services and \"did not really listen.\"\nJudge Vera Ulyanyuk attaches the Decision of the UN Working Group to the case. The prosecutor did not object and requested that the consideration of the document be postponed for review.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200629","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the epidemic of coronavirus infection, the session of the Zavodsky District Court of the city of Kemerovo is held without listeners. Prosecution witnesses testify. Dmitry Vladimirov, a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, says that after the liquidation of the legal entity, he did not see how Jehovah's Witnesses continued their activities.\nYulia Anulyeva, a representative of the Kemerovo Region Department of the Ministry of Justice, explains that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200622","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zavodskiy District Court shall hold a hearing on the merits of the case in the absence of the audience. A representative of the Public Prosecutor's Office reads out the indictment. Believers express their attitude to the accusation, rejecting involvement in extremist activities. ","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200615","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zavodsky District Court of Kemerovo, Vera Ulyanyuk, decides to extend the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest to Alexander Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin for 6 months. Believers are required to remain under house arrest until the end of June 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200410","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yavushkin and Bondarchuk sign a waiver of a preliminary hearing in their criminal case. All court hearings are postponed for 3 weeks due to the coronavirus epidemic.\nThe prosecutor's office is ready to bring charges.\nSergey Yavushkin's health condition continues to deteriorate.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200301","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases Nikitin initiates a new criminal case against Bondarchuk and Yavushkin under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of extremist activities). The joint criminal case retains the previous 11902320035000583 number.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200113","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Yavushkina, Sergey's wife, was hospitalized due to nervous and emotional strain due to her husband's criminal prosecution. Sergey himself also continues to undergo treatment in the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20200109","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Kemerovo extends the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for another 3 months. Only close relatives are allowed into the courtroom. About 30 people come to support Alexander and Sergey, but they are allowed only into the corridor.\nThe believers intend to appeal the court's decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20191213","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again decides to arrest the property of Alexander Bondarchuk, although the previous similar decision was overturned by the appellate court. The believer prepares an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20191016","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge again decides to seize Sergey's property, despite the fact that the appellate instance had previously overturned a similar decision. The believer intends to appeal this decision as well.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20191004","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In a closed session, the court extends Bondarchuk's and Yavushkin's measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for 2 months. Sergey is forced to attend court despite his poor health.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190913","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Yavushkin is very worried about the criminal prosecution, and his health condition is deteriorating sharply. He is taken to the hospital by ambulance. The tracking bracelet on Sergey's leg greatly complicates the work of doctors. With great difficulty, it is possible to convince investigator Nikitin to allow the electronic bracelet to be removed in order to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Sergey is undergoing treatment in the department for stroke patients.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190822","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["health-risk","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal upholds the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190808","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court seizes the property of believers. They will appeal the decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190805","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Naumova, a judge of the Kemerovo Central District Court, seizes Sergey Yavushkin's car \"in order to ensure the execution of the court verdict in terms of property penalties in the form of a fine as a criminal punishment.\"\nA similar decision is made by the court in relation to Aleksandr Bondarchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190729","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Nikitin receives calls from the employers of both believers asking them to release them, as they are indispensable workers. Sergey Yavushkin, according to the chief, is \"the best locksmith,\" and the courthouse may be left without heating if he is not released.\nIn the Central District Court of Kemerovo, a meeting is being held to elect a measure of restraint. About 40 people are present at the hearing. Aleksandr Bondarchuk and Sergey Yavushkin are elected a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for a period of 2 months. The believers intend to appeal the court's decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190724","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Yavushkin is charged with committing a crime under Article 282.2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and is interrogated as an accused. The wives of Bondarchuk and Yavushkin are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190723","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 a.m., employees of the Investigative Committee again invaded the apartments of Bondarchuk and Yavushkin with a search and detained them. Electronic devices were seized. The case of believers is handled by Mikhail Nikitin, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Office of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2). According to investigators, local residents communicated with others about God and gathered with fellow believers, which, according to investigators, is \"a continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization.\" Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Alexander Bondarchuk (born in 1974), Sergey Yavushkin (born in 1960). The case is assigned No. 11902320035000583.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20190718","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Kemerovo, mass searches are being carried out in 12 houses of peaceful believers. The apartments are invaded by employees of the SOBR, the National Guard and the Investigative Committee. In some cases, the security forces behave aggressively. Electronic devices and personal belongings are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yavushkin and Bondarchuk in Kemerovo","date":"2018-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo/index.html#20180123","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Yegorov is an aspiring writer from Birobidzhan who, because of being one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses, was accused by the FSB of participating in extremist activities. In May 2018, security forces raided the home where he and his mother lived, and a year later, they initiated a criminal case against him. While under investigation, Yevgeniy got married, but due to a recognizance agreement, he was forced to cancel the honeymoon trip. Also, the young man was included on the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists. The court considered his case for a year and a half and finally gave him a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence in June 2021. This decision was upheld by the appellate court, but the cassation court returned the case to the regional court, which, in turn, sent the case back to the first instance court. Upon reconsideration, the position of the courts did not change—the suspended sentence of two and a half years entered into force in April 2023 after a second appeal.","date":"2019-07-29","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html","prisoners":["yegorov"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the decision of the lower court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20230411","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Egorov delivers his last word. The court schedules the announcement of the verdict on February 17.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20230214","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks Yevgeniy Yegorov for a sentence of 4 years in prison with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20230207","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, composed of judges G. M. Dezhurnaya, S. A. Busarov and N. Y. Khromina, decides to cancel the appellate ruling of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region of November 25, 2021 against Yevgeny Yegorov and to send the criminal case of the believer for a new appeal hearing to the same court with a different composition.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20220712","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region rejects the believer's appeal. The sentence of the lower court - 2.5 years suspended and 1 year of restriction of freedom - comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20211125","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Alexei Ivashchenko, sentences Yevgeny Egorov to 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence, as well as a year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20210621","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer takes the floor in the debate. He repeatedly points out that the case materials do not specify the accusation of the believer, which contains only general phrases, such as \"Egorov continued to realize his criminal intent aimed at participating in the activities of the banned religious organization LRO of Birobidzhan.\" He continues: \"All doubts about the guilt of the accused, which cannot be removed, are interpreted in favor of the accused. There are plenty of such doubts. However, at times there was a certain presumption of guilt in the court session.\nThe lawyer also states: \"Everything that the investigator and the prosecutor consider criminal is in fact lawful behavior, the exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion ... The mere existence of religious beliefs or the ways in which they are expressed may not constitute a crime.\"\nThe lawyer concludes: \"Unfortunately, in this case there is not only the inconsistency and vagueness of the accusation, but also the distortion of facts. Egorov did not commit any extremist actions, but this line is bent by the investigator and the prosecution throughout the process.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20210601","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the pleadings, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in prison with restriction of liberty for 1 year for Yevgeny Yegorov. The state prosecutor justifies this by the fact that the believer \"committed actions ... [which] were expressed in deliberate participation in ongoing religious meetings, religious speeches and worship services, ... illegal dissemination of information about their creeds.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20210518","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the judge attaches the following documents to the case file: a description of the believer Yevgeny Yegorov from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a certificate of family composition, an extract from the outpatient card of the believer's mother, informing her of her serious illness and that she needs her son's care.\nIn addition, the judge accepts the petition for the examination of new evidence of the defense, but refuses to attach the documents of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20210312","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out from the case file evidence that, in his opinion, confirms the guilt of the defendant, including religious examinations, as well as a characterization of the believer from the police.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20210212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings are suspended due to Yegorov's illness with coronavirus. The judge forgets to cancel the order to the bailiffs, who come to the defendant's apartment in the morning with a summons, insistently demanding his appearance in court. After a call to the secretary, the case is settled, the meeting is suspended for two weeks.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20201215","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Egorov submits 4 petitions. The request to admit the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was rejected. Motions for the preparation of the minutes of the court session in parts and for the issuance of a copy of the decision on the reasons for holding a closed session shall also be rejected. Due to the epidemiological situation, the court satisfies the petition for compliance with the measures, breaks are taken in the courtroom every 45 minutes.\nThe materials of the case are reviewed in a hurry. The prosecutor proposes to consider the recording files from the hidden camera not all in a row, but selectively - through one. The prosecutor notes that the defendant was captured on video.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20201117","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is requesting the suspension of the case due to the defendant's illness. The court postpones the consideration of the petition and sends a request about Yevgeny's condition to the regional hospital.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200928","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, the court session is being held without listeners. The court rejects Yegorov's petition to postpone the hearing. Videos of worship services are viewed. The prosecutor asks to rewind excerpts with Egorov's speeches.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200909","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall file a motion for the hearing to be held behind closed doors. The defendant and the defense object, considering the claims unfounded and unmotivated. Yevgeny Egorov points out that the lack of publicity infringes on his legal rights. Judge Alexei Ivashchenko - for the sake of \"moral safety\" of those present - decides that the hearing should continue behind closed doors. The listeners, and there are 17 of them, leave the courtroom. Egorov submits a motion for an open, impartial hearing. The prosecutor objects. The court rejects the defendant's request. The believer asks for a court order for a closed hearing. The court reviews videos of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200317","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits of the criminal case against Yevgeny Egorov continues in the Birobidzhan District Court.\nThere are 10 people in the hall who came to support the defendant. Egorov filed a motion to terminate the criminal case, stating that there were no grounds for criminal prosecution, since he enjoyed the right of religious freedom recorded in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The court refuses to satisfy the petition, justifying its actions by the fact that the case materials have not yet been examined, Yegorov's guilt has not been established. Eugene must file such a motion towards the end of the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200312","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Commencement of hearings on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200203","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. The court satisfies Yegorov's petition to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case and copy them and rejects the petitions for the exclusion of evidence, for the refusal of a lawyer, for the consolidation of 10 criminal cases and their return to the prosecutor's office. The court hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2020 at 14.30 (local time) at the address: Birobidzhan, Pionerskaya str., 32.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20200128","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is referred to federal judge Alexei Ivashchenko, who is also hearing the case of Igor Tsarev and Konstantin Guzev. The criminal case is assigned the number 1-48/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20191223","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Yevgeny Egorov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yegorov in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan9/index.html#20190729","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, FSB officers conducted mass searches in the homes of believers from the Murmansk Region, including Snezhnogorsk. Late in the evening, the law enforcement officers broke into the apartment of Yunona Ilyasova, a mother of three young children and a special education teacher. During the night, a search also took place at the home of Aleksey Yeliseyev. The believers spent 24 hours in a temporary detention center. According to the investigation, Yeliseyev and Ilyasova \u0026ldquo;organized individual preaching and the discussion of religious literature and its texts\u0026rdquo; - for this they were accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In August 2022, the case went to court. In May 2023, the believers were sentenced to fines.","date":"2021-07-19","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html","prisoners":["ilyasova","yeliseyev"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-05-15T09:53:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20230515","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting 6.5 years in prison for Aleksey Yeliseyev and 6 years for Yunona Ilyasova. The judge does not satisfy the defense's request for photo and video filming of the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20230410","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious scholar and sociologist Larisa Astakhova is being interrogated via video link. It turns out that during the examination, she ignored 34 questions from the defense, answering only 5. The lawyer also notes that Astakhova went beyond her powers and gave a legal assessment of the actions of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20230301","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"First meeting on the merits. Juno expresses her attitude to the accusation: \"The Supreme Court did not forbid me, with my family or with my friends, to discuss biblical issues, that is, to perform worship services. This is my constitutional right. And the discussion of the Bible by a group of people is not included in the list of extremist activities.\" She asks the court: \"For some reason, the fact that I sing songs and pray was considered extremism?\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20220921","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Aleksey Eliseev and Yunona Ilyasova is submitted to the Polyarny District Court of the Murmansk Region. It will be considered by judge Roza Bolotskaya.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20220815","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Yeliseyev and Yunona Ilyasova are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nMajor of Justice A. N. Leshkov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for Closed Administrative-Territorial Formations of the Murmansk Region of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, hands over to Eliseev and Ilyasova a decision to bring them as accused of violating Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believers \"searched for technical means and devices connected to the Internet, organized personal sermons, discussion of religious literature and its texts.\"\nAleksey Eliseev and Yunona Ilyasova are elected a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20210722","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["ivs","recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers S. V. Polishchuk, I. A. Meshchirikov and S. B. Mikheev organize searches at least at nine addresses of believers in the cities of Murmansk, Snezhnogorsk, Polyarny and Olenegorsk.\nIn the apartments of 38-year-old electric welder of the shipyard Alexei Eliseev and 36-year-old mother of three young children Yunona Ilyasova searches are carried out at night \"in connection with the urgency of investigative actions.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20210721","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. N. Leshkov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Murmansk Region, initiates criminal case No. 12102470006000036 on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Unidentified persons are accused of organizing extremist activities in the city of Snezhnogorsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Yeliseyev and Ilyasova in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk/index.html#20210719","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fashion designer and manicure master Tatyana Zagulina, following her husband Dmitry, was under investigation because of her faith in Jehovah God. In February 2020, FSB forensic investigator Dmitry Yankin opened criminal cases against Tatyana and other law-abiding residents of Birobidzhan, accusing them of extremism. In August 2020, the case went to court. During the process, one of the prosecution witnesses spoke positively about the behavior of the believers, another could not recognize the accused, and police officer Zvereva stated that she had not heard extremist calls from Zagulina. In April 2021, the Birobidzhan court sentenced Zagulina to 2 years and 6 months probation and 2 years of restriction of freedom. In September 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict, and in May 2022, the Court of Cassation upheld it. In November 2022, the court cleared the believer\u0026rsquo;s criminal record and canceled the sentence.","date":"2020-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html","prisoners":["zagulina"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge N. A. Shibanova satisfies the petition for the cancellation of the suspended sentence and the removal of the criminal record from Tatyana Zagulina. Now the believer is considered unconvicted.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20221103","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upholds the sentence of Tatyana Zagulina - 2 years and 6 months suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20220608","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region does not satisfy the appeal of Tatyana Zagulina. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-09-16T16:25:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yulia Tsykina finds Tatyana Zagulina guilty and sentences her to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment and 2 years of restriction of liberty.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210401","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Zagulina resolutely denies the guilt of extremism, emphasizing that she is in the dock solely for her faith. According to the believer, she did not commit any crimes and did not harm anyone. Even the actions of the security forces during the search were aimed not at an unbiased search for manifestations of extremism, but at proving that Tatyana Zagulina professes the religious views of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court sets the date for the announcement of the verdict: April 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210331","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution requests 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and 2 years of restriction of freedom for Tatyana Zagulina, with the obligation to report to the Federal Penitentiary Service twice a month. On March 31, 2021, at 5:00 p.m., the believer will deliver her last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210323","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, videos of biblical speeches are watched, in which listeners are encouraged to develop good qualities, fight bad habits and help each other.\nTatiana comments: \"It is clear from the video that we [Jehovah's Witnesses] not only maintain spiritual and moral, but also physical purity. We were taught to take care of our appearance, to observe personal hygiene, thereby taking care of our neighbors, of each other. Is this extremism? On the contrary, we learn only useful things.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210219","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the defense, a former classmate of Tatyana Zagulina, whom she has known since 2001, is speaking. She describes her as \"a gentle, good-natured person, sympathetic, cheerful, calm and non-confrontational.\" \"He lives according to the laws of the Bible,\" the witness adds.\nThe judge satisfies the motions to attach the characteristics of the defendant to the case file and to view video recordings.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for February 19, 2021 at 14:15.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210205","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yulia Tsykina rejects 3 petitions of Tatyana Zagulina. One of them is about the inadmissibility of interrogating prosecution witness Zvereva (a police officer who participated in operational-search activities against Birobidzhan believers in 2015-2016, when literature was planted in the worship buildings of Jehovah's Witnesses, she also testified at the hearings in the cases of Yevgeny Golik and Anastasia Sycheva). Motions for publicity of the trial and for the recognition of some evidence as inadmissible are also rejected.\nWitness Zverev is being interrogated. She notes that she has not heard any extremist appeals from either Zagulina or any other participant in the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to her, Tatyana was a simple listener at religious meetings, and the meetings themselves were held peacefully, the topics of family and raising children were discussed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20210126","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region begins with the interrogation of prosecution witnesses. The first witness is an employee of a café where believers held weddings and vacations with children, which the prosecution is trying to present as one of the meetings of members of a banned organization. The witness confirms that the believers spent friendly evenings in the café, behaved \"decorously and nobly, ate, drank tea, danced, no problems arose.\"\nThe second witness for the prosecution is that of another believer from Birobidzhan, Larisa Artamonova, who was witnessed during a search in the apartment of elderly parents. Looking at Tatyana Zagulina and her lawyer, he asks which of them is the defendant.\nThe witness talks about the circumstances of the search in the Artamonovs' apartment, noting that there were no calls for extremism or incitement to religious hatred from the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20201022","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Yulia Tsykina. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (Pionerskaya Street, 32).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20201002","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing of the case is underway. The believer makes a number of petitions. Judge Yulia Tsykina gives the prosecutor time to prepare her comments on these motions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200917","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court and transferred to Judge Yulia Tsykina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200819","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case with the indictment against Tatyana Zagulina are sent to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200730","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region Yankin D.S. chooses Tatyana Zagulina a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200219","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region D.S. Yankin charges Tatyana Zagulina with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200218","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin is initiating another case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 6 criminal cases for faith against 6 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Nataliya Kriger . All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zagulina in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan15/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It took a Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness from Kabardino-Balkaria almost 5 years to prove that he was not an extremist. The criminal prosecution began in 2016, when the security forces \u0026ldquo;found\u0026rdquo; planted banned literature in the church building. The believer was charged with \u0026ldquo;inciting hatred and enmity\u0026rdquo; (later the article was decriminalized) and \u0026ldquo;public calls for extremist activities.\u0026rdquo; At the hearings in the Maisky District Court, it turned out that the special services were recruiting false witnesses in educational institutions where Zalipaev worked. The state prosecutor asked to appoint the believer to 2 years in prison, but the court acquitted him. In January 2021, the Supreme Court of Kabardino-Balkaria approved this decision, and in February 2021, the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office made an official apology to Zalipaev. In July 2021, the Maisky City Court ruled to pay the believer one million rubles in compensation for moral damage, but the court of appeal reduced this amount to 500,000 rubles.","date":"2017-08-10","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html","prisoners":["zalipaev"],"regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic on appeal reduces the amount of compensation for moral damage to Yuri Zalipayev to 500,000 rubles. This decision takes effect immediately. The amount of compensation for non-pecuniary damage does not include coverage of legal costs.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210923","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["compensation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alla Grinenko, judge of the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is collecting 1,000,000 rubles from the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation in favor of Yuri Zalipaev as compensation for moral damage.\nThe court proceeded from the fact that a negative assessment of a citizen by the state, an accusation of actions that are not consistent with generally accepted norms of behavior in themselves presuppose the presence of moral suffering. In addition, due to the criminal prosecution, which lasted more than four years, Yuriy Zalipaev could not work and was interrupted by odd jobs. During numerous interrogations, he experienced prolonged psychological pressure. The believer was under recognizance not to leave for 898 days and could not move freely.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210705","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["compensation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Pyatigorsk. More than 10 people come to the courthouse, but only the believer and his lawyer are allowed to attend the hearing. A panel of 3 judges chaired by Sergey Leontiev and judges Svetlana Kharrasova and Andrey Zhelezny rejects the prosecutor's appeal against the verdict and finally acquits Yuriy Zalipaev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210520","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Lukyanov A.V. makes an official apology to Yuriy Zalipaev for the harm caused by the unjust criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210225","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["prosecutor-apology"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Zalipayev delivers his final speech in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. He thanks the court for the opportunity to participate in the hearing, despite his illness, and draws attention to the real reason for the appearance of his criminal case: \"I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses! That is why my family and I are being subjected to unlawful and unfair persecution.\" He adds that no amount of attacks will shake his faith or deprive him of hope that the times of persecution will soon be a thing of the past.\nAfter hearing the arguments of the believer, Judge Fatimat Chechenova issues an appeal ruling - to uphold the acquittal verdict handed down by the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria on October 7, 2020. Thus, Yuriy Zalipayev is finally found not guilty of calling for extremist activities. The acquittal shall enter into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210122","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed to January 22, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210114","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In response to Yuriy Zalipayev's appeal, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice I.Y. Vertyanov, Deputy Head of the Military Investigation Department for the Southern Military District (316th Military Investigation Department), reports that Svetikov's actions revealed signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (abuse of office, if committed: a) with the use of violence or with the threat of its use; b) with the use of weapons or special means; c) with the infliction of grave consequences).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2021-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20210111","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed to January 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20201211","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the illness of Yuri Zalipayev, the appeal hearing on the prosecutor's complaint, scheduled for that day in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, was postponed. The disease developed after the Zalipayev family spent the entire day on November 12, 2020 in the corridors and offices of law enforcement agencies. All family members showed signs of coronavirus infection: loss of smell, fever, chest and kidney pain.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20201127","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Zalipaev submits an appeal to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. In it, he reports on the illegal actions of investigator Sergei Svetikov, who searched his home on November 12, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20201118","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Maysky (Kabardino-Balkaria), a new search is underway in the family of Yuri Zalipaev. Earlier, on October 7, he was fully acquitted by the Maysky District Court under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. This time, the interest of law enforcement officers was aroused by Vadim, Yuri's son.\nAmong the security forces is Sergey Svetikov, an employee of the FSB for the CBD, whom believers and their lawyers have repeatedly accused of falsifying operational materials.\nAccording to preliminary information, searches were also carried out at five addresses of believers in the city of Tyrnyauz. Details are being specified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20201112","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria Elena Kudryavtseva fully acquits Yuriy Zalipaev. The verdict will come into force if the prosecutor's office does not appeal against it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20201007","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, prosecutor Irina Bagova requests a sentence of 2 years in prison for Yuriy Zalipaev. The believer's lawyer Anton Omelchenko and Yuriy himself, speaking in the debate, emphasize that not a single word of enmity or hatred was found in Zalipaev's words. The Maysky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria intends to announce the verdict on October 7, at 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200921","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Maisky district court, Elena Kudryavtseva, refuses to appoint a re-examination to the state prosecutor.\nThe court reveals violations in the examination conducted by Dinara Adzhamatova and recognizes her conclusion as inadmissible evidence.\nTaking into account the request of the state prosecutor for time to prepare for the debate, the court schedules the hearing for September 18, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200828","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor submits a petition for re-examination. He asks to entrust its production to teachers of the Bashkir State University and Lyceum No. 106 of the city of Ufa. The defense objects, considering the conclusions of the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia to be sufficiently substantiated.\nThe court retires to the deliberation room to make a decision. The announcement of the decision based on the results of consideration of the petition is scheduled for August 28, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200826","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Maysky district court of the KBR, a hearing is being held in the case of Yuri Zalipaev. Via videoconference with the Basmanny Court of Moscow and Makhachkala, the court interrogates experts from the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of Russia - Vitaly Kuznetsov, Head of the Forensic Linguistic Examination Laboratory, and Tatyana Sekerage, Head of the Forensic Psychological Examination Laboratory, Roman Lunkin, a religious scholar from Moscow, Doctor of Sciences Roman Lunkin, and a linguist from Dagestan, Senior Lieutenant Dinara Adzhamatova.\nMoscow experts identify the problem of applying scientific research methods to the statements attributed to Yuri Zalipaev by the investigation, since for their analysis there is not enough accurate data on who exactly uttered them, where, when, to whom, in what context and for what purpose.\nAccording to regional expert Dinara Adzhamatova, her goal was not to solve expert problems, but only to analyze the text provided by the investigator, since she considered the believer's guilt already proven.\nThe prosecutor considers it necessary to conduct a re-examination and asks for at least 10 days to clarify the application. The judge gives the prosecutor two days and schedules the next hearing for August 26, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200824","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A series of searches are taking place in Mayskoye. Security forces invade the homes of local believers. After the searches, at least one man and several women were taken to the security forces for interrogation. Their fate is currently unknown.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200520","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the receipt of information from the expert institution that the deadline for the completion of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic, religious examination has been extended until April 2020, the court postpones the hearing until 10:00 on May 6, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20200204","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next hearing is scheduled for 04.02.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190719","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court examines and attaches to the case the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which indicates that there is no evidence that Jehovah's Witnesses are prone to violence.\nIt turns out that the mobile operator has lost data on the connections of prosecution witness Olga Makarova. These data could serve as evidence that from June 11 to June 20, 2016, the woman did not attend services in Mayskoye and, therefore, could not hear the calls for religious hatred that are imputed to Zalipaev.\nThe parties declare that the provision of evidence has been completed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190620","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court appoints a psychological and linguistic religious examination at the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of Russia. Yuriy Zalipayev continues to be under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190604","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears Galina Ivanenko, Candidate of Philological Sciences, as a specialist in the case. She draws attention to the fact that the style of statements imputed to Yuri Zalipaev differs from the style of his speeches. She also notes that it is impossible to conduct a high-quality examination without considering the statements of the defendant himself, based only on their retelling by other people.\nThe prosecution asks to appoint a psychological and linguistic examination. The defense objects, drawing attention to the meaninglessness of the examination in this case. The court retires to the deliberation room until the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190603","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examined the documents characterizing the prosecution witnesses Svetikov S.A., Makarova O.V., Popov V.M., Kochesokova R.M. as persons whose reputation raises doubts about their veracity. For example, the court examined the verdict handed down to prosecution witness Olga Makarova on the fact of embezzlement of trade union funds; she was under investigation during the very period (summer of 2016) when, on the instructions of the FSB, she attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses. In addition, FSB officer Sergei Svetikov was previously accused of involvement in unjustified criminal prosecution and exerting pressure on witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190515","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court investigated the billing of the phones of prosecution witnesses Yevgeny Kireev and Viktor Popov. Billing revealed that the witnesses acted together with witness Olga Makarova under the supervision of FSB officer Sergei Svetikov. In addition, on this day, diplomas and commendations awarded to Yuri Zalipaev and his family members were examined. Finally, the court examined several rulings of the European Court of Human Rights on Jehovah's Witnesses' complaints of persecution (sometimes for years) for refusing violence, from serving in the armed forces, or simply from wearing military uniforms. The European Court emphasized that the conviction of Jehovah's Witnesses in the unacceptability of violence is irresistible. This completely negates the empty accusation that Yuriy Zalipayev allegedly called for beating people of a different religion.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190514","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court questioned the defendant. Yuriy Zalipaev told how he searched for God, attending services of different religions. He maintained friendly relations with the faithful he met in the Orthodox and Pentecostal churches. He also has good relations with his Muslim neighbors. The words attributed to him could not have been uttered by any of Jehovah's Witnesses at all. According to Yuri, if a Christian elder of Jehovah's Witnesses had made an appeal to his fellow believers to threaten and beat Muslims and Orthodox Christians, he could not have remained an elder. Jehovah's Witnesses would no longer consider him their brother in faith. It is impossible to persuade them to violence. Yuri said that Jehovah God, as he appears in the Bible, is a peaceful God who expects his servants not to repay evil for evil. The hearings will continue on May 14 at 10:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190508","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court devoted the hearing to the study of data on telephone connections of the participants in the criminal case of Yuri Zalipaev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190507","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maysky District Court of the KBR continued its consideration of the criminal case on charges of Yuri Zalipayev of \"public calls for extremist activities\" (part 1 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). During the court session, in the presence of many listeners from 3 cities, the court reproduced audio recordings of 5 services with the participation of Zalipaev and examined their transcripts. The materials corroborated the testimony of defense witnesses and refuted the statement of prosecution witnesses. Zalipaev's speeches not only do not include unscientific speculation and calls for threats and violence, but, on the contrary, are full of quoting the opinions of scientists and are replete with condemnation of violence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190506","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses has entered the final stage. At the hearing, the court heard six more defense witnesses: children, relatives and neighbors of Yuri Zalipaev. The court attached to the case the conclusions of a religious scholar and linguist, which stated that he had not uttered the statements attributed to Zalipayev because they did not correspond to his individual speech characteristics and the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. It was also stated that the previous linguistic examination was carried out in violation of the law and methodology.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190410","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court questioned seven witnesses for the defence. Some reported that they had known Zalipayev for more than 40 years and were convinced that the hate speech attributed to the defendant did not correspond to either his essence or the faith in which he lives. According to them, Zalipayev taught others to avoid conflicts and set an example in this, making concessions for the sake of peace with other people. He maintains good relations with numerous relatives, including those professing Orthodoxy and Islam. Even when raising children, Zalipayev used only a calm word, without resorting to shouting and, especially, assault, witnesses said.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190409","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court heard the arguments of five defense witnesses. Witnesses described in detail how worship services of believers were actually held in 2016, at which negative statements about Orthodox Christians and Muslims were allegedly made. According to them, the topics discussed were completely far from what the prosecution witnesses reported, and concerned the topics of Christian perseverance, manifestations of love and good deeds, hope for the resurrection of dead loved ones, the fight against bad habits, etc.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190325","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic secured Yuriy Zalipayev's right to rehabilitation in connection with the refusal of the prosecutor's office to further prosecute him under Part 1 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. However, under Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the persecution of the believer continues. The Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic will continue its hearings on March 21, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190315","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the Supreme Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic was postponed to March 15, 2019 at 10:00. The Court of Appeal must answer the question: is Yuriy Zalipayev entitled to compensation in the event that the prosecutor refuses to prove the validity of the earlier charges?\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190313","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the filing of an appeal by the prosecutor, the court hearings were postponed until March 13, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190205","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge terminated the criminal proceedings on charges of inciting hatred and enmity due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions. The court recognized the believer's right to rehabilitation, including compensation for moral damage and legal expenses. The charge of calling for extremist activity against Zalipayev is still not dropped.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190123","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asked to terminate the proceedings in the part of the charge against Yuri Zalipayev under the article on incitement to hatred and enmity (part 1 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and on the continuation of the prosecution in the part of the charge of public calls for extremist activities (part 1 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The defense objected to the termination of the proceedings on non-rehabilitative grounds. According to the defense, the court should fully investigate the circumstances of the case and acquit the defendant, giving him the right to rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2019-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20190122","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On that day, 4 defense witnesses were questioned. The interrogation of witness Agarina, who on August 20, 2016, filmed the security forces during searches in the worship building, lasted especially long and with two interruptions. The judge bombarded Agarin with questions and did not listen to the answers. This behavior of the presiding judge during the interrogation raised an objection from the defense.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181225","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 defense witnesses were questioned. Witnesses described in detail how the services with the participation of Yuriy Zalipayev were actually held in the summer of 2016. From these testimonies, it is clear that Zalipayev did not make any speeches at all on those dates when, according to the indictment, he allegedly \"called for the prohibition of Muslims and Orthodox Christians from visiting mosques and churches.\" It can also be seen that Olga Makarova did not attend the service on these dates, who, according to the prosecution, heard such a speech. Believers reported that religious literature was not used in the summer of 2016, as it stopped arriving in Russia. Moreover, the old issues of the magazines \"Awake!\", which fell under the injunction, were destroyed by believers in their libraries. Witness Tatiana Gradvol described in detail how she recorded the actions of law enforcement officers on August 20, 2016. The recording was re-viewed with the participation of a witness, and again it was certified that there was no banned literature in the building at the time of the arrival of the staff. More than an hour passed before the literature appeared on the bench, during which the security forces forcibly took the believers out one by one, took away mobile devices, preventing them from recording, and after clearing the foyer of those present, locked themselves there, eliminating the possibility of observing the fact of the planting.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181210","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense began to present evidence. Frame-by-frame review of videos filmed in the house where the services were held revealed that the security forces began inspecting the building without witnesses. On the bench in the lobby, where the banned publications were later discovered, there was only one item - the Bible. The witnesses appear in the frame much later - right before the moment when the FSB officer Svetikov allegedly finds 17 more magazines and brochures on the specified bench, in addition to the Bible.\nResidents of the city of Prokhladny, Arkady Akopyan and Anton Tumakov, were interrogated as witnesses, who confirmed that the FSB officer Svetikov personally gave them a phone number, the use of which he is now trying to hide. Information about telephone conversations proved that calls were made from this number to all participants in the criminal case.\nWitness Kirill Gushchin, a resident of the town of Mayskoye, was interrogated. He described in detail how the divine services of the believers were held. He stated that Yuriy Zalipayev never handed out banned literature, and also never spoke negatively about Muslims and Orthodox Christians. According to Gushchin, such behavior is basically impossible for those who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Gushchin said that on the days indicated by the prosecution, Zalipayev read to believers announcements about the next publications included in the federal list of extremist materials. He encouraged believers to destroy such literature.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181207","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court, in the presence of Tligachev, an employee of the Center for Countering Extremism of Kabardino-Balkaria, examined the materials of the case on bringing the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Maysky to administrative responsibility. The case was initiated after law enforcement officers planted banned literature in the building for worship meetings on August 20, 2016. The defense drew attention to the fact that there are corrections in the Building Inspection Report, which may indicate subsequent falsification. Tligachev said that he did not see them.\nAt this point, the prosecution concluded the presentation of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181122","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Kochesokova, deputy director for educational work at Gymnasium No. 2, said that in 2016 she received three Awake! magazines for 2009 from a woman \"who wanted to talk about Jehovah's Witnesses.\" A year later, Kochesokova was summoned for interrogation, where she was told that these publications were extremist. Kochesokova did not explain how investigators found out she had these logs. Kochesokova, she claims, is not familiar with the law enforcement officer Sergei Svetikov, who participated in the search of the worship premises. According to Kochesokova, on a phone number belonging to Svetikov, she called up a woman Anastasia.\nOn that day, FSB officer Sergei Svetikov, who, according to the defense, is the organizer of provocations and falsifications against Jehovah's Witnesses, was questioned in court. He explained that he met Anastasia in the store in 2012 - the girl asked the security officer to issue a SIM card to him, because she did not take her passport with her. This explains the fact that Anastasia called from his number, the FSB officer considered. According to Svetikov's testimony, \"Anastasia Shtangeeva\" \"is a representative of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye\" (the constituent documents do not confirm this), is trying to establish the phones of law enforcement officers and recruit them, and also tried to find his namesakes and call them. Svetikov told the court his version of how the search in the building took place. According to him, believers, including Zalipaev, \"hindered the work\" of the operatives. As it turned out, the \"obstacle\" was either verbal or consisted in the fact that the believers filmed what was happening on video. Svetikov claimed that law enforcement officers used force against those who, during their visit to the worship building, \"climbed to fight.\" Why there is not a single protocol on the attack on law enforcement officers, Svetikov did not explain. During the search of the worship building, there were dozens of believers who were forced by the security forces to delete video recordings of events filmed on mobile devices. According to Svetikov, the believers deleted the records only voluntarily. True, the security official clarified that \"until they show it, no one left; Those who deleted the videos were free to leave.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181021","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony was given by Mikhail Romensky, the director of the school in the village of Kotlyarevskaya, who was a witness during the inspection of the liturgical building. He told how the search took place, and also stated that before these events, a girl named Anastasia \"called for a long time, had conversations about faith.\" He also confirmed that he was familiar with the FSB officer Svetikov, from whose number the same Anastasia called.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20181019","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Arsen Getokov, who ensured road safety near the worship room, where the security forces seized religious literature, spoke in court. According to him, he did not know about the essence of what was happening, but he did not see any riots during the search. Getokov said he had never heard of Jehovah's Witnesses attacking Orthodox Christians and Muslims.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180924","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, the billing of telephone connections of prosecution witness Viktor Popov, director of school No. 42 in Prokhladny, was examined. Popov was a witness during a search of the worship hall of Jehovah's Witnesses when banned literature was found there. He testified that he had received a call from \"Anastasia Shtangeeva\" urging him to \"resort to the true faith.\"\nOlga Makarova, a resident of Prokhladny, a witness for the prosecution, said she attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from July to August 2016. There, in her words, \"she was treated well,\" but Zalipaev \"made bad statements against Islam and Christianity.\" Zalipayev \"spoke inappropriately against Islam, against Muslims\" and called for \"psychological and physical influence on persons professing other religions,\" \"said to beat,\" Makarova said. She could not recall the exact statements, but indicated that the August 2009 magazine \"Awake!\" had been distributed at the meetings. Makarova said she was \"advised\" to distribute literature, and in August, together with a woman \"who looked like a parishioner,\" she handed out \"thin pamphlets like leaflets\" in Mayskoye, the contents of which she also could not remember. At first, Makarova said that she had received literature from Zalipaev. Then - that the publications were freely available in the lobby of the worship building and they \"could be taken by any parishioner.\" According to Makarova, she learned that the literature was \"extremist\" during a search of the building. By extremism, Makarova means that believers \"are good speakers, they involve them well in their organization, they promote their faith.\" When asked what was embarrassing in the literature itself, Makarova replied: \"It's intuitive ... Once closed, it means that something is wrong. Makarova also communicated with Anastasia, as she stated, only by phone and \"to Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nWitness Vitaly Beriev said that he and a friend received from a certain woman several magazines \"Awake!\" and \"The Watchtower\" from 15-20 years ago, which looked \"as if they had been taken out of old vaults.\" They threw the magazines into the trash can, not reading. He said that he also received a phone call from a woman to talk about religious topics, and confirmed that he knew from his work with FSB officer Svetikov. Beriev could not explain why he was invited as a witness for the search.\nThe key witness for the prosecution, Yevgeny Kireev, was interrogated, after whose statement a search was conducted in the liturgical building. According to him, Zalipayev at religious meetings encouraged moral pressure on representatives of other faiths, and during the search called for obstruction of the security forces. According to Kireyev, his son-in-law, a programmer, told him that Jehovah's Witnesses were an \"extremist religion,\" after which they jointly filed a statement with law enforcement agencies. After that, Kireyev continued to attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses because \"it was interesting.\" Kireyev told the court that even before he began his visits to worship meetings, he had received a phone call from \"Anastasia Shtangeeva,\" whom he described as \"Zalipayev's right-hand man.\" During the search, according to Kireyev, believers indignantly declared that the literature found by the security forces had been planted.\nTestimony was also given by the head of the search in the Kingdom Hall, an employee of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the CBD, Timur Tligachev. The search was carried out after \"they said that Zalipayev was distributing literature from the Ministry of Justice (meaning the federal list of extremist materials),\" Tligachev explained. As he claimed, during the search he was insulted by believers. How exactly, Tligachev found it difficult to say. Having found the literature, the officers called the investigative-operational group - \"there was an instruction from above.\" Who gave it, Tligachev did not remember.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180911","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five law enforcement officers were questioned at the court hearing. One of them, Victoria Khamdokhova, participated in the search in the Kingdom Hall and drew up a protocol on an administrative offense against Zalipayev. Khamdokhova considered that the literature belonged to Zalipaev, based on the statement of Yevgeny Kireev (a key witness for the prosecution, at whose request the search was conducted in the liturgical building), after which the search began. The witness is not aware that Zalipayev publicly called for beating Muslims and Orthodox Christians. Although other witnesses reported that believers were outraged by the planting of literature from the list of extremist materials, Hamdokhova said that no one voiced complaints during the search. Hamdokhova also admitted that the security forces seized the tablets on which those present filmed a video of what was happening. The witness also admitted that she had called up FSB officer Svetikov on the phone, the number of which was indicated by the defense.\nAnother witness, traffic police inspector Vladimir Makhmudov, said that he did not know the facts of the attack of Jehovah's Witnesses on representatives of other religions. The same testimony was given by other prosecution witnesses questioned that day.\nTraffic police officer Vladimir Bochkov, who was invited to court by the prosecution, said that he \"does not know anything and does not understand at all why he was invited here.\" On the day of the search, Bochkov was on duty near the Kingdom Hall.\nWitness Sultan Kumakhov took part in the search. He explained that he had interrogated the witness Kireyev, who, in his words, was \"one of the parishioners.\" Kireyev saw extremist statements in the brochure of Jehovah's Witnesses. Referring to Kireyev, Kumakhov also said that Zalipayev exalted his faith over others. At the same time, Kumakhov did not receive confirmation of this information from anyone else.\nTimur Friev, an employee of the CPE, was part of the task force that conducted the search. He said that during the events in the worship building, believers announced the planting of literature. He also claimed that he did not know the FSB officer Svetikov, but could not clarify how the billing revealed the fact of his telephone conversations with him. Friev also did not hear Zalipayev utter offensive remarks, calls for pressure and violence.\nThe testimony was given by the director of School No. 42 Prokhladny, Viktor Popov, who described the circumstances of the search in court. He confirmed that the believers claimed that the case was fabricated and said that during the search in the Hall the lights were turned off for several minutes. Thus, the circumstances of the survey, which, according to believers, was intentionally carried out after it got dark, were confirmed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180907","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Assistant Prosecutor of the Maisky District Denis Shapovalov was interrogated. He confirmed that the phone number from which the falsification of evidence was coordinated belongs to FSB officer Sergei Svetikov. According to Shapovalov, he is not aware of any Jehovah's Witnesses distributing literature on the federal list of extremist materials.\nThe testimony was given by a local resident, Yuri Vodogretsky, an employee of the Children's Academy of Creativity in Mayskoye. He said that a certain woman in August 2016 gave him and his friend from the magazine \"Awake!\". They threw the literature into the trash can. The witness could not explain how the security forces learned about the events of almost a year ago and invited him to testify in the Zalipayev case. He also stated that he was not aware of the attempts of the security forces to recruit false witnesses from the field of education, in which Yuriy Zalipayev had previously worked.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180827","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits began with a statement by the public prosecutor of the merits of the charges. In his opinion, the defendant not only spoke unflatteringly about Muslims and Orthodox Christians, but called on other Jehovah's Witnesses to beat them, and also distributed religious literature, the distribution of which is prohibited in Russia, to non-Jehovah's Witnesses, so that they would distribute it instead of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nDefense lawyer Anton Omelchenko noted in his speech that the investigator refused to attach almost two volumes of written evidence collected by the defense, and refused to conduct an author's study, which would be guaranteed to show that Yuriy Zalipayev did not utter the statements attributed to him. Moreover, law enforcement agencies tried to destroy videos of how evidence against Zalipayev was falsified.\nAccording to the lawyer, the prosecution itself presented evidence to the court that law enforcement agencies destroyed some evidence, falsified others, and when they realized that they had been exposed, they began to take measures aimed at concealing their illegal activities. The falsification of evidence was coordinated from a telephone belonging to FSB officer Sergei Svetikov.\nThe fact that this phone belonged in the testimony was personally confirmed by the district police commissioner of the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the Maisky district, Alexander Savinov. At the same time, the district police officer never observed that Jehovah's Witnesses showed violence against Muslims or Orthodox Christians.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180716","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Elena Kudryavtseva held a preliminary hearing behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zalipayev in Mayskiy","date":"2018-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy/index.html#20180621","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, the Russian Interior Ministry for the Nizhny Novgorod Region conducted searches in a total of 35 homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Several criminal cases were initiated, one of them against Maksim Zavrazhnov, a resident of Nizhny Novgorod. The believer was accused of \u0026ldquo;conducting meetings, collecting donations for the needs of a religious organization and improving the skills of missionary activity.\u0026rdquo; For seven months, Zavrazhnov was under a ban on certain actions, and in February 2020 he was placed under a recognizance agreement. In October 2021, the case was submitted to the district court. During the hearings, some witnesses stated that the protocols they signed contained information that they did not disclose. The prosecutor requested 5 years in a penal colony for the believer, but the court gave him a 6 year suspended sentence. In December 2022, an appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2019-07-17","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html","prisoners":["zavrazhnov"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court approves the conviction of Maksim Zavrazhnov.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-12-05T15:33:51+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20221205","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Azamat Ionov finds Maksim Zavrazhnov guilty of extremism and sentences him to 6 years probation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220530","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zavrazhny's lawyer speaks in the debate. The defendant's last word is scheduled for May 11. A verdict may be passed at the same time.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220413","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Zavrazhnov gives additional testimony in the case.\nD. S. Maryenko, assistant prosecutor of the Moskovsky district of Nizhny Novgorod, asks the court to sentence the believer to 5 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220329","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a motion to admit the testimony of the witness, who was forced to sign the protocol with the information added by the detective, as improper evidence.\nThe defendant reads out his written notes.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220214","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses in the case are being questioned.\nThey do not support their testimony recorded in the protocols of their interrogations shortly after the searches in July 2019.\nThe court interrogates the detective Osipov. He tells the details of the operational-search activities: how the defendant was surveilled, how the secret recording of divine services was carried out, etc.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220128","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\nOne of the witnesses tells the court that the protocols she signed contain information that she did not report and which was added by the operational officer herself, and she was forced to sign the document.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20220110","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listeners are not allowed to attend the hearing in the courtroom due to restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.\nProsecutor D. Maryenko makes a brief review of the five volumes of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20211221","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the criminal case against Maxim Zavrazhnov has been transferred to the Moskovsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20211025","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that restrictions are lifted from Maksim Zavrazhnov, the measure of restraint is changed to a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20200227","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions is extended until 03.02.2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2019-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20191129","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moskovsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod extends Zavrazhnov's ban on certain actions until 03.12.2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2019-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20190916","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod District Court of Nizhny Novgorod chooses a measure of restraint for Zavrazhnov in the form of a ban on certain actions with certain restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20190718","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Zavrazhnov was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activity), the believer was detained and interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Makerov, senior investigator for internal affairs, decides to initiate criminal cases against unidentified persons, \"in whose act there are signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation,\" referring to the results of an inspection conducted by employees of the Center for Countering Extremism in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zavrazhnov in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2018, the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Primorye Territory opened a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Vladivostok. Believers were searched. Valentin Osadchuk spent 9 months in pre-trial detention and 77 days under house arrest. In April 2019, he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and 6 elderly women—Lyubov Galaktionova, Nailya Kogay, Nina Purge, Nadezhda Anoykina, Raisa Usanova and Yelena Zayshchuk—were accused of participating in it. Soon the case was received by the Leninsky District Court, but a month later the judge returned it to the prosecutor. This decision was upheld twice by the appellate court. Since January 2021, the case has been re-examined in the same court by Maksim Anufriyev. With regard to Zayshchuk, the case was suspended due to her advanced age and state of health.","date":"2018-04-09","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html","prisoners":["zayshchuk"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"Due to the serious illness of Elena Zayshchuk, the case against her was suspended.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2021-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20210219","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Valentin Osadchuk and 6 elderly believers is transferred to the Leninsky District Court of Vladivostok and appointed to Judge Maxim Anufriev.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20210119","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok, chaired by Judge Natalia Khromina, satisfies the prosecutor's request to return the case to the prosecutor's office. The case of Osadchuk and others is referred to the court of first instance for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2020-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20201216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is being held in the Primorsky Regional Court. Prosecutor V. A. Tymoshenko speaks on behalf of the prosecution. The Court refuses to accept the decision of the UN Working Group on the detention of Russian Jehovah's Witnesses and points out that it would be more appropriate to use it in the court of first instance when considering the case on the merits.\nThe court shall issue a decision to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20200629","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction Yevgeny Zheleznov cancels the appeal decision in the case of Osadchuk and others and sends the case for a new appeal to the Primorsky Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Zaishchuk and six other women aged 61 to 84, namely Nadezhda Anoykina, Lyubov Galaktionova, Naila Kogai, Nadezhda Anoykina, Nina Purga and Raisa Usanova, have been charged with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20190417","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the Primorsky Territory Tunyk softens the measure of restraint for Osadchuk from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20190405","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tunyk, a senior investigator of the Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Primorsky Territory, changes the charge - now Osadchuk is charged not with participation, but with organizing the activities of a banned community.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20190401","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court extends the term of Osadchuk's house arrest for a month, that is, until April 9. The court also relaxed a number of prohibitions, allowing Valentin a 2-hour walk and allowing him to see some relatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20190304","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court softens the measure of restraint and transfers Osadchuk to house arrest until March 9, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2019-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20190118","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentin Osadchuk was charged with participation in the activities of an organization banned by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20180427","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok sends Valentin Osadchuk to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20180423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, a series of searches are taking place in Vladivostok, during which FSB officers interrogate 83-year-old Yelena Zaishchuk, 66-year-old Nailya Kogay and 42-year-old Valentin Osadchuk. Law enforcement officers take a written undertaking not to leave the place from elderly women, and Osadchuk was detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20180419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Primorsky Territory is initiating a criminal case on extremism. One of the defendants is Valentin Osadchuk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zayshchuk in Vladivostok","date":"2018-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok11/index.html#20180409","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2019, the FSB in Ulyanovsk opened a case against the Mysin couple and their co-religionists Zelenskiy, Tabakov, Ganin and Khachikyan. After the searches, they were sent to jail and later under house arrest. In addition, savings and cars in the amount of 1.5 million rubles were seized from believers. The charge under Article 282.2 was limited to participation in \u0026ldquo;activities that included religious singing, preaching, studying the article and praying.\u0026rdquo; The believers had a hard time with the repressions. So, Sergey Mysin, who spent 2 months behind bars, ended up in intensive care. The state prosecutor asked to send all six to a penal colony for terms of 3 to 7 years, as well as to confiscate the seized property and money. The court of first instance sentenced them to a suspended sentence of up to 3.5 years. The court of appeal increased the suspended sentence for Sergey Mysin to four years, while leaving the sentences for the rest of the believers unchanged.","date":"2019-02-24","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html","prisoners":["ganin","khachikian","mysin","mysina","tabakov","zelenskii"],"regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Khoren Khachikyan speaks in the Ulyanovsk Regional Court with the last word and asks the court to acquit him, since he has nothing to do with extremism.\nThe Ulyanovsk Regional Court, having considered the appeals of 6 believers and the prosecutor's submission, reclassifies the article of the charge against Sergey Mysin to a more serious one - from Part 2 (participation in a banned organization) to Part 1 (organization of activities of a banned organization) of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, although earlier the court of first instance did exactly the opposite. In this regard, the appellate instance increases Mysin's suspended sentence by 6 months, that is, from 3.5 to 4 years of suspended imprisonment. For the rest of the defendants, the verdict of the court of first instance remains the same - a suspended sentence of 2 years and 2 months to 3 years and 3 months. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20210129","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last word in the Ulyanovsk Regional Court is made by all the defendants, except for Khoren Khachikyan, whose appearance in court is scheduled for January 29.\n\"I have been a Jehovah's Witness for 30 years, so I can't understand why the investigation turned me from a believer into a criminal. I could not be called one of Jehovah's Witnesses if I incited hatred among people and did not obey the laws of the land. I cannot be an extremist, because a conscience trained in the Bible does not allow me to even think about it, let alone do it,\" Mikhail Zelensky told the court.\n\"My name has been blackened. Theft of household goods... Rosfinmonitoring blocked the card, I can't use social services, buy bread. [...] Since I was limited in movement, I could not benefit society. Dear court, I ask you to return my good name. [...] I am a victim and the victim is my family. Therefore, I ask you to acquit me and pass a really fair sentence,\" says Alexander Ganin.\nHis co-religionist Sergey Mysin tells the court about how the unfair criminal prosecution affected the life of his family: \"I was a respected person, I worked almost all my life in the confectionery industry ... And he was a happy man. Now I am deprived of all this. For 1.5 years I did not have the opportunity to meet with my dear wife Natalia. My family, my children, son Nikita and his wife were forced to emigrate. I tried to give children the best, for example, my son Nikita knows 4 languages, he graduated from the Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation. There was no place for him in our country. I raised a daughter. She's smart, she's a nurse. Helps me when needed. I became disabled because of this persecution. I don't know how long I will live, but I am a happy person and I will accept any of your decisions, but I hope for justice.\"\nSergey Mysin's wife Natalia says in her appeal to the judge: \"Everyone can choose their religion, have their own beliefs, share them with others, and especially if it is useful for society. People who call for love and peace cannot commit any extremist or terrorist acts.\"\n\"We went through house arrests, bans on certain actions. For example, I lost my job,\" says Andrei Tabakov.- The investigator included us in the federal list of extremists and terrorists. Now we continue to be on this list. And this is for the fact that we sang songs, gathered together in family and friendly groups of several people.\nThe believers ask the court to declare the conviction of the previous instance illegal and acquit them.\nThe judge sets a date for the announcement of the appeal decision - January 29.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20210120","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zasviyazhsky District Court of Ulyanovsk, Galina Soshkina, found all six guilty under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nSergey Mysin is sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 4 years (his actions were reclassified under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His wife, Natalya Mysina, is sentenced to 2 years and 2 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months.\nMikhail Zelensky is sentenced to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment plus 8 months of restriction of freedom, followed by a probationary period of 3 years.\nAndrey Tabakov was sentenced to 3 years and 3 months of suspended imprisonment plus 10 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 4 years.\nAleksandr Ganin was sentenced to 3 years of suspended imprisonment plus 9 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 3 years.\nKhoren Khachikyan is sentenced to 2 years and 4 months of suspended imprisonment plus 7 months of restriction of liberty, followed by a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months.\nThe property of believers has not been confiscated, it has been seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20201008","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six believers address the court with the last word of the defendant.\nSergey Mysin: \"Neither I, nor my family, nor my friends are extremists, and never have been. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I am not guilty either before the law of my country, or before my conscience, or before the Creator, Jehovah God\" (full text).\nAndrey Tabakov: \"I don't understand how you can call extremists people who reject any violence even at the cost of their own lives\" (full text).\nKhoren Khachikyan: \"The stronger the persecution of a sincerely believing Christian, the stronger his faith becomes\" (full text).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20201002","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor recommends that the court impose severe punishment on all 6 believers. According to the supervisory authority, Sergey Mysin should go to a general regime colony for 7 years, and his wife, Natalia Mysina, for 3 years and 4 months. Mikhail Zelensky is asked to be sent to jail for 4 years and 6 months, Andrey Tabakov for 4 years, Aleksandr Ganin for 3 years and 6 months, and Khoren Khachikyan for 3 years exactly. In addition, the prosecutor asks to impose a number of additional restrictions on them, for example, after their release from the colony, the prosecutor wants to prohibit them from changing their place of residence for some time, leaving home after 22:00, working in public organizations, etc.\nIn addition, the prosecutor asks to confiscate the property and money of believers who have been seized. We are talking about cars and cash savings, the total amount of 1.57 million rubles.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20201001","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer A. S. Valov was interrogated, who had to admit that the video did not show the meeting of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Ulyanovsk, although he stated this in the inspection report drawn up during the preliminary investigation.\nThe judge refuses to satisfy the petition for the replacement of defense counsel by appointment with a defense counsel by agreement, as well as the petition for the study of the case materials. The judge believes that these materials have already been announced by the court and rejects the objections of the lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200914","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendants Khoren Khachikyan, Mikhail Zelenskiy, Oleksandr Ganin and Natalia Mysina read out their testimony before the court. Zelensky in his speech gives an assessment of what is happening: \"The accusation against me is vague and has no clear boundaries. If I am tried for participating in the continuation of the activities of the LRO, then this is one circumstance, and I am ready to defend myself and provide evidence of my non-involvement in this activity. But if I'm on trial for participating in religious life within a religious group under the guise of a banned LRO, then whatever I say to you now is likely to be meaningless, and the verdict is likely to be guilty.\"\nThe judge grants the lawyer's request to summon the FSB officer Valov for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200911","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Mysin and Andrey Tabakov read out their testimony before the court. Mysin focuses the court's attention: all the defense witnesses said that they profess their faith not because he or someone else gives them instructions to do so, but because \"they perceive this instruction from the pages of the Bible itself.\" Tabakov says: \"It is obvious that the accusation invented by me is passed off as reality, probably counting on the fact that no one understands this and will not understand it.\" He concludes that Jehovah's Witnesses are not persecuted for a crime, but for the ways in which they express their faith in God.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200910","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses M. V., K. E., G. S. and T. M. confirm the testimony of previous witnesses and positively characterize the defendants.\nThe prosecutor again asks questions about the religious views of witnesses in the case. The defense asks to remove issues related to the internal canonical structure. Lawyer Chernikov reiterates that no one is obliged to report their attitude to religion and cannot be forced to participate or not participate in worship services. He recalls that the court has not yet begun to clarify issues related to the continuation of a religious organization banned by the court. The court does not accept the defense's objections.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200720","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only 4 students are allowed into the hall due to the epidemiological situation.\nThe questioning of witnesses is ongoing. B.M. says that Jehovah's Witnesses do not call for breaking off family relationships and refusing medical intervention. The prosecutor continues to ask questions related to the religion of the participants in the trial, for example: \"Why is it impossible to learn from God alone, it is necessary to gather?\" The defense objects to such questions, but the court does not remove them.\nWitness Zelenska V., wife of the defendant Mikhail Zelensky, characterizes her husband as a generous and hospitable person, a good family man. I never felt the desire to break off family relationships.\nWitness F. L. explains that the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses are completely voluntary, religious superiority is not promoted at them.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200717","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Continuation of the examination of witnesses. Only 4 students are allowed into the hall due to the epidemiological situation.\nWitness F.S. explains that the meetings of believers are not meetings of the LRO, their attendance is purely voluntary. Elders do not tell other Christians what to do or how to believe. No religious literature has been used since 2015.\nWitness Mysina M., daughter of the defendants Mysin, describes her parents as kind and loving. My father devoted a lot of time to his family, gave gifts, and never refused medical care.\nWitness M. Khachikyan, sister of the defendant Khachikyan, describes him as peaceful, sympathetic, putting the interests of others above his own.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200716","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of defense witnesses. Witness U. I., Orthodox by religion, characterizes the defendants Mysins as honest, benevolent and hospitable.\nWitness K.G. explains that the liturgical meeting, which is imputed to Mysin, had nothing to do with the activities of the banned LRO, no one summoned anyone to it, its attendance was voluntary. Contrary to the accusation's claim, worship meetings do not begin with the phrase \"our faith is true and yours is wrong.\"\nWitness B.I., Sergei Mysin's former superior, describes him as calm and reasonable. A valuable specialist. We never talked about religious topics.\nWitness A.E. describes Natalia Mysina as tactful and hospitable. Although they talked about spiritual topics, she did not hear anything from Mysina related to extremism or propaganda of exclusivity.\nWitness O.M. explains that believers discuss the Bible with each other on their own initiative, they are not forced to do so. According to her, Mysin is not \"the main Jehovah's Witness of Ulyanovsk.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200715","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, listeners are not allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor petitions for the interrogation of classified witnesses \"Petrov\" and \"Sergeev\". Earlier, the court dismissed the petition of the defense to declassify witnesses, as well as the opportunity to get acquainted with the data on the identity of classified witnesses. (The secrecy of witnesses significantly limits the right of believers to quality protection.) The court on the spot decides to examine witnesses without reading out their testimony.\n\"Petrov\" bases his testimony on assumptions and vague memories. He has not attended any services since 2018. He answers specific questions from the defense with the phrases \"I can't say for sure\", \"I don't know this\".\n\"Sergeev\" claims that he attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2018, but cannot even remember what the room looked like and where he sat there. Sergeyev tries to present Jehovah's Witnesses in Ulyanovsk as members of the \"banned Watch Tower Society.\" However, Sergeyev cannot give clear answers and explanations on the issues of protection.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200710","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 10 people come to the hearing in the Zasviyazhsky District Court, but only 4 listeners are allowed into the hall. The court examines 3 witnesses for the prosecution, as well as A. D. Kechaeva and O. V. Embulaeva as specialists.\nThe first witness for the prosecution characterizes the accused on the positive side: they emotionally supported her during a difficult period of her life. Their rare meetings were of a friendly private nature, no one forced the witness to study the Bible, the whole initiative came from it. She considers the accused to be good, kind people who are not prone to aggression. The second witness for the prosecution points to the falsification of his testimony in the interrogation protocols and refutes what was said earlier. He emphasizes that pressure was put on him, and the investigator said: \"It won't hurt you, say so.\"\nSpecialist A. D. Kechaeva has an education as a teacher of Russian language and literature, and currently works as a cleaner in the FSB, as she is retired. She does not have a diploma granting the right to conduct professional activities in the field of forensic examinations. The expert was engaged in comparing texts only \"checking the work of students.\" She was brought in only to compare the transcripts of believers' conversations with quotations from religious books.\nSpecialist O. V. Embulaeva is a full-time expert of the Saratov Expert Bureau, but at the time of the examination in this criminal case she did not have a document granting the right to conduct state forensic examinations. This expert gives a legal assessment of the actions of believers, although the legal assessment is only within the competence of the court. It becomes clear that the expert does not see the difference between the local religious organization (LRO) and individual believers and believes that they were not allowed to gather together after the decision of the Supreme Court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200709","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Witness E. N. Goncharenko, who was a witness during the search at the place of residence of Mikhail Zelensky in the city of Syzran, does not recognize any of the defendants.\nThe prosecutor begins questioning the witness Volkov and asks about his family members' ties to Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor petitions for the disclosure of Volkov's testimony. The lawyer objects - this will violate the right of a citizen not to testify against himself, his spouse and close relatives. However, Judge Galina Soshkina grants the prosecutor's request. Volkov had never heard of meetings of members of a legal entity, a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Ulyanovsk. The witness admits that the investigator suggested some of the wording for writing in the interrogation protocol, for example, \"[Volkov's] wife is a member of a sect, and does not go to church with [him].\" Volkov himself evaluates his wife positively: \"She cooks, cleans, does everything.\" In his testimony, the witness also notes that no one forced his wife to attend services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for July 9 and 10, 2020.\nIt is planned to continue the questioning of witnesses and the examination of written evidence of the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200707","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of witnesses Pozdnyakova E. M., Klimova N. N. Study of written evidence by the prosecution.\nWitness Pozdnyakov, who was witnessed during the search in Tabakov's apartment, confuses the date of the search and the name of the second witness, and also does not identify the person who was searched. With regard to the seized literature, he remembers only the color of the cover of one publication, but cannot say anything about its content and the presence of signs of extremism in it.\nWitness Klimova, head of the gastroenterology department of the Ulyanovsk Regional Hospital, testifies about Mysin's treatment in this institution. He did not refuse treatment, took all prescribed drugs. Klimova cannot explain anything about the essence of the LRO meetings, since she was not even familiar with the patient during this period; I did not see that he showed aggression or hatred towards representatives of other faiths.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200706","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of prosecution witnesses N. N. Mamkina, N. A. Belaya, E. G. Kobzeva.\nAfter that, the defense requests in advance to interrogate secret witnesses on a general basis, as it is sure that they are operational officers. The style of their testimony is fully consistent with the presentation and style used in the work of the FSB. The court dismisses the petition.\nThe written materials of the case are read out - transcripts of secret wiretapping of conversations of believers.\nThen the witness Mamkina, who last met with the defendant Tabakov in 2006, is invited. While confirming that she had little contact with him, she nevertheless recognises his voice in a recording reproduced during her interrogation during the investigation. In court, Mamkina cannot explain how, 14 years later, she manages to determine that this individual sound, with its own pitch, strength and timbre, belongs to a person with whom she has never had a close relationship. The witness cannot recall that Tabakov expressed hatred towards representatives of other faiths or called for illegal actions.\nWitness Belaya last saw the defendant Zelensky in 2002. She said bluntly that she dislikes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nWitness Kobzeva, witnessed during a search of Zelensky's apartment, cannot answer many questions because she does not remember all the details. She is upset that she was summoned to court.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200703","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing after the lifting of quarantine restrictions - about 20 people are present in the hall.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. The materials of the case are being examined: transcripts of home Bible studies overheard in the Mysins' apartment.\nWitness Ozhgikhin explains the difference between the LRO, which consisted of a small number of people who wanted to help, including in economic activities, and certain groups of believers who existed in Ulyanovsk. The latter independently carried out the confession and dissemination of faith without any dependence on this legal entity. Answering a question about extremism, Ozhgikhin explains: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are benevolent and creative. Meetings always taught how to help others. We respect the authorities and the courts, we comply with all the instructions, we pay all taxes.\" When asked by the judge why Jehovah's Witnesses were banned then, Ozhgikhin answers with a quote from the Bible: \"All who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200702","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of prosecution witnesses, FSB officers M. S. Semenov, E. Y. Ilyukhin, D. V. Salifanov, D. N. Petrov, A. R. Zalyalov, S. V. Bykin.\nThe materials of the case are being investigated, including Mysin's speech at a religious meeting on how to be \"in good standing with God.\"\nAnswering the question of the defense, Semyonov explained that his duties do not include the opposition of citizens professing the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFSB officers Salifanov and Petrov do not see the difference between opposing a banned organization and opposing citizens who peacefully profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFSB officer Bykin, a technical specialist, explains that the use of computer programs found on believers' electronic devices is not illegal.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200630","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. FSB operative Sergei Antonov explains the essence of the claims against believers: they introduced people to the Holy Scriptures, carried out joint or personal worship services based on it, and were engaged in religious training. Another sign of extremism, according to Antonov, is the desire of believers to be \"not prone to aggression, peaceful, honest and highly moral.\" The basis for initiating the criminal case was \"an event that included religious chant and sermon, joint study of the article and a closing prayer.\"\nThe following prosecution witnesses, FSB officers S. A. Svinenkov, K. S. Kretz, and R. S. Kodyushev, talk about searches in the homes of believers in which they participated. When asked by the judge about the presence of signs of extremism in the seized materials, Kodyushev replies that he cannot give any assessment of this.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200629","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearing, the prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants declare their attitude to the prosecution: they do not admit guilt.\nThe interrogation of two detectives who participated in searches of believers, as well as in surveillance of them, begins. One of them gives vague testimony, and the judge is forced to ask what exactly in the actions of the defendants he considers a manifestation of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200626","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listeners, including close relatives, are not allowed to attend the session of the Zasviyazhsky District Court of the city of Ulyanovsk due to the epidemic of coronavirus infection.\nJudge Galina Soshkina rejects the defendants' request for the admission of a lawyer by agreement, citing the fact that this lawyer can defend only one of them - Sergey Mysin. According to believers, this violates their right to defense, which includes the ability to involve lawyers of their choice with the necessary experience and knowledge.\nA break is announced until June 25, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200609","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zasviyazhsky District Court Inga Leontieva extends the measure of restraint for the accused for six months - until October 6, 2020. The seizure of believers' property also remains.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200417","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office of the Ulyanovsk region approves the indictment and sends the criminal case to the Zasviyazhsky District Court of Ulyanovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200415","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk extends the term of the preventive measure for Sergey Mysin and Mikhail Zelensky in the form of a ban on certain actions until 04/21/2020, and Khoren Khachikyan, Natalia Mysina, Andrey Tabakov and Alexander Ganin until 04/23/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20200221","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a result of the court hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint for all six believers, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk decides: to extend the term of the measure of restraint for Mysin Sergey and Zelensky Mikhail in the form of a ban on certain actions until 02/21/2020, and for Khoren Khachikyan, Mysina Natalia, Andrey Tabakov and Alexander Ganin until 02/23/2020.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20191218","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway in the case of all six believers. 70 people come to support them. The court softens the measure of restraint, now believers are not restricted in the right to leave the house from 6:00 to 22:00.\nIn order to put pressure on Mysin, FSB officers visit the hospital where he is and insist on stopping treatment. Despite his poor condition, the doctors send Sergey home.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20191021","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["appeal","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Mysin's health condition continues to deteriorate. He ends up in intensive care.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20191016","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves the preventive measures the same for all six accused and extends them for another two months. Believers prepare appeals.\nSergey Mysin is hospitalized in connection with another exacerbation of the disease. In view of this, he is not present at the trial, his interests are represented by a lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20191014","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All defendants are issued orders for the seizure of property. The Mysin family had money worth about half a million rubles and a car arrested, Tabakov had 600 thousand rubles in his bank account, and Ganin, Zelensky and Khachikyan had cars arrested.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20191011","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is underway to extend the measure of restraint for Sergey Mysin, Alexander Ganin, Mikhail Zelensky and Andrey Tabakov.\nThe court softens the measure of restraint for Sergey Mysin from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. Now he can leave the house from 8:00 to 20:00 hours.\nThe ban on certain actions of Mikhail Zelensky and Oleksandr Ganin has been extended until 21.10.2019 and until 23.10.2019, respectively.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190816","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons 8 witnesses for questioning. The investigator refuses to give copies of the interrogation, stating that this is \"not allowed\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190713","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for the spouses Mysin, as well as Tabakov, Khachikyan, Zelensky for two months. Andrey Tabakov and Sergey Mysin remain under house arrest. Mikhail Zelensky, Natalia Mysina and Khoren Khachikyan are banned from certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190617","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A second court hearing is being held on the election of a measure of restraint for Alexander Ganin. It is left the same - the prohibition of certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190614","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ganin family receives a written refusal to request the return of electronic devices, as well as to provide a copy of the search protocol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190607","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Ulyanovsk, Yulia Poladova, chooses for Ganin a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions: until June 23, he is obliged to stay at home from 16:00 to 9:00 the next day, he cannot use the telephone and the Internet, as well as communicate with participants in criminal proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190516","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, FSB officers searched the house of another believer in Ulyanovsk, 62-year-old Ganin Alexander. After that, Aleksandr is arrested and taken to a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190515","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["search","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearings are underway regarding the measure of restraint for Andrey Tabakov and Mikhail Zelensky. The court leaves Tabakov under house arrest, and Zelensky reduces the ban on certain actions by two days.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190429","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Mikhail Zelensky. House arrest has been replaced by a ban on certain actions. He can not use the phone, Internet, mail, and leave the house at night - from 20:00 to 8:00 the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190422","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the night of April 21-22, Sergey Mysin was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. He will live with relatives, and not with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190421","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, the court chooses a measure of restraint for Natalia Mysina and Khoren Khachikyan in the form of a ban on certain actions. Natalia is not allowed to leave the house from 20:00 to 7:00 the next day, as well as use any means of communication. Khoren is also forbidden to use mail, telephone, Internet and leave the house from 19:00 to 7:00 the next day.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190419","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are being held as a measure of restraint for Sergey Mysin and Andrey Tabakov. About 70 people come to support the defendants, but only a few of them manage to attend the trial. Sergey's lawyer is petitioning for the defendant to be placed under house arrest, and the prosecution is requesting an extension of the terms of detention in the pre-trial detention center. The court satisfies the lawyer's petition, deciding to soften the measure of restraint for Sergey Mysin and transfer him to house arrest from April 23, 2019.\nOn the same day, the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Ulyanovsk, Dmitry Guryanov, chooses a preventive measure for Andrey Tabakov in the form of a ban on certain actions for 2 months, that is, until June 23, 2019 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190418","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Mysin is transferred from the infirmary back to his cell. According to the doctor of the pre-trial detention center, he still needs a special diet and further treatment.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190317","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At night, against the background of the stress experienced by the already poor health, Sergey Mysin becomes ill, he is placed in the infirmary. In the morning, Sergey's son and a lawyer urgently arrive at the pre-trial detention center, whom the paramedic assures that the prisoner's condition is \"normal\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190316","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 14:00, court hearings begin as a measure of restraint. Friends and relatives of the defendants greet them with applause. Despite the many illnesses of Mysin Sergey, Svetlana Chebukina, the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ulyanovsk leaves him in custody for 2 months - until 04/23/2019.\nThe rest of the defendants, Mysina Natalia, Tabakov Andrey, Khachikyan Khoren and Zelensky Mikhail, are chosen a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Lawyers prepare appeals.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190228","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 5 a.m., security forces search the apartment of Mikhail Zelensky in Syzran (Samara region, about 150 km from Ulyanovsk). After that, he is taken away in an unknown direction.\nAt about 8 o'clock in the morning, the Mysin spouses receive a phone call: Natalia and Sergey are asked to go outside, since their car is allegedly damaged. As soon as Sergey opens the door, a group of law enforcement officers burst into their apartment. A search is being conducted at the Mysins' homes and electronic devices are being seized. Then law enforcement officers and witnesses are sent to search the elderly mother of Natalia.\nMeanwhile, searches are also being conducted in the apartments of the Khachikyan and Tabakovs. As a result of the operation, five believers were detained: Mikhail Zelensky, Sergey and Natalya Mysins, Khoren Khachikyan and Andrey Tabakov. They are taken to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190227","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Ulyanovsk Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2). Sergey Mysin (born in 1965), Natalia Mysina (born in 1971), Andrey Tabakov (born in 1973), Khoren Khachikyan (born in 1985), Mikhail Zelensky (born in 1960), Alexander Ganin (born in 1957) are accused of \"promoting the popularization of the ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses\", finding places to meet with fellow believers and participating in such meetings.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2019-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20190224","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of Ulyanovsk begins operational-search measures against several peaceful believers. Their telephone conversations are tapped.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zelenskiy and Others in Ulyanovsk","date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ulyanovsk/index.html#20170901","regions":["ulyanovsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, law enforcement officers conducted searches of believers in Sevastopol. The day before, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov, and Vladimir Sakada. They were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization only because of their faith in Jehovah God. The accusation was based on video recordings of 4 meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses made by FSB agents. The believers spent a day in a temporary detention center, then the court sent them to a pre-trial detention center. In April 2021, the case went to court. During the investigation and trial, the men spent more than a year and 4 months in a pre-trial detention center and more than 8 months under house arrest each. In October 2022, the court sentenced them to 6 years in a penal colony. The appeal upheld this decision a year later, and in December 2024, the verdict was finally approved by the court of cassation. In June 2026, Yevgeniy Zhukov was released.","date":"2020-10-01","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html","prisoners":["maladyka","sakada","zhukovye"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yevgeniy is still under strict detention conditions. The cell is clean, but cold: in winter, the temperature inside dropped to 14 degrees Celsius.\nThe believer has a Synodal Bible, which he can read regularly. Letters are passed on to him with a long delay.\nHe needs dental care.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2026-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20260504","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of November, Vladimir Sakada underwent surgery. He now feels better, regularly takes walks in the fresh air and takes prescribed medication. He has everything he needs thanks to the parcels he receives and being able to buy goods once a week in the store of the penal colony. He also had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20260201","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov had a long meeting with relatives, which was supposed to take place in September. But then he ended up in the SUS (strict conditions of detention) and is now deprived of the opportunity to work.\nThere are 2 people in the room with Yevgeniy. It is possible to go outside for a while. After rising, the section closes, and all prisoners spend the whole day in the so-called entertainment room, where there is a TV and smokes constantly. Because of cigarette smoke, Yevgeniy's eyes suffer so much that he had to go to the medical unit. He was given eye drops.\nThe believer has conflict-free relations with prisoners. Correctional officers treat him with respect.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20251221","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada received a consultation from a specialist, who confirmed that the disease is in an advanced stage. An operation is scheduled for the end of November. The spouse purchased the necessary medicines prescribed by the doctor and handed them over. However, the paramedic refuses to give out drugs, citing the lack of a prescription. Vladimir goes to work, despite the pain, he is not given a sick leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20251118","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prison-treatment","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada has been in need of treatment for several months due to an illness he has developed. The believer twice submitted applications to the administration to be examined by a specialist outside the penal colony, but they have not been considered. After his wife appealed, a consultation was scheduled, but it has already been postponed twice. The medication that he has, relieves his symptoms only slightly.\nDespite the difficulties with his health, Sakada does not give up. He was encouraged by a recent extended visit from his wife, Svetlana. Also once a month he is given one or two letters from friends.\nVladimir sleeps on the second tier of the bed — he likes it better, because it is warmer there. The heating has already been turned on in the barracks and there is hot water. In September, the believer was trained as a packaging assembler. He was the only one in the group who passed all the exams with excellent results.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20251019","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada is not receiving letters for over 2 months already. The believer finds emotional support in speaking with his wife on the phone.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20250917","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sakada is granted another extended visit from his wife. The believer works in the production of gift bags and he has been nominated five times for a reward. He is involved in the everyday chores in the barracks. Vladimir is respected for his friendliness and impartiality to everyone, and also because he remains true to his principles in every situation.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20250713","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada is being held in a barracks for 60 people. He assesses living conditions as normal, he tries to maintain cleanliness on an equal basis with others. Every day he walks in the fresh air and does exercises on the parallel bars and on the crossbar near the barracks. Vladimir has a Bible in the Synodal translation. Recently, he had a long meeting with his wife. Letters are still issued in small quantities.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20250415","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy has been working in the bakery for two months now. Colony staff and prisoners praise him for his delicious bread. Recently, he passed the baker's exam, and also took part in the annual song contest among convicts \"Kalina Krasnaya\".\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20250326","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov changed his place of work. Instead of repair and construction work, he is now mastering a new business — baking bread. Relations with other prisoners are normal. The section where Yevgeniy is kept is clean and warm.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20250205","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict against Maladyka, Sakada and Zhukov has been confirmed once and for all – the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upholds the decisions of the lower instances. The defense still considers the sentence unjust.\nSome of the video recordings examined in the courts have clear signs of editing carried out under unclear circumstances. This justifiably makes them inadmissible evidence.\nThe defense notes that all forensic examinations and pre-trial investigations in the cases against Crimean Jehovah's Witnesses were carried out for a fee by the same non-profit organization, CMCE, and they were carried out by the same people and almost verbatim repeated each other (including errors, typos, punctuation marks, and the arrangement of words and lines in the text).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20241219","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["cassation","fabrications","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka receives many letters of support, but due to lack of time and problems with lighting, she manages to respond to only some of them. There are 40 other prisoners in the barracks with him. The believer has good relations with the administration of the colony and with other prisoners. Visits with his wife and regular broadcasts from relatives are a great support for him.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20241210","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The colony filed an application with the court to establish administrative supervision over Zhukov for a period of 10 years after his release.\nAccording to Yevgeniy, his health is satisfactory. A believer works hard and is valued for. He recently had a date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20241204","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka is kept in a barrack with a population of about 50 people. The believer has earned the respect of the colony administration and successfully finds a common language with other prisoners. He has a Bible, he receives letters of support. Vladimir is glad to have the opportunity to see his wife Natalia during long-term dates.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240915","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Yaroslavl Region informs the wife of Yevgeniy Zhukov that a court hearing on the replacement of the remaining part of his sentence with forced labor is scheduled for October 7, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240913","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov receives letters of support from different countries. Correspondence is received in both paper and electronic form. Yevgeniy is homesick for his family, but he is supported by the words of encouragement from these letters, as well as by reading the Bible.\nRecently, the believer suffered from a cold, but now his health has recovered.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240808","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov and his fiancée Tatyana register their marriage in the colony of Yaroslavl. Guests who came from the Crimea, they have traveled 2,000 kilometers, are allowed to attend the wedding ceremony.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240717","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volodymyr Maladyka tries to maintain a positive attitude. Letters of support help him distract himself from sad thoughts and feel peace and warmth.\nThe water in the colony is of poor quality and has a persistent swamp smell. According to the believer, it is impossible not only to drink it, but even to brush your teeth and wash your hands. Vladimir is especially grateful for the parcels from his wife and friends, as the quality of food in the colony leaves much to be desired.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-06-27T13:27:20+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240627","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zhukov and his fiancée Tatyana submit an application to the local registry office. The registration of their marriage will take place in the colony, it is scheduled for July 17.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240624","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada is being held in a barracks for 80 people. He can visit the bathhouse and wash his clothes.\nThe believer's relations with the administration and other prisoners are conflict-free. The food is good.\nVladimir has a Bible from the colony's library. He is also given about 10 letters a month, and the believer is grateful for his support and encouragement. All this helps him not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240530","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The colony in which Yevgeny Zhukov is being held is in good condition. It is warm and tidy. Eugene himself contributes a lot to this - he sets an example of cleanliness and accuracy to others. He has good relations with both the administration of the colony and the prisoners. Yevgeniy works in the construction team, and also studies at vocational schools, mastering firefighting.\nA believer in a colony has a Bible. The letters have not been received since December 2023 for technical reasons, but Yevgeniy still has old letters and is rereading them. He also reads books from the colony's library.\nIn his free time, Evgeniy likes to look out the window and watch the snowfall. He lived in the Crimea for a long time, and now he likes snow and coniferous trees. He tries to see the beautiful in everything.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240303","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["letters","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir is kept in a barracks for 50 people. The room is warm. The believer does exercises every morning. He has normal relations with the administration and cellmates. Maladyka works in the industrial zone - prepares metal products for painting.\nVladimir has not yet seen his wife. But he finds support in the letters he receives regularly, as well as reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240201","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada arrives at penal colony No. 5 in the Kaluga region.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20240124","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Zhukov is in a penal colony in Yaroslavl. He will be quarantined until December 27.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2023-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20231223","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka is taken to a penal colony in the Tambov region, 1,600 km from home. The believer is quarantined.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20231214","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","elderly","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Sakada, Vladimir Maladyka and Yevgeniy Zhukov were taken to places of serving their sentences.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2023-11-15T10:36:21+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20231115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway in the Sevastopol City Court in the case of Yevgeny Zhukov, Vladimir Sakada and Vladimir Maladyka. Everyone is allowed into the courtroom - about 40 people.\nThe Judicial Collegium, chaired by Gennady Nikitin, listens carefully to the participants in the trial.\nAt the request of the defense counsel, the court attaches to the case file the full transcripts of the interrogations of the religious scholar and psychologist, since they are presented selectively in the case file. The Collegium refuses to listen to the full audio recording of their interrogation, but asks the lawyer to voice in his speech important points that are not in the official text.\nAnother lawyer draws the court's attention to the absence of extremism in the motives of the defendants: \"In exercising their right to freedom of religion, they were guided in their actions by love and care for their neighbors, which the court of first instance overlooked.\"\nThe defendants attended the hearing via video conferencing. During the break, they were able to see friends gathered in the hall.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20230828","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All believers deliver the last word. The announcement of the verdict is scheduled for October 3.\nVladimir Sakada emphasizes: \"My secular and religious life does not harm other people, the state and the environment, but only serves as a good example for others.\"\nEvgeny Zhukov says: \"For me, it doesn't matter what kind of character, height, weight, skin color and eye shape a person has. I try to look at people as Jehovah God sees them.\"\nVladimir Maladyka is perplexed: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which means it did not forbid me and my friends to discuss biblical issues. And no legal entity is required for such conversations.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20220927","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7.5 years in prison for the defendants with an additional ban on participation in public associations for a period of 8 years.\nThe lawyer gives the court arguments proving that the actions of believers lack not only the composition, but also the event of the crime itself.\nThe preliminary date for announcing the verdict is October 3, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20220908","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file additions from the defense: a video recording of the search in the liturgical building and the planting of literature.\nThe defense asks the court to appoint an examination to establish whether changes have been made to the video recording of the services. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20220804","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","search","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A psychologist from a non-governmental non-profit institution of Tatarstan, one of the three experts who conducted a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious forensic examination, is being interrogated. The specialists were presented with 4 discs with recordings of divine services and their transcripts.\nAccording to the expert opinion dated February 15, 2021, the data from the disks indicate that Vladimir Maladyka was an active participant in the services. However, the conclusion does not provide any arguments to support this. When the expert is asked to name the specific actions of the believer on the date of the service, the specialist says that it was based on a \"set of materials\" and therefore cannot name such facts. The expert considers the prayer that the believer said at the end of one of the meetings to be the main evidence of \"guilt\".\nDefendant Vladimir Sakada draws the court's attention to the fact that \"the video recordings of the services made by the operational officer were subsequently subjected to unauthorized changes and after that were provided to the experts and the court.\" He requested that the video recordings be verified.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20220331","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a new measure of restraint, believers choose a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20220110","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reviews the evidence. Vladimir Sakada draws the attention of the participants of the trial to the fact that not a single edition of the Bible listed as evidence is on the list of extremist materials. The court also checks whether the believer's computer has the Zoom program installed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20211123","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Shevchenko, senior detective of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, is being questioned as a witness for the prosecution. He informs the court that he has been familiar with the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Sevastopol since 2015. Shevchenko says that the services of Jehovah's Witnesses have always been exclusively religious in nature - they consisted of chants, prayers and analysis of Bible verses. He notes that the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses were officially registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\nThe witness reports that he personally carried out operational-search activities. With the help of \"undercover collaborators,\" he obtained videos of worship services of local Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn his testimony, Shevchenko refers to the results of the \"Examination on Cases of Extremism and Terrorism\", according to which experts did not reveal signs of extremism and incitement to religious hatred, and on the video recordings of worship there were no statements about the exclusivity of Jehovah's Witnesses in relation to other people and religions.\nShevchenko also reports that he is not aware of any evidence that Zhukov, Sakada and Maladyka ever encouraged anyone \"to refuse to perform civil duties and serve in the army, to disobey the authorities.\" The witness says that he has no evidence that the defendants called on anyone to alienate personal material goods free of charge in favor of any extremist organization.\nShevchenko himself considers Jehovah's Witnesses to be Christians and agrees that the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited, and they have a constitutional right to practice their faith.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210930","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Nakhimovsky District Court of Sevastopol issues a decision to change the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Zhukov to a milder one - house arrest for 5 months and 4 days, or until October 20, 2021. Restrictions and prohibitions have been established for the accused: not to leave the living quarters, not to communicate with other participants in the criminal case, not to use means of communication and the Internet, not to receive or send correspondence.\nThe judge also extends the term of house arrest for Vladimir Sakada and Vladimir Maladyka for 6 months - until October 20, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210517","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Nakhimovsky District Court of Sevastopol. It is appointed to Judge Olga Berdnikova.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210421","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Maladyka's preventive measure was changed to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210330","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol leaves Yevgeny Zhukov in custody until May 27, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210325","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea A. E. Chumakin attracts Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov and Vladimir Sakada as accused.\nThe Court of Appeal changes the term of detention of Vladimir Maladyka until April 2, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210324","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sakada's measure of restraint has been changed to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210323","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Alexander Chumakin summons 6 people for questioning. They use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The investigator claims that by doing so they obstruct his work. For some of the men, Chumakin writes out summonses for several days at once, forcing them to spend their time and money on the road from Sevastopol to Simferopol and back (160 km).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20210211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers say that they did not receive letters in the pre-trial detention center for some time. They do not return the Bibles that were taken away for examination.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20201211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol sends Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov, Vladimir Sakada and Igor Schmidt to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20201002","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at least 9 local residents. The security forces take five believers away for interrogation.\nThe investigator sends the Maladyka spouses for compulsory examination in a neuropsychiatric dispensary because of a bag of milk powder found at their home, which seemed suspicious to the operatives.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20201001","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Sevastopol, a criminal case is being initiated against Vladimir Maladyka, Yevgeniy Zhukov and Vladimir Sakada under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activities).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov and Others in Sevastopol","date":"2020-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol2/index.html#20200930","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Zhukov, one of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Omsk Region, became the target of criminal prosecution for his faith when the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him in June 2018, accusing him of organizing and financing extremist activities. In July of the same year, his house, other facilities and car were searched, during which all electronic devices were seized. In August 2019, the Zhukov case was separated into a separate proceeding from the materials of the case against other believers.","date":"2018-06-20","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html","prisoners":["izhukov"],"regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Omsk Region, D. V. Levchenko, separates the criminal case against Igor Zhukov from the case of the couple Polyakov and others in Omsk into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html#20190828","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The search in the house, in the outbuildings and in Zhukov's car takes place from 7:00 to 15:00. All possible electronic storage media and electronic devices were seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html#20180704","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 07:00 to 15:00, the investigation team led by Major of Justice Denis Loginovsky, an investigator of the Azov Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region, searches the house, outbuildings and car of Igor Zhukov. During the search, all available electronic devices and data carriers are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html#20180704","regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.3 (1); Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Igor Zhukov (born in 1986).\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html#20180620","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Omsk Region initiates a criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Article 282.3 (1) of the Criminal Code against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhukov in Omsk","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk/index.html#20180620","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2021, a criminal case was opened against Anton Zhurbenko from Orel. He was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. His case was separated from the criminal case against the other three believers. Investigator of the Investigative Committee Anastasia Dunicheva terminated the investigation against Zhurbenko due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions. A month later, the deputy prosecutor resumed the criminal case against the believer.","date":"2021-10-28","permalink":"/en/cases/orel5/index.html","prisoners":["zhurbenko"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zhurbenko in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Soviet District of Orel B. O. Skopinov cancels the decision to terminate the criminal case against the believer.\nLater, Anton Zhurbenko filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office of the Sovetsky district of Orel, in which he asked to recognize the decision of the deputy prosecutor as illegal and cancel it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhurbenko in Oryol","date":"2022-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel5/index.html#20220325","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee A.O. Dunicheva makes a decision to terminate the criminal case against Zhurbenko due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhurbenko in Oryol","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel5/index.html#20220228","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for the Sovetsky District of the City of Orel of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiates criminal case No. 12102540005000070 against Anton Zhurbenko. He is accused of participating in the activities of an extremist community (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). His case was separated from the criminal case against three believers – Vladimir Piskarev, Vladimir Melnik and Artur Putintsev, initiated about a year ago.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zhurbenko in Oryol","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel5/index.html#20211028","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of 2019, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Georgievsk. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused Viktor Zimovskiy, as well as spouses Anatoliy and Irina Gezik, of organizing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. The investigator considered it a crime to read the Bible and pray together. Zimovskiy is the father of three minor children, after heart surgery he is on disability. Despite this, the court placed him in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The criminal case was considered in court from February to October 2022. As a result, Zimovskiy was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison, Anatoliy Gezik was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months of forced labor, and Irina Gezik received 4 years and 2 months suspended sentence. The appeal replaced the term in the penal colony and forced labor with suspended sentences of the same duration. In August 2024, the court canceled Irina Gezik\u0026rsquo;s suspended sentence and vacated her criminal record.","date":"2019-12-30","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html","prisoners":["gezik","geziki","zimovskiy"],"regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Olga Antipova, judge of the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory, grants Irina Gezik's petition to cancel the suspended sentence. The court also expunges the conviction of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20240819","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Viktor Zimovskiy in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that he has not yet received letters of support.\nVictor is being held in a 6-bed cell along with 4 prisoners. None of them smoke, which Victor is very happy about. The believer has a Bible. He has all the medicines, takes them as prescribed constantly, so he feels fine.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20221122","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that after the verdict, Viktor Zimovskiy was taken to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Pyatigorsk. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-11-17T15:38:26+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20221117","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks Viktor Zimovskiy and Anatoliy Gezik for 5 and 5.5 years in a strict regime colony, respectively, and Irina Gezik for 5.5 years in a general regime colony. Probably, the prosecutor requested a strict regime by mistake, since citizens convicted of a serious crime for the first time must serve their sentences in general regime colonies.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20221026","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"3 listeners and 2 witnesses from the defense, who are neighbors of the defendants, are allowed into the courtroom. They give a positive description of believers, talk about their families and personal qualities. According to them, they did not notice any oddities in their behavior.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220922","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to covid restrictions, listeners are not allowed into the courtroom. At the hearing, the interrogation of five defense witnesses continues, including Zimovski's wife, who gives her husband a positive characterization.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220908","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of defense witnesses. 5 listeners were admitted to the courtroom. One of the witnesses, who does not share the convictions of the defendants, speaks positively about their religion. She says: \"If a person has quit smoking, abused alcohol, gained meaning in life, has a wonderful family, children, hardworking, then he has a good religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220817","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Andrey Kuznetsov is being questioned via videoconference due to his illness at the hearing. During his testimony, it turns out that he has mental disorders, and behind the scenes someone tells him the answers to the questions of the judge and the prosecutor. When asked whether the witness knew the defendants, he answered in the negative. The prosecution witness cannot answer the lawyer's questions. The lawyer states that the testimony of a mentally ill person cannot be attached to the case, but the judge still accepts it.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220801","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not appear in the courtroom.\nThe judge gets acquainted with the materials of the case. The prosecutor draws the judge's attention to what was seized during the searches, as well as to the results of the examination. The lawyer notes that the experts who made the conclusion do not have a religious education and scientific papers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220608","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness, the teacher of Anatoly Gezik's youngest daughter, Lyubov Gezik, is being questioned at a closed hearing. The prosecutor asks the teacher questions about the defendant's family. The witness gives a positive assessment to Anatoliy and Irina Gezik.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220519","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed hearing, the prosecution witness, Anna Manakova, the daughter of Anatoly Gezik, is being interrogated. She expresses personal grievances to her parents. The prosecutor and the judge do not give the lawyer the opportunity to question Anna. One gets the impression that the court is clarifying family relations.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220504","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nThe interrogation of Lyubov Gezik continues. Basically, she talks about what happened at worship meetings and mentions the basic teachings of the Holy Scriptures.\nJudge Nina Anashkina asks the victim whether Viktor Zimovsky called for the overthrow of the country's constitutional order, illegal actions, the breakdown of family relations, whether he spoke about the superiority of his religion over others. The woman answers all questions in the negative. Then the judge asks what extremist actions the defendant called for, Lyubov explains that Viktor said that, according to the Bible, Christians should not transfuse donated blood and take up arms. The judge again asks the victim the question: \"What is extremism here?\"\nThe defense expresses bewilderment at the charges brought against the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220414","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believers. Since the hearing is held behind closed doors, they are not allowed into the courtroom. Viktor Zimovskiy speaks with his attitude to the accusation.\nThe prosecutor summons for questioning a woman who considers herself a victim. When the defense begins to ask questions, the interrogation is interrupted, and the hearing is postponed to April 14.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-03-29T14:25:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220329","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted for consideration to the Georgievsk City Court of the Stavropol Territory. It is appointed to Judge Nina Anashkina.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20220215","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ostya A.M., Senior Investigator of the Georgievsk Investigation Department of the Stavropol Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, informs Viktor Zimovskiy that the preventive measure chosen against him in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior is canceled due to the suspension of the preliminary investigation on May 7, 2021.\nThe believer spent almost a year and a half under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2021-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20211006","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a month and a half of house arrest, the investigator changed the measure of restraint to Viktor Zimovsky on his own recognizance. The believer hopes that now he will be able to work, fully take care of his family, see off and meet his wife with her newborn daughter from the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200506","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After exactly two months of detention in the pre-trial detention center, Viktor Zimovskiy will be able to go home - this decision is made by the appellate court. The criminal prosecution of Viktor does not stop, now he will be under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200323","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The session of the Georgievsk City Court, chaired by Nina Anashkina, begins two hours late. Only a few people from about 150 friends, acquaintances and simply caring people are allowed into the meeting room - not only locals, but also those who came to support the believer from Essentuki, Mineralnye Vody, Nezlobnaya, Novopavlovsk, Makhachkala and Voronezh.\nViktor's defense accuses the investigator of unreasonably delaying the response to the request for a medical examination and of improper performance of duties in general. So, witnesses in the case have not yet been questioned.\nThe investigator is requesting an extension of Viktor Zimovskiy's detention, arguing that he may abscond. As a confirmation, he provides a certain \"operative's report\", which does not have the necessary stamps proving the authenticity of the document.\nJudge Anashkina grants the investigator's request and leaves the believer in the pre-trial detention center until March 30. Earlier, the same judge took Zimovsky into custody. The lawyers petitioned for the recusal of Anashkina, but the petition was rejected.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200226","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Georgievsk City Court arrests Viktor Zimovskiy for 1 month and 6 days. The defense does not agree with the decision.\nIt turns out that the accusation of extremism is based on video footage that was secretly held in one of the apartments while believers jointly discussed the Bible, sang songs and prayed.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200124","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Viktor Zimovskiy for questioning and immediately detains him. Zimovsky was sent to the temporary detention center of the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Georgievsk urban district.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200123","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In one of the schools in Georgievsk, security forces interrogate a sixth-grader about Jehovah's Witnesses. The interrogation is also repeated on January 21.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2020-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20200117","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigation Department for Georgievsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Stavropol Ostya A.M. initiates a criminal case under two \"extremist\" articles. The investigator suspects Viktor Zimovskiy of organizing meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as a continuation of the activities of an extremist cell (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Also, the defendants in the case are a married couple Anatoly and Irina Gezik.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2019-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20191230","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Police are conducting raids in three houses of residents of Georgievsk. Hosts and guests are questioned about their religion and meetings with fellow believers, and their electronic devices are confiscated. Residents are thrown flash drives. During the search, 50-year-old Viktor Zimovskiy, the father of two young children, becomes ill. Victor is a pensioner with a disability, some time ago he underwent serious heart surgery. However, he and 10 other people are taken away for interrogations, and later released.\n","caseTitle":"Case of Zimovskiy and others in Georgievsk","date":"2019-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/georgievsk/index.html#20191023","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","plant","interrogation","health-risk","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2019, Gevorg Gevorgyan, a resident of Nizhny Novgorod, was searched and interrogated and was named as a witness in the case of Malyanov and four other believers. After 2.5 years, his criminal case was separated into a separate proceeding. Gevorkyan was accused of extremism only because of his religion. In August 2021, he was placed on recognizance not to leave. In December 2021, the case went to court. At the first court hearing, the lawyer found a new document arbitrarily added to the case file. The judge returned the case to the prosecutor. In July 2022, a retrial of the case by another judge began. In January 2023, he sentenced Gevorgyan to 6 years probation. The appellate court upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-11-12","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html","prisoners":["gevorkyan"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I didn't do or even wish anything bad to anyone. I just wanted to worship God,\" the believer says in his last word.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20230117","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for a sentence of 8 years in a general regime colony, restriction of freedom for 1 year and 6 months (not to leave the municipality in which he will live after serving his sentence, not to change his place of residence and work without the consent of a specialized body, to appear in a specialized body for registration); deprivation of the right to engage in educational and educational activities for a period of 8 years.\nThe lawyer in his speech refutes the accusation of the prosecutor, referring to the lack of evidence.\nAbout 20 people come to the courthouse to support Gevorkyan, some have come a long way, having arrived at the hearing from Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20221213","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the defendant. He tells us that the Christian congregation existed in the first century and that the modern congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is fully consistent with his model.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20221025","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Fyodor Dorofeev is being interrogated. It answers questions about the beliefs, lifestyle, behavior, and beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe Court shall consider all volumes of the case. The prosecutor briefly voices some documents from the case materials, including the characteristics of Gevorg Gevorgyan from his place of work and from his neighbors.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20221010","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defense's request to return the case to the investigating authorities due to the \"insignificance\" of the error. The testimony of prosecution witnesses shall be read out. The court decides not to disclose the testimony of the expert Fyodor Dorofeev, who drew up an opinion on the examined volumes of the case. He will be questioned at the next court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20220922","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the hearing. Witnesses for the prosecution do not appear in court. The defense reads out a motion to return the case to the prosecutor in connection with the violations found in the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20220906","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Judge Maxim Sirotkin gives Gevorg Gevorgyan the opportunity to express his attitude to the charges. Gevorgyan declares that all the accusations against him are far-fetched and he never had malicious intent and extremist motives. The believer says: \"I believed that my faith, words and actions were protected by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nTwo witnesses are being questioned to answer questions about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20220818","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is re-submitted to the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod and appointed to Judge Maxim Sirotkin.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20220714","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, Judge Yevgeny Terekhov returns the materials of the criminal case to the prosecutor to eliminate significant violations - the investigator, without notifying the defendant and his defense counsel, added new information to the case file. The added 6 pages contain the protocol of the interrogation of the witness by the prosecution I. V. Gorshkov, who is an operative of the investigation team.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20220126","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Avtozavodsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. It will be considered by judge Yevgeny Terekhov.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20211224","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Marina Korzunova brings in 50-year-old Gevorg Gevorgyan as an accused. He is charged with \"conducting a collective religious service containing an interpretation of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20211124","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation team, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Marina Korzunova, from the criminal case against Malyanov and others in Nizhny Novgorod , singles out the case against Gevorg Gevorgyan in a separate proceeding. The believer is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20211112","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A written undertaking not to leave is taken from Gevorgyan.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20210826","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 9 a.m., police officers, acting rudely, detained Gevorgyan at his workplace and took him for interrogation, where he was held for 10 hours. From the circumstances of the interrogation, the believer concludes that a listening device was installed in his apartment.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20190718","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 6 a.m., police officers come to search Gevorg Gevorgyan's home. In addition to him, his wife and 86-year-old relative are in the apartment. Law enforcement officers seize electronic devices and documents from the Gevorgyan spouses. In the evening, police officers come again and seize the system unit.\n","caseTitle":"Gevorkyan case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod8/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Yaroslavl. Among those who were invaded by law enforcement officers was the family of Andrey Glazov. On the same day, he, along with other believers, was interrogated in the Investigative Committee. Thirteen months later, a criminal case was opened against Glazov. He was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center, accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Four months later, the court released him under a ban on certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to court, and a year later, Glazov was convicted and given a suspended sentence of 2.5 years.","date":"2022-05-18","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html","prisoners":["glazov"],"regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","type":"cases"},{"body":"A guilty verdict was passed: 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20240819","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["282.2-2","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Glazov's case is submitted to the Yaroslavl District Court of the Yaroslavl Region. It will be considered by judge Vera Koneva.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20230607","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yaroslavl Regional Court overturns the decision of the lower court and decides to release Andrey Glazov from custody. A ban on certain actions is imposed on him.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220908","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again extends the period of detention of a believer in the pre-trial detention center for another month - until September 18.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220817","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint to Andrey Glazov for one month.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220719","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Glazov is detained and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Yaroslavl region for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220519","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is summoned for interrogation as a witness to the investigator of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Grigoriev. Since the document does not indicate what case the call is connected with, Andrey refuses to come. On the same day, a criminal case was opened against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20220518","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, security forces come to Andrey Glazov and his wife with a search. SNILS, several Bibles, work records related to carpentry, a computer, SIM cards and electronic devices are seized from the believer. The search is also carried out in the garage.\nThe interrogation in the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Yaroslavl Region is carried out by the investigator for especially important cases Azamat Imangulov. He states that Glazov has no right to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The investigator is interested in how the believer treats atheists, whether he was engaged in missionary activity, and what relation he has to the legal entity of local Jehovah's Witnesses. After the interrogation, Andrey is not given copies of the protocol.\n","caseTitle":"Glazov's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl3/index.html#20210413","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, the head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and the Fight against Terrorism of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Adygea sent a report, on the basis of which a month later the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case against Georgy Godizov. He was suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. On March 18, his bank accounts were blocked, and on March 21, security forces arbitrarily entered his home and searched his workplace. In April, at least five other believers were searched and interrogated.","date":"2022-03-04","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop3/index.html","prisoners":["godizov"],"regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"Godizov's case in Maykop","type":"cases"},{"body":"Law enforcers conduct searches in the house of Georgy Godizov, where they enter without authorization, as well as at his workplace.\nAt least five other believers are being searched and interrogated. Investigative actions against at least one of them are carried out within the framework of the Godizov case.\n","caseTitle":"Godizov's case in Maykop","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop3/index.html#20220419","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Georgy Godizov discovers his name on the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"Godizov's case in Maykop","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop3/index.html#20220318","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was opened against Georgy Godizov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Godizov's case in Maykop","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop3/index.html#20220304","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, Igor Gusev, a resident of Krasnoyarsk, was interrogated as a witness in the case of another Krasnoyarsk resident, Vitaly Sukhov. And in February 2022, Igor himself became a defendant in a criminal case for believing in Jehovah God. The investigator of the Investigative Committee considered that the believer continued the activities of the extremist organization, since he did not stop discussing the Bible with fellow believers after the Supreme Court liquidated the legal entity of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. In July 2022, Igor Gusev\u0026rsquo;s criminal case was submitted to court. In November of the same year, a judge sentenced the believer to a fine of 600,000 rubles. The appeal upheld this decision in March 2023.","date":"2022-02-17","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html","prisoners":["gusev"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court leaves the decision of the lower court - a fine of 600,000 rubles - unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20230328","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20221117","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to appoint the believer to 6 years in prison. Igor Gusev, speaking in the debate, declares the inconsistency of the accusation, but those present note that the judge and the prosecutor practically do not listen to him.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20221115","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is being interrogated. When answering some of the judge's questions, the believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. When asked what his role in the congregation is, the believer replies that his role is \"to worship God and listen to the sermon.\" Regarding the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Krasnoyarsk, Igor Gusev says that in fact, such legal entities are needed by the state, and not by the believers themselves. \"We existed both under the tsar and under the USSR and did without LRO,\" he explains.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20221005","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, a video recording of the worship service, made by a secret witness, is shown. It reveals discrepancies with his testimony given during the investigation. Thus, the video does not confirm that Igor Gusev appointed the date and time of the next service.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20221004","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Kuzmin is being interrogated. The lawyer and the defendant have to conduct the interrogation without preparation, since they were not notified in advance.\nThe court attaches to the case file the text of Gusev's attitude to the charges, but without appendices.\nAbout 20 people come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20220914","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Igor Gusev begins to read out his attitude to the charges, but the judge stops him. The believer asks to attach his attitude to the case file, but the judge postpones the consideration of this issue until the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20220823","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Igor Gusev is submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk. It is considered by judge Patsalyuk Svetlana Leonidovna.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20220630","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grigorieva appoints a phonoscopic examination of audio and video files obtained as a result of operational-search activities. At them, someone discusses how to develop the same faith that the biblical prophet Job had. The investigator is interested in whether the voice on these recordings belongs to Igor Gusev.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20220221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"M. A. Grigorieva, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Zheleznodorozhny District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, initiates a criminal case against Igor Gusev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believer \"organized religious performances and services.\"\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20220217","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Investigative Committee summon Igor Gusev for questioning as a witness in the criminal case against Vitaly Sukhov.\n","caseTitle":"Gusev's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk9/index.html#20200521","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, Izolda Guseva was returning from leave to care for her sick mother. When crossing the border with Georgia, she was detained. She was told that she was on the federal wanted list and had been a defendant in a criminal case under an article for extremism for about 8 months. The security services took her from Vladikavkaz to Yaroslavl. They kept her in handcuffs, removing them only at Moscow airport. Guseva was detained for 3 days, 1.5 of which she spent in a temporary detention facility, and then released under a ban on certain actions. The investigation considered her participation in online worship services a crime.","date":"2022-08-29","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html","prisoners":["guseva"],"regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer is released under the prohibition of certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html#20230421","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken by plane from Vladikavkaz to Moscow, and from there by car to Yaroslavl. Only at the Moscow airport the handcuffs are removed from the believer.\nAt about 4 o'clock in the morning, upon arrival at the local investigation department of the Investigative Committee, the investigator for especially important cases Grigoriev begins interrogation. Then the woman is placed in the temporary detention center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Yaroslavl region. There she is subjected to a humiliating body search.\n","caseTitle":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html#20230420","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs","personal-inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Izolda Guseva returns from leave to care for her sick mother. When crossing the border with Georgia, she is detained for 5 hours, so she finds out that she is on the Federal wanted list. According to the believer, at this time a provocateur is planted next to her, who pretends to be her co-religionist and tries to talk.\nFrom the border checkpoint, Izolda is taken to the Vladikavkaz police station, where her fingerprints are taken, and the duty officer takes pictures of her without permission. A woman who asks questions about God is placed in Guseva's cell. The believer does not answer her, which is why the woman begins to insult her and beat her with her hands. The police do not interfere in what is happening, despite Isolde's requests.\nGuseva spends the night in a cell. Only closer to the morning the woman is offered tea - before that she was not given any food or water.\n","caseTitle":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html#20230418","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grigoriev initiates a criminal case against Izolda Guseva. The woman is charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation considers it a crime that she discussed the Bible with friends via video conferencing.\n","caseTitle":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html#20220829","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Yaroslavl Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Alexander Grigoriev, singles out materials regarding Izolda Guseva from the case of Filiznov and others in a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"Guseva's case in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl4/index.html#20220511","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2021, investigator Okhemchik opened a criminal case against Aleksandr Kazakov from Kyzyl. Law enforcement officers searched the address of his registration. For several months, operatives monitored the believer. Kazakov is suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization due to the fact that he attended an online worship service.","date":"2021-05-17","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl2/index.html","prisoners":["kazakova"],"regions":["tyva"],"tags":[],"title":"Kazakov's case in Kyzyl","type":"cases"},{"body":"At 8 o'clock in the morning in Krasnoyarsk, a search is being conducted at the place of registration of Alexander Kazakov. The operation is led by police captain Viktor Petrenko, an operative of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tuva, accompanied by two employees of the CPE, as well as the head of the investigation department, Olchi Okhemchik. The search warrant was issued by Kyzyl City Court Judge Yevgenia Bolomozhnova on May 21, 2021.\nAn electronic device, a bank card, a Wi-Fi router and a wireless mouse were seized from Aleksandr's relative, who was at home at the time of the search. She is later interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"Kazakov's case in Kyzyl","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl2/index.html#20210611","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kyzyl City Court of the Republic of Tyva Evgenia Bolomozheva, having studied the decision of investigator Okhemchik, authorizes a search at the place of registration of Alexander Kazakov, where his mother and sister live, without his presence.\n","caseTitle":"Kazakov's case in Kyzyl","date":"2021-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl2/index.html#20210521","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tyva O. O. Okhemchik initiates a criminal case against 28-year-old Alexander Kazakov. According to the investigation, the believer \"using the service for conducting video conferences ... took part in the activities of a religious association of persons from among the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses\", in connection with which he is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Kazakov's case in Kyzyl","date":"2021-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl2/index.html#20210517","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tuva Aydin Kandan makes a decision to conduct an operational-search measure against Alexander Kazakov \"removal of information from technical communication channels.\"\n","caseTitle":"Kazakov's case in Kyzyl","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl2/index.html#20210210","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2020-06-08","permalink":"/en/cases/kaliningrad/index.html","prisoners":["kopytov"],"regions":["kaliningrad"],"tags":[],"title":"Kopytov's case in Kaliningrad","type":"cases"},{"body":"Interrogations of believers continue.\n","caseTitle":"Kopytov's case in Kaliningrad","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaliningrad/index.html#20200713","regions":["kaliningrad"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in at least 6 families of believers, including a disabled person of group I. During the searches, electronic devices, bank cards, Bibles of various translations, postcards and photographs were seized. 11 people, including 27-year-old Igor Myslyon, 57-year-old Nikolai Ter-Avanesov, 52-year-old Mikhail Kopytov, were taken for interrogation to the FSB Directorate and later released.\n","caseTitle":"Kopytov's case in Kaliningrad","date":"2020-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaliningrad/index.html#20200711","regions":["kaliningrad"],"tags":["search","interrogation","disabled"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Captain of Justice E. A. Golotin, investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB Directorate for the Kaliningrad Region, initiates a criminal case against 52-year-old M. V. Kopytov on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Kopytov's case in Kaliningrad","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaliningrad/index.html#20200608","regions":["kaliningrad"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2020, in Seversk, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB raided Yevgeniy Korotun\u0026rsquo;s apartment. During a long search, Yevgeniy\u0026rsquo;s wife and their nine-year-old son were kept in the stairway. A day earlier, a criminal case was initiated against the believer. Yevgeniy spent two days in a temporary detention center and 54 days under house arrest, after which he was sent to a pre-trial detention center. He was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization because he held peaceful worship services. The basis for the accusation was hidden audio and video recordings made by Kira Klisheva and Yelena Studenova, an officer of the Russian National Guard. Both women feigned an interest in the Bible. At the end of March 2021, the case went to the city court. In January 2022, the court sentenced the believer to seven years in prison. The appellate and cassation courts upheld this decision. The believer is serving his sentence in a penal colony in Nizhny Tagil.","date":"2020-07-13","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html","prisoners":["korotun"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Korotun case in Seversk","type":"cases"},{"body":"For the first time in 3 years Yevgeniy Korotun ended up in a punishment cell. Generally though, the administration of the penal colony and the prisoners treat Yevgeniy with respect. He has had visits from friends and receives letters regularly.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20250526","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 74 prisoners in Yevgeniy Korotun's detachment, many of them treat him with respect. He generously shares food and clothing. I am satisfied with my work related to the receipt, collection and shipment of packaging cardboard. In his spare time, he reads the Bible and books from the colony's library. She regularly receives parcels and letters.\nYevgeniy often suffers from headaches and is taking medication for heart problems.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20250314","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of detention of Yevgeniy Korotun are normal. Relations between the colony staff and prisoners are even. His job has changed — now he is responsible for collecting paper, cardboard and plastic in the colony.\nYevgeniy had several long visits with his wife and son. Not so long ago, his sister visited him. A believer has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2024-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20240916","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Korotun has proven himself well in the colony and has already received 2 awards. He works as an area cleaner and handyman 6 days a week.\nHaving expressed a desire to file a petition for parole (parole), Korotun immediately received an unjustified penalty (a number of penalties prevent the prisoner from receiving parole). The believer asked the court to replace the rest of the sentence with forced labor, but he was refused.\nEugene rejoices when his wife and son come to him for long visits: \"It gives a lot of strength and positive emotions.\" The believer has a Bible. He receives a large number of letters.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20230915","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy's health improved, his blood pressure returned to normal. He has already received more than 8,000 letters. Yevgeny has good relations with other convicts and with the administration. He is pleased with the opportunity to call his family almost every day via video link.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2023-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20230309","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The address for correspondence to Yevgeny Korotun has been clarified. Now you can write to him through the Zonatelecom system.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20221212","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeny Korotun in IK-13 in the Sverdlovsk region, located in Nizhny Tagil. This is a penal colony of general regime for former employees of law enforcement and administrative bodies.\nYevgeniy says that the journey from the Tomsk pre-trial detention center to this colony took 18 days. A significant part of it Yevgeny rode in the so-called \"Stolypin car\" - without windows. Sometimes there were 12 people in a 6-seater compartment, so the prisoners had to sleep in turns. During a stop in the Yekaterinburg colony, the believer was placed in a punishment cell for one night, since the prisoners were brought in late in the evening, and \"it takes a long time to breed them in cells.\"\nIn the colony in Nizhny Tagil, both the administration and other prisoners treated the believer with respect. After quarantine, upon arrival, Yevgeniy was assigned to a detachment of 58 people. They do not use foul language, and go out to smoke. Some prisoners ask Yevgeniy to pray for them and their families.\nEugene has the opportunity to read the Bible. From the very first days of his stay in the colony, he receives letters of support, there are as many of them \"as all the other prisoners combined.\" Other convicts are surprised by such a large amount of correspondence.\nThe colony has equipment for communicating with relatives via video link. Thanks to this, Eugene saw his son for the first time in a long time. Soon he will have a three-day date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220718","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Korotun is being transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Tomsk to correctional colony No. 13 in Nizhny Tagil, where he will serve his sentence. He is currently in quarantine.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeny Korotun in SIZO-1 in Tomsk. The believer is kept in cold solitary confinement.\nEugene describes his physical condition as \"generally good, only occasional severe headaches.\" He has a heart condition, but lately there have been no special complaints. Korotun says, \"My biggest worry is that I don't see—and won't see for a long time—how my son is growing. And the years that I could have spent with my family cannot be returned...\"\nIn the pre-trial detention center, Yevgeniy is treated with respect. He has a Bible and receives a large number of letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tomsk Regional Court approves the verdict against Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220516","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Korotun takes the floor for debate.\nAccording to the court's decision, Yevgeniy's last word will be heard on May 16, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220411","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only Yevgeny's wife is allowed into the meeting room. About 30 more caring people are outside the courthouse.\nDuring the appeal debate, the prosecutor asks the court to change one of the wording of the verdict, namely: instead of a ban on educational activities, impose a ban on pedagogical work.\nYevgeny participates in the debate via video link.\nAt the next hearing, the believer plans to deliver a final appellate speech, after which the court is expected to render a decision.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220321","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region Svetlana Chebotareva finds 51-year-old Yevgeny Korotun guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 7 years in prison\nThe court also deprives the believer of the right to engage in educational activities in all types of educational institutions for 5 years and imposes an additional restriction of liberty for 1 year: after serving his term, the believer during this time will not be able to attend and participate in places of mass, sports, cultural and entertainment events, change his place of residence and leave it at night.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220120","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Korotun arrived at SIZO-1 in Novosibirsk. There he is awaiting transfer to correctional colony No. 13 of Nizhny Tagil (Sverdlovsk region).\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2022-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20220101","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court session, the issue of extending the measure of restraint to Yevgeny Korotun is being considered. He remains in custody.\nJudge Svetlana Chebotareva grants Yevgeny's request to postpone the court hearing in connection with the death of his mother-in-law and postpones her final speech until January 19, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20211224","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eugene speaks in the debate.\nAt the next hearing, scheduled for December 24, the defendant is scheduled to make his last speech. On the same day, the court may issue a verdict.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20211216","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Seversky City Court, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 7 years in prison in a penal colony and 2 years of restriction of liberty for Yevgeny Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20211123","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeniy Korotun in the pre-trial detention center. The believer feels satisfied. Employees of the pre-trial detention center treat him with respect. Yevgeniy was transferred to a larger solitary confinement cell measuring 2.7 m by 2.7 m. He receives all letters and parcels, and also communicates with his wife once a month during short-term visits. The believer misses his 10-year-old son very much.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210907","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court extends Yevgeny's preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center until December 30. The judge satisfies the prosecutor's request to appoint a psychological and psychiatric examination for the believer.\nAfter the court hearing, 14 fellow believers, who came to support Yevgeniy and his wife, but were not allowed to attend the court session, are waiting for the paddy wagon to take the believer back to the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210903","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tomsk Regional Court dismissed the lawyer's complaint about the extension of Korotun's detention.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210427","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing on the merits of the case of Yevgeny Korotun. The court satisfies the lawyer's request for additional acquaintance with the case materials. To do this, Korotun will be brought from the Tomsk pre-trial detention center. The next meeting is scheduled for May 5.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210423","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Chebotareva extends the measure of restraint for Yevgeniy Korotun in the form of detention until September 30, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210412","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region for consideration by Judge Svetlana Chebotareva.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210331","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Major L. N. Retunskaya summons Sergey Belousov and Andrey Kolesnichenko for interrogation to the investigative department as suspects in a criminal case.\nSenior investigator E. A. Yolokhova summons Alexei Ershov and Andrey Ledyaikin for interrogation to the investigation department as a suspect in a criminal case.\nA. G. Kolpakov, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee, notifies believers Aleksey Ershov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin and Sergey Belousov that a criminal case has been opened against them on the grounds of a crime in accordance with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20210325","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["interrogation","new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seversky City Court of the Tomsk Region decides to take Yevgeny Korotun into custody. This happens at a court session, about which the believer is warned only half an hour before the start of the hearing.\nDuring the trial, Yevgeny is accused of putting pressure on witnesses without any argumentation or evidence. Since Yevgeniy has a passport, it is alleged that he \"can hide from the investigation.\"\nThe judge considers such arguments significant and changes the measure of restraint from house arrest to detention. The believer is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Tomsk.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2020-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20200907","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Seversk City Court of the Tomsk Region Chebotareva S.V. satisfies the petition of the investigator for especially important cases of the investigation department for the Investigative Committee of the Tomsk Region of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region Vyshegorodtsev A.N. on the election of a preventive measure for Yevgeny Korotun.\nThe believer is placed under house arrest for 1 month and 30 days (until September 13, 2020). The court also prohibits the use of any means of communication, as well as communication with all persons except close relatives, a lawyer and an investigator. Eugene is allowed to leave the house for walks, utility bills and to the store for no more than 2 hours.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2020-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20200715","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the same time, at about 9 a.m., officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB invaded the homes of Sergey Belousov, Andrey Kolesnichenko, Andrey Ledyaykin, Alexei Ershov and Yevgeny Korotun. 50-year-old Kolesnichenko and 31-year-old Ledyaikin are detained by FSB officers at work, after which searches are conducted at their homes. The search of 67-year-old Aleksey Ershov lasts about 5 hours. His wife is not allowed into the apartment, but later taken for interrogation with her husband and daughter.\nOne of the believers later said: \"We opened the door because it was almost broken down. About 10 people entered the apartment and began to search. My son and I were kept in a stairwell for several hours. The neighbors took out a chair and some food.\" Lieutenant Sergey Mamontov, senior investigator of the investigation department for the Leninsky district of Tomsk, asks Kolesnichenko why he \"does not attend the Orthodox or Catholic Church.\"\nLaw enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, various editions of the Bible, notebooks, Wi-Fi routers, video cameras, photos, postcards, bank cards, foreign passports and even volumes of Victor Hugo and Leo Tolstoy from believers.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20200714","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Vyshegorodtsev, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigation Department for the North-West Administrative Unit of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region, initiates a criminal case against a local resident Yevgeny Korotun under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He interrogates Studenova and Klisheva, who reports that \"Korotun was elected leader in the course of voting,\" despite the fact that such a procedure is not provided for in the practice of holding worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20200713","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Studenova, an employee of the Russian Guard, as well as Kira Klisheva, pretending to be interested in the Bible, communicate with believers in Seversk and keep secret recordings of conversations on a dictaphone and a mobile phone camera.\n","caseTitle":"Korotun case in Seversk","date":"2018-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk2/index.html#20180101","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2019, Oleg Makerov, investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affair of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism. One of the defendants was Vladimir Manushakyan. A month later, the homes of 31 families in Nizhny Novgorod were searched. Manushakyan was interrogated, he spent the night in the detention center, after which he was released under a ban on certain actions. Later, the believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists. In November 2021, the case against Vladimir was made into a separate proceeding. On December 13, 2022, Vladimir passed away.","date":"2019-06-04","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html","prisoners":["manushakyan"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir Manushakyan died at the age of 52. For more than three years, he was under investigation in connection with a criminal case for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20221213","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Manushakyan is separated into separate proceedings. He was assigned the number 42101220089000650.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20211111","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Manushakyan is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20210701","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Oleg Makerov brings Vladimir Manushakyan as an accused. Manushakyan, Malyanov and Konshin are banned from certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20190718","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Police and FSB officers, with the support of SOBR, are conducting mass searches in 31 families of Nizhny Novgorod believers.\nVladimir Manushakyan, Oleg Konshin, Sergey and Svetlana Malyanov become defendants in a criminal case. They are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","families","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates criminal cases against unidentified persons, \"in whose act signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are seen.\" The evidence base is collected by employees of the Center for Economics of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"Manushakyan's case in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod9/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2021-10-04","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk2/index.html","prisoners":["merinov"],"regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Merinov's case in Irkutsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Nikolay Merinov is separated from the case of other believers in Irkutsk.\n","caseTitle":"Merinov's case in Irkutsk","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk2/index.html#20220811","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Broken front door, broken window and armed security forces — that was part of the search in the apartment of Denis Merkulov and his wife in July 2021. The Investigative Committee accused the believer from Apatity of organizing the activity of an extremist organization for \u0026ldquo;singing songs \u0026hellip; and praying to Jehovah God\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;organized practice of faith.\u0026rdquo; Merkulov was detained after interrogation. After 24 hours in a temporary detention facility, he was placed under house arrest for two months, and then the preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. In August 2022, the criminal case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of a man who invited Denis to talk about Bible teachings. In March 2023, the court sentenced the believer to a fine of 500,000 rubles. The prosecutor insisted on an appeal, which upheld the guilty verdict, but reduced the fine to 400,000 rubles.","date":"2021-07-19","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html","prisoners":["merkulov"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","type":"cases"},{"body":"Denis Merkulov makes the last word: \"My actions, my motives, my beliefs are in no way connected with actions of an extremist nature.\"\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20230323","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 6 years in prison for Denis Merkulov.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20230322","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, video recordings of conversations about the Bible are viewed. They discuss family values, as well as the question of whether God is the source of trouble and suffering.\nThe lawyer submits a petition for selective viewing of the video recording of the ORM with the participation of witness V. Y. Tuzov. The lawyer wants to draw the court's attention to the contradiction in his testimony\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20230124","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Merkulov gives written testimony. He says that he began to study the Bible in the 90s. According to the believer, he was the founder of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Apatity until 2017, but after the liquidation of legal entities of the denomination, he did not participate in the activities of any legal entities. The investigation was unable to provide any evidence to the contrary. \"I profess my beliefs individually, privately, and adhere exclusively to my actions ... The Bible,\" the believer declares.\nMerkulov draws the court's attention to the fact that the religious examination present in the case established only that he had religious beliefs, but did not confirm his connection with any LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses after 2017. Thus, the expert was unable to establish when, where, under whose leadership and in what composition it acted and what was the name of this LRO.\nAccording to the defendant, they had friendly relations with the prosecution witness, they communicated on various topics, including domestic and family topics, and went out into nature together. The believer declares that he never called on this witness to become a member of the LRO or to commit actions of an extremist nature.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20230112","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a man who in the past discussed the Bible with Denis Merkulov, and later wrote a denunciation of him to the FSB, is being interrogated. Denis Merkulov testifies about the circumstances of his acquaintance with the prosecution witness and the content of their conversations.\nMore than 20 of his fellow believers come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20221130","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness - an FSB officer. He informs the court that he considers any actions of a religious nature committed by Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremist, since he perceives the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation as a ban on any activity of this denomination. He admits that he did not delve into the case file.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20221109","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to question witnesses. The essence of the prosecutor's questions boils down to one thing, namely, how the activities of believers in the religious community were carried out before the decision of the Supreme Court in 2017 and what their participation in this activity is after this decision.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20221017","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"My desire to talk to people about God and the Bible ... is not based on any charter of a liquidated [local religious organization], in which I am not a member and do not participate,\" Denis Merkulov declares, expressing his attitude to the charges. \"It is the Bible, where the words of God and his son are written, that is my main 'charter' that guides me in my life.\" He continues: \"Extremism is completely alien to my views and beliefs.\"\nThe defendant's wife, Natalia, is being interrogated. The prosecutor is trying to find out in detail how the believer and her husband exercised their right to religion after the liquidation of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20220922","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Denis Merkulov is submitted to the Apatity City Court of the Murmansk Region. It will be considered by judge Olga Karulina.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20220812","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice D. M. Kamynin charges Denis Merkulov with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe investigator blames Merkulov for \"performing songs ... and prayers to Jehovah God,\" as well as \"organized confession of faith\" with others. The investigation considers it extremism that Jehovah's Witnesses want to \"proclaim the Good News, that is, preach the Word of Jehovah God.\" \"Jehovah's Witnesses firmly believe that their calling is to be subjects of the kingdom of Jesus Christ here and now on earth,\" the ruling reads. By this, the prosecution claims, believers \"oppose themselves to the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2022-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20220715","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the Apatity City Court of the Murmansk Region, Denis Merkulov's preventive measure is changed to prohibit certain actions until October 18, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2021-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20210917","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Apatity City Court of the Murmansk Region Vladimir Dyomin elects Denis Merkulov a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest until September 18, 2021. The meeting is being held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2021-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20210724","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis and Natalia appear in the Investigative Committee for interrogation, after which the believer is fingerprinted and handcuffed to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20210722","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["fingerprinting","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Murmansk region, security forces conduct 14 searches, five of which take place in the city of Apatity, including at the Merkulovs.\nAt about 7:30 p.m., FSB officers broke down the iron front door to the believers' apartment, and an armed riot policeman entered them, breaking a window on the second floor. The security forces are filming this intrusion on their phones. Denis and his wife Natalia are ordered to lie down on the floor, but are soon allowed to stand up.\nIn addition to the apartment, the search takes place in the car and garage of believers. Employees seize passports, bank cards, electronic devices, Bibles, greeting cards, photographs and personal records. To Natalia's question: \"Who will put the door and window for us now?\" the FSB officer answers: \"Let Jehovah put your door.\"\nAfter a 5-hour search, Denis, despite the high temperature and poor health, was taken to the Investigative Committee and released at 4 am, writing him and Natalia a summons for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20210721","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee initiates a criminal case against an unidentified person under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization). The involvement of 45-year-old Denis Merkulov in the case is being established promptly.\n","caseTitle":"Merkulov's case in Apatity","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/apatity/index.html#20210719","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2021-04-02","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk2/index.html","prisoners":["salmanov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Salmanov's case in Norilsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Nikolay Salmanov is separated from the case of other believers in Norilsk.\n","caseTitle":"Salmanov's case in Norilsk","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk2/index.html#20210402","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, before the completion of hearings in the first case against Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Daria Dulova, the Investigative Committee initiated another one on charges of organizing, participating and involving others in the activities of an extremist organization. Also involved in the case are Anastasia Pryanikova, Aleksandr's wife, Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband Ruslan, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. For the fact that the couple Zalyaevs, inviting Pryanikov to visit, discussed biblical teachings with their children, the three of them were also accused of \u0026quot;involving minors in a criminal group.\u0026quot; The case went to different courts for four years. As a result, in the spring of 2025, it was terminated: no extremism was found in the actions of believers.","date":"2020-02-18","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html","prisoners":["ddulova2","dulova2","prianikov2","pryanikova","zalyaeva"],"regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice V. Borisov dismisses the criminal case. According to the investigation, it has not been proven that the defendants were members or acted on behalf of the liquidated organization. No signs of hatred, enmity or involvement of other persons in prohibited activities were found in the actions of the believers.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20250320","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed","families","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Seventh Court of Cassation refuses to consider the prosecutor's submission. The court agrees with the previous instances that the indictment does not contain essential elements of a crime sufficient to pass a sentence or other decision. The cassation considers the prosecutor's arguments untenable.\nThe decisions of the first and second instances to return the case to the prosecutor remain in force.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20240410","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["cassation","case-to-prosecutor","families","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor submits an appeal decision to the Seventh Court of Cassation in Chelyabinsk.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20240311","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk Regional Court issues a ruling according to which the indictment in the case against believers from Karpinsk must be eliminated. Judge Natalya Aubakirova rejects the prosecutor's appeal against the decision of the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20231031","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal","case-to-prosecutor","families","282.2-1.1","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge decides to return the criminal case to the prosecutor in connection with violations in the indictment. The prosecutor's office intends to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230809","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Venera Dulova still does not have a suitable hearing aid, so she still cannot fully participate in the process. The believer explains to the court that she is undergoing a medical examination by a number of doctors in order to obtain the necessary device. Relevant documents are attached.\nThe judge asks Venus to sit next to her desk so that the woman can hear better, and resumes the hearing. The defendants file motions to attach their characteristics to the case file.\nThe court appoints a representative from the guardianship authorities to the son of the Zalyaevs. The representative asks for time to review the case file. The daughter of the Zalyayevs asks for the same. The court gives them 1 month to do so and postpones the hearing until August 9.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230629","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor filed a petition for the recognition of the children of the Zalyayev spouses as victims. The court satisfies him. The children will be summoned to court.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230628","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daria Dulova submits a petition for a copy of Venera Dulova's disability certificate. Her hearing aid is broken, she can hardly hear anything and cannot participate in the meeting. The court, deliberating on the spot, decides to postpone the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-05-22T08:51:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230522","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her testimony, the daughter of the Zalyayevs says that their family has a warm friendly atmosphere, they love to spend time together, go fishing, play and communicate. She explains that her parents are not against getting an education, they respect the state authorities.\nWhen asked if her parents forced her to adhere to certain religious views, Nina answers in the negative and explains: \"This is my own business. It's not the nature of parents to force.\" She adds: \"I don't understand how they could involve [me in illegal activities]. They themselves have never been involved in it.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230428","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of interrogating the secret witness \"Mironova\", her written testimony is read out. The prosecution provides a certificate stating that this witness cannot speak in court due to illness.\nAnastasia Pryanikova, Venera and Daria Dulov testify to the court. Svetlana and Ruslan Zalyaev ask to summon their daughter for questioning at the next hearing. The court grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230427","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses are being interrogated - the son and husband of Venera Dulova, who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as a psychologist who made an expert opinion on the Zalyayev family and Alexander Pryanikov.\nVenera Dulova's son, Alexei, says that he was never pressured to choose his religion or beliefs. The different religious views of the family members did not prevent them from maintaining warm relations. Alexei also says that for Jehovah's Witnesses, the Bible is the authority in all spheres of life, and it was thanks to the biblical principles that his mother instilled in him in childhood that he grew up to be a calm, non-confrontational person.\nVenera Dulova's husband, Igor, informs the court that he professes Orthodoxy, and is proud that in his family there is an Orthodox priest who was shot in 1933 by the Soviet authorities. According to the witness, different beliefs in his family have never prevented him from loving and respecting his wife, to whom he always turns for advice, as he considers her wise.\nThe prosecutor asks how Igor reacted to the fact that his wife began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, Dulov replies that he saw how \"the wife stopped being nervous because of some troubles, and the family became calmer.\"\nWhen asked by the defendant Anastasia Pryanikova, Igor Dulov replies that they never tried to \"draw\" him into the activities of a religious organization and did not read him sermons. On the contrary, it was \"easy and simple\" to communicate with the Pryanikov family, since they \"breathe kindness\".\nThe court proceeds to the interrogation of psychologist Alexander Lozhkin. The expert came to the following conclusions: neither open nor hidden forms of psychological pressure of the Zalyaevs on their children were revealed; parents do not have antisocial or criminal tendencies; there are no deviations in the style of upbringing, children behave freely and correspond to their age in intelligence; the upbringing of parents did not harm the psychological state of the children, but an increased level of anxiety was revealed in connection with the persecution of the family by law enforcement agencies; the method of authoritative suppression of the will of children on the part of Pryanikov has not been revealed, and the emotional and volitional qualities of Pryanikov are expressed in a benevolent attitude; The reaction of children to society, if not ideal, is close to ideal.\nThe judge satisfies the petition for inclusion in the case file of the study of a specialist.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230215","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence that was also used in the first criminal case is considered, in particular, a documentary film about nature and a cartoon \"How to Become a Friend of God\" are watched.\nThe testimony of a witness who did not appear at the hearing due to a prolonged illness is also read out.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20230130","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The written materials of the case submitted by the defense during the investigative actions shall be announced. The letters of the Zalyaev family are studied.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20221227","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who is familiar with Venera Dulova at work is being interrogated. She claims that Venus did not come to her house, did not offer anything, and they did not talk about biblical topics. The witness does not corroborate his affidavit. She states that some of the statements were attributed by the investigator and that \"I did not read the protocol, I signed and that's it.\"\nThe defense objected to the disclosure of the written testimonies of the witnesses who did not appear, since they were taken from the materials of another case in which the court had already made a decision. In addition, their interrogations took place in 2018, and a criminal case was initiated in 2020. The court does not accept the arguments of the defense.\nOne of the defenders expresses a remark on the actions of the presiding judge: in his opinion, he does not ensure the adversarial nature of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20221015","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An expert, psychologist Mark Itskovich, is being interrogated. He believes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was promoted to the Zalyayevs' minor child, as he was offered to paint drawings depicting the creation of the world by God. According to the expert, \"any fine art is education, and any education is the promotion of values and cultures.\"\nThe lawyer states that the expert's testimony in court differs significantly from the testimony given to the investigator and questions the impartiality of the expert. The court, at the request of the defense, examines the website of the Orthodox organization, which contains information about Itskovich.\nThe defendant Alexander Pryanikov turns to the expert: \"You say that it does not matter to you what terms to use in the text of the examination and what meaning to put into them ... Do you realize that by using different terms ['confession', 'doctrine', 'organization'], without giving it meaning, you can ruin someone's life?\"\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20220712","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Alexei Starostin, Ph.D., who was an expert in 10 criminal cases involving Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, is being questioned at the hearing. He is asked about the name of God Jehovah, Bible translations, and various terms from spiritual literature. The expert notes that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20220405","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case and the conclusion of the expert Alexei Starostin are being examined, although he himself is not interrogated.\nThe prosecutor announces that he will use the results of the examinations as evidence for the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20220119","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor filed a motion for the disclosure of the testimony of the witness, to whom the believer Venera Dulova allegedly came. The judge grants the request.\nThe witness states that his testimony given to the investigator was \"clearly embellished\". He says that he has never been shown or offered any religious literature mentioning Jehovah's Witnesses, has never been invited to religious meetings, and believers have never even introduced themselves in conversation as representatives of the Jehovah's Witnesses denomination.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20220118","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation and reading of the testimony of another witness. She recalls that during the first interrogation, the investigator threatened her that her children \"would be sent to an orphanage, and their mother would be imprisoned.\"\nSvintsov's lawyer asks the judge to pronounce the name \"Jehovah\" correctly, since the mispronunciation of God's name hurts the feelings of the defendants as believers. The defendant Pryanikov explains to the court how to pronounce the name of God correctly. The judge tries to read out the name of God, putting the emphasis in the right way.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20220117","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witnesses \"Semenov\" and \"Osokina\" are being interrogated. The judge rejects the lawyer's request to declassify them.\n\"Semyonov\" tells how some man and woman came to him, talked about God, while adding that the believers behaved culturally, did not insult, did not threaten, did not express religious or social superiority. When asked by the lawyer whether he had previously testified in the present case under the pseudonym \"Ivanov\", the witness replied that he did not know him, despite the fact that their testimony completely coincided.\n\"Osokina\" in her testimony claims that she knows the Pryanikovs and attended services in 2012. When asked what was discussed at the services, the witness replies that she does not remember exactly, but the main topic was about God. She also confirms that she has not heard anything related to the overthrow of power, genocide and violence. On the contrary, they talked about respect and love for others.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20211118","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness under the pseudonym \"Markin\" is being interrogated. The court rejects the defense's request to declassify the witness, despite the fact that the defendant Pryanikov calls his exact name.\nThe Witness says that he attended services voluntarily, but stopped doing so almost immediately after the liquidation of the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. He admits that in order to become Jehovah's Witness, \"you don't have to sign any documents.\"\n\"Markin\" confirms that at divine services believers read and study the Bible, learn to show love, sympathy and kindness to others. He also says that he has not heard from the defendants calls for the overthrow of the government or the constitutional order, and that it is not typical for Jehovah's Witnesses to be violent, cause serious harm to health or property.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20211117","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held behind closed doors. Secret witnesses \"Ivanov\", \"Petrov\", \"Elizarova\" and \"Vorobyov\" are interrogated.\nJudge Vera Dranitsyna rejects the defense's motions to interrogate the witnesses in the usual manner, despite the fact that in their testimony they note that there were no threats to their lives, property, health and loved ones.\nIvanov is the first to perform. He says that the defendants did not call him to violence, genocide, crimes against the state, the breakdown of family relations, propaganda of the superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions.\nWitness \"Petrov\" is confused in concepts and considers all believers who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be an organization, or a legal entity.\nDuring the interrogation, \"Elizarova\" expresses her personal dislike for Jehovah's Witnesses and admits that after she learned that Zalyayeva had become a Jehovah's Witness, she stopped communicating with her and her husband.\nThe next to be questioned is the witness \"Vorobyov\", a graduate of the Missionary Institute in Yekaterinburg. When answering questions, he expresses his negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses, calling them \"sectarians.\"\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20211116","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. Many of them are not, as they have already been interrogated twice in court on the same circumstances. To ensure their appearance, the court attracts bailiffs.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210720","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Karpinsky City Court and transferred to the proceedings of Judge Vera Dranitsyna.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210429","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment was approved by the prosecutor A. Arzhakhovsky.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210422","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All believers sign a protocol on familiarization with the materials of the criminal case. The case shall be sent to the prosecutor for signature.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210415","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Karpinsky City Court Bazueva V.V. (chairman of the court) is considering the petition of investigator Spirin to set a deadline for the court to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case to the accused Pryanikov and his defender, lawyer Svintsov until April 12, 2021. The court grants the petition, but partially: the deadline for familiarization is limited on April 13, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210408","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the prosecutor's office returned the case back to the investigation stage. Believers are again invited to familiarize themselves with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210316","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Spirin and Deputy Head of the Investigation Department Anna Ovchinnikova summon the accused to the Investigation Department, ostensibly to explain to them their rights, but in fact they are asked under a video camera whether they will sign a protocol on the completion of familiarization with the case materials. On the same day, the case materials are sent for approval to the Karpinsky prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210218","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Svetlana Gabbasova rejects investigator Spirin and prosecutor Salavat Zaydullin's request to limit the time limit for familiarization with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210216","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the 12-month period of the investigation expires on February 18, 2021, and the investigating authority needs good reasons to extend it, investigator Spirin goes to court with a petition to limit the term for the accused Pryanikov and his lawyer Svintsov to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case (which in itself limits the possibilities of the defense).\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20210214","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. S. Spirin, senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Krasnoturinsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region, initiates 2 new criminal cases against a resident of Karpinsk, Alexander Pryanikov - under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) and Part 4 of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of a minor in a criminal group). Earlier, on February 18, 2020, a criminal case had already been initiated against him under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). In addition, the criminal case initiated against him under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) has already passed the stage of court hearings, a verdict has been passed on it, but the appellate court overturned the verdict, returning the case for a new trial to the Karpinsky City Court. Thus, 4 criminal cases for faith were initiated against Pryanikov at once, all of them are in the active phase.\nIn addition, investigator Spirin opened a new criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Anastasia Pryanikova, the wife of Alexander Pryanikov. She is charged with involving residents of the Sverdlovsk region in the activities of an extremist organization, as well as a certain citizen \"Osokina\", whose true identity data was kept secret by the investigation. This is the second criminal case brought against Anastasia for her faith. The first case, under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, was initiated against her three months earlier. It was initiated by the same investigator Spirin.\nFinally, investigator Spirin initiates a criminal case against Svetlana Zalyaeva and her husband Ruslan (who does not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses) under Part 4 of Article 150 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of a minor in a criminal group). The Zalyayevs, who live in the city of Karpinsk, have two children, aged 12 and 16, whom they raise in accordance with evangelical values, which serves as the basis for initiating a criminal case under Article 150. In addition, 2 more criminal cases were initiated against the Zalyayevs - under part 1.1 and part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). All three cases are being investigated separately.\n(Earlier, investigator Spirin also initiated 2 criminal cases against Venera and Daria Dulov, a mother and daughter living in the city of Karpinsk. The criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is at the stage of court hearings, and the case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is at the stage of investigation.)\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200819","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal against the decision to initiate a case is considered by the judge of the Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region, Svetlana Gabbasova, the same one who convicted the believer in another criminal case.\nAlexander challenges the judge, but Gabbasova refuses, arguing that the fact of her key participation in the previous case does not indicate her bias in the consideration of the current complaint.\nJudge Gabbasova upholds the investigator's decision to initiate a second criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200803","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Dybkova, judge of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, does not satisfy Aleksandr Pryanikov's complaint against the decision that allowed him to search his home.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200622","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice A. C. Spirin rejects all suspects' request to dismiss the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200610","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Zalyaeva, her husband, Venera and Daria Dulov, as well as the Pryanikovs, submit petitions to the senior investigator of the Investigative Department for the city of Krasnoturinsk of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Sverdlovsk Region A. S. Spirin to terminate the criminal case.\nThe basis for the application is Opinion No. 10/2020 of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council. Although the Opinion refers to the specific circumstances of 18 individuals whose rights have been violated by Russian law enforcement officers, the Working Group stresses that \"its conclusions ... apply to all other persons in similar circumstances.\"\nThe suspects refer to the norms of international and Russian law. According to the legal position of the Constitutional Court, \"the Russian Federation cannot leave without consequences the opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in cases where it has been found to have violated the provisions of the [International] Covenant [on Civil and Political Rights]. [...] The state is obliged to recognize and guarantee the rights and freedoms of man and citizen in accordance with the universally recognized principles and norms of international law.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200608","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Karpinsky City Court returns to Darya Dulova the complaint filed against the decision to initiate a criminal case against her.\nAs a result, the believer is deprived of the opportunity to challenge the legality of the new criminal prosecution. Daria intends to challenge this decision.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200603","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court Tatyana Ainsof rejects the appeal against the search of Svetlana Zalyaeva. The appellate court considers Zalyayeva's arguments that it was carried out during the period of restrictive measures related to coronavirus infection to be groundless.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200602","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Pryanikov files a complaint against the decision to initiate a criminal case against him under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200601","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. S. Spirin, senior investigator of the Krasnoturyinsk Investigative Directorate, initiates criminal cases against Anastasia Pryanikova, Ruslan and Svetlana Zalyaev. All three were chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\nThe head of the SO combines the new case into one proceeding with the case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk. The criminal case is assigned No. 12002650042000009.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200519","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Karpinsk and the neighboring city of Volchansk, searches are conducted in the houses of the Dulovs, Pryanikovs and Ruslan and Svetlana Zalyaev, and the Pryanikovs' car was also searched. Digital media and electronic devices were seized. Investigators A. Spirin, V. Sudin and A. Ovchinnikov participate in special events.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200330","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Karpinsky City Court Svetlana Gabbasova, who had previously sentenced Venera and Darya Dulova and Aleksandr Pryanikov to suspended sentences, grants the petition of investigator A. Spirin to conduct searches in the homes of believers.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200326","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All three criminal cases are combined into one.\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200317","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sudedan, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Department for Krasnoturyinsk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates criminal cases against Venera and Daria Dulov and Alexander Pryanikov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It was he who had previously initiated the criminal prosecution of three believers, which eventually turned into a suspended sentence for them. The decisions to initiate criminal cases include secret witnesses, according to whom the believers allegedly involved them \"in the activities of a banned religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Second Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk2/index.html#20200218","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","secret-witness","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, representatives of law enforcement agencies came to the father of many children, Vitaly Sukhov, and several of his fellow believers with a search. The investigation accused Sukhov of allegedly \u0026ldquo;organizing religious performances and services.\u0026rdquo; The believer himself said: \u0026ldquo;I have never been a member of any extremist organizations. I am a peaceful person, I have a big family.\u0026rdquo; In October 2020, the court seized the believer\u0026rsquo;s car, depriving him of the right to dispose of his property. Although the indictment did not indicate specific facts confirming the commission of a crime by Sukhov, in March 2021 the case was submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk. Such facts were also not established in court, and even the prosecution witnesses who testified could not confirm the illegality of the believer\u0026rsquo;s actions. On December 21, 2021, Judge Svetlana Patsalyuk sentenced Vitaliy Sukhov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. In March 2022, the Court of Appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2020-05-08","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html","prisoners":["sukhov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, chaired by Judge Alla Skornyakova, does not satisfy Vitaly Sukhov's appeal against the verdict of the court of first instance. The believer is conditionally imprisoned for 6 years, but he can appeal this decision in cassation.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20220301","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk Svetlana Patsalyuk sentences 54-year-old Vitaliy Sukhov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. The court found in the ordinary confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses the organization of the activities of an extremist association.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20211221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Vitaliy Sukhov to 6 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20211216","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaly Sukhov testifies. He says: \"The episodes of participation in worship services imputed to me can only indicate the exercise of the right to use methods of expressing faith that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not evaluate or prohibit ... I have never been a member of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Krasnoyarsk\", did not participate in its activities and did not perform any actions on its behalf, which is confirmed by the case materials.\" The believer adds: \"I did not incite anyone to hatred or enmity. All my actions were peaceful, I had no conflicts.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20211117","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 70 people come to the courtroom to support Sukhov, which surprises court workers. The case materials are being examined.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210812","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two women, witnesses for the prosecution, are being questioned. Both are not familiar with Vitaly Sukhov. One of the witnesses lives in the same entrance as Sukhov. She says that she has no complaints against Vitaly, and no one has agitated her to join any organization. The second witness says that she does not consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremists, and studying the Bible has helped her improve her family life.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210721","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness of the prosecution \"Kuzmin\" is being interrogated. He states that he attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from late 2017 to mid-2018. Kuzmin claims that these were meetings of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Krasnoyarsk\", however, answering the defendant's question, states that he did not read the charter of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Krasnoyarsk\" and does not know exactly who was a member of it.\nDuring the interrogation, the witness clearly answers the prosecutor's questions, but when the questions are asked by the accused, and then by his lawyer, he \"hears poorly.\"\nExplaining the motives of Jehovah's Witnesses when they talk to people about the Bible, Kuzmin says: \"The participants of the congregation believe that they should save as many people as possible.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210524","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge explains to Vitaliy Sukhov his rights and allows him to express his attitude to the charges. The believer emphasizes that, according to the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, \"the investigator must indicate the essence of the charge, the place and time of the crime, its methods, motives, goals, consequences and other circumstances relevant to the criminal case.\" Since these provisions are not complied with, the charge does not meet the requirements of Article 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, and therefore, according to Sukhov, the criminal case should be returned to the prosecutor.\nThe prosecutor objects, and the judge decides to revert to the motion at a later date. The procedure for consideration of evidence shall be approved.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210428","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Svetlana Patsalyuk decides to schedule an open court hearing on April 28, 2021 to consider the criminal case against Vitaliy Sukhov in accordance with the general procedure.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210414","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Vitaly Sukhov is submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Judge Svetlana Patsalyuk sees no grounds for a preliminary hearing and the choice of a preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20210325","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Solodovnikova conducts a search and inspection of the apartments of two residents of Krasnoyarsk. Investigative actions are sanctioned by the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk T. Shapovalova. Believers are in the status of witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20201128","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk, at the request of investigator N. S. Solodovnikova, seizes Vitaliy Sukhov's car. The suspect is prohibited from fully disposing of the vehicle. This measure was taken so that if the court sentences Vitaliy to a fine, it would be possible to recover a fine at the expense of the cost of the car.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20201016","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Filishkan interrogates Sukhov on video. Vitaliy declares: \"I have never been a member of any extremist organizations, I am not a member and I am not going to be. I am a peaceful person, I have a big family.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20200523","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Sukhov's apartment is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20200521","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant P. Filishkan, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Zheleznodorozhny district of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Khakassia, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 53-year-old Vitaly Sukhov, father of four minor children.\nAccording to the ruling, he is suspected of \"acting under the direction and being in direct canonical subordination\" of a banned local religious organization \"organized religious performances and services.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sukhov's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk6/index.html#20200508","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During 2019 and 2020, the FSB monitored the telephone conversations of believers from/to Novokuznetsk and made audio and video recordings of meetings for worship. In June 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against a veteran of labor, Sergey Sushilnikov. The peaceful believer was accused of continuing the activity of the local religious organization of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and having conversations \u0026ldquo;in order to promote the activity of this banned organization\u0026rdquo;. His apartment was searched, during which time the law enforcement officers used force against Sergey and his wife and damaged their property. The believer was made to sign an agreement to appear if summoned, and later – a recognizance agreement. In July 2021, he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and his accounts were blocked. Sushilnikov\u0026rsquo;s criminal case went to court in February 2022. After 11 months, the believer was given a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2021-06-03","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html","prisoners":["sushilnikov"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk sentences Sergey Sushilnikov to 6 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20230124","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for a sentence of six years in a penal colony. Before that, the court interrogates the investigator, who cannot explain why the wording of the decision to prosecute as an accused differs from each other. It also confirms that the case materials were submitted to the defense for review in an unstitched form (this is a violation, since it leaves room for falsification).\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20230118","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believer, 95 people gather outside the courthouse.\nThe defense draws attention to the fact that the wording of the decision in the case to prosecute as an accused, on the basis of which the indictment was drawn up, differs from the wording of the decision that was in the case file at the time the defense familiarized itself with them.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20230111","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 60 of Sergey's fellow believers are outside the courthouse during the hearing.\nSushilnikov is being interrogated. The believer categorically disagrees with the accusation and refutes it on all counts. He states that law enforcement agencies are essentially accusing Jehovah's Witnesses of simply continuing to worship God as they see fit. He also notes that the Supreme Court, when deciding on the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not evaluate liturgical rites, and the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees everyone the right to freedom of religion. In addition, the indictment does not contain specific dates and places where the \"crime\" was committed, as well as the victims.\nAt the request of the lawyer, written evidence from the case file is read out, including information about the rehabilitation of Jehovah's Witnesses who were repressed in the Soviet Union. Also, the defense recalls the position of Russian President V. Putin, who said: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians, for which they are persecuted, I also do not really understand.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220831","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 95 people come to the courthouse to support Sergey Sushilnikov.\nProsecution witness Sergei Beresnev, an FSB officer, is being questioned. On his behalf, the security forces monitored Sushilnikov and made covert photo and video filming in order to identify his social circle and establish \"the defendant's affiliation with the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Beresnev says that he received such an assignment from his superiors.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220803","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support Sergey Sushilnikov, about 70 people once again come to the courthouse.\nThe court continues to question witnesses. The prosecution is represented by Deputy Prosecutor Taras Kucheryavenko.\nOne of the witnesses says that she does not know the defendant, but communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses once.\nAnother witness, a senior commissioner for particularly important cases of the FSB, states that Sergey Sushilnikov continued to hold meetings of a religious nature on the Internet as a leader. However, he cannot provide evidence of this, as well as explain what exactly is prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017.\nThe court proceeds to the questioning of the witness-clergyman, despite the motion of the defense to challenge him. The Witness makes vague accusations against Jehovah's Witnesses. When Judge Anton Jordan asks for evidence, he refers to Orthodox literature.\nThe next witness is absent, so his testimony is read out. He also does not know Sushilnikov, knows nothing about Jehovah's Witnesses, has never attended their services, and learned about the ban on activities on television.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-06-01T14:15:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 70 believers again come to support Sushilnikov. 6 people are allowed into the courtroom. The interrogation of prosecution witnesses continues, only two appear at the hearing. Their initial written testimony is partially announced, as they differ from the answers at the trial. The interrogation of three prosecution witnesses who did not appear and three more, summoned additionally at the request of the prosecutor, is scheduled for June 1, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220518","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who was searched in 2021 is being questioned. Prosecutor Andrei Saranskiy is interested in when the witness attended the liturgical meetings, whether she saw the defendant there and what literature she had before 2017. The prosecutor also asks the witness whether she communicated with Sushilnikov on religious topics and whether he encouraged her to distribute religious literature, to which the witness replies in the negative.\nThe lawyer interrogates the witness Tatyana Sushilnikova, the defendant's wife. She says that in 43 years of marriage with Sergey, she has never heard from him statements related to the incitement of hostility and hatred towards other people.\nAt the next court session, the questioning of witnesses will continue.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220427","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 70 believers come to the courtroom to support Sergey. Only 5 people are allowed to attend the meeting.\nThe prosecutor, reading out the transcripts of audio recordings of worship meetings, reads out the words of prayer and excerpts from the speeches of the services. Then the prosecutor acquaints the court with the evidence of the prosecution, including recordings of telephone conversations, analyzes and conclusions of experts: religious scholar and culturologist, phonoscopic and linguistic examinations, protocols of inspection of seized things and documents, as well as protocols of interrogations.\nWitnesses are scheduled to be questioned at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Sergey Sushilnikov is taking place. More than 50 believers gather near the building to support Sergey, but only 5 people are allowed into the courtroom.\nSushilnikov and his lawyer read out the attitude to the charges. The believer does not admit his guilt and explains to the court: \"The indictment does not contain any specific speech passages that testify to the manifestation of extremism on my part, as well as the date, time and place of their utterance. It is blamed for the fact that I shared the ideology of the liquidated organization and adhered to its beliefs and views.\"\nThe state prosecutor - Assistant Prosecutor of Novokuznetsk Andrey Saransk - reads out the indictment, distorting the name of God, despite the fact that the believer at the beginning of his speech immediately pays attention to how it sounds correctly.\nAt the next court session, it is planned to examine the evidence of Sergey Sushilnikov's guilt and the testimony of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Anton Iordan opens the first court hearing in the case of Sergey Sushilnikov. More than 50 believers gather outside the courthouse to support Sergey, but only 5 people are allowed into the courtroom.\nSergey and his lawyer read out their attitude to the prosecution. The believer does not admit his guilt and explains to the court: \"The indictment does not contain any specific speech passages that testify to the manifestation of extremism on my part, as well as the date, time and place of their utterance. It is blamed for the fact that I shared the ideology of the liquidated organization and adhered to its beliefs and views.\"\nThe state prosecutor - Assistant Prosecutor of Novokuznetsk Andrey Saransk - reads out the indictment, distorting the name of God, despite the fact that the believer at the beginning of his speech immediately pays attention to how it sounds correctly.\nAt the next court session, it is planned to examine the evidence of Sergey Sushilnikov's guilt and the testimony of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sushilnikov's case is submitted to the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Region. It is appointed to Judge Anton Iordan.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220228","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Committee for the city of Novokuznetsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region, V. S. Minaev, chooses a measure of restraint for Sushilnikov in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior and decides to bring him as an accused.\nDespite the fact that Sergey was a member of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses until April 2017, the investigation interprets his peaceful confession of religion as a continuation of the activities of the liquidated legal entity and \"committing deliberate actions of an organizational nature.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20220208","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Sushilnikov is included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, his accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20210715","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 7:00 there is a 3-hour search of the Sushilnikov spouses. Breaking into the apartment, the security forces force the pensioner to lie on the floor, and his wife is pressed against the wall. By their actions, law enforcement officers cause damage to property, in connection with which the apartment now requires repair. From stress, Sergey's blood pressure rises. Electronic devices and data carriers are seized from the spouses. Later, they are taken to the investigation department for interrogation. Sergey is provided with a state lawyer and released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20210608","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Novokuznetsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region, P.V. Nekhoroshev chooses a measure of restraint for Sushilnikov in the form of an obligation to appear.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20210608","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Nekhoroshev, senior investigator of the Novokuznetsk Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, is initiating a criminal case against 64-year-old Sergey Sushilnikov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believer \"deliberately organized the continuation of the activities of the Novokuznetsk LRO, in respect of which the court made a final decision on liquidation in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20210603","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures \"Observation\" are carried out: audio and video recordings of meetings, wiretapping of telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"Sushilnikov case in Novokuznetsk","date":"2019-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk/index.html#20191101","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2018-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg2/index.html","prisoners":["suvorov"],"regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"Suvorov's case in Orenburg","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksandr Suvorov is separated from the case of other believers in Orenburg.\n","caseTitle":"Suvorov's case in Orenburg","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg2/index.html#20191020","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2). 7 believers become defendants in the case at once.\n","caseTitle":"Suvorov's case in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg2/index.html#20180514","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Roman Adestov. The following month, law enforcement officers raided seven homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in and around Kovrov. One of them was that of Roman Adestov. He was interrogated at the FSB branch of Vladimir, arrested and sent to a detention center. The investigation saw extremism in the fact that Roman \u0026ldquo;took part in religious meetings\u0026hellip; spoke at them.\u0026rdquo; After 4.5 months, the believer was placed under house arrest, and after another 7 months — a ban on certain actions was imposed against him. In September 2022, the criminal case went to court. In June 2023, the court sentenced Roman Adestov to 1 year in a penal colony with 11 months restriction of freedom. After the verdict, the believer was not taken into custody, since he had already served the appointed term of imprisonment, while under pretrial detention and house arrest.","date":"2021-06-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html","prisoners":["adestov"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"During the debate, prosecutor Maksim Krotov requested a sentence for Roman Adestov: 4 years in prison and 1 year of various restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230609","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reads out the description of Roman Adestov from the place of work and his certificate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230529","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who attended religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2009 to 2014 is being questioned. The man says that he has never heard calls for violence and hatred at worship services; He made donations on a voluntary basis, \"no one forced.\"\nThe court hears the testimony of the next prosecution witness, who also previously attended worship services. The man says that he does not know what Adestov was doing, and \"does not know him personally.\" He confirmed that he once broke the windows of the worship building \"to talk to Boris Symonenko.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230412","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"25 people come to support Roman, 16 of them are allowed into the meeting room. The testimony of three prosecution witnesses who did not appear in court is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230320","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Bordunov, a former FSB operative in the Vladimir region, who for three years conducted operational search measures against Jehovah's Witnesses from Kovrov, including Adestov, is being interrogated. Wiretapping, surveillance, and secret audio recording were carried out.\nWhen asked by a lawyer what was the illegal activity of Roman Adestov, Bordunov answers: \"I don't remember - a lot of time has passed.\" To other questions posed by the defendant, the witness cannot say anything on the merits. At the same time, he claims that on the part of the defendant \"no facts of struggle or calls for violence were recorded.\"\nProsecution witness Astanin, who previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kovrov, is being questioned. He does not know the defendant and has not heard any calls for violence at worship services. The written testimony of the witness is read out in court, although the defense objects.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230306","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. The witness explains that he does not know Roman Adestov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230220","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is completing the examination of the written materials of the case. Listeners are still not allowed into the courtroom. According to the believer, the atmosphere in the courtroom is friendly, the judge \"tries to treat him humanely.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2023-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20230202","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the lawyer's request to mitigate the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20221227","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads transcripts of the defendant's telephone conversations, the results of a religious examination and a list of items seized during the search on February 17, 2021. In addition to the participants in the process, 7 listeners are present at the meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20221103","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the full transcript of one of the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20221027","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the indictment. Roman Adestov declares to the court that he disagrees with the charges against him.\nThe court leaves the measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20220926","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Roman Adestov is submitted to the Kovrov City Court. The referee is Vasily Safronov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20220915","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Adestov is chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. The believer spent almost 7 months under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20220621","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninskiy District Court of Vladimir softens the measure of restraint for Roman Adestov and transfers him to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20211125","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the believer's preventive measure in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210824","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Vladimir I. A. Egorov chooses a measure of restraint for Roman Adestov - detention for a period of 1 month and 19 days (until August 26, 2021). The court makes this decision despite the fact that the believer has an elderly mother dependent on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210709","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Kovrov and the Kovrov district, searches are being conducted in the homes of Aleksey Kupriyanov from Kovrov and Roman Adestov from the village of Ivanovo. The search in Kovrov is led by the senior FSB operative Captain Velichko, and in the village of Ivanovo - by the junior FSB operative Polyakov. The believers are taken away for interrogation to the FSB department in Vladimir.\nInvestigator Tyumenev presents Roman Adestov with a decision to bring him as an accused. According to the investigation, the man \"committed active actions aimed at continuing illegal activities,\" \"took part in religious meetings, participated in the collection and systematization of information on the amount of work done to introduce the ideology of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses into the civilian masses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210708","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior FSB forensic investigator D. A. Tyumenev initiates a criminal case against 45-year-old Roman Adestov. The believer is suspected of violating Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Adestov in Kovrov","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov3/index.html#20210628","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"n March 2025, Sabina Albegova and her husband were questioned as witnesses in a criminal case against a fellow believer. In October, the Investigative Committee opened a case against Albegova herself — she was accused of participating in worship services, detained, and placed in a pre-trial detention center. After four and a half months, the believer was transferred to house arrest. In January 2026, the criminal case was submitted to the court.","date":"2025-10-13","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html","prisoners":["albegova"],"regions":["osetia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","type":"cases"},{"body":"The first court session on the merits of the case. The judge grants the prosecutor's request and interrogates testifying witnesses who were present at the search in the house of the defendant's mother-in-law. They say that they are seeing Albegova for the first time.\nAbout 30 people come to support Sabina. Only her husband, mother and sister are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260323","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 200 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. The Sovetskiy District Court of Vladikavkaz transfers Sabina Albegova from pretrial detention to house arrest. This decision is greeted by those present on the street with thunderous applause and joyful exclamations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260310","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is held behind closed doors, but more than 50 people gather outside the courthouse, who have come to support the believer. Some bring flowers, hoping for a mitigation of the restriction measure. When the paddy wagon enters the territory, people greet Sabina with thunderous applause - and see her off in the same way when she is taken to the pre-trial detention center again after the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260305","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Alanya is undergoing an court of appeal on the restriction measure.\nThe court recognizes the decision of the district court to extend the detention as illegal, since it did not take into account the requirements of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and did not examine part of the procedural documents. The appeal sends the issue of the believer's detention for reconsideration.\nThere is a support group of 25 people in the courtroom, another 20 people are waiting outside.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260304","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of January, Sabina had a visit from her husband, and her sister also visited. Prisoners are taken out for walks every day. The believer buys food in the store of the detention center and also receives parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260211","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina Albegova has a Bible in Russian and Ossetian. She receives many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260120","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Sovetskiy District Court of Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. It will be considered by Judge German Pliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20260112","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina shares the cell with two women and they have a good relationship. The cell is light and warm. For 5 days, the believer was not taken for walks. The yard is an area covered with slate, so the sky is not visible, and air enters only through the cracks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251208","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sabina Albegova is being held in a cell with another woman. There are no insects or rats. Sabina goes for walks. She can take a shower twice a week. The staff in the pretrial detention center treat the believer politely and tactfully. Many are perplexed as to why she is in detention.\nSabina's husband took her a Bible, which she has not yet received. The believer has received several letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251105","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetskiy District Court of Vladikavkaz imposes a preventive measure on Sabina Albegova — pretrial detention. A large number of people gather near the building. When the believer is taken out of court, those present support her by applauding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251022","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the apartment of the parents of Sabina Albegova's husband.\nDuring the interrogation, psychological pressure is exerted on Sabina for her to admit being guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251020","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["search","ivs","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Tuaev, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates a criminal case against 26-year-old Sabina Albegova for participating in meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Albegova in Vladikavkaz","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladikavkaz/index.html#20251013","regions":["osetia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, a special FSB operation involving 150 officers took place in Birobidzhan under the code name “Judgment Day,” marking the beginning of the prosecution of more than 20 families of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Alam Aliyev, Valeriy Kriger, Sergey Shulyarenko, and Dmitriy Zagulin were among those charged with extremism for holding meetings for worship. They spent more than 5 months in pretrial detention. In December 2022, after more than 2 years of hearings, the court sentenced them to between 3.5 and 7 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal reduced the harshest of these sentences (given to Kriger) by 3 months. Dmitriy Zagulin completed his sentence in the spring of 2026. However, administrative supervision was established in respect of him for a period of 8 years.","date":"2018-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html","prisoners":["aliev","kriger","shulyarenko","zagulin"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitriy Zagulin speaks via video conference from Birobidzhan in the Amur Regional Court, where his appeal against the establishment of administrative supervision is being considered.\nZagulin draws attention to the fact that the additional punishment affects his life, job search, and family relationships. \"The restrictions imposed by the court make me feel like I have been convicted again,\" he says.\nThe court of appeal leaves the 8-year supervision in force, removing only one ban — on visiting entertainment establishments (cafes, bars, snack bars, restaurants).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260512","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["administrative-supervision","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy has been in the penal colony for almost 3 years. \"I'm fine here. Of course, there are problems, but here the environment is like this... You have to make extra efforts, sometimes it is hard. But in general, I feel very good,\" he said.\nHis daily routine includes exercises, strength training, reading the Bible, housework, and so on. All this allows the believer to maintain a sense of stability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260401","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February, Sergey Shulyarenko was placed in a punishment cell for 2 weeks. Only some of his letters are given to him. Sergey is worried about his elderly parents — his father has a serious oncological illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260330","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev spent 10 days in the punishment cell, after which he was sent to a unit with strict detention conditions.\nRecently, Alam was seen by a cardiologist and had an ECG.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260324","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The SUON detachment, together with Alam, contains 11 people. Recently, he was again placed in a punishment cell; In total, he has already spent 203 days there while serving his sentence.\nAliyev tries to maintain physical shape by doing exercises. However, he is worried about heart pain and shortness of breath. He is given medications, but they do not always help. Reading the Bible and letters became an outlet for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260318","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the motion of penal colony No. 8 in Blagoveshchensk to establish administrative supervision over Dmitriy Zagulin for a period of 8 years after his release in March 2026. During this period, Zagulin will be required to comply with the following restrictions: a ban on leaving the home from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., on leaving Birobidzhan, a mandatory appearance at the police 4 times a month, on visiting entertainment establishments where alcohol is sold (cafes, bars, snack bars, etc.).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20260213","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger have extended visits from their relatives.\nIn the barracks where Shulyarenko is kept, there are more than 100 people. It is noisy and smoky there, but even in such conditions, Sergey is focused on the positive: there is a library and a place to relax. Reading the Bible daily strengthens the believer.\nValeriy Kriger receives letters of support from a variety of people. A certain Aleksandr wrote Valeriy the following: \"I have heard that there are a lot of people in prison in cases similiar to yours, but the reason for the charge is not clear. As an atheist, I do not see a threat in people peacefully practicing their religion. I wish you to stay healthy and interested in life.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20251110","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In early October, Alam was transferred from the punishment cell to a unit with strict conditions for serving a sentence. On the following day, he had an extended visit from his wife, Svetlana. Thanks to this, the couple were able to celebrate their wedding anniversary.\nHe suffers from unstable blood pressure. Moreover, the level of insulin in his blood is very high, but the course of drips for treatment, given by his wife to the medical unit back in May, was never administered to him.\nAlam has not been given his letters for about 2 months. The last time they were passed on was in August, when he received about 40 letters. According to Svetlana, despite the difficulties, her husband does not give up: \"He clearly sees our future in bright colors and understands that it will be a reward for his suffering.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20251029","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Zagulin, Valeriy Kriger and Sergey Shulyarenko are feeling fine. They receive medical care and medicines when needed.\nDmitriy says, he tries to wake up according to Birobidzhan time (4 a. m. local time), does exercises, and on the weekends goes to the library.\nValeriy does sports four times a week; he can take a shower twice a week. Sometimes he plays chess and checkers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20251003","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is again held in strict conditions after being held in a punishment cell. For the entire time of his imprisonment, he has already spent 140 days in the punishment cell. He continues to be bothered by pain in his legs. The medications help a little, thanks to which Alam manages to sleep.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250908","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valeriy Kriger regularly receive parcels, letters of support and necessary medicines. The administration of the institution treats believers with respect\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250908","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Repair work is underway in the building for Special Detention Conditions where Alam Aliyev was detained. Therefore, he has been placed in a punishment cell and will remain there at least until the end of July 2025. The administration of the penal colony does not plan to place him under general detention conditions. Also, Alam has not had contact with his loved ones for almost a month. He is being given necessary medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250703","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev once again spent 14 days in a punishment cell for an unknown reason. There he does not have the opportunity to comply with the drinking regime prescribed by the doctors — tap water is not suitable for drinking, and boiled water is given out on schedule.\nThe believer began suffering from abdominal pain after eating, headaches and burning in his feet. The examination recommended by a cardiologist has not yet been done.\nAliyev rarely receives letters: he is given a few about once a month. Recently, he had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250617","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shulyarenko has the opportunity to use the shower, wash his clothes and visit the store located in the colony. Despite chronic health problems, the believer feels satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250616","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Kriger feels fine and draws strength from his faith. He looks after his health: he exercises and tries to eat healthily. Recently, the believer had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250611","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Zagulin and Sergey Shulyarenko receive letters rarely and in small numbers, and those that come in electronic format sometimes do not contain text at all.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250430","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is still in strict conditions of detention, every day from early morning until evening he is in the dining room, where he cleans, reads books and communicates with his cellmates. Alam receives the necessary treatment, but the cardiologist believes that the believer has a pre-infarction condition and needs additional examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20250101","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the barracks where Sergei Shulyarenko, Valery Kriger and Dmitry Zagulin are held, the conditions of detention are satisfactory. However, letters to believers are very rarely delivered. Dmitriy completed a 10-month training course as a carpenter-machine operator, and also plans to receive the specialty of an electrician.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20241225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Krieger, Dmitriy Zagulin and Sergei Shulyarenko are being held in barracks with other prisoners. Believers have respectful relations with them. Valeriy is unable to work due to the lack of a suitable workplace. Sergey and Dmitry, although they have learned carpentry, also cannot work, as the colony does not have the necessary equipment.\nBelievers are feeling satisfied. Each of them has a Bible. All three receive a large number of letters, but they receive several a month. Believers are grateful to family and friends for their support.\nAlam Aliyev is still being held in the JLC. There are about 12 people in the common room with him. The believer has to sleep on a thin mattress on a bed with an iron grate, but the administration left his complaint about the uncomfortable sleeping place unanswered. Thanks to a visit to the colony by a dentist, the believer finally received the necessary treatment. For health reasons, Alam is restricted in his diet. His relations with other prisoners are normal, they share with each other the products they receive in parcels. Aliyev is grateful for the letters of support, but is unable to respond to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20241113","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev continues to be held in strict conditions of imprisonment. However, a dentist is allowed to visit the believer to provide the necessary assistance. Aliyev also needs to consult a cardiologist, as he has high blood pressure and even with minor physical exertion, shortness of breath and chest pain occur.\nIn early October, Alam had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20241030","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam is being held in strict confinement conditions. His wife Svetlana is worried about his health. The believer has acute toothache and inflammation with swelling. To provide assistance, a permit is required for admission to the colony of an orthopedic dentist, which is difficult due to the strict conditions of detention of a believer.\nFor almost three months, Alam has not received letters of support. Senders receive messages that the message has not been censored.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20240722","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["strict-conditions","prison-treatment","health-risk","elderly","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aliyev was prescribed a course of droppers and injections for cerebral circulation. The spouse hands over the necessary medications.\nThere are reports that for unknown reasons, Alam Aliyev is again sent to the punishment cell for 14 days. In this regard, the course of treatment is interrupted. Aliyev is promised to be given only pills. Periodically, his blood pressure rises. Such a condition is difficult for him to tolerate, as he has always been hypotensive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20240621","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["shizo","prison-treatment","health-risk","life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is placed in a punishment cell for the third time, now for 14 days. A long visit with his wife scheduled for April is canceled.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20240411","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev and Valery Kriger characterize the attitude of the administration and the convicts as good. Aliyev is worried about cardiovascular diseases, and the prescribed medications do not help.\nBelievers support each other, play chess, read the Bible and other books, which helps them to look at their circumstances more calmly. A great support for Valery are meetings with his wife.\nFor a month now, men have not received emails, but those sent by regular mail sometimes arrive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20240322","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is being transferred from the Blagoveshchensk pre-trial detention center to correctional colony No. 8, where the rest of the defendants in this criminal case are serving their sentences for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20231225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is transferred to a hospital at SIZO-1 in Blagoveshchensk. Before that, the believer, who suffers from a number of serious illnesses, spent 10 days in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20231020","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is in a pre-infarction condition, but despite this, he is placed in a punishment cell for the second time. Previously, he was sent there for a week, now - for two. The colony staff took personal copies of Bibles from Alam, Valery, Sergey and Dmitry.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20231011","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev, Valery Krieger, Sergey Shulyarenko and Dmitry Zagulin are taken to correctional colony No. 8 in Blagoveshchensk to serve their sentences.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20230601","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev, Dmitry Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valery Kriger feel fine and continue to receive the necessary medicines regularly. Believers are held in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20230316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge gives close relatives of Aliyev, Zagulin, Kriger and Shulyarenko permission for short-term visits. At present, all believers are receiving prescribed treatment. They also receive regular letters of support. All are kept in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20230221","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yana Vladimirova delivers a guilty verdict. Believers are taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Birobidzhan at 4 Karl Marx Street. They can write letters.\nDmitriy Zagulin was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in a general regime colony.\nThe judge sentences Alam Aliyev to 6 years and 6 months in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in public organizations for a period of 3 years and 6 months, with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nValery Kriger was sentenced to 7 years in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in public organizations for a period of 4 years, with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe court also sentences Sergey Shulyarenko to 7 years in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in public organizations for a period of 4 years, with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221219","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Kriger and Sergey Shulyarenko make their final statement. They explain that extremism in any of its manifestations is alien to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-12-16T15:54:13+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221216","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev and Dmitry Zagulin deliver their closing remarks.\n\"I am not ashamed to suffer for my Christian beliefs. Even if the word 'extremist' is repeatedly addressed to me, even if my name is added to the shameful list of extremists and terrorists, it will never become true,\" Alam Aliyev said.\n\"[Jehovah's Witnesses], living according to God's commandments, try to change for the better by encouraging others to do the same. Accusing them of extremism is absurd!\" – Dmitry Zagulin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-28T01:27:37+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221128","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev and Dmitry Zagulin speak in the debate. They focus the court's attention on the lack of evidence of their guilt.\nAliyev says: \"I and the other defendants in this criminal case did not commit extremist actions, for which legal entities were liquidated. None of us was even accused of 'mass distribution of knowingly extremist materials.'\"\nAlam Aliyev pays special attention to the decision of the European Court of Justice of 07.06.2022, which acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses and ordered the Russian Federation to stop criminal prosecution of believers and pay them compensation, including Alam Aliyev. The defendant continues: \"Taking into account the fact that I was an applicant before the European Court in this case, his decision must certainly be taken into account when sentencing me.\" Aliyev also notes that the main witness for the prosecution, police officer Yulia Zvereva, admitted that he did not call for either the overthrow of the government or extremist actions, thereby the witness unwittingly denied the accusation.\nDmitry Zagulin says: \"The text of the accusation is not specific. There are no factual circumstances, but only bare legal constructions: 'illegal activity', 'illegal religious event', 'illegal religious meeting', 'expenditure and transfer of funds'\". Regarding the accusation of funding, the believer states: \"Donations have always been an integral part of the exercise of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. There is no evidence that would confirm that a specific amount of money was used or planned to be used to commit extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221124","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"If we believed in God 'silently,' we wouldn't go anywhere... the case against us would not have been brought,\" Valery Kriger said in the debate. \"In other words, if we stopped believing in God, stopped being Christians, then we wouldn't be persecuted.\"\nThe believer makes an overview of the legal norms according to which his religious activities were within the law. In particular, he refutes in detail the accusation of financing extremism. Valery explains: \"Collecting donations is also an important aspect of freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, since without financial resources, religious associations may not be able to provide religious services or ensure their survival.\"\nThe believer emphasizes that according to the materials of the case, the collection of money was carried out by a religious group, and not by a legal entity; Funds were raised for domestic needs, such as paying for gasoline, buying food. At the same time, they were not transferred in favor of liquidated legal entities.\n\"My actions are consistent with the confession of the Christian faith, are exclusively peaceful in nature and do not indicate the presence of hatred or enmity,\" the defendant declares.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221114","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for 4 to 9 years in prison for believers and asks to take them into custody in the courtroom.\nAlim Aliyev – 6 years and 5 months in prison with a ban on holding leadership positions for 4 years and 6 months, 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nValery Krieger was sentenced to 9 years in prison with a ban on holding leadership positions for 4 years and 6 months, and 1 year of restriction of liberty.\nSergey Shulyarenko was sentenced to 9 years in prison with a ban on holding leadership positions for 4 years and 6 months, and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\nDmitry Zagulin was sentenced to 4 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-09T14:44:26+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20221109","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shulyarenko asks the court to include acquittals of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The prosecutor objects, and the judge does not grant the petition filed.\nThe judge also rejects Valery Krieger's motion to examine and admit the written evidence of the defense.\nMaterial evidence seized from Alam Aliyev was found. At the next hearing, the court plans to examine them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220726","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shulyarenko draws the court's attention to the fact that most of the seized literature belongs to the owners of the rented apartment. In addition, these publications are not on the list of extremist materials.\nThe court rejects Alam Aliyev's petition to be included in the case file \"The Russian Foreign Ministry's Response to Yakku's Letter\" as irrelevant to this case.\nAlam Aliyev cannot proceed to the examination of the material evidence seized during the search, as they cannot be found.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During four sessions, the court gets acquainted with the video files seized from the defendants.\nThe court is reviewing Sergey Shulyarenko's file titled \"Can Biblical Principles Help Solve Today's Problems?\" Shulyarenko also provides for viewing the video \"True Christians are recognized by love.\"\nThen the court proceeds to view the video recordings provided by Dmitry Zagulin. He gives brief explanations on them - the videos contain religious teachings without signs of extremism and are not a meeting of the LRO and the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nValery Kriger provides the court with videos titled \"What is it: love or falling in love?\" and \"How to communicate with parents?\". As well as the articles \"Did Jesus Die on the Cross?\" and \"What Is God's Name?\", as well as other similar materials. The defendant explains that they refer to religious teachings and do not contain extremist statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220616","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A relative and acquaintance of Valery Krieger is being interrogated. They characterize it positively.\nSergei Shulyarenko reads out a motion for an open hearing. The prosecutor objected, referring to similar motions that had been previously rejected. Judge Yana Vladimirova agrees with the prosecutor's opinion.\nThe court does not satisfy Aliyev's petition to include in the case file the decision of the ECHR, in which the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was declared illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220614","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned by the defense. One of them states,\nthat he worked with Aliyev at the same enterprise for 8 years, characterizes him positively and says that he has not heard extremist statements from him.\nFather Sergei Shulyarenko is being interrogated. He gives him a positive characterization and confirms that his son never called for illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220608","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Alam Aliyev provide the court with references from places of work, as well as medical certificates on the state of health.\nValery Krieger requests an examination of the evidence in the case, in particular the Opinions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220606","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The discs of the ORM and the correspondence of Alam Aliyev with fellow believers are viewed. The prosecutor says he is completing the examination of the evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220505","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to present evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220504","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of four sessions, the court examines various files from CDs and DVDs containing materials of operational-search activities (ORM), and files seized during the search of Sergei Shulyarenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220427","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering a petition filed at the last meeting for Aliyev's hospitalization in Khabarovsk. The prosecutor objects, arguing that the operation is planned, not emergency. The court perceives this circumstance as an attempt to delay the process and leaves the petition unsatisfied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220321","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alam Aliyev is applying for permission to travel to Khabarovsk for a planned operation. The materials of the 66th volume of the case are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220316","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials from volumes 42 to 44 are read out. Alam Aliyev claims that the investigation misleads the court by substituting the concept of \"believers\" with \"members of a local religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220210","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Alam Aliyev is filing a motion to postpone the trial due to the risk of covid infection. He explains that he has chronic diseases that may be exacerbated by the virus, and he will also have surgery. However, the prosecutor objects, pointing out that the believer is not 60, but 59 years old, and recalls that anti-COVID events are being held in the courtroom.\nThe court satisfies the prosecutor's objection and rejects the petition, advising the believer to wear gloves in addition to the mask. Documents on the appointment of a planned operation to Alam Aliyev are attached to the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20220202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Zagulin, as usual, was scheduled to take up work on the night shift at the Birobidzhan I (II) railway station of Russian Railways. On the same day, he learns that he has been fired. The reason for his dismissal was the inclusion of information about him as an extremist in the Rosfinmonitoring database, although the verdict against him has not yet been passed. Dmitry intends to appeal the decision on dismissal in court.\nAlthough Dmitry has a railway education, he is forced to register with the employment center so as not to be left without a livelihood.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20211123","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["work-restrictions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was postponed due to the illness of Sergei Shulyarenko. The next hearing is scheduled for September 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210726","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court concludes its acquaintance with the 18th volume of the criminal case. In total, the court examined about 4,000 pages.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A video is being watched, where people can be seen entering the courtyard of the worship building. Alam Aliyev notes that they do not commit anything illegal on these recordings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210629","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to listen to recordings of telephone conversations. Alam Aliyev draws attention to the fact that these negotiations were made before the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 and cannot be used as evidence of his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210607","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the petition for his recusal, the process continues in the same composition.\nParticipants in the process proceed to listen to recordings of telephone conversations obtained as a result of operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210416","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is held behind closed doors, although the subpoenas sent to the defendants indicate the opposite. Judge Yana Vladimirova does not satisfy the request to hold an open hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210409","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to familiarize itself with the materials of the criminal case. Volumes 1 and 2 are studied, each of which contains more than 200 pages.\nThe judge grants Alam Aliyev's request for breaks every 45 minutes due to poor health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20210309","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Yana Vladimirova, despite the objections of the state prosecutor, suspends the criminal proceedings against Alam Aliyev, Dmitry Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valery Kriger in connection with the deterioration of Alam Aliyev's health.\nWith respect to all defendants, the measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior remains.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20201225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing scheduled for this day is postponed due to the fact that the defendant Aliyev fell ill, presumably, with covid. The court sends the request to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20201214","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Yana Olegovna Vladimirova, appoints a closed court session without holding preliminary hearings in the case of Alam Aliyev, Dmitry Zagulin, Sergey Shulyarenko and Valery Kriger on December 14, 2020 at 10:30. The measure of restraint for believers was left unchanged.\nYana Vladimirova was appointed to the position of judge in September 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20201130","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Alam Aliyev, Dmitry Zagulin, Valery Kriger and Sergey Shulyarenko is submitted to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. All four are chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20201116","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The acquaintance of the accused with the case materials has been resumed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20200617","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Yankin, FSB investigator, notifies about the suspension of the preliminary investigation (due to quarantine measures).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20200406","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin opens a criminal case against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and his colleague I. Fedorov against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Now the number of criminal cases in Birobidzhan reaches 19.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the day, D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates six criminal cases at once against Natalia Kriger (born in 1979), Irina Lokhvitskaya (born in 1962), Anna Lokhvitskaya (born in 1993), Tatyana Scholner (born in 1993), Tatyana Zagulina (born in 1984) and Anastasia Guzeva (born in 1978) under the same article - part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Three of them already have husbands involved in a similar article.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 11th criminal case for faith in Birobidzhan under Article 282.2 (2) - against Anastasia Sycheva. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20191120","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 10th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Yulia Kaganovich. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20191010","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 9th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Yelena Reyno-Chernyshova. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190929","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 8th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) against Svetlana Monis. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190926","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 7th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Larisa Artamonova. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190925","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 6th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Arthur Lokhvitsky. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190731","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 4th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Igor Tsarev.\nOn the same day, the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 5th criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Yevgeny Golik. According to available data, both cases are separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190730","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates the 2nd criminal case in Birobidzhan for faith under Article 282.2 (2) - against Yevgeny Yegorov. According to reports, the case was separated from the case file against Alam Aliyev.\nOn the same day, the 3rd criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against Konstantin Guzev. The investigation is being conducted within the framework of the Alam Aliyev case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190729","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Decision on the election of Zagulin D. a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190402","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Seizure of funds of Zagulin D.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190401","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Decision to prosecute D. Zagulin as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190325","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Resolution on the election of Sergei Shulyarenko as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190321","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Decision to bring Sergey Shulyarenko as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190319","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code against D.N. Zagulin. On the same day, a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against Sergey Shulyarenko. He is under investigation as part of the Aliyev case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20190306","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V.V. Bryantsev, Deputy Head of the Investigative Directorate of the FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2, Part 1 of Article 282.3 against Valery Krieger. He is under investigation as part of the Alam Aliyev case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20181108","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Judge Angela Sizova, issues a decision \"to release Alam Aliyev from custody immediately in the courtroom.\" The measure of restraint is replaced by a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20180525","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" is underway in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials. During searches, all electronic devices, bank cards, money, and photographs are seized from the homes of citizens, even broken ones. Alam Aliyev is being detained. He is charged under Article 282.2 (Part 1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20180517","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region is initiating a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2), 282.3 (1) against Alam Aliyev, Valery Krieger, Sergey Shulyarenko, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. According to the investigation, together with others, they held worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Aliyev and Others in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan10/index.html#20180514","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in May 2020, a detachment of armed law enforcers burst into Nikolai Aliev\u0026rsquo;s apartment with a search, knocking the believer to the floor. The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region opened a criminal case against him under two parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator suspected the peaceful citizen of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and being involved in it. The basis for the accusation was hidden video recordings of Aliyev\u0026rsquo;s conversations with a man who portrayed an interest in the Bible. Since October 2020, the case has been under consideration in court. In June 2021, the court found the believer guilty and sentenced him to 4.5 years of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 1 year and 2 months. The appellate and cassation instances upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-04-30","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html","prisoners":["alievn"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"cases"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction. The verdict and the appellate ruling against Nikolay Aliyev remain unchanged: 4 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year and 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20220124","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court, having considered Nikolai Aliyev's appeal against the verdict, left it unchanged. The sentence of 4.5 years of imprisonment comes into force conditionally. The believer is still at large.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210902","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur Natalia Gurkova finds the believer guilty and sentences him to 4 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with restriction of liberty for 1 year and 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-06-04T13:42:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210604","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since after the beginning of the debate the proceedings were returned to the stage of judicial investigation (interrogation of the expert), the prosecutor again speaks in the debate and asks the court to sentence Nikolay Aliyev to 6 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, as well as 2 years and 11 months of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210603","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appearance of the defense and the defendant in court is postponed. The judge, at the request of the prosecutor, resumes the judicial investigation for the questioning of the expert religious scholar. The next meeting is scheduled for May 20, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210325","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is requesting 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and 2 years of restriction of freedom for Nikolay Aliyev.\nOn March 25, 2021 at 4:00 p.m., the court will give the floor to the defense and the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210323","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony of the defendant given during the preliminary investigation shall be read out in court. Nikolay refuses to answer additional questions from the prosecutor and the judge, referring to the fact that he has already given all the necessary answers at this stage, including in writing.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210319","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Vladimir Tyomny, who communicated with Nikolai Aliyev, pretending to be interested in the Bible. He is asked, \"How was the Bible study? How was Aliyev contacted? How did you arrange the meeting?\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20210115","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court grants the defense's request to admit the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on Russia's failure to comply with the European Court's ruling on Jehovah's Witnesses complaints.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20201125","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits of the criminal case begin. 20 people come to the building of the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur to support Nikolai Aliyev, but due to COVID-19, students do not enter the building.\nJudge Natalia Gurkova rejects the motion to waive the public defender, as well as the request for access of listeners to court hearings due to the epidemiological situation.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. The believer does not admit his guilt, emphasizing that he is being tried for professing peaceful religious beliefs. He emphasizes that he never headed or was a member of a legal entity that was prohibited by a court decision. According to him, \"the investigator and the state prosecutor misunderstand the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, on which they base their accusation.\"\n\"The Supreme Court, by its decision, banned the activities of specific legal organizations, but did not prohibit or restrict the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is evident from the response of the Government of the Russian Federation to the complaint lodged with the European Court of Human Rights by Jehovah's Witnesses. In paragraph 91, the government of the Russian Federation indicated that neither the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, nor the decision of the Appellate Board of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of July 17, 2017 \"do not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, do not contain a restriction or prohibition to practice the above teachings individually,\" Aliyev said in court.\nThe court is questioning three prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20201029","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Linguoexpert Rozhdestvina E.A. in her conclusion notes that in the videos presented to Nikolay Aliyev for 2018 there are no calls for specific actions, and the verbal constructions used \"do not have the character of direct motivation and do not have a categorical form.\"\nAlthough religious texts, according to the expert, contain motivations for action, for example, \"Your children need you. Tell them about Jehovah\", there are no direct appeals in the statements of the participants in the communication. In conclusion, Rozhdestvina notes: \"Through the use of constructions with the meaning of advice, the desirability, possibility, and not the need for a specific action are emphasized.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20200526","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, 8 security officials burst through the door of the Aliyevs' apartment, where her 18-year-old brother Vyacheslav lives together with Nikolai and his wife Alesya. Armed riot policemen knock Nikolai to the floor. Investigator Aleksey Evsiugov presents a court order and conducts a search in the presence of 2 witnesses dressed in military uniforms.\nAfter a 5-hour search, Nikolay, Alesya and Vyacheslav are taken to the Investigation Department for interrogation, where they are tried to exert emotional pressure on them.\nNikolay Aliyev is presented with hidden video recordings from 2018, in which he talks to a man who portrays an interest in the Bible. Despite threats of arrest for using Article 51 of the Russian Constitution, all three believers are allowed to go home in the evening.\nA measure of restraint is not chosen for any of them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20200522","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Andrei Pronin, grants the investigator's request to search Aliyev's home.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20200518","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department for the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region initiates criminal case No. 12002080009000066 on the grounds of a crime under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (inducement, recruitment or other involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Aliyev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk/index.html#20200430","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, the FSB carried out mass searches in homes and places of work of believers in Petrozavodsk. Several more searches took place in the neighboring city, Kondopoga. The couple, Maksim and Mariya Amosov, were detained right on the street and even Mariya\u0026rsquo;s coat was torn. A criminal case was initiated against Maksim, and later 3 more defendants were added: Nikolay Leshchenko, Mikhail Gordeev and Dmitriy Ravnushkin. Gordeev and Ravnushkin were detained at their places of work; after being interrogated by the FSB, the latter was fired from the post of chief electrical power engineer. The believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and they were placed under a recognizance agreement. In October 2021, the case went to court. Some documents had nothing to do with the case - they were dated 1990-2000. And the testimonies of witnesses for the prosecution were favorable toward the defendants. Despite this, in July 2023, the court fined the four believers: Maksim Amosov, Nikolay Leshchenko, and Dmitriy Ravnushkin, 500,000 rubles each, and Mikhail Gordeev, 450,000 rubles.","date":"2019-07-22","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html","prisoners":["amosov","gordeev","leshchenko","ravnushkin"],"regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to impose fines on the believers: Amosov, Leshchenko and Ravnushkin 550,000 rubles each, Gordeev 500,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230724","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["final-statement","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a colleague of Andrei Gordeev, characterizes him as a responsible employee, a good driver, to whom there have never been any complaints.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230511","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Vladimir Gusev, Head of the Department for Non-Profit Organizations of the Department of the Ministry of Justice in the Republic of Karelia. He explains that after the liquidation of the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, citizens can still practice the doctrine of this denomination.\nThe next witness for the prosecution is a young woman who had previously been one of Jehovah's Witnesses but then voluntarily stopped attending their meetings. She says that she was \"not forced to leave or stay, everything was respectful.\" She also explains that Jehovah's Witnesses are \"peaceful people, they act out of love, they treat this way not only to people of their religion, but to everyone in general.\" According to her, she had never heard extremist statements from the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230403","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, operational officers say that in 2019 they organized the installation of recording equipment in the FSB office for the secret collection of voice samples of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230328","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, the chairman of the homeowners' association of the house where Nikolai Leshchenko lives, is being interrogated. The woman says that she worked with him in the HOA. She says: \"Nikolai Grigorievich is characterized positively, often responded to requests, provided assistance. He never made any negative statements about anyone.\"\nAnother prosecution witness, whose close relatives are Jehovah's Witnesses, describes Leshchenko as a good person, always ready to help. The man claims that the investigator pressured him during the interrogation, threatening to take the children away and send them to an orphanage if he did not testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230327","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Nikolay Leshchenko's neighbor, who has known the believer for about 5 years, cannot say anything bad about him. The witness is not sure that the voice on the audio recording provided to him belongs to Nikolai.\nA former colleague of Dmitry Ravnushkin says that the relationship with the defendant was respectful, there were no conflicts.\nThe testimonies of witnesses who did not appear are also read out. A woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses' worship services before 2017 says they have no ranks of any kind and that she does not know any of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20230227","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The director of the organization in which Maxim Amosov works is being interrogated. He says of the believer: \"Excellent employee, executive, without bad habits. You can rely on it one hundred percent. I've never seen a better employee than him.\"\nThe court is also questioning a woman who last attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in 2006. According to her, she communicates on religious topics only with her husband. The testimony of 12 other prosecution witnesses is then read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20221229","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. All three use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe judge shall grant the prosecutor's request for the disclosure of the testimony of witnesses given by them during the preliminary investigation. Two explain to the court that they were interrogated by the investigator in a stressful state. In addition, one of the witnesses says that pressure was put on her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20221122","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out excerpts from the personality characteristics of Gordeev and Ravnushkin: each of them is described positively at the place of work.\nThe case file contains letters of thanks to the Gordeevs' parents from the school where their daughters study. The judge reads out the diploma and certificates of children for excellent studies, good behavior and participation in the city competition.\nThe wives of the defendants are present at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220920","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 people come to the courthouse to support the believers. The court continues to examine the materials of the case. Among them are the conclusions of an expert religious scholar, who, according to the defense, used information from unreliable sources in his conclusions.\nThe Court notes that volume 33 contains documents dating from the 1990s to the 2000s and it is not clear what they confirm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220728","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by Amosov's wives, Ravnushkina and Leshchenko.\nThe court is considering the conclusion of the linguistic examination of the audio recording of the believers' conversations. According to the document, they \"do not contain statements that deal with the advantage and negative assessment of one person or group of persons over other people on the grounds of attitude to religion, belonging to any social group.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220711","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case - volumes from 15 to 22. The state prosecutor voices only page numbers and does not disclose specific data from the materials. Judge Stepan Sergeyev notes among the attached documents those that relate to the period before 2017, that is, before the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220512","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case are announced. The court closes the session when the materials of correspondence from the messenger from Maxim Amosov's mobile phone are announced, the listeners are removed at this time. After the announcement of the materials of the correspondence, the listeners are again invited to the courtroom.\nThe next hearings are scheduled for May 12, June 16 and June 17, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220420","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 people come to the meeting to support the believers, but listeners are not invited to the hall. The court session is held behind closed doors.\nWhen the case materials are announced, Judge Sergeyev reads out the prayers said at the liturgical meetings in full, pronounces the name of God correctly, and reads out Bible verses several times.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220324","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the replacement of the judge and the adjournment of the trial, the consideration of the case begins anew. Defendants Maxim Amosov and Mikhail Gordeev voice their attitude to the charges. The judge reads out the case materials and transcripts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220323","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Vladimir Gusev, Head of the Department for Non-Profit Organizations of the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Karelia.\nThe defender of one of the believers asks the witness: \"In connection with the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation [of 20.04.2017 on the prohibition of local religious organizations], could the activity related to issues of faith continue, is it possible to continue to believe?\" He answers: \"As far as I know, how can you forbid believing at all? In principle, we do not deal with these issues, we do not go and find out who believes in what.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220112","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins.\nOne of them answers most of the questions uncertainly, adding at the end of the answer \"probably\", \"in my opinion\", \"I don't remember exactly\".\nThe defense notes that the testimony of one of the witnesses in court diverges from the written ones. As a result, it turns out that the woman attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2009-10 - that is, during a period that does not apply to the case under consideration.\nOne of Mikhail Gordeev's employees is being interrogated. He speaks of the believer as a very good worker. Their relations in the team were smooth, not conflicting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2022-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20220111","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Amosov reads out all 10 pages of his attitude to the charges. The judge does not interrupt and listens attentively. The other defendants then give a brief statement of their views on the charges.\nMikhail Gordeev says: \"I consider the accusation absurd, unfounded, unfair. It humiliates my human dignity, insults my religious feelings, and denigrates my reputation. I have to consider it as discrimination on religious grounds, as well as a violation of the right to profess one's faith.\"\nNikolay Leshchenko emphasizes: \"All my actions, which the prosecution considers illegal, are nothing more than a peaceful confession of my religious beliefs ... I have not felt and do not feel hatred and enmity towards anyone, and did not participate in any illegal actions. The very meaning of extremism is alien to my faith and to me.\"\nDmitry Ravnushkin adds: \"We are guided by biblical principles, in particular, I am in my family and personal life. And one of them is to love your neighbor as yourself. I have no hatred or cruelty... There were no calls related to extremism, nor any expression of hostility in my actions.\"\nThe state prosecutor voices the materials of the case. In particular, he mentions the conclusions of an expert linguist, according to which in the submitted materials \"no statements were found that deal with the advantage of a person or a group of persons over other people on the grounds of attitude to religion, belonging to any social group,\" or a negative assessment of someone on the same basis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2021-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20211227","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is a replacement of the state prosecutor Varfolomeeva with Ivanova, as well as lawyer Nikolai Leshchenko.\nIn response to the lawyer's request for publicity, the court responds that it is not possible to comply with social distancing measures, but allows participants to record the process and transfer audio recordings to third parties.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Among other things, it states 4 times that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 banned 2500 religious groups of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not true.\nBelievers do not admit guilt in extremism, and also declare that they did not and do not have motives of hatred and enmity towards any group of people on religious or other grounds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20211216","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The consideration of the case in court begins. 15 people come to support the believers. Court staff do not interfere with them from communicating with the defendants in the lobby.\nThe judge, the prosecutor and the secretary behave correctly. They kindly answer the questions of believers.\nJudge Marina Nosova explains in detail to the defendants Article 51 of the Constitution and emphasizes that the court will not use silence against them, and gives written permission to move outside the city of Petrozavodsk for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20211129","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Maksim Amosov, Nikolay Leshchenko, Mikhail Gordeev and Dmitry Ravnushkin is submitted to the Petrozavodsk City Court of the Republic of Karelia for consideration by Judge Marina Nosova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20211018","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator S. V. Grigoriev summons four believers for interrogation and presents them with the final version of the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20210511","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The petition to terminate the criminal case was denied to the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20200703","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Gordeev, Maksim Amosov, Nikolay Leshchenko and Dmitry Ravnushkin file motions to dismiss the criminal case based on the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20200625","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation in the case of Leshchenko is resumed and accepted for production by investigator Grigoriev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20200608","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, the preliminary investigation against Nikolai Leshchenko and Mikhail Gordeev is suspended \"to ensure the safety of life and health of the accused.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20200409","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces are conducting a search at the workplace of Dmitry Ravnushkin, an electronic device is seized from him. The believer is detained and taken to the FSB department for interrogation, which lasts 4 hours.\nA criminal case is being opened against Dmitriy under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190920","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Gordeev is involved as a defendant in a criminal case.\nThe investigator appoints linguistic and religious forensic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190912","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers detain Mikhail Gordeev at his workplace. The believer is searched and the tablet is seized. After that, he is taken away for interrogation, which lasts 4 hours.\nA criminal case is being opened against Gordeev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190905","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Amosov and Nikolay Leshchenko are charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation claims that believers, gathering to read and discuss the Bible, act \"jointly and harmoniously, united by a single criminal intent aimed at committing illegal acts.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190806","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grigoriev decides temporarily, until a decision is made in the criminal case, to restrict Amosov's right to leave the Russian Federation.\nA criminal case is initiated against Nikolay Leshchenko and a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190802","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Petrozavodsk, the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Karelia conducts at least 11 searches in the homes and workplaces of citizens who are believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Believers are detained for interrogation, some overnight.\nSenior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Karelia, Major of Justice S. V. Grigoriev chooses a preventive measure against Maxim Amosov in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. At the same time, law enforcement officers take into account the fact that the believer has not been previously convicted, has not been prosecuted, has a permanent place of residence and work, and is married.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190731","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice M. V. Golubenko, Deputy Head of the Federal Security Service Directorate for the Republic of Karelia, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 42-year-old Maxim Amosov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe basis for initiating the case is the report of the detective of the Department of the Service for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism (NWKBT) of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Karelia, Senior Lieutenant M. N. Dmitriev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Amosov and Others in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk/index.html#20190722","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin from Belovo was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility after his home was searched in February 2021. On that day, the law enforcement officers also went to the homes of his wife's parents and several fellow believers. It became clear, that the peaceful believer was made a defendant in a criminal case for extremism, which was initiated by the RF Investigative Committee. After 2 days in custody, Ananin, who had recently had a heart surgery after suffering a heart attack, was placed under house arrest. This preventive measure deprived him of the opportunity to receive the complete medical care necessary for recovery after surgery. In January 2022, the believer's case went to court. The prosecution called on representatives of various churches, as well as a religious scholar, as witnesses. They did not know the defendant personally, and they had nothing bad to say about Jehovah's Witnesses in general. In March 2023, the court sentenced Sergey Ananin to 6 years in a penal colony; the verdict was upheld by the courts of appeal and cassation.","date":"2021-02-09","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html","prisoners":["ananin"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"For almost 2 years, Sergey Ananin has been in strict conditions of detention. Since he is older than others in the unit, has life experience and knows the rules of detention, younger prisoners treat him with respect.\nSergey is grateful to his friends for their support and heartfelt letters, which he now receives weekly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20260226","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin remains on bed rest, but his physical condition is stable. Relations with prisoners and the administration of the penal colony are friendly. Through letters and calls, Sergey tries to support his wife, whose father is in a hospice. The believer expresses his deep gratitude to his family and friends for their care, visits and prayers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2025-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20250926","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Once again Sergey Ananin was prescribed bed rest because he had previously suffered a heart attack and has high blood pressure. He is exempt from exercising and working.\nSergey was not given letters of support for about 1.5 months, but as soon as a censor started to work in the colony, more than 100 letters were handed over to him. Now he can regularly call his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20250804","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin regularly receives letters. The believer copes with homesickness, separation from family and friends thanks to short and long-term visits with his wife, as well as phone calls. Recently, he was able to see his grandchildren via video link, which was a joyful event for him, since they were born after he was taken into custody.\nThe doctors of the medical unit recommended that Sergey take daily walks in the fresh air. Recently, he was transferred to another detachment, where living conditions turned out to be better. There he is being held along with six other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20250422","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin is still being held in strict conditions. The prisoners call him Viktorovich. As a former heart attacker, Sergey needs regular walks in the fresh air, but he is rarely taken to them. A believer has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20250128","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin had a routine examination by a cardiologist, who confirmed the earlier diagnosis - a massive heart attack and hypertension of the 3rd degree. But, as Sergey assures, the state of his health is under control.\nSergey is recommended bed rest, so he has the opportunity to rest during the daytime. Thanks to this, Sergey's blood pressure stabilized. The attitude of the medical staff is good: they visit every day, ask about the condition. Sergey needs long walks in the fresh air so that the blood is saturated with oxygen and the heart works more steadily, but he is not yet given this opportunity - there is little light in the cell, walks take place in a small room without a ceiling. In order to somehow follow the doctors' instructions, Sergey tries to walk more.\nTogether with Sergey, there are 14 people in the SUS detachment. His cellmates treat him with respect, including because he is a believer and the oldest in age.\nSince the believer is kept in strict conditions, he has only 3 long-term and 3 short-term visits during the year. His wife Yelena came to the last short-term date with their daughter, which was a great encouragement for Sergey. He has a dream - to see two grandchildren who were born during his stay in the pre-trial detention center and the colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2024-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20240823","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is being held under strict conditions of serving his sentence (SWON) along with 13 other prisoners. Relations with cellmates are respectful, Sergey is the oldest among them.\nIn October 2023, Ananin had a long date with his wife. He has a Bible and receives regular letters of support. He is grateful to his family and friends for their support.\nSergey is experiencing health problems, in February they plan to take him for examination to a cardiologist. For health reasons, he was even released from morning exercises. Since his arrest, he has lost 10 kilograms.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2024-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20240203","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin is serving his sentence in a detachment of about 70 people. He has a good relationship with the prisoners. The believer takes the necessary medications. Letters are a great support for him. Ananin has the opportunity to read the Bible regularly. He also already had one long-term date with his wife.\nSince his admission to the colony, Sergei has already been subjected to punishment four times: twice he was reprimanded and twice he was placed in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20231206","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin is taken to a penal colony in Novosibirsk, where Andrei Vlasov is currently serving his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230820","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is in good emotional and physical condition. His transfer to the colony has already been postponed several times.\nSergey is the fifth Jehovah's Witness in the Anzhero-Sudzhensk pre-trial detention center after Vadim Levchuk, Sergey Britvin, Yuriy Usanov , and Maksim Morozov. Thanks to them, the prisoners have a good opinion of Jehovah's Witnesses, so his cellmates respect Ananin.\nA great support for a believer is to meet with his wife twice a month. Sergey also regularly receives programs with products and willingly shares them with others.\nThe believer notes some interruptions in the delivery and dispatch of correspondence - it does not always reach the addressees. Despite this, Ananin receives many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230802","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer has been in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk since March 31, 2023. He is being held in a 4-bed cell.\nSergey is experiencing health problems. But, according to Ananin himself, he considers the separation from his wife and daughter to be the most difficult in his situation. He draws a lot of support from letters from his wife and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230516","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Convicted Sergey Ananin is taken to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Kemerovo Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230403","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Sergey Ananin does not admit his guilt and asks to acquit him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230331","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting 8 years in a penal colony for Sergey Ananin. The defendant asks to listen to audio recordings of the services, \"since the transcripts available in the case file are incomplete, the words are not always legible, and sometimes their meaning is frankly deliberately distorted.\" The judge rejects this and other defense motions.\n50 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230321","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the interrogation of Sergey Ananin. \"I am a believer,\" he says in his defense, \"and my conscience, trained in the Bible, does not allow me even to have evil thoughts against others, so as not to harm people and society as a whole. I respect the existing authorities, because according to my beliefs, respect for authority is the same as respect for God, because the Bible says that God allows this authority.\nThe believer draws attention to the fact that according to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the letter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, participation in peaceful worship after the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\nAnanin also reminds listeners that the Supreme Court \"did not assess the legality of the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways in which they were expressed,\" including the conduct of joint worship based on the Holy Scriptures (the Bible). He says that Jehovah's Witnesses use different translations of the Bible, for example, the translation of Pavsky, Kuznetsova, Archimandrite Macarius, the Synodal translation, the Modern Translation, and that the name of God, Jehovah, is found in them.\nThe defendant quotes an excerpt from the Orthodox Encyclopedia of 1891: \"Under the name of Jehovah you will find the following words: 'Jehovah is one of the names of God, great and holy, meaning the originality, eternity and immutability of God's being.'\" Sergey concludes: \"On these grounds, I do not fully understand what my criminal activity is.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230314","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines volumes 15 to 17. The defendant asks the judge why the state prosecutor does not read out the case materials, but flips through them. Prosecutor Elena Samoilenko begins to read out the 18th volume, dwelling on the positive characteristics of Ananin from the place of work, from the district police officer and neighbors. She also mentions certificates of honor from production and from school management for the good upbringing of children and assistance in repairing the school.\nJudge Galina Proshchenko intends to proceed to the interrogation of the defendant, but at the request of the lawyer, she postpones the hearing so that the believer can prepare. She also attaches to the case file an extract from the cardiology center regarding the health of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230313","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support Sergei Ananin, 20 people gather near the courthouse.\nA new prosecutor, Elena Samoilenko, once again enters the case. She reads out the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230206","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"30 people gather around the building to support the believer.\nThe thirteenth hearing on the merits is underway, at which the case materials are examined.\nThe judge decides to extend the measure of restraint for Sergey Ananin in the form of house arrest until April 25, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20230118","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is a support group of 22 people outside the courthouse.\nThe study of the case materials, volumes 5 to 7, continues. The judge stops on the page where it is reported about the money seized from the defendant during a search at his place of residence. She reads aloud the amount: 3300 rubles - and asks Ananin: \"This amount was seized from you\"? He answers in the affirmative.\nThe prosecutor is again replaced in the case. By the eleventh meeting, this is the seventh prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20221202","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last witness for the prosecution, religious scholar Vadim Schiller, is being interrogated. In his opinion, there was no propaganda inciting hostility between people in the actions of Sergei Ananin, and the \"extremism\" of the believer consisted in the fact that he quoted \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation.\" The religious scholar expresses the opinion that \"all Jehovah's Witnesses . . . are good, God-fearing people.\"\nShiller acknowledges that the October 28, 2021 Supreme Court ruling emphasizes the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion—including worship—individually or in community with others. However, the witness interprets this as follows: \"If Sergey Viktorovich held meetings in a narrow circle, with his wife, with his daughter and some relatives, 1-2 people came and prayed, this would be their legal right.\"\nOn this day, about 20 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20221019","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"25 people come to support the believer, all of them are near the courtroom. The prosecutor changes again in the case.\nA witness for the prosecution, a pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, is being questioned. The witness does not confirm the testimony that he previously gave to the investigator, says that he signed the interrogation protocol without reading, does not know the defendant personally, and knows about Jehovah's Witnesses only from the media.\nThe judge extends Sergey Ananin's detention under house arrest until October 25, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new prosecutor enters the case - the sixth since the beginning of the trial.\nThe defense is requesting that the court send a request for the defendant's health to the cardiology center in the city of Kemerovo. The judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220711","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates prosecution witness Yulia Anulyeva (acting head of the department of the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the Kemerovo region, Kuzbass). She confirms that Jehovah's Witnesses have been officially registered in the city of Belovo since 1993, and that throughout the years that followed, they followed all the procedures required by law to re-register and formalize their activities. She did not receive any information confirming the facts of extremist or illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. She agrees with the defendant that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was not banned, their worship services, joint meetings for chants and prayers are not illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220516","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the following prosecution witness, Arkady Rakhov, a representative of the Kemerovo diocese, a teacher of the discipline \"New Religious Movements\" at the Kemerovo State Institute of Culture. He explains to the court that he professes Orthodoxy. The witness is not personally acquainted with Ananin, and he cannot give examples confirming that anyone has ever suffered from the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFurther, the court interrogates the prosecution witness Vasily Mokritsky, a priest of the Orthodox Church \"Ascension Church\" in the city of Belovo. He says that he has communicated a lot with Jehovah's Witnesses, knows their creeds, but does not know the defendant and has no negative information about him.\nThe last to be interrogated is Vladislav Bashtanov, a district police officer at the defendant's place of residence. He reports that he interviewed Ananin's neighbors to compile a characterization of him. All respondents gave positive characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220404","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing.\nThe defendant's former boss tells the court that he has known Ananin since 1991, when they simultaneously came to work at the Belovskaya State District Power Plant. He notes that Sergey became one of Jehovah's Witnesses in the early 1990s and has held himself to high moral standards ever since. In addition, according to the witness, Ananin's attitude towards people of other faiths is respectful. The witness never heard any calls for religious hatred or for the overthrow of the state system from him. He notes: \"And he is a trouble-free worker. I would like such workers.\"\nThe court summons the defendant's wife and daughter for questioning. They use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against their loved ones. The prosecutor reads out their testimonies from the case file, witnesses confirm them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220316","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Near the courthouse there is a support group for a believer of 10 people.\nThe court dismisses the defendant's request to suspend the proceedings due to the difficult epidemiological situation in the Russian Federation and the Kemerovo region.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n4 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The first of them, a senior forensic expert of the Investigative Committee, reads out an expert opinion, according to which no signs of illegal activity were found in Sergey Ananin's laptop and flash drive under study.\nTwo other witnesses tell the court that they know the defendant personally and cannot provide any evidence confirming the extremist activities of Sergei Ananin.\n\"He does not deviate from the canonical norms - \"do not kill, do not steal\" - and other well-known principles,\" explains one of them.\nThe next witness for the prosecution, an employee of the defendant at work, confirms that he knows Sergey as a wonderful family man and a person who respects the religious beliefs of others. In addition, Sergey is known to him as an excellent specialist, who has proven himself well in the circle of colleagues, who had no complaints from the management and disagreements with employees. \"We are waiting for him at work,\" says the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220215","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"22 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\nThe defendant expresses his disagreement with the prosecution and submits a motion to terminate the criminal case. The court rejects it.\nThe question of the measure of restraint of the defendant is being considered. The judge reads out a positive description of Ananin from his place of work. The court extends the believer's house arrest for another 6 months\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220207","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On January 25, 2022, the believer's case is submitted to the Belovsky City Court of the Kemerovo Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2022-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20220125","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of the city of Kemerovo seizes Ananin's funds with a total amount of 3300 rubles. This money was seized from the believer during a search of his home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2021-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20210903","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Kemerovo chooses a measure of restraint for Ananin in the form of house arrest until April 9, 2021. Judge Anton Dontsov does not take into account the state of health of the believer, who recently suffered a massive heart attack and heart surgery. Ananin needs to be observed by a doctor and visit a hospital in Kemerovo, which is 120 km from his place of residence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20210216","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ananin is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20210215","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At least six believers are being searched in Belovo. Ananin is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2021-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20210214","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass M. A. Nikitin initiates a criminal case against Sergey Ananin. The believer is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist community. This is how the investigation interprets Ananin's joint meetings with fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ananin in Belovo","date":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belovo/index.html#20210209","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2022, law enforcement officers conducted searches at 12 addresses of believers in the village of Yaroslavsky in Primorye. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Anatoliy Li and unidentified persons under the article on involvement in the activities of an extremist organization and later reclassified the charge to organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. Anatoliy, as well as Boris Andreyev and Nataliya Sharapova, ended up in a pre-trial detention center. The charges were based on video recordings of meetings for worship at which believers discussed the Bible, sang religious songs and prayed. The case went to court in September 2023. After 9 months, the believers were sentenced to 3 to 6.5 years in a penal colony. In October 2024, the court of appeal reduced the sentences for Anatoliy Li and Nataliya Sharapova by one month. The next day, Nataliya was released. In April 2025, the court of cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2022-07-28","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html","prisoners":["andreyevb","lia","sharapova"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Every day, Boris Andreev takes medication that his wife delivers. He needs to consult an oncologist. In March, Boris passed his sewing exam. Prisoners treat him with respect, also because of his age — he is one of the oldest in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20260330","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February, Boris had an extended visit from his wife Aleksandra. He is encouraged by talking about the future — what he and his wife will do, how they will travel. This gives him \"a feeling of freedom and joy.\"\nSince November 2025 the believer did not receive any correspondence, but recently he was given 50 letters at once. Since mid-January, Andreyev has been learning how to sew and in March he plans to take exams.\nFrom time to time, Boris suffers from low blood pressure, especially in the morning, as well as other illnesses. Sometimes he feels weak and tired. In March, the believer must undergo an examination and receive appropriate treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20260225","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The food in the penal colony, where Anatoliy Li is being held, is good. He receives parcels regularly. In November, the believer suffered from SARS, which was accompanied by a lingering cough and weakness. Now he feels fine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20260220","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the examination, the Main Bureau of Medical and Social Expertise for the Amur Region acknowledges Boris Andreev's disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20251129","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["disability","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreyev finds the conditions of his detention satisfactory. He is kept in a barrack for about 100 people.\nFrom May to September 2025, Boris underwent cancer treatment. Granting him a status of disability is under review. He continues to receive treatment prescribed by a team of doctors.\nBoris is a pensioner, so he does not work. He has signed up for sewing courses, but a group has not yet been formed. The believer has a Bible. To date, Andreyev has served two-thirds of his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20251028","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreyev is in penal colony No. 8 for the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-10-09T13:51:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20251009","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Conditions of detention for Anatoliy Li are generally satisfactory. He tries to remain active and participates in the cultural life of the institution, for example, he sang songs and played the guitar at a concert organized by the penal colony administration.\nThe believer keeps in touch with his loved ones: he regularly speaks on the phone with his wife and his mother. He is given his letters, with the exception of those sent from abroad.\nAnatoliy has been facing a health problem: he developed stomatitis, which takes a long time to heal and is very painful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20250911","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the colony, Boris Andreev was put on a preventive register as an extremist. Nevertheless, he developed respectful relations with his cellmates. He is called \"Uncle Borya\" or \"Boris Ivanovich\". Over time, he plans to master a new profession - a house assembler.\nA believer receives an average of 3-4 letters a month, which is 16 times less than came to the pre-trial detention center.\nAndreev is given the necessary medications, but due to his illness, he needs regular medical examinations, which he has not had for more than a year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20250505","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok is considering a cassation appeal of believers against the verdict and the appellate ruling. Andreev and Lee are present at the hearing via video conference from the colonies.\nBoris Andreyev emphasizes in his complaint: \"I am 73 years old. I am a veteran of labor, a pensioner, but I am employed, positively characterized at the place of residence and at the place of work, I have a family. I have not been previously convicted and have not been prosecuted. Before the arrest, doctors revealed that I had a suspected oncological disease, so being in prison significantly limits my opportunities to receive high-quality examination and treatment, which is vital for me.\"\nIn his complaint in defense of Lee, the lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, to the absence of a motive and signs of extremism, to the fact that the court's conclusions are not supported by the evidence considered in the court session, and to the fact that the testimony of a witness who did not appear at the court session in the absence of legal grounds for this was read out in the court of first instance. The lawyer speaks about the unreasonable severity of the punishment and asks to cancel the verdict and the appeal ruling and terminate the criminal proceedings due to the lack of corpus delicti.\nThe court upholds the verdict. Andreev and Lee will continue to serve their sentences in penal colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20250415","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two months in the colony, Anatoliy Lee gets a three-day visit with his wife. According to his wife, he looks cheerful and jokes.\nRecently, Anatoliy was transferred to a room where repairs were made. The man works in a sewing workshop and has established himself as a responsible worker.\nA believer has the opportunity to read the Bible. He is supported by letters from friends and family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20250206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is positive, tries to support himself physically: he does squats, push-ups. He is encouraged by the fact that there is an opportunity to read the Bible. He also recently had a short visit with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2025-01-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20250102","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is in penal colony No. 8 in the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-12-16T14:15:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20241216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-12-12T11:48:47+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20241212","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Li is in penal colony No. 14 in the Khabarovsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-11-28T09:14:52+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20241128","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Sharapova is released from the pre-trial detention center after 2 years of imprisonment. About 50 friends from different cities come to meet her and give the believer bouquets of flowers. Some have been waiting for it since the morning. Natalia is very happy to be with them again. \"I can't believe I'm free!\" she says.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20241004","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Vladivostok, where he was transferred from Ussuriysk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240910","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the defendants, who are making their final statements, refuting the accusations of extremism brought against them. Only because of their faith, all of them have been behind bars for more than a year and a half.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests that Boris Andreyev and Anatoly Lee be sentenced to 6.5 and 7 years in prison, respectively. He asks Natalia Sharapova to be sentenced to 4 years of suspended imprisonment.\nAccording to the prosecutor, the believers deserve punishment because they participated in worship services typical of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"The events were built according to the plan adopted in the cult practice of the international religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nHowever, the defense argues that the accusations against the believers are unfounded. \"Which religious organization, liquidated by the court decision, was organized by Li, taking into account the fact that a local religious organization in the village of Yaroslavsky, Khorolsky municipal district, never existed? How, then, is it possible to organize or continue the activities of such an organization?\" Anatoly Lee's lawyer asks the court.\nBoris Andreev's lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that some of the prosecution witnesses stated that they were pressured by the investigation. He also notes that the mental illness of one of the witnesses casts doubt on the credibility of his testimony.\nNatalia Sharapova's defense states: \"The state prosecution decided that Sharapova can be convicted only on the basis of her faith. […] The only thing the defendants did was perform religious rites, read prayers, study and discuss Bible stories. […] Everyone could see that these were ordinary gatherings of a group of grandmothers talking about the Bible.\" According to the lawyer, Natalia Sharapova is \"an ordinary resident of the village of Yaroslavsky, a believer in Jehovah God, who has done nothing but harmless and unprohibited religious rites.\"\n\"These defendants are not the worst citizens of our country. They have never been prosecuted, have absolutely no criminal experience, and are all family people, with independent incomes. They did not violate the rules of residence in our country in any way,\" the defense sums up.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240625","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is being interrogated. He says that the accusation of extremism is erroneous, since \"at the Christian services of Jehovah's Witnesses, in songs, prayers, comments of believers, it was about love and the desire for good deeds.\"\nNatalia Sharapova is being interrogated. Answering her lawyer's questions, she says that she met Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s, but accepted the faith only after she herself decided that she needed it - in 2012, no one called her or persuaded her. She mentions that one of the services recorded in the case file took place at her home, as she and her elderly mother love to invite guests. When asked about the \"roles\" at the service, Natalia explains that there are no \"seniors\" or \"juniors\", everyone is equal. When charged with distributing banned literature, the woman replies that she did not do so and that no prohibited literature was found in her possession during the search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240605","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Lee testifies. He says: \"Professing and spreading the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is still a legitimate activity.\"\n\"At the Plenum of the Supreme Court in 2011, attention was drawn: \"Joint confession of religion, worship or other religious rites and ceremonies\" is \"the implementation ... the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion,' or in other words, these are ways of expressing religious beliefs,\" Lee reminded. He also notes that the psychological and linguistic examination concludes that there were no signs of extremism in his actions and in the actions of other believers. \"This was confirmed by all the interrogated witnesses, directly pointing out that I never incited anyone to hatred or enmity, did not call for illegal actions against any religious or other group of people,\" he added.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240529","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer lists local religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses that were liquidated by a 2017 Supreme Court decision . He comments: \"The Khorol district is not on the list.\" The lawyer asks to ensure the appearance of a secret witness, giving her real name, since Sharapova recognized this woman, but the court refuses.\nThe court also does not satisfy the petitions for the admission of historical documents, the position of the ECHR, as well as the interrogation of the witness by the defense.\n14 fellow believers come to the courtroom to support the defendants, 10 of whom are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240528","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three defense witnesses are being questioned in court. They speak positively about the defendant. One of the women says that she knows Sharapova, since their children studied at the same school. She describes her \"as a wonderful mommy, a very decent and good person\" and adds that Natalia has always been a pleasure to talk to. Witnesses also report that Sharapova did not discuss religion with them or invite them to worship services.\nBoris Andreyev requests that the letter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion and the Opinions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention be examined and acknowledged.\nBoris also asks for a comparison of different translations of biblical texts that were heard at the services underlying the accusation. The judge refuses to satisfy. The defendant asks to include in the minutes of the hearing an objection to the actions of the judge and explains why he considers this petition important for the process.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240522","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense proceeds to present its evidence to the court.\nThe court satisfies the motion of the defense to view the video materials obtained in the course of operational-search activities. On one of the recordings of the service, there is a discussion of the topics: \"Look to the future with faith and courage\", \"Help those who are struggling.\"\nCommenting on one of the videos, Natalia Sharapova states that she recognized a woman who was interrogated in court under the pseudonym \"Yolka\", and draws the court's attention to the inconsistency of her testimony. So, Yolka told the court that she met Sharapova only in 2020, but in fact she was visiting the Sharapovs in 2018 and kept a secret video recording of the service. The recording shows how the Christmas tree talks with Natalia's mother\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240514","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to read out the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym Alexei, since \"the Investigative Committee has taken exhaustive measures to find him.\" The defendants are against the reading and believe that insufficient measures were taken to bring a witness. Lawyers support this position, stating that they have not been provided with information about what work was done to find a witness.\nAfter reading out the testimony, Anatoly Lee comments: \"I can only agree that my name is Anatoly Yuryevich Lee, but otherwise I would like to interrogate the witness.\" Boris Andreev also gives his comment: \"Some of the things that are given here could not be said by Lee and Sharapov, as it does not correspond to our faith. Is it worth trusting these testimonies?\"\nThe lawyers are filing a motion to reduce the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\nAnatoliy speaks before the court: \"Your Honor, for more than 18 months I have been under the strictest measure of restraint - detention. It brings me and my family pain: physical and emotional... I am a law-abiding citizen, so I came to the investigating authorities voluntarily - as soon as I found out that the investigation was interested in me. Doesn't that prove that I'm not going into hiding?\"\nBoris Andreyev says: \"When the case materials were considered, the transcripts of our meetings were read out, there was not even a hint of any extremism, calls for violence, expressions of hatred towards any groups.\"\nThe defense asks the court to take into account the deterioration of the health of 72-year-old Boris Andreev.\nThe court refuses to satisfy the petitions for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Andreev and Lee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240418","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorye Regional Court is considering the complaint of believers about detention. They refer to a review of judicial practice approved by the Presidium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on January 18, 2017, according to which \"the gravity of the crime alone cannot be the only and sufficient basis for detention.\"\nNatalya Sharapova notes: \"The state prosecutor said that I could go into hiding under pain of a long term. I have been in prison for more than 16 months, I know what prison is, and I am not afraid here. I am a believer and I live according to biblical laws that speak of love for people, I am not at enmity with people, so I am not afraid, even if they give me 6 years.\"\nBoris Andreyev declares: \"My health has deteriorated ... It's not that I run away - I can't go far. According to the doctor's opinion, I need medical supervision. With a schedule of court hearings, I could easily combine court hearings with treatment in medical institutions.\nThe court leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240314","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym \"Yolka\" is being interrogated. According to her, she attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in the homes of believers several times. The witness admits that she did not hear any extremist calls from believers and that there was a friendly atmosphere at the meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240306","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering the issue of extending the period of detention of defendants in the pre-trial detention center until June 22. By this time, the believers will have been detained for 21 months.\nAnatoly Lee objects to this. He emphasizes that he voluntarily appeared in the investigating authorities and by his actions showed that he was not going to hide. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that he has been in jail for almost a year and a half, although Russian law prohibits keeping a person in custody for so long only on the basis of the severity of the charge. In addition, the guilt of the defendant has not been proven, and Anatoly himself never tried to influence the course of the investigation.\nNatalia Sharapova declares: \"I have no need to escape. Moreover, I live with my elderly mother, who is already 82 years old. My mom broke her leg and can't walk. I really want to help her, to be there for her. I obey God's laws, which speak only of love. And psycholinguistic examinations confirm that there was no extremism in my actions.\"\nNataliya's lawyer notes: \"Of course, the court will decide whether joint prayers are a crime, but [even in the case of accusations of] serious crimes, people are given a mitigated measure of restraint. It is unwise to keep people under the strictest measure of restraint for so long for drinking tea and discussing the Bible.\"\nSharapova and Lee separately ask the court to release Boris Andreev from the pre-trial detention center, as his health is deteriorating. Boris's defenders add that, on the recommendation of an oncologist, a believer needs to undergo regular medical examinations. In addition, they draw attention to the fact that Andreev is more than 72 years old (he is one of the oldest Jehovah's Witnesses behind bars - Ed.).\nDespite the arguments voiced, the judge leaves all three behind bars. Then the court proceeds to the study of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240227","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the reading of the case materials continues.\nAnatoly Lee explains to the court that at the service believers are encouraged \"to love, kindness, to discuss and study the Bible.\" He adds that back in 2019 it became known about the possible persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses by the authorities. However, the believers \"did not hide from law enforcement agencies, because they understood that they had not committed any crime against people or the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240221","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to study the written materials of the case. From the 5th to the 8th volumes, the search protocols, the conclusion of psycholinguistic and religious examinations are announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240220","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are two witnesses in court: a mother and a daughter, a disabled person of group I. The testimony of the latter was read out at the previous meeting. The mother reports that she does not know the defendants, she has not heard extremist appeals from them, but she noticed that studying the Bible makes them better, helps them get rid of bad habits. She refutes some of the testimony attributed to her, which was given under pressure.\nThe woman's daughter is summoned for interrogation. She says that the investigator insulted her because of her disability.\nThe prosecutor petitions for the disclosure of the testimony of secret witnesses Alexei and Elka, since one of them is outside the Primorsky Territory, and the other is being treated in the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240208","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Olesya Ulyanova decides to read out the protocols of the interrogations of three witnesses in the case in connection with their failure to appear in court due to illness. The lawyer objects to the actions of the presiding judge.\nDuring the interrogation, another prosecution witness indicates that he does not know the defendants, does not know who Jehovah's Witnesses are, and this is the first time he has heard about the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The man admits that during the interrogation he was pressured - if he does not testify, he will increase the period of supervision. The prosecutor asks to read out the record of his interrogation. In this regard, the court sends to the Investigative Committee an extract of the minutes of the court session and the protocol of the interrogation of the witness to check the actions of the detectives Bradul and Bolshak for coercion to testify (Article 302 of the Criminal Code).\nThe next witness says that this is the first time he has heard the name \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe court attaches to the case file the decision on the refusal of the Investigative Committee to initiate a criminal case in relation to the investigation into the abuse of authority by investigator Elena Piskun.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240207","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is again transferred to SIZO-2 in Ussuriysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2024-01-31T13:12:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20240131","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new judge enters the case - Pogorelaya Tatyana Igorevna.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20231214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor challenges Judge Olesya Ulyanova. The court satisfies the challenge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20231201","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Boris Andreev was transferred to another pre-trial detention center. Now he is in a pre-trial detention center in Vladivostok.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20231123","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is returned to SIZO-2 in Ussuriysk. Earlier, a believer with suspected cancer was transferred to SIZO-1 in Vladivostok for a medical examination, which, however, was never carried out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20231016","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","medical-rights","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to court and is referred to judge Olesya Ulyanova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230922","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Boris Andreev was transferred from the Ussuriysk pre-trial detention center to Vladivostok. He is undergoing a medical examination, the duration of which is still unknown. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230815","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev, 71, suspects a serious, life-threatening illness, but investigator E.V. Piskun refuses to soften his preventive measure or transfer him to another pre-trial detention center, where he could undergo urgent examination and treatment. Alexandra Andreyeva, Boris's wife, filed a corresponding petition after receiving the results of her husband's tests, but the investigator refused to satisfy the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230714","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, Captain of Justice Elena Piskun, grants the petition of Boris Andreev's wife to return the phones and computers seized from them during the search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-07-10T10:40:22+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230710","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris, Anatoliy and Natalia are still doing well. They do not complain about the quality of food and conditions in the cell. They maintain a positive attitude. They are grateful to their fellow believers for the fact that they continue to write them letters in large quantities, which is surprising to the staff of the pre-trial detention center and prisoners. Believers are allowed to visit relatives. Nataliya has the opportunity to talk to her family on the phone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20230328","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway at the address of the registration of the accused Anatoly Lee. Lee himself has been in jail for 2.5 months, and this apartment is rented by a third-party tenant. During the search, the tenant is offered to voluntarily hand over extremist literature banned in the Russian Federation, while nothing was seized. The search does not exceed half an hour.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221226","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Natalya, Boris and Anatoliy in the pre-trial detention center. All three are in good physical and emotional condition.\nNataliya is being held in a double cell with another woman. There are 10 people in the cells of Boris and Anatoly. Believers say that the attitude on the part of cellmates and employees of the detention center is respectful - 71-year-old Boris is addressed by his first name and patronymic.\nAccording to the lawyer, after the arrest of peaceful believers in the village of Yaroslavsky, which is home to a little more than 8 thousand inhabitants, false information began to spread about the danger that allegedly emanated from Natalia Sharapova, Boris Andreev and Anatoly Lee, because of which the reputation of these peaceful and law-abiding citizens was seriously damaged.\nDuring the month of her stay in prison, Natalia has already received 200 letters of support, Boris and Anatoliy - about 100, for which the believers are very grateful. Letters help them not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221107","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Lee is also placed in SIZO-2 in Ussuriysk until October 28, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221013","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Andreev is taken to SIZO-2, and Natalia Sharapova is taken to SIZO-3 in Ussuriysk. It is known that they will spend at least 22 days under arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20221007","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been initiated against believers from the village of Yaroslavsky, Primorsky Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Andreyev and Others in Yaroslavskiy","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavskiy/index.html#20220728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2024, mass searches took place in the Nizhny Novgorod and Astrakhan regions, as a result of which three married couples ended up in a pre-trial detention center. Two weeks earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case against peaceful believers for participating in extremist activities. The criminal case was based on the testimony of classified witnesses, as well as hidden audio and video recordings of meetings for worship, which were conducted for several years. The case went to court in September 2025.","date":"2024-06-17","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html","prisoners":["chernobaev","chernobaeva","mikholap","omikholap","anufriyeva","vanufriyev"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufrieva is kept in a cell for six people - all women, including her, work in the household detachment. At work, she moves a lot, so her physical condition has improved and her lower back has stopped hurting. The cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center treat the believer kindly. She regularly receives parcels, she has everything she needs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260520","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap learns that her stepfather died in the hospital the day before. Against the backdrop of these tragic events, the court has repeatedly rejected petitions for the release of the couple from custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260303","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the last transfer of the defendants in the case from the court back to the detention center, one of the guards asked why they were so smartly dressed. To which the other replied: \"Because they did not commit a crime, they just believe.\"\nOn the same day, another woman was transported with them. Observing the calm behavior and respectful attitude among the believers, she said to Anastasiya Anufriyeva at the end of the journey: \"You are not like the others. I feel refreshed being with you.\"\nAnastasiya returned to her cell after the court session only at 2 a.m. Her blood pressure rose. The believer is being held with seven other women.\nVladimir Anufriyev is being held in a large transit cell with another prisoner. To create \"coziness\", they ordered large towels with images of fish swimming in the sea and hung them on the wall. Vladimir humorously calls his sleeping place an \"oceanarium\". He tries to stay fit: he regularly does pull-ups and push-ups and jogs. Furthermore, Vladimir writes stories, poems and songs.\nDuring 1.5 years in the detention center, Andrey Mikholap has already changed cells 30 times. He complains of knee pain when bending his leg, and the medications prescribed by the doctors of the medical unit do not help.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260301","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap is very worried about her parents, who are in the hospital with burns. The cellmates try to support Oksana as much as they can.\nOksana also feels a friendly attitude from the administration. According to the employee who distributes food, in this section of the pre-trial detention center, his mood rises only in two cells - where Oksana Mikholap and Anastasia Anufrieva are sitting. He adds: \"I wish Alyona [Chernobaeva] was also in this department!\" Another employee humorously speaks of Jehovah's Witnesses held in the pre-trial detention center: \"This is my favorite gang!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260225","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Mikholap spouses find out that two days ago there was a fire in their house. Oksana's elderly parents were saved, they were taken to the burn center in Nizhny Novgorod in serious condition. The house and the car burned down completely.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260219","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Vitaliy Naberezhnov. He talks about the procedure for holding meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, which he attended until 2017. He refutes a significant part of his own testimony given at the preliminary investigation. According to him, pressure was put on him, so he could not fully read the protocol and signed in a state of stress.\nThe prosecutor reports that a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Karpov\" has died. The court is reviewing several videos seized from the electronic devices of the Anufrievs and Mikholap.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260129","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap shares a cell with another prisoner. Previously, this woman was kept in the same cell with Anastasia Anufrieva, and then with Alyona Chernobaeva. According to her, only with them she feels calmer in prison.\nAndrei Mikholap is still in a double cell with another prisoner. It is spacious, warm, and has hot water.\nLetters in electronic form are received by the couple regularly, and in paper form they began to come only recently, after the censor returned from vacation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2026-01-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20260106","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, operative Igor Gorshkov, during interrogation answers most of the questions \"I don't know\", \"I don't remember anymore\". In his personal opinion, all religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia could only be held by the Administrative Center of this religious organization. About 40 people are present at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20251225","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia receives permission from the judge to have weekly telephone conversations with her mother. The believer's letters come only in electronic form.\nVladimir Anufriev was given several paper letters for May-September. Sometimes it is not easy for him when there is bad news in the letters - about the difficulties or illnesses of loved ones. The believer admits: \"At these moments, a fervent long prayer to God helps me.\" In addition to existing health problems, Vladimir had an inflamed tendon on his elbow.\nIn the photo below is a postcard with warm words of support from 11-year-old Katya: \"We love you very much!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20251114","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufrieva, Alyona Chernobaeva and Oksana Mikholap are again in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The employees of the institution greet the women in a kind way: \"Welcome back! We have been waiting for you.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-11-07T16:21:02+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20251107","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor brings charges, the defendants express their disagreement with it and do not plead guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250929","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap continues to receive letters of emotional support, which earns her the respect of her cellmates. Once, seeing the volume of correspondence, they asked in surprise: \"Are they all just for you? You really have good friends!\"\nThere are now 17 people in the cell where Oksana is being held. The prisoner with HIV was transferred to another room, but the woman with hepatitis C remains.\nAnastasia Anufrieva is being held in a cell with 15 people. She continues to receive letters, and having a Bible helps her to maintain inner peace.\nAlena Chernobaeva receives less letters, but the Bible remains a great support.\nThe cellmates respect and sympathize with Oksana, Anastasia and Alena. The administration of the pretrial detention center is impartial towards the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250912","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap remains in a special unit, in a two-person cell. The attitude of his cellmate and the staff of the pretrial detention center is respectful.\nVladimir Anufriev is now being held in a two-person cell. There is hot water; from the window you can see the forest and the sun. Out of respect for Vladimir, his cellmate stopped smoking in his presence.\nThe believer notes that his eyesight continues to deteriorate due to incorrect lenses prescribed by the doctor of the medical unit of the detention center. In addition, being moved frequently from one cell to another have led to a back injury and severe pain, so he tries to regularly perform suitable physical exercises.\nVladimir continues to receive letters, although the number has decreased. He writes four replies a day. He can read the Synodal translation of the Bible.\nViktor Chernobaev had a cold a couple of months ago, but fully recovered. He is kept in a two-person cell where there is hot water. His cellmate and the staff of the pretrial detention center are friendly. He is supported by regularly receiving packages.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250911","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is submitted to the Kstovo City Court. It will be considered by Judge Sergey Evdokimov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250904","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap was placed in 16 different cells during his imprisonment. Since May of this year, he has been in a double cell in a special unit, where there is no refrigerator, TV or hot water. There are cockroaches. During the transfer to the special unit, the officers confiscated many permitted things from him, but the believer still treats everyone kindly.\nAndrey is allowed daily walks. He is allowed to read the Bible and receive letters of support, although since February their flow has noticeably decreased — now he gets about 12 letters a week. He tries to reply to each one.\nViktor Chernobaev is also being held in a special unit. Double bars are installed on the windows of his cell, which creates certain difficulties: in cold weather, prisoners cannot close the window on their own, and in hot weather they cannot open it.\nViktor receives letters — there are already more than 500 of them, but he admits that he misses simple human association.\nVladimir Anufriev has been in a four-bed cell for 3 months, where everyone except him smoked. One of his cellmates, after talking to him, soon quit smoking. Vladimir's eyesight is deteriorating, but he has glasses. He does not lose optimism, reads the Bible, and the number of letters he receives is close to 800.\nAt one of the hearings, on the preventive measure, Vladimir said: \"Dear court, I have nothing to add, except for one thing: I want to confess my love to my wife. Nastya, I love you very much!\" All the believers miss their partners, from whom they already have been separated for a year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250702","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mikholap is being held in a transit cell, designed to accommodate 21 people. There is hot water, TV, toilets and showers. Some of the prisoners in her cell have HIV or hepatitis C. Oksana has to carefully sanitize all bathroom facilities before use.\nRecently, a woman with pediculosis was transferred to the cell, but the detention center did not have the necessary means for sanitation. Thanks to the efforts of Oksana, who managed to convince the woman to shave her hair, the problem was quickly resolved.\nOksana is respected by her cellmates, who admit that the balanced conduct of the believer has a calming effect on them. The place where her bed is situated is called \"a quiet godly corner\".\nAnastasia Anufrieva regularly receives letters — already more than 1200. There are 14 people in the cell with Anastasia. Thanks to her, two cellmates quit smoking, and others note that since she came to the cell, it has become quieter, calmer, and they argue less. Regarding her well-being, she is still troubled by chronic tonsillitis.\nAlena Chernobaeva is in a cell for 10 people. Two beds are joined together and cannot be separated. The other prisoners are very friendly to her: they call her \"Little Flower\", ask her permission to turn on the TV and try not to make noise when she goes to bed. Her cellmates say that since Alena arrived, there are far fewer quarrels and misunderstandings between them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250701","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufrieva, Oksana Mikholap and Alyona Chernobaeva are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Nizhny Novgorod region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-03-04T13:06:16+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250304","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Anufriyeva is in an 8-bed cell, 7 other women are being held there with her. The room is warm, there is water and a small refrigerator. In January, they were taken out for walks more often. The attitude of the cellmates and the staff of the pre-trial detention facility is generally friendly.\nAnastasia has a Bible in the Synodal translation. The believer received 420 letters from relatives and caring people. This makes her happy and helps her not to lose heart.\nAnastasia's chronic illness worsened. She needs medication, which she does not receive at the moment, despite the applications she has submitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-02-06T13:59:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250206","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cell where Viktor Chernobaev and another prisoner are being held is warm, has cold water and a small refrigerator. Viktor has a good relationship with his cellmate and the staff of the pre-trial detention center. He goes for walks and exercises. Although the complete Bible was confiscated from Viktor, he was given the New Testament and the Psalter. He also receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20250203","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court once again extends the period of detention in the pre-trial detention center. The courtroom is the only place where spouses can see each other. All three couples have been under arrest for more than five months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20241205","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against the six believers is being transferred to the investigative unit of the Main Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The investigation team is headed by the deputy head of the department, Yevgeniy Mokhnonogov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240808","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Mikholap and Vladimir Anufriyev are being held in double cells. There are three women together with Anastasia Anufrieva. The food in the pre-trial detention center is satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240715","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kstovo City Court Sergey Evdokimov chooses a preventive measure in the form of detention for three detained married couples of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240703","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs \"Kstovsky\", Captain of Justice E. A. Ryabkova initiates a criminal case for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Anufriev and Others in Kstovo","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kstovo/index.html#20240617","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches, arrests, humiliation and intimidation — in May 2019, Aleksandr Parkov, Vilen and Arsen Avanesov from Rostov-on-Don were detained by officers of the Investigative Committee for allegedly continuing the activity of the banned organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were placed in a pretrial detention center, where they spent 925 days. The charges against the believers were based on falsifications and the testimony of a provocateur recruited by the FSB. In July 2021, the court sentenced Vilen to 6 years in a penal colony, and Aleksandr and Arsen to 6.5 years. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision. Arsen was also charged under another article — financing the activity of an extremist organization, and his sentence was increased to 7 years. In February 2024, Vilen Avanesov was released, having served his term in full. In August 2024, Aleksandr Parkov, and in October Arsen Avanesov were also released from the penal colony.","date":"2019-05-22","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html","prisoners":["aavanesov","avanesov","parkov"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","type":"cases"},{"body":"Arsen keeps his spirits up and positive. He receives letters from friends and relatives, and they give him five a month. A believer can read a Bible borrowed from the library.\nThe conditions of detention are satisfactory, Arsen's relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners are conflict-free.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2024-09-26T09:07:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20240926","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Parkov works in a forge, receives incentives from the administration. The believer has about 7 months of punishment left to serve.\nIn the colony, Parkov receives the necessary medical care. He regularly receives parcels and letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2024-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20240104","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Arsen Avanesov lives in a barracks with 90 beds, where 65 prisoners are kept. He can move around relatively freely and is allowed to make phone calls.\nVilen Avanesov does not lose his sense of humor. His prison term expires in two months. The administration of the colony filed a lawsuit with the court for the appointment of administrative supervision to Vilen, but the court rejected this claim.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20231128","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Arsen and Vilen Avanesov work in the sewing industry from 8:00 to 20:00 with short breaks during the day. They endure the harsh conditions of their stay in the colony. Arsen needs a medical examination.\nVilen and Arsen have normal relations with their cellmates and the administration, as Konstantin Bazhenov , who served his sentence here for his faith, had a good reputation as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The Avanesovs have several rewards. The believers are in the same colony with fellow believers from Gukovo, who were convicted in a similar criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20230511","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander underwent dental treatment. The administration treats the believer well and allows long visits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20230505","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Parkov participates in the court hearing via videoconference to consider the petition for replacement of imprisonment with correctional labor, since he has already served more than 1/3 of the term.\nThe colony provides a positive characterization of the believer, but indicates that the replacement is inappropriate. The court refuses to satisfy the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20230425","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Arsen Avanesov is again in correctional colony No. 3 in Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220919","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Arsen Avanesov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ulyanovsk region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-08-30T14:30:10+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220830","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Arsen Avanesov in the Ulyanovsk pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to the believer, he was kept in a barracks all winter, where the heating did not work. He was later transferred to a clean, warm barracks with hot showers.\nCurrently, Arsen is being held in a cell, where there are 10 other people besides him. His cellmates and administration treat him normally.\nArsen's emotional and physical condition is good. In his spare time, he reads the Bible and also borrows fiction from the library. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received one letter so far, from France.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220826","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits Vilen Avanesov in a penal colony in Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk region). Since August, Vilen has been under light conditions of detention.\nThe barracks where he works are clean, there is hot water and showers. The believer does not complain about the state of health. In July, he had a 3-day long visit with his wife.\nHis cellmates and the administration of the colony treat Avanesov with respect. One of the employees notes the positive qualities of Jehovah's Witnesses, that they, not knowing each other personally, write letters of support to fellow believers. She is surprised that even children send cards saying, \"We love you.\" Vilen is looking forward to more letters. He is also glad that he has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220824","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court in a second appeal toughens the sentence to Arsen Avanesov - 7 years in a general regime colony instead of 6 and a half.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220808","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar upholds the verdict against Vilen Avanesov and Aleksandr Parkov.\nA representative of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation speaks before the court. He argues that Arsen Avanesov collected funds to finance an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) - this is how the prosecution interprets the payment of rent for a place of worship. Earlier, the court excluded this article from the charges.\nThe court satisfies the prosecutor's request and returns the case to the appeal stage. Arsen Avanesov, who was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, may have his sentence toughened.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220623","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Parkov in the Correctional Colony No. 10 in the Rostov Region. Three other Jehovah's Witnesses are being held in the same institution: Artem Gerasimov, Igor Schmidt , and Sergey Filatov.\nParkov's emotional and physical condition is good. In order to spend as little time as possible in the barracks, where it is often smoked, the believer works 6 days a week in the industrial zone. Sergey Filatov also works there. The prisoners of the colony and the administration treat Parkov and other believers with respect. One of the cellmates said: \"I can't understand what exactly you are being persecuted for. You are ideal citizens of the state - do not steal, do not cheat.\nAlexander has his own copy of the Bible. He receives so many letters that, according to him, he has already lost count. The believer misses his family, but, to his joy, a three-day meeting with his wife took place in March.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220421","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vilen and Arsen Avanesov in the penal colony in Dimitrovgrad. They say that there are 40 people in their squad, the conditions of detention are normal.\nThe emotional state of believers is good, there are no health problems. Cellmates and the administration of the colony treat them with respect. Some of the prisoners ask Vilen to pray for them, as they say it helps them.\nArsen works as a cutter in a sewing workshop 5 days a week. For his conscientious attitude to work and active participation in sports events, he received awards from the administration. Vilen does not work as he is retired.\nBoth believers are glad to have the opportunity to read the Bible, which they received in the colony's library.\nArsen says that for some time they did not receive letters, but since the beginning of April they have received 50 pieces a week for each. Vilen is sent beautiful postcards, which he lays out on the windowsill. The colony staff and cellmates are looking at them with interest.\nArsen and Vilen say that due to the limit - no more than 20 kg in 2 months - some parcels were disposed of. The Avanesovs note that they do not need anything: friends and relatives pass on everything they need.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220414","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vilen and Arsen Avanesov arrived at Correctional Colony No. 3 in the city of Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk Region), where they will serve their sentences for believing in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-01-17T15:29:18+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220117","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vilen and Arsen Avanesov are transferred to a correctional colony in the city of Ulyanovsk. The exact address of their future whereabouts is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2022-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20220104","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Parkov was taken to Correctional Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don to serve his sentence. In the same colony, another believer, Aleksandr Ivshin, is serving a prison sentence for believing in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20211223","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Gennady Peschanov approves the terms of imprisonment in the colony for believers: Parkov and Arsen Avanesov - 6.5 years each, Vilen Avanesov - 6.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20211206","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal hearing scheduled for today is postponed to December 6, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20211122","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing of the appellate instance is postponed to November 22.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20211115","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Parkov was also transferred from Rostov SIZO-5 to SIZO-3 at the address: Novocherkassk, Ukrainskaya str., 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210824","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Arsen and Vilen Avanesov were transferred from the Rostov SIZO-5 to SIZO-3 at the address: Novocherkassk, Ukrainskaya str., 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-08-13T13:55:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210813","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of the city of Rostov-on-Don, Vladimir Khudaverdyan, finds Jehovah's Witnesses Alexander Parkov, Vilen and Arsen Avanesov guilty. He sentences believers to imprisonment in a penal colony: Aleksandr Parkov and Arsen Avanesov to 6.5 years, and Vilen Avanesov to 6 years. Considering that they have already spent more than 2 years in a pre-trial detention center, in fact, they still have about half of their term left to serve in the colony - unless the court of appeal overturns the sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210729","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the pleadings in Rostov-on-Don, the prosecutor requests 7.5 years of imprisonment for Arsen Avanesov and 7 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for Vilen Avanesov and Aleksandr Parkov.\nOn the same day, believers deliver the last word. The verdict is scheduled for July 29.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-07-15T11:30:41+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210715","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify. Arsen Avanesov explains that meetings of fellow believers are not extremist activities, but a peaceful confession of faith. In their dealings with authorities and people, Jehovah's Witnesses try to be correct, restrained, not to respond to rudeness, and to follow the example of the first Christians and Jesus Christ.\nWhen asked by the judge why Jehovah's Witnesses often use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, Arsen Avanesov replies that the state itself guarantees a person the right not to testify against himself. And even if investigators and judges remind us of this constitutional right, Jehovah's Witnesses consider it really important.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210630","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vladimir Khudaverdyan granted the petition to examine all the video recordings of the services, noting in advance that there is no enmity or hatred at the meetings of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210519","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a secret witness - a man who, on the instructions of FSB officers, conducted conversations with believers, trying to provoke them to criticize other creeds and the state. The provocateur was often the initiator of the meetings himself, but in court he claims that the meetings took place against his will. He hardly remembers his earlier testimony and says that he has a very negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. At the same time, he admits that he has not heard any extremist appeals from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210426","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning two more witnesses. They have long been familiar with the defendants, who are characterized as \"peaceful, good, law-abiding people.\" Witnesses also explain the difference between meetings of a legal entity and worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210401","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the operative, a former employee of the Center \"E\" A. Chaikin. Chaikin finds it difficult to answer most of the defensively's questions about the continuation of the activities of the banned organization, about the receipt and use of literature included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nThe lawyer asks the witness questions, trying to find out what he meant, for example, by \"continuing the activities of a banned organization.\" Chaikin says it's just a guess.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210331","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov, are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 at 4 Tunnelnaya Street in Rostov-on-Don. The believers have been imprisoned for 1 year and 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210323","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Ruslan Alyev tells what a local organization is as a legal entity and who the elders are. They are not congregation leaders or organizers, they are ordinary believers who meet the requirements recorded in the Bible. According to him, there is no need to specifically convene anyone for worship, nothing illegal is happening either in forms or in actions.\nAnother witness, Lyudmila Ponomarenko, states that she will use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and will not answer questions from the prosecutor, because she realizes that she, an elderly person, is being tried, like the Avanesovs and Parkov, solely for her faith in God, although both the Russian Constitution and the Supreme Court reserve her the right to practice any religion.\nAt the next court session, it is planned to interrogate witnesses who did not appear.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210211","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"4 people are allowed into the meeting room.\nThe prosecution shall submit the written statements of witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210201","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, by order of the chairman, from January 20, 2021, visits to listeners have been opened, but with a distance of 1.5 meters. However, after 2 hours of waiting, the judge does not allow anyone who came to the hearing.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them, a dance teacher who rented out the dance halls, cannot identify Arsen Avanesov among the three defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210128","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution's witness, the administrator of the dance school, does not appear in court.\nThe hearing will continue on January 28, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210118","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the case continues in the Leninsky District Court. Due to the epidemiological situation, listeners are not allowed to attend the court hearing.\nThe prosecutor examines the prosecution witness. He asks her general questions about the defendants' religion and their worship meetings. The woman positively characterizes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, referring to the believers themselves as \"good people.\" He explains that \"they do not drink alcohol before services, as this is a sacred service.\"\nFrom the words of the witness, it becomes clear that water baptism does not mean membership in a local religious organization - a legal entity.\nAt the request of the defense, the charter of the local religious organization shall be read out. When asked about the LRO, the woman replies that \"she knows nothing about membership in the LRO, and she saw its charter for the first time here, in court.\" She explains that the defendants simply \"profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe interrogation lasts 2.5 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20210114","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court is holding hearings on the merits behind closed doors. Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. Andrey and Ekaterina Okhrimchuk claim that the investigator distorted their testimony. Investigator Antipov is trying to prove that the Okhrimchuk spouses are active members of the LRO and that this is allegedly confirmed by their words during the investigation. Ekaterina claims that during the investigative interrogation, operative Chaikin attributed to her a whole paragraph of hearsay from other testimonies.\nThe specialist is a religious scholar from the Southern Federal University. According to him, the essence of religion is impossible without believers gathering together and performing their rites. The specialist notes that it is impossible to determine from the video recordings that they are an ordinary worship service or a meeting of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20201217","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal does not take into account the complaints of Alexander Parkov and upholds the decision of the Rostov Regional Court regarding the extension of his preventive measure in the form of detention until August 19, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200610","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judges make a similar decision in relation to Vilen Avanesov and Aleksandr Parkov, without taking into account the state of health of Aleksandr, who has an immune disease, as well as Vilen's elderly age. The believers will remain in custody until August 19, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200520","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court, chaired by Judge Yuriy Rusenko, extends Arsen Avanesov's detention for another 2 months and 29 days, until August 19, 2020. By this day, the believer will spend 455 days behind bars.\nThe court justifies its decision by the fact that the accused does not have time to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case (more than 20 volumes) within the prescribed period. According to Judge Rusenko, it is impossible for a believer to do this at large, since he \"can hide from the investigation and the court\" and \"influence witnesses.\"\nThe court does not take into account that Arsen, while remaining behind bars, cannot support his elderly mother. The investigating authorities have not allowed her to see either her husband or her son for a year now.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200519","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court upholds the decision of the Leninsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200429","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused begin to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200420","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don extends the period of detention of Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Alexander Parkov, for another month, until May 19, 2020. The total period of detention by this time will be 334 days.\nIn view of the \"special complexity of the criminal case,\" Judge Snezhana Fedorova finds no reason to change the measure of restraint for the believer. The court does not take into account the special circumstances of prisoners in connection with the coronavirus pandemic (Aleksandr has been diagnosed with an immune disease, and Vilen is at increased risk due to his age).\nThe believers intend to appeal the court's decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200417","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov investigator of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Major Kalnitsky, opens another criminal case against 36-year-old Arsen Avanesov. The believer is accused of receiving donations to rent premises for meetings of fellow believers, which the investigator equates with financing extremist activities (part 1 of article 282.3). About two months ago, the same investigator opened a similar case against another Rostov resident, Semyon Baibak.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20200114","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov in custody until 20.12.2019\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20191020","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190920","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Arsen and Vilen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190720","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the decision of Victoria Mamelko, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, all three believers were sent to SIZO-1 in the Rostov Region for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190526","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Investigative Committee of Russia conduct searches in at least 15 houses of Rostovites who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In some cases, riot policemen use force when breaking into apartments. Vilen and Arsen Avanesov, as well as Aleksandr Parkov, were detained. A criminal case was opened against them for their faith under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Avanesovs and Others in Rostov-on-Don","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rostov-on-don7/index.html#20190522","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2024, a series of searches of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses took place in Samara. As it turned out, three months earlier, an investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Samara initiated a criminal case against Samvel Babayan, accusing him of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. After interrogation, he was detained and imprisoned in a pre-trial detention center, where his chronic illnesses worsened. In May 2025, the believer\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. In October 2025, the court sentenced Samvel to 7 years of real imprisonment, and 3 months later this decision was approved by the court of appeal.","date":"2024-09-16","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html","prisoners":["babayan"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","type":"cases"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan has been held in a punishment cell already for more than a month — his stay there has been repeatedly extended without explanation. There are two more prisoners in the cell with him. Samvel often declines going for walks, as he is freezing. The clothes that he was given upon arrival turned out to be too small.\nSamvel is suffering from pain in his internal organs. A local doctor helpes him as much as he can.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20260406","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan is in penal colony No. 10 in the Samara Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2026-03-13T14:40:39+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20260313","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan is in the process of relocation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2026-03-06T09:43:11+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20260306","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"From the very start I didn't deny that I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses... This is my faith,\" emphasizes Samvel Babayan, addressing the panel of judges. \"I will always remain one.\"\nThe Samara Regional Court upholds the verdict — Babayan will be sent to a penal colony for 7 years. This decision was made despite the poor health of the believer — he has six chronic illnesses. Shortly before the trial, he had pneumonia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20260121","regions":["samara"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20251013","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution requests the court send Samvel Babayan to a penal colony for 8 years.\nA large courtroom is allocated to allow 27 people who want to support the defendant to attend the hearing. The believer is happy to see his friends, but he still suffering physically.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20251009","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan testifies. He emphasizes that the charge is based solely on his religious affiliation which is not prohibited by law. The believer states: \"I am charged with conducting Christian meetings for worship — they are ordinary religious practice, and the fact that they are held in a certain orderly way, and not chaotically, is consistent with logic and common sense.\"\nThe defendant denies the charge of inciting religious hatred. \"Regarding your faith as the truth is not the same as considering other people as inferior to yourself. I do not compare myself and my fellow believers with people who profess other beliefs, on the principle of 'better or worse,'\" he says.\nThe believer does not agree with the statement that he is a \"spiritual leader.\" He draws attention to the fact that the prosecution does not provide evidence, and notes that there cannot be any, because Jehovah's Witnesses \"do not have a leader from among the people... to whom the believers would be in strict subjection.\" Babayan explains: \"If there is a leader in the Christian congregation, it is Jesus Christ, to whom I am in subjection.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250929","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan's health condition is not improving — he suffers from hypertension; he was examined and diagnosed with multiple internal conditions. This affects his emotional well-being: due to apathy, at times he finds it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. Samvel finds comfort in the examples of Bible characters who have faced similar problems.\nIn this detention center already several Jehovah's Witnesses, prosecuted for their faith, have been held. Their conduct and Samvel's integrity made a good impression on the administration of the institution and other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250919","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant becomes ill at the court hearing: it is difficult for him to breathe because of the heat. An ambulance is called for the believer. Doctors measure his blood pressure, do a cardiogram, after which the meeting continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250805","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The son of the defendant, who was a minor at the time of the search and interrogation in the Investigative Committee, is being interrogated. He enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his relatives, so the protocol of his interrogation is read out. The young man states that he did not utter the remarks recorded by the investigator and most of the signatures were not made by his hand.\nBabayan asks the court not to schedule more than three sessions a month because he is experiencing severe back pain and needs time to recover. The prosecutor objects: in his opinion, this is a delay in the process. The court rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250730","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for the publicity of the trial, since the first hearing was held behind closed doors. The court satisfies it and proceeds to the interrogation of the prosecution witnesses.\nAleksey V.V., a former head of the department of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE) and an operational officer, finds it difficult to answer whether there are signs of extremism in the words and actions of the defendant. In addition, he admits that Samvel Babayan did not call for enmity or religious discord. It also turns out that the witness himself did not participate in any operational measures in this case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250707","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan's case is submitted to the Kirovsky District Court of Samara, and Sergey Dragunov has been appointed judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250530","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is now in a 9-bed cell, where 7 people are currently being held. He has a respectful relationship with his cellmates. In terms of health, Samvel has no improvement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250401","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan is being held in a double non-smoking cell. He was recently taken to the hospital for a heart exam. His health condition continues to deteriorate: due to constant pain, he cannot sleep. Since his imprisonment in the pre-trial detention center, the believer has lost 15 kg in weight.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20250123","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal against the measure of restraint of Samvel Babayan. Via video conferencing, the believer says that after suffering a cold in the pre-trial detention center, his health deteriorated significantly, one ear stopped hearing. The treatment that the pre-trial detention center can provide does not help him. The court does not take into account Samvel's state of health and whether he has a place to live. The believer remains behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20241017","regions":["samara"],"tags":["health-risk","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samvel Babayan spent the first two weeks of his detention in the pre-trial detention center in quarantine. He is now being held in a double cell. Due to repairs, there has been no water supply in the pre-trial detention center for some time, so prisoners cannot take showers. The believer asks to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but so far to no avail. In general, he is trying to get used to the changed circumstances.\nIn prison, Samvel's chronic diseases worsened and his sleep was disturbed. Prior to his arrest, he underwent a medical examination and was preparing for surgery. His wife gave him the necessary medicines.\nPrisoners treat the believer with respect. He receives letters and parcels. He has some parts of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20241011","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Samara Irina Velmina chooses a measure of restraint for Samvel Babayan in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20240918","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, law enforcement officers burst into Samvel Babayan's apartment. The security forces put the owner of the apartment and his 17-year-old son on the floor and read out the search warrant. During the 6-hour search, the investigator, three operational officers, two IT specialists and three special forces soldiers seized a laptop, mobile phones, flash drives, a hard drive and bank cards.\nThe whole family is taken for interrogation to the local department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, then the investigator detains Samvel Babayan and sends him to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20240916","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice Y. V. Prokopov, an investigator of the investigative unit for the investigation of organized criminal activities of the Investigative Directorate of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Samara, initiates a case against Samvel Babayan, accusing him of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Babayan in Samara","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara2/index.html#20240619","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2025, searches and home inspections were conducted at the residences of about 25 families of Jehovah’s Witnesses in several localities of Khakassia. A criminal case under an extremism-related article was opened against Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev, and Evgeniy Bagin. The men were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee in Abakan, where they were detained and later placed in a pretrial detention center (SIZO). After 3.5 months, the believers were transferred to house arrest. Following new searches and detentions in January 2026, three more men — Oleg Zhukov, Vyacheslav Sharov, and Alexey Gorokhov — were placed in SIZO. Almost 5 months later, they were also transferred to house arrest.","date":"2025-09-23","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html","prisoners":["gorokhov","sharov","zhukovo","bagin","gorev","timoshchenko"],"regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court replaces the restriction measure for Vyacheslav Sharov, Aleksey Gorokhov and Oleg Zhukov from pre-trial detention to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260521","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The solitary confinement cell where Oleg Zhukov is kept has a refrigerator, a kettle and hot water. In the library of the pre-trial detention center, he was given Gospels. He receives letters and parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260308","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Sharov is in a single cell. Sometimes he has changes in blood pressure, he is given medications, as well. They pass parcels and letters. The man does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260307","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Gorokhov is kept alone in a two-person cell, which has a refrigerator, kettle, hot water. He receives letters and parcels, can buy food. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260305","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the preventive measure for Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev, Yevgeniy Bagin from pretrial detention to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20260116","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers received parcels from relatives in the pretrial detention center. Gorev was also given a letter from his wife.\nBagin tries to stay optimistic, but worries about his wife, who recently underwent major surgery. The believer has his own health problems — he suffers from asthma, and has previously had heart surgery. He needs medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2025-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20251005","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Abakan City Court Ivan Stepankov sends Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev and Yevgeniy Bagin to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Khakassia. This was petitioned by the investigator of the Investigative Committee V. Kotenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20250924","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB invades the homes of Viktor Timoshchenko, Aleksandr Gorev and Yevgeniy Bagin to conduct an inspection, but in fact the believers are being searched.\nViktor Timoshchenko, who is staying with an elderly mother suffering from Alzheimer's disease, is threatened by operatives, demanding to confess on video. The law enforcers tell the man that they will create problems for relatives, and violence will be used against him. Tymoshchenko is forced to read a prepared text on camera. Also, law enforcement officers put pressure on Yevgeniy Bagin, threatening to create problems for his wife and daughters.\nDuring these interrogations, which take place simultaneously with the ORM, none of the believers are provided with lawyers. After that, the men are taken for interrogation to the Abakan department of the Investigative Committee, where they learn that a criminal case on extremism has been opened against them (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). It turns out that the case file contains hidden video recordings of recent meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bagin and Others in Mayna","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayna/index.html#20250923","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","inspection","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Amur Region initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Balabkin, a pensioner suffering from cancer. Two days later, searches were carried out at six addresses in Belogorsk. In April 2021, Vladimir was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which has made it very difficult for him to receive his pension. The investigation charged the peaceful believer with organizing the activity of an extremist organization for discussing the Bible with friends and acquaintances. The case went to court in April 2023. The charge was based on the testimony of a man who, on the instructions of the FSB, conducted covert video filming of believers at meetings for worship. In the fall of the same year, the court sentenced Balabkin to 4 years in a penal colony; he was taken into custody in the courtroom. However, on December 19, the court of appeal reclassified Balabkin\u0026rsquo;s actions from Part 1 to Part 2 of Article 282.2 and reduced the punishment to a 1-year suspended sentence. He was released in the courtroom.","date":"2021-03-02","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html","prisoners":["balabkin"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230918","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","282.2-1","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor in the debate asks the court to send Vladimir Balabkin to a colony for 6.5 years. The believer, speaking with the last word, says: \"I have not done anything wrong for which I should be punished.\" After that, the court immediately proceeds to the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230913","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conclusion of an expert linguist is investigated. Vladimir Balabkin asks the court to summon a specialist for questioning. Prosecutor Anton Raschupkin objects and draws attention to the fact that the expert's opinion clearly states: no signs of extremism were found.\nThe judge proceeds to interrogate Balabkin. He gives arguments in his defense, relying on regulations and case materials that were not examined in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230904","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","final-statement","elderly","courtroom","282.2-1","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Khodukin is being interrogated. He collaborated with the FSB and conducted covert video filming of worship services of believers.\nKhodukin tells the court that he met Jehovah's Witnesses in 2019 through an acquaintance. According to him, he was looking for answers to the questions that tormented him, so he began to study the Bible.\nThe lawyer asks the witness if he saw anything forbidden from the point of view of the law at meetings of believers. The witness expresses the opinion that \"meetings of the congregation were already prohibited from the point of view of the law.\" The lawyer notes that the legislation of the Russian Federation does not prohibit peaceful worship of any religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230731","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB operative Dmitry Shcherbakov is being interrogated.\nAnswering questions from the defense, he reports that Vladimir Balabkin invited his fellow believers for liturgical meetings. When asked whether the operative revealed signs of extremist activity in Balabkin's actions, the witness replies that he himself does not determine whether there is corpus delicti in the actions of believers. He points out that he considers Vladimir guilty because he \"provided devices for connecting to meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses\", \"connected others to meetings\" and \"showed how to use programs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230614","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Vladimir Balabkin begin. 30 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. At first, no one is allowed into the courtroom, citing the fact that Balabkin is being tried under an extremist article. After the defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the hearing is open, 12 people are allowed into the courtroom, including Vladimir's son and daughter-in-law, who are witnesses in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230518","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Belogorsk City Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20230411","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator shall report on the completion of the investigative actions. Soon the case will be transferred to the Belogorsk City Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20221221","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator R. I. Volkov issues a decision to bring Vladimir Balabkin as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The accused is being interrogated. Medical documents confirming the serious state of health of the believer are attached to the case.\nThe defense filed a motion to terminate the criminal case due to the absence of a crime, but the investigator refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20221102","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Balabkin is being interrogated as a suspect. He is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A measure of restraint is chosen for the believer in the form of an obligation to appear.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20220614","regions":["amur"],"tags":["summon","interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the call of the investigator, Vladimir and his wife come to the FSB of Blagoveshchensk, although due to the exacerbation of a chronic disease, it is difficult for him to cover a long distance (140 km). The believer is photographed and fingerprinted. Obukhov gives him a copy of the decision to initiate a criminal case, which states that Balabkin and \"unidentified persons from among Jehovah's Witnesses ... committed deliberate actions of an organizational nature ... Namely, they organized a meeting of followers of religious organizations.\" In this regard, Vladimir emphasizes: \"I am an individual, not a legal entity.\" To which the investigator asks him not to object.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2021-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20210802","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in Vladimir's house and at five other addresses of believers. Electronic devices and data carriers are seized from the Balabkin spouses. They are taken to the local department of the FSB to issue copies of the protocols.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20210304","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region orders searches in the homes of residents of Belogorsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2021-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20210303","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Amur Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V. S. Obukhov initiates a criminal case against 68-year-old Vladimir Balabkin. The believer is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Balabkin in Belogorsk","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/belogorsk/index.html#20210302","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Barmakin moved to Vladivostok from Crimea to take care of his sick mother-in-law and her elderly mother. In July 2018, law enforcement officers in masks and with weapons broke into their house to search it. Dmitriy was arrested, and he spent 1.5 years in a pretrial detention center. The judge returned the criminal case to the prosecutor due to the ambiguity of the charges, stating in the ruling that freedom of religion is the constitutional right of Barmakin as for any citizen of the Russian Federation. In April 2021, the case went to court again, and 7 months later, judge Stanislav Salnikov fully acquitted the believer. In April 2022, the territory court overturned this verdict and sent the case for a new trial. Barmakin was sentenced to 8 years in a penal colony. In August 2023, a court of appeal overturned this verdict also, released him and sent the case for a third trial to the court of first instance. This decision was appealed by the prosecutor, and the court of cassation sent the case to the court of appeal comprising a different panel of judges, which in February 2024 upheld the verdict — 8 years in a penal colony.","date":"2018-07-27","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html","prisoners":["barmakin"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitriy Barmakin works as a librarian and helps in the maintenance of buildings. He has not yet received dental care. He has the opportunity to buy groceries. Parcels are delivered, but letters are handed over only from the wife. After a long break (a year later), the believer finally had a long meeting with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2026-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20260314","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Barmakin is not given letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20260202","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy cannot call his relatives through the Zonatelecom system. Now contact with him is maintained only through short visits and letters from close relatives, but the letters do not always reach him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20251202","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For more than six months, Dmitriy has not been able to solve the problem with a bad tooth. In addition, he recently had a serious viral disease. Relatives and friends are concerned about the state of health of the believer.\nDmitriy considers living conditions in the barracks acceptable: it is warm there, there is hot water. Relations between prisoners are respectful. At the moment, the believer works as a cleaner of adjacent territories.\nThe believer still does not receive letters, including from relatives. Dmitriy is supported by the fact that he and his wife can call regularly.\nThe administration of the colony thanked the believer several times, but there is no information about this in the personal file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2025-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20250814","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy is studying to be a welder. Recently, he had a long date with his wife. The believer has his own Bible, letters still do not reach him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20241022","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy is in a detachment of about 100 people. The conditions of detention are satisfactory, the believer has everything he needs in terms of everyday life.\nDmitriy's state of health is normal, although he has not fully recovered from the illness suffered during the transfer. He tries to support himself and exercises every day.\nBarmakin does not yet have his own Bible, as it was withdrawn for inspection when he arrived at the colony. Also, he has not yet received a single letter. He is supported by the opportunity to call his wife frequently, and he hopes that they will soon be allowed a visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20240903","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After almost 3 months of transfer from the Vladivostok pre-trial detention center, Dmitriy is taken to correctional colony No. 10 in the Samara region. During this time, he went through 18 pre-trial detention centers, including in Simferopol (Crimea). Barmakin was quarantined for two weeks. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20240801","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","letters","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Barmakin has left the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center-1 and is in the process of being moved to the place of serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20240530","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin is in the process of being moved from the Vladivostok pre-trial detention center to the Crimean pre-trial detention center. At the moment, the believer is temporarily held in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20240506","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Primorsky Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-05-29T11:44:30+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230529","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmytro Barmakin addresses the court with his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230426","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for Dmitriy Barmakin 9 years of imprisonment in a colony and a year of additional restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230421","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry reads out the written materials of the case. The defense files motions to exclude evidence that it considers inadmissible. The court does not satisfy them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230418","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court devotes nine sessions to reviewing recordings of worship services in English. In addition, at the last of them, the case materials are announced, including the conclusions of linguists and religious scholars, and a witness for the defense is interrogated. The judge also refuses to attach the decision of the ECHR of June 07, 2022 to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Detective Y. N. Gaifullin is being interrogated. He expresses his opinion that the worship services recorded in the course of operational-search activities are a continuation of the activities of liquidated legal entities, and he regards the preaching activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as recruiting new members to a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2023-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20230113","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Ekaterina Petrova, who feigned an interest in the Bible and collected data on believers. She gives the names and addresses of known residents of Vladivostok who profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. She answers in the negative to the question whether she heard calls for violence against other people or for the overthrow of the constitutional order at religious meetings or personally from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20221216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry draws the court's attention to the violations committed by the investigator in the commission of investigative actions.\nThe court examines the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20221118","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses Elena Tsorn, Nina Astvatsaturova and Ekaterina Treguba are being interrogated. All of them use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. At the previous hearing, witness Ludwig Katanaeva did the same.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20221021","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held behind closed doors. The judge refuses to satisfy the petitions for the preparation of the protocol in parts, but allows the audio recording.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. Dmitry Barmakin expresses his attitude to the prosecution and submits a petition to attach it to the case file. The petition is granted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20220722","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. Barmakin filed a motion to exclude the translation of divine services from English into Russian as unreliable. The judge adjourns the hearing in order to obtain material evidence (disks with records of worship).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20220624","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case against Dmitry Barmakin are submitted to the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok for reconsideration in a new court. The case is assigned to Judge Larisa Smolenkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20220422","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court cancels the acquittal of Dmitry Barmakin and sends the case for a new trial to the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2022-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20220408","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Salnikov, judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, acquits Dmitry Barmakin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20211122","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","acquittal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks for Dmitry Barmakin to be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 9 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nDuring the debate, the believer's lawyers speak, Dmitry himself utters the last word, emphasizing that he is not guilty of any extremist crimes.\nThe court schedules the announcement of the verdict on November 22.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20211112","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge examines the opinion of religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan. The prosecutor withdraws the petition to summon the religious scholar Rodionova.\nThe defense file a motion to postpone the hearing to familiarize itself with the expert's opinion and prepare for the provision of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20210827","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses the prosecutor to challenge the specialist in religious studies Ekaterina Elbakyan. However, the court grants the prosecutor's request to summon the religious scholar Rodionova to the next court hearing.\nThe judge refuses to soften the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20210701","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant petitions for the involvement of Ekaterina Elbakyan as a specialist in religious studies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20210604","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Primorsky Regional Court Inga Korolkova considers the appeal of the state prosecutor against the decision of Judge Stanislav Salnikov to return the case to the prosecutor and satisfies the appeal of the prosecutor, returning the case to Judge Salnikov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20210420","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, Stanislav Salnikov, returns it to the prosecutor a year and a half after the start of the consideration of the criminal case.\nThe reason for this was that it was impossible to establish the extremist orientation of the defendant's actions from the text of the indictment. The events of the crime are described by the prosecutor vaguely, without specifying the motives, but contain only a description of religious rites. The ruling states that freedom of religion is the constitutional right of Dmitry Barmakin as a citizen of the Russian Federation. The Court also took into account and applied the provisions of national legislation that did not contradict international standards.\nThe measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2020-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20201218","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Salnikov, judge of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, decides to send a request to the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Examination under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation (RFTSSE) in order to attract a religious scholar. The only question of the court is which religious denomination the worship services belong to, the translation of the program of which is in the case file. The prosecution and defense also submit their questions for inclusion in the court's request. The next meeting is scheduled for July 17, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20200617","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok resumes hearings in the case of Dmitry Barmakin. The presiding judge is Stanislav Salnikov. The defense expresses its comments on the translation of the recordings of the services with the participation of Barmakin into Russian (the services were held in English). The translator explains that while working on the transcripts, she used the online resources Academic and Wikipedia, as well as the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses. The defense declares the inadmissibility of this transfer as evidence of Barmakin's guilt. The court rejects this application. The prosecution files a petition for the appointment of a comprehensive examination, the lawyers object. The next court hearings are scheduled for June 5, 19, 26, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2020-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20200515","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Dmitriy Barmakin from custody. He spent 447 days in jail. The prison sentence has been replaced by the prohibition of certain actions.\nAgent provocateur Petrova, recruited by the FSB to attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, is interrogated. Detective Gaifullin is present during the interrogation, stands behind the witness. The prosecution witness is tense and clearly biased against the believers. Nevertheless, Petrova testifies that Dmitry Barmakin never called for extremism. She did not receive any threats. The Supreme Court did not prohibit the Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds or their joint meetings.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for December 6, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20191018","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates FSB operative Gaifullin, who explains that Jehovah's Witnesses can practice their religion, since no one forbade it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20191011","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"None of the witnesses appeared for questioning. The testimonies of three witnesses who previously used Article 51 (did not appear for repeated summonses to the court) are announced.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for October 11 and 18.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190920","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of 6 witnesses, including Dmitry Barmakin's wife, Elena. The judge again explains to them that they are suspected persons as participants in the religious meetings that Barmakin is accused of organizing. Everyone has the right to refuse to testify and to have appointed lawyers. Elena Barmakina explains that the search was carried out in the apartment of her grandmother, where she and her husband were visiting; The books seized during the search belonged to the owner of the apartment. She described the personality of Dmitry, in the rest she used Article 51 of the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190913","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three witnesses who are fellow believers of the defendant and therefore potential suspects in the case were summoned to court. After receiving explanations of their rights and possible consequences, the witnesses refused to testify and the proposed lawyers.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for September 13, and the questioning of witnesses will continue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190830","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearing. The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok extends the term of Dmitry Barmakin's detention for another 6 months, citing the severity of the \"crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\" The believer has been in jail for 343 days. The total period of detention after 6 months will reach 503 days.\nThe hearings are scheduled for August 30 and September 30, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190705","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, chaired by Judge Stanislav Salnikov, hearings begin on charges of Dmitry Barmakin of continuing the activities of an extremist organization. The judge rejects a number of defense motions, including the termination of the criminal case and the return of the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190626","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting District Prosecutor V. Varavenko signed the indictment. The case will go to court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190613","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the end of the investigation, the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok extends the period of detention of Dmitry Barmakin for another 1 month. The believer has been in custody for 9 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190426","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Barmakin was notified of the end of the investigation and the beginning of familiarization with the materials of the criminal case in accordance with Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2019-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20190221","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred from the investigator Tarasenko G.Y. to the investigator Kimizhuk S.V.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20181120","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons local residents suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for interrogation and conducts other investigative actions. During confrontations with Ekaterina Petrova, believers learn that she, on the instructions of the special services, secretly filmed her conversations about faith in God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20181001","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Dmitry Barmakin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20180730","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7 a.m., a group of armed masked men burst into the home of a 90-year-old woman who is visiting the Barmakins. The spouses were detained and taken to Vladivostok. Yelena was released, threatening that she \"will be next\" and \"will go under arrest after her husband.\" Dmitriy was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of an extremist organization). Dmitry is suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He was prosecuted and detained for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20180728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of Russia in the Pervorechensky district of Vladivostok is opening a criminal case against Dmitry Barmakin. The investigator authorizes a search at the place of residence of Dmitry Barmakin in the city of Nakhodka - in the apartment of his wife's grandmother. (Dmitry Barmakin moved from Crimea to Nakhodka to take care of her, as well as his sick mother-in-law.)\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2018-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20180727","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Petrova, a 30-year-old local resident, feigning an interest in the Bible, meets with local believers and asks questions about faith in God. Later it turns out that she conducts hidden video filming on the instructions of the special services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barmakin in Vladivostok","date":"2017-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok2/index.html#20171001","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of December 2024, an investigator from the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against unidentified individuals for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. A month later, Sergey Barsukov’s home was searched, and then he and his wife were interrogated. On the same day, another believer, Alik Yeliseyev, the father of a young child, also had his home searched. In December 2025, both were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the case soon went to court. The believers were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, having their bank accounts blocked. In May 2026, the court announced the sentence: 6 years imprisonment.","date":"2024-12-25","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html","prisoners":["yeliseyeva","barsukov"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The state prosecutor requests the judge sentence the defendants to 6 years in a penal colony.\nSergey Barsukov's lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that in Russia, representatives of all nations and minorities have the right to freedom of religion. Commenting on Kashchaeva's expert study, she notes that the results of the study did not establish any recruitment of new members, extremist actions, or evidence of criminal intent.\nAlik Yeliseyev's lawyer says: \"My client followed the example of faith that Jesus Christ left: he gathered with his disciples, prayed and sang songs with them, went from house to house, talked about the Kingdom of God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20260506","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, Yeliseyev and Barsukov deny all charges and explain that their religious actions are not related to the liquidated LRO.\nYeliseyev cites the example of an Orthodox organization in Slavgorod, noting that its existence does not make all believers its members: \"If a local Orthodox religious organization is suddenly liquidated, this will not mean that all Orthodox believers will be obliged to stop celebrating such holidays as Christmas or Easter.\" The defendant adds that in the same way, Jehovah's Witnesses were not obliged to renounce their religion after 2017, and he himself was not required to stop reading and discussing the Bible. The defendant also notes that \"meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses are open to everyone, and their holding does not depend on the existence of legal entities.\"\nBarsukov shares this position and draws an analogy with the Russian Chess Federation: even if people are going to play chess and follow all the rules of the game, this in itself does not make them members of this organization. \"For the same reason,\" he says, \"the fact that my actions somehow resemble the goals and objectives of a liquidated legal entity does not mean that I automatically have a connection with this legal entity.\"\nSpeaking about religious beliefs, Barsukov notes: \"Someone wears a cross, someone goes to church. And our practice is that we meet together, study and discuss the Bible, pray, sing.\" He also rejects charges for inciting hatred: \"I respect people of any religion. This is their right. I respect and respected their choice.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20260327","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, which is being held behind closed doors, religious scholar Mirra Kashaeva is being interrogated. She considers religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses prohibited. According to the expert, phrases such as \"thank you\" or \"please answer\" indicate the leadership of the meeting.\nA secret witness Panchenko is also being interrogated. From his testimony it follows that the worship meetings were held via videoconference, their participants read and discussed the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20260213","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the charge. The defendants do not admit their guilt. Alik Yeliseyev notes: \"After 2017, I still had the right as a believer to discuss the Bible with my acquaintances at meetings for worship. This is exactly what the investigating authorities are charging me with.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20260129","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Slavgorod City Court of the Altai Territory. He was appointed to judge Olga Filippova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2025-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20251230","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Barsukov and Eliseev are charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2025-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20251220","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Margarita Chupina initiates a criminal case for participation in the activities of an extremist organization against unidentified persons who, in her opinion, are \"active participants in the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses \"Slavgorod\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Barsukov and Yeliseyev in Slavgorod","date":"2024-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod/index.html#20241225","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the fall of 2023, law enforcement officers conducted searches in the homes of believers in Saratov. Aleksey Vasilyev, Aleksey Yefremov and members of their families were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Then the men were placed in a temporary detention facility, and later under house arrest. Anton Bashabaev was detained at the Volgograd airport 3 days later. He was interrogated by the Investigative Committee of Saratov, he spent a day in a temporary detention facility, after which he was placed under house arrest. In April 2024, Sergey Bagiyan was detained in Moscow. He spent 3 days in the detention center, after which he was transported to Saratov and placed under house arrest. All four believers spent a year under house arrest. After that, the court imposed a ban on certain actions. Later, the case of Sergey Bagiyan was made into a separate proceeding. The trial of Anton Bashabaev, Aleksey Vasilyev and Aleksey Yefremov began in October 2025. In December it ended with a verdict — a fine of 600,000 rubles for each.","date":"2023-10-31","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html","prisoners":["bashabaev","vasilyeval","yefremov"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20251216","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge; Anton Bashabaev, Aleksey Vasilyev and Aleksey Yefremov express their opinion toward it. They draw attention to the fact that, according to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be a sign of extremist activity, as well as to how the prosecution constantly confuses the concepts of a legal entity (banned) and a religious denomination (not banned).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20251009","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Saratov for consideration by Judge Elena Maryina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20250805","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Sergey Bagiyan is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20250701","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the restriction measure for Sergey Bagiyan, who was under house arrest for 11 months. A ban on certain actions has been established in relation to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20250326","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Anton Bashabaev, Aleksey Vasilyev and Aleksey Yefremov from house arrest and changes their measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions. Sergey Baghiyan is still under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20241111","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Bagiyan is detained in Moscow and told that he is wanted in connection with a criminal case under an extremist article. The man is taken to the police station and placed in a temporary detention facility for 3 days. The wife is allowed to bring food to Bagiyan\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2024-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20240421","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bulat Urazov prosecutes Anton Bashabayev, Aleksey Efremov and Aleksey Vasilyev as accused of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the ruling, the believers are accused of \"preaching and spreading the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses among residents of the city of Saratov and the Saratov region,\" as well as \"participating in meetings held using the Zoom software.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231124","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Volzhsky District Court of Saratov places Anton Bashabayev under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231121","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 07:20 in the morning, investigator Bulat Urazov interrogates Bashabayev and draws up a protocol for the seizure of personal belongings: a phone, tablet and laptop, as well as a common notebook with personal notes. The believer is photographed and sent to a temporary detention facility, where he will be fingerprinted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231120","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volgograd FSB officers detain Anton Bashabayev at the Volgograd airport after passing through customs control (the believer and his wife were going on vacation). He is told that he cannot fly, as he is under a recognizance agreement, about which he knows nothing. The personal belongings of the spouses are searched in the office premises.\nOfficers of the FSB, CPE and riot police take Bashabayev to his place of residence - to the city of Volzhsky, where his mother lives. There, the believer is presented with a search warrant, which lasts an hour and a half and is conducted under the guidance of I.V. Kinash, an employee of the Center for Economics of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region. The security forces seized phones and personal records belonging to Bashabayev's mother, the phone number of the believer's wife, as well as cash. After the search, Anton was taken to the Investigative Committee of Saratov all night.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231119","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Volzhsky District Court of Saratov places Aleksey Efremov and Aleksey Vasilyev under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231117","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several believers are searched and interrogated, including in families with minor children and a disabled person.\nAt 6 a.m., the Efremovs are awakened by a loud knock on the windows. The house includes 8 people, including two investigators, witnesses and riot police. The investigator hands Alexei a search warrant, informs him that the court has already made a decision on their case, and offers to cooperate with the investigation. Alexei's blood pressure rises, an ambulance is called for him. During the search, the believer is lying down, but he is lifted up to sign for the seized items.\nThe search lasts 3 hours, the security forces take away electronic devices, bank cards and personal records. Aleksey Yefremov is detained and taken to the Investigative Committee, where he is interrogated throughout the day. Despite the believer's repeated statements about his chronic diseases (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and three heart attacks), he was denied medication and insulin injections and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nAt 6 a.m., 10 people burst into Alexei Vasiliev's house, including employees of the FSB, CPE, SOBR and witnesses. The believer is laid on the floor and handcuffed. An employee of the Investigative Committee presents a search warrant, but does not provide a copy of this document. Alexei's wife and their minor daughter are taken to the investigative committee.\nDuring the 8-hour search, the believer's laptop and tablet, personal records, phones, smart watches with charging, wallet, cash, bank cards, car documents, driver's licenses, passports, WI-FI router and the Bible in the Synodal translation are seized. Also, operatives pick up the password to the believer's laptop and hack it. After the search, Vasilyev was taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation by investigator Bulat Urazov, who said that the believer, his wife and minor daughter would be placed in a temporary detention facility. After interrogation, Aleksey is placed in an isolation ward, and his relatives are allowed to go home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231116","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","minors","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of Bulat Urazov, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region, the Volzhsky District Court of Saratov issues a decision to conduct searches in the homes of persons suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231109","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Saratov Region Bulat Urazov initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bashabaev and Others in Saratov","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov3/index.html#20231031","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2026-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/vilyuchinsk3/index.html","prisoners":["baturov"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Baturov in Vilyuchinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"From the high-profile case against the mother and son, Valentina and Roman Baranovskiy, a criminal case was separated against 6 other civilians from Abakan: 4 men and 2 women. Later, materials regarding Alexei Baikalov, Roman Ostapenko and the father of many children, Pyotr Bozykov, were separated into separate proceedings. The believers were accused of participating in extremist activities. All three are included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.","date":"2020-04-20","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan3/index.html","prisoners":["baykalov","bozykov","ostapenkor"],"regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Baykalov and Others in Abakan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Three operatives, accompanied by two witnesses, from 20:30 to 22:00 conduct a search in the home of Pyotr Bozykov. Personal records, electronic devices and data carriers are seized from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Baykalov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan3/index.html#20210331","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Olesya Ermakova interrogates Alexei Baikalov and Irina Sidorova. The believers do not admit their guilt and say that they have never been engaged in extremist activities. From Baikalov is taken the obligation to appear.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Baykalov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan3/index.html#20200522","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Olesya Ermakova, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Abakan of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, interrogates Pyotr Bozykov and Alexander Vergunov, suspected of extremism for their faith. They are obliged to appear in a timely manner when summoned by a person conducting an initial inquiry, an investigator or to a court, and in the event of a change of residence, to report it immediately.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Baykalov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan3/index.html#20200519","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Khakassia, a criminal case is initiated, the defendants of which are six believers at once: Alexei Baikalov, Pyotr Bozykov, Roman Ostapenko, as well as Irina Sidorova, Matryona Spiriadi and Alexander Vergunov.\nThis case is separated from the criminal case of Roman and Valentina Baranovskiy.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Baykalov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan3/index.html#20200420","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, a criminal case was initiated against Vladimir Baykalov from Kemerovo simply because he is one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The next day, the investigator of the Investigative Committee authorized a search of the believer\u0026rsquo;s home. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, Baykalov\u0026rsquo;s extremist actions consisted of discussing Bible topics via video conferencing. In November 2022, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for the believer, however, in November 2023 the judge gave him a 6-year suspended sentence. Four months later, the court of appeal upheld this verdict.","date":"2022-02-02","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html","prisoners":["baykalovv"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"The Bible taught me to show love instead of aggression, and instead of inflicting pain, the desire and willingness to help,\" Vladimir Baikalov delivers his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-10-23T15:52:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20231023","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is requesting 7 years in a general regime colony for Baikalov.\nAt the hearing on October 23, the debate of the defense, the last word of the defendant and the announcement of the verdict are planned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20231020","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Baykalov draws the court's attention to the fact that in the case file there is often a record made by the officers who carried out operational-search activities: \"Conversations of operational interest have not been recorded.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20231002","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four defense witnesses are being questioned. Vladimir has about 40 years of friendship with three of them. The men report that they do not share the beliefs of the accused, but this does not interfere with their good relationship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230922","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge states that while listening to the audio recording of the service, the songs will be skipped. In her opinion, they are irrelevant to the process. The defendant objects, after which the court hears the entire audio recordings, listening to the songs. Also on the discs you can hear how Vladimir and his wife read the Bible together and discuss what they read.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. Since the hall where the meeting takes place is very small, those who come are located in the foyer and on the street. The court continues to listen to audio recordings of worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to listen to audio recordings made secretly. One shows a conversation between Vladimir and a woman about the importance of observing biblical laws. On the second disc, the defendant can be heard reading Bible verses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230306","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the first three volumes of the case file. Among them are records of worship services that discuss the importance of displaying qualities such as modesty and humility.\nThe accused shall re-apply for the admission of listeners to the hearing. The judge refers to the fact that the room where the hearings are held is too small and does not accommodate everyone. But she doesn't mind them being in the foyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230215","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five witnesses for the prosecution are speaking. The court first interrogated a woman who had attended several Jehovah's Witnesses services. She says that her statement was not recorded correctly, and she signed the protocol without reading, as she did not have suitable glasses with her. The woman says she does not know who Vladimir Baikalov is.\nThe employee at work characterizes the believer extremely positively. According to her, he conscientiously performed his duties, was distinguished by benevolence and willingness to help. The woman did not hear any negative statements or appeals of an extremist nature from him. She learned that Baikalov was a Jehovah's Witness from an investigator.\nSimilar testimony is given by another colleague of Vladimir. In addition, he notes that he never offered him religious literature or encouraged him to join any organization.\nThe head of the information and apologetic center in the Kemerovo diocese, Dmitry Petrakov, is being interrogated. He gives a negative assessment of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, but at the same time admits that he himself is not familiar with this organization, its activities, or personally with the defendant. Petrakov declares that he considers his religion to be true. In addition, he says that during his tenure, none of the residents of the Kemerovo region filed complaints against Jehovah's Witnesses, and he is not aware of the continuation of the organization's activities.\nA woman who has known the Baikalov family for more than 20 years is being interrogated. It characterizes the defendant as a peaceful, tactful and delicate person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230125","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of the six witnesses to the court, only Vladimir's wife, Irina, is present. Describing her husband, she says: \"The court will not find a single person in the city who would accuse Volodya of something criminal. He has an excellent reputation and peaceful relationships with others. The accusations of extremism are simply absurd.\" She says that she and her husband have a warm relationship through the application of Bible principles. Irina states that she has never heard from Vladimir negative statements about followers of other religions, government officials or anyone else.\nThe prosecutor reads out the testimony of two witnesses who were present during the search of the Baikalovs. The judge then orders the compulsory attendance of three witnesses at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20230111","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits of the case begins. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Vladimir Baikalov declares his disagreement with the accusation and speaks with an attitude towards it. The court attaches the document to the case file.\nAbout 20 people come to support the believer, but no one is allowed into the hall. The defendant applies for the admission of listeners to the next hearing. The judge agrees, but says that there is physically no place for admission of all comers, since the hearings are held in the office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20221221","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Zavodsky District Court of the city of Kemerovo. Judge Marina Romanina will listen to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20221130","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Maria Mitkova attracts Vladimir Baikalov as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and takes from him a written undertaking not to leave.\nAccording to the investigation, the illegal actions committed by Baikalov consist in the fact that he \"led ... event, building its sequence, giving course to its beginning and end ... inviting those present to read excerpts from religious literature, interviewing those present on the results of reading, commented and supplemented their answers, summarizing what was said, including offering to sing religious songs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20221026","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zavodsky District Court of the city of Kemerovo, Yevgeny Rybnikov, recognizes the search in the home of Vladimir Baikalov as legal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20220204","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, investigator Isaeva issues a decision to search Vladimir Baikalov's apartment. She conducts a search without a court order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20220203","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Alexandra Isaeva initiates a criminal case against 58-year-old Vladimir Baikalov. He is suspected of taking part in the activities of a liquidated religious organization from October 11 to December 25, 2020, conducting conversations via video conferencing. In fact, Vladimir only discussed the Bible with friends via the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baykalov in Kemerovo","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kemerovo2/index.html#20220202","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2024, a criminal case was initiated against Valeriy Baylo under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization. A few days later, the man was summoned to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, after which his house was searched, and the believer himself was placed in a pre-trial detention center. The following month, he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. On June 26, 2024, the first court session took place, and on July 3, Valeriy was sentenced to 2.5 years in a general regime colony. In the pre-trial detention center, the state of health of the believer deteriorated greatly. He submitted a number of applications for medical care, but they remained unanswered. In this regard, the lawyer sent complaints to the appropriate authorities. On March 20, 2025, Valery Baylo died in custody without receiving treatment. The appeal and court of cassation refused to rehabilitate the believer.","date":"2024-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html","prisoners":["baylo"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar dismisses the lawyer's appeal in the case of Valeriy Baylo who asked for the verdict to be overturned and the grounds for terminating the case be changed. Instead of terminating the criminal prosecution as a formality due to his death, the defense insisted on absence of corpus delicti.\nThe lawyer pointed to serious violations committed by the courts of first instance and appeal. For example, the verdict was based on audio recordings of meetings for worship, and yet the court did not establish whether any of the voices belonged to Valeriy Baylo, and whether there were calls for extremism on the recordings. Also in the verdict, the court referred to an expert conclusion that was not examined in the court session, and used the testimony of a witness who was not summoned and whose interrogation protocol was not made public. Moreover, the defense states: \"The indication in the verdict of the court of first instance that the ideology of Jehovah's Witnesses is extremist is not based on the law and judicial practice.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2025-11-14T10:41:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20251114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","elderly","died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Bailo is transferred to a medical institution - medical unit No. 23 in the village of Tlyustenkhabl (Republic of Adygea). The believer will not be able to receive letters in this institution. It is expected that after his discharge, he will be returned to the Novorossiysk pre-trial detention center and all the correspondence received by that time will be handed over.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20241113","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prison-treatment","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Krasnodar Regional Court (Krasnodar, 10 Krasnaya Street, Hall No. 53). Time: 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20241001","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The issue of dental prosthetics for Bailo is still unresolved, since there are no such specialists in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to suffer from toothache and stomach pain, which is why he is losing weight. Due to the lack of movement and lack of walks, Valeriy's knee became inflamed.\nThe believer has the New Testament. He receives parcels regularly, letters arrive, but less often than before.\nValeriy was transferred to another cell, where there are 4 more people besides him. The believer's relationship with them is normal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240927","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the Abinsky District Court refuses to consider Valeriy's appeal. The court justifies this by the fact that the deadline for filing it has expired.\nThe believer will appeal against this decision, since the deadline was missed through no fault of his own.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240909","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The medical and sanitary unit of the Federal Penitentiary Service insists that there are no problems with providing the necessary assistance to Valery Bailo, despite the order of the prosecutor's office to eliminate violations of the legislation on the provision of medical services.\nIn the letter of the prosecutor's office to the medical unit, it is noted that \"within the framework of the inspection, the facts of untimely and incomplete provision of medical care to V. S. Bailo in connection with his diseases were revealed.\"\nIn response, the medical unit states that during the examination upon arrival, \"the presence of chronic diseases was denied, medical documents confirming a history of chronic diseases were attached to the patient's medical record ... I didn't get involved.\" It is also stated that the believer \"does not need emergency, urgent dental or other assistance.\"\nHowever, Valeriy Bailo still needs medical attention. He has been suffering from toothache since April 2024, complains of stomach pain and needs knee surgery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","health-risk","medical-rights","prison-treatment","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo filed an appeal against the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240724","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo, 66, still complains of toothache and stomach pain. After repeated statements, he managed to get an appointment with a dentist, who, after examination, concluded that the man needed dental treatment and prosthetics. Since there were no materials for this in the pre-trial detention center, the dentist recommended that the prisoner be released from custody and undergo treatment at large. Due to an acute toothache, Valeriy eats only liquid food in the pre-trial detention center. He continues to regularly appeal to the administration of the pre-trial detention facility with requests for medical assistance, but his statements remain unanswered.\nThe lawyer believes that such an attitude towards Valery Bailo on the part of the administration of the pre-trial detention center endangers his life and health. He filed complaints with the Public Monitoring Commission, the Prosecutor's Office for Supervision of the Federal Penitentiary Service and the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Krasnodar Territory, S. V. Myshak. Two of these complaints are forwarded to the Federal Penitentiary Service for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240723","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk","torture-conditions","prison-treatment","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Sergey Mikhin sentences Valery Bailo to 2.5 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240703","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A district police officer and a woman whom the believer does not know are interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240626","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Abinsky District Court, it will be considered by Judge Sergey Mikhin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240613","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held to extend the measure of restraint. When asked by the defense what the investigation was doing while Valery Bailo was in custody, the investigator explained that \"she did not work with Bailo, because there was no need\" - she studied the materials of previous criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, and also received an expert opinion and characterizing material, examined material evidence, interrogated witnesses who participated in the search.\nThe court upholds the preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery was transferred from the special unit to a brighter and more spacious cell, in which he is held with two previously convicted prisoners. He regularly receives letters, but not all of his answers are sent to the addressees.\nThe believer continues to experience health problems. He wrote several applications requesting a medical examination, but all of them remain unanswered at the moment. He still needs knee surgery.\nA believer is not given a Bible from the library of the pre-trial detention center. At his request, his acquaintances sent him the Holy Scriptures in the Synodal translation, but the book was placed in the warehouse of the pre-trial detention center. The believer is waiting for it to be given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240517","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","letters","health-risk","medical-rights","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Bailo is experiencing acute toothache and needs urgent dental treatment. In addition, the believer suffers from a chronic disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which, if the diet is disturbed, is exacerbated and accompanied by acute pain. Bailo also has serious problems with one of the knee joints, which also causes severe pain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240430","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept alone in a special block - a semi-basement room in which there are no windows. It's damp there, the lights are on around the clock. His friends gave him the necessary things and food.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240419","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Abinsk District Court detains the believer. Bailo is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novorossiysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240404","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Shevchenko issues a search order in Bailo's home. She considers this to be an urgent case, of which she notifies the prosecutor's office and the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240403","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bailo is summoned for questioning by the Investigative Committee. He was charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization, after which he was placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Krymsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240402","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","282.2-2","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. V. Shevchenko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Abinsk District of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, initiates a criminal case against 66-year-old Valery Bailo under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Baylo in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya7/index.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Beltikov, a labor protection specialist, an exemplary family man and father of three, was charged with extremism. In April 2020, the believer\u0026rsquo;s home was searched, and in June, FSB investigator Lieutenant M. Loi initiated a criminal case against the man on suspicion of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation deemed that the believer, \u0026ldquo;being aware of the criminal nature and public danger of his actions,\u0026rdquo; fulfilled \u0026ldquo;the role of a preacher.\u0026rdquo; Maksim was placed under a recognizance agreement. In January 2021, the trial began. During the proceedings, it was revealed that the transcript of Beltikov\u0026rsquo;s conversation with the main witness for the prosecution, Ilchenko, was falsified. In January 2022, the court found Beltikov guilty and sentenced him to 2 years in a penal colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year. The court of appeal court upheld the verdict. In August 2023, the court extended the restriction of freedom for another 3 years.","date":"2020-06-23","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html","prisoners":["beltikov"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that the court imposed 3 years of administrative supervision on the believer after serving the sentence of restriction of freedom. Thus, after serving the main sentence, the additional restriction of liberty will be 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20230809","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["administrative-supervision"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Session in the Court of Appeal. 16 people come to support the family of Maksim Beltikov, some of them have traveled hundreds of kilometers. The believer's wife, Maria, and a lawyer are allowed into the courtroom. Beltikov himself attended via videoconference. Due to communication problems, the meeting is postponed to September 19. Due to communication problems, the meeting is postponed to September 19.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220913","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim was visited by a public defender in the colony. The believer does not complain about his health, but he is worried about his gradually weakening eyesight, and there is no way to invite an ophthalmologist to the colony. But Maxim is not discouraged, he is supported by letters from fellow believers, which he still receives in large quantities. He is also pleased that he is treated well in the colony.\nAccording to the public defender, the case of Maksim Beltikov has already been transferred to the Krasnodar Regional Court for appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Maksim Beltikov in the colony. He is being held in a 4-bed cell with two other prisoners. Maksim's relations with his cellmates and the administration of the colony are friendly.\nUpon arrival at the correctional facility, Beltikov sought medical help in connection with a gastrointestinal disease and high blood pressure. Now he receives part of the necessary medicines, the rest of the prescription drugs his wife will give him in the near future. He maintains a positive attitude.\nDuring the three weeks of his stay in the colony, Beltikov received more than 800 letters, 200 of which have already been handed over to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220413","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Maksim Beltikov was transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Krasnodar to a correctional colony in the city of Khadyzhensk. He can send letters by regular mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220318","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Maxim Beltikov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Krasnodar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-01-20T16:45:27+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220120","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory Andrey Mynochka finds Maksim Beltikov guilty of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 2 years in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year. The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-01-17T15:32:09+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220117","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing is postponed to January 17.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-01-14T15:44:44+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20220114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks the court to find Maksim Beltikov guilty and sentence him to 3 years in prison in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20211213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Beltikov appeals to the court. He says, \"My religious views are based on the Bible. They are expressed in two basic commandments: love of God and love of people. Therefore, my views are directly opposite to what is called extremism. The materials of the criminal case do not prove the opposite. [...] I continue to practice my peaceful religion as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I have never given up on it and I will not give it up.\"\nHe also draws attention to the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Bible cannot be recognized as extremist material. In addition, he emphasizes that the norms of international law are an integral part of the legal system of the Russian Federation and guarantee the right to freedom of religion to all, including Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20211005","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Mynochka rejects the defense's petition for the appointment of a repeated comprehensive phonoscopic examination.\nThe judge refuses to satisfy the defense's request for photo and video filming due to a threat to the safety of the court and the participants in the process.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210929","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's motion to exclude the transcript from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210914","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's petition for the appointment of a phonoscopic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210830","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. V. Ilchenko is being interrogated. He admits that the negative remarks about adherents of other religions actually belong to him, and not to Beltikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210720","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Mynochka interrogates experts: a religious scholar and a psychologist. They confirm that they did the examination on the basis of a transcript, not an audio recording.\nThe defense shall file a motion for a second phonoscopic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210630","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's request to exclude the phonoscopic examination. However, the judge partially grants the defense's request to interrogate the experts via video link.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210624","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness V. V. Ilchenko is being questioned. He confirms that the words attributed to the defendant are in fact his own.\nOther witnesses interrogated say they have known Beltikov for about 20 years. They confirm that they have never heard him call for violence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210611","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings of the conversation between Beltikov and Ilchenko are listened to.\nThe defense draws attention to distortions in the transcript of the audio recording and phonoscopic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearings, one of the prosecution witnesses is questioned. He tells the court that he has known the Beltikov family for 15 years and only from the good side.\nThe lawyer petitions to listen to the audio recording of the conversation between the defendant and the main witness for the prosecution Ilchenko. Beltikov claims that in the transcript of the audio recording, the words spoken by Ilchenko are attributed to him. These statements are imputed to the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210405","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 people come to support the believer. They continue to stay outside the courthouse, despite the cold weather and darkness.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendant declares that he does not understand the essence of the charge, and wants to express his attitude to the charge. The judge refuses.\nA witness is being questioned. He confirms that the defendant read the Bible along with other believers at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. There were no statements about the superiority of his religion over other faiths from Beltikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210302","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It is being considered by judge Andriy Mynochka.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20210113","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a motion to the investigator to dismiss the criminal case on the basis of the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20200630","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Beltikov is brought in as an accused, he is interrogated. Investigator M. Loi asks the believer about his religious beliefs and belonging to a legal entity banned by the court, the local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses of the village of Pavlovskaya.\nBeltikov is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20200629","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice M. Loy, investigator of the 2nd branch of the Krasnodar Territory Directorate of the FSB of Russia, initiates a criminal case against Maxim Beltikov under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned extremist organization).\nIn the decision to institute criminal proceedings, the investigator uses the following wording: \"participated in religious teaching and sermons, during which ... conducted and listened to lectures based on religious literature, entered into conversations and religious discussions, participated in collective discussions of the content of religious books.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20200623","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina , a search of the home and interrogation of Maxim Beltikov are being conducted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Beltikov in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya2/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In summer 2018 the FSB initiated a criminal case against Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik. This was preceded by covert video surveillance of the Golik family and recording of meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Blagoveshchensk. Searches as part of the case affected seven families of believers. Berchuk learned about the investigation against him only in January 2019, when he was detained at a Moscow airport and taken to Blagoveshchensk. The court of first instance announced the verdict in June 2021: Golik — 7 years in a penal colony, and Berchuk — 8 years (a record cruel punishment at that time). Three months later, the court of appeal reduced Golik\u0026rsquo;s term of imprisonment by 10 months. In March of the following year, the court imposed more lenient conditions of serving his sentence on Dmitriy Golik and transferred him to a different colony, from where he was released on parole in April 2025.","date":"2018-06-22","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html","prisoners":["berchuk","golik"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksey Berchuk needs dental treatment, but it is extremely difficult to get an appointment with a doctor. He receives letters, but not all of them are passed on to him. The believer has been imprisoned for 5 years; there are still 3 years left until he completes his term.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20260414","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Berchuk tries not to lose heart. Although the gym has been closed in the colony, the believer still maintains his condition with physical exercises. Sometimes Aleksey participates in sports events. In September, he had an extended visit with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20241001","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Golik is being held in a penal colony. He works at a foundry in Belogorsk, a 30-minute drive from the colony. There he works six days a week. His responsibilities include the manufacture of parts for special equipment. Dmitry is glad to have the opportunity to work - so, according to him, time flies faster.\nThe believer receives all the necessary medicines, tries to keep himself in good physical shape, and goes in for sports. Emotionally, he is supported by regular visits with his wife and the opportunity to read the Bible. The attitude of the administration and other prisoners is good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-05-27T10:41:53+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20240527","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Berchuk works as a shoe repairman in the colony and regularly receives rewards. He does not complain about his health. He has the opportunity to call up his family, once every 2 months they give long-term visits with his wife. He also receives a lot of support letters. The believer has a Bible.\nIn general, the attitude of the management and staff of the colony towards the prisoner is good. There are no problems with food, it is possible to buy groceries in the store. Three times a week, a believer can maintain his health by exercising.\nRecently, there was an open day in the colony, and Aleksey was able to see friends who came to visit him.\nVladimir Atryakhin and Georgy Nikulin from Saransk are held in the same colony. The believers live on the same floor, while Vladimir and Alexei have adjacent beds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20231009","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Golik is being taken to a penal colony in the Amur Region. He has been quarantined until April 4.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20230323","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok does not satisfy the complaint of Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik against the guilty verdict and the appeal decision, leaving them unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-02-16T10:40:49+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20220216","regions":["amur"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksey Berchuk in the colony. The believer says that the transfer was not easy for him: the path was difficult, Alexei was sick on the way. Now he feels good.\nThe barracks in which the convicts are held consists of several floors. There are 4 cells on each floor, each of which contains approximately 20 people. There are now 12 people in the cell with Alexei.\nThe believer has the opportunity to walk and play sports. He enrolled in training as an electrician.\nAleksey is supported by reading the Bible and letters from fellow believers, which are redirected from the address of his previous content.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211222","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksey Berchuk arrived at Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Republic of Mari El, which is located in the suburbs of Yoshkar-Ola, 7,000 km from the believer's house. Its transfer took about 3 months. The believer can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211215","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Berchuk leaves the pre-trial detention center in Irkutsk. It is known that he is temporarily in one of the penitentiary institutions in Yekaterinburg.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211111","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Berchuk, convicted for his faith, is in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Irkutsk region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211109","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Golik arrives at Correctional Colony No. 8 in Blagoveshchensk. In the process of being transported to the place of serving his sentence, the believer traveled more than 4,100 kilometers along the route: Blagoveshchensk-Ussuriysk-Blagoveshchensk-Khabarovsk-Blagoveshchensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211031","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Berchuk is being transferred to the place of serving his sentence. He moved to Chita, then to Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and through Yekaterinburg to Saransk.\nDmitry Golik is also in the process of transferring, now he is in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211020","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Golik and Alexei Berchuk were placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Blagoveshchensk (Amur Region).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-10-08T14:48:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20211008","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that believers Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik began the process of moving to the place of serving their sentences, they left the pre-trial detention center in Ussuriysk. Now Berchuk and Golik cannot receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210921","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Amur Regional Court partially satisfies the appeal of the believers. The court changes the qualification of Dmitry Golik from Part 1 and Part 1.1. on Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 6 years and 2 months, followed by restriction of freedom for 1 year and 2 months. The sentence to Aleksey Berchuk remains unchanged - 8 years in a general regime colony. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210902","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Amur Regional Court (Blagoveshchensk, Shevchenko St., 6). The panel of judges, chaired by Judge Alexei Nazarov, begins but does not end the appeal hearing. The meeting will continue on September 2, 2021. On this day, believers will address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210826","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information that Alexander Berchuk and Dmitry Golik were sent from Blagoveshchensk to another pre-trial detention center - pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Ussuriysk. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the verdict was announced, Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik were taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1, located at 55 Seryshevsky Lane, Blagoveshchensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210630","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, the prosecutor asks for punishment: Aleksey Berchuk - 8 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, a ban on holding leadership positions for 6 years, restriction of liberty for 1 year and 6 months; Dmitriy Golik was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony, a ban on holding leadership positions for 5 years and restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year and 6 months.\nAfter the debate, Aleksey Berchuk and Dmitry Golik make their last word, explaining to the court the absurdity of the accusations.\nThe verdict is expected to be announced on June 30, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210622","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the witnesses reports that he is familiar with Dmitry Golik. He says that after 2016 he began to lead a \"wrong lifestyle,\" so he ceased to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses. No certificate was issued to him. He explains that there is no hierarchy among believers; An elder is a believing man, but a more responsible shepherd.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-06-04T16:52:41+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210604","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The employer of several believers testifies as a witness. He reports that he has no complaints against them, no statements inciting religious or racial hatred, and he has not heard from them against the authorities. They did not use alcohol or drugs.\nThe testimony is given by the landlord who rented housing to the family of Dmitry Golik. He describes them as ideal tenants: \"They paid on time, always in order.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-05-25T16:51:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210525","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Nikolay Karendov, an FSB operative, acknowledges that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not forbidden, but he believes it is against the law to gather for worship. He notes that at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses he did not hear any calls that violate the laws of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-05-17T16:50:32+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210517","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses who are familiar with the defendants are being questioned. One of them says that the topics of love, kindness, and respect are usually discussed at Jehovah's Witnesses services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-05-05T16:49:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210505","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the positive characteristics of the defendants on the part of the operational officer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210301","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants declare the incompetence of the specialists who performed the examinations studied at previous meetings. For example, in psychological and linguistic expertise, some interpreted phrases are taken out of context.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210217","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, it will be considered by judge Tatyana Studilko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-02-06T16:44:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210206","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the case materials, including the memorandum certificates. Alexei Berchuk refutes the prosecutor's words that he allegedly agreed with other persons about the events, and the phone number indicated in the case file does not belong to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20210129","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again rejects the request to postpone the hearing due to the pandemic, as well as the request to return the case to the prosecutor to terminate the criminal case, but attaches the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20201214","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings of worship services are listened to, written evidence is studied. The lawyer notes that there are no extremist statements in the materials studied, but there are encouragements to love, peace, readiness to forgive and respect the authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20201110","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues, the protocols of the LRO are announced. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the names of the defendants are not on the lists of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Blagoveshchensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200930","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony is given by the mother of the previously interrogated victim. She informs the court that she herself asked Dmitriy Golik to study the Bible with her son, as she had recently suffered a stroke and could not fully raise her son. She is not familiar with Alexei Berchuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200730","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A minor victim is being questioned. He testifies that he enjoyed studying the Bible with Dmitry Golik. Dmitry did not agitate him to join the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not incite hatred towards others. The witness notes that the believer taught him the manner of communicating with his parents, how to treat his relatives correctly so that there would be no quarrels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Believers express disunderstanding and disagreement with the accusation.\nDmitriy Golik says: \"To read the Bible with my friends, I don't need a legal organization. There is not a single piece of evidence of my guilt in the materials of this criminal case, and the charges against me are far-fetched, unsubstantiated and illegal. [...] My service to God does not depend on the presence or absence of legal entities. You can serve God everywhere: in a city where there is an LRO, in a village where there is no LRO, or even where there are no other people at all.\"\nAleksey Berchuk: \"I believe that the charges against me are unclear, vague, arbitrary, based on religious discrimination, contrary to the norms of the current legislation, and therefore illegal. [...] Neither before the liquidation of the LRO, nor after, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, did I receive any verbal or written instructions from the legal entity on how to worship Jehovah God, what religious materials to study, what spiritual songs to sing, etc., and I did not need them. [...] I believe that the accusation is an involuntary, and perhaps even a deliberate attempt, under pain of criminal prosecution, to force me to renounce my faith in God, change the Church or leave the Russian Federation. And this is nothing more than a sign of genocide. I regard the criminal prosecution as politically motivated repression for believing in God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200724","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court rejects the request to admit the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to adjourn the hearings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200716","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary closed hearing in the case of Dmitry Golik is underway. The defense is filing a motion to merge his two criminal cases into one proceeding and merge them with the case of Alexei Berchuk. Judge of the Blagoveshchensk District Court Tatyana Studilko grants this petition in order to \"ensure the comprehensiveness, completeness and objectivity of the consideration of the case ..., as well as to promote the effective administration of justice.\"\nThe defense is petitioning to terminate the criminal case against Dmitry Golik under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, since the believer himself denies committing any actions aimed at involving himself in the activities of the liquidated religious association, and the victim himself does not consider himself as such. The court refuses.\nThe judge leaves unchanged the measure of restraint in relation to believers Golik and Berchuk - they are still under recognizance not to leave.\nThe assistant prosecutor is requesting that the trial be held behind closed doors. The court grants the petition, despite the disagreement of the defense, the defendants and the victim.\nThe next court hearing will take place on July 16.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200709","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing scheduled for this day has been postponed to July 9.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200625","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the investigative department for the city of Blagoveshchensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Amur Region, M. V. Semenyak, decides to recognize Dmitry Golik accused of committing a crime under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — \"inducement, recruitment or other involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-03-18T16:46:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200318","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. The judge rejects Alexei Berchuk's petitions to return the case to the prosecutor and to exclude evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20200316","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation into the case has been completed. The case proceeds to the stage of familiarization of the accused with the case materials in accordance with Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20191001","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"I. Beloglazov, senior investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, accompanies Alexei Berchuk to Blagoveshchensk, where his case is being investigated. He signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20190123","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Berchuk was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20190122","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"When passing through passport control at the Moscow airport, security forces detain and detain Alexei Berchuk. The believer learns that a criminal case was initiated against him on June 22, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20190121","regions":["amur"],"tags":["administrative-detention","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Beloglazov conducts searches in 7 houses of residents of Blagoveshchensk. The searches were authorized by Oleg Filatov, judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region.\nIt becomes known that the operatives installed a listening device in the apartment where Dmitry Golik lives with his wife. For almost six months, the details of their personal lives were listened to.\nBeloglazov initiates a criminal case against Dmitry Golik under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is issued a decision on the measure of restraint in the form of a subscription not to leave and proper behavior. He is interrogated in the status of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2018-07-20T16:43:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20180720","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","hidden-surveillance","new-case","recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"I. A. Beloglazov, senior investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Aleksey Berchuk. The investigation interprets the exercise of the right to freedom of religion as the organization of the activities of an extremist community.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2018-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20180622","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An FSB officer conducts operational-search activities, presumably covert video surveillance in places of worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Berchuk and Golik in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2017-10-01T16:40:32+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk2/index.html#20171001","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2024, law enforcement officers raided the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from the city of Alushta and the villages of Rozdolne and Sinokisne early in the morning to conduct searches and interrogations, including the house of Tamara Brattseva. She was taken away for interrogation and placed under a recognizance agreement. A criminal case was initiated against the pensioner on charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In October 2025, the believer was given a 6-year and 3-month suspended sentence.","date":"2024-08-05","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html","prisoners":["brattseva"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor again requested imprisonment of 6 years and 4 months for the elderly believer. Brattseva presents her closing arguments and gives her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20251014","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yesterday Tamara Brattseva underwent a planned operation. The court attaches documents about her state of health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20251013","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of linguistic expert Natalia Segal is taking place via video conferencing. After analyzing the telephone conversation between Brattseva and her friend, the expert concluded that, consoling a seriously ill person, the believer \"played the role of a communicative leader.\" When asked by the defendant whether a communicative leader must be the head of an organization, the expert answers in the negative. In addition, Segal confirms that there are no extremist calls in Bratseva's words.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20251001","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Yakov Merkulov, who opened a case against Tamara Brattseva, is interrogated. He denies that he put pressure on witnesses during interrogations, but admits that some of them later retracted their testimony.\nJudge Maria Bedritskaya dismisses the defense's questions about the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the law on extremism, which formed the basis of the charge. She states that law enforcement officers should not be \"examined\". Merkulov himself ignores the questions of the lawyer and the defendant. And when a 70-year-old woman asks him to speak louder, he answers: \"I say as I want.\"\nAfter a doctor's examination, Tamara Brattseva was recommended surgery. The believer is worried that the treatment may coincide with the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250925","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of religious expert Olga Griva. The defense challenges the expert due to the lack of documents confirming her qualifications, but the court rejects the motion. The expert does not give clear answers to the questions of the defense, and in cases where it is difficult to answer, the prosecutor intervenes, interrupts and tries to answer for the expert.\nWhen asked about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, Olga Griva answers indistinctly, uses offensive labels in her conclusion, and states that she is not obliged to understand the structure of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250924","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of the expected verdict, the judge announces a return to the stage of judicial investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250718","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to send the 69-year-old believer to a colony for 6 years and 4 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250715","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to send 69-year-old Tamara Brattseva to a colony for 6 years and 4 months.\nThe defendant's lawyer draws attention to the unfairness and cruelty of the prosecutor's demand in relation to the believer: \"The fact that the prosecution is asking for such a cruel punishment - imprisonment for a person whose only 'guilt' is that he prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to his conscience - is not just a legal error. This is a moral fall. To turn faith into proof of guilt means to replace justice with repression, and the law with arbitrariness. Such actions of the prosecutor's office are not only devoid of compassion, but also deeply blasphemous: they encroach on the sacred – on the right of a person to seek God and live in harmony with his conscience. This is not a fight against extremism, this is a fight against beliefs, and it has nothing to do with law.\"\nIn her final statement, Tamara Brattseva speaks of her faith and firmness of convictions: \"If I am convicted, it will not change anything. I will continue to love Jehovah and worship only him.\"\nAbout 40 people come to the courthouse to support the elderly believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250715","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For five and a half hours, the prosecutor examines the transcripts of conversations of believers on everyday and religious topics.\nStress due to the trial, the difficult diagnosis of her husband affected the health of Tamara Bratseva: at the hearings she is with high blood pressure, constantly takes medications to sit out to the end. According to eyewitnesses, it seems that the believer is about to lose consciousness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250313","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["health-risk","first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge allocates a spacious hall for hearings. A secret prosecution witness appears at the hearing. The defense filed a motion for its declassification, but the court refused. The interrogation takes place on the radio.\nThe witness claims that she does not know the defendant personally, but heard about her from another woman. According to a secret witness, the defendant allegedly coordinated meetings, distributed speeches and handed over literature. At the same time, the witness does not hide his negative attitude towards the defense: he answers the question with a question, addresses the lawyer in a raised voice. However, she is forced to admit that she has not heard any extremist calls from Bratseva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250227","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bratseva's husband gets into a serious accident. The next day, he was hospitalized and found to have a serious illness. Tamara is shocked by this news. According to acquaintances, she is very afraid of losing her husband and is depressed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the 5-hour meeting, witnesses for the prosecution are interrogated. The first is an operative who participated in the search activities against Brattseva and was present during the search in her home. He notes that he did not hear threats or insults from the woman.\nNext, four elderly women are interrogated, the eldest of whom is almost 80 years old. They give a positive characteristic of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250206","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"If I were engaged in extremism, I could not remain Jehovah's Witness, since I would no longer meet the requirements of the Bible,\" says Tamara Brattseva, denying guilt. She emphasizes that for more than 40 years she has been living in the village of Razdolnoye, where she is known as a respectable person.\nDespite the closed mode of the session, about 10 people come to the courthouse to express support for the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20250116","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the interrogation of a classified witness, the judge is holding the hearing behind closed doors, despite the objections of the defense. During the hearing, Tamara Brattseva feels bad due to high blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20241217","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tamara Bratseva's case goes to court. It will be considered by Judge Maria Bedritskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20241118","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea satisfies Tamara Bratseva's appeal and overturns the decision of the court of first instance to allow a search of the believer's home. The case was sent for a new trial to the Razdolnensky District Court of the Republic of Crimea.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20240924","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","search","complaints","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice Y. A. Merkulov charges Tamara Bratseva. According to the investigation, the pensioner \"organized... collective religious worship... in the form of public reproduction of [religious] audio recordings and video recordings ... sequential performance of songs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20240814","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, armed law enforcement officers searched the house of Tamara Bratseva and her husband. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from the woman. After the search, the believer is taken away for interrogation and a written undertaking not to leave is taken from her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20240807","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea, Senior Lieutenant Y. A. Merkulov, opens a criminal case against 68-year-old Tamara Bratseva for \"organizing the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court made a decision to liquidate it in connection with extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brattseva in Razdolnoye","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/razdolnoye/index.html#20240805","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov, one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Prokopyevsk, faced prosecution for his faith back in 2020, when he was brought in as a witness in the case of Andrey Vlasov. In the fall of 2021, the house of Brilkov and his wife was searched, followed by an interrogation. In March 2023, the believer himself became a defendant in a criminal case. According to the investigator of the Investigative Committee, he is guilty of extremism, because he \u0026ldquo;explained the meaning of excerpts from the Holy Scriptures.\u0026rdquo; In May 2023, hearings began in the case of the believer, and in January 2024, the court sentenced him to 2 years and 10 months of forced labor. The court of appeal changed it to a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-03-30","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html","prisoners":["brilkov"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov speaks in the debate and with the last word, without admitting his guilt in extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20240112","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Alyona Novoselova. Central District Court of Prokopyevsk (Karl Liebknecht St., 9, Prokopyevsk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20231218","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","labor","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proposes to proceed to the interrogation of the defendant. Brilkov refuses to testify in the form of answers to questions from the prosecutor and the court, using his right under Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20231103","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case, which contains at least 7 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20230725","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20230714","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people come to the court hearings to support Pavel Brilkov. On the part of the prosecution, FSB representative Karpov testifies against the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20230525","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court","interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov's case is submitted to the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk for consideration by Judge Alyona Novoselova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20230428","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Brilkov is required to sign a pledge not to leave the place and proper behavior. The believer is charged with participating in extremist activities. This is how the investigation interprets the fact that Paul \"repeatedly spoke out and explained the meaning and essence of excerpts from the Holy Scriptures (the Bible) and supplemented the answers of adherents of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses at a religious meeting.\"\nDuring interrogation, Brilkov enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20230316","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zorina opened a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against unidentified persons. consisting in convening meetings of persons from among the followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses living in the territory of Prokopyevsk and the Prokopyevsk district of the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass, organizing religious speeches and services at these meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20220530","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, Tatyana Zorina, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Prokopyevsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, issues a decision to search the home of Pavel Brilkov as part of the investigation into a criminal case under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against unidentified persons. A group of security officials arrives at the believer's house two hours later.\nAfter the search, the investigator interrogates Pavel Brilkov and his wife. Believers use Article 51 of the Constitution. Previously, Brilkov was a witness in the case of Andrei Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Brilkov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk3/index.html#20211110","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was initiated against economist Irina Buglak for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. She was detained in the spring of 2019 after searches were conducted. The believer spent 6 months in a detention center, then 3.5 months under house arrest. According to the court ruling to arrest Irina, \u0026ldquo;the person was caught after committing the crime.\u0026rdquo; The investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation considered praying and discussing the Bible to be a “serious crime.” In January 2020, the case went to court. After a year of hearings, it was returned to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office. A new trial in the same court began in October 2021. The prosecutor requested Irina Buglak be given a 6-year and 5-month suspended sentence. In June 2023, the court gave her a 2.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2019-04-19","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html","prisoners":["buglak"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Instead of announcing the verdict, the judge decides to resume the judicial investigation. The hearing is attended by 30 people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20230523","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Buglak makes the last word: \"I did not commit any crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in God.\"\nThe court retires to the deliberation room for sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20230518","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Irina Buglak a 6-year and 5-month suspended sentence with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of religious and public organizations for a period of 6 years and with a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2023-03-10T15:56:01+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20230310","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An off-site hearing is held in the home of one of the witnesses. She confirms her testimony in part. According to her, in the testimony \"a lot was added, and the protocol was signed in a pre-stroke state. The investigator added and said: \"Read, subscribe\"... Well, I signed it, of course.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220907","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are being examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220830","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being interrogated, who uses Article 51 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, answering all questions on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220826","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned. One of them uses Article 51 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the other explains to the court under what circumstances she met the defendant. According to her, about 7-8 years ago, a woman came to her, left her religious literature and invited her to meetings, to which the witness, however, did not go. When asked by the state prosecutor whether the witness can determine which of the two women is Irina Buglak, the answer is negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220817","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only two listeners are allowed to enter the hall, 28 people remain in the corridor who came to support Irina Buglak.\nA witness is being questioned. When asked if she knows about the religious direction of Jehovah's Witnesses, the witness replies that she cannot say anything bad about Irina, only good that she is a good friend.\nWhen asked by the lawyer if she read the protocol before signing, the witness replies: \"How can I read it, I don't understand someone else's handwriting ... There's so much written, I haven't said that much.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220816","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"37 people come to support Irina Buglak.\nDuring three sessions on July 12-14, the court continues to question witnesses. One of them was a witness during the search of Buglak's house. The witness cannot accurately confirm her signature in the protocol. The defense draws attention to the fact that entire paragraphs of the texts of the witnesses' testimonies coincide word for word and contain the same errors. Despite this, the judge in writing refuses to examine the handwriting of the witness.\nAnother witness states that during the interrogation, which lasted until the morning, the investigator put pressure on her, demanding that she sign the protocol with the wording he added.\nWhen asked by Irina Buglak, the witnesses answer that the believer did not force them to talk about the Bible. They also state that they have not heard negative statements from Buglak about representatives of other religions or propaganda of religious superiority. The facts of undermining the foundations of the constitutional order by the believer are also not known to them. One of the witnesses describes Irina as a kind and sincere person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220714","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two other witnesses are being questioned. The assistant prosecutor again asks provocative questions: \"Could you ever betray the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, renounce Jehovah and not talk about it?\"; Have you betrayed the faith? What is your opinion based on? On what postulates?\"\nBoth witnesses use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves and their loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220624","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A support group of 10 people gathers in the corridor of the court.\nProsecution witnesses who are personally acquainted with the defendant are questioned. One of them attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017. Some of her testimony in court does not match the testimony she gave during the interrogation.\nThe second witness does not share the defendant's religious beliefs. He characterizes Irina as a kind person. The witness says that Irina communicated with his wife at their home. The Witness affirms that Irina did not undermine the foundations of the constitutional order, did not encourage the severance of family relations, and did not speak negatively about people, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220622","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a witness. The assistant prosecutor asks provocative questions: \"Do you know that those who believe in Jehovah are obliged to cooperate with the authorities?\"; do you know that one of Jehovah's tenets is to tell the truth?\" The Witness mainly uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20220607","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer petitions for refusal of the services of a lawyer due to lack of income. The court refuses and appoints a lawyer at the expense of the federal budget.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20211223","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A retrial of the case begins. Daria Didur was appointed judge. On the first day, the court hears the prosecution and the attitude towards it, after which two witnesses are interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20211025","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the preliminary hearing, the defense challenged Judge Maria Sundyukova — it was she who decided to arrest Irina Buglak in 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2021-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20210818","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Cassation satisfies the prosecutor's cassation submission against the decision of the Partizansky City Court of 30.11.2020 to return the case to the prosecutor's office. The criminal case of Irina Buglak is submitted to the Partizansky City Court for trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20210806","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court does not satisfy the appeal of the prosecutor filed by him against the decision of the Partizansky City Court of 30.11.2020. Irina Buglak's case will be returned to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20210216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Partizansky City Court Galina Prikazchikova refuses to satisfy the petition to attach the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. After that, Irina Buglak filed a motion to return the case to the prosecutor. The judge grants the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20201130","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the written materials of the case, including the characteristics of the accused, among which there is not a single negative one. In particular, the neighbors wrote: \"We know her only on the positive side. She does not drink alcohol, she is a sympathetic person, she never refuses anyone's household requests from her neighbors. He treats neighbors of retirement age with respect, if possible, helps them in solving everyday problems. Irina Buglak is absolutely non-conflicting, she has never been seen in quarrels. By nature, Irina is kind, always takes part in in-house clean-ups ... She has a good, kind relationship in her family, she is a loving mother and wife.\"\nThe believer submits a petition for the inclusion of the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in connection with Russia's failure to comply with the decision in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow v. Russia. In response, the state prosecutor files a motion to postpone the trial in order to form his position on the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20201120","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the investigator who participated in the searches on April 19, 2019, including those of Irina Buglak. During the interrogation, it turns out that the court has not yet examined the search protocol, according to the content of which the state prosecutor wanted to ask questions to the investigator.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for September 18. Investigator I.A. Bochkarev and expert M.B. Serdyuk are expected to be re-interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200914","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is being held in the Partizansky City Court of the Primorsky Territory in the case of Irina Buglak.\nThe state prosecutor requests to summon investigator I. A. Bochkarev for re-interrogation (he was in charge of the Buglak case from the very beginning) and expert M. B. Serdyuk, as well as to summon for questioning another investigator from the investigation team that investigated the case of Irina. The defense objected, since the persons summoned again had already answered the questions posed by the state prosecution. The court satisfies the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200907","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court has completed the examination of material evidence. The questioning of two witnesses did not take place due to their failure to appear. The next court hearings are scheduled for August 20 and 21, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200707","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of material evidence continues. The state prosecutor is requesting an examination of publications and personal records seized during the searches. Buglak objects because these documents were not recognized as material evidence and were handed over to an expert religious scholar in violation of the law. Despite this, the judge grants the prosecutor's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins the study of material evidence - publications, clippings from them, personal notes seized during a search during a disrupted worship service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200630","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This document confirms that the LRO in Partizansk was not liquidated by the Decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017. It ceased its activities in 2015 at the initiative of the founders.\nHaving considered the motion of the defense to include the text of Opinion No. 10/202 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in the case file, the court refuses to satisfy it in all its parts.\nThe video recording of the search that took place on April 19, 2019 in the apartment of Nelly Tarasyuk begins.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for June 30, July 2, 6 and 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200602","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Iryna Buglak is filing a motion to adjourn the trial indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Judge Galina Prikazchikova dismisses the petition.\nThe defense submits a motion to attach to the case file the text of Opinion No. 10/202 of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to terminate the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the expert M. Serdyuk, who drew up the conclusion of the forensic religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200529","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Iryna Buglak requests to postpone the court hearing until at least April 11, 2020 due to the epidemiological situation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200323","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to watch the video of the service. The interrogation of another defendant (who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses at the time of the hearing) begins. The protocol of the inspection of the scene of the incident is announced. The next hearing is scheduled for March 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200310","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the absence of witnesses, the prosecutor continues to announce the case materials. The court begins watching videos of the service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200305","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of materials of religious expertise continues. The prosecutor petitions for the summoning of the expert M. B. Serdyuk and interrogation via videoconference. 4 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. In the process, the prosecutor is replaced by an assistant to E. V. Goncharova. The defendant recuses her, the court rejects it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200304","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the absence of witnesses, the prosecutor announces the evidence in the case listed in the indictment (materials of the ORM and religious expertise).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200303","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"4 prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200213","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall provide a religious examination with expert comments for inclusion in the case file. He also motions for the forced attendance of 10 witnesses who did not appear at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200212","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"9 witnesses are questioned at the hearing. Iryna Buglak requests that some non-religious materials containing the personal name of God be included in the case file. The defendant points out that the name of God is found in the Synodal translation of the Bible, it is known by people all over the world, and it is not prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200211","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"3 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The court satisfies 2 of the 3 petitions of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The main hearing in the case of Irina Buglak begins in the Partizansky City Court. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing. Irina Buglak has been released from house arrest. She was asked to sign a not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200131","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Irina Buglak under the number 1-46/2020 is submitted to the Partizansky City Court of the Primorsky Territory. The case is referred to Judge Galina Prikazchikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20200120","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Buglak was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. She spent 181 days behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20191016","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer appeals against the decision of the Partizansky City Court of 17.09.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190919","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The presiding judge of the Partizansky City Court E. A. Shklyar makes a decision to extend the period of detention for another 1 month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190917","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court, chaired by Judge M. Y. Sundyukova, decides to extend the period of detention of Irina Buglak for another 2 months. Thus, she will have to spend 153 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190717","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Primorsky Regional Court A. N. Gorbacheva upholds the choice of a preventive measure and the extension of Buglak's detention by 29 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court, composed of the presiding judge O. I. Balakhovskaya, extends the period of detention of Irina Buglak for 29 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190613","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Partizansky City Court E. A. Shklyar makes a decision on the recognition of searches in the dwellings of Buglak and Tarasyuk as legal. The hearing shall be held in the absence of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Partizansk City Court of Primorsky Krai, chaired by Judge M. Y. Sundyukova, chooses a measure of restraint for Irina Buglak in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190420","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the investigation department for the city of Partizansk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, I. A. Bochkarev, issues a search order in the home of Irina Buglak and Nelly Tarasyuk. The searches last about 5 hours, then the women are taken to the prosecutor's office and interrogated from 4:00 to 7:00. A case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 was initiated, Irina was placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Buglak in Partizansk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk/index.html#20190419","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2018, in Tynda, FSB agent Nurakov, feigning an interest in the Bible, began attending meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and collecting information about them. In November 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Sergey Yuferov, Valeriy Slashchev, Mikhail Burkov and Vladimir Bukin. A wave of searches took place in the town. The men were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. In June 2021, the case went to court. A year and a half later, the believers were sentenced from 6 years and 2 months to 6.5 years in a penal colony. In December 2022, the court of appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case for a new trial, and the believers were released from the pretrial detention center, where they had each spent 2 months. In June 2023, they were again sentenced to penal colonies: Bukin and Slashchev were given 6 years and 4 months each, Yuferov — 6 years and 3 months, and Burkov — 6 years and 1 month. Another court of appeal upheld this decision in August 2023. In May 2024, the court of cassation confirmed the verdict for all four Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Tynda.","date":"2019-11-11","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html","prisoners":["bukin","burkov","slashchev","yuferov"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Yuferov has been hospitalized in the infectious diseases department of a hospital in Amursk. He is in serious condition. Diagnosis: purulent meningitis of the brain and pneumonia, as well as an exacerbation of hypertension. The believer is undergoing treatment.\nBefore being hospitalized, Sergey complained of ear pain. After he lost consciousness, he was taken to a medical facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2026-06-11T13:24:10+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20260611","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin's emotional and physical health is fine. However, he still needs dental treatment.\nHe notes that plastic windows are installed in the barracks, which keeps it warm; regular cleaning with detergents maintains cleanliness.\nVladimir does not have a Bible at the moment: since February 15, all books in the penal colony have been handed over to the library for inventory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20260225","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I wish there were more people like you here!\" - prisoners say about Valery Slashchev, Vladimir Bukin and Mikhail Burkov.\nValeriy helped bring the local club into working order: now concerts are held there, where prisoners play musical instruments and sing. The believer also draws, writes poetry and composes songs.\nVladimir's eyesight deteriorates. Mikhail is worried about pain in his legs, but he continues to work: he repairs electrical appliances - even those that seem hopeless.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20251110","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of Mikhail Burkov's detention are satisfactory, but smoking in the room affects his well-being. The believer has peaceful relations with everyone. He works as an electrician and earns a little extra as a general laborer.\nMikhail has a Bible. He receives letters of support, but recently only those sent from Russia have been given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20251103","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to difficulties with documents, Sergey Yuferov cannot start working. However, he helps with installations in the electrical workshop.\nAccording to the believer, the conditions of detention are satisfactory: he has everything he needs and respectful relations with the staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20251018","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin notes that the food has improved since last year. On Sunday, his only day off, he devotes his time to reading and replying to letters from friends and acquaintances. He keeps in regular touch with his loved ones. The believer is awaiting dental treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20250905","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the detachment where Valery Slashchev is kept, repairs were carried out and plastic windows were installed. A shower is available twice a week, there is a laundry room where you can wash even large things. There is also a dining room, a kitchen and a reading and TV room. Valeriy is allowed to walk outside, in his free time the prisoners play table tennis, plant flowers in a small greenhouse and take care of them.\nValeriy periodically has problems with blood pressure. If necessary, he goes to the first-aid post. In winter and spring, he was sent to a neighboring colony in Komsomolsk-on-Amur for dental treatment and examination of his heart and kidneys. The necessary medications were prescribed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20250807","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir works in the sewing workshop 6 days a week. For his conscientious work he was granted an additional visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20250729","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin is waiting for his turn for dental treatment in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. He has no complaints about the conditions of detention and food. Relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners are non-confrontational.\nRecently, Vladimir had a date with his wife, which encouraged him a lot. In addition, the believer receives many letters and tries to respond to everyone who expresses their support to him in this way.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20250414","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The attitude towards Valery Slashchev on the part of other prisoners and the administration of the colony is normal. He receives letters from relatives and caring people.\nThere is a club on the territory of the colony where prisoners can spend time. Valeriy is in charge of the music. Recently, a concert was held in the club, in the organization of which he took part.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2025-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20250201","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin, Sergey Yuferov, Valery Slashchev and Mikhail Burkov generally feel fine, although Valeriy's eyesight is deteriorating. The conditions of detention are acceptable.\nFor a while, there was a problem with receiving letters, but the administration of the colony solved it, and now men can feel the support of friends.\nRelations with other prisoners are still normal. Vladimir is trained as a locksmith. Valeriy is involved in the preparation of musical numbers for the open day in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2024-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20240607","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin, Sergey Yuferov, Valery Slashchev and Mikhail Burkov get used to life in the colony. All of them are in the same squad, their beds are located nearby. The administration of the colony has not yet provided work to any of them. Also, they have not yet been given seasonal hats.\nTelephone conversations have not yet been provided to believers, and they have not yet received letters either.\nThe men have good relations with the administration and staff of the colony, there are no conflicts. Everyone has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20231024","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin, Sergey Yuferov, Valery Slashchev and Mikhail Burkov are taken to a penal colony located in the city of Amursk to serve their sentences. After quarantine, they are placed in the same squad.\nFour other believers, Sergey Afanasyev, Sergey Kardakov, Aleksey Trofimov and Dmitry Malevaniy, are serving their sentences in the same colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-10-09T15:38:03+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20231009","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the verdict is announced, the believers are taken into custody and taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230623","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers deliver the last word.\nVladimir Bukin says: \"It is thanks to the knowledge from the Bible that hatred and anger have long had no place in my heart.\"\nSergey Yuferov emphasizes: \"Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable for me.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230619","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Dmitry Bondarev requests punishment under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Bukin, Slashchev, Yuferov — 6 years and 6 months, Burkov — 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony.\nLawyers are asking for a full acquittal of the defendants. Then Vladimir Bukin and Valery Slashchev perform.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230615","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The former boss of informant Nurakov is being interrogated. She says that when he interacted with Jehovah's Witnesses, he \"was a good man, and when he started drinking in the company of his own kind, he was fired several times for it ... could tell a lie under the influence of circumstances.\"\nFurther, the court interrogates the boss of Sergey Yuferov, who characterizes him only on the positive side.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230614","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the testimony of Valery Slashchev. The defendant states that he did not utter the phrases that are written there, and \"his words are altered.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230613","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Burkov and Sergey Yuferov read out their affidavits. The judge begins to interrogate Sergey, but he becomes ill again, and the ambulance team takes him to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230414","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Yuferov petitions to watch the film \"The Courage of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Face of Nazism.\" The judge refuses. Closer to the end of the meeting, Yuferov becomes ill, he is taken away in an ambulance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230324","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Videos of worship services are viewed, in particular, the biblical lecture \"Do you harbor anger or forgive?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230306","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge, and the defendants read out their attitude to it.\nThey inform the court that they will testify at the end of the trial. They also submit applications for refusal of lawyers. The judge does not grant their request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230207","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against the believers is sent for reconsideration to the court of first instance. It will be considered by judge Valentina Brikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20230124","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Bukin, Sergey Yuferov and Mikhail Burkov in the Blagoveshchensk pre-trial detention center. Many prisoners are ill, including Vladimir Bukin. Doctors give him medication, and he is gradually recovering. Vladimir has a good relationship with his cellmates. He receives letters of support and has his own Bible. A believer prepares for a court of appeal.\nSergey Yuferov also has a Bible, receives letters of support and feels well. Although all the prisoners in his cell are sick, preventive methods help him not to get infected. He is held in a 6-bed cell, where at the moment, including Sergey, there are 5 prisoners. The conditions are satisfactory. His cellmates treat him with respect.\nMikhail Burkov says that he is grateful to his friends for their letters, as they support him. Mikhail notes that he has minor health problems, and he has already asked for help. A difficult test for his well-being was also the fact that in the 4-bed cold cell, everyone except Mikhail smokes. However, his cellmates treat Mikhail with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20221207","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believers are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Amur Region, where they are awaiting an appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20221114","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict is scheduled for October 19. Before that, the defendants again make their last word. Judge Ivan Kuznetsov asks them not to read out the text, but to speak in their own words.\nIn his appeal to the court, Mikhail Burkov notes: \"My way of life, which I lead as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, has shown that I have not caused any harm to anyone ... The commandments 'love thy neighbor as thyself' and 'love thy enemies' do not teach what I am accused of.\"\nVladimir Bukin says: \"If I am found guilty, it is guilty of loving God, his holy name and his word of the Bible, and not of resuming the activity of something that has not existed in nature since 2017.\"\nSergey Yuferov declares: \"My spiritual activity cannot be extremism. Extremist activity in all its forms and manifestations is unacceptable to me.\"\nValery Slashchev says: \"When we, Jehovah's Witnesses, are asked what we are being tried for, I don't even want to talk, because people can't understand how a person can be judged simply for his faith, despite the fact that there are no victims or victims - some kind of invisible and intangible extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20221013","regions":["amur"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of announcing the verdict, the judge resumes the judicial investigation. The reason is that one of the petitions lacks applications. The court also indicates that all attached evidence must be in the original or in the form of certified copies.\nAbout 30 listeners are allowed in the meeting room. Everyone has purple hearts pinned on their chests as a sign of support for the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220912","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for believers: Vladimir Bukin — 8 years and 6 months, Sergey Yuferov and Valery Slashchev — 8 years and 4 months each, Mikhail Burkov — 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nThe defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-09-08T00:23:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220908","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At four hearings on July 14-19, the court reviews video recordings of one worship service and three Bible discussions. The judge reads out the characteristics and certificates of commendation of the defendants.\nThe defense files a motion to terminate the criminal case. The court shall attach it to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220719","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The recording of the conversation between the informant Nurakov and the defendants Bukin, Slashchev and Yuferov is listened to. The prosecution is interested in whether this was a meeting of a local religious organization. Bukin explains that the meeting was exclusively religious in nature and has nothing to do with the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220630","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to recordings of samples of the defendants' voices and their telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220617","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the 15th volume of the case file, in which the district police commissioner gives a positive description of the defendants. The defense submits a petition for the admission of listeners to the courtroom, as well as for the audio recording of the process. The prosecutor objects, arguing that those present will \"hear materials of extremist content.\" The judge grants the petition of the believers, provided that the listeners will not make personal video and audio recordings of the hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220615","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the recordings of the defendants' telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220429","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As \"evidence of illegal activity\" of the defendants, the prosecutor reads out texts from postcards and printouts seized during the searches. They cover topics such as \"Good manners are an essential feature of God's people,\" \"What God expects to treat the elderly,\" and \"Love strengthens.\"\nAudio recordings of conversations between the defendants about the Bible and informant Nurakov are also listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220316","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating another FSB officer, Vitaly Gangalo, who lives in Blagoveshchensk, via video link.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20220124","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the local branch of the FSB, A.V. Tumanov, is being interrogated.\nSome participants in the process are confused in the concepts of \"member of a local religious organization\" and \"Jehovah's Witness\", calling ordinary believers members of a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20211224","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Informant Nurakov is being interrogated. His written testimony and the transcript of his conversation with Bukin, Yuferov and Slashchev are also read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20211130","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held. About 25 people come to support the believers, but no one is allowed into the hall.\nBukin, Burkov and Yuferov refuse lawyers, but the judge does not satisfy their petitions. The believers declare their attitude to the criminal case: they insist on their complete innocence.\nWitnesses are being questioned. Three women say that they do not refuse to testify, but use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor reads out the record of the interrogation of one of them, she confirms her testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20210726","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against the believers is submitted to the Tyndinsky District Court of the Amur Region for consideration by Judge Ivan Kuznetsov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20210628","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov makes decisions on bringing believers as accused. All four are charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and Bukin, Yuferov and Slashchev are also charged with involvement in it (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe believers are accused of holding worship services and \"home-based Bible studies\" in 2018-2019. The investigation considers the conversations of Bukin, Yuferov and Slashchev with informant D. Nurakov, who in 2018 expressed a desire to become Jehovah's Witness and was collecting information about believers, to be involved in extremist activities.\nBelievers are being interrogated. Obukhov notifies them of the end of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2021-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20210405","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Bukin and Mikhail Burkov petition for the termination of the criminal case, referring to the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A few days later, Valery Slashchev and Sergey Yuferov made a similar request to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2020-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20200525","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Amur Regional Court (presiding judge - Olga Drozhachenko) is considering Bukin's appeal. The court dismisses it. About 20 people come to the meeting to support their fellow believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20200116","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bukin is filing an appeal against the decision of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region to conduct a search on November 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20191128","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators Isaev, Obukhov, Makhnonosov and Samarin are conducting interrogations. Yuferov, Slashchev, Burkov and Bukin are officially charged, they are taken on their own recognizance. Believers are persistently persuaded to cooperate with the investigation.\nIn total, 12 people are interrogated on this day, among whom Savicheva, Slashcheva, Tikhonkikh, Tatyana and O. Verzina appear as witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2019-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20191118","regions":["amur"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Blagoveshchensk City Court authorizes searches in the homes of local believers (Valeriy and Tatiana Slashchev, Mikhail Burkov, Sergey and Natalia Yuferov, Ekaterina Savicheva, Vladimir and Natalya Bukin, Galina Tikhonkikh, Irina Starodub and Tatiana Verzina). A search is also being conducted in the apartment of 81-year-old Nadezhda Petrova.\nDuring a search of the Slashchevs' apartment, law enforcement officers seized old equipment, recordings of songs in Chinese, photo albums, the Psalter of the Orthodox edition, pictures with biblical excerpts and personal notes. The investigation team is interested in materials with the words \"faith\", \"God\", \"Jehovah\".\nDuring a search of Savicheva's home, Ilya Makhnonosov, a senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Amur Region, seized equipment, personal records and several translations of the Bible.\nThe four-hour search of the Yuferovs' apartment begins with an examination of Sergey's trouser pockets and jacket, as well as his wife's cosmetic bags and medicine bags. She has a panic attack during the search.\nLaw enforcement officers seize an illustrated napkin for glasses, personal notes, the Bible, and look at the contents of film discs from Verzina.\nIn other apartments, security forces also confiscate electronic devices and data carriers, Bible translations, notebooks and photographs. Relatives of believers who do not share their religious beliefs are also searched.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2019-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20191117","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB Directorate for the Amur Region V. S. Obukhov initiates a criminal case against Sergey Yuferov, Valery Slashchev, Mikhail Burkov and Vladimir Bukin. All of them are accused of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bukin and Others in Tynda","date":"2019-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tynda/index.html#20191111","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2024, a criminal case was initiated in Kerch against one of Jehovah’s Witnesses: Vitaliy Burik was detained right at his workplace and taken home for a search. At that time, his minor disabled daughter was in the apartment. On the same day, Burik was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and placed in a temporary detention facility for 2 days, after which the court placed him under house arrest. In June 2025, the court began considering the case, and in February 2026 it handed down a sentence: 6 years in a penal colony. The appeal upheld that decision in May 2026.","date":"2024-10-08","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html","prisoners":["burik"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","type":"cases"},{"body":"Addressing the court, Vitaliy Burik enumerates violations committed during the proceedings in the lower court and says: \"I ask you, honorable court, to remove the charges against me by your decision and allow me and my family to return to a free and peaceful life, to care for my daughter, my elderly parents, and to peacefully practice what is dear to me.\"\nThe Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea in Kerch upholds the guilty verdict — 6 years in a general regime penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20260512","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the pre-trial detention center in Simferopol, Vitaliy Burik was quarantined. The composition of the 7-person inmates in the cell is constantly changing. The 54-year-old believer jokes: \"Crime has become younger — young cellmates call me by the first name.\"\nVitaliy describes living conditions as normal. He has a Bible. A date with his wife has already taken place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20260307","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 8 years in a penal colony.\nThe trial enters its final stage unexpectedly. After the questioning of the FSB officer, it turns out that the religious scholar did not appear in court for questioning. Burik files a motion for a second religious expert study, but the judge immediately proceeds to interrogating the defendant, then to the closing arguments, after which he allows the believer only 15 minutes to prepare for his final statement. The defense is actually deprived of the opportunity to present its evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20260218","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","punishment-request","282.2-1","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Secret witnesses are being interrogated: a woman and a man who attended meetings for worship before 2017. Both give similar testimony: they do not know the defendant personally and have not heard any extremist statements from him or at meetings for worship in general. At the request of the prosecutor, their written preliminary testimony is read out in court. They differ in many respects from those expressed in court and are almost identical to each other.\nFor example, in court, a woman, in response to a prosecutor's question about whether Jehovah's Witnesses had any organizational structure, says: \"To be honest, I... I was a parishioner, so I don't know anything like that.\" Nevertheless, from her affidavit it is read: \"Burik Vitaly Anatolyevich, living in the city of Kerch... was an elder of the said religious organization and, accordingly, was a member of the leadership of the organization.\"\nWhen asked by the prosecutor whether the second witness attended meetings of meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses or meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kerch, the man answers: \"I will tell the truth that I do not know what difference there is, I only say that I went to the building that I indicated near the five-story buildings, and I do not know what it refers to there.\" But, according to the affidavit of this witness, partially read out later in court, he previously said the following: \"[In 2017] I decided to leave the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kerch.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20260120","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Vitaliy Burik is submitted to the Kerch City Court (Crimea) for consideration by Judge Aleksandr Kovalev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20250620","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Burik, who is under house arrest, is taken to hospital with a high temperature. Despite the emergency admission, a representative of the Investigative Committee arrives at the hospital to hand him the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20250617","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Burik is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20250313","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Burik files an appeal against the search to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea. He states: \"I ceased my participation in the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kerch back in March 2017. However, being a deeply religious person, I did not stop professing my faith in Jehovah God, which was not and could not be prohibited by the court.\" The believer also notes that the search was difficult for his minor daughter, who is on disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20241023","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["complaints","search","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kiev District Court of the city of Simferopol places Burik under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20241011","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kerch are searched, after which they are interrogated and released.\nBurik was placed in a temporary detention center and charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20241009","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol A. A. Farimov initiates a criminal case against Vitaliy Burik under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigation interpreted Vitaliy's peaceful confession of faith as \"active actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities of the extremist organization LRO Jehovah's Witnesses of Kerch, banned by the court, expressed in the organization of propaganda meetings.\"\nJudge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol Denis Didenko authorizes a search of Vitaliy Burik's house.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Burik in Kerch","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kerch2/index.html#20241008","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One September evening in 2022, Yevgeniy Bushev from Chelyabinsk was visiting a friend whose home was raided by law enforcement officers while he was there. It turned out, the Investigative Committee suspected Yevgeniy of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and a criminal case was initiated against him. The believer was taken to his home for it to be searched, and the next day he was placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the charge was reclassified to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, Bushev is guilty of extremism because he attended the meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and talked with people about the Bible. Testimony against the believer was given by a National Guard officer, who feigned interest in the Bible. In August 2023, the court accepted the case materials for consideration, and 2 months later sentenced the believer to 7 years of imprisonment. In April 2024, the court of appeal reduced this term to 6 years in a penal colony.","date":"2022-08-24","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html","prisoners":["bushev"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Due to the increased humidity in the barracks, Yevgeniy Bushev often catches colds. He complains of pain in the gastrointestinal tract and dental problems. Previously, he had to work 12-16 hours a day — such a schedule caused him high blood pressure. His workload was reduced, medication was prescribed, and he felt better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20260426","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy mastered a working specialty and is now employed in the colony. He received two awards from the administration. Reading the Bible and letters of support helps a believer stay optimistic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20250512","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bushev is being held in the barracks along with 44 other prisoners. The conditions of detention are satisfactory, the believer has his own bed. Relations with inmates are friendly. There are no complaints from the administration. Yevgeniy is mastering a new specialty and intends to work.\nThe believer tries to keep himself in shape by lifting a barbell. He gets letters, he has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20240912","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bushev was taken to correctional colony No. 11 in the Chelyabinsk region to serve his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20240822","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeniy Bushev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Chelyabinsk region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-08-08T11:11:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20240808","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer has been held in a pre-trial detention center for about a month awaiting an appeal. He has good relations with the administration of the colony and his cellmates. He exercises regularly. Bushev has a Bible. Twice a week he is given letters, which he reads with pleasure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231201","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Yevgeny Bushev is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Chelyabinsk. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231108","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231107","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Bushev makes his final statement. There are about 15 listeners in the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231103","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Bushev reads out his written notes and asks the prosecutor and the court to find in the case file and announce his words about the call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, about inciting hatred or destroying families - there is nothing like this among the \"evidence\" of Bushev's guilt.\nThe court shall proceed to the pleadings of the parties. The prosecutor draws attention to the results of a psycholinguistic religious examination, which, in her opinion, proves Yevgeny's guilt in the creation and continuation of the activities of an extremist organization. The defendant objects, noting that his name was not indicated in any of the legal documents available to law enforcement officers.\nThe prosecutor asks for a punishment for the believer in the form of 6 years in a general regime colony. The prosecution repeats more than once, including to the audience in the hall, incorrect information that the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" is banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.\nThe lawyer, speaking in the debate, emphasizes that the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017 concerns only the liquidation of legal associations and that the confession itself is not prohibited, and believers have the right to exercise the right to freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The defense asks to find Bushev innocent.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231025","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"24 out of 25 people who came to support the believer are allowed into the hall.\nThe judge does not prevent Bushev from exercising the right not to testify against himself and his relatives during his testimony. He is also interested in how to properly emphasize the name Jehovah.\nThe defendant talks about his faith. He also objects to the linguistic expertise. According to Bushev, the conclusion that he persuaded Polikarpov's informant to accept his faith is based on phrases taken out of context.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20231010","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears the testimony of Manturov, an operative of the Center \"E\", as well as Denis Polikarpov, an employee of the National Guard, who portrayed an interest in the Bible. Polikarpov tells the court about how he infiltrated the ranks of believers and what methods of audio and video recording he used. The prosecution reads out the transcripts of his notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20230926","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the first hearing, the accusation and the attitude of the defendant towards it are announced.\nThe prosecutor reads out a transcript of audio recordings of conversations between the defendant and the informant, as well as correspondence in the messenger. In his speech, Bushev refers to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and the decisions of the ECHR, justifying the legality of his actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20230920","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kalininsky District Court of Chelyabinsk. It will be considered by judge Anton Erofeev. The first hearing is scheduled for September 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20230824","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The article of the charge is reclassified as organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20230711","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko takes Yevgeniy's recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20220909","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Bushev is visiting a friend when they come to him with a search. Yevgeniy is taken home, where a search takes place from 22:00 to 23:40. The security forces seized several Bibles, computer equipment, electronic media and personal records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20220908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against Yevgeny Bushev under Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer is suspected of \"taking part in the activities of a religious association ... in the form of participation in religious meetings and meetings of an extremist organization, conducting conversations with residents of Chelyabinsk, demonstrating and watching educational videos.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Bushev in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk8/index.html#20220824","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a series of searches in Vladivostok in March 2023, three of Jehovah’s Witnesses were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Two days later, Yegor Pogrebnyak was released under house arrest, and Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov were sent to a pre-trial detention center. The believers initiated a criminal case under an extremist article. A little later in the same month, Tatyana Kazakova, Marina Roslova, Alina Tkachenko, Anastasiya Dyldina and Yelena Romanova became defendants in the case. In December of the same year, after new searches, Kirill Chekolayev was arrested. He spent about 5 months in the pre-trial detention center, and Novoselov and Byche spent almost a year. All three were released under a ban on certain actions. In April 2025, charges were brought against two more believers: Anatoliy Baranov and Kirill Krymskiy. In the same month, Baranov, Krymskiy, Dyldina and Pogrebnyak were charged with another article — financing extremist activities. In June the case went to court.","date":"2023-02-26","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html","prisoners":["baranova","krymskiy","chekolaev","dyldina","romanova","roslova","tkachenko","kazakovat","bycha","novoselov","pogrebnyak"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"The case goes to the Frunzenskiy District Court of Vladivostok. Judge — Oksana Krasko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250627","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Denis Sushchenko summons Anastasia Dyldina to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory and charges her in a new edition. Now, in addition to participating in the activities of an extremist organization, the believer is also accused of financing it. Anastasia is charged with participating in a meeting for worship consisting of \"a video performance 'The Earth Will Endure Forever', the singing of songs...' Paradise Promised by God... 'Always devoted to God.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250417","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Krymsky, 37, is being prosecuted under two articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing.\nInvestigator Denis Sushchenko considers it a sign of extremism that \"Krymsky played the communicative role of assistant to the host during weekly religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, read a prayer for Jehovah God.\"\nThe investigation bases the accusation against Krymskiy and other believers involved in this case on the testimony of an embedded agent, S. I. Sergeenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250407","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sushchenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, opens a criminal case against Yegor Pogrebnyak, Anatoliy Baranov, Kirill Krymsky and Anastasia Dyldina under another article - Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the decision to initiate a criminal case, the believers allegedly financed extremist activities, and the fact of the transfer of voluntary donations to Yuriy Bycha is cited as evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250404","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Denis Sushchenko charges Anatoliy Baranov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and interrogates him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250402","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new suspect appears in the case - 57-year-old Anatoly Baranov, who was searched in December 2023. He is interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250323","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Tatyana Maz is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250205","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation will reclassify the charges against Yegor Pogrebnyak and Kirill Chekolaev from part 1 to part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20250115","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Chekolayev is released under a ban on certain actions. He spent about 5 months in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20240503","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov were released from the pre-trial detention center. The measure of restraint for them has been replaced by a ban on certain actions.\nKirill Chekolayev's detention in the pre-trial detention center is extended for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2024-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20240222","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detained 19-year-old Kirill Chekolayev was transferred to a regular cell in a pre-trial detention center. During quarantine, he suffered a severe cold. The believer has not yet received parcels and parcels, but several letters have already arrived. He does not lose heart, keeps calm and confident. With the permission of the investigator, Kirill had a meeting with his father.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231218","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Novoselov receives permission to meet with his family.\nSergey's cellmates often change, but thanks to his sociability and peaceful attitude, he has good relations with everyone. He receives letters with words of support, as well as parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231211","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator allowed Yuriy Bycha to meet with his wife and eldest daughter.\nYuri is being held in a cell with several other detainees, with whom he develops a respectful relationship. He is the eldest of them.\nYuriy receives letters, it is possible to receive parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to imprison 19-year-old Kirill Chekolaev in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231209","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new series of searches. This time, one believer is beaten, and the other, 19-year-old Kirill Chekolaev, is taken into custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231207","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation is charging another believer under part 1.1 and part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — Tatyana Maz.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20231102","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Novoselov and Yuriy Byche are held in cells, where in addition to them there are 4 more prisoners. The believers have respectful relations with them and the administration.\nThe state of health of Yuriy and Sergey is satisfactory. Immediately after entering the pre-trial detention center, Sergey caught a cold. Since the TV is constantly working in the camera, he has to use earplugs. Yuri's lower back pain intensified.\nBelievers receive a large number of letters. They have some parts of the Bible – the Psalter and the New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230327","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For Yuriy Byche and Sergey Novoselov, the court chooses a restriction measure in the form of detention, for Yegor Pogrebnyak - house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230307","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces are conducting searches in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yuriy Byche, Sergey Novoselov, Yegor Pogrebnyak, as well as several women, are taken away for interrogation: Anastasia Dyldina, Elena Romanova, Marina Roslova, Alina Tkachenko and Tatyana Kazakova. Subsequently, women are released on recognizance agreement, while men are detained and sent to a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230305","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory D. A. Shevchenko issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against unidentified persons.\nThe investigator interprets the communication of believers as \"using the Internet to hold meetings and involve persons in the activities of an extremist organization\" and decided to initiate a criminal case under part 1, part 1.1 and part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Byche and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok12/index.html#20230226","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first search in the family of Aleksandr and Yekaterina Chagan took place in March 2022. Six months later, in September, law enforcement officers again invaded their house, squeezing out the window. They put the household on the floor and handcuffed the head of the family, and then searched him. At night, Aleksandr was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, after which he was sent to the temporary detention facility. The court released him under recognizance agreement. On the same day, Aleksandr became a defendant in a criminal case—he was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist community. In July 2023, the case went to court. At the trial, a secret witness and experts testified, whose conclusions, according to the defense, were biased, unscientific and unfounded. In March 2024, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison. This decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation.","date":"2022-09-14","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html","prisoners":["chagan"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr continues to work in the sewing workshop, and in his free time he studies English, does exercises on the horizontal bar, push-ups and squats. He likes reading, but there are almost no new publications in the library. Therefore, Aleksandr is pleased with letters in which the writers talk about their regions, share news about the development of technologies and cite scientific facts. The believer is given an average of five letters a week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2026-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20260418","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Chagan works in the sewing workshop; he rarely receives a salary and only a very small amount. In the medical unit he is given the necessary medication to lower his blood pressure, but he has to borrow a blood pressure monitor from another prisoner.\nAleksandr loves to play sports — he does exercises on the parallel bars and tries to stay in good physical shape.\nTwo telephones are installed on the territory of the penal colony, and prisoners can call their relatives twice a week according to a schedule established for each unit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2025-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20250928","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation in Samara upholds the guilty verdict previously passed on Alexander Chagan.\nThe court does not take into account the arguments of the defense that \"the actions of the convict were an external manifestation of his religion, criminal liability for which, as the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation pointed out, is excluded.\" By the outward manifestation of religion, the lawyer means that Chagan, together with his fellow believers, performed the usual actions for Jehovah's Witnesses - conversations on religious topics, reading the Bible, prayers. The defender also stresses that the imposition of punishment in the form of real imprisonment for such a long period of time just for participation in worship services cannot be fair. In addition, Aleksandr has not been previously convicted, has positive references from his place of work, he has a strong family.\nThe believer will continue to serve his sentence in penal colony No. 12 in Mordovia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20241107","regions":["samara"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Chagan is in a good emotional state, he tries to do exercises to support himself physically. He recently had a cold. Living conditions in the colony are satisfactory. Relations with the administration and other prisoners are neutral.\nAleksandr has the opportunity to borrow a copy of the Holy Scriptures from the colony's library. He receives letters regularly, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240914","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Chagan arrived at penal colony No. 12, located in the village of Molochnitsa (Mordovia).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-07-05T16:54:28+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240705","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Chagan has left the pre-trial detention center and is in the process of moving to a place of serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240619","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of Aleksandr Chagan's detention in the pre-trial detention center are acceptable. He does not have the opportunity to read the Bible. After the verdict was announced, the believer was not allowed to take a bag with things with him, but he was given the necessary hygiene products in the pre-trial detention center.\nAlexander is worried about separation from his wife and daughter. While he does not have the opportunity to communicate with relatives by phone, he has not yet received letters, but the judge allowed him to meet with his wife Ekaterina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240325","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. Aleksandr Chagan delivers his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240229","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chagan comments on the conclusions of psychological and religious examinations prepared by Lenar Galiev and Kirill Kirushin. He notes that their findings are biased, unscientific, unsubstantiated, not documented and cannot be verified by another expert.\nThe believer points out the violations of the law that have been committed. For example, neither Galiev nor Kirushin are state forensic experts. In addition, they, not being experts in the field of jurisprudence, gave a legal assessment of the actions of believers, and this is within the competence of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240222","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to accept motions to exclude inadmissible evidence, namely: the conclusions of examinations and the testimony of witnesses Ivanov and Kohalskaya.\nThe court attaches a petition to cancel the seizure of property.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240208","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Victoria Gorbasheva reads out 5 volumes of the case in fragments, she pays special attention to the conclusions of experts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20240111","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall examine an information technology specialist as a witness. He says that Zoom, a program used by believers to hold worship services, is not banned in the Russian Federation and is used in state institutions.\nA secret witness \"Ivanov\", who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses for 5 years, is being interrogated. He says that Alexander Chagan is a calm smiling person. At worship services, the man heard that Jehovah's Witnesses believed in the truth of their religion, but no extremist calls were made. The witness cannot explain what a local religious organization (LRO) is and how the activities of such a legal entity differ from spiritual activities, although the expression \"LRO\" often appears in the protocol of his testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20231214","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ivliev, senior commissioner for especially important cases of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Samara Region, is being interrogated. He explains that he received video recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, made secretly by a prosecution witness questioned at the previous hearing. After the examination, Ivliev sent the materials to the Investigative Committee. The witness cannot explain anything about the content of the filmed services.\nTestifying is a prosecution witness who is not personally acquainted with the defendant, but heard about him from his friend Alexander, whose name he refused to give. This anonymous acquaintance gave him a 3-minute video, explaining that Chagan was speaking on it. The witness then handed over the video to law enforcement officers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20231123","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness whose mother is one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She says she has a \"strongly negative\" attitude toward the denomination, calling them \"active preachers and the only organization that offers Bible studies.\"\nTo the questions of the defense about whether she heard from Chagan calls not to serve in the army, not to celebrate secular holidays and refuse medical intervention, as well as statements encouraging non-recognition of state authorities, local self-government or refusal to perform civic duties, she answers in the negative. Confirms that Aleksandr Chagan did not offer her any religious literature and did not involve her in the activities of any organization. She cannot give a description of Alexander, because she \"communicated little with him.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20231102","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses begins. One of them is detective I. V. Matytsin. Answering most of the questions, he says that this is not in his competence, since he is neither a technical specialist nor a religious scholar, and \"is not obliged to disclose the ORM.\" Also, the witness cannot specifically indicate what signs of a threat to the security of the state he saw in the actions of the defendant.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the protocol of Matytsin's interrogation is announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20230928","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge, the defendant announces his attitude to the charge and declares the refusal of a lawyer. The court dismissed the application.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20230907","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Aleksandr Chagan have begun. About 25 people come to the meeting room to support the believer.\nJudge Victoria Gorbasheva establishes the identity of the defendant, explains to him the rights and obligations. The court hearing is postponed due to the absence of a lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20230823","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Central District Court of Tolyatti (Tolyatti, Belorusskaya Street, 16).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20230721","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tolyatti District Court refuses to allow investigator Mgoyan to choose a preventive measure in the form of detention. The believer is released in the courthouse, taking from him a written undertaking not to leave.\nOn the same day, the investigator brings Alexander Chagan as a defendant in the previously initiated criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2022-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20220923","regions":["samara"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At night after the end of the search, investigator Mgoyan interrogates Aleksandr Chagan in the building of the Investigative Committee. After that, he places the believer in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2022-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20220922","regions":["samara"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are underway at three addresses of believers, including a second search of the Chagan family. It is conducted by the senior detective of the Center for Countering Extremism E. Y. Rodich.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20220921","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Mgoyan, an investigator of the Central Interdistrict Investigation Department of Tolyatti, Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region, is initiating a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In his opinion, \"an unidentified person, acting intentionally, in the period from 2017 to the present ... continued to carry out organizational actions aimed at resuming the illegal activities of the religious association... by convening meetings, recruiting and recruiting new members of the religious association.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2022-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20220914","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The house of Alexander and Ekaterina Chagan is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chagan in Tolyatti","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti/index.html#20220304","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, a massive special operation took place in Moscow — searches in 22 homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Vardan Zakaryan was hospitalized due to injuries inflicted by the law enforcement officers. He, as well as Vitaliy Komarov, Yuriy Chernyshev, Ivan Chaykovskiy and Sergey Shatalov were placed in a temporary detention facility. They were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Zakaryan was charged with involving others in it. It is worth noting that in 2010 through the ECHR Chaykovskiy, obtained compensation for the violation of his rights due to the illegal liquidation of the Moscow Community of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In the winter of 2022, the case went to court. The charges were based on the testimony of FSB agent “Makarov”, who feigned an interest in the Bible. In March 2023, the court sentenced Chaykovskiy, Komarov, Chernyshev and Shatalov to 6 years and 3 months, and Zakaryan to 4 years and 3 months in a penal colony. The courts of appeals and cassation upheld this decision. Vardan Zakaryan was released and deported to Armenia in October 2025.","date":"2020-11-23","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html","prisoners":["chaykovskiy","chernyshev","komarov","shatalov","zakaryan"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"According to Vitaliy's relatives, he is very grateful for letters of support in paper and electronic form, but at present he can only respond in paper form by regular mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20251215","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky works hard in the penal colony. He trained as a boilder room operator and electrician and now he is training to become a welder. Since it started getting cold, he was given warm clothes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20251130","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov is in a unit of 50 people. They share the use of one poorly working electric kettle and wash their clothes by hand.\nWhen admitted to the penal colony, the believer had severe back pain and could not sleep. Now everything has returned to normal. According to Vitaliy, his work in the kitchen contributed to this: he has to bend down about 600 times a day in order to distribute food to prisoners.\nVitaliy is worried about his family and is waiting for a visit from his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20251116","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vardan Zakaryan is being deported to Armenia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20251016","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernyshev continues to work in the sewing workshop. The believer remains cheerful. Every week he receives 6-8 letters of support.\nYuriy still has problems with his sight, but he cannot be examined by a specialist — there are no specialist doctors in the institution. Relatives provide him with the necessary medicines, including those controlling blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250910","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vardan Zakaryan is working in the penal colony. His 30 years experience as a tailor proved useful — the believer works in the sewing workshop and teaches other prisoners sewing skills. He is respected by the other prisoners and those in charge.\nVardan is especially encouraged by reading the Bible. He reads with appreciation the letters that come from all over the world.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250610","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernyshev is valued as an employee, and the administration treats him with respect.\nRecently, the believer's eyesight has deteriorated: one eye has become difficult to see, which is why Yuriy temporarily cannot read. An ophthalmologist rarely appears in the colony, but the believer has the opportunity to receive parcels with the necessary medicines.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250523","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky lives in a cell with 12 prisoners. He continues to work as a locksmith and at the same time is studying to be an electrician. The believer receives medicines on time, he has a blood pressure monitor. Recently there was a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250516","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy still works a lot, sometimes until late. He gets tired, especially because of everyday difficulties - there is one boiler for 65 people in the barracks, so Chernyshev has to get up at night to take a shower. There are difficulties with receiving letters.\nThe believer remains in a positive mood, although it is not easy for him to be separated from his family. He worries that as a father he cannot fully participate in his daughter's life.\nPrisoners treat Yuriy with respect because of his kindness to others and age.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250507","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov has a Bible. He also receives informative popular science magazines in the mail.\nSergey maintains respectful relations with the administration and prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250330","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaly Komarov continues to work in the kitchen. He works seven days a week, so he does not have time to answer all letters from different regions and countries. The believer is grateful for them, as they help him maintain a positive attitude.\nRecently, Komarov had a long meeting with his wife. Relations with the administration and other prisoners are good. Vitaliy needs dental treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250317","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernyshev is being held in a barrack for 90 people, where about 65 prisoners are currently living. There is a shop on the territory of the colony where prisoners can buy food, but they have to stand in queues for 3-4 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250228","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey works in a workshop and is kept in a barrack for 50-60 people. All rooms are very old, hot water is not supplied, there are no showers. Prisoners wash their faces with cold water from their own well. Twice a week, about 50 inmates are taken to a room with 3 showers.\nSergey needs medications, which are periodically given to him. He lost a lot of weight. Reading and answering the letters he regularly receives helps him maintain a positive attitude. Recently, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2025-02-10T10:01:08+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20250210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov is in penal colony No. 14 in the Arkhangelsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-25T14:02:43+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241225","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov is in the process of transferring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-18T10:57:08+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241218","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upholds the harsh sentence against Yuri Chernyshov, Ivan Tchaikovsky, Vitaly Komarov, Sergey Shatalov and Vardan Zakaryan. They are present in the courtroom via video conferencing: Sergey Shatalov is from the pre-trial detention center, and the rest are from the colonies where they are already serving their sentences.\nThere are about 30 listeners in the hall, who came to support the convicts and their families.\nThe believers were accused of continuing the activities of a liquidated local religious organization. But, according to them, they only performed \"the usual religious activities of the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, namely: talked on religious topics, read the Bible, said prayers,\" which no Russian court prohibited.\nLawyer Bogdanov points to contradictions in the verdict of the court of first instance: on the one hand, the court finds the believers guilty of actions motivated by \"religious hatred\" and \"extremist motives,\" but at the same time cites the conclusions of a psychological and linguistic examination, according to which no signs of propaganda of superiority and exclusivity were found in the actions of the convicts. Neither the evidence considered in the courts nor the testimonies of witnesses confirmed that the believers had such motives.\nAccording to Ivan Tchaikovsky's lawyer, the verdict does not describe what specific criminal actions, where, when and in what way he committed, as well as how exactly these actions prove the organization of the activities of the banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241122","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1.1","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernyshev works in the sewing industry 6, and sometimes 7 days a week. For his good work, he received a reward in the form of an additional long visit with loved ones. The believer regularly receives letters of support and necessary medications. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241110","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shatalov is returned to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Medved\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241029","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov was transferred to the hospital of the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center No. 1 for a routine examination. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20241006","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky works as a car mechanic and is studying to be a boiler room operator. During the entire time spent in the colony, Ivan received more than 200 letters of support from Russia, Sweden, Estonia, Israel, Germany and Poland. He tries to read all letters and respond to them in a timely manner. A believer has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240928","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernyshev is in a good emotional state. The attitude towards him on the part of the prisoners and the administration of the colony is respectful. There are 70 people in the room where Yuriy lives. Every morning the believer tries to do exercises.\nYuriy Chernyshev has not received letters yet, but he has the opportunity to read the Bible. In the second half of October, the believer should have a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240820","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov works in the kitchen of the colony. According to him, the work is hard, but time passes faster this way. He has a Bible from the colony's library. He also enjoys letters of support and regular parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240819","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vardan Zakaryan arrived at correctional colony No. 4 in the city of Torzhok (Tver region) to serve his sentence. You can write letters to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240715","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vitaliy Komarov arrived at the correctional colony No. 5 in the Oryol region to serve his sentence. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240710","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuriy Chernyshev is being transferred to correctional colony No. 3 in the city of Safonovo, Smolensk region, to serve his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240703","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov is temporarily held in the Oryol pre-trial detention center. Ivan Tchaikovsky was taken to a penal colony in Yaroslavl to serve his sentence for his faith. Yuriy Chernyshev is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240701","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer","elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vitaly Komarov and Vardan Zakaryan are being transferred to the place of serving their sentence for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240624","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov, due to his detention in a pre-trial detention center, could not spend the last days of her life with his mother, because of which he was worried. In the isolation ward, the believer is treated with respect. He has a Bible. Shatalov receives letters of support and transmission.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2024-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20240210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers are taken to the courtroom, where their appeals are scheduled to be considered. Listeners are also allowed into the hall.\nThe presiding judge does not accept the complaint of the defense, so the lawyer submits a petition to restore the procedural period for a new filing of the appeal. The case is returned to the district court to resolve the matter. It is expected that he will then be sent again for appeal in a different composition of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230920","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are no young people in Sergey Shatalov's cell, so at 22:00 the TV and lights are turned off, and he can rest in peace. The believer is not discouraged, his health condition is satisfactory, he receives the necessary medicines. He also receives a lot of letters, tries to answer each one if an envelope is attached. He says, \"Letters are encouraging, refreshing, educational, and help you manage your time. They heal wounds and fill good voids, just as bees fill honeycombs with honey.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230824","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Although I am in a cell, there is a feeling of freedom and complete peace inside,\" Ivan Tchaikovsky shares his feelings. The state of health of the believer is satisfactory, but hypertension is worried. He goes for walks every day. He tries to exercise regularly. I am glad that thanks to the parcels from my wife I can eat homemade food. He draws great support and consolation from the Bible and from letters, of which there are already about 880.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230823","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believers were transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Bear\" in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-17T16:56:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230417","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Shatalov's health problems are getting worse. The administration of the pre-trial detention center does not allow the medicines that the spouse gave to the believer. But after Sergey presents medical documents, he is provided with analogues of the necessary drugs.\nTogether with the believer, 14 other people are being held in the cell.\nThe very next day after entering the pre-trial detention center, Shatalov began to receive e-mails from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230410","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Ivan Tchaikovsky, 2 more people are being held in the cell. The believer waits for the administration to allow him to receive a copy of the complete Bible. Ivan is preparing an appeal against the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230407","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Komarov and Yuriy Chernyshev are in Moscow's Kapotnya pre-trial detention center No. 7. They had to spend the first night on their arrival sitting on chairs, as they were placed in a cell only in the morning. Later, they were transferred to different cells.\nLetters to believers have not yet arrived, but they have the opportunity to write to their relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230404","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky, Yuriy Chernyshev, Vitaliy Komarov, Sergey Shatalov and Vardan Zakaryan are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Kapotnya (Moscow) after the verdict was announced. They can write letters.\nWhen detained, the security forces do not allow convicts to take anything with them, even personal hygiene items.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230331","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants address the court with the last word. All of them plead not guilty and ask to be acquitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230327","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor requests from 6 to 8.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for the defendants: 8.5 years for Yuri Chernyshev; Ivan Tchaikovsky, Vitaliy Komarov and Sergey Shatalov are 8 years old; Vardan Zakaryan is 6 years old.\nIn addition, the prosecutor asks to deprive Chernyshev, Tchaikovsky, Komarov and Shatalov of the right to participate in the work of religious organizations for 8 years, as well as to restrict their freedom for a year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230321","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vardan Zakaryan, speaking with written notes, explains that one of the clients introduced him to the embedded agent Makarov. He introduced him as a former classmate who is interested in the Bible. At the first meeting, the agent asked Zakaryan questions about God, about Jesus Christ and asked for a Bible study. He also tried to provoke the believer to make negative statements about the actions of the police.\nRefuting accusations of negative assessment of people of other religions and calls to break off family relations with them, Zakaryan says: \"This is not so. I have never used offensive words about people of other faiths. My wife has a different religion, but we love each other and live as one family.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230222","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court inspects the material evidence seized during the searches of the defendants behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230215","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Babushkinskiy District Court, chaired by Judge Evgenia Babinova, extends the measure of restraint for the believers and leaves them under house arrest until May 11, 2023. The court does not take into account the arguments of the defense that there are no grounds for extending the measure of restraint, and the examined evidence and facts make it possible to mitigate the measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20230207","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At this and the previous hearing, Yuriy Chernyshev, Vitaliy Komarov and Sergey Shatalov are interrogated. The judge grants the request for the examination of material evidence, but refuses to appoint new forensic examinations, which the defense requested.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20221229","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Seleznev, Ph.D. in Philology and biblical scholar, is being interrogated. This specialist gives a scientific assessment of the decision to ban the Bible \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\".\nSeleznev claims that he and his colleagues were perplexed by the examination, according to the results of which in 2017 this translation of the Bible was recognized as extremist. \"For a biblical scholar, the statement that 'New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures' is not a Bible sounds the same as for an astronomer the phrase 'The moon is just a pancake hanging in the sky,'\" Seleznev says. According to the expert, the authors of this examination did not have the necessary qualifications. He also gives a number of arguments to prove that this translation is in fact the Bible.\nMikhail Seleznev is one of 27 specialists who wrote a review of the above-mentioned examination. Among other things, the authors stated in it: \"The examination, incompetent and unprofessional, led to the fact that a number of people were sentenced to imprisonment for a real term. Court decisions made on the basis of unprofessional and incompetent examinations discredit Russian justice.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20221125","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense witness, who has known Vardan Zakaryan for about 30 years, says that he spoke with him on religious topics more than once, while he never spoke negatively about other religions and state authorities. A witness describes the believer as a diligent worker who often repaired clothes for the elderly free of charge, as well as a kind and hospitable person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20221107","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense continues to study the case materials. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the recording of the service, during which Yuriy Chernyshev prays, and also talks about the importance of love and kindness.\nThe lawyer also reads from the 19th volume his petition to exclude from the case materials the examination with the participation of the Sverdlovsk expert Svetlana Mochalova. One of the arguments is that the expert does not have the necessary qualifications. In addition, a number of examinations in violation of procedural norms were carried out after the end of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20221027","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness from the defense is being interrogated, who reports that although he has been a Jehovah's Witness since childhood, she has never encountered legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220929","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 people come to support the defendants.\nThe court satisfies the defense's petition to summon Kaluga experts to clarify the linguopsychological examination, which, in the opinion of the defense, contains incorrect conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220928","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Panichkin is being interrogated. He says that he does not know the accused and he does not know anything about this case. He met with Jehovah's Witnesses in 1990-1991: \"They gave free lectures at the enterprise where I worked.\" Panichkin did not hear any statements about violence or incitement to violence from these people. He affirms that the Bible is the foundation of Jehovah's Witnesses' creeds. He says that he attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses several times, in 1990 and 2016. He was not forced to do this. During the search, his computer and magazines were seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220923","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Makarov\" is being interrogated. He says that he is personally acquainted with the defendants Zakaryan and Chernyshev. Despite the fact that no threats were made against him or his relatives, the witness refuses to be openly questioned \"for security reasons\".\n\"Makarov\" says that it was introduced by the operative Podbornov in order to identify the illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The means to record the information were provided to him, and he used them from the very first meeting with Zakaryan. When asked what harm Jehovah's Witnesses have done to any people, he replies: \"I am not aware of such a thing.\"\n\"Makarov\" confirms that Zakaryan did not show hatred and superiority towards representatives of other religions and did not incite genocide and mass repressions. During the meetings, they studied the Bible.\nThe lawyer asks to read out the testimony given by \"Makarov\" during the preliminary investigation, as they contain contradictions with the testimony given in court. The court agrees.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220919","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out volumes 14-18 of the criminal case. The defense states that the materials are presented in an overview, and the audio recording of Shatalov's conversation was compiled in violation of the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code, since Shatalov did not listen to the audio recording together with the witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220808","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wife of the deceased witness Viktor Zemlyakov is being interrogated. She says that \"Jehovah's Witnesses are good people: they don't smoke, they don't drink, they don't swear. They're just studying the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220804","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses in the case continues. The first witness tells how in November 2020 representatives of law enforcement agencies broke into his home. They began to break down the door, hit him with a rifle butt, then took him away and interrogated him. He says that he professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and knows the defendants, but after 2017 he did not personally meet with them and did not call them. He describes Vitaliy Komarov as a kind, cheerful and executive person. The witness confirms that he did not hear from the defendants calls for violence, deprivation of civic duties, and so on. He talks about how to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses: one must study the Bible, adhere to its commandments; No statements are needed for this. The man also notes that Jehovah's Witnesses treat representatives of other religions well.\nVitaliy Komarov's wife is being interrogated. She describes her husband as a kind, caring person and a wonderful family man. She says that she shares her husband's religious views. Answering other questions, she mainly uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows her not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220801","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses is being interrogated. She describes Vardan Zakaryan as a good master and a caring, sympathetic and selfless person with whom they discussed biblical teachings. She speaks of Jehovah's Witnesses as peaceful and law-abiding people who are ready to help. \"They are kind-hearted people,\" says the witness, adding that \"they did not incite violence, they did not ask for money.\"\nProsecutor Matusevich asks to extend the defendants' preventive measure for another three months. The judge grants the petition and extends the house arrest until November 10, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220725","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Popov is being interrogated. He does not know the defendants personally. He reports that in 2018, the introduction of an agent was organized, who was given special equipment for audio and video recording of Jehovah's Witnesses services. He began to communicate with Zakaryan and attended several liturgical meetings. After that, the materials were transferred to an expert institution for review and analysis of the content.\nThe following witness positively characterizes the defendants. She says she was not asked to join a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. Otherwise, the witness uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows her not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220722","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall hear the testimony of the prosecution witness. The woman does not know the defendants and has never heard calls for violence, hatred and refusal of medical care from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220610","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony is given by an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Podbornov. He says that in 2018, the agency received information about Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular, that Zakaryan attracted others to the LRO. After that, the infiltrated agent Makarov met with the defendants Zakaryan and Chernyshev and began to study the Bible with them, pretending to be interested in it.\nWitness Podbornov claims that he has analyzed a large amount of information about Jehovah's Witnesses from sources of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and when asked how he determined that the defendants are members of the LRO, he replies that this is his subjective opinion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220608","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, a district police officer, is being questioned. He is not acquainted with the defendants. The witness says that during the search he watched Komarov's windows from the street in case something was thrown out of them.\nVardan Zakaryan's wife tells the court the details of the search, during which her husband was subjected to violence. Because of this, his blood pressure rose and he needed emergency medical attention. According to her, three books of Holy Scripture of different translations were seized from them. Although the woman does not share her husband's religious views, she speaks positively of him: \"He loves me, respects me. He's a good tailor.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220427","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Tchaikovsky (son of the accused Stepan Tchaikovsky) and Ekaterina Chernysheva (wife of the accused Yuri Chernyshev) give testimony in which they positively characterize their relatives and refute the allegations of their involvement in the crime.\nProsecutor Zhuravleva reads out the contents of the first three volumes of the case. The lawyer asks for a detailed reading of the transcript of at least one service. The judge supports. The lawyer urges the prosecutor not to omit important parts in the text.\nThe prosecutor continues his brief reviews of transcripts on the operational introduction, the content of Zakaryan's conversations, the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to ban legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, and reads out excerpts from the conclusion of \"specialists\".\nThe lawyer pays closer attention to the content of the service, what it consists of, as well as to the fact that the Kaluga expert has exceeded the scope of his authority.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220414","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All seats in the courtroom are occupied by friends and relatives of the defendants.\nProsecutor Kabardukova voices the charge. The defendants express their attitude to the charge.\nVardan Zakaryan says: \"I do not admit guilt ... There are congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. In them, the head is Jesus Christ. Believers in the congregation do not use seals, do not appoint leaders, but simply worship God. Russian laws refer to congregations as \"religious groups.\" Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses are also not prohibited.\"\nVitaliy Komarov emphasizes: \"I did not use conspiracy methods and did not discuss their use with anyone. I didn't use any methods to pass off reality as something fictitious.\" He continues: \"I have state awards: in 2016 I was awarded the gratitude of the Minister of Communications and Mass Media, in 2018 - the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Putin ... certificates of honor and gratitude from the Director General of the Russian Television and Radio Broadcasting Network... I am in the dock not for what I did, but for my beliefs, which is discrimination on religious grounds.\"\nIvan Tchaikovsky notes: \"On the basis of the right granted to me by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, I appealed to the European Court of Human Rights with a complaint ... He confirmed that in reality violations of the law by the religious community had not been proven, and ordered the Russian Federation to pay monetary compensation, as well as to eliminate the violations committed, restoring the opportunity to exercise my right to personally and jointly profess the chosen religion of Jehovah's Witnesses ... Therefore, as a law-abiding citizen, I continue to wait for the Russian authorities to completely eliminate the harm caused to me.\"\nYuriy Chernyshev says: \"I have always benefited society, and this is proved by state awards: the gratitude of the Minister of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, the Order of the Ministry of Communications of Russia ... Not only information about my identity, but, most importantly, the factual circumstances confirmed by the case materials, indicate the absence in my actions of signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He continues: \"Without being convicted, I have faced imprisonment for more than a year, of which I was separated from my wife for the first six months. Level of unlawful acts\nInvestigators in the present case are off the charts, but the courts turn a blind eye even to indisputable violations of the law. The obvious facts of my non-participation in the activities of the local religious organization, as well as the clear instructions of the Plenum, are ignored.\"\nSergey Shatalov says: \"There is not a single victim in the case, so it must be recognized that I did not commit acts whose public danger corresponds to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and the criminal prosecution did not have a legitimate goal and was not necessary.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220407","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is held behind closed doors.\nThe accused file motions to exclude a number of expert opinions from the evidence, to return the criminal case to the prosecutor in order to eliminate violations of the criminal procedure law. The defendants believe that \"the wording of the charge is vague and is speculation.\"\nIn his petition, Vardan Zakaryan asks to appoint a handwriting examination to determine the authenticity of his signature in the interrogation protocol. He also requests a forensic examination to establish ways to amend the protocol.\nState prosecutor Olga Bulkina objects to the petitions. Judge Evgenia Babinova dismisses the petitions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220309","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the term of house arrest for all believers for another 6 months.\nThe preliminary hearing is postponed until March 9. It is planned to consider the issues of declaring evidence inadmissible and returning the criminal case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220216","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Tchaikovsky, Yuri Chernyshev, Sergey Shatalov, Vitaly Komarov and Vardan Zakaryan receive copies of the indictment.\nThe criminal case goes to the Babushkinsky District Court of Moscow. It is appointed to Judge Evgenia Babinova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2022-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20220211","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, representatives of law enforcement agencies gather with witnesses at several residential buildings in Khovrino and the Levoberezhny district of Moscow, Khimki and Chekhov. Their goal is the families of Jehovah's Witnesses. The first reports of the invasion of the apartments come from believers at 06:20. During the first hours, at least 10 searches become known.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20210210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presnensky District Court of Moscow extends the term of house arrest for Yuri Chernyshev, Ivan Tchaikovsky, Vitaly Komarov, Sergey Shatalov until April 23 and Vardan Zakaryan until April 22.\nJudge Olga Kiselkova refuses to lift the ban on communication with their wives, because of which they are forced to live separately. She justifies this by the fact that the men are accused of committing a serious crime (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20210121","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presnensky District Court of Moscow decides to release 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan after 6 days of detention and send him under house arrest until January 23. As soon as a believer is released, he submits an application to the prosecutor's office stating that during his detention on November 24 he was hit on the head with the butt of an automatic rifle, he lost consciousness and was hospitalized in the 20th city clinical hospital. According to the defender of the believer, during his detention in the temporary detention facility, Zakaryan was subjected to strong psychological pressure in order to force him to give out information about his fellow believers, as well as to confess to extremist crimes that he did not commit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2020-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20201130","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest","ivs","interrogation","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presnensky District Court of Moscow decides to release three more believers from custody: Vitaly Komarov, Ivan Tchaikovsky, and Yuri Chernyshev. All of them were chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\nMeanwhile, Vardan Zakaryan remains in the temporary detention facility by a court decision. There, psychological pressure is exerted on him in order to incriminate fellow believers and take the blame for extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20201127","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presnensky District Court of Moscow orders Sergey Shatalov to be placed under house arrest for 2 months after he spent 2 days in a temporary detention center. For other detainees, the court extends the period of detention to 72 hours.\nAt the insistence of the security forces, Vardan Zakaryan was discharged from the 20th city clinical hospital and taken under escort to the isolation ward at 38 Petrovka Street. There, investigator D. Smadich conducts an interrogation at night and charges the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2020-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20201126","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["house-arrest","ivs","interrogation","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At least 20 searches of believers are taking place in Moscow. Ivan Tchaikovsky, 65, Sergey Shatalov, 51, Yuriy Chernyshev, 57, and Vitaliy Komarov, 44, were placed in a temporary detention facility (IVS). They are being held in an isolation ward at 38 Petrovka Street.\nDuring the search, 49-year-old Vardan Zakaryan is hit in the head with a butt, falls to the floor, and blood flows from the wound. He was hospitalized in the 20th city clinical hospital with a diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy. A convoy is posted outside the ward, relatives are not allowed to give food to the believer.\nLaw enforcement officers carry out the storming of Yuriy Chernyshev's apartment with particular rudeness: they break down the front door and break the window. The security forces broadcast operational video footage on their resources as the detention of especially dangerous criminals. Yuriy himself is thrown face down on the floor during the assault, and his wife is ordered to stand facing the wall. Investigator Andrei Silakhov participates in the special operation, who expresses insults to believers. Law enforcement officers threaten to send the minor daughter of a married couple to a shelter.\nAmong the investigators involved in the raids was Valeriya Bashaeva from the Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases (crimes against the person and public safety). She also searches the apartment of 34-year-old Viktor Tchaikovsky. Security forces seize electronic devices and data carriers.\nAt 33-year-old Y. M., the security forces look through her correspondence in instant messengers and threaten her with prison, Bibles and postcards were seized from her.\nIn another case, security officials insulted two female believers, threatening to strip them and put them out on the street.\nAnother search takes place in the family of A., who was also beaten on the back by the security forces with the butt of an automatic rifle and thrown to the floor. During the search, electronic devices, flash drives, bank cards, cash, documents, personal records, a tape recorder, cassettes and even a calculator were seized from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chaykovskiy and others in Moscow","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow/index.html#20201124","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2025, Olga Chebrak faced criminal prosecution for friendly meetings with fellow believers, which the investigators interpret as continuing the activities of an extremist organization. A search was conducted in her home. Previously, the believer had been a witness in the case of Oleg Postnikov. Five months later Olga's case went to court.","date":"2025-10-07","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html","prisoners":["chebrak"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case of Olga Chebrak goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html#20260320","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin interrogates Olga Chebrak as a suspect. The believer cites Article 51 of the RF Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html#20251120","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7 a.m., three FSB officers come to search Olga Chebrak's house. Later, a lawyer arrives. The search lasts more than three hours. Two mobile phones, two laptops and personal records were seized from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html#20251009","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against Olga Chebrak under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe wording of the document is almost similar to that contained in the cases of Elena Shestopalova and Natalia Kocheva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html#20251007","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, interrogates Olga Chebrak as a witness in the case of Oleg Postnikov. The investigator threatens the believer with prosecution under the article on refusal to testify due to the fact that she uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. He forces her to sign a consent to record a voice sample.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chebrak in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan27/index.html#20250409","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2023, Pavel Chemrov became a defendant in a criminal case for his faith in Jehovah God. The local department of the Investigative Committee had been monitoring him since February 2018. The believer was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and he was placed under a recognizance agreement as a preventive measure. In June 2024, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 3.5 years in a penal colony for Chemrov. In December 2024, he was given a 3-year suspended sentence. In March 2025, the appeal upheld that decision.","date":"2023-12-21","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html","prisoners":["chemrov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Anton Izmodenov. Krasnoyarsk Regional Court (17 Mira Ave., Krasnoyarsk). Time: 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20250306","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to send Pavel Chemrov to a general regime colony for 3 years and 6 months.\nThe defendant makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20241224","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the 15th volume of the case materials. The defense draws the court's attention to the violation of the procedure for the seizure, examination and description of material evidence.\nThen investigator Mikhail Kozharin, who interrogated the witness in the case, is interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240918","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a man who studied the Bible with Pavel at his own request \"to broaden his horizons\" and later began to cooperate with law enforcement agencies. The witness says that the FSB officer offered him to install a video camera to record the man's conversations with Pavel. The officer, according to the witness, explained to him that there was \"little compromising evidence\" on Chemrov. During the interrogation, the witness himself does not confirm any of the proposed statements proving the guilt of the defendant. The prosecutor files a motion to read out the testimony of this witness given during the preliminary investigation, and the court grants the request.\nThen the second witness, the mother of the previously interrogated man, is interrogated. She reports that she heard \"only good\" things from Chemrov, but she herself did not attend the Bible studies. The prosecutor again filed a motion to read out the woman's testimony given during the preliminary investigation, the request was granted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240911","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates two witnesses for the prosecution, who, answering the judge's questions, use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. One of them confirms that he did not hear from the defendant calls to extremism, hatred and undermining of the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240828","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches documents about Pavel's state of health to the case file and proceeds to examine the case materials – volumes 1 to 17.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240808","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the guilty verdict. Pavel Chemrov expresses his attitude to the accusation. He draws attention to the fact that \"the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in its decisions did not examine the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, did not recognize them as extremist and did not prohibit their practice jointly.\"\nThe believer emphasizes: \"In my actions, I have never been guided by motives of political, ideological, racial, national, religious hatred or enmity, or motives of hatred or enmity towards any social group.\"\nThe court grants the lawyer's request for time for additional familiarization with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240806","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Irina Ivanova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240625","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Nazarov Interdistrict Prosecutor Y. Viltsan approves the indictment against Pavel Chemrov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20240621","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"M. Kozharino, senior investigator of the Nazarovsky district department, interrogates Pavel Chemrov and brings him in as an accused. According to the investigator, saying prayers and studying religious literature is participation in the activities of an extremist organization and is subject to criminal punishment.\nChemrov is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20231228","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice M. Kozharin, investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Pavel Chemrov. On the same day, the believer's house was searched. His tablet and personal records were seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chemrov in Nazarovo","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo2/index.html#20231221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2021, the Investigative Committee made Yuriy Chernykh a defendant in a case for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Previously, the believer was interrogated as a witness in the case against Andrey Vlasov, another Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness from Prokopyevsk. The home of the Chernykhs was searched twice; the father of a minor, he was obliged to appear, and later was made to sign a recognizance agreement. In June 2022, the case went to court. And in September 2023, the court found Yuriy Chernykh guilty and sentenced him to 3 years of forced labor with 15% of his salary going to the government and a 2.5-year ban on public activity. In November 2023, the court of appeal upheld the verdict against the believer.","date":"2021-11-05","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html","prisoners":["chernykh"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernykh performs forced labor in medical correctional facility No. 16 in the Kemerovo region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20240920","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["labor","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Alyona Novoselova. Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, Kemerovo Region (9 Karl Liebknecht St., Prokopyevsk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20230928","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 2.5 years of forced labor for Yuriy Chernykh with a deduction of 15% of his salary in favor of the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20230814","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri testifies and explains that thoughts from the Bible were discussed at meetings with friends, which does not require a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20230711","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to review video recordings from the case materials that Jehovah's Witnesses use in worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20230501","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, audio recordings of worship services are listened to, in particular, a recording of a conversation on biblical topics, where the question \"who is God?\" is discussed, as well as tips for strengthening marriage.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20230413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer Karpov is summoned for questioning.\nHe finds it difficult to explain on what grounds he determined that the defendant committed criminal activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20220829","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Secret witness Reutov, who had previously testified against another believer from Prokopyevsk, Andrei Vlasov, is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20220808","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20220718","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Yuri Chernykh is submitted to the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk and referred to the Deputy Chairman of the Court, Alyona Novoselova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20220608","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernykh is elected a new measure of restraint - a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20220426","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Chernykh, the father of a minor child, is being searched again. In addition to electronic media, the security forces seize TV, as well as postcards and personal notes.\nInvestigator Zorin interrogates Chernykh. He uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives him the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones. The investigator hands over to the believer the decision to initiate criminal case No. 12102320012000120 against him. An obligation is taken from the Chernykhs to appear.\nPreviously, Yuri Chernykh was a witness in the case of Andrei Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20211110","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"T. V. Zorina, an investigator for internal affairs of the investigative department for the city of Prokopyevsk of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned organization) against unidentified persons.\nAccording to the investigation, some residents of Prokopyevsk, \"acting deliberately, by a group of persons, in agreement with A.V. Vlasov, realizing criminal intent, being in an unidentified place on the territory of the city of Prokopyevsk ... participated in the activities of the liquidated organization.\" This is how the investigation characterizes the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20211105","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers search the house of Yuri Chernykh and his wife Yelena. After the searches, they are taken for interrogation to the FSB department in Prokopyevsk. It turns out that the investigative actions are taking place in the framework of the criminal case against Andrei Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk2/index.html#20200712","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2025, the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Chertov, charging him with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A series of searches took place in Alushta, Yalta, and the villages of Partenit and Lazurne. Two days later, the court imposed a preventive measure on the believer — a ban on certain actions, and later he was placed under a recognizance agreement. In September, he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.","date":"2025-08-04","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html","prisoners":["chertov"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","type":"cases"},{"body":"The security forces come to search the office of Jehovah's Witness. They seize all electronic devices, hard drives and flash drives from the man. The believer is taken for interrogation to the local FSB department.\nThe security forces threaten the believer to keep him in custody until he agrees to cooperate. The man becomes ill, an ambulance is called for him and subsequently hospitalized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20260311","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is placed under a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20260226","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Alushta, as part of the criminal case against Vladimir Chertov, at least 9 searches are being carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses and persons who do not profess this religion. During searches, law enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices from believers. Everyone is interrogated at their place of residence. Several citizens become ill, the staff are forced to call an ambulance for them.\nOne of the believers, a man with severe chronic illnesses, is knocked down by law enforcement officers and pressed to the floor. His blood pressure rises.\nDuring the search, the elderly woman's pulse increases to 170 beats per minute, she is taken to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20260219","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","siloviks-violence","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court imposes a ban on certain actions on Vladimir Chertov as a preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20250829","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Officers of the regional directorates of the FSB of Russia and the Center for Counteracting Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, supported by armed riot police, are conducting searches in the homes of several families of believers. Vladimir Chertov is detained and charged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20250827","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol opens a criminal case against 52-year-old Jehovah's Witness Vladimir Chertov. He is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Chertov in Alushta","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alushta/index.html#20250804","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2021, in the Altai Territory, security forces conducted a special operation codenamed \u0026ldquo;Armageddon\u0026rdquo;. Among the believers facing criminal prosecution was Andrey Danielyan from Rubtsovsk. The apartment of the Danielyan couple was searched, and they were interrogated. He was accused of participating in extremist activity and added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, blocking all his bank accounts and seizing cash collected for repairs. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement. Later, the investigator reclassified the charge from participating in to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court in August 2022. Within 5 sessions, the court reached the stage of closing arguments. The prosecutor requested 7 years imprisonment for Danielyan. In November 2022, the court sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony. The courts of appeal and cassation both upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-05-25","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html","prisoners":["danielyan"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Andrey is in a cell with five other prisoners. The atmosphere is respectful: smokers try to take into account the interests of non-smokers. Relations with the administration are normal.\nAndrey's blood pressure sometimes rises, he is bothered by lower back pain, but he has a blood pressure monitor and the necessary medications. He assesses the food as not bad.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20250818","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Danielyan is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Omsk region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20250812","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey regularly receives letters, both paper and electronic. However, by order of the colony administration, personal copies of the Bible and Koran were confiscated from all convicts. Andrey is glad that he has the opportunity to read the Bible from the colony's library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2024-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20241220","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, the believer works at a bath and laundry plant. Living conditions are normal: the room is warm, dry and clean. Danielyan has good relations with other prisoners.\nAndrey tries to maintain a positive attitude. Twice he was allowed long-term visits with his wife. He also has a Bible from which he draws support. Letters give him great joy.\nIn the summer, the colony held an open day for relatives and the public. The believer was visited by his mother and brother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20231205","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Andrey Danielyan was taken to correctional colony No. 8 in the Omsk region (Omsk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2023-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20230309","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Danielyan leaves SIZO-4 of Rubtsovsk and goes to the colony, where he will serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2023-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20230218","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Danielyan in the pre-trial detention center, where the believer was placed immediately after the verdict was announced. He says that at first it was difficult to get used to the new conditions of detention. Danielyan did not expect that just for reading the Bible he would receive a real prison term.\nFor the first week of his imprisonment, Andrey was in quarantine, which did not provide for walks on the street. He was then transferred to a double cell, where he is kept alone. Now the believer is taken out into the fresh air, which helps him maintain a positive attitude.\nThe believer has no complaints about his health. The administration of the institution treats Danielyan with respect. He has already had 2 dates with his wife. The believer has a Bible. Letters from family and friends also serve as a great support for him. He has already received more than 200 of them - not only from Russia, but also from Kazakhstan, Germany, Belarus and the Baltic states.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20221215","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Danielyan delivers his final statement. He wonders: \"How can you forbid believing, worshiping God? These are the promptings of the soul and heart. They can't be banned!\"\nThe court convicts the believer - 6 years in a general regime colony. Danielyan is taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Rubtsovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2022-11-07T13:15:43+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20221107","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment in a penal colony for Andrey Danielyan. The court entered the stage of debate of the parties in just 5 sessions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2022-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20221024","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Rubtsovsk City Court of the Altai Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20220803","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"S. A. Zavorin, Senior Investigator for Internal Affairs of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Altai Territory, hands Andrey Danielyan a decision to bring him as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Thus, the investigator reclassifies the charge from part 2 (participation) to part 1 (organization).\nThe document states that \"A. E. Danielyan propagated the ideology on behalf of a group of people calling themselves \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", in particular the idea of the primary and immutable authority of Jehovah, the opposition of Jehovah and Satan, the \"spirit of God\" and the \"spirit of the world\", the need to live in accordance with the moral laws established by Jehovah's norms, which is manifested in respect for the authority (divine), in the preference of the spiritual to the material, which is propaganda of the exclusivity and superiority of persons on the basis of belonging to the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAlso, according to the investigation, \"A.E. Danielyan carried out preaching activities, and in addition conducted a prayer for all those gathered and discussed the holding of subsequent meetings, which testifies to the leading role of A.E. Danielyan in this meeting of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nA senior investigator interrogates Danielyan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20220713","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator arrests Andrey Danielyan's property - cash seized during the search (about 145 thousand rubles) - on the basis of a decision of the Central District Court of Barnaul.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2021-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20210618","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers are conducting a special operation codenamed \"Armageddon\" in Barnaul, Zarinsk, Rubtsovsk, the village of Telmenka and the villages of Troitskoye, Shakhi and Lugovoye.The search in the family of Andrei Danielyan is carried out by investigator S. A. Zavorin with the participation of FSB operative D. A. Davydov, an IT specialist and 2 witnesses. At 6 o'clock in the morning they come to the apartment of believers and open the door with their key. Danielyan and his wife wake up to the sound of the door opening. The search shall take place without the use of force.\nThe investigator seized electronic devices, a diary, bank cards, documents for an apartment and personal savings that believers were saving for the repair of the dacha. An IT specialist from the FSB opens the account on the believer's laptop and copies files and personal correspondence from it.\nAfter a 4-hour search of the spouses, the Danielyans are taken for interrogation to the FSB, where the investigator tries to put pressure on Andrey to incriminate himself and cooperate with the investigation \"for the sake of his wife's well-being.\" The investigator chooses a preventive measure against Andrey Danielyan in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20210527","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Barnaul Marina Novikova gives permission to conduct a search in the apartment of Andrey Danielyan and 7 other believers.\nAndrey Danielyan is elected a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20210526","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"S. A. Zavorin, senior investigator for internal affairs of the Altai Territory Directorate of the Federal Security Service of Russia, initiates a criminal case against 52-year-old Andrey Danielyan for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses and conversations with people on spiritual topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20210525","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational search measures are being carried out in relation to Andrey Danielyan: wiretapping of telephone conversations, obtaining information from a personal computer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danielyan in Rubtsovsk","date":"2021-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rubtsovsk/index.html#20210101","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2021, a wave of searches took place in Sochi as part of a criminal case against Danil Suvorov. He was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention center. The believer was accused of involving a local resident (as it turned out later, an infiltrated informant) in the activities of an extremist organization. Six months later, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory initiated a criminal case against Danil and his elder brother Denis. They were charged with two articles: participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it. In April 2022, the case against Denis was separated into a separate proceeding. On the same day, Danil was charged with a new version, and in May his case went to court. In June 2023, the prosecutor requested 8 years in a general regime colony for Danil. The court sentenced the believer to 6 years in prison. A year later, the court of appeal upheld this decision. In April 2026, Suvorov was released.","date":"2022-02-08","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html","prisoners":["suvorovd"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","type":"cases"},{"body":"Danil regularly receives parcels. There are 50 people in his barracks. The believer works in the sewing workshop, and he is praised for his conscientious attitude to work.\nA few months ago, for made-up reasons, Danil served 15 days in a punishment cell. His relations with the administration of the penal colony are normal. Prisoners note that Suvorov is not easily rattled, and one of them said: \"You people should definitely not be here.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20250905","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to Danil Suvorov, the conditions of detention in the colony are normal. His health condition is not bad, but he needs dental treatment. Relations with prisoners are normal. Before him, other Jehovah's Witnesses who had earned a good reputation had already served time in this colony. Danil has a library copy of the Bible and receives letters regularly.\nThe believer was visited by a human rights activist of one of the public organizations.\nDanil is very worried about his retired mother, who has to travel 1500 km from Sochi to visit him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20240819","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","human-rights-defenders","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Danil Suvorov was transferred to correctional colony No. 12, located in the Republic of Mordovia. Letters of support can be sent by regular mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20240620","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","families","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ekaterina Ostapenko. Central District Court of Sochi (Sochi, Gorky Street, 20). Start: 11.30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230620","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 8 years of restriction of freedom for Danil Suvorov with serving time in a correctional colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230607","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Danil Suvorov is brought from the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center to a court hearing in Sochi, the road is about 300 km. By order of the judge, only two listeners are allowed into the hall, about 70 people remain on the street.\nThe defense announces information about the fundamentals of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge often interrupts the lawyer and does not allow him to read the material in full. The lawyer objects to the actions of the judge, since the court actually prevents the presentation of evidence and the presentation of the defense position.\nDanil Suvorov has been in pre-trial detention for almost 2 years. He maintains a positive attitude, only worries about his mother. The believer is grateful to his friends who come to support him at court hearings. According to him, this gives him strength.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230512","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Danil Suvorov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Krasnodar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230315","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the court of first instance did not allow Danil to familiarize himself with the audio protocol, he asks the court of appeal to eliminate this violation. The panel grants this request. An appeal hearing will be held at a later date.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20230213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"My son is a believer, reads the Bible, lives according to the laws of God, talks about God, respects people, he is being judged for this,\" the defendant's mother says during interrogation. The witness adds that her son treats representatives of other faiths well, she has never heard from him negative statements about anyone, calls for genocide and repression.\nPrior to this, the court refused to discuss the petition for publicity of the trial and admission of listeners to the hall. Because of this, more than 50 people were left waiting for news from the courtroom on the street.\nAt the previous hearing, the defendant was not allowed to express his attitude to the charges. In this regard, the lawyer asks to provide this opportunity again. After the recess, the judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20221107","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ekaterina Ostapenko. Central District Court of Sochi (Sochi, Gorky St., 20).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220624","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people come to the courthouse to support Danil. They greet him with thunderous applause.\nThe court satisfies the request for time to familiarize itself with the case materials and adjourn the court session.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220624","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is held in the case of the believer. Judge Kateryna Ostapenko extends Suvorov's detention until November 31, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220610","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Central District Court of Sochi.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220531","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the termination of the criminal case, since, according to the expert's conclusion, there is no extremism in the actions of Danil Suvorov. Also, the defense submits a petition for a confrontation with an embedded agent, for the interrogation of a linguist-religious scholar, for a request to the Ministry of Justice for the Krasnodar Territory to provide the charters of previously operating legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220430","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. G. Andrianov, senior investigator for the Central District of Sochi, involves Danil Suvorov as an accused. In addition to Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he is charged with Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - participation in the activities of a banned religious organization.\nThe investigator claims that \"in the period from 10.11.2019 to 30.08.2020 ... Suvorov, acting deliberately... carried out active actions aimed at persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving a person ... in the activities of the banned extremist religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" This is how the investigation interprets the believer's peaceful conversations on biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Danil Suvorov in custody. He says that the emotional and physical condition of the believer is good. Danil is in a special unit, the cell is warm and clean, the food is satisfactory. There are three more people with the believer, with whom he has friendly relations.\nPeriodically, Danil is transported from the Armavir pre-trial detention center to the Sochi temporary detention center to ensure his participation in the investigation. The road takes more than 8 hours, he does not tolerate such crossings. Relatives gave him pills for motion sickness.\nDanil says that he does not feel any pressure from the administration or the investigation. He is regularly given parcels and letters, and is allowed to use the Bible.\nThe investigator acquaints Danil and his lawyer with the conclusions of experts: psychological-linguistic, religious, and computer-technical. In one of the examinations, 4 videos of a Bible study made by an embedded agent were examined. According to the expert's conclusions, \"nothing extremist was found.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220424","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. G. Andrianov, senior investigator of the Central District Department of Sochi of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, initiates a new criminal case, now against not only Danil, but also Denis Suvorov (siblings) under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigator considers the Suvorovs' conversations about the Bible with a local resident to be involvement in extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20220208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Danil Suvorov is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Krasnodar Territory. For 2.5 months he has been in detention just because of his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20211103","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Sochi, as part of the criminal case against Danil Suvorov, searches are being carried out at several addresses of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20210820","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 6:30 a.m. in Sochi, searches have been carried out at three addresses. Law enforcement officers invade Danil Suvorov, electronic equipment is seized from him.\nAt the same time, the security forces are looking for Suvorov at the home of other believers living in the village of Vesyoloye, Adler District, Sochi. The search is carried out under the direction of the senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory R. A. Shevriev. Law enforcement officers are looking for religious literature. They confiscate electronic equipment, personal notes, postcards and a book about Jehovah's Witnesses by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko.\nAfter the searches, the detainees are taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. Later, everyone except Danil Suvorov was released, and he was placed in a temporary detention facility.\nAnother search takes place at the home of an elderly woman. Law enforcement officers searching the house mistakenly believe that the woman is the mother of Danil Suvorov. Later, her son, Danil's fellow believer, is summoned for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20210818","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory is initiating a criminal case against 25-year-old Danil Suvorov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Suvorov, \"using his authority as a spiritual leader ... Jehovah's Witnesses, took active steps aimed at persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving ... [a local resident] in the activities of a banned extremist ... [organization] on the territory of Sochi\". This is how law enforcement officers qualify ordinary peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible. The criminal case is being investigated by senior investigator A. G. Andrianov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Danil Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi3/index.html#20210813","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2020, Aleksandr Davydenko from the village of Pavlovskaya came to the attention of law enforcement officers. He was suspected of extremism. His home and the home of his aunt, Lyudmila Shchekoldina, were searched, after which he was interrogated in the FSB building as a witness. After 3 years, in April 2023, a criminal case was initiated against him under articles on participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. In September 2023, Aleksandr was detained and sent to a pretrial detention center. After 9 months, his case went to court. The proceedings were based on the testimony of Ilchenko, an undercover agent, who gave recordings of conversations with Davydenko about God to the FSB. In January 2025, the court found Davydenko guilty and sentenced him to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony. This decision entered into force 3 months later.","date":"2024-04-10","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html","prisoners":["davydenko"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"After quarantine, Aleksandr Davydenko was placed in a punishment cell due to fabricated violations. He receives only paper letters; he does not have a Bible yet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20251204","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Davydenko is in penal colony No. 9 for the Krasnodar Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-11-03T13:21:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20251103","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I have been under arrest for quite a long time – almost a year and a half. This affects my physical and emotional health,\" Aleksandr Davydenko makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20250219","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Lev Bogdanov. Pavlovsky District Court of Krasnodar Territory (23 Lenin Street, Pavlovskaya Station). Time: 15:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20250205","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Lev Bogdanov. Pavlovsky District Court of Krasnodar Territory (23 Lenin Street, Pavlovskaya Station). Time: 15:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20250121","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another 14 people are being held in a 10-bed cell together with Aleksandr Davydenko. The believer maintains peaceful relations with his cellmates. Food in the pre-trial detention center is normal, there is an opportunity to go for walks.\n2-3 times a month Aleksandr is taken from the Armavir pre-trial detention center to court hearings in the Pavlovsky district court. According to the believer, these trips are difficult for him, since the one-way trip is about 200 kilometers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-11-06T14:47:19+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20241106","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are being questioned. Both women describe Aleksandr as a respectful, kind and sympathetic person. A neighbor of the defendant says: \"The whole street is for you, we will all sign it.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20241023","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Valery Ilchenko, a special services agent who also testified against Lyudmila Shchekoldina and Maxim Beltikov, is being interrogated. Answering questions, he says that believers introduced him to biblical teachings, encouraged him to do good and develop friendship with God and people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240919","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the case of Oleksandr Davydenko begin. He states that he does not agree with all the counts of the charge, drawing attention to the fact that the ban on a legal entity does not entail a ban on the practice of religion.\nThe mother of the defendant is interrogated. The prosecution is discussing the testimony she gave in 2019 as part of the case of Vladimir Skachidub.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It is assigned to Judge Lev Bogdanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240618","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr was transferred to a 10-bed cell, which contains 13 people. He has his own bed. The man has a good relationship with his cellmates. Letters come regularly. Davydenko receives parcels and orders dairy products at the stall of the pre-trial detention center. He has a Psalter and a New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240516","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives learn that Aleksandr Davydenko is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Armavir. Upon arrival, he was quarantined for 10 days.\nThere are 12 people in the 10-bed cell where Aleksandr is being held. He has his own bed, but because of the noise in the cell, it is difficult to sleep. The cell is warm, but damp, there is mold, which is why the believer has a cough.\nDavydenko has a Bible. He receives letters and tries to maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20240418","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory chooses a preventive measure for Davydenko in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20230915","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Davydenko is charged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20230426","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Pavlovsk Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Captain of Justice V. V. Kulazhenkov initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Davydenko under two articles - participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement of other persons in it.\nThe decision to open a criminal case says that Davydenko \"took part in... religious training event – a lesson on the study of the \"Holy Scriptures\" (biblical texts)\", which, according to the investigation, constitutes a crime.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20230410","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers come to Davydenko's workplace and bring him home for a search. At this time, members of his family are there.\nThe search in the presence of witnesses, a specialist and FSB officers lasts about 7 hours. Electronic devices, storage media, personal records, bank cards and cash are seized from the man. They also search the local area and the man's car.\nThen the believer is interrogated for 40 minutes as a witness in the FSB department of the village of Pavlovskaya. The interrogation is conducted by the senior investigator-criminalist of the Krasnodar Territory Directorate of the FSB of Russia A. A. Lebashev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar orders a search of the home of 28-year-old Aleksandr Davydenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Davydenko in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya4/index.html#20200428","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2021, searches took place in Sochi as part of a criminal case against Danil Suvorov, Denis's younger brother. Danil was detained and taken into custody. The believer was accused of involving a local resident (as it turned out later, an embedded informant) in the activities of an extremist organization. Six months later, the investigator opened a new criminal case, his defendant was Danil's brother Denis. Both were accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and being involved in it. In April 2022, the cases were divided.","date":"2022-02-08","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi4/index.html","prisoners":["suvorovden"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Denis Suvorov in Sochi","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case of Denis Suvorov is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Denis Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi4/index.html#20220429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory A. G. Andrianov initiates a criminal case against Denis Suvorov, the elder brother of Danila Suvorov. He is charged with two articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) - involvement and participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The investigator considers conversations about God and the Bible with a local resident to be involvement in extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Denis Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi4/index.html#20220208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Sochi, as part of the criminal case against Danil Suvorov , searches are being carried out at several addresses of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Denis Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi4/index.html#20210820","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory initiates a criminal case against Denis's younger brother, Danil Suvorov, under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Denis Suvorov in Sochi","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi4/index.html#20210813","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2021, a criminal case was initiated against three believers from Izhevsk for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The next day, FSB and Investigative Committee officers conducted mass searches in the city and interrogated 14 people. Maksim Derendyaev and Aleksandr Kutin were detained and placed in a pretrial detention center, and Sergey Ashikhmin was banned from certain actions. Kutin was released under house arrest after 15 days, and Derendyaev after 3 months. In February 2022, the case against the three men went to court. It was based, among other things, on the testimony of secret witnesses. In May 2024, the court sentenced the believers to 3 years in a penal colony. In September, the court of appeal upheld the sentence.","date":"2021-04-13","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html","prisoners":["ashikhmin","derendyaev","kutin"],"regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kutin goes to the library on weekends and plays board games. For participating in sporting events, he was awarded an additional visit from his wife. The believer is treated with respect and called a \"good person.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2026-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20260425","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim continues working as an electrician and is training his workmate. He has to work a lot, sometimes for 12 hours. Recently, he had pain in his spine. He underwent treatment and felt better; he is exercising.\nMaksim has earned a good reputation with the administration. At a recent regional competition on knowledge of the Bible, the believer took first place. He had to answer 40 questions about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20260331","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in a unit where convicted persons with disabilities are held. The barracks are non-smoking, the territory is well looked after. Movement around the penal colony is strictly regulated, and it can be difficult to get medical care.\nThe believer has a Bible from the library in the penal colony. Letters come regularly: on average, about 10 e-mails and 20 paper letters per month. He is able to keep in touch with his wife. Ashikhmin also has all the necessary medication.\nSergey has an artificial heart valve, so he quickly gets tired and feels shortness of breath. In February, he had blood tests — some indicators were out of the norm, and therefore he needs to consult a cardiologist. In addition, the believer still needs dental care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2026-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20260329","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev works a lot, sometimes returns to the barracks only at 9:00 p.m. He now has a partner to help him do the electrical work. Recently, his wife came to the colony for an extended visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20260219","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about forty people in the unit where Sergey Ashikhmin is kept, the premises are warm. They cook better in the new penal colony. The believer is recovering from an illness, so he is not working yet. Sergey's relations with the other prisoners and the administration are normal. Letters, especially from his wife, help Ashikhmin adapt. Friends visit the believer.\nRecently, Sergey managed to get a new set of dentures: within a day a specialist made and brought a new set to the penal colony — to replace the broken one — which fitted him perfectly, although he had not even once tried it on. The head of the medical unit of the penal colony said that it was the first time that this has happened in his practice.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2026-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20260131","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in penal colony No. 1 for the Chuvash Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-26T11:16:03+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251226","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kutin lives in a barracks where there are about 140 prisoners. He has developed a hobby — making objects from wood. The believer reads the Bible regularly and on Sundays he sets aside time to reply to letters.\nAt times Aleksandr has health problems: he has numbness and cramps in his limbs. To stay fit, Aleksandr exercises and walks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251222","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in the transit cell of IK-5 in the Nizhny Novgorod region. He was examined by a cardiologist and gave blood for analysis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251217","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev is being held together with 52 prisoners in a barrack with heating. He is a qualified electrician and recently got appropriate work in the penal colony. The first month turned out to be especially difficult: a new team, stress and autumn blues built up.\nRecently, the believer developed back pain, and he managed to get an appointment with a therapist in the medical unit. Although an X-ray is still required to make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor's prescriptions have already helped, and soon Maksim was able to resume physical exercises that keep him in shape.\nThanks to the efforts of his wife, the problem with receiving letters has been resolved, and now they arrive regularly — two or three a day. The Bibles Maksim had brought have disappeared. For the time being, he reads the Synodal translation from the library of the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251122","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in penal colony No. 5 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region. His transfer has been dragging on for 9 months — since February 2025. Because of this, he cannot undergo an examination to adjust his treatment following heart surgery. It is warm in the cell where the believer is kept. There is no hot water, but he can go to the bathhouse twice a week. Ashikhmin has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251118","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in penal colony No. 5 for the Nizhny Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-14T13:25:56+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20251114","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention conditions of Maksim Derendyaev remain difficult — there is still no change of clothes, despite repeated appeals to the administration. The issue with receiving letters has not been resolved: there have been no paper letters for 1 month and no electronic ones for 1.5 months. The food provided is not of high quality, but some can be bought in the penal colony store.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250930","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in the process of being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-09-25T14:27:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250925","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev had a long visit from his wife. According to her, his emotional state is good.\nMaksim's relations with other prisoners and with the administration are generally friendly. For example, one man who had previously been prejudiced against the believer told him before being released that he was a good person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250728","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin now has a Synodal tranlation of the Bible. The believer receives letters of support, but with delay.\nCigarette smoke in the barracks bothers Sergey, but in general he considers the living conditions satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250712","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr tries to look after his health by exercising regularly. The believer is respected among the prisoners who are kept in the same barracks with him. For his part, Aleksandr shows generosity by sharing products with others. He has the opportunity to call his relatives regularly by using the phone in the penal colony, and in early June he had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250619","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maxim tries to take care of his health, regularly takes vitamins, and maintains water balance. During his imprisonment, he received only 5 letters, one of which was international.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250520","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev lives in a barrack with about 50 prisoners. After the heating is turned off, you have to wash with cold water. Recently, he had a viral disease and was treated with improvised means from parcels: rosehips, cloves, garlic, onions and vitamins. Some time ago, Maksim had the opportunity to buy groceries in a local store. He can also now do physical exercises that help him cope with the workload more easily.\nA believer receives many letters, but not all of them are censored. A three-day meeting with his wife was a great support for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250504","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kutin works in the socket assembly shop, and on weekends he plays football with other prisoners. A believer has a Bible. He receives letters of support once every two to three weeks. Recently, Aleksandr got a short meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250503","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In colony No. 4 in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Sergey Ashikhmin is kept in a barrack for 60 people and works in the sewing industry. He is the only non-smoker and, in order not to breathe cigarette smoke, tries to spend more time at the workplace. The believer has good relations with the administration and cellmates.\nAlthough the Bible has not yet been given to Sergey, he remains in a positive mood. The believer has not yet received letters. Recently, he had a long date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-04-04T17:49:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250404","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev works as a cleaner 7 days a week, 16 hours a day. A believer has a Bible. He has not yet received letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250316","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kutin has respectful relations with prisoners and employees of the penal colony. His Bible was taken away for inspection by a priest, but has not yet been returned. The believer has already received several letters of support. Recently, he had a long date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250314","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in penal colony No. 4 in the Nizhny Novgorod region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-13T11:27:02+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250313","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev says that he received a letter from a prisoner he met while still in jail. He wrote that communication with Derendyaev restored his faith in people, and also noted that the example of the believer had a strong positive impact on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250310","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev lives in a barrack with 63 prisoners. He performs the duties of the person responsible for cleanliness in the barracks. He has his own copy of the Bible, he has not yet received letters after arriving at the colony. Recently there was a short date with friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250306","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev is in correctional colony No. 1 in the Chuvas Republic. Aleksandr Kutin is in correctional colony No. 3 in the Republic of Mari El.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-02-24T16:26:16+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250224","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is being held in a barracks for the disabled. They don't smoke there; Convicts are allowed walks and daytime naps, and they go out for formation and exercises at will. The man is given the necessary medications, but periodically he experiences chest pain. He also needs dental care again. A believer has a Bible. He recently got a three-day visit with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250221","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is in the process of transferring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-02-14T15:57:43+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250214","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev and Aleksandr Kutin are in the process of transferring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2025-02-13T11:02:54+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20250213","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev is in a 5-bed cell.The food is normal, parcels and parcels make a variety of the menu. Maksim had problems with his back. His cellmates gave him an exercise program that made him feel better. Maxim needs to consult a dentist.\nAleksandr Kutin was transferred to a 3-bed cell, where it is warm and there is hot water. His cellmates have health problems, so the believer is going to write an application for transfer to another cell. He tries to keep in good physical shape.\nSergey Ashikhmin changed three cameras in four days. At the moment he is kept in a 2-bed warm cell with one neighbor who does not smoke and goes in for sports. There is hot water.\nSergey, Maxim and Aleksandr do not lose optimism. They are supported by reading the Bible, as well as visiting their spouses and communicating with them on the phone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20241215","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ashikhmin is returning from IK-8 back to SIZO-1, from where he was temporarily transferred on August 26 for medical reasons. He undergoes examinations and takes medications.\nThe conditions of detention in the 7-bed cell of the pre-trial detention center until leaving for the penal colony are satisfactory. It is possible to walk in the fresh air. The believer has good relations with his cellmates and administration. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240930","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Maksim Derendyaev is held in a 6-bed cell. Since the administration has not yet responded to the believer's request to transfer him to a non-smoking cell, the cellmates try to cause Derendyaev as little inconvenience as possible with their smoking.\nAleksandr Kutin is in a 3-bed cell. He has good relations with the administration and cellmates.\nBelievers now have the opportunity to read the Bible. They receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240929","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the petition of Ashikhmin's defense to postpone the appeal hearing until the end of the medical examination of the believer and the response to the lawyer's request about the state of his health is received.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240903","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["appeal","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Ashikhmin is temporarily in correctional colony No. 8 in the Udmurt Republic, where he is undergoing a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240826","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While in pre-trial detention, Sergey Ashikhmin and Aleksandr Kutin maintain a positive attitude. They are allowed daily walks. The believers do not yet have Bibles, as the books were seized for inspection when they entered the pre-trial detention center. Men receive parcels from friends and family.\nSergey Ashikhmin is being held in a 6-bed cell. His cellmates show respect for him as the oldest. The believer has health problems — in 2020 he underwent heart surgery. He still has all the necessary medicines, but it is not possible to conduct mandatory monthly examinations in the pre-trial detention center, which can pose a real threat to his health and life.\nSergey misses his wife: \"For 16 years of marriage, my wife and I have not parted for more than a month.\" The believer is supported by letters from different countries. In total, he has already received about 100 of them. Although Sergey does not have reading glasses yet, he tries to answer all letters.\nAleksandr Kutin is kept in a 4-bed non-smoking cell, where prisoners maintain cleanliness. Since the believer is not yet enrolled in the library, he takes to read fiction from his cellmates. Alexander has a chronic cough, the necessary medicines are available in the medical unit. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received 38 letters. Emotionally, he is supported by the photos of his wife, which he carries with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240610","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Derendyaev has been in the Izhevsk pre-trial detention center for 3 weeks. He is being held in a 4-bed cell. The believer has his own bed. Maksim has normal relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\nDerendyaev can take walks and exercise, which helps him maintain his health. Employees of the medical unit are ready to give him the necessary medicines.\nThe believer's Bible was seized for verification. It is supported by broadcasts and numerous letters, mostly e-mail, of which about 50 came in three weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240607","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Kutin, Maksim Derendyaev and Sergey Ashikhmin are in SIZO-1 in the Udmurt Republic, where they were placed immediately after the verdict was announced. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-05-16T13:50:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240516","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I have never forced anyone to live according to the laws of God or to practice the unforbidden religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Maxim Derendyaev delivers his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-05-13T14:18:54+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240513","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","sentence","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Kutin and Sergey Ashikhmin deliver their closing remarks.\nKutin states: \"My beliefs have always been exclusively peaceful, so there are no victims or victims in the case.\"\nAshikhmin notes: \"My actions and words could not harm the constitutional order or the security of the state, since the Bible encourages me to love my neighbors and respect the authorities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240422","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the defense is taking place. Maksim Derendyaev's lawyer notes: \"[The court] needs to separate actions aimed at detecting extremism from performing religious rites without elements of extremism.\" She adds: \"He [Derendyaev] is just a deeply religious person. He wanted to follow the example of Jesus Christ.\"\nAleksandr Kutin's lawyer says: \"I believe that the main mistake of the prosecution is that it is looking for some kind of organization in the way worship is conducted, and not genuine extremism itself.\" He also notes: \"The content of the publications discussed by believers ... is the exact opposite of the signs of hatred and enmity that the Supreme Court has formulated and singled out.\"\nSergey Ashikhmin's lawyer states: \"None of the charges set forth in the indictment has been confirmed, both during the preliminary investigation and during the consideration of the criminal case in the present trial.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240325","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment in a colony for Maksim Derendyaev, Sergey Ashikhmin and Aleksandr Kutin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240311","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The medical documents of the defendants shall be attached to the case file.\nTwo investigators who interrogated three witnesses in the case testify in connection with the fact that the women stated that pressure was exerted on them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240205","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the request to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the law, promising to evaluate it when sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240129","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court, at the request of Maxim Derendyaev, attaches to the case file the response of the Ministry of Justice of Udmurtia to the request of believers. It says that the defendants were not the founders of the LRO in Izhevsk.\nThe court rejects the request for disclosure of the data of the secret witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20240115","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maxim Derendyaev draws attention to the fact that at the time of registration of the local religious organization (1992), he and Alexander Kutin were young children, and Sergey Ashikhmin lived in another republic. Therefore, none of them can be the founder of this LRO.\nThe characteristics of the defendants are investigated. The neighbors of the believers and the district police officer assess them positively: they are polite, calm, balanced people, they do not break the silence, they were not seen drunk, they have strong families.\nThe response to Irina Yakku from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation dated 02/20/2021 is announced, which, among other things, says: \"Members of a liquidated organization can independently practice religious worship, including as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20231225","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Seven defence witnesses are being questioned. They positively characterize the defendants, saying that they have strong families and good relations with their parents, they are responsible for their work, are always ready to help and do not refuse medical treatment. The witnesses did not hear any negative statements about the state authorities and representatives of other religions from the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20231211","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Aleksey Alekseev, who provided information to the detectives and the investigator and gave them explanations on hidden video footage of worship services, is being interrogated.\nThe court rejects the petition of the defendant Alexander Kutin to declassify the witness, since he is against.\nAlekseev informs the court that he has attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses since 2004. He confirms that the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is international. He also says that he attended worship services and participated in the preaching work voluntarily and did so for the purpose of studying the Bible.\nThe witness reports that he is not familiar with any document of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked by the defendant Maksim Derendyaev whether it is necessary to belong to any organization in order to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, he finds it difficult to answer.\nAt the end of the interrogation of the secret witness, Maksim Derendyaev makes a repeated request for his declassification, arguing that the use of such extraordinary security measures must have serious grounds, and the witness did not declare them and there were no threats from the defendants or other persons against him. The court shall attach this petition to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20231030","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Kirill Krayushkin, who conducted covert video filming of worship services, is being interrogated. He tells the court that he knows the defendant Sergey Ashikhmin, as he talked to him about God and the Bible. The witness says that he treats Sergey well, did not notice any negativity or pressure on his part. When asked by Ashikhmin why Krayushkin believes that Jehovah's Witnesses are banned, he says that he read about it on the Internet without checking the authenticity of the sources.\nThe witness also informs the court that he voluntarily continued to attend worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses after 2017. At the same time, he did not consider them extremist, but considered them as an opportunity to get acquainted with the Bible and the religious views of the Witnesses. When asked by the lawyer whether he was pressured at these services and whether he began to think like an extremist, the witness replied in the negative. He also states that he did not hear any appeals against the state authorities at the services.\nIn addition, Krayushkin says that he does not see the difference between meetings of believers and the organization. To the questions of the defendant Maksim Derendyaev, whether he can name the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, whether he has seen the documents of the LRO or its charter, the witness answers in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20231013","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Pavel Kosarev, an FSB officer, is being questioned at the hearing. He reports that there is a secret witness in the case who helped \"identify the accused and other members.\"\nWhen asked by Kutin whether the provision of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation was taken into account when deciding to start the ORM, the operative answers: \"It is not forbidden to freely profess faith in our country, but the elders of the congregation continued the activities of an extremist organization.\" At the same time, the witness, although he claims that he got acquainted with the Charter of the LRO, mistakenly classifies the canonical term \"elders\" as a legal entity in which there have never been \"elders\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230828","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1990-2000 is being questioned as a witness for the prosecution. He says it helped him understand the Bible better. He characterizes the defendants as follows: \"I have not met a single person there who treated me badly. Please don't judge them, they are very good people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230814","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of six witnesses. One of them, answering the question whether she needs a legal entity to worship God with friends and relatives, answers in the negative.\nAll witnesses confirm that the defendants did not hear extremist statements, calls for the severance of family relations, statements containing a negative assessment of persons who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and state security. They also give the defendants a positive characteristic. For example, one of the witnesses says that the defendants are \"very kind, sympathetic, benevolent; Good family men will always help you when you feel bad.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230717","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One woman says she knows the defendants but has not seen them for a long time. She speaks positively about them, saying, for example, that Derendyaev helped her assemble the closet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230529","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall request the disclosure of the testimony of the witness given during the preliminary investigation. She herself explains that she \"testified in a psychologically depressed state\" and that she was pressured during the interrogation. Another says: \"I don't remember, I didn't understand well then, I was in a serious condition, the questions were incomprehensible.\" Despite this, their testimonies are voiced. Women partially or completely do not confirm their words.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230522","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. All of them, including a former Jehovah's Witness, consistently characterize the defendants only from a positive point of view.\nAccording to one of them, \"Derendyaev is honest, decent, law-abiding, pays taxes. Kutin is sensitive, attentive, and cares about others. Ashikhmin... ready to help, non-conflicting.\"\nAnother witness notes that the record of his interrogation contains many inaccuracies and loose wording, which were added by someone later.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230424","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses whose homes were searched are being interrogated.\nOne of them says about the defendants: \"When I had difficulties, they helped me, provided support, like true friends.\"\nAnother witness emphasizes the kindness and responsiveness of the defendants, describes them as calm and adequate people. He says that he has not heard any negative statements about persons who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses from the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230403","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three elderly witnesses are being questioned. According to witnesses, the defendants did not treat anyone with hatred and did not call for discrimination on any grounds. Witnesses speak of them as good family men, exemplary workers, and kind people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230327","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A married couple is being interrogated. In response to a number of questions, the woman used Article 51 of the Constitution, emphasizing that she did not refuse to testify. She speaks of the defendants as kind and law-abiding people. She is not familiar with the legal wording concerning legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe man says that he saw the defendants for the first time at the previous hearing, so he cannot say anything about their attitude to other faiths.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230320","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer requests the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor in connection with the violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. The prosecutor objects, as he considers these violations to be \"insignificant\" and \"the petition is unfounded.\" The judge agrees with the position of the prosecutor: attaches the petition to the case file, but refuses to satisfy it.\nAn elderly woman is being interrogated. She repeatedly states that at the time of her testimony she was in a state of stress and was under pressure from the investigators. Describing the defendants, she says: \"Good boys. No one smokes, no one drinks, good families.\" The woman did not hear any calls for extremism from them.\nThe court grants the prosecutor's request to read out the record of the woman's interrogation. The defense objects, arguing that she is in the courtroom and can explain the difference in testimony herself. The witness states: \"I did not understand what I was saying there, I was in a state of stress. I want my [today's] answers to be recorded.\"\nMaksim Derendyaev's wife is being interrogated. Answering some of the questions, a woman enjoys the constitutional right not to testify against herself and her loved ones. About her husband, she says: \"Maxim is soft, never raises his voice, with a good sense of humor, caring.\" She also talks about her and her husband's chronic illnesses and the fact that Maxim's father needs his constant help.\nThe woman claims that the defendants did not call for the refusal of medical intervention, the severance of family relations or the failure to fulfill civil duties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230123","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Stefanidin is being interrogated. Answering most questions, he uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows him not to testify against himself and his loved ones. He does not corroborate his testimony during the preliminary investigation and states that he was intimidated by the initiation of criminal proceedings and dismissal from his job. (In December 2022, a criminal case was opened against him). Stefanidin says that the defendants respect people and he has not heard any extremist statements from them.\nThe next witness says that he knows Derendyaev, Kutin and Ashikhmin \"as serious people without bad habits who value life and the society in which they live\" and adds that they \"do not swear, hardworking, law-abiding.\"\nFurther, a man who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2013 is interrogated. He cannot answer many questions and does not confirm some of the testimonies recorded in the protocol.\nDespite the objection of the defense, the testimony is given by a representative of the Jewish community. According to counsel, he is not a specialist or expert in religious studies, is not competent to give explanations about the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses and is biased because of his religious beliefs. At the same time, the witness admits that he does not know the defendants personally, he did not see any manifestations of aggression on their part.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2023-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20230116","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six sessions in a row — 2, 7, 14, 21 November, 5 and 12 December — the court watches video recordings from the case materials.\nThe prosecutor motions to stop watching the worship meetings and to begin questioning prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20221212","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants re-apply for holding court hearings in open mode. Due to the epidemiological situation, the court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220912","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to recordings of telephone conversations of believers. Next, those present watch a video of the service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220905","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects Sergey Ashikhmin's petition to refuse a lawyer by appointment.\nThe prosecutor completes the announcement of the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220815","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to familiarize itself with the materials of the case. During the hearing, Aleksandr Kutin drew the court's attention to the fact that some of the materials in question date back to September 2014, when the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia were not banned, and therefore cannot be used by the prosecution as evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220808","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of 4 sessions, the court examines volumes of the case from the 8th to the 10th.\nThe judge rejects Maksim Derendyaev's petition to refuse a lawyer by appointment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220516","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"9 people come to support the believers, but they are not allowed into the courtroom, as the sessions are held behind closed doors.\nAlexander Kutin files a motion to refuse a lawyer by appointment, but the judge rejects it. The prosecutor announces the contents of the search protocols and the conclusion of a comprehensive psychological and psychiatric examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220418","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to satisfy the previously filed motion by the defense to terminate the criminal case.\nThe court begins to familiarize itself with the materials of the case (volumes 1 and 2).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220411","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a witness for the prosecution - the wife of Alexander Kutin. She reports that her husband never supported any violence, did not call anyone to hatred or disobedience to authority. She describes Alexander as a kind, attentive husband and a responsible person who takes care of his mother and mother-in-law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220404","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charges. Sergey Ashikhmin, Maksim Derendyaev and Aleksandr Kutin plead not guilty.\nKutin expresses his attitude to the charges: \"My religious convictions and conscience are incompatible with the concept of 'extremism', which includes the provocation of riots, terrorist attacks, as well as violence and intolerance towards the authorities. For 20 years I have been living according to the principles of the Bible, which teach me to respect authority and love our neighbors.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220321","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the termination of the criminal case due to the absence of corpus delicti and for the exclusion from the evidence of the examination of the ANO \"Kazan Interregional Center of Expertise\" dated September 25, 2019 and August 5, 2021, referring to the fact that the center's specialists do not have sufficient qualifications for an objective conclusion on this case. The prosecutor objects.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-03-14T13:34:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220314","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Pervomaisky District Court of Izhevsk. He is appointed to judge Marina Khokhryakova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20220214","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Kokorin, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic, is prosecuting Mikhail Derendyaev, Alexander Kutin and Sergey Ashikhmin as defendants under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAmong other things, believers are accused of face-to-face and online worship services, where they watched religious videos, prayed, sang songs and talked about pandemic precautions between April 20, 2017 and April 14, 2021. The investigation considers all this to be \"illegal actions\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20211228","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk, Sergey Savchenkov, grants the investigator's petition to mitigate the measure of restraint for Maxim Derendyaev. Now the believer is forbidden to certain actions, he cannot receive and send correspondence, negotiate and communicate using any means of communication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210909","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case of believers is extended by 2 months until October 13, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210902","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A decision is made to bring Maxim Derendyaev as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210830","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Alexei Shnit dismisses the petition of investigator Konstantin Kokorin to extend house arrest for Alexander Kutin. The court decides to replace the measure of restraint with a ban on certain actions until October 10, 2021. The believer is forbidden to leave the living quarters in which he lives from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., as well as to correspond using mobile devices and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210810","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Elena Telitsina rejects the petition of the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic Konstantin Kokorin to extend the period of detention of Maxim Derendyaev.\nThe court decides to send the believer under house arrest until August 13. He spent 86 days in jail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210709","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses another measure of restraint for Aleksandr Kutin - house arrest. He spent 16 days in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210514","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic, chaired by Judge Dmitry Dementiev with the participation of the prosecutor G. F. Nurgaliyeva, satisfies the appeal of Alexander Kutin on the measure of restraint and releases him from custody. The Resolution shall enter into force upon its proclamation. Aleksandr spent 15 days in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe court also decides to transfer the materials of the believer's case for a new trial to the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210429","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Gulfiya Zamilova chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Ashikhmin in the form of a ban on certain actions, taking into account the state of his health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210416","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the decision of the Industrial Court of Izhevsk, Maksim Derendyaev is placed in a pre-trial detention center at least until June 14, 2021. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210415","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Izhevsk, searches are being conducted at least 12 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. Officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee detain 6 men aged 31 to 56 years. Investigator of the Investigative Committee Aleksey Rodionov interrogates Sergey Ashikhmin for 7 hours. After that, Aleksandr Kutin and Maksim Derendyaev were sent to custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210414","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against three believers from Izhevsk. Aleksandr Kutin, Maksim Derendyaev and Sergey Ashikhmin are suspected of organizing extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Derendyaev and Others in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk/index.html#20210413","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of April 2025, searches were conducted in the homes of two believers from Adygeysk, Aleksey Dmitriyev and Yuriy Sergeechev. The latter is disabled and was treated for heart problems before his arrest. The investigator charged the believers with involving a local resident in an extremist organization because they discussed the Bible with him at his own request. The court placed both of them in a pretrial detention center, and the investigator seized Aleksey\u0026rsquo;s car. Shortly before the announcement of the verdict, the court released Yuriy under a recognizance agreement. In late December 2025, the trial ended with a guilty verdict: Aleksey Dmitriyev was given 4 years in a penal colony, and Yuriy Sergeechev a 4-year suspended sentence.","date":"2025-04-28","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html","prisoners":["dmitriyev","sergeechev"],"regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksey Dmitriev and Yuriy Sergeechev deliver the final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251218","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing begins with a series of refusals of petitions: the court does not give the defense the opportunity to interrogate V. S. Shulga, the main witness for the prosecution, as well as the expert Ruslan Levinsky. The lawyer notes that this specialist does not have the necessary competence and that instead of a religious and linguistic analysis, he performed a political analysis. The judge also refuses to appoint a second examination.\nThe defendants testify. Aleksey Dmitriev tells how his and Shulga's conversations about the Bible began. According to him, the man himself came to his work and, in the presence of Dmitriev's colleagues, asked to study the Bible with him, citing problems with his alcoholic son. The defendant says: \"After repeated persuasion from Shulga, I felt sorry for him and sincerely wanted to help him understand the Bible's teachings and get the comfort he needed.\"\nAccording to Yuriy Sergeechev, he attended a Bible study with Shulga only once. \"It was free, peaceful and friendly communication, including on personal topics,\" says the believer. \"He asked for advice on how to settle problems with his son.\" He adds: \"I am accused of a crime against the state and the constitutional order, but a conversation with Mr. Shulga proves just the opposite.\"\nThe court listens to hidden audio recordings of conversations between Dmitriev and Shulga. The defense states that the content of the believer's prayers, which were included in these recordings, shows his sincere desire to help Shulga in his Bible study, and not to involve him in any organization. At one of the conversations, they talked about baptism, and Dmitriev emphasizes that baptism means that \"a person becomes a member of the family of God.\" There was no question of joining the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251212","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a medical examination at the Adygea Republic Hospital, Yuriy Sergeechev was advised to have heart stent surgery. Previously, Yuriy had suffered two heart attacks.\nThe believer is supported by letters — he has already received about 300 from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251126","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev often experiences attacks of hypertension — his blood pressure rises above 200 at night. Medication helps only partially. The believer needs to undergo a medical examination, but so far he has not succeeded. There is still no heating in the cells, so prisoners are forced to wear warm clothes at all times. The court denies Yuriy visits from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251113","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The night before the hearing, Sergeechev falls ill due to a spike in his blood pressure. Information about his hypertensive crisis does not draw any reaction from the court.\nDuring the hearing, a video recording is being considered, in which Aleksey Dmitriyev and the witness for the prosecution discuss moral principles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251021","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the eve of the court hearing, Yuriy Sergeechev has a hypertensive crisis. This condition requires medical intervention and rest, but the next day the believer is taken to court.\nYuri's wife cannot support him, as she is forced to stay at home due to illness. The defendant's granddaughter and ten of his friends come to the hearing.\nThe court examines written materials, including the protocol of examining audio recordings. The defense explains that the materials depict a Bible study using permitted publications without signs of involving others in the activity of a banned organization or displaying extremism. Quotes from the materials confirm the peaceful dissemination of religious beliefs without imposing personal opinions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20251013","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["health-risk","elderly","disability","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev complains of worsening health problems and trouble sleeping. According to the defendant, samples for diagnosis were taken, medical documents about his health condition were collected and are being prepared for his hospitalization.\nYuriy cannot read the Bible, was taken away to be approved, but it has not yet been returned to him.\nAleksey Dmitriyev needs the help of a trauma specialist because he has a swollen knee, and he also requires dental treatment. There are four people in his cell and no one smokes. The visits from his wife, who is his public defender, are a great source of support for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250912","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for Aleksey Dmitriev to see a traumatologist for his swollen knee. The court refuses, explaining that the medical unit of the pretrial detention center can provide assistance and, if necessary, send the accused to a state hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250910","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The protocol of the examination of material evidence — video recordings — is read out. In one of them, a witness for the prosecution comments on sensitive political matters, while believer Aleksey Dmitriyev clearly distances himself from such discussions. The defense regards the behavior of the former as provocative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250904","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dmitriyev is in the pretrial detention facility located at Penal Colony No. 1 for the Republic of Adygea.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-08-05T16:54:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250805","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is taking place. The believers express how the feel about the charges. Sergeechev says that he always treated the key witness for the prosecution in a Christian manner, prayed for his son, asked God to help him and did not involve him in any extremist organization.\nThe court extends pretrial detention for the believers by another 6 months — they remain in the detention center.\nThey have a Bible and each has 5 people in their cell. It is very hot in the premises and there are cockroaches. A fan has been installed in Dmitriyev's cell. Sergeechev sometimes suffers from high blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250723","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Teuchezhskiy District Court of the Republic of Adygea; it will be considered by Judge Aslanbech Trakhov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250710","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy and Aleksey are kept in different cells with 3-4 other prisoners. The conditions are satisfactory; the necessary things are provided by relatives. Since the believers did not admit their guilt, the investigator banned them from receiving letters, visits and phone calls. It also now known that he has seized Dmitriyev's car.\nSergeechev suffers from cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus; Dmitriyev is finding it hard being separated from his wife. Nevertheless, both are trying not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250626","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriyev are held in double cells, each of them has another person with him. They have good relations with the believers.\nYuriy Sergeechev, 73, suffers from arrhythmia. He is disabled — walks with a cane and has poor eyesight. For a period after his arrest, he did not have the necessary medication. The medical unit could not give him the medication since they did not have it. Yuriy finds it difficult to understand the meaning of the case documents, so he has to reread the text several times.\nAleksey Dmitriyev needs dental care. According to available information, help from the appointed lawyer consisted of recommending the believer admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250527","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maykop City Court judge Marina Vittek sends Yuriy Sergeechev and Aleksey Dmitriev into custody until June 27, 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250430","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Zalim Ashinov opens a criminal case against 74-year-old disabled person of group III Yuriy Sergeechev and 57-year-old Aleksey Dmitriev from Adygeisk. The investigation interprets ordinary conversations about God with a local resident as involvement in an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dmitriyev and Sergeechev in Adygeysk","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeysk/index.html#20250428","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of four families of believers to conduct searches. A criminal case was initiated against Aleksandr Dolganov for his faith. After interrogation, he was placed under house arrest for 85 days, and then under a ban on certain actions. In July 2023, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of two witnesses who collaborated with the investigation. One of them, who secretly filmed the meetings for worship, admitted that she did not know the defendant personally, but had a negative attitude towards Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also at the trial, it turned out that the experts who conducted the psycho-religious expert study did not have the required qualifications. In April 2024, the court sentenced Aleksandr to 3 years imprisonment. He was taken into custody in the courtroom, and placed in a detention center. In September, the court of appeal upheld the court’s decision. In April 2026, the believer was released from the penal colony.","date":"2023-05-15","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html","prisoners":["dolganov"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr expects to be released from the colony in April. Letters are not handed over to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20260316","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr cannot call his relatives through the Zonatelecom system from the colony. He sees them only on short visits and communicates with them by letters, which do not always get through. No other correspondence is passed on to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20251201","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Elena Buraya. The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Samara, Krymskaya Square, 1). Start: 10:20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20250821","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer was assigned to a detachment consisting of 40 convicts. Aleksandr hopes to soon start working in his specialty - an electrician, since this position is in demand in the colony. It is possible to regularly call his wife and read the Bible from the prison library. Aleksandr receives parcels from his relatives, but the letters are not given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20241225","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Dolganov is being transferred to colony No. 10 in the Samara Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20241106","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Dolganov is in SIZO-4 in the city of Togliatti. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240417","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer in the form of 5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with restriction of freedom for 10 months.\nAlexander Dolganov speaks with the last word: \"No matter what sentence is pronounced, I will not renounce my faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240401","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments","final-statement","282.2-2","punishment-request","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB operative Konstantin Tvoryanovich, a technical specialist who looked through Dolganov's computer during the search, is being interrogated.\nThe court examines three DVDs. The defendant notes that there is no mention of legal entities and there are no extremist statements, but simply a biblical discussion. For example, topics such as showing love, preparing for natural disasters, living in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and respecting authority are raised. The defendant concludes: \"I don't understand how with these comments I could push anyone to unlawful deeds.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240318","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander and his wife Maria read out their affidavits.\nIn her speech, Maria talks about her relationship with her husband and his reputation: \"My husband and I have been in a happy and legal marriage for more than 6 years. And my husband's religion only helps to make our marriage stronger. For him, faith in God is not a position in some legal organization, but a life according to principles and beliefs ... My husband's religion does not imply hermitism and fanaticism. He always had a lot of friends. Acquaintances, neighbors and colleagues speak positively about him. My husband was educated in a government agency. He has many years of experience in official work. He genuinely loves his city and supports Togliatti sports teams.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240312","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor selectively reads out the case materials, including excerpts from the Bible and fiction that use the name of God, Jehovah.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240305","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Lenar Galiev is being interrogated. It turns out that he does not have the qualification of a religious scholar. He admits that his attitude to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was formed under the influence of the books of sect scholars, and not on the basis of audio recordings of the worship services of believers, from which he compiled an examination. He believes that Dolganov uses the name of God \"specifically.\"\nHe claims that the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as an organization appeared in 1931, which is not true.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240216","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Kirushin, who participated in the preparation of a psychological and religious examination, although he does not have a higher education in psychology, is being interrogated. Previously, he participated in trials in the cases of other Togliatti residents.\nAnswering the question by what actions of Dolganov he realized that he was conducting extremist activities, he refers to the case materials. About what he concluded that Dolganov belonged to an extremist organization, Kirushin says: \"Only from the words of the investigator.\" When asked if he has a dislike for Jehovah's Witnesses, he refuses to answer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240206","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A technician who is not familiar with Dolganov is being interrogated. He did not examine the equipment seized from him and did not see what programs were installed on the defendant's device.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20240116","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness M. V. Kokhalskaya, who collaborated with the police and secretly filmed online worship services, is being interrogated.\nThe woman does not hide her negative attitude towards believers. She has previously been involved in lawsuits against other Jehovah's Witnesses in Togliatti.\nThe witness says that he does not know the defendant personally and cannot say anything specific about him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20231219","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Ivanov is being interrogated. The petition to declassify his identity is rejected by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20231212","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant petitions for the exclusion of psychological and religious expertise from the case file, arguing that it was obtained in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure. So, it was carried out before the initiation of a criminal case, and Dolganov was not notified about it. Also, those who conducted the examination are not state forensic experts. The judge decides to consider this petition after studying the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20231205","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charges. The defendant expresses his attitude towards him: \"The material evidence collected by the prosecution testifies to my peaceful attitude towards people and that the motive of my actions is always love for people and God.\"\nThe court grants two motions: to provide the defendant with the opportunity to familiarize himself with the records of court hearings as they are made, and to examine material evidence (partially). The court does not satisfy the defendant's request to summon new witnesses who were witnesses during the searches, considering it premature.\nThe defendant's father is being questioned. He refuses to testify against his son, so his testimony given during the preliminary investigation is announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20231113","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held behind closed doors. The judge rejects the defense's request to terminate the criminal case and extends Dolganov's preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions until May 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20231013","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is registered in the Avtozavodsky District Court of Tolyatti and appointed to judge Anna Tokareva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230829","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes Alexander Dolganov's measure of restraint from house arrest to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230810","regions":["samara"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is sent to the jurisdiction of the Avtozavodsky District Court of Tolyatti.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230727","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Central District Court of Tolyatti and appointed to Judge Elena Laskina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230721","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grekov prosecutes Aleksandr Dolganov as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The proof of the believer's guilt, according to the investigation, is his participation in the liturgical meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230519","regions":["samara"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Tolyatti, E. A. Laskina, elects a measure of restraint for Alexander Dolganov in the form of house arrest for a period of 1 month and 28 days, until July 14, 2023 inclusive. The believer is also forbidden to use means of communication and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230517","regions":["samara"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Tolyatti, searches are being conducted in four homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. Early in the morning, the security forces broke into the home of Alexander Dolganov, his wife and parents. Some of the law enforcement officers are armed. When the suspect's mother has high blood pressure against the background of what is happening, an ambulance is called for her. The security forces take Dolganov to the investigation department, and his wife and father come for interrogation on their own. After the interrogation, at about 20:00, Aleksandr was sent to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230516","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Grekov, senior investigator of the Central Interdistrict District Department of Tolyatti, singles out a new case against 34-year-old Aleksandr Dolganov from the criminal case against Alexander Chagan on charges of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation calls the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses illegal activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolganov in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti3/index.html#20230515","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Dormidontovka, in February 2023, law enforcement officers conducted searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against 76-year-old believer Liliya Dolinina on suspicion of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization and participation in it. The investigation based the accusation on letters that Liliya wrote to her son\u0026rsquo;s friend to help them restore their relationship. In March 2024, the case went to the district court, and in January 2025, the believer was given a 4-year and 6-month suspended sentence. The appeal upheld this verdict. After 3 months, Lilia Dolinina passed away.","date":"2023-02-12","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html","prisoners":["dolinina"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","type":"cases"},{"body":"Lilia Dolinina died at the age of 79.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2025-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20250823","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Territory Court upholds the verdict against Liliya Dolinina — 4.5 years suspended sentence — for personal correspondence with an acquaintance on everyday and religious topics. The lawyer insisted that she was only exercising her right to freedom of religion and asked the court to acquit and rehabilitate her.\nLiliya noted in her appeal: \"I am already 78 years old, the investigation and the court hearings have severely affected my health and my chronic illnesses have worsened... But according to the verdict, I will have to go by train several times a month to report to the inspectorate in the city of Vyazemsky, which is very difficult for me.\" Liliya described how she feels: \"It's with horror when I think that I will have to live the rest of my life with the stigma of an 'extremist'.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20250529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ksenia Matvievskaya. Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory (4 Kozyukova Street, Vyazemsky). Time: 10:30 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20250130","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer voices the defendant's written testimony: \"I believe that writing personal letters to people close to me is not a crime. I could not even imagine that in my country in the 21st century I would be tried for personal correspondence at the age of 78.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20241126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings resume after a 4-month break.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20241024","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders the suspension of the criminal case due to the defendant's serious illness requiring bed rest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20240620","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liliya Dolinina's case is submitted to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Ksenia Matviyevskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20240320","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Major of Justice G. S. Kopylova, initiates a criminal case against Liliya Dolinina and combines it with another case opened against her in February 2023. Now the believer is accused not only of involvement, but also of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interprets the correspondence of the elderly woman with her acquaintances on religious topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20240207","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory recognizes the search conducted at Liliya Dolinina's house as lawful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20230215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out at three addresses in Dormidontovka. The security forces come to Lilia Dolinina, another woman and an elderly man.\nElectronic devices, a Bible, and sheets of paper \"containing handwritten text with information about Jehovah's Witnesses\" were seized from Lilia. The believer is charged with the fact of \"involving [a person] in the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" After the search, the pensioner is interrogated for 5 hours in the investigation department.\nAccording to Lilia, FSB officers also visit her son's roommate and confiscate from her letters of support that the believer sent to the woman, sharing biblical principles with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20230213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for particularly important cases of the Vyazemsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Y. A. Vasetskaya, initiates a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 76-year-old Liliya Dolinina and decides to search the home of the believer \"in order to find and seize means of communication and electronic media that may contain information about the crime committed.\" The document also states that \"the preliminary investigation body believes that this case should be recognized as exceptional, in connection with which the search of the home cannot be delayed and should be carried out immediately.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolinina in Dormidontovka","date":"2023-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dormidontovka/index.html#20230212","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, Dmitriy Dolzhikov became one of the defendants in a criminal case for their faith, which was initiated by the Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region. When the believer moved to another region, his case was made into a separate proceeding. His new place of residence was searched in September 2022. Dolzhikov was interrogated and then taken back to Novosibirsk, where he was placed in a pretrial detention center for 2.5 months. From November 2022, the believer was under house arrest. The court began hearing his case in December of the same year. The case included the testimonies of a secret witness and two Orthodox \u0026ldquo;anti-sect\u0026rdquo; activists; many of the materials in the case did not relate to Dolzhikov but to other believers. In June 2023, the court sentenced Dmitriy to 3 years in a penal colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom, which was replaced by forced labor. In September 2023, the court of appeal upheld this decision. From November, Dmitriy was in the correctional facility at  penal colony No. 9 in Novosibirsk. On October 24, 2025, he was released on parole.","date":"2020-05-13","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html","prisoners":["dolzhikov"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitriy Dolzhikov will continue to serve the remaining 1.5 years of forced labor — Vera Shchukina, judge of the Dzerzhinsky District Court of Novosibirsk, refuses to release him on parole.\nAccording to the defense, the judge behaves inappropriately during the hearing: she speaks to Dmitriy disrespectfully and shouts at him. The lawyer is puzzled: \"I've seen a lot in my time, but rarely such behavior.\" An employee of the correctional center, who participates in the hearing, is also surprised by Shchukina's disrespectful attitude towards the believer.\nIn his motion for parole, Dolzhikov emphasizes that his elderly parents are in dire need of help: his father recently underwent open-heart surgery, and his brother, who serves in the military, was seriously injured and cannot take care of him. The judge dismisses the arguments of the defense as \"irrelevant.\"\nShchukina is also not convinced by the fact that the administration of the correctional institution considers Dolzhikov to be kind and not inclined to aggression and that he has received 10 awards since starting his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20250801","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["parole"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Dolzhikov arrives at the UFIC (an isolated section functioning as a correctional center) at the penal colony No 9 in the Novosibirsk region to serve a sentence of forced labor. He got a job as a shoemaker at one of the enterprises in Novosibirsk.\nThe center has a certain daily routine. At 6 o'clock in the morning we get up, then exercises, breakfast and general formation. After that, the convicts go to work. Their working day lasts from 8:00 to 17:00. They must return to the center no later than 20:00, after which there is also a general formation, and then at 22:00 lights out.\nConvicts can eat either in the canteen, which is common for men and women, or cook their own food in the kitchen. They have a common lounge where they can watch TV.\nBy law, convicts who have served a third of their sentence have the right to come home once a month for the weekend, provided that they have not had any penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20231116","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["labor","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Dolzhikov is being interrogated. He pleads not guilty and states that he is being tried only for his faith in Jehovah God. \"I have never heard or read anywhere that a court imposed a ban on the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses ... [or that they] were forbidden to worship God, to worship, to pray, to sing religious songs. There was no such ban and there is none,\" says Dmitry.\nHe states: \"The testimony of the witness O. V. Zaev outraged me, because this man, using unverified information and telling blatant lies, misleads the court. I know Jehovah's Witnesses... for 27 years. I have always seen happy families, joyful, law-abiding and peace-loving people who have excellent relations with neighbors and relatives, even if they do not share their faith.\nDolzhikov emphasizes that the criminal prosecution had a negative impact on his entire family. He and his wife have elderly parents whom he cannot help, and his wife herself has a serious illness exacerbated due to stress.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230627","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense interrogates the secret witness \"Natalia Ivanova\". Dmitriy asks questions about discrepancies in his testimony. Answering most of them, the witness refers to the fact that a lot of time has passed, and he does not remember or finds it difficult to answer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230626","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants Dmitry Dolzhikov's petition to study materials from the criminal case of Yuri Savelyev. At the same time, the court refuses to request information from the Ministry of Justice about the religion and beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, although this data could refute the testimony of Silvestrov and Zaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230620","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Lyudmila Timshina, who attended Jehovah's Witnesses' services several times 6 years ago, is being interrogated via video link. She informs the court that Dolzhikova does not know.\nThe protocols of Timshina's interrogations are announced. According to the woman, she was interrogated at night, after a search in her house, and she was under severe stress. She states that she does not agree with the dates, times and some of the wording of these protocols, and explains that during the interrogations the investigator sat next to her and corrected her statement. In addition, she did not name the names indicated in the protocols and learned them only during interrogation.\nTimshina describes her impressions of the services. According to her, they discussed \"family topics, different, but very interesting.\" She believes that Jehovah's Witnesses are \"engaged in enlightenment, acquaintance with God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230619","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to list the names of documents from the case file.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to Dmitry's statement, made at the investigation stage. According to the believer, the testimony of secret witness Natalia Ivanova, as well as Orthodox activist Oleg Zaev, does not correspond to reality. Despite this, there were no confrontations with witnesses.\nExamining the 23rd volume of the case, the prosecution draws attention to the fact that Dolzhikov and his lawyer refused to get acquainted with the material evidence and other materials of the case. Dmitriy claims that investigator Alexei Chernenko misled him by saying that there was no need to waste time on this. Dolzhikov himself did not refuse to get acquainted with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230608","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the written testimony of Orthodox activist Oleg Zaev, since he stopped communicating with the bailiffs and there was no opportunity to summon him to the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230607","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the names of documents from the case file. The lawyer asks for a remark to be made to the prosecutor in the protocol due to the fact that he does not examine the materials themselves. The judge refuses to do so. Also, the defense draws attention to the fact that the dates of at least two documents are beyond the scope of the charges brought against Dolzhikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230602","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court continues to examine the materials of the volumes of the case. Among them are court orders to remove information from technical communication channels. The prosecutor reads out only the titles of these documents, without specifying in respect of whom they were drawn up. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that specific persons are indicated in the decisions and Dolzhikov is not among them. The judge rejects this argument and states that \"it will be up to the public prosecutor to decide how to present the evidence.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230601","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym \"Natalia Ivanova\" is being interrogated. This witness explains that he had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, where she saw Dolzhikov several times. According to him, Dmitry and other believers discussed biblical topics and everyday issues at these meetings. The witness never heard Dolzhikov call for violence or the overthrow of the constitutional order. The Witness reported that he had no dislike for Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court does not grant the defense's request to declassify the witness. He also objects to the declassification of his identity, although he admits that he has never received threats from Dolzhikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230523","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, Artyom Silvestrov, an Orthodox priest, head of the Information and Consulting Center for Sectarianism of the Novosibirsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, is being interrogated. He expresses his dislike of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. According to him, he got information about this confession from Internet blogs, the writings of an Orthodox activist and communication with former Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230516","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, the owner of the apartment in which Dmitry and his wife lived for some time, is being interrogated. The woman saw him only once. Describing the defendant, she says: \"There have never been complaints, and there are simply no such wonderful people! Dmitry helped in the apartment, and always handed over the money on time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230425","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Dolzhikov's house arrest for another 3 months, despite the positive characteristics and the absence of any violations on his part.\nThe study of the case materials continues. The lawyer again draws attention to the fact that the documents are dated 2007-2016 and therefore do not belong to the period of the actions imputed to Dolzhikov.\nThe prosecutor reads out the testimony of one of the prosecution witnesses, who never appeared in court, despite repeated summonses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230418","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of volumes of the case continues. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the 6th volume of the case contains materials dated mainly to 2010, 2011 and 2012, and therefore are outside the scope of the charges brought against Dolzhikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230411","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that some of the prosecution witnesses who never appeared in court have died. The whereabouts of witness Oleg Zaev are being established. With regard to another witness, a decision was made to forcibly bring him.\nThe prosecution reads out the names of the documents from the case file. The defense continues to insist on a detailed study of the inspection protocols, and not just on the announcement of their names.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230410","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2007 is being interrogated. He explains that their services were exclusively peaceful and took place in the same way in different cities. But he knows nothing about their activities after 2007.\nThe witness explains the difference between a legal entity and a congregation of believers. Along with previously questioned witnesses, he explains that he does not know Dolzhikov personally and has never seen him before.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230404","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two other prosecution witnesses, a 70-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman, are being questioned. Both say that they do not know Dmitry Dolzhikov and the investigator has never interrogated them in the framework of this criminal case.\nThe prosecutor and the judge ask the witnesses questions about Yuriy Savelyev and Vitaliy Popov. In addition, the man is being interrogated about the circumstances of the search, which took place at his home in 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230213","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to examine the materials of the case. The prosecutor voices only the pages and names of the documents contained on these pages. The court rejects the defense's request for a full investigation of the transcripts of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses dated June and September 2018. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the materials that are important for the proceedings have not been examined, which means that it is impossible to refer to them when making a decision.\nProsecution witness Sergei Kozlyuk is being questioned. In his testimony to the court, the man says that he is not familiar with Dolzhikov and has not previously been interrogated in this case. Kozlyuk's testimony, which he gave in the cases of Yuri Savelyev and Vitaly Popov, is read out. Answering the prosecutor's questions, the witness uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230130","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Dolzhikov's house arrest for another 3 months. At the same time, in connection with the positive characteristic from the penitentiary service, he is allowed to independently get to the courthouse to participate in the hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Popova, Vitaly's wife, as well as a man born in 1947, is being interrogated. Both use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, in connection with which the prosecutor reads out their testimony given at the investigation stage. The man says that he testified to the investigator in severe stress, since shortly before that he learned about his wife's cancer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20230123","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Popov, a Jehovah's Witness who had previously been sentenced for his faith, is being interrogated. He says he does not know the defendant and has never testified against him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20221226","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court puts Dmitry Dolzhikov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20221124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dolzhikov's case is submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20221111","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region, A. Chernenko, separates the criminal case against Maxim Eremeev and unidentified persons into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20221019","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court places Dmitry Dolzhikov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20220910","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers deliver Dmitry Dolzhikov from Chelyabinsk to Novosibirsk. The believer is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20220909","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Dolzhikov's apartment in Chelyabinsk is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20220908","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court allows a search at the place of residence of Dmitry Dolzhikov in Chelyabinsk. This is requested by the investigator of the Investigative Committee A. Chepenko. Investigative actions are being carried out in the case of Yevgeny Bushev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20220905","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Dolzhikov is charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The decision is made by the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Novosibirsk Region A. Bryuzgin. He also chooses a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20200611","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been opened against Dmitry Dolzhikov \"on the fact of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\" Subsequently, the investigation was repeatedly suspended and resumed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dolzhikov in Novosibirsk","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk8/index.html#20200513","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2020, the FSB opened a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Zeya, including Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin, who were witnesses in the case of their co-religionist Konstantin Moiseyenko. A year later, they were charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The homes of believers were searched twice, in March 2019 and October 2020. Both men have families, and Yevgeniy Bitusov is the father of a minor child. In October 2021, the investigator reclassified the charge as organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In May 2022, the criminal case was sent to court. In December 2022, the court sentenced Bitusov and Druzhinin to 6 and 6.5 years in prison, respectively. The court of appeal and the court of cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-08-10","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html","prisoners":["bitusov","druzhinin"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","type":"cases"},{"body":"There are about 30 people in the detachment where Yevgeniy Bitusov is being held. He receives incentives from the administration. Yevgeniy is mastering the specialty of a plumber.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2026-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20260221","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bitusov recently suffered a renal colic attack again. He received medical assistance and the treatment continues. However, the administration of the penal colony did not allow him to call a dentist from the outside, and there is no specialist on-site, so his problem has not been resolved. With attacks of acute pain, Bitusov is taken to the dentist in a clinic in Amursk.\nThe conditions of detention, relations with prisoners and the administration are normal. Yevgeniy is in good standing, works as a general laborer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2025-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20251102","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bitusov's problem regarding his dental treatment has not been solved for several months. He needs urgent dental care because the temporary filling has fallen out and the nerve has become exposed. Yevgeniy also complains of kidney pain; he was given the necessary medications.\nRecently, the believer was transferred to another unit, where the atmosphere is calmer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20250905","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leonid Druzhinin's cell was renovated - it became light, plastic windows with mosquito nets were installed.\nSome prisoners speak warmly of Leonid. During a long meeting with his wife, one of them approached Tamara in the guest room and said that Leonid was a good foreman, he was listened to and appreciated. Another convict once turned to Druzhinin with the words: \"You are such a good fellow, because few people would go to prison for their faith. You could have refused, but you made this choice, I respect you.\"\nLetters are given to the believer once every two weeks. Some shipments from abroad are returned to the post office for an unknown reason.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20250804","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bitusov spends most of his time at work. There are 90 people in his squad. It is cool in the barracks, the prisoners smoke, which creates certain difficulties for the believer. The attitude of the administration is satisfactory.\nYevgeniy worries about his relatives, who live in a private house, and are deprived of his help in solving everyday issues. In addition, his wife has a disabled mother and a child in her care. Recently, Yevgeniy and Nadezhda had a date.\nA believer has a Bible. He is also strengthened by letters that come regularly. The man tries not to lose heart.\nYevgeniy still needs dental care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20250204","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leonid Druzhinin recently had a 3-day date with his wife. According to her, the administration of the colony speaks of him as a hardworking, honest and decent person.\nAs Leonid describes, the conditions of detention are normal, the food is satisfactory. A doctor in the colony prescribed him medication for hypertension and asthma.\nLeonid sometimes feels sad for his relatives. He is worried that his wife has to cope with all household issues alone. Being able to receive and answer letters from family and friends gives the believer the support they need.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2025-01-20T08:59:12+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20250120","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of Yevgeniy Bitusov's detention in the colony are satisfactory. The believer works in a sewing workshop.\nEugene is strengthened by the letters that come regularly. He also has the opportunity to call his wife.\nIn August, Yevgeniy Bitusov had a long meeting with his wife. Evgenia also visited his daughter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20240910","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bitusov is taken from the colony to a hospital in Amursk, where he undergoes an MRI of his skull. It turns out that the believer's lower jaw is broken in two places. He received the necessary medical assistance and was returned to penal colony No. 14 on the same day.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2024-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20240815","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Bitusov has flux and a fever. He needs medical care, but the administration does not allow a dentist to enter the colony and does not take convicts for treatment in other institutions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2024-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20240715","regions":["amur"],"tags":["health-risk","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin have the opportunity to read the Bible. Letters also serve as a great support for them, but recently only electronic ones have been transmitted to them. In January, the believers had visits with their wives.\nBitusov and Druzhinin's chronic diseases worsened, immunity decreased. Vitamins to maintain their physical condition are not missed, the necessary medicines were given with a delay of 2 months.\nThe believers were trained to work in a sewing workshop. Their relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners are normal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-13T16:30:28+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20240513","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin were taken to correctional colony No. 14 in the Khabarovsk Territory to serve their sentences. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20231101","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin are in the process of transferring. An intermediate point is pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20231014","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the barracks where Leonid Druzhinin is kept, there is no heating yet. The man fell ill and went to the medical unit for medicine. The health worker refused to give him medicine, arguing that he first needed a flu shot, which, however, could not be done while he was sick.\nAccording to the rules of the colony, Druzhinin's personal medicines are stored in the medical unit, they are also not issued. Among these medicines are inhalers, which Leonid needed due to his chronic illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20231004","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a search of Yevgeny Bitusov's cell, officers of the colony administration confiscate the Bible in the Synodal translation from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230821","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin do not receive paper letters sent to them by family and friends. Over the past two months, they have received only a couple of letters from their wives. According to the information received from the tracking number, letters are being delivered to the colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-07-13T13:21:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230713","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Convicts Yevgeny Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin were transferred to correctional colony No. 8 in the Amur Region (Blagoveshchensk). They are in quarantine, they feel good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230511","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal is considering appeals against the verdict from Yevgeniy Bitusov, Leonid Druzhinin and their lawyers.\nThe prosecutor challenges judges Natalia Trofimova and Yuriy Melnichenko because they participated in the case of Vasiliy Reznichenko in 2021. Judges do not accept the challenge.\nYevgeny Bitusov declares before the appeal board: \"In 1991 [Jehovah's Witnesses] were officially registered, but for some reason by 2017 they began to be considered extremists. At the same time, the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses have not changed, we loved God as we loved our neighbor, and we continue to do so to this day.\" He continues: \"I thought that during the court hearings there would be some facts, evidence, some witnesses would be invited to prove my crime, my motive. However, this was not done... In fact, neither I nor Leonid Druzhinin have ever made calls for hatred. The prosecution simply has no evidence.\"\nOne of the lawyers cites numerous violations committed by the court of first instance. He files a motion for the examination of evidence. The court refuses and announces the adjournment of the hearing to March 31 at the request of the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230314","regions":["amur"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of believers visit them in SIZO-1 in the Amur Region. Yevgeny Bitusov says that so far he is alone in a 2-bed cell, and Leonid Druzhinin is with four other prisoners in a 6-bed cell. The believers were not given blankets, because, according to the duty officer, they ran out. Yevgeny's cell is very cold, the window does not close.\nEvgeniy and Leonid receive both paper and support emails.\nThe believers also talk about the conditions of detention in the Zeya temporary detention facility, where they stayed for 10 days: the air temperature in the cell did not exceed +7°C, and the walls were covered with ice in some places.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20230127","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sentences Yevgeniy Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin to 6 and a half years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221228","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements. The court begins the announcement of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221227","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to assign real terms of imprisonment to believers: Yevgeny Bitusov - 6.5 years in a general regime colony, and Leonid Druzhinin - 7 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221226","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the objections of lawyers and defendants, the judge decides to read out the record of the interrogation of a witness who does not appear at the hearing, and also refuses to disclose her whereabouts and does not open the door to the authorities.\nThe defendant Yevgeny Bitusov submits a written request to attach written evidence to the case file (ECHR decision in the case of \"MRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia\" dated 07.06.2022) and to return the case to the prosecutor's office to stop the criminal prosecution of the defendants. The judge satisfies the petition regarding the inclusion of the ECHR decision in the materials of the criminal case.\nThen the defendant asks to attach to the case file the characteristics of the customers to whom he and Leonid Druzhinin made repairs in the apartments, as well as the conclusion of the medical and pedagogical commission on the state of health of his daughter. The judge attaches these documents to the case.\nTestifying, Yevgeniy Bitusov says that he began studying the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses in 1994 with his mother, although at first he was against anyone coming to their house.\nHe goes on to explain that a legal entity has become necessary for Jehovah's Witnesses in order to rent premises for worship meetings and business activities. However, after the ban on this person by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017, \"the economic activity [of believers] ceased.\" Yevgeniy notes that \"the law did not prescribe that [believers] are not allowed to meet ... This is not a violation of the law regarding religious activity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221219","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only one person is allowed into the courthouse as a listener.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the judge reads out the protocols of searches and inspection of seized items, the results of computer examination, transcripts of wiretapping, data from banks and telecom operators.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221123","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the materials of the case: transcripts of records of worship services, expert opinions, search protocols and other documents.\nReligious scholar O. R. Averina concludes: all recordings record meetings of congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. Psychological and linguistic research confirms that worship services do not contain signs of incitement to religious, national or racial hatred. It concludes that Jehovah's Witnesses are promoting their religion as true. Yevgeny Bitusov claims that the experts exceeded their authority by giving a legal assessment of the content of the meeting recordings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221122","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four witnesses are being questioned, including an FSB officer, on the basis of whose testimony criminal cases were initiated.\nThe first woman reports that the defendants are her fellow believers, with whom she read the Bible together. She also says that she has never heard calls for violence or for racial, national or religious hatred from them. The prosecutor reads out the protocol of the preliminary interrogation of the woman, which contains testimony against Bitusov and Druzhinin. The witness states that she did not give such testimony. She says that she was without glasses during the interrogation, so the investigator offered to read the protocol aloud for her, after which she signed it.\nAnother woman is summoned for questioning. She says that she attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the worship building until 2017, when it was confiscated. She also says that all believers are equal and no one is in charge. Such services were not meetings of a legal entity.\nThe next witness echoes the testimony of the previous ones: at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, believers sing songs, pray and study the Bible using various translations, including Pavsky, Archimandrite Macarius, Synodal and Modern. The defendants, like the others present, worshipped God on an equal footing with everyone else. The woman also never heard extremist statements from the defendants.\nFurther, they interrogate an FSB officer who carried out operational-search measures against the defendants in 2018-2020. He says that audio and video recordings were made in the house of one of the believers, and criminal cases were opened on the basis of these recordings. The witness does not remember the details and repeatedly asks to read out his testimony. When answering the questions of the defendants, it turns out that the witness does not see the difference between the activities of a legal entity and the services of individual believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221121","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 people come to support Bitusov and Druzhinin, but only one listener is allowed to attend the meeting. Prosecutor Olga Chursina enters the case. Prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\nA woman who attended worship services and kept hidden video recordings gives contradictory testimony. She is not sure if she knows the defendants. Answering questions, he often uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, and claims that he does not remember much, since 4 years have passed. The court shall read out the records of her interrogations conducted during the preliminary investigation. The defense reminds the witness that the record of her interrogation states that she is a member of the LRO (legal entity). In response, the woman exclaims: \"LRO? I don't even know these abbreviations!\"\nAnother witness has known Bitusov for a long time. She argues that the defendant did not speak of the superiority of his religion. The witness was not familiar with the legal formalities of the LRO, she did not see the charter: \"There was not one leader, I had not heard about the local religious organization, they just gathered and everyone read the Bible, discussed its contents.\" Despite the objections of the defense and the defendants, the court reads out her written testimony given earlier. The woman claims that she was \"slipped another protocol.\"\nBitusov's wife, testifying, recalls that on the basis of the law, the Bible, its content and quotations from it cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\nAfter the break, the court reads out the materials from the second volume of the criminal case (there are at least 18 volumes in total).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20221019","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leonid Druzhinin submits to the judge an application for refusal of the appointed defense counsel.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20220823","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 10 people come to the courthouse, but only one is allowed to attend the hearing. The judge shall, at the request of the prosecutor, read out the written materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20220714","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the courthouse, but due to the pandemic, only participants in the trial are allowed to attend the hearing. As it turns out, only the defendant Yevgeny Bitusov received a subpoena for that day.\nThe prosecutor reads out excerpts from the indictment. The defendants plead not guilty. Yevgeny Bitusov expresses his attitude to the charges and declares his refusal of the appointed defense counsel.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20220620","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Bitusov and Druzhinin goes to the Zeya District Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20220512","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. Obukhov reclassifies the charges against Yevgeny Bitusov and Leonid Druzhinin from Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2021-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20211008","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov issues a decision to bring the 42-year-old father of a minor child, Yevgeny Bitusov, and 52-year-old Leonid Druzhinin as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned association). Since 2019, the same investigator has been conducting several similar cases against a number of believers from Zeya, Tynda, Blagoveshchensk and Belogorsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20210601","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, senior FSB investigator D. S. Varkentin, accompanied by 2 officers and 2 witnesses, searches the house of Yevgeniy and Nadezhda Bitusov \"in order to find and seize items and documents indicating the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses LRO in Zeya.\" The search is carried out in the presence of the minor son of the believers. Security forces seize electronic devices, storage media and personal records. The investigator does not provide copies of the court order for the search.\nOn the same morning, law enforcement officers come to another local believer, Leonid Druzhinin, but he and his wife are at work. The FSB officers waited for the believer at his house, where he returned 2 hours later to change his clothes to testify in court in the case against Konstantin Moiseenko. The security forces took Druzhinin away for interrogation to the FSB department, and after 2 hours they returned to search his house. The search is led by investigator V. S. Obukhov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20201013","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region Efim Bokin orders searches in the homes of local believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20200929","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Security Service of Russia for the Amur Region initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against an unidentified circle of persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2020-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20200810","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 8 a.m., searches have been conducted in the homes of the Bitusovs, Druzhinin and other local believers in the city of Zeya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Druzhinin and Bitusov in Zeya","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya3/index.html#20190321","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, insurance agent Vladimir Dutkin was searched. Two days earlier, FSB investigator Mukhin opened a criminal case against him under an extremist article, and they took a written undertaking not to leave the place. In June 2021, Valery Yakovlev and Vladimir Chesnokov became new defendants in the case. They were accused of meeting with fellow believers in rented premises, discussing religion and drinking tea. In July 2021, the case went to court. Independent examinations refuted the accusations and found that the believers \u0026ldquo;called for honesty, restraint, and patience in relation to dissidents.\u0026rdquo; Six months later, the prosecutor requested from 6 to 6.5 years in prison for believers. In February 2022, the judge sentenced the believers to a fine: Vladimir Dutkin — 500 thousand rubles, the rest — 400 thousand rubles each. In April 2022, this sentence was upheld by the Court of Appeal. In August 2022, the Court of Cassation upheld the verdict and decision of the appellate instance.","date":"2020-11-25","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html","prisoners":["chesnokov","dutkin","yakovlev"],"regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","type":"cases"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic approves the fine to Vladimir Dutkin, Vladimir Chesnokov and Valery Yakovlev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2022-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20220412","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kalininsky District Court of the city of Cheboksary, Sergey Orlov, finds three believers guilty of organizing extremist activities. Vladimir Dutkin was fined 500,000 rubles, Chesnokov and Yakovlev were fined 400,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2022-02-10T14:56:47+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20220210","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall proceed to the pleadings of the parties. 50 people come to the courthouse to support the believers, but no one is allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe prosecutor asks for punishment: Vladimir Chesnokov and Valery Yakovlev are 6 years each, and Vladimir Dutkin is 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\nThe defense emphasizes that believers are persecuted only because they gathered to discuss the Bible. The lawyer asks the court to appoint an independent psycholinguistic and religious examination to determine whether the believers called for the breakdown of family relations. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20220121","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nDutkin's lawyer requests the questioning of some experts, whose conclusion states that the actions of the defendants led to the breakdown of family and family relations. However, not a single fact proving this claim is even mentioned in the documents. The lawyer insists that the experts give grounds for such conclusions. The judge rejects the petition.\nIn court, the written notes are read out by the defendant Yakovlev. He draws attention to the public benefit of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, who try to maintain order and urge not to obstruct the authorities.\nThe prosecutor asks the court to give the prosecution time to prepare a statement in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20220112","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a motion for admission to court hearings of listeners vaccinated against COVID-19 or who have had it, or for the organization of broadcasting of hearings via videoconferencing. The judge refuses to satisfy the petition, referring to the seriousness of the article in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211222","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believers, about 30 people come to court (such a number of relatives and friends of the accused come to each session). They are still not allowed into the courtroom, but they do not disperse and, while the hearing is ongoing, help clean the snow in front of the courthouse.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211208","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to review the hidden video footage from 2018. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that there were no calls for violence at the services. He also reads excerpts from the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, which explains that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, despite the liquidation of their legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211118","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The viewing of videos made in the health center \"Lotus\" in 2018 continues. The recordings show believers discussing the importance of singing and singing together; After that, the audience drinks tea and chats.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211117","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins watching videos of joint meetings of believers, which since 2017 have been held in the rented premises of the Lotus health center. These meetings were secretly recorded by the CPE staff.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211108","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, recordings of telephone conversations of the defendants are played. Among other things, the court listens as believers gather to visit and discuss plans for a trip to barbecue.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211011","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 5th volume of the criminal case is being studied. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the synopsis of the biblical speech contained in it a call to avoid pride and nationalism, which divide people.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20211001","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense declares to the court that the psycholinguistic examination present in the case file is not objective, since it was carried out by an FSB officer (Komleva). In addition, Komleva spent only one day on the entire examination. In addition, this specialist cannot give a religious assessment of the activities of believers, since he does not have a special education.\nThe religious examination conducted by the religious scholar Vovchenko is read out. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that there are obvious contradictions in it.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210921","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["studies-violations","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reads out the conclusion of the religious examination. He focuses on two of its conclusions: from the point of view of Jehovah's Witnesses, it is important to show respect for relatives who do not share their religious views; You can divorce only because of adultery.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210909","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness \"Ivanov\" is being questioned in court. All of his testimonies relate to events that took place before 2011, while the believers are charged with religious activities carried out after April 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210906","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["secret-witness","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courtroom to support the believers, but none of them are allowed through.\nA witness for the prosecution, a woman who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past, is being questioned. According to her, anyone who was prepared could speak at such meetings; There were no forced monetary collections, donations were made voluntarily.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210902","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people come to support the believers, but no one is allowed into the courthouse.\nInterrogation of the head physician of the Cheboksary blood transfusion station L. M. Yakovleva. According to the expert, blood transfusion carries more dangers than the use of blood substitutes; refusing blood transfusions is not a violation of the law; she was not aware of Dutkin and Chesnokov forcing anyone to refuse a blood transfusion.\nA man, a former Jehovah's Witness, is being interrogated. He explains that the life position of Jehovah's Witnesses in various fields is based on the Bible. He admits that no one forced him to become Jehovah's Witness or refuse blood transfusions. According to the man, neither Dutkin, nor Chesnokov, nor Yakovlev called for a divorce. He explains that the Bible in the New World Translation differs from other translations only in that it restores the name of God in the places where it appears in the original.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210824","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of an FSB officer. When asked whether Dutkin behaved aggressively during the search, the witness answers in the negative and admits that he was pleasantly surprised that the believer behaved with dignity. The law enforcement officer adds: \"Your organization is still banned, but soon, perhaps, it will be resolved thanks to God's help, thanks to Jehovah.\"\nAn employee of the Center for Combating Extremism (CPE) is being interrogated. Counsel asks him to explain on what grounds he determined that the defendants continued the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The only signs a witness can give are a mention of The Watchtower magazine and the singing of songs. Nor can he cite the facts of the rupture of family relations among believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210820","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall consider the materials of volumes 3 to 6 of the case. Believers draw the court's attention to biblical principles appearing in the materials: the \"golden rule\" from the Gospel of Matthew; danger of anger; The harm of flirting. A video recording of believers praying and singing songs is played in court. Vladimir Chesnokov emphasizes that the lyrics of one of the songs contain a call to do good to other people.\nAmong the materials studied is a telephone conversation between Dutkin and his acquaintance, in which they discuss blood transfusions. Counsel draws the court's attention to the fact that there was no coercion on the part of the accused to refuse this procedure.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210816","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the second volume of the criminal case. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that in the materials under consideration, describing the foundations of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, there are no calls for the severance of family and kinship relations.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210810","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins hearings on the merits. About 40 of their friends and relatives come to support the believers. Only 10 people are allowed to attend the meeting.\nThe judge rejects the defense's request to return the case to the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor reads out the indictment, the lawyer reads out the attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210728","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Vladimir Dutkin, Valery Yakovlev and Vladimir Chesnokov is submitted to the Kalininsky District Court of the city of Cheboksary. It will be considered by judge Sergei Orlov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210702","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator A. Mukhin re-indicts Vladimir Dutkin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The ruling states that the believer, \"aware of the unlawfulness of his actions ... organized and conducted meetings (meetings) of the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cheboksary in specially rented premises, fenced with a solid high fence with a separate entrance, excluding any visual and voice contacts with unauthorized persons, under the guise of friendly meetings, tea parties, barbecue cooking.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210608","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice A. Mukhin, Senior Investigator for Internal Affairs of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Chuvash Republic, is prosecuting two more residents of Chuvashia, 53-year-old Valery Yakovlev and 62-year-old Vladimir Chesnokov, as defendants under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210607","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Cheboksary, E. Pavlova, orders the arrest of Vladimir Dutkin's car. The resolution notes that this was done \"in order to ensure the execution of the sentence in terms of collecting a fine in a criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20210601","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Dutkin is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2020-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20201230","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of 7 civilians in Cheboksary and Novocheboksarsk, including Vladimir Dutkin. Six believers were taken away for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20201127","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was initiated against Vladimir Dutkin and unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of a banned organization).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Dutkin and Others in Cheboksary","date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary/index.html#20201125","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy, a resident of the village of Vyselki, was among those whose home were searched in February 2022. In June 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him on charges for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The charges are based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastyr [Shepherd], who secretly recorded meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses on video. His testimony appears in six similar cases. In December 2023, the case went to court, but 6 months later it was transferred to another judge, which led to a new trial. After 2 years, the judge handed down a guilty verdict — a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-15","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html","prisoners":["dvurechenskiy"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechenskiy makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20251208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a 2-year suspended sentence for Sergey with a 2-year probation period and 6 months restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20251201","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing the video recordings presented by the investigation. The defense points out that these recordings reflect ordinary meetings for worship of believers, and not meetings of a legal entity (LRO \"Vyselki\"). The recordings often contain thoughts about love for neighbors, God and those who consider believers to be enemies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20241127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to Judge Elizaveta Proskuryakova, in connection with which the hearings begin anew.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20240617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to return the case to the prosecutor. The indictment is announced. Sergei Dvurechensky is charged with the fact that he \"took part in religious teaching and sermons ... conducted and listened to lectures based on the religious literature \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" ... participated in the discussion of the \"Holy Scriptures\" (the Bible) ... emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge of God.\" However, the indictment states that the investigation has not established the exact place, time and dates of these actions of the believer.\nThe results of studies of the records of divine services contained in the document describe in detail the actions not of Dvurechensky, but of other people. In addition, the conclusions of an expert linguist and an expert psychologist coincide word for word in places.\nThe believer declares that he does not plead guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20240326","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court agrees with the prosecutor's arguments and refuses the believer to join the cases.\nThe defense requests that the case be returned to the prosecutor to eliminate the shortcomings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20240220","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing is taking place. Dvurechensky refuses a lawyer by appointment, a lawyer enters the case by agreement. The believer petitions for the consolidation of his case into one proceeding with 6 similar cases. Consideration of the application at the request of the prosecutor shall be postponed.\n10 people, including his wife, come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20240208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Oksana Melnikova. She is also hearing a case brought on similar charges against another local believer, Irina Zinina and Elena Rumyantseva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20231228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is taken over by investigator V. I. Danilin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20231206","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Dvurechensky was charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20230815","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons the believer for interrogation and takes from him a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20230810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring is blocking the accounts of Dvurechensky and several other believers from Vyselki.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee is initiating a criminal case against Sergey Dvurechensky under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Shepherd\" who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past. Later, the man again began to communicate with believers and film online worship services in order to transmit this information to the Center for Countering Extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20230615","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at at least 31 addresses in the village of Vyselki and neighboring settlements. In total, at least 51 people are affected, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the victims of the actions of the security forces is the family of Sergei Dvurechensky. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Dvurechenskiy in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki7/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, in Asha the home of Vadim Fedorov, father of five, was searched for the first time. In April 2022, Chepenko, investigator for the Investigative Committee, initiated a criminal case against the believer for \u0026ldquo;organizing the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026rdquo; On his instigation, in June 2022, Vadim\u0026rsquo;s home was searched again, after which they placed him under a recognizance agreement. In October 2022, Fedorov\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. The prosecutor filed a motion to recuse the judge. Aleksey Rustamshin took over the case. In April 2023, the court gave Fedorov a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal later upheld the verdict.","date":"2022-04-29","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html","prisoners":["fedorov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vadim Fedorov: \"I am not being judged because I have done something bad, but because I am a Christian and glorify Jehovah God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2023-04-27T14:47:14+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20230427","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties begins. The state prosecutor asks for a sentence of 6.5 years in a general regime colony. During his speech, the prosecutor says that if Fedorov met with fellow believers, it means that he organized meetings and thus allegedly continued the activities of the banned organization.\nThen the appointed lawyer speaks, who argues in favor of the innocence of the believer, emphasizing the groundlessness of the accusation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20230426","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a motion to exclude from the case many of the evidence of Fedorov's accusation, which, in her opinion, was collected with violations: the examination was done incorrectly, and the disks on which it was prepared do not appear in the material evidence. She also notes that police officers cannot be witnesses in the case, as they are interested persons.\nThe judge appeals to the prosecutor so that by the next meeting he either excluded all evidence with violations from the case, or \"put them in order.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20230413","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses from 1993 to 2017. She states that \"giving and preaching is a common voluntary practice.\"\nThe defendant testifies to the court on the basis of his written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20230329","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The defense draws attention to the fact that the testimony of two of them does not relate to the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20230206","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case begins to be considered by judge Rustamshin Alexei Akhnyafovich.\nThe prosecutor announces the charge, the defendant expresses his attitude towards him. Then the questioning of prosecution witnesses begins.\nThe first witness, a former operative, cannot say anything on the merits of the case, since he did not personally cross paths with Vadim Fedorov. The second prosecution witness, an active operational officer, also finds it difficult to testify in the case, since he last saw the defendant five years ago. Another witness knows Fedorov in absentia - he heard about him from his children, and also once saw him in glimpses. He confirms that he never heard the defendant call for divorce or undermining the constitutional order. The fourth witness confirms that the voice on the audio recordings provided to the investigation belongs to the defendant.\nAt the next hearing, it is planned to interrogate 8 witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20221227","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall file a motion for recusal of the judge. The judge grants the request. The case will be heard by a new judge on December 27.\nTwo prosecution witnesses arrive, but they are not questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20221208","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Vadim Fedorov begin. The prosecutor reads the charge from the indictment. In response to the judge's question whether the defendant admits his guilt, Vadim answers in the negative and asks to read out his attitude to the charges. But the judge says that he will be able to do this only at the defense stage.\nThe judge declares the hearings open, allows everyone to attend the hearings, as well as record what is happening in the hall on a dictaphone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20221201","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Fedorov's case is submitted to the Ashinsky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20221028","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 3 p.m., a task force led by investigator Chepenko arrives at Vadim Fedorov's house to conduct a second search.\nVadim is at work, so he returns home at the end of the investigation. The spouses are provided with a court order for a search and a search report.\nThe search takes place in a calm atmosphere. A laptop, memory cards and personal records are seized from the Fedorov family. Then Vadim Fedorov is taken to the local department of the Investigative Committee, where he is informed about the criminal case initiated against him. The believer is released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20220607","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk Olesya Beskosova grants the petition of investigator Chepenko to conduct a search in the house of Vadim Fedorov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20220517","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk region Alexander Chepenko initiates a criminal case against Vadim Fedorov. The decision to initiate the UD states that the believer \"was the organizer of a meeting in the hierarchy of the Religious Organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,' and also organized the distribution of extremist materials.\" This is how the investigation interprets the holding of liturgical meetings of believers that are not prohibited by law.\nThe case is assigned a 12102750030000016 number.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20220429","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, Vadim Baltachev, a senior investigator of the investigative department for the city of Asha of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region, comes to the house of 28-year-old Andrey Fedorov with a search, accompanied by FSB operatives. The security forces seize an external hard drive and a computer system unit, mobile phones, a flash card, personal records and a bank card.\nThe search lasts about 2 hours.\nAt the same time, the security forces searched the neighboring house where Andrey's father, 53-year-old Vadim Fedorov, lives, who is at work. When a believer returns with his wife from a neighboring city, he is informed that in his absence a search was carried out and a Bible, a computer, a Bible game and 2 walkie-talkies were seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Asha","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/asha2/index.html#20210611","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fyodorov and his wife first came to the attention of law enforcement in the summer of 2019, when their home was searched. About five years later, FSB officers showed up again: under the pretext of inspecting the premises, they effectively searched their apartment in Tolyatti, handcuffed Sergey, struck him on the head, and planted banned literature. The believer was taken 2,000 kilometers away to Petrozavodsk “to give an explanation.” In June 2024, a criminal case was opened against Fyodorov for allegedly organizing the activities of an extremist organization. His home was searched for the third time, and he was placed in a pre-trial detention center. In September 2025, the case was submitted to court.","date":"2024-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html","prisoners":["sfedorov"],"regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The witness for the prosecution reports that he attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses as instructed by the FSB. According to him, there were no statements of an extremist nature at them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260505","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Questioning witnesses for the prosecution. One of them is a man who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017, but does not know the defendant. According to his observations, Jehovah's Witnesses treat people of other religions with respect.\nArtur Multykov, a senior officer of the Department for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Counteracting Terrorism of the FSB of Russia for the Republic of Karelia, is being questioned. In March 2024, he participated in operational measures in Fedorov's apartment. According to him, the search was held \"in a calm, respectful, kind and almost friendly atmosphere.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260428","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses are being interrogated via video conferencing. Yuri Uskov, head of the Department for the Protection of the Constitutional Order and Combating Terrorism of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Karelia, expresses the opinion that the personal confession of any faith is not prohibited, but collective meetings for worship and dissemination of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are unacceptable.\nVladislav Novikov, senior detective for especially important cases of the FSB Directorate for the Kurgan Region, confirms that the meetings of believers were only religious in nature. Both witnesses were unable to name a single manifestation of extremism in the actions or statements of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260414","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fedorov is held in a block for those accused of grave crimes and violators of institution rules. His relations with other prisoners are respectful.\nSergey is given only food from his parcels, the rest of the things are sent to the warehouse, from where it is difficult to get them. He receives letters sent through the Zonatelecom system.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260408","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the court session, the defendant's wife, Yevgeniya, is interrogated as a witness. She says that Sergey maintains good relations with others, regardless of their religion.\nIn addition, she reports violations committed during the inspection of their place of residence in March 2024. According to her, then banned literature, a flash card and tablets were planted. Yevgeniya Fedorova also claims that physical and psychological violence was used against Sergey that day — his glasses were broken and his lip was busted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260331","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov is in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Samara Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-03-13T14:46:58+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260313","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor needs about three hours to read out the charge. Sergey does not admit guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260310","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov is in the process of being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-02-19T11:24:46+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260219","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov is being held in a cell along with two other prisoners. He regularly receives parcels. He has a Bible in the Synodal translation from the institution's library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20260123","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Avtozavodskiy District Court of Tolyatti and is assigned to Judge Natalya Chernova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20251229","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Shadrinsky District Court of the Kurgan Region Aleksandr Khabarov transfers the case to the Avtozavodsky District Court of Togliatti by jurisdiction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20250926","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Shadrinsky District Court of the Kurgan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20250915","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer has been in the detention center for almost a year. For the first 7 months he was alone in the cell, then another prisoner was placed with him. Sergey is grateful for the letters of support from his wife and friends, which he regularly receives.\nDuring his detention, Fedorov lost a lot of weight. He tries to take care of his health; takes vitamins. The believer continues to familiarize himself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20250529","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov was left in custody and again transferred to the premises operating as a pre-trial detention center (PFRSI) at penal colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240801","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov is transferred from the pre-trial detention center in Petrozavodsk to pre-trial detention center-2 in the city of Segezha.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240714","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Petrozavodsk City Court Natalia Zalevskaya sends Fedorov to the pre-trial detention center until August 05, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240621","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fedorovs in Petrozavodsk are under another search with the participation of the same representatives of the local FSB. The spouses are taken to the department, where Sergey is detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240620","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Golubenko initiates a criminal case against Sergey Fedorov. The believer is accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, in the period from July 2018 to March 2024, he performed \"organizational, informational and control functions\" in several regions of the country.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240606","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Golubenko issues a decision to refuse to initiate a criminal case against Sergey Fedorov. The reason is \"the lack of full results of the study of objects and documents seized from the believer.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240408","regions":["karelia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fedorovs, temporarily residing in Petrozavodsk, notice surveillance, and find a listening device in the apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240401","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation is conducted by the deputy head of the Investigative Department of the FSB in the Republic of Karelia, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice M. V. Golubenko. He wondered if Fyodorov knew believers from different regions of Russia who had been prosecuted for their beliefs.\nAfter giving explanations, around midnight, Fedorov is released from the FSB building in Petrozavodsk. By this time, the believer has spent two days under arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240308","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A group of security officials came to the house of Sergey Fedorov, who at that time lived in Togliatti, to inspect the premises. The event is led by the senior operative of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Karelia, Major A. S. Romanov.\nThe inspection is carried out with gross violations: in fact, the law enforcement officers search the premises, Sergey is handcuffed and hit on the head. Objects that do not belong to him are planted on the believer, including publications entered into the FSEM.\nThen Sergey Fedorov is taken 2,000 km away to Petrozavodsk to \"give explanations as part of a pre-investigation check on the material.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20240307","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["inspection","siloviks-violence","plant","fsem"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Fedorov's apartment in the village of Murino, Leningrad Region, is being searched as part of a criminal case against Maksim Amosov and other believers from Petrozavodsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fedorov in Petrozavodsk","date":"2019-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petrozavodsk3/index.html#20190731","regions":["karelia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov, a father of four, lived a quiet life in Dzhankoy, to which he had moved from the Kherson Region to care for his sick daughter. One evening in the fall of 2018, during a large-scale raid by law enforcement officers, his home was stormed by an armed special-forces unit. Law enforcement agencies deemed that this family man was “undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.” Notably, there were no victims in the criminal case; a law enforcement officer testified as a witness for the prosecution, and for “experts” the investigators enlisted a priest of an Orthodox church and a local resident, Aleksey Voznyak, who had “a university degree in ‘religious studies.’” In March 2020, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony. Filatov was released in January 2026.","date":"2018-11-10","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html","prisoners":["filatov"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov works in the metalworking shop. He is respected by the staff of the administration, he received several awards during the year.\nThe believer is on a light allowance, 6 times a year he can get a long visit with his wife. Parcels and letters arrive regularly. Filatov has a Bible. All this helps him to maintain a positive attitude.\nIn December 2023, the believer filed a petition for parole, but the court rejected it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-01-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20240104","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","incentive","parole"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, Sergey makes garden furniture: benches and urns.\nThe administration provides the believer with long visits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-05-22T08:45:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20230522","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov participates via video conferencing in the court session to consider the petition for the replacement of imprisonment with correctional labor, since he has already served more than 1/3 of the term.\nThe colony provides a positive characterization of the believer, but considers the replacement inappropriate. The court refuses to satisfy the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20230425","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Filatov was transferred from Penal Colony No. 12 in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky to Penal Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20220228","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Filatov in correctional colony No. 12 in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky. In the colony, Sergey's eyesight weakened.\nSince his transfer to the colony, the believer has not received letters of support from friends and relatives. However, a few days after the visit to the lawyer, Sergey was given a package of correspondence for the first time.\nNeither short-term nor long-term visits with relatives are given to Sergey. The administration of the pre-trial detention center states that visits will be allowed when all prisoners are vaccinated against COVID-19. However, Sergey has the opportunity to call his wife 2 times a day, which is a great support for him.\nFor 10 months in the colony, Sergey received the profession of a carpenter of the 3rd category. He also began studying to be a welder.\nSome time ago, Sergey transferred from the decorative woodworking workshop to a sewing workshop. Work in the sewing workshop takes 6 days a week from 7 am to 7:30 pm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2021-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20210521","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar, chaired by Valery Nozdrin, refuses to satisfy Sergey Filatov's cassation appeal against the verdict.\nThe believer continues to serve his sentence in correctional colony No. 12 in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region. Sergey Filatov's term of imprisonment ends approximately in January 2026.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20210310","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is still unable to receive and send letters to family and friends. During his time in the colony, he had only two short visits with his wife. In terms of time, the believer is supposed to have a long visit, but due to the quarantine that began, it was replaced with a short one. Sergey has a positive attitude, but he really misses his family, with whom he is separated by 900 kilometers.\nFilatov does not complain about his physical health. Recently, he was transferred to a warm barracks. The believer maintains good relations with his neighbors, they respect him and say that he has golden hands. Sergey is trained in the carpentry shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20201111","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is transferred to the colony of the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region. He again finds himself completely cut off from communication with his wife and friends - in the next 2 months of his stay he is not given a single letter. The administration of the colony summons the believer for a conversation, trying to find out who he is and why he receives many letters.\nSix days a week, Sergey works in a carpentry shop, where prisoners make backgammon with artistic carvings. For his work, the believer receives about 100 rubles a month. Filatov also plans to train as a sewing machine tuning operator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200712","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 in Rostov-on-Don. Local believers manage to give him a parcel of food, the next day the institution is quarantined. Sergey Filatov suffers bronchial disease here.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-06-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200612","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 7 a.m., Sergey Filatov was taken from the Simferopol pre-trial detention center, where he had been held until that time, to the Krasnodar Territory.\nIn the Simferopol pre-trial detention center, the believer was kept in an overcrowded cell, he was not given letters of support, which came from many countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200608","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Appeals Board of Judges of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea upholds the verdict against Sergey Filatov, ignoring violations in the case and the decisions of the UN Working Group, which called for the release of all arrested Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200526","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Filatov's case is transferred to the Supreme Court of Crimea for consideration of the appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200429","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By 8:00 a.m., about 200 people were gathering near the Dzhankoy District Court building to support Sergey Filatov. It was from that time that the court opened its doors, as the chairman of the court, Eduard Pikula, assured. Court employees inform the audience that it will be possible to get into the building later - at 8:45. However, by this time, military exercises begin on the square in front of the entrance: the howl of sirens, a detachment of armed officers in helmets and bulletproof vests, dozens of cars, including a fire truck, block all approaches to the court. Filatov's support group is forced out of the square.\nIn addition to investigator A.E. Chumakin, other FSB officers also come to the courtroom. One of them freely conducts video recording of the process and all those present.\nThe judge sentences Sergey Filatov to 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. The believer was taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200305","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov speaks in court with his last word. He tells the judge about the inconsistencies in his case, the falsification of the prosecution's evidence. According to Filatov, in fact, he is being tried for the fact that he and his children worshiped God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200228","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The process proceeds to the stage of debate of the parties.\nIn the debate of the parties, the state prosecutor, senior assistant to the prosecutor of the Dzhankoy interdistrict prosecutor's office, Aleksandr Onischuk, requests an unusually cruel punishment for Sergey Filatov, offering to sentence the believer to 7 years in a strict regime colony. Paradoxically, before that, the prosecutor personally draws attention to mitigating circumstances: Sergey has no criminal record, a positive characteristic, and two of the four children are minors. Calling the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses banned, the state prosecutor Onischuk ignores the position of the Russian Government and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, repeatedly voiced at the trial, according to which the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by Russian law.\nThe prosecutor's speech is not related to the actual accusation, and for the most part boils down to expressing hostility towards Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor distorts Filatov's words, attributing to him the use of such expressions as \"let's turn to forbidden literature\" and others. The defense argues that the disc with the audio recording of the home service conducted by Filatov, on which the entire accusation is based, was replaced or at least twice underwent significant changes.\nThe court is provided with excerpts from the details of the telephone connections of Filatov and his family members during the period when he allegedly held a service in his house. According to the details, Filatov's son is talking on the phone with his father, which means that he is absent from his place of residence and cannot participate in the divine service at the time indicated by the investigation. The defense points to the falsification of evidence of Filatov's guilt and the fact that the accusation is based only on assumptions and conjectures.\nFilatov's lawyer by appointment Skachikhin S.A. in his speech notes that the FSB, having been watching Filatov for a long time, has not been able to identify at least one member of the \"extremist community\" headed by him, because out of 8 alleged participants in the service, 6 people represent the Filatov family, including two minor children. It turns out that, according to the prosecution, the conversations of the head of the family with his wife and children about God can be presented as a resumption of the activities of an extremist organization.\n\"7 years ... because a person believes in God. There is no corpus delicti, no guilt. Everything is far-fetched. Everyone who stands here can also suffer... 1951, 1937, which were in Russia, are returning, \"Filatov himself said in an interview with reporters. After the end of the hearing, about 100 people greeted Filatov with applause and words of support at the exit from the courtroom. Friends came to support him not only from Crimea, but also from neighboring Ukraine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200225","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viewing fragments of the video recording of searches of the home of the Bezhenar and Filatov families, presented in the media.\nFilatov's characteristic, written by neighbors who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, is read out. Here are some excerpts: \"There would be more such neighbors, more such wonderful people!\" \"I repeatedly had to turn to him for help ... And I always got help... And it was done from the heart, and not just to get rid of it - it's worth a lot! \"Sergey is a builder with a capital letter!\". \"In dealing with children, they are always polite, calm and convincing in their arguments ... Children are brought up in love and respect - and this is mutual.\n\"This is an example of a family in every sense, where peace and love reign, especially in our time! And the head of this friendly, strong, decent family is Sergey, who was so able to cement each member of the family, and LOVE served as cement ... And it turned out to be this strong foundation - this strong family, that is, the cell of society ... There would be more such wise, loving, hardworking and decent fathers of the family!\nOn February 25, the court proceeds to the stage of debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200205","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speech by Sergey Filatov. He talks about how applying Bible knowledge helped him and his wife strengthen their families and raise their four children. Filatov explains the difference between a legal entity and a believer in a religious group using 2 examples: If a taxi driver, officially registered with the tax service, decides to stop his work, this in no way affects his right to transport friends and relatives in his car. This will not be a violation of the law. Or, a lover of playing chess is elected chairman of the chess federation. And if this federation ceases to exist for one reason or another, a person will not stop playing chess.\nDuring the interrogation of Filatov, it turns out that the audio recordings from the case file are dated 10.10.2017 and 04.12.2018, but on these days no services were held with the participation of Filatov, and, therefore, the recording could have been made long before the events of April 2017.\nZakharchuk petitions to summon for questioning three witnesses on the merits of the case: senior FSB operative A. Boyko, former head of the FSB Viktor Palagin, and Filatov Alexei, to confirm the authenticity of the ORM recording. The application was denied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200131","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge reports that according to the decision of the security agencies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the personal appeal of the witness, he and his family do not need protection.\nThe prosecutor shall withdraw the motion to disqualify the defence counsel.\nThe request to hold a public hearing was denied. The court refers to the fact that \"the decision of the ECHR regarding the publicity and publicity of the trial is contrary to Russian law and therefore should not be applied.\"\nThe study of the case materials begins. An audio recording of the service is listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200121","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of eight volumes of the criminal case, as well as the study of audio materials, continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200121","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of a new prosecution witness begins, who at first stated that he did not fear for his life, but as soon as the defense began the interrogation, he changed his mind.\nThe witness is the owner of the Kingdom Hall and testifies that he appealed to the police and prosecutor's office in connection with the sealing of the building on April 22, 2017. This testimony refutes the false testimony of a prosecution witness who allegedly attended meetings in this building until November 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20200114","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 100 people gather near the courthouse, who come from different parts of Crimea to support Sergey.\nThe questioning of defence witnesses is ongoing. One of the witnesses tells of his grandparents, who were exiled to Siberia during the Soviet era for their faith. She shares that she grew up in an atmosphere of love and never heard swearing or foul language in the house.\nSergey Filatov's wife, Natalya, in her testimony tells the court how much better and happier her and her husband's life became after starting Bible study: they quit smoking and some other bad habits.\nThe judge grants the prosecutor's request to examine a new prosecution witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191218","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five other defence witnesses are being questioned. A 60-year-old man recounts how his father, who met Jehovah's Witnesses in the Dachau concentration camp, where they came to the rescue and showed extraordinary love for each other, encouraged him to get to know them better.\nOne of the witnesses explained in her testimony that one cannot become one of Jehovah's Witnesses unless one gets rid of bad habits and changes one's lifestyle, since God is holy and requires appropriate treatment.\nA total of 14 defense witnesses were questioned during three court hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191210","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the third time the defense has requested an open trial, citing the fact that the prosecution witnesses have been questioned and there is no danger to their lives and health.\nThe prosecutor declares his desire to examine new prosecution witnesses after the defence has finished questioning its witnesses.\nThe questioning of defence witnesses is ongoing. One of them is a woman with Orthodox views, an entrepreneur who herself took the initiative and volunteered to testify in defense of Filatov. When she learned about Sergey's criminal prosecution, she was deeply outraged, as she had been cooperating with Filatov on construction issues for many years. In her testimony, she gives him a positive characterization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191128","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense was again denied a request to hold an open hearing, as well as to declassify a secret witness.\nPolice officer A. Karpenko is being interrogated, who confirmed that no meetings were held in the building of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses after 22.04.2017.\nDuring the interrogation, religious scholar Alexei Voznyak said that he was superficially familiar with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked whether a believer needs to have a registration and a legal entity in order to pray to God, Wozniak clarified that if we are talking about one person, then no, and if we are talking about a group of citizens, then we need to create a legal entity.\nThe questioning of defense witnesses begins. All five emphasize that they have never heard from Filatov calls to incite religious hatred and undermine the constitutional order, but, on the contrary, he encouraged love for people and obedience to the authorities.\nDuring the hearing, a distinction was made between the legal and canonical structures of the organization. Thus, the meetings of the members of the LRO, in contrast to the services of the canonical structure, are formalized by protocols, songs are not performed at them and only economic, legal issues, etc. are considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191121","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialists from the prosecution are being interrogated - the priest and rector of the Orthodox church in Belogorsk, M. Kondakov. He pays attention to the personality of Charles Russell, the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses and the Synodal translation of the Bible, but says nothing about the personality and activities of Filatov, with whom he is not acquainted.\nThe first witness for the prosecution, Verbitsky, is being re-examined. He claims that his testimony given in court for the first time is incorrect. He emphasizes that he attended meetings of the congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Kingdom Hall until November 2017 and allegedly saw Filatov there. But back in the spring of 2017, this building was sealed, and meetings did not take place there, which is also confirmed by the testimony of a previously questioned secret prosecution witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191112","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense insists on an open hearing, arguing that the personal data of the prosecution witness was not publicly disclosed, and listeners could not make threatening calls.\nThe defense's motions to challenge the prosecutor and the judge were rejected.\nAn ambulance is called for Sergey Filatov, doctors diagnose a hypertensive crisis. The defendant was taken to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191028","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to hold the hearing behind closed doors, referring to information about pressure on the prosecution witness.\nThe judge grants the petition and removes from the hall all listeners who, according to the prosecutor, \"violate the rules\", and also pose a \"threat to the life and health of prosecution witnesses.\" The court terminates the audio recording of the trial and prohibits the defense from doing so.\nThe prosecutor asks for a second interrogation of Verbitsky, who, as it turned out earlier, does not know anything about Filatov's actions after 20.04.2017. However, the judge grants this request.\nThe defense's motion to impose a measure of procedural coercion on Filatov, an obligation to appear, was rejected. Thus, for more than a year Filatov has been deprived of the opportunity to visit his parents, who live 100 km from Dzhankoy, although before that he regularly visited them every month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191021","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Previously questioned prosecution witness Verbitsky says that pressure was exerted on him. During the hearing, it turns out that the pressure was expressed in calls from strangers to him. The judge sends an order to the Ministry of Internal Affairs Dzhankoysky to conduct an inspection.\nThe specialists declared in the case do not appear for interrogation.\nThe defense is petitioning for the removal of the priest of the Orthodox Church Kondakov and the religious scholar Wozniak from participating in the criminal case as specialists. The reason for this is the defender Oleg Zakharov calls the obvious confessional interest of these persons in the outcome of the case. According to him, \"it is considered unacceptable to evaluate some religions from the standpoint of others.\" The court rejects the petition.\nVladislav Stradetsky, FSB investigator for Crimea and Sevastopol, is being interrogated. When answering most of the questions, he refers to the secrecy of his operational work. In particular, he avoids answering the question of whether he participated in the search of Filatov's home. It is noteworthy that in the case there is a search protocol with his signature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191014","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defence counsel shall apply for the disqualification of the prosecutor and the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor's office. The court rejects both motions, but after them the judge and prosecutor begin to behave more respectfully towards the defendant and the lawyer. A secret witness is interrogated, who does not understand what it is about, does not remember anything and cannot report. In view of this, the judge simply reads out the record of his interrogation, and the secret witness confirms it. At the same time, the witness cannot answer the questions of the defense when he gave this testimony at least approximately (even a year).\nThe next meeting will be held on October 14.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20191003","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The only prosecution witness who appeared is being questioned - a computer science teacher at a rural school, who had previously attended meetings of believers several times. However, during the interrogation, it turns out that after the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017, he stopped attending meetings, so he knows nothing about Filatov's actions after this decision, while he saw Filatov only once. The witness cannot say anything in support of the charges brought against Filatov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190925","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Public defender O. Zakharchuk is allowed to defend.\nThe hearing is postponed to September 25 in connection with Zakharchuk's familiarization with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190919","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This and subsequent meetings are held in public. In the absence of a lawyer, the court decides to involve a lawyer at the expense of the budget.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190912","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dzhankoysky District Court of the Republic of Crimea. The preliminary meeting is closed behind closed doors. The case is being heard by Judge Maria Ermakova. The defendant Filatov refuses a lawyer by appointment, since he is not able to pay for his services, and submits a petition for the admission of public defender Oleg Zakharchuk. The judge satisfies the refusal of the appointed lawyer, but does not admit a public defender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190906","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Filatov receives the indictment in his hands for review. The criminal case is expected to be transferred for consideration in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190815","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office signs the final document prepared by the investigation - the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190805","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator again interrogates Filatov, who reports that the local religious organization was liquidated after the court decision. Later, during another interrogation, Filatov clarifies that the believers gathered as private individuals in accordance with the right given by the Russian Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2019-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20190116","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During interrogation, Filatov tells the investigator that the ideas of extremism are alien to him. Nevertheless, he is charged with organizing extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2018-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20181121","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey's house is searched, during which officers seize documents. Along with this search, the security forces invaded the homes of 7 more families. 78-year-old Alexander Petrovich Ursu, previously repressed for his faith and recognized as an innocent victim, was pressed against the wall and fell to his knees, handcuffed. These searches become the largest operation against believers, as more than 200 police and FSB officers were involved in the raid. At least 25 law enforcement officers were thrown to storm each of the houses.\nOn the same day, Filatov was chosen a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2018-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20181115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","elderly","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened based on information about Filatov's participation in a religious meeting, which the security forces interpret as a continuation of the activities of the banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Sivash\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2018-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20181110","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At Sergey Filatov's home, a meeting of friends and acquaintances takes place, where they discuss spiritual topics and thoughts from the Holy Scriptures, as well as sing religious songs. At this moment, a secret audio recording is being conducted, organized by Vladislav Sradetsky, an operative of the FSB department for Crimea and Sevastopol. He later becomes a witness in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2017-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20171010","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operatives receive information from former members of the Jehovah's Witnesses community that Sergey Filatov was once one of the founders of the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Sivash\" and continues to be an active believer. The organization itself was closed after the decision of the Supreme Court to recognize 396 organizations of believers as extremist, after which it did not carry out activities. The security forces put Sergey under surveillance and found out that he did not stop believing in God, and continued to gather with his fellow believers. Despite the fact that the courts' decision should not have violated the right of citizens to be Jehovah's Witnesses, law enforcement officers are beginning to prepare the basis for criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filatov in Dzhankoy","date":"2017-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy/index.html#20170901","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, the Krasnoyarsk Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Filatov, who at that time lived in Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Territory). Just because of his religion, he was accused of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After a search, the believer was detained and taken 5,000 kilometers away to Detention Center No. 1 for the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The charges against Filatov were based on the testimony of two secret witnesses. In January 2022, the criminal case was brought to court, and in December 2022, Judge Gruzdev sentenced Filatov to 6 years in a general regime penal colony. This is exactly the punishment the prosecutor had requested. In July 2023, the court of appeal upheld the verdict against the believer.","date":"2021-07-09","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html","prisoners":["afilatov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"At the end of January, Aleksandr was dismissed from his work. He regularly receives letters of support. He has a Bible. Aleksandr can call his family only once a month.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20260210","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is grateful to the colony administration for the opportunity to communicate with his family through the Zona-Telecom service. The wife regularly gives the necessary medications.\nAleksandr is the only electrician in the entire colony, so he is busy with work and gets very tired. Despite his conscientious attitude to work, he is not given incentives.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20250413","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his stay in the colony, Aleksandr Filatov has earned a reputation as a conscientious worker, he is treated with respect. There are about 80 people in his squad.\nThe believer tries not to lose courage. He takes care of his health and keeps in shape by exercising on the horizontal bar.\nAleksandr appreciates the support of friends and caring people. For about two months, there were interruptions in letters, but now the situation has returned to normal.\nIn October, the believer had a long visit with his wife and children.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-11-12T11:20:10+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20241112","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"88 people live in the barracks where Aleksandr is kept. The believer still works as an electrician and is valued as a specialist. In August, he had to work even during his vacation, as there was no one to replace him.\nAlexander's emotional state is satisfactory, but he misses his wife and children very much. The opportunity to talk to them is rare.\nIn order not to lose heart, the believer tries to notice the positive and focus on it. Reading the Bible also strengthens him.\nAleksandr Filatov ","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20240819","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexandr works as an electrician. At the end of December 2023, he was placed in a punishment cell for 7 days.\nFilatov worries that he does not have the opportunity to communicate with his wife often on the phone, since the colony staff do not give him such an opportunity. He regularly receives letters of support, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20240211","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer feels good. There are more than 100 people in his squad. During the working day, Alexander gets tired, and he does not always have the opportunity to read all the letters of support and respond to them. Unfortunately, Filatov does not have a complete Bible, since he was allowed to transmit only the New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20230921","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Filatov was taken to penal colony No. 31 in Krasnoyarsk. He can write letters. In the same colony, Anatoly Gorbunov is serving time for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20230831","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his address to the court, Alexander Filatov compared his faith to a ship: \"Only after overcoming the distance and the storm, the ship passes the test of strength. One day I will be able to return to my native \"bay\" with the proven quality of my faith.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20221228","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant, referring to the laws of the Russian Federation and the decisions of the Supreme Court, explains that the actions imputed to him are legal and peaceful ways of professing his faith.\nThe lawyer claims that Aleksandr Filatov is being persecuted only for his faith. In particular, he notes that the prosecution considered two pieces of paper with the inscription \"Jehovah\" to be evidence of the defendant's guilt.\n6 listeners are watching what is happening. About 50 people are waiting for news from the courtroom outside.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20221020","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"30 people come to the building of the Oktyabrsky District Court to support Alexander Filatov, but only six are allowed into the courtroom.\nAt the hearing, the prosecutor makes a debate, reads out the case materials. She draws the court's attention to the fact that Aleksandr conducted worship services according to the same program as all Jehovah's Witnesses in the world, using an \"extremist\" website and literature. According to the prosecutor, this indicates that the believer continued the activities of a banned legal entity. She asks for Filatov, the father of two young children, 6 years of real imprisonment.\nAt the next meeting, the defense is scheduled to speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20221006","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Filatov's petition to terminate the criminal prosecution, based on the decision of the ECHR.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20220912","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people come to support the defendant. The interrogated specialist finds it difficult or refuses to answer some questions. However, he calls Filatov the head of a banned organization with reference to the fact that he participated in the conduct of worship services. At the same time, the specialist admits that he did not find any illegal actions on the part of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20220607","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. It will be considered by judge Sergey Valerievich Gruzdev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-01-13T11:12:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20220113","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Filatov is charged with a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20211227","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Filatov is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk Elena Krivets sends the believer to the pre-trial detention center until September 8, 2021. She explains this by the fact that Alexander represents \"an increased public danger and public outcry,\" and \"the presence of young children, a spouse and a place of residence in Krasnoyarsk is not an unconditional basis preventing Filatov from choosing a preventive measure in the form of detention.\"\nAleksandr Filatov is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1, located at 72 Respublika Street, Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210715","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Filatov was detained and at 11:20 p.m. was taken to the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city of Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, and later transferred to Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210713","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Novorossiysk, a search is underway at the place of residence of the Filatov spouses. The head of the family, Aleksandr, was absent at the time of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210711","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Oktyabrsky district of Krasnoyarsk, K. O. Zhuikov, initiates a criminal case against 36-year-old Alexander Filatov, who at that time lives in Novorossiysk. He is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The case is assigned a 12102040005000127 number. It was separated from the criminal case of Andrey Stupnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20210709","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation is carrying out operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Filatov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2017-11-01T11:11:53+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk8/index.html#20171101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, the investigation initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against Andrey Vyushin, Petr Filiznov, as well as the couple Aleksandr and Mariya Kuznetsov. They were suspected of holding meetings for worship “including through the Internet, in which [they] promoted prohibited teachings”. Law enforcement officers conducted searches in Yaroslavl and neighboring Rybinsk, after which the four believers were placed in a detention center. After 3 months, the court released them under a ban on certain actions. Vyushin was fitted with a tracking bracelet on his leg, and a control device was installed in his apartment, although his preventive measure did not prohibit him from leaving his home or being in certain places. In August 2022, the case went to court. After 11 months, the believers were sentenced: Andrey Vyushin and Petr Filiznov were given a 6.5-year suspended sentence and Aleksandr and Mariya Kuznetsov – 2.5 years.","date":"2021-04-12","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html","prisoners":["filiznov","kuznetsova","kuznetsoval","vyushin"],"regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20230707","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for severe punishment for the believers: Pyotr Filiznov and Andrey Vyushin — 8 years in a penal colony, and the Kuznetsov spouses — 4 years of real imprisonment in a penal colony. In addition, he demands to deprive them of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations (Filiznov and Vyushin for 5 years, and Kuznetsov - for 3 years), as well as additional restriction of freedom for Filiznov and Vyushin for 1.5 years, and for Kuznetsov - for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20230704","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 10 days of treatment, Alexander Kuznetsov does not get better, so judge Irina Vlasova postpones the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20230313","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the motion to postpone the hearing for the medical examination of Alexander Kuznetsov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20230302","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the first meeting. Although a spacious hall is provided, only 7 listeners are allowed.\nThe court session begins with the study of material evidence - audio recordings of worship. Two recordings are fully listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20230209","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the meeting, but only 9 of them are allowed to attend as listeners.\nAfter the prosecutor presents the charges, all four defendants express their attitude towards him.\nBefore the start of the meeting, Filiznov's glasses break, but despite this, he reads out everything that he has planned. The prosecutor and the judge listen very attentively to his statement. In their speeches, the defendants talk about the peace-loving biblical principles that they follow and draw attention to the absurdity of the accusations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20221027","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion to terminate the criminal case, to provide a larger hall for the access of listeners and to change the measure of restraint to a written undertaking not to leave or to change the restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20220913","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the accused, 10-12 people come to the hearing, including one elderly woman.\nAt the hearing, the issue of the release of defense counsel by appointment in connection with the entry into the case of defense counsel by agreement is discussed.\nThe defense file a motion to familiarize itself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20220909","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of four believers is submitted to the Dzerzhinsky District Court of Yaroslavl. It will be considered by judge Irina Vlasova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20220823","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Yaroslavl, an employee of the Federal Penitentiary Service comes to Andrey Vyushin's apartment and puts a tracking bracelet on the believer's leg, and also installs a stationary monitoring device in the apartment. At the same time, the measure of restraint chosen for Vyushin does not imply a ban on leaving the home or being in certain places.\nThe appointed lawyer finds out that the authorities of the Federal Penitentiary Service decided to use all available control devices, and Vyushin accidentally got into the list of those to whom these devices were installed.\nThe believer intends to appeal against the actions of law enforcement officers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210914","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the appeal hearing on the complaint about the extension of the detention of 4 believers, the judge of the Yaroslavl Regional Court Irina Ignatieva releases from custody Andrey Vyushin, Petr Filiznov, Alexander and Maria Kuznetsov and chooses for them a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210714","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Dzerzhinsky District Court of Yaroslavl decides to extend the detention of 4 believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210609","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to send 4 believers to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Yaroslavl until at least June 11, 2021. These are the 45-year-old father of a young child Andrey Vyushin, 55-year-old Pyotr Filiznov, as well as the Kuznetsov spouses - 38-year-old Alexander and 33-year-old Maria.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210415","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Yaroslavl and neighboring Rybinsk, FSB and National Guard officers are conducting searches in at least 13 homes of believers. Several believers were detained and sent to an isolation ward.\nThe official website of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Yaroslavl Region states that the believers were suspected of holding liturgical meetings \"including through the Internet, within which [they] promoted prohibited teachings.\"\nThis is the first case of criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Yaroslavl region since the decision of the Supreme Court of Russia to liquidate legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Filiznov and Others in Yaroslavl","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl/index.html#20210413","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2025-08-18","permalink":"/en/cases/slavgorod2/index.html","prisoners":["firsov","kovalenko"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Firsov and Kovalenko in Slavgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"In February 2024, the home of Vladimir Fomin, who is disabled, was searched. A criminal case was initiated against him for participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. A month later, the court took the believer into custody, despite the state of his health. The charge was based on Fomin’s conversations about the Bible. In March 2025, the court sentenced Vladimir to 4.5 years in a penal colony. The appeal and cassation upheld that decision.","date":"2024-03-21","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html","prisoners":["fomin"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir's health condition is deteriorating. He needs medical examination and consultations with a vascular surgeon, neurologist, gastroenterologist, and cardiologist.\nHe has lost weight: due to pain after eating, he cannot eat properly and is undernourished. Fomin can receive parcels only once every 2 months.\nThe believer continues to suffer from numbness in his limbs, severe headaches, high blood pressure, dizziness, and shortness of breath. He was previously diagnosed with epilepsy, which is accompanied by periodic seizures.\nVladimir complains of a daily cough and frequent acute respiratory infections (5 cases in the past 6 months). He is experiencing worsening hearing loss associated with a traumatic brain injury he suffered earlier. His dental condition remains a separate problem — his teeth are crumbling and several need to be extracted.\nDespite exhausting health challenges, Vladimir does not lose his inner resilience.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20260530","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk upholds the verdict against Fomin — the believer remains in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20260409","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["cassation","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about 40 people in Vladimir Fomin's detachment. Prisoners have the opportunity to go for walks and exercise. The believer needs to consult a neurologist, as he is worried about numbness in his right hand.\nIn the fall, when he was admitted to the colony, Fomin's Bible was taken away and has not yet been returned. He receives letters and necessary medicines. Recently, a three-day meeting with his wife took place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20260311","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Astrakhan penal colony No. 8 has its own food, clothing, metal and woodworking production facilities. Therefore, most of the prisoners in Fomin's unit work. However, Vladimir was released from work due to persistent health issues. Frequent headaches, weakness, cramps and other health problems require medical attention.\nFomin's wife, Anna, was recently classed as disabled. As she had been separated from her husband for more than 1.5 years, she had to move to her father's in Chelyabinsk and live on both their pensions. The couple hope that at the end of December they will be granted an extended visit.\nVladimir maintains respectful relations with other prisoners and the penal colony administration. In his free time, he reads fiction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20251128","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Fomin is in penal colony No. 8 for the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-10-13T14:29:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20251013","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Fomin is awaiting transfer to the penal colony. He does not lose heart. The believer has a Bible, but apparently, he does not receive all of his letters.\nThere are two others in the cell, with whom Fomin has a good relationship. Summer was not very hot and it was easier to be indoors than last year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250903","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic upholds the sentence of Vladimir Fomin - 4 years and 6 months in prison. The decision of the court of first instance enters into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250826","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","disability","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Sapar Baichorov. Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic (24 Voroshilova Street, Cherkessk). Start: 16:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250620","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is adjourned at the request of the state prosecutor, who has just entered the process. The judge extends Vladimir Fomin's detention for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250418","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir is feeling better, but chronic illnesses are making themselves felt. He is worried about his wife, from whom he has been separated for the second year. The believer is supported by letters from friends and thoughts from the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250323","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense asks to recognize the conclusion of the religious expert examination as inadmissible evidence due to violations in its compilation. The court rejects the petition, considering it premature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250219","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of E. A. Oncheva. She says she doesn't remember where she bought the recorder, who taught her how to use it, or where it went.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250129","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Khutova, who works in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as an interrogator. She reports that her mother, E. A. Oncheva, had been in contact with Jehovah's Witnesses on Bible topics for some time. According to Khutova, her mother asked her to rewrite the recordings of such conversations from the dictaphone onto a CD. These recordings formed the basis of the accusation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20250113","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the cell with Vladimir there are 3 more prisoners who treat him well. The Fomins are deeply affected by separation from each other. They have the opportunity to see each other about once a month during a short visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20241215","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people come to the first court session. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nVladimir Fomin does not plead guilty and states: \"I believe that the investigation was misled and mistakenly claims that my peaceful actions in the practice of religion are a continuation of the activities of some extremist organization.\" He adds, \"I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and fellowship.\"\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the prosecution's lack of \"a description of what kind of extremism the defendant committed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20241017","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are submitted to the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240924","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Fomin's health in the pre-trial detention center is deteriorating. He does not receive the necessary medicines, because of this, his chronic diseases have worsened.\nTwo more people are kept in the cell where the believer is located. He has a bed, but the sanitary condition of the bedding is unsatisfactory.\nHis wife gave Vladimir a parcel, but he did not receive it. Letters arrive, but irregularly. The administration of the pre-trial detention center promises to establish regular delivery of correspondence. Vladimir can take walks and read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240614","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","sizo","letters","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Atayev, judge of the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, orders Vladimir Fomin's detention until May 21, 2024, despite the fact that the defense asks to soften the measure of restraint for house arrest, linking this to the state of health of the defendant - right at the hearing, the believer loses consciousness, he is provided with emergency medical care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240323","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aslan Shabanov, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the city of Cherkessk, initiates a criminal case under part 1.1 of article 282.2 and part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Vladimir Fomin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Fomin in Cherkessk","date":"2024-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk4/index.html#20240321","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Gadrshina is one of the residents of the village of Vyselki, whose house was invaded by law enforcement officers during mass searches in the homes of believers in February 2022. In June 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her on charges of participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court 6 months later. The charge is based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastyr [Shepherd], who secretly recorded meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses on video. His testimony appears in six other similar cases. In November 2025, the court issued a guilty verdict and gave Yelena a 2-year suspended sentence with 6 months of restrictions.","date":"2023-06-15","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html","prisoners":["gadrshina"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yelena Gadrshina makes her final statement. At the same session, the judge announces his decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20251119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions to request from the Sochi Expert Center the documents on the basis of which the experts cooperated with it in the framework of this criminal case. According to the center's response, contracts with these experts were lost.\nThe defense files motions to exclude a number of evidence - expert opinions, testimony of witnesses from another case, as well as a secret witness Pastor. The judge postpones the evaluation of evidence until the verdict is rendered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20250902","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Linguistic expert Elena Ryadchikova is being questioned, whom the defense accuses of gross violations: the text of the conclusion contains 12 references to non-existent transcripts, 15 quotes without indicating the sources, as well as cases of word substitution and distortion of wording. On this basis, the defense considers the expert's conclusions unreliable. The expert confirms that she worked exclusively with the transcripts provided by the investigator, without checking them with the original audio recordings.\nAt the same time, Ryadchikova states that she did not find calls to hatred on the basis of nationality or race in Elena Gadrshina's statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20250807","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Professor of the Kuban State University, Doctor of Psychology Elena Belan is interrogated.\nDuring the interrogation, the expert's negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses was noticeable. For example, she calls Jehovah God \"an object of worship\" and, commenting on the study of foreign languages for the purpose of preaching, notes: \"You have to be so confused.\"\nAt the next hearing, the interrogation continues via video-conferencing. Next to the expert Belan is a public defender with copies of the case materials certified by the court.\nThe defense asks why there are 155 errors in the sources of quotations in its conclusion. The judge recalls that at the last hearing Belan claimed: there were no mistakes, and after the transfer of the conclusion, it is not known who did what with him. When the public defender asks Belan if this is her conclusion and signature at the end, she answers: \"Since this is a copy of the case file, it is not clear whether it is my signature or not. I did not sign a copy.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20250414","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the former investigator A. Garmash, who was in charge of the case of Ushakov and other believers, is interrogated. The defense shows him the protocol of the interrogation of the \"Shepherd\", which was drawn up by Latysh in the case of Gadrshina, and asks him to compare it with his own. Garmash notes that the protocols are similar, including errors. According to the defense, this confirms that the Latvian did not interrogate the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20250313","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Roman Latysh, the investigator who led the case. The defense believes that he made several falsifications. The lawyer asks him how it is possible to look through 23 discs with video recordings lasting 63 hours in three hours and compile 300 sheets of transcripts on them. \"These are my ways of examining objects and documents,\" the investigator answers.\nThe defense also notes that the protocol of the interrogation of the secret witness \"Pastor\", which was carried out by Latysh, coincides word for word with the protocol of interrogation conducted by another investigator, A. Garmash, in a similar case in Vyselki. To this, the Latvian replies that he does not remember the circumstances of the interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20250128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor. The defense draws attention to the fact that the witness personally attended the meetings for worship mentioned in the case file, his name is mentioned in the transcript, and his face can be seen on the videos. The defense filed a petition to declassify the identity of the Pastor, but the court refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20241010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the lawyer's statement submitted at the previous hearing about the investigator's violation of the terms of the investigation.\nThe public defender submits a second motion to return the case to the prosecutor. It states that this criminal case was initiated unlawfully, since the materials that served as the basis for this were obtained in violation of the requirements of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law \"On Operational Activities\". The judge denies.\nThe assistant prosecutor reads out the charges. Yelena Gadrshina expresses her attitude towards him. She says: \"The materials of the criminal case do not disclose any arguments and evidence that I had a criminal intent to commit the alleged crime. The prosecution mistakenly mistakes the confession of religion for participation in the activities of a banned legal entity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20240712","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the previously filed motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.\nIn another petition, the defence alleges that the investigator violated the statutory deadlines for the preliminary investigation. According to the investigator, it was allegedly not possible to involve Gadrshina in the investigation of the criminal case. However, the believer declares that she was not absent anywhere, since she was under recognizance not to leave. The prosecution asks for time to prepare a response.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20240508","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"31 people come to support the believer, all are allowed into the meeting room.\nThe public defender submits a new motion to return the case to the prosecutor in order to remove obstacles in the further consideration of the case. The prosecutor is requesting time to consider the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20240228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the defense's request for the admission of Elena Gadrshina's daughter as a second defender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20240130","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Ruslan Teplukhin. He is also hearing a case brought on similar charges against other local believers, Vasilina Penskaya and Viktor Spirichev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20231229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Gadrshina is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Among other things, she is charged with \"reading aloud to other participants the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20230815","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons the believer for interrogation and takes from her a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20230810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring blocks the accounts of Gadrshina and several other believers from Vyselki, and two days later seizes her funds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee is initiating a criminal case against Elena Gadrshina under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Shepherd\" who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past. Later, the man again began to communicate with believers and film online worship services in order to transmit this information to the Center for Countering Extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20230615","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at at least 31 addresses in the village of Vyselki and neighboring settlements. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records are seized from Elena Gadrshina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gadrshina in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki8/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Gaydyshev, with severely impaired sight, faced prosecution in 2021, when the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin. Law enforcement officers searched the homes of Gaydyshev and other Jehovah's Witnesses in Kurgan and Shadrinsk. In 2025, a criminal case was initiated against the believer for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. After 6 months of court hearings, Vladimir was fined 300,000 rubles.","date":"2025-04-18","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html","prisoners":["gaydyshev"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I have become stronger, and my trust and love for my best friend, our Creator and Maker, have been strengthened as never before,\" said Vladimir Gaydyshev, giving his final statement before the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20260303","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence the believer to 3 years imprisonment in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20260217","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another woman is a witness for the prosecution. Her current testimony contradicts those she gave at the investigation stage. In particular, she says that she did not communicate with the defendant after 2017. However, it follows from the protocol of her interrogation that in 2021, the woman, on her own initiative, called several Jehovah's Witnesses, including Gaydyshev. She also admits that she knows about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses after 2017 mainly \"from rumors.\" The lawyer asks the woman where she got the information that Gaydyshev is an elder. \"That's my conclusion,\" she replies. The witness saw the defendant only in one of the screenshots that the investigator showed her, but she does not know what event is in the picture.\nAbout 35 people come to the courthouse to support Vladimir, 9 of them are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20251030","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution is being questioned - a woman who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017. According to her, these meetings were aimed at \"ensuring that all people live amicably,\" and not at inciting hatred towards representatives of another religion or race, as the prosecution claims.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20251017","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Gaydyshev, visually impaired, asks the court to allow a public defender to participate in the trial. The prosecutor is against it, because the defense lawyer does not have a legal education, although there is no such requirement in the Criminal Procedure Code. The court denies the believer's petition.\nAt the next hearing, Gaydyshev again asks to admit a lawyer - this time the court refuses to consider his petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250904","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Vladimir Gaydyshev was received by the Shadrinsky District Court, he was appointed to judge Nikolai Verbovoy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250704","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grachev hands Gaydyshev a decision to prosecute him as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250615","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces detain Vladimir on the street while walking and take him to investigator Suleymanov for questioning. There the believer learns that he has been assigned a restriction measure in the form of a recognizance agreement. Later, when Vladimir returns home, his mobile phone is confiscated. The man shares that from the stress he experienced, his condition \"deteriorated sharply, his eyesight dropped.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250421","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Gaydyshev. The ruling states that the believer \"appointed brothers or sisters to hold meetings for the ministry, organized preaching on holidays.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250418","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the criminal case of Ilya Ershov , materials against Vladimir Gaydyshev, a visually impaired of group I, are separated into a separate proceeding. This decision is made by the senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for especially important cases, Major of Justice Rayan Suleymanov. He is known for participating in the investigation of the case of Jehovah's Witnesses Ershov and Lubin, who died more than six months ago.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20250320","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Gaydyshev becomes one of the believers whose house is being searched as part of a special operation by the Kurgan law enforcement officers. Literature based on the Bible, personal notes and photographs, and a flash drive were seized from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaydyshev in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk4/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of May 2024, a resident of Kurgan, Anastasiya Gaytur, like her father Aleksandr faced criminal prosecution for her faith. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her under the article on participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and later her apartment was searched. Anastasiya was interrogated and placed under a recognizance agreement. In May 2025, the case went to court, and at the end of August, a verdict was handed down — a fine of 300,000 rubles.","date":"2024-05-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html","prisoners":["agaytur"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"In her final statement, Anastasiya says that as a child she became acquainted with Bible teachings and began to attend meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. She notes: \"After 29 years I would simply be saturated with extremism if it was there. No doubt, I would speak differently, behave differently, live differently. But there is not a single negative aspect in the case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20250911","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","ussr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The information will appear later.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20250827","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Gaitur is being interrogated. The believer states that all the evidence of the prosecution only points to her religious affiliation and participation in meetings for worship.\n\"The prosecution used a certain template against me, which is often heard in unscrupulous media, in order to indiscriminately defame those they do not like,\" says Anastasia. \"As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I live by God's standards. These standards are set forth in the Bible. They contribute to our common well-being, teach us to respect others, act honestly, show kindness, and maintain peaceful relations even in difficult and difficult circumstances.\"\nAnastasia Gaytur sums up: \"In some ways, perhaps you, Your Honor, may disagree with the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and other religions. To agree or disagree is the right of every person, and I respect this right.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2025-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20250821","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kurgan City Court. It will be considered by Judge Andrey Petrov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20250529","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the pretext that the neighbors allegedly started a fire, FSB officers in masks and with machine guns burst into Gaytur's apartment. The search is carried out under the direction of investigator Ermolaev with the participation of detectives S. Y. Glushkov and A. S. Shtrekker. It lasts more than 4 hours. Electronic devices and data carriers, as well as personal notes, notes and letters, the Bible and scanwords on biblical topics are seized from the believer.\nDuring the search, Anastasia's father, Aleksandr Gaytur, who is a suspect in another criminal case, is also in the apartment.\nAfter the search, Anastasia is taken to the FSB department for interrogation, and a restriction measure is chosen for her in the form of a recognizance agreement and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20240531","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Denis Cherkasov orders a search of Anastasia Gaitur's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20240530","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice S. G. Ermolaev, senior investigator for particularly important cases of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia in the Kurgan region, initiates a case against 28-year-old Anastasia Gaitur under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe decision to initiate a criminal case states: \"Gaytur A.A. takes part in conducting remote religious meetings of collective religious meetings for worship ... consisting of sequential actions in the performance of songs... studying and discussing articles of religious content, watching videos of religious content... with the followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses creed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gaytur in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan5/index.html#20240528","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov became yet another victim of religious persecution in Kazan. In March 2022, the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses were searched. Several believers, including Gerasimov, were interrogated. According to investigators, Aleksey continued to meet with fellow believers to discuss the Holy Scriptures, which the authorities considered to be undermining the foundations of the constitutional order of Russia. Regarding this, law enforcement officers initiated a criminal case against the believer and then accused him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In January 2023, the case was submitted to court, and in December, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony. Courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2022-02-10","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html","prisoners":["gerasimoval"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov regularly receives parcels and deliveries. He can also order groceries in the penal colony's store. In the barracks where he is kept, it is warm and there is hot water. Aleksey receives several letters a week.\nThe believer is grateful to his wife Natalya: she now lives with his mother and is helping her recover from recent surgery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2026-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20260411","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September, Aleksey Gerasimov spent 15 days in a punishment cell for groundless reasons. He has not received correspondence for about 2 months.\nAleksey does exercises outdoors three times a week: he uses a sports bar and homemade weights — bags with bricks. He tries to eat healthily and, where possible, adhere to his usual routine. Recently, he had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20260202","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the first floor of the barracks, where the believer is kept, there are 50 people. Aleksey works in the sewing workshop. He gets on fine with other prisoners.\nGerasimov has a Bible. During the past month, letters have been arriving with a significant delay. There are two telephones in the yard. Prisoners can call their relatives twice a week according to schedule.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2025-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20250906","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 6th Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Samara) finally upholds the verdict to Aleksey Gerasimov, despite the arguments of the defense.\nIn his appeal, the believer's lawyer cites several confirmations of the unlawfulness of the verdict. So, one of the secret witnesses said that he repeatedly met with Gerasimov in his apartment. However, the defense drew attention to the fact that the believer at that time had just purchased an apartment and it had been under renovation for a long time.\nThe lawyer also states that he considers the examination performed by V.N. Rogatin to be inadmissible evidence, since the specialist has a personal interest in the outcome of the case. According to the lawyer, this is evidenced by an interview in which the expert spoke about his fight against \"spiritual vandalism\" in defense of the Orthodox Church, as well as an article published by him justifying the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, who were subsequently rehabilitated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20241212","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov is in penal colony No. 12 in Mordovia. There he will serve the term appointed by the court. You can write letters to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20240711","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Gerasimov has been in the process of being transported for several weeks to the place of serving his sentence, which is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2024-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20240523","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Gerasimov is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Tatarstan. For the first two weeks, he is quarantined in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231210","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Anna Kryuchenkova. Kirovsky District Court of Kazan (Kazan, Shosseynaya str., 3). Time: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231207","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"If I personally went against the power of the state, then, in fact, I would rebel against the power of Jehovah God himself, and for me this is unthinkable,\" the believer speaks with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231207","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 8 years of real imprisonment for the believer. The court grants Gerasimov's request to be given time to prepare his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231201","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The consideration of the case materials is coming to an end. The defendant is interrogated in the format of reading out his notes. Alexei Gerasimov refuses to answer questions from the court and the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231117","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge agrees to review the video of the religious congress of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Show Faith\" and examine it for the presence of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231020","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense speaks about the basic beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, drawing attention to the topics of marriage and family, education, and health.\nThe testimony of a defense witness, a neighbor of the defendant, who gives a positive description of Gerasimov, is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20231012","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Kiselyova gives contradictory answers that are at odds with her written testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230928","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to covert audio recordings of four worship meetings made by the embedded agent continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230731","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In an hour and a half, 6 of the 11 volumes of the case were examined. The prosecutor reads out the subheadings, and only in two places draws the attention of the participants in the process to some details chosen by him.\nGerasimov once again asks the prosecutor to correctly put the emphasis on the name of God - Jehovah. The prosecutor ignores Gerasimov's requests and continues to distort the pronunciation of God's name. The defendant refers to Article 148 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which refers to actions \"expressing obvious disrespect ... for the purpose of insulting the religious feelings of believers.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230619","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Vasiltsov calls individual Bible studies in a café worship services, which is untrue and misleads the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230608","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness is being questioned. He says that he does not know Gerasimov and speaks positively of Jehovah's Witnesses. A secret witness under the pseudonym Ogorodnikov says that he does not know what an LRO is and has never been a member of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230522","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Friends who came to court give Alexei Gerasimov's wife a bouquet of flowers.\nThe prosecution witness admits that this is the first time she has seen Gerasimov. When asked if she knows anything about the local legal entity (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses, she replies that she no longer remembers everything.\nAnother prosecution witness, an operational officer, refuses to answer the question about how he carried out operational-search activities, referring to the law on the inadmissibility of disclosure of information about the implementation of operational-search activities. He gives a subjective negative assessment of Jehovah's Witnesses. Gerasimov states that the witness is not an expert in matters of religion and has no right to give his assessment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230417","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"16 people come to the courthouse, but only 9 are allowed into the courtroom - according to the number of seats.\nDefendant Alexei Gerasimov reads out his attitude to the prosecution - he does not agree with the accusation.\nAt the end of the hearing, the prosecutor submits a motion that, instead of questioning prosecution witnesses in person, the judge will attach their written testimony to the case. The judge asks the defendant if he agrees. Gerasimov insists on calling witnesses for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230222","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Kirovsky District Court of Kazan for consideration by Judge Anna Kryuchenkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20230120","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Giniyatullin prosecutes Alexei Gerasimov as a defendant in organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe ruling states that Gerasimov, \"being a follower and adherent\" of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, continued to study the Bible together with fellow believers. According to the investigation, in the period from 2017 to 2022, Aleksey \"involved individual residents of Kazan\" in religious activities, and also \"made decisions on the gathering of members and the search for accomplices in ideological propaganda\", \"gave lectures and showed videos promoting the ideas of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\".\nThe investigator chooses Gerasimov a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2022-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20220923","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Republic of Tatarstan A. A. Giniyatullin makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against unidentified persons under parts 1 and 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, \"in the actions of unidentified persons there are signs of crimes ... related to the implementation of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gerasimov in Kazan","date":"2022-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan4/index.html#20220210","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Gizatulin faced persecution for his faith in 2019: his house was searched as part of the Vladimir Suvorov case. Hidden audio and video filming was carried out behind the believers. A certain Ruzayeva, under the guise of a person interested in the Bible, collected information for the Center \u0026ldquo;E\u0026rdquo;. In 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Vadim Gizatulin, an electrician from Chelyabinsk. His house was searched again. The investigation considered it illegal actions that he participated in worship services, singing songs and saying prayers. In August 2022, Gizatulin\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. In December of the same year, the court sentenced the believer to 2 years of probation, and in February 2023, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2021-08-31","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html","prisoners":["gizatulin"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk City Court upholds the decision of the lower court for Vadim Gizatulin - 2 years suspended.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20230206","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sentences Vadim Gizatulin to 2 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221207","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is being interrogated. He declares his innocence, referring to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, as well as the decision of the ECHR, which recognized the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the ban on their activities illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221124","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Lilia Ruzayeva, an informant for the special services, is being interrogated online. The woman repeats her testimony given earlier and states that at the services the defendant turned on video recordings and prepared speeches based on the Bible.\nWhen asked by the defendant whether she had heard from him calls for the severance of family ties or any violent acts, she replied in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221107","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant speaks with an attitude to the prosecution. He draws attention to the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses and protecting their right to conduct religious activities. The believer also quotes the President of the Russian Federation, who called Jehovah's Witnesses Christians. In addition, Gizatulin refers to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees citizens freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221027","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, a police major, is being questioned. He is personally acquainted with the defendant. In his opinion, the believer's fault lies in the fact that he set up the equipment and helped in organizing the services that took place in the homes of believers. When asked by the lawyer where the witness got this information, he replies that it is a state secret.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20221003","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220818","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Vadim Gizatulin is transferred to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk. It is appointed to Judge Vitaliy Sirotin.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220804","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gizatulin and his lawyer are completing their acquaintance with the materials of the criminal case.\nGizatulin's accusation is based on the testimony of Lilia Ruzayeva, who attended religious services and made hidden audio and video recordings on the instructions of Center \"E\" Myzgin. In the course of operational-search activities, it was established that Vadim Gizatulin \"helped to conduct religious services, was responsible for computer equipment, read out religious texts.\" A detailed description of the telephone conversations of the believers revealed that at a certain time they were at a specific address from which the service was conducted. The investigation interprets this as holding a \"meeting of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk\", which was liquidated by the court in April 2017 and then ended its activities.\nInvestigator Chepenko believes that if at a meeting of believers \"we are talking about a joint confession of faith ... worship in the form of prayers to Jehovah, acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures\", then this \"is a continuation of the activities of the banned extremist organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\".\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220725","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Gizatulin is elected a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220714","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the materials of the case against Olga Zhelavskaya are separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220713","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An additional comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination is being carried out. According to her conclusion, Vadim Gizatulin, Olga Zhelavskaya and Irina Mikhailenko belong to the same confession, their activities are organized, bear signs of cohesion, unity of purpose, language. Psychological and linguistic signs of incitement of hostility towards persons on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, religion were not found by experts.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20220428","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator prosecutes Gizatulin and Mikhailenko as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\nAmong other things, Mikhailenko is accused of attending an international religious congress in South Korea in 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20211027","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the results of the review of the materials, investigator Chepenko initiates a separate criminal case against Gizatulin, Mikhailenko and Zhelavskaya.\nThe decision to initiate the case states, among other things, that the believers \"acted from religious motives\" and participated in \"collective worship, consisting in successive performances of songs ... and praying to Jehovah God, studying and discussing articles and religious texts.\"\nThe guilt of Olga Zhelavskaya and Irina Mikhailenko, according to the investigation, is also that they received fellow believers at home.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20210831","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, who initiated almost all cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in this region, separates materials from the case of Vladimir Suvorov regarding Vadim Gizatulin, Olga Zhelavskaya and Irina Mikhailenko into separate proceedings.\nThe believers are suspected of \"deliberately participating in the activities of a banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses ... in the form of participation in religious meetings ... and also carried out preaching work among the inhabitants of Chelyabinsk and the Chelyabinsk region.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20210811","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Vladimir Suvorov , security forces are conducting a search in the apartment of Vadim Gizatulin. Electronic devices and data carriers, the Bible, and personal records are seized from him.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20190326","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judge of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court gives permission to conduct operational-search measures \"Observation\" in relation to unidentified members of the \"local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\" (hereinafter referred to as LRO).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gizatulin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2018-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk5/index.html#20180206","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, a criminal case was initiated against Yuliya Globa. A resident of the Bryansk Region was suspected of extremism because of her conversations about the Bible. The security forces searched her home, and she was later interrogated by the Investigative Committee. In October 2023, the believer\u0026rsquo;s case was submitted to the Unecha District Court of the Bryansk Region. In June 2024, Yuliya Globa was given a 2.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-31","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html","prisoners":["globa"],"regions":["bryansk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a three-year suspended sentence for the believer.\n\"You have not had the opportunity to hear or read about the wonderful future of which the Bible is written. I am glad that I had the opportunity to talk about it,\" Yulia Globa makes her final statement.\nAt the same session, which lasts a total of 6.5 hours, the court convicts the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20240625","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","courtroom","sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being questioned, including a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church. \"I absolutely can't say anything about a person I don't know. I don't know her personally and her activities,\" he says.\nThe next to be questioned is an expert, a professor at the Department of General History and International Relations. He confirms that Jehovah's Witnesses are \"part of Christianity, the Christian tradition\" and their religion is not prohibited in the Russian Federation.\nHe also agrees that the preaching of Jehovah's Witnesses is a worldwide practice and that they engage in this activity guided by the words of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Bible.\nThe defense is filing several motions. Among other things, she requests that the case file include a religious expert examination carried out by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation on 15 April 1999, which at that time confirmed the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion freely without finding anything dangerous to society. The court rejects this petition, stating that it is a photocopy, not the original.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20240506","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by 25 people. Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\nThe first witness says that she met the defendant several years ago and speaks positively about her. When asked what organization Yulia is a member of, the woman replies that she does not know.\nThe grandmother of one of the defendant's students is also being questioned. The woman is satisfied with the result of Julia's work as a tutor. When asked what religion Yulia Globa professes, the witness replies that she does not know.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20240417","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Globa's case goes to the Unechsky District Court of the Bryansk Region. It will be considered by judge Tatyana Postavneva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20231019","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The search lasts more than two hours. Phone, postcards, letters and flash drives are seized from believers. Later, Yulia and her husband were interrogated in the investigation department.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2023-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20230622","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. I. Golovina, senior investigator of the Unechsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Bryansk Region, initiates a criminal case against Yulia Globa on suspicion of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Globa in Unecha","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/unecha/index.html#20230531","regions":["bryansk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev, a pensioner and veteran of labor, and Mikhail Potapov, a repair technician, both from Votkinsk, were detained in January 2021. The Investigative Committee charged them with organizing the activity of an extremist organization only because the men gathered with friends to discuss the Bible. As a result, Potapov spent 4 months in pretrial detention and Gobozev – under house arrest. Later both were banned from certain actions. In September 2021, the case went to court. During the hearings, it became known that prosecution witnesses had been pressured, and their testimonies falsified. In March 2024, the prosecutor requested 6.5 years imprisonment for the believers, but the court imposed fines on both: 450,000 rubles for Gobozev and 400,000 for Potapov. The court of appeal upheld the ruling, but the court of cassation returned the case to the appeal stage which resulted in a tougher sentence – 6 years in a penal colony.","date":"2021-01-20","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html","prisoners":["gobozev","potapov"],"regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"There are 52 people in the unit where Sergey Gobozev is being held. Only electronic and registered paper letters arrive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20260423","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a planned hospitalization in Correctional Colony No. 12, Sergey Gobozev's condition deteriorates sharply. The believer is prescribed IVs, antibiotics and insulin, allowed bed rest and provided with an oxygen concentrator. Additional diagnostics are planned in another city.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20251127","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prison-treatment","health-risk","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev is in the pension unit, due to his age. Prisoners get up at 6 a.m.; lights out — 10 p.m. They cannot lie down during the day and only sit on metal stools. According to Sergey, it is cold in the unit: the heating is not on yet, and a winter jacket has not yet been issued, so he keeps himself warm as best he can: he wears a robe, thermal underwear and a sweater. Washbasin — only cold water. The unit has a small room where they are allowed to drink tea and have a snack in the evening, as well as a room with a TV.\nSergey is able to read the Bible and reply to letters, although he does not receive them regularly. Also, he has to wait a long time for the parcels with his medicines.\nThe attitude towards Sergey is generally friendly. One of the prisoners expressed his confidence in him by saying: \"You are one of Jehovah's Witnesses — you cannot lie.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20250906","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Living conditions in Sergey's unit are satisfactory, but there are mice in the premises. In addition, the believer is not yet allowed to use the refrigerator. Although he is already pension age, he wants to volunteer for work as a sewing machine technician. Sergey tries to do exercises to maintain his health.\nDuring a short visit, his wife was unable to give him his necessary diabetes pills and his glasses — no permission for this has been given yet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20250722","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev, is now in penal colony No. 5 for the Kirov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-06-23T10:58:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20250623","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev is being held alone in a three-bed cell, for the order in which he has been praised by the administration. The man goes for walks and does physical exercises, he has the necessary medications. Recently, his wife came to him for a short date.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, the Bible was confiscated from Sergey and has not yet been returned. The believer is encouraged by the letters he receives from relatives and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20250306","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Objecting to Prosecutor Tokarev's cassation submission, Gobozev states that the arguments he presented \"are unfair, unfounded and have no legal basis for toughening the punishment.\" He adds: \"The courts did not indicate what consequences came as a result of my actions aimed at the peaceful practice of faith among fellow believers in accordance with the biblical commandments.\"\nThe Sixth Court of Cassation in Samara decides to send the case for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20241017","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor for the Udmurt Republic Dmitry Tokarev sends a cassation submission to the court, in which he asks to cancel the decisions of the first and appellate instances.\nHe justifies this by \"the unfairness of the punishment imposed due to excessive leniency\" and a violation of the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation. He requests that the case be remanded for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20240718","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["complaints","cassation","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov give their last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20240318","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 and a half years for Mikhail Potapov and Sergey Gobozev in a general regime colony with the appointment of an additional punishment in the form of deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in the work of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20240311","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears the testimony of Sergei Gobozev and Mikhail Potapov. The defendants explain that the meeting of a local religious organization and the worship services of believers are two different things.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20240117","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file 4 motions: to attach to the case file the ECHR decision in the case of \"MRO of Taganrog and Others v. Russia\", to exclude the video of the ORM, to exclude the interrogations of two prosecution witnesses, to conduct additional psychological, linguistic and religious expertise. The judge attaches 3 petitions and makes a decision on the fourth - to refuse to conduct an additional examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231221","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense proceeds to the filing of motions. Judge Tamara Makarova satisfies the defendants' petitions to attach to the case file medical documents on the state of health of them and their close relatives, as well as the certificate of the veteran of labor Gobozev and his certificate of pensioner.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231201","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses who are familiar with the defendants in connection with their professional activities are being questioned in court. Both characterize believers positively.\nA third witness explains that the Supreme Court did not prohibit the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He has known them for a long time, but he has never heard extremist statements from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231123","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a defense witness. The woman shows the difference between ordinary believers and legal entities: \"We have freedom of religion in our country, I understand it in such a way that every believer can believe what he believes, and the ban applies to legal entities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231110","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Former investigator Ponomarev, who interrogated prosecution witnesses, is being interrogated via videoconference. The judge asks Ponomarev to explain the witness's message about the threat of deprivation of her parental rights in case of refusal to give accusatory testimony against Gobozev and Potapov. The investigator denies this.\nThe court proceeds to consider the evidence of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231102","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of investigator Pereskokov and witnesses. One of them says that before the interrogation, the investigator gave her ready-made answers, which were required to be voiced on camera. Another indicates that during the interrogation, the investigator spoke to her harshly and threatened to summon her son for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20231005","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Cross-examination of investigator Solovyov and the witness. She says that she was pressured and refused to sign the protocol, as the content did not correspond to her words. In response to a request to amend the protocol, the investigators shouted at her, insulted her, threatened her with dismissal from work, eviction from a rented apartment, and threw a fountain pen at her. Some of the wording in the protocol was corrected, and the woman signed under pressure. She clarifies that particularly strong pressure came from investigator Ponomarev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230928","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Potapov and Gobozev file a motion to summon several witnesses, who, according to them, were pressured by the investigators. The judge grants the petition of the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230901","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The former deputy head of the Ministry of Justice of the Udmurt Republic, Olga Korobeynikova, is being interrogated. The witness states that the circumstances of the case are unknown to her, she has only information about the registration of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to her, even before registration, an examination was carried out, no violations of the law were revealed.\nThe next witness for the prosecution is Sergei Gobozev's stepson. He says that he had no conflicts with his stepfather.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230818","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness from Izhevsk is being questioned via video link. He says he has an Islamic education, but admits that he is not an expert in religious studies. He is not familiar with the defendants, and he knows only a general idea of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In his opinion, Jehovah's Witnesses are extremists because they actively preach \"that God is one.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230728","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"12 people come to support the believers.\nSergey Gobozev's wife, Olga, is being interrogated. The prosecutor asks to read out the protocol of the interrogation of Gobozeva because of discrepancies in her testimony. After reading the document, Olga explains that the interrogation lasted several hours, at which time she was subjected to psychological pressure and was not allowed to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. She did not give the testimony recorded in the first part of the protocol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230721","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, the head of the department for interaction with public and religious organizations in the administration of Votkinsk, is being interrogated. She explains that on duty she had a chance to meet with Sergei Gobozev until 2017. After that, they did not see each other. The witness is not familiar with Mikhail Potapov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230714","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge asks the prosecutor's opinion on the motion to exclude out-of-sync video files.\nThe prosecutor believes that the application is not subject to consideration, the files can be used as the basis for the accusation. The judge decides to attach the petition to the case file.\nThe court also completes the listening to audio recordings of telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230519","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to audio and video recordings continues.\nThe defense file a motion to exclude from the case file video files that are out of sync - the sound does not match the image.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230428","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the audio and video files from the case file. The recordings contain conversations on everyday topics: moving to another city, car problems, health, etc. Among other things, discussions of biblical advice on raising children are listened to. Often the voices of other people are heard not of the defendants, but of other people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20230120","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to audio recordings continues, one of which includes advice to respect authority.\nAccording to the prosecutor's office, \"unidentified persons deliberately carried out actions of an organizational nature, organized gatherings, meetings and management.\" However, it is not possible to identify them in court. The case file also states that the defendants \"used literature of an extremist nature,\" but it is not possible to establish which one.\nGobozev and Potapov draw the judge's attention to the fact that the evidence of their illegal activities, provided by the investigation in the form of audio and video files, does not actually contain signs of an extremist crime.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20221223","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to audio recordings from the case file continues. One of them contains a prayer uttered by a third person. On the other, there is a conversation allegedly between Potapov, who works as a driver and delivers bread, but the defendant has never worked as such.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20221216","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects Gobozev's request to refuse a lawyer.\nThe court reviews video files from the case file and listens to audio recordings that are of very poor quality. It turns out that the votes noted by the investigator as belonging to Gobozev and Potapov are not actually such. In some recordings, voices are not identified at all, and conversations are conducted on everyday topics.\nGobozev draws attention to the fact that the listened audio files are not a record of the meeting of a legal entity, since the rules for holding meetings of the LRO are regulated by the instructions of the Ministry of Justice and are documented in protocols. Baby crying can also be heard on the audio recordings. The defense draws attention to the fact that children cannot attend the meeting of legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20221111","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of three meetings, transcripts from the disc are read out, and at the last meeting, audio recordings of poor quality are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220819","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At two sessions, the court listens to 3 discs with audio recordings of divine services, the total duration of which is at least 12 hours. In addition to the participants in the process, several listeners are present in court.\nThe defense draws attention to the fact that some transcripts of the files are repeated twice in the case file. The lawyer also states that the discs listened to contain recordings of worship services of believers, and not meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses. He draws this conclusion on the basis of the fact that the issues discussed at the meeting differ from those described in the charter of the LRO and are exclusively religious in nature.\nIn addition, there are no extremist statements on the audio recordings, there are no calls to overthrow the constitutional order or to disobey the authorities, but on the contrary, there are incites to love.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220729","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During 7 sessions, the prosecutor reads out volumes of the case from 3 to 8, containing transcripts of audio recordings of worship services. Defendants are allowed to comment on them.\nMikhail Potapov declares that the words that are attributed to him in the case file do not actually belong to him. And on one of the dates of worship, he was absent from Russia, as evidenced by the marks in his passport.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220421","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secretary of the Izhevsk diocesan administration, Deacon Ilya Medvedev, is being interrogated, who admits that he is not a religious scholar and cannot assess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, he expresses his own negative attitude towards this confession, basing his arguments on the book of the \"sectologist\" Alexander Dvorkin. Medvedev confirms that he has not heard calls against the state from Jehovah's Witnesses, and considers \"non-recognition of national traditional values\" to be extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220408","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Churakova, a leading specialist of the Department of Harmonization of Interethnic Relations of the Ministry of National Policy of the Udmurt Republic, is interrogated; Chairman of the Church Council of the Old Believer Community of the City of Izhevsk Sergey Lepikhin; pastor of the Izhevsk-Yagul community of the Lutheran Church Alexander Grebennikov; Chairman of the local organization of Orthodox Judaism and the Jewish community of the city of Izhevsk Mikhail Golub.\nThe defense draws attention to the fact that these witnesses are not specialists or experts and are not personally acquainted with the defendants. Consequently, their testimony reflects a personal opinion and cannot be used as the basis for a verdict, as it is inadmissible evidence.\nWitnesses show that they dislike Jehovah's Witnesses. Lepikhin admits that he received information about this religion from the media, Grebennikov justifies his negative attitude by the difference in beliefs. When asked whether the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses has been banned in Russia, Golub replies: \"Religion cannot be banned.\" Witness Churakova admits that she \"was not specifically involved in the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220401","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness, who once turned to Sergei Gobozev for legal assistance, is being interrogated. He says that until 2017 he attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, he liked them. According to the witness, the defendant Gobozev spoke of the authorities in an extremely positive way; He never expressed superiority over others and did not call for the rejection of blood transfusions.\nAnother witness says that he saw Potapov once and does not know him at all.\nDue to the contradictions in the words of the next witness, the prosecutor asks to read out his written testimony. After that, the witness states that he did not read the interrogation protocol and the testimony was recorded inaccurately.\nAnother witness, who has known the defendants for many years, characterizes them as decent and sympathetic people: \"Potapov is a good family man, he does not smoke or drink. He likes to travel. And Gobozev is calm, helps in legal matters. He treats his wife well.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220324","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Two of them state that the investigation put pressure on them during the interrogation and that they only partially understood the meaning of the protocol they signed.\nAnother witness admits that he slandered Gobozev and Potapov, and retracts his testimony. He explains that he did this because of stress, as well as under the influence of negative information about Jehovah's Witnesses on the Internet. He adds that he currently has no negative feelings either towards the defendants or towards Jehovah's Witnesses in general. He acknowledges: \"With Jehovah's Witnesses, everything is done according to the law. Some literature was banned, and an announcement was immediately made for all parishioners to destroy it.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220318","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, a disabled person of group III, is being interrogated. He says that in worship services, Jehovah's Witnesses are encouraged to obey the laws of the state; He had never heard any extremist appeals or negative statements from any of the defendants. The witness states that during repeated interrogations the investigator put pressure on him and did not record his testimony verbatim.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220317","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Potapov's wife is being interrogated. She characterizes her husband as a kind, decent, caring person. She did not hear any extremist statements from him. According to her, he has no bad habits and there have been no complaints against him from his place of work; Relations with neighbors are good.\nDuring the interrogation of the next witness, it turns out that she does not know the defendants well, and her testimony in court does not coincide with what she said during the investigation.\nThe prosecutor proposes to compare the texts of the testimony and reads out the interrogation protocol. The woman claims that many of the words written there do not belong to her, for example, that Potapov and Gobozev spoke negatively about power and religion. In addition, the witness doubts the authenticity of some of his signatures on the interrogation protocols.\nShe also says that the investigator wrote down in advance in a notebook the text that she had to read on camera during the interrogation. If a woman added something on her own, then the recording was made repeatedly, she was threatened with deprivation of work, housing and insulted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20220127","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the prosecution. They claim that they did not commit unlawful acts and did not have the intent \"to commit a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\" \"Therefore, in the criminal case,\" explains Mikhail Potapov, \"there are no facts confirming this unfounded statement of the investigation ... Law enforcement agencies inappropriately freely interpret the decision of the Supreme Court, which did not establish a ban on the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defendants consider the charges \"illegal, unfounded, far-fetched and politically motivated.\"\n2 witnesses in the case are being interrogated. Both women confirm that they did not hear any extremist calls from the defendants.\nWith the permission of the judge, the prosecutor reads out the protocols of interrogations, as he sees serious discrepancies with the testimony of witnesses in court. The women claim that they were pressured by the investigator during the interrogation; He threatened one of them with deprivation of parental rights.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20211221","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The petition of believers to refuse lawyers by appointment is not satisfied.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The judge then rejects the motion to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20211216","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge satisfies the defense's request for admission of listeners to the hearings. The judge decides to consider the motion to return the criminal case to the prosecutor after the indictment has been read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20211210","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to illness, Mikhail Potapov and his lawyer do not appear in court. The session lasts 6 minutes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20211112","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"First meeting. 9 people come to support the believers, but no one is allowed into the hall.\nThe hearing was postponed because the defendants were not informed of the date of the trial and Gobozev was not assigned a lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20211007","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Votkinskiy District Court. It was appointed to Judge Tamara Makarova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210901","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in the course of the preliminary investigation, representatives of various religious denominations were questioned as witnesses: a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, the pastor of the Izhevsk-Yagul community of the Lutheran Church, the chairman of the local organization of Orthodox Judaism and the Jewish community of the city of Izhevsk, and the deputy head of the administration of the regional spiritual administration of Muslims of Udmurtia, who, in their collegial opinion, decided that Jehovah's Witnesses \"deny traditional and ethno-cultural values of the peoples of the Russian Federation\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210830","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Izhevsk decides to replace the measures of restraint for two believers. Both are chosen to prohibit certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210518","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Ponomarev prosecutes Sergey Gobozev as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).\nAccording to the investigation, Potapov and Gobozev used a video conferencing program on computer and mobile devices to remotely hold meetings of a banned extremist religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210512","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preventive measures for believers are extended until May 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210420","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Measures of restraint for believers are extended until April 20: Potapov is detained and Gobozev is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210318","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Izhevsk chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Mikhail Potapov. Sergey Gobozev was placed under house arrest for health reasons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210122","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Votkinsk, security forces conduct searches in 7 homes, as well as in the workplaces of Jehovah's Witnesses. After that, the believers and their family members are interrogated. Among them is an 80-year-old woman who has a stroke due to the stress she has experienced, she is taken to the hospital by ambulance.\nSergey Gobozev's apartment, where he lives with his wife and mother-in-law, is being searched in his absence. Operatives seize Sergey's personal belongings: driver's license, car documents, veteran's certificate. In addition, they take electronic devices, an album with photographs and various translations of the Bible, including the Synodal edition.\nOperatives detain Sergey in a hospital in the city of Izhevsk, where he brings his wife to the reception. He is taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, a personal search is conducted and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nMikhail Potapov's home is also searched, after which he is handcuffed for interrogation at the Investigative Committee, and then left in custody.\nFSB investigator Ponomarev prosecutes Gobozev and Potapov as accused of organizing extremist activities. This is how the investigation interprets conversations on biblical topics using video and audio communications.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210121","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the District Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic, Major of Justice Dmitry Ponomarev initiates a criminal case against 42-year-old Mikhail Potapov and 63-year-old Sergei Gobozev. Believers are charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gobozev and Potapov in Votkinsk","date":"2021-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/votkinsk/index.html#20210120","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, law enforcement officers searched 17 addresses of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Tula and Kireyevsk. In March of the same year, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Gurami Labadze, Yevgeniy Godunov, Anzhela Putivskaya and Yuliya Popkova on charges of extremism. The investigation considered it a crime to \u0026ldquo;organize religious speeches\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;carry out preaching activity.\u0026rdquo; After searches and interrogations, Gurami was placed under house arrest, and Anzhela, Yuliya and Yevgeniy were placed in a pre-trial detention center. A month later, they were also placed under house arrest. Later, all were placed under a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in April 2023, and in November the court handed down suspended sentences: 6.5 years for Godunov and Labadze and 2.5 years for Putivskaya and Popkova.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html","prisoners":["godunov","labadze","popkova","putivskaya"],"regions":["tula"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years of suspended sentence for Gurami Labadze and Yevgeniy Godunov, 2 years and 6 months suspended sentence for Yulia Popkova and Angela Putivskaya.\nBelievers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20231102","regions":["tula"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the questioning of other experts. The prosecutor and the judge once again prevent the defense from asking questions.\nIn the conclusion, made by Elena Melezhko, it is indicated that the use of the name Jehovah is characteristic of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The defense points out that even Leo Tolstoy used this name in his writings, which the expert is surprised at.\nThe defense also asks whether the experts are sure that the defendants quoted from publications recognized as extremist. They answer that they could not verify it. They add that the search for these phrases on the Internet led to blocked resources, and this, in their opinion, means that the materials are extremist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230925","regions":["tula"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of expert Irina Salnikova, who, on the instructions of the FSB, performed a linguistic analysis of several case materials. The defense asks questions in order to establish the scientific nature of the examination and draw attention to the conclusions that the defendants consider erroneous. Salnikova gives vague answers and refers to a memo developed by the FSB, which is not publicly available. Lawyers ask to familiarize themselves with it, but the judge rejects the petition.\nThe court removes most of the defense questions, among them: does the expert have scientific publications on the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses? Does she know what the defendants are accused of? Is she familiar with the Supreme Court's decision in the case of the liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities?\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230920","regions":["tula"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two secret witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230802","regions":["tula"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the protocols of searches, transcripts of telephone conversations and religious services. They discuss what the Bible says about marriage and money, as well as the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230726","regions":["tula"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three secret witnesses are being interrogated - Olshevsky, Panin and Lisov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230620","regions":["tula"],"tags":["interrogation","secret-witness","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are being questioned. One of them, an FSB officer, when asked by the defense whether the defendants called for incitement to hatred and whether they distributed banned literature, answers: \"We were simply guided by the fact that they are Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe second witness says that no one urged him to join an extremist organization and did not apply for material assistance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230607","regions":["tula"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses who attended worship meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses prior to 2017 continues.\nOne of them claims that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is extremist because they are convinced of its truth. He also adds that the defendants posted anonymous letters in mailboxes, although there is no mention of this fact in the case file. The defense objected, calling this accusation false.\nAnother witness, A. G. Antoshin, states that the defendants \"discussed extremist books\" during the services. When asked by the defense how he defined it, he answers: \"Somehow I understood.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230531","regions":["tula"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 listeners are allowed into the courtroom, although many more people came to the courthouse to support the defendants.\nThe prosecution witnesses, employees of the Center \"E\", are being questioned. They give testimony that does not correspond to that recorded in the case file. Witnesses answer the defendants' questions evasively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230524","regions":["tula"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings on the merits begin. Public defenders are appointed to believers. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants plead not guilty and speak with an attitude to the charges.\nThe judge reports on the interrogation of the prosecution witness - law enforcement officer A. G. Antoshin. Since this witness was not declared earlier, the defense is motioning to postpone the interrogation of Antoshin. The court grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230517","regions":["tula"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Proletarsky District Court of Tula. It is appointed to Judge Nina Panarina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20230418","regions":["tula"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Popkova is combined into one proceeding with the case of Labadze, Putivskaya and Godunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20220309","regions":["tula"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB in the Tula region, Captain of Justice Alexei Yartsev replaces Putivskaya, Popkova and Godunov with a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. The believers spent 2 months under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210722","regions":["tula"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing to review the measure of restraint. For Gurami Labadze, the court extends house arrest until July 25, 2021. He is allowed to walk for 2 hours. Anzhela Putivskaya and Yevgeny Godunov were released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest until the same date. The court also imposes a measure of restraint on Yulia Popkova in the form of house arrest, but for an indefinite period. The believer is forbidden to leave her place of residence for 24 hours without the permission of the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210520","regions":["tula"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Tula issues a decision on the detention of Yevgeny Godunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210416","regions":["tula"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Central District Court of Tula decides to detain Putivskaya and Popkova. They are placed in Tula pre-trial detention center No. 1.\nYevgeny Godunov was also detained and charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210414","regions":["tula"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Putivskaya and Popkova were detained. They are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities).\nThe cases of Labadze, Godunov and Putivskaya are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210413","regions":["tula"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Tula Region initiates criminal cases against Gurami Labadze, Angela Putivskaya, Yulia Popkova and Yevgeniy Godunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Godunov and Others in Tula","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tula/index.html#20210325","regions":["tula"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, Kristina Golik, Valentina Yermilova, Yekaterina Olshevskaya and Mariya Portnyagina (married name Myasnikova) became defendants in a criminal case for their faith in Jehovah God. These peaceful women from Blagoveshchensk were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. A month earlier, Kristina Golik's husband, Dmitry, had been sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony for talking about God. The husbands of two others — Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov — 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony. The case against the women was initiated by Obukhov, investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB for the Amur Region. He claimed that they committed illegal acts, \u0026quot;wishing for the occurrence of socially dangerous consequences,\u0026quot; that is what he called the participation of the believers in discussions of Bible topics. All four were placed under recognizance agreements. In May 2023, the case went to court. In December 2024, the court sentenced the women to forced labor for terms ranging from 2 years and 2 months to 2.5 years. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2021-07-22","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html","prisoners":["golikk","olshevskaya","portnyagina","yermilova"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kristina Golik lives under good detention conditions: the rooms are warm and bright, they have recently been renovated.\nThe fish factory, where she continues to work, provides workers with nutritious food. On weekends, Kristina's husband Dmitriy brings her groceries and prepared meals. Kristina likes her work. In the summer, she learned to be a labeling operator.\nIn her free time, Kristina participates in cleanup initiatives and other events of the correctional institution. She also continues to conduct a Chinese language club. Relations with others and the administration are respectful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2026-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20260405","regions":["amur"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction considers the cassation appeal of the lawyer and upholds the verdict.\nKristina Golik, addressing the court, explains why charging her with extremism is untenable: \"The reason is that I love people very much! I am not indifferent to what is happening in the world, so I study the Bible. I learn to live by high moral standards, to respect people's decisions, no matter what their color, race, nation, or religious background. To me all people are valuable and this is what I learn from the Bible.\"\nMariya Myasnikova quotes the words of the director of the International Center for the Study of New Religions, Massimo Introvigne: \"'The only relationship between Jehovah's Witnesses and violence is that they have been victims of violence.' On this occasion, my family and I have become the injured party of this unfair charge.\"\nValentina Yermilova relates what her family had to face because of the prosecution: \"We [ Sergey and I] have been together for 30 years... Now he is in a penal colony in Nizhny Tagil, although he is not guilty of anything. [...] Our parents died during the proceedings. I am deprived of the possibility to visit a dear and beloved person. And we are no longer very young and our health leaves much to be desired. We need each other's support.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2026-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20260114","regions":["amur"],"tags":["cassation","labor","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kristina Golik is serving a sentence of forced labor in the city of Nakhodka, at a fish factory. The schedule is tight: two day shifts, two night shifts, and then two days off. On free days, Kristina has the opportunity to go to the city, having previously received official permission from the head of the correctional institution in which she lives.\nNight shifts, as well as discomfort due to the acrid fishy smell, exhaust the believer most of all. Despite this, the emotional state of the couple Golik remains good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20250507","regions":["amur"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kristina Golik, Valentina Ermilova and Maria Myasnikova receive referrals to Correctional Center No 1 in the Primorsky Territory. Believers will live at different addresses. They need to arrive at the place of prescription by April 29.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20250424","regions":["amur"],"tags":["labor","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement, emphasizing that they peacefully practiced their faith and their actions had nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20241203","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Yermilova, who, like the rest of the defendants, does not agree with the charges, takes the floor. \"It's inconceivable that believers would stop ... sing spiritual songs, pray, preach, and discuss doctrinal sources. The opposite means having to renounce one's faith under pain of criminal liability,\" she said.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20241106","regions":["amur"],"tags":["defense-arguments","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kristina Golik and Maria Myasnikova disagree with the position of the prosecution during the debate. Maria Myasnikova says: \"We did not violate public order and public safety. Our actions have not harmed religious diversity in the Amur Region... There are no victims in the case.\"\nKristina Golik notes that there was no criminal component in her actions: \"The prosecution is completely focused on creating the impression that the discussion of the Bible among friends is nothing more than a continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240913","regions":["amur"],"tags":["defense-arguments","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Kristina Golik, Maria Myasnikova, Valentina Yermilova and Ekaterina Olshevskaya to 3 years of imprisonment in a penal colony, for the latter - with a respite of punishment until her child reaches the age of 14.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240822","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge reads out a letter that came from Germany: \"Ladies and gentlemen, are you not ashamed to lock up these beautiful young women for reading the Bible? […] Jehovah's Witnesses are not extremists.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240507","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nSpecialist A. Zatochny, who conducted a computer examination, is being interrogated. He cannot recall the names of the participants in the criminal case against whom he conducted the study, but points out that they belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nWhen asked by the defense whether it is his duty to establish the affiliation of the objects under study to any organization, for example, to a religious organization, he replies that he is not.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240411","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants are asked to interrogate experts Averina, Malanchuk and Kipchatova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240409","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The chief accountant of the organization that rented out the hall for worship is being interrogated. The witness says that the lease agreement was concluded not with a legal entity, but with an individual, while she is not personally acquainted with the defendants.\nAnother prosecution witness, who previously attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, says that there are no forced financial fees for them: \"Whoever can and wants as much, there are voluntary donations.\"\nThe owner of the apartment, which was rented by the Golik family, is summoned for interrogation. He says that he rented the apartment under the contract to Dmitry and Kristina, because \"[he] liked them, friendly.\" He did not discuss any religious matters with them and did not see any religious materials in the apartment.\nThe prosecutor reads out the testimony of a witness, which says that there was a map of Israel hanging on the wall in Golikov's room.\nSeveral other witnesses invited by the prosecution say they do not know the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20240201","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the 2nd to the 32nd volumes of the case materials are read. Among them are the protocols of searches and inspection of items seized during the search, as well as the conclusion of a religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20231101","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The reading of the case materials, in particular the transcript of one of the services, continues. The defendant Ekaterina Olshevskaya draws the court's attention to the fact that she did not promote extremism, did not exert pressure on anyone and in no way undermined the constitutional order. On the contrary, believers said that a person should be sensitive, humane and kind, should preserve peace and pay attention to the family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20231005","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the materials of the case, which, among other things, touches upon the topic of the importance of cleanliness and neat appearance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20231003","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The reading of the case materials continues, including a conversation between Kristina Golik and a woman on a biblical topic, as well as friendly communication between the Golik and Yermilov families.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20230912","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case, which describe a friendly meeting in the café \"Sanya\", are read out. Having reached the scene \"The Three Little Pigs\", the judge passes the text to the prosecutor, to which she asks whether it is worth reading the fairy tale. Kristina Golik states: \"If the scene about the three pigs is attributed to extremism, then it should be read out in full.\" Prosecutor Levchenko refuses to read the fairy tale and proceeds to list the dances, competitions and names of the participants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20230713","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Svetlana Levchenko reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20230626","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial is being held behind closed doors. The Public Prosecutor shall announce the indictment. The defendants express their attitude to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20230526","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case goes to the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region. It will be considered by judge Stanislav Stanishevsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20230505","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov involves Valentina Ermilova as an accused. A measure of restraint is chosen for the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20210804","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov involves Ekaterina Olshevskaya as an accused. A measure of restraint is chosen for the believer in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20210803","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov brings Kristina Golik and Maria Portnyagina as accused. He argues that believers, \"wishing for the onset of socially dangerous consequences and acting from extremist motives ... committed actions related to the continuation of the illegal activities of the CRO and LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Blagoveshchensk.\"\nGolik and Portnyagina are chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20210727","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the materials of the criminal case against believers Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov, materials against their wives, Ekaterina Olshevskaya and Valentina Ermilova, as well as against Kristina Golik, whose husband was sentenced to 7 years in prison for his faith, are separated into separate proceedings.\nAnother charge is brought against 27-year-old believer Maria Portnyagina. This criminal case is initiated by the investigator of the SO of the FSB in the Amur Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V. S. Obukhov. The women are charged with a crime under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation claims that they \"being in the city of Blagoveshchensk ... were directly involved in... religious events.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20210722","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Amur Region I. A. Beloglazov conducts searches in 7 houses of residents of Blagoveshchensk. The searches were authorized by Oleg Filatov, judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region.\nIt becomes known that in October 2017, operatives installed a listening device in the apartment of Kristina Golik and her husband, Dmitry Golik , and collected information for six months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Golik and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2018-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk3/index.html#20180720","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 2 years after the recordings of worship services of peaceful believers from Krasnoyarsk became available to the investigation, investigator Konstantin Zhuikov opened a criminal case. As a result, Anatoliy Gorbunov was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. His house was searched twice. In January 2021, Gorbunov\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. For more than 10 sessions, Judge Maria Kunik listened to recordings of the defendant\u0026rsquo;s conversations about the Bible with an interested person, finding no calls to incite hatred or other crimes in the words of the believer. Despite the fact that the prosecution was never able to provide evidence of the believer\u0026rsquo;s guilt, in February 2022 the court found Anatoly Gorbunov guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in prison. In June, the appeal upheld this decision. In October 2022, the believer was taken to Penal Colony No. 31 in Krasnoyarsk to serve his sentence.","date":"2020-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html","prisoners":["gorbunov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"There are more than 40 people in the barracks where Anatoly Gorbunov is kept. The man is studying to be a master of housing and communal services. He has the Bible in the Synodal translation. Letters are received only through the Zonatelecom system. Recently, Anatoliy was given a hearing aid, but he has to adjust it on his own.\nThe believer complains of memory impairment. There are also problems due to varicose veins, but Anatoliy has not yet decided to have an operation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20260302","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gorbunov's physical condition leaves much to be desired: he suffers from severe dermatitis and varicose veins, has hearing problems, and also needs the help of a competent orthopedic dentist.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20250412","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy is kept in a small room, where 26 other people are accommodated with him. The conditions of detention are satisfactory, but due to the lack of hot water, they have to wash cold, so prisoners often get sick. The elderly believer is respected by his cellmates for his worldly wisdom.\nAnatoly receives many letters of support, sometimes up to 60 per day. He has the opportunity to read literature, and follow the news.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20240822","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Gorbunov maintains a positive attitude, wants to work, but due to his age he cannot engage in heavy physical labor. Has difficulty due to deteriorating hearing. He receives a lot of letters, he doesn't even have time to answer everything.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20240205","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The emotional state of Anatoly Gorbunov is satisfactory, but there are health problems. For example, it is difficult for him to write - his arm hurts. Hearing deteriorates. The believer receives the necessary treatment, but not completely. His barracks are dirty, there are rats, there is often no hot water in the bath.\nThanks to the transfer from his wife, Anatoliy now has warm clothes. But it is difficult for him to get permission to make phone calls: during the year of his stay in the colony, he was able to get only four out of twelve.\nLetters from friends from all over the world are a great support for Anatoly Gorbunov. He is especially pleased with letters with drawings and photographs.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20230921","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Gorbunov's state of health is satisfactory, but the believer notes a deterioration in memory. He does not work in the colony, as he is an old-age pensioner. Recently, Anatoliy was given a long meeting with his wife.\nThe believer receives many letters, he has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20230427","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anatoly Gorbunov was taken to the place of serving his sentence - IK-31 in the city of Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20221013","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, chaired by Yuri Tsybulya, leaves the verdict on Anatoly Gorbunov unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20220621","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Maria Kunik found Anatoliy Gorbunov guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-02-02T11:01:04+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20220202","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20220201","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find Anatoliy Gorbunov guilty of extremism and sentence him to 8 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20220128","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Friends once again support Anatoliy: 12 people come to the courthouse. The judge listens to the Bible study on record.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20211210","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 caring people come to support the defendant. Judge Kunick listens to the recording of the Bible study again.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20211203","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the hearing. Listening to the Bible discussion continues.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20211129","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"19 people come to support Gorbunov. The court continues to listen to the recording of the Bible study.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20211012","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"25 people come to the courthouse. The judge continues to review the video of the Bible study.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210902","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people come to support the believer. The court continues to listen to the recording of the Bible study.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210830","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"35 people come to the courthouse to support the defendant.\nBefore the start of the hearing, the judge notifies Gorbunov that he has received a letter in English sent to the address of the Oktyabrsky Court. It contains words of support for Anatoly and his wife.\nThe court listens to one of the seven discs recording the discussion of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210817","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Maria Kunik rejected the defense's motion to admit the audience to the hearing. The court begins to listen to CDs recording the defendant's Bible study with one of the local residents.\nThe prosecutor changes in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210806","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"24 people come to support Gorbunov, but no one is allowed into the courtroom for reasons of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of those present. Anatoly reads out the attitude to the charge, stating that it remains unclear and devoid of specifics, in connection with which a petition is filed to return the case to the prosecutor. The believer does not admit guilt in extremism, emphasizing that the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their faith, and the right to read the Bible and pray is enshrined in the Russian Constitution in the form of a provision on freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210802","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the accused, but only three are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe lawyer challenges the prosecutor, referring to his bias in the case. The judge refuses.\nThe characteristics of Anatoly Gorbunov from the district police officer and neighbors are read out. All of them speak positively about him.\nDuring the meeting, the case materials up to volume 7, including video files, are examined. Participants in the process note that they contain the encouragement of believers to prayer and reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210607","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness \"Salov\", who repeatedly attended religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, made audio recordings and handed them over to law enforcement agencies, is being interrogated. The judge rejects the petition to declassify his identity.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210521","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness is being questioned by the prosecution. He states that the defendant organized all the services on his own. However, the witness may not repeat the information indicated in the record of his interrogation. After a series of clarifying questions from the defense, the witness insults the lawyer and refuses to answer his questions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210511","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case is being held in the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. Judge Maria Kunik grants Anatoly Gorbunov's petition to refuse the state lawyer. The believer will be protected by a lawyer by agreement.\nAnatoliy expresses his attitude to the prosecution, quotes the statements of the Russian Federation that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited and the demands of the European Court of Human Rights to stop the persecution of believers in Russia. He also mentions that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination in general, and believers are not required to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms. The prayers and reading of the Bible, which are imputed to Gorbunov, testify only to the usual forms of expression of faith, which never depended on the existence of any legal entity. The defendant also quotes from historical documents, drawing parallels between the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany as well as the Soviet Union and the wording in his indictment.\nGorbunov asks to attach to the case file the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe of October 1, 2020; Views of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; documents confirming the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany and the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20210209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Konstantin Zhuikov completes the investigation of the criminal case against A. Gorbunov and submits the materials to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20201222","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zhuikov, in the presence of 2 witnesses and specialist Alexander Mironenko, conducts a personal search in the apartment of Anatoly Gorbunov. A bunch of 4 keys is taken from the believer, including the intercom and the apartment.\nIn the protocol, the defense counsel and the suspect indicate that they do not agree with the search procedure.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20200915","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Sergey Gruzdev at a meeting of the Oktyabrsky District Court with the participation of the senior assistant prosecutor of the Oktyabrsky district of Krasnoyarsk R. K. Vakhitov satisfies the petition of investigator K. O. Zhuikov to conduct a personal search of Anatoly Gorbunov in order to detect and seize objects and documents relevant to the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20200912","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigation Department for the Oktyabrsky District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia Zhuikov K.O. initiates criminal case No. 12002040005000014 under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Anatoly Gorbunov.\nAccording to investigators, Gorbunov's guilt lies in the fact that he organized religious meetings with fellow believers, which allegedly indicates the leadership of the activities of the banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20200325","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Denis Filippov, a senior detective of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, under the guise of an examination, searches the apartment of Anatoly Gorbunov. Galina, Anatoly's wife, tells the details: the security forces, having woken up their neighbors in the stairwell, exerted psychological pressure on them, threatened to kick down the door, and also set up guards near the windows.\nDuring the search, a laptop, a tablet, two phones, a flash drive and a hard drive are seized. Later, at about 10:00 a.m., Anatoliy Gorbunov was brought for interrogation to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation and released an hour later.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20181107","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk allows the investigator to conduct an operational-search measure in the form of a survey of Anatoly Gorbunov's home.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Gorbunov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk5/index.html#20181105","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, the investigation initiated a criminal case against Evgeny Grinenko, a resident of Lesozavodsk. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist community. On the same day, the homes of Evgeny and three other families were searched, and the believer himself was arrested. Two days later, he was placed in a detention center, where he spent almost 2 months, and then he was transferred to house arrest. Later, new defendants appeared in the case: Svetlana Yefremova, Sergey Kobelev and his mother Galina, whose case was later made into a separate proceeding. In September 2021, the case of Grinenko and the other believers went to court. The case was based on the testimony of an undercover FSB agent, Vladislav Mrachko, who secretly recorded his conversations about the Bible with the believers. In February 2023, the court concluded that the believers were guilty and gave Grinenko and Kobelev a 6-year suspended sentence and Svetlana Yefremova a 3-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-05-12","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html","prisoners":["grinenko","kobelev","yefremova"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements. They explain to the court that they have nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20230126","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting suspended sentences for all defendants: Yevgeniy Grinenko and Sergey Kobelev for 6 years with a five-year probationary period, and Svetlana Efremova for 3 years with a two-year probationary period. The state prosecutor also asked the court to impose a restriction of freedom: Grinenko for a year and a half, and the rest for a year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20221220","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Grinenko's lawyer is filing a motion to exclude a number of materials from the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20221019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts Nadezhda Oleshkevich, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy, and Maria Serdyuk, Doctor of Historical Sciences, are being interrogated via video link.\nThe prosecutor shall provide the court with all written evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20220704","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The affidavit of the deceased prosecution witness shall be read.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, they begin to read out written evidence from the volumes of the case, including the protocol of the confrontation of the embedded FSB agent Vladislav Mrachko and Galina Kobeleva. The affidavit of the deceased prosecution witness shall be read.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2022-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20220402","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the witness Glebova. She reports that she knows Evgeny Grinenko and Svetlana Efremova, who has been a friend of her mother for more than 20 years.\nThe woman says that she had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Vladivostok. The last time I attended one of them was in 2000. The witness explains that only biblical topics were discussed at the services, she never witnessed anyone being forced to attend these meetings, participate in them, or talk about God with other people.\nGlebova does not know the essence of the charges brought against the defendants, as well as what exactly was prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the evidence. Witness Vladimir Nesterenko is being interrogated. When asked if he is familiar with the defendant, he replies that a certain Sergey came to his house a couple of times, told something, but does not remember what exactly the conversation was about. Among the defendants present in the courtroom, he could not accurately identify Sergei. He also reports that some women came to his wife and talked to her about Bible topics.\nWhen asked by the defense whether Jehovah's Witnesses, communicating with him and his wife, called for the overthrow of state power, to show hatred towards persons of another nationality and another race, the witness replies that this did not happen.\nThe court shall grant the request for the disclosure of the testimony of the said witness in connection with a significant contradiction with the testimony given by him during the preliminary investigation.\nThe testimony of Vladimir Nesterenko dated June 26, 2021, which the witness cannot confirm, explaining that he does not remember anything, is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211129","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Elena Nesterenko, who participated in operational activities, is being interrogated. She tells the court that in 2020 she talked several times with two women on biblical topics, which she later reported to a friend of the criminal investigation officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Lesozavodsk. After that, video equipment was installed in her apartment, recording everything that happened, and the recording of the conversations was transferred to the investigating authorities. In her written testimony, the witness indicated that the defendant Kobelev had also come to her, but on identification she realized that it was not him.\nThe witness also says that she once attended a worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses with her daughter and that this was her voluntary desire. Believers read psalms and sang songs. Earlier in her testimony, she noted that the defendant Kobelev held a leading position. At the trial, she explains that his leadership was that he brought a laptop and \"switched\" something there, and also \"said what songs should be sung, what should be read, monitored the operation of the equipment.\"\nWhen asked whether anything forbidden happened at the meeting, the witness answers in the negative. She says there have been no calls for violence or overthrow, and that Jehovah's Witnesses \"are not allowed to take up arms by faith.\" The witness also confirms that she was not offered to join the organization, make a monetary contribution or make a donation.\nThe defense claims contradictions in the testimony of the witness at the hearing and during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211122","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them, when asked by the prosecutor whether the defendants are Jehovah's Witnesses, replies that she has never seen documents indicating that they are members of this religious organization. She explains that she knows that the defendants believe in God, but the question of religion is a personal matter that she has not discussed with these people. The woman says that a few years ago she attended worship services at the local house of culture, the theme of which was a discussion of the Bible. According to her, talking to people about their religious views is not prohibited by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nAnother woman explains that she met the defendants at friendly meetings that took place about 12 years ago. She explains that they discussed the Bible, sang songs; There were no statements that would incite hostility towards other persons, hatred towards representatives of other nationalities or representatives of the authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211115","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a prosecution witness, FSB operative Alexei Savelyev, who organized the operational-search activities. He says that in March 2018, Galina Kobeleva invited a certain Vladislav Mrachko (who turned out to be an FSB officer) to discuss biblical teachings. Realizing that he had one of Jehovah's Witnesses in front of him, he agreed and began to attend divine services. Savelyev provided Mrachko with technical means for video recordings.\nAccording to Savelyev, Yevgeny Grinenko's organizational functions included the following: \"he started the meeting, gave the floor to those present, named the topic for discussion, prayed.\"\nThe witness denies that believers have any manifestations of enmity or hatred towards other people based on race or nationality; intention to overthrow the government. He also confirms that the essence of the services was reduced to a discussion of \"topics of a religious nature.\" He finds it difficult to name them.\nThe court is questioning five retired women who know the defendants and attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in Lesozavodsk before 2017. They inform the court that at these meetings the believers discussed biblical teachings, the presence was voluntary, they never heard extremist calls. One of the witnesses mentions that the knowledge she received at the services helped her to improve her relationship with her husband, improve her personal qualities and get rid of bad habits.\nDue to discrepancies in the testimonies given in court and during the investigation, the prosecutor reads out the protocols of the interrogations of most of the witnesses. One of the women states that she did not give most of the testimony she read. She also says that the interrogation took place without a lawyer, and due to stress, she signed the protocol without reading it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211108","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned. When the written testimony of one woman is announced, falsification is revealed. According to the witness, only two sheets of the signature were made by her hand, and the rest were forged. In this regard, the woman refuses to testify at the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211025","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits of the case begin. The state prosecutor is E. Palagina.\nAfter the announcement of the charges, Kobelev, Grinenko and Efremova speak with an attitude towards him. Prosecution witness Vladislav Mrachko, an embedded FSB agent, is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20211020","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Yevgeniy Grinenko, Sergey Kobelev and Svetlana Efremova is submitted to the Lesozavodsky District Court of the Primorsky Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210901","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Galina Kobeleva is being separated into a separate proceeding in connection with the serious illness of a 65-year-old believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kobelev is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210705","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator acquits Sergey Kobelev of the charge under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210621","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Svetlana Efremova was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210422","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Belyakova, head of the Lesozavodsk District Department, is re-indicting Yevgeny Grinenko under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nShe also involves 70-year-old Svetlana Efremova as an accused. The woman is accused of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). Sergey Kobelev is officially charged under Part 1.1. and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210406","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey and Galina Kobelev are included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210323","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina and Sergey Kobelev are summoned for interrogation. They choose a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210310","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened against 45-year-old Sergey Kobelev and his 65-year-old mother Galina under Part 1.1 (recruitment) and Part 2 (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210308","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lesozavodsky City Court Maxim Ponomarev, at the request of investigator O. V. Belyakova, changes the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Grinenko from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. Yevgeniy spent 7 months under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2021-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20210206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to change Yevgeniy Grinenko's measure of restraint in the form of detention to house arrest. The total period of stay in the pre-trial detention center was 58 days. During this time, Yevgeny's health deteriorated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200708","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Grinenko was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Primorsky Territory, located at the Stary Klyuch station of the Spassky district.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Primorsky Regional Court E. Valkova refuses to satisfy Yevgeny Grinenko's appeal and leaves him in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200528","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, a search is carried out at another address. On the same day, Yevgeniy Grinenko was formally charged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200521","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers are conducting searches in 3 more dwellings of peaceful believers. The basis for this is the testimony of FSB officer Vladislav Yuryevich Mrachko, who previously portrayed an interest in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200519","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lesozavodsky District Court Andrey Gusev, in agreement with the prosecutor A. A. Martirosyan, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Yevgeny Grinenko - until July 12, 2020. It is known that a criminal case was initiated against this peaceful believer under the article \"organization of the activities of an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Before his arrest, he lived in the city of Lesozavodsk with his elderly parents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200514","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation interrogate 4 local believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200513","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 06:10 a.m., Major of Justice O. V. Belyakova, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Lesozavodsk, Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, initiates a criminal case against Yevgeniy Grinenko under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nEmployees of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, with the support of the Border Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia in Primorye Territory, are conducting searches in the homes of local believers: Sergey Kobelev, Galina Kobeleva and Yevgeniy Grinenko, who lives with elderly parents.\nAt 8 o'clock in the morning, under the pretext of checking self-isolation, law enforcement officers, accompanied by investigator A. I. Katsur, invade the family of Sergey Kobelev. At the same time, the head of the family is detained at work and taken home. The security forces seize bank cards of all family members, electronic equipment, letters with friendly correspondence, greeting cards, Bibles in various translations, as well as devices that are not storage media: keyboard, computer mice, webcam, printer, audio speakers, router and even wires. Sergey's wife and child are experiencing great stress, which is aggravated by the fact that in the midst of the epidemic, one of the witnesses has a cough, and personal protective equipment is not used properly - during the six hours of the search, the masks have never been changed. After the search, Kobelev was taken away for interrogation. He was released after 11 hours of detention.\nYevgeniy Grinenko is detained after a search and interrogation.\nIn total, law enforcement officers interrogate 7 people. The questions of investigators I. S. Bakhtalova, A. V. Belyakova and A. I. Katsura revolve around the religion of Yevgeny Grinenko. Officials threaten believers with arrest. One of the police officers defiantly shows his gun. One of the elderly believers later admits that she experienced \"a state of shock, horror, then despondency and anxiety about future interrogations; also a state of instability, unwillingness to return home, where strangers with unfriendly motives were in charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Grinenko and Others in Lesozavodsk","date":"2020-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesozavodsk/index.html#20200512","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2022, FSB officers detained Sergey and Yelena Gromov from Kazan at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. Turnes out, an FSB investigator initiated a criminal case for organizing the activity of an extremist organization against Sergey, who practices the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Two secret witnesses participated in the case, one of whom was an FSB officer. The believer was arrested and placed in a temporary detention facility, and 2 days later in a pretrial detention center. Searches were carried out in the apartment of the Gromovs and at two other addresses. Later, he was suspected of violating another article of the Criminal Code – financing extremist activity. In February 2023, the case went to court, and in September of the same year, Gromov was convicted: 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony. In January 2024, the court of appeal upheld this decision, and 10 months later the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged.","date":"2022-03-15","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html","prisoners":["gromov"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey has started receiving correspondence. Registered letters are subject to a more thorough check and they are passed on with a delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20260420","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov is in penal colony No. 2 in the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2026-02-19T15:03:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20260219","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov is held in a barracks designed for 130 people. The premises are warm, there is hot water, he can shower twice a week. Sergey had gloomy ideas about what life would be in the penal colony, but he learned to see the positive things: on the territory are growing spruce and pine trees, you can hear cuckoos and magpies, and meet cats.\nThe believer reads a lot. He borrows some books from the penal colony's library — for example, the works of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gorky — others are sent to him by his relatives. He has a Bible.\nThe support from his wife and daughter means a lot to Sergey: they visit him in the penal colony. One of their visits fell on an open day event. Sergey's wife, Yelena, was allowed to come and participate in events held in connection with it.\nSergey has not been given letters since July 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20260116","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey had the flu. The condition is assessed as satisfactory. The necessary medications for chronic illnesses are given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20251110","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov works in a sewing workshop and plays in the music club of the colony. He has good relations with other prisoners and the administration, he is called \"Uncle Seryozha\". Recently, he had a long meeting with his wife and daughter, which was a great support for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20250416","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Gromov was transferred to penal colony No. 8 in the city of Almetyevsk. Now he is in quarantine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20240412","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov is transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Ufa to Beloretsk, pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Bashkortostan. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20240118","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Gromov was transported to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Ufa. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20231117","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["letters","sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find Sergei Gromov guilty and sentence him to 8 years in a penal colony.\nBefore that, the court refused to disclose the data of secret witnesses and initiate investigative actions to verify the slander on their part.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230831","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense inspects the items seized during the search of Gromov's home. The lawyer and the defendant draw the court's attention to the fact that there is no extremist literature among them.\nThe court is shown the Bible in the translation of Archimandrite Macarius, the New Testament in the Synodal translation, the books of religious scholars Sergei Ivanenko and Nikolai Gordienko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230824","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense challenges the expert Rohatin in connection with his \"extremely negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses\" and incompetence. The judge rejects the motion and proceeds to question the expert.\nAs a witness for the defense, the court interrogates Gromov's employer. She speaks well of him and notes his honesty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230817","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, law enforcement officer A. S. Zaitsev, who testified from secret witnesses, is being interrogated. He was unable to explain to the court why the texts of the protocols of interrogations of witnesses Sagitov and Sannikov (Mikhail Vasiliev, an FSB officer) sometimes copy the texts of the protocols from other cases.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230810","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey has been held in solitary confinement since May 2023. There are working relations with the administration, there are no conflicts with other prisoners. There are no health complaints.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230720","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the meeting, 10 people are allowed into the hall according to the number of seats.\nA secret witness under the pseudonym Ilya Sagitov (Alexander Komzolov) is interrogated. He claims that he met with the defendant at his apartment in the period up to 2021. The defense states that it has information according to which Sagitov __ last communicated with Gromov in 2014, and from 2016 to 2019 the witness lived in Finland. The court removes the lawyer's questions to the witness aimed at identifying contradictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230504","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing.\nThree of Gromov's neighbors describe him as a polite, kind, sociable person who shows sympathy and attention.\nThey also emphasize that the defendant is a good and responsible neighbor, regularly participates in the cleaning of the local area. One of the witnesses, who has known Sergey for more than 20 years, says that she adheres to other religious views, but this does not affect his good attitude towards her.\nWitness I. Z. Izmailov, an operative of the Center for Combating Extremism, reports that he is not aware of any facts of the defendant committing violent acts against the person, as well as attempts on the property of other citizens.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230420","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Gromov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Kazan. The believer is kept in a double cell. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230413","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"40 people come to support a fellow believer, 10 of them are allowed into the courtroom at the request of the defense.\nA prosecution witness is being questioned. The woman characterizes Sergey positively. Her testimony does not fully coincide with those given by her at the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230330","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The emotional state of the believer is good, the relationship with the cellmate and the administration is normal.\nSergey writes letters to his wife, and he also receives correspondence from relatives and friends. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230329","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Moskovsky District Court of Kazan and appointed to Judge Alsu Gumirova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230220","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Gromov has familiarized himself with the materials of the case, and is waiting for the start of the trial. His health is fine. Letters from friends and relatives come intermittently. The believer and his cellmates were temporarily transferred to a smaller cell, now there are 7 people for 6 places.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20230216","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his next visit to the lawyer, Sergey said that the investigator opened a new criminal case against him under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing the activities of an extremist organization).\nNow Sergey is being held with 7 other prisoners in an 8-bed cell. During two recent court hearings, Sergey saw his wife and daughter, which he was very happy about. He is also strengthened by letters of support from family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20221215","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Gromov in the pre-trial detention center of Kazan. According to the believer, the conditions of detention are normal. There are 10 people in the 8-bed cell, but Sergey has his own bed. Cellmates refer to him as \"you\" and call him \"Uncle Seryozha\". Relations with the staff of the detention center are also friendly.\nThe believer does not complain about his health, he remains calm. He has a Bible, he was given a copy in larger print.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20221121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two more searches are being conducted in the homes of believers in Kazan. Laptops, tablets, flash cards, bank cards and passports are seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20220318","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Rakhmatullina satisfies the investigator's request and chooses a measure of restraint for Gromov in the form of detention until May 15, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20220317","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the Gromovs' apartment in Kazan, authorized by the judge of the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan, N. R. Rakhmatullina. The security forces seized a phone, an old non-working tablet, a Bible translated by Archimandrite Macarius, books by religious scholars S. Ivanenko and N. Gordienko, as well as notebooks with personal notes and postcards.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20220316","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"T. R. Minnekhanov, senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Tatarstan, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Gromov.\nAccording to the investigation, \"at the direction of S. V. Gromov, the book \"Holy Scripture / New World Translation\" was studied, containing an appeal to the audience in order to encourage it to a hostile perception of people distinguished on the basis of religious affiliation, as well as to justify the need to carry out aggressive, violent, cruel actions directed against a person in connection with his religious affiliation.\nOn the same day, law enforcement officers detained the Gromovs at Moscow's Vnukovo airport and placed Sergey in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gromov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan3/index.html#20220315","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The home of Roman Gumenyuk was searched and he was interrogated in August 2023. A month earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him under the article for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interpreted conducting conversations on Bible topics via videoconferencing. In May 2024, the believer was prosecuted under another article, charging him with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court a month later. Roman Gumenyuk is a third-generation Jehovah’s Witness. In Soviet times, his father was sentenced to 3 years for his religious beliefs but was later rehabilitated as a victim of political repression. In November 2024, Roman was given a 5-year suspended sentence with restrictions of freedom for 2 years and a 3-year probation period. In January 2025, the verdict was upheld by the court of appeal in January 2025 and by the court of cassation in September of the same year.","date":"2023-03-19","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html","prisoners":["gumenyuk"],"regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Panel of Judges of the Ninth Court of Cassation (Vladivostok) denies Roman Gumenyuk's appeal against the guilty verdict .\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20250909","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Humeniuk makes his last speech in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20241111","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence for Roman Humeniuk: 5 years in a general regime colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20241105","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Linguistic expert E. A. Savina and the wife of the defendant Olesya Gumenyuk are interrogated.\nThe believer makes written notes. He states that he has never tried to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order or public security. \"Have you found at least one victim and deceiver in this case? Roman says. \"Even the main witness for the prosecution, Kovtun, said at the confrontation: 'I know this man, I have no animosity.' It is clear from the case file that he did not suffer any damage and did not have any problems through my fault. On the contrary, my wife and I treated him as friends.\"\nCommenting on the testimony of Dmytro Kovtun, who kept secret audio and video recordings of their conversations, Gumenyuk states that he never urged him to give up alcohol, sports and psychotherapeutic help.\nThe court shall attach to the case file the defendant's written notes and testimonies from the place of study.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20241022","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two prosecution witnesses, one of whom is an FSB officer. The judge selectively reads out the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20241001","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out part of the indictment.\nGumenyuk says he does not plead guilty. He begins to express his attitude to the accusation, but the judge interrupts him and does not allow him to continue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20240814","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. The court grants Roman Gumenyuk's request to familiarize himself with the 9th volume of the case, which he has not yet seen.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20240805","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Korsakov City Court\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20240626","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region, Y. E. Che, is prosecuting Roman Gumenyuk as a defendant under another article - Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the man \"conducted preaching activities and spread the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses among the residents of the Sakhalin region in order to find and consistently persuade new persons to participate in the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses ... by conducting conversations on religious topics.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20240514","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Korsakov City Court of the Sakhalin Region V. G. Kelbakha authorizes a search in the apartment of Roman Gumenyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20230802","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to senior investigator S. B. Nevidimov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20230731","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice E. V. Maksimov, Deputy Head of the Korsakov Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region, initiates a criminal case against Roman Gumenyuk. The investigation considers discussing the Bible with friends at \"regular meetings\" to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gumenyuk in Korsakov","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/korsakov/index.html#20230719","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Kirill Gushchin for his faith. Law enforcement officers conducted a series of searches in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. They broke into homes, planted banned publications and used force against members of their families. About a year later, another case was initiated against Kirill Gushchin, this time for \u0026quot;involving others in the activity of an extremist organization\u0026quot;. Later, the case against Kirill\u0026#39;s wife, Svetlana, and four other peaceful women was made into a separate proceeding from the Gushchin case. In June 2021, Gushchin\u0026#39;s case went to court. At the hearings, it became obvious that religious scholar Larisa Astakhova \u0026quot;had substituted objective concepts with her personal opinion\u0026quot; in her expert study on which the case was based. In May 2024, the court acquitted the believer, and later the courts of appeal and cassation upheld this ruling. The Prosecutor\u0026#39;s Office made an official apology to the believer for the unjustified criminal prosecution.","date":"2020-05-07","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html","prisoners":["gushchin"],"regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Prosecutor's Office of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, represented by the Acting District Prosecutor A.G. Antyshev, makes an official apology to Kirill Gushchin in connection with the unjustified criminal prosecution under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240807","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["prosecutor-apology"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor D. G. Zhukov files a cassation submission in the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin. In it, he asks to cancel the decisions of the courts of first and appellate instances and to send the case for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240805","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor submits an appeal against the acquittal of Kirill Gushchin. He requests that the verdict be quashed and that the case be returned for a new trial by a different court. According to the state prosecutor, the court gave an incorrect assessment of the evidence examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240516","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I am not an extremist because I am a Jehovah's Witness,\" Kirill Gushchin delivers his final statement in court.\nMore than 60 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. 34 of them are allowed to attend the meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240426","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment for Kirill Gushchin in a general regime colony. He also asks the court to send the believer into custody even before the decision is made, but the court leaves him under recognizance not to leave.\nThe defense is filing a motion to include in the case file the decision of the ECHR in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses from Taganrog. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240319","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The results of the religious examination are announced.\nA prosecution witness who previously testified in court is being questioned. The prosecutor is interested in Gushchin's role in organizing worship services for Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20240306","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to involve religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan, a member of the European Association for the Study of Religion, in a comprehensive examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20221228","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Larisa Astakhova is being interrogated. When asked by Kirill Gushchin whether all Jehovah's Witnesses are members of legal entities, Astakhova replies that they are not, and adds: \"Faith is not forbidden, organization is forbidden ... Believers can continue to practice their religion without having a legal entity.\"\nThe defense notes that \"in the course of pre-trial proceedings, psychological and linguistic research was carried out by FSB officers who do not have special knowledge in the field of religious studies; Legal questions were put before them.\" In addition, \"it follows from the conclusion of the expert Astakhova that she does not understand the essence of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The defendant also draws attention to the fact that the conclusions of the examination give a legal assessment of his actions, although this is not within the competence of the expert.\nHaving listened to the arguments of the defendant and the lawyer about the incompetence of the expert, the court satisfies their request for a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220928","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, an expert linguist Anna Galkina is interrogated, who explains that in the psychological and linguistic conclusion, an organization means a group of people united by common interests, goals, and a common program. By involvement, the linguist understands the persuasion of a person to take part in a certain activity, in particular, involvement, in her opinion, are training videos.\nThe defense provides information from open sources confirming the incompetence of the expert Astakhova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220721","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file a petition for the appointment of a comprehensive psychological and linguistic religious forensic examination, and also challenges the expert religious scholar Astakhova. The court postpones the resolution of the defense's petition until Astakhova is interrogated at the hearing, as well as to provide an opportunity for the defense to confirm the arguments about the expert's incompetence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220714","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the answer from the administration of Georgievsk: the administration does not have information about the dates of worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220704","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the defendant. The believer reads out his written testimony, which the judge attaches to the case. Kirill Gushchin refuses to answer additional questions from the judge and prosecutor, using Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220620","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Forensic experts inform the court that it is not possible to identify the fingerprints on the Bible and printed publications that were planted on the believer.\nThe court listens to secret recordings of worship services.\nThe defense submits a petition with a request to make a request to the administration of Georgievsk about the dates of worship in the village of Nezlobnaya, since these religious events were coordinated with the local administration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220609","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"6 people come to support the defendant.\nThe court satisfies the request of the defense to attach to the case all the photographic materials provided by it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220603","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a forensic expert of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Maysky district of the KBR. It confirms that it is possible to identify fingerprints on the seized literature and DNA fingerprinting.\nThe prosecution objects, arguing that the law enforcement officers who seized publications during the search of Gushchin's house were without gloves and could have left their fingerprints on books and brochures. However, the defense draws attention to the fact that during the interrogation in court, all law enforcement officers confirmed that they worked with gloves.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220520","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is filing two motions. The first is about conducting an examination to identify fingerprints on the Bible and religious literature seized from Gushchin during the search, since the believer claims that they do not belong to him and were planted. The second is about the inclusion of photographic materials provided by the defendants in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20220511","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning witnesses in the Gushchin case.\nAmong those interrogated were employees of the Center for Combating Extremism and FSB operatives, including Sergey Svetikov, who had previously been convicted of abuse of office, as well as falsification of operational materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210901","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A closed court session is being held in the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The prosecutor insists that all subsequent hearings should also be held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210809","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Kirill Gushchin is transferred to the Maisky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. It is considered by judge Ruslan Atakayev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210607","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Maisky Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, A. A. Ashkhotov, decides to return the criminal case to the investigator A. M. Yakhtanigov to eliminate the identified deficiencies. The accused insisted on this, arguing that the detective of the FSB of Russia for the CBR, S. A. Svetikov, who had previously been convicted of falsifying the materials of criminal cases against believers, put pressure on prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210519","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Yakhtanigov officially prosecutes Kirill Gushchin as a defendant in a crime under Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nA new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against his wife, Svetlana Gushchina, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Svetlana Dubovkina, Olga Shulgina and Aksana Dominova is separated from the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin. The accusation is based on the testimony of the same \"Filatova\".\nThe investigator also singles out materials under Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact of refusing to testify and attracts 7 women and 2 men from Mayskoye under it - this is how he interprets the fact that they used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210428","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice A. Yakhtanigov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Maisky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, initiates a criminal case against Kirill Gushchin under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The accusation is based on the testimony of a secret witness \"Filatova\", who secretly made an audio recording of the services.\nAccording to the investigation, the believer \"through active actions, namely persuasion, calls for religious unity ... gradually transformed the worldview ... [and also] took active actions, expressed in the conduct of divine services, consisting of the sequential performance of songs ... and prayers to Jehovah God.\" Kirill Gushchin is also accused of discussing such topics as \"Love that never passes\", \"Love overcomes everything\", \"Walk in love\", \"The unquenchable love of our world brotherhood\", as well as the performance of the songs \"God is love\", \"God's example of love\", \"Receive each other cordially\", etc.\nThe criminal case is assigned No. 12102830005000013. It is associated with case No. 12002830005000024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2021-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20210426","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7:20 a.m., Kirill Gushchin goes into the garage to get his car to go to work. Suddenly, the exit is blocked by a car, from which security forces in masks and with machine guns come out. Among them is Sergey Svetikov, an employee of the FSB for the CBD, whom believers and their lawyers have repeatedly accused of falsifying operational materials. Gushchin is handcuffed and escorted to the apartment where his wife is.\nDuring the search, the couple is restricted in moving around the apartment. One of the security officials closes himself in the bedroom, and, coming out of there, does not allow anyone to go there. Soon in this room they find a planted copy of the \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\", one of the editions of which was banned for distribution in Russia. Svetikov, in turn, throws books and brochures included in the list of extremist materials into another room. Operatives make video filming selectively. Electronic devices, personal records and flash drives are seized from the spouses.\nAfter 4 hours, the Gushchins were taken to the police department, and then to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. Spouses use Article 51 of the Constitution, which allows them not to testify against themselves and their loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20200520","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maisky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is initiating a criminal case against Kirill Gushchin for his faith under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is assigned No. 12002830005000024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Gushchin in Mayskiy","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy2/index.html#20200507","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2020, Irina Lokhvitskaya from Birobidzhan was prosecuted along with her son Artur and daughter-in-law Anna. The case against the believer was investigated by Dmitry Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region. He also opened criminal cases against five more residents of Birobidzhan, who, according to the investigation, \u0026ldquo;resumed the activities of a local religious organization liquidated in 2016 \u0026hellip; as well as the \u0026ldquo;Administrative Center of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Russia.\u0026rdquo; The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, held the hearings behind closed doors, not allowing any listeners or even relatives into the hall. Irina, who has certificates and monetary awards for her work and work with people, was forced to defend her peace-loving views in court. In July 2021, the court found the believer guilty and sentenced her to 2.5 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.  On November 16 of the same year, the appellate instance upheld the verdict, and in July 2022, the Court of Cassation in Vladivostok approved this decision.","date":"2020-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html","prisoners":["lokhvitskayai"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"In Vladivostok, the 9th Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction upholds the verdict against Irina Lokhvitskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-20T15:26:03+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20220720","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region approves the decision of the court of first instance against Irina Lokhvitskaya. The sentence of 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20211116","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh finds Irina Lokhvitskaya guilty of participating in the activities of a banned religious community. The believer was sentenced to 2.5 years probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate of the parties, the believer declares that she does not accept the ideas of extremism. The court did not present evidence of accusations of illegal activities of Irina, says her lawyer.\nAt the next meeting, the believer will deliver her last word. On the same day, the verdict may be announced.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210714","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Debate of the parties. The prosecutor requests for Irina Lokhvitskaya a sentence of 4 years in prison with restriction of liberty for 2 years with the requirement not to change her permanent place of residence and not to leave the city without notice, as well as to appear for registration 2 times a month.\nDue to the judge's vacation, the debate is postponed to July 8.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210526","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina testifies in the Birobidzhan District Court. She explains that the meetings recorded in the case file are exclusively religious in nature: in a circle of acquaintances, believers sing religious songs, say common prayers, listen to Christian sermons, discuss biblical topics such as \"Forgive each other\", \"Do you harbor anger or forgive?\", \"How to show prudence and love?\", \"Strengthen spirituality by showing love\", etc.\nThe believer notes: \"The Bible encourages a Christian to be a peacemaker - one who seeks peace and supports it where there is none. As I learn from God, I try to see the good in people rather than looking for flaws. This attitude helps me to respect people regardless of their faith and nationality. My life and my actions are exclusively peaceful.\"\nEmphasizing the absurdity of the accusations, Irina says: \"I have many friends. Imagine, for 27 years we have been friends, meet, communicate, but now the prosecutor's office says that we must stop all communication, do not invite guests, do not communicate on spiritual topics ... You know, it's like a musicologist, a fan of classical music, forbidden to listen to and talk about classical music. This is psychological violence ... The accusation itself is religious discrimination. All citizens are equal regardless of religious beliefs. Someone visits the temple every Sunday, someone wears the attributes of faith on his body, someone prays on a rug several times a day, so everyone professes his religion in his own way. As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I profess my religion by studying the Bible, discussing it with others, and trying to live in harmony with what is written in the Bible.\"\nIn the characteristics of the defendant from the case materials, it is said that Irina is a conflict-free, calm and balanced person who does not communicate with persons of an antisocial orientation and has been repeatedly awarded for good work.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210518","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the prosecution witness. She claims that she did not hear any extremist statements from the defendant.\nWhile watching the videos of the worship services, Irina draws the court's attention to the fact that there are no extremist actions or statements on them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210413","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out volumes 22-25 of the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20210329","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness who was present at the search of the house of other believers. After the interrogation, he says that he sees Irina Lokhvitskaya for the first time.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20201027","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Lokhvitskaya asks the court to explain the reasons for the closed format of court hearings. The judge promises to do this later.\nThe believer speaks with an attitude to the accusation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20201016","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing on the merits is held. Even before the hearing, Judge Vasilina Bezotecheskikh decides that the case will be considered behind closed doors, that is, listeners, even relatives, will not be allowed. The believer submits 6 petitions, 3 of which are denied by the judge, including a motion to return the case to the prosecutor's office and to consider the case in an open trial. The judge postponed the decision on the petition to join identical cases against several believers submitted to the same court until the next hearing.\nThe next meeting is scheduled for 14:00 on October 16.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20200929","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, without the participation of the parties, makes a decision on the appointment of a closed court hearing in the criminal case of Irina Lokhvitskaya. On the same day, three other women are being heard before the same judge. Among them are Anna Lokhvitskaya, Irina's daughter-in-law, as well as Natalia Krieger and Anastasia Guzeva.\nThe case will be considered behind closed doors, i.e. without the participation of the media, listeners and relatives. According to the judge, an open hearing of the case may lead to the disclosure of secrets protected by law - the personal data of minors whose data appear in the case file.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20200916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin is initiating another case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 6 criminal cases for faith against 6 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Nataliya Kriger . All six women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"The case of I. Lokhvitskaya in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan14/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2020, Dmitriy Ignatov's home was searched in Oryol as part of the case of Piskarev and others. In October 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him, charging him with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In January 2024, the case went to court. At least nine witnesses for the prosecution said they did not know Ignatov, so they could not say anything specific. In July of the same year, the court sentenced the believer to 2 years of forced labor. The court of appeal upheld this decision. In December 2025 he was released on parole from the main punishment; the 6-month restriction of freedom remains.","date":"2021-10-28","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html","prisoners":["ignatov"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The correctional center where Dmitry Ignatov lives has everything you need for life: washing machines, stoves, refrigerators, kettles, microwaves. Dmitriy works as a resistance welder for the production of refrigeration equipment. The attitude towards him from the administration is good. From time to time, Dmitry calls his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20250205","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Ignatov arrives at the correctional center at the penal colony No. 2 in the village. Glazunovka (Oryol region), where he will serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20241115","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I am happy that I am suffering, not for a crime, but for worshiping God.\" Dmitry Ignatov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240722","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 3 years of forced labor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240719","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Subbotina, who had previously attended services. According to her, after religious meetings began to be held via video conferencing, she did not see Dmitry Ignatov at them.\nThe public prosecutor reads out the testimonies of three witnesses who did not appear. The lawyer states that the information provided is not related to Ignatov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240515","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor provides material evidence, including several screenshots from videos of worship services. On one of them, Dmitry Ignatov reads a passage from the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240507","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to question witnesses. Witness Antonov declares that this is the first time he has seen Ignatov, so he has nothing to tell the court about the defendant.\nWitness Zhuravlev worked at the Center for Countering Extremism and carried out surveillance of believers. He believes that conversations between friends on biblical topics mean the continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\nWitness Panasenko does not know Ignatov, but speaks positively of Jehovah's Witnesses as human beings.\nThe material evidence seized from Ignatov is considered: the Holy Scriptures, notebooks, postcards, etc.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240424","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Witness Galstyan, who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses 20 years ago. She does not know the defendant. Answering a question about the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, the woman explains: \"Previously, literature was widespread, there was no ban on it, and I read it with pleasure.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240417","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who had previously testified in the case of another believer from Oryol, Vladimir Piskaryov, is being questioned. He is unfamiliar with Dmitry Ignatov. He says, \"I don't know what I'm doing here.\"\nAnother prosecution witness states that Ignatova does not know and has never met him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240410","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three witnesses are being questioned. None of them knows Ignatov personally. One woman says that she did not hear any propaganda of exclusivity, calls for the breakdown of family relations and disobedience to the authorities from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240403","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not satisfy two motions filed by the defense at the previous hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240313","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ignatov filed a petition to refuse the lawyer appointed to him by the state, the court did not satisfy him.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Dmitry Ignatov expresses his attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240304","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Orel and is appointed to Judge Andrei Tretyakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2024-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20240129","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kolomytsev, a senior investigator of the investigation department for the Sovetsky district of the city of Orel, of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, presents Ignatov with a decision to bring him as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2023-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20231230","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Ignatov's home, a half-hour inspection takes place without witnesses, which is led by Senior Lieutenant of Justice Sergey Kolomytsev. Photographs are taken, material evidence is not seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20230913","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Simonova singles out the criminal case against Ignatov in a separate proceeding and incriminates him with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20211028","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice I. A. Simonova, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigation Department for the Sovetsky District of the City of Oryol, Senior Lieutenant of Justice I. A. Simonova, issues a search order for Dmitry Ignatov, who was a witness in the case of Piskarev and others in Oryol. On the same day, they come to the peasant with a search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ignatov in Oryol","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel/index.html#20201209","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, the homes of Irina and her mother Lyudmila Zinina, from the village of Zarya, was searched, and in May 2023, the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory initiated a criminal case against Irina under the article on participating in the activity of an extremist organization. She was interrogated and placed under a recognizance agreement. Her accounts were blocked. At the end of December 2023, the case went to court. After 6 months, it was transferred to another judge and a new trial began. In October 2025, the court handed down a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-23","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html","prisoners":["zininai"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Irina Zinina gives her final statement. The believer notes: \"I know for sure that if I didn't believe in Jehovah God, I wouldn't be standing here.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20251020","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to Judge Elizaveta Proskuryakova, in connection with which the hearings begin anew.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20240617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By agreement, the lawyer voices a petition to return the case to the prosecutor in connection with violations. The state prosecutor reads out the charges. Irina Zinina expresses her attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It will be considered by Judge Oksana Melnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20231229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina is summoned for questioning. Investigator Roman Latysh wonders if she knows Viktor Spirichev, a defendant in a similar criminal case. The believer was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20230722","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is initiated against Irina under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20230523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A two-hour search is underway in Irina Zinina's house, where she lives with her parents. The search warrant is issued by investigator A. A. Garmash. According to Irina, the police officers searched her and her mother Lyudmila for the addresses of other believers, as well as books and records with the name of God. Electronic devices, data carriers, personal records and a copy of the Bible are seized from women.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Irina Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki6/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, the investigation accused Anatoly Isakov, a disabled person of group II, of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Another believer, Valeriy Minsafin, was a suspect in this case. The believers were arrested after the searches. Two days later, the investigator released Minsafin from custody, and Isakov, who can hardly move, is fighting cancer and needs constant intake of potent prescription drugs, was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 1.5 months, interrupting the vital course of chemotherapy. After a request from the ECHR and human rights activists to the Russian authorities, the court released Isakov under a ban on certain actions. The prosecution of Minsafin was terminated in March 2023. Three months later, Isakov\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. It is based, among other things, on the testimony of a secret witness who indicated that the believers discussed the Bible at the meetings. In July 2024, the prosecutor requested a 6.5-year suspended sentence for the believer. In August 2024, the court imposed a fine of 400 thousand rubles on him. The appellate court upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-07-13","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html","prisoners":["isakov","minsafin"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kurgan Regional Court (78 M. Gorky Street, Kurgan). Time: 9:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20241114","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his final statement, Anatoly Isakov says: \"Your Honor, how can high-ranking people, for example, the president, members of the Council of Europe, representatives of the UN or you, learn about God? Only the situation with the persecution of believers will create such conditions. And now here I am – the president, the members of the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and even you have to listen to Jehovah's Witnesses and delve into their teachings.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20240807","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Anatoly Isakov 6.5 years probation with a probationary period of 3.5 years and deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the dissemination of religion, religious education, holding religious services, religious ceremonies for a period of 9 years.\nThe defense filed a motion for the defendant to participate in the debate and adjourn the hearing to prepare Isakov for it. The court grants these requests.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20240716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer continues to present evidence of innocence and asks to attach a number of documents to the case file, including the opinions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, ECHR rulings, as well as expert opinions on the presence of diseases that prevent Isakov from being held in custody.\nThe defendant testifies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20240708","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","echr","un-working-group"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense presents evidence, reads excerpts from the case materials, which number 20 volumes, and examines the material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20240101","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution presents its evidence and reads out documents from 10 volumes of case materials. The defense draws attention to the fact that the prosecution does not indicate exactly how these documents confirm Isakov's guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20231213","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Olenin is interrogated. He says that believers used them to study the Bible, sing songs and pray. He also notes: \"Rights, freedoms and legitimate interests were not violated during the meetings.\"\nOlenin refuses to answer some questions, fearing that his identity may be revealed in this way.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20231201","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution petitions for the interrogation of the secret witness Olenin without visual control. The defense objects, but the court grants the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20231120","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution files a motion to read out the testimony of two deceased witnesses, the defense objects. The court rejects the petition, but decides to attach it to the case file. The testimonies of witnesses are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20231030","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses are questioned, after which the court reads out the protocols of their interrogations. Both women do not corroborate their testimony because they do not remember what they said. One of them justifies this by the fact that she was in a state of shock.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20231011","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them was one of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2016. He notes that their goal is \"just to bring people together so that everyone lives in peace.\" At divine services, he did not hear statements inciting hatred and enmity from the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230920","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning three witnesses for the prosecution. They use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe prosecution files a motion to adjourn the hearing, to forcibly bring one of the prosecution witnesses and to re-summon witnesses who have not previously appeared in court. The judge grants the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230911","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 prosecution witnesses are interrogated, after which, at the request of the prosecutor, the protocols of their interrogation are read out. Three women do not confirm their testimony. One of the witnesses states: \"There are many things written that I did not say, much not from my words.\" Another witness claims that he does not know Isakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230804","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor requests the disclosure of the protocols of the interrogation of prosecution witnesses who did not appear. The defense objects. The court rejects the prosecutor's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230724","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court establishes the identity of Anatoliy Isakov and explains his rights. The prosecution briefly states the essence of the charge.\nAnatoly Isakov and his lawyer express their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230706","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region. It will be considered by judge Sergey Lytkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230607","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Valery Minsafin was dismissed. The charges against him have been dropped.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230327","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Materials against Valeriy Minsafin and unidentified persons were separated into separate proceedings - the Investigative Committee sees in them signs of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20230324","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7:10 a.m., A. A. Kravchenko, senior investigator of the Kargapol Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by two FSB officers, searches the place of registration of Roman Kuchin's wife. The security forces find her parents at home. Having received no information about the whereabouts of Roman and his wife, they inspect electronic devices, but do not seize anything.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20211126","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region Sergey Lushnikov issues a search warrant for 27-year-old Roman Kuchin. According to investigators, Roman is one of the \"members of the congregation\" and his home may contain items that are important for the criminal case against Anatoly Isakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20211119","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Anatoly Isakov from the pre-trial detention center and, at the request of the investigator, chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210828","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The ECHR sends a request to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. Lawyers also appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, after which the Commissioner initiates an urgent inspection.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210810","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","echr","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers file a complaint with the ECHR about the detention of a believer despite his serious health condition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210808","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","echr","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense re-submits a petition to the Kurgan Regional Court demanding that Isakov's preventive measure be changed or canceled without delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210728","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer's lawyer files an appeal with the Department of Health of the Kurgan Region against the chosen measure of restraint and asks for it to be canceled. The detention of a believer in a pre-trial detention center poses a threat to his life and health. In the complaint, the lawyer notes: \"Such conditions cause systematic and daily pain, comparable to the torture and torture of a person in old age, since the pain intensifies and becomes unbearable at times, and the threat to life and health becomes real.\" The arrest interrupts the chemotherapy that the believer has been undergoing since July 5, 2021. The treatment was supposed to end on July 25, 2021. All this poses a threat to the life of Anatoly Isakov.\nHe also asks for the prosecution of the doctor who misled the court about Isakov's state of health, concluding that he could be detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210721","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files an appeal to the Kurgan Regional Court against the chosen preventive measure of Anatoly Isakov. According to the lawyer, the believer must be released from the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210719","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","complaints","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Nikolay Astapov decides to release Valery Minsafin from custody due to the lack of grounds for further restriction of his freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov officially prosecutes Anatoliy Isakov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe judge of the Kurgan City Court A. N. Schneider chooses a measure of restraint for Anatoly Isakov in the form of imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The court does not take into account the serious state of health of the accused.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, prisoners are obliged to follow the requirements of the pre-trial detention center, including physical activity, which Isakov cannot perform due to his health condition: he can hardly move, and it is beyond his power to walk in the ranks and keep the speed of movement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210715","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Isakovs' apartment and country house, as well as their daughter's apartment, are being searched with the participation of officers of the Border Guard Service of the FSB of Russia in the Kurgan and Tyumen regions. Bibles in various translations, Bible reference books and dictionaries, books by Russian religious scholars, autobiographies of Jehovah's Witnesses who were prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, as well as letters, photographs, notebooks with personal notes, bank cards and documents are seized from the believer. In addition, the security forces take away the printer, electronic devices and storage media.\nDuring the search, one of the security officials demands that the believer's wife, Tatyana, \"tell us about everything,\" threatening her and her daughter with dismissal from their jobs.\nThe believer is a disabled person of group II: he is struggling with oncology, needs regular hospitalization (approximately every 2 months) and constant intake of potent prescription drugs. Despite his diagnoses, he is left in custody in a temporary detention facility, where he spends the night.\nThat same morning, they came to the house of the Minsafin family with a search. The first unexpected guests are noticed by their minor daughter. Opening the door, Valery sees 10 people. Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan Region, Alexei Tretyakov, presents a court order to conduct a search.\nThe security forces consistently search every room, as well as the basement, bathhouse, summer kitchen, car and land. They seize electronic devices, bank cards, flash drives, a printer, Bibles in various translations, a Bible game, an encyclopedia, and personal records. A technician tries to unlock smartphones and tablets.\nFrom stress, Valeriy's wife has high blood pressure. The security forces allow Valeriy to eat and pack his things, after which they take him to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. There he is provided with a lawyer.\nThe investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan Region, T. V. Kononova, detains and sends the believer to the temporary detention facility in Kurgan for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","minors","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 56-year-old Anatoly Isakov, as well as under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 49-year-old Valery Minsafin only because believers profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, that is, they read and discuss the Bible with friends. The case is assigned No. 12102370012000107.\nAccording to the investigation, Anatoly Isakov committed a criminal offense because he \"carried out ... religious meetings... including through video conferencing using the Zoom platform.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Isakov and Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan2/index.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Kazan in June 2024, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against unidentified persons. Later two believers, Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov, became defendants. Already in June, searches were carried out with the participation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB; personal belongings were seized. In April 2025, both were interrogated, charged and placed under a recognizance agreement. After 3 months, the case went to court. In April 2026, the verdict was announced: 6-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-06-06","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html","prisoners":["ishberdin","starikovs"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office is filing an appellate submission against the decision of the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court and is requesting harsher punishment for the believers: to sentence Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov to 7 years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony with a restriction of freedom for 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260512","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Starikov and Robert Ishberdin make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260422","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence for Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov in the form of 7 years in a general regime colony and restriction of freedom for a period of 2 years each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260416","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is watching three educational cartoons by Jehovah's Witnesses for children. The defense explains that there are more than 40 such materials that teach children high moral values, in particular kindness and forgiveness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260408","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that in the list of founders of the LRO Naberezhnye Chelny, presented in the case, there are no names of the defendants and never have been.\nRobert Ishberdin states that the appointment of a number of examinations was carried out with procedural violations - the defendants were either not notified about them at all, or they did it too late, which deprived them of the right to ask their questions to the expert or file petitions.\nIshberdin also asks to summon for questioning a linguistic specialist Radik Galiullin, who took part in a comprehensive study carried out by specialists from the Naberezhnye Chelny Pedagogical University. The judge agrees.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260401","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses are being interrogated. One of them, Sergey Starikov's brother, says that he and his household have been Orthodox Christians for many years and that Sergey never \"humiliated them on religious grounds, did not mock them, did not agitate them to be Jehovah's Witnesses.\" For many years, the brothers have maintained good relations and are family friends. Aleksandr Starikov asked the judge not to deprive Sergey of his liberty, since their mother is already 76 years old and such a sentence will negatively affect her health.\nThe defendants file petitions to attach a number of documents to the case file: an article from the Chelninskaya Gazeta and video reports from Chelny TV and TV-3, telling about how Ishberdin performed alternative service and helped the employer take care of stray animals; a positive characterization of Starikov's neighbors, which says that he \"changed the window handles at his own expense in the entrance\"; characteristics from Ishberdin's place of work, where it is noted that Robert \"during the period of cooperation showed conscientiousness, diligence, decency.\"\nThe judge grants the petitions of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260325","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, audio recordings of meetings made by a secret witness \"Lebedev A. M.\" are examined. From these materials, it is important for Jehovah's Witnesses to value marriage, maintain marital fidelity, watch their speech, and avoid hurting words.\nThe defense filed a motion to recognize the examination of the Kazan Federal University performed by V.N. Rogatin as inadmissible. According to the defense, this institution does not have the legal authority to conduct such a study, and the expert is biased and does not have the necessary qualifications. The judge accepts the petition and says that he will assess the admissibility of the examination when sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20260226","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret prosecution witness under the pseudonym Lebedev A.M., who has been serving in one of the churches in Naberezhnye Chelny for more than ten years. He repeats almost verbatim the same accusations as the previous participants in the trial. Lebedev claims that Jehovah's Witnesses are dangerous to society, but cannot substantiate this point of view.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20251210","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the key witness for the prosecution, FSB officer M.R. Khusnutdinov. His answers show that the prosecution interprets the usual religious activity of believers as illegal organizational activity. At the same time, the witness relies on the subjective interpretation of \"organization\", without presenting evidence confirming the guilt of Ishberdin and Starikov.\nThe defense points to this and asks how the defendants should exercise their legal right to religion. Khusnutdinov replies that they should \"sit at home, study [the Bible] and that's it.\"\nThe defense notes that even tea drinking requires a certain order. The FSB officer retorts: \"The Bible does not say that Jehovah's Witnesses should organize everything like this.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20251203","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is questioning witnesses for the prosecution Aleksandr Sagiyev and religious scholar Sergey Zheleznyak, assistant to one of the dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church for missionary work.\nSagiyev gets mixed up with his answers, since he does not personally know Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov, but only heard about the defendants from others. He also says that Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in military service, but clarifies that they agree to alternative civilian service.\nWithout grounds Zheleznyak declares that Jehovah's Witnesses oppose the state and its symbols. At the same time, he admits that he is not personally familiar with the beliefs of followers of this religion, and learned this information from the Internet and publications on sectology. When asked to cite facts, he says that he does not have any.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20251016","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Naberezhnye Chelny City Court. It is assigned to Emma Kharkovskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20250717","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Department for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Tatarstan Airat Giniyatullin interrogates Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov. Believers now act as accused. They take a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20250418","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB conduct searches in the homes of believers. Sergey Starikov's investigative actions are led by police captain A. K. Zorin. Law enforcement officers behave politely, do not exert pressure. They confiscate communication equipment, flash drives, a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, and personal records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20240624","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Kazan Sergey Aptulin issues a search in the homes of Robert Ishberdin and Sergey Starikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20240618","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Republic of Tatarstan, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Airat Giniyatullin issued a decision to initiate a criminal case against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ishberdin and Starikov in Naberezhnye Chelny","date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/naberezhnye-chelny3/index.html#20240606","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2020, investigators in Astrakhan initiated a criminal case on extremism charges against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeny Ivanov, and his wife, Olga. The following day, a series of searches took place. After that, all four believers were taken into custody. And 3 days later, Olga Ivanova was placed under house arrest. Starting in June 2021, the case against the believers was heard in court. The court sentenced Evgeniy, Sergey, and Rustam to 8 years in a penal colony, and Olga to 3.5 years. The court of appeal upheld this decision in February 2022, and 10 months later the court of cassation made the sentence even harsher by adding a restriction forbidding the believers to leave Astrakhan after serving their sentence. In June 2024, Olga Ivanova was released. In February 2025, Rustam Diarov was stripped of his Russian citizenship. A year later, he was released early due to a serious illness and deported to Uzbekistan.","date":"2020-06-08","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html","prisoners":["diarov","ivanova","ivanovye","klikunov"],"regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Klikunov has chronic illnesses, he is being provided with medical care in the penal colony.\nHe was summoned to the commission in connection with a \"violation\" — he was groundlessly accused of using obscene language against a member of staff. At the commission hearing, he explained that he is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and has not used foul language for 20 years. After that, Sergey was released. And then in the barracks they joked: \"Next they'll also say that you smoked\" (Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke).\nThe believer receives letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2026-04-24T11:05:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20260424","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of January, Sergey Klikunov was transferred to penal colony No. 2 in Kazan. The believer quickly got used to the new place. The move did not affect Sergey emotionally — he still remains optimistic.\nThe believer still works in the sewing workshop. The working day starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. Sergey's relations with the administration and other prisoners are normal.\nThe believer is kept in a unit for 100-120 people. The food is good. Sergey was given the medicines seized upon admission, which allows him to control hypertension. He has not yet been given letters. Klikunov does not yet have the opportunity to call his relatives and make purchases in the local store — the believer is waiting for a SIM card and a personal account.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20260225","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Ivanov is in penal colony No. 2 in the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2026-02-19T15:05:29+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20260219","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klikunov is held on the first floor of the barracks in a dormitory with 23 beds. Living conditions: the premises are warm and there is cold and hot water. According to him, the canteen food is good. The believer feels that he needs to be examined and possible treated by a dentist. He has having difficulties with receiving correspondence: for about 3 months, letters have not been given to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20260120","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the penal colony, Yevgeniy Ivanov is working in the boiler room and training to be an electrician at the same time. In his free time, he reads books and magazines from the penal colony's library, especially the magazine \"Vokrug Sveta\" (Around the World). However, his eyesight has deteriorated in prison.\nAfter a long pause in receiving correspondence, the believer has started receiving letters again. Visits from relatives serve as a great support for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2026-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20260119","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov is sent for treatment to the Federal State Healthcare Institution \"Medical- Sanitary Unit No. 16\" of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Kazan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20250904","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov's chronic kidney disease has seriously worsened: he has a high temperature, he feels weak and does not eat. The believer needs hospitalization, a full medical examination and a special diet which is impossible to adhere to in a penal colony. Taking medications has not brought any improvement. Rustam has been temporarily relieved from work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2025-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20250902","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Ivanov has not been able to get a meeting with his wife Olga for 4 months, although he regularly submits applications. He also has not received a letter for more than a month and a half. Yevgeniy regularly reads the Bible and does exercises, which helps him to support himself physically and emotionally.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2025-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20250810","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov receives some medical care due to chronic illnesses. Medications are only partially passed.\nThe believer maintains neutral relations with other prisoners and avoids conflicts. He has a Bible for personal reading, letters of support are received. Visits with his wife are regularly allowed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20250415","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeniy Ivanov's emotional state is good, despite the fact that he is again placed in the punishment cell. He spends 15 days in jail for violating his dress code (he worked in the boiler room in a simple knitted hat). Friends sent Yevgeniy a copy of the Bible, but the colony staff did not let him through.\nRustam Diarov works in a sewing workshop. Food in the colony is scarce, vitamins are not allowed into the colony. He also suffers from dizziness and chronic illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20241227","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klikunov now works in a sewing workshop. The believer suffers from hypertension, so he is forced to take medications on a regular basis. Despite various difficulties, he does not lose joy and tries to look at many things with humor. Letters serve as a great support for him. The words of the elderly are especially touching — as Sergey says, they radiate warmth and care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2024-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20241209","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in October Yevgeniy Ivanov spent 7 days in a punishment cell. This is the second time a believer has been placed in a punishment cell.\nRustam Diarov recently had a date with his wife, Elena.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2024-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20241207","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Diarov, Klikunov and Ivanov continue to work in the boiler room. They are held in sections with about 35 people. The attitude of the cellmates towards them is calm. Believers receive parcels and parcels regularly. They draw support from letters. Sergey Klikunov is grateful for the fiction that is sent to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20240313","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ivanova is released from work in the workshop. To maintain her health, she tries to do exercises every day. The believer has the Bible and receives letters of support. She is respected by both the administration and the prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20231215","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Evgeny Ivanov are in different detachments, working in the boiler room. Klikunov and Diarov do not complain about their health. Ivanov needs to see several doctors who are not in the colony. Now he is waiting for the opportunity to visit the hospital for this. The emotional state of all three is good.\nBelievers have the opportunity to read the Bible in different translations.\nThey receive many letters of support from fellow believers, for which they are very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20230818","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of the Stavropol Territory, chaired by Judge Kirill Valikov, refuses Olga Ivanova's application for parole. The believer should be released in June 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20230811","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["parole","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ivanova is being held in a barracks where about 100 other convicts are being held. She is respected by other prisoners: they note her hard work and peace-loving nature. The believer works in a cutting shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20230810","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Ivanov, Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov are transferred to a colony located in Almetyevsk (Republic of Tatarstan). Some personal belongings are confiscated from believers, but they promise to return them soon. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20230405","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Olga Ivanova in the penal colony No. 7 of Zelenokumsk. The believer is kept in a new barracks, which is located on the mountain, so there are frequent interruptions in water. Olga conscientiously works in the cutting shop, responsibly treating the work performed. Inmates treat Ivanova with respect, some try not to use obscene language with her and not to speak in a raised voice.\nAfter the inspection of the colony by the public monitoring commission, the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Stavropol Territory and the prosecutor's office, interruptions in the supply of water to the barracks decreased, and there were fewer violations in the work schedule. Olga was given all the letters and the Bible. Now she receives 20-40 letters a week and some do not even have time to read and answer.\nThe believer worries that she does not have the opportunity to correspond with her husband, who is being held in a Tatarstan colony. She never received a response to the letter sent 2 months ago. Recently, Ivanova's mother came to Ivanova on a long-term date, which greatly supported Olga.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220818","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeniy Ivanov, Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov in Correctional Colony No. 4 (Nizhnekamsk), where three believers are serving their sentences. Klikunov had recently been taken there after Ivanov and Diarov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220530","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ivanova is taken to the place where she is serving her sentence for her faith - to the women's correctional colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory). For almost 3 months of transport, the believer had to travel about 900 km.\nOlga can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220527","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Ivanov and Rustam Diarov arrived at the place of serving their sentence - Correctional colony No. 4 in the Republic of Tatarstan, located in the city of Nizhnekamsk, 1500 km from home. Upon arrival, believers are not given personal belongings.\nSergey Klikunov is still on his way to the same institution.\nYevgeny Ivanov's wife, Olga, sentenced to 3.5 years, is in the process of being moved to Correctional Colony No. 7 in the Stavropol Territory in the city of Zelenokumsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-05-23T16:38:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220523","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that convicted believers are moved to the place of serving their sentences. Olga Ivanova was sent to the Stavropol Territory, and Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov were sent to the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220503","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Ivanov Evgeny, Ivanova Olga, Klikunov Sergey and Diarov Rustam were transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Makhachkala to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Astrakhan for further transfer to the place of serving their sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220429","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam Diarov is being transferred to SIZO-1 in Makhachkala, where other convicts in the case were previously transferred: Yevgeny and Olga Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov. Apparently, staying in this institution is temporary for believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220321","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Ivanov and Sergey Klikunov leave SIZO-1 of Astrakhan, Olga Ivanova leaves SIZO-2 of Narimanov. They are transferred to one of the pre-trial detention centers of the Republic of Dagestan. The exact whereabouts of the believers are being clarified.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220311","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Astrakhan Regional Court upholds the harsh sentence of 4 believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20220303","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Olga is visited by her mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211101","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Ivanova is held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the city of Narimanov, Astrakhan region. She can receive letters of support. In the first 5 days from the moment of her arrest, Olga has already received 38 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211030","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Trusovsky district of Astrakhan, I. D. Sorokina, asks the court to sentence the believers to: Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov and Yevgeniy Ivanov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to lead and participate in the work of public organizations for a term of 5 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year; Olga Ivanova under Part 2 of Article 282.2. of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - 4 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to lead and participate in the work of public organizations for a term of 3 years and with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211022","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of defence witnesses is ongoing. A former client, for whom Ivanov made repairs, says that Yevgeny \"has golden hands, 6 years have passed - there are no flaws in the work.\"\nThe defense challenges the judge in connection with the violation of the principle of adversarial parties. The court rejects it.\nThe court, at the request of the defense, attaches to the case the decisions of the ECHR, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211007","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance","echr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 defense witnesses are being questioned, most of whom are not Jehovah's Witnesses: colleagues, employer, neighbors, and relatives. A former neighbor of Yevgeny Ivanov describes him as follows: \"A very good man, best friend, he still has the keys to my house, I trust him.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20211006","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor refuses to question 21 prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210929","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new judge, Alexei Semin, is starting to consider the case. He provides Diarov, Klikunov and Ivanova with appointed lawyers. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The believers express their attitude to the accusation - they do not admit guilt in extremism, claiming that they simply peacefully professed their religious beliefs, without harming anyone and actually not violating any laws of the state and society. The judge interrupts Olga Ivanova and does not allow her to speak, arguing that everything is in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210728","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the motions to refuse the appointed lawyers, which Rustam Diarov and Sergey Klikunov have filed for the third time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210701","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge denies Diarov and Klikunov a written request to refuse their appointed lawyers, but grants a similar request by Ivanov. Now Yevgeny Ivanov has a lawyer by agreement. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210621","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Trusovsky District Court of Astrakhan, hearings on the criminal case against believers begin. Judge Elena Zakharova rejects the petition of the 3 accused to exclude evidence and to refuse the appointed lawyers.\nThe court satisfies the defendants' requests to familiarize themselves with the case materials, which they did not have time to familiarize themselves with during the preliminary investigation due to time limitations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210610","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preventive measure for Rustam Diarov, Sergey Klikunov, Yevgeniy and Olga Ivanov is extended until November 30, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210604","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Anna Safronova and her 81-year-old mother are searched: the security forces even check the inspection hatches in the bathroom, as well as air ducts. A year ago, the woman was already searched with the seizure of all electronic devices. This time, electronic equipment is again seized from her, including a laptop that was recently returned after the first search.\nAnna is taken to the building of the Investigative Committee, and then placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Astrakhan. It is expected that on June 3 the court will determine a measure of restraint for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210602","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"N. P. Banko, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, initiates a criminal case against 55-year-old Anna Safronova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3. Among other things, she is charged with participating in divine services together with Yevgeny Ivanov and other believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20210528","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Astrakhan Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Alexei Zhogin, reverses the decision of the Trusovsky District Court of June 11, 2020 to recognize as lawful the search in B.V.'s home, which took place on June 9, and decides to transfer the case materials for a new trial to the same court, but with a different composition. The judge found that the court had violated B.V.'s constitutional rights to participate in the hearing and express his position, the adversarial principle of the parties and other requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Under similar circumstances, searches were carried out that day in 27 families of local believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200827","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov are transferred to another pre-trial detention center - SIZO-1 in the Astrakhan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200702","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeny Ivanov were transferred to Detention Center No. 2 in the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200617","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Senchenko and Olga Ivanova, judges of the Kirovsky District Court of Astrakhan, send Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov and Yevgeniy Ivanov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months. All three have families. Yevgeny Ivanov's wife, Olga, is put under house arrest by a judge of the same court, Nadezhda Melikhova, for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200611","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, a series of searches were carried out in Astrakhan in 27 families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. More than a hundred security officials are involved in the searches. Sergey Klikunov, 45, Rustam Diarov, 46, Yevgeny Ivanov, 43, and his wife, Olga Ivanova, 37, were detained for three days. They are placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200609","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region N. P. Banko initiates a criminal case against Sergey Klikunov, Rustam Diarov, Yevgeniy Ivanov and his wife, Olga. Klikunov, Diarov and Ivanov are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities). Olga Ivanova is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation in extremist activities).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ivanov and Others in Astrakhan","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan/index.html#20200608","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2020, the FSB opened a case against Alexander Ivshin, an engineer with two higher educations and a caring grandfather of 8 grandchildren. According to investigators, the believer organized a video link of worship in the neighboring town of Abinsk with the joint singing of biblical songs. For this he was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. At the height of the pandemic, a series of searches were carried out in the homes of believers in the villages of Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya. After the interrogation, investigator Komissarov took Ivshin on his own recognizance. Against the background of the stress experienced, the 62-year-old believer and his wife had a hypertensive crisis. In August 2020, Ivshin\u0026rsquo;s car was seized \u0026ldquo;to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\u0026rdquo; By the end of 2020, the case was referred to the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory for consideration by Judge Aleksandr Kholoshin, who sentenced the believer to 7.5 years in prison. In the pre-trial detention center, the believer fell ill with covid. On April 15, 2021, the Krasnodar Regional Court upheld the verdict. In June 2021, the believer was transferred to a colony in the city of Rostov-on-Don.","date":"2020-04-23","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html","prisoners":["ivshin"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is kept in a barracks designed for 60 places, while about 40 prisoners actually live there. They do not give him letters. Extended visits from his wife and reading the Bible help him not to lose heart.\nThe eyesight of the 68-year-old is deteriorating: he has been diagnosed with cataracts and macular degeneration and needs treatment. He can read only with a magnifying glass. In addition, Aleksandr needs extensive dental reconstruction.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20260518","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr found the transfer difficult and is now recovering physically. During the transfer, his Bible was seized.\nThe believer is getting used to life in the penal colony; the staff of the institution treat him reasonably well. Ivshin is kept in barracks for the disabled. Despite his poor health, he shows concern for others — he lets other prisoners use his blood pressure monitor and thermometer when they feel unwell. Many are grateful to him for his help.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2025-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20250830","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is in penal colony No. 12 in the Rostov region.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2025-08-21T16:14:46+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20250821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"66-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin, who is serving a sentence in a colony for his faith, is experiencing serious health problems. Recently, his blood pressure dropped sharply, causing him to lose consciousness. He was given the necessary medications, after which the pressure returned to normal.\nIvshin does not work. He is kept in a barracks for the disabled. Relations with convicts and the administration are friendly.\nIn November 2023, the believer had a long-term date with his wife. According to him, the food in the colony is good. He regularly receives parcels, letters and necessary medicines in the right quantity, for which he is very grateful. This helps him not to lose his optimistic attitude, although his eyesight continues to deteriorate.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20231219","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Ivshin was treated by a dentist, for which he is very grateful. The attitude of the administration towards the believer is good. He receives regular parcels from his family.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20230505","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Igor Schmidt and Alexander Ivshin at Penal Colony No. 10 in Rostov-on-Don. They feel good and maintain a positive attitude.\nAt the moment, four more Jehovah's Witnesses are serving their sentences in the same colony: Aleksandr Parkov, Sergey Filatov, Artem Gerasimov , and Aleksandr Shcherbina.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20220304","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Ivshin again in penal colony No. 10. The believer's physical and emotional condition has improved, although his legs go numb during daily construction.\nNow the believer is kept in a barracks designed for 18 people. In addition to him, 10 more prisoners are serving their sentences there.\nAfter about two months of stay in the colony, the believer began to receive letters of support, which had not previously been missed for unclear reasons. He is also allowed daily telephone conversations with his wife. He worries that all the care of a private house fell on her shoulders.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210809","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Ivshin in correctional colony No. 10, located on the banks of the Don River.\nThe believer is in a quarantine ward along with 20 other prisoners. According to the regime of the colony, the bedrooms are closed during the daytime and there is no way to lie down.\nIn the colony, Aleksandr lost a lot of weight, as he is worried about heart problems and a recent viral disease. Alexander is registered for vaccination against COVID-19. According to him, the administration makes this a condition for long visits with his wife.\nThe believer has a small Bible, but the colony staff threatened that he could \"add a term\" if he discussed what he had read with someone.\nTo date, only 5 letters have been sent to Ivshin. This may be due to his being in the quarantine department.\nIn the colony, Aleksandr is respected and known as a deeply religious person.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210622","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is transferred to correctional colony No. 10, located at 22 Kazachy Lane, Rostov-on-Don. Here he will serve a sentence for believing in God - 7.5 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210613","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer manages to inform his wife that he was transferred to the next (eighth in a row) transit point - SIZO-5 of Rostov-on-Don at the address: st. Tunnel, 4.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210609","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Ivshin is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Ryazan region. This is the seventh detention facility since the sentencing on February 10, 2021.\nAlexander is visited by a lawyer. According to him, the believer looks seriously aged and thinner. According to Alexander, in Novorossiysk he suffered a hypertensive crisis, besides, he is very exhausted by night journeys from one pre-trial detention center to another. You have to stay in the transit chambers for 6-12 hours, it's smoky and there is nowhere to sit. Currently, there are a lot of people in the room where Alexander is kept. Some of the neighbors were unfriendly at first, but Alexander's generosity and kind attitude towards them changed the situation for the better. The administration also began to treat the believer with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210601","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only after a week and a half of searching for Alexander, his relatives manage to find out that the believer is in SIZO-4 in the Samara region, located in the city of Tolyatti at the address: Tolyatti, st. Khryashchevskoye highway, 3. This is a transit destination where Aleksandr can stay for up to 45 days, and already the sixth place of imprisonment where a believer has been transferred over the past 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210510","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is taken out of the Syzran pre-trial detention center without informing the prisoner's relatives of his destination. According to paragraph 2 of Article 75 of the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, \"the administration of the pre-trial detention center is obliged to inform one of the relatives of the convict's choice about where he is going to serve his sentence.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Krasnodar Regional Court Victoria Konofieva upheld the sentence to Aleksandr Ivshin in seven and a half years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210421","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Ivshin is being transferred from the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center to the Syzran Detention Center No. 2 of Russia in the Samara Region. It is almost 1500 km from his house. The believer is awaiting a court of appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210324","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 8 years in a colony for Aleksandr Ivshin.\nThe believer, speaking with the last word, tells the court that his Bible-based religious beliefs encourage him to develop love for people, and this is the exact opposite of extremism. He also refutes common misconceptions about Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular accusations that believers destroy families.\n\"I get the feeling that the prosecution is trying me not for extremism, but for the fact that I simply continue to practice the peaceful religion of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" the 63-year-old believer said and asked the court to acquit him.\nThe court announces the verdict: to find him guilty and impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 7 years and 6 months to be served in a general regime colony.\nImmediately after the verdict was announced, Aleksandr Ivshin was transferred to the Federal State Institution of Detention Center No. 3 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia at 33 Parkhomenko Street, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Territory, Russia, 353905.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210210","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court session, audio recordings containing prayers are played.\nThe prosecutor reads out several positive characteristics of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210205","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, the judge refuses to satisfy the defendant's request to terminate the criminal case. Aleksandr was also denied the admission of ECHR decisions.\nA prosecution witness, a woman who lives near the site where religious meetings were held, is being questioned. She gives Alexander a positive characteristic: he does not smoke, does not drink, is polite and helps her in solving various issues.\nAnother witness, from whom the FSB filed a statement, when asked if he knew the defendant, replies that he did not know him, but only saw him from afar. He reports only about his guesses that Alexander is the head of the LRO.\nThe prosecutor shows a photo of Aleksandr with his fellow believers, without explaining how, in his opinion, it proves his involvement in the organization of the extremist community, given that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20210204","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge, at the request of the investigator, issues a decision on the arrest of Alexander Ivshin's car. The judicial act states that this is necessary to ensure the execution of a possible sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20200805","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the villages of Kholmskaya and Pavlovskaya of the Krasnodar Territory, searches are being carried out in 9 houses of believers, including Aleksandr Ivshin. Security forces seize electronic devices, Bibles in various translations, and books written by religious scholars. After the search, Ivshin was taken to the Krasnodar FSB, where he was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in connection with organizing the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abinsk.\nAfter the interrogation, investigator O. I. Komissarov chooses a measure of restraint for Aleksandr Ivshin in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory is initiating a criminal case against Aleksandr Ivshin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to investigators, in the period from March 6, 2020 to April 23, 2020, 62-year-old Aleksandr Ivshin organized religious performances and worship in Abinsk via video link with joint singing of biblical songs.\nThe Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar gives permission for searches in the home of Alexander Ivshin and others.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2020-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20200423","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upholds the decision of the Krasnodar Regional Court to liquidate the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2015-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20150805","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["mro"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnodar Regional Court makes a decision to recognize the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Abinsk as an extremist organization and liquidate it.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ivshin in Kholmskaya","date":"2015-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya/index.html#20150304","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["mro"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Siberian Aleksandr Kabanov faced criminal prosecution for his faith in God at the end of December 2019. Then, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Zelenogorsk. The believer spent a day behind bars, after which he was released. He was accused of \u0026ldquo;holding weekly religious meetings and involving new adherents,\u0026rdquo; which the investigator equated with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In February 2021, the case went to court. In December of the same year, instead of announcing the verdict, the judge returned the case to the investigation stage. In August 2022, Aleksandr Kabanov was convicted — given a 2-year suspended sentence, but the court of appeal returned the case to the prosecutor. In June 2023, the case was again submitted to the court of first instance. In February 2025, the court again gave the believer a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2019-12-26","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html","prisoners":["kabanov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"By decision of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, the sentence enters into force — 2 years suspended for holding meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn his appeal, the lawyer stated that he considered the prosecution of Kabanov to be persecution for his faith, since \"any mention of the phrase 'Jehovah's Witnesses' is interpreted by the prosecution as evidence of guilt.\" He explained that \"[Kabanov's] activity is the usual religious practice of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses to conduct meetings for worship, which is not prohibited by RF law or Constitution.\"\nProsecutor Artem Gaytanov in his appeal insisted on the confiscation of Kabanov's laptop in favor of the state. He requested that the remaining part of the court verdict be left unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20250626","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kabanov makes his final statement. According to him, in Russia, without grounds, \"they believe that the disciples of Jesus are engaged in a dangerous business and classify them as 'extremists.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20241212","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"They are interrogating an FSB officer who participated in operational-search activities, as well as a witness who says that in 2019 or 2020 he communicated with believers on spiritual topics.\nThe state prosecutor selectively reads out the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240731","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment, the fifth volume of the case and the testimony of a classified witness.\nA woman who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017 is being interrogated. She says: \"I remember that we were going to the cinema. I didn't see anything extremist there... We communicated normally. They read the Bible. They didn't say anything bad there.\"\nAfter that, the prosecutor reads out the testimony given by the woman during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240529","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The lawyer files a motion to dismiss the criminal case.\nA witness who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017 is being questioned. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the testimony of the witness does not relate to the period of the defendant in question.\nThe prosecutor reads out the 5th volume of the case file, reads the testimony of the interrogated witness, and also reads out the testimony of the classified witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240529","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of returning to the prosecutor's office, the case of Aleksandr Kabanov is again sent to the court of first instance. This decision is made by a panel of judges of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court chaired by Vitaly Nosov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240328","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again returns the case of Aleksandr Kabanov to the prosecutor. This is the third time that a court verdict has returned the believer's case to the previous stage.\nAccording to the ruling, Kabanov is charged with holding worship services and disseminating \"information related to biblical truths and prophecies.\" As the judge noted, the description of these actions in the case file \"contains, in fact, a description of the confession of religion.\" At the same time, there are no specific indications of how such activities are contrary to the law and are related to the continuation of the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\nIn this regard, the court considers it impossible to pass a verdict on the basis of this indictment and justifies its decision by the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of June 28, 2011.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240201","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 2.5 years in a general regime colony for the defendant.\nKabanov gives his last word. He draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and that believers have the right to continue to practice their religion, according to article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20240130","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","first-instance","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case concerning the holding of international and regional congresses (worship), the procedure for exclusion from the assembly. The search protocols and the list of seized items are also announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2023-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20231208","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of three witnesses. They inform the court that Kabanov did not call for disrespect for state power, refusal of military service and refusal of blood transfusions.\nThe prosecutor reads out the case materials from the first two volumes, which mention the topics of child-rearing, obedience to authority and water baptism. He also voices the order of worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20231201","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Aleksandr Kabanov is again submitted to the court of first instance. It was appointed to the chairman of the court, Stanislav Doronin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20230626","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court","retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts who examined the defendant's voice samples are being interrogated.\nThe judge satisfies the request of the prosecutor and appoints a re-examination. Its goal is to find out whether Kabanov took part in conversations, the recordings of which are presented on discs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2022-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20220325","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Zelenogorsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Marina Petukhova returns the case of 61-year-old Alexander Kabanov to the stage of judicial investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20211206","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer in the form of 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony without additional types of punishments. Aleksandr makes his last word and does not admit guilt in extremism.\nThe verdict is scheduled to be announced on December 6.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20211201","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts are being questioned in court. Linguist Anna Teterina and an expert in psychology conclude from the recording of the service that they were led by Kabanov. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that there is no sample of the defendant's voice in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20211012","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is being interrogated. The lawyer asks whether he heard from Kabanov calls for incitement to religious discord, refusal of military service and medical care, whether he encouraged the severance of family and family ties, and whether he spoke disrespectfully about state bodies? The witness answers all questions in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20210804","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, volumes of the criminal case are read out, in particular, transcripts of records of divine services. It was expected that a secret witness under the name \"mother\" would be questioned at the hearing, but he did not appear.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20210629","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor voices the essence of the criminal case - the participation of Alexander Kabanov in a banned organization. Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. According to their testimonies, there are no signs of illegal actions in Alexander's actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2021-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20210421","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zelenogorsk Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Dmitry Uskov, makes decisions on the recognition of the lawfulness of searches at 6 addresses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2019-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20191231","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zelenogorsk Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, O. L. Moiseenkova, makes a decision to refuse to satisfy the investigator's petition to elect a preventive measure for Alexander Kabanov in the form of detention. The believer was released after a day in the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2019-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20191227","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the closed city of Zelenogorsk (Krasnoyarsk Territory), a series of searches are being conducted in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. At least 8 people, including minors, were interrogated. Aleksandr Kabanov, 59, was detained and charged with Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The case is being investigated by the head of the Investigation Department for the closed city of Zelenogorsk, Colonel of Justice Oleg Kolosov.\nAccording to the materials of the investigation, the believer organized in Zelenogorsk \"the activities of the liquidated local religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses of Zelenogorsk, which was previously part of the structure of the religious organization UC SI banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.\"\nAleksandr Kabanov and 4 other believers are interrogated at the FSB department.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2019-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20191226","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Rybinsk Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Major of Justice Ufimtseva Y. A. initiates a criminal case against believers under Part 2, Article 282.2.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kabanov in Zelenogorsk","date":"2019-12-21T16:47:58+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/zelenogorsk/index.html#20191221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2023, searches were conducted in the homes of two female Jehovah’s Witnesses in the town of Kurilsk and the village of Reidovo. One of the women has a minor daughter. A month earlier, a criminal case had been initiated against Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova. They were accused of spreading the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Sakhalin Region. Both women were placed under a recognizance agreement. In May 2024, their names were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Around the same time, the case was submitted to the Kurilsk City Court. After two judges recused themselves, the case was transferred to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court for further consideration. On March 24, 2025, the court gave Potapova and Kalinnikova a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal sent the case back for retrial. The second trial concluded in October 2025, resulting in suspended sentences ranging from 4 years and 11 months to 5 years. The appeal court left the decision in force.","date":"2023-10-12","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html","prisoners":["kalinnikova","potapova"],"regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Sakhalin Regional Court upheld the sentence handed down earlier: Larisa Potapova — 4 years and 11 months suspended, Olga Kalinnikova — 5 years suspended. The decision enters into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20260115","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20251023","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor again asks the judge to give Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova a 5.5-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation and 1.5-year restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20251021","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Kalinnikova and Potapova is again submitted to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court. This time it will be considered by Judge Galina Masterkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250722","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judicial chamber of the Sakhalin Regional Court overturns the guilty verdict of a suspended sentence and sents the case for a new trial.\nIn their appeals, Larisa Potapova and Olga Kalinnikova asked the court to reconsider the decision of the City Court of the Sakhalin Region, since discussing everyday and religious topics with others is not a sign of extremist activity. Kalinnikova stated: \"All I was doing — and I did not deny that I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses — was talking with my friend about the Bible. During the conversations, I did not promote violence or the overthrow of the constitutional order, nor did I encourage my friend to show disrespect for state authority.\"\nIt is worth noting, that the prosecutor filed an appeal against the decision of the court of first instance, since both believers were found not guilty of part of the charges, namely: involving others in the activity of an extremist organization (Article 282.2(1.1) of the RF CrC). This is how the investigation had interpreted the conversations of the believer with an elderly woman, who was under covert video surveillance by the special services.\nThe defendants' lawyer filed an objection to the prosecutor's appeal, arguing that the materials of the criminal case did not contain any evidence of the believers participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The lawyer also pointed out that the conclusions of one expert on involving a witness for the prosecution \"in the activity of the banned organization Jehovah's Witnesses\" contradict the expert conclusion of another specialist, who asserts that the texts do not contain calls to join any organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250710","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court (34 Bumazhnaya Street, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). Referee: Maria Manaeva. Time: 14:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250321","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor requests 5 years and 6 months of probation for Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova, as well as 3 years of probation and 1 year and 6 months of restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250213","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify. Both women do not admit guilt and report that they have known prosecution witness Raisa Permyakova for a long time and live in the same village. They talked to her on various topics and helped with everyday issues.\nLarisa says: \"I always try to do good to people, and I do it with the best of intentions that I learned from the Bible.\" Olga adds: \"It is up to each person to decide what to talk about with other people. Those who love football talk about football, those who love nature talk about it, and those who love God talk about God, and there is no corpus delicti in it.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250206","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated. One of them is Raisa Permyakova, born in 1939. Due to her advanced age, vision and hearing problems, the woman has difficulty understanding the questions she is asked. According to her, Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova periodically came to her, discussed the Bible and helped around the house. Around August 2017, she was approached by an FSB officer who installed a hidden camera in her home. Answering questions from the defense, the woman admits that Potapova and Kalinnikova did not urge her to hate anyone or use violence.\nPermyakova's neighbor is interrogated, who knew that Potapova and Kalinnikova came to her and helped her. According to her, they did not cause any harm to the elderly woman.\nAnother prosecution witness says that he once talked to the defendants, but does not remember in what year. In his opinion, Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Russia. The man did not like that the defendants were talking to local residents about the Bible, and he began to collect information about them.\nAnother witness to the accusation, Dmitry Kovtun, who previously testified in the case of Roman Gumenyuk, claims that he does not know Kalinnikova and Popova personally. According to him, he identified them in the photographs shown to him during interrogation by the FSB, as he saw women at online meetings for worship. To this, Olga Kalinnikova states that she was not present at them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20250123","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Consideration of the case begins for the third time. The defendants, who live on Iturup Island, traveled 450 km to attend the hearing on Sakhalin Island. In this regard, believers are asking to hold further hearings via video conferencing. The judge refuses.\nOf the 40 people who came to the courthouse, 7 are allowed to the hearing. The judge writes down their names and informs them that those present in the courtroom cannot be questioned in court as witnesses.\nBelievers come forward with their own attitude to the accusation. Larisa Potapova informs the court that she has never been associated with the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" and did not continue its activities after its liquidation. Olga Kalinnikova says that since 2017, there have been six rulings refusing to initiate criminal proceedings against her. She is perplexed: \"Nothing has changed during this time. Neither the circumstances of the case nor my behavior have changed, I have not become worse.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20241030","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova is being transferred to the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk City Court of the Sakhalin Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240830","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["to-court","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Nikita Kucherov also recuses himself and decides to send the case of Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova to the Sakhalin Regional Court to resolve the issue of changing territorial jurisdiction. The measure of restraint for believers remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240802","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred to another judge, Nikita Kucherov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240708","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The sons of Kalinnikova and Potapova are present at the hearing. Judge Stepan Yakin establishes the identities of the defendants and then recuses himself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240704","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova is submitted to the Kuril District Court of the Sakhalin Region for consideration by Judge Stepan Yakin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240530","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Deshko expands the indictment against Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova. He charges them with involving a person in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240412","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case is being opened against Potapova and Kalinnikova under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization) because they talked with a fellow villager on biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20240410","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kirill Deshko issues a decision to bring Potapova and Kalinnikova as accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20231129","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Kalinnikova and Larisa Potapova are being searched. They start early in the morning and last more than three hours. Kalinnikova's apartment at this time is a minor daughter. Electronic devices, flash drives, books, personal records, passports and photographs are seized from women.\nAfter the searches, the women are taken to the investigative committee for interrogation, which is conducted by investigator Deshko. In the presence of the school psychologist and her older brother, Kalinnikova's 13-year-old daughter is interrogated.\nWomen are taken on a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior and allowed to go home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20231123","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurilsk District Court Nikita Kucherov orders searches of believers from Kurilsk and Reidovo.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2023-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20231112","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Deshko, investigator of the Korsakov Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, issues a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Larisa Potapova and Olga Kalinnikova.\nThe ruling states: \"In the course of the procedural check, it was established that since 2013, Potapova and Kalinnikova have been members of a religious organization, the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group, consisting of residents of the Sakhalin Region professing the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalinnikova and Potapova in Kurilsk","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurilsk/index.html#20231012","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kalistratov has faced criminal prosecution for the third time because of his faith. In 2000, he was arrested and placed in a pretrial detention center for 21 days for refusing to take up arms. However, he was later acquitted by the court with the right to rehabilitation. In 2010, again for his beliefs Aleksandr found himself in the dock, on charges of extremism. His case was considered twice within 1.5 years. As a result, the first guilty verdict under Article 282 of the RF CrC was passed against one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Eventually, the believer managed to defend his honest name: the Supreme Court of the Altai Republic found Kalistratov not guilty with the right to rehabilitation. But in December 2021, he again became a defendant in a criminal case under the same article for extremism. Kalistratov\u0026rsquo;s house was searched, after which the believer was placed under a recognizance agreement. In February 2023, the court gave Aleksandr a 6.5-year suspended sentence. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld this verdict.","date":"2021-12-16","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html","prisoners":["kalistratov"],"regions":["altai"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks for a punishment for Aleksandr - 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years. The defense also speaks, after which Kalistratov pronounces his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20230215","regions":["altai"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate was adjourned. The judge decides to resume the judicial investigation in order to question the investigator, who denies that he pressured witnesses during the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20230123","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense shall present evidence to the court. The written evidence of the defense from volumes 8 and 9 is examined.\nKalistratov testifies to the court.\nThe court declares the judicial investigation completed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20230112","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the written evidence of the prosecution - volumes 4 to 7, including search protocols, expert opinions, etc.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20221220","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor Yulia Ivanova reads out the written evidence of the prosecution, in particular, Volume 2 contains information taken from the recordings of conversations between women who were monitored.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20221123","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Once again, contradictions in the testimony of witnesses are revealed. One of them emphasizes that the investigator added information to the protocol with which she does not agree. In particular, he attributed to Kalistratov the role of the \"chief\" and the one who \"distributed tasks to the speakers.\"\nAnother witness said that the investigator threatened to detain her if she did not sign the protocol. Because of this, she said, her blood pressure rose, and she signed just to leave the investigator's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20221109","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 25 people are allowed into the hall, about 15 remain on the street. Some traveled thousands of kilometers to attend the trial.\nSeveral prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them does not speak Russian well. The lawyer emphasizes that the testimony of the witness is questionable: \"It's amazing if you speak so badly, how could so much be written from your words.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20221012","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two more witnesses are being interrogated - women who are not familiar with Aleksandr Kalistratov.\nWhen asked by the prosecutor \"whether local believers told about the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" one of the witnesses replies that they talked about God, read the Bible, prayed, and that she had not heard anything bad about them at all.\nThe prosecutor reads out the protocols of interrogations, since the testimony of witnesses in court contradicts what the investigator recorded.\nThey hear a defense witness who says that she has known Alexander for more than 20 years and has great respect for him. The prosecutor asks the woman who Jehovah is, where it is written that he is God. She replies that \"Jehovah is the personal name of God. The whole world already knows that.\"\nA witness explains the difference between joint worship of believers and participation in the activities of a religious organization. She emphasizes that despite the elimination of the LRO, to worship God or not is the personal right of any person, and no one and nothing can forbid a person to do so.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220929","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by 25 listeners, some of whom traveled about 400 km to support the defendant.\nTwo witnesses for the prosecution are being questioned. Prosecutor Yulia Ivanova asks the woman what the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is. She answers: \"The essence of this religion is the study of the Bible, the Word of God, there are advices.\"\nThe prosecutor asks another witness: \"Do I understand you correctly that Kalistratov was the leader, elder, commander-in-chief in the Altai Republic?\" The man denies and says: \"The commander-in-chief is Jesus ... No one forced us to come to worship services, we just had a desire to continue to learn about God and live according to his moral standards.\"\nDuring the hearing, significant contradictions were revealed in the testimonies of witnesses recorded by the investigator. One of them explains this by the fact that he signed the protocol without reading, as he was very tired by that time. According to him, he experienced severe stress after the search, during which an FSB officer threatened to shoot the man's dogs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220913","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A group of 31 people comes to support Alexander Kalistratov - as eyewitnesses note, these are beautifully and neatly dressed people of different ages.\nThe defendant files a motion to refuse a lawyer. After the accusation has been read, the believer declares that he categorically disagrees with it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220825","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Sokolova satisfies Kalistratov's petition and makes a decision on the appointment of a preliminary hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220815","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Alexander Kalistratov is submitted to the Gorno-Altai City Court of the Altai Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220808","regions":["altai"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Authorities are searching Kalistratov's home. Electronic equipment, documents, bank cards and personal records are seized from the believer. At the same time, searches are being conducted at the homes of other believers from Gorno-Altaisk. In total, 5 searches are known.\nAfter the search, Kalistratov is taken away for interrogation. Investigator Firsov attracts the believer as a defendant in case No. 12102840008000049 and chooses a measure of restraint for him in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220116","regions":["altai"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Gorno-Altai City Court of the Altai Republic, A. V. Krivyakov, makes a decision to search the home of Alexander Kalistratov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20220110","regions":["altai"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E. N. Firsov, investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Republic, initiates a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 45-year-old Alexander Kalistratov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kalistratov in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno_altaysk/index.html#20211216","regions":["altai"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2024, Irina Kamshilova was raided by FSB officers — this was the second search in her house. That is how a resident of Kurgan, who is disabled, learned that a criminal case had been initiated against her for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Irina was interrogated and placed under a recognizance agreement. A year later, the consideration of her case in court began, and in September 2025, she was fined 300,000 rubles.","date":"2024-05-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html","prisoners":["kamshilova"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer of 3.5 years in a penal colony.\nThe defendant makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20250904","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the hearing. Irina Kamshilova expresses her opinion of the charge before the court. She does not admit guilt and says: \"All my actions were completely peaceful. The prosecution does not claim that I incited violence or religious hatred or enmity... I had every right to meet to discuss the Bible and to associate.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2025-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20250624","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Kamshilova's case is submitted to the Kurgan City Court for consideration by Judge Denis Cherkasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20250530","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6:30 a.m., the law enforcement officers, having knocked down the gate on Kamshilova's property, invaded her house. They are concentrated in different rooms, so Irina and her daughter have no way to keep track of who is doing what. Electronic devices and personal records were seized from the believer. The investigator, raising his voice, hurries Irina to sign the protocol and tells her that \"it is useless to write remarks.\" The believer feels sick and squats against the wall waiting for the cardiovascular medicine to take effect. The security forces force Irina to stand up. Irina's daughter persuades them to wait a little until her mother feels better.\nAfter an almost 3-hour search, Irina is taken for interrogation to the FSB department, after which she is asked to sign a not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20240531","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kurgan City Court authorizes a search in the house of Irina Kamshilova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20240530","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice S. G. Ermolaev, senior investigator for particularly important cases of the FSB of Russia in the Kurgan region, initiates a criminal case against a resident of Kurgan, Irina Kamshilova, accusing her of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The investigation interpreted meetings with friends to discuss biblical topics as a violation of anti-extremist legislation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kamshilova in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan4/index.html#20240528","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2026, the FSB opened a criminal case against ten residents of Chita. The believers were suspected of organizing and participating in extremist activities merely for reading the Bible together with friends. The oldest among them, Anatoliy Pozdnyakov, was 67 years old at the time, while Svetlana Arefyeva and Anna Guseva were just 21. After the searches, eight of the defendants were placed under travel restrictions, Pozdnyakov was sent to house arrest, and Aleksey Karpov and Bakhtiyor Raupov were taken into custody.","date":"2026-03-17","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html","prisoners":["arefeva","astakhov","astakhova","beznosenko","gyseva","karpov","parkhomenko","pozdnyakov","raupov","vasilenko"],"regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","type":"cases"},{"body":"Bakhtiyor Raupov is being held in a cell designed for three people. There is no hot water in it. The food is satisfactory. The believer does not have a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","date":"2026-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html#20260415","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Karpov needs medical attention. He has several diseases, including diabetes, so he needs constant blood sugar checks. Aleksey spent ten days in a hospital cell in a pre-trial detention center.\nIn the cell where the believer is kept, there is only cold water. He does not have a Bible. Letters from relatives and friends come.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","date":"2026-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html#20260411","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator FSB Lieutenant S. I. Urbazaev opens a criminal case against Anastasia and Vitaly Astakhov, Anatoliy Pozdnyakov, Olga Beznosenko, Aleksey Karpov, Bakhtiyor Raupov, Roman Vasilenko, Irina Parkhomenko, Anna Guseva and Svetlana Arefyeva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Karpov and Others in Chita","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chita3/index.html#20260317","regions":["zabaykalsky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2021, the Investigative Committee charged 24-year-old Pavel Kazadaev with participating in the activity of an extremist organization, \u0026ldquo;including through discussions.\u0026rdquo; This was followed by a mass raid, called \u0026ldquo;Armageddon\u0026rdquo;, on the homes of believers in the Altai Territory. Law enforcement officers searched the house of Pavel\u0026rsquo;s relatives in the village of Lugovoye, as well as his apartment in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo Region), after which the believer was taken to Barnaul for interrogation. After 24 hours in the temporary detention facility, he was placed under a recognizance agreement. At the end of June 2022, the criminal case went to court. In April 2023, Pavel Kazadaev was given a 3-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 6 months and a 2-year probation period. In August, in response to an appeal from the prosecutor, the court of appeal toughened the sentence, replacing the suspended sentence with a prison term. Pavel was sent to a penal colony for 3 years. In June 2024, the court of cassation upheld the verdict and the appeal decision.","date":"2021-05-11","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html","prisoners":["kazadaev"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","type":"cases"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev is still under strict conditions. There are 19 people in the unit; the attitude toward the believer on the part of prisoners and penal colony staff is respectful. He has been put in charge of the storeroom — he is responsible for issuing and accepting clothes and personal belongings of inmates. Pavel regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2025-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20251109","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev is in strict conditions of detention. The barracks, where 13 people live, are clean and warm. After breakfast, there is an opportunity to go for a walk. Pavel tries to play sports in order to stay in good physical and emotional shape.\nKazadaev maintains long visits with his wife, which take place every four months. Recently, at one of them, the couple celebrated five years of marriage. Daria shares: \"I really wanted to keep warm memories of this day, despite the conditions. During the inspection, the officers noticed that I had taken a dress for myself and a shirt for my husband, and asked why. I explained to them that we wanted to celebrate our wedding anniversary.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20241212","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["strict-conditions","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev was placed in a PKT (chamber-type room) until January 3, 2024. Prior to that, he ended up in the punishment cell three times due to various penalties.\nThe believer is kept alone in the cell. At 5 o'clock in the morning, he hands over the mattress, which is returned at 21:00. He is allowed to write and receive letters, he can take daily walks and buy groceries in the colony's store. However, according to the conditions of detention, the believer is prohibited from visits and phone calls.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20231206","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["strict-conditions","penalty","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev is being held in the same colony as Anton Olshevsky, Aleksandr Putintsev and Aleksandr Seredkin. Kazadaev and Olshevsky were sent to the punishment cell immediately after quarantine. The period of their stay there is constantly extended for formal reasons - in IK-5 there are internal rules according to which Jehovah's Witnesses should be held only in strict conditions and at the same time should not communicate with each other.\nAt the same time, believers have good relations with the colony staff and prisoners - they are respected for their decency and honesty.\nAlthough the letters arrive to the prisoners with a delay, Pavel has already received more than 200 pieces. He has his own Bible. Recently, he had a long date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230925","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev is taken from the pre-trial detention center to correctional colony No. 5 in Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory), to serve time for his faith. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230825","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kazadaev makes his final statement. \"Basically, the state wants me to renounce my faith,\" he says. \"How, then, can I practice my religion in accordance with the Constitution?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230526","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer: 3 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom. More than 60 people come to support the believer, only five are allowed into the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-04-13T09:17:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230413","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Approximately 45 people gather outside the courthouse to support the defendant. The judge attaches to the case file the characteristics of Pavel Kazadaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230320","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Excerpts from the recordings of divine services are reproduced in court. On the audio, believers can be heard discussing biblical issues and deciding when they will meet next.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230303","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the courthouse to support Pavel Kazadaev. The court examines the materials of the case. The prosecutor reads from the 12th to the 15th volumes of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230130","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of expert M. V. Kashchaeva, candidate of historical sciences. When asked by the defense, she admits that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, having banned legal entities, did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses itself. The expert agrees that this decision does not restrict the rights of believers to hold joint worship services, deliver sermons, prayers, sing spiritual songs and discuss sacred texts. According to Kashchaeva, all these actions are a legitimate way for Jehovah's Witnesses to express their religious beliefs.\nWhen asked whether there are statements of an extremist nature in the audio recordings of Jehovah's Witnesses services heard by the court, the expert answers in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230124","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A specialist, Candidate of Philological Sciences Pavel Manyanin, is being interrogated. He says that he has no knowledge of religious studies, so he answers questions regarding the meanings of individual words and phrases. He is not familiar with the defendant.\nWhen asked whether there is a sign of exclusivity in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the expert says that it is not in his competence to give a legal interpretation. And when asked who is meant by Jehovah's organization, a legal body or people, he answers: \"People.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20230118","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"34 people come to support the believers, but four are allowed into the hall. The rest are standing on the street, despite the 25-degree frost.\nThe court examines the materials of the case: the seventh and eighth volumes. The prosecutor reads out the conclusions of the examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20221124","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out volumes two to four of the case. In the second volume, reading out the lists of founders of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Barnaul\", he draws attention to the fact that Kazadaev is not on these lists.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20221107","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the department of the Center \"E\", Yaroslav Medvedev, is being interrogated. He says that believers were under surveillance, and their telephone conversations were tapped.\nFrom his words, it becomes clear that the witness has false information: for example, he believes that the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, liquidated in 2017, is located in the United States.\nMedvedev confirms that the Constitution of the Russian Federation does not prohibit professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, while expressing the opinion that its followers \"deserve severe punishment.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20221026","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the failure of prosecution witnesses to appear, the court begins to examine the case materials. The prosecutor reads out the first volume.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20221017","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only the defendant's wife and father are allowed into the courtroom. Approximately 55 people remain on the street.\nA prosecution witness who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services before 2018 is being questioned. He characterizes the defendant on the positive side. The man claims that believers can practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses without becoming members of a local religious organization. He confirms that he did not hear from the defendant any inducement to break off family relations, a negative assessment of persons who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, or calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20220919","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who turned to Pavel Kazadaev for equipment repair services is being interrogated. He characterizes him as a conscientious worker.\nThe prosecutor asks the witness provocative questions, in particular, how the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses differ from other religions, such as Orthodoxy. The witness refuses to answer them, saying that he is not an expert. He also confirms that Kazadaev has never made any extremist statements, as well as calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\nThe witness explains that Kazadaev could not be one of the founders of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, since it was created in the years when Pavel was still a child.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20220912","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Approximately 80 people come to the courthouse. The defendant's wife and father are allowed into the courtroom. The court grants the request for the involvement of a public defender. Witness Rozhnov, an employee of the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for Countering Extremism, is being interrogated.\nAnswering the questions of the prosecution, the witness almost completely quotes his testimony given to the investigator. The defense asks clarifying questions about which actions of the defendant are considered extremist. The witness either finds it difficult to answer or refers to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20220825","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 80 people come to the courthouse, only the wife of Pavel Kazadaev and another listener who plans to join the case as a public defender are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. The judge asks her to pronounce the name \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" correctly. Kazadaev expresses his attitude to the charges.\nThe judge satisfies the defense's requests for publicity of hearings and personal examination of witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20220812","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Pavel Kazadaev is submitted to the Industrial District Court of Barnaul, Altai Territory. Referee — Dmitry Malikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20220624","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozuchenko petitions the court for the election of a measure of restraint for Pavel in the form of house arrest. The court, however, places the believer under a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20210528","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a police special operation called \"Armageddon\", security forces broke into the apartment of the Kazadaev spouses in Novokuznetsk (Kemerovo region) in the early morning. The search is also taking place in the village of Lugovoi, at the place of registration of Pavel, where his relatives live. In addition to the house, law enforcement officers search the garage, car, bathhouse and yard. After that, Pavel and his wife were taken to Barnaul, 350 km from home. The believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention facility.\nInvestigator Yevgeny Kozuchenko charges Pavel Kazadaev with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The resolution notes that Kazadaev, \"being an active participant in an extremist organization, carried out actions to support the existence of the assembly in the Altai Territory, including through conversations.\"\nAt 6 a.m., seven operatives come to search the Reshetnikov spouses. Law enforcement officers behave respectfully, sometimes asking permission to search a particular place. Security forces seize electronic devices, wedding cards and personal records.\nThen Mikhail and his wife are taken away for interrogation to the local FSB. He is given the opportunity to consult with a public defender. Investigator Vladimir Strigunenko offers Mikhail Reshetnikov cooperation. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20210527","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Kozyuchenko, senior investigator of the first department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Altai Territory, is initiating a criminal case against 24-year-old Pavel Kazadaev. The investigation interprets the discussion of the Bible among friends as participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazadaev in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul/index.html#20210511","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sergey Kazakov, a retired firefighter, and Olga Mirgorodskaya, a mother of two. The investigation suspected Sergey of organizing extremist activity, and Olga of participating in it. A month later, the homes of the peaceful believers were searched. Sergey was detained in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where he was caring for his elderly mother who had suffered a stroke. He spent more than 5 months in the pretrial detention center and another 2 months under house arrest. The courst has been considering the case since February 2022. At a preliminary hearing, the judge decided to return the case to the prosecutor, however this decision was later overturned. In May, the case of the believers was again sent to court for consideration by the same judges. In August 2023, the court found Olga Mirgorodskaya and Sergey Kazakov guilty and fined them 300,000 and 500,000 rubles, respectively. The court of appeal upheld the verdict, but reduced the amount of the fine for Kazakov to 200,000 rubles.","date":"2020-11-09","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html","prisoners":["kazakov","mirgorodskaya"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","type":"cases"},{"body":"In the Khabarovsk Regional Court, the appeal hearing of the appeal against the verdict of the first instance begins. Olga Mirgorodskaya's lawyer is filing a motion to challenge the presiding judge Vladimir Bykov, since, according to the lawyer, he participated in the trial in the court of first instance. The board refuses.\nSergey Kazakov draws the court's attention to the fact that the verdict imputes to him the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, but not specific illegal actions related to extremism.\nOlga Mirgorodskaya says that her actions and statements were exclusively peaceful and lawful and that her religious affiliation with Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\nSergey Kazakov's lawyer asks the court to declare his client innocent, since, in his opinion, there is no motive and signs of a crime in the case. Mirgorodskaya's defense asks for an acquittal or a reduction in the amount of the fine.\nThe prosecutor objects, referring to the fact that such a penalty is the minimum under this article. The appeal hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20231024","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for Sergey Kazakov 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony and additional restrictions after serving his sentence, and for Olga Mirgorodskaya — 4 years of suspended sentence and additional restriction of freedom.\nThe debate of the parties is taking place.\nThe defense is petitioning for the study of documents containing an addendum to the testimony, as well as for the invalidation of the religious examination of the historian Maria Serdyuk, who became notorious for her conclusions violating the rights of the defendants, and for the appointment of a new examination. The judge, without retiring to the deliberation room, refuses to satisfy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230614","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the defense's requests for the full disclosure of the documents submitted by the investigation as an accusation.\nAfter the announcement, the judge also granted the lawyers' request to listen to audio recordings of meetings of believers in Mirgorodskaya's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230523","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya voice their testimony and answer questions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230504","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Sergey Kazakov's request to return the criminal case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230411","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is again held in the judge's office, as the hall is occupied.\nThe Prosecutor has finished presenting the prosecution case. The defense asks for time to prepare the testimony of the defendants. The judge agrees.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230306","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing takes place in the judge's office, there are no places for listeners.\nThe defendants file a petition for the admission of listeners to the court session. The judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2023-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20230116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining the 10th volume of the case, which contains, among other things, an audio recording of a meeting with friends in Olga Mirgorodskaya's apartment.\nLawyers Kazakov and Mirgorodsky draw the court's attention to the fact that, according to the Federal Law \"On Operational-Search Activities\", operational measures are possible only by a court decision. No such order was granted. In this regard, the defense believes that the rights of the defendants were violated, since the audio recording was made without the knowledge of the owner of the premises.\nAlso, Olga's lawyer notes that the organization cannot be a religion, he says: \"It is impossible to be a supporter of religious teachings in the form of an organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20221227","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volumes 7, 8 and 9 of the case are examined. The defense repeatedly draws attention to the groundlessness of the conclusions of expert opinions and emphasizes that the meetings of believers are not a continuation of the activities of any prohibited legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20221215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 6th volume of the case materials is being examined. Commenting on the expert's opinion on the audio recording of the worship service, the lawyer emphasizes that there are no actions or calls of an extremist nature on the recording. Discussing the Bible with friends is legal and not propaganda.\nThe defense also speaks of the irrelevance of the expert's conclusions. For example, he assesses a simple dialogue between women about raising children as a religious activity. In addition, the examined case materials contain inadmissible evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20221206","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall consider the materials of volumes 2-4 of the case. Lawyers draw attention to the discrepancy in one of the documents and ask not to consider protocols and certificates that are not directly related to the case or drawn up with violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\n11 people come to support the believers, but due to the epidemiological situation, only six are allowed into the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20221006","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last witness is being questioned. Answering the judge's question, he says that he does not personally know the defendants. The state prosecutor asks the witness questions about whether he attended meetings, whether he knows how donations were collected, and other questions about the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe prosecutor files a motion for the disclosure of the preliminary testimony of the witness, since the testimony given in court contradicts them. The judge grants the request and the testimony is read.\nThe judge announces that he is moving to the stage of studying the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220921","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness is interrogated, who reports that he is unfamiliar with the defendants and does not feel hostile feelings towards them. He expresses his personal opinion on the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked whether the witness at the meeting of believers, which the interrogated attended several years ago, heard calls for violence, racial discrimination, etc., he replies that he does not remember such a thing. At the request of the prosecutor, the testimony of a witness shall be read. He cannot explain why his testimony at the preliminary investigation and his testimony in court contradict each other.\nAnother witness is being questioned. According to him, he saw the defendant Kazakov only once, but he does not know him personally, he does not have any negative feelings towards him. He says that her co-religionists came to his mother, sang songs, praised God, they did nothing bad or forbidden.\nA witness who lives near Olga Mirgorodskaya is being interrogated. The witness says that she has never heard speeches from the defendants insulting people of other religious views, dissatisfaction with the government or calls for violence. The witness described the defendant Mirgorodskaya as a calm, family-friendly, kind woman.\nFSB officer K.V. Fomin, who participated in the operational-search activities in this criminal case, is being interrogated. During the ORM, Fomin revealed that the defendant Mirgorodskaya invited fellow believers to her home, where they watched videos and used the Zoom program to communicate with Kazakov. The Witness confirms that the Supreme Court did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from holding worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220719","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya filed motions to refuse the assistance of the appointed defenders, but the judge refuses them.\nThe Court informs that the information about the death of one of the witnesses has been confirmed. The state prosecutor petitions for the announcement of the interrogation of the deceased witness, and the judge, despite the protests of the defense, grants this request. The rest of the witnesses do not appear at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220629","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held in the Bikinsky City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory under the chairmanship of Judge Denis Dneprovsky. The public prosecutor reads out the main provisions of the indictment. The defendants tell the court that they do not plead guilty.\nSergey Kazakov speaks with an attitude to the accusation. He claims that this criminal prosecution is illegal, since the prosecution did not provide facts that he organized the activities of the liquidated organization or participated in it. He also says that he has never supported views of an extremist nature and is a deeply religious person. \"In order to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, there is no need to be a member of any legal entity,\" Kazakov said.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220614","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Kazakov and Mirogorodsky is again submitted to the Bikin City Court for reconsideration under the chairmanship of Judge Denis Dneprovsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220530","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court cancels the decision of the Bikin City Court to return the case of Sergey Kazakov and Olga to the Mirgorod prosecutor and sends it back for reconsideration by the same court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220428","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the preliminary hearing, Judge Denys Dneprovsky decides to return the case to the prosecutor's office, since \"the indictment was drawn up in violation of the requirements of the Code.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220228","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Sergey Kazakov and Olga Mirgorodskaya is submitted to the Bikinsky City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by Denis Dneprovsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20220209","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk Yaroslav Sidorov softens Sergey Kazakov's preventive measure: he releases the believer from house arrest and transfers him to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20210805","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kazakov is transferred to house arrest. He spent 166 days in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2021-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20210604","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, A. V. Podolyakin, elects Sergey Kazakov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 1 month and 20 days. Sergey was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201223","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since early morning in the town of Bikin and the village of Lermontovka, officers of the local FSB and the Investigative Committee have been conducting searches at 9 addresses. Believers' homes are infiltrated using various tricks. So, Olga Mirgorodskaya was knocked on at 6 am and asked to call an ambulance. She is later interrogated as a suspect.\nSergey Kazakov from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where he cared for his mother, who suffered a stroke, is taken to Khabarovsk for interrogation as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201221","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation of the criminal case is entrusted to the Second Department for the Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201120","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal cases against Sergey Kazakov and Olga Mirgorodskaya are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201113","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"N. E. Yakimov, an investigator of the Vyazemsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case against Sergey Kazakov under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist activities and participation in them).\nAlso, a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for participation in the activities of a banned organization was initiated against Olga Mirgorodskaya and other unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kazakov and Mirgorodskaya in Bikin","date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/bikin/index.html#20201109","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2019, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Porkhov. Law enforcement officers conducted searches and interrogated local believers. As a result, Aleksey Khabarov was charged with extremism. During the court hearings, all witnesses, including the FSB counter-terrorism officer, spoke positively about Khabarov. In September 2021, the court gave him a 3-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal overturned this decision, and in January 2022, a retrial of the case began in a court comprised of different judges. The prosecutor again requested 3.5 years in a penal colony for Khabarov, but the court acquitted him. In November 2022, the court of appeal again sent the case for a new – third – consideration to the same court. This time the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. In December 2023, the court of appeal slightly changed this decision, reducing the term by 2 months. The court of cassation in St. Petersburg upheld this decision. The believer was released in January 2026.","date":"2019-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html","prisoners":["khabarov"],"regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Living conditions in the penal colony are satisfactory. There are 15-20 people in the room. There is a refrigerator and a kettle, but there is no hot water. Aleksey has a normal relationship with the administration. At the moment, there is no work in the penal colony.\nAleksey remains optimistic. He regularly takes exercise and vitamins. The believer has already received more than 2300 letters; due to the sheer number he does not manage to answer all of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2025-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20251021","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov is in penal colony No. 9 in the Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2025-07-28T14:46:15+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20250728","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From June 17 to June 26, Aleksey Khabarov was in a punishment cell for an unknown reason. After leaving the punishment cell, he suffered from a cold. Now the believer feels well. He has the opportunity to cook his own food and grow herbs. Recently, friends visited him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2025-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20250719","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov is kept in a barrack for 80 people, where there is a refrigerator and a TV. Relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners are good. Recently, Aleksey was allowed a long-term visit for the first time.\nThe believer continues to work in the sewing workshop. In his spare time, he reads the Bible and books from the local library, plays sports and, as far as circumstances allow, answers letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2025-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20250502","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksey Khabarov spent 3 days in the punishment cell for being \"late for formation\".\nThe believer actively participates in the social life of the colony, organizing sports competitions. In his circumstances, he does not lose his sense of humor, he writes poetry at his leisure. He receives parcels and letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2024-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20241011","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey is kept in a barrack for 77 people. Living conditions are satisfactory. Prisoners can use the refrigerator, TV, shower, and play chess. They also have an outdoor area and a sports field. Aleksey's relations with other prisoners are normal, and with the administration they are neutral.\nThe believer is still in a good mood. He has the opportunity to read the Bible from the colony's library.\nAleksey can be visited by friends. He is very happy to meet with him. The believer keeps in touch with his parents by phone, as they cannot come to him for health reasons and long distance - they live 1300 km from the colony.\nAleksey regularly receives letters and tries to answer them regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20240917","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov is being held in a barracks designed for 60 people. He maintains a positive attitude and good spirits. He has the ability to exercise and take vitamins to maintain his health.\nThe believer's relations with other prisoners are normal. Some, after communicating with Khabarov, stopped using foul language and smoking.\nThe believer regularly receives letters of support and has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20240430","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov is in correctional colony No. 4 in the Novgorod region. He works in a sewing workshop. The believer regularly receives letters and responds to them. His mood is cheerful.\nIt becomes known that the Court of Appeal, held in December, was held via video conferencing. The monitor was seen only by the judges. Even during the break, Khabarov's friends who came to the meeting were not allowed to see him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20240112","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Khabarov was placed in solitary confinement after quarantine. During the month of his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he has already received many letters of support. This helps him maintain a positive attitude. He also enjoys being able to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231128","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov is doing well. He is kept alone in a 4-bed cell. For an hour a day, he is taken out for a walk separately from other prisoners. Since the Bible was confiscated from the believer upon admission to the detention center, he writes applications addressed to the head of the pre-trial detention center so that it can be returned to him or another one given to him. The letters have not yet been handed over to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231024","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to SIZO-2 in the Pskov region, located in the city of Velikiye Luki.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231020","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov participates in the pleadings and delivers his last word. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 4 years of imprisonment with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months and a subsequent restriction not to change the place of residence without notifying the inspectorate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20231016","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov testifies to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230718","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the case materials, including transcripts of conversations and screenshots from Khabarov's computer. Two videos shot with a hidden camera are also shown. On the first, Khabarov and his co-religionists discuss biblical topics at the home of one of them, on the second, they talk with a woman who is interested in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230704","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case are being investigated - screenshots from Khabarov's computer, as well as recordings of telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230622","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman, the mother of the previous witness, is being interrogated. She thanks Jehovah's Witnesses for helping her understand the Bible. The woman confidently declares that she has never heard from Khabarov calls for a change of power or undermining the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230411","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a woman whose mother spoke with Alexei on biblical topics, is being interrogated. Her testimony differs from what she said at the preliminary investigation stage. The witness explains this by the fact that at that moment she was frightened.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230330","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov was denied consideration of his cassation appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20230207","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["cassation","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the third time that Khabarov's case has been submitted to the Porkhovsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20221129","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["to-court","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region acquits Aleksey Khabarov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2022-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20220627","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence","acquittal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As in the first consideration of the case, the prosecutor requests for Aleksey Khabarov a sentence of 3.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20220620","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region is starting a new trial of the criminal case against Aleksey Khabarov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The case is being heard by Judge Alexei Borisovich Nikitin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2022-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20220124","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Alexei Khabarov is again submitted to the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region for reconsideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20211208","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pskov Regional Court cancels the sentence imposed on Aleksey Khabarov and returns it for reconsideration to the same court with a different composition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-11-26T16:53:34+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20211126","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Valentina Sirotenko sentences Aleksey Khabarov to 3 years probation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210907","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Valentina Sirotenko postpones the announcement of the verdict until September 7. She explains this by the fact that the protocol of the verdict has not yet been prepared.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210906","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Valentina Sirotenko. Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region (Porkhov, Pushkin Street, 45).\nThe prosecutor requests for Aleksey Khabarov a sentence of imprisonment for 3.5 years in a general regime colony.\nThe believer makes his last word, emphasizing the incompatibility of his beliefs with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210831","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov testifies to the court. He notes that during the trial, not a single piece of evidence of his involvement in extremist activities was found. He points out that his civil rights have been violated under at least 9 articles of the Russian Constitution. According to the believer, \"the investigating authorities inappropriately freely interpret the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017\" and discriminate against him because of his religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210128","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Khabarov objects to the examination and asks to appoint highly qualified specialists as experts. According to the defendant, the tasks set by the court are not within the competence of experts, and the wording of the questions causes double interpretation and contradicts each other. The believer also asks the court for the opportunity to be present during the forensic examination, giving explanations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210118","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to present evidence. The court is reviewing video footage from a hidden camera installed in the apartment of a woman who once showed interest in the Bible. This woman had previously appeared in court and said that she was not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. As she testified, she hesitated and could not say for sure whether a religious meeting was taking place in her apartment. The recording from 2019 shows that Alexei Khabarov and his friend are talking with the owner of the apartment, who herself invited them to visit, on spiritual and everyday topics, drinking tea and playing with children.\nJudge Valentina Sirotenko appoints a forensic examination and asks experts to determine whether the friendly meeting on the video is a meeting of a religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20210114","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Kalyt, an FSB counter-terrorism officer, is being interrogated. He talks in detail about the structure and activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, and speaks positively of the defendant: \"I can only characterize him positively. He's a man of his word.\" Kalyta does not remember that during a search on April 3, 2019, banned literature was found in Khabarov's possession. He says that believers use mainly only materials from the Internet. He does not confirm any facts of Khabarov's financing of the activities of the religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20201210","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region continues to consider the criminal case. 2 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them gives a positive description of the accused Alexei Khabarov: he is hardworking, performs his work duties qualitatively, is very sociable and modest. The second witness does not provide the court with any significant information.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20201119","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the criminal case of Alexei Khabarov is being held in the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region.\nJudge Valentina Sirotenko refuses to admit to the defendant the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention No. 10/2020, she is also categorically against making audio recordings of the court session. At the same time, the judge agrees to accept Alexei Khabarov's written objections to the charge of committing a crime.\nProsecutor Yuriy Kravchenko asks to postpone the hearing due to the failure of witnesses to appear.\nThe trial is scheduled for November 18, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20201029","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case of Aleksey Khabarov are received by the Porkhovsky District Court of the Pskov Region. The case will be considered by judge Valentina Sirotenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200903","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Pskov region, Ivan Gribov, approves the indictment after the investigation eliminated the violations.\nAleksey Khabarov is accused of taking an active part in religious meetings together with other believers, where they \"talked about their faith, read the Bible, discussed issues related to this scripture, sang religious songs ...\".\nThere is no information about the victims in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200828","regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case are presented to Alexei Khabarov and his lawyer for review and sent to the prosecutor Ivan Gribov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200813","regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office returns to the investigator the materials of the criminal case with the indictment in order to eliminate the violations committed by him. Among other things, the prosecutor notes that the investigator did not carry out the necessary investigative actions and did not identify the citizens indicated as witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200703","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case with the indictment is sent to the prosecutor of the Pskov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200625","regions":["pskov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Video materials are being studied during the next interrogation of Khabarov. The believer sends to investigator Pravdivtseva the testimony of the accused, in which he reports that he did not provide the information inscribed in the protocol of the previous interrogation, and refuses to testify on the basis of paragraph 3 of part 4 of article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, as well as on the basis of article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The investigator announces his intention to separate the Khabarov case into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200214","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Irina Pravdivtseva interrogates Aleksey Khabarov. During the interrogation, his telephone conversations for 2018 are tapped. When drawing up a protocol, the investigator independently enters some names and facts that Khabarov did not say.\nThe status of a believer is changed from \"suspected\" to \"accused\" under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The change of Part 1 of Article 282.2 to Part 2 of Article 282.2 is related to the results of a linguistic religious and psychological examination, which showed that Khabarov was not the organizer of the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200207","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Khabarov was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200131","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was opened against Khabarov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. An investigation begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20200129","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Komissarov receives a similar response from the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pskov Region to his appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190618","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In his response to Khabarov's request, the Pskov Region Commissioner for Human Rights explains that \"current Russian legislation ... does not establish legal responsibility for thoughts, beliefs, views, views.\" In addition, \"the internal, spiritual freedom of a person, including freedom of religion, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is not limited by legislative acts.\" In other words, \"the spiritual realm . . . is free, both from any interference and from legal regulation.\" At the same time, he asserts that \"the confession of the doctrine of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses should not be expressed in behavior that violates the prohibitions established by law\" (emphasis added).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190617","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Khabarov and Komissarov make a written request to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Tatyana Moskalkova, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Pskov Region, Dmitry Shakhov, in order to restore their good name.\n\"I am not a criminal, a murderer, a thief. My faith warns against all this. I try to behave honestly in everything and help others, \"Khabarov writes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190524","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Khabarov and Komissarov were summoned for questioning at the FSB of the city of Pskov. Both have an obligation to appear. The investigator insists that the believers inform her about their movements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190522","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Dedovichi, Pskov region, a local believer's social media page is hacked. A man discovers videos about Jehovah's Witnesses on it, as well as obscene materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190401","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case was initiated against Sergey Komissarov and Aleksey Khabarov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khabarov in Porkhov","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/porkhov/index.html#20190328","regions":["pskov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2022, Maksim Khamatshin's house was searched as part of the case of his fellow believer Yevgeniy Bushev. In June 2023, Maksim himself became a defendant in a criminal case for believing in God. A month later, investigator Chepenko, who has at least a dozen criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Chelyabinsk, took Khamatshin on his recognizance agreement. At the end of the year, the believer was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. In May 2024, the criminal case went to court. The charge is based on video and audio recordings of meetings of the FSB informant with Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecutor asked the court to send Khamatshin to a colony for 7 years. In April 2025, the sentence was passed—6 years in a penal colony. The appeal approved it in September.","date":"2023-06-29","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html","prisoners":["khamatshin"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"In December, Maksim was transferred to another barrack, where 22 people are kept. He was ill again; he had a high fever. In addition, he is suffering from pain in his right hypochondrium; he is given the necessary medication. Since the end of February, Maksim has been working in his profession as an electrician and a locksmith in the boiler room. Letters are passed to him selectively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20260327","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November, Maksim lay in a barracks for five days with a high fever. In general, his health has stabilized, but working in the workshop involves constant contact with vinegar, which causes discomfort. At work, Maksim is appreciated and respected, but it was not easy to earn such an attitude. Now Khamatshin is involved in the training of another shift and is instructed to make calculations. At one time, both telephone receivers of the Zonatelecom system did not function in the barracks, Maxim managed to fix one of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20251215","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After quarantine, the believer was assigned to the first detachment of the colony, which is considered exemplary: it is clean, warm, and there is hot water. There are about 50 people in the detachment.\nAt first, Maksim experienced stress due to the unusual environment, but gradually adapted to it. Despite the accumulated fatigue, Khamatshin tries to find reasons to rejoice.\nRecently, the believer had a short meeting with his wife Adelina, which coincided with an open day: relatives of prisoners were given a short tour of the colony. Since Maksim's chronic illnesses had worsened earlier, his wife gave him the necessary medications and vitamins.\nThe believer works in a canned food workshop: he chops carrots and cooks brine. In the first days, the schedule was from 09:00 to midnight, but now it is from 09:00 to 16:00.\nThe believer is supported by reading the Bible and letters, of which he has already received about a thousand during his imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20251117","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin is in penal colony No. 11 for the Chelyabinsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-09-30T09:10:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250930","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the verdict — 6 years in a penal colony.\nThe lawyer of the convicted person points out in the appeal that \"Khamatshin, like other believers, participated in meetings for worship that did not contain any signs of extremism. The sole aim of these meetings is to jointly practice their faith, study religious texts, pray and discuss spiritual questions. Such activity is fully consistent with the explanations of the Supreme Court and cannot be qualified as a crime.\"\nThe lawyer also notes: \"The experts clearly indicated that the submitted materials did not contain linguistic and psychological signs of propaganda of exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of a person on any grounds... [and] did not find signs of incitement to enmity or hatred on the part of M.R. Khamatshin toward any group of persons.\" The judicial panel at the court of appeal ignores these and other arguments.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250901","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude and stay in shape: he jogs in the courtyard of the pre-trial detention center, plays sports games with other prisoners. He has the opportunity to regularly call his wife and mother. Maksim has developed respectful relations with the administration and cellmates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250730","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin and his cellmate are transferred to a clean, renovated cell, which is located in a special unit. There are two video cameras in the room to constantly monitor the prisoners.\nAn important source of support for the believer is a Synodal Bible and letters he receives twice a week. He already has more than 600 of them. Parcels with food and necessary medication are passed on to him. Recently, he had a visit from his wife — the couple were able to talk through the glass.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250709","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin is kept in a small double cell. His cellmate is a 19-year-old boy from an orphanage, whom he helps to adapt: he shares food, teaches him to maintain cleanliness and hygiene.\nThe cell to which Maksim was transferred was covered in cobwebs and soil was scattered on the floor when he moved in. The believer tidied up on his own, but black mold remained on the walls, which he continues to fight. A video camera is installed in the room and is constantly recording.\nHot water is available only once a week during a visit to the bathhouse. Walks are irregular due to lack of staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250614","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of appeal withdraws the case of Maksim Khamatshin from consideration, as it turns out that the court of first instance did not provide the believer with the opportunity to familiarize himself with the audio recording of the court session. The consideration will resume when the Sovetskiy District Court remedies the procedural violation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250609","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin is in a 4-bed cell in Detention Center No. 3 in the Chelyabinsk Region. The conditions of detention are acceptable, everything you need is available. The composition of the prisoners in the cell changes from time to time, but relations with everyone remain friendly. The believer does not receive letters yet, he does not have a complete Bible, but he has the New Testament and the Psalter from the local library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250417","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 7 years in a general regime colony for Maksim Khamatshin.\nThe believer makes the final statement. 30 people come to support him, 10 are allowed into the meeting room.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250401","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies. Among other things, he draws the court's attention to the fact that the psychological and religious examination did not reveal in his words any propaganda of exclusivity, superiority, inferiority of a person on the basis of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, membership in any social group.\nCommenting on the testimony of a prosecution witness who said that a person cannot remain Jehovah's Witness if his or her spouse does not profess this religion, the believer emphasizes: \"Love and respect are what God expects in families, regardless of whether the husband and wife are of the same faith or different. My mother is an example of this. She is a Christian and professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. And her husband, my father, is a Muslim. They've been happily married for 30 years.\"\n38 people come to the hearing to support the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250224","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of psychologist Ekaterina Zabelina and religious scholar Andrey Konyuchenko. The latter notes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia, and their joint meetings for worship are a common way of expressing religious beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20250130","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Denis Polikarpov, who previously attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the fall of 2018, he began to transmit video and audio recordings of meetings with believers to the FSB and the police. When asked whether Polikarpov can give examples of any extremist statements by Khamatshin, he finds it difficult to answer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20241219","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"40 people come to the meeting to support the believer.\nThe court examines the materials of the case, volumes 1 to 4.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20240924","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the indictment. The lawyer and Maxim Khamatshin read out their attitude to the charges. Khamatshin states, among other things: \"Within the framework of the criminal case, virtually any actions involving the joint confession of beliefs are unreasonably regarded as unacceptable, and the beliefs themselves, which imply the need for spiritual interaction, are considered extremist.\" In conclusion, he adds: \"I do not fully admit my guilt in the crime imputed to me, I ask for an acquittal.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20240701","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing in the case is underway. Since the meeting is being held behind closed doors, a support group of 60 people is waiting outside.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20240619","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Maksim Khamatshin is submitted to the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk. It will be considered by judge Yulianna Vysokikh.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20240515","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region, Alexander Chepenko, makes a decision to bring Maxim Khamatshin as an accused.\nOn the same day, he is interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20240325","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim is interrogated as a suspect. The interrogation lasts 20 minutes. The investigator takes a recognizance not to leave the place and proper behavior from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20230710","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of Russia in the Chelyabinsk Region, Colonel of Justice Alexander Chepenko initiates a criminal case against Maxim Khamatshin. The believer is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20230629","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Khamatshin's house is being searched as part of a criminal case against Yevgeny Bushev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Khamatshin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk9/index.html#20220908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A series of searches that took place in April 2019 in the town of Sharypovo affected several families of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Initially, the investigative actions were carried out in the framework of the case against Anton Ostapenko. After 2.5 years, the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory opened a criminal case against 7 more male believers aged 29 to 73 years. Anatoliy Khvostov, Dmitry Gorelov, Maksim Vigul, Aleksandr Miroshnichenko, Eldar Mammadov, Vladimir Osintsev and Gennadiy Solomentsev are suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In May-June 2022, repeated searches were carried out at the homes of Vigul, Miroshnichenko, Osintsev and Khvostov.","date":"2021-11-17","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html","prisoners":["gorelov","khvostov","mamedov","miroshnichenko","osintsev","solomentsev","vigul"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anatoly Khvostov's house is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20220601","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces come to search Vladimir Osintsev and seize his personal notes.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20220531","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Miroshnichenko is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20220530","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 8 a.m., the apartment of Maksim Vigul and his wife is searched again, which lasts about 2 hours. Earlier, on April 19, 2019, security forces had already invaded their home.\nThe search is carried out by investigator of the Investigative Committee Ekaterina Korotayeva and representative of the FSB Dmitry Konovalov in the presence of two witnesses. During the search, the system unit of the computer, sheets with poems of classics and letters from friends are seized.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2022-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20220529","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Ekaterina Korotaeva, interrogates a resident of Sharypov as a witness in the case. The man uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2022-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20220528","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint - the obligation to appear (to appear in a timely manner at the summons of the court at the court session, and in case of a change of place of residence, place of stay or location, immediately inform the court about it) - is elected to Aleksandr Miroshnichenko and Eldar Mammadov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20211210","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the Sharypovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Y. V. Zubanov initiates a criminal case against believers. Based on the report of senior investigator Kunko, believers Anatoly Khvostov, Dmitry Gorelov, Maksim Vigul, Aleksandr Miroshnichenko, Eldar Mammadov, Vladimir Osintsev, Gennady Solomentsev are suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20211117","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Anton Ostapenko , searches are being conducted at the homes of Dmitry Gorelov, Maksim Vigul, Oleksandr Miroshnichenko, Eldar Mammadov, Vladimir Osintsev, Anatoliy Khvostov and Gennadiy Solomentsev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Khvostov and Others in Sharypovo","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sharypovo2/index.html#20190419","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klimov, from the Volgograd Region, ended up in a pretrial detention center after a series of raids on the homes of believers in Tomsk. Before detaining Sergey, the special services followed him and his acquaintances for about 1 year and sent informants to him with recording equipment. Such diligence was justified by law enforcement officers as means to combat a \u0026ldquo;serious crime,\u0026rdquo; which turned out to be Sergey\u0026rsquo;s Christian way of life and his conversations about the Bible with other people. In November 2019, the court sentenced Sergey to 6 years in a penal colony. The verdict was upheld by the regional court in February 2020 and by the court of cassation in January 2022. The believer served his sentence in Astrakhan Penal Colony No. 8. In July 2023, Sergey was released from the penal colony. He is prohibited from engaging in educational activity and from publishing on the Internet for 5 years; his freedom is also restricted for 1 year.","date":"2018-06-03","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html","prisoners":["klimov"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Kemerovo, is considering the cassation appeal of Sergey Klimov. 11 people come to support the believer, Klimov manages to talk a little with them while the judges are in the deliberation room.\nThe court dismisses Sergey's complaint. Thus, the verdict of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk of November 5, 2019 and the appellate ruling of the Tomsk Regional Court of February 20, 2020 remain unchanged. The believer will have to spend about a year and a half in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20220127","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey in IK-8. The health of the believer still leaves much to be desired. His eyesight is deteriorating, and he recently had to buy new glasses.\nAccording to the lawyer, Sergey's relations with his cellmates are respectful. One of the employees of the colony, in an interview with a lawyer, notes that Sergey is a normal, problem-free person, because he is imprisoned \"for his convictions.\"\nSergey has a Bible. Letters, parcels and parcels arrive without delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20210924","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From Medical and Correctional Institution No. 7, where Sergey underwent serious treatment for a month, he was transferred back to IK-8.\nHis wife Yulia reports that, in general, Sergey feels well, although his eyesight is deteriorating. She manages to give him medicines, as well as insect and mouse repellents. Bed linen and towels are not accepted. In the colony, Sergey learns woodworking.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20201221","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the first time in 9 months, Yulia Klimova, Sergey's wife, is given a date with him, which lasts almost 4 hours. \"For me, it was very unexpected, because I was no longer expecting dates in the near future,\" says Julia. According to her, Sergey looks slimmed down and somewhat tired. He has a Bible and a Bible symphony (a collection in alphabetical order of all the words found in the Bible), but it is difficult to create conditions for reading, since there are 480 prisoners in the colony. Letters of support continue to arrive in the colony, but they are rarely passed on to Sergei.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20201109","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"A black robe with a patch, a bag of papers, and a smile of joy that he has a visitor. This is how Sergey appeared to me after a few months of his stay in the colony after being transferred from Tomsk. This is how his lawyer describes the meeting with Sergei, who managed to visit the believer in the place of detention in August. She is the only one who was allowed to see him in the colony for many months.\nSergey Klimov has been imprisoned for about 2.5 years. He is serving time in a barracks for about 30 people. In the colony, his eyesight has deteriorated, so it is difficult for him to respond to letters of support. Although they come in hundreds, they give Sergey only 2-3 letters a week.\n\"Camp staff and convicts are surprised by the very large number of letters. The prisoners ask Sergey to read them aloud,\" says Yulia Klimova, Sergei's wife. The last time they saw each other was 8 months ago. So far, they have not been able to get a date, but they have the opportunity to sometimes call up on the phone.\nIn his free time, Sergey studies English. In August, the colony staff took the Bible from the believer, and it is not yet known whether it was returned or not.\nIn October, during a medical examination, Sergey was diagnosed with a dangerous lung problem. During the 3 weeks it took to complete the paperwork for hospitalization, the believer's health deteriorated markedly. On October 14, with a high fever, he was taken to Medical and Correctional Institution No. 7 by ambulance, where he is undergoing treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2020-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20201102","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klimov was transferred from the pre-trial detention center to correctional colony No. 8 in the Astrakhan region (50 Sovetskaya Gvardia St., 414044 Astrakhan). At the moment, he is in quarantine, so relatives cannot visit him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20200430","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Tomsk Regional Court, composed of Chief Justice Andrey Arkhipov and Judges Dmitry Yukov and Elena Ilyina, upheld the brutal sentence of a 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness. The verdict has entered into force. Sergey Klimov will go to a penal colony for 6 years for his faith. However, Klimov will seek the cancellation of the unjust verdict and subsequent rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20200220","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klimov makes his final statement. Then the court passes a guilty verdict: 6 years in prison, 5 years of ban on engaging in educational activities and publishing on the Internet, plus another 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20191105","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties continues. The defendant takes the floor. He explains why the accusations against him are unfounded.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20191030","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the motion to film media representatives during the court hearing.\nSpeaking in the debate, lawyer Leontiev draws attention to the fact that: the prosecutor's office and the investigator base their judgments in the Klimov case on the testimony of a secret witness, but these testimonies prove his cooperation with law enforcement agencies, since there is a clear correspondence between his words and the text of the certificates signed by law enforcement officer A. S. Dudko; the defendant is a member of the international confession of Jehovah's Witnesses, and not of any legal organization banned in the territory of the Russian Federation, and only professed his religion together with fellow believers; Klimov's accusation of distributing materials from a banned Internet resource is unfounded, since there is no evidence that the seized publications were downloaded from the banned site; there are no facts of storage and distribution of prohibited literature; there is no evidence of the defendant's criminal intent; previous court decisions do not prohibit the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses; Conviction in the correctness of one's religion cannot be considered extremism. Draws attention to the decisions of authoritative international bodies in favor of individual Jehovah's Witnesses. Asks to acquit the defendant.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for October 30 and November 5.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20191028","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking during the debate, the prosecutor explains how, in his opinion, giving speeches on biblical themes and singing songs is an attack on the constitutional order of the state. The prosecutor's office asks to appoint the defendant 7 years in prison.\nThe next meeting will be held on October 28.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20191021","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is moving to the stage of debates, but the prosecutor's office is asking for more time to prepare for them.\nThe next meeting will be held on October 21 at 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190912","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The parties complete the presentation of evidence. The court proceeds to the stage of deliberations. The next meeting is scheduled for September 10, 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190906","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Klimov once again explains the difference between the concepts of \"organization\" and \"religion\", adding that extremism is alien to Jehovah's Witnesses. Believers gather because they are prompted to do so by faith. The appropriation of donations by one of the believers is slander. Declares that he wants to use article 47 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, which allows him to object to the charges, testify on the charges or refuse to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190903","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence in the case is considered: books, films, cartoons, documents, including religious studies about Jehovah's Witnesses by third-party scientists. From beginning to end, the court watches a film about the Bible, excerpts from religious literature are read. All the evidence presented shows that Sergey Klimov did not organize the activities of any extremist organization and did not promote extremist views.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190829","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court supports the prosecutor and refuses the defense to re-summon the alleged \"secret witness\", as well as to appoint a linguistic examination.\nThe lawyer interrogates the defendant's sister, who characterizes Sergey Klimov on the positive side. The defense asks to consider the material evidence in the case in court. Despite the fervent objections of the prosecutor, the court grants this request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190823","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A specialist in the field of religious studies was questioned at the hearing. He explains the difference between canonical (spiritual) and secular structures. Indicates that acceptance of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses does not require affiliation with any legal entity, but is solely an act of a religious nature. The practice of religion in a given denomination is not made dependent on affiliation with any registered organization, but is considered as a personal right to choose religion.\nThe defense is interrogating Sergey Klimov's wife, Yulia. They have been married for 30 years. Through joint Bible study, their marriage is strong and happy. According to her, Sergey is a very kind person and has nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190816","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense provides the court with evidence that Sergey Klimov was not a member of the liquidated local religious organization, and acquaints the court with the positive results of the linguistic analysis of the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses. The court refuses to attach these documents to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190814","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution has completed the presentation of evidence. The defense petitions for the declassification of the secret witness and a new interrogation. The court rejects the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190808","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor petitions for consideration of materials from 8 volumes of the case, including the results of examinations of electronic devices and materials related to the surveillance of believers. The court considers the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190730","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness who claims to have attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses for 5 years is being questioned. He is in the next room and refuses to answer most of the questions of the lawyer and the prosecutor, citing the fact that he does not want to do so. According to the witness, Sergey Klimov is the leader of the local believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190726","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses were questioned. The first reports that he has never communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses. He also makes a statement that he had not previously given any testimony, despite the presence in the case file of the protocol of his interrogation. The second witness has attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses several times and considers them to be affable, good people who do not teach anything bad. Investigator Ivan Vedrentsev cannot explain the reason for the discrepancies in the protocols of interrogations of witnesses with their testimony in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190725","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness whose testimony also disagrees with the previous interrogation protocol is questioned. The woman cannot say anything bad about Jehovah's Witnesses, she has never noticed aggression in their actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190719","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses were questioned. One of them mentions that he signed his testimony given during the investigation without reading it, and cannot vouch for the correctness of the information contained in the interrogation protocol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190711","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two police witnesses were questioned. The first confirms that Klimov talked to others on religious topics, and the main idea of Jehovah's Witnesses is that \"Jehovah is the true God.\" It is difficult to explain the arguments of the prosecution. The second agrees that a denomination and a legal entity are not the same thing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190710","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Borisov questioned A.S. Dudko, an operative of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Tomsk Region, who had been conducting operational-search measures (ORM) against Klimov and other believers even before the official publication of information about the inclusion of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Severnaya, Tomsk\" in the list of extremist organizations. A court hearing will be held on July 11, 2019, during which the judge will continue to question prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190709","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Borisov held the first hearing on the merits of the case. He rejected the defense's request that the believer Klimov be outside the cage during the court hearings, together with his lawyer. State prosecutor Kalinina D.V. announced the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190704","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Tomsk Regional Court, Dmitry Yukov, dismissed the appeal of the defense to extend the period of detention, having considered it without the participation of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190624","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Borisov held a preliminary hearing of the case in a closed court session and refused the defense's petitions to terminate the criminal case, to return the case to the prosecutor, and also refused the defense's application to challenge the judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190618","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Dmitry Borisov ordered the extension of Klimov's detention for 6 months, until November 28, 2019, rejecting the defense's request to change the measure of restraint, and scheduled a preliminary hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190610","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case was received by the Oktyabrsky District Court of Tomsk. In court, the case was assigned the number 1-417/2019. Stage - proceedings in the court of first instance (trial).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190528","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Klimov in custody until May 28. The preliminary investigation has been completed, Klimov is beginning to be acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. In the near future, the case is expected to be sent to court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190426","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides that Klimov will remain in custody until April 28.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20190226","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next extension of detention is for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20181226","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again leaves Klimov in custody for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20181029","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention was extended for another two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180827","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the detention of Sergey Klimov for a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180730","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights responded to the appeal of the wives of citizens arrested for their faith. An appeal was sent to the Prosecutor General's Office with a request to verify the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180621","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Klimova, together with other wives of citizens arrested for their faith, sends an open collective letter to the Head and all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The letter begins with the words: \"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... thrown behind bars on suspicion that they read the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and prayed to God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180607","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to arrest Sergey Klimov for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180605","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Klimov was detained and interrogated. He was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180604","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Tomsk, raids on believers begin, a series of searches, detentions and arrests take place. Among the dozens of detainees is an 83-year-old woman, a minor, and an informant collaborating with the security forces, a man who pretends to be interested in the Bible and provoked believers to talk about religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180603","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["search","minors","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been initiated on the organization of extremist activities against an unidentified person. On the same day, the court authorizes a search in the apartment where Sergey Klimov and his wife Yulia live.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20180531","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tomsk Regional Court allows the special services (Center \"E\") to establish secret surveillance in the apartment of one of the believers in Tomsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2017-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20171025","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Surveillance and secret audio recording of conversations between Klimov and his acquaintances are being conducted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2017-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20171025","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators establish that believers meet from time to time to pray and discuss biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2017-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20170810","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Long before the initiation of a criminal case, the judge of the Tomsk Regional Court, Andrei Goncharov, allowed the Center \"E\" to carry out operational search measures against Sergey Klimov: wiretapping telephone conversations and removing information from technical communication channels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klimov in Tomsk","date":"2017-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk/index.html#20170804","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Valeriy Klokov and Vitaliy Manuylov in Barnaul. A search was conducted in Klokov’s house. After interrogation and 2 days in a temporary detention facility, Klokov was placed under house arrest. Both men were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In April 2024, the charge against Klokov was reclassified to organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After 2 months, the criminal case against Manuylov was made into a separate proceeding. In early July 2024, Klokov’s case went to court. He was sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony in February 2025, and in April, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2023-07-10","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html","prisoners":["klokov"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","type":"cases"},{"body":"Valeriy Klokov is respected by other inmates and the administration. The believer has a complete Bible. He is supported by letters. Recently, he had an extended visit from his wife Natalya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20260513","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy works seven days a week. A few days ago, all letters and blank answer forms were taken away from him without explanation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20260220","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The premises where the believer is located are cold, despite heating. Hot water is available only in the shower, which cannot be used daily.\nCommunication with the outside world is limited: phone calls are allowed twice a month, there is no video communication. There have been no visits from his wife so far. Since his arrival, Valeriy has received about 200 letters. He has the New Testament and the Psalms.\nSoon the believer will start working in the canteen.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20251105","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Klokov is in penal colony No. 5 for the Altai Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2025-09-02T14:58:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20250902","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer","administrative-detention","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Klokov arrives at penal colony No. 5 in the city of Rubtsovsk (Altai Territory). He is quarantined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20250729","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitriy Malikov. Industrial District Court of Barnaul, Altai Territory (28 Baltiyskaya Street, Barnaul). Time: 9:00 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2025-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20250207","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom","sentence","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 8 years in a general regime colony and 2 years of restriction of freedom for Klokov.\nSpeaking in the debate, Valery notes:\n\"Throughout the trial, I tried to understand the line between the legal right to practice any religion, including the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the illegal continuation of the activities of liquidated religious organizations. Or how I was supposed to worship my God without getting 6 to 10 years in prison for it?.. I have not received a comprehensible and law-based answer to this question.\" He adds: \"The accusation against me is not supported by the evidence presented: neither the testimony of witnesses, nor the written materials of the case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20250204","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Klokov testifies. He points out that the case file does not contain any statements by him advocating the superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses. The state prosecution did not cite the time, place and content of such phrases. He says: \"The fact that the investigation established my religious affiliation and conducted services with fellow believers does not confirm that I committed a crime ... No unlawful actions were committed at the services imputed to me! Believers only peacefully discussed religious issues based on the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20241202","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness, Anatoly Zaostrovsky, is being interrogated under the pseudonym Aleksandr Anisimov. During the interrogation, it turns out that the witness does not see the difference between the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and a legal entity that was liquidated in 2017. In his opinion, being an adherent of the creed and being part of a legal entity are the same thing. The witness admits that he is not aware that the Supreme Court did not consider the legality of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\"Anisimov\" speaks positively of Klokov, although he claims that he does not know him personally, only seeing him at services that he has attended since 2015. The witness says that he does not see any threat to himself from Klokov, but refuses to answer the lawyer's question about the reasons for the secrecy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20241016","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the accusation, with which Valery Klokov does not agree. He explains that his persecution can be regarded as religious persecution, since similar charges were brought against Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany and in the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240805","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor does not agree with the change in the measure of restraint for Valery Klokov and will appeal the court's decision. For the time being, the previous restrictions - house arrest - remain in force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240729","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy's restriction measure was changed to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240628","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Industrial District Court of Barnaul. The case will be considered by judge Dmitry Malikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240627","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Vitaliy Manuilov is separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240604","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozuchenko brings charges against Valery Klokov and Vitaliy Manuilov in the latest version. He sees extremism in the peaceful meetings of these believers with friends, where they \"actively quoted the book 'Holy Scripture.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240425","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Yevgeny Kozuchenko reclassifies Klokov's charge from Part 2 to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In his opinion, the believer's guilt lies in the fact that at divine services he spoke of \"the opposition of Jehovah and Satan ... about the need to live in accordance with the moral laws established by Jehovah, which is manifested in respect for authority (divine), in preference for the spiritual to the material, which is propaganda of the exclusivity and superiority of persons on the basis of belonging to the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20240405","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Barnaul, Danila Teslya, satisfies the investigator's petition and sends Valery Klokov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20230731","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Yevgeny Kozyuchenko, accompanied by FSB officer Artyom Suslikov and two witnesses, searches the home of Valery Klokov. The investigator refuses to call Valery's lawyer. Electronic devices, flash drives, personal records, postcards and a passport are seized from the believer and his wife. The search lasts approximately 2 hours. Then the believer is taken for interrogation to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Altai Territory. The investigator summons a lawyer by appointment. At Klokov's request, a lawyer also arrives under the agreement.\nAfter a personal search, the believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention facility, where a second personal search and fingerprinting are conducted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20230729","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Kozyuchenko, Senior Investigator for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Altai Territory, is initiating a criminal case against 37-year-old Valery Klokov and 50-year-old Vitaly Manuilov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klokov in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul4/index.html#20230710","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the fall of 2020, 12 apartments of peaceful believers in Nizhnekamsk were invaded by FSB and OMON officers. The investigation initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism. It was based on the fact that the law enforcement officers \u0026ldquo;discovered practices used by the religious organization Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses\u0026rdquo; – singing religious songs and praying. Since August 2021, Dmitriy Yarchak, who suffers from cerebral palsy, as well as Denis Filatov and Stanislav Klyuchnikov have been under a recognizance agreement. Their case went to court in January 2022. Several witnesses stated that they gave testimony to the investigator under pressure and threats from the law enforcement officers, and one woman reported that the investigator arbitrarily added words to the protocol that she did not say. Part of the charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness. In September 2023, the court gave Filatov, Klyuchnikov and Yarchak a 6-year suspended sentence, and in December the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2020-11-12","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html","prisoners":["filatovd","klyuchnikov","yarchak"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defense petitions to summon the specialists who conducted the comprehensive examination to the court. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that it was performed with violations.\nThe defense argues to the court that the questions posed to specialists go beyond their special knowledge. Thus, in the materials of the criminal case there are no documents confirming that specialists have received higher education and the necessary training to perform state forensic examinations. In addition, some of the questions posed to the experts relate to the field of religion and psychology. \"None of the experts has the proper qualifications,\" the defense notes. Despite this, the court refuses to satisfy the petition.\nThe debate continues. The prosecutor reads the indictment again, but with minor additions. He asks to recover court costs from the defendants and leave material evidence in the storage room \"in connection with new criminal cases.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230810","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["defense-arguments","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers of Denis Filatov and Stanislav Klyuchnikov speak in the debate. The prosecutor reads out the comprehensive examination, which he referred to in the debate. According to it, the recordings presented to the specialists contain calls for hatred and enmity on the part of the accused. However, the defense believes that the examination was carried out with serious violations. At the request of lawyers, the hearings are postponed to August 10.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230809","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a brief examination of the prosecution witness, the court proceeds to the pleadings of the parties. The prosecutor asks each defendant for 7 years in a penal colony and 2 years of restrictions after serving his sentence.\nIn his speech, the prosecutor refers to a comprehensive forensic psychological, linguistic and religious examination. The defense claims that this examination was not announced in court. The lawyer also draws attention to the fact that the prosecution did not provide concrete evidence of the guilt of the defendants and that the prosecutor substitutes concepts, accusing believers of continuing the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230808","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the disclosure of the protocols of the confrontation of the witness who did not appear with the defendants. The court rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230803","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendants Filatov, Klyuchnikov and Yarchak testify to the court. One of them explains that, while remaining believers, they did not continue the activities of the liquidated legal entity, but exercised their right to freedom of conscience, since the court did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He gives an example: \"If you liquidate a garden association, this will not limit its former members in the ability to continue gardening.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230726","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses are being questioned. Dmitry Yarchak's mother performs. She does not share her son's religious beliefs, but says that studying the Bible changed him for the better and helped him create a strong family.\nThe mother of the secret witness \"Habdrakhmanov\" is being interrogated. She says that her son was friends with Dmitry Yarchak as a child, they began to get acquainted with the Bible together, and now \"Habdrakhmanov\" dislikes all Jehovah's Witnesses and files lawsuits them, including her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230725","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense finishes presenting its evidence from the volumes of the case and quotes excerpts from the book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible.\"\nThe lawyer submits petitions for the inclusion of 4 opinions proving that the New World Translation published by Jehovah's Witnesses is the Bible, and the decisions of the ECHR in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230621","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of material evidence — biblical literature and films — continues.\nThe defense begins to present its evidence based on the materials of the case, citing excerpts from the decision of the ECHR, which fully exonerated Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230615","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court reviews fragments of films made by Jehovah's Witnesses, in which the statements of scientists on the issues of bloodless treatment are cited. They draw attention to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses do not refuse treatment, but choose the best, modern methods.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230608","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is examined: notebooks with personal notes, printouts of publications on biblical topics. The prosecutor classifies them as evidence of guilt, not taking into account that the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited in Russia. He tries to date these records to see if they belong to the sane period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230529","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to read out transcripts of audio recordings from Dmitry Yarchak's apartment: meetings of believers, conversations about the Bible, and more.\nOne of the defendants asks the state prosecutor to pronounce the name of God, Jehovah, in accordance with the rules of the Russian language, explaining that the distorted pronunciation hurts his religious feelings. The prosecutor listens to the request and tries to put the emphasis correctly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230419","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is being interrogated, who in this case acts under the pseudonym \"Khabdrakhmanov Nail Minsagitovich\". According to the defense, the prosecutor's office repeatedly invited him under various pseudonyms to hearings on the case of other believers in Tatarstan.\nAfter interrogating the witness, the defendant Dmitry Yarchak makes a statement about the perjury of \"Khabdrakhmanov\" against the believers.\nJudge Sergei Kamenov removes most of the questions of the defense. The lawyer objects to the actions of the judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230330","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning the last unclassified witness for the prosecution, a woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services before 2012. She talks about the canonical structure of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and says that it is based on the Bible. She also confirms that she has never experienced any psychological pressure or humiliation from believers, and has stopped attending services of her own free will. The witness also says that the investigator fraudulently brought her in for preliminary interrogation and obtained testimony from her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2023-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20230218","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman is being interrogated in court, who says that she is on friendly terms with the defendants. She also briefly mentions her religious views: \"When I began to study the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses, I saw what a useful book it was. Before that, I wanted to get a divorce, but thanks to the Bible, I saved my marriage. My husband always encouraged me to attend worship services because he saw how I began to change for the better because of the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20221208","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. The woman says that she and her son gave preliminary testimony to the investigator at home, although the protocol indicates the office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Also, the time of interrogation does not coincide. The lawyer submits a petition that this protocol was drawn up in violation and asks to exclude it from the evidence.\nThe prosecutor declares the announcement of the protocol of the deceased son of the witness, to which the defense objects, since violations were revealed in the document. However, the judge grants the prosecutor's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20221124","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Everything that has to do with the name 'Jehovah's Witnesses' is forbidden,\" Detective Shcherbakov expresses this opinion in his testimony. He also believes that the 2017 Supreme Court decision banned followers of this religion from believing, preaching, and gathering for worship. When asked what is the difference between the legal terms \"religious organization\", \"religious group\" and \"international organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\", he says that for him there is no difference.\nIn his testimony, the next witness refutes the prosecutor's arguments regarding extremism on the part of the defendants. She points out that in the record of her interrogation, the investigator arbitrarily wrote words that she did not pronounce.\n10 people are allowed to attend the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20221108","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. The woman refuses the testimony she gave at the investigation stage. She states that she was intimidated by the interrogators and was immediately offered ready-made answers to the questions posed. After reading the interrogation protocol, the witness explains that she could not have said that. In her opinion, some of the testimony was taken from the testimony of her husband, who was a former Jehovah's Witness.\nThe second witness consistently, both at the stage of pre-trial investigation and at trial, uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20221013","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another of the prosecution witnesses testifies in court. They relate to the period before 2017, when the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation was made. He explains to the court that he gave untrue written statements under pressure and threats from the security forces who were present during his interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220727","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. The man claims that during the search, he was laid face down on the floor, and then kept for about 13 hours in the Investigative Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to him, due to the stress experienced, he signed the interrogation protocol without reading. The witness comments on the written testimony: \"I hear half of them for the first time and I don't even know the words of some of them that are written there.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220719","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is a support group of 12 people outside the courthouse.\nThe court continues to prevent the entry of a lawyer into the case under the agreement for Stanislav Klyuchnikov.\nProsecution witnesses are being interrogated, one of whom states that during the search he \"was led at gunpoint, he testified while in a state of severe stress, and I don't remember what he was talking about.\" The man uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The court shall hear his affidavit.\nJudge Sergei Kamenov satisfies the defense's motion for the publicity of subsequent hearings and the admission of listeners. At the request of the defendants, he also gives explanations regarding their measure of restraint: believers can move freely within the Nizhnekamsk district, and travel to other territories with the permission of the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220621","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Klyuchnikov files a motion to waive an appointed lawyer in favor of an agreement lawyer. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220531","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the criminal case against Stanislav Klyuchnikov, Denis Filatov and Dmitry Yarchak begin.\nJudge Sergei Kamenov rejects the motion of the defense for the publicity of the trial and the admission of listeners, as well as the motion for the announcement of the indictment in its entirety.\nEach believer speaks with an attitude to the accusation. Stanislav Klyuchnikov declares that he was only exercising his constitutional right to practice his religion. He says: \"I am actually accused of believing in God, talking to others about the Bible, sharing my beliefs with them, praying to Jehovah God, singing songs of praise to him [...] My religion... is based on love, not hatred, enmity and extremism.\"\nDenis Filatov cites similar arguments in his defense: \"The episodes of participation in worship services imputed to me, cited in the indictment, can only indicate the exercise of the right to profess one's religion and use methods of expressing faith that were not prohibited.\" The believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the indictment does not contain any facts of his illegal activities.\nDmitry Yarchak, like the rest of the accused, pleaded not guilty and said: \"I am essentially accused of believing in God and remaining one of Jehovah's Witnesses. [...] None of the actions imputed to me, listed today by the prosecution, is prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as a socially dangerous act. On the contrary, they are guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation as the fundamental rights and freedoms of a person that belong to him from birth.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220407","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Nizhnekamsk City Court. It is appointed to Judge Sergei Kamenov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220131","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for Tatarstan announces the transfer of a criminal case against Denis Filatov, Stanislav Klyuchnikov and Dmitry Yarchak to the Nizhnekamsk City Court of the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20220127","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the first department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tatarstan, A. A. Giniyatullin, attracts Stanislav Klyuchnikov, Denis Filatov and Dmitry Yarchak as defendants.\nThe investigation groundlessly interprets the conversations of believers on religious topics with their fellow believers and friends, including their communication via video link using the Zoom program, as \"violation of the right to freedom and independence of the human person, destruction of the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation by rejecting state power and refusing to fulfill the constitutional duties of citizens of the Russian Federation, destruction of existing family and kinship relations, contributing to the deterioration of physical and mental health.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20211007","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nizamov, Senior Investigator of the First Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia, decides to choose a recognizance not to leave as a preventive measure for Dmitry Yarchak, Stanislav Klyuchnikov and Denis Filatov. They are suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20210824","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Nizhnekamsk, FSB officers and riot policemen armed with assault rifles raided 12 apartments where believers and their families live. During the searches, law enforcers seize electronic devices, passports, bank cards and personal records. 12 people, including 3 women, are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2020-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20201118","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tatarstan initiates criminal case No. 12002920022000071 under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Klyuchnikov and Others in Nizhnekamsk","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhnekamsk/index.html#20201112","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2024, an investigator of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against three Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Izhevsk. A day later, searches were carried out in the apartments of the believers. After interrogations, they were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation considered it a crime to hold peaceful meetings for worship and read the Holy Scriptures via the Internet. The accounts and property of the believers were seized. The court imposed a ban on certain actions on Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov. Aleksandr Stefanidin was sent to a pretrial detention center for 5 months, then placed under house arrest, and later under a ban on certain actions. The materials against him were later made into separate proceedings. In December 2024, the case against Knyazev and Talipov went to court. After 11 months, the two pensioners were sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony. They became the oldest Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses sentenced to imprisonment.","date":"2024-06-03","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html","prisoners":["knyazev","stefanidin2","talipov"],"regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"After being examined in the medical unit at penal colony No. 12, Valeriy Knyazev was returned to penal colony No. 5 in the Kirov Region. The ultrasound of his lungs did not reveal any pathologies. Nevertheless, his health condition remains unsatisfactory: his cough has not stopped for several months, however, no treatment has been prescribed. Valeriy has lost about 7 kilograms. Despite his current diagnosis (the believer has coronary heart disease), he is only given medication for blood pressure and diabetes. His blood pressure monitor and glucometer have been seized. Prior to his imprisonment, Valeriy was also diagnosed with necrosis of the tissues of the knee joint. The treatment he was having while free has not continued in the penal colony.\nThe believer does not have a Bible; he receives letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2026-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20260427","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Indus Talipov is the oldest prisoner in this penal colony. He is in a unit that holds non-working pensioners and disabled people. Hot water flows poorly, therefore, he has to wash and shave with cold water. Use of the banya is available twice a week.\nThe believer has necessary food, medicine, and clothing, as well as a Bible from the local library. The copy that he brought with him was taken for inspection and has not yet been returned.\nAfter quarantine, Indus spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Due to severe pain in his left knee, he was advised to use a cane, which has not yet been issued. As a result, the load on the other leg has increased, and now it also hurts. He has other serious health problems that require regular medical attention from a doctor.\nThe 74-year-old was placed in a punishment cell for 2 days for dozing off during the daytime.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20260326","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","liberty-deprivation","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev was transferred to the medical correctional facility No 12 (LIU-12) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Kirov region in Kirovo-Chepetsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20260317","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","prison-treatment","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev is in penal colony No. 5 in the Kirov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-10T11:50:50+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20260210","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev is in the process of being transferred. Indus Talipov is in penal colony No. 5 for the Udmurt Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20260203","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Knyazev and Indus Talipov are in SIZO No. 1 in Izhevsk. Valeriy is being held in a cell designed for four people, along with three convicts. Prisoners smoke, but out of respect for the elderly person, they do it near the window. Upon arrival, he was given a lower bunk. The Indian is also the oldest in the cell, and he is treated with respect. The premises are warm, there is hot water. Believers try to go for walks.\nValeriy suffers from diabetes. He takes the necessary medications and receives special nutrition. The Indian's eyesight deteriorates greatly, one eye almost does not see. He also has hearing problems. Both men can see a doctor, and an examination at the hospital is scheduled for early next year.\nBelievers are trying to get used to the new realities of life. Valeriy was especially pleased with 67 letters from different countries. He tries to answer everything. He especially liked letters about Lake Baikal, Kamchatka, historical places and interesting biographies of people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20251218","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers make their final statements. The judge pronounces the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20251112","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the declassification of the identity of witness Lozhkin and his interrogation in the courtroom in the general order. The prosecutor objects, the judge refuses.\nThe court is remotely interrogating Lozhkin, who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2019. He is confused in his testimony and asks to postpone the hearing due to a sharp deterioration in health. An ambulance is called for him. The meeting was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20250331","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic replaces the preventive measure for Aleksandr Stefanidin with a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20250114","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Assistant Prosecutor E. V. Ivantsova reads out the indictment, with which the defendants do not agree.\nHindu Talipov draws the court's attention to the fact that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses itself is not prohibited in Russia. He expresses confidence: \"It should be obvious to the court between the confession of an unforbidden faith and extremism, which is completely alien to me.\"\nValery Knyazev voices his attitude to the prosecution: \"The investigation believes that since I am a Jehovah's Witness, then by default I am an extremist. But that's not the case! I consider the initiation of a real criminal case... repressions.\"\nAleksandr Stefanidin considers the charges brought against him illegal, contradictory and far-fetched: \"The indictment does not contain what manifestations of extremism, when and under what circumstances I could have committed... I had the impression that in order to avoid criminal liability, I should renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing but discrimination.\"\n15 people come to support the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20241227","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Pervomaisky District Court of Izhevsk. It will be considered by judge Rustam Tagirov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20241213","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court placed Aleksandr Stefanidin under house arrest, rejecting the investigator's petition to extend his detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20241029","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Stefanidin is kept in a double cell, sleeps on the lower tier. The chamber is warm and has hot water. His cellmate does not smoke. The administration treats Alexander with respect.\nThe believer does physical exercises to maintain his health, watches his diet and tries to walk more.\nThere is no grocery store on the territory of the pre-trial detention center yet, so Aleksandr is grateful for the parcels with food that are handed over to him. He has already received 330 letters of support from friends and caring people. They also sent him a Bible.\nAt the moment, the investigator is denying the believer and his wife visits and the opportunity to call each other. But despite all the difficulties, Aleksandr remains in a positive mood.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-15T14:35:34+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20241015","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. A. Selin enforces the court decision to seize the property of believers. The arrest is imposed until the final procedural decision on the criminal case is made. The believers intend to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20240829","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["belongings-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk I.A. Semenova satisfies the investigator's petition to seize the accounts and property of Valery Knyazev, Indus Talipov and Aleksandr Stefanidin. The investigator refers to Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation on the need to seize in order to ensure the execution of the sentence in terms of collecting a fine. Funds received and held in their bank accounts have already been seized from believers. The investigator also asks to arrest the share of the apartment owned by Stefanidin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20240819","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk Aleksandr Shishkin chooses a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions against Indus Talipov and Valeriy Knyazev, and sends Alexander Stefanidin to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20240605","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the First Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Udmurt Republic, Major of Justice Artur Selin, initiates a criminal case against Indus Talipov, Valery Knyazev and Aleksandr Stefanidin for organizing extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Knyazev and Talipov in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk3/index.html#20240603","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From April 2020, on the instructions of the FSB, a resident of the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye began recording conversations about the Bible with Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova. Two years later, a criminal case was initiated against the pensioners for participating in and involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. They were charged with “asking questions on religious topics regarding… understanding the Bible.” In March 2023, the case went to court, and in August of the same year, Kocherova and Ovchinnikova were given a 6-year suspended sentence. In December, the court of appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2024. After 11 months, the court gave the believers 5.5 years of suspended sentence. Later appeal upheld that decision.","date":"2022-05-26","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html","prisoners":["kocherova","ovchinnikova"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Khabarovsk Territory Court has upheld the verdict against the believers — a 5.5-year suspended sentence. This decision follows a second review of the case.\nOnce again, Prosecutor Grigorenko requested a harsher punishment — 6 years in a penal colony. According to him, \"the convicted persons have committed criminal offences by personally participating in religious gatherings.\"\nIn her final statement before the court of appeal, Lyubov Ovchinnikova declared: \"I am not guilty of the crimes I am charged with. I am a peaceful, calm person, kind and loving to others. Evil and hatred are alien to me, as I live according to God's commandments, and he is a happy and loving God.\"\nExplaining her position, Lyubov Kocherova stated: \"As I became more familiar with the teachings of the Bible, I came to understand that... the most important thing is to show love to all people through actions. That is why I... strive to live peacefully with everyone. I have never participated in any protests against the authorities or specific individuals. I have no hatred or prejudice toward other religions. I respect all people, regardless of their nationality or faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20250603","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement, emphasizing that they are on trial for reading and discussing the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20250114","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the women to 6 years in a penal colony.\nDefenders of believers draw the court's attention to the fact that the man, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, communicated with the defendants voluntarily, no pressure was exerted on him. They also emphasize the lack of evidence of the use of banned literature by believers. According to the lawyers, Kocherov and Ovchinnikova simply discussed the Bible with friends, without in any way undermining the foundations of the state system and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20241126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge interrogates the defendants. Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova make written notes and express their disagreement with the accusations. It is recalled that the constitutional right to freedom of religion cannot be a crime. They also draw attention to the fact that they have never been members of the banned legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, and the very fact of this ban does not deprive them of the right to read the Bible privately.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20241008","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the former investigator A. Kozlov, who initiated a criminal case against Lyubov Kocherova, is taking place.\nAnother prosecution witness, Firsov, does not appear in court. Prosecutor E. Trofimenko asks to read out his written testimony, but the defense objects, as it doubts its objectivity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240920","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the defense's objections, the court granted the prosecutor's request to listen to the recording of the divine service from the case of Valery Rabota. It features a biblical talk about the positive impact of the Bible on a person's life.\nThe hearing was attended by 25 people who came to support Kocherova and Ovchinnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240514","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Martyn is being interrogated. He states that he knew A. Kocherov at work; In the fall of 2019, he asked him to give driving lessons to his wife. According to him, during the classes they talked several times with Lyubov about the Bible, after which he turned to the FSB and began to record their conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240301","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB operative A.A. Ogienko is being interrogated, who forced Kocherov to introduce his wife, Lyubov Kocherova, to Martyn. Martyn's recorded conversations about the Bible were submitted for examination to a religious scholar, who concluded that the topics discussed were characteristic of Jehovah's Witnesses. When asked by the lawyer whether the defendants had talked about the Bible with other people, the witness answered in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240226","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the FSB department , Gvardeev, is being interrogated. He says that in 2019 he received a message from an embedded FSB agent Stanislav Martyn that they were talking to him on biblical topics. After that, the believers were monitored and subsequently the information was transferred to the Investigative Committee.\nProsecution witness Romanov explains that Lyubov Kocherova is the wife of his colleague, and he knows Ovchinnikova only outwardly. Romanov cannot confirm whether the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses held services after the liquidation of their legal entities in 2017.\nAnother witness says that she has friendly relations with Ovchinnikova and Kocherova. According to the woman, shortly before the interrogation, she underwent eye surgery and could not see well. However, the interrogation protocol was not read to her, and she signed it, trusting the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240220","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor due to the absence of victims in the case, as well as evidence of guilt. Kocherova also asks the court to join their case with the case of Valery Rabota. The court rejected both motions.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges, after which the interrogation of witnesses begins. The first to be interrogated is A. Kocherov, the wife of Lyubov Kocherova. The witness declares that he was sick at the time of giving the written testimony, so he refuses it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240202","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The retrial of the case of Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova begins. It was appointed to Judge Kira Kirina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20240125","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Ekaterina Trofimenko requests 6 years of real imprisonment in a colony for Ovchinnikova and Kocherova.\nBelievers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20230801","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova goes to the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by Angelina Sviderskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20230314","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment states that religious meetings were held with the participation of Kocherova, Ovchinnikova and other persons. collectively sang religious songs, prayers... Questions were asked on religious topics related to... with an understanding of the Bible, there were calls to read and discuss articles on religious topics.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20230213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grishkevich involves Lyubov Kocherova as an accused. The ruling states that they \"jointly and in concert with Ovchinnikova ... committed deliberate acts of persuading, recruiting and otherwise involving persons in the activities of an extremist organization and took part in its activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20230123","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The apartment of Lyubov Kocherova and her husband is being examined. Law enforcement officers seize the Holy Scriptures.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20230121","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Lyubov Kocherova is combined into one proceeding with the case of Lyubov Ovchinnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20221107","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Kocherova is interrogated as a suspect. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows her not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20220527","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel A. I. Grishkevich, a senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, seconded to the interdistrict Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Okrug, initiates a criminal case against Lyubov Kocherova. He suspects the woman of committing a crime under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, for two years she \"involved [citizen M.] through persuasion and persuasion into the activities of the cell of the international religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses.\" This is how the investigation interprets the woman's peaceful conversations about the Bible with one of the villagers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20220526","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Kocherova's phone and laptop are seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20220303","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An operational-search event \"Observation\" is being conducted, during which audio recordings are made of discussions of the Bible by Lyubov Kocherova and Lyubov Ovchinnikova with a serviceman.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kocherova and Ovchinnikova in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2019-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe2/index.html#20190101","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Kochnev, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Sergey Logunov, Nikolay Zhugin, Aleksandr Suvorov, and Aleksey Matveev. Later, the cases of Suvorov and Matveev were separated into separate proceedings. The believers from Orenburg were charged with organizing and financing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. This was because of meetings with friends in a café. After their homes were searched, three men were placed under recognizance agreements, and two were detained. Kochnev spent 76 days in pretrial detention and 72 days under house arrest, while Kolbanov spent 149 days under house arrest. In December 2019, the case went to court, but a month later it was returned to the prosecutor's office due to the vague nature of the charges. The retrial of the case by another judge began in February 2021. The charge is based on the testimony of the undercover agent V. Yudin. In August 2023, the judge gave the believers suspended sentences: Logunov and Zhugin — 2.5 years, Kochnev — 2 years and 8 months, Lekontsev — 3 years, and Kolbanov — 3.5 years. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2018-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html","prisoners":["kochnev","kolbanov","lekontsev","logunov","zhugin"],"regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge Andrey Zaloshkov granted Sergey Logunov's petition for the early cancellation of the suspended sentence and the removal of the conviction, since the believer had served half of the probationary period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20250305","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["suspended","clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Orenburg cancels the suspended sentence of Vladimir Kochnev and removes his criminal record.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20250228","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230726","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of imprisonment in a penal colony for all defendants: Vladislav Kolbanov - 3.5 years, Vladimir Kochnev, Pavel Lekontsev and Sergey Logunov - 3 years, Nikolai Zhugin - 2.5 years.\nDuring the debate, the prosecutor asks to exclude from the charge Vladislav Kolbanov Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing) and leave only Part 2 of Article 282.2 (participation), as well as to reclassify Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation as part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230608","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the motion to exclude from the case file two disks with Kolbanov's telephone conversations, although the dates of the calls contained on them go beyond the scope of the charge.\nThe defendant Kolbanov and his lawyer object to the actions of the state prosecutor and the judge.\nThe defendant's lawyer notes that the court refuses to interrogate several defense witnesses who could give information about Suvorov's telephone conversations. The court has repeatedly pointed out that his case was separated into a separate proceeding and there was no need to explain telephone conversations with him. However, during the interrogation of Kolbanov, the court allows the prosecutor to ask the defendant questions about Suvorov's telephone conversations\nThe lawyer begins the interrogation of the defendant Pavel Lekontsev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230324","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to request materials from 2012-2014, considering that it does not apply to the present case.\nVladislav Kolbanov explains the details regarding the recordings of his phone calls. Within the framework of the MPA, detailed transcripts were not compiled, but only descriptions of conversations were made. At the same time, the operational officer who compiled them used words that were beneficial to the investigation, but which were not really there. For example, words such as \"members of the organization\", \"headed\" and other similar terms were used in the description.\nThe defendant refuses to answer some of the prosecutor's questions, as he believes that he distorts the meaning of his answers and incorrectly fixes them. Also, when asking questions, the prosecutor relies on falsified wording from the description of telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230323","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense continues the interrogation of the defendant Vladislav Kolbanov.\nThe lawyer filed a motion to request the materials of another criminal case of 2012-2014, in which prosecution witness V. Yudin also testified against the defendants Kochnev and Logunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230322","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense continues the interrogation of the defendant Vladislav Kolbanov. He explains the details of the two episodes imputed to him: in November and December 2017, he was in a café for a religious group service. He informs the court that neither he nor anyone else present represented himself as members of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities or acted on their behalf.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230321","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense emphasizes that the expert Chernyaev, who determined that the materials found on electronic devices seized from believers belonged to the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, does not have a special religious education. Lawyers file a petition for the interrogation of this expert in order to find out how the examination was carried out and what prompted him to such conclusions. The prosecutor reports that he does not see the need for this.\nThe defense file a motion to exclude from the case file the testimony of the defendants Sergey Logunov and Vladimir Kochnev, given in 2012 and 2016 in other criminal cases. The defendants do not confirm their testimony, as it was given without a lawyer. The court does not grant the request.\nThe lawyer filed a motion to summon for questioning the expert Chernyaev, who conducted examinations on the devices seized from the defendants. He explains that since the examiner does not have the necessary education to carry out such examinations, he was provided with a number of canonical concepts that had to be found in technical devices, such as \"pioneer\", \"elder\" and so on. However, not a single concept related to the activities of the LRO was declared to the expert. Later, the court granted this request of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230320","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the expert Astakhova does not have a religious education. Also, Vladimir Kochnev's lawyer re-submits a petition for the interrogation of a defense witness, but the court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230317","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the transcripts of the ORM, where canonical terminology is often used, which is not related to the activities of legal entities. The singing of songs and prayers also confirm that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses are recorded in the materials of the ORM.\nLekontsev's lawyer files a motion for the disclosure of UD materials refuting the defendant's guilt in the incriminated criminal act.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230316","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Lekontsev's new lawyer is filing a petition for time to familiarize himself with the case materials. The court allocates 1 day for this, although there are 62 volumes in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230315","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the third time, the court refuses to find a new lawyer for the defendant Lekontsev under the agreement.\nThe defense continues to examine the materials of the case - volumes from the 30th to the 56th.\nThe lawyer filed a motion for the interrogation of Astakhova, whose examinations formed the basis of the indictment. The court postpones the decision of the issue, giving the prosecutor time to familiarize himself with the materials of the examination. The court once again refuses the lawyer to challenge the presiding judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230307","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case of believers from Orenburg are held almost every day. More than 40 people come to support the accused.\nDefendant Lekontsev re-applies for a new lawyer by agreement with a request to give a reasonable time to search for a lawyer and familiarize himself with the case materials. But the court again refuses and continues the hearing.\nThe judge allows the questioning of one witness instead of two, arguing that enough witnesses have already been questioned on these circumstances.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230306","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the refusal of the defendant Lekontsev from the lawyer by agreement. The court continues the hearing, without giving Lekontsev time to find a lawyer, arguing that a lawyer by appointment is present at the hearing.\nThe defendant Lekontsev recuses the presiding judge, which is refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230303","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Ekaterina Elbakyan, chief analyst of the Center for Spiritual and Moral Education and Theology of the Russian Academy of Education, is being interrogated.\nElbakyan shows the difference between missionary activity and the dissemination of one's own religious beliefs. She explains: \"The dissemination of religious beliefs is a private matter of a person who was at a worship service, he was emotionally overwhelmed, sat down on a bench in the park, someone sat down with him, and he wanted to share with the person and began to tell him about God. But it's like I came from a movie, call my friend and tell her what an extraordinary movie I watched, go watch it. That doesn't mean I'm working as an advertising agent for this film.\"\nWhen asked by a lawyer whether the concept of \"followers of the LRO\" is applicable to a legal entity, religious scholar Elbakyan explains: \"You can't say 'followers of this parish' or 'followers of this mosque'. You can say \"members\". Followers may be of some kind of creed. Is the LRO creating a new creed of Jehovah's Witnesses?\"\nElbakyan also says that she was present at the trial in the Supreme Court on April 20, 2017 and was declared there as an expert. She emphasizes that the ban did not apply to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, it was about the liquidation of legal entities, and for non-statutory activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230302","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist linguist Galina Ivanenko is being interrogated.\nWhen asked by the lawyer whether the materials provided by the ORM contain signs of incitement to hatred, enmity, superiority, the specialist answers: \"I can't even imagine how such peace-loving statements, only aimed at establishing peace in the family, peaceful relationships between people, how they can be interpreted as harming someone ... It seemed surprising to me that such a question arises at all ... Everywhere we are talking about universal values. I even have the impression that after reading these texts, I only became better. ... I didn't see a single phrase expressing the idea of revenge, hatred, violence.\"\nThe court shall attach an expert opinion to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230301","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wife of the defendant Lekontsev is being interrogated - the defense and the prosecution have practically no questions.\nThe court refuses to examine three more witnesses for the defense and to examine volumes 43-54 of the case file. Only individual documents in volumes 1 through 3 are considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230215","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to provide material evidence seized during the search of the defendants, as well as to view video files of worship services recorded during the ORM.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230213","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to question witnesses for the defense and prohibits the study of case materials from volume 42. The lawyer objects, as this deprives the defense of the opportunity to provide evidence of the innocence of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230210","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the defense is being questioned. He gives a positive characterization of the defendant Kolbanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230207","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant Logunova recuses the judge, the court refuses to satisfy.\nThe lawyer requests the questioning of the witness who appeared at the courthouse. The court refuses despite the fact that the lawyer justifies the reason for the interrogation - the witness is an eyewitness to the episode imputed to the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230206","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of the defence witness is ongoing. The court does not allow the lawyer to interrogate the witness on the issue of telephone conversations with Suvorov, pointing out that his case is separated into separate proceedings.\nThe prosecutor reads out the transcripts of the audio recordings of telephone conversations, but refuses to find out the details or exclude them.\nThe lawyer proceeds to the study of the case materials from the 41st volume. Archival documents on the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany are considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230127","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next witness of the defense is interrogated. The court removes many of the lawyer's questions, arguing that other defense witnesses have already answered similar questions. The judge prevents the lawyer from making objections to the record of court hearings, and then interrupts the defense counsel and transfers the right of questioning to other participants.\nThe judge asks the defendants to bring no more than one witness per day. He also refuses to provide the lawyer with material evidence - audio recordings of telephone conversations of the defendant Kolbanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230126","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer orally challenges the judge.\nDuring the interrogation of two witnesses of the defense, the court removes the lawyer's questions, and also refuses to provide material evidence on which the first witness can give an explanation. The lawyer notes that the judge deprives the defense of the opportunity to defend itself by examining the evidence and refuses to further interrogate this witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230125","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is attended by the chairman of the Industrial District Court of Orenburg, Andrey Vygolov. He takes a seat with the audience and takes notes during the meeting.\nThe interrogation of the defendant Kolbanov's sister continues, during which the judge makes remarks to the lawyer, removes questions directly related to the charges, and does not allow objections to be raised.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230124","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer challenges the judge, pointing out her bias against the defendants and the defense. The judge, without retiring to the deliberation room, makes a decision on the spot - to refuse the challenge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230123","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court tries to continue the hearing in the absence of a sick lawyer, forcing the defendants to use the services of a lawyer by appointment. The defendants object, as this is a violation of their constitutional right. The judge does not take into account the objections and continues the hearing, but later satisfies the defendants' requests to postpone the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20230117","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The witness, Vladislav Kolbanov's sister, says that her brother is a kind, open person who likes to do nice things for family members and other people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221202","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to question relatives and neighbors of the defendants. Kochneva's stepdaughter explains to the court that she is not a Jehovah's Witness herself, but the difference in religious views has never interfered with good family relations. The witness also provides the court with a selection of photographs and videos that positively characterize Kochnev. The judge refuses to review these materials, but attaches them to the case.\nVladislav Kolbanov's mother explains that her son's religious beliefs do not prevent him from maintaining close relations with relatives who have different views. In addition, the witness says that her son, because of his peaceful convictions, was doing alternative civilian service in a nursing home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221128","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of defense witnesses - neighbors of the defendants Lekontsev and Kochnev - continues. They characterize men as sympathetic, kind and positive-minded people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221103","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Logunova, Sergey Logunov's wife and Vladimir Kochnev's sister, is being interrogated. She positively characterizes her husband and brother. She also explains that she has never been a member of the LRO and she does not need to belong to any legal entity to profess her faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221031","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of defense witnesses begins.\nVladimir Kochnev's wife testifies. She characterizes her husband positively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221018","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Efimenko in her testimony admits that she drew conclusions based only on a limited number of video materials and transcripts provided to her. The specialist says that she has only a general idea of Jehovah's Witnesses and their creeds.\nThe prosecution refuses to question four prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221017","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of prosecution witness Yefimenko continues. It recognizes that the creed of Jehovah's Witnesses cannot be banned. Nor can she indicate what techniques she used to analyse MPA materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20221012","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist Marina Efimenko, who works in the theological seminary, is being interrogated. During interrogation, she says that she is a history teacher and that she has no special religious education. From her responses, it is clear that she does not distinguish between the concepts of \"legal entities (LROs)\" and \"religious groups\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220927","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of prosecution witness Yudin continues. Answering most of the questions, he uses the phrases \"it seemed so to me\", \"I thought so at that time\".\nA witness for the prosecution is shown video recordings of two meetings of believers in a café. To the question of the defendant Lekontsev, which of the meetings was a divine service, and which was a meeting of the LRO, the witness Yudin replies that when they drank tea, danced and held competitions, it was a meeting of the LRO, and when they listened to the program, it was a divine service.\nThe defense lawyer submits a second petition for the discovery of documents in another criminal case 10 years ago. When comparing Yudin's testimony in both criminal cases, it becomes obvious that he misled the court by indicating incorrect dates and other inaccurate information.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220926","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness V. Yudin is being questioned. His testimony in court contradicts what he said earlier during interrogation by the investigator.\nTen years earlier, Yudin had already participated in a similar trial as a witness for the prosecution against the believers Logunov and Kochnev, and then he also provided false information about the events in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220805","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation of the prosecution witness, the question of the relationship between family members with different religious views is raised. Defendants Zhugin and Logunov explain to the court that the happiness of their families and the families of other Jehovah's Witnesses whom they know personally is not hindered by different religions.\nThe defense shows the court children's photos and videos, as well as positive characteristics from the school psychologist and teachers. This proves to the court that children raised by their mother, who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and by their father, who no longer shares the religious views of the family, grow up happy and balanced. They are open, sociable, developed, have friends among classmates and study well. The prosecution witness himself admits that this is the merit of both parents, including his ex-wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220802","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer declares the challenge of the judge, pointing to 6 arguments. The court refuses to satisfy the petition.\nThe interrogation of CPE officer Stepan Belashenko is resumed. He cannot identify the defendant Kochnev on the recordings of the ORM, although he had previously described him in detail. The man also suggests that the services of Jehovah's Witnesses can be held with competitions and informal communication. Belashenko explains the substitution of words in the transcripts of the ORM by the fact that he \"heard them that way.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220801","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An employee of the military registration and enlistment office is summoned for questioning, which confirms that in 2013 the defendant Kolbanov did alternative civilian service. She had not heard anything about the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFurther, Logunov's former boss testifies. He characterizes the defendant as a disciplined worker. He had not heard anything about his faith, as well as nothing about the activities of any legal entity.\nThe testimony of the deceased prosecution witness I. Shatilov is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220729","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 14 people present at the hearing, and about 35 people are outside the courthouse to support the believers.\nFSB officer A. S. Zhavoronkov is being re-interrogated. He again acknowledges that the creed of Jehovah's Witnesses is not forbidden and that believers can worship together. He did not record any signs of the legal entity's activities in accordance with the charter of the LRO, such as voting or drawing up documents in writing, during the ORM.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220728","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being interrogated - the owners of two cafes where believers gathered for friendly meetings.\nThe first witness knows only the defendant Kochnev personally. She claims that she is not familiar with the concept of a LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses and that individuals, not representatives of a legal entity, came to the café.\nThe second witness says that he does not recognize any of the defendants, that the term \"LRO\" was not mentioned in the lease agreement and no meetings were held on behalf of the LRO in the café.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220727","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 60 people come to the courtroom, 19 of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe interrogation of witness Belashenko continues.\nThe defense points out contradictions in his testimony. Thus, he accuses Logunov of using the official website of Jehovah's Witnesses (banned in the territory of the Russian Federation), but at the same time he does not provide evidence and cannot explain exactly how he established this fact.\nBelashenko also claims that Logunov used a translation of the Bible, declared extremist, in conversations with a colleague. The defense notes that the conversations incriminated to the believer took place long before the publication was included in the list of extremist materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220630","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense objects to the interrogation of the acting head of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Orenburg Region, Stepan Belashenko, arguing that in 2012-2014 he participated in the persecution of believers in Orenburg and openly expressed his negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. The objection was attached by the court to the case file. Nevertheless, the prosecution is questioning this witness.\nAnswering the lawyer's question: \"What are the signs of the activities of the LRO banned in Russia?\", the witness mentions purely religious actions: singing songs, praying, studying religious literature in the format of questions and answers. However, these actions do not apply to the LRO either in fact or by virtue of statutory activities, with which he is not familiar. At the same time, Belashenko admits that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220629","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 40 people come to support believers. 19 of them, including a representative of the local media, are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe interrogation of Sergey Logunov's colleague continues. He is shown video recordings of episodes where he and the defendant talk about the Bible with another colleague in a working setting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220628","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The chief expert of the computer examination department, R. Y. Gaisin, who was present at the search of the defendant Kolbanov, finds it difficult to answer the court's questions, explaining this by the fact that a lot of time has passed since the search.\nDuring the interrogation, another witness, a colleague of the defendant Logunov, uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows him not to testify against himself and his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220617","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 50 people come to support believers. The prosecution examines the evidence against Lekontsev and Zhugin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220616","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer A. Zhavoronkov, who conducted operational-search measures against the defendants, is being interrogated. He could not explain exactly what signs he saw of the continuation of the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Orenburg in their actions.\nHe also states that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, by its decision in 2017, did not prohibit the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their legal activities did not continue after this decision. He also notes that the Constitution of the Russian Federation gives the right to freely believe in God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220615","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the lawyers is petitioning for the recusal of Judge Diana Sudorgina. The judge refuses and proceeds to the questioning of witnesses.\nSergey Logunov's colleague gives a positive characteristic of the believer, noting that he is a reliable and executive worker. The witness says that he has never heard Logunov declare the superiority of his religion over others or infringe on the rights of followers of other faiths.\nAnother witness, an elderly woman, explains that some of the phrases included in the interrogation record do not belong to her. She explains that it was difficult for her to verify the recorded statements due to her old age, the search and several interrogations in one day. The witness also states that she does not know the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220614","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The material evidence against Vladimir Kochnev is being re-examined, since violations were committed during their previous examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220603","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge prohibits the defense from reading excerpts from N. S. Gordienko's book \"Russian Jehovah's Witnesses: History and Modernity\" seized during the search. The lawyer objects, since the defendants have the right to examine material evidence without restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220602","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining the books seized from Sergey Logunov, including \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\" by Sergey Ivanenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220531","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court devotes five April hearings to reviewing material evidence against Sergey Logunov, obtained in the course of operational-search activities. Among them are recordings of his telephone conversations and video recordings of meetings with friends in a café.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220407","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of seven sessions, the court hears recordings of Vladislav Kolbanov's telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220331","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From November 2021 to January 2022, 20 sessions are held, during which the court examines the materials contained in volumes 8-54 of the criminal case. Hidden video recordings of spiritual and entertaining meetings with contests, jokes, songs and dances in two cafes in Orenburg are shown. Religious studies and socio-religious examinations of these materials are also considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20220121","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 17th volume of the case materials is being examined. The defendants Logunov and Kochnev testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20211110","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the petition of the defense on the inadmissibility of consideration in the framework of this criminal case of materials not related to it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20211102","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 60 people come to the courthouse to support the believers. The court is examining the recordings of telephone conversations of Alexander Suvorov, whose case is separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20211008","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case, including transcripts of worship services in 2017-2018, are being examined.\nThe court decides to hold further hearings without listeners due to the epidemiological situation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20211007","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In addition to the participants in the process, 10 listeners are allowed into the courtroom. The court grants the lawyer's request that the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses should not be considered during the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210803","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the three sessions, the prosecutor reads out the indictments. The defendants speak with an attitude to the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210624","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 90 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nThe judge satisfies the motion of the defense for the admission of listeners to the hearings.\nBased on the decision of the UN working group , the defense petitions for the termination of the criminal case. The defendants also ask for the appointment of lawyers, but the judge rejects both motions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210520","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new judge, Diana Sudogina, enters the case. Also, one of the defendants changes his lawyer. The court gives him time to familiarize himself with the case file, which includes 62 volumes. The next hearing is scheduled for May 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210413","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Igor Izmailov \"in order to eliminate doubts about the impartiality and objectivity of the judge\" satisfies the defense's motion for his own recusal. According to the lawyer, Izmailov cannot participate in the process, since he had previously \"actually considered this criminal case at the stage of preliminary investigation.\" For example, he sent defendants into custody and house arrest, extended their detention, allowed searches in the homes of believers, etc. The defense believes that these circumstances testify to the personal interest of Judge Izmailov in the outcome of the case under consideration. The state prosecutor does not object to the recusal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210317","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than a year after the case was returned to the prosecutor's office, it again goes to the Industrial District Court of Orenburg.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2021-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20210202","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksey Matveev is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20200910","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring adds nine defendants to the List of Terrorists and Extremists and blocks their accounts. It is noteworthy that Sergey Logunov and Vladimir Kochnev were already included in this list in 2012, and their accounts were already blocked.\nIn addition, four of the defendants have minor children: Alexei Matveev and Alexander Suvorov have one child each, Nikolai Zhugin has two, and another believer is raising three children. As of April 2020, similar sanctions have been imposed on more than 200 Jehovah's Witnesses throughout Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2020-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20200401","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The public prosecutor does not agree with the court's conclusions about the significant procedural violations committed by the preliminary investigation bodies, which create obstacles to the consideration of the case by the court. The submission in the case of Kochnev and other defendants is sent to the judicial board for criminal cases of the Orenburg Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2020-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20200217","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Orenburg Tatyana Gorbacheva returns the criminal case against 6 believers to the prosecutor's office due to the vague nature of the charge and the lack of motives and goals of the alleged crime. For example, it is often unclear from the prosecution which actions were committed by Logunov and which by Suvorov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20200114","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee announces the completion of the investigation. \"The investigation has collected sufficient evidence,\" the official press release said.\nThe criminal case goes to the Industrial District Court of Orenburg. It will be considered by Judge Tatyana Gorbacheva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2019-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20191210","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation brings a new charge against the believers. The articles under which each of them is accused have been changed. The preliminary investigation is coming to an end. This is followed by the stage of familiarization with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2019-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20191022","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksandr Suvorov is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20191020","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Orenburg, chaired by Judge Irina Inozemtseva, refuses the investigator to toughen the measure of restraint for Vladislav Kolbanov and Vladimir Kochnev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2019-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20190410","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Orenburg lifts some restrictions on believers (to leave their homes at night).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2019-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20190212","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Vladislav Kolbanov and Vladimir Kochnev. House arrest is replaced by a ban on certain actions (leaving the house at night and communicating with other defendants in the case, including by phone and via the Internet). Kolbanov spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility and 146 days under house arrest. Kochnev spent 78 days in pre-trial detention and 70 days under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20181012","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Orenburg Inna Yangubaeva makes a decision to soften the measure of restraint for Kochnev and Suvorov. Imprisonment is replaced by house arrest. The believers spent about 78 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180803","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Orenburg Regional Court is considering an appeal against the arrest of Kochnev and Suvorov. About 100 people come to the courthouse to support their fellow believers. The court upholds the chosen measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180606","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Industrial District Court of Orenburg chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 citizens. The court places Vladimir Kochnev and Aleksandr Suvorov in a pre-trial detention center for 58 days, until July 14, 2018. The court transfers Vladislav Kolbanov from the special detention center to house arrest. The hearing lasts from 11 a.m. to almost midnight.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180519","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcers are conducting searches in 4 settlements of the Orenburg region in the homes of 19 families. Vladislav Kolbanov, Aleksandr Suvorov and Vladimir Kochnev are sent to temporary detention facilities, and other believers are signed up for not leaving.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180516","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["search","ivs","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2). 7 believers become defendants in the case at once: Alexander Suvorov, Vladimir Kochnev, Vladislav Kolbanov, Pavel Lekontsev, Alexey Matveev, Sergey Logunov and Nikolai Zhugin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kochnev and Others in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg/index.html#20180514","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2022, law enforcement officers detained communications engineer Anton Kokovin on the central street of Yaroslavl. After a search at his place of residence and in the apartment where he was visiting, the believer was interrogated. He was placed under a recognizance agreement. A criminal case was initiated for participating in the activity of an extremist organization — this is how the investigator of the RF Investigative Committee regarded participating in peaceful meetings for worship via video link. It turns out, that from March 2019, hidden audio recordings of meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were being made. In May 2023, the case went to court, and in September 2024, the believer was fined to 75,000 rubles.","date":"2022-05-18","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html","prisoners":["kokovin"],"regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a imprisonment for 3 years in a penal colony for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20240920","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation is blocking the bank accounts of Anton Kokovin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20240201","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution recognizes the errors in the examination as critical and petitions for the appointment of a second phonoscopic examination in another center. The meeting is postponed until the examination is made.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20231129","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The specialist who conducted the voice examination is interrogated. There are inconsistencies and shortcomings in it, which the expert explains by a technical error. The judge draws attention to the inadmissibility of errors in the expert opinion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20231120","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the case file in five volumes and reads out the testimony of the prosecution witness who did not appear in court.\nAn employee from the \"E\" center is being interrogated.\nThe defense draws attention to the mistakes made in the paperwork. Thus, she points out that additional sheets were added to the case file after the defendant had familiarized himself with them.\nThe judge shall attach to the case all materials submitted by the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20231031","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment against Anton Kokovin is read out. He is charged with the alleged illegal activities of a religious organization: \"The meetings began and ended with a song and prayer to Jehovah. During the meetings, the speech was listened to... on a biblical topic, a study of articles was conducted ... viewing and discussion of other materials belonging to the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\", including discussions of the ideological source ... - \"Holy Scripture. New World Translation \"\". The believer does not admit his guilt, since the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20230531","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Kokovin's case is submitted to the Dzerzhinsky District Court of Yaroslavl. It will be considered by judge Maryna Chypilenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20230515","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the main street of the city of Yaroslavl, security forces detain Anton Kokovin. In the apartment where Anton was staying with friends, as well as at his place of residence, the security forces conduct searches. After that, the believer is interrogated and a written undertaking not to leave is taken.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20220519","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Yaroslavl Region Alexander Grigoriev initiates a criminal case against Anton Kokovin. The believer is suspected of participating in extremist activities for being present at an Internet conference dedicated to religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kokovin in Yaroslavl","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yaroslavl2/index.html#20220518","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2025, Tatyana Kolotova\u0026rsquo;s house was searched as part of a case of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer was interrogated and face-to-face confrontations were held with her neighbors.","date":"2025-06-10","permalink":"/en/cases/troitsk/index.html","prisoners":["kolotova"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kolotova in Troitsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kristina Ivanova, senior investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Troitsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, summons Tatyana Kolotova for interrogation. A face-to-face confrontation is held again.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kolotova in Troitsk","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/troitsk/index.html#20260213","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region for the city of Troitsk, D. A. Vinokurov, decides to initiate a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAt 6 am, investigator Yulia Lang, accompanied by 11 people, comes to 64-year-old Tatyana Kolotova to conduct a search. Masked people disperse to different rooms, seize phones and the Bible. They also find several religious books. The woman declares that they do not belong to her.\nAfter the search, the believer is taken to the investigative committee and interrogated for seven hours, face-to-face confrontations are held with the woman's neighbors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kolotova in Troitsk","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/troitsk/index.html#20250610","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","search","interrogation","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One early morning of September 2023, Galina Komissarova, a resident of Tolyatti, was woken up by a loud knock on the door. Officers of the Investigative Committee, who came to search her home, said that a criminal case had been initiated against her for participating in meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Following the search, Komissarova was taken for interrogation, after which she was made to sign a recognizance agreement. Due to the stress she experienced, Galina was hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis. In October 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony. The court gave the pensioner a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the decision in November.","date":"2023-09-07","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html","prisoners":["komissarova"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Samara Regional Court begins consideration of the appeal of Galina Komissarova. The prosecutor asks the court to adjourn the hearing in order to get acquainted with the additional appeal of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240924","regions":["samara"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"The motives of all my actions are dictated by the desire to confess my faith, to try to show love for God and for people,\" Galina Komissarova says her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240708","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Ilya Mityukov requests a imprisonment for 4 years in a general regime penal colony and restriction of liberty for a period of 8 months for the defendant.\nThe prosecutor says that the guilt of the defendant was confirmed by the testimony of witnesses and eyewitnesses of the incident, the materials of the criminal case, as well as the results of religious and psychological examinations. Further, he gives a characteristic of the personality of Galina Komissarova and points out mitigating circumstances, such as age, the presence of diseases, as well as positive characteristics.\nThe lawyer reminds the court that the article under which Komissarova is being tried implies actions of an extremist orientation and assumes the presence of motives of religious hatred and enmity. In addition, actions must be not only intentional, but also public. However, the prosecution did not provide this evidence to the court.\nThe defense lawyer asks to fully acquit the defendant due to the absence of corpus delicti, motives and malicious intent in her actions.\n28 people come to the hearing, 8 are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240625","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With the judge's permission, Galina Komissarova reads excerpts from the publications of two religious scholars, Nikolai Gordienko and Sergey Ivanenko, and comments on them. The believer also tells how biblical knowledge helped her in raising her own children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240617","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation","scholar-publications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of religious scholar L. M. Galiyev via video conferencing. The judge reads out the conclusions of three examinations from the case materials made by Galiev. The defendant Komissarova draws the court's attention to the expert's lack of necessary education. During interrogation, Galiev often evades answering many of the defendant's questions and does not see the difference between religion and legal entity.\nGaliev also said that he was not faced with the question of identifying signs of extremism among the participants of the service, among whom was Komissarova. However, he mentions this in his report and admits that he was simply repeating the wording of the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240530","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Komissarova submits two petitions. In the first, she asks the court to oblige the state prosecutor to explain the circumstances to be proved: \"Now the case materials have been examined, witnesses have been interrogated, but I still do not know what exactly my words or actions are interpreted by the prosecution as extremist. Therefore, I cannot defend myself effectively in court, because I do not understand what I need to defend myself against.\" The judge rejects the motion.\nThe defendant also petitions for the return of personal property seized as a result of the search: a webcam, a Wi-Fi router, a phone, a tablet and flash cards. The defendant explains that the prosecution did not request them for examination during the trials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240502","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Lenar Galiev does not appear at the court hearing. The prosecutor proposes to read out the conclusions of the examination, but the defense insists on personal interrogation of Galiyev due to the fact that his examination is the basis of the charge.\nThe defendant Komissarova petitions for the attachment of documents stating that she was not a member of the LRO of Togliatti, about her financial situation and state of health. Judge Elena Laskina granted the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240402","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The reading of the case materials continues: motions for the admission of defense evidence, including an article on Jehovah's Witnesses from the dictionary-reference book \"Religions of Russia\" by Ekaterina Elbakyan; the results of a sociological study of the Moscow community of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Family and the Bible\", as well as excerpts from the books of religious scholars Nikolai Gordienko and Sergey Ivanenko. The judge grants the request to view the recording of the worship service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240312","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Elena Laskina reads out the conclusions of the comprehensive examinations of the video recordings of the services. One of the authors of the examinations, Kirill Kirushin, is being interrogated. Galina Komissarova asks the expert why he concluded that \"sources of an extremist nature banned on the territory of the Russian Federation\" were promoted during the service. The expert replies that he took these formulations from the plot written by the investigator on the appointment of a forensic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240227","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"17 people come to the courthouse, 8 of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\nProsecution witness M. K. Kokhalskaya, who had previously attended services via video link and filmed them on a phone camera, is being interrogated. She says that she has not heard any extremist statements from Galina Komissarova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240205","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is interrogating technical specialist Y. Lazarev. He explains that the Zoom program is a service for video conferencing, its use in Russia is not prohibited. Agrees that the use of a fictitious name during a video conference can be regarded as a protection of personal data.\nSecret witness I. I. Ivanov, who made video recordings of divine services and handed the disks to the investigator, is interrogated via audio link. He says that songs, prayers and Bible talks were heard at such meetings. In general, he characterizes Jehovah's Witnesses as sympathetic people, and Galina Komissarova as a thoughtful and attentive woman. Ivanov reports that he has not heard any extremist statements from the defendant, including calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order, break off family relations, and refuse medical intervention.\nIvanov cannot specify which actions of Jehovah's Witnesses he considers illegal. To many other questions about the work of Jehovah's Witnesses, he says: \"I am not an expert.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20240112","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Galina Komissarova. 5 people are allowed into the courtroom. The defendant makes several motions, three of which the court satisfies: for additional acquaintance with the case materials, for the admission of evidence of the defense, for familiarization with the protocol. The believer explains that she wants to get acquainted with the materials of the case, since they do not contain a certain disk, which the expert refers to in his conclusion.\nThe prosecutor announces the charge, the believer expresses her attitude towards it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20231218","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Elena Laskina. Central District Court of Togliatti (Togliatti, Belorusskaya str., 16, room 405). Time: 14:15.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20231030","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Sysoeva charges Galina Komissarova with the fact that she \"from March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2022, more exact dates and times have not been established by the investigation, being in an unidentified place on the territory of the city of Tolyatti, Samara Region, using conspiracy measures, including using a video communication application ... took an active part in the form of collective religious worship, consisting of a consistent study and discussion of the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20230919","regions":["samara"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, four employees of the Investigative Committee conduct a search in the apartment of Galina Komissarova. Then the woman is interrogated at the local office of the Investigative Committee. Investigator Sysoeva wonders if Galina knows Aleksandr Chagan. The believer is given a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20230908","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Samara Region, N. G. Sysoeva, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 62-year-old Galina Komissarova \"on the fact of participation in the activities of a religious association.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Komissarova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti6/index.html#20230907","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2021, in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur, security forces searched the homes of peaceful Jehovah’s Witnesses, who were charged with extremism only because of practising their religion. Igor Kletkin and Vladislav Markov spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility. The investigator initiated a criminal case against them, as well as against Nadezhda Korobochko, for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The indictment was based on information gathered from surveillance, covert audio recordings of believers’ conversations, conflicting testimony from a secret witness, and falsified testimony from other witnesses. The case went to court in December 2022. In July 2024, the court gave Kononenko, Kletkin and Korobochko suspended sentences: the men received 6 years each, Nadezhda Korobochko — 5 years.","date":"2021-10-11","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html","prisoners":["kletkin","kononenko","korobochko","markov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Babiy, judge of the Nikolaevsky-on-Amur City Court, rejects the motion of Nadezhda Korobochko to cancel the suspended sentence and remove the conviction.\nThe believer served more than half of the established period of probation and filed a motion with the court. Nadezhda noted that she diligently fulfilled the duties assigned to her in the verdict. The representative of the Criminal Correctional Inspectorate supported the motion of the believer.\nThe court recognized that there were no violations in Nadezhda's behavior during the entire period of supervision, but considered this insufficient to cancel the suspended sentence. According to the judge, the 82-year-old believer does not participate in \"active community activity, charity,\" \"volunteer organizations,\" and so on.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20260402","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["suspended","clearing","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years in a penal colony for Igor Kletkin and Nikolay Kononenko; Nadezhda Korobochko – 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240628","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korobochko reads out her additional testimony after the examination of computer and technical examinations. The defendant explains: \"Although the examination established that the book 'The Bible – New World Translation' published in 2021 was downloaded to my laptop, it is not included in the list of extremist materials.\"\nThe believer adds: \"Not one or two, but many witnesses were questioned in court, none of whom confirmed anything of the kind [the fact of distribution of extremist materials].\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240515","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kononenko gives additional testimony about audio and video recordings extracted from his tablet and phone. He states that the videos that were on mobile devices are not included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials and do not contain signs of incitement to religious hatred or superiority of one religion over another, but, on the contrary, are peaceful in nature. In order for the court to be able to make sure of this, Nikolay asks to watch these videos.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240410","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is being examined. Audio and video recordings extracted from the devices of Igor Kletkin and Nikolai Kononenko are examined. Believers point to the absence of signs of extremism in them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240327","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman with whom Nadezhda Korobochko periodically talked about the Bible is being interrogated. She confirms that she communicated with the believer for two years only on religious topics. The woman explains that the defendant never invited her to worship, did not say anything about refusing blood transfusions or about the superiority of her religion over others. The prosecution witness herself gave the believer her phone number, as she was interested in communicating with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240304","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the prosecutor's request for the appointment of a computer-technical examination of the items seized during the search of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240201","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Historian Maria Serdyuk is being interrogated. It tells about the past of Jehovah's Witnesses and describes the structure of a religious organization. When asked by the defendants, she replies that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia and that they have the right to practice their religion within the law, as long as it does not involve the use and distribution of extremist literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240129","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Items seized during searches from Vladislav Markov, Nikolai Kononenko and Igor Kletkin are being examined. Among them are issues of religious magazines for 2000 and 2004 \"How to Get Closer to God\", \"Raising Children: Not an Easy Task\", postcards thanking pharmacy workers for their work during the pandemic with links to Bible verses, personal photos, and a brochure \"How to educate children to be responsive in the world of selfishness?\".\nThe prosecutor asks Mykola Kononenko to give the password for the seized mobile phone. The believer says that 2 years have passed since the search and he does not remember the password. A tablet belonging to Kononenko's late mother, the password of which the defendant does not know, is also being examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240115","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall request the examination of two prosecution witnesses not named in the indictment. Despite the objections of the defense, the court grants the petition.\nOne of the witnesses says that for about 7 years she spoke on the phone with Korobochko exclusively on religious topics. Basically, Nadezhda read her verses from the Bible. The witness says that she did not talk to the believer under duress and that the conversations stopped before 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the criminal case documents on the presence of Nadezhda Korobochko's diseases, on awarding her with the medal \"Children of War\", as well as her pension certificate.\nIgor Kletkin reads out his written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20240111","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nadezhda Korobochko testifies and reads out her written notes. She does not admit her guilt in extremism and states that it is alien to her beliefs and in fact she is being persecuted for her religious views. The believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the materials of the criminal case contain numerous errors and violations, and no evidence of her guilt was presented to the court; The testimonies of prosecution witnesses are contradictory, and most of those questioned in court retracted their testimony given during the preliminary investigation. Moreover, during the hearings it turned out that the investigator had distorted the testimony of witnesses. Therefore, Nadezhda Korobochko asks her to fully justify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20231229","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness A. S. Zaikin is being questioned. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses study the regular Bible in a modern translation, and that they are normal people. The witness informs the court that he communicated with the defendant Igor Kletkin, but does not know Nikolai Kononenko and Nadezhda Korobochko. He also confirms that Kletkin did not continue the activities of the local religious organization after 2017.\nThe court examines material evidence - items seized during the search of Nadezhda Korobochko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20231215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines 3 volumes of written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20231127","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Shukshin, an 85-year-old neighbor of the defendant Nadezhda Korobochko and investigator Golovchenko.\nThe court rejects the request for disclosure of the data of the secret witness. Witness Shukshin informs the court that he attended worship services of believers until 2022. When asked by the prosecutor what was the involvement of other persons by the defendants in the banned organization, Shukshin answers: \"They studied the Bible.\"\nWhen asked by the defense when and where exactly Nadezhda Korobochko distributed the banned literature and whether he witnessed this fact, Shukshin replies that he saw it, but cannot confirm either the year, place, or the people to whom this literature was offered. Nor can the witness explain the difference between the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christian denominations. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses are also Christians and that their worship services are not meetings of legal entities, but meetings of ordinary believers, and the name of the creed is taken from the Bible. The witness confirms that he has not seen a single case of disrespect for authority by believers.\nNadezhda Korobochko's elderly neighbor explains that she has been living next to the defendant since 1965, but met her only in 2022 - she was carrying a heavy bag, and Nadezhda helped her carry it. Since then, they saw each other several more times, greeted each other, and 2-3 times the defendant helped her carry purchases from the store.\nWhen asked by the defense whether the witness confirms the words of the state prosecutor that Korobochko recruited her, the woman answers in the negative. She states that investigator Golovchenko tricked her into signing the protocol and the testimony in it did not correspond to reality. The woman says: \"He gave me to sign some paper, said that it was necessary to close the case, I signed it. The fact that she recruited me was never like that. He wrote there that she persuaded me. She never persuaded me.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20231116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Neighbor Nadezhda Korobochko is being re-interrogated. She partially confirms the testimony given during the preliminary investigation and states that the interrogation record contains allegations that she did not say, for example, that Korobochko made rounds of the apartments.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230829","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Roman Zhukov rejects the petition of the prosecutor Vorokova to announce the testimony without summoning the 85-year-old witness to the court due to his advanced age and the presence of diseases.\nWith the use of video conferencing, the FSB operative Slivko is interrogated. He reports that he has not heard any disrespectful statements from the defendants towards the authorities, and adds that after the decision of the Supreme Court, Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their religion. When asked by the judge for what purpose the defendants came to people's homes, he answers: \"As part of their religious activities, they shared their thoughts, faith, religious beliefs.\" However, according to Slivko, this means involving people in the activities of a religious association, but the witness cannot name specific actions of each defendant in terms of \"involvement\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230725","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A neighbor of the defendant Vladislav Markova reports four conversations with him on religious topics, she confirms that she dislikes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAnother witness reports that Markov and Kononenko talked with her about the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, offered brochures, and talked about the exclusivity of their faith. In her opinion, the phrase \"Jehovah is the only true God\" means the propaganda of exclusivity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230719","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the prosecution witness - ataman of the Cossack army. He says that the defendants did not offer him religious literature, and he did not hear statements against state power from them. At the same time, the witness speaks negatively about Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge repeatedly reprimands him and asks him to restrain his emotions.\nA witness for the prosecution, a woman with a disability, says she does not know any of the defendants. She says that when she was being treated in a neuropsychiatric dispensary, two young men came to her and drew up a protocol that she signed without reading.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230712","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant's neighbor Nadezhda Korobochko is being interrogated. She says that the believer did not involve her in any organizations. The interrogation is interrupted because the witness becomes ill, an ambulance is called and she is hospitalized.\nThe judge shall order the forced attendance of witnesses who have not appeared.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230629","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings against Igor Kletkin, Nadezhda Korobochko and Nikolai Kononenko begin. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Believers voice their attitude to the accusation. They do not admit their guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230323","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing. The court decides to suspend the proceedings against Vladislav Markov and to continue the consideration of the remaining defendants.\nThe court does not satisfy the request to terminate the criminal case, and also does not attach to the case the decision of the ECHR, which decided to stop the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\nThe assistant prosecutor asks to refuse to attach the ECHR ruling, since \"the ruling refers to another city and the materials on the decision of the European Court are not originals.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230208","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Roman Zhukov establishes the identities of the defendants. He asks Igor Kletkin about his state of health and the presence of chronic diseases. Nadezhda Korobochko asks what higher educational institution she graduated from; from Nikolay Kononenko - at which faculty he studied.\nAll three defendants are filing resignations of their assigned counsel. The assistant prosecutor objects. The judge rejected the petition, citing the fact that the defendants do not have a legal education.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20230116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers proceeds to the stage of proceedings in the Nikolaev-on-Amur City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. The referee is Roman Zhukov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20221219","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court is considering appeals by the prosecutor against the refusal to detain believers. With regard to Igor Kletkin, the court leaves the decision unchanged, and toughens the measure of restraint for Vladislav Markov to prohibit certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20211101","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Borsuk chooses Kletkin, Markov and Korobochko a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20211014","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The City Court of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur rejects the petition of investigator A. Borsuk to detain believers. They are released in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20211013","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Kletkin and Vladislav Markov are charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nNadezhda Korobochko is being interrogated as a suspect in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20211012","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Borsuk, senior investigator of the Nikolaev-on-Amur Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 60-year-old Igor Kletkin and 38-year-old Vladislav Markov. Searches are being conducted at the homes of Kletkin, Markov and 78-year-old Nadezhda Korobochko. Men are detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononenko and Others in Nikolayevsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolayevsk_na_amure/index.html#20211011","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2025, investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against two residents of the town of Uyar, Viktor Kononov and Aflatun Safarov. Their homes were searched, after which a court ordered that the elderly men be taken into custody. In February 2026, another man, Ivan Starikov, was placed in a pre-trial detention center but was soon transferred to house arrest. The investigation interpreted the holding of peaceful worship services as organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. In the spring of 2026, the court decided to place Ivan Starikov and Aflatun Safarov under house arrest.","date":"2025-10-23","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html","prisoners":["malchugova","soroka","vakarev","vakarevz","starikovi","kononov","safarov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court changes the preventive measure against Aflatun Safarov: after 6 months in a pretrial detention center, he is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20260417","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kononov regularly receives parcels and letters. He has the Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20260311","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Court on the appeal against the preventive measure, Ivan Starikov was released from the pretrial detention center. He is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20260303","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aflatun is in a cell with four prisoners, sleeping on the top bunk. The room has water, a refrigerator, a kettle and a TV. Every day there is an hour-long walk in the yard. Relations with neighbors are respectful, he is the eldest among them. A believer has a New Testament. Aflatun needs treatment.\nViktor Kononov is in quarantine. There are six people in the cell where he is being held. Although the room has not been renovated for a long time, it is warm and has cold and hot water. Victor can walk for an hour every day. His blood pressure periodically rises. In addition, due to previous tuberculosis and a severe form of covid, Viktor developed pulmonary fibrosis, and he needs constant medical supervision and treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20251208","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Uyar District Court chooses a restriction measure for 60-year-old Kononov and 62-year-old Safarov in the form of detention.\nInvestigator Tkachenko charges Viktor Kononov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20251025","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Tkachenko initiates a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization against Aflatun Safarov and for participating in it against Viktor Kononov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kononov and Others in Uyar","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uyar/index.html#20251023","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2019 in the city of Ussuriysk, searches were conducted in the homes of peaceful citizens Sergey Korolchuk and Dmitriy Tishchenko. The searches were based on the criminal case under Article 282.2(1) of the RF CrC initiated by E. Marvanyuk, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory. The third defendant was Anton Chermnykh, father of a young child. The case was based on the testimony of FSB officer K. Rusakov, who for about a year followed the believers and listened in on Tishchenko\u0026rsquo;s telephone conversations. In the opinion of the investigation, by meeting friends in a cafe to discuss the Bible, the men committed \u0026ldquo;a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the State.\u0026rdquo; The believers were under recognizance agreement for almost 3 years. In September 2020 Judge Dmitriy Babushkin began considering the case in the Ussuriyskiy District Court. The defense emphasized that the key witness gave false testimony, and expert Oleshkevich made a biased and incompetent conclusion. On November 30, 2022, the judge found the believers guilty and gave them a 6-year suspended sentence, and in May 2023 the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2019-06-18","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html","prisoners":["chermnykh","korolchuk","tishchenko"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai Dmitry Babushkin finds Sergey Korolchuk, Anton Chermnykh and Dmitry Tishchenko guilty and sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment, 4 years of probation and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-11-30T13:40:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20221130","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All the defendants make their final statements. \"Despite the criminal prosecution, we consistently prove our peacefulness and that Jehovah's Witnesses and extremism are incompatible,\" said one of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-11-29T01:24:45+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20221129","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for suspended sentences for believers: Sergey Korolchuk and Dmitry Tishchenko 6 years and 6 months each, and Anton Chermnykh 6 years. He also asks to assign everyone a probationary period of 5 years with restriction of liberty for 1 year and deprivation of the right to participate in the activities of public organizations for a period of 5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20220629","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 7th volume of the case is read out. The court draws attention to the examination of Nadezhda Oleshkevich, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy and Legal Psychology of the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. The defense notes that the examination was carried out in a biased and incompetent manner.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20210312","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Gerasimenko, the administrator of the café where the friendly meeting of believers took place, is being interrogated. Of the defendants, she recognizes only Dmitry Tishchenko. She cannot confirm that she was interrogated in May 2019, although the documents bear her signature. Gerasimenko also explains that she was not in the café at the time of the meeting of believers, so she does not know what happened there.\nDuring the interrogation, the judge again tells the prosecutor which petitions are better to file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20210301","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the case materials continues. The prosecutor reads out volumes 3 to 6. During the trial, Judge Dmitry Babushkin tells the prosecutor which of the case materials to pay attention to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20210217","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The key witness for the prosecution, FSB officer Rusakov K.V., is being interrogated. In this regard, the defendants declare that they cannot build a line of defense.\nDuring the interrogation, the fact of perjury on the part of Rusakov is revealed. The defense makes another statement that the court cannot trust the testimony of this witness. Judge Babushkin makes both observations in the record and declares that he will take them into account when sentencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2021-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20210113","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four listeners who came to support the believers are not allowed into the hall.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants express their attitude to the charges, they do not admit guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20201214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the courthouse to support the believers, but they are not allowed to enter the courtroom due to the pandemic.\nJudge Dmitry Babushkin grants the request for openness and publicity of the trial and does not object to the video broadcast.\nDespite the prosecutor's objection, the judge attaches to the case the resolution of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. When asked by the judge how this document is related to this criminal case, the defense explains that in its document the Committee of Ministers refers to specific cases of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and assesses the situation of representatives of this denomination in the country as a whole. \"Therefore, the resolution is directly related to our criminal case,\" the defendants explain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20201124","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of believers is submitted to the Ussuriysk District Court of Primorsky Krai. It is appointed to Judge Dmitry Babushkin, who is considering the case of another Jehovah's Witness, Sergey Melnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200811","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ussuriysk city prosecutor approves the indictment against Dmitry Tishchenko, Sergey Korolchuk and Anton Chermnykh.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200810","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case with the indictment is sent to the Ussuriysk city prosecutor T. V. Kushnarev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200730","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Familiarization with the materials of the criminal case is being completed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200729","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Korolchuk, Tishchenko and Chermnykh are formally charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Believers do not plead guilty, deny involvement in any extremist activity and motives of hatred or enmity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200707","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A psychological, linguistic and religious forensic examination of the transcript of the service, at which believers sing songs, pray and discuss the practical application of biblical advice, is being conducted. The expert concludes that Tishchenko, Korolchuk and Chermnykh \"are the spiritual leaders of the LRO Jehovah's Witnesses in Ussuriysk\" and its \"leading preachers.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200622","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that no later than March 30, 2020, the prosecutor's office returned the case for further investigation. The Investigative Committee should conduct a linguistic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200402","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office returns the case for further investigation. The Investigative Committee should conduct a \"comprehensive psychological\\u2012linguistic\\u2012religious\" examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200320","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A protocol of notification of the completion of investigative actions against Tishchenko and Korolchuk is signed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200124","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A protocol of notification of the completion of investigative actions against Chermnykh is signed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20200123","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A religious forensic examination of the materials provided by the investigation is being carried out. The expert concludes that Dmitry Tishchenko \"is the leader of a religious group.\" In his opinion, \"any religious association professing the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses is part of the banned extremist religious organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20191213","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Chermnykh and Dmitry Tishchenko are elected a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20191119","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Chermnykh, Dmitry Tishchenko and Sergey Korolchuk are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190627","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator E. S. Marvanyuk makes a decision on the election of Sergey Korolchuk as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190621","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ussuriysk District Court Konstantin Trofimov rejects the investigator's petition to elect a measure of restraint to Sergey Korolchuk in the form of detention. The believer is released in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190620","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The dwellings of Korolchuk and Tishchenko are being searched. Electronic devices and media, personal records, as well as a wooden magnet are seized from believers. Sergey Korolchuk is detained as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190618","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ussuriysk District Court Konstantin Trofimov orders a search in the apartments of Sergey Korolchuk and Dmitry Tishchenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190531","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice E. S. Marvanyuk, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for Ussuriysk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The reason for this is the testimony of the witness K.V. Rusakov, an employee of the department of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory in Ussuriysk, who from 21.08.2017 to 23.09.2018 conducted surveillance and listened to telephone conversations of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolchuk in Ussuriysk","date":"2019-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ussuriysk2/index.html#20190330","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On a morning in November 2021, in Akhtubinsk and Znamensk (Astrakhan Region) Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were interrogated and their homes were searched. Prior to that some of them had been under surveillance. Law enforcement officers broke down doors, damaged property, and forced both men and women to the floor. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko, deeming peaceful meetings for worship to be extremist activity. The believers were placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pretrial detention center, where they spent more than 1.5 years. In October 2022, the case went to court. Some witnesses for the prosecution, including a secret witness, partially or completely retracted their preliminary testimony. In April 2023, the court sentenced Korolev, Kiramov and Kosyanenko to 7 years imprisonment. Four months later, the court of appeal upheld the verdict against the believers. The court of cassation upheld this decision. In April 2024, Rinat Kiramov was unlawfully transferred to correctional medical facility No. 3 in the Tula Region, where he was subjected to abuse and torture.","date":"2021-11-09","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html","prisoners":["kiramov","korolevs","kosyanenko"],"regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"A court in Novomoskovsk (Tula Region) denies Rinat Kiramov parole. At the request of the believer, the meeting is held in his absence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20260406","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","parole"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rinat Kiramov is sewing disposable gowns. He works 6 days a week, sometimes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. He is also assigned to teach other prisoners sewing. At work, they note his responsible attitude and diligence to work. During his imprisonment, Rinat's eyesight has deteriorated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20260224","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of October, Rinat Kiramov gets an extended visit from his wife. Before the visit, his Bible was again taken away from him, and he had to turn to the local church for a new copy. A deep study of the Holy Scriptures helps the believer to remain steadfast and support his wife long-distance. He is also strengthened by letters from friends who have been following his life in the pretrial detention center and penal colony for more than 4 years.\nIn mid-November, Rinat started officially working in the sewing workshop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20251119","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the moment, there are 37 people in the barracks where Sergei Korolev is being held. In the workplace, he has proven himself on the positive side, performs serious projects and enjoys the respect of colleagues. He tries to fully rest, as much as possible in the conditions of imprisonment, and take care of his health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250825","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rinat had a long date with his wife Galina. His detachment now has 84 people. The believer still performs the duties of a day guard: he cleans some rooms, announces lights out and wakes up, and conducts exercises for the entire barracks. Other prisoners treat Rinat with respect and note his calm and friendly nature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250811","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosyanenko was rewarded for his hard work the sewing workshop. At the request of the administration, Sergey painted a design on one of the walls of the penal colony. In his spare time, he paints for other prisoners.\nThe premises where Sergey is kept is warm, has a refrigerator and a TV. Since staying in the penal colony, Sergey has developed a cough. He links this to the tobacco smoke that gets into the barracks.\nThe believer receives letters weekly, although after censoring he receives some of them only in part. He also has the opportunity to read the Bible. Regular telephone conversations with his wife greatly support Kosyanenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250606","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rinat still manages to get a long date with his wife. He is in a good mood. Prior to that, the believer had been ill with SARS for a long time, but at the moment the disease has receded.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250427","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration repeatedly cancels Rinat's long visits with his wife, approved by the head of the colony. And every time at the last moment, when Galina already arrives at the colony.\nDuring another search, Rinat was deprived of his Bible for the fifth time - the only copy in the colony, previously kept in the church. The book was published in 1939 by pastor Bolesław Göce, has the stamp of the local library and is approved by the censor. The believer is determined to defend his right to read the Bible, even to the point of filing a complaint with the prosecutor's office. In response, law enforcement officers threaten him with worsening conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250325","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rinat Kiramov lives in a barrack where 63 people are kept. Overall, it has everything you need for life. At the moment, Rinat is performing the duties of a day worker. He again applied to become a welder.\nAfter the seizure, Rinat was never returned the Bible.\nThe believer regularly receives letters of support from friends and family, which helps him maintain a good mood.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250210","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The administration of the colony forbade Rinat Kiramov to work and study. He wanted to get the profession of a welder, but he was expelled from the group. The ban was imposed after the believer returned from the LIU, where he was tortured. Kiramov is periodically searched and interrogated. The Bible, which was seized in September, was not returned to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2025-01-21T11:08:14+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20250121","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergei Korolev is in the barracks with about 50 prisoners. He tries not to lose his spirits. He is very supported by letters from friends and the opportunity to have long visits with his wife. Relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2024-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20241206","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosyanenko misses his family. Since he is located 1300 km from home, it is difficult for his relatives to visit him often. The believer works and actively participates in events organized by the colony: quizzes, chess tournaments, sports competitions and the design of wall newspapers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20241111","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergei Korolev is being held in the barracks along with 30 other prisoners. The believer has a normal relationship with them. There are no problems with the administration either.\nSergey works in a machine shop, sawing metal on a machine. He regularly receives letters of support and tries to respond to them. The believer has the opportunity to read the Bible.\nKorolev also regularly receives parcels from his wife. This supports Sergey emotionally. The couple were allowed a long visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20240202","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kiramov has good relations with the administration and other prisoners. He works as a baker, while mastering this profession. The believer is treated kindly, he tries to work conscientiously.\nRinat has a Bible, and he has already received several letters and a parcel from relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231210","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rinat Kiramov is taken to correctional colony No. 6 in the Tula region in the city of Novomoskovsk. Upon arrival, the believer is quarantined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231120","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","letters","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the barracks where Korolev is kept, there are another 40 people. The conditions are normal, Sergey feels good. He has a Bible. In his spare time, he studies English and does gymnastics.\nThe cellmates were surprised to learn that Yekaterina, Sergey's wife, had moved almost 700 kilometers to be closer to her husband.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231112","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergei Korolev arrives at the colony. During the transit, he is interrogated by the staff of the Center for Countering Extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231102","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosyanenko is taken to Penal Colony No. 6 in the Moscow Region, located in the city of Kolomna, to serve his sentence. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231102","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","letters","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko are transferred from the Astrakhan pre-trial detention center No. 1 to a correctional colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20231013","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to appoint each of the believers to 8 years in a general regime colony, to deprive them of the right to lead public organizations and participate in their work for 4 years, as well as to impose additional restrictions on freedom for 2 years.\nAll the defendants make their final statements. At the next hearing, the court will announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230412","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230328","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense presents its evidence. Defense witnesses are being interrogated, who give a good description of Rinat Kiramov, Rinat and Sergey Korolev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230327","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the initiative of the prosecution, E. V. Shtanko, who communicated with believers, pretending to be interested in the Bible and collaborated with law enforcement agencies, is being interrogated. The woman does not hide her hostility to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her testimony has nothing to do with the charges against the defendants.\nWitnesses of the defense are being interrogated, who give a good description of Sergey Kosyanenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230316","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness is being interrogated. He confirms his preliminary testimony.\nNext, the defense presents evidence. The wives of the defendants Kiramov and Kosyanenko, as well as Kiramov's mother, are being interrogated. They give their relatives extremely positive characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230301","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the written materials of the case continues. A man who previously professed the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is being interrogated. He does not say anything bad about believers and does not confirm most of the testimony given earlier.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230227","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, a secret witness is being interrogated - a man with whom Rinat Kiramov talked about the Bible. The man considers the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be prohibited in Russia. At the same time, he says that the believers did not carry out extremist activities. The witness partially refutes the testimony he gave during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230210","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergei Korolev's wife, Ekaterina, is being interrogated. She gives a positive characteristic to her husband. When answering most of the prosecutor's questions, he uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20230208","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On December 5 and 7, Sergey Kosyanenko is present only at part of the hearings for health reasons - he is being provided with emergency medical care in the temporary detention facility. On December 8, doctors were summoned to the courthouse - Sergey Kosyanenko became ill at the hearing.\nProsecution witnesses are questioned at the hearing. The first of them says that he does not know the defendants, only Rinat Kiramov \"met a couple of times on the street.\" The prosecutor reads out part of the preliminary testimony of the witness, where it is said that he is familiar with the defendants and calls them \"organizers\". The witness insists that he did not give the testimony assigned to him and reports that he signed the protocol without reading, as he was interrogated without glasses.\nAnother witness uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and confirms his preliminary testimony.\nThe defense objects to the fact that the prosecutor does not allow the wives of the defendants into the courtroom. The judge does not allow the prosecutor to challenge.\nThe state prosecutor continues to read out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221205","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The challenge to the judge filed by the defense remains unsatisfied.\nThe prosecutor announces the indictment and proceeds to the examination of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221124","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Astrakhan Regional Court upholds the decision to extend the period of detention of believers, reducing it by only 1 day - until April 26, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221118","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Akhtuba District Court extends the period of detention of believers until April 27, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221101","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Akhtubinsky District Court of the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20221027","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Savinich initiates another criminal case against three believers under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing the activities of an extremist organization). Later, he combines it into one proceeding with the case previously initiated against Korolev, Kiramov and Kosyanenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20220817","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. Three believers are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Astrakhan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20211111","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Akhtubinsk District Court elects a measure of restraint for Sergey Korolev in the form of detention until January 9, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20211110","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 5 a.m., the investigator of the Akhtuba Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, Sergey Savinich, opened a criminal case against three believers: Sergey Korolev, Rinat Kiramov and Sergey Kosyanenko. Within a couple of hours, searches are being carried out at at least 15 addresses in Akhtubinsk and Znamensk.\nInvestigative actions last from 4 to 10 hours. Telephones, personal records, information carriers and printed publications are seized from believers. Law enforcement officers interrogate at least 15 citizens and make audio recordings of the voices of some of them for later identification.\nHaving knocked on Rinat Kiramov's door, the security forces introduce themselves as neighbors, whom the spouses allegedly flood. Then they break down the door and order the Kiramov family and their guests to lie on the floor. One of them had to remain in this position for more than an hour. Phones, passports and car keys are seized from Kiramov's friends. The security forces open the ceiling in the kitchen, as a result of which its suspension system falls, break the dishes and partially dismantle the panels of the balcony cladding. Law enforcement officers take away all those present for interrogation. Copies of the protocols are not provided to the guests of the Kiramovs, citing the fact that the official search did not take place at their place.\nDuring a search in the Korolevs' house, Sergey's wife's blood pressure rises sharply. One of the law enforcement officers tries to calm her down. The spouses are allowed to have breakfast before taking them away for interrogation. According to the investigator, the believers were monitored and wiretapped. After interrogation, Sergey Korolev is placed in a temporary detention facility.\nAfter a search in another house, the security forces take away for questioning a mother and son, a hearing impaired person of group III. He is experiencing a strong emotional shock, as he cannot hear the investigator well, and he is not provided with a sign language interpreter.\nInvestigators prevent believers from exercising their right not to testify against themselves and their loved ones, interpreting the use of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation as a refusal to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Korolev and Others in Akhtubinsk","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/akhtubinsk/index.html#20211109","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, the homes of peaceful residents in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, as well as in Khurba and Molodezhniy, were searched during the night on religious grounds. The investigation initiated a criminal case against 10 believers: Vasiliy Bondarev and his mother Irina, Sergey and Ulita Sachnev, Nikolay Kovadnev, Ivan Nikitin, Mikhail Dorofeev, Radion Shitov, Marina Voytko and Svetlana Zharkova. They were charged with involving others in the activity of a banned organization. In 2024, the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office returned the case to the investigator twice. In October of the same year, the case went to court. All the defendants were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which made it difficult for them to pay bills and manage their assets. In October 2025, the court gave suspended sentences of 6 years to Dorofeev, Kovadnev and Shitov and 2 years to the Bondarevs, the Sachnevs, Zharkova, Voytko and Nikitin. Among the convicted persons, five are over 60.","date":"2023-05-04","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html","prisoners":["bondarev","bondareva","sachnev","sachneva","zharkova","dorofeev","kovadnev","nikitin","shitov","voytko"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"cases"},{"body":"Four believers give their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-09-24T14:34:20+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250924","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor demands 7 years in a penal colony for Dorofeev, Kovadnev and Shitov. For the other defendants — 4 years imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250806","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants declare their innocence. \"Accusing a person of a crime that he did not commit is already a crime,\" emphasizes Marina Voitko. Ivan Nikitin notes: \"I am on trial for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" According to him, he was deprived of his honestly earned livelihood by accounts being blocked. Mikhail Dorofeev states: \"My faith and beliefs are based on the Bible, which teaches love... The prosecution incorrectly calls it a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250708","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Olga May, who met Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s. The woman says that they are \"very good, decent and smiling people.\" During the interrogation, she admits that, at the request of the FSB, she recorded meetings for worship with the help of special equipment and transmitted the data to the investigating authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250326","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Galyamov, who said that he was a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church and the head of the religious education department of the Amur diocese. He is not personally acquainted with the defendants and is not an eyewitness to the circumstances of the criminal case. He says that he studied the materials of the criminal case at the request of the investigation and gave a theological conclusion. He considers the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses to be incorrect because they do not agree with the point of view of the Russian Orthodox Church.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250307","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants read out their attitude to the charges. The prosecutor's office believes that participation in collective religious meetings via video conferencing in the Zoom application online with friends and fellow believers is a continuation of the activities of the liquidated religious organization. The defendants, however, draw the court's attention to the fact that they only sang religious songs, prayed and listened to discussions of biblical texts. According to them, the motives were not enmity and hatred, as the prosecution claims, but love for God and people.\nIryna Bondareva says: \"In 2021, I had covid with bilateral pneumonia with 75% lung damage, my health was very badly undermined and over the next years I have been trying to restore it, which was greatly not facilitated by the search and investigative actions. On the contrary, the illegal criminal prosecution has a negative impact on my health.\" Her son, Vasiliy, adds: \"The accusation of extremism is the subjective opinion of the investigator. It is unfounded, far-fetched, based on the testimony of interested persons and assumptions put forward by them, which are not supported by evidence.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250228","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Khabarovsk Regional Court Olga Matulina refuses to change the territorial jurisdiction of the criminal case of Nikolay Kovadnev and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20250115","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering the motion of the defense to change the territorial jurisdiction and transfer the criminal case to the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, since most of the defendants live in the territory under its jurisdiction. Judge Sokolov, having checked the existence of legal grounds for changing jurisdiction, decides to send the petition and materials of the criminal case to the Khabarovsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20241213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of ten believers is sent to the Komsomolsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory and assigned to Judge Aleksandr Sokolov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20241031","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Additional investigation is again entrusted to the investigation team headed by investigator Kuznetsov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20240918","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the second time that the prosecutor has returned the case to the preliminary investigation stage to eliminate the identified deficiencies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20240913","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An investigative group of 14 investigators of the Investigative Committee, headed by investigator Kuznetsov, is being created for additional investigation of this criminal case.\nKuznetsov brings Mikhail Dorofeyev as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and charges him in a new edition.\nInvestigator for especially important cases Chivileva L.V. interrogates Dorofeyev. The believer pleads not guilty and petitions for the dismissal of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20240821","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Ermolenko, Deputy Head of the Investigative Department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, returns the case of believers to the stage of preliminary investigation. During the check, it turns out that the law enforcement officers did not establish where, when and what exactly the suspects committed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20240719","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kuznetsov interrogates Ivan Nikitin, asking him questions about faith, religions, and the army.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20230601","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At midnight, Marina Voitko's house is searched in the village of Molodezhnoye. Armed security forces in bulletproof vests and masks drive up to her house in a minibus and a car. The search lasts an hour and a half, electronic devices, notebooks and notebooks with personal notes are seized from the believer. She is also given a summons for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20230526","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Komsomolsk-on-Amur and the village of Khurba, searches are carried out in the evening at the homes of local believers - the Zharkovs, the Sachnevs, the Bondarevs, the Nikitins, the Shitovs, the Dorofeevs and the Kovadnevs. According to believers, the security forces come in the amount of 7 people, accompanied by officers of the FSB, the Investigative Committee, the police and witnesses. As they note, law enforcement officers behave politely.\nIn the Bondarev family, Vasily is ordered to lie down on the floor, after which his mother Irina becomes ill, her blood pressure rises. Then the police allow Vasily to sit on the couch. During the searches, electronic devices, Bibles, CDs and personal records are seized.\nBelievers are given summons to the Investigative Committee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20230525","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur issues a search order in the home of Vasily Bondarev, who lives in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20230523","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Svetlana Shved, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons.\nThe investigation believes that the believers, \"staying in the village of Khurba in the Komsomolsk district of the Khabarovsk Territory, persuaded, recruited and otherwise involved May O.P. in the activities of the organization.\" Senior Lieutenant of Justice Leonid Kuznetsov is appointed head of the investigation team.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kovadnev and Others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur2/index.html#20230504","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the city of Tolyatti were searched. Yelena Kozhevnikova became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith. She was made to sign a recognizance agreement. She was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization only because she gathered with friends to discuss Bible teachings. The basis for initiating a criminal case was hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 2.5 years. In July 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4 years in a penal colony for Yelena. In March 2024, the court issued a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-15","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html","prisoners":["kozhevnikova"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"History has repeatedly shown that Jehovah's Witnesses are not guilty of what they are accused of. It is not clear why they do not want to admit this, \"Elena Kozhevnikova makes her last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-04T10:38:45+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20240304","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 4 years of imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of liberty for Elena Kozhevnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20240228","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Kozhevnikova reads out her testimony against her accusation. She declares that she does not pose any public danger, as she respects people of any nationality and religion, respects the laws and the government of Russia. \"I do not believe that talking about God and biblical principles in any way violates the constitutional order or poses a threat to state security,\" she emphasizes.\nWith regard to the testimony of witnesses Ivanov and Kokhalskaya, the defendant says: \"Witness Kokhalskaya, testifying before the Investigative Committee, claimed that I was a member of the Tolyatti LRO. During her testimony in court, she clarified that she did not understand the difference between a legal entity and just a believer, for her it is one and the same. She could not document my connection with the LRO.\"\nKozhevnikova says that the witness Ivanov pretended to be a man interested in the Bible: \"Witness Ivanov deceived for several years, posing as another person whom he trusted.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20240220","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Galiev is being interrogated. The defendant Kozhevnikova asks the court to recognize his conclusion as inadmissible evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20240122","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts are being interrogated: associate professor Lenar Galiev and master Kirill Kirushin. The defendant asks the court to recognize their conclusions as inadmissible evidence of her guilt. She notes that Kirushin did not have the right to conduct a study of the materials, since he is not a state forensic expert; Lenar Galiev went beyond his competence by giving a legal assessment of her religious affiliation; the examination contains a negative assessment of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses without indications of scientific sources, which may indicate bias of experts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20240122","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"9 people come to the court session, but only one is allowed into the courtroom to make an audio recording of the process.\nThe reading of the 1st volume of the case continues. Kozhevnikova filed a petition for the court to study materials on the works of Kuprin, the Synodal edition of the Bible and the textbook \"Fundamentals of Religious Studies\" edited by Yablokov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20231011","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials - the records of three divine services - continues.\nAt the next meeting, it is planned to review the disks from the case materials. The judge says he leaves it up to the defense. The appointed lawyer refuses to view, arguing that she has already watched the recordings. Kozhevnikova considers viewing necessary and wants to comment on the video materials to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20231005","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to support Elena Kozhevnikova, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.\nJudge Irina Onuchina asks to appoint one person who will record the hearing.\nThe case materials from the 1st volume, including the testimony of experts, are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20231004","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant makes 6 motions, including the refusal of a lawyer by appointment. The court rejects this petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230911","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Central District Court of Tolyatti and appointed to Judge Irina Onuchina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230721","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Ruslan Mgoyan involves Elena Kozhevnikova as an accused. She is accused of taking an active part in the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses through video conferencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230622","regions":["samara"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Mgoyan chooses a preventive measure for Kozhevnikova in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230518","regions":["samara"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the direction of investigator Grekov in Tolyatti, searches are carried out at 4 addresses, including Elena Kozhevnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230516","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Grekov, an investigator of the Central Investigation Department of the City of Tolyatti of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region, is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 61-year-old Elena Kozhevnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhevnikova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti4/index.html#20230515","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2023, a criminal case was initiated against peaceful residents in the city of Lesnoy, Pavel Loshchinin and Andrey Bannykh, as well as Andrey Kozhushko, a disabled person living in the village of Taezhnyy. The believers were charged with “organizing the study of extremist materials and other religious literature” because they discussed the Bible together. In April, officers of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation conducted searches at 6 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses as part of this case. Andrey Bannykh is one of the believers whose complaint was satisfied by the ECHR, declaring the prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia unlawful. In May 2024, the case went to court. It involved secret witnesses. The prosecutor requested 7 years imprisonment for the defendants. In November 2024, the court gave them a 6-year suspended sentence. In March 2025, the verdict was upheld by the court of appeal.","date":"2023-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html","prisoners":["bannykh","kozhushko","loshchinin"],"regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Denis Meledin. State prosecutor: N. V. Kuznetsov. Sverdlovsk Regional Court (120 Moskovskaya Street, Yekaterinburg). Time: 11:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20250305","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor Ivan Tenishchev is filing an appeal against the decision of the city court of the city of Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk Region, demanding that the sentence for three believers — 6 years of suspended sentence — be replaced with a real term of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20241209","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers deliver their last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20241119","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7 years in prison for Kozhushko, Bannykh and Loshchinin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20241025","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Bannykh, answering the lawyer's questions, says that he has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1995, and after the liquidation of the Local Religious Organization in 2017, he did not cease to be a believer.\nIn his testimony, Andrei Kozhushko drew attention to the fact that the \"divine services examined by the court are of a peaceful nature... do not pose any threat to society and the state, and even more so do not have signs of hatred, violence and extremism.\"\nPavel Loshchinin says that he has never been brought to criminal or administrative responsibility: \"I am a law-abiding citizen and would never participate in any illegal activity.\"\nPositive references, awards and diplomas of believers are announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20241016","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case from volumes 6 to 12 are examined. Some excerpts from the transcript of the audio recordings of the divine services are read. The voiced words are attributed to the defendants. However, there is a discrepancy between the text of the transcript and the content of the audio recordings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240913","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An operative of the FSB A. I. Isaev is being interrogated. He briefly recounts the information contained in the materials of operational-investigative activities.\nThe defense is trying to file a motion due to the fact that such an interrogation of an operational officer cannot be considered as real evidence. The Court ignores this request.\nWhen answering questions from the defense, Isaev notes that he has not heard from Jehovah's Witnesses and specifically from the defendants calls for violence, disrespect for state authorities, the severance of family ties and refusal of medical treatment.\nHe also acknowledges that the Supreme Court did not assess the legality of Jehovah's Witnesses' religious beliefs. At the same time, he refers to a certain plenum, at which, according to him, the activities of believers \"were considered prohibited and extremist.\"\nThe interrogation of witnesses for the prosecution continues. Two women who cannot provide any specific information on the circumstances of the criminal case are taking the floor.\nThen two secret witnesses under the pseudonyms Kuznetsov and Smirnova speak via video link. Witness Kuznetsov says that he cannot say anything for sure and that his testimony is only speculation.\nSmirnova used to attend services of Jehovah's Witnesses. She can only say who the elders are from the words of other believers whose names she does not remember.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240912","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines two witnesses for the prosecution. Both women state that they do not know the defendants. One of them communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses 26 years ago, another has a friend who professes this religion. The latter notes that the believers never demanded property and money from her, did not threaten her, and she did not hear calls for illegal activities from them.\nOther prosecution witnesses did not appear in the courtroom. At the request of the defense, the judge decides to summon them again. The prosecutor then reads out the charges.\nAfter the break, the court hearing, at the request of Andrei Kozhushko, was adjourned to another day because of his seizure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240717","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"22 people come to the court session to support the believers, but not everyone is allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment, the defendants express their disagreement with the charges.\nAndrey Bannykh says: \"I am only accused of gathering with fellow believers at meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and reading religious texts.\" He adds: \"In fact, I am being forced to renounce my religion, I am being deprived of the right to freely choose, have and spread religious beliefs and to act in accordance with them.\"\nAndrei Kozhushko told the court: \"It is clear from the content of the indictment that all the activities of the investigation and operational officers were aimed not at identifying signs of extremism..., but at suppressing religious activity.\"\nHe also talks about the political repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR and draws a parallel with his family: \"Unfortunately, today this injustice is repeated, and it affected my family. My family and I are in the greatest perplexity from the criminal prosecution and accusation, with which I categorically disagree.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240701","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is sent to the city court of the city of Lesnoy, Sverdlovsk Region, for consideration by judge Lyudmila Erzikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240521","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin are charged under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The ruling states that the believers carried out \"their personal participation in it as religious leaders.\"\nThe document describes each of the defendants: \"Through videoconferencing ... carried out religious meetings for worship, public study and discussion of literature, video recordings and illustrations.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20240419","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at at least 6 addresses of local Jehovah's Witnesses. During the search, all electronic devices and personal records are seized from believers. The security forces seized a large amount of personal savings from one family. At least five citizens are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20230414","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the Lesnoy Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region is initiating a criminal case against Andrey Kozhushko, Andrey Bannykh and Pavel Loshchinin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kozhushko and Others in Lesnoy","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesnoy/index.html#20230328","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2021-06-24","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan4/index.html","prisoners":["krasnolutskiy"],"regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Krasnolutsky in Abakan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The local department of the Investigative Committee initiates a criminal case against 46-year-old Vladimir Krasnolutsky for organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Krasnolutsky in Abakan","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan4/index.html#20210624","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Syktyvkar. Sergey Ushakhin, Andrey Kharlamov, Aleksandr Ketov and Aleksandr Kruglyakov ended up in a temporary detention facility. The investigation initiated a criminal case against them and Lidiya Nekrasova, charging the believers with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. Sergey, a disabled person, and elderly Lidiya were placed under recognizance agreements. Kharlamov and Ketov were under house arrest, and Kruglyakov was in custody for 2 months. Later, Ketov and Kruglyakov were placed under a ban on certain actions. After a year of investigation, the case went to court. The charge was drawn up with violations of the law, no facts of extremism were revealed, and the judge returned the case to the prosecutor. In January 2023, it was again in court. After 6 months of hearings, Sergey Ushakhin\u0026rsquo;s condition deteriorated sharply, and he died. In November 2025, the court imposed fines on the believers: Nekrasova — 300,000 rubles, Kruglyakov — 470,000 rubles, Ketov and Kharlamov — 500,000 rubles each.","date":"2021-03-02","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html","prisoners":["ketov","kharlamov","kruglyakov","nekrasova","ushakhin"],"regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","type":"cases"},{"body":"After considering the results of the second expert study, the public prosecutor completes his closing arguments and requests again fines for the defendants. Andrei Kharlamov makes his final statement.\n38 people who came to support the defendants were allowed to the hearings. The final verdict is expected to be handed down on December 19, 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20251128","regions":["komi"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","282.2-2","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the current absence of a certified specialist in conducting religious examinations in the Russian Federal Center of Forensic Expertise, the study of the case materials is entrusted to the Ural Regional Center of Forensic Expertise of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20250306","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judicial investigation is being resumed. The judge grants the request of the defense to conduct a repeated comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious forensic examination. The case materials will be sent to the Center for Forensic Examinations at the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation. Court hearings will resume after the examination is ready.\nAbout 90 people come to support the believers, about 50 can be accommodated in the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20250304","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20250226","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor speaks during the debate and requests that the believers be punished with fines. He asks Alexander Kruglyakov to be assigned 550 thousand rubles, reducing the amount to be paid to 250 thousand, taking into account the time spent in the pre-trial detention center, and Andrey Kharlamov and Alexander Ketov - 450 thousand rubles each. The prosecutor also proposes to reduce their fine to 300 thousand, since the believers spent about two months under house arrest. The prosecutor requests a fine of 300 thousand rubles for Lydia Nekrasova. State prosecutor Sadomsky asks Sergei Ushakhin to be found guilty posthumously.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20250220","regions":["komi"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is postponed: Lydia Nekrasova is ill, and Andrey Kharlamov is in rehabilitation (in December 2023, he underwent hip replacement surgery).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20241028","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, the court examines a fragment of a magazine published by Jehovah's Witnesses seized during the search of Ketov's home. \"This article and the biblical principles from it encourage us to respect the state, to respect the laws of the country,\" the believer emphasizes. \"I would like to add that I have dedicated my life to God and pledged myself to fulfill his laws and requirements.\"\nThe court is clarifying the circumstances of the interrogation of a prosecution witness who had previously stated pressure from the investigation. The law enforcement officer Belov, who conducted the interrogation, denies this. He says that the witness signed the protocol, but did not express any concerns.\nAleksandr Ketov is being interrogated. He states that the testimony of the key prosecution witness is untrue. The witness based his statements on the words of three other people, but at the confrontation their testimony differed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20241016","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lydia Nekrasova testifies in court. She is perplexed: \"I am accused of a crime that I did not commit. I did not join any extremist groups, did not incite religious hatred in anyone, and especially did not use any violence against anyone.\" The believer continues: \"I do not understand why I, a peaceful person, am presented today as a dangerous criminal for society. It hurts me a lot.\"\nThe court attaches to the case file the positive references of Lydia Nekrasova from the nursing home for the elderly and disabled, where she worked as a nurse for 14 years, as well as from her neighbors.\nThe next defendant, Andrey Kharlamov, emphasizes during the interrogation: \"The prosecution has no facts that I committed any illegal actions.\" As an argument, he cites the conclusion of the FSB expert Shakhova. After examining the records of 10 worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Syktyvkar, she came to the conclusion that \"extremism has not been identified.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20241014","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kruglyakov is being interrogated. Answering the questions of the judge and the state prosecutor, the believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nLydia Nekrasova feels bad and an ambulance is called. Due to the elderly woman's poor health, the meeting was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240913","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Kruglyakov petitions to include in the case file the responses from the Prosecutor's Office of the Komi Republic to his appeals to various authorities, including the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation, the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, etc. All documents confirm that the confession of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses by individuals is not a criminal offense. The court dismissed Kruglyakov's petition.\nSpeaking with written notes, Kruglyakov states: \"Peaceful conversations about God in the circle of fellow believers or with other people without calls for violence, discrimination and degrading treatment of any public group cannot have such a degree of public danger [which would correspond to Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation].\" He draws the court's attention to the conclusions of the expert examination, according to which no such statements were found in the materials obtained in the course of the operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240911","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of the prosecution witness is ongoing. The protocols of confrontations between the witness and the defendants are announced. The witness confirms his testimony in part and expresses doubt that he pronounced the name of the defendant Kruglyakov during the interrogation and thinks that he could have been attributed later. The witness states that he did not indicate the roles and status of other participants in the services, although this testimony is recorded in the protocol.\nHe also says that he attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2014, a period not imputed to the defendants.\nNext, the court reviews video recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240814","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness who had previously attended worship services. When asked by the judge about what is happening at the services, the witness answers: \"We discussed the Bible, communicated, nothing superfluous, an ordinary meeting of the congregation, which is not prohibited.\"\nThe witness does not confirm the preliminary testimony because it is partially unreliable. He says that at the time of the interrogation he was serving a sentence in a general regime colony and was pressured before the interrogation. According to him, investigator Belov and FSB Major Ryzhov threatened him with an increase in his sentence if he refused to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240529","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Videos of worship services are played. Aleksandr Kruglyakov draws the court's attention to the fact that in the transcript of the video, some words have been replaced with others that distort the meaning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240418","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The public prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case, including the conclusion of the forensic religious examination, a list of material evidence and documents characterizing the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240402","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge postpones the hearing for several reasons: Andrey Kharlamov continues treatment after surgery; Lydia Nekrasova's husband died.\nAt the next hearing, the state prosecutor plans to continue reading out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240220","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the operation, Kharlamov needs rehabilitation. Despite this, he comes to the hearing, but after 40 minutes he feels worse. He asks to postpone the hearings, as doctors recommend that he rest. The judge grants the request. Hearings in the case will not take place until at least the end of March.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20240125","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court selectively reads out volumes of the case materials. Among them is a religious examination carried out by Larisa Astakhova. Alexander Kruglyakov draws the judge's attention to the fact that some sheets of this examination do not match. He asks to be excluded from the case file as improperly prepared, but the judge refuses.\nFurther court hearings scheduled for December are postponed due to the upcoming operation on Andrei Kharlamov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231206","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"14 people come to support the believers. The prosecution continues to consider the conclusion of the religious forensic examination.\nAfter about an hour, the defendant Lydia Nekrasova becomes ill, and the judge stops the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231130","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out the conclusion of the religious forensic examination, which was carried out by the expert of the Kazan Interregional Center of Expertise, the head of the Department of Religious Studies of the Kazan Federal University Larisa Astakhova. Alexander Kruglyakov asks to conduct a study of this examination as non-compliant with the requirements and allow him to comment on the results. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231128","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"22 people come to support the defendants.\nAlexander Kruglyakov testifies. He reports that his actions, recorded by the investigating authorities during the investigation, have nothing to do with extremism.\nThe defendant also petitions for the exclusion from the case file of the protocols of interrogations of one of the prosecution witnesses, conducted by two different investigators, since they were drawn up with violations. Kruglyakov points out that in the interrogations of the witness different data are given, although no more than 5 days passed between them. At the same time, there are exactly the same proposals in the protocols. On this basis, Alexander concludes that some passages of the text were copied and there was no actual interrogation of the witness.\nIn addition, the defendant files a motion to cancel the measure of restraint due to the fact that most of the witnesses in the case have already been questioned at the trial and not a single one has confirmed Kruglyakov's involvement in the alleged crime. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231031","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, a former Jehovah's Witness, is being questioned. He says that he has no personal animosity towards the defendants, there were no conflicts with them, but in general he is opposed to believers.\nSome of his testimonies do not agree or have significant contradictions with the testimony given during the preliminary investigation. The prosecutor asks that they be read out of the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231025","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor files a motion for the disclosure of the testimony of a witness - a representative of law enforcement agencies, since there are a number of significant contradictions regarding the status and date of the search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20231017","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Aleksandr Kruglyakov protests against the leading questions that the prosecutor asks one of the witnesses in order to obtain the testimony necessary for the prosecution. The judge provides.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230914","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge announces the death of Sergei Ushakhin and invites the defendant's wife Natalia to participate in the criminal case. When asked by the judge about the possibility of terminating the criminal case against her husband, she replies that Sergey is not guilty of anything, and asks to continue the consideration of the case in order to achieve an acquittal of her husband's good name. The Court granted her request.\nThe prosecution is questioning witnesses. Most of them, answering questions, use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe judge interrogates Aleksandr Kruglyakov. The defendant uses quotations from the Bible in his testimony and receives a remark for this - according to the judge, there is no need for this. The defense objected, explaining that the Bible at one time helped Kruglyakov to change for the better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230821","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the death of Sergei Ushakhin. The day before, his condition deteriorated greatly, and he was hospitalized in the city cardiology center.\nThe believer maintained a positive attitude to the end and defended his good name, refuting accusations of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230810","regions":["komi"],"tags":["died","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The commission of the Ministry of Health of the Komi Republic establishes that Sergey Ushakhin has indications for receiving high-tech medical care. He can receive this treatment only outside the Komi Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230706","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Sergey Ushakhin has been suspended due to his illness. The court decides to request information about his state of health and ongoing treatment and then determine the course of further proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230615","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Alexander Kruglyakov draws the court's attention to the use of words in the case materials that offend his religious feelings: \"adept\", \"Jehovah's Witness\", \"sect\", \"propaganda\".\nThe court refuses to soften the measure of restraint to Alexander Ketov, who filed a corresponding petition in connection with his wife's illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230419","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The session is in the new composition of the court. In addition to the participants in the case, 24 listeners are present at it.\nThe judge does not satisfy Kruglyakov's petition to terminate the criminal case, cancel the preventive measure and remove the arrest from his car. Prosecutor Nikolai Egorov reads out the indictment.\nThe defendants speak with an attitude to the prosecution. Lydia Nekrasova, 70, says her faith is based on biblical teachings. The judge interrupts the believer and demands that she stop quoting the Bible.\nAleksandr Kruglyakov draws the court's attention to the fact that extremism is alien to his religion. He also says: \"Propaganda of exclusivity, religious discord, negative assessment of representatives of other religions have not been proven in the case materials. There is even a specialist's conclusion about the absence of extremism in my actions. I consider criminal prosecution to be repression for faith.\"\nAndrey Kharlamov in his speech recalls that the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017 did not limit the right of people to worship Jehovah God.\nAleksandr Ketov and Sergey Ushakhin also plead not guilty to extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230327","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case are re-submitted for consideration to the Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic. Judge Yevgeny Sazhin will listen to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20230117","regions":["komi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Supreme Court of the Komi Republic Dmitry Peshakov considers the appeal of the prosecutor P. A. Sadomsky and the complaints of believers.\nThe defendants emphasize that they lead a peaceful lifestyle, and due to the absence of corpus delicti and signs of extremism in their actions, they ask for an acquittal. The judge upholds the decision of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220816","regions":["komi"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Maria Lekomtseva notes violations in the indictment: it does not reflect the specific illegal actions of the defendants, does not provide evidence of criminal intent and extremist motives.\nFor example, the indictment against Lydia Nekrasova states that she watched videos and sang songs at worship services, but does not indicate any signs of extremism.\nThe judge recalls that in accordance with Art. 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, the investigator is obliged to indicate the circumstances, place, time, methods, motives, goals and consequences related to the criminal case.\nAppealing to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, the judge decides to return the case to the prosecutor.\nPreventive measures against believers remain unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220609","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courthouse.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charge by mispronouncing the name of God. During the break, the defendant politely asks him to pronounce God's name correctly. The prosecutor takes this request into account and in the future correctly puts the emphasis on the name of God.\nThe defendant applies for a broadcast of the court session on the Internet. The judge grants the motion despite the prosecutor's objection. However, due to the poor quality of communication, the broadcast cannot be carried out.\nSince the meeting room cannot accommodate everyone who wants to attend the hearing, they are allocated a separate room. The meeting is being broadcast there, but due to the poor quality of communication, audibility is poor.\nThe judge rejects the motions of the two defendants for self-defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220526","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people gather outside the courthouse to support the defendants. Only two are allowed into the meeting room with reference to the epidemiological situation.\nThe hearing was postponed because the defendant Andrey Kharlamov did not receive a summons to appear at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220419","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic (Syktyvkar, Pushkin St., 20). Maria Lekomtseva was appointed judge in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220310","regions":["komi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office approves the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2022-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20220219","regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers are served with orders to bring them as accused.\nInvestigators Egorov D. Y. and Mitroshin O. S. take a written undertaking not to leave Sergey Ushakhin and Lydia Nekrasova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20211228","regions":["komi"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic changes the measure of restraint for Aleksandr Kruglyakov and Aleksandr Ketov to prohibit certain actions. Aleksandr Kruglyakov spent 57 days in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20210428","regions":["komi"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic satisfies the petition of the senior investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee A. Y. Belov and softens the measure of restraint for Andrey Kharlamov. He is prohibited from certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20210427","regions":["komi"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Belov, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Komi Republic, chooses a preventive measure against Lydia Nekrasova in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior. A written undertaking not to leave is taken from Sergey Ushakhin. The decision is issued by investigator I. V. Ovsyannikov.\nThe investigation believes that the believers \"committed active actions aimed at participating in the illegal activities of the Syktyvkar LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses by ... studying the religious norms of the banned organization by reading poems, watching videos, participating in meetings, meetings of the banned organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kruglyakov and Others in Syktyvkar","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/syktyvkar/index.html#20210302","regions":["komi"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2024, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case in Birobidzhan against unidentified persons for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. 13 days later, the homes of elderly Anatoliy Artamonov and Aleksandr Krushevskiy, who is hearing impaired, were searched. In January 2025, the investigator chose a restriction measure for the believers in the form of a recognizance agreement, and two days later he also charged them with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The reason for this was peaceful conversations about the Bible with two women. In February 2025, both Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, and the case was taken to court. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in prison for the believers. In July, the court sentenced Krushevskiy and Artamonov to 5 years of suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 1.5 years. In October 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2024-01-24","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html","prisoners":["artamonov","krushevskiy"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Must be destroyed\" is the decision made by Judge Nataliya Shibanova regarding a copy of the Bible, which is part of the material evidence in the case of the believers. Other materials (for example, video recordings) will continue to be stored in the case materials.\nProsecutor Yevgeniy Leshundak participates in the hearing of the Birobidzhan District Court, at which \"the fate of one book [...] in a dark binding with the inscription \"New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures\" is being decided\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20251031","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["bible-ban"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the sentence to Artamonov and Krushevsky. The decision comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20251002","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his final statement elderly Anatoliy Artamonov tells the court about his beliefs. Aleksandr Krushevskiy explains, how studying the Bible helped him n life. Both believers ask the court to be acquitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250728","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence the believers to 4.5 years imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250718","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the charges. Anatoly Artamonov notes: \"All my actions were legal, religious and completely peaceful. The prosecution does not allege that I incited violence or religious hatred and enmity. I did not do anything that would indicate the continuation of the illegal activities of any extremist organization ... I have never engaged in any extremist activity, never persuaded or otherwise involved others, and never participated in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nAleksandr Krushevsky echoes: \"My views and beliefs are directly opposite to what the law recognizes as 'extremism'. My faith is based on the Bible, which is a sacred religious book for Christians of all denominations and which, by virtue of an explicit ban, cannot be considered extremist material (Article 3.1 of the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\").\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250418","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Artamonov and Aleksandr Krushevskiy are being searched as part of a new criminal case against another believer from Birobidzhan, Oleg Postnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings begin on the case of believers. They are held with the participation of a sign language interpreter, which makes it possible for Aleksandr Krushevsky, who is hearing impaired, to participate in the process.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250313","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court and is referred to Judge Natalia Shibanova for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250221","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"73-year-old Anatoliy Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250211","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Emelianenko interrogates Artamonov and Krushevsky and charges them with participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250115","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Emelianenko chooses a measure of restraint for believers in the form of a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20250113","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee is conducting searches in the apartments of both believers. Alexander Krushevsky's investigative actions are led by I. Y. Nenko, Anatoly Artamonov's — senior investigator D. V. Emelianenko. Later, Krushevsky was taken to the Investigative Committee and interrogated. The believer explains to the investigator that he is a person with hearing disability of group III.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","interrogation","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Olga Klyuchikova, who previously handed down guilty verdicts in three cases of Jehovah's Witnesses, allows searches of 71-year-old Anatoly Artamonov and 45-year-old Aleksandr Krushevskiy. Both men are hard of hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20240205","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the Investigative Department for the city of Birobidzhan, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Ivan Nenko, issues a decision against unidentified persons to initiate criminal proceedings for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Krushevskiy and Artamonov in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan21/index.html#20240124","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2026, the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan Region initiated a criminal case against Roman Kuchin on suspicion of extremism. His apartment in Tyumen was searched, after which the believer and his wife were taken to Kurgan for interrogation. The man was placed on recognizance agreement.","date":"2026-05-26","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan7/index.html","prisoners":["kuchin"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kuchin in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kuchina is added to the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuchin in Kurgan","date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan7/index.html#20260602","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the direction of Senior Investigator Sergey Grachev, a search is conducted at the Kuchin family's apartment in Tyumen. Law enforcement officers break in to the couple's home at 6:00 a.m., order them to lie on the floor, and twist Roman's arms behind his back.\nDuring the investigative actions, electronic devices and data storage media are seized. After the search, the believer and his wife are taken to the Investigative Committee of Kurgan and questioned. Investigator Grachev has Roman sign a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuchin in Kurgan","date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan7/index.html#20260529","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region is initiating a criminal case against Roman Kuchin on suspicion of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuchin in Kurgan","date":"2026-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan7/index.html#20260526","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Birobidzhan whose homes were searched in February 2024. Shortly before that, the FSB initiated a criminal case against the believer for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization because of conversations about the Bible with a local resident. A month later, FSB investigator Dmitriy Yankin, who had previously initiated criminal cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Birobidzhan, initiated a second criminal case against her—for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In September 2024, the trial began and after 7 months Vladlena was given a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal overturned this decision due to violation of transparency and sent the case for a new trial to the Birobidzhan District Court, which began in June 2025. Meanwhile, Vladlena’s mother, Yelena Shestopalova, also came under investigation—a criminal case was initiated against her in October. In January 2026, a new verdict was handed down—a 4.5-year suspended sentence, which was upheld by the appeal court.","date":"2024-02-01","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html","prisoners":["kukavitsa"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the decision of the court of first instance regarding Vladlena Kukavitsa — a 4.5-year suspended sentence, but made changes to the verdict. The panel of judges reduces the restriction of freedom by 1 month and overturns the court decision to destroy the seized Bibles. The fate of the sacred texts will be decided by the district court.\nThis is the fourth time in the past 1.5 years that Vladlena has made a final statement. She describes her feelings: \"When a person is unlawfully charged with a crime they didn't commit, it causes suffering.\" Commenting on the essence of the charge, the believer says: \"Calling God by his name and reading the Bible is not the same as belonging to a banned organization and involving other people in it.\" In support of these words, the believer reminds the court that the name of God is used in well-known literary works.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20260416","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the closing arguments, the believer asks to be acquitted. She notes: \"The charge is so vague that it does not even define which of my actions expressed 'involving others' and which 'inciting', and how one differs from the other.\"\nAccording to the defense, the investigator does not specify in which organization Kukavitsa \"involved\" Zhukova-Suvorova: three different names appear in the case.\nThe defendant also believes that both expert conclusions were made with serious violations. According to her, in the document of the non-profit organization (NPO) \"Penza Laboratory of Forensic Expert Study\", there are borrowings (plagiarism). Moreover, an NPO has no right whatsoever to conduct such an expert study.\nThe charges are based on recordings of conversations between Kukavitsa and Zhukova-Suvorova. The believer describes them as \"peaceful conversations about the Bible — without conflict, coercion or incitement to illegal actions.\"\nAccording to the defense, the recordings were made not through the official procedure of \"intercepting communications\", but simply from the screen of Zhukova-Suvorova's mobile phone. These materials were obtained without a court ruling, so they cannot serve as evidence in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20251229","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to assign the believer six years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of five years, as well as two years of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20251219","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena again emphasizes that Suvorova is an undercover agent. She gives several examples from the case materials, where the woman herself asks the defendant to meet more often. In one case, Suvorova, after the end of the video call, ridicules their conversation.\nVladlena draws the court's attention to numerous violations during the conducting of a comprehensive psycho-linguistic, sociological and religious expert study, requested by the investigator. She cites the order of the Government of the Russian Federation, according to which such expert studies can only be conducted by state organizations. The investigator posed legal questions to the experts that were beyond their competence, while not giving Vladlena the opportunity to ask her questions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20251124","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["retrial","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Valeria Zhukova-Suvorova is interrogated. She says that she felt comfortable communicating with Vladlena Kukavitsa — their conversations about the Bible were peaceful and conflict-free. According to Zhukova-Suvorova, during the discussions, the believer did not exert pressure and gave her the opportunity to freely express her point of view and share her thoughts.\nThe witness admits that it was Vladlena who initiated the termination of their meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20251111","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before the start of the court session, Vladlena Kukavitsa learns about the search in the house of her mother, Yelena Shestopalova, but continues to participate in the hearing. \"I understood that I needed to do what was in my power now — to concentrate on what was happening in court and defend myself,\" says Vladlena. Later, she learns that the search warrant was issued by the same judge who is considering her case.\nDuring the hearing, the prosecutor motions that witness V. E. Suvorova be interrogated via videoconferencing, citing her residence in Khabarovsk. Vladlena objects and explains that she needs to show Suvorova fragments of video recordings and ask questions about them, and the remote format does not allow this. She also reminds them that the witness has previously attended the court in person. The judge decides to summon Suvorova in person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20251009","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["retrial","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa declines the services of the appointed lawyer — as in the previous trial, she will defend herself.\nThe prosecutor files a motion for the case to be considered in a closed session. The judge asks to indicate what specific materials need to be examined in the closed session.\nThe believer explains what she thinks about the charges, claiming that her actions were guided by Article 28 of the RF Constitution and the command of Jesus Christ — \"Go and make disciples of all nations,\" as well as love for God and people. \"Therefore, I could not commit an extremist crime... motivated by hatred or enmity,\" she says. The defendant continues: \"I believe that the charges against me are far-fetched, unfounded and unlawful.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250707","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa's case is submitted to the Birobidzhan District Court for consideration by Judge Olga Klyuchikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250623","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["retrial","to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region reverses the decision of the court of first instance and sends the case for a new trial to the Birobidzhanskiy District Court.\nThe believer noted in her appeal: \"All of my actions were completely peaceful and respectful. The prosecution did not even charge me with inciting witness V. E. Suvorova to violence or religious hatred or enmity towards any person or group of persons practicing another religion or belonging to another nationality or social group.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250610","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavitsa makes a remark, commenting on the prosecutor's statement that in conversations with Suvorova, the defendant read literature from the Federal List of Extremist Materials: \"All the quotes I voiced were taken from the Bible, which I confirmed by presenting the court with quotations from her various translations. At the same time, the Bible a priori cannot be extremist. […] It is impossible just on the basis that during the conversation with Valeria Suvorova religious sources of the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses were used, to indiscriminately generalize that all such sources are extremist.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250320","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavica speaks in the debate and asks for her acquittal. She notes that there were no signs of extremism in her actions, and says: \"Everything that V.E. Suvorova and I talked about revolved around the Bible, biblical principles, laws and history. The court could be fully convinced of this by watching the video recordings.\" She also recalls that this was confirmed by the testimony of witness Suvorova.\nThe believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the forensic examination was carried out in violation of the law. Vladlena also expresses doubts about the competence of the expert. She says: \"Answering the question posed by the investigator ... the expert used Wikipedia, not special knowledge in the field of linguistics or other scientific data.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250306","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Aleksandr Kulikov. Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (32 Pionerskaya Street, Birobidzhan). Time: 14:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250227","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, Vladlena Kukavitsa refutes the arguments of the prosecution and states that the investigation attributed the wrong motives to her. For example, the prosecution claims that in 2004 Vladlena Kukavica became a member of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses. However, this is not possible as she was only 14 years old at the time.\nThe defendant believes that she acted within the framework of the law: \"Every person, in addition to physical needs, also has spiritual ones. And the state has taken this into account at the legislative level. Therefore, no one can deprive me of the right to satisfy my need to believe in God, to pray, to read the Bible and to tell others about what is written in it.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250220","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladlena Kukavica presents the evidence of the defense to the court. She notes that it was Valeria Suvorova who made a secret recording of their conversations, although at the previous meeting she denied this. This is proved by fragments of video recordings. The defendant also cites facts from the recording of conversations, which confirm that the prosecution witness herself asked Vladlena to meet more often and introduce her to other believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250130","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Valeria Suvorova, who from July to September 2022 participated in the OPM and for this purpose communicated with Vladlena on biblical topics. Suvorova states that Vladlena was the initiator of the discussion of the Bible with her, and she herself agreed to this \"out of curiosity.\" She had never heard any calls for violence or extremist statements from the defendant.\nThe defendant states that witness Suvorova gives false testimony and can confirm this at the next court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20250123","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region and is transferred to Judge Aleksandr Kulikov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240927","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Senior Counselor of Justice Dmitry Kapinos approves the indictment against Vladlena Kukavitsa.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240925","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia, Captain of Justice Yankin, attracts Vladlena Kukavitsa as an accused and takes from her a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240905","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia, initiates a second criminal case against Vladlena Kukavitsa, this time under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The cases are consolidated into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240305","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at the Kukavits' family and other believers from Birobidzhan, including the Postnikovs. The search of Vladlena's family is led by FSB investigator Dmitry Yankin, who previously initiated criminal cases against other Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. Electronic devices, storage media, personal records and the Bible are seized from the apartment. From the invasion of the security forces, the woman is experiencing severe stress.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vladimirova Y.O., who had previously sentenced four Birobidzhan residents to a colony for a term of 3,5 to 7 years, issues a search warrant in the home of Vladlena Kukavitsa and her husband, as well as several other local Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240202","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB Directorate for the Jewish Autonomous Region A.A. Karavaev initiates a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Vladlena Kukavitsa, who lives in Birobidzhan. According to the investigation, between July 2022 and January 2024, the believer repeatedly communicated via the Internet with a certain \"Valeria Suvorova.\" Karavayev considered these conversations to be involvement in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20240201","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB is conducting operational-search measures in relation to Vladlena Kukavitsa.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20220701","regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vladimir Shibanov authorizes the conduct of operational-search measures in relation to Vladlena Kukavitsa: wiretapping of telephone conversations, control of mail and other messages.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kukavitsa in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan20/index.html#20220628","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches in the home of accountant Aleksey Kupriyanov took place twice – in February and July 2021. The Investigative Committee for the Vladimir Region initiated a criminal case against him for “participating in religious meetings.” The entire charge is based on one quote from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, cited by Kupriyanov at a meeting. After Aleksey’s arrest, the health of his disabled mother worsened; while behind bars, he could not care for her. He spent about 4.5 months in pretrial detention. There Aleksey faced inhumane treatment, and his health suffered seriously. In November 2021, Kupriyanov was transferred to house arrest. After another 7 months, the court mitigated his preventive measure to prohibition of certain actions. In September 2022, the case went to court. In September 2023, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to a penal colony, but the time was counted as served during the investigation.","date":"2021-06-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html","prisoners":["kupriyanov"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Alexei Kupriyanov gives his last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230915","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Maxim Vavilov reads out the testimony of the defendant. Kupriyanov declares that the entire accusation against him is based only on the fact of participation in worship services, which are not prohibited by law. It recalls the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230905","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Kupriyanov emphasizes that out of 39 audio files in the case file, only 5 are relevant to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230719","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Reading out his testimony, Aleksey Kupriyanov draws the court's attention to the fact that the case file does not contain facts that would indicate that he incited enmity or hatred towards representatives of other religions.\nFSB officer Alexei Bordunov, who conducted operational-search activities, is being interrogated: wiretapping, secret audio recording with penetration into the dwelling, making inquiries, interviewing, examining objects and documents, examining buildings, structures, terrain, vehicles. He does not answer most of the questions, citing a bad memory.\nHe baselessly claims that the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses continues to operate in Kovrov, and Kupriyanov \"was identified as one of the elders, among other things, took part in organizing and conducting meetings.\" The defender asks Bordunov to say what he means by a religious organization and for what purpose, in his opinion, people gathered. The witness recommends referring to the Charter of the liquidated legal entity.\nKupriyanov asks: \"The charter of the LRO says that one of the goals of the activity is to do good deeds. After the ban on LROs, can I do good deeds or not? Or will I be charged with it? Over the past 5 years, I, as an accountant, have opened about 100 accounts for clients - this is also written in the charter of the LRO - I can no longer open accounts for anyone, neither for myself nor for clients?\" Bordunov finds it difficult to answer. Nor can he explain the difference between the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses and the worship services of believers.\nThe witness confirms that during the services the defendant Kupriyanov did not call for enmity or violence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230606","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. The woman says that she stopped attending meetings of believers in 2003, after which she did not meet Alexei Kupriyanov. She describes the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as follows: \"The main thing is to preach about the Bible.\" She says that she has never heard calls for violence or religious criticism from anyone at worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230523","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kupriyanov petitions for the Holy Scriptures to be provided to him during the interrogations, since, according to him, this is the only book referred to by the investigation. The court refuses, explaining that it is not in the case file.\nThe questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. The first woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives her the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones. The judge satisfies the prosecutor's request for the disclosure of the testimony of the witness given during the investigation.\nIn his testimony, another witness says that he is familiar with the defendant and has no personal hostility towards him, has no grounds for complaints. Also, he never heard calls for violence and religious intolerance from Kupriyanov. The man says that he attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses regularly until 2017, and did it without coercion, voluntarily.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230511","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. Among them is the conclusion of a psychological examination, which confirms that Kupriyanov has no mental disorders and a certificate stating that he is not registered in a neuropsychiatric dispensary.\nThe court extends the defendant's ban on certain actions until July 14, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230331","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"24 people come to court to support the believer.\nThe court grants the request to include excerpts from the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and other documents explaining that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nFurther, the study of written evidence continues, the transcripts of the recording of the divine service and telephone conversations of Symonenkoand Adestov are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230316","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Vyacheslav Kuznetsov satisfies the defendant's request to visit medical institutions for treatment. The prosecutor does not object. Also, certificates about the state of health of Kupriyanov and his relatives in need of his care are attached to the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230302","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 people come to support the accused, some come from another region. Kupriyanov asks the court to attach to the case file the ECHR Judgment of June 7, 2022, which acquitted Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The court shall attach the petition.\nThe prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case - he selectively reads the contents of volumes from the 5th to the 10th. During the announcement of the list of seized items from Kupriyanov and other believers, he often utters the phrase: \"Of no interest to the investigation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230214","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge provides a large courtroom, but allows only three listeners, including the defendant's wife, to be admitted.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges, then the judge gives Kupriyanov the opportunity to read out the attitude to the charges. He describes the conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center: \"Can you imagine a person who is forced to sit on the cold floor from 6 am to 10 pm? With my illness, I was only allowed to go to the toilet 2 times a day.\nAccording to Kupriyanov, former detective V.V. Voskoboynikov was with him in the cell, who, on the instructions of the pre-trial detention center, poured water on him 2-3 times a day in order to exert pressure. In addition, Aleksey tells the court that in the pre-trial detention center he was forbidden to read the Bible, pronounce the name of God, did not pass on letters, and threatened to involve his wife and son in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20230118","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since Judge Irina Bubenina has been working for the last day, Alexei Kupriyanov thanks her for her respectful attitude towards him. He also thanks the prosecutor and the secretary for their work.\nAlexei informs the court that he is no longer an individual entrepreneur, but takes care of his mother's 82-year-old disabled spouse.\nThe court orders the extension of the preventive measure for the defendant in the form of a ban on certain actions until April 14, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20221229","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of three sessions, the court examines the case materials: the results of searches, protocols of inspection of technical means, as well as a disk containing recordings of the defendant's telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20221109","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed hearing, Judge Irina Bubenina asks the defendant and the prosecutor to be brief. So, Alexei Kupriyanov reads out only the beginning and end of his attitude to the accusation. Prosecutor Stanislav Lipynski fragmentarily reads out Volume I, which includes an examination of the case, as well as a transcript of the religious meeting, but their detailed consideration is postponed.\nAlexei expresses his feelings, speaking of the \"medieval Inquisition\", where people were tortured and killed only for reading \"the wrong Bible and for preaching.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20221021","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region. It will be considered by judge Irina Bubenina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2022-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20220915","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Kupriyanov is elected a new measure of restraint - a ban on certain actions. The believer is forbidden to leave the apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20220621","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint to Alexei Kupriyanov and releases him under house arrest. The believer spent almost 4.5 months in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20211119","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Vladimir Dmitry Kayushkin extends the detention of Aleksey Kupriyanov until November 27, 2021. The court does not take into account Aleksey's health problems, the need for special care for his mother, a disabled person of group II, and positive characteristics from colleagues and neighbors of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20210824","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces under the leadership of the senior FSB operative Captain Velichko come to the home of Alexei Kupriyanov in Kovrov. The believer is taken away for interrogation in Vladimir, and the investigative actions take place in the presence of Alexei's wife.\nKupriyanov is accused of participating in peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which the investigation interprets as \"committing a deliberate grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20210708","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. A. Tyumenev, senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB Directorate for the Vladimir Region, opens a criminal case against 48-year-old Alexei Kupriyanov for \"participation in religious meetings\" (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20210628","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 7:00 a.m., searches have been carried out in Kovrov at 7 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. 23 people are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanov in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov2/index.html#20210217","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2023, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Kursk. An FSB investigator initiated a criminal case against Nikolay Kupriyanskiy and Dmitriy and Oksana Chausov. All three were detained. They were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and participating in it. Dmitriy was sent to a pretrial detention center, and later, like Nikolay and Oksana, placed under house arrest. The Chausovs were separated due to a ban on communication. In June 2024, the case went to court. The verdict was announced 6 months later: Nikolay Kupriyanskiy — 6 years in a penal colony; Dmitriy Chausov and Oksana — 2.5 years each. In May 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision, while reducing the assigned terms: for Kupriyanskiy — to 4.5 years, the Chausovs — to 1 year and 10 months. Dmitriy Chausov was released in the courtroom, as he had already served his entire term in a pretrial detention center, and Oksana was sent to a penal colony, from where she was released on August 29, 2025.","date":"2023-07-03","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html","prisoners":["chausov","chausova","kupriyanskiy"],"regions":["kursk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Nikolay Kupriyanskiy is still being held under strict conditions. The cell is full of cigarette smoke; because of the noise and light he does not get enough sleep during the night. The believer has had the flu twice, and now he needs dental care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2026-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20260419","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kupriyanskiy is serving his sentence under strict detention conditions. There are 16 people in the barracks. It is warm;there is cold and hot water. It is not easy for him emotionally, but he says that letters of support and children's drawings \"warm his heart.\"\nNikolay was placed in a punishment cell for 20 days for violations that, according to him, were fabricated. The believer has problems with his blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20251213","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolai Kupriyansky has been transferred to strict conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20251001","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kupriyanskiy struggled during his transfer, but quickly recovered after arriving at the penal colony. Now he works in a building repair team. In his free time, he plays the guitar and does sports.\nThe believer is strengthened by reading the Bible and letters from all over the world. According to him, there are good products in the penal colony's store, so sometimes he buys something to \"sweeten\" his life. Other prisoners and the administration treat Nikolay with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250918","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana works in a sewing industry, cleaning finished products. There are about 80 prisoners in the detachment where she is located. The believer faces some restrictions: there is nowhere to store personal belongings, you can wash only by agreement, and so on. It is cold and damp in the barracks, sometimes there is no hot water. Oksana has to sleep next to an open window, which is why she recently fell ill.\nThe believer humorously tells how instead of size 35 summer shoes she was given size 42. According to her, such situations helped her to appreciate simple things more, which seemed ordinary at large.\nOksana's relationship with the administration and cellmates is generally even. The believer received a Bible from the library and regularly reads it. Letters come only by e-mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250818","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Kupriyanskiy is in penal colony No. 2 for the Lipetsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-08-05T16:58:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250805","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to Oksana, physically she is fine. So far, Oksana has received letters only from her mother and husband.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250804","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Chausova is in penal colony No. 6 in the Oryol Region. Nikolay Kupriyanskiy is in the process of being relocated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-07-28T14:42:40+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250728","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy, Oksana and Nikolay were transferred to new cells. Dmitriy and Nikolai are now being held alone. Oksana shares a cell with another prisoner. The room was so dirty that the believer had to clean it for several days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20250519","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana, Dmitriy and Nikolay are being held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kursk. It is quite cold in Oksana and Dmitry's cells, and they have to wear outerwear all the time. Nikolai's cell is warm. There is another prisoner with Oksana, three with Dmitry, and two prisoners with Nikolai.\nBelievers maintain a positive attitude. Nikolai tries not to lose heart, despite the problems with sleep, which began even before his arrest. Dmitriy maintains his health by doing physical exercises.\nAll believers receive many letters, but so far they have been given only a few of them. Oksana and Dmytro have not yet been able to get Bibles from the library of the pre-trial detention center, and Nikolay's personal copy is being checked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241226","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","families","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements, emphasizing the inconsistency of the charges against them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241127","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the course of the debate, Nikolay Kupriyansky emphasizes the groundlessness of the accusation of continuing the activities of a legal entity: \"I am accused of organizing the activities of a liquidated organization due to the fact that the services recorded on audio and video recordings were held in an organized manner... I do not agree with such an accusation and its justification. As could be heard from the testimony of the defendants in this criminal case, Jehovah's Witnesses are followers of Jesus Christ, and they have always gathered together to study the Bible, pray to Jehovah God, and spiritually encourage and support each other.\"\n\"Your Honor, you have repeatedly said that our religious beliefs do not apply to this criminal case. But the content of the indictment suggests the opposite,\" Oksana Chausova notes. As practice in Russia has already shown, any connection with Jehovah's Witnesses is interpreted as a crime. The mere mention that a person belongs to a given religion is used to initiate operational-search activities.\"\nDmitry Chausov speaks in the debate. He has not pleaded guilty. According to him, all that the prosecution proved was his religious affiliation, which was not prohibited by law or by a court decision. Among other things, the believer draws attention to the testimony of a witness who feigned interest in the Bible, but later accused the Chausovs of putting pressure on him. Dmitriy emphasizes: \"Just think about it: a young, healthy, capable guy, an athlete, a student, who called me on his own initiative and wanted to keep in touch with us, says that he was under pressure.\" Further, Chausov asks a rhetorical question: \"What prevented him from simply stopping communicating with us and stop coming to visit us?\" He reminds the court of the testimony of this witness: \"I agreed to the officers that I would go to the end and bring the case through. I went to meetings that you invited me to and recorded them.\" Dmitriy continues: \"So was there any pressure? And if so, on whose side is it really?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241119","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a imprisonment for the believers: Nikolay Kupriyansky - 7 years, Dmitry and Oksana Chausov - 3 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241115","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov asks the court to allow him to live and communicate with his wife, Oksana Chausova. The court grants this request, allowing the believer to change the address of his stay under house arrest, and also allows him to go for daily walks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241105","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry and Oksana Chausov testify. They explain what they believe in and how Bible principles help them in their lives. The judge does not allow them to quote the Bible during the speech.\nThe defendants filed 15 motions, but the court did not satisfy any of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20241024","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the materials of the case. The prosecutor reads out only the titles of the documents and briefly describes their contents. From the transcripts of the services, the judge asks to read out only the text highlighted by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240911","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony of a prosecution witness, who did not appear in court because she left the country, is being voiced. At the same time, the prosecutor omits what characterizes Jehovah's Witnesses positively. It turns out that the same witness gave similar testimony in 2019 in the case of another believer from Kursk, Andrei Andreev.\nDmitriy Chausov asks the court to allow him to undergo a medical examination due to health problems. The judge refuses, arguing that the defendant does not have a doctor's report, and offers to take care of his health after the end of the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240805","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to examine the materials of the case. The testimony of an expert religious scholar is read out. The defense protests because it believes that its conclusions are based on false information.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240730","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge allows only the wife of Nikolai Kupriyansky to enter the courtroom.\nProsecutor Shashkova reads out the indictment, mispronouncing the name of God - Jehovah. Dmitry Chausov politely corrects her, which is why the judge reprimands him. Dmitriy explains that the incorrect pronunciation of God's name offends his religious feelings. Subsequently, the judge asks several times how to pronounce God's name.\nThe defendants present their attitude to the charges. They plead not guilty.\nDmitriy Chausov says: \"I am just a believer who expressed his religious views using Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees everyone freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, including the right to profess, individually or in groups, any religion or not to profess any religion ... And I did all this without calling for violence, inciting hatred or discrimination against any social groups.\"\nOksana Chausova adds: \"I consider this criminal case to be politically motivated repressions... Discussion of sacred texts, in this case the Bible, by a group of people, as well as receiving guests at home, caring for others are not included in the list of extremist activities. At its core, the accusation is based on the fact that we are believers and try to live as Jesus Christ commanded. This is a judgment on faith! And I am not ashamed to stand here today for being one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It would be shameful if we were tried for a real crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240628","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chausovs are asking to change their preventive measure to a recognizance agreement. Dmitriy justifies this by the fact that he has a serious chronic illness and needs the care of his wife, but due to the ban on communication, they are forced to live separately. Oksana also says that she cannot take care of her spouse and elderly parents because of the ban on the use of communications.\nThe judge leaves the preventive measure unchanged for all three defendants - Nikolay Kupriyansky and Dmitry Chausov remain under house arrest, and Oksana Chausova - under a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240624","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Nikolai Kupriyansky and the Chausovs goes to the Kursk Regional Court, it will be considered by Judge Margarita Dyadyusheva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240617","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["to-court","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov is released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest and allowed to walk for 2 hours a day. Oksana Chausova's house arrest is replaced with a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240228","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov, who is being held in a pre-trial detention center, is experiencing certain difficulties due to his illness. In the fall, he spent 1 month in the hospital. He is also more likely to suffer from headaches. The mother-in-law could not give him medicines, as she was told that the pre-trial detention center had everything she needed. However, they were never given to Dmitry.\nThe believer maintains a positive attitude and does not lose heart. He receives many letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20240209","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For the third time, the judge of the Leninskiy District Court extends the house arrest of Nikolai Kupriyansky and Oksana Chausova and the detention of Dmitry Chausov until March 2, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20231228","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Chausov has a serious chronic illness that requires constant use of prescription drugs. He cannot get them in the pre-trial detention center. Because of this, his disease progresses. Dmitry's wife Oksana is under house arrest, so she does not have the opportunity to go to the doctor and take a prescription.\nDmitriy is kept in a cell designed for 6 people, with two other prisoners. He has the ability to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230831","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Kursk, chaired by Judge Margarita Dyadyusheva, chooses preventive measures for believers: Dmitry Chausov - imprisonment for 2 months, Nikolai Kupriyansky and Oksana Chausova - house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230810","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being carried out in the homes of believers in Kursk. Nikolay Kupriyansky, Dmitry and Oksana Chausov are detained. They are charged under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230808","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"M. N. Zaitsev, Senior Investigator for Internal Affairs of the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Kursk Region, issues a decision to initiate a criminal case against Nikolai Kupriyansky under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, as well as spouses Dmitry and Oksana Chausov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nBelievers are accused of \"conducting individual classes (conversations) on the territory of Kursk to study the preaching materials of the religious movement \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" with new alleged followers of the \"LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses of Kursk\", while promoting the popularization of its ideas.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kupriyanskiy and Others in Kursk","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kursk2/index.html#20230703","regions":["kursk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2020, the Investigative Committee opened criminal cases on account of their faith against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolay Prokhorov. That same day, they were consolidated into a single proceeding. Security forces conducted searches at 19 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kirsanov, as well as at Kuzhelkov’s actual place of residence in the town of Lukhovitsy (Moscow Region). Anton was placed in a pretrial detention center (SIZO), where he remained for 431 days, after which he was released under restrictions prohibiting certain actions. In September 2021, the case was submitted to court, and in December 2023 a different judge began hearing it anew. In May 2025, the court sentenced the believer to a suspended term of six and a half years, and in October the appellate court replaced the suspended sentence with actual imprisonment. Around the same time, Prokhorov’s case materials were severed into a separate proceeding.","date":"2020-12-21","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html","prisoners":["kuzhelkov"],"regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","type":"cases"},{"body":"It is now known, that the trial of Nikolai Prokhorov, 61, will be conducted by a different judge, Yuriy Makashov, since Yelena Shubakina, who sentenced Kuzhelkov, recused herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20251120","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prokhorov case is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20251030","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tambov Regional Court satisfies the appeal of the prosecutor and replaces Kuzhelkov's suspended sentence with imprisonment.\nThe believer is sentenced to 6.5 years imprisonment with deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to leadership and participation in the work of public and religious organizations for a period of 4 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20251016","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence the believer to 6.5 years in a penal colony with a 4-year ban on engaging in activity related to leading and participating in the work of public organizations.\nAnton Kuzhelkov gives his final statement. He draws a parallel between his case and the trial of Jesus Christ: \"I am accused of changing the foundations of the constitutional order of the country by the use of force... but I am a follower of Christ. I cannot act against the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250527","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom","sentence","suspended","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years and 6 months in a general regime colony for Anton Kuzhelkov.\nThe state prosecutor also asks to impose on the defendant the obligation to reimburse the costs associated with conducting a comprehensive forensic examination in the amount of 500 thousand rubles. Earlier, the defendant's car was seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250515","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["punishment-request","belongings-arrest","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Kuzhelkov testifies. He says: \"I am accused of singing religious songs. However, in his testimony, witness Tsyplakov said that the texts were not checked for extremist content. In addition, no one checked whether they were actually from the site that this witness was talking about. He said that since the site is extremist, then everything on it is also extremism. According to his logic, if Pushkin's poems are placed there, will they immediately become extremist? And everyone who reads them, too? The Bible itself says that you need to sing songs of praise to God.\"\nThe believer adds that the prosecutor \"used the following argument: 'he continues to be a follower of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.'\" Kuzhelkov emphasizes: \"The religious teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses is not banned, as both law enforcement officers and experts said, including when they testified in court. It turns out that the prosecution requires me to renounce my faith. I regard this as discrimination on religious grounds.\"\nThe court decides to summon religious experts for questioning. The prosecutor supports it. The defense objects. The lawyer notes that both examinations were carried out with violations, which cannot be corrected through the interrogation of experts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250325","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Kolpinsky District Court of St. Petersburg, witnesses for the defense are being questioned via video conferencing. Anton Kuzhelkov's father-in-law characterizes him as a kind, honest person who respects government officials and observes the law. When asked by the lawyer whether the defendant is prone to violence, he answers: \"No, this has never happened. I communicate frankly with my daughter, and she would share it if there was such behavior.\"\nAnother witness, who has known Anton and his family for many years, says: \"I can say that he is a good and caring husband, son, friend. When we first met, I was touched by his determination not to take up arms and his desire to serve in another legal way—in the nursing home, where he cared for the elderly. Not every young person is capable of this.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250314","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court suspends proceedings in the case against Nikolay Prokhorov due to his cancer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20250212","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A religious study by Y. Y. Aseeva is re-read in court. The defense again draws attention to the fact that at the time of the examination, Aseyeva did not have the appropriate education.\nAt the request of the lawyer, the testimony of religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, which he gave in 2022, is read out. Commenting on Aseeva's study, Ivanenko noted that at the time of the examination, she worked as a neurologist, was the founder of the Heritage of Islam LRO, but did not have scientific works in the field of religious studies. In addition, Aseeva described the methodology for conducting the examination, but did not apply it in her conclusions.\nIvanenko drew attention to the fact that there are no \"materials in the case where the defendants would talk about their hostility to other religions, about the need to somehow suppress these religions, to infringe on the rights of their followers.\" Ivanenko also explained that holding religious services by Jehovah's Witnesses and disseminating their religious views \"is a canonical activity aimed at studying the Bible and biblical literature.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240801","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the motion to consider the case in public. Listeners enter the hall.\nThe lawyer comments on the conclusions of the comprehensive examination and states that the experts provide a false conclusion about the prohibition of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of the Russian Federation. He further refutes the conclusion that the defendants allegedly distributed banned literature. He says that they are not accused of this, therefore, the conclusion made on the initiative of the expert is an attempt to aggravate the situation of the defendants.\nThe lawyer also points out that neither the expert nor the expert organization notified the defense of the start of the examination. Thus, the court's decision on the defendants' ability to be present during the examination and give explanations was violated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240703","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, the hearings are held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240410","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that none of the documents submitted by the prosecution contains evidence of illegal activities of believers. These materials either date back to 2017 or have no dates at all, and therefore it is impossible to establish how they relate to the present case. All of them only confirm that the defendants belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which they do not hide anyway.\nFurther, the defense recalls that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated legal entities, among which the assembly of believers in Kirsanov is not listed. Moreover, the Supreme Court's decision states that religious groups, such as the Kirsanov congregation, have not been liquidated at all. Consequently, the activities of these groups are absolutely legitimate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240318","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. He says that he communicated with believers more than 5 years ago. It turns out that he was interrogated together with his wife, their testimony is absolutely identical.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240311","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 20 people come to support the believer. The prosecution is interrogating a religious scholar, associate professor of the Department of History and Philosophy of Tambov State University Yana Chernova. She talks about Jehovah's Witnesses and draws the court's attention to the fact that their beliefs are based on the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240228","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Defendants Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov express their attitude to the charge, stating that they do not agree with him.\nThe interrogation of prosecution witnesses begins, including senior commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs D. Kursky, former senior commissioner S. Sablin, employee of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Tambov region N. V. Aparshin, head of the economic security department Tsyplakov (who worked at the Center for Countering Extremism during the ORM), as well as senior district police officer Sergey Kuznetsov. The testimonies of several witnesses shall be read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20240124","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case begins to be considered by a new judge - Elena Shubakina.\nAnton Kuzhelkov recuses his lawyer. The court shall grant the motion and adjourn the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20231228","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the petition of the head of the Russian Federal Center for Forensic Expertise under the Ministry of Justice to involve religious expert Ekaterina Elbakyan in the process. He justifies this by the fact that Elbakyan works at the Russian Academy of Education, and not at the RFTSSE.\nThe court satisfies the petition of the state prosecutor for the appointment of an examination in the Autonomous Non-Profit Organization \"Kirov Regional Center for Research and Expertise of Vyatka State University\".\nTo support the believers, 15 people who came from Tambov come to the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20221215","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense objects to the appointment of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination, which was previously requested by the prosecution. The court rejects the objection, but satisfies the defense's petition to include its issues in the general list and appoint an examination to the Federal Center for Forensic Examination. The court also allows Anton Kuzhelnikov to be present during the examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220809","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is petitioning for the appointment of a comprehensive linguistic, psychological and religious examination. The defence requests that the hearing be adjourned in order to prepare its questions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220630","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a well-known religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation S. I. Ivanenko, who explains that the individual spiritual activity of Jehovah's Witnesses is carried out according to the model left by Christians of the first century. The congregation, according to Ivanenko, is a religious group, not an LRO.\n2 defense witnesses are interrogated, who give Kuzhelkov positive characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220621","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirsanovsky District Court suspends consideration of the case in connection with the serious illness of Nikolai Prokhorov. The hearings will continue after his recovery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220331","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Tambov Regional Court considers the prosecutor's complaint about the mitigation of the preventive measure for Anton Kuzhelkov and rejects it. The believer remains prohibited from certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220323","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court considers material evidence - video recordings of worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220321","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another hearing is being held in the case of two believers. The court gets acquainted with the material evidence, audio recordings are listened to.\nJudge Nikolai Glistin changes the measure of restraint for Anton Kuzhelkov from imprisonment. He was released from the pre-trial detention center on the same day. In total, the believer spent 430 days in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220301","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 9th court hearing in the case is already underway. To support the believers, 10 people come to the meeting, but only Anton Kuzhelkov's wife is allowed into the hall.\nWitnesses for the prosecution are questioned at the hearing, including the priest of the Russian Orthodox Church Shcherbakov, who was involved in the case as an expert (he retells the history of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and explains that the form of this name is in the Synodal translation of the Bible). The testimonies of those who did not appear are announced, and the case materials are also examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20220202","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates FSB officer Tsyplakov. According to him, the ORM against Prokhorov was carried out because he has been a Jehovah's Witness for a long time. Another reason is that in the videos provided by a secret FSB informant, Nikolai Prokhorov sings songs from the website of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAt the same time, he notes that during the services \"no one was injured ... There was nothing life-threatening there.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20211208","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates Nikolai Aparshev, an employee of the FSB of Russia in the Tambov region. He cannot say what kind of activity Kuzhelkov posed a danger to Russia. At the same time, he claims that holding worship services, refusing blood transfusions and military service are extremist actions. However, after a clarifying question from the lawyer, Aparshev admits his mistake.\nAlso, this FSB officer states that screenshots were recorded on the believer's computer at intervals of 10 seconds. Aparshev claims that they depict facts of extremist activity. But he cannot point out signs of extremism in these screenshots or explain how they confirm the continuation of the LRO's activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20211123","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them refuses to testify. The prosecutor then requests that his testimony be read. The defense objects and the court refuses the prosecutor.\nAnother witness, Nikolai Prokhorov's boss, gave him a positive characterization. He notes that in his ten years of working together, he often and willingly talked with the accused about the Bible on his own initiative, and that Nicholas never agitated him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20211111","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to attach certain documents: the appellate ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the administrative claim of the Ministry of Justice against the RO UC SI in Russia, the commentary of the Russian Federation to the report of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the Opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in the Mikhailov case. The court grants the request.\nSix witnesses are being questioned. Three of them use Article 51 of the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20211020","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirsanovsky District Court of the Tambov Region is holding the first open court hearing in the criminal case against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolai Prokhorov.\nKuzhelkov's lawyer is requesting that he and his client be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the case materials and that the hearing be postponed. The judge grants the request.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges, after which Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolai Prokhorov express their attitude to the charges against them. The believers do not admit guilt, drawing the court's attention to the fact that they have the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as this is guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution. In addition, they emphasize that their position is in line with the official position of the Russian Federation on this issue.\nAnton Kuzhelkov in his speech draws attention to the fact that in the indictment on 31 pages his name is mentioned only 1 time, and the name of God 168 times, in connection with which he has a question: \"And who is being judged - me or God, in whom I believe?\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210922","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Nikolai Glistin refuses to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, although, in the opinion of the defense, inadmissible evidence of the prosecution appears in the case, for example, the opinion of the expert Y. Aseeva (Aseeva, according to the defense, does not have a specialized education, and she is the founder of one of the local Islamic religious organizations; answering the questions posed by the investigator, Aseeva went beyond her competence).\nThe question of the further measure of restraint for Anton Kuzhelkov, who is in jail, is being raised. State prosecutor A.A. Kostik sees no reason to mitigate the measure of restraint. Judge Nikolai Glistin extends Kuzhelkov's detention for six months at once, until March 6, 2022. He also leaves the measure of restraint to Nikolai Prokhorov in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210910","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Anton Kuzhelkov and Nikolai Prokhorov is submitted to the Kirsanovsky District Court of the Tambov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210907","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Kuzhelkov is being transferred from SIZO-1 in Tambov to SIZO No. 3 in Zeleny Gai, located in the Michurinsky District of the Tambov Region. The believer has been behind bars for 250 days. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210830","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kuzhelkov received letters from 73 countries, and some of them began correspondence. The believer has a Bible. The cell became warmer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20210324","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Anton Kuzhelkov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude, not to give up and not to lose heart.\nMikhail Medyulyanov attracts Nikolai Prokhorov as a defendant in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201229","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Tambov Denis Lipatov, the one who authorized the searches, sends Anton Kuzhelkov to the pre-trial detention center for 2 months, until February 20, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201225","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, at least 19 searches of believers take place in Kirsanov. One of the searches takes place at Anton Kuzhelkov's home in the town of Lukhovitsy, Moscow Region. He was taken for interrogation 350 kilometers from his home - to the investigative department of the Investigative Committee in Tambov. After the interrogation, the investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, Major of Justice Ivan Morozov, detains the believer.\nThe investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation P. Salnikov, in the presence of witnesses and a lawyer, seizes a mobile phone and a laptop with a charger from Nikolai Prokhorov. The seizure is carried out in the office at the address: Tambov, st. Karl Marx, 156. Photographs are taken during the seizure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201224","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Tambov Denis Lipatov, with the participation of Senior Assistant Prosecutor A. Sapelkin, in a closed session, satisfies the petition of investigator Mikhail Medyulyanov to search the actual address of Anton Kuzhelkov's residence in the Moscow Region. The investigator believes that at this address there are \"instruments of crime, objects, documents and valuables that may be relevant to the criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201222","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region, Colonel of Justice Mikhail Medyulyanov initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Anton Kuzhelkov. The investigation sees signs of extremism in \"convening meetings, organizing religious speeches and worship ... carrying out preaching activities\" (from the decision to initiate a criminal case).\nThe head of the interdistrict investigation department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Tambov Region, Colonel of Justice Askar Bupegaliev, on the basis of the report of the senior detective of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs V. Tsyplakov, initiates criminal case No. 12002680003000030 against Nikolai Prokhorov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe cases against Prokhorov and Kuzhelkov are combined into one proceeding. The case is assigned a 12002680011000017 number. The investigation sees in peaceful worship \"undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and ... incitement of religious discord.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzhelkov and Prokhorov in Kirsanov","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kirsanov/index.html#20201221","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2018, mass searches took place in Nevinnomyssk. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases under two “extremist” articles against Anatoliy Boyko, Evgeniya Akhrameeva, Georgiy and Tatyana Parfentyeva, Nadezhda Konkova, Sergey Kuznetsov, Karina Saakyan and Rimma Vashchenko (Rimma died during the persecution at the age of 90). In May 2022, the investigator stopped the criminal prosecution against everyone except Sergey Kuznetsov, who is visually impaired, has hearing problems and has difficulty moving. In August 2022, the case went to court. After 5 months, the case was transferred to another judge. The charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness. In April 2023, the court gave the believer 6 years suspended sentence. In the summer of the same year, the court of appeal upheld the verdict. Shortly thereafter, Georgiy Parfentyev died at the age of 76 and in December 2025, Evgeniya Akhrameeva died.","date":"2019-12-12","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html","prisoners":["akhrameeva","boyko","konkova","kuznetsov","parfentyev","parfentyeva","saakyan","vashchenko"],"regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that Georgy Parfentiev died at the age of 77.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230728","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230418","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov's lawyer appears in court. She recalls the reason for the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: \"From the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 in the case of the liquidation of Russian legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, it follows that the basis for its issuance was the incriminated facts of import and mass distribution of materials that were subsequently recognized as extremist, and not the joint confession and dissemination of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Nevertheless, as the lawyer notes, \"neither the court nor the defense has been presented with a single fact and evidence\" that the defendant committed such actions.\nThe Defender draws attention to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated October 28, 2021. According to it, \"if a religious association is recognized as extremist, believers can continue to exercise the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, including through individual or joint confession of religion, worship or other religious rites and ceremonies, if they do not contain signs of extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230413","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 8 years of suspended imprisonment for Sergey Kuznetsov with a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230410","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. The contents of volumes 1, 10, 12, 28--30 are announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230330","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are announced, the protocols of interrogations of witnesses who did not appear, including the secret witness \"Sidorov\", are read out. The prosecutor cites the results of a phonoscopic examination containing transcripts of Bible studies, which speak of the practical benefits of the Bible, including in family life.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230207","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines prosecution witnesses. One of them, an operative, cannot cite facts proving that Sergey Kuznetsov distributed extremist literature. The witness also acknowledges that the worship meetings were not conducted by the LRO, but by a group of believers. According to the operative, the investigation did not aim to delve into the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. From his words, it becomes known that the investigation uses the testimony of a classified witness.\nThe second witness for the prosecution, a woman who had attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the past, is being questioned. She speaks positively about believers. The prosecutor requests the disclosure of the record of her previous interrogation, which repeatedly mentions the LRO. The defense explains to the witness the difference between the LRO and religion, after which the woman declares that she did not testify about the legal entity.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the distortions that were made by the investigator in the record of the interrogation of the witness. The judge refuses to take this into account.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230203","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The composition of the court is changing, now the case will be considered by judge Yuri Vaskin. In this regard, the consideration of materials begins from the beginning. In the case, along with the defenders by agreement, a lawyer by appointment participates, the challenge of which the judge does not satisfy.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Lawyers express an attitude. The defendant reports his disagreement with the charges.\nDespite the objection of the defense, the protocol of the interrogation of the deceased Rimma Vashchenko is announced. It is not possible to confirm or refute her testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20230130","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to admit to the case the decision of the European Court of Human Rights regarding Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20221227","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a witness. Answering questions from the prosecutor and the judge, he uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nFurther, the materials of the case are announced - 6 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20221101","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness who collaborated with the FSB, under the pseudonym Sidorov A.N., is being interrogated.\nAccording to Sidorov, Sergey Kuznetsov talked with him on biblical topics, in particular, he shared with him a printed article on the topic of family happiness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20221025","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The third witness for the prosecution tells his conclusions, which became the basis for operational measures against Kuznetsov. According to him, the defendant \"organized a cell\" for the study of the Bible: \"conducted individual training,\" as well as religious meetings \"according to standard plans.\" He explains that \"the meeting began with a prayer, an introductory speech, watching a series of videos, asking questions.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20221018","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses. The first witness admits that he acted on the orders of the FSB. All the literature that was brought to him for personal study, the witness handed over to the authorities. He says that he does not know whether this literature was recognized as extremist, what kind of publications they were, or what year of release, because \"he did not delve into the contents.\"\nAnother witness tells the court that she never heard the defendant call for violence, because \"no violence is acceptable for Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20221004","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nevinnomyssk City Court begins consideration of the criminal case against Sergey Kuznetsov. At least 30 people come to the courthouse to support the believer, but only 8 are allowed in by the court.\nThe court rejects the petition of the defense for the admission of more than 8 listeners. The lawyer also applies for familiarization with the materials of the case, the court satisfies it.\nFurther, the indictment and the attitude of the defense counsel to it are announced. Sergey does not admit his guilt, he says: \"A Christian and an extremist are two completely incompatible concepts. You can't be both a Christian and an extremist at the same time.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20220907","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Sergey Kuznetsov is submitted to the Nevinnomyssk City Court of the Stavropol Territory. He is appointed to judge Andriy Trachuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20220805","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution against seven believers is terminated: Nadezhda Konkova, Anatoliy Boyko, Georgy and Tatiana Parfentiev, Evgenia Akhrameyeva and Karina Sahakyan, as well as the late Rimma Vashchenko. All charges against them have been dropped.\nSergey Kuznetsov remains a defendant in the case. They take a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20220531","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known about the death of Rimma Vashchenko, one of the eight defendants in the criminal case against believers in the city of Nevinnomyssk. She was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists on June 18, 2020, shortly before her 90th birthday. Since then, she has officially been the oldest \"extremist\" in Russia. Now the oldest extremist in Russia is 85-year-oldYelena Zaishchuk , a Jehovah's Witness from Vladivostok, who has been under recognizance agreement for more than 2.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2021-01-14T16:31:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20210114","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of two innocent believers. These operational-search measures, the so-called \"ORM examination\", were authorized by the judge of the Stavropol Regional Court Nikolai Kramchinin. They are carried out by employees of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Stavropol Territory. In one of the cases, during the search, the witness becomes ill, she is taken out into the street, and at that moment the security forces plant 7 books included in the Federal List of Extremist Literature.\nIt becomes known that believers are being checked for involvement in the commission of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2020-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20200810","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring adds to the list of persons in respect of whom there is evidence of involvement in extremist activities or terrorism, the data of all eight defendants in the criminal case. There are restrictions on access to their bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20200618","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Investigation Department for Nevinnomyssk Sabadash V.V. initiates a criminal case against 60-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Rimma Vashchenko, Anatoliy Boyko, Georgiy and Tatyana Parfentyev, Evgenia Akhrameeva, Nadezhda Konkova and Karina Sahakyan are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20191212","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Search and interrogation of Vahan Mkhitaryan. The security forces insult him and beat him for refusing to cooperate with the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2019-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20190709","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","interrogation","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Georgy and Tatyana Parfentiev were interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2019-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20190318","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov, Nadezhda Konkova, Karina Sahakyan, Anatoly Boyko were summoned for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20190129","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches in the homes of believers from Nevinnomyss, followed by interrogations lasting several hours. Security forces seize phones, books, computers, other electronic devices and flash drives. One of the victims of the search reports the loss of money.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuznetsov and Others in Nevinnomyssk","date":"2018-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nevinnomyssk/index.html#20181121","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2016, Sergey Kuznetsov, one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from the city of Vyazemsky, defended his right to alternative civilian service, proving that violence and everything connected with it is unacceptable for him. Four years later, he was subjected to criminal prosecution for his peaceful religious beliefs: law enforcement officers searched his home twice, and in March 2021, an FSB investigator initiated a criminal case against the believer. He regarded participation in peaceful worship as participation in the activity of an extremist organization. Consideration of the case in court began in November 2021. Witnesses for the prosecution denied that any extremist remarks were made at the religious meetings. One of them stated that he did not know the defendant and the other, that the law enforcement officers put pressure on him and distorted his testimony. In December 2022, the court gave Sergey Kuznetsov a 2-year and 5-month suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this verdict.","date":"2021-03-25","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html","prisoners":["kuznetsovs"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Ksenia Ostanina. Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory (Vyazemsky, Kozyukov St., 4).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20221222","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov makes his final statement. \"I am honored to be called a Christian, and I strive to imitate Jesus Christ,\" he declares.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20221212","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Sergey Kuznetsov 3 years of imprisonment in a colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20221121","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a man who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2018. He states that he did not hear any calls for aggression from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220817","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines another prosecution witness. He says that he does not know the defendant, and when asked by the judge \"what do you know about the circumstances of the case?\" he replies that he does not understand why he was invited to the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220727","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Ekaterina Leičunas. She points out that she testified under duress while reading the text prepared by the investigator on camera.\nSergey Kuznetsov reminds the court that coercion to testify is a criminal offense under Article 302 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220719","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the witnesses is being interrogated, a woman on whose testimony the investigation based the accusation against Yegor Baranov. She says she does not know the defendant personally. The court asks her questions that are not related to the case of Sergey Kuznetsov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220531","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness is being questioned. He does not confirm the testimony given during the preliminary investigation. According to him, law enforcement officers put pressure on him, threatening to open a criminal case.\nHe also points out that some words were added to the interrogation record by the investigator. At the same time, the witness emphasizes that the defendant did not call for extremism, but, on the contrary, encouraged respect for the authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220302","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses for 20 years, but until 2017. He has nothing to say about the case and does not understand why he was summoned. The defendant Sergey Kuznetsov objects to the disclosure of the testimony of the witness, because he does not know him, and the prosecutor's questions do not relate to the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220201","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yen Sen's wife Lee is being interrogated. She says she feels unwell after the funeral of her husband, who died three weeks ago. She uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and confirms the testimony she gave earlier.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to merge the cases of Sergey Kuznetsov and Yegor Baranov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220125","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2018.\nThe prosecutor confuses the concepts of \"organization\" (legal entity) and \"worship meetings\", asking the following questions: \"What events did you participate in this organization? Did someone organize your participation in this organization?\"\nWitnesses deny that the services raised issues related to the call for the overthrow of the state system, incitement of national and religious hatred, and the use of Nazi symbols.\nOne of the interrogated named the topics that were raised at the services, for example, how to behave in the family, in society, to show respect for the authorities and people of different nationalities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20220111","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vyazemsky District Court begins hearings on the merits. Sergey Kuznetsov petitions for the termination of the criminal case. Judge Ksenia Ostanina rejects the petition.\nAt the next hearings, it is planned to interrogate witnesses and the defendant, as well as study the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20211109","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For consideration on the merits, the case is sent to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It is appointed to Ksenia Ostanina.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210929","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Khabarovsk Territory Directorate of the FSB of Russia, Captain of Justice D. Pozdnyakov attracts Sergey Kuznetsov as a defendant in \"participation in the activities of a religious organization, in respect of which the court decided to liquidate and ban activities in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\"\nKuznetsov is accused of \"participating in video conferences, choosing material for study ... took an active part in commenting and discussion, summed up the lessons, as well as ... He created a positive motivation for this, initiated ritual communication - reading prayers, singing songs (psalms), showed videos to students.\nThe investigation also believes that \"the activities of the meeting of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Vyazemsky are characterized by stability, expressed in the regularity of meetings of its members ... in the realization of common goals - serving Jehovah, following and putting into practice the doctrine.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210723","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which means blocking all his bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210402","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kuznetsov comes to the FSB for interrogation, where he learns that he is a suspect in a criminal case. He uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives him the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones.\nDuring the interrogation, investigator Nemtsev tries to establish a connection between Sergey and other believers. His phone is seized. Kuznetsov is taken to sign a not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210331","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 8 o'clock in the morning in the apartment of Sergey Kuznetsov, who was absent at that moment, a second search was carried out, authorized by the judge of the Central District Court of Khabarovsk, Lilia Maltseva. The search is supervised by Khabarovsk FSB investigator S. Nemtsev and Captain Alexei Svetachev, head of the Vyazma branch of the FSB, who had previously organized criminal prosecution of other Jehovah's Witnesses in the city.\nIn Kuznetsov's house are the parents and sister of the believer. The operatives, not believing that Sergey is missing, begin investigative actions from his room. They ask if there is a Bible or other religious literature in the house. The search takes place in a calm atmosphere, without pressure on the owners. The security forces seized mobile phones of Sergey's relatives, flash drives returned from the first search, as well as personal records of the believer. A copy of the search protocol is not given to the family, Sergey and his sister are summoned for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210330","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior investigator-criminalist of the Khabarovsk Territory Directorate of the FSB, initiates a criminal case against Sergey Kuznetsov. It is separated from the case of Ilya Degtyarenko.\nSergey is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he is charged with participating in meetings with fellow believers, during which he read and quoted texts from the Holy Scriptures.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20210325","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 9 a.m. in the city of Vyazemsky, the head of the branch of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Captain Alexei Svetachev, and senior warrant officer of the FSB Andrei Kusov, with two witnesses, searched the home of 29-year-old Sergey Kuznetsov, the uncle of Yegor Baranov, against whom a case for faith had been initiated 4 months earlier. Flash drives, notebooks with personal notes, printed publications, the Bible and electronic devices are seized from Kuznetsov. The believer is handed a summons for interrogation to the investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory S. V. Nemtsev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Kuznetsov in Vyazemsky","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy3/index.html#20200903","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Taras Kuzo from Yalta, a father of two young children, suspecting him of financing the activities of an extremist organization. After a series of searches in the homes of believers, Kuzo ended up in a temporary detention facility. In July of the same year, a case was opened against his wife Darya, as well as Petr Zhiltsov, Sergey Lyulin and Tadevos Manukyan. Later, the Manukyan case was separated into a separate proceeding. Lyulin spent more than six months in a pre-trial detention center and more than 4 months under house arrest. Zhiltsov and Kuzo were under house arrest for 11 and 16 months, respectively. In February 2023, the court sentenced Taras Kuzo to 6.5 years, Petr Zhiltsov to 6 years and 1 month, Sergey Lyulin to 6 years in prison, and Darya Kuzo to 3 years suspended. In March 2024, an appeal overturned the verdict and sent the case back for a new trial, which began in January 2025.","date":"2021-03-04","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html","prisoners":["kuzod","kuzyo","lyulin","zhiltsov"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","type":"cases"},{"body":"Defendant Taras Kuzo files a motion to exclude previously examined material evidence that is not relevant to the case. He emphasizes that the possession of religious materials does not constitute a crime and is protected by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and international law.\nThe court raises the issue of appointing an expert examination. The defense objects and asks for time to prepare a written position and questions to the expert. In this regard, the meeting was postponed for three weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2026-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20260527","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines books and notebooks with Taras Kuzyo's notes, which the investigation associates with the activity of the liquidated legal entities. Taras emphasizes that these notes are exclusively of religious or domestic nature. One of the seized notebooks belonged to his wife, Darya, in which she kept accounting records for her business activity. Most of the entries in the notebooks, according to the defense, date back to a period long before 2017 (2011 at the latest). At the same time, in the case materials, their covers are mixed up, and the content is described incorrectly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20260209","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense notes that written evidence — poems and a letter about the need to pray to God during the pandemic — have nothing to do with extremist activity. According to Taras Kuzo, their inclusion in the evidence indicates that the investigator did not distinguish between the concepts of practicing religion and the activity of a religious organization. The defendant also reports that one of the disks presented as evidence was planted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2025-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20251027","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the prosecution, the fact that the defendants paid utility bills for a worship building that was not used for its intended purpose after the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia proves that the believers were engaged in financing the activities of an extremist organization. To confirm this, prosecution witnesses are interrogated in court for several months - employees of the water utility, the municipal waste management service and power grids. Witnesses either cannot identify the defendants or do not confirm the connection between the payment of utility bills and extremist activities.\nAt one of the meetings, FSB officers Latyshev and Interior Ministry officers Yatsenko are interrogated. They believe that all believers carried out illegal activities only because they are Jehovah's Witnesses. And the fact that the worship building was cleaned and order was maintained allegedly means that the activities of the extremist organization continued.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20250225","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is being referred to Judge Anna Bakhurevich.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20241109","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor files a motion to challenge Judge Kristina Kirillova on the grounds that she was a secretary at the trial of Artem Gerasimov in 2020. The state prosecutor doubts its objectivity. The defense objects, as it believes that the materials of the Gerasimov case are not relevant to the Kuzo case, and note the professionalism of the judge. The court grants the prosecutor's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20241108","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The retrial of the case begins. 12 listeners are allowed in the courtroom. The judge rejects the request of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. All four defendants claim that the charges are illegal, unfounded and unfair.\nTaras Kuzo says: \"I have been practicing my faith for more than 20 years... And I sincerely wonder why all these years I was not considered an extremist because of my faith and suddenly became one.\" He also states: \"The investigation should have seen the difference between the peaceful worship of God and the commission of socially dangerous acts filled with hatred and enmity.\"\nHis wife, Darya, adds: \"My family and I are actually victims in this criminal case. On the part of the preliminary investigation authorities, I, my husband and our children have been repeatedly subjected to humiliation of human dignity on the basis of our religion.\"\nPetr Zhiltsov asks the question: \"Can I continue to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in such a way that it is not regarded as a continuation of the illegal activities of a liquidated legal entity?\" He continues: \"The text of the indictment, unfortunately, contains only general phrases, from which it is impossible to get an answer.\"\nSergey Lyulin sums up: \"My family and I cannot exercise our constitutional right and worship God within the framework of the law.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20240528","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["retrial","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are transferred to the Yalta City Court. It will be considered by judge Kristina Kirillova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20240404","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pyotr Zhiltsov feels well, but for about three months he has not received letters. He is regularly taken for a walk, during which he tries to do physical exercises.\nSergey Lyulin and Taras Kuzio are worried about their loved ones. They are helped by letters of support. The administration and cellmates treat them with respect.\nAll believers have the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2024-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20240108","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pyotr Zhiltsov is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20230719","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants give their last word before sentencing. All of them consider themselves innocent and ask the judge to acquit them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20230227","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for severe punishment for believers: 7.5 years in a general regime colony for Taras Kuzo, 7 years for Pyotr Zhiltsov and Sergey Lyulin, and 3.5 years for Darya Kuzo with a reprieve of punishment until her youngest child reaches 14 years of age. Now he is 8 years old.\nThe court is interrogating a defense witness from Mineralnye Vody. He reports that during the period when, according to the investigation, Sergey Lyulin carried out criminal activities in Yalta, the believer and his wife lived in Mineralnye Vody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20230130","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a defense witness who explains that \"the LRO dealt exclusively with economic and legal issues.\"\nAll the defendants testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20221228","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the last secret witness, who refuses to answer most of the questions, arguing that the answers can declassify him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20221209","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned, who states that he does not know any of the defendants and has never seen them.\nThen Professor, Head of the Department of Religious Studies of the Crimean Federal University Olga Griva speaks. Based on the testimonies of classified witnesses, signatures in the contract of sale of the worship building and receipts for payment of utilities, she assigns Taras Kuzo, Sergey Lyulin and Pyotr Zhiltsov the status of \"activists and leaders of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.\" She also says that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia, however, in her opinion, believers can practice it from their homes. She characterizes the liturgical meetings of believers as the activity of a banned legal entity, not a religious group. The expert admits: \"I have not seen the term 'religious groups' in the law\" (The definition of a religious group is given in the Federal Law \"On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations\" – Ed.).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20221013","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yalta City Court is considering a petition to change the measure of restraint for Taras Kuzo, Sergey Lyulin and Petro Zhiltsov. The court decides to change their measure of restraint from house arrest to prohibition of certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20220711","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Yalta City Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20220315","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Sergey Lyulin and transfers him from custody to house arrest. The believer was detained for 203 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20220301","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Lyulin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that at first he was kept in a cell with 15 prisoners, many of whom smoked and used foul language. Because of the noise, it was hard to sleep at night. In August, Sergey suffered from COVID-19.\nLater, the believer was transferred to a special unit. He is now being held in a double cell. Conditions and well-being are satisfactory, goes for walks. Another prisoner is being held in the cell together with Sergey. The believer receives letters of support and responds to them - he manages to write 4 letters a day.\nAccording to defense lawyer Taras Kuzio, during each trial, the believer asks to be allowed to take short walks to visit the pharmacy and shop. However, the judge continues to refuse his request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210910","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Evpatoria (160 km from Yalta), a search in the apartment of a bedridden patient takes place for two hours. For his medical examination, operatives call an ambulance.\nSpecial measures are carried out on the basis of the relevant decision of the judge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol E. S. Pronin, issued in response to the petition of investigator V. A. Novikov. It was he who had previously opened a criminal case against the Kuzio family.\nAccording to the investigation, Jehovah's Witnesses meet in the apartment to discuss the Bible. After a two-hour search, law enforcement officers do not seize anything and apologize to the residents, saying that they came on a call, which turned out to be false.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210816","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kievsky District Court of Simferopol decides to detain Sergey Lyulin until September 4, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210813","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Not far from Belgorod, investigator Novikov and other police officers, dressed in civilian clothes, detain Sergei Lyulin. They push the believer into the luggage compartment of the minibus, handcuffing his hands to handrails under the ceiling on both sides of the cabin, and tape his legs to the seat. In this position, Sergey is taken to the Simferopol pre-trial detention center. The journey takes 16 hours. On the way, employees sometimes offer Sergey food or drink, but he refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210811","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","siloviks-violence","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Decisions were made on the appointment of additional handwriting forensic examinations in relation to Daria Kuzo, Petr Zhiltsov, Sergey Lyulin and Tadevos Manukyan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210806","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All criminal cases against believers are combined into one - the case of Kuzo and others in Yalta.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210730","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Yalta, 33-year-old Petr Zhiltsov, who was previously involved as a witness in the case of Taras Kuzio, is detained. Senior Investigator of the Second Investigation Department (for the investigation of cybercrimes and crimes in the field of high technologies) of the First Investigation Department of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V.A. Novikov initiates a criminal case against the believer under Part 1 of Article 282.3 and accuses him of \"committing intentional grave crimes of an extremist nature, for which there is a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to 10 years.\" The investigation charges the believer with \"financing an extremist organization\" and \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nIn addition, Novikov initiates a criminal case against Zhiltsov, as well as Daria Kuzo, the wife of Taras Kuzo, Sergey Lyulin and Tadevos Manukyan, under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In relation to Daria, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210729","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1","282.2-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From April to July, investigative actions are underway. The investigator summons Taras Kuzio's wife for questioning, and also appoints him to conduct several examinations - three handwriting and psychological and psychiatric.\nThe believer remains under house arrest. Even the Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea does not satisfy his appeal to mitigate the measure of restraint. Taras explains: \"Being under house arrest, I am separated from my family and deprived of the opportunity to take care of them.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210401","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol, V. V. Krapko, refuses to allow the investigator to detain a believer. Taking into account that Taras has two minor children, the court sends him under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210312","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Yalta, a series of searches are taking place in at least 9 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the home of Taras Kuzio. Electronic devices and Bibles are seized from the believer. After a search and interrogation, he was sent to the Bakhchisarai temporary detention facility.\nA search is also taking place in the home of Sergey Lyulin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210311","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. A. Novikov, Senior Investigator of the First Investigation Department of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, initiates a criminal case against Taras Kuzyo.\nBecause of his belief in Jehovah God, the believer is accused of \"committing a deliberate grave crime of an extremist nature, for which a maximum penalty of imprisonment for up to 8 years is provided.\" The investigation charges the believer with \"financing an extremist organization\" (part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Kuzo and others in Yalta","date":"2021-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yalta2/index.html#20210304","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2025, the Investigative Committee of Moscow opened a criminal case against Nadezhda Lebed. The house of the believer and her husband was searched. The woman was taken for interrogation and a recognizance agreement was taken from her. For her belief in Jehovah God, Nadezhda was charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization. About four years ago, the couple was already searched as part of the case of Roman Mareyev. From June to December 2025, the case was heard in court. The outcome was a fine of 500,000 rubles.","date":"2025-04-22","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8/index.html","prisoners":["lebed"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"Nadezhda Lebed gives her final statement on the day of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8/index.html#20251212","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated. One of them says that he saw Nadezhda twice — in the fall of 2018 and in the spring of 2019.\nAccording to him, there were no threats from her, she did not humiliate him or cause him any harm. He also confirms that he did not hear from her any calls for violent actions or to undermine the constitutional order or security of the Russian Federation.\nThe second witness for the prosecution, an officer, admits that because the events happened so long ago, he does not remember much.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","date":"2025-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8/index.html#20251006","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow and referred to Judge Anna Kozlova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8/index.html#20250630","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nadezhda Lebed is in hospital, in the cardiology department. Her condition is stable, there are no plans for surgery yet. Earlier, she went to the doctor complaining of chest pains; she was immediately hospitalized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lebed in Moscow","date":"2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow8/index.html#20250617","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2022, a criminal case was initiated against Aleksey Lelikov. The FSB of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory charged the believer with continuing the activity of a banned organization and \u0026ldquo;undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security,\u0026rdquo; — is how the investigating authorities interpreted reading the Bible and having conversations about God. The believer\u0026rsquo;s house was searched, he was interrogated and later released under a recognizance agreement. His property was seized, and bank accounts were blocked. In February 2023, the case went to court. The charge is based on audio recordings of meetings for worship made by a secret witness. In February 2025, the court sentenced Lelikov, a disabled person, to 6.5 years in a penal colony.","date":"2022-01-20","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html","prisoners":["lelikov"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","type":"cases"},{"body":"The barracks in which Aleksey Lelikov is kept are divided into two parts for about 35 people. The kind attitude of the believer to others creates a peaceful atmosphere in the detachment. Neighbors treat the man with respect, call him \"Uncle Lyosha\".\nLelikov reads the Bible in the Synodal translation. It is difficult for him to answer letters because of the noise and the lack of a desk.\nIf necessary, the believer can receive medication from a doctor. Aleksey needs dental care - tooth extraction and further prosthetics, which began in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2026-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20260220","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Lelikov is in penal colony No. 12 in the Volgograd Region (Volzhskiy). He was assigned to a unit in which pensioners and disabled people serve their sentences. The believer's sleeping place is on the second tier. He can regularly talk to his loved ones via video call through the Zonatelecom system.\nBefore being transferred to the penal colony, Aleksey fell ill and still has a cough. Because of this he did not need to go to the lineup for 2 weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20260123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Krasnodar Territory Court upholds the verdict against Aleksey Lelikov — 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20251128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnodar Territory Court withdraws the case from consideration and returns it to the court of first instance to resolve violations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20250924","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"In the case materials, the word 'love' occurs so often that it is second only to the names Jehovah and Jesus Christ,\" said Aleksey Lelikov, addressing the court with the last word. \"Constant calls to love God and neighbor, to help widows in their difficulties... The investigation did not seem to notice this.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20250131","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony with a ban on holding senior positions in public, religious and other organizations for a period of 6 years, as well as with restriction of freedom for 1 year and 6 months.\n85 people come to the courthouse to support the defendant, 55 are admitted to the hearing at the request of the lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20250130","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the public prosecutor, the court is returned to the stage of examination of the materials.\nThe debate is adjourned at the request of the prosecutor, as he needs to coordinate the punishment to be requested with the regional prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20241128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before making a decision on the request of the defense for the appointment of a computer and technical examination, the judge decides to summon senior FSB operative Stanislav Bochin for questioning. Under his control, CDs were recorded, the properties of which were later found to contain incorrect dates.\nIt is known that since 2020, Bochin has been actively involved in the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnodar Territory and testifies against them in court. The defendant himself and the defense consider him to be an interested person and, in fact, the initiator of this criminal case. They insist on conducting an objective examination of CDs by technical means.\n24 people come to the court building to support Aleksey Lelikov, 7 of whom are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240829","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of the 18 people who came to the courthouse, 7 were allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe judge rejected two motions of the defense: to exclude from the evidence the discs with audio recordings of the services, and to exclude from the evidence the protocols of the examination of the discs with audio recordings of the services.\nThe court takes additional time to make a decision on the next petition — on the appointment of a computer and technical examination of the properties of discs with audio recordings of worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240816","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Iryna Klyueva denies the defense's motion to summon a linguistic expert, Professor Elena Ryadchikova for questioning.\nInvestigator Nikita Rudenko is interrogated. He answers all questions very quietly. Asking everyone involved in the process to give louder answers leads nowhere.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240805","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Of the 22 people who came to the courthouse, 6 were allowed into the courtroom.\nThe interrogation of religious expert Pavel Boyko continues. He continues to express his negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. In the expert opinion, Boyko points out that the word \"peace\" carries an extremist connotation. Defendant Lelikov asks if the expert knows that this word has many meanings. Boyko agrees, but says that since he is not a linguist, he cannot explain the meaning of the word in the context of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240621","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation","expert-conclusions","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of expert religious scholar Pavel Boyko, head of the Department of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at Kuban State University, who performed an examination of audio recordings of Jehovah's Witnesses' services, continues. In response to one of the lawyer's questions, the expert reads out a voluminous fragment of the text of the examination that is not related to the question asked. After that, the lawyer again filed a motion to challenge the expert, but the judge refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240530","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session lasts more than 6 hours without a lunch break.\nReligious scholar Pavel Boyko is being interrogated. In his speech, he focuses on issues that are not the subject of this criminal case - he discusses whether Jehovah's Witnesses are real Christians, commenting on their doctrine.\nThe lawyer and the defendant file a motion to disqualify the expert because of prejudice against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and incompetence. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240427","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file documents on the state of health of the defendant, as well as two characteristics of his personality.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240409","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Iryna Klyuyeva allows the defense to make public the comments on the examination of audio recordings of worship services — contradictions, errors and inconsistencies. The court attaches these comments to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240401","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Alexei Lelikov's brother. He gives the defendant a positive characterization and says that, despite different religious views, they have a kind and calm relationship. He also says that the defendant did not call any of his relatives to do anything illegal, on the contrary, encouraged them to obey the authorities and strengthen family ties.\nThe public defender discusses the difference between the meetings of the LRO and the services of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240304","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the materials of the case, including video recordings of Bible speeches, listed as files confirming the accusation.\nThe defendant says that the viewed Bible program, also available on the Internet, is intended for a wide audience and has nothing to do with the city of Krasnodar or the activities of the liquidated legal entity. He also notes that there are no calls for violence, incitement to hatred and propaganda of superiority over anyone, and that none of the quotations from the Bible shown on the screen coincide with the translation of the Bible included in the list of extremist literature. The program tells about how believers from different countries help each other during natural disasters and pandemics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20240101","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins an examination of the material evidence seized during the search: a letter of thanks, a biblical atlas, a book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", a video file with biblical reports and the cartoon \"Does Jehovah Answer Prayers?\". Lelikov notes that these evidence does not confirm any of the charges against him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20231123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to listen to audio recordings of worship services. The defendant emphasizes what the believers learn at these meetings: \"Everyone learned to love people - how to cooperate with love for all kinds of people so that peace and love reign in relationships.\"\nThe prosecution concludes the presentation of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20231010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An audio recording of a worship service and a discussion of the Christian attitude to hatred is listened to in court - that it is comparable to murder and that \"it should not even be in the heart.\"\nThe prosecutor states that it is not necessary to listen to the recordings further, since there are already transcripts in the case file. The defense insists on the reproduction of audio files, since the entire accusation is based on these \"material evidence of the crime\". Aleksey Lelikov explains that only audio recordings can be heard intonation, and this can help the court form an opinion about his motives.\nIn the future, the recordings of the services are reproduced in fragments, but Judge Irina Klyuyeva allows the defendant to give brief explanations to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230824","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to listen to audio recordings of worship services received from a secret witness. The reproduction begins with a talk on the biblical theme of eternal life. The speech says that knowledge of God can change people's lives for the better and give hope.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230728","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case - search protocols, most of which do not relate to the defendant. A positive reference to Alexei Lelikov from the place of residence is also read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is attended by about 30 listeners. Judge Irina Klyuyeva satisfies the defendant's request for a request for the full text of the Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017 and the appeal decision for inclusion in the case file.\nThe prosecutor selectively reads out volumes 1 to 3 of the case file. Among other things, copies of the pension certificate, a certificate of disability of the 2nd group and a characteristic from the place of residence of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230608","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people gather near the courthouse to support the defendant. The Lelikov family and 12 other people are allowed into the hall.\nA witness is being questioned. In his questions, the prosecutor confuses the concepts of religion and legal entity, calling the word \"organization\" both. The witness explains that the word \"organization\" applies to both the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses and a legal entity, but it is not the same thing. The witness tells the court what exactly was and what was not prohibited by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017.\nThe defendant asks whether religious groups kept protocols or records of those present at religious meetings, to which the witness replies that this was not necessary, because these were not meetings of legal entities.\nNext, the defendant asks the witness whether the 2017 ban on reading the Bible together, singing songs and praying was related. The witness refers to the explanations of the statesman and lawyer Tatyana Moskalkova and says: \"All religious ceremonies, song performances, joint prayers, meetings - all this does not fall under the liquidation of the LRO or Krasnodar or some other, that is, the legal entity itself was liquidated. Therefore, it turns out that twenty people who were members of the LRO of Krasnodar have ceased their activities, and the rites conducted by Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017 and not banned by the court can be practiced by believers on the basis of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230425","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A support group of 55 people is waiting outside the courthouse.\nThe next witness is invited for questioning by the prosecution. The witness explains that the legal entity of the religious organization was created exclusively for administrative needs - the lease of premises for worship. He says that he saw Lelikov at divine services, and not at meetings of a legal entity. The witness then gives a positive characterization of the defendant.\nThe appointed lawyer sees discrepancies with the record of the interrogation of the witness and submits a motion for disclosure. The prosecutor shall maintain and read out the protocol.\nThe lawyer draws attention to three points in the testimony, which reveals wording that the witness never pronounced. Moreover, the interrogated states that he twice refused to sign the interrogation protocol because of the wording distorted by the investigator. However, due to pressure and threats from the investigator, he had to sign the document. The judge says that if this was the case, then the witness should have filed a complaint against the investigator, but since he did not do this, it means that he considered that the testimony was recorded correctly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230404","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 60 people come to the courthouse to support Alexei Lelikov. The prosecutor reads out the charges. The defendant does not agree with the accusation and says that it is not specified. The attitude to the accusation is attached to the case file.\nA classified witness is being questioned in court. He recounts his preliminary testimony in detail. When asked by Lelikov how he determined that he was present at the meeting of the LRO, and not just believers, by video link, the witness replies that this is his subjective opinion. He also says that he received information about Jehovah's Witnesses on television.\nAnother witness recounts a time when he attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"Everything was voluntary, without coercion or sanction for non-attendance.\" With regard to Lelikov, he says that he has not been in close contact with him, but has never heard propaganda of superiority, hatred or enmity from him. He also says that he knows nothing about Lelikov's activities and life in the period from October 2020 to March 2021 (the alleged period of the charge).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230314","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Aleksey Lelikov begin. To support the believer, 35 people come to court. A large hall is provided for the hearing.\nThe court grants Aleksey Lelikov's petition for the admission of a public defender.\nJudge Iryna Klyuyeva adjourns the hearings until March 14, 2023, as the defender who joined the case requested time to familiarize himself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230222","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Krasnodar. It will be considered by judge Iryna Klyueva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20230207","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lelikov's property (house and land) was seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20220218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Lelikov's wife and daughter are summoned for interrogation as witnesses in the FSB Directorate for the Krasnodar Territory. Answering investigator Rudenko's questions, the women use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves and their loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20220131","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lelikov family is being searched. Law enforcement officers are not armed, do not use violent actions. Aleksey is taken for interrogation, after which he is released on his own recognizance.\nLieutenant Colonel of Justice Nikita Rudenko, senior investigator of the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, is prosecuting Lelikov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20220128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar, Alexander Verkhoglyad, orders a search of Alexei Lelikov's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20220127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of the Russian Federation in the Krasnodar Territory, Captain of Justice Anton Poltoratsky initiates a criminal case against Alexei Lelikov. He considered holding peaceful worship services and biblical discussions to be a continuation of the activities of the banned organization.\nThe resolution states that \"A.V. Lelikov, in pursuance of his criminal intent to organize and continue the activities of a banned religious organization, acting from extremist motives ... took active organizational actions, expressed in the convening and holding of meetings ... study of religious literature and information contained in other sources of information.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lelikov in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar/index.html#20220120","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, mass searches took place in the village of Vyselki. Among those to whom law enforcement officers came was Vladimir Lepskiy. Two years later, he became a defendant in a criminal case on charges of extremism. In October 2024, the case went to court. A year later, Vladimir was given a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html","prisoners":["lepskiy"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir Lepsky makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20251023","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court give Lepskiy a 2-year suspended sentence with restriction of freedom for 6 months and a 2-year probation period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20251009","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who attended online meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2020 to 2021 is being questioned. He notes that he does not remember what exactly was discussed at them, since it was a long time ago. He did not personally contact the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20250709","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor brings charges. The believer does not admit guilt. Expressing his attitude to the charges, he quotes Russian religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are known all over the world for their impeccable law-abiding and, in particular, for their scrupulous payment of taxes.\" Lepsky notes: \"I am doing this, because this is the command of Jehovah, written in the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20241101","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of Vladimir Lepsky is under consideration by the judge of the Vyselkovsky District Court Elizaveta Proskuryakova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20241015","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee A.D. Bushuev makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against Vladimir Lepsky under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. As an accusation, Bushuyev puts forward the following facts: \"He read aloud to other participants the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Lepsky and his wife are being searched. It lasts 7 hours. According to Vladimir, in the temporary dwelling where he and his wife settled, law enforcement officers turn over all things, the bed, and look through documents. As a result, law enforcement officers confiscate electronic devices, bank pension cards, modems with a SIM card and personal records. Vladimir is being interrogated. Because of the stress, his wife feels bad and her blood pressure rises.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lepskiy in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki12/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2019, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against 18 men and 1 woman from Surgut (among them was a person mistaken for one of Jehovah's Witnesses). Their homes were searched. During the interrogations, 7 believers were subjected to violence. Artur Severinchik was sent to a pretrial detention center for 29 days, while Yevgeniy Fedin and Sergey Loginov — for 56 days. Timofey Zhukov was unlawfully placed in a psychiatric hospital for 14 days. The believers filed complaints about the use of torture with the Investigative Committee, the ECHR and the Human Rights Ombudsman; a press conference was held with the participation of human rights activists, but none of the law enforcement officers was brought to justice. In October 2021, materials of the case (which was put into separate proceeding in 2020) went to court. Two years later, the court gave all of the believers suspended sentences ranging from 4 to 7 years. In February 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2019-02-11","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html","prisoners":["akim","boronos","burenesku","fedin","fefilov","gargalyk","ipetrov","kayryak","kobotov","loginov","plekhov","romashov","rysikov","severinchik","shepel","trifonov","volosnikov","zhukov"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","type":"cases"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Marina Aksentyeva. Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra (3 Chekhov Street, Khanty-Mansiysk). Time: 10:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20250219","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defendant's motion to challenge Judge T. A. Ushakova, who took part in the overturning of the acquittal of Sergey Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20241007","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Dmitry Lupin. Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra (Surgut, Profsoyuzov St., 37, Courtroom No. 233).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231205","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Romashov, Kayryak, Zhukov and Volosnikov address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231113","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Shepel, Fefilov, Kobotov, Rysikov, Gargalyk, Burenescu and Severinchik make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231110","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Kim, Petrov, Loginov, Plekhov, Fedin, Boronos and Trifonov make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231109","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to impose punishment on the believers: from 3 years and 3 months to 9.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\nThe longest term requested for Sergey Loginov is 9.5 years in prison. The prosecutor requested 8.5 years for Timofey Zhukov and Pavel Romashov, 8 years and 4 months for Leonid Rysikov and Viktor Fefilov, 8 years and 8 months for Vyacheslav Boronos, Vasily Burenesk, Igor Petrov, Aleksey Plekhov and Igor Trifonov, 7 years and 10 months for Artem Kim, Igor Kobotov and Savely Gargalyk, 7 years and 8 months for Yevgeny Kayryak, 6 years and 8 months for Sergey Volosnikov and Yevgeny Fedin, Artur Severinchik was sentenced to 6.5 years and Viola Shepel to 3 years and 3 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231016","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Timofey Zhukov from the pre-trial detention center and chooses a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. The believer spent 60 days in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20231016","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Timofey Zhukov was moved from Saratov to a pre-trial detention center in Chelyabinsk. He expects that then he will be sent to Yekaterinburg, and then to Nizhnevartovsk. Timothy has a positive attitude. As the believer himself says, he perceives \"each new day as a gift from God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20230921","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court toughens Timofey Zhukov's measure of restraint from recognizance not to leave to detention for a period of 6 months. The believer was detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-08-18T16:00:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20230818","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For more than a year and a half, the Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra has been hearing a criminal case against 20 defendants, including 1 person mistakenly accepted by the investigation as a Jehovah's Witness. Court hearings are held behind closed doors, in recent months they have been held every working day. According to relatives, the defendants do not lose heart and remain cheerful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20230608","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness who had previously feigned an interest in the Bible and secretly recorded conversations with believers taking place in Pavel Romashov's car. The court listens to these recordings. At them, believers talk with a witness about the importance of respecting parents and resolving conflicts, as well as what is the source of happiness.\nAlso on the recording it is heard that the witness shares with believers personal problems and experiences and asks for advice in connection with alcoholism and foul language. The defense asks the witness the question: \"Did you really use all the advice of believers to overcome alcoholism?\"\nWhen asked by the lawyer how he understands the word \"recruitment\", the witness explains that by recruitment he means an invitation to study the Bible. At the same time, he says that for such conversations, he and Pavel Romashov met by mutual consent.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20221213","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a woman who had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, is being questioned. It is not oriented in many issues, for example, concerning the concepts of \"local religious organization\" and \"legal entity\". The witness confirms that she has never heard that any of the defendants called for illegal or violent acts, and some of them she does not know at all. The woman says that Jehovah's Witnesses strive to love people. She does not remember the facts of the use of forbidden literature at worship services. The Witness says that she had previously preached with other Jehovah's Witnesses, but that she did not have the goal of being involved in religion. She explains, \"People walked on their own.\"\nThe prosecutor requests the announcement of the record of the interrogation of the witness in connection with the presence of contradictions in the testimony. The lawyer opposes the disclosure of the entire record of the interrogation, and the judge grants the prosecutor's request in part, deciding to read out only those passages in which there are contradictions.\nThe witness confirms the testimony, but says that he remembers the circumstances of the case now better than 2 years ago when interrogated by the investigator. However, she cannot explain why in her 2020 testimony she indicated that religious groups (congregations) did not just belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but were part of the Local Religious Organization in Surgut. As a result, the woman refers to a bad memory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20221201","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge admits that the investigation was conducted in violation of the criminal procedure law, but believes that the violations are not enough to return the case to the prosecutor.\nFor believers Yevgeniy Kayryak and Sergey Loginov, the court changes the measure of restraint from a ban on certain actions to a written undertaking not to leave.\nThe judge announces the preliminary schedule of court hearings, drawn up until August 2022. According to the schedule, in the coming months, the defendants will have only 8-9 working days each month that are not occupied with court hearings. This deprives them of the opportunity to earn a sufficient living.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20211115","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the preliminary hearing, several defendants and their defenders fall ill, two of them confirmed to have covid. However, the sick agree that the hearings begin in their absence. Defendants and defence counsel shall provide the court with information on violations committed during the investigation: beating out testimony under torture with the requirement to include untrue information in the record; unlawful involuntary placement of the accused in a psychiatric hospital; introduction of lawyers into the case in violation of the requirements of lawyer ethics; the use of incompetent and biased experts; violations of the right of the accused to a defence; falsification of evidence in the selection of preventive measures. The defense asks that the evidence be declared inadmissible and that the case be returned to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-11-12T11:43:09+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20211112","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","torture","forced-hospitalization","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, a preliminary hearing begins against 20 accused. The hearing takes place in a cramped room, the defenders and the accused can hardly find a place to sit, while the prosecution is provided with tables next to the judge. Due to the illness of the accused and several defense lawyers, the hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20211029","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra decides to pay compensation to Timofey Zhukov for physical and moral damage caused to him by illegal placement in a psychiatric hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20211019","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["forced-hospitalization","compensation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case against 19 Jehovah's Witnesses from Surgut and one person mistakenly mistaken by the investigation for a Jehovah's Witness is being submitted to the Surgut City Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20211011","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor hands all defendants in the case copies of their indictment, which is 4 large boxes for each. At the preliminary investigation, the believers have already familiarized themselves with 130 volumes of the criminal case. It also includes several boxes of physical evidence. Court hearings are expected to begin soon.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20210927","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Loginov and others is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20201120","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 15:00, Alexander Guselnikov arrives at the Petrovs' apartment, accompanied by a second investigator, Alexander Monin, 2 armed riot policemen, witnesses, operatives (Senior Lieutenant Igor Antonov and Lieutenant Alexander Todorov) and a technical specialist. According to the protocol, the search is carried out for \"the purpose of finding and seizing documents and items related to the activities of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as items seized or restricted in civil circulation.\"\nThe search is carried out in the presence of Igor's minor son for 4 hours. Electronic devices, postcards and personal records are seized from the family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200723","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel A. V. Guselnikov, investigator for particularly important cases of the First Investigation Department of the Fourth Investigative Directorate located in Yekaterinburg of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, issued a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code against Aminzhanov, Boronos, Burenescu, Gargalyk, Zhukov, Kayryak, Kim, Kobotov, Kozak, Loginov, Petrov, Plekhov, Romashov, Rysikov, Trifonov and Fefilov. The case is combined into one proceeding with the one initiated earlier under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200708","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces are trying to give Igor's wife, Larisa, a black bag with things seized during the first search in their apartment on February 15, 2019. She refuses to pick them up, after which law enforcement officers go home to the Petrovs, but Igor cannot participate in the investigation for health reasons. Petrov repeatedly submits a statement of refusal to pick up the seized items, fearing possible falsifications and built-in listening devices.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200702","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg, Tatyana Chashchina, orders a search of Igor Petrov's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200626","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation of the criminal case is extended until August 11, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200408","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra cancels the decision to send Timofey Zhukov for a 30-day psychiatric examination in a hospital. Thus, the detention and forced hospitalization of the believer was illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200305","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal","forced-hospitalization"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Timofey Zhukov leaves the psychiatric hospital due to the fact that the psychiatric examination is over.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200219","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["forced-hospitalization"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Khanty-Mansiysk, Timofey Zhukov was detained and taken to an unknown destination. Later it became known that he was taken to Yekaterinburg for a psychiatric examination in a hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200205","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["forced-hospitalization","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers in civilian clothes are trying to find Timofey Zhukov in the building of the Surgut City Court. The believer, presumably, goes to seek protection in the court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Ugra, where he appealed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200204","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["forced-hospitalization"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zhukov appeals the decision on psychiatric examination to the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug - Yugra.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200120","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Surgut City Court Tatyana Slyusareva sends Timofey Zhukov to the Sverdlovsk Regional Psychiatric Hospital (Yekaterinburg) for an inpatient psychiatric examination for up to 30 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20200116","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["forced-hospitalization"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is accepted for proceedings by the investigator for especially important cases of the 1st Investigative Directorate of the 4th Investigative Directorate in Yekaterinburg of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Guselnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190917","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Fedotov, head of the Russian Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC), meets in Surgut with local believers who reported being tortured on February 15, 2019, as well as their family members. The meeting takes place in the conference hall of the Central City Library named after A. Pushkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190814","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["torture","presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victims of torture meet with the Human Rights Ombudsman for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and employees of the offices of the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190611","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["torture","commissioner-rf"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Loginov and Yevgeniy Fedin, who have been behind bars since February 15, 2019, are released from custody. Immediately after leaving the pre-trial detention center, the Surgut City Court imposed on both believers a ban on leaving the house at night, communicating with other defendants in the case, using mail, telephone and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190411","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A press conference is being held in Moscow highlighting the authorities' response to a complaint by 7 Surgut Jehovah's Witnesses who reported torture. The event is held at the Press Center of the Rosbalt News Agency at the address: Moscow, Skatertny per., 4/2 with the participation of well-known human rights activists, lawyers and representatives of the European Association of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190328","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["press-conference","torture","human-right-organizations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra satisfies the appeal of Yevgeniy Kayryak against the order to search his apartment. The proceedings were discontinued.\nThe District Court rules on a similar complaint by Vyacheslav Boronos. The order authorizing a search of his apartment is declared illegal due to violation of procedural norms. The investigator's petition was sent to the court of first instance for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190327","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) lifts the urgent interim measures, but continues to consider the complaint of Sergey Loginov and other believers of Surgut about the torture applied to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190320","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["echr","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra cancels the decision of the Surgut City Court (first instance) to detain Artur Severinchik, who spent 21 days behind bars.\nThe court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra refuses to mitigate the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Fedin and Sergey Loginov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190307","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the cities of Nefteyugansk and Pyt-Yakh (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug), located near Surgut, searches are being conducted in the homes of citizens suspected of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In the city of Pyt-Yakh, 37-year-old Aleksandr Nikanorov is detained, but released after interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190228","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to complaint No. 10618/19, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) orders the Russian government to release Sergey Loginov, who has been tortured, from custody under house arrest and urgently send him for a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190226","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["echr","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Babushkin, the head of the permanent system for assistance to the Public Monitoring Commission, a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, sends an appeal to the Prosecutor General, the head of the Investigative Committee, as well as the chairman of the Public Monitoring Commission (PMC) for the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug demanding to stop the criminal activities of the security forces responsible for torture.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190225","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["torture","human-right-organizations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyer Kolobov D.M. submits an application to the Office of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra for the disqualification of the investigation team in connection with the use of torture against 7 believers by the head of the investigative department for the city of Surgut Ermolaev V.V., investigators: Tkach S.V., Adiyatullin A.F., Gaisin S.S., Bogoderov S.A., Asmolov D.L. and other representatives of law enforcement agencies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190220","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra elects Yevgeny Fedin, Sergey Loginov and Artur Severinchik a measure of restraint in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190217","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches are being carried out in the homes of citizens of Surgut, Lyantor and other settlements of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. At least 15 people were detained and taken to the investigating authorities for interrogation.\nIt becomes known about the use of torture during interrogations in the Investigative Committee (electric shocks, strangulation to unconsciousness and beatings) against 7 detained believers: Sergey Loginov (born in 1961), Yevgeny Kayryak (born in 1986), Vyacheslav Boronos (born in 1966), Artyom Kim (born in 1988), Alexey Plekhov (born in 1977), Savely Gargalyk (born in 1960), Sergey Volosnikov (born in 1977).\nThe hotline of the Investigative Committee of Russia (TFR) receives an appeal from affected believers with a request to take measures to the investigator of the Surgut Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Dmitry Leonidovich Asmolov in connection with incoming reports of torture.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190215","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","interrogation","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug initiates a criminal case for faith under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Loginov, Yevgeniy Fedin, Artur Severinchik, Yevgeniy Kayryak, Vyacheslav Boronos, Artem Kim, Aleksey Plekhov, Savely Gargalyk, Sergey Volosnikov, Igor Trifonov, Viktor Fefilov, Timofey Zhukov, Leonid Rysikov, Igor Kobotov, Vasily Burenescu, Yevgeny Kozak, Igor Petrov, Pavel Romashov and his wife Viola Shepel.\nThe investigation considers peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible and God with friends and other people to be illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Loginov and Others in Surgut","date":"2019-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/surgut/index.html#20190211","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021, Vladimir Deshko, Yuriy Loginsky, Yuriy Moskalyov and Tatyana Velizhanina were arrested for their belief in God. Officers of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Krasnodar Territory participated in the detention of Sochi residents. Two days later, the court ruled to detain Deshko and Velizhanina in a pre-trial detention center, and Loginsky and Moskalev under house arrest. For conversations about God with local residents, believers were accused of \u0026ldquo;involvement in the activities of an extremist organization.\u0026rdquo; Tatyana Velizhanina had covid in a pre-trial detention center. She and Deshko were placed under house arrest after 11 and 10 months in a pre-trial detention center, respectively.  In February 2022, the criminal case was submitted to the Khostinsky District Court of Sochi, and it was appointed to Judge Konstantin Sidoruk. On March 28, 2022, he found the believers guilty and sentenced Velizhanina to 1 year and 5 months, and Deshko to 1 year and 4 months in prison, which they actually served. Moskalev and Loginskiy were sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence without restriction of freedom with a probationary period of 2 years.","date":"2021-02-18","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html","prisoners":["deshko","loginskiy","moskalev","velizhanina"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believers to imprisonment for Yuriy Loginskiy and Yuriy Moskalev for a period of 1 year and 4 months with a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months, and the prosecution asks for Vladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina a sentence corresponding to the term already served.\nJudge Konstantin Sidoruk finds the believers guilty and sentences Velizhanina to 1 year and 5 months, and Deshko to 1 year and 4 months in prison, which they have actually already served. Moskalev and Loginskiy were sentenced to 2 years of suspended sentence without restriction of freedom with a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20220328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khostinsky District Court of Sochi releases Tatyana Velizhanina under house arrest. She is allowed two-hour walks. She spent more than 11 months in the pre-trial detention center of the city of Armavir.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2022-03-04T17:01:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20220304","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case against Vladimir Deshko, Yuri Loginsky, Yuri Moskalev and Tatyana Velizhanina are submitted to the Khostinsky District Court of Sochi. According to the investigation, sufficient evidence of the guilt of believers has been collected. All four are charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization and the involvement of a resident of Sochi in it.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20220221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the Court of Appeal in Krasnodar transfers Vladimir Deshko under house arrest. The believer spent 10 months in a pre-trial detention center in Sochi.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2022-02-03T14:24:47+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20220203","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Deshko and Tatyana Velizhanina are in IVS No. 3 in Sochi.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20211203","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Tatiana in the pre-trial detention center. She says that she had covid in August, she still has a cough, but she feels good. Due to her illness, she was unable to attend the court hearing, where it was decided to extend her detention.\nTatiana has already received about 1500 letters from fellow believers from all over the world. They serve as support not only for the believer herself, but also for her cellmates. \"The girls are waiting for my letters,\" says Tatiana.\nA week ago, the believer was given a complete Bible. Thanks to the advice from this book, she manages to create a friendly atmosphere in the cell and avoid conflicts.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210913","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Velizhanina is brought to Sochi from the Armavir pre-trial detention center No. 2 to extend the measure of restraint. The Khostinsky District Court of Sochi extends the preventive measure for her: she must be kept in a pre-trial detention center until at least May 18, 2021. After the trial, the investigator continues to keep her in the local temporary detention facility, so she cannot receive letters yet.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210416","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court prolongs the detention of Vladimir Deshko. He is transferred from the Sochi detention center 400 km away to the Armavir pre-trial detention center-2.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Loginskiy and Others in Sochi","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sochi2/index.html#20210414","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, in Shadrinsk, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for faith against Aleksandr Lubin, an elderly man with a group II disability. His house was searched. The believer was sent to a pre-trial detention center for 1.5 months, despite the fact that he needed regular hospital treatment and could hardly move. According to the doctors\u0026#39; instructions, Aleksandr had to use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which was impossible in prison. In August 2021, after a request from the ECHR and human rights activists, the court released Aleksandr from the pre-trial detention center. Ilya Yershov was also a defendant in this case, but the materials against him were separated into separate proceedings. In June 2023, Lubin\u0026#39;s case went to court. During the trial, the prosecution questioned witnesses who were over 80. In October 2024, the court fined the believer 500,000 rubles (The prosecutor requested 7 years suspended). A month later, Aleksandr was taken to intensive care due to his deteriorating condition and died.","date":"2021-07-13","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html","prisoners":["lubin"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Although I am physically weaker, my faith in God and the expectation of his promises are getting stronger every day,\" Aleksandr Lubin makes his final statement in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240909","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Lubin speaks in court with the last word.\nThe defense files a motion to attach an important document for the investigation. The judge supports the lawyer's opinion and grants the motion. To attach the document, the judge returns the trial to the previous stage and then re-announces the beginning of the arguments of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240627","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","courtroom","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For five sessions, the prosecution, lawyers and Aleksandr Lubin speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240601","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the disabled person of group II Alexander Lubin to 7 years conditionally with a probationary period of 4 years.\nThe defendant provides the court with information about the impact on his life and health of his stay in the pre-trial detention center, where he spent 1.5 months and was released only after a complaint to the ECHR.\nThe debate of the defense begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240528","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness is being questioned via video conferencing. She says that she personally does not know Alexandra Lubina, she has never seen him live. I heard about him from my mother's stories, I saw his photo, but I can't identify him exactly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240506","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file a motion to attach to the materials of the criminal case the written text of the ECHR decision in the case of \"LRO Taganrog and others v. Russia\". The court satisfies the motion, despite the objections of the prosecution, and examines it.\nDefendant Alexander Lubin reads out his written notes. The believer draws attention to the fact that \"the prosecution did not provide a clear explanation as to why it believes that [he] could practice his faith exclusively within the framework of a 'religious association'.\" He also asks: \"Why does the prosecution believe that the constitutional rights of believers and the rights of religious groups were lost for me in April 2017? Why can't I use them now?\"\nThe believer tells the court about his state of health: \"It is difficult for me to walk, and in the event of a fall, I am not able to get up without assistance. Criminal prosecution on trumped-up charges further worsened my already poor health and deprived me of the opportunity to receive full-fledged routine medical care.\"\nLubin also cites a response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in the case file, explaining that \"members of a liquidated organization can independently practice religious worship as part of religious groups that do not require registration.\" He concludes: \"In court, we did exactly the opposite—we looked at the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and how they were expressed. And this is not a crime! Therefore, I do not consider myself guilty and do not plead guilty.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240425","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is watching a film about the history of repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, which is in the case file.\nThe defense attaches an epicrisis after Lubin's treatment in the hospital. A petition is also filed to attach to the case file two more medical reports, medical records, discharge reports and ECHR decisions issued in cases of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge grants the request, except for the admission of medical records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240327","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Publications published by Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as books by Russian religious scholars Nikolai Gordienko, Mikhail Odintsov and Sergey Ivanenko, are examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240208","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense reads out a number of materials, including a motion to terminate the criminal case.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the state of health of Aleksandr Lubin, who needs medical care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240115","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the defense announces the evidence in the case contained in 24 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20240111","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The volumes of the case are examined. At the request of the prosecutor, the court decides to announce some of the materials from them at a closed court session.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231221","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the case materials, some of them behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231204","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness, a woman with whom Lubin spoke on the phone about the Bible. The woman explains that the believer did not tell her anything bad or offensive, did not hurt her feelings, did not invite her anywhere and did not call her to anything.\nThe Court examines the case file in volumes 14 to 21.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the voiced materials are not related to the participants in the trial, and also do not relate to the period imputed to the defendant. In addition, according to him, the state prosecutor does not indicate what exactly these materials have to do with the charges. The Court takes note of this observation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231128","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning 5 witnesses. One of them says that she does not recognize two of her signatures, and the other three do not belong to her.\nThe court examines the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231102","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case. A witness is being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231019","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning 6 prosecution witnesses. One of them informs the court that they talked with the defendant Lubin about the meaning of life, about the role of God in human life and about the Bible. The witness describes Alexander as a \"calm, kind and thoughtful\" person. The defendant did not incite him to violence and did not say that he hated anyone. The witness never heard from the defendant the names of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the name \"Local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Shadrinsk.\"\nAnother witness, a woman, says that her husband attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017, and notes that because of his association with them, he stopped drinking.\nThe Court begins to examine the written materials of the case from volumes 3, 4, 14, 15, 30 and 31.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20231012","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 8th, 9th and 14th volumes of the case materials are being examined.\nThe questioning of prosecution witnesses continues, who are also unable to testify anything on the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230928","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of 6 prosecution witnesses who cannot provide any information about the illegal actions of the defendants. The Court proceeds to examine the written materials of the case and considers the first two volumes. The prosecutor reads out memorandums on ORM, transcripts of recordings from the defendant's computer screen, transcripts of audio recordings of his telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230921","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Captain of Justice A. A. Kravchenko opened a criminal case against Ilya Ershov for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Previously, he was a suspect in the case of Aleksandr Lubin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230918","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing was postponed due to the emergency hospitalization of Aleksandr Lubin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230907","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to mispronounce the name of God, explaining that \"the organization is banned and it does not matter how to read.\" The questioning of witnesses begins. One of them says that she talked to a man about God on the phone, and that's all she knows.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230803","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Aleksandr Lubin have begun. The prosecutor, reading the indictment, distorts the name of God. The defense declares the need to pronounce it correctly out of respect for the feelings of the believer. The judge agrees with the remark and records it in the minutes of the session.\nThe defendant reads out his attitude to the charge. The referee takes into account Alexander's physical condition and allows him to perform while sitting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230725","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexander Lubin is submitted to the Shadrinsky District Court of the Kurgan Region and appointed to Judge Natalia Korotneva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230602","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, deputy head of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases, stops the criminal prosecution of Ilya Ershov for organizing the activities of an extremist association.\nThe resolution states: \"In the course of the investigation of the criminal case... sufficient evidence on the basis of which Ershov could be charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation has not been established.\"\nAt the same time, the case materials under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are separated into a separate proceeding against him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20230317","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["case-dismissed","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Aleksandr Lubin from the pre-trial detention center and, at the request of the investigator, chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210828","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The ECHR sends a request to the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. Lawyers also appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Kurgan Region, after which the Commissioner initiates an urgent inspection.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210810","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["echr","commissioner-rf"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers file a complaint with the ECHR about the detention of a believer despite his serious health condition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210808","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["echr"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Lubin, who is in SIZO-1 in the Kurgan Region, is appealing the decision to detain him due to his health condition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210719","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Yevgeny Kolesov chooses Lubin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months - until September 13.\nNeither the investigator nor the court take into account that the believer has a group II disability. According to the submitted medical certificates, Lubin's detention in the pre-trial detention center poses a real danger to his health and life.\nSince 2018, he has been in need of planned hospitalization. So, in 2020, the believer was treated in a hospital 8 times, and the next planned hospitalization should take place in August 2021. According to the doctors' prescription, Alexander must use an oxygen cylinder for 16 hours a day, which is impossible in an isolation ward. The requirements for prisoners and the daily routine in the pre-trial detention center are an unbearable burden for the believer, since due to constant pain in the hip joints, he can hardly move.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","disability","elderly","medical-rights","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators are conducting searches of at least 8 families of local Jehovah's Witnesses. Personal records, letters, photographs, electronic devices, money, bank cards, books and magazines are seized from believers. In the town of Shadrinsk, about 150 km from the regional centre, security forces detained at least 8 men and brought them to the Investigative Committee for questioning. Among them are Alexander Lubin and Ilya Ershov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the First Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case against Alexander Lubin and unidentified persons under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation interprets peaceful meetings of believers as \"actions of an organizational nature aimed at the continuation and resumption of the activities of a banned organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lubin in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk/index.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2022, in Biysk, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against unidentified persons, as part of which searches were conducted in the homes of local Jehovah’s Witnesses in January 2023. After that, Sergey Lukin, an entrepreneur from Biysk, was named as a suspect. According to the investigation, he took part in the “activity of an extremist organization” — this is how an ordinary meeting of believers to discuss the Bible is viewed. The reason for the criminal prosecution was a statement from a man who was allegedly interested in the Bible. After interrogation, Lukin was released under a recognizance agreement. In January 2024, the court began to consider the case on its merits. The trial resulted in a guilty verdict — a 4.5-year suspended sentence. The court announced the decision in December 2024. After 3 months, the court of appeal replaced the sentence with 4.5 years of forced labor. Cassation upheld that decision.","date":"2022-12-01","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html","prisoners":["lukin"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer is serving his sentence in a correctional center at a penal colony. He works on a 5-day schedule as a janitor at a repair and maintenance facility. On weekends, Lukin can leave the correctional center for four hours a day, which allows him to meet his relatives. He also keeps in touch with his loved ones by phone.\nThe correctional center houses 100 people. Sergey stays in a room for five people. The center has a kitchen-dining room, a utility room with washing machines, a dryer and ironing equipment, and storage and changing rooms. In the building is often no cold or no water at all. Food is provided in the correctional center, but Sergey prefers to eat at his own expense. Since the believer's salary is small, he is grateful to his friends for their support.\nLukin has received awards, in particular, for his volunteer work for the House of Folk Art.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2025-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20250828","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["labor","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction of Kemerovo upholds the verdict against Sergey Lukin. During the hearing, they do not let him speak in his defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20250731","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["cassation","labor","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for Sergey Lukin: 5 years of forced labor with the deduction of 15 percent of his salary and restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year and 6 months.\nSergei Lukin makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20241205","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Sergei Lukin made written notes: \"Representatives of the investigating authorities and the expert built the charges not on legal grounds and facts, but on their personal subjective judgments and conjectures. In the course of the judicial investigation, this was proved more than once: the prosecution witnesses do not bring charges against me; the materials of the case testify to the absence of culpable actions on my part; Physical evidence proves my innocence. So what's my fault?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20241114","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated - FSB officers who conducted operational-search activities - Vatslavsky and Cherednichenko. As it turned out, they did not save the original audio and video recordings of the OPM.\nAccording to Vaclavsky, a sign of extremism in the actions of Jehovah's Witnesses is the assertion that there is only one true religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20240704","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of prosecution witnesses lasts about 2.5 hours. One of them, Alexeev, says he met with Sergei Lukin at his home to discuss the Bible. He did not hear any coercion from the defendant to change his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20240613","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution reads out the case materials from volumes 1 to 8. The prosecutor also reads out the data of the ORM, which contains information about the worship service where believers study the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20240215","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment shall be announced at the hearing. Sergey Lukin reads out his attitude to the criminal case: as a believer, he exercised his constitutional right to jointly profess religion and hold worship services. The defendant emphasizes that there are no signs of extremism, propaganda of superiority or exclusivity in his actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20240125","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Lobada involves Sergey Lukin as an accused. The ruling states that the believers, while holding meetings in the apartment, \"observed strict measures of secrecy of the congregation ... where they studied the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, gave comments and expressed their views on the issues discussed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20231027","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out in the homes of four Jehovah's Witnesses in Biysk: two women and two men. At the home of a 60-year-old believer, security forces are searching several rooms at once, scattering things on the floor. Then she was interrogated in the FSB building, threatening to open a case under an extremist article, and then taken to the local department of the Investigative Committee.\nAfter a search in the apartment of 51-year-old Sergey Lukin, he was taken to the investigative committee for questioning. Senior investigator I. V. Lobada chooses Lukin a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. Then the believer is taken to his place of work, where his office is searched in the presence of FSB officers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2023-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20230125","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department for the city of Biysk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Altai Territory is initiating a criminal case against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Biysk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/biysk/index.html#20221201","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin from Tver first faced criminal prosecution in September 2023, when his home was searched as part of the case of Aleksandr Serebryakov. In April 2025, law enforcement officers again searched his family in connection with a new criminal case. The believer was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee of Moscow, after which he was placed in a temporary detention center for two days. Lukin was accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in it. In June 2025, the case was separated into a separate proceeding. A month later, it went to court. In February 2026, he was sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony, and in May, this decision was approved by the court of appeal.","date":"2024-08-05","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html","prisoners":["lukina"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Moscow Regional Court upheld the verdict — the believer will go to a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20260505","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the verdict was announced, Andrey Lukin received 50 letters of support. He is still in the pretrial detention center in Sergiyev Posad. Recently, he was transferred to a different cell, where two other prisoners are being held. According to Andrey, the conditions there are a little better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2026-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20260228","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin declares that he does not plead guilty and considers the charges unfounded. He emphasizes: \"I consider myself a simple believer, I live according to the commandments of God.\" The defendant says that he still does not understand the essence of the charges against him, and adds: \"Personally, I did not participate in illegal activities.\"\nThe believer also talks about his many years of experience with Jehovah's Witnesses, noting their peaceful way of life: \"I have known Jehovah's Witnesses since I was 13 years old and during this time I have never heard that any of them were prosecuted for violence.\"\nThe meeting is attended by 35 listeners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20260205","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin's neighbor testifies as a witness for the defense. According to her, she has known him for more than 30 years, treated him \"like a son\", and he treated her \"like a mother\". She had never heard his family arguing, they all lived happily. When asked by the lawyer what Lukin's religion is, the woman replies that she does not know. He did not offer her religious literature, she did not hear negative or offensive statements about others from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20260121","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Giving evidence to the court, Andrey Lukin explains that his actions are a common and legal religious practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, which has nothing to do with extremism.\nThe believer asks the court to replace his restriction measure with one not related to arrest. He needs to take care of his elderly mother and mother-in-law, as well as cope with his chronic illnesses. He is married, has never been convicted before and has a permanent place of residence.\nJudge Olga Pershina extends the detention of Andrey Lukin for another three months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251222","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about thirty listeners in the hall.\nAndrey Lukin expresses his attitude to the charges. The believer notes that there is no ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, so his lecture at a meeting for worship is quite legal. He emphasizes that he did not call anyone to illegal actions.\nTwo witnesses for the prosecution are testifying. The first woman tells the court that she personally does not know anyone she is asked to tell about. The second states that she has never heard any statements from Lukin that humiliate people of other nationalities or religions. She characterizes Andrey Lukin as a kind, compassionate, ready to help.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251211","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is in pre-trial detention center No. 8 in the Moscow region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-09T13:44:04+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251209","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is in pretrial detention center No. 3 for Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-05T15:09:53+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251205","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is transferred to the pretrial detention center for the city of Sergiyev Posad.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251203","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin's case is being transferred to the Dmitrov City Court of the Moscow Region. It will be reconsidered by Judge Olga Pershina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251202","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Dmitrov City Court, chaired by Judge Olga Pershina, the consideration of the case of Andrey Lukin on the merits begins.\nAbout thirty people from different cities came to the meeting to support Andrey and his wife. Everyone is allowed to be present: those who did not have enough seats stand.\nThe lawyer filed a motion to return the case to the investigator, since the alleged crime belonged to the Dmitrovsky district. The case was conducted by Moscow law enforcement officers, which violates the norms of territorial investigation. The judge dismisses the motion.\nThe prosecutor announces the charge. According to the defense, there are no facts in it proving that Lukin committed the crime imputed to him, there is no place and time of the crime, witnesses and victims.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20251202","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin and Viktor Velikov are in pretrial detention center No. 3 for Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-09-04T13:56:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250904","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin's case is being transferred to the Dmitrov City Court of the Moscow Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250819","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow. It will be considered by Judge Anna Kozlova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250630","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Lukin is in a cell with two other prisoners. None of the cellmates smoke inside or swear. There is hot water and drinking water in the cell. The necessary medicines are given to the believer. Relations with cellmates and staff of the detention center are friendly. Andrey is grateful for the letters of support — he has put together an album from greeting cards and photos. Recently, he got a personal copy of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250611","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials for Andrey Lukin are made into separate proceedings. Now his case is being considered separately from the case of Viktor Velikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250604","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Velikov and Andrey Lukin are in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250421","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Andrey Lukin, three more people are kept, there are enough beds. The cellmates smoke a lot and use obscene language, but they listen to Andrey's suggestion to replace swear words with others that fit the meaning. There is no refrigerator and TV in the cell. The food in the pre-trial detention center is normal, it is possible to order additional food.\nDue to stress, Andrey's chronic illnesses worsened, but the man is not discouraged. He has the opportunity to read the Gospels and draw. Letters from friends and relatives provide great support to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250420","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow, chaired by Judge Dmitry Makarenkov, authorizes searches of Andrey Lukin and Viktor Velikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250331","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Savelovsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V. I. Safin, resumes the proceedings in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20250325","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Proceedings in the case are suspended due to the absence of persons involved.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20241105","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Captain of Justice D. T. Mamedova, Senior Investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, separates the criminal case against unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the case of Aleksandr Serebryakov into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lukin in Moscow","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow10/index.html#20240805","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, Lyudmila Zinina became a defendant in a criminal case on extremism just because she read the Bible with friends. Her and her daughter's homes were searched back in February 2022. The investigator of the Investigative Committee placed the elderly woman under a recognizance agreement. At the end of 2023, the case went to court. In June 2025, Lyudmila was given a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-23","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html","prisoners":["zinina"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I would be ashamed to stand before the court for a real crime. However, I did not do what I am charged with.\" Lyudmila Zinina makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20250610","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 2 years and 6 months of suspended sentence for Lyudmila.\nIt becomes known that the believer has been diagnosed with a serious oncological disease. The defense provides the court with supporting documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20250519","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not satisfy the defense's request to declassify the secret witness. His interrogation takes place in a separate room. The secret witness says he has known Jehovah's Witnesses since the late 1980s. I never met or communicated with Lyudmila personally. Neither he nor his family had ever received threats from any of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20240606","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out several pages from the volumes of the case, since for technical reasons it is not possible to listen to and view audio and video materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20240408","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court does not satisfy the defense's request to merge the criminal cases of believers in Vyselki.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. Lyudmila expresses her attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20240209","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It will be considered by judge Lidia Koba.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20231228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator charges Lyudmila Zinina and interrogates her in her new status. A believer enjoys the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230722","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator R. S. Latysh takes a written undertaking not to leave Lyudmila Zinina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Zinina is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230609","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"R. S. Latysh, senior investigator of the Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, initiates a criminal case against Lyudmila Zinina under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believer is guilty of extremism for \"reading aloud religious books\" of Jehovah's Witnesses and \"entering into conversations and religious discussions.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Materials \"containing information about a new crime\" of Lyudmila Zinina are separated from the case against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230522","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal case No. 42302030079000007 against unidentified persons under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is separated from the case of Ushakov and others in Vyselki .\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2023-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20230203","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila and Irina Zinin are being searched as part of a mass raid on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Kuban. Electronic devices and data carriers are seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Lyudmila Zinina in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki3/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Even before the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia began, a certain \u0026quot;Ivan\u0026quot; attended meetings for worship in Novosibirsk and studied the Bible. In 2018, he began to cooperate with the FSB and collect information about believers. In April 2019, FSB officers invaded the homes of civilians, some of them planted banned books. A criminal case was opened, Aleksandr Seredkin and Valeriy Maletskov were placed under house arrest. Marina Chaplykina had to sign a recognizance agreement. Later, the Seredkin case was separated into a separate proceeding, Maletskov was accused of organizing extremist activities, and Chaplykina was accused of participating in it and financing it. After three years of investigation, the case went to court. In December 2023, the court sentenced Maletskov to 6 years, Chaplykina to 4 years in a penal colony. In January 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision, and in September it was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2019-04-19","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html","prisoners":["chaplykina","maletskov"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Marina has a reputation as a peaceful person. She is treated kindly and with respect. She still works in the sewing workshop, where she is making overalls. Now overtime is rare, it allows Marina to rest and recuperate.\nIn her free time, Marina embroiders and crochets and recently made a toy for her grandson. According to her, creativity calms her down and makes her feel good emotionally.\nMarina was encouraged by a short visit from her friends and an extended visit from her daughter.\nThere is about 1 year left before Marina's release and from June she will be counting the months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20260408","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marina Chaplykina is released from the punishment cell. This was the third time in 2026 that she was placed in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20260313","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Maletskov is still held in strict conditions and is periodically placed in a punishment cell.\nThe believer tries not to lose heart. He reads a lot; He is encouraged by the thoughts from the letters. He also continues to study English — he is already mastering the fifth textbook: he completes all the tasks, translates texts, and also practices the language, communicating in it with some of his cellmates. Among them are many young people who treat Valeriy like sons.\nConditions of detention are difficult: guards often arrange checks, during which they seize personal belongings, as well as break household items: chairs, tables, beds and windows. Also, since December, the shower room has been under repair, so Valeriy and other convicts wash themselves from a basin: they take hot water from the radiator, and add cold water from the tap. In January, due to a boiler breakdown, the temperature in their section dropped to 7 degrees Celsius.\nValeriy does not complain about his health, he tries to strengthen his immunity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2026-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20260214","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marina Chaplykina spent 14 days in a punishment cell because of a fabricated violation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20260116","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since July, Marina Chaplykina has been working in the sewing workshop 6 days a week. Working hours are set until 5:00 p.m., but they are often extended to 8:00 p.m. if prisoners do not succeed in completing the assigned work. On Sundays, the believer is required to participate in cleaning and taking care of the territory. Due to this schedule, she gets exhausted.\nSince arriving at the penal colony in April 2025, Marina has received about 50 letters (as many as the average number of letters received in the pretrial detention center per week). Recently, she was transferred to another unit, where there is hot water and heating.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250927","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In mid-August, Maletskov spent 5 days in a punishment cell: according to Valeriy, prohibited items were planted on him, which were then found during an inspection.\nSince August 20, the believer has been held under strict conditions. He receives letters of support irregularly — for the entire time in the penal colony, he was given only about 50 letters. Emails do not get through. Recently, Valeriy had his first extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250911","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Novosibirsk upholds the verdict, and the cassation appeals are denied. The believers will continue to serve their sentences in penal colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250903","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy has good relations with other prisoners. He regularly calls his wife, son and mother. The believer misses home and loved ones. He recently got a short visit with his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250715","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy has a Bible from the library in the penal colony and an English language tutorial.\nRecently, he had a short visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250711","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Maletskov is in penal colony No. 3 for the Novosibirsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250626","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy misses his family and worries about his teenage son, as he cannot fully participate in his upbringing. Letters of support and regular visits from his wife, son and mother help him not to lose heart.\nValeriy has established a well-organized routine in the cell. Everyone maintains cleanliness and order; the cellmates agreed to smoke only in a designated area so that cigarette smoke harms the believer as little as possible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250621","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marina Chaplykina is getting used to the routine in the penal colony. Adapting to the new conditions was not easy for her, especially in the first weeks.\nThe believer lives in a unit of about 90 people. Living conditions are generally satisfactory, although it is cold in her section. She helps to improve the grounds and has signed up for an applied arts club.\nThe attitude of the staff and other prisoners toward Marina is generally respectful.\nMarina has been suffering from severe coughing and hoarseness for about four months. So far, the administration has not returned the medicines that she brought from the detention center. In addition, it is very difficult to get an appointment with a doctor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250610","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Marina Chaplykina arrives at IK-9 in the Novosibirsk region to serve her sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20250419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 6 more people in the cell with Valery Maletskov. They treat him with respect as he is the eldest among them. For his personal qualities and behavior, he received the nickname \"intellectual\". The attitude of the staff of the detention center is also good. The conditions in the cell are not bad. There is a TV, but no refrigerator. He does not complain about his emotional and physical condition. He has a Bible that he reads regularly. Valeriy is also engaged in the study of English.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240716","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the case is returned to the court of first instance so that the defendants can familiarize themselves with the materials in more detail.\nThe judicial board agreed with the arguments of the lawyer and the defendants that the judge of the first instance allocated too short periods of time to get acquainted with the documents, which is a significant violation.\nWhile waiting for an appeal, the believers had already spent six months in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240611","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the 5-bed cell, Marina Chaplykina has her own bed. She has the opportunity to go for walks. The believer has a Bible. She also receives letters of support. She has respectful relations with the administration and other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20240610","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor refers to the testimony of prosecution witnesses and a secret witness and asks to take into account mitigating circumstances, namely the fact that Valery Maletskov has a dependent young child, as well as a mother suffering from a serious illness; Marina Chaplykina is in poor health.\nNevertheless, the prosecutor asks to impose punishment: Maletskov 7 years of imprisonment in a penal colony of general regime with deprivation of the right to engage in organizational activities in public and religious associations for a term of 5 years with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year;\nChaplykina was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony with restriction of liberty for a term of 6 months.\nBelievers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20231215","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues.\nEarlier, in his testimony, witness Mezentsev stated that it was not the Bible that was discussed with him, but forbidden literature. However, video files show that passages from the Bible were discussed and read out everywhere. Mezentsev also claimed that all meetings with the defendants were of a recruiting nature in order to involve him in a religious organization. However, in the videos, Chaplykina encourages the witness to figure it out for himself and decide which religious views to adhere to.\nWhen asked by Maletskov whether all the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses is extremist, Mezentsev replies: \"Yes.\" Valery draws attention to the list of banned publications approved by the Ministry of Justice, as well as to the fact that the publications previously considered in court, including videos, are not included in this list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20231128","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the materials of the case and partially hears audio files of the services. Valery Maletskov draws attention to the child's voice that is heard on the recordings, and emphasizes that this event cannot be considered a meeting of a legal entity if children are present at it.\nMarina Chaplykina asks for the study of the video file from the case materials. It contains a recording of a personal conversation between believers and Sergey Mezentsev, where they also discuss the video \"Social networks. Marina explains to the court that the video does not contain negative statements and is not on the list of extremist materials. The believer also says that there was no pressure on Mezentsev.\n39 people come to the court hearing. 16 of them are allowed into the meeting room.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20231114","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The written materials of the case from volumes 11-13 are examined, including the positive characteristics of the police and neighbors on Chaplykina.\nMaletskov explains the difference between the canonical expression \"organization of Jehovah\", which is present in the case file, and the name of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Novosibirsk. Maletskov says: \"'Jehovah's organization' is a purely religious formulation, from which it follows that we are talking about an organization belonging to Jehovah, which is not limited to the territory of Russia, but concerns the entire globe.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230630","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In her comments to volume 11 of the case, Chaplykina draws the court's attention to the fact that no liturgical meetings took place at her home in 2019, and she was detained not at home, but in a café. No extremist literature or receipts for monetary collections were found in her home, because she never distributed literature or collected money.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230607","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The ninth volume of the case materials is being examined.\nMaletskov tells the court that the prosecution has no specific facts of \"recruitment\" and \"expression of the superiority of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" He notes that the investigation replaces the concepts of \"doctrine\" and \"organization\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230531","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Chaplykina draws the court's attention to the fact that when communicating with Sergei Mezentsev, there was no hint anywhere in her words, especially phrases about asking for money, which he had previously spoken about. Marina also notes that in the transcripts of volumes 7-9 of the case there are practically no her words, there is no talk of meetings of the LRO, calls for violence and the overthrow of the government.\nMaletskov points out that the expert Lugovoi, on the basis of whose conclusions the accusation is based, does not have a religious education, there are no specifics in his conclusions, but only subjective and generalized conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230526","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the course of the study of the seventh volume, the defendants Maletskov and Chaplykina draw the court's attention to the fact that they had informal conversations with \"Ivan\" about the Bible, which were exclusively peaceful in nature. Marina also says that during such conversations she did not use literature from the list of extremist materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230515","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues.\nIn response to \"Ivan's\" statement that Jehovah's Witnesses destroy families, Marina Chaplykina notes that according to the Bible, marriage is a sacred union that biblical principles strengthen, not destroy.\nValery Maletskov draws attention to the fact that the religious literature seized from him during the search is not included in the list of extremist materials, however, in his opinion, the prosecution indirectly states that the very fact of having biblical literature is a crime.\nHe also draws the court's attention to the fact that the case file contains protocols of searches that were carried out at addresses where he had never been, and the literature and objects seized there do not belong to him. At the same time, they are used as material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230505","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge satisfies Maletskov's request for a detailed study of the case materials. The Court is considering the first two volumes.\nChaplykina says that, contrary to the allegations of the prosecution, she cannot be a \"ministerial assistant\", since according to the Bible it can only be a man with a good reputation.\nMaletskov draws the court's attention to the fact that in the transcript of the service there is not a single statement that detracts from dignity or incites hatred. Instead, it emphasizes the attributes of Jesus Christ and the importance of gratitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230503","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Ivan\", who attended meetings of believers from 2014 to 2015, that is, long before the period imputed to the defendants, is being interrogated.\nMaletskov and Chaplykina draw attention to the fact that the witness answers questions unintelligibly. The court insists on the continuation of the interrogation and satisfies the prosecutor's request to read out the testimony of the witness given during the preliminary investigation.\n\"Ivan\" informs the court that he has not heard any calls from the defendants Maletskov or Chaplykina for disrespect for state bodies, as well as for refusal to perform military service.\nWhen asked whether the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation banned the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the witness replies that he is not aware of it and is not interested.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230407","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"30 people come to the court hearing, 14 are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe secret witness \"Ivan\" does not appear at the hearing, and the court proposes to proceed to the study of the written materials of the case. The defendants object, and the hearing is adjourned for subsequent questioning of the classified prosecution witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20230314","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"14 people come to the courthouse to support the defendants, 11 are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe court interrogates a witness for the prosecution - FSB operative Grigory Lazarev. The witness finds it difficult to answer the defendant's questions, including when, where, from whom and how much money Maletskov collected.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20221219","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning another prosecution witness, an operative who has been feigning interest in the Bible for six months.\nWitnesses for the prosecution tell the court that they have not heard negative statements from the defendants about people of other nationalities and other religions. Also, believers never encouraged them to stop communicating with work colleagues or stop celebrating holidays.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20221111","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"16 people come to support the defendants.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. \"Marina is a very sympathetic person, decent. My mother was bedridden, sick. She [Marina] has always supported me,\" says one of them.\nAnother witness does not personally remember the defendants. Four witnesses who have known the defendants for several years describe them as respectable, open and friendly people. They confirm that believers have never shown any hostility towards people of other religions, nationalities, cultures.\nA witness who has attended worship meetings of believers informs the court that they do not have a mandatory collection of funds, and those present treat each other with love.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20221031","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Valery Maletskov's boss. The witness has known Valeriy as his subordinate for 9 years. She says: \"He has proven himself to be a responsible, reliable and hardworking worker. We had no complaints about him.\" She also notes that although she herself belongs to another religious denomination, Maletskov never showed arrogance either towards her or towards others, and never exerted moral pressure on anyone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20221013","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"17 people come to the court session to support the believers.\nA prosecution witness who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017 is being questioned. He describes Maletskov as a respectable family man and a highly moral, reliable person who can be relied upon. The witness also notes that both Maletskov and Chaplykina respect the laws of the country, and he has never heard from them calls to undermine the constitutional order or security of the state, negative statements towards people of other religions, nationalities and cultures.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220913","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the believers, 12 of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\nA prosecution witness, an FSB investigator, is being questioned. He denies exerting pressure on a witness during interrogation at the preliminary investigation stage.\nThe prosecutor shall request the disclosure of the testimony of the witness. The defense objects. The court decides to read out her testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220701","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the courthouse to support the believers. 12 listeners are allowed into the hall.\nThe court summons for questioning a witness for the prosecution, which uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. She also states that during the preliminary investigation she testified under pressure during the interrogation.\nThe judge grants the prosecutor's request to summon the FSB investigator who conducted the interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220615","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novosibirsk District Court begins consideration on the merits of the case of Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220412","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Novosibirsk District Court of the Novosibirsk Region. He is appointed to judge Oleg Karpets.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220302","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers receive an indictment. Valeriy Maletskov is accused of organizing an extremist organization, and Marina Chaplykina is accused of participating in it and financing it.\nMarina Chaplykina is charged, among other things, with the fact that she \"paid from personal funds to a representative of an individual entrepreneur ... monetary remuneration in the amount of 1500 rubles for the lease of non-residential premises ... to hold a solemn religious meeting with followers of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe accusation is based on recordings of conversations with believers made by a secret witness \"Ivan\", who attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Also in the case are the testimonies of the security forces who carried out the ORM: A. Abakumov, deputy head of the CPE department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region, S. Mezentsev, an employee of the Economic Security Department, and G. Lazarev, an operative of the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20220221","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexander Seredkin is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20210721","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Selyunin, a senior investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Novosibirsk Region, initiates a new criminal case against Marina Chaplykina under the article on financing extremism. After a few days, it is connected to the current one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20210526","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court refuses the investigator's request to place Alexandr Seredkin and Valeriy Maletskov in custody. Instead, they are put under house arrest. A recognizance agreement is signed by Marina Chaplykina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20190421","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region is initiating a criminal case against believers - 65-year-old Alexander Seredkin, 45-year-old Valery Maletskov and 48-year-old Marina Chaplykina under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, Seredkin \"organized meetings and supervised the reading and discussion of literature recognized as extremist.\" Maletskov and Chaplykina are accused of participating in the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maletskov and Chaplykina in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk2/index.html#20190419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the fall of 2018, searches were carried out in Spassk-Dalny at the homes of Dmitriy Malevaniy, Aleksey Trofimov, Olga Panyuta, Olga Opaleva and other fellow believers. The reason for the prosecution of peaceful citizens was their faith in Jehovah God. The believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The case is based on the testimony of secret witnesses “Sidorova” and “Ivanova”, who monitored the believers on instructions from the FSB. On the eve of the search, Olga Opaleva suffered a heart attack, and later, on the way to court, a stroke. The four believers spent 1 year under house arrest, and from November 2019 were under a recognizance agreement. In December 2019, the case went to court. In February 2023, the believers were sentenced: Dmitriy Malevaniy was given 7 years, Aleksey Trofimov — 6.5 years and Olga Panyuta — 4.5 years in a penal colony, and Olga Opaleva — 5 years suspended. The court of appeal reduced each of these terms by 2 months; the court of cassation upheld this decision. Olga Panyuta was released in April 2026.","date":"2018-11-12","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html","prisoners":["atrofimov","malevanyi","opaleva","paniuta"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","type":"cases"},{"body":"It is cold in the barracks where Dmitriy is kept, so he has to sleep in thermal underwear. His dental problems have not yet been solved, since there is no dentist in the penal colony. But thanks to communication with his wife, parents and brother, as well as letters from friends, the believer remains calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2026-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20260227","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Malevaniy is getting used to life in a penal colony, where he will have to serve his sentence until April 2029. The believer maintains good relations with the administration. He received an additional visit from his wife.\nDmitriy has to work hard in the sewing industry to keep up with orders. Sometimes the head and eyes hurt from overexertion.\nThe general state of health is satisfactory. The believer has the necessary medicines for a cold. Recently, there were problems with a dental filling - he is awaiting being sent to a medical institution. Malevanyi also needs to consult another doctor, for which it is necessary to pass the appropriate tests.\nThe conditions in the barracks are calm. The prisoners treat him without aggression. For several of them, Dmitry drew portraits of their families from photographs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20251020","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since September, Olga Panyuta has been in general conditions of detention after a long stay in the SUS. Although the barracks where she lives is quite cool and there is no hot water, the woman is happy with the changes: there is more sun, air and physical activity. For the first time in a long time, it became possible to freely seek help from the medical unit. Sometimes Olga participates in community service. Letters from family and friends help you maintain a positive attitude. Relations with the administration are generally good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20251017","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Trofimov is in good spirits. He is exempt from work because of his age. In the squadron, he is known as a non-confrontational and pleasant person to talk to. One of the prisoners, impressed by his behavior, said: \"Borisovich, you are a holy man!\" During his stay in the colony, Aleksey received about 2500 letters of support. Recently, his wife and son visited him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20250805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Malevaniy had a long meeting with his wife. According to her, his mood is calm. He works in the sewing industry, tries to adopt the skills of experienced craftsmen, works well and produces many products. However, it became more difficult to work due to the fact that Dmitriy's illnesses worsened.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20250729","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta, 63, needs to see a doctor. She has been diagnosed with arthritis and has pinched nerves, which makes it impossible to stand up or bend over on some days. Recently Olga suffered from acute kidney infection twice. During the second infection, she could hardly move due to the severe pain. The penal colony administration allowed her 3 days of bed rest.\nThe believer is still under strict detention conditions. Olga tries to show kindness to other prisoners and maintain a peaceful atmosphere.\nIn May, Olga had an extended visit from her husband and daughter. She also draws strength from letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20250605","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","health-risk","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony where 65-year-old Aleksey Trofimov is kept, most of the prisoners are under the age of 30. The believer is one of the oldest prisoners and enjoys the respect of others. He has a Bible, he receives 60-70 letters every month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20250315","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since August 2024, Dzmitry Malevaniy has been transferred to a barrack for working prisoners, where 70 people are held. It's not always warm there, but there's hot water and it's clean thanks to regular cleaning. There is smoking in the barracks, which creates certain difficulties for the believer. According to Dmitry, due to the constant noise, it takes more time to restore physical strength.\nThe attitude of other prisoners and colony staff is normal.\nDmitriy is glad to have the opportunity to work and see his wife regularly on dates. He loves to observe nature and the change of seasons. Sometimes he draws. Also, letters of support and reading the Bible help the believer not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2025-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20250202","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta continues to be kept in strict conditions of confinement. In September, she was placed in a punishment cell for 5 days. The believer is in need of medical attention, as her chronic diseases have worsened and new health problems have appeared in prison. However, so far she has not been able to get to doctors for examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2024-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20241121","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is still being held in strict conditions and in need of dental treatment. During the day, the believer is in a common room with 11 prisoners, and at night everyone is divided into 4-bed cells. A woman is allowed daily walks for 1.5 hours.\nPanyuta has a good relationship with others. Letters of support, as well as visits with her husband, help her maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20240206","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","strict-conditions","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers have been in IK-14 in the Khabarovsk Territory for a month now. They are kept in a four-story barracks. Recently, the heating was turned on in the colony, the prisoners were given winter clothes.\nTrofimov is the oldest prisoner in this colony, he is a pensioner. According to relatives of Trofimov and Malevanyi, a sense of humor helps believers maintain peaceful relations with other prisoners. The colony staff speak positively of them.\nAlexei and Dmitry receive many letters, but due to censorship, they reach believers with a delay of 1 month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20231021","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After being admitted to the colony, Olga Panyuta was in a punishment cell for some time. The reason was that she allegedly found a lighter sewn into her bag, while the inspection of things was carried out in her absence.\nNow Olga is in strict conditions of detention. She and 7 other women do not work, are under round-the-clock surveillance and are constantly subjected to degrading searches. Despite the difficult conditions and provocations from her cellmates, Olga remains calm and treats everyone kindly. She is strengthened by visits with relatives, reading the Bible, letters and parcels from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20231019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["strict-conditions","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Trofimov was transferred to correctional colony No. 14 in the Khabarovsk Territory, where Dmitry Malevaniy, Sergey Afanasyev and Sergey Kardakov are already being held.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230918","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Malevaniy is transferred to correctional colony No. 14 in the Khabarovsk Territory. Sergey Afanasyev and Sergey Kardakov from Blagoveshchensk are held in the same colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230901","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Malevaniy and Aleksey Trofimov were taken to correctional colony No. 29, and Olga Panyuta to correctional colony No. 10. Both institutions are located in Primorsky Krai.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-07-19T16:01:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Malevaniy and Aleksey Trofimov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Vladivostok, where the convicts will stay for some time. Then they plan to deliver them to Correctional Colony No. 29 in the city of Bolshoy Kamen (Primorsky Krai).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230717","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is kept for some time in a cell with another prisoner. According to Olga, the staff of the pre-trial detention center note her positive influence on the cellmate - she has become calmer. Later, the cellmate is transferred to another cell.\nAleksey Trofimov and Dmitry Malevaniy complain about the poor quality of water in the pre-trial detention center. They have to clean it themselves.\nOlga and Alexei have copies of the Bible, but Dmitry is not given it, justifying this by the fact that he \"is here for the Bible.\" Believers receive a lot of letters — for example, Alexei already has 364 of them. They are especially pleased with the news from their native Spassk-Dalny. All three have the opportunity to make phone calls to their relatives, they are allowed visits.\nThe administration of the pre-trial detention center treats believers kindly, relations with cellmates are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230329","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta is alone in the cell. Her general health is satisfactory, but her blood pressure often rises, and she is stressed because of the harsh sentence. She receives letters of support and parcels with the necessary things. She has already had her first date with her son and husband, and she also has the opportunity to make phone calls.\nAleksey Trofimov is in a cell with two prisoners, relations with them are normal. The believer had a date with his wife and sister, who came from another city to support his family.\nDmitry Malevaniy also has good relations with his cellmates. He had already had the opportunity to see his wife and mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Panyuta speaks with the last word: \"At this trial, many said that they believe in God, so this is not a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230208","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Malevaniy, Aleksey Trofimov and Olga Opaleva address the court with their last word. Olga Panyuta's performance is scheduled for February 8.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-01-27T00:00:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks for punishment for the believers: 8 years of real imprisonment for Dmitry Malevanyi, 7 years in prison for Aleksey Trofimov, 6 years of suspended sentence for Olga Opaleva and 5 years of suspended imprisonment for Olga Panyuta.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20230120","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor begins to speak.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20221125","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge considers the motion to declare the evidence of the prosecution inadmissible, but refuses to satisfy it.\nThe personal characteristics of Olga Panyuta and Dmitry Malevanyi are attached to the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20221026","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the court attaches to the case file scientific conclusions, documents of the judicial practice of the ECHR, opinions of state bodies, decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, positive judicial practice (acquittal appeal verdicts of the Kamchatka Regional Court and the Sverdlovsk Regional Court).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20221019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor refuses to examine the remaining witnesses. The court proceeds to the interrogation of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220809","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Ivanova Maria Ivanovna is being interrogated. She expresses her negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The woman regularly attended worship services of believers. She says that she was not called to join any legal organization and that attending worship services was her personal decision.\nThe prosecutor declares the disclosure of the testimony of the witness, because during the investigation \"Ivanova\" claimed that she had collaborated with law enforcement agencies, and in court she repeatedly denies this. After reading out her testimony by the prosecutor, she nevertheless admits the fact of cooperation with the security forces.\nDuring the hearing, Olga Opaleva becomes ill, an ambulance is called for her.\nInterrogation of the defendants is planned at the next hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220802","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the secret witness \"Sidorova\" continues. Answering the questions of the defendants and their defenders, she says that a friendly atmosphere reigned at the services, the people were pleasant and positive. Exclusively religious issues were discussed, believers sang songs and prayed. The woman confirms that she was not forced to accept this or that point of view, no one recruited her. According to the witness, she was free to leave, she was not forcibly detained at services, she was not forced to pray. She was not anxious. There were no weapons at the services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Sidorova\" is being interrogated. The judge rejects the request for its declassification.\nDuring interrogation, Sidorova says that she attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in late 2017 and early 2018 on behalf of the FSB in order to spy on believers. She notes that at these meetings, believers \"talked about Jehovah God, read the Bible, and discussed divine topics.\" She had not heard any calls for violent action against any group on the basis of race, language, nationality or religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220630","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a woman who can only provide information about the period up to 2017.\nThe next witness claims that the defendants did not make extremist calls or involve her in any illegal activity. During the interrogation, the prosecutor asks to read out the written testimony due to discrepancies with her words at the hearing. The woman claims that she signed the protocol without reading.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220421","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who has known Jehovah's Witnesses since 1993 is being interrogated. She declares that she does not know about their legal entities, she only knows the creeds. She had never heard believers propagating superiority over other religions. According to the woman, part of her preliminary testimony in the protocol was attributed by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220329","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is postponed due to the illness of the defendant Olga Opaleva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20220113","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses. The prosecutor asks them questions about meetings, donations, and specific people, including Dmitriy Malevaniy and Aleksey Trofimov.\nWitnesses answer that they do not remember much, since the prosecutor's questions relate to the events of 2018. They also state that they do not recognize the testimony read out in court, since the investigator put pressure on them and did not allow them to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. As a result, as the prosecution witnesses explain, the investigator invited them to sign a ready-made template.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20211110","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned, including two unknown persons who were present during the transfer of video recording equipment to a secret witness before the start of the investigation conducted against Olga Panyuta. A person who was present during the ORM in the home of Aleksey Trofimov was also interrogated. Witnesses confirm that there were no aggressive actions, extremist statements, propaganda of superiority on religious grounds during the conduct of the ORM on the part of the defendants.\nWitnesses will continue to be questioned at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20211012","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the examination of the physical evidence, fragments of the meeting of believers are listened to, including a speech on the topic \"Imitate Jehovah in Mercy.\"\nNext time, the examination of material evidence will continue, and prosecution witnesses will also be questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210916","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the very beginning of the hearing, the defendant Olga Opaleva becomes ill: her blood pressure rises strongly, as well as her body temperature to 37.6. An ambulance is called for her.\nThe meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210910","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file a motion to recognize the medical certificate from the Spassky City Hospital on the state of health of Olga Opaleva as inadmissible evidence and petitions for an additional medical examination. The court rejects them and continues to schedule 2-3 hearings a week, despite Olga's poor health.\nAt the next meeting, the inspection of the results of the ORM will continue - a video recording of the meeting of the service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210824","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, a video recording of the meeting of believers is viewed.\nA document dated 08/16/2021 is received from the Spassky City Hospital, from which it follows that Olga Opaleva's state of health allows her to participate in court hearings in the afternoon with breaks of 15 minutes every 45 minutes with a break of 1 day. Earlier, according to the forensic medical examination dated 12/24/2020, Olga could participate in court hearings no more than 1 time per week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210817","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are postponed due to Olga Opaleva's poor health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210615","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to audio recordings of telephone conversations of believers continues. In one of them, the defendant discusses with his mother the biblical doctrine of creation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210610","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Detective R. A. Burtsev is interrogated as a witness. He answers questions hesitantly and in general phrases.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210409","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Wiretapping of telephone recordings continues. In one of them, Panyuta and Opaleva discuss cooking and recipes, joke a lot. Some of the conversations date back to October 2017, which goes beyond the scope of the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210401","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants comment on the wiretapped telephone conversations of believers. They say that these recordings do not apply to evidence of guilt, since it is impossible to identify the voices of the speakers and it is unclear what these conversations have to do with the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210323","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The viewing of video recordings of the MPA, as well as listening to recordings of telephone conversations, continues.\nThe defense file a motion to postpone the viewing of the recordings due to Olga's poor health. The judge satisfies him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210316","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a two-month break, the Spassky District Court is holding a regular hearing in the case of Malevaniy and others.\nVideo recordings of conversations on religious topics between Olga Opaleva and a secret witness are being viewed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20210309","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to Olga's illness, the hearing is postponed. A believer is allowed to participate in meetings for no more than 3 hours a week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2020-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20201230","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The issue is being considered on the petition for an additional medical examination of Olga Opaleva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20200908","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the conclusions of forensic psychiatric examinations and proceeds to the examination of material evidence.\nThe defense draws attention to the fact that during the service, believers did not give a negative assessment of other persons, but, on the contrary, spoke about the importance of showing tact.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2020-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20200820","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Pavel Vladimirovich Bobrovich. State prosecutor: I. Bykov. Spassky District Court of Primorsky Krai (Spassk-Dalny, Sovetskaya Street, 75).\nDuring a closed court hearing, the written materials of the case are examined.\nDmytro Malevaniy notes that he is accused of using a quote from the Bible at a meeting with friends. Alexei Trofimov says that a meeting with the participation of children cannot be called a meeting of a legal entity, all participants of which must be adults.\nThe defense notes that the printed materials seized from Olga Opaleva are not included in the list of extremist materials, and the inspection protocols were drawn up with violations and contain errors, which indicates that in fact the disks were not examined by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2020-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20200724","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Spassky District Court Pavel Bobrovich makes a decision on the appointment of a hearing on the merits of the case. The first court hearing is scheduled for December 30, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2019-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20191217","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Prosecutor of Spassk-Dalny I. Bykov signs the indictment. According to this document, Aleksey Trofimov and Dmitriy Malevaniy are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 (1) (organization of an extremist organization), and Olga Opaleva and Olga Panyuta are charged under Part 1.1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2019-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20191216","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for 28-year-old Dmitry Malevan, 59-year-old Alexei Trofimov, 59-year-old Olga Panyuta and 66-year-old Olga Opaleva. One man was released without a preventive measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2018-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20181127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Spassk-Dalny (Primorsky Territory), a wave of searches is taking place in the homes of citizens. Five people were detained and sent to a detention center. When the security forces rang the doorbell of 66-year-old Olga Opaleva, she felt bad. Without waiting for the answer of the landlady, the security forces cut down the door and find her unable to answer questions. An ambulance is called for her. Later, doctors diagnose a microstroke. Nevertheless, the security forces detain Olga Opaleva and place her in an isolation ward along with other believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2018-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20181125","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","ivs","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Primorsky Territory initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (1.1); According to the investigation, he illegally organized the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses on the territory of the city of Spassk-Dalny (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses). Innocent victims of law enforcement officers are: Dmitry Malevaniy (born in 1990), Aleksey Trofimov (born in 1959), Olga Opaleva (born in 1952), Olga Panyuta (born in 1959).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malevaniy and Others in Spassk-Dalny","date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/spassk-dalny/index.html#20181112","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liya Maltseva from Partizansk has a disability. In June 2020, she faced prosecution for her faith in Jehovah God — a criminal case was initiated against her for extremism. The case was based on covert video footage of a meeting for worship, which Maltseva had attended. A month later, Rosfinmonitoring added Liya to the list of terrorists and extremists, and after another month her house was searched. The believer was taken for interrogation, and then placed under a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation accused her of participating in the activity of a religious association banned by the court. In May 2021, the case went to the city court. Witnesses interrogated for the prosecution stated that they did not hear hate speech from Liya against representatives of other religions. As a result, in September 2022, Liya Maltseva was given a 2-year and 3-month suspended sentence and 7 months restriction of liberty. The court of appeal and court of cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-06-01","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html","prisoners":["maltseva"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Liya Maltseva gives her last word. \"I have been studying the Scriptures for more than twenty years. Thanks to the knowledge gained, I learned not to hate people and not to incite anyone to violence and cruelty,\" the believer declares.\nOn the same day, the court issues a guilty verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20220920","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Liya Maltseva a sentence of 3 years of suspended imprisonment and a probationary period of 3 years, as well as restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20220919","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants Leah's request to visit her mother, despite the recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20220614","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge does not satisfy the defense's request to cancel the measure of restraint. Leah needs to visit her parents outside her locality, so the judge advises writing an application for departure.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20220321","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since July 2021, the hearings have been repeatedly postponed, including due to the illness of the defender.\nLiya Maltseva is appointed a new lawyer. He has a month to familiarize himself with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20220214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing in the Partizansky City Court, a witness from the prosecution is questioned. According to the witness, she does not know the defendant personally. Her mother-in-law was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and she never heard hate speech from her, but she saw love for others.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20210720","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are being questioned. The first informs the court that she does not know the defendant, has no hostile attitude towards any of those present, has been to Jehovah's Witnesses services only twice, but does not remember exactly when and where they took place.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2021-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20210623","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case begin. Liya Maltseva declares: \"I do not agree with the accusation. By a Supreme Court decision of April 20, 2017, citizens were not prohibited from practicing this religion [of Jehovah's Witnesses], for example, by reading and discussing the Bible together, as well as singing songs praising God. Therefore, it is illegal to prosecute me for peacefully practicing my faith in God.\"\nMaltseva refuses the services of a state lawyer.\n2 prosecution witnesses are being questioned. Both women use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but say that they have not heard from the defendant any hate speech or appeals against representatives of other religions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20210622","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liya Maltseva's case is submitted to the Partizansky City Court of Primorsky Krai.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20210513","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liya Maltseva is charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in extremist activities). She was re-elected as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20210415","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A psychiatric examination is being conducted in Ussuriysk, for which Maltseva has to travel 200 km from home.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200915","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Partizansk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, M. A. Dedyura, together with two FSB officers, searches the home of Liya Maltseva for 2 hours. Helley's Bible Handbook, Erik Nyström's Bible Dictionary, a Bible Encyclopedia, several Bibles, and a telephone are confiscated from the believer.\nAfter the search, Liya Maltseva is taken to the investigation department for questioning. The investigator chooses a measure of restraint for her in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200818","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Partizansky City Court of Primorsky Krai Daria Didur allows a search of Liya Maltseva's home.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200804","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the investigation department for the city of Partizansk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, M. A. Dedyura, sends a petition to the Partizansky City Court to search the apartment of Liya Maltseva.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200803","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior detective of the 2nd branch of the service in the city of Nakhodka of the FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory, Major A.V. Babornen, submits a report to the head of the FSB in Nakhodka, Colonel V.V. Russkikh about the need to conduct a search in the home of Liya Maltseva.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200731","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rosfinmonitoring adds Liya Maltseva to the list of terrorists and extremists. This comes as a surprise to the believer, as she has not been notified of the initiation of a criminal case against her.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee Maria Dedyura initiates a criminal case against Liya Maltseva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is accused of participating in the activities of a religious association banned by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20200601","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman participating in a worship service, which is attended by Liya Maltseva, makes a hidden video.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Maltseva in Partizansk","date":"2018-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/partizansk2/index.html#20180805","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, mass searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Nizhny Novgorod. After that, several believers became defendants in criminal cases under an article for extremism. One of them was filed against Sergey Konshin, Sergey Malyanov and his daughter, Svetlana. The believers spent 24 hours in a temporary holding facility. Even before these events, the officers were listening in on Malyanov\u0026rsquo;s telephone conversations. Later, another defendant appeared in the case - Roman Zhivolupov. The believers were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and they had to sign a recognizance agreement. In February 2022, the case went to court. The charges are based on a video recording of an event. The investigation considered the party a continuation of the activity of a liquidated religious organization. In April 2023, these Nizhny Novgorod residents were sentenced to fines ranging from 450,000 to 700,000 rubles. Later, the court of appeal upheld the guilty verdict, toughening the additional part of the punishment – not to hold any leading positions in religious and public organizations for 2 years and 11 months.","date":"2019-07-17","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html","prisoners":["konshin","malyanov","malyanova","zhivolupov"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Sergey Glushkov. Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod, Cosmonaut Komarov Street, 10a, Hall No. 4).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230425","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants say the last word. During the performance of Oleg and Sergey, the judge interrupts them. The verdict is scheduled to be announced on April 26.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-04-21T17:26:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230421","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests terms of imprisonment for believers: Sergey Malyanov - 6 years; Svetlana Malyanova is 4 years old; Roman Zhivolupov — 3 years and 10 months; Oleg Konshin is 3 years and 8 months old.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230410","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, the contents of the 2nd, 7th, 9th and 10th volumes of the case materials are read out and a fragment of the video recording is viewed.\nPart of the meeting - the announcement of recordings of telephone conversations of Sergey Malyanov - is held behind closed doors. Listeners are asked to leave the hall.\nOleg Konshin asks to read in detail the 57th page of the 10th volume. It contains statements about how to overcome evil with good and how good manners bear good fruit in difficult circumstances.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230327","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Malyanova and Roman Zhivolupov take written notes.\nSvetlana asks to attach to the case file documents about chronic diseases, as well as the fact that she cares for an elderly person and receives benefits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230320","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 listeners are allowed to attend the meeting. Sergey Malyanov and Oleg Konshin are being interrogated. The prosecutor asks them about the structure of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia (liquidated by the court in 2017). The state prosecutor is also interested in whether Verkhoturov and Manushakyan are familiar to Sergey. Next, the defendants read out their written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230313","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, they continue to watch the video of the concert. The attention of the state prosecutor is attracted by the inscription \"We are all sisters, we are all brothers, we are a big family\" on the screen during the event. \"This can be wished to everyone to be so,\" comments Sergey Malyanov. \"And on the screensaver there were beautiful landscapes with a waterfall and mountain peaks that would decorate any house.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230227","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 listeners are allowed into the courtroom.\nAt the meeting, material evidence is examined, in particular, a video recording of the concert program. Sergey Malyanov explains that this event was not a worship service: music sounds, children perform on stage, tell fairy tales, some participants sing Russian folk songs, dance Irish dances, have a snack and take pictures from time to time. Oleg Konshin notes: \"At the party there is no call for extremism and the overthrow of the state system, everything takes place in the spirit of kindness and love, great attention is paid to children so that they have fun and feel good.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20230213","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Zhivolupov is being prosecuted as a defendant in violation of Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-11-15T14:11:19+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20221115","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20220303","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Malyanov and other believers is submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod. It will be considered by judge Sergey Glushkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20220201","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement) is excluded from Sergey Malyanov's charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20211126","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment is being revised. Sergey Malyanov is being prosecuted under another part of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - 1.1 (involvement). Oleg Konshin, Roman Zhivolupov and Svetlana Malyanova remain accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20211122","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Manushakyan is separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20211111","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator prosecutes Sergey Malyanov as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and takes a written undertaking not to leave the place from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20210830","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Konshin is charged with violating Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20210826","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator is prosecuting Svetlana Malyanova as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. The believer is given a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20210825","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Zhivolupov is charged with a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20200717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator opens a criminal case against Roman Zhivolupov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20200709","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Oleg Konshin for questioning as a witness in the case of Sergei Verkhoturov. He rejects Konshin's petition to terminate the criminal case on the basis of Opinion No. 10/2020 of the UN Working Group and chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20200615","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator inspects the materials obtained during the ORM in Malyanov's home. A recording of Malyanov's telephone conversations, made a few months earlier, is listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20191205","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Manushakyan, Malyanov and Konshin are banned from certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20190718","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Police and FSB officers, with the support of SOBR, are conducting mass searches in 31 families of Nizhny Novgorod believers.\nVladimir Manushakyan, Oleg Konshin, Sergey and Svetlana Malyanov become defendants in a criminal case. They are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","ivs","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates criminal cases against unidentified persons, \"in whose act signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are seen.\" The evidence base is collected by employees of the Center for Economics of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Malyanov notices that he is being followed. His phone calls are recorded.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20190201","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, Oleg Kolesnikov, makes a decision to conduct operational-search measures \"in order to document the criminal activities of Oleg Konshin.\" They include listening to telephone conversations using audio recordings and \"removing information from technical communication channels.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20180831","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers listen to Sergey Malyanov's telephone conversations, remove information about him from technical communication channels, and also monitor the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyanov and Others in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2018-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod2/index.html#20180101","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2022, as part of the criminal case of Yevgeniy Bushev, the Malyutin family was searched. Pensioner and disabled person of group III Sergey Malyutin was interrogated as a witness and released. In spring 2026, a criminal case was initiated against him for organizing the activities of an extremist organization.","date":"2026-03-05","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk13/index.html","prisoners":["malyutin"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Malyutin in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Major of Justice V. E. Baltachev, senior investigator of the third department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against Sergey Malyutin and takes him on a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyutin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk13/index.html#20260305","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Malyutin is interrogated as a witness in the case of Yevgeniy Bushev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyutin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk13/index.html#20220909","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From seven in the evening to midnight, 61-year-old Sergey Malyutin, a disabled person of group III, and his family were searched under the direction of senior investigator Yevgeniy Kozlov. Law enforcers seize money, electronic devices, personal records and a biblical domino.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Malyutin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk13/index.html#20220908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2023, the Investigative Committee separated the case against Viktor Mani and other believers into separate criminal proceedings. The men were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, as well as financing it. A year earlier, security forces conducted mass searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from several cities in Crimea.","date":"2022-11-17","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html","prisoners":["lyakh","yefanov","mamedovs","manya"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator Rudoy separates the case against Mark Lyakh into a separate proceeding and combines it with the case against Mani, Mammadov and Efanov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20231010","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator separates the case against Saleh Mammadov into a separate proceeding and combines it with the case of Mani and Efanov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20230810","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator separates the case against Ivan Efanov into a separate proceeding and combines it with the case of Mani.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20230628","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Rudoy A.G., singles out the case against Viktor Mani in a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20230515","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Crimea, mass searches are taking place at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the family of Viktor Mani, as well as Saleh Mammadov and his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20221208","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation V.A. Novikov initiates a criminal case against several Jehovah's Witnesses from Crimea. According to the investigation, they committed \"active actions of an organizational nature, expressed in the organization of propaganda meetings, at which discussions were held on the texts and religious provisions of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mani and Others in Simferopol","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol2/index.html#20221117","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Valeriy Klokov in Barnaul. Then the home of Vitaliy Manuylov was searched, and he was interrogated as a witness. In April 2024, Manuylov was summoned for a second interrogation, charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and detained. The next day, the court placed him under house arrest. Two months later, Manuylov\u0026rsquo;s case was separated from Klokov\u0026rsquo;s case. In June 2024, the case materials were submitted to the court. The case included the testimony of a secret witness. In November 2024, the court sentenced Vitaliy to 2 years forced labor. He completed his sentence in May 2026.","date":"2023-07-10","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html","prisoners":["manuylov"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Seeing how the Bible has positively influenced many people, I also decided to read the Bible and apply its advice. And for this I am considered an extremist,\" Vitaly Manuilov makes his final speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20241119","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Manuilov testifies in court and emphasizes that Jehovah's Witnesses have a legal right to worship together and to profess their faith. According to Vitaliy, the prosecution's actions demand \"renunciation of faith and nullify the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20241107","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A classified witness is being interrogated. He says that Manuilov is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, talks in detail about the religious structure of this community in Barnaul and gives the names of some believers. When asked by his lawyer how he knows all this information, he replies that he found it on the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240904","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy's restriction measure has been changed to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240723","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Industrial District Court of Barnaul. It will be considered by judge Yevgeniy Saprykin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240627","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Manuilov case is separated into a separate proceeding from the Klokov case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240604","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozuchenko charges Vitaliy Manuilov in the latest version, seeing extremism in peaceful meetings of believers with friends, where he \"actively quoted the book \"Holy Scripture\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240425","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court in Barnaul sends Vitaly Manuilov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240412","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Manuilov comes for questioning to the Investigative Committee. He is charged and placed in a temporary detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20240411","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 6 a.m., Vitaliy Manuilov's house has been searched. Electronic devices are confiscated from the believer, then he is interrogated as a witness in the case of Valery Klokov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20230802","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Yevgeniy Kozuchenko initiates a criminal case against Valery Klokov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Manuylov in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul5/index.html#20230710","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2021, the Investigative Committee conducted at least 8 searches in different districts of Moscow and the Moscow region. Anatoliy Marunov, Sergey Tolokonnikov and Roman Mareev were detained and sent to the temporary detention facility. Later, Mareyev and Tolokonnikov were placed in a pre-trial detention center, and Marunov was placed under house arrest. A criminal case was opened against them under an extremist article. In June 2022, the case went to court. The charges were based on notes made by an FSB agent depicting an interest in the Bible. In July 2023, the defendants were sentenced: labor veteran Marunov - 6.5 years, Tolokonnikov - 5 years, and Mareyev - 4.5 years in a general regime colony. A year later, the court of appeal toughened Tolokonnikov\u0026rsquo;s punishment, adding 2 months to his term. In October 2024, Roman Mareyev was released, and in June 2025, Sergey Tolokonnikov was released. In July of the same year, the court rejected the lawyer\u0026rsquo;s petition for mitigation of punishment for seriously ill Anatoly Marunov. The cassation left the decision of the lower court unchanged.","date":"2021-10-20","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html","prisoners":["mareyev","marunov","tolokonnikov"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov had an extended visit from his wife. According to her, he has lost some weight but is receiving the necessary medical care and is in good spirits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20260531","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Anatoliy Marunov's motion for release due to illness. However, the believer notes that the doctors have become more attentive: he is regularly taken out of the penal colony for consultations with specialists, his blood is tested and an MRI was recently done. Also, after his disability was officially recognized, he receives more nutritious food and he can shower more often.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20260506","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of medical unit No. 68, Olga Vinogradova, is being questioned. It turns out that the court returned Marunov's medical record to the medical facility, which significantly complicates the verification of her testimony. The defense lawyer is trying to find out why the believer has not yet undergone the necessary examination in order to rule out cancer.\nVinogradova answers questions evasively: \"we thought so\", \"it was enough\", \"there were no grounds\".\nThe lawyer insists that the latest data from Marunov's tests be presented. The court adjourns the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-05-01T15:13:38+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20260501","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","interrogation","elderly","disability","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly is accommodated in a barracks designed for 40 people. The room is warm, plastic windows are installed, but there is no hot water. A special place is reserved for smokers.\nAnatoliy has friendly relations with his cellmates and representatives of the administration. The 72-year-old believer is treated with respect. In his presence, convicts try not to use obscene language; If this happens, they immediately apologize. \"Uncle Tolya has come, stop swearing,\" the attendants in the dining room warn.\nIn two years, Marunov received more than 5,000 letters from different countries. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20260302","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rasskazovskiy District Court of the Tambov Region is considering Anatoliy Marunov's motion for release from punishment for health reasons. Medical unit No. 68 submitted a conclusion that he did not have any illness that gives him the right to be released. However, the court did not receive the documents on which this conclusion was based. The hearing was postponed as the medical institution is obliged to provide the missing materials.\nDue to the believer recently being classified as severely disabled, they have started giving him additional food — milk, butter and boiled beef. He is pleased with such changes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20260116","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anatoliy Marunov was assigned the II group of disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20251220","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Second Court of Cassation, chaired by Igor Paukov, upholds the verdict of the lower court and the appeal ruling of the Moscow City Court against Anatoliy Marunov, Roman Mareyev and Sergey Tolokonnikov. The court refuses to attach medical documentation confirming Marunov's serious illness to the case.\nAs a judge of the Oryol Regional Court, Igor Paukov, 8 years ago, ruled to leave Dennis Christensen in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20251127","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["cassation","disability","282.2-1.1","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov was discharged from the hospital, and he returned to the colony. The medical commission signed a consent to establish the believer's disability of group III.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20251117","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov is in the hospital at penal colony No. 1 in Tambov. The conditions in the institution are good: clean, good food, attentive staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20251017","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to available information, Anatoliy Marunov has been hospitalized and is in Tambov — he was placed in a medical unit at one of the penal colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20251013","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov, despite serious health problems, remains calm and fortunate. He receives some medications and is regularly tested. However, the believer still needs an operation, which the colony cannot organize.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250710","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tolokonnikov has a Bible. He receives only paper letters, emails are not passed on to him.\nSergey has been imprisoned for over 3.5 years already, and this has noticeably affected his health. He has lost more than 20 kilograms, skin problems have appeared, his vision has deteriorated, and having no gallbladder he suffers from digestive problems. He needs dental treatment. Tolokonnikov receives the necessary medications for digestion and blood pressure, but when he was seriously ill with an acute respiratory viral infection, he was not provided with medical care; other prisoners helped.\nThere is no access to water in the unit where Sergey is — he needs to get it from the ground floor, and only cold water is available. A shower can be taken once a week in a bathhouse, where water is scarce and barely warm.\nSergey maintains friendly and respectful relations with other prisoners. He has been trained in sewing and should start work in mid-June.\nAt the end of April, the believer had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250603","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Petushinsky District Court of Vladimirskaya leaves without consideration the lawsuit filed by IK-2 Pokrov on the establishment of administrative supervision over Sergey Tolokonnikov for 8 years after his release. Currently, the believer is serving his sentence in IK-4 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250410","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov underwent a course of IVs, thanks to which he feels better. However, he is still very weak, it is difficult for him to stand and sit. An additional medical examination is pending.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250331","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov's health is deteriorating rapidly - he has had a high fever since Thursday. According to him, on Friday it was above 39 degrees, it was difficult for him to breathe. On Saturday, the believer was visited by a paramedic, and later an ambulance was called, but Marunov was not hospitalized and his condition did not improve. According to recent reports, the man is unable to get up, and other prisoners carried him on a stretcher for examination by the colony doctor. They also helped the believer inform his wife about what was happening: they brought him to the phone and held him while he told her about his condition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250325","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey had another short meeting with his wife. For more than a month, the believer has not received a letter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20250227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy is lying in a hospital room of the colony. Stress took a toll on his physical condition, he lost a lot of weight. He has been diagnosed with arrhythmia and other heart problems, but the necessary medications are available.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241229","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 50 people in the detachment where Sergei Tolokonnikov is. It has everything you need. He sought medical help due to high blood pressure and other health problems. Sergey has peaceful relations with other prisoners. A short meeting with his wife took place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241217","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov is in dire need of qualified medical care, as his illness has worsened. He has already been to two hospitals. Other prisoners and the administration of the colony treat Anatoliy with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241216","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Tolokonnikov is in penal colony No. 2 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-29T13:37:32+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241129","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy is in penal colony No. 3 in the Tambov region. Here he will serve the main term of his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241118","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov is in colony No. 1 in the Tambov region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241114","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov is in the process of transferring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20241107","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering the appeal of Marunov, Mareev and Tolokonnikov against the verdict of the first instance. The defense filed several motions, including that the case be returned to the prosecutor and that the Bible be examined from the case file. Believers participate in the hearing remotely while in the pre-trial detention center. Sergey Tolokonnikov, due to the poor quality of communication, has a poor understanding of what is happening in the courtroom.\nThe court adjourns the hearing for additional examination of the case materials.\nAbout 30 people come to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20240911","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Tolokonnikov was transferred to Nizhny Novgorod, pre-trial detention center No. 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20240304","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov has the opportunity to read the Bible again. He has normal relations with other prisoners and the administration of the pre-trial detention center. The believer regularly receives letters of support. He had two dates with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Mareev is in Moscow's pre-trial detention center No. 4. The believer is not discouraged. When there is an opportunity, he goes in for sports. His cellmates treat him to dishes from the restaurant of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231012","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Tolokonnikov is being held in a special unit of Moscow's pre-trial detention center No. 3. Three other prisoners are in his cell with him. On the door hangs a photograph of Tolokonnikov with a text about the \"extremist inclination\" of the believer. Every day, the doctor makes a round of the prisoners, and the authorities of the pre-trial detention center come in every other day.\nDuring walks, Tolokonnikov has the opportunity to play table tennis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20231011","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov does not have a personal copy of the Bible, he was taken away upon admission to the pre-trial detention center. However, he hopes that after being quarantined and transferred to a common cell, he will be able to get a Bible in the library.\nAnatoly delivers correspondence. In general, during the 2 months of his imprisonment, he has already received more than 300 letters, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230829","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["elderly","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Marunov is taken to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Syzran. The road from Moscow takes 5 days. On the way, due to the heat, lack of ventilation and a large number of people, he practically could not sleep. It was possible to get boiling water and use the toilet only on a strict schedule.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-22T16:33:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230822","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anatoly Marunov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Bear\" in Moscow. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-08-01T14:32:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230801","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"6.5 years in a general regime colony for Anatoliy Marunov and 6 years each for Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in the work of religious organizations for a period of 5 years, with restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year - this is the punishment the prosecutor requests for believers.\nBelievers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230711","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Marunov testifies. As part of the presentation of evidence, the defense attaches to the case file documents on the state of health of the defendants and their close relatives. One of the lawyers petitions for the exclusion from the list of evidence of the conclusion of the psychological and linguistic examination. The court rejects the petition.\nThe debate of the parties is postponed to July 11. Anatoly Marunov is given permission to visit a doctor to remove stitches after a recent operation.\nA large number of friends come to support the believers. 14 people are allowed into the courtroom, the rest are waiting outside and in the corridor of the court. They greet those arrested with applause.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230703","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is holding a hearing on appeal against the extension of custody. All three believers have their preventive measure extended.\nAnatoly Marunov points out the absurdity of the situation in his case: because of house arrest, he is not allowed to walk recommended by doctors, but the believer is allowed to get to court hearings on his own.\nSergey Tolokonnikov reports that during the 18 months of his detention he changed 4 pre-trial detention centers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230504","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator, at the request of the court, presents 5 Bibles seized during searches in this criminal case. Sergey Tolokonnikov takes the Bible in the Synodal translation, generally accepted in Russia, and shows that it uses the name of God Jehovah.\nThe defence refers to the provision of Article 3.1. Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\", according to which \"the Bible, Koran, Tanakh and Gandzhur, their content and quotations from them cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\" In this regard, the lawyer states: \"The use of the name Jehovah in audio recordings of Tolokonnikov's conversations with an FSB agent also cannot testify to any extremist activity.\" Judge Dmitry Zozulya attaches the Synodal translation of the Bible to the case file as evidence.\nThe court listens to an audio recording of Tolokonnikov's communication with an FSB agent, after which the defendant draws attention to significant contradictions between the agent's words on the recording of the conversation and his testimony in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230420","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The examination of material evidence, a film about the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses abroad at the beginning of the XX century, continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230413","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Tolokonnikov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3, where the conditions of detention were better than in pre-trial detention center No. 4, where there were not enough beds in the cell, it was smoky, and phone calls were not allowed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230313","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense begins to present evidence. Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov file a petition for the study of material evidence, among them - \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\".\nIn response to the statement that the Holy Scriptures are not the Bible, Mareev reads the \"10 commandments\" from the book of Exodus, as well as some famous passages from the Gospels, and explains: \"Everyone knows that such words are in the Bible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230123","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov in SIZO-4 in Moscow. They say that the difficulty is the long and tedious road to court, which takes from 2 to 6 hours. However, even in the most difficult circumstances, believers look for the positive. For example, they rejoice if they do not smoke in a paddy wagon on the way to court, appreciate the opportunity to see friends and relatives who come to each hearing. Sergei recalls how one of the prisoners once offered him a lollipop so that he would not get motion sickness. Mareev and Tolokonnikov receive many letters from fellow believers. Roman tells that he is written from 64 countries of the world.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20230118","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion for the immediate release of the defendants from custody in view of the decision of the ECHR in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. the Russian Federation, which assesses the illegality of the liquidation of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The court retires to the deliberation room and soon announces the decision to reject this petition. However, the court attaches two decisions of the ECHR in the case of \"Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow\" and \"LRO \"Taganrog\", as well as the Opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\nThe court invites for questioning an expert religious scholar Larisa Astakhova, who performed an examination in this criminal case. The defense challenges her on the grounds of incompetence. The court dismisses the challenge. The defense then files a motion to postpone the interrogation due to the need for preparation, but the court also rejects it.\nDuring the interrogation of Astakhova, it turns out that she had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses and knew how the Bible study was conducted. She recognizes that it is important for these believers to adhere to the commandment to \"love one's neighbor.\" Astakhova agrees that \"involvement\" is a legal term, so she has no right as an expert to give her assessment of the actions of the defendants. Nevertheless, Astakhova assures that the activities of the defendants are a continuation of the activities of the liquidated local religious organization, since \"Jehovah's Witnesses participate in both of them.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221222","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court is considering an appeal to extend the measure of restraint. The trip of believers from the pre-trial detention center to the court is a long journey in a stuffy, cramped and smoky paddy wagon.\nThe judge listens to the position of the defense and leaves the decision on the measure of restraint unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221221","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the question arises about the extension of the defendants' preventive measures: Tolokonnikov and Mareev - detention, and Marunov - house arrest. After hearing the arguments of the defense, the court extends the measure of restraint for each of the defendants until March 7, 2023.\nThen the prosecution witness, the husband of a female Jehovah's Witness, is interrogated. At the very beginning of the interrogation, he states that \"there are good and decent people behind bars, and the criminal prosecution itself is illegal.\" To the questions of the prosecutor and the court, which are aimed at obtaining information of an accusatory nature against the defendants, the witness answers: \"Unanswered.\" Then he explains: \"You first explained to me the right to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, I want to use it.\"\nAnswering questions from the defense, the prosecution witness reports that he suffered COVID-19 at the time of the search of his house and subsequent interrogation, which greatly affected his memory and ability to think clearly at that time. When the prosecutor reads out the record of the interrogation of this witness during the investigation, the latter acknowledges the fact that he signed each answer, but reports the following: \"I did not read the protocol, they put \"ticks\" on me where to sign, and I blindly put signatures there. Now I regret it.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221130","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits believers in SIZO-4 in Moscow.\nRoman Mareev is experiencing difficulties in receiving parcels, as there are long queues in the pre-trial detention center, and parcels delivered by mail are not issued for 10 days, which is why the products in them deteriorate.\nAt his request, Sergey Tolokonnikov was transferred to a cell where there is not much smoking.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221102","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers are escorted to the court session accompanied by a dog handler and a German shepherd, which is located in the middle of a small hall. The defense raises before the court the question \"whether the presence of the dog in the courtroom is an act of intimidation of the defendants and their relatives\" and submits a motion for its removal, but the court does not satisfy it.\nA witness who uses Article 51 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is being interrogated, explaining it this way: \"Jehovah's Witnesses are tried and kept behind bars here. I myself profess this religion. Therefore, I believe that any answer I have to the question about this case will be used against me.\" In this regard, the protocol of the interrogation of the witness is announced, which, however, does not contain any significant information about the defendants and the criminal case itself.\nThe prosecutor announces all 9 volumes of the criminal case, reading out only the titles, but not delving into the essence of the documents, with the exception of the conclusions of experts regarding the examinations carried out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20221021","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer and a public defender visit Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov in a pre-trial detention center. Mareev is still being quarantined, and Tolokonnikov has already been transferred to a cell. Both believers feel normal and are not discouraged. Sergey Tolokonnikov reports that he is being held in a cell with 8 smoking prisoners, so he asks the administration to transfer him to another cell and hopes for a positive solution to this issue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220929","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mareev and Tolokonnikov are transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 5 \"Vodnik\" to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Bear\". They do not lose heart and are grateful for the support of friends and family. They can write letters to the new address.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220924","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before the start of the trial, the lawyer discovers that all the seats for listeners are already occupied by strangers. Soon they leave the hall, but some return. The vacant seats are occupied by friends of the defendants.\nA prosecution witness is invited to the courtroom for interrogation. This person testifies in an attempt to present the defendants' religion in a bad light and slander them, but is often confused or simply reports his assumptions rather than factual data. For example, he says that he communicated with the defendants from 2009 to 2020 and states that it was unpleasant for him. However, the question of what prevented him from stopping communication, it is difficult to answer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220921","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the motions of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor, to exclude some evidence from the case file as unlawful and to provide a large hall for meetings or to organize an Internet broadcast of court hearings. The judge grants the request for the admission of a public defender. Now prisoners in the pre-trial detention center can be visited not only by a lawyer, but also by a public defender.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants claim that they do not understand it and express their attitude to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220824","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Tolokonnikov in the pre-trial detention center. According to him, the believer \"intends to endure everything to the end and not lose joy at the same time.\"\nSergey has a Bible. He is in an 8-bed cell, but it contains 11 people, so the order of sleep is established among the prisoners: Sergey sleeps at night, and during the day another cellmate takes his place. The believer needs to be examined by an ophthalmologist and dentist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220728","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Savyolovsky District Court, an appeal hearing on the extension of the preventive measure is being held via video conferencing with the Moscow City Court. Sergey Tolokonnikov tells the court about the overcrowding of the pre-trial detention center, where prisoners are forced to sleep in turns. The court extends the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov, and for Anatoly Marunov under house arrest.\nThe lawyer asks to postpone the hearing on the consideration of the criminal case on the merits of the charge in order to familiarize himself with the materials and prepare for the defense. The meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220718","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220607","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Roman and Sergey in the Vodnik pre-trial detention center. According to him, the believers are in good emotional and physical condition. They do exercises and go to the gym. Each of them has a Bible. Roman is allowed to call his disabled mother, for whom he is very worried.\nThere are 12 people in the same cell with Mareev. Inmates appreciate the kindness of Roman, who \"cooks soup for everyone in a ten-liter bucket.\" On one occasion, there were no empty seats in the cell, and a prisoner who knew Jehovah's Witnesses gave up his seat to Roman.\nMareev and Tolokonnikov are helped not to lose heart by letters from fellow believers from around the world. Roman has already received 1470 letters from 58 countries, Sergey - more than 1200.\nThe attitude of the cellmates and employees of the detention center towards Roman and Sergey is good. They say about them: \"You are not like other criminals! What are you doing here?\"\nMareev and Tolokonnikov are being held in the same detention facility together with Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov, who are involved in a similar case for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20220214","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 in Moscow. They are in quarantine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20211107","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow Dmitry Neudakhin chooses a measure of restraint in the form of detention against Roman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov, and places Anatoly Marunov under house arrest. He is forbidden to leave the home, use means of communication, the Internet, send and receive correspondence.\nRoman Mareev and Sergey Tolokonnikov are quarantined in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow at 57 Verkhnie Polya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20211022","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the initiative of investigator Kristina Moskalets from the Investigation Department for the Northern Administrative District of Moscow, at least 8 searches are being carried out in different districts of Moscow and the Moscow Region.\nIn the Odintsovo urban district, a group of 8 law enforcement officers in masks and camouflage, one of them armed with a machine gun, invades the Tolokonnikov family at about 6:00. The security forces confiscate pension and social cards from Sergey's 74-year-old mother-in-law, who does not share his religious views. Electronic devices and personal records are also seized from believers, as well as money belonging to members of the garden association and intended to pay utility bills.\nAfter a 7-hour search, law enforcement officers take the Tolokonnikov family to Moscow for a search in their apartment, and then for interrogation in the Investigative Committee, after which 49-year-old Sergey Tolokonnikov is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. It becomes known that a criminal case has been initiated against him under Part 1 and Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist association and involvement of other persons in it).\nA group of 8 security officials also comes to the Marunov family at about 6 am and conducts a search for 9 hours. Various editions of the Bible, personal records, and electronic devices were seized from the family, including from their son, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses. All three are taken to the Investigative Committee, after which Marunov's wife and son are released, and he himself is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. A criminal case was opened against the 67-year-old believer under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe family of 43-year-old Roman Mareev is woken up by a group of security officers in civilian clothes at 5 am. The search in the presence of elderly parents with disabilities lasts 9 hours. During all this time, the security forces do not allow Roman to eat. Digital equipment is seized from the believer, as well as a large amount of money collected to buy a summer house. Law enforcement officers inform Roman that a criminal case has been opened against him under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nIn addition to Bibles in unforbidden translations, personal records and electronic devices, the Koran, notebooks with author's verses, children's mobile phones, bookmarks and postcards are seized from other believers during searches.\nThe investigator officially includes Roman Mareev, Anatoly Marunov and Sergey Tolokonnikov as defendants in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mareyev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow4/index.html#20211020","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, the FSB supervised searches in eight homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses. In November 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Margarita Moiseyenko — whose husband Konstantin has already been given a 6-year suspended sentence for his faith in Jehovah God — along with Galina Yatsyk and Yelena Yatsik for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The women were made to sign a recognizance agreement. In March 2023, their case went to court. The prosecutor requested 2.5 to 3 years in a penal colony for them. In September, the court gave them suspended sentences: Margarita Moiseyenko 3 years, Yelena Yatsyk 2.5, and Galina Yatsik 2. In November, the court of appeal upheld the verdict, removing the ban on holding certain positions. By May 2025, all three believers had their convictions cleared.","date":"2021-11-22","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html","prisoners":["moiseyenkom","yatsik","yatsyk"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Margarita Moiseyenko is released early from serving her suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20250516","regions":["amur"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decided to cancel the suspended sentence and expunge the convictions of Galina Yatsyk and Elena Yatsyk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20241101","regions":["amur"],"tags":["clearing"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to sentence the believers to imprisonment in a penal colony: Margarita Moiseenko - 3 years, Galina Yatsyk and Elena Yatsyk - 2.5 years each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230914","regions":["amur"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. The defendants testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230823","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. Someone uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, while others point to the falsification of the testimony given by them during the preliminary investigation.\nOne of the witnesses testifies that she never heard calls for violent actions from the defendants and did not feel any hostility on their part. On the contrary, she speaks of them as kind, peaceful, always ready to help people.\nDuring the hearing, the judge repeatedly states that the defendants are not accused of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230810","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out from the 6th to the 9th volumes of the criminal case, which contain protocols of searches and protocols of inspection of objects seized from other believers from the Amur region. The judge again asks the prosecutor to disclose only what relates to the defendants. The prosecutor cannot find the protocols with the names of the defendants in this case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230626","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out the written materials of the criminal case, including the results of the photographic portrait examination from the case of Konstantin Moiseenko. The judge asks to read out only those materials that are relevant to the criminal case under consideration, to which the prosecutor objects, explaining that this examination is evidence of the guilt of the defendants.\nFurther, the results of religious studies and psychological-linguistic examinations are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230620","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants Margarita Moiseenko's petition for the admission of her husband Konstantin as her representative in the trial.\nProsecutor Olga Chursina announces the charge, which states that the defendants committed unlawful acts while participating in worship services. The defense expresses its disagreement with the charges. In her attitude towards him, Margarita Moiseenko says: \"I profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but this is not a crime and has nothing to do with extremism.\" She continues: \"I consider the criminal case to be politically motivated repressions, since the investigating body groundlessly and unreasonably replaced the concept of 'exercising the right of citizens to freedom of religion', which includes the right to read the Bible and discuss it with friends, with the concept of 'carrying out extremist activities.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230522","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Zeysky District Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2023-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20230310","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov is prosecuting Margarita Moiseenko, Galina Yatsyk and Elena Yatsyk as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAll women are placed on recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20220215","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, an investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, who specializes in religious persecution in several cities of the Amur Region, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Margarita Moiseenko, Galina Yatsik and Elena Yatsyk. They are accused of \"participation in the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court made a final decision on liquidation in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20211122","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of 8 Jehovah's Witnesses, including Elena Yatsyk and pensioner Galina Yatsyk. Phones and laptops are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2020-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20201013","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the house of Margarita Moiseenko and her husband Konstantin, as well as in the homes of other believers in the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Margarita Moiseyenko and Others in Zeya","date":"2019-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya4/index.html#20190321","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2021 and 2023, Mariya Ogoreva's home was searched as part of criminal cases against Aleksey Pasynkov and her daughter Svetlana. In July 2024, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Mariya herself for participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and in August of the same year, the pensioner's home was searched for the third time. In December, the investigator charged the believer and placed her under a recognizance agreement. After the self-recusal of two judges, the case was transferred to a court located 80 km from Mariya's home. In December, Ogoreva was given a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-07-23","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html","prisoners":["ogorevam"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Mariya Ogoreva makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20251229","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","suspended","families","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 3 years of suspended sentence for Maria Ogoreva with a probationary period of 2 years and 6 months of restrictions.\nDuring the debate, the defense states: \"We believe that Mariya's rights have been grossly violated,\" after which it adds: \"But despite all the moral damage and searches, which still have a detrimental effect on the health of my client (for which there is evidence), she, on the contrary, shows the opposite qualities of extremism - a respectful attitude, kindness and patience towards her accusers. She does not hold a grudge, because the Bible teaches her so.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20251216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20251110","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defense states that the accusation is not based on any illegal actions of Ogoreva, but only on the fact that she expressed her peaceful religious views. Maria herself says: \"I am put on trial solely for my faith in God and Christ. I have never committed the crime of which I am accused... She never had the intent to carry out extremist activities and the motive of enmity or hatred.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20250516","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maria Ogoreva's case is now being considered in the Karachay District Court, almost 80 kilometers from the believer's home. This decision is made by the Supreme Court of the Republic due to the repeated self-recusal of judges. The measure of restraint for the defendant remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20250214","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ida Uzdenova, following Judge Galina Yevsegneeva, recuses herself. Earlier, they refused to handle the cases of Yulia and Tatyana Pasynkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20250206","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yevsegneeva recuses herself. The case is assigned to judge Ida Uzdenova, who previously passed a sentence in a similar case against Irina Perefilyeva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20250120","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Urup District Court. It is assigned to judge Galina Evsegneeva, who is also considering the case of Alexei Pasynkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20241227","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Khasanov takes from the believer a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20241222","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maria is charged with participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20241221","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice Anuar Khasanov interrogates Mariya Ogoreva as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20240913","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anuar Khasanov, an investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Karachay-Cherkessia, initiates a criminal case against Maria Ogoreva for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The woman is suspected of \"maintaining contacts with persons professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including those living in other regions of the Russian Federation, in order to participate in worship services and study the Holy Scriptures.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20240723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"62-year-old Mariya Ogoreva and her daughter Svetlana are searched by an investigator accompanied by the head of the CPE. The women call the district police officer, who conducts the search in a calmer atmosphere. However, Maria becomes ill and an ambulance is called for her. During the 4-hour search, law enforcement officers seized Bibles, electronic devices and personal records.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mariya Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy6/index.html#20231228","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","elderly","families","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, the FSB of Russia initiated a criminal case against unidentified persons, and a week later, a series of searches were carried out in Alatyr at the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The family of Andrey Martynov was subjected to investigative actions twice (the first search took place in 2012). The law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, photographs, personal notes, drawings and other items, with inscriptions mentioning the name of God - Jehovah. In April 2022, Andrey and Nina Martynov, Mikhail Yermakov and Zoya Pavlova were charged: the men with organizing the activitiy of an extremist organization, and the women with involvement and participation in it. In July 2022, the case against the believers went to court, and in December of the same year, the court gave the women a fine of 350,000 rubles, and the men a 6-year suspended sentence. After 2 months, the verdict entered into force by the decision of the appellate instance.","date":"2021-06-16","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html","prisoners":["martynova","martynovan","pavlova","yermakov"],"regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic upholds the decision of the lower court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20230213","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants describe how the Bible has helped them change for the better and that their peaceful religion has nothing to do with extremism. About 50 people are present in the courtroom during the speeches of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221212","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers for the defendants emphasize that the defendants only enjoyed the right to freedom of religion. They refer to several arguments. Firstly, there is no objective and subjective side of the prosecution in the case - none of the witnesses has any claims against the defendants, and there are no victims. Secondly, the believers held peaceful worship services, not meetings of a religious organization. Thirdly, the testimony of the FSB officer confirms that \"the defendants are not a structural unit\" of the legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221122","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the defendants for real terms: Andrey Martynov and Mikhail Ermakov for 6 years in prison, Nina Martynova - 5 years, and Zoya Pavlova - 4.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221110","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Ivanova is being interrogated. She recounts her preliminary testimony and reports that the defendants are unknown to her.\nDuring the interrogation of the defendants, Zoya Pavlova confirms her written testimony only partially. She informs the court that the investigator put pressure on her and added some phrases to the protocol.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221102","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the secret witness does not appear at the hearing, the court reads out his preliminary testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221020","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to familiarize itself with material evidence: songs and videos of religious content.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221019","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is attended by about 30 listeners. The court reproduces excerpts of video recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as cartoons based on biblical principles.\nAlso, some witnesses in the case are invited for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20221018","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor selectively reads out the evidence indicated in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220901","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"25 people come to court to support believers. Andrey Martynov expresses his attitude to the charges.\nThe believer says: \"The accusation is based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, on the basis of which specific legal entities were liquidated. However, by this decision, the Supreme Court did not prohibit individuals from practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Consequently, any person living in the Russian Federation has the right to practice this religion. And this means that being one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not a crime... I believe that the preliminary investigation bodies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. And it is their misinterpretation, and not the alleged crime I committed, that is the reason why I am in the dock today.\"\nThe believer reminds the court that on June 7, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights declared illegal the liquidation of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses and another 395 legal entities and decided to stop the criminal prosecution of believers in Russia and release the prisoners.\nThe prosecutor begins to present evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220831","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of four believers was submitted to the Alatyr District Court of the Chuvash Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220712","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Dmitry Baranov brings Mikhail Yermakov as an accused and issues him a corresponding decision. Its text completely coincides with the accusation of Andrei Martynov.\nThe guilt of Martynov and Yermakov, according to the investigation, is that they \"organized the holding of meetings ... consisting of the performance of songs ... and praying to Jehovah God, studying and discussing articles and religious texts.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220428","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another defendant in the case, Zoya Pavlova, is formally charged.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220426","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Martynov is again charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAn indictment is also issued to Nina Martynova. According to the investigation, by talking about the Bible to a certain \"T. A. Ivanova\", Martynova and Pavlova involved her in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). At the same time, the presence of women at worship services, praying to God, singing Christian songs and discussing biblical issues with friends is equated by the investigator with participation in the activities of a banned organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAlthough believers are charged under different parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code, the texts of the decisions to prosecute them are almost identical.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20220425","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Dmitry Baranov makes a decision to bring Andrey Martynov as a defendant in a criminal case. According to the investigation, the believer convened meetings, organized religious performances and services, and carried out preaching activities in order to spread the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. Martynov is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20211028","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the city of Kanasha (Chuvashia), located 100 kilometers north of Alatyr.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20210902","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Cheboksary, Yevgeny Egorov, having satisfied the request of the investigator Baranov, issues a search warrant in the apartment of Ivan Elagin. The believer is then interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20210831","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Residents of the city of Alatyr are being searched. Security officials suspect them of practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and interrogate at least seven believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2021-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20210623","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Baranov, Senior Forensic Investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons who are suspected of violating Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of a banned organization).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Martynov and Others in Alatyr","date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/alatyr/index.html#20210616","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2021, a series of searches took place in Irkutsk and the Irkutsk region, which were accompanied by a mess and brutal beatings of peaceful believers. Jehovah’s Witnesses Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteyev, Nikolay Martynov, Mikhail Moish, Aleksey Solnechny, Andrey Tolmachev and Sergey Vasiliyev were accused of extremism only because of their faith. After searches and interrogations, they were detained, and six were sent to a pre-trial detention center, and one under house arrest. Two months later, law enforcement officers conducted two more searches: in the village of Askiz (Republic of Khakassia) at Denis Sarazhakov and in the city of Mezhdurechensk (Kemerovo Region) at Igor Popov’s. Both were arrested, taken more than 1500 km away to Irkutsk, and placed in custody. In December 2022, the case went to court. In March 2024, the court sentenced them to 3 to 7 years in a penal colony. In December of the same year, the court of appeal upheld this verdict. A year later, the decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2021-10-04","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html","prisoners":["kalin","kosteyev","martynov","moysh","popovig","sarazhakov","solnechny","tolmachev","vasilyevs"],"regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Mikhail Moysh and Sergey Kosteyev are under strict conditions of detention. Both believers work in the sewing workshop.\nAfter hospitalization due to vascular disease, his condition remains stable. He does special exercises. The believer is glad that he can read the Bible and letters of support, as well as receive parcels from his family.\nThe medical unit regularly gives Sergey the necessary medication to control his hypertension. Despite this, his nosebleeds have recently become more frequent. The believer has a Bible and receives letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260510","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the penal colony, Aleksey Solnechny has gained a new profession — \"overhead crane operator\". For training diligently, he received an award.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260411","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yaroslav Kalin is in penal colony No. 31 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-03-17T17:48:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260317","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yaroslav is still in the trauma department of KTB-1 due to damage to the knee ligaments. It was not possible to carry out the necessary operation there. In addition, the believer was diagnosed with arrhythmia, which is why the anesthesia necessary for surgery is contraindicated for him.\nYaroslav earned a reputation in the colony as a good worker who understands technology, so the medical institution entrusted him with the repair of an X-ray machine.\nDespite the difficulties with his health, Yaroslav behaves calmly and confidently. Reading the Bible helps a believer not to lose optimism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260304","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Tolmachev is in penal colony No. 4 for the Irkutsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-02-27T14:35:40+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260227","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yaroslav Kalin was transferred to the Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Krasnoyarsk for a planned knee operation. He can receive letters — the Zonatelecom system is available in the institution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20260202","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Conditions for Igor Popov in the penal colony are satisfactory. There is no hot water in the barracks, but a shower for prisoners is provided at the workplace.\nAt first, Igor worked at a mill, and now he is casting small parts for freight cars. He works 6 days and has 1 day off. Despite his workload and tiredness, in his free time Igor tries to reply to letters from concerned people.\nIgor says, being in solitary confinement during pretrial detention caused him a lot of emotional stress, but now he feels better: he is calm and smiles more. \"Difficult times come to an end, and then relief follows,\" he says.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20251224","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov is supported by letters that arrive regularly. In November, there was a short meeting with his wife and daughter. The believer's relatives had to travel more than 500 kilometers to visit him and talk a little.\nIn November, Martynov spent 5 days in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20251211","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation in Kemerovo upheld the verdict and appeal ruling against the believers from Irkutsk. They will continue to serve their sentences in colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20251111","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the detachment, where Aleksey Solnechny is serving his sentence, repairs are underway: the walls have been painted, the batteries have been replaced, new doors are being installed. The cell in which he lives is seven-bed. Relations with prisoners and colony staff are respectful and friendly. This is the merit of Aleksey himself: he tries to be patient, compliant and sensitive to others, and his sense of humor helps him overcome difficulties.\nAleksey works as a cleaner in a detachment and at the same time masters the profession of a crane operator in a four-month course.\nThe man's eyesight deteriorates, and an ophthalmologist who visited the colony prescribed him glasses with diopters \"for growth\" - four times stronger than what is required now.\nAleksey keeps in touch with his family through letters. In early October, he had a long meeting with his wife. The couple are grateful to relatives and friends for their support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20251027","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Moysh and Sergey Kosteyev undergo medical examinations at Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 1 in Krasnoyarsk, where they were transferred from a penal colony in the Tuva Republic. The transfer took more than a week, with stops in Kyzyl and Abakan for 3-4 days.\nKosteyev is in the cardiology department, and Moysh is in the surgical department. Mikhail has a tear in the tissues on his leg due to varicose veins. He also complains of frequent headaches.\nWhen they arrived their Bibles were confiscated. Regular phone calls are not permitted and the Zonatelecom system does not work — communication with loved ones is possible only through ordinary letters, which take a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20251010","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On August 19, Yaroslav Kalin was taken for examination of his injured knee to the Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No 1 in Krasnoyarsk. Relatives are worried because since then they have had no contact with him.\nSince July, Kalin has been in acute pain, but an operation has only been tentatively scheduled for January 2026.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250927","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights","health-risk","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 9, when Yaroslav Kalin was doing electrical work at the medical unit, he dislocated his knee — this is a recurrence of a previous injury (meniscus tear). They administered painkillers, gave him crutches and he was temporarily released from work.\nA consultation with a traumatologist in a Krasnoyarsk hospital was scheduled for August 15. However, the day before, he was told that the trip was canceled, since he was not on the list. A new appointment was made for September 19.\nDespite the joint still being out of place, Yaroslav continues to work through pain — he has to carry heavy loads, climb stairs and work on stepladders. They allowed Kalin's relatives to give him a walking cane.\nYaroslav is permitted to make phone calls only once a week or less, while other prisoners can do so every day. The problem with receiving letters remains — only a few are given to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250910","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosteyev is in a cell with two other prisoners. He has only one set of clothes, so after washing them he has to dry them on himself. Kosteyev expects that soon the heating will be turned on in the colony, the cell will be warm, and he will be able to dry his clothes on the radiator. There is only cold water in the unit. Once a week he can take a shower.\nLetters to the penal colony are mainly allowed from Tuva, and if letters come from other regions of Russia, then he is only given letters from relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250907","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov, despite his retirement age, decided to volunteer for work and was sent to the carpentry workshop.\nAleksey Solnechny tries to find positive aspects in his circumstances, for example, the opportunity to receive dental care. Currently, his work is keeping the territory of his unit clean. Recently he had a long visit from his wife.\nSergey Kosteyev, who suffers from coronary heart disease and high blood pressure, sometimes has nosebleeds.\nDenis Sarazhakov has a personal copy of the Bible. He receives personal e-mails rather quickly whereas paper letters are delayed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250727","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In early May, Denis Sarazhakov was put in a punishment cell for 10 days, the exact reasons for this are unknown. Recently, he was assigned to work and started working in the carpentry shop as a woodcarver.\nOn weekends, he sometimes plays football with other prisoners, goes to the gym and reads books from the library. He receives the full amount of the medication he needs.\nThe believer regularly receives visits from his wife. He receives letters of support and especially appreciates those in which people share stories from their lives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250604","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","letters","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of detention in the colony where Aleksey Solnechny is kept are acceptable. The atmosphere is calm, without rudeness and conflicts. There is a library. Aleksey's physical condition is stable, but he has a cough, so he regularly undergoes fluorography. The believer is supported by reading the Bible and letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250516","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A few days after arriving at the colony, Mikhail Moish and Sergey Kosteev were placed in a punishment cell on trumped-up charges. After that, they were transferred to strict conditions of detention (SUS), and some time later, Moish was again placed in the SHIZO, and Kosteev in the PKT until September 25, 2025. Kostoev suffers from hypertension, receives some medical care, but needs a more thorough medical examination, like Moish, who also has chronic illnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250420","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov was transferred to another detachment for the duration of the repair, where there is a refrigerator and a place for washing clothes. On the part of his cellmates and the administration of the colony, the attitude towards the believer is respectful, they even call him \"God's man\". The Bible was returned to him. There are no failures in the delivery of letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250417","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a long stay in the pre-trial detention center, Yaroslav Kalin is gradually adapting to the new conditions in the colony. Recently he saw his wife. The problem with receiving letters has not yet been resolved.\nYaroslav's physical health requires attention. He has vision problems, but there is no ophthalmologist in the colony. Also, the believer needs qualified assistance from an orthopedic dentist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250414","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yaroslav Kalin works in the colony as an electrician. The Bible he had brought with him was returned to him. The believer notes difficulties with receiving and sending correspondence: not all letters arrive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250220","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosteev and Mikhail Moish are in correctional colony No. 4 in the Republic of Tyva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-01-28T08:47:19+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250128","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov and Denis Sarazhakov are in correctional colony No. 1 in the Republic of Buryatia. Yaroslav Kalin is in penal colony No. 31 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Igor Popov is in penal colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory. Aleksey Solnechny is in penal colony No. 13 in the Sverdlovsk region. Andrey Tolmachev is in penal colony No. 14 in the Irkutsk region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-01-21T14:11:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250121","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Solnechny, Denis Sarazhakov, Igor Popov, Mikhail Moish, Nikolay Martynov, Sergey Kosteev and Yaroslav Kalin are in the process of being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2025-01-07T09:12:06+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20250107","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on believers' complaints against the verdict of the first instance. The defense draws attention to the clarification of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that it is not a crime to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and participate in their services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20241114","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers have personal copies of the Bible. Everyone except Andrey Tolmachev, who has been held in solitary confinement for two and a half years, is now in shared cells. They are treated with respect by other inmates and the administration.\nThe state of health of the believers is satisfactory. Yaroslav Kalin is receiving the necessary medical treatment. Denis Sarazhakov is provided with dental care. Igor Popov takes daily medications for hypertension and can use a blood pressure monitor to measure blood pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20241105","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases 73-year-old Sergey Vasiliev from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance, satisfying the petition of the believer. During the investigation, Vasilyev spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, 139 days in a pre-trial detention center and 882 days under house arrest. Taking this into account, he has already served the sentence of 3 years in prison imposed by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240723","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Andrey Slavinsky. Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk (287 Baikalskaya St., room No. 312). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240304","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","sizo","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Martynov, Sarazhakov, Moish and Popov deliver their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240125","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Vasiliev, Tolmachev, Solnechny and Kalin make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20240124","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Andrei Slavinsky grants the state prosecutor's request to extend the current preventive measures for all believers until March 20, 2024: house arrest for Sergey Vasilyev, and detention for the rest of the defendants.\nIn Yaroslav's debate, defense lawyer Oksana Pajitnykh, who participates in the case along with her lawyer, says: \"My client is being tried for the same thing for which his parents were exiled to Siberia more than 70 years ago. Officially, for anti-state activities and undermining the constitutional order, and de facto, only for the fact that they were and remain Jehovah's Witnesses.\" She cites the fact that all the exiled Jehovah's Witnesses were later rehabilitated by the state, and now believers are persecuted under the same pretext.\nThe defender also says that Kalin has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses for more than 40 years and has lived in the village of Pivovarikha all his life: \"Yaroslav Kalin always helped everyone, responded to the misfortune of another person, was always ready to provide emotional, moral and physical support, supported the improvement of the village. He is non-conflicting, there have never been quarrels with neighbors ... And then, suddenly, he is tried as an extremist. But it can't be like that! A useful member of society cannot be an extremist.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231206","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest","defense-arguments","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for all defendants to be sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony: Yaroslav Kalin, Nikolai Martynov, Aleksey Solnechny and Sergey Kosteev - 7 years each; Mikhail Moish and Andrey Tolmachev — 6 years and 8 months each; Igor Popov and Denis Sarazhakov — 6 years and 4 months each; Sergey Vasilyev is 3 years old.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231204","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","sizo","house-arrest","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center together with those accused of extremism and terrorism.\nYaroslav Kalin and Sergey Kosteev are being held in small solitary confinement cells. They are preparing to speak in the debate in court.\nNikolay Martynov and Andrey Tolmachev are held in solitary confinement cells. Nikolay regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by visits with his relatives and telephone conversations with them. Andrey does not complain about his physical and emotional condition, but he worries about his father with a disability, whom he has not been able to take care of for a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231115","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Martynov is being held in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center. He does not lose heart, regularly receives letters from family and friends. He is supported by dates and phone calls to his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231113","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is being held in a common cell of the pre-trial detention center with those accused of extremism and terrorism. He shows calmness and friendliness to others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231107","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Popov has been held in solitary confinement for about two years. He has a Bible that he reads daily. It is also strengthened by letters. Regular exercise and medication help the believer maintain health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231103","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion for the interrogation of religious scholar, professor Ekaterina Elbakyan. Despite the fact that the specialist flew to Irkutsk from Moscow, the court refuses to interrogate her. After that, the defense asks to attach Elbakyan's conclusion to the case file. The court decides to announce the conclusion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231011","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Irkutsk Regional Court is considering complaints from lawyers and defendants about the extension of the period of detention. Judge Pavel Noskov upholds the ruling of the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231009","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Popov is being interrogated. He explains to the court that religious meetings of Jehovah God's servants took place at all times, regardless of the presence of legal entities, and adds: \"I still have the right provided for in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation to have and disseminate my religious beliefs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231004","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the defence are being questioned. One of them is a former employee of the government of the Irkutsk region, whose duties included interaction with religious organizations. He explains that during the entire existence of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk, there were no violations of the law on its part.\nThe second witness for the defense, the former director of Irkutsk's Trud Stadium, knows Jehovah's Witnesses well, having held annual worship services at the stadium until 2009. He says that the believers, on their own initiative, repaired the stadium and cleaned it up. Thanks to the help of Jehovah's Witnesses, the stadium was able to adequately represent the Irkutsk region at various sports competitions, including the Ice Hockey World Championship, for many years. The witness expresses special gratitude to Yaroslav Kalin, who many times gratuitously serviced electronic scoreboards and other equipment at the stadium.\nAndrey Tolmachev draws the court's attention to the fact that for the prosecution the concepts of \"religion of Jehovah's Witnesses\" and \"legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses\" are equal, although in fact this is not the case. He explains that having religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness and being a member of a legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are two different things. \"I try always, everywhere and with all people [...] to act with kindness and respect, because I am a Christian, this is what my religion teaches,\" the believer emphasizes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20231002","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Vasilyev appears before the court. He does not admit guilt and says that the testimony given by him during the preliminary investigation is reflected in the protocols with distortions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230927","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yaroslav Kalin testifies. He recounts how, during a video camera search, he was asked a single question: \"Are you one of Jehovah's Witnesses?\" He continues: \"After that question, I realized that I was 'guilty' only of being one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nKalin calls the accusation unfounded and unsubstantiated: \"The investigation speculates with standard formulations, without supporting them with anything.\"\nThe accused also talks about how his relatives were exiled to Siberia for their faith in Soviet times. He says: \"I was sure that history could not repeat itself. Russia cannot make the same mistakes. He cannot first imprison believers, then apologize to their children and imprison their children and grandchildren again for their faith in God.\"\nThe believer refutes the accusation of extremism: \"In the materials of the criminal case there are several transcripts of our liturgical meetings, but in none of them there is even a hint of incitement to hatred. On the contrary, in our meetings we learn to become better not only from the point of view of God, but also from the point of view of the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230925","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two sons of Sergei Kosteev. They say that despite their different religious views, they have a warm family relationship with their father. They characterize the father on the positive side and express bewilderment at the accusations of extremism.\nFurther, the defendant Denis Sarazhakov testifies. He consistently refutes all counts of the indictment. In particular, he says: \"I do not agree with the prosecution that it considers the performance of songs and our prayers a crime ... the joint singing of songs by believers and their prayers to God is not a crime, but an integral part of the worship of God, which cannot be considered extremist activity... none of the songs and prayers of Jehovah's Witnesses are recognized as extremist.\"\nSarazhakov gives an example showing that believing in Jehovah God after the closure of the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses does not mean continuing the activities of an extremist organization: \"If in the city of Irkutsk a legal entity was engaged in charity and provided assistance to homeless people or those who found themselves in difficult life circumstances, but for some reason were liquidated, this does not mean that all residents of Irkutsk, Those who do good deeds on their own behalf and provide assistance to those in need should be accused of continuing the activities of the liquidated organization, because their actions are outwardly similar to the goals and objectives of the liquidated organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230920","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court Andrey Slavinsky grants the petition of the state prosecutor A. I. Melnikov and extends the current preventive measures for all defendants until December 20, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230906","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Michael Moish testifies. He talks about his parents, who themselves lived according to God's standards and raised nine children in the spirit of Christian values: \"The upbringing that my parents gave me was to always strive for peace and respect for others, regardless of circumstances and skin color.\"\nMikhail emphasizes that the video conferences, which he is accused of organizing, recorded divine services, that is, meetings of a group of Christian believers who sang, prayed and discussed religious topics.\nMoish expresses regret that the investigation and the prosecutor's office did not understand the concept of \"elder\", considering him a position in a local religious organization, and not a canonical term: \"Because of this mistake, I am in the dock.\"\nNikolay Martynov testifies. \"When I met with my fellow believers at worship services, I just wanted to follow the commandment to be attentive to each other, encouraging to love and good deeds,\" says the believer.\nThe court is also questioning a witness who has known Yaroslav Kalin since childhood. She characterizes him exclusively on the positive side and says that, although she professes a different religion, relations between them are friendly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230904","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kosteev and Alexei Solnechny testify to the court. They do not admit guilt and believe that \"the accusation is not true,\" since their \"actions do not violate the legislation of the Russian Federation in any way and do not pose any danger to anyone.\"\n\"It sounds absurd, but I'm accused of reading the Bible. Yes, I am a believer, and this book helps me maintain my faith, gain knowledge about God,\" Kosteev declares.\nAlexei Solnechny says: \"Jehovah's Witnesses use the words 'organization', 'organization of God', 'universal brotherhood' as synonyms. All these words... refers to a large family consisting of millions of Jehovah's Witnesses living around the globe. And the word \"organization\" in this sense ... is understood as a denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses, not a legal entity.\"\nThe believer also notes that there were no calls for extremism at the services. He points to one of the transcripts that discusses the biblical quote: \"Seek peace and seek it.\" Alexei comments on this as follows: \"This quote shows that we strive for peace in our services. And for some reason I am accused of extremism for participating in these services. Isn't that a paradox?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230828","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning an operative, V. S. Shabanov, who says that he did not personally carry out operational-search measures against Jehovah's Witnesses in Irkutsk.\nThe bailiff delivers to the court the prosecution witness E. N. Kiselev, who is in a state of alcoholic intoxication. The judge rejects the defense's motion to postpone the examination of the witness due to his alcohol intoxication.\nKiselev informs the judge that he attended a service in Irkutsk, but does not know who headed it. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses are not against higher education.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230726","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, Melnikov interrogated four witnesses (Martynov's employees), and then the protocols of the interrogations of these witnesses are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230724","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness D. V. Novikov, Kosteev's employee at work, is being interrogated, who explains that the believer is a reliable employee, they did not talk about religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230717","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Melnikov continues to present evidence for the prosecution. He submits a motion to extend the measure of restraint to all the defendants. Believers express their disagreement and ask to soften their preventive measure, citing poor conditions of detention: it is cold in the detention center, in Denis Sarazhakov's cell there is a corpse smell from a dead rat from under the floor, and everyone's health has deteriorated. The defendants state that they have no intention of hiding.\nThe judge extends the house arrest of Sergey Vasilyev, and the detention of all the rest until September 20, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230522","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to study the written materials of the case: protocols of the investigator's inspection of items and office equipment seized from the defendants during searches in 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230417","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Moish and Igor Popov, like most of their fellow believers, are held in solitary confinement. Igor has hypertension. Although he receives the necessary medications, it is not yet possible to stabilize blood pressure.\nDenis Sarazhakov is kept in a cell with a mentally unstable young man. According to him, the conditions are difficult, it can be emotionally difficult, but he is warmed by letters from relatives and visits with relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230414","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to study the written materials of the case: secret audio recordings of worship services, as well as the registration file of the LRO for the period up to 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230405","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Solnechny is transferred from solitary confinement to a common cell, designed for 4 people. Despite worries about his family, he maintains a positive attitude.\nSergey Kosteev is still in solitary confinement. He has already spent a year and a half in prison, but his emotional state is good. Sergey is grateful to his fellow believers for their letters of support — he receives about 40 pieces a week.\nNikolay Martynov is also in solitary confinement, but this does not affect his positive attitude. He regularly receives letters from friends and family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230403","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov is accused of collusion, which he allegedly entered into with other defendants in 2018. However, Sarazhakov draws the court's attention to the fact that from the materials announced by the prosecutor it follows that he met the defendants only in 2021 at a worship service held via video conferencing, so he could not physically enter into any collusion with them in 2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230320","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor continues to present evidence. He focuses on the material evidence seized from the defendants, in particular the books of religious scholars Ivanenko, Gordienko and Odintsov.\nYaroslav Kalin, commenting on the investigative actions carried out in his house, says that during the search the witnesses behaved like police officers, which raises doubts about their impartiality.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230313","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall present the evidence of the prosecution. He pays special attention to the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in 2017. In response, one of the lawyers points out that the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses itself was not banned by that decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230227","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the request of the defense for the admission of a public defender. The prosecutor begins to read out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230222","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Moish does not complain about his state of health. He spent several days in the same cell with a mentally unstable young man. In addition, it was cold in this cell and he had to sleep in a jacket. However, after his written request, he was transferred to a cell with better conditions.\nOn the part of the administration, the attitude is normal, there were no penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230130","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Tolmachev, Denis Sarazhakov, Igor Popov, Alexey Solnechny and Nikolay Martynov are in a good emotional state. However, they have health difficulties - they periodically suffer from colds, as the cells are damp and cold. Andrey Tolmachev worries about his elderly parents, who were left without his care.\nBelievers thank their fellow believers for the letters that each of them receives 150-200 per month. They say: \"Assurances of love give us strength and help us endure the hardships of unjust detention. We would like to respond to every letter, but it is physically impossible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2023-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20230129","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects several petitions: to return the case to the prosecutor, to challenge the composition of the court, as well as to mitigate the measure of restraint. It is extended to all defendants until June 20, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20221229","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["first-instance","to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Some circumstances knock the ground out from under my feet, but letters, prayers and songs strengthen me a lot,\" Yaroslav Kalin tells his lawyer. He is grateful to relatives, friends and fellow believers for letters of support.\nPreviously, the believer was kept in the basement, where he often caught cold, and now he is in a dry and warm solitary confinement cell. In general, Yaroslav's state of health is not worried, but he needs vitamins, which the employees of the pre-trial detention center do not transfer.\nAccording to the lawyer, Yaroslav misses his large family very much, especially his parents who live far away. He also worries about his friends: \"Right now I have no way to help others except to write them letters. That's the only thing I can do for now.\"\nThe case goes to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Irkutsk. He will be heard by judge Andrei Slavinsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20221221","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["to-court","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Mikhail Moish and Alexei Solnechny in the pre-trial detention center. Despite the fact that the accused have been detained for more than a year, they are in good emotional and physical condition. The conditions of detention of believers in the pre-trial detention center are satisfactory. Both are being held in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20221201","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Igor Popov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Irkutsk. The believer is kept in solitary confinement. He manages to read the New Testament, which was given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center, as well as to keep himself in good physical shape. Popov tries to maintain a positive attitude. During the time spent behind bars, Igor received about 150 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20220120","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Denis Sarazhakov in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Irkutsk. The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude, despite the deterioration of his health, caused, among other things, by the conditions of his detention. Sarazhakov is in solitary confinement in a poorly lit basement. It blows from the window, so at night it is cold in the cell, and the mattress is so thin that Denis has to put letters under it (during his time in custody, the believer received about 200 letters of support). Sarazhakov plans to appeal to the administration of the pre-trial detention center with a request to visit a doctor, as well as improve the conditions of detention.\nThe believer has the opportunity to read the New Testament given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20220118","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sarazhakov and Igor Popov are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. They are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Irkutsk region (Irkutsk, Barrikad St., 63).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-12-02T09:41:20+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211202","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the home of 33-year-old Denis Sarazhakov in the village of Askiz (Republic of Khakassia). The believer is suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). To get into the apartment, one of the security officials first imitates a drunk driver who allegedly crumpled Denis's car standing in the yard. In the end, they introduce themselves as police officers, and when the owner opens the door, he is knocked to the floor. The search, led by Police Major Vladimir Zimin, takes place in a harsh manner, but without violence: the security forces turn over furniture, open the window slope. They seize all electronic devices and after the end of the search, they take Denis Sarazhakov first to the local branch of the Investigative Committee, and then to Irkutsk, located 1500 km from the village of Askiz.\nIn the same case, special events are being held in the city of Mezhdurechensk (Kemerovo Region). At about 3 a.m., the security forces raided the homes of Igor and Mangira Popov with a search, seizing electronic equipment and money from them. After that, the 34-year-old head of the family is detained and taken away in an unknown direction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211130","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Meetings are held as a measure of restraint. The court sends Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteev, Nikolay Martynov, Mikhail Moish, Alexei Solnechny and Andrey Tolmachev to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Irkutsk region. After 2 days spent in the temporary detention facility, Sergey Vasilyev is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211005","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["sizo","ivs","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators of the 2nd Investigation Department of the 3rd Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Irkutsk Region are initiating criminal cases under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Yaroslav Kalin, Sergey Kosteev, Nikolai Martynov, Mikhail Moish, Alexei Solnechny, Andrey Tolmachev, and Sergey Vasilyev.\nOn the same day, early in the morning in Irkutsk and the village of Pivovarikha, armed detachments of Rosgvardia officers and soldiers of the Thunder special forces surrounded the houses of Jehovah's Witnesses at 13 addresses.\nThe security forces are cruel towards believers - Anatoly Razdobarov, Nikolay Merinov, as well as their spouses are subjected to beatings and torture. The search lasts more than 8 hours. Then the believers are taken for interrogation, where it turns out that Anatoly Razdobarov and Nikolay Merinov are involved as witnesses in the case of other believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Martynov and Others in Irkutsk","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/irkutsk/index.html#20211004","regions":["irkutsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","search","siloviks-violence","torture","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2018-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg3/index.html","prisoners":["matveyev"],"regions":["orenburg"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Matveev in Orenburg","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksey Matveev stands out from the case of other believers in Orenburg.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Matveev in Orenburg","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg3/index.html#20200910","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2). 7 believers become defendants in the case at once.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Matveev in Orenburg","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orenburg3/index.html#20180514","regions":["orenburg"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2021, the residents of the city of Balakovo were under surveillance, their conversations were recorded. Considering peaceful discussions of the Bible to be extremism, the FSB initiated a criminal case and received permission to search the homes of the believers. A month later, security forces invaded eight homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Aleksey Bogatov, Vladimir Mavrin, Yevgeniy Fomashin, Andrey Murych and Sergey Tyurin were placed in a temporary holding facility after interrogations held at night. Two days later, they were transfered to a pretrial detention center 170 km from home. They spent 10 months in custody. In January 2023, the court ruled to change the preventive measure against the believers to a ban on certain actions. In November 2023, the district court announced the verdict: Aleksey Bogatov and Vladimir Mavrin a 6-yesr suspended sentence; Andrey Murych, Sergey Tyurin and Yevgeniy Fomashin fined 300,000 rubles.","date":"2022-02-11","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html","prisoners":["bogatov","fomashin","mavrin","murych","tyurin"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting 7 years in prison for Vladimir Mavrin and Alexei Bogatov and 3 years for\nAndrey Murych, Evgeny Fomashin and Sergey Tyurin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20231110","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is being examined. During the inspection of Fomashin's laptop, it turns out that changes have been made to it and its contents do not correspond to what they were before the searches. And in Murych's laptop after the search, an application of Jehovah's Witnesses appeared.\nThe court hears audio recordings of one of the services. The defendants confirm that the voice of the presenter does not belong to any of them.\nThe defendants Murych and Tyurin file a number of petitions, including the attachment of certificates from the place of work and production characteristics to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20231013","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The written materials of the case are examined and information about the basic beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses is read out. The defendants are being interrogated.\nAndrey Murych notes in his testimony that many believers try to help each other financially. This was especially noticeable during the pandemic, as some could not afford to buy medicines. He makes observations that the books and publications seized during the search of his house are not included in the list of extremist ones, that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses have never been associated with violence and that if they had behaved aggressively, there would not be so many of them around the world.\nSergey Tyurin points out that the case file does not contain any facts that are somehow related to extremist activities. He explains that extremism is inextricably linked to the use of violence, and there is not a word in the case file about threats or calls for the use of violence.\nAlexei Bogatov explains that Christian worship meetings are the exact opposite of extremist activity, as they encourage love and good deeds and do not even hint of violence, discrimination, changing the constitutional order or elevating one religious denomination over another. He adds that in their meetings, Jehovah's Witnesses teach the same thing as Jesus Christ, who said: \"Do not cease to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.\"\nVladimir Mavrin declares: \"Professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is incompatible with any form of extremism. If anyone even conceived any criminal actions aimed at undermining the constitutional order, causing any harm to the state, society, individuals or their property, this would be contrary to religious beliefs and such a person could not be called a Jehovah's Witness.\"\nYevgeny Fomashin: \"The court examined the materials of the case, and there is not even a hint of any extremism in them, and there cannot be.\" He adds: \"There were worship services, the biblical text, the laws, principles and commandments of God were discussed.\"\nYevgeniy submits a petition for the inspection of his laptop, since the screenshot of the main screen attached to the case is different from what he had before his arrest. Despite the prosecutor's objection, the judge allows Fomashin at the next hearing to inspect his computer in person, without the involvement of a specialist.\nA certificate from the pension fund is attached to the case stating that Mavrin takes care of elderly relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20231005","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the materials of the case. Aleksey Bogatov draws the court's attention to the fact that at liturgical meetings believers \"learn not to envy each other, but to show love for their neighbors.\"\nHe also notes that Jehovah's Witnesses do not impose their beliefs, do not force people to study the Bible, respect freedom of choice and the right to privacy.\nBogatov emphasizes that none of the announced recordings revealed any extremist appeals - on the contrary, the listeners were encouraged to love and good deeds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230906","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The chairman of the homeowners' association is being questioned. She says that none of the neighbors complained about the family of Sergei Tyurin. She calls the Tyurins peaceful and calm. She also emphasizes that Sergey never agitated her to join the ranks of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230831","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One of them replies that of those present she knows only Andrei Murych, does not feel hostility towards him, characterizes him as a calm and non-conflict person.\nDuring the interrogation, a relative of Vladimir Mavrin speaks positively of him.\nA witness is being interrogated - a disabled person of group II, who is registered in a neuropsychiatric dispensary. She gives contradictory testimony.\nFSB officer Ryabov, who participated in the search of Alexei Bogatov's home, reports that he used technical means for covert surveillance to collect information. When asked what signs of extremism were found in the actions of the defendants, he answers: \"I can't explain, a lot of time has passed, I have compiled many reports.\" And when asked what methods of conspiracy the defendants used, he answers: \"They drew the curtains.\"\nAt the request of the state prosecutor, E. M. Ivanov is interrogated as an expert. He says that Jehovah's Witnesses strictly adhere to the position of political neutrality, in their publications he did not meet calls for the disarmament of the Russian army or undermining the foundations of the state. Speaking about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and the USSR, Ivanov notes that persecution of believers took place before and that there were no retaliatory actions on their part. According to him, Jehovah's Witnesses are consistent pacifists.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230824","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four witnesses are being questioned.\nThe first of them learned that Fomashin's was a Jehovah's Witness only during interrogation by the FSB. Another witness has long known the defendant Bogatov and speaks positively of him.\nCounsel emphasizes that all the defendants served either in military service or in alternative civilian service. This indicates that they have never opposed the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230814","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for the testimony of witnesses who did not appear in court.\nAlexei Bogatov opposes the disclosure of the testimony of FSB officer Ryabov and Interior Ministry officer Skorobogatov, who searched him. According to their testimonies, the seized items allegedly confirm his extremist activities, while the search report does not say anything of the kind. The court agrees with the position of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230809","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Fomashin, submits documents on the presence of his chronic diseases.\nProsecutor Andrei Nazarkin reads out the charges. The defendants express their attitude to the prosecution - they do not admit guilt.\nThe court rejects the request to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230728","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings on the case of five believers begin. To support the defendants, 80 people come to the courtroom, of whom 17 are allowed inside, mostly relatives.\nJudge Nikitinskaya leaves unsatisfied the defendants' petition to refuse lawyers by appointment.\nThe defense asks to change the measure of restraint for men - from a ban on certain actions to a written undertaking not to leave. Believers justify this by the need to care for relatives living in the Saratov region. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230721","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Balakovsky District Court of the Saratov Region. It will be considered by Natalia Nikitinskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230629","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Saratov releases believers from custody. Sergey Tyurin, Yevgeny Fomashin, Vladimir Mavrin, Andrey Murych and Alexei Bogatov spent 10 months in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe current measure of restraint is the prohibition of certain actions. Believers should not leave the city of Balakovo, send or receive postal and telegraph items, use communications and the Internet, as well as violate other restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20230123","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Five of the accused are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220407","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses Mavrin, Bogatova, Fomashin, Murych and Tyurin a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. They are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Saratov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220325","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Prydatko prosecutes believers as accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220324","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the evening in Balakovo, FSB officers, the National Guard and SOBR fighters conduct hours of searches that affect 14 Jehovah's Witnesses, including the elderly and disabled.\nAccording to the victims, the security forces generally behave politely. Some believers are offered to cooperate with the investigation.\nThe security forces claim that they are looking for \"weapons, drugs and prohibited literature.\" They seize electronic devices, personal records and postcards, and some have Bibles and religious books. Also, the phone was seized from a relative of believers who is not Jehovah's Witness.\nThe security forces come to the Murych family at 11 p.m. They also search the children's room, which is why the young child cannot sleep.\nAfter interrogations, which end after midnight, Aleksey Bogatov, Vladimir Mavrin, Yevgeniy Fomashin, Andrey Murych and Sergey Tyurin are sent to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220323","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzensky District Court of Saratov authorizes searches at 8 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses living in Balakovo.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220225","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Saratov region A. Prydatko initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons for organizing extremist activities and participating in them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2022-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20220211","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Saratov Expert Bureau carries out a psychological, linguistic and religious study of the conversations of believers from Balakovo at the request of the FSB Directorate for the Saratov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mavrin and Others in Balakovo","date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/balakovo/index.html#20210924","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2023, mass searches of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Vladivostok gave rise to a criminal case against 12 believers. One of them was Tatyana Maz — a little more than six months after the searches, the local investigative committee charged her with participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it. The case of the believer was brought into a separate proceeding in February 2025.","date":"2025-02-05","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok13/index.html","prisoners":["maz"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Maz in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case of Tatyana Maz is separated from the case of other believers in Vladivostok.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Maz in Vladivostok","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok13/index.html#20250205","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, the home of Vasiliy and Zoya Meleshko from the village of Kholmskaya was searched. A week earlier, the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in extremist activity. Law enforcement officers interrogated Vasiliy and photographed him against the background of the former building for worship and at home at his table to “record the crime scene”. In July 2021, Meleshko’s case was submitted to the district court. In just two sessions, Judge Mikhail Ostashevsky considered the case and sentenced the believer to 3 years in a penal colony. In October of the same year, the court of appeal upheld the verdict, and in December, Meleshko arrived at the penal colony to serve his sentence. In June 2022, the court of cassation upheld the decisions of the lower courts. In July 2024, the believer was released. After that, Meleshko was placed under administrative supervision, which significantly limited his freedom.","date":"2021-03-31","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html","prisoners":["meleshko"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"At the request of the correctional colony, judge Nadezhda Kuchukova imposed administrative supervision on Vasiliy Meleshko. In addition to the restrictions imposed earlier, the believer is forbidden to leave the Abinsk district without the permission of the internal affairs bodies. In addition, the man is obliged to come to the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs 4 times a month and cannot be outside the house from 22:00 to 6:00. These restrictions will be in effect for the next 3 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20240523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["release"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasiliy Meleshko was twice sent to the punishment cell, each time for 15 days. He is now serving his second term. In general, the believer feels alert, but feels a lack of physical activity and experiences shortness of breath.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20240402","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vasiliy Meleshko is in correctional colony No. 11 in the village of Akhtarsky, Krasnodar Territory. During the transfer, he caught a bad cold.\nUpon arrival at the colony, the believer is confined to a cell-type cell, a cell with a stricter regime of detention, where freedom of movement is significantly restricted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20240306","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasiliy Meleshko arrives at correctional colony No. 6, located in the village of Dvubratskoye (Krasnodar Territory).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20230831","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasiliy Meleshko is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony located in the village of Dvubratskoye, Krasnodar Territory, where he will continue to serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20230818","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vasily Meleshko was placed in a punishment cell for 15 days. SHIZO is a punishment cell on the territory of the colony, where the strictest conditions of detention are established. The existence of such penalties may prevent a prisoner from being released on parole or having his sentence commuted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20230804","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","torture-conditions","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer spends a week in the hospital. He manages to get timely help, he feels better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20230529","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasily feels good and is not discouraged. He still needs to see the dentist. The attitude of the cellmates and the administration is good. Phone calls to Vasily are not allowed. Once every two weeks, he receives letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20230505","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vasily in the colony. The believer appears cheerful, despite the fact that he is still kept in strict conditions. Meleshko says that after getting up, 30 prisoners are taken to a room where they sit all day on chairs placed along the wall and watch TV. For meals, they are transferred to the next room. Vasily does not complain about food. Due to the repair of the heating system, it is cold in the unit. Every day, prisoners are taken out for an hour and a half walk. The believer applied for his desire to work in the colony.\nMeleshko's relations with his cellmates and administration are good. Medications, in particular painkillers, are given to him at oral request - at times he experiences severe back pain.\nVasily says that when he was in the hospital in Tlyustenkhabl, he had an X-ray of his leg, not his collarbone, in which he had a knitting needle. The attending physician refused to perform the operation, citing the lack of a special device for the extraction of metal structures. Vasiliy received dental care, but he still needs the help of an orthopedic dentist.\nThe believer has a Bible. He receives correspondence with a delay and in parts. At the stage in the Belgorod pre-trial detention center, he received 200 letters at once, including from Venezuela. Meleshko has already had a long-term date with his wife and a short-term date with his son.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20221118","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasyl Meleshko is again placed in Penal Colony No. 11.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220908","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vasily Meleshko was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Krasnodar Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220905","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vasily Meleshko is undergoing a medical examination at the branch of the Regional Hospital No. 2 in the village. Tlustenhabl. This institution is located on the territory of IK-1 in the Republic of Adygea.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220724","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"61-year-old Vasiliy Meleshko has been held in the PKT (cell-type room) since June 2, 2022.\nVasily is worried about his state of health. In January, when he was in the medical unit, he was fed once a day for a week. Against this background, his pancreas became inflamed, and no treatment is provided in this regard. The necessary operation on the collarbone also did not take place.\nMeleshko has no conflicts with prisoners. The believer has a Bible, but the letters arrive with a great delay and, obviously, not all.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Krasnodar) rejects the cassation claims of Vasily Meleshko and approves the accusatory decisions of the lower courts. The believer remains in the colony for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220614","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vasily Meleshko, convicted for his faith, in the colony. The believer tries not to lose heart, despite his health problems: he may have an operation on his collarbone in the hospital of the Federal Penitentiary Service due to the exacerbation of an old injury.\nMeleshko has a Bible. He can call his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Disciplinary Commission of Correctional Colony No. 11 in the Krasnodar Territory issues two decisions on the placement of a believer in a punishment cell (SHIZO). The reasons for such a severe disciplinary sanction are currently unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20220112","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vasily Meleshko is in correctional colony No. 11 in the village of Akhtarsky, where he was taken to serve his sentence. Another Jehovah's Witness, Oleg Danilov, is being held in the same colony and was sentenced to a similar punishment for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-23T14:32:53+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211223","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information that Vasily Meleshko has been transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Belgorod region. The destination is unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appellate court dismissed Vasily Meleshko's appeal. The verdict of the first instance shall enter into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-07T15:27:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211007","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vasily Meleshko in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Belgorod region. Vasily feels fine, but has rapidly lost weight. His cellmates treat him and his beliefs with respect. Vasily receives letters from different countries with a slight delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20211002","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasily Meleshko leaves the Kursk pre-trial detention center No. 1 and goes to Belgorod.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-24T15:28:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210924","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasiliya Meleshko is leaving pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novorossiysk. He is moved to the place of serving his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210901","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory Mikhail Ostashevsky is considering a criminal case against Vasily Meleshko and sentences him to 3 years in a general regime colony for talking about the Bible. The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom and taken to the pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-08-11T15:23:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210811","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Mikhail Ostashevskiy asks the believer questions about whether he considers himself to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses and whether he took part in their activities, to which Meleshko replies in the affirmative. However, the accused does not admit that any crime has been committed, despite the advice of a lawyer to plead guilty. At the very first hearing in the case, the court reaches the stage of debate of the parties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory for consideration by Judge Mikhail Ostashevskiy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210726","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Abinsk district, I. V. Kosolapov, approves the indictment against Vasily Meleshko. It partially contains the results of a comprehensive psychological and religious examination dated May 31, 2021, according to which the content of the conversation between Vasily Meleshko and Alexander Ivshin, his co-religionist from Kholmskaya, can be attributed to \"religious topics, and in particular to the service of Jehovah God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210624","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"L. G. Galustyants, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Abinsk District of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, officially prosecutes Vasily Meleshko as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He is charged with participating in \"religiously teaching and preaching\" and of \"conducting and listening to lectures based on religious literature ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants, participated in collective discussions of religious books.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210412","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6:30 a.m., three armed men in special gear, four employees of the Investigative Committee and two witnesses come to Vasiliy and Zoya Meleshko to conduct a search. According to the 60-year-old believer, the security forces explain that \"all this is happening on the initiative of the Ministry of Justice from Moscow.\"\nA laptop, mobile phones, Bibles, personal savings are seized from the spouses, claiming that these are \"donations\", and notebooks, as well as an unsent letter to believers who are serving time for their beliefs, including Aleksandr Ivshin.\nVasiliy is brought for interrogation to the Investigative Committee of the city of Abinsk in a black car without license plates. After the interrogation, the security forces take two photographs of the believer: one against the background of the former building for religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the second at home at the table in order to \"film the crime scene.\"\nA written undertaking not to leave was taken from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Meleshko in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya6/index.html#20210407","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Menchikova, an architect from Cherkessk, came to the attention of law enforcement agencies in December 2019, when her house was searched for the first time. The criminal case was initiated in November 2020. The FSB accused the believer of participating in the activity of an extremist organization, and then also of involving others in it. According to the investigation, Yelena \u0026ldquo;developed a criminal plan\u0026rdquo; to discuss the Bible with others. In April 2021, the case went to court. Although Yelena has a disability, the prosecutor demanded that she be sent to prison for 5 years. In December 2021, the court gave Menchikova a 5-year suspended sentence and ordered her to pay all legal costs. The court of appeal released Yelena from these payments but left the sentence unchanged. In December 2022, the court of cassation returned the case to the court for a new trial. In January 2024, the court handed down a second guilty verdict – 4.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2020-11-03","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html","prisoners":["menchikova"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a imprisonment for 5 years in a penal colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year and 1 month for the believer.\nYelena Menchikova addresses the court with her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20240118","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial","punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Menchikova reads out her written notes. She says: \"I have not denied and do not deny the fact that I have been a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses for almost 30 years, but I have never had anything to do with extremism and its manifestations.\" She adds: \"Before I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I was taught the Bible, not the statutes and regulations of a legal entity. Having understood the Bible better, I was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses rather than as a member of the LRO. By baptism, I dedicated my life to God, not to serving or participating in a legal organization.\"\nAt the next meeting, the debate of the parties is scheduled.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230907","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Videos of the Bible discussion are being viewed, as well as a conversation between the defendant and her daughter at her home. The video recordings have poor sound quality. This concludes the study of physical evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230816","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to examine the material evidence seized from Menchikova during the search. Among them is a receipt for the purchase of a tablet, a drawing of a daughter 15 years ago. The defendant's conversation with Oncheva, who, on the instructions of the FSB, made a hidden audio recording, is also listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230803","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses who attended Jehovah's Witnesses' services before 2013 are being questioned, which is not included in the period imputed to Menchikova. According to her, they have never been to the building where the services were held, and they cannot give its address. The defendant draws attention to the fact that the prosecution witnesses say \"everything is written.\" The third witness is lost while answering the prosecutor's question if he knows anyone in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230720","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fyodor Sereda and Irina Khutova, who had already testified at the first hearing of the case, are being interrogated. Sereda again refutes his testimony given during the preliminary investigation.\nThe third prosecution witness, answering the judge's questions, is confused and says that he does not remember anything.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230705","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants Elena Menchikova's request for the admission of the public defender and allows him to participate in this session.\nWitnesses for the prosecution do not appear in court, so the prosecutor proposes to read out their written testimony given at the preliminary hearing. However, the defense insists on their personal presence.\nThe court examines the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230613","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Menchikova's case is submitted to the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic for a new trial. It will be conducted by judge Nauruz Shukurov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20230110","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Cassation in Pyatigorsk cancels the verdict and the appellate ruling and sends the believer's case for a new trial in a different composition of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2022-12-05T15:27:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20221205","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic releases Elena Menchikova from the obligation to pay court costs, but otherwise leaves the conviction unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20220215","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Circassian City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Din-Islam Chotchaev, finds Menchikova guilty and sentences her to 5 years of probation with payment of all legal costs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-16T17:39:49+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20211216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requests a sentence of 5 years in a penal colony for the believer.\nElena also speaks in the debate and with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20211214","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Fyodor Sereda is being questioned. He refutes his earlier testimony against Elena Menchikova. When asked by the prosecutor about Elena's collection of funds, Fyodor replies that \"no one walked around the hall with boxes, especially Menchikov.\"\nElena reminds the court of the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20211210","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness, Irina Khutova, is being questioned. She repeatedly says that she cannot remember the circumstances of her acquaintance with Elena. As a result, Khutova declares that she sees the defendant for the first time.\nThe prosecutor notes that there are inconsistencies between Khutova's testimony given during the preliminary investigation and at the current hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210824","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Menchikova expresses her attitude to the charge: \"Each faith has its own ways of expression: for some religions it is visiting temples, observing fasts, using the attributes of faith, and for the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses it is a joint discussion of the Bible with people, whether at home or on the street.\" The believer concludes: \"I am convinced that the reason for my being in the dock is an incorrect interpretation of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, and not an alleged crime committed by me.\"\nFour prosecution witnesses are being questioned, with whom the defendant is practically not personally acquainted. Three of them had previously been witnesses in the case of Albert Batchaev. No one provides clear answers to specific questions, for example, \"under what circumstances did you meet the accused?\", and witnesses cannot testify on the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210809","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Circassian City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic begins hearings on the merits. The case is being considered by Judge Din-Islam Chotchaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210609","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Menchikova's case is submitted to the Cherkessk City Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210430","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. A. Drakin expands the charge against Elena Menchikova. In addition to participating in an extremist organization, she is charged with involving a local woman in a banned organization (Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). To this end, according to the investigation, at the beginning of 2018, the believer \"developed a criminal plan,\" which consisted in conversations on biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210309","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. A. Drakin rejects Elena Menchikova's petition to terminate the criminal case, arguing that the believer explains her actions by quoting the Bible. According to the investigator, it is the use of biblical texts that confirms the criminal nature of Elena Menchikova's activities.\n\"Based on the content of the petition of the accused E.A. Menchikova, she asks to terminate the criminal case on the grounds provided for in paragraphs 1-2, part 1 of article 24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. At the same time, describing her actions, she justifies them based on religious teachings and excerpts from the Holy Scriptures, which reveal the objective side of the unlawful act she committed, \"the decision to refuse to dismiss the case says.\nAt the same time, an unlawful act, as follows from the documents of the criminal case, means that the believer discussed the Bible with the guests at home. The security forces consider this to be \"active participation\" in the legal entity liquidated by a court decision, although Yelena Menchikova has never been a member of it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20210210","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant V. A. Drakin, investigator of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, charges Yelena Menchikova with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2020-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20201113","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Menchikova is being searched again, which lasts 3 hours. The investigator informs the believer that a criminal case has been opened against her. Elena's drawings are seized from her. The investigator does not give the believer a copy of the order and the protocol of the search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2020-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20201112","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Captain of Justice R. N. Tazhikenov separates the materials of the criminal case of Elena Menchikova from the case of Albert Batchaev into a separate proceeding. The investigation sees illegal activity in the fact that the believer \"sang songs\" and \"prayed to Jehovah God.\"\nInvestigator Tazhikenov transfers the case materials against the believer and \"other persons who committed a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\" to the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee. Among the materials of the case are postcards with the inscription \"with love\"; \"We love you\"; \"Jehovah wants you to feel His love forever...\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20200915","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Cherkessk, the local FSB conducts 10 searches of Jehovah's Witnesses, including Elena Menchikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Menchikova in Cherkessk","date":"2019-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk2/index.html#20191216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2025, the Tambov Directorate of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Andrey Mikhailov. He learned about this when a series of searches were carried out in his house and the homes of other Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in March.","date":"2025-02-26","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov3/index.html","prisoners":["mikhaylov"],"regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mikhailov in Tambov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The criminal case against Andrey Mikhailov is received by the Tambov District Court of the Tambov Region. It will be considered by Judge Igor Bobrov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhailov in Tambov","date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov3/index.html#20260304","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Tambov Lyudmila Karelina gives permission to search the house of Andrey Mikhailov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhailov in Tambov","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov3/index.html#20250310","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Aleksey Bolotov, lieutenant of justice, opens a criminal case against 41-year-old Andrey Mikhailov. The investigation considers the discussion of the Bible with friends to be the organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhailov in Tambov","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov3/index.html#20250226","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2019 searches of the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Chelyabinsk changed the lives of dozens of believers. Among them is Irina Mikhaylenko, director of a law firm. The believer was a witness in the case of Valentina Suvorova, but in 2021 she was suspected of participating in extremist activity. Mikhaylenko\u0026rsquo;s house was searched again. The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region charged the believer with \u0026ldquo;directly participating and personally speaking in\u0026hellip; religious meetings\u0026rdquo; by singing songs and saying prayers. Mikhaylenko was also charged with attending an international convention of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in South Korea. In July 2022, the trial began. In April 2023, the court sentenced the believer to a fine of 120,000 rubles. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-08-31","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html","prisoners":["mikhaylenko"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Irina Mikhailenko makes her last word and asks the court to acquit her. The judge retires to the deliberation room for sentencing. The announcement is scheduled for April 25.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20230421","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to send Irina Mikhailenko to a general regime colony for 4 years, and then restrict her freedom for 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20230307","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, a defense witness, another former colleague of the defendant, is interrogated. She informs the court that she has never heard from Irina calls for any religious activity, refusals of medical care or extremist statements. On the contrary, women of two different faiths have been united by friendly ties since 1988. The witness says that in the 1990s, Mikhailenko gave her religious literature that \"contained quotations from the Bible and interpretation, stories about nature.\" However, she never encouraged her to change her religion or invited her to any religious meetings.\nThe defendant reads out her written notes. Irina says that the room where she is now being tried was previously her office. For many years she worked in the field of jurisprudence, communicating with colleagues with similar professional interests. However, this did not bring her satisfaction from life, she did not feel truly happy. And when Irina began to study the Bible, she gained valuable knowledge, which helped her improve her character and establish relationships with people.\nThe defendant reads excerpts from articles that tell about the times of Hitler's Germany. At that time, Jehovah's Witnesses were slandered and wanted to be destroyed. The defendant draws an analogy with the present criminal case and shows the absurdity of the accusations against her. Therefore, Irina considers criminal prosecution to be nothing more than persecution for faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20230213","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two defense witnesses. The first witness, co-founder of the law firm, has known Irina Mikhailenko since 1989. She gives her a positive characterization and notes that Irina always respects other people, she has many friends, excellent relationships with all relatives and colleagues. Everyone who knows Irina speaks of her as a simple kind woman who never called for a break in family relations or refusal of medical care.\nThe Witness says that many of her acquaintances are Jehovah's Witnesses, and none of them behaves arrogantly towards representatives of other religions, does not teach them or persuade them to study the Bible. She also never heard the defendant or other Jehovah's Witnesses acquaintances speak negatively about the authorities or try to persuade her or others to engage in extremist activities.\nThe witness also informs the court that she has not seen the defendant give anyone any religious literature for more than 8 years. She recalls that sometimes someone asked Irina to give them something to read, and she brought them magazines with stories about animals and nature, with stories about the lives of different people. In these magazines, according to the witness, there was \"absolutely nothing calling for extremism.\"\nThe second witness for the defense, a former colleague of Irina, gives the defendant an extremely positive characteristic: \"A good person, a very fair leader, never brushed off her subordinates, took care of them, helped at work. A caring mother, a good wife, a good housewife, her family priorities were and are in the first place, she pays great attention to her children, their upbringing, spiritual and physical development.\nThe witness notes that Irina has no bad habits, and during their long acquaintance she did not utter a single abusive word. The witness did not delve into what exactly Irina believed, but she knew that she did not celebrate some holidays. Also, the defendant never talked about the LRO, her position there or dignity.\nFurther, the witness tells a story from his personal life: a few years ago she had such a difficult relationship with her husband that they decided to divorce. When she told Irina about this, she advised her to save the 15-year marriage, and not destroy it, try to talk to her husband and resolve the conflict. Thanks to this, the woman was able to save the family, and she is very grateful to Mikhailenko for this.\nThe witness also says that Irina was the first person who strongly advised her to go to the doctors when she was diagnosed with serious health problems. Later, she was diagnosed with diabetes, and she was able to get qualified help in time.\nThere were no appeals for power from Irina. As the witness notes, \"Irina is generally out of politics.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20230201","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Approximately 20 people gather outside the courthouse to support the defendant. Some of them manage to attend the meeting as listeners.\nThe prosecutor reads out the case materials from volumes 10 to 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20230110","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness is being questioned in court. The man now lives in another region, so the interrogation takes place via video conferencing. He says he attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses long before 2017. The witness says that at the meetings the believers studied the Bible. He did not make monetary donations, recruit new members or call for the condemnation of other religions. After the announcement of his preliminary testimony for 2019, he clarifies that he was talking about Jehovah's Witnesses in general, and not about a specific religious group in Chelyabinsk. He refutes some testimonies. For example, he says that he did not donate money, although the protocol states the opposite.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20221227","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another neighbor of the defendant is summoned to court for questioning. According to him, before the arrival of law enforcement officers, he did not know that Mikhailenko professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He characterizes the defendant positively, he has never heard calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order or for the rupture of family relations from her. After the announcement of his preliminary testimony from 2019, he states that he could not provide such information, since he did not have it. He says that he could not read the interrogation protocol himself, the investigator read the text to him. The witness partially confirms the testimony from 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20221214","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another neighbor of the defendant is being questioned in court. She has known her since 1995 - when she moved into the house where Irina lives. The Witness says that until about 2018 she saw the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses in the mailbox, but never took it or read it. When asked by the defendant how the witness understood that these were the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, she says that this was evident from the fact that they were about God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20221128","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines prosecution witnesses. A neighbor of the defendant says that she did not see her offer any literature and that Mikhailenko did not communicate with her on religious topics. The witness did not hear any extremist statements from the defendant. Only \"a couple of times I saw her in the entrance with a woman and with a sweet roll in her hands.\" In general, she characterizes Irina Mikhailenko positively. After the prosecutor read out her preliminary testimony, the woman reports that she did not give such testimony, she signed some pages without reading, and some are not her signature.\nAn operative is being interrogated, who says that the defendant provided her apartment for meetings with fellow believers and reading the Bible. Although the preliminary testimony of the witness was detailed, now he cannot answer most of the questions, citing a poor memory.\nThe judge and prosecutor deny the next witness the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones, after which he says that he attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, where video recordings of reports on spiritual topics were played. He saw the defendant at the meetings, but does not remember when it happened.\nThe fourth prosecution witness is being questioned via videoconference. She says that she attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses twice and saw the defendant at them. The woman says that she has never heard from Irina calls for breaking off family relations or undermining the constitutional order and security of the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20221117","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Mikhailenko's case is submitted to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of the city of Chelyabinsk. It will be considered by judge Lyudmila Blagodyr.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20220729","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of Vadim Gizatulin and Olga Zhelavskaya was separated from the case of Mikhailenko into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20220713","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Oleksandr Chepenko prosecutes Irina Mikhailenko as accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, the believer is guilty of \"directly participating and personally speaking in those convened and organized by V.N. Suvorov. religious meetings.\" One of the \"proofs\" of her guilt is the fact that she and other believers who gathered in her house for joint prayer and Bible reading, \"had signs of cohesion, unity of purpose,\" \"common interests and goals.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20220615","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialists conducting additional comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious expertise admit that in the materials received from meetings of believers, \"no signs of incitement of enmity, hatred (discord) towards a group of persons distinguished on the basis of gender, race, nationality, language, origin, attitude to religion, membership in any social group were found.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20220428","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator prosecutes Mikhailenko and Gizatulin as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\nAmong other things, Mikhailenko is accused of attending an international religious congress in South Korea in 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20211027","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Mikhailenko's home is searched, after which the security forces take the believer with her husband and son away for interrogation by the Investigative Committee. Earlier, in March 2019, this family had already been searched as part of a criminal case against Valentina Suvorova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20211022","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Zhelavskaya is in the hospital after COVID-19 and a stroke. On this day, searches are carried out in the homes of Vadim Gizatulin and Irina Mikhailenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20211022","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the results of the review of the materials, investigator Chepenko initiates a separate criminal case against Mikhailenko, Gizatulin and Zhelavskaya.\nThe decision to initiate the case states, among other things, that the believers \"acted from religious motives\" and participated in \"collective worship, consisting in successive performances of songs ... and praying to Jehovah God, studying and discussing articles and religious texts.\"\nThe guilt of Irina Mikhailenko and Olga Zhelavskaya, according to the investigation, also lies in the fact that they received fellow believers at home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20210831","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, who initiated almost all cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in the region, separates materials from the case of Pavel Popov regarding Irina Mikhailenko, Vadim Gizatulin and Olga Zhelavskaya into separate proceedings.\nThe believers are suspected of \"deliberately participating in the activities of a banned local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses ... in the form of participation in religious meetings ... and also carried out preaching work among the inhabitants of Chelyabinsk and the Chelyabinsk region.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mikhaylenko in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk6/index.html#20210811","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Zinaida Minenko from Zheleznovodsk, who has a severe visual impairment. It was based on the pensioner\u0026rsquo;s conversations about the Bible with three people. The Investigative Committee regarded these conversations as participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Minenko\u0026rsquo;s apartment was searched, and the next day she was taken for a 4-hour interrogation. Later, the charge was reclassified from participating to involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. In early March 2022, the believer was charged and placed under a recognizance agreement. Soon after, Minenko\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. A witness for the prosecution told the court that she came to Zinaida on her own initiative to discuss the Bible; \u0026ldquo;they did nothing illegal.\u0026rdquo; In October 2023, the believer was sentenced to a fine of 330,000 rubles.","date":"2021-11-25","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html","prisoners":["minenko"],"regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for 83-year-old Zinaida Minenko a sentence of 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year.\nAbout 55 people gather outside the courthouse, 10 of them are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20231004","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability","punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20230911","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["elderly","disability","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Meetings shall resume after a two-month hiatus. The court examines material evidence - audio recordings of conversations between Zinaida Minenko and people on the topics: \"Who is God?\", \"How to get to know God?\", \"What is his name?\", \"What does the name of God mean, Jehovah?\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20230726","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of 15 sessions, the court examines the case materials: audio recordings, a protocol of inspection of items seized during the search, acts of examination of CDs and the conclusion of specialists.\nZinaida Minenko describes her attitude to the difficulties associated with the need to appear regularly in court as follows: \"I feel how God supports me and helps me to endure everything.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20230301","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials from the 5th volume (indictment) continues. During the announcement, the judge interrupts the prosecutor. He wonders what conversations on everyday topics have to do with the accusation. The judge asks the prosecutor to read out the materials selectively, without touching on \"conversations on communal issues,\" since, according to him, the third meeting \"hears only about this.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2023-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20230209","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acquaintance with the case materials is underway. From 15 to 60 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believer, but only five to ten listeners are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20221223","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Outside the courthouse there are about 50 people who came to support Zinaida Minenko, but the judge allows only five to pass.\nThe assistant prosecutor shall read out the inspection report. In the process of reading, he voices the name of God incorrectly, and the defense clarifies what is correct - Jacob. The state prosecutor is being corrected. At the end of the meeting, Zinaida shakes his hand as a token of gratitude for his respect for the feelings of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20221110","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\nA secret witness under the pseudonym Pyotr Petrov is interrogated. He informs the court that Zinaida Minenko told him about the Bible teachings followed by Jehovah's Witnesses, interpreting this as an offer to join a religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20221006","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Elena Romanova is being interrogated. She says that she herself came to the defendant for Bible studies. The woman admits that Zinaida never encouraged her to hate, but, on the contrary, taught her to treat other people with love.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220920","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the examination of prosecution witnesses. The first witness says that she is friends with Zinaida and is interested in the Bible. She says that on her own initiative she came to the believer to discuss the Bible. The woman is sure that Minenko did not commit anything illegal.\nThree other witnesses say they learned in 2007 that Zinaida was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. They state that all other testimonies during the investigation were given on the basis of rumors and assumptions. At the same time, witnesses admit that Minenko did not impose anything on them and did not offer religious literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220808","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. After that, Zinaida Minenko speaks with an attitude to the charges. She does not admit guilt and declares that she did not commit illegal acts, is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and adheres to Bible teachings, which she talked about with people. She also recalls that the right to share her beliefs is guaranteed to her by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nDue to the defendant's hearing problems, the judge asks the prosecutor to speak louder, to which he and other participants in the process react with understanding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220729","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220620","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"45 people come to the courthouse to support the believer. The preliminary hearing is held behind closed doors. The court grants the request for the admission of a public defender. The defense also requests that the case be returned to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220526","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Zheleznovodsk City Court. It will be considered by Stanislav Bobrovsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220331","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor approves the indictment.\nAs evidence of Zinaida Minenko's guilt, the investigation points to recordings of conversations and worship services made during operational-search activities.\nThe case involves at least two secret witnesses (\"Elena Romanova\", \"Pyotr Petrov\"), with whom the believer shared her knowledge of the Bible. Witnesses for the prosecution describe the believer as a calm, polite and cultured woman.\nAn examination carried out at the North Caucasus Federal University was also attached to the case. Experts conclude that the recordings of the ORM depict divine services and personal conversations about the Bible. At the same time, experts interpret these discussions as \"studying the basics of the religion of the LRO \"Jehovah's Witnesses\"\", thereby substituting legal and religious concepts.\nThe investigator does not consider either the believer's disability or her advanced age to be mitigating circumstances.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220329","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["studies-violations","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator charges Zinaida Minenko with committing a crime under part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A recognizance not to leave and proper behavior is taken from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220305","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator acquits the believer of the charge under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Criminal prosecution continues on charges of involvement in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20220228","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zinaida Minenko is charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful practice of religion. The criminal case is based on the testimony of two women and a man with whom Zinaida discussed Bible teachings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20211207","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Gogolin conducts an interrogation of Zinaida Minenko, which lasts 4 hours. The believer declares her desire to use Article 51 of the Constitution and not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20211127","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Zheleznovodsk, searches are being carried out at eight addresses, including Zinaida Minenko. The security forces confiscate religious literature, media, electronic devices, documents, as well as jewelry and savings belonging to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20211126","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Gogolin, senior investigator of the Pyatigorsk Investigation Department of the Stavropol Territory Investigative Committee, is initiating a criminal case against 81-year-old Zinaida Minenko. According to the investigator, the believer, \"acting deliberately, together with persons unidentified by the investigation, on a date and time not established by the investigation ... took part in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Zheleznovodsk... through interviews to promote its activities, recruit new members, and participate directly in the organization's activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minenko in Zheleznovodsk","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zheleznovodsk/index.html#20211125","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Minsafin became a defendant in a criminal case in July 2021, when he was suspected of participating in an extremist organization. After the search, Minsafin was detained and taken to a temporary detention facility but soon released. In March 2023, the case against him was dropped. However, in July 2025, the criminal prosecution resumed — the believer was charged and placed under a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in August 2025. After 4 months the proceedings were completed and the believer fined.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html","prisoners":["minsafin2"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"My life is full of meaning, which I would wish for everyone\" — Valeriy Minsafin makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20260120","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for Valeriy Minsafin — a 4-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period, as well as deprivation of the right to carry out religious activities for a period of 5 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20260115","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Minsafin testifies and explains why his actions cannot be considered criminal. He emphasizes: \"Neither the court nor the defense has been presented with a single fact or evidence of the mass distribution of extremist materials by me ... In addition, during the search of my home, no extremist materials were found that would be stored for mass distribution.\" He also quotes one of the excerpts from the transcript of the meetings for worship imputed to him: \"When we\nWe respect those who are endowed with power and family, in the assembly, in the state, it is good for everyone. If we understand why Jehovah wants us to respect others, it will help us to be obedient.\"\nOn the essence of the charges, the defendant also explains: \"It is well known that preference for one's own faith, the perception of it as unique and correct, is the basis of almost any religion, as well as the assessment of other beliefs as 'wrong', 'not leading to salvation,' and so on.\" He adds: \"Yes, I consider my faith to be true, but this does not mean that I consider people who profess other views to be inferior to me.\"\n25 people come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20251211","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to listen to fragments of meetings for worship presented by the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2025-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20251121","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Minsafin's case is submitted to the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region. It will be considered by Judge Sergey Lushnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2025-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20250816","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Minsafin is placed under a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2025-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20250724","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It has become known that a criminal case against Valeriy Minsafin has been initiated. Investigator S. Grachev charges him with participating in the activity of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20250716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Valery Minsafin has been dismissed. He was cleared of charges. The investigation into the case of Anatoly Isakov continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20230327","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the case against Anatoly Isakov, materials against Valery Minsafin and unidentified persons are singled out — the Investigative Committee sees in them signs of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20230324","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Nikolay Astapov decides to release Valeriy Minsafin from custody due to the lack of grounds for further restriction of his freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The house of the Minsafin family is searched. Opening the door, Valeriy sees 10 people. The security forces consistently search each room, as well as the basement, bathhouse, summer kitchen, car and land. They confiscate electronic devices, bank cards, flash drives, a printer, Bibles in various translations, a Bible game, an encyclopedia, and personal records.\nFrom stress, the couple Valeriy's blood pressure rises. The security forces allow Valeriy to eat and pack his things. After that, he is taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation and sent to the temporary detention facility in Kurgan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation","new-case","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 56-year-old Anatoly Isakov, as well as under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 49-year-old Valery Minsafin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Minsafin in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan6/index.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2019-12-23","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk2/index.html","prisoners":["mironchik"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Mironchik in Murmansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The case against Igor Mironchik is separated from the case of another believer in Murmansk.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Mironchik in Murmansk","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/murmansk2/index.html#20201221","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2024, searches were carried out in the Moscow Region. A criminal case was initiated against Galina Inkina, an elderly resident from Zaprudnya, as well as Dmitriy Mladov. He learned about the prosecution while in Novorossiysk: he was interrogated by local law enforcement officers, then taken to the Moscow Region, where the court placed him in a pretrial detention center. Dmitriy spent 1 year behind bars, after which he was released under a ban on certain actions — the same preventive measure that was originally imposed on Inkina. The case went to court in January 2026.","date":"2024-12-19","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html","prisoners":["inkina","mladov"],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yulia Mladova, Dmitriy's wife, is being questioned in court. She talks about her husband's health problems and how he has recently taken care of their elderly parents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20260310","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Taldomsky District Court of the Moscow Region. It will be considered by Judge Sergey Mukhortov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20260126","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the preventive measure for Dmitriy Mladov. Now he is at the place of registration and is under a ban of certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20251224","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Sergey Mukhortov lifts some of the restrictions from 72-year-old Galina Inkina - to leave the house after 22:00 and attend public events. She is still prohibited from communicating with witnesses and suspects in the case, as well as using communications and the Internet.\nSince wearing a tracking bracelet is not required to comply with the current restrictions, it is expected that the Federal Penitentiary Service will remove it in the near future.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20251217","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["ankle-tag","prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Mladov is in pre-trial detention center No. 11 in the city of Noginsk. After passing quarantine, he was transferred to a double cell. The believer regularly receives letters, he has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250517","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court leaves Dmitri Mladov in custody. This decision is made despite the fact that the defense provides positive characteristics of the believer, documents on the presence of a widowed retired mother on his dependents, as well as certificates about Mladov's chronic illnesses.\nThe defense points out that the investigation arbitrarily interpreted the words of Galina Inkina. She said during interrogation that Mladov came to her, talked about the Bible and helped with the housework, but the investigation interpreted this statement as follows: the man \"committed a crime that fits under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\"\nThe lawyer emphasizes that the proceedings are slow, the suspect has not been detained or charged for several years. According to the lawyer, this has nothing to do with the \"degree of danger to the suspect's society\", which the investigator focuses on when seeking an extension of the custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250414","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow Regional Court, having spent less than a minute in the deliberation room, leaves Dmitriy Mladov under arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20250303","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Taldomsky District Court of the Moscow Region Sergey Mukhortov chooses a measure of restraint for Dmitry Mladov in the form of detention. The believer is taken to the pre-trial detention center in the city of Sergiev Posad.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20241225","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Not far from Novorossiysk, traffic police officers stop a car in which Dmitry Mladov is traveling with his wife. They are taken to the anti-extremism department for interrogation. The man is searched and sent to a temporary detention facility in the city of Taldoma (Moscow region), 1,600 km from Novorossiysk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20241223","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["ivs","search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Egorov requests a measure of restraint for Galina Inkina in the form of house arrest. But since she is a pensioner, suffers from a number of chronic diseases that require constant medical examination, and lives alone in a one-room apartment, the judge of the Taldom District Court, Sergey Mukhortov, imposes a ban on certain actions on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20241220","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out at the homes of four families in Dubna and the nearby village of Zaprudne. At least five people were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee in the city of Dmitrov and soon released.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Mladov and Inkina in Dubna","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dubna/index.html#20241219","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","282.2-2","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2020, law enforcement officers conducted searches of the homes of residents of Gukovo. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksey Dyadkin, Vladimir Popov, Yevgeniy Razumov, Aleksey Gorely, Nikita Moiseyev, and Oleg Shidlovskiy. The peaceful believers were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Since August 2020, they were held in a pretrial detention center. It later became known that they were under surveillance by an undercover FSB agent. In November 2021, the case went to court. Religious scholars confirmed that the men were tried solely for peaceful religious actions. In September 2022, the court sentenced Gorely and Shidlovskiy to 6.5 years, and the other believers to 7 years in a general regime penal colony. The court of appeal and the court of cassation upheld this decision. In November 2025, Shidlovskiy and Gorely were released; in May 2026, Moiseyev, Razumov, and Popov; and in June 2026, Aleksey Dyadkin.","date":"2020-08-07","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html","prisoners":["dyadkin","goreliy","moiseyev","popovvla","razumov","shidlovskiy"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir Popov received his long-awaited dental treatment.\nRecently he had an extended visit from his wife. The rooms designated for such meetings are clean, there are all amenities: a large shared kitchen, shower facilties, hot and cold water, several toilets. Smoking is prohibited everywhere.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20260401","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The penal colony, where Yevgeniy Razumov, Vladimir Popov and Nikita Moiseyev are serving their sentences, has been renovated and now it is quite clean and warm. The believers still receive letters very rarely.\nRazumov has made significant progress in learning English. He works in electroplating, using electricity to coat parts with a layer of metal.\nPopov is respected by other prisoners because of his age and ability to find common ground with them. The believer is looking forward to an extended visit from his wife, which is due in March. Besides problems with his back and joints, Vladimir also suffers from periodic changes to his blood pressure and dizziness.\nIn recent months, Moiseyev has been working in the penal colony store. He has received several awards. The administration treats him appropriately.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20260129","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On fabricated violations, Aleksey Dyadkin spent 3 days in a punishment cell. He experiences sporadic back pain, for which he is given injections. Also, the believer again needs to see a dentist. In November, he had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20251214","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is information that Aleksey Dyadkin was transferred to strict conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20251002","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dyadkin receives letters of support from different parts of the world. One day a prisoner asked if he had letters from Norway, a country he had dreamed of visiting all his life. To his surprise, Aleksey showed him several letters and postcards that he had received from there.\nThe believer stays in good physical shape — in his free time, he goes to the gym and plays football.\nIn early August, his wife came to Aleksey for an extended visit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250919","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Razumov had another long meeting with his wife Natalia. She worries about his physical condition, but she is reassured that her husband can be given the necessary medications and vitamins. Living conditions in the building where Yevgeniy is being held are still difficult. In addition, the believer never receives letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250811","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Shidlovsky's eyesight continues to deteriorate and he still needs surgery. According to the ophthalmologist, it is impossible to carry out the the necessary procedure in the penal colony. The believer receives medication regularly.\nLetters to Shidlovsky have not been handed over for 6 months. He does not have a personal copy of the Bible, so the believer reads it in the library of the penal colony. Despite the difficulties, Oleg does not lose optimism and keeps in touch with his family. Recently, he had a 3-day visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250731","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Colony No. 3 for the Ulyanovsk Region, the situation with receiving letters is deteriorating: they are not given to Vladimir Popov, Aleksey Goreliy, Oleg Shidlovskiy, Yevgeniy Razumov, Nikita Moiseyev.\nThe prisoners continue working. Vladimir experiences pain in his joints and back. Aleksey also had health problems. Oleg recently underwent treatment in the hospital. Yevgeniy had an extended visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-06-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250612","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of detention of Nikita Moiseev are normal: he has a warm bed; They are fed in the colony regularly. Nikita works. He strengthens his physical health with the help of exercises.\nMoiseyev is respected by other prisoners. He is also in good standing with the administration of the colony.\nNikita is regularly visited by relatives and friends, which gives him a lot of joy. He receives few letters - 3-4 per month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250412","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dyadkin began to receive letters more often, including from other countries, but in general, they do not receive much.\nThe administration and prisoners treat Aleksey well. He is kept in a barracks for 30 people with 13 men with whom he works. He is still engaged in the decoration of buildings and has earned a reputation as a conscientious worker. Dyadkin developed respectful relations with the members of the brigade.\nFrom time to time, the administration of the colony allows the believer to visit his wife for a long time. He also receives parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250411","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the large building where Yevgeniy Razumov is held, there are about 100 prisoners. It is damp there, there is no hot water from time to time. The believer washes clothes and bed linen by hand, as the laundry is closed.\nIn August 2024, Yevgeniy was placed in a punishment cell for 5 days. There was another prisoner with him. By 5 a.m., they had to remove the beds attached to the wall. For most of the day, they stood or walked around the cell, alternately sitting on a single chair.\nRazumov has health problems. He is given the necessary medicines, but the man needs a consultation in the medical unit of the colony. He also worries about his wife, whose health has deteriorated. It is difficult for her to get to the colony to see her husband, as she has to travel about 1200 km one way. Nevertheless, the believer tries to keep his spirits up and see the positive even in difficult life circumstances. He is happy to have the opportunity to see his wife on long-term dates.\nThe attitude of the colony administration and other prisoners towards Razumov is positive. He has a Bible, but he rarely receives letters of support—an average of two letters in three months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2025-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20250119","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Dyadkin was transferred to a new unit. About 20 other people are kept there with him, with whom the believer works in the same brigade. On the eve of the translation, the believer had a long meeting with his wife, which coincided with their wedding anniversary. On the last day of the visit, the couple received an unexpected gift - the prisoners handed them a large bouquet of flowers with words of congratulations.\nThe believer is grateful to his wife for the programs that she regularly makes, despite the difficulties: she has to come to the colony at 4 a.m. and wait for the window to open to receive the parcels.\nLately, Aleksey has been receiving less correspondence than before. Recently, he received several letters of support from one of the Russian public organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2024-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20241013","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Moiseev, Gorely, Shidlovsky, Razumov and Popov continue to work in the sewing workshop. Vladimir now works as an adjuster of sewing equipment. Aleksey also helps in the library.\nLiving conditions in the colony where believers are held are satisfactory. They have good relations with the administration and other prisoners.\nOleg Shidlovskiy continues to experience health problems - he has already lost sight in one eye. Vladimir Popov needs the help of a dentist.\nMen have some difficulties receiving parcels, as well as letters - an average of five per person per month are handed over.\nBelievers try to maintain a positive attitude. They have the opportunity to call their relatives. Nikita and Yevgeniy are studying English.\nA year ago, Yevgeniy Razumov was sent to a punishment cell for 7 days, later this penalty was lifted due to encouragement for conscientious work. Nikita Moiseev also has similar incentives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20240924","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers receive the necessary medicines. This allows them to maintain their health. Previously, they managed to undergo dental treatment.\nOleg Shidlovsky's eyesight continues to deteriorate, he hopes to get advice from an ophthalmologist.\nAll believers have the opportunity to read the Bible. They receive letters of support and can call their relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20240418","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dyadkin is being held in a residential area along with 11 other prisoners. No one smokes in the barracks.\nThe believer goes in for sports, tries to maintain his health. He actively participates in the life of the colony - he took two first places in competitions in kettlebell lifting and Russian bench press, received two certificates of honor.\nDyadkin is engaged in the interior decoration of buildings and receives a salary, so he can eat in a paid dining room. He has good relations with the administration and other prisoners.\nThe believer regularly receives parcels from his wife. As an encouragement, the administration provides him with long visits with his wife.\nAleksey regularly receives letters of support. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2024-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20240204","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","incentive","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Gorely, Vladimir Popov, Yevgeny Razumov and Oleg Shidlovsky continue to work in the sewing workshop of the colony, where everyone has their own duties. Vladimir works as a packer, Alexei sews on a sewing machine, and Nikita and Evgeniy cut the fabric.\nOleg Shidlovsky complains of pressure surges, and the medicines he receives from the medical unit are not always effective. Because of this, his eyesight decreases - one eye practically does not see. He needs special drugs and surgery. Vladimir Popov also suffers from hypertension. Alexei Gorely also needs treatment.\nYevgeny Razumov is worried about his wife, who has poor health. It is difficult for her to walk, because of this great effort it is worth coming on dates.\nAll believers have the opportunity to read the Bible. Letters from different cities and countries are also a great support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20231129","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Dyadkin is serving a sentence in a penal colony. The barracks where he is kept are clean and quiet. Alexei does not complain about his health, he regularly goes in for sports.\nThe believer works in a team for the repair of premises. According to him, the head of the colony often praises him for his work. Other employees of the colony also treat Alexei well because before him there was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, Andrei Andreev, who has proven himself well.\nIn April, Aleksey had his first long-term date with his wife. He shared his feelings: \"When we hugged, we stood like that for a long time and could not believe that we were hugging each other. I haven't touched Vitalina in about three years.\" Now Alexei already has two incentives, which gives him the opportunity for an extraordinary short-term meeting with his wife.\nThe believer receives many letters, so he does not always have time to answer them, but he is very grateful for the support. Alexey says that from the letters he likes to learn about various scientific facts, cars, technology and history of the Lipetsk region.\nOn the territory of the colony there is a large library where Alexei takes and reads literature about construction. He also plans to take part in the competition, which is held by Zonatelecom, on the topic \"The book that influenced my life.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-06-26T16:25:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20230626","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Moiseev, Alexei Gorely, Vladimir Popov, Evgeny Razumov and Oleg Shidlovsky are divided into different squads. They all work in the sewing industry from 8:00 to 20:00 with short breaks during the day.\nBelievers endure the difficulties associated with the conditions of stay in the colony: there is often no water, in one of the barracks for 80 people there are long queues for the toilet and bathroom. Shidlovsky, Popov, Moiseev and Gorely need medical examination and treatment.\nThe attitude towards believers on the part of the prisoners and the administration is good, since Konstantin Bazhenov, who served his sentence for his faith in this colony, had a good reputation as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20230511","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","incentive"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Dyadkin arrived at the Correctional Colony No. 2 in Lipetsk to serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20230309","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Moiseev, Popov, Shidlovsky, Gorely and Razumov arrive at Correctional Colony No. 3 in the Ulyanovsk Region, where Vilen and Arsen Avanesov are already serving their sentences. The believers were placed in quarantine for two weeks.\nAleksey Dyadkin is in the process of being transferred to a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20230223","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that convicted believers continue to be kept in overcrowded cells, everyone has their own bed. According to them, the conditions of detention are relatively good, but they all suffer from the fact that there is a lot of smoking in the cells. According to Alexei Gorely, they take you for a walk only 2 times a week.\nVladimir Popov says that at night the cell is very noisy, which is why he does not get enough sleep. As a result, his blood pressure rises. The doctor in the medical unit gave Vladimir sleeping pills. The rest of the believers are doing well.\nFor more than a month and a half, they were not given letters of support, but then they were given out immediately in large numbers: Alexei Gorely - 150, Oleg Shidlovsky - 80, Nikita Moiseev - 70. As believers say, their cellmates also like to read these letters, sometimes they even help to answer them.\nAlexei Gorely says that one of his cellmates treated him badly. However, the believer treated him kindly and shared food. This impressed the prisoner, and now he and Alexei have a good relationship.\nOne of the employees of the pre-trial detention center, observing the believers, every time he says: \"What are you being judged for? What are you sitting for? I don't understand.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2023-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20230112","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Gukovsky City Court of the Rostov Region, all six defendants give their last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-09-12T00:51:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220912","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of the defendants are present at the hearing, with the exception of Vladimir Popov's wife, who is absent due to illness.\nIn the debate, the prosecutor asks the court to appoint Moiseyev, Shidlovsky, Popov, Dyadkin and Razumov to 8 years each, and Gorely to 7.5 years in prison in a colony. In addition, for all defendants, the state prosecutor requests 1 year of restriction of freedom and a seven-year ban on participation in public associations\nThe defense draws attention to the absence of corpus delicti and the event of the crime. The lawyers emphasize that the defendants had no motive to commit a crime, and there are no victims in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220804","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court considers the defendants' complaints about the extension of the measure of restraint and leaves the decision of the lower court in force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220720","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Popov, Aleksey Dyadkin, Nikita Moiseyev, Yevgeniy Razumov, Aleksey Gorely and Oleg Shidlovsky in the pre-trial detention center. According to him, all the prisoners feel satisfied, they have Bibles. Prisoners are taken out for walks.\nBelievers are worried about their relatives who remained at large. Oleg Shidlovsky's father is dying, and the believer is worried about whether he will be able to say goodbye to him. The wife of Yevgeniy Razumov is a disabled person of group II, she is not able to work. Eugene worries that his wife is left alone and he cannot help her.\nNevertheless, believers are not discouraged. They have good relations with the administration, their cellmates respect them.\nThe conditions of detention are different for everyone. Two more were placed in Alexei Dyadkin's cell. Now there are 16 people for 12 beds, so he is forced to sleep on a net stretched between two beds. Together with Nikita Moiseev, 14 people are kept, and there are only 7 beds, so the prisoners sleep in turns - Nikita rests at night. Yevgeny Razumov's cell, designed for seven, contains 12 people. Oleg Shidlovsky has his own bed, despite the fact that there are almost twice as many people in the room as there are beds.\nNikita Moiseev says that he and other believers are transported in a paddy wagon measuring 1.7 by 2 meters, in which twelve people are put instead of the prescribed eight. It happens that the car stands for a long time in front of the entrance to the pre-trial detention center - once the waiting time was seven hours.\nBelievers are supported by letters from family and friends. For example, Oleg Shidlovsky has already received 6609 letters - not only from Russia, but also from other countries, such as the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovenia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220707","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects all the motions filed at the previous hearing.\nThe issue of extending the measure of restraint for the defendants is being considered. The defense provides positive characteristics of the defendants, as well as a number of significant arguments, including the text of the speech of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Lebedev (in which he called on judges to use preventive measures alternative to detention more often). Despite this, Judge Natalia Batura once again extends the measure of restraint for three months, until 01.11.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220701","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","torture-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file motions: for the appointment of a second religious examination, for the recognition of some case materials as inadmissible evidence, for the termination of the criminal case and the admission of evidence substantiating this petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220624","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Shidlovsky, Nikita Moiseev and Yevgeny Razumov testify, after which they are interrogated by the judge and the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220617","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Popov partially voices his testimony, after which the court attaches his written notes to the case file. Alexei Dyadkin also testifies, after which the prosecutor interrogates him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220610","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses from the defense are being questioned. One of them, the former leader of Alexei Gorely, positively characterizes the believer.\nThe lawyer reads out materials from the 39th volume of the case, containing religious expertise, as well as statements by the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin and the decisions of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220603","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko testifies. He explains that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does not prohibit the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. He also comments on the videos of worship services, explaining the difference between the activities of legal entities and the confession of faith by individual believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220520","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to watch videos of the services. The defense emphasizes that they do not contain extremist statements or calls for the overthrow of the state system.\nThe registration documents of the local legal entity (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses are being examined. The defense draws attention to the fact that before the liquidation of the LRO, its meetings were held once a year, while divine services, the recording of which was provided to the court, were held twice a week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220513","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint for the defendants for three months, until August 1, 2022. The believers intend to appeal this decision to the Rostov Regional Court.\nOleg Shidlovsky becomes ill, in connection with which the court takes a break.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220426","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the 6 hours of the court session, the court watches three discs with video recordings of worship services. The defense draws attention to the fact that the meetings are religious in nature and have nothing to do with the meetings of a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220422","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksey Dyadkin and Vladimir Popov in the pre-trial detention center.\nPopov feels fine, he would like to move more. The believer has a separate bed. Relations with cellmates are good: he is respected, he is kindly called Uncle Vova. Vladimir has a Bible, which he borrowed from the library. He reads a lot, and it helps him not to lose heart.\nIn the cell where Dyadkin is kept, there are 14 people for 12 beds, so Alexei and his cellmate are forced to sleep either in turns or with a jack. The believer receives many letters, but he is not given visits with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220314","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, transcripts of divine services are read out within 4.5 hours, at which they discussed how to tactfully and respectfully communicate with representatives of other religions, how to show love for others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220222","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Petrov\" is being interrogated. The defence notes that he is repeating memorized wording from the testimony given during the interrogation. Due to the contradictions in his statements, the court listens to an audio recording of his testimony given during the investigation. After an hour of listening, the witness declares that the disc allegedly recorded not his voice, but whose - he does not know.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of the defendants are allowed into the courtroom.\nSergey Astapov, Doctor of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies of the Institute of Philosophy and Socio-Political Sciences (Southern Federal University), is being interrogated. He explains that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation banned only the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, and their worship services are not prohibited. He characterizes the activities of adherents of this religion positively. He also confirms that citizens of the Russian Federation have the right to refuse blood transfusions, and that the creed of many religions contains the idea of their own exclusivity.\nAlexei Dyadkin petitioned for a meeting with his wife, but the judge refused. Natalia Batura refers to Article 395 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation (Granting relatives a meeting with a convicted person), despite the fact that Dyadkin is in the status of a defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220128","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of the defendants are allowed to communicate with their husbands in the corridor, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.\nAlla Shadrina, a researcher at the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, is being interrogated. She claims to be a long-time religious scholar, but her testimony reveals a lack of knowledge of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, she claims that Jehovah's Witnesses have never been registered in Russia, and she has never heard of the rehabilitation of believers in 1996.\nNevertheless, Shadrina recognizes that everyone has a state-guaranteed right to choose treatment, in particular to refuse blood transfusions. The witness also states that many religions believe in their exclusivity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220121","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym \"Tolstoy\" is interrogated. The court grants his request for declassification. Believers recognize him as a former co-religionist. He does not provide information on the merits of the case, expresses a negative attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses, and answers questions from the defense evasively.\nFriends of the defendants, as always, meet and accompany the paddy wagon with them with applause.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20220114","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings continue in the Gukovsky District Court. A married couple is being questioned as witnesses for the prosecution. They inform the court that they have previously attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. Those present sang songs, prayed, meetings were exclusively religious in nature. At worship services, there were never calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order, violence or hostility on religious grounds, but, on the contrary, were encouraged to show respect for people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211224","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court rejects the defendants' appeal against the decision to detain them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211220","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of the defendants and other listeners are not allowed to attend the hearing.\nA secret witness of \"Moses\" is interrogated. He gives contradictory testimony that does not coincide with his explanations in the case file. However, he confirms that he never heard from the defendants calls for the overthrow of the government and the constitutional order, and the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses consisted of peaceful chants, prayers and biblical discussions, and they \"dealt with spiritual issues.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211210","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\nFSB officer I. A. Mikhailov talks about the operational activities carried out, during which the security forces gained access to telephone conversations and video calls of believers. The witness is confused in the testimony, distorts the facts, his words contradict the information that he provided earlier. Mikhailov cannot provide the court with evidence of the defendants' distribution of extremist literature and calls for extremist activity at worship services.\nThe next to be interrogated is an employee of the Federal Penitentiary Service P.P. Varderesyan. He claims that he repeatedly conducted preventive conversations with the defendant Oleg Shidlovsky. At the same time, the witness cannot recognize him in the courtroom. Shidlovsky himself informs the court that he does not know this man and that no conversations were held with him.\nAnother witness for the prosecution, a woman, says that she attended Jehovah's Witnesses services voluntarily and that she benefited from these meetings. At the services, believers sang songs, prayed, discussed biblical topics, there were no calls for disrespect for authority.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211203","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings begin in the Gukovsky District Court of the Rostov Region.\nThe defense is petitioning to change the measure of restraint for 6 men to a milder one. The judge refuses and extends their detention in the pre-trial detention center until May 1, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211117","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Gorely and Vladimir Popov, following the others, are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Rostov region (Novocherkassk).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211114","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Oleg Shidlovsky, Yevgeny Razumov and Alexei Dyadkin are now being held in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov Region. They can receive letters of support. In the near future, the rest of the believers involved in this case, Aleksey Gorely, Nikita Moiseyev and Vladimir Popov, are expected to be transferred to this pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211108","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six believers — Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Gorely, Yevgeny Razumov, Aleksey Dyadkin, Oleg Shidlovsky, Vladimir Popov — received an indictment. The criminal case against them has already been submitted to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20211101","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Popov is again placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Rostov-on-Don after almost 2 months of stay in a tuberculosis hospital. The believer can write letters of support to the address of the institution.\nHe familiarized himself with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Popov is in the Federal State Medical and Prophylactic Institution \"Interregional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 19\". You can write letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210727","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Popov is being transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 1 to the medical unit of pre-trial detention center No. 5 in connection with suspected pneumonia. He can still write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210721","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits believers in a pre-trial detention center on Maxim Gorky Street in Rostov-on-Don. In some chambers it is stuffy, the temperature sometimes reaches +40 ° C, there is a fungus on the walls. Among the inmates there are patients with coronavirus.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20210628","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","torture-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Dyadkin, a resident of Gukovo, who has recently been living in Kursk, comes to the investigator for questioning. There they are trying to convince him to incriminate himself - to confess to extremist actions that the believer did not commit. The security forces are also interrogating Alexei's wife.\nThe believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. On the same day, the court issued a decision to detain Aleksey for a period of 1 month and 16 days. After that, Aleksey was imprisoned in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200821","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don Vladimir Khudaverdyan grants the investigator's request to detain Vladimir Popov. Vladimir is detained in a pre-trial detention center for a period of 1 month and 25 days - until October 7, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200814","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers detain Vladimir Popov, who has been put on the federal wanted list, in the city of Zverevo (Rostov Region). He is suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200812","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the decision of the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don, four believers are sent to the pre-trial detention center for 1 month and 29 days - until October 6, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200809","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, a series of searches of believers in Gukovo (Rostov region) take place. Officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee invade the homes of civilians and seize mobile devices, hard drives, flash drives and personal records.\nSearches are taking place in Rostov-on-Don at Gorely Alexei, in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky at Nikita Moiseyev and in Kursk at Olga Dyadkina.\nVladimir Popov is put on the federal wanted list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200808","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. V. Pyatitsky, Senior Investigator of the Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Region, initiates a criminal case against 6 believers: Nikita Moiseyev, Aleksey Gorely, Yevgeny Razumov, Aleksey Dyadkin, Oleg Shidlovsky and Vladimir Popov. They are charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believers' guilt lies in the fact that they \"convened meetings of fellow believers, prayed and sang songs to Jehovah God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moiseyev and Others in Gukovo","date":"2020-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gukovo/index.html#20200807","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2019, a criminal case was initiated against Svetlana Monis, a foreign language teacher. A year earlier, an investigator detained her husband, Alam Aliyev, during a massive FSB special operation in Birobidzhan. Monis, along with other believers, was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. For more than 16 months, the believer was under a recognizance agreement. In February 2021, the court imposed a fine on her. But 3 months later, the court of appeal toughened the sentence, imposing a 2.5-year suspended sentence on the believer. In December 2021, the court of cassation returned the case to the appellate stage, which, in turn, overturned the verdict and returned the case for a new trial. Its result was a suspended sentence of 2.5 years. In 2023, during the third appeal hearing this decision was upheld, later the court of cassation left it unchanged.","date":"2019-09-26","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html","prisoners":["monis"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upholds the decision of the lower court - 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20230228","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor again asks to appoint Svetlana Monis 4 years of real imprisonment. The text of the state prosecutor's speech in the debate is identical to what was read out at the first consideration of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20221005","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next closed meeting is held. Svetlana Monis testifies, and also petitions for the disclosure of the testimony of prosecution witness Zvereva. Despite the prosecutor's objections, the court grants the defendant's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220928","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed hearing, Judge Yulia Tsykina attaches to the case two written opinions of religious scholars Sergey Ivanenko and Mikhail Odintsov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220923","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge appoints a new lawyer and does not satisfy the defendant's request to refuse him.\nSvetlana Monis is given a 70-page part of the court record.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220913","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to a recording of a biblical speech about an unbiased attitude towards others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220720","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants Svetlana Monis' petition to include in the case file the jurisprudence on acquittals of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia; letters from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explaining the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to practice their religion in groups, as well as excerpts from Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The court also agrees to examine the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines a video recording of a worship service that discussed biblical advice for strengthening marriage.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220707","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Monis draws attention to the fact that the protocol of the search conducted at her home does not say that any extremist literature was found there. She also notes that her name was not on the list of members of the LRO, and some material evidence has nothing to do with it.\nAt the request of Monis, discs with recordings of liturgical meetings will be examined at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220706","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant draws attention to the fact that, in the opinion of the prosecutor, the use of the name \"Jehovah\" should be considered evidence of the commission of a crime. Monis emphasizes that the use of this name has not been forbidden by any court. This information shall be attached to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220623","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to review the case materials, including a disc with wiretapping.\nThe defendant reiterates her request for access to the trial transcript so that she can prepare to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220620","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the data from the optical discs seized from the defendant. They are dated from 2012 to November 2018. Svetlana draws the court's attention to the fact that these data do not relate to the period imputed to her.\nThe believer is removed from the register of the penitentiary inspection. She sought this for six months after the Court of Cassation overturned the appellate ruling that imposed the sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220616","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Video recordings made during worship services are being examined. The prosecutor comments on the songs and prayers, drawing attention to the presence of the name \"Jehovah\" in them. Svetlana draws attention to the fact that the texts are based on the Bible, and there are no extremist statements in them.\nThe court examines the files with the hidden recording of the worship service. The video quality is so poor that it is impossible to make out the participants of the event. However, the prosecutor claims that he sees a woman who looks like the defendant there.\nThe state prosecutor notes that everything is well organized, emphasizing that the topics discussed are related to Jehovah God. Svetlana points out that communication on such topics is not prohibited by law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220609","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the beginning of the hearing, Svetlana Monis draws the court's attention to the fact that she is still listed in the penitentiary inspectorate as a convict, although the court of cassation overturned the conviction on December 9, 2021. Repeated requests to the court for deregistration have remained unanswered for six months.\nDuring the trial, the case materials from volumes 7 to 25 were examined. At the next court hearing, the prosecution will finish presenting its evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220606","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Svetlana Monis goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region for a new trial and is transferred to Judge Yulia Tsykina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220318","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, chaired by Elena Pyshkina, overturns the conviction. The case is returned to the Birobidzhan District Court for consideration by a new composition of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20220309","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Vladivostok, overturns the verdict of the appellate instance - 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment. The panel of judges, chaired by Svetlana Lyubenko, returns the case of Svetlana Monis for a new trial in a different composition of the Court of Appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20211209","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region toughens the sentence of Svetlana Monis. Instead of a fine, the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20210512","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Monis speaks in the debate. \"I'm not a criminal, [...] I never had extremist goals or hateful motives,\" she says. \"I did not commit any extremist actions. I was guided by Christian principles, the main of which is to love God and people. My behavior was legitimate. [...] I worshipped God peacefully, as recorded in the Bible. Just as the disciples of Jesus Christ did in the first century.\" According to the defendant, the prosecution was unable to present evidence of her guilt to the court, because there are no factual circumstances of the crime.\nThe believer utters the last word and emphasizes that she is \"persecuted precisely for her faith in God and this persecution is politically motivated.\"\nJudge Vladimir Mikhalev found Svetlana Monis guilty of participating in the activities of a banned organization and sentenced her to a fine of 10,000 rubles. The verdict has not entered into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20210215","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Svetlana Monis testifies in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The believer notes: \"The accusation of extremism is offensive to me, because it fundamentally contradicts my views and beliefs.\"\nShe explains that the investigator interprets reading the Holy Scriptures together, singing songs and saying prayers as extremism. In fact, these actions are a legitimate exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of religion. Svetlana draws attention to the fact that, according to the indictment, she is only guilty of being baptized in 2005 and becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe defendant files a motion to declare inadmissible the testimony of prosecution witness Zvereva, a police officer who also spoke at the hearings against other Birobidzhan believers: Yevgeniy Golik, Anastasia Sycheva and Tatyana Zagulina. The believer notes that during the preliminary investigation she was not identified by witness Zvereva. The information provided by the witness in court that she identified Monis in the video recordings from the case file is unreliable and intended to mislead the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20210128","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing has been postponed indefinitely due to the epidemiological situation in the country.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20200507","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case was transferred to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region (32 Pionerskaya Street) for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20200303","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation into Monis' case has been concluded. The investigator provides Svetlana with all the materials of the criminal case, material evidence, including video recordings of operational filming, for review and copying.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20191212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, on the complaint of Svetlana Monis, amends the decision of the district court and excludes from it the ban on the operation of the arrested car.\nSvetlana Monisa is recharged under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20191128","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["belongings-arrest","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Birobidzhan District Court satisfies the petition of the senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region D. Yankin and seizes Monis' property. The court prohibits Svetlana from operating the car, despite the fact that she needs it for personal purposes and for work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20191009","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the SB of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Yankin makes a decision to bring Svetlana as an accused.\nIn relation to Svetlana, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20191009","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Directorate of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice D. Yankin initiates a criminal case against Monis under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Monis in Birobidzhan","date":"2019-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan4/index.html#20190926","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On a February morning in 2026, officers of the Investigative Committee came to search two residents of the Simferopol district. Then the primary school teacher Anna Moroz and her relatives, as well as the second believer, were taken for interrogation to Simferopol. Anna was given a recognizance agreement, and the next day the court imposed a ban on certain actions on her. In April 2028, the criminal case went to court.","date":"2026-01-26","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html","prisoners":["moroz"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge, Anna Moroz expresses her attitude toward it — she pleads not guilty. The believer files a motion to refuse the services of a lawyer. The court declines.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260512","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Moroz's case is submitted to the Simferopol District Court, it will be considered by Judge Elena Dybova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260408","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Moroz is facing a new charge - participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260318","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court prohibits the believer from changing her place of residence, communicating with witnesses in the case, using communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260206","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee Zabiyaka V. V. charges Anna.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260205","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kiev District Court of the city of Simferopol of the Republic of Crimea D. Didenko sanctioned a search in the house of Anna Moroz.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260204","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee A. Rudoy opens a criminal case against 27-year-old Anna Moroz. He suspects a resident of the village of Molodezhnoye, Simferopol district, of financing extremism, which she allegedly carried out in March 2022.\nOn the same day, a similar case was opened against another believer from the neighboring village of Mirnoye.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Moroz in Simferopol","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol6/index.html#20260126","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2023, a series of searches took place in the homes of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Saransk. A month earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a case for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Several believers, including women, were taken for interrogation to the center for counteracting extremism. Some of them said that the investigators tried to force them to incriminate themselves and their friends. Mikhail Shevchuk, Ivan Neverov and Artem Velichko were placed in pretrial detention for 2.5 months, and later under house arrest, where they spent more than 3 months. In August 2023, their preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions. Later, the case of Artem Velichko was made into a separate proceeding. In January 2025, the case against Neverov and Shevchuk went to court, and 6 months later a guilty verdict was passed: 7 years imprisonment for Neverov and 6.5 years for Shevchuk. The court of appeal left the sentence unchanged.","date":"2023-01-11","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html","prisoners":["neverov","shevchukm"],"regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Ivan Neverov and Mikhail Shevchuk are in penal colony No. 12 for the Republic of Mordovia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-05-08T16:29:32+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260508","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Makarov, judge at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia, upholds the sentence against Ivan Neverov and Mikhail Shevchuk. It took the panel of judges 25 minutes to reach this decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260409","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia decides to challenge the judge, since his brother, the prosecutor, issued a decision in 2022 not to initiate this criminal case.\nThe court hearing in the new composition is scheduled for April 9.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260316","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail is in a good emotional state; He is mentally preparing for a possible real term and transfer to a colony. The believer draws support from letters from caring people — he has already received about 700 of them.\nAfter three months of solitary confinement, Mikhail had a neighbor, which he was happy about. The cell is designed for three, it is warm, there is hot water.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260315","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk is being held alone in a cell. Now he has the New Testament. About twice a month he gets visits from his wife and almost every weekend he can call his relatives. In the pretrial detention center, the believer began to write poems. He also tries to respond to all incoming correspondence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20260218","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Neverov is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia. He shares a cell with three other prisoners, and relations with them are good. However, living conditions remain difficult: the room is not renovated, the mattress and pillow are in a worn-out condition. The administration of the pre-trial detention center ignores Ivan's numerous written statements about the replacement of bedding.\nAttachments are removed from the letters: a calendar, postcards with images of animals. Complaints against the censor's actions remain unanswered. Reading the Bible helps Ivan stay calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20251031","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk is in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of Mordovia. He his adapting to the new conditions. After quarantine, he was placed in a common cell, where three people are held with him. The situation is calm; his cellmates do not smoke. The attitude of the detention center staff toward him is fine.\nPrisoners are taken out for walks; visits and phone calls are also allowed. Shevchuk does not have a Bible, but he receives letters from family and friends. They help him remain positive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20251018","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Neverov gives his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250916","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Shevchuk gives his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250806","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 9 years imprisonment for Neverov and 8 years for Shevchuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250714","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of five sessions, the court reviews recordings of conversations between Jehovah's Witnesses and persons who portrayed interest in the Bible. At the same time, the defendants themselves did not participate in such conversations.\nThe defense repeatedly draws attention to the fact that the recordings do not contain anything that falls under the definition of extremism, and the prosecutor gives not a legal, but a religious assessment of the content of the conversations, expressing his personal opinion about what should be believed. The defense files a motion asking the court to ban discussion of the defendants' religious beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250402","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is petitioning for the declassification of the secret witness \"Vasily Alekseev\", who died by the time the case was considered in court. The lawyer refers to the fact that after the death of a witness, there is no need to keep his identity classified. The prosecution disagrees. The court refuses to satisfy the petition.\nThe defense also asks to recognize the use of the testimony of a deceased witness in court as inadmissible, since this violates the defendants' right to a fair trial, since there is no opportunity to interrogate the witness. The court will decide on this petition later.\nEarlier, one of the prosecution witnesses stated that he saw Neverov at a certain time and in a certain place in Saransk. The defense requested a number of documents confirming that Neverov was in another city at that time. The court agrees.\nThe study of the case materials begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250306","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the secret witness Andreev. The defense and the defendants file a motion to declassify it and ask for interrogation in the courtroom. According to Ivan Neverov, this is necessary, since during the trial it was obvious that the secret witnesses had repeatedly testified according to the instructions received.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250303","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["secret-witness","first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants again petition for the declassification of the identity of witness Semyonova, because the witness herself during interrogation in court confirmed that there were no threats, violence or other actions against her that would cause reasonable fears about security. Moreover, interrogation in such a mode, according to Neverov, deprives the defendants of the opportunity to ask questions that help to identify false testimony on the part of the witness. The court does not accept these arguments and refuses to satisfy the petition.\nTwo witnesses for the prosecution are being questioned via videoconferencing. Among them is Sergey Vlasov, who had previously participated in another trial of believers in Saransk. Then his identity was also initially classified, but later the court declassified Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250221","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the secret witness Semyonova. The defense files a motion to declassify it.\nThe defense lawyer, addressing the court, says: \"This is not the first time I have participated in this kind of cases and I draw attention to the fact that this is really the most harmless confession that exists. Nevertheless, the defendants are being charged under the most serious article.\"\nThe court denies the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250220","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["secret-witness","first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people are present at the first hearing. The defendants say they do not consider themselves guilty. Ivan Neverov notes that the essence of the accusation boils down to participation in worship services via video link. He emphasizes: \"The prosecutor did not take into account the fundamentals of Christianity, to which Jehovah's Witnesses belong. From the very beginning of their existence, Christians have kept in touch with each other and held joint worship services with common prayers and the singing of spiritual songs.\" Mikhail Shevchuk agrees with Neverov's arguments and adds that he professes his faith following the example of Jesus Christ.\nBoth believers note that the accusation does not contain any indications of extremism in their actions. Similar statements are made during the interrogation of witnesses. For example, Murlaev, an employee of the Center for Counteracting Extremism, talks about the infiltration of two informants into a group of believers and notes that during the years of operational-search activities, he has not heard any extremist calls from the defendants.\nAnother witness, a 78-year-old man, retracts his testimony to the investigator and states that he did not say what is recorded in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250214","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Ivan Neverov and Mikhail Shevchuk is submitted to the Proletarsky District Court of Saransk. It will be considered by judge Inna Balyasina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20250130","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Artem Velichko is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2024-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20241028","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint for believers from house arrest to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-08-04T13:15:34+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20230804","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Mordovia, as a result of an appeal against the chosen measure of restraint, releases Mikhail Shevchuk, Ivan Neverov and Artem Velichko from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. The believers spent more than 2.5 months behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Neverov and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk2/index.html#20230503","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, FSB officers, accompanied by riot police, searched the home of the Nikolayevs who are the parents of five children, two of whom are adopted. Shortly before this, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Nikolayev for participating in extremist activity because he read the Bible at a meeting for worship. In July 2021, the case went to court. Two months later, the believer was sent to a pretrial detention center, and in December of the same year, the court sentenced him to 2.5 years in a penal colony. By the time the verdict entered into force, Nikolayev had served more than half of the sentence in the detention center. The believer was taken to the penal colony in March 2023 and the next month he asked the court for parole but was refused. At the end of July 2023, the court of cassation upheld the verdict, lifting the additional restrictions after release. Nikolayev was released from the penal colony in September 2023.","date":"2021-03-31","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html","prisoners":["nikolayev"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"At the end of the quarantine, one of the colony employees, provoking Aleksandr, tries to tear off the badge with the name and article of the believer.\nIn spite of everything, Alexander tries to maintain a positive attitude. He submits an application to the administration of the colony with a request to be trained as a carpenter. Reading the Bible also gives him moral strength.\nA lawyer files a petition for parole. The hearing in the Absheronsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory will be held on April 24.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20230329","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Nikolayev is in penal colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk (Krasnodar Territory). Upon arrival, he was quarantined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20230301","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Nikolayev, who has been in a pre-trial detention center in Syzran since January 2022, is being transferred to IK-9 Vodstroy in Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20230217","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Nikolayev in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Syzran. The lawyer notes that the believer is in a cheerful mood and has no health problems.\nThe administration treats Alexander well. He is kept in a special unit with one cellmate, he is allowed to walk. Upon admission to the pre-trial detention center, the Bible was confiscated from Aleksandr, but he has the New Testament and Psalms. Aleksandr regularly receives letters of support from friends and family, as well as from fellow believers from Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20221208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court admits to the hearing the wife and son of Nikolaev, as well as about 10 fellow believers who came to support the defendant. Due to communication problems, Nikolayev himself, who is in jail, cannot attend the hearing.\nAt the request of the Abinsk District Court, the panel of judges of the Krasnodar Regional Court, despite the objections of the defense, withdraws the case from consideration and returns it to the court of first instance for attaching a number of documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20220518","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr arrives at SIZO-2 Syzran Central.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20220123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexander Nikolaev is being transferred from the pre-trial detention center in Novorossiysk. In a letter to his wife, he says: \"So far, the final destination is Samara.\" It is more than 1600 kilometers from his home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2022-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20220119","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Surmach, a judge of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, sentences Aleksandr Nikolayev to 2 years and 6 months in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211223","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the lawyer's petitions for the appointment of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious forensic examination, as well as for the inclusion of materials indicating that the activities of the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses from the village of Kholmskaya were not prohibited. Materials characterizing Alexander Nikolaev as a non-conflict person, a good worker, a caring father of many children are announced.\nAt the next hearing, it is planned to interrogate Nikolaev, after which the court intends to proceed to the debate of the parties, giving the accused the opportunity to make the last word and announcing the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211215","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In defense of the believer, Doctor of Philosophy, State Counselor of the Russian Federation, religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko acts. As in other court hearings in Jehovah's Witnesses cases where the scientist spoke, he draws attention to the fact that the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses are not related to extremism, and the 2017 decision of the Supreme Court does not imply that believers do not have the right to continue to practice their religion together with others.\nIvanenko explains that the hidden audio recording depicts a worship service of believers, which, as the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation pointed out on October 28, 2021, cannot be considered as participation in the activities of a banned organization. And he drew attention to the fact that during the service, Nikolaev only read an excerpt from the biblical book of Genesis about how Jacob's sons and daughter were born. The religious scholar stressed that Genesis is included both in the Bible and in the Tanakh - two religious publications, which are prohibited from being called extremist by the law on countering extremist activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211201","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Nikolayev in the pre-trial detention center. The believer feels satisfied, receives and sends many letters every day. He has good relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211122","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defenders and Aleksandr Nikolayev challenge Judge Nikolay Surmach and the entire composition of the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, noting that the judge ignores the obvious facts of forgery of the case materials and evidence of the innocence of the accused, and the degree of severity of the sentences of the district court gives reason to believe that judges participated in political repressions of believers. The judge rejects the challenge.\nIn the course of a further court session, the items previously seized during the search from the Nikolayev family are examined. It has been established that the seized items do not prove Nikolaev's guilt, since they include notes of older student children, drawings of younger children and the lyrics of a song from the cartoon.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211109","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Approximately 15 people gather outside the courthouse. Only the defendant's wife is allowed to attend the hearing. The judge rejects the defense's request to return the case to the prosecutor, and also refuses to attach new evidence of the believer's innocence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211026","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory is interrogating investigator Lev Galustyants. As it turns out, the text of the decision to bring Nikolaev as an accused and the text of the indictment were handed over to the defendant in one version, but in court they were presented in a different version, which is a serious violation. The investigator explains that the situation did not occur as a result of forgery, but as a result of confusion. According to the defendant's lawyer, the materials could have been replaced directly in court in September 2021, while the judge was on vacation, but the court does not allow the defense to clarify this point and ask the investigator additional questions.\nDuring the hearing, the court does not make a final decision on whether the case against Nikolaev will be returned to the prosecutor, as required by law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211019","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyer Anton Omelchenko comes to the defense of Alexander Nikolaev. After reviewing the materials of the criminal case in the Abinsk District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, the lawyer discovers that the decisions to bring Nikolaev as an accused and the indictment were falsified after Nikolaev got acquainted with them earlier. This may indicate violations of the criminal procedure law. On the fact of falsification of the materials of the criminal case, applications are prepared for their verification.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-10-04T11:46:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20211004","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Aleksandr Nikolayev to the Investigative Committee, ostensibly for interrogation, where the believer and his wife, Yevgenia, arrive by private transport. There he was detained and taken to court. The judge chooses a measure of restraint for Alexander in the form of detention. Immediately after the meeting, the believer is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novorossiysk. Eugenia manages to give her husband the necessary things, she is given a summons issued to Alexander retroactively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210930","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Abinsk District Court for consideration by Judge Nikolay Surmach.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210716","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the department for the Abinsk district of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, L. G. Galustyants, officially attracts Alexander Nikolaev as a defendant in a criminal case. The investigation regards the discussion of the Bible with family and friends as \"committing a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about six o'clock in the morning, FSB officers, accompanied by riot police, come to Alexander Nikolayev's house with a search. During the search, the security forces comply with the believer's request not to wake the young child. Electronic devices, a piece of paper with a children's drawing, a book about family psychology, and a postcard with a Bible verse are seized from Alexander and his family.\nThe believer is taken to the investigative committee for interrogation, and later released on recognizance not to leave. From the security forces, Aleksandr learns that searches were carried out at 6 addresses, including his place of residence with a relative of a non-Jehovah's Witness in Anapa, as well as the address of Aleksandr's temporary registration in Sinegorsk and his actual address in Kholmskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210407","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Abinsk District is initiating a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Alexander Nikolaev from the village of Kholmskaya. The case is assigned No. 12102030017000016\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Nikolayev in Kholmskaya","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kholmskaya5/index.html#20210331","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalya Novoseletskaya is another victim of religious persecution in the village of Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory. In March 2024, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for extremism against her for participating in peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Natalya was placed under a recognizance agreement, and her bank account was blocked. In October 2024, the case went to court. In Natalya’s case, as in the cases of her fellow believers from Vyselki, the testimony of a secret witness “Pastyr [Shepherd]” appears. In September 2025, the court found Natalya guilty and gave her a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html","prisoners":["novoseletskaya"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I am accused of a very serious crime - extremism, undermining the constitutional order, inciting hatred. But not a single material presented in court confirms that I had such motives or actions against a person or the state\"? Natalia said in her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20250929","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Natalya Novoseletskaya a 2-year suspended sentence with a probation period of 2.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20250909","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness \"Pastor\", who testified against Jehovah's Witnesses from Vyselki, is interrogated. \"For me, this person is absolutely positive,\" he says about the defendant and adds that he cannot say anything bad about her. The witness confirms that Nataliya participated in meetings for worship, and not in meetings of a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20250425","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining the case materials. After the state prosecutor reads out the defendant's statements from the video meetings for worship, the lawyer states that they do not contain anything illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20250117","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia speaks with an attitude to the charges. \"Extremism is the polar opposite of the teachings of Jesus Christ, which are the basis of my life principles,\" she says.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20241101","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case was submitted to the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It will be considered by Judge Elizaveta Proskuryakova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20241008","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bushuev presents Novoseletskaya with a new version of the charge and interrogates her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20240820","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Vyselkovsky District, Junior Counselor of Justice A. V. Bushev returns the case of Natalia Novoseletskaya submitted to him for approval to investigator Bushuev for further investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20240809","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee Dmitry Laktionov summons Natalia for interrogation, during which he involves her as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20240712","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. D. Bushuev, investigator of the Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee, initiates a criminal case against Natalia Novoseletskaya under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is suspected of \"taking a direct part in religious teaching and sermons ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants... read aloud to other participants the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, emphasizing that these books contain true knowledge about God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Novoseletskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki10/index.html#20240328","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, a criminal case was initiated against Anatoliy Odintsov, a pensioner from Snezhnogorsk. The Investigative Committee charged him with organizing the activity of an extremist organization because of his faith in Jehovah God. Anatoliy was placed in a pretrial detention center, where he spent about 3 months. The case went to court in July 2025; a month later, the preventive measure was changed to house arrest. The prosecutor requested a fine of 600,000 rubles be imposed on Odintsov, but the court sentenced him to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony. The decision was announced in May 2026.","date":"2023-04-24","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html","prisoners":["odintsov"],"regions":["murmansk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anatoly Odintsov is held in a three-bed cell with two prisoners. The administration and cellmates treat him with respect. The believer maintains physical shape - every day he does push-ups and goes for a walk. He has the New Testament and the Psalms. Letters from different countries also provide support for the convict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260525","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov is in pretrial detention center No. 1 for the Murmansk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-05-08T16:38:10+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260508","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260430","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for Anatoliy Odintsov: a fine of 600,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260429","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies in court and explains that he is an ordinary believer who did not commit illegal acts. He reminds the court that the RF Supreme Court did not ban his religion or the right to practice his faith and comments on the video recordings and testimonies of witnesses contained in the case materials.\nThe believer motions for the expert Larisa Astakhova to be disqualified, as he considers her incompetent and biased. He asks the court to invalidate her conclusion and appoint a new independent expert study.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20260420","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the restriction measure for Anatoliy Odintsov: he is released from the pre-trial detention center and transferred to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20250814","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["elderly","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov does not plead guilty: \"All my actions were completely peaceful. I did not do anything that would indicate the continuation of the activities of any extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20250807","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Polyarnyy District Court of the Murmansk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20250725","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Odintsov is being held in a cell in the pretrial detention center along with five other prisoners.\nHe remains cheerful, also due to the significant support provided by letters. He also has a Synodal Bible from the institution's library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2025-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20250606","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Odintsov's wife is being interrogated. The investigator informs her that her husband is on the federal wanted list, and asks to tell him to appear for interrogation, threatening otherwise to send Anatoly to the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20230605","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Mikheev makes a decision to bring Odintsov as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20230504","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Murmansk Region S. B. Mikheev initiates a criminal case against 65-year-old Anatoly Odintsov. He is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Odintsov in Snezhnogorsk","date":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/snezhnogorsk2/index.html#20230424","regions":["murmansk"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ogorev family from Mednogorskiy faced a search in their home in November 2021, when Svetlana and her mother were witnesses in the case of Aleksey Pasynkov. Law enforcement officers searched their home again 2 years later. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Svetlana. The investigator deemed talking with friends via instant messengers about the Holy Scriptures, singing religious songs and praying to Jehovah God as extremism. The case went to court in July 2024, but it was soon returned to the prosecutor to remove any discrepancies. In November, the court hearings resumed. A month later, the case was transferred to another district court. In October 2025, the believer was given a 3-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-12-27","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html","prisoners":["ogoreva"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"If my dad were alive, he would be proud of me, because I am not standing before the court for a bad case, but for my faith in God.\" Svetlana Ogoreva makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20251001","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","families","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At two sessions, witnesses for the prosecution are interrogated - Svetlana Ogoreva's brother and his wife. From their testimony it becomes clear that they did not maintain relations with the defendant for more than 10 years. The defense emphasizes that their conclusions are based mainly on rumors and assumptions and relate to events before 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20250501","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial of Svetlana Ogoreva begins. She expresses her attitude to the accusation: she does not consider herself guilty, as she peacefully gathered with friends to discuss biblical topics. Nine listeners are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20250210","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the decision of the Supreme Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Svetlana Ogoreva's case is transferred to the Zelenchuksky District Court, which is twice as close to her home. The case will be considered by Judge Fatima Borlakova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20241211","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the preliminary hearing, Judge Galina Yevsegneeva recused herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20241108","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that the case of Svetlana Ogoreva has again been submitted to court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20241107","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, the judge draws attention to the absence of the signature of the investigating authority in the indictment. In this regard, the case is returned to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20240716","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Urup District Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic for consideration by Judge Galina Evsegneeva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20240701","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Anuar Khasanov, an investigator of the Zelenchuk Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, brings Svetlana Ogoreva as an accused.\nAccording to the investigation, Svetlana \"took part in the activities of a religious association,\" and also \"by means of remote communication (the Internet) maintained contacts with persons professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in order to participate in divine services and study the Holy Scriptures with reading and discussing quotations from the Bible.\"\nSvetlana is chosen a preventive measure in the form of a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20240624","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. A. Boranukov, accompanied by the head of the CPE, Azat Dzhamturiev, comes to Svetlana Ogoreva and her mother with a search. Women call the district police officer, in which the search takes place in a more relaxed atmosphere. However, Svetlana's mother becomes ill, she calls an ambulance. During the 4-hour search, law enforcement officers seized Bibles, electronic devices and personal records. On the same day, Svetlana is interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20231228","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator V. A. Boranukov initiates a criminal case against Svetlana Ogoreva, who was previously a witness in the case against Alexei Pasynkov. The investigator considers communication through instant messengers with fellow believers, participation in worship services using the Internet and discussion of quotes from the Bible to be signs of a \"crime\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ogoreva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy/index.html#20231227","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2021, in the city of Kineshma, FSB officers conducted searches in the homes of six families of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. The day before, a criminal case was initiated against Andrey Okhapkin because of a conversation about the Bible, which the investigators considered extremism. The believer spent almost 3 months in a pretrial detention center. In February 2022, he was placed under house arrest for 5 months, later the preventive measure was eased. In December, Andrey Okhapkin\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. The charge is based on the testimony of a secret witness. In August 2024, the court fined Okhapkin to 540,000 rubles.","date":"2021-11-18","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html","prisoners":["okhapkin"],"regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","type":"cases"},{"body":"Andrey Okhapkin makes his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20240813","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, prosecutor Olga Borkova requested a sentence of imprisonment for a term of 7 years in a penal colony for Andrey Okhapkin. The prosecutor also asks the court to change Okhapkin's preventive measure from recognizance not to leave to detention and arrest him in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2024-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20240725","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Recordings of telephone conversations of the defendant are heard. Andrey Okhapkin draws attention to the fact that in these conversations there is no motive of hatred and enmity, but only a desire to share valuable information from the Bible.\nThe court reviews the videos and reads out fragments of electronic publications that are in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20240101","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file a letter of thanks to Okhapkin from the administration of the city of Kineshma, characteristics from neighbors and from the place of work, as well as diplomas of advanced training.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231227","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to satisfy the petition to summon experts to the court, as well as to include Orthodox literature and materials with the name of God, Jehovah, in world literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231226","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"While listening to one of the audio recordings, Okhapkin explains why the discussion of the Bible cannot be counted among the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. He points out that the meeting began with a prayer, not with the election of a secretary to keep the minutes, and ended with a prayer, not a resolution or a vote. He concludes: \"Jehovah's Witnesses conduct such studies with people interested in the Bible all over the world.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231116","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense shall file a motion to listen to the recording of the worship service in its entirety. Andrey Okhapkin explains the reason for such a request: \"The transcript records only what was said, but it does not reflect how it was said: in a kind or with malice, with sympathy or with gloating. That is, the transcript does not capture my mood, feelings, emotions and tone of voice. Even pauses, tempo, and volume are important here. You have to hear it all.\" The judge accepts the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231109","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to audio recordings of worship services, which the state prosecution considers to be meetings of a liquidated legal entity. Andrey Okhapkin points out that there is no mention of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses on them. He says: \"There are also no statements justifying and/or affirming the need for genocide, mass repressions, deportations, or other illegal actions, including the use of violence, against representatives of any nation, race, social group, adherents of a particular religion.\" The defendant explains that at the worship service, believers discussed biblical teachings, including the idea that God does not tolerate any form of violence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231017","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"17 people come to the courtroom to support Andrey Okhapkin.\nThe lawyer requests that a video interview with expert Belova be included in the case in order to show her biased attitude towards Jehovah's Witnesses. The video is reviewed and attached to the case.\nThe defense also petitions for listening to audio recordings of worship services dated 02/18/2021 and 02/23/2021, since there are discrepancies with the transcripts of these recordings, and the examination attributed to the defendant phrases that he did not say. The judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20231012","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the written materials of the case continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230601","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The written materials of the case from 1-3 volumes are examined. Some of the hearings are held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-04-01T14:41:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230401","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the secret witness \"Titov\", who claims that Andrei Okhapkin led \"the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kineshma.\" When the prosecutor asks for clarification of the name of the organization, he calls \"the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\" At the same time, witness Titov cannot explain why he decided that he was present at the meetings of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, which was located in the Leningrad Region before its liquidation.\nAnswering the lawyer's questions about what happened at such meetings, the witness tells the court that the believers studied the Bible, prayed and sang songs. The witness confirms that Okhapkin has never heard negative statements against other religions, as well as calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order or for the humiliation of human dignity: \"He has never made any threats against anyone.\" Nevertheless, the secret witness refuses to declassify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230315","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, one of the prosecution witnesses explains to the court that she has poor eyesight, and therefore she signed the interrogation protocol twice without reading. She informs the court that she did not give or write the information entered in the interrogation record with her own hand. The lawyer asks to appoint a handwriting examination to confirm this. The judge refuses, and declares that the differences in handwriting and ink color are obvious without it.\nAlthough falsifications were found in the document, the judge postpones the issue of excluding this evidence from the case.\nThe second witness reports that she does not know Okhapkin, she considers Jehovah's Witnesses to be good people: \"They don't smoke, they don't litter, they will always help.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230207","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another close relative of the defendant is being interrogated. She also decides to testify. The court asks her to tell the details of the search that took place at her home. She informs the court that the event was led by Major Roman Drozdov. According to the witness, at first the security forces tried to open the door with their own key. But after unsuccessful attempts, they rang the doorbell, introducing themselves as Okhapkin's colleagues. \"They flew in, Andrei fell, 8 people, two with machine guns,\" she says. She characterizes the defendant as a reliable head of the family. Students speak of him respectfully, consider him an excellent teacher.\nThe second witness is Tagarlanov, a law enforcement officer who participated in the search of Okhapkin's apartment. He claims that he was a casually invited witness and has no relationship with other members of the task force. He does not remember the details, it is difficult to answer many questions exactly. The prosecutor reminds him that during the interrogation of the investigator, he gave detailed answers to the same questions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230202","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them characterizes the defendant as a positive, kind and always ready to help person.\nAnother witness is offered by the judge to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, since she is a close relative of the defendant. However, she decides to testify and positively characterizes Okhapkin. \"Accusing him of extremism is a big mistake, even a crime against the person,\" the witness said.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230201","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During interrogation, one witness has the right not to testify against himself or herself or his relatives. However, he informs the court that there was a search in his apartment, during which the witnesses \"rummaged through things, handed over what they found to the investigator, and not just watched.\"\nAnother witness claims that he never heard extremist statements or appeals from Okhapkin.\nThe defendant gives consent to the court to familiarize himself with transcripts and audio recordings in open hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20230111","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The question of the measure of restraint for the defendant is being considered. Judge Krotov replaces Okhapkin's ban on certain actions with a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20221215","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Kineshma City Court of the Ivanovo Region. It will be considered by judge Yevgeny Krotov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20221213","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint for Andrei Okhapkin is changed to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20220714","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Andrei Okhapkin and sends him under house arrest. He spent about three months in jail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20220217","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Okhapkin in the pre-trial detention center. The defendant's state of health is good, he has all the necessary medicines for rehabilitation after covid. The believer is kept in a cell alone, he has a Bible from the library of the pre-trial detention center, he receives many letters from fellow believers from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211208","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court of Ivanovo, composed of the presiding judge L. N. Zubova, with the participation of senior assistant prosecutor N. S. Seregina and investigator Drozdov, chooses a measure of restraint for Okhapkin in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center for a period of 1 month and 26 days, that is, until January 18, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211125","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Drozdov prosecutes Okhapkin as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation because of a conversation about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211124","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six families of Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched in Kineshma. Some of them last until midnight. Law enforcement officers arrest Andrey Okhapkin and place him in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211123","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"R. A. Drozdov, senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Ivanovo region, initiates a criminal case on suspicion of resuming extremist activity (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) in the city of Kineshma.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Okhapkin in Kineshma","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kineshma/index.html#20211118","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In late February 2024, investigator Aleksandr Chepenko, of the investigative Committee,  initiated two criminal cases at once against Oleg Artemov. The believer was suspected of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and of financing it because he attended meetings for worship and paid for a video‑conferencing application. Artemov’s phone and bank cards were seized, and he was placed under a recognizance agreement. A year later, the investigation reclassified the charge from participating in the activity of an extremist organization to organizing such activity. The court began hearing the case in spring 2025. In April 2026, the court sentenced him to 6.5 years in a penal colony.","date":"2024-02-29","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html","prisoners":["artemov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"After quarantine, Oleg was transferred to a four-person cell. It is not damp or cold, and there is more light than in the previous one. The believer remains positive and tries to adapt to the new conditions.\nIn the first 2 weeks, Oleg received 79 letters; most of them were from people he does not know personally. His cellmates are very surprised by this. They treat him with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260525","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Artyomov has been placed in quarantine in pretrial detention center No. 1 for Chelyabinsk. He is held in a two-person cell. He has established a friendly relationship with his cellmate. He does not yet have a Bible — it was taken for inspection.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260507","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 7 years in a penal colony for Oleg Artemov. The believer makes his final statement. Oleg is supported by 14 people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260421","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Artemov testifies. He draws the court's attention to the legal lack of grounds of the charges: \"The prosecutor's assertion that all believers in Chelyabinsk, including me, automatically became members of a legal entity if they joined the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is fundamentally wrong.\"\nOleg continues that, according to the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited from holding meetings for worship. He also reminds the court that the law does not recognize the joint practice of religion as extremism, even if the believers belonged to a liquidated religious association.\nOleg says that the edition of the Bible that he used was not recognized by the court as extremist: \"According to the investigation, when a Jehovah's Witness mentions the Bible... this is immediately regarded as a reference to the \"New World\" Translation. I think this is discrimination on religious grounds by the investigation.\"\nThe believer notes: \"Since the legal entity has been liquidated only in the Russian Federation, but the worldwide organization and teachings [of Jehovah's Witnesses] were not banned, it will not be a violation of the law to use a unified worldwide teaching program.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20260324","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An operative of the Center \"E\" Manturov S.O. is being interrogated. Answering the questions of the accused, he says: \"No one forbids you to believe you.\" He clarifies that it is permissible to practice religion and discuss Bible teachings if it is not related to the continuation of the activities of a banned organization. Manturov refers to peaceful meetings in the format of videoconferences as such activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20251105","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the charges, after which the defendant Oleg Artyomov declares: \"I believe that discrimination has been shown against me on the basis of belonging to a religious minority.\" The lawyer petitions for the return of the case to the prosecutor to eliminate errors in the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20250507","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Artyomov's case is submitted to the Kalininsky District Court of Chelyabinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20250318","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor approves the indictment, according to which Oleg Artyomov is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and financing these activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20250317","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor returns the case for additional investigation and elimination of the detected violations. He believes that the case should be reclassified from the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization to the organization of this activity (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20250228","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vadim Baltachev, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, issues a ruling against Oleg Artyomov to bring him as a defendant in committing crimes under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20250114","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a 15-minute interrogation, investigator Chepenko takes Oleg Artemov on his own recognizance. During interrogation, the believer declares that he does not agree with the suspicions and enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones. He also requests that the case be dismissed for lack of corpus delicti.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20240312","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the investigator's office, bank cards and a smartphone are seized from Artemov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20240306","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the materials separated from the case of Maxim Khamatshin , the investigator of the Investigative Committee, Colonel Alexander Chepenko, initiates two criminal cases against 28-year-old Oleg Artemov - on charges of participation in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing.\nAccording to Chepenko, the believer \"in the period from 06.09.2017 to 08.09.2022 ... at least 5 times intentionally... took part in the activities of a religious association... in the form of participation in religious meetings... conducting conversations with residents of Chelyabinsk, demonstrating and watching educational videos\".\nArtemov is also suspected of financing the activities of an extremist organization, since he allegedly \"made at least 20 payments ... by paying for \"Zoom\"... to ensure the holding of meetings of members of the said religious association by videoconference.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20240229","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A three-hour search takes place in Oleg Artyomov's apartment. The ruling was issued a few days earlier by the judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court Grigory Vazhenin. During the investigative actions, the operatives behave correctly. They seize personal records, communications and computer equipment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleg Artemov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk11/index.html#20220908","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2019, in the Novosibirsk Region, law enforcement officers raided the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including the home of pensioner Tatyana Oleynik. Based on the information collected by an undercover agent, the FSB initiated a criminal case against three believers. In October 2021, the materials regarding Tatyana were made into separate proceedings, and a month later the investigation initiated a criminal case against her. The believer from Novosibirsk was charged with participating in extremist activity for providing her apartment for meetings with fellow believers and participating in meetings for worship. She was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists. In December 2022, Tatyana Oleynik’s case went to court. In August 2023, the believer was given a 4-year suspended sentence.","date":"2021-11-18","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html","prisoners":["oleynik"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court proceeds to examine the written materials of the case. Within 20 minutes, the prosecutor voices 9 volumes, only naming the documents. Only after the lawyer's request to record this violation in the record of the court session, the prosecutor begins to briefly explain the essence of the materials being examined.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the document \"Information on the Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" which states that the followers of this religion build their lives in accordance with biblical teachings and that the basis of worship is the study of the Holy Scriptures.\nTatyana Oliynyk reads out her written notes in which she explains that she is a believer and therefore considers her accusation of extremism far-fetched, because \"Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their peacefulness.\" The woman says that she was left without a mother early, and therefore she had to learn to live and provide for herself on her own. She also tells the court that she has a number of chronic diseases.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20230809","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["elderly","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are being interrogated, who report that a lot of time has passed since the events discussed, and therefore they do not remember the details well.\nImmediately after the end of the hearing, the judge, turning to a lawyer, declares that he wants to complete the trial in August. During one session, Judge Marina Borzitskaya plans to examine 10 volumes of the case, interrogate the secret witness and the defendant, hear the arguments of the parties and the last word and pass a verdict.\nThe lawyer notes that such a procedure for holding a meeting violates the principle of adversarial parties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20230619","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer G. G. Lazarev is being interrogated. He says that Oleinik \"provided active assistance to Alexander Seredkin\", providing her housing for worship and was an \"informal leader.\" The witness finds it difficult to answer the clarifying questions of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20230510","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant is charged. She expresses her disagreement with him and does not admit her guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20230222","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Oleinik's case is submitted to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk. It will be considered by judge Marina Borzitskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20221220","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Oleinik is summoned to the investigation department of the FSB to familiarize herself with the decision to initiate a criminal case and interrogate her as a suspect. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20220215","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened against the believer under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, Oleinik's extremist actions boil down to the fact that she provided her apartment and electronic devices for religious meetings with fellow believers, and also participated in worship services herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20211118","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["282.2-2","new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator E. Selyunin singles out materials against Tatyana Oleinik in a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20211020","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk Yevgeny Zakharov recognizes as lawful the search in Oleinik's home, authorized by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20190423","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region is initiating a criminal case against three believers - Alexander Seredkin, Valery Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina.\nOn the same day, a series of searches of believers, including 67-year-old Tatyana Oliynyk, took place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Oleynik in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk6/index.html#20190419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, in Tolyatti, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB broke into the homes of at least three families of believers, including that of Sona Olopova; a criminal case was initiated against her for her faith. After interrogation, she was made to sign a recognizance agreement. At the end of July 2023, the case went to court. There was a secret witness in the case who said that the meetings for worship were held without signs of extremism and were not related to the activity of any legal entity. The prosecutor requested the court sentence the believer to 4 years in a penal colony. In January 2024, she was sentenced to 2 years of forced labor. In April 2024 the court of appeal upheld this decision. In June 2025, the court granted Sona Olopova\u0026rsquo;s motion for parole, and she was released the following month.","date":"2023-05-15","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html","prisoners":["olopova"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sona Olopova works in ice cream production. She has to leave for work at 7:00 a.m., and returns around 8:00 p.m.\nFrom the start of her sentence, she gained a good reputation. For her exemplary behavior, she has already received rewards and positive character references from employers, where she is described as conscientious, responsible, diligent, non-confrontational and polite.\nIn addition, as part of charitable fundraising events, Sona helps to clean in a nursing home for the elderly and disabled, as well as in a center for children with cerebral palsy, which was also acknowledged in a letter of gratitude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20250609","regions":["samara"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Samara District Court Yulia Mironova refuses to replace the unserved part of the sentence with restriction of liberty for Sonya Olopova. Such a decision is made by the court despite positive references and gratitude from the place of work of the convict.\nThe judge considers Olopova's behavior \"criminal\" because she continues to believe in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20250211","regions":["samara"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sona Olopova is in correctional center No. 3 in the Samara region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-11-29T14:38:37+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20241129","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sona Olopova is in correctional center No. 1 in the Samara region. She lives in a women's building of three rooms, each of which has 3-4 people. Living conditions are good: there is a shower room, a kitchen and a laundry room, cleanliness is observed. The regime is strict: you cannot sit and lie on the bed in your free time. At 06:10 in the morning, there is exercise, then a check, and at 06:40 — going to work. Convicts return from work at 3:00 p.m., dinner at 7:00 p.m., scheduled duty at 8:00 p.m., and lights out at 10:00 p.m. On weekends, convicts listen to lectures and watch films.\nSona works at the Samara Electromechanical Plant. At first, she made metal parts for Avtovaz, later she was transferred to another workshop, where she finished car barrels.\nDuring the 7 months of her stay in the correctional center, the woman was never allowed to go home, there was no opportunity to spend time with her husband and visit her parents. Sona has good relations with the administration of the center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20241125","regions":["samara"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sona Olopova gives her last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20240124","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting 4 years of imprisonment and 8 months of additional restriction of liberty for Olopova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20240123","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the personal notes of the believer seized by the Investigative Committee. Olopova draws attention to the fact that they contain her personal reasoning, not intended for dissemination, and an examination for the presence or absence of extremism in them was not carried out.\nAt the request of the defense, the court attaches documents confirming that the defendant has a cardiac disease, certificates stating that her parents are pensioners, as well as an extract from the medical record of the believer's mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20240116","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses the defendant to exclude from the case file examinations and protocols of interrogations of experts, but attaches documents confirming Olopova's chronic diseases. Also, the judge gets acquainted with the contents of the medical book, which the defendant brought with her.\nThe believer is being interrogated. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the accused provides beauty services to all women, regardless of their nationality and religious views. The believer also says that she has never participated in rallies and protests and tries to help others financially as much as possible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20231225","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist Lazarev is interrogated about the use of the Zoom program. He knows nothing about Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSona Olopova petitions for the study of the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20231211","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the request to interrogate the witnesses, but grants the request to view the video recordings from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20231128","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are being examined. Sona Olopova submits a petition to view video recordings from the case file. The defense is requesting that witnesses be summoned for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20231102","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts Lenar Galiev and Kirill Kirushin from Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University are being interrogated. In their opinion, the use of God's name in conversations makes a person a member of a legal entity.\nAccording to the defense, experts confuse the concepts of a religious organization as a legal entity and a religious denomination as a religious movement. Believers' use of God's personal name, Jehovah, may indicate that they belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, but not to a religious organization as a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20231025","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to declassify the secret witness, the court rejects it.\nThe secret witness Ivanov is being interrogated. He claims that Sona distributed banned literature, but did not see it personally. He adds that he has never heard from the defendant calls for the refusal of medical intervention or the severance of family ties. He expresses the opinion that \"believing in God is one thing, but listening to instruction [...] \"That means it's an organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20230920","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings begin. The prosecutor reads out the charge, the defendant expresses her attitude to it. Interrogation of a prosecution witness, the daughter of one of the believers. She knows Sona Olopova personally, but cannot confirm that she distributed banned literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20230906","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Central District Court of Tolyatti. It will be considered by judge Tatyana Begunova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20230731","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Tolyatti, searches are being conducted in three homes of Jehovah's Witnesses. At about 1:00 p.m., the security forces broke into Anatoliy and Sonya Olopov. Electronic devices and personal records are seized from them. Sona's passport is also taken away. After the search, the believer is taken to the Investigative Committee, where she remains until 19:00. At the end of the interrogation, Sona is asked not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20230516","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Grekov, senior investigator of the Central Interdistrict District Department of Tolyatti, is initiating a criminal case against 36-year-old Sona Olopova on charges of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation calls the confession of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses illegal activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olopova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti2/index.html#20230515","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, searches were carried out at 7 addresses in Blagoveshchensk as part of a criminal case against local believers. A little over 1 year later, Obukhov, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Amur Region, initiated a criminal case against Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov on suspicion of participating in extremist activity. In September 2020, Adam Svarichevskiy, Sergey Afanasiyev and Sergey Kardakov (his home was searched) also became defendants in this case. In March 2021, the charges against the believers were changed: all five were changed with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and Afanasiyev was also charged with financing it. In September 2021, the case against the believers went to court. A year and 2 months later, the court found the believers guilty of extremism and sentenced Afanasiyev to 6.5 years, Kardakov to 6 years and 4 months, and Yermilov, Olshevskiy and Svarichevskiy to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2019-10-21","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html","prisoners":["afanasiyev","kardakov","olshevskiy","svarichevskiy","yermilov"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"There are 18 people in the barracks where Anton Olshevskiy is held. The prisoners try to treat each other with respect. Parcels and packages are allowed once every 4 months, as the believer is under strict conditions. To maintain his joints, he is injected twice a year. Anton enjoys reading books on geometry, physics, psychology and English.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20260511","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February, Adam was once again placed in a chamber-type room. It is cold there, the food is satisfactory.\nA believer can buy food in the colony's store, but for almost half as much as it was under the strict conditions of detention. From time to time, his blood pressure rises, the necessary medications are provided.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2026-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20260315","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevskiy is still in strict conditions of detention. There he helps some prisoners learn Russian. Anton's coxarthrosis periodically worsens.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20251218","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of September, Adam Svarichevskiy was transferred from the cell-type facility (CTF) to strict detention conditions. He had an extended visit from his family, after which he was again placed in the CTF. The believer receives letters and tries to reply to them as much as possible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20251205","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Yermilov continues to work in the furniture workshop. Prisoners and staff address the believer by his first name and patronymic. He received a parcel with the necessary medicines for his health problems. Recently, he had an extended visit from his son and daughter-in-law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20250709","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Adam Svarichevskiy is in a CTF and presumably will remain there until the end of September.\nAdam still has unstable blood pressure and also needs dental care.\nDespite such circumstances, the believer tries not to lose his sense of humor. He sees his imprisonment as an opportunity to remain faithful to his beliefs. As best he can, Adam tries to support his wife, who is facing poor health and daily struggles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20250607","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Afanasyev draws encouragement from reading the Bible and letters of support. In terms of physical health, the believer is periodically bothered by stomach pain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20250430","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kardakov works in a sewing workshop as a supply manager and performs overlock processing of products.\nThe believer is kept in a cell with 20 prisoners and has good relations with them. There is no smoking in the cell. Sergey's health condition is stable. He is taking the necessary medications.\nKardakov tries to support his wife as much as possible. From time to time, he may respond to letters from caring people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20250429","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The barracks where Sergey Kardakov lives are generally warm and clean. Prisoners do not smoke. Their attitude and that of the administration staff is normal.\nSergey still misses his wife. Recently, they had a long date, which gave him strength. The believer has difficulties in obtaining medical care. Reading letters of support and the Bible also helps him not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2025-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20250203","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Afanasyev, 60, is placed in a punishment cell for 10 days for an unknown reason.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20241223","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Adam Svarichevski is again in the PKT. This time he was placed there for 2 months. The believer undergoes a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20241123","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Yermilov is in a detachment of about 60 people. The colony itself is clean, with cold and hot water. The believer has good relations with other prisoners and staff of the colony, there are no disagreements with anyone.\nSergey is encouraged by long visits with his wife, as well as letters from friends. He has a Bible.\nFrom the production of furniture, Sergey was transferred to the assembly site - now he is engaged in the completion of furniture fittings. The administration of the colony regularly recognizes him for his good work and places his photo on the honor board.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240902","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the Amursk colony, Sergey Kardakov received medical assistance due to the deterioration of his health due to a heart defect. Unlike in the pre-trial detention center, here he receives the necessary medicines.\nThe emotional state of a believer varies. Separation from his wife, for whom he is very worried, causes him particular pain. However, they do have the ability to call each other and support each other. During this time, they were twice granted a long visit.\nLetters of support are great encouragement for Sergey, including from his sister, Inna Kardakova, who was also convicted for her faith. Most of the e-mails reach the believer.\nSergey has a Bible, which he reads every morning. Observing nature also helps him to think about the positive, in particular the birds that can be seen in the sky over the colony: sea eagles, vultures, golden eagles and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240813","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","families","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevskiy is still in strict conditions of detention (SUS). He tries to maintain good spirits and a positive attitude. The believer has a Bible. He also receives letters regularly. The last long date with his wife was in February 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240617","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On visits with his family, Adam Svarichevsky is given the necessary medicines for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system. He has a group III disability. Letters from relatives arrive several weeks late.\nAdam still spends most of his time in isolation. He is systematically placed in a punishment cell, although he is already in strict conditions of detention. The reason for this is the violations of the internal regime staged by the colony staff.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240412","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevskiy is in strict conditions of detention (SUS). Prior to that, he spent six months in a chamber-type room (PCT). The believer is allowed to call his relatives 6 times a month, receive parcels 1 time in 4 months, from time to time there is an opportunity to see his wife Ekaterina on dates.\nOlszewski is respected by others. He is not allowed to work and study, so he tries to be busy, for example, by answering numerous letters of support.\nThe believer periodically experiences pain in the joints, but he is helped by physical exercises, vitamins and medicines that his wife has passed on. Olszewski misses his wife and son and, in order to participate in his upbringing, regularly sends home letters with drawings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240405","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ermilov still works in the furniture shop, often seven days a week. Thanks to his hard work, Sergey was included in the list of leaders. His state of health is satisfactory. The conclusion is not easy for him, but he is supported by reading the Bible and letters from relatives and fellow believers. Yermilov's relations with the colony staff and other prisoners are respectful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2024-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20240314","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Adam Svarichevski is being held in strict conditions of serving his sentence (SWON). For a long time, the believer was not given winter clothes, because of the cold in the cell, his chronic illness worsened. Adam is not allowed calls, he receives letters with a delay.\nTo the delight of the believer, he recently had a long visit with his wife and sons. Relatives, with the permission of the administration, were able to give him some medicines and vitamins. The believer's condition is satisfactory and he has the opportunity to shop in the colony's shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20231230","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevskiy receives a number of penalties. Because of this, he, like Adam Svarichevskiy, is imprisoned in the FCT. He was also put on preventive registration as a \"person prone to extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20231205","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina, the wife of Adam Svarichevskiy, who is being held in IK-31, reports that for a long time she has not had contact with her husband - letters from him do not come, calls and appointments are not provided. So, the last long meeting with the believer's family took place on August 1. The required visits in October were canceled.\nIt turns out that Adam was placed first in a punishment cell, then in the SUS (strict conditions of detention), and then for 2 months - from October 5 to December 5 - in the PKT (cell-type room where the prisoner is alone). One of the reasons for the penalties was that the believer did not put on a jacket and lay down on the floor (due to back problems, Adam cannot stand for a long time).\nDespite the strict conditions of detention, Adam's emotional state is generally good. He has a Bible, he receives many letters from fellow believers. He does not particularly complain about his health, but says that heart-strengthening drugs are required, which he cannot yet transfer.\nGalina painfully experiences separation from her husband, with whom they have been married for 37 years and have never parted for so long.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20231018","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The transfer of Sergey Yermilov to a colony in Nizhny Tagil - 6,000 km from home - took more than a month.\nThe believer took a course on working on a woodworking machine, after which he continued to master this craft in production. He works 6 days a week, making cabinet furniture. Sergey says: \"With work, time flies faster, and with it the deadline.\"\nIn the mornings, Yermilov does exercises, after which he reads the Bible. He receives a lot of letters, so he sets aside time every evening to read them and write answers. Once, noticing so many letters, one of the prisoners exclaimed: \"Here is real support!\"\nThe believer worries about his wife Valentina, against whom a criminal case has also been opened for her faith. She is under recognizance not to leave. This and the long distance make it difficult to visit the spouse.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20230925","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Adam Svarichevsky has been in IK-31 in Primorsky Krai for some time. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20230913","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Sergey Yermilov arrived at correctional colony No. 13 in the Sverdlovsk region. This is a general regime colony for former law enforcement and administrative officers.\nThe wife of Anton Olshevsky reports that the believer was taken to correctional colony No. 5 in the Altai Territory, where Alexander Putintsev is already serving his sentence.\nThey can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20230711","regions":["amur"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kardakov and Sergey Afanasyev are transferred more than 1000 km from their place of residence - to correctional colony No. 14 in Amursk (Khabarovsk Territory) to serve their sentences. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20230703","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevskiy is taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Barnaul.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2023-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20230610","regions":["amur"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers visit five believers in the Blagoveshchensk pre-trial detention center, who were placed in custody after the conviction.\nSergey Yermilov does not complain about his health, the conditions of detention, according to him, are tolerable. The administration and prisoners treat the believer with respect. Sergey reports that \"the letters are difficult\", the Bible was taken away for verification, but he has a pocket format of the New Testament and Psalms. The believer says that it is still difficult for him to get used to the new realities of life. He longs for his son and wife, who is also accused under an extremist article. Sometimes on a walk, Sergey hears his co-religionist Adam Svarichevskiy, who is in the same pre-trial detention center, singing, and this supports his spirit.\nAnton Olshevsky is kept in a clean cell. He is respected by others. The prisoners are surprised that he was imprisoned for believing in God. The believer has a disease - coxarthrosis at the initial stage, but he has not yet received the necessary medicines, since his health documents and prescription were lost in the pre-trial detention center. In his spare time, Olszewski draws pictures with pencils, which he took with him. He receives letters of support, they help him not to lose heart. The Bible is still being checked by the censor. Anton worries that he cannot be near his young son, and also worries about his wife, who is under criminal prosecution, and his father-in-law, who also received a sentence for his faith in this criminal case.\nAdam Svarichevsky, Sergey Afanasyev and Sergey Kardakov are in a good emotional state, but they are worried about their wives. They do not complain about their health, they have the necessary medicines. Prisoners say that they have already been transferred from quarantine to ordinary cells. Svarichevsky has one cellmate. Afanasyev and Kardakov are held in cells, where there are 6 other people besides them. Relations with prisoners are normal. Svarichevsky has a Bible. Afanasyev and Kardakov say that when they were admitted to the pre-trial detention center, their books were taken away, so they wrote an application to the library of the pre-trial detention center with a request to give them Bibles. Prisoners receive letters of support from relatives and fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221226","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that after the announcement of the guilty verdict, the believers were placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Blagoveshchensk. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221222","regions":["amur"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Olshevsky, Svarichevsky and Kardakov, speaking with the last word, do not admit their guilt in extremism. They emphasize that they will not give up their Christian beliefs.\nThe court sentences believers to imprisonment in colonies for terms ranging from 6 years and 3 months to 6.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221221","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"The accusations are unfounded and have no noble goals, they are nothing more than discrimination against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" Anton Olshevskiy speaks before the court in the debate. After that, Sergey Yermilov and Sergey Afanasyev address the court with their last word.\n\"I have strived and will continue to strive to fulfill the command recorded in God's Word: 'Do not repay evil for evil to anyone,'\" Yermilov said. Afanasyev notes: \"The more than 100-year history of Jehovah's Witnesses has proved the non-extremist nature of the views of the followers of this religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221124","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting punishment for five believers: Sergey Afanasiyev — 7 years and 6 months in a penal colony, Sergey Kardakov — 6 years and 10 months, Anton Olshevskiy and Sergey Yermilov — 6 years and 6 months each, Adam Svarichevskiy — 6 years and 4 months.\nThe speech of the defense in the debate begins. It will continue at the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20221116","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of materials continues. The defense asks to announce the motion to terminate the case against Anton Olshevsky, Sergey Ermilov and Sergey Afanasyev, which was announced during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220715","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, a recording of a Bible-based talk on how to prioritize and balance work is listened to. The court is also examining the recording of a friendly meeting in a café. The judge insists on a partial wiretapping - in her opinion, much is not relevant to the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220623","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to examine the video recordings of worship services contained in the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220527","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the written materials of the case, consisting of 38 volumes, is coming to an end. From the next hearing, the court proceeds to the interrogation of witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220520","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the 19th volume of the case are being examined. Anton Olshevskiy's lawyer is changing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220512","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are being examined.\nOne of the appointed lawyers speaks on behalf of all the lawyers that they have never seen such restrained, joyful and polite defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20220110","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants speak with an attitude to the prosecution.\nSergey Afanasyev says that \"all his life he encouraged his children and acquaintances to be decent people, to help their neighbors and respect authority: at school, at work, in the family, in the state.\"\nSergey Yermilov expresses bewilderment that he \"is accused of absolutely legal actions on the territory of the Russian Federation to worship Jehovah God, the Father of Jesus Christ, the very God to whom Christians around the world and in Russia turn in the Our Father prayer.\"\nSergey Kardakov talks about how faith influenced him. He explains, \"I've been studying the Bible since I was 10 years old. The advice and principles contained in it have helped me grow up to be an honest, conscientious, law-abiding citizen. I regularly pay taxes, earn a living by honest work, and my conscience does not allow me to appropriate other people's things. I respect the Constitution of the Russian Federation, our government, because according to the Bible, 'every person must obey the highest authorities, because all authority is from God.'\"\nAnton Olshevskiy, in his attitude to the charge, characterizes it as \"unclear, vague, arbitrary and based on religious discrimination.\" He says: \"For most of my life, I hold views that are incompatible with extremism. I am accused without facts and proof of my guilt, in fact, only because I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAdam Svarichevsky notes: \"The preliminary investigation authorities did not pay attention to the fact that the right to have religious beliefs, as well as to share them with other people, is not a criminal offense.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20211118","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held. The judge rejects the request for an open hearing, as well as the defendants' request to refuse lawyers.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20211021","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against 5 believers in Blagoveshchensk is submitted to the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20210914","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. S. Obukhov charges Olshevsky, Kardakov, Afanasyev and Yermilov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activities). Sergey Afanasyev is also charged under Part 3 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing the activities of an extremist organization).\nAccording to the investigation, Olshevsky \"committed deliberate actions of an organizational nature. [...] I was looking for a place for religious events, renting a hall in a café ... and together with Sergey Kardakov ... and Alexei Berchuk held a religious meeting.\" In addition, the believer is charged with coordinating and carrying out preaching activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2021-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20210312","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov searches the apartment of 36-year-old Sergey Kardakov in the presence of witnesses: a soldier and two FSB operatives, Nikolai Korendov and Mikhail Panchuk. 2 mobile phones, a hard drive and a flash drive were seized from the believer and his wife. Obukhov issues a decision to bring Sergey Kardakov as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. (According to investigators, a peaceful believer, reading the Bible and praying to Jehovah, \"undermines the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state ... acting out of extremist motives.\") With regard to Sergey Kardakov, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200924","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. S. Obukhov is prosecuting 56-year-old Sergey Afanasyev as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A peaceful believer, the father of a minor child, is accused of \"anticipating the onset of socially dangerous consequences in the form of violation of rights and freedoms ... Person... depending on his religious affiliation... and wishing the onset of these socially dangerous consequences, acting from extremist motives,... He was directly involved in... religious events.\"\nAfanasyev is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200918","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Blagoveshchensk City Court authorizes a search in the home of Sergey Kardakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200915","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, an investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, charges 57-year-old local resident Adam Svarichevsky with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, the accused, together with Olshevsky and Yermilov, took an active part in the religious activities of the banned organization. The believer does not admit guilt. With regard to Svarichevskiy, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200910","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator refuses to satisfy the petitions of Yermilov and Olshevsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200604","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yermilov and Olshevsky submit petitions to the investigator to terminate the criminal case in connection with the opinion of the UN Working Group on the case of 18 believers in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2020-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20200527","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sberbank is blocking Yermilov's accounts, citing the law on countering the \"financing of terrorism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20191106","regions":["amur"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov is prosecuting Anton Olshevskiy as a defendant under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20191028","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Obukhov is prosecuting Sergey Yermilov as a defendant under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20191024","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Olshevsky signed a recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20191022","regions":["amur"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"V. S. Obukhov, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Amur Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Anton Olshevsky and Sergey Ermilov. According to investigators, Yermilov, together with Olshevsky, \"anticipating the onset of socially dangerous consequences, ... took a direct part in religious events.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20191021","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. S. Obukhov makes a decision on the separation of materials into separate proceedings on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the materials of criminal case No. 11807100001000051 (against Alexei Berchuk and Dmitry Golik).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20190919","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in the homes of believers. As a result, Galina Svarichevskaya is experiencing severe stress. She was hospitalized for a month, then for a long time she was forced to take medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2018-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20180720","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Blagoveshchensk City Court of the Amur Region, Oleg Filatov, issues search orders at three addresses: Sergey Afanasyev, Anton Olshevsky and Adam Svarichevsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2018-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20180717","regions":["amur"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to investigators, Yermilov, together with Olshevsky, \"anticipating the onset of socially dangerous consequences ... took a direct part in religious events.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Olshevskiy and Others in Blagoveshchensk","date":"2017-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/blagoveshchensk/index.html#20170801","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Almost a year after a series of searches in the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin, investigator A. M. Yakhtanigov separated the case against Kirill\u0026rsquo;s wife, Svetlana Gushchina, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Aksana Dominova, Svetlana Dubovkina and Olga Shulgina into separate proceedings. The women are suspected of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The case involves falsifications and planting of banned literature. In July 2021, searches took place in three more houses of believers, where the security forces were looking for new \u0026ldquo;evidence\u0026rdquo;.","date":"2021-04-28","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy3/index.html","prisoners":["dominova","dubovkina","gushchina","ortanova","shulgina"],"regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted in at least three homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Mayskoye. The security forces seize the personal belongings of believers, some are taken to the police station, and then released.\nArmed officers of the FSB and the Center for Countering Extremism, accompanied by riot police, witnesses and a forensic expert, have been searching the houses, garages and cars of believers since 7 a.m. One of the searches is attended by FSB investigator Sergei Svetikov, in whose actions against believers the Military Investigation Department for the Southern Military District had previously found signs of abuse of office. The search was authorized by the judge of the Maisky District Court, Ella Radikovna Khalishkhova, by a decree dated June 25, 2021. According to eyewitnesses of the search, it follows from the document presented by the security forces that special measures are being carried out in order to find dirt on the accused in the case of Zareta Ortanova.\nSearches last from 3 to 5 hours. Law enforcement officers seize Bibles translated by Macarius and Pavsky, the book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", bank cards, electronic devices and other media, including computers. On one of them, the believer has working documentation, without which he cannot fulfill his obligations to customers.\nOne of the FSB officers constantly asks provocative questions on religious topics. The 12-year-old daughter of one of the believers' families is in fear, because during the search the witness asks: \"Are you ready for new parents?\"\nIn the May police station, during a conversation, one of the detainees has a spasm of the vocal cords, and he talks to the investigator in a hoarse voice. Major Svetikov threatens to imprison the believer \"for clowning\", which he allegedly arranged. After several hours in police custody, the believers were released home, warned to wait for a summons to the Investigative Committee for further interrogation by investigator A. M. Yakhtanigov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy3/index.html#20210716","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search","plant","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Yakhtanigov separates from the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin a new criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against his wife, Svetlana Gushchina, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Svetlana Dubovkina, Olga Shulgina and Aksana Dominova. The accusation is based on the testimony of a secret witness \"Filatova\", who secretly made an audio recording of the services.\nThe investigator also singles out materials under Article 308 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact of refusing to testify and attracts 7 women and 2 men from Mayskoye under it - this is how he interprets the fact that they used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy3/index.html#20210428","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Kirill Gushchin, a series of searches are underway. Early in the morning, security forces break into the houses of believers. They plant literature from the list of extremist materials, after which they \"discover\" and seize it. Law enforcement officers also confiscate electronic devices, Bibles and personal records from believers.\nAksana Dominova's security forces are throwing literature into a vacuum cleaner box. The authorities do not allow her and her husband to get dressed, so they are forced to wear their underwear during the search.\nOlga Shulgina's house is home to her 85-year-old mother and 14-year-old granddaughter. The security forces plant banned literature in the children's room.\nAfter the searches, Kirill Gushchin and his wife Svetlana, as well as Zareta Ortanova, Aksana Dominova, Svetlana Dubovkina and Olga Shulgina are taken to the police and the Investigative Committee for interrogation. During interrogations, all believers use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves.\nReporting on the details of the incident, the women say that they experienced severe stress. In addition, brute physical force was used against their family members — the security forces wrung their hands and handcuffed them. \"I was scared... I lost heart and it began to seem to me that what was happening was not real and was not happening to me. There was an incomprehensible noise in my head, my heart beating as if it wanted to jump out. At that moment, I thought only about how not to lose consciousness, so that people who came would not take advantage of this again and throw something, \"recalls one of the believers. the investigator opened another criminal case under Article 308 of the Criminal Code against another believer, A. Kechkina, interpreting the right not to testify against herself during interrogations as a refusal to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy3/index.html#20200520","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search","plant","minors","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Atakayev, judge of the Maysky District Court of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, authorizes searches in the homes of Kirill Gushchin and his wife, as well as 60-year-old Zareta Ortanova, 50-year-old Aksana Dominova, 60-year-old Svetlana Dubovkina and 58-year-old Olga Shulgina.\nIn particular, the search warrant for Zareta Ortanova's house states that she is a Jehovah's Witness and \"together with other persons organizes the functioning of this cell, including by holding appropriate meetings and conducting propaganda work among the population, inducing people to participate [in] the illegal activities of the organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ortanova and others in Mayskoye","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mayskiy3/index.html#20200514","regions":["kabardino-balkar"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the Chechulin couple and Aleksey Ovchar for their faith. Later, Ovchar\u0026rsquo;s criminal case was made into a separate proceeding, and he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In October 2024, the investigation resumed: Ovchar was interrogated, and he was placed under a recognizance agreement. Already a month later, the case went to court. In February 2025, the court gave Aleksey a 6-year suspended sentence, and in April of the same year, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2022-09-25","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html","prisoners":["ovchar"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kamchatka Regional Court (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 52 Leninskaya Street). Start: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20250422","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I have not done anything harmful or dangerous either against the state or against people. If I had not been one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I would not be on trial now.\" Aleksey Ovchar makes his last speech in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20250224","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Aleksandr Kotkov. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court of the Kamchatka Territory (6 Kurchatov Street, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20250210","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Ovchar testifies in court. \"The indictment says that I was allegedly motivated by religious hatred ... But according to the results of investigative actions and examinations, nothing specific was found in my words and actions that could incite religious discord,\" the believer argues.\nThe believer asks the court to attach to the case file excerpts from documents of Russian and international organizations, which refute the arguments of the prosecution in the criminal nature of his actions. The court refuses, but allows the believer to read out the petition itself and use these materials in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20250120","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Assistant Prosecutor Yelena Smolyachenko, announcing the indictment, accuses Aleksey Ovchar of participating in 12 worship meetings. The defense states that Aleksey was present at only one of the twelve meetings, and there is no evidence of his illegal actions even at this meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20241219","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ovchar's case is submitted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court for consideration by Judge Alexander Kotkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20241112","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Mikhailov charges Aleksey Ovchar and interrogates him again.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20241016","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. V. Mikhailov resumes the investigation against Aleksey Ovchar. He is being questioned as a suspect and his wife as a witness in the case. The investigator takes a recognizance agreement from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20241015","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation of the criminal case of Oleksiy Ovchar has been suspended.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20231225","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksey Ovchar is separated from the case of Sergey and Yelena Chechulin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20231010","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ovchar is included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20230628","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory D. M. Petukhov initiates a criminal case against Aleksey Ovchar and the married couple Chechulin. According to the investigator, the unlawful actions were expressed in \"convening meetings, organizing collective religious speeches and services, in accordance with the ideology of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses at these meetings.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ovchar in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy3/index.html#20220925","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe3/index.html","prisoners":[],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Ovchinnikova in Knyaz-Volkonsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"Mariya Pankova faced criminal prosecution for her faith back in October 2021. Then the home of her and her husband, Sergey Tolokonnikov, was searched, after which he ended up in a pretrial detention center and later was sentenced to 5 years in a penal colony. In April 2025, when Sergey was 2 months away from his release, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Mariya, also under an article for extremism. Police officers took Mariya for interrogation, and a search was conducted in her apartment. She was placed under a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in June 2025. The verdict was given 5 months later: a fine of 500,000 rubles. The verdict stepped into force in March 2026.","date":"2025-04-22","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html","prisoners":["pankova"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"The verdict of Maria Pankova comes into force: the woman will have to pay a large fine for practicing her faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html#20260317","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mariya Pankova gives her final statement on the day of the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html#20251126","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mariya Pankova has developed severe pain in her spine. For several days, she has not been able to stand or even sit. The believer receives the necessary treatment.\nAt the same time, another tragedy occurred in the family of Mariya and Sergey: Sergey's mother died.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html#20251114","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are submitted to the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow. They will be considered by Judge Dmitriy Makarenkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html#20250630","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice Natalia Vikhareva, senior investigator of the Koptevsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, initiates a criminal case against Maria Pankova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pankova in Moscow","date":"2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow9/index.html#20250422","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2022, the family of Sergey Parfenovich, the father of six children, was raided by armed law enforcement officers. They searched the believer\u0026rsquo;s home for six hours in the presence of his minor daughter and elderly disabled father. After that, Parfenovich was detained and taken for interrogation to Simferopol. He spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility and 1.5 months in a pre-trial detention center, and then he was transferred to house arrest, which lasted 1.5 years. The case was investigated by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Parfenovich was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In March 2023, the same charge was brought against Yuriy Gerashchenko. He spent 2 days in a temporary detention center and almost 9 months under house arrest. In July 2023, the case went to court. A year later Sergey and Yuriy were sentenced to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. The appeal replaced the terms with real ones. This decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2022-09-19","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html","prisoners":["gerashchenko","parfyonovich"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"Letters with words of consolation help Yuriy Gerashchenko cope with the pain of loss.\nThe believer is kept in a barracks for 80 people. Yuri sleeps on the second bunk of the bed in the non-smoking section. The man often suffers from SARS, there is a suspicion of sinusitis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2026-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20260523","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Gerashchenko's wife, Irina, dies. Last summer, she was diagnosed with cancer. She needed constant care, but because of his imprisonment, her husband could not be near her and did not even have time to say goodbye. The couple were married for almost 24 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20260513","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is back in the cell-type facility. Since February 2025, he has been placed several times in a punishment cell, a cell-type facility and under strict conditions. During this time, he managed to stay in nearly every cell. The believer keeps fit by exercising. He remains emotionally balanced and cheerful.\nIn January, his personal copy of the Bible was returned to the believer. Recently, his wife and sons visited him in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2026-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20260215","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, Yuriy Gerashchenko adheres to a clear daily routine.\nHe works in the sewing industry, and on weekends he deals with household issues. Recently, Yuriy suffered a cold.\nThe believer is supported by reading the Bible and letters. Yuriy has the opportunity to get visits with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20260206","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar upholds the verdict and the appeal ruling — Parfenovich and Gerashchenko remain in penal colonies.\nThe convicted persons attend the hearing via videoconference. They ask the court to acquit them. Their wives, who speak at the hearing, as well as the believers' lawyer, motion for the same. Marina Parfenovich states: \"There is no malicious or criminal intent at all; there was no intent to cause socially dangerous consequences... there were no negative consequences for the citizens of the Krasnogvardeyskoye village or others. On the contrary, those who attended [the meeting for worship] behaved peacefully, friendly, no one said a bad word against any religion, authority or anyone else. It is a peaceful event that proves that there is no extremism among Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The court ignores these and other arguments.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20260120","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["cassation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is being held in a solitary confinement with another prisoner. It is hot in the room. Relations with a neighbor are conflict-free. Recently, he told Sergey that he had noticed changes for the better in himself - he had become kinder. He is surprised that the believer receives a large number of letters, reads them with Sergey's permission. The head of the colony admits that believers do not cause harm and problems; on the contrary, they have a positive effect on others.\nNot so long ago, Sergey was taken to the regional hospital for examination - he has a hereditary eye disease. The believer is also worried about back pain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20251130","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is still in a cell-type facility (CTF). The cell is relatively clean. From time to time he is transferred to a punishment cell.\nEvery day the believer is taken out for an hour to walk. He tries to stay fit and does exercises. Sergey receives his necessary medication weekly. In August, he was seen by an ophthalmologist — even before being placed in the penal colony he was diagnosed with the initial stage of cataracts. He was prescribed supportive therapy. The attitude toward Sergey from the administration and other prisoners is respectful.\nThe believer remains optimistic and maintains his sense of humor. He receives letters of support from all over the world and tries to reply to them. He calculated that the texts add up to about 20 kilometers during his time in CTF.\nSergey has a Synodal translation of the Bible from the library of the penal colony, but his own copy of the Holy Scriptures is still in the storage room. Recently, he had an extended visit from his wife and children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20251010","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich continues to be held under strict conditions. According to his wife, the penal colony staff comes up with formal pretexts for this every day. She says: \"It gets to the point where they ask Sergey take off his shirt, photograph him, and then use the picture as evidence of a violation.\"\nYuriy Gerashchenko is worried about the health of his wife, who has been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Now they have the opportunity to make calls regularly, which allows them to support each other.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250731","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is respected by both cellmates and prison staff for adhering to his beliefs and friendly attitude to everyone.\nOnce a month he can order groceries from the store in the penal colony. Due to a change in rations, Sergey has lost weight, and recently he has been suffering from allergies. He is concerned because he has been in a cell-type room for a long time, where walks and meals are limited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250608","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is in a PKT (cell-type room) - the colony administration found him a malicious violator on far-fetched grounds.\nAnother prisoner is being held in the cell with Parfenovich. Recently, the heating was turned off in the room, it became cool.\nSergey has a Bible, but it is very dilapidated. He receives letters of support, but he is worried that since his admission to the colony, he has not had any short or long visits with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250417","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is placed in a punishment cell for allegedly \"closing the surveillance camera,\" although, according to one eyewitness, the believer did not do this. In this regard, a meeting with his wife scheduled for March was disrupted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250310","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the SHIZO, Sergey is transferred to strict conditions of detention. There are two other prisoners in the cell with him. Together they keep clean and exercise.\nThe Bible has still not been returned to Sergey. Letters arrive, although with a delay. The believer has not yet received his personal belongings, food and medicines, which he had in his previous place in the barracks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250304","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For several weeks now, Yuriy Gerashchenko has been working as an adjuster of sewing equipment. In general, he likes this kind of work. In addition, the believer wants to apply to be trained in a new profession (there are two options available in the colony: a sewing master and a crane operator). Yuriy has a Bible, letters come regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250221","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For all the time that Sergey Parfenovich has been in the penal colony, he has been given only one letter. The believer was also not allowed to take his personal copy of the Bible.\nSergey considers the conditions of detention acceptable: he has everything he needs and does not need anything in terms of everyday life. The food in the colony is not very good, but the believer does not lose optimism in this either: he says that he is \"glad to have the opportunity to lose the extra pounds that he gained during house arrest.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250210","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Gerashchenko is in penal colony No. 12 in the Volgograd region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-01-22T08:40:58+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250122","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich is in penal colony No. 8 in the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-01-21T14:34:31+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250121","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Gerashchenko is in penal colony No. 9 in the Volgograd region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2025-01-03T17:32:01+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20250103","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Parfenovich and Yuriy Gerashchenko are in the process of transferring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-12-25T14:06:26+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20241225","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Siarhei Parfenovich is still in quarantine and is awaiting transfer to a cell. He's sick, but he has medication. He is supported by regular Bible reading. Relations with other prisoners are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20241010","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that after the appeal, the believers were placed in the Simferopol pre-trial detention center No. 1. They can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20241008","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements, emphasizing the inconsistency of the accusation against them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240626","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting room is overcrowded. Among the 19 people who came for support, there are 6 children of Sergei Parfenovich, as well as the couple of the older children and the wives of the defendants.\nThe closing arguments are taking place. The defense repeatedly reminds that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nThe prosecutor asks to appoint Sergey Parfenovich and Yuriy Gerashchenko to 7 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240620","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The material evidence seized from Yuriy Gerashchenko is being examined. The defense draws attention to the fact that these materials do not relate to the activities of the LRO, their dates go beyond the scope of the charge, and some of them do not belong to the defendant.\nThe court does not satisfy the petition of Parfenovich's defense to exclude material evidence from the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240508","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the material evidence seized from Sergei Parfenovich. Among them are a printed excerpt from the book of the prophet Isaiah, notebooks with personal notes of members of the Parfenovich family and their family photo archive, Bibles in different translations. Sergey Parfenovich declares: \"All this only confirms that my family and I are believers, Jehovah's Witnesses. Therefore, I ask the court to recognize these evidence as inadmissible evidence.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240425","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's request to declare the conclusion of an expert religious scholar inadmissible evidence, but satisfies the request for the examination of material evidence.\nJudge Shukalsky allows Sergey Parfenovich, who is under house arrest, to visit doctors without hindrance for medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240423","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea rejects Sergey Parfenovich's appeal to extend the term of house arrest and leaves this measure of restraint in force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240404","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends the measure of restraint to Sergey Parfenovich - he has been under house arrest for more than 500 days.\nA new examination is announced. The defense is given time to familiarize itself with it until April 18.\nDocuments from the case materials are examined: Parfenovich's diplomas, characteristics from the deputy and neighbors, certificates of care for a disabled person of group I (the father of the believer) and the presence of six children in Sergey.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240328","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion to exclude the examination of Vladimir Rohatin from the case file: \"The expert starts from the testimony of the imaginary witness Ivanov I.I., assuming that this is a reliable source of information. However, the court has not yet assessed the testimony of this witness for their admissibility and reliability, and therefore the testimony and conclusions of the expert in this part cannot be recognized as admissible and proper.\nThe defense also draws attention to significant contradictions between Ivanov's written and oral testimony. For example, during interrogation by the investigator, Ivanov allegedly gave the full name and address of residence of each founder of the LRO \"Jehovah's Witnesses of the village. Krasnogvardeyskoye\", but in court he could not name any of them at least by name. In addition, in court, Ivanov stated that he was not familiar with the charter of the LRO and could not explain what the abbreviation \"LRO\" meant, whereas in the interrogation protocol he freely operated with this and other specific terms from the text of the charter.\nThe court satisfies the defense's petition to exclude the examination from the case file and appoints a re-examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240208","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Rogatin, associate professor of the Department of Religious Studies of Kazan Federal University, who performed the examination, which was discussed at the last meeting, is being interrogated. The expert answers many questions of the defense evasively. For example, it cannot explain the difference between a legal entity and a religious group.\nThe defense asks how the expert determined that the record of worship provided to him was a meeting of a liquidated legal entity. He replies that he was guided by \"personal conviction.\" Rohatyn adds that the worship services of believers are similar to those that were held before the liquidation of legal entities, which means that this is a continuation of the activities of the banned organization.\nPublic defender Marina Parfenovich draws the court's attention to the fact that the expert, in fact, relied in his conclusions only on the testimony of a secret witness Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich, who is neither a religious scholar nor an expert.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20240122","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes the measure of restraint for Yuriy Gerashchenko from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. Sergei Parfenovich's house arrest is extended, he is filing an appeal.\nThe 6th and 7th volumes of the case materials are being examined. A disc with an audio recording of the service is listened to. The defense draws the court's attention to the peaceful atmosphere and the absence of calls for extremism. Also, the voice of the defendant Gerashchenko is not heard on the recording.\nWhen examining the examination from the 7th volume of the case, the defense draws attention to the fact that the examination was started 5 days before notifying the defendants of its appointment, which did not allow them to participate in the selection of an expert institution. The defense also draws attention to the expert's unscientific approach: he refers to incompetent sources from the Internet and forms a negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, calling it extremist. In addition, the expert assesses the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20231220","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a prosecution witness. The woman states that she does not know the defendants and cannot tell anything about the circumstances of their case. The prosecutor requests that the written testimony of the witness be read out in court. The defense objected: the judicial interrogation made it obvious that the witness was ignorant, so there is reason to believe that she gave written testimony from someone else's words. However, the court reads out the record of her interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20231009","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the lawyer's request for admission as a public defender of Yuriy Gerashchenko's wife, Irina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20231004","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is requesting the admission of Sergey's wife, Marina Parfenovich, as a public defender and the admission of listeners to the courtroom. The prosecutor does not object, the court satisfies all petitions.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment, after which Parfenovich expresses his attitude to the charges. He pleaded not guilty as he did not commit any criminal acts.\nAbout 50 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230915","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing in the case of Yuriy Gerashchenko and Sergey Parfenovich is underway. The believers file a petition to terminate the criminal case. The judge rejects it.\nState prosecutor L. E. Abselyamova asks the defendants to change the measure of restraint in view of the information received from the FSB that Parfenovich and Gerashchenko allegedly \"continue to engage in criminal activities and can threaten witnesses.\" The defense objects, since this information is not confirmed by anything.\nJudge Valentin Shukalsky sends Gerashchenko and Parfenovich back under house arrest until October 3, 2023. The defense intends to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230728","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants are released from house arrest, now they are prohibited from certain actions. Gerashchenko and Parfenovich cannot leave their homes from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and they are also forbidden to leave the village without the consent of the executive authority and to communicate with witnesses in a criminal case.\nThe Krasnogvardeysky District Court imposes restrictions until October 3.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230712","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko goes to court and is referred to judge Valentin Shukalsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230703","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kyiv District Court of Simferopol elects Yuriy Gerashchenko a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for a period of 27 days - until April 18, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230324","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces are detaining 43-year-old Yuriy Gerashchenko. He spends three days in the Dzhankoy temporary detention facility in connection with administrative arrest, after which he is taken away for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. One of the employees takes pictures of what is happening on a smartphone, and the other in the car, according to the believer, hits him in the side.\nGerashchenko's interrogation ends at about 2 a.m., after which he is taken to the Simferopol temporary detention facility. He is charged with Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20230322","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","ivs","siloviks-violence","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Sergey Parfenovich from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. The believer is released in the courtroom. When choosing a measure of restraint, the court takes into account Sergey's characteristic, as well as the fact that he takes care of his elderly father, a disabled person of group I.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20221115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kievsky District Court of Simferopol issues an order to detain Sergey Parfenovich until November 19, 2022. The believer is accused of \"committing an intentional grave crime of an extremist nature.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2022-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20220930","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice V. A. Novikov, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the First Investigation Department of the First Investigation Department of the Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, initiates a criminal case against Sergey Parfenovich and other unidentified persons on charges of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Parfenovich and Gerashchenko in Krasnogvardeyskoye","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnogvardeyskoe/index.html#20220919","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksey Pasynkov, a resident of Stavropol, who, together with his wife, is raising a child with a disability. The believer was suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. Several waves of searches took place at Aleksey, his relatives, as well as other believers. The criminal prosecution of Pasynkov is connected with other cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Karachay-Cherkessia, including the case against Irina Perefiliyeva. In November 2023, the case went to court, and in March-June 2024, it was twice referred to judges for new trials. In July 2024, a criminal case was initiated under part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against the couple of Aleksey, Yuliya, and his mother, Tatyana. In January 2025, the court found Aleksey guilty and sentenced him to 6 years suspended sentence.","date":"2022-12-08","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html","prisoners":["pasynkov"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Any healthy society learns from the mistakes of the past.\" Aleksey Pasynkov makes his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20250116","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Aleksey Pasynkov to 6.5 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20241216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Pasynkov notes a negative trend in judicial practice: \"Any connection with Jehovah's Witnesses, unfortunately, is interpreted as a crime. The mere mention that a person belongs to a given religion is used to initiate operational-search activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20241031","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witness Leonid Petrov, who is confused about the issue of acquaintance with the defendant. Aleksey Pasynkov himself says that he does not know this man and his testimony is a lie.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20241016","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB searches Aleksey's house, this time in a case against his wife, Yulia. On the same day, a search is carried out at the home of his mother, against whom a criminal case has also been opened.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240809","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Khasanov initiates criminal cases against the couple of Aleksey, Yulia, and his mother, Tatyana , under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses continues. Among them is Ilya Klimenko, an FSB operative who took part in the search of Alexei Pasynkov's house. It describes the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, but does not mention any specific illegal actions of the believer.\nAnother witness states that she has never seen the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240717","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Examination of prosecution witnesses. They either do not explain anything, or speak from someone else's words, agreeing that these are rumors.\nOne of the witnesses states that he made a video recording of the services and handed the materials over to law enforcement officers. However, he cannot confirm the participation of Aleksey Pasynkov in meetings of believers after 2017.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240710","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court granted two petitions of Aleksey Pasynkov: on the admission of a lawyer and on ensuring access to justice. According to the latter, listeners are allowed to attend the trial.\nAleksey Pasynkov expresses his attitude to the charge brought against him: \"In the indictment, religious lectures, discussion of religious topics, meetings for worship, discussion of the Holy Scriptures, maintaining contact with fellow believers are listed as imputed to me... Any religion, by its very nature, presupposes algorithms of spiritual interaction of believers with each other. Otherwise, such a religion will simply cease to exist.\"\nAleksey's lawyer, speaking with an attitude to the prosecution, draws attention to the fact that the indictment does not contain a specific description of what manifestations of extremism, when and under what circumstances his client committed, what statements or quotes of an extremist nature he uttered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240701","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is again transferred to another judge, Galina Evsegneeva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240626","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is being transferred to another judge, Ida Uzdenova, in connection with the death of Judge Chomaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240318","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20240130","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Pasynkov's relatives are being searched again in connection with another criminal case, Svetlana Ogoreva. Bibles, personal records and electronic devices are seized from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20231228","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the believer's request for the admission of a defense counsel to participate in the proceedings along with a lawyer.\nIn addition to the participants of the process, there are 15 listeners in the hall.\nProsecutor Azamat Adzhiyev reads out the indictment. Alexei Pasynkov reads out his attitude to the charges, without admitting guilt in extremism.\nA witness is being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20231214","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Urup District Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. It will be considered by judge Rustam Chomaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20231101","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces come with a search to two more residents of the village of Kardonikskaya. According to the women, law enforcement officers threaten one of them with forced hospitalization in a neuropsychiatric dispensary.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20230405","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the village of Kardonikskaya at the home of Alexei Pasynkov's brothers and mother. It starts at 10 am and lasts 2 hours. It is conducted by five people. During the search, the security forces behave aggressively, scattering things around the apartment. Against the background of stress, a woman has an attack, she calls an ambulance. Phones and computers are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20230331","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Pasynkov's apartment in Stavropol is being searched again. It starts at 7 am and lasts an hour and a half. It is carried out by the FSB operative for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic Ivan Klimenko, the specialist of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Stavropol Territory, detective Vitaly Dobrovolsky, as well as Major Azat Dzhamturiev, who searched the Pasynkovs in 2021. Law enforcement officers are looking for \"objects and documents confirming illegal activities\" of Alexei Pasynkov, but as a result they do not seize anything.\nAfter the search, Alexei and his wife are taken to the police department of the Oktyabrsky district of Stavropol for a conversation with a police officer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20230303","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Ionov, senior investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, initiates a criminal case against Aleksey Pasynkov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the decision to initiate the case, Pasynkov, among other things, \"organized and maintained contacts with persons professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including those living in other regions of the Russian Federation; attracted to participate in the activities of a religious association ... Perefiliev I. A. and unidentified persons ... was the initiator and had an advantage in determining the course of worship, directed the actions of other persons present at the services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2022-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20221208","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pasynkovs are summoned for interrogation as witnesses in the criminal case against Irina Perefilieva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20220221","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being carried out in the apartment of Alexei Pasynkov in Stavropol, as well as at his brothers in the village of Mednogorsky (Karachay-Cherkessia). The search of Alexei's house is led by police major Azat Dzhamturiev, an operative for the Department of Internal Affairs of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. Around 8:30 a.m., the believer is picked up from his place of work and taken home. At Alexei's request, the security forces allow his wife to go outside with her disabled child so as not to disturb him. According to law enforcement officers, the search is being conducted in connection with a criminal case against another believer. The man's phone is seized. After the search, the security forces took Aleksey back to his place of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pasynkov in Mednogorskiy","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy3/index.html#20211123","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2025, in Zvenigorod near Moscow, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against an elderly man, Aleksandr Paysov, accusing him of participating in the activities of a banned organization. Following searches and interrogations, a court ordered the believer to be placed in pre‑trial detention, leaving his elderly mother — a woman with a disability — without her son’s support.","date":"2025-10-12","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html","prisoners":["paysov"],"regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr's cellmates smoke, which makes him feel worse. His requests to be transferred to a non-smoking cell remain unanswered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260530","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Paysov maintains his sense of humor and tries to support those around him. The believer does not have a Bible yet. His main concern is the well-being of his sick, elderly mother, who is completely dependent on her son's care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260124","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Paisov is in a cell for 6 people. He exercises every day. After the national holidays, the believer was given 50 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2026-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20260122","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Odintsovo City Court Mikhail Ponimatkin chooses detention as a restriction measure for Aleksandr Paisova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Paysov in Zvenigorod","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zvenigorod/index.html#20251211","regions":["moscow_obl"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, the home of Vasilina Penskaya in Berezanskaya and that of her mother, Yelena Rumyantseva, in Vyselki, Krasnodar Territory, were searched. After 1 year and 4 months, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Vasilina for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. She and her husband, Dmitriy, were interrogated and later released, but Vasilina was placed under a recognizance agreement. Her bank accounts were blocked. In December 2023, the case went to court. The case includes the testimony of a secret witness who collaborated with the FSB by making covert audio and video recordings of meetings for worship. In July 2025 the court issued a guilty verdict against Vasilina — a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-23","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html","prisoners":["penskaya"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Freedom of conscience is a fundamental human right. My choice of faith is my personal choice, and it does not pose a threat to society.\" Vasilina Penskaya makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250731","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I believe that the prosecution failed to prove not only the corpus delicti in Penskaya's actions, but also that a crime was actually committed,\" the lawyer says in her closing arguments. She notes that the prosecution did not cite a single statement \"falling under the concept of extremism\" and based its line of reasoning on a few phrases taken out of context.\nThe lawyer also mentioned the position of the ECHR, which has repeatedly pointed out that the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses is nothing less than repression for faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250728","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a 2-year suspended sentence for the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250718","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defense's motion to exclude the expert examination from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250318","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the exclusion of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic, religious and author's examination from the case materials in connection with violations of the Criminal Procedure Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250225","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor's office, investigator Roman Latysh is interrogated. The defense is interested in how he was able to listen to 63 hours of meetings for worship in 2 hours and draw up a 300-page protocol. During the interrogation, it turns out that the investigator copied data from similar cases against believers in Vyselki.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20250128","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret prosecution witness under the pseudonym Pastor, whose testimony appears in the cases of several other Jehovah's Witnesses from the village of Vyselki, is being interrogated. He does not know the defendant Penskaya personally and cannot confirm the fact of her presence at meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20241028","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines religious and linguistic expertise.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20240506","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer submits an oral motion on the inadmissibility of disclosing and examining the testimony of Vitaly Ushakov, Valery Vechkaev and Vladimir Kolesnikov, who are in another case. The prosecution asks for time to prepare.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20240418","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out written evidence, including transcripts of worship services. The prosecutor begins to read out the protocols of interrogations of the defendants from the Ushakov case. Lawyers object, because they are not witnesses in the case of Penskaya. The court will announce the decision to exclude these protocols from the case file at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20240229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the motion to join the cases.\nThe court reads out the indictment, which states that Penskaya \"took a direct part in religious teaching and sermons,\" \"conducted and listened to lectures based on the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" and \"entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants.\"\nThe indictment was based, among other things, on the testimony of a man under the pseudonym Shepherd, who since June 2022 had been collaborating with the FSB and making covert audio and video recordings of Jehovah's Witnesses worship services.\n\"I do not plead guilty and I believe that the charge against me is illegal,\" says Vasilina Penskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20240213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits of the case begin.\nSeven believers, including Vasilina, whose cases are being heard in the Vyselkovsky District Court, file a petition to merge their cases into one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20240130","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Roman Teplukhin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20231229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vasilina Penskaya was charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and she was charged with a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20230718","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator, senior lieutenant of justice Roman Latysh interrogates Penskaya and her husband.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against Penskaya under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The believer's bank accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20230523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The house of Vasilina Penskaya and her husband Dmitry is being searched on the basis of the decision of the investigator A. A. Garmash. Bank cards, laptops and phones are confiscated from the believer. Law enforcement officers are interested in the religion of the young woman, and also ask if she is familiar with the names they voiced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Penskaya in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki5/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2021, in the village of Mednogorskiy, FSB officers conducted inspections in the apartments of local believers, including Irina Perefileva\u0026rsquo;s. In November 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her for involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. The next day, her apartment was searched. In the same month, Perefileva was also charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In November 2022, the case went to court. The key witness for the prosecution stated that she herself asked Irina to discuss the Bible with her. At the same time, she said that she had not heard any calls for any illegal activity from the believer. In August 2023, the judge gave Irina Perefileva a 5.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2021-11-22","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html","prisoners":["perefileva"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I am convinced that I am in the dock not for a crime, but for my faith,\" Irina Perefilieva speaks with her last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230818","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Aleksandr Demenkov asks for punishment for Irina Perefilieva. He takes into account the absence of aggravating circumstances in the case and asks the court to impose a 4-year suspended sentence on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230731","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, the witness with whom Irina talked about the Bible is re-interrogated. She says that there were no calls against the authorities from Perefilieva. The woman also states that she did not keep a record of Bible classes on the instructions of the FSB. At the same time, the defense believes that the opposite follows from the audio recordings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230719","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge reports that a letter has been received from Germany from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses asking them not to punish Irina Perefilieva for her faith. Answering a question from the court, the believer says that she does not know this family. The letter is attached to the case.\nFurther, Irina partially examines the 1st and 2nd volumes. The judge interrupts her, and Irina proceeds to read out her written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230621","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Recordings of conversations on biblical topics of Irina Perefilieva with a woman, on the basis of whose testimony the believer was searched, are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230523","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning three prosecution witnesses. They cannot say anything on the merits of Irina Perefilieva's case.\nThe next witness is FSB officer Ilya Klimenko, who participated in the search of the home of another believer from Mednogorsky, Aleksey Pasynkov. He talks about what was found during the searches, about wiretapping and about examinations. When asked by Irina if there is evidence that she involved a woman interested in the Bible in the activities of the organization with the help of materials sent for examination, she does not receive a clear answer. The judge makes a remark to Irina not to ask such questions.\nIn turn, the above-mentioned woman says that she herself asked Irina to study the Bible with her, because she wanted to get rid of psychological problems.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20230213","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina expresses her attitude to the accusation: \"Joint discussion of creeds, prayer and worship is a common practice for many denominations, the spread of faith or preaching is a distinctive feature of Christianity.\" The defendant notes that criminal prosecution for such actions \"without establishing at least one sign of extremism - and not a single such fact is cited in the present charge - is illegal.\"\nConcluding her speech, the believer asks the court: \"How, while remaining one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, can I enjoy the rights provided for by [Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation]? In what ways can I express my beliefs and in what ways can I not? What do I have the right to do and what should I avoid in order to remain a believer but not suffer criminal punishment?\"\nFriends come to support Irina. Although the hearing is held in an open mode, none of them are allowed into the courtroom, citing covid restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2022-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20221206","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Urup District Court of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. Ida Uzdenova is appointed as a judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20221109","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Perefilieva is charged with a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2022-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20221015","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Sh. Uzdenov issues a decision to initiate a criminal case against Irina Perefilieva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The ruling states that the believer \"shared the goals and objectives\" of the local religious organization, and also \"voluntarily took part in its activities.\"\nThe believer is accused of not stopping believing in Jehovah God from 2017 to 2019, but, on the contrary, continued to \"organize meetings, services, congresses of Jehovah's Witnesses\", carried out \"recruiting conversations\" and \"preaching activities\", conducted \"classes to study the basics of religious activity and religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20211129","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Perefilieva's home is being searched, which is led by R. P. Ebzeev, a police lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the KChR.\nThe basis for the search is the statement of a woman well known to Irina, who was allegedly involved in the activities of a religious organization. According to the believer, this woman herself tracked down Irina and asked for a Bible study. She told Perefilieva that in her youth she communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20211123","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the KChR, Colonel of Justice Andreyuk A.V. initiates a criminal case against Irina Perefilieva under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation believes that while talking to people about the Bible and God, the believer committed \"recruitment, persuasion and other involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nAlso, investigator Andreyuk makes a decision to search Svetlana Gergokova. The search takes place early in the morning and lasts less than an hour.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20211122","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Mednogorskoye, FSB officers conduct surveys of at least three apartments of believers, including the apartment of Irina Perefilieva. Investigative actions are carried out even before the initiation of a criminal case, which is unacceptable under the law.\nDuring the 3-hour event, Irina's mother becomes ill. Security forces seize electronic devices, data carriers, personal records and Bibles in various translations from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2021-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20210109","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Supreme Court of the KCR Islam Gerbekov issues an order to examine the homes of civilians in the village of Mednogorsky in order to \"identify the facts of involvement in the activities of the banned organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Perefileva in Mednogorskiy","date":"2020-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy2/index.html#20201230","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of July 2022, the investigation initiated a criminal case against Sergey Petrenko, a resident of Gorno-Altaysk. The materials were separated from the case against another believer, Aleksandr Kalistratov. In December 2022, the case went to court and was then transferred three times to new judges for retrial. After 1.5 years of hearings, the court gave Petrenko a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation. Courts of appeal and cassation upheld that decision.","date":"2022-07-28","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html","prisoners":["petrenkos"],"regions":["altai"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation in Kemerovo upheld the court decision against Sergey Petrenko - 4 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 3 years. In his cassation appeal, the believer noted: \"During the trial, it was reliably established that [his] actions were in fact nothing more than a peaceful manifestation of his attitude towards religion, for which, as the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation emphasized, criminal liability is excluded.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2025-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20250521","regions":["altai"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Petrenko gives his last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2024-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20240625","regions":["altai"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness states that his affidavit contains falsifications: the investigator added names that were not mentioned during the interrogation.\nAnother prosecution witness notes that communication with Jehovah's Witnesses helped her elderly relative cope with the pain of loss due to the death of her husband.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2024-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20240621","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications","disabled"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One woman does not corroborate the testimony given during the investigation. She says she didn't sign them because they didn't match her words.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20240517","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the change of employment of Judge Artur Shatin, the case is transferred to Elena Usoltseva for reconsideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2024-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20240312","regions":["altai"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people come to the courthouse, six are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the written evidence in the criminal case, reading out only the titles of the documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20231122","regions":["altai"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"8 prosecution witnesses are interrogated, and their written testimony is read out from the case file. One of them says he does not know the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20230901","regions":["altai"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the resignation of Judge Dmitry Gorbachev, the case is transferred to Artur Shatin for reconsideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20230724","regions":["altai"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Paronov reads out the indictment. Sergey Petrenko expresses disagreement and does not admit his guilt. Judge Dmitry Gorbachev does not allow Petrenko to announce his attitude to the charges.\nThe prosecutor summons five witnesses for questioning, two of whom do not confirm their written statements given during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20230401","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the preliminary hearing, Judge Dmitry Gorbachev attaches motions to refuse a lawyer, to return the case to the prosecutor and to exclude evidence obtained in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\nThe court does not allow the accused to refuse a lawyer, and also refuses to return the case to the prosecutor and recognize some of the evidence of the prosecution as inadmissible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20230101","regions":["altai"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator takes Sergey Petrenko's recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20221207","regions":["altai"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Petrenko is charged, he is immediately acquainted with the materials of the case and it goes to the Maiminsky District Court of the Altai Republic. The case materials consist of 7 volumes. Volumes 2-6 are identical to the volumes of the Kalistratov case (they are copies).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20221201","regions":["altai"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation opened a criminal case against Sergey Petrenko under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the basis of the case materials against another believer, Aleksandr Kalistratov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Petrenko in Gorno-Altaysk","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gorno-altaysk2/index.html#20220728","regions":["altai"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, security officers conducted a search at the home of Albert Pilshchikov in Cheboksary. More than five years later, a criminal case was opened against the believer under an extremism-related charge, and he was placed in a pre-trial detention center. Eight days later, the measure of restraint was changed to house arrest.","date":"2026-03-06","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html","prisoners":["pilshchikov"],"regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","type":"cases"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260521","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Chuvash Republic releases Albert Pilshchikov from the pre-trial detention center and places him under house arrest. He is required to wear an electronic tracking bracelet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260313","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pilshchikov does not have a Bible, but he is supported by letters that come from caring people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260310","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Moskovsky District Court of Cheboksary Sergey Kuryshev chooses a restriction measure against Pilshchikov in the form of detention. The investigation considers meeting friends to read the Bible and discuss Bible teachings \"criminal activity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260307","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB, Major of Justice D. V. Baranov, opened a criminal case against Pilshchikov. The believer is charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization for participating in peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2026-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20260306","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in the home of Albert Pilshchikov in Cheboksary.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2020-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20201127","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninskiy District Court of Cheboksary Aleksandr Stepanov gives permission to search Albert Pilshchikov's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pilshchikov in Cheboksary","date":"2020-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cheboksary2/index.html#20201126","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 2009, Vladimir Melnik, a father of three from Oryol, has been keeping a record of pressure, threats and provocations from the FSB. In December 2020, his home was invaded by armed law enforcement officers. Vladimir Piskarev and Artur Putintsev were also detained. The believers were placed in a pretrial detention center, and their names were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In January 2022, the case went to court. During the hearings, it became evident that Piskarev’s apartment had been wiretapped; these audio recordings formed the basis of the charge. In the pretrial detention center, his health deteriorated suddenly — he suffered a stroke and more than one hypertensive crisis. Nevertheless, the preventive measure was not eased neither for him, nor Melnik nor Putintsev. In October 2023, the court sentenced the three believers to 6 years in a penal colony. In March 2024 the court of appeal upheld the verdict. This decision was upheld by the court of cassation in February 2025. In April of the same year, the believers were released, having completely served their sentence.","date":"2020-12-08","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html","prisoners":["melnikvl","piskarev","putintsevar"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov upholds the decision of the Court of Appeal and leaves the believers in a penal colony. Their sentences will be fully served in April 2025. Convicts and lawyers participate in the hearing via video conferencing.\nThe judicial board ignores the arguments of the defense and the convicts about numerous procedural violations in the appeal (violation of the right of the defense to present and examine evidence, lack of evaluation of evidence that was examined by the court of first instance, etc.), as well as about the absence of illegality, public danger, intent to commit a crime and the motive of hatred and enmity in the actions of believers.\nArtur Putintsev is perplexed: \"I live in the village of Bunino in the Oryol region, around me within a radius of 40 km there is complete devastation and poverty - what could I destroy there? In fact, a group of people fabricated this criminal case motivated by hatred on religious grounds. How could my talk about Abraham, the city of your, the Euphrates River, God's covenant with Abraham be perceived as extremism?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20250211","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volodymyr Melnyk continues to receive letters through the zonatelecom system. He is also given registered letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20241010","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony where Uladzimir Melnik is now held, the conditions of detention are good. The attitude of other prisoners towards him is respectful. Due to the stress suffered during the transfer, Vladimir regularly has back pain. In order not to provoke new exacerbations, the man uses a warming ointment and does therapeutic exercises. Letters of support serve as great encouragement for Vladimir. So far, he receives them only in electronic form.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20241002","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Melnik was transferred to a correctional colony in Kirovo-Chepetsk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240912","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev works in a sewing workshop. He is engaged in cutting fabric for overalls and aprons. The believer receives the food he needs in parcels or buys food in the colony's store. On the part of the administration, the attitude towards him is good, his rights are not violated. Arthur has a Bible. He receives letters of support.\nOn the badge of Vladimir Melnik there is a sign of preventive registration as an extremist - a green stripe. In general, the believer enjoys the respect of the colony staff and other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240714","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Piskarev arrived at penal colony No. 5 in the Kaluga region. He is quarantined, he feels satisfied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240614","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Artur Putintsev arrived at correctional colony No. 5 in the Oryol region, where he will serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240521","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Melnik arrives at a penal colony in the Tambov region to serve the remainder of his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240517","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Piskaryov, Artur Putintsev and Vladimir Melnik left SIZO-1 in the Oryol region. They are transferred to a colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2024-05-14T14:25:18+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20240514","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Piskarev, Artur Putintsev and Vladimir Melnik deliver their closing remarks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20231002","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev feels fine. There are 3 other people in the cell with him. The believer's relations with them and the administration are benevolent.\nPutintsev has a Bible. He regularly receives letters from different countries. Prisoners are surprised that Arthur is written by people he does not know personally.\nThe conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center are not easy, but the believer retains his presence of mind and tries to support others in word and deed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230630","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor continues to present material evidence - audio files secretly recorded in Vladimir Piskaryov's apartment. On the recording, the believer, rehearsing his speech, 7 times pronounces aloud a public lecture on the topic \"Why God allows suffering and how it will be ended.\" The court listens to it to the end.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230518","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Melnik was transferred to another building, where the conditions of detention are much worse. The request to transfer back to the believer was denied.\nAccording to the prisoners, the administration of the pre-trial detention center has practically ceased to provide clean bed linen.\nArtur Putintsev feels well, there are no complaints about his health. Relations with cellmates are normal. The believer regularly receives parcels and letters, which, according to him, give him strength.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230517","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 11 listeners in the meeting room. The state prosecutor continues to present material evidence: 8 audio files of secret recordings made in Vladimir Piskaryov's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230510","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artur Putintsev, Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev are still in the pre-trial detention center in the city of Orel. They say that during their trips to court hearings, they were no longer given dry rations.\nBelievers try to treat everyone kindly. Vladimir Piskarev maintains a positive attitude, always strives to occupy himself with something, for which his cellmates praise him. Other prisoners say of Vladimir Melnik: \"By communicating with him, you want to become a better person.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20230330","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits three defendants who have been imprisoned in the Oryol pre-trial detention center for two years.\nArtur Putintsev says that he faced a serious shock: his 32-year-old younger brother died. In addition, Artur worries that the medical unit does not provide him with the necessary medicines, and also does not provide the necessary dental care.\nThere are three young people in the cell with Vladimir Melnik. All of them treat him with great respect. Before his departure, the cellmate presented Vladimir with a portrait of his wife, Irina, made by one of the prisoners from a photograph to order.\nDuring this time, Vladimir Piskarev has already changed several cameras. The administration of the pre-trial detention center regularly provides the believer with visits from his wife. Vladimir maintains a positive attitude. He says, \"With God, all things can be overcome.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20221207","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir Piskarev is in the regional hospital due to an acute attack of pancreatitis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220907","regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The proceedings are resumed in the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Orel, since the Judicial Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation refuses to change the territorial jurisdiction of the criminal case of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220818","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal is filed with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation against the decision of the First Court of Cassation of May 5, 2022 to refuse to change the territorial jurisdiction of the criminal case. In the complaint, the lawyers refer to the linguistic opinion of the candidate of philological sciences (linguist), which indicates the subjectivity and emotional coloring of the text of the article on the website of the Oryol Regional Court, which called the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses \"not so harmless\", which does not meet the standards of judicial ethics.\nThe defense continues to petition for the transfer of the case materials of the believers to the Left Bank District Court of the city of Voronezh, emphasizing the bias of the Oryol judicial system towards Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the evidence, the defense also cites a publication in the media, where it is reported that the Oryol Regional Court left one of the believers in custody 11 days before the official court hearing on this issue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220602","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held in the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction.\nThe believers' lawyer is filing a petition for questioning a linguist about the information published on the website of the Oryol Regional Court containing a negative assessment of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Judge Natalia Klimenko does not grant this request and refuses to transfer the case of three Jehovah's Witnesses from Oryol to a court in another region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220505","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Tishkova decides to transfer the case to the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction for consideration of the defense's petition to change the territorial jurisdiction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220411","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the anti-COVID restrictions on the admission of listeners to the courtroom have been lifted, 15 people are present at the meeting.\nThe defense again requests that the case be transferred to a court in another region due to serious doubts about the objectivity of both the Oryol Regional Court and the lower Sovetsky District Court of Oryol in the consideration of cases of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe defense asks to transfer the consideration of this petition to a higher court - the First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction, located in Saratov, and the consideration of the case - outside the Oryol region - to the Left Bank District Court of Voronezh. As an argument, the defense cites the fact that the personal circumstances and serious illnesses of the defendants were ignored over and over again, and the purpose of the court was \"to preserve the favor of law enforcement agencies and, above all, the FSB, and not to administer justice.\"\nAmong the facts of restriction of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses by the judicial system of the Oryol region, the lawyer cites violations of the Soviet and Zheleznodorozhny district courts of the Oryol region in cases against the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses and specific believers.\nThe judge postpones the decision on the petition until April 11.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220330","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Melnik, Artur Putintsev and Vladimir Piskarev in the pre-trial detention center. All three report that they are in satisfactory condition. Believers receive letters of support and have the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220329","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. The defense is petitioning for the disqualification of all judges of the Sovetsky District Court of Oryol \"in view of the long-standing punitive practice against Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The reason for doubts about the impartiality of judges is an article published on the website of the Oryol Regional Court in June 2017, which gives a negative assessment of Jehovah's Witnesses in general. In this regard, the defender asks to transfer the case for consideration to the court of another region, but the judge refuses.\nThe judge also rejects the request of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220217","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the three believers is being submitted to the Sovetsky District Court of the city of Oryol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20220131","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of Russia for the Oryol Region charges Melnik, Piskarev and Putintsev with organizing the activities of an extremist organization under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIt also becomes known that during the investigation of this criminal case, the investigation separates criminal cases against 4 more people suspected of extremist activity into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20211028","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits believers in the pre-trial detention center. Vladimir Melnyk reports that he has received the Bible in the Modern Translation and more than 3,200 letters, many of which he does not have time to answer.\nIn the criminal case of believers, 43 examinations were appointed. Artur Putintsev is the only one whom the investigator acquainted with the 8 examinations carried out. Artur is in a cell with smokers and asks the administration of the pre-trial detention center to change this situation.\nVladimir Piskarev was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. However, according to the medical examination report, this does not prevent the believer from being held in a pre-trial detention center. The prisoner does exercises, which to some extent helps him control blood pressure. July marked the 45th anniversary of the family life of the Piskarevs.\nAll believers are allowed to call their relatives 2 times a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210727","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the examination of Vladimir Piskarev in the regional hospital, it turns out that he suffered a stroke. According to eyewitnesses, Vladimir is experiencing tremors and is so weak that during a break in one of the court hearings he could not even hold a glass of water in his hand. Despite the detected stroke and problems with hypertension, the medical examination in the pre-trial detention center cannot be completed for 4 months. Given the state of health of Vladimir Piskaryov, staying in the pre-trial detention center poses a real threat to the life of the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210624","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wives of the defendants are allowed to attend the hearing.\nInvestigator I. A. Simonova requests an extension of detention for believers for another 1 month, until March 8, 2021. She states that the accused will interfere with the investigation, putting pressure on witnesses and hiding evidence. At the same time, the investigator does not name the grounds for this statement. The prosecutor supports Simonova's proposal.\nThe judge asks clarifying questions to the investigator, for example, why he requests an extension of custody for 1 month, although all examinations, interrogations, etc. will take (according to the investigator) at least 2-3 months, and some examinations have not yet been appointed due to quarantine.\nDefendants and lawyers speak. Believers in their speeches mention the biblical commandments about obedience to authority and the manifestation of love, which are incompatible with extremism. The defense also points out that there is a person who is ready to make bail for the defendants.\nVladimir Melnik tells how for more than 10 years, since 2009, the authorities acted against Jehovah's Witnesses in the Oryol region. He reminds the court that the activities of a local religious organization have not been carried out since 2016, so he does not understand the charges against him. He clarifies the difference between LROs and religious groups.\nVladimir Piskarev is next: \"I am a law-abiding citizen, we are guided by the Holy Scriptures, we obey the highest authorities, and therefore I am not going to hide from the investigation or trial.\" The believer also states that he was not provided with any medical assistance in SIZO-1, despite hypertension, a condition dangerous to his life and health. The believer draws the court's attention to the fact that at his age and in his state of health, being in a pre-trial detention center can lead to death. During the 2 months he spent in the pre-trial detention center, he already had 2 crises, with the latter the pressure rose to 237/140. He notes that, together with other prisoners, he filed a complaint against the medical unit of the pre-trial detention center, which was negligent about the health of those arrested. He will be forced to write another complaint if his detention is extended despite the fact that his illness is included in the list of serious illnesses that prevent detention in a pre-trial detention center.\nThen Artur Putintsev speaks: \"I am 51 years old, I have spent my whole life doing good to people. I worked as the head of a private company, I had 100 people, I always took care of them. The Investigative Committee has nothing in the case, that I had any problems with the law. [...] When I was arrested, I asked: what specific act did I commit that I was sent to the bunk? They are still silent, and in the case I also do not see a single act against the foundations of the state system ... The lawyer reads out positive characteristics and extracts from newspapers from past years, confirming Putintsev's good deeds.\nThe defendants draw attention to the Supreme Court Ruling of 2017, which states that Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion are not prohibited in Russia and have the right to practice their faith.\nThe lawyer insists that the lack of direct evidence of guilt in the investigation is another reason for changing the measure of restraint to a milder one.\nThe defense intends to appeal the court's decision to extend the detention of Melnik, Putintsev and Piskarev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210203","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After complaints, including those addressed to the head of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region, Colonel of Internal Service Yuri Afanasyev, representatives of the administration of the institution reported that they handed over to the believer the medicines brought by his wife. However, he needs the qualified help of a cardiologist. There is no corresponding specialist in the medical unit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210121","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the administration of pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Oryol region does not allow 64-year-old Vladimir Piskarev to receive the medicines he needs, which were given to him by his family. His cellmates repeatedly saved his life during severe attacks of hypertension. Employees of the pre-trial detention center do nothing. The family sends complaints to various authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20210119","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["medical-rights","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Tretyakov, judge of the Sovetsky District Court of Orel, sends Artur Putintsev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. All three believers are being held in Detention Center No. 1 in the Oryol Region, a building known as the Oryol Central. This is one of the largest convict prisons in tsarist Russia, later a prison of the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201214","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Orel sends Vladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months. The court leaves Artur Putintsev in the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201211","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Oryol, searches are being carried out at 8 addresses. Electronic devices, books, personal records were seized. In one of the apartments, law enforcement officers take a collection of poems, suggesting that it may contain the name \"Jehovah\".\nVladimir Melnik and Vladimir Piskarev are detained and taken to the local investigation department. Melnik is accompanied by an FSB officer and at least 10 police officers, and Piskareva is accompanied by an employee of the Center for Countering Extremism together with SOBR security forces. Believers are sent to a temporary detention center. The security forces took another married couple away for questioning, but later released them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201209","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been opened against 64-year-old Vladimir Piskaryov, 50-year-old Artur Putintsev and 54-year-old Vladimir Melnik.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskarev and Others in Oryol","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/oryol3/index.html#20201208","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2020, raids against Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses took place in Oryol. Among those to whom the security forces broke in were Vladimir Piskarev and his wife Tatyana. Vladimir was arrested. In October 2021, Tatyana also became a defendant in a criminal case for her belief in Jehovah God. The believer was accused of participating in peaceful worship. In March 2023, the case went to court. Eleven interrogated prosecution witnesses reported that they did not know Tatyana, had not received any literature from her, and had not heard any extremist appeals. After a year of court hearings, the believer was sentenced to 2.5 years of forced labor. The court of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2021-10-28","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html","prisoners":["piskareva"],"regions":["oryol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The management of the correctional center receives another letter of thanks addressed to Tatyana Piskareva The administration of the Kromsky district of the Oryol region expresses its gratitude to the believer for her \"assistance in solving problems of improvement\" and \"gratuitous assistance to the residents of the village of Kromy in the field of housing and communal services.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20250314","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["gratitude","maintenance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The enterprise where Tatyana Piskareva performs forced labor expresses its gratitude to her for her \"conscientious work, professionalism and responsibility.\" The letter of thanks also notes: \"Your inextinguishable energy, hard work and concern for work does not leave anyone indifferent.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2025-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20250301","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["gratitude","labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov is considering Tatyana Piskareva's appeal against the verdict. The believer participates in the hearing via video conference from the Kromsky District Court of the Oryol Region, located near the correctional center where she is serving her sentence.\nPiskareva emphasizes: \"I am not being judged because someone suffered from me or I caused material damage to someone, but I am being judged for my faith in Jehovah God, because I call him by name, worship him alone, sing songs to him, tell people about him ... The accusations are based on the testimony of witnesses... who don't know me... Some of them are intolerant of my religion.\"\nDespite these and other arguments of the convict and her lawyer, the court of cassation upholds the sentence - 2.5 years of correctional labor - unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20241126","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"68-year-old Tatyana Piskareva arrives at the correctional center to serve a court-imposed sentence for her faith — forced labor. The center is located at colony-settlement No. 3 in the village of Shakhovo (Oryol region).\nIn the precinct functioning as a correctional centre (UFRC), a certain daily routine has been established. At 6 o'clock in the morning, we wake up, then exercises, breakfast and general formation. After that, the convicts go to work. They receive a salary, from which from 5% to 20% is deducted in favor of the state. At the end of the 8-hour working day, convicts are obliged to return to the correctional centre. In the evening, there is also a general formation, and then at 22:00 lights out. In the center there is a shared kitchen, washing machine, showers.\nConvicts do not lose social ties with their loved ones, as they are allowed to use mobile communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20240624","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["labor","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Oksana Slobodyannik, speaking in the debate, asks the court to sentence Tatyana Piskareva to 5 years in prison.\nThe defendant's lawyer objects: \"During the investigation, it was revealed that there were no grounds for punishment. The accusations are unfounded and unsubstantiated. Piskareva peacefully practiced her religion, according to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I ask the court to acquit the client.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20240221","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Piskareva talks about her peaceful nature: \"I did not call anyone against the authorities. I have never carried out actions to discriminate against anyone, did not incite hostility or violence. On the contrary, my life principles are peace, love, patience, empathy, kindness. He points out that the state prosecution has no evidence of her guilt and notes that 11 prosecution witnesses who were interrogated by the prosecutor reported that they did not know her, did not receive any literature from her and did not hear extremist appeals.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20240215","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listened to recordings of Piskaryova's telephone conversations. Those present hear how a woman communicates with her acquaintances in a friendly manner and encourages them to follow the instructions of the authorities - to observe the regime of self-isolation during the covid period. On the recording, she says: \"We need to obey the authorities more. They said not to go out means not to go out!\"\nJudge Dmitry Sukhov reports on a letter received by the court from Germany from acquaintances of Tatyana Piskaryova, who ask not to punish the believer. The lawyer asks to attach the letter to the case file, as it positively characterizes the accused. The judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20240111","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"CDs with audio recordings of conversations between Tatyana Piskareva and another believer on biblical topics, which were made secretly, are being examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20231116","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer petitions for the face-to-face interrogation of the secret witness Ivanova, the judge refuses. The prosecutor begins the questioning of the witness Ivanova. She reports that she finds nothing reprehensible in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The witness confirms that she was never forced to become a member of any religious organization. Answering the prosecutor's questions, Ivanova reports that several people came to the service to one of the believers, among whom were the Piskarevs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20231002","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the failure of prosecution witnesses to appear, the judge proposes to change the course of the hearing. The prosecutor skims 5 volumes of the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20230731","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of four prosecution witnesses. Three of them do not know the defendant. Nothing can be explained on the merits of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20230427","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing of the case in court begins. Tatyana submits a petition for audio recording of the hearings, the judge allows. The defendant pleaded not guilty. She reads out her attitude to the charges, the judge attaches it to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20230410","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Sovetsky District Court of Orel. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Sukhov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20230301","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Anastasia Dunicheva attracts Tatyana Piskareva as an accused. Among the evidence of her guilt, the investigation lists recordings of telephone conversations and conversations with fellow believers via the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20220126","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the investigation department for the Sovetsky district of the city of Orel of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation I. Simonova singles out the criminal case against Tatyana Piskareva in a separate proceeding.\nAccording to the investigation, the believer \"took part in the meetings of a banned religious organization.\" This is how Simonova interprets the peaceful communication of believers at worship services held via video conferencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20211028","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Orel, searches are being carried out at 8 addresses, among the victims are the spouses Vladimir and Tatyana Piskaryov. Vladimir was placed under arrest on the same day. A day earlier, a criminal case was opened against him under an extremist article.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Piskareva in Oryol","date":"2020-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/orel4/index.html#20201209","regions":["oryol"],"tags":["search","new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2022, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Yoshkar-Ola. Searches were conducted at nine addresses, and law enforcement officers used force against one of the believers, Yevgeniy Plotnikov. He was detained and subsequently placed in a pretrial detention center. In August 2022, Yevgeniy was transferred to house arrest, and in October, he was placed under a ban on certain actions. In December of the same year, the FSB investigator began charging other residents of the city: Sergey Kulikov and his son Aleksey, Eduard Kapitonov and his son Ilya, Igor Alekseyev, Vladimir Usenko, Denis Petrov, Ilya Buryi and Sergey Naymushin. The investigator regarded practicing their faith as actions of an extremist nature and placed them under a recognizance agreement. In October 2024, the case went to court, 3 months later the prosecutor requested 9 years in a penal colony for the believers, and in February of the same year, the court sentenced them to fines: Plotnikov 500,000 rubles, and the rest 600,000 rubles.","date":"2022-04-12","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html","prisoners":["buryi","naymushin","kapitonove","petrovd","kapitonov","kulikovs","alekseyev","kulikov","plotnikov","usenko"],"regions":["mari-el"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Andrey Nebogatikov. Yoshkar-Ola City Court of the Republic of Mari El (91a Bauman Street, Yoshkar-Ola). Time: 09:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20250213","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20250123","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 9 years in prison for each of the 10 defendants.\nThe accusation was based on video footage and the testimony of a classified witness. One defense attorney says that if the accusation were true, there would have been many witnesses in the case, not just one classified person who failed to identify the source of his knowledge.\nThe prosecution argues that the defendants do not spontaneously and separately profess their religion, which means that they continue the activities of an extremist organization. In the debates, the defense draws attention to the fact that the law prohibits the continuation or renewal of not any, but namely illegal activity, and no evidence of such was heard in court.\nThe prosecutor admits that the motive of enmity and hatred has not been proven. Lawyers remind that the presence of direct intent is a mandatory element of the corpus delicti under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20250116","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against 10 believers is sent to the Yoshkar-Ola City Court of the Republic of Mari El.\nIt will be considered by judge Andrei Nebogatikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20241007","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Petrov is involved as another defendant in this criminal case. He is also charged with Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20230517","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Kapitonov is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20230511","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kulikov is also charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20230503","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Alekseev is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20230425","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Republic of Mari El, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Betkanov, is bringing Vladimir Usenko as a defendant under the article on organizing the activities of a banned organization.\nAccording to the investigation, Usenko, together with others, \"in compliance with conspiracy measures, committed actions to continue illegal activities ... the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Yoshkar-Ola\" by convening meetings of followers of the dogma.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20221201","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes Yevgeny Plotnikov's measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions.\nDuring the court session, investigator Betkanov states that the investigation of the case is \"particularly difficult\", since it is necessary to conduct a forensic comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination of video materials with a total duration of more than 100 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20221007","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Plotnikov is transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest. He spent 117 days in the isolation ward.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220812","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Plotnikov is charged under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220423","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yevgeniy Plotnikov in SIZO-1 in Yoshkar-Ola. The condition of the believer is satisfactory, he does not lose heart.\nYevgeniy is quarantined in solitary confinement, he is allowed to go for walks inside the institution. During the first week in the pre-trial detention center, Plotnikov received 15 letters, which surprised the staff. One of the guards even asked: \"Are all these letters for you?\" The Bible has not yet been provided to Eugene.\nThe believer says that at first the cellmates behaved aggressively. But after he explained that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and was arrested for his faith under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, they began to treat him with understanding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220422","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Under the agreement, the lawyer submits an appeal to the Supreme Court of Mari El against the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Plotnikov.\nThe defender draws attention to the fact that the court did not take into account that the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways of expressing it were not prohibited by the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017. Consequently, law enforcement agencies mistakenly interpret the exercise of the right to religion as a continuation of the activities of a liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220421","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator P. S. Betkanov interrogates witnesses in the Plotnikov case. They have the right not to incriminate themselves.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220418","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Yoshkar-Ola city court, Alexander Nikolaev, chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of detention for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220417","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 7:30 a.m., security forces rushed in with searches to the residents of Yoshkar-Ola.\nOne of the victims is Yevgeny Plotnikov. Law enforcement officers open the lock and break into the believer's apartment. He is thrown to the floor, grabbed by the hair and hit his head on the floor. After that, they shackle his hands behind his back and pull them up. Because of these actions, the believer experiences great pain.\nLaw enforcement officers take Plotnikov outside to conduct a search in his absence, but later return him to the apartment.\nDuring the search, Yevgeny's notebooks with notes, the Bible in the Synodal translation, electronic devices, albums with drawings and information carriers were seized.\nThe believer is placed in a temporary detention facility. FSB officers bypass Yevgeny's neighbors, calling him a \"fraudster.\" Despite this, one of the residents of the house writes a positive characteristic on Plotnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Plotnikov and Others in Yoshkar-Ola","date":"2022-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yoshkar-ola2/index.html#20220415","regions":["mari-el"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In late November 2025, the investigative authorities of Simferopol opened a criminal case against Crimea resident Olga Podlesnaya — it had been separated into an independent proceeding from the case of another Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witness, Aleksandr Voronchikhin. In December, a search was conducted at the believer\u0026#39;s home, after which she was interrogated and placed in a temporary detention facility (IVS). She was accused of financing the activities of an extremist organization. The court placed her under house arrest. In March, the case went to court.","date":"2025-12-27","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html","prisoners":["podlesnaya"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"The first hearing in the case of Olga Podlesnaya is being held and chaired by Judge Nargis Poverennaya. Four witnesses for the prosecution are being questioned.\nFSB-Major Latyshev and Lieutenant Colonel Yatsenko of the Center for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs report that they are not familiar with the accused and cannot provide information on her case.\nThe next to be questioned is a man who has previously attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge and the prosecutor are interested in what the money transfer mentioned in the case was used for. The witness replies that the money was used to provide humanitarian aid to needy believers in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.\nA defendant in another criminal case, 60-year-old Aleksandr Voronchikhin, states during interrogation that the law enforcement officers exerted psychological and physical pressure on him, trying to get the testimony they needed.\nPodlesnaya does not admit guilt and wants to express her opinion on the charge, but the judge does not give her such an opportunity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html#20260323","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Podlesnaya's case goes to court. It will be considered by Judge Nargis Attorney.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html#20260312","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Kievskiy District Court of Simferopol chooses a restriction measure for the believer in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","date":"2025-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html#20251212","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Podlesnaya is searched, after which the investigator interrogates the believer and sends her to a temporary detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html#20251211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea V. V. Zabiyaka opened a criminal case against Olga Podlesnaya, accusing her of financing the activities of an extremist organization.\nAccording to the investigation, the believer \"transferred money as donations.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Podlesnaya in Simferopol","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol3/index.html#20251127","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2018, OMON officers raided a friendly gathering in a café, after which Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaliy and Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina ended up under investigation. The men were sent to a pretrial detention center, and later placed under house arrest. In the end, the Investigative Committee charged the believers: the men with organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and the women with participating in it. Hearings of the court of first instance over 14 months, revealed the groundlessness of the charges, and the case was returned to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office. In December 2021, it went to court again. In June 2024, Polevodov, Zhuk and Kim were sent to a penal colony for 8.5 years, 8 years and 4 months and 8 years and 2 months, respectively. Tatyana Zhuk and Svetlana Sedova were given a 5-year suspended sentence and Maya Karpushkina 4 years. Kim and Polevodov, who were  defendants in another criminal case for their faith, simultaneously defended their beliefs in another court. In October 2024, the court of appeal reduced the sentences by 1 year and changed the men\u0026rsquo;s to suspended sentences.","date":"2018-11-10","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html","prisoners":["karpushkina","kim","polevodov","sedova","tzhuk","zhuk"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"A court hearing of the Appellate Board for Criminal Cases of the Khabarovsk Regional Court is underway. Zhuk, Polevodov and Kim are present via video conferencing. About 30 people come to support them, of which 15 are allowed into the courtroom. The presiding judge briefly reads out the case file. The arguments of the parties are postponed until October 10, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240917","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim, Vitaliy Zhuk and Nikolay Polevodov feel fine. All three have the opportunity to regularly call and see their wives on short-term visits. They also receive letters and parcels from their relatives.\nStanislav has not yet received his personal copy of the Bible, which is being checked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240910","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim are still in pre-trial detention. All three have a good relationship with their cellmates. So, the men who are kept with Nikolai try not to swear and smoke near the hood.\nBelievers receive numerous letters of support. One day, 18 pieces were brought to Vitaliy at once.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240820","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk, Nikolay Polevodov and Stanislav Kim are in the Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center. They can receive letters.\nNikolay and Vitaliy have Bibles. Stanislav is waiting for the Bible to be returned to him from the inspection. Believers feel satisfactory and maintain a positive attitude while waiting for an appeal. They are allowed to visit their relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240722","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240620","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for the defendants: Nikolai Polevodov, Vitaliy Zhuk and Stanislav Kim to 9 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year and 6 months and a ban on engaging in public and religious activities for 8 years; Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova and Maya Karpushkina were sentenced to 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years and restriction of liberty for 11 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240527","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatiana Zhuk, Stanislav Kim and Svetlana Sedova also testify.\nZhuk tells the court: \"Previously, I myself worked as a kindergarten teacher and organized various events there that were both fun and at the same time instructive. And they were attended by both children and adults ... And that was okay. Why is such an event, organized privately among believers, a crime?\"\nFurther, the believer notes that she was not present at the event in the café \"Alice\", although the case file notes that on that day her \"criminal actions were suppressed.\" She then draws the court's attention to the fact that in the case file her characterization contains the details of another woman with whom she shares the same surname. She says: \"I stated this at the court hearing. However, the characteristic was not removed.\nStanislav Kim says: \"When I was hired, I notified the HR department that I was one of Jehovah's Witnesses ... The security service conducted a thorough check and did not see anything illegal in my religious beliefs. On the contrary, during my service, I was repeatedly awarded with diplomas and gratitude, received incentives that are recorded in my work book. This shows that I am useful to society and do not pose any threat.\"\nSvetlana Sedova explains: \"The indictment states that I 'used my apartment for the purposes of the LRO (local religious organization) to hold meetings.\" In the materials considered during the judicial investigation, there is no evidence that the apartment was used by any legal entity. This is not confirmed by the testimony of witnesses. The Bible teaches us to be hospitable, so I provided my apartment to gather with friends. […] It is not illegal to invite guests to your home. Worshiping God with friends is also not forbidden by law.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240427","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk gives his testimony: \"I am accused of inducing the rupture of family and family relations. I strongly disagree with this. […] While various psychologists and family counselors sometimes suggest that they separate for minor reasons, Jehovah's Witnesses try to keep the family together. My family is almost 30 years old. Other defendants have also been happily married for decades.\"\nThe believer continues: \"The videos of the worship services, the thoughts that are heard there, clearly show that Jehovah's Witnesses and extremism are completely incompatible concepts. As for the connection with banned organizations and legal entities, this part of the accusation is not confirmed by anything.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240423","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Polevodov testifies in court. He draws the attention of the audience to the following fact: \"The indictment states that I \"was aware of the public danger and the unlawful nature of my actions and wished to commit them.\" This statement is not true, because I realized that my actions did not violate the legislation of the Russian Federation in any way and did not pose any danger to anyone ... I also clearly understood that my lifestyle did not pose any threat to society.\"\nThe believer also notes: \"In turn, the investigation did not provide a single fact proving that by my way of believing in God, I exposed anyone to any danger, offended someone's feelings or caused any other harm. […] The prosecution itself does not really believe that I can be dangerous to the society in which I am ... Since August 2019, I have not had any preventive measure. But my intent and my goals have not changed at all since then. I am still determined to worship my God, Jehovah, and to show love for my neighbor.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240417","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed three motions: to recognize the religious examination as inadmissible evidence and to exclude it from the case file; on the recognition of video recordings of the MPA and some documents related to their receipt as illegal and subject to seizure from the case materials; on the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor. The judge rejects all three motions.\nThe defendants apply for the inclusion of characteristics, health certificates and certificates of lack of information that they have ever been the founders of any legal entities. The court attaches.\nThe judge also attaches to the case file the decision of the ECHR \"Taganrog and other 19 complaints\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240329","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court cancels the decisions of the lower court on the election of a preventive measure for Kim, Polevodov and Zhuk in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240222","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to investigate material evidence, including video recordings of a friendly meeting in a café.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240117","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense believes that the judge is personally interested in the outcome of the case, and therefore challenges him. The petition notes: \"The judge has repeatedly demonstrated an attitude expressing obvious hostility towards the defendants ... The judge allowed statements ... that the sentence handed down after the new [2024] year will be much harsher.\" It goes on to say: \"The presiding officers have repeatedly made it clear that the verdict in the criminal case will be unequivocally guilty ... The court gave instructions to the defendants what to say in their testimony and what not to say.\"\nThe prosecutor does not support the petition, the judge rejects it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2024-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20240109","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint for Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim and Vitaliy Zhuk in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\nA video from the café \"Alice\", made in November 2018, which shows only the employees of the café performing their work duties, is examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231227","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge reads out the names of the material evidence in the box. However, it turns out that all of them do not belong to any of the defendants, as they claim.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231206","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of material evidence seized from the Zhukov family continues. The court is considering notebooks with handwritten texts about the importance of maintaining a balanced attitude towards alcohol and defeating evil with good, folders with documents dated 2011, a folder with riddles based on biblical texts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231117","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The consideration of material evidence seized from Nikolai Polevodov begins. The judge examines a postcard, Bibles, a book with religious songs, a receipt from a children's goods store about the purchase of furniture, a notebook with drawings of butterflies. The information contained on the title pages of the books is announced, as well as the titles of the songs (\"Happy are the merciful\", \"Let them know us by love\") and excerpts from personal notes: \"Be honest in everything. God never deceives. Be honest about everything.\"\nThen the material evidence seized from Vitaliy Zhuk is examined. The court examines envelopes, Bibles, and notebooks with personal notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231025","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim submits a motion to refuse the services of a lawyer by appointment. The prosecutor objects. The judge decides that Kim has an appointed defense attorney.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231018","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The examination of material evidence is ongoing. The judge reads out paragraphs from the book of the religious scholar Ivanenko, which says that the principles of interaction among Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the example of the Christian society of the first century, described in the Bible. He also characterizes the adherents of the doctrine as peaceful citizens who do not pose a threat to society.\nStanislav Kim tries several times to comment on what he read, but the judge interrupts him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20231011","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is considered, including the book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230927","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatiana Zhuk filed a motion for audio recording, which the judge satisfied.\nThe court reviews video recordings of worship events that are among the material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230609","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meetings, video recordings of worship services are viewed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230601","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge satisfies the petition of Nikolay Polevodov to make an audio recording of the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230531","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to watch videos from the case file\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230329","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing a video recording of a religious meeting. The recording is not commented on, such an opportunity will be provided to the defendants at the end of the viewing.\nIn addition to the defendants and their lawyers, only one listener is allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20230118","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to selectively read out the case materials. After the announcement of the characteristics and passport data of the defendants, Tatyana Zhuk draws the court's attention to the fact that the description from the police does not indicate her address and initials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220927","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall provide the court with a certificate stating that the witness mentioned earlier is unable to appear in court for health reasons and shall request the reading of his or her affidavit. Lawyers and defendants object, stating that over time, the witness's health may improve and he will be able to speak in court. The judge again rejects the prosecutor's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220725","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the disclosure of the affidavit of one of the witnesses because he cannot find him. The defense objects, arguing that the prosecution has not done everything to ensure the appearance of this witness, and his testimony is important for the defense. The judge rejects the motion of the prosecution.\nThe prosecutor continues to read out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220630","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out written evidence. She reads excerpts from memorandums - the results of observations provided by FSB analysts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220517","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held without listeners.\nNikolay Polevodov filed a petition for online broadcasts of the trial, the judge refused.\nDue to the absence of witnesses from the prosecution, the prosecutor proposes to change the order of hearings. The process begins with the examination of written evidence.\nTranscripts of operational-search activities are read out, at which conversations of believers with each other are recorded. One of the lawyers, who had no previous acquaintance with Jehovah's Witnesses, says she was pleasantly surprised by the respectful communication between people and the absence of obscene language on the audio recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220429","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk, a retrial of the case begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20220321","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Nikolay Polevodov and five other believers is again submitted to the Industrial Court of Khabarovsk. It will be considered by judge Roman Chiskovsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20211215","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The appeal hearing continues in the Khabarovsk Regional Court. Judge Irina Koroleva upholds the decision of the lower court to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20201012","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court is considering the appeal of the prosecutor's office against the decision of the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk dated 08/03/2020 to return the criminal case against 6 believers: Nikolai Polevodov, Stanislav Kim, Vitaly Zhuk, Tatyana Zhuk, Svetlana Sedova, Maya Karpushkina.\nThe believers and their lawyers ask to uphold the decision of the district court.\nStanislav Kim explains to the judge that conversations with others about God do not require participation in any legal entities and existed long before their appearance.\nNikolay Polevodov reminds the court that the Russian Federation is part of the world community and has pledged not to violate the rights and freedoms of citizens to religion.\nThe judge asks for comment on the position of the investigation, according to which the believers knew about the ban on legal entities, religious organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n\"I have never belonged to any legal entity. I just believe what is written in the Bible. I know that God's name is Jehovah. I pray to him, these are my beliefs. I have had them for half my life, and they do not depend in any way on what decisions are made by the court. And this is enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of Russia, \"Nikolai Polevodov answers.\nThe hearing was postponed until 12.10.2020. Debates and speeches of the defendants with the last word are planned. On the same day, the judge may decide on the decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200929","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk Vera Pismennaya returns to the prosecutor the criminal case against Kim, Polevodov, spouses Zhuk, Sedova and 71-year-old Karpushkina. The reasons for this were the violations committed by the consequence, which cannot be eliminated in court. For example, the investigation unfoundedly accuses believers of organizing the activities of a banned organization, while cannot name who, where, when and how coordinated and coordinated these activities; by whom, when, where and what kind of literature was distributed; who, where, when and in what form attracted the members of the organization and how distributed their functions; It is not specified what exactly is expressed in the organization of meetings and much more.\nIt is noteworthy that the criminal case went to court in July 2019. The court questioned all the witnesses in good faith, but the essence of the accusation was never clarified. (All 162 cases against Jehovah's Witnesses, which, as of August 2020, are being investigated, are being considered or have already been considered by courts in 57 regions of Russia, are marked by such uncertainty.)\nThe prosecutor will appeal against the court's decision to return the criminal case to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200803","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the motions to withdraw from the case of two more lawyers representing the interests of Stanislav Kim and Vitaliy Zhuk. Public defenders are assigned to them.\nVitaliy Zhuk's repeated petition to postpone the hearing due to his health condition is being considered. Judge Vera Pismennaya declares her dissatisfaction with the delay in the trial and sends a request to the hospital where Zhuk is being treated. Nevertheless, she supports Zhuk's petition and schedules the next hearing for August 3, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200713","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing takes place in a small office in which it is impossible to ensure the recommended distance of 1.5 meters.\nThe judge granted three petitions: lawyer Svetlana Sedova to withdraw from the case, Stanislav Kim to refuse the services of one of the lawyers, and Vitaly Zhuk to postpone the hearing due to his state of health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200630","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only lawyers are present at the court hearing. The judge rejects the defendants' requests to postpone the hearings due to the self-isolation regime in Khabarovsk and supports the prosecutor's request to ensure the appearance of all defendants forcibly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200623","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was postponed to May 26, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200514","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200407","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearings, the questioning of prosecution witnesses continues. Their testimonies suggest that on November 10, 2018, a children's party was held at the Alice café, not a religious meeting. Polevodov and Kim did not make any speeches, did not distribute literature and did not call for committing any illegal actions. Songs were played with a guitar, children recited poems, acted out scenes. Entrance to the hall was free. Witnesses explain that the distribution of cardboard medallions in the shape of sheep with the names of biblical characters at the meeting was not made for the purpose of identifying guests, but was part of an entertainment program.\nThe interrogated explain that the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses encourage respect for authority, take care of the family, avoid violence, and take care of their health. Judge Vera Pismennaya considers inadmissible evidence the testimony of two underage participants in the meeting in the café, since the teacher was not present during their interrogation.\nThe judge satisfies the prosecutor's request to summon an expert to the court.\nThe prosecutor begins to announce the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200128","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Zhuk was released from house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200118","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2020-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20200117","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20191220","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to question prosecution witnesses. O. I. Negrulina, the cashier of the Alice café, informs the court that she did not know that Jehovah's Witnesses had gathered in the café. R. F. Kilimacher tries to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but the court does not allow her to do so. The witness reports that the meeting in the café was not religious. She explains that the testimony she gave earlier was taken under psychological pressure. Witness Kilimacher gives explanations of creeds in response to questions from the defendant Kim. The judge wonders if only Jehovah's Witnesses will be saved during God's coming judgment. She is impressed by the witness's response that only God decides, and he does not want anyone to die. D. Sugak is being interrogated. He led an antisocial lifestyle and has not been a Jehovah's Witness since 2016. He gives all testimony relating to a later period based only on his assumptions. Sugak believes that Jehovah's Witnesses will never stop preaching, and in many countries they do so without any legal registration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20191205","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines witnesses. According to the testimony of witness Dmitrieva, a party was held in the café \"Alice\", which was interrupted by law enforcement agencies 10 minutes after it began. At the friendly meeting, no videos were shown and there was no literature. Witness Samokhina informs the court that the party was not a worship meeting and confirms the testimony of witness Dmitrieva. The prosecutor petitions for the election of a recognizance not to leave as a preventive measure for Nikolai Polevodov. The court grants this request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20191105","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing of the criminal case is being held in the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk. The court rejects Stanislav Kim's petition to increase the walking time. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. All six defendants express their disagreement with the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20191028","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings on the merits begin. Due to the absence of one of the defenders, the next court hearings will be held on October 28 (14:30), November 5 (14:30), November 13 (14:30). The public prosecutor is expected to announce the charges and present his evidence to the court on 28 October.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190909","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190830","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case will be considered by judge Vera Alexandrovna Pismennaya. A preliminary hearing is underway.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190808","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Industrial District Court of Khabarovsk for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190718","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Kim is the last to leave the pre-trial detention center, and now all the accused in the case are free with milder measures of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20190129","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Polevodov, Stanislav Kim and Vitaliy Zhuk were sent to the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20181112","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case has been initiated against 6 residents of Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polevodov and Others in Khabarovsk","date":"2018-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/khabarovsk4/index.html#20181110","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2021, searches were conducted in at least 10 homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Samara. In one of the apartments, the security forces tortured and beat believers. Three men were arrested and taken into custody. A criminal case was opened against Sergey Polosenko, Denis Kuzyanin, Nikolay Vasiliyev and Aram Danielyan, who was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center three weeks later, on charges of continuing the activities of the \u0026ldquo;Administrative Center of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Russia\u0026rdquo; in the Samara region. After about 300 days of detention, the believers were released from custody under a ban on certain actions. In April 2023, the case went to court. In January 2024, the prosecutor requested that the believers be sentenced to 9 years in a penal colony. At the same hearing, the court sent them to a penal colony for 7 years. The appellate court upheld the verdict in May 2024, and in January 2025, this decision was upheld by the Court of Cassation.","date":"2021-12-14","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html","prisoners":["danielyana","kuzyanin","polosenko","vasiliyevn"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aram, Sergey and Nikolay continue to work in the sewing workshop, where they sew jackets, overalls and summer clothes. They are able to eat normally. In the barracks they occupy the lower bunks; the premises are warm, there is hot water and a refrigerator.\nSergey Polosenko recently had an extended visit from his wife. The previous problem with receiving his letters has been resolved and they are now given to him weekly. He feels fine. Last year, an ophthalmologist prescribed him glasses, and now he reads letters and the Bible without difficulties. The believer is glad that there are forests and fields near the penal colony and he can breathe fresh air. The deputy head of the penal colony sent Polosenko to a punishment cell for 7 days, indicating in the report that he did not greet an officer.\nNikolay Vasiliyev can use the banya twice a week. He takes his prescribed medication. Since October 2025, the believer has been receiving a second higher education in counseling psychology. Only two people in the penal colony are studying. He is given 1 hour every day on weekdays to work in a separate room at the computer, use pre-loaded materials and take exams. Nikolay is also glad that while serving his sentence, he learned sewing from scratch.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20260325","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses to replace the remaining term of punishment with a fine for Denis Kuzyanin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20251127","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Polosenko, Denis Kuzyanin, Nikolay Vasiliyev and Aram Danielyan are respected in the penal colony. They conscientiously work in the sewing workshop. Others in their unit notice their self-control.\nThe believers are given their letters, but with a significant delay. The medical unit supplies Polosenko with the medicines required to lower his blood pressure.\nVasiliyev is still not receiving the necessary treatment. Despite this, he, like the other believers, tries to maintain a positive attitude. The believer is grateful to his friends who support his mother during this difficult time: she lives in a rural area, far from the place where her son is imprisoned, and only thanks to their help she can come to visit him. Nikolay plans to start studying psychology in open university in October.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20250912","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Danielyan, and a few days later Polosenko and Kuzyanin, were placed in a punishment cell. Aram was reprimanded for bringing a book to his workplace to pass the time — there are no orders at the sewing factory where he works.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20250319","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, where four believers are held, there are serious problems with medical care. Nikolay Vasilyev is not yet receiving the necessary treatment due to a chronic illness.\nThe basic living needs of prisoners are met. They regularly receive parcels and letters, and there is an opportunity to buy food in the colony's store.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2025-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20250208","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara upholds the harsh sentence of four Jehovah's Witnesses — 7 years in a general regime colony.\nIn the cassation appeal, the believers' lawyer drew attention to the fact that the verdict and the appeal ruling were issued with violations, \"the boundaries of the accusation are blurred... and create confusion in establishing the facts of the case.\" The lawyer stressed that \"the courts have criminalized the practice of worship of Jehovah's Witnesses and their beliefs.\" According to him, \"even in atheistic times in the Soviet Union, when Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted, believers were not always sentenced to imprisonment.\" The Court of Cassation ignored these and other arguments of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20250121","regions":["samara"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Kuzyanin is kept in a two-story barracks, in which there are about 80 other people. The conditions of detention are satisfactory. The believer's relations with the administration and prisoners are normal.\nDenis does not lose heart. He has the opportunity to read a library copy of the Bible. Letters also serve as a source of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240914","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolai's living conditions are tolerable, but it can be difficult for him to call his relatives, as in the evenings there is a large queue at the phone. Vasiliev tries to maintain a positive attitude and supports emotional health with the right daily regimen. The believer is waiting to receive the necessary medicines. In his spare time, he teaches English to several prisoners. He has a Bible. Letters arrive regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240821","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolay Vasilyev and Sergey Polosenko were taken to correctional colony No. 12 in Mordovia to serve their sentences for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240711","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All four believers are in Mordovian penal colony No. 12, where they will serve their sentences for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240711","regions":["samara"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Polosenko and Nikolai Vasilyev left the pre-trial detention center and are in the process of moving to a place of serving their sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240619","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Vasilyev and Sergey Polosenko are still in the Togliatti pre-trial detention center awaiting an appeal. Vasilyev is being held in a two-bed cell, and Polosenko is being held in a four-bed cell. Believers regularly receive parcels from loved ones, but for some unknown reason they have not yet received letters. Relations with the administration of the pre-trial detention center and cellmates are normal.\nAfter the verdict, Polosenko had several visits with his wife and other relatives. Vasiliev has the opportunity to regularly take medications necessary for his chronic illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240422","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasilyev are transferred to Togliatti pre-trial detention center No. 4. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240402","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aram Danielyan, Denis Kuzyanin, Sergey Polosenko and Nikolay Vasilyev are in SIZO-1 in Samara. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2024-02-05T13:24:29+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20240205","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court continues to listen to audio recordings of worship services, in particular a report on \"Put on Love\", which speaks of the importance of forgiveness and conflict resolution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231228","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings of the worship service in which the defendants participated are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231218","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants comment on the materials of the case with the decision of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and conclude: \"The assertion by the consequence that the proclamation of one's religion as the only true one is regarded as incitement to religious hatred, entailing socially dangerous consequences, is a kind of speculation of the investigator ... Neither the examination of the evidence by the prosecution, nor the testimony of witnesses, nor the examination proved the fact confirming that the defendants incited religious hatred or proclaimed violence on any grounds.\nFor an hour, the court watches a video recording in which Aram Danielyan discusses Bible teachings with a man.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231214","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB task force that searched Denis Kuzyanin's house is being interrogated. As it turned out, the instruction to the technician to create new folders on the desktop of the believer's laptop and add documents there during the search was given by the detective. The investigator did not reflect these actions in the protocol.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231207","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A motion has been filed to attach positive characteristics to the defendants.\nDefense witnesses are interrogated - acquaintances and relatives of the accused. Five of them, who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, state that the difference in religions has never caused disagreement or controversy between them and the defendants.\nDenis Kuzyanin tells the court that during the search, two new folders appeared in the memory of the laptop seized from him, which contain information included in the indictment of the case file.\nJudge Dmitry Derunov instructs the secretary to summon for questioning the persons who were present during the search of Kuzyanin's house.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231123","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the part of the defense, two employees of Aram Danielyan and his relative are being interrogated. They know the defendant as an honest, sympathetic and law-abiding citizen, without bad habits. He never participated in the discussion of political issues, did not incite anyone to hatred and enmity, they did not hear extremist statements from him.\nThe defendants draw the court's attention to the conclusion of a comprehensive psychological and religious examination. It emphasizes that believers are a religious group, and their meetings are informal. The form of addressing the participants to each other by name, as well as the use of the words \"brother\" and \"sister\" indicates that they are equal to each other, there are no divisions by position.\nAccording to the conclusion of the examination, the words of believers do not contain propaganda of the inferiority of citizens on a national or social basis, motives to break off family relations or to carry out extremist activities.\nSergei Polosenko states that the bank cards and personal records presented in the case file do not prove in any way that he was engaged in extremist activities: \"Rather, their presence suggests that I live in society, I have a business reputation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231102","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor finishes the announcement of the last volumes of the case (28-35). The court examines material evidence, including Bibles, seized during the search. Nikolay Vasilyev notes that the investigation did not provide evidence that the seized literature is included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231026","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the videoconferencing, the compilers of the religious examination Galiulin R. R. and Galiev L. M. It turns out that the examination was paid for by the FSB. The judge removes the question regarding the religion of the experts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231019","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor voices in detail the religious documents of the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as lists of believers and their correspondence in messengers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231012","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A girl who was a former Jehovah's Witness is being interrogated. She did not hear any calls from the defendants for illegal activities, refusal to perform civil duties, as well as incitement to violence and the overthrow of the state system. The witness attended the services voluntarily, they were educational in nature, the Bible was discussed. The girl is surprised that the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses are recognized as extremist, because \"these are peaceful people who live according to the Bible and do nothing wrong.\"\nThe judge extends the defendants' preventive measure until January 20, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20231011","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned. One of them studied the Bible with Aram Danielyan via video link and secretly recorded their conversations. The witness describes him as a good speaker and a talented teacher. He knows Aram and the other defendants only online, and he has not heard any calls for illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230915","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case. The prosecutor reads out the documents of 2014 relating to the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the examination of their literature, made in 2009. The latter recognizes that Jehovah's Witnesses are always loyal and obedient to the authorities and are tolerant of representatives of other religions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230908","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the witness Kharitonov, who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017. He replies that his conversations with the defendants were only about studying the Bible and \"were not of a propagandistic nature.\" The prosecutor asks the court to read out Kharitonov's initial testimony.\nAnother witness, Yeganyan, who has repeatedly spoken aggressively about Jehovah's Witnesses, says he only knows Denis Kuzyanin. After the interrogation, Yeganyan, addressing the defendants, threatens \"to imprison more believers in the near future.\"\nAt the same time, both witnesses confirm that they did not hear calls from the defendants to overthrow the constitutional order of the Russian Federation and did not see manifestations of extremism towards others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230901","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of Sergey Polosenko to refuse a lawyer under the agreement.\nDenis Kuzyanin asks the court to change the measure of restraint so that he has the opportunity to go to work in a neighboring city. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230811","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, FSB operative N. A. Kulik, who participated in the search of the Polosenko family, is being interrogated.\nThe witness says that, in his opinion, the defendants took too long to familiarize themselves with the case file. To some of the lawyers' questions, Kulik answers \"I don't know\", \"I don't remember\", or says that the information is available in the case file.\nAram Danielyan, Denis Kuzyanin and Nikolay Vasilyev refuse the services of lawyers. Danielyan submits a petition for his wife's participation in the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230728","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants express their disagreement.\nAram Danielyan says that it is important for him as a Christian to worship God with others, including praying and singing songs, and that this is his constitutional right.\nSergei Polosenko states that the investigation did not bring any of his specific statements testifying to the manifestation of extremism. He states that the mention of the name Jehovah does not in itself indicate that a person or group of people belongs to any legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230714","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against 4 believers is submitted to the Samara District Court of Samara. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Derunov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20230420","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After about 300 days of imprisonment, the four believers are released under a ban on certain activities until February 14, 2023. To track their movements, electronic bracelets are put on their feet.\nAt the exit from the courthouse, Aram, Denis, Sergey and Nikolay are greeted with applause by a support group of 30 people. Believers do not complain about their state of health.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20221212","regions":["samara"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolai Vasiliev was hospitalized with a serious illness. Soon he should be transported back to the pre-trial detention center, where he will be placed in the infirmary.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20221124","regions":["samara"],"tags":["prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolay Vasilyev was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-01-10T13:29:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20220110","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that Danielyan has a permanent place of residence, a family and a small child, investigator Ivensky insists on the detention of the believer. He believes that Aram Danielyan can hide from the investigation or destroy material evidence if a milder measure of restraint is chosen.\nThe Samara District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Danielyan in the form of detention until February 14, 2022. He is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-01-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20220107","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Ivensky initiates a criminal case against Aram Danielyan, the father of a six-month-old baby. The believer is suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The criminal case is merged into one proceeding with the case of Polosenko et al.\nAccording to investigators, the believers resumed the activities of the \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" in the Samara region from December 2020 to December 2021.\nAround midnight, law enforcement officers detained Danielyan at the Samara airport. During a personal search, his passport, mobile phone and air ticket were seized from him (the believer planned to visit his homeland - Armenia).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2022-01-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20220106","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Denis Kuzyanin and Sergey Polosenko in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region. Both believers are in quarantine. Denis reports that he notices signs of a cold, as it is cold in the cell, and he has to sleep without a mattress. He does not have a Bible yet, and the believer has not yet received a letter of support.\nSergei Polosenko is kept in a three-bed cell, where there are four prisoners, so he sleeps on the table. He has the necessary medicines as well as a Bible.\nSergey Polosenko is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211221","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Nikolay Vasilyev in the temporary detention center. The believer tells the details of his arrest: in order to get into the apartment, the security forces broke down the door, and when they entered, they threatened with firearms and beat Nikolai.\nThe suspect has a chronic illness and is taking medication on an ongoing basis. The believer submitted an application to the temporary detention facility with a request to conduct a medical examination in order to record the beatings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211220","regions":["samara"],"tags":["siloviks-violence","health-risk","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Kuzyanin and Sergey Polosenko are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Samara region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211218","regions":["samara"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Samara District Court chooses a measure of restraint for believers in the form of detention for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211216","regions":["samara"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches of believers are taking place in Samara. A 23-year-old man reports threats and torture with a heated kettle for refusing to provide security forces with a laptop password.\nPolosenko, Kuzyanin and Vasilyev are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211215","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","torture","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the first branch of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Samara region, Captain of Justice I. A. Ivensky initiates a criminal case against Sergey Polosenko, Denis Kuzyanin and Nikolai Vasiliev. The believers are suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polosenko and Others in Samara","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/samara/index.html#20211214","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2019, special forces surrounded a camp site in Norilsk, where about 50 friends were spending time together. Some of them were interrogated. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Stepan Shevelev and Aleksandr Polozov, charging the believers with organizing the activity of a banned organization. Their homes were searched. Polozov was arrested and sent to a pretrial detention center for 90 days, after which he was placed under a recognizance agreement. The same preventive measure was imposed on Shevelev. In June 2021, the believers\u0026rsquo; case went to court. The prosecutor requested a 6-year suspended sentence. The judge returned the case of Polozov and Shevelev to the prosecutor, having found no corpus delicti in their actions. In July 2022, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court upheld this decision. However, in May 2023, the case went back to court. This time, the prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the believers. In December 2023, the court gave Polozov and Shevelev a 6-year suspended sentence.","date":"2019-10-20","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html","prisoners":["polozov","shevelev"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231226","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years in prison for Stepan Shevelev and Aleksandr Polozov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231130","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A disc is being viewed, on which, according to the prosecutor, Alexander Polozov refers to a banned site and uses a banned publication. However, it is clearly audible that the phrases attributed to Polozov were not uttered by him. Also, the publication that was discussed there is not included in the list of extremist literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231123","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify. The conclusion of the religious examination is read out. The characteristics of the defendants are investigated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231122","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense considers material evidence. It is found that the accompanying document does not correspond to the record of the inspection in the case file, and there is also no tag on the packaging and the signatures of the witnesses. Some packages have incorrect addresses. The prosecutor cannot read one of the search protocols, citing illegible handwriting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231026","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Larin, who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses and documented, according to him, about 20 liturgical meetings, is being questioned. The Witness repeatedly repeats that the reason for the ban on the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is that they are dangerous to the constitutional order because of their views on military service, blood transfusions and attitude to power, but cannot cite any specific facts to support his words.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20231023","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not come to the hearing, so their testimony is read out from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230921","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Gorchakov is being interrogated. He attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017. When asked by Polozov whether a witness understands the difference between a legal entity and an individual, he replies that for him it is one and the same. He did not hear any negative statements against the authorities from the defendants.\nGorchakov cannot name the dates of meetings with Polozov and Shevelev, he does not remember the topic of discussion. According to the witness, he did not receive any threats from the believers. Nevertheless, he refuses to answer many questions, arguing that his identity will be declassified.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230919","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Ivanov is being interrogated.\nPetitions for the disclosure and verification of Ivanov's identity are rejected by the court. He says that the defendants did not plan or commit any illegal actions. The witness states that there was no aggression towards him and other people on the part of the believers, and peaceful topics such as love and family were discussed at the services.\nWhen asked by Shevelev's lawyer why he began to attend services of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ivanov replies: \"To uncover a banned organization.\" The fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, Ivanov, according to him, was not aware. He also does not know whether the organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" has been liquidated. Witness Ivanov deciphers the abbreviation LRO as \"international religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230918","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses do not appear at the hearing. The prosecutor shall file a motion to read out the testimony of witnesses from the case file. The defense objects. The application is denied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230801","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charges. Stepan Shevelev states that he does not understand what specific actions of believers threatened the constitutional order and security of the state.\nThe judge rejects the motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor, but notes that in the future it can be filed again.\nProsecution witnesses are being interrogated - employees of the Oganer camp site. Both women say that in the fall of 2019, the man rented one of the houses. They do not know what was happening in the room, who was there, whether the defendants were there at that moment. The staff member did not hear any speeches or appeals.\nThe defendants read out their attitude to the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230731","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Alexander Polozov and Stepan Shevelev begin.\nPolozov is appointed a new lawyer, the defendant petitions for his refusal. The prosecutor asks him the reasons for the petition, after which the court refuses the believer. At the same time, the court satisfies Alexander's petition to familiarize himself with parts of the minutes of the court session as they are made.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230704","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexander Polozov and Stepan Shevelev is again submitted to the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory for consideration by Judge Sergey Kurunin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20230524","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court Vitaly Barsukov is considering the prosecutor's complaint against the decision of the Norilsk City Court, which returned the case of Polozov and Shevelev to him due to the lack of corpus delicti.\nAs an argument, the prosecutor cites the decision of the Primorsky Krai Court of Appeal, which refused to return a similar case, and asks to attach it.\nThe court rejects this petition and leaves unchanged the decision of the Norilsk City Court to return the case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220712","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Natalia Kuzmenkova returns the case of Alexander Polozov and Stepan Shevelev to the prosecutor. According to the judge, the defendants' practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not a crime.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220418","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In response to questions from Prosecutor Simonenko, Oleksandr Polozov reads out written notes on behalf of both defendants in the case. The believers refuse to answer other questions of the court, referring to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220408","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor petitions for the resumption of the judicial investigation, referring to the fact that as a result of the debate, the prosecution had questions for the experts and the defendants. The judge grants this request, the judicial investigation is resumed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 6 years of suspended imprisonment for Aleksandr Polozov and Stepan Shevelev with a probationary period of 5 years with a ban on holding senior positions in public organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-03-21T09:31:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220321","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify. They note that the investigation is based on assumptions, without establishing either the place or time of the \"commission of the crime\".\nAlexander Polozov emphasizes: \"The accusation is based on two erroneous assumptions. First, the Supreme Court, having banned 395 legal entities, allegedly banned the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses at the same time. And secondly, if I worship God as a Jehovah's Witness, then I allegedly continue the activities of liquidated legal entities and commit a crime of an extremist nature. But the court did not forbid the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecution stubbornly refuses to notice this difference.\" He adds that he became one of Jehovah's Witnesses long before the LRO appeared in Norilsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220303","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Kuzmenkova satisfies the defendants' petitions for the admission of their wives to the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20220127","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Employees of the camp site, where believers gathered for a friendly meeting in 2019, are interrogated as witnesses.\nThe women report that the purpose of this meeting was to \"see off a friend to the mainland.\" One of them says: \"It was quiet, they didn't make noise.\"\nAnother notes: \"It seemed unusual and suspicious that the chairs were displayed as in a conference room.\" The defendant Shevelev asks her a question: \"The case file says that there were not 40 people, but 40,000. She replies, \"No, what are you! I could not even think that they could write such a figure. We can't fit so many people on the entire base.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20211004","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness who had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses is being interrogated. He says that he does not know the defendants personally, he heard about Alexander Polozov from others.\nDuring the interrogation, the prosecutor substitutes the concepts of \"organization\" and \"worship\": he states that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is prohibited, whereas legal entities, not religious meetings, were banned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20210921","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It is appointed to Judge Natalia Kuzmenkova. There are at least 13 volumes in the file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20210629","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for Norilsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Captain of Justice Y. I. Parfenova, involves Stepan Shevelev as a defendant in criminal case No. 11902040013000096, charging him with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to investigator Parfenova, Stepan \"entered into a criminal conspiracy\" with Alexander Polozov. The believer is accused of \"reading a prayer ... conducting the preaching work.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2021-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20210506","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The authorities add Aleksandr to the list of \"terrorists and extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring, block his bank accounts. The believer is assigned payments in the amount of the minimum wage.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20200301","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Valentin Kuznetsov, refused to extend the validity of the previously chosen prohibition measures to the investigator A.O. Shestakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20200220","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court satisfies Polozov's complaint against the preventive measure and cancels the decision of the Norilsk City Court to extend the detention. However, the accused was released only on January 21. He is under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2020-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20200114","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the measure of restraint is filed with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191028","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Polozov was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention center Norilsk, 13 Oktyabrskaya Street, Norilsk, in accordance with the Resolution on the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention, adopted by the judge of the Norilsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Shatrova A.V. for a period of 2 months, i.e. until December 20, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191026","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Polozov was detained under Articles 91-92 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191024","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two groups of SOBR surround the camp site, where the believers are at this time. Masked commandos break into the building and demand to hand over their phones and tablets. More than 50 people suffer from the actions of law enforcement officers. A number of those present were taken away for interrogation. At least 5 searches took place, which lasted an average of 5 hours.\nInvestigator of the Investigation Department for Norilsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V.E. Vazhenin initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nIn relation to Alexander Polozov, a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polozov and Shevelev in Norilsk","date":"2019-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/norilsk/index.html#20191020","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","leisure-disruption"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Perm Territory initiated a criminal case against Vladimir Poltoradnev, Alexander Sobyanin and Vladimir Timoshkin from Solikamsk. By then, law enforcement officers had been spying on them for a long time. After searches and interrogations, the three believers ended up in a temporary detention facility. Then Sobyanin was released under a ban on certain actions, and Poltoradnev and Timoshkin were placed under house arrest for 2 and 3 months, respectively. Later, the preventive measure for the latter was also changed to a ban on certain actions. After the investigation was repeatedly suspended and resumed, the case went to court in April 2023. Already in August, the judge found the believers guilty and fined: Alexander Sobyanin 494,000 rubles, Vladimir Poltoradnev 638,000 rubles and Vladimir Timoshkin 512,000 rubles. In November 2023 the court of appeal upheld the main part of the sentence, but slightly mitigated the additional punishment.","date":"2020-07-27","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html","prisoners":["sobyanin","poltoradnev","timoshkin"],"regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Believers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230814","regions":["perm"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 6 years in prison for Vladimir Timoshkin and Vladimir Poltoradnev, and asks Aleksandr Sobyanin to replace Part 1 (organization of extremist activity) with Part 2 (participation) of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentence him to 3 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230802","regions":["perm"],"tags":["punishment-request","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Excerpts of audio files are listened to, on which conversations of believers are recorded. The defendants refuse to comment on the recordings, as their voices are not there.\nThe defense draws attention to a gross violation of the procedure for examining evidence on the part of the prosecutor, who listens to some audio files from the case materials on her own with headphones, although this should take place jointly with all participants in the process, including the judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230718","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers file motions about the inadmissibility of evidence and their exclusion from material evidence. A motion to return the case to the prosecutor is also filed. The court attaches all petitions, but notes that they will be considered at the stage of additions.\nWitnesses in the case are being questioned. The first witness says that he knows Timoshkin, and characterizes him as an honest, decent and kind person. It distinguishes between the activities of legal entities and ordinary believers. The witness says that until 2017, the council of the LRO met once a year to resolve administrative and economic issues, but not to hold religious meetings. He tells how Jehovah's Witnesses conduct worship services: they sing religious songs, pray, read the Bible. The witness notes that there were no calls for extremism at their meetings.\nAlexander Sobyanin's daughter is being interrogated. She stresses that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited. They have a good relationship with their father. Characterizes him as a conscientious worker, family man and good friend.\nThe interrogation of the defendants begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230704","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An audio recording of a worship service is played in court, where an Gospel episode from the life of Jesus Christ is discussed.\nSobyanin and Timoshkin say that at least some of the remarks attributed to them are made by other people. The defendants draw attention to the fact that at the beginning and end of the recording there is a song and a prayer, which once again proves that this is a divine service, and not a meeting of legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230620","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"19 people come to support the believers.\nMaterial evidence is being examined. Vladimir Poltoradnev asks the court to hear all audio recordings on discs, and not just its individual parts, since this way the understanding of the entire material is lost.\nDuring the examination of material evidence, it was revealed that the integrity of the packaging of the system units belonging to the defendants was violated. The believers intend to petition for the inadmissibility of these materials as evidence of their guilt, since they do not exclude falsifications.\nVladimir Poltoradnev declares that he does not own the literature presented, which was attached to the case file as material evidence of his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230615","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out the case materials, including the protocols of interrogations of witnesses who did not appear in the courtroom.\nA prosecution witness who had previously attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses is being questioned. He reports that the religious group that existed in Solikamsk was never a structural unit of the LRO or the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The witness also says that the LRO existed only for administrative and economic needs, for example, to rent premises for worship.\nAudio recordings of telephone conversations of the defendants are reproduced in court. Alexander Sobyanin declares that the voice attributed to him does not really belong to him.\nFurther, many positive characteristics of the defendants from their employers, colleagues, neighbors and relatives are announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230608","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the hearing.\nThe court examines prosecution witnesses. One of them, an employee of Poltoradnev, replies that he was \"not involved\" in anything. The defendant's former boss says of him: \"Excellent worker! There are no complaints about him.\"\nAnother witness speaks positively about Alexander Sobyanin, who works for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230530","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"18 people come to support the believers.\nProsecution witnesses, including operatives, are being questioned. They answer most questions evasively. Thus, one of them does not remember what means were used for surveillance and whether investigative measures were stopped against the defendants. Another witness does not know what beliefs the defendants hold, but he says he followed them on orders.\nThe last witness says that he is familiar with the defendant Vladimir Poltoradnev and speaks positively about him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230516","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court establishes the identities of the defendants. The indictment is read out. The judge grants the motions to record the hearing, but rejects the defendants' refusal of appointed lawyers.\nThe defense asks for additional time to familiarize itself with the volumes of the case. The court rejects this petition.\nThe defendants read out their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230511","regions":["perm"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory. It will be considered by judge Yevgeny Sergeev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2023-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20230426","regions":["perm"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Poltoradnev is re-prosecuted as a defendant in organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\nLieutenant Colonel of Justice A. A. Novikov, investigator of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Department for Solikamsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Perm Territory, hands over the corresponding resolution to the believer. The document states that the suspect, as well as other persons, \"created a real threat to the violation of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of an indefinite circle of persons, and also caused harm to the interests of society and the state.\" According to the investigation, Poltoradnev's guilt lies in the fact that he \"directly participated in religious meetings ... discussed with his followers questions and topics of a religious nature.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20220816","regions":["perm"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case was transferred to another investigator - Alexander Novikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20211119","regions":["perm"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Oshmarina, judge of the Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory, replaces house arrest for Vladimir Timoshkin with a ban on certain actions. This is due to the fact that the accused is the sole breadwinner, his wife does not work and takes care of her elderly mother, and Vladimir has a dependent daughter. The believer has no right to leave Solikamsk and communicate with other defendants in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20201026","regions":["perm"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory Margarita Tsyruleva, following the results of a closed session, decides to change the measure of restraint for Vladimir Poltoradnev from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. The decision is motivated by the fact that Poltoradnev needs fresh air for health reasons, and also asks to be allowed to work to support himself. The new measure of restraint includes a ban on communication with other defendants in the case, on sending and receiving letters, as well as on the use of any means of communication other than to call emergency services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20200924","regions":["perm"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Solikamsk City Court of the Perm Territory releases Aleksandr Sobyanin from the temporary detention facility and chooses a preventive measure against him in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20200730","regions":["perm"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Poltoradnev is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. During interrogation, the believer denies his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20200729","regions":["perm"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are underway at 4 addresses in Solikamsk. 6 believers are taken to the offices of law enforcement agencies. At least one of the search warrants is issued by investigator Kanafyev.\nIt becomes known that a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation was initiated against 51-year-old Vladimir Timoshkin and 47-year-old Alexander Sobyanin. Poltoradnev, Timoshkin and Sobyanin are placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20200728","regions":["perm"],"tags":["interrogation","search","new-case","ivs","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kanafyev, senior investigator of the Solikamsk Investigative Committee, is initiating a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2020-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20200727","regions":["perm"],"tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","ivs","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Poltoradnev's telephone conversations are being tapped.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Poltoradnev and Others in Solikamsk","date":"2019-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solikamsk/index.html#20191204","regions":["perm"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2020, law enforcement officers searched 12 houses in Pechora. Several people were detained, including Gennadiy Polyakevich and Gennadiy Skutelets. On the same day, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation initiated a criminal case against them for extremism. The court sent Polyakevich to a pretrial detention center, where he spent 301 days, and placed Skutelets under house arrest for 364 days. In November 2020, another investigator of the Investigative Committee initiated a new criminal case against Nikolay Anufriyev, Eduard Merinkov, Aleksandr Vorontsov, and Aleksandr Prilepskiy. They were placed under arecognizance agreements. The case went to court in May 2021, and 8 months later it was returned to the prosecutor. In December 2022, at the age of 58, Aleksandr Prilepskiy died from the consequences of COVID-19. In April 2023, the case went to court again. The court issued a verdict 1 year and 2 months later - fines from 200,000 to 600,000 rubles. Aleksandr Prilepskiy was found guilty posthumously.","date":"2020-01-28","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html","prisoners":["anufriyev","merinkov","polyakevich","prilepskiy","skutelets","vorontsov"],"regions":["komi"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr Vorontsov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20241127","regions":["komi"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is being debated. Anufriev, Merinkov and Polyakevich make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20241120","regions":["komi"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"21 people come to the court session to support their fellow believers. The arguments of the parties begin. The state prosecutor requests 7 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for Polyakevich, Anufriev, Merinkov, Vorontsov and 5 years for Skutelets.\nOn behalf of the defense, lawyers for the defendants speak.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20241009","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants Gennady Skutelets and Gennady Polyakevich speak in their defence. Polyakevich explains: \"Among the many pieces of evidence examined, there are no facts of my correspondence and any interaction with the Administrative Center after its liquidation.\"\nSkutelets, like the other defendants, pleaded not guilty and refers to the right to peacefully practice his religion, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20240522","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendants Nikolai Anufriev and Alexander Vorontsov speak in their defense.\nNikolay Anufriev notes that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 \"did not sanction the political repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\" He explains: \"It is a mistake to believe that it will be fulfilled only when there is not a single Jehovah's Witness left in Russia. This judicial act does not prohibit the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination in general, and does not require believers to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms.\"\nAleksandr Vorontsov declares that his worship of God is not connected with the activities of the liquidated local religious organization (LRO) and its charter: \"My faith is not based on any charter. I did not devote my life to the charter, but to Jehovah God, and it is not according to the charter that I try to live every day, but according to the Bible... I have nothing to do with this legal document. But to keep the laws of God written in the Bible is my direct responsibility as a Christian.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20240417","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendants Eduard Merinkov and Gennady Polyakevich testify in their defense.\nEduard Merinkov explains in detail the topic of donations and says that \"Jehovah's Witnesses do not have obligatory monetary contributions, tithes, and the like.\" Explains the difference between an LRO and an ordinary citizen who believes in God.\nThe court also reads out the position of Oleksandr Prilepsky from a petition he previously filed (the believer died in December 2022).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20240228","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, video and audio files of liturgical meetings are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2024-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20240131","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, audio recordings of liturgical meetings are listened to. The judge is interested in who owns this or that voice that sounds on the recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20231207","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the request to examine the audio recordings and attach the ECHR judgment in the case of LRO Taganrog and Others v. Russia.\nThe defense requests the examination and inclusion of written documents in the criminal case as evidence for the defense. The court attaches 1 document out of 11 claimed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20231206","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearings, the testimonies of witnesses are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20231101","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses' services since childhood is being questioned. The man says that he has not heard from believers calls for extremist activities, disobedience to state authority, manifestations of violence or intolerance on ethnic grounds.\nThe witness answers some questions by referring to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, therefore, at the request of the prosecutor, his written testimony is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20231004","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge postpones the consideration of the defense's motion to return the criminal case for further investigation. The written materials of the case are examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230927","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gennady Polyakevich and Gennady Skutelyets speak with their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230726","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The widow of Aleksandr Prilepsky speaks at the hearing, who expresses her disagreement with the charges brought against her husband.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230707","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Merinkov and Aleksandr Vorontsov present their views on the prosecution. Merinkov's lawyer is petitioning for the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor in connection with the violations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230706","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Nikolay Anufriev expresses his attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230615","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case against the believers are resubmitted for consideration to the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic. It will be considered by judge Oleksiy Korovenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230418","regions":["komi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor asks questions to which the witness gives contradictory answers. The testimony of the witness from the materials of the criminal case, given by him during the preliminary investigation, is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20230117","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At noon, 58-year-old Alexander Prilepsky died. He died in intensive care from the effects of covid.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2022-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20221231","regions":["komi"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pechora City Court, composed of the presiding judge O. P. Luzan, decides to grant the request of the defense to return the criminal case against all believers to the Pechora interdistrict prosecutor.\nInaccuracies were found in the indictment. For example, the text of the indictment does not contain information about the extremist actions of the defendants, which would indicate not only their intention to practice religion, but also their plans to continue the activities of the banned religious organization. The indictment reflects in detail only their actions directly related to religion (singing, watching videos, reading the Bible, etc.).\nThe Court also refers to paragraph 4 of clause 20 of the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation (as amended on 28.10.2021), which states that individual or joint confession of religion, the performance of divine services or other religious rites and ceremonies, in themselves, if they do not contain signs of extremism, do not constitute a crime under part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20220120","regions":["komi"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic. It will be considered by judge Oksana Luzan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20210525","regions":["komi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 364 days of house arrest, the court released Gennadiy Skutelets on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2021-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20210127","regions":["komi"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court of Syktyvkar Maksim Moiseev changes Gennady Polyakevich's measure of restraint from detention to house arrest for a period of 2 months (until January 27, 2021 inclusive). The believer is released from custody in the courtroom, he goes home to Pechora.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20201125","regions":["komi"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Buts, an investigator of the Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates a new criminal case against believers: Nikolai Anufriev (63 years old), Eduard Merinkov (45 years old), Pavel Ogorodov (69 years old), Alexander Vorontsov (35 years old) and Alexander Prilepsky (56 years old).\nThe new case shall be joined with the previously initiated case under Ch. 282.2 (1) and (2) in respect of Gennadiy Polyakevich and Gennadiy Skutelets (1) and (2).\nPreviously, Pavel Ogorodov had already been searched. In May, after another interrogation, Ogorodov suffered a microstroke.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20201110","regions":["komi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On the basis of the decision of the Pechora City Court, a search is being conducted in the home of the believer E. Kh. 6 people are participating in the search. The investigator asks if money is stored in the apartment and threatens that in case of non-delivery, the floors in the apartment will be opened. The believer is not given a search warrant. The investigator also informs that later E.Kh. will be summoned for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200905","regions":["komi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Pechora, security forces invaded the homes of believers at 12 addresses. Judging by the documents, new searches were carried out in the framework of the case of Polyakevich and Skutelets Almost seven months after the initiation of the case, the investigator came to the conclusion that other believers may also be involved in the activities of the liquidated local religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200824","regions":["komi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic Natalia Valerievna Shelepova, at the request of investigator A. A. Buts, allows searches in the apartments of Igor Markin and one more believer.\nIn support of the need for a search, the investigator refers to criminal case No. 12002870035000003, which was initiated against Gennady Polyakevich and Gennady Skutelets\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200714","regions":["komi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Syktyvkar City Court of the Komi Republic V.G. Shpileva extends the period of detention of Gennadiy Polyakevich in the pre-trial detention center for 3 months - until September 28, 2020. According to the judge, it is impossible to soften the measure of restraint, since the believer is accused of \"committing an intentional grave crime.\" This is how the court ruling calls Polyakevich's meetings with fellow believers. It also states that the believer spoke of \"the need to continue serving Jehovah, despite the persecution by the authorities.\" With this wording, Judge Shpileva ignores the explanations of the government and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200626","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic Andrei Barabkin extends the house arrest of Gennady Skutelets for another three months. By this day, the believer has been under house arrest for five months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200625","regions":["komi"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers from Pechora are summoned en masse for interrogation as witnesses in the case of Gennadiy Polyakevich and Gennadiy Skutelets . Subpoenas are handed over to believers in person or by phone. Among those interrogated were seven people, including a man who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as Pavel Ogorodov, who had previously suffered a stroke. He had already faced a search and detention on January 28, 2020. The threats of the investigator during a new interrogation cause Pavel a lot of stress, as a result of which later, already at home, he has a microstroke.\nDuring the interrogation of another believer, who was already interrogated on January 28, 2020, the investigator exerts psychological pressure, threatening to open a criminal case against the believer and his mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200520","regions":["komi"],"tags":["interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court of the Komi Republic Igor Chichagov extends the house arrest of Gennady Skutelets until June 28, 2020. At the same time, the court takes into account the state of his health and allows him to leave the apartment, but not more than three hours a day - to visit medical institutions and walk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200324","regions":["komi"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Syktyvkar City Court Yelena Koyusheva extends the term of arrest of Gennady Polyakevich until June 28, 2020, despite the fact that he has a minor child dependent on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200323","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case is extended until June 28, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200316","regions":["komi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gennady Polyakevich's lawyer Denis Vladimirov is filing an appeal against the arrest of his client with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court of the Komi Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200203","regions":["komi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Pechora City Court Andrei Barabkin sends Gennady Polyakevich to a pre-trial detention center for two months - until March 27, 2020, and Gennady Skutelets is placed under house arrest for the same period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200130","regions":["komi"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning in Pechora, security forces conduct searches at 12 addresses. 68-year-old Pavel Ogorodov, 60-year-old Gennady Polyakevich, 28-year-old Maksim Terentyev and 43-year-old Gennady Skutelets were arrested.\nOgorodov and Terentyev were released on the same day.\nThe investigator of the Department for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the TFR, A. Belov, initiates a criminal case against Polyakevich and Skutelets under Article 282.2 (parts 1 and 2, respectively) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Polyakevich and Others in Pechora","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pechora/index.html#20200128","regions":["komi"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, a search was conducted at the home of Yuriy Ponomarenko in Luchegorsk. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. In November of the same year, as part of Ponomarenko’s case, another search took place — this time at the residence of Oleg Sergeyev. He was charged under the same article. In March 2022, Nikolay Dikhtyar became a defendant in the case: he was accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. In June 2022, the criminal case against the believers was submitted to the court. Almost two years later, in May 2024, the believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 2.5 to 6.5 years. Later, at the prosecutor’s request, the appellate court reduced each believer’s sentence by one month.","date":"2021-07-16","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html","prisoners":["dikhtyar","ponomarenkoyu","sergeyevo"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested real terms for four believers: 2 years, Nikolay Dikhtyar, Yuriy Ponomarenko and Oleg Sergeyev - 6 years each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20240423","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of announcing the verdict, the court decides to resume the judicial investigation. According to the court, during the debate of the parties, the defense points to new circumstances, without verification of which it is impossible to make a lawful and reasoned decision in the case. The court decides to resume the judicial investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20240126","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20240117","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested suspended term for the defendants: Yuriy Ponomarenko — 4 years, Oleg Sergeyev — 3 years and 6 months, and Nikolay Dikhtyar — 2 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20231215","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense asks the court to postpone the hearing due to the family circumstances of Oleg Sergeev - his wife got into a car accident. The court grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20231110","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evidence of the defense is examined. Nikolay Dikhtyar provides information on the ECHR judgments in the cases of The Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow and Others v. the Russian Federation and Konstantin Kuznetsov and Others v. the Russian Federation. He emphasizes that these rulings recognized violations by the Russian Federation of the legitimate rights and freedoms of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.The defense reads out positive characteristics of the defendants from neighbors and from places of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20231020","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court concludes that the content of the audio and video materials of the case is exclusively \"thematic, religious\" in nature. The court decides to limit further research of materials - songs, films, animated animation - to selective viewing and listening.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20231019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case: audio, video and text files, including recordings of conversations of the defendants with relatives, friends and fellow believers, as well as secret recordings of meetings of the defendants with an operational officer who portrayed interest in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20230823","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears audio files from the case file - recordings of telephone conversations of the defendants from November 2018 to February 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20230721","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are being examined. Among them is a greeting card addressed to the Ponomarenko family, a poem and a document addressed to the wife of Yuri Ponomarenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20230719","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make written notes. Believers say that they do not know Anton Virich , and Valery Vyaznikov, who is a defendant in a similar case, has not been seen for more than 10 years.\nYuriy Ponomarenko says that he did not enter into a criminal conspiracy with anyone. He adds: \"In the audio recording, which is used as evidence of my guilt, I do not hold a meeting of the LRO, but a Christian meeting of a group of believers, at which attention is drawn to the mercy of God and Christ. At the same time, I want to emphasize that nothing I said incites hatred towards other religions, and there was no criminal motive in my actions.\"\nOleg Sergeyev states: \"The prosecution mistakenly mixes two types of activities: the practice of religion by individuals and the activities of a legal entity. Why can't I, as an individual, freely believe in God without being accused of continuing the activities of a legal entity to which I have never been related?\"\nSimilar thoughts are voiced by Nikolay Dikhtyar in his speech: \"I simply profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. This is not the same as continuing the activities of the liquidated LRO.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20230515","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-05-01T09:58:04+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20230501","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates 5 witnesses, including FSB officer Vasin, who says that of the accused he knows only Ponomarenko, because he is his neighbor. According to the witness, he did not know the other defendants. The prosecutor reads out the materials of Vasin's interrogation, according to which Dikhtyar came to his house together with Sergey Sergeev. When asked by the state prosecutor whether Vasin confirms this, he answers in the affirmative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20221108","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"My son is a believer, reads the Bible, lives according to the laws of God, talks about God, respects people, he is being judged for this,\" the defendant's mother says during interrogation. The witness adds that her son treats representatives of other faiths well, she has never heard from him negative statements about anyone, calls for genocide and repression.\nPrior to this, the court refused to discuss the petition for publicity of the trial and admission of listeners to the hall. Because of this, more than 50 people were left waiting for news from the courtroom on the street.\nAt the previous hearing, the defendant was not allowed to express his attitude to the charges. In this regard, the lawyer asks to provide this opportunity again. After the recess, the judge grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20221107","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. They give the defendants positive characteristics. For the rest of the questions, they enjoy the right not to testify against themselves and their loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20221021","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Svetlana Mekesheva reads out the charges. The defendants express their attitude towards him. They explain that their \"faith does not depend on the existence of a local religious organization\" (legal entity), and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation by its decision \"did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from holding joint meetings.\"\nTwo witnesses are being interrogated, one of whom is FSB officer P. Vasin. Both witnesses confirm that the defendants did not encourage them to do anything and did not distribute any literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20220905","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing on the merits of the case. The court rejects the defendants' petitions to challenge their defense counsel.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20220810","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Yuriy Ponomarenko, Nikolay Dikhtyar and Oleg Sergeyev is submitted to the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Territory for consideration by Judge Atroshko M.N.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20220630","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"67-year-old Nikolay Dikhtyar is being prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation calls the communication of believers with each other and the conduct of worship services \"criminal activity\", which was \"stable, cohesive in nature, which was expressed in the presence of a common conviction and intent to commit serious crimes among the leaders and participants of an organized group.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20220314","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Sorokin brings Oleg Sergeyev and Yuri Ponomarenko as accused. The ruling states that the believers had \"the intent to organize the continuation of the activities of the said religious organization\" and decided to \"create a criminal group to commit serious crimes,\" which were, in fact, joint discussions of the teachings of the Bible. It also states that Oleg and Sergey remained \"spiritual leaders\" who continue to communicate with other believers on religious topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20220212","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"N. A. Sorokina, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Department for the City of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, charges Oleg Sergeev with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization). The believer is interrogated as an accused. They take a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20211102","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior detective of the PU FSB of Russia in the Primorsky Territory, Captain Vokhmyanin V.N. in the framework of the criminal case of Yuri Ponomarenko conducts a search in the apartment of 37-year-old Oleg Sergeev. During special events, a believer's phone, laptop and flash drives are seized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20211101","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Ponomarenko is included in the federal list of extremists and terrorists of Rosfinmonitoring. This means that certain financial restrictions are imposed on it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20210803","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Ponomarenko is summoned for interrogation to the Investigative Committee of the city of Dalnerechensk, which is 84 kilometers from the place of residence of the believer. During the interrogation, Sorokin reproduces an audio recording of Ponomarenko's telephone conversation three years ago as evidence of the believer's \"guilt\". When asked by the investigator who is talking and with whom, Ponomarenko uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. After interrogation, the man is released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20210724","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Ponomarenko's apartment is being searched, in which investigator Sorokina, three detectives and witnesses participate. A mobile phone, hard drive and postcards with Bible verses are seized from the believer. Security forces are also searching his garage.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20210722","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"N. A. Sorokina, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, issues a decision to initiate criminal case No. 12102050012000058 against 62-year-old Yuriy Ponomarenko under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist association).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ponomarenko and Others in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk2/index.html#20210716","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The law enforcement officers searched the apartment of Pavel Popov and his wife in the presence of their young daughter twice — in 2019 and 2021. The peaceful believer from Yemanzhelinsk was brought in as a witness in the case of Valentina Suvorova from Chelyabinsk, and in April 2021,Aleksandr Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiated a criminal case against him. He considered preaching, singing religious songs and prayers to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In November 2021, the case went to court. During the hearings, it became obvious that the testimonies of witnesses for the prosecution were falsified, and the prosecution had no evidence. Despite this, the prosecutor requested the court sentence the believer to 8 years imprisonment. In May 2022, the believer was found guilty and was given a 6-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-04-22","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html","prisoners":["popovp"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge Maria Melnikova finds Pavel Popov guilty of organizing the activities of an extremist organization and sentences him to 6 years probation with a probation period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-05-25T16:00:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220525","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The prosecution is requesting a sentence of 8 years in prison for Pavel Popov.\nPavel Popov reminds the court of the position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which ruled that Jehovah's Witnesses should not be prosecuted for joint worship. The believer repeatedly draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He says: \"The episode of participation in worship imputed to me only indicates the exercise of the right to use ways of expressing faith that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not evaluate or prohibit.\"\nThe believer speaks at the trial with the last word and asks him to be fully acquitted due to the absence of corpus delicti.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220523","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines information about the location of the defendant and his wife on the basis of data from a mobile operator. This document refutes the testimony of witnesses who claimed that the Popovs talked to them on religious topics: at the designated time, the spouses were in another area of the city.\nIn his testimony, Pavel Popov emphasizes that in life he is guided by the principles of love for God and for people. The defendant also draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court did not evaluate the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not prohibit the practice of this religion.\nThe defendant is being interrogated. Answering questions from the prosecutor and the judge, Popov said that the religious literature seized from him was intended for personal use. The believer also explains to the court that the term \"elder\" is purely religious and does not refer to any legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-04-22T15:58:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220422","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates Elena Popova, the defendant's wife. She says that Bible principles changed Pavel's life for the better. Elena says: \"My husband has never been and I am sure he will never be an extremist, as this contradicts the very essence of a Christian, which he is.\"\nElena states that she has never met any of the women who claim that the Popovs discussed the Bible with them. Popova also notes that she never had a long dark dress and scarf, in which she was allegedly seen by one of the prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220302","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Zavarnitsyna. She says that the defendant, together with his wife, came to her place of residence and talked about his faith, but did not involve him in any organization.\nAlthough the witness could not identify Popov during the preliminary investigation, she immediately recognizes him in court. The prosecutor reads out the written testimony of the witness, as they differ from her words at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220207","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of another prosecution witness. The woman, who during the preliminary investigation stated that Pavel Popov and his wife talked to her on religious topics, does not recognize the defendant in the courtroom.\nSince earlier in the investigator's office the woman allegedly identified Pavel and his wife Elena from photographs, the prosecutor requests that the court take into account the written testimony that the witness gave during the preliminary investigation. Judge Maria Melnikova granted the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20220121","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates police agent Ruzayeva via video conferencing. According to her, she attended two worship meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses. She did not see Pavel Popov there, but only heard his voice. Witness Ruzayeva admits that Popov did not encourage those present to participate in the activities of the banned organization and did not promote superiority over other religions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20211227","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Popov speaks with an attitude to the accusation, expressing his disagreement. He draws attention to the fact that the investigation freely and illegally interprets the decision of the Supreme Court. The defendant claims that by professing his faith, he was only exercising his right to freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20211129","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Pavel Popov is submitted to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk. It will be considered by judge Maria Melnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20211102","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Popov family is being searched again. After the search, the entire Popov family, including their 13-year-old daughter, is taken to the Chelyabinsk Investigative Committee for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20210518","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Leonid Bobrov, orders a search of Pavel Popov's home in Yemanzhelinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20210512","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for especially important cases of the third department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against Pavel Popov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator considers the performance of religious songs, prayers and conversations about the Bible by a believer as criminal activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20210422","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Around 7:00 there is a soft knock on the door of the apartment where the spouses Pavel and Elena Popov live with their young daughter in the city of Yemanzhelinsk (Chelyabinsk region). The owners are informed through the door that there was an accident with their car in the yard. When they open the door, they see about 10 masked people with machine guns and a sledgehammer to kick down the door. Pavel Popov's apartment is being searched. Information carriers containing family photos and videos are seized from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk4/index.html#20190326","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2023, the Investigative Committee for the Vladimir Region initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Popov from Kovrov. Law enforcement officers took him straight from his place of work for interrogation, then searched his home. At the same time, the home of Aleksandr\u0026rsquo;s elderly parents was also searched. After that, he was placed under house arrest, and in December 2023, under a ban on certain actions. The investigation considered discussing the Bible with friends via the Internet \u0026ldquo;a grave crime against the state authority.\u0026rdquo; In July 2024, the case went to court. The state prosecutor requested a fine of 450,000 rubles for the believer. The believer was sentenced to a fine of 250,000 rubles.","date":"2023-08-22","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html","prisoners":["popoval"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Maria Maslova. Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region (21 Shchorsa Street, Kovrov). Start: 10:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20250410","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, Aleksandr Popov draws attention to the fact that he is accused of participating in meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, at which believers pray together, discuss the Bible and sing religious songs. The prosecution calls such meetings meetings of members of a legal entity. However, the charter of the liquidated organization states that such a canonical meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses is not part of its structure. Aleksandr also points out that there is not a single proof in the case file that he was guided by the motive of enmity and hatred in his religious activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20250318","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are transferred to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region. Popov's case will be considered by Judge Maria Maslova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20240711","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Kovrov City Prosecutor, Counselor of Justice Roman Bryukhanov approves the indictment against Aleksandr Popov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2024-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20240701","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee A. L. Zhokin attracts Aleksandr Popov as a defendant in a criminal case, charging him with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\nThe indictment states, among other things, that the believer \"within the limits of strict regulations and the time allotted for speaking or studying a religious topic, personally read religious texts to those present.\" According to the investigation, \"officers of the FSB of Russia suppressed the criminal actions committed by Popov, namely, the dissemination in society of information related to biblical truths and prophecies, as well as explaining the Bible and touching on scientific, social, historical and other topics.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2024-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20240607","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2024-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20240424","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7 a.m., the security forces come to search the house where Aleksandr Popov's relatives live. The event is led by the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Captain Y. N. Nikulin and the operative of the Federal Security Service K. N. Bidnik.\nIt turns out that the search is taking place on the basis of a court order, which was issued on December 15, 2023. The security forces seized personal notes on paper from Popov's cousin Maria Ovsyannikova. After about 2 hours, she is taken away for interrogation. On the same day, her mother and sister are interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20240209","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region, Artem Ozhev, decides to replace the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Alexander Popov with a ban on certain actions for a period of 1 month and 6 days until January 21, 2024. Now a believer can leave his apartment during the daytime for several hours, but he does not have the right to use means of communication, including the Internet, to see witnesses in the case, and also to receive correspondence through the postal service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20231215","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region places Aleksandr Popov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20230825","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 10 o'clock in the morning, 2 FSB officers come to work for Alexander Popov and take him to the Investigative Committee. On the way, his smartphone is seized. The believer refuses to be interrogated \"without a protocol\" and is taken home for a search. There, electronic devices and personal records are seized from him. Then Aleksandr is again taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation, which takes place in the presence of a lawyer. He is charged and fingerprinted. After that, the believer is sent to a temporary detention center in Vladimir. On the same day, a search takes place at the home of Alexander's elderly parents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20230823","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Kovrov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Vladimir Region Y. N. Nikulin initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) against 36-year-old Alexander Popov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov5/index.html#20230821","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2023, Rimma Popova from Cherkessk was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving other persons in it. Earlier, in June of the same year, the believer\u0026rsquo;s house was searched, after that she was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then under house arrest for 2 months. Later, the court commuted her preventive measure to a ban on certain activities. Soon Rimma was hospitalized due to a heart attack. In April 2024, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 4.5 years in a penal colony for Popova. In January 2025, she was given a 4.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-10-04","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html","prisoners":["popovar"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 4.5 years in a general regime colony for Rimma Popova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20250114","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends the preventive measure for Rimma Popova, despite the lawyer's petition to replace the ban on certain actions with a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor interrogates the prosecution's witnesses – three officers of the CPE and the FSB.\nNext, witness Ogarev is interrogated. His wife was a prosecution witness in a similar case in Cherkessk. He does not know the defendant personally.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240704","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the indictment.\nThe defendant expresses her attitude towards the prosecution. It reads: \"Your Honor! I am sure that you, as a lawyer and as a person, will understand the difference between Christian service to God, which is a part of my life, and extremism, which is completely alien to me. I plead not guilty and believe that the charge against me is illegal.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240529","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held. The lawyer asks to change the measure of restraint of the believer to a written undertaking not to leave due to the state of her health, but the court extends Popova's ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240422","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rimma Popova's case is submitted to the Circassian City Court. It is appointed to Judge Din-Islam Chotchaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240401","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rimma Popova is charged under two parts of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement of persons in it. The investigation sees a crime in peaceful conversations with residents about God.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2024-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20240317","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After being discharged from the hospital, an electronic bracelet is put on the believer's leg to monitor her whereabouts from 21:00 to 06:00. Despite the fact that the believer goes to work, her illness, according to the cardiologist, requires further treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231230","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["house-arrest","ankle-tag","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a result of a medical examination, it turns out that the believer suffered a heart attack, possibly during the period of house arrest. From the comfort of her home, Rimma experienced severe stress because of the criminal case initiated against her. She is hospitalized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231214","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Circassian City Court Din-Islam Chotchaev softens the measure of restraint for Rimma Popova from house arrest to prohibition of certain actions. Taking into account the state of health of the accused and the data confirming that she is not going to hide from the investigation, the judge rejects the petition of investigator N. R. Jamalutdinov, who asks to leave the previous measure of restraint. Now the believer is forbidden to leave the house only at night, communicate with witnesses in the case, use the Internet and mobile communications.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231130","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Shabanov charges the believer with extremism under two criminal articles. The ruling states that the woman committed \"inducing, recruiting or otherwise involving a person in the activities of an extremist organization ... by conducting classes with E. V. Miroshnik on the study of the foundations of the religious activity of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nLaw enforcers considered the believer's conversations about the Bible to be \"recruiting conversations\" and accused her of \"undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security by her actions.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231011","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Circassian City Court Rustam Atayev chooses a measure of restraint for Popova in the form of house arrest for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231005","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aslan Shabanov, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Cherkessk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, initiates a criminal case against Rimma Popova under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The believer is interrogated and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20231004","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 7 a.m., law enforcement officers stop 55-year-old Rimma Popova on the street when she goes to work and present her with a search warrant for her home. The search lasts about an hour. A woman's phone and a notebook with personal notes are seized. The believer refuses to sign the protocol and in response hears threats that she will be sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Popova in Cherkessk","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk3/index.html#20230620","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2018, Venera Dulova and Aleksandr Prianikov were detained for talking about the Bible. A criminal case was initiated against them under an article against extremism. A year later, Darya Dulova became the third defendant in the case. In January 2020, they were given suspended sentences ranging from 1 year to 2.5 years. The court of appeal in Yekaterinburg overturned the verdict and returned the case to the court of first instance. This time, the prosecutor requested a more severe punishment, but the court duplicated the first verdict. In March 2022, the court of appeal again overturned the verdict, acquitting the believers. The court of cassation upheld this decision. However, the RF Supreme Court overturned it in March 2023 and returned the case to the appeal stage, which returned the case to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office, after which the court of cassation sent it for a new appeal hearing. A fourth appellate decision upheld the verdicts against Aleksandr and Venera. Darya is exempt from criminal liability, as the statute of limitations has expired. All three believers are defendants in another criminal case for their faith.","date":"2018-07-30","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html","prisoners":["ddulova","dulova","prianikov"],"regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Chelyabinsk cancels the decision of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court to return the criminal case to the prosecutor and sends the case for a new appeal to the same court with a different composition. Thus, the court refuses to satisfy the prosecutor's request to change the territorial jurisdiction, that is, to send the case for a new appeal to another court in the territory of the Seventh Court of Cassation.\nThe prosecutor sought to transfer the case to a court on the territory of another subject of the Russian Federation. According to the state prosecutor, \"there are circumstances that cast doubt on the objectivity and impartiality of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.\" However, the cassation court considers the prosecution's arguments insufficient.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20231108","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["2-cassation","disability","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the hearing in 32-degree heat to support the believers. The hearing is postponed again, as Venera Dulova needs a new hearing aid to fully participate in the trial.\nThe court satisfies the defense's request for photographing and filming of the hearings.\nThe prosecution is requesting the summoning and interrogation of the classified witness Osokina, since for unknown reasons her testimony is not in the record of the interrogation in the court of first instance. In turn, the Karpinsky City Court reports that the testimony of the witness was restored. The judge explains that the parties have the right to familiarize themselves with these statements and, if necessary, to submit comments on them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20230529","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk Regional Court is holding an appeal hearing in this criminal case for the third time. The meeting is attended by about 20 listeners. The case is being considered by a panel of judges: Margarita Bratanchuk, Andrey Kalinin and Kristina Uporova.\nThe meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20230502","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation appeals to the Supreme Court with a complaint against the appeal verdict and cassation ruling, which acquitted Venera and Daria Dulov and Alexander Pryanikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20230124","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk Regional Court overturns the convictions of Aleksandr Pryanikov, Venera and Darya Dulov, finding them not guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20220315","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants' closing statement and the announcement of the verdict shall be postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2022-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20220204","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict is announced: Aleksandr Pryanikov - 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years, Venera Dulova - 2 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of two years, Darya Dulova - 1 year of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of one year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-07-15T18:43:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210715","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Pryanikov, Venera and Daria Dulov, speaking in court with the last word, do not admit guilt in extremism. At the next hearing, the court intends to announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210713","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants' closing statement and the announcement of the verdict shall be postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210616","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. The defender and defendant Alexander Pryanikov speaks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210528","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor recommends to the court a real term of punishment for believers who are charged with peaceful worship services consisting of a discussion of the Bible: for Venera and Alexander - 3 years of imprisonment in a colony, for Daria - 2 years of probation. In January 2020, at the first hearing of the case, the prosecutor asked for suspended sentences for all three.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210514","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the second time that three invited prosecution witnesses have not appeared at the hearing, despite the fact that they have been forcibly summoned.\nThe next hearing will be held on February 16 at 10:00 a.m. The remaining witnesses will be questioned and the written case file will be examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210122","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the secret witness \"Osokina\". Answering the questions of the defendants and the defense counsel, she cannot explain what exactly the Supreme Court banned in 2017, she cannot remember exactly how many times and when she attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, what topics were discussed there, and at what address they took place. According to her, the believers did not cause any harm to either her or her property. The witness cannot give examples of unlawful actions on the part of A. Pryanikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20210121","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Experts from the Ural Federal University are being questioned in court. Starostin Alexei Nikolaevich, candidate of historical sciences, Islamic scholar, reports that he examined materials seized during the searches: books, disks with videos and photos. Almost all of the materials he examines contain quotations from the Bible. The expert confirms his cooperation with the Orthodox Academy in St. Petersburg, and refuses to explain what research he did about Jehovah's Witnesses, citing a non-disclosure agreement. Starostin confirms that Jehovah's Witnesses do not call for undermining the constitutional order, for rallies, etc.\n4 prosecution witnesses are also being questioned.\nDuring the interrogation of witnesses, the prosecutor asks questions about whether the witnesses understood the purpose of the defendants' arrival, whether they remember well the essence of the conversation, the date of the meeting, the fact of being invited to any religious organization. None of the witnesses can give a definite answer, since no one can remember exactly who, why and when came to them.\nOne of the witnesses says that he identified the defendant by the color of her hair, and at the same time he states that he does not remember well the events of that day and the interrogation of the investigator, where the investigator showed him black and white photographs of the suspects. Also, he cannot confirm his testimony, since he did not read them, but simply signed the document, relying on the honesty of the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20201118","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witnesses. Prosecution witness Yulia Gorshkova works in law enforcement. Confirms that the defendants did not commit unlawful acts, and the law does not prohibit them from preaching their religion. Another employee, Yevgeny Podoynitsyn, finds it difficult to explain what the believers' guilt is.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200930","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are repeated hearings in the criminal case against believers in the Karpinsky City Court. The case is being considered by judge Vera Bazueva.\nThe defendants do not admit their guilt and emphasize that the accusation is unfounded and fabricated. They never had anything to do with extremism and were not members of banned organizations. Believers pay attention to the absence of victims. \"Participation in the sermon is my personal desire,\" says Alexander Pryanikov. \"I studied the Bible and learned a lot from it. I found tips that help strengthen families and make marriages happier.\"\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200929","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region Vera Bazueva schedules a hearing on September 29, 2020 in criminal case No. 11802650042000038 against Alexander Pryanikov, Venera and Daria Dulov.\nThe criminal case will be re-considered after the cancellation of the conviction by the court of appeal, issued more than 9 months ago.\nBelievers will have to defend their constitutional right to freely practice their religion in court for the third time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200908","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg overturns the convictions of all three, returning the case to the court of first instance for consideration by another court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200806","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Sudedan, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Department for Krasnoturyinsk of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, initiates criminal cases against Venera and Daria Dulov and Alexander Pryanikov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It was he who had previously initiated the criminal prosecution of three believers, which eventually turned into suspended sentences for them. The decisions to initiate criminal cases include secret witnesses, according to whom the believers allegedly involved them \"in the activities of a banned religious organization.\" The investigation of the second case of Pryanikov and others in Karpinsk begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200218","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Karpinsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region sentences: Aleksandr Pryanikov — 2.5 years suspended with a correctional term of 2.5 years; Venera Dulova — 2 years probation with a correctional term of 2 years; Darya Dulova — 1 year probation with a correctional term of 1 year. All three are additionally forbidden to visit crowded places and change their place of residence. When changing jobs, it is necessary to notify the supervisory authorities. Twice a month it is necessary to report to the police. The believers intend to appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200127","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Debate in the Karpinsky City Court. The presiding judge is Gabbasova S.V. The prosecutor asks for 3 years of probation and 3 years of probation for Alexander Pryanikov and Venera Dulova; for Daria Dulova - 2 years of probation and 2 years of probation.\nThe sentencing is expected on January 27 at 9:30 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2020-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20200120","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejected all three motions. The next meeting will be held on 16 and 18 September. Witnesses are scheduled to be questioned on September 18.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190912","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing on the case. The accused Pryanikov A., Dulova V. and Dulova D. plead not guilty. Submit motions for the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor, for the termination of the criminal case and for the exclusion of evidence. To familiarize the parties with the petitions, the hearing is postponed to September 12.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190909","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the city of Karpinsk approved the indictments against A. Pryanikov, V. Dulova and D. Dulova, which were handed to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190809","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dulova V., Dulova D. and Pryanikov A. are familiarizing themselves with the materials of the case under Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190730","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The procedural status of Daria Dulova changes, and she is involved in a criminal case as an accused, interrogated, and a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave is chosen for her. Dulova D. submits a petition for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190724","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dulova V. and Pryanikov A. were chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. They file petitions for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190723","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Darya Dulova was summoned for questioning as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190723","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Pryanikov is involved in a criminal case and interrogated as an accused. V. Dulova is also being prosecuted and interrogated as a defendant in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190722","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation is extended until 30.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190626","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Khmelenko S. makes a decision to merge the criminal cases into one case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190530","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation is extended until 30.06.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190423","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the appeal against the search of A. Pryanikov is not satisfied, he sends a cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190422","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In accordance with the decision of the judge of the Karpinsky City Court, A. Pryanikov is being searched in the presence of 3 FSB officers, an investigator and two other officers. Almost all electronic devices were seized, and the car was searched. Aleksandr Pryanikov's wife, Anastasia, was interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190416","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator S. Khmelenko and unidentified persons in civilian clothes interrogate Natalia Blum and Ruslan Zalyayev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190405","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department for Krasnoturyinsk, represented by S. Khmelenko, instructs the head of OP No. 32 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia \"Krasnoturyinsky\" to conduct a complex of ORM.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190326","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pryanikov A. and Dulova V. submit to Khmelenko S. A. petitions for the implementation of rights in the appointment of examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190314","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Khmelenko S. informs the lawyer Dulova V. and Pryanikov A. about the appointment of psychological, religious and religious examinations and sends him decisions on the appointment of examinations for review.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2019-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20190306","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation is extended until 28.02.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20181220","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation is extended until 30.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180924","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Pryanikov, who is outside Karpinsk at the time of the initiation of the criminal case against him, voluntarily appears before the investigator S. Khmelenko and is interrogated as a suspect in the presence of a lawyer.\nWith regard to Alexander Pryanikov, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave, and he is also given a copy of the decision to initiate a criminal case against him and other documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180921","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers come to the places of residence of believers and subject them to interrogations, some are summoned for interrogation to the police station.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180921","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal is filed with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court by V. Dulova against the decision of the judge of the Karpinsky City Court of 31.07.2018 to allow a search of the home. The judicial collegium leaves the decision unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180808","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the search of Venera Dulova's apartment, phones, a laptop, storage media, books, notebooks, and photographs were seized. Employees behave quite correctly.\nOn the same day, Venera Dulova and her 18-year-old daughter Daria Dulova were interrogated. They are subjected to psychological pressure in order to find out the whereabouts of Alexander Pryanikov. During the interrogation, a lawyer appointed is present.\nSenior investigator of the Investigation Department Sudin V.A. chooses a measure of restraint in relation to Venera Dulova in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior. In the decision on the election of a measure of restraint Dulova is listed as a suspect.\nOn the same day, searches were conducted at the dacha of V. Dulova's relatives and at the apartment of the Pryanikov family in their absence.\nDuring the interrogation, Venera and Darya Dulova are again pressured and intimidated by long prison terms. Daria is asked if her parents read religious literature. Venera Dulova signed a recognizance not to leave.\nDuring the search, nothing was seized from A. Pryanikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180801","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judge of the Karpinsky City Court gives permission to search the homes of two believers: Venera Dulova and Aleksandr Pryanikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180731","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal case No. 11802650042000038 under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera Dulova was initiated.\nThe case is being investigated by the Investigative Department of the Krasnoturinsk SU of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180730","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A religious study of the personal records and contents of the phones of Dulova and Pryanikov is being conducted. The study is carried out by Associate Professor of the Department of Theology of the Ural Mining University Alexei Starostin.\nThe 15-page conclusion concludes:\n1) the submitted materials are of a religious nature;\n2) the materials presented are related to the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180705","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Detectives of the Criminal Investigation Department and the FSB inspect the contents of the phone seized from Venera Dulova. A 40-page inspection report was drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180615","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["personal-inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Pryanikov and Venera Dulova were re-detained by the police while talking about biblical topics.\nDuring the interrogation, the believers refer to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Phones, data carriers, and personal records are seized from them in order to check for extremist materials. Copies of passports and other documents were made, fingerprints were taken.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2018-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20180614","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["personal-inspection","fingerprinting"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The initiation of a criminal case on the fact of distribution of literature was denied.\nFrom April 2016 to June 2018, there is no information about ongoing MPAs. ","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2016-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20160428","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Pryanikov and Venera Dulova talk about religion with a person. During the conversation, the man's relative accuses them of theft and calls the police.\nDulova and Pryanikov are taken to the police station, fingerprinted, inspected and seized religious literature in order to send it for examination.\nBelievers give explanations about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2016-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20160419","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["personal-inspection","fingerprinting"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The material on the distribution of religious literature is registered in the register of reports of crimes under No. 2906.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prianikov and Others in Karpinsk","date":"2016-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/karpinsk/index.html#20160419","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["personal-inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Prityko, a resident of Birobidzhan, a refrigeration equipment repairman, faced persecution for his faith in February 2024, when he was first searched. In April 2025, FSB officers conducted a second search in the believer\u0026rsquo;s house. Soon the man was interrogated. The case went to court in August 2025, and in November the believer was given a 2-year and 6-month suspended sentence. The verdict came into force in 2 months.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html","prisoners":["prityko"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region upheld the sentence against Igor Prityko. The believer states that the indictment is \"completely unsubstantiated\" and relies on a recording of a meeting for worship, where he \"shares thoughts based only on the Bible.\"\n\"For a peaceful person, who has not committed any action dangerous to people or the state, it is not easy to cope with criminal prosecution and everything related to it,\" he notes, adding that what is happening, damages the physical and emotional health of both him and his loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20260113","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Prityko makes his final statement, after which the court announces the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20251114","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","282.2-2","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor asks to find Igor Prityko guilty and requests he be given a 2-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20251106","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the defendant, Igor Prityko. He states, among other things: \"My motive was not extremism, but the intention to exercise my right to practice and share my faith in the usual way within the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Prityko explains: \"My actions consisted of satisfying my spiritual needs: reading the Bible and discussing it with other people, singing songs praising God and praying to God.\" To support the believer, 12 people come to the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20251028","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is assigned to Judge Svetlana Zemtsova. Earlier, she authorized a search of Igor Prytyko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250805","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Prityko's wife, Natalya, is summoned for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250602","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Prityko is being interrogated as a suspect. The interrogation of the believer is conducted by Captain of Justice, Denis Yemelyanenko, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250529","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is initiated against Igor Prityko. It is the 23rd case against Jehovah's Witnesses in this region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250528","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 8 am, a group of law enforcement officers led by FSB Major M.N. Makeev bursts into the courtyard of Igor Prityko's house to conduct a search that lasts 3 hours. Phones, a hard drive, 20 optical disks, a laptop and personal records are confiscated from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Svetlana Zemtsova allows a new search in the house of Igor Prityko. This is requested by the senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB Dmitry Yankin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20250402","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Prityko and other Birobidzhan residents are being searched. Electronic devices, flash drives and a system unit are seized from the couple Prityko. The search, which lasts more than 5 hours, is carried out by FSB operative Major M. N. Makeev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court Olga Klyuchikova issues permission to search the house of 54-year-old believer Igor Prityko. A petition for a search is made by Lieutenant Colonel of Justice of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Ivan Nenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Prityko in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan23/index.html#20240205","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2026, the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol opened a case against Galina Privalova, a resident of the village of Mirnoye, on suspicion of financing extremist activities. After 10 days, her house was searched. The believer was interrogated and signed a recognizance agreement.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol5/index.html","prisoners":["privalova"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Privalova in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol A. Rudoy opens a criminal case against a 59-year-old resident of the village of Mirnoye, Galina Privalova. She is suspected of financing extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Privalova in Simferopol","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol5/index.html#20260126","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2025, the FSB Directorate for the Saratov Region initiated a criminal case for participating in the activity of an organization declared extremist. This is how the investigation interprets the holding of peaceful meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In September of the same year, searches were carried out at the homes of several believers in Saratov and the village of Anastasino. During the search, a stun gun was repeatedly and unreasonably used against Proshenkov, his wife asked numerous authorities to urgently investigate the incident. The court placed Mikhail Proshenkov, Aleksey Kazakov, Aleksandr Akelin and Filipp Ombysh in a pretrial detention center, and Sergey Yefremov under house arrest. The court soon transferred all four believers from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html","prisoners":["akelin","kazakoval","ombysh","proshenkov","yefremovs"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal changes the preventive measure against Mikhail Proshenkov: he is released from the pretrial detention center and transferred to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20251009","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of appeal changes the preventive measure for Akelin, Ombysh and Kazakov to house arrest.\nProshenkov remains in pretrial detention until October 28. The appeal of the appointed lawyer against the preventive measure for the believer was received by the court on September 11, but it has not yet been considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250925","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers are in quarantine cells. Mikhail Proshenkov and Aleksandr Akelin have already received letters from their relatives.\nProshenkov has pain in his joints, and to relieve the pain, he massages his legs. He developed a tremor due to the stress he suffered during the search; his body still shows marks from the stun gun. Mikhail has difficulty reading because law enforcement officers broke his glasses; but there is a large print copy of the Gospels in his cell.\nAleksey Kazakov misses his family. Being separated is especially difficult for his daughter, who has been disabled since childhood — they have never been apart even for a week.\nAleksandr Akelin receives the necessary medications from his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250912","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends four believers — Aleksandr Akelin, 59, Mikhail Proshenkov, 58, Aleksey Kazakov, 56, and Filipp Ombysh, 40 — to a pretrial detention center. Sergey Yefremov, 29, is placed under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250905","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Frunzenskiy District Court of Saratov sanctions searches in the homes of local believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250829","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice A. N. Prydatko, senior investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Saratov Region, initiates a criminal case on organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Proshenkov and Others in Saratov","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov5/index.html#20250228","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, law enforcement officers searched the home of Aleksandr Protasov, a witness in the case of Yuriy Yuskov. A year and a half later, an FSB investigator initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr on suspicion of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and placed him under a recognizance agreement. Soon the elderly believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. Later, the charge was recategorized to organizing extremist activity. In March 2025, the Protasov case went to court, and at the end of May he was given a 6-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-09-26","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html","prisoners":["protasov"],"regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Aleksandr's friends, about 50 of them, come to the courthouse; 11 are allowed into the hall. The believer gives his final statement. He says: \"I would like all the false charges against me to be dropped. All the prosecution could prove — I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250529","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a 6-year suspended sentence for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250528","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first closed court session in a new composition chaired by Judge Dmitry Efimov is taking place. More than 40 people come to the courthouse to support Aleksandr Protasov.\nThe court attaches to the case copies of documents confirming that he is a pensioner, and his wife is a disabled person of the second group and his youngest son is disabled since childhood.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250507","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"40 people come to support Aleksandr. The scheduled court hearing is canceled due to the transfer of Judge Sychev to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Chuvashia. The case is transferred to Judge Dmitry Efimov, the trial will begin anew.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250421","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Aleksandr Protasov is being held behind closed doors and lasts more than 2 hours. More than 60 people come to the courthouse to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250410","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Novocheboksarsk City Court and is assigned to Judge Aleksey Sychev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250327","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Protasov is being interrogated as accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2025-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20250307","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Mukhin attracts Aleksandr Protasov as an accused and chooses a measure of restraint for him in the form of a recognizance not to leave. A few days earlier, the believer was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20240926","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator for especially important cases Mukhin initiates a criminal case against Aleksandr Protasov on suspicion of participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20240903","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice E. P. Ivanov, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Chuvash Republic, separates the materials of the criminal case against unidentified persons into a separate proceeding from the case of Yuri Yuskov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20231023","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is being conducted in the apartment of Alexander Protasov. He is then questioned as a witness. One of the law enforcement officers uses foul language, but after the remarks of the residents of the apartment, he stops being rude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20230505","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel Aleksey Mukhin, senior investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Chuvash Republic, issues a search warrant in the home of Alexander Protasov. The search is part of the criminal case against Yuriy Yuskov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Protasov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk2/index.html#20230504","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After searches in Tomsk in March 2025, three married couples of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were detained. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization and participating in these activities. The next day, the court sent Vladimir Pushkov, Aisula Tastaibekova, Yevgeniy Abramov and his wife Yana, Yevgeniy Dodolin and his wife Tatyana to a pre-trial detention center. In May, after another series of searches, Anton Novopashin, Yuriy Pichugin, Andrey Plekhanov and Gonhi Jahi, a student from Côte d\u0026rsquo;Ivoire, ended up in the pre-trial detention center.","date":"2025-03-20","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html","prisoners":["dzhakhi","novopashin","pichugin","plekhanov","dodolin","dodolina","abramov","abramova","pushkov","tastaybekova"],"regions":["tomsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir Pushkov is being held in a cell for three people. During the past year, he has been moved three times. There is only cold; it is warm in the premises. Once a week he can take a shower and the bed linen is changed.\nThe attitude toward Vladimir on the part of the prisoners and the administration of the detention center is respectful. The believer receives letters on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.\nHe remains optimistic, but worries about his wife. Over the past year, they have only met periodically at court hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2026-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20260422","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Kirovsky District Court of Tomsk for consideration on the merits. It will be considered by Judge Alyona Romashova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2026-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20260330","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Pushkov and his wife Aysulu are having a hard time being separated from each other. Reading the Bible and walks help them to stay positive. Vladimir does exercises and keeps his cell clean. Aysulu does breathing exercises and takes medications prescribed by the doctor, as she suffers from osteoporosis. She has pain in her hip and her spine. She is also allergic to tobacco smoke.\nAnton Novopashin is trying to keep in good physical shape. He has a Bible; he receives letters and parcels.\nYevgeniy Abramov caught a cold — it is cold in the special unit.\nTatyana Dodolina reads a lot; replies to letters. She has started studying a foreign language.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250927","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo","families","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator denies Yevgeniy Dodolin's mother calls and visits to her son. In the detention center, he undergoes medical examination and is given some medicines. Despite the difficulties, he remains friendly. There are five other people with him in the cell and they have a good relationship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250920","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Novopashin is transferred to solitary confinement. According to the believer, the cell is very small — about 2 by 2 meters. He has all necessary things with him. It is cold in the cell and there is no hot water but before the transfer he managed to receive warm clothes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250911","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends Novopashin, Pichugin, Plekhanov and Djachi to a pretrial detention center. The day before, the believers were charged with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250531","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vyacheslav Lebedev, investigator of the Investigative Committee, initiates criminal cases against Anton Novopashin, Yuriy Pichugin, Andrey Plekhanov and Gonhi Djachi.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250529","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kirovskiy District Court of Tomsk Maria Tynyanaya sends all six believers to a pre-trial detention center for a period of 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250321","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Homes of Jehovah's Witnesses are searched in Tomsk, after which three married couples are detained.\nThe criminal case is initiated by the investigator for especially important cases of the second department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Tomsk Region, Captain of Justice Lebedev V. S.\nYevgeniy Dodolin reports that he was detained at 11:00, although the case was initiated and accepted for proceedings only at 16:00.\nVladimir Pushkov is accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and Aisulu Tastaibekova, Yevgeniy and Yana Abramovs, Yevgeniy and Tatyana Dodolins are accused of participating in the activities of this organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Pushkov and Others in Tomsk","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tomsk3/index.html#20250320","regions":["tomsk"],"tags":["new-case","ivs","282.2-1","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a series of searches in Magadan in May 2018, Konstantin Petrov, Yevgeniy Zyablov and Sergey Yerkin were placed in a pretrial detention center. On the same day in Khabarovsk, the home of Ivan Puyda was searched. He was arrested and taken 1,600 km to a pretrial detention center in Magadan. The believers spent 2 to 4 months behind bars, and then ended up under house arrest. In March 2019, the FSB conducted another series of searches. The number of defendants in the case has reached 13, including 6 women and elderly. The investigator deemed holding peaceful meetings for worship as organizing, participating in and financing the activity of an extremist organization. In almost 4 years of investigation, the case materials against the 13 believers has grown to 66 volumes. The case went to court in March 2022. At the hearings, it became clear that the case was based on the testimony of a secret witness – an FSB informant who made covert recordings of peaceful meetings for worship. In March 2024, the believers were given suspended sentences ranging from 3 to 7 years, and the court of appeal later upheld this verdict.","date":"2018-05-30","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html","prisoners":["agadzhanov","asatryan","dergacheva","erkin","kardakova","khvostova","pechko","petrov","puida","revyakin","solntsev","solntseva","ziablov"],"regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Aleksandr Khomutov. Magadan Regional Court (49 Yakutskaya Street, Magadan). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20241015","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Aleksandr Khomutov. Magadan Regional Court (49 Yakutskaya Street, Magadan). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20241010","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the believers and their defenders ask the court to overturn the conviction and acquit the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20241002","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was canceled, as Sergey Yerkin felt unwell. The ambulance service takes him to the hospital.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240926","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court will now proceed to the stage of debate. The prosecutor supports the decision of the court of first instance, but asks the court of appeal to change the punishment against Ivan Puida and Konstantin Petrov. In his opinion, a suspended term is too lenient a punishment for them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240923","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the court examines a number of documents from the case file. Believers voice arguments in their defense: they have never resumed the activities of legal entities liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation; the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia; Talking to others about one's faith is not extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240918","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears the appeal of the procurator and the complaints of the convicted persons and their lawyers. Believers voice additions to their appeals.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240917","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the Magadan Regional Court are resumed. They will be held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240912","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Magadan Regional Court, chaired by Alexander Khomutov, begins to consider the appeals of believers and the submission of the prosecutor. The hearing is being held behind closed doors.\nThe court adjourns until September 12.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240613","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Agadzhanov, Lyubov Asatryan, Galina Dergacheva, Inna Kardakova, Viktor Revyakin, Oksana and Mikhail Solntsev, Galina Pechko and Irina Khvostova make their final speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240212","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Puida, Sergey Yerkin, Konstantin Petrov and Evgeny Zyablov deliver their closing remarks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20240209","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the defense begins.\nIvan Puida's lawyer is the first to speak. He draws the court's attention to the fact that there are no statements on the audio and video recordings of the materials under study in which a person or a group of persons is negatively evaluated. The defender says: \"The purpose of the participants in the meetings can be formulated as follows: to serve God, to show love for God.\"\nThe lawyer also reminds: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has not liquidated any religious groups. This can be easily seen by referring to the List of Public Associations and Religious Organizations in Respect of Which the Court Made a Final Decision to Liquidate or Ban Activities on the Grounds Provided for by the Federal Law \"On Countering Extremist Activity\"... There are no liquidated religious groups of Jehovah's Witnesses on this List.\"\nThe defender states: \"The investigation ... mistakenly believing that the fact of liquidation of a religious organization deprives believers of the rights enshrined in Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, [even] did not look for signs of extremism in the actions of the defendants and did not impute any extremist actions to anyone. In this connection, all the defendants are subject to acquittal.\"\nThe defendant Ivan Puida himself draws attention to the unfounded nature of the prosecutor's accusations, the absence of victims and negative consequences, the lack of evidence of motives for committing a crime, as well as accusations of religious activity while in jail and under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231213","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court for the terms of punishment: 10 years for Ivan Puida, 9 years for Konstantin Petrov, 8 years for Sergey Yerkin, 6 years for Yevgeniy Zyablov in a general regime colony. He asks the rest of the defendants to give 3 years of suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231124","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Petrov makes a motion for the disqualification of expert Daniil Ognev. Ivan Puida supports and adds that although Ognev wrote that he used the method of complex linguistic analysis, he did not specify which one, and also did not indicate a single scientific and methodological linguistic source, except for the dictionary. Yevgeny Zyablov, in connection with doubts about the competence of the expert Ognev, asks the court to attach scientific information in the field of linguistics regarding the features of the religious genre. The court refuses to challenge the expert and attach documents.\nJudge Tatiana Belayeva announces the completion of the judicial investigation in this case. At the next hearing, the participants in the trial will move on to the pleadings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231115","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a number of motions for research and inclusion in the case materials: the decisions of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the decisions of the ECHR regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, the book of religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\", his conclusion as a specialist in religious studies, which was carried out within the framework of a similar criminal case, other scientific and expert opinions, official documents of the Government of the Russian Federation on the right of citizens profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as the interrogation of a religious scholar from Moscow via video conferencing. The court rejects all petitions.\nThe defendant, Galina Dergacheva, refutes Schiller's assertions that the children of Jehovah's Witnesses do not have holidays, and asks the court to attach family photographs of children's events, joint games and recreation to the case. According to the prosecutor, there is no doubt that Dergacheva is a good mother. At the same time, the prosecutor objects to the inclusion of the photo. The court supports the position of the prosecutor.\nThe judge reads out and attaches to the case file a positive reference from neighbors to Konstantin Petrov. Information was also provided from the Magadan City Dispensary of Psychiatry and Narcology that none of the defendants was and is not registered.\nThe lawyer filed a motion to exclude the seven conclusions of the experts Schiller and Ognev, since the latter was not warned of criminal liability for knowingly giving a false conclusion. The prosecutor asks for time. The court agrees and adjourns.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231025","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the expert Schiller continues. The defense asks him questions. The expert explains that by confession he understands religion, therefore he agrees that, accordingly, the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation is not prohibited.\nThe defendant Oksana Solntseva states that the expert does not distinguish between the concepts of \"confession\" and \"organization\", since he states that both legal entities (the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses, 395 regional religious organizations) and all believers of this denomination are banned in Russia. The expert admits that the investigator set him \"the task of proving that the Magadan congregation is part of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231018","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The expert Vadim Shiller, Candidate of Historical Sciences, member of the expert council on religious expertise under the Ministry of Justice of the Kemerovo Region, appointed by the investigator, is being interrogated.\nAccording to the expert, Jehovah's Witnesses do not deviate from the Holy Scriptures, which for them \"is the constitution, and deviation from any of its norms is a violation.\"\nSchiller acknowledges that \"the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not forbidden in our country,\" and they have the opportunity to practice their faith. However, he states: \"If believers gathered at home, read the Bible, commented on this Bible ... and if they were with people who are related to them, then the right to freedom of religion would be exercised in the right way. In this context, gathering in organized groups... they are not exercising their right to freedom of religion.\"\nKonstantin Petrov clarifies whether he understood correctly that it is family ties that determine whether or not the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses can or cannot be practiced. Shiller acknowledges that this is not spelled out in the regulations; the Supreme Court decision refers only to legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231011","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court again gives the prosecution the right to present its evidence. At the request of the prosecutor, the court examines the case materials - documents signed by Sergey Yerkin for renting a conference room in a local hotel. Believers explain that these documents have nothing to do with the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as they were issued after its liquidation. The hall was rented for worship of believers as an unregistered religious group.\nThe prosecutor claims that all religious groups were liquidated by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. The defense reminds the court that such a statement by the prosecutor is not true.\nThe court announces and attaches to the case file a copy of Mikhail Solntsev's work book with information about his awards for conscientious work. Also, a certificate on the state of health of Galina Dergacheva, who is a veteran of labor, was attached to the case file. The defendant draws the court's attention to the fact that her health deteriorated significantly after the start of the criminal prosecution.\nIvan Puida petitions for the admission of documents on the persecution of his grandfather, Peter Partsei, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, first in Nazi Germany, then in the USSR, as well as for his subsequent rehabilitation. The defendant emphasizes that at that time there was no Administrative Center. It was officially registered only on March 27, 1991, in 1999 it underwent state re-registration and operated until its liquidation in 2017. This proves that although Ivan Puida is formally accused of resuming the liquidated organization \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\", in fact, he is being tried only for who he is - a Christian, a Jehovah's Witness.\nThe court shall attach documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20231004","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of lawyer Sergey Yerkin, the court attaches to the case the confirmation of several serious diagnoses of the believer. The prosecutor insists on questioning the expert Schiller. The court agrees.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230809","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pechko, Revyakin and Petrov give their testimony.\nBefore that, the latter asks the court to attach documents confirming that in the 1990s the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR was recognized as illegal and unjustified by political repression. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230802","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the interrogation of Oksana Solntseva and Irina Khvostova. They testify on the basis of their written notes.\nAt the request of Asatryan and Solntseva, the court attaches to the case characterizing materials, including health certificates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230721","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Inna Kardakova, Viktor Revyakin and Mikhail Solntsev. The prosecutor asks all three about their financial situation.\nInna Kardakova explains that her actions were motivated by a desire to help everyone who wants to learn the Bible better, while respecting their freedom of choice.\nViktor Revyakin applies for a certificate of a veteran of labor, a diploma of graduation, documents for a disabled daughter, characteristics, certificates and other documents from work. Reading these documents, the judge is surprised at the active lifestyle of Victor in his 67 years.\nMikhail Solntsev submits a petition for the introduction of characteristics from his neighbor and a doctor's report confirming that he suffers from a serious chronic disease. Documents are read out and attached.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230717","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of defendants. Sergey Agadzhanov talks about what \"Armageddon\" is and compares translations of the Bible.\nLyubov Asatryan refutes the accusation point by point. \"I try to live by God's commandments,\" she says.\nGalina Dergacheva explains that she tells others about her beliefs, as the Bible encourages them to do so. \"It was Jesus who sent me [to preach], not the people,\" the believer concludes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230714","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the defendant Sergey Agadzhanov begins. The believer says that he and his wife take care of his wife's mother, who has serious health problems.\nThe judge asks Sergey about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the reasons why he began to read the Bible. Judge Tatyana Belaeva wonders why the religious group in which Sergey studied the Bible was not registered or legally registered. Sergey explains that, as he understands, this is not required by law.\nThe prosecutor asks what happened at the services in which the defendant participated, what topics were discussed. He is also interested in what the funds from voluntary donations were spent on. Sergey explains that some of them go to help fellow believers, for example, to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters, to rent premises for liturgical meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230519","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation of the defense evidence continues.\nThe court reads out the materials of the case. Ivan Puida draws attention to the fact that the publications, the possession of which he is accused of, were not included in the list of extremist materials at the time of seizure.\nNext, the court listens to the recording of the service.\nThe defendant Viktor Revyakin emphasizes that Christians respect the authorities even when they are persecuted, which contradicts the testimony of the secret prosecution witness Leskov. Revyakin's lawyer claims that there is evidence of respect for the authorities in other conversations between Revyakin and Leskov.\nThe defendant Konstantin Petrov petitions for the inclusion of certain documents in the case file, the study of which will help the court to see the difference between the implementation of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and the organization of extremist activities. The court rejects the petition.\nDefendant Oksana Solntseva draws attention to an excerpt from the dictionary \"Religions of the Peoples of the Modern World\", 1999, which tells about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses and that the only source of their beliefs is the Bible. It emphasizes that all types of worship are performed free of charge and that in this religion there is no hierarchy that exalts some followers over others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230510","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Asatryan petitions to leave the Magadan Region for treatment in Khabarovsk. She had already made a similar statement to the judge in December last year, but was refused. The believer explains that she has been observed by an ophthalmologist for a long time. Due to her visual impairment in 2022, Lyubov is on the waiting list for examination and follow-up surgery.\nThe court interrogates the head of the ophthalmology department of the Magadan Regional Hospital, who confirms that this is a progressive disease. The defense argues and provides the necessary documents in favor of urgent treatment under the quota and emphasizes that this is only a week-long break in the meetings.\nIn the first refusal of the court, it was stated that it was necessary to attach a referral and tickets to the petition. Asatryan provided all these documents, although the tickets are not cheap for her. According to one of the lawyers, a delay in treatment can lead to the fact that surgery will be impossible. The judge considers these arguments insufficient and refuses to leave.\nThe court continues to review the recordings of worship services with comments from informant Leskov. Lawyers note that the witness, instead of stating the facts, continues to put forward subjective assessments about the faith of the defendants: \"Why do we listen to such conclusions? No one can be convicted on the grounds that some witness somehow understood that.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230410","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The material evidence seized from Khvostova, Kardakova, Agadzhanov, Solntsev is being examined.\nKonstantin Petrov points out that the prosecutor does not examine the content of many publications. Their study would reveal the inconsistency of the accusations of inciting hatred and enmity against believers.\nOne of the lawyers draws attention to the fact that it has not been established whether the materials presented are extremist, and that the dates of the materials to be announced are outside the scope of the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230331","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to examine the material evidence seized from the defendants. Among them are printouts with biblical advice on various topics (for example, how to take care of health, how to support those who suffer from depression), as well as materials of a scientific nature.\nThe lawyer emphasizes that during the examination of all the material evidence, nothing was found that would indicate their extremist orientation. The defense also notes that the examined evidence dates back to 2003-2015 and is not related to the case under investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230322","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, the viewing of video recordings received by the informant Leskov is resumed. This time, the theme of the resurrection of the dead is discussed at the service.\nIvan Puida draws attention to the fact that the wording in Leskov's written testimony coincides with the text of the FSB indictment.\nThe judge prevents the defendants from asking questions of Leskov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230320","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins an investigation of the material evidence seized during the searches of Khvostova and Asatryan. Most of them are notebooks with personal notes, both religious and domestic. Irina Khvostova draws the court's attention to the fact that her personal notes were made before 2017, so they cannot be considered as evidence in the case. There are no extremist materials in the seized items.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230317","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hidden video recordings made during worship services in the homes of believers are investigated. Explaining why believers gathered together, Petrov says: \"The state did not forbid peaceful worship, so such meetings to discuss the Bible continued to be held.\"\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the topics of the conversations recorded on the video do not correspond to those called by the witness. He also notes that the witness did not record some of the conversations with believers on video, but freely stated their content in reports. In this regard, it is impossible to establish whether these conversations took place and whether their meaning is correctly conveyed.\nIvan Puida notes that Leskov \"presents the viewed meeting as something negative, although in fact they talked about the dangers of smoking and foul language.\" According to the believer, the discussion of such topics \"does not destroy the state system, but, on the contrary, has a good effect on society.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230315","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge shall give one of the lawyers the opportunity to speak. He states that the judge asks the witness Leskov questions as an expert, although he is not.\nPetrov also emphasizes that in this conversation, Yerkin and Revyakin recognized that everyone has the right to their beliefs. Yerkin did not hate religion or political parties.\nZyablov draws attention to the caustic remarks of the witness regarding Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge replies that she has already made a remark to Leskov about this.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230313","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Videos of Witness Leskov, Yerkin and other believers continue to be watched, in which they discuss the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nMikhail Solntsev claims that Leskov asked Yerkin for help in studying the Bible after he signed a cooperation agreement with the FSB. Therefore, he considers that the activities of the witness are provocative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230303","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of witness Leskov continues. Videos are watched in which Leskov, Yerkin and Revyakin talk about everyday topics, and then discuss spiritual issues. The defense claims that the viewed recordings show that Leskov is clearly and deliberately trying to provoke Yerkin to make compromising statements, for example, trying to force Yerkin to call the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation \"a passport from Satan.\"\nKonstantin Petrov says that the prosecutor interprets the viewed recordings of conversations in a way that is beneficial to him, and not as it really is.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230217","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the declassified witness Leskov continues. His affidavit given during the investigation shall be read out.\nLeskov answers questions from the defendants. Each of them notes that there are numerous discrepancies between his affidavit and what he says in court. The judge asks Leskov additional questions about the reasons for the contradictions in his testimony. The witness says that he does not understand why this happened.\nDuring the interrogation, it turns out that Leskov passed to the FSB not only audio and video files of worship services, but also personal notes with his conclusions - what he saw and heard should be considered extremism and what not.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230215","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness for the prosecution, Pavel Alekseevich Leskov (pseudonym Chibis), is declassified. He again explains to the court that, as part of his cooperation with the FSB, he kept secret audio and video recordings of liturgical and personal meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nIn response to the prosecutor's questions, the witness repeats his earlier testimony regarding his vision of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and their worship services. He expresses his personal disagreement with their religious views. However, he notes that Jehovah's Witnesses have never planned any violent actions against anyone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230213","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. The woman claims that she saw two of the defendants somewhere, the rest are completely strangers to her. The defendants also do not recognize the witness. She did not hear derogatory remarks about other religions from them.\nThe written testimony of the witness shall be read. The woman notes that some words in them were added by someone, since she does not use them.\nThe material evidence seized from Ivan Puida and Konstantin Petrov is being examined. No extremist materials intended for mass distribution were found in them.\nThe defense once again emphasizes that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and its plenum explained that joint religion is a permissible norm even for members of those organizations that were liquidated by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230210","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the records of worship services continues. The prosecutor asks not to show them, but only to witness the presence of the defendants there.\nThe prosecutor repeatedly replaces the word \"Bible\" with the words \"religious literature.\" Petrov and Agadzhanov draw attention to this distortion of facts, and Solntseva recalls that, according to Russian law, holy books, including the Bible, their content and quotations from them cannot be recognized as extremist materials.\nThe defendants draw the court's attention to the fact that there are no statements or actions on the recordings that would confirm the guilt of the defendants in extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230203","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio and video recordings of worship services are examined. Konstantin Petrov explains that it is the Bible that is discussed there, and not the legal issues of any organization. For example, the commandment of Christ to love God and people, and the parable of the Good Samaritan, are considered. Petrov explains that the purpose of this service is to help listeners always show love for people. There are no calls for action against the state or incitement of religious hatred on the recordings. In one of the speeches, there is an encouragement to show love to a life partner, even if he does not share religious views.\nThe prosecutor suggests not to look at the records in full, because, in his opinion, \"the very fact of the presence and participation of the defendants at the congress in the hotel \"Ukraine\" is important,\" and their participation consisted in the fact that they \"quoted the Bible and repeated the material for assimilation.\" The judge agrees.\nPetrov declares that it is not illegal to attend a meeting where the Bible is discussed. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from practicing their religion, and if someone restricts this right or exposes this religion in a negative light, then this is a violation of the law. Believers also pay attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court and the words of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation Tatyana Moskalkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2023-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20230201","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret prosecution witness Kharchenko, whose identity is first declassified, is being interrogated via video link. It turns out to be Kirill Vasiliev, who is currently serving an 8-year sentence in a strict regime colony. He says that for some time he was in jail together with Ivan Puida and Konstantin Petrov. There were no conflicts, sometimes they discussed religious topics with their cellmates, for example, they talked about Jesus Christ. Kharchenko admits that there were no violent or degrading actions on the part of the defendants, calls for violence against representatives of another religion or nationality.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221226","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The reading of audio recordings of the service continues. There are biblical speeches with quotes from the Gospels and examples of the positive influence of the Bible on people. As the defendants emphasize, these speeches mention only the canonical concept of \"organization of God\", we are not talking about legal entities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221221","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a prosecution witness from Tyumen via video link. He declares that he does not know any of the defendants. They also say they are unfamiliar with him.\nThe witness explains that he had previously communicated with Jehovah's Witnesses several times, but there was no pressure on him: \"There were no misunderstandings during the conversation, I did not feel any trick, and I did not hear a controversial interpretation of the Bible [from Jehovah's Witnesses].\"\nThe witness also claims that there were no calls for non-compliance with the laws, hatred towards other faiths on the part of believers.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the further testimony of the witness shall be announced. He confirms what he read, but says that he signed the protocol without reading, because he does not see well.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221214","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who was not previously declared by the prosecutor, FSB operative Ivan Tsybulkin, is being interrogated. Audio and video materials of the case are being examined.\nWitness Tsybulkin explains that he does not personally know the accused, but knows all of them, as he carried out operational-search work on their case. He never saw the defendants show disrespect to the authorities or hurt the feelings of other believers by their behavior.\nThe witness believes that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221212","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness refutes the testimony recorded by the investigator and states that he was pressured during the interrogation.\nHe says that he did not delve into the investigator's questions and answered everything in the affirmative because of stress - FSB officers unexpectedly detained him on the street and took him away for interrogation, which was carried out by several people at the same time.\nThe witness says that he was present at the services, but does not remember in what years. I have never heard calls to violate the law of the country. He confirms that at the services there were calls to help people, to love them, and also spoke about family values. No one was forced to come or humiliated by representatives of other religions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221209","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The last, 66th volume of the case is announced in court. A prosecution witness is being questioned. She knew only two defendants who came to her to talk about the Bible. According to the witness, the communication took place in a friendly atmosphere, they talked only about God. \"I did not find anything extremist in their conversations,\" the witness notes. \"They did not call for going against the authorities and the president.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221207","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to interrogate Chibis. A secret witness says that, while attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, on the instructions of the FSB, he secretly recorded on special equipment.\nThe defendants cite a number of inconsistencies in the testimony of the witness. The latter answers the defendants' questions evasively, and at times cannot explain the difference in the testimony given in court and recorded by the investigator in the interrogation protocol. The witness admits that he listed the topics of Jehovah's Witnesses' worship services mentioned during the interrogation not as they originally sounded, but in his own interpretation.\nIn the interrogation protocol, Chibis presents a negative view of Jehovah's Witnesses, while during the interrogation in court he admits that the atmosphere at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses is peaceful. The witness also says that he has not heard insults from the defendants against representatives of other religions and does not know of any cases where they desecrated religious symbols. He reports that the \"methods of conspiracy\" that he believes the believers used include closing the door to the apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221205","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the secret witness Chibis continues. He talks about the services that took place in the rented premises at the end of 2017 and in the spring of 2018. The witness saw some of the defendants at such meetings. Chibis confirms that they discussed exclusively spiritual issues - about Jehovah God, his son Jesus Christ and the Bible, as well as about showing love, mercy and kindness to people.\nThe witness considers these discussions \"extremist\" because, in his opinion, both the activities of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses and their creed are prohibited. At the same time, Chibis confirms that he has not heard calls for the overthrow of the state system and the like from believers.\nThe witness finds it difficult to explain why he believes that prohibited publications were used at the services - he himself did not check this information.\nChibis believes that the extremism of Jehovah's Witnesses lies in the fact that they believe in Jehovah God, whom they consider to be the one true God. At the same time, the witness declares that \"Orthodoxy is the true religion on the territory of the Russian Federation.\" The judge corrects him: \"We do not have a religious state.\"\nJehovah's Witnesses, according to the secret witness, do not welcome a secular education. Therefore, the information that the defendant Dergacheva was a teacher in a state educational institution becomes a complete surprise for him. The fact that another defendant, Viktor Revyakin, teaches at a college was also unknown to the prosecution witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221130","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a secret witness under the pseudonym Chibis Alexei Petrovich. The witness is in a specially equipped room in the courtroom. Interrogation is carried out by means of technical communication, which excludes visual observation of the witness, with a change in his voice.\nThe secret witness says that out of interest he has been communicating with Jehovah's Witnesses and attending their meetings since 2012. He notes that believers lead a highly moral way of life, no one has entered into conflicts with him. However, he was irritated that Jehovah's Witnesses believed their faith to be true and also placed so much emphasis on \"righteousness\" and \"decency.\" According to him, he \"had no facts to cling to,\" but after the Supreme Court decision in 2017, he saw an opportunity to counter believers. To this end, the witness agreed to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221128","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, the witness reports that Inna Kardakova regularly talked with her about the Bible, and all this time they \"had a wonderful relationship.\"\nWhen asked by the judge whether Kardakova forbade her to go to the Orthodox Church, the witness replies that she never said such a thing, never humiliated, or called for any extremist actions. There was also no incentive to refuse medical care.\nYevgeny Zyablov emphasizes that Jehovah's Witnesses value life, including the unborn child. He says: \"The doctors told my wife and me that our child would be born disabled, and therefore advised us to have an abortion. However, it never occurred to us to make such a decision. We insisted that the child undergo heart surgery. Our baby survived, now he is almost 3 years old.\nKonstantin Petrov explains to the court that the New World Translation Bible he kept was purchased by him for personal use even before it was included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials. According to the believer, the mere fact of having a translation does not mean that he planned to distribute it, and, therefore, he did not violate the laws of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221125","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the case from volumes 55 to 60 are examined.\nPetrov points out that the prosecutor cannot cite a single phrase of an extremist nature said at worship services by any of the defendants. He recalls: \"On the contrary, the prosecution witnesses characterize the defendants as good and pleasant people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221123","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses is being questioned. The lawyer asks the prosecutor not to ask questions that contain the answer he wants. The interrogated person reports that he saw the defendants at worship services. He adds that the donations were voluntary, and he never heard calls for violence or refusal of medical care. He ceased to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses and to attend religious services also voluntarily, but did not meet with any resistance.\nThe witness says that although he does not agree with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, he has no animosity towards the defendants.\nFurther, the issues of blood transfusions, eating meat and other topics that are not related to the essence of the accusation are discussed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221118","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the case materials. Konstantin Petrov draws attention to frequently used wording: \"continued prohibited activities\", \"propaganda of a banned organization\". He says: \"In this way, the prosecutor creates an image of the enemy, without backing it up with anything.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221114","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Some of the wording indicated by the investigator in the record of the preliminary interrogation cannot be confirmed by witnesses during interrogation in court. The defendants and their lawyers assume that the preliminary testimonies of these witnesses were written by the investigator.\nMikhail Solntsev declares that Jehovah's Witnesses do not use the concept of \"breaking bread,\" but it is constantly heard in the testimony of witnesses.\nThe first witness reports that, together with a neighbor, she became interested in the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and communicated about them with the defendant Inna Kardakova. She says: \"We looked through the Bible, prayed, talked, drank tea. [Inna] showed in the Bible that paradise would be on earth. [...] The desire to meet was mutual. My husband and I made the decision not to become Jehovah's Witnesses. They didn't press.\"\nThe woman confirms that Jehovah's Witnesses did not harm her and her husband in any way, did not humiliate people professing other religions, did not call for violence or genocide, change the constitutional order or oppose state power.\nThe witness's husband echoes his wife's testimony and says that Jehovah's Witnesses were not talking about an organization, but about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221101","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court announces the list of items seized from Yevgeny Zyablov. Konstantin Petrov draws the court's attention to the fact that the materials read out by the prosecutor repeatedly mention religious publications about family happiness, as well as songs, cartoons and personal photographs. However, these materials are provided to the court as evidence of illegal activity. The defendant continues: \"It is not clear what Zyablov was supposed to do after 2017 - to destroy all religious material and personal photos, to become an atheist or to change religion?\" Petrov also draws attention to the fact that, according to the prosecutor, the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and its confession is allegedly prohibited, while the Supreme Court gave explanations that religion is not prohibited.\nThe prosecutor continues to read out materials describing the items seized during the search of Ivan Puida's home. The believer notes that most of the materials read out by the state prosecutor are religious publications from 1994-95. He says: \"The presence of these publications in itself does not make me a criminal. This is a story from many years ago, I kept them for myself. I consider their use to prove my guilt to be persecution for the faith.\"\nWritten evidence shall be announced. Puida explains: \"Just as it is logical for a fisherman to find a fishing rod and nets, so for a believer to find the Bible. The fact of the introduction of three notebooks for the study of the English language remains incomprehensible.\nKonstantin Petrov cites the example of Ivan Puida's grandfather and father, who were subjected to repression, then were rehabilitated and even received certificates and compensation. He says: \"So, after conducting extensive research, the government recognized that Jehovah's Witnesses are not dangerous to society by allowing their registration in 1993.\"\nWith regard to the literature seized from the defendants, they explain that all the publications found in their homes indicate that Jehovah's Witnesses strive for peace and love, help people cope with difficult life situations, study the Bible and strive to live in accordance with its commandments.\nPetrov asks the judge to pay attention to the fact that the goal of the prosecution is simply to find some religious material, while all the material that has been seized does not call for any illegal actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221031","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who attended religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2014 is being interrogated. She characterizes this creed as peaceful, \"directed against conflict\", \"calling for goodness and non-violence\". According to her, the views of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the teachings of the Bible.\nThe prosecutor asks the witness whether the believers had the opportunity to voluntarily leave the religious group. She answers in the affirmative: \"If a person does not want, he may not come. That is his right. No one is forcing anyone.\" It also affirms that Jehovah's Witnesses respect people of other faiths and are obedient to the authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221021","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness from the prosecution, who previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, is being questioned. The man tells how they went and what topics were discussed - about compassion for people, love and forgiveness. The lawyer clarifies whether any organizational decisions were made at such meetings? The witness denies. He says that the Bible was discussed at the meetings, there were no calls for violence, and monetary donations were voluntary. The witness also admits that no one forced him to study the Bible, everything was done exclusively voluntarily. In the videos of Jehovah's Witnesses, he did not encounter any calls against state power.\nHe confirms that the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited in Russia - the activities of a legal entity are prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221017","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Zyablov, referring to the conclusions of the examination, explains that it is illogical and absurd to draw a conclusion about belonging to any organization or participation in extremist activities on the basis of the use of the name \"Jehovah\" in speech.\nYevgeny Zyablov says that during the search, personal documents (driver's license, SNILS and others) were seized from him, which do not have any effect on the conduct of the case, but their absence greatly complicated his life and made it impossible to get a job.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221010","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The consideration of the case materials continues. Konstantin Petrov and Ivan Puida explain that the experts have gone beyond their competence, drawing conclusions on legal issues, despite the fact that one of them is a teacher of the Russian language, and the other is a political scientist. The defendants draw attention to the absurdity of their conclusions. For example, if wires and speakers were seized from Zyablov during a search, it means that he had some kind of special position among his fellow believers. And the found personal document on the choice of treatment method, in their opinion, is a call to refuse blood transfusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221007","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the case materials. They contain positive references from the defendants' places of work. Employers describe them as kind, decent, and always helpful. The judge also attaches to the case information about the awards and incentives specified in the work book of Oksana Solntseva, as well as a copy of the certificate of a veteran of labor.\nThe defendants draw attention to the fact that the positive characteristics completely contradict the accusation of extremism.\nNext, the examination carried out by experts Schiller and Ognev is discussed.\nThe defendants Zyablov and Puida draw attention to the fact that the investigator ordered this examination in a private organization, while refusing the defendants' request to conduct an independent examination in a state institution. It became known that this company has repeatedly fulfilled the orders of the FSB. Puida also notes that the experts do not have the necessary professional experience: one is a biologist by education and a teacher of the Russian language, the other worked at a medical university. Petrov emphasizes the obvious bias of experts towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Defendant Khvostova points out that these experts confuse the concepts of \"prohibition of a religious organization\" and \"prohibition of religion.\"\nOksana Solntseva says that Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR were already persecuted and rehabilitated in 1996. She also quotes a statement made by the President of the Russian Federation in 2018: \"There is a shameless, gross interference in church life. Such a policy is fraught with serious consequences. I am convinced that life will put everything in its place, because you cannot force people to go against their faith, their traditions, in the end against truth, justice and just common sense.\nYevgeny Zyablov refutes the accusation of the destruction of families: \"We have strong families, and we are in favor of maintaining unity and love all our lives.\" With regard to blood transfusions, he says that his father, who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and his four-month-old son have undergone successful bloodless surgeries. Lyubov Asatryan adds: \"This was the first time I heard about alternatives to blood transfusions from doctors, not from Jehovah's Witnesses. Experts confirm and support alternatives to blood transfusion and do not believe that this is a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20221005","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the beginning of the hearing, the court interrogates the owner of the hotel where the meetings of believers took place. He says that he always had good relations with Jehovah's Witnesses, and that there were no problems or conflicts. He also explains that he signed all the lease agreements with Yerkin as an individual, and he did not represent any religious organization.\nIrina Khvostova explains that the charges are at odds with the explanation of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which states that a religious event in itself is not an illegal activity. She also points out that there is not even an indirect mention of her in the disclosed part of the case file and, as she relates to her, she does not understand.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220912","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who works as an accountant in the same hotel is being questioned. Due to the statute of limitations of the case, she remembers almost nothing.\nThe prosecutor reads out the 15th volume of the materials of the criminal case. The defendants repeatedly draw attention to the fact that there are no specific actions or statements of an extremist nature, as well as references to legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220722","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, the administrator of the hotel, the conference room of which was privately rented by believers, is being interrogated. The woman states that she has not heard that any of the defendants called for the overthrow of the constitutional order or spoke negatively about adherents of other religions. She explains to the court that she signed her testimony with the investigator without reading it, and cannot confirm her words, since a lot of time has passed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220721","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor is changing in the case.\nThe defendants emphasize several times that the phrases \"continued the activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia\", \"resumed the activities of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses banned in Russia in Magadan\" and the like do not correspond to reality. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not prohibit the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, and a legal entity of this denomination never existed in Magadan. The defendants also note that they are charged with peaceful religious activities permitted by law.\nOne of the lawyers draws the court's attention to the fact that the evidence includes certificates drawn up by an operational officer that reflect his personal opinion, and not specific facts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220715","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The petition for publicity of the process remains unsatisfied - the hearings are held behind closed doors.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. 13 defendants declare their disagreement with the charges and insist on their complete innocence.\nYevgeny Zyablov: \"I learned from the Bible not to repay evil to anyone, to be at peace with everyone, not to take revenge, to forgive, to treat others as myself.\"\nOksana Solntseva: \"I am alien to any violence, incitement to hatred, and even more so an encroachment on changing the political system.\"\nInna Kardakova: \"What is my 'criminal intent'? The people with whom I discussed the Bible invited me to visit them. The evidence in the case confirms the lawfulness of my actions.\"\nLyubov Asatryan: \"I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I read the Bible and try to live by it. Believing in and worshiping the living God, Jehovah, is not evil or extreme. This is my life!\"\nIvan Puida: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid me to be a believer. At the same time, I am accused of believing in God.\"\nSergey Yerkin: \"There was no evil in our religious meetings, love, joy and kindness flourished there.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220629","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the case of 13 believers is being held in the Magadan City Court.\nAt the beginning of the hearing, the defendants file motions to refuse lawyers. Judge Tatyana Belaeva rejects them, but grants other petitions of believers with additional acquaintance with the case materials and gives the appointed defenders time to familiarize themselves with the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220425","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Magadan region, Oleg Sedelnikov, sends the criminal case in 62 volumes to the Magadan City Court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220314","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ilya Maksimov, acting prosecutor of the Magadan region, approves the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2022-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20220110","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Antonov officially prosecutes 40-year-old believer Inna Kardakova as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210329","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Antonov officially prosecutes 70-year-old believer Lyubov Asatryan as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210325","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Antonov officially prosecutes Galina Pechko as a defendant under Part 2. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210305","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Galina Pechko is being interrogated as a suspect. She is chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210302","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. V. Antonov, senior investigator of the Magadan Region Directorate of the FSB, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. against 67-year-old Galina Pechko.\nThe investigator combines criminal cases against several believers into one proceeding. The case is assigned No. 11807440001000013.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210226","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist Antonov D.V. brings a new charge against Sergey Yerkin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of 282.3. In his actions, the investigation also sees \"grave crimes against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210210","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist Antonov D.V. re-charges Konstantin Petrov with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 in a new edition.\nAccording to the investigation, Petrov and Puida deliberately \"committed grave crimes against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210209","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. Antonov prosecutes Yevgeny Zyablov as a defendant under Part 1 of the Criminal Code. 282.2 (1) and Article 282.2 (1) 282.3 (organization and financing of extremist activities, respectively).\nAccording to the indictment, Zyablov \"entered into a preliminary criminal conspiracy\" with Puida, Petrov and Yerkin and committed actions \"aimed at continuing the illegal extremist activities of the Organization on the basis of the remaining religious group.\" In addition, the defendant \"publicly delivered a speech in which he called for the adoption of the canons of religion in the doctrinal version of the religious organization Jehovah's Witnesses, which is banned in Russia.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210208","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Magadan region, Captain of Justice Antonov D.V. re-charges Ivan Puide with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in a new edition.\nThe essence of the accusation boils down to the fact that in the period from September 18 to September 24, 2017, Ivan entered into a conspiracy with other believers aimed at continuing the activities of a religious organization banned by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20210205","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Captain of Justice D. V. Antonov, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Magadan Region, initiates another criminal case against Yevgeny Zyablov under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of extremism). The new case is assigned a 12007440001000020 number. It is combined with the 11807440001000013 case into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2020-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20200809","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist D. V. Antonov takes over the criminal case of 13 believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2020-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20200127","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Starting from June 7 and until July 2, 2020, Agadzhanov, Asatryan, Solntsev, Dergacheva, Revyakin, Kardakova and Khvostova are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Puida, Petrov, Yerkin and Zyablov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2019-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20190607","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal cases of thirteen believers are combined into one proceeding (no. 11807440001000013).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2019-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20190401","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint for Puida, Petrov, Yerkin and Zyablov is changed from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2019-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20190327","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Agadzhanov, Lyubov Asatryan, Mikhail and Oksana Solntsev, Galina Dergacheva, Viktor Revyakin, Inna Kardakova and Irina Khvostova are charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2019-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20190325","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Magadan Region initiates a criminal case under Article 282.2 (2) against believers: Lyubov Asatryan (born in 1951), Irina Khvostova (born in 1992), Oksana Solntseva (born in 1966), Inna Kardakova (born in 1980), Galina Dergacheva (born in 1956), Mikhail Solntsev (born in 1962), Viktor Revyakin (born in 1957) and Sergey Agadzhanov (born in 1957).\nInvestigator Shungayev orders searches of the homes of all new suspects. On the same day, employees come to the homes of believers. All 9 believers are chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2019-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20190320","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators B. A. Shungaev, D. V. Antonov appoint several complex religious and linguistic forensic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20181024","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Magadan Regional Court is holding an appeal hearing on the measure of restraint. The detention of Puida, Yerkin and Zyablov was replaced by house arrest until November 29, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20181005","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Also, Puida's detention and Petrov's house arrest are extended for 2 months (until 29.09.2018). At the same time, the latter increases the permissible walking time to 2 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180926","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Magadan City Court extends for 2 months Zyablov (until November 29, 2018) and Yerkin (until November 30, 2018) a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180925","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway against the decision of the Magadan City Court to extend the period of detention. Petrov is chosen a milder measure of restraint in the form of house arrest. Puida, Yerkin and Zyablov remain in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Magadan region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180803","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Puida, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin are extended by the Magadan City Court, at the request of an FSB investigator. Appeals are filed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180725","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator B. A. Shungaev appoints a portrait forensic examination to Puide, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180709","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator B. A. Shungaev appoints an outpatient psychiatric forensic examination to Puide, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180628","regions":["magadan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Puida is being transferred from SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk to SIZO-1 in Magadan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180626","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Magadan Regional Court does not satisfy the appeals against the election of a preventive measure in the form of detention of Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180614","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court does not satisfy the appeal against the election of a measure of restraint for Ivan Puide in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180609","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Puida is charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180608","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180607","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Puida, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin are elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention for 2 months. Believers are placed in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180601","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Officers of the FSB of the Russian Federation in the Magadan region conduct searches at night in the houses of Puida, Petrov, Zyablov and Yerkin. The search in the apartment of Ivan Puida, located in Khabarovsk, is led by senior investigator I. A. Yevtushenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180531","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the Magadan Region Directorate of the FSB Directorate A. A. Aspiev issues a decision to initiate a criminal case under Article 282.2 (1) against 4 believers; According to the investigation, they, together with others, conducted worship services, which is interpreted as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate all 396 registered organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses).\nThe victims of law enforcement officers are: Ivan Puida (born in 1978), Konstantin Petrov (born in 1986), Yevgeny Zyablov (born in 1977) and Sergey Yerkin (born in 1953).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Puyda and Others in Magadan","date":"2018-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magadan/index.html#20180530","regions":["magadan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of July 2018 in Vladivostok, armed law enforcement officers in masks invaded the apartment of a 90-year-old relative of Dmitriy Barmakin and his wife Yelena. Later, Yelena was accused of extremism and the family’s bank accounts were blocked. The reason for this was the woman’s participation in meetings for worship, which were secretly filmed by an FSB agent. In May 2020, the believer’s case went to court, and in September it was returned to the prosecutor’s office. In August 2021, the investigator merged the cases against Yelena and her fellow believers—Yuriy Redozubov, Igor Lonchakov, Lyudviga Katanaeva, Nina Astvatsaturova, Yekaterina Treguba, Yelena Tsorn, and the Verigins couple. In June 2022, the case went to court, and in January 2025, the believers received the following sentences: Lonchakov—7 years in a penal colony, Redozubov—6.5 years in a penal colony; Treguba and Katanaeva—3 years and 4 months suspended sentence; Barmakina, Tsorn and Astvatsaturova—3 years suspended. In July 2025, the court of appeal upheld the verdict, and in May 2026 the decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2018-09-13","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html","prisoners":["astvatsaturova","barmakina","katanaeva","lonchakov","redozubov","treguba","tsorn"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok upholds the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20260520","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy receives letters of support, although they are coming less often. On the eve of her extended visit, Yuriy's wife broke her leg, so it did not take place. The believer notes that separation from loved ones is the strongest punishment for him, while everything else is easier to endure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2026-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20260403","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lonchakov works in the furniture industry. For 2 months in the colony, he had colds 3 times, noticeably lost weight. He receives medical attention.\nThe believer is given letters. Igor is glad to have the opportunity to read the Bible and keep in touch with his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2026-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20260207","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It is now known, that the case against Violetta and Roman Verigin and Alibek Kartaiganov has been resumed and made into a separate proceeding at the trial stage.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20260108","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Lonchakov arrives at Penal Colony No. 13 in the Sverdlovsk Region. During the transfer, which lasted more than a month, the believer went through six pre-trial detention centers: from Vladivostok to Nizhny Tagil, covering a distance of more than 7,400 km.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20251208","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Redozubov is kept in a two-story barrack for about 100 people. He finds the conditions normal; access to the banya twice a week. Although there is only a small courtyard for walks, the believer manages to do exercises. Yuriy is satisfied with the food in the penal colony. Relations with other prisoners are good.\nYuriy does not work yet. He has a Bible.\nFor some reason he does not receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20251031","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Redozubov is in penal colony No. 8 for the Amur Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-10-08T15:27:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20251008","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of judges at the Primorye Territory Court, chaired by Judge Irina Zhukova, upholds the guilty verdict.\nThe defense highlights that the court had criminalized the peaceful religious practices of Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to the lawyer, the actions of the convicted persons posed no threat to public values protected by criminal law.\nIgor Lonchakov, 48, a disabled person, asked that his harsh sentence — 7 years in a penal colony — be canceled, considering his health condition and the fact that he has never engaged in extremist activity.\nArtist Yuri Redozubov was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. His works have been exhibited in several art salons and galleries in Russia and abroad. He asked the court to overturn the verdict, explaining that his wife, who has impaired hearing, has been left without the support she needs. His mother also requires constant care as she is bedbound since suffering a stroke.\nThe court dismisses these and other arguments presented by the lawyer and the convicted persons. The verdict enters into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250728","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Lonchakov is being held in the medical unit of the Vladivostok pretrial detention center due to an illness that is difficult to treat in prison. Additional permission is needed to obtain the necessary medicines, and this could take months. Medicines supplied by his relatives only last for 25 days.\nReflecting on Bible principles, helps Igor maintain inner peace and react with dignity in various situations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250609","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Redozubov tries to support other prisoners. Being attentive to others helps him not to lose heart.\nThe believer is worried about his wife — she has a disability, she lives in a detached house and needs help, including preparing firewood and caring for her bedridden mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Lonchakov and Yuriy Redozubov are in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Primorsky Territory.\nIgor Lonchakov, who has a serious chronic illness, is being held in a hospital at the pre-trial detention center in good conditions. The attitude of the administration and convicts is respectful.\nYuriy Redozubov describes his place of stay as follows: \"The casemate of tsarist times squeezes a person, so that he feels humiliated, from the window there is a view of a concrete wall.\" At the same time, the cell that Yuriy shares with another prisoner is quite warm. The believer can go for walks.\nBoth Igor and Yuriy have the opportunity to read the Bible. Letters of support from different territories leave no room for despondency.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250307","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Galina Vasilkevich. Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok (4 Yuzhno-Uralskaya Street, Vladivostok). Time: 09:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20250131","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitioned for the recognition of comprehensive psychological and linguistic religious examinations as inadmissible evidence, but the court refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2024-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20241220","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify to the court. They draw attention to the fact that the accusations brought against each of them are repeated as if they were carbon copies. In this regard, Yelena Barmakina notes: \"I can assume that the investigator formally included them in the plot of the prosecution, having neither facts nor evidence to confirm them.\"\nYelena refutes the allegations of the infiltrated agent Petrova regarding the communication of Jehovah's Witnesses with their family members: \"My close relatives do not share my religious beliefs, but I have very good relations with them. I live with my grandmother, who will turn 100 next year, and I take care of her.\"\nSpeaking before the court, Igor Lonchakov notes: \"I feel great benefit from the fact that I try to live as it is written in the Bible. A believer has a conscience before God – it motivates him not only not to do bad things, but to do good, good things, which are beneficial.\"\nLudwiga Katanaeva comments on another aspect of the accusation – the performance of religious songs. She asks, \"What was I singing about? For example, one of the songs was called \"Goodbye to Each Other\"... These are ordinary religious songs, part of the Christian tradition, and there is nothing extremist in their content and performance.\"\nAddressing the court, Ekaterina Treguba says: \"As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I profess religion by studying the Bible, discussing it with others, and also trying to live in harmony with what is written in it. I believe that's what being a Christian is all about.\"\nRejecting the accusation of a negative attitude towards representatives of other religions, Nina Astvatsaturova assures the court: \"I have never had a negative attitude towards persons professing other religions, because my Christian faith calls for loving all people, regardless of their religious affiliation.\" Nina emphasizes: \"I have never wanted to harm anyone with my actions, as I am a Christian and try to follow the commandments of Christ.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2024-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20241218","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials of the case, including transcripts and audio recordings of worship services. One of them is about how to maintain peaceful relations with people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20231006","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, detective Y. Gaifullin, is being interrogated. He interprets the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, secretly recorded during operational-search activities, as a continuation of the activities of a liquidated legal entity. At the same time, the witness cannot name specific facts that would indicate the guilt of the defendants. Nor did he hear believers speak out against family values or state authority during worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230616","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the charges. They do not admit their guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230526","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230505","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the motions to declare the evidence inadmissible and grants the request to attach the decision of the ECHR dated 07.06.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230306","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution objects to the motions filed by the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230303","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held behind closed doors. The defense files motions to exclude inadmissible evidence, to attach the decision of the ECHR dated 07.06.2022 (\"LRO \"Taganrog\" and others v. the Russian Federation\"). The resolution of the motions has been postponed until the next hearing.\nThe case against the spouses Verigin and Alibek Kartayganov is suspended.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2023-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20230210","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is held behind closed doors. Assistant Prosecutor Anna Kolokoltseva petitions for consideration of the case in the absence of the Verigin spouses. Lawyers object. Judge Galina Vasilkevich adjourned the hearing for the prosecutor's office to present evidence of the departure of the accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2022-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20220928","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tarasenko prosecutes Redozubov as a defendant in criminal case No. 12002050005000016 and accuses him of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. In the ruling, the investigator refers to the decision of the Supreme Court, interpreting it as a ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Tarasenko concludes that peaceful worship is an activity that threatens the security of the state. The document notes that believers \"acquaint people with the Holy Scriptures, biblical teachings, principles and norms, carry out service to God based on the Holy Scriptures (Bible), disseminate information in society related to biblical truths and prophecies, as well as explaining the Bible and touching on scientific, social, historical and other topics.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20210811","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice G. Y. Tarasenko, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, within the framework of criminal case No. 11902050005000051, involves Yuri Redozubov as a suspect in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) and interrogates him. Tarasenko is trying to find out whether Yuri believes in God, what religion he professes, whether he attends church, whether he knows Dmitry and Elena Barmakin, and whether he participated in the services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe believer refuses to testify, using Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20210609","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Primorsky Regional Court is considering the appeal of the prosecutor's office against the decision of the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok to return the criminal case of Elena Barmakina to the prosecutor's office due to violations in the case materials. The court decides to leave the decision of the lower court unchanged, the appeal of the prosecutor's office - without satisfaction.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20201124","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Olga Barabash, instead of passing a verdict, unexpectedly reads out a decision to return the criminal case to the prosecutor - in connection with violations in the accusation that cannot be eliminated during the trial. The ruling notes that \"it is not possible to establish from the text of the indictment the extremist orientation of the defendant's actions in her cult activities: in reading and discussing texts from the Bible ... participating in the performance of religious chants and prayers, and watching video sermons, despite the fact that freedom of religion is a constitutional right. [...] The event of the crime in the plot of the prosecution is not described specifically, in the opinion of the court, this circumstance indicates non-compliance with the requirements of paragraph 3 of part 1 of article 220 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, since it is not possible to establish what specific actions prohibited by the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, where, when, in what way the defendant committed, which is essential for resolving the criminal case on the merits of the charge.\nThe decision to return the case to the prosecutor's office may be appealed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200929","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok, the debate of the parties begins. State prosecutor K. Sologub requests 3 years of probation with a probationary period of 3 years for a peaceful believer. Elena Barmakina addresses the defendant's last word. The verdict is scheduled for September 29.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200928","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"29-year-old Ekaterina Treguba is charged under Article 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a religious association or other organization in respect of which the court made a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200908","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Vladivostok, Igor Lonchakov, a 42-year-old believer, is charged under Article 282.2 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of a religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has made an enforceable decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200904","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The infiltrated agent Ekaterina Petrova, who attended services in Vladivostok and Moscow several times in 2016-2017, is being interrogated. Petrova bases her testimony on materials about Jehovah's Witnesses from the Internet and cannot cite any specific facts proving the illegal activities of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200903","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice S. V. Kimizhuk, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, is prosecuting Nina Astvatsaturova as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the ruling, she is accused of \"reading and discussing texts from the Bible ... participation in the performance of religious chants and prayers, watching video sermons.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200713","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six families of believers are being searched in Vladivostok. Law enforcement officers are armed with machine guns, their faces are hidden by masks.\nAt 7 am, law enforcement officers with machine guns conduct a 4-hour search of Yuriy Redozubov's home. According to them, they are looking for items related to the case of Dmitry Barmakin. Electronic devices, a magnet from the refrigerator, a children's coloring book and personal notes are confiscated from the believer.\nAfter the search, Yuriy is taken for interrogation 30 kilometers from his home to Vladivostok. The investigator conducts a face-to-face confrontation with the embedded agent Ekaterina Petrova, who testifies against Redozubov.\nDuring the interrogation, Nina Astvatsaturova becomes ill with her heart and is sent to the hospital. After providing assistance, the interrogation is repeated.\nA 42-year-old man who lives with his mother also needs medical care. He was hospitalized.\nAstvatsaturova, Verigin, Katanaeva and Tsorn are chosen a restriction measure in the form of a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200709","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","rosfinmonitoring","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Six people aged 29 to 59 are surprised to find their names on the list of \"extremists\" of Rosfinmonitoring. These are Roman and Violetta Verigin, Ludwig and Eva Katanaev, Elena Zorn, Nina Astvatsaturova. None of them knows that a criminal case has been opened against them. All of them are witnesses in the criminal case against Elena Barmakina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200702","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok is hosting the first hearing in the criminal case of Elena Barmakina.\nJudge Olga Barabash (Levkina) rejects the request for the admission of views No. 10/2020 of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council.\nA motion to terminate the criminal case or return it to the prosecutor shall also be rejected. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defense expresses its attitude to the accusation. The defendant pleaded not guilty.\n5 witnesses are being interrogated, including FSB operative Yuri Gaifullin. He gives vague testimony, expresses his personal opinion on many issues, for example, calling the New Testament doctrine of Armageddon extremist.\nDuring the interrogation of the operative, Judge Olga Barabash (Levkina) states that Elena Barmakina is allegedly being tried \"not for ideology.\" In response to this remark, the defense objects to the actions of the judge and quotes from the indictment, confirming that she is being tried for her religion, and therefore for ideology. The state prosecution blames Yelena for praying, reading the Bible, and watching sermons. To this, the judge expresses doubt that the above is a way of expressing faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200617","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice G. Tarasenko, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, initiates five new criminal cases against 61-year-old Nina Astvatsaturova, 29-year-old Roman Verigin, 34-year-old Violetta Verigina, 53-year-old Ludwiga Katanaeva and 47-year-old Elena Tsorn.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200608","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Prosecutor of the Pervorechensky District of Vladivostok, Counselor of Justice V. M. Varavenko signs the indictment against Elena Barmakina. The case goes to court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200507","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Elena Barmakina, which lasted 9 months, is coming to an end. The accusation against the believer cites the following ridiculous argument: \"The fact that the interrogated witnesses exercised the right provided for in Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, that is, refused to testify, confirms the influence of D.V. Barmakin, who is the accused and the spouse of E.M. Barmakina, instructed witnesses in case of summons to law enforcement agencies.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200506","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused Elena Barmakina and her lawyer are presented with the materials of the criminal case for review. The material evidence is CD-ROMs with recordings of the ORM \"Observation\", provided by a recruited FSB agent.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200424","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two men in civilian clothes appear at Elena Zorn's home without a summons and forcibly take her away for interrogation. Later, Tarasenko comes to the place of work of Elena Tsorn to conduct operational-search activities. The building is closed due to the epidemic, but the investigator demands to open it, threatening otherwise to knock down the doors and initiate a criminal case against Yelena.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200416","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tarasenko calls a local resident, Elena Tsorn, and, intimidating her, calls her \"so far as a witness\" in the case of Elena Barmakina. The investigator also declares his desire to initiate proceedings against everyone who is a witness in the cases of Dmitry and Elena Barmakin. A woman uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation when testifying.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2020-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20200409","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Barmakina was charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, \"she took a direct part in religious speeches, divine services, sermons, learning variants of sermons for use in preaching ... carried out the preaching work.\" A preventive measure is chosen against her in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20190913","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department for the Pervorechensky District of the city of Vladivostok is initiating a criminal case against Elena Barmakina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2019-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20190806","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Vladivostok, operational search measures are being carried out against Jehovah's Witnesses who meet to discuss the Bible, sing songs, pray and communicate with fellow believers from other cities of the Primorsky Territory. According to law enforcement officers, such actions are illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Redozubov and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2017-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok/index.html#20171015","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the beginning of 2025, the Investigative Committee of the city of Ozyorsk, Chelyabinsk Region, initiated a criminal case against Yevgeniy Cherepanov, Oleg Preobrazhenskiy, Igor Smolnikov, and Artyom Repin. Searches of their homes were conducted. In several cases, law enforcement officers used physical force and resorted to threats against the men. The believers were detained and placed in the pretrial detention center of Zlatoust. All of them were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In April 2025, all the men were transferred to house arrest, and the following month they were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In January 2026, the case went to court.","date":"2025-01-16","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html","prisoners":["cherepanov","preobrazhenskiy","repin","smolnikov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","type":"cases"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, T. Bagautdinova, is questioned. She reports that since 2022, at the instruction of law enforcement officers, she and her husband pretended to be interested in the Bible in order to \"expose a Jehovah's Witness cell.\" Of the defendants, she is acquainted only with Oleg Smolnikov. She speaks positively of him, describing him as a good person who provided financial assistance to her family during a difficult time. According to the witness, she did not hear any extremist statements from him, nor did he make calls to break up family relationships or negative remarks regarding representatives of other religions. Bagautdinova notes that she harbors no personal animosity toward Jehovah's Witnesses, explaining that they did nothing bad to her.\n\nThirteen people come to support the defendants; all are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260601","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the case materials: transcripts of meetings for worship and discussions on Bible topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260518","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An operational officer who tapped the defendants' phones and secretly viewed the contents of their computers is being interrogated. When asked what is the public danger of Jehovah's Witnesses, he cannot answer specifically, referring to the decision of the Supreme Court, which he has not read. He did not hear calls for the overthrow of power, genocide or violent actions against any group of people from believers. At the request of the judge, he characterizes the defendants: \"They are ordinary people, not recidivists, not bandits. We even had a pleasant conversation with someone.\"\nDuring the interrogation, it turns out that the case was based on the testimony of Eldar Bagautdinov, who communicated with Igor Smolnikov on biblical topics. Later, the man, on his own initiative, began to transfer recordings of their conversations to the Investigative Committee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260413","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Andrey Demyanov, who previously studied the Bible and attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, is being questioned. He describes the defendants positively, noting that they have prosperous families, and he has never heard them call for violence or to violate the law. According to him, Jehovah's Witnesses, in general, are engaged in peaceful activity. \"They told me how to behave correctly, how to believe in Jehovah. Bible study, songs, some scriptures,\" he recalls.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260402","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants do not agree with the charge: \"Peaceful conversation about God and Jesus Christ... cannot be considered as illegal and socially dangerous [actions].\" This position has been repeatedly confirmed by Russian courts and authorities. Yevgeniy Cherepanov emphasizes that the meetings of believers are not related to the activity of a legal entity. Oleg Preobrazhenskiy adds that the prosecution is in effect forcing him to renounce his religion. The defendants also draw attention to the fact that the expert study did not reveal that extremist materials has been distributed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260331","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to court. It will be reviewed by Judge Svetlana Yankovskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20260126","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator changes the preventive measure against Artem Repin, Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhenskiy and Yevgeniy Cherepanov from house arrest to a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20251215","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Smolnikov applies to the Ozersk City Court for permission to leave the apartment three times a week for 2 hours to care for his seriously ill sister, who lives separately. The court refuses. Moreover, he was not notified of the court hearing in advance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250912","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court issues an appeal ruling against Artem Repin, Yevgeniy Cherepanov, Oleg Preobrazhensky and Igor Smolnikov and changes their restriction measure from detention in a pre-trial detention center to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250408","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Cherepanov, Oleg Preobrazhensky, Igor Smolnikov and Artem Repin remain in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Zlatoust. Men are quarantined. The investigator does not allow them to make calls or see family members.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250217","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Artem Repin has a congenital heart defect. After being taken into custody, his hypertension worsened, they refuse to measure his blood pressure in the pre-trial detention center, they do not give him pills. In the near future, he is waiting for a parcel with a blood pressure monitor to track his blood pressure on his own.\nOleg Preobrazhensky has serious health problems, and doctors suspect he has a serious illness. He did not have time to complete the medical examination scheduled for the end of January due to his arrest. The believer is worried about his 85-year-old father, whom he cared for after an elderly man recently suffered a stroke. It is cold in the cell where Oleg is kept, the believer almost always wears a hat. They don't let him see his wife, they don't let him call her. Preobrazhensky receives letters and parcels.\nIgor Smolnikov is experiencing difficulties due to the fact that there is constant smoking in the cell where he is kept. Everyone except Repin is also still in smoking cells.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250123","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ozersky City Court of the Chelyabinsk Region Aleksey Gladkov chooses a measure of restraint for Artem Repin, Igor Smolnikov, Oleg Preobrazhensky and Evgeny Cherepanov in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250118","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel Denis Mirolyubov, an investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department for the city (closed administrative-territorial unit) of Ozersk, initiates a criminal case against five believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Repin and Others in Ozersk","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ozersk/index.html#20250116","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pensioner, labor veteran Mikhail Reshetnikov became one of the victims of the police special operation \u0026ldquo;Armageddon\u0026rdquo;, which took place in May 2021 in Barnaul and surrounding cities. The security forces searched the believer\u0026rsquo;s apartment, seizing greeting cards from his wedding, electronic devices and personal notes. After the search, the investigator interrogated him in the FSB building and placed him under recognizance agreement. Two days earlier, a criminal case was opened against the believer for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. Later, in October 2022, the investigation initiated a criminal case under the same article against pensioner Anatoly Sarychev, labor veteran Yuriy Kolotinskiy and Oleg Ovechkin. A recognizance agreement was also taken from them. In December 2022, the criminal case went to court. A secret witness testified against the believers. In May 2024, the court handed down a suspended sentence of 2 years and 3 months in prison, and in July the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2021-05-25","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html","prisoners":["kolotinskiy","reshetnikovm","sarychev"],"regions":["altaisky"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement and ask the court to find them not guilty of extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20240503","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["elderly","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 4 years in a general regime colony for the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20240411","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witnesses by the defense. The defendants make written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20240319","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Throughout the 16 sessions, listening to audio recordings of worship services received from a listening device continues.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230901","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a witness for the prosecution who is a religious scholar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230831","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, recordings of telephone conversations of believers and audio recordings of the divine service are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230803","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears audio recordings of worship services made in secret.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230801","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The trial takes place in a small hall, so only relatives of the defendants are present at the hearing.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses is being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230727","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Taranov is being interrogated, he is in another room. In his presence, the 8th, 9th and 10th volumes of the criminal case are read.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230720","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On April 25, May 11, 18, June 23 and July 13, the prosecutor reads out the case materials.\nFrom 20 to 38 of their relatives and fellow believers come to support believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230425","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses, including FSB officer Suslikov, are being questioned. He finds it difficult to answer most of the questions of the judge, the prosecutor and the defense.\nThe prosecutor reads out the first five volumes of the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230202","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Anatoly Sarychev, Yuri Kolotinsky and Mikhail Reshetnikov speak with an attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230126","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"38 people come to the courthouse to support the believers, but they are not allowed into the courtroom.\nThe judge grants the motions for audio recording of the hearings and the presence of listeners, promising that the next hearings will be held in a larger hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20230119","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Barnaul, Altai Territory. It will be considered by judge Lyubov Kurushina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20221219","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Oleg Ovechkin is separated into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20221114","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Strigunenko presents Reshetnikov with a resolution dated 10/20/2022, and Sarychev and Kolotinsky with a resolution dated 10/21/2022 on bringing each of them as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe decision to involve Sarychev states that the believer \"occupied a dominant (leading) position, acting as a controller of the information space, discussed a religious topic, gave the floor to speakers, invited other persons to participate in the discussion, comment, answer questions.\"\nThe document also says that at religious meetings, believers read out \"extremist materials, namely the text\" Holy Scripture. New World Translation.'\" According to the investigator, reading the Bible could lead to such consequences as violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, violation of the integrity of the Russian Federation, incitement of religious hatred and justification of genocide and mass repression of persons who are not Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20221020","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","translations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Altai Territory initiates a criminal case against Anatoly Sarychev, Yuri Kolotinsky and Oleg Ovechkin on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and combines it with the case of Mikhail Reshetnikov.\nInvestigator Strigunenko also presents Reshetnikov, Sarychev and Kolotinsky with decisions dated 06.10.2022 on bringing them as accused of committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nSenior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Altai Territory Strigunenko V.V. places A. Sarychev and Y. Kolotinsky under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2022-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20221006","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["new-case","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the police special operation codenamed \"Armageddon\", mass searches and detentions of peaceful Christians are taking place in the cities of Barnaul, Zarinsk and Rubtsovsk, the village of Telmenka and the villages of Troitskoye and Shakhi. Believers report the use of physical force by security forces. At least 17 people are taken for interrogation to the FSB and the Center for Combating Extremism.\nStarting at 6 a.m., Mikhail Reshetnikov's apartment has been searched. It is conducted by investigator Strigunenko, accompanied by witnesses and masked security officials. They record what is happening on a video camera. Representatives of the authorities behave correctly, in some cases they even ask the owner for permission to inspect. When asked by law enforcement officials how he and his wife manage to remain calm, Mikhail replies: \"We see that this is happening in Russia, we expected [this].\"\nLaw enforcement officers seize electronic devices and personal records, as well as greeting cards from the wedding of Mikhail and his wife Antonina. After the search, Mikhail and Antonina arrive in their own car to the FSB building for interrogation.\nSenior investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia for the Altai Territory Strigunenko V.V. places M. Reshetnikov under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20210527","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Marina Novikova of the Central District Court of Barnaul orders permission to search 14 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20210526","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Strigunenko, an investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Altai Territory, opens a criminal case against 71-year-old Mikhail Reshetnikov. The pensioner is accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is how the investigator interprets conversations about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Barnaul","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/barnaul2/index.html#20210525","regions":["altaisky"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, officers of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for extremism, and the next day, accompanied by riot police, conducted a series of searches at nine addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Gryazi. Five peaceful believers, including two pensioners, were detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. Natalya Perekatiy, Tatyana Morlang and Svetlana Vyrezkova were released 2 days later under a  recognizance agreement, and Yevgeniy Reshetnikov and Sergey Kretov were sent to a pretrial detention center. In June 2021, two more believers were detained as part of the same criminal case: Aleksandr Popras and Valeriy Khmil. No preventive measure was imposed on Popras, but Khmil was placed under house arrest for 57 days. Kretov and Reshetnikov spent about 8 months in a pretrial detention center and 4 months under house arrest. By February 2022, all defendants, including Aleksandr Podolin, had been added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In November 2023, the court began considering the case.  After 1.5 years, the court gave the believers large fines.","date":"2020-11-16","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html","prisoners":["khmil","kretov","morlang","perekatiy","podolin","popras","reshetnikov","vyrezkova"],"regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants give their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20250710","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["courtroom","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In addition to the participants in the trial, about 35 people are present in the courtroom. Aleksandr Podolin says that his faith in Jehovah God is based on the Bible and, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he has the right to practice this religion.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the fact that in Russia the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited, and prayer and preaching are not crimes. It is noted that the prosecution has no facts proving the extremist activities of believers. Lawyers ask the court to acquit their clients.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20250403","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested large fines for the defendants as a punishment: Podolin - 800 thousand rubles; Popras - 790 thousand rubles; Khmil - 750 thousand rubles; Kretov and Reshetnikov - 500 thousand rubles each; Vyrezkova and Morglang - 490 thousand rubles each and Perekatiy - 400 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20250328","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the defendants continues. Valeriy Khmil notes that the investigation calls the family children's holiday a meeting for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSvetlana Vyrezkova, who has been married for over 30 years, responds to the accusation of calling for the rupture of kinship and family relations: \"I am a supporter of traditional family values, I am married, I have two daughters and a grandson. When and whose family did I encourage to break up? This has never happened!\"\nA similar thought is expressed by Aleksandr Popras: \"I have been married to my wife for 35 years and have never regretted it. We raised two children, instilled in them honesty, respect for elders, hard work. Now we have four grandchildren, and we also want them to grow up to be honest and useful to society.\"\nTatyana Morlang says: \"In my life, I am guided only by the Bible, and it teaches goodness, not hatred.\"\nAnd this is how Natalia Perekatiy explains her motives: \"When I read the Bible, sing songs about God or talk to someone... [about him], I do not and do not want to harm others. I want other people to live easier, so that they have hope.\"\nAleksandr Podolin emphasizes that he never had the goal of harming the state or its citizens.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20250320","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the defendants begins. As Sergey Kretov explains, he is a deeply religious man, and his convictions do not allow him to cultivate hatred towards people with other religious views.\nYevgeniy Reshetnikov comments on the evidence presented by the prosecution and points out that the investigation collected only facts about the ordinary life of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20250313","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is interrogated, whom the judge refuses to declassify. He says that he has been invited to the court \"to give a truthful assessment of the testimony on biblical points.\" As it turns out, the witness attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The man speaks negatively about this religion in general and cites a number of facts that do not correspond to reality. For example, he claims that believers do not drink wine, do not marry for love, do not go to the theater, and forbid children to read the works of Ivan Turgenev.\nAt the same time, answering questions from the defense, the witness admits that he did not hear any statements at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses inciting religious discord or promoting the superiority or inferiority of citizens on the basis of attitude to religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20241128","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the audio and video materials of the case. The defense notes that these recordings refute the accusations of extremism. For example, at religious meetings, there are calls to respect people of different nationalities and obey the authorities. And another material — a video of a children's party from the family archive of Valery Khmil — has nothing to do with the services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20241122","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the prosecution witness, who is a relative of Valeriy Khmil. He says that he did not know what faith Valeriy was, and did not hear that Valeriy expressed hostility towards people of other religions. Of the defendants, the witness recognizes only Sergey Kretov, to whom he once turned on electrical issues.\nDeputy Prosecutor Nikiforov finished presenting all the evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20241024","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Boris Nikiforov reads out the case materials - volumes 5 to 23.\nThe court grants the lawyer's request to call the specialists who conducted the phonetic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20240307","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives of the defendants are being interrogated. Tatiana Morlang's husband refers to poor health and enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones.\nValeriy Khmil's wife describes him as a caring husband who is ready to help others. She goes on to say that during the interrogation she faced threats from the investigation: \"I was scared, [we] have three children ... Everything I said was said under pressure.\" When asked whether Valeriy Khmil called for religious discord or refusal of medical care by his actions or words, he answers in the negative.\nFrom the materials of the case, the conclusions of the religious examination are read out. The court satisfies the motion of the defense to summon the author of the examination to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20240208","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the daughter of Svetlana Vyrezkova. She says she thinks her mom is \"the kindest person.\" When asked about her choice of religion and treatment, she replies: \"My mother always raised me that I had the right to choose. And now I make the decisions that I think are right.\"\nAfter the interrogation, the prosecutor begins to read out materials containing a transcript of wiretapping - conversations of believers on everyday topics (culinary recipes, pandemic, self-isolation, etc.).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20240201","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Alexander Starkov reads out the essence of the charge against each of the 8 defendants. None of the defendants plead guilty. Aleksandr Podolin filed a motion to return the case to the prosecutor's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20231222","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer provides the court with Yevgeny Reshetnikov's disability certificate in electronic form, in connection with which the hearing is postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2023-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20231208","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants Aleksandr Podolin's petition for access to the case of a public defender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20231201","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case begin. The court refuses to satisfy the defendants' petitions to refuse lawyers by appointment, but admits lawyer Sergey Kretov to the case by agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20231128","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is received by the Gryazinsky City Court and transferred to Judge Irina Trubitsina for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20231016","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Roman Kochanov changes the measure of restraint for Yevgeny Reshetnikov and Sergey Kretov from house arrest to recognizance not to leave. Electronic tracking bracelets are removed from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20211115","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lipetsk Regional Court satisfies the believer's appeal and cancels the decision of the Gryazinsky City Court of the Lipetsk Region, releasing Valery Khmil from house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-08-06T14:24:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210806","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Sergey Kretov and Yevgeny Reshetnikov. Believers are transferred to house arrest until September 15, 2021 after 241 days in a pre-trial detention center and allowed daily hour-long walks.\nThe court extends Valeriy Khmil's detention under house arrest until October 15, 2021 and allows him daily two-hour walks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210715","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","sizo","mitigation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Roman Kochanov charges 54-year-old Aleksandr Popras and 39-year-old father of three minor children Valery Khmil with \"a deliberate crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state.\" They are charged with violating Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of a banned community.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210610","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Gryazinsky Interdistrict Prosecutor's Office is filing appeals against the decisions on preventive measures of Aleksandr Popras and Valery Khmil. In the submissions, the prosecutor asks to cancel the court orders and detain both of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210607","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Gryazinsky City Court A. N. Fateev rejects the petition of investigator Roman Kochanov to elect a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Aleksandr Popras and Valery Khmil.\nAfter the trial, Aleksandr is allowed to go home, the measure of restraint for him has not been chosen. Valeriy was placed under house arrest until July 16, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210602","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6:30 a.m., in the town of Gryazi, 54-year-old Aleksandr Popras and 39-year-old Valeriy Khmil are detained and sent to a temporary detention facility. Investigator Roman Kochanov opened a criminal case against them under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The criminal case is combined into one proceeding with case No. 12002420014000029. A search is underway in the house of Vladimir Molchanov, who lives with his wife and elderly mother in the village of Dvurechke, 22 kilometers from Lipetsk. The believer is detained and later released.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20210601","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal hearing is underway on the measure of restraint of Yevgeny Reshetnikov. The court leaves the measure of restraint unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201202","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator indicts Natalia Perekatiy, Svetlana Vyrezkova and Tatyana Morlang and chooses a recognizance not to leave as a measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201123","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalia Perekatiy, Svetlana Vyrezkova and Tatyana Morlang are released from the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201118","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Kretov and Yevgeniy Reshetnikov are charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Judge of the Gryazinsky City Court Andrey Fateev chooses a measure of restraint for peaceful believers in the form of detention and sends them to a pre-trial detention center for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201117","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Roman Kochanov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the first investigation department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Lipetsk Region, initiates criminal cases for faith against 5 civilians in the city of Gryazi: 46-year-old Yevgeny Reshetnikov, 42-year-old Sergey Kretov, 63-year-old Tatyana Morlang, 49-year-old Svetlana Vyrezkova and 67-year-old Natalia Perekatiy. Men are suspected of organizing \"extremist\" activities (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), and women are suspected of participating in it (part 2 of the same article). Criminal cases against five believers are combined into one — No. 12002420014000029.\nThe materials of Perekatiy's case state that the believer \"deliberately, acting from extremist motives, expressed in propaganda of the advantage of followers of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses over other persons, a negative assessment of persons who are not followers of this religious teaching ... continued to spread the ideology and faith of this extremist organization among the residents of the city of Gryazi, Lipetsk Region.\" Similar wording is contained in the case files of the other believers involved.\nOn the same day, officers of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by riot police, conduct searches at 9 addresses in the city. Electronic devices and personal documents are seized from believers.\nAll five believers against whom criminal cases have been initiated, including pensioners, are placed in an isolation ward. The rest are released after interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Reshetnikov and Others in Gryazi","date":"2020-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/gryazi/index.html#20201116","regions":["lipetsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the spring of 2019, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Volgograd. Sergey Melnik, Igor Yehozaryan, Valeriy Rogozin, and Denis Peresunko were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization; the last two were also charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization. They spent between 5 and 7 months in a pretrial detention center. The lawyers drew the judge\u0026rsquo;s attention to numerous procedural violations by the investigation. Some witnesses stated that their testimony had been falsified. Secret witnesses were questioned anonymously — according to their own statements, they feared for their life and health. In September 2021, the court sentenced the 4 believers to prison terms ranging from 6 years to 6 years and 5 months. In March 2022, the court of appeal upheld the verdict. In December 2025, Yehozaryan and Melnik were released; in April 2026, Rogozin completed his sentence. The last of the four defendants, Denis Peresunko, was released in June 2026.","date":"2019-05-16","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html","prisoners":["egozaryan","melnik","peresunko","rogozin"],"regions":["volgograd"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","type":"cases"},{"body":"Valeriy Rogozin has reached retirement age, so he no longer has to work in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20260328","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rogozin, Egozaryan and Peresunko regularly receive letters and parcels. All three have a Bible. They have the opportunity to call loved ones and shop in the store.\nValeriy and Igor work in the sewing workshop, and Denis is kept in a unit for the disabled and those who do not work. In August, he was sent to the hospital at penal colony no. 8 for Udmurtia due to problems with his spine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20251030","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The attitude of the administration and other prisoners towards Sergei Melnik is good. With some of the squad, he cooks food together, shares recipes for unusual salads. Sergey has already received more than 5 thousand letters, he receives about 60 pieces a month. He tries to answer each one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20250805","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnik continues to work in the canteen and lives with other employees. He has access to hot water. The physical condition of the believer stabilized. When he had back problems, he had to undergo medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20250515","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Peresunko is in a good emotional state and regularly receives letters of support. Thanks to his exemplary behavior, he manages to maintain respectful relations with the administration of the colony and other prisoners. Denis has unstable blood pressure and also needs the help of a dentist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20250423","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the transfer of Rogozin, Egozaryan and Peresunko to the colony in Sarapul, many personal belongings were taken from them, which were allowed to be used in the previous colony. At the same time, Denis Peresunko was given the necessary inhalers, and Valery Rogozin was given his blood pressure monitor.\nThe food in this colony, according to believers, is more varied, and prisoners do not smoke in the barracks, only in specially designated places. Bibles were confiscated from believers. Igor Yegozaryan's copy was taken away despite the fact that it bears the seals of the penal colony and the Sarapul diocese.\nAt the new place, all three have worked for only one day so far: Valery and Denis are again in the tubing shop, and Igor is in the metalworking shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20250305","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Egozaryan, Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko are in penal colony No. 5 in the Udmurt Republic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2025-02-11T11:29:10+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20250211","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko have twice received the award at the production site as an encouragement. Peresunko began to drink more water and reduced salt intake, so he feels better. Igor Yegorzaryan often has a headache. A local doctor suggested he have an MRI.\nAll believers have their own copy of the Bible. There is no hot water in the barracks where they are kept, but the opportunity to take showers at work helps men.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2024-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20241220","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Letters to Sergey Melnik are received only by registered mail or through the zonatelecom system.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20241010","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Serhiy Melnyk still works as a cook and also serves as a food dispenser in the dining room. Although he acquired this profession in the colony, he now feels confident in it. Sergey is very tired physically, as he has to spend many hours on his feet.\nAbout 30 people are kept in the barracks together with Melnik. The believer receives letters, but mostly by e-mail; Paper ones arrive with a delay or do not arrive at all.\nIn the near future, Sergey should have a long meeting with his wife, who will come to him from Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2024-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20240808","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Rogozin, Denis Peresunko and Igor Egozaryan feel fine. They continue to work in the sewing industry, and Igor learned to be a stoker and worked for some time in a boiler room, where they noted his conscientious attitude to work.\nAbout 70 people live in the barracks in which believers are kept, they have shared TVs and refrigerators. Valeriy, Denis and Igor have the opportunity to buy additional food and medicines at a local stall, relatives and friends give them vitamins.\nAll three continue to receive letters that serve as a great support for them. Due to their busy schedules, they do not have time to answer each of them. Denis looks at the colorful drawings that are sent to him with special warmth.\nBelievers experience some difficulties in receiving registered letters, while simple letters reach them without problems.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20240613","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergei Melnik lives in a barracks with 100 beds, where 80 prisoners are held, with whom he has a calm relationship. Sergey can communicate with his wife by phone. He has a Bible, and he still receives letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2023-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20231115","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Rogozin, Denis Peresunko and Igor Egozaryan continue to receive letters of support from relatives, friends and fellow believers. All three can read the Bible and talk to their relatives.\nDenis Peresunko's health problems have worsened in the colony. He is a group III disabled person and suffers from several chronic diseases. Recently, he was transferred to another barracks, where he felt better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20231102","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnik works in the dining room from 5:30 to 18:00 according to the 2/2 schedule. He says that the conditions of detention are normal, physically healthy, relations with everyone are good. Letters from fellow believers are received in electronic form. Sergei says that the censor crosses out the name of God in them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20230525","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Egozaryan, Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko do not lose their positive attitude, they do not complain about their health. They receive regular letters of support. All three work in the sewing shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20230524","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergei Melnik arrived at correctional colony No. 5 in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk to serve his sentence. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20230119","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Melnik is in SIZO-1 in Perm and is waiting to be sent to Kirov. During the transfer process, according to Sergey, the cells were warm. In total, the journey to the colony will be more than 2,200 km.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20221207","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Denis Peresunko, Igor Yegorzaryan and Valery Rogozin in the penal colony. In the barracks where they are kept, it is warm, there is an opportunity to visit the bathhouse twice a week. Valery and Denis work in the sewing industry - they make tubing. The working day lasts from 9:00 to 16:00 with a lunch break. The believers have normal relations with the administration and prisoners. They are treated with respect.\nThe men report that when they were sent to the colony, personal copies of the Bible were taken from them and promised to return them after the clergyman put seals on them. In the library, believers were given Bibles in the Synodal translation.\nDenis Peresunko feels fine. He receives his medications on time. A disability pension comes to his account. Part of the amount, according to Denis, is withheld for clothes, underwear, hot water. In production, he sews handles for tubing, often exceeding the norm. The believer says that in his free time he likes to observe nature, especially birds.\nIgor Yegozaryan says that he has no health problems. In the Izhevsk pre-trial detention center, he managed to get to the dentist. The believer received the 2nd category in sewing, and now he is undergoing 4-month training as a stoker.\nDenis, Igor and Valery are grateful for the letters from fellow believers that they receive from different countries. They are issued every other day for 15-20 pieces.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20221018","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that three of the convicts were taken to a colony 1200 km from home. Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Valery Rogozin will serve their sentences in Udmurtia. They can receive letters of support.\nSergey Melnik is still in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Frolovo, Volgograd Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20220816","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The panel of judges of the Volgograd Regional Court, chaired by Igor Tkachenko, dismisses the appeal of Valery Rogozin, Igor Yegozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Sergey Melnik. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20220318","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valery Rogozin, Igor Yegozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Sergey Melnik in the pre-trial detention center.\nAll prisoners are in a good mood, although they miss their loved ones. Sergei Melnyk notes: \"I have everything here, except freedom, of course. I miss my family, my wife Anyutka.\"\nIgor Egozaryan is worried about his son and elderly mother, who was left without his support.\nValery Rogozin was initially held in a smoking cell, but later he was transferred to another cell, and later another prisoner who quit smoking. Valeriy received more than a thousand letters of support from different countries.\nDenis Peresunko is very grateful for the letters of support. He especially likes letters with pictures and diagrams. His cellmates are impressed by the fact that letters come to him from all over the world, even from Australia and Scotland.\nAll four had a good, respectful relationship with their cellmates. Everyone has the opportunity to read the Bible. Believers have no complaints about their health, medicines are given out on time. In general, the conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center are normal, there is everything you need.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20220208","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sergey Melnik in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the town of Frolovo. The believer says: \"The conditions of detention are normal, a little cool, the food is tolerable.\" There are 4 people in the cell with him. At the new place, Sergey has already received one letter from his wife.\nOn the same day, Rogozin, Yegoraryan and Peresunko were transferred to the Frolov pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20211006","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Igor Yegozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Valery Rogozin in Volgograd. They are held in a small detention facility attached to a maximum security penal colony. The territory is kept clean and tidy, but due to the fact that the building is old, the cells in it are cold and damp. This affects the well-being of believers: they have all been ill. Valery Rogozin says: \"I was seized by sciatica, so I could not straighten up for several days. In writing, I went to the doctor for help, painkillers and ointment received only 4 days later. Igor Egozaryan says: \"The showers are old, without ventilation, it is impossible to breathe - I almost lost consciousness. I had to ask to leave early.\"\nAlthough each of the believers upon arrival had with them a Bible from the previous pre-trial detention center with the marks of the censors, the management sent the books for a lengthy re-check. Believers have not yet received letters. The head of the detention center explains this by the fact that the pre-trial detention center does not have its own censor, which is why all letters are sent to another institution for verification.\nIn general, believers feel well, but they are worried about their relatives. Igor Yegozaryan is especially worried about his 83-year-old mother, who finds it difficult to endure the criminal prosecution of her son.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20211005","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Sergey Melnik is in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Frolovo, which is 145 km from the previous place of detention (SIZO-1 in Volgograd).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20211004","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Igor Egozaryan, Denis Peresunko and Valery Rogozin will wait for an appeal in colony No. 9, located on Kostyuchenko Street in Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-10-01T16:04:50+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20211001","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Traktorozavodsky City Court Irina Struk sentences Valery Rogozin to 6 years and 5 months in a penal colony, Denis Peresunko to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony, Sergei Melnik to 6 years in a penal colony and Igor Yegorzaryan to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210923","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the verdict is postponed to September 23.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210920","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements. The meeting is held behind closed doors, even the wives of believers are not allowed to attend the hearing.\nIn his last word, Sergey Melnyk emphasizes: \"I do not consider myself guilty, because I have never done anything that goes against the laws of God. Moreover, I tried to do good, to show love and justice, to take care of people.\"\nIgor Egozaryan notes: \"My accusers, with some unhealthy stubbornness, are trying to convince everyone that the peaceful practice of a religion that is not banned in the Russian Federation is actually extremism.\"\nDenis Peresunko explains that he is being judged only because he and his friends reflected on the beautiful truths from the Bible: \"Your honor, Jesus was tried and killed for bringing truth to people. I am being judged because I learned the truth that is in the Bible and discussed it with my friends.\"\nValery Rogozin says in his last speech: \"I am sure that you have never seen such \"extremists\" before - calm, neat, polite, positive-minded. I would call the accusation of an extremist crime against me a great desire to wishful thinking no matter what.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210907","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties continues. The believers' lawyers draw the court's attention to the fact that their clients did not commit actions that fit the definition of extremism, and also remind that the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from continuing to practice their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210902","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Rogozin takes the floor in the debate. He states: \"In order to sentence me to 9 years in prison, the prosecutor's office must have very good reasons that have not been presented.\" He further refutes all counts of the indictment.\nResponding to the charge of organizing the activities of an extremist community, Rogozin explains that the term \"elder\" is not a legal, but a canonical concept.\nValery also provides evidence that the secret witness gave false testimony.\nRogozin draws attention to the fact that the criminal prosecution of believers in Russia grossly violates the Constitution, and connivance on the part of the authorities leads to the fact that Russia does not fulfill its international obligations, in particular, relating to the observance of human rights.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210901","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"27 people come to the meeting.\nDuring the debate, Sergei Melnyk rejected the accusations of extremism, drawing the court's attention to the fact that the prosecutor's office did not provide any solid evidence of the believers' guilt.\nIgor Egozaryan reminds the court that Christians have been persecuted before, and cites the example of the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany and the USSR. He also states that during the hearings, secret prosecution witnesses gave false testimony against the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210831","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court resumes hearings at the stage of argument of the parties. The first of the defendants is Denis Peresunko. He says that he values the Bible and considers it necessary to introduce this book to others, emphasizing that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses was not banned by the decision of the Supreme Court. Peresunko also notes that he has never refused high-quality and safe medical treatment.\nAt the next session, Sergey Melnik and Igor Yegorzaryan are scheduled to speak in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210830","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, the court makes a decision on the production of additional expertise in the case. In this regard, the hearings are postponed indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210406","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Assistant prosecutor Anna Myagkova speaks in the debate with an accusatory speech. After a 1.5-hour break, the prosecutor requests sentences for Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia: Denis Peresunko and Valery Rogozin - 9 years in a general regime colony, and Igor Egozaryan and Sergey Melnik - 7 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210309","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants are being interrogated. Valery Rogozin draws the court's attention to the discrepancy between the charges and the real actions of believers. Denis Peresunko talks about positive examples of Jehovah's Witnesses' behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210216","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the defense's request to interrogate the religious scholar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210212","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, three videos are watched at the hearing. The film about medicine examines the position of doctors and Jehovah's Witnesses regarding bloodless methods of treatment, which dispels the myth about the refusal of believers to medical intervention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20210210","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd extends the measure of restraint in the form of prohibitions on certain actions against Valery Rogozin, Igor Yegozaryan, Sergey Melnik and Denis Peresunko, leaving them only bans on the use of communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20201210","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Iryna Struk attaches to the case file the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.\nThe court grants the prosecutor's request to extend the measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20201210","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Traktorozavodsky City Court is interrogating FSB officer Vasily Gul, who claims that local believers were part of the Administrative Center and does not see the difference between legal entities and individual believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20201027","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 10 people come to the courthouse, but no one is allowed inside due to the epidemiological situation.\nThe court interrogates a secret witness who kept a secret record of worship. He is in a separate room, his voice is changed. The witness claims that all the defendants are members of a local religious organization (LRO). But when asked whether he saw the names of the defendants in the list of members of the LRO, he replies that he does not remember. A secret witness considers it illegal activity of the defendants that they \"obey God.\" When asked whether the Supreme Court banned the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation, he replies that no.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200714","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Volgograd Regional Court rejects the believers' appeal against the ban on certain actions. Families of believers are experiencing serious financial difficulties due to the blocking of accounts and the inability to use the telephone and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200619","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["appeal","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held behind closed doors due to the epidemiological situation. Only defendants and lawyers are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe court extends the measure of restraint for believers in the form of a ban on certain actions until September 9, 2020. The defendants file a motion to include in the case file the decision of the UN Working Group, which, in the opinion of the defenders, \"should be directly applied in this criminal case and indicates the need for the immediate abolition of the measure of restraint and the cessation of criminal prosecution\" against the Volgograd believers. The court retires to the deliberation room for 40 minutes, and then a break is announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200529","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing at about 4 o'clock, a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Klentsov\" is interrogated. (The participation of secret prosecution witnesses in the case significantly limits the believers' right to defend themselves.) When asked whether he had received threats from the defendants or from third parties, the witness gave a negative answer. This is puzzling as to why it was classified. He did not hear calls for violence and the overthrow of power from the defendants. Extremism, in his opinion, is disrespect for the state, but what exactly it is expressed, the witness does not explain.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200313","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the record of the phonogram of the religious assembly. It reflects that believers discussed the topic of attitudes towards people, the Bible, raised questions about how a person's wealth affects the opinion about him. According to the defense, this does not confirm the version of the accusation of extremism in the actions of Volgograd Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200312","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to support the defendants in the Traktorozavodsky District Court. Journalists are present at the trial.\nThe documents of the case, including the protocol of listening to the recording of the religious meeting, are being examined. The lyrics of several songs and prayers are also listened to.\nThe prosecution confuses the concepts of a religious assembly and a local religious organization (LRO). No one can be held criminally liable for participating in the meeting, the defense emphasizes. The position of the prosecution is at odds with that of the Russian Supreme Court, which did not ban faith, the defendants say.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200311","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Ivan is brought to the trial.\nLawyer Alexander Obukhov files a petition for the disclosure of the true data of the witness, referring to the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, in which the secrecy of a witness is an exceptional security measure permissible only in case of a serious threat to his life and health. The judge decides not to disclose the identity of the witness during the interrogation. The witness testifies from another room, being behind a thick curtain, answers questions via audio communication, changing his real voice, calls himself either feminine or masculine. The court prohibits asking questions concerning his identity. The interrogation lasts three hours. During the interrogation, the witness accuses the defendants of \"spiritual terrorism.\" Counsel reminds that there is no such term.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for March 11, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200227","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor asks the court to postpone the hearing, since for technical reasons it was not possible to deliver a classified prosecution witness. The judge agrees.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for February 27.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200226","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people gather near the building of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd - relatives and co-religionists of the defendants came to support them. Not everyone gets into the courtroom.\nWitnesses are being questioned at the hearing. These are mostly elderly people. They are outraged by the unjust persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and say that their preliminary testimony contains words they did not say. One witness explicitly states that the investigator \"composed and edited\" her testimony.\nThe defendants draw attention to the fact that the prosecution specifically focuses on the questioning of elderly witnesses, since it is easier to confuse them and get the necessary testimony for the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200221","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, the believers' lawyers talk about numerous violations during the preliminary investigation. Witnesses for the prosecution, mostly elderly, say that their testimony was falsified.\nThe next court hearings in the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd are scheduled for February 21, 26 and 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200207","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd, hearings on the merits begin. More than 40 people came to support the defendants, but the courtroom does not accommodate everyone. The bailiff asks those who did not have enough space to leave the hall.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges, including singing religious songs and praying to \"his God.\" \"If I am accused of praying to God, then I do not understand what is extremist in this and what prayer has to do with banned organizations,\" Igor Egozaryan, one of the defendants, said in court.\nThe believers do not admit guilt and declare to the court that their faith is incompatible with extremism.\nThe prosecution witness says that she has attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses since the 2000s. She had no thoughts of overthrowing the constitutional order, and the information she heard at the meetings helped her cope with family difficulties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200206","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing on the case. About 30 people from the support group of believers in Volgograd come to court. Melnik, Rogozin and Egozaryan ask to be allowed to use the telephone and the Internet, as it is necessary for work, but the court refuses the petition.\nAt the same time, the judge allows Melnik to change his place of stay due to the fact that he needs to take care of a sick relative.\nThe judge of the Traktorozavodsky District Court of Volgograd changes the measure of restraint in the form of detention for Denis Peresunko to prohibit certain actions until March 23, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200123","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Traktorozavodsky City Court of the city of Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20200109","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Volgograd Region Ereshkin N.I. approves the indictment against Rogozin, Melnik, Yegozaryan, Osipov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20191231","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Dudunkova terminates the criminal case against the elderly Olga Medvedeva and Valentina Makhmadagaeva for lack of corpus delicti. In this case, the investigator refers to the testimony of three witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20191127","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["case-dismissed","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The charges against Rogozin, Melnik, Egozaryan, Osipov have been toughened - now the investigation considers them to be the organizers of the extremist community. Volgograd residents face up to 10 years in prison.\nDenis Peresunko is being interrogated as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20191122","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Peresunko is being prosecuted and interrogated as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190827","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Volgograd chooses a measure of restraint for Denis Peresunko in the form of detention until October 13, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190823","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Peresunko is detained and interrogated as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190821","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Ignatov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Volgograd Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code against Vyacheslav Osipov, Valery Rogozin and Denis Peresunko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190819","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Melnik, Igor Yegoraryan and Valery Rogozin are officially charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190524","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several other believers are detained in Volgograd in the same criminal case: Valery Rogozin (born in 1962), Sergey Melnik (born in 1972), and Igor Egozaryan (born in 1965).\nAccording to the investigation, they also repeatedly participated \"in mass events for viewing, listening, discussing audio and video materials promoting the cult of religious superiority of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190516","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the First Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Volgograd Region, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Ignatov, initiates a criminal case under the article on participation in a banned organization (Article 282.2 (2)). At that time, 48-year-old Vyacheslav Osipov, 71-year-old Valentina Makhmadagaeva and 65-year-old Olga Medvedeva and a number of \"unidentified persons\" became innocent victims of law enforcement officers. They are accused of holding video conferences, discussing biblical thoughts, and singing songs with fellow believers. According to the investigator, this is the resumption of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rogozin and Others in Volgograd","date":"2019-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/volgograd/index.html#20190513","regions":["volgograd"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, the FSB in Anadyr initiated a criminal case for his faith against Sergey Romanov. He was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. A month later, in another city, in the apartment where Sergey was staying, a search was carried out. The man was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center in Volgograd and then transferred to Anadyr. After 8 months of imprisonment, the believer was released on a recognizance agreement. There are at least two secret witnesses in the Romanov case, and the believer was under covert surveillance for about two years. His name was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. In December 2025, the case went to court.","date":"2023-05-05","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html","prisoners":["romanov"],"regions":["chukotka"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","type":"cases"},{"body":"Hearings on the case of Sergei Romanov begin. The believer notes that the charges against him are very serious, while the investigation did not provide concrete evidence of his guilt. \"Such accusations can be compared to soap bubbles, which, with an unbiased consideration of the case, can dissolve into thin air,\" says Sergey. He continues: \"I don't understand how I, a peaceful, law-abiding person, was put on a par with criminals. I have always respected and respect people of any nationality and religion, and I also respect state power. Therefore, neither I personally nor my actions posed any public danger.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20260305","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Sergey Romanov case is submitted to the Anadyr City Court. It will be considered by Judge Galina Shevchenko.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20251224","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation separates the case against Aleksey Volkov, Yuri Yumashev and Aleksandr Loshkarev into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2025-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20251204","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Romanov is released on his own recognizance. The believer spent 8 months in custody without one day.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20240201","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is kept in a cell, where there are 3 other people besides him. The food is normal, the cell is cleaner compared to the situation in the pre-trial detention center in Volgograd. He does not complain about his health. Sergey does not have warm clothes.\nRomanov's relations with his cellmates and the administration of the temporary detention facility are normal. There is a Psalter and a New Testament from the local library.\nTechnically, a believer can only receive paper letters, but whether they are handed over is not yet known. His letters from the Anadyr temporary detention center do not reach the addressees.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230803","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergei Romanov was placed in the temporary detention center of the city of Anadyr.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230728","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["ivs","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sergey Romanov was transferred to SIZO-1 in Volgograd.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230706","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Romanov is being held in solitary confinement. His physical and emotional condition is good. He can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230621","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Zhirnovsky District Court of the Volgograd Region chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The believer is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Volgograd region in the city of Frolovo.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230604","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tsarapkin charges Sergey Romanov under Part 1 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He informs the believer that he has been under surveillance for a long time and threatens him with 10 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230603","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Romanov is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230602","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Zhirnovsk (Volgograd region), in the apartment where Sergey Romanov is staying at this time, a search is underway. The police call the owner of the apartment to the place of the search. By the time she arrived, the door had been broken into, and there was a group of security officials in the apartment. They are led by Vladimir Tsarapkin, who arrived 6500 kilometers to Zhirnovsk from Anadyr. The woman is kept on the landing for about an hour, and when she finally gets into the apartment, she sees Romanov lying on the floor in handcuffs.\nElectronic devices, personal records and a large amount of money are seized from the landlady. All personal belongings are seized from Sergey. A search is conducted without a court decision on the basis of an investigator's order. Around midnight, at the end of the investigative event, the believer is taken away for interrogation to the neighboring town of Kamyshin.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230601","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Tsarapkin, an investigator of the FSB Directorate for the Chukotka Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Sergey Romanov, Aleksey Volkov, Yuriy Yumashev and Aleksandr Loshkarev. The resolution states that \"from 20.04.2017 ... acting jointly and in concert, [the four believers] by organizing and conducting religious meetings, carrying out missionary and preaching activities... involvement of new participants, as well as the collection of donations, organized the activities of the unregistered religious group \"Jehovah's Witnesses in Anadyr\" on the territory of the city of Anadyr, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.\nThe resolution states that the basis for initiating a criminal case was two expert opinions dated November 19, 2022 and May 3, 2023. One of them claims that believers allegedly promoted the exclusivity and superiority of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20230505","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB conducts covert operational-search measures against Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Anadyr. Security officials are trying to recruit people with an interest in the Bible to secretly make audio recordings of meetings with Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Romanov in Anadyr","date":"2021-01-01T17:54:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/anadyr/index.html#20210101","regions":["chukotka"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2021, three Jehovah’s Witnesses—Eduard Sviridov, Sean Pike, and Aleksandr Rumyantsev—were arrested after searches in the Tepliy Stan district of Moscow. Because of their religion, they were accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believers were placed in a pre-trial detention center, where they spent 2 years and 4 months. In the first days of his imprisonment, Sean Pike, a father of two, a RUDN University graduate from Guyana, was placed in an overcrowded cell and forced to sleep on the floor. There, Pike suffered a coronavirus. The case went to court in November 2022. The accusation was based on hidden audio recordings made in Sviridov’s home. In December 2023, the court sentenced the believers to a general regime colony: Aleksandr Rumyantsev for 7.5 years, Sean Pike for 7 years, and Eduard Sviridov for 6.5 years. The appeal took place in June 2025 and upheld the verdict. In April 2026, Eduard Sviridov was released.","date":"2021-08-24","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html","prisoners":["pike","rumyantsev","sviridov"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sean gradually adapts to life in the penal colony and feels fine emotionally. After a course of treatment, his general physical condition improved. The prisoner considers living conditions in the penal colony overall acceptable; however, the temperature in the cell remains at 15 degrees, the premises are not heated.\nRecently, he was able to see his family. Letters come intermittently, once or twice a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20260309","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov is in penal colony No. 2 in the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-02-19T15:06:37+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20260219","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov is held in a barrack for 130 people. The believer has good relations with the administration and the other prisoners.\nRecently, the believer worked in a workshop where he was packaging meat products. Working from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. almost without days off, was difficult for him.\nEduard can read the Bible. However, he is missing letters of support, because there is a problem in the penal colony with passing them on.\nKnowing that he will soon be released in April 2026 gives him strength.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2026-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20260117","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There is a total of 68 people in the barracks where Aleksandr Rumyantsev is kept. Aleksandr is respected by other prisoners and the administration. He has a Bible. The believer is planning to train as a cardboard box assembler in February 2026.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20251127","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike needs medical attention: since being in prison, he has developed hypertension. Sean is strengthened by reading the Bible and letters from people who care. The believer receives parcels with food and makes purchases in the penal colony's store. Sean's relationship with other prisoners is friendly. Recently, he managed to get a 3-day visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20251119","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike is in penal colony No. 9 for the Novgorod Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-22T14:29:27+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20251022","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev is in penal colony No. 5 for the Kaluga Region. Eduard Sviridov is in penal colony No. 8 for the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-13T14:26:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20251013","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Sean Pike are being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-10-08T15:25:53+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20251008","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court rejects the appeals of Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Sean Pike and Eduard Sviridov. The court decision made 1.5 years ago, sentencing the believers to 7.5, 7 and 6.5 years imprisonment respectively, enters into force.\nThe defense draws attention to numerous violations committed by the court of first instance: witnesses were pressured, forbidden to use Article 51 of the RF Constitution, and their written notes were taken off them. The judge repeatedly interrupted the defendants and tried to distort their testimony. Violations during the expert studies were also discovered: for example, a religious expert conclusion was prepared by L. S. Astakhova, the wife of an Orthodox priest, who had previously been exposed for incompetence.\nThe defense emphasizes that there are no signs of extremism in the actions of the believers. Not a single episode contained violence, calls for hostility or a threat to society. \"When the prosecution demands tougher punishment for a person whose only \"guilt\" is that he prayed, read the Bible and sought to live according to his conscience, this is not simply a legal error. Such actions of the prosecutor's office are not only devoid of compassion, but also highly blasphemous: they encroach on the sacred – on the right of a person to seek God and live according to his conscience,\" said one of the lawyers.\nRumyantsev, Pike and Sviridov have been in pretrial detention for more than 3.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2025-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20250609","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov are in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20241121","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Rumyantsev is kept in a cell for 8 people, living conditions in it are satisfactory. He doesn't have the full Bible, but he does have some parts of it: the Book of Psalms and the New Testament. There are so many letters that the censor does not have time to check them, so the believer receives them with a delay.\nTogether with Eduard Sviridov, there are three more people in the cell. It is spacious, bright and clean. The believer has a complete Bible. He exercises regularly.\nRelations with the administration and cellmates of Rumyantsev and Sviridov are good. The pre-trial detention center is located next to the forest, they are glad that they can breathe fresh air. Believers do not lose courage and try to enjoy the little things, for example, the opportunity to watch the sunsets from the window.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-10-01T16:09:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20241001","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sean Pike's health has deteriorated. Doctors recommend that he undergo inpatient treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-09-26T10:33:42+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240926","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike is again in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240806","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov is in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Vladimir region. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-08-05T14:43:03+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240805","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Aleksandr Rumyantsev was taken to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240730","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Eduard Sviridov, Sean Pike and Alexander Rumyantsev are being transferred from SIZO-2.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20240613","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All the defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20231222","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 8 years in prison for Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Sean Pike and Eduard Sviridov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20231221","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike, Alexander Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov participate in the appeal hearing on mitigation of the measure of restraint via video conferencing.\nThe defense files a motion for the inclusion of a reference from the school of the eldest daughter of Sean Pike. The document refers to the friendliness and peacefulness of the teenager, as well as the loving and warm atmosphere prevailing in the family. Explaining to the court the reason for such a petition, the lawyer states: \"Children are a mirror of the family. This characterization reaffirms Pike's moral values as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe court attaches the document, but leaves the believers in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230608","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the employment of the judge, the hearing begins only at 20:00. Eduard Sviridov's new lawyer is present. A believer is interrogated as a witness explaining why he personally professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230407","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov challenges his lawyer, arguing that the defender is biased and violates the requirements of the Code of Professional Ethics of a Lawyer and the Federal Law \"On the Bar and Advocacy in the Russian Federation\". Sviridov says: \"[The lawyer] not only does not support my position based on the provisions of the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation \"On Judicial Practice in Cases of Extremist Orientation\", but also challenges it with his statements ... The law prohibits a lawyer from making public statements about proving the client's guilt if he denies it. The defender makes hints that clearly violate these provisions.\" In addition, according to Sviridov, the lawyer did not take advantage of the offer of his former colleague to testify in defense of the believer.\nThe judge rejects Sviridov's petition. Then the lawyer asks for self-recusal, and the court grants her request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230324","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three female believers are being questioned as witnesses. One of them reports that she has been practicing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses since the days of the USSR, when there were no legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, refuting the prosecution's version that all Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow are united in a local religious organization registered only in 2015.\nAnswering some questions, witnesses use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which causes disagreement of the judge. The judge takes away from them the written notes prepared by them, contrary to the right to use them enshrined in the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.\nThere are more than 15 people in the meeting room and about 40 more people are waiting outside. All of them came to support the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230217","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev are kept in warm 4-bed cells. According to believers, the food in the pre-trial detention center leaves much to be desired, but relatives order additional food. On the whole, believers are doing well.\nAleksandr notes the good attitude of the employees of the pre-trial detention center. Eduard is the eldest in the cell, he is respected.\nBelievers have the Bible in different translations. They receive regular letters of support. Eduard has already received more than 3000.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20230208","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexander Rumyantsev, Sean Pike and Eduard Sviridov is submitted to the Cheryomushkinsky District Court of Moscow. It will be considered by judge Sergei Khomyakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20221101","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After reviewing the case materials, Sean Pike, Eduard Sviridov and Aleksandr Rumyantsev are returned to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20220728","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Sean Pike, Eduard Sviridov and Alexander Rumyantsev were moved from the pre-trial detention center to the temporary detention facility at the Internal Affairs Directorate for the South-Western District of Moscow to familiarize themselves with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2022-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20220719","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Rumyantsev in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Moscow. The believer feels good. During his stay in this pre-trial detention center, he was placed in three different cells. He is now in a four-bed cell.\nRumyantsev regularly receives parcels from friends with everything he needs, including food. He has his own copy of the Bible, and he receives many letters from fellow believers from Russia and other countries.\nOne of the difficulties is the inability to see their mother, as the new investigator in the case has not yet given them visits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211228","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow Prosecutor's Office reports that after considering a complaint against the actions of the administration of the Kapotnya pre-trial detention center, where believer Sean Pike was forced to sleep on the floor, the head of the territorial body of the Federal Penitentiary Service was presented with a proposal to eliminate violations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow is holding hearings on the extension of the period of detention of believers. For 10 hours, Sean Pike, Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Eduard Sviridov are kept in a closed cold cell of the detention center, where they are placed in a cage, deprived of food and water throughout the hearing.\nJudge Artem Veretennikov refuses to satisfy the defense's petitions necessary for fair justice, interrupts lawyers and accused, and also conducts the trial with significant violations of the criminal procedure law. Thus, the judge refuses to disclose the case materials, refuses to satisfy the defense's request for their disclosure, and also does not allow lawyers to read out transcripts of hidden audio recordings, from which it clearly follows that the believers only drank tea together and watched entertainment programs.\nIn connection with these violations, the defense is forced not only to ask for objections to the actions of the presiding judge, but also to file a motion for his recusal.\nThe period of detention of men in custody is extended by 3 months, until January 24, 2022. The defense is appealing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211022","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After suffering from covid, Sean Pike is discharged from SIZO-1 in Moscow and transferred back to SIZO-2 \"Butyrka\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211012","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike is being transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Moscow for treatment for covid.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20211004","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sean Pike tells his lawyer that he received a Bible in Russian language in the library of the Butyrka pre-trial detention center. He reads it every day, despite the fact that he does not have strong enough glasses with him and Russian is not his native language.\nHe also draws support from letters from fellow believers. In SIZO-7 he received 80-100 letters at a time, and in the pre-trial detention center \"Butyrka\" he received only 8 letters so far. He is given enough food. His health condition continues to raise concerns. In this regard, he plans to visit a doctor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210915","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It is known that Sean Pike in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center is temporarily placed in a quarantine cell designed for 5 people. In this cell he has his own bunk. Relationships with cellmates are built peaceful and calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210911","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All three believers were sent to the pre-trial detention center-2 \"Butyrka\", located in Moscow at 45 Novoslobodskaya Street.\nAs Sean Pike later reports, he is taken out of SIZO-7 at 14:00, and he gets to the new cell in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center only at 5:00 the next day. A lot of time is spent on the road and design.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210910","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reports on the conditions of Sean Pike's detention in the pre-trial detention center: the believer was transferred to another cell, now he has one cellmate and has his own bed. However, Pike began to have health problems: he suffers from a dry cough, periodically he feels a pre-fainting state - the consequences of his stay in the previous cell with smokers and the lack of an extract in the new cell affect. He was denied a doctor's visit.\nEmployees of the Federal Penitentiary Service have already talked with Sean Pike several times, trying to convince him that Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Russia. In response, Pike explains that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not deprive believers of the right to adhere to their beliefs.\nSean Pike does not lose courage, he is grateful to relatives and friends for their support. So, he received a large parcel from his wife and about 300 letters from fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210909","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers visit the accused in the pre-trial detention center. It becomes known about the conditions of Sean Pike's detention: the believer is placed in an overcrowded cell, he is forced to sleep on the floor.\nAppeals against the election of a preventive measure are filed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210828","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Cheremushkinsky District Court of Moscow elects Alexander Rumyantsev, Eduard Sviridov and Sean Antonio Pike a preventive measure in the form of detention until October 24, 2021 inclusive. They are placed in quarantine for two weeks in pre-trial detention center No. 7 on Verkhniye Polya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantsev and Others in Moscow","date":"2021-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow3/index.html#20210827","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, a wave of searches took place in the Krasnodar Territory, affecting at least 51 people. Among them were believers from Vyselki, Yelena Rumyantseva, and her daughter Vasilina Penskaya. In June 2023, a criminal case was initiated against Rumyantseva for extremism by the Investigative Committee. The investigation considered \u0026ldquo;participating in religious teaching and preaching\u0026hellip; conversations and religious discussions\u0026rdquo; a crime. The case was sent to court 6 months later. In June 2024, the case was transferred to another judge and a new trial began. In October 2025, shortly after Vasilina\u0026rsquo;s verdict, the court gave Yelena a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-06-15","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html","prisoners":["rumyantseva"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Elena Rumyantseva makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20251014","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution asks the court to impose a two-year suspended sentence on the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20251003","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred to Judge Elizaveta Proskuryakova, and the hearings begin anew.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20240617","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution reads out the opinion of an expert psychologist. The judge accepts the lawyer's remark that this examination has nothing to do with Elena Rumyantseva.\nThen prosecutor Tatyana Pyatnitskaya continues to read out the case materials. The lawyer states that the prosecution does not explain on what grounds it considers Rumyantseva an active participant in the meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20240521","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the case materials, including religious and linguistic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20240506","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Rumyantseva speaks with an attitude to the prosecution: \"There are no real victims and victims in this case. It turns out that my only fault is that I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I am judged solely for my faith. But according to the Constitution, I have the right to have a Bible, read and discuss it with others.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20240221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Vyselkovsky District Court. It will be considered by judge Oksana Melnikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20231229","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Bondarenko issues an indictment against Elena Rumyantseva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20231219","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is transferred to the investigator - Lieutenant of Justice D. P. Bondarenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20231127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Roman Latysh charges Yelena Rumyantseva with \"taking a direct part in religious teaching and sermons ... entered into conversations and religious discussions with other participants, participated in the discussion of the \"Holy Scriptures\" (the Bible) ... read religious books aloud to other participants.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20230815","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Rumyantseva is being re-interrogated, she is being asked to sign a not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20230810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Rumyantseva is being interrogated. She learns that her bank accounts have been blocked by Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee initiates a criminal case against Elena Rumyantseva under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is based on the testimony of a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Shepherd\" who has attended Jehovah's Witnesses services in the past. Later, the man again began to communicate with believers and film online worship services in order to transmit this information to the Center for Countering Extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20230615","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the village of Vyselki and neighboring settlements, searches are being conducted at at least 31 addresses, including Yelena Rumyantseva's. In total, the investigation involves at least 51 people, some of whom are not Jehovah's Witnesses. The search is also taking place at her daughter, Vasilina Penskaya, who lives separately.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rumyantseva in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki9/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2024 in Omsk, law enforcement officers carried out searches at the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses; dozens of believers were subjected to interrogations. During the searches, Sergey Rygaev and Leonid Pyzhov were beaten. They were placed in a pretrial detention center. For reading the Bible with a circle of friends, they were charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In August of the same year, Sergey and Leonid were transferred to house arrest, which 6 months later was replaced with a ban on certain actions. The court proceedings began in late November 2025. Due to stress, Leonid Pyzhov\u0026rsquo;s blood pressure spiked repeatedly and on one occasion he was hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis. In April 2026, the court handed down a sentence to the two believers — forced labor.","date":"2024-02-29","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html","prisoners":["pyzhov","rygaev"],"regions":["omsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office appealed the verdict and requested that the punishment for the believers be toughened: to replace forced labor with imprisonment for a period of 6.5 years in a penal colony with subsequent restriction of freedom for 1.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260513","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Rygaev makes his final statement.\nOver 70 people came to support the believers, more than 50 of them were admitted into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260424","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the closing arguments, the lawyer states the absence of the event and elements of the crime, as well as the inadequacy of the evidence; notes the violations committed at the stage of pretrial investigation; emphasizes that the prosecution is substituting concepts, equating permissible religious activity with the activity of a liquidated legal entity. In conclusion, the defense asks the court to acquit the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260331","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first to speak in the debate is Leonid Pyzhov. He states: \"The very conversation about religion ... cannot indicate the presence of an extremist motive.\" According to him, he carried out the usual religious practice - prayers, Bible discussion, and communication with fellow believers.\nSergey Rygaev emphasizes his peaceful position: \"For more than 30 years I have been striving with all my might to live in harmony with the words of Jesus Christ: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And for me, a neighbor is any person living on earth. There are no victims of my peaceful religious activities in the case.\"\nRygaev also draws the court's attention to the groundlessness of the position of the state prosecutor and cites the materials of the case, including the results of expert examinations, for example, the conclusion that during meetings for worship believers \"do not show a hostile attitude towards any groups distinguished on national, racial, religious and other grounds, they do not seek to form a corresponding negative emotional and semantic attitude.\"\nAbout 60 people come to the courthouse to support the defendants on this day.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260317","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested a punishment for believers in the form of 6.5 years in a general regime colony, as well as restriction of freedom for a year and a half.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260311","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer reminds the judge of the postponed motion. Borodin promises to interrogate the witness for the defense at the next hearing.\nThe prosecutor asks to hear the testimony of FSB officer Kovalev, the lawyer objects, referring to the direct interest of the witness in the court's decision. Borodin allows the witness to answer all the prosecutor's questions, but he dismisses most of the defense lawyer's questions, and then cuts the interrogation short.\nThe witness confirms that the main element of the crime by which he determined the law had been violated, was that \"people talked about God\" at a \"religious meeting.\" How do meetings of a legal entity differ from religious meetings for worship, he does not know.\nThe next to be questioned is a witness for the prosecution; she speaks negatively and emotionally about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, without giving specific facts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260217","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing opens with a written objection by the lawyer to the judge's actions, which violate the defendants' right to legal defense, and with a motion to question a witness that had been rejected a month earlier. Judge Borodin postponed consideration of this motion and asked to be reminded of it later.\nThe court interrogates the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260210","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed, since Leonid Pyzhov was rushed to hospital with high blood pressure the day before.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260127","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, witnesses are being questioned by the defense. Sergey Rygaev's wife, Oksana, says that at work her husband is known as an honest and hardworking employee: Sergey was awarded the Order of Honorary Worker of the Plant and once was awarded a trip abroad. She also describes him as a caring husband and father; tells the court about the upbringing that she and Sergey gave their son. He graduated from school with a gold medal and became a responsible adult. The judge commented on Oksana's testimony: \"He was a father, as a real father should be!\"\nTatyana Pyzhova described her husband Leonid as a kind and attentive person. She substantiated her words with an episode when Leonid saved a stranger from death by giving him artificial respiration until an ambulance arrived.\nThe defense was not allowed to question another witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260120","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Chirkov, witness for the prosecution, who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017, is being interrogated. He expresses a negative attitude towards this religion and says that after 2017 he did not meet with the defendants.\nJudge Borodin repeatedly dismisses questions from the defense and actually forbids the defendants to participate in the interrogation of the witness. When the lawyer tries to express his position, Borodin reprimands him, calling it \"bickering with the court.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2026-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20260113","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev is submitted to the Kirov District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20251110","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court commutes the preventive measure for Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20250224","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Rygaev and Leonid Pyzhov are transferred from the pre-trial detention center to house arrest.\nJudge Aleksey Luksha refuses to satisfy the petition of the investigator of the Investigative Committee Saltanat Zhansakova to extend the term of detention of believers in the pre-trial detention center. Rygaev and Pyzhov are released from custody in the courtroom.\nNow believers are forbidden to leave their homes, communicate with witnesses in a criminal case and use means of communication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240826","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers are still in solitary isolation quarantine cells of the basement type with high humidity and lack of lighting.\nSergey receives letters from his wife with a long delay, but other letters come to both men on time. Rygaev and Pyzhov were denied visits to their wives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240604","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk Ruslan Khasanshin, at the request of investigator Maria Volkova, chooses a measure of restraint for Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev in the form of detention until April 28, 2024. They are quarantined in solitary confinement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240305","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Omsk, security forces armed with assault rifles conduct searches at least 7 addresses.\n7 law enforcement officers come to the apartment of the Rygaev spouses, accompanied by investigator Saltanat Zhansakova. At this time, Sergey is detained on the street on his way to work. According to the believer, three FSB officers beat him in a police van and pulled a bag over his head, demanding to give him the password for his phone. Then he is brought home. After the search, the spouses are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nDuring a search in the Pyzhovs' apartment, the security forces hit Leonid in the face, demanding to name the password from the smartphone. The spouse is at work at this time.\nThe security forces break into the house of two other women. They, as well as their elderly parents, become ill, they are allowed to drink medicine. After the search, the whole family is taken for interrogation.\nIn the apartment of a 52-year-old believer, the security forces, among other things, tear up children's crafts and check their contents. The woman is taken away for interrogation, later released. Her passport is confiscated, which is why she cannot seek medical help and restore her SIM card.\nIn another case, at least 10 security officials searched the apartment of a 62-year-old believer.\nIn total, on this day, about 15 believers and their families are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. After interrogation, the 67-year-old woman becomes ill, she asks to call an ambulance, but instead she is taken home.\nLeonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev are placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240304","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","health-risk","elderly","siloviks-violence","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee, Captain of Justice Maria Volkova initiates a criminal case against Leonid Pyzhov and Sergey Rygaev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Rygaev and Pyzhov in Omsk","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/omsk3/index.html#20240229","regions":["omsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2020, Anna Safronova became a witness in a case against four believers from Astrakhan, and her apartment was searched. A year later, the investigation initiated a criminal case against the believer herself, accusing her of participating in the activities of an extremist organization and its financing. The woman was included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring and her bank accounts were blocked. Soon, the apartment, where Anna\u0026rsquo;s elderly mother also lived, was searched again. Safronova was placed under house arrest. At the end of January 2022, Anna was sentenced to 6 years in prison, which was an unprecedentedly harsh sentence for female Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Russia. The higher authorities approved this decision. Since 2024, the administration of the colony in Zelenokumsk has been creating unbearable conditions of detention for the believer. A year later, she was transferred to another institution.","date":"2021-05-28","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html","prisoners":["safronova"],"regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is given the necessary medication, thanks to this her blood pressure is normal, her legs are no longer swollen, and she does not suffer from dizziness anymore. She can call her close relatives regularly. Recently, the believer had a 3-day visit from her mother, son and grandson.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20260218","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony where Anna was transferred, the believer lives in a barrack for 140 people. The conditions are satisfactory: there is a shower with hot water and a toilet, smoking is prohibited in the room. You can move around the colony unaccompanied. As a pensioner, Anna does not work. Relations with the administration and prisoners are conflict-free.\nThe food is average, but friends give Anna the necessary products. She also has the opportunity to order goods through the colony's store, but delivery takes about a week.\nThe believer has a Bible. Emails arrive quickly, and Anna tries to respond to each one. There were no paper letters yet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20251114","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is in penal colony No. 5 for the Tver Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-10-24T17:49:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20251024","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is in the process of relocation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250922","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is in the process of being transferred to another penal colony, which has become a difficult ordeal for her. Her long-awaited visit from her son fell through. Anna was informed about the transfer during working hours, giving her 1.5 hours to pack. The prisoners who lived with her in the same barracks cried, hugged her and did not want to part.\nDetention center No. 2 in Pyatigorsk is an intermediate stop. Anna is in a cell where 11 other prisoners are being held, most of whom smoke. The believer asked the administration to be transferred to a non-smoking cell, but was refused. The room is noisy at night and it is difficult to fall asleep even with earplugs. Furthermore, in this detention center, she has problems obtaining her necessary medication.\nAnna misses her family and struggles with being separated from her loved ones. It is especially painful for her that she cannot watch her grandchildren grow up. The youngest of them, who is now 4 years old, was born shortly before the start of her criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-09-02T15:34:13+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250902","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mikhail Mikelov, senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Stavropol Territory, refuses to initiate a criminal case against Sergey Pokrovskiy, deputy head of penal colony No. 7, who created torturous conditions for Anna Safronova because of her refusal to wear the Saint George's ribbon.\nThere are incompatible testimonies in the investigator's decision. According to the day guard and another prisoner, no one isolated Safronova, and Pokrovskiy was not even present at the morning checks. However, Pokrovskiy himself claims that he personally decided to isolate her and escorted her to the punishment cell \"to comply with procedure.\"\nAnna believes that the actions of Pokrovskiy and his subordinates — \"illegal detention in the observation room... in inhumane conditions\" — caused her physical and emotional harm.\nDuring those events, an ambulance was called for Anna. According to the lawyer, the team examined the victim, \"gave pills to lower blood pressure and reduce tachycardia... recorded severe swelling of the legs in the ankle area... burst capillaries.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250815","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","torture-conditions","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Zelenokumsk, the temperature exceeds 30 degrees making conditions in the penal colony, where Anna is located, especially difficult. The scorching sun heats the barracks to such an extent that it becomes hotter inside than outside. Prisoners periodically lose consciousness from heat exhaustion. Moreover, they were given summer uniforms only at the end of July.\nDifficulties do not deprive Anna of her joy: she draws friendly caricatures, makes crosswords, and every day answers letters that come regularly and in large numbers (although there are problems with receiving registered items). Food in the penal colony is scarce, but friends take care of Anna, passing on everything she needs, which she really appreciates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-07-31T14:18:24+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250731","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","torture-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Safronova's condition has improved overall. However, she still finds it difficult to climb to the upper bunk due to knee pain and dizziness. Although it is still not easy for her emotionally, she tries not to lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250602","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Safronova is leaving the punishment cell, where she has been since March 27.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20250416","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna spent about two weeks in the punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20241202","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna has the opportunity to use the refrigerator and microwave, as well as visit the sauna. The believer's relationship with the administration is neutral. Her cellmates treat her with respect, calling her \"Aunt Anya\".\nSome time ago, after three hours of standing on the parade ground, Anna lost consciousness. At the infirmary, she regained consciousness, after which she was diagnosed with a viral infection and prescribed bed rest. She also has difficulty sleeping due to seizures, but she does not always receive the necessary medical care and it can be difficult to convince the staff that it is necessary to provide her with medication from her personal supply.\nAnna regularly receives a pension, money is withdrawn from her card for food and accommodation in the colony.\nThe believer has the Bible in the Synodal translation, and she also regularly receives letters of support.\nDuring short visits, Anna is visited by family and friends. Only the son and mother of the believer are allowed for long visits (1 time every 2 months).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20240711","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Both the administration staff and the prisoners respect Anna. She continues to receive letters of support. Her leg sometimes hurts due to a chronic illness. A doctor in the colony writes her a prescription for injections. She does physical exercises every day that help her feel better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20231225","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["prison-treatment","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about 80 people in the detachment where Anna Safronova is kept. She has the opportunity to read the Bible. For 1.5 years of imprisonment, Anna received more than 7000 letters of support from different countries.\nThe believer values communication with family and friends by phone, in letters and during visits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20230809","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in early July, Anna Safronova was taken to the place of serving her sentence - to Correctional Colony No. 7 in the Stavropol Territory. She receives so many letters that she does not have time to read and answer everything.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220831","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Anna Safronova in correctional colony No. 7 in the city of Zelenokumsk (Stavropol Territory), where the believer has been for 2 months. Long-term transfer to the penal colony through pre-trial detention centers in different cities was not easy for her.\nAnna is kept in an old barracks. She tries to maintain respectful relations with other convicts and tries to maintain a positive attitude. The believer eats in the prison canteen.\nSafronova took advantage of the right to refuse to work in the colony, as she is retired. In the daytime, Anna, on her own initiative, cleans the barracks.\nWhen the woman's eyesight deteriorated, she was given glasses. She also has the necessary medicines. A believer is pleased when letters give her personal attention and support her. Mother and son came to Anna for a long-term date.\nSafronova has a Bible. From time to time, she sees Olga Ivanova - believers serve their sentences in the same colony, but in different buildings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220819","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anna Safronova, convicted for her faith, has been transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Narimanov to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Makhachkala, where the believer will stay temporarily until she arrives at the place of serving her sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220429","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A panel of judges of the Astrakhan Regional Court, chaired by Nikolai Marevsky, upholds the sentence of Anna Safronova - 6 years in prison for discussing the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220414","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anna Safronova is in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Astrakhan region in the city of Narimanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-02-10T11:41:07+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220210","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Lepsky, judge of the Trusovsky District Court of the city of Astrakhan, convicts Anna Safronova: 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220125","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer in the form of 6 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2022-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20220121","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the meeting, the case materials are read out. They contain information on examinations of equipment seized during searches belonging to the defendants in the case of Ivanov and others in Astrakhan and witnesses in this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20211208","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the challenges that the defendant makes to the judge, who repeatedly and grossly violates the right to defense and a fair trial, and to the lawyer appointed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20211202","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing in the case of Anna Safronova is underway. By agreement, the defender does not appear at the hearing due to illness. She notifies the court of her failure to appear in advance by e-mail. The judge shall provide the defendant with an appointed lawyer. Despite Anna Safronova's request to postpone the hearing, the court continues the hearing.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charge, after which the defendant expresses her attitude to the charge. Summing up, Anna Safronova tells the judge: \"You, as a lawyer and as a person, will see the difference between Christian service to God, which I am determined to carry out all my life, and extremism, which is completely alien to me.\"\nA witness is being questioned who says that she does not know the face of the defendant and that she has not previously met anyone present in the courtroom. The Witness notes: \"I am generally grateful to Jehovah's Witnesses for introducing me to the Bible. They are very good people.\"\nAnother witness informs the court that good people gathered at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that no one forced her to do anything.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20211125","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is requesting an adjournment of the hearing in order to fully familiarize itself with the case. Judge Aleksandr Lepsky partially satisfies the petition, giving only one instead of the four requested weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20211118","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to send Anna Safronova under house arrest, citing \"the severity of the suspicion that has arisen.\" Judge of the Kirovsky District Court of Astrakhan Fradilya Khairutdinova satisfies the prosecutor's request. Anna Safronova is forbidden to leave her place of residence, communicate with witnesses and other suspects, and use any means of communication. She is allowed daily walks from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20210603","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Anna Safronova and her 81-year-old mother are searched: the security forces even check the inspection hatches in the bathroom, as well as air ducts. A year ago, the woman was already searched with the seizure of all electronic devices. This time, electronic equipment is again seized from her, including a laptop that was recently returned after the first search.\nAnna was taken to the building of the Investigative Committee and later placed in a temporary detention facility in the city of Astrakhan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20210602","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Banko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Astrakhan Region, initiates a criminal case against 55-year-old Anna Safronova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 and Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. She is suspected of financing extremist activities and participating in worship services together with other believers, the case against whom was initiated a year earlier.\nAccording to investigators, the woman, \"realizing her criminal intent,\" participated in online religious meetings held with the performance of songs and prayers to Jehovah God. The investigator also believes that the believer \"controlled the receipt of funds in the form of donations from participants and parishioners of the congregation.\"\nAnna Safronova is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, which means blocking all her bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Safronova in Astrakhan","date":"2021-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/astrakhan2/index.html#20210528","regions":["astrakhan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.3-1","rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sakun faced searches and interrogations in February 2021. Stress seriously affected the health of the believer and his wife, who soon died from complications of coronavirus. In August 2023, several searches were again carried out in the Kovrov District of the Vladimir Region. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sakun. He was charged with extremism for his peaceful religious activity. After 2 days in the temporary detention facility, the believer was placed under house arrest for 4 months. In May 2024, the materials of the criminal case were transferred to the court. In March 2025, the verdict was announced — a fine of 250,000 rubles.","date":"2023-08-21","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html","prisoners":["sakun"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Artem Ozhev. Kovrov City Court of Vladimir Region (21 Shchorsa Street, Kovrov). Time: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20250325","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Artem Ozhev. Kovrov City Court of Vladimir Region (21 Shchorsa Street, Kovrov). Time: 15:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20250219","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer testifies. He notes that the investigation did not prove his \"motives of enmity and hatred\", did not find a single victim, and the prosecution witnesses did not know him personally, so they could not say anything on the merits.\nOleg Sakun says that the prosecution ascribes to him a criminal intent aimed at continuing the activities of an extremist organization, while he simply took part in the worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. As an example, the defendant cites an outerwear factory, which is a legal entity, which went bankrupt and ceased its activities in the country. The defendant asks: \"Can it be concluded that former factory workers cannot sew clothes for their own needs or for the needs of other people? Will their actions be considered a continuation of the activities of the legal entity?\" The believer emphasizes that this example clearly illustrates that the liquidation of the legal entity \"Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia\" has nothing to do with the peaceful religious services of the individuals of whose participation he is accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20241029","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before the hearing, one of the witnesses files a motion to retract the testimony given in the pre-trial procedure, since he was subjected to pressure and torture by law enforcement agencies. During the hearing, the prosecutor agrees that the court attach the motion to the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20240725","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region. It will be considered by judge Artem Ozhev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20240530","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Y. Nikulin notifies the believer of the end of the preliminary investigation. The accused proceeds to familiarize himself with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20240425","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sakun is given a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2024-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20240216","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint for a believer is changed to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20231218","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sakun is released under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20230825","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sakun's apartment is being searched, authorized by the judge of the Kovrov city court, Yuri Shestopalov.\nThe believer is charged and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20230823","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Kovrov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Vladimir Region, Y. Nikulin, initiates a criminal case against Oleg Sakun. According to the investigator, Oleg \"took part in religious meetings, spoke at them, served as an assistant, namely ... carrying out work to introduce the ideology of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Kovrov among the civil masses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sakun in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov6/index.html#20230821","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early one morning in April 2023, several Magnitogorsk FSB officers arrived to search Aleksandr Salnikov\u0026rsquo;s home. The head of the family, his wife and daughter were interrogated. In line with the court\u0026rsquo;s decision, similar measures were taken on the same morning at seven other addresses. After the interrogation, Salnikov was placed in a temporary holding facility for 2 days, and then he was released under a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Committee suspected him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In April 2024, the case went to court. In August, he was given a 6-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-04-18","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html","prisoners":["salnikov"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"The advice and requirements for Christians, which are recorded in the Bible, are essentially anti-extremist. Therefore, my actions — the fact that I met with friends and studied the Bible — were not only peaceful, but also had nothing to do with extremism,\" Aleksandr Salnikov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240822","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant reads out his written notes, in which he emphasizes that he has nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240806","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The first was FSB officer Yevgeny Ilyin, who searched Alexander Salnikov's home. He says that during the search, secular literature and clippings from the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation were seized, among other things. According to Ilyin, the believer during the search did not deny that he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. The witness could not say what was the incitement of religious hatred on the part of Salnikov. According to him, he does not remember many dates, places and details.\nThe next student who participated in the search as a witness is interrogated. He says that during the search, Salnikov became ill. According to the witness, the presence of a webcam on the believer's computer indicates that he was the organizer of online worship.\nThe third witness explains that he has known the defendant since about 2005. \"I have very deep respect for this person, he is respectable, has many positive qualities ... A conscientious worker in production, a good family man who loves his family,\" he characterizes the believer. The witness claims pressure during one of the interrogations: according to him, FSB officer Ilyin shouted at him using obscene language and threatened. On this basis, the witness retracts his previous testimony, stating that he signed it under duress. When the judge shows him the record of the interrogation, he states that he did not say this.\nThe court refuses to disclose the testimony of witnesses who did not appear to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240530","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Salnikov expresses his attitude to the charges against him: \"The specific events related to the actions imputed to me are not indicated in the indictment: neither the date, nor the time, nor the place, nor the method, nor the actions themselves ... It remains unclear how I could coordinate my actions with a non-existent organization or how I coordinated my actions with an organization whose activities I myself allegedly organized.\nSalnikov reminds the court that on April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious denomination and did not require believers to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms.\nThen there is the interrogation of a 75-year-old woman who had a search and two interrogations in connection with the case of Alexander Salnikov. She describes the believer as a deeply decent and honest person: \"It is very rare to meet such people in life.\" When asked how Jehovah's Witnesses feel about other religions, the woman replies: \"They have no animosity. Jehovah's Witnesses respect other religions.\" The prosecutor reads out her testimony from the record of the investigator's interrogation. The woman refuses her words.\nNear the courthouse there are about 60 people who came to support the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240514","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Ordzhonikidze District Court of Magnitogorsk. It will be considered by judge Olga Prokopenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240423","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator, Colonel of Justice E. V. Mayboroda attracts Salnikov as an accused. The believer declares: \"I do not consider myself guilty, I have never carried out extremist activities, I have not organized or participated in the activities of any extremist association. I am petitioning for the termination of the criminal case due to the lack of corpus delicti.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20240327","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikita Razumov, an investigator of the Leninsky Department of the Investigation Department, takes a written undertaking not to leave Alexander Salnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20230422","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Magnitogorsk, Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched at 8 addresses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20230420","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Region, orders a search of 7 addresses of Jehovah's Witnesses. The search petition was filed by Nikita Razumov, senior investigator of the Leninsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20230419","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Ordzhonikidze Department of the Investigation Department S. K. Bisenbaeva initiates a criminal case against Alexander Salnikov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist association, in respect of which the court made a decision on liquidation). This is how the investigation interprets meetings of believers to discuss biblical teachings with friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Salnikov in Magnitogorsk","date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/magnitogorsk/index.html#20230418","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On July 13, 2022, Rybinsk security forces searched 16 houses of city residents. Two days earlier, the investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Yaroslavl Region, D. Kovalenko, opened a criminal case against 66-year-old Yevgeniya Samoylova and 45-year-old Olga Golovacheva on suspicion of participating in extremist activities. This is how the investigation interprets the participation of women in peaceful worship services via the Internet. In March 2024, the case against the believers was closed due to the lack of evidence of a crime.","date":"2022-07-11","permalink":"/en/cases/rybinsk/index.html","prisoners":["lebedev","golovacheva","ovchinnikov","samoylova"],"regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Samoilova and Others in Rybinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"A. Grigoriev, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Yaroslavl Region, terminates the case against the believers and withdraws their recognizance not to leave. The ruling states: \"The investigation believes that the actions of E. I. Samoylova, O. V. Golovacheva, D. V. Lebedev and M. V. Ovchinnikov do not contain signs of a crime under part 2 of article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\"\nIn addition, the very fact of participation of believers in the activities of the local religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" in the city of Rybinsk has not been reliably established. According to the Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 28.06.2011 No. 11, to which the investigator refers, participation in the activities of an extremist organization is understood as \"the commission by a person of intentional actions directly related to the continuation or renewal of the activities of this organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Samoilova and Others in Rybinsk","date":"2024-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rybinsk/index.html#20240320","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["case-dismissed","282.2-2","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning in Rybinsk, with the participation of officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Guard and the FSB, searches are carried out at 16 addresses where Jehovah's Witnesses live. Several believers are taken to the building of the local lyceum for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Samoilova and Others in Rybinsk","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rybinsk/index.html#20220713","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Kovalenko, an investigator of the Rybinsk Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Yaroslavl Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Evgenia Samoilova and Olga Golovacheva.\nOn the same day, the investigator draws up a petition to search the house of another local believer, who is also suspected of participating in extremist activities.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Samoilova and Others in Rybinsk","date":"2022-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/rybinsk/index.html#20220711","regions":["yaroslavl"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2022, searches were carried out in Kostroma in the homes of four women, the eldest of whom, Valentina Samus, was 72 years old at the time. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against her under the article for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In December of the same year, she was even charged with organizing this activity. The grounds were the hidden recordings of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible, which are not prohibited by law. In March 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for the elderly woman. In December, the court handed down a sentence: 6 years suspended. In February 2024, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2022-02-17","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html","prisoners":["samus"],"regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer gives her last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231218","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to imprison 74-year-old Valentina Samus in a colony for 7 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231211","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer testifies. The prosecutor takes an interest in Valentina's health and asks her questions about the case file. The believer talks about her health and financial situation (she is a pensioner), and answering other questions, she uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231201","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Samus files a petition for a comprehensive linguistic religious forensic examination. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231127","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina's son, Alexei, is being interrogated. He says that he lives with his parents, he is not interested in the Bible, but he knows that his mother reads it. According to him, such a publication can be bought in the store.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231102","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant gives testimony in which she comments on the materials contained in the volumes of the case. About 20 relatives and fellow believers come to support her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20231030","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hidden audio recordings of Valentina Samus' conversations about biblical teachings with one of the prosecution witnesses, personal conversations of the believer, and a hidden recording of the divine service, which spoke of respect for authority, are being announced.\nThe court shall hear the affidavit of two witnesses for the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230915","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer asks the prosecutor to pronounce the name of Jehovah God correctly, since the incorrect pronunciation of this name hurts her religious feelings. The judge supports her request.\nThe announcement of audio recordings from the case materials continues. The written testimony of Farida Akhunzyanova, an employee of Kostroma State University, who was involved in the investigation as an expert, is also read out. The defendant claims that the expert was not based on facts, but the judge asks her not to ask questions to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230913","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the materials of the case. Among them are telephone conversations between Samus and her husband, hidden recordings of worship services and conversations about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230530","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230525","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witnesses summoned to the court again do not appear at the hearing, so the prosecutor begins to announce the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230518","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them, a seller of Orthodox paraphernalia, communicated with the defendant in 2018. She reports that Valentina discussed the Gospel with her and describes her as a positive person with whom she was pleased to communicate.\nAccording to the witness, Valentina did not allow insulting remarks about people who do not profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, calls for incitement of hatred on religious or national grounds, as well as violence, overthrow of the constitutional order and disrespect for state authorities. Also, the witness did not hear from Samus any motivation to break off family relations, refuse to perform civil duties or refuse medical intervention. The witness learned that Valentina had a different religion only during interrogation by the investigator.\nThe prosecutor draws attention to the contradictions between the current testimony and those that the woman gave earlier during interrogation by the investigator. Commenting on a number of entries from the interrogation protocol, the witness replies that she \"did not say that.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230505","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first witness, Valentina's wife, Ivan, is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230411","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings on the merits begin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230324","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The six-volume criminal case is submitted to the Dimitrovsky District Court of Kostroma. The case will be considered by judge Maria Zaikina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20230302","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valentina Samus was charged with organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and a preventive measure was chosen in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\nShe is charged with \"satisfying spiritual needs, carrying out joint and personal worship based on the Holy Scriptures (the Bible), familiarizing people with the Holy Scriptures, biblical teachings, principles and norms.\"\nAlso, according to the investigation, she \"organized and took part in a religious meeting (study) - a collective worship service remotely through video conferencing, consisting of sequential actions: reading prayers to Jehovah God and singing songs from special texts of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, watching videos on religious topics, quoting articles from the religious literature of Jehovah's Witnesses, reading reading, practicing skills of service.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20221215","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Sizov, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Factory Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, is initiating a criminal case against 72-year-old Valentina Samus on suspicion of participating in extremist activities (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Samus in Kostroma","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma3/index.html#20220217","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2020, the FSB Directorate of Tatarstan initiated a criminal case against Konstantin Sannikov, a forensic medical expert and father of four. Conversations about the Bible with friends were considered to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The believer was placed in a pretrial detention center, and his bank accounts were blocked. He was allowed to see his wife and children only 2 years later. The case went to court in August 2021. The testimonies of the secret witnesses did not correspond to reality and indicated personal hostility towards Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. Despite this, in February 2023, the court sentenced Sannikov to 6.5 years in a penal colony. Neither two courts of appeal nor the court of cassation changed this verdict. During the time spent in prison, the believer\u0026rsquo;s chronic illnesses worsened. In September 2025, after 5 years in prison, Konstantin was released.","date":"2020-08-25","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html","prisoners":["sannikov"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov still needs dental treatment, but the administration of the correctional institution does not give permission to visit a doctor. Konstantin also began to hear worse after a recent illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2025-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20250413","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin was transferred to the sewing workshop. According to him, he is very tired at work, but regular reading of the Bible and letters from friends give him strength. A believer needs dental care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2024-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20241228","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov works in a boiler room. He likes working there, he notes that it makes the time of imprisonment fly by faster. The believer has good relations with other prisoners and the administration of the colony.\nRelatives regularly visit Sannikov. Konstantin receives letters of support. He also has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2024-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20240303","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan, having considered the case of Sannikov in a new composition, leaves the original verdict of the first instance unchanged, in particular, returns an additional punishment in the form of restriction of liberty for a period of 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20231208","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["2-appeal","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In anticipation of a second appeal, Sannikov is temporarily in SIZO-1 in the city of Kazan. There are 9 more people in the 8-bed cell with him, but he has his own bed. The believer has a good relationship with everyone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2023-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20231203","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, the Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara cancels the decision of the appellate instance, which previously excluded from the sentence the additional punishment imposed on Konstantin Sannikov. The case is being sent for a new appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20231017","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["cassation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov is serving his sentence in correctional colony No. 8 in Almetyevsk. He is being held in a 26-bed barracks. Relations with the administration of the colony and with inmates are good.\nSoon after admission, Konstantin's chronic illness sharply worsened, an ambulance was called for him. Food in the colony is scarce, while the believer has difficulty buying additional products in the colony's store.\nDespite his health problems, Konstantin works in a sewing workshop, where he has to work from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and do a lot of work. The believer is not given a letter, and his Bible has not yet been returned to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20230906","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 40 people come to the courtroom to support Konstantin.\nWitnesses for the defense, the defendant's daughter and his supervisor, are being questioned.\nDaughter Margarita gives her father a positive characterization and tells how much she was helped by the knowledge from the Bible that he instilled in her: how to love God and his commandments, do good to others, obey the authorities and observe the laws.\nKonstantin's manager also speaks of him as a responsible and honest employee. The witness confirms that the believer was never subjected to punishment, on the contrary, Constantine repeatedly received gratitude, encouragement and rewards.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221206","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer notes that Konstantin Sannikov has a positive attitude in the pre-trial detention center, he has learned to \"take control\" of chronic diseases. His family was also able to negotiate with the management of the pre-trial detention center about the necessary treatment.\nKonstantin is kept in an eight-bed cell with 8 more prisoners, but he has his own place. His cellmates treat him with respect, and Konstantin also has good relations with the administration. He has a Bible. He has not yet received e-mails, since the censor has been on sick leave for more than 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering the issue of a measure of restraint for the defendant. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the appeal and Sannikov's characteristic, his professional experience, awards and commendations, reads out the opinion of international organizations.\nExpressing his attitude to the charges, Konstantin Sannikov emphasizes that, as a Christian, Jehovah's Witness, he exercised his constitutional rights, and his religious activities have nothing to do with the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221118","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believer, 40 people come to the hearing.\nThe prosecutor continues to review the material evidence. The defense draws attention to the dates of publication of publications and notes that the listed items are not related to the sane period.\nOne of the witnesses in her testimony reports that a certain \"Tadzhiev\" - a secret representative of the prosecution - is her close relative. According to her, he has not lived in Kazan since 2016 and could not have known about Sannikov's religious life, and he also has a personal dislike for Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221115","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 15 listeners present at the hearing.\nListening to the audio recording of the biblical speech on peacefulness continues. The lawyer quotes specific phrases from the audio recording that indicate the motives for holding worship services, namely the encouragement to love peace and respect for people of other nationalities and religions.\nThe lawyer also requests that the defense be provided with material evidence for familiarization with it. The prosecutor objects, but the judge satisfies him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221018","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the courtroom there are about 20 co-religionists of Constantine, who came to support him.\nA part of the audio recording of the worship service with a biblical speech on peacefulness is listened to. It emphasizes that Jehovah's Witnesses seek peace with all people, regardless of their religion or other characteristics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20221004","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 25 people in the hall who came to support the defendant.\nThe lawyer applies for the provision of material evidence in further court hearings. The prosecutor objects, arguing that this would delay the process. The judge promises to make his decision on this issue later.\nThe court begins to listen to an audio recording of one of the services, but the lawyer petitions to postpone the listening until October. The court postpones it until 19.09.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220817","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends Sannikov's preventive measure until November 9, 2022.\nThe believer explains in detail to the court his position on the criminal case. He talks about his Bible-based beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220808","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The results of phonoscopic and psycho-linguistic examination are announced. The judge twice rejected the defense's request to interrogate the witness who came, Tadzhiev's mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220729","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Relatives and fellow believers are allowed to attend the court hearing. For the first time in 2 years, Konstantin sees his wife and daughters.\nThe prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220728","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. According to the defender, Konstantin's emotional state is good, but he has some problems with his physical health. In addition, he misses his family, whom he has not seen since his arrest, as he is not allowed visits and phone calls.\nOver the past couple of months, the conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center have become worse. The cells are overcrowded: they are designed for 8 people, but sometimes they contain up to 15 people. Konstantin does not have his own bed. Due to health problems, he also has difficulty eating.\nThe believer is not discouraged, because he has the opportunity to read the Bible, and his friends also support him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220718","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believer, 40 people come to the courthouse.\nA secret witness under the pseudonym Tajiev Murat, who did not appear at the meeting for a long time, is being interrogated. He confuses the concepts of a legal entity and religion itself.\nThe defense file a motion to include the interrogation of the secret witness Shigapov in the case of A. Bochkarev, where Murat Tadzhiev gives the same testimony word for word. The lawyer also petitions to summon investigators for questioning and to attach the protocol to the case. The court refuses to do so, but leaves the petition in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220701","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in Kazan. His state of health is satisfactory, there are no complaints.\nKonstantin is kept in an 8-bed cell with 11 prisoners, he has his own bed. The believer has developed good relations with his cellmates.\nThe believer has a Bible. He notes that letters began to arrive in smaller numbers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220504","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the fact that the secret witness \"Murat Tadzhiev\" does not appear in court, the prosecutor begins to announce the case materials. She reads out the reports \"on the discovery of a crime\" in Sannikov's actions. At the request of the lawyer, a positive reference from the defendant's place of work is announced.\nSannikov claims that \"Alexander Kamzolov\", who was interrogated earlier, gave false testimony.\nThe court extends the measure of restraint for the believer in the form of detention in a pre-trial detention center until August 9, 2022.\nJudge Marat Khaertdinov refuses to satisfy Konstantin Sannikov's petitions for a meeting with his wife and for the removal of the blocking from bank accounts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220413","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in Kazan. The believer reports serious health problems.\nHe is being held in a cell with 8 inmates, now he has his permanent place and the ability to respond to letters of support. Konstantin has good relations with his cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220405","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Only Sannikov's relatives gather outside the courthouse due to the fact that earlier court employees expressed dissatisfaction with the support group and threatened to call the police.\nA secret witness under the pseudonym \"Alexander Kamzolov\" is being interrogated. The defense repeatedly states that they know the real name of the witness and that he is an FSB officer who was infiltrated under the guise of a person interested in the Bible. In August 2020, he was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court does not satisfy the request to conduct the interrogation of \"Kamzolov\" in the usual manner.\nThe witness reduces the answers to the questions of the defense to the phrase: \"Sannikov said that we continue the activities of a banned legal entity.\" Judge Marat Khaertdinov draws attention to the fact that the witness does not answer on the merits and is clearly trying to incriminate the defendant.\nAnswering the question of Konstantin Sannikov, the witness addresses him as \"you\" and does not hide his hostility to the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220404","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who was present during the search of Konstantin Sannikov's home is summoned for interrogation. Previously, her testimony had already been read out in court, however, the prosecutor considered it necessary to interrogate her in court. From the testimony of the witness, it becomes obvious that Sannikov did not resist the operatives.\nThe lawyer again draws the court's attention to the identity of the testimony of the two witnesses. However, the woman claims that she testified on her own.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220316","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 10 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believer, but no one is allowed to attend the hearing.\nA prosecution witness who attended worship services from 1999 to 2020 is being questioned. In his testimony, he says that Jehovah's Witnesses are \"good people, better fathers, heads of families, the use of the word 'extremism' in relation to Jehovah's Witnesses is unthinkable, they are peaceful people.\" He also affirms that the New World Translation is one of the translations of the Bible and that there is \"a peaceful, kind atmosphere\" at the services.\nThe defense manages to find out that the wording that was used in the testimony of the witness was drawn up by the investigator.\nThe court rejects the defense's request for a medical examination of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220217","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin in SIZO-1 in Kazan. The believer feels better, he is kept in an 8-bed cell with 9 prisoners, so he does not have his own permanent bed yet.\nIn connection with the state of health of Sannikov, the lawyer submits an application addressed to the head of the pre-trial detention center for an examination and consultation with a doctor, as well as for the transfer of the believer to a special diet.\nSannikov has his own copy of the Bible and regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220216","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 20 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believer.\nThe prosecution witness, who acted as a witness during the search, is being questioned. The protocol of the interrogation of the second witness is also announced. Their testimonies are identical, stating that the items were \"forcibly seized\"; \"medical literature that was relevant to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses\" was found. In this regard, the defense is perplexed as to what explains the \"identity of the testimony in whole paragraphs.\"\nKonstantin Sannikov declares the perjury of witnesses and explains: \"I am a Jehovah's Witness, I serve Jehovah God, I have never hidden it, I always keep the Bible at home. During the search, I did not oppose, as I am a law-abiding person.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2022-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20220114","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in SIZO-1 in the Republic of Tatarstan. The believer feels satisfied. He was forced to seek medical help to confirm the diagnosis, but the results of the examination are not given to him.\nSome time ago, Konstantin was transferred to another cell. The conditions there are worse, since there are 12 prisoners for 8 beds. They show respect for the believer and give him the opportunity to get enough sleep: he sleeps at night, and gives up his place during the day. Now walks take place in the courtyard, where there is sports equipment, which allows Konstantin to do physical exercises.\nThe believer has a copy of the Bible. He also reports that he now receives almost all the products and letters that his family and friends give him. However, he never received permission to visit his wife and telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211224","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. He complains of pain and aggravated illness. He needs special nutrition. Family and friends send him packages of diet products, but none of the three packages reach him. He has no conflicts with his cellmates and employees of the pre-trial detention center. Sannikov is still prevented from seeing his wife and receives fewer letters than before. However, he does not lose his presence of mind, in which he is helped by reading the Bible. He conveys many kind words to family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211110","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the court hearing to support Konstantin Sannikov. The judge refuses to satisfy the defense's request to admit listeners to the hearing or to organize an online broadcast of the hearing. He also rejects the request that the defendant be allowed to leave the cage for the duration of the current trial.\nSannikov's preventive measure is extended until February 9, 2022.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. FSB officer Shakirov explains to the court that he performed his official duties, he cannot provide details on the case under consideration.\nKonstantin Kovalerov, who personally communicated with the defendant on biblical topics, emphasizes that all the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211108","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Konstantin Sannikov in the pre-trial detention center. In connection with the renovation in the cell, the believer was temporarily transferred to a room on the 1st floor, which is very cold.\nKonstantin suffered a cold, and also 2-3 times a month he experiences bouts of abdominal pain that last for several hours.\nThe believer is still denied visits from his wife, citing the assumption that she can be summoned to court as a witness in the case.\nKonstantin regularly receives letters, he has a Bible. He has good relations with his cellmates and the staff of the pre-trial detention center. Employees are surprised to note how many letters from all over the world he receives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20211004","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov speaks with an attitude to the accusation. He says: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, as well as the Government of the Russian Federation, publicly declare that citizens in Russia have the right to continue to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Therefore, it is not completely clear to me on what basis the investigating authorities and the prosecutor in the city of Kazan accuse me of extremism. The only explanation that I find is that the investigating authorities inappropriately freely interpret the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017.\nThe believer continues: \"As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I have never incited religious discord, propaganda of exclusivity, superiority of a person on the basis of his religious affiliation, much less have I ever acted out of extremist motives ... My religion, or belief in God, is based on love. Love for God and for people... It follows from the charges that I face imprisonment just because I exercised the right to practice my religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20210820","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin appeals to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan against the refusal of the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan to grant him visits with his wife. For 9 months, investigator Minnekhanov 6 times refuses a believer to meet with his wife Irina.\nSannikov draws the court's attention to the fact that the investigator's refusals, as well as the decision of the Vakhitovsky District Court, are a violation of the Federal Law \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\". The believer points out: \"I consider this inhuman and degrading treatment.\"\nThere are 12 people in a stuffy cell with 8 beds. Despite the difficulties, Konstantin maintains a positive attitude. He is grateful for the support and care of his wife and fellow believers who write letters to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2021-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20210526","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Sannikov was detained and sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Tatarstan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2020-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20200827","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-forensic specialist of the CO of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Tatarstan, Major of Justice T. R. Minnekhanov initiates a criminal case against the forensic doctor Konstantin Sannikov, the father of a minor child. He is accused of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigator interprets the discussion of biblical passages in Sannikov's home as \"illegal religious meetings ... in order to induce [the audience] to a hostile perception of people identified on the basis of religious affiliation, as well as to justify the need to carry out aggressive, violent, cruel actions directed against a person in connection with his religious affiliation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sannikov in Kazan","date":"2020-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan2/index.html#20200825","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2022, Nikolay Saparov, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Maykop, was detained while he was at the airport in Mineralnye Vody with his wife and minor daughter. The believer was subjected to violence with the use of a stun gun. On the same day Nikolay was taken by an investigator to his apartment and a search was carried out. Nikolay spent 48 hours in a temporary detention facility, after which he was placed in a pretrial detention center, where he was kept for almost 2 years. He was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list and charged with organizing the activity of a banned organization. This is how the investigation interprets peaceful meetings for worship that are not prohibited by the court. In May 2022, the case went to court. In January 2024, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a penal colony with restriction of freedom for 1 year. In March 2025, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2022-03-22","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html","prisoners":["saparov"],"regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","type":"cases"},{"body":"Nikolay Saparov is in penal colony No. 5 for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2025-11-24T14:07:21+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20251124","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about 130 people in Nikolai's detachment. The believer was assigned to the workshop to clean fish. Relations with the administration and other prisoners are normal. I receive letters of support from friends. Saparov has the Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2025-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20251113","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Saparov is in the pretrial detention facility located at Penal Colony No. 1 for the Republic of Adygea.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2025-08-05T17:01:16+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20250805","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Saparov is in the PFRSI at Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Republic of Adygea.\nDuring the entire time in prison, the believer received about 3000 letters. He has the opportunity to read the Bible and receive visits with his wife.\nSaparov is being held in a four-bed cell. Cellmates and the administration of the colony treat Nikolay with respect. He has no penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20250122","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","transfer","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested a sentence for the defendant: 7.5 years in a general regime colony. Nikolay Saparov makes his final statement. The court pronounced the sentence: 6 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2024-01-17T20:04:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20240117","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating Nikolay Saparov. He says that after his detention at the Mineralnye Vody airport, he was subjected to violence, including the use of a stun gun, who was forced to take the blame for extremism. According to the believer, he was pushed into a car and taken about 300 km to the law enforcement department in Adygea. Along the way, he was beaten and intimidated.\nAfter the interrogations, first in the building of the local department of the Federal Security Service, and later in the building of the branch of the Investigative Committee, Nikolai Saparov was taken to his home for a search, which, according to the defendant and his lawyer, took place with violations, including without witnesses. As a result, investigators \"found\" documents and items in Saparov's house that did not belong to him.\nThe lawyer filed a motion to exclude the search protocol from the case file, arguing that the search at Saparov's place of residence was carried out by the investigating authorities with numerous violations of the criminal procedure legislation. The defender draws the court's attention to the fact that investigator Shnakhov allowed the uncontrolled movement of operational officers around the house, which is a significant violation. This does not exclude the planting of documents and objects that were \"discovered\" in Saparov's house. The judge rejects the motion of the defense to exclude the search protocol from the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20231128","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications","plant","siloviks-violence","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for the interrogation of two witnesses, since the legality of the search procedure raises doubts among lawyers. The judge rejects it.\nThe lawyer requests the interrogation as witnesses of the persons who participated in the search. They observed the actions of the investigator and detectives who conducted the search and can give answers to questions of interest to the defense. The court sees no grounds for questioning witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20231114","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Saparov's preventive measure for another three months - until February 3, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20231031","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines physical evidence - films about young people, about alternatives to blood transfusions, about the educational and volunteer activities of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230906","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is being held on the measure of restraint. The lawyer argues that Saparov has strong social ties, lives with his wife and minor daughter, and is positively characterized by others. He also asks the state prosecutor to give specific reasons why he believes that Saparov's detention should be extended: \"The state prosecution says that the grounds have not changed and have not disappeared, but we do not hear ... what circumstances have not changed and have not disappeared.\"\nThe court does not take into account the arguments of the lawyer and extends Saparov's detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-09-04T14:26:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230904","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines material evidence, in particular, the program of liturgical meetings.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that it deals only with the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, the discussion of biblical passages, the influence of the Bible on the life of a Christian; and the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses around the world, not just in Maikop, adhere to this program.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230720","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defense witnesses, two of Nikolai Saparov's colleagues, are being interrogated. Men describe Saparov as a responsible, competent employee, sociable, with a good sense of humor, always ready to help. They say that they enjoyed playing volleyball and football together.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230620","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the petition to exclude from the list of evidence the conclusion of a comprehensive psycholinguistic examination.\nThe defender submits to the court the conclusion of the commission of specialists of the Adyghe State Public Association of Expert Linguists for Levinsky's examination, which states: \"In view of the presence of significant violations of the procedure for conducting a comprehensive examination ... lack of scientific and methodological validity ... the expert's going beyond his competence, refusing to use special linguistic research methods ... Levinsky's conclusion does not correspond to the principles of objectivity, comprehensiveness and completeness of the study. The conclusions of this examination are not reliable.\"\nThe commission also notes that Levinsky does not have a higher professional education in the field of linguistics, but single-handedly conducted a comprehensive psycholinguistic examination, which, according to the law, can only be carried out by experts of various specialties.\nThe commission's conclusion states that Levinsky \"examines the creeds of Jehovah's Witnesses, the structure of the organization, demonstrates his personal attitude to this creed, although this is not part of his tasks ... draws categorical conclusions, while the expert does not give examples of what kind of replicas or communication features Saparov uses.\nAt the request of the lawyer, the court attaches the opinion of the expert commission to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230606","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a motion to exclude from the list of evidence the conclusion of a comprehensive psycholinguistic examination performed by Ruslan Levinsky.\nThe defense justifies this by the fact that the evidence was obtained in violation of the criminal procedure law and is inadmissible, therefore it cannot be used as the basis for Saparov's accusation.\nThe defender points out that, firstly, when appointing such an examination, questions of a legal nature should not be raised before a specialist, because they are not within his competence; Secondly, the expert should not give a legal assessment of the actions of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230524","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. In their testimonies, they say that they have a negative attitude towards the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe first secret witness had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses and was acquainted with Nikolai Saparov. According to him, the defendant did not call for violence, did not show any signs of aggression and did not extol his religion. The witness did not hear any threats against him, and he was not forced to become a member of any organization.\nThe witness under the pseudonym \"Semyonov\" says in his testimony that he has known Nikolai Saparov since 2020 at work and has seen him dozens of times. However, he could not name the exact company of which the defendant represented, despite the fact that they had entered into and signed a number of sales contracts. At the same time, the witness remembers for sure that Saparov belonged to an \"extremist organization\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230404","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the request to return the case to the prosecutor. Saparov speaks with an attitude to the accusation.\nThe study of the case materials begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20230119","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge asks Saparov if he understands the essence of the charge, to which he replies in the negative. The defendant asks the prosecutor the following questions: what specific actions did he commit? What were his motives in committing these acts? What socially dangerous consequences did this entail? In this regard, the lawyer submits a petition for clarification by the prosecutor of these issues, but the court rejects it. Then the lawyer submits a motion to return the case to the prosecutor, and he asks to give him time to familiarize himself with the petition until the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20221213","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Saparov's lawyer filed a petition for admission to the defendant's wife as a public defender, but the court rejected it.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20221129","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the hearing, a defense witness is questioned as a measure of restraint.\nThe case has been assigned to a new judge, Zaurbiy Birzhev. 8 people come to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20221101","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials, including the viewing of video recordings of liturgical meetings, continues. 12 people come to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20221011","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"16 people are allowed into the meeting room.\nA secret witness under the pseudonym \"Semyonov Oleg Evgenievich\" is being interrogated. He says he knows the defendant at work. Giving Saparov a description, \"Semenov\" states that the fact that the defendant refused to attend the event to which he invited him on the first day of acquaintance, prompted him to the idea that Saparov leads a closed lifestyle and in \"this religion events and holidays are prohibited, they communicate only in their own circle.\"\nWhen asked by the lawyer whether Saparov showed any aggression or threats against him, the witness replies that all communication on the part of Saparov was formal, only on work issues, and that there was no aggression on his part, but despite this, the witness refuses to continue the interrogation in the courtroom, as he fears \"for his safety and the safety of his loved ones.\"\nWhen asked by a lawyer whether the witness understands the difference between a legal entity and a religion and what was forbidden, the witness replies: \"Religion, well, I think so.\" The witness refuses to answer many other questions from the lawyer without explaining his position in any way or saying that he does not remember, although at the beginning of the interrogation he characterizes his memory as \"perfect\". When asked by the lawyer how he feels about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the witness replies that it is negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220816","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nNikolay Saparov speaks with an attitude to the accusation. He pleaded not guilty and stated: \"I did not and could not have had a motive of hatred or enmity. My life, as well as the actions that I am accused of, are exclusively peaceful.\"\nThe interrogation of a secret witness begins, who admits that during his acquaintance with Nikolai Saparov, he never showed aggression in words or behavior, did not force him to any actions, did not threaten him or other people.\nWhen asked whether Saparov ever called for violence, disrespect or harassment of anyone on the basis of religious affiliation, the witness answered in the negative. He also states that Jehovah's Witnesses consider their religion to be the only true religion. At the same time, he does not remember Saparov expressing the idea of the superiority of his religion over others.\nA secret witness declares that the local congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses belong to the Maykop LRO. Nikolay Saparov draws the court's attention to the fact that the witness does not understand the difference between the legal entities of a religious organization and its canonical structure and bases his testimony on his own assumptions.\nAt the next hearing, another secret witness is scheduled to be questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220713","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Consideration of the criminal case is resumed under the chairmanship of a new judge, Alexei Nikandrov. The court rejects the defense's motions to return the case to the prosecutor and to admit Saparov's wife as a public defender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220701","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"23 people come to the courthouse to support Nikolai Saparov.\nThe lawyer challenges the judge. In his opinion, the impartiality and objectivity of Aleksandr Sereda, who had twice extended Saparov's detention in a pre-trial detention center, are questionable. Thus, in his decisions, the judge used wording that indicates the guilt of the defendant, although this has not yet been proven by the court. The judge shall grant the motion for his recusal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220607","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a hearing in the Maykop City Court, the defense asks the court to soften the measure of restraint for Nikolai Saparov due to the fact that the collection of evidence and the preliminary investigation have been completed. In addition, Saparov has no previous convictions and is characterized as \"an honest, sympathetic, tactful person, a strong family man, fair, peaceful and kind.\" Despite this, Judge Aleksandr Sereda prolongs the believer's detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220519","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Nikolay Saparov is submitted for consideration to the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea. It is appointed to Judge Aleksander Sereda.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220506","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believer is being held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Adygea in the village of Tlyustenkhabl.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-04-07T16:32:06+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220407","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Maykop City Court Alexander Sereda satisfies the petition of the investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Adygea, Murat Shnakhov, to detain Saparov until May 22, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220324","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Adygea initiates a criminal case against Nikolai Saparov. He is charged with committing \"a deliberate grave crime directed against state power.\" This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nOn the night of March 23, FSB officers detained Nikolai at the Mineralnye Vody international airport and placed him in the temporary detention facility in the city of Maykop. The believer is interrogated and charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Saparov in Maykop","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop2/index.html#20220322","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, Aleksandr Sazhin became a suspect in a criminal case. Law enforcement officers searched the house and garage of the believer and his wife. During the search, she fell ill. Sazhin was interrogated, charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and was released under a recognizance agreement. In April 2024, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 3 years imprisonment for Sazhin. In January 2025, the court gave him a 3-year suspended sentence with 8 months restriction of freedom.","date":"2023-04-14","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html","prisoners":["sazhin"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 3 years in prison and 8 months of restriction of freedom for Aleksandr Sazhin.\nThe believer makes the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2025-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20250127","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than fifty people gather outside the courthouse to support Alexander, and one married couple is allowed into the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nAleksandr Sazhin speaks with an attitude to the prosecution. \"I am accused of undermining the constitutional order of Russia, which is expressed in reading and discussing the Bible together with others, singing songs of praise to God and praying. But this right is guaranteed to me by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. I have never had hostile or extremist motives. All my religious activities have a spiritual basis and are motivated only by love and respect for God and people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20240704","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Fokinsky City Court of the Primorsky Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2024-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20240427","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator brings in Aleksandr Sazhin as a defendant and interrogates him. The believer is accused of discussing the Bible with other people and singing songs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20240402","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Sazhin's home and garage are being searched. Flash drives, mobile phones, photo CDs, several copies of the Bible and the Koran are seized from him. Alexander becomes a suspect in a criminal case. In the FSB department, he is interrogated in the presence of a lawyer and then released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2023-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20230416","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. S. Belashko, investigator of the Bolshoy Kamen Investigative Department, initiates a criminal case against Aleksandr Sazhin for his faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazhin in Fokino","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/fokino/index.html#20230414","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2019, Andrey Sazonov, father of two (minor at the time), deputy general director of an energy company, faced persecution for his faith. A criminal case was initiated against him for organizing extremist activity, and later he was charged with financing it. After the search and interrogation, the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center, then under house arrest, and 6 months later — under a ban on certain actions. The court considered the case from June 2020 to December 2021. As a result, Sazonov was fined 500,000 rubles. The court of appeal overturned this decision and sent the case for a new trial to the same court, but composed of different judges. In June 2022, hearings began a second time, and in October 2023, the court imposed a fine of 450,000 rubles on the believer. In January 2024, after a second appeal hearing the case was sent back again for reconsideration. In October 2025, the court again fined Andrey 450,000 rubles.","date":"2019-01-31","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html","prisoners":["sazonov"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","type":"cases"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov presents his closing arguments and makes his final statement. Among those gathered to support the believer is his daughter, who traveled 1000 kilometers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20251016","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a fine of 1.3 million rubles for Andrey Sazonov. At the same time, the prosecutor notes that the defendant is described as a good family man, a trusted leader, and a competent specialist.\nDuring the closing arguments, the believer says: \"Neither the preliminary investigation nor the judicial investigation have established a single fact confirming my guilt. On the contrary, the case materials testify to my complete innocence.\"\nSazonov also refers to case law application in the Russian Federation, in particular, the example of the acquittal in the case of fellow believer Kirill Gushchin, and the decision of the Plenum of the RF Supreme Court, according to which participating in religious rites, reading and distributing religious literature is exercising the constitutional right to freedom of conscience and religion.\nWhereas 17 people are allowed to attend the hearing, another 5 are waiting outside.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2025-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20250901","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov appears in court with a written testimony. He pleads not guilty and claims that the case materials do not contain evidence of his participation in extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20250626","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the defense, who have known Andrey Sazonov for many years, are being interrogated. They describe him positively: they note his conscientiousness, intelligence, absence of bad habits and good relations with others.\nOne of them says: \"Andrey is a devoted, loyal and kind person who will support you in any difficult situation.\"\nAnother witness, a former city deputy head, emphasizes that the defendant's religious views did not harm working relations, and local government agencies treated Sazonov with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20250530","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who previously attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses is being questioned via videoconferencing. He gives a positive characterization of the defendant and says that Andrei Sazonov is not associated with extremism. In his testimony, he says that Jehovah's Witnesses encourage to lead a healthy lifestyle, do not smoke, do not abuse alcohol, and go in for sports.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20241227","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Artem Demidov, who conducted covert video filming of meetings for worship, characterizes the defendant as a sympathetic, helpful person, an athlete, and also adds: \"You are a super-person, you should be looked up to!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20241210","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next prosecution witness is being questioned via videoconferencing, who claims that in 2017 he saw Andrey Sazonov talking to people on biblical topics. At the same time, a witness cannot identify a believer in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20241127","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four prosecution witnesses are being questioned, three of whom are not acquainted with Andrey Sazonov. A woman who used to attend meetings for worship indicates that the testimony she gave during the investigation is not true.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20241106","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The woman, who is a witness for the prosecution, claims that she does not know Andrey Sazonov. Another witness, operative Chugunov, who participated in the ORM against Jehovah's Witnesses in Uray, admits that he has never heard statements of an extremist nature from the defendant. A third witness states that he testified under duress: he was threatened that his mother would go to prison. The wording used in the protocol was suggested to him by the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240918","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge, the defendant expresses his attitude towards him.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them is not personally acquainted with Andrey Sazonov. The second witness, the defendant's former superior, repeats the testimony he gave during the previous trial and gives an extremely positive characterization of his subordinate and his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240909","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Mukhametov, judge of the Seventh Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction, refuses to transfer the cassation submission to the prosecutor's office for consideration, as he did not find any procedural errors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240702","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session was postponed for an indefinite period until the decision of the cassation instance is made.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240415","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Igor Menshikov appeals to the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction. He requests that the Sazonov case be sent for a new appeal hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240409","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case of Andrey Sazonov for the third time are received by the Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Yugra. It will be considered by judge Viktor Yaryshev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20240130","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["to-court","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov gives his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20231017","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting a large fine for Andrey Sazonov: 800,000 rubles under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, and 700,000 rubles under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Given the period of Sazonov's imprisonment and house arrest, the state prosecutor asks to reduce the total amount to 1,300,000 rubles.\nAndrey takes the lead.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20231005","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov reads out his affidavit. He pleads not guilty and notes that the case file does not contain a single piece of evidence that he committed extremist actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230801","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Sazonov's petitions for the publicity of the trial, as well as for the recognition of some evidence as inadmissible.\nAt the request of the defendant, material evidence seized during a search at his workplace and place of residence shall be examined. Among them are greeting cards, children's drawings and the Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230629","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file documents from the Federal Penitentiary Service confirming that Sazonov did not violate the regime as a measure of restraint. The believer files a petition to declare several more materials of the case inadmissible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230615","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects all the petitions of Andrey Sazonov, which were stated at the last court session.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230515","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In a closed session, the judge satisfies one of Sazonov's petitions filed earlier, and recognizes as inadmissible evidence a number of documents relating to the search of his home. Sazonov is filing four more motions to declare certain case materials inadmissible.\nThe defense announces the conclusions of comprehensive religious and linguistic examinations carried out at the request of a lawyer. Sazonov draws the court's attention to the fact that the experts did not find any extremist statements in the materials under study.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230511","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is still held behind closed doors. The court rejects two motions to declare inadmissible evidence of expert research.\nThe defendant files a motion for the admission of written evidence (the decision of the ECHR in the case of \"LRO \"Taganrog\" and others v. the Russian Federation\"). The court satisfies him.\nInterrogation of 6 defense witnesses, including acquaintances and colleagues of Sazonov. All of them say that the defendant has good qualities, does not create conflicts, never called for the severance of family relations, did not oppose state authorities, local self-government bodies. According to witnesses, the believer and his family have a good reputation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230420","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses, one of whom attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the second is not personally acquainted with Andrei Sazonov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230320","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed meeting, material evidence is examined and video recordings with the results of the MPA are viewed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2023-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20230101","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness shall be questioned at the next closed session. The man says that until 2017 he was at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses 3-4 times, and there he met the defendant and other believers. After 2017, he attended several more worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses, which he recorded on video on behalf of the police. The fact that the defendant organized worship services was, according to the witness, only his impression.\nThe man describes the defendant as a friendly, sympathetic person and a good family man. The witness did not hear any calls for religious hatred, discrimination, enmity or violence from Sazonov. According to him, the believer did not promote the exclusivity and superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. In addition, he did not hear from the believer calls to undermine the constitutional order, non-observance of the laws of the state, refusal to pay taxes and education. He adds that there were no such statements at the services either, on the contrary, they quoted and discussed biblical texts, encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20221213","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who had previously attended Jehovah's Witnesses' services and secretly made audio and video recordings that he passed on to the investigation is being questioned. According to him, Sazonov did not make statements inciting enmity, hatred and violence, did not encourage participation in political and military conflicts, and did not call for refusing to receive education or forcing any of Jehovah's Witnesses to attend services and give donations.\nDuring the interrogation, the witness gives contradictory answers to the same questions of the prosecution and the defense. During the two hours of interrogation, the witness did not say anything specific about the defendant's activities in relation to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20221115","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held behind closed doors. The judge rejects the prosecutor's request to read out the testimony of the deceased witness, whom the prosecution planned to use as a classified witness.\nThe prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case (volumes 1 to 17). Due to the fact that the state prosecutor is not ready to name the time, transactions and amounts that would confirm the charges brought against Sazonov, he refuses to study bank statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20221005","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a witness for the prosecution, who admits that she does not know Sazonov. The second witness for the prosecution stopped attending Jehovah's Witnesses' services back in 2016 before their legal entities were banned. She reports that she has never heard from Sazonov or at the services themselves any calls to overthrow the constitutional order, to incite hatred on the basis of religious hatred and enmity. He characterizes the defendant as a decent person and an exemplary family man. The witness claims that the investigation distorted her testimony given during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220921","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is being held behind closed doors. 7 witnesses are summoned to the court for questioning. Some of them claim that their testimony obtained during the preliminary investigation was falsified.\nThe neighbor of the defendant's relatives is interrogated first. She is familiar with him and speaks positively about both her neighbors and Sazonov. The woman reports that she has never heard that the defendant called for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order, hatred or enmity.\nDetective Chugunov, a law enforcement officer who in 2017-2018 was collecting information about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Urai, is being interrogated. He formed his idea of the believers, including the defendant, on the basis of the words of two men who stated that they had once attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFurther, the court interrogates a woman who until 2021 worked in the city administration with non-profit religious organizations. From 2011 to 2017, she attended annual services of Jehovah's Witnesses. She says that families with children came there, and life issues were discussed there. She had never seen any documents about who organized such services. No one has ever called upon her to make monetary donations or join any religious organization.\nThe next witness - a woman - reports that she sees Andrei Sazonov for the second time in his life (the first time was at the last court hearing) and does not know him. She says that she once attended a service of Jehovah's Witnesses, this was until 2017. There were no calls for hatred or violence, she said: \"People read the Bible, sang songs, prayed.\" The witness confirms that no one asked her to donate money at the service. She did not see the defendant there. When the state prosecutor reads out her opposite preliminary testimony, the woman declares that she does not confirm them: \"I did not say these words to the investigator. I did not get acquainted with the protocol, the investigator read it to me. I signed it because I trusted the investigator.\"\nFurther, two more people are summoned for interrogation. The man says that he is not familiar with the defendant, he saw him only at the last court hearing and on TV in connection with Sazonov's speech by the nature of his professional activity. The woman also does not know Sazonov, she only saw him on the street several times. She confirms that she has not heard any calls from him to overthrow the government, disobey the laws of the state or break family ties. Sazonov did not offer her to make monetary donations. She also says that Sazonova learned about her religion from an investigator. She did not have this information before the interrogation.\nThe last witness for the prosecution says that he knows a religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses in a neighboring town, and heard about believers in Urai only from his acquaintance. The witness himself was never present at the services in Urai, and he cannot say anything about Sazonov's role. The man confirms that believers can worship God without a legal entity. He did not know whether there had ever been a local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Urai. He says that he has not heard from the defendant negative statements about representatives of other religions or the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220907","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning five witnesses for the prosecution. The former director of the defendant characterizes Sazonov only on the good side, notes that he has an exceptionally positive reputation among other employees. According to the prosecution witness, Sazonov regularly took part in subbotniks, he was repeatedly encouraged by diplomas and letters of thanks from the head of the city and from the City Duma.\nThanks to a responsible and qualified attitude to work, the director appointed Sazonov as his deputy. He notes that he knew from the very beginning that Sazonov was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but he never heard or saw from the defendant calls and actions aimed at inciting violence, hatred, enmity on religious grounds, as well as calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order and the rupture of family relations.\nThe former chief reports that two investigators from Khanty-Mansiysk came to him with a demand that he change his testimony and denigrate Sazonov. But he refused to do so.\nThe second witness for the prosecution characterizes Sazonov as a positive person. He says that he does not consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be extremists, since they, on the contrary, reject violence and advocate the maintenance of family values. The witness also reports that the investigation pressured him, threatening that his mother, who was one of Jehovah's Witnesses, would be imprisoned if he did not give the necessary testimony to the investigation.\nThe rest of the prosecution witnesses report that they do not know Sazonov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220815","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Andrey Sazonov is again submitted to the Urai City Court. This time it was assigned to Judge Igor Pospelov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220610","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Ugra cancels the conviction and sends the case for a new trial to the Urai City Court in a different composition of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-05-19T16:37:48+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220519","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Consideration of the appeal was postponed because the state prosecutor did not familiarize himself with the additions to the appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20220303","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug - Ugra Ilnur Gilmanov finds Andrei Sazonov guilty and sentences him to a fine of 500 thousand rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20211224","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sentence","fine"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the verdict is postponed until December 24.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20211223","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a fine of 800,000 rubles for Sazonov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist association) and 700,000 rubles under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing the activities of an extremist association). The total amount of the fine is 1,500,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20211220","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next closed meeting is held. Andrey Sazonov files 6 motions to exclude inadmissible evidence. The defense announces petitions for the appointment of comprehensive religious and linguistic examinations. Sazonov draws attention to the conclusions of experts, who pointed to the absence of extremism in the case materials sent for examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20211019","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"4 more defense witnesses are being questioned in court. Andrey Sazonov's mother-in-law characterizes him as a well-mannered, intelligent, competent, sociable person. She says that he treats his wife with love, brings up children in kindness, and they love him. She also reports that she has never heard calls from the defendant to refuse medical care, including emergency care.\nThe wife speaks of Sazonov as a good husband, the economic head of the family, a caring father, always ready to help.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210909","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the defendant's request for a public hearing. The meeting continues behind closed doors.\n5 witnesses from the defense are being interrogated: 2 colleagues of Andrey, his acquaintance and father-in-law, as well as the deputy director for educational work at the school where the defendant's children study.\nAll witnesses for the defense say that the defendant is a believer, a Jehovah's Witness, has good qualities, does not create conflicts, and has never called for the severance of family relations. They have never heard from the defendant negative statements about persons of other faiths and state authorities, as well as calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and state security, or any extremist statements.\nThe defendant and his family have a good reputation. The deputy director for educational work at the school where the Sazonov children study characterizes Andrey exclusively on the positive side, as a kind, sincere, open, sympathetic person.\nWitnesses for the defense confirm that Sazonov not only did not incite the rupture of family relations, but, on the contrary, always encouraged others to preserve and strengthen family ties.\nAndrey's father-in-law says that different religious views do not prevent them from being on good terms. He mentions that the defendant was awarded diplomas from the city administration, as well as from the management of the enterprise, where he has been working for many years.\nEmployees at work characterize Sazonov as a conscientious, kind and non-conflict person, a responsible employee and a reasonable leader who is always ready to help.\nAll defense witnesses are surprised and upset that a criminal case has been opened against Andrey.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210825","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor shows the court videos, photographs of the oceanarium, people in the Turkish resort, sights of Tashkent, as well as illustrations that the prosecutor interprets as images of biblical scenes.\nIn his testimony, the defendant reports that he does not admit guilt, does not agree with the accusation, the essence of the charge is not clear to him, since he is an ordinary believer, and the Supreme Court of Russia did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. He stresses that he has nothing to do with extremism or the organization of legal entities, but practices his religion in a legal manner accessible to citizens of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210811","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Recordings of conversations between three men discussing Bible teachings are tapped at the hearing. Andrey Sazonov's voice is not on the recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210602","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is again held behind closed doors. At the request of Andrei Sazonov, four witnesses from the defense are interrogated - a colleague at work, mother-in-law, daughter and wife of the defendant.\nSazonov's colleague characterizes him positively and does not confirm any of the charges.\nSazonov's relatives speak of him as a caring husband, father and son-in-law. According to witnesses, the defendant has certificates and letters of thanks from the city authorities, he is respected by colleagues and neighbors.\nAndrei Sazonov filed three motions to declare some materials of the criminal case inadmissible, but the court rejected them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210504","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The viewing of video recordings of worship services and listening to audio files from the case materials continues. In the video, the faces of the people are still not visible, but the promptings to act in accordance with the Christian noms of morality and morality are heard; It tells how to protect yourself and your children from immorality, how to learn to forgive and respect the feelings of others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210428","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Videos of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses are viewed. One of the videos discusses how to lead a decent lifestyle: be able to forgive, wisely approach the choice of clothing and entertainment. At the same time, it is impossible to distinguish the faces of those present on the video.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210323","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the case, and also requests the examination of material evidence. He believes that the defendant's belongings seized during the search prove that he belongs to Jehovah's Witnesses, which the believer does not hide.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210302","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness is being questioned who, at the request of police officers, videotaped Jehovah's Witnesses services on several occasions. He notes that the believers were friendly to him. At these meetings, the witness did not hear the defendant propagate the exclusivity and superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2021-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20210119","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The next witness, a police officer, says that during the operational-search activities he did not hear from Andrei Sazonov calls for violence, the overthrow of the constitutional order of the Russian Federation or discrimination against people on the basis of religious religion. The witness also admits that he has not read the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to liquidate the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia and cannot say what exactly was banned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20201215","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant's neighbors are being interrogated. Both witnesses state that they do not know Sazonov and cannot confirm that he committed anything illegal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20201106","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them had previously recorded conversations with Jehovah's Witnesses and passed them on to an investigator. Another witness during the interrogation characterizes the defendant as a good and talented person.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20201007","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of prosecution witnesses continues behind closed doors in the Urai City Court. They characterize Andrey Sazonov positively. In particular, one of them notes that she likes the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses and their highly moral Christian way of life. At the next hearing, it is planned to continue the questioning of prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200903","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Gilmanov continues to question prosecution witnesses. Some witnesses note that the interrogation protocols of the investigator contain wording that they did not say. In response to a request from the prosecutor to comment on the inconsistency of the testimony, one of the witnesses replied: \"I did not say what was written there at all. I told the investigator the same thing I told you. She wrote, but I didn't read it and just signed. I'm used to trusting people!\" In just 2 days, 6 prosecution witnesses were questioned. The next meeting will be held on September 3, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. Other prosecution witnesses are scheduled to be examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200623","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the Urai City Court are held behind closed doors. Only Andrey Sazonov is allowed to attend the meetings. Judge Ilnur Gilmanov grants the believer's request for self-defense, and the state lawyer is released. For the second time, the judge rejects the believer's petition for an open court hearing.\nJudge Gilmanov interrogates prosecution witnesses. Their testimonies do not confirm the accusations made by the prosecutor against Andrei Sazonov. When asked by the prosecutor about the interpretation of the Bible by Jehovah's Witnesses, the elderly woman replied: \"What is written in the Bible is what was read. And in general, I did not notice anything bad. All good, well-mannered people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200622","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra. Before the start of the consideration of the case on the merits, the lawyer by appointment declares self-recusal. Judge Ilnur Gilmanov postpones subsequent court hearings to June 22 and 23.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200601","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Ilnur Gilmanov leaves unchanged the measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions for Andrei Sazonov. The judge finds no grounds for holding a preliminary hearing in the case and schedules the first hearing on the merits for June 1, 2020. The case will be considered by Judge Gilmanov alone and behind closed doors. As an excuse for such a significant restriction of the principle of publicity and openness of legal proceedings, Judge Ilnur Gilmanov cites his fear that an open hearing of the case \"may lead to the disclosure of state or other secrets protected by federal law,\" as well as \"damage the interests of society and the state protected by federal law.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200520","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor of the city of Uray, Counselor of Justice A. P. Yakimenko approves the indictment in the case of Andrei Sazonov. The Investigative Committee is distributing a press release stating that the case will soon be referred to the court for consideration on the merits. The accused faces a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200430","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The senior investigator of the Urai Interdistrict Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, Major of Justice E. S. Komissarova, sends the criminal case with the indictment to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200420","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused is familiar with the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200417","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator E. S. Komissarova applies to the court for setting a deadline for familiarization with the materials of the criminal case until April 16, 2020. The judge of the Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Orlova G.K., partially satisfying the petition of the investigator, sets the deadline until April 17, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200414","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.1, Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200330","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor does not approve the indictment against Andrey Sazonov and returns it to the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200320","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra cancels the decision of the lower court of January 16, 2020 on the seizure of the property of Andrey Sazonov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200318","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal","belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal case No. 11902711019033037 against unidentified persons on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation stands out from the materials of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200128","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sazonov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.1. The investigation adds another part 1 of article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200119","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Urai City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra satisfies the petition of the head of the Investigative Committee for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra Balezin S.N. and seizes the car and land plot of Andrey Sazonov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20200116","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Department - Head of the First Investigation Department of the Department for the Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra M. Kartoev petitions for the extension of Andrey Sazonov's preventive measure until September 30, 2019. However, the Court of Appeal of Khanty-Mansiysk releases the accused from house arrest, under which he spent 209 days with a bracelet on his leg. The Court considers that the decision of the court of first instance is biased and contradicts several articles of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation. There is no evidence that Sazonov is obstructing the investigation or plans to do so in the future. The court also takes into account Andrey's state of health, his social adaptation, the availability of his own housing and family. The measure of restraint has been replaced by a ban on certain actions. The believer is forbidden to communicate with \"people related to the criminal case\", send and receive correspondence, use the Internet and telephone according to the circumstances of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190822","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khanty-Mansiysk District Court denies the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation the detention of Andrey Sazonov and issues an order to immediately release him in the courtroom and transfer him to house arrest until March 31, 2019. He spent 20 days in SIZO-1 in the Tyumen region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190226","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal reduces the period of detention of the suspect until March 1, 2019, the case is sent for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190221","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Arkady Koba, judge of the Khanty-Mansiysk District Court, sends Andrey Sazonov to a pre-trial detention center for 55 days, until March 31, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190208","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Authorities are conducting searches in 8 houses of residents of the city of Urai (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug). All of them are peaceful believers. Andrey Sazonov, the first deputy general director of the Urayteploenergia enterprise, is taken into custody. He is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. A search is being conducted at the workplace and in Andrey Sazonov's personal car.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190206","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra initiates a criminal case for faith under Articles 282.2 (1), 282.2 (2); religious affiliation is interpreted as \"organization and participation in the activities of an extremist organization\" (with reference to the court decision to liquidate the local organization of Jehovah's Witnesses). An innocent victim of law enforcement officers is Andrei Sazonov (born in 1980).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sazonov in Uray","date":"2019-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/uray/index.html#20190131","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Valeriy Schitz, a resident of Lesosibirsk. In the past, his family faced repression on ethnic grounds, and now he has been prosecuted on religious grounds. The investigation equated prayers and discussing the Bible with friends with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. After a search and interrogation, Schitz was released and later placed under a recognizance agreement. In March 2023, the case went to court. In June 2024, the believer was sentenced to a fine of 600,000 rubles.","date":"2021-11-19","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html","prisoners":["schitz"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Religious scholar Grigory Illarionov is being interrogated via videoconference. The prosecutor asks him to describe in detail the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. The defense asks its questions.\nThen the prosecutor reads out excerpts from the phonetic examination of the recording of Valery Schitz's voice. At this point, the prosecution concludes the presentation of its evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20240517","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the second secret witness under the pseudonym Fedorov. His interrogation is also conducted by the judge in person in another room.\nFrom Fedorov's answers, read out by the judge, it becomes clear that he once attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nHe informs the court that he does not know Valery Shitz and has never attended a Jehovah's Witnesses service in Lesosibirsk.\nAccording to the defense, the testimony of the secret witness was made \"as a carbon copy\" with the testimony of secret witnesses in similar cases of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The defense also claims a violation of the right to interrogate a witness, which contradicts the principle of adversarial parties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20240516","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Ivanov. The judge, having taken a list of questions from each of the parties to the proceedings, retires with the secretary to the next room, where he interrogates the witness independently. The judge then reads out his answers. According to them, it becomes clear that the secret witness had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20240515","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the materials of the case. Videos of worship services are viewed.\nAt one of the hearings, the court reads out a letter received to him. The letter states that Jehovah's Witnesses are peaceful Christians living all over the world. It also gives a positive characterization of the defendant as a responsible citizen and a loving family man. The authors of the letter ask the court not to punish Valery Shitz for his Christian beliefs and faith in Jehovah God. The judge attaches the letter to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20231114","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials, including recordings of worship services via video conferencing, continues. The lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the organizer and one of the participants in the video conference have not been identified and interrogated, this information is not in the case file, and the content of the memorandum certificates, which were examined by the prosecutor at the last meeting, does not correspond to what is on the discs under study. The lawyer plans to file a motion to declare the evidence inadmissible.\nEarlier, a motion was also filed on the groundlessness of the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20230922","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the 4th volume of the case are examined: video recordings, including a conversation between a believer and a woman who is interested in the Bible. The video shows the appearance and behavior of Jehovah's Witnesses at worship meetings. A video of the worship service is also viewed. The prosecutor asks to rewind some frames, but the lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that it is necessary to review all the material so as not to deprive the process of objectivity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20230913","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court continues to consider volumes of the case file.\nThe state prosecutor asks the court to consider a copy of the sentence handed down earlier to another believer from Novosibirsk, Andrey Stupnikov, attached to the case. The lawyer objects that this document does not apply to the case of Valery Schitz. Nevertheless, the court announces it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20230605","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Shitz declares that he does not agree with the charges and pleads not guilty. He reads out his attitude to the charges.\nIn connection with the absence of prosecution witnesses, the court begins an examination of the case materials.\nMore than 20 people come to support Valery, but only three are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20230515","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Yevgeny Rafalsky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20230302","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense file a motion to terminate the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2022-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20221119","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new indictment order is issued.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20221109","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Stepanyan charges Shitz under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organizing the activities of an organization recognized as extremist. The decision to bring the believer as an accused states: \"In order to increase the impact on the consciousness of the participants in the online meeting, V. F. Shitz reproduced, interpreted and commented on religious texts.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20211203","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Alexei Knyazev chooses Valery Shitz a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions: he is forbidden to communicate with persons who are not close relatives and witnesses in a criminal case, as well as to use means of communication and leave the city of Lesosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20211126","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Officers of the FSB and the Investigative Committee invade the homes of six residents of Lesosibirsk. Electronic devices, information carriers, and Bibles are seized from believers. In some cases, law enforcement officers take photos and videos. After the searches, Valery Shitz and several other believers were taken for interrogation, after which they were released.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20211125","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hakob Stepanyan, an investigator of the investigation department for the city of Lesosibirsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, is initiating a criminal case against 55-year-old Valery Shitz.\nHe is accused of discussing religious literature, as well as the fact that he \"read the prayer of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nIt follows from the resolution that Shitz, \"being in an unidentified place on the territory of the city of Lesosibirsk ... using uninstalled electronic devices... organized and conducted a meeting of an unknown number of adherents of the LRO \"Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesosibirsk\" through online broadcasts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Schitz in Lesosibirsk","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk/index.html#20211119","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2020, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Rustam Seidkuliev. He was charged with extremism for reading and discussing the Bible. Two weeks later, the police detained him in a shopping center in Adler. He was transported to the city of Saratov and placed under house arrest for 7 months. In March 2021, Seidkuliev’s case went to court. Two months later he was found guilty and sentenced to 2.5 years in a penal colony. The regional court reduced this term by 2 months. The court of cassation upheld this decision. Seidkuliev served his sentence in Penal Colony-33 in Saratov. During this time, the FSB succeeded in having his Russian citizenship revoked. In April 2023, he was released from the penal colony, and in September he was deported to Turkmenistan.","date":"2020-01-29","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html","prisoners":["seidkuliev"],"regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The First Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Saratov leaves the appellate ruling of the Saratov Regional Court against Rustam Seidkuliev unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20220531","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB Directorate for the Saratov Region initiates the process of depriving Rustam Seidkuliev of Russian citizenship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2022-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20220401","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["deportation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in early September, Rustam Seidkuliev was transferred from SIZO-1 to Correctional Colony No. 33, located on the outskirts of the city of Saratov. There he will serve his sentence for his Christian beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20211004","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Saratov Regional Court slightly mitigates the punishment imposed on Rustam Seidkuliev by the court of first instance. The believer was sentenced to 2 years and 4 months in a general regime colony. The verdict has entered into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20210805","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Andrey Efimov finds Rustam Seidkuliev guilty of extremism and sentences him to 2.5 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom after his release.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20210520","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them states that the defendant did not involve him in the activities of any religious organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20210429","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing in the case of Rustam Siedkuliev is held in the Leninsky District Court of Saratov.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges, stating that \"at an unspecified time\" and \"in an unidentified place,\" Rustam Seidkuliev \"had a criminal intent to commit illegal actions to participate in the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" According to the indictment, Seidkuliev, \"acting from extremist motives, realizing that by his actions he undermines the foundations of the constitutional order and state security,\" continued to participate in worship services of believers and talk to others about God.\nThe defendant, expressing his attitude to the charges, draws the court's attention to the fact that the prosecutor's statements do not meet the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure. According to the law, the case materials submitted to the court must contain the essence of the charge, the place and time of the crime, its methods, motives, goals, and consequences of the crime. But none of the above is in the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20210420","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"R. Sirotin, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Leninsky District of Saratov, of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region, is prosecuting Rustam Seidkuliev as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The indictment contains evidence collected during the preliminary investigation, which will now be considered in court.\nThe first court hearing is scheduled for April 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20210316","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In relation to Rustam Seidkuliev, a preventive measure is chosen in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200925","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, A. V. Efimov, satisfies the petition of the senior investigator R. S. Sirotin and, taking into account the \"gravity of the crime\", extends Rustam Seidkuliev's house arrest for another 1 month, until July 29, 2020 inclusive, i.e. up to 5 months and 9 days in total. The judge allows the believer to take daily walks in the local area from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.\nSirotin motivates the extension of house arrest by the fact that \"it is necessary to bring charges against Rustam in the final version and interrogate him as an accused.\" A peaceful believer is accused of \"committing a deliberate grave crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and security of the state, which has an increased degree of public danger.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200629","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, Trofimova S.V., at the request of the investigator, extends the term of house arrest for Rustam Seidkuliev by 9 days, and up to 4 months and 9 days in total, that is, until June 29, 2020 inclusive. Rustam is forbidden to communicate with witnesses in a criminal case, leave his home, use all types of communication, including the Internet.\nDuring this short period of time, the investigator will need to examine the video and items seized by the FSB officers, attach evidence, interview witnesses, bring charges in the final version, draw up an indictment and send it to the prosecutor's office, as well as perform other investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200618","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends Rustam Seidkuliev's period of detention under house arrest for 1 month, until June 20, 2020 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200520","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov region extends the period of the preliminary investigation in the criminal case by 2 months, and in total up to 5 months, that is, until June 29, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200429","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends Rustam Seidkuliev's period of detention under house arrest for 1 month, until May 20, 2020 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200417","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Saratov, Oksana Kulumbekova, chooses house arrest for Rustam Seidkuliev as a preventive measure for a period of 2 months, that is, until April 20, 2020 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-02-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200222","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is formally charged and interrogated as an accused under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200221","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"5 FSB officers from Saratov under escort transport a believer to the temporary detention center in the city of Engels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200220","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["transfer","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Rustam is told that he is wanted for hooliganism and sent to Adler's special detention center for 5 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200216","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["administrative-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Adler police officers detain the Seidkulievs in a shopping center and take Rustam to the police station for identification. The couple have been in Sochi for a year now, where they moved for family reasons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200215","regions":["saratov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Sirotin, investigator of the Leninsky District Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Saratov Region, initiates a criminal case against Rustam Seidkuliev under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, accusing him of participating in the activities of a religious association banned by the court.\nThe resolution states that, while on the territory of the Leninsky district of Saratov, Rustam Seidkuliev took part in the activities of the local division of the religious organization, namely in conversations about the Bible and in attracting new participants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seidkuliev in Saratov","date":"2020-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saratov2/index.html#20200129","regions":["saratov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Yevgeniy Semenov on three counts based on Article 282.2 of the RF CRC: organizing the activity of an extremist organization, participating in it and involving others in this activity. The charges were based on recordings of meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses made by two women, who feigned an interest in the Bible. At the end of August 2023, by a court decision, the believer was placed in a pretrial detention center. In May 2024, the case went to court, and in February 2025, Yevgeniy was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in a penal colony. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld the decision.","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html","prisoners":["semenove"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The detention conditions for Yevgeniy Semenov remain the same. Last year he was trained as a cook, and now he is completing a course as a tailor.\nWith the onset of spring, the believer was again sent to work in greenhouses. He strives to carry out his duties carefully and conscientiously, which does not go unnoticed by the staff of the penal colony. The administration describes him as calm and easy to deal with.\nSemenov can regularly call his family and friends through the Zonatelecom system. He receives letters with a delay, as they are now being checked more carefully. Yevgeniy has not had extended visits from his mother or sister.\nThe believer often catches a cold, but still goes to work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2026-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20260502","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Fifth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Pyatigorsk upholds the verdict.\nThe lawyer asks for Semyonov's acquittal and points out that \"neither the indictment nor the final decisions in the case contain quotations or excerpts from extremist materials that the defendant would have repeated; no facts of distribution of any prohibited materials by the defendant are given.\" The court does not take into account these and other arguments of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20260217","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Semenov is kept in a unit with about 100 people. He finds the conditions tolerable. He can take a shower every day, call relatives and shop in the store. His health is fine. Yevgeniy started working in the greenhouse, growing vegetables and has signed up for training as a cook. Reading the Bible and corresponding with friends helps him remain calm and confident.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20250829","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Semenov is in penal colony No. 11 in the Perm Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2025-07-30T09:24:23+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20250730","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Semenov is in the process of being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2025-07-08T11:35:25+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20250708","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Semenov is in penal colony No. 29 for the Perm Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2025-06-23T11:00:37+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20250623","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a imprisonment sentence for Semyonov for 6 years and 5 months in a general regime colony. After that, the defense speaks in the debate and the believer pronounces the final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20250214","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy remains calm and positive. Now he has a cellmate, they have a good relationship. The believer works as a janitor. The administration of the pre-trial detention center treats him with respect. The medical staff of the pre-trial detention center approved the issuance of the necessary allergy medications to Semyonov.\nThe believer regularly receives letters of support from different parts of Russia, as well as from other countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20241015","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"12 listeners are allowed into the courtroom. Yevgeniy Semenov petitions for the refusal of a lawyer, he intends to defend himself on his own. The judge grants the defendant's request.\nThe prosecutor announces the indictment. The defendant expresses his attitude to the charges. He refers to the Supreme Court decision of 20 April 2017 and stresses that the court did not evaluate the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses. Yevgeniy Semenov also refers to Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation on freedom of religion and says that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited. The text of the attitude shall be attached to the materials of the criminal case.\nJudge Azamat Kubov grants the defendant's motion to summon witnesses to the court for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20241005","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy is alone in the cell. The attitude towards him on the part of the administration of the pre-trial detention center is good.\nIn August, the believer suffered a cold. He suffers from allergies and does not have the opportunity to take the necessary medications.\nSemyonov has the Bible in the Synodal translation. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20240913","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Semenov is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20240719","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Cherkessk City Court of the KChR. It will be considered by judge Azamat Kubov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20240507","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that two more cases were opened against Semyonov - for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and involvement of other persons in this activity (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). All three cases have been merged into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20240412","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Committee reports that a criminal case has been opened against Semenov on suspicion of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20230920","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a preventive measure for Semenov in the form of detention. He is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Cherkessk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20230831","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An investigator of the Investigative Committee and law enforcement officers are conducting a search in the apartment of Yevgeniy Semenov. Electronic devices are seized from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Semenov in Cherkessk","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/cherkessk5/index.html#20230620","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2021, the FSB conducted searches at the homes of believers in the city of Kyzyl. Anatoliy Senin and Vitaliy Manzyrykchi were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. After 2 days, the court placed them under house arrest, and after 2 months under a recognizance agreement. In January 2022, the criminal case against Vitaliy Manzyrykchi was dropped without the right to rehabilitation, and Anatoliy Senin was charged. The Investigative Committee considered the holding of religious services as organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In February of the same year, the materials of the criminal case against Senin were submitted to the court. The prosecutor requested that the believer be sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. In January 2023, the court gave Anatoliy Senin a 6-year suspended sentence. There were two appeals against this decision. The lawyer asked for the sentence to be cancelled due to violations, and the prosecutor - to toughen it due to \u0026ldquo;excessive leniency\u0026rdquo;. The court of appeal upheld the verdict of the court of first instance.","date":"2021-01-28","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html","prisoners":["manzyrykchi","senin"],"regions":["tyva"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","type":"cases"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Anatoly Senin emphasizes: \"My motives were and remain pure, I did not continue the activities of the banned organization, but wanted and want to continue to peacefully profess my faith, satisfying my spiritual needs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20230111","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence Anatoly Senin to 7 years in prison in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20221229","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer continues to read out the documents provided by the defense. Among them is the conclusion regarding Jehovah's Witnesses, which was made by Mikhail Odintsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, religious historian and former employee of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation. According to Odintsov, for Jehovah's Witnesses, the basis of doctrine is the Bible, and it denies violence and calls for it, and neither he nor his colleagues \"know any facts ... discrimination on the part of\" representatives of this denomination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20221220","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a young man under the pseudonym Maria, who previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, is being questioned. He says that he has never heard calls for extremist actions from Anatoly Senin. The witness finds it difficult to answer most of the questions, he speaks confusedly and is confused in his testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20221207","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense announces the materials of the case (volumes 8-10) and briefly explains them.\nThe lawyer draws attention to an extract from the program for the preparation of religious students. It states that discussions about the truth or worth of any religion have nothing to do with the science of religion and belong exclusively to the field of theology and philosophy. That is, they are only evaluative in nature, and when people call their faith true, this should not be considered a crime.\nAs arguments, he also cites the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Kuznetsov and Others v. Russia from 2007. It assesses judicial practice on the territory of the Russian Federation and concludes that holding joint worship services and studying the Bible are not a violation of the law, but the exercise of the right to freedom of religion.\nIn addition, the lawyer reads excerpts from a forensic comprehensive psychological and linguistic religious examination made in the Kemerovo region in 2013. It concludes that not all publications of Jehovah's Witnesses are included in the list of extremist materials, but only some. This document also emphasizes that statements about the truth of their doctrine are characteristic of adherents of all religions and do not indicate extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20221123","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The video continues to be watched. The lawyer emphasizes that the worship service is about preserving family values, and this has nothing to do with extremism.\nThe court allows Anatoly Senin to travel outside the city to visit his elderly mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20221014","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reviews the video recording of the liturgical meeting at the request of the lawyer. He draws the judge's attention to the fact that the recordings do not discuss publications from the list of extremist materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220930","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The employer Anatoly Senin is being interrogated. She characterizes him as a calm, kind, sociable, responsible worker, honest and decent person.\nAt the request of the lawyer, the court attaches the characteristics of the defendant at the place of residence, from work, a certificate stating that he is not registered in narcological and psychiatric dispensaries, as well as a certificate stating that during the period of house arrest Senin did not commit violations and appeared to the investigator in a timely manner.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220916","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Familiarization with the case materials continues. Protocols of inspections of things seized from Vitaliy Manzyrykchi, Alexander Kazakov and others were provided. At the request of the defense to give them more time to prepare, the judge refuses, explaining his reluctance to delay the process in the interests of the court and the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220909","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the owner of the housing that Senin rented. She describes Anatoliy and his wife as peace-loving citizens: \"Payment was always brought on time, even it was early. And he and his wife have a very peaceful and strong relationship. Animals are loved.\" She did not hear any calls for disrespect for authority or hate speech from the spouses.\nAnother prosecution witness is Ulyana Bicheldey, head of the religious studies sector of the Tuva Institute for Humanitarian Studies under the Government of the Republic of Tuva. It reveals general information about world religions and their differences. He reports that she has not yet studied the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, so she cannot say anything about it, but sees the defendant for the first time.\nThe court proceeds to the interrogation of FSB operative Vladimir Vasiliev. He does not know the defendant personally, but he knows him as part of his official activities, as he carried out operational-search measures against believers. The witness refers to the decision of the Supreme Court of 2017, which, according to Vasiliev, \"banned the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" but to delve into the essence of this decision, in his words, \"is not part of his duties.\"\nThe next witness, a colleague of Senin's wife, says she has never heard from the defendant extremist, divisive statements, propaganda of exclusivity, inducements to refuse medical care or obscene language. The prosecutor reads out part of the preliminary testimony of the witness, where she said that she heard how Senin's wife communicated with her husband via video link and suggested that these conversations were worship services. In court, the woman claims that this was only one of the assumptions that the investigator insisted on during the interrogation. It could be an ordinary conversation between husband and wife.\nThe prosecutor asks for the testimony of a minor witness to be read out. Despite the objections of the lawyer, the court allows.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220729","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the evidence from the indictment, for example, a list of what was seized during the search, where and how the seizure took place. The lawyer asks the prosecutor to voice the charges in detail. To this, the judge says that Article 285 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation allows the essence of the accusation to be announced in part.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220620","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendant speaks with an attitude to the charge. The judge interrupts Anatoly Senin and asks him not to quote the Bible, but to say his attitude to the case in general terms. The defendant tactfully explains that since he is a believer, the law of God is important to him, and it is he who helps him to be a law-abiding citizen. At the end of the speech, the court attaches its text to the case file.\nThe lawyer supports the position of the defendant and expresses confidence that Senin has nothing to do with legal entities whose activities were banned. He emphasizes that joint discussions of biblical texts and worship are not prohibited by current legislation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220602","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Anatoly Senin is submitted to the Kyzyl City Court of the Republic of Tuva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220228","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olcha Okhemchik, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tuva, is prosecuting Anatoly Senin as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, in July 2019, the believer, \u0026quot;realizing his criminal intent,\u0026quot; organized the activities of Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses in Kyzyl: he broadcast religious videos, encouraged the audience to pray, sing religious songs and study the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220117","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Vitaliy Manzyrykchi was terminated without the right to rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2022-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20220116","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Anatoliy Senin and Vitaliy Manzyrykchi to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Senin in Kyzyl","date":"2021-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kyzyl/index.html#20210327","regions":["tyva"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case against unidentified persons for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. At the time, searches were carried out at seven addresses in the cities of Shakhunya and Gorodets and the village of Vakhtan. Nina Smirnova, Larisa Serdtseva, and Zhanna Zhavoronkova became suspects. In November 2024, the believers were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Zhanna’s interrogation took place in the hospital room where she was after suffering a stroke. The case went to court in January 2025. The court pronounced the verdict one year later — a 2.5-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html","prisoners":["zhavoronkova","smirnova","serdtseva"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement. At the same hearing, the court passes a guilty verdict against them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20260130","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zhanna Zhavoronkova reads out her notes. During her statement she becomes ill. An ambulance is called; the believer is given injections and taken to the hospital with an ischemic attack.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20251225","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The former deputy head of the investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Sergey Galyamov is interrogated in court. He claims that he initiated a criminal case on the basis of the materials of the check received from the department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.\nThe defense notes that these materials are actually limited to the reports of two investigators. She also draws attention to the fact that it took Galyamov only 40 minutes to familiarize himself with the materials of the operational-search activities carried out since 2020 under the leadership of the FSB Directorate for the Nizhny Novgorod Region and transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the amount of 250 pages. On the same day, he issued a decision to initiate a criminal case, as well as orders to conduct searches at a number of addresses.\nThe lawyer petitions for the recognition of the results of the ORM as inadmissible evidence. The court refuses to satisfy the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20251210","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, prosecution witness Vadim Ustinov is again interrogated via video conferencing. He says that the names of the defendants appear in the materials of operational search activities collected and transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs by the FSB officers. In his opinion, ordinary conversations and sermons are \"participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nWitness Nikolai Zaitsev, head of the criminal investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Shakhunya, is being interrogated. He confirms that within the framework of this criminal case, his department did not conduct operational-search activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20251128","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Maria Samoylova, Candidate of Historical Sciences, who conducted a comparative analysis of the Bibles seized from the defendants, is being questioned in court via videoconferencing.\nSamoylova states that the edition of Jehovah's Witnesses differs from other translations in that it combines verses into paragraphs, at the beginning of each book there is a summary, some Bible books have different titles, and \"God is called exclusively Jehovah, which is a feature of this doctrine.\"\nThe expert admits that the name \"Jehovah\" is also found in other translations of the Bible, including the Synodal Translation. When asked why she considers the New World Translation extremist, Samoylova answers: \"Because it was published by Jehovah's Witnesses.\" At the same time, she admits that \"there are no extremist statements in the text.\"\nThe defense filed a motion to recognize Samoylova's testimony as inadmissible evidence, since the expert did not rely on scientific data and did not have sufficient qualifications.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20251110","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, a witness for the prosecution, FSB operative Vadim Ustinov, is interrogated via videoconferencing. According to him, the defendants \"involved others in their faith\" and held online meetings via Zoom. He repeatedly emphasizes the religious aspect of the case and his personal attitude to the beliefs of the defendants. Then the testimony of this witness given at the preliminary investigation is announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250815","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning a prosecution witness Nepomniachchikh, who studied the Bible with Jehovah's Witnesses and attended their meetings for worship three times in 2021.\nThe defense objects to the disclosure of the testimony of witness T. Yamorozova, who died in 2024. The lawyer claims that there were significant contradictions in the case between the testimony of Nina Smirnova, given during the preliminary investigation, and the testimony of Yamorozova, but the investigator ignored this, not giving the defense the opportunity to conduct a confrontation in a timely manner. The court rejects the objection, the prosecutor reads out the testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250605","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the charge - they do not plead guilty.\n\"Since the early 1990s, there have been no complaints about Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia,\" says Nina Smirnova, \"And now it turns out that I am an extremist, although extremism implies inciting hatred or hatred. But how can I hate someone if the Bible teaches me to love my neighbor as myself, teaches me even to love my enemies?\"\nZhanna Zhavoronkova notes: \"On April 20, 2017, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation liquidated legal entities, but did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Then why is peaceful talk about Jehovah God treated as a crime? My religious beliefs are not dangerous and were formed long before 2017. In this case, how can I refuse them after 2017 just because the court banned the activities of legal entities?\"\nThe lawyer asks to ensure the personal presence of prosecution witnesses in court, explaining that their affidavits are absolutely the same. The defense considers it necessary to interrogate them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250522","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the charge. According to him, the guilt of the defendants lies in the fact that, \"being in a place not established by the investigation... acting as a group of persons, [they] participated in meetings ... held through... Internet via videoconferencing using devices and software unidentified by the investigation\", as well as that they \"conducted conversations and sermons with a resident of the city of Shakhunya\".\nThe court rejects several petitions of the defendants, including for more time to prepare a response to the charges. Believers do not agree with the charge and do not consider themselves guilty of extremism.\nDespite the objections of all participants, the court granted the request of the editorial office of the local newspaper to film the process. More than 20 people come to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250430","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is chaired by a new judge, Artemy Lunegov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250430","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is referred to the Shakhun Inter-District Court. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Kameko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20250131","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation group, investigator Smirnova, in the ward of the Shakhun Central District Hospital, interrogates Zhanna Zhavoronkova, who is there after suffering a stroke. The investigator announces to the believer that she has been charged under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2024-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20241202","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-2","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"T. A. Smirnova, senior investigator of the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Shakhunya, charges Larisa Serdtseva and Nina Smirnova with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe indictment ruling states that they \"held conversations and sermons with the residents of the city of Shakhunya, and also 'participated in religious meetings.'\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2024-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20241130","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Larisa Serdtseva and Nina Smirnova for questioning as suspects. They ask to postpone the investigation until an agreement is concluded with a lawyer, their request is granted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20240416","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the investigation department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice S. N. Galyamov, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons for participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serdtseva and Others in Shakhunya","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shakhunya/index.html#20240206","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search","interrogation","new-case","282.2-2","elderly","minors","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since 2019, Moscow believers have been under surveillance. In February 2021, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB and the National Guard invaded 16 apartments of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Moscow and the region. Some reported beatings and loss of money during the search. Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov were thrown into the pre-trial detention center, although Aleksandr took care of his elderly disabled mother, and Yuri, the father of three children, suffers from various diseases and has a dependent mother-in-law who is a disabled person of group II. While behind bars, Aleksandr was seriously ill with covid, and Yuriy underwent a serious operation (he developed cancer). The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation considered reading the Bible and singing religious songs to be the organization of the activities of an extremist organization. The case went to court in January 2022. In August of the same year, the believers were sentenced to 6 years of suspended sentence, and in November the court of appeal approved this sentence.","date":"2021-02-10","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html","prisoners":["serebryakov","temirbulatov"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court rejects the complaints of the accused and defense counsel. The prosecutor shall withdraw the appeal. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20221121","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220808","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking with the last word, Serebryakov and Temirbulatov do not admit guilt in the alleged crimes.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220803","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate on the case of Yuri Temirbulatov and Alexander Serebryakov begins. The prosecutor requests six and a half years of imprisonment for believers in a general regime colony.\nThe defendants' statements with the last word are postponed to August 3. Perhaps on this day the verdict will be announced.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220729","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov is returned to the Vodnik pre-trial detention center No. 5 on Vyborgskaya Street in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220404","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Temirbulatov has again been transferred to SIZO-1 in Moscow, known as \"Matrosskaya Tishina\". He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220307","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is being held in the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow.\nJudge Sergey Bazarov extends the period of detention of believers for another six months, until July 26, 2022.\nThe court, instead of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, considers and rejects the petition of the defenders to transfer the criminal case from the Golovinsky District Court of Moscow to another court. The petition is motivated by the presence of circumstances that may cast doubt on the objectivity and impartiality of the court in making a decision on the case. In addition, the court refuses to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, and also postpones the issue of inadmissibility of evidence obtained in violation of the law.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2022-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20220207","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov are being placed in pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik for the third time.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211230","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov are transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 5 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Moscow to the Voykovsky temporary detention facility of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Northern Administrative District of Moscow. It is not known how long they will stay there and whether letters will reach them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211222","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Temirbulatov was again transferred to the pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik on Vyborgskaya Street in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-25T22:22:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211125","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Temirbulatov's detention for another 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov was discharged from the hospital and transferred to the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211104","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow, Olga Chistova, extends the period of detention of Aleksandr Serebryakov for another 3 months. The believer will remain in jail until at least February 10, 2022. The lawyer had the impression that the decision to extend the period of detention of the believer had been made in advance and the judge was trying to complete the hearing as soon as possible. The judge does not give Serebryakov the opportunity to familiarize himself with the case materials. The only evidence of his \"guilt\" is the recording of the service, which was secretly made by law enforcement officers in August 2019.\nRussian human rights activist and public figure Andrey Babushkin sends a personal guarantee about Yuri Temirbulatov to the Savyolovsky District Court. He asks the court to commute the measure of restraint for the believer, since he recently underwent a serious surgical operation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211103","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Temirbulatov is receiving urgent treatment at the Moscow City Oncology Hospital No. 62 (Istra). He is successfully undergoing surgery to remove the tumor. His state of health is assessed as satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20211028","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Moscow City Court upholds the decision of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow to extend the measure of restraint for Yuri Temirbulatov and Alexander Serebryakov. The period of detention has been increased from 6 to 9 months.\nThe court ignores the cancer diagnosed in Temirbulatov, as well as violations of the law committed during the election of a preventive measure and its extension.\nYuriy Temirbulatov suffers from pain and needs urgent treatment in a specialized oncological treatment and prevention center. In view of this, the lawyer files an appeal with the Judicial Collegium for Criminal Cases of the Moscow City Court against the decision to extend the detention of the believer in the pre-trial detention center and demands that it be canceled. The defense presents to the court the opinion of an experienced forensic expert, according to which Temirbulatov's numerous illnesses prevent him from being in the pre-trial detention center.\nAccording to the lawyer, the detention of the believer was illegal from the very beginning. The investigation did not have any of the grounds provided for in Article 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation for Yuriy's detention: there were no victims; the believer did not try to hide; He lived at the address of his permanent residence.\nThe lawyer points out the violations committed. For example, she draws attention to the fact that, given the composition of the investigation team, all investigative actions could have been completed within the first 6 months while Temirbulatov was in custody. In addition, the Code of Criminal Procedure allows for the extension of the period of detention for more than 6 months \"only in cases of particular complexity of the criminal case.\" That is, the matter should be not just \"difficult\", but \"especially difficult\". In the present case, this is not the case.\nInstead of taking into account the serious state of health of the defendant, as well as other mitigating circumstances, the court takes into account the investigator's arguments about the gravity of the crime and the alleged possible escape of the suspect. Also, the investigator interpreted Temirbulatov's refusal to admit his guilt as \"an active position of opposition to the investigation.\" However, the specific, factual evidence required for detention is not specified in the judge's decision. And the gravity of the crime alone cannot be the only and sufficient basis for this.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210906","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov is being transferred to a cell where prisoners who support the criminal subculture and who have previously served their sentences are kept. This contradicts Article 33 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation \"On the Detention of Suspects and Accused of Committing Crimes\". It states that \"persons who are being prosecuted for the first time and those who have previously been held in places of deprivation of liberty must be held separately\".\nThere are 11 people in the 10-bed cell, mostly smokers. After suffering a viral disease, it is difficult for Alexander to be in such conditions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210625","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Serebryakov is again visited by a lawyer in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is kept in a \"special unit\". Currently, there are 13 people in the cell out of 14 possible. Alexander has a good relationship with his cellmates. He feels much better, the consequences of the disease are almost gone. He has difficulty getting books.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210610","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Serebryakov at the place of detention. The believer reports that after a serious illness he is on the mend, the administration of the pre-trial detention center provides medicines prescribed by doctors. Aleksandr says that he is being held in a \"special unit\", in a cell with 14 other prisoners. During his arrest, he received more than 2,000 letters with words of support in the pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210525","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov and Yuriy Temirbulatov are transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow Dmitry Zozulya elects Alexander Serebryakov and Yuri Temirbulatov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months. The men are in the Detention Center No. 7 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Moscow (57 Verkhnie Polya St., Moscow, 109382).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210212","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maria Rasskazova, an investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the City of Moscow, initiates criminal case No. 12102450011000009 under Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against unidentified persons.\nEarly in the morning, representatives of law enforcement agencies gather with witnesses at several residential buildings in Khovrino and the Levoberezhny district of Moscow, Khimki and Chekhov. Their goal is the families of Jehovah's Witnesses. The first reports of the invasion of the apartments come from believers at 06:20. At the end of the day, it becomes known about at least 14 searches of believers. Some are taken away for interrogations. Yuriy Temirbulatov and Aleksandr Serebryakov were detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nTV channels broadcast footage of the invasion of believers by security forces dressed in helmets and body armor and armed with machine guns. The believers who have been lifted out of bed lie on the floor with their hands behind their heads. One of them is taken away with handcuffs fastened behind his back. During one of the searches, the security forces beat two men, although they did not offer any resistance. After that, their hands are tied with plastic mounting clamps. When one of the believers is pushed onto the bed, the tie breaks. For this, his hands are tightened with three more clamps. The men are in this position while the search is underway. At the end of the search, the family notices that a large amount of personal savings has been stolen from them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Serebryakov and Temirbulatov in Moscow","date":"2021-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow2/index.html#20210210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","search","siloviks-violence","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2022, the court found Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty of extremism because of his faith and gave him a 6-year suspended sentence. A year later, he was again prosecuted for his beliefs. The law enforcement officers invaded his home again; the believer was arrested and placed in a pretrial detention center. This time, Serebryakov was charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization. He is being tried for actions committed from 2018 to 2019, when he was already charged under another article. In September 2024, the case went to court. Three months later, the court found Aleksandr Serebryakov guilty and sentenced him to 5 years imprisonment. In April 2025, the court of appeal upheld the term of imprisonment, removing only the restriction of freedom. In February 2026, this decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2023-09-13","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html","prisoners":["serebryakov2"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Moscow dismisses the lawyer's cassation appeal against the verdict. There are six listeners in the hall. Serebryakov attends the hearing via video conference from the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20260210","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to high blood pressure, Aleksandr needs consultation and examination by a specialist. The believer finds emotional support in letters, of which he has already received a lot.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20260205","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is on semi-bed rest due to hypertension: the least anxiety causes his blood pressure to spike. The believer still cannot work. Now he can call his wife once a week, and at the end of December, he had an extended visit from her. Aleksandr's relationship with others is peaceful and calm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2026-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20260128","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr has applied to work in the canteen, but there are no vacancies yet. The penal colony does not provide other opportunities to work. The believer still cannot call his wife, despite repeated requests. He only receives emails and tries to respond to them.\nThe barracks are warm and there is hot water. In his free time, Aleksandr can play tennis and chess. Cultural events are held in the penal colony — for example, an evening in memory of Yesenin was recently held.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20251010","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov had an extended visit from his wife. It was a great joy for the couple: they had not seen each other for 2 years.\nThere are 30 other people in the unit with the believer. The food in the colony is modest, but acceptable. It is not possible to call relatives. Aleksandr receives letters, but not all of them are given to him — some do not pass censorship. He can read a Synodal translation of the Bible.\nSerebryakov does not have his passport, therefore, he cannot study or work yet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250929","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is in penal colony No. 7 for the Kostroma Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-09-04T14:00:51+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250904","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250805","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Galina Lebedeva. Moscow City Court (Moscow, Bogorodsky Val, 8, room 333). Start: 11:15.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250522","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Galina Lebedeva. Moscow City Court (Moscow, Bogorodsky Val, 8, room 333). Start: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250513","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Almost all the prisoners in the cell with Aleksandr Serebryakov, including him, had the flu. Due to the fact that the doctor in the pre-trial detention center did not perform his duties to visit the prisoners, it was not possible to get the necessary medicines. The sick had to help themselves with improvised means. The lawyer filed a complaint about the violation of the prisoner's rights.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20250310","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is still in the quarantine block. The cell is cool, so he sleeps in thermal underwear.\nAleksandr does exercises and tries to go for walks. He has a Bible, phone calls are allowed, two visits with his wife took place, and permission was obtained for two more.\nAfter the verdict was announced, Aleksandr received 160 letters within a week, now he has 1,763.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241227","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241213","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is being held in a 4-bed cell in a quarantine unit. He assesses his state of health as satisfactory. Recently, the believer had an appointment with a therapist, who gave him the necessary medicines. Alexander does not always have the opportunity to walk. He does physical exercises right in the cell.\nThe staff of the pre-trial detention center treat Serebryakov with respect due to the fact that Jehovah's Witnesses, who were and are being held in this detention center, have proven themselves well.\nDespite the long imprisonment, the believer tries to notice the positive: after being transferred from one pre-trial detention center to another, all things are safe, there is a Bible, he received about 1400 letters. In addition, his wife received permission from the judge for two visits, so Aleksandr is looking forward to meeting his wife Irina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241105","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov has been transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 \"Medved\" in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241014","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is being held in a cell with 5 other detainees, mostly young people. According to Serebryakov, one of them prepares delicious dishes for everyone from available products.\nThe believer continues to receive letters of support, mostly by e-mail.\nAleksandr misses his mother and wife Irina. He is grateful to his friends who support his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20241007","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Aleksandr Serebryakov is submitted to the Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow and transferred to Judge Olga Karamysheva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20240924","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prisoners treat Alexander with respect, among them he is the oldest. He receives parcels from family and friends, so he has everything he needs. He has already received more than 1000 letters and tries to answer all of them. It is more convenient to do this when a return envelope with stamps is attached to the letter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20240624","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is in a cell where 11 people are kept, now he has his own bed. The chamber itself is warm. Relations with cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center are even.\nAlexander is worried about separation from his wife. However, he is glad to be able to receive letters from her. Also, the believer draws strength from reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20240221","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is being held in a 10-bed cell with 12 other prisoners. He does not have his own bed. Food in the pre-trial detention center is scarce, it is cold in the cell. The believer goes for walks, runs and strength exercises.\nAlthough the letters come to Alexander late, in 3 weeks he received 36 of them. The believer also has a New Testament. All this helps him to maintain a positive attitude.\nAs part of the first criminal case, Serebryakov was already held in the Vodnik pre-trial detention center, so some employees remember him well and treat him with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20231009","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Serebryakov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 Vodnik. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20231004","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Serebryakov is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 7 in Moscow, where he was already held after a search as part of the first criminal case in 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakov in Moscow","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow5/index.html#20230920","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, searches were conducted at homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Novokuznetsk. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against pensioner Lubov Serebryakova, and she was placed under a recognizance agreement. The investigation found the believer guilty of extremism for attending meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses and talking about the Bible. Worries about the criminal prosecution made her already poor health even worse. In August 2022, the case went to court. About a year later, the believer was given a 4-year suspended sentence, although the prosecutor had requested a year less. The court of appeal upheld this verdict.","date":"2022-07-08","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html","prisoners":["serebryakova"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230711","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for punishment for Lyubov Serebryakova. In his opinion, the believer should be sentenced to 4 years in prison, however, taking into account her age and state of health, he asks the court for 3 years probation with a written undertaking not to leave and restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230628","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Serebryakova asks the court to stop the criminal case against her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230621","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A disc with a recording of the divine service is listened to, during which Lyubov Serebryakova comments on a thought from the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230606","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Taras Kucheryavenko finishes reading and analyzing the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230503","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the materials of the case on the wiretapping of Lyubov Serebryakova's telephone conversations, as well as on the linguistic examination and search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230420","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses testify to the court. None of them is personally acquainted with Lyubov Serebryakova. It turns out that they get information about Jehovah's Witnesses from the Internet and the materials of this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listeners are not allowed into the meeting room, 58 people are waiting outside.\nInterrogation of the prosecution witness. She says that Jehovah's Witnesses have come to her several times, but this is the first time she has seen the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20230301","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer does not admit guilt and declares to the court: \"For me, by virtue of my professed beliefs, it is unacceptable to propagate extremist ideas or incite enmity and hatred. The indictment does not contain any specific facts of my behavior.\"\nShe adds: \"The argument that the exercise of the right provided for in Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation is evidence of the commission of a crime contradicts the essence of the constitutional right to defense.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20220921","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two months of investigation, the case is submitted to the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20220819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Serebryakova is being prosecuted as a defendant in violation of Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The woman is accused of attending services of Jehovah's Witnesses and telling other people about her faith.\nThe believer is again interrogated and a preventive measure is chosen for her in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20220722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the SO in the city of Novokuznetsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, Captain of Justice Vladislav Minaev initiates a criminal case against Lyubov Serebryakova. According to the investigation, she \"conducted conversations\" of a religious nature, and also participated in religious services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20220708","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Materials against 71-year-old Lyubov Serebryakova, containing information about \"committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\", are separated from the criminal case of Sergey Sushilnikov into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20220210","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Novokuznetsk Investigation Department conducts operational search activities: audio and video recording of meetings of believers, wiretapping of telephone conversations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Serebryakova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2019-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk3/index.html#20191101","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal prosecution of Aleksandr Seredkin began in April 2019, when law enforcement officers invaded the homes of peaceful citizens. During the searches, law enforcement officers planted banned books in the homes of the believers. As a result of the raid, the FSB initiated a criminal case for organizing and participating in the activity of an extremist organization against three believers: Aleksandr Seredkin, Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina. Later, the Seredkin case was made into separate proceedings. The believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list, which caused difficulties in receiving his pension. Aleksandr spent 1 day in a temporary detention facility and 6 months under house arrest. In March 2022, the case went to court. The charge was based on the testimony of a secret witness who feigned interest in the Bible and collaborated with the FSB. In November of the same year, the believer was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony; the court of appeal and the court of cassation upheld this decision. In December 2025, Seredkin was released by a court decision — he had been diagnosed with stage IV cancer.","date":"2021-07-21","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html","prisoners":["seredkin"],"regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Seredkin's health has deteriorated sharply since August. In the last few months, the believer has lost about 10 kilograms. He is in great pain and it is virtual impossible for him to digest his food. As a result of this Aleksandr was sent for a medical examination.\nThe believer is in touch with his family and friends. At the end of September he had an extended visit from his wife and children and recently another one took place — this time in Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No. 12 in Barnaul, where he was admitted for examination. Aleksandr is waiting for the results of the tests and follows a diet. For 2 years now (since October 2023), Seredkin has been under strict conditions of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20251111","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","strict-conditions","elderly","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The room where Aleksandr Seredkin and other prisoners are kept has been renovated. By his behavior, the believer earned the respect of others.\nAccording to his wife, with whom he recently had a long date, the believer has lost a little weight, he lacks sunlight. However, Aleksandr has the opportunity to take care of his health: regularly exercise and drink more water. He also often visits the library, where he can quietly read and think. Seredkin still receives many letters from different countries and cities, and he tries to answer them regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2025-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20250504","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Seredkin is still being held in strict conditions of serving his sentence. The believer's condition is aggravated by headaches and back problems. Alexander is very worried about his wife Svetlana, who suffered a heart attack in January. For both spouses, the ability to make regular phone calls is a great support. They were especially pleased with the long meeting held in February.\nAlexander tries to maintain a good emotional and spiritual state. Now the man has a personal copy of the Bible, reading it is of great help to him. The believer also appreciates encouraging letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2024-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20240531","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the colony, Aleksandr was in quarantine, after which the believer was placed in a punishment cell for 2 weeks. This penalty was imposed on him for taking off his jacket near the bed, and not by the shower.\nAfter his release from the punishment cell, Aleksandr was immediately placed in strict conditions of detention, where he remains to this day. Together with him, more than 40 people are being held there. Relations with prisoners and the administration are good.\nThe believer additionally buys food in the colony's store, but the choice is scarce. Parcels, including medicines and vitamins that his wife sends him, have not yet been given to Alexander.\nThe colony's library contains the Bible in two translations. Alexander enjoys the opportunity to read it every day. The believer does not yet have a personal copy. Letters are brought to him about three times a week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230925","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo","elderly","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Seredkin is in penal colony No. 5 in the town of Rubtsovsk. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230907","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Seredkin is in the process of transferring. He is temporarily unable to receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-07-05T16:05:09+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230705","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr is held in a special unit, where prisoners with more serious articles are placed. He gradually adapted to his circumstances, his emotional state is stable, he does not complain about his health.\nThere are six people in the cell with the believer, Alexander is older than the others, therefore, according to him, he is treated kindly, like a grandfather. Only two of his cellmates smoke, and they try to do it by the window. The cell itself is located on the seventh floor, and the walking courtyard is on the first floor, so the believer considers the ascent and descent on foot as a small workout.\nWith his wife Svetlana, they can see each other twice a month on short dates - an hour and a half instead of the prescribed three.\nLetters from fellow believers continue to arrive in large quantities - there are already about two thousand of them. As Alexander says, it gives him a lot of interesting information and encouragement.\nAlthough almost 5 months have passed since the sentencing, an appeal hearing has not yet been scheduled. The believer is taken to court twice a month so that he can familiarize himself with the case materials. It takes several hours to get there and wait, and only 20 minutes are given for the acquaintance itself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230328","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Together with Alexander, 10 people are kept in the cell, they live together, they do not offend the believer. One young cellmate even gave him his lower bunk. It is not cold in the cell, there are smokers, but they do not cause discomfort. Alexander has the opportunity to walk, once he was even able to play football. He receives so many letters that he does not have time to read them. He receives all the necessary medicines on time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2023-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20230113","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Alexander Seredkin in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that in the first days after the verdict he had the feeling that all this was not happening to him. He recalls the applause of fellow believers in the courtroom: \"Such support touched me deeply, strengthened me very much and gave me strength to endure a harsh sentence.\"\nUpon arrival at the pre-trial detention center, the believer was quarantined in a cell without repair. According to him, \"in the first two days I was shaking from the cold and I had to sleep in clothes.\" Two other people were held with him. One of them wondered how such an honest and kind person could be imprisoned: \"I will come home, I will tell everyone that I was sitting with an innocent person.\"\nNow the believer is in a cell with 11 prisoners. \"The microclimate in the cell is good, everyone is friendly,\" says Alexander. \"It's also cool in the cell, but there are warm clothes.\" Despite the difficult conditions of detention, he tries to maintain joy.\nAlready twice Alexander Seredkin was allowed a meeting with his wife. He is also supported by letters from fellow believers. At the time of the lawyer's visit, the believer had received 27 letters from different countries. He says that these letters are like welcome gifts to him, and he has not received so much in his entire life.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221124","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the announcement of the guilty verdict, Alexander Seredkin was placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Novosibirsk. Letters of support to the believer can be sent by regular mail and through the FSIN-letter system.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221117","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Seredkin gives his last word. He says: \"The indictment states that there are no victims in this case. But I do not agree with this statement. There are victims in this case - my wife and I.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-11-15T15:57:36+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221115","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks for a sentence of 6.5 years in prison for Aleksandr Seredkin to be served in a general regime colony.\n15 people come to support Alexander Seredkin, 14 of them are allowed into the hall. The defendant draws the court's attention to the fact that the material evidence attached to the case cannot characterize Jehovah's Witnesses as extremists. He says he is a law-abiding citizen who wants to help his neighbors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221020","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Seredkin testifies, reading out his written notes. He shares how studying the Bible has improved his life and the lives of those around him. The defendant also explains the difference between legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses and individual believers. He refers to the decisions of the ECHR, which declared the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia illegal. All documents are attached to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20221003","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Seredkin explains to the court that there are no destructive and extremist appeals at Jehovah's Witnesses services.\nCommenting on the materials of the case presented by the prosecutor, the believer emphasizes the absolutely peaceful nature of the meetings of fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220912","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About twenty people come to support the believer, but no one is allowed into the hall.\nThere is a replacement of the state prosecutor - Assistant Prosecutor Bulatov enters the case.\nThe Court examines all nine volumes of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220818","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Ivan\" who says he has never heard from the defendant extremist statements, negative assessments of people who are not Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as calls for the severance of family or family relations. It affirms that it is acceptable for Jehovah's Witnesses to repay their debt to the state in a non-military manner, such as civilian alternative service.\nThe judge does not satisfy the believer's request to declassify the identity of the secret witness.\nThe defendant draws the court's attention to the fact that the secret witness makes assumptions instead of facts and is mistaken in the dates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220621","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge asks the witness, lieutenant Grigory Lazarev, who works in the Federal Security Service of the Novosibirsk Region, to give a definition of \"extremist activity\", since his direct duty at work is to identify crimes of an extremist nature. The witness for the prosecution cannot give an exact definition of this term for a long time, and then searches for it on the Internet.\nThe judge asks questions about Seredkin and his religious activities. The witness for the prosecution explains that the defendant, having the status of a spiritual leader or “elder”, held religious meetings with fellow believers “in the spirit of the ideas and values of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses”, and also “read religious literature, organized joint religious rituals, in particular, singing\".\nIn addition, Lazarev informs the court that from July 24, 2018 to April 19, 2019, operational-search activities were conducted against Seredkin. Their results were submitted for a religious expert study, \"as a result of which the experts concluded that individuals were involved in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nWhen asked by the judge whether new participants were involved in the religious activity after the 2017 Supreme Court decision, the witness replied: “I don’t remember if there was any involvement.”\nTo the lawyer’s question about how exactly the continuation of the activity of the banned organization was manifested, whether Seredkin opened accounts, whether he performed operations as a legal entity, the witness explains that this included “holding meetings, reading literature, using an electronic application, leading meetings, using audio and video materials received from other participants of the banned structure.”\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220601","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the pandemic, no one is allowed into the courthouse. The defendant submits an application for the opportunity to make audio recordings of the hearings. The judge allows the recordings.\nThe judge asks Prosecutor Bulgakov to read out the charges, after which the defendant submits his written response to the charges to the judge, and also briefly draws his attention to the fact that \"the activity of a legal entity was banned, and not the actual teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220411","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court is holding a preliminary hearing behind closed doors. The defendant Alexander Seredkin files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor, since not all the circumstances of the case were investigated when the indictment was presented, but the judge rejects it. It also leaves unchanged the measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220328","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Alexandr Seredkin goes to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2022-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20220302","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case are sent to the prosecutor's office of the Novosibirsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20211230","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Selyunin names Alexandr Seredkin as an accused person.\nThe ruling states that “the devotion to a religious organization, the extensive knowledge of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the desire to achieve common goals and objectives facing the religious organization, to spread the ideas and values of the teachings among the inhabitants of the Novosibirsk region, allowed Seredkin ... as their leader to organize the activity of a group of followers of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20211020","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Selyunin, the Senior Investigator for the Novosibirsk Region, separates the case of Alexandr Seredkin. This separate proceeding is assigned the number 12107500001000044.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20210721","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"He is examined by religious, psychological and linguistic forensic experts. They conclude that the content of the presented audio and video materials is consistent with the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that \"A. I. Seredkin is the organizer and communication leader.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20210513","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexandr Seredkin's preventive measure is changed to a recognizance agreement. The believer spent 6 months under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20191016","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Oktyabrsky District Court refuses the investigator's request to place Alexandr Seredkin and Valeriy Maletskov in custody. Instead, they are put under house arrest. A recognizance agreement is signed by Marina Chaplykina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20190421","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region initiates a criminal case against Alexandr Seredkin, Valeriy Maletskov and Marina Chaplykina under Parts 1 and 2 of Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Seredkin \"organized meetings and led the reading and discussion of literature recognized as extremist.\" Maletskov and Chaplykina are accused of participating in the activity of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Seredkin in Novosibirsk","date":"2019-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novosibirsk7/index.html#20190419","regions":["novosibirsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the fall of 2020, a wave of searches took place in Nikolsk at the homes of local residents who practice the religion of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses, including Viktor Shayapov. Almost a year later, an investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation separated his case from the Krupnov case. The believer was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list; his bank accounts were blocked. In February 2022, the believer was detained in the Moscow Region and taken to Penza, where he was placed in a temporary detention facility; later the court placed him under house arrest. Shayapov was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In March 2022, the case went to court, which 7 months later gave the believer a 2-year suspended sentence with an 8-month probation period. The court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2020-10-07","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html","prisoners":["shayapov"],"regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I am not guilty either before the state, or before the people, or before God. My conscience is clear... I just profess religious views that are not prohibited by law,\" Viktor Shayapov made his last word in the Nikolsky District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20221102","regions":["penza"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence for Viktor Shayapov: a suspended sentence of 4 years with a probationary period of 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20221014","regions":["penza"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shows the defendant an official document with the reason for the absence of experts from the autonomous non-profit organization \"Penza Forensic Laboratory\". It says that \"specialists Yarkin and Nikonov are on vacation until 09/30/2022\", nothing is said about the third, Elena Loginova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220823","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people come to court. Everyone is allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe prosecutor objects to a new psychological, linguistic and religious examination. The judge rejects the petition.\nViktor Shayapov states that he did not have the opportunity to ask the experts questions, therefore, at the request of the defense, the judge decides to invite the experts Loginova, Nikonov and Yarkin for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220816","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defendant, the court shall examine the materials seized during the search. Among them are several texts on the topics: \"What is the use of honesty?\", \"What is the benefit of good deeds?\", \"How to cope with the pain of loss?\", \"What is God planning for people?\".\nShayapov is petitioning for a new comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination. The defendant believes that serious mistakes were made during the previous examination and that there is reason to doubt the competence and impartiality of the experts. The court shall postpone the decision on this motion to the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220810","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several other audio recordings made by a secret witness are heard in court. Among them is a recording of a liturgical meeting at which the defendant's voice is heard. Viktor Shayapov, commenting on the audio recordings, notes that the terms used, such as \"organization\" and \"elder\", have a canonical meaning and are not legal terms. He also draws the court's attention to the fact that believers do not impose their opinions on anyone and respect the point of view of others, that there are no calls for hatred, enmity and violence in the fragments listened to, that the decision to serve God is a personal desire of each person. Shayapov says that at divine services he and his fellow believers learn \"to love their neighbors, not to harm anyone, to be faithful to their life partner and to take care of children.\"\nWith the judge's permission, Viktor Shayapov reads excerpts from the book of religious scholar Ivanenko, including a description of the Bible-based creeds of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220705","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the court examines material evidence from the case file. Among them is a video about Jehovah's Witnesses from Venezuela, which tells about the hard work and mutual assistance of believers.\nViktor Shayapov reads out an excerpt from a printed publication of Jehovah's Witnesses seized during the search. This is a text titled \"Bible Principles That Strengthen the Family.\"\nThe judge grants Viktor Shayapov's petition to study the book \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible\". This book about Jehovah's Witnesses, written by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, was also seized during the search. It is planned to be examined at the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220701","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to get acquainted with the audio recordings of Viktor Shayapov's conversations with a secret witness, during which \"Kristina\" asks questions, and Viktor answers her on the basis of the Bible. The believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the secret witness turned on the recording in advance and deliberately deduced their conversation on religious topics. Shayapov notes that the court should not take into account evidence obtained through provocation, but the judge ignores the defendant's arguments.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220627","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is once again held behind closed doors. At the hearing, they continue to read out the 15th volume of the case, the content of which coincides with the 7th volume - transcripts of divine services and answers to religious questions of a secret witness, who appears in the case file under the name \"Kristina\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220606","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the 15th volume of the criminal case.\nTranscripts with texts of spiritual chants and lectures on how the Bible helps in life and strengthens the family are voiced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220429","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court continues to hear transcripts of meetings of believers with speeches that speak of the value of life and the importance of obedience to state authority.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220425","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held behind closed doors, because during the hearing the prosecutor reads out transcripts of not only audio recordings of worship services and Bible studies, but also personal conversations.\nThe court gets acquainted with the materials of the case. Volumes 6 and 7 are selectively announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220422","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses in the case continues. A neighbor of the Shayapovs says she has nothing bad to say about their family.\nA secret witness \"Makarov\" is being interrogated. She claims that Victor was a member of a local religious organization and that he himself told her about it, but this is not true. At the same time, she confirms that it is not necessary to be a member of a legal entity of the church in order to attend it.\nThe third witness being questioned says that he does not know Shayapov personally. He called the continuation of the activities of the banned organization the usual communion of believers, which was not stopped.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220413","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 25 people come to the hearing, but only 16 are allowed into the courtroom.\nWitnesses in the Shayapov case are being questioned, including the wife of the late Yuri Kim, who was involved in another criminal case. The rest of the witnesses say that they do not know Victor. There are discrepancies in their testimonies with what they said during the interrogation earlier. They confirm that they did not hear any calls for the overthrow of the government and violence from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220406","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 50 people come to the court hearing to support the believer, but only 17 are allowed into the courtroom. The judge extends the house arrest for another 2 months.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Shayapov cites a number of reasons why he considers this accusation illegal, contradictory and far-fetched. He says: \"The charge that has been brought against me is nothing more than persecution for the fact that I peacefully expressed my faith and professed it together with others, using my legal right, guaranteed to me by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nThe believer notes that the performance of spiritual songs, prayers, biblical speeches, discussion of the Bible do not cause any harm to society and the state and cannot be extremist.\n\"I got the impression,\" Shayapov adds, \"that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing less than discrimination.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220328","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shayapov's case is referred to the court and appointed to Judge Nikolai Razdrogin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220314","regions":["penza"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Shayapov is placed in a temporary detention facility for 48 hours. Later, the court chooses a measure of restraint for him in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220206","regions":["penza"],"tags":["ivs","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Mozhaisk (Moscow region), traffic police officers stop a car driven by Viktor Shayapov. A few hours later, law enforcement officers came to search the Shayapovs' house in Moskvoretskaya Sloboda. Participants of the raid arrive in cars without license plates and with registration plates of other regions. Security forces seize notebooks, personal records, SIM cards, hard drives, mobile phones and other equipment.\nViktor was taken to Penza, 740 km from home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220205","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anastasia Tymchenko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Penza Region, issues a search at the place of residence of Viktor Shayapov in the Moscow Region, in the village of Moskvoretskaya Sloboda.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2022-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20220204","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Viktor Shayapov is separated into a separate proceeding from the case of the Krupnovs. The believer is suspected of participating in extremist activities (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He is put on the wanted list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20210819","regions":["penza"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 12:30 p.m., investigator Saulin searches Viktor Shayapov's place of residence, where his parents live. According to the investigator, Viktor violated his recognizance not to leave. However, no one notified the believer of the election of this measure of restraint.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2021-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20210610","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 7 p.m., Igor Saulin, an investigator from Penza, conducts a search in Moscow at the place of registration of Viktor Shayapov's wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20210609","regions":["penza"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Shayapov becomes one of the defendants in the criminal case against Yuri Kim and unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shayapov in Nikolsk","date":"2020-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk2/index.html#20201007","regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2020, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina from Pavlovskaya. The charges were based on a report filed by Ilchenko, an FSB agent, who reported that the believer had allegedly attempted to involve him in the activity of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interpreted his conversations with Shchekoldina on Bible topics. Following a 9-hour search of her home and an interrogation, Shchekoldina was placed under a recognizance agreement. In May 2021, the case was submitted to court. A year later, the court sentenced the believer to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony. The verdict was upheld by the court of appeal in October 2022. At the time of her arrest, Lyudmila was suffering from serious medical conditions and required surgery, which was only carried out in August 2023. Lyudmila was released in April 2026.","date":"2020-04-23","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html","prisoners":["shchekoldina"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina continues to work in the sewing workshop. Her health returned to normal following surgery. The believer finds support in letters and reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2026-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20260208","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"She is always calm, reasonable and does not lose her temper,\" the prisoners say about Lyudmila Shchekoldina. Her disposition does not change despite the difficulties.\nThe believer suffers from back pain due to the workload. Since the change of medical staff in June, her bed rest has not been extended.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20250728","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina still works in the sewing workshop: she sews accessories to clothes. The working day lasts from 08:30 to 16:30.\nThe medical unit of the colony gives Lyudmila all the medicines she needs. She also receives parcels. For several weeks now, the believer has not received paper letters, but electronic ones come regularly.\nShchekoldina has a Bible. Recently, she was visited by her own sister. All this helps Lyudmila to keep her spirits up.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20250221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila is kept in a two-storey barracks, which accommodates 120 people. There are everything you need, including a fridge and a washing machine.\nThe administration of the colony and cellmates treat Lyudmila well. The believer is undergoing rehabilitation after the operation - she is given anti-inflammatory injections.\nLyudmila is worried that she has not been able to receive the Bible for a long time. Visits with loved ones, as well as letters of support, which she answers in her spare time, help her maintain a positive attitude.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20240911","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prison-treatment","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila restores her health after undergoing surgery. Until January 9, she was on sick leave due to high fever. Now she is better, but due to the disease of the joints and spine, it is difficult for Lyudmila to work in the sewing workshop full-time, six days a week.\nThe believer is in a detachment of 60 people and is tired of the noise. She is trying to get easier conditions of detention, with fewer people, but so far to no avail.\nBoth personal and library copies of the Bible were seized from Lyudmila due to the fact that they do not have the seal of the church on them. However, Shchekoldin is supported by letters from friends and family.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20240202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believer successfully underwent surgery in a civilian hospital. Lyudmila feels good, can already get out of bed and walk a little. 5 guards are on duty at her ward at the same time.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20230810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina is taken to the hospital for surgery on internal organs. Although permission for this was given back in February 2023, the administration of the colony was in no hurry to send the believer for treatment. All this time, the woman was in severe pain.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20230807","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","torture-conditions","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer's health continues to deteriorate and needs additional examination. Lyudmila re-wrote a statement with a request to take her to a medical institution for examination.\nShchekoldina is not given her personal Bible, arguing that this copy was not published by the Orthodox Church, and encourages her to attend services held once a week by an Orthodox priest.\nThanks to the intervention of a lawyer, Lyudmila is allowed to make phone calls to relatives, friends and a lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20230411","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila has been in the colony for 3.5 months. She begins each day by reading the Bible, which she borrowed from the local library. The believer is on the professional register, enjoys the respect of other convicts, because she is in a colony for her faith, knows the Bible perfectly well and gladly answers their questions. The administration treats Lyudmila well, living conditions are not bad, the food is normal.\nThe believer works in a sewing workshop 5 days a week, and she is also involved in household chores: loading heavy things, snow removal. For health reasons, Lyudmila needs additional medical examination and surgery. Friends and relatives are willing to pay the costs involved.\nIn December and January, Lyudmila was visited by her sister. In February, her friends came to visit her. The woman is supported by numerous letters from fellow believers from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20230221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina is transferred to the women's correctional colony No. 28 in the city of Leninsk (Volgograd region) to serve her sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-11-14T14:39:24+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20221114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Lyudmila Shchekoldina was moved to SIZO-1 in Volgograd - 600 km from home. Soon she is planned to be transferred to a women's colony in the Volgograd region.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20221026","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Lyudmila Shchekoldina in SIZO-1 in Krasnodar. She doesn't feel well. The conditions of detention in the pre-trial detention center are good, the cell is clean, but there are only 12 beds for 13 people, so Lyudmila has to sleep on a mattress on the floor. She is going to write a petition to the administration for the provision of a bed.\nLyudmila's relationship with her cellmates is good, she has the opportunity to read the Bible from the library. The believer receives so many letters of support that she does not have time to answer them.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220614","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two days in the detention center (Vyselki village), Lyudmila Shchekoldina is transferred to the Krasnodar pre-trial detention center, located at 42 Voronezhskaya Street.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220526","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court finds Lyudmila Shchekoldina guilty under Articles 282.2 (1.1) and 282.2 (2) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentences her to 4 years and 1 month in a penal colony. The woman is taken into custody in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-23T11:50:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate in the Pavlovskiy District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years and 6 months in a penal colony for Lyudmila Shchekoldina.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220519","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the state of health of Lyudmila Shchekoldina has deteriorated, she needs surgery.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220427","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina testifies. She draws attention to the difference between the activities of a legal entity (LRO) and peaceful meetings of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220407","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to satisfy the petition previously filed by the defense for the appointment of a second comprehensive examination.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220316","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to study the materials of the case, including audio recordings of conversations about the Bible made by Ilchenko.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20220112","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Having considered the motion to terminate the criminal case, the court refuses to satisfy it.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20211213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"18 people come to the courthouse to support Lyudmila Shchekoldina.\nThe judge satisfies the lawyer's requests to terminate the criminal case and to admit evidence substantiating this petition.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20211122","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One of them is not familiar with the defendant and knows about her religious views only from the words of Valery Ilchenko.\nThe questions of the judge and the prosecutor relate to beliefs, and not to the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210922","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that Lyudmila Shchekoldina is under recognizance not to leave, the judge allows her to leave for ten days of treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210826","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of witnesses begins, among them - the agent of the special services Valery Ilchenko, who kept a secret record of conversations about the Bible with believers.\nIlchenko disagrees with some of the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, but acknowledges that everyone has the right to practice their religion and consider it correct. The witness admits that he did not receive an offer from anyone to join the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Pavlovskaya.\nThe court is interrogating Maksim Beltikov. He explains to the court that he met with Lyudmila Shchekoldina and Valery Ilchenko once. Valery talked about his family problems, and they discussed advice from the Bible on the subject. The topic of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses was not raised. He adds that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by Russian law.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210714","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the merits of the case begin. Lyudmila Shchekoldina expresses her attitude to the charges.\nThe believer does not admit guilt and considers the accusation illegal: \"I am actually accused of believing in God and remaining a Jehovah's Witness, that is, enjoying the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution. [...] The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made it clear that its decision of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit the constitutional rights of citizens, including mine. I believe that the preliminary investigation bodies are incorrectly and arbitrarily interpreting the decision of the Supreme Court. It is the misinterpretation, not the alleged crime I committed, that is the reason why I am in the dock today.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210621","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are submitted to the Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory and appointed to Judge Olga Marchenko for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210513","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyudmila Shchekoldina is charged with committing a crime under Part 1.1. and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20210331","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the villages of Pavlovskaya and Kholmskaya of the Krasnodar Territory, searches are underway in 9 houses of believers, including Lyudmila Shchekoldina. For more than 9 hours, operatives have been carefully copying the seized personal belongings: electronic devices, flash cards, Bibles in various translations, books written by religious scholars, photo albums, as well as bank cards.\nLyudmila Shchekoldina is formally charged. Investigator A. N. Kolerov interrogates the believer, she becomes ill. After the interrogation, a preventive measure is imposed on Lyudmila - a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. N. Kolerov, investigator of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnodar Territory, makes a decision to bring Lyudmila Shchekoldina as a defendant under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an organization banned by the court). The official document was handed to Lyudmila the next day.\nThe Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnodar allows searches, including in the home of Lyudmila Shchekoldina.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20200428","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A.N. Kolerov, investigator of the 2nd division of the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory, initiates a criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe accusation is based on the report of the agent of the special services Ilchenko that Lyudmila tried to involve him in the activities of an extremist organization. This is how he regarded Shchekoldina's suggestion to become better acquainted with biblical teachings.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20200423","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An employee of the FSB of Russia in the Krasnodar Territory draws up a report \"on the detection of signs of a crime\", which in the future will become the reason for initiating a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20200422","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation makes a decision on the recognition of the Local Religious Organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses of the village of Pavlovskaya as an extremist organization and its liquidation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shchekoldina in Pavlovskaya","date":"2017-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya/index.html#20170420","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["mro"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2018, the FSB for the Stavropol Territory initiated a criminal case against four Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses on charges for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Among them was Aleksey Shcherbich. In 2020, he was also charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization; his case was made into a separate proceeding. In June 2024, Shcherbich was detained and placed in a pretrial detention center. In May of the following year, he was sentenced to a fine of 300,000 rubles.","date":"2018-12-07","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html","prisoners":["shcherbich"],"regions":["stavropol"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"The evidence collected and voiced at this trial against me confirms only one thing: I belong to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses... There is not a single victim in my case,\" Aleksey Shcherbich addresses the court with his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20250526","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 8 years in prison for the believer.\nThe defense in its speech emphasizes that the investigation did not provide any evidence of the defendant's guilt. Also, this evidence is absent in the testimonies of witnesses, material evidence and the conclusion of a religious examination, and the case materials confirm only the fact that Shcherbich is a believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20250507","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge refuses to terminate the case and extends Shcherbich's detention for 3 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20250319","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the response from the tax service that Shcherbich was not a member of the LRO. In this regard, the defense petitions for the termination of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20250312","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Secret witnesses do not appear for interrogation, the defense petitions for their summons and declassification.\nThe court begins to study other materials of the case. The prosecutor reads out 34 expert opinions from the case of Akopov, Samsonov and Sultanov, who were previously convicted and served their sentences for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2025-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20250212","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The examination of witnesses for the prosecution shows that the testimony of one of the women differs significantly from what is recorded in the investigator's report.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20241127","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Shcherbich is getting used to the new conditions in the pre-trial detention center in Pyatigorsk. His cough hasn't stopped for a month.\nCellmates treat the believer with respect. They are impressed by the number of letters he receives. Recently, he was given several pieces at once after some delay. Shcherbich does not have his own copy of the Bible yet.\nLiving conditions are acceptable: the cell is warm and there is water. The believer has his own bed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20241105","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It became known that Aleksey Shcherbich was transferred from the Stavropol pre-trial detention center to the Pyatigorsk one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20241014","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are received by the Neftekumsk District Court of the Stavropol Territory. It will be considered by judge Andrei Apalkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20240927","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By court decision, Shcherbich is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Stavropol Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20240613","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Shcherbich is detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20240611","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The state prosecutor reads out the interrogation protocols of numerous prosecution witnesses, with whom Aleksey Shcherbich is not personally acquainted and who cannot testify against him. The defendant asks not to attach their testimony and the protocols of their interrogations to the case file.\nWitnesses interrogated during the hearings confirm their earlier testimony, which is at variance with what they say in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2024-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20240125","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Astakhov decides to separate the criminal case against Aleksey Shcherbich into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20200730","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Cases involving the organization and financing of the activities of an extremist organization are combined into one criminal proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20200729","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Shcherbich is involved as a defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20200728","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Astakhov initiates a new criminal case under the article on financing the activities of an extremist organization against Shcherbich, Samsonov, Akopov and Sultanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2020-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20200605","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice A. Astakhov, senior investigator for particularly important cases of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia in the Stavropol Territory, initiates a criminal case under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization against Konstantin Samsonov, Alexander Akopov, Shamil Sultanov and Aleksey Shcherbich.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shcherbich in Neftekumsk","date":"2018-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/neftekumsk3/index.html#20181207","regions":["stavropol"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2025, a resident of Birobidzhan, Yelena Shestopalova, 60, learned that a criminal case had been initiated against her for reading the Bible with friends. Her home was searched. In March 2026, the case went to court.","date":"2025-10-03","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html","prisoners":["shestopalova"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"In her testimony, the defendant explained that they did not study banned literature at meetings for worship. According to her, those present simply recalled books that some of them had read 20 to 30 years ago. At that time, these publications were freely distributed in Russia and were added to the Federal List of Extremist Materials much later. No one quoted the content of the publications.\n\"Praising God and glorifying him is important for every religious person in any denomination. Jehovah's Witnesses glorify Jehovah God and pray to him. There is no extremism or propaganda of superiority in this,\" Yelena notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20260609","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the court hearing, an audio recording of a meeting for worship is played, in which Bible teachings are discussed.\nThe hearing becomes public, and at the motion of the defendant, a woman who had previously been waiting in the corridor and could not be present due to the closed format of the proceedings is allowed into the courtroom. The prosecution invites two witnesses into the courtroom — Investigator Yankin, who was directly involved in investigating the case, and FSB officer Krupetskiy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20260528","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the case of Elena Shestopalova are beginning.\nThe prosecution proceeds to examine the written evidence. A significant part of the documents does not relate to the charges. Thus, materials for 2015 are read out (which goes beyond the incriminated period), as well as extensive documents related not to Yelena, but to Oleg Postnikov, including search protocols and lists of property seized from him. Positive references from Elena's place of work and a letter of thanks from the governor are announced.\nDuring the speech of the state prosecutor, Shestopalova repeatedly asks for the floor and states that he is not telling the truth. Thus, the prosecutor claims that the seized hard drive contains a recording of a meetings for worship, but the case file indicates that this is not the case. The judge requires the prosecutor to find this information and voice reliable information.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20260416","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The catch case against Elena Shestopalova goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20260320","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Klyuchikova, judge of the Birobidzhan District Court, allows a search in the home of Yelena Shestopalova, 60, the mother of Vladlena Kukavitsa, who has been on trial for her faith for more than 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20251008","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator, Captain of Justice Dmitry Yankin opens a criminal case against Yelena Shestopalova for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shestopalova in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan24/index.html#20251003","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2019, in Saransk, the FSB initiated a criminal case for extremism against three believers. After mass searches, the father of two young children, Vladimir Atryakhin, as well as Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgiy Nikulin, ended up in a pretrial detention center, where they spent 2 to 5 months. Later, three more defendants appeared in the case — Aleksandr Korolev, Elena Nikulina and Denis Antonov. The case went to court in May 2021. The defense showed the court several times that the declassified witness Vlasov was giving false testimony. In August 2022, the believers were convicted: Atryakhin was sentenced to 6 years, the Nikulins — 4 years and 2 months each, and Shevchuk, Korolev, and Antonov — 2 years in a penal colony. The court of appeal upheld the verdict. In November 2023, Shevchuk was released from the penal colony, in June 2024, Korolev and Antonov were released, and in December 2025, Nikulin.","date":"2019-02-04","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html","prisoners":["akorolev","antonov","atryakhin","gnikulin","nikulina","shevchuk"],"regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","type":"cases"},{"body":"In the workshop where Elena Nikulina works, there is a high volume of orders: prisoners sew special clothes, even during night shifts. Elena's responsibilities include checking the quality of tailoring, correcting errors and training new inmates to work on professional sewing machines. Those around her appreciate the believer for her good qualities and call her \"Auntie Elena\".\nDue to working under pressure, Nikulina's eyesight has deteriorated. She still needs dental care — one tooth had to be removed. She is given the prescribed medication.\nElena receives letters only in paper form by regular mail and only on everyday topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20260413","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin was granted an extended visit from his wife. The believer is in good physical and emotional state: he eats on time, does physical exercises and plays football. He is respected by both his cellmates and the staff of the penal colony. Vladimir lives in a barracks designed for 16 people. He receives many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20260201","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Nikulina still works in the sewing workshop. In early November, she was transferred to the interoperational product quality control. The working day lasts 12 hours with 1 day off every 2 weeks. In the previous place, it was even more difficult, but the believer still gets tired physically and emotionally.\nThere are 75 people in the unit. Due to the lack of bathrooms and places in the dining room, you constantly have to wait in line, and only 5 minutes are allotted for eating. Bath day — twice a week. The only washing machine often does not work, and about 20 minutes are allotted for manual washing of personal belongings. Bed linen and towels can be taken to the communal laundry.\nElena is supported by friends and family: letters come from different countries, parcels from different cities. The believer helps some prisoners out in everyday life and tries to emotionally support those who are not visited by their relatives. All this earns her the respect of others.\nElena's health improved: at the beginning of the term, she sometimes lost consciousness and lost 30 kilograms in the first year, but thanks to the necessary medication and regular examinations, her condition stabilized and her weight gradually returned to normal. Once a year, she undergoes planned treatment in the hospital. She needs dental care.\nElena's husband, Georgiy Nikulin, who was recently released from the penal colony, said: \"I regularly wrote letters to my wife directly to the penal colony and through relatives. Unfortunately, due to the difficult conditions of her stay, she wasn't able to answer. Due to travel restrictions, I can't visit her. But I am really looking forward to meeting her.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20260123","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Nikulina has difficulties receiving letters in the colony: they are rarely received and not everyone passes the censorship. There are problems with water in the barracks. Recently, I had a long date with my sister.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20250131","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of Vladimir Atryakhin's detention in the colony are satisfactory. He is respected by the administration and other prisoners. He still has the opportunity to call and meet with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20241106","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court establishes administrative supervision over Aleksandr Korolev for a period of 8 years. A believer released from the colony is forbidden to attend mass events, must be at the place of registration from 22:00 to 06:00, and also appear once a month at the internal affairs body at the place of residence. Korolev intends to appeal this decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2024-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20240913","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena continues to work in the sewing workshop, but often gets tired. Her relatives manage to give her the necessary medicines. Living conditions are satisfactory, but Yelena is depressed by the ubiquitous-sounding obscene language.\nShe finds solace in reading a Bible borrowed from the library and in observing the birds and flowers, two sunflowers that grow on the grounds of the colony. She is very supportive of her letters.\nIn June, Yelena received two penalties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2024-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20240830","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena continues to work in the sewing workshop, since February a 6-day working week has been introduced in the colony. Due to hard work, the believer's left arm goes numb. The neurologist prescribed her treatment, due to which the pain is slightly dulled, but in general there is no special improvement. Due to the fact that Elena is a professional seamstress, she is not transferred to another job.\nThe barracks and shop are noisy. Until the end of the day, prisoners can only sit on a stool, they are not allowed to sit or lie down on the bed.\nElena supports letters. Due to her busy schedule, she is unable to answer each one, but she is grateful for the support. She also managed to get permission to correspond with her husband, who is serving a sentence in another colony and whom they have not seen for a year and a half.\nThe believer is regularly visited by her relatives. The attitude towards her on the part of the administration of the colony is good. Other prisoners treat her with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2024-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20240302","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin and Georgy Nikulin, who are serving sentences in a penal colony, maintain a positive attitude. Vladimir feels good, does not complain about his health. Giorgi has health problems. Believers can exercise three times a week and thus support themselves. There are no problems with nutrition. It is also possible to buy the necessary products in the store.\nThe attitude towards prisoners is generally good. Alexei Berchuk from Blagoveshchensk, who is also serving a sentence in this colony, and Vladimir Atryakhin are kept together, their beds are nearby.\nBelievers have a Bible and the opportunity to periodically call their loved ones, they regularly receive letters.\nVladimir Atryakhin is valued as a good worker. For example, he was able to repair a faulty computer-controlled woodworking machine. The believer works in the workshop, where the first shift is from 8:40 to 17:30, the second is from 18:00 to 21:30. Also, for exemplary behavior, Vladimir was transferred to easier conditions of detention, thanks to which he receives visits with his wife and children more often.\nAn open day was recently held in the colony. The believers were visited by their friends and acquaintances.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20231009","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena Nikulina was transferred back from the medical correctional institution to the colony. Thanks to the adjusted therapy, she feels better. During the two months of imprisonment, Yelena lost about 20 kg.\nTogether with the believer, there are more than 50 other prisoners in the barracks. Relations with them, as well as with the administration of the colony, are normal. Conditions are generally satisfactory, but there is often no water in the barracks. On weekends, prisoners are forced to watch lectures on television.\nElena works in the sewing workshop full-time, and in the evening she can be entrusted with additional household work. She gets tired of hard work, as well as noise in the workshop. In the colony, only registered letters are given to her. Elena is still unable to correspond with her husband George, although she submitted an application to the administration. The believer has a Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230914","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the colony, the doctor reveals angina pectoris, exhaustion and dehydration in Elena Nikulina. In this regard, she is sent to medical correctional facility No. 3 in the village of Barashevo (Mordovia). For this reason, she is temporarily unable to receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230825","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["prison-treatment","health-risk","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that Aleksandr Shevchuk was transferred back to colony No. 12 in the Republic of Mordovia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230405","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another 38 people are being held in the barracks with Oleksandr Shevchuk. The believer has not yet been given the necessary medicines (he suffers from a serious chronic illness).\nDue to the need for ophthalmic treatment, Shevchuk is temporarily transferred to a medical institution in the village of Barashevo.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230313","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Aleksandr Shevchuk, Denis Antonov and Aleksandr Korolev arrived at Correctional Colony No. 12 in the Republic of Mordovia to serve their sentences. They can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230308","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Elena Nikulina arrived at the correctional women's colony No. 2 in the Republic of Mordovia, where she will serve her sentence. She can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230307","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin and Georgy Nikulin are taken to colony No. 3 in the Republic of Mari El, where they will serve their sentences. They are in quarantine, but they can already write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-03-02T14:49:08+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230302","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that believers from Saransk are being moved to places where they are serving their sentences. Vladimir Atryakhin and Georgy Nikulin will serve their sentences in one of the colonies of the Republic of Mari El. Elena Nikulina was allegedly sent to a women's colony in Mordovia. Aleksandr Shevchuk, Denis Antonov and Aleksandr Korolev will serve their sentences in Penal Colony No. 12 in Mordovia.\nSo far, none of the believers can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2023-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20230223","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the convicts were taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Saransk. Believers can send letters by regular mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220828","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All the defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-08-15T01:00:00+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220815","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court, the debate of the parties begins. The prosecutor requests 6.5 years in a penal colony for Atryakhin, 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony for the Nikulins, and 2.5 years in a penal colony for Shevchuk, Antonov and Korolev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220721","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the protocols of Vladimir Atryakhin's interrogations are announced. After that, the believer declares that he does not agree with the entry in the protocol that he allegedly partially admits guilt.\nInvestigator Makeev, who conducted interrogations of believers, is being interrogated. The prosecutor asks him about how the interrogations were conducted, whether he exerted pressure on the defendants. The prosecutor is also interested in whether lawyers were present during the interrogations and how the texts of the protocols were drawn up.\nThe characteristics of the defendants are announced. Despite the fact that they are read out at the request of the prosecutor, the believers are given a positive assessment.\nThe court completes the examination of the evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220718","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"All the defendants testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220704","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws attention to the fact that the name of God \"Jehovah\" is in various translations of the Bible and the name \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" is in no way connected with a legal entity.\nThe defendants emphasize that worship services do not depend on the presence of a legal entity. The defense also explains that the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Saransk was created for the purpose of building a religious building, and since the premises are now missing, the continuation of the activities of the LRO does not make any sense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220627","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to computer problems, instead of watching a film about the religious repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, the court examines the book of religious scholar Ivanenko. The defense cites quotes refuting the testimony of prosecution witness Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220620","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The review of one of the recordings of the services is completed. The defense emphasizes that there are no calls for extremism in it.\nThe judge grants the defense's motions to watch documentaries about bloodless methods of treatment and about the repression of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union. The defense emphasizes that an informed refusal of blood transfusion in favor of more modern and safe methods is a legal right of a citizen of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220530","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearing, they watch and comment on the recording of the service. The defense notes that the recording emphasizes the peaceful nature of the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, in particular, it is mentioned that \"even when faced with persecution, Christians did not organize a struggle against the authorities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220523","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing the record of the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe defendant Atryakhin comments: \"At the meeting we watched, we discussed the issue of showing kindness and attention to all people ... Those present modestly discussed biblical principles and sought advice that could make a believer happier.\"\nThe defense draws attention to the statement from the audio recording: \"If we do not do everything to restore peace in the congregation or in the family, then our worship of God is useless.\" Atryakhin emphasizes that this contradicts the statements of the witness \"Petrov\" (Sergei Vlasov) about calls for a break in family relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220505","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court concludes the interrogation of the declassified witness Sergey Vlasov, which lasted for 4 sessions.\nThe testimony of the witness diverges from the data given earlier, in connection with which the court hears the protocols of interrogations. The defense draws attention to the fact that the prosecutor does not read out the protocols in their entirety, skipping entire paragraphs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220418","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Petrov\", who is in a separate room, is interrogated. The defense asks to declassify it due to the fact that the real name and surname of the witness (Sergey Vlasov) are indicated in the case file.\nThe judge satisfies the request of the defense, the interrogation of Sergey Vlasov continues in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220309","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the material evidence seized from Antonov and Boyko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20220303","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the testimony of the prosecution witnesses. The defendants insist on the personal presence of three of them at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20211227","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the motion of the prosecution to read out the testimony of the operational officers.\nThe transcripts of the interrogations of prosecution witnesses shall be read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210823","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Friends of the defendants come to the courthouse to support them.\nDenis Antonov and Elena Nikulina are now represented by new lawyers. They ask for time to familiarize themselves with the case materials. The judge adjourned the hearing to the next day.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210628","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nAll 6 defendants express their attitude to the charges. They draw the court's attention to the fact that they maintain peaceful relations with others because of biblical principles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210623","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing begins. Judge Oksana Ledyaykina recuses herself, referring to the fact that in 2016 she considered a case of an administrative offense under Article 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation against the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Saransk (distribution of extremist materials). Judge Ledyaykina then found the LRO guilty and imposed a fine of 150,000 rubles.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210611","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yekaterina Nikulina is officially charged under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (recruitment and participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The believer is accused of talking about God and the Bible. The resolution says: \"Acting intentionally and illegally together with Nikulin G.N., in compliance with conspiracy measures, pursuing the goal of involving new participants in the banned organization, during repeated meetings with Sidorov G.V. (Yevgeny) and Petrov P.P. (Sergey), whose personal data are kept secret.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210402","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin is formally charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist community activities). According to the investigation, the believer's guilt lies in the fact that he \"carried out activities that, according to the Charter of the organization, are the coordination of the preaching activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the confession and dissemination of faith, including preaching in public places and residential premises.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20210331","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new investigation team has been set up for the criminal case. Alexander Dolbunov is appointed its head.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190704","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgiy Nikulin are released from the pre-trial detention center on their own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190702","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator E. V. Makeev softens Vladimir Atryakhin's preventive measure: the believer is released from the pre-trial detention center on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190328","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation is initiated against Aleksandr Korolev, which is combined with the case of Shevchuk and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190320","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being opened against Denis Antonov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It connects with the case of Shevchuk and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190314","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Atryakhin, Aleksandr Shevchuk and Georgy Nikulin were remanded in custody. They are sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Mordovia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190208","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Mordovia, E. V. Makeev, initiates a criminal case for faith under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The suspects are Alexander Shevchuk (born in 1989), Vladimir Atryakhin (born in 1987), Denis Antonov (born in 1976), Elena Nikulina (born in 1968), Alexander Korolev (born in 1978), Georgy Nikulin (born in 1963).\nAccording to the investigation, the believers were engaged in \"spreading ideology and faith among the inhabitants of the Republic of Mordovia ... by conducting conversations in public places and living quarters with residents of the city of Saransk and other settlements\", which investigators interpret as \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shevchuk and Others in Saransk","date":"2019-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/saransk/index.html#20190204","regions":["mordovia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2021, FSB and Investigative Committee officers conducted a series of searches in Lesosibirsk as part of the criminal case against Valeriy Shitz. The searches affected Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva. In January 2023, separate criminal cases were initiated against them. For discussing the Bible with friends, the investigation charged the man with organizing the activities of an extremist organization, and the woman with participation in it. Recognizance agreements were taken from the believers. In April 2023, Andrey Shiyan was searched again, during which he had to call an ambulance twice. In October, the criminal cases were submitted to the court, where they were later merged into one proceeding. In May 2024, another judge began to consider the case. A year later, the court sentenced Andrey to 6 years and 1 month in a penal colony, Anna to a fine of 400,000 rubles. Soon the court released Shiyan on a recognizance agreement due to a serious illness. In March 2026, his punishment was replaced with a fine of 600,000 rubles.","date":"2023-01-30","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html","prisoners":["shiyan","matveeva"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court changes the decision of the court of first instance and imposes a fine of 700 thousand rubles on Andrey Shiyan; taking into account the believer's stay in the pre-trial detention center after the verdict, 600,000 rubles are subject to payment. The meeting is attended by 12 people.\nAnna Matveeva did not appeal the verdict, it comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20260319","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court appoints a forensic medical examination in order to determine the severity of Andrey Shiyan's illnesses. The hearing was postponed until the results of the examination are received.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250923","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lesosibirsk City Court changes the preventive measure against Andrey Shiyan to a recognizance agreement due to his severe diabetes — a disease preventing detention. His life depends on regular medication and he needs constant medical observation. Thanks to the court's decision, he will be able to stay at home until his case is considered in the court of appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250529","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["release-sizo","recognizance-agreement","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests real terms for Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva: for Andrey - 6 years and 6 months, and for Anna - 2 years and 6 months.\nThe believers, their lawyers and the prosecutor speak in the debate, and then the defendants make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250425","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anna Matveeva testifies. According to the believer, she did not take part in the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Lesosibirsk, did not familiarize herself with its charter and did not sign any documents of this organization. Anna declares: \"To commit... I never intended to violate the rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen depending on his religious affiliation and attitude to religion, as this contradicts my position in life. I respect state bodies, as well as the rights of third parties to independently determine their religious affiliation.\" Matveeva emphasizes that saying prayers, singing spiritual songs and studying religious sources are common ways of expressing faith, guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nIn his testimony in court, Andrey Shiyan states: \"I consider bringing me as a defendant as discrimination and repression on the basis of religious affiliation.\" He pleaded not guilty, explaining that he was exercising his constitutional right to freedom of religion.\nThe court rejects the defense's motion to exclude 12 CDs, as well as expert opinions, from the case file. The judge attaches to the case file information about the illnesses of Andrey Shiyan and his elderly mother, as well as data on the employment of the defendants and the fact that Matveeva has a dependent daughter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250424","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head teacher of the school where Anna Matveeva has been working for about 20 years is being interrogated. She characterizes the believer as a professional teacher with an individual approach. The witness says: \"Anna Nikolaevna has a diploma from the city methodological community, she was also awarded a diploma of the legislative assembly of the region, has a letter of gratitude from the Ministry of the Russian Federation. In 2021, Anna Nikolaevna took 2nd place in Russia in the all-Russian competition... she was presented with this award in the small hall of the State Duma... For many years, she led a methodological community in the city for working with children with individual developmental disorders. She is a mentor to young teachers... This year, a specialist, a girl brought up, so to speak, by Anna Nikolaevna, showed herself at the city competition \"Teacher of the Year\". And in the nomination \"Discovery of the Year\" she was the leader.\nShe continues: \"Relations with all colleagues are pleasant. Anna Nikolaevna is always positive, when you need support, prompt, no one is afraid to ask her for help.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250306","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness under the pseudonym Fedorov is interrogated. The defense petitions for the disclosure of the identity of the witness, pointing to the absence of a real threat and the need for visual observation for a full-fledged interrogation. The court rejects the petition.\nFedorov says that he knows Jehovah's Witnesses from Krasnoyarsk and knows about believers from Lesosibirsk by hearsay. He does not know Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva. According to the witness, he did not receive any threats from the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250304","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Candidate of Philosophical Sciences Grigory Illarionov, who carried out an examination in the case of Shiyan, Matveeva and other believers from Lesosibirsk, is being interrogated. Illarionov talks about his vision of the history and structure of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. He says that only legal entities are banned in Russia, but not faith itself.\nThe next to be questioned is specialist Alla Kepchatova, who conducted a psychological and linguistic study. From the materials presented, she concludes that the participants in the conversations consider themselves to be Jehovah's Witnesses. She calls the discussion of the Bible as part of online meetings for worship, where only the believers themselves were present, as propaganda.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250226","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a classified prosecution witness. The lawyer reads out a motion to disclose the identity of the witness, since there were no threats or illegal actions on the part of the accused, and they are characterized as exemplary and peace-loving people. The judge asks for the opinion of the prosecutor, who is categorically against the disclosure of the identity of the witness and visual interrogation. The witness is interrogated by the judge in another room. The defence is not allowed to speak to him, and the lawyer passes his questions through the judge, who has to go from the courtroom to another room and back again to get answers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20250218","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva express their attitude to the charges brought against them: they do not consider themselves guilty.\nAndrey Shiyan claims that the investigator substituted concepts and called the usual confession of faith extremist activity. He goes on to say: \"I am wrongly accused of not renouncing my religion, but continuing to practice it with other believers. […] It is not clear to me on the basis of what authority the state prosecutor extrajudicially banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAnna says: \"The indictment shows again and again that my fault was that I prayed with others, sang religious songs with them, listened to sermons. […] Nowhere in the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation does it say that it considered these ways of worship of God as unacceptable and even more so extremist.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20240723","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are transferred to another judge, Yevhen Zadvorny. The case begins from the beginning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20240502","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is petitioning for the recusal of Judge Larisa Burdukovskaya. The court refuses.\nThe lawyer also submits a motion to provide the defendants with time to familiarize themselves with the case materials after the connection of criminal cases - a total of 22 volumes. For this, the judge allocates 2 days to the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20240123","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a complaint against the merger of the cases of Shiyan and Matveeva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2024-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20240109","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, the judge merges the criminal cases of Andrey Shiyan and Anna Matveeva into one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231229","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shiyan's case is submitted to the Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Larisa Burdukovskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231212","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the city of Lesosibirsk, Dmitry Snyatkov, approves the indictment against Andrey Shiyan. The accusation is based, among other things, on the testimony of secret witnesses, as well as Grigory Illarionov, associate professor of the Department of Philosophy at Siberian Federal University, who acts as an expert.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231207","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused petitions for the termination of the criminal case. He states that he does not plead guilty to the crime, that the charge against him is unclear and that the exercise of constitutional and internationally protected rights cannot be considered a crime. Shiyan considers his involvement as an accused as discrimination and repression on the basis of religious affiliation and believes that the criminal case initiated against him should be terminated due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.\nInvestigator Pozdnyakov refuses to satisfy his request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231129","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Within the framework of Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, Andrey Shiyan begins to get acquainted with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231108","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department for the city of Lesosibirsk, senior lieutenant of justice M. A. Pozdnyakova attracts Andrey Shiyan as an accused and again chooses for him a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231031","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Matveeva's case is submitted to the Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Larisa Burdukovskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20231027","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A second search of the believer is carried out. Data carriers, electronic devices and biblical literature are seized.\nThe senior investigator of the investigation department for the city of Lesosibirsk, Major of Justice Artem Kunko, chooses a preventive measure for Andrey Shiyan in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230411","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigation involves Anna Matveyeva as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230227","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kunko interrogates Anna Matveeva as a suspect and takes a written undertaking not to leave her place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230217","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Lesosibirsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory issues a search warrant for Shiyan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230213","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shiyan's case is separated from the Shitz case into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230130","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials against Anna Matveeva are separated into separate proceedings from the case of Valery Sheets.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20230118","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shiyan is undergoing the first search in the criminal case of Valeriy Shitz.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20211125","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A woman who portrays an interest in Bible teachings secretly records worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses and her conversations about the Bible with believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shiyan and Matveeva in Lesosibirsk","date":"2020-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/lesosibirsk3/index.html#20200101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Shulyuk’s grandparents were subjected to repression for their faith in the 1940s and 1950s. In 2020, their grandson, a peaceful believer from Nazarovo, faced the same persecution. In June, Ivan ended up in a temporary detention center after mass searches in his city. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him, on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, solely because of his religion. Shulyuk spent about 1 month in custody, then he was released under a recognizance agreement. In August 2021, the case went to court. The case materials contained conclusions of expert studies confirming that the faith of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses is not prohibited and there are no signs of extremism in the examined materials. In May 2023, the City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory gave the believer a 7-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the decision in September.","date":"2020-06-17","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html","prisoners":["shulyuk"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence for Ivan Shulyuk — 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony.\nIvan Shulyuk delivers his final statement.\n11 people are watching what is happening in the courtroom - for the first time in the entire trial, the judge allows listeners to be present after the declared petition for publicity.\nIn his final statement, Ivan tells the court about the shooting of his grandfather and the expulsion of the rest of his relatives to Siberia during the Stalinist repression because they were Jehovah's Witnesses. Declaring that he cannot give up his beliefs, the believer explains: \"This is my spiritual heritage.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20230505","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meetings are postponed until January of the following year until the examination is ready.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20221123","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court sends the case materials for linguistic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220926","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the objection of the prosecutor, the court makes a decision on the re-appointment of a comprehensive linguistic examination, but in a new institution.\n15 people come to the courthouse to support Ivan Shulyuk. The believer's wife is allowed to attend the meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220804","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks the defendant about his involvement in the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. Ivan Shulyuk answers: \"I believed in Jehovah God before the appearance of the LRO in Nazarovo and I believe after the termination of its activities.\" He adds: \"After reading the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017, I realized that individuals can continue to believe, and this is not a violation. I came to the conclusion that as part of a religious group, I have the right to practice my faith.\"\nThe defendant testifies to the court by reading out his written notes. The defendant explains: \"The fact that I communicated with fellow believers on biblical topics, sang religious songs, is not a resumption or continuation of the activities of any banned organization.\" The believer emphasizes that the material evidence and electronic documents examined in court testify only to the religious affiliation of their owners, and not to the fact of committing a crime.\n\"Neither the Supreme Court nor the Government of the Russian Federation consider the practice of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses to be unlawful actions. I also share their point of view,\" Shulyuk said at the end of his speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220705","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are selectively read out. The conclusions of the examinations state that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited, and there are no signs of extremism in the materials studied. A diploma from the head of the city for the Day of Housing and Public Utilities Workers, issued to Ivan Shulyuk during the criminal prosecution, and positive characteristics from various departments are also read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220624","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to an audio recording of another Bible-based lecture in which the speaker says that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited by law. The defendant draws attention to the fact that the believers had no doubt that they were not breaking the law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220603","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to the entire audio recording of the speech on a biblical topic. Ivan Shulyuk explains that this is a recording of a divine service of a group of believers, and not a meeting of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220527","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation of FSB officer Toldin, the defense explains to the court that holding worship services via video link is a manifestation of law-abiding citizens during a pandemic, and not a \"conspiracy\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220420","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two prosecution witnesses. They explain to the court that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is based on the Bible and does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220328","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses. Among them is an FSB officer who informs the court that it is possible to practice religion without being a member of a local religious organization.\nWitnesses in their testimonies note that at the services they read the Bible voluntarily, no one forced them to do so, they did not hear calls for extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220324","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, two witnesses for the prosecution say that they attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, but did not personally know the defendant Shulyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220225","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the criminal case, which, among other things, contain recordings of Bible discussions and prayers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220217","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge satisfies the petition previously filed by Shulyuk to return to him the electronic devices seized during the search.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2022-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20220209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Shulyuk says that believers learned to show love in practice to both friends and strangers, which is the exact opposite of extremism. He also explains that the believers held a worship service, not a meeting of a local religious organization. Makes an oral request to listen to audio recordings of worship services, as they differ from the text of the transcripts. The prosecutor opposes, the judge does not object.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2021-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20211221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the \"evidence\" of the defendant's guilt: religious texts in an abbreviated version, the biblical story of Joseph, quotes from the Holy Scriptures about showing respect for the authorities, etc.\nThe prosecutor accuses the defendant of organizing meetings of believers, indicating the dates on which, in fact, the defendant was in the pre-trial detention center and could not hold them.\nThe prosecution draws attention to personal photographs and spiritual texts found in Shulyuk's computer. The defendant says that the seized materials reflect the ordinary life of a Christian and are not extremist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20211028","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge allows the defendant's wife to attend the hearing, despite the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges, the defendant and lawyers express their attitude to the charges. The study of written evidence begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2021-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20211007","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Lev Afanasyev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2021-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20210816","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator M. S. Kozharin takes over the criminal case against Ivan Shulyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20201119","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave is chosen in relation to the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200817","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator V. D. Smolin submits a petition to extend the ban on certain actions to Ivan Shulyuk until October 17, 2020. Judge of the Nazarovsky City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory T. V. Okhotnikova does not find sufficient grounds for this, taking into account the positive characteristics of the believer. The measure of restraint is canceled.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200814","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Shulyuk is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. All his accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200723","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court cancels the decision of the Nazarovsky City Court of June 19 to take Ivan Shulyuk into custody and assigns him a new measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions until August 17, 2020. The accused may not leave the house from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., communicate with unauthorized persons or use any means of communication. Such a preventive measure deprives him of the opportunity to work and provide for his family financially.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200709","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Shulyuk is still being held in a temporary detention facility in Nazarovo, at 81 Arbuzova Street. Presumably, he will be sent to the pre-trial detention center in Achinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200625","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to imprison Shulyuk in a pre-trial detention center for two months. The judge refuses to includethe opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention because it is allegedly irrelevant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200619","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Nazarov, mass searches are carried out simultaneously in at least 12 houses of local believers. The victims of the searches are 28 people, including children. Most of them are interrogated.\nLieutenant of Justice V. D. Smolin, investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Nazarovsky District of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, presents to the believers a decree on \"conducting a search in cases that do not require delay.\" The security forces are looking for electronic devices and \"objects of extremist paraphernalia\" to confirm \"the existence of an organization of extremist orientation and participation in its activities.\"\nAs a result of these searches, 43-year-old Ivan Shulyuk was detained. He is placed in a temporary detention center for three days. A criminal case was opened against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the materials of the case, the believer is allegedly a \"leader with broad functionality\" and \"forms a stable opinion about the need to continue the activities of the religious organization \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" despite its ban.\" The list of grounds for initiating a criminal case includes \"discussion of biblical writings, prayer.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shulyuk in Nazarovo","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nazarovo/index.html#20200618","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","ivs","new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2023, the Investigative Committee charged Andrey Shurygin, a peaceful resident of Chelyabinsk, father of two minor children, with organizing extremist activity. The believer’s home was searched, and after interrogation he was placed under a recognizance agreement. In December of the same year, his name was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. The charge was based on hidden video and audio recordings of meetings for worship, during which, according to the investigation, Shurygin read and discussed the Bible with others. In June 2024, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for the believer. In May 2025, the court sentenced Andrey to 5.5 years imprisonment. The appeal reduced the sentence to 5 years in prison, and the additional restriction of freedom to 10 months. The cassation court upheld the decision of the court of appeal.","date":"2023-06-29","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html","prisoners":["shurygin"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"In prison, Andrey Shurygin has the bare minimum. His relationship with other prisoners and the administration of the penal colony is okay. He has a Bible. He regularly receives letters of support. From time to time, Andrey has allergies and he receives the necessary medication in the medical unit.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20260425","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After a short meeting, the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction dismissed the complaint of Andrey Shurygin, considering the violations of the law pointed out by the lawyers and the convict himself to be insignificant. The believer will continue to serve his sentence for his faith. Andrey plans to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\nThe court allows Andrey's 14-year-old daughter to participate in the hearing. During the break, the couple and daughters of the believer had the opportunity to talk to him via video conferencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20260318","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After quarantine, Andrey Shurygin is working as an electrician in the unit. He hopes to be granted an extended visit from his family soon.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20251120","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin is in penal colony No. 13 for the Sverdlovsk Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20251106","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin is still waiting to be transferred to the colony. During his stay in the pre-trial detention center, he received a total of about 600 letters.\nThe believer tries to keep himself in good physical shape. Separation from his family is not easy for him. He is especially worried about the fact that he cannot participate in the upbringing of his daughters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20251031","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court has reduced the sentence of Andrey Shurygin from 5.5 to 5 years in a penal colony. Additionally, the period of restriction of liberty has been shortened from 1 year to 10 months. The court cited the health conditions of Shurygin’s mother and youngest daughter, along with other mitigating circumstances, as grounds for the reduction. The prosecutor on the other hand had insisted on harshening the sentence by increasing it to 7 years imprisonment in a penal colony.\nIn his final statement, Andrey emphasizes the absurdity of charging him with continuing the activity of an extremist organization. He draws an analogy: \"Imagine there is an organization that advocates against smoking. If it is suddenly disbanded, does that mean one can no longer be a non-smoker? Or that those who continue not to smoke should be prosecuted simply because the majority chooses to smoke?\"\nApproximately 20 people are present at the hearing, including Shurygin’s wife, his eldest daughter, and several colleagues who came to show their support. However, the believer’s 13-year-old daughter was not permitted to attend the hearing: according to the court the proceedings “could have a negative impact on her health”.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250805","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Shurygin is in a recently renovated cell along with a 19-year-old. They have the opportunity to go for walks every other day. Andrey's health is fine; he has a Bible and receives a lot of letters. Staff at the detention center and the other prisoners treat the believer with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250613","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Yulia Zhivodinskaya. Sovetsky District Court of Chelyabinsk (76 Elkina Street). Time: 14:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250506","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 7 years in a general regime colony.\nThe defense asks to close the criminal case due to the absence of corpus delicti. The lawyer emphasizes that neither the witnesses nor the expert confirmed the presence of extremism in the actions of the believer. The prosecutor agrees and says that the goal of the prosecution was not to prove involvement in extremism, but an organized continuation of the activities of the LRO. The lawyer states that the case materials do not contain such facts either, and the defendant has never been a member of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250211","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are 60 people in the detachment where Andrey Shurygin is kept. The believer is employed, repairs locksmith machines. Recently, he had a long date with his wife and a short one with friends.\nAndrey has a Bible and regularly receives letters from friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2025-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20250202","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 listeners are allowed into the meeting room. The defense files a motion to return the criminal case to the prosecutor. The court dismisses it. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20240816","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Prosecutor of the Chelyabinsk Region E. V. Fedorov sends the criminal case to the Sovetsky District Court of Chelyabinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20240627","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases, Colonel of Justice Aleksandr Chepenko attracts Andrey Shurygin as an accused.\nThe accusation was based on hidden video and audio recordings of worship services, during which, according to the investigation, Shurygin, together with others, read and discussed the Bible. According to the investigator, it is unlawfully to participate in such events, because \"the persons conducting the conversation belong to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20240417","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After the interrogation, investigator Chepenko chooses a preventive measure for Andrey Shurygin in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-10-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20231005","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee Alexander Chepenko initiates a criminal case against Andrey Shurygin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Shurygin \"organized propaganda of the activities of this banned organization by giving instructions that supporters of the teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses conduct preaching activities with residents of Chelyabinsk in order to involve citizens in the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, convincing them of the correctness and indisputability of this religious teaching.\" The believer is also charged with holding four services at his home in 2020 and 2022, which are interpreted by the investigation as a continuation of the activities of the liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Shurygin in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk10/index.html#20230629","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, the FSB in Khabarovsk opened a criminal case against Aleksandr Shutov for participating in the activities of an extremist organization. The house of Aleksandr and his wife was searched. Then the believer was interrogated and released on recognizance not to leave. In March 2022, Shutov\u0026rsquo;s case was brought to court. As evidence of the defendant\u0026rsquo;s guilt, the prosecution used the testimony of a witness who had previously been forced to give false testimony against two other believers. The prosecutor requested 3 years and 5 months for the believer. The court sentenced Aleksandr to 2 years and 5 months of suspended sentence with a probationary period of 2 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months.","date":"2021-07-26","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html","prisoners":["shutov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a punishment for the believer in the form of 3 years and 5 months of imprisonment in a penal colony, as well as 10 months of restriction of freedom.\nAlexander Shutov delivers his last word. The believer emphasizes: \"Yes, I know that God's name is Jehovah, and I do not hesitate to pronounce this name. But is that a crime?\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20230529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a witness. Investigation of defense evidence. Announcement of the characteristics of the defendant from the district police officer and an extract about his health.\nAt the next meeting, the debate of the parties and the speech of Alexander Shutov with the last word are planned.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2023-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20230510","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the refusal of the secret witness to appear, as well as the conclusions of three examinations: sociological, political science and religious studies.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20230111","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings are listened to.\nAt the next hearing, it is planned to examine written evidence, interrogate a prosecution witness, as well as a secret witness.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20221121","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the evidence - audio recordings are listened to. Due to Alexander's poor health, the meeting was interrupted.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20221109","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Anna Kuznetsova and announcement of her testimony given at the preliminary investigation. According to the witness, she met the defendant at Jehovah's Witnesses services in 2008 and never met him again after the religious organization was banned in 2017. She reports that she treats the defendant well.\nNext, the prosecutor reads out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20221026","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of one of the prosecution witnesses continues, including his written testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220920","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned, including Ekaterina Leichunas, who was previously forced to act as a witness for the prosecution in the Baranov and Kuznetsov cases and give false testimony.\nVideo recordings of witness interrogations are also being examined.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220825","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shutov's wife and friends come to the court hearing.\nIn connection with the failure of witnesses to appear, the question of reading out their testimony is raised, but the defense is against it. The meeting was adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220624","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Shutov reads out a motion to ensure the publicity of the trial. The court satisfies his request and decides to hold the next hearings in public.\nThe court appoints a lawyer for the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220518","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Alexander Shutov begin. The first session is held behind closed doors and lasts 15 minutes. The believer declares that he does not plead guilty. He refuses a lawyer by appointment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220428","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexander Shutov goes to the court of the Lazo district of the Khabarovsk Territory, located in the village of Pereyaslavka. The believer, who will turn 70 in December 2022, will have to travel to court 80 km from home. The case has been assigned to judge Evgenia Stets.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220316","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The chairman of the Khabarovsk Regional Court, Olga Matulina, transfers the case materials against Alexander Shutov to the Lazo District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. This happened because all the judges of the Vyazemsky District Court are already considering the criminal cases of other Jehovah's Witnesses from Vyazemsky and the evidence of their guilt and the guilt of Alexander Shutov overlap. Thus, Shutov's criminal case is to be transferred to the nearest district court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220225","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Alexander Shutov is submitted for consideration on the merits to the Vyazemsky District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20220126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shutov for his faith in God is included in the list of Rosfinmonitoring, a list of individuals related to extremist activities or terrorism. This means that certain financial restrictions are imposed on it.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20210803","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, the Shutov family is searched with the participation of the investigator of the investigation department of the FSB Directorate for the Khabarovsk Territory S.V. Nemtsev and the head of the FSB department for the Vyazemsky district Alexei Svetachev, as well as two detectives and witnesses.\nDuring the search, Aleksandr Shutov and his wife's blood pressure rises to dangerous levels. In this state, Alexander is taken away for interrogation, which lasts 2 hours. Investigator Nemtsev brings Shutov as a defendant in criminal case No. 12107080001000053. After interrogation, the believer is released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20210730","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. S. Pozdnyakov, senior investigator-criminalist of the Investigative Department of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 68-year-old Alexander Shutov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Shutov in Vyazemsky","date":"2021-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyazemskiy4/index.html#20210726","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against pensioner Pavel Sidorenko was initiated in January 2022. The FSB equated practicing faith in Jehovah God with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Law enforcement officers conducted a search in Pavel\u0026rsquo;s apartment in the village of Prigorodny, during which his daughter, who suffers from a serious illness, experienced severe stress. Sidorenko was taken for interrogation, after which he was released under a recognizance agreement. In February 2023, the case went to court. In April 2024, Sidorenko was given a 3-year suspended sentence.","date":"2022-01-20","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html","prisoners":["sidorenko"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"My views, as a believing Christian with 33 years of experience, are based on love for God and love for people and have nothing to do with extremism,\" the believer delivered his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20240403","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believer, 43 people come to the courthouse, but only five are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe defense and the defendant speak. The lawyer notes: \"All the evidence presented by the investigation was contradictory, the witnesses were confused in their testimonies, did not give accurate explanations. Therefore, I believe that the investigation did not prove Sidorenko's guilt, and Sidorenko's guilt was not established at the hearing.\"\nTheir statements are attached to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20240325","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting a three-year suspended sentence for Pavel Sidorenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20240221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","suspended","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Goryacheklyuchevskoy City Court of the Krasnodar Territory. The referee is Zhanna Velichko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20240209","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sidorenko asks the court to exclude his phone from the evidence. The believer explains that he could not talk to him about the Bible in 2019, as he bought it only two years later. As proof, he cites an official response from the manufacturer, confirming that this model went on sale in 2021.\nThe judge shall postpone consideration of this issue until the final decision is made.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20240126","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws attention to the factual contradictions in the case materials. For example, the decision to initiate the case states that at that time (January 2022) Sidorenko lived in his house in Goryachy Klyuch. However, according to the contract for the sale of the house, the believer was removed from the register at this address back in June 2021.\nThe court examines the Orthodox \"Biblical Encyclopedia\" edited by Archimandrite Nicephorus, published in 1891. Sidorenko draws the court's attention to the fact that the prosecution considered this book as evidence of his guilt only because the name Jehovah appears in it.\nAt the request of the believer, the court attaches medical documents confirming the presence of a serious illness in his daughter, as well as health problems in himself and his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20231225","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"21 listeners are allowed into the hall.\nCommenting on the conclusions of the expert Boyko, the defendant draws attention to the fact that the expert refers to words that do not belong to Sidorenko. The results of phonoscopic examination are examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20231201","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 listeners were admitted to the meeting. The court begins to get acquainted with the conclusion of the religious examination. Sidorenko submits a petition to participate in this consideration. He explains this by saying that he knows the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses well and will be able to give explanations if necessary.\nJudge Zhanna Velichko partially granted the petition, allowing the believer to comment on the expert's conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20231121","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the video footage from the camera installed at Sidorenko's work. In this recording, believers discuss meetings of fellow believers via video link.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20231109","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A support group of 27 people comes to the courthouse. 12 of them are allowed into the hall.\nA video recording of one of the worship services is watched, in which believers, among other things, sing religious songs, and also discuss how Bible study helps a person to know God better.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230828","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support Pavlo Sidorenko, 25 people come to the courthouse, only 7 of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\nThe court examines the files from the laptop seized from the defendant during the search. Sidorenko emphasizes that in the watched videos there are no calls for violence, enmity, as well as propaganda of religious superiority.\nThe defendant points out that the expert's statements about the video are far-fetched. In addition, Sidorenko draws attention to the expert's distortion of the name of religion, which indicates a biased attitude of the specialist towards Jehovah's Witnesses and casts doubt on the objectivity of his conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230825","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor names the materials of the volumes of the case, which are planned to be examined at further court sessions. They contain video recordings from the defendant's work, audio files of his telephone conversations, conclusions of psychological, psychiatric, phonoscopic and religious examinations, as well as a poem on religious topics, which, according to the prosecutor, \"praises participation in the activities of the LRO.\"\nIn court, recordings of telephone conversations of the defendant are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230816","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses again did not appear at the hearing. Despite the objections of the defense, the court reads out the written testimony of one of them. The court decides to bring the rest to the hearing forcibly.\nA relative of Pavel Sidorenko is being interrogated. About his communication with the defendant, he says: \"We talk on the phone on family topics, we are interested in each other's lives. We have a normal family relationship.\" According to him, the defendant never offered him to join any banned religious organization.\nThe court rejects the request to waive the appointed lawyer.\nA support group of about 30 people gathers outside the courthouse, five of whom are allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230712","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Pavel Sidorenko begin. About 35 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believer.\nThe judge attaches to the case file the defendant's petition to terminate the criminal case, but postpones it for consideration during the trial.\nThe court refuses to satisfy Pavel's request to return the case to the prosecutor.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charge of extremism. Pavel Sidorenko pleads not guilty, emphasizing that he did not commit any crimes.\nThe questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. One of them gives the defendant a positive characteristic: responsible, conscientious, there are \"absolutely no complaints\" against the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230424","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Goryacheklyuchevsky City Court of the Krasnodar Territory. The referee is Zhanna Velichko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2023-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20230209","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the case of a believer, a comprehensive religious examination is appointed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20220323","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Sidorenko is prescribed a comprehensive outpatient psychological and psychiatric forensic examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20220315","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Sidorenko is being prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20220202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Oktyabrsky District Court Aleksandr Verkhohlyad issues a search in the home of Pavel Sidorenko, who lives in the village of Prigorodny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20220127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the FSB of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Nikita Rudenko initiates a criminal case against 64-year-old Pavel Sidorenko.\nThe investigation claims that no later than February 15, 2019, Sidorenko \"had a criminal intent to commit illegal actions for further participation in the activities of a local religious organization prohibited by law.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sidorenko in Krasnodar","date":"2022-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar2/index.html#20220126","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2021, the homes of residents in Kovrov were searched. Boris Simonenko, a retired miner, was detained. A criminal case was initiated against him for his faith in God. During interrogations, FSB officers from Vladimir and Kovrov presented screenshots taken in the summer of 2020, which showed believers communicating with each other via video link. The charges were also based on transcripts of Simonenko\u0026rsquo;s telephone conversations, in which the Bible was mentioned. The believer spent 145 days in a detention center and 219 days under house arrest, after which he was placed under a ban on certain actions. In September 2022, the criminal case went to court. The prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the believer. In July 2023, the court sentenced Simonenko to 2 years and 7 months imprisonment with additional restrictions for 1 year; the period of his  pretrial detention and other preventive measures are counted toward this term.","date":"2021-02-18","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html","prisoners":["simonenko"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"During the debate, prosecutor Maksym Krotov requested 6 years in a penal colony for Borys Symonenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20230721","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them claims that she has not heard any extremist appeals from Boris Symonenko, and does not ascribe leadership to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2023-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20230403","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution testifies that she has never heard calls for violence from Jehovah's Witnesses. The next witness did not hear such calls either. He states that he attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2007 and now has a general dislike for them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20230314","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who participated in the ORM against Symonenko testifies. He definitely cannot answer many questions over the years. What was the result of the defendant's prohibited activities and on what basis he was recognized as an extremist, the witness cannot say.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2023-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20230123","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of two prosecution witnesses. The first man attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to him, he was interested there, he felt peace in his soul. He says that at those meetings they discussed the influence of man on nature, relationships between people, and the upbringing of children. The witness confirms that they talked with the defendant on biblical topics and that the last time they saw each other was about three years ago. He never heard calls for violence or the overthrow of power from Boris and his wife. According to him, not a single rude word from Symonenko ever came.\nFurther, a neighbor of the Symonenko spouses is interrogated. She says that Boris did not discuss religious topics with her. When asked if she was afraid of the defendant and his wife, she answered in the negative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2023-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20230113","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out volumes 11 to 16 of the case. The lawyer objects to reading out the interrogation of Alexei Kupriyanov, a defendant in another case, and asks to read only what relates directly to Boris Symonenko. However, the judge does not take this remark into account.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20221212","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out volumes 2 through 5 of the case file, which contain Bible passages about the importance of trusting in Jehovah God and his qualities of love, mercy, and justice.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20221017","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Borys Symonenko's ban on certain actions until February 4, 2023, without taking into account his age, state of health and the presence of various awards and commendations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20220915","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Boris Simonenko is submitted to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region. It will be considered by judge Dmitry Valerievich Kirillov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20220905","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tyumenev issues an updated decision on the involvement of Simonenko as an accused. In the document, the investigator points out that Symonenko's criminal actions consist of \"convening meetings, organizing the performance of religious services, speeches and sermons at these meetings.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20220505","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris Symonenko's preventive measure is being changed: from house arrest he is transferred to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2022-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20220214","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Borys Symonenko is placed under house arrest. He spent 145 days in jail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210713","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Borys Symonenko is transferred to a pre-trial detention facility at Correctional Colony No. 7 of a special regime. PFRSI is designed for 220 seats and is located in the village of Pakino, Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-06-24T15:40:05+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210624","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Borys Symonenko, whose case is under preliminary investigation, is being transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Vladimir. Prior to that, the 65-year-old believer was in a pre-trial detention center at correctional colony No. 7 in the Vladimir region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210226","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator-criminalist of the FSB D. A. Tyumenev makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against Boris Simonenko. He is charged with organizing the activities of a liquidated religious association (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nAt the request of Tyumenev, the Kovrov City Court chooses Boris Simonenko a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210218","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Search and interrogation of Boris Symonenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210217","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major A. A. Bordunov, senior detective of the FSB department in the Vladimir region, provides a certificate of operational search measures carried out in relation to pensioner Boris Simonenko and his wife. It can be seen from the certificate that the accusation is based on telephone wiretapping of conversations between the Symonenko spouses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Simonenko in Kovrov","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov/index.html#20210208","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2021 law enforcement officers put Oleg Sirotkin, a peaceful believer from Tambov, under surveillance: audio recordings were made in the living room, and screenshots were taken on computers every 10 seconds. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against him 6 months later on charges of organizing the activity of an extremist organization — this is how the investigator interpreted Sirotkin conducting meetings for worship and keeping in touch with fellow believers. Oleg\u0026rsquo;s house was searched, after which he was interrogated and placed under a recognizance agreement. The believer\u0026rsquo;s car was arrested. In March 2022, the case went to court. After 3 years Oleg was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.","date":"2021-09-14","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html","prisoners":["sirotkin"],"regions":["tambov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","type":"cases"},{"body":"The analysis of Larisa Astakhova's expert study, which was prepared by a religious scholar at the request of a lawyer, is read out at the appeal hearing. The court is also examining screenshots from social media in which Astakhova calls herself a \"cult killer\" and is reviewing a recording of a television interview in which she speaks negatively about Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20251128","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["appeal","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin finds the conditions of detention in the pretrial detention center acceptable. He is kept in a cell for 9 people. He tries to keep himself in good shape by exercising. His relations with cellmates and the administration staff are respectful. Oleg can see his wife on short visits twice a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20250905","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin is in pretrial detention center No. 3 for the Tambov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-09-02T15:36:56+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20250902","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Denis Lipatov. Leninsky District Court of Tambov (63 Internatsionalnaya Street, Tambov). Start: 09:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20250516","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused is interrogated by the prosecutor. Sirotkin draws attention to the numerous violations committed by the court during the trial (many motions of the defense were rejected, including those related to the inclusion of the research of the religious scholar Elbakyan; the prosecutor's request to read out the protocol of the interrogation of the prosecution witness who did not appear in court was granted, etc.).\nThe believer does not agree with the accusations brought against him. He emphasizes, \"I just worship God. And no one has forbidden to believe in God either. Reading the Bible together, praying, discussing biblical thoughts, singing religious songs, and the like was also not forbidden. Such activities, carried out personally or jointly with others, are permitted by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20250130","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin's lawyer asks to attach to the case file recordings of a television interview, where religious expert Larisa Astakhova expresses her opinion on the ban on the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. He draws attention to evidence of Astakhova's prejudice against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The judge refuses to admit such materials to the defense, arguing that the name of the defendant himself is not mentioned there.\nThe lawyer also filed a motion to exclude Astakhova's examination from the evidence and to appoint a comprehensive psycho-linguistic religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20241021","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin and his lawyer object to the judge's actions in connection with the decision not to interrogate the expert Astakhova. The judge attaches the objections to the case file.\nFor the next 4 hours, the lawyer reads out the religious studies of Doctor of Philosophy, religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan. Among other things, it concludes that in order to worship God, believers were not required to register a legal entity or to continue the activities of a liquidated organization. The judge refuses to attach the text of the study to the case file, arguing that there is already enough evidence of the defendant's guilt and innocence. Counsel again objects to the actions of the presiding judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20240920","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Larisa Astakhova again does not appear at the meeting. The prosecutor's office says it has exhausted the possibilities of bringing the expert to court. The judge proposes to proceed to the interrogation of the accused. The defense asks for time to prepare, so the hearing is adjourned to 20 September.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20240807","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge proposes to read out the examination without questioning Astakhova, since she does not appear again. The defense objected, since it is this examination that is the basis of the accusation, and the lawyer and the defendant would like to interrogate her. The prosecutor's office supports the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20240703","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Larisa Astakhova does not appear at the hearing. Judge Denis Lipatov places the duty on the prosecutor's office to ensure the appearance of a religious scholar.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20240604","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense presents evidence and insists that the case materials be dealt with in detail. The lawyer begins by considering the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, at which clarifications were given in defense of the rights of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"According to the ruling,\" the lawyer says, \"Oleg Sirotkin's actions should be looked for extremism, and not the fact of organizing peaceful worship, which he does not deny.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20230228","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is attended by 46 listeners, and there is room for 12 people in the courtroom.\nLocal religious scholar Yana Chernova, associate professor, master of religious studies, is being interrogated. She cannot explain why the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia was needed and whether followers of this denomination can carry out religious activities without it. At the same time, she agrees that, as a specialist, she is obliged to have this information. Chernova says that it is possible to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, but only alone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20230124","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Orthodox clergyman Vitaly Shcherbakov is invited to the meeting. He says that the investigator had previously questioned him as a specialist, not as a witness. The lawyer declares the disqualification of the clergyman, since he was invited not as a specialist, but as a witness in the case. The judge rejects the motion and continues the questioning.\nShcherbakov confirms that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not prohibited, and only their legal entity was liquidated. He also says that the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, which were provided to him for research, dated to the period before 2017, that is, before the Supreme Court made a decision regarding the legal entity. He did not meet any later dates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20221123","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant's neighbor is being questioned in court. He says that when his daughter died, Sirotkin came, tried to comfort him and talked about the biblical hope for the resurrection.\nThe meeting is attended by 27 listeners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20221018","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a witness who is Oleg Sirotkin's immediate superior. He characterizes the defendant as a reliable, modest, responsible, very sociable employee. When asked by the lawyer whether Sirotkin ever provoked conflicts in the team, the witness answers: \"On the contrary, he always smoothed them out, he was a peacemaker.\"\nThe court examines other witnesses for the prosecution. However, it turns out that most of them are not familiar with the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20220802","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed preliminary hearing, the court refuses to exclude from the case file an examination that the defense considers biased.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the expert Larisa Astakhova is known in other cases for allowing distortions in the conclusions of the examinations.\nShe makes no secret of her negative attitude toward Jehovah's Witnesses. Astakhova has degrees in philosophy and sociology, but does not have sufficient qualifications in the field of religious studies. \"The clearly anti-scientific and biased approach of the expert L. S. Astakhova,\" the lawyer declares, \"demonstrates absolute ignorance of the object of study and inability to objectively answer the questions posed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20220411","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Tambov. It will be considered by judge Denis Lipatov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20220323","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor approves the indictment. It mentions a religious study in which Yana Chernyaeva, a lecturer at the Department of Theology at Tambov State University, claims that the audio recordings recorded a worship service. She unreasonably calls it a continuation of the activities of a liquidated legal entity, although this worship service was an exercise of the constitutional right to freedom of worship.\nAmong the witnesses is the head of the Department for Youth Affairs and Missionary Work of the Tambov Diocese, Vitaly Shcherbakov, who is not familiar with the accused, but at the same time in his testimony reports untrue information about the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2022-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20220321","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg's car is seized in case of recovery of a fine for the execution of the sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20211022","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["belongings-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the Sirotkin case, a search is underway at another address. A computer and a webcam are seized from believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2021-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20211006","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Sirotkin is involved as an accused. He is charged with the events from March 19 to March 25, 2021. The investigation claims that during this period of time, Oleg, being at home, via the Internet \"took part in collective religious services, consisting of ... singing songs and prayers to Jehovah God.\" At the same time, no specific facts of extremist calls or actions are given.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2021-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20210925","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at at least two addresses, one of them at Oleg Sirotkin's. Personal records, a computer and a webcam are seized. All items are attached to material evidence.\nInvestigator Seleznev chooses Oleg Sirotkin a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20210921","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A.S. Seleznev, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tambov Region, initiates a criminal case against 57-year-old Oleg Sirotkin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigation interprets peaceful worship services with friends via video conferencing as \"active deliberate actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities\" of a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sirotkin in Tambov","date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tambov/index.html#20210914","regions":["tambov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-investigative measures against Inver Siyukhov from Maykop have been carried out, presumably, since 2018. In April 2021, the believer\u0026rsquo;s house was searched. He was arrested and placed in a pretrial detention center. The investigation considered the holding of religious meetings using the Internet to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In September 2021, Siyukhov\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. At the hearings, several witnesses mixed up their testimonies, and their words differed from the information from the interrogation protocols. At the hearings it also turned out that the psycholinguistic expert study, on which the charge was based, was carried out by an expert without the appropriate qualification. In February 2024, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 9 years in a penal colony for the peaceful believer. A month later, the court sentenced the believer to 6 years in a penal colony. In March 2025, the court of appeal upheld the verdict. After 4 years imprisonment, at the end of April 2025, Inver Siyukhov was released.","date":"2021-04-15","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html","prisoners":["siyukhov"],"regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","type":"cases"},{"body":"Supreme Court of the Republic of Adygea (32 Zhukovsky Street, Maykop). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20250310","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Inver Siyukhov is kept in a 4-bed cell, he enjoys the respect of other prisoners. The believer receives letters of support and prepares for an appeal. He has the ability to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20250121","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"Can the manifestation of love, kindness and empathy for others be called extremism?\" Inver Siyukhov speaks with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2024-03-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20240307","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Inessa Orlova asks to sentence Inver Siyukhov to 9 years in prison in a penal colony and 2 years of restriction of freedom. Speaking in the debate, the defendant states that the prosecution has not presented any evidence that anyone suffered from his actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20240209","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the defendant's correspondence with fellow believers in the messenger is selectively read out and other materials are examined. The defense asks to recognize the results of operational-search measures as inadmissible, since, in its opinion, they were obtained with violations. The court refuses.\nThe expert opinion of religious scholar Ekaterina Elbakyan is announced. The judge attaches him to the case file, but refuses to interrogate the religious scholar via video conferencing. Then Inver Siyukhov begins to testify.\nAbout 40 people are outside the courthouse to support the believer. Eight of them are allowed to attend the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2024-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20240129","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Inver Siyukhov was placed in a punishment cell for 15 days. \"For almost three years of my stay in the PFRSI, I have never been reprimanded, warned or reprimanded,\" the believer himself comments. \"On the contrary, I was held up as an example to other cellmates.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20240118","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","penalty","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the defense's request to summon investigator T. N. Pshipego for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230928","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining a book about the history of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230801","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, quotations from the Bible and fragments from publications based on it are examined.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230714","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court screens films about the contemporary history of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230713","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the end of watching the videos, the lawyer concludes that the purpose of such events is to obtain the \"spiritual refreshment, encouragement\" that followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses seek.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that during the listening to the audio recording, the name \"World Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\" is mentioned, which refers to the entire community of Witnesses, whose number number is more than 8 million people in the world. He continues: \"And not once during those 4 hours and 16 minutes is there any mention of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses or any of the local religious organizations.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230710","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing discs of 2014 reports on biblical topics, including a speech on \"God's Word Is Useful for Instruction in Righteousness.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230627","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense makes additions to the petition to exclude the examination of Ruslan Levinsky from the case file. The lawyer notes that the expert does not have the necessary linguistic and religious education. The defense also draws attention to procedural violations committed during the examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230606","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the fourth time the court has questioned expert Ruslan Levinsky. He often says that he took the wording of the answers in the examination from the questions posed by the investigator. The judge and the state prosecutor reject questions to the expert from Inver Siyukhov and his lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230523","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Bella Stash extends Inver Siyukhov's pre-trial detention until August 18, 2023. This is the ninth hearing on the extension of the measure of restraint.\nThe lawyer in his speech draws the court's attention to the fact that his client has been in custody for more than two years, and considers such a measure unfounded.\nThe public defender emphasizes that \"throughout this time, there were no complaints against Inver either from the employees of the IVS or from the pre-trial detention center. And he had no attempt to escape or disobey any requirements and rules. [...] It can't be a mask. If a person is really an extremist — and extremism implies violent aggressive actions — this will definitely manifest itself.\"\nShe goes on to say that in the pre-trial detention center, Siyukhov \"is considered the calmest person, other prisoners often ask him to join the cell, because he is comfortable, calm, he never forces him to anything.\"\nThe believer himself explains to the court why he asks to change his measure of restraint: \"If a milder measure of restraint is chosen for me, then is it bad that I will continue to act in a good way like a believer? Otherwise, I would be a religious hypocrite, but worse, a traitor to the Almighty.\"\nProsecutor Orlova, after all that has been said, asks the court to leave the measure of restraint in the form of detention. The court supports the prosecution.\nThe defense again interrogates the expert Ruslan Levinsky, who answers all questions with vague wording. State prosecutor Inessa Orlova asks the court to reject many questions from the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230518","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting is attended by 8 listeners who came to support the defendant.\nThe court is watching the film \"Youth Issues. How do you find true friends?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230316","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the expert continues. He finds it difficult to answer many questions.\nThe lawyer reads out the response from the Commission of Specialists of the Guild of Experts on Documentation and Information Disputes (GLADYS) on the preliminary analysis of Levinsky's examination, in which the experts provide evidence of many violations committed by him.\nThe court extends Siyukhov's arrest for another three months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20230207","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert Levinsky is being interrogated. Counsel asks him about the methods and purposes of the examination. The expert admits that there is no single methodology for conducting an examination, and he does not know about its goals.\nDuring the interrogation, it turns out that Levinsky does not have the education necessary to conduct a psycholinguistic examination. He completed it in August 2021, and received his religious education only in November. Levinsky cannot define the term \"local religious organization\" (LRO) and explains that he used it \"based on the fact that the investigator used it.\" Also, he cannot name signs that Siyukhov continued the activities of the LRO of Maykop, despite the fact that such a conclusion was made in the expert opinion.\nThe defense draws the court's attention to the fact that Levinsky's answers to these questions are critically important for the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20221223","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the petition to exclude the examination of the psychologist-linguist Ruslan Levinsky as material evidence. However, he grants the request of the state prosecutor to invite this expert for questioning.\nTestifying in court, Inver Siyukhov draws attention to numerous violations during the search of his home. For example, the witnesses entered the house only 15 minutes after the start of the search, the FSB officers dispersed around the apartment, and Inver did not see what exactly was seized from him. He notes that the sequence of actions described in the protocol is not true.\nMaterial evidence, including two films, is being examined. The first is called \"The Bible: A Life-Changing Power,\" and the second is about Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20221130","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The judge rejects the motion of the defense to interrogate Nikolai Saparov, who could confirm that part of the testimony of one of the witnesses is not true.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20221123","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing is held via videoconferencing and is attended by about 20 people. The defendant draws the attention of the participants in the trial: \"History shows that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union and in Russia only contributes to the strengthening of their faith and numerical growth.\"\nThe lawyer petitions for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Inver Siyukhov, who has been in jail for more than 1.5 years, but the court rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20221109","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is watching three films about alternatives to blood transfusions, in which well-known surgeons from different countries talk about the features of bloodless surgery.\nBefore screening, the public defender draws the court's attention to the fact that the first film in this series won three prizes at the 34th annual American International Film and Video Film Festival.\nThere are also two cartoons made by Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220728","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 40 people come to the hearing, but only six are allowed into the courtroom, in addition to Inver Siyukhov's relatives. The Court continues to review excerpts from Jehovah's Witnesses publications and the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220714","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is being examined in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220601","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks to attach a number of medical documents that indicate the presence of serious chronic diseases in the parents of Inver Siyukhov.\nThe court begins consideration of the case materials.\nThe public defender and the defendant take turns reading out excerpts from the printed publications seized during the search. Among the topics touched upon: \"Why is it necessary to respect authority?\", \"How to show modesty in dress and appearance\", \"Avoid desecrating deeds and habits\", \"How to create a strong family\", \"Avoid speech and behavior that dishonor marriage\".\nAt the request of the public defender, the judge adds ECtHR rulings, OSCE statements, and the views of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220412","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the defense's request to attach documents that explain that the ban on a legal entity does not mean a ban on the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and, accordingly, their right to worship and spread their beliefs. Among them are the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, the conclusion of the state religious examination and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220325","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks to exclude from the list of evidence the conclusion of the expert R. V. Levinsky as inadmissible, since it was drawn up in violation of the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation. According to the defense, the expert gave a legal assessment of Siyukhov's actions, which is exclusively within the competence of the court. The prosecutor asks to postpone the consideration of the petition in order to agree with the management on the position on this issue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220324","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Inver Siyukhov's detention is extended.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. They characterize the believer positively and confirm that they have never heard from him statements degrading the dignity of representatives of other religions, confessions, nationalities, have never noticed aggression and violence on his part against anyone.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220218","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Inver in the pre-trial detention center at colony No. 1 in the Republic of Adygea. The believer is kept in a 4-bed cell with another prisoner. The lawyer reports that Inver recently suffered a serious respiratory illness. The administration of the detention center stopped sending him letters sent by his friends and acquaintances. Inver says that court hearings were postponed several times due to repairs in the Maykop temporary detention facility, where he cannot be transferred for the duration of the hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2022-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20220128","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of another secret witness who states that the defendant discussed the Bible with him. The witness is confused in the testimony and answers uncertainly, with long pauses. For example, when asked how he realized that in the dock was the same man who talked to him about the Bible, Ivanov says: \"I think it's him.\"\nThe lawyer notes discrepancies with the testimony in the record of the witness's interrogation. According to the affidavit, the conversation took place in October 2020, but the witness states before the court that they communicated in April 2021. The witness calls the defendant's phone number from memory, and later states that he never called Siyukhov and lost his number a month before the trial.\nAfter a series of questions to the witness, the lawyer notes: \"The testimony you give within 10 minutes differs by 180 degrees. Why is this happening?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20211123","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a classified witness. According to his testimony, Siyukhov's organizational role boils down to announcing speakers at services, asking someone to set up equipment, buying SIM cards and saying how much money was raised to help fellow believers.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the discrepancy in the testimony of the witness: during the investigation, he stated that he attended the services until about July 2019, and during the trial he states that he stopped attending them in April 2018.\nThe witness states that he can only characterize Siyukhov positively and admits that there were no extremist calls and actions on the part of the defendant. In addition, he explains to the court that LRO is a legal concept, but simply Jehovah's Witnesses is a religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20211029","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"32 people come to the courthouse to support Inver Siyukhov. They are not allowed to attend the hearing, citing the risk of spreading COVID-19 infection.\nThe court grants the defendant's request for his sister to join the case as a public defender.\nAfter the prosecutor has read out the charges, the lawyer asks him to clarify which actions of Siyukhov constitute a crime.\nThe investigation considers it illegal to hold worship services, store unbanned religious literature and discuss it with fellow believers, as well as visit the website of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is blocked in the Russian Federation.\nThe believer does not admit his guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20211012","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the PFRSI (pre-trial detention facility) in which Inver Siyukhov is located is a subdivision of the correctional colony No. 1 of strict regime in the village of Tlyustenkhabl, about 110 km from Maikop. Letters of support to the believer can be sent by regular mail.\nThe lawyer reports that Inver received only two letters, the rest are not given to him. The believer also asked for vaccination against COVID-19 and hepatitis B, but was refused. Despite all the difficulties, Inver is in good emotional and physical shape.\nSiyukhov's case is transferred to the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea for consideration on the merits. It is appointed to Judge Bella Stash. About two weeks earlier, at the request of the investigator, the Maykop court limited the time for the believer to familiarize himself with the materials of the criminal case. According to paragraph 3 of Article 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, \"the accused and his defense counsel may not be limited in the time necessary for them to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210901","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is being held as a measure of restraint for Inver Siyukhov. The judge asks the investigator why he does not release the accused under house arrest. The investigator explains that, in his opinion, the believer can go into hiding. The court decides to extend Inver's detention in the pre-trial detention center until August 15, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-06-10T14:45:26+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210610","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maykop City Court decides to choose a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of detention. Inver is sent to pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Republic of Adygea in the village of Tlyustenkhabl. He is placed in a cell where there are 5 beds for 7 people. Prisoners are forced to sleep in turns.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-04-17T14:45:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210417","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are conducted at at least 5 addresses of believers in Maykop, after which several people, including Inver Siyukhov, are taken away for interrogation. After interrogation, he is placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-04-16T14:43:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210416","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zaurbiy Blyagoz, Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Adygea, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Inver Siyukhov.\nAccording to the investigation, Inver Siyukhov \"committed actions of an organizational nature ... expressed in holding meetings using the Internet through the Internet application \"Telegram\" and mobile applications \"Zoom\" and \"JW-Library\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Siyukhov in Maykop","date":"2021-04-15T14:39:58+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/maykop/index.html#20210415","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2020, law enforcement officers searched the home and interrogated Vladimir Skachidub and his wife, who is disabled. Two months later, a criminal case was initiated against the believer from Pavlovskaya under two parts of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC. An FSB investigator for the Krasnodar Territory, deemed it a crime that Vladimir Skachidub “filled the role of a preacher” by talking with others about the Bible. The court has been considering the Skachidub case since December 2020. In October 2021, the disabled believer was sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony. Six months later, the Court of Appeal upheld this decision. Vladimir served his sentence in penal colony No. 6 in the Ryazan Region, 1200 km from home. He was released in September 2025.","date":"2020-06-23","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html","prisoners":["skachidub"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vladimir's hearing problem was resolved — doctors established the cause of progressive deafness and cured the inflammation. Also in the hospital in Ryazan, he underwent surgery for skin inflammation on his back.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2025-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20250527","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub is experiencing additional health difficulties: he has been feeling congestion and pain in his ears for a long time, which is why his hearing has deteriorated. The believer sought help from the medical unit of the colony, but could not receive it, since there is no otolaryngologist there. In addition, Vladimir suffers from hypertension and takes medications on a regular basis.\nSkachidub applied for parole, but was denied, despite the incentives he had for conscientious work. Also during the parole commission, the believer received a verbal reprimand for not fastening the top button on his jacket.\nDespite the difficulties, Vladimir maintains a positive attitude. He tries to answer all the letters that come to him, and in his spare time he plays chess by correspondence. The believer continues to maintain respectful relations with other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20240912","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is held in the barracks along with 30 other prisoners. He works in a sewing workshop and feels the joy of being able to sew neatly.\nVladimir suffers from a serious neurological disease, the neurologist prescribed him the necessary medications. He has no problems receiving medical care in the colony.\nVladimir's relations with the administration and cellmates are neutral, without conflicts. He regularly receives broadcasts, and he also has a schedule of visits with his wife, the last one was in December 2023.\nThe believer is grateful to those who support him in this difficult time for him. He receives letters regularly and has the opportunity to read the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20240205","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub is doing well. He maintains friendly relations with administration staff and prisoners. The believer is grateful to his friends for their support and help. In early April, he should have a meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2023-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20230320","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Skachidub in the colony. Vladimir is not discouraged and maintains a positive attitude. He has all the necessary medicines, the barracks are clean, there is a refrigerator, enough food. The believer also has a Bible. He continues to receive a large number of letters and devotes a lot of time to answering them.\nVladimir has good relations with other prisoners and the administration. He generously shares with others, treats others kindly. All this, as well as the venerable age of the believer, cause him to be treated with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20220721","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Vladimir was taken to the place of serving his sentence - to Correctional Colony No. 6 in the Ryazan Region. It is located 1200 km from the believer's house.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20220531","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnodar Regional Court approves the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2022-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20220420","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Vladimir Skachidub in SIZO-1 in Krasnodar. The believer is currently being held alone in a double cell. To maintain his physical and emotional health, he regularly goes for walks and does exercises.\nVladimir has a Bible. He receives letters of support not only from Russia, but also from England, Germany, the USA and other countries. He receives more correspondence in one day than all prisoners in a week.\nAt the request of the believer, he was given the necessary medicines, which he takes due to chronic diseases. In the pre-trial detention center, he is respected by both convicts and employees. The prisoners warmly address him as \"Uncle Vova\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20211111","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Olga Marchenko sentences Vladimir Skachidub to 4 years and 2 months in a penal colony. The believer is taken into custody in the courtroom and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Krasnodar, where he will await an appeal against the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20211011","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, prosecutor Volkov requested a sentence of 4 years and 6 months in a general regime colony for Vladimir Skachidub for reading and discussing the Bible.\nThe believer's lawyer lists the actions that the law associates with extremism and shows that the defendant did not commit them.\nAnother lawyer, referring to the statements of the President of the Russian Federation and prominent political figures, reminds the court of the groundlessness of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20210923","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies. He notes that he is accused of peacefully studying the Bible with a local resident, although this does not contradict Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Vladimir explains that he did not force him to do anything, did not call for extremist activities and did not involve him in the LRO. The believer adds: \"I understand when cannabis or poppy seeds are seized from a drug addict. He prepares a drug from them, although there are also useful substances in these plants. But what kind of 'drug' is found in the Holy Scriptures in the New World Translation?\" One of the editions of this translation, published by Jehovah's Witnesses, was banned for distribution in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20210622","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings of Vladimir Skachidub's conversations about the Bible with one of the interlocutors are listened to. They talk about love for parents, for wife, for Jesus Christ. On the recording, Vladimir can be heard emphasizing: Jehovah's Witnesses do not force anyone to follow biblical standards.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20210602","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub during the court session expresses his attitude to the charges. He notes: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made it clear that its decision of April 20, 2017 does not prohibit the constitutional rights of citizens, including mine. [...] I am a Jehovah's Witness and am prosecuted solely for my peaceful religious activities. [...] It follows from the charges that I face imprisonment just because I exercised my right to profess religion.\" The believer expresses confidence: \"For the court, the striking difference between Christian peaceful service to God, which I am determined to carry out all my life, and extremism, which is completely alien to me, will be obvious.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2021-01-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20210127","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Olga Marchenko. Pavlovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory (Pavlovskaya Station, Lenin Street, 23). The first hearing in the case of Vladimir Skachidub is underway. The believer is charged immediately under 2 articles of the Criminal Code: participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and involvement of others in the activities of an extremist organization (part 1.1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The measure of restraint for him remains unchanged - he is under recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20201230","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Skachidub is being prosecuted. The ruling states that he, \"participated ... in a religious educational event - a sermon lesson, exercising the role of a preacher ... spread the ideology of the LRO Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nInvestigator Vitaliy Veter interrogates Vladimir Skachidub. A written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior is taken from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20200629","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice Vitaliy Veter, investigator of the 2nd branch of the Krasnodar Territory Directorate of the FSB of Russia, initiates a criminal case against Vladimir Skachidub under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20200623","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Lyudmila Shchekoldina , Vladimir Skachidub's home is searched and interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skachidub in Pavlovskaya","date":"2020-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/pavlovskaya3/index.html#20200429","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Sergey Skudaev from Kurgan; he was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, the believer is guilty of conducting meetings for worship using videoconferencing. The law enforcement officers searched the apartment, garage and dacha of the Skudaevs. Wedding cards and personal notes were seized from them. The believer was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pretrial detention center. There he had covid and did not even receive proper treatment. After 4 months, Sergey was released home under a ban on certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to court. And in April 2025, the court passed sentence against the believer — a fine of 650,000 rubles.","date":"2021-07-13","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html","prisoners":["skudaev"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Yevgeniy Kolesov. Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region (35 Dzerzhinsky Street, Kurgan). Start: 13:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20250325","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies: \"I do not confirm the testimony of A. N. Minin, a so-called specialist who is a teacher of history in a church school, that Jehovah's Witnesses, by refusing to participate in the elections... are against the state and are dangerous citizens of our country. The Constitution of the Russian Federation states that participation in elections is the right of any citizen of the Russian Federation. I adhere to the position of Christian neutrality, following the example of Jesus Christ and the first Christians, while respecting the laws adopted by the state. This is my personal opinion, which I did not impose on anyone, and there is not a single fact in the case file that I opposed the state and the foundations of the constitution. I respect and do not interfere in people's choices, so they have the right to make a personal decision on this issue.\"\nSkudaev adds: \"During the trial, two secret witnesses testified: Konstantinov and Murzabekova. I want to state that these witnesses are fictitious characters, and all this testimony is invented, and the role of those whom we heard on the conference call was played by straw men.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20250225","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"15 people come to the hearing to support the believer.\nThe defense submits case materials for consideration. The judge refuses to examine documents related to the repressions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Nazi Germany and the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240823","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering the 4th and 5th volumes of the case materials. During the examination of the examination carried out by a religious expert, Skudaev asks the judge to pay attention to the research part, which, in his opinion, directly contradicts the conclusions of the expert. Thus, the expert concludes about the superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions, referring to an excerpt from the audio recording of the meetings for worship, where it is said that a believer should show love and kindness to people, be humble, meek, fair, respect the higher authorities, and pay taxes. The judge refuses to announce the research part of the examination, explaining that the conclusions in it have already been made and the defendant only wants to drag out the process.\nSkudaev draws attention to the fact that religious, not legal, issues are examined at the trial. He stressed that practicing religion was not a crime. The defendant asks the judge to indicate whether there are any signs of extremism in the song that is heard at one of the services, as well as to read out the definition of extremism from the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017. The judge denies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240705","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the beginning of the hearing, Sergey Skudaev announced the disqualification of the judge, but the court refused.\nHe then points out that, in the last three sessions, the judge had repeatedly interrupted him during the examination of the written evidence. According to Skudaev, such actions of the court hinder the defense. The defendant also notes that the prosecution only superficially read out the materials of the 23 volumes of the criminal case. He says: \"I want to announce the contents of these documents to the court in order to show that they have no evidentiary value.\"\nThe defense continues to examine the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240614","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects Skudaev's petition to refuse a lawyer by appointment.\nThe believer gives explanations on the materials of the case. He draws attention to the content of audio recordings of worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses: those present discuss how to show love for others, how to take care of their own families, how to obey the authorities. \"This is the exact opposite of what I am accused of – extremism,\" Skudaev emphasizes.\nThe judge repeatedly interrupts the defendant, not allowing him to read out excerpts from historical, scientific or religious publications in the case file. The defendant objects.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240524","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense, considering the materials of the case, explains how the services of Jehovah's Witnesses are held. At the same time, the judge repeatedly stops Sergey Skudaev. The defense objected to the actions of Judge Yevgeny Kolesov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240412","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people come to the hearing. A secret witness under the pseudonym Murzabekova, whose voice has been changed to male, is being interrogated. Talking about himself, the witness speaks either in the masculine or in the feminine gender. According to her, she attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses before 2017 and is personally acquainted with the defendant. To the questions: where, when and how Muzarbekova met Sergey Skudaev, why she began to study the Bible and what was the atmosphere among believers, the secret witness does not give answers, referring to Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20240117","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a secret witness, Konstantin Konstantinov, who was twice present at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses. He confirms that the Bible was studied on them, and notes that \"the atmosphere was trusting.\"\nThe defendant submits motions for a larger room and for the declassification of secret witnesses. The judge rejects them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20231113","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A specialist in the field of history, philosophy and religion is being interrogated.\nIn fact, he broadcasts the position of the prosecution, baselessly asserting that Jehovah's Witnesses pose a threat to the state due to the fact that they do not take up arms and do not serve in the army for reasons of conscience.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20231103","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first 10 volumes of the case materials are considered.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20231025","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"40 people who came to support the defendant are allowed to attend the hearing.\nOne of the prosecution witnesses is being questioned. Answering questions, he uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The other 10 witnesses do not appear in court and their testimony is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20230919","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. Of the five invitees, only one comes. Answering the questions of the state prosecutor, he mainly enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20230804","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings begin in the Kurgan City Court. About 60 people come to support the believer, which surprises the bailiffs.\nProsecutor S. V. Volynsky reads out the charge, Sergei Skudaev expresses his attitude towards him, citing quotes from the Bible. The state prosecutor, the secretary and the lawyer listen attentively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20230724","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skudaev's case is submitted to the Kurgan City Court of the Kurgan Region and appointed to Judge Yevgeny Kolesov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2023-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20230613","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is underway in a large family. Phones and tablets are seized from the spouses, and after the search they are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-11-25T16:36:27+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20211125","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases Sergey Skudaev from custody. A new measure of restraint is chosen for him - a ban on certain actions. The believer spent more than 4 months in prison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20211119","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the morning, searches of Jehovah's Witnesses are carried out in Kurgan. Security forces seize electronic devices. The couple is taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nThe search of another believer is taking place despite the fact that on this day the man buries his mother, who died from coronavirus infection. Immediately after the funeral, the believer is forced to come to the Investigative Committee for interrogation.\nIn addition, a search is being conducted at the home of an elderly woman in the village of Zverinogolovskoye. This is the second time that security forces have invaded her home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-10-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20211006","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the pre-trial detention center, Sergey Skudaev is visited by a lawyer. He finds out that the believer suffered a coronavirus without treatment, he was not given drugs, but now everything is fine. Does exercises, monitors health. The cell is warm, there is enough food. The believer has good relations with his cellmates, they do not smoke, they wash their hands. Sergey is receiving letters of support, but the Bible is still being checked by the censor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210927","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skudaev went to court to extend the measure of restraint with 10 other prisoners. One man said that he was sitting in the same cell with two Jehovah's Witnesses. He willingly told everyone for 2 hours what the followers of this religion believed and why they were worthy of respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210913","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A lawyer visits a believer in a pre-trial detention center. It turns out that Sergey Skudaev is still not receiving any medical care. The authorities of the medical unit and the pre-trial detention center do not respond to the believer's written requests to conduct an examination, taking into account the consequences of covid, as well as to deal with the procedure for conducting the examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210906","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Skudaev is informed of a positive test result for covid. He suffers from cough and chest pain, has a high fever and has no sense of smell or taste. He is isolated from other prisoners, but no medical treatment is provided.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210823","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kurgan City Court Alexander Schneider chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Skudaev in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, that is, until September 13, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210715","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7:00 a.m., the security forces wake up Sergey and Irina Skudayev with a loud knock on the door. Upon entering, they lay the believer face down on the floor, but then allow him to rise. Law enforcement officers conduct a thorough search, while behaving respectfully.\nElectronic devices, 50 wedding cards, a book by religious scholar S. I. Ivanenko about Jehovah's Witnesses, personal notes and a small amount of money received from the sale of honey were seized from believers, considering this proof of \"financing a banned organization.\" During the search, Irina becomes ill from the stress she has experienced, she is allowed to take medicine.\nSergey is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Investigator Astapov officially involves the believer as a defendant in a criminal case.\nLater, the believer recalls that he had previously noticed surveillance of himself: a woman came, who, posing as a bailiff, interviewed neighbors, asked \"in which direction the door opens\" from the Skudaevs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Sergey Skudaev and other unidentified persons 12102370012000106.\nAccording to the investigation, Skudaev \"carried out ... religious meetings... including through video conferencing using the Zoom platform.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skudaev in Kurgan","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kurgan/index.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov is one of those convicted in the high-profile \u0026ldquo;Case of 16\u0026rdquo;. Shortly after the believer had served his sentence in full, law enforcement officers searched his house. Six months later, in December 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of 30 residents of Taganrog. Aleksandr was taken for interrogation and detained. In March 2022, Valeriy Tibiy also became a defendant in the criminal case. He was detained despite being seriously ill. The third defendant in the case, Vladimir Moiseyenko, ended up in pretrial detention in July of the same year. Investigators charged all three with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court in November 2022. During the hearings, it turned out that the FSB had been monitoring them since 2016, and an undercover agent had recorded his conversations about the Bible with the believers. In June 2023, Skvortsov and Moiseyenko were sentenced to 7 and 6 years in a penal colony, respectively, and Tibiy was given a 6-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal, and later the court of cassation, upheld this decision.","date":"2021-12-07","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html","prisoners":["moiseyenkov","skvortsov","vtibiy"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","type":"cases"},{"body":"The conditions in the barracks, where Aleksandr Skvortsov lives, have improved after the repair: it has become clean and warm. He was transferred to work in the library, and in his free time he reads fiction. He manages to maintain good relations with other prisoners and with the staff of the penal colony.\nAleksandr regularly keeps in touch with his family.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2026-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20260130","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the barracks where Vladimir Moiseyenko is kept, are between 90 and 110 people. There are two refrigerators. A year ago, the living quarters were renovated, now they have become cleaner and warmer. The believer is able to take a shower in the workshop, where he works.\nVladimir calls his daughter regularly. He is also waiting for permission to have telephone conversations with friends, whose contact details he has provided to the penal colony administration. He still receives letters very rarely, but he receives parcels regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2026-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20260126","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov had a scheduled long visit from his wife. The barracks where he lives are warm and clean. After repeated visits to the medical unit about hypertension and inflammation of his sciatic nerve, the believer was prescribed treatment. His wife, daughter and friends provide the necessary medication. As before he is not given his letters.\nSince his arrival at the penal colony, Skvortsov has received a penalty again and spent 3 days in a punishment cell.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20250730","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Moiseyenko and Aleksandr Skvortsov have one incentive each. There are difficulties with letters - they received the last ones in February.\nVladimir washes parts from oil and carries out phosphating (a type of metal processing). Work in hazardous industries has led to the fact that the believer periodically feels unwell.\nAleksandr Skvortsov continues to work — he is engaged in the processing of metal parts. He is worried about his wife because of her health problems. At the end of June, he expects a date with her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2025-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20250430","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov's wife, Larisa, is undergoing surgery due to a recurrence of cancer. It lasts 3.5 hours. The woman will have to undergo further treatment, which is why she will not be able to go to see her husband in the colony in the near future.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20250325","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the closure of the sewing production in the colony, Aleksandr Skvortsov was transferred to the electroplating shop. There, he has to work on his feet all day and breathe in harmful substances. Lately, the believer's blood pressure has been rising and he often has a headache.\nIt's cold in the barracks, so Skvortsov has to sleep in warm clothes. He does not always have the opportunity to take a shower, as there is no hot water in the barracks.\nDespite the difficult conditions of detention, Aleksandr maintains a positive attitude. The believer receives great support through letters. Recently, a dentist visited the colony and provided Skvortsov with the necessary assistance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2024-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20241205","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Moiseyenko and Aleksandr Skvortsov are in good spirits. Vladimir tries to maintain his health by working out in the gym three times a week.\nThe conditions of detention in the colony are satisfactory, the relations with the administration and other prisoners of the believers are without conflict.\nBelievers need the help of a dentist. Vladimir had previously ordered new glasses with suitable lenses, but they have not yet been given to him.\nMoiseyenko and Skvortsov can call family and friends, they are grateful for their support. They have the opportunity to read the Bible from the colony's library.\nMen experience some difficulties with receiving parcels, as well as letters - each is given an average of five pieces per month.\nUpon arrival at the colony, Skvortsov and Moiseyenko were placed in a punishment cell for 14 days on far-fetched grounds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20240925","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov's chronic diseases have worsened, and there is no way to receive the necessary medical care in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2024-02-07T13:53:54+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20240207","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Skvortsov works in the sewing workshop as a clerk (rewrites products). He is satisfied with his work, and in his free time he writes poetry. Vladimir Moiseenko also works in a sewing workshop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20231129","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr was taken to the city of Dimitrovgrad, to correctional colony No. 3, where he will serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20231023","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Skvortsov was temporarily taken to a penal colony in the Stavropol Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-10-02T13:43:41+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20231002","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Skvortsov is in a pre-trial detention center in the city of Grozny, 800 kilometers from Taganrog. The believer feels good. Every day he is taken for a walk, and once a week - to the bath. Alexander doesn't have a Bible right now. In his spare time, he writes poetry.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As it became known, Alexander Skvortsov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230703","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"My faith has not been shaken, but has become even stronger.\" The text of the last word of Alexander Skvortsov is published.\n\"My motives were kind and peaceful, which motivates me to love Jehovah God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my life, and to love my neighbor as myself.\" Valery Tibiy made his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for the defendants. He proposes to imprison Aleksandr Skvortsov for 8 years and 6 months, and Valery Tibiy for 6 years and 6 months. The state prosecutor also asks to restrict the freedom of believers for 9.5 and 8.5 years, respectively, with a ban on carrying out activities for a period of one and a half years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230613","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An audio recording of another conversation between Valery Tibiy and the embedded FSB agent Nesterenko, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, is listened to. They discuss why there is so much evil in the world. During the conversation, Nesterenko asks many questions, which Valery answers with the help of the Bible. There are no extremist statements on the recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230314","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out a transcript of a conversation about the condition of the dead between Valery Tibiy, Alexander Skvortsov and FSB Major Nesterenko, mentioning biblical quotations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230209","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation of the participants in the search - the investigator, the police officer and the witness - the fact is mentioned that the security forces seized a printout of quotes from the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the Criminal Code from Skvortsov, classifying it as extremist literature.\nAt this time, there are 50 people near the building who came to support the believers. Employees of the court and its visitors are surprised by so many friends of the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230124","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A support group of approximately 25 people gathers outside the courthouse. However, only ten are allowed into the hall.\nWitness R. I. Nesterenko, an FSB major who has been collecting information about believers since 2016, is being interrogated. He repeats the testimony given to the investigator, and answers the lawyers' questions with vague wording.\nAnother witness says that in 2000 he successfully underwent treatment with the use of blood substitutes and does not regret the decision.\nThe court rejects the lawyer's request to return the criminal case to the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230117","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer unsuccessfully appeals to the regional court against the decision to keep Valeriy Tibiy and Aleksandr Skvortsov in a pre-trial detention center - the believers have been there for 8 and 13 months, respectively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20230110","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valeriy Tibiy in the pre-trial detention center. The believer does not complain about his health. A sense of humor helps him maintain a positive attitude.\nThere are 3 more people in the cell with Valery. Two prisoners in the cell smoke a lot. The believer is respected by his cellmates and the administration. He has the opportunity to read the Gospels, as he left the complete Bible to the prisoners at their request in the previous pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221228","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Valery Tibiy was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Rostov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221219","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Before the hearing, the lawyer visits Skvortsov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is in a good mood, has the Bible and the opportunity to read it. He is being held in a 6-bed cell along with 3 other prisoners. Two of them smoke. His cellmates treat Aleksandr with respect, as do the staff of the pre-trial detention center.\nA hearing is being held in the Taganrog City Court. In addition to the participants in the trial, 13 more listeners out of about 30 who came to the courthouse are allowed to attend it to support believers, including relatives.\nThe defense file a motion to return the criminal case to the prosecutor and attach the ECHR decision to the case file. The court postpones the consideration of the first petition to the next hearing, and satisfies the second.\nThe prosecution begins the questioning of a witness - an embedded FSB agent Nesterenko, who pretended to be interested in the Bible and recorded conversations with believers. At the next hearing, it is planned to continue questioning this and other prosecution witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the first hearing on the merits, the court extended the detention of the defendants in the pre-trial detention center for six months at once, despite the fact that both believers have health problems, in particular, Valery Tibiy recently suffered a heart attack. The judge does not take into account the medical documents provided by the lawyer and the positive characteristics of the believers.\nAbout 50 people come to support the believers, only 10 are allowed into the meeting room. The defendants refuse lawyers by appointment, instead of them, a lawyer enters the case by agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221206","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Aleksandr Skvortsov and Valery Tibiy is submitted to the Taganrog City Court of the Rostov Region. It will be considered by judge Georgy Serebryanikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20221123","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer says that his physical and emotional condition is good, but his eyesight began to drop due to stress.\nSince his arrest, Aleksandr has changed 13 cells. In the one where he is now, there are 3 more people. Everyone has their own bed. The cell has a TV and a refrigerator, the food is satisfactory. Cellmates and the administration treat Skvortsov well. If possible, he maintains physical fitness: push-ups and tries to walk a lot.\nAlexander began to receive letters regularly. During the day, he has the opportunity to answer them. Cellmates are asked to read them interesting thoughts and riddles from letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220912","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court takes into custody the third defendant in the case, Vladimir Moiseenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220722","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valeriy Tibiy in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Rostov region. The believer says that the conditions of his detention are satisfactory. It has its own bunk and bedside table. Together with Valery, there are 15 other people in the cell. Despite his health difficulties, he maintains a positive attitude. Tibius has his own copy of the Bible. Twice a week, letters are handed to him, about 100 pieces at a time. Many of them are colorfully illustrated. Prisoners look at them with pleasure, often reading letters throughout the cell.\nOn the same day, the lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in pre-trial detention center No. 5 in the Rostov region. The believer says that during 2 months of imprisonment in the Taganrog pre-trial detention center he was in solitary confinement. His state of health is satisfactory. Alexander is kept in a cell with 6 other prisoners, he is rarely taken out for walks. According to him, \"the food in the new place is much better than it was in Taganrog.\" His cellmates treat him with respect. Alexander has a Bible. He receives letters of support. In prison, he began to write poetry.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valeriy Tibiy is taken to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Rostov-on-Don.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-05-26T08:53:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220526","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Taganrog City Court Nikolay Smirnov decides to send Valery Tibiy to custody for 19 days, until June 7, 2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220519","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers detain and place 45-year-old Valery Tibiy in a temporary detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-05-18T12:30:28+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220518","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cases against Tibiy and Skvortsov are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220331","regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Valery Tibiy on charges of \"organizing the activities of a religious organization — the Taganrog LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses, recognized as extremist and liquidated\" back in 2009.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220329","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the believer was transferred from pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog to pre-trial detention center No. 5 in Rostov-on-Don.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20220301","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Aleksandr Skvortsov in the pre-trial detention center. The physical and emotional condition of the believer is good.\nWhen Aleksandr was admitted to the pre-trial detention center, he was quarantined in a dirty cell with cockroaches and mice. But now he is kept in a clean 4-bed cell. The believer has a place to sleep, bed linen. They promise to replace the old mattress. The food is satisfactory.\nAccording to Skvortsov, there is no Bible in the library of the pre-trial detention center. Alexander regularly receives letters. One of them, from his wife Larisa, he read to his cellmates. They were impressed by their warm relationship. Cellmates are surprised that \"they are imprisoned for their faith.\"\nThe believer says that during the execution of the detention protocol, a bill of 1000 rubles was found in his possession. At Alexander's request, law enforcement officers did not seize it, but personally handed it over to his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20211216","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court chooses a measure of restraint for Alexander Skvortsov in the form of detention. The believer is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Taganrog.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20211208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces come with searches to more than 30 residents of Taganrog, including Alexander Skvortsov. Not having time to open the door, he gets kicked in the stomach, because of which he falls to the cold floor, his arms are twisted.\nThe investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Taganrog of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Region, A. A. Bolotin, makes a decision to bring Skvortsov as a defendant in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20211207","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 3 p.m., 8 law enforcement officers come to Aleksandr with a search. In the presence of two witnesses, they search for tracking equipment, searching cabinets, a basement, a barn and a greenhouse. They seize the system unit, tablet, Bible and personal records. The believer's wife becomes ill due to high blood pressure, and an ambulance is called for her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20210320","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Skvortsov and his wife are lured out of the house by traffic police officers who ask to come to check the information about their car. The Skvortsovs spend about two hours in the inspection. Late in the evening, Alexander discovers tracking equipment in his house. About 3 months ago, his suspended sentence expired.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2021-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20210319","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court upholds the new conviction of 16 Taganrog Jehovah's Witnesses. Judges Shelekhov, Malysheva and Kuznetsov consider their guilt proven. Sentences for believers, including Aleksandr Skvortsov, are coming into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2016-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20160317","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Alexei Vasyutchenko sentences: he finds 16 Jehovah's Witnesses guilty and imposes heavy fines on them. In addition, Aleksandr Skvortsov and three other believers were sentenced to 5.5 years of suspended imprisonment.\nAnatoly Krasikov, head of the Center for the Study of Problems of Religion and Society at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, comments on this decision: \"This is a violation of the law and the Constitution. They [Jehovah's Witnesses] have been persecuted for a long time and absolutely illegally. I have letters from Jehovah's Witnesses about how they are persecuted, written during the Soviet period. They are also being persecuted now.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2015-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20151130","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence","expert-comments","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A retrial of the case in court begins. Judge Alexei Vasyutchenko listens to him.\nThe believers insist on their complete innocence and intend to seek rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2015-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20150303","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Rostov Regional Court considers the appeals of both parties. The believers are demanding a full acquittal, and the prosecutor's office considers the sentence too lenient. After hearing the arguments of the defense and prosecution, the judge returns the case to the Taganrog City Court for a new trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2014-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20141212","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 14 months of court hearings, Taganrog City Court judge Oleg Kubantsev issues a verdict in a criminal case against sixteen Jehovah's Witnesses: Aleksandr Skvortsov and six other defendants were convicted, nine believers were acquitted.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2014-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20140730","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches are being carried out as part of a criminal case initiated under an \"extremist\" article against 16 residents of Taganrog for not stopping to gather together for worship. Among the victims is Alexander Skvortsov.\nThe investigation regards prayers and reading the Bible as a continuation of the extremist activities of the liquidated legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2011-08-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20110825","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court liquidates a legal entity - the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Taganrog\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Skvortsov and Others in Taganrog","date":"2009-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/taganrog/index.html#20090911","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["mro"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"On a single day, July 13, 2020, 110 searches were carried out in seven localities of the Voronezh Region — a record-breaking operation against Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia. Five believers reported being tortured by law enforcement officers. The Investigative Committee charged 10 men (then aged 24 to 56) with organizing extremist activity and sent them to pretrial detention, where most remained for nearly 5 months. The events in Voronezh sparked widespread public outcry: EU countries, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States, expressed regret and dismay over what had happened. The believers deny any guilt in extremism and emphasize that, as Christians, they respect the authorities and peacefully practice their faith in accordance with their constitutional rights. The trial began in December 2021. Nearly 4 years later, the believers were given various punishments — ranging from a 6-year suspended sentence to 7 years in a penal colony.","date":"2020-07-03","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html","prisoners":["antyukhin","baev","galka","gurskiy","ipopov","korol","nerush","pankratov","sokolov","veselov","yagupov"],"regions":["voronezh"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","type":"cases"},{"body":"Stepan Pankratov is in detention center No. 1 in Voronezh. The cell in which he is kept is designed for 12 people. The believer's relations with his cellmates and the administration are fine. He has a Bible. Stepan is given letters, but in small quantities. Recently he had a visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260510","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the last two weeks, Vitaliy has been taken for walks once every 2 days. The heating is turned off; the cell is damp and cold. As a result the believer caught a cold.\nLetters of support are now given to him more often — he receives several a week. Vitaliy is enjoying visits from his wife twice a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260421","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Following an illness, Anatoliy Yagupov's chronic health issues worsened. He receives permission for a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260328","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Sokolov and Mikhail Veselov are being held in cells with 10-11 other prisoners. The premises are warm, there is a refrigerator and hot water. Believers can read the Bible and get visits with their wives. Relatives give Mikhail the necessary medicines.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260317","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Galka is in a ten-bed cell, where eleven people are kept (for some time there were twelve). The room is cramped, many prisoners smoke and make noise, including at night. Due to the lack of light, Yuriy's eyesight deteriorates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260311","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Antyukhin is being held with eleven other prisoners. The administration refused the lawyer's petition to transfer the believer to a non-smoking cell, referring to the fact that the premises meet sanitary standards. Because of tobacco smoke, Antyukhin has a severe cough.\nAleksey worries that he cannot be with his wife and take care of her material and emotional needs. Recently, the couple had a date.\nDespite the difficulties, Aleksey does not lose heart, largely thanks to reading the Bible. Letters are handed over to the believer, but with a long delay, and sometimes he receives only a form for an answer to the sender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260310","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Nerush is kept in a warm four-bed cell. His neighbors smoke. In the last two weeks, the believer has not been taken for walks. To feel better, Vitaliy does physical exercises. Prisoners can take a shower once a week.\nVitaliy has a good relationship with his cellmates. He reads the Bible and receives letters, but they are given out about once every two weeks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2026-03-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20260308","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor V. G. Prishutov filed an appeal with the judicial panel for criminal cases of the Voronezh Regional Court. He asks for an extension of the punishment for the believers: \"I believe that correction of... [the convicted persons] will not be achieved with such a short sentence.\" Prishutov considers imprisonment for up to 7 years, insufficient punishment for their faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251225","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers are kept in 7- or 10-bed cells; the premises are dry and warm. Relations with other cellmates and detention center staff are fine. Letters come through, but not in full. There is a long waiting list for relatives to visit the pretrial detention center.\nYuriy Galka needs regular medical support due to spikes in his blood pressure. Anatoliy Yagupov needs constant therapy due to psoriatic arthritis coupled with gout; his knees are often inflamed, which causes him severe pain. His wife supplies the necessary medication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251224","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Making their final statements, the defendants do not admit guilt in extremism, draw the court's attention to the absurdities in the charge and ask to be acquitted. About 100 people come to support the defendants, some came from other regions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251107","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer refutes the arguments of the prosecution during the debate. He mentions the interrogation of Drozdov, a specialist of the Center for Combating Extremism, who claimed that the defendants were members of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh, but he could not confirm this with any documents.\nAs an argument, Drozdov pointed to the presence of \"some kind of reporting from Jehovah's Witnesses,\" which, in his opinion, testified to signs of the activities of a religious organization. \"Even a family can have accountability,\" says the lawyer. \"The family, for example, keeps a budget, takes into account utility bills.\"\nThe defense lawyer also mentions the words of the detective Gerasimov, who considered the actions of the accused illegal only because \"they gathered together.\" He also failed to substantiate his claim.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251106","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Speaking during the debate, lawyers and defendants refute the accusations and emphasize the right to freedom of religion: \"The expert opinions of political scientists and linguists talk only about signs – not actions, but signs. And this is the ground for imagination and free interpretation,\" says Vitaliy Nerush.\nAbout the motives of Valeriy Gursky, the lawyer says: \"He did not pursue any goal other than worshiping God. Ordinary religious activity is erroneously called a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251101","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested harsh sentences in a penal colony for the believers: Yevgeniy Sokolov — 8.5 years; Anatoliy Yagupov, Yuriy Galka and Valeriy Gurskiy — 8 years; Mikhail Veselov, Aleksey Antyukhin, Vitaliy Nerush, Igor Popov and Stepan Pankratov — 7 years and Sergey Baev — 6 years and 8 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251028","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation, Yagupov reports that he is dependent on an elderly mother with cancer, a disabled person of group III, who cannot get up without his help. There are no other relatives who can provide her with constant help. The believer mentions the torture he was subjected to during the search. He appealed against the actions of the law enforcement officers, but does not hold a grudge against anyone because of his Christian views.\nBaev also reports health problems. The believer was assigned the II group of disability.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251009","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Popov explains the essence of the charges and talks about health problems - during the hearings he has already undergone 3 operations, the man was assigned the III disability group. His wife also underwent 4 spinal surgeries and is a disabled person of group III.\nThe court is questioning the expert who, at Popov's request, conducted a phonoscopic examination of the excerpt of the recording imputed to the believer. She confirms that the voice in the videos does not belong to Popov. The lawyers ask the court for a second examination, but this request is rejected.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20251001","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the obvious contradictions in the conclusions of the experts, the court refuses to call them again. The interrogation of the defendants begins.\nYuriy Galka emphasizes the difference between a meeting of believers and a liquidated legal entity. He claims that he did not store or distribute prohibited literature. Answering questions about the search, the believer tells the court about the torture and threats he experienced. Yuriy declares that he does not hate non-Witnesses, and respects the faith choices of his family and other people. In conclusion, he said that he did not consider himself guilty.\nAleksey Antyukhin talks about the peaceful way of confessing one's faith: \"I would not go to meetings if there was hatred.\" He also notes that he did not know about the existence of the legal entity that appears in the charge, and even more so was not a participant in it.\nMikhail Veselov recalls the violence used against him during the investigative actions: \"They put him on the asphalt and stepped on, threw his wife, and threatened his daughter.\" Speaking of his innocence, the believer declares: \"Everyone has the right to choose whom to worship. But that doesn't make me his enemy.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250924","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An expert linguist, Candidate of Philological Sciences Ksenia Litsareva, who conducted an examination of recordings of meetings for worship and conversations of believers, is being interrogated. She admits that she did not listen to the recordings in full, and made her conclusions based on transcripts. She sees signs of propaganda in peaceful conversations and discussions of the Bible by fellow believers.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to one of the key violations - the absence of a psychologist during a comprehensive examination. The defense believes that this contradicts the requirements of the declared methodology, which provides for the participation of a psychologist.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250923","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense challenges the judge. The lawyer believes that the court does not allow the defense to fully fulfill its role in the process. Judge Laskavaya rejects the motion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250909","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of three experts. One of them, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Head of the Department of Social Sciences at Tsiolkovsky Kaluga State University, Igor Kometchikov, admits that when determining membership in the organization, he was guided by the materials of the case, not scientific methods, did not study the charter of the LRO, did not familiarize himself with the decision of the Supreme Court of April 20, 2017, and cannot explain the difference between a religious group and a LRO.\nDuring the interrogation, it turns out that all three experts did not work with the original disks and case materials, but with a transcript of audio recordings made by unknown persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250820","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge announces the results of the forensic examination. The defense draws attention to many violations. For example, the examination analyzes three parts of the charter of the LRO, which do not exist in the official version of the document. Some of the conclusions of the study are beyond the competence of experts and relate exclusively to legal issues. In addition, the qualifications and scientific titles of the authors are not confirmed and they do not have a single scientific work.\nYuriy Galka asks to recognize the examination as unacceptable, and in case of refusal to call experts for interrogation. The court satisfies the second part of the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250813","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court appoints a new comprehensive examination, which, at the request of the prosecutor, will be carried out at Kaluga State University at the Research Center for Forensic Expertise and Criminalistics. However, this body is not authorized to engage in such activities, since it is not a state forensic institution, as required by law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20250205","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several witnesses during interrogation say that they never heard the defendants call for terrorism or advocate the superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses over others. On the contrary, the services discussed why it is important to be at peace with all people and to respect the authority of the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20241128","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the defense, the former chairman of the local religious organization (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh is being interrogated. The witness states that none of the defendants has ever been a member of the LRO.\nHe explains the difference between the religious activity of believers and the activity of a legal entity. He also explains that the LRO appeared in Voronezh in 1999, and believers existed there long before that. It was registered for household needs and for renting premises for worship\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240730","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Astapov, Doctor of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies of the Institute of Philosophy and Socio-Political Sciences (Southern Federal University), testifies to the court via videoconferencing. He states: \"[Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia] have found themselves in a situation where the activities of organizations are banned, but their religious activities are not prohibited... It is necessary to distinguish between these concepts... We see religious organized activity, but we don't see the activity of LROs.\" The specialist adds: \"The state did not ban them. They don't have to give up their faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240410","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines material evidence, including audio recordings and screenshots of worship services held via video conferencing. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the investigator attributed the voices from these recordings to the suspects without any examination and with numerous errors.\nThe lawyer states that there is no incitement to enmity and hatred in the examined recordings, but on the contrary, those present are encouraged to treat others with love.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240405","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Associate Professor of the Department of Ontology and Theory of Knowledge of Voronezh State University, Doctor of Philosophy Aleksandr Arapov, who performed an examination of the records of divine services, is interrogated. He was unable to determine whether those present were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entity in Voronezh or ordinary believers. The expert also notes that he did not find any signs of incitement to hatred in the records of Jehovah's Witnesses' services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240327","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer Denis Zhilenko, who, together with Gerasimov, carried out operational measures against the defendants, is being interrogated. The witness acknowledges that he is not an expert in the field of religion. However, his testimony, according to the defense, contains an assessment of religious activities. On the merits of the case, Zhilenko cannot explain anything specific, referring to the fact that he does not remember much.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240229","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, FSB operative Denis Gerasimov, who conducted operational-search measures against believers in Voronezh, including wiretapping telephone conversations and remote monitoring of the contents of their computers, is being interrogated. He cannot explain which activities of the defendants are illegal and acknowledges that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240226","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Menyailov, an FSB technical specialist who took part in the ORM, is being interrogated. When asked what happened on the recordings, he answers: \"Some kind of prayer, people in the room.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240206","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witness Denis Drozdov, senior detective for especially important cases of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Voronezh Region, is being interrogated. He could not answer questions about whether there were calls for incitement to hatred and enmity at the services and whether extremist materials were used.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240119","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the examination of prosecution witnesses. Witness Sarantsev, who since 2015 has been working as deputy head of the department for countering extremist organizations, cannot inform the court of anything on the merits of the case. He describes the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses as follows: \"People gathered to pray, prayed and dispersed.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20240118","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the examination of the materials characterizing the defendants, the lawyer states that the involvement of the believer Galka in extremist activities has not been proven. On the contrary, a man has positive characteristics, he has a minor child dependent on him, he has strong social ties. During the arrest, Galka did not resist, but when he was placed in a temporary detention facility, bodily injuries were recorded.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231212","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines volumes 49 to 51 of the case. The defense claims that the memorandum from Volume 51 does not meet the requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure. It also erroneously claims that the defendants are members of the LRO and do not maintain relations with relatives - both of these statements are not supported by any facts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231129","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the 48th volume of the criminal case, in particular the video recordings with the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231108","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the materials of the case. The defendants' lawyer again draws attention to the fact that both experts who conducted the examinations do not have the appropriate education, as can be seen from the terminology they use.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231107","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines religious-linguistic and political-religious expertise.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the violation of the procedure for conducting the examination and the lack of appropriate education of the expert, as well as the fact that the examination contains words that the defendant Sokolov did not pronounce.\nThe defense emphasizes that the transcript of the divine service read out at the hearing contains a call not to show hatred, but, on the contrary, to love one's neighbors, including law enforcement officers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231004","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the materials of the case and examines the 47th volume. The defense notes that the evidence in question, seized from certain persons during 80 searches, is not related to the charges brought against the defendants.\nThe lawyer also draws attention to the lack of evidence that Yuriy Galka, during the period indicated by the investigator, met with people whose identity has not been established, allegedly for the transfer of extremist literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20231003","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed due to Anatoly Yagupov's illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230829","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense counsel and the defendants point out violations in the case materials and comment on the transcripts of the services. Mikhail Veselov says: \"In the materials of the criminal case, the transcript differs from what actually happened. There are a lot of words that I didn't say.\" The lawyer notes that in the documents Veselov is also credited with statements at one of the services, but on that day he was not even in Voronezh.\n\"Nothing is said about calls for violence. According to the protocol, everything is about love, love for one's neighbor, \"the lawyer notes. He quotes from the case file: \"It is said that everyone should be treated with friendship and love. There is even an expression from a Soviet cartoon about friendship: \"Let smiles turn on everywhere on earth, like light bulbs.\"\nIn turn, Stepan Pankratov says: \"How to be a good parent and how to treat people of other races and nationalities - this was discussed at the services. And not a word about enmity and hatred.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230714","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Those present note that the judge listens attentively to the transcript of the Bible lecture on professional career and priorities in life.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230411","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"They examine the protocols of searches conducted in the homes of defendants and witnesses. The lawyers draw attention to the fact that, although the purpose of the searches was to find extremist materials, nothing was found.\nSome protocols say that extremist literature was seized, but the names are not given. Further, it turns out that extremist literature meant the Bible in a non-forbidden translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230313","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer notes that the transcript of the 4-hour service fit on only 10 sheets. He says: \"The first 1.5 hours of the audio recording are completely absent from the transcript, and the hour-long report is reduced to three small paragraphs. The transcript consists of an incomprehensible set of words: it is not clear which words the speaker says and which belong to other attendees. He further concludes: \"We cannot trust this document, it does not reflect the real picture. I consider such evidence inadmissible.\"\nThe defense notes that during the arrest the believers behaved respectably and peacefully, but for some reason Yuriy Galka was handcuffed, put a bag over his head and beaten, which is recorded in medical documents. The lawyer wonders why criminal cases were not opened against those employees.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230302","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer draws attention to the poor quality of the next transcript: \"It is not clear what kind of phrases were said, everything is blurred, the meaning is unclear. Everyone can only guess what was said there. It's like playing a broken phone.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230301","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the 6th volume continues. Defendant Stepan Pankratov draws attention to the fact that there are no signs of extremism in the case materials, but, on the contrary, contain incentives for good: it says how to be a good friend and come to the aid of others. He says: \"Given that one can be charged under an extremist article only if there is a motive of hatred or enmity, it is not entirely clear how these documents can serve as evidence of our guilt.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230126","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer makes a suggestion to listen to audio recordings of the worship service instead of reading out the transcript, as it is illegible. Mikhail Veselov also draws attention to distortions: the service said \"evolution\", and the transcript says \"revolution\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230119","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court provides the largest courtroom, so that about 20 listeners can attend.\nThe prosecutor reads out the transcript of the recording of the worship service, which deals with the manifestation of sympathy for people. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that a legal entity (a local religious organization) is never mentioned at meetings of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20230111","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"14 people come to support the believers, but due to the epidemiological situation, only five are allowed into the courtroom. The Court continues to consider the 5th volume of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20221222","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the 5th volume of the case materials, in particular, telephone and household conversations of Yuriy Galka. Judge Yevgenia Laskavaya then gives the lawyer the opportunity to comment on the above.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20221130","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Conversations about outdoor recreation with friends, work, household and family worries - the prosecutor reads out the written evidence of the prosecution.\nYuriy Galka's e-mail correspondence with other believers and transcripts of his telephone conversations are read out. Yuriy's conversations on the phone are overwhelmingly about household and family matters.\nThe defense argues to the court that the prosecution evidence does not confirm Galka's guilt, but only demonstrates the believer's belonging to the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe prosecution reads to the court excerpts from the comprehensive religious examination of Voronezh State University. The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the conclusion of the experts does not contain evidence of the guilt of the defendants.\nAt the end of the hearing, during the reading of the prosecution evidence, the prosecutor, judge, defenders and listeners cannot help laughing, since the transcript of telephone transcripts contains a large number of jokes, humorous statements and witty sayings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20220919","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read out the materials of the 4th volume of the case. He reads the transcript of a worship service that discusses a healthy lifestyle: the importance of a balanced diet and exercise.\nA transcript of a biblical speech on loving people is also read. In the indictment, it is presented as evidence of incitement to hatred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20220824","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Once again, prosecution witnesses do not appear at the hearing, two of whom are classified, and the rest are law enforcement officers.\nThe defense file a motion to declassify secret witnesses, to bring witnesses who did not appear for questioning and to recognize the testimony of some witnesses as inadmissible.\nIn response to this, the state prosecutor asks to change the procedure for considering the case materials, moving on to written evidence, and to return to interrogations later.\nThe judge partially rejects the lawyers' petitions. And the question of declassification is postponed until the day of the interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20220420","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning two witnesses for the prosecution.\nThe first witness does not know three of the defendants, answers many questions with \"I don't know\", \"I don't remember\". It turns out that some of her written testimony is attributed to the investigator - the woman says that she does not even \"know such words and does not use them.\"\nAnother witness is a colleague of Yuriy Galka's wife. Although the woman expresses her bias against the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, she says that she has not heard any calls for genocide or extremist statements from them. The witness admits that she does not know any of the defendants personally, and she bases part of her testimony on media reports.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20220330","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nBelievers do not admit guilt. They state that they do not understand the charges: it is not clear what constitutes a crime, neither the time nor the place of commission of illegal acts is indicated. Moreover, some of the defendants did not even know each other before the initiation of the criminal case, while the investigation accused them of prior conspiracy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2022-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20220316","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the frosty weather, 40 people come to support the believers.\nLawyers file motions to return the case to the prosecutor, which indicate errors and falsifications in the charges. Also, the defense asks to exclude evidence and stop the criminal case.\nYuriy Galka's lawyer, having listed the accusations against his client, notes that the conclusion does not specify where, when and in what way Yuriy committed it. The defender adds:\n\"The accusation itself is contradictory: it is called the activity of a religious group, then simply Jehovah's Witnesses. On what grounds the investigation decided that the activities of the Local Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Central, Voronezh\" continued is not clear from the indictment.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the fact that, according to the indictment, the investigation considers any worship service to be a continuation of the activities of the liquidated legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses. \"However, this should not happen, as it would mean a ban on religion, which contradicts the explanations of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation,\" the lawyer said.\nThe court rejects all petitions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20211223","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Left Bank District Court of Voronezh.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20211206","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused begin to familiarize themselves with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20210524","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator charges Sergey Baev.\nThe Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Voronezh Region terminates the case against Alexander Korol due to the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20210519","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["282.2-1","case-dismissed"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator indicts Vitaliy Nerush.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20210514","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator is indicting Igor Popov and Yevgeny Sokolov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20210513","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Ilya Bichev indicts Anatoly Yagupov and Mikhail Veselov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20210512","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court releases believers Aleksey Antyukhin, Mikhail Veselov and Valery Gursky from the pre-trial detention center. They spent just under 5 months behind bars. They were assigned a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions. In addition, the court mitigates the measure of restraint for Sergey Baev, Igor Popov and Anatoly Yagupov. Starting in July 2020, they spent 3 to 9 weeks in a pre-trial detention center, and the rest of the time under house arrest. They are now assigned a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20201203","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Voronezh changes the measure of restraint for 3 believers who were in jail for 4.5 months from July 13, 2020. Yuriy Galka, Vitaliy Nerush, Yevgeniy Sokolov were released under a ban on certain actions. It is known that Nerush and Sokolov were released immediately. The whereabouts of Jackdaw are being clarified. The measure of restraint for Stepan Pankratov has also been relaxed: house arrest has been changed to a ban on certain actions. Three believers remain in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the city of Voronezh: Alexey Antyukhin, Mikhail Veselov and Valery Gursky.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20201201","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a result of the appeal hearing, the Voronezh Regional Court softens the measure of restraint for Stepan Pankratov. He was released from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest. After the largest raid on Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh on July 13, 2020, the believer spent 68 days behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200918","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Voronezh Regional Court is holding an appeal hearing on the measure of restraint. Igor Popov is transferred to house arrest after 66 days in a pre-trial detention center. Another believer, Aleksey Antyukhin, is left behind bars by the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200916","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Voronezh is holding hearings in the case of Yevgeny Sokolov, Vitaliy Nerush, Yuri Galka and Mikhail Veselov. Due to the epidemiological situation, only relatives of the accused are allowed to attend the hearing.\nJudge Aleksandr Kuryanov, who at the end of 2016 issued a decision to suspend the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Voronezh, begins consideration of Sokolov's case.\nThe court satisfies the defense's requests to familiarize the accused with the case materials, to attach the opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and to attach other documents confirming the possibility of applying a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest, but refuses to release the defendant from the cage for the duration of the trial.\nYevgeny Sokolov does not recognize the connection with extremism and emphasizes that, as a Christian, he respects the authorities.\nThe hearing in the case of Nerush is also conducted by Judge Kuryanov with the participation of prosecutor Parshikov. Expressing his attitude to the charge, Vitaliy points out that he conducted peaceful activities, exercising the right enshrined in the Constitution to pray to God both individually and with friends.\nThe hearing in the case of Galka is conducted by Judge Dmitry Mayorov with the participation of prosecutor Kalchenko. The accused is in a cage. During the debate, the court listens carefully to the arguments of the defense and the accused. The court attaches the statement of torture and the response to the lawyer's request for a medical examination to the case file. Yuri testifies about how he was tortured, and also says that he is being tried for refusing to stop believing in God and pray after the Supreme Court decision in April 2017.\nInvestigator Kolesnikov speaks at the hearing in the case of Mikhail Veselov. At the beginning of the trial, the believer states that he was not given food and water for a whole day in the pre-trial detention center. Mikhail organizes the delivery of food and water, he manages to communicate with his wife and daughter. After the break, the court partially satisfies the petition for the release of the defendant from the cage and transfers Veselov behind the armored glass to another room. The investigator avoids answering all the questions of the believer, referring to the case materials. At the same time, he refuses to specify the page on which this or that explanation is located.\nVeselov gives an example: after the liquidation of the fishing society, fishermen do not stop going to the river and fishing and do it on their own or together with other fishermen. So it is in the case of believers: with the liquidation of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses, a person does not cease to be a Christian and fulfill what is written in the Bible.\nVeselov is interrogated on the fact of beating. The court attaches his appeal on torture, objections to the opinion of the UN Working Group and other documents to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200901","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Voronezh court decides to release Anatoly Yagupov from the pre-trial detention center under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200810","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Voronezh changes the measure of restraint for Sergey Baev to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200804","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a visit to the detainees in pre-trial detention center No. 1, the lawyers learn that two more believers — Yuriy Galka and Anatoly Yagupov — were tortured and beaten. During interrogations, they put a bag over their heads, demanding self-incrimination. At the same time, Yuriy Galka was beaten by the security forces in such a way that he broke a rib.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200729","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The UK Mission to the OSCE issued an official statement saying, among other things: \"It is with deep regret that we learned that on 13 July, Russian authorities simultaneously searched 110 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in the cities of Voronezh and Stary Oskol. 13 Jehovah's Witnesses were detained and two people were reportedly beaten during a home search. [...] For three years now, the delegation of the Russian Federation has assured the OSCE that individual Jehovah's Witnesses can practice their religion at home, as no permission is required to pray in Russia. However, we have witnessed time and again that in the case of Jehovah's Witnesses, any manifestation of their faith can result in the search of their homes, lengthy detention, criminal prosecution and imprisonment.\"\nAnatoly Yagupov, Yuriy Galka and Igor Popov are transferred to the FKU \"SIZO No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Voronezh Region\" at 56 Zhelyabova Street, Voronezh.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200723","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["osce"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Voronezh sends ten believers into custody for 1 month and 22 days (until September 3, 2020). Sergey Baev, Yuriy Galka, Stepan Pankratov, Igor Popov and Anatoly Yagupov are placed in pre-trial detention center No. 3 on Antokolsky Street in Voronezh. Aleksey Antyukhin, Mikhail Veselov, Valery Gursky, Vitaliy Nerush, Yevgeniy Sokolov — in pre-trial detention center No. 1 on Zhelyabov Street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200714","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The largest special operation is being carried out against Jehovah's Witnesses: searches are being carried out at more than 100 addresses, including apartments of believers, workplaces, garages, etc. Raids in the cities of Voronezh, Borisoglebsk, Liski, Novovoronezh, Pavlovsk, Ramon, Semiluki, the villages of Nikolskoye and Babyakovo. Investigators of the Investigative Committee together with employees of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Voronezh Region, with the power support of employees of the National Guard, participate in the operation.\nSome believers have reported beatings. Aleksandr Bokov and Dmitriy Katyrov are severely beaten and abused because they refuse to provide passwords for their mobile devices. Law enforcement officers inflict several blows to the face, head and ribs, after which they force him to do push-ups from the floor and squat until he is exhausted. Law enforcement officers bring Katyrov to Bokov's apartment, demand the password from his device, and after refusal, they knock him to the floor and kick him on the back and neck, break out his hands and fingers to unlock the phone with his fingerprint. Because of what is happening, Bokov's wife needs the help of an ambulance crew. (After interrogation, both believers were released, they record their injuries in order to protest the actions of law enforcement officers.)\n29-year-old Alexander Korol is taken away for interrogation. After refusing to incriminate himself and extradite his fellow believers, one of the interrogators tortures him: they put a plastic bag over Aleksandr's head and tighten it around his neck, blocking the access of air. The torture is repeated repeatedly. At the same time, Alexander is beaten in the face several times and threatened with using needles for torture.\nDuring the storming of Yuriy Galka's apartment, after breaking into his front door, law enforcement officers knocked him down and pressed him face to the floor.\nThe apartment where Aleksey Shtylenko lives with his wife and sick mother is burst into the armed security forces - an investigator accompanied by 2 operatives and 2 riot policemen. Spouses are ordered to lie face down on the floor. The believer is dragged down the corridor and kicked. Law enforcement officers demand to name passwords from phones. Their passports are taken away from them, they are not allowed to get up, get dressed, visit the toilet for some time. After 4 hours, Aleksey is taken out into the yard to search his car, without having the appropriate order and in the absence of witnesses.\nThe majority of believers, at least 40, including women, are taken for interrogations to the Center for Countering Extremism, to Sredne-Moskovskaya Street in Voronezh. There they are kept in the assembly hall under the supervision of armed machine gunners and interrogated one by one. During interrogations, some are pressured and used foul language. At least one believer is beaten in the back of the head with his palm.\nBelievers Antyukhin, Baev, Veselov, Galka, Gursky, Nerush, Pankratov, Popov, Sokolov and Yagupov are taken to the building of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation on Ordzhonikidze Street in Voronezh. They sit in a paddy wagon, and they are taken one by one to the building, handcuffed to the escort. At night, they are sent to an isolation ward in the village of Nizhnedevitsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200713","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","torture"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 1st Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Voronezh Region initiates 2 criminal cases under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 11 believers: Antyukhin Aleksey (44 years old), Sergey Baev (47 years old), Mikhail Veselov (51 years old), Galka Yuriy (44 years old), Gursky Valery (56 years old), King Alexander (29 years old), Nerush Vitaliy (41 years old), Stepan Pankratov (24 years old), Igor Popov (54 years old), Evgeny Sokolov (44 years old) and Anatoly Yagupov (51 years old).\nAccording to investigators, from June 2018 to February 2020, the suspects and other unidentified persons were active members of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Central, Voronezh\". It is alleged that they took organizational actions aimed at continuing the activities of the banned religious organization in the city of Voronezh and the Voronezh region.\nThe case is being investigated by the investigator for especially important cases Ilya Bichev and others, with the active participation of the head of the department Andrey Shevelev. The investigation of the case is under the control of the head of the regional investigation department.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov and Others in Voronezh","date":"2020-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/voronezh/index.html#20200703","regions":["voronezh"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2022, the FSB in Zeya initiated a second criminal case against Yevgeniy Sokolov for his worship. The first case was initiated two years earlier in Voronezh. Then the believer\u0026#39;s home was searched, and he spent almost 5 months in a pretrial detention center. In Zeya, he was banned from certain actions. Sokolov was accused of participating in Jehovah\u0026#39;s Witnesses meetings, where the believers discussed Bible teachings with friends. As it turned out, the woman, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, on the instructions of an FSB officer, made hidden audio-video recordings of meetings for worship. The prosecutor requested a punishment for the believer 3 years in prison. In May 2024, the court gave him a 3-year suspended sentence, 3 months later the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2022-12-15","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html","prisoners":["sokolov2"],"regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"All attempts to prevent Jehovah's Witnesses from serving our God Jehovah will be unsuccessful,\" Yevgeny Sokolov speaks in court with his last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240529","regions":["amur"],"tags":["final-statement","first-instance","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Yevgeny Sokolov a sentence of imprisonment for 3 years with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in the work of public organizations for a period of 3 years, with additional restriction of liberty for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240522","regions":["amur"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the defense's request for Sokolov's participation in further hearings via videoconferencing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240507","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses confirm that they did not hear from the defendant calls for violent actions against any religious group of people, as well as calls to commit any illegal actions against them.\nThe first to be questioned is witness Natalia Grebneva, who, at the request of the FSB, made audio and video recordings of Jehovah's Witnesses worship services. She informs the court that she knows the defendant and saw him at such a meeting once 6 years ago.\nThe second witness, FSB officer Nikolay Korendov, who conducted the ORM, cannot confirm Sokolov's participation in the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Zeya. He also does not see the difference between religious activities and the activities of a legal entity.\nThe court is reviewing two records of worship. The defendant draws attention to the fact that they do not indicate that this is a meeting of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Zeya, and believers read texts from various translations of the Bible, including the Synodal, which is used in various Christian denominations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240506","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who does not confirm her acquaintance with the defendant and enjoys the right not to testify against herself and her relatives is being interrogated.\nAnnouncement of written materials of the 3rd to the 11th volumes of the case, including the conclusions of experts from religious studies and psychological-linguistic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240503","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since the defendant lives in Voronezh, and the court hearings in his second case are held in Zeya, the defense file a motion for the hearings via video conferencing. The judge refuses to satisfy, citing a 6-hour time difference between these cities.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment, and the defendant Sokolov reads out his attitude towards it. The written materials of the case are examined - volumes 1 and 2.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240502","regions":["amur"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Zeya District Court and is referred to Judge Arina Fedorova for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240326","regions":["amur"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Isaev charges Sokolov. The investigation believes that Sokolov took an active part in meetings aimed at preparing preaching activities, providing information, consulting and other assistance necessary for the implementation of the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSokolov learns that the woman with whom he spoke about the Bible made covert audio-video recordings of meetings for worship and handed them over to the FSB.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20240215","regions":["amur"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Sokolov is completing his acquaintance with 9 volumes of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2023-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20231221","regions":["amur"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Sokolov learns that on December 15, 2022, a second criminal case was opened against him - in the city of Zeya, Amur Region. He is again charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - he is charged with \"preparing and conducting religious meetings.\"\nInvestigator of the FSB of Russia in the Voronezh region I. O. Chekurov acquaints Sokolov and his lawyer with the decision on the appointment of an outpatient psychiatric forensic examination. After that, Chekurov interrogates Yevgeny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2023-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20230922","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Amur Region, M. N. Isaev, decides to conduct an outpatient psychiatric forensic examination of Yevgeny Sokolov.\nWithin its framework, experts must determine, among other things, whether the suspect needs to be subjected to compulsory medical measures.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20230901","regions":["amur"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Isaev initiates a second criminal case against Yevgeniy Sokolov. The first criminal case was initiated against a believer in Voronezh.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sokolov in Zeya","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/zeya5/index.html#20221215","regions":["amur"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three residents of Ivanovo were searched in November 2022. Against two, Sergey Solovyev and Yuriy Dementev, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case for their faith. The investigation considered reading the Bible with fellow believers to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. In April 2025, another criminal case was opened against the men, this time for involvement in the activities of an extremist organization. The two cases were later merged into one, and the court began hearing it in July 2025. In April 2026, the verdict was announced: a fine of 600,000 rubles each.","date":"2022-11-02","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html","prisoners":["dementev","solovevs"],"regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"The court announces its verdict: a fine of 600,000 rubles each.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20260428","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the closing arguments, the prosecutor of the Ivanovo Region requests 5 years imprisonment for Yuriy Dementev and Sergey Solovyev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2026-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20260406","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the case of Sergei Solovyov and Yuri Dementyev begin in the Ivanovo District Court. It is being considered by Judge Daria Morozova. Previously, both cases of believers - participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it - were combined into one.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20250731","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court","first-instance","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Ivanovo Region N. Y. Toropova opened another criminal case against Yuriy Dementyev and Sergey Solovyov - \"involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20250403","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, the family of Sergei Solovyov is searched at his place of residence, and then at the place of registration. During the search, electronic devices, two Bibles in the Synodal translation, books by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, personal notes and souvenirs from the Bible Museum were seized.\nSolovyov is interrogated as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2022-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20221109","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel E. M. Skuridina, senior investigator of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, initiates a criminal case against Sergey Solovyov for participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). She is already conducting a similar criminal case against 4 believers from Teikovo.\nThe investigation believes that Solovyov \"deliberately participated in the activities ... by directly participating in meetings... a banned organization, propaganda of its activities ... the teaching of religion and religious education.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Solovyov and Others in Ivanovo","date":"2022-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ivanovo/index.html#20221102","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2025, the Investigative Committee in Kansk opened a criminal case against three believers — Andrey Sorokin, Yelena Kamenskaya, and Yelena Grosheva. The case was triggered by a report from a woman who pretended to be interested in the Bible. Searches were carried out at the believers’ homes. Sorokin, Kamenskaya, and Grosheva were detained; later, Andrey was placed under house arrest, while the two women were restricted from certain activities. In December, all three were added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In March 2026, another defendant, Aleksey Pislyakov, was added to the criminal case, and Sorokin was restricted from certain activities.","date":"2025-11-20","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html","prisoners":["pislyakov","grosheva","kamenskaya","sorokinan"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Kansk City Court Artyom Soldatikhin releases Andrey Sorokin from house arrest and places him under a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2026-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20260319","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Pislyakov is filing an appeal against the decision of the Kansk City Court of March 4, 2026 to allow a search of his home. He considers this decision unjustified and illegal: \"The court did not indicate what evidence it examined that gave grounds for the search. Also, there is a complete lack of an appropriate judicial assessment of the materials presented by the investigator.\"\nAleksey concludes: \"The court of first instance violated the prohibition of discrimination and treated me as a dangerous criminal, only on the basis of my religious beliefs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20260313","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2026-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20260305","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Sorokin, Elena Kamenskaya and Elena Grosheva are included in the Rosfinmonitoring list.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2025-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20251205","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kansk City Court Svetlana Kalmbakh chooses a restriction measure for Andrey Sorokin in the form of house arrest \"with complete isolation from society,\" and for Elena Kamenskaya and Elena Grosheva in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2025-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20251121","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Investigation Department for the Kansky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, I. V. Piskun, opens a criminal case against Andrey Sorokin, Yelena Kamenskaya and Elena Grosheva for extremism.\nSorokin was charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, Kamenskaya — under parts 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2, and Grosheva — under Part 2, Part 1.1 of Article 282.2. According to the ruling, Sorokin \"conducted educational disputes,\" and Kamenskaya and Grosheva \"conducted door-to-door visits in the city of Kansk... carried out explanatory work, thereby involving new adepts.\" This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful conversations of believers about the Bible.\nAndrey Sorokin, Yelena Kamenskaya and Yelena Grosheva are detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Others in Kansk","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kansk/index.html#20251120","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2020, in the cities of Yugorsk and Sovetskiy, searches were carried out at 9 addresses of Jehovah’s Witnesses; 16 people were taken away for interrogation. The Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Andrey Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin for organizing the activity of an extremist organization because of talking about the Bible with their friends. The believers were placed in a temporary detention facility, and the next day they were released under a recognizance agreement. A few months later, their accounts were blocked, which became a serious difficulty for the Zhukov family with the birth of their second child. In August 2021, Zhukov and Sorokin were also charged with involving others in the activity of an extremist organization. The case went to court in October of the same year. In August 2023, the court fully acquitted Zhukov and Sorokin. After 3 months, the court of appeal overturned the verdict. In February 2024, the case went to court for a new trial.","date":"2020-08-17","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html","prisoners":["sorokin","zhukovan"],"regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believers to 9 years in prison in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20260529","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court grants the motion of the defense to familiarize itself with the decisions to refuse to satisfy previously filed motions and all session protocols.\nThe defense insists on receiving the written protocols of the court hearings in preparation for the closing arguments, despite the court's position that it can limit itself to listening to audio recordings of the hearings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20260116","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An IT specialist is being questioned about files from the case file. He explains that many files are copies, not originals; The dates of their creation and modification are different from each other, which means that their content may have changed. The specialist also explains that using the settings of the operating system and other software, you can manually change the dates of creation of files and their contents. At the same time, it is impossible to check such material for authenticity without the source file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251223","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the exclusion of the protocols of confrontations, arguing that the testimony was given without a lawyer and was not confirmed by the accused. The judge notes that the evidence will be evaluated when sentencing and refuses to satisfy the lawyer's request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251126","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite heavy ice, listeners come to support the defendants, which surprises the judge.\nThe defense filed motions to invalidate CDs with recordings of operational measures, pointing to the absence of the originals, incomplete transcripts and damage to the packaging of the media. The lawyer also asks for the recusal of specialist Dokuchaev, since he is an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and cannot be considered independent.\nThe court dismisses the challenge and rejects the motions of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251119","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reports that experts Sirotkina and Bogdan will not be interrogated, since video conferencing is not organized.\nThe court rejects the lawyer's petitions to declare the evidence inadmissible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251106","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer draws the court's attention to serious violations during the examinations. According to him, the investigator sent additional materials for research without notifying the defense, which limited its rights. The lawyer also notes the absence in the report of references to the methods used and instructions on which of the experts made which conclusions. Instead of the official seal of the expert institution, the document has a stamp of the personnel department. In addition, the lawyer considers it unacceptable to have a link to an Internet resource closed in Russia in the conclusion.\n\"A lot of these violations indicate the inadmissibility of evidence,\" the lawyer emphasizes.\nThe prosecutor proposes to interrogate the experts Sirotkina and Bogdan via videoconferencing at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251020","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of specialist Sergey Bogdan. He explains that he examined Jehovah's Witnesses as an organization from a religious point of view, not a legal one. He also says that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses and they themselves, as a Christian movement, are not prohibited.\nThe defense reiterates the motion to conduct an expert study of the handwriting of Varankin's statement. She refers to the conclusion of an independent specialist, who revealed that it is very likely that the date was corrected, which may affect the admissibility of the disc with recordings as evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20251009","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["interrogation","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense filed a motion for a handwriting examination of Varankin's statement, in which the date of transfer of the discs with recordings of meetings for worship to the investigation was allegedly corrected. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20250710","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the key witness for the prosecution - Varankin. He reports that at first, on his own initiative, he made several hidden audio recordings of meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses, and then, as part of cooperation with the investigation, he continued to make audio and video recordings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20250620","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Seventh Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction D. V. Kurin refuses to review the appellate ruling. The case will continue to be considered by the court of first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240816","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov are filing a cassation appeal against the appeal ruling of November 20, 2023 to overturn the acquittal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240501","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["complaints","cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sorokin and Zhukov file a petition to grant the defense the right to exercise the adversarial nature of the parties. In one of the points, he points out: \"The prosecutor, in the presence of witnesses, repeatedly pointed out the cancellation of the acquittal previously issued in the criminal case. The defense considers such actions as exerting pressure on witnesses from the prosecution in order to obtain testimony favorable to it and asks to take measures aimed at preventing such violations.\nInterrogation of a prosecution witness who attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2018. He says that after 2017 he had no contact with Sorokin. According to the witness, Sorokin and Zhukov never called him to extremism or undermine the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240417","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who secretly recorded conversations with Sorokin is being interrogated. He says that he voluntarily stopped going to services back in 2016 and has not met Sorokin since September 2017. Since that time, the defendant has not offered him any literature or invited him to religious meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240327","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of 6 prosecution witnesses. When asked whether Sorokin encouraged violent change of the foundations of the constitutional order or violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation, whether he promoted social, racial, national or religious strife, all witnesses answered in the negative.\nWhen asked by the prosecutor whether Sorokin was a member of the organization, one of the witnesses replies: \"Not in the organization, but his faith is like that. I don't know that he was a legal entity in the organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240311","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Valery Kolobaev rejects the request of the state prosecutor to hold closed court hearings.\nThe state prosecutor reads out what believers Ivan Sorokin and Andrey Zhukov are accused of: they \"took active steps aimed at persuading and otherwise involving residents of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug of Ugra in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses\" in Yugorsk.\nIvan Sorokin and Andrei Zhukov voice their attitude to the charges. In their opinion, the state prosecutor imposes the view that the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses is prohibited, but this is not true.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20240209","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to appoint Ivan Sorokin to 9 years, and Andrey Zhukov - 8 years and 6 months in a general regime colony. After that, the defendants make the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230724","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the investigator's request to attach to the case file the order to search Sorokin's home, despite the objections of the defense, which claims that this document was absent during the investigation, and, accordingly, there was no opportunity to appeal against it.\nThe defense provides information about the defendants - marriage certificates, characteristics from the place of work, and also confirms that the defendants have minor children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230512","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor initiates the interrogation of expert Alexander Dokuchaev, an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city of Yugorsk. Lawyers find out from him why the decision on the appointment of an examination and the subscription on responsibility are dated on different days, although by law they must be registered on the same day. The expert explains that this is a typo. The defense points out a few more errors and inconsistencies in the documents. For example, it is indicated that the expert examined the video files, but it is not clear which ones. Also, Dokuchaev cannot name the scientific methods of the examination. The prosecutor considers all these to be insignificant flaws.\nAndrei Zhukov reminds the court: \"The prosecution mentioned that experts can use open sources on the Internet. But the case file does not contain the charter of the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, although experts refer to it. And there is no charter in the public domain either.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230406","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer claims gross violations of Ivan Sorokin's rights during a search in his house: \"In the case file there is a statement by the defendant with a request to provide him with a lawyer. However, the investigator ignored this and conducted a search. The appeal found the investigative actions illegal. It is not clear why the investigation hid this document and did not attach it to the case file.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230405","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Ivan Sorokin uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation when testifying in court.\nThe lawyer draws attention to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017 contained in the case file and says that according to its text, the prohibition of a religious organization does not imply a ban on religious activities of believers, which is also guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe court attaches to the case file a description of Andrey Zhukov from his place of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230315","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An expert, candidate of philosophical sciences Sergey Bogdan, who participated in the examinations as a religious scholar, is being interrogated. Answering questions, he explains that he does not have the education to conduct religious examinations. Bogdan explains that a basic understanding of religions, including Jehovah's Witnesses, is enough for him to conduct examinations. The lawyer asks, \"Do you consider believing in God and worshipping him a criminal act?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20230207","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who attended worship meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2013 is being interrogated via video link. He says that in 2020 he resumed his participation in worship services and, on the instructions of the Center for Countering Extremism, began to take notes of these meetings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20221219","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing is adjourned due to the defendant's illness. At the next hearing, it is planned to read the case materials and interrogate the prosecution witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20221129","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the inspection report. The lawyer draws the judge's attention to the fact that the prosecutor is scrolling through it in a hurry, not paying attention to significant information.\nNext, the state prosecutor reads out the personal files of Andrei Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin, seized at the place of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20221024","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the reading of the case materials, one of the lawyers draws the court's attention to the fact that all acts of inspection of disks with recordings of conversations of believers contain incomplete transcripts.\nTwo expert opinions are mentioned in the materials. The defense notes that one of them was compiled on the basis of a transcript, and not the original audio recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20220727","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness is being questioned at the hearing. During his acquaintance with the defendants, he did not hear any appeals of an extremist nature from them. The witness adds that he has no dislike for the defendants and considers them peaceful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20220429","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning prosecution witnesses, including the landlord, Zhukov's neighbor and a colleague. All of them note that they do not know anything wrong with the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20220411","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating a former colleague of Andrei Zhukov. The woman reports that the defendant never invited her or other employees to join any religious organization. Relations in the team were good.\nAlso, two of Sorokin's colleagues are invited to the court for interrogation. They report that they have not heard any calls from the believer for any reprehensible actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20220217","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The witness on the part of the prosecution A. Nekrasov, who is an operative of the criminal investigation department of Yugorsk, is being interrogated. He was also present during a search of Zhukov's apartment on August 19, 2020, during which electronic media, flash cards, laptops, and disks were seized.\nThe court interrogates the wife of the defendant Ivan Sorokin. It uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2022-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20220202","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believers. The hearing is held with the participation of two state prosecutors: Alexander Burenkov and Yulia Boruti.\nJudge Yuriy Klyupa rejects Andrey Zhukov's petition to refuse a lawyer by appointment.\nIvan Sorokin speaks with an attitude to the accusation. He draws the court's attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 32 of October 28, 2021, which states that joint worship services in themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer also explains that the attendance of Jehovah's Witnesses worship services by the persons whose testimony formed the basis of the accusation \"was related to their intention to assist law enforcement agencies in collecting and transmitting secretly made recordings of such meetings ... There was a direct provocation.\"\nThe court interrogates the son of Ivan Sorokin and three other people who use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. One of the women retracts the testimony given during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20211229","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"10 people gather outside the courthouse to support the believers. The hearing is held with the participation of two state prosecutors: Alexander Burenkov and Yulia Boruti.\nJudge Yuriy Klyupa rejects Andrey Zhukov's petition to refuse a lawyer by appointment.\nIvan Sorokin speaks with an attitude to the accusation. He draws the court's attention to the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. 32 of October 28, 2021, which states that joint worship services in themselves do not constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe believer also explains that the attendance of Jehovah's Witnesses worship services by the persons whose testimony formed the basis of the accusation \"was related to their intention to assist law enforcement agencies in collecting and transmitting secretly made recordings of such meetings ... There was a direct provocation.\"\nThe court interrogates the son of Ivan Sorokin and three other people who use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. One of the women retracts the testimony given during the preliminary investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20211229","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to Judge Yuriy Klyupa for consideration at the Yugorsky District Court of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug – Ugra.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20211117","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers file petitions to terminate the criminal case, but are refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20211015","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Zhukov is also charged under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code. As follows from the ruling, the unlawful actions of believers boil down to the fact that they \"conducted divine services consisting of sequentially performed prayers to Jehovah God, conducting a religious ceremony, and studying religious texts.\"\nAfter the decision is served, Zhukov is interrogated, he enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20210804","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Karachurin charges Ivan Sorokin under another article: Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (inducement, recruitment and other involvement of persons in an extremist organization), after which an interrogation is conducted. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20210803","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that as part of the investigative actions, an examination of the materials seized during the searches was carried out. After that, about 10 people were interrogated.\nIt also turns out that for more than a month the case of Sorokin and Zhukov has been led by another investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20210306","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin are included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. The believers' bank accounts were subsequently blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2021-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20210114","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the Ugra Interdistrict Investigation Department combines the criminal cases against Andrey Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2020-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20201224","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Late in the evening, Zhukov and Sorokin are allowed to go home on their own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2020-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20200820","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning, security forces invaded 9 homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Yugorsk and neighboring Sovetsky. 16 people are taken away for interrogation. Andrey Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin are placed in a temporary detention facility.\nThe representative of the Investigative Committee A. A. Solovyov searches the apartment of Sergei Pushkin for 3 hours with the participation of 2 armed SOBR officers, 2 witnesses and a technical specialist. Flash drives, hard drives, audio cassettes and electronic devices are seized from the believer. After the search, Sergei Pushkin and his wife are taken to the police station for interrogation and testimony. Law enforcement officers are trying to persuade the spouses to cooperate with the investigation.\nOn the same morning, Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Alekseev searched Ivan Sorokin's home for 4.5 hours with the participation of a second investigator, the deputy head of the CPE, 2 witnesses, 3 detectives and a forensic investigator \"in order to find and seize literature and other sources of information aimed at professing and disseminating ideology and faith promoted by the extremist organization Jehovah's Witnesses Administrative Center in Yugorsk.\" Electronic devices, flash drives, passports and bank cards were seized.\nInvestigator N. Tatarnikov issues a decision to bring Ivan Sorokin and Sergey Zhukov as defendants under Part 1. Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20200819","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of Khanty-Mansiysk issues an order to search the apartments of several believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20200818","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Alekseev, acting head of the Yugorsk Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, is initiating a criminal case against Andrey Zhukov and Ivan Sorokin under Part 1 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is assigned No. 12002711023058534. According to the investigation, the believers, together with other persons, \"developed the basic plans of the local religious organization ... conducted conspiratorial gatherings of members of an extremist organization for the purpose of conducting religious rites and sermons.\"\nThe head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra, Colonel of Justice M. V. Mokshin withdraws the UD from the production of I. Y. Alekseev and transfers it for further investigation to the investigator of the control and investigation department of the SU N. Y. Tatarnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sorokin and Zhukov in Yugorsk","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yugorsk/index.html#20200817","regions":["khanty-mansi"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, the Investigative Committee for the Krasnodar Territory initiated a criminal case against Viktor Spirichev, a believer from the village of Vyselki. The year before, massive searches took place in the region, affecting at least 51 people. Viktor was charged with participating in organizing the activity of an extremist organization, and his accounts were blocked. After interrogation, the believer was released under a recognizance agreement. In December 2023, the case went to the district court, which 2 years later gave him a suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-23","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html","prisoners":["spirichev"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Viktor Spirichev makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20251209","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a 2-year suspended sentence for Viktor with a 2-year probation period and 6 months restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20251202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert Pavel Boyko is summoned to court. He claims that Jehovah's Witnesses are conducting an illegal activity. The judge suppresses the expert's attempts to give a legal assessment of the believers' actions. The lawyer reminds: \"The decision of the RF Supreme Court concerned only a legal entity, not practicing religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2025-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20251121","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is looking through CDs with video recordings of meetings for worship. The defense repeatedly emphasizes that these recordings do not show manifestations of hatred or calls for violence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2025-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20250129","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym \"Pastor\" who attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses from the 1990s to the 2010s. To one of the questions, he answers: \"For him [the defendant] to say that other religions are bad, I, for example, did not hear these phrases from him.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20241101","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 15 people come to the hearing to support the believer. The state prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case, including the protocol of the search and the examination of religious scholar Pavel Boyko.\nThe judge grants the motion of the state prosecutor to postpone the hearing due to the large volume of case materials and the need for preparation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20240626","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the motion of the defense to return the case to the prosecutor.\nThe state prosecutor reads out the charge, and the defendant Viktor Spirichev expresses his attitude towards him. He explains: \"The indictment says that I committed a crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state. This is contrary to my beliefs based on the Bible. I believe that my God Jehovah expects me to obey the state, its laws, respect those who are endowed with power... I regularly pay taxes, I do not participate in rallies or protests.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20240306","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the previously filed petition to merge seven criminal cases of believers into one.\nThe lawyer requests that the case be returned to the prosecutor on the grounds that Spirichev is charged with participating in the activities of four religious organizations, none of which was liquidated by a court decision. The defense also notes that the actions of the defendant, who, in the opinion of the prosecution, participated in the activities of the liquidated religious association, were not specified.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20240213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people are allowed into the meeting room, including the wife of Viktor Spirichev.\nThe court asks the opinion of the parties on the merger of seven criminal cases of believers into one on the previously filed petition of the defendant Spirichev. The prosecution and the defense file a motion to adjourn the trial for familiarization with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20240130","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory. It will be considered by judge Ruslan Teplukhin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2023-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20231228","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is charged. He is interrogated in his new status, after which he is released on recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20230722","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Spirichev is interrogated as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20230711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Korenovsky MRSO of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice R. Latysh initiates a criminal case against Viktor Spirichev under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Spirichev in Vyselki","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki4/index.html#20230523","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, searches were carried out at the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the cities of Konakovo and Ivanovo. Aleksandr Shchetinin, Sergey Naumenko, Oleg Katamov, Aleksey Kuznetsov and Aleksandr Starikov were subjected to criminal prosecution. The case against the believers was initiated by the local FSB department. They were charged with organizing the activities of an extremist organization for discussing Christian teachings with residents of the Konakovo district. The believers were included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. In October 2023, the case went to court. In March 2025, the sentence was announced: 6 years in a зenal colony for Starikov, Katamov, Kuznetsov and Shchetinin. The case against Naumenko was separated into a separate proceeding and suspended. A few days after the verdict was passed, Katamov\u0026rsquo;s wife, who was fighting cancer, died in the hospital. In October 2025, the verdict for the believers came into force by the decision of the court of appeal.","date":"2021-06-17","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html","prisoners":["kuznetsovav","katamov","shchetinin","starikov"],"regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov reached retirement age in January 2026, but he is forced to work 6 days a week. The 64-year-old pensioner goes to work despite high blood pressure and headaches; by the middle of the day, he feels profound weakness. After the shift, it is difficult for him to recover because of the noise in the unit.\nDue to the deterioration of his health, the believer has repeatedly applied for release from work and transfer to the unit for pensioners. He has not received an official reply. Several times he has been summoned for conversations in the operations department. During one of them, he was ordered to stand in the corridor for more than 2 hours facing the wall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-04-24T11:08:22+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20260424","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov regularly receives the medications prescribed to him. Not everyone gives letters of support to a believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20260320","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Since February, Aleksandr Shchetinin has been training to be a woodworking machine operator. Classes are held on weekdays before the work shift from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m.; training is planned for 5 months. At the end of January, he had an extended visit from relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20260224","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are only about 75 prisoners in the colony where Aleksandr Starikov is held. The man receives a pension and can shop in the institution's store. He continues to follow his daily exercise habit. Aleksandr reads the Bible in the Synodal translation from the library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20260223","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov suffers from the cold. The believer's daughter could not give him warm clothes, because the request for it, signed by the head of the penal colony, was lost. He has to go to the line-up dressed lightly and stand still in the cold for about 2 hours. Moreover, in the room where prisoners take a shower, the temperature drops to zero degrees.\nKatamov still has difficulty obtaining medication from the medical unit: for this, he needs to take time off from work and stand in a long line. Drugs are only dispensed 2 hours a day, so it is often not possible to receive them. Furthermore, medicines are given once a week, but only for a 5-day period.\nThe believer still does not have a Bible. Recently, to cope with his longing for his wife, he wrote a song that he dedicated to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2026-01-30T15:57:40+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20260130","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov receives letters of support from friends on non-religious topics. The Bible, which he had been using recently, was seized. The believer now had the opportunity to call his daughter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251219","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Kuznetsov is in the barracks, where 70 more people are serving their sentences. She works as an intern in a sewing industry. Aleksey has stomach problems - after eating, the pain is so severe that he cannot work. The medical unit issued permission for the transfer of pills, but at this stage Aleksey wants to receive a more thorough examination and treatment.\nThere are difficulties with visiting a stall where you can buy groceries - you have to sign up for the queue 3 weeks in advance. Parcels are also delayed, but he receives parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251218","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shchetinin has been in the colony for several weeks. Immediately upon arrival, he was given about 20 letters from friends. He is sincerely happy with every letter, but so far he cannot answer all of them.\nThe man is assembling wooden pallets, the daily norm is 50 pieces, in order to fulfill it, you have to be late. Aleksandr is experiencing back pain, and his vision problems that appeared in the pre-trial detention center are aggravated.\nThe residential building where Aleksandr is located is designed for 100 people, but now there are 30 prisoners. This makes it possible to choose a sleeping place and have a little personal space.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251211","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After quarantine, Oleg Katamov was assigned to a unit for 100 people. The believer established friendly relations with the other prisoners. As a sign of respect, they gave him a place on the lower bunk of the bed, and later a bed near the radiator and next to the window. There is no hot water in the barracks, the convicted persons go to the bathhouse once a week.\nOleg's daughter took him the necessary medications to control his blood pressure. He needs an operation due to a skin condition, which developed in pretrial detention.\nOleg takes the death of his wife hard and worries about his daughter, who now is on her own. It is even harder for him as there is almost complete lack of communication with his loved ones. For about a month, the believer was not given letters, and only after his daughter appealed to the regional department of the Federal Penitentiary Service, Oleg was given several of her letters. The believer has not yet received permission to make phone calls.\nA source of comfort for Oleg is reading the Bible, which he took from a local church. The believer works packing textiles. In his spare time, he writes poems and attends a chess club.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251120","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shchetinin is in penal colony No. 4 in the Tver region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251114","regions":["tver"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov and Aleksey Kuznetsov were transferred from quarantine to detachments. Believers are waiting for the visit of relatives.\nA Bible was seized from Oleg, letters from his family are not handed over to him. Representatives of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Tula Region said that they would check the situation and take action.\nAleksey plans to find a job in the colony. His wife has already received two letters from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251110","regions":["tver"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov and Aleksey Kuznetsov are in penal colony No. 6 in the Tula region. Aleksandr Starikov is in penal colony No. 7 in the Kostroma region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251104","regions":["tver"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the Tver Regional Court, the guilty verdict comes into force - the believers will go to a colony for 6 years.\n25 listeners out of about 60 who came to support the defendants, who participate in the hearing via video conference from the pre-trial detention center, are allowed to the hearing.\nThe defense notes that the experts did not find extremist statements in the audio and video recordings they examined with the participation of the convicts, and in fact the believers were prosecuted for expressing their faith in God together with their fellow believers, acting in accordance with their religious beliefs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20251002","regions":["tver"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov is being held in a cell along with five other prisoners. He has everything he needs. The attitude of cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center is respectful.\nReading the Bible and letters of support help him cope with the pain of losing the couple, to which he gladly responds. Oleg also tries to take care of his health and does physical exercises. The believer feels calmer, acute emotional pain is slightly dulled.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250429","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Shchetinin and Aleksandr Starikov have appealed the verdict and are awaiting an appeal court in Tver pre-trial detention center No. 1. They have the opportunity to take walks, the food generally suits them. Relations with cellmates and the administration of the pre-trial detention center are respectful. Starikov regularly goes in for sports. Both men have the opportunity to read the Bible. They receive many letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250421","regions":["tver"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov's wife dies in the hospital, which suddenly became ill after the announcement of the verdict to her husband. She was fighting cancer that developed after the start of the criminal prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250331","regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statement.\nThe judge pronounces sentence on four believers. She separates the case against Naumenko into a separate proceeding and suspends it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-03-27T14:17:42+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250327","regions":["tver"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Ekaterina Vershinina. Konakovo City Court of the Tver Region (13 Vasilkovskogo Street, Konakovo). Time: 10:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20250206","regions":["tver"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Katamov, Alexey Kuznetsov and Alexander Shchetinin are included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. Their bank accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2024-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20240426","regions":["tver"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20240201","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor announces the indictment, the accused express their attitude to it. Alexander Shchetinin and Oleg Katamov declare that extremism is absolutely unacceptable for them and they have been peacefully professing a faith based on love for God and neighbor for more than one year.\nKatamov adds: \"I have the impression that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing less than discrimination.\"\nSergey Naumenko says: \"I never had and could not have a motive of hatred or enmity. Moreover, in his youth... I asked to replace military service with alternative civilian service, because my conscience does not even allow me to \"learn to fight.\" For three and a half years I worked in a psychiatric hospital as a ward orderly. I wonder how a person can be called an extremist just because of his religious beliefs.\"\nAlexander Starikov notes: \"Joint discussion of the Bible and prayer are an expression of my faith and love for God, not extremism ... That's why I was shocked to the core by the accusation of extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20231214","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Aleksandr Starikov and four other believers is submitted to the Konakovo City Court of the Tver Region and transferred to Judge Ekaterina Vershinina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20231018","regions":["tver"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Erofeev charges Aleksandr Starikov, Sergey Naumenko, Aleksey Kuznetsov, Oleg Katamov and Aleksandr Shchetinin. The ruling states that between 2018 and 2021, the men \"discussed matters of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses ... conducted a study of religious materials.\" The investigation considers these actions \"aimed at involving Jehovah's Witnesses in an extremist organization.\" All five men are being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2023-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20230621","regions":["tver"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Starikov and Sergey Naumenko are included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring, their personal accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2021-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20210813","regions":["tver"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcers are conducting searches at the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Konakovo. Among them are the Kuznetsov and Naumenko families. At 8 a.m., people in firefighters' clothes knocked on Sergey Naumenko's door under the pretext that their neighbors had an emergency. As a result, investigator Aleksey Korshunov, district policeman Medvedev with weapons and two attesting witnesses enter the apartment. The law enforcers say that they \"try to act in accordance with the law,\" but in response to Sergey's refusal to give them the phone, they threaten to use force.\nIn addition, operatives are conducting a search at the home of Alexander Starikov in the city of Ivanovo. He moved there from Konakovo to take care of his 95-year-old father. FSB officers Sergey Yerofeev, Aleksandr Blinov and Vladislav Motorkin participate in the search. They take into account the believer's request not to frighten or disturb his elderly father and conduct the search without any violence or pressure.\nElectronic equipment and storage media, bank cards, personal records were confiscated from believers, and even school diaries were confiscated from Naumenko. Alexander and Sergey are taken away for interrogation. They are charged and released on recognizance agreement.\nOn the same day, law enforcement officers searched the garage and car of Alexander Starikov. In total, investigative measures against the believer last about 8 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20210706","regions":["tver"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Erofeev, a senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Tver region, is initiating a criminal case against 61-year-old Alexander Starikov for discussing the Bible with fellow believers via video conferencing, and also talking about Bible teachings to residents of the Konakovo district.\nA similar case is being initiated against 34-year-old Sergey Naumenko. Subsequently, both cases are merged into one. Sergey Erofeev, a senior investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Tver region, is initiating a criminal case against 61-year-old Alexander Starikov for discussing the Bible with fellow believers via video conferencing, and also talking about Bible teachings to residents of the Konakovo district.\nA similar case is being initiated against 34-year-old Sergey Naumenko. Subsequently, both cases are merged into one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starikov and Others in Konakovo","date":"2021-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/konakovo/index.html#20210617","regions":["tver"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":"2026-02-09","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod10/index.html","prisoners":["starostina"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Starostina in Nizhniy Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"Senior investigator Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Aleksandr Busarov opens a criminal case against 70-year-old Lydia Starostina. He suspects her of participating in the activities of an extremist organization, which, according to the investigation, was expressed in attending peaceful meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Starostina in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod10/index.html#20260209","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2019, an FSB investigator opened a criminal case against Viktor Stashevskiy for organizing the activity of an extremist organization. He was accused of \u0026ldquo;promoting the ideas of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses, holding meetings, and carrying out religious performances.\u0026rdquo; The case involved the testimony of a secret witness. After eight months of court proceedings, the hearings began anew in connection with the resignation of the judge. In March 2021, the court sentenced Stashevskiy to 6.5 years in a general regime colony. The appeal upheld this verdict. Since September 2021, the believer has been in Penal Colony No. 9 of the Krasnodar Territory. There, Stashevskiy was accused of malicious violation of the order due to numerous penalties, most of which he did not even know about. In May 2024, the court ruled to change the type of correctional institution for the believer to prison for the rest of his term (a period of three years), and in June the appeal approved this decision. In September 2024, Viktor Stashevskiy was transferred from the colony to a prison known as Vladimirskiy Central.","date":"2019-05-31","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html","prisoners":["stashevskiy"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Stashevsky received a long-awaited meeting with his wife, but other requests - for the issuance of the necessary medicines and hygiene products - remain unanswered. The issue of dental treatment has not yet been fully resolved.\nViktor almost never leaves the cell. His connection with the outside world is maintained by letters that strengthen him and create a sense of live communication. Viktor had a cellmate, with whom the believer developed good-neighborly relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2025-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20251115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor is being held in solitary confinement in a cell of 10 square meters. He jokes: \"The food is good, you won't gain weight.\" Since November 2024, he has not been allowed out for walks. He looks after his health, exercises; he takes medication for hypertension, but again needs dental care.\nViktor applies every month for a visit from his wife, but does not receive a reply. The believer tries to answer letters, but, according to him, the administration does not send them out due the absence of a censor. The staff of the institution treat Stashevsky with respect. Love of life and reading the Bible help him cope with the restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2025-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20250629","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor finally received dental care, he was also given vitamins and a blood pressure monitor, he regularly receives the necessary medications. He visits the store once a month. He is not working yet, but he has applied for the vacancy of an assembler of electrical accessories.\nThe believer regularly receives letters, and a long meeting with his wife is expected in May.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20250314","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["strict-conditions","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor is kept alone in a double cell. He needs dental treatment. The prison administration and inmates treat him with respect. The believer is strengthened by regular letters of support and reading the Bible that he borrowed from the library.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2024-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20241113","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy was transferred from the Khodyzhensk colony to Prison No. 2 in Vladimir, which was called \"Vladimir Central\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2024-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20240920","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy is still in strict conditions of detention in Penal Colony No. 9 in the city of Khadyzhensk. Together with him, there are 21 more people in the room.\nThe believer is allowed to walk for an hour and a half a day. Victor has the opportunity to read the Bible. He is supported by letters from caring people, but the administration of the colony has set a limit on sending correspondence - 7 letters per week.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20240419","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Victor is once again isolated in a single chamber-type room.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20231002","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor is held in strict conditions of detention. He maintains a positive attitude. The state of health is satisfactory, but a visit to a private dentist is required, since the colony does not provide the necessary treatment. The believer wrote an application for transfer to Kerch (Crimea), closer to his place of residence, but was refused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20230904","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy is put in a PKT (chamber-type room), where he will stay alone until at least March 20. \"The suffering we go through is temporary,\" says Victor of his attitude towards these circumstances. \"Therefore, it is important to continue to hold our loving God's hand tightly.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2023-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20230122","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy has been held in strict conditions of detention in Penal Colony No. 9 in Khadyzhensk for some time now. For unknown reasons, the believer is not allowed to use either a shopping account or the right to make phone calls. He was also not allowed a long visit with his family.\nLetters are issued only partially. All Bible quotations and the name \"Jehovah\" are crossed out in them. The believer says that difficulties arose in receiving the parcels due to the fact that the colony indicates incorrect information about the recipient of the parcel.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20220913","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy is again taken to correctional colony No. 9 in the Krasnodar Territory, located in the city of Khadyzhensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20220629","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Krasnodar Territory in the process of being transferred to another colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2022-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20220628","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Stashevsky in the colony. The believer does not complain about his health. However, he recently had an acute respiratory viral infection: in the medical unit he was given bed rest, prescribed and given the necessary medications.\nStashevsky does not lose optimism, not the least role in this is played by the ability to receive correspondence. To the surprise of the colony staff, more than 500 letters have already been sent to the believer in 4 months.\nThe prisoners treat Victor with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20220113","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer who visited Stashevsky reports that the believer does not complain about his health: he does exercises and breathing exercises, and also maintains a positive attitude.\nViktor tells his lawyer that he was placed in a transit cell during his transfer to Colony No. 6 in Krasnodar. There he met Vasily Meleshko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20211224","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stashevskiy was sentenced to 6 months of detention in a single cell-type room (EPKT).\nViktor Stashevskiy is taken without warning to correctional colony No. 6 in the Krasnodar Territory, located in the village of Dvubratsky. It is very cold in the cell where the believer is placed. Stashevsky is forced to go for walks in slippers, since all his belongings and documents remained in the former colony. His Zonatelecom card was blocked at the new location, so he does not have the opportunity to call his relatives.\nUpon arrival at the EPKT, the Bible was seized from Stashevsky for verification. However, even when he was sent to colony No. 6, he received 40 letters sent by fellow believers from Russia, Kazakhstan, America, Europe and even Madagascar. They serve as a great encouragement to Victor. More than a hundred other letters were not given to him because of the mention of the name of God in them, although this is not prohibited.\nAs a result of the tightening of conditions, Stashevsky has the right to only one short-term visit and receive one transfer in six months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20211222","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that for another \"violation\" - the absence of a tag on a sweater - Viktor Stashevsky was placed in a high-security barracks for 1 month. There, the prisoners are under lock and key, in fact, it is a prison within a colony. The size of the chamber is 1.5 by 2.2 meters, rising at 4:40 in the morning.\nSince Victor has a good relationship with his cellmates, they provided him with everything he needed before being placed in the BUR. It turned out that some of them had previously known Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe believer has a non-conflict relationship with the administration of the colony. However, this did not prevent them from tightening the regime of detention of Stashevsky. It also becomes known about an unspoken order - those convicted under an extremist article in the Krasnodar Territory are to be treated strictly by default and regardless of the grounds.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20211214","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Viktor Stashevskiy in the colony. He learns that upon arrival, the believer was sent to quarantine, and later to a punishment cell (SHIZO). Stashevsky says that he sleeps on the floor on a mattress, as he cannot sleep on a folding bed. His underwear was stolen and his pillow was torn. In the punishment cell, he is fed porridge and crushed potatoes. The administration explains the placement in the punishment cell by a serious category of the article, and not by violations on the part of Viktor.\nHe has not yet received a single letter in the Khadyzhen colony, and he cannot write to anyone due to the lack of stamps and envelopes. He rereads the letters he received in the Crimean pre-trial detention center and finds joy in them and in reading the Bible.\nVictor suffers from high blood pressure and needs medication. In addition, he worries about his mother, who remained in the Crimea (she recently suffered a stroke and a severe fracture), and for his wife, who faced new difficulties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210920","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Viktor Stashevskiy arrived at correctional colony No. 9, located at the address: Krasnodar Territory, Absheron district, Khadyzhensk, Griboyedov str., 42. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210913","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, Viktor Stashevskiy is transferred to one of the institutions of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Volgograd Region. Which one is still unknown.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210830","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sevastopol City Court rejects Viktor Stashevskiy's appeal. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210810","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Viktor Stashevskiy in the pre-trial detention center. Viktor is being held in a 16-bed cell. He does not complain about his health, he is allowed daily walks. On April 24, he was given a copy of the Bible, but he has not yet received it. The believer regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210520","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol sentences Viktor Stashevskiy to six and a half years in a general regime colony. The believer is taken into custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210329","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is requesting 7 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony for Viktor Stashevskiy. On March 29, 2021, the believer will deliver his last word in court, and the court will pronounce a sentence on him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210322","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Participants in the trial consider material evidence — audio recordings of religious meetings. The next meeting, which is scheduled for March 22, will also be devoted to the consideration of material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210316","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Pavel Kryllo unexpectedly declares that on March 16 the court may proceed to the debate of the parties. Thus, the judge ignores the stage of examination of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210311","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another court hearing in the case of Viktor Stashevskiy. The appointed lawyer of the defendant is absent due to participation in the appeal in the Supreme Court of Crimea. The believer's defense is represented by another lawyer appointed the night before.\nThe court hears the testimony of the specialist Panischev and the witness on the part of the defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2021-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20210303","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol, in connection with the change of judge in the case, hearings begin anew. (Judge Valentin Norets resigned, Pavel Kryllo was appointed the new judge.) The prosecutor announces the essence of the charge. Judge Kryllo interrogates a witness for the prosecution, an employee of the Sevastopol FSB, detective Dmitry Shevchenko.\nThe court attaches to the case documents confirming that the 85-year-old mother of Viktor Stashevskiy needs constant care, which only her son can provide her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20201019","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Sevastopol, since 6 a.m., security forces in camouflage have been invading the homes of believers at three addresses, searches are being conducted. Two men are taken away for interrogation to the department of one of the local law enforcement agencies. It is not yet known whether the special events are related to the case against Viktor Stashevskiy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20201001","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Contrary to the established procedure, Judge Valentin Norets begins the questioning of prosecution witnesses without giving the parties the opportunity to file motions.\nBoth interrogated witnesses, being former members of the MHRO (local Christian religious organization), say that after April 20, 2017 (the date of the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on the liquidation of 396 legal entities, organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses), none of the legal entity, including Viktor Stashevsky, ever got together, the activities of the liquidated organization were not discussed or resumed.\nWitnesses explain the significant difference between a legal entity and independent unregistered religious groups: \"MHRO was engaged exclusively in economic and legal activities, primarily for the maintenance of its worship building, as well as for the conclusion of lease agreements for large premises [...] There were no chanting, Bible readings, religious literature studies, or videos at the MHRO meetings.\"\nOnce again, the established procedure of the trial is violated. Despite the fact that all prosecution witnesses must be questioned first, the judge calls defense witnesses. (On the part of the prosecution, the secret witness \"Ivanova Vasilisa Ivanovna\" and witness D. B. Korkushko, who allegedly attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2017, remain unquestioned.) Two defense witnesses give a positive characterization of the defendant.\nViktor Stashevskiy is trying to exercise his right to file petitions. Judge Norets rejects his requests for video recording of the hearing, for the defendant's attitude to be included in the charge, as well as for the production of an audio copy of the previous hearing.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20200630","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the case of Viktor Stashevskiy is held in the Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol. The court admits the views of the UN Working Group, but rejects the request for video recording.\nIn connection with the refusal of the accused to provide the services of a lawyer due to financial difficulties, the judge decides to leave the public defender. The believer does not admit guilt.\nTwo prosecution witnesses are being questioned. The first, a former member of the local Christian religious organization (MHRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses, confirms that they were both members of it, but have not seen each other for more than three years. After the injunction, MHRO did not conduct any activity, since it was liquidated. The witness distinguishes between the concepts of a legal entity (MHRO) and a religious group (meeting), explaining that biblical texts and commentaries were never discussed at the meetings of the legal entity, chants were not sung, videos were not viewed, etc. The role of the MHRO was mainly limited to the conclusion of lease agreements for premises for major events. The participants of the MHRO satisfied their spiritual needs on their own.\nThe next to testify is the FSB officer, detective Dmitry Shevchenko. At first, he confirms that the Omega congregation of believers was not part of the MHRO, but then, realizing his mistake, he begins to give contradictory testimony. According to him, in addition to the founders, there are an unspecified number of \"parishioners\" and \"elders\" in the MHRO, and the parish of Jehovah's Witnesses, such as the Omega congregation, is not a religious group.\nAfter that, the prosecutor and the judge begin to reject the questions of Stashevskiy and his lawyer under the pretext that they are in the nature of assumptions. After the end of the trial, the FSB officer began to intimidate those present, defiantly photographing them.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for June 30. The questioning of prosecution witnesses will continue.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20200615","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting starts late and lasts about 45 minutes. The defense informs the court that the believer is being tried solely for his religious beliefs, which violates his constitutional rights. The defendant himself reports that the prosecution did not give him the opportunity to familiarize himself with the materials in full, for which the prosecutor receives a reprimand from the judge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20200513","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator F.A. Rybalka completes the investigation into the case of Viktor Stashevskiy and submits it to the court for consideration on the merits.\nStashevskiy is accused of allegedly \"being the ideological inspirer of an extremist organization, using his authority, well-developed volitional qualities and organizational skills, as well as the special knowledge and propaganda skills he previously acquired, [...] deliberately took active organizational actions in order to continue the illegal activities of an extremist organization banned by the court.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20200221","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another family of believers, Vladimir Petrovsky and his wife Victoria, is being searched. As a result, Vladimir was detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2019-07-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20190708","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Stashevskiy was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and released from custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2019-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20190605","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers are conducting a series of searches in at least 9 houses of residents of Sevastopol. Believers are not provided with copies of the court order for the search, the protocol of interrogation, the search of the premises is carried out without the presence of the owners of the apartments or their movement is prohibited. Security forces use force against a 91-year-old woman, threaten others with planting drugs, blackmail relatives, damage or break personal property, and prevent them from drinking water or going to the toilet for four hours.\n15 people, including Viktor Stashevskiy (born in 1966), become innocent victims of law enforcement officers. After the searches, he was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20190604","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","siloviks-violence","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol Andreev Y. A. initiates a criminal case for faith against Viktor Stashevskiy under Part 1 of Article 282.2. He is accused of \"continuing the activities and promoting the ideas of Jehovah's Witnesses, holding meetings, and carrying out religious performances.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stashevskiy in Sevastopol","date":"2019-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol/index.html#20190531","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, FSB officers arrested engineer Andrey Stupnikov at the Krasnoyarsk airport. The next day, an investigator initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against him for reading the Bible and praying together with friends — the first in the region. He spent 337 days in a pretrial detention center, 124 days under house arrest and about 2 years under a ban on certain actions. In February 2020, Andrey Stupnikov’s case went to court, and in June 2021 he was sentenced to 6 years in penal colony. The court of appeal upheld this verdict, and the believer was sent to a penal colony in the Kirov Region to serve his sentence. In August 2022, the court of cassation upheld the decision of the court of appeal. In December 2025, Andrey was released, having fully served the sentence imposed.","date":"2018-07-03","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html","prisoners":["stupnikov"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Andrey still works in the sewing workshop. Relations with the administration of the penal colony and prisoners are fine.\nThe physical condition of the believer is satisfactory. In January 2024, Andrey fell ill; he was admitted to the hospital, but he could not be diagnosed, as this requires a more thorough examination. Stupnikov is awaiting his release to be able to have the examination. In the meantime, Andrey discusses health issues with his wife, who has a medical education.\nAccording to Stupnikov, in the penal colony it is important to act confidently, not as a victim. Prayers and reading the Bible help him with this. For that, he sets aside time around 4-5 o'clock in the morning, when no one disturbs him. Moreover, he has the opportunity to call family and close friends, and has regular short visits from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20250526","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov receives letters sent through the zonatelecom system or by registered mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20241010","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov developed allergies in the colony, due to which he constantly has a stuffy nose and general swelling. In January, the believer was hospitalized due to deteriorating condition. After the course of treatment, Andrey felt better. However, he was never diagnosed or given test results on the basis of which further treatment could be planned.\nThe believer receives letters, but mostly by e-mail; Paper ones arrive with a delay or do not arrive at all. The censor removes God's name, Jehovah, from the correspondence. Also, the Bible was confiscated from Andrey several times without explanation.\nIn the near future, Andrey should have a long date with his wife, Olga.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20240806","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov lives in a barracks with 100 beds, where another 86 convicts are held. He had several long-term visits with his wife, there is an opportunity to regularly call her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20231120","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey works in the technical control department of the sewing workshop, he has 10 people under his supervision. For his good work, he was rewarded with an additional meeting with his wife.\nStupnikov continues to receive letters from people who sympathize with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20230525","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Stupnikov in the penal colony. The believer does not complain about his health. 6 days a week he works in the sewing industry, and also does not have access to hot water - prisoners can only take a shower on a bath day - on Sunday. But the prisoner is already accustomed to the new conditions and in his free time actively responds to letters. They don't give him parcels, but he has a Bible.\nRelations with cellmates are good. Stupnikov is being held in a penal colony for former law enforcement officers, who mostly receive short prison terms and are released quickly.\nThe administration of the colony registered the believer as prone to extremism and escape, which complicates Andrey's life. In addition, according to him, sometimes other convicts are sent to him, who provoke him to talk about the Bible on the instructions of the colony administration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20221201","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo upheld the verdict and the appeal decision against Andrey Stupnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20220803","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Andrey Stupnikov was transferred to correctional colony No. 5 in the Kirov region.\nHe can send letters by regular mail or through the Zonatelecom service.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20220221","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov is visited by a lawyer. He reports that the conditions in the pre-trial detention center where Andrey is being held are bad: the cell is located in a poorly lit basement, there are no sewer holes in it, and rats run around the cell.\nThe believer is preparing to file a cassation appeal, as well as a petition to mitigate the conditions of serving the sentence.\nThe acting head of the pre-trial detention center informs the lawyer that Stupnikov was taken to the pre-trial detention center in the Kirov region by mistake, and at the moment the question of which colony he will be transferred to is being decided.\nAndrey has the opportunity to call his wife. He tries to take care of her and morally support her.\nThe believer has a pocket-sized New Testament.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20211205","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey has a meeting with his wife in SIZO-1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Kirov region, where he is on his way to the place of serving his sentence. Andrey's wife is concerned that the location of the colony is still unknown, and the detention of her husband in the pre-trial detention center is delayed indefinitely.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20211203","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To determine the place of serving the sentence, Stupnikov's documents are sent to the Federal Penitentiary Service in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20211022","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court upholds the decision of the court of first instance. The conviction of Andrey Stupnikov comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-09-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210907","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Marina Poptsova finds Andrey Stupnikov guilty of organizing the activities of a banned community and sentences him to 6 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210603","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 6 years in prison for Andrey Stupnikov with deprivation of the right to engage in leadership activities in public associations for a term of 5 years . The prosecutor also asks to restrict the freedom of the believer for 1.5 years with a ban on leaving the municipality at the place of residence, where the convicted person will live after serving his term in a general regime colony. The prosecutor calls the joint reading and discussion of the Bible a crime belonging to the category of grave, and finds no mitigating circumstances.\nStupnikov is accused of \"organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\" As follows from the text of the debate, the state prosecutor explains: \"After the ban on this organization, he did not renounce his beliefs. [...] In fact, after the ban on the activities of the organization, the teachings did not change ... The congregations have not ceased, [they] use the Bible Synodal Translation in their teachings.\"\nAccording to the prosecutor, an examination of the audio recordings of the worship services attended by Andrey Stupnikov revealed that they \"are of a religious nature and represent a religious gathering of members of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization,\" and in the conversations \"there are signs of motivation to sing religious songs and discuss issues related to religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210514","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A court hearing is held, during which Stupnikov first answers questions from the defense and prosecution. He explains that he was never a member of the LRO or the author of religious literature, did not call for the refusal of medical intervention, did not speak negatively about people of other faiths. On the contrary, he is very respectful of friends and acquaintances of different nationalities and cultures.\nThe next court hearing is scheduled for April 12, 2021. It is planned to continue the interrogation and review the recordings of Stupnikov's speeches.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210406","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first 10 of the 15 volumes of the criminal case of Andrey Stupnikov are examined at the hearing. 4 listeners are allowed into the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210319","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Marina Poptsova. Zheleznodorozhny District Court of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Time: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20210113","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned in the Zheleznodorozhny District Court. Tatiana Izluchenko, a specialist in the field of religious studies, notes that the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses are quite common for believers. Izluchenko recalls that the Witnesses were persecuted in Nazi Germany and were also repressed in the USSR.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20200912","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Marina Poptsova.\nAbout 40 people come to the hearing, but only 7 are allowed into the courtroom. Prosecution witness J. She speaks of Jehovah's Witnesses as good, sincere, and decent people who can be trusted. According to her, they respect authority and choose only the best and most advanced methods of treatment for themselves. The witness notes that her relationship with her husband was improved through Bible study.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20200817","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the Stupnikov case, a search was authorized in the house of 77-year-old Lyubov Mirenyuk, who lives in the village of Nikolaevka (Krasnoyarsk Territory). The resolution is signed by the judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Artem Ginter. The only reason for the search is that her grandson, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, is registered in the woman's house. Lyubov Mirenyuk herself does not share this faith. The woman has poor health, and she has not gone out for a long time, she moves around the house with great difficulty. Armed men climb over the fence, break into the house and start the search without introducing themselves or showing any documents. They are threatening a long prison sentence for her grandson.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190802","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation A. I. Bastrykin extends the period of the preliminary investigation on UD by 3 months, and in total up to 15 months, that is, until 03.10.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190703","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Svetlana Sakovich, orders Stupnikov's release from house arrest and chooses a preventive measure for him in the form of a ban on certain actions. He is not allowed to use the mail and the Internet, as well as to communicate with witnesses interrogated in his criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190702","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the complaint against the extension of house arrest until 03.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190620","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at 9 addresses, 13 people have been interrogated. According to some available orders, it can be seen that the search warrant was issued by Judge Ginter A.A. of the Leninsky District Court (decisions dated 06.06.2019).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190614","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being carried out at 2 addresses on the basis of decisions of Judge M. V. Zolotrubova of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk on permission to conduct searches.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190607","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal is being filed against the decision to extend house arrest until 03.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190603","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk issues a decision on the seventh extension of house arrest until 03.07.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190530","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the appeal against the extension of house arrest until 03.06.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190514","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk issues a decision on the sixth extension of house arrest to Andrey Stupnikov until 03.06.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190429","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal is being filed against the sixth extension of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190429","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, M. M. Chernyakov, makes a decision to satisfy the petition to change the prohibitions (permission to walk and increase the time to visit the doctor).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190417","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing to consider the appeal submission of the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190319","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Leontiev V.A. submits an appeal with a request to cancel the decision of the Leninsky District Court to change the measure to Andrei Stupnikov to house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190304","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A petition is filed to change the bans for Andrey Stupnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190301","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, M. M. Chernyakov, makes a decision to refuse to satisfy the petition for an extension of the period of detention and to change the measure of restraint to house arrest and the fifth extension of the measure of restraint for a period until 03.05.2019 with the presence of Andrey Stupnikov at the place of residence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190228","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The Krasnoyarsk Regional Court makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20190129","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the fourth extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181229","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, A. A. Ginter, makes a decision on the fourth extension of the period of detention for 2 months, and up to 8 months in total, that is, until 02.03.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181228","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, O. S. Revyagina, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181120","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"MPAs are conducted at 23 addresses. Decisions are issued by the Central and Railway Courts of Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181107","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the third extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181104","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk, M. M. Chernyakov, makes a decision on the third extension of the period of detention for 2 months and 1 day, and up to 6 months in total, that is, until 03.01.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, P. V. Kolegov, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision on the second extension, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20181004","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal against the second extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180928","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Leninsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk. Judge Prysyazhnyuk O.V. makes a decision on the second extension of the period of detention for 1 month, and in total up to 4 months, that is, until 02.11.2018 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180927","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, S. N. Kostenko, makes a decision to leave unchanged the decision to extend the period of detention, the complaints are dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180913","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal for extension is filed with the judicial board of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180831","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Ivanova I.A., makes a decision on the first extension of the period of detention of Andrey Stupnikov for 1 month, and in total up to 3 months, that is, until 02.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180828","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court I. F. Zaroyts refuses to transfer the cassation appeal to the Presidium of the Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180815","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A cassation appeal is filed with the Presidium of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court against the decisions of the Railway Court on detention and the Appeal Decision of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180731","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Appeal hearing on the measure of restraint. The judge of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court, S. N. Kostenko, leaves the decision on the detention of Andrey Stupnikov unchanged, the appeal of the defender is dismissed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180717","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Stupnikova, Andrey's wife, is being interrogated as a witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180716","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov was brought in as an accused and interrogated. During interrogation, he uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180712","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Stupnikov is being interrogated as a suspect. He refuses to be interrogated at night due to poor health. By the decision of the judge of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk, Belova, M. M. Stupnikov is taken into custody for a period of 2 months, that is, until September 2, 2018 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180704","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the Emelyanovo airport in Krasnoyarsk, Andrei Stupnikov is detained by officers of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. After a personal search, he was forcibly taken to the building of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory at the address: Krasnoyarsk, Dzerzhinsky Street, 18. Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the Zheleznodorozhny District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory Brigida S.A., having considered the report (registered in the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for the Zheleznodorozhny District of Krasnoyarsk under No. 257pr-18) of the investigator department of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory Ivanov S.Y. dated 03.07.2018 on the detection of signs of a crime in the actions of Andrey Stupnikov, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Stupnikov was detained and on the same day, around midnight, a detention protocol was drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Stupnikov in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk4/index.html#20180703","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","personal-inspection","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2021, homes of Jehovah's Witnesses were searched in Novokuznetsk. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Tatyana Sushilnikova. She was accused of extremism because of attending meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses and talking about the Bible. In August 2022, the case went to the same court where Tatyana's husband, Sergey, defended his right to practice his religion. At the very first hearing, the judge returned Sushilnikova's case to the prosecutor because of the violations found in the indictment. A month later, in November 2022, the case went back to court. A year later, the judge gave Tatyana a 4-year suspended sentence. In January 2024, the court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2022-06-20","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html","prisoners":["sushilnikova"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Tatyana Sushilnikova begins her speech in the debate with the words \"faith without works is dead\" and explains: \"All the actions of which I am accused, namely participation in worship services and the dissemination of doctrine, are nothing more than a manifestation of faith.\" Tatyana believes that the accusation is based on assumptions, because the prosecutor only proved that the believers gathered together, prayed, sang songs and discussed the Bible, while not a single witness confirmed her guilt under the imputed article. The lawyer adds that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia.\nAbout 60 people gathered outside the courthouse to support the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-11-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20231113","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to appoint Tatyana Sushirnikova 4 years of suspended sentence, 3 years of probation and 10 months of additional restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20231107","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatiana testifies. She explains to the court that the spread of beliefs is characteristic of most religions and she, professing her faith, used Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nThe defendant also reads out some of the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20231023","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"34 people gather outside the courtroom to support Tatyana Sushilnikova.\nThe questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them does not appear in court, and the prosecutor offers to read out his testimony, but the defense asks to exclude the testimony of this witness from the case. The judge and prosecutor agree.\nThe following witness is being questioned. The prosecutor asks if people talking about God and the Bible have come to her and if they have offered anything. The Witness says that 10 years ago she was visited by two men who introduced themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses. They offered her religious literature, but she did not communicate with them, and immediately expelled them. The prosecutor reads out her affidavit and she confirms it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230607","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"6 listeners are allowed to attend the meeting. About 30 more people remain on the street near the courthouse.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. The first of them reports that she does not know the defendant and has never seen her before. The second witness, an FSB officer, said he saw the defendant and her husband talking about something in the park with a married couple.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230505","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"42 people gather outside the courthouse. No one is allowed into the hall.\nThe court interrogates FSB investigator Safronov. He says that Tatyana Sushilnikova became a defendant in the criminal case, \"because she is Sergey's wife, took an active part in meetings, was engaged in rounds and conducting conversations with the population.\" At the same time, the witness acknowledges that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited.\nAn Orthodox clergyman is being interrogated. He says that he does not know the defendant, he learned about the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses from open sources. He says that his \"religion is true and the rest is heresy.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230407","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. The prosecutor asks how he met Jehovah's Witnesses. The man replies that they came to his house about three years ago, but he does not know the defendant and has never seen her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230330","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Although the hearing takes place in the judge's office, one of the 22 attendees is allowed to attend.\nSince there are no witnesses for the prosecution, the prosecutor proposes to read out the testimony of one of them. The defense agrees, and offers to interrogate the other two personally.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230317","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I do not admit my guilt in the crime imputed to me in full, I ask you to pass an acquittal,\" Tatyana Sushilnikova expresses her attitude to the charge and asks to attach it to the case.\n33 listeners are waiting for the believer on the street.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2023-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20230110","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Sushilnikova's case is again submitted to the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk. This time it will be considered by judge Valeria Shipitsyna.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20221116","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor shall file an appeal against the court decision to return the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20221003","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Viktor Fedosenko decides to return the case of Tatyana Sushilnikova to the prosecutor, since the indictment was drawn up with violations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20220927","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After two months of investigation, the case is submitted to the Kuznetsk District Court of Novokuznetsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20220819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Vladislav Minaev prosecutes Tatyana Sushilnikova as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in criminal case No. 12202320010000232. The investigation believes that the believer \"repeatedly personally actively participated in meetings of followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20220722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Captain of Justice Vladislav Minaev, investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Novokuznetsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, initiates a criminal case against Tatyana Sushilnikova on the basis of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, Sushilnikova \"conducted conversations\" of a religious nature, and also participated in religious services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sushilnikova in Novokuznetsk","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novokuznetsk2/index.html#20220620","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2021, Igor Suslov\u0026#39;s home was searched. He was questioned as a witness in the criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin from Shadrinsk. Four years later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Suslov himself, charging him with participating in the activity of an extremist organization for taking part in a \u0026quot;religious meeting\u0026quot; and for \u0026quot;writing encouraging letters of a religious nature.\u0026quot; He was placed under a recognizance agreement. In August 2025, the case was submitted to court. The prosecution\u0026#39;s key witness acknowledged that he does not personally know Suslov and had seen him only once via video link at a meeting for worship where Suslov was praying. In February, the trial began anew due to a change of judge. In April 2026, Igor was sentenced to a fine of 350,000 rubles.","date":"2025-06-23","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html","prisoners":["suslov"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Igor Suslov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20260416","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"New hearings on the merits are being held. The testimony of the prosecution witness does not differ from that which has already been heard at the first hearing of the case.\nThe case materials are being studied and video recordings of the meetings for worship are being viewed.\nGiving evidence in court, Igor Suslov comments on the submitted materials: \"All these records confirm that the purpose of the meeting is the spiritual strengthening and support of fellow believers, and not the development of religious hatred in them.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20260326","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing of the reconsideration of the criminal case against Igor Suslov is taking place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20260219","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused is informed that due to the change of judge, his case will be considered anew. It is assigned to Judge Yevgeniy Bragina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20260204","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Zakhar is interrogated. He says that he attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2016. According to him, he does not know the defendant personally, he saw Suslov via video conference call once in 2020-2021 during a meetings for worship at which he prayed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20251215","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned.\nThe woman talks about the defendant's religion in general, but does not say anything specific about him. Referring to her affidavit, the prosecutor lists teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses that she says she does not like.\nThe second witness reports that she saw Suslov at meetings for worship. Igor asks the woman how this is possible if he lived elsewhere during the specified period, but she evades explanation.\nThe third witness for the prosecution, when testifying, enjoys the right not to testify against himself and his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20251022","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the first hearing on the merits, Igor Suslov speaks about his attitude to the charges. He believes that the investigation was misleading, since, according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, believers have the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, and that the ban of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation applies only to legal entities.\nThe court rejects the believer's petition to refuse a state lawyer, but attaches documents about the defendant's health to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20251008","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Shadrinsky District Court of the Kurgan Region. It will be considered by Judge Ekaterina Zykova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20250804","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Having learned that a criminal case has been initiated against him, Igor Suslov travels more than 1700 km from the Altai Territory, where he lives with his family, to Kurgan, for interrogation at the local investigative committee. Investigator Grachev charges Suslov and places him under a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20250716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator S. V. Grachev opened a criminal case against Igor Suslov on suspicion of participation in the activities of an extremist organization (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20250623","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in Shadrinsk, Igor Suslov is searched. Law enforcement officers break into the believer's house through the balcony. They also search his car and conduct a search at the place of registration - in Kurgan. The believer is interrogated and brought in as a witness in the case of Aleksandr Lubin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Suslov in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk3/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Former theater actor Vladimir Suvorov, following his wife, Valentina, faced persecution by the authorities because of his religious views. In January 2020, Aleksandr Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Chelyabinsk Region, opened a criminal case against an elderly man. He saw in Vladimir\u0026rsquo;s actions a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, since he \u0026ldquo;organized the preaching activity.\u0026rdquo; Conversations with people about God, holding worship services, singing and praying were regarded by the investigation as the organization of extremist activity, and the presence of literature in electronic form was declared \u0026ldquo;conspiracy measures\u0026rdquo;. Since October 2020, the case has been considered by Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk. The prosecutor requested 7 years in prison for the elderly believer. On July 1, 2021, the court sentenced the 75-year-old pensioner to 6 years of suspended imprisonment. In October 2021, the Chelyabinsk Regional Court upheld the suspended sentence handed down to Vladimir Suvorov.","date":"2020-01-16","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html","prisoners":["suvorovv"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Chelyabinsk Regional Court, with the participation of prosecutor Vladimir Makhov, is considering an appeal against the sentence to Vladimir Suvorov on charges of organizing extremist activities. The court upholds the verdict of the first instance.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20211015","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["appeal","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, Oksana Mitina, finds the elderly believer guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentences him to 6 years of suspended imprisonment with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the activities of religious organizations for a term of 5 years, as well as restriction of liberty for 10 months and a probationary period of 4 years.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-07-01T14:15:22+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210701","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["sentence","suspended","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 7 years of real imprisonment for Vladimir Suvorov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210623","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case file shall be accompanied by a work book, a diploma, a veteran's certificate and other documents of the defendant, as well as extracts from the medical records of the Suvorov spouses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210602","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The final volumes of the case file are being considered. Positive characteristics of Vladimir from his place of work and from neighbors are read out.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210511","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who has known Vladimir since childhood is being interrogated. The witness gives the defendant a positive characterization.\nA review of the 12 volumes of the case is made. The conclusion of the religious examination is read out. It notes that since the name \"Jehovah\" is heard at worship services, and not just \"God\", then this is a meeting of Jehovah's Witnesses, and since Suvorov held a discussion of the Bible, he resumed the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210415","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses are being questioned. In their speeches, they confirm that Suvorov never encouraged the severance of family ties, and also did not call for undermining the foundations of the constitutional order and state security.\nThe testimonies of three other prosecution witnesses are read out despite the fact that they do not directly mention the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20210305","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to consider the criminal case of Vladimir Suvorov.\nVladimir's written position on the charges against him, as well as the documents to which he refers are attached. The believer declares that he is not a criminal, and the accusation is illegal, since the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nFor Vladimir, it is obvious that any person living in the Russian Federation has the right to practice the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, as this is written in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. According to him, being a Jehovah's Witness in Russia is not a crime and the decision of the Supreme Court does not require residents of Chelyabinsk who profess this religion to stop exercising their constitutional rights and freedoms.\nIn support of this, Vladimir cites the official position of the Government of the Russian Federation, which was sent to the European Court of Human Rights and other international organizations.\nThe judge refuses to connect the defendant's criminal case with the case of his wife Valentina, which is being considered by another judge, Grigory Yarygin.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20201228","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Mitina, judge of the Metallurgichesky District Court of Chelyabinsk, was given the materials of the criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Vladimir Suvorov for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20201002","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko chooses Vladimir Suvorov a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200618","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator of the Department for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Committee of the Kemerovo Region, charges Vladimir Suvorov with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Vladimir is accused of continuing the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\" after its liquidation by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation on April 20, 2017.\nDespite the fact that Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the right to freedom of religion, the investigation calls it a crime to talk to people about faith in God, hold worship services, and perform religious songs and prayers.\nThe investigator's decision states that Vladimir, having instructed his wife Valentina Suvorova, organized preaching activities, thereby violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966.\nAmong other things, the believer is accused of collecting funds in the amount of 1900 rubles, and the usual storage of literature in electronic form in the indictment is called \"conspiracy measures\".\nAfter the indictment, the investigator interrogates Vladimir Suvorov. The defendant explains that he considers the criminal prosecution to be repression for faith.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200617","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Suvorov gets acquainted with the documents on the case. The investigator also interrogates Suvorov's wife, Valentina, as a witness. A separate criminal case had previously been initiated against her. The investigator notifies Suvorov of his intention to bring charges against him.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200615","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the 3rd Department for the Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, Colonel A.A. Volkov entrusts the proceedings in this case to an investigation team consisting of 8 people, among them investigators Madjara P.A., Zavyalov A.S., Shchelokov N.A., Varshon E.I. and others. Investigator Oleksandr Chepenko is appointed head of the group. The expansion of the group is motivated by the need to perform a large number of investigative actions in a limited time.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200610","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Alexander Chepenko rejects Suvorov's petition to terminate the criminal case, which was filed the day before.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200603","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Suvorov files a motion to terminate the criminal case. In the petition, he refers to the opinion adopted by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN Human Rights Council.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200602","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Chepenko summons Suvorov for interrogation, during which he informs the believer that he is under recognizance not to leave. Suvorov declares that he has never been engaged in extremist activities, and petitions for the termination of the criminal case in the absence of the very fact of the crime.\nEarlier, the same investigator charged Vladimir's wife, 71-year-old Valentina Suvorova, with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200226","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, an investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region, initiates a criminal case against 74-year-old Vladimir Suvorov under the article \"organization of extremist activity\" (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The decision to initiate the case states that Suvorov organized meetings of fellow believers, during which they prayed to Jehovah together and sang religious songs. The investigator interprets these actions as a continuation of the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses \"Chelyabinsk\", which was liquidated after the decision of the Supreme Court to liquidate 396 legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2020-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20200116","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Suvorov's house is being searched. A \"gray box with a lid\", religious literature, a map of Chelyabinsk, a book without a cover, and personal notes were seized from him.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Suvorov in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk3/index.html#20190326","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case, in which Mikhail Sveshnikov, father of four, became a defendant. After the search, he spent 24 hours in a temporary detention facility, almost 4 months under house arrest, and later was placed under a ban on certain actions. The investigation deemed his participation in the meetings for worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses to be extremism. In July 2024, the case went to court. In March 2025, the court convicted Mikhail and fined him 250,000 rubles.","date":"2023-08-22","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html","prisoners":["sveshnikov"],"regions":["vladimir"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Natalia Novikova. Kovrov City Court of Vladimir Region (21 Shchorsa Street, Kovrov).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20250326","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Roman Bryukhanov requests a fine of 480,000 rubles for the believer. Taking into account the four months that the defendant spent under house arrest, the prosecutor reduces the amount to 450 thousand.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20250306","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant testifies. He gives an example to the court: \"If plumbers worked for an organization that was recognized as extremist and liquidated, and then continued to work as plumbers elsewhere, or united as a team and began to work together, then can they be accused of continuing the activities of a banned organization? It is clear that this is absurd. In my case, however, this is exactly what is happening. It is only my fault that I continue to believe in Jehovah God.\" Sveshnikov emphasizes: \"My personal attitude to this accusation is that I would also like society to respect Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in relation to me and my fellow believers.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20250220","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers' case is sent to the Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region and is referred to Judge Natalia Novikova for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20240711","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Zhokin makes a decision to bring Mikhail Sveshnikov as an accused. According to the investigation, the believer, among other things, \"in order to increase the psychological effect on those present [at the services] ... carried out religious performances... personally read religious texts to those present.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2024-06-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20240606","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Sveshnikov's measure of restraint, but at the same time reduces the time of the ban on leaving the apartment. He is still unable to communicate with witnesses in the criminal case, to send and receive postal and telegraphic items, as well as to use communications and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2024-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20240119","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court changes Mikhail Sveshnikov's measure of restraint to a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20231218","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kovrov City Court of the Vladimir Region chooses a measure of restraint for Mikhail Sveshnikov in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20230824","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two law enforcement officers detain Mikhail Sveshnikov on the street near his house. They run up to him from behind and knock him to the ground. The believer is searched and his smartphone is seized. Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. O. Blokhin reads out the decision of the Kovrov City Court on the initiation of a criminal case and the conduct of a search. During the investigative actions, video is being filmed. Law enforcement officers seize electronic devices, bank cards, greeting cards. Mikhail and his son are taken for interrogation. Then Mikhail was escorted to the temporary detention center in Kameshkovo. The interrogation of his son continues until late in the evening.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20230823","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for especially important cases of the Investigative Department for the city of Kovrov of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Vladimir Region Y. N. Nikulin initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization) against 54-year-old Mikhail Sveshnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Sveshnikov in Kovrov","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kovrov4/index.html#20230821","regions":["vladimir"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2024, the Investigative Committee initiated criminal cases for participating in the activity of an extremist organization against Tatyana Pasynkova from Kardonikskaya and her daughter-in-law Yuliya. A few days later, law enforcement officers searched her house. A year earlier, law enforcement officers had already invaded her home — that search was part of a criminal case against her son Aleksey Pasynkov. In December, the case went to court. After the self-recusal of two judges, the case was transferred to the court of another district, where the judge was replaced for the third time. In October 2025, Tatyana was given a 4-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-07-23","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html","prisoners":["pasynkovat"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Tatyana Pasynkova makes her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20251015","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is assigned to a new judge, Aslanbek Tuarshev. Despite the objections of the prosecutor, he grants the petition of Tatyana Pasynkova to participate in the process of a public defender.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250722","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"This is the third time that the judge in Tatyana's case has been changed. Nariman Abdokov recuses himself at the motion of the prosecutor, who pointed out that he is simultaneously considering a similar case against Yulia Pasynkova, Tatyana's daughter-in-law.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250603","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court granted Tatyana Pasynkova's petition for the admission of a public defender. The prosecutor reads out the charge. In his opinion, the believer's guilt lies in the fact that she \"at an unspecified time and date, under circumstances not established by the investigation, joined the religious organization 'LRO SI in Nevinnomyssk' and became a member of it.\" At the same time, the indictment states that \"MRO SI of Nevinnomyssk is not recognized as terrorist.\" The prosecutor also states that Pasynkova \"kept technical means at her place of residence, namely a system unit from a personal computer ... and the book \"Bible\". The believer, among other things, is accused of the fact that during the investigation, \"she, using the right provided for by Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, refused to give any testimony on the merits of suspicion of committing a crime.\"\nTatyana Pasynkova expresses her attitude to the charges: \"Extremism in all its disgusting forms is alien to me. And this means that not only have I never been engaged in extremist activities, but I have never even thought of a motive of enmity or hatred towards anyone... I don't understand what I'm accused of.\"\nThe believer's defender adds: \"The indictment does not contain a specific description of what manifestations of extremism provided for in Article 1 of the Federal Law of the Russian Federation 'On Countering Extremist Activity', when and under what circumstances my client allowed, what kind of statements or quotes of an extremist nature she uttered.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250423","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Pasynkova is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. Her accounts are blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250317","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Khabez District Court of the KCR, it will be considered by Judge Nariman Abdokov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250304","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yevsegneeva recuses herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250131","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Uzdenova recuses herself. The case is transferred to judge Galina Evsegneeva, who on the same day passes a guilty verdict on Tatyana's son, Alexei.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20250120","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana's case goes to the Urup District Court. The same judge who hears the case of Yulia Pasynkova, Ida Uzdenova, is appointed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20241227","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Urup District Court recognizes the search of Tatyana Pasynkova's house as lawful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20240813","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Pasynkova returns from vacation. When crossing the border, she is detained and interrogated for an hour. FSB officers are interested in whether she is under recognizance agreement and ask questions about her daughter-in-law, Yulia Pasynkova. The woman is released without any charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20240805","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Khasanov, investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, initiates a criminal case against Tatyana Pasynkova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Pasynkova in Mednogorsk","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy5/index.html#20240723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","families","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case on suspicion of participating in extremist activity against peaceful pensioner Tatyana Svoboda. In October 2021, her home, as well as the homes of Elena Nesterova and Tatyana Bondarenko, were searched. Ten months later, in August 2022, Nesterova and Bondarenko were charged under two parts of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC simultanously. The case mentions a woman who the believers allegedly persuaded to participate in extremist activity — they read the Bible with her and discussed spiritual topics. In November 2022, the case went to court, and in March of the following year, the women were given a 5-year suspended sentence with a 2-year probation period. The court of appeal upheld this decision, but added 1 year and 8 months of restriction of freedom.","date":"2021-09-21","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html","prisoners":["bondarenko","nesterova","svoboda"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment for the defendants - 7 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 5 years, an additional punishment in the form of restriction of freedom for 1 year and 6 months, a ban on engaging in activities related to posting materials on the Internet for a period of 1 year and 6 months.\nThe defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20230323","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the defense's motions to admit evidence (ECHR practice, scientific conclusions about Jehovah's Witnesses).\nThe defendants testify by taking written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20230322","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Kazimova rejects the motion of the defense to challenge the specialist Galyamov, who again does not appear at the hearing in connection with a business trip. The testimony of a specialist and the materials of the last two volumes of the case - the 4th and 5th - are read out.\nWitness Borisenko, a neighbor of Elena Nesterova, is being interrogated. The witness says that guests came to the defendant, but only before the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20230317","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the prosecutor's request for the disclosure of the testimony of two more prosecution witnesses and decides to forcibly bring one of them.\nProsecutor Ivashchenko reads out the written materials (volumes 1-3).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20230213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the request to return the case to the prosecutor. The protocols of the interrogation of all prosecution witnesses, including the key witness V. N. Demina, are read out, in their absence - the prosecution refers to certificates about their state of health. Despite the objections of the defendants and the defense, the court accepts the written testimony of the absent witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2023-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20230120","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor brings charges against the believers. They express their attitude towards him. One of the lawyers draws attention to the absence of any specifics in the indictment and asks that the case be returned to the prosecutor. Judge Natalya Kazimova is postponing the decision on this motion until the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2022-12-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20221228","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Tatyana Svoboda, Elena Nesterova and Tatyana Bondarenko is submitted to the Central District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. It will be considered by judge Natalia Kazimova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20221128","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Investigation Department for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Captain of Justice V.S. Meshcheryakov is prosecuting Tatyana Bondarenko and Yelena Nesterova as defendants under Parts 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (inducement, recruitment or other involvement of a person in the activities of an extremist organization and participation in it). According to the investigation, the women, talking about the Bible with people, urged them to spread and promote beliefs banned in the Russian Federation. According to the ruling, Bondarenko persuaded a certain V. N. Dyomina to \"participate in the activities of a religious organization ... by persuasion and otherwise involving it in the activities of this extremist organization through a false belief in the correctness of its teachings.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2022-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20220828","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At about 8 a.m., representatives of the Investigative Committee, accompanied by masked and bulletproof riot policemen, as well as witnesses and police officers, invaded the women's apartments with searches. Employees come to two, armed with a crowbar. Security forces are looking for weapons and drugs, as well as religious literature. Bibles in the Synodal translation, electronic devices and personal records are seized from believers. Immediately after that, the believers were taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee as suspects under a criminal article. Later, all the detainees are released, taking from them a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20211020","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Komsomolsk-on-Amur orders searches in the homes of Tatiana Svoboda and 2 other women believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20211018","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, Captain of Justice V. V. Glyzin initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Tatyana Svoboda. According to the investigation, the believer participated in the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tatyana Svoboda and others in Komsomolsk-on-Amur","date":"2021-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/komsomolsk-on-amur/index.html#20210921","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2018, police officers with riot police searched Dmitriy Terebilov's apartment in his absence. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against the believer for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Soon the home of Terebilov was searched again. The believer was placed under a recognizance agreement and was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list. In September 2020, Dmitriy's case went to court, which a year later sentenced him to 3 years in a strict regime penal colony. The court of appeal and then the court of cassation left the verdict unchanged. Terebilov served his sentence in penal colony No.1 in the Kostroma Region. In April 2023, Dmitriy became a defendant in a new criminal case for having conversations about the Bible with another prisoner. After his prison term ended, the believer was left in a pretrial detention center, where he awaits a new sentence.","date":"2019-06-13","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html","prisoners":["terebilov"],"regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Kostroma Regional Court upholds the decision on Dmitry Terebilov's administrative claim against the decision of the Sverdlovsk District Court. The court refuses to declare unlawful the ban of the head of the colony on the practice of Terebilov's chosen religion.\nThe lawyer explains what Terebilov fears in connection with the decision of the head of IK-1: \"Whatever he does: read the Bible, pray to God, tell others about his faith, this can be equated with breaking the law.\"\nDmitry participates in the process via video conferencing from the pre-trial detention center. The meeting is attended by 10 listeners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20240422","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["complaints","life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court rejected Terebilov's complaint about the ban on using God's name in letters and professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the colony. Although Judge Olga Telezhkina, by her decision, prohibits the believer from calling God by name and communicating with other convicts on biblical topics, the court believes that \"the contested answer does not prevent the plaintiff from adhering to his chosen faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20240116","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov submits an administrative complaint to the Sverdlovsk District Court against the written response of the head of the colony. In it, the administration informed Dmitri about the ban on using the name of God in letters and professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses in the colony.\nIn his statement of claim, the believer says: \"I understand the order of the Investigative Committee set forth in the contested letter that 'it is forbidden to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses' as a direct prohibition to exercise the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. For turning to God in prayer, reading the Bible, telling others about my beliefs, I can be subject to disciplinary sanctions, although such actions are absolutely normal for representatives of other religions and there is nothing illegal in them. The excessively broad position of the administrative defendant, expressed in the letter, is devoid of certainty and leads to arbitrariness and abuse of power.\" Dmitriy asks the court to recognize the response of the administration of the colony as illegal and to eliminate the violation of his rights and freedoms.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20231218","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The conditions of detention in the colony are satisfactory. Dmitriy has a Bible, as well as the opportunity to regularly communicate with his wife on the phone and receive letters of support.\nThe believer works as a janitor and handyman. This allows him to buy groceries from the colony's store.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20231114","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","complaints","human-rights-defenders","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wife of Dmitry Terebilov reports that for some time he has not been given letters containing the name of God Jehovah, although it is not forbidden to use and it can be found in famous works of literature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20230816","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer returns to his former place of serving his sentence - to correctional colony No. 1 in the Kostroma region. He can write letters. Parcels and parcels should not be sent\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20230705","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that since the end of May 2023, Dmitry has been in Kostroma pre-trial detention center No. 1 to participate in investigative actions in his new criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20230601","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Dmitry Terebilov was placed in Correctional Colony No. 1 in the Kostroma Region. This is a strict regime colony, so parcels or parcels should not be sent to the believer. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20220216","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"19 people are allowed into the meeting room, including the father of the believer, who came to support Dmitry Terebilov.\nThe Kostroma Regional Court dismisses the appeal. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2022-01-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20220112","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Dmitry Terebilov in the pre-trial detention center. The believer is kept in solitary confinement. After the verdict was announced, his cells were changed several times. He thoroughly washes each one and then maintains cleanliness and order in it. The window in one of the cells did not close well, which made the room cold. At the request of the believer, the staff of the pre-trial detention center repaired the window.\nTerebilov has his own copy of the Bible. The believer reads a lot, using the local library.\nDmitry has the opportunity to regularly call and write to his wife, twice a month they are given a date. In addition, he is supported by fellow believers: they give products and send letters of support - over the past 3 months, he received 1400 letters from 47 countries of the world.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20211217","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Ekaterina Molodova convicts Dmitry Terebilov. The believer was sentenced to imprisonment in a strict regime colony for 3 years.\nDmitry is taken into custody and placed in pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Kostroma region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210906","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Terebilov took the floor in the debate. He draws attention to the participation of dubious experts and witnesses in the case, to the use of knowingly false information in the materials. Thus, he points out that Farida Akhunzyanova in her examination considered the famous religious scholar Sergey Ivanenko to be Jehovah's Witness only because he quotes the Bible in his book.\nTerebilov says that the material evidence in the case is subject to destruction, while among them are 10 copies of the Bible in a translation that is not prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation. The believer compares this fact with what happened during the medieval Inquisition.\nDmitriy Terebilov says: \"Violence is incompatible with the religious canons by which I live. It was thanks to what was written in the Bible that I began to change my life for the better and get rid of bad habits (smoking, foul language, drug use). I have a family, which I value very much, so the accusation of undermining family relations sounds ... ridiculous and unfounded.\" The believer asks the court: \"Why should I stop practicing my religion? Why should I stop associating with fellow believers? Why should I stop reading the Bible, praying, telling others about God? [...] And why should I go to a colony for 5 years for this?\"\nThe prosecutor calls on the court to be critical of the testimony of religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko, to whom Terebilov refers. The prosecution motivates this only by the fact that information about this specialist can be found on the website of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210728","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the defendant's lawyer. He makes a detailed analysis of the charges, pointing to the inconsistency of the evidence base, including the violations committed during the investigation of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210723","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judicial pleadings begin. In his speech, the prosecutor refers to the fact that Dmitry Terebilov was previously convicted. Therefore, the prosecution demands that his \"new crime\" be recognized as a recidivism, which consists in the fact that after the ban on legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, he did not change his religious views. At the same time, the prosecutor admits: \"No one forbade Terebilov to exercise his rights to freedom of conscience and religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe prosecution requests punishment for Terebilov: 5 years of imprisonment in a strict regime colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210722","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony is given by the witness O. A. Shellova, a relative of Dmitry Terebilov, who does not share his religious beliefs. She characterizes Dmitry as a sympathetic person, ready to help free of charge. According to her, the defendant does not abuse alcohol, does not smoke, does not use obscene language and he has good relations with neighbors.\nShelling informs the court that Terebilov used to have a hard life, he even sat in prison, but then he became a believer and changed for the better. These changes in Terebilov also affected the life of his uncle, who until 2013 lived with a relative who mistreated him and regularly beat him. Upon learning of this, Dmitry Terebilov took his uncle to him, now he is no longer starving and looks well-groomed. Living with his nephew and his wife, he quit smoking. Obolochkova calls Terebilov \"a true Christian.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210607","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Ivanenko, Doctor of Philosophy, a religious scholar who has been researching the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses for many years, speaks at the hearing. He speaks positively of the followers of this religion. The court shall attach to the case file a specialist's religious studies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210518","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a specialist in the field of the history of religion N. S. Mayorova. It affirms that religious beliefs are an inner, personal choice, and that joint worship services performed by Jehovah's Witnesses are a way of expressing religious beliefs. \"We have freedom of conscience in our country,\" she says.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210512","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court gets acquainted with material evidence, including the Bible in the Synodal translation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210419","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Farida Akhunzyanova, an employee of Kostroma State University, who carried out an examination of audio recordings of conversations of believers, is being interrogated. Commenting on Dmitry Terebilov's remarks, she explains that she did not find any words or expressions in them that would indicate the inferiority of citizens professing another religion. With regard to other materials that were provided for examination, Akhunzyanova states that they do not relate to Dmitry Terebilov, but to the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as a whole.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210406","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution witness, who was also searched, speaks positively of the defendant: \"As a person, he is good, trouble-free, you will not hear a bad word.\"\nThe witness says that no one forced him to discuss the Bible, he himself was interested. The witness confirms his testimony given during the preliminary investigation only partially. When asked by the judge what, in his opinion, the defendant's activities were, the witness replies: \"He lives according to the Bible.\"\nHe and another witness claim that Dmitry Terebilov did not call for religious extremist activities, disobedience to the authorities, refusal of medical care and military service, and also did not express the superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210215","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them claims that he has not heard extremist statements and appeals from Dmitry Terebilov. He notes that the believer, on the contrary, called for obedience to the authorities. The witness describes Dmitriy as \"a rather positive, sympathetic person ... ready to help others without any obligation or personal gain.\" As an example, he cites two cases when, together with the defendant, he helped an elderly woman and a large family.\nSergey and Valeria Rayman are being interrogated. Sergey says: \"[Dmitry] has changed his life for the better and is trying to be a law-abiding citizen. He said that in the past his life was not very prosperous, but now I know him well. He's a good family man. I know I care about my uncle. [...] He helps others when they turn to him.\" Valeria Rayman describes Dmitry Terebilov as a \"kind, good person\" who helped her family more than once.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210208","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. The defense is interrogating witness Kochurov, a former prisoner with whom Dmitry Terebilov has been in correspondence since 2015. During the interrogation, it turns out that Kochurov's testimony completely contradicts his own letters, which he wrote to the believer from prison.\nAs can be seen from Kochurov's letters voiced in court, he was keenly interested in biblical teachings, assured Terebilov of his faith in Jehovah God and his desire to serve him. He also told Dmitry that he was pleased to communicate with him. However, at the trial, Kochurov stated that \"correspondence with Terebilov did not give [him] any pleasure.\" The witness cannot answer the believer's question: \"Why did you communicate with me?\" To the lawyer's questions whether Terebilov made insulting statements about other religions, whether he called for inciting interreligious hatred, disobedience to the authorities or refusing medical care, Kochurov answers in the negative.\nAnother prosecution witness says that this is the first time she has heard the name \"Terebilov\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20210126","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned, including CPE employee Alexander Igumnov. During the interrogation, Igumnov cannot give specific testimony on any of the charges. He refers to the fact that he has forgotten a lot, although there is a protocol of his interrogation dating back to May 2020 in the file. \"I know it all kind of superficially,\" he explains, \"it's just my opinion.\" Igumnov has nothing to say about Terebilov as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe lawyer also draws attention to the fact that the same witnesses participated in the investigative actions for several years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20201217","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, hearings on the merits of the case begin. The chairman of the court is Oksana Borovkova. Referee — Oksana Borovkova.\nProsecutor Svetlana Gryaznova announces the indictment to Dmitry Terebilov. According to the document, the defendant \"actively participated in the activities of the religious organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' liquidated in connection with the implementation of extremist activities and the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kostroma, which is part of its structure ... in order to disseminate the ideology and values of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, which incites religious discord, promotes the exclusivity, superiority of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and the inferiority of other citizens who do not profess this doctrine, on the basis of their attitude to religion ...\nThe defendant does not understand the meaning of the charge, since he was not a member of prohibited legal entities, and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not assess the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and did not prohibit the practice of their religion. Terebilov claims that he has never carried out extremist activities, and violence is incompatible with his religious beliefs. He emphasizes that he respects representatives of other religions, considers the criminal case against himself to be religious repression.\nProsecution witnesses are scheduled to be called at the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200908","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of Kostroma E. L. Sokolov approves the indictment and hands it to Terebilov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200807","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Dmitry Terebilov is expiring. The investigator submits a petition to the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma to limit the time for the believer to familiarize himself with the materials of the 9 volumes of the criminal case - this would limit the believer's right to quality protection. Dmitry Terebilov is preparing an objection to this petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200710","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator N. A. Tsymlyakov re-charges Dmitry Terebilov with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, adding some new episodes to the ruling.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200529","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Terebilov's wife is being interrogated as a witness. The investigator announces the end of the preliminary investigation, and a report is drawn up.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200527","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator N. A. Tsymlyakov chooses a measure of restraint for Terebilov in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and charges him with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, in the period from July 17, 2017 to May 25, 2020, Dmitry actively participated in the activities of liquidated religious organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2020-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20200525","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov's bank account has been blocked.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2019-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20190919","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kostroma Regional Court, O. A. Panov, upholds the order to search the believer's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2019-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20190902","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Terebilov's home is being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2019-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20190704","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, V. P. Bebeshko, issues a search warrant in Terebilov's apartment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2019-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20190626","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigation Department for the Central District of Kostroma of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kostroma Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2). According to investigators, Dmitry Terebilov (born in 1980) \"Distributing ... literature included in the federal list of extremist materials, containing information inciting religious discord, promoting the exclusivity, superiority of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses and the inferiority of other citizens who do not profess this doctrine ... took part in the meetings held.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2019-06-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20190613","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Terebilov's apartment is being searched in his absence. Police officers with a detachment of riot police break down the entrance door to get into the dwelling. They seize electronic media and personal belongings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2018-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma/index.html#20180725","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2018, in Yelizovo, Snezhana and Konstantin Bazhenov, both teachers, as well as widowed pensioner Vera Zolotova, were detained; their houses were searched, and a few days later they had to sign a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Committee equated the holding of joint meetings for worship to illegal activity. In September 2020, the court gave each of them a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision, but the court of cassation returned the case for retrial to the territory court. In January 2022, it acquitted the believers, but the prosecutor’s office succeeded in having the verdict overturned in the RF Supreme Court, and the case was returned to the appeal stage, and later the courts of cassation supported the verdict of a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2018-08-17","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html","prisoners":["kbazhenov","sbazhenova","zolotova"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"Due to heart disease, Vera Zolotova passes away.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20260301","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["elderly","died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":" The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (Vladivostok) upholds the appellate acquittal verdict against Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, as well as Vera Zolotova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20220609","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court is reconsidering the case of the spouses Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova. Judges D. E. Urban, A. Y. Ivakin and O. F. Slobodchikov found the believers innocent. The verdict shall take effect immediately.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2022-01-18T15:02:20+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20220118","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Bazhenovs speak at the appeal hearings. The case does not reach the court's decision, since the prosecutor asks for time to prepare his part of the debate. The next hearing is scheduled for January 18. At the same time, an appeal decision may be issued.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2022-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20220111","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction is considering a complaint of believers against the appellate ruling of the Kamchatka Regional Court in their case via videoconferencing. The Judicial Collegium, which includes judges S. V. Lyubenko, S. A. Busarov and N. Y. Khromina, cancels the decision of the appellate instance and sends the case for a new appeal consideration by another composition of the court. The Judicial Board calls for consideration of the clarifications of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of October 28, 2021, which ruled that the divine services of Jehovah's Witnesses, their joint rituals and ceremonies do not in themselves constitute a crime under Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20211109","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court denies Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, as well as Vera Zolotova, their appeal. The sentence of the lower court remains unchanged and comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20201117","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Yelizovsky District Court of the Kamchatka Territory Yulia Piskun softens the qualification of the defendants' actions from Part 1 of Article 282.2 to Part 2 of Article 282.2 and renders a verdict: to sentence spouses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov, as well as 73-year-old Vera Zolotova, to 2 years suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and subsequent restriction of freedom for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200925","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Yelizovsky District Court of the Kamchatka Territory, the prosecutor is requesting 600,000 rubles as a fine for the Bazhenovs, as well as 400,000 rubles for a fine for the elderly Vera Zolotova. The believers do not admit guilt in extremism and ask for their acquittal.\n\"I ask you to allow me to continue to enjoy the rights guaranteed by Articles 28 and 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, namely: to gather peacefully and openly with friends to read the Bible and sing songs of praise to our God Jehovah,\" Konstantin Bazhenov said in his last speech .\nHis wife, Snezhana, in an appeal to the court recalled that Jehovah's Witnesses were repressed during the Soviet era, but were later rehabilitated.\n\"I have the right to have my religious beliefs, live in harmony with them, share them with other people. This right is given to me by God and Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation,\" Vera Zolotova said in her last word .\nThe verdict is scheduled for September 25.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200921","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating the following witness – Kristina Zhovtun. She points out that Kurpas invited her to take part in the search, but finds it difficult to answer whether Kurpas was the second witness. Since 2019, Zhovtun has been working in the National Guard.\nThe defence shall file motions to exclude evidence and to clarify the charges, as well as challenge the judge. All applications are rejected.\nKonstantin Bazhenov testifies to the court.\nThe next meetings are scheduled for August 3 and 4, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The defendants Snezhana Bazhenova and Vera Zolotova are scheduled to testify. On August 4, the debate of the parties will take place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200730","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Artur Adamko files an objection to the motion. The court refuses to terminate the criminal case.\nVladimir Kurpas, who participated in the search of the defendants on August 19, 2018 as a witness, is being interrogated.\nAccording to Part 1 of Article 60 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation, \"a witness is not an interested person\" and \"employees of executive authorities empowered to carry out operational-search activities and (or) preliminary investigation cannot be called as witnesses.\"\nIn 2016-2017, Kurpas had a professional internship in law enforcement. During searches of believers, he was directly involved in investigative actions: he helped to draw up and print a protocol, adding a list of seized items to it under dictation. To date, Kurpas works as a senior investigator in the same SO that conducted the search. The witness explains his cooperation with law enforcement agencies by the fact that \"after the search, he became interested in the work of an investigator, and therefore he began to often come to the investigation department.\"\nThe Court attaches to the case another Decision of the UN Working Group and examines the written materials of the case, including linguistic expertise, as well as material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200729","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a motion to dismiss the case and attach the Opinion of the UN Working Group. The court attaches the Opinion to the case file.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200728","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","human-rights-defenders"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting was adjourned again. Upcoming hearing dates: July 28 and 29, August 3 and 4.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200601","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the epidemiological situation, the court postpones the hearing to June 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200408","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of operational-search activities, in particular, recordings of meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, are being studied. The defense files a motion to exclude a biased religious examination. Prosecutor Roman Mishchenko objected: \"The investigation established that Orthodoxy is one of the religions that tolerate representatives of other religions, which distinguishes it from the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The defense criticizes the position of open religious discrimination on the part of the state prosecutor. The court rejects the petition to exclude the examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200318","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a motion to summon witnesses, including K. V. Zhovtina, who participated in the search in the homes of believers, helping the investigator Petukhov D. M. to draw up and print protocols. As it became known, Zhovtina studied with Petukhov and he promised her employment in exchange for cooperation. The court grants the request.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200318","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. She is asked to point to the defendant Vera Zolotova. The witness cannot recognize the defendant. The prosecutor asks the believer to stand up, calling her by name and patronymic. Now the witness \"admits\" that it was Zolotova who came to her house to talk about God. The court examines material evidence, in particular films of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200316","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony of the prosecution witness Z. E. Tarabarina, born in 1935, compiled by the investigator during the preliminary investigation, is announced. The witness stresses several times that the testimony was recorded incorrectly and explains that she was forced to sign a protocol that she did not read.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200311","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing of the criminal case of the Bazhenov spouses continues. Witnesses are questioned, material evidence is examined, and the case materials are announced.\nProsecution witness D. N. Kalinova, a school teacher of history and social studies, is being interrogated. One of the defenders asks to point to the accused. The witness points to a free listener sitting at the end of the hall, who looks completely different from Bazhenov. Bazhenov asks the witness a question, in response the witness turns to him: \"Dear lawyer.\" At the end of the interrogation, the judge introduces the real Bazhenov to the witness with a smile.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200310","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yelizovsky District Court is considering the merits of the case against the Bazhenovs. The presiding judge is Yulia Piskun, the prosecutor is Artur Adamko.\nS.V. Moskal, a witness for the prosecution, is being questioned. He explains that he came to meetings of believers and secretly recorded them using video and audio recording tools. After leading questions from the prosecutor, Moskal began to unreasonably call meetings of believers meetings of the \"local religious organization\" (LRO) of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is the continuation of the activities of the banned LRO that the accusation is blamed on believers.\nThe defendants and the defense expressed their disagreement with the testimony of the prosecution witness, since the LRO is a legal entity, and not a group of people enjoying the constitutional right to freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200304","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court reverses the decision of the Yelizovsky District Court to return the case to the prosecutor. This means that the criminal case against the Bazhenovs and 73-year-old Vera Zolotova is again transferred to the Yelizovsky District Court for consideration on the merits.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2020-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20200109","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yelizovsky District Court returned the criminal case to the prosecutor's office. The reasons for this decision will be clear as soon as the text of the resolution becomes available. As a rule, the court returns the case to the prosecutor's office if the prosecution has not collected sufficiently convincing grounds for the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2019-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20191114","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Yelizovsky District Court, a court hearing is held under the chairmanship of Judge Y. A. Konysheva, in which the prosecution announces the indictment, and the defense petitions for the return of the case to the prosecutor. The next meeting is scheduled for 14.11.2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2019-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20191107","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was postponed until 07.11.2019 to familiarize the defense with the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2019-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20191024","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case was transferred to the Yelizovsky District Court for consideration by Judge Yana Konysheva.\nThe case is assigned the number 1-403/2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2019-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20190911","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The indictment of the prosecutor's office is ready for the case to be brought to court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2019-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20190830","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator chooses Konstantin Bazhenov as a preventive measure on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180830","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kamchatka Regional Court releases Konstantin Bazhenov from custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180829","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["release-sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A search is being conducted in the apartment of Marina Eliseeva. Not only Marina is being interrogated, but also her minor daughter.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180827","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search","interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Bazhenova and Zolotova are being prosecuted. Both women are chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave. Bazhenova and Zolotova are being interrogated as accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180824","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Konstantin Bazhenov is filing an appeal against the court's decision to arrest him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180823","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Yelizovsky District Court recognizes the search in Vera Zolotova's apartment as legal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180822","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Snezhana Bazhenova and Vera Zolotova are released from the temporary detention facility. Konstantin Bazhenov's detention is extended until 18.10.2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180821","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The security forces are searching the homes of several residents of Yelizovo, including the apartment of Vera Zolotova, who is visiting her acquaintances at that moment. 9 people, including the Bazhenovs' 17-year-old daughter, are taken to the Investigative Committee for questioning. The Bazhenovs and Vera Zolotova were detained as suspects and placed in a temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180819","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Authorities conduct interrogations of believers and their young children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180819","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["interrogation","minors"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D.M. Petukhov makes a decision to initiate a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282. 2 in relation to Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bazhenovs and Others in Yelizovo","date":"2018-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/yelizovo/index.html#20180817","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2020, Tatyana Obizhestvit hosted guests at her home. Suddenly, law enforcement officers rushed in and searched her home. Then 15 people were taken for interrogation. Among them were two women over 80 years old and two children. A criminal case was initiated against Tatyana, as well as Andrey and Leysan Bochkarev under an article against extremism only because they believe in Jehovah God. The believers spent 2 days in a temporary detention facility, after which the women were placed under house arrest, and Andrey was placed in a pretrial detention center. In April 2021, the case went to court. Two secret witnesses testified in the case: one posing as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the other claiming that he had been “offered to join the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” In February 2023, Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva received suspended sentences of 2 and 2.5 years, respectively. Andrey Bochkarev was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in a penal colony, but was released in the courtroom, since he actually served this term in a pretrial detention center. The courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2019-12-27","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html","prisoners":["bochkarev","bochkareva","obizhestvit"],"regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for punishment for the spouses Bochkarev and Tatyana Obizhestvit - 7 years in prison in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year. He justifies the severity of the punishment by the fact that the \"crime\" was committed by \"a group of persons by prior conspiracy\", and this is an aggravating circumstance.\nThe judge refuses to satisfy most of the defense's motions, including the attachment of a number of documents to the case file. Among them is the conclusion of Mikhail Odintsov, Doctor of Historical Sciences and religious scholar, that \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\" is the Bible. The court also refuses to involve Mikhail Seleznev, Candidate of Philological Sciences, as a specialist in the field of religious studies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20221202","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge extends Andrey's detention in the pre-trial detention center, and his wife Leysan and Tatyana Obizhestvit house arrest for another 3 months. Bochkarev has been in custody for more than 2 years and 9 months.\nDue to the illness of Judge Yuriy Arsenyuk, the hearing is chaired by Dinar Khabibullin.\nA lawyer visits Andrey Bochkarev in a pre-trial detention center in Kazan. He says that the conditions of detention are acceptable, there are 8 people in an 8-bed cell. The believer does not complain about his health. He reports that he has already received 10,700 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-10-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20221031","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A petition has been filed to involve religious scholar, Doctor of Philosophy Sergey Ivanenko in the criminal case. The defense asks to investigate and attach Ivanenko's conclusions of July 22, 2022 to the case file. The defense also asks to interrogate Ivanenko via video conferencing with the Moscow District Court.\nIn addition, the lawyers request that the legal positions of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of June 7, 2022 be taken into account when resolving issues in this criminal case. The court attaches the decision of the ECHR to the case file.\nThe defendant Tatyana Obizhestvit is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20220831","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Religious expert V. N. Rohatin is interrogated, but his interrogation is interrupted by evacuation from the courthouse.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20220603","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining video recordings of conversations between believers about the Bible and FSB informants who portrayed interest in the Bible.\nAn audio recording of the service is heard, on which songs, prayers, discussions and a report on the topic \"Do you harbor anger or forgive?\" are heard.\nJudge Yuriy Arsenyuk allows Leysan Bochkareva to take her husband's belongings from the pre-trial detention center, which she, being under house arrest, could not receive for a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20220318","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who is visually impaired is being questioned. He explains that he has known Bochkarev since 2017, they discussed the Bible together. The witness notes that the defendant did not express any extremist ideas and helped him in every possible way.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20211217","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan is considering an appeal against the extension of Andrey Bochkarev's detention. The court attaches positive characteristics to the believer, as well as 3 decisions of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, but leaves unchanged the decision of the court of first instance. The believer has been imprisoned for 1 year and 10 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20211126","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness \"Averyanov\" is being interrogated. He states that he was sitting in the same cell with Bochkarev and that he offered him \"to join the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" Then he asks several times to read out the testimony that he gave at the preliminary investigation, referring to the fact that he does not remember anything. At the end of the interrogation, Bochkarev declares that the testimony of the witness does not correspond to reality.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20211119","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of a witness under the pseudonym \"Shigapov\", who pretends to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, continues. The defense draws attention to the fact that his testimony word for word coincides with the testimony of a certain Tajiyev from another criminal case against Jehovah's Witnesses in Kazan. Later, the court attaches the text of Tadzhiev's testimony to the case file for comparison.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20211109","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the secret witness \"Shigapov\". According to him, he was one of Jehovah's Witnesses until 2020, but he previously claimed that he attended services until 2016. The defense draws attention to this contradiction and asks to read out his written testimony. The questioning of the witness is postponed as he leaves the courthouse during the break.\nThe case file states that Leysan Bochkareva, on her own initiative, communicated on religious topics with two women. However, at the court hearing, one of them, E. Gafetdinova, says that she was asked to meet with Leysan and pretend to be interested in the Bible. The witness also mentions that it was on their instructions that she introduced the defendant to another woman.\nTatiana's son Obizhestvit, who does not share his mother's religious views, gives her a positive characterization and reports that despite their different views, they have close family relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210809","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new lawyer enters the case. The judge does not satisfy his request to send the case to another court of territorial jurisdiction.\nThe detention of Andrey Bochkarev and the house arrest of Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva are extended for another 3 months, until November 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210713","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man with whom the Bochkarevs had previously talked about the Bible is being interrogated. He is confused in his testimony and cannot cite facts that would prove that Andrei and Leysan did anything illegal. At the same time, he expresses his negative attitude towards believers: \"I immediately realized that they were sectarians.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-06-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210603","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held. The court does not satisfy the believers' request to dismiss the case and refuses to allow visits to Andrey Bochkarev, who is in pre-trial detention. The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The defendants express their disagreement with the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210525","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Bochkarev is transferred from SIZO-2 to SIZO-1 in Kazan. The address for correspondence has changed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210415","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan. On the same day, the case materials are transferred to Judge Yuriy Arsenyuk for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20210401","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken to court to familiarize himself with the materials of the petition.\nUpon his return, Andrey is unexpectedly transferred to another cell, not allowing him to collect his belongings and personal hygiene items. As a result, he does not have the opportunity to brush his teeth, shave, use soap for more than 4 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-06-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200625","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Bochkarev, who has been in jail for 5 months, has his arrest extended again - until August 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200622","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lawyers are petitioning for mitigation of the measure of restraint for Andrey Bochkarev. The reason for this is the epidemiological situation in the country and the world, as well as Bochkarev's previous serious illness. The senior investigator of the SCh of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Tatarstan, Major of Justice R. Galimzyanov, rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200301","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court hearings, Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva extend their house arrest for 2 months - until 04/27/2020.\nThe hearing in the case of Obizhestvit is officially open to visitors, but the judge does not allow any of the listeners into the courtroom. Friends of the defendants are waiting for a decision in the hallway. After the meeting, the investigator and bailiffs allow the visitors to communicate and support the women.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200225","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At a closed hearing, the judge decides to extend Andrey Bochkarev's detention in the pre-trial detention center until April 27, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200221","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogations of believers continue in Kazan. Investigators find out what kind of God the townspeople believe in.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200128","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches at the apartments of believers continue in Kazan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200122","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan releases Tatyana Obizhestvit and Leysan Bochkareva under house arrest. Andrey Bochkarev was sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200121","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["sizo","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mass searches are taking place in Kazan. About 15 believers were detained, and several apartments were searched. Spouses Andrey and Leysan Bochkarev, as well as Tatyana Obizhestvit, were placed in a temporary detention facility after interrogation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2020-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20200119","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigative unit of the Main Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Tatarstan initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It is investigated by R. U. Galimzyanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Bochkarevs and Obizhestvit in Kazan","date":"2019-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kazan/index.html#20191227","regions":["tatarstan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey and Yelena Chechulin became defendants in yet another criminal case against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy. In September 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a case against them on suspicion of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. A month later, their home was searched, and the couple were placed under a recognizance agreement. In December 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested 6 years in a penal colony for the Chechulins, but the court applied an article of a lesser charge for participating in the activity of an extremist organization and in April 2024 gave the couple a 2-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this decision, but in October of the same year, the court of cassation sent the case for reconsideration. In February 2025, a second sentence was handed down — 6 years suspended. This decision was upheld by the second court of appeal.","date":"2022-09-25","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html","prisoners":["chechulin","chechulina"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Kamchatka Regional Court (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 52 Leninskaya Street). Start: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20250408","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["2-appeal","suspended","282.2-1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Elena and Sergey Chechulin make their final remarks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20250219","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","sentence","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Olga Obraztsova. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court of the Kamchatka Territory (6 Kurchatov Street, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). Time: 14:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20250205","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants testify in court. Sergey Chechulin draws attention to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of 20.04.2017: \"There is not a word here about the prohibition of citizens to be Jehovah's Witnesses. Questions arise: Did I have the right to read and discuss the Bible with my relatives, neighbors, acquaintances or friends after this court decision? Did I have the right to sing a song or pray with them? Did I have the right to continue to practice my religion in association with others as part of a non-forbidden religious group?\" He answers: \"I believe that I had and still have such a right.\"\nYelena Chechulina claims that she did not hold a single worship service, but only attended meetings not prohibited by law, sang songs, prayed and communicated with fellow believers. \"Speaking on spiritual topics, reading and studying the Bible is my need, just like I am, to work, to rest. It has nothing to do with the organization of legal entities,\" she emphasizes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2025-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20250124","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Chechulins' case is submitted for a new trial to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court and assigned to judge Olga Obraztsova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20241217","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["retrial","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey and Elena Chechulin make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240418","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests for Sergey and Elena Chechulin a sentence of 6 years in a general regime colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to participation in the work of public organizations for 4 years and restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe prosecutor also asks to cancel the arrest imposed on Elena's money and Sergey's car, and return them to the defendants. He appeals to the court with a request to assess the actions of witnesses who used Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation at the hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240404","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense invites 14 witnesses to the court for questioning. All of them use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240319","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants give their testimony to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240306","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Denis Sotnikov announces the end of the presentation of his evidence. The case file contains at least 17 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240219","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The reading of transcripts of hidden recordings continues. Sergey Chechulin explains that this passage discusses the question of how to choose words in a conversation with people so as not to hurt their feelings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240131","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to read out the transcripts of the recordings. Sergey Chechulin draws attention to the topic discussed at the service - how not to get addicted to video games and alcohol. Yelena Chechulina notes: \"The investigation presents the joint worship of God, the performance of religious songs and prayers as a criminal act.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240130","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses are being questioned. One of them says that she knows the defendants as believers, decent and law-abiding people, and the other has never seen the Chechulins.\nSergey Chechulin comments on one of the transcripts of the recorded conversation: \"We are talking about prayer, the conversation is completely based on the Bible, there are no words that would humiliate representatives of other religions.\" Elena Chechulina adds: \"The transcript often mentions the expression 'meeting of the congregation,' which means Christian worship, not a meeting of a legal entity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240129","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the transcripts of the believers' conversations. Commenting on one of the audio recordings, Elena Chechulina explains that she talked with friends about how to find true happiness, and how hope helps to maintain a positive attitude in difficult times. She says, \"It is love that is at the heart of my actions, not hatred or enmity as the indictment says.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240124","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the charges. Sergey Chechulin recalls the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which did not evaluate individual actions of Jehovah's Witnesses as believers. The defendant stresses that his and his wife's right to profess religion is inappropriately regarded as a criminal offence. He notes: \"Not a single episode of a crime against the state or against any person is given ... We live by the biblical commandment 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2024-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20240110","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court of the Kamchatka Territory and referred to Judge Ivan Pantyashin for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20231201","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator D. M. Petukhov of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kamchatka Territory initiates a criminal case against the spouses Sergey and Elena Chechulin. They are suspected of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigator, the unlawful actions of the believers were expressed in \"convening meetings, organizing collective religious speeches and services, in accordance with the ideology of the religious association of Jehovah's Witnesses at these meetings.\" They are also charged with \"planned training in the postulates of the religious association Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Chechulins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk-kamchatskiy2/index.html#20220925","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, a criminal case was initiated against Yuriy Kim and unidentified persons. Armed law enforcement officers raided four apartments of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Nikolsk, Penza Region. To familiarize himself with the search materials, Yuriy Kim, 60, had to travel 120 kilometers from home. On his return from there, he was paralyzed and lost consciousness. Ambulance doctors did not have time to save him. In September 2021, Maya and Petr Krupnov were charged with participating in extremist activities. It was based on an audio recording made by an FSB agent. A month later, the case went to court. Many witnesses claimed that their preliminary testimony had been falsified. In December 2021, the court sentenced the couple to 2 years suspended and 8 months of restriction of freedom and ordered them to pay 42,000 rubles in legal costs. The court of appeal approved this decision. In November 2024, Petr Krupnov died due to illness.","date":"2020-10-07","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html","prisoners":["kimyu","krupnov","krupnova"],"regions":["penza"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"After serving the main sentence and still on the list of Rosfinmonitoring, Pyotr Krupnov dies due to a rapidly progressing oncological disease.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20241106","regions":["penza"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Penza Regional Court does not satisfy the appeal of Peter and Maya Krupnov. The sentence of 2 years of suspended imprisonment comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20220309","regions":["penza"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nikolsky District Court of the Penza Region sentenced Peter and Maya Krupnov to 3 years of suspended imprisonment and 8 months of restriction of freedom, obliging them to pay 21 thousand rubles of legal costs.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211230","regions":["penza"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Irina Kuznetsova. Nikolsky District Court of the Penza Region (Nikolsk, Moskovskaya Street, 11a).\nSpeaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks for a suspended sentence of 3 years for the spouses Peter and Maya Krupnov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211217","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Irina Kuznetsova asks the assistant prosecutor if there is any evidence of the criminal actions of Pyotr Krupnov. An employee of the prosecutor's office is confused and promises to provide them for the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211201","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the transcript of the services.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211110","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness and neighbors of the defendants. The secret witness does not remember exactly when the meetings of the believers took place and what was discussed at them. Neighbors characterize the Krupnovs positively and add that they helped them with the housework.\nThe study of video recordings of worship services begins.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211027","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nikolsky District Court of the Penza Region is holding its first hearing on the merits. The case is being considered by Judge Irina Kuznetsova. Witnesses familiarize themselves with the case, then the investigator interviews them in the presence of a lawyer. Many witnesses retract their testimonies, claiming that they did not say anything like that. Among the witnesses in the case are neighbors of the Krupnov family, who characterize Maya as a hospitable woman and give her a positive characterization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20211025","regions":["penza"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Igor Saulin, an investigator for especially important cases of the first investigation department of the Department for Investigation of Especially Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Penza Region, prosecutes Maya Krupnova as a defendant in a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe decision on the involvement states that Yuri Kim \"in an unidentified manner attracted Maya Krupnova to participate in the activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses.\" The investigation considered it criminal that Maya Krupnova, in the company of friends, discussed religious materials on various topics, including how to remain calm in stressful situations.\n","caseTitle":"The case of the Krupnovs and Others in Nikolsk","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nikolsk/index.html#20210915","regions":["penza"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Wiretapping, deploying a provocateur, hidden video recording in the homes of believers — that is how the prosecution of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the town of Shuya began in the spring of 2017. A year later, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against peaceful believer Dmitriy Mikhaylov under three articles for extremism. In 2018, homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses were searched: believers were treated rudely, pressured, and even a 10-year-old girl was interrogated. New defendants appeared in the case: Yelena Mikhaylova, Svetlana Ryzhkova, Svetlana Shishina and Aleksey Arkhipov. Mikhaylov spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center. The case was returned twice to the investigator for revision by the procecutor and by the judge. The consideration of the case on its merits began in May 2022. In January 2024 the court gave its guilty vedict, fining the believers: Arkhipov 380,000, Shishina 400,000, Ryzhkova 480,000, Mikhaylova 560,000, and Dmitriy Mikhaylov 950,000 rubles.","date":"2018-04-19","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html","prisoners":["arkhipov","emikhailova","mikhailov","ryzhkova","shishina"],"regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants address the court with the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2024-01-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20240124","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","families","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is requesting punishment for believers in the form of large fines: Dmitry Mikhailov - 1,200,000 rubles, taking into account the time of detention; Elena Mikhailova and Svetlana Ryzhkova — 600,000 rubles each; Svetlana Shishina and Alexei Arkhipov — 400,000 rubles each. Prior to the entry into force of the verdict, the prosecutor asks the court to take a written undertaking not to leave the place from the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-12-19T16:15:20+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20231219","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["defense-arguments","punishment-request","fine","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of defendants Elena Mikhailova, Svetlana Shishina and Svetlana Ryzhkova.\nAnswering questions, they say that they are all connected by friendly relations. For example, Ryzhkova says: \"We not only study the Bible, but also communicate on all topics, go to the cinema and theaters together, and do Scandinavian walking, and go to barbecues and have picnics. And so we communicate with each other. We're friends, we're just studying the Bible.\"\nThe defendants note that they did not hear any statements or appeals of an extremist nature from each other, and that they did not in any way incite religious hatred.\nShishina emphasizes: \"The main thing in my life was studying the Bible and discussing God's principles with my friends, and I was never interested in organization. I have nothing to do with it and never had.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20231107","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Audio recordings of telephone conversations of believers are studied.\nIn the course of the study, the defendants explain that when believers exchange thoughts about biblical teachings, they thus exercise their legal right, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation: to jointly profess with others any religion, including the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, which is not prohibited by law.\nIn addition, the defendants explain that in telephone conversations the issue of providing material assistance to a family with a sick child in need of urgent treatment is discussed. Such financial assistance cannot be interpreted as financing an extremist organization (Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-05-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20230510","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Anton Mokin reports that the Shuisky City Court received an appeal from a certain Konstantin, who called himself a caring citizen of the Russian Federation. The letter says: \"I am convinced that the criminal case opened under extremist articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against the above-mentioned persons [Arkhipov, Mikhailov, Ryzhkov, Shishin] is some kind of monstrous legal error, some kind of misunderstanding that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. After all, as far as I know, they are all very good people. They have nothing to do with extremism. Yes, they are believers, but accusing them of extremism because of their faith is absurd, and I'm sorry, it's not in any gate ... (In general, Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their deep decency and law-abiding.) In my opinion, some unjustified religious repressions are being carried out in the country. And this is outrageous! Although, to be honest, it is very difficult in our time to fully trust the justice system, I still hope for the competence, common sense, humanity of the court and that these respected people will be acquitted by the court.\nP.S. Please do not regard this appeal as interference in the activities of the judge in the administration of justice, but simply consider it an expression of the opinion of a representative of Russian society on what is happening.\nVideo recordings of religious meetings of believers are studied. The defendants explain that by discussing the Bible and telling others about it, they are exercising a constitutional right guaranteed by Article 28 – the right to jointly profess any religion with others and to disseminate religious beliefs, including those of Jehovah's Witnesses, which are not prohibited in Russia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20230216","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Video recordings of spiritual meetings of believers are examined. The defendants draw the court's attention to the fact that the recordings record conversations about the Bible. At the same time, there are no signs of extremism in the conversations - the participants discuss how to show love to others, regardless of their religion. Thus, believers exercise the right to profess their religion together with others (Constitution of the Russian Federation, Article 28).\nIn addition, the video recordings recorded personal conversations that are not related to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2023-01-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20230119","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants express their attitude to the charge. The judge allows the defendants to speak without ever interrupting, and attaches their statements to the materials of the criminal case.\nAlexei Arkhipov says: \"The accusation against me has been repeated many times, but you can't call it new, since everything was rewritten to the comma from time to time, which confirms its inconsistency and gross violation of my rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\n\"I do not understand the essence of the charge,\" Dmitry Mikhailov is perplexed. Am I forbidden to profess the Christian faith of Jehovah's Witnesses, to pray, read and discuss the Bible with friends? Either the prosecution is unable to give an answer, or purposefully evades it, because it understands that honest answers to the above questions will reveal the groundlessness and illegality of the criminal prosecution.\nElena Mikhailova claims: \"The accusation is not specified. It does not indicate: when and under what circumstances I allegedly promoted superiority on the basis of religious affiliation, what words I used to express a negative assessment of any persons, how exactly I allegedly coordinated my actions to finance an extremist organization ... I have never committed any crimes, I have never engaged in and do not intend to engage in extremist activities.\"\nThe protocol of the interrogation of student Artem Khamidov, who was present several times at the services of Jehovah's Witnesses in Shuya, is considered. He took notes of the meetings and subsequently handed them over to the police.\nThe record of the interrogation of the secret witness \"Ivanova\" records that she attended meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses from 2003 to 2011, and states: \"Religion was for the preservation of the family, so if persons who were married, but with different religious views, joined this organization, then this was not forbidden.\"\nOne of the witnesses describes Alexei Arkhipov, who worked for him as a bus driver for 6 years, \"exclusively on the positive side: hardworking, conscientious, attentive to passengers.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2022-06-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20220608","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case, after revision by the prosecutor, goes to the Shuisky City Court of the Ivanovo Region. Referee: Anton Mokin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2022-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20220511","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Shuisky City Court of the Ivanovo Region Ekaterina Demina returns the criminal case to the prosecutor for revision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2021-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20210916","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are about 20 people in the courthouse who came to support the defendants. Dmitry Mikhailov declares his refusal of the public defender, explaining that he will defend himself.\nSvetlana Shishina files a petition to refuse a lawyer appointed by the court, as she has an agreement with another lawyer who was \"removed by the investigator illegally.\"\nThe court raises the issue of returning the criminal case to the prosecutor in connection with the violation of Shishina's right to defense. State prosecutor Bikulov states that the rights of the defendant were not violated. The judge retires to the deliberation room to make a decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20210915","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing is held. Listeners are not allowed into the hall.\nThe defendants state that they did not have time to familiarize themselves with the last volumes of the case (19-21). Dmitry Mikhailov says that the investigator put pressure on the defendants to sign a protocol on \"acquaintance in full.\" The court grants the defendants' request to familiarize themselves with the last volumes of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2021-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20210810","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of believers is submitted to the Shuisky City Court of the Ivanovo Region for consideration by Judge Ekaterina Demina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20210701","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"First Deputy Prosecutor of the Ivanovo Region, Senior Counselor of Justice Alexei Borzdy returns the materials of the criminal case of the Mikhailov spouses and others in Shuya to the investigator for especially important cases D. P. Yakovlev for additional investigation. The resolution states: \"When studying the materials of the criminal case, violations of the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure were revealed, preventing the approval of the indictment and sending it to court.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2020-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20201208","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary investigation into the criminal case against the Mikhailov spouses and others has been completed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20190918","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention condemns the arrests of Jehovah's Witnesses and demands that Russia immediately release Dmitry Mikhailov. His arrest was recognized as a manifestation of religious discrimination. The document stresses that the findings \"apply to all other persons in circumstances similar to those in which Mr. Mikhailov is.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2019-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20190529","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["un-working-group"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Pochernikov V.F. makes a decision on the appointment of sociological, religious and religious forensic examinations in relation to Dmitry Mikhailov. The expert is Belova Tatyana Pavlovna, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences of Ivanovo State University.\nAlso, the investigator decides to conduct a forensic linguistic examination of Dmitry in the Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20181219","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal reverses the decision on the further detention of Dmitry Mikhailov. He is leaving pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Ivanovo region after spending almost six months in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20181115","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["appeal","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. A. Ryazantsev also prosecutes Elena Mikhailova and Aleksey Arkhipov under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, interrogates them and takes written undertakings not to leave the place from the believers.\nHe also prosecutes Svetlana Ryzhkova under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code (organization of extremist activity). The investigator interrogates the believer and takes from her a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180709","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1","recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against Dmitry Mikhailov's wife, Yelena, as well as Svetlana Ryzhkova and Svetlana Shishina under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (financing of extremist activities). Women are interrogated as suspects and signed recognizances. The investigator is also interrogating Aleksey Arkhipov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180627","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1","recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"New searches in the homes of citizens believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses.\nAfter new searches, believers are taken to the body of the Investigative Committee. A 10-year-old girl was also taken there and interrogated there. During the interrogation, in the presence of the school psychologist, the child is forced to reveal the religion of the family, she cries. Her mother threatens that if she refuses to cooperate with the investigation, she may be charged with another crime - \"involving minors in the commission of a crime.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180626","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","minors","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A case is being initiated against D.V. Mikhailov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180622","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In response to an open collective letter from the wives of citizens arrested for their faith, including Elena Mikhailova, the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights asks the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality and validity of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses: \"Accusations of citizens that they read the Bible together and pray to God are interpreted as \"continuation of the activities of an extremist organization.\" The Council considers that such an interpretation is not consistent with the legal position of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180620","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Mikhailov is being interrogated as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180531","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Mikhailov was taken into custody. A case is also being opened against him on charges of \"financing\" extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180529","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["sizo","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning in the city of Shuya, searches are simultaneously carried out in 4 apartments of citizens who are suspected of professing the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180420","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Komsomolsk Interdistrict Investigation Department, seconded to the Investigation Department for the city of Shuya of the Investigative Department for the Ivanovo Region, Captain of Justice Robert Barseghyan, initiates a criminal case.\nSergey Garber, a judge of the Shuisky City Court, authorizes a search in the house of Dmitry Mikhailov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180419","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ivanovo Regional Court O.V. Mutovkina authorizes \"secret inspection of premises, buildings, structures\", as well as secret \"observation\" using audio-video recording in the home of the believer Ryzhkova S.A.\nOver the next 3 months, operational-search measures are being carried out, including wiretapping of believers' phones and secret video filming.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2018-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20180115","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Ivanovo Regional Court A.V. Plyukhanov authorizes the ORM \"Wiretapping\" of Mikhailova D.V.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2017-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20170921","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A certain \"Nicholas\", pretending to be interested in the Bible, meets with believers, asks questions about God, attends divine services. The nature of his questions, as well as the peculiarities of his behavior, lead believers to suspect that the man is a provocateur.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Mikhaylovs and Others in Shuya","date":"2017-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shuya/index.html#20170301","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, a special operation of the FSB with the participation of 150 law enforcement officers, codenamed “Judgement Day”, took place in Birobidzhan. Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov were among the 20 Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses who became victims of criminal prosecution. The FSB charged them with participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. The couple was made to sign a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in June 2021. The charges were based on the testimony of police officer Zvereva and another resident of Birobidzhan, who pretended that she was interested in the Bible. In April 2022, the court gave Oleg and Agnessa suspended sentences of 5.5 and 5 years, respectively. The court of appeal overturned this decision and in October 2022 returned the case for a new trial, which resulted in suspended sentences of 5.5 and 4.5 years. Another hearing at the court of appeal upheld the verdict. In February 2024, another search took place at the Postnikovs’ home, but as part of a new raid by law enforcement officers on the homes of believers. In July 2024, the court of cassation upheld the decision of the court of appeal.","date":"2020-02-12","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html","prisoners":["postnikov","postnikova"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"the couple Postnikovs are being searched - this time in a new criminal case for faith against Oleg.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20250403","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","282.2-1","new-case","ivs","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov file a cassation appeal with the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction. The complaint notes: \"Neither the verdict nor the appellate ruling provides clear criteria by which it would be possible to clearly see which specific actions of the Postnikovs were a continuation of the illegal extremist activities of the liquidated legal entity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20240419","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["cassation","complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB conducts raids on the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan and the village of Amurzet. Among the victims are the Postnikovs, who are already serving suspended sentences.\nAnother search takes place at the home of another believer, Vladlena Kukavitsa. A criminal case has been initiated against her. Emotional pressure is exerted on her, the security forces demand to confirm her acquaintance with other believers, threatening her with real terms and persuading her to cooperate with the investigation. A lot of notebooks, notebooks, electronic equipment and data carriers are seized. They refuse to issue a copy of the search protocol.\nThe search is led by investigator Dmitry Yankin, who previously initiated the initiation of criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan. Also, detectives of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region N. Lonushkin and D. Krupetsky take part in the searches.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20240206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search","new-case","282.2-1.1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov make their final speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20230710","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor requests 5.5 and 5 years of probation for Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov with an additional restriction of freedom for one and a half years each.\nThe court session is held behind closed doors. At the next hearing, the defense is expected to speak in the debate of the parties. The defendants will make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20230626","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The retrial of the Postnikov case begins in the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. The case is being heard by Judge Olga Klyuchikova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20221110","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Marina Tsimarno sentences Oleg and Agnessa Postnikov to 5.5 and 5 years of suspended imprisonment, respectively, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year 6 months with a probationary period of 5 years each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-25T15:16:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220425","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sentence","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements. The verdict is scheduled for April 25.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220419","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties continues. The defender of the believers notes that the defendants \"studied parts ... The Bible, while Kabak explained that she used her copy of this book. This book is not forbidden... And the activities of other Christian denominations are based on it, the organizations of which were not banned or recognized as extremist.\nIn his speech, Oleg Postnikov cites scientific information confirming that the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses in itself is neither extremist nor any other illegal ideology. Among other things, the believer quotes the dictionary \"Religions of the Peoples of Modern Russia\" edited by Doctor of Philosophy I. Y. Kanterov: \"State power is considered by Jehovah's Witnesses as a device that exists with the permission of God. They do not come into conflict with the law, respect order and law-abiding.\"\nThe believer continues: \"When I say, 'I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses,' I am only stating that I share the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses and the ways in which they express them (e.g., that the command to teach others the commandments of Jesus Christ is given to all Christians without exception; or that meeting with fellow believers at worship services, praying to God, singing spiritual songs, reading the Bible, and strengthening one's faith and that of fellow believers is what Jesus expects of every person who calls himself a Christian).\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220412","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the prosecutor speaks with a debate on the Postnikov case. He requests for Oleg 5.5 years of imprisonment in a penal colony and another 1.5 years of restriction of freedom, and for Agnessa 5 years of imprisonment in a penal colony and 1.5 years of restriction of freedom.\nAt the next meeting, the debate of the defense will be held.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220405","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense provides the court with documents confirming the peaceful and legal nature of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, including decisions of the European Court. The court announces that it will make a decision on their inclusion at the next court hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220310","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence shall be provided to the court. The court restricts the defense in the study of these subjects. The defendant Postnikov asks to include in the record of the court session comments on the actions of the judge, which violate his right to defense.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220215","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The stage of providing evidence to the defense begins.\nDefense witnesses are being interrogated - a neighbor of the Postnikovs and their relative.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2022-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20220118","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are being questioned. At first, Zvereva, at the next court hearing, the witness Kabak. The testimony of police officer Zvereva is used to accuse other believers in Birobidzhan.\nAt this and the next 7 court hearings, video materials, including recordings of worship services, are still being watched, and audio recordings of telephone conversations of the defendants are being listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20211022","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The sixth court hearing of this criminal case is underway. At it and the next three sessions, the prosecutor shows video recordings of conversations on spiritual topics with a woman who depicted interest in the Bible, and other video materials. Earlier, the court examined the volumes of the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210922","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case goes to the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region. It will be considered by judge Marina Tsimarno.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210621","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Fedorov initiates a second criminal case against Postnikov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210402","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The FSB investigator brings final charges against Oleg Postnikov under Parts 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nAccording to the investigation, communicating with a resident of Birobidzhan L. P. Kabak, the Postnikov spouses \"with the tacit consent of each other, that is, a group of persons, while each, acting intentionally ... persuaded her to participate in the activities of the banned religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210315","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fedorov makes a decision to bring Agnessa Postnikova as a defendant under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and places her under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-03-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210310","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major I. Fedorov combines all 3 criminal cases against the Postnikov spouses into one proceeding. The investigation interprets peaceful conversations of believers on spiritual topics as the activities of a banned organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210218","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another criminal case is being initiated against Agnessa Postnikova under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case is assigned No. 12107990001000005.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210217","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, Major I. Fedorov, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Agnessa Postnikova on the basis of the report of the FSB operative D. Krupetsky. According to the investigation, the Postnikovs \"formed a criminal group,\" and the believer, \"approving the activities of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses\" and \"sharing its extremist goals ... became part of the LRO.\nFedorov also opened a criminal case against Agnessa Postnikova under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20210212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Fedorov is prosecuting Oleg Postnikov as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20200227","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator Fedorov chooses a preventive measure against the suspect Oleg Postnikov - a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20200218","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior forensic investigator of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates another criminal case for his faith under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - against 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A week earlier, on 06.02.2020, investigator D. Yankin opened 6 similar cases at once against 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina, 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva and 41-year-old Natalia Krieger. Even earlier, the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev - became accused under similar articles. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky. A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A large-scale operation codenamed \"Judgment Day\" is underway in Birobidzhan with the participation of 150 security officials. During the searches, electronic devices, bank cards, money and photographs are seized from citizens.\nThe search in the home of the Postnikovs, as well as in the worship building of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, is carried out by FSB investigator V.V. Bryantsev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of the Postnikovs in Birobidzhan","date":"2018-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan19/index.html#20180517","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2026, several female believers in Nizhny Novgorod were subjected to searches. Among them was Galina Tokareva. The local Investigative Committee suspected the pensioner of extremism because she took part in peaceful Jehovah’s Witness worship services and opened a criminal case against her.","date":"2026-02-09","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod11/index.html","prisoners":["tokareva"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tokareva in Nizhniy Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"From 7 am, Tokareva underwent a two-hour search, which was led by the investigator of the Investigative Committee I. D. Sviridova. Postcards and personal notes, electronic devices and a router are seized from the woman.\nLater that day, the Avtozavodsky District Court confirmed the legality of the search, which investigator Busarov had authorized the day before.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokareva in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod11/index.html#20260213","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Nizhny Novgorod Investigative Committee Aleksandr Busarov opens a criminal case against Galina Tokareva. According to the investigation, the woman participated in meetings for worship of the local community of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokareva in Nizhniy Novgorod","date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod11/index.html#20260209","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2024, Daler Tokhtayev was searched in the city of Poronaysk. Two months earlier, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against him under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organization and involvement in it. This is how the investigation interpreted conversations with one of the residents of Sakhalin on biblical topics. Immediately after the search, the believer was detained and placed in custody. In October, the case was brought to court. The accusation was based on the testimony of a man who pretended to be interested in the Bible. In February 2025, the court sentenced Tokhtayev to 6 years in a penal colony. After 3 months, the court of appeal upheld this decision. In January 2026, the court of cassation upheld the verdict.","date":"2024-02-06","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html","prisoners":["tokhtaev"],"regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Since April 2026, Daler has been held under strict detention conditions. There are seven other prisoners in the cell with him. The prisoners have the opportunity to take a shower, wash their clothes, do the dishes, and cook food. As no one works under strict detention conditions, the believer is not employed. In his free time, he can go for walks, watch television, and read the Bible. Daler maintains conflict-free relations with other prisoners and the administration.\nDaler receives letters from a limited number of people, mainly by registered mail; he does not receive any electronic correspondence. The believer replies to friends and relatives, but his letters rarely reach their recipients.\nRecently, a visiting dentist examined Tokhtaev and prescribed treatment. The medical staff of the penal colony will provide the treatment. The prisoner also underwent a medical examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2026-06-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20260612","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler is experiencing severe toothache: two of his teeth are broken. There is no dentist in the medical unit of the penal colony, which is why the necessary treatment is not provided.\nDaler rarely receives letters — he is given only registered mail.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20260331","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["life-in-prison","medical-rights","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the cassation hearing in the case of Daler Tokhtaev, the court upholds the verdict. The believer will continue to serve his 6-year sentence in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2026-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20260121","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-2","282.2-1.1","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtaev was in the punishment cell for about 4 months, after which he was placed in a cell-type facility. Relations with the administration of the penal colony and other prisoners are normal. Daler regularly receives letters, although with some delay. Emails sometimes reach the addressee only 2 months after they have been sent. The believer draws moral strength from reading the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-11-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20251104","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the penal colony, Daler Tokhtaev was immediately placed in a punishment cell. Later, for some unknown reason, the period of his detention in the punishment cell was extended for another 14 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250710","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtaev is in penal colony No. 1 for the Sakhalin Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-06-10T09:18:25+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250610","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the decision of the panel of judges of the Sakhalin Regional Court, the verdict — 6 years of imprisonment — enters into legal force. The believer has been held in a pretrial detention center for over a year for discussing religious and everyday topics with a resident of Sakhalin.\nIn his appeal, the believer’s lawyer emphasizes that \"witness S. Rozenblit talked with the convicted person voluntarily and repeatedly expressed a deep interest in learning about God and the Bible... Rozenblit could have ceased communicating with Tokhtaev at any time, which he eventually did. Moreover, Rosenblit did not face any negative consequences from the convicted person.\"\nIn his final statement, Daler Tokhtaev says: \"I sincerely believe that a person who lives according to the moral principles set out in the Bible only benefits society.\" He adds, \"Discussing topics, such as God’s purpose for the earth, cannot be declared criminal.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250526","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is still in solitary confinement. Reading the Bible, writing answers to letters, taking walks and taking care of cleanliness in the cell helps to cope with negative emotions, if they appear.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250524","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Daler Tokhtaev was placed in solitary confinement in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250312","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtaev makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250228","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant explains in detail to the court why the testimony of the witness Rosenblit should be critical. The latter, feigning an interest in the Bible, met with Tokhtaev several times to discuss this book via video-conferencing, initiating these conversations. Rosenblit, among other things, testified about meetings with Tokhtaev, which allegedly took place during the period when the believer was in the hospital in a serious condition and could not even write a message to his wife. The believer calls Rosenblit's testimony unfounded and emphasizes that their conversations about the Bible did not contradict the laws and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250225","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 8 years in prison for Daler Tokhtayev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20250115","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtaev explains that he is accused of having conversations with a provocateur: \"As it turned out, he only pretended to be interested in the Bible, and he himself denounced me to the FSB.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20241209","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtayev expresses his disagreement with the charges brought against him. The judge allows the defendant's brother to participate in the trial as a public defender.\n12 people come to support Dahler.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20241018","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Poronaisk City Court. It will be considered by judge Yulia Sheveleva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20241002","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Daler Tokhtayev is kept in a cell for 10 people, he has his own bed. You can shower once a week. Despite the fact that Dahler has a serious gastrointestinal disease and underwent surgery six months ago, now his condition is still stable.\nThe believer remains cheerful and positive. He has a Bible, which was given to him in the library of the pre-trial detention center. Tokhtaev also receives letters of support, for which he is very grateful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20240712","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sakhalin Region, Captain of Justice Yulia Che, initiates a criminal case for faith under Parts 1.1 and 2 of Article 282.2 against Daler Tokhtayev.\nThe investigation suspects the believer of \"conducting conversations with citizens of the Russian Federation\" on biblical topics, and interprets this as a continuation of the activities of a banned religious organization and an attempt to involve him in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tokhtaev in Poronaysk","date":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/poronaysk/index.html#20240206","regions":["sakhalin"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2023, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Jehovah’s Witnesses from Tver: Aleksandr Kostyuk, Maksim Barbazyuk, and pensioner Valeriy Tolmazov. Their homes were searched, after that they were interrogated until late at night. The believers were charged with holding joint discussions of the Bible, which the investigation equated to extremist activity. In July 2024, the case went to court. In February 2026, the sentence was announced: 6 years each in a penal colony.","date":"2023-06-29","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html","prisoners":["barbazyuk","kostyuk","tolmazov"],"regions":["tver"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested 7 years in a penal colony for Aleksandr Kostyuk, Valeriy Tolmazov and Maksim Barbazyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20260213","regions":["tver"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Commenting on the video recordings of the meetings for worship viewed in court, the defendants draw attention to the atmosphere of these meetings and emphasize: \"The meetings for worship were attended by people of different ages, nationalities and social groups. The recordings do not contain calls for violence, overthrow of power or any manifestations of extremism. On the contrary, there were statements about the need to comply with the laws of the country.\"\nValeriy Tolmazov notes that the activities of a legal entity (LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses) and the profession of faith are two different spheres. He explains that LROs were created exclusively to interact with government agencies - gas, electrical and fire services, SES, utility organizations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2026-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20260206","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Specialist Anatoly Borisovich Gurin, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language at Tver State University (teacher of Russian as a foreign language, translator from French), testifies at the hearing. He is asked about the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses. In his answers, he repeatedly refers to \"publicly available sources.\" When asked by one of the defendants what exactly he means, the specialist explains that \"we are talking about ordinary Russian media.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2025-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20250516","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 40 people gather outside the courthouse, wishing to support the defendants. 10 listeners are allowed into the meeting room.\nA witness who previously attended meetings for worship is being questioned in court. He says he read in a magazine from the 1970s that Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to give blood transfusions and organ transplants. The lawyer clarifies whether the witness knew that Aleksandr Kostyuk had undergone hip replacement surgery. He replies in the negative. At the request of the prosecutor, the testimony of the witness given during the preliminary investigation is read out in court. He fully confirms them.\nThen the testimony of another witness is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2024-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20240911","regions":["tver"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Moscow District Court of the city of Tver. It will be considered by Judge Valery Popov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2024-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20240719","regions":["tver"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out in the homes of the three suspects, during which law enforcement officers seize electronic devices. Then Valeriy Tolmazov, Oleksandr Kostyuk and Maksim Barbazyuk are taken to the local department of the Investigative Committee for interrogations, which continue until late, after which the believers are released.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20230724","regions":["tver"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maxim Prusakov, an investigator of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Tver region, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of extremist organization activities) against 68-year-old Valery Tolmazov, 50-year-old Alexander Kostyuk and 40-year-old Maxim Barbazyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tolmazov and Others in Tver","date":"2023-06-29T14:39:36+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/tver/index.html#20230629","regions":["tver"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2019, Nizhny Novgorod security forces broke into 35 houses of peaceful believers with searches, several criminal cases were initiated, in particular against pensioner Galina Abrosimova, web designer Eduard Smirnov and cook Denis Tsarev. Oleg Makerov, senior investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the Nizhny Novgorod region, accused them of organizing extremist activities. Tsarev spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility. The case of Tsarev and Smirnov was separated into separate proceedings from the case of Abrosimova.","date":"2019-06-04","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod7/index.html","prisoners":["smirnov","tsarev"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Tsarev and Smirnov in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of Tsarev and Smirnov was separated into separate proceedings from the case of Abrosimova. It is assigned a 42101220089000296 number.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Tsarev and Smirnov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod7/index.html#20211118","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Nizhny Novgorod and the region, searches are being carried out in the homes of believers, equipment is being seized. Peaceful believers Denis Tsarev (born in 1983), Eduard Smirnov (born in 1988) and Galina Abrosimova (born in 1966) become defendants in criminal case No. 11901220089000239.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Tsarev and Smirnov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod7/index.html#20190717","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Oleg Makerov, senior investigator for particularly important cases of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates criminal case No. 11901220089000239 for faith against unidentified persons, \"in whose act signs of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation are seen.\" According to the investigation, they \"held meetings, collected donations for the needs of a religious organization, and improved their missionary skills.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Tsarev and Smirnov in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod7/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2021, searches were carried out in the small town of Kaltan with the participation of the Investigative Committee for the Kemerovo Region, the Center for Counteracting Extremism, and the FSB. One of the detainees, civil engineer Aleksandr Tsikunov, spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility. Then the court placed him under house arrest, and after 51 days he was taken on a recognizance agreement. The believer was accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. This is how the investigation interpreted Tsikunov\u0026rsquo;s communication with friends via videoconferencing on biblical topics. In August 2022, the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office returned the case for further investigation due to violations of the believer\u0026rsquo;s rights during the examinations. In June 2023, the case went to court. After 3 months, Aleksandr suffered a heart attack and heart surgery, which is why the hearings were suspended for some time. The guilty verdict was announced in March 2025—6 years in a penal colony. In July, the court of appeal approved it, slightly changing the additional punishment, and in December this decision was upheld by the court of cassation.","date":"2021-04-27","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html","prisoners":["tsikunov"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","type":"cases"},{"body":"In April, Aleksandr Tsikunov underwent a medical examination in the hospital at IK-5 in Kemerovo. Until May 18, he was released from work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20260522","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr needs to undergo a medical examination, consult a cardiologist and adjust his treatment, as his health has deteriorated: he suffers from severe dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, and also needs the help of a dentist.\nDespite the difficulties, Aleksandr remains calm and friendly. Largely due to this, prisoners treat the believer with respect. Often they address him by his first name and patronymic.\nRecently, Aleksandr had a short visit from his wife: it took place on the phone through a glass partition at a distance of three meters from each other. On his only day off, Aleksandr tries to write to his family and friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2026-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20260401","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr suffers from hypotension, which makes him feel weak. He has nosebleeds and once lost consciousness. Tsikunov is receiving medication, but he needs to consult with a doctor and adjustment to his treatment. Given his state of health, he does not participate in clearing snow.\nTsikunov still does not have a Bible. Recently, he has often been transferred from one unit to another. Despite the difficulties, the believer remains positive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2026-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20260214","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January, Aleksandr had another visit from his wife. He recently suffered from SARS, after which his sinusitis worsened. Despite being ill, he has to go to work.\nThe believer is not being given medication, as allegedly they ran out, although Yelena brought everything he needed. The situation with letters has not improved.\nThe barracks where Aleksandr is held are warm, there is cold and hot water. The believer has his own sleeping place. He can go to the banya twice a week. Relations with other prisoners are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20260116","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A hearing is underway in the Eighth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Kemerovo. There are about 10 people in the hall who have come to support the believer.\nAleksandr Tsikunov draws attention to the unfairness of the punishment imposed on him. He says that not only he was punished, but also his relatives - his wife, elderly mother, who will soon turn 90 years old, and other relatives. The convict emphasizes that \"he did not pursue any extremist goals, did not act on the motive of hatred or enmity, but exercised his right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion, guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\nThe prosecutor notes that \"the absence of extremism in his actions is not a basis for challenging the conclusions about his guilt.\"\nThe judicial panel consisting of the presiding judge I.V. Pavlova, as well as judges S.V. Suslov and P.N. Trishcha determines to dismiss the cassation appeals, and the verdict and the appellate ruling - unchanged. Tsikunov will continue to serve his sentence of 6 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20251223","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["cassation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Tsikunov is worried about his family, especially his 89-year-old mother. Only letters from his wife, mother and grandson are forwarded to him — no more than one a week. Correspondence from other relatives and friends is not given to the believer.\nThe detention regime is considered general, but, according to Tsikunov's observations, it is more like a strict one. Prisoners are checked four times a day, moved in formation, permission is required even to visit the toilet, there is practically no free time.\nHis personal Bible was not returned to him, but there is a copy of the Holy Scriptures in the recreation area, which Aleksandr can read on Saturdays for 40 minutes, but it is difficult to concentrate because of the other prisoners watching TV, which is constantly on.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20251108","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon his arrival at the penal colony, almost all of the believer's personal belongings were taken away: thermal underwear, pens and notebooks. He has no spoon and has to use a crust of bread to eat. Both pairs of his glasses have been broken. Also, Tsikunov does not have a Bible. Letters are strictly censored and they are passed on with a delay.\nThe believer works at the sewing workshop for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week with a break of 20 minutes. He has free time only on Sundays (1-1.5 hours). Recently, he had the first visit from his wife Yelena.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250906","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Tsikunov is in penal colony No. 40 for the Kemerovo Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250829","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The verdict against Aleksandr Tsikunov — 6 years in prison — enters into force. The Kemerovo Regional Court insignificantly changes the additional punishment: after his release, the believer is forbidden to engage in organizational activity in public and religious associations for 5 years.\nThe court ignored the arguments of the lawyer, who emphasized in the appeal: \"The verdict does not include any quotations of [Tsikunov's] extremist statements, nor dates, times or places of such. On the contrary, it indicates that there are no such statements in the materials [of operational-investigative measures] and in expert conclusions. It has not been established that Tsikunov distributed materials included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\"\nThe believer attended the hearing via video link from the pretrial detention centre. He feels better and has recovered well following recent surgery. ","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250723","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to the couple Aleksandr Tsikunov, she could not contact her husband for three weeks. Later it turned out that he was urgently hospitalized and operated. Aleksandr is still very weak, he needs a strict diet, which is difficult to provide in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250514","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Aleksey Semerikov. Kaltan District Court of the Kemerovo Region (30 Gorky Street, Kaltan). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-03-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250306","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for a sentence of 8 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250220","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant reads out the written notes. He is perplexed: \"After studying the materials of the criminal case in court and listening to audio and video recordings of worship services, the question arises: where is the evidence that ... Meetings of a banned organization are recorded, and not a meeting of individuals united by a common faith in Jehovah God? It's not forbidden to believe in Jehovah God, is it?\" The believer emphasizes that he exercised his constitutional right, living in harmony with his religious beliefs, which was not a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20250130","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are resumed. An audio recording of the worship service is listened to, at which the topic \"Develop tender feelings for one another\" is discussed. 7 listeners are admitted to the meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-12-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20241226","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge suspends the hearing in the case, as the believer underwent heart surgery in early September.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20241003","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A study of audio recordings of conversations between Alexander Tsikunov and his wife and friends about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20240321","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution reads out the results of forensic psychiatric, phonoscopic, linguistic and religious examinations.\nThe court satisfies the defense's motions to interrogate linguist Zubkova and religious scholar Schiller. The defense also asks the court to exclude from the case the materials of three searches of Alexander's fellow believers as irrelevant evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20240221","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the case materials from volumes 2 and 3 - audio recordings of conversations of believers on everyday and spiritual topics, and search protocols of Tsikunov and his fellow believers. The prosecutor does not analyze the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20240207","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings on the case are resumed. The court interrogates investigator Tyshchenko, who was in charge of the case of Alexander Tsikunov. He states that no pressure was exerted on prosecution witnesses during the interrogation. The court examines the case materials from volumes 1 and 2, including the constituent documents of the LRO for 1999 and documents on its liquidation, certificates of income of Tsikunov and a transcript of a hidden audio recording.\n30 people come to support Alexander, four are allowed into the hall.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2024-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20240131","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that on September 4, Alexander Tsikunov suffered a heart attack. The defense files a motion to suspend the consideration of the case due to the need for treatment of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230925","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230816","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecutor interrogates a woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses worship services via video conferencing. She says that there were no calls for violence or disobedience to the state; There was communication, including on biblical topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230809","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecutor Kupranov reads out the indictment. Aleksandr Tsikunov expresses his attitude to the charges and declares that he does not agree with the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230801","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defence files motions to terminate the criminal case and to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, which the court refuses. An open court hearing shall be scheduled. The court leaves the measure of restraint the same - a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230725","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Kaltan District Court of the Kemerovo Region. It will be considered by judge Alexei Semerikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2023-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20230623","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator S. S. Tyshchenko appoints a repeated religious and linguistic examination of the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2022-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20220901","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office returns Tsikunov's criminal case to the investigator for additional investigation. The reason is that during the production of religious and linguistic examinations, the believer's right to protection was violated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20220803","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tyshchenko sends the case to the prosecutor for approval of the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2022-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20220712","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr's preventive measure is mitigated: house arrest is replaced by a written undertaking not to leave the place. For 51 days, the believer could not leave his home and fully provide for his family financially.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2021-06-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20210624","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kaltan District Court Yevgeny Vanyushin places Alexander Tsikunov under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20210504","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Somik involves Alexander Tsikunov as a defendant in a criminal case. The believer declares that he is not guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20210503","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the town of Kaltan, Kemerovo Region, the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched. Aleksandr Tsikunov was detained and sent to a temporary detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2021-05-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20210502","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass Maxim Somik initiates a criminal case against Alexander Tsikunov on charges of extremism. According to the investigator, the believer \"from his computer ... Using video conferencing, he held weekly meetings.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tsikunov in Kaltan","date":"2021-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kaltan2/index.html#20210427","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2023, the FSB initiated a criminal case for organizing the activity of an extremist organization against pensioner Kishta Tutinova from Elista and invaded her home and the homes of her fellow believers with searches. According to the investigation, she \u0026ldquo;conducted religious meetings and directly participated in them by means of online conferences.\u0026rdquo; She spent 2 days in the temporary detention facility, more than 4 months under house arrest and about 7 months under a ban on certain actions. Tsagan Khalgayeva and Yekaterina Menkova were witnesses in the case, but in December 2023 they were charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. In February 2024, the case went to court. Three months later, the women were given suspended sentences ranging from 2 to 3 years. The court of appeal granted the appeal of the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office, reclassifying the actions of Kishta Tutinova from Part 2 to Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the RF CrC and giving her a 4-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 1 year. Menkova and Khalgayeva were sentenced to an additional restriction of freedom for 6 months.","date":"2023-02-16","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html","prisoners":["khalgaeva","menkova","tutinova"],"regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","type":"cases"},{"body":"The judge resumes the judicial investigation. Sentencing is postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240611","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for punishment: for Kishta Tutinova - 6 years probation with a probationary period of 4 years, for Tsagan Khalgaeva - 3 years probation with a probation period of 2 years, for Ekaterina Menkova - 2 years and 6 months probation with a probation period of 2 years.\nThe debate of the parties is taking place. Believers deliver the last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240605","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution is interrogating the brother of Ekaterina Menkova. He describes his sister as a kind, sympathetic and literate person who graduated from the institute with honors. The second witness reports that he does not know any of the defendants.\nThen the court proceeds to the study of material evidence - disks with video recordings made secretly in Tutinova's room. In the recordings, the defendant is talking via video conferencing with two women on religious and domestic topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240409","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The evidence of the prosecution is being examined. The case materials from the first 10 volumes, including the conclusions of the examinations, are announced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240408","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kishta Tutinova refuses a lawyer by appointment, a lawyer enters the case by agreement. The judge grants the request for the participation of two public defenders in the case, along with lawyers.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charges. The defendants plead not guilty.\nLawyers express their attitude to the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240401","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Elista City Court. It will be considered by judge Alexei Polevshchikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-02-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240229","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator softens Kishte Tutinova's preventive measure and takes a written undertaking not to leave the place from her. She spent six months under a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20240209","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice Menkenov is prosecuting 41-year-old Ekaterina Menkova and 45-year-old Tsagan Khalgaeva as defendants under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigator considers the meeting of friends to discuss the Bible a crime of an extremist nature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20231219","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court of Appeal cancels Kishte Tutinova's house arrest and imposes a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20230721","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ekaterina Menkova comes on a summons for interrogation to investigator Dmitry Menkenov. According to the believer, he is trying to put pressure on her, preventing her from using Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives her the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones. The interrogation lasts about 3 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20230302","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tsagan Khalgaeva, having come to work, learns that she was dismissed in connection with a criminal case.\nThe judge of the Elista City Court, Guzel Olyakhinova, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Kishte Tutinova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20230301","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["house-arrest","work-restrictions","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers conduct searches in the homes of Kishta Tutinova, Tsagan Khalgaeva and Ekaterina Menkova. The latter becomes ill. FSB officers call an ambulance. Due to her poor health, the believer is not interrogated, but she is given a summons to appear before the investigator on another day.\nKishta Tutinova and Tsagan Khalgaeva are taken for interrogation. Tsagan indicates in the interrogation protocol that her words are distorted. A sample of her voice and handwriting is taken from her.\nAfter interrogation, Kishta Tutinova is taken to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20230228","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["search","interrogation","fabrications","ivs","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator for especially important cases, Captain of Justice Dmitry Menkenov initiates a criminal case against 62-year-old Kishta Tutinova for organizing the activities of an extremist organization (part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The investigation believes that Tutinova, who professes the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, at home \"conducts religious meetings and directly participates in them in the mode of online conferences, and also involves residents of the region in the activities of this organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Tutinova and Others in Elista","date":"2023-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/elista/index.html#20230216","regions":["kalmykia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, a 5-hour search took place in the house of the Ukhovs — graphic artist Aleksey and X-ray technician Liliya — after which Aleksey was detained and five days later sent 540 kilometers from home to Khabarovsk SIZO No. 1 for a forced psychiatric examination. The reason for treating a peaceful believer from Sovetskaya Gavan like this, was that the day before an FSB investigator had initiated a criminal case against Ukhov under an article for extremism. According to the investigation, he \u0026ldquo;performed actions aimed at reading prayers\u0026hellip; studying and citing texts of the Holy Scriptures\u0026hellip; and the Psalms.\u0026rdquo; While behind bars, Aleksey was illegally deprived of letters of support from relatives and friends for about 3 months. In July 2021, Aleksey was released from the detention center under a recognizance agreement, and in August the case went to court. In March 2023, the believer was sentenced to 6.5 years in a penal colony. However, in July, the court of appeal replaced the actual imprisonment with a suspended one for the same duration.","date":"2020-10-21","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html","prisoners":["ukhov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believer is kept in a double cell and feels well. It is cold in the cell because the heating is turned off. His relations with his cellmate and the staff of the pre-trial detention center are normal. Aleksey has a Bible, and he has already received more than 200 letters from fellow believers and relatives. He was especially pleased with a recent short-term date with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230524","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Ukhov is placed in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the village of Elban. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230327","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"My convictions are exclusively peaceful, so there are no victims or victims in the case,\" says Alexei Ukhov in his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230324","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 7 years in prison with deprivation of the right to engage in the activities of religious organizations for a period of 2 years, with restriction of liberty for a term of 1 year and 8 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230317","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant reads out the remaining evidence of the defense and gives his testimony to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230301","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense voices its position, using the regulations and court decisions of the ECHR, as well as comments on the position of the Russian Federation at the international level regarding the liquidation of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. The defendant cites the evidence of the defense and asks to attach these materials to the case.\nJudge Anokhina decides to satisfy the petition in part and attaches to the case the scientific opinion of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation of 2011 on the topic \"Legal assessment of the actions of citizens regarding the presence of signs of extremist activity in them\", the conclusion of a specialist based on the results of religious studies carried out by M. I. Odintsov, as well as a characteristic from Ukhov's place of work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230228","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution continues to read out written evidence, reading out the case materials, in particular, transcripts of audio recordings of conversations and lectures on biblical topics. The defendant gives the court 85 comments on the text of the case materials, read out by the prosecution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2023-01-01T09:27:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20230101","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony of the witness Rukomoynikov, who repeatedly failed to appear in court despite the decision on compulsory appearance, is read out in court. It is not possible to verify the veracity of this testimony, with which the accused categorically disagrees. Ukhov, according to him, Rukomoynikov stipulates, although he is unfamiliar with him and has never communicated. The defense asks to exclude this evidence from the case file. The Court decides to evaluate this application in its final decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221213","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a prosecution witness who states: \"I slandered an honest, good man. When the interrogation was conducted, the investigator Vyushin strained me greatly. He put pressure on me, saying that they would put me in jail, that they would take away the apartment, that the children would suffer. They even called my daughter several times and wanted her to influence me. She was also told that she would suffer, and that her grandson would suffer. According to the witness, she experienced severe stress and still has to undergo treatment. She apologizes to the defendant for her testimony against him, given under duress, which she signed without reading.\nThe state prosecutor continues to interrogate the witness, who uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation when answering.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221205","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness \"Surikov\" is interrogated via video conferencing. A petition is filed from this witness to keep secret the data about his identity, since he \"has reason to believe that his life, health, as well as the life and health of his relatives are in danger for testifying.\"\nThe witness testifies that the defendant allegedly repeatedly criticized other religions and invited him to change his faith. After clarifying the defendant's questions, it becomes clear that they could not communicate with this witness, since Ukhov was in solitary confinement during this period. After that, the witness reports that he cannot explain these facts due to the prescription of the events under discussion.\nThe defendant categorically disagrees with the testimony of the witness and asks to exclude them from the case file. The Court decides to evaluate this application in the final decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221130","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is being interrogated, who, according to the prosecution, was kept with Ukhov in the same cell of the pre-trial detention center. He says that the defendant allegedly urged him to renounce his faith, but \"due to the prescription of events\" he does not remember exactly to which religious movement Ukhov belongs. The witness also admits that he has not heard any negative statements from Ukhov regarding the state. He also confirms that he did not receive any threats from the believer, and says that the decision to classify his data is his \"personal conviction.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221129","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case materials are being examined. The defense draws attention to the fact that one of the women who testified at the beginning of the trial, even at the investigation stage, claimed pressure on her and filed a complaint with the Investigative Committee. At the request of the defense, the results of the check on its complaint are announced. The defense claims that the check was not carried out properly. The court decides to summon the witness for re-examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221128","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness for the prosecution reports that the investigator has freely presented his preliminary testimony. The protocol of the interrogation of the witness, as well as the protocol of the confrontation with the defendant, shall be announced.\nThe witness notes that some of the facts indicated in the interrogation record do not correspond to reality. He claims that he did not actually know Alexei Ukhov, did not attend religious meetings held online, and also does not know anything about the reports that the defendant allegedly collected. The witness admits that in his testimony given to the investigator, he \"got stuck and lied.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of the prosecution witness is ongoing. He reports that the interrogation protocol drawn up by the investigator contains inaccurate information: the witness did not attend religious meetings held in the format of online conferences.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221115","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the interrogation of another prosecution witness, significant contradictions are revealed. In court, he says that he attended religious meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, read their publications, but he himself is not a believer. He says he does not understand why Jehovah's Witnesses are being tried: \"When I knew them, I did not notice any extremist beliefs. The main topic of discussion has always been the Bible.\" He says that for 4 years he was never asked to make donations, nor was he forbidden to receive blood transfusions, nor was he encouraged to refuse medical intervention. The state prosecutor petitions for the announcement of the preliminary testimony of the witness, the defense protests. The court on the spot decides to announce the testimony of the witness in order to establish contradictions.\nThe witness claims that the wording voiced by the state prosecutor from his previous testimony does not belong to him. He also reports that he has never heard the defendant extol his religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221114","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the interrogation of the defendant's neighbor, it turns out that the protocol of his preliminary testimony was falsified. The witness says that he does not know Aleksey Ukhov personally, but only met him several times at the entrance of the house. I have not heard anything about religion from him and I do not know his wife. The prosecutor requests that the preliminary testimony of the witness be read out because of significant discrepancies. When interrogated by the investigator, he said that he knew Ukhov's wife, and Ukhov himself, in his opinion, was the leader of some religion. The witness claims that he did not give such testimony, and signed the interrogation protocol without checking.\nThe lawyer files a motion to recognize the examination of this witness as inadmissible evidence. Judge Victoria Anokhina postpones the decision of this petition until the verdict is passed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20221017","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexei Ukhov voices his comments on phonographic expertise - 86 examples of distortion of meaning in the verbatim transcription of audio recordings of divine services. He says: \"I draw the court's attention to the fact that the expert A. A. Fomin negligently treated his duties and made transcripts, in the text of which in most cases there is no meaning and logic, it is impossible to understand what those present are talking about, it turns out a set of meaningless words. Moreover, when music and chants are heard on the recording, the expert does not indicate the lyrics in the transcript, which does not fulfill the investigator's task \"to make a verbatim transcript of all audio recordings.\" [...] I consider these remarks important, in view of the fact that other experts who conducted sociological, political, psychological, psychological, linguistic and two religious studies used the transcripts made by the expert A. A. Fomin.\nThe defendant's chief is being questioned. He says that for 15 years Ukhov has not received a single comment, characterizes him as a responsible person who never failed and always did his job on time. The witness also says that the defendant did not discuss religious issues at work. He has never called for violence, undermining the constitutional order, or racial, national or religious discrimination.\nThe court session is held in the presence of 15 listeners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220923","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In court, videos containing biblical principles that help in raising children are played. The defendant points to the dates of creation of the files: 2015-2016. He says that these videos are not related to the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-09-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220913","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, a video recording of the worship service on the theme \"May your family be happy\" is played. After watching it, Alexei Ukhov explains that the content of this service refutes the accusation of breaking family ties against Jehovah's Witnesses. He also draws attention to the lack of communication with legal entities and signs of extremism. The lawyer is perplexed: \"What do these records have to do with the prosecution? What is extremism?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220831","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to familiarize itself with the materials of the case, listens to audio recordings of divine services, during which believers discussed how to show Christian love, overcome evil with good, show gratitude, forgive, show compassion and mercy, and so on.\nThe defendant notes that the transcription of these audio recordings contains many errors that deprive the text of meaning. In his opinion, it is obvious that neither the investigator nor the expert who worked on the recordings listened to them, and the transcript was done using special software. Ukhov also draws the court's attention to the fact that there are no extremist statements in the recordings listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220601","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court gets acquainted with the material evidence: it examines the contents of the seized phones and USB drives. The defendant draws the court's attention to the fact that the files contained on the devices are dated either earlier or later than the alleged charge. It also notes that the detected files and publications are not on the list of extremist materials.\nIn court, part of the video recording of the worship service of Jehovah's Witnesses and audio recordings made during the operational-search activities are played. The defendant comments on the recordings and says that they contain a discussion of issues related to the worship of God by fellow believers. They have nothing to do with the statutory activities of a legal entity, but relate to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSome media seized from other people are also viewed. The defendant draws attention to the fact that they have nothing to do with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220524","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the materials of the case. The prosecutor reads out the contents of the seized religious literature on respect for parents and the role of Jesus Christ, as well as the texts of some documents: \"Objection to the Election of the Guard\", \"Appeal against the Election of the Guard\", \"Appeal against the Extension of the Detention\", \"Appeal against the Verdict\", \"Defendant's Notes\", \"Bible Principles for Self-Defense\" and \"Legal Advice\". The lawyer, addressing the court, notes that the investigator gives his explanations to the case materials, although he does not have the right to do so. He also states: \"It is very strange that the prosecutor accuses my client of legal literacy.\"\nThe defendant draws the court's attention to the fact that the accounting documents that the prosecution considers to be evidence of his guilt are dated 2014-2015, and they do not mention the activities of the LRO, that is, they have nothing to do with the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220504","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the prosecutor reads out 3 articles from the publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, including \"The Resurrection is a Testimony to God's Love, Wisdom, and Patience.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220322","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is considering paper evidence, including several letters of thanks to Jehovah's Witnesses for 2011, including from the head of the administration of the city of Sovetskaya Gavan. These letters were handed over to believers for their active participation in maintaining the cleanliness of the city.\nNone of the documents seized from Alexei Ukhov is included in the list of prohibited materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20220208","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three prosecution witnesses do not appear in the courtroom. The judge rejects the prosecutor's request for the disclosure of their testimony, so the court moves on to other materials of the case, including psychological, psychiatric and religious forensic examinations.\nThe lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the experts did not name specific \"extremist\" actions of the defendant. One of the experts also came to the conclusion that there were no signs of recruitment and involvement in the activities of Alexei Ukhov in the actions of the organization.\nSociological and political forensic examination was conducted by Y. V. Berezutsky and V. I. Kupriyanova, who saw signs of recruitment in the actions of the defendant. However, the two experts differ in their conclusions about which actions were extremist and which were not, so the lawyer states that their opinion cannot be taken into account. According to the defendant, the experts exceeded their authority by touching, in addition to the target, those issues that are beyond their competence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20211124","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the three sessions, another witness is being examined. His testimony differs from the testimony given by him during the preliminary investigation. He often gets confused in the dating of events and admits that instead of facts he voices his own assumptions, uses information taken by him from the Internet. In response to the prosecutor's questions, the witness repeatedly asks him to recall the answers he gave to the investigator.\nThe witness admits that no one required him to attend the services of Jehovah's Witnesses, he did so on his own initiative. He also reports that donations at meetings of believers are voluntary, no one forces them to make them.\nThe witness admits that he did not hear from Ukhov calls for the overthrow of state power, a change in the constitutional order, persecution of citizens on the basis of race, nationality, language or attitude to religion.\nAnother witness, a woman, says that during the preliminary interrogation the investigator shouted at her and exerted other psychological pressure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210927","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. In response to the prosecutor's questions about Ukhov, the witness uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. In this regard, the prosecutor declares his intention to come up with a private ruling to the investigating authority for criminal prosecution for refusing to testify to the court. The appointed lawyer notes the fact of pressure on the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210924","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Soviet-Havana City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory, consideration of the criminal case against Alexei Ukhov begins.\nThe judge does not satisfy the defendant's request for independent defense and appoints him a lawyer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210906","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Alexei Ukhov is submitted to the Soviet-Havana City Court of the Khabarovsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210802","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey was released on his own recognizance. He leaves pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur after 8,5 months of imprisonment. The preliminary investigation of his case has been completed, and on July 10, the stage of familiarization of the accused with the case materials begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-07-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210709","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Khabarovsk Regional Court satisfies the appeal of Alexei Ukhov and cancels the injunction against receiving correspondence in the pre-trial detention center. The appellate court acknowledges that the investigator had no legal grounds to ask the court to seize the letters for Aleksey.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2021-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20210126","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Alexei Ukhov is forbidden to receive and send correspondence in the pre-trial detention center. Presumably, this illegal decision was made by the court. It contradicts the law \"On the detention of suspects and accused\", according to which they \"are allowed to correspond with relatives and other persons without limiting the number of telegrams and letters received and sent.\" Earlier, a similar ban was imposed in the case of Yegor Baranov and Valery Moskalenko, who were in pre-trial detention, who spent 396 days in pre-trial detention center-1 in the Khabarovsk Territory. The defense believes that this is a way to influence the arrested in order to force them to give the testimony necessary for the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-12-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201221","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kirovsky District Court of Khabarovsk seizes postal correspondence that arrives at the pre-trial detention center for Alexei Ukhov. In this regard, the administration of the detention center does not send the believer dozens of letters of support from relatives and fellow believers from all over the country. The reason for the ban was the petition of the senior investigator for especially important cases of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory, Y. A. Nelyubin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201117","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ukhov is transferred to Detention Center No. 2 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Pionerskaya St., 23, building 2). This is 400 kilometers from pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Khabarovsk, where he stayed earlier. The investigator believes that Alexei will be at this address for the entire duration of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201116","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Ukhov was transferred to Khabarovsk pre-trial detention center No. 1 (6 Znamenshchikova Street), located 540 km from the believer's place of residence. There, Aleksey will undergo a compulsory psychiatric examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201027","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vanino District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Aleksey Ukhov in the form of detention for 2 months. The meeting is being held behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201023","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To search the home of Alexei Ukhov, FSB officers arrive from Komsomolsk-on-Amur, located more than 500 km from the place of residence of the believer. Among them are the detective of the FSB of the Khabarovsk Territory V.A. Shkurko, specialist D.A. Avilov.\nThe search of the Ukhov spouses lasts 5 hours, electronic devices, flash drives, SIM cards, bank cards, personal records and printed publications are seized from them - a total of 117 items. Witnesses actively participate in the search: they offer and submit things to the operatives for seizure, they hold a video camera of FSB officers.\nAfter the search, Aleksey Ukhov was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility in the neighboring village of Vanino.\nA search is also taking place at the home of one of the local believers. At about 2:00 p.m., 8 law enforcement officers burst in, one of whom is wearing a mask and holding a machine gun. They confiscate the Bible and electronic devices, as well as a TV and modem. According to the woman, the authorities plant and immediately \"find\" a videotape and a printed publication in the apartment. During the search, the believer is interrogated about her religious beliefs and fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201022","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","ivs","plant"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator for Particularly Important Cases of the FSB of Russia in the Khabarovsk Territory Y. A. Nelyubin initiates criminal case No. 12007080001000073 against 40-year-old Alexei Ukhov under Part 1 of Article 282.2. According to the investigation, he \"performed actions aimed at reading prayers ... studying and quoting the texts of the Holy Scriptures ... and psalm songs.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201021","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another local believer is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201019","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presumably a police officer comes to one of the residents of the city of Sovetskaya Gavan. He tries to get her to talk about how local Jehovah's Witnesses meet to discuss the Bible and preach. Later, the woman is interrogated at the police station.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ukhov in Sovetskaya Gavan","date":"2020-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sovetskaya_gavan/index.html#20201016","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2023, 5 years after mass searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Dzhankoy (Crimea), law enforcement officers invaded the house of Viktor Ursu, whose father was exiled to Siberia for his faith in the late 1940s. Now Viktor has been detained for allegedly refusing to show his passport. He was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization because of his faith. He spent 12 days in the temporary detention facility, after which the court placed the believer under house arrest for almost a year. In August 2024, the preventive measure against the believer was changed to a recognizance agreement, and in September the case was sent to court. On September 8, 2025, Viktor Ursu was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to leadership and participation in the work of public organizations for a period of 5 years with restriction of freedom for 1 year.","date":"2023-08-07","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html","prisoners":["ursu"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu is held in penal colony No. 8 for the Astrakhan Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-06-15T16:09:11+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20260615","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea approves the sentence of Viktor Urs — 6 years in a penal colony. The punishment comes into force.\nIn its complaint, the defense draws the court's attention to the unlawful identification of religious practice with the activities of a legal entity and emphasizes that the testimony of prosecution witnesses does not confirm the accusation of extremism. The verdict, as the lawyer points out, is based on an expert opinion that does not comply with the norms of the law.\nAddressing the appellate panel, the convict notes: \"This is what I have been learning for decades of my life — to show truth and mercy and to acquire knowledge about God and Christ. For decades I have been doing this without LRO. Because of his existence, it was possible to do this in a more comfortable environment, at the Kingdom Hall, but the LRO did not determine my faith or the faith of others.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20260312","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor Ursu is supported by reading the Bible in the Synodal translation, which he was given to replace the one he had withdrawn. He also receives letters regularly; He especially likes shipments with photographs - thanks to them, he can \"travel\" to different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20260303","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The convict participates in the hearing via video-conferencing, although the pre-trial detention center is located almost across the street from the courthouse. About 30 people come to support Ursa, more than 20 are allowed into the hall. His wife and parents are also present - his father is 86 years old, his mother is 82 years old. Bailiffs help an elderly woman on crutches to climb to the second floor. The harsh sentence of the court deprived Viktor's parents of the necessary care of their son.\nThe prosecution declares that the verdict against Sergey Filatov is demanded as important for this case. The defense objected, but the court granted the motion, in connection with which the court session was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20260219","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 10 days of quarantine, Viktor Ursu is placed in a double cell. The believer has normal relations with prisoners and pre-trial detention center staff.\nViktor is feeling well. Daily walks help him in this, during which he enjoys the fresh air and sun, admires the sky. The man is worried about his mother's health and regrets that he did not have time to hug her after the verdict was announced.\nThe Bible was seized from the believer for checking. He wrote an application to visit the library. Ursu is supported by letters. His cellmate, a military major, was surprised that Viktor began to receive letters the very next day after the verdict, on September 9, when the prisoner himself had not yet been taken to the pre-trial detention center.\nViktor had two short-term meetings with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20251001","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu was transferred to the Simferopol pretrial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20250910","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu gives his final statement in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20250903","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 7 years in prison for Viktor Ursu, basing the charges on the testimony of witnesses. At the same time, the defense draws attention to the fact that these people \"did not confirm that the defendant had ever made statements against the state authorities or members of other religions about using violence against them, the need for genocide or repression.\"\nThe defense reminds the court of the mass repressions against Jehovah's Witnesses in the USSR, when just for their faith \"thousands of people were deported without trial or investigation to various regions of Siberia, where in exile the defendant was born.\" The lawyer asks: \"Is history repeating itself, which we should already have learned lessons from?\"\nThen Viktor Ursu makes a statement. He emphasizes that there was no motive of hatred or enmity in his actions: \"Throughout my life I have striven and strive to build and unite, and not to incite enmity or destroy.\"\nThere are 20 people in the courtroom, as the judge allows the session to be held in a spacious courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20250728","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Ursu highlighted that mentioning God's name does not mean belonging to a liquidated legal entity. He gives the example of a town park: \"If complaints arose about the state of the park and it was closed for reconstruction, would anyone think of blaming people who go somewhere else to rest?\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20250604","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor Ursu expresses his opinion on the accusation. He states: \"I am not a criminal and not an extremist. For more than 50 years I have been living in the city of Dzhankoy, for 40 years I have been working as a milling machine operator at one enterprise - Dzhankoy wagon depot. At the place of residence and work, I am characterized positively. I take care of my elderly parents... Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia is not a crime.\" The defendant's parents, his wife and an elderly relative are present in the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-11-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20241106","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The preliminary hearing is being held behind closed doors. Friends and relatives of Victor Ursu are waiting outside the courthouse. Among them are his elderly mother, who walks on crutches, and his 85-year-old father.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20241030","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is being submitted to the Dzhankoysky District Court of the Republic of Crimea. It will be considered by Judge Elena Nikolayeva, who in the summer of 2023 sentenced Viktor Urs to administrative arrest for 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20240930","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The deputy head of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for Dzhankoy, D. P. Cherniy, decides to choose a preventive measure for Victor Ursu in the form of a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20240827","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The term of house arrest of Victor Ursu is coming to an end. The tracking bracelet is removed from it.\nThe prosecutor's office returns the believer's case to the Investigative Committee. According to the investigator, Ursu's case will be conducted by the deputy head of the Investigation Department in Cankoy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2024-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20240731","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest","ankle-tag"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Victor Ursu, the house of Mikhail and Lyubov Gozhan is searched again, then Mikhail is interrogated. For the first time, security forces came to them as part of the criminal case against Sergei Filatov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20230816","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Dzhankoysky District Court Oksana Sinitsyna sends Viktor Ursa under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20230809","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor Ursu is released from the temporary detention facility, he is again detained and taken for interrogation to the local branch of the Investigative Committee. There, investigator A. V. Gerasimov reports that a criminal case has been opened against him under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of an extremist organization).\nUrs is charged. According to the ruling, the believer's guilt is that he and \"other unidentified persons ... called propaganda meetings ... to discuss the texts and religious provisions of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nAfter the interrogation, Viktor is again taken to the temporary detention facility.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20230807","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation","new-case","282.2-1","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 a.m., at least 11 security officers come to the house of the Ursu family in Dzhankoy. At least four of them are armed. No one presents their official IDs. For some time, the spouses are not allowed to get dressed.\nLaw enforcement officers begin an inspection of the entire household, including the attic, basement and garage. Electronic devices, the Bible, and religious literature were confiscated from family members.\nIn response to a request to show his passport, Victor Ursu asks the senior officer to show his service ID, which is refused. The law enforcement officer draws up an act of administrative offense against Viktor, regarding the request of the believer as disobedience to the order of a police officer. Judge Yelena Nikolayeva sends the believer to a temporary detention facility for 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-07-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20230728","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["inspection","administrative-detention","ivs","search","elderly","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Kiev District Court of Simferopol Denis Didenko authorizes the conduct of the ORM at Victor Ursu.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ursu in Dzhankoy","date":"2023-07-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/dzhankoy2/index.html#20230727","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["inspection"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Yuriy Usanov. The next day, his house was searched, and then he was placed in a pretrial detention center in the city of Anzhero-Sudzhensk. In August of the same year, Maksim Morozov was detained in Tolyatti. He was later taken to the same detention center. According to the investigation, the believers “organized the activity of a banned religious organization by means of the computer program  \u0026ldquo;Zoom\u0026rdquo; by convening and holding meetings of its members and conducting discussions.” In September 2021, Yuriy Usanov registered his marriage to his fiancee Irina right in the detention center. The case went to court in March 2022. For each hearing the believers were taken in a police van 70 kilometers one way. In August 2023, the charge was changed to the article for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. Soon the judge announced the verdict: 3 years in a penal colony, which she considered served and released the believers.","date":"2021-04-01","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html","prisoners":["morozov","usanov"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","type":"cases"},{"body":"The defendants make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230815","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests 5 years and 2 months in prison and 7 months of additional restrictions for Usanov and Morozov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230814","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Usanov and Maxim Morozov testify. The defense notes that the judge treats the defendants with respect - he listens to them carefully and does not interrupt during speeches.\nThe state prosecutor reads out the decision on the requalification of the charges. He states that the court did not find evidence of actions of an \"organizational nature\". Now believers are accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\nAt the next hearing, the defense will present its attitude to the new charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230801","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court refuses the defense to conduct a forensic comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination, as it does not see the need for this.\nEarlier, the defense petitioned for the exclusion of evidence - religious examinations and the testimony of expert Vadim Shiller, which was also denied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230731","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Usanov and Maxim Morozov read out their written notes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230723","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Counsel requests that the testimony of the two witnesses mentioned earlier be excluded from the case file. It turns out that one of them, due to her illnesses, had a confused consciousness and could not express her thoughts as they were recorded in the interrogation protocol. In addition, due to poor eyesight, she could not read, while investigator Zakharova stated during one of the previous interrogations that she had not noticed any difficulties in reading the protocol in this witness.\nThe court grants the defense motion and excludes the testimony of these two witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230717","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zakharova is being re-interrogated. The defense is trying to understand why the testimonies of two women of different ages and education are similar, up to spelling errors. The investigator claims that when compiling the interrogation protocols, she did not write down verbatim the testimonies of witnesses, but conveyed in her own words the meaning of what they said.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-07-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230703","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the appeal hearing, the believers testify as a measure of restraint.\nYuriy Usanov says: \"I have been illegally detained for more than two years, not for any evil or crime, but for my faith in God.\" Maksim Morozov adds: \"I am kept in a pre-trial detention center for extremism, and as proof of my involvement, they provide videos of meetings where they discuss the Bible and pray to God.\"\nThe court does not satisfy the appeal of the believers and leaves them in custody.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230609","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness who does not share the religious views of Morozov and Usanov is being questioned. The woman informs the court that she does not know the defendants personally. She also says that in 2021 her house was searched, electronic devices and the Bible, which she found on a bench, were taken from her. After that, she was taken for interrogation. She later learned that the investigator had added something to her testimony that she had not said, namely, that Jehovah's Witnesses express their superiority over others. The woman herself speaks positively of Jehovah's Witnesses, calling them kind, humble, and patient with others. She talked to them more than once on the street, she never heard calls for violence from them.\nThe preventive measure for Yuriy Usanov and Maksim Morozov is extended until September 18, 2023. Believers remain in detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230515","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A former employee of the Taiga city administration is being interrogated as a witness. At first, the woman says that she has never personally met Jehovah's Witnesses, has not received literature from them, and does not know the defendants. After the record of her preliminary interrogation was read, the witness claims that the believers gave her literature, but does not explain what kind of literature and how she understood it to be the literature of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThen begins the interrogation of investigator Zakharova, who tells how she interrogated two female witnesses. When asked by the defense how it happened that their testimony was identical word for word, she replies that this is possible, since she \"translated them into legal language.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230424","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Believers Yuriy Usanov and Maksim Morozov are brought to the courthouse from the Anzhero-Sudzhensk pre-trial detention center, where they are being held. Since there is no pre-trial detention center in the city of Taiga, where the trial is taking place, the road there takes 1.5 hours one way - about 70 km. Since one of the lawyers is on sick leave, the court hearing is postponed to January 23 and 24, 11:00.\nYuriy says that some guards treat them very well and often say that they sincerely do not understand why believers are being judged. In the meeting room, Usanov and Morozov are greeted by about 15 fellow believers, including Yuri's wife. The support of friends is very encouraging for the defendants.\nEven while in jail, believers take advantage of the opportunity to do good. So, Yuri Usanov helped one of his cellmates get rid of obsessive thoughts about suicide, and he, in turn, helped another prisoner with a similar problem.\nMaksim Morozov's cellmate asked him how to get forgiveness from God. Maxim explained to him that he could tell God about his feelings in prayer. The cellmate did just that and even shared the words of his prayer with other prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2023-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20230109","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kemerovo Regional Court will leave believers in pre-trial detention until March 18, 2023. This is the third extension of detention after the case has been submitted to the court. Morozov has been held in custody for 1 year and 5 months, and Usanov for 1 year and 9 months.\nAccording to the defendants, they are perfectly fine, emotionally and physically feeling well.\nThe next hearings in the Taiga City Court are scheduled for January 9 and 10, 2023. It is planned to interrogate prosecution witnesses, including the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the Kemerovo Region, Yulia Anulieva, as well as the interrogation of expert Vadim Shiller.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20221229","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A preliminary hearing is underway. The first court hearing is scheduled for April 8.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20220401","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is submitted to the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region. It will be considered by judge Tatyana Kovaleva.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20220318","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings are held to decide on the extension of the measure of restraint. The court decides to keep Morozov and Usanov in custody. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2022-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20220223","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Usanov registers his marriage with his bride Irina right in the pre-trial detention center. On the day of the wedding, friends and relatives came to the building of the pre-trial detention center with flowers, balloons and in elegant clothes. Irina was also dressed as a bride. Only she, as well as her parents and a registry office employee, were allowed to go inside. After the marriage, the spouses were not allowed to stay together. Photography was also forbidden. Now Yuriy remains in the pre-trial detention center, and Irina is at home and is looking for a meeting with her husband in her new status.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210909","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy is visited by a lawyer in the detention center. He notes that, on the whole, the believer feels well. He was transferred to solitary confinement so that he can read the Bible and meditate in peace. According to Yuriy, for him these are \"the best conditions for all the time spent in the pre-trial detention center.\" He said that he was grateful to everyone who wrote him letters of support - as of September 3, there were already 1179 of them from 29 countries, but due to emotional burnout, he could not answer most of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210906","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Morozov's lawyer reports that the believer has been transferred from the Tolyatti pre-trial detention center to the Kemerovo region, where he is due to arrive at the end of September.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210901","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court extends Yuriy Usanov's detention until October 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210819","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Morozov is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nOksana Zakharova, an investigator for especially important cases of the Taiga Investigation Department, who arrived from Kuzbass, petitions the Central District Court of Tolyatti to detain Maxim Morozov.\nJudge Anastasia Fedorova grants the investigator's request and sends the believer to jail until September 1, 2021.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210807","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Morozov is detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210806","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is being initiated against 37-year-old Maxim Morozov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of a religious association). The cases of Usanov and Morozov are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-08-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210804","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Yuriy Usanov in the pre-trial detention center. He is kept in a 3-bed cell with prisoners who constantly smoke and use foul language. Nevertheless, Yuriy had good relations with his cellmates, as well as with the staff of the pre-trial detention center.\nIt is not easy for a believer to be separated from his bride, with whom they have a wedding scheduled for July 17. \"I would like to see her at least for a while,\" he complains. The head of the pre-trial detention center has not yet given permission for the wedding. Visits are also prohibited, with reference to the fact that Irina is being held in the case as a witness.\nIn the pre-trial detention center, Yuriy's chronic inflammation of the hearing organs worsened, which is aggravated by the fact that the window in the cell does not close tightly. Requests for medical help were initially ignored, and only after repeated appeals was he given medicine.\nNevertheless, the emotional state of the believer is good thanks to reading the Bible and letters from friends from different countries.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210524","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Usanov was returned from Kemerovo to the pre-trial detention center-4 of Anzhero-Sudzhensk, where he will stay until May 30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210422","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Yulia Dudina and FSB officers search the home of 58-year-old Yuri Belkov, where he lives with his wife and daughter. After a 3-hour search, the believer is taken for interrogation and then released.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210419","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Usanov is being transported to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Kemerovo, 100 kilometers from Anzhero-Sudzhensk, for psychological and psychiatric examination. It is not yet known exactly how long he will stay there.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210414","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Yuri Usanov, the judge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region, T. V. Tsyganova, issues a search warrant in the house and garage of a local resident, Yuri Belkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210413","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From 6:00 in the morning, a search has been conducted in the home of Yuri Usanov, it lasts about three hours. The believer was detained.\nInvestigator Yulia Dudina charges Yuri with committing a \"crime\".\nJudge of the Taiga City Court of the Kemerovo Region Fyodor Timofeev chooses a measure of restraint for Yuri Usanov in the form of arrest until May 30, 2021. The believer was sent to SIZO-4 in Anzhero-Sudzhensk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210402","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Dudina, Deputy Head of the Investigation Department for the city of Taiga of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against 29-year-old Yuriy Usanov.\nAccording to the investigation, in the period from May 2019 to April 2021, he, together with other believers, including Maxim Morozov, \"through the Zoom computer program, organized the activities of the banned religious organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia' in the city of Taiga, Kemerovo Region, by convening and holding meetings of its members, holding conversations.\"\nThe investigator issues a search warrant in the apartment of Yuriy, as well as 2 other local residents.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Usanov and Morozov in Tayga","date":"2021-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tayga/index.html#20210401","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","search","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In February 2022, more than 30 searches took place in the Kuban. Five believers from the village of Vyselki — Vitaliy Ushakov, Yevgeny Bochko, Valery Vechkaev, pensioner Vladimir Kolesnikov and disabled person of group I Alexei Shubnikov, confined to a wheelchair from his youth — became defendants in a criminal case. The Investigative Committee accused the believers of organizing the activities of an extremist community. In reality, the believers participated in peaceful worship services that were not prohibited by law. Ushakov was placed in a pre-trial detention center, where he spent almost 7 months, after which he was placed under house arrest for 1 month, and then under a ban on certain actions. Bochko, Vechkayev, Kolesnikov and Shubnikov were banned from certain actions. In June 2023, the case went to the district court.","date":"2022-02-13","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html","prisoners":["bochko","kolesnikov","shubnikov","ushakov","vechkayev"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"Ushakov, Bochko, Kolesnikov, and Shubnikov make their final statements.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260528","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense for Vechaev continues the closing arguments. \"There is not a single investigative action or piece of evidence in the case that was obtained without violating the norms of the RF Code of Criminal Procedure,\" states the lawyer. The prosecution considered Vechaev the \"spiritual leader,\" but there is no evidence to support this, and in the case materials reviewed, his identity is not even established.\nAleksey Shubnikov’s lawyer alleges forgery and falsification of case materials: \"Without the knowledge of the defense, 154 pages were added, 105 pages were altered, and 18 pages were irretrievably removed.\" He sees this as evidence of an official crime and demands an investigation.\nAccording to lawyer Kolesnikov, his client, the 80-year-old believer, resided and received medical treatment in the Republic of Belarus during the period in question; later, he suffered a stroke and could not engage in any organizational activity due to his health.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260525","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Closing arguments continue. Yevgeniy Bochko's lawyer reminds the court that his client is a person with a disability and suffers from a severe autoimmune disease. In prison conditions, he will be deprived of the necessary treatment, which will inevitably lead to paralysis, blindness, and a slow death. \"Sending him to a penal colony is a cruel and inhuman decision,\" the defense states.\nUshakov's defense notes that the evidence in the case is fabricated and contains serious violations. In particular, the defendants could not have continued the activity of a legal entity, because it never existed in the Vyselkovskiy District. The believers exercised their constitutional right to practice their faith, which is not banned. The lawyer cites portions of recordings of meetings for worship, which discuss love for one's neighbor, refusal to participate in cruel games and violence, peacefulness, the effort to overcome evil with good, and respect for government authorities. \"Which of these statements did you assess at 6.5 years in prison?\" the lawyer asks the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260521","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["defense-arguments","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"the closing arguments are taking place. The prosecutor asks to assign the following sentences: Ushakov and Bochko - 6.5 years in prison, Shubnikov - 6.5 years probation, Vechkaev and Kolesnikov - 6 years suspended each.\nThe defense emphasizes that the prosecutor's statement in the debate is in fact the complete opposite of what was established in the court session. For example, if two experts in court reported that it was impossible to determine whether the signature on the examination belongs to them, then the prosecutor claims in the debate that they recognized the signatures as their own. If portrait examinations were carried out on the basis of video recording files that were either unreadable on the disks or simply did not exist on them, the prosecutor claims: \"Experts have identified the defendants on the video recordings.\" Where at meetings for worship there are motives for peace and love for one's neighbors, the prosecutor, echoing the experts, declares the presence of hostility to the outside world and a desire to avoid the \"macro-society.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260519","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws the court's attention to the fact that the files on the basis of which the portrait examinations of Shubnikov and Kolesnikov were to be carried out are damaged or are missing from the disks recognized as material evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260514","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense petitions for the examination of Vladimir Kolesnikov's passport. It is established that during the period of the events imputed to him, he was often absent from the territory of the Russian Federation.\nThe defense also asks for the exclusion of 39 discs with recordings of religious meetings from the case file due to procedural violations: the files are dated November 11, 2021, which implies that all 39 meetings for worship will be held lasting about two hours on the same day. The court rejects the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260513","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer of Vladimir Kolesnikov states that the defendant lived in Belarus for a significant part of the period for which he is incriminated. The believer moved to Vyselki in 2021, the same year he suffered a massive stroke and ended up in intensive care. The lawyer asks to request information about Kolesnikov's crossing of the border for the period from July 2017 to February 2022. The court refuses.\nDefendant Bochko asks to return the equipment seized from him, pointing out that the investigator did not find any information on it that is significant to this case. The court also refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260423","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Shubnikov, testifying, recalls the repressions of 1951 (Operation North) and the rehabilitation of Jehovah's Witnesses in the 1990s, noting the paradox: the state continues to pay benefits to victims of Soviet repression, while at the same time creating new \"prisoners of conscience.\" The believer points to gross violations of the Criminal Procedure Code by the investigation and the coincidence of conclusions in the expert opinions, which is confirmed by the expert psychologist Belan. In particular, in his written notes, he notes that according to the protocols, investigator A. A. Garmash studied files in phones and laptops, while in court it turned out that the devices were in unopened safe bags all this time.\nVladimir Kolesnikov points to a serious error in the charges: the investigation claimed that he organized the activities of the group in the Vyselkovsky district no later than July 17, 2017. However, the defendant at that time could not be in the Krasnodar Territory, since he lived in Belarus.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260416","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Defendant Vitaly Ushakov testifies and states that his beliefs and lifestyle exclude violence and hatred, does not agree with the conclusions of the experts. He characterizes the testimony of the secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor as biased: \"Pastor\" began to attend meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses much earlier than Ushakov, so the latter could not \"involve\" him in religious activities.\nYevgeniy Bochko in his testimony gives a personal example, objecting to the accusations of refusal of medical care: since the age of 17, he has been undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis and expresses his gratitude to the doctors.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260414","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is petitioning for the appointment of a second examination due to numerous violations.\nExpert psychologist Belan points out that the religious scholar Boyko borrowed its text in at least half of the questions in his part of the study. Belan calls this \"mysticism\" and \"cloning,\" while Boyko explains the coincidences of texts to punctuation marks by \"community of thought.\"\nIn addition, the expert Ryadchikova states that she \"sees for the first time\" the document submitted as part of her work, and suggests that the examination sheets could have been replaced.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20260317","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Over the course of two sessions, the court examines the material evidence. The defense draws attention to violations: not all the declared materials are there, others do not correspond to the inventory; some of the items are not marked, and the rest are not relevant to the criminal case. Among the evidence of the prosecution were also a Synodal translation of the Bible and medical documents of one of the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20251204","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor demands the motions of the defense be rejected. The judge retires to make a decision and 2 hours later announces: all 19 motions are to be rejected. Therefore, the defense asks to examine the material evidence. The judge agrees, although, in the opinion of the prosecutor, this will only delay the process.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-12-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20251202","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files 19 motions to exclude material evidence seized during the searches: phones, memory cards, routers, bank cards, laptops and computers. Lawyers and defendants argue that no information essential to the case was found on them, and the investigator himself indicated this in the protocols of the examination of such items (however, despite this, he admitted them as material evidence).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20251125","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Expert psychologist Yelena Belan is being interrogated via video conferencing. During the hearing, it turns out that many of the quotes referred to by the expert are not in the transcripts. The psychologist also disputes a number of conclusions of the religious scholar Boyko and the linguist Ryadchikova.\nBelan admits that she did not work with the original audio and video recordings, although they should be the actual subject of research. In addition, she cannot say for sure whether the signature on the expert study is hers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20251022","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of linguistic expert Elena Ryadchikova continues. She reports that she has lost a certified copy of the volume with the examination. The court refuses to conduct a procedural check, explaining that the copy does not have independent legal force.\nThe defense is faced with the reluctance of the expert to answer questions. Ryadchikova again expresses doubt that the examination really belongs to her.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20251002","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The interrogation of the linguistic expert Ryadchikova continues via video conferencing. The defense notes that some of the transcripts referred to by the expert are absent in the case, and the content of the available materials does not correspond to the conclusions of the examination. Ryadchikova explains: \"I am not sure that the transcripts in your case are those that were provided to me for examination. Maybe I worked with others.\"\nDuring the break (video conferencing continues to work), the defense records a conversation between Ryadchikova and an unknown man, in which she complains about the judge's remarks. The interlocutor promises to \"talk to the judge.\" After the break, the defense claims an attempt to influence the court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20250925","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Linguistic expert Elena Ryadchikova is being interrogated. She acknowledges that she does not have the status of a state forensic expert. During the interrogation, the specialist explains: the concept of a sect for her is \"everything that is not Orthodoxy.\"\nShe claims that she cannot establish the authenticity of her signature in a linguistic examination and proposes to conduct a handwriting examination. To the question of the defense: \"That is, you cannot look at the signature and say whether they are yours or not, but a handwriting expert who has never seen your signature before, can?\" - Ryadchikova answers in the affirmative.\nShe also cannot answer how to verify her findings. The specialist does not provide references to the objects of research, so it is impossible to establish where she takes fragments of the analyzed text from.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2025-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20250806","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Boyko, a religious scholar whose expertise has already been used in court cases against other Jehovah's Witnesses in the Krasnodar Territory, is being questioned.\nThe defense draws attention to a number of violations committed by him. In particular, Boyko selectively studied the materials provided by the investigator, while using extraneous data to compile an examination. In addition, the expert changed the quotations at his discretion.\nBoyko declares that God's name, Jehovah, is used only by Jehovah's Witnesses. However, in response to the arguments of the defense, he is forced to agree that this name is also present in a number of Orthodox translations of the Bible.\nBoyko admits that some of his conclusions about Jehovah's Witnesses are based on his own subjective opinion. The expert states that he does not consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be Christians, since they do not teach about the Trinity. To this, the defense cites quotes from prominent religious scholars Artur Artemyev and Nikolay Gordienko, who claim the opposite, and declare the incompetence of Pavel Boyko. It is noteworthy that the expert cited the works of these religious scholars in the list of scientific literature he used, but came to the opposite conclusions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-12-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20241218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of a secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor. The court rejects the defense's request for an ordinary interrogation.\nThe secret witness says that he voluntarily studied the Bible in the early 1990s and attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses. According to him, he met the defendants in the worship building during a Christian meeting.\nWhen asked by the lawyer whether he received threats of murder, violence or destruction of property from the defendants and their fellow believers, the secret witness answers in the negative. During the interrogation, he shows that he has a personal animosity towards Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240930","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness does not appear for questioning. The lawyer asks to forcibly bring him to court, since the defense knows where he is. The judge denies because, in his opinion, it could declassify the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240918","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the transcripts of meetings for worship continues. The lawyer points out that the secret witness under the pseudonym Pastor appears in the transcripts for 2021, however, according to the documents, such a pseudonym was assigned to him only in 2022. The defense considers this a sign of falsification of transcripts.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240822","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer draws attention to the violations committed during the compilation of the transcripts of the services. In particular, there is no information in the case about how the participants in the services were identified with the defendants. In the opinion of the defender, detective V. Nagernyak stated his conjectures instead of carrying out the identification procedure provided for by law.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240821","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge grants the request of the defence to include in the case file the sources referred to by the public defender during one of the hearings.\nThe lawyer notes that the religious expert Kurganov, who participated in the preparation of the examination, is a specialist in another field - theology, which means that he could not have conducted this examination.\nThe court continues to consider the results of the operational-search measures.\nCounsel draws attention to the fact that the prosecution refers to a document that does not relate to the period imputed to the defendant and uses it as evidence of the continuation of the prohibited activity. The defense also informs the court that the documents on operational and investigative activities were drawn up with violations.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240813","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to examine the written materials of the case and the results of the operational-search activities. The defense declares that these documents are not evidence of a crime and reflect the purely personal opinion of operational officers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240620","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that the investigator A.A. Garmash did not examine the disks with video recordings, but identification, which, as he notes, is unacceptable. The lawyer also lists the topics of the worship services that appear in the case: \"How can we cultivate peacefulness in a world full of anger?\", \"Treat life as a wonderful gift\", \"Be patient\". He expresses bewilderment, and asks: \"How do these topics support accusations of extremism?\"\nThe Assistant Prosecutor reads out the materials on the statutory activities of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses. The lawyer draws attention to the fact that the Supreme Court liquidated the LRO not for its statutory activities, since it fully complied with the law.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240604","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials: the protocols of the search and inspection of the defendants Shubnikov and Ushakov. The lawyers note that all the seized material evidence attached to the case file has no evidence base.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240507","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The public defender continues to read out the comments on the expert opinion on 35 pages. He notes that, according to the findings of a linguistic expert, Jehovah's Witnesses are opposed to education, but that he himself worked as a teacher in an art school and had several children of the accused Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as the daughter of a secret witness.\nIn addition, the experts themselves chose which material to examine, and not the one that the investigator provided them. Also, trying to show signs of hierarchy, the experts did not understand what role the defendants play in this association, and police major V. S. Nagernyak inserted his own speculations into the transcript, after which the experts built their conclusions on them.\nThe assistant prosecutor continues to read out the written materials of the case, including the protocols of the search and examination of material evidence of the three defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-04-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240418","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The assistant prosecutor proceeds to the consideration of the third (final) - psychological - part of the comprehensive examination. The court agrees to hear the comments of the defense.\nCommenting, the public defender draws attention to the fact that the examination was prepared in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure and not on the basis of audio and video recordings, as instructed by the investigator, but on the basis of a transcript made by law enforcement agencies. In addition, experts often used words and expressions that distorted God's name. The defender cites a number of proofs that the name of God is often used in various translations of the Bible and literary works of famous Russian writers and poets. The judge asks for these explanations to be provided in printed form.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240402","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The assistant prosecutor begins to consider written materials, in particular portrait examinations of each defendant.\nThe lawyer notes that when studying these examinations, the expert showed personal initiative and examined irrelevant material, and also used outdated methods.\nThen the prosecution proceeds to the consideration of a comprehensive psychological and linguistic religious author's examination.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240319","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file medical documents on the health of Yevgeniy Bochko, confirming a valid reason for his absence at the two previous hearings. Alexei Shubnikov's certificate on the limitation of physical activity due to his disability is also attached. He requested the adjournment of meetings due to outpatient treatment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240207","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the refusal of Yevgeniy Bochko from a lawyer by appointment, a lawyer enters the case by agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20240118","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Everyone is allowed to enter the hall, even bring extra chairs.\nThe state prosecutor reads out the charges. All the defendants deny their guilt, call the accusation far-fetched and want to speak out after examining all the evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20231114","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer of the defendant Shubnikov reads out an addendum to the petition for the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor, which lists 170 violations in fulfilling the requirements of Art. 217 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation (familiarization of the accused and his defense counsel with the materials of the criminal case). The judge invites the participants of the trial to familiarize themselves with the submitted materials. A break is announced until October 17, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-10-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20231003","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer of the defendant Shubnikov submits to the prosecutor for review a petition for the appointment of forensic handwriting and photographic examinations. The judge informs that it is too early to file this petition, since the previous motion to return the criminal case to the prosecutor has not yet been resolved.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20230920","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge proposes to interrogate the witness Shutenko at the request of the prosecution.\nThe investigator claims that the defendants familiarized themselves with the case materials twice - before the investigation and after, and the case materials were not embroidered, nothing was added or subtracted. He also claimed that he had familiarized all the defendants with the 17 volumes of the case, but they allegedly refused to sign the protocol of acquaintance.\nThe defense voices its disagreement with the testimony of the investigator and declares that it is going to file a petition for an examination of the previously photographed case materials, as well as for a handwriting examination of the familiarization protocol, which, in its opinion, was replaced.\nThe prosecutor and the judge believe that even if the case file was changed, this does not change the essence, but the lawyer argues that this deprived the defendants of the right to prepare for the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20230919","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to the courtroom to support the believers, 9 of them are allowed into the courtroom as observers.\nThe judge recalls the motion filed on June 15, 2023 by the defense. Its essence lies in the fact that replaced sheets appeared in the case materials, in connection with which it is necessary to compare the information contained in these documents with those case materials that were photographed by the defendant Shubnikov in February 2022.\nThe court begins to compare the photographs of the case materials taken earlier by the defendant with the current ones, as well as to study the protocols of familiarization with the case materials. The defense draws the attention of the judge and the state prosecutor to the discrepancy between the materials. The prosecutor proposes to summon investigator I. S. Shutenko to the court to explain this circumstance. The judge asks Shubnikov to show the original documents he photographed in February.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20230801","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing in the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory on the merits of the case of Vitaly Ushakov. Referee — Aleksandr Kalchevsky.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20230615","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court softens the measure of restraint for Vitaly Ushakov from house arrest to a ban on certain actions. However, he is still forbidden, among other things, to leave the territory of the Vyselkovsky district, visit railway stations, airports, shopping centers, cafes and restaurants, use the telephone, mail and the Internet.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20221010","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ushakov was released under house arrest from the pre-trial detention center, where he stayed for almost 7 months. From Krasnodar, he goes back to Vyselki.\nThe decision was made by the Krasnodar Regional Court in response to Ushakov's appeal to extend the period of detention. The following restrictions are imposed on the believer: he is forbidden to leave the home, communicate with the defendants in the case and fellow believers, use means of communication, receive and send postal correspondence.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220908","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory once again extends Vitaliy Ushakov's detention. The believer intends to appeal this ruling.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220810","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the case of Kolesnikov and the case of Ushakov and others are combined into one proceeding.\nVladimir Kolesnikov is chosen as a measure of restraint in the form of a ban on certain actions.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220315","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. Garmash initiates a new criminal case against a resident of the village of Vyselki. 76-year-old Vladimir Kolesnikov is suspected of organizing an extremist association (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nThe reason for initiating the case is a report based on the materials of operational-search activities provided by the department of the FSB in the Krasnodar Territory in the city of Tikhoretsk.\nAccording to the investigation, Kolesnikov, together with Ushakov, Bochko, Vechkaev and Shubnikov, carried out \"illegal\" activities: \"convening, opening and closing meetings, organizing religious speeches and services at these meetings, coordinating meetings, proposing topics for discussion, and carrying out other preaching activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220221","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vitaliy Ushakov's wife is subjected to a second search.\nThe Vyselkovsky District Court chooses a measure of restraint for Valery Vechkayev in the form of a ban on certain actions.\nHe is forbidden to leave the Vyselkovsky district, visit railway stations, shopping centers, entertainment venues, cafes and restaurants, use the Internet and telephone (except for calling emergency services and resolving judicial issues). He is also forbidden to communicate with 43 fellow believers.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ruslan Teplukhin, judge of the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, imposes restrictions on Yevgeniy Bochko and Alexei Shubnikov in the form of a ban on certain actions. Believers cannot visit a number of public places, use the Internet, communicate with other defendants in the criminal case, as well as with their fellow believers. In addition, they cannot leave the Vyselkovsky district.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220216","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Vyselkovsky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory, Alexander Kalchevsky, elects Vitaly Ushakov a measure of restraint in the form of detention for a period of 2 months, until April 11 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220215","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case, at least 31 searches are being carried out in the villages of Vyselki, Berezanskaya, Buzinovskaya, Novodonetskaya, Zhuravskaya, in the village of Gazyr, the village of Zarya, and the Beysuzhek Second farm. Another search is taking place in Novorossiysk. In total, at least 51 people are affected, including those who are not Jehovah's Witnesses. Among the victims of the actions of the security forces are three elderly women, one of whom is 75 years old, and the other two are over 80. Electronic devices, bank cards and personal records were seized from believers.\nVitaliy Ushakov and Yevgeniy Bochko are interrogated at the Korenovsk Investigative Committee. Aleksey Shubnikov is being interrogated at the Investigative Committee department in Vyselki, where he was obliged to report on his own. After the interrogations, Vitaliy is placed in a temporary detention facility, and Yevgeniy and Aleksey are allowed to go home.\nLaw enforcement officers do not find Valery Vechkayev at home, so they break down the front door and conduct a search without the presence of the owners. The security forces armed with machine guns who came home to Vechkayev's youngest daughter and mother-in-law are not allowed to enter. They spend several hours on the street, as a result of which the daughter falls ill.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Korenovsky Interdistrict Investigation Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory A. A. Garmash initiates a criminal case against 41-year-old Vitaly Ushakov, 46-year-old Yevgeniy Bochko, 48-year-old Valery Vechkaev and 39-year-old disabled person of group I Alexei Shubnikov. According to the investigation, in the period from July 31, 2020 to July 4, 2021, the believers \"took active organizational actions aimed at continuing ... Activities... organizations of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Vyselki, expressed in the convening, opening and closing of meetings, the organization of religious speeches and worship ... coordination of the course of meetings, suggestions of topics for discussion, and the implementation of other preaching activities. They are charged with Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Ushakov and Others in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki/index.html#20220211","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Ushakova from Vyselki became a defendant in a criminal case two years after the arrest of her husband, Vitaliy. The couple's house was searched twice in one week. In February 2024, the Investigative Committee charged Irina with \u0026quot;participating in religious teaching activity.\u0026quot; They placed her under a recognizance agreement. In October, the case went to court. In July 2025 Irina was given a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2024-02-15","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html","prisoners":["ushakova"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Praying and discussing the Bible with friends is a natural expression of any person's faith, guaranteed by the RF Constitution. Such actions do not pose a threat to society or individuals and therefore, cannot be considered extremism,\" Irina Ushakova said during her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20250704","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["sentence","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator requests a 2-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20250627","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It turns out that the criminal case of Irina Ushakova was received by the Vyselkovsky District Court. It is being considered by the acting president of the court, Lidia Coba.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2024-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20241016","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Dmitriy Laktionov brings Irina in as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2024-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20240711","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2","disability","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Ushakova is given a recognizance agreement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2024-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20240710","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","disability","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation V. I. Danilin initiates a criminal case against Irina Ushakova for the fact that the believer \"participated in the discussion of the content of the religious books of Jehovah's Witnesses, including the so-called 'Holy Scripture' (the Bible).\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20240215","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"47-year-old Irina Ushakova is being searched again.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20220218","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The homes of Irina and Vitaliy Ushakov are being searched. The man is detained.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Ushakova in Vyselki","date":"2022-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vyselki11/index.html#20220213","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["search","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case under an article for extremism against Valeriy Rabota from the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye. His house was searched, after which he was taken for interrogation and placed in a temporary detention facility, 2 days later he ended up in a pretrial detention center for \u0026ldquo;unwillingness to cooperate\u0026rdquo; — to incriminate himself and fellow believers. In June 2022, despite the investigator\u0026rsquo;s demand to extend Valeriy\u0026rsquo;s detention, the judge eased the preventive measure, placing the believer under house arrest. He suffered a stroke soon after. In March 2023, the case went to court, and in November, the prosecutor requested that the believer be sent to a penal colony for 6 years. A month later, the judge recused herself and the case was sent for a new trial. In July 2024, Valeriy was given a 6-year suspended sentence. In September, the court of appeal reduced the sentence to 5 years.","date":"2022-03-01","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html","prisoners":["rabota"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"An appeal hearing in the case of Valeriy Rabota is underway. The prosecutor continues to insist on a punishment for the believer in the form of 6 years in prison, considering the sentence of the first instance too lenient.\nDuring the debate, the lawyer draws attention to the violations that were committed during the proceedings by the court of first instance. Thus, the court recognized as admissible evidence the opinion of a psychologist, which was made even before the initiation of the criminal case. The lawyer explains that this specialist expressed his personal opinion and it is impossible to verify the methods used to conduct the study. In addition, the specialist gave answers to legal questions, which is not within his competence, and did not disclose the essence of the concepts to which he referred in his conclusion.\nThe lawyer also says that during the court hearings, prosecution witness Martyn did not confirm the fact that Valery Rabota, through persuasion and persuasion, persuaded him to join a banned religious organization. The defense also notes that it is not clear from the verdict where Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which guarantees freedom of religion, ends, and Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code begins.\n8 people come to the meeting to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240905","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The closing arguments begin. The prosecutor asks to impose a sentence of 6 years in prison with restriction of freedom for 1 year for Valeriy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240619","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","appeal","282.2-1.1","282.2-2","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines material evidence – books seized during the search, Bible reference books and various translations of the Bible. These publications are not included in the Federal List of Extremist Materials.\nValeriy Rabota testifies on the charge.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240425","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Court continues to consider the evidence of the defense, including ECHR decisions and expert opinions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240416","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to discs with recordings of conversations of believers on biblical and everyday topics.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240319","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the prosecutor, investigator A. I. Grishkevich, who initiated the case against Kocherova and Ovchinnikova, is interrogated.\nThe court proceeds to the evidence of the defense, including the recording of the worship service on the topic \"Why be guided by the Bible?\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240305","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of witness Sergei Gvardeev, head of the FSB department. He informs the court that he has no dislike for the defendant. He notes that he does not have a legal education and does not understand the difference between a legal entity and a religious denomination. The decision of the Supreme Court to ban the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses has not been read.\nThe last to be interrogated is Stanislav Martyn, who recorded meetings of believers on a dictaphone. When asked by the court whether he confirmed his testimony that Valery \"persuaded him to make a decision to join the banned organization of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" Martyn replied in the negative.\nAbout the believer himself, he says: \"As much as I talked with him, a good family man, he works, he did not notice any aggression in anyone's direction. I rate it positively.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240208","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness for the prosecution, a neighbor of Valery Rabota, is being interrogated. She describes him as a calm, balanced person, not seen in conflicts, and notes that Valery helped her with the housework. They did not talk about religious topics. The court reads out her affidavit, the woman does not confirm them.\nFSB officer Ogienko, who conducted the ORM, is also being interrogated. He explains that he did not personally witness any crime on the part of Valery; I have not heard any statements related to inciting enmity and hatred towards any religious group or nation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240205","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witnesses are summoned to court. One of them talks about his acquaintance with the embedded FSB agent Stanislav Martyn, who collected information about Valery Rabota. His testimony given during the preliminary investigation is announced, the witness himself does not confirm them.\nThe next to be questioned is the witness Romanov, who knows the defendant well. According to him, he did not speak negatively about other religions and they talked about the Bible for a long time - in the period from 2008 to 2012.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240130","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings in the case of Valery Rabota in the new composition of the court begin. The case is being considered by judge Maria Luzhbina.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20240118","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Angelina Sviderska reports that she is recusing herself. The case of Valeriy Rabota will be re-examined by a different composition of the court.\nThe judge explained her decision by the fact that she had previously considered a similar criminal case against Lyubov Ovchinnikova and Lyubov Kocherova. Both cases involved the same witnesses, and she had already assessed their testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20231207","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["retrial","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks to find Valeriy Rabota guilty under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and to sentence him to 6 years in a general regime colony and 1.5 years of restriction of liberty.\nThe defense asks to acquit the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20231123","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly","retrial"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense is requesting the exclusion of the evidence provided by the prosecution: the conclusion of a psychologist and the survey of a religious scholar. These documents were drawn up even before the initiation of the criminal case. The court dismisses the petition.\nValery Rabota testifies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20231025","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense examines material evidence—reference books and various translations of the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20231018","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits to the court the ECHR rulings and expert opinions confirming that Jehovah's Witnesses are not involved in extremism. The lawyer also petitions for the attachment of the decision of the ECHR of June 7, 2022, which recognized the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia as unjustified and illegal. The judge attaches the document to the case file.\nThe meeting was attended by 17 listeners who came to support the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20231010","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listening to the recording of Bible discussions at the worship service continues.\nThe prosecutor concludes the presentation of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230901","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the prosecutor's request, the court listens to recordings of conversations about the Bible with Martyn.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230821","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officer Ogienko is being questioned as a witness for the prosecution. He says that he does not know the difference between the concepts of denomination, legal entity and religious group, since he does not have a legal education. According to him, when drawing up the interrogation protocol, he copied these terms from the recommendations of higher authorities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230628","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness states that the words in the interrogation record do not correspond to her testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230529","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The witness Romanov, who has known Valery Rabota for about 20 years, is being interrogated. According to Romanov, the believer spoke to him about his beliefs several times before 2017. The witness considers Valeriy to be a man \"good, polite, hardworking.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230523","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the prosecution witnesses states that, on the instructions of the FSB, he introduced the informant Martyn to believers. According to him, he did this because of threats from an employee of the service Ogienko A.A. to his wife. The witness states that the record of the interrogation does not contain the testimony that he gave to the investigator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230522","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor begins the hearing by questioning the witness Martyn. He explains that he communicated with the defendant in 2021-2022, and then \"stopped communicating and simply disappeared.\" The court satisfies the prosecutor's request to read out the testimony of the witness, since the year 2020 was indicated in the interrogation protocol. The witness confirms his testimony given during the preliminary investigation.\nAlthough Martyn has a law degree, he does not understand the difference between a legal entity and a group of believers. He gives a positive characterization of the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230518","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Angelina Sviderskaya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2023-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20230330","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Zhigulina G. K. refuses to satisfy the petition of investigator Kozlov A.A. to extend the period of detention for Valeriy Rabota and decides to choose a measure of restraint against the believer in the form of house arrest for a period of one month, that is, until July 28, 2022 inclusive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220629","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Valery Rabota in SIZO-1 in Khabarovsk. According to the lawyer, his health and mood are generally positive, but sometimes he is worried about exacerbations of chronic diseases. Recently, Valeriy was transferred to a 4-bed cell. He had a good and respectful relationship with his cellmates. He receives parcels and parcels, he also has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220331","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator A. A. Kozlov attracts Valery Rabota as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220311","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense of Valery Rabota is filing two appeals against the court's decision to choose a measure of restraint in the form of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220309","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Khabarovsk District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory Karnaukh T.V. chooses a measure of restraint for Valery Rabota in the form of detention until 04/30/2022. Valery objects to the measure of restraint, explaining that \"the investigator said that after the search and testimony he would be released home, but after he took advantage of the provision of Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, he was informed that he would be detained because he did not want to cooperate.\" The suspect's lawyer expresses confidence that \"the very fact of choosing a measure of restraint is used by the investigator not as a measure of restraint, but as a measure of intimidation, since he refused to testify against himself and his relatives.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220305","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozlov A.A. requests a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Valery Rabota until 01.05.2022.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220304","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kozlov A. A. makes a decision to search the home of Valery Rabota. Phones, a laptop and data carriers are seized from the believer. After the search, Valeriy is interrogated and placed in a temporary detention facility in Khabarovsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220303","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. A. Kozlov, Senior Investigator of the Investigative Directorate for Komsomolsk-on-Amur of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Khabarovsk Territory, decides to initiate a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Valery Rabota.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Valeriy Rabota in Knyaze-Volkonskoye","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/knyaze-volkonskoe/index.html#20220301","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2020, security forces raided the apartments of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in the town of Teykovo. A day earlier, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for organizing the activity of an extremist organization against Vladimir Spivak, Aleksandr Vasichkin, Sergey Galyamin and Anatoliy Lyamo. All believers were placed under a recognizance agreement. A year later, the investigator charged Lyamo also for financing the activity of an extremist organization. In August 2021, charges were added to Aleksandr Vasichkin for participating in the activity of an extremist organization. The charges were based on the testimony of two secret witnesses. In January 2023, the case of the believers went to court. In February 2024, the judge sentenced the believers to large fines: Spivak — 600,000, Sergey Galyamin — 650,000, Aleksandr Vasichkin and Anatoliy Lyamo — 1,100,000 rubles each.","date":"2020-04-10","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html","prisoners":["galyamin","lyamo","spivak","vasichkin"],"regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"What threat can come from people who learn to love others on the basis of the Bible?\" Alexander Vasichkin, Anatoliy Lyamo and Vladimir Spivak speak in court with their last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-02-22T13:37:28+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240222","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Galyamin makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240220","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests punishment in the form of fines for believers: for Alexander Vasichkin and Anatoly Lyamo - 1,200,000 rubles each, for Vladimir Spivak and Sergey Galyamin - 700,000 rubles each.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240215","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","fine","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vladimir Spivak testifies. He draws the court's attention to the fact that all the witnesses called Jehovah's Witnesses respectful citizens who treat with respect the authorities and people professing another religion.\nThe defendant emphasizes that the investigation put pressure on some prosecution witnesses, which became clear during the trial.\nAccording to Lyamo, the FSB officer said in his report that in 2016 Anatoliy received an administrative punishment for distributing extremist literature, but this is not true. The court decides to check the existence of the case in the archives of the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240118","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Galyamin testifies. In his written notes, he explains that he \"is a believer and is being prosecuted solely for his peaceful religious activities.\" According to him, it follows from the testimony of witnesses that none of them, regardless of their religion, was subjected to humiliation or other illegal actions on the part of the defendants.\nThe believer draws the court's attention to the fact that the expert Belova in her examination quotes from the publication \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\", but the publication itself was not provided to her for research, which raises doubts about the reliability of her conclusions.\nThe defendant notes that he exercised his constitutional right by participating in worship services, and his meetings with fellow believers were exclusively peaceful. Moreover, \"the topics discussed were of a socially useful nature: how to show love in the family, how to be law-abiding people, how to get along with others, provide help and share thoughts about God with others.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240116","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"14 people come to support the believers. Anatoly Lyamo is being interrogated. He says that worship services in private apartments were not illegal, since they were held in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20240111","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of a witness who had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses continues. He says that these were legal, in his opinion, ordinary religious meetings of believers, not related to any legal entities.\nThe witness also explains that no one encouraged him to use the Bible in the New World Translation, but in the Synodal Translation there are many incomprehensible and outdated words for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231219","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines a witness who had previously attended worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. He speaks positively about believers, says that studying the Bible helped him overcome bad habits and improve relationships with his wife and children. He also notes that believers never encouraged him to commit unlawful acts.\nSpivak asks the witness if he personally read the interrogation protocols during the investigation before signing them. He replies that he did it inattentively, as he trusted the investigator. At the same time, he says: \"Now I understand that [religion] is not prohibited, but only a legal entity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231205","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of Anatoly Lyamo for the disclosure of the case materials containing the answer of the Volga Transport Prosecutor's Office to the question of one of the believers. It states that a citizen of the Russian Federation has the right, together with others, to read the Bible and tell other people about what he read in it. It also notes that administrative or criminal liability for such actions is not provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231128","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A defence witness is being questioned. He describes Vasichkin as a peaceful and hardworking person, a good family man. The witness says that he never heard negative statements from him about representatives of other religions and that the defendant never forced him to become Jehovah's Witness.\nFurther, the court interrogates Vasichkin's boss. She gives him a positive characterization and says that he is a responsible employee who can be relied on.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231121","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The motions of the defense are announced. Among them is a request to the court to make sure that the copy of the Bible seized from Vasichkin is not on the Federal List of Extremist Materials. Vasichkin also petitions for inclusion in the materials of the criminal case a response to Irina Yakku from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on the legality of worship services by Jehovah's Witnesses, excerpts from the appeal ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of July 17, 2017 on the prohibition of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses, excerpts from the Bible arguing the validity of joint meetings and the importance of preaching for Christians.\nThe defense petitions for the disqualification of the expert Belova due to the lack of documents confirming her right to conduct religious examinations. The court refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231114","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"8 people come to the courtroom to support the defendants.\nA video of the worship service, in which an unknown person appears, is viewed. It turns out that the expert Belova attributed the voice of this person to Sergey Galyamin and, on the basis of this record, built her conclusions about his role in the organization of this service. However, another expert who conducted a phonetic examination of the voice concludes that the voice on the recording does not belong to Galyamin. This is confirmed by the believer himself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231108","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three defence witnesses are being questioned. Two of them are employees of Vasichkin. These men, despite the fact that they profess different religions, say that they have never heard offensive words from Alexander addressed to representatives of other faiths and they have never had conflicts on religious grounds. The defendant did not persuade them to change their beliefs, he was always ready to help. Another defense witness speaks of Aleksandr as a sympathetic person.\nThe defense again submits a petition to summon expert Tatyana Belova to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231107","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Petrov is being interrogated. The defense shall file motions for the declassification of the witness and for access to justice during the examination of the classified witness. The first court rejects, the second satisfies.\nThe defense is filing a motion to summon for questioning the expert Tatyana Belova, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Personnel Management at Ivanovo State University, author of a religious forensic examination, in which she gave an extremely biased assessment of Jehovah's Witnesses. The defense points out the absence of a copy of the diploma of the relevant higher education in the specialist's opinion, the lack of qualifications for the study of world religions, as well as the relevant experience. In his conclusion, the specialist often refers to the sources indicated in the list of references, but there is no relevant information in these sources.\nDuring the interrogation of the secret witness Petrov, it turns out that he had previously voluntarily attended the services of Jehovah's Witnesses in the city of Teikov. The man did not hear calls for violence, incitement of religious hatred or overthrow of the authorities at worship services. He also says that during the period of investigative actions he did not receive any threats from the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-11-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231102","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The testimony of a witness who died in 2020 is being announced. According to them, the witness was not connected with the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses; she was familiar with Vasichkin, since he worked in her subordination. She knew nothing about the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231025","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Ivan Ivanov is being interrogated. The man says he attended Jehovah's Witnesses services for a couple of months in 2015 and never attended them again. According to him, there he was shown in the Bible the answers to questions that were vital to him. The witness relates that at the services the believers sang songs and studied the Bible; He did not hear any extremist statements. He believes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited, but it is clear that he is confusing the terms \"Kingdom Hall,\" \"congregation,\" and \"local religious organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231024","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of a witness who spoke at a previous hearing continues. The woman claims that the testimony recorded in the record of her first interrogation does not belong to her. According to her, the investigator told her the names of those who needed to be identified in the video, and gave recommendations on what to say at confrontations. The security forces also threatened her with a search of her son-in-law and the seizure of equipment necessary for his work.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231019","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates a married couple whose neighbors are Jehovah's Witnesses. According to them, neither the neighbors nor their guests have ever involved them anywhere.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231018","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness who attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses is being interrogated. She says that they are taught to respect the authorities and people of any religion. Thanks to attending services, her husband stopped abusing alcohol. About the defendants, the woman says: \"These are kind and sympathetic people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231017","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"13 people come to the courthouse to support the believers.\nThree prosecution witnesses are being questioned. One of them states that he did not say what is recorded in the protocol of his interrogation, and doubts that the signature in the protocol belongs to him.\nThe second witness, according to him, is known only with Lyamo and Spivak and had business relations with them, they did not talk about religious topics. He did not hear any calls for extremist activity from believers.\nA third witness, a woman who attended Jehovah's Witnesses services until 2015, says she knows believers only from the good side. At worship services, she never heard compulsion to donations. The witness characterizes Galyamin on the positive side and says that the believer did not recruit her anywhere, she attended services of her own free will.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231012","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Stanislav Trunichev, senior detective of the Center for Countering Extremism, is being interrogated. He says that he does not know for what activities the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses were liquidated, so he cannot say what activities the believers from Teikovo continued.\nTrunichev admits that he determined the voices of the defendants on recordings from the case materials without the use of special techniques and equipment, since he does not have special knowledge in the field of phonetic examinations. He agrees that he could have made a mistake. According to him, during the ORM there were no complaints that the defendants humiliated anyone on the basis of their religious affiliation. During the search of Vladimir Spivak's house, the witness did not find any items confirming his illegal activities.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20231011","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to 53 songs for more than three hours, which, according to the prosecutor, were heard at worship services. Material evidence is being examined, including letters and notebooks of the defendants seized during searches, as well as books by Josephus.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230927","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge suspends the proceedings, as Vladimir Spivak needs to receive medical assistance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230817","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins to consider material evidence - files seized from the defendants' computers. Photos, videos about honesty, hospitality, the importance of observing safety rules and helping those who are in trouble are viewed. In addition, audio recordings of 19 religious songs are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230725","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court decides to hold hearings behind closed doors, recordings of telephone conversations are listened to.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230713","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to listen to audio recordings of worship services and reviews computer screenshots taken during these services. The judge draws attention to the poor quality of the audio recording and asks the prosecutor to indicate in it what is really important for the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230704","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hears an audio recording of the worship service, which speaks of the importance of forgiveness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230628","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court granted the lawyer's request that the defendants be able to give short comments while watching the videos. Lyamo, Vasichkin and Spivak draw attention to the fact that the video captures actions in the implementation of Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. To this, the judge says that they are being tried not for their beliefs, but for continuing the activities of an organization liquidated by the court, and forbids them to speak out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230525","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the volumes of the case is over. The court begins to review videos of worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230524","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Hearings resume, the court continues to read out volumes of the criminal case and religious examinations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230511","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The proceedings were suspended due to the illness of the defendant Galyamin with covid.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-05-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230503","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Volumes 15 to 37 are read. There are a total of 47 volumes in the case. The prosecutor lists what was found on electronic media. The judge is interested in how the files of the songs found on the defendants' computers prove their guilt. The prosecutor replies, \"Almost all the songs mention the name of God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230328","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new prosecutor, Alexei Konstantinovich Nechaev, enters the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230314","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"23 people are present at the hearing together with the defendants.\nA transcript of the divine service is read out, at which thoughts about the peacefulness of Jehovah's Witnesses were heard. The defense asks the judge to read out a general description of the creeds of this denomination. In particular, it says that the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses instills in its members obedience to the law, loyalty to any form of secular authority.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230215","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"To support the believers, 25 people come to the courthouse. The defendants ask for more space, but the court refuses.\nAt the request of the defendants, the prosecutor reads out the indictment against Lyamo, Galyamin and Spivak, since at the last hearing he read out the charge only against Vasichkin. While reading, the prosecutor tries several times to skip fragments of the text, but the judge makes a remark to him and asks him to read out the text in its entirety.\nThe defendants express their attitude to the charges. Anatoliy Lyamo explains to the court that legal entities are not needed to worship God, and Vladimir Spivak says that he was simply exercising his right to religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230208","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge rejects the lawyers' request for time to familiarize themselves with the case materials. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230202","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Aleksandr Vasichkin and three of his co-religionists is submitted to the Teikovsky District Court of the Ivanovo Region. It is appointed to Judge Sergei Kochetkov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20230111","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator E. Skuridina initiates another criminal case against Alexander Vasichkin, this time under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20210824","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator E. M. Skuridina interrogates Anatoly Lyamo. The believer does not admit his guilt and uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The interrogation lasts 20 minutes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2021-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20210325","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator E. M. Skuridina initiates a second criminal case against Atatoly Lyamo. This time, under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he is suspected of financing extremist activities \"by collecting cash in the 'general treasury'.\" According to the investigation, these funds were \"deliberately intended to support the activities of an extremist organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2021-03-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20210316","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the period from September 2020 to March 2021, operational officers Kuznetsov S.A. and Trunichev S.S., as well as senior investigator for especially important cases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region Skuridina E.M. submit four reports on the detection of signs of a crime against the believer Anatoly Lyamo. He is suspected of financing an extremist organization, according to Part 1 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-09-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200922","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 5:35 a.m., another believer is being searched in Teikovo. The ORM is carried out by police captains S. V. Khramov and I. A. Krylov, detectives of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ivanovo region, police lieutenant colonel A. A. Kamaev, detective of the Teikovsky Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police captain V. V. Emelyanov.\nAccording to the search warrant of April 10, 2020, the ORM is carried out with the aim of \"finding and seizing tools and means used in the commission of crimes.\" As a result, the security forces seized electronic devices and books \"New Testament and Psalter\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200621","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 7:50 a.m., Alevtina Polozova's home is being searched in Gavrilov Posad. The security forces seize equipment, electronic media, photographs and notebooks.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200514","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Skuridin interrogates Vladimir Spivak and Sergey Galyamin about their religion and whether they read the Bible in the New World Translation. After interrogation, believers are taken to sign a not to leave the place. The same measure of restraint is assigned to Vasichkin and Lyamo.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200416","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["interrogation","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For interrogations, representatives of the authorities come to four more addresses of believers in Teikovo. Among them is 79-year-old Galina Nosach. Law enforcement officers ask her what translation of the Bible she uses and whether her fellow believers visit her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200415","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the city of Teikovo, a series of searches are taking place at least at four addresses: 64-year-old Vladimir Spivak, 50-year-old Alexander Vasichkin, 52-year-old Sergey Galyamin, 56-year-old Anatoly Lyamo. The security forces seize electronic devices and issue summonses for interrogation to apartment owners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200411","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["search","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A criminal case is initiated on the organization of the activities of a \"banned organization\". Four people are suspects. The eldest of them is 64 years old, and the youngest is 50 years old.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vasichkin and Others in Teykovo","date":"2020-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/teykovo/index.html#20200410","regions":["ivanovo"],"tags":["new-case","elderly","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Velikov from Solnechnogorsk first faced criminal prosecution in September 2023, when his home was searched as part of the case against Aleksandr Serebryakov. In April 2025, the law enforcement officers searched his family\u0026rsquo;s home again. The believer was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee of the city of Moscow, after which he was placed in a temporary detention facility for 2 days. Viktor was charged with financing the activity of an extremist organization. At the same time, a search was carried out in Tver at the home of Andrey Lukin’s family. Both men were placed in a pretrial detention center. In June of the same year, Lukin’s case was made into a separate proceeding. In July, the case against Velikov went to court. In December, the court sentenced the believer to 5.5 years imprisonment.","date":"2024-08-05","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html","prisoners":["velikov"],"regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","type":"cases"},{"body":"There are five other people in the cell with the believer. Prisoners are regularly taken out for walks. Velikov has normal relations with his cellmates and the administration.\nViktor receives letters of support — to date, they have already come from 270 cities. He has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2026-01-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20260108","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Velikov and Andrey Lukin are in pretrial detention center No. 3 for Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-09-04T13:57:12+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250904","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Savelovskiy District Court of Moscow. It will be considered by Judge Dmitriy Neudakhin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250630","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The wife of Viktor Velikov was able to visit him for the first time in two months. All this time, she was not given permission to visit. Viktor has health problems (high blood pressure and chronic skin disease), but it is not always easy to get medical help in a timely manner.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250615","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials for Andrey Lukin are made into separate proceedings. Now his case is being considered separately from the case of Viktor Velikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250604","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Victor is being held in a cell with three other prisoners. He is the oldest of them and is treated with respect. Cellmates smoke, but try to do it in such a way as to cause Viktor less inconvenience. The room, although not the cleanest, is warm and there is hot water. Viktor is waiting for a transfer from a quarantine cell to a regular one.\nA believer has a Bible. He receives letters of support regularly and tries to answer each one.\nDuring the transfer to the pre-trial detention center, Velikov met Andrey Lukin, who is a defendant in his case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250429","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Velikov and Andrey Lukin are in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in Moscow.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250421","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow, chaired by Judge Dmitry Makarenkov, authorizes searches of Andrey Lukin and Viktor Velikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250331","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Investigator of the Savelovsky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, Senior Lieutenant of Justice V. I. Safin, resumes the proceedings in the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2025-03-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20250325","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Proceedings in the case are suspended due to the absence of persons involved.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2024-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20241105","regions":["moscow"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Captain of Justice D. T. Mamedova, Senior Investigator of the Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Department for the Northern Administrative District of the Main Investigation Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the city of Moscow, separates the criminal case against unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the case of Aleksandr Serebryakov into a separate proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2024-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20240805","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Law enforcement officers come to Viktor Velikov's workplace, he is taken home and a 3-hour search is conducted. Law enforcers are looking for any documents and electronic media where the name Jehovah or religious terms are mentioned. After the search, Velikov was taken to the Investigative Committee of the city of Moscow, where he was interrogated. During the investigative actions, it becomes clear that they are being carried out in connection with the case against Aleksandr Serebryakov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Velikov in Moscow","date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/moscow7/index.html#20230926","regions":["moscow"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Several criminal cases were singled out from the high-profile case of the Baranovskiys , a mother and son. One of them was opened by the Abakan Investigation Department on April 20, 2020 against Aleksandr Vergunov, Matryona Spiriadi and Irina Sidorova (she died three months later). At that time, Vergunov was doing alternative civilian service at a medical center, and Spiriadi was the guardian of his disabled grandson. After more than a year of investigation, the case was submitted to the Abakan City Court of the Republic of Khakassia. It was considered by Judge Yuriy Lotsky. On April 4, 2022, the court sentenced the believers to 2.5 years of probation. The appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2020-04-20","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html","prisoners":["sidorova","spiriadi","vergunov"],"regions":["khakassia"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Khakassia approves the sentence to Alexander Vergunov and Matryona Spiriadi - 2.5 years of suspended sentence for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2022-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20220616","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court found the believers guilty and sentenced them to 2.5 years of probation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2022-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20220404","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is reviewing recordings of worship services made in 2017-2018.\nThe prosecutor asks the defendants to indicate the names of the people in the video, and also asks if they recognize the Baranovskis.\nAt the end of the screening, Aleksandr Vergunov draws the court's attention to the fact that the recordings contain only peaceful discussions of the Bible among fellow believers and have nothing to do with extremism.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2022-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20220324","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Instead of announcing the verdict to Alexander Vergunov and Matryona Spiriadi, the judge of the Abakan City Court of the Republic of Khakassia, Yuri Lotsky, makes a decision to resume the judicial investigation, which will consider material evidence - audio and video materials.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2022-03-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20220311","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Vergunov delivers his last word. Matryona Spiriadi's speech will take place at the next meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2022-02-16T16:51:32+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20220216","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to appoint Aleksandr Vergunov and Matryona Spiriadi to 5 years in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20211215","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the requests to include the views of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (GAD), as well as the Foreign Ministry's explanation that Jehovah's Witnesses are legally allowed to practice their faith jointly.\nJudge Lotsky attaches the characteristics of the defendants to the case, after which Alexander Vergunov testifies to the court.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20211201","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the prosecution witnesses states that he does not recognize Vergunov, although earlier, during the preliminary investigation, he \"identified\" him from a photograph, and his testimony formed the basis of the criminal case.\nThe court decides not to question one of the secret witnesses, since the testimony is not relevant to this criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20211022","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. Operational officer Maganakov says that he has not heard any extremist statements from Vergunov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20211019","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning 2 prosecution witnesses who cannot identify Aleksandr Vergunov. The testimonies of other witnesses who did not appear at the hearing are also announced.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20211011","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Abakan City Court of the Republic of Khakassia and appointed to Judge Yuri Lotsky.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210629","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Prosecutor of the Republic of Khakassia S. A. Firsov approves the indictment in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210615","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["indictment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"O. M. Ermakova, an investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee for the city of Abakan of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, includes Matryona Spiriadi as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization).\nThe investigation considers it a crime that the elderly woman, \"being a follower of the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses,\" attended services and discussed the Bible.\nInvestigator Yermakov prosecutes Aleksandr Vergunov as a defendant in committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282. 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an extremist organization). The believer is also charged with talking about the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210507","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three operatives, accompanied by two witnesses, from 20:30 to 22:00 conduct a search in the home of Pyotr Bozykov. Personal records, electronic devices and data carriers are seized from the believer.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210331","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior detective of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Khakassia, police major Artyom Kononov, accompanied by two operatives and two witnesses, searches the apartment of Alexander Vergunov from 20:30 to 22:00. The basis is the decision of the Abakan City Court dated March 27, 2021. During the search, a laptop and an old system unit were seized from a 23-year-old believer. Nothing forbidden is found in Alexander.\nAt the same time, three FSB officers, in the presence of two witnesses, conduct a search in the home of 67-year-old Matryona Spiriadi. They seize the woman's new tablet, personal notes and postcards.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210330","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court hearing at which the sentencing was scheduled was postponed.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2021-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20210118","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Irina Sidorova, at the age of 44, dies in hospital after two surgeries. A minor child is left without a mother.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20200717","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["died"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator O. M. Ermakova interrogates Alexei Baikalov and Irina Sidorova. The believers do not admit their guilt and say that they have never been engaged in extremist activities. Baikalov undertakes an obligation to appear.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20200522","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice O. M. Ermakova, an investigator for the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee for the city of Abakan of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, interrogates Pyotr Bozykov and Alexander Vergunov, suspected of extremism for their faith. They are obliged to appear in a timely manner when summoned by a person conducting an initial inquiry, an investigator or to a court, and in the event of a change of residence, to report it immediately.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20200519","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Khakassia, a criminal case has been initiated, in which six believers become defendants at once. This case is separated from the criminal case initiated earlier against Roman and Valentina Baranovskiy.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Vergunov and Others in Abakan","date":"2020-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/abakan2/index.html#20200420","regions":["khakassia"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2025, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnodar Territory initiated a criminal case against Viktor Vikulyev and Daniil Koval for \u0026ldquo;organizing the activities of an extremist organization.\u0026rdquo; On the same day, their houses were searched.","date":"2025-11-19","permalink":"/en/cases/armavir/index.html","prisoners":["koval","vikulyev"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vikulyev and Koval in Armavir","type":"cases"},{"body":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich became one of the first Jehovah’s Witnesses who was imprisoned for his faith. After a series of searches conducted at the homes of believers in Ufa in April 2018, Vilitkevich was placed in a pretrial detention center for 2 months. The arrest was preceded by surveillance: in the apartment where he lives with his wife, the special forces installed hidden video cameras. For friendly meetings and discussing spiritual topics with friends, Vilitkevich was charged with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The case was considered in the Leninskiy District Court of Ufa from October 2020. At the hearings, some witnesses for the prosecution did not recognize the believer, and those who know him, expressed disagreement with the prosecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The prosecutor requested the court sentence Vilitkevich to 7 years in a penal colony. On September 27, 2021, judge Oksana Ilalova gave him a 2-year suspended sentence with a 3-year probation period and restriction of freedom for 6 months. On December 16, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan upheld the verdict. In March 2026, the UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) ruled that Russia had violated the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Ufa and ordered the Russian Federation to pay compensation.","date":"2018-04-02","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html","prisoners":["vilitkevich"],"regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan leaves the decision of the lower court unchanged. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20211216","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Oksana Ilalova finds Anatoliy Vilitkevich guilty of organizing the activities of a banned organization and sentences him to 2 years probation with a probation period of 3 years and restriction of liberty for 6 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210927","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sentence","suspended"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. Prosecutor Galiya Karimova requests 7 years in a general regime colony for Anatoliy Vilitkevich. She calls holding friendly meetings and communicating on spiritual topics with friends extremist activity.\nThe defendant considers himself innocent.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-09-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210908","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness, a 31-year-old woman, is being questioned. She cannot recall her own testimony given earlier and asks the court to read it out. Also, the witness is confused in describing the circumstances and events related to the case.\nThe woman says that she never met Anatoly Vilitkevich in person, but only saw him in a photograph. To the question: \"Do you know the defendant?\" She points to his lawyer, thinking it's Anatoly. Vilitkevich is forced to clarify that the defendant is him.\nThe witness also states that she has not been to the services of believers, no one forced her to attend them, she has not heard any calls for illegal actions, and cannot even say what religion she is talking about. However, the interrogation protocols voiced during the meeting contain completely different testimonies. This raises suspicions among the lawyer that there is a fabrication of the testimony of a witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210430","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alyona Vilitkevich, Anatoly's wife, is being interrogated. She says that she has never heard from her husband statements that would humiliate the dignity of people, calls for the overthrow of state power, etc. According to her, \"on the contrary, the Bible teaches that Jehovah's Witnesses should respect state authority and love one another.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210326","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A journalist from the local branch of the Kommersant publishing house is allowed to attend the meeting.\nThe landlord who rented the apartment to the Vilitkevich family is being interrogated. He says that he has no complaints against the tenants, there have been no complaints from neighbors about them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210319","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"12 people come to the courthouse to support Anatoliy Vilitkevich, but they are not allowed to attend the hearing due to quarantine.\nProsecution witnesses are being questioned. The first to be questioned is the director of the House of Culture of the city of Ufa, where believers rented premises for worship even before the Supreme Court banned the activities of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. She notes that when she heard about the ban, she did not believe it, since the administration never had any complaints about the behavior of believers. She also states that she does not believe the accusations of any illegal actions of Jehovah's Witnesses, and calls them rumors.\nAnother prosecution witness says that he has never heard from Anatoliy Vilitkevich calls for action against the state, the Constitution, human rights, etc. He is also aware that the denomination of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited and believers have the right to practice their religion.\nProsecution witness Tereshkin states that he never met with the accused and at the hearing took Vilitkevich for a lawyer. The witness admits that although he does not like the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, he does not understand why they are being persecuted. After the prosecutor reads out the minutes of Tereshkin's testimony, the witness confirms them only partially, saying that he could not say what was recorded in them. According to him, what he said in court should be considered accurate testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210226","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Ufa begins to study the materials of the criminal case against Anatoly Vilitkevich.\nJudge Oksana Ilalova rejects the motion to terminate the proceedings.\nThe prosecutor reads excerpts from the volumes of the criminal case, a verbatim transcript of conversations recorded in the believer's apartment, and the conclusions of examinations of religious literature conducted at the request of the Investigative Committee.\nThe guilt of the defendant, according to the investigation, lies in the fact that he and his wife invited friends to dinner, chat and watch films on a biblical theme.\nFor more than an hour, the prosecutor reads out a transcript of the conversations of the Vilitkevich family, where the spouses discuss everyday issues and preparations for receiving guests. The transcript includes comments: \"Anatoly and Alena are in the adjacent room\", \"Alena is cleaning, then music sounds loudly\", \"Alena laughs\", \"Cat, when we sing songs, we need to close the door\". The state prosecutor voices remarks about the color and style of clothing of people who were in the room at the time of recording.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2021-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20210205","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa Oksana Ilalova is starting to consider the case of Anatoly Vilitkevich. The hearing is postponed because the defendant was not warned about it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2020-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20201109","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic of Bashkortostan Viktor Mikhailovich Loginov approves the indictment on charges of Anatoly Vilitkevich of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2020-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20201014","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A new criminal case with an indictment shall be sent to the Prosecutor of the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2020-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20200928","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich is charged with a new crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20200819","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich was released on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2019-02-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20190228","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sovetsky District Court of Ufa extends the house arrest of Anatoliy Vilitkevich.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2019-01-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20190129","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is accepted by investigator R.R. Baibikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180806","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Mokhovaya L.B., judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, makes a decision to extend Anatoly's house arrest until September 2, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180731","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case is transferred for investigation to the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180730","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Yakupova E.F. makes a decision to extend house arrest until August 2, 2018.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-06-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180628","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Belarus Karimova F.M. makes an appeal decision to cancel the decision of the Leninsky District Court and choose a measure of restraint for Vilitkevich in the form of house arrest until July 2, 2018. ","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-06-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180621","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, referring to a collective letter from the wives of arrested believers, asks the Prosecutor General's Office to check the legality of the criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180620","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Vilitkevich's wife Alena, together with other wives of citizens arrested for their faith, sends an open collective letter to the Head and all members of the Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. The letter begins with the words: \"An open letter to you is our cry of despair. Our dear people ... thrown behind bars on suspicion that they read the commandments of the Bible with us, with our children and friends, and prayed to God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180607","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["presidential-council"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ufa residents who have been searched file a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180514","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["international"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoliy Vilitkevich was transferred to special. block, where those arrested under grave and especially grave articles are usually kept. There are two other people in the cell with him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180420","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of Bashkortostan upholds the decision on the measure of restraint in the form of detention of Anatoly Vilitkevich.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180419","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An appeal has been filed against the court's decision to impose a preventive measure in the form of remand in custody. In addition, appeals have been filed against the searches.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180416","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Larisa Mokhova, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure for Anatoly Vilitkevich in the form of detention for 54 days. At the same time, the court did not indicate why it was impossible to choose a milder measure, and also did not check the validity of Anatoly Vilitkevich's involvement in the crime imputed to him. Anatoly Vilitkevich was sent to pre-trial detention center No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Republic of Bashkortostan.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180412","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky Interdistrict Investigation Department for the city of Ufa initiates a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Vilitkevich. Anatoliy Vilitkevich was brought to the criminal case as a defendant under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180411","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Starting from 06:30, 5 searches are carried out in Ufa, as well as 3 more searches near Ufa, in the villages of Krasny Yar and Nikolaevka. Interrogations are being conducted. Anatoliy Vilitkevich was detained. When he is taken away by the police, one of the officers tells his wife that now she will not see him for a long time, and the investigator in the case advises her to \"look for a new husband.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180410","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oksana Ilalova, judge of the Leninsky District Court of Ufa, authorizes 8 searches in her city just because citizens are seen exercising their constitutional right to freedom of religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180405","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An investigation team of 5 people is formed. The head of the group Kalimullin D.I.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180403","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky MRSO for the city of Ufa initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against unidentified persons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2018-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20180402","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigators claim that Anatoly Vilitkevich holds biblical discussions with his friends at home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2017-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20171101","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the apartment of Anatoliy Vilitkevich, secret video surveillance is installed in order to identify his secret prayers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vilitkevich in Ufa","date":"2017-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/ufa/index.html#20171001","regions":["bashkortostan"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2023, Anton Virich\u0026rsquo;s car was stopped by traffic police in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Then he learned that back in 2021 he became a defendant in a criminal case for organizing the activities of an extremist organization and he was put on the wanted list. The man was detained and subsequently moved several times to pre-trial detention centers in different cities. In October 2023, the case went to the Pozharskiy District Court of the Primorsky Territory in Luchegorsk. In April 2024, the believer was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony. The appeal reduced this period by two months. The cassation left the verdict unchanged.","date":"2022-02-11","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html","prisoners":["virich"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction (54 Svetlanskaya Street, Vladivostok). Start: 15:30.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20250408","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich performs various works in the colony: he builds plaster partitions, welds metal gym equipment, paints walls. When he was given shoes and clothes that were too large, he sewed them over. Now he helps other prisoners with this. The colony staff are interested in if there is something that the man does not know how to do. For his love of the Bible, Anton received the nickname \"saint\" in the colony.\nVirich has the opportunity to call his wife, in December she came to him for a long date. The believer receives letters of support from friends and caring people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20250109","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is in quarantine for the first week of his stay in the colony. Then, almost immediately, he is sent to a punishment cell, where he spends about 20 days. Because of this, he gets a short visit from his wife only after a month in the colony.\nAfter his release from the punishment cell, Virich received 60 letters of support. Anton does not lose heart and tries to maintain a positive attitude. He has the Bible in the Synodal translation. The barracks are warm and the food is good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20241101","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich arrives at the place of serving his sentence - IK No. 1 in the Republic of Buryatia.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20240925","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Khabarovsk Territory, where he stays for 5 days. His first date with his wife takes place there. After Khabarovsk, the believer arrives in Chita, and after Chita, in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Republic of Buryatia in Ulan-Ude.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20240909","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to appoint Virich 6.5 years in a general regime colony with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\nThe court satisfies the petitions of the defense and attaches to the criminal case a certificate from Virich's place of work and documents confirming that his elderly parents have serious illnesses.\n\"There is not a single piece of evidence that would confirm that I have committed some kind of crime,\" Anton Virich makes his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-04-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20240411","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","punishment-request","defense-arguments","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich is in the temporary detention center of Luchegorsk. Conditions of detention and food are good, he has everything he needs, including a Bible. Relations with cellmates and the administration are normal. The prisoner receives many letters from relatives and fellow believers. He remains calm and positive.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20240203","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the written materials of the case, including information on what Jehovah's Witnesses believe in, what principles they follow in everyday life, in the family, and how they relate to state power.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20240201","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses who appeared at the court session continues. They consistently enjoy the right not to testify against themselves and their loved ones.\nThe court continues to examine the materials of the case. Among them are transcripts of telephone conversations of believers and the conclusion of a linguistic examination dated April 26, 2021, regarding video recordings made at meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231215","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines five witnesses and reads out the testimonies of seven witnesses who did not appear. The prosecutor examines the written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231214","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. Anton Virich declares that he pleads not guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231108","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai and referred to Judge Vera Novogradskaya for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231027","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anton Virich is alone in a double cell of the pre-trial detention center, the food is normal. He wrote an application for a medical examination to clarify diagnoses and prescribe treatment. The administration went to meet him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231023","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Anton Virich is in pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the Primorsky Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20231019","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is sent to the temporary detention center in Luchegorsk and given the opportunity to familiarize himself with the case materials\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230920","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["ivs","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 4 in the city of Spassk-Dalny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230724","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Luchegorsk, the investigator of the investigation department for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, Lieutenant of Justice T. S. Afanasyeva, issues a decision to bring Anton Virich as an accused. He is again accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. According to the decision of the Pozharsky District Court of Primorsky Krai, the man is detained for 30 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230714","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Traffic police officers of the city of Uzhur, Krasnoyarsk Territory, detain Anton Virich. From them, he learns for the first time that he has been under recognizance not to leave for more than a year. Anton was taken to the police department in the city of Sharypov, where he was inspected and fingerprinted and detained for 48 hours.\nAfter that, the believer is taken to Krasnoyarsk, then taken by plane to Khabarovsk, and from there to the village of Luchegorsk, 5,000 kilometers from the place of detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20230711","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["ivs","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Virić's case is separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-02-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20220211","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich is wanted, but he does not know about it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-11-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20211124","regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anton Virich becomes accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization in the criminal case of Yuriy Ponomarenko and other believers from Luchegorsk. Senior Investigator of the Investigation Department for the city of Dalnerechensk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, Senior Lieutenant of Justice N. A. Sorokina, chooses a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior, but the believer is not notified of this\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Virich in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-11-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk4/index.html#20211109","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a criminal case against Valentina Vladimirova and Tatyana Galkevich, pensioners from Smolensk, for their faith. The women were accused of \u0026ldquo;participating in joint prayers to Jehovah and discussing Bible interpretations,\u0026rdquo; which the investigation interprets as participating in extremist activity. Their homes were searched, and they were taken into custody. Galkevich spent 6 months behind bars and about 9 months under house arrest. Vladimirova also spent 6 months in a pretrial detention center, and then almost 2.5 years under house arrest. In October 2020, the case went to court, but it was immediately returned to the prosecutor. A religious expert study in the case was carried out by a graduate of the Orthodox Theological Academy. After 2 months, the retrial of the case began, but in March 2022 it was returned to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office for revision. In April 2023, the case went to court again, and in February 2024, a 2-year suspended sentence was given.","date":"2019-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html","prisoners":["galkevich","vladimirova"],"regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The believers make their final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2024-02-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20240214","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The debate of the parties is taking place. Prosecutor R. G. Magomedgadzhiyeva requests 5 years probation and 4 years of restrictions for believers.\nValentina Vladimirova, speaking in the debate, draws the court's attention to the fact that \"the prosecution, believing that all Jehovah's Witnesses as a religion, as well as all publications of Jehovah's Witnesses, are banned in general,\" considered that \"the usual holding of worship ceremonies ... is nothing more than a crime of an extremist nature, that is, a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\nThe defendant also notes that the operational-search measures were carried out with violations, without the permission of the court, and the expert opinions were carried out by specialists who do not have qualified knowledge.\nThe defendant concludes: \"The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not forbid either me or Tatyana Galkevich, together with my friends or with my family, to discuss biblical issues and thus to perform worship services. And this constitutional right does not depend on the presence or absence of a legal entity or any registration. Discussion of the Bible by a group of people is not included in the list of extremist activities.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20240123","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments","punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants read out their written notes. Valentina Vladimirova explains to the court the difference between the services of Jehovah's Witnesses and the meetings of the members of the LRO.\nTatyana Galkevich: \"No law prohibits gathering — peacefully, without weapons, together with friends (fellow believers) — to read the Bible, to praise our God Jehovah in songs and prayers at home. No law regulates peaceful meetings of like-minded people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20231117","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The remaining volumes of the case materials are announced and examined.\nValentina Vladimirova reads out three motions to declare inadmissible evidence of their guilt on the basis of the testimony of 6 prosecution witnesses.\nWitnesses for the prosecution draw attention to the fact that Vladimirova and Galkevich belong to the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, although the mere fact of belonging to one religion or another cannot confirm the guilt of believers. In addition, they met during a period not imputed to the defendants.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20231025","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of Vladimirova's son. He says his mother is a hospitable and religious person.\nThe Court examines the first two volumes (out of 17) of the case file. The prosecutor draws the court's attention to the fact that the defendants participated in the discussion of biblical texts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20230905","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of detective A. A. Medvedev, who led the ORM in relation to the defendants. When asked what activities Galkevich and Vladimirova were engaged in, he answers: \"Some readings, hearings and explanations on all religious issues.\" When asked by the lawyer whether he had recorded any facts of distribution of extremist literature and recruitment of other persons, the witness answered in the negative. Medvedev says he did not know that, according to the ruling of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of April 20, 2017, the faith and worship of Jehovah's Witnesses are not prohibited. He also has no information about the involvement of women in the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses as a legal entity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20230719","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of prosecution witnesses. There are contradictions in the answers of one of them. For example, in the interrogation protocol, she names one date of acquaintance with Valentina Vladimirova, and answering the prosecutor's question, another.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-06-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20230602","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Preliminary hearing in the Industrial District Court of Smolensk. Due to the absence of specific illegal actions on the part of the defendants, the defense requests that the case be returned to the prosecutor. Valentina Vladimirova draws attention to the phonograms from the case materials, on which she participates in the discussion of the topics: \"How to take care of your heart\", \"Marriage and celibacy, which are a gift from God\". She says: \"This communication is marked in the materials of the criminal case as conversations on religious topics. And the confession of the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses does not automatically mean the continuation of the activities of the liquidated legal entities, so I did not have the intent to commit a crime.\"\nThe court does not satisfy the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20230524","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Denis Nikishov returns the case to the prosecutor of the Bryansk region for revision.\nThe measure of restraint for Valentina Vladimirova is also changed: she is released from house arrest in the courtroom and they take a written undertaking not to leave her place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20220330","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. In court, she gives contradictory testimony that is at odds with those she gave earlier. The judge warned that she would be legally responsible for the defendant's slander or false information. As a result, answering the lawyer's question, the witness admitted that she had developed a hostile attitude towards Vladimirova. \"Yes, she is a sectarian!\" the woman declared.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2021-03-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20210324","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction rejects the appeal to return the criminal case to the prosecutor for further investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2021-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20210225","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, a preliminary hearing is held for 8 hours. The defendants apply for the exclusion of inadmissible evidence, as well as for the termination of the criminal case. The defense believes that \"the preliminary investigation bodies unreasonably equated the confession of faith of Jehovah's Witnesses with extremist activity.\"\nThe prosecutor opposes the inclusion of all submitted petitions, including the mitigation of the measure of restraint for Valentina Vladimirova. The believer feels unwell, and the prosecutor asks the court to allow the accused to listen to the petitions while sitting.\nJudge Valentina Povarenkova, on the basis of inadmissible evidence, decides to return the criminal case against Valentina Vladimirova and Tatyana Galkevich to the prosecutor's office of the Bryansk region for further investigation. However, the court refuses to change Vladimirova's preventive measure from house arrest to recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20201014","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova are facing an indictment of about 400 pages. The believers are charged with the fact that they \"together with other persons unidentified during the investigation took part in the activities of a religious association, in respect of which the court adopted a final decision on its liquidation in connection with the implementation of extremist activities.\"\nAccording to investigators, a general scheme for committing crimes was developed among Jehovah's Witnesses in Smolensk. The believers \"carefully prepared and planned in detail joint actions to hold weekly religious meetings of the extremist organization,\" for which Tatyana and Valentina provided their apartments. At the same time, women \"took conspiracy measures to conceal the activities of an extremist organization.\" However, the indictment repeatedly mentions only that those present at the services sang songs together, pronouncing the name Jehovah, and also addressed him with prayers of thanksgiving.\nAccording to the conclusion of the forensic psychological, linguistic and religious examination, the main content of the materials studied is to discuss religious topics and biblical texts, prayers to God, statements about the properties of Jehovah and the attitude of the participants of the meeting to him. The examination was prepared by the Interregional Center for Information Security and Forensic Examination.\nTatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova do not admit their guilt in committing crimes under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and do not agree with the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20201002","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The religious examination was entrusted to Dmitry Shatov, a graduate of the Sergiev Posad Moscow Orthodox Theological Academy, \"a specialist in church and practical disciplines.\" He is a candidate of theology, specializing in the \"eldership of the Valaam ascetics.\" The participation of such a \"specialist\" in the case causes bewilderment among believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200901","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Smolensk Regional Court cancels the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Tatyana Galkevich. She is under recognizance not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-08-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200806","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Major of Justice O.K. Bulgakov, Deputy Head of the Investigation Department for the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Smolensk Region, petitions the court to extend Tatyana Galkevich's house arrest for another 3 months, until August 12, 2020. having evidentiary value in the case,\" he said. Bulgakov notes that his request is due to the \"particular complexity of the investigation\" of this criminal case. The petition is supported by investigator R.V. Filipchuk and prosecutor O.Y. Gavrilov.\nJudge of the Smolensk Regional Court D.V. Tkachenko extends Tatyana Galkevich's term of detention under house arrest for another 3 months until August 12, 2020.\nThe court also decides to extend the period of Vladimirova's detention under house arrest until November 12, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200506","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Major General of Justice O.A. Danynin once again extends the preliminary investigation period in the case for another 3 months (and a total of 15 months), until August 12, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200428","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused Vladimirova and Galkevich are notified of the end of the investigative actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200318","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich was officially charged in the criminal case in the final version. She is being interrogated as an accused. Tatyana pleaded not guilty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-03-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200302","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Smolensk extends the term of house arrest for believers for 3 months at once, until May 12, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200209","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal case No. 11901660013000061 is merged into one proceeding with criminal case No. 11901660013000065. The new criminal case was assigned No. 11901660013000061.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-02-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200204","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Smolensk extends the term of house arrest for believers by 1 month, until February 14, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2020-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20200110","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As a result of the stress and prolonged detention in the pre-trial detention center, Vladimirova's health is deteriorating. She is hospitalized.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20191231","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By the appeal decision of the Smolensk Regional Court, Valentina Vladimirova was released under house arrest after 191 days in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20191122","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"By an appeal decision, 60-year-old Tatyana Galkevich was released from the Smolensk pre-trial detention center under house arrest. She spent more than six months in prison. Valentina Vladimirova, who was arrested with her, remains behind bars.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20191121","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal","house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The detention of women has been extended again.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20191111","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court orders an extension of the detention for another 2 months, until November 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190910","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Leninsky District Court of Smolensk extends the detention of believers for another 2 months, until September 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-07-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190710","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Regional Court of Appeal shall uphold the decision of the lower court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190527","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Leninsky District Court of Smolensk, Lyudmila Kuzub, makes a decision on the election of a preventive measure in the form of imprisonment of Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova in custody for a period of 2 months, until July 14, 2019.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190518","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich is charged with committing a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and interrogated as an accused. A decision was also made to bring Valentina Vladimirova as a defendant in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190517","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["282.2-2","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Tatyana Galkevich and Valentina Vladimirova are placed in a pre-trial detention center by a court decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190516","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Smolensk Region initiates a criminal case for faith under Article 282.2 (2). According to the investigation, Valentina Vladimirova (born in 1956), Tatyana Galkevich (born in 1959) \"participated in joint prayers to 'Jehovah' and discussion of Bible interpretations.\" Vladimirova is also accused of \"providing the premises of her apartment for holding meetings\" of fellow believers in conditions of secrecy.\nLaw enforcement officers conduct a series of searches in the homes of other local believers. One of them, A.Zh., is taken away by the security forces directly from the hospital. During the interrogation, the investigator asks prepared questions about religion.\nValentina is detained. Her apartment is being searched, but law enforcement officers do not find evidence of the crime. The woman is interrogated for about 14 hours, at which time she becomes ill, she has to call an ambulance. During the interrogation, investigator O. K. Bulgakov focuses on the woman's religion.\nAfter interrogation, Valentina is imprisoned for 48 hours in a temporary detention facility. According to Valentina, before being transferred to the pre-trial detention center, she is subjected to psychological pressure in order to force her to confess to something she did not commit.\nThe protection of the believer is complaining about the actions of the security forces.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vladimirova and Galkevich in Smolensk","date":"2019-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/smolensk/index.html#20190514","regions":["smolensk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","search","interrogation","ivs","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2020, a criminal case was initiated against Andrey Vlasov, a disabled Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witness from Prokopyevsk. The FSB accused him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. Searches were carried out in Vlasov\u0026rsquo;s home, as well as at his workplace. Despite the fact that he cannot manage without assistance, he was placed in a temporary detention facility, and three days later he was placed under house arrest. In June 2021, the Vlasov case went to court. Although the believer\u0026rsquo;s health was deteriorating, the court would not let him visit the doctor and repeatedly extended the house arrest. The prosecutor requested 8.5 years imprisonment. In May 2022, the court sentenced Vlasov to 7 years in a penal colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom and sent to a detention center. There he fell ill, so he was sent to medical correctional institution No.16 of Novokuznetsk. In October 2022, the believer was placed in correctional institution No.3 in Novosibirsk to serve his sentence. Despite the severe health condition of Andrey Vlasov, neither the court of appeal nor the court of cassation mitigated this unprecedented verdict.","date":"2020-07-02","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html","prisoners":["vlasov"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Vlasov's state of health is satisfactory, his dental problems are being solved gradually: in August, his front teeth were treated, and for the treatment of permanent teeth, permission is needed to take the believer outside the colony.\nThere are 80 prisoners in the detachment, who are accommodated in a two-story building. Andrey is located on the first floor, in the section for 18 people. He is under administrative supervision — every week the believer is searched by the colony staff.\nRegular reading of the Bible, letters, as well as songs, the words of which he writes down in a separate notebook, helps Vlasov not to lose heart. Recently, he had a long meeting with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20250929","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The penal colony supplied Andrey Vlasov with items stipulated by his individual rehabilitation program as a disabled person: two crutches with elbow support, orthopedic shoes and trousers, a recliner chair, as well as rope supports and handrails for the bed, which, unfortunately, cannot be attached. Special handrails have been installed in the bathroom, on account of his needs. The believer was given two wheelchairs — one for outdoor use and one for indoors. It is difficult for him to use the outdoor wheelchair, since Andrey cannot go outside on it on his own. The believer is grateful to the administration for the items provided.\nThe institution has a fairly large library. Vlasov reads the Synodal translation of the Bible and fiction literature. He receives more than 50 letters of support every month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-09-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20250912","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov remains bedbound due to his chronic illness. He has problems with his blood pressure which can be controlled to some extent by medication. He also needs dental care.\nOut of respect for Andrey, the administration staff and other prisoners try not to use obscene language when talking to him. They often call him by his first name and patronymic or simply \"Valerich\". In his free time, he plays chess and solves crosswords. Recently, Andrey had an extended visit with his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-06-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20250627","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The room in which Andrei Vlasov is kept is designed for 24 people, but in fact there are 6 prisoners there. Cellmates treat the believer well and try to support him. Vlasov's disease is progressing. Since it is already difficult for him to move with two canes, he is forced to use a cane and a crutch. In the colony, acceptable conditions have been created for the man: a bed with an orthopedic mattress, clean bed linen and a warm blanket. He receives the necessary medications in a timely manner.\nCalls to his wife and visits with her help Andrey to maintain a positive attitude. Letters also support the believer, although they are issued with a delay.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20241004","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Every day in the colony is not easy for a believer: he experiences headaches, stiffness and pain in the joints, especially when it gets cold in the barracks. This makes it difficult for Vlasov to go to the canteen, and he is grateful for the help of other prisoners who help him buy groceries at a local store.\nThe administration allows Vlasov to visit doctors - for a month and a half he visited a traumatologist, a neurologist, a rheumatologist and a radiologist. Thanks to his wife and friends, from whom he regularly receives letters of support, the believer does not lose heart.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20240120","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A meeting of the Judicial Board for Criminal Cases of the Novosibirsk Regional Court on an appeal against the decision of the court of first instance. The defense files a motion for the appointment of a forensic medical examination of the defendant's state of health. In support of the petition, the lawyer drew attention to the numerous shortcomings of the conclusion of the medical commission No. 1/80 dated May 22, 2023 and the erroneousness of its conclusions. It follows from the conclusion that prisoner Vlasov does not need constant care for health reasons and can be held in correctional institutions on a general basis. However, the lawyer draws the court's attention to the fact that Andrey Vlasov has an illness that prevents him from serving his sentence in a penal colony.\nThe prosecutor asks to postpone the court hearing to familiarize himself with the defense petition. The hearing is adjourned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20230929","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Pervomaisky District Court of the city of Novosibirsk refuses to overturn the sentence of May 23, 2022 for Andrey Vlasov due to a serious illness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-08-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20230803","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov is in the same squad as Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk. Some of the prisoners remember them, and the believer did not have to explain for a long time who he was and what he was serving his sentence for.\nPhysically, Andrey feels that \"in general, everything is fine, as long as it's summer and warm.\" Cold weather usually has a negative impact on his health. Andrey tries to walk every day to get some air in a small courtyard measuring 13 by 6 meters.\nTo fight the disease and difficult conditions Vlasov helps communication with his wife Natalia - recently they had a long date. Letters also add positive emotions to him. However, at the moment, correspondence is issued with a long delay. As the believer understood, the staff did not like the fact that the letters discussed topics related to God and found references to the Bible.\nAndrey regularly reads the Bible and puts his thoughts from it into practice: he willingly shares with prisoners what his friends give him in parcels. Cellmates help Vlasov in everyday matters due to his health limitations. Andrey's relationship with the administration of the colony is also respectful.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20230718","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","health-risk","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer's health continues to deteriorate. There is atrophy of the thigh muscles, he cannot sit for a long time. The shoulder joints also lose mobility. The radiologist said that in 30 years of work, he had not seen such bones as Vlasov's.\nDespite the severity of the situation, the believer does not lose heart and is grateful for the support and help of friends.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20230427","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are now 20 people in Vlasov's detachment, the food is normal. The believer receives letters of support both from Russia and from abroad, although previously there were difficulties with the delivery of letters from his native Prokopyevsk. Andrey gratefully speaks of the help of his friends.\nVlasov's disease progresses, he experiences pain in the joints. He was diagnosed with coronary heart disease. Andrey was transferred to a new room, to the first floor, but it is difficult for him to climb the stairs there.\nThanks to the good reputation of Sergey Britvin and Vadim Levchuk , who served their sentences in this colony, the employees of the institution and the convicts treat Andrey with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20230328","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Andrey Vlasov in Penal colony No. 3 in Novosibirsk. The believer tries to maintain a positive attitude, despite fears and worries. According to the lawyer, after visiting his wife, Vlasov was in a good mood. He also continues to receive letters of support from fellow believers who strengthen and encourage him.\nSpeaking about Vlasov's health, the lawyer notes a positive trend. The doctor's advice helped him cope with his progressive disease: he now moves with the help of two canes and sleeps on an orthopedic mattress, and since he is prescribed bed rest, he can lie down during the day if he feels tired. He is still very uncomfortable walking. Andrey feels the negative effects of treatment for tuberculosis. He was not allowed to lie down in the LIU, so he had to sit a lot. Due to his lack of movement, he developed wounds that are still healing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20221212","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Andrei Vlasov is in correctional colony No. 3 of Novosibirsk, where he was taken to serve his sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-10-31T15:33:31+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20221031","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov is being moved from a medical correctional facility in Novokuznetsk. The destination is Novosibirsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20221012","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Natalya Vlasova, the wife of a group II disabled person sentenced to 7 years in prison for his faith, appealed to the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-10-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20221004","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov is transferred to medical correctional institution No. 16, located in the village of Abagur-Lesnoy (Novokuznetsk) to serve his sentence. The believer is placed there because he suffered bilateral pneumonia in a pre-trial detention center, and later he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-08-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220827","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The place of detention of Andrey Vlasov becomes known: Novokuznetsk, pre-trial detention center No. 2 in the Kemerovo region. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-06-01T14:20:43+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220601","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Pavel Kotykhov finds Andrey Vlasov guilty and sentences him to 7 years in a penal colony, the believer is sent to a pre-trial detention center directly from the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-05-23T14:59:31+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220523","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["sentence","liberty-deprivation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 30 people come to support the believer, 4 are allowed into the meeting room.\nIn the debate, the defense takes the floor.\nAndrey Vlasov is scheduled to deliver his last word and announce the verdict.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220517","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"19 people come to support Andrey Vlasov. Four are allowed into the courtroom, the rest are waiting outside the courthouse.\nThe prosecutor requests a sentence of 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-05-11T09:35:35+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220511","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense challenges the judge due to the fact that he restricts the defendant's right to defend himself, which may indicate his interest in the outcome of the process. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-04-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220406","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A believer reads an excerpt from the book by religious scholar Sergei Ivanenko \"About People Who Never Part with the Bible.\" The judge interrupts the defendant, referring to the fact that \"the book itself, not its contents\" is recognized as material evidence, and that it can only be put on display. In his opinion, the court does not need to listen to excerpts from this book.\nAndrei Vlasov declares: \"You are actually depriving me of the opportunity to defend myself.\" The lawyer supports the position of the defendant, stressing that he has the right to read this book in full.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer re-submits a petition for Andrey Vlasov to visit a doctor. The judge rejects it, stating that the chosen measure of restraint involves a ban on leaving the living quarters, and an ambulance call is provided for the provision of medical care.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-03-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220309","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge attaches medical certificates indicating serious illnesses of the defendant, but extends house arrest for another 3 months without changing the restrictions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220301","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov asks the court to allow him to visit a doctor because he needs treatment. Judge Pavel Kotykhov dismisses the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2022-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20220120","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the request of the lawyer, the court attaches to the case file an extract from Vlasov's outpatient card. The believer notes in his testimony that the stress associated with house arrest has a negative impact on his health. Nevertheless, the court once again extends the house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20211130","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At 6 o'clock in the morning, investigator Zorina issues a decision to search the 63-year-old resident of Prokopyevsk, Pavel Brilkov. At about 8:00 a.m., the senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee Kuzmina comes to his home to carry out investigative actions.\nAlso, a search is taking place at 46-year-old Yuri Chernykh, the father of a minor child. This is the second search in the Chernoy family. Previously, Brilkov and Chernykh were witnesses in the case of Andrei Vlasov. Now the investigation imputes these men to participate in the activities of a banned organization.\nInvestigator Zorin interrogates Yuri Chernykh. He uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which gives him the right not to testify against himself and his loved ones. The investigator hands over to the believer the decision to initiate criminal case No. 12102320012000120 against him. Yuriy is obliged to appear. The investigator is also questioning Pavel Brilkov and his wife. Believers also use Article 51 of the Constitution.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20211110","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","interrogation","summon","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for particularly important cases of the investigation department for the city of Prokopyevsk of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, Captain of Justice T. V. Zorina initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned organization) against unidentified persons.\nThe resolution states: \"Unidentified persons, acting deliberately, by a group of persons, in agreement with A.V. Vlasov, realizing criminal intent, being in an unidentified place on the territory of the city of Prokopyevsk,\" participated in the activities of a banned legal entity. This is how the investigation characterizes the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-11-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20211105","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Ivan Sablin is being interrogated. He is summoned because there are disagreements in the testimony of prosecution witnesses given by them during interrogations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-10-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20211027","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates the secret witness \"Reutov\". He states that he has not heard from the defendant calls for disrespect for the authorities or the severance of family relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20211020","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An FSB officer of Prokopyevsk, Karpov, is being interrogated. In his personal opinion, Jehovah's Witnesses are forbidden to gather together, but they are not forbidden to pray.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210923","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the new rules of detention under house arrest, a believer faces a number of difficulties: he cannot pick up registered letters from the court, get a referral to a doctor, etc. Andrey Vlasov asks the court to further explain to him how to observe these measures in specific situations of his real life.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210817","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. Due to poor health and memory problems, he cannot unequivocally answer many of the judge's questions.\nTwo other witnesses did not appear at the hearing. Counsel objects to the reading of the transcripts of their interrogations. The judge agrees, but instructs them to be forcibly brought to the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210816","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The protocols of interrogations of prosecution witnesses are being examined. According to the testimony of one of them, if there is a danger of detention, Jehovah's Witnesses are allegedly obliged to hide from law enforcement officers by any means.\nThe believer declares that he has no intention of hiding from justice and petitions for a change in the measure of restraint to a recognizance not to leave due to deteriorating health. At his request, the court interrogates the employee of the penitentiary inspectorate who supervises him. He gives Vlasov a positive characterization and confirms that he has never violated the regime of detention under house arrest for the whole year. Nevertheless, the measure of restraint remains unchanged.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-07-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210722","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing on the merits of the case begins. The indictment is read out. The believer does not admit guilt, but the court does not allow him to fully explain his position.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-07-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210701","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Andrey Vlasov's case is submitted to the Central District Court of the city of Prokopyevsk for consideration by Judge Pavel Kotykhov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2021-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20210609","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Deputy Head of the Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Kemerovo Region-Kuzbass M. I. Efimov petitions for the extension of Andrey Vlasov's house arrest until January 2, 2021.\nAccording to Efimov, only house arrest \"will ensure the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of the parties to the criminal process, as well as the possibility of further proceedings.\"\nThe believer's lawyer draws attention to the fact that Vlasov has a permanent place of residence, is being prosecuted for the first time, is a disabled person of group II and has no intention of hiding from the preliminary investigation and court.\nDespite this, the Central District Court of the city of Kemerovo extends Andrey Vlasov's house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-10-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20201029","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Vlasov is filing an appeal with the Central District Court of Kemerovo, asking to cancel the court decision of 14.07.2020 and release him from custody, because he believes that his constitutional right to believe in God is not a continuation of the activities of an organization banned by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.\nVlasov petitions for personal participation in the consideration of the case by the court of appeal.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20200717","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Central District Court of the city of Kemerovo Natalia Naumova chooses Vlasov as a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest at least until 02.09.2020. He cannot leave the premises except for a 2-hour walk, use the Internet, send and receive postal and telegraph messages by any means of communication, as well as communicate with participants in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20200714","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers conduct an ORM in the house of the Vlasov spouses, they confiscate electronics and Bibles. A search is also carried out at the suspect's workplace. Andrey is sent to a temporary detention facility (IVS), and his wife Natalya is interrogated in the investigator's office.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20200712","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Central District Court of Kemerovo, Irina Ivanova, at the request of investigator Sablin, issues permission to conduct searches in Prokopyevsk, including in Vlasov's home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20200706","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Department of the FSB of Russia in the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass, senior lieutenant of justice Ivan Sablin makes a decision to initiate a criminal case against 51-year-old Andrei Vlasov, who has a disability. For his faith, he is suspected of committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organizing the activities of an extremist organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vlasov in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopevsk/index.html#20200702","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2022, an investigator of the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case for extremism against Nikolay Voishchev, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses from Maykop. The investigation interpreted discussing the Bible with fellow believers via video link as extremist activity. Although seriously ill, he ended up in pretrial detention only because of his faith. The case went to court in December 2022. The case involved the testimony of two secret witnesses and an expert study that the defense considers unscientific. The believer was sentenced to 3 years in a penal colony in September 2023. On April 28, 2025, Nikolay was released. On February 8, 2026, Nikolay died because of progressive oncology.","date":"2022-10-19","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html","prisoners":["voishchev"],"regions":["adygea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","type":"cases"},{"body":"In the morning, 70-year-old Nikolay Voishchev died of a serious illness. In November last year, doctors confirmed that he had progressive cancer. Throughout this time, Irina, whom he married in the summer of 2025, was at his side.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2026-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20260208","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["died","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Voishchev receives the necessary medicines for his illness. He is retired and may not work.\nNikolay has good relations with other prisoners, he is treated with respect, including because of his venerable age. The barracks where he lives is designed for 20 people. It has freedom of movement compared to a pre-trial detention center.\nThe believer has a Bible. When he was in the pre-trial detention center, he received about 800 letters, but upon arrival at the colony, the letters have not yet arrived.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2024-05-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20240508","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Nikolai Voishchev was transferred to correctional colony No. 8 in the city of Almetyevsk. He is now in quarantine.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2024-01-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20240126","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Voishchev is in the process of being moved to a place where he will serve his sentence for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20231016","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230914","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file the opinion of a specialist in religious studies Ekaterina Elbakyan.\nThe defense submits a motion to exclude from the list of evidence the forensic psycholinguistic examination performed by Ruslan Levinsky. According to the lawyer, \"Levinsky went beyond his competence as an expert and answered purely legal questions, the resolution of which falls within the exclusive competence of the court.\" In addition, Levinsky does not have a higher professional education in the field of linguistics, which does not give him the right to perform this examination in the linguistic part. The court refuses the petition, as well as the summoning and questioning of this expert.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230831","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense presents the religious opinion of the specialist Ekaterina Elbakyan on the examination of Levinsky.\nAnalyzing the video, religious scholar Elbakyan pointed out that the purpose of the liturgical meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses is a collective confession of faith, and she found no reason to consider this service a meeting of a legal entity. The expert also found no signs of religious hatred, incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, propaganda of exclusivity, superiority of a person on the basis of his religious affiliation in Voishchev's statements.\nElbakyan concluded: \"This conclusion of the expert [Levinsky] is not based on the provisions of generally accepted scientific data in the field of religious studies, the conclusions of the expert's conclusion seem to be unfounded.\"\nThe prosecutor asks for time to familiarize himself with the conclusion of the religious scholar, so the judge postpones the issue of attaching the document to the case file to the next meeting.\nThe interrogation of the defendant Nikolai Voishchev begins. He says that the accusation is groundless and notes that there are no victims in the case and no evidence of the distribution of extremist materials by him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230824","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense submits a petition for the appointment of a forensic psycholinguistic examination and gives the following justification: \"Linguistic and psychological analysis create an objective basis for the subsequent legal assessment of the material conducted by the court.\"\nThe state prosecutor considers the petition unfounded and not related to the subject of proof in this criminal case, since, in his opinion, the information materials used at the service, including \"Holy Scripture - New World Translation\", have already been included in the list of extremist materials. He also refers to the fact that Ruslan Levinsky's psycholinguistic expertise is already present in the case.\nThe court supports the position of the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230815","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the hearing, the protocols of the local religious organization, dated from 1998 to 2010, are examined. The investigation uses them as material evidence, although these documents do not relate to the period imputed to the guilt and are not presented in the case in full.\nThe defense emphasizes that the previously viewed part of the video presents a meeting of believers, which is of a purely religious nature, and it does not discuss any issues related to the activities of the liquidated legal entity. For example, the recording shows how believers watch the videos \"Why don't ants stand in traffic jams?\" and \"Flight of the bumblebee\" and discuss what can be learned from nature and its Creator.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230720","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court continues to watch the video of the worship service, which talks about how to improve reading skills. On the recording, believers read passages from the Bible and discuss what they can learn from biblical characters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-07-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230705","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court proceeds to the examination of material evidence. The video recording of the service begins.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230623","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Dmitry Dmitrienko is being interrogated. His testimony contradicts what he gave at the investigation stage - for example, he says that he was interrogated once, and the case file mentions two meetings with the investigator on different dates.\n\"Dmitrienko\" describes the defendant as a well-read and modest person who adheres to deep religious convictions. According to the witness, \"there was nothing aggressive [on the part of Voishchev],\" but the witness refuses to declassify himself, stating that \"it threatens his life and health.\"\nThe witness finds it difficult to answer some of the questions of Nikolai Voishchev and his lawyer or complains about the poor quality of communication.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230524","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness under the pseudonym Andrey Kozyrev is being interrogated. According to him, he has known Jehovah's Witnesses for a long time - in 2014 he became an adherent of this religion, and at the beginning of 2020 he stopped attending services.\nThe witness describes Voishchev as a calm and shy person. When asked whether there were cases when the defendant showed any aggression in words or behavior, threatened or coerced to commit certain actions, the witness replies that \"this did not happen.\" Kozyrev also says that during the services he did not hear from Voishchev calls for violence, disrespect and oppression of people of other faiths, for the severance of family ties with persons who are not Jehovah's Witnesses and for non-recognition of decisions of state bodies and local self-government bodies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230511","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that in February, Nikolai Voishchev was examined in the regional hospital for a number of serious diseases, he was prescribed treatment. He must take some medications constantly, but he does not receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center.\nThe cell in which Voishchev is kept is overcrowded.\nNicholas has not been given letters since his imprisonment, but in March he received 250 pieces at once. In total, he has already received more than 400 letters and is grateful to friends and family for their support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-04-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230417","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out both volumes of the criminal case. Its materials contain video and audio recordings obtained during the surveillance of the believer, including a recording of the video conference from the screen of a mobile phone. The state prosecutor also mentions positive characteristics from the place of work, from the chairman of the territorial public self-government and others.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230208","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Nikolai Voishchev begin. 42 people come to support the believer, waiting for news from the courtroom.\nThe prosecutor reads out the indictment. Voishchev disagrees with the charges against him: \"I don't understand what criminal I have committed?\" The case involves a secret witness \"Dmitrienko\", with whom, according to the prosecution, Voishchev talked about the Bible.\nThe court rejects the defense's request to return the case to the prosecutor in order to eliminate the violations committed in the preparation of the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-01-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230125","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer asks the court to transfer the accused to house arrest due to his deteriorating state of health. The defendant says that in the summer of last year he began to undergo examination in the oncology dispensary. \"The doctor prescribed the treatment and prescribed an in-depth examination after another three months. But I never finished it because of my detention,\" Voishchev said. \"While in jail, I applied to consult a doctor, but my request was not granted.\"\nNevertheless, the judge extends the period of detention in the pre-trial detention center for six months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20230111","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of Nikolay Voishchev is submitted to the Maykop City Court of the Republic of Adygea and appointed to Judge Zaurbiy Birzhev.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221230","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a visit to the lawyer, it turns out that Nikolai is the fifth prisoner in a four-bed cell. One of the cellmates gave up his bed to the believer, while he sleeps on the floor. Nikolay says that the attitude on the part of the administration of the institution is normal, but it is cold in the pre-trial detention center, thin blankets.\nIn his youth, Nicholas suffered two serious head injuries, and against the background of what is happening, he often has headaches. In addition, the believer is struggling with the disease, but after being transferred from the temporary detention facility to the pre-trial detention center, he was left without the necessary medicines. In this regard, Voishchev appeals to the administration of the pre-trial detention center with an application for a medical examination.\nDespite the difficulties, Nicholas tries not to lose his presence of mind: \"In my life there were many trials, now also imprisonment. And I know it takes some time to get used to the new situation.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221025","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Maykop City Court places Nikolay Voishchev in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-10-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221021","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Adygea Zaurbiy Blyagoz initiates a criminal case against Nikolai Voishchev under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voishchev in Maykop","date":"2022-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/adygeya/index.html#20221019","regions":["adygea"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2022, mass searches in homes of believers took place in the Simferopol District of Crimea, as a result of which a criminal case was initiated. Aleksandr Voronchikhin was interrogated and placed under a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Committee charged him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, calling peaceful meetings for worship a crime. In August 2023, new searches took place in Armyansk, Simferopol and Saki, including at the homes of Voronchikhin\u0026rsquo;s son-in-law, Dmitriy Zakharevich. He, as well as Aleksandr Kopylets, Ekaterina Demidova and several other Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses became suspects in the case. Later, cases of four believers were made into separate proceedings. Zakharevich and Kopylets spent more than 8 months under house arrest, after which they were placed under recognizance agreements. In November 2023, the case went to court but was later returned to the prosecutor. After 7 months, the retrial of the case in court began.","date":"2022-11-17","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html","prisoners":["demidova","kopylets","zakharevich","voronchikhin"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"A secret witness for the prosecution under the pseudonym Sergeev I. V. The man says that he does not have any hostility towards the defendants and knows everyone except Aleksandr Kopylets. According to Sergeev, he attended meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses between 2016 and 2020; there was a favorable atmosphere, \"the Scriptures were examined, hymns were heard.\" He does not remember much of what was discussed there, but notes that it was said about the importance of good relations in the family. He did not hear any extremist calls.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2026-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20260409","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the motion of the prosecutor, the court considers the issue of excluding some evidence from the case.\nDefendant Aleksandr Kopylets declares that he intends to use for his defense a number of religious publications of Jehovah's Witnesses and a disc with the film \"Faithful in Trial. Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union.\" The court retains these materials, but excludes the protocols of inspection of items seized during searches in the homes of persons not related to this case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2026-03-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20260331","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The examination of material evidence continues — the court listens to 35 files with audio recordings of piano compositions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20260115","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Material evidence is being examined: at two hearings, an audio recording of a major annual meetings for worship of Jehovah's Witnesses held in Simferopol in 2010 is listened to. It examines, among other things, how God shows accessibility, empathy, generosity, forgiveness, prudence, and devotion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2025-11-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20251118","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Griva, who conducted a religious forensic examination, is being interrogated. She admits that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia, but calls the actions of believers a continuation of the activities of the liquidated organization. According to the defense, the expert goes beyond his competence and gives a legal assessment of the actions of believers without having a legal education.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2025-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20250512","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another prosecution witness tells the court that after the ban on legal entities in 2017, the defendants continued to meet at their homes to discuss the Bible. When asked by the prosecutor whether there were calls to extremism at the worship meetings, the witness explains: \"If there had been such calls, such a parishioner would have been expelled from the congregation.\" He also emphasizes that \"it was a peaceful gathering.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-11-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20241119","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is interrogated, who acts under the pseudonym Vasily Sergeevich Dudka. He describes meetings for worship as meetings of believers at which prayers were read, the Bible was studied, and songs were sung. Of Demidova, he says that she was engaged in \"recruiting new members,\" but he cannot name a single person whom she would have recruited.\nThe court refuses to satisfy the defense's motion to declassify the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20241112","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"One of the witnesses says that she knows Aleksandr Voronchikhin and knows him only from the positive side. She is not personally acquainted with the other defendants. After the prosecutor asks to confirm the testimony she gave earlier at the preliminary investigation, the witness replies that he cannot confirm it due to significant discrepancies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20241014","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Witnesses for the prosecution are being interrogated - law enforcement officers Yatsenko and Latyshev.\nYatsenko tells the court about the operational-search measures against Jehovah's Witnesses in Crimea, carried out since 2017 together with the FSB: wiretapping of believers' telephone conversations, monitoring them, and so on.\nDuring the interrogation, the judge instructs Yatsenko several times to base his testimony only on facts, not on guesses. For example, in his speech, Yatsenko interprets the concept of political neutrality as \"non-recognition of the authorities,\" and calls a meeting of several people at home a gathering of an extremist organization. However, he cannot say what exactly happened at the meetings of Jehovah's Witnesses, because he does not remember.\nThe second witness, Latyshev, answered the lawyer's questions about whether the defendants put their faith above the laws [of the Russian Federation], above any other faith. Is this somehow recorded in the case file? He replies that he can't say anything. According to him, the unlawful actions of the defendants consisted in preparing and turning on a video conference, with the help of which a liturgical meeting was held.\nThe defense asks Latyshev if he knew that according to the Plenum of the Supreme Court of October 28, 2021, Jehovah's Witnesses can perform regular meetings for worship or other rites and gather together. The witness replies, \"I won't speak, I don't remember. I haven't read or heard this particular organ.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240814","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of the believers is submitted to the Simferopol District Court. It will be considered by judge Aleksandr Serdyuk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-05-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240529","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Kopylets is notified of the completion of the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240515","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleksandr Kopylets is charged with a new edition. The believer does not admit his guilt. \"I do not agree with the charges, since I have never carried out, organized or continued extremist activities,\" he said.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240513","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator A. Rudoy changes the measure of restraint for Aleksandr Kopylets and Dmitry Zakharevich to a recognizance not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-04-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240425","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Republic of Crimea makes a decision on the appeal of the prosecutor and the appeal of the defender against the decision of the Simferopol District Court to return the criminal case to the prosecutor, initiated by the same court. The appeal upheld this ruling. The case must be returned to the prosecutor in order to remove obstacles to its consideration.\nThe house arrest of A. Kopylets and D. Zakharevich has been extended until April 26, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2024-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20240226","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Olga Chepil decides to return the case to the prosecutor \"to remove obstacles to its consideration by the court.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20231211","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The measure of restraint in the form of house arrest for Dmitry Zakharevich and Alexander Kopylets is extended until December 11, 2023. Alexander Voronchikhin and Ekaterina Demidova were chosen as a preventive measure in the form of a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-11-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20231130","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Simferopol District Court for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20231128","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zakharevich and Kopylets were placed under house arrest.\nSeveral other Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20230816","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest","search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In three cities of Crimea — Armyansk, Simferopol and Saki — searches are being conducted in 9 houses of believers.\nInvestigator Novikov involves Dmitry Zakharevich and Alexander Kopylets as defendants in the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-08-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20230814","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","interrogation","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Victor Mani is separated into a separate proceeding, and later new defendants appear in it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20230515","regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Voronchikhin and Dmitriy Zakharevich are filing an appeal against the court's decision to allow a search of their home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2023-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20230111","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation V.A. Novikov initiates a criminal case against several Jehovah's Witnesses from Crimea. According to the investigation, they committed \"active actions of an organizational nature, expressed in the organization of propaganda meetings, at which discussions were held on the texts and religious provisions of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voronchikhin and Others in Simferopol","date":"2022-11-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/simferopol/index.html#20221117","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2017, law enforcement officers in Krasnoyarsk began operational-investigative measures against local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses: their telephone conversations were tapped, electronic messages were viewed, and hidden audio recordings of meetings for worship were made. Secret informants were involved in the measures. A year later, Natalya Voropaeva\u0026rsquo;s house was searched as part of a criminal case against her fellow believer Andrey Stupnikov. In September 2022, the Investigative Committee charged Natalya Voropaeva under an article for extremism. She was placed under a recognizance agreement. In January 2023, the case went to court, and 2 months later she was found guilty. The court imposed a fine of 360,000 rubles. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2022-09-05","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html","prisoners":["voropaeva"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"No court has banned the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses itself. Am I being judged for believing wrongly?\" Natalia Voropaeva gives her last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-03-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20230323","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Natalia Voropaeva is submitted to the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Krasnoyarsk. It will be considered by judge Ivan Ivanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20230117","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator M. A. Grigorieva issues a decision to bring Natalia Voropaeva as a defendant under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in a new edition.\nThe ruling states that Voropaeva participated in \"reading and discussing texts from the Bible ... performing religious chants and prayers, watching video sermons.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-11-21T09:44:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20221121","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator M. A. Grigorieva makes a decision to bring Natalia Voropaeva as an accused.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20221020","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During two regular interrogations, the believer is protected by Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nInvestigator Grigorieva chooses a measure of restraint against Natalia Voropaeva in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20220906","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice Grigorieva opened a criminal case against Natalia Voropaeva on the grounds of a crime under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, she was involved in extremism, as she \"participated ... in reading and discussing texts from the Bible... in the performance of religious chants and prayers.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20220905","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Evgeny Simon, Deputy Head of the Investigative Directorate for the Zheleznodorozhny District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, submits a report on the detection of signs of a crime in the actions of Natalia Voropaeva and 5 other believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20210305","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, operational search measures are being carried out against local Jehovah's Witnesses, including wiretapping, control of mail, and secret audio recordings of liturgical meetings. Embedded agents Salov and Kuzmin are involved in this.\nA criminal case is initiated against Andrey Stupnikov, in which Natalya Voropaeva is involved as a witness. Her apartment is examined, and a year later it is searched. During two interrogations, the believer consistently uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\nA decision is made to separate materials and objects against Natalia Voropaeva and 8 other believers from the materials of the criminal case of Alexander Stupnikov into a separate production.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Voropaeva in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2017-11-01T10:26:17+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk10/index.html#20171101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In December 2022, searches were carried out at the homes of local believers in Izhevsk. Two men were detained. Aleksandr Votyakov was placed under house arrest, which lasted about 6 months, and Yevgeniy Stefanidin, the father of a young daughter, was placed under a recognizance agreement. The stress he experienced back in April 2021 due to the first search caused health problems, and Stefanidin was classed as having a disability. The Investigative Committee interpreted reading and discussing the Bible with friends and relatives as continuing the activity of a liquidated extremist organization. In August 2023, the believers’ case went to court. In October 2024, the court handed down a 6.5-year suspended sentence to Aleksandr Votyakov and a 6-year suspended sentence to Yevgeniy Stefanidin. The court of appeal replaced these terms with prison terms and sent the believers to a penal colony. A year later, the court of cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2022-12-13","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html","prisoners":["stefanidin","votyakov"],"regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin was placed in a punishment cell for 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20260505","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin was placed in a punishment cell for 10 days.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20260219","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov continues to work in the sewing workshop, but now as an ordinary worker — after the merger of two departments, only one foreman remained. He has a Bible and letters are regularly passed on.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20260216","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sixth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Samara upholds the decision of the lower court — the men will continue to serve their sentences in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2026-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20260212","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["cassation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin had a long meeting with his wife Marina and daughter. According to the couple, after the barracks, the conditions of the visiting room seemed to him \"a suite room in a five-star hotel.\"\nIn the colony, the man is known for his cheerful attitude and consistency in words and deeds. One prisoner asked a believer: \"How do you smile all the time? After all, you can't go to jail for six years. I, for one, do not find anything joyful, although I have to sit much less.\" Yevgeniy replied: \"I can't change my circumstances. I'd rather be happy with what I have and smile than be sad.\"\nThe believer works in the bath and laundry block, where he washes clothes, bed linen and towels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20251214","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin returned to the penal colony after an examination in a hospital in Solikamsk, which the medical-labor commission required to confirm his disability. Nutritious food and rest have benefited him — despite his serious illness, the believer remains optimistic.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20251123","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The barracks where Votyakov is kept are warm, he considers the conditions acceptable; there are about 70 people in the unit. The believer is completing his inhouse training (sewing); he has been appointed a foreman in the workshop. The food in the penal colony is satisfactory. Aleksandr misses his wife and worries about her (she has health problems and currently has no work).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20251101","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"We have learned, that Yevgeniy Stefanidin was again sent to a hospital in Solikamsk for a medical examination, which he has been waiting for for 5 months. As a result the extended vist from his wife, scheduled for October 19, had to be canceled.\nMany letters arrive for the believer, but only a small number are given to him, since, according to the administration, there are not enough censors in the penal colony.\nYevgeniy is still not working, therefore, the money for accommodation, services, food and clothing is deducted from his disability pension.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20251023","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin was returned to the penal colony of Perm. He needs a comprehensive examination by doctors.\nThe believer has not been given his letters for a long time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250904","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin undergoes a medical examination in the hospital at IK-9 in Solikamsk. However, given his condition, he needs a consultation with narrow specialists - a hematologist, an oncologist and other doctors, as well as a computed tomography. All these examinations and consultations are possible only in medical institutions in Perm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-08-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250810","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin ended up in an exemplary unit, which repeatedly received diplomas and awards. According to one prisoner, the believer very quickly settled in. The attitude towards Yevgeniy is good, as he is non-confrontational, does not use swear words and is a responsibly worker.\nThe believer is concerned that he has not yet had a medical examination, which was supposed to happen back in May. Soon Yevgeniy will have to extend his disability card due to cancer.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250620","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison","disability","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov is serving his sentence in a unit where most of the prisoners, including him, are working in the sewing workshop. The believer gets up at 06:00, after which he works. Bath day is held twice a week, but there is very little time to wash yourself. There is a shortage of drinking water in the penal colony.\nAleksandr has good relations with other prisoners. The prisoners try to support each other. It is possible to call relatives.\nThe believer has a Bible. The room in which Votyakov is kept is poorly lit, his eyesight has deteriorated noticeably.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250531","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy is in a unit for 70 prisoners, the barracks are divided into compartments with a capacity of up to 20 people. The prisoners have a refrigerator, shower, and a TV in the communal area. No one smokes in the barracks; phone calls to relatives are allowed.\nParcels have not yet been passed on to the believer, and just over 10 letters have been handed over to him. In the penal colony library, Stefanidin was told that no Bible was available, but he borrows The Psalms and the New Testament from one of the prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250530","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov is in penal colony No. 17 in the Kirov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-05-06T09:36:52+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250506","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Stefanidin arrives at penal colony No. 29 in Perm.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250410","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksandr Votyakov and Yevgeniy Stefanidin are in the Izhevsk pre-trial detention center, where they are awaiting transfer to a colony. The attitude of the administration and other prisoners towards them is good.\nFor 2 weeks in the detention center, Aleksandr and Yevgeniy received 50 letters each. Votyakov likes it when friends tell us in letters about their lives, animals, adventures or travels. He tries to exercise and go for walks. Aleksandr is worried about his wife and two sons.\nYevgeniy Stefanidin spoke about his little joy: in the court of appeal, he was allowed to hug his daughter before he was handcuffed and taken to a pre-trial detention center. Yevgeniy receives all the necessary medications for his illness in the isolation ward. He worries about his younger brother, Alexander, who is on trial for his faith.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20250305","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["sizo","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendants make their last word, emphasizing their disagreement with the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20241023","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks for imprisonment: for Aleksandr Votyakov — 6.5 years, for Yevgeny Stefanidin — 6 years, for both - with subsequent restriction of liberty 1.5 years.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20241015","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["punishment-request","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Votyakov gives explanations on the video recordings of liturgical meetings reviewed by the court. He reports that he participated in them out of love for God, and also notes that these were not meetings of the LRO.\nStefanidin asks to attach to the case file copies of medical documents on his state of health, including a certificate of social examination that he is a disabled person of group II.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20241008","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer files a motion to return the case to the prosecutor. He points out that the decision to bring Votyakov and Stefanidin as defendants and the indictment do not specify the motives for committing illegal actions directly. This violates their right to a defence.\nThe prosecutor considers that the arguments of the lawyer are not essential circumstances. The court dismisses the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240917","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness, investigator Artur Selin, is being questioned. He says that during the investigation of the criminal case, believers were always polite and punctual.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240618","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The public prosecutor is being replaced. The court finishes reviewing the discs with the recording of the services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240604","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"20 people come to support the believers. The defense concludes the presentation of evidence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-05-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240521","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Stefanidin reads out his testimony.\nIn his opinion, \"it is unacceptable to replace the religious structure with a legal one, which was done by the investigating authorities.\"\nThe believer continues: \"The materials of the criminal case and the evidence presented by the prosecution boil down to the fact that I was a believer, attended divine services with fellow believers, and discussed with them, among other things, everyday issues.\"\n\"The indictment does not cite any specific speech passages that indicate extremism on my part,\" he says, adding: \"It is unacceptable for me to propagate any extremist ideas or incite enmity and hatred.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-04-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240423","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Votyakov testifies: \"I have never had extremist positions and views, because this is incompatible with the very concept of Christianity ... All the characteristics and testimonies of the witnesses interrogated in the case file speak of my peaceful and conflict-free way of life.\"\nHe adds that in the videos from the case materials, people \"communicated peacefully, were interested in the news, everyone was happy to see each other, as is usually the case with friends.\"\nAt the end of his speech, he concludes: \"I consider the criminal prosecution illegal. This is an unsubstantiated attempt to forbid me to believe in God and practice my unforbidden religion.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-04-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240409","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning four defense witnesses: three relatives and a friend of Yevgeny Stefanidin. All of them characterize the defendant as an honest, open and friendly person. One of them notes that Eugene is a good family man: \"I know that my daughter loves him very much, she is always waiting for him when dad comes home from work. He is not just a father to her, he is a friend to her, because they spend a lot of time together.\nAccording to witnesses, the believer shows deep respect for all people, regardless of their religious views and social status. None of the interrogated heard that Stefanidin called for disobedience to state power or undermining the foundations of the constitutional order.\nWhen asked if they heard the defendant call for no medical intervention, the witnesses reply: \"No. Zhenya takes his health seriously. He is now being treated for cancer.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-04-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240402","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","health-risk"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of defense witnesses begins. The chairman of the Union of Orthodox Women of Udmurtia, says that he has known Alexander Votyakov since 2008, he has repeatedly carried out construction work on her order. The witness characterizes the defendant as a calm and responsible person who performs his work efficiently, they have never had conflicts. According to her, Votyakov respected representatives of other religions, did not call for the severance of family ties, refusal of medical intervention or disobedience to state power.\nThe brother of Alexander Votyakov characterizes him positively. According to him, he is a good family man, has no bad habits, he has never heard calls for any illegal actions from the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240326","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court, at the request of the defense, attaches the response of the tax service of Udmurtia, from which it follows that Votyakov and Stefanidin were neither the founders nor the leaders of the legal entity of Jehovah's Witnesses in Izhevsk.\nThe court rejects the petition to exclude from the case the testimony of the secret witness I. D. Perevozchikov. Believers were also denied access to a number of legal acts, including the ECHR ruling in favor of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, as well as documents of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for 2019 and 2020 concerning Jehovah's Witnesses in the Russian Federation.\nAbout 25 people come to support the believers, they are not allowed inside, so they wait outside.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-03-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240319","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials of the criminal case from the 1st, 2nd and 5th volumes are studied.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-02-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240201","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Pavel Kosarev, an employee of the FSB of Russia, is being interrogated. He describes the structure of the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses, the functions and structure of the activities of believers. The FSB received all the necessary explanations from a secret witness who \"turned to the department himself in 2022\" and brought CDs with recorded liturgical meetings.\nWhen asked by the defendants to the prosecution witness about the threat to the security of the state posed by the activities of believers, the operative replies that the Witnesses, as an international organization of Jehovah, receive religious literature and guidance from outside. He also says that believers \"do not revere state symbols, refuse to serve in the army, do not observe public holidays.\" Kosarev believes that the study of religious materials, the study of the Bible, prayers — \"all this is part of the structure of the [liturgical] meeting,\" and therefore is extremist activity.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2024-01-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20240130","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A secret witness is being interrogated. He reports that he attended worship meetings both before 2017 and after.\nThe lawyers again ask the court to declassify the witness, stating that he does not answer questions in his own words, but reads his testimony. The court refuses.\nWhen asked what interested the secret witness in the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, he reports that he \"came there to expose the organization.\" He also notes that he did it because of a \"loved one.\" When asked by the prosecutor to describe the defendants, he replies that he cannot say anything bad about them. The witness also says that he has never seen the statutes of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities, and also confirms that in order to be a believer, you do not need to be a member of any legal entity or register on the site.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231219","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court announces the interrogation of a secret witness Perevozchikov. The defense asks to declassify the witness, since there are no grounds for concealing his identity, nothing threatens his life and health.\nJudge Oksana Nazarova refuses to declassify and begins interrogation, but due to technical problems, the witness is not heard. The interrogation shall be adjourned to the next hearing.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231212","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Another witness is being interrogated. He says he was interested in studying the Bible, so he attended several worship services of Jehovah's Witnesses. He cannot characterize the defendants, since he saw them only once or twice, and Alexandra only via video link.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231205","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Four witnesses for the prosecution testify, including Stefanidin's mother and Votyakov's son. All of them characterize the defendants positively: conscientious, honest people, do not have bad habits and are ready to help.\nA written description of Yevgeny Stefanidin, provided by his sister, is also announced. She describes her brother as a responsible citizen and father. He describes his relationship with his brother as trusting.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231128","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Stefanidin's father is being interrogated. He characterizes his son on the positive side, says that Eugene has no bad habits and he has a strong family. He can't say anything about Votyakov, since he sees him for the first time.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-11-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231121","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses for the prosecution, elderly women, are being questioned. One of them is familiar with the Votyakovs in a neighborly way. She explains that she has not heard from the defendants statements about the superiority of the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses over the creeds of other religions, as well as calls for disobedience to the authorities, negative attitudes towards representatives of other religions or the destruction of family ties.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231114","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of two additional prosecution witnesses is ongoing. They did not hear from the defendants statements indicating the exclusivity or superiority of Jehovah's Witnesses over other religions.\nOne witness shares that studying Bible norms and principles helped her stop smoking and abusing alcohol.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the records of the interrogations of witnesses are read out, as they differ from the testimony given in court. Both witnesses state that during the interrogations they were subjected to psychological pressure from the investigation.\nThe judge does not allow Aleksandr Votyakov to use the car that is under arrest, despite the fact that the defendant needs to make frequent trips to work and transport tools.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-10-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20231002","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. One of them is an elderly woman. The prosecutor asks her if the witness knows that the activities of Jehovah's Witnesses are banned in Russia. The lawyer objected: \"The activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia are not prohibited, this religion can be practiced.\" The court removes the prosecutor's question.\nThe witness characterizes the defendants as decent people, excellent family men. She has never heard from them calls to undermine the foundations of the constitutional order and refuse medical intervention - such accusations are voiced by the prosecutor's office.\nAt the request of the prosecutor, the written testimony of the witness in connection with the contradictions found shall be read. The woman explains that the investigators put pressure on her during the interrogation and did not write down in the protocol what she said. Asks to consider the testimony given in court correct.\nYevgeny Stefanidin's wife is being interrogated. She claims that the accusations against her husband are unfounded. The woman says: \"My husband is a valuable employee at work. He has a good relationship with everyone. We have a very friendly family, my daughter is constantly worried about how her dad is. I can say the same about Sasha Votyakov. I know his family, his wife, his children. He is an excellent employee, law-abiding, and pays taxes conscientiously.\" The witness draws the court's attention to the fact that Yevgeniy is registered with an oncologist.\nThe testimony is given by the son of Alexander Votyakov. He does not share the religious views of his parents, but describes the relationship with them as good. He visits them regularly. The witness never heard the defendants motivate them to break family ties, renounce their civic duties, or make statements about the exclusivity of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. The prosecution reads out the testimony of Votyakov Jr., given during interrogation by the investigator. The witness refuses them, arguing that during the interrogation he was threatened with beating. The defense states: \"Any testimony given under threat is inadmissible.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-09-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230925","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court watches the video of the worship service.\nFour listeners come to the hearing to support the believers — the court allowed so many to attend the trial.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230918","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Votyakov and Stefanidin begin. The defendants apply for the refusal of lawyers due to the fact that they want to carry out their defense themselves. The court leaves public defenders.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges, the believers do not admit guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230817","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Votyakov's preventive measure is changed to a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230807","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Votyakov and Stefanidin is submitted to the Pervomaisky District Court of the city of Izhevsk and appointed to Judge Oksana Nazarova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230802","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["to-court","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2023-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20230801","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Industrial District Court of Izhevsk, O. I. Strizhova, elects a measure of restraint for Alexander Votyakov in the form of house arrest until February 13, 2023. Now a believer does not have the right to leave the apartment, use means of communication, the Internet, send and receive letters, as well as communicate with witnesses in a criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2022-12-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20221215","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, law enforcement officers conduct searches in the houses of Alexander Votyakov and Yevgeniy Stefanidin, after which the men are taken away for interrogation.\nInvestigator Artyom Kholmogorov prosecutes men as defendants under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to the investigation, the believers \"agreed in advance on the joint commission of a crime,\" which consists in conversations on biblical topics with local residents, joint reading of the Bible and communication of fellow believers about spiritual things. The investigator alleges that at peaceful religious meetings propaganda activities were conducted, \"with calls and inducements to actions of an extremist nature aimed at inciting religious discord, attracting new members, propaganda and superiority of religion by humiliating other religions, destruction of the family, marriage and kinship ties ... to encourage refusal to participate in the activities of state structures and bodies, refusal to participate in elections, refusal to venerate state symbols.\"\nAfter interrogation and indictment, Aleksandr Votyakov is sent to a temporary detention facility, and Yevgeniy Stefanidin is ordered not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2022-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20221214","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the first department of the Department of Internal Affairs of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Udmurt Republic, Senior Lieutenant of Justice Artyom Kholmogorov initiates a criminal case against Alexander Votyakov and Yevgeniy Stefanidin under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of activities of a banned organization).\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2022-12-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20221213","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Security forces are searching the house of Yevgeniy Stefanidin.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Votyakov and Stefanidin in Izhevsk","date":"2021-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/izhevsk2/index.html#20210414","regions":["udmurtia"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2018, law enforcement officers began operational-search measures against Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Luchegorsk. An undercover agent, feigning an interest in the Bible, recorded his conversations with believers. In July 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case in which it accused Valeriy Vyaznikov from the village of Chegdomyn of extremism because he had discussed the Bible with others. In December 2022, the case was transferred to a court located 1,000 kilometers away from the believer\u0026rsquo;s place of residence. He was allowed to participate in most of the hearings via videoconferencing. In November 2023, the court gave Vyaznikov a 2.5-year suspended sentence, then the courts of appeal and cassation upheld this decision.","date":"2021-07-16","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html","prisoners":["vyaznikov"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Valery Vyaznikov makes his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20231030","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a 3-year suspended sentence for Valery Vyaznikov with restriction of liberty for 1 year.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20231012","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant reads out his written notes. The court announces information about the composition of the Vyaznikov family, a description from the district police officer, a medical report on Valery's occupational diseases.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20230926","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The study of the case materials continues. Among them is a transcript of an audio recording of a worship service, on which a prayer is heard and biblical prophecies are spoken.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20230811","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out the testimony of another witness, and also announces the results of operational-search activities and the conclusion of a comprehensive psychological, linguistic and religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20230620","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of witnesses is ongoing. One of them says that the content of the record of his interrogation does not correspond to what he said to the investigator, and on some pages there is not his signature. Another witness uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-05-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20230531","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court summons prosecution witnesses for questioning. One woman says that she does not know Valery Vyaznikov, while another characterizes him on the positive side. The testimonies of the three witnesses who did not appear were read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2023-04-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20230413","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Valery Vyaznikov is submitted to the Pozharsky District Court of the Primorsky Territory for consideration by Judge Nina Kalashnik. The first hearing is scheduled for February 9.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2022-12-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20221230","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Sorokina instructs Nadezhda Oleshkevich, associate professor of the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, expert to conduct a psychological, linguistic and religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20210826","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Valery Vyaznikov becomes a defendant in a criminal case. The investigation interprets conversations about God as \"involving a person in the activities of the religious group Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20210716","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures are being carried out, in particular, wiretapping of dialogues between believers from Luchegorsk and embedded operatives who depict interest in the Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Vyaznikov in Luchegorsk","date":"2018-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/luchegorsk3/index.html#20180101","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June 2021, security forces detained Boris Yagovitov and his wife while walking in a park in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. It turned out that the investigative authorities opened a criminal case against the believer because he is one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. His house in the village of Solnechny was searched, after which Yagovitov was interrogated, kept in detention for 2 days, and then placed under house arrest. The key evidence of his guilt is the testimony of the informant Baleichuk, who kept hidden records of meetings for worship and conversations about the Bible. In December 2021, the Yagovitov case went to court. At the first hearing, Judge Pavel Nesterov sent the believer to a pretrial detention center. In February 2022, the case was returned to the prosecutor\u0026rsquo;s office to remove violations. Four months later, the case was retried. The prosecutor asked that the believer be sentenced to 5 years in a penal colony. In October 2022, the court gave Yagovitov a 5 year suspended sentence with a probationary period of 3 years and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 7 months. The appeal upheld this verdict.","date":"2021-05-14","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html","prisoners":["yagovitov"],"regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 5 years in prison, as well as 2 years and 11 months of restriction of freedom.\nIn the debate, the defense takes the floor.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2022-09-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20220921","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the indictment. The believer reads out his attitude to the charge.\nThree witnesses are being questioned, including the embedded agent Pavel Baleichuk, who confirms the testimony given during the investigation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2022-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20220609","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case of Boris Yagovitov again goes to the Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory. On the same day, it is submitted to Judge Alyona Stolyarova for consideration.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20220518","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Pavel Nesterov returns Boris Yagovitov's case to the prosecutor's office. The ruling states: \"The violations committed during the preliminary investigation ... are irremovable in court and ... entail the return of the criminal case to the prosecutor for their elimination.\"\nThe measure of restraint for the believer is left the same and the detention is extended until 05/24/2022. Yagovitov has been in jail for about 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2022-02-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20220224","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","case-to-prosecutor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing is held in the Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory.\nProsecutor Shcherbakov demands to change the measure of restraint for a believer to imprisonment in a pre-trial detention center. According to the prosecution, Boris \"systematically violated the execution of the measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\"\nThe lawyer and the defendant deny the violation of the regime, referring to the malfunction of the technical equipment that tracked Yagovitov's movements.\nNevertheless, Judge Pavel Nesterov changes the measure of restraint to detention for a period of 5 months and 9 days, that is, until June 7, 2022. The believer is placed in SIZO-2 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-12-29T08:58:59+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20211229","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory and is appointed to Judge Pavel Nesterov.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-12-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20211208","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 6.5 months of preliminary investigation, an indictment of 118 pages is issued against Boris Yagovitov.\nAs evidence of the \"crime\", the testimony of Baleichuk is given, who, after several conversations with the believer, turned to the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and agreed to participate in operational-search activities. The case file contains audio recordings of both his personal conversations with the accused and divine services at which the informant was present in person.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20211207","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Alexander Meshalkin recognizes the conclusions of religious examinations as inadmissible evidence due to procedural violations. He appoints a re-examination of the materials.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-10-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20211010","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Meshalkin brings Boris Yagovitov as an accused.\nThe Solnechny District Court of the Khabarovsk Territory sends the believer under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20210607","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["interrogation","house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Boris and Natalia Yagovitov are detained in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and taken for interrogation to the investigative department in the village of Solnechny. At the place of residence of the spouses, a search is carried out in their absence (the investigator takes the keys from the landlord).\nBoris Yagovitov is placed in a temporary detention facility for 48 hours.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20210605","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Meshalkin, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Khabarovsk Territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case against Boris Yagovitov under Part 1.1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe investigation interprets peaceful conversations on biblical topics as \"deliberate, in compliance with conspiracy measures, the involvement of new members in the composition ... extremist organization, as well as participation in ongoing events - a meeting of its members, which is a rite associated with the religious doctrine of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2021-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20210514","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Khabarovsk Territory initiates a religious study of audio recordings of conversations between Boris Yagovitov and a certain Pavel Baleichuk, who participated in operational-search activities in 2018-2020.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yagovitov in the village of Solnechnoye","date":"2020-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/solnechny/index.html#20201214","regions":["khabarovsk"],"tags":["expert-conclusions","hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In March 2022, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Yuriy Yakovlev, a resident of Sosnovoborsk. On the next day, the home of the believer was searched, and later he was arrested and placed in a pretrial detention center. The accusation was based on hidden audio recordings of meetings for worship and conversations with friends on Bible topics. The investigation considered such actions as “arranging online meetings”, “pastoral work” and “leading preaching activities” to be organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The investigation lasted 71 days. In June 2022, the case went to court. Although the trial only proved that Yakovlev was one of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses, in March of the following year the believer was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony. The appeal and court of cassation did not change this verdict.","date":"2022-03-28","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html","prisoners":["yakovlevyu"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev is in penal colony No. 31 for the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2026-05-04T16:30:47+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20260504","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev still remains in the hospital. He feels well, the treatment is coming to an end. The man is awaiting an imminent transfer back to the colony, where he will continue to work as a packer of basic necessities for prisoners.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2026-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20260301","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuri Yakovlev is in regional hospital No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where he undergoes dental treatment for prosthetics.\nHe can be contacted via Zonatelecom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2026-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20260209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy was fired from his job and placed in a punishment cell for a week. There he is unable to read the Bible, because the guard refuses to hand it over. The room is so cold that your hands do not obey, but hot food, which is brought several times a day, allows you to warm up a little.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2026-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20260123","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to Yuriy Yakovlev, letters started coming quite rarely: if previously he received 5-7 letters a day, now they pass on barely one a month.\nFriends come to visit Yuriy. However, even such short visits are approved extremely rarely.\nThe penal colony sometimes holds open days: visitors are given a tour of the institution, given the opportunity to personally talk with prisoners over a cup of tea. Yuriy applied to participate more than once, but was always rejected for various reasons.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20250910","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In June, Yuriy was taken to Regional Tuberculosis Hospital No 1; there it turned out that his teeth had not been completely extracted (there is no X-ray in the penal colony). His treatment is continuing and he is being prepared for dental prosthetics; he has been waiting for this procedure for six months. It has been postponed till fall.\nThe believer does not lose heart. He has developed good relations with the prisoners who are in the same room with him. So far, he has received only 8 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2025-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20250704","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy received a new specialty in the colony - he successfully completed baker's courses and passed the exam. In addition, he continues to work as a packer. The believer is grateful to his friends for their support and parcels.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2025-04-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20250426","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Eighth Court of Cassation upholds the verdict. In fact, the believer has to serve another 2 years and 2 months in the colony.\nIn the cassation appeal, the lawyer points to the violations committed by the courts of first and second instance. For example, there were errors in the conclusion of private specialists who formed the basis of the verdict, and the collected evidence had nothing to do with the defendant. \"The courts focused entirely on the criminalization of ordinary religious acts, mistakenly believing that the worship activities of Jehovah's Witnesses after April 20, 2017 were criminal,\" the lawyer adds.\nIn the appeal hearing, it was established that the opinion of private specialists, which formed the basis of the verdict, was inadmissible evidence, since it was not signed by its authors. In violation of the direct instructions of the law, the court of second instance ordered a psychological and linguistic examination to be conducted by the same persons, and not to a state forensic institution. According to the lawyer, in fact, already at the time of the appointment of the examination, its conclusions were known in advance, including the availability of answers to legal questions in them.\nFurther, the lawyer says that numerous pieces of evidence were found in the case that had nothing to do with the defendant. For example, it is not indicated how things seized from third parties relate to Yakovlev. In addition, neither the investigation nor the court proved that the recordings of the meetings for worship were related to the period imputed to them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2025-03-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20250312","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["cassation","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1","studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev cannot receive dental treatment in the colony, so he was made an appointment at the regional hospital for June 2025.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20250303","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev's conditions of detention are satisfactory, there is hot water. The squad is divided into sections. There are 12 people in the section where Yuriy is. Other inmates treat him with respect, including because of his age. A believer works in a packing shop.\nDuring his imprisonment, Yuriy developed problems with his teeth, so he visits a local dentist.\nYakovlev's emotional state is good. He has a Bible that he reads every morning. He receives many letters that are a comfort to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240923","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev is being held in a room for 8 people. So far, he has received only a few letters and is unable to call his loved ones. Yuriy's relations with the colony staff and other prisoners are good. He is involved in landscaping work for 2 hours a day.\nThe believer is in a good emotional state. In the library of the colony, he received the New Testament, which he reads daily.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-08-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240821","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuriy Yakovlev has arrived at correctional colony No. 31 in Krasnoyarsk. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-07-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240704","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Achinsk pre-trial detention center, Yuriy Yakovlev is kept in solitary confinement. His state of health is satisfactory. Yuriy has everything he needs; He was allowed a date with friends.\nThe believer receives only e-mails, paper letters are not given to him for some unknown reason.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-04-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240429","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yakovlev is transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Achinsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240313","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yuri Yakovlev is in pre-trial detention center No. 6 in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2024-02-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20240209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court appoints two examinations: religious studies (it will be conducted by religious scholar Grigory Illarionov, who was previously involved in the case as a specialist and has already expressed his opinion on all the issues raised for resolution) and linguistic, which will be carried out in an institution chosen by the prosecutor.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230928","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the appeal hearing, Yuriy Yakovlev asks for the disqualification of the lawyer by appointment. The court satisfies.\nThe prosecutor applies for religious and linguistic examinations. The lawyer under the agreement asks to adjourn the meeting for the preparation of written objections.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230919","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken to a penal colony in the village of Startsevo, located 30 km from Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230816","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","liberty-deprivation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Despite the fact that Yuriy has been in jail for almost 14 months, his emotional state is good - he is calm, does not lose the joy of life. The state of health of the believer is satisfactory. He has a disease of the spine. The medications that were given to him turned out to be ineffective, so he does physical exercises, keeping himself in shape.\nTwice a month, Yuri is given visits with his sister or with one of his friends. The believer has a Bible, he receives parcels and many letters. When their number exceeded 4,000, he stopped counting them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-04-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230427","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"I feel calm because I am not judged for evil deeds, but for good ones.\" Yuriy Yakovlev makes his last word in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230317","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the debate, the prosecutor asks Yuriy Yakovlev for 8 years in a general regime colony. He says that the defendant's guilt has been fully proven, but at the same time does not provide a single piece of evidence of specifically extremist actions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-02-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230217","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the literature seized during the search from Yuriy Yakovlev: several Bibles, notebooks and notebooks. The judge reads aloud the believer's personal notes, which record Bible teachings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230118","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The meeting begins with the interrogation of investigator Y. V. Prannichuk. Her lawyer asks her questions about the indictment. It turns out that violations were committed during the investigation. For example, the lawyer's petition to terminate the criminal case was not attached to the case file. When asked how Prannichuk determined that Yakovlev was a member of the LRO, she replies: \"He used the means of conspiracy and continued to preach.\" Answering some questions, the investigator is confused, cannot answer and often asks to repeat the question.\nYuri Yakovlev asks the investigator why he was not shown the things that were seized from him. Investigator Prannichuk replies that there are witnesses for this. To which Yakovlev notes that the witnesses stood at the door and could not see everything that was happening: \"They could throw me something that I did not have. That's why I refused to sign the protocol.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2023-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20230113","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A man who appears as a witness at the trial submits a petition to recognize the search of his house as illegal. He says that the search in the apartment began at 5:30 in the morning and then continued in the car and lasted 4 hours. Then the man was taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee, where, according to him, he was threatened when he used Article 51. The witness says that all the seized items were gradually returned to him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221223","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to discs with recordings of divine services, where various topics are discussed: the creation of man, the qualities of God, the danger of alcohol abuse, and others. The lawyer claims a discrepancy in the transcript: the word \"heart\" is clearly heard on the audio recording, and the word \"sect\" is written in the transcript.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-12-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221219","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Grigory Illarionov, a religious scholar and teacher of political science at the Siberian Federal University, is being interrogated via video link. He notes that the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is not prohibited in Russia and that believers can gather together for worship. Illarionov adds that \"Jehovah's Witnesses are united throughout the world.\"\nHe also says that Yakovlev did not call for violence and the overthrow of the constitutional order.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221209","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","expert-conclusions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court satisfies the petition of Assistant Prosecutor Zhirnov to extend Yuri Yakovlev's stay in the pre-trial detention center for another 3 months. In his defense, the believer says: \"I carry out peaceful activities, try to teach people what is good and bring them closer to God.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221125","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense files a motion to declassify the secret witness. The witness agrees and enters the courtroom. Almost immediately, he declares that he wants to use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation. The testimonies given by him during the investigation are checked. He will not recognize his testimony and signatures.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-11-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221116","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The operative of the FSB of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory A. Mukhlynin is being interrogated. The lawyer asks the prosecutor not to whisper or suggest answers to the witness. To the questions of the defense, he answers \"I don't remember\", \"I can't say\", or simply keeps silent.\nThen another prosecution witness is being questioned. It uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20221114","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reads out transcripts of recordings of telephone conversations and video calls made through Yuriy's computer. The court is shown a photograph of the believer's computer screen.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-09-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220914","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor continues to read about the topics of a balanced attitude towards alcohol, the importance of obedience to the authorities and the manifestation of such qualities as gratitude, self-control, love, as well as stories about mutual assistance among believers during the pandemic - the prosecutor continues to read about this in the first volume of the case materials.\nAfter the break, the transcript of the Bible conversation with Yuri, secretly recorded at his home, is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-08-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220808","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court begins consideration of the case materials. The prosecutor reads the first volume, which contains a transcript of the entire liturgical meeting. Among other things, a chapter from the Bible and Bible videos are cited.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220801","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"\"The accusation is not clearly formulated,\" Yuriy Yakovlev expresses his attitude to the position of the prosecutor's office. The defense file a motion for the admission of evidence, which the court satisfies.\n12 listeners come to support the believer in court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220707","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court session is held. The lawyer asks to postpone the hearing to June 28, since she received the indictment only the day before.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-06-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220620","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yakovlev's case goes to the Sosnovoborsk City Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. It will be considered by judge Anastasia Ivanova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-06-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220607","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yakovlev is being prosecuted under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-05-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220518","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sosnovoborsk City Court decides to detain Yuriy Yakovlev for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches and interrogations are being conducted in 5 families of Jehovah's Witnesses from Sosnovoborsk. A man who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, with whom Yakovlev discussed Bible teachings, is also being interrogated.\nThe believer is detained and sent to a temporary detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-03-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220329","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator for the Berezovsky District of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, Captain of Justice Y. V. Prannichuk initiates a criminal case against Yuri Yakovlev, a resident of Sosnovoborsk. She suspects Yakovlev of \"organizing religious performances and services in the mode of online broadcasts.\" The investigation interprets these actions as organizing the activities of an extremist community (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\nPrannichuk makes a decision to search Yakovlev's home without court permission, since, in her opinion, the case is urgent.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2022-03-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20220328","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Operational-search measures are carried out: \"wiretapping\", \"removal of information from technical communication channels\", \"inquiry\", \"observation\", \"survey\", \"examination of objects and documents\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yakovlev in Sosnovoborsk","date":"2021-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sosnovoborsk/index.html#20210601","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2020, as part of the case against Andrey Vlasov, searches were carried out in the homes of Jehovah's Witnesses in Prokopyevsk, among them was the couple Yuriy and Yelena Chernykh, parents of a minor son. In May 2023, a criminal case was initiated against unidentified persons. Three months later, Yelena was charged with extremism for carrying out \u0026quot;joint worship \u0026hellip; based on the Holy Scriptures (the Bible).\u0026quot; She was made to sign a recognizance agreement. The case went to court in September 2023. Yelena was given a 3-year suspended sentence in April 2024. The court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2023-05-25","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html","prisoners":["echernykh"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Referee: Elena Karamova. Central District Court of Prokopyevsk, Kemerovo Region (Karl Liebknecht St., 9). Time: 10:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-04-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20240401","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","defense-arguments","punishment-request","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena asks the court to attach to the case the materials prepared by the defense to prove her innocence. The judge refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20240315","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The secret witness Reutov, who attended meetings of believers and kept a secret recording, is being interrogated. He knows the defendant personally, but he has not heard her make negative statements about other religions or calls to disobey the authorities. The defense draws attention to the contradictions in the testimony of the witness.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-01-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20240117","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court listens to audio recordings of worship services and Bible discussions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2024-01-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20240101","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the hearing, Elena Chernykh becomes ill, she is taken to the hospital by ambulance. The meeting was adjourned.\nLawyers file a motion to declassify the secret witness. The court rejects it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20231206","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned. Yelena Chernykh asks him to indicate exactly when and under what circumstances she called for the undermining of the state system, the destruction of the family and the incitement of religious hatred. To all these questions, the witness replies that he does not remember, because a lot of time has passed.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20231122","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In connection with the failure of prosecution witnesses to appear at the hearing, the court announces the case materials.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20231025","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Court hearings begin. To support the believers, 28 people come to the courthouse.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charge, the defendants express their disagreement with it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20231009","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case against Elena Chernykh and Vera Semicheva is submitted to the Central District Court of Prokopyevsk. It will be considered by judge Elena Karamova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20230911","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Tatyana Zorina attracts Elena Chernykh as an accused and takes from her a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20230815","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Natalia Guzeeva, investigator for internal affairs of the investigative department for the city of Prokopyevsk of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a banned organization) against unidentified persons.\nAccording to the investigation, some residents of Prokopyevsk \"out of extremist motives took part in the activities of an extremist organization ... consisting in the convocation of meetings... organizing religious speeches and services at these meetings... carrying out the preaching work.\" This is how the investigation characterizes the peaceful worship of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2023-05-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20230525","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB officers search the house of Yuri Chernykh and his wife Yelena. After the searches, they are taken for interrogation to the FSB department in Prokopyevsk. It turns out that the investigative actions are taking place in the framework of the criminal case against Andrei Vlasov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yelena Chernykh in Prokopyevsk","date":"2020-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk/index.html#20200712","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["interrogation","search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the early morning of August 2022, searches were carried out at the homes of local Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Novocherkassk and the village of Grushevskaya. Half an hour before their searches, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Gevorg Yeritsyan, Garegin Khachaturyan and Lubov Galitsyna on charges of extremism. The men were interrogated and placed in a pre-trial detention center. A few days later, Lubov was also behind bars. She spent more than a year in a pre-trial detention center, after which she was released under house arrest. Hearings in the case began in September 2023. In June 2024, the court handed down a sentence: Lubov Galitsyna to 2 years and 3 months, Gevorg Yeritsyan to 6 years and 2 months, and Garegin Khachaturyan to 6.5 years of real imprisonment for religion. The court considered the term appointed by Galitsyna to have already been served. Three months later, the court of appeal upheld this verdict. In September 2025, the decision was upheld by the Court of Cassation.","date":"2022-08-11","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html","prisoners":["galitsina","khachaturyan","yeritsyan"],"regions":["rostov"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The conditions of Garegin Khachaturyan's detention are the same. He is not allowed to work. In the morning, prisoners are taken for a walk in an iron courtyard 4.5 by 3.5 meters. During the day, they are not allowed to sit or lie on the bed - the bunks are folded.\nRecently, the believer suffered a hypertensive crisis. He suffers from high blood pressure and is awaiting an appointment with a cardiologist. In March, Garegin was provided with dental care in full.\nKhachaturian is given 1-2 emails a day and 4-5 paper letters a month.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2026-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20260524","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","prison-treatment","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gevorg lives in a barrack for 100 people. He was assigned to work in a warehouse, Gevorg's duties include measuring, checking and delivering fabric. The believer works in the first shift, and most of the prisoners from his barracks work in the second, so in the evenings he has the opportunity to be in a quiet atmosphere.\nThe believer is worried about his wife and children, from whom he was separated. He takes care of his health by regularly pulling up and doing push-ups. Gevorg still needs the help of an ophthalmologist, and there is also a need for dental treatment.\nGevorg appreciates correspondence with relatives, friends and other caring people. He is given only electronic and registered paper letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20260304","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"For a year now, Garegin Khachaturyan has been in a cell-type facility (CTF). In January, for the first time in 6 months, he was granted a short visit from his wife. This meeting was a great support for him. Due to being in the CTF, he is unable to see his family as often as ordinary prisoners. He keeps in touch with his family only through letters: electronic ones are submitted more often than paper ones.\nGaregin has been treated for hypertension, but still complains of headaches and high blood pressure.\nThree other people are being held in the cell together with the believer. Previously, they all smoked, but now two of them try not to smoke in his presence out of respect for him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2026-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20260131","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin has high blood pressure, constant headaches, and failing eyesight. He recently underwent treatment, which eased his condition. He was taken to the regional hospital for examination. Garegin is also waiting for a visit from a dentist — there is an agreement for this with the administration.\nThe believer is grateful for the help from his friends, but asks not to send him parcels — it might prevent him from receiving parcels with the most necessary things from his relatives.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20251201","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gevorg Yeritsyan is treated well in the penal colony, both by the administration and the prisoners, largely due to the good reputation of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nSmiley by nature, Gevorg tries to enjoy simple things — such as a gentle breeze or a beautiful cloud he notices while walking. His love of life is noticeable to those around him. It is fueled by the Bible and letters from relatives and others who want to support him. Only e-mails are accepted by the penal colony — paper letters are not for an unknown reason.\nHe needs the help of an ophthalmologist, as he suffers from a serious illness. His eyes hurt particularly while he is working in the sewing workshop. There is no appropriate specialist in the penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-11-11T14:18:12+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20251111","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gevorg Yeritsyan is in penal colony No. 5 for the Kirov Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-09-24T16:04:55+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250924","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The 4th Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar upholds the verdict. Yeritsyan and Khachaturyan remain in the penal colonies.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250918","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["cassation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan is still being held in the PKT, although, according to relatives, there are no obvious reasons for this. A man's blood pressure periodically rises, but he takes the necessary medications. Recently, he was visited by relatives: his wife, son and two elder sisters. After that, Garegin was sent to strict conditions of detention, and then back to the PKT.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250818","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan has already been held in a punishment cell facility for five months, which worries his family. Four more prisoners are in the cell with him. The wake up call is at 5 a.m.; bunks are put up until the evening, since it is forbidden to rest on them during the day. The prisoners can only sit on chairs. Every day they are taken for a 1.5-hour walk. Such conditions of detention are stipulated by the internal regulations. Garegin maintains good relations with his cellmates, which is helped by his sense of humor.\nThe believer has the opportunity to use an old Bible from the library in the penal colony. Recently, he had a short visit from his wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-06-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250622","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin is still in a chamber-type room. He suffers from high blood pressure and a number of diseases that are difficult to cope with in the current conditions. Not all incoming correspondence is given to him, but the believer is supported by reading the Bible. In May, a short date with his wife is planned.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250419","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan is in the punishment cell for the second time since his arrival at the colony. The first time he spent two days there. Now the believer is placed in an isolation ward for seven days, allegedly for \"storing tea and sugar in the bedside table.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-03-28T15:23:19+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250328","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturian was placed in the PKT. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250318","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Gevorg Yeritsyan is in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the Rostov region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2025-03-10T10:45:00+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20250310","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Upon arrival at the colony, Garegin Khachaturyan's copy of the Bible was confiscated for inspection and has not yet been returned. He finds joy in the letters of support that he receives several a week. The believer also receives parcels and regularly calls his wife.\nGaregin is being held in a barrack for 60 people. Because of his age, he enjoys the respect of the prisoners. The believer is not yet working, as there is no vacancy for a carpenter, but is considering the possibility of studying another specialty.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-12-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20241231","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"According to updated information, Garegin Khachaturyan is in correctional colony No. 8 in Astrakhan. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-11-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20241111","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Gevorg Yeritsyan arrived at a penal colony in Volgograd, and Garegin Khachaturian arrived in Astrakhan.\nAccording to Garegin, the food in the colony is better than in the pre-trial detention center. He is a carpenter by profession and in his new place he will work in a carpentry shop.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20241022","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The cell of the pre-trial detention center, in which Khachaturyan is held, is large - 12 people in it, but there are free places. Garegin feels well, the staff of the pre-trial detention center and prisoners respect him. He tries to keep the cell clean and encourages others to do the same. He has a Bible and letters support him.\nGevorg Yeritsyan is kept in a special unit, in a cell for 5 people.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240721","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Three believers make their final statement, hoping for a fair court decision.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-06-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240626","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom","elderly","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court attaches to the case file the response of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on the right to profess the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, the decision of the ECHR in the case of LRO Taganrog and others v. the Russian Federation.\nGevorg Yeritsyan's wife is being interrogated. She does not share her husband's religious views, but gives a positive characterization of both her husband and all the defendants. The woman explains to the court that she attended religious services and there was nothing extremist, in particular, calls for violence and destruction of the constitutional order.\nThe interrogation of the defendants begins. Lyubov Galitsina declares: \"Extremism is incompatible with my religious beliefs, because first of all, as a Christian, I am obliged to love God and my neighbor. And Jesus said that you need to love even your enemies! What kind of extremist am I if I try to keep these commandments sincerely.\"\nGevorg Yeritsyan says that in his life he is guided by the commandments of Jesus: to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. He refutes the testimony of a classified witness regarding the destruction of the family. Gevorg gives his own example: \"My wife is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, but we have a strong family, and we have been married for 14 happy years, we have two wonderful children.\"\nGaregin Khachaturyan briefly talks about his life: he grew up in Nagorno-Karabakh, his family lost their home due to the war events; Garegin became a widower when his son was only six months old. \"Biblical hope, the help of God and friends helped me to survive that difficult time, to remain human and maintain a positive attitude,\" the believer concludes.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-05-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240514","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The viewing of videos continues, in which the image practically does not change - only occasionally Lyubov Galitsina appears in the frame when watching TV or talking on the phone.\nThe defense draws attention to the inspection protocols, the content of which does not correspond to the video recordings. Some of them are silent, including those for which the examination was carried out.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-05-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240506","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Recordings made by a hidden video camera in the house of Lyubov Galitsyna are being viewed. Almost all of them show only a cat lying on the bed. Behind the scenes, female and male voices are heard, but no one specifies to whom they belong. The defense draws attention to the fact that there are no defendants in the video and nothing close to extremism is happening.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-04-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240422","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As material evidence, a flash drive seized from Gevorg Yeritsyan is being examined. The court reviews a recording of a Bible lecture titled \"Love Never Passes.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-04-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240415","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Astapov, Doctor of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Philosophy of Religion and Religious Studies of the Institute of Philosophy and Socio-Political Sciences (Southern Federal University), is being interrogated. He makes a brief excursion into the history of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses, talks about their confessional structure and some creeds. He also expresses the opinion that the literature of any denomination can be attributed to propagandizing the superiority of its religion.\nThe specialist describes Jehovah's Witnesses as law-abiding citizens. He declares: \"There can be no extremist calls from Jehovah's Witnesses simply because it follows from creeds.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240322","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","expert-comments","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 30 people come to the courthouse, as usual, to support the defendants.\nThe court examines the material evidence seized from Lyubov Galitsyna: the Bible, the Bible dictionary of Erik Nyström and her personal notes. The believer explains that in notebooks she wrote down her thoughts on Bible verses in order to \"understand better how to manifest the qualities pleasing to God - compassion, mercy.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240304","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Nikolay Egorov refuses to soften Lyubov Galitsyna's preventive measure to a ban on certain actions and extends her house arrest.\nThe prosecutor continues to present evidence. The defense draws attention to the fact that one of the three questions posed to the experts is legal. The experts' conclusions say that the video recordings recorded meetings of followers of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses and there were no extremist statements there.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-02-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240219","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","house-arrest","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court examines the written materials of the case. The defendants ask the prosecutor to read out the examinations in full so that the court understands what happened at the services.\nAmong the materials of the case are books that the investigator recognized as material evidence, although these publications are not included in the list of extremist materials and are freely available.\nThe general condition of Khachaturyan and Yeritsyan, who have been in pre-trial detention for more than a year and a half, is satisfactory. Gevorg keeps fit by playing sports.\nLyubov Galitsyna recovers after a stay in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240215","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Egorov refuses the defendants to disclose the identity of the classified witness. This woman says that she had previously attended services of Jehovah's Witnesses, and admits that they \"were friendly, I did not fear for my life.\" She clarifies that when she decided not to attend services anymore, no one forced her to return and did not put pressure on her. Of the three defendants, the witness recognizes Khachaturian and Galitsyna. It characterizes them as peaceful believers; I have not heard any extremist appeals or statements about religious superiority from them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2024-01-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20240122","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna was released from the pre-trial detention center. She was assigned a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-12-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231225","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearing was adjourned for technical reasons: the voice of a secret witness was not heard.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-11-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231127","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["secret-witness","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A defense motion is filed to declassify a secret witness. The court postpones its consideration, as it considers that it is premature.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231030","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["secret-witness","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses is ongoing. One of them states that he has never heard any extremist statements from any of the defendants. He gives an exceptionally positive characterization of each defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-10-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231023","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A witness, Garegin Khachaturyan's neighbor, is being interrogated, who gives the defendant a positive characterization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231016","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court rejects the motion of the defense for publicity of the trial and access to justice.\nThe prosecutor announces the charges. Lyubov Galitsyna reads out the attitude to the accusation. None of the defendants admits his guilt and does not agree with the charges.\nThe defense makes an oral motion to return the case to the prosecutor, which the judge does not satisfy.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20231009","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During her stay in the pre-trial detention center, the health of Lyubov Galitsyna, who suffers from diabetes mellitus, was severely shaken. The believer is kept in a cell with elderly women, she has a neutral relationship with them. Lyubov worries that her health may deteriorate due to cigarette smoke. The believer has a Bible. She has already received thousands of letters of support and is grateful for the attention to her, which helps to feel that she is not alone.\nDue to the fact that there is a lot of smoking in the cell, Garegin Khachaturyan began to cough, but, unfortunately, there are no cells for non-smokers in this pre-trial detention center. The believer has a Bible, and he has already received more than 1,000 letters of support during his detention in the pre-trial detention center.\nGevorg Yeritsyan has good relations with his cellmates and with the administration, he is treated with respect. He is grateful to fellow believers who help his wife take care of his two children.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-09-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230930","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court session is held behind closed doors. The prosecutor submits a motion to extend the measure of restraint of Lyubov Galitsyna, Garegin Khachaturyan and Gevorg Yeritsyan for 6 months. The court chooses a measure of restraint for the accused in the form of detention until March 31, 2024.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230920","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region and appointed to Judge Nikolay Yegorov. The first hearing will be held on September 20.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-09-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230901","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During the prosecutor's check in the pre-trial detention center, Lyubov Galitsyna is visited by a representative of the Ministry of Health. The doctor listens to the believer's complaints about her illness and conducts an on-site examination that is accessible to the conditions of the pre-trial detention center.\nThe inspectors note that Lyubov maintains order in the cell.\nThe members of the commission are surprised by the large number of correspondence and parcels that the believer receives. On that day, she received 90 letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230815","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer receives written permission from the administration of the pre-trial detention center for doctors to visit Lyubov Galitsyna. However, the staff of the pre-trial detention center does not allow the endocrinologist who came for a consultation.\nThe believer is taken for consultation to the regional hospital of the Federal Penitentiary Service, but even there she does not receive medical advice.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230807","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna's health condition is deteriorating, but for a long time she has not been able to receive proper treatment in the pre-trial detention center. In addition to the fact that she suffers from diabetes, hypertension, has problems with hearing and vision, she has a new symptom: her leg began to go numb.\nThe lawyer applied for the admission of doctors (therapist and endocrinologist) to the territory of the pre-trial detention center, providing documents confirming their qualifications, as well as a contract for the provision of medical services, but received an oral refusal from the administration of the detention center, motivated by the fact that it was necessary to obtain permission from the investigator, although the law does not oblige to do so. After receiving permission from the investigator to examine Lyubov, a doctor arrived at the pre-trial detention center, but the staff did not let him see the arrested woman.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-08-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230802","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","health-risk","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan, Lyubov Galitsyna and Gevorg Yeritsyan have been in pre-trial detention for almost a year. Believers receive many letters from different countries.\nGaregin feels good. He has the opportunity to go for walks at least 3 times a week.\nLyubov's health condition is satisfactory. She continues to receive the medications that her son gives her. For walks, she is taken only to the roof, where it is very hot. Her cell is also stuffy, the believer has not yet received the fan given to her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-06-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230615","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna has been in pre-trial detention for 9 months. Despite this, she remains calm. However, her physical health is deteriorating - neurological symptoms have been added.\nLyubov got acquainted with her characterization issued by the pre-trial detention center. She was very surprised to see the criminal record attributed to her, reprimands that had never been given to her, and the signature of the head of the detachment, who was unknown to her.\nLetters coming in large quantities are handed over to Lyubov regularly. They support and encourage her. According to the believer, she likes to read about literally everything. Some stories are listened to with pleasure by her cellmates, postcards are of particular interest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-04-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230419","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Garegin Khachaturyan and Gevorg Yeritsyan are held in different cells, where the number of prisoners exceeds the number of places. Gevorg has his own bed. No one smokes in his cell. There used to be three smokers, but now one has been transferred, and two have quit smoking. Both believers are engaged in exercises, go for walks.\nThe administration and cellmates treat Garegin and Gevorg with respect. One day, one of the prisoners, meeting them for the first time, exclaimed: \"Oh! So you are the most famous people to whom a lot of letters are sent from all over the world! Believers do receive hundreds of letters, for example, Gevorg already has more than 900 of them. Inmates especially like riddles. The drawings that come in the letters, Garegin hangs on the walls of the cell.\nBelievers are happy that many friends come to the courthouse. And although sometimes Gevorg and Garegin do not have time to see who came to support them, they hear after them: \"We love you!\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230321","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer visits Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center. The believer has a cheerful spirit. She is determined to continue to defend her innocence in court.\nLyubov began to receive regular letters of support from friends and fellow believers. There were no letters for a month, but then 400 pieces were brought at once. She does not have time to answer everyone, as letters come in 30-40 pieces every two days.\nIn connection with the deteriorating state of health, the believer appealed to the head of the pre-trial detention center with a request for a medical examination. However, she was told that her illnesses did not prevent her from being held in detention \"unless diabetes leads to gangrene.\" Lyubov received her second vaccination against covid so that her relatives would be allowed to visit her. In spite of everything, she is not discouraged and is grateful to everyone who comes to court to support and encourage her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230208","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","letters","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the appeals of lawyers against the decision of the Novocherkassk City Court of the Rostov Region to extend the period of detention of Lyubov Galitsyna in the pre-trial detention center are considered.\nThe defense emphasizes the fact of a procedural violation: the decision to prosecute as an accused was made by the investigator in the absence of authority. Points to the inaction of the investigator: \"In the Rostov region, under this article, this is the only case when a 66-year-old woman is in custody. This is an excessively harsh measure of restraint.\" Focuses the court's attention on the serious chronic illnesses of the accused and on the fact that the investigator unreasonably refused to satisfy the petition for the appointment of a medical examination to establish the state of health.\nLyubov Galitsina in her speech draws attention to the fact that she never had any intention to hide, because, after returning from vacation, she personally appeared before the investigator for interrogation. She also says that she has no desire or ability to put pressure on witnesses in the case, since she does not know them. The believer explains that in the pre-trial detention center her health is deteriorating greatly, her eyesight and hearing are falling, and her chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension have worsened.\nThe court rejects the appeals, but excludes the word \"inclusive\" from the operative part of the decision to detain the accused until February 10, 2023.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2023-01-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20230118","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["appeal","sizo","elderly","medical-rights"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of detention in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in the city of Novocherkassk for 1 month and 25 days. At the courtroom, the believer is greeted with applause by 30 fellow believers who came to support her.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220817","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lyubov Galitsyna was charged in a previously initiated criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220816","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In Novocherkassk, investigator of the Investigative Committee V.V. Bardakov initiates a criminal case against believers Gevorg Yeritsyan, Garegin Khachaturian and Lyubov Galitsyna. Immediately after that, at 6:00 a.m., the armed security forces conducted searches at 10 addresses, including the village of Hrushevskaya. They confiscate Bibles, electronic devices, money, and bank cards from believers. Then everyone is taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee for the city of Novocherkassk.\nDuring a search in one of the houses, the hostess experiences a fainting state, she is offered several times to call an ambulance. Her husband, who does not share her religious views, is exerted psychological pressure by law enforcement officers. In another case, the investigator refuses to issue the interrogation protocol, arguing that the interrogated can post it on the Internet.\nTwo men, Gevorg Yeritsyan and Garegin Khachaturyan, are taken into custody after search and interrogation. The court chooses a measure of restraint for them in the form of detention in pre-trial detention center No. 3 in Novocherkassk for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220811","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["new-case","search","interrogation","sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With regard to the civilians of Novocherkassk - Garegin Khachaturyan and Gevorg Yeritsyan - operational-search measures are underway.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yeritsyan and Others in Novocherkassk","date":"2022-06-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocherkassk/index.html#20220601","regions":["rostov"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2021, the Investigative Committee initiated a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin and unidentified persons. A few days later, law enforcement officers conducted searches in the homes of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses in Kurgan and Shadrinsk, after which Ilya Yershov was sent to a temporary detention facility for 2 days. At first, the believer was suspected of organizing the activity of an extremist organization, but in March 2023, the investigation initiated a case against him for participating in such activity. The case went to court in June 2025. In January 2026, the court found him guilty and fined him 400,000 rubles.","date":"2023-09-18","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html","prisoners":["yershovi"],"regions":["kurgan"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests the court sentence Yershov to 3 years of forced labor with a deduction of 10% of his salary paid to the state and 1 year restriction of freedom.\nIlya Yershov makes his final statement. The judge interrupts the believer twice, not allowing him to fully express his prepared thoughts.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20260120","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["prosecutor-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A former colleague of Ilya Yershov, who worked with him for 5 years in a dialysis center, testifies. She describes him as a person far removed from extremism, polite, erudite and disciplined, without bad habits. \"Everyone in our small team knew that he was well-educated,\" the woman says. \"He could have considered himself superior to everyone else, but this was not the case.\"\nYershov's sister, who worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Penitentiary Service, is being interrogated. She says: \"Ilya and I have a great relationship and for me he is the best brother. He is a law-abiding person, responsible, intelligent, kind and decent. If necessary, he will pick my child up from school, help with their homework, spend a lot of time together, because they both like to.\" As an argument in favor of Yershov, showing that he respects the authority of the state, she adds that Ilya did not stop actively helping her even when she was in the civil service. The witness continues: \"No factors from our personal lives, such as work, faith, beliefs, and the like, have ever influenced our relationship with him.\"\nShe adds that her brother assisted the narcological dispensary during construction work and the local college as chairman of the examination board.\nThe court proceeds to the interrogation of Ilya Yershov. The believer emphasizes that the meetings for worship, for which he is charged with participating in, are legal and have nothing to do with extremism. Ilya draws attention to the prayer he said, the text of which is contained in the case materials. The believer notes that in it he only asks for help in \"being morally clean\", \"raising children correctly\", \"finding reliable friends and maintaining warm relations with them\".\nAt the request of Yershov, the court attaches to the materials of the criminal case a certificate from the tax inspectorate stating that he was not the head of the LRO.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-10-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20251016","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses, women, one of whom is 84 years old, are being questioned. To all questions, she answers that she does not remember anything. The second witness does not understand what exactly the Supreme Court banned in 2017, what is the difference between LRO and religion. During the period imputed to Yershov, she was not one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and she bases all her testimony on the words of her mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250923","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is questioning two witnesses and listening to the written testimony of six more. Yershov knew only one of them personally, but his statements relate to the period before the ban on the activities of legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-08-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250829","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the first hearing on the merits, one of the prosecution witnesses retracts his preliminary testimony and states that it was given under duress.\nElizaveta Yershova, the wife of the believer, says during interrogation: \"Ilya always tries to smooth over any conflicts... I have never seen any aggression on his part.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-08-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250815","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Aleksey Volkov, Deputy Prosecutor of the Kurgan Region, informs Ilya Yershov that his criminal case has been transferred to the Shadrinskiy District Court.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250618","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kurgan Regional Court upholds the decision of the lower court unchanged and recognizes the lawfulness of the prosecution of Ilya Yershov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250520","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["appeal","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor's office does not satisfy the complaint of Ilya Ershov about the illegal announcement of him on the wanted list.\nAccording to the prosecutor, the whereabouts of Yershov were not known to the investigator of the Investigative Committee. The investigation also claims that summons for questioning were sent to the address of registration.\nThe believer declares that he did not change his place of residence. He believes that \"investigator Suleymanov falsified copies of subpoenas with the indication of fictitious outgoing numbers to attach them to the materials of the criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250428","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["complaints"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court reverses the decision to terminate the criminal prosecution of Ilya Yershov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On the same day, he was charged under this article and a recognizance agreement was taken from him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-03-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250320","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Criminal investigation officers come to Ilya Yershov's home and take him to the police station. There he is informed that he is wanted because he allegedly stopped \"getting in touch\" with the investigator of the Investigative Committee, does not live by registration, does not appear on summonses. According to Yershov, he has not received any calls or summonses from the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Kurgan Region, and he lives at his former place of registration.\nThen the man is photographed, fingerprints are checked, sneaker prints are photographed, biomaterial is taken and taken to the Investigative Committee, where he is summoned to report.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20250114","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["interrogation","summon"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kravchenko interrogates Ilya Ershov as a suspect.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-12-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20231229","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Captain of Justice A. A. Kravchenko initiates a criminal case against Ilya Ershov for participation in the activities of an extremist organization. The basis is the report of Nikolai Astapov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-09-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20230918","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, deputy head of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases, stops the criminal prosecution of Ilya Ershov for organizing the activities of an extremist association.\nThe resolution states: \"In the course of the investigation of the criminal case... sufficient evidence on the basis of which Ershov could be charged under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation has not been established.\"\nAt the same time, materials under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation from the case of Aleksandr Lubin are separated into a separate proceeding against him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20230317","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Astapov releases Ershov from custody, as there are no grounds for his further detention.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20210716","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Local Jehovah's Witnesses are being searched in Kurgan and the city of Shadrinsk, about 150 km away. Among those detained and taken in for interrogation is Ilya Ershov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20210714","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Nikolay Astapov, an investigator for especially important cases of the First Department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kurgan Region, initiates a criminal case against Aleksandr Lubin and unidentified persons under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yershov in Shadrinsk","date":"2021-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/shadrinsk2/index.html#20210713","regions":["kurgan"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Yevstigneev is one of the Nizhny Novgorod believers who were searched by armed security forces in July 2019. A year later, he became a defendant in a criminal case on financing the activities of an extremist organization due to the fact that he entered into a lease agreement for a room for a friendly meeting with fellow believers. A secret video and audio recording was made for the believer. Later, investigator Makerov took a written undertaking not to leave Yevstigneev. In addition, Kirill Evstigneev was included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. His bank accounts were blocked. At the end of September 2021, the believer\u0026rsquo;s case was submitted to the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, and in May 2022, Judge Viktor Ushakov sentenced the believer to 3 years of suspended sentence. The appellate court upheld the verdict on August 1, 2022.","date":"2020-09-02","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html","prisoners":["yevstigneev"],"regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Court, chaired by Judge Olga Yaroshenko, upholds the sentence of Kirill Yevstigneev - 3 years of suspended imprisonment for believing in Jehovah God.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-08-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20220801","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod Viktor Ushakov sentences Kirill Evstigneev to 3 years of suspended imprisonment.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-05-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20220512","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod, the debate on the case of Kirill Evstigneev has ended.\nThe prosecutor is requesting a sentence of 6 years in prison for the believer because of his faith in Jehovah God.\nAt the next court session, the believer will deliver the last word. A verdict in this case is also planned.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-02-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20220208","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the court session, the believer testifies. The lawyer submits a motion to return the case to the prosecutor, but the judge rejects it. The prosecutor requests an adjournment of the hearing because he needs to prepare for the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20220113","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Kirill Evstigneev is changing his lawyer by appointment.\nAt the request of the defendant, written and video materials are being examined.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-12-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20211224","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness Grichanyuk, the landlord of the premises, is being interrogated. She states that she was approached by some people with a request to install equipment for hidden video and audio recording in the office where the lease agreement was concluded. At the same time, she does not know what event took place in the rented hall, who those present were. According to the witness, she assumed that the audience were relatives.\nThe prosecutor additionally examines the protocols of the interrogation of the witness: the rental price declared at the meeting differs from that indicated in the interrogation protocol.\nIt turns out that the video recordings attached to the case are stored in another criminal case, so it is not possible to view them. Kirill Yevstigneev declares that he will give his testimony only after studying the video materials and written materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-12-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20211207","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninsky District Court Viktor Ushakov proceeds to consider the case. The prosecutor reads out the indictment.\nKirill Yevstigneev expresses his disagreement with the accusation. He explains that he never acted out of extremist motives. For 23 years he has believed in God and lives according to the biblical commandments, one of which encourages him to love his neighbors. Kirill says: \"It is impossible to combine love and extremism. I consider all people equal and respect the right of every person to have their own views and beliefs.\" The believer explains that he is a law-abiding citizen and pays all taxes: \"Even in the current situation, when a criminal case has been initiated against me and my bank account has been blocked ... I don't owe any taxes.\" Furthermore, he states that the event he is accused of financing was a meeting of friends and was not of a religious nature.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-10-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20211008","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Leninsky District Court of Nizhny Novgorod.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20210928","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Makerov chooses Kirill Evstigneev a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2021-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20210824","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region initiates a criminal case against Kirill Yevstigneev, accusing him of financing extremist activities (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-09-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20200902","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer comes for interrogation to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where he is summoned by telephone by the UEEX investigator Urbezov. The investigation is interested in the lease agreement, which Evstigneev concluded in 2019. The believer uses Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2020-08-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20200818","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Leninskiy District Court Sergey Glushkov issues a search order at the place of residence of Jehovah's Witness Kirill Yevstigneev.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-07-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20190711","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"O. V. Makerov, Senior Investigator for Internal Affairs of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Nizhny Novgorod Region, initiates a criminal case against unidentified persons under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The reason is that in April 2019, local Jehovah's Witnesses rented a conference room of one of the Nizhny Novgorod stores for 6 hours for a friendly meeting.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Yevstigneev in Nizhny Novgorod","date":"2019-06-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/nizhniy-novgorod6/index.html#20190604","regions":["nizhegorod"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2022, a series of searches and interrogations took place in Krasnodar, including those of Anatoliy Yevtushenko. After 2.5 years, the FSB opened a criminal case against him for participating in the activities of an extremist organization—this is how the investigation interpreted the peaceful meetings of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses. A recognizance agreement was taken from the believer. In October, Yevtushenko was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list. Two months later, the case of Yevtushenko, a disabled person of group II, went to court. In December 2025, despite a recent hip replacement surgery, the court sentenced the man to 2 years in a penal colony.","date":"2024-07-26","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html","prisoners":["yevtushenko"],"regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to appoint Yevtushenko three years in a general regime colony. The court appoints two.\nBefore that, Anatoly Yevtushenko makes his final statement and notes: \"Prison walls are not an obstacle for the spirit of God, with which he supports those who are faithful to him.\"\nMore than 70 people come to court to support the defendant. After the verdict was announced, he was taken into custody and taken away in handcuffs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20251223","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["prosecutor-request","sentence","282.2-2","liberty-deprivation","defense-arguments","final-statement","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly's mother is dying. Despite the criminal prosecution and his own health problems, the believer cared for her until his death.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-11-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20251103","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is examining evidence in the case, including minutes of meetings of the LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses in Krasnodar. The defense notes that Yevtushenko is not mentioned there even once, and draws attention to the difference between LRO meetings and meetings for worship.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20250730","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court allows the accused to go to another city for postoperative rehabilitation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20250416","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"23 people come to the courthouse, but 12 are allowed to enter. State prosecutor A. Y. Melnik reads out the charges.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20250123","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Yevtushenko asks the court to allow him to go to St. Petersburg for hip replacement surgery. The judge rejects the petition, citing the need to obtain confirmation from the clinic. However, the court allows the believer to travel 100 km from Krasnodar to take care of his elderly bedridden mother.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2025-01-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20250109","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["first-instance","disability"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Yevtushenko's case goes to the Sovetsky District Court of Krasnodar and is assigned to judge Kirill Motorny.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-12-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20241223","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Yevtushenko is included in the List of Terrorists and Extremists of Rosfinmonitoring.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-10-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20241001","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Nikita Rudenko charges Anatoliy Yevtushenko with extremism for the fact that he \"participated in holding collective religious events — worship services consisting of sequentially performed actions: singing songs related to the religious teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, praying to Jehovah God, studying the provisions of the book 'Holy Scripture / New World Translation' (Bible).\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-07-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20240731","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer is taken to the investigative department of the FSB, where he is acquainted with the decision to initiate a criminal case, after which the investigator releases him on his own recognizance.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-07-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20240726","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior FSB investigator Nikita Rudenko opens a criminal case against Anatoly Yevtushenko for participating in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yevtushenko in Krasnodar","date":"2024-07-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnodar3/index.html#20240725","regions":["krasnodar"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2025, after searches and interrogations, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorye Territory charged four Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses from Vladivostok with extremism—Sergey Isupov, Sergey Chikichev, Vyacheslav Yudin, and Andrey Yavniy. The court chose a restriction measure for them in the form of a ban on certain actions.","date":"2025-09-11","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok14/index.html","prisoners":["chikichev","isupov","yavniy","yudin"],"regions":["primorye"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yudin and Others in Vladivostok","type":"cases"},{"body":"Judge of the Frunzensky District Court of the city of Vladivostok A. V. Rybakov chooses a ban on certain actions for Sergey Isupov, Sergey Chikichev, Vyacheslav Yudin and Andrey Yavny as a restriction measure.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yudin and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok14/index.html#20250923","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Denis Sushchenko, senior investigator of the first department for the investigation of particularly important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Primorsky Territory, initiates a criminal case under parts 1 and 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yudin and Others in Vladivostok","date":"2025-09-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/vladivostok14/index.html#20250911","regions":["primorye"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In July 2024, the investigative committee initiated a criminal case against Yuliya Pasynkova and her mother-in-law Tatyanaon suspicion of participating in the activities of an extremist organization. A few days later, her house was searched—the third since November 2021, when a criminal case was opened against her husband, Aleksey. A married couple is raising a son with a disability, who is completely dependent on the help of his parents. At the end of December 2024, the case went to court. After the self-recusal of two judges, the case was transferred to the court of another district. In September 2025, Yuliya was given a 5-year suspended sentence. Three months later, this decision was approved by the court of appeal.","date":"2024-07-23","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html","prisoners":["pasynkova"],"regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"The Supreme Court of the Karachayevo-Circassian Republic upholds the verdict handed down earlier to Yulia Pasynkova — a 5-year suspended sentence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-12-16T16:00:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20251216","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["appeal","suspended","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuliya Pasynkova gives her final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250916","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requested for Yuliya Pasynkova a 5-year suspended sentence with a ban on religious activity and a 4-year probation period. The believer is caring for her minor son with a disability, but the prosecutor reckons that she has no mitigating circumstances.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250903","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-08-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250820","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuliya Pasynkova testifies. According to her, a peaceful conversation about God with fellow believers without calls for violence and discrimination cannot pose a public danger. The believer emphasizes that there is no evidence that as a result of the meetings for worship, anyone in the region was in danger or in need of special protection. \"The prosecution neither cites a single statement of an extremist nature from me, nor any quotes from extremist literature on my part... In this case, a reasonable question arises: did it really happen?\" says Yuliya.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-08-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250805","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yulia Pasynkova is included in the list of extremists of Rosfinmonitoring. Her accounts are blocked, she is experiencing difficulties in receiving disability benefits for her son.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250317","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["rosfinmonitoring"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case is submitted to the Khabez District Court of the KCR, it will be considered by Judge Nariman Abdokov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-03-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250314","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Yevsegneeva recuses herself.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250131","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Uzdenova recuses herself. The case is transferred to Judge Galina Evsegneeva, who on the same day passes a guilty verdict on Yulia's husband, Alexei.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2025-01-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20250120","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Urup District Court, it will be considered by Ida Uzdenova, the same judge as Yulia's mother-in-law, Tatyana Pasynkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-12-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20241227","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Lieutenant of Justice A. A. Khasanov, investigator of the Zelenchuksky Interdistrict Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, initiates a criminal case against Yulia Pasynkova under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuliya Pasynkova in Mednogorskiy","date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/mednogorskiy4/index.html#20240723","regions":["karachaevo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yelena Yurenkova became a defendant in a criminal case for her faith when searches were carried out in Tolyatti in May 2023. She was placed under a recognizance agreement. The Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Samara Region accused her of participating in the activity of an extremist organization because she peacefully met with her fellow believers. The basis for initiating the criminal case were hidden video recordings of meetings for worship, which were made over 2.5 years. In July 2023, the case went to court. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years in a penal colony for Yelena. In March 2024, the court gave the believer a 2-year suspended sentence.","date":"2023-05-15","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html","prisoners":["yurenkova"],"regions":["samara"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"Thanks to Bible teaching, I have gained meaning in life, confidence in the future, and learned to relate to people with great understanding,\" Elena Yurenkova speaks in court with her last word.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20240322","regions":["samara"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is requesting a sentence for Yelena Yurenkova — 4 years in a general regime colony and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-03-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20240301","regions":["samara"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Interrogation of the daughter of Elena Yurenkova, who does not share the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. The girl characterizes her mother positively.\nAlso being questioned is expert Lenar Galiev, an associate professor at the Department of History and Methods of Teaching, who claims that the use of the biblical name Jehovah God is not a manifestation of faith, but an indication of belonging to a legal entity (Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia).\nThe court attaches the text of the defense's petition on the jurisprudence of international and Russian courts, the position of state authorities, as well as scientific information regarding the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\nThe court is reviewing two DVDs of worship services.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20240202","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The questioning of prosecution witnesses begins. The first to be interrogated is the secret witness I. I. Ivanov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-11-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20231128","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","secret-witness"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The hearings in the case of Elena Yurenkova begin. The judge grants the defendant's request to be given the opportunity to comment when examining the evidence.\nThe prosecutor reads out the charge, the defendant expresses her attitude to it.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-08-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20230823","regions":["samara"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case goes to the Central District Court of Tolyatti. It will be considered by judge Anastasia Fedorova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20230721","regions":["samara"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator N. G. Sysoeva charges Yelena Yurenkova with \"participation in the activities of a religious association ... who carried out extremist activities.\" This is how the investigation interprets the peaceful worship services of citizens exercising the constitutional right of the Russian Federation to jointly profess religion.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-06-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20230605","regions":["samara"],"tags":["282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Grekov initiates searches of believers in Tolyatti, including Elena Yurenkova. Electronic devices, data carriers, the Bible and personal records with typewritten and handwritten text are seized from her. The believer is interrogated in the investigative department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20230516","regions":["samara"],"tags":["search","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Anatoly Grekov, an investigator of the Central Investigation Department of the city of Tolyatti, of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Samara Region, initiates a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against 52-year-old Elena Yurenkova.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yurenkova in Tolyatti","date":"2023-05-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/tolyatti5/index.html#20230515","regions":["samara"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In November 2020, pensioner Yuriy Yuskov's apartment was searched as part of the case of three believers from Cheboksary. Law enforcement officers seized electronic devices, personal notes and photographs from the elderly man. He was released after interrogation. The security forces returned for a second search in May 2023. At that time the believer was already 85 years old. He was placed under a recognizance agreement. The FSB accused Yuskov of participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it for talking about his peaceful beliefs. In January 2024, the case went to court, and two months later a verdict was passed – a 5-year suspended sentence with a 4-year probation period, and 1 year and 4 months of restriction of freedom. In May 2024, the court of appeal upheld this decision, slightly changing the additional restrictions.","date":"2023-05-04","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html","prisoners":["yuskov"],"regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"\"I am proud to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I will never deny it, no matter what I am threatened,\" Yuriy Yuskov delivered his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-03-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20240313","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["defense-arguments","final-statement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find the 85-year-old Yuskov guilty of extremism and sentence him to 5 years of suspended imprisonment with a probationary period of 2.5 years. As a mitigating circumstance, the prosecutor mentions the age of the defendant.\n13 people come to support the believer. Four people are allowed into the hall. Yuri reads out his written notes. He asks the court to stop his criminal prosecution. Judge Zubov refuses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-03-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20240304","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["punishment-request","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the fact that the hearing is planned to interrogate prosecution witnesses, 2 of whom are classified, the prosecutor requests a closed hearing. The judge grants the petition.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-02-02T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20240202","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yuriy Yuskov reads out his attitude to the charges against him. He considers it far-fetched and contradictory: \"I have the impression that in order to avoid criminal liability, I must renounce my religious beliefs or stop expressing them. But this is nothing less than discrimination.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20240123","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["first-instance","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Novocheboksarsk City Court of the Chuvash Republic, it will be considered by judge Alexander Zubov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2024-01-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20240111","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["to-court","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior Police Lieutenant A. N. Sergeev and four other detectives conduct a search in the home of Yuri Yuskov, which lasts 2.5 hours. Personal records and electronic devices are seized from the believer.\nThis is the second search in Yuskov's house. The first one took place in November 2020 as part of the case of Vladimir Dutkin and others in Cheboksary.\nThe investigator chooses a measure of restraint for the believer in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20230505","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["search","recognizance-agreement","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A. Mukhin, senior investigator of the Chuvash Republic, is initiating a criminal case against 85-year-old Yuriy Yuskov under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (involvement in the activities of an extremist organization). The investigator also hands the believer a search warrant for his home.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Yuskov in Novocheboksarsk","date":"2023-05-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/novocheboksarsk/index.html#20230504","regions":["chuvashia"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Zhelavskaya from Chelyabinsk faced prosecution for her faith in March 2019, when her apartment was searched as part of the case against Vladimir Suvorov. Two years later, investigator Aleksandr Chepenko initiated a criminal case against the believer based on the testimony of the undercover agent Ruzayeva. Zhelavskaya was charged with participating in the activity of an extremist organization. According to the investigation her unlawful actions consisted of inviting guests to her place, praying and singing songs with her friends. In the fall of 2021, while under investigation, the believer suffered from COVID-19 and had a stroke. In August 2022, her case went to court. In April 2023, she was given a 2-year suspended sentence. In June 2023 the court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-08-31","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html","prisoners":["zhelavskaya"],"regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a sentence of 3 years in prison for the defendant.\nThe believer addresses the court with the last word, emphasizing: \"I did not make calls to overthrow the political system, break up family relations or any other extremist statements. No quotes, no facts, no records, no victims.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-04-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20230414","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court re-examines the attitude of the defendant to the prosecution and concludes that it contains arguments in favor of returning the criminal case to the prosecutor. The document states that there are no specific dates, circumstances and ways in which the defendant promoted superiority or called for non-recognition of state authorities and the severance of family relations.\nThe court asks Zhelavskaya whether she is requesting that the case be returned to the prosecutor. The believer agrees, the prosecutor objects. After that, the court interrogates the defendant.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-04-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20230405","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Liliya Ruzayeva is briefly interrogated via video link, and her written testimony from similar criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses from Chelyabinsk is read out. Olga Zhelavskaya draws the court's attention to the existing contradictions in Ruzayeva's testimony, as well as to the fact that some of them are her assumptions.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-02-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20230213","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Zhelavskaya makes an attitude to the charges, the court attaches it to the case file.\nAn employee of the Center for Countering Extremism, D. A. Myzgin, who gave tasks to Lilia Ruzayeva, who portrayed an interest in the Bible, is being interrogated.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2023-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20230206","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The accused is still not allowed to read out her attitude to the charges. Three witnesses for the prosecution do not appear at the hearing, the written testimony of one of them is partially voiced.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20221206","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor reads out the accusation with which the believer disagrees. She wants to make an appeal to the charges, but the court says that the woman will be able to do it later.\nThe defendant objects to the prosecutor's reading of the written testimony of prosecution witnesses and requests that they be summoned to court for questioning.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20221020","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Zhelavskaya's case is submitted to the Metallurgicheskiy District Court of Chelyabinsk.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-08-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20220830","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the materials of the case against Olga Zhelavskaya are separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2022-07-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20220713","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Olga Zhelavskaya is in the hospital after COVID-19 and a stroke. On this day, searches are carried out in the homes of Vadim Gizatulin and Irina Mikhailenko.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-10-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20211022","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Based on the results of the review of the materials, investigator Chepenko initiates separate criminal cases against Olga Zhelavskaya, Vadim Gizatulin and Irina Mikhailenko.\nThe decision to institute the case states, among other things, that the believers \"acted out of religious motives\" and participated in \"collective worship consisting of successive performances of songs ... and praying to Jehovah God, studying and discussing articles and religious texts.\"\nThe guilt of Olga Zhelavskaya and Irina Mikhailenko, according to the investigation, also lies in the fact that they received fellow believers at home, and Zhelavskaya also \"ensured ... fundraising... by providing a container box for the introduction of... donations\".\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20210831","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexander Chepenko, investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Chelyabinsk Region, who initiated almost all cases against Jehovah's Witnesses in this region, separates materials from the case of Vladimir Suvorov regarding Olga Zhelavskaya, Vadim Gizatulin and Irina Mikhailenko into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2021-08-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20210811","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"As part of the criminal case against Vladimir Suvorov , security forces are searching Olga Zhelavskaya's apartment.\nThe investigation establishes that she, together with Vadim Gizatulin , was present at the service of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2019-03-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20190326","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A judge of the Chelyabinsk Regional Court gives permission to conduct operational-search activities using audio, video and photo documentation at Olga Zhelavskaya's place of residence.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhelavskaya in Chelyabinsk","date":"2018-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/chelyabinsk7/index.html#20180616","regions":["chelyabinsk"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In August 2022, another search was carried out in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Sevastopol. Two men, Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov, were detained, and 2 days later they were placed under house arrest. The Investigative Committee charged the believers with organizing the activities of an extremist organization for holding online meetings for worship. In October, the court replaced the men’s restriction measure with a ban on certain actions. The case went to court in March 2023. In January 2025, the court sentenced the believers to 6 years in a penal colony. The appeal and cassation left the verdict unchanged.","date":"2022-08-24","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html","prisoners":["kudinov","zhigalov"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov had a virus, but continued working in the bakery. Letters are given to him selectively.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20260428","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov remain behind bars by decision of the Fourth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Krasnodar.\nDuring the hearing, the judge stops Sergey's attempts to speak in his defense. The lawyer's arguments that the verdict was based on inadmissible evidence, as well as a detailed report on the contradictions in the testimony of witnesses and the conclusions of the religious scholar, do not affect the outcome of the case in any way.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20260226","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["cassation","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov undergoes a medical examination in IK-1 in the Kostroma region. Diagnosis does not reveal serious lung disorders. At the same time, Victor needs treatment by an orthopedic dentist, as well as consultations with a cardiologist, endocrinologist and urologist in connection with chronic illnesses. The hospital detachment contains 16 people, living conditions are good.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2026-02-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20260205","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov feels noticeably better. He continues to carefully monitor his diet, which has a positive effect on his general condition. Recently, the believer was prescribed new glasses, as his eyesight has deteriorated — he could hardly see anything with the old ones.\nDespite his circumstances, Sergey makes an effort to notice joyful moments. He really appreciates the letters he receives regularly.\nPreviously, Zhigalov worked in an industrial equipment maintenance team and earned a reputation as a conscientious worker. He strived to complete tasks efficiently, sometimes even after hours. When his mananger found out that he was being transferred to another department, he said: \"I need Zhigalov, I will not let him go!\" Now Sergey works in the bakery.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2026-01-07T14:38:18+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20260107","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov tries to take care of his health: he gave up flour and sweets, every morning he does exercises, for which he wakes up at 5 am. The believer likes to create \"cozy corners\" for himself, where he places a photo of the couple and flowers in a plastic bottle.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-12-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20251220","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During a routine medical examination, the doctor discovers a darkening in Viktor Kudinov's left lung. He needs further medical examination and treatment.\nThe believer had a 3-day visit from his wife. He receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-11-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20251120","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","prison-treatment"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov is recovering from a difficult transfer process that took almost 3 months. Immediately after arriving at the penal colony, his chronic illness worsened. He was provided with medical care, the doctor prescribed modified bed rest and a diet.\nThere are 35 people in Victor's unit. His relations with the other prisoners, as well as with the administration of the penal colony, are normal. The barracks are warm, there is hot water, and the food is good. There is no work for prisoners in the institution, but some of them work in the canteen.\nThe believer regularly goes for walks in the courtyard. Viktor has a Bible. In the penal colony they can play tennis, chess and work out on gym equipment. The believer has already begun to receive letters from family and friends.\nHe had some good news — he was granted an extended visit from his wife, son and granddaughter in November. Viktor is very worried about his relatives, especially the older ones because he cannot take care of them.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-10-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20251013","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov lives in a room for eight. Instead of bunks there are beds; no one smokes inside. All cellmates work, so they go to bed early. Sergey has a respectful and friendly relationship with them. Sergey works in a team of handymen, and on September 1 he began training as a baker.\nAfter his stay in the pretrial detention center and his transfer, which was not easy and took place in extreme heat, Sergey noticeably lost weight. He is now recovering; he works out on the parallel bars every day. Relatives give Sergey necessary vitamins and medicines.\nSergey reads the Bible from the local library and letters of support. In the penal colony, he has started writing songs.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-09-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250928","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov is in penal colony No. 7 in the Kostroma Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-09-26T09:26:44+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250926","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov is still in the process of being transferred to a penal colony. He spent almost two months in detention center No. 1 in the Samara Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-09-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250910","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov is in penal colony No. 1 for the Yaroslavl Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-08-08T12:47:07+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250808","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov are in the process of being transferred.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-07-08T11:33:25+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250708","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov and Sergey Zhigalov will remain behind bars — this is the decision made by the Sevastopol City Court. About 70 people who came to support the convicted persons are present in the courtroom; a similar number are outside the courthouse.\nAccording to the lawyer, the men were convicted \"for gathering with their fellow believers at a peaceful meeting for worship to pray, sing songs, read the Bible, learn to love God and their neighbors.\"\nThe prosecution claimed that Kudinov and Zhigalov organized the activity of a liquidated extremist organization in Sevastopol. In the appeal, the defense pointed out that the believers had never been members of the mentioned organization and did not even know about it, but were only members of a religious group for discussing the Bible. This was confirmed by all witnesses during the hearings. The psycholinguistic expert study did not find any signs of extremism in the recordings of the meetings for worship.\nIn the criminal case, there are 17 letters of recognition and 3 positive references from Viktor Kudinov's place of work. Almost the entire staff of Avtodor Sevastopol signed one of them — more than 120 people. He is described as \"a non-confrontational colleague, ready to help both in word and deed, strictly adhering to the rules and norms of everyday business ethics, contributing to a pleasant working atmosphere.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-06-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250610","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Presiding judge: Elena Elanskaya. Sevastopol City Court (20 Suvorova Street, Sevastopol). Start: 09:00.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-04-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250421","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"During his detention in the pre-trial detention center, Sergey Zhigalov has already been transferred to different cells three times. Recently, he has been kept in a special unit and put on the preventive register as a \"person inclined to extremism.\" The believer is in a double cell, together with a cellmate they carried out a general cleaning in it. Sergey tries to respond to letters of support that he receives.\nThere are 12 people in the cell together with Viktor Kudinov. The believer experiences health problems - pressure drops and an increase in blood sugar. He has all the necessary medications. Viktor tries to maintain a positive attitude. He has respectful relations with his cellmates.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250220","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Sergey is in pre-trial detention center No. 1 for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. There are 6 people in his cell. There is a TV, a refrigerator, access to water. The room is quite clean.\nWhen Sergey was in quarantine, he was given a New Testament and a Psalter. He borrows the full Bible from a cellmate to read, as his own copy has been taken away for checking. Sergey regularly goes in for sports and walks. Recently, I had a meeting with my wife.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250131","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believers deliver their last word. The hearing took place despite the fact that one of the defendants has a high fever (about 40 °C). More than 160 people from all over Crimea gathered outside the courthouse to support the believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250113","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor requests a imprisonment sentence for the believers: 6 years and 11 months for Viktor Kudinov and 7 years for Sergey Zhigalov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2025-01-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20250110","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing is taking place. The defendants apply for the admission of members of the public to the courtroom and for the preparation of a record of the court session. The judge decides to hold the trial behind closed doors.\nThe defendants begin to familiarize themselves with the materials of the case.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20230719","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol. It will be considered by the judge Sergey Korotun.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2023-03-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20230327","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktor Kudinov and Sergey Zhigalov are charged in the final version. The investigation classifies peaceful online worship services as extremist events. The believers do not fully admit guilt, they do not agree with the ruling, \"since they did not commit any crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and the security of the state.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2023-02-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20230218","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol returns the criminal case for further investigation. The cases of Kudinov and Zhigalov are combined into one proceeding.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2023-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20230131","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["case-to-investigator"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of Sevastopol, Pavel Kryllo, changes Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov's preventive measure to prohibit certain actions. Among other things, the court forbade believers \"to attend collective meetings of persons supporting the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2022-10-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20221017","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["prohibition-of-actions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Gagarinsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol, Lyudmila Tumaykina, chooses a measure of restraint for Sergey Zhigalov and Viktor Kudinov in the form of house arrest for two months, that is, until October 23, 2022. Believers are forbidden to leave their place of residence, communicate with anyone other than those living with them, and use any means of communication. The judge also recognizes the lawfulness of searches in the homes of believers.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2022-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20220826","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the investigation department for the Nakhimovsky district of the city of Sevastopol, M. E. Ukrainsky, initiates separate criminal cases against 51-year-old Sergey Zhigalov and 53-year-old Viktor Kudinov on suspicion of violating part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The two cases are subsequently merged into one.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zhigalov and Kudinov in Sevastopol","date":"2022-08-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol5/index.html#20220824","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2023, in Feodosia, officers of the Investigative Committee and the FSB searched the apartment of the couple Zinchenko, who had been under surveillance since 2020. A criminal case was initiated against Maksim Zinchenko. The investigation considered reading and discussing Bible verses with friends to be participation in the activities of an extremist organization. Two days after the search and interrogation, the believer was placed under house arrest. The charges were based on video recordings of four meetings for worship of Jehovah\u0026rsquo;s Witnesses made by secret agents of the FSB, as well as the testimony of a secret witness. In June 2023, the case went to court. In April 2024, the court found Zinchenko guilty and sentenced him to 2 years of forced labor. Maksim was released from the correctional center in June 2026.","date":"2023-05-17","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html","prisoners":["zinchenko"],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","type":"cases"},{"body":"Maxim Zinchenko works as a locksmith at a local poultry farm, where both convicts and ordinary employees work. During his work, he was twice appointed as a master mentor to train new employees. The administration of the correctional center treats Maksim with respect, the prisoners speak positively about him.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2025-12-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20251217","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksim Zinchenko was taken to Detention Center No. 2 at Penal Colony No. 1 in the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to serve his sentence of forced labor. He can receive letters.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20250507","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["labor"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Maksym Zinchenko speaks with the last word: \"Love for God and for my neighbors is the main motive of all my actions. And it has nothing to do with extremism.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2024-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20240416","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor is interrogating three prosecution witnesses: FSB investigator Dmitry Shevchenko, specialist Arkady Boyarkin and secret witness Larisa Ivanenko.\nWitnesses inform the court that until 2017 Maksym Zinchenko participated in worship services, but they cannot explain anything about his activities after the ban on legal entities.\nAbout 70 people come to the hearing, and for the first time the spouse of a believer is allowed into the courtroom.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-10-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20231030","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance","secret-witness","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A prosecution witness is being questioned at the court hearing. He describes the Jehovah's Witnesses whom he saw at worship meetings as \"pleasant and hospitable people.\" When asked by the prosecutor whether Maksym Zinchenko invited the prosecution witness to the liturgical meetings via instant messengers, he clearly explains that \"Zinchenko never offered him anything or invited him via the Internet.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-10-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20231009","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"About 70 fellow believers who came from all over Crimea come to support Zinchenko and his wife.\nThe believer declares to the court that he does not agree with the charge. However, judge Valery Kuznetsov does not allow him to express his attitude. Instead, the court determines the order of the judicial investigation and begins the interrogation of the prosecution witness - Maksim's wife. She enjoys the right not to testify against herself and her loved ones.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-09-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230919","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"More than 50 friends of the defendant come to the courthouse. Only parents, grandparents and another listener are allowed into the hall.\nMaksym Zinchenko recuses the lawyer because he cannot pay for his services. The court agrees and appoints another defense counsel, whose services, according to the judge, will be paid for at the expense of the state.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-07-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230712","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Nakhimovsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol. It will be considered by judge Valery Kuznetsov.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-06-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230616","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor of the Nakhimovsky district of Sevastopol, senior adviser of justice A. N. Gogolev approves the indictment. Maksym Zinchenko is accused of \"taking part in meetings where he gave religious speeches\", \"instructing the parishioners of the Jehovah's Witnesses community to read certain verses from the Bible ... or read them personally, and then analyzed their meaning. The conclusion also notes that the believer \"conducted conversations, read the religious material of Jehovah's Witnesses, in this way he expressed his faith in God and continued the activity of his faith.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-06-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230609","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Nakhimovsky District Court of the city of Sevastopol sends Zinchenko under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-05-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230524","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The apartment of Maksym and Karina Zinchenko is being searched with the participation of the armed forces. The spouses are interrogated separately. Maksim is asked questions about video recordings of worship services that were made in Sevastopol by secret FSB agents in 2019 and used in the case of Zhukov and others.\nThe believer is taken to the Investigative Committee of Sevastopol for interrogation. Here, Zinchenko is threatened that he will be placed under house arrest, and his wife will be sent to a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-05-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230522","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["search","ivs","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice Nikolay Pogorelov, senior investigator of the Nakhimovsky district of Sevastopol, initiates a criminal case against Maxim Zinchenko. He is charged with participation in the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The Case of Zinchenko in Sevastopol","date":"2023-05-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/sevastopol6/index.html#20230517","regions":["crimea"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In October 2020, the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region opened a criminal case against Konstantin Zotov and Natalia Kochneva from the city of Berezovsky. Shortly thereafter, a series of searches took place in the homes of 10 believers. In September 2021, the investigation brought in 5 more believers as defendants - Kristina Gruzdeva, Valentina Kugukov, Alexandra Zakharova and the Fokin spouses, Stanislav and Marina. In October, another criminal case was opened against Zotov. In March 2022, a new version of the charge was brought against Konstantin — the believer is being persecuted under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation at once.","date":"2020-10-14","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html","prisoners":["fokin","fokina","gruzdeva","kochneva","kugukova","zakharova","zotov"],"regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":[],"title":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","type":"cases"},{"body":"The investigator of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, Lieutenant Colonel of Justice N. A. Berg, charges Konstantin Zotov in a new edition.\nThe believer is prosecuted under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: Part 1 and Part 2 of Article 282.2, Part 1 of Article 282.3 and Part 3 of Article 33. At the same time, criminal prosecution under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 (involvement) is terminated for lack of corpus delicti.\nZotov is accused of \"carrying out pastoral work, personally holding meetings of participants, including using video conferencing technology, at which, together with other members of the local religious cell, he memorized religious texts ... was actively engaged in missionary work.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2022-03-17T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20220317","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["282.2-1","282.2-2","282.3-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that another criminal case has been initiated against Konstantin Zotov under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - organization of the activities of an extremist organization.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2021-10-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20211025","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator for especially important cases of the first department for the investigation of especially important cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region, N. A. Berg, attracts as defendants in this case five more residents of Berezovsky - Kristina Gruzdeva, Valentina Kugukova, Alexandra Zakharova, as well as spouses Stanislav and Marina Fokins.\nAccording to the investigation, the accused, \"realizing the unlawful nature and public danger of their actions, wishing to exert a psychological impact on society, with the aim of promoting the ideas of superiority of some groups over others, inciting religious discord, promoting the exclusivity, superiority and inferiority of citizens on the basis of their attitude to religion ... that is, acting on the grounds of religious hatred ... committed deliberate actions aimed at achieving the goals of the extremist organization 'Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia'\".\nThe investigation calls \"dangerous actions\" the fact that believers \"together with other members of the local religious cell read [and] prayers to Jehovah God, sang [and] religious songs, studied [and] prohibited religious literature, watching demonstration role-playing games and participating in them.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2021-09-24T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20210924","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Searches are being conducted at the homes of Konstantin Zotov, Natalia Kochneva and 3 other addresses of believers. As a result, CCE employees seize Bibles of various translations, bank cards, electronic devices and other media, personal records, photographs and postcards, SIM cards, cash receipts, a city map and watches.\nNatalia Kochneva's house is searched by the deputy head of the investigation department, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Snigirev, with the participation of the detective of the CPE of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Sverdlovsk Region, Police Major Vladimir Yarochevsky, the senior detective of the FSB, Major Alexei Filatov, and the chief expert of the ECC, Marina Egorova.\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20201019","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Berezovsky City Court of the Sverdlovsk Region Lilia Chechulina orders a search of Natalia Kochneva's home. Prosecutor Ulyana Zhevlakova supports the petition \"as lawful and reasonable.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2020-10-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20201015","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Alexey Zyryanov, Head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region, is initiating a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code against Konstantin Zotov and Natalia Kochneva. According to the investigation, the believers \"participated in meetings of the Berezovsky subdivision, held conversations in order to promote religious exclusivity, and disseminated deliberately extremist materials.\"\n","caseTitle":"The case of Zotov and others in Berezovsky","date":"2020-10-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/beryozovsky3/index.html#20201014","regions":["sverdlovsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In May 2018, the home of a peaceful Birobidzhan resident, Nataliya Kriger, was searched by law enforcement officers. Three days earlier, a criminal case for extremism was initiated against her husband Valeriy, and in February 2020, the FSB initiated a criminal case against Nataliya. She was charged with continuing the activity of an extremist organization. In August 2020, the believer\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. The prosecutor requested a sentence of 4 years imprisonment for her, and in July 2021 the court gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld the verdict, but in August 2022, the court of cassation sent the case back for a new appeal, which, in turn, returned the case to the court of first instance for review by another judge. He also gave the believer a 2.5-year suspended sentence. The court of appeal upheld this verdict.","date":"2020-02-12","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html","prisoners":["krigern"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Speaking in the debate, the prosecutor asks for a sentence of 2.5 years probation, as well as 2 years of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2023-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20230223","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court of the Jewish Autonomous Region does not satisfy the appeal of Nataliya Krieger. The verdict comes into force.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-11-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20211125","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["appeal"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region Vasilina Bezotecheskikh sentences Natalia Krieger to 2 years and 6 months of suspended imprisonment and 1 year of restriction of freedom.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210730","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement","sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The lawyer speaks with the debate, citing the facts of violation of international and Russian law, as well as evidence of the innocence of Natalia Krieger.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-19T17:14:30+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210719","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, a defense witness who has known the defendant since elementary school is being interrogated. She speaks of Natalia as a \"cheerful, adequate, well-read person\" with whom she had no conflicts. According to the witness, who does not share Nataliya's religious views, the believer never imposed her beliefs on her or humiliated representatives of other religions, nor did she speak out against state power. \"She won't hurt a fly ... I can only say good things about her,\" the witness said.\nThe debate begins. The prosecutor requests a sentence of 4 years in prison and 2 years of restriction of freedom for Nataliya, with the obligation to report twice a month at the FSIN supervisory institution.\nAt the next hearing, the defense will take the floor in the debate.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-12T09:01:39+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210712","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["punishment-request","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"A believer shows videos of religious meetings. Nataliya draws the prosecutor's attention to the fact that there are no calls for violence and extremism at the services, and the disciples of Jesus Christ have always been distinguished by love.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-07-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210706","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["video","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates prosecution witness Zvereva. A number of inaccuracies were revealed in her testimony.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210520","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"At the next court session, a video recording of a religious meeting is viewed, during which the judge and the prosecutor indicate to the defendant her participation in the worship service. Nataliya explains that during the meeting, Bible teachings were discussed to encourage love for all people.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210430","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["video","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court gets acquainted with the materials of the case, the volume of which is more than 30 volumes.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2021-04-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20210416","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first court hearing on the merits is underway.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20200929","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region, Vasilina Bezotecheskikh, without the participation of the parties, makes a decision to appoint a closed court hearing in the criminal case of Natalia Krieger. It is noteworthy that on the same day, the same judge is hearing three other women. Among them are Anna and Irina Lokhvitsky (daughter-in-law and mother-in-law), as well as Anastasia Guzeva.\nThe case will be considered behind closed doors, i.e. without the participation of the media, listeners and relatives. According to the judge, an open hearing of the case may lead to the disclosure of secrets protected by law - the personal data of minors whose data appear in the case file.\nThe next hearing is scheduled for September 29, 2020.\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20200916","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"FSB investigator D. Yankin initiates two more cases under Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation - against 41-year-old Natalia Kriger and 44-year-old Andrey Gubin. On the same day, I. Fedorov, a senior investigator of the FSB Investigation Department, opened a similar case against 55-year-old Oleg Postnikov. (A total of 19 criminal cases were initiated against 22 believers in the city.)\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20200212","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"D. Yankin, a senior investigator-criminalist of the investigative department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates 5 criminal cases for faith against 5 women at once: 57-year-old Irina Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Anna Lokhvitskaya, 26-year-old Tatyana Sholner, 35-year-old Tatyana Zagulina and 40-year-old Anastasia Guzeva. All women are charged with part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. According to investigators, they resumed the activities of the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in Birobidzhan, which was liquidated in 2016, as well as the Administrative Center of Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. (Earlier, the defendants in the criminal case under similar articles were the husbands of Natalia Krieger, Tatyana Zagulina and Anastasia Guzeva - Valery Krieger, Dmitry Zagulin and Konstantin Guzev. And Irina and Anna Lokhvitsky were prosecuted after their son and husband Artur Lokhvitsky.)\n","caseTitle":"The Kriger Case in Birobidzhan","date":"2020-02-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan17/index.html#20200206","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-2","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In the summer of 2024, Oleg Postnikov from Birobidzhan and his wife Agnessa were given a 5.5-year suspended sentence for participating in the activity of an extremist organization and involving others in it. In March 2025, the FSB initiated a second case against the believer, this time charging him with organizing the activity of an extremist organization. In April 2025, the Postnikovs' house was searched. He was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then in a pretrial detention center, where he remained until the verdict was passed. In February 2026, the court sentenced him to 6 years and 2 months in a penal colony with a 4-year deprivation of the right to engage in activity related to leading and participating in the work of public organizations and restriction of freedom for 1 year and 8 months.","date":"2025-03-21","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html","prisoners":["postnikov2"],"regions":["jewish"],"tags":[],"title":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","type":"cases"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov feels fine. He goes for a walk every other day and receives letters. The TV in the cell is constantly on, so it is difficult to reply to correspondence. The believer has a Bible.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20260225","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"There are so many listeners at the court hearing that all the seats are occupied, several people are standing. The guards give their chairs to those who do not have a seat.\nThe defendant makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2026-02-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20260210","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecution announces the case materials, after which it files a motion for closed hearings to consider the expert studies and disks. The defense objects, reminding that the verdict has not yet been passed and the issue of extremism in the case file has not been resolved, therefore, in its opinion, closed hearings violate the principle of publicity and the presumption of innocence. Postnikov supports the position of the defense lawyer. He believes that this process will clarify whether the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses is a crime or an exercise of a constitutional right.\nThe court grants the prosecution's motion. The process will continue behind closed doors.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20251126","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defense draws attention to the fact that \"the indictment does not contain an answer to the question of why Jehovah's Witnesses believers in Russia cannot belong to the world religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses ... If no one recognized this world community as extremist.\"\nThe court refuses to admit a public defender - the couple of the defendant, motivating this by the fact that she does not have a legal education and skills, although this is not a requirement of the law.\nThe lawyer asks that the defendant be next to him, and not in a cage, believing that isolation humiliates human dignity. The court refuses, referring to the current restriction measure.\nDuring the announcement of the case materials, the defense draws attention to errors in the documents.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20251114","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge of the Birobidzhan District Court of the Jewish Autonomous Region Vasilina Bezotecheskikh leaves the petition for her recusal unsatisfied.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-11-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20251112","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Letters of support and communication with his wife Agnessa help Oleg not to succumb to despondency. The believer is allowed hour-long walks in the yard, where he breathes fresh air and watches the ants. Due to his sedentary lifestyle in the pre-trial detention center, Oleg tries to support himself with physical exercises and monitor his diet.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-08-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250812","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov has been transferred from the medical unit, where he spent more than a month, to the general building. He is kept alone in a double cell. The believer feels fine, continues to exercise, receives letters of support and responds to them. He has a Bible. Parcels with food and medicines are given to him regularly.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250611","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Oleg Postnikov is alone in the cell. In the first days after his arrest, he experienced problems with blood pressure due to the lack of necessary medications. The believer has the opportunity to take walks. He has already received several letters of support electronically.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-10T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250410","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that a trial on restriction measure for Oleg Postnikov was held and he was placed in a pre-trial detention center for two months.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250407","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court places Oleg Postnikov in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-04-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250404","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["sizo","elderly"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Yankin, senior investigator-criminalist of the investigation department of the FSB of Russia for the Jewish Autonomous Region, initiates a criminal case under part 1 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization) against Oleg Postnikov.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Postnikov in Birobidzhan","date":"2025-03-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/birobidzhan22/index.html#20250321","regions":["jewish"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In April 2023, in Kostroma, the Investigative Committee opened a second criminal case under an extremist article against Dmitriy Terebilov, who at that time was serving term in a colony for his faith in Jehovah God in a previous case. The reason was the fact that the believer answered questions from a cellmate who pretended to have interest in the Bible. Terebilov was charged under the article on the involvement of other persons in the activities of a banned organization. In January 2024, the case went to court. At the hearing, it turned out that the investigation used as evidence letters that Dmitriy received while in the colony, and entries from his personal diary. In September 2024, instead of being released from the colony, the believer was transferred to a pre-trial detention center. In January 2025, the court sentenced Dmitriy to 5 years and 5 days in a maximum security colony. In May of the same year, the court of appeal upheld the sentence, reducing this term by 2 months.","date":"2023-04-20","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html","prisoners":["terebilov2"],"regions":["kostroma"],"tags":[],"title":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","type":"cases"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov spent two days in the punishment cell. There were no cleaning products in the room, Dmitry's personal shoes were taken away, and he did not go out for walks in someone else's. He was not allowed to take the Bible with him. At 10:00 p.m., the song \"Tired Toys Are Sleeping\" was played in the cell.\nFrom the SHIZO, the believer is returned to a detachment with strict conditions of detention, where 11 people are serving their sentences. Prisoners treat Dmitriy with respect.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2026-02-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20260223","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","shizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov is under strict detention conditions. There are six people in the cell. At the moment, the believer cannot call his wife, they communicate by letters.\nDmitriy works — he assembles transformers. In his spare time, he reads the Bible, which he borrowed from the library in the penal colony, and replies to numerous letters, including from abroad. He is grateful to everyone who supports him and his wife emotionally and financially. All this helps him to remain optimistic.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-10-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20251011","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov is in penal colony No. 1 for the Kostroma Region.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-06-24T13:23:40+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20250624","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Kostroma Regional Court reduces the term given to Terebilov by 2 months — the believer will have to serve about 5 years in a penal colony. The verdict enters into force.\nIn his appeal, the lawyer emphasizes, that his client cannot be charged of participating in the activity of any organization, since he is already isolated from society. According to the defense, correspondence with fellow believers, which was censored, also cannot indicate participating in an extremist organization — the letters seized from Terebilov contained historical and scientific facts about natural phenomena, animals, quotes from the Bible and words of support.\nDmitriy notes in the appeal: \"The verdict is unfair... Nowhere, neither in the criminal case itself, nor in court, is there a single excerpt of a conversation promoting extremist ideas... The interrogated witnesses did not cite anything I said that humiliated anyone's dignity.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-05-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20250528","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["appeal","liberty-deprivation","282.2-2","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy has been held in pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kostroma region since August 2024, and during this time he has been transferred to different cells more than ten times. He is currently being held in a cell with two other prisoners, with whom he has good relations.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20250220","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitriy Terebilov makes his final statement.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2025-01-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20250116","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["final-statement","courtroom"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The prosecutor asks the court to find the believer guilty and sentence him to 10 years in a strict regime colony.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20241212","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The believer participates in hearings in two courts. At 9 a.m., the Kostroma Regional Court considers the believer's complaint about the extension of his detention. The measure of restraint remains the same.\nLess than an hour later, Dmitriy is already participating in a session of the district court, where he continues to testify.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-12-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20241204","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","appeal","sizo","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Terebilov states that Roman Lazarev himself expressed a desire to communicate with him and at the same time, as it turned out, kept an audio recording of all conversations starting from the very first one.\nCommenting on Lazarev's testimony that he urged him to stop smoking and swearing, Dmitriy says: \"Since when has it become a sign of involvement in a religious organization to tell a person that the Bible condemns smoking and swearing?\"\nTerebilov also notes that the investigation considered letters from sympathetic people as evidence of his guilt. \"What is criminal in sharing one's thoughts about God, discussing some passage from the Bible, some scientific or historical fact?\" he asks the court. He quotes the words of the censor of the colony, who was previously interrogated in court: \"I myself was interested in some articles about animals and miracles. The letters did not contain any calls to incite hatred and enmity. There were no insults. All the letters were friendly.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-12-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20241203","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma issues a ruling on the imprisonment of Dmitriy Terebilov in a pre-trial detention center.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20240826","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["sizo"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"An employee of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Kostroma Region, A. A. Sokolov, who at the time of the ORM worked in the FSB, is being interrogated. He believes that Terebilov can show what is written in the Bible, but interpretation already violates the law. In his opinion, the goal of the law enforcement system is to force Terebilov to abandon his beliefs and stop preaching.\nAnother prosecution witness, Roman Lazarev, whose testimony formed the basis of the criminal case against Terebilov, was serving his sentence in the same colony as the believer. Lazarev says that the believer encouraged him to get rid of bad habits.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-06-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20240614","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court is interrogating several convicts who served their sentences in IK-1 in the Kostroma region together with Terebilov. During the interrogation of one of the witnesses, discrepancies with the testimony recorded by the investigator are revealed.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20240520","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation","fabrications"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Terebilov's second case goes to the Sverdlovsk District Court of Kostroma, which considered the first case against the believer. This time the judge is Dmitry Gorokhov.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2024-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20240131","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator continues to interrogate Dmitry Terebilov and charges him under Article 282.2 (1.1) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. He presents the conclusion of a historical and religious examination, in which an expert - a historian and a teacher by profession - makes a conclusion not of a specialized, but of a legal nature and states that Terebilov involved others in the activities of a banned extremist organization. The defence is requesting the disqualification of the expert.\nDuring the interrogation, the investigator presents Terebilov with letters, notebooks, photographs, postcards, which were previously seized from the believer without his personal presence in order to find out whether these are his belongings.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20231206","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["interrogation","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The investigator summons Dmitry for questioning as a suspect. The investigation is trying to find out whether the voice on the audio recordings obtained during the operational-search activities belongs to him. The believer refuses to testify. The investigator presents Terebilov with a decision on the appointment of a forensic historical and religious examination.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-05T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20231205","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Terebilov is transferred from the colony to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in the Kostroma region.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-12-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20231201","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that the prisoner, who pretended to be interested in the Bible, is cooperating with the investigation. A confrontation is held between him and Terebilov.\nIt also turns out that a psychiatric and psychological-linguistic examination was carried out in the case, and it is also planned to conduct another one - religious and cultural studies. The psychiatric examination includes the testimony of a witness with whom, according to Terebilov, he is not familiar.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-11-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20231114","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["studies-violations"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"E. A. Sizov, senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the central district of Kostroma, initiates a criminal case under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation against Dmitry Terebilov, who is being held in correctional colony No. 1 in the Kostroma region.\nThe decision to institute criminal proceedings states that a believer serving time in a strict regime colony for his beliefs, \"while in the above-mentioned institution, involved the convicts ... into the activities of an extremist organization.\" This is how the investigator interpreted the fact that Dmitriy answered questions from a cellmate about the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Second Case of Terebilov in Kostroma","date":"2023-04-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kostroma4/index.html#20230420","regions":["kostroma"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1.1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In September 2021, the apartment of Dmitriy and Nadezhda Semenov was searched. A criminal case had been initiated against them because of their faith. According to the Investigative Committee, the couple encouraged a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy \u0026ldquo;to participate in the activity of an extremist organization.\u0026rdquo; In June 2022, the couple\u0026rsquo;s case went to court. The charges were based on the testimony of a woman who expressed a desire to study the Bible with the Semenovs and later began to cooperate with the FSB. In November 2022, the court gave Dmitriy and Nadezhda a 4-year suspended sentence for talking about the Bible. The court of appeal upheld the verdict.","date":"2021-09-03","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html","prisoners":["semenov","semenova"],"regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":[],"title":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","type":"cases"},{"body":"Nadezhda Semenova gives her last word. She says: \"Is it against the law to help people change for the better, to quit bad habits such as smoking, drinking, drugs, stealing, foul language, and so on? But many people have gotten rid of such things through Bible study.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-11-08T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20221108","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Dmitry Semenov gives his last word. He tells the court how much damage the criminal prosecution for their faith has caused him and his wife and explains why they cannot be considered extremists.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-10-31T01:41:33+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20221031","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"State prosecutor Pavel Venin requests 4 years in a general regime colony for Dmitry and Nadezhda Semenov. At the same time, the prosecutor does not provide evidence of the guilt of the defendants, but reads out only excerpts from the indictment.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-10-12T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20221012","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["punishment-request","defense-arguments","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court shall attach to the case file the characteristics and letters of the defendants.\nFragments of video recordings of conversations between the defendants and witness Turova are being examined. At the same time, the defense comments that the Semenovs do not give assessments to other religions, but simply discuss the Bible with the woman.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20220926","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The announcement of the written materials of the case is being completed. The defense draws attention to the groundlessness of the conclusions of the examination, as well as to the fact that the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2017 did not prohibit the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-09-16T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20220916","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The transcript of the conversation between Turova and the Semyonovs about the Bible is read out. Dmitry Semyonov draws the court's attention to the fact that only biblical material is being discussed. He emphasizes that the expert did not find in the actions of the defendants signs of involvement in the activities of any organization.\nFurther, Dmitry points out an error in the transcript that distorts the meaning of what was said: the phrase \"God will resurrect millions of dead people\" in the transcript is rendered as \"God will resurrect millions of better people.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-09-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20220909","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Prosecution witness E. Turova, who for several years discussed biblical teachings with Dmitry and Nadezhda Semenov, is being interrogated. Later, she turned to the FSB, where, according to her, she was \"helped to write\" a statement against the believers.\nShe admits that she liked to communicate with the Semyonovs and their friends, \"it was interesting to study the Bible.\" The woman did not hear any extremist statements or calls for violence from believers.\nDuring the hearing, it becomes obvious that the witness confuses the concepts of \"confession\" and \"legal entity\", as she assumes that the discussion of the Bible with the Semenovs was involvement in the activities of the legal entity. At the same time, she confirms that the believers did not encourage her to join any organization.\nAlso, the defense draws attention to the fact that the woman's oral testimony diverges from the written ones, and she cannot say with certainty which of them correspond to reality.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-08-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20220809","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case of the Semyonov spouses is submitted to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court of the Kamchatka Territory. He is appointed to judge Vladimir Bykov.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20220623","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["to-court","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kudantsev issues a new resolution of extended content on the involvement of spouses as accused. It says that the Semenovs \"in order to persuade Turova to join an extremist organization, handed her a handwritten letter through her mailbox containing words and statements encouraging her to take active steps aimed at joining the confession ... Having received a response from Turova, they began to hold repeated meetings in her apartment, during which they justified, propagandized and justified the activities of the extremist organization LRO of Jehovah's Witnesses.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20211126","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Kudantsev prosecutes Dmitry and Nadezhda under Part 1.1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for \"deciding to persuade E. I. Turova and other unidentified citizens to join the religious organization of the LRO Jehovah's Witnesses, and repeatedly interviewed them via the Internet.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-09-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20210915","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["282.2-1.1","recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The Semenovs' apartment is being searched. They seize electronic devices, a router, a webcam, as well as the New Testament and personal diaries.\nNadezhda and Dmitriy are taken to the Investigative Committee for interrogation. They use Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, which allows them not to testify against themselves and their loved ones. Spouses are chosen a measure of restraint in the form of a written undertaking not to leave.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-09-06T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20210906","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["search","interrogation","recognizance-agreement","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator of the Investigative Committee for the Kamchatka Territory Maxim Kudantsev initiates a criminal case against Dmitry Semenov and his wife Nadezhda. He suspects them of involving other persons in the activities of an extremist organization. According to the investigation, the spouses \"persuaded, persuading a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other unidentified persons to take part in the activities of an extremist organization.\"\nThe Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky City Court gives permission to search the Semenovs' home \"in order to find and seize literature, documentation, electronic media containing information of an extremist nature, as well as computers and other technical means with the help of which criminal activity was carried out, as well as other items relevant to the criminal case.\"\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-09-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20210903","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["new-case","search","families"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Detective of the FSB Directorate for the Kamchatka Territory, Senior Lieutenant D. Popov, submits to the investigative department for the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation a report and materials on the results of operational-search activities in relation to Dmitry and Nadezhda Semenov.\n","caseTitle":"The Semyonov case in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/petropavlovsk_kamchatskiy/index.html#20210721","regions":["kamchatka"],"tags":["hidden-surveillance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In January 2025, a criminal case was initiated against Vasiliy Shishkin from Prokopyevsk under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization. The reason for this was his conversations on Bible topics with local residents. A search was conducted in the home of Vasiliy and his wife Irina, and the believers were interrogated at the Investigative Committee office. Vasiliy was placed in a temporary detention facility, and after 2 days was transferred to house arrest. In December 2025, the case went to court. Shortly thereafter, Irina was also subjected to criminal prosecution. In June 2026, Vasiliy was sentenced to 6 years in a penal colony.","date":"2025-01-21","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html","prisoners":["shishkin"],"regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":[],"title":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Giving evidence in court, Vasily Shishkin states that no illegal actions were committed at the meetings for worship at which he was present — the believers only discussed religious issues and studied the Bible. The prosecution does not provide evidence that there was propaganda of the exclusivity and superiority of the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses. Vasily notes: \"Your Honor, as a lawyer, you should know that not only the recognition of your faith as correct and true, but also criticism of other faiths is permissible and is not considered as incitement to hatred and enmity, but I did not even do this.\"\nThe defendant recalls that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not ban the religion of Jehovah's Witnesses — believers are still free to gather together.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-05-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20260520","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Two witnesses are interrogated at the hearing, one of them is the defendant's brother. He reports that despite their differences in religious views, they maintain good relations, and Vasily did not call for undermining the foundations of the constitutional order or state security.\nThe second witness states that he has not heard any negative statements from Shishkin about people of other faiths.\nAnother witness - an operational officer - does not appear in court, so his testimony is read out.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-02-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20260203","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance","interrogation"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Listeners are not allowed to the hearings, so those who came to support Vasily Shishkin remain near the courthouse. At the trial, the believer states his attitude to the accusation and declares that he does not admit guilt.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2026-01-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20260114","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The case goes to the Rudnichny District Court of Prokopyevsk. It will be considered by Judge Elena Zarubina.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-12-09T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20251209","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Viktoria Ortner, judge of the Rudnichny District Court of Prokopyevsk, places Shishkin under house arrest.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20250123","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, Vasily and Irina Shishkin are searched. After that, the believers are taken for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. There, the couple learn that they have been followed for two years, and a wiretapping has been installed in their house.\nA criminal case was opened against Vasiliy under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (organization of the activities of an extremist organization), he was detained and placed in a temporary detention facility. Investigative actions are led by the senior investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the city of Prokopyevsk of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Kemerovo Region - Kuzbass Rafig Gambarov.\n","caseTitle":"The Shishkin Case in Prokopyevsk","date":"2025-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/prokopyevsk4/index.html#20250121","regions":["kemerovo"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1","search","interrogation","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In 2021, after a series of searches of the homes of believers in Kodinsk, security forces detained Ildar Urazbakhtin. The next day he was placed under house arrest, and two months later he was placed under a recognizance agreement, which allowed the believer to once again care for his wife, who is visually impaired. The investigator considered ordinary manifestations of faith—prayers, reading the Bible, and singing songs—as activities that undermine the security of the State. Ildar Urazbakhtin was put on the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists, and his financial accounts were blocked. In January 2022, the criminal case against the believer went to court. The prosecutor requested that he be sentenced to seven years in a penal colony. In October, the court gave Urazbakhtin a six-year suspended sentence with three years probation. The appellate court upheld this verdict.","date":"2021-07-19","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html","prisoners":["urazbakhtin"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Ildar Urazbakhtin delivers his last speech.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-10-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20221007","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The defendant gives testimony in the form of written notes.\nProsecutor Dmitry Vladimirov asks the court to sentence the believer to 7 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-09-27T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220927","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request","first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The video recording of the service is examined.\nInvestigator Roman Rogov is being interrogated. He cannot answer some questions, explaining that \"the matter is not ordinary.\"\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-09-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220926","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The court interrogates Lieutenant B.V. Bembeyev, an operative of the FSB Directorate in Kodinsk. He states that he organized video surveillance of believers in 2021. To the questions of the defense, he answers only \"I don't remember\", \"I don't know\".\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-06-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220630","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, religious scholar Grigory Illarionov is being interrogated via videoconference. He notes that the creeds of Jehovah's Witnesses are based on the Bible, and their prayers, singing songs, and preaching are nothing more than ways of expressing faith.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-06-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220629","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"11 people gather around the meeting room. When asked by the judge who these people are, Ildar replies: \"These are my friends. They came to support me.\" Judge Grigory Garbuz reads out the case materials: transcripts of worship services and data from the Ministry of Justice about the local religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the village of Boguchany.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-05-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220523","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Grigory Garbuz gives Ildar Urazbakhtin the opportunity to speak with an attitude to the charge.\nThe believer insists on his innocence. Turning to the court, he notes that by the decision of the Supreme Court of 20.04.2017, the legal entities of Jehovah's Witnesses were liquidated, and not the right to profess their faith. According to the defendant, the security forces freely interpret this decision. \"In fact, I am accused,\" says Ildar Urazbakhtin, \"that I believe in God, talk to others about the Bible, share my beliefs with them, pray to Jehovah God, sing songs of praise to him and remain a Jehovah's Witness, that is, I enjoy the right guaranteed by Article 28 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.\"\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-03-30T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220330","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The criminal case against Ildar Urazbakhtin is submitted to the Kezhemsky District Court of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-01-31T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220131","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The head of the investigation department for the Kezhemsky district of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee, P.V. Monakhov, attracts Ildar Urazbakhtin as an accused of organizing the activities of an extremist organization. The believer is accused of holding video conferences, in which he \"encourages deep study of the Bible, inspires the need to support \"brothers and sisters\", teaches communication techniques.\"\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2022-01-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20220113","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Ildar Urazbakhtin's preventive measure is changed: he is required to sign a not to leave the place.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2021-09-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20210920","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The judge of the Kezhemsky District Court Grigory Garbuz chooses a measure of restraint for Ildar Urazbakhtin in the form of house arrest for 2 months.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2021-07-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20210721","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["house-arrest"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Early in the morning, searches are carried out in the city of Kodinsk at at least at five addresses where Jehovah's Witnesses live. During a search in the apartment of 58-year-old Ildar Urazbakhtin and his family, security forces seized phones, a tablet and a notebook. The believer is detained and placed in a temporary detention facility.\nIn order to \"find the means of committing a crime by I. I. Urazbakhtin,\" a search is being conducted in the house of another resident of Kodinsk. Electronic devices, a system unit, a flash drive, a book by a religious scholar and greeting cards are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Urazbakhtin case in Kodinsk","date":"2021-07-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/kodinsk/index.html#20210720","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search","ivs"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"","date":null,"permalink":"/en/cases/yalta3/index.html","prisoners":[],"regions":["crimea"],"tags":[],"title":"Zhiltsov's case in Yalta","type":"cases"},{"body":"In December 2020, the apartment of peaceful entrepreneur Yevgeniy Zinich and his wife, who is disabled, was searched. The security forces seized electronic devices, personal records and a Bible in Ukrainian. In January 2021, an investigator of the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Yevgeniy, accusing him of organizing the activity of an extremist organization. This was based on the testimony of a secret witness and recordings of telephone and personal conversations of the believer. In November 2021, the case was submitted to the district court. During the criminal prosecution, the believer\u0026rsquo;s wife died from a serious illness. In June 2022, the court found Evgeny guilty and sentenced him to 6 years in a penal colony, as requested by the prosecutor. The court of appeal upheld this decision.","date":"2021-01-21","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html","prisoners":["zinich"],"regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"title":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","type":"cases"},{"body":"Yevgeniy has been kept in the cell-type facility for 6 months already. This is the second time he has been under these conditions: he previously spent 5 months there. The size of the cell is 9 square meters, light comes only through the bars in the ceiling, at night mosquitoes do not let him sleep. \"I feel like a person who has been kidnapped and kept in the basement,\" Zinich once said. Another prisoner is kept with him in this cell for four people.\nDespite the difficulties, the believer tries not to focus on his own worries but rather think about others, for example, when answering numerous letters — over the past year he received more than 1,600 of them, and over the entire time in prison — more than 7,500.\nHe tries to look after his health; he exercises. He receives the necessary medication to control his blood pressure.\nFor the entire time of his sentence, Yevgeniy has not had a single extended visit from his relatives. Zinich has an elderly mother who suffers from dementia and is worried about her condition.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2026-05-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20260511","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions","penalty"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After six months spent in the colony of Nizhnevartovsk, Yevgeniy was transferred back to IK-11 in Surgut. He is kept in the EPKT. His cell is small - only 4 square meters - but warm, bright and dry. In his free time, Yevgeniy answers letters from friends that he could not answer before.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-05-13T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20250513","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zinich was sentenced to serve his sentence in strict conditions. Due to minor violations, he spent 1 year in the EPKT, 6 months in the PKT and 199 days in the punishment cell. The PKT and SHIZO are a dark cell without windows, instead of a ceiling there is a grate on which guards walk.\nThe believer has lost 30 kilograms, and his eyesight is deteriorating due to the lack of light. For the entire time he was serving his sentence, Yevgeniy was given only one short visit with his daughter. He has already received more than 6,000 letters and answered almost 3,000 of them. He also has a Bible.\nDuring her daily walks, Zinich does physical exercises to maintain her health.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-05-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20250501","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zinich is in penal colony No. 15 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2025-01-13T13:44:35+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20250113","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zinich is kept in solitary confinement with a stricter regime (PKT), periodically he is placed in a punishment cell, where he has spent a total of more than 100 days. Recently, another prisoner was put in his cell for 3 months.\nYevgeniy tries to take care of his health, regularly goes for walks, does exercises. He has the opportunity to read the Bible and regularly receives letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2024-07-29T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20240729","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy is kept in solitary confinement in the FCT, periodically he is placed in a punishment cell. He is effectively deprived of long dates and parcels and says that he is very tired of the loud music that plays throughout the day.\nDespite this, Eugene tries to support himself emotionally and physically. He reads the Bible and the letters he receives, goes for walks and does exercises.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-12-12T15:43:57+02:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20231212","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","penalty","letters"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"In a strict regime colony, Yevgeniy Zinich is in strict conditions of detention, so he can receive parcels no more than once every 6 months. The believer is in need of medicine, and recently he was able to get them. Yevgeniy assesses his state of health as satisfactory.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-09-04T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230904","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"It becomes known that Yevgeny Zinich was transferred to the strict regime correctional colony No. 11 in Surgut. Eugene can receive letters of support.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-07-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230719","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Due to the conditions of detention in IK-15, Yevgeniy Zinich's chronic diseases worsened. Doctors conduct an examination daily. The believer worries about his daughter, as any connection with her is blocked.\nIn IK-15, Zinich was placed in a punishment cell four times, later transferred to a cell-type room, and then the conditions for his isolation were further tightened. In this colony, the believer did not receive all letters: in three months, only one letter was handed over to him from his daughter.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-07-18T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230718","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison","shizo","strict-conditions"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zinich is being held in a punishment cell. According to him, the administration is showing increased attention to him - he is given verbal reprimands for what is usually not done to others.\nThe believer says that not all letters are given to him. Those in which the phrase \"Jehovah's Witnesses\" occurs are not missed. At the beginning of his stay in the colony, he received about 10 letters a day, and now he receives 2 letters.\nZinich suffers from a number of diseases, including hypertension. Medical workers can monitor the health of prisoners only during the day, and Yevgeniy is not given his personal blood pressure monitor. Friends were able to give him the necessary medicines.\nZinich has a Bible. Despite the difficulties, he tries to notice positive aspects in his life in the colony.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-05-02T09:57:08+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230502","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeniy Zinich arrives at the colony in Nizhnevartovsk to serve his sentence. He can write letters.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-03-15T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230315","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer","life-in-prison"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Zinich will serve his sentence in correctional colony No. 15 in Nizhnevartovsk. While waiting for a transfer, he has been in SIZO-1 of Tyumen for some time. The believer keeps a register of all letters of support - at the moment there are already 2567 of them, he managed to answer 1092 of them. Employees of the pre-trial detention center are surprised that Yevgeniy is being persecuted for believing in God.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2023-03-03T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20230303","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["transfer"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Judge Natalia Nikolayeva finds Yevgeniy Zinich guilty and sentences him to 6 years in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-06-27T16:20:21+03:00","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20220627","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["sentence"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Referee: Natalia Nikolaeva. Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk (Krasnoyarsk, Vysotnaya str., 2 G).\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-06-23T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20220623","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["final-statement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"40 people come to the courthouse, but only three listeners are allowed into the courtroom.\nThe court attaches to the case file certificates about the state of health of the defendant and that Zinich's elderly mother is dependent on him.\nThe prosecutor asks the court to sentence the believer to 6 years in prison in a penal colony.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20220526","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["punishment-request"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The first hearing on the merits of the case is held. Speaking with an attitude to the accusation, Yevgeny Zinich quotes from laws, court decisions, as well as from the Bible. Judge Natalia Nikolayeva asks the believer not to quote the Holy Scriptures.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-12-14T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20211214","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["first-instance"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"After 9 months of investigation, the case is submitted to the Oktyabrsky District Court of Krasnoyarsk.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-11-01T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20211101","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["to-court"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zhuikov refuses to satisfy Yevgeny Zinich's request to terminate the criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-10-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20211026","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":[],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Investigator Zhuikov chooses a preventive measure for Yevgeniy Zinich in the form of a written undertaking not to leave the place and proper behavior. The believer gets acquainted with the materials of his criminal case.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-10-20T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20211020","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["recognizance-agreement"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Yevgeny Zinich is charged with committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-10-19T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20211019","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Acting Prosecutor of the Oktyabrsky District of Krasnoyarsk A. V. Stolbovsky approves the indictment in the case against Yevgeny Zinich. The accusation is based on the testimony of witnesses Nadezhda Zhernosekova, Yuri Boreysha and secret witness \"Oleg Salov\". In addition, the prosecution refers to recordings of telephone and personal conversations of the believer, religious studies and psychological-linguistic examinations.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-01-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20210128","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Lieutenant of Justice K. O. Zhuikov, investigator of the Investigative Directorate for the Oktyabrsky District of Krasnoyarsk of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Republic of Khakassia, initiates a criminal case against Yevgeny Zinich under Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.\nThe resolution states: \"Zinich E. N., being on the territory of the Oktyabrsky district of Krasnoyarsk ... being one of the leaders of the LRO \"Jehovah's Witnesses Krasnoyarsk\"... committed actions of an organizational nature aimed at continuing the illegal activities of Jehovah's Witnesses, expressed in the leadership of this organization.\"\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2021-01-21T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20210121","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case","282.2-1"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The materials against Yevgeny Zinich are separated into separate proceedings from the case against Anatoly Gorbunov.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-12-22T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20201222","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"The apartment of Yevgeniy Zinich, who is in the status of a witness in a criminal case, is being searched. Electronic devices, data carriers, the Bible in Ukrainian and personal records are seized.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2020-12-11T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20201211","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"From the materials of the criminal case against Andrey Stupnikov , materials and items relating to Zinich and other persons are separated into separate proceedings.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-08-28T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20190828","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"Senior investigator Denis Lugovoi, during the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Andrei Stupnikov, reveals signs of a crime in the actions of Anatoly Gorbunov, Yevgeny Zinich and other persons.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2019-08-26T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20190826","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["new-case"],"type":"timeline"},{"body":"With regard to Jehovah's Witnesses in Krasnoyarsk, operational search measures are being carried out, including recordings of divine services. Mass searches of believers are taking place.\n","caseTitle":"Zinich's case in Krasnoyarsk","date":"2018-11-07T00:00:00Z","permalink":"/en/cases/krasnoyarsk7/index.html#20181107","regions":["krasnoyarsk"],"tags":["search"],"type":"timeline"}]